Life — December 31, 1891 — page 28: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

- LIFE: Our Christmas Sermon, HY LIFE’S SPE xt OW, with. Christmas, comes the season of brotherly affection, when you be good to mankind. ght the fires of love and it of the brotherly nature that concerns us now, for that is the one we should cultivate. But remember is love The other love, the one of the young man for his sweet- heart, needs no cultivation glory as for having the mumps or a bald head. less to prevent it Its possessor deserves the same He is power- Within reasonable limits it is safe to be good Do not presume upon this counsel and abandon yourself to an org quires infinite tact to be exceeding good and yet retain the affection of your friends. Be good, but not too good. of perfection or wallow: in saintliness, for it re- OU probably count among your acquaintances, as most of us do, at least one ill-mannered inconsiderate person, of whom his admirers say, “He may be brusque, but he is all right when you come to know him.” Now it is very heroic to love this person ; to overlook his bad manners and brutalities of speech. But there “ brusque" person should be encouraged in his unpleasant- It is as much your duty to suppress him as itis to shoot a burglar who enters your house. is no reason why the ness. ‘The burglar also may be “all right when you get to know him,” but you will be for- given for not waiting to discover this. Yi to abate a nuisance. u owe it to society If you are not offensive in turn how will he ever realize his sin? Be good to him, that is, be as ible. for his own benefit. tf force of habit and self-respect incline you to behave toward him as a gentleman, cast out these tempters and sacrifice your- self for the sinner’s welfare. Be brutal and hurt ings. Be very good. nasty and disagreeable as_ po: his feel- ~ O with others. ‘Those who borrow and forget to return; those snobs who snub some persons and toady others; those who make appointments and appear not; these and a host of others. How will they ever be cured i Be not sinful and forgiving. sit not upon them ? Be good and unpleasant. you HERE is no more pathetic sight than that of a well- meaning Christian in an elevated car at a busy hour. He pays for a seat and he stands up. He pays for a rapid ride and he gets a slow one. slaughter he and his fellow citizens tation. And what do these Christians ? Do they love one another. Do they heed the voice of rea- son—ignite the houses of the directors and shoot them as Like hogs carted to the ked for transpor- IAL BISHOP, ** Be Good.” they emerge? Not they. They take the easy and_ sinful course. Be not like these. N spreading your affection over every body and?levery thing do not allow the well spring of love to bubble toward your neighbor's wife. Likewise the damsel who was forced by stern parents to throw you over for a richer man, she also should be given a rest. Transfer this love to the shoemaker who tries to please you, but cannot. UT there are those, my brethren, toward whom you cannot be too gentle; those whose feeble intellects should shield them them from personal harm, That fellow creature, for instance, who finds pleasure in having a crest or coat-of-arms upon his carriage should be carefully dealt with. Be not cruel to him by accepting his folly with a serious face, else will he be strengthened in it, and ’go from bad to worse. Point out to him in a brotherly, unpleasant manner, what an ass he is. Make him realize that this is a republic, And in bribing small boys to throw mud at the coat-of-arms, caution them against hitting the occupants of the carriage, for that would be discourteous. F these few lessons are properly digested, your dear bishop will feel he can trust you for not being too good, nor failing to restrain your passion for self-sacrifice, at least for the holidays. You have LIFE’ best wishes for a merry Christmas. “DID YER MOTHER SAY ANYTHING sicnt 2" “No, SHE DIDN'T SAY NOTHIN’; HUT SHE'S BEEN THE WINDOW ALL DAY WITH A CLUB, AN’ SHE HORS THAT THERE'D REA WAKE IN THE Ho ABOUT MY BEIN' OUT ALL SITTIN’ $ TOLD THE . THIS Wi at comicbooks.com