PROVERBS 25:17 by Helen Steinhauer

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 17, 1894

By Helen Steinhauer

BY HELEN STEINHAUER.

"WITHDRAW thy foot from thy neighbor's house; lest he weary of thee, and so hate thee."

"Once upon a time"—we won't say how many ages ago—there was an old lady, poor, feeble, and lonely. She had, as the saying is, "seen better days," and doubtless her memory lived in them more than people knew.

Right across the road from her stood a trim little cottage, with a neat, well-kept garden, stocked with vines and fruit trees, as well as vegetables and flowers. At the back of the house there was a choice well of excellent water, around which played bright, sweet-faced children, within the reach of their mother's call. The mistress of this home had not merely her little ones to keep up cheer and sunshine in her heart, but a loving, faithful husband, to whom she was as closely united as is the bark to the tree; these objects filled and satisfied her heart's cravings. These four needed no more.

Still the lonely woman was kindly welcomed to this spot of pleasantness; and many happy hours were passed by her beneath the lowly roof, for the "house-mother" (haus-mutter) was intelligent, and a Christian; and the elder woman was pleased to share with her the outgrowth of her varied past, as well as to talk with her about home interests, and present world-wide happenings.

For a time all went well; and the tendrils of the solitary heart twined themselves around these objects of its affection, till there was nothing that she would not have done or suffered to promote their welfare or increase their happiness.

But love does not always "beget love," and natures differ as much as faces. Perhaps this is why by and by her visits were felt to be too frequent, and she was plainly shown that she was no longer welcome in that home.

So she meekly "withdrew her feet from her neighbor's house," thinking that if she but gave them a rest they would miss and so seek her, and relations be renewed on a more guarded basis on her side.

But in this she was mistaken; where natures differ so widely it is folly to judge others by one's self. Their lives were so crowded with individual interests that they did not miss her at all—except agreeably—and they never even found out that she had been made ill by what to them was but an exercise of choice and privilege, but to her a painful happening, casting still darker shade on her shadowed pathway, and robbing her life of one of its few pleasures.

This is no fancy sketch; it came under my observation not so very many years ago. Doubtless this incident is only one of a thousand, for in this busy, selfish world there are too few hearts "at leisure from themselves;" and many, even among Christians, pride themselves upon this very thing, failing to see that it is but a refined form of selfishness, which cannot be pleasing in the eyes of the Master.

But I will only speak to the torn and bruised hearts that need binding up, leaving the others to be dealt with by the great Counselor. May he enable me to comfort these by the comfort wherewith I have been comforted of him, than whom I have none nearer, in many sore trials and afflictions.

Remember, lonely ones, that there is a Friend who sticketh closer than a brother, who is more faithfully kind than the neighbor at hand. Let such experiences as these but drive you the closer to him. It is your privilege by faith to lay your head upon that sympathizing breast, even as did the beloved disciple. Let your communication with the Master be the more frequent and intimate for each such experience. "Go and tell Jesus," who never wearies—no matter who or what you may be—never forgetting that the strength of your claim is proportioned to the greatness of your need.

PROVERBS 25:17.