The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-02-10
through the forest and CRY, "whith.

windY' And 1t replies, I'VE are going
to cool the cheek of that flower" And
then I bow down and say: "Will God |
take care of the grass of the field?"
And flower at my foot responds
eyes, He clothes the lilies Of the field.
and never has yet forgotten me, a
poor little flower" Oh! when l
see the great heavens bending them
selves to what seems Insignificant min
istration, when find out that God does
not forget any blossom of the spring or
any snowflake of the winter, ! come to
the conclusion that we can afford to at
tend to the minute things Of life, and
that what we do we ought to do we'll,
since there is as much perfection in the
construction of spiders eye as in the
conformation of flames of galaXies
Plato had fable which have now
nearly forgotten, but it ran something
like this He said spirits of the other
world come back to this world to find
body and find a sphere of work,
One spirit came and took the body of a
king, and did his work. Another spirit
came and took the body of poet, and
did his work. After awhile Ulysses
came, and he said, ''Why, all the fine
bodies are taken, and all the grand
work is taken. There is nothing left
for me-" And some one replied: "Ah!
the best one has been left for you"
Ulysses said: whats that?" And the
reply was: 1.-THE body of common
man, doing a common work and for o
common reward" A good fable for the
world, and just as good table for the
church. Whether we eat or drink or
whatever we do, let us do it to the
glory of God
Again, we need not bring the religion
of Christ into our commonest trials
For severe losses, for bereavement, for
trouble that shocks like an earthquake
and that blasts like storm, we pre-
scribe religious consolation; but, bust
ness man, for the small annoyances Of
last week, how much of the grace OF
God did you apply? "Oh" you say,
'these trials are too small for such APP
plication." My brother, they are shap-
ing your character, they are souring
your temper, they are wearing out your
patience, and they are making you less
and less of man. / go into sculpt.
or's studio, and see him shaping a
statue. He has chisel in one hand
and mallet in the other, and he gives
a very gentle strike-click, click, click!
l say, why don't you strike harder?'
''Oh!" he replies, that would shat
ter the statue. l can't do it that way;
l must do it this way" So he works
on, and after while the features come
out, and everybody that enters the
studio is charmed and fascinated Well,
God has your soul under process of de-
velopment, and it is the little annoy
ances and vexations of life that are
chiseling out your immortal nature. 1t
is click, click, click! / wonder why
some great providence does not come,
and with one stroke prepare you for
Heaven? All, no. God says that is not
the way. And so he keeps on by
strokes of little annoyances, little sor-
rows, little veXations, until at last you
shall be glad spectacle for angels and
for men. You know that a large for
tune may be spent in small change.
and vast amount of moral character
may go away in small depletion.
1t is the little troubles of life that are
having more effect upon you than
great ones. A swarm of locusts will
kill grain-field sooner than the incur
sion of three or four cattle. You say,
"Since l lost my child since lost my
property, have been different man. .
But you do not recognize the archi.
lecture of little annoyances that are
hewing, digging, cutting, shaping
splitting and interjoining your moral
qualities. Rats may sink ship. One
lucifer match may send destruction
through block of store-houses. Cath
arine de Medicis got her death from
smelling poisonous rose. Colum bus
by stopping and asking for piece O
bread and drink of water at Fran
ciscan convent, was led to the discovery
of the New World And there is an in
innate connection between trifles anG
immensities, between nothings and ev
cry things.
Now be careful to let none of those
annoyances go through their souls un
arranged. Compel them to administer
to your spiritual wealth. The scratch
of a six-penny nail sometimes produces
S locked jaw, and the clip of most infini
tesimal annoyance may damage you for
ever. Do not let any annoyance or per
plexity come across your soul withou
its making you better.
0 Our national government does no
: think it belittling to put tax on pins
: and tax on buckles and tax on shoes
t The individual taxes do not amount t.
much, but in the aggregate to million
Q and millions of dollars And l woul,
o have you, o Christian man, put higl
: tariff on every annoyance and vexa
a ton that comes through your soul
d This might not amount to much
/ in single cases, but in the aggre
s gate it would be a great revenu
u of spiritual strength and satisfaction
9 A bee can suck honey even out of a net
y tie, and if you have the grace of God il
S your heart you can yet sweetness on
a of that which would otherwise irritat
d and annoy. A returned missionar
e told me that a company Of adventurer
y rowing up the Ganges were stung t
e death by flies that infest that region a
l. certain seasons. have seen the cart
q strewn with the carcasses of men slai
i by insect annoyances The only wa
: to get prepared for the great trouble
a of life is to conquer these small troubles
What would you say of soldier VIII
s rnfnsad To load his unn or On into III