Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-07-27
international Sunday. School Lessons.
THIRD QUARTER.
ANYTHING BUT A FAILURE.

Her life began so brilliantly" said
my friend, lit is pity that it has
turned out such failure"
We were speaking of one who in her
girlhood gave exceptional promise of
scholarship and literary culture. Her
powers were uncommon, and were
equaled by her ambition. Stimulated
by admiring parents and teachers, and
filled with genuine love of knowledge,
she studied so necessarily that her health
broke down, and there came n period
of enforced repose.
Rallying, the same course of severe
effort produced the same result, and the
studies had to be laid aside. The lamp
burned brightly, but the vase was fragile
and so the flame was obscured. It
could never become beacon sending
its rays far and wide, through mirk and
gloom. But it could and did burn
steadily on with mild, pure radiance,
shedding its cheerful luster over the
home circle.
Contented to abide in lowly ministries,
the gifted girl, finding that she could not
spend days and nights over Greek and
Latin, determined to become that rare
thing, perfect housekeeper. She
learned patiently and thoroughly the
various secrets of homework; those
occult processes by which neat, beauti-
full and well-ordered homes are kept
going as if by magic.
Reading the other day about Solo
mons temple. and the great blocks of
hewn stone and massive beams of cedar,
which were prepared and brought to it,
all ready for use, so that the grand
edifice was reared in dignified quietude,
without noise or confusion, l thought,
how like to This is the work which must
take place in the household, if things
are to be carried forward in order. No
body builds beautiful home temple
without pains and care, and we must do
our polishing and hewing out of sight,
if we would be successful architects.
The young girl 1 am speaking of q
will call her Lillie) learned to brew, to
bake, to sweep, to dust, to sew, to man.
age servants and to entertain guests, ev-
cry one of these occupations being in
manner uncongenial to her, since she
was by nature shy, retiring, and bit of
recluse. The variety and exercise
necessary to homely housekeeping did
not tax her strength as did intense de-
votion to books, yet she continued frail,
and was sometimes laid aside for
months.
/ suppose nobody learns how to SYM
pathize with the sick in any other way
than by learning pain suffering. Our
Lille became a tender visitor in
Swallowed homes. She would come
with her soft step, her gentle words,
her sweet face and her unerring tact
int 60 81 Il " -
the patient felt encouraged. So, there
was one work she did for the Master,
not less precious that it was a very un-
obtrusive one.
She taught class after class in the
Sabbath-school; and as the years went
by, and the girls and boys who had been
under her instruction grew up, they re-
membered her counsels and priced her
continued friendship. They sought her
for advice, told her their perplexities,
and were influenced by her in their ma
turity, as they had been guided in their
childhood.
Lilies brothers and sisters married
and went here and there to their new
homes. Neither love nor marriage were
appointed for her, and she staid on with
her parents through their declining
years, always their comfort, and gradu-
ally their main dependence. She re-
tanned, as it seems to me some single
women do, in a marvellous way, the
simplicity of her child-heart through all
her years; and now that her hair is
sprinkled with silver, and her football
is less firm than of old, she is still every
thing that daughter can be to the aged
ones who lean on her
Lille has never written poem, nor
painted a picture, nor made discovery
in science, nor dazzled drawing room.
She has spent her life humbly, in shady
place, but she has made the shadows
sweet with the perfume of Christ's love,
and the world has been the better for
her. Such life is anything but fail
ure:--Margaret E. Sangster, in Congre-
qdtionGlist. 4t