Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-11-19

Horace Greeley, all notorious for their
indifference to ordinary eatness of at
tire, but such examples are not proofs
of genius, but only of the power Of
genius to win its way in life in spite
of disgusting habits. The genius of
Alexandra Dumas trumphed in spite
of the degradation of his birth and
Henry Fawcett became u statesman
and successful administrator In spite
of his blindness; so. personal unclean-
illness and slovenlness may fail to de-
feat the true genius, but they can
never help him to victory. And yet,
deluded by this idea that slovenllness
and unclcanliness are signs of true
greatness, many n lawyer, doctor, II
merchant. has ruined his financial
chances in life because he would not
dress as gentleman should dress.
There are more ways than one of in
terpretng that passage of Scripture
which says in reference to the one tai
emf man. "And was afraid and went
and hid thy talent in the earth" Some
Of 1.-THE earth" in which many men hide
their talents Of life is to be found in
the filthiness and in the unkempt con-
dtions of their wardrobes.
If it Is necessary TO be clean and neat
In personal appearance in temporal
work, how much more Is this neatness
essential when we are ConseCrating our
| lives to the service Of Jesus Christ?
The dear Saviour wants us TO go out
and labor in his name in the same way
as he used TO work. He was tainted
with many rcproaches during his earth.
| ly life, but those who hated him most
never charged him with unclcanlincss
or slovenliness, and we may be sure
that the rhariscc who invited him
| to his house and the other hosts
who entertained him would nev-
| or have welcomed him as guest
IL he had been careless about his
! person or his dress. The quality of his
robe may have been poor. but we may
be sure that there were no impurities
! upon 1t or upon him. So. Christian
workers, If we go forth in Christ's
name. some of us must be more care
| ful about our personal appearance.
Remember. O minister when You as
cend the pulpit. that your clothes may
not be expensive, but they should be
neat Remember, O Sunday school
| teacher, that when you cxpound the
| Bible lesson your scholars arc learn
! ing from you what it is To be a Chris
tian. They are learning with their
! eyes as we'll as with their ears. Re-
member, o man of Coz that wherever
you go your clean skin and pure linen
as well as your lips preach in Christ's
name.
Character Development.
Small essential the next. The little
kindnesscs and courtcsies which we
should extend to those with whom we
come in daily contact. The little acts
of Difference which we should show to
ladies, such as taking off the hat when
we stand with them in an elevator or
allowing them to precede US through
an opened door. The Thank you, sir"
with which lady should acknowledge
a gentleman's action when he rises in
a street car to offer her seat. The lit
tie social calls by which we should
welcome new neighbor or her friends
into our community. The little gifts Of
delica cies which should be sent to the
invalid's room of our neighbours house
All these little attentions and corr
tesies may not seem to be of much
value at the time. but they are mighty
in the development or the depletion of
human character They are mightS in
deciding whether a man is TO live a
selfish or an unsclhsh life.
How a selfish life? Simply enough.
Here, for instance, is n man who enters
railroad car. He places his satchel
in one seat and his ovcrcoat by his side.
Then he stretches out his long legs
puts his feet upon the opposite seat and
begins TO read a newspaper. After
awhile the train fills up, but he does
not remove his membranes. The
man is an incarnation of sefshness
He cares only for his own comfort and
is oblivious of the rights of others. He
has paid for but one sitting. He has n
right to occupy only half a seat, Yet
he is monopolzing four sittings When
the poor OM woman with heavy bun
die comes down the aisle, timidly look
ing for place to rest and to deposit
her load, he buries his face yet farther
in the newspaper and pretends not to
see her The old lady hesitates little
by his side. and then passes on. You
say: That man is not a polite man.
He is not a gentleman" l say Chris
tan courtesy means more than the two
words mere politeness" imply. That
man is laying the foundations of an
evil future. For if he is discourteous
to his fellow men, If he is willing to
crowd his fellow passengers in rail
road train out of the seats which right
fully belong to them, he is developing
disposition which, if not checked.
may lead him by and by to defraud his
Ieighbor of the dollars and cents which
by right belong to him. When Paul
said BE courteous" he meant more
than to be merely polite. He meant
'be honest, be fair, be noble in the lit
tie duties and attentions which you
should show to your fellow men"
Christian Courtesy.
Character is not born; it is developed.
II springs not up in n night, as 4
Jonah's gourd, 1t grows gradually.
Lyman Beecher once said. ut took
forty years" when some one asked
him the question, How long did II
take to write that sermon" By that
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