During the boyhood of Charles Abraham Hart, who was later the youngest
soldier in the War with Spain, he was on confidential terms with his
mother. One day when they were visiting together, she asked him about
something that had happened the winter before, which she was unable to
understand. His father had given to him and to his brothers two dollars
each to spend for Christmas presents. William spent the entire sum, but
Charles bought cheap presents, and it was evident that he had kept back
a part of the amount. Other members of the family misunderstood him, but
his mother thought she knew him well enough to be sure he had done
nothing selfish.
The record of the conversation between mother and son is told in the
boy's biography:
"The presents you bought were very cheap presents," she said to him. "I
don't think they could have cost more than seventy-five cents."
"They cost sixty-five cents," he told her.
"And your father asked what you had done with the rest of your money,
and you said you didn't want to tell him."
"Yes, I remember that father thought I was stingy, too."
"Do you mind telling me now what you did with the money?"
The boy did not answer for a few moments. Then he said, quietly:
"I bought a Bible for Fred Phillips. He didn't have a good Bible, and I
thought he needed one more than you and the boys needed expensive
presents."
"But why didn't you tell your father?"
"Because Fred was ashamed not to be able to buy the Bible for himself,
and he wouldn't take mine until I had promised that I wouldn't tell
anybody that I had given it to him. Since Fred has moved to Boston, I
feel he wouldn't care if I told you. I want you to know, for I just
heard to-day that Fred has joined the church. Isn't that good news?"
"Yes, indeed. Perhaps your giving him the Bible helped him to do it,
too. Charles, when you get to be a man, do you suppose you will always
be so careless of how others may misunderstand you?"
"I am not careless of that now," he declared. "The desire to be popular
is one of the things I have to fight against all the time."
What shall we choose? Comfort of service? Ease, or honorable performance
of duty? The desire for popularity, or the purpose to be of use? Service
is the best way to find comfort; honorable performance of duty is the
sure road to the only ease worth while, and thoughtfulness for others is
the open sesame to popularity.
There is nothing new in this statement. It is only one of the thousand
and one possible applications of the lesson taught by the great Teacher
when He said, "He that loseth his life for My sake shall find it."