The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1877-02-16
Alisfellaaeoas.
COULD WE DO BETTER IF WE
HAD OUR LIVES To.LIvE OVER I?

HAD OUR LIVES TO.LlVE OVEN
We heard man Of middle age re
GREETING the mistakes Of life, and say
ing, IF had my life to live over !
could do better Perhaps not. True,
IL you had the experience Of your
life to aid you, you might avoid many
errors of the past, but what guaranty
would you have that you might not
make other and sadder mistakes.
There is perhaps no man living that
has not much TO regret in LIES yoy~
age. We are all sorry that we did
not act with more caution that we
were not more watchful over our
words, our thoughts, our deeds. We
are constantly meeting the results Of
mistakes made in former years-and
how often we are filed with remorse
as we contemplate misspept time, lost
opportunities, bad investments, and
the results of unfortunate associations.
This is one side Of the case. Let US
look at the oyher.
How thankful we ought to be that
we have made SO few mistakes
compared with the innumerable
Others whom We have known. Who,
in looking back to his childhood days
and calling up the companions Of
youth, does not remember those who
started with as fair prospects, and
under much more favorable auspices,
who have long since made sad and
total shipwreck Of all earthly pros
poets, and have filed earthly PrayesY
Some who have been stranded on the
shores of business, and are left pen-
niless and in hopeless ruin 7 Some
who have done worse--have become
wrecks in body and miud--the vic~
tins of bad habits which seem incu-
rable 7
The writer remembers of his
school mates, one who was noted in
bis youth for wealth and intelligence,
He stood at the head of his
class ia school, and had every com
fort that wealth aud position could
give him. He is to day drunkard,
and without money or position in soA
ciety. We remember another who
was The son of promise, and had as
any boy ever had, who now fills the
grave of a suicide. Upon one oeca,
sion when we visited lunalic asy-
lum we met a man whom we had not
seen for twenty years, who was once
a schoolmate, aud whose mind was
then as good and brilliant as that of
any boy in the school.
Oh how we ought to thank our
Heavenly Father that we have es-
capped SO well Through how many
trials we have passed uuharmed
How often have we been at the point
where the slightest turn in the wrong
direction might have wrecked us,
and yet, through the mercy of God
we have escaped as a bird from the
snare Of the fowler In the lang
uage of Addison
When in The slippery paths Of youth
With needless steps | ran,
1hine arm unseen, conveyed me saie,
And led me up 10 man.
Through hidden dangers, tolls and deaths
II gently cleared my way
And lrough the pleasing shares Of vice,
More TO be feared ban they
What then should we do 2 Thank
God for past deliyeraoce, and res
solve to do better in the future.
Walk circumspectly, and try by
Gods grace to redeem the time and
what time we live make such pro
gress as that when the end comes we
may have few regrets, aud leave be-,
hind us the SAVIOR Of good name,
which may be a heritage to our chill
dren, and matter of rejoicing to
our friends and brethren, -Rev.
John W. Burke, in Southern Chris
tian Advocate.