Rules For Everyday Life.

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt." Col. 4:6.

"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it." Prov. 3:27.

"Walk in wisdom toward them that are without." Col. 4:5.

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings." Phil. 2:14.

"Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth." Prov. 27:2.

"Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks." Prov. 27:23.

"Eat so much as is sufficient for thee." Prov. 25:16.

"Be not wise in your own conceits." Rom. 12:16

"Abstain from all appearance of evil." 1 Thes. 5:22.

"See that none render evil for evil unto any man." 1 Thes. 5:15.

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love." Rom. 12:10.

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Rom. 12:21.

"Be content with such things as ye have." Heb. 13:5.

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." Eccl. 9:10.

"Let all things be done with charity." 1 Cor. 16:14.

"Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." Jas. 1:2.

"Keep thyself pure." 1 Tim. 5:22.

"In everything give thanks." I Thes. 5:18.

"Keep yourselves in the love of God." Jude 21.

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." Eph. 6:18.

CHAS. E. ORR. Federalsburg, Md., Sept. 15, 1904

Fragrance.

Every saintly life on earth is a sweet fragrance unto God, and every sinful life is a stench in his nostrils. As the rose scents the evening air, so a pure life scatters a sweet Christian influence and knowledge of God throughout the world. The literal translation of 2 Cor. 2:14 reads thus: "But thanks be to God, who leads me on from place to place in the train of his triumph, to celebrate his victory over the enemies of Christ, and by me sends forth the knowledge of him, a stream of fragrant incense, throughout the world." A saintly life diffuses a sweet, heavenly fragrance throughout the world, and brings knowledge of God and the nature of his salvation to the minds of men. Let me exhort you, therefore, to a pure life, a life full of devotion and reverence to God. You can make your life, by God's grace, a constant, flowing stream of fragrant incense, whose sweetness will linger long on the air after you have passed to higher realms. So may it be.

CHAS. E. ORR. Federalsburg, Md., Sept. 15, 1904

THE WORD OUR GUIDE.

In many affairs of life we need no guidance other than the Word of God. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psa. 119:105. Much reading of the Scripture will impart wisdom and knowledge, and be a help to us in directing the affairs of life. You may have a difficult matter to settle with your neighbor. Open your Bible and read: "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Quite likely this will enable you to settle the matter in perfect satisfaction to all. Someone may have done you much harm, now what must you do? Open your book of guidance and read: "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves ... vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Thus, much of life's duties and affairs can be determined and decided by the Word of God.

CHAS. E. ORR. Federalsburg, Md., Sept. 15, 1904

IN THE LONG RUN

In the long run fame finds the deserving man.

The lucky wight may prosper for a day,

But in good time true merit leads the van

And vain pretence, unnoticed, goes its way.

There is no Chance, no Destiny, no Fate,

But Fortune smiles on those who work and wait,

In the long run.

In the long run all godly sorrow pays,

There is no better thing than righteous pain,

The sleepless nights, the awful thorn-crowned days,

Bring sure reward to tortured soul and brain.

Unmeaning joys enervate in the end,

But sorrow yields a glorious dividend

In the long run.

In the long run all hidden things are known,

The eye of truth will penetrate the night,

And good or ill, thy secret shall be known,

However well 'tis guarded from the light.

All the unspoken motives of the breast

Are fathomed by the years and stand confess'd

In the long run.

In the long run all love is paid by love,

Though undervalued by the hosts of earth;

The great eternal Government above

Keeps strict account and will redeem its worth.

Give thy love freely; do not count the cost;

So beautiful a thing was never lost

In the long run.

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, around 1914

AS YOU GO THROUGH LIFE

Don't look for the flaws as you go through life;

And even when you find them,

It is wise and kind to be somewhat blind,

And look for the virtue behind them;

For the cloudiest night has a hint of light

Somewhere in its shadows hiding;

It's better by far to hunt for a star,

Than the spots on the sun abiding.

The current of life runs ever away

To the bosom of God's great ocean.

Don't set your force 'gainst the river's course,

And think to alter its motion.

Don't waste a curse on the universe,

Remember, it lived before you;

Don't butt at the storm with your puny form,

But bend and let it go o'er you.

The world will never adjust itself

To suit your whims to the letter,

Some things must go wrong your whole life long,

And the sooner you know it the better.

It is folly to fight with the Infinite,

And go under at last in the wrestle.

The wiser man shapes into God's plan,

As water shapes into a vessel.

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, around 1914

ENVY

I once knew two little girls who attended the same school and occupied the same bench, yet who were entirely unlike each other in disposition, so that while Martha was beloved by all who knew her, Mary was as generally disliked. Martha was gentle, kind and affectionate; but Mary was of a very different spirit Her chief fault was envy, and so much did she indulge this base passion that she was unhappy whenever she heard one of her little school-mates praised. She was very unkind to Martha, for she envied her the ease with which her lessons were committed to memory, and more than all else she envied her the love of her kind teacher. Therefore she wished to injure Martha, and to take away that love.

