The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-05-08
Sunday-SchOOl Lessons.
Narrow Lives.

AN obscure life is not of necessity q
narrow one. There are aged people,
laid aside, by reason of infirmities, from
taking an active share in the world s
work. who still retain their bright, vivid
interest in whatever is going on, and
who live largely outside and beyond
themselves. There are invalids, sell
dom able to venture from the seclusion
of home, who diffuse benign and
wide-reaching influence, which blesses
hearts and strengthens hands in way
that only the Master sees. To most of
us come hours when we sit in the
shadow, when our defeated plans and
broken hopes seem to be strewn like
driftwood on the shore of life; and then,
perhaps, we despair of such accomplish
ment as we would honestly desire, such
achievement as would be rewarding
and successful, in our day and genera
ton. Let us not lose courage. The
Master has another measure of success,
and Judges in a tenderer and truer
fashion than we can of our loss and
gain. If our opportunities be few, and
our privileges limited, we are response
BILE for what we have, and never for
what we have not.
The trouble is that many of us, some
in our little retired hooks, and some on
our hii-tops of social advantage, are
willing and contented to live narrow
lives. Selfishness is invariably narrow,
and nothing is so subtle as selfshness.
The home duties of wife and mother
are her first and nearest duties. They
rightly take precedence of others. But
there are wives and mothers in all our
towns and villages who are making the
daily mistake of so absorbing and con-
centrating their entire energy in the
kitchen and the nursery that they have
neither time nor strength left for any
thing else. Unconsciously they are
growing narrow. They are bringing
everything in life to the rigid rule of an
inelastic custom. They test their own
and their neighbors' conduct by an ar
bitrary code, which is good of its kind,
but which is not susceptible of the least
modification, because their point of
view has not varied hand breadth in
years. Many excellent mothers fail of
touching their children's lives at the
critical moment when youth approaches
maturity, from this reason. Their very
fidelity to their children's comfort,
health and well-being has prevented
their keeping pace, as mothers should,
with the mental and spiritual develop
ments going on in their homes. Sons
and daughters turn away from the love
that has sheltered and brooded over
them always, and seek other counsel
ors, sometimes unsafe and unprinci-
Piled ones, because the narrowness of
the mother repels them.
1t seems to me that there is NOTHING
on earth much more beautiful, attract
i've and inspiring than the picture pre-
sented to us by some dear feeble
woman, unable to enter with great zeal
into the details of any labor, but able
to help and cheer those who are bear
ing the burden, by her sympathy. in
telligence and love. How much the
church owes to those older members
who can seldom be present in the pray
er meeting, who only now and then are
happy in sitting in their pews, or going
to the communion table, yet who love
her solemnities, and pray for her prog
ress. These keep in mind her mission
aries and her ministers. These take
time to name her wants before God,
and plead, with faith unfaltering, for
His spirit to abide in her temples.
These with enthusiasm kindled at the
divine altar, never despair of the prodi-
gal in the far-a way land, but anticipate
the hour when he shall return to his ia
theirs house.
1t is a narrow life you are living.
friend, if in it you care only for your
own profit, pleasure and enrichment.
If you cannot put yourself aside for one
who sits in the gloom of bereavement,
or the stern pressure of pain, with
compassion and consolation, you are
narrowing your own power of sympa-
thy. If you cannot deny yourself an
hours ease at your own fire, bit of
ornament or luxury in your dress, or o
little rest in the morning or the night
for loves sake. you are dwarling your