New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1915-01-30
"PEACE ON EARTH, GOOD
WILL TO MEN"

less forgiving and more incline
to cherish grudges or suspicion
than townspeOple. This does nc
mean that townspeople are an
better than country people, TO
in many respects they are worse
1t does seem, however, as if tn
more isolated lives of our cOuntr
people make for suspicion, dis
trust, and prejudice against one
neighbors. 1t was wise sayin!
of some philosopher, "Know on
another and you will love on
another" Let people meet to
gether frequently so they cal
talk over differences and each ge
the others viewpoint, and eacl
will have more respect for thu
other. Where each man dwell.
and works to himself it is easier
to distrust the other man.
At any rate we fear there are
Few things today that are doing
more to hinder happiness ant
progress in country communities
than the absence of just this hear,
ty good will among neighbors
Search your own heart therefore
Kind Reader, as if before the Mas
ter you profess to serve, and
purge it of all bitterness and
malice; and have the courage, too,
to 60 and be reconciled to the
man with whom you have dis
agreed.
Nor should you be content
merely not to bear i'll will toward
any neighbor. You should have
positive good will instead. Most
of all guard yourself against that
meanest Of sins, the sin Of envy.
When you see man getting
ahead, doing something we'll
doing something better perhaps
than you would have done it.
for Heavens sake join the gen.
erous, broad-minded group who
praise him, and not the little, mar
row, peevish brood of do-noth-
ing fault-finders who, envious of
the good name he has won, pre-
Ter to drag him down rather than
pull themselves up. There are
thousands and thousands of
neighborhoods in the South to-
day that are virtually furnishing
Tor lack Of leadership; and yet
too often when young man or
On older man attempts to lead a
FORWARD movement, he is not sup
ported. Olivier Wendell Holmes
said once that there are just two
classes Of men, those who go
ahead and do something and
those who sit still and say, "Why
wasn't it done the other way9"
God pity neighborhood in which
practically everybody is in the
latter class-though even if that
be the case the true leader will
nevertheless keep on fighting.
Good will, good wilt is in
deed one Of the crying needs of
our time. As rule man re-
veals his own character by his
estimate of others. The man who
loves other men is likely to be a
man himself worth loving. The
man who distrusts other men is
usually man who is himself to
be distrusted. As a rule it may
be said that we may trust the
man who trusts and doubt the
man who doubts.
And in order to promote good
will get your neighbors together
lin churches, Sunday Schols.
farmers clubs, coopd 'ative So
cieties, and get them together as
Dften as possible as visitors one
family to another.
Finally as practical exercise
N good will let us suggest just
his New Year resolution: that
Turing 1915 you will seize every
opportunity to speak word of
praise for every neighbor you
lave and try to help every one
Who has done a worthy thing
beginning, Of course, by making
friends with any man from whom
ron may have been heretofore es-
ranged.
Let's live good will as well a.
'rofess it! There's no other way
o keep Christmas the Christ
mas spirit-always in orr hearts
Clarence Poe, in The Pro2res-
i've Farmer.
--O-