Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-01-28
THE FIRST GENTLEMAN.
IPublished by request ]

There is no need to name Him. I'm
less, indeed, one hesitates to add to
name so sacred title now so worn by
careless use, so frayed and stained and
tattered.
What is meant is plain enough.
He who was born upon the day whose
shining anniversary glorifies this month
was the very pattern and mirror and
complete ideal of all gentleness and
courtesy.
He cared for the social graces.
1t is mighty pleasant to remember
that the first thing that He did after
the definite beginning of His mission
was to go not to a meeting, nor even to
a service, but to wedding. 1t was
complained of Him He disregarded some
of the minor observances of religion,
but it was noticed, that He insisted upon
the minor observances of hospitality.
He would not wash His hands before
He ate, because that was then a sign of
a belief that the world in general was
bad, and that the taint of it must be
washed off whenever one comes in from
out-of-doors. But when, one time, His
host at dinner omitted to have water
brought to wash His feet He was dis
pleased because it showed a lack of
consideration for the comfort of a
guest. 1t is true that once, when He
Himself was host, He fed the company
with bread and fish, and this they ate
sitting on the grass-a homely meal.
But on the supreme occasion of His
hospitality He provided bread and wine:
not only bread, a symbol of the neces-
saries of existence, but also wine, a
symbol then of the graces. the lights
and colors, the fragrance AID festivity
of social life.
He was unfailingly considerate of the
neglected.
In His day children were neglected.
Childhood was a period which did not
count. 1t had to be endured, but nobody
was interested in it. When He came
whose birth was heralded by the Christ
mas angels, and whose cradle was visited
by adoring shepherds and by pilgrims
out of the East, He illuminated and
sanctifed all childhood. He put His
hands on little children and took them
up in His arms and blessed them.
With Him chivalry for woman began.
In His day women were disregarded.
Social intercourse, as He understood it
the free and joyous intercourse of men
and hardly existed until He
came. One time the disciples found Him
talking with woman by well, and
were amazed that He should talk with
a woman with any woman. The mother
hood of the Virgin Mary, the devotion of
the Magdalen, the ministration of wo-
men to His daily needs, gradually
changed the social situation. And so
chivalry began with Him, as did all the
best pleasures and finer courtesies of
society.
He made it His mission to make happy
the unhappy.
With Samaritans and publicans, ant
such others as were either despised Oh
disliked by their more cultivated OF
more successful or more respectable
neighbors, His friendship was q mat
ter of common scandal. He had {
theory that privileged persons shoult
invite to dinner those who could no
return the invitation. Coming, as III,
did, to increase the common store o
will and happiness, He addressed Him
self particularly to the unhappy. H
made it His mission, as He said, to Civ
sight to the blind. hearing to the deaf
and deliverapce to the captives. Hi
miracles were evidences of His kindness
He feared no man.
When He found wealth allied wit
selfishness, cruelty or fraud; when H
found religion reconciled. with hypocris
and selfseeking and superstition, ii
spoke out. No oprudent consideration G
His own interests ever held Him bach
He was the frank enemy of every ma
who was the enemy of society. The
: said that He was like Elijah, the proph.
of fame and thunder, the strong a.
versary of wickedness in high place
whom nobody could buy nor intimidar
nor silence.
At the same time He glorified IL
gentle virtues.
Blessed are the meek, He said, bless.
are the merciful, blessed are the peac
makers, blessed are the pure in hear
The qualities which were mostly priz,
then were such as are useful in conte
Il ton. The common ambition was to o
on. Men cared for money and f
mastery. He astonished everybody |
earring for neither. He had two singul