Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1906-08-30
Unconscious Influence.
When Carlyle had finished the sec.

When Carlyle had finished the sec.
ond volume of his great book, The
French Revolution, he lent it to John
Stuart Mill, who in turn lent it tc
another friend. This friend. after
reading it far into the night, left it
lying on his study table, and the
holsemaid in the morning, bunting
around for something to start the fire
with, found the loose heap of paper,
and so it went up in flames, like the
French Revolution itself. When the
fatal news was told to Carlyle he was
staggered by III heavy blow and sat
disconsolate in ais despair for many
days. One day, while sitting by his
open window, brooding over his mis-
fortune, be happened to see across
acres of roof a man working on a
brick wall. Patiently the man laid
down brick after brick, all the while
singing blithe as lark. And in my
spleen" says Carlyle, 81 said within
myself, Poor fool, how canst thou be
so merry under such bile-spotted at
mosphere as this, and everything rush.
ing into the region of the insane ?
Ard then | bethought me and said,
Poor fool, thou. rather, that sittest
here by the window whining and com.
planning i" And he arose and washed
his face and fat his head anointed
and went to work, and presently The
French Revolution got finished again.
SO the world is indebted for that pow
erful book to the unconscious influence
of an unknown bricklaYer working on
a wall in London. The humble work
man never knew that his hand helped
to write that masterpiece, and We may
never know the wide reach and in
fuence of our lives. While We are
doing our work, however common and
obscure it may. be, others, even some
high up.in life, may notice our faith
fulness and take heart from US. No
one knows how widely the work he
is doing may reach. The father Of
Matthew Henry did not know when
at evening worship he was making
homely comments on the Scripture
passage he was reading, that he was
training his boy for writing his COM
mentary that has had such a world
wide influence. No father or mother
knows what he or she is doing in
training child, or teacher in train
ing scholar. Even the man who is
building brick wall or digging a
ditch knows not in what subtle way
he may be blessing to others. Uncon-
scious influence may be far more pow
erful than our conscious purposes and
actions. An American teacher was
in a secular school in Japan
under a contract which bound him
not to say word on the subject Of
Christianity. The obligation was
scrupulouslY kept, but it could not
obscure the unconscious influence OF
a Christian spirit which in him
wrought daily TRANSPORTATION. BE
was steadily watched as the uncon-
scious virtue went out Of him like a
divine halo about his life, and the
young men under his teaching began
TO seek the source of that speeehless
but all.conquering form Of life. For
ty of them, unknown to him, met in
a grove and signed a covenant to aban.
don idolstry. Twenty-Five Of them
entered the Kioto Christian training
school and some Of them became min
listers of the gospel. Not word was
spoken by this Christian teacher.
BE simply lived the Christian life
before these young men: unconscious
influence did the work. This lie way
Of making Christians We can follow.
1t requires no special preparation or
means or opportunities to follow this
way, but the mother in her home, the
teacher in his school, the business man
behind his counter or in his factory,
the professional in bis Office, everyone
in his place can 30 live the Christian
life that others will take knowledge
Of him that he has been with Jesus
and so drawn toward and possible into
the same life.
How to Avoid Appendicitis.
Most victims of appendicitis are those