Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1936-01-06
OTHERS VIEWS
EOHnTER PASTOR OBSEKN Eo
HENDERSON AGAIN.

TO the Editor:
Tho funeral Of good friend gave
mo some weeks ago the occasion 10
look over Henderson and TO rcllcCt
on the changes brought by the thil
teen wears since l left the city, Whcl~
7 spent nearly ten years as pastor vi
thc First Baptist church. 1t was
low to meet many Of the friends oil
other days, and to be present at the
mid-weck prayer service, and to hear
thc Thanksgiving sermon of Pastor
A. S. Hale. | found him delightfully."-
popular. and l could well understand
if after being in his home and near
ing him preach The growth and i'm
provcment of the city in so short
time astonishcs and bewildcrs one.
Several reflections growing out OF
NV late contacts with place and peo-
ple NAV seem worth while for your
readers:
I 7 WAS impressed anew that god.
illness and the commonplace virtues
paw enormous dividends i'll the long
run. The influence and training of
godly parents actually show through
the years. In general / found the
pillars of the church" standing solid.
The children of the pillars as l knew
thcme twenty years ago arc growing
into tho pillars of today and tomor-
row. | saw in the choir three from
the same family, and l could not for
get their godly parents of two de-
caJcS ago and the lasting fruitagc Of
that Christian home. BY and large it
will be found. despite tho cynics, that
where the true Christian home and
tho church get a good chance to func-
ticn in character building it stands
the test Of the passing decades.
3 l saw anew tho tragedy OF neg
lccting religion and these common
place virtues. On the streets and in
places Of business l CHANGED upon
convincing evidence. A man spoke to
me whose features slowly came back.
remembered that long ago things
were getting Shaky in his home. Long
ago the home had broken, he told
me, and the child had grown up
limping and saddcncd from the
wound dealt him by a father and
mother who owed him the joint sup
port OF their love and training in a
real home.
CHANGED to meet n man bwhom /
knew casually and liked a decade and
q half ago. likablc. generous, Il fond.
indulgcnt father Once | vcEturcd to
ask him if he did not fear to indulge
his boy so far. TO crafty every wish
had often wondered what the re-
suit would be, the more since the
father did not follow strictly the way
| Of tho stcrncr virtues Ct omit any de-
all to identify hind. With deep in
tcrcst | asked him about the boy.
| Pitifully and decidedly he answered,
| Gle has grown up utterly worthless
| and bad" And reflected again,
What q tragedy for parent and
| teacher and society TO miss n chance
with life"
;. ] met new evidence that, Of all
| thing; in the world. u little Kindness
| pays the largest dividends. People
| here and there told me OF trivial acts
Of Kindness completely gone from my
memory that had held their gratitude
| through all the years. A ncighbor said
! once he was sick and ! came with
| some boys and shOVelcd the snow
from his door. Why should / rcmem-
bcr such a commonplace? / sat at a
table to Thanksgiving dinner, and
| my gracious hostess told me OF thu
fine boy absent in college in another
state, where he is making an admir-
a'olc record. She told me gratefully
| as she let me read his last beautiful
| letter, that my last act as her pastor
before leaving town was to come to
see the little boy, then quite sick, and
| pray for him. She let me feel that
| forgotten triflc had made me in /;
measure the happy owner of a share
of stock in that fine family. Why not
all OF us invest daily in IL few trifling
acts OF kindness and win dividends
us lasting as eternity?
| S. L. MORGAN.
| Crecdmoor, january, 1, 1886.
Il. S.-The only thing to mar my visit