Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-11-09


ways ready TO aid ana befriend Christ's
messengers. 1 think II is due to them To
make this fact known. and il may en-
courage workers also to learn that
when they labor for Christ in unfa-
miliar feds they may find comfort
among strangers, as Paul was hap
PLY surprised when he wrote, "And
the barbarous people Showed us no lit
tie kindness"
The barbarlans or those who do not
belong TO the ''household of faith" will
be kind to Christ's messengers I'm ref
erence to their temporal wants If in
an emergency you are hungry, they
will feed You. If you are naked. they
will clothe you. IL you are shipwreck-
ed, as Paul was among the rocks OF
Melita, they will rush out into the surf
to help you to land. If you are home
less. they will invite you to sit by their
firesides. 1t is mistaken idea to
suppose that all the gentleness and all
the kindnesses and all the helpfulness
of life are TO be found only among the
followers and the disciples OF the Glow
~ Nazarene." / may seem to be max
Ing a sweeping statement. but from
personal experience can affirm that IL
man, either afoot or in wagon, will
break loose from the great congested
cities and travel through the country
ninety-nine people out Of every hun
dred whom he meets upon the road
will greet him with smile and will
be willing to go out of their way to do
him favor IL IL Is in their power so
to do. OF course n large per cent of
these people will not be members of
the Christian churches, but they all.
with very few exceptions, will be kind
TO him. as the barbarians were kind to
Paul when shipwrecked upon the Me-
lita shoals.
Kindness of the Common People.
The universal kindness of the COM
mon people was quantity illustrated
some years ago by the late Mayor Nc
Lane OF Baltimore. who told this story
of n well known railroad man. A hum
BILE employee of the road called upon
this man and asked for q pass to a
certain distant point. You have been
working for us for some time. have
you not?' YES" answered the en-
ployee. You have always been paid
regularity" .Yes. sir" "well. now.
supposing you were working for n
farmer, would you have the nerve to
ask this farmer to harness up his
horses and drive you a long distance
into the country" NO" answered
the man, 81 would not. But IL the
farmer had his horses already har-
messed and was going my way there
is not farmer living who would re-
fuse to give me n lift" The man
knew the characteristics OF the class.
They are nearly always willing to help
their neighbors. To use the parlance
OF the railroad employee, they are
ready TO give each other n lift" Al
most every man who wears rough
clothes is Mt heart a kind man. Almost
every woman who tolls for her daily
bread is generally n kind woman. The
heart of the poor is n generous heart.
1t Is loving, n gentle, helpful heart.
When we go forth into Christian work
among the common people we will be
happily surprised TO find that most peo-
pie are kindly disposed, no matter
where we may 80. even as the barbara
ans OF Malta went out of their way to
care for the helpless passengers and
crew OF the Alexandria corn ship.
Not only Is the heart OF the common
people kind. but the heart OF the SO
called better social classes also is kind
". General w. T. Sherman told n
beautiful incident of this fact. A short
time before his death he revisited the
famous battleiields OF his Georgia cam.
paign. There was one battlefield so
changed that he could not identify Il.
So he went 10 the nearest house. and n
beautiful white haired old lady came
to the door. She said. "Oh, YES. this is
the place where the battle was fought. ~
Then she invited him i'm and described
how the field looked thirty years be.
fore. Every part about II was per-
fectly clear to her. She pictured the
beautiful southern mansion which was
once In the center OF that field. about
which the two armies fought for so
long time. Then General Sherman
said; "Ah. now | remember IL well.
And remember how the soldiers got
beyond our control at that time and
needlessly burned that mansion and
left II smolderins heap OF ruins"
Then he said: Madam. did you live
near here at that time? Do YOU re-
member the old house?" The lady
quietly replied. Eyes. general: IL was
my old home" Not one word OF re.
buke did she utter. Not one word OF
reproach came from her lips. During
all that conversation she uttered not
one word which might wound the feel.
ings OF the northern military chieftain.
In leaving General Sherman lifted his
nat as he said. Madam, you are the
best bred woman / ever net" But.
though General Sherman may have
thus spoken TO the southern lady, there
are thousands and tens OF thousands of
such men and women as she was. No
matter among what social classes the
Christian worker may go, he will find
that everywhere the human heart is
Deating with gentleness and kindness.
Everywhere people will go out Of their
way TO do him favor, as the bar
barians cared for Paul and the shin
wrecked crew struggling to land from
the Alexandria corn ship.
Kindness as n Magnet.
But, II the human heart is ready to
greet you kindly, how much more is it
willing to be kind to you after you
have been kind to it. Kindness is a
magnet. 1t attracts; it does not repel.
1t draws the best which is in every
nature with whom it comes in contact.
It VIII break the hard crusts of selfish
ness 1t will make even adamantine
hearts move with sympathetic life.
Some years ago at Willet's Point Gen
erll lha rios Il itnor