The farmer and mechanic. [volume], March 02, 1915, Page 4, Image 4

About The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??

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THE FARMER AND MECHANIC
k n
m a
RELIGIOUS
WORLD
a
wiii:n a nation chosk tiik sec
ond hi;st.
I he International Sunday School lies
son for March 7 Is "Saul Annotated
lijjr." i sum. : 17 to 10: 1.
(II) William T. K11K)
-Do you think th Chinese ill eer
ive up their beautiful and comfort
able garments for Western dress,
inquired a missionary of a mandarin,
:.-h than tn years ago.
"No. I'm sure they will not,"' was
th t.o.witive leidv. Neverthcl
day that mandarin.
progressive city
Kuropean
"SS, to-
liko mo.l other
Chinese, is wearing
clothes. The craze to te in
r-.c.;.n Vir.c f.fi t'htna. even as u
earlier seized .Japan. Half the econo
mic and social difficulties of the Japa
nese nation are due to this unreason
ink' desire to b liks other people-
There U nothing new about that,
however. ld Israel was in the same
ease, at the time of our present lesson.
ITnder .Samuel's leadership something
like national solidarity had been at-i-iinpd
Vnr-re.aehimr social and edu
cational institutions had been estab
lished. Souk had been introduced into
public worship, lieligious schools had
ben founded. A simple and effective
democracy, which was also a theo
cracy, was in operation.
Rvery sheep thinks the grass in the
nxt pasture greener, and these Israel
ites, quite in tho spirit of our own
young people who want above all
things else to be in fashion and to
do what "everybody does," had be
come infected with the microbe of
.mulation. They were tired of being
peculiar. All the other nations had
kings, so they wanted a king also.
With the same shallow reasoning that
has misWl men and women in all
ages, ihcy decided that to be in fash
Ion va.s the ultimate goal. Jf we were
not so guilty ourselves we should scorn
these foolish, foolish old Hebrews,
ho chose to be miserable imitators,
when they might have been originat
ors. The t-haruv That Was Missed.
Imagination reels as we. content
plate what might have been the
course of history had Israel under
Samuel lived up to its possibilities.
the most tragic ol
beens" with which
human progress is
This was one of
the "might have
the narrative of
crowded.
Instead
of the
world's having to
wait all these centuries for democracy
to come to flower, in a continent then
undiscovered, Iracl would have held
aloft this beacon to lighten all na
tions. Under Samuel the nation was
a real democracy. The people ruled.
Life wns simple. The kinnshin of the
individual, and his responsibility to
Clod alone, was expressed a.s perhaps
nevr before or since. Chosen men of
tjod sought to administer justice, and
to keep operative the benehcient laws
of Moses, which are still in advance
of the statutes which govern the most
'Hilized communities.
This was mankind's great oppor
tuity. Israel might, have led all the
world, ages ago. into the just and
brotherly life of a true democracy,
lifting off the. necks of humanity the
king-curse which at this hour is
drenching the world with blood. What
a bailee to have missed! Kven th
sbumeful failure of the Crusaders
ems small alongside of this.
The Kicht to Do Wnm-
Since man is not a rnannikin or an
automaton, he enjoys the terrible priv
ilege of making a fool of himself. De
stined for divine, ends, he mav yet
go to the devil. The right to do
wror.;--, and to flout and defy God, is
the orice mortal man pays for his
tiodlike possibilities. A free moral
agent man must be, if he is ever to
conform to the image of his Maker. He
an repudiate all the most beneficent
plans of Cod for his welfare. The
?on. are not shues.
In the exercise of this awesome
right, Israel decided that it would
rather follow the multitude to do evil
than to follow God to do right. It
rejected the divine program of a theo
cratic democracy, because it wanted to
be in style. So a deputation of lead
ers waited on faithful old Samuel
Tone oi me rew characters in the Old
lestament concerning whom the rec
ord has no criticism) and told him
bluntly that he was old and out-of-date,
and that they wanted an eve
tilling king, like the nations around
them. We think of African natives
trading diamonds for glass beads; of
American Indians selling empires for
a few yards of calico; of farmers bar.
gaining oil lands for paltry city houses
as we contemplate the exchange that
Israel asked.
