Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-07
Sunday Morning Talk.
One Good Life.

Muck raking and cyniciSm TO the con-
trary. the world is full Of good lives
All about us are men and women as
pure as gold and as true as steel. They
are not perfect, but are in the process
of becoming perfect We ought not to
overlook them in this age, when the
seamy side of life so often haunts it
self in our face We ought not to be
so absorbed in our quest for wealth or
pleasure as to fail TO do them honor.
The attention which they get in the
newspapers Is no measure of their
worth or Influence. They are the salt
that keeps our civilization from decay
the leaven that is gradually purifying
the world.
1 want briefly to tell the story of one
good life that has just gone Out-or it
would be truer to say gone forward-at
the age of fourscore. The notice of her
death occupied about four lines in the
press of the city where she had lived
most of her days. She was an ''old
maid"t and she lived much of her life
in a boarding house. She was wage
Garner until advancing age made il i'm
possible to go to and from her daily
tasks. In her declining years she had to
accept the friendly services of those not
Of kin to her. for she outlived her
Of the bitterest of all experiences, name
ly. that of being set one side from the
busy world and of being compelled, in
comparative obscurity and forgotten by
many who once knew her, to await the
will of God.
This woman never knew the comfort
OF home of her own, the bliss of happy
wifehood. the exquisite joy of mother
hood, the wholesome delights THAT go
with Il circle of lovely and interesting
ri. Il
far beyond those of most working wom
en-. We're laborious and monOtonous.
Vacations We're infrequent and brief.
AS the world estimates values she lived
narrow. dull and tiresome life.
But did she? Let me tell you what
the minister said at her funeral. He
had known her long and WELL and all
that he said was corroborated by those
associated with her day by day. Four
qualities. he remarked. shone in her.
The first was steadfastness She could
be counted on to reach the establish
ment punctually in the morning and
all day long to do her work promptly
and thoroughly. The next quality was
quietness. The fever of this hustlng.
rustling age never made her nervous
quilIity perpetually surrounded her.
The next trait was checrfulness. Though
every day brought It's temptation to
irritabilty. she succeeded in wearing
happy cOuntenance. She saw tho funny
side OF fuSSv aud disagreeable people
Who ni:,e all sorts of unreasonable.
demands upon her and She would slip
a quiet little rhuckl" up her Seev"
She discrrned the fnibleS nf hcr fellow
men. She found it possible To be uni
formIy pleasant even in boarding
house These three qualities. the min
later went on To Say, made her eff
cient. She actually accomplished d vast
deal Of useful work during her long life
time. The possession of such qua lities-
steadfastness, quetness and good tenn
per-wili make any one capable and of
service in the world.
Now this is not obituary of 4 bril-
liant woman. but sidelight or two upon
a typical average good life. We all know
quaintances. 1t is we'll to strew flowers
upon the graves of our heroic dead. to
compose long culoSies of men and wom-
ell of distinction. but let the praises Of
inconspicuous goodness also be sung
good life-what a priceless contri-
button 1t makes to human welfare and
progress. When such lives go from us
let us thank God for them. While they
are still with us let us revere and cherish
them.
The dear Lords best Interpreters
Are humble. human souls:
The gospel Of life like theirs
Is more than books scrolls.
From scheme and creed the light goes out.
The sanity fact survives:
The blessed Master none can doubt
Revealed In holy lives.
TIE PARSON.