The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-03-19
Tie TisOrns and Flowers that
otIs,. the Teach cr's Pathway.

\ $3.50 +atsFnS anu fiOttfs LltIl
Stis,. the Tcacis cr's Pathway.
llsi I'd irlp ~e the DnboiS nunty --caehr ss' A.
i fi,n ~ ireland Dec. .snsh, 1879.
i Figuratiycly speaking, we are ali tray
lclcrs here, beating our march onward TO
ile'ernity-the final destiny Of all. The
vehicle that bears W. onward Is time.
\ The pathway Travelled by is our cx-
lpericnce IN life What our future path
way will be, we have no kno wIeige. bni
. that Of the past, we can trace clearly.
When we look back over our lives
from our childhood up 10 the present
time, we find the pathway thus far tray-
',eled, 10 be diversified one. Al some
'lpoints i'm the Journey, troubles Of va rious
'Ikinds would meet Us face 10 face; al
Iother times happiness in full measure
Idawned upon us; and at other times.
both would present themselves almost
simultaneously, aud often what we
thought TO be the one, was only the other
ia disguise.
1 Our lives are thus attended by troubles
and pleasures. which arc conditions OF
life, designated THoRSs and FLOWERS,
from their siuiiliiudc 10 natural tlorns
and flowers. They Affect us spiritually,
in the same manner, as natural thonls
and flowers do physically.
In nature, we find thors and flowers
growing together, and we are continu-
ALLY coming in contact with each. Al
though we try to shun the thorns- we.
nevertheless, come in contact with them.
aud are reminded Of their presence by
their giving our bodies pain. Willie
bcholdin@ beautiful rose. we forget
that beneath lis rich and elaborate foliage
thorns arc concealed. but if we attempt
Ito pluck il, we are warned Of their
lpresence-
Just 60 with the troubles and pleas
ures Of life, winch we are contin ually
injecting. As We pursuc our pathway
Through life we imaginc we see vast
amounl Of pleasure awaiting us jlTss In
the future ; but, when we arrive AZ thS
point contemplated, we find ours elves
sadly disappointed, and instead of the
happiness which we hoped 20 bc ours.
troubles only awaited u.s. Ecry often.
too, when we are cxnccline trouble. we
are agreeably surprised ~ something
more desirable five would make the
most Of life, we must prepare ourselves
to Withstand its troubles thCrnsl " lilch
eyer aud anon will meet US.
\ No matter what occupation we choose,
we may expect some thofns 20 in;crInil-
glc wltH the flowers in our pathways.
The tforns or life, from The nature oi
their origin. may be divided into Two
classes: First. those which originate
from seeds sown By ourselves, (althougii
we may not bc aware OF the iacf). and
second, those which germinate from
seeds scattered by Others, with which
we are compelled 10 contend
| There Is oftcn an abundance Of each
class and, If those OF the frs: class arc
numerous. we have only ourselves to
blame. If they exist there must be
something which causes them 70 exist,
and, five wish TO have them eradicated.
we must seek the canses which produce
them; and, as there are no Effects with
loIl causes, by destroying the cause, We
lalso destroy The effect.
One OF The causes OF all causes, which
lprcducc 50 many thorns Of the first Sass
Iand which obstructs the pathway Of
thousands in the various occupations, Il
1.-The CHOICE Of q wEosG PURSUIT.. This is
the soil that gives birth 10 multitu dc oi
lthorns. Ii causes the pathway Of thons.
lands TO be thorny, and renders life mis-
lcrablc.
Persons following tho occupation Of
Teaching or any other occupation, who
find their pathway so thickly strewn
with thorns as 10 be almost impas sable,
will generally find a large number Of
them TO originate in themselves, by their
choosing calling 10 which they are not
adapted. The heart and hand arc not
Iboth engaged in the work, fact mani
fest, by the reluctance with which they
lpursue their business.
Why are there so many Thousands TO-
day mere mediocrcs in their plofes ions.
mot attaining to any cmlncncc, and who
ARE simply dragging out miserable livess
II answer, simply because they have
missed the mark In choosing their occu-
Ipation, and have spoiled the rest or their
lives by their blundcr.
There are persons. so-called school
teachers, who might have attained emi.
lnencc in some other calling: middling
ministers, who might have made master
lly mechanics wrelched retail ncrch ants.
who might have made noble farmers: !:
inferior lawyers, who. perhaps, would
have rendered humanity more service as
Icobblcrs. "A quaint old philosopher
the misplacements 20 com mon.
lonco stated some practical philosophy In
this wise: God has made in this world
two kinds or holes round holes and
three corneTed holes. and also two kinds
Iof people round people and three cor-