The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-12-27
GIVING AND GETTING


receiving, there should be no getting
without giving. Possession consti-
tutes obligation and the measure of
ability must constitute the measure
of responsibility. This is universal
in nature. Give says the little
stream, and proceeds to illustrate its
preaching in its practice as it's pearly
waters ripple over its pebbly bottom.
From the suns unquenched shining
that lights and warns a universe, to
the little modest violet breathing its
beauy and fragrance, or giving its
honeyed sweets to every vagrant
tramp of the air, all the wide range of
physical or vital phenomena is pur-
poseful. The air gives its moisture to
the dew drop or the shower. The
shower feeds the streamlet. the
streamlet swells the river till in pride
and power the river falls spent and
exhausted on the bosom of the ocean.
which in turn, under the fervid kiss
OF the sun, replenishes the thirsty air.
The mountains enrich the valleys
and the valleys pour their wealth into
the gamers of hungry world. The
flowers get and give their color. and
the grainfield lavishes its golden en-
rlchment. Bees gather nectar from
the lips of blushing roses, under the
impudent scrutiny of feathered min
strels.
so to man there comes the divine
eXnortation, Freely We have receiv-
ed; freely give" Ours is unstinted
Wealth-not perchance in money or
material things-certainly not in
these alone. What hast thou in the
mousse" An inventory would sur
prise us. 1t would disabuse our minds
OF the chronic whims of haven't
gots" of which we so often complain.
Count your many blessings" The
little hunchback sinner of shoes
whose hole in the WALL near the
great Jay Gould's counting house,
and whose pessimistic whine over his
crippled poverty was familiar "to the
street, awakened on the morning
after the death of the great financier,
the manipulation of many millions, to
the fact that life, although poor and
panied and crippled, constituted a
wealth that his erstwhile patron could
not boast, that filed his little snhere
with a new meaning. Billy Rugh. os
GARY, Ind, had nothing much to boast
or give but patches of skin from a
worthless and shriveled leg, but when
the supreme moment came he laid
that Offering upon the altar of a fel.
low creatures need, and the world
OF thoughtful, heartful men and wo.
men crown his memory with immor.
telles, and delight to do him honor
Greater love hath no man than this =
Expended in the interest of human
veal our commonest possessions grow
apace. There is that scattereth
abroad and yet increaseth." In the
arithmetic of unselfshness, division
spells addition, and subtraction means
multiplication. "A cup of cold water"
what more simple, less costly? How
slow We are sometimes to learn that
getting means giving, and giving
means getting again in larger. fulle,
measure. 1t may be only a smile.
But the habit of giving smiles viii
enrich the giver with happy face
the while it brightens the paths O
| others. A kind word? Kind word:
can never die but like good seed il
good ground they bring a harvest O
benediction, as ample as it is certain
"A little thing, sunny smile,
A loving word at morn.
And all day long the day shone
| bright,
The cares of life were made more
light,
And the sweetest hopes were born
Rev. John B. Ley, in st. Louis AID
vocate.