St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-05-13
The Discipline Of Failure.

Do YOU remember how hard IT was
in the DAYS of your childhood to be con-
tented under the shadow of some great
disappointment Iou had set your
heart strongly on some anticipated
pleasure. and it was far more bitter
than any grown person suspected, to
put aside the purple and fine linen of
that fair hope. and assume the every
day raimcnt of the comfortable and
common place. We learn as we go on
in life to conceal our feelings of pain
even when most acute, and to wear
smiles when tears are near the eyes,
that we may shed no cloud on others
sunshine: but perhaps we never learn
To accept trial and care as we ought
until we are in the Bculah land, which
is on the border of the heavenly rest.
Thinking of this matter of the dIScl-
plinc of failure. am persuaded that
there are few who do not experience IT,
and few therefore who do not require
it, for God gives us individually and
daily that which l. best for our growth
in grace. The strange part of 1t Is,
however. that sometimes our failures
are, rs il were. underlined i'll our own
consciousness like the emphatic words
in IA Sentence, and we fail Oftenest
and most conSpicuOuSly in the very
places where we have always supposed
ourselves to bc strongest. lOu are Il
SUNDAY school teacher. Yours is the
service of almost half Il lifetime. You
love the work, and YOU attend faithful
" to its responsibilities according to
your light. As for preparation of the
lesson, for personal influence with the
scholar, for secret prayer, conscience
aculits YOU of neglect in any of these
particulars. But the one thing You long
for most earnestly is delayed. Your
scholars admire You. love Nou. emulate
YOU in certain ways. hut still they do
not come to Christ. lou are very like
ly to forget that You are Int the Sowcr
of good seed. and that till the Spirit
move on the youthful hearts you must
wait for their conversion. You are
very likely to grow weary and dcpreSS-
ed, and not Ia accept in the right frame
of mind this discipline of failure in
what most you desire.
The failure may he of more mOrti-
flying nature than this more humiliat-
ing. that is, to Il very natural pride and
sense of self respect. There is Il bright,
pretty girl, whom You have specially
liked for some captivating qualities OF
solid eXccllcnccs of character. You
try to win her confidence. Iou do not
succeed. You are halllcd, puzzled,
grieVcd to find yourself evaded, and
surprised at your lack of attraction foI
person who has 50 many and decided
attractions for Won. After while yOuI
pupil leaves Won for some other class.
and there she thrivcs and blossoms like
IL flower transported from Il chilly to Il
kindlier atmosphere. 1t may he that
the ease is still more pronounced as Il
failure on your part. for your scholar
may leave your school altogether, in
these days of irresponsible parents, and
some day YOU meet her and she tells
YOU how congcual she finds it at st
Eunice'S and how happy she has been
since she became established there
Failures of this sort are very common
Are we to grow used to them. to regard
them as among the lnScparablc evils o
city life. to mourn over them as show
ing some flaw or defect in ourselves
OF To look upon them rs part of ON
own training in patience and faith
Probably the last. Perhaps. when ",
know how hard il is To take such evcnts
swcetly, praycIiully, and with SINGER,
gladncss that the Masters work is be
ing done. although 10y other hands thar
ours. we become convinced that we art
still far from being fully sanctitied
All! this uplifting of self when instead
we should elevate the Cross this car
ing for our hurt ScnSibiliticS when W,
should want more than all else tina
the Lords will may hc donc-thcsc ar,
sometimes a revelation indeed to GU
hearts, of their SinfulncSs and dark
ness.
The discipline of failure may come t,
YOU in other ways. lou are an artist
For years You have striven to do som,
good work, seeing ever before yol
some beautiful ideal. You toll early
and late. You neglect nothing. Yol
are severe in your Sclf-criticism. I'M
sparing in self-ccnsurc and rigid il
following the truth. But "Madonn.
eyes look on YOU in the air, but neve
from the picture" and 10, when YOU
hair is silVer-thrcadcd. and your han'
is losing its cunning, some lad with
lads light debonair ways and lad
fresh enthusiasm. does without seem
ing effort what Nou have never don
with all your care. How many hav
known this bitterness which comes +
the poet. the author and the scholar. a
well as to the painter and sculptor
Shall YOU Ice Jealous Shall You de
cry the merits of that which all ar
praisingG Shall YOU stoop to mean
ness and refuse to discern the promis
of genius and its quick fultilments
Not so if failure. coming after homes
labor, have wrought in you its divin
beauty 81 that you are more than tn
work of Nour hands
Failure reaches YOU in other way,
and subtler and finer are the soul is
SUES il sometimes touches. lou haV
friend, dearly loved and closel
guarded in your heart. Your frien
fails you, perhaps says mkind thing
of you. Well says the wise man tina
brother offended is harder Ia be wo
than a strong city. Shall YOU be down
east because human being, seem
partially, knowing little of the spring
which animate conduct and easily EN-
tertaining prejudice, has acted withou
loyalty and entertained malice an
guile instead of love and forbearance
Whoever you are. public teacher q
private citizen, clothed upon with off