River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-04-16

wi Sh t at he
might be permitted to die for his
| friend; and when, to the surprise OF
| his ensmies, Pythias appeared the
day before the execution, there was a
| generous dispute between the two
/ friends as to which one should be per-
mittea to die for the other. 1t is to
| the cvedit of the tyrant DiOnysius that
his heart was melted by such an
| exhibition of the self-sacrificing spirit OF
| friendship, so that he pardOned Pythias
and expressed a desire to be part
rer in their friendship. Has any
enc from that day to this been mean
enough TO blame Dionysius for adj
miring devotion which made Damon
willing to die for his friend? The
story has been woven into poetry, and
is to-day an inspiration to noble
| minds.
A blacksmith in Germany was seat
ed in the village post office surround
ed by the neighbors' children, when
rabid dog appeared in the door, and
the noble man, forgetful of self, throt-
tied the beast in the grip of his
sturdy hands, but not until the virus
had passed into his own blood. The
villagers put flowers on his grave
every day
In many a European prison is the
record: Fine paid by John Howard"
debt paid by John Howard John
Howard chose to set prisoners free
by paying their fines and debts, and
I have not heard of a magistrate who
denied him the right to do so. Now,
shall men have the right to do what
we deny to Jesus Christ? Shall the
mother suffer for her child, shall
friend suffer for friend, shall the pa
triot suffer for his country, shall the
soldier suffer for his comrades and
receive the praise of all, while we
deny to Jesus the right to suffer for
those he loves more than mother ever
loved her children, or friend his
friend, or patriot his country?
Profit by Another's Suffering.
Again, ought one person to receive
benefit from the suffering of another?
Shall the child refuse to be benefited
by the mothers suffering? Shall the
country refuse to be benefited by the
suffering Of it's patriot soldiers? If It
be true that soldiers do wrong in dy-
ing for others and that those for
whom they die ought not to be benefit
ed by their sufferings, let us go to
Bunker Hill and tear down that mon
ument; let us go to Washington and
raze to the ground that white marble
pyramid which commentaries the
man who suffered the pangs of hunger
and cold at Valley Forge. To adopt
the claim of Theosophy that one
should not receive benefit from the
sufferings of another is to turn man
kind, sooner or later, into leeches and
hyenas; for, if I should not be bene-
flied by the sufferings of another, |, Of
course, should not suffer for another.
My business, then, is to look after my
self, and all the sweet ministries OF
loving sacrifice for others give place
to greedy self-seeking.
SeIf-Sacrificing Love.
The spirit of self-sacrifcing love,
as seen in Christ on the cross, if uni.
versally incarnate, would make earth
paradise of peace and joy. War
would then cease; for if men loved
we'll enough to die for one another,
they certainly would not kill one an
other 1t would close every divorce
court; for if husband and wife loved
we'll enough to Gle for each other,
such a thing as unfaithfulness or even
unkindness would be impossible. 1t
would solve the problem of labor and
capital; fer if the laborer and capital
list loved well enough to die for each
other, they certainly would not cp-
press or make unreasonable demands.
It would run every business enter
prise according to the Golden Rule:
for if all men loved we'll enough to die
for one another, there would be no
lying or cheating to make money.
Herein is the philosophy of the atone
ment. Faith in Christ and him cruel
fed ennobles and transfigures char
acter.
Bronson Alcott governed his school
IN Boston on this principle Zone day."
says Mr. Alcott, Il called Up before
me a pupil eight or ten years of age
who had violated an important regula-
ton of the school All The pupils
were looking on, and they knew what
the rule of the school was. | put
the ruler into the hand of that Of
Tending pupil; 1 extended my hand
and told him to strike. The instant
the boy saw my extended hand and
heard my command to strike I saw
a struggle begin in his face. A new
light sprang up in his countenance,
new set Of shuttleS seemed to be weav-
ing a new nature within him. I kept
my hand extended and the school was
in tears. The boy struck once, and
he himself burst into tears. 1 con-
stantly watched his face and he
seemed i'll a bath of fire which was
giving him a new nature. He had
different mood toward the school and
toward the violated law. The boy
seemed transformed by the idea that
I should take chastisement in place
of his punishment. He went back to
his seat and ever after was one of
the most docile of the pupils in that
school, though he had been at first one
OF the rudest."
Something like that, only more,
Jesus did for us. He took our place.
and by the keynote of his own sacri-
ficing love brought the Justice of God