Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-04-16
The DUTY of To-Day.

a S1CtiO uCAA VI C1lue ~ SpcuL Ill Visions
of what might have been, of what might
be, of what would be agreeable if it were
Meanwhile the duty of the hour waits to
be done, and how often waits in vain !
We may fancy that because we had chosen
what we thought would devolve a GER
tain line of duties on us, and an entirely
different line results or seems to result
from our choice, therefore we are not
bound to do what we had not chosen to
do; but this conclusion is illogical and
works irreparable mischief. The Divine
INDUCTION is, Whatsoever thy hand find
eth to do, do it with thy might" work
while it IS called to-day, for the night
cometh." Work? At what? At the
nearest duty, and when that is done at
the next. Sometimes we seem to have a
choice in duties. oftener we have none,
but find ourselves confronted with GER
tain specific tasks and compelled to per
form them, yea, sometimes to gather
the straw to make the full tale of bricks
withal. .+.. ....-. ,-..-
Some years ago young woman who,
from an ardent devotee Of pleasure and
worldly ambition had become an enthusi
astic disciple of Jesus Christ, that she
of saving souls and building up the
church, married preacher Of suitable
age and like aspiration. As the years
passed a large family Of children occupied
her almost to the exclusion of everything
else. This was certainly not what she
had chosen, not what she wanted. But
what was duty? The family was insti-
tuted before the church was. These souls
given expressly to her for nurture had
first claim on her, and this claim must re-
ceive first attention, as it did, though her
zeal for church work was undiminished.
About the time of this marriage another
young woman married farmer. A year
or two afterwards he became a preacher,
and his wife hung a. dead well ht upon
him till she died. She didn't marry a
preacher" and the duties of preachers
wife she wouldn't even try to perform.
Now all OF US are more or less in the
position OF these two women. We are
called on to perform duties we have not
chosen, for which we have no natural an
titude, duties that are hard, disagreeable.
distasteful, wearisome. But many of us
are chained to the oar and can't get
away, though we may be sullen and I'M
willing and reluctant and rebellious and
repining. And we may waste in sullen-
ness and rebellion moral force enough to
do all the duty demanded of US with
abundant success, so as to insure final
browning happiness.
Our duties are by no means always
active and positive They are often ne
gative. The duty of fax in the field is to
grow, but when it is cut down, retted,
broken, scutched, Aatchelled, spun and
woven it is performing passive duty.
The diamond cemented to the dop and
held against the polishing wheel has no
choice but to have its very substance worn
away, but only SO is its perfect beauty
brought out and it made fit to sparkle in
the monarch's crown.
The onyx pressed against the engraver's
wheel and having it's very heart ground
out may well shrink, though it may not
get away, but when the design is wrought
and the proof shows that every part is
finished, the gem has gained thousand
fold in value for all it has lost Shall it
cost us nothing to have His name craven
in our foreheads2
We are as flax, as diamonds in the
rough, as gems for the graver, as clay in
the hands of the potter, and that golden
precept in the new found Teaching of
the Twelve Apostles we may we'll take
to our heart Of hearts, THE things that
befall thee accept as we'll wrought, know
ing that without God nothing occurs
There has always been, there will al
ways be, abundance of hard, weary,
thankless work to be done. She who
strives
"+ not to shirk
Her lot in the heir-dom, the tough silent work
The hero share ever, from Herakles down
To Odin, the Earth's sceptre and CROWN
shall in the end hear Him say, a. once to
her who washed His feet with her tears
and anointed them with ointment, s'She
has done what she could"
Aud +1>4vr 4 -
duties, ..who the cross of suffering bear. ]"
who only stand and wait, in the service
of the King, who endure the fires Of the
crucible till all dross is burned and purged
away, these too shall find every cross
changed into administer of blessing, every
hour Of waiting preparation for the
final service, every wave Of heat in the
furnace q purifier to make them At for
the s'rest that remaineth."