The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-11-25
A BEAUTIFUL CHARACTER.


Rise Above the UnlOvely, Unhelpful Sur
rOundings and Become Like unto the
Perfect Model.
In the desert land of the world, where
SO many are struggling for power,
wealth and position, how few there are
who seek the truest wealth in the
culture of the heart and soul, and aim
at high ideal of character.
1t is a welcome thought that, amid so
much imperfection, there are few
sweet spirits akin to the angels, who are
each ready to reach out a helping hand
to those who need assistance and en-
enlargement; and to scatter flowers and
sunbeams in the pathway of others.
They are truly blessed who possess
warm, loving natures, which flow out
in affection and sympathy to the world;
and who have only God-like charity in
their hearts, even for the erring, who
are struggling up to the light
What kindness and tenderness we all
need to help us through life. We have
gaping heart-wounds that need to be
bound up and Modified with the ONT
ment of love and sympathy. After
passing through great sorrows, the
bleeding, suffering heart feels every
unkind word or act like cruel blow,
while the kind deeds we receive are
like odorous blossoms, which leave only
fragrant memories in the soul.
1t is very difficult thing to preserve
sweet and loving spirit under the
manifold trials of life. The tendency
of human nature, in encountering the
hostility and harshness of the world,
and in meeting reverses and disap-
pointments, is to become soured and
embittered; and how earnestly we
should struggle against this spirit. Let
us rather strive to rise above adversely,
and use the inevitable ills of life as
stepping-stopes to sweeter and no.
bier character.
The leaves of some fragrant shrubs,
as the lemon-verbena, must be crushed
before they exhale the full measure of
their sweetness. And so we need the
crushing discipline of trial and sorrow
to perfect human character. And in
proportion as we attain a lofty ideal of
character will we become blessing to
the world, lifting other lives to a
higher level as the magnetic influence
of the radiant moon lifts up the ocean
tides.
We all have a cross to carry; it is
laid upon our shoulders, and the choice
of it is not left to us. 1t can become
milestone about ones neck, or it may
be wreathed with flowers, according to
the spirit in which we bear it.
Even uncongenial household tasks
may be lightened by performing them
in cheerful spirit, and we think of the
brightness, comfort and cheer that may
he wrought by the labor of our hands.
This gift of making home sweet and
pleasant is committed to women alone.
| If these household tasks should become
burdens like mountains, and press upon
| us, let us not sit down and brood over
them until all the sweet, pellucid wa
| ters of the soul turn to bitterness. But
let us divert our minds by reading some
sweet poem, or beautiful thought ex-
| pressed by gifted writer's which may
lift us into higher atmosphere. Or
let us walk out into the pure
air and bright sunlight; and out
in this western country, contemplate
the sublime beauty of the snow-c clad
mountains, until the clouds vanish and
the mind RECEIVERS it's wonted serenity.
Music is a never-failing outlet for the
fretted spirit, and under it's magic influ'
ence the cares and frets of life, 1.-THE
spirit jars and frets," as Longfellow sc
aptly expresses it:
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away
Even the drudgery of life may be q
means of grace to lift the spirit heaven
ward. We must either master the in
evitable ills of life by rising above
them. or else become abject slaves to a
cruel bondage, and be utterly crushed
beneath its whitening power.
One of the secret sorrows under which
we fret, is the faults of those with
whom our lot is cast There may be
an entire lack of sympathy with oui
own pursuits, or the things which we
hold most dear and sacred. 1t may be
something that we can not help, any
more than we can change the skin of
the African, or the spots of the leopard
A child may be born into family sc
unlike the other members that they
can no more understand its delicate
nature than they can comprehend the
ethereal structure of the bright-hue6
rainbow, or enter into the airy gambols
of the fragile butterfly.
A woman may be bound for life to a
man, to whom her higher nature and
aspirations may be a sealed volume
Or a husband may be bound tc
a wife who is not capable
Of fathoming the depths of hi,
nature; or giving him that perfect sym
pathy which is ever an incentive to no
BILE effort. Just such environments as
| these have quenched the light of many