The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-05

m > N
traffic will bear all other considera-
ttons being ignored. why do not the
building laws stop in and put limit.
OF: their folly?.
THE ABUSE OF NOBLE THINGS.
(Selected for The Times-D ispatch.)
IF the light. that is in thee be dark
ness, how great Is that darkness!'-
Matt. vi. 23.
7 think the darkness OF which our
Lord speaks means the difficulty OF
seeing sim. understand Him to n1ean
that is never so difficult to see sin
as when 1t comes from something
really good In the man. There are
vices which come from an evil nature;
these are at once detected and con-
denned. But there are vices which
originate in the very goodness OF the
soul. How many a young man is led
astray by his generous Impulses! He
takes to the wine cup. not from any
love OF the wine, but from the sheer
love OF fellowship. He exceeds in his
potatlons; not to pamper himself, but
to keep up the good cheer OF others.
He says moro than he means, not be-
cause he is deceitfnl. but because he
wants to make people happy. He
gives promises. In advance of his abil-
tty. not from any weakness OF prin-
ciple. but Just because the warm i'm
pulse OF the moment is too strong for
him.
The poet speaks ot being led astray
by light from heaven That is what
Christ means by the light within a
man being darkness. He means that
a colder nature would commit fewer
lapses In righteousness. But He says
also that, just because the young mans
sin comes from something noble IN
his. nature. tits specially difficult for
his friends. or even for himself, to
detect It. The light from which it pro-
ceeds obscuressit, hides It, darkens It,
Nothing, says Jesus. wells sin from
our sight like It's originaticn in brill
liant qualities. The mans comrades
actually initiate his faults. II they5saw
In the street degraded, drunken crea-
ture. worn in limb and tattered In
garment they would say. What ter
rible thing Is this human iniquity!"
But when, they see. "a. brilliant youth
heated into extraslustre and made to
sparkle with adventitious fire, when
they see his natural good nature en-
HANGED and his genial glow made rud-
der. then misery is cloaked in light
and vice gets a temple In the soul.
II is hard for a man to detect his
brothers sin when 1T IS wreathed
round one Of the gifts OF God.
Lord thy psalmist has said, Cleanse
me from secret fault s!"-faults in the
dark. My secret faults are the faults
which come from my virtues cleanse
me from these. Q Lord! Thou hast set
many lights in the upper chamber:
may they never lead me wrong. Thou
hast given me a power of satire to lash
what Is mean; let me never use it on
the sensitive heart! Thou hast given
me power OF manner to greet a
friend: let me never thereby deceive
the soul of Innocence. Thou hast given
me love Of eompanionship; let 1t
never launch me into perilous depths!
Thou hast given me a little mirror
called self-respect that may keep
all stain from myyattire; let 1t never da-
generate into pride OF heaHl I would
not have sin enter in by the front
door-by the very pillars OF my house
! would not have my gems furnished.
whatever else be furnished. Let not my
light be the darkness! Keep the
stain from my start Let, me blight not
by my bloom, ruffle not by my rose,
wound not by my wealth, slay not by
my song, corrupt not by my courag e
tempt not by my tenderness. beguile
not by my beauty, debase not by my
devotion, lower not by my love! The
lights which come from Thee should
be lights to Paradise; let them not lead
me into temptation, Lord!
eF5t -ff f.F,
We herewith warm the Paragraphers
Union that the Bathing Suits One half
Off" group of Jokes is, barred this year
under the statute OF Limitations. The
penalty for Infringing thistorder will
be two weeks denlalfof3 the Oyster Bay
group privileges.
The Washington Post thinks that III