The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-02-10
Fo! ne ksi,onai Fra.
MEN AND w M { N.
Wherein the Author is Sound of Counsel
BY GAIL HAMILTON,

There is, then, way that seemeth good but
the end thereof are the ways of death. With
this you have nothing to do
But settle the point clearly. Knew lust where
you33stand. Have the boundary lines accurately
detEaed. be able to give reason for tho hone
ana faith that are in you Missing the browning
glory of wo1aaahood, do not childishly depre,
olsa It, Do not try to persuade yourself or
others that you are at the utmost bound of the
everlasting hills, quite in the promised laid
wbssl in fact you only see it Enough glass
darby. Meet tha .aet boldly Courage does
neecaasist In feeling no fear, but in cono:asi;nQ
fear. There is no heroism il marching blind
fold through ;..saSand dangers. He is ia.
hetA who, seeing the lions on either side, goes
str.Sght on, because there his duty lies. Ac
knowledge 10 yourself, am not happy. | dc
not like my life. I must be capable of better
things l am uneasy, restless, discon;en,ed.'
Ihe', knowing exactly the -,a,e of your case
Apply to yourges comfort and healing. Re
''-~s-,a Ar first that Cod rAigns In6nito ..,wa,
IS Welded by5infnite love, The fatherly eve
that sees the 1f-arrows "a they fall will not le,
You walk ~ random path. Life IL 3 cham Of
sequences, from the cradle 10 the grave; ave
and beyond il, stretch the series of cause and
effect and what thou knowest not now. thou
| shalt know hereafter. You are in a school care
fully graded. When you have passed ve;,. ex
animation satisfactorily, YOU viii be promoted.
Just as soon as you have got ell the discipline
which youF present circumstances have for YOU,
YOU viii be surrounded By new Just as soon
| as you are fitted for higher career, the gates
will be flung wide open to you. You can know
exactly what is best for YOU only rs observing
what is. You thinE you could do something
bet.er something greater, Do you perfectly
accomplish everything that you undertake &?
Until you perform in the best possible manner
everything which is at present your duty 10 do
you have no right to complain of yonr contract
ed sphere. Why reach GU. among the stars for
treasure ths. hes at your feet? Be faithful
over few things before you repine at 10, be-
ing made ruler over many things. You may
talk of opposing friends, untavoring eircum-
stances, adverse fate but circumstances are
full of Divinity, planning and directing. We
are not the children of Fate, but the children Of
our Father IN Heaven and when the Heaven
appointed hour is come, fate, friend, and cir
cumstance, will swell the tide that sAsll bear us
out triumphantly to the bosoan Of TIE boundless
sea.
Ano'her Ihl.g remember. Three score years
ana zen are not the whole Of life. We say
that we Know 1t, bat We act as if we knew il
aot, With our lips we affirm but with our
lives We deny. Blind and eager we grasp for
all our good things now. We weep. and
moan, and faint, because for moment we are
hungry and thirsty. We forgot that God has
not put us in this world to BIZ happy, but TO
be trained. 1t is true tia, there is great deal
OF happlpess thrown in and we find it so de-
l9A'iui that we are apt 10 substitute it for the
real end OF life, and mourn that we cannot accom-
Piish 1t which Is, as if children, having Toasted
on their Christmas candy, should cry to be fed on
1t all the year round, Life is one combined aud
continpods process and proof. Riches, pow
erty, happiness, misery, education, ignorance,
are so many chisels to form and touchstones
to try our characters. One substance stands
fire, another water. IL you reverse the trial, it
is fruitless. One soul must be purified by pros
perlty, another by adversely one in society
another in solitude. Wha dare be so presump-
tuous as t9 say, This is not the right kind Of
tess tor me. My character would be better de
veloped and ascertained in such and such cir
cumstances." "Shall not the Judge of all the
earth do right?" You pant for activity and
exertion. You are ingenious, constructive
fertile in deyicez, skilful in combination, rapid
in execution. You want subject, field. a
career. Very well. Find one or make one, if
you can. Exert yourself to the utmost. Move
heaven and earth hpt, having done all with
out success decide conclusively that your les
son is to be learned 10 anotker school, and re-
fleet peacefully that " they also serve who only
stand and wait" Bring this principle in pre-
maturely, and you will be an indolent. ineff-
cient cumberer of the ground. Leave it ont
OF view entirely, and you will be psieking,
irritating thorn in al .e..ible and sensitive
flesh. Ae.pP,7 Is just at the right time, and the
world will be betterfor your having lived in it.
AS for little happiness, more or less, never
mind it. BE content to put it off. WAsn the
Shekinah dwelt in the HQly " holies, did the
high priest note ~ passing that the porch of
the 'SMple was shrouded in twilightP Be
lieve what you say you believe, that there is
lite beyond death. Weeping may endure for a
night, but iGy eometh 81 the morning. 1t is
only ibr little while. Can you not for a little
while be brave to bear aud TO do ? The fulness
of JOY, the perfection of being, belong to an.
other world. The secret of contentment is not
the qualification nor the crucifxion of every
right desire, but faith in their ultimate fulfil
ment.
He who sees the future surv,
The battling presen, may eRdgEe."