The Washington herald., 1916-03-28

a god He is allied to all the good in the uni
verse he is part OF all the good. He shares
even the virtue of humility. For he feels that the
miracle is wrought, not by any virtue Of his own
but by benehcence far greater than any personal
merit
| This completeness of redemption is denied to
those that struggle by the mere force Of will or
that identity themselves with faith after the con-
vcntiona way, making it a thing for special times
and obSerYanCcS.
Though often told that when we are de-
pressed about ourselves ought to do something
tor someone else, how many of us have the good
sense or the strength of wifi to follow the coun
! sci?
One is that depression is a kind Of
slavery. 1t chains us to ourselves in dreary COM
panionshlp: To escape costs an effort, and yet
we know that we escape when we do some
thing that will take us out Of ourselves.
| recently heard of suggestive example A
girl IN New York. alone at Christmas time, blue
decided that she was intolCrable to herself. She
could not go eating her heart out when the
whole world outside seemed to be happy She
must do something. The demon of depress sion
were ready enough with their suggestions; but
she put them aside. If she could not be happy
on this Christmas for herself if the world seemed
whose plight was as bad her own, or worse
and offer relief and encouragement.
She thought OF another girl that she knew, in
a situation like her own, with prospects somewhat
worse. She resolved to call on the girl and
take her out to the theatcr. When she arrived
at the girls room, she found no enc there In
went out and bought some holly. Then she re-
turned and decorated the room, and, on piece
of holly under the chandelier she pinned a gay
little message. She became so absorbed that She
forgot about herself, and when she went home
she was delighted the thought Of the effect
on her friend that she went to bed in very good
spirits.
The next day the friend called her up on the
telephone and, with great emotion, expressed her
gratitude; You don't know what your thinking
OF me like that did for me-" she said at lust
/ about saved life | w fhinkinO Of
! an end to myself"
We speak of life as if it lay outside ourselves
But It really lies in the consciousness Of every
one Of us. We speak OF it. too, if it were the
same life. But it has just as many varieties as
there are people. TO no two human beings is life
the same We live and we reflect what goes on
about us, and much, in fact, nearly everything
depends on what and how we reflect.
Can there be so many kinds Of reality, diff
terent' in some instances so contradictory? Each
must answer the question for himself. On the
answer may depend the happiness the unhappi-
ness OF life. Suppose that what real to
me is hideous, distressing. In my mind it
RES convection. But | know that someone else
whose outlook may be very like my own, never
thelesS finds beauty everywhere Astounding and
JOY. To him reality means happiness. Eagerly he
proclaimS his happiness is the truth. If one were
to deny It as such and to say that it merely
an illusion, he would smile. His faith would not
be shaken.
But gladly would | give up my faith in my dis
tressing and hideous reality. Suppose I try. So
| inquire why with other eyes my ncighbor sees
SO differently, Suppose, for time, watch his
processes, and as experiment. initiate him.
Instantly shall find that my ugness grows less
ugly. In time its may take on something of
beauty Then it may dawn upon me that reality
is relation and that the only satisfying and
healthy relation comes from harmony.
There is a great diversity of opinion among
people as to whether really change in our
nature. There are those that think ever
changes. Others think that always chang
ing. Between the two extremes there many
varieties of belief.
There is good reason for thinking that in the
minds like bodies We inherit certain
physical attributes. We do add to them nor
do take away If at birth they were to be
counted and again counted at death they would
be found to be the in number. But what
difference there would be in their quality what
a change, due, not only to natural growth and
spontaneous activity, but to their use or their
abuse.
Similarly, it our mental and moral traits could
be counted they would be found to remain
through life the same number and yet through
discipline lack of discipline, neglect or cult
walton, at the end of life, startngly different in
essence
Suppose boy of ordinary inheritance, before
he has reached the years Of age, is put to work
where he is subjected to vulgarizng influences
He will probably grow up to be rough-man-
nered and coarse-mnded man. Suppose on the
other hand that instead Of being put to work.
he is sent to a hne school, conducted by an in
spring man that knows not only how to teach
what is called book-knowledge but how to train
the disposition. He is likely to develop into a
man OF fine character. And yet, in each of those
cases, the boy is the same. There has been no
change in qualities; but there has been change
ner of mos ra1,r a1 ind