The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-26
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS


Two drummers sat opposite
In AlI me in a dining car; one was
loud voiced, i'll bred, orazeh
and confident. The other
was quieter. After the noisy
- one had expressed himself
with terse finality upon many olnei
subjects, the matter of religion arose.
long enough together. The man with
the voice and the huge Masonic charnl
said that he was q Catholic, put tnat
he didn't take much stock In II; that
there really was no difference between
Catholics and Professionals, ana re-
ligion was for women anyway. Then
he went on to explain his point
stumbling deeper into the mlre OF ls-
norance at every sentence his Prot-
estant companion assented, knowing
as little, apparently, as the other. but
because he made less noise he seemed
not quite so much of a donkey.
That conversation was an exagger-
ated type of the latitudinarianism of
the day. Men pride themselves on
travelling broad way. Their ideas
upon other subjects than sport ana
business are vague and inexact. They
do not know how to think Things
through. and. what Is worse, they do
not seem to care to learn. 1t could De
shown that, on the plane OF intellect
alone, the popular broad way leads 10
mental destruction. Equally It IS on
discriminating and unfestidious pur-
suit of pleasure ends in early safety
and tadedness. Still more is this true
of the deeper concerns or the splrlt-
Says Mary M. Vurrier:
THE way Is narrow Ay, but think
The fields it leads to. Wide as hope
Into larger life the path will guide.
What matter. then, il narrow be the
straitened Men as Nation Builders.
It is fashionable to sneer at the Pill
grims and P1ritans as narrow men;
yet if we today have the advantage OF
them in breadth they still have the
advantage of Us in depth Their con-
victions were established deeply, and
on carefully dug foundations. Well
would it be for our time If we had
more of the straitened life-men who
know more OF the glory OF Self-den1al
and self-controI than of the excuses
Of self-induIgence. The intense rig
or and seriousness of their life made
them strong and tremendous. Through
the narrow gate they entered into
largeness of soul.
While civilization is learning to
think in world terms, let US remember
that all the pioneer and conquering
nations Of modern history have been
nations of positive faith. 1t was BIZ
BILE reading England that became mis-
tress of the seas, and mother OF many
nations. 1t was when aflame with re-
IigiouS zeal that Spain won her colo
NAL possessions; when her faith grew
dim. her colonies slipped away, one
after the other. The United States
and Canada have risen to new place
and power in the councils of nations,
as thew have displayed the Christian
qualities of their manhood. We may
venture to declare that it is through
the straitened souls of its people that
q country comes to a place of leader
ship in our time. The supremely i'm
portant concern before America is the
religious faith of her men and women.
The Universal Test.
The final arguments upon the ques-
tion of religion are not in the clois-
tered studies of the theologians; but
down amid the crowds of every day.
The tombstone of Christianity, as in
dicated by its founder is a simple test.
Does it bear fruit OF the expected
kind? y man does not have to know
Greek or Hebrew in order to test the
fruits of the Christian religion Does
Christianity produce holy. helpful,
brotherly men and women? Does it
make life sweeter, truer, nobler? Is
it an uplifting or down pulling force
in society? Are there men and wom-
en- who today are gooo who would be
bad if it were not for their loyalty to
Jesus?
That is common sense. as the teach
ings OF Jesus have way of being.
Apply the same test to our broad
Place that test as a plumb line against
the practical atheism that is prevalent.
Make it the standard whereby we
judge the loose social order of the day.
What sort of showing does the lax
moral code Of our Wanted liberal
new thought" make in the presence
of this square edge. Judged by the
sane and workable rule of Jesus, our
modern life appears In light which
should stir every thoughtful person
renewed eqrneEtnpSS.
With rare lucidity 1.-THE Teacher sets
forth that all this is in the nature of
things. Each tree produces after its
kind. AS is the root, so will be the
fruit. So, he pointed out, his is a
heart religion. The most important
fact about any man is the state of his
spirit-far more important than any
Thing Dun's or Bradstreet's has to
say about him. Some folks who pride
themselves upon their hard headed
practicability sheer at mysticism in re-
hsion: why, the very essence and core
of Christianity is mysticism, the secret
relation of the human spirit to God.
There used to be widely sung a gos-
pei song, SIS 1t we'll with my soul?'' 1t
is little used nowadays: we oftener
hear, Work for the night is coming"
But the first song holds the more i'm
portant truth. The test of all living
things Is their product: and their
product depends wholly upon their
condition at the root.
A Social Service Religion.
Mr.. Man-of .the-Street airily dis
cusses this as individualistic; he "goes
in for human "uplift," social SER
vice. and welfare work. It is a good
modern mode to be interested in the
doTn-trodden Women in silks and
diamonds join hands with factory girls.
Shirt waist strikers find themselves
whirled about in automobiles. Now
that it is the popular thing for men
and women to espouse the cause of
human betterment we find persons GO
ing down town for time to live in
the college settlements; thereby af-
Sording themselves picturesque topics
for dinner table conversations for many
lAns months. In plain words. q deal of