Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-11
What We call charm is really what

| MIHhI we call Cnarm Is IcaiS "ha'
w the name implies, kind of magic
scnsitivencss to what will please, an
actual reading Of thought. All men
and women who have the power OF
| leadership, all thinkers and docrs who
make disciples have it, and most per-
sons who nre loved by many friends
have it. Some have it more ut one
period of their lives than at others; IL
| is as though their power to exert 1t was
overriddcn by some clumsicr and less
sensitive spirit. Sometimes it is driven
oft by a sort of false sensitiveness thai
turns inward and magnitics the self in
one instead Of turning outward ami
lighting up the souls Of others.
Sometimes it is misuscd and dcba scd
for evil ends. but whether it is used
for good ends or for bad ends there is
magic scnsitiveness that is great
power, which can be cultivated for even
greater uses and that is at least latent
in us all.
1t is very Interesting to His followers
Of today and It was evidently inter
esting to the followers Of His early days
to observe that power in Christ, and by
observing. cndcavor TO learn the secret
Of it and If possible to acquire It.
Whatever of His personality or teach
ings have been handed on Is due to the
continuance Of that power in some OF
His disciples. Reasoning or command.
ing has not pcrpetuatcd Him as a world
power to this day. One either feels
Him. rs His first followers felt Him
and straightway or eventually followed
Him, or one does not by feeling. one
does not mean anything sentimental or
sensational; although there Is sensa-
ton and there is sentiment in ones
TO arrest one, His ability after all
these centuries to still one into an at
titude of listening and profound alb
sorption.
T SUPPOSE today, as 1000 years ago.
no two of us are met by Him and
spoken TO in the same way. or are ar
rested into complete attention by the
same question or are held In suspense by
the same look Of comprchcnding COM
mand. I know Of nothing more inter-
esting for any student Of human ma
turc or human emotions. whether he Is
an actor doctor. n teacher or poll
tician, than to observe those contacts
of Christ with the men and women who
were 10 become His friends and to be
the medium of His tidings to the world.
All that you and | know OF Him de-
pended on those men and women, so
that their first meeting with Him has
n certain poignancy. certain dramatic
"if' bound up in it. Suppose any one
of them had failed 20 feel and to re-
member.
Suppose for instance the Samaritan
woman. who was not what we call "a
good woman" had not understood and
cherished that great definition of reli-
gious worship
woman. believe me, the hour COM
eth and now is. when tho true wor-
Slippers shall worship the Father in
spirit and truth such doth the
Father seek to be his worshipers. God
is spirit. And those that worship
Him must worship in spirit ard truth.
Suppose that woman, taken in the act
Of sin and left by ner accusers for
Christ to deal with. had hidden forever
the "Go and sin no more sentence
in her heart. :,
Suppose that learned Prince Of Israel
Nicodemus, who came to Jesus secretly
bv night. had never dared repeat the
they held together under
the stars with Jerusalem sleeping all
about them.
MO WONDER what happened then
~ Is still the most vital of the worlds
to you and me because out
Of those friendships and that meeting of
those lesser souls with that great Soul
has come our own first glimpse of Him
looking toward us and beckoning us to
"follow In His train
SARAH D. LOWRIE.