Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-02-01

that? Could you dream OF n great man
being simpler or purer and gentlcr and
more loving than Phillips Brooks
wanting 20 play leapfrog or game Of
baseball with a lot of boys when he
himself at that time was the honored
guest OF the great Dean Stanley and
was preaching to England's greatest
men. who crowded Westminster abbey
to hang on his words?
The Simple Things Of Life.
My friends, one OF the most positive
proofs that a man IS not a true Chris
,inn IS when he does not love the sim
Ole things Of life. His mind and heart
and tastes are cloyed with artificial en-
joyments. He is living upon cphemeral
stimuants There Is not night when
he has TO stay ut home that he is not
restless. No sooner is the evening
meal ended than he says: This Is stu
pid No need Of sitting around here.
Let us 20 TO the theatcr" Or he says,
Come let US go 10 Mrs. So-and-so's
card party" Or: 81 must do some
thing Let us go to the club and have
game of billiards" Or when sum.
mer comes he HES away 10 the fash
ionablc hotel where he can turn night
into day and day into night. And he
is never happy unless he Is intoxlcat-
ed with some kind of excitement TO
such a man | would say. My brother,
what you need is change Of heart.
What you need is to get close TO God.
what you need Is to have so much
divine grace that you will think IT
sufficient amusement when you can
play a childhood game with your five.
ycarold daughter and when yon can
enjoy an entertainment Of n magic Ian
tern show made out of an old sheet
hung up In your parlor. with the magic
lantern slides being run by your little
boy. Il never pick a lily out of the gar
den" said a poor dressmaker in my
home some time ago. but ii says to me
See how happy | am on account OF
Gods goodness to me Why; Be
cause. like Enoch, she was walking
with God And So my brother and
sister. If you once get your hearts
right with Christ, the smallest and the
most insignificant things OF life ike
the prattlc OF child, the sight Of two
little kittens tumbling upon the floor,
the merrymakings of n lot Of boys play
ing baseball in the back lots, will offer
10 you an endless variety of amusc-
ment oh. that you and | could he
Ike Phillips Brooks and never out.
grow our love of simple. innocent
pleasure The ways OF heavenly wis
dom are ways of pleasantness, and
all her paths are peace"
Ways OF PIeasantness.
also because they are full OF peace As
he trcads the path Of life he has that
wonderful peace which passeth all I'M
Outstanding and he says: There Is a
divine power guiding me and mine.
Wherever | 20 and whatever DO his
hand is leading me and his arm Is de
Tending me. My path Of life may APP
pear checkered. but God will never let
me or mine get beyond the reach Of
his protecting love All things work
together for good TO those that love
God" oh. my brother, can you not
the wayfarer in the journey Of life
when he fully realizes that God Is lead
Ing him and protecting him; He is on
the highway Of wisdom. ana all "her
ways are ways of pleasantncss. and all
her paths are peace"
Some Of us have been travellers, and
we know only too we'll the disquietude
and the anxiety which come over us
when we realize that we have straycd
from the right path. And. oh, the JOY
that wells up in the heart when we rec
ognize some familiar place from which
we can find our way back home, Some
time ago was camping in the wild
regions Of Humboldt county. Cal. We
left the beaten paths and struck into
n side road and went TO the end Of the
road. and there we pitched camp for
deer hunting. one morning about 3
o'clock we arose and started after
game. After awhile II began TO rain in
torrents. but still we kept on. Then,
after we had hunted for some six or
eight hours. we decided 10 make n
slfort cut over the mountains and get
back TO camp. We climbed the noun
tain and pushed our way on for an
hour or two. Then the whole topogra-
ply Of the country seemed to change.
We were lost. With no food and no
means TO build II campfire. with drip
ping clothes and empty stomachs, the
situation was anything but inviting.
How to get back 10 camp we did not
know unless we retraced our steps 70
the place whence we started for the
short cut SO back we went. Yet as
we tramped along everything was so
strange. At last, after Il long pull and
tug. we cried. safe at last!' for we
had sighted some familiar landmarks.
And though we had still miles upon
miles to travel and though the rain
was falling in torrents We cared not.
For we knew each step we were TAX
"a. . l.