Let us make no mistake about it
The present meaning of the lesson
which is of greatest significance to us
la. that the mad desire to follow
fashions and to be like our neighbors
3 x vionninie tor many of the
ills of our time. National rivalry in
armaments and fleets was a oaaic
cause of the present world war. The
effort to outvie one another in lux
ury automobiles, clothes of the latest,
mode, ostentatious homes and lavish
pleasure-seeking i the real reason
for our hard times. Why do boys
learn to smoke and men to drinkT
To be like others, of course. Most sin
ning is mere imitation.
The men who are clamoring that
America shall join the world's mad
race after military and naval suprem
acy, and after diplomatic prestige, are
as grievously mistaken as those old
Jews who surrendered Israel's rights
to be a distinctive nation, and a.
leader of the world. The analogy be
tween conditions in Israel at this time
of change and our own time, when
all things seem to be in the melting
pot, is suggestive and significant.
Hunting Asses, Finds Throne.
Ability to give up one's own plans
sweetly, and to bo willing to work
well in a secondary place, are signs of
.size and saintship. Most men, repudi
ated as Samuel wTas, would have left
the people to stew in their own juice.
Achilles-like, they would say, as they
sulked apart, "The people don't want
me: now let tnem get aiong wmioui
me."
Samuel, happily, was not of that
sort. If God could let the people have
their own way, so could he. Since
the nation had chosen the second
best course, he would help it to make
the most of the choice. In or out of
office. Samuel was a patriot, and the
centuries have saluted him. Whole
heartedly, he went in to co-operate
with God and the people in making
Israel a successful.
God had a man for this emergency.
Of course the man himself, who was
a farmer, Saul, son of Kish, knew
naught of bis high destiny, lie was
off hunting some strayed asses from
the family place. Diligently and far
he searched- No thought above live
stock enter his handsome head. And
he was leaving no stone unturned to
find them. When his servant suggest
ed mat tney consult samuei, tne seer,
at Ramah, Saul agreed: For this lead
er of the people was a helper in things
small and great. Thus it was that,
all unwittingly, Saul stumbled up to
the steps of a throne; for ere he left
Samuel's company the sacred oil of
anointing had been poured on his
head.
J Saui Among the Prophets?
The marks of favor shown Saul by
the prophet the seat of honor at
the feast, and the choicest portion of
the food are a familiar tale, of
which the race never tires. Signal
had been given to Samuel by Jehovah
that Saul was the man to be crowned
king. In the morning, the wondering
youth was told his future, and set
apart ana instructed for his high
and the monarchy proved a poor sub
stitute for Samuel and the theorcracy.
SWEETNESS OF LIFE.
Tere Comments on the Uniform
Vraver Meeting Topic of the
Youne People's Soeieties--Chris-tian
Endeavor, etc. for Marcli 7
"How To Make a Happier World.
Prov. 3:13-18. v
(By William t. Jt-ms.;
, v. onlmnr
i-iarriea a v. a y u
conspicuous social service, we ma
overlook the simple truth that every
body can help make this a happier
world which," after all, is the goal
n iv. t rnnrp nretenuous euuna
ait k"v ------ - -
of
of
of
of
the
for
. . T- - rt -k
which most of us reei xo uc
our ability. The oldest gram
mother in a chimney-corner, and the
- cr run TiIH.VlIlLT till WiiC nn.
r. finnr mav alike be sweeteners
life for a circle. The extent of
;r,iioTirtx t- r. r Vi tnflV wield is not
him to determine, but only its char
acter. One of the songs made popii
lar by the Billy Sunday campaign is
"Brighten, the corner, where you
are.
Do that, and perhaps a wider room
than ever imagined may be bright-
end also. This homely, wholesome
comes to remind eacn oi us oi
to make life happier
nobler for every per
any means reach.
topic
our obligation
and easier and
son we may by
Every
nobler.
noble life makes all life
down property rating, s.
we introduce into a comrn;
noble personality (say by ir
own nobler) we are direct!'-
finiately serving the wnV:,'
when Christ is brought into
borhood. He transforms it.
