The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-07-30
Our DisappOintments.

That 1.-THE unexpected often happens"
is saying 1 have heard all my life. 1t is,
so to speak, the left bower in the game of
life with the I-told-yOu-so class OF people.
Yet it is saying we see eXempliied very
often in life, and from the cradle to the
grave it contributes largely to our successes
and reverses, dsappointments and enter.
tainments.
1t is unnecessary for me to say that our
lot to-day is the direct result of an unex-
pected event. For, if we were to 60 back
in memory to the halcYon days of old, we
would certainly find that we had pictured
for the present stage of our existence an en-
tirely different scene than the one which
now presents itself to our view. We had a
nobler aspiration than that of being placed
under the ban of the laws of the land. We
intended to have happy home of our own,
where the very atmosphere would be con-
secrated by the prattle of our little chill
dren, instead of occupying as we do niche
in a wall, where the very atmosphere is
tainted by the rattle of bolts and bars.
And, above all. we intended to take an act
i've and honorable part in the affairs of
our country, instead of being criminals,
UuClCUy 1OCoAOhS ACo PAOSiOoO' DuGs
alas, our plans have failed to materialiZe.
And, in our misfortune, or whatever you
may choose to call it, we fully appreciate
the sentiment expressed in the following
lines by Robert Burns:
s.The bestlaid schemes O. mice an men,
Gang aft a.gley,
And leave nOught but grief and pain,
For promised JOY"
Now, it is not the purpose of this article
to discuss the question of how great or
how little we are directly responsible for
the failure of our plans. The point is, we
have been disappointed. We have disap-
pointed not only ourselves, but we have
blasted the hopes of loving parents; and.
perhaps, wives and children and host of
others are sharing our disappointment.
What are we going to do about it? Are
we going to act like men and master it9 Or.
are we going to act like arrant towards and
let it master us?
The press of this country is daily chroni-
cling the fates of the victims of disappoint-
ment. It's the crack of a pistol, bloody
knife, vial of poison or jump into the
river that tells the story of how their souls
crossed the dark valley of death. To my
mind the first wrong step, and every SUBJ
seauent one, was the result of a disappoint-
ment This fact is ably illustrated in the
history of the Jews of old. They had long
anticipated the ADVENT OF the SaVlOr, out
because He did not come into the world
with all the power and majesty they ex.
pected He would, they not only rejected
Him, but prosecuted and finally doomed
Him to an ignominious death. Their dis.
appointment was great. exceedingly great,
for to this day their descendants have never
been able to master 1t.
1t is the quintessence of life that we
should be disappointed. And. in the words
of an old writer, ''There is something SUBJ
lime in the resolute, fixed purpose of suffer-
ing without complaining, which makes dis
appointment often better than success. {"
Let us, therefore, put the best foot forward
and determine, come what may, to master
our disappointments at all times. 1t was
Longfellow who said:
"Be patient These severe Affections
Not from the ground arise.
But oftentimes celestial benedictions
Assume this dark disguise.
Let us then be up and doing
With heart for any fate.
Still achievng Still pursuing.
Learn to labor and to wait"
F. B. II.