The Fort Valley leader. (Fort Valley, Houston County, Ga.) 1???-19??, July 17, 1908, Image 2

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; , m ,. * % Hope, Faith and Fear * More Powerful Agencies Than Logic. By Dr. I. K Funk. ! F unreasoning fear may bo creative of a reasoning fear, why l may not unreasoning courage, confidence, hope, at times be cr alive of ground "based ofi reason” for all of these ele < : meets? JJke tends to produce like; courage, courage; hope, hope. In battle, as elsewhere, one of the chiefest things to l ! the fear map is fear; of a many continent a battle has has been bee changed m lost, and because many of a time wild panic. Fear is contagious, and so is courage, and both are inspired far more easily by xumple and by appeals to sympathy and to the was to faith rather than to reason. When Bismarck, in the times of the Franco Prussian war, thundered out, "Germany fears nothing hut God,” his appeal was to faith rather than to reason. Hours of argument would not have so fired the German heart. And when Garibaldi addressed his soldiers, "Fol¬ low me and you shall have hunger, and sickness, and rags, and death,” their enthusiasm knew no bounds. The appeal was to the unseen—to what is beyond reason. And so Christ’s appeal when He said, ‘‘You shall be hated, and hunted, and killed, but not a hair of your head shall perish; in your hearts possess ye your patience,” and tens of thousands went down gladly to death. The mightiest of all human Impulses lie far beyond the plane of the syllogism. If we would lead men upward it is surely well for us to knew that reason is not the most potent facility, nor has it the cleares eye. M4r velous as is logic, should we succeed in reducing the whole of mail to that, level it is quite likely that we shall find that we have gone far toward unchaining the tiger. a * si III Writing as a Business. By E. S. Martin. HY does any one take to writing as a calling? There are W reasons enough. It is one way to get an honest livin .—I -. * and a man may lawfully choose it, and may live by it, better or worse, and be happy in the practice of it. Writing is both a profession and an art. On its money-getting side it seems to me not a particularly good profession. A successful law¬ * * yer or a successful doctor commonly earns more money than a successful writer, and there are vastly more lawyers and doctors who succeed in a measure worth talking about than writers. But a man seldom takes to the profession of writing with mon¬ ey-making as his primary object, any more than he takes to the ministry or to teaching for that purpose. He takes to writing because he likes it and has a turn for it, or because he cannot wait to fit himself for some other profession, or is debarred for some reason from other professions, or because opportun¬ ity offers. Once he commences writing and undertakes to live by his work, he will probably want to get out of it all the money he can without sacrifice of things that qre worth more to him than mere money, Mere money, for ex ample, will not tempt a wise man, let alone a good one, to take service with a newspaper which lie does not approve, nor to write trash, which, being capable of better things, he knows to be trash, because the market for trash happens to be better than the market for literature, Tbere is no great harm In writing trash, soboit it Is not vicious, if a man can do no better, But for a man of real talent and literary power to turn away from art, and the truth that art must express, to trash and drivel is prostitution. It is a writer’s fluty to write Ills best, and he cannot turn his back on that duty for long without paying the penalty in reputation and in power.—Harper’s Magazine. It * * 4 a « f The Cost of Children i By Wm. G. Lightbourn. ET us recognize frankly that children cost money. Besides J + 4 k food, A large clothing family and often doctors’ bills, bitter they poverty, require indecent room. crowd L f means + ing and a constant struggle with debt. It means that the t * boys and girls must be taken early from school and sent i * Into stores and factories or into the streets to sell papers. J It means bodies lack of by education, healthful play, lack of and opportunity perhaps the to develop subjec¬ ft-ft ft ft ft fr strong tion of tender children to vicious surroundings. The conscientious working-class parent, wishing to give his children a fair start in life and looking forward to such consequences, refuses to sacri¬ fice ^he interests of his first two or three children by adding to his family burdens he cannot carry. He sees too that, meagre as his income is to-day, it would be much lower were it not for the protection of his union. Now, the strength of the union lies in its willingness to fight (strike) whenever