The Washington herald., 1910-12-11
HUMBLE AS CHILDREN.
zen are tho Keys Of Paradise;


"childyen are the Keys Of Paradise;
They alone an coed and wise.
Because their thoughts their very lives are PRAYER
So writes Richard Henry stoddard in
his 'The Children's Prayer" and at this
season Of the year, when all of us have
the birthday OF the Christ-child close TO
mind and heart. it seems peculiarly APP
propriate. The subject of children is one
that does not come up for public discus
sion too often. Some time ago when Col
Roosevelt dwelt with his usual strenu-
BUSINESS on the topic of race suicide"
We all came to believe that it was the
duty of good citizens to rear children
and add thus to the material wealth of
The nation; but somehow the subject
seemed distasteful 10 the women of the
country and anything which does not
interest them stands poor chance of
enduring long.
The subject Of children is particularly
interesting just now, when. in an effort
TO solve one OF the gravest of our social
books dealing with divorce. trial mar
riages temporary divorces. and kindred
subjects; anything TO make the life of
the adult population more bearable and
worth living, bat little or nothing about
the children.
And yet in their very helplessness and
trustfulness and faith the children ap-
peal to every human heart There may
be difficulty about raising sufficient pub
lie funds to support a library. to estab-
lish missions for the heather in Timbuc-
too, or 20 build a church, but an appeal
FOR the saving of the children seldom
goes unheard And this is as il should
be. for in all the world there is nothing
that adds 50 much To- the sweetness and
joy Of life as the captivating innocence
and the musical prattle of childhood.
We who have left behind US the flow
cry fields OF childhood and have to face
the stern battle of life may always, if
We choose. and if we are humble enough
ia spirit and clean enough in our hearts,
renew those lost joys in the company of
the little ones. For
1T there is anything that VIII endure
The csc Of God because IL is sJin pure,
% is the spirit Of a little child
Fresh from His hand and therefore uudeded.
Nearer the gales Of Paradise than We
Our children breathe It's airs. its angels see:
And even when they Tay, God hears their simple
prayer
Yea, even sheathes His sword in Judgment bare
OF all the thoughts that should make
a man look upon life sanely and see it
whole and hopefully, the thought Of the
happy laughter of children is the best.
the noblest- and the most effective. In
the presence Of the wondrous faith of
little children, their sublime trust, the
dear, serious eyes that look so much
deeper into the mystery of futurity than
our own, who is there can doubt the liv-
ahleness or the joy Of life? Ia Bruyere
wrote once: Children think not of what
IS past, nor what is to come, but enjoy
the present time. which few Of us can
do"
How true that is, and what lesson We
may learn from tia lesson that should
teach Us to be content with the glories Of
the present day. TO forget the bitter sor-
rows OF the past, to look forward with
confidence and hope 10 what is yet TO
come
All Of US even the most insignificant,
consciously or not, shed a wonderful in
fluence upon the WOrld-the influence of
our character. the influence of our acts.
our words. our thoughts And the chill
dren, too. have their influence. all beneh-
cent sweet. and holy. We can avoid it
IL We choose by holding ourselves aloof.
T. We seek it, we have to be very patient,
very good, and in some degree TO make
ourselves worthy of the place of honor
in the heart of a little child.
But if from our heights OF knowledge
% good and evil We stoop down and are
blessed enough to win the love and con-
fdenee of one Of the little ones. we shall
find more joys in the world than we ever
dreamed Of; shall realize with all our
heart and soul that God is good, and shall
find ourselves as near the gates OF heaven
as any mere mortal is ever permitted TO be.
1t is only through humility that we may
deserve the love Of a child. and TO be
humble as children" calls for all that
is best and noblest in a man. But il is
we'll worth striving for, working for. pray
ing for, so that even from the gray val
leys of middle age we may say with Bay
ard Taylor.
But SIN dream that somewhere there may be
The spirit Of child that waits for ne"
Mr.. waldorf Astor. who has inst been