Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-21

The first test of International hon.
esty is willingness to face and admit
all the facts Lacking this, a man is a
neglible quality. No milder words than
coward and weakling will serve to
characterize the person who will not
is the heresy which oftenest parades as
orthodoxy. No man is orthodox who
goes back on what is true. This pusil-
luminous course may save him some
hard knocks, but 1t will shrivel up his
own soul, which, after all, is the one
great disaster most to be feared.
The call of the day is the call to
face the facts. Let a man examine
himself, to see where he stands on all
of life's big questions. Stocktaking in
character Is not SO common as in busi-
ness Even in the commercial world
there Is occa ssionally to be found a man
who will not admit to himself what are
the real conditions; he lodges the act
ualities until, one day. the great crash
comes The sort of self-defending
temperament always comes up with dis
aster. One reasonable explanation of
the many moral catastrophes in life is
that the victims have simply drifted in
to ship-wreck. Their life was never
steered. They had no definite purposes
They simply went along, letting chance
winds and currents direct him. Amaz-
ingly few persons think things through
for themselves or have frequent reck-
oning with their own life.
stock-Taking in Life
The wise man occasionally takes time
to sit down and cross-examine himself
He does as Israel did. under joshua
dying instructions.-N have an under
standing as to where he stands. Taklns
nothing for granted, he retraVerses the
old ground of first principles. he goes
down into life's deep relationship. Flrst
he renews his own character: just "hat
sort of person is he at heart?
Then he sings a song of praise lot
his physical well-being. 1t rarely ac-
ours to one to be thankful for good
health until it is gone. Home anu
family are themes for meditations ana
gratitude; oftentimes a man Is so en-
crossed in making money that he does
not find time to entertain the tnoush'
that in his wife and children ne mas
priceless fortune.
A mans neighbors congratulate hlm
when he is promoted to a five thousahu
dollar Job, or when he falls heir 10
few thousand dollars They are no.
aware of the greater FORTUNES 'e
come in life's spiritual relationships nor
frequently is the man himself An IN
telligent acceptance of the fact that
real riches are of the heart, and that
l!fe's most important concerns are those
which belong in the realm of the spirit
would cause many person TO write
down as his greatest asset the DID, OLD
fact of-God.
He is following the wisdom OF tne
Israelites who reviews his position win
respect to Jehovah. A reaffirmation OF
ones fundamental religious belief won
derously clears life's atmosphere. For
or against, every thinking person owes
it TO his own character and capabilities
to decide the question of his attitude
toward God.
The Idols Under the Floor
A sidelight upon the situation In Can
aan is shed by old Joshua's exhorta-
ton. put away the gods which your
fathers served beyond the river. In
this plea to serve Jehovah in sincerity
and in truth there is an implication that
Israel was covertly clinging to.the old
idols.
That is understandable. The break
with heathendom on the part of a