The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-10-10
ASATURDAY
@s4;saS NIGHT
4 SERMONS
| BY
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THE MAXIM SILENCER.

everyday life The writer is blest with
"Titinn' hair, and he knows. Years
ago. when he was PhilistIne newspa.
per man. II was as good as fireworks
70 see him get mad But several
churches and numberless men and wo-
men. who also were "called to be
saints" but missed their train. have
toned him down until now his hair Is
auburn" and he's as meek as Moses
eat lie can shoot fairly straight still.
but he uses smokeless powder and a
Maxim silencer He has learned
more excellent way. Christ taught
"Ressed are the peace makers" Solo
mon said. "A soft answer turneth
away wrath" Ry little tact and
kind words Gideon won over the
Ephraimites when they wanted to quar-
rel. Jacobs gift conquered Esau. BY
little judiclous tiattery Abigail saved
her husbands life. | know this is an
age of the big stick. but when It is all
over we have TO resort to diplomacy to
settle things. You've read Dean Swift's
ing TO the veracious historian. two pug
pacious feines met in fateful conflict
and fought till there was nothing left
to tell the tale save their own two
tails The details are omitted.
Kindness and Kind Words.
Kind words are the oil that smooths
the waves Of life. Kindness is an in
ternational passport, an adjustable key,
never failing card of introduction.
Thoughtless takers and dull razors
tear, but they do not cut A glacier
may be melted by the sunshine, proud
men are won by affability, and in the
fable, You remember, the wind and the
sun strove in turn to take of the trav-
elers cloak; the fierce wind made him
draw it closer, the suns gentle rays
compelled him to remove 1t. Porcu-
pines are never popular; bears make
poor missionaries. Kindness and tact
In equal parts form good specific for
many mortal ills. A cornstalk gains
strength by bending, and men gain
power by condescension. The wolf
whom steel could not confne was
caught I'm gossamer web. A meat ak
will not sever silk, and ice will yield
more readily to pin than hammer.
An ounce of kindness is worth a ton
of policy. Paid kindness is like WAX
fiowers--cold, but regular. A child
may lead an elephant by kindness; a
dozen men could not bulge him by
force. The rock that resists cruwbar
gives way to roots of tender plant A
kind spirit may hold friends better
than loans Of money. Those who speak
kind words hear kind echoes. I would
rather break head than a heart; it's
less cruel Civility costs nothing and
buys much. Confucius said, Behave
toward every one as If receiving a
great guest"
When Fiery Darts Are Hurled.
Some Sundays in summer when my
services are through l stroll over to
city hall plaza and listen to the vari-
ous street orators. with whose pa
thetic visions | most heartily sympa-
thize, denouncing with hoarse and pas
sionate eloquence the sins of the
wealthy and powerful. doing their
best, often with success. to inspire in
their hearers discomfort, envy, hatred.
l and my church come In for our full
share, too. Probably the last thing in
the world the orator thinks of is the
effect on his own self of the thoughts he
entertains about people and the wrongs
he criticises. He would be amazed II
he knew my inmost heart as he be-
labors me. | nod approval when he
excoriates the sinful waste of the
churches in their bitter denomina-
tional competition. l smile when he
calls me "frock coated, white neck
tied parasite" a blind leader Of the
blind" and so on, gave one ferocious
fellow, who was for tearing down all
the churches that night, nice Juicy
orange to refresh his parched lips.
told him was more dissatisfied with
myself than he was. We've been
chummy ever since. though / often
catch him looking at me sidewise. I
am convinced that external evil can
not harm us. It is our thought about
evil that contains the real poison. That
is why Christ refused to let the sins of
others overshadow his peace. Paul.
too. says, Love taketh no account Of
evil"
Winsomeness.
know folks that are winsome,
don't you? think l would rather
have that quality than money or
beauty, though my rating in all three
is painfully deficient. Winsome folks
don't go around with a big stick unless
it's stick Of candy for the youngsters
on the sidewalk. Winsome folks al
ways look beautiful though their fea-
lures are misshapen and their pres
ence insignificant. The winsome law
yer wins his cases. The winsome
merchant sells his goods. The win
some girl has lots of beaux and takes
her pick. The winsome teacher gets
her scholars TO study. The winsome
preacher wins men to Christ Some
folks are so winsome In their religion
that l want to be just like them and
their Christ; there are other folks
when ] see their religion feel like
stealing the pennies out Of a blind
mans cup or shying a rock at our
tom cat when he comes purring to
meet me. Winsomeness makes us for
get our own interests and Ye laugh
with .those that laugh and weep with
those that weep. sort Of feel that
winsoueness Is n kind Of CbristIfISe-