Ar.i
Smiles beget smiles. Wh
the world a pleasant face alt
aspect of many person's da v.
f
Happiness has its habitMi
heart, and the most direct w
creasing the world's storo t
ness is to help men's hearts
right. lucn or most of
vaunted social service is
deep; whereas the Gospel is
deep. New hearts mean a r.
they who know Christ can . r.
b.
1 :;
"Then shall
WThile to
my heart
the Cross I ciin,
1 h;
An old Quaker, perhaps Stephen
Grellet, long ago wTrote:
"I expect to pass through this
world but once. Any goodr there
fore, that I can do, or any kindness
that I can show to any fellow crea
ture, let me do it now. L.et me not
defer or neglect it, for I shall
pass this way again."
Helpers of the world ar
to the temptation to self -ex p
It is hard to be humble and
ent at the same time. A go
wmen some men auopt is t,,
to be behind good works, in
at the head of them. Ket-pi
of sight themselves, they pro
jects to the point where oih
willing to lead them. This
both the grace of God, and ;
of humor. Trying situation
One gets no reward of men.
that, however, was foreseen b
T . TT 1 . i
wnen ne promiseu tne reward- (
"the Father who seeth in secrvi.' lv
Master "made Himself of no ..t.
tion : but He served the
be a helper of men is a
prize than to be honored
"TV-
ari;
':c
'! 1.-0
an
All
.V-
Worl.l.
far hi:
of m i
SEVEN SENTENCE SKIlMov
not
If thou
hlind; if a
Fuller.
art master, 1h smit inni
servant, sometime- oVat.--
Two men, both cosmopolitites and
active in good works of a large na
ture, were talking about what life
means to them, and one said: "I
often have seasons when I seriously
distrust whether I have, justified my
existence. I am not at all sure of
being what we loosely call a 'suc
cess.' But I take refuge in two sim
ple facts. One is that I have estab
lished a Christian home and reared
a Christian family. The other is
that I have, in many lands and at
many times, made little children
smile. I have given candy to kiddies
who had never tasted candy before;
I have distributed little favors to hun
dreds of children, and I usually give
the small newsboy an extra penny.
This may seem too trivial to mention,
hut when the fog of questionings and
uncertaintiies begins to envelop me,
in the sleepless hours of th;e night,
tms inconsiderable rorm ot service is
a comfort beyond wrords. I know it
is worth while to make life sweeter
for little children."
lest with perfect iw. but
of earth i-
I leaven is
the blessing
van Dyke.
There was a man in our town
Invested all his health.
Willi madly avariHous jiim.
To win the goal of wealth:
Ami when the same lie had a tunic
With all his might and main.
He vainly lavisluul all his wt
To tret liis health again.
Amos 15.
He who reforms himself
more to reform the piibh.
crowd of noisy, impotent
Lavater.
tilt r i
ha.-; dou'
than ;
patriot..
tarry
eomelh in the
Weepi i ig i v. y
for th-mormu.
in
iht.
When over the fair fame of friend or
foe
The shadow
instead
Of wrords of blame,
ana so.
Let something good be said
then he ih i.tn
of disgrace shall fall;
or proof of thus
fellow-being yet
but love may lift
gravest
olfice.
Thrilling, overwhelming, crushing,
was the great news to the young man.
Like every other epochal experience
that comes to a true man, it filled
him with a sense of his own unde
serving. Never did the youthful giant
feel so small as on that solemn day
of anointing.
vv nen he met a company of proph
ets, a-s Samuel had predicted, an ac
cess of spiritual emotion swept him
from his old moorings. New im
pulses, new aspirations, fired him, and
he joined his voice with theirs. Of
course, the shallow, cynical crowd
sneered, "Is Saul also among the
prophets?" But in that great hour
of exaltation Saul was the spiritual
being that he might become.
The Cood -Looking King.
Formal ehoice by the people was
necessary to make Saul king. The
nation was in a transition state, with
out a capital or stated assembly, so
Samuel called Israel to rally once
more to Mizpah, there to choose by
lot their first ruler, after the fashion
of the world. Of course, the choice
fell upon Saul.
a nen an unexpected
1 flCfl rP
not ue iouna: He had hidden Vi?.
self among the baggage. The honor
covered him with diffidence. When
nowever, it was
that "When he stood among the
vie, ne as mgner than any of
people from his shoulders and
ward. And Samuel said to all
rr '-e ye mm whom Jehovah
hath chosen, that there is none like
mm among au - the people?
me people snouted, and
live the kiner'."
too ttie desire of the eyes of Israel
was fulfilled. They had a king a
good-looking giant. Because "nian
looketh on the outward appearance."
