Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-05-04
Make the Best OF Yourself.

bitdbh 10 ~ lobcubu W buh1 BttoolOubbC cdi-
nestness.
A woman sat listening-a weary woman,
10 whom life was a burden. AS those words
"Make the best of yourself" flashed forth
she felt as if they were hurled at her. She
make the best use of herself whose life had
been failure How could she2 The rest of
the sermon was unheard. 1t was as If
diamond had been thrown into her lap. That
was all she needed. | said the sermon was
unheard, yet there did enter into her con
seriousness another flashing sentence, Every
man has right to make the best OF him
self"
That meant women as well as men.
III you had been looking at the woman
you would have seen q new aud strange ex-
preston come into her face lust such a
change as might come into the face of a dy-
ing man if suddenly he should find the fab
ulous elixir of life.
She leaned her head forward on the back
of the pew before her and sat very STILL but
from her heart went up cry, Lord, help
me to make the best of myself, with thy
help"
At last came the benediction and she rose
up. Then as the congregation poured out
she followed with the crowd. Near the
door stood an old, decrepit woman, in worn
and shabby garments. Her hands were
wrinkled and large jointed. She was a shy,
half-frightened woman, who had strayed
into this large church, and now stood back, +,
half-awed by its grandeur and the immense
mass Of people.
Gail Bruce liked dainty people and dainty
things Of all kinds, and she shrunk with a
kind of horror from anything that was un-
comely. But as her eye fell upon the old
woman she suddenly sent up prayer,
"Lord, help me to make the most OF my
self in all the humanities, in love and in ten.
derness And Lord bless that old woman -
When Gail reached her she stretched out
her own well-gloved hand and touched the
old woman's arm with a tenderness that
thrilled her frame; then slipping her hand
in hers, said:
ave are glad to see you here and hope
you will come again"
The old lady looked up with pleased
smile, aud said it was /" fine church and
she liked the minister"
When Gail passed out there was on hel
face reflex gladness. Seeing it severa
people unoonsciously held out their hands
to her. who, as a rule, only bowed.
She went home and kneeling said, "HelE
me to help others. Help me to do somt
kind deed every day. Help me to grow lik,
Christ, so that ! may be my best. Amen
That was the beginning of great chang,
in Gail Bruce. Every morning she took W
the day with the prayer Lord, help IN,
this day to do something for others He'll
me this day to make some one happier
Help me this day to make the best Of my
self" Many gentle answer she returned
when her nervous temperament would hav,
prompted quick word
One little thing she tried to do especial,
that was to carry bright and cheery
face; to give pleasant word whenever sh'
could. This was hard for her to do at first
for she possessed by inheritance an incina
tion to morbidness and melancholy. Bu
she shook it off as best she could and CAV,
her "good morning or goou e'e"i"s IL
- ;sht a way possible. At church, in
stead of waiting to be spoken to, she tool
the initiative and spoke to others, and
possible, said some pretty or pleasant thing
Then, greatly to her surprise, friends begal
to gather around her. She found hersel
some women seem always to do aud other
never. She got in the way of giving
flower to this old lady, or picture to tina
little child, or perhaps of making friendl
call on sick girl She grew into a way o
touching gently or caressingly all thing:
Her life grew as sweet scented as ros
and as people love roses they loved her.
So making the best of her moral an
affectional nature, she grew year after yea
into sweet, perfect, and rounded woman
hood
But these were not all the ways in whic
she made the best of herself.
1t had been her habit, when feeling sa
and melancholy to forget herself in a novel
to live in another world for the time-unt
the fit OF sadness was gone. Now, instea
of that she took up the best works in literi
ture and gradually found herself acquirin
finer taste than before, and an ability
talk on many subjects. This gift she use
with great tact in helping others. Her mi
sic she had taken up with new ZEAL And S
when one Sunday in Sabbath-school, tn
pianist was absent she filled the vacanc,
and thereafter the pianist who was delicat'
felt that she could rely on Miss Bruce to fl
her place when absent
Gradually life grew very good to thi
woman, to whom once it had been wear
ness Looking back, the past heartlessnes
appeared as a dream. Life was so full, S
filled up with gentle deeds and words, an
charities, that she had no time to think c
and pity herself.
AT last-no, not at last-there came
her the best Of Gods good gifts, a goo
man and true, who, looking down upon he
said
"Will you be my wife ?"
She became his wife, knowing that a
wife-and perhaps motber--she could gro'
and develop into her best, noblest womaI
hood."-Christian Weekly.