Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-01-31


Is story told by a noted speaker that
one day father was walking through
the country with his two boys. The
wind was blowing over u fine field OF
corn and making the silken, golden
ears bend like the waves of the sea.
lis Ii not surprising" said one OF the
children, "that the wind does not break
the slender stalksp My son." an
sweied the father, that would be true
TX one OF those stalks was to stand
alone. But you must remember that
each OF those slender stalks stands In
the midst OF many other stalks. and
they all help to support each other. So
with our comparisons In life. They
make us what we are. They help us
to bear up against the strong winds
OF adversely and temptation. There
fore. my boy. you must BE careful that
you have good friends by your side
who will help you to bear the strug
gle of life bravely." That is good ad-
vice. HE that walketh with wise men
shall be WISE" But as | stand upon
the hillside and watch q great field of
wheat bending and swaying under the
pushing, driving winds / see that here
and there is a stalk bending before the
blast and. after giving way itself. bear
Ing another stalk down. Therefore If
we so with slanderers they will de
stroy us as surely as wise men will
lift us up and make us wise.
Crimes as Classified.
Now, in Gods sight this sin OF Sian
der is an awful sin. AS take up the
penal code of our state or national gov
eminent l find the different crimes
classified in the order of their heinous-
ness. For instance, IL / steal loaf OF
bread / could not be hanged for the
crime. IL / should go down the street
tonight and get drunk, could not be
sent to the penitentiary for life. In
all probability should be sent out on
the chain gang to expiate my misde-
meanor by working on the roads for
twenty or thirty or sixty days. But If
you should shoot man or poison your
companion or derail railroad train
for plumber or il, as an incendiary, you
should burn up hotel, then you could
be hanged by the neck until you are
dead or YOU could be sent TO the pen
itentiary TO serve out all the days God
has given you to live upon earth.
Crimes in the criminal code of the
United States are classified in refer
ence to their culpability, as they are
also classified in the divine code. Now,
where DO we find this crime OF SLAM
der in Gods code? Is it petty mis-
dcmeanor? Is it little sin that God
will in time overlook? Nay. Among
the worst of all spiritual criminals in
Gods sight is the slanderer. David tells
us in his Hundred and First Psalm
the awful doom which is to be melted
out to the slanderer, "Whoso privily
slandereth his neighbor, him will cut
off," Beware, o man, how you allow
your friends TO SANDER their neighbors
In your presencel Beware how you
poison your own life by recounting the
evil reports of your fricndsl The
companion Of fools shall be destroyed y
The slanderer is fool.
But we are not to find the compan
ions whom we are to shun entirely
among the atheists and the scandal
mongers. We are not to find them only
In the quiet corners, where friend talks
to friend, but we can also find these
evil companions at the banquet table.
and in the ballroom, and at the card
parties, and in the billiard halls. and at
the baseball games. and on the fishing
and boating trips, and ut the race
tracks. We can find them in every
place where pleasure seekers congre
gate. We can find them at the theater
Il H., n,
the family Preside. THE heart of fools
is in the house OF mirth." What does
that mean? Why, 1t means, interpreted
In the broad sense, that the nDan aud
the woman who give their whole lives
up to never ending round of per
petual pleasure seeking are fools. Life
has another object than that Of fun.
A great ocean steamer was not built
for the purpose Of taking q few fisher
men down the bay on a sunshiny day
to catch few founders. It's keel was
laid that it might carry heavy cargoes
from harbor to harbor. 1t was built TO
defy the storms and to withstand the
poundings of the heavy pillows and not
tn turn its decks into n ballroom floor,
where the moving feet of the young
people can keep step 10 the strains OF
music.
Work and Pleasure.
pleasure trips or vacation outings when
they come in their proper places. Paul
gays. For when we were with you
his we commanded you-that if any
would not work neither should he eat
But no man ever learned TO work
Alright unless he learned how to play
Alright. The best pleasure seekers have
often been the best workers. There is
an old Persian legend which says that
one day friend put into the hand OF
the philosopher Saadi beautiful piece
of scented clay. Saadi said: ~ took il
into my hand and said, Art thou musk
or ambergris, for am charmed with
thy perfumeY The clay answered. 4
was once despicable piece of clay, but
L was some time In the company of the
rose, and the sweet quality Of my com.
panion was communicated to me: 9th
erwise l should be a piece OF clay, as i
appear to be-'' Like the clay we are.
When we live little while among the
Wild roses, when we seek for little
while our joy in the gardens of pleas
ure, then so back to our work, with
the sweet scent upon us, and we can
90 our work better and swifter than
we have ever done it before / say.
again. the man never lived who can
work TO the best advantage if he docs
not know how to play we'll
IL makes great deal OF difference
whether we eat to live or live to eat
IL makes great difference whether
we play TO quicken the mind and rest
the body for the daily task Of Iifo