Norwich bulletin., 1914-03-05
HUMAN LIFE HAS NEED
 OF PERSONAL GUIDE.
Jesus Christ the Best of All, Says Rev.
 MT. Ricketts at Shop Meeting.

Rev. c. H. Ricketts spoke at the Y. M. c. A. shop meeting held at the Richmond Radiator company Wednes- day noon. Mrs. L. O. Potter. accom- panied by Miss Letitia Kramer, rem tiered some very pleasing solos. In part MT Ricketts said
 At all times human life needs guid- ance, and sometimes a personal guide is absolutely necessary. Under very familiar conditions our own bailities may measure up pretty well to exist ing needs, but there are times when we should be utterly lost without outside help. The first visible appearance of life is weakness personified, and no form of animal life is quite to help less sthe human child. For many months after birth, food. raiment, shelter care must be provided by ot ers.h Without a guide whose name is Love the little babe would soon die. The first realization of life on the part of the child itself is a sense of weak ness. At first this is physical. He will hardly attempt to walk unless his hand is guided by a stronger one. The time comes when the child must go to school, i. e.. the time arrives when he must be mentally guided. When he gets into his early teens the moral sense becomes more acute and then he must have more attention paid to moral and spiritual guidance.
 In order to show the many sided ness of his subject, MT. Ricketts call ed attention to new men in the work shop. However bright they are or quick to learn. some older and more experienced man must show them how to do things. Such a man is a guide. From the variety of work he is called upon to do, the speaker emphasized three qualifications that every com petent guide must have:
 1. Experience-He must be well up in what We are called upon to deal with for the time being. He need not be q versatile man, but he must have wide acquaintance of the subject in which he is a guide.
 J ?. Close relationship-A traveller and his guide must keep closely to- gether. One cannot travel in China with a guide in America. There are sights and scenes to be constantly pointed out and explained.
 8, Efficiency guide must be equal to the stress and danger that may arise. Here the story was told of the Alpine guide who told a trem- bling tourist that here was a hand that never lost 8 life"
 The speaker here referred to the unseen ills that tend to buffet the mo- ral and spiritual life. It is here where we ned 8 Siude the most. One can see the coming of a cyclone, but not the germs of malaria, nor the tempta- ton of any for moi vice. He pictured men facing blank walls and going through deep dark shadows not know ing how or where to turn. He then painted before them the coming of the Christ guide with hands extended, showing the victorious nail prints of Calvary. and saying: Guide these hands that never lost a soul"
 Some time was devoted to showing how Christ fulfilled the conditions of a good guide: 1. He was experienced. 2 He is near, like the Alpine guide who is joined to tourist with a rope. 8 He is efficient. Salvation is found in this guide alone. The speaker urged his hearers to take these outstretched hands that safely guide from the finite to the infinite shore.