The Washington herald., 1915-07-24
An Old-fashioned Virtue.

BY JOHN d. BARRY.
There lives in New York very remarkable
woman. She is an advanced Theosophist, IAN in
visible helper"
Do you happen to know what an invisible
helper is?
/ didn't know till first heard of this woman.
An invisible helper is spirit Sometimes, as
in the case of this lady, it lives in the flesh Some
times it lives in the world of spirits. According
to the Theosophists it works for souls passing
from this world into the spirit world. 1t helps
particularly those souls suddenly thrown out of
the body by sudden death and bewidered by the
new conditions.
1t appears that there are many invisible help
crs living in the flesh. Their spirits roam the uni
verse during sleep. helping other spirits.
In consciousness they sometimes remember.
Usually they do not
The woman l am speaking of can remember.
Once this woman appealed to by friend,
who had just lost her husband.
The friend and her husband had lived happily
for many years. She very spiritual. He was
good husband but rather coarse, shockingly
coarse some people considered him.
They used to wonder how such a woman
could live with such man. They gave her credit
for being good and patient wife
MY dear she said to the Theosophist you
understand just what Will was. | loved him
dearly but | know that he was not spiritually
minded and l fear that he will have hard time
in the spirit world Now l want you to go to-
night and find his spirit and help him"
The Theosophist promised. That night her
spirit went out of the body. Bearing her friends
words in mind, she sought for the spirit of the
husband in the lowest plane of spiritual existence
She felt of finding him there, probably feel
ing detected, lost, hopeessly trying to adjust him
self to his surroundings.
After a thorough search she couldn't find him.
Higher and higher she went, until at last, on one
of the highest planes, she discovered him, serene
and happy.
l have always liked that story. 1t is the kind
of story we ought to keep in mind when we are
tempted to judge and to censure people, or even
TO reform them.
Then there is that story of George Bernard
Shaws, Aerial Football" A distinguished Eng
fish bishop and a drunken old woman of the
London sums were both killed in the street. An
omnibus skidded, hit the bishops carriage and
crushed the woman.
The two souls arrived before the gate of St.
Peter at the moment.
The bishop approached fearessly and, with
his usual authority asked to be shown to St
Peter at The custodians of the gate
laughed aloud. They seized the bishop and actu-
ally threw him out. His high hat went bump
ing down the mountain
Meanwhile the old woman was hanging back,
abashed. She felt herself unworthy of approach
ing the gate. She was almost overcome with
humility.
Suddenly the custodans saw her. They rushed
forward and drew her in, giving her an enthusi-
astc welcome.
In the words OF Shaw, often repeated in one of
his most popular comedies, you never can tell,
sir. You can tell"
AS virtue, humility is at discount lust now
In fact it is seldom spoken of in an ex-
change of thought Can you conceive of it as be-
ing attributed a merit, for example, to a great
politician?
And yet all love it. Sometimes believe
that If politician to try it he actually might
find it an effective weapon. There is so much SELF
assertion in the world that humility would be
novelty. 1t would attract attention.
Theoretically, still value humility. In the
prayers it keeps its place y
Suppose all to try it for while What
cessation there would be of selfasserton resent
ment, punishment The silence would be deafen-
ing!