The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, February 08, 1924, Image 8
Just Received
LARGE SHIPMENT OF
SPRING SUITS
FROM?
Hart-Sclialfner & Marx
Among Them Are a Lot
of the New Style Models
CAMDEN CLOTHING CO.
Hermitage Community News.
Camden, S. C., Feb. 5, ? -On Inst
Saturday evening, February 2nd, the
Junior Club girls entertained their
parents at a ^ypper at the Community
House. Mr. G. A. Barnes was dressecT
to represent a poli'eeman, and as the
guests entered they were arrested by
him and placed under bond. After
suppci the bonds were sold, whieh af
forded much fun. Other games were
played, in which Mr. Spain Shirley
and Mrs. Lominac won prizes for pin
ning the donkey's tail on.
Mr. S. L. Crolley and brothers,
Curtis and J. P., motored to Colum
bia Sunday and spent the day.
Mr* B. B. Trull was called to Char
lotte several days ago on account of
the illness of his father.
Mrs. J. A. Crolley and sister, Mrs.
McLendon, are visiting relatives in
Darlington and Dillon.
We are glad to report that Mrs.
Maggie Marshall is much improved,
and will 1m? brought from the hospital
to her home this week.
Mrs. J. ft. Player and children have
been visiting with relatives at Fort
Mill, S. C..
Mr. C. H. Zemp of the office force
motored to Charlotte Saturday and
spent the week end.
. We are very glad indeed to report
much improvement in the several
cases of influenza in our community.
Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Lewis motored
to Winnsboro Sunday and spent the
day.
Kershaw County Teachers' Meeting.
(Colored. )
The attention of the teachers is
called to the monthly meeting of our
county association. Tho date being
February ltfth. Place: Jackson, School
building. Time, 12 o'clock. This is
the last meeting before we go to the
meeting of our State Association,
which will be held in Columbia, Marcta
l.'l, 11, 15. Each teacher knows his or
her duty and we are sure they will
not refuse to respond thereto. We
will also complete our plans for our
Field Day Exercises. Remember the
date, February 10th.
P. B. M'dodana, President.
E. F. McLester, Co. Supv'r.
Eunice Carrel, Secretary.
WHY I BECAME A CHRISTIAN.
(Continued from page six )
Biblical times.
I have always believed in prayrr
because I have had so many prayers
answered. I have never seen or heard
any good rason, auy sound argument,
for disbelieving the Bible. I have long
believed in Cod. Several times I have
boon saved from death when I lay
?helpless, alone, far from home and
loved ones. 1 agree with Judge El
bert H. Gary, chairman of the United
States Steel Corporation, that it is
just common sense to believe in the
Christian religion.
However, believing ns I did in the
world hereafter, in prayer and in the
existence of Cod, I did not believe that
public confession of faith and mem
bership in the church were necessary
or desirable. I felt that sll that was
required was to believe in God and
do as much good as possible. Yet
believing that did not change my life.
When I was a reporter on a Richmond
a?jw.>y??per A went one Afternoon to
go* a story from the Rev. Pr, W. C.
antes, then pastor of a local church,
bvum of the Southern Baptist Con
i?v.?>n. When he found that I was
itoia church member, he inquired why,
g??>?. h?m my reasons and we had a
iong, friendly discussion. Finally, I
put Una question to him: ' Upctor, do
you mean to nay that, with my beliefs
uui *? ? they are, 1 am going to hell
,i i uo not join the church?" He an
swered: "No, 1 could not take the re
sponsibility of saying that, but I do
?.ell you that, if you are going to
cross a tempestuous, dangerous ocean,
it. is much better for you to* go on h
large steamer With many others than
to try to go it alone in a rowboat."
That, I think, is the logic and the com
mon sense of joining the church,
For aeveral months tefore Dr.
George W. Tiuett, of Dallas, Tex.f
came to Gteenville last winter to hold
a meeting, I began to lead a better
life. I do not kno-w why I did it, un
less the hand of God was laid upon
mo, 1 preparing me -?or what was to
follow. I determined to go ' outside
the line of my duty and report Doctor
Truett's sormons. I carried out that
resolve. The sort of Gospel he
preached impressed me as none other
had. He mentioned ? hell once in 21
sermons. Ho 'preached a religion of
reasonableness, sanity, service and
love. '
To me his most convincing appeal
was that which dealt with the power
of unconscious influence, This is what
ho said:
"One waits for another and one
acts becauso of another, or one does
not act becauso another does not.
You can no more be separated from
your influence over others than you
can separate yourself from your
shadow as you walk in tbo glowing
sun. Y ou and I are dally helping
people upward by our personal influ
ence or daily we are dragging them
down by our same personal influence.
