Hats and Habits.

Waiapu Church Gazette, 1 October 1910, Page 3

Hats and Habits.

What possible connection can there be between these two — " Hats and Habits" ? — say you. Much, every way ! Skeat, m his etymological dictionary, tells us that Habit means practice, custom, dress : that it is derived from the Latin habitus, perfect participle of habere, to have, to keep. And is not a hat part of one's dress, which it is our custom to have, and to keep ? Think of. that dear old eccentric friend of yours, who has had, and kept that well-worn hat of his, for so many years, that you can hai'dly picture him m your mind's eye without it. Truth to tell, that aged hat is somewhat of a grief to the relations and friends of its wearer, who would perhaps be glad to substitute a new, and up-to-date, hat m its place, surreptitiously, on his birthday, let us say. And what of the ladies and their hats I Truly they love to have a hat of the latest fashion and of the broadest dimensions — and while they have them,

to keep them on. But customs m ladies' hats last not over-long, and there is little danger of our lady friends keeping to any one hat for any great period of time. It is a little cruel for mere men to ask them to take their hats off m any theatre or village hall, when there is so much, so very much, to take off ! Well, now, to turn our attention from hats to habits. You will agree with me at once, that a man's habits are the parts of his character which, through practice, have become custom. " Acts, Habits, Character." "Practical Habits," we read m Dr. Butler's famous "Analogy," " are formed and strengthened by repeated acts." Lose your temper, we will say, once, twice, a thousand times — repeated acts have formed a habit, a bad one certainly, and now your character is known as a churlish and ill-tempered one, and, like the powder-hulk coming down the rivar Thames, you should hoist a red . flag as a signal of danger, whenever you feel that contact with you will risk an explosion ! And the trouble of it is that, to go back to our old friend's hat, the bad habit is much more difficult to get rid of than the hat, and gives far more grief and unhappiness to relations and friends. If Acts lead to Habits, and Habits to a stereotyped Character, we need to be uncommonly careful and watchful over our actions. Let us turn to "Martin Chuzzlewit" for an illustration. We find Martin and Mark Tapley m that horrible fever- stricken swamp which was described on the landagent's map as the thriving city of Eden ! Martin falls ill, and tenderly and faithfully Mark Tapley nurses him. Later on, when Martin was only convalescent, Mark was taken ill. " Floored for the present, sir, but jolly ! " Then, m those long, weary days and nights of nursing, as Martin watched over the patient, he began to ask himself m what they differed ; which of them could be the better spared, and why? " Then the curtain slowly rose a very little, and self, self, self was shown below." And as he went on thinking, the curtain slowly rose a little more, and self, self, self dilated on the scene. Yes, — by repeated acts of selfishness, and self-indulgence, Martin had formed selfish habits, and his character had become summed np m the one word: "self;" while his companion, Mark Tapley, had, by repeated acts of unselfishness and kindly considera-

tion for others, formed habits the opposite to those of Martin's, and his character, well, his character had come out strong, though as he, one of the humblest, as well as one of the j oiliest of men, said of himself : "As to coming out as strong as I could wish, sir) that I give up." And Martin, having learned his lesson — a hard lesson, learned m a hard place — made a solemn resolution that he must look upon it as an estab/ lished fact, that selfishness was m hid breast, and must be rooted out. And a tough task lay before him, for to root out that self which he had built up by so many repeated acts of selfish? ness, would cost him very much time and trouble. A friend of mine, some time ago, transferred to her garden a plant of the little yellow oxalis. Alas, how it has spread, and what time it has wasted, and what .trouble it has caused ! It is so difficult a task to undo, and to set right, whether m my garden or m the garden of my soul ! But there is a little word m the Christian's vocabulary which counts for much, and that is the little word " Grace." "My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect m weakness." And m the power of that promise, Saul, the blasphemer, the persecutor, became Paul, tHe Apostle and bond-servant of Jesus Christ. "By the grace of God, lam what I am, and His grace, which was bestowed upon me, was not m vain." Grace can work wonders ; Grace can alter the apparently stereotyped habits of many years; but Grace must be appropriated and made use of ; else will it be Grace bestowed m vain. A poor man m Fife, before eating, asked a blessing m these weighty words, which were found after the Duchess of Gordon's death written on a slip of paper m her hand :— " Lord, give me grace to feel the need of grace ; and give me grace to ask for grace ; and give me grace to receive grace; and, 0 Lord, when grace is given, give me grace to make use of grace." H. N.