The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1915-02-22
, I, > :, :, . . . . . Q . (
DEALING WITH GOSSIP AND
SANDER.


saith it," Nehemiah &c.
Many people are idle. and when
they are idle what do they do
They look around for opportunity
of amusing themselves, frivolcusly
engaging their attention, and elabor-
ately doing nothing at great length
and enduring much fatigue by the
fruitless exercise. Everyone should
have work to do worthy of their
powers; should be unwilling and de
termined not to leave the heights
and go gossiping down into the
valleys.
Gashmu is not one Of the noted
characters of the Bible. But twice
is his name found in the Scriptures.
At the beginning of the chapter
from which is taken the text, he j.
referred to as Goshen the Arabian,
and again in Sanballat's reference
to MIN above quoted, when he uses
Gashmu's words to confirm a Islander
against the prophet Nehemiah who
mad gone back to Jerusalem to re-
build the city walls, and prepare
Jerusalem for the return of the
Jewish people. 1t is reported that
you are going to rebel against the
king, and Gashmu saith it."
Gossip and SANDER is not new
plish all sorts of mischief and the
ends of wickedness. 1t is as old as
the devil himself, and it will liz.
as long Men and women possessed
with TIE devil have ever been found
in the tombs cutting themselves
with stones, frothing and foaming
in a vain effort to create Gashmu
has been forgotten. if indeed he is
at all remembered, except when
someone desires to drag him into
the dark again to prove their reason
for some base methods injurious to
/ themselves. while Nehemiah, the
slanGered prophet and servant of
God, is immortal. Judas is reme-.
bered for betraying he Christ witt
kiss, while Mary is remembered
for the love she gave him at the
feast in the amounting of his body
for burial
Men are best known by what they
do in the crisis of their lives. And
a crisis is usually met linked with
the so-called small things. Nehemiah
/ treated this false accusation with
utter disregard. He did not rail
and fume and fuss and Gg,t ard
raise a lot of mist He just trusted
God and went on about his work
/ There are people who cannot say
mo" to an invitation. The very
fact that they have received the
invitation seems to imply that they
must accept it. Such reasoning s
simple in professionally this: -
have been asked to go out have
been invited to attend-I have receiv-
| ed a courteous and most respectful
message requesting me to be pres
ent at such-and-such a place, and
/ therefore | must co. In many cases
the reasoning is valid because the
people have nothing else to do
Having dedicated their lives to idle
ness they are on the outlook for such
a message-they say, why don't he
Gomez" The idle man is always ex,
posed to temptation.
/ Work is an answer to temptation,
work is companionship, work is rest
Men want work not charity; they
want to bear responsibility, not for.
ever bossed and told what to do;
they want to be somebody and that
somebody worth while. Let men
have occupation, much labor to do,
The mind of healthy development
some new province Of thought, to
be preparing oneself for tomorrow's
greater fight and battle in life.
! To the undoing of many no gate
presents itself so easily opened
more emphatic, that needs no open
ing at ALL for it stands open con
stantly, and over it gaping stands
large, loud welcome-as idleness
Nehemiah had a sword in one hand
and .trowel in the other, and his
whole soul was devoted to the
building Of wall.
| His enemies had most graciously
approached him with an invitation.
saying, Come, let us meet together
in one of the villages in the plain
of Ono" Nehemiah had weapons
sharpened for service for his fellow
men, and to be asked to go down to
chatter with Sanballat in the village.
was an insult to his earnestne.s.
One" such a man has no time for
gossip. Ono" mountains big with
privilege for serving one. fellowmen
are not to be compared to mole-hills.
"Ono," not yet. When gossip prof
fers her invitation, mellow for divi-