Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-11-05
CalnnaSe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmage, ID. d.


hess and human kindness in the home,
in business and in our everyday deal
ings with friends and enemies. The
text is ii Timothy ii. n, BE gentle
unto all men"
The great moral leaveners of the
world have used but little blasting
powder. They are not past masters in
the High Order of Babbling Quar-
refers" Like the laborers. lifting high
er and higher the walls of Solomon's
temple in Jerusalem. they make but
little noise. They tread the pathway
of life with feet, for the most part,
sandaled in velvet. Their voices are not
an angry growl. but dulcet whisper.
Their breath is not cyclonic, but sum-
nler zephyr. Their countenances are
not twisted with the demoniac pas
sions of Hogarth's caricature. Their
eyes are not flashing with the light
nings of n Mediterranean euroclydon.
They are red Tipped and laughing eyed
and rosy checked. with the happy smile
Of glorious June sunrise. They be-
lieve not in the strenuous life. with
its swords and spears and battleaxes
and clubs and bludgeons and confia
grations. They believe not in hurting
storm cloud against storm cloud until
the deluge comes, and the bridges are
swept away. and the harvest fields are
battered down. as though two mighty
armies had turned the valleys into a
gigantic battlefield, where the heavens
were resounding with the cannonading
of the elements. But they believe in
the gentle life" They believe in
the golden pulleys of evaporation, gath
ering up the waters into the reservoirs
of the clouds. to be scattered abroad
I'm the blessed refreshment OF April
showers. They believe in the gentler
means. which produce life. and not in
the fierce. passionate methods Of the
iconoclast. the anarchist and the fire.
brand. which destroy life.
Nature has her storms, eruptions and
earthquakes. which in her angry
moods carry death and destruction in
their path. but the gentle ways are al
ways used by nature to accomplish her
greatest good. Standing upon a ships
deck some day, i say, Where did yon-
der tall, straight mast come from"
"Why," you say, hundreds Of years
ago bird was flying over the Maine
hills toward her nest with little seed
I'm her mouth. The keen eye of IL hawk
spied her. When the hawk began to
soar higher and higher in the heavens
that lie might make one terrific plunge
upon his prey. the little bird saw him.
Before she fled 10 safety she gave one
little frightened cry. When she utter
ed that cry her bill opened and the
seed dropped TO the ground. A gentle
wind blew up the valley and covered
over that seed with a little soil. A lit
tie shower then came and moistened
that soil, and the little seed began to
sprout. 1t took root. 1t grew into a
bush. 1t grew up into sapling. 1t
rounded out into a great big tree. One
day Maine lumberman came through
that valley. With his AK he marked
that tree for the shipyard. The tree
was cut down. 1t was dragged to the
river and fioated down TO the sawmill.
1t was scraped and fixed for Il mast.
When this ship was launched that tree
mans use. Nature developed that tree,
not in the upheavals of a day, but by
the gentle ways Of maturing years."
The gentle life of the Christian must
be manifested toward those with whom
We come into closest contact. We first
Of all should be gentle to our parents,
our wives. our husbands and children
and brothers and sisters and home as
sociates. We should be gentle when
we arise in the morning and prepare
for the breakfast table. be gentle when
We are fixing the children for school,
be gentle when we kiss our wives good
by as we start for the train. be gentle
when we come home at night from the
store. be very gentle when we tuck
away the little ones into their beds for
the night, for it is by the gentle words.
the gentle deeds and the gentle men,
cries that we hold our greatest infiu-
ence over our dear ones and not by the
rebukes and the consciousness of our
bitter tongues.
An OIu frONerD.
The old proverb teaches. ''One warm
sunshiny May day can WOO more buds
out of the trees and bushes than five
months of winter frosts can ever ac-
comp.ish." One word Of gentleness
can accomplish more for good in the
lives of our dear ones than thousand
angry looks can ever do. You know
that your mothers smile. your moth
er's kiss and your mothers sweet ways
were the greatest magnets which made
you try to do right. They were not
your fathers punishments and sharp
rebukes. You know that your wife's
gentle ways have far more influence
for good over the lives of your little
children than your sharp corrections.
although your wife rarely lifts hand
10 strike them blow. Why, only last
week this fact was illustrated to you
I'm an emphatic way. You told your
boy not To do certain act. You told
him not To go to a neighbours house.
He went. When you came home you
found ID out. You were angry. You
said to Yourself II will make that boy
mind me IL I have to whiD him for his