The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-05-26

conscience between his school books
and his fairy stories. IL was a great
day for him. Any boys first struggle
is. But the man in the hoy won the
fight and in order 10 establish himself
beyond the possibility OF lapse, he
threw his book OF fairy stories into the
brook. His father, a precise, unimae-
NATIVE, dutiful soul. saw the beau
tiful book floating away and proceeded
10 thrash his conquering boy for his
wanton destruction. That is about all
many fathers appear 10 know how 20
do effectively! What wonder he did
not spoil his boy! What n boon bit
OF appreciation, OF sympathy would
have been 20 the suffering but victor
ious lad. He needed bread and his oh
tuse father gave him stone! The
father could do what he thought was
his duty, but he had nothing 20 share
with his boy. He was a monumental
parental failure.
Large Christian service Is always in
quest of the joint Of sympathy; IL
makes its alliance with what Is, help
ing il 10 what IL ought 10 be. and avoids
the folly of inyerting the divine order
This type OF helpfulness may be
meager in its ability 10 do, but is for
ever finding 10 its unspeakable JOY
that il has a boundless store 10 divide!
| Sharing sympathy is an infinitely more
royal privilege than donating cast of
clothing. or stale food. for 'if bes.ow
all my goods 10 feed the poor, but hath
not love il profiteth me nothingw
sympathy as an elective of Christian
service forever pushes soul on toward
| democracy. Surely one may confess
with Lowell that while his tastes are
with the arlstocrats, his convictions
are with the people and yet, like Low
| ell. he forever more and more pushed
| into the very heart OF humanity and
glory in the push. too!
The preacher who confessed 10 n
| friend that he loved 10 preach and
who was met by the singing, search
| ing question, DO you love the men 10
whom you preach as well as you love
| 10 preach?" felt the thrust OF the sword
| between the joints OF his harness,
| which sent him 10 his study 10 fall
upon his knees and passionately pray
that he might be delivered from his
temptation 10 love his sermons better
than he did souls, preaching better than
persons. The appeal of humanity must
outstrlp that of homileics.
Christian service to-day must be i'm
mersed in the democratic spirit: its
mission is to humanity-humanity as
represented by Ellis Island. also by
| Clinton avenue; by Greater New York,
| also 10y the lumber camps Of Michigan.
| Every man is son Of God. Every
woman is a daughter OF God. Go, find
your man, and by the shining truth in
your soul, by the sympathy in your
heart, by the humanity In your out.
stretched hand, make him believe that
you seek not his, but him.
This-this alone-is Christian service
| Christian service after this fashion be.
comes at once an Interpreter. II makes
a Gibraltar out OF n disadvantageous
position; it transforms an ordinary
commonplace ability into n shining
angel OF privilege and achievement
Everything counts; all things work to
| gether. Because the world is one and
the kingdom one nothing is lost, moth
| ing trivial, nothing inconsequential! II
makes n man grow tall and strong and
| confident 10 really believe the constant
assurance Of Christian service. that
All men ignored in me
THIS was / worth 10 God
Whose wheel the pitcher shaped.
1t is TO such service, broad, true
sympathetic, humanitarian, Christian
| that we commit ourselves today; IL is
in such service that we expect 10 find
| our privilege and joy, and from such
service that we hope 10 demonstrate
| the reasonableness of our united ell.
| deayor.