Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-11-08


ness. But here he records the fact as
a grateful surprise that the barbarians
were Just az kind as friends could
have been to the shlpwrecked crew and
passengers and prisoners.
"Oh," said when read these
words, show like Paul's journey to Je-
rusalem to preach the gospel unto the
Romans are our gospel journeys in
life They are surprises all through"
We naturally expect the household of
faith" to greet US cordially, but the
barbarians are kind also. The men and
the women who do not profess to love
the Master and belong not to our own
class In society are nearly always kind
when we meet them. They are nearly
always thoughtful. They are nearly al
ways ready to aid and befriend Christ's
messengers. think 1t is due to them to
make this fact known, and it may ell
courage workers also to learn that
when they labor for Christ in unfa-
miliar fields they may find comfort
among strangers, ms Paul was hap
pily surprised when he wrote, "And
Tue DdTDdTOuS pCVbiO 'hCNCu us HO III
tie kindness"
The barbarlans or those who do not
belong to the household of faith" will
be kind to Christs messengers In 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. If 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 dow
" Nazarene" | may seem to be MAX
ing sweeping statement. but from
personal experience | can affirm that If
a man, either afoot or in wagon, will
break loose from the great congested
cities and travel through the country
ninety-nlne people out of every hun
dred whom he meets upon the road
will greet him with Il smile and will
be willing to go out of their way to do
him favor If it is in their power so
to do. OF course q large per cent Of
these people Will not be members OF
the, Christian churches, but they all,
with very fcw exceptions, will be kind
to him, as the barbarians were kind to
Paul when shipwrccked 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 well known railroad man. A hum
BILE employee of the road called upon
this man and asked for a pass to
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
regularly" Yes, sir" well, now,
supposng you were working for a
farmer, would you have the nerve to
ask this farmer TO harness up his
horses and drive you long distance
lltO tllc country ND, duSNe
the man, II would not. But II the
farmer had his horses already har-
messed and was going my way there
Is not a farmer Living who would re-
fuse to give me a lit" The man
knew the characters les of the class.
They are nearly always willing to help
their neghbors To use the parance
of the railroad employee they are
ready to give each other Gift" AL
! most every man who wears rough
clothes is at heart n kind man. Almost
every woman who tolls for her daily
bread is generally Il kind woman. The
heart Of the poor is a generous heart
1t is loving, a 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 60, even as the barbara
ans Of Malta went ont 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 a
beautiful incident of this fact. A short
time before his death he revisited the
famous battlefelds Of his Georgia cam
paign. There was one battlefield so
changed that he could not identify it,
So he went to the nearest house, and a
beautiful white haired old lady came
to the door. She said. ooh. yes this is
the place where the battle was fought"
Then she invited him in and described
how the field looked thirty years be-
fore. Every part about it 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 I remember it we'll
And remember how the soldiers got
beyond our control at that time and
needlessly burned that mansion and
left 1t smoldering 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, yes, general; it 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
ma word which might wound tbo faaI