Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-20
CHRISTIAN Gnoeanor
Dour.


Topic: GROWING INTO LARG ~"
Union meeting with thu T~nor- - -
diatesA
Marx. 90 &?
~ HE centra thovsU f,..r f"n Pin
XII week is the nlUsval r- -
~ young peope and the a-es
brothers and sisters.
There is no more beautiful, .Aaa
the devotion OF boy of ;vei ar o.o
for a strong. well knit. a. hie. e fellow OF
seventeen. where the affection and I'M
derstand!ng is mutual. Such a T. .endship
has come under my own knowledge. and
10 a certain extent ii has nodded the
feelings of the older boys Of whole COM
munity toward the younger boys. To
the younger boy this friendship has been
salvation from number OF temptations,
Just because his older friend has not
yielded to them. 1t is his ambition to be
like his hero in everything. He carries
his head and shoulders in exact imitation.
he tries to take long strides. he wears
his hair conbed the same way. and IN
manner is absurdly like the older boz.
When the older boy began - smoke, he
promptly look ii up, but then came the
reflex influence OF this friendship for
while the older boy felt il would not harm
him to smoke-at least, not much, he de-
clared-he had no doubt about its danger
for the younger life that had set itself
TO be fashioned after his pattern. and
when he found that he could not put u
stop to the younger boys smoking by lee
turing and threatening. he stopped smok-
ing himself Today they ride proudly
about together, the younger sitting
straight and happy beside the older as he
guides his automobile. or walks the street.
or comes to church, and SO they help
each other. And marvel of narvels, ir
IS an endless chain. for now the little
boys and the Ettlest little boys are he
ginning 10 follow the younger boy even
as the younger followed the older. II is
a rare instance, and would there were
more such accepted, honored friendships
between the young-young people and the
older-young people. A few more years
will utterly obliterate the vast gulf of ago
that now separates these two classes.
They will soon be yourg people together
and then old people together. If they
could but see il that way. and make life
long friendships now while ca III may help
TO mold the other. how much vaster
would the good work be which they al
may do.
There are great wrongs in this world
which il is the duty and privilege OF the
young and the strong and the true to set
people stand dismayed before the great
odds that face them, and feel there IS
nothing they can do TO help the cause of
right. Let the young people in the SEN
Tor Christian Endeavor societies who
have had that experience in their WORK
stop and think whether the children. the
Juniors and Intermediates. may not, per
haps. help where they are helpless.
It would be well II We were TO consider
how the little children may be used In
our victories for Christ. Their influence
and pleading eyes may often break down
a hard heart when older words would be
of no avail.
We need to remember. too, that the lit
tie ones need Christ. and need His work
as much as we older ones. They may
not all of them stay with US tn they are
older. There is story OF little prince
who asked his tutor TO give him some
religious instruction that he might be pre-
pared for death. The tutor replied that
there would be plenty OF time for that
when ne was older. Mo-" said the
prince. 'I have been to the churchyard
and measured the graves and there are
many shorter than l am"