Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-29
Sunday Morning Talk
Automatic Virtues.

! at works automatically" This is about
the best recommendation a vender of a
mechanical appliance can adduce. The
modern man rejoices in the multitude OF
| inventions that save his time and labor.
! Our homes and factories are flooded with
| devices that work while we sleep Or are
busted elsewhere. From the catch on the
door to the intricate pieces of mechanism
that enable US to migrate from point to
| point safely and swiftly, We are supplied
act spontaneously.
| Oh. that virtues as well as things might
become automatic. Suppose that when
the alarm goes off of its own initiative
| the quality of the punctuaEty should SINH
| larly arouse to action, and that Wlthout
| delay or parley with ourselves we shouio
arise battle dress and repair to the
breakfast table. Suppose all through tpe
day we met every appointment with a
similar appreciation of the value or Llne
to us and 20 other people. SO that at the
end of the day we could look back upon
an unstained record of punctuality. Or
take the kindred virtues of decision. sup
pose we had completely mastered VAGINA
ton and irresolution, so that We were not
perpetually webbing and balancing in our
minds as to the comparative advantages
of two courses of action. Suppose that
when all the facts we were aple TO atldln
We're before us, we lnstlnctlVely decldeo
or "cut it short" for that is just what the
word decide means.
/ Or take an entirely different virtue,
that of charitableness. Suppose that in
stead of being prone to interpret Others
actions and motives from the point OF
view of the worst construction tnat couio
be put upon them, 1t was our instinct TO
seize upon every possible suggestion OF
good and to look with the utmst tender
ness and charity upon what appear to be
dark spots and which may, when exam
ined prove to be dark spots, but which
can always have some relieving light
thrown upon them.
Here, then, are three "Supposes. NOW
let us pass from theory to actually. Do
we not all know persons who seem to be
impregnable to certain temptations? We
cannot imagine that sedate, sanity gen
tleman having the slightest inclination to
enter a barroom And as for that sweet.
pure girl ever being profane the mere
suggestion of 1t Is prepOSterouS. Indeed.
almost every man is morally immune as
respects at least one vice and perhaps AS
respects a majority of vices and crimes.
In other words, his virtue in this or that
particular operates automatically.
Now, how has it come about? You may
believe, with some philosophers, that In
man are infolded certain qualities that
need only to be led out or educed or edu-
Gated. You may believe with other phi
losophers that the mind is kind Of
blank tablet on which impressions from
without successfully record themselves
or a vacuum into which ideas need to be
introduced. Either theory calls for ac-
ton, for initiative The people who have
become so thoroughly established in this
or that virtue it's strong hold upon
them to- somebody's effort. Very likely in
some cases the aversion to the saloon Is
inherited from an ancestor VINO had TO
struggle to acquire 1t. That is one of the
incentives to a parent to strive for virtues
that he may pass them on to those who
come after him. But the point is that no
virtue at the start is automatic. At great
cost either to ourselves or our forbears
was immunity from this or that moral
peril purchased. AS humanity has tolled
upward from barbarism it has taken CEN
turtles to bring the world to even it's pres
| ent state of virtue. That is why the apos-
tie bids us to build ourselves up in our
| most holy faith With Gods help and our
own vigilance and eXertion we can be-
! come thoroughly good, SO that honesty,
| purity. generosity and other virtues shall
j., he ingrained and automatic
NC -iie THE PARSON.