Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-12-04


1t Ia not given to all OF us TO live in
upper stories, or sit singing In the open
am waiting like a dove to fly away into
heaven. "Aunt Candaee'' got there, but
she had to climb a weary lot of stairs to
do it, and We who haven't got beyond
the first floor yet, If We keep on climb
ing, may get there, too, only don't let
MS forget to thank the good Lord for
the stairway of common sense and the
foundation stones Of material means,
which give US good service on the way.
All these faith ealers and mind Curers
seem to me like a lot OF folks who want
to occupy the upper chambers without
climbing. The Lord didn't see fit TO
give them wings yet, and they scorn the
feet He did give them. If they attain
unto the higher places they viii have to
use the means He furnishes to get there.
not depend upon special miracles to car
~ them up. All the sitting helplessly
on the cellar stairs and trying to pray
yourself up garnet is not going to do
any good; nor all the arguing that you
are not In the cellar viii lift you Co the
Iridge-pOle. Faith, as a disconnected
/ faculty, Is like the desire to walk with
out using the feet. 1t can not result
/ in any progress, any more than can an
/ effort to get upstairs without the action
! Of viii power on the limbs. The person
/ who relies merely upon faith without
liz sasUn becomes a lunatic or an hysteric
/ emotionalist. If 1 have headache that
headache is the result of some broken
law, and all my efforts to reason myself
out Of it, provided it really exists, will
avail me little until L seek the cause and
learn the remedy. The mind-cure theory
works miracles in giving an impetus to
selfish people TO get outside of their con-
slant thoughts OF self, and thus, trans
ferring their regard to other matters
than their own aches and ailments,
works a wonderful experience Of new
sensations and eAthusiasms.
All the mind-cure treatment in the
world is not going to cure an actual dis
ease. 1t will not remove a bullet mol
set a broken limb, although it may dis
sipate hypOchOndria and drive away q
purely nervous disorder. Put the bayO-
net of an actual necessity behind the
half Of these languid invaIids and you
Will see as great a miracle of cure az
faith or metaphysics ever wrought.
knew a woman once who never had {
well day In all her adult life. She wal
plump as a kitten, fair as white feather
sweet tempered as an August apple, bu
something was always wrong with her
She laid in bed for days at a time, RnC
the servants brought her milk-punchel
and hOt-house fruit. The children wer,
cautioned to step lightly by her door
and the doctor called with sad frequen
Icy. One day her husband fell down an
open elevator shaft, and was bEOugh
home dead; the money was all swallowed
up in debts. Up stalked poverty anC
marked the door posts with a heavy
cross. Actual want sat down In the
chimney corner and the little children
found nobody in all the wide world but
poor, sick mamma between them and tn,
poOr-house. And what did poor sicl
mamma do? She went to work like
we'll woman. To-day she Weathers al
storms that the heavens blow, and neve
Irememl ers that once even the zephyr
were tempered for her through the rose
lined fleece Of love. Was it metaphysic
that cured her? Or that beggaTly faitl
which, like an idiOtic child, is Away
questioning of its father the common
steps it ought to take alone? Neither
my dear; 1t was simply a grim necessity
and q latent reserve power III a hilbert,
idle woman which made a heroine out o
a sluggard.