The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-24


tween that silent, lonely watch ana
the splendid swing of the swift march
into battle. In this moral warfare the
man stands face to face with some dire
temptation. There he is, all by him.
self. The devil sets upon him sore
and heavy, and he must fight 1t out then
and there, and alone. Many and many
a time the battle Is lost because Of
that. Many man who, In the COM
pany Of his neighbor would seorn to
do a mean, unclean or dishonest thing,
is waylaid by the watchful temptcr,
taken unaware and solitary, and is
then miserably and tragically defeat
ed. The daily papers are full of the
records OF these lost battles, where
brave men, lighting alone, played tho
part of coward and surrendered their
own souls.
And these battles Of peace are never
ending. The battles Of war are, for
the most part. sharp and short. But
with the soul, the devil fights that
most disastrous of all campaigns--a
campaign of waiting. There can be
no truce in that war, for temptation
never ceases. Every one has to fight
and keep on fighting over and over
again! The same old strife with an
unruly tongue, the same contest with
an ungoverned appetite, the same
hard struggle to beat under foot (and
keep thereD the Incidence. selfshness
and greed which seem part OF our
nature. Day by day we must keep at
it: in fight where to be weary means
danger of defeat, and the flag Of truce
is the signal of surrender. Alas! for
those who have won quiet (for time)
by the shameful peace Of surrender!
The narrow pass must be won be-
fore we can enter far into the enc
my's country. Remember that In your
daily task and temptation. Your be-
setting sin is to be met. and, "as a
brave man meets a foe,' you must
fight and conquer 1t. Locate the am
pushed enemy. and then attack with
the stoutest blows you can give, and
by Gods grace overcome 1T. Here is
occupation for all that Is bravest and
strongest in man!
In the same spirit undertake the
daily routine of work and worry: the
burdens to be borne. the lessons to be
learned: set about conquering them as
an army taking city. Do the hard
things first. Tho supreme thing is
mastery. To be master of ones self
and leader in a brave fight for the
fove of God is to live as God intended
man to live. How is that mastery
gained? BY doing the common task
Willingly, prayerfully, masterfully.
and never to relax or be own-hearted
by the difficulty in doing 1t.
War is not needed to make heroes.
Peace has her heroes, too, OF world
wide fame, as intrepid in action, as
fearless in danger. Was not Living
stone hero? Alone among the wilds
of Africa he fought the good fight"
and won. dliltl bdllIicib ti'iicho tA'
leper colony. cheering, teaching and
helping-is not he a hero? Where
was the greatness of Lee most fully
displayed? On the battlefield, at the
head of his brave aud loyal soldiers,
or in the quiet classroom of that Sc
cluded Valley town?
Earth has her roll of heroes--but
time would fail to call the roster of
those whose names are writ high in
the annals of Peace! Every common
day shines with opportunities for no
blest service. God grant we may see
and use them Alright!
do thou thy part
Here in this living day. as did the
great
Who made old days immortal