Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-11-06
John b. Cough on Circumstance .

LADIES AND GESuEMEN-TLe title Of this
lecture. us has been announced. is. 90 Circum-
.tsnces.- Il is sometimes ,aiI yse must wait for
circumstances We must take them a- they
cone IN ancient philos0Uler said. give me "a
place on which 20 rest my lever and viii move
the world. Some one has made the reply,
q. Take YOUR stand and move the world 90 Great
results have been achieved from ambition kin
died bva prompt advantage taken Of circum-
stances. Sometimes circumstance. apparently
the most triAin-. may change the course Of 4
whole human life, as "A small stone in the course
of a stream divides il. snf sends one part
through a sandy Sahara. and one through
beautiful garden. Circumstances may alter our
relation to others. A certain learned professor
va, being rowei across a stream in a boat
said he to the toatman. .. Do you understand
uhiIosouhve'' No. never herd Of it ,''
:. Then one quarter Of your life is gone "Do
Won understand geology g'' No" Then
one half YOUR life's gone DO YOU under
stand astronomv7' No Then three
Quarters Of your life Is cone But prescutly
the boat tiupei over and spilled both into the
river. saws the boatfpan. .. Can YOU swim2''
e. No" Then the whole Of your life's gone
Circumstances alter cases. Is an old and familiar
aiace. Facts can never be altered BY circum-
stances. though our opiniou. Of those circum-
stances can be considerably altered. Napoleon
once said. - make circumstances bid he
make Elba? Did he make Waterloo How
often has a malicious or tboughtless word des-
trovei the peace Of a family. and broken life
ou- friendship. Affection has withered avav
to nothing under the drv rot Of gossip. Love.
that promised to be as enduring as heaven, has
eyaparatei into the mist of the morning. only
because Of this. How one unkind word hiss
crushed ambition. and how one generous word
has encouraged the desponding. / remember
morning in October isi2, / had signed the
pledre the uirbt before. and had commenced
the struggle with appetite. No man can un-
derstand Il but he who has experienced it. The
writing. raging. CRYING, longing Of the whole
system for drinEl The neryeless9ess the bor-
rible cramps The very roots Of the hair seem
TO thrill with agony Whispering in the ears
that sound So terrible The whole system cry
iur. give ,'' 81. rive r' The knowlelae that
one rlas, of brandv-one glass Of brandy
would relieve this euawinr pain | felt in de-
pair. .. shall die. for / cannot fight this
through Yet determined would work il
out. / went to the man worked for, but he
raveme NO announcement | returned 10 nv
bench had in NV hand an iron bar screwing
up hand press with a trembling and unsteady
hand I felt IL move and writhe. and drouped
it. and there if Law before me writing could
hear it rustic on the parer shavinrs on the floor
was transfxed with horror / knew that it
was a bar of iron. but could not make it lie
straight; Sc shall die q. cannot endure
this. - A gentleman steppel into the shop
Mr. Couch | saw Won sign the plelre lst
night :. Did YOU see the Young men who fol-
lowed vour examine - l didn't see them. 81
am Glad IN reroynize Won. Mr. Gough. a. n
member of the temperance society - II want
to know Won Mr. Gaucb - - sbould like IN
see von in my Office Necp m a brave
beor+ :, IS Cd ,rorniu,, Mr. Couch >, I
tool. ,or7o,,a Ho wants IN know me lie rorts
r.. 500 mo i1 his Office ,-iU 6rbt il ont now
al 4,bt IL ont sir NIGHTS and six davs vitbo,,t
I'll ,ritbou+ sIeon in which stool IN tho s,,,-
Ill a,,si,.st Tho rsII raIo and boo,orJ Rnt 7
NO. Sicto,. ,oronero5 the jsT3riro, a,,,,e
ito f,, Jri,l Inst a ,rorl of tirJrees hot
cos, y r,an rotbino- teu Won sir We ca,
,Ir,,, rearls in the highway f,r the moor 10 ,ic
M, l,royrledce Of the circ,,ottopcos nil
oba,, - ,,r conduct tost- l,oT,Io,a
..aiI;., :; railr,.d Si-.
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ni'ner repheu' ine nio'lcr IL .. 'iIls IL cnllu Il IN
ueluah rVse auu 'ToA tne Tnl,u' anu cared ior II
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