The Portland daily press., 1870-09-24
The Use Of 0ppo,,uni,v.

The great end of human life is service. It
IS to make the world the wiser and humanity
the happier from being in the one and of the
other. To this end even our own highest
culture, whether it be developed in and for us
as knowledge, as beauty, as moral principle
or as religious faith, should be devoted to
Christianity in the person 'of Jesus emo
bling service.
We hear of the dignity of labor, and it is a
right view of it; but labor is neblest, most
dlgnlfied and worthy of commendation when
1t is devoid of selfisbness and prompted by
generous purpose for the benefit of all.
Christ ennoblcd service by word and deed.
lhlS oDlleatlon to living service is at once
recognized and never ga'psaid; but how very
inu,Herent IS our recognition. We fail TO
make OF it an inspiring impulse in our daily
living.
There is peculiar pertinence in the word
opportunity" in tho ,tcxt. How prone we
are, in oosninon with the mass of mankind,
10 wait idly for some grand emergency in our
private experience or in public history, to pre-
sent its demand upon US. We wait for occa-
sion, but all the while we are utterly missing
those clustered opportunities that every mo-
ment our hands may grasp. Occasion, as dis
tnSulshed from opportunity, is rare. 1t may
come, once in lifetime; perhaps never. Op-
portunlty, on the other hand, is perpetual.
successive, incessant. Occasion is the priyi-
iege OF the o6llgation OF a few. Opportunity
Is ior all. Occasion is for the strong, the
glited, those baving genius to appreciate its
demands; but opportunity is for the humblest
and weakest. We are prone to wait occasion
and miss opportunity. In the late war how
many enlisted with eager expectation of COM
ing home, crowned with honor for faithful
ness IN the hard-fought battle. Yet how
many such battle days were there in those
four years of strife? Perhaps one a month !:
but twenty nine days OF marching. counter,
marching, OF fording rivers and trenchino
and camp duty; and as the soldier was found
faithful or faithless in those ceaseless oppor.
Iunilles, ne was found reliable or worthless,
Wnen the great occasion came.
Ii we neglect opportunity, we do not recop.
nlze occasion when it comes; and sometimes
the wished-fOr occasion never comes. Because
oi iaithlessness or neglect, countless opportu-
mites are lost and gone. 1t is so in work. so
in study. How much the good housewife can
accomplish by having some little piece of work
by her constantly, to catch up in odd mo-
ments OF time. 1t is said of a prominent
statesman tnat be always carried book with
him to use in odd moments, to add to his
SlOCh vi huOWIcuSc anu tuOuSut. HOW mucn
knowledge has been required by such faithful
improvement of time. And it is SO in the
matter ofcharacter. 1t is only as we resist
the temptations which come to us continually
that we are able to resist our great beset-
ments. Young men and young women. that
life which is now before you, and which Won
are to make or to mar, that life will be use
less or useful to you and to the world lust in
proportion as you grasp these fleeting mo-
ments and I'LL them with worthy purpose. he
rolc ambltlon and generous service, or as Won
suffer them to pass by untulfilled and nnim.
proved. Gather up these trapmentarv mo-
ments OF your beng and nothing shall be lost
70 70 you. Use these opportunities, and then if
tne occasion shall ever come, you shall be
iound equal; and should the occasion never
come, as to many of us, doubtless. it never
VIII, yet faithful to these little Opportunities
that every day and hour presents. lite shall
not ial to be useful aud beautiful success.
Lie is not feetng shadow,
NOR wave upon the beach,
though our days be swift, yet lasting
Is the stamp We give to each.
Lille is ours for faithful labor.
VI the hand or of the thought,
Every hour and every moment
Is with living memory fraught.
Waking every morn to duty,
Ere its hours shall pass away,
Let some act OF love or service
Mark it as holy cay.
Work our Father worketh ever,
He who works not canuOt play;
Work for use, or work or beauty,
So swt ct rest shall crown the day,