and wherever its interests are threatened. A strike is a contest, of endurance, and in such a contest the man with a large family is terribly handicapped. But strong as are these motives for limiting the size of a family, they are as nothing to one other—the general uncertainty and insecurity of life under present-day conditions. One such period of hard times as we are going through this winter does more toward teaching self-restraint and caution to working-class parents than all the preachers in Christendom can undo in a generation. Not Quite What He Meant. The man who thought he had ihe knack of saying pleasant things cal¬ culated to warm the cockles of the coldest heart, was revisiting the town in which he spent a summer twenty years before. "I’m Miss Meats. 1 don’t know as you recall me,” said a coquettish el derly spinster, approaching him in the postoffice the day after his arrival. The ready heart warmer turned with his most beaming smile and wrung her hand. “Recall you!” he echoed, reproach fully. “As if one could help it, Miss Hears! Why, you are one of the landmarks of the town!” Tit-Bits. London has completed the steel structure of its great stadium where the Olympic games are to be held this year. It is designed to accommodate ’ ---- • ■ — 4 Who Gets Them? Teaclier—Who gets the wicked lit¬ tle boys that stay away from Sunday school? No answer. Teacher—Come, you can tell us, Casey.” Casey—De White Sox gits some, an’ de Ctibs de rest.”—Bohemian. Couldn’t Act Lifelike. Stage Manager: “The girl that takes the part of the sleeping beauty in the show can’t go on tonight.” Business Manager: "Why not?” "She ate a Welsh rabbit and she can’t sleep!”—Yonkers Statesman. All in One. Sunday School Teachoi—And you have no brothers or sisters? Little Edna—No, ma’am. I’m all Lhe children we’ve, got.—New Orleans Democrat! ’* yftt Sunbatj-Scfioof INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM¬ MENTS FOR JULY 10. Subject: Samuel Warns Saul and the' People, 1 Samuel 12—Golden Text, 1 Sam. 12:24—Commit Verses 23, 2-1—Commentary. TIME.—1099 B. C. PLACE.— Giigal. EXPOSITION.—T. Obey the voice of the LORD, 13-15. Samuel had spent a little time in dwelling upon his own fidelity (vs. 2-f>), but had Quickly passed to a recital of the mer¬ cies of Jehovah (vs. 6-12). God had given them a king only because they had demanded one (vs. 12, 13, 17, lb). It was not God’s first and best choice for them. Now Samuel calls them to look upon the king whom they had chosen and whom God had given. The king they were called upon to gaze upon was a fine speci¬ men pf a man (ch. 10:2,3), but how poor a substitute for God, and how hitter was the disappointment and defeat Israel was to experience in him. So will it always he with those who desire an arm of flesh instead of God to lean upon (Jer. 17:5, 8). But God is long-suffering, and even yet there was mercy and help for them. In these verses we have the whole secret of having the Lord for us or against us. To have the Lord with us, and consequently to have it well with us, all that is necessary is (1) ‘‘fear the Lord,” i. e., hold Him in that reverent regard that leads to a prompt and constant obedience to His will as expressed in His word (Prov. 8:13; 16:6; cf. 1 Jno. 5:3). (2) “Serve Him.” (3) ‘‘Hearken unto His voice.” (4) ‘‘Rebel not against His commandment.” (5) “Be fol lowers of the Lord your God” (cf. Eph. 5:1). If on the other hand we “will not hearken to - the voice of Jehovah,” the hand of Jehovah shall be against us. There can be no great¬ er calamity than to have the hand of Jehovah against us. Samuel pointed them to the whole history of Israel as a confirmation of his words (cf. v. 9). For a comment upon vs. 14, 15, turn to Lev. 26:1-39; Deu. 28:1-68; Isa. 1:16-20. II. Samuel Prays and God An¬ swers, 16-19. Samuel sees the need that the people be brought to a deep realization of their sin. A sign is needed and he has faith in God that He will give it. He acted under God’s direction, hence the outcome. He calls upon the people to stand still and see the “great thing the Lord will do.” The Lord is always ready to do great and wonderful things for those who call upon Him with an intelli¬ gent faith (Jer. 33:3). In Palestine rains were almost unknown at the time cf wheat harvest (cf. Prov. 26:1). But God gave thunder and rainin answer t° Samuel’s prayer (cf. I ch. 7:9, 10; Josh. 10:12; Jas. 5:16- 18). There are some who are too wise to believe such stories as this, but their wisdom is a wisdom borii of ignorance and prejudice. No one who candidly studies the evidence, both doubt that God does give rain, as well in d d irec“ a a n n y S w°e? e to Jrayt?!'To^bt it is not scientific; for it ignores un questionable facts. The Lord did pre HiJdo “g^andM 1 he a had°saii e t d ha U