The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-26
Written for the Sunday Sentinel.
Life and Faith.

How sadly bitter is this life of ours with
out faith in some one. Gentle reader, did
you ever come to the conclusion that truth.
faith and honesty in man and wcman wers
frauds, mere creatures of the imagination?
Did you ever live tor years and look with
suspicion on all, except perhaps. mother2
God and all good angels pity the man In
that condition, and yet there are men, and
We meet pass them by every day.
How hard it is to give up the hopes of this
life. How hard it is to lay down the sweet,
expecting never again to take it up, and
then bending the back to the bitter load of
distrust, turn your face away from the pleas
ures and pains, the joys and SORROWS blended
as they are 90 happily with the past, turn
your face for ever away towards whatever the
beyond may 1sve.
Do you remember how you stopped and
gszed back into the valley of restP How your
heart seemed to weep the past all away in
bitter sobs2 How you stretched your arms
back toward the past and forever gone SUM-
shine. and turning toward the valley of IN
rest how cold and dark the future looked to
you? Not one ray of light before you. Not
a sign board of hope to point out the way to
you. Faith all gone the world all behind
you. What lay ahead you cared not.
In after time if you were asked how you
lived those years, you could scarcely
tell and yet you lived, your
pride keeping you respectable, your will
power holding high your head above the
waters OF earthly ruin. Friendly with all
and yet lacking confidence, you had friends
without friendship. Do you rememoer how
sick and tired you grew of your hateful life,
bow you dare not quit it
Do you remember how you, seeing other
happiness, longed for the love of some one
hat could understand yoU.-one that you
could eonfdein? After ali your years of
Doubt ano dIstr1st you prayed for some one
20 whom you might go and know that you
were safe. Oh now the thought aided 8
new vigor To your life, and then failure or
success meant more 10 you than csn be told
on cold. white paper ana when yOu had
found the one You sought how carefully you
Ook ed every fact in The face, how for weeks
and months you were afraid lest your hopes
bad been born but TO die. How carefully
every action was noted. every saying weighed,
how you schooled yourself, so as to set we'll
the impartial judge, and at times when you
thought the old dark life must certainly
&C mmence seain for YOU. do you remember
how dopbly dark 1t seemsd? Your glance OF
the sun had created such desire for sun.
shine that the darkness seemed blacker than
ceath. and then you found that you had not
ionged in vain that heDceforih in life you
I had life that come what might nothing couli
b-ing back to you the cid dark days. Such
proof had been given you that forever al
| doubts were banished Ga what day that
vas to you 1t is likely that never in your
| life before had you thanked God fer any
| tniDg;h how revere ltly YOU thanked him now.
! Your faith in thesone person in the world 20
/ you was perfect God grant that the curtain
+, of lie NAV never sgsin De raised on the Old
! life. How changed your life is. How earn
/ est you are in your prayers, and every day
| you thank the all wise ruler Tor what he hss
given you
God pity the true. loving heart the only
hope of vhose life has gone down in dark
| ness
Charlottesville. Ind. April. 1886.