The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1917-09-13

lC. lie VINO mas ever been cOmfOrted
should know how to comfort
Sympathy should be heart given
that it may be heart received and
thus fulfill its glorious mission in
Strengthening the weak, encouraging
the despondent, changing despair into
hope, the gloom of sorrow into the
happy realization of new happi-
ness. Let our manifestation of SYM
pathy be always charged with ten
derness gentle in manner and tact
fully expressed and it will ever be a
comfort and help in the lives of the
distressed and unfortunate, soothing.
their griefs and making their troubles
easier to bear.
The word sympathy" as more
commonly used is apt to call up be-
fore the mind some personal loss
that has brought with it physical
Suffering Or mental trouble. Such
cases are ofteR brought to our atten-
Ftion and Has ever a. strong claim in
their appel 80 oHTr better nature,
meriting our tenderest feelings of
compassion and personal interest.
But this is not always sympathy's
only mission. In our personal reIa-
tiOns it has another office which is
as important in its constructive in
f1uence as that called forth by the
sorrows of disappointment and suf-
fering. And this is the sympathy of
moral support and encouragement
in which all worthy efforts and as
pirationS are entitled. Often its uI-
innate success depends in a large
measure upon the sympathy and
encouragement given at an oppor-
tune time. A sympathetic interest
in another's life may represent all
the difference between success and
failure.
1t would be difficult to overesti-
mate the importance of this SYM
pathy as a happy stimulus to an
others best effort It's presence or
absence, its possession or denial
may mean to repeat the idea, life or
death, success or failure, happiness
or sorrow for some one.
Some one had his heart firmly set
on the successful achievement of
some particular achievement to
which he was applying the whole
strength of his energy and he failed.
He did the best he knew, but alone
he battled and the odds were against
him. With a discouragement that
seemed to crush out for the moment
all the joys of hope-a hope that
once made bright the way before
him, that made light the heaviest
burden and rendered joyful the most
arduous task-he sees now those
prospects but yesterday so bright
with promise slipping from him. He
is losing his grip. Then he turns in
mute appeal for some expression of
sympathy and encouragement to
some one, that within those hours of
midnight darkness who might possi-
bly, point out some way of escape
from ultimate defeat-from those
who had stood in the place of friends
but met with only an Indifference
where he had looked for an inter-
ested concern and which added to
the bitterness of failure, was more
than he could bear, and in the help
lessness of despair he gave it up
and never tried again. Could he
have had the helpfulness of sympa-
thetic encouragement for which he
so confidently looked and expected,
he might have with renewed cour-
age and new hope, carried his ef-
forts to successful termination and
changed what seemed inevitable de-
feat to victory. But. this needed
help was withheld. he lost his grip
and never attempted it again.
(COncluded in next weeks issllel