Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1916-10-19
Shepherdstown Jefferson County, Virginia. Thursday 1916
Positive And Negative Morality.


"Well, John, what can do for you ?"
Doctor Brown inquired cordially as he
came into his study and shook hands with
John Forbes.
81 am applying for position in bank,
sir. Some recommendations are required,
and thought you might be willing TO
give me one," John answered confidently.
The clergyman sat still, looking very
thoughtful. 81 certainly should like TO
recommend you, John" he said at length,
"but have feeling that | ought TO be
truthful about what say in such mat
ter, and am wondering just what ! can
say truthfully that will impress the bank
in your favor"
Johns face showed surprise. "Why,
can't think Of anything very wrong that
have done," he said, after pause.
"That's exactly as | rated you." re-
piled the rector, land must admit that
the rating does not impress me very favor
ably. Suppose, for instance, that you
wanted work as porter, and the bank
wanted TO know whether you were physi-
cally strong enough for the work ? |
might be able to mention one hundred
diseases you did not have. Knight make
it two hundred, or any other number,
but that would not answer the question.
The bank would not want TO know how
many diseases you didn't have, but how
much physical strength you did have.
You might have no disease at all, and yet
have almost no strength.
"I'd like to believe that it was different
with you morally, but honesty compelS
me to say never have seen an intimation
OF II in your life. never heard OF your
doing anything very wrong, but neither
have heard OF your doing anything very
good. can't say that you have moral
character just because you haven't any
great vices. You haven't been positively
vicious, as some of your friends have,
but sometimes fear that you have no
more attained a moral character than
they; it's even possible that some Of
them are nearer TO it than you.
"You have only drifted. You have let
yourself float along the line OF least re-
sistance. You have frittered away your
time and your opportunities. You just
barely escaped failure all the way through
your high-school course. So far you
have escaped doing anything very wrong.
You also have escaped doing anything
very good. In fact, you haven't done
anything at all"
81 might have expected some efficiency
expert 10 look at things that way, but |
didn't think a Christian minister wouldP
said John suddenly.
That's exactly the Christian point OF
view and the Christian teaching" re-
turned the doctor. ''Jesus, in one OF
his parallels, told OF a number of people
who suffered punishment after death. II
is striking fact that not one OF them was
condemned for wrong things he had done,
but for right things he had left undone.
John Forbes, turn about and face the thing
squarely. You haven't been a man-you
have been a kind of jelly-fiSh. You
haven't been anything positive. You
have been trailer, hanger-on. a mega
- n
week positively do something that is
hard TO do, something you are disinclined
TO try and less inclined TO stick at, and
then come back and I'll give you the
recommendation"
"Im pretty mad" said John, "but I'm
going 10 do as you say"
81 want you TO keep mad until you have
done it," replied Doctor Brown.