The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-06-24

BY HENRY wARp eERcHER.

Take two boys At the age OF tWontt'Us9s
Where did that one come frome he cams
from the loins of father that was upright
and God fearing. He had mother that
was a mother indeed. He had loving BROTH
ers and sisters. His entrance into life WAS
almost one of choral Joy. At every step
his wants were anticipated. His evils were
forescen and averted. He knew nothing
about need. He had abundant wealth to-
depend upon. He attained the agc OF
twenty five without sickness, to know what
it was without tasks and burdens, to know
what they were; without uncertainties, to
know what they were. He has had what
We call good things for twenty five years.
And what is he at twenty five! Well, he
is a sweet, goodish young man-and good
for nothing. There is no marrow in his
bones. There is no steel in his MUSCLES
He has had no experience. He never
fenced with the devil and whipped him
He never fought until the sun went down,
and at last wrested victory under desperate
odds. He has had no training. And it
has killed him, and made him wo, thless
young man. And who is the other young
man that has come down to twenty five!
His father died in the poor house, and no
ran away from it when he was eight years
old. A good start in life! His clothes
were rags. He had as many windows in
them as there were in the factory where the
cloth was made. He went to one who
employed him for the purpose of b, using
and kicking and cutting him. He ran away
from this man to fall into other as bad, CT
worse, hands. 1t is difficult to trace his
course as swept down the eddying stream,
now wirled into this channel, and now
into that, sometimes on one side and some
times on the other. He grew up feeling
r!sas maS ys kisvrssrsrnd thSt + hahaa
anything God must give it 10 him, not that
he must earn it. At fifteen or sixteen
years Of age he began to get hold on life-
He worked hard for q very little. That he
husbandcd. He studied while other men
slept. And he wrought out for himself,
against fate and host Of cvils-what?
Manhood, the best gift that God ever gave
in this world With heart to dare, with
spirit to endure, with fortitudc to suffer,
and with fearlessness withou: presumption.
at twenty Eve he looked ut life and said II
can conquer it."
Here are the two men. One has come
on the path Of good things. He is nice
young man ! He is the mothers darling
and the fathers pride His hands are lily
white and beautiful! And he is good for
nothing! The other is all SCARED by tho
rough usage that he has undergone, and the
severe experience he has passed through.
lie is twenty five, and there is not line Of
beauty IN him. Gods plow has drawn its
furrows across bis brow. He is as hard as
an anvil, and he has been pounded as much.
He has had evil upon evil, an trouble upon
trouble, and what is he now? A man!
and he will be the worlds rudder, if God
so please; for it is the men who are wrought
out under such circumstances that steer
the things that are Now, l ask you
whether it is not true, in the whole career
Of man, that what are called evil things
are great deal better than what are called
good things. As between good as moral
quality, implying virtue, truth, nobleness.
charity; and evil as moral quality, imply
ing meanness, lusts, appetites-of course,
as between these there can be no doubt
that evil is always bad and good is always
good. Bat when We speak Of all things
working out good, we mean good in the
sense Of prosperity. And declare that i'm
the whole course of a mans life and educa-
ton, he is served better by things that are
not good than by things that are. 1t takes
both to make fully developed man; it
takes prosperities and adversi,ies; it takes
blessings and mischiefs it takes soft pats
and hard blows; it takes things bright and
things dark; it takes day and night; it
takes summer and winter. All Of these
work together; and when the man is
wrought out as the product of them all, alb
things may be said to have worked together
for his good in the long run.