The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-06-13


about moving on and upward. His re-
ply was, l am not thinking about that.
| propose to make myself indispen-
sible to the company. All the faith
fulness and diligence of that young
mans life was concentrated in that
promotion. Yours may be equally sud
den and while you are young.
l am sure the hero of our text was
no older than some of you. The op-
portunity of David's life came early.
He was ready for it. He used 1t, yours
is coming to you. 1t maybe delayed
a month, year or a decade of years.
Into that hour young David spent in
the valley of Elah in the sight Of the
hosts of the lsraelites and the Philis-
tines was concentrated all his previous
training in the use of the sling, all
the energy of his young vigorous
healthy manhood. Now he needs a
clear brain, perfect command of his
muscles. Now he must be able to
measure distances accurately with his
eye. Now his nerve must not Leave
him. Now he needs every ounce of
blood. Now he meets odds, tremendous
odds, and now this left-handed Benja-
minite places one of the carefully Sc
lected stones in the sling with poise
and balance of mind, so often display
ed on Bethlehems hilltop and in those
valleys unseen by mortal eyes, with
rosy color mantling his cheeks and
brow, he draws nearer and nearer his
foe protected by helmet and breast
plate and by the bearer of immense
shields. The Philistine disdains him.
He cursed David. David fastened his
steps The hum of the string is heard
as he violently swings it around his
head with his left hand and arm and
he slang 1t. The stone swifter than
the eye could follow speeds toward the
exposed brow of yonder Goliath and
sinks deep in his forehead. This
mountain of flesh trembles, staggers
and falls in an unconscious heap and
Israel is saved.
This victory in the garden of Elah
was not the first one which David had
won Here he was the center Of thou
sands of eyes. On Bethlehem's hill
tops, in Bethlehem's valleys he fought
on unseen battlefields, There, back
there in the country, David had be-
come victor over himself.
There are temptations which Satan
places in our pathway by which he
purposes to master us. This struggle
goes on within our own breasts. 1t
is an unseen battlefield. 1t is how
ever just as real fight as this one in
the valley of Elah or in the valley of
Shenandoah, fifty years ago 1t is a
supreme struggle to get control of
yourself. David when in the valley of
Judah watching his sheep alone by day
and alone by night had become master
of himself and of all his faculties and
powers Had David not won out in the
fight within his own breast, he had
not won when he met Goliath. There
was victory first in his own soul.
OH these are battlefields where the
flags are never unfurled, where no
word or shout of command is heard,
where there is no roar of artillery,
no cracking of rifles, where no boom
of cannon is known, but where shots
fly faster. fly farther, strike harder
and sink deeper than any that have
leaped like live thunder from a can
mons mouth. 1t was on such a field
of battle that David won his first vic
tory Young people it is there within
your own bosoms, that the first victory
must be won.
AS we see this young fellow going
down into the valley we are impressed
with the fact that he has an athletic
body. He had breathed the ozone of
Bethlehem's hilltops. AS a young fel
low he realized the value not only of
sound mind but a sound body
You are to enter upon the active re-
sponsibilities of lie at a period of
time when business is conducted with
the fiercest competition and at a time
when there are a dozen men and wo-
men asking for any desirable position.
Many with weakened bodies have ac-
vast results but how much
more could they have accomplished If
they had healthier bodies. And again,
thousands have failed because they
we're physically weak. Give two young
men or women of equal gifts and edu-
cation and the one with health will
last longer and go faster than the
other. Good health is an investment
which brings large returns. 1t pays
100 per cent interest. This is next to
the life of God in the soul of man
God gave you your souls and he gave
you your bodies too. 1t is a sin to
neglect your bodies. Health gives
favor to your food. 1t gives joy to
work Health makes happiness. Some
one has said that ideas are bullets and
balls, but a vigorous body is the one
that sends the shot home. An engine
er in one of our shops or in a NJ. G..
locomotive would consider it a dis
grace 10 ruin some delicate parts of
a splendid engine Young man you
ought to consider it personal dis
grace to wake up in the morning with
fur on your tongue or a black rlLg
under your eye. In the next fifty
years you will not find yourself any
too we'll equipped for the battle of
life, The time was when men talkel
about dispising the body but am
thankful that day is passed.
A great German tenor has a system
Of mirrors by which he examines his
vocal chords If one morning they
fail to have fine pink. he knowns
that something is wrong. He eats. he
sleeps he works, he plays He does
these things in due proportion to keep
his body in a proper condition. Sickli-
ness Is not holiness or saintlyness.
Your bodies are fearfully and wonder
fully made. If by sin or carelessness
you injure your body, you are as guilty
as though you were caught stealing
vOur claesmafp's cash or telling lipq