The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-24
SOME THOUGHTS SUGGESTED BY
PEOPLE WE MEET EVERY DAY
ny MRS. J. b. REID

was pouring in on a spot. and I woul0'
even turn my face toward it, a storm
would arise,' so bitter has been her dis
appointment; and right then we knew
that woman was wasting life away in
stead of busying herself TO overcome her
own bitterness. We cannot drive the
world from us-we must draw near to 1t
and hold 1t by deserving its friendship
and its interest.
Faith. hope and charity are among the
laws of nature-faith in God, the world
and YOURSELF hope-that promise that
peeps through the tornadoes and clouds
of outrageous circumstances and let's in
the light of heaven; charity. means kind
ness-not only the art of giving the ma
terial things but the tender spirit reach
ing toward mankind, to fell, to think and
| by that human interest to lend yourself
to nobler things. ~
/. And yet how we hate that word Char
ity." Why2 Because we have miscon-
strued it's meaning. When we hear it as
it reaches our ears touay. when there is
a knock on your door and somebody
wants bread is it charity to feed them,
and let them go from door to door and
close your door. and they are out of
| sight and out of mind? That's not real
| charity. 1t is only giving them bread
The real charity is the interest that fol-
lows that human being until you have
! found the cause and the cure and If pos
| sible your influence and aid has placed
them in a position to help some one else
Another Phase of Cruelty
| Another phase of charity appears in our
/ consideration for the frailties of individ-
ual traits, to pass over the little weak
ness and give credit for the good. There
| is as much kindness conveyed in words
as in baskets of something to eat-the
one strengthens the body, the other finds
| the soul.
| If common sense and the heart would
work hand in hand through life there
would be less ills to confront mankind
] We let our sentiment control our reason,
| and thus we destroy many of the infiu-
| ences we might have for building char
acter. We heard a mother in distress
say few days ago she had a family of
| five children and she knew few things
they would eat. To one especially she re-
| ferred-and he is to be the man of the
family some day. for father is gone He
| liked neither milk nor butter, ate no veg
etabes and cared nothing for cereals,
and we wondered what leniency in his
training had brought him to this stage OF
! self -destruction-meat and bread only.
How much of the necessary wholesome
| food of life he has missed, and how some
day that mother will regret she had not
considered his whims and forced him to
| partake of the ordinary dishes that go to
make health and strength.
We thought of the good things he had
missed, and how that mother would
strive to meet his caprices. We could
not but think our real charity is the be-
| ginning with our little folks at home-to
cure them of their cranks and teach them
| adaptahlity to the everyday things of
life. We know that that mother loves
that child. She has loved him too well,
and now she fears he is too frail to COM
| bat as his years increase with the duties
| that are to be his fate.
| In order to serve our children best duty
| to self and others is a primary lesson 1t
/ is as necessary as his A. B. C.s or he
| will be ignorant of what it takes to make
the best rounded citizen, and when we
have allowed him his way in all things
we have cultivated his weaker self.
In nothing is childhood more strongly