The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-10

a Big MANS Little kindneSSeS.
President Harding was receiving a
line of visitors during the holidays,
each with a cordial handclasp and a
salutation; but when a little girl came
along he stopped and stopped down
and spoke few kindly words to her.
The trifling act told more about the
mans real character than any of his
public addresses. Recently 1 was rid
ing north from Washington with d
distinguished British journalist, and
getting out at Philadelphia. l left l..y
rubberS in the car. My friend, dis
covering my mistake, carried those old
overshoeS to New York with him and
back to me at washington a few days
later. When l see his name attached
to noteworthy articles my first
thought is not of his literary ability
or of his notable career, but of those
rubbers! They are the revealing fact
about the man. He is one
"doeth little kindnesses.
Which others leave undone, or despise"
That is the sort of man the Prophet
Elisha was. His biography is record
of deeds of helpfulness, mostly to in
dividuals Not for him were the Eli
jah sublimities of Sinai or the dra-
matte contests on Mt. Carmel. His lot
it was to follow a greater than him
self, and to excel in the humber min
istries to human beings. Yet he was
no less the called and sealed prophet
of God, with a message that presses
close upon the everydayness of our
own lives. Few can be Elijahs; all
can be Elishas, helping lame dogs
over Stiles For the Elisha spirit is
the spirit of applied religion, which
glorifies the deeds of the \common
days.
Count that day lest whose Iow-descend-
ing sun
Views from thy hand no worthy action
done"
When Trouble Comes.
Which is greater, to be admired and
feared like Elijah, or to be loyed and
depended upon like Elisha? Prac-
tlcally, as a most vital character
forming principle, would you rather
pc the woman or man who is brilliant
and envled and praised; or the one
whom folks like and trust and turn
to in trouble? Given choice of these
two types of careers, which would the
wise young person prefer?
In every neighborhood there is at
least one person, usually a woman, to
whom folk naturally turn when trou-
BILE comes. That is the only sort of
social leadership" worth coveting. If
the reader is one of these privileged
persons, thank God, and pay the pricei
Cares like these write into ones face a
charm such as the most expensive
beauty doctor" cannot impart. To
DVdA ltAC bu1uCbl VI II1tIlQSllp, W DS
troubled by the sorrows of others;
to have a part in healing hurts-that
is what it means to be in Elisha's
school of the prophets
Ours Is a day for the Elisha spirit.
These are times of trouble in the
world. All about us is serious un-
employment and financial distress: if
we are not feeling it ourselves, we
ought to, by our sincere partnership
with our neighbors. We may be sorry
for any life so triple-armored in sell
fishness that it merely rejoices that
hard times have not touched it. That
spirit misses all the deep joy of true
sympathy with it's kind and of the
sense of service in time of need. Elisha
lived rich life in the lives of those
whom he helped.
The Wayfarer's Friend.
Sixteen miles to the southeast of
Elsha's abode on Mt. Carmel was the
little town of Shunem, just a short
distance below the fair and rounded
summit of Mt Tabor, which is g
friendly little mountain beloved of all
travellers in the Holy Land. In Shu-
mem dWelt woman of force and local
position, the wife of a prosperous man,
and apparently more Of a person
atty than her husband. She had a
she was an upholder of the best social
traditions. 1t was natural that she
should be foremost in the exercises of
the Orient's cardinal virtue of hos
pitality. As he passed to and fro
thru Shunem. in his itinerating
among the schools of the prophets,
Elisha was frequently entertained in
this open-hearted home.
So deep an impression did the
prophet make upon this discerning
woman that she proposed to her hus7
band that they build him chamber
upon the flat roof of their dwelling,
to be reached by an outside STAIR
which would be his home whenever
in Shunem. 1t was an extraordinar-
lily gracious and generous courtesy to
show, and it was done disinterestedly,
for, as the story makes plain, there
was no thought of selfish advantage
in the Womans mind. She did not
want influence with the palace or pro-
lection from the military. Her hos
pitality was untainted by any trace
of self-interest. The presence of the
man of God was abundant reward
to this woman of faith and spiritual
insight.
OF course there was a reward; life
is so regulated by God that none of
us does any noble or unselfish deed
Without having our service poured
back into our laps many-fold- Moth
ing brings surer and richer repayment
than hospitality. 1t seems as if when
we open our homes and our hearts to
friendship that the favor of God
comes in with every guest. As the
Bible says, BE not forgetful to en-
terrain strangers, for thereby some
have entertained angels unawares.""
1t is one of the rewards of life to be
able to go into the simple guest cham
Der and recall some of the friends,
many of them now in other hands and
others in the Better Country, who
have sojourned within these walls No
home should ever be SO simple or so
poor that it has not room for hos
pitality, the most rewarding of all
the forms of service enjoined by
Scripture.
'Is 1t Well With the Child?"
That best of all blessings that can
ever come to a woman, a son, was
given to the Shunammite hostess, in
answer to the prayers of the prophet.
So deeply is this desire and law writ
ten into the fiber of the being of all
good women, that we may rely upon
it as force to deliver the world from