The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-12-07
.BEN HOPE" TIL ESHUT-sN
SENDS HIS GREETINGS
Editor The Herald and News:

EullOr Inc l1eidiu anu NS"s.
May l not communicate with my
many unknown friends and helpers
once more through the medium OF
your columns? Only in this way
can l keep in touch with all those
who think so we'll of me and remem-
ber me so kindly on special occa-
sions. ~"May all the days be- thank
full ones, and may your whole life be
rich as the golden harvest that at
autumn time we see" writes dear
unknown friend. The beautiful mes
sage came just as ! was beginning to
prepare this informal communication
and l repeat it here because l desire
the people to know and be impressed
with the fact of my profound appre-
citation of their devotion to me.
I feel, this Thanksgiving and
Christmas season. that | have much
for which to be thankful, much for
which to bless the Giver of every
good and perfect gift, if my shut in
life has not been all joy, pleasure
and beauty during the year that has
lust about passed away forever. 1t
is we'll that the years do pass, but we
regret to see them go when we re-
member that we are growing old and
reflect on the many good things we
should have done, and would five
had had the power, while the years
were still ours in which to do as we
pleased. And we do as we please
hence The barren years! Time
flies," and we can not keep the happy
DAYS with us any longer than we can
keep the sorrowful ones. In this re-
spect nature is impartial; but, then,
nature is as nature should be; and
so we must hasten on,
l feel, and say often to my friends
that really there is only one thing we
are obliged to have, be it in our pow
er to have it, in order to get on IN
this life, in order to fight the battle
of this material existence successful
ly; and that one thing is good health,
physical, mental and spiritual. With
oft it we can do nothing and our
possessions, be they infinitely vast
can not do us the greatest good.
Health is, therefore, the greatest
blessing; and to seekit if we have
it not, to preserve it if we do have
it,. is our firstaduty. >~q.:; :
Many 81 the worlds geatest, most
useful citizens are and have been
physical weaklings. r recall the
stories sof the lives Of !, Sir. Walter
Scott, the author of so l,saany beauti-
full romance a,f the good old days in
England ,aad ohis own beloved Scot
land; Of Robert Louis Stevenson, an
other great and noble. writer and of
Alexanden SsssepheFs, the Georgia
statesman De other days. They were
not Jack Dempseys, physically, but
Of how much more worth to the world
than all ythe De3upseys who ever liv-
ed! / also remember Uncle Charlie,
the viriIe. shut in writer for comfort
and beloved of thousands of true
Americans everywhere in our glor-
ious union His crippled life is an in
spiration and the marvel of the age.
Indeed the strongest servants, they
who have accomplished most in the
cause of right, who have done most
for the moral upIft, have in nearly
every case been weak physically.
Their being of so Uauch account IS
readily understood, we think, when it
is explained that they were giants in
mental, spiritual and will power. But
what inspires some men and women
with the determination to go on, des-
pite all handicaps and discourage
ments? Who gives them the strength
which is invinciblc? hope my
course is directed by Him who alone
is able to answer these question per
fectly.
It were hard indeed to imagine how
our great-and he isn't all ours,
either; for he belorgs to the world