Norwich bulletin., 1914-01-31
SUNDAY MORNING TALK
LILLYwoRk ON THE PILLARS.

The great brass pillars in the portico of Solomon's temple were adorned at the top with the finest art or ancient engravers. Upon the top of the pillars was iilyWork" Floral designs had been wrought into the columns near where they touched the roof. At some tasks the workmen of antiquity were as skillful as those of today.
 The lilywork was merely for orna- mentaticn. It added nothing to the strength of the pillars. But 1t made them doubly pleasant to look upon ana gave the worshipper added delight as he surveyed the glorious house or Jehovah When utility is matched by beauty the combination is irresistible.
 The qood man, who is also an at SractiVe man, makes consummate appeal to us. If l could have. but one should prefer strength to ornamen- tation in character. But when one meets a personality combining the two he is gratified as the old Jew was when he looked on the solid and beau tiful building that gleamed upon Mt. Moriah.
 As a matter of fact those who are pillars of society should lack neither the strength nor the grace of goodness You can build a beautiful palace on a solid foundation as readily as saw mill or a boiler shop. There IS no reason why saints should not be at the -@~N~-O@
 Some of the best people in the world need just this touch of beauty, thls establishment of grace to make them really effective The lack of courtesy. tact and charm of manner is never more unfortunate than in the case of people of really rugged virtue of char acter. I even recently heard clergy man express the half-jocular wish i that some of his deacons might att | school in the interest Of | their department. No one would try l to polish a lump of punk but piece of oak that is planed and polished IS l 6 thing of beauty and a joy forever. | That such plea IS not merely | fanciful one was borne in upon the writer by the remark of young man ] on whom he had urged the matter of i church membership. He replied that | he was not deterred by intellectual 1 difficulties nor by dissent from the moral standards required, but through ! disappointment at the lack Of attrac- | tiveness in the lives of those within l the fold. Wider observation will. one ] is certain, lead him to quite another ! conclusion. But the point he made IS surely sufficiently important one for churchmen, like myself, to remember
 Such a little thing may dull the cut ting edge of character! An investga- | tor in Europe has decided that Napo-
 
 cause of his careless handwriting in a note to Grouchy. A slipsod penstroke cost him the victory Whether this be true or not, many battle. since mas I been lost because of careless, sipshod neglect of little things in conduct that | are yet mighty in their effect
 Ah the little more and how much it
 is
 And the little less and what worlds
 away
 The knight of story had ali that the c1odhopper had-and something more 1 a chivalrie and courteous bearing. His l manners lent him distinction. So, too | in our day there are those whose solid possessions of character have been en5ellished with the fair flowers of courtesy and tact in a way to make
 them deubly admirable. They are pillars indeed, fit not only to support
 the building of society, but to delight
 the eyes and win the affections of al
 pehe1ders.
 | THE RARSoN.