The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-03-16
THE BLESSING OF BURDENS.
Rightly Treated They Become Sources of
Strength and Safeguards.


Strength and Safeguards.
There is a general disposition to re-
gard as objects of sympathy persons
who have to carry heavy loads of re-
sponsibility or care. We often think of
the middle period of life as Swallowed
and sober, if not actually dolesome, be-
cause it is the period of burden-bearing.
We picture a condition of absolute free
dom from all such weights in life, and
fancy that would be the very maximum
of comfort, the ideal ''good time"
The common notions have much APP
parent warrant, but they are at bottom
radically fallacious. In the first place,
all real success and prosperity neces-
sarily involve burdens to be borne. The
man who gets on in life finds in the po-
sition he wins, in the property he
gathers, in the influence he acquires,
responsibilities which are inseparable
from his good fortune. without which it
could have no reality and no perma-
nence. "The blessing of authority" it
has been we'll said, sis the blessing of
great cares" The motto of every true
l4n~ss must be that of the English
gSsate's crest. Itch diem" q serve). 1t
is with right instinct that we speak of
our rulers as public servants" And
the man who has risen highest is he
who owes to his fellow-men the largest
service.
Shall we say, then, that success and
etninence and power are attachments
not to be desired because they bring
loads which must be borne? Or shall
I'VE even say that the accompanying
load is necessary evil to which we
must resign ourselves for the sake OF
what we can not have without it? II
this were the right view of the matter,
no comfort will be left for those who
have to carry the burdens of life with
out securing its so-calied rewards. But
it is not the right view. The burdens
that life lays in one way or another
upon us all are not to be regarded as
mere wanton hardships, the less we en-
dure of which the better. On the con
trary, there is in the very burdens
themselves blessing. Rightly treat
ed, they become to us sources O.
strength. and safeguards and help
1t is familiar fact in the moral as il
the physical world that having a loat
to carry tends to make a man stanC
firmly and walk securely. The empt,
car jumps and jolts along the track; thu
loaded car moves steadily. The vesse
with no cargo, or a short one, rolls ant
pitches fearfully; the full-freighteC
craft is steadiest in calm or storm. /
is the heavy balance pole which thu
acrobat carries in his hands that en-
.ables him to walk the tight-rope safely
Every European traveller has observed
the superbly erect carriage, and tn
sure and vigorous tread of the peas
ant men and women who are &C
customed to carry great loads upol
their heads In like manner the stead
fast bearing of burden of care or re
sponsibility develops moral poise an
robustness.
Another suggestive parallel may b
noted. Look at a building in process
of erection, and you will perceive tina
the ladders used by the workmen ar
placed almost perpendicularly. Th
reason is that they can carry their load
more easily and safely if they carr
them straight up. The lesson as to tn
loads we have to carry in life is obvious
Bear them with inflexible uprightness
Do not try to dodge them. Do nc
take a crooked attitude in order I
tighten them a little. Stand straigh
up under them. Go straight up as 20
bear them. The way that looks hare
est is in the end the best and happies
We lately heard an able lawyer putin
in shape complicated and importar
case. He had some INSCRIPTIONS wi
uesses to deal with who wanted to hel
his side in underhanded ways. The
schemes would have simplitied his tas
and would apparently have opened
ready way to the end desired. But b
promptly repudiated them, both b.
cause they were wrong and becaus
they We're unsafe. The only course b
would for a moment contemplate wa
The longer, more difficult, but only 81
cure, course of bare integrity. Ever.
thing that was done, he insisted, inu:
not only seem right, but be right Ma
urally, the result when reached wa
unassailable. We always get there
most certainly if we go straight U
with our load.-N. Y. Examiner.