Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-03-08
From Defeat to Victory.

IVu DCltdi W
DEFEATS are generally very painful,
and always unpleasant Every person
breads them. Sometimes death is pre-
ierred to defeat so terribly do men under
certain circumstances fear it. And yet il
is part of the experience of every per-
sons life; sometimes exceedingly painful,
but not always either dangerous or disas-
trous, yet seldom failing to be very an
noying and humiliating
The plans we thought had been so we'll
laid and skillfully executed and we had
expected such rich returns for our labor
and outlay; and we were calculating, it
may be, on the smiles of gladness, express
sions of appreciation, or, perhaps, graft
tude that would greet the success of our
enterprise by the delighted ones for whom
we labored. SO with a good degree of
satisfaction and sell. complacency we
awaited the greetings and gratitude that
our imagination had created, and our hope
full hearts expected. The idea of Jail
ure in that enterprise had not entered our
minds. 1t must, il certainly would, sue
coed; we were perfectly sure Of that. 1t
was the Lords work, too, and He would
understand and appreciate it; and success
was certain.
But, alas for poor human short sighted
ness If every body could only see these
things as we see them, and put the same
value upon them that We do, things might
he different. But, there it is: people can
not, or will not, all see alike, nor agree
upon the value especially orr value) of
our efforts. Indeed, they often consider
them of no value at all, although they
were our ideals of Christian effort and
cherished schemes OF usefulness. Then
comes our defeat. Thework ispronounced
faulty, unified for the place claimed for
it; unwieldy, entirely inadequate, re-
iected--and down goes our wcll-meant en-
deavor fiat.
Now, that is little dishearlening, II
not provoking. And we are disposed to
say some sharp and severe things about
the intelligence of our critics. But hap
py is the man who can keep the brakes
down tight AT such times. " would not
care so much, il SO many people did not
know about it," perhaps we say "Ah,
there's the rub"--our pride is wounded.
With some, this serves 10 drive them from
the field Of effort entirely; others may re-
tire into state of dormancy until the win
ter OF their discomfort passes by; while
some may indulge in sort Of soda.water
eticrvescence which sparkles and toams
for awhile and tlen-sours. But the wisest
way is TO take the dead body of our enter
prise, hold Il post Da0rfsm examination over
it, and discover if possible what killed
the patient.
BY this method Of procedure we shall
learn that we do not know everything,
fob Of tho fnprnit nttf nj
us that was doing us no little injury. We
shall learn to he more particular in select.
ing methods and material tor work in
order to success hereafter. We may find
that God and His Word did not have
much place in our dci,aled plan; thnt it
was pretty much all self and il mihgt
also appear that the former plan lacked
earnestness and energy. Having dscov-
cred the cause of our recent, pride grind
ing defeat, we may now resolve, with our
Heavenly Fathers assistance, to make
that failure To us a blessed teacher, a
remedial agency, stepping stone To
future success We will redeem our for
mer defeats by future iriumphs; we will
organize victory out OF failure.
The greatest workers God has ever mad
IN the world have passed through this
kind OF discipline; it seems nect ssary TO
fallen humanity.
SO, my dear reader, il YOU are suffer
ing The sting Of recent defeats, don't sit
down and whine and pout about it, and
say YOU will never Try any more; but
pluck up courage and try ogatnl Per
haps that very defeat was necessary for
you, 10 humble yonr pride, to stir up
your stagnant energies, to drive you to
greater efforts, 10 draw you 10 a throne Of
grace. Fray and pull - and you will
make the shore. Don't aire up, but pet
up and go--to victory.-Ree. ". II. Jor-
dan, in Sunday lScj1oot Times.