Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-12-17

seen and not watched. Las suIpmer
spent many days trolling for fish in
the Pacific ocean. Strange 10 say,
cid not have Ia see Il fish before
knew what waH on the end of the line
The big mackcrel would pull steadily
in Il straight line. The thick bodied
albcore would ut once dive TO the bot
tom Of the sea-. The strong filmed vel
lowtal would seeSaw now IN this side
of the boat. now on the other. and only
the yaif hook could stop his struggles.
The barracuda would seem to swim
toward the boat Like IL tender mouth
ed horse. each pull of the line would
make him obey your will the quicker.
The sea bass would come TO the sur
Face. and YOU would have to be care
iul or. like trapcZe pc 'fOrmer. he
would turn "a complete som ersault over
your line and he of SO men in a com.
munity. like some fish in he sea. are
known by their neighbOrs in their pri-
waite lives even though those men may
think they are unseen. They all have
their unconscious influence when they
Rather than write such a book as
"A Man Without Shadow" | would
prefer To write one called The Man
With Frozen Shadows" That figure
hich the great American humoriSt.
Samuel l.. Clemens. drew Of the sailors
in the arctic regions chopping each
others shadows off the ships deck. so
that their friends would not stumble
over them. is not impossible OF concep-
ton in the moral and spiritual world.
What gave the late William Chiches-
ter. the most powerful religious leader
the Pacific coast ever produced. his
marvellous hold OH men? His eloquent
tongue: think not. California, be-
lieve. has had preachers as eloquent as
he was. His organizing ability? l
think not. believe others here have
been just as great organizers. l will
Christian private life. 1t was his ten
der Christian heart which made him
stop on the street corner and buy
bag of fruit and give 1t to a common
painter and say: Take tllis fruit home
to your good old mother, with my love.
Tell her that with such prayers as she
offers and with such life as she leads
she ought To have good SON" 1t was
the gentle ways he had with little chill
drcn in their rompS and plays: it was
the way he would throw his arm about
a friend in trouble and say: Harry,
how can help you: What can do?"
Mighty AvaInnches For Good.
Oh. the unconscious Influences of
every Christians private like! Like
the snownakcs. they bank them
selves up into great drifts. Like the
grains of sand. they lift themselves
into the mighty mountains. Like the
little drops of water. they slake the
thirst of many valleys and meadow
lands. These little influences of pri-
waite life are despised by some so called
Christian workers. but III the end they
result in mighty avalanches for good.
In mighty tidal waves of blessings. in
mighty east winds that dam back the
Red seas which. as impossible bar
riers. keep the children Of Israel from
fleeing the Pharaoh hosts and march
ing on to the brightness Of Gods prom
ised land.
But l find the Christians shadows
or unconscious influences not only in
mans own gospel seed planting. but
also in the Christian example he sets
for those who are trying to raise the
same kind of gospel harvest. l find
minister's influence. like Peters shad-
ow, within the four walls of his church.
l also find Il minister's unconscious in
fluence over ministers who are work
ing in adjacent churches. | not only
find physicians uncon sciOus influence
over his patients. hut also n doctors
influence over doctors. and a lawyers
over lawyers. and mothers over
mothers. as well as her unconscious
influence over her children. find
here that public school teacher has
her unconscious influeT &c over her fell
low teachers as well as over the
scholars in her own class room.
\ Christian man always, to more or
less extent. makes or mars the success
of men of his own ilk When I wan
der among the Railways of history I do
not find there the picture Of great
soldier which differs in every way
from all other soldiers Of his day and
generation. | do not find in country's
history great lawyer or poet as
mountain peak lifting itself solitary
and alone from the center Of vast
level prairie But. like the stars in the
heavens. | find that one great lawyer
is always in juxtaposition with other
great lawyers. One great physician
means other great physicians. Great
poets. authors. statesmen. reformers.
scientists. move through the armament
OF the historical heaven in galaXies. in
consultations, like the stars in clus-
tiers. When I mention the names Of
scientists | find that there Is scien-
tific Pleiades. with n Darwin a Tyn-
dali Huxley and n Herbert Spencer.
all existing at the same time When I
mention the name OF William Shake
speare ] find that Bacon. a Raleigh.
Ben .Ionson. a Sydney. q Spenser. a
Beaumont Fletcher, a Longueville.
all belong to the EliZabethan era.