Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-04-02


Of the life which places its commands
upon us? Fancy what that would be
were the necessity for ourselves but re-
movedl Did no one claim one kindly
office at our handsl Did no pressing
/ engagements vie with each other for
our timel
! Perhaps the novice is less likely to
fall into the habit of fretting than he
who has already provedhis power and
chafes at the little duties and inter
ruptions which fritter away his time.
In this progressive and elective age
! 1t would not be amiss if the great uni
gersities were to institute course Of
/ training in the art of bearing inter
ruption with equanimity and without
waste of mental force. Perhaps it
would be called the chair of mental
concentration. 1t takes SO small a
thing to intercept the thought lowering
midway between brain and pen, but
how great the struggle to recall i'll
So far as the interruption itself goes it
matters little whether it be ''just for
one minute"-that sounds so plausiblel
or whether the break be final. 1t is
| the knot in the thread OF thought that
mars it. Happy the man who can write a
sermon with child on his knee or draw
! up a ''brief'' in the din of the crowded
court-roomi twas said of Rev. Horatio
N. Powers, preacher and poet, that he
was in the habit of preparing his sermons
with his children about him, answering
their questions and attending to their
wants.
Disbursement is another element
which enters into the success or failure
which depends upon purely mental
work 1t is far more than in its literal
sense that nothing succeeds like sue
cess" 1t has the power of transmu-
tation. 1t is like yeast, pervading with
subtitle influence every function of the
mind. Starving men thrive on it. Yet,
knowing that, and how small meas
ure of praise would infuse new life
into some disheartened soul, we with
hold our commentator until perfec-
ton shall have been attained. Why not
offer a word of encouragement to him
who is striving upward by any roadP
1t will help him the sooner to reach
the top. There is plenty of room up
there The army that set out is dwin-
died to forlorn hope long before it
reaches the final struggle for the
summit. IL needs stout heart
and strong arm to carry the stand
ard and plant it there. But all honor
to those who try and fail. Even though
one never get there himself, it is some
thing to have helped another up. A
little patience, little willingness to-
be bored9 Yes, if you will have it SO;
for not every one can be as interesting
as we are, to ourselves. A clever artist
once painted the sea. Under his brush
IL moaned and tossed its white foam as
it advanced and retreated across the
glistening sand. One could almost
smell the salt Beside his white UNI
brella, from day to day, was placed an
other; and a patient painstalxing lad
also painted the sea. To be sure, It
was not so restless, nor so wet, nor SO
salt; but every night his canvas bore
away better picture for the kindly
hint and encouraging word which the
older man did not grudge. There is no
table by which we can calculate the
value of inspiration to the humble prem
tice in any craft.
"The reward of one days work is the
power to achieve another" What
though letters accumulate, engage
>ments thiclsen, wants" multiply, pub
fishers become unreasonable, editors
unappreciative, critics narrowing and
hardest of all-interruption breaks
the thread of the very first argu-
ments. Acknowledge yourself bank
rupt of time and strength and capital.
But do not mourn over it. Get out of
your rut If you have friends, seek
them. Ii you have none, make them.
1t will put yellow glass into your own
windows to take glance through
your neighbours. The best tonic in
the world is change of air. Home
never seems so dear as when one has
been away from it. Association was
not given us to be abused, but to be
used to the health and profit of both
soul and body. Do not think the
same thoughts from day to day. All
the better that we do not all cherish
the same opinions. We shall have an
opportunity to test our own standards
if there is fair exchange.
Butwhen you have anything to say,
say it. Do begin eheerily. Whistle, if
you are a man; if you are a woman,
hum in the face of anxiety. Laugh at
interruption. snub encouragement Do
not wait to file your letters or oil your
typewriter. There viii be time enough
for that when you are intellectually
tired. Tomorrow you may have no
message. Never mind the past. You
cannot help it now. Let the future take
care of itself The present moment is
your concern. There will never be
another like it. While it may not be
possible to make ones surroundings
ideal, it is possible TO fit ones self for
the place designed for him. The Ba-
tavian wore an iron ring around his
neck until he had slain an enemy. That
was voluntary. The goading ring
which discomfort FORCES about our neclxs
must be worn with many tear till we
have vanquished the enemy and set our
e.lx.o- &c., Cl,av,arv II, Cl,t.