Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-11-04


even whimpered under your blows. but
with his mother he Just sobbed like a
little child. Then she took his head
upon her breast and began TO gently
talk 10 him. She told him how anxious
you were 10 see him grow up TO be
good and true and brave. She told him
that you had a right to expect obedi-
ence from him and that IL grieved you
10 have to punish him. And while she
talked his heart melted. and he was as
soft as wax i'm her hand. That night
In the quietude OF your room your wife
said: Husband. never strike that boy
again. You will rue the day that you
do. You can set Harry to do anything
IL you are only gentle with him. But
strike him. and some day he will either
strike you back or leave home in anger
forever"
GentIeness VIII Win.
We all know that IL is only by gentle
ness we have our greatest influence
over our loved ones. Yet, strange to
say, when anything goes wrong at the
store or i'm the home and we lose our
tempers we nearly always turn our an
ger against our own children or our own
wives or our own husbands or our own
brothers and sisters. If the cook is
mean and suddenly leaves us in the
lurch or the laundryman ruins our best
washed dress or we become fatigued
from the spring or the fall house clean
ing or our clerks cheat us at the store,
then we are very apt to vent our dis
pleasure upon our helpless children or
our wives or husbands, who have done
nothing. The domestic squalls and up
heavals are often due entirely to out
side causes and not to inside dissen-
siOns. Now, my friends, let us one and
all learn to guard against speaking
harsh words against those we love.
Let us deal gently with those who are
by our side and who are bound to us
by the strong ties Of domestic affec-
lions.
Remember that I'm the influence Of
the gentle life In the home we can
serve God just as truly In the small
things and i'm the little duties as in the
great lin the effort to appreciate va
rious forms of greatness" wrote Ed
ward Howard Greggs, 1--WE must not
underestimate the value Of n simple,
good life. Just to be good, TO keep life
pure from degrading elements, to make
il constantly helpful in little ways to
those who are touched by il, to keep
ones spirit always sweet and avoid all
manner of petty anger and irritability,
that is m ideal as noble as it is diff
cult" But that is an ideal which God
will let US all reach IL we daily go to
him i'm prayer. That is an ideal we all
should try to reach, for in order to
have our loved ones spiritually sweet
we must set them an example and
avoid all manner OF petty anger and
irritability. We ourselves must learn
by practice to be true types OF the
Christians gentle life.
Deal gently with father, mother, hus-
band. wife, brother, sister and child
Yes, but the text goes further than
this. 1t bids us deal gently with those
who are fighting AS and our work be-
cause they do not see conditions as we
see them. We should deal gently with
our enemies as well as our friends,
with our defamers and with those who
In the great coliseum OF the worlds
struggles we should never do as did
the ancient aristocrats, brutalized by
the spectacle of the gladiatorial COM
bat When the victor I'm one of these
fierce fights had beaten his foe to the
earth, he looked up 10 the spectators
for signal TO tell him II his PROSTATE
enemy was TO he killed or TO have
mercy shown him. Then even women
sex as to turn down their thumbs,
which was the signal TO finish the
wounded man. We should always lift
our thumbs up. We should not give
the signal ito destroy" We should
signal always Ito save" no matter
how much the PROSTATE foe may hate
us and our work. IL this Pauline COM
mandment bids young Timothy TO be
gentle with his friends, 1t also COM
mands him TO deal gently with his
enemies.
Thousands OF men are ready 10 say
shey will be kind and gentle to their
friends. They are not ready, however.
to say they will be kind and forgiying
TO their enemies. They pride them
selves upon the fact that they are
good lovers. They also pride them
selves upon the fact that they are
good haters. II n man does them n
kindness they store that fact away in
the most secure treasure room Of the
temple of memory" They Will wait.
If need be, ten, twenty, thirty or even
forty years to pay back that kindness.
l was reading the other day OF n noted
eastern politician whom William @.
whitney many years ago befriended.
This politician, when q young man.
stood under the shadow of tho poni-
Tertiary walls. Whitney came to his
rescue. Twenty-Five years later VIII
liam G. Whitney was nightly In need
or certain help. He went TO this
man and asked IL. This famous poli-
ucian turned and said: whitney.
have been waiting for nearly thirty
years Tor the chance TO repay you for
that kindness you once did me. Now
the chance has come. / never forget a
friend" He at once came to Whitney's
rescue. But. though some people never
A~%SSs a Aiicnus On the OtLler hand
others never forgive an injury done bv
an enemy. They may have to abide
their time n quarter or even half a
century, but when the time comes thew
are as vindictive as though the mast
injury was of yesterday. Now, nv
text emphatically says: Deal gently
with friends. Deal gently with the en-
envy also" Love those who love Won.
Yes. But love those who hate you and
III treat you and despise you. That is
the commandment of my text also.
Dare you disobey Gods orders to deal
gently with those who have done YOU
an injury? IL you do God Will make
you rue your defiance In more WAYS
than one. The Sword Of hate" is two
edged and keener than any Damascus
blade. With one stroke il Stays q foe
but when the swordsman draws forth
the blade OF vengeance" whetted with
mortal blood Of his dying enemy, this
sword springs back with its unused
edge and Stays the vindictive swords
man also. Two lives are generally de-
and nnf nno CAnoo -