MAY 1, \{)\: 



A. I. Root 



OUE HOME 



Editor 



Peace on earth, ^ood will to men. — LliKE 2:14. 

 Charity sulTereth lonpr, and is kind . . . .is not 

 easily provoked, tliinketh no evil. — I. Cor. 13:4, 5. 



'• HHKATIIIXG-SPKTJ.S.'' 



WIioii 1 am in IModina I am a Congrega- 

 lioiialist; when liere in BfadfMitown. Fla.. 1 

 am a Presliyterian — that is, if the good 

 hiTtlii-on here will jiermit me to say so. 

 There is no Congregational elmrch here, and 

 1 do not see much difference, although dear 

 Hro. Kood did suggest one Sunday that I 

 would " Icnow my eatechism " better if T 

 were an "out-and-ouf Presbyterian. Well, 

 I have learned to love the Presbyterians 

 dearly. T love that little Sunday-school 

 jiaper Foruaid, and 1 love the Weslminslrr 

 Quarterlies. Just by accident my eye caught 

 the cli]i]»ing below from the Adiilf Jiilde 

 Monlhhi for April: 



RRK.\TIIINGS1'KT,T,S. 



The United States Government ha.s rerently con 

 eluded peaee treaties with more than a score of 

 nations. Great Britain, Prance. Italy, Spain, and 

 China are ainonir the niimher: while Germany, Rus- 

 sia. .Tapan, Turkey, and Greece are expected to fol- 

 low soon. The treaties provide that all international 

 disputes shall be referred to a permanent commission 

 for investigation. 



The idea is that many difficulties will disappear 

 upon careful e.xamination, or will at least yield to 

 ad.instment. The most important arrangement of 

 the new treaties, however, is the provision that in 

 no case shall hostilities hegin hefore the end of one 

 year. If this provision is strictly observed, war will 

 be practically impossible. A year's time to think will 

 be enough in ordinary cases to bring about peaceful 

 ad.iustments before war can begin. 



These treaties have been aptly called " breathing- 

 spell treaties," and they mark a great advance to- 

 ward the permanent establishment of peace. 



The principle is a very valuable one for human 

 conduct. Men are apt to be too quick, both in 

 speech and in action. Hasty speech brings ten 

 thousand troubles into this world. Hasty action 

 reaps a constant harvest of sorrow. The habit of 

 taking time to think saves many a mistake and 

 heartache. Many an act that has caused trouble 

 would never have been committed if the person com- 

 mitting it had but taken a breathing-.spell. 



Wlien shall we learn that quiet and meditation 

 have much to do with conduct? Prayer, also, is 

 necessary to insure careful action. Think and pray 

 before speaking or acting. A rule such as this 

 would make the world a new place. 



.\nger is a hasty feeling of the heart. It bursts 

 out into sudden speech or unwise action. The best 

 I'wxp for anger is to be quiet for a time. Wait until 

 the fire burns out. There is an old proverb that 

 runs like this: "If you are angry, stand still. If 

 you are still angry, sit down. If after this you still 

 feel angry, lie down." 



The " breathing-spell " will work. 



May the Lord be praised for what the 

 above tells. How fervently we ought to 

 tliank (lod continually tlial we iiave a Chris- 

 tian President when such a one is needed — 

 yes, more than ever before in the history of 

 our republic. As I write, this 6th day of 



April, (lie papers are full of tlie great tem- 

 perance wave, not only in Ohio nor in the 

 whole United States, but over the whole 

 wide loorld. 1 fear I shall liave to give up 

 trying on these pages to give the notes of 

 jirogross; for before it could reacli you it 

 would be stale news. I suppose you have 

 all read over and over the declaration of 

 Chancellor Lloyd George of England. He 

 said in a speech, " We are fighting Ger- 

 many, Austria, and drink; and the greatest 

 of those three deadly foes is drink." 



I have been much impressed during our 

 recent Sundaj'-seliool lessons with the fact 

 that in olden time, when God's people be- 

 came disobedient and careless, he permitted 

 ungodly nations to chastise them, even by 

 wicked war and terrible loss of life. Well, 

 it now begins to be made plain that this war 

 Avas permitted because not only our nation 

 hilt the nations of the world have been let- 

 ling mm rule instead of Christianity and 

 sober common sense. When the whole 

 Kqvor traffic is ruled out and down, the war 

 will cease. " He maketh the wrath of man 

 t-o praise him.'' 



Now let us come down a moment to 

 '' breathing-spells " for you and me, as well 

 as breathing-spells for nations. 



T have set seven hens during the past 

 winter, and have 75 chicks, big and little. 

 K\ery hen made a good hatch, and only two 

 chicks died. T have spoken of my "tussels" 

 with sitting hens; but I have been priding 

 myself that I have learned by experience to 

 " suffer long and be kind," but, alas! I think 

 I must have forgotten what I have so often 

 said to you along in the line of " breathing- 

 spells.'' A young hen (part Leghorn and 

 part P>uttereup) had .just brought off a nice 

 brood. I was trying to teach them to eat 

 bread and milk; but the mother got it into 

 her head I was going to deprive her of the 

 loved ones she had waited patiently to bring 

 out. She flew at me in a frenzy. 1 coolly 

 straightened up. but she made a dive at my 

 foot and trousers leg, and for a moment I 

 thought that, with beak and claws, she 

 would tear the leg of my pants to shreds.* 

 Let me digre.ss. Mrs. Root had been scolding 

 some time because I would wear such soiled 

 and untidy pants when visitors, both ladies 

 and gentlemen, faultlessly attired, were 

 coming at all hours of the day to see .4. I. 

 Hoot and his garden and chickens. ! had 

 ob.iected, claiming that evei'y time I put on 

 nexi) jianfs something liajijiened. and it did 



* My srarrr'd luuuls and wrists testified to the 

 ability of a sitting hen along this line. 