One day Mary, being, according to her usual custom, idle, amused herself with tearing and defacing her books. After spending some time in this manner, she took them to her teacher, and with many loud complaints, told her that Martha had thus injured them. She hoped that Martha would have been punished, and that her school-mates would not love her so well, but would believe that she had done so wrong an action.

But it was not so. The teacher did not believe Mary's complaint, and when Martha said she was innocent, she knew that it was so, for truth was in her heart. Then one of the little girls said that she had seen Mary herself injuring the books, and the wicked child was defeated in the plan that she had formed.

After this, none of the children would talk or play with Mary, and she soon left the school. None regretted her absence, for all said, "What a pity that so sweet a name should be accompanied by so ungentle a spirit."

Now this little girl had many faults, but I think that the one wherein she most erred was envy. We have seen how this fault led her to commit many sins. It led her to unkindness, falsehood, and disgrace. And however trivial the circumstance I have related may appear, yet it early stamped upon my mind a lesson which after years have not effaced. May it bear to some young hearts the same lesson—beware of envy.

Uncle Humphrey, 1851

THE GUILTY CONSCIENCE

A mother one day returned home very sorrowful, and lamented bitterly to her husband that she had heard that one of their sons had beaten a poor child.

"This," said she, "must have certainly been done by our naughty Caspar, but he will deny it if I put the question to him."

"I will answer for it," said the prudent father, "that I will put the question to him in a way in which he cannot answer with a lie; and thereby come at the truth."

They soon after went to the supper table, and Caspar was very still and quiet: he ate little, and spoke still less. He seldom looked at his parents, who were very grave and serious, and then only with stolen glances.

The sons soon after went to bed.—They all slept in separate beds, but in the same room.

About half an hour after, when they were gone to sleep, their father entered the chamber, and took pains to make a great noise in shutting the door. Caspar instantly sprang out of bed, and full of fear cried out, "What is it? What is the matter?"

"Nothing," answered the father, "I was only wishing to see who among you was asleep." The two other brothers were sleeping softly and sweetly, and did not awake until they were aroused by Caspar's cry. The father then went out again.

The next day the father called Caspar to him, and, before his mother and all the children, said to him, "You beat a poor child, yesterday, did you?" Caspar, who thought that it had all come out, began to excuse himself.—"He struck me too, and—" His father would not suffer him to proceed any farther. "Caspar!" said he "why do you make us so much trouble and sorrow? Yesterday, we heard that one of our sons had beaten a poor child, but we did not then know who had done it. But when I saw you eating in so much fear and trouble, and still more, when you could not sleep from uneasiness and your guilty conscience drove you from your bed as soon as I opened the door, I was convinced that you were the guilty one. See, how miserable wickedness can make us. You have been sufficiently punished by your anxiety and fear, but you must now endeavor to do some good to the poor child, and make atonement for your faults. What will you do?"

Caspar acknowledged his fault, and promised to do every thing that his father commanded him.

He who does wrong is always sure to repent of it, for he is punished by his own conscience, if in no other way.

Uncle Humphrey,1851

THE SICK MOTHER

A mother once lay very sick, and suffered great and constant pain. Her children were all very sad and melancholy, and the large ones often kneeled down together, and prayed that God would restore their mother to health once more.

The youngest child would stand all day by the bed of her mother, and with tearful eyes, anxiously inquire when she would be well and get up again. One day this little child observed a glass filled with some dark fluid standing by the sick bed, and asked, "Mother, what is this?" The mother answered, "My dear child, it is something very bitter; but I must drink it, that I may get well again." "Mother," said the good child, "if it is so bitter, I will drink it for you; then you will be well again."

And the sick mother, in all her pains, had the comfort and consolation of seeing how dearly all her children loved her.

Parents, joy and comfort find

In a child that is good and kind;

But their hearts are very sad,

When the child they love is bad.

Uncle Humphrey,1851

Prayer

Hear my prayer, O Lord, my God of heaven,

Grant me I beseech Thee, O Lord,

Send Thy holy spirit into all the needy hearts,

In the whole wide world around,

Convince them of sin, give them the holy spirit,

O that they may be kind and tender

To the poor harmless dumb creatures,

They cannot speak, nor help themselves,

O Lord, prepare the inhabitants of the earth

To live in this world and in the world to come.

O Lord, I beseech Thee, protect me from committing sin,

O Lord, help me to watch and pray,

O Lord, I give Thee thanks for what blessings I have,

O Lord, can thou deliver me from sickness, trouble and trials?

O Lord, stand my friend in this world and in the world to come.

O Lord, that the professing inhabitants may not fall back

And go to sinning again. O that they may be true Christians,

The holy spirit, love and tender kindness for dumb creatures

And human too, love God and land in heaven,

O Lord, enable me to have the holy spirit all the days of my life,

O Lord, grant me I beseech Thee,

I pray for Thy kingdom to come, to destroy all sin,

For the poor harmless dumb creatures,

And for sick human too.

And for all the troubled in the wide world round,

Human and dumb creatures too,

For thine is the kingdom and the glory forever. Amen.

Nancy Luce, 1875