U?" bl"s.hlng biS fellow satisfied
r.. , , Viey were Jret to learn
voa iooKetn on the heart "
shall later see, Saul, like the
itself, failed finally to rise
Kwiuimes. israei was
lsnea in tins
er by b-ing
Forget not that no
May fall so low
his head,
Even the cheek of shame with tears
is wet,
If something good be said.
out joy
30:5.
The time is short:
a brother's
To every heart that needs ih l
in aught;
Soon thou ma yes t need the: sor;0J
of others; '
The time.
The time is short.
Hezekiah HutterMorih
We are. Inclined to look upon tad
temper a a very harmless weakness
hut the Bible aeain and again con
demns it as one of the most destine
tivo elements in human nature-
Henry Drunuiiond.
A WOMAN'S SMILE.
No generous
aside
ways of
dead
may awaken
fied,
something good
In
But
If
And
neart may vainly turn
- it
uipatny; no soul so
strong and glori-
be said.
ye, Dy the thorny
on which the
hope of fair
and lo,
beautiful
m a win-
so I charee
crown,
And by the cross
Saviour bled,
And by your own soul's
renown,
liet something good be said!
James Whitcomb Rilev
of
Of
All the wTorld is better for
one who is living at his best.
every
eme.rfcrpnpv
- - r, J
xne eiectea nninmw
- - v- VUUIU
iouna:
seen
peo-
the
4 -i .
q;inS to widely-circulated
rdZ ?; mi"? imprisoned at
.wo.twiii uunng me tfoer war for
uV??' a, dlscoura&er. He made life
n4 7" 0?. were undergo.
1 6, W1U1 mm- As a dis
seminator of gloom, he was a mill
tary menace. What a task the gov
- nuu'u nae were it
UCUllh to suppress all the
is: Ollll. thnt
to un-
discoure-
WOll in tin o r-. . M
. iru"'. "Lne Pessimist
biiii ui uiineaitn. He
and not an asset.
is a
is a liability,
Brother of Nazareth, behold
Ve, too, perceive this life exnano
Beyond the daily need, for ute
Thy thought must understand
And. all
said, 'Long
J ! M I nT Anf-l .
o- . acues aione we strive
Since Thv ncrfa; Y,aLrive
---- f'VUUIl
iias sen
that
As we
nation
to his
SOrelv rmn-
hpienaia-appearing lead
given its own way. saui
for ourselves
manifest
Postponing good for best.
And in the far unfettered years
i he generations we uphold
aU hetrt!1 mSa8U" of
The stature' of Thv mnii
Thy
Bliss Carman.
A woman's smile
The earth turned
men go.
The shadows fleeine:
song,
And hearts grow brave with co
as of old
When knights in service
and long
Trod ways turned fields of
of gold:
Morning within the weather.
And hearts as light as feather,
Beating resyponseive to the
sweet
Of every smile a woman's lips
A woman's smile, anl then.
The youth of all the worl-:
back again:
Green lanes of glowing summer,
tering birds.
The heavens above a blue of
peace,
And on the hills the cmiet foo
herds, r
And in the meadows sIicod with ;
fleece:
Flowers with their petals men",
Bells on the feet of faery.
Every fellow lighto f tread
To know that love burns o'er hi-
A woman's smile, and I
Shall $ee myself the sky
Glow brighter for a thousand y-
come.
And all the nleasant voices
dumb
Wake to the artrent music ot
Epheres. -
And bring aerainV the happy
years
Of beauty, gladness, mirth,
Underneath a woman's smiling
Leading me to paths beguiling
Heart and soul and mind away
Unto a lover's holiday!
The Bentztown Bard in the
more Sun.
There is
neighbors.
two or three
v?,ue n good
: J 'Jvjuy Knows
bad
that
n-ihhnrc o" . ine silvers
n-iohbors can bring Central Chi
Currency and copper "cash "
reduced in value as compared
the silver dollar in the large P-
na during the last