Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-15
CHRISTIAN ENDEAHOR HOUR
Conducted BY
GRACE LIVINGSTON HILL.
For Au1usf IA

1hACE LlSINGSION
"A: For August 16
-Topir: Lessons From Paul-How to Use Tact In
Dealing With Men, Corinthians. ix:19-23.
10. For though I be free from all men,
yet have I made myself servant unto all.
that might gain the more.
20. And unto the Jews I became as
Jew. that might gain the Jews; to them
that are under the law. as under the law.
that might gain them that are under the
law.
q. To them that are without law az
without law (being not without law to God,
but under the law of Christi, that l might
gain them that are without law.
p. To the weak became 1 as weak, that
l might gain the weak am made ell
things to all men. that I might by all
means save some.
q. And this I do for the gospels sake
that might be partaker thereof with you.
Tact" says the dictionary. rs a quick
proper or right; fine ready mental dis
cernment shown in saying or doing the
proper thing, or especially in avoiding what
would offend or disturb; skill or faculty 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
such people.
1t would be a good plan II every theolog-
tcal seminary and every school for Chris
tian 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 a certain evil pleasure to some
people in being what they call sincere.
They cultivate a causetc sincerity until 1t
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 virtue
of It. They know nothing Of the low1y
spirit that can humble itself to meet others
more lOwly. and win their love: that can
conceal personal likes and dislikes and ig-
more for the time unessentials. Such may
not "as themselves" for II 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
whom they have first alienated True love
for others will beget sympathy.
Perfect sympathy and thought for others
will beget tact. which is the opposite of
yulgarfty. according to John Ruskin. He
says in Sesame and Lilies:
But briefly, the essence Of all vulgartty
lies in want of sensation. Simple and in
nOcent vulgarity Is merely an unframed
and undeveloped bluntness of body and
mind; but in true inbred vulgarity there
Is a deathful callousness. which. in ex-
tremity. becomes capable of every sort OF
bestial ha bit and crime without fear. with
out pleasure. without horror. and without
pity. 1t Is in the blunt hand and the dead
heart, in the diseased habit. in the hard
ened conscience. that men become vulgar;
they are forever vulgar, precisely In pro-
fE,,,1 y,akN NJ Gum
of quick understanding. OF all that, in deep
insistence on the common but most accu-
rate term, may be called the tact or
touch-faculty' Of body and soul; that tact
which the Mmosa has IN trees, which the
pure woman has above all creatures; fine
ness and fullness Of sensation beyond rea-
son. the guide and sanctifier of reason IT.
self. Reason can but determine what
is true; 1t IS the GOd-given passion Of HUI
mainly 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 important-are nevertheless subordinate
to the great question of salvation in Jesus
Christ. Paul did not seek to belittle those
questions nor did he bid any man go against
his conscience in order that he might win
souls who did not think as he did. But he
was trying to show them that there was
time for even important details to stay In
the background: that they could not stun
doctrines down the throat Of the man who
had no appetite for them-they must first
make 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 eat meat offered
to idols, and forthwith flaunt the new free
dom from all such laws that was his in
Christ Jesus. by saying: Brother, 1 saw
this morning as l passed by the market
place some unusually fine cuts of meat
fresh from the temple, offered at a low rate.
You should go and puchase some" No, he
quietly ate what was set before him, ana
won their confidence by accepting their
ways as his own, and then talked Of Jesus
and His new way Of salvation.
The young woman who invites a poor ser
want girl to come to the Christian En-
deavor meeting with her and seeks to win
her to Christ, but remarks on the way to
meeting that she never could bear to wash
dishes because it makes the hands 50 red
and rough, will never succeed in her en-
deavor.
The tactless person has fallen into the
habit Of excusing 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
Jesus Christ no Christian should allow him
self to lie back content slave to so de-
plorable habit. 1t Is his duty to break It,
He can do 1t with Gods help. First he
must get into his heart love for his feIIow-
man and forgetfulness 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 sympathize. The new habits will expeI
the old.
Applied Truth.
A young girl came to call upon an older
woman and cheer her in her loneliness The
woman showed her some photographs and
among others, one Of herself taken at
eighteen which people who knew her then
thought was still exactly like her. "Ohr'
exclaimed the young GIRL What a differ
ence the bloom of youth makes!' And then
she went home sorrowfully wondering why
the woman's manner had grown suddenly
cold toward her.
A certain minister, handsome. we'll edu-
Gated, much in earnest, a good preacher
was called to a large and influential church
but remained there only short time. He
never succeeded in his ministry because Of
his utter lack of tact. He was forever say
ing something which hurt the feelings Of
his parishioners and which no amount of
explanation could heal. He was constantly
handicapped by his mistakes. A Christian
has no right to wear a chain of his own
forging. $3.50
How to HELM the Lauder