The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-01-09
SERMON ON SIMPLE LIFE
REV. ALBERT DALE GANTZ
SPOKE SUNDAY ON WAGNER'S
GREAT SUBJECT.
CLearn to Be simpIe-The Most
Grateful Thing in Life Is
Simplicity.

The Rev. Albert Dale Gantz pastor
of the Presbyterian church, Corner OF
Birch and First streets, preached yes
terJay from the message of Kew.
Charles Wagner on The Simple Life"
He said:
The Simple Life.
In this strenuous, mad, money
getting age it is refreshing to learn
how a humble message of simple
truth. uttered by an unassuming
peaceful German pastor, has found
Judgement and such wide favor in so
many hearts. If this is the fact with
reference to the two modest little
volumes on The Simple Life put
forth by the Rev. Charles Wagner.
These volumes first found their way
into the White House. In fact, they
seem to have been discovered by
President Roosevelt, who, with mis-
accustomed frankness of manner, gave
them his hearty appreciation. The
followers of Jacob Riis soon adopted
them as the text book of their teach
ings, and, when, at the invitation of
the president, Pastor Wagner was in
duced to come to America himself and
take the lecture platform, the entire
American people, wherever they have
the good fortune either to hear or to
read about the good pastor have con-
tributed to make his popularity COM
plete.
What we may ask, is this message
about the Simple Life, which comes
to us as the refreshing waters of a
cooling fountain? Will it not reward
us to inquire into it somewhat in de-
tail as our devotional study for this
Sabbath day?
This brief review which We are to
take is drawn from a published ac-
count of an address which ne made in
Brooklyn. Much of it is verbatim and
retains the Germanisms and broken
English in which the good pastor was
Obliged to express himself and for
which he profoundly apologies. Be-
cause his knowledge of English has
been a very recent acquisition, pro-
cured hastily for the express purpose
of coming to America in response to
the urgency of a large number who
We're eager to see him and hear him in
person rather than through the trans
Iation of his books. We must imagine
him as a large broad minded, good
hair and a Slow, ponderous step. He
speaks without manuscript and uses
gestures frequently. Though it is said,
his gestures are not graceful nor al
ways timely. yet nevertheless forceful
and admirably suited to the man.
Such is some idea of the man who
brings this new message to us.
First. last and throughout we may
say his message is a plea to be SIM
To us from the quiet of his German
pastorate as the apostle of simplici-
~. He calls us back from our COM
pick artificial and highly organized,
civilization to the quiet of the simple
life. He begins with the child and
urges somewhat as PestalozZi and
a1,,l
along natural lines. He even accented
the liberty of his childhood when his
father allowed him to worship the
moon, confident that through it he
would come to worship the Divine
Being who was back of al. nature.
He recalls his early visits to the
little country church and his grand
mothers advice that she gave him on
The way home, that he preach simple
truths"
To young people ne gives the adj
vice: DO not speak too much" The
more respectful we are, the more we
are silent. The best speech is one
coming after a long silence. But he
adds. there is a time for everything.
ana II 1t Is simple to be silent when
we are young, it is also time to speak
. when We are older 1t is always rule
of the Simple Life: Speak as YOU
think: conceal nothing; unfurl your
thoughts like a standard First Won
VIII be alone in a wilderness. but it
VIII not take long. He says, Il re-
member when I first began to preach
simplicity in exterior and interior life.
People would tell me: How happy We
are TO hear outspoken what a long
Time We have thought in the heart
Another rule of the simple life is to
De willing to do things that we do not
IKE The pastor cites as an illus-
'ration of this. his own experience in
writing books. He had no desire for
hotorlety and no inclination to write.