Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-05-01

that original human tree shalt live sitn-
ply for the purpose 81 bearing luscious
fruit for the benefit or somc other IN.
man life" In other words, true love
finds its happiness IN the bcactts which
lives rather than Tor the benefits or It's
own selfish life.
The Grating 81 Trees,
''How do you graft one tree on an
other?" asked an old California hor-
ticulturlst We'll" he answered. that
depends upon the tree you Intend to
graft. III | were going TO graft lemon
tree upon an orange tree "Whatv
| interrupted. Are nearly all our lem
on trees grated upon the orange tree p
Yes" he answered.; nearly all II I
were going 10 graft n lemon tree upon
an orange tree. would go out TO my
orchard in sprlngtime ana cut a slender
branch off my lemon tree. From this
branch would cut the healthiest bud,
making the grating bud about three
quarters OF an inch long. Then l would
cut the bark OF an orange tree about
two years old and gently press the
lemon bud into the bark. Then l would
Theoretically seal the woods together
with wax Then, when the lemon bud
took root and got to growing fully. l
would cut off the orange tree just
above the lemon bud, so that all the
strength OF the trunk of the orange tree
would be conserved to develop the lem
on branch and the lemon fruit as IL
ought" All. yes, said TO myself while
my friend was talking; the orange
tree has its branches cut Off so It's
trunk can produce sustenance for the
lemon branches. And that is love. We
are the human tree and will have the
branches of our own selfish desires
amputated in order that we may bear
fruit in the lives of our fellow men.
That Is the whole definition of love in
a nutshell.
Tell me. friend, is your life n life of
love? Are you the human orange tree
with the lemon buds grated into your
bark? Have you had the selfish limbs
Of your own life cut OFF, Are you
standing like the trunk of the orange
tree In the center Of the multitudinous
orchards Of the world with your own
name forgotten and obliterated that
the honor and the glory of Christ may
shine i'm the lives OF your dear ones
Are you driving your roots farther and
farther into the ground i'm order to
gather up the rich nourishment OF the
soil to nouriSh and feed hundreds of
buds which have been grated on your
foundations? IL you are. then you
have the priceless characteristics which
God honors above all other virtues;
then you have love-purified love, tri-
umphant love, divine love; then you
are like the Lord God Almighty him
self for God Is love and love Is God.
Loves First Duty.
Now, IL the whole essence of love is
TO put the joys and the blessings and
the happiness of others above all self
ish happiness and joys and blessings,
what is then In its crudest form the
first duty of love? First, never to
give another pain; never do anything
which will bring the tear to the eye
or the CULVER TO the lip or the sob TO
the aching heart. 1t does not take
much TO wound the sensibilities of an
other. And IL your first duty OF life is
to learn not to hurt yourself. so the
first duty OF love should be never 10
hurt or to wound the feelings of an
other.
Now, II was no easy matter TO learn
how not to do yourself physical dam
age when you were young. 1t was
only by painful experience that those
laws OF caution were mastered. For
instance, when you were boy you
had great habit OF balancing upon
the chair in the dining room. Your
father again and again warned you to
stop. He told you that you would hurt
yourself. But there was u fascination
In making that chair tip back. You
felt like trapeze performer In mid.
air. But one day you lost your balance
and fell backward and struck your
head against the mantelpiece. The cut
was deep, the blood flowed. and you
have scar upon your head to this
day. Then after that you never bal
anced upon chair. because you knew
your father was right Or take tina,
old habit you had of sliding down the
baniSterS OF the staircase. Ii was great
fun until your hand slipped and you
fell stunned upon the floor below. OF
do you remember that toy cannon
You asked your mother II you could
have one. and she said you were toe
Soung, but you thought differently
and you went and bought one on the
sly. When you were about to PLAY
Bunker Hill the cannon went Off at the
wrong time, and instead of knocking
down the toy soldiers your face re
ceived the charge, and your father
and mother had to sit for hours dig
king the powder out. Aye, 1t was not
easy to learn the lesson of physical
caution. You learned 1t by suffering
and pain; You learned it by fearful
sorrow. And now you know that fire
burns and sharp knife cuts and a
tumble will hurt. So you guard your
body In the light OF warning expert
ences
Mental Sufferinss.
But the physical sufferlngs are never
as bad as the mental The accidental
blow from the baseball that prostra ted
you on the field and gave you a head
ache for days never hurt you as did
the cruel word, the harsh criticism, the
unkind Misrepresentation. OF the man
whom you had trusted as a friend.
You all know what physical pain is.
Some OF you have been under the tor
ture or the surgeons knife; but, though
your physical pains have been great, 1
ask you If any pain has been so ex-
circulating as that inflicted by one
whom you have loved as a brother and