Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-01
SOUL COMPOUNDS
BY DR.. Frank Crane

TN Omar's poem he says there was little
talk awhile of Thee and Me, and then
a more of Thee and Me.
We enter this world as separate person
alities, hard and irreducible Municipalities;
our life's problem is to combine with 9TH
ers.
Happiness lies only in soul-compounds. AS
We approach we glow, we recede we
grow cold and dead
The highest joy is love which is, "a man
and a woman melted into one being as
Victor Hugo says.
Every new friendship gives the soul a
new chemical substance, with new flavor
and odor, differing from those of either of
the ingredient persons.
Even in solitude high souls have been
unable to realize happiness, and so we must
think of God sharing it.
An invisible companion to share emo
lions is SO essential to virtue that Voltaire
said that "if there were no God it would
be necessary to invent one.'
The two acts, giving and forgiving are
symbols of spirit-union.
When you give you do not deny your
right of property, you emphasize. When you
forgive you do not lower but raise your
self esteem.
AS "a boy, had this one from my father.
seem to recall that he said it actually had
happened before the Civil war in the remote
Kentucky settlement where my forbears lived
for upwards of a hundred years.
My father said that into the community
there came a dashing stranger. He had no
visible means of support, but such was his
1ngrat1atlng personality and such was the
dashing way he had about him, that speedily
he became favorite among the simple pio-
neers. Shortly after his advent the local
Methodist circuit rider organized protracted
meeting which was largely attended and
proved in all respects a tremendous success.
The engaging new arrival manifested deep
interest in the revival. No layman in the
congregation displayed quite so admirable
spirit in backing up the efforts of the officiat-
ing exhorter
The last night of the meeting was devoted
to foreign missions. The preacher rose to in
spired heights of eloquence. In vivid coors
he painted the forlorn and ignorant state OF
the heather and the crying need of funds
with which to spread the Christian doctrine
in far-off pagan lands. At the proper psyche
logical moment, when the assemblage had
been worked up into a fit frame of mind for
contributing heavily to the good cause, the
preacher called upon the fascinating stranger
to pass the hat. 1t developed later that upon
that very day the latter had gone to the min
lister and volunteered for this service.
He passed the hat. He passed it until it
was filled to the brm with the offerings Of
the multitude. When his round of the pews
was completed instead of marching up to
the pulpit and deposfting the funds there, the
newcomer began to edge toward the door of
the church. and, incidentally toward where
his horse was tethered outside. Observing
this suspicious maneuyer, the preacher was
filled with horrid dread.
my brother" he called out, IF you go
away from the house of God with that there
money you will be damned"
On the words, the stranger vanished out
OF the door. The voice of a resident in a
back pew broke the Mortified hush which fol-
lowed.
We'll, parson," he said "if he amt went,
I'll be damned"
(Copyright 1927