Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-08-24
A lay sERMoy.


Y DEARLY BELOVED: Il is the little
things in this life that make up our hap
piness or misery. II we had 10 deal only
with the great things We could get along.
III there were only lions in the way. life
would be pleasauter than il is. II we
were only expected to be heroes, we
could accomplish our warfare and work
out our mission with less trouble than
now encompasses us. But alas, IL Is not
against lions and greater dangers that
the voice of inspiration warns us. 1t is
only the "little foxes" we are to take.
And the man who despiseth the day Of
small things is even as he who lifteth up
bis head in the air and vaunteth himself,
even while he setteth his foot upon the
humble banana peel. Falleth he over a
man BY treading upon dry goods box.
or doth be stumble over two story
house? Take us the foxes, the little
foxes. that spoil the vine."
Brethren, II is easier to kill lion than
to catch fox. It is easier to build a
wagon than it is to make watch. Great
is the warrior who taketh a city, but he
is better than the mighty, that is slow to
anger. and better is .he that ruleth his
spirit" than he that taketh city.
Why see, how much of human misery
Is based upon the merest triaes. The
man who makes himself supremely
wretched because heswants something
his neighbor has. and can't get it; the
man who swears when he loses his collar
button; the man who breaks the furni-
ture because he can't find his hat on the
rack when he left it out in the back
yard; the man who wants to die when he
wakes at night to hear it raining in per-
feet torrents and remembers that he
left all the kindling wood out doors ON
the cistern box; the man who is unhappy
because his boots are tight; the young
man, or old man either, who tries to
make $40 salary support 500 coat, and
is miserable because there is mis6t
some where, the man who is cross and
Isavageall through house cleaning week;
the man who is always sick and misera-
BILE after the picnic; the man who iscross
because 1t is hot, and gruff because its
cold, and irritable because it is wet
what are these men but the torI
mented victims of 'sthe little foxes that
spoil the vines.n These men have no
grave trials. They are miserable because
they make themselves so, and they re-
main miserable because they are too lazy
to set a fox trap. Ii the old world had
no heavier SORROWS than these we would
be 80 happy down here some Of us
wouldn't care Il, 90 to heaven. Tav this
paper down right here. dearly beloved.
and count up ali yo,ir own trials and sor-
rows and tribulations: strike out all the
little, petty EVERYDAY annoyances Won
are ashamed to call tribulatiofls. and see
how little YOU have to make life unhappy.
Honestly. now. what trouble have yollq
You need not tell me: lust give YOU rself
an honest answer. 5sE
If we allowed the great wrongs Of life
to move us as deeply as do the petty
trials; il we endured our light affi lotions
more pgtientIy, and more valiantly com.
hatted the great evils, how soon would
we reform this old world. If one half
the indignation that is poured out upon
the insenate collar buttons that roll away
under the shadowy concealment Of inn
passive lounges and bureaus were as
faithless politicians who betray their
trusts and barter their principles for
place and profit. there would be no
mourning over and lack of honest men
in public places. If society broke the
furniture and foamed at the mouth and
tore things when it can find neither its
bank account or the Cashier as ii does
when it simply cannot find its hat, no
man could steal trust funds and build d
new house Herewith. If the man who
tries to reverse the appearance OF num-
ber, 6 boot, would only try as bard to
make his sinful nature compass the vir-
tyroc af a saint tho world UntYII ho fro