Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-01-25
8elisions Department.
OUR INVENTORY.

take account of stock, and to fore
cast for future work and success.
The man who should neglect to fol-
low this business custom would be
voted unworthy place in the records
of the business fraternity.
If this pause is necessary among
the buyers and sellers, is it not of
equal necessity in the intellectual and
spiritual realm? There is no soul
trying TO meet the ends of existence
but must occasionally drop the cur
tain that will hide it from the worlds
view, and searching each corner of
its storehouse, must bring out its
stock and honestly appraise it.
Upon this periodical inspection
and estimate must depend the
achievement for the future; yet, not
withstanding this is fact, men who
have in literature and in the learned
professions placarded themselves be-
fore the public have in many cases
neglected this inventory, and have
scorned such helps TO success.
Perhaps the pervision of the sig
nificance of the word genius may &C
count for much of the neglect of the
taking account of stock. Whilst
genius should be exalted far more
than it is in the eyes of the majority
of practical people, in that it should
be accorded a place among the
mighty forces that it shall lift and
bless willing, aspiring souls, and
transmute the hard, cold fact of la
Dor for tolling souls, yet when it re-
fuses to call to its aid practical meth
DDS to place its fruits before the
world, then it puts itself beyond the
help of the laws that govern success.
To a young writer who has gained
the worlds ear, this neglect to re-
spect an established law results in
the miscarriage of his highest pur-
pose and dearest hopes often. To
find ones self poised on the top of
the wave for one moment means
sometimes dizziness and at last fall
upon conn on ground. To have
gained height there has been the pay
ing of a price, and truly consecra-
ted worker will ask, "Have | honest
ly gained this height, or is the world
premature in its judgement Of me
How can | bring new forces into ac-
ton to be able to gain and hold an
other place above the last? How
shall my gift be made most effective
How shall the qualities of patience
and perseverance become true helps
to genius? How far shall heed the
voice of those who praise or blame
How far shall I take counsel of my
own munitions?
These questions must have place
in the pauses of effort when the
stock of the intellect is inventoried
And those who have aught to gair
or lose in spiritual good, how car
such fail to see the necessity of this
heart search, and to devise larger
things for the souls future?
The environments for each indi
vidual will not present the same ap
pearance in the future as they hav,
in the past. The truth for which
we sacrificed and fought yesterda,
should. to our further sight have as
sumed exalted proportions. The
souls energies and aspirations shoult
be ready to grasp the new truth
and for this the old capabilities will
not be sufficient. Let us remembe
that a soul satisfied to 90 on, yea
by year, without an inventory, ca
have no deep sense Of it's response
bilitIes, and no appreciation of th
grand possibilities for which it wa
created.
And those who have pledges
themselves to reforms-this time o
appraising the stock of qualities
how significant it ought to be t
such To face the truth that sue
reforms have willy enemies, have tn
strength of the forces of evil arraye
against them, is to see but half tn
truth.
To possess a clearer vision tina
last year-a vision that shall pictur
the truth for which We fight as glor
fed, so that worn out methods, an
half means, and cold efforts shall b
scorned for future warfare-thi
should be the help of the inventory.
And to all true searchers of tn
soul, for whatever results such ma
be striving, there must come til
agony of the sight of mistakes, an
sins of commission as of omission [
bend one low in penitence, and
convince him that all human effort
in a sense inadequate for the wol
of reform given to men.
If this sight of mistakes and il
efficiency shall have the effect upc
these to make them "walk softly a
their days. then they are transmu
ed 10 blessings, and the walkin
softly before TIE Lord shall he
them to hear his smallest command
and shall give them the especi
power for service that one gains wi
is close to a leader, and ready
mark every sign of his.
OH who can impress upon I'll
hurIying, restless, anxious throng {
doors that this pause in the course
a necessity? that, for the concerl