Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-12-07
HOUSEHOLD
AN EVERYDAY CREED.

When man contempIates his reli-
gion, if he thinks upon the matter at
all, he considers it gravely with that
seriousness which becomes the sacred
ness of the theme. in fact some men
are prone to think upon it too serious
ly, interpreting religion as something
dark and gloomy and forbidding from
which sunry-faceG children and light
hearted youth flee instinctively as
from a funeral cortege or the sight of
an unpleasant thing, and whatever else
religion demands of the soul it asks
no gloom or sorrow or sadness.
Religion is primarily enlightenment
and enlightenment is the deadly
foe of the misery and wretchednesS of
ignorance.
Thus considering the state of his soul
the honest individual finds a pressing
need for an everyday religion which
will fit into his routine duties at office
or workshop or factory. He finds it
simple matter to be holy within the
holy of holies, but sanctity becomes a
very different thing in the din of in
dustry and the roar of the streets and
the turmoil of business. 1t is a simple
matter to rest in ones pew of
pleasant Sunday and ponder theoret-
ical realm of bliss wherein one never
does the wrong thing and ever does
the right while the pulpit eXpounds
the doctrine of Glove We one another"
and the warm suns rays slide fanci-
fully through the soft tinted window
panes and dance Enthusiastically upon
the carpet, but it is another matter
to adjust this pleasant condition to
everyday affairs when one comes home
from church to find the preparation
of dinner for ten awaiting ones hand
and the baby teething and Johnnie
and Mary quarreling like cats and dogs
ever a piece of cake. The cherubic
smile with which you said" morn
ing" to the clergyman does not fit the
mouth so daintily as an hour ago, and
the ear which listened to the throaty
tenor with never a protest throbs with
the walling of the youngsters and
! temptation is very strong, very strong
indeed to mend matters with sound
ing slap on certain small boys ear
and to shake certain small girl into
self-control and let the dinner slide.
In our vain grasp for theories of
religion, for blessed realms in which
we may observe without effort the
letter and spirit of the golden rule,
we are prone to forget that the bulk
of our opportunities in life are just
such little veXatious moments which
| test our strength of spirit and depth
of soul more truly and accurately than
any mighty temptation which may or
may not come to US for decision.
That Individual is indeed we'll starred
who discovers beneath the veneer and
week beatitudes, the fact that life
n
be adjusted when the opportunity
comes, but the mending of Fred S
blouses and the stirring up of cakes
and cookies, the scrubbing of floors,
and the washing of dishes, the darning
of stockings in that spirit of willing
cheerfulness which makes life indeed
a season of joy and gladness though
the tempests rage ever so hard outside
the hearthstone.
Once girl fought long, fearful
battle with herself. Hers was the
conviction that it was the mission OF
mankind to save it's fellowmen from
the consequences of their own folly
but such was her state of sensitive
ness that she could not bring herself
to speak words of encouragement tc
any human being save the littlest Of
children. She could not approach
a hayward soul with the exhortation,
Here, come with me. want you. .
So she debated the matter long with
herself until she came to the conclu
sion which all men and women might
we'll strive to attain:
"If," she said, 81 cannot approach
my feliowman with the word Of the
faith / can at least live life such
as will leave no discredit upon the wore
of God upon earth and the brother.
hood, that those whom know and love
and would wish to help may find moth
ing in my habit of daily living which
shall not coincide with the strengthen
ing of their faith in the kingdom O.
God upon earth and the brotherhood
of man to man. This can l do. "-Ex
change.