, 1860-10-19
Refining Effects Of sickness and Sorrow on
the Character. f'.


Many Of our greatest gcniuses have been
persons Of some remarkable physical weak
ness at some periods Of their lives. Kirk
White always was, Coleridge was nearly
all his life, Walter Scott as boy, aud both
be and Lord Byron had one, II indeed the
latter had not two club feet Robert Han
was martyr TO a series = -"7-7''--'"a
disorders through lie a GjsclsSl Spilc
making him suffer the agonies Of a tb"S7Hnd
deaths. 1t would seem, then, that suffering
gives peculiar sensitiveness to the whole
nervous system, or is in some way connect
ed with it, and that it is in this acute aud
sensitive state Of mind that the highest
works and efforts Of genius are produced.
10 private life, as in public, the same thing
is observable. Who cannot call to mind
some members Of family always ailiBg,
always sick, and yet the most exemplary
and influential member Of the family circlel
In the backwoods such child viii grow
up with tastes SO pure and simple, habits
SO neat and refined, and affections so eIe-
vated, as to give all the highest results Of
q most finished education, without going
through any Of the fashionable forms Of
city instruction. She may be the weakest
Of the whole, and yet her words Of love and
gentleness light up the whole family circle.
and rule and regulate and refine the whole.
Or, in the humble walks Of city Iiie, one
such weak and siekly child will eontFivo 70
establish habits Of neatness, and cleanliness,
aud refinement 10 an attic or q cottage, such
as are often vainIy sought in palaces aud
splendor. II she dies her memory Is fra
grant. The whole family circle, perhaps
the neighborhood, are really elevated By
the memory Of the plans and habits she FIRST
established, and Of the atmosphere ne
breathed. But Il she recover, then she
carries up into life and vigOr the neatness,
order and quiet elevation first conceived
through tho refining esOf sickness
and sorrow. dqua 'aa ali0Hi s5i
Our best writers, our most iBgsniodt IL
Ventors, our most acute metaphysiciann
clearest thinkers and nobIest discoveries,
can generally trace some sharpening Of the
intellect and refining Of the nervous system
to q sickness or enfeeblement at some Pc
riod or other Of life. And thus It is that
the sickness which weakens and Wearies for
the time, and iucapacitates for exertion az
terward, capaeitaies for tsnfold and high
er excellence and usefulness So long at
the depressing effects Of sickness lasted, II
was wasting and hindering, but these soon
pass away and leave permanent elevation
and improvement on every side. ia
Nearly al sorrow has in It the same ten
dency, While It lasts, II dspresses action,
crushes hopes and destroys energy. but e
renders the senses more acute, the ympa-
thies more genial, and the whole character
less selfish and more eonsiderate. Il Is
said that in nature, but for the occasional
seasons Of drought, the best lands would
soon degenerate; but these seasons cause
tho land to suck up from currents beneaths
with the moisture. all those mineral ma.
nures that restore and fertilize the soil
above. Its thus with sickness and with
sorrow--onee surmounted, they fertilize the
character and develop from the deep foun-
iains Of the human heart . joy and fruitful
ness not otherwise attainable. b