Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-01-24

has the First Methodist church i
this city witnessed a more enthusiaS
tic service than that which marke,
the unfurling of the service flag las
Sunday morning.
The vast auditorium was crowde,
and throughout there prevailed an a
mosphere of deep religious and pa
riotic thought. The sermon by tn
pastor, Rev. Gay C. White, follows
The Alabaster Box of Christian Pat
riotisxn.
Matthew 26,7. There came unit
Him a woman having an alabaste,
box of ointment, very precious, ant
she poured ii on His head as He sa
at meat. But when His disciples saw
it. they had indignation, saying, Tt
what purpose is this Waste?"
The Hidden Values.
l am, on this great day, to speak
of sentiment. Sentiment represents
the higher values of life and we are
warranted in spending money for
many things which dc not offer the
prospect of a financial return. Senti.
ment gives color and warmth to life.
DGjItllIltil LldhbS real tlic ItdIuS anu
purposes of our Imagination. The
life without sentiment is like a house
in midwinter with the windows brok.
en- out and no fire on the hearth. The
man who takes pride in being severely
matter of fact is dead and does not
know it
The Gospel narratives record two
anointings, one in the house of Simon
the Leper. the other in the home OF
Simon the Pharisee. In the one ease
Mary OF Bethany anoints the head of
the Master; i'll the other, a woman
of the underworld. her sresses flowing
in sorrowful abandon, enters the room
where Jesus and his friends are re-
Ginning at dinner. breaks The alabastei
marble box. pogrs out the precious
ointment meant emily for royalty, up
on the feet of the Master, wiping His
feet with the hair of her 4ead.
The details of the incident are per-
fectly Oriental; the noble sentiment
involved lifts the event into az ever
lasting memorial. The box apd its
contents were valued at a sum eguiya-
lent 10 al least $500 American money.
HaTlots, the playthings of princes,
have always had access TO great
wealth. Perfume and jewelry Were
frequently the price of their slavery
and sin.
But in any case. the disciples were
angry. In one narrative Judas makes
the blunt protest. Why was not this
sold for 300 pence and the money |
given to the poor?" The sacred writ
er makes the significant remark that
Judas said this n from any partie-
ular loye for the poor, but because
he was q thief and carried the bag.
The box could never be used again.
What a foolish sentiment. what al
sinful waste, many people, ven to-
day, would say, and there was vast
ly more OF poverty and oppression in
Jesus day than now. People are say
ing it now, especially since we have
given SO much attention to all mat
tiers of conservation. Let as do away
with sentiment. Let US not buy any
thing except that which We can eat
or wear; Wy are at
Germany's Soul Suicide.
ri you ask me to name n OF the
things that ails Germany today it is
that for a generation the leaders of
that country have stified sentiment.
They have become hard-headed mat
ter of fact materialists. They have
done away with everything that would
interfere with military development
and efficiency. In doing so they have
committed ~soul-suicide. They have
smurderd the beautiful and peaceful
Germany OF II hundred years ago..
They have murderd the spiritual func-I
tons of3 life. 8of
Let us have a care that Wa do not
commit the same sin against the spir-
itual life in this country. That Isl
why was eager for this service,
We cannot afford to Prussianize our
democratic Institutions.
Letn n lock- lat this matter Of senti-t
ment more closely, Recall the story
OF David, the young prince, q fugitive
in the mountains, a price upon his
head. He grew homesick, and with
Inconsistencies name a longing for a
drink of water from the old we'll by
the gate. No sooner had he men
toned II than 4 faithful follower start
ed out on the dangerous Journey. Re-
turning with the water. he gave 1t to
David, who instead OF drinking IT.,
poured 1t onto the ground as an OIL
fering before the Lord, in gratitude
FOR the bravery oil his men. 1t was
foolish. you say, in David allowing
HIS men to risk their life on such an
errand aud il was even more foolish
in him 10 waste the water, after get
ting 1t. No doubt 1t Was a foolish
fancy, but We have 1T for q beautiful
and everlasting memorial In the
Word of God. 1t was sentiment; so