Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-25

prRITY is not innocence. A man is
not born possessing 1t 90 one Is
born beautiful. or genius or mas.
tcrful, or Industrious. Purity lis gold
tried in the fire. it IL "a heart purged
as with hyssop." 1t IL a fortress built
on n rock" Il is the losing Of life. y
the striving to attain. the obe :
iience to heavenly v!sion.' It Is IA
life hid with Christ.
Purity is more than genius. more
than hcroism. more even than self de- =
nial. 1t Is the result Of daily dcdica =
tion Of soul 10 God. 1t is a heart
given. not once, but thousand times.
long trial rs by fire. life Of love.
Such n lifc. wcathcrins all the chances
and changes. comes at last TO flower,
eternity lies rcsplcndcnt before It.
"l'lesscd are the pure in heart. for they
shall see God"
knew one such life. She was very
humble of her worth. very drprccatory
rs to the value Of her gift OF herself.
For she had wished to give herself SO
often. and fniled' Of perfect gift be =
cause something was kept back. To-
ward tho cnd Of her long and gallant
struggle she had given all Of herself but
one ambition. and that was for her son
Perhaps she hardly realized that in her
thousandth hour of dedication love had
done its perfect work. her desire had
burned itS",f into white fame md
even that ambition 10 shape thc destiny
Of one dear to her was voluntarily with
drawn in favor of Higher Claim than
even hers. ! do not know. but | am
told thnt She had very happy look.
MY SAYING that purity Is not !nno-
A'1 cpncc reminds me Of something that
happened To me not long ago on visit
70 ono Of the Salvation Army rescue
homes for women.
l. is a place 10 which girls are takcn,
married or unmarried. who are ubou.
- become mothers.
was downstairs in the little par
lor talking with tho uffccr in charge a
aiict. little. wiry Sr"tchwoman. when
nan of the girls passed the door on her
way upstairs Shc was young and not
unhappy looking. pretty girl. and
with possibility OF goodness and
strength in her face.
''Are all these girls what you call
fallen girls. commandant?' I asked.
"Wc'l. what you might mean by fallen
and what we might mean in the army
rou'd be quite different" she said. I'VE
n"vcr call n girl fallen who IS having
Il'T ITNl UhDN. ~ IlaI W NV ptRiH =
nnH Of her new life.
"Do YOU have many failures thon:"
7 asked hrr. irving to adjust myself TO
tr!;, point 0' v!NT w.;h very genuine
admiration % It's simplicity and good
nnSs.
Il lave never yet had a failure. M
'csS You count the ones who .re men
talir un:t failUres,' she said looking at
III" thoughtfuliy.
.ird just here hcv superior oiiiccr
br"':c in 70 explain.
"1hC roMmnniGEt doe. not find Il
girl or woman hopeless Quite as YOU
might. hrcausr SHE has scrn s,lrh req.
cuar. We were celebrating he sixth
birthday -! ono sUCh r"sru"h woman
lately. Sh" had been drunken out
Ca"t fo" iift"Nn years. Tou might have
ca. ed hrr hopeless.
nodded. "Well." he SAIL "she
wGS not hopeless. Tou 500. and tp- sig
Years she has worked IN the lowest
dives and for nothing but love and
tha1ltulness. she Is six years a.ong
in that new life.
T HAVE thought ~ her many times
since. of hcr ana otharS like hrr who
have 'ariscn and gone 60 thc!r Father -
For them who h"v" come ont ot great
'r'hutnt.ons * that goal Of sscalrast
joy--uuritv OF heart.
'El">>rh ore H." puro in heart. for
they snail 500 God"
SARAH u. LDU'RIE.