T. AND M. LOOKING-GLASSES.
By J. N. Ayers
Did you ever see a T. and M. looking-glass? I have one before me. It is a wonderful invention, and is so constructed that by looking at it a person can see just what he ought to do. By its aid the librarian is able to see just what each member of his society is doing, the director can tell just what each society has done, and the president knows just how much each district has accomplished during the quarter. The president knows where help is needed, where the working men are, and who can be depended upon when there is a strike to be made or a picket to be sent out. Although this glass is so powerful, it is often injured by careless soldiers, who, on looking into it, and seeing how they have neglected duty, are ashamed, and do not return it to the proper officer at the right time. So wonderfully is this glass constructed, that when just one member of the tract society fails to return it, properly prepared, to the company commander, it leaves a speck on the captain’s glass that no other person can take off; and as his glass is composed of the glasses of all the individuals of his company, it sometimes happens that there are so many specks as to render it almost useless. And when this marred glass reaches the superior officer, he can hardly tell whether that company has been mustered out or has gone into winter quarters; and the result is a very bad spot on his glass. I suppose you all know what this glass is, but for fear some do not, I will tell you. It is called, “S. D. A. T. and M. Society Report of Labor.” Every family of Seventh-day Adventists should have one hung up in a conspicuous place, where they can examine it every day to see if there is not some duty to perform. At the close of each quarter, every good soldier will see that his glass is properly prepared, and handed to his officer for inspection. Do not cover your glass with OO or ——, representing rusty spots, but with figures. What do you think would be done with a man in the United States army, if he should present his arms for inspection with rusty spots all over them, showing how remiss he had been? or appear at inspection4without his arms, as some T. and M. soldiers do? He would be sent to his quarters under arrest, disgraced, and would be placed on extra duty, and kept at work until he could appear on inspection without a rusty spot on his arms. There is nothing like work to set a man thinking. It sometimes happens that the officers, after they have had their company inspection, are careless about forwarding their glasses to headquarters. When this occurs it is very perplexing, as all must wait until the last glass arrives. I sometimes think it would be easier to run an engine with one wheel off than to run an organization with one of its officers always behind. All the rest of the wheels start at the right time, but one axle is down in the dirt, so all must wait till the engineer can pry up the axle and get the wheel in its place; and by that time we are so far behind time we must lay off at every station to let other trains that are on time pass, and we get in too late to make connections. There is no need of being behind, if all do their duty. An officer in the army who would be behind with his reports, would be court-martialed for neglect of duty. Ought we not to be as zealous in the cause of the Lord as they are in the service of their country? “Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently [margin]” Jer. 48:10. Examine your glass, and always be on time.