The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-09-16
The Value of Tact,

Inc Nhiue Ol Iaci.
''Tact," says the dictionary. "is a quick
or lntuitve appreciation OF what is fit,
proper or right; fine or ready mental dis.
cernment shown in saying or doing the
proper thing, or especially in avoiding
what would offend or disturb skill or fac.
ulty in dealing with men or emergencies"
Sincerity says the blunt person, 'is
telling exactly what YOU think about every.
thing, without regard to another's feelings
in the matter Tact is an extra faculty
NOT understood, because of long disuse, by
such people.
1t would be a good plan if every theo.
logical seminary and every school for
Christian workers possessed class in tact
Paul long ago suggested the course OF study
to be pursued by such a class.
Lack of tact might be called a bad habit
rather than a failing, for one is certainly
to blame to some extent for the thought
lessness that will permit constant words
and actions that hurt the feelings or the
conscience of another soul.
There is certain evil pleasure to some
people in being what they call sincere
They cultivate a caustic sincerity until it
becomes a habit and it is very hard for
them to ever wholly admire or take pleas
ure in anything not their own. And they
not only do this. but they make a virtue
of it. They know nothing of the lowly
spirit that can humble itself to meet 9th.
can conceal personal likes and dslkes and
ignore for the time unessentials. Such may
think they love their neighbors, but surely
not 'as themselves, for If they did they
would know at once how their words some.
times cut and sting. how unlovely they
make their religion appear. and how use,
less 1t is for them to try and win Others
whom they have first alienated. True love
for Others will beget sympathy. Perfect
sympathy and thought for others will be.
get tact, which is the opposite OF vulgarity,
according to John Ruskin. He says in
Sesame and Lillies:'
But briefly, the essence of all vulgarity
lies in want OF sensation. Simple and in.
nocent vulgarity is merely an unframed
and undeveloped buntness of body and
mind. but in true inbred vulgarity there
is a deathful callousness which, in extrem.
ity, becomes capable of every sort of bes
tial habit and crime, without fear, without
pleasure, without horror and without pity
1t is in the blunt hand and the dead heart
in the diseased habit. in the hardened con
science. that men become vulgar; they are
forever vulgar, precisely in proportion as
they are incapable of sympathy-of quick
understandng-of all that in deep insist
ence on the common, but most accurate
term, may be called the tact or touch
faculty Of body and SOUL that tact which
the Mimosa has in trees, which the pure
woman has above all creatures: fineness
and fuiness OF sensation beyond reason /;
the guide and sancti6er OF reason itself.
Reason can but determine what is true; it
is the God.given passion of humanity
which alone can recognize what God has
made good.
Now there are a great many questions
OF good or evil which while every man
must decide them for himself-and such
decisions are lmportant-are nevertheless
subordinate to the great question of sal
walton in Jesus Christ. Paul did not seek
to bellttlc these questions, nor did he bid
any man go against his conscience in or
der that he might WIN souls who did not
think as he did. But h. was irving to
show them that there was time for even
important details to stay in the back
ground; that they could not stuff doc.
trines down the throat of the man who
had no appetite for them-they must first
lAake him hungry for Jesus. and then the
living word would be acceptable.
So Paul did not enter the house of a man
who believed it wrong TO cat neat offered
to idols, and forthwith haunt the new free
dom from all such laws that was his in
Christ Jesus, by saying: Brother, / saw
this morning as | passed by the market
place some unusually fine cuts of meat
fresh from the temple offered at a low
rate. You should go and purchase some"
No. lie, quietly ate what was set before
him, and won their confidence by accept
OF Jesus and His new way of salvation.
The young girl who invit,i poor serv-
ant girl to come to the Christian Endeavor
meeting with her and seeks to win her to
Christ, but remarks on the way to th-
meeting that she could never bear to wash
dishes because it makes the hands so red
and rough will never succeed in her en-.
deavor
The tactless person has fallen into the
habit of excusng himself, and of feeling
that he cannot help the blunders he makes
His friends deplore his stupidity, and sigh
and help him on sometimes. But for the
sake OF Righteousness and the cause OF
Jesus Christ no Christian should allow
himself to lie hack content a slave to so
deplorable habit. 1t is his duty to break
it. He can do it with Gods help. First,
he must get into his heart n love for his
fellow men and forgetfuness OF self.
Next he must study those about him, and
learn to know their circumstances their
sorrows and joys, their ways. In short.
he must learn to read character and teach
his heart to symDathize. The new habits
will eXpe the old.-Grace Livingston Hill,
in the New York Mail and Express.