Newspaper Page Text
TH
Contributed
OUR BRIGHTSIDE LETTER.
"BE CONTENT, I PRAY THEE!"
In the days of boyhood we sometimes
spent a week or. more in a home that
had the sweet name of 'Contentment."
And our memory tells that it was a
proper name. Contentment dwelt there
with the friends of those days. Certainly
the name of that home impressed
uiv u-Ji nuu i-ame una weni ana lauglit
its good lesson. Whatever the lot is,
wherever the home is, if contentment
come and abide with us, that is happiness
itself. "Poor and content is rich,
and rich enough." We have the authority
of the master of English literature
for that, and he was wondrous wise.
There is a species of contentment that
is unworthy of manhood and shduld not
he welcomed at any door. It spells indifference
and sloth. It excludes ambition
and fosters no aspiration for any
higher life. It folds the hauds to sleep
and clcses the eyes to any vision of
larger, better things than we have.
There are places and times in which it
i3 a wrong and a shame to be content.
Contentment is a sin against one's self
and against the Maker, too, when it
rests on any unfulfilled manhood, any
unused opportunities, any heights attainable
that are not climbed. We would
not nave any boy or girl contented uutil
they have made the best of themselves
and done the best they can for the world
around them.
There is a contentment also that
comes from ignorance and dullness.
The stolid peasant whose life is shut in
by the narrow limit of his remote hamlet,
and the lonely mountaineer in the
darkly shaded valley, from which he has
never gone out into the world, grow
contented in stupidity, because they
know nothing better. They have no
thought or imagination of any other life,
and want no other. Free from m?nv of
the cares of life, shut in from many
evils of which they have not heard, it is
a poor and narrow lot, and their contentment
is merely an indolent consent
to things as they are.
But there is contentment that is
worthy and right, and enriches ^nd
sweetens life inexpressibly. To be content
is to be "contained within limits,"
to be satisfied within the lines that are
drawn about us and our lives. One may
accept cheerfully the limit drawn about
him?the nome, the work, the opportunity,
and yet entertain ambition. One
may dwell In peace in very narrow conditions,
and yet have courage for adventure
and nope of larger things. It is
me contentment tnat is alive and active
and uses each opportunity and climbs
up each round that is happy and peaceful.
"The noblest mind the best contentment
has." The mind that looks up
and aspires, that goes forward when the
way is opened, is the one with which
the purest and sweetest contentment
dwells.
But the contentment that is the fruit
of faith in God and submission to his
* r
E /TERIAN OF THE SOU'
will is that kind that is most stable and
abiding. "Godliness with contentment
is great gain." That is the mingling in
the cup that makes the richest, sweetest
draught. Whatever gain may come
by discontent and restless ambition
and eaeer Dursuit. this is trim
that the far greater gain comes where
godliness is united with contentment.
The gain is in character and in influence,
and in peace and heart satisfaction.
"For I have learned," writes Paul to
the Philippians, "in whatsoever state I
am, there with to be content." What a
wise and gracious lesson it is to learn!
One would like to go to that school
where such lessons are taught. And we
know who the teacher is. "Come unto
me, ye weary and heavy laden and 1
will give you rest." "Be careful for
nothing,?let your supplication he known
unto God with thanksgiving, and the
peace of God which passeth all understanding
shall keep your minds in Christ
Jesus."
Do you remember this verse in the
letter to the Hebrews? "Be ye free from
the love of monevi. content with such
things a3 ye have, for himself hath said,
'I will in no wise fail thee, neither will
I In anywise forsake thee!"
J. P. S.
"COVENANTER COMPANY NO. 75."
F. Louise Mayes, Leader.
Covenanter Company No. 75, of Second
church, Greenville, S. C., have been
a hand of faithful workers for almost
seven years and have accomplished
much in that period, which has gladdened
their leader and comforted their
parents." Their last achievement, however,
eclipsed anything th^t we know of
within the range of Covenanter work?
viz: the organization of a state-wide
young people's federation of the Presbyterian
church in South Carolina.
1 wculd like to give the history of the
work by my boys in order to show, first,
how Ihe energies and enthusiasm of our
young people can be crystalized into
mighty forces for the accomplishment of
good, and second, as an encouragement
to other small bands who are afraid
to undertake "big things."
On Easter Sunday, two young men of
Covenanter Company No. 200, came from
Westminster, a neighboring town, to
meet with Company 75 for mutual benefit
which would arise from interchange
of ideas and discussion of plan of work
and study. The leader was absent, being
out of the city for ten days and the
boys were left to their own devices.
After discussing the lesson for the
day, which was the life of John Knox,
LUCJ cgnu ww oiiwan Ui tilt; UUillflUUS
Calvin celebrations which were being
planned, when one of the Westminster
lads remarked that he wished we could
have the Covenanters from all over the
State to meet In Greenville and discuss
Covenanter work. They viewed It from
all sides and separated with no fixed purpose,
but with an earnest desire for the
meeting. The leader was told of the fine
meeting and the enthusiasm which pervaded
it on her return and it was decided
we couJd have a state-wide Cove
rH. August ii, 1909.
nanter meeting on July 10th and 11th.
To this end committees were appointed
to look after every detail and the work
was systematically begun after gaining
the consent of their pastor, who is always
ready to cooperate with the boys
in any laudable undertaking. They had
gone so far now that they dared not turn
hfjplf QllH vot thou 11 A A 1 1
....w vu<;j UCUU1CU U. UlLltJ WU?U
they faced the fact that thirteen boys between
the age of fifteen and twenty-two
had undertaken a state-wide organization.
But they are buoyant, brave fellows
and not a few have the blood of the
Covenanter and Huguenot coursing their
veins, so on they went with a brave
front, undaunted by the magnitude of
the undertaking, now that enthusiasm
was waning and cold facts and figures
with relentless insistence were coming
in view.
A week before the meeting, in answer
to their correspondence, they
found to their dismay and regret that
of the eight Covenanter bands in the
State there were only about four active.
They then decided to broaden their lines
and invite the young people's societies
of tne State. This they did through
the Observer and by correspondence
ana tne result was thirty-one delegates
from Christian Endeavor, Miriam and
Junior Miss'on bands.
The first meeting was Saturday evening,
8:30, when with banners flying the
Covenanters marched in the church and
up the aisle singing ' The Son of God
goes forth to war." It was a scene
which quickened the pulse of any one
interested in the youths of our land, and
swelled with pride the hearts of Presbyterians.
The-boys furnished the music stirring
and beautiful it was for the evening.
The president of Company 7o, Mr. W.
K. Allen, made the welcoming address.
Mr. Allen Nours, of Westminster made
the response.
The pastor, Dr. Davis, then took
charge of the meeting and presided until
an organization was affected on the next
day, which was named by a committee
on organization, The Westminister Federation
of Young People's Societies.
The Covenanters, Company 75, failed
in organizing the state-wide Covenanter
Convention, but they were the originators
and prime promoters of the South
Carolina Federation of Young Peoples'
Societies.
This is not the first time this Company
has distinguished itself, having
won the banner offered by the General
Assembly at its meeting in Mobile for
the best life of a Biblical character, besides
tieing the next year for a similar
prize.
We are proud of these boys and we
wish the young people of the State to
know their names, we give them below.
Co^nanter Company No. 75 ^ Chas.
R. Bailey, R. E. Allen, Jr., W. Kirk Allen,
Robt. McF. Hammond, Fred. Holland.
Raymond Mallard, Trenholm Mallard,
Geo. Mackey, Harold Seyte, Albertus
Spain, Ovid Spain, John Price* Whltner
Carey.