Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-07-06
A SUNDAY SERMON.
DON'T HIDE YOUR LIGHT UNDER A
BUSHEL.
Prentice milford in N. 7. Star =.

Prentice Mulford in N. Y. Star.
"Llghts under bushels" II you |
have a light, talent, or a power
not TO copy others, but to do some !
thing original which may amuse
and benefit the world, you must, in |
order that 1t may shine the bright
est, push it to the front and keep |
on ever pushing it. If you stay ~
the rear you are hiding 1t under a
bu-hrl. II your faith in Your pow
or, your cunfidrnc,. IN >0nr>rll, or
your idea or plan are destroyed 81
weakened by the first sneer or voice
Of opposition it meets, you are hid
ing yourself under the bushel.
You will remember that a large |
proportion OF the world are mere
copyigts. They do only what 9th.
ers have done before them and on.
ly what they have learned from
others. They oppose and sneer at |
every new idea, and afterward ap- |
plaud it and use it, when the man
or woman who will not allow their |
light TO be hid under the bushel |
force it into notice and success. In |
days past the great herd OF copy |
lists sneered aud rdiculed the idea |
of steam as motive power on land
and sea. So they did with electric |
telegraph and the telephone. So
it will be with hundreds of new
ideas, new inventions and new
powers to be developed In the near
future.
These ultra.cOnservative dead.
weights in every business, art, or
profession, do not like changes
They are welded to their rut.-
They don't want to get out of it,
To do so makes them homesick.-l
Besides, it hurts their business
They want TO jog on in the "good
old way"-in the stage coach in
stead of the railroad, in the "sail.
ing packet instead OF the steamer.
They oppose the new as natural.
ly as rats and earwlgs oppose the
entrance of light to their under.
ground habitat IONS, and for a slmi-
lar reason. The light annoys them.
1t drives them of. 1t ruins their
business. They "love darkness
better than light" Hence, they
want your light sander bushel."
If you allow them to keep your
light under that bushel they will
keep you under it also. They will
keep you always in the background.
Ii the first Napoleon had not by
force Of will ridden oyer the Objec-
tiOns OF the veteran martinets who
opposed his new methods of war
fare, he would never have triumph
ed Marengo and Austerltz. If
Cyrus w. Field had not persistent.
ly kept his mind centered on the
project of the ocean cable, despite
sneer, obstruction aud failure after
failure. it might not have been laid
to-day. The glow of every new
light upon the world is always the
work OF one man or very few men
against the many.
Three or four men in California,
years ago, built the Pacific Rail.
road. They first klndled their
light in a dingy Sacrament gro
Gerry. They kept it lighted and
kept also pushing it to the front,
while others were Indifferent, or
dared not take hold of such an un-
dertakiug.
You have no need 10 bluster or
bully your light to the front. 1t is
not the force OF physical effort or
speech that will carry it there and
keep it there. 1t is the silent
torce of u persistent determination
bent on one single aim. When
you are temporarily overcome and
tired out through the opposition
of the dead weights and earwigs
who love darkness fall back on
yourself and the power behind
you. Leave the crowd, leave all
not in sympathy with you. Go TO
your room, scclude yourself. Sleep,
and before you sleep, demand,
pray, desire more power to cope !
with opposition. 1t will surely be
gwen You. How, we know not,
but you will enter on the contest
tomorrow with renewed strength,
and the silent power you gain in
this way will, OF itself, work re-
suits for you.
In the past thousand 5 OF Sights"
have, by this dead dweight, run.in-a'
rut, liye.in.a.r and die.ln.a-rut
sentiment aud crushing out force,
been hidden under bushels and
died out under bushels. Actors of
genuine humor and talent are to.
day playing ia thrd.rate theatres
or accepting inferior parts in first.
class ones because they have al
lowed sneer or opposition or a
more or less failure to drag their
minds into that permanent dis.
couraged, dlsheartened attitude
which is always saying: "What's
the use of trying2 Luck's against
me-Pm bound to fail anyway "
On the heels of this comes drink,
to "drown care"
SO it is with thousands Of other
actors in all parts of life. Their