W'j human being hss the *^nrnl r i wH t.
to occupy a position anywhere, in the
occupancy of which position he may
hurt somebody elao. A man's uncon
scious influence has the largest power
of all ? a man's unconscious influence
? the influence he does not know any
thing about. It is that unconscious
influence that often gets in its dead
liest and most undoing work over
others. The man who does not care
about his influence over somebody
else surely must be a fool or a mon
ster, or both. By our silent influence,
day in and day out, we are taking
people up with us, or taking them
down with us."
I have had several striking experi
ences of the truth of that statement.
Here is just one: The same after I
connected myself with the church a
man who was '? then and is yet a
stranger lo me, although he knew me,
sought out Doctor Truett and told
him that he had been so influenced
by whaf I had done thatf he felt that
he must at once do likewise.
Such have been my experiences in
this very connection that^that if 1 had
no other reason, I dare not turn aside
from the path I have chosen.
My main objection to^joining the
church I overcame by plain reason.
My principal excuse for not ullying
myself with the church was that I had
observed some church members who
were crooks, slanderers, mollycoddles,
hypocrites, or doleful, long-faced hu
man icebergs with whom I did not
wish to asociate. Yet, When I reasoned
with myself about it, I realized that
there were just as many, probably
more, people' of that sort in other
organizations to which I belong. 1
asked myself: "Why not be fair about
it? Why discriminate against the
church? Why should I refuse to live
the Christian life just because some
body else is not living it as it ought
to.be lived?"
It is said that the really inconsist
ent church members, especially the
holier-than-you type, do more damage
to the church than the atheists and
the agnostics.
As one fully famiiar with the im
pression some church people, make
on people outside of the church, may
I be permitted to say this? What
hurts the Christian religion most, in
Tny opinion, is that too many church
members consider it as they do their
Sunday clothes, to he worn only on
Sunday and not every day. "If Chris
tian men and women are tfoing to be
more careful and conscientious at one!
place than another, then out in the
market in the shops and facto
ries, in the court house, in the busy
markets of trade, in the circles where
men constantly touch elbows with the
world, let thorn see to it that they
are the ri^'ht kind of Christians. If
they are going to make a difference
anywhere, let the better way have
preeminence out there, as they touch
elbows with the world."
Furthermore, if we would be Chris
tians in deed as well as in faith, we
mqst have more of the compassion,
the fcrotherliness, the deep human
sympathy which had their sublimest
expression, in the life of the Man of
Gallilee. "If anjLmfcn be overtaken in
* fault," what are vW? to do? Criticize
;fmf< Denounce him? Throw stone*,
'it him? Gossip about htm? Not.at al);
4JJt any man be overtaken in a fault ,
Who sv.u apiritmil restore such H
ur in the spirit of meekness, consjft
urlng thyself, lost thou be tempted."
Wo are here to help people, to pu?l(
*hem up, nut to drag them down. W<
an hejp thorn by living the right
kind of lifo ourselves. The finest con
ribution we can make to this com'
munity and to this world is to oife'
it tho right kind of life. Ah Clml
'atone, tho great English statesman,
said: "One example is worth a thou? I
sand arguments." We are not to spy
on people or to pry into their weak
nesses. We are to make it a point to
encourage people, and to believe in
people, and to see th$ best in them
What a noble sentence is this from
Isaiah: "They helped every one his
neighbor, and every one said, to his
brother, "Be of good courage!" '
Going back to the relation of my
own experience, I decided to join the
church. It was the most deliberate
act of my Vife. I chose the time and
place where I thought my example
would do the most good ? and that was
in a great mass meeting of men. 1
was not swept off my feet. I had
heard many of the great preachers
and evangelists of my time. The ap
peal that won me was not to my emo
tions but to my reason and judg
ment.
Although I decided to join, I did,
not believ.e in tho reality of what id
called Christian experience. I thought
it was auto-suggestion, self-hypno
tism, or just imagination. However,
I submitted myself to the experiment,
and soon I felt as one who has pass
ed through tho night and has come
into the radiance of the morning
light. Soon I was Aware of a wonder
ful exaltation o?~spirit. I foil that,
somehow, I had been lifted up. Wor
ries which had long harassed me left
me. Secret resentments that I had)
?r? v? ?? icU/?/l T) n rJ V* ? K I
it3 left mc. 1 felt a new interest and
a new hope in life.. I feel more faith,
courpge, optimism, a stronger irii
pulse to do better work, more love for
my fellowmen. For years I had walk
ed in the valley of- despair and hope
lessness, parted forever in this world
from those I loved the best, yet now I
feel that somewhere, some time, all
will he well, and that, if I give the
best I have in this world, the best will
be given to me in that far country
where there is no sorrow. I found that
my course in connecting myself with
the church was the most popular thing
I had ever done in my life. Many
men, who, I supposed, cared nothing
about me, went out of their way to
commend me for what I had done.
