The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-12-28
The True Spirit

question ask @Whereg" and ~How ?"
The irst question no one can answer,
bot the other is for Is to reply to BY orr
acceptance Of what the year brings IS
Our feelings are particularly keen Just
now. Love seems 70 burn up brighter
on the hearth, no matter hov brightly i
burned before. Selfshness has for q
time been conquered. Our hearts are
warm. What has warmed them?
Tel us. grandma, was il the warm
shawl which you received at Christmas,
CT the bright and unusually kind smiles.
that warmed your heart mOsts Could
il have been the card case from the
thought.ess granddaughter who knew
vou never made calls, or Was it the sEee.
though: that she had not forgotten you,
which made you happy
Grandma does not answer, but We viii
see what mother will say. Vas It the
pretty Pot;ed plants from that kind
friend, or the duchess lace handkerchief
sent BY the boy who thinks nothing good
enough for mother? Did these presents
In all that pressure from your heart ?
Mother shakes her head and We know
what she : thinking o. Nov le, Is ask
one CT the boys about il heard one Of
them saving that the bronze ever his
aunt gave him was Just what he wanted
and had been waiting for, for eighteen
years. Now We think he looked over the
little piece Of brOnzs-5eyond that and
discovered something else which made
him happy.
The grand contagion Of self-forgetful I
ness which rsges at the Christmastide {
warns all hearts and lighteus all bur
dens How long vii it last All, that
Is what We must decide, and l want to
ask ali 70 Join NE and take this motto I
for the New Year. Not to be ministered 4
unto. but TO minis ter This vii insure (
Us our Christmas feelings for all the year /
round, aad a sweet peace viii settle 4
down upon as besides. How about 10Y" I
and happiness" you say. Well, we can
not be sure about them, but peace Is bet 4
ter-best Ofail, really-quiet, restfGl hap 4
piness, JOY under control, activity with
out frietiOn-pe1ce. TO minister 4
resolve win unlock any door which 4
opens upon peace.
Have Ifelt slighted2 Here Is the an
tidOte. am not 10 be minis.ered unto. 4
I am to minister unto others 1 must he 4
idle 10 be lonely. Hzye felt unEor.hy /
OF the blessings life has brought me? Let I
nv worth or want be f0rgotten-lOst 4
sight Of in service Have my burdens I
become heavy and dissouraging. Let I
me take hold with another more heavily 4
burdaaed than I am, and walking To- /
geiher, the inspiration ofeonpaniOnship /
viii lift many pounds Of pressure Am
I intoxicated with joy2 Let me mete it
out t0others that i, may endure Moth
ing must be allowed to stop with Us We
must pass II on, for We ourselves stag 1
nate when cur feelings aud experiences
do. Let Us not eOnfound Psaee and rest !
with si4gnafiOn- They are sweet ard /
beautiful; It y sometimes 70 b. avoided, 4
even If not foul
An old Iialiau psoverb SAYS; He : 4
n bly, en6oEei Who Is cHeap'y divert /
ed II We take 3 view Of American life, I
We shall rec0gaizs how mnch need there /
IS Of this rich endowment. People can I
not be echelply diverted" The fault 4
lies largely in orr edG,Iiion- We mnst /
learn to divert ourselves more oy minis .
tering unto others Let 3s turn more Of f
ten and Eore lovingly uaso nature She /
is a neveT-f4iiing s0urce Of delight AID .
inssruction % those Who are able 70 r. !
eeivs what she can give. Then lst us
revive the SWEET and real friendships
that used 70 be in the good old times"
when tie world moved sioEer zui the
people had more tine. NV the iisA Of
friendship Is desra is,i to mean Al &c
ouaintance Il vAriousiy m5dii-,i degrees.
We al nesi friends Jnzt are Irus, deep
sources Of JOY and strength. But these,
too, must come through minis,rstiOn. II
We would gain the greatest friendship Ve
must be the greatest friend.
I cannot turn nv thoaghts to other
things EishoG. taking you with me
where 1 have been since I made the re-
solve above. We have read the kind
wisheSo OF many friends for s Happy
New Year and thoughts grouped them
selves about us which. push them back
ss We might, persisted in being recogniz
Ell Yes, soTroxful thoaghts / mean.
How do you treat thsn2 We must lot
seorn them or shuidsr before them. FA-
niliarity. remember, blunts the keenest
edge So i / bss. 10 consider calmly
the possibilities Of he greatest griefaud
Suffering. A hezrt-bToken mother told
ne once she had never thOught it posi-
bic her child could die, ami then under
stood her grief better. she vas not Pre-
pared for Il in any way nOs even the
poorest preparation had been made. Do
not, BY any means, be morbid, but let Is
| give resi ignec recognition 70 al Poss-Oiii-
ties. We shall De happier and more
thankful 4 We see the steruest forms CT
s1rroE turned away from Us and stand
ing in she background But We must be
acquainted with them, or else Ee shall
not Be able to discern their distance
even. We must be hopeful and eheery,
filing up Ozr lives with works Of love.
and then ghatevsr comes We shall be
prepared TO meet it-prepared by
chArmei life, the secret Of which is not
10 be miaisiered nto, bat to minister. =
I County Gs1sfisman-
BuckIsns s ArnIca save.