The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1906-10-18
SATURDAY
NIGHT TALKS
INEQUALITIES OF LIFE.
Oct. 21, 'O6-(Matt. 25: 14-30)
Rutland Vt.
BY r. e. Dawson

Heretical as it may seem to say |
It, 1t Is not true that all men are
created free and equal. AS figure
of speech and of high sounding rhet-
oric. our fathers made their defiant
challenge to the world. but the state
ment will not stand investigation. 1t
is neither true Of nations, nor OF In
dividuals. Almighty God does not
start every man upon the same plane
with the same advantages and al
lowances. 1t is true or nations ana
of individuals that unto one He
gave Ave talents, to another t"o'
and to another one"
Some people object to that dis
tribution, and declare that there
should be a readjustment on more
equitable basis. They complain at
the inequalities Of life, and murmur
because all men are not upon an
equal line. 1t is not true that all the
advantages and comforts OF life are
exclusively enjoyed by the five talent
people and that everything Is de-
MED to those Of one talent. Some
Of the most miserable people onearth
are those who are clothed in purple
and fine linen and fare sumptuously
every day." and many a day laborer,
coming home at the end OF the week
with his meager wages In his pocket.
has not a care nor a vexation in life.
We say of some men, Oh, that
we had their advantages, their
houses, their servants, their auto
mobiles, then would our lives be full
of sunshine, and we should never
know sorrow, nor pain! Great mis-
take! The man who has five talents,
and realizes 1t, is the man who
knows the meaning Of the sharpest
pain, who carries daily the heaviest
burden, and who, because Of his
refinement of sensibiltty Is exposed
to the greatest degree of suffering.
Whatever may be our original en-
dowments every man should strive
for his best, and make the most OF
life. The man who is perfectly sat
isfied with his position, and has no
ambition to rise in the world, has al
| ready begun to die. Talents are CIV
en-, not to hoard, but to use. The
arm that is not used shrivels and
withers away. Nature takes re-
venge for neglect by destroying the
power to do. The indolent man OK
| hausts himself, little by little. Brain
work does not destroy life, 1T length
ems it. Worry kills more people than
work. The brain was made for ac-
tivity, and the more man does the
more he can do up to certain limit.
| However brilliant a mans endoW-
ments, If he do not use them, put
them out at interest, turn them over
and over, they will rust and corrode
and he who started life as a king
will end it as a beggar.
Activity is the law of growth. He
who would be strong must use his
strength. He will be the ablest man
who every day puts his ability to
good use He will be the most pow
erful preacher, in the long run, who
makes every occasion a great occa
sion, who will make as much e1or'
to save one man as to save thou
sand men, and who always keep:
himself at his best. When the Israel
ties in the desert sought to save some
of their mamma for the next day l
"bred worms and stank." And man.
a. preacher, thinking to save a goot
sermon for larger and more appre
'ciattve audience has found his pc
sermon fall fiat when he brough
forth the mouldy production. Tn
reason why some preachers are with
hAr n
wanted is because for ten years the
have been preaching old sermon
that are dry as dead mems bones
Politicians do not spend much tim
threshing out dead issues. Tn
world moves, and they who lead tn
procession must ride on the ban
wagon.
How about the man with one Ia
ent? Well, 1t is ever more true, tns
the majority of them bury 1t In
napkin. and spend their time crit
cising others. The fact is, the ma
who will bury one talent because
has no more, would do the same
he had five hundred. He thinks
wouldn't, but he does not know
own heart He who made him know
him better than he knows htmsel
which is the reason that he only g
one.
History is fragrant with the dec
of one talent men. Some OF Il
worlds brightest achievements we
wrought by men of one talent. Tn
were handicapped in their birth,
their color, In their education,
their pecuniary circumstances.
their lack of all the things which
us seem essential to success, but tn
faced the situation, conquered I
difficulties, refused to surrender
disbursement, nailed their colo
to the mast, and reached the goal
their ambition. They had but o
talent, but like the nimble sixpen
It won for them shtllings a
pounds Most of the poetry and
ence and laws and constitutions
deliyerances of the ages were DO
like Jesus, In a manger, and d
- Herods who tried to slay them,
Judas who sought to betray the
and Pilates who condemned the
,.s and rabbles who crucified them,
they proved their divinity by bur
'oi ing forth from the sepulchre II
tn- glorious resurrection. The one
-