Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1918-10-18
The Sunny Side Of the Street
Dear MIR. Editor.

Dear Mr.. Editor:
During these days when churches are
CLOSED and depressing influences sur
round US, there is much of comfort and
of cheer to be found in the practical
Christianity which is manifestng itself
in numerous ways throughout the com
munity, AS one Of the village pastors
somewhat in touch with the generous
response which has developed to meet
certain local emergencies ! desire to
testify to these evidences of Christian
neighboriness. They are productive of
a spiritual atmosphere which has the
same effect upon depression that bright
sunshine has upon the influenza germ,
In this connection lit me suggest the
therapeutic value of the cheerful
spirit, and to emphasize the suggestion
with the following bit of wisdom from
the pen Of Safed the Sage as recorded
in The Congregationalist:
"Now the Shears wherewith ! write
much Of my wisdom became Dull, so
that they would not cut easily. And
looked out of my Window and saw on
the other side of the Street an Ancient
man out of Denmark, who goeth to and
fro, and sharpeneth Knives and Shears
and Repaireth Things. And went 10
him, and ! besought him saying Come
thou and sharpen my Shears.
And he said, it is morning now, and
thou livest on the East Side of the
Street; therefore will come not now,
but will come when it is toward Even
ing.
But said, shall not be there when
it is toward evening. Come thou now.
And as he sharpened my Shears, ]
asked him, saying, Why didst thou re.
fuse to come to me in the Morning?
"And he said, All living things require
the Sun. The trees grow not save they
have the sun, and no life thrives if it
have il not. Therefore do always go
on the West side of the Street in the
morning, and on the East side in the
Evening.
"And he said Thou art a man of
Learning. Behold would speak to
thee of many things.
And he opened Box that he car.
ried, and he took out a Tray wherein
were his Tools. and beneath the Tray
were Books that he was Reading, yea,
and Book that he was Writing. And
he read to me out of the book. And il
had in it many strange Theories, and
Interesting Ideas. And although | did
not think them Sound, yet | marveleC
that this Commonplace Ancient Man oil
Denmark thought of the Deep Things
of Life as he Sharpened his Knives anC
Scissors.
"Now it had been hard for me to gel
him to come to me in the morning, be,
cause lived on the East Side of the
Street, but it was harder to get him tc
leave before Evening, because he haC
many things to talk about, and he
cared much more to talk 9bout then
than he did to Sharpen Shears. Never.
the less, he left me.
And ! spake to Keturah, and
said, That old Dane hath many q
Strange Bat in his Belfry, but he hath
some notions that are not Half Bad
Human life hath One Road, WHEREOF
all men travel, and they travel every
man in one and the Same Di
rection. For at one end of the
road is the Cradle, and at the Other
end thereof there is the Grave, anc
there be no men who travel that roat
backward. But although the Roac
hath but one Direction yet hath it Two
Sides. Therefore will | shout to al
men who travel the Highway of Life
and | will say unto them, Walk We OF
the Sunny Side.
Sincerely yours,
Henry C. Newell.