One of them was one of the busiest
men in the State, a foremost factor in
the textile industry, and I shall never
forget one thing he said to me: "Our
mothers were right about this. The
Christian religion is true." .
Now that I am in the church, I can
not see that it is necessary or desira
ble to be a longfaced, austere, severe
follower of one who never preached a
gospel of gloom and cheqrlessness. T
do not feel any better than anybody
else? I feel simply that I- am better
than my old self. I concur in the
humble poet:
"Let me live in my house by the side
of the road,
Where the race of men go by.
The men who arc good and the men
who are bad,
As good and as bad as 1.
I would not sit in the scorner's seat,
Nor hurl cynic's ban;
I/Ct me live in a house by the side of
the road
And be a friend to man."
I can say truthfully that religion
has not taken any of the joy out of
my life. If I have suffered loss of the
esteem of any of my friends and ac
quaintances, I am unaware of it.
Assuredly I know a peace and con
tentment such as I never knew before.
1 would not be just, I would not be
true, if I <1 id not say that more pow
erful to persuade me to become a
Christian man than all the evange
lists, all the arguments and sermons,
I have ever heard, has been the exam
ple of the noblest and greatest person
ality I have ever known or ever shall
know upon this earth, my Christian
mother. Her life had many crushing,
sorrows, yet she never faltered. Like
the Master she followed, she went
about doing good all her life. When
the twilight shadows wero gathering
about her, she formed a little mission
band of aged women like herself to
serve the Master.
Five years ago i wn? suddenly sum
moned to her deathbed. I could say
little to her. Yet, as I held her hand
and looked at her for the last time on
this earth, there came over mc an in
dcscfibablo thrill and something seem
ed to tell me: "This* is not good-bye:
you will see her again." A little while
afterward I went out into her old
fashioned flower garden ? she loved
flowers and said to mc not many
months before she died, "I don't know
what I would have done if the food
Lord hadn't given me flowers." In the
garden was a aim dial on whi<jh waa
??t a sentence from one of Browning's
v'. > ? *?\? ? ? li- : "? v-*: .'?? V.;:* ? a. . . .
A New Ford Steel Track Bddy
. ' . * ? ? ? 1 ' - . 'i
The Ford Motor . Company
announces the production ol a
new all-steel body , and steel
weather-proof cab, mounted on
the famous Ford one-ton worm
drive chassis, forming a complete
haulage unit at the reniarkably
law price of $490.
Steel flare boards and end gate
with sockets permit the use of
stakes and higti
aide board* or
the mounting
of * canopy top*
making the body readily adaptable
for general use. Screen aides and
end doors may easily be installed.
This new body, built of heavy
sheet steel strongly reinforced
and riveted, is designed to stand
up under the most severe usage.
Loading space fa lour feet by
seven ' Jeet two inches.
The weather-proof cab it
fitted with
removable,
tloo r-opeuing
curtain*
Tkit Cm ?mw tn obtained through th #
Authorized Ford Dealers
' * ' \ *< ?fe mf 'wm
a-gaggHH s
poems: "Grow old along with me,
the best is yet to be." That seemed
to me a message from on high. I then
hoped and believed that I should see
her once more. When I took her God
as mine, too I have no doubt {hat,
though I could not see her, she stood
beside me smiling. Serene and secure
n the faith that guided her, I lib
longer hope, I no longer believe, that
I shall see her again, for now I kfiow
that I shall be with her once more.
In short, my observation, study and
experience convince me beyond the?
shadow of a doubt as to the truth of
the Christian religion. I am as sure'"!
an that tomorrow the day '
hr^ak and the shadows lice ti
With all my mind and heart 'I d?
Iieve that the faith of our fathmi
mothers ? "the good, old-time Hi
ion"? is, and is alone, "the mj;
tnlth and the life."? Caroliiu {
ie n, Spartanburg.
Poles, Wire and Apparatus
? Added by the Carload
A vpnTwfv m^terial which were also adcted during ~
copper wire. carloads of caWe and one carload of
demaiufpH^nit i^e ex^?nsl?f\8 meet the growth which
teleDhono wrJt qVanH P?les? wire and cable, the -
stallation i-ecorda lMt?ylar previ?^R COn8tructioTi and in- ^
tion'alSinvMtmonfe<iFipment ?"d work represented an addi
?mH L? "estment ?f more than 2629,000. T Most of it was
future of th/^r^ f lx>? investors who have faith in the
riiture of the telephone industry in this state
yon^o^S0^?^ ^^ertakinx depends largely, upon
y ur continued friendly interest and encouragement.
MORGAN B. St-EIR, Ciirollitei Manager
"Beg. 8y?tem
y.
SOUTHERN BELL TELEPHONE
AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY
? ??# mil dlfctmd tmammrd f?||?r ?