The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-04-17

HE, and L want you to draw the plan
for church, commodious. beautiful
well ventilated, and with plenty OF
windows TO let in the light: | want
YOU to get right ut work in making
out plans for such building, for,
though [ am well now, life is unccr
tam, and before leave the world
want to see something done that will
be an appropriate acknowledgement
ofthc goodness of God to me and mine;
now wncn can L hear from you!"
Who would attempt to write the
obituary of the dead lions O, con
mcrcc, the dead lions of law, Tn,
dead lions of medicine, the dead lions
OF social influence! Vast capacity
had they. and mighty range, and 9th
rr men Ill their presence were rs
powCrleSs as the antelope or hcifct
or giraffe when from the Jungle Nh
INDIAN lion springs upon its prey.
But they got through with life They
lay down in their magnificent lair
They have made their last sharp
bargain. They have spoken then
last hard word. They committed
their last mean ACT. When IL tawny i'll
hnbit;mt OF the desert rolls over help
less. the lioncsS and whclps ill the
air with shrickS and hOwlS, and lash
themselves INTO lamcutatiOn, and il il;
Il genuine Grief for the poor things.
But when this dead lion Of monStrolls
u@~lrsSncSS expires, there is nothing
but dramatiZCu woe, for ''Bctter is Il
living dog than Il dead lion.
VI V tnNt oISn ,nnonS thnt .,n ,,N,n,.
tlnltNof the living present is better
than great opportunity passed.
We spend much OF our time IN say
ing: IF | only had" We cam all
look back and see some occasion
where We might have done II great
dccd. or might have effected an I'M
pnrtam rescue. or we might have
dealt II stroke that would have ac-
compliShpd Il vast result. Through
stupidity or lack of appreciation of
the crisis, through procrastinatiOn
we let the chance goby. How much
time We have wasted III thinking Of
what W" might have said or might
have donc. We spend hours and
days and Years il walking around
that dead lion. We cannot rcsusci-
,..t'. II. IT viii never open its eyes
again. Ihrr" will never be another
spring III itSpAw. Dcadns amy feline
terror Of South Africa, through
who's" hear! thirty Years ago Gordon
! Cumming sent the slug. Don let us
give any more time 10 the dcplori' .
OF the dead past There are cher
opportunities remaining. They may
not be as great. but they arc worth
our attention. Small opportunities
all around. opportunities for the say
img Of kind words and doing Of kind
! deeds. HclplcssncSS to be helped
/ Dishcartcncd ones to be encouraged
Lost ones to be found. Though the
present may be insignificant as com
pared with thcpast ,"Bcttcr is alivina
dog than Il dead lion.
Ih" most useless, and painful feeling
is the one OF regret Repent of lost
| opportunities We must. and Get Dur-
| don We may but regrets weaken. dis
heatcn. and cripple further work.
IT Il sea captain who once had charge
CT Il White Star steamer across the
Atlantic ocean. one foggy night runs
on rock off Newfoundland. and pas
scngcrs and ship perish, shall he re
| fuse TO take command OF Il small
boat mp The North river and SAY. Il
never will go on the water again I'M
less | can run on the White Star
line! Shall thr engineer OF Il light
mnG express, who ut station mis-
read the telegram of tram dispatch
! cr and went into collision. and for
that has been put down to the work
OF engineering Il freight train, say. II
Wall never AGAIN mount an engine lln-
less | can run Il vcStibulc cXprcSs!'
Take what you have of opportunity
left. Do your best with what re
mains. Your shortest winter day is
worth more to You than can be the
longest day of Il previous summer.
Your opportunity now, as compared
with previous opportunities, may be
small ~ i raj terrier compared with
the lion which at Natnbosl. fatally
wounded by the gun Of David Living-
S;on. III It's Hcath agony lcapcd upon
the missionary explorer, and with its
jaws crushed the bone of his arm to
splmtCrs. and then rolled over and
expired. but, "Brltrris is Il living dog
than II dead lion.
Hly text also means that the con
duion OF the most wrrtchcd man
alive Is better thm that of the most
fovor'd OF sinners departed. The
chamrr Of these last is gone. Where
they III" they cannot make any earth
~ assets available. After Charlie
imagine WAS dead ne was set in an
Ornln"ntc cI SrDllchrr ON = ,rol,Inu