The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-04-01
Art OF Living With People.

we n Ines best school In living with
people, says ]; R. Miller, D. D, in Chris
tisn Work; Some one says: 1T !: better
to live with others even at the cost Of con.
IN undisturbed quiet alone" It 10 not
ideally the easy way. It means oftentimes
hurts, wrongs, injustices, many o wound.
ing, many q heartache, many . pang. It
requires self-forgetfulness. self.restraint,
the giving up Of ones rights many times.
the overlooking Of u~nkindnesses and
thoughtlessnesses, the quiet enduring Of
things that it would seem no one should
be required to endure. Nevertheless it is
immessurably better TO live with people,
though Il 10 not easy, than to live alone.
Living alone nourishes much that 10 NOT
good and beautiful in human nature. Il
IN undue opportunity Of growth and de-
velopment. It permits US to do too much
as we please, which is bad training for any
Of US; to indulge our own tastes, feelings
and whims without limitation, without
protest, since M % 10 near enough to ~
to be seriously affected by our selishness.
Then IL deprives US Of the opportunity for
discipline and education which we can get
only by living in daily contact with others.
One never can grow into true nobleness OF
character, sweetness Of disposition and
beauty Of life while living in solitude. Eve
need 70 have our sharp corners rubbed of,
our little pet faneies punctured, and most
Of all to learn self-control, sweet reasona-
bleness' and tolerance for other peoples
point Of view"
Then we never can learn the lesson Of
love but by living with people. We may
learn the theory Of loving and be able to
preach about it and write delightful ,ssays
on the subject, but that is different alto
gether from getting the lesson into our own
lives. Nothing win teach US unselishness
but the practice Of unselfishness under the
pressure of necessity. We cannot learn
patience with others save in experiences
which put our patience to the test. The
same is true Of all the virtues and graces-
they can be acquired only in practical life.
People are the best means OF grace to US.
We often are helped to form character by
The necessity of patience and charity in
our dealings toward others, so in this We
have them to thank for an added grace,
however unwillingly received.
1t il important. then, that we learn the
art of living with others. It should not
be hard to live with those who are sweet,
gentle, patient, thoughtful and unseltish
anybody ought to be able to get along
with such pleasant people. But not all
with whom We mingle are of this class.
lnere are dlsaGEeeaDlc people. those VINO
are thoughtless, uncongenial, exacting,
quick tempered, unreasonable, sensitive,
and our duty Of living swcctly with others
includes these, too.
It may help US. IL we will always remem.
Der, when we find it hard to get along
with any one, that this is only a new les
son in loving set for us. OF course, it
would please US il the disaSreeable person
should by some process be quietly changed
into sweet reaso:ablencss and Christlike
a%greeableness, 80 that there no longer
should be any unconsenialtiy to fret rs.
But it is not probable that any such mira.
Gle will be wrought to make il easier for
us to get along p~eaceably. Almost certain.
" the task set for US must be worked oct
without any p%erceptible amelioration of
conditions. The problem Is ours-we must
meet it. II Is ours to be Christians, which
means Christlike, just where we find cur.
selves.