Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-05-22
A VISION OF LIFE.
BY J. W. SAVAGE.

anu ulSdppOlnumentS, Withdrew from
the rest of the family and went out OF
the porch, and seated myself in an ole
willow chair.
The rumbling of the cars which rul
near my dwelling, and the scream O
the locomotive whistle arrested nv at
tentlon for few moments, when n,
thoughts turned inward on myself anC
my own affairs. 1t seemed to me as i
everything went wrong, nothing pros
pered-my spirits were depressed, there
was heavlness in my heart, a gloon
overspread my mind I was quite
miserable and cast down. My lot in life
L contrasted with that of others whose
worldly condition was better than m,
own, and whose affairs seemed
to be far more prosperous. Why is
1t, L said to myself, that this mar
succeeds SO admirably? Everything
he touches turns to gold. Honors are
heaped upon him on every side-while
l lag a long way behind. Whatever
he desires is thrust upon him, or falls
| into his lap-while there is no good
thing 1 get, but from the result OF
hard toll, and more than half the time,
after all my efforts 1 get only disap.
pointment. Is it because he possesses
superior talents-has greater energy
or industry? Is it because he is more
worthy, is better husband and father.
better neighbor or a better man
No, this cannot be it, for 7 have some
of these successful ones in nv eve.
with whom I should feel disgraced to
be compared, in any of these respects.
Why then these unjust distinctions
between men on this earth. Some
thing is out of joint is to
blame. Who is it? God is =. just
then, I was addressed by being
standing at my right side, whom I had
not before observed. His counte-
nance would arrest attention any,
where, it was such a harmonious COM
blnatlon OF wisdom, gentleness and
goodness besides there was an air of
authority about him which made me
feel at once that [ was in the presence
of superior. ''Albert," said he, "you
seem to be discontented with your lot.
and just now you were about to arraign
your Maker as the author of your
trouble. You assume that you are
wiser than the Almighty, and could
regulate the affairs of Divine Provi-
dence better than He. Vain, short
sighted man, how little you know
about the affairs of creation. Listen,
and 1 will give you lesson, tLat YOU
may profit by. Look at that locomo-
tive just passing. Did you ever exam
inc a steam engine attentively-and if
you have, tell me which is the most
important part The steam," I an
swered at once. "You are in error
again the steam is no part of the
engine, 1t is the power that
gives life to it, and nothing
mere" He then looked at me as 1
thought with more severe expression,
and said: "1ou are vain; if you were
to study all your life you could not
answer the simple question I put to
you. How then dare you presume to
arraign Divine Wisdom ?" At this l
felt humbled and abashed, ana ventur-
ed an apology, which he rejected, and
told me to ask forgiveness from Him
whom [ had offended. He then said:
''Yo;sr attention encourages me to go |
On. Listen again 10 the lesson I would |
teach ?" I bowed my head most re-
Spectfully, and he proceeded. cal |
bert, the affairs of Providence are all !
by steam engine; that |
engine is made up in all its different |
and complicated parts by the men and |
women who are on the Garth at the |
same time. You are a part of that |
great piece of mental and moral ma
,hinery. You are not satisfied with |
5he placed assigned yoa. There are a
great many others like you. In fact,
llssatlsfaotions reigns almost univer- |
sal in this world, and simply because !
nan is wicked, foolish and vain
Would you be wise o. 81 said, oh. |
hat l were wise" A..i yet he an
'wered, 81 fear yoE prize riches and |.
lonors more than wisdom; how I
ever. will do what 7 can to dispel |
he fatal illusions of Your mind"
He then handed me q curious locking |
'py-glass, and told me to look through |
t, and tell him what saw ? 81 see,"
said /. "a vast engine moving on with |
inform velocity, over broad road, !
owards a dark looking depot on the |
,orders of the earth; each side OF the !
lepot is covered with & vast mass of
clouds stretching out without end. !
Those Ga the right side are luminous |
md gorgeous beyond description: those |
IN the left are dark and threatening, !
With forks of lightning darting through !
hem" I tock the glass from my eye,
md turning to my preceptor, said, !
Pray tell me the meaning of this ?" !
His look was now that OF compassion !
Albert" said he, "this is glimpse |
# the great highway of life on which !
you with the rest of mortality are now
I will enable you to take a !
closer view, SO that you may see
the physical, mental and
moral machinery of Providence which
IS continually at work on this
road, in whial, man is ever busy
in shaping his destiny and 1T
,ing his soul for eternal life in the
regions covered by the bright or dark
clouds at its terpaination. Each engine
which runs over this road is made up
Of three generations. A suadial is over
head to mark its progress. This dial
makes complete circuit once year,
and serves also to indicate the time of
EACH arrival and departure. In about
seventy years, all of the vast multitude
now ON the road will have completed
their journey. and passed of the high
way of lie Tor ever ; and others will
be in their places to work out and car
ry on the designs OF Providence" lie
then TOOK the glass. and after adjust
ing it, handed it back to me, aud said,
Look again and observe the arrange
ment and the materials of which this
engine is composed "Oh, see, isn't
it wonderful why it's altogether hu-
man beings; from the smoke-stack to
the wheels it's nothing but men, women
and children-all human, alive and
busy. How strange and incompre-
hensible! This, I suppose, is the en-
gine of which you said L forme dpart?
Do tell me to what part of this strange
piece of machinery L am titted?' "Al-
bert" he answered, "you are where
your Creator would haze you be, i'll
the place no one else can til SO well as
yourself. kou are not where you
would like to be, for like all tt e rest o.
your short-sighted, but vain race. you
would prefer to be part of the braAen
bands which surround the boiler or
the brass balls which glitter and make
the most show. No you are W far