Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1909-02-25

IN WniCn me spoke OF tne IemPla-
tons that confront US and Of the un-
fitness of any man to judge the acts
of another was well worthy Of the
consideration of every student. and
If his suggestions could DC carried
out in every day lie. many a mans
life would be made happier and bet
ter. Mr.. Goodwin's remarks were
in substance that no man knows the
temptations that asssil another man. !
that no one knows Just how hard It /,
IS for another 70 Withstand certain
temptations or how many ne does
stand up against before he falls; that,
consequently. no one is fit to Judge
another's actions.
All Of this is very evident. and
yet how few OF Us there are who 90
not Judge our neighbors according
to the temptations they have yielded
to without taking anything else into
I consideration. For instance, when
we see one drunk. it is almost Ger
tain that he IS going TO be put down
as a drunkard. and. instead Of try
ing to rescue him from the broad
path toward which he is travelling
by kindness and encouragement. il
is almost certain that ne will receive
all the scorn and contempt that such
D classes usually receive. Now,
there may be many elements of
I greatness in this man. and he may
be strong at every point except this
j one; also. he may have resisted the
temptation 10 drink one hundred
T. times where ne yielded TO it once
Is il fair to Judge by this one time
against the other hundred times
{ No. he needs and should DC giveI
81 every encouragement 10 resist ths
70 temptation again. AS il is in thi
/ falling. SO it is in all the others. an'
theae is no man who does not pos
sess some one Of them. Yet. pos
IL sessing each his own failing. to-
y many Of our self righteous breth
q ren constitute themselves Judges
% and. without considering their ow
6 faults which may in many cases b
o. greater than the ones they are judg
ing. pass on the fsilings Of othei
n and put their neighbors in one {
the three classes which most Of. L
? recognize and more than which yer
= few recognize. According to pops
lar opinion. there are only thrc
classes-first. those that possess q
: OF the most common vices; secoRC
!. those that possess only a Few. or il
= dulge in them only occasional,
-. third, those who have none of Il
= most common vices. and who a
-, seemingly the models OF al th
:. uasa should be. II is this last cla!
who constitute the most righteOl
:, judges. The second class is locke
on with an eye OF disfsvor. and Il
-. first class condemned as being uni
. to associate with. There is roo
. for all three classes. and there a
i, three kinds Of men corespondir
a respectively TO the above namc
&c classes. The trouble with this clas
:. ification. however. IS that it IS Z
,rv broad enough; it does not proviC
-. for the great class of men who a
.,d fighting against temptation. fallil
nd occasionally. but ever struggling o
;af ward. This class Of men may
-. compared to a boulder upon Z
ND brink Of a precipice-a push M
y1 turn them either one way or the OF
am er according to the direction fro
So. which il comes. Too often. Il
- push" comes from the wrong {
rection. and many a man IS set
-. rapid motion down the bro
,;o path" who might have been ma
into a good and useful citizen
DroDer encourapement