tHe would do. The result was that “the people greatly feared the Lord ancl Samuel.” Nothing makes God more real to men than a direct answer to prayer, and no man is more feared than the man whom the world knows has the ear of G^d. But the world soon forgets (Ps. 106:12,13). The sign was effective, the people saw themselves as great sinners deserving to die. That is the way in which we all need to see ourselves. That is the way in which we shall see ourselves when we are brought, as Israel was, face to face with God. They did not feel fit to pray for themselves, but felt the need of Samuel’s prayers. III. Fear Not, the Lord Will Not Forsake His People, 20-25. God’s oft-repeated message to His pecple is, “‘Fear not.” Here He says it t■, His people even when they have greatly sinned. But they had just made con¬ fession of their sin. There was par don for them still, The devil de lights to use our past sin to discour¬ age us. God says, “Though you have sinned greatly in the past, fear not and turn not aside from following the Lard” (cf. Josh. 23:6; Ps. 40:4). Though we may have sinned griev¬ ously in the past, still it is entirely •possible for us to serve the Lord with all our heart in the future. How true it is of the things of this world, after which the hearts of men go astray from the Lord, that they “cannot profit nor deliver.” If our salvation depended upon anything in us we should never be saved; but because it depends en tirely upon Him, it is always sure. It was the Lord’s good pleasure to make Israel “ a people unto Himself” (cf. Deu. 7:7, 8;-Matt. 11:26; Ro. 9:IS¬ IS; Jno. 15:16). It is the Lord’s good pleasure to-day to make all who receive Jesus as their Saviour and their Lord, a people unto Himself (cf. 1 Pet. 2:9, 10, R. V.). For Samuel to cease to pray for God’s people would be for Samuel to “sin against the Lord.” There are many pro¬ fessed Christians in our day who are sinning against the Lord in this very way (ef. Ro. 1:9; Col. 1:9; 1 Thess. 3:10; 5:17). But Samuel would not only pray, he would also teach. Note * ANTHOINES’ MACHINE WORKS * m m *•* I! t* 1 * ■ > - i iJI' i' , .rl; 41 ' f ■# st, m m m £ -< | M ft M h im* hi b *1 m ■ ANTHOINE S MACHINE WORKS. Fort Valley, Ga. f J i U I Sf K LIVERYMAN. l »L" jfS* it- - When in need of a good buggy or carriage with safe horses and polite drivers, phone 95 . CHURCH STREET, NEAR STATION. Southern Railway Interchangeable 1,000 Mile Individual Exchange Orders, $2o.oo:=Good over entire Southern Railway System and 33 other carriers. Interchangeable 2,000 Mile Firm Exchange Orders, $40.oo:=Good over entire Southern Railway System and 27 other carriers; for the separate Journey of not more than 5 persons, members or employes of a firm OI* Corporation, . General Interchangeable t,ooo Mile Exchange ° Or ders $25.001- Will be continued on sale; good over entire Southern Railway System and many other r0ads S ° uth ° f tlle 0hi ° and P<>tOmaC and East Of the Mississippi rr Rivers, Georgia, Family 500 Mile Exchange Orders, $11.25; -Good between any J points K in the State on line of Southern Railway: for use of the heads of families and . dependent , , , members , thereof. ,, - I For full particulars, . ask any Southern Railway Agent, . ... Write . tO , or G. R. PETTIT, Trav. Pass. Agt. Macon, Ga< Everything to Build With. We have recently purchased the Harris Manufacturing Company’s lumber plant and stock and will devote our exclusive attention to the builders supply busines in the future. Our very complete stock includes Brick, Lime, Sand, Cement, Fiber Wall Plaster, Paris Plaster, Laths, Framing—rough or sized to order; Weatherboarding—several grades; Sheeting, Shingles, Prepared Roofing, Kiln Dried Flooring and Ceiling, the kind that don’t crack open—several grades; Doors— plain, and fancy glass front doors; Sash and Blinds— in usual sizes; Window Cords, Weights and Pulleys; Mantels, Columns, Balusters, Brackets, Mouldings. Wainscoting, Corner awd Plinth Blocks; Turned and Sawed Work Made to Order; Door and Window Frames; Sherwin-Williams Paint, Oils and V arnishes; Guaranteed Roof Paint. IN FACT Everything to Build Ulitb Bring us a list of the material that you want, or a plan of the house you anticipate building, and let us convince you that our prices are right. _ . Valley _ Lumber Company. We have put in the latest improved Turning & Block Machine and are fitted up to get out round, square and octagon Balusters, Porch Spindles, Base and Corner Blocks. We also have a first-class Wood Lathe for all kinds of hand turning. We are prepared to get out all kinds of Dressed Lumber for buildings. Rough and Dress¬ ed Lumber, Flooring, Ceiling and Shingles on hand at all times. Don’t forget that we are still in the Repair Business of Engines, Boilers and other Machinery.