Connecticut western news., 1892-01-14

| the decay of tae fruits of earthly prosperity may become an inspira- tion instead of depression. Robert Chambers lame feet shut him up from other work, and he became the world renowned publisher and helped fashion the best literature of the ages. The painful disorder like that of Hezeliah called carbmcle, is spelled exactly the same as the pre- cious stone called the carbuncle, and the pang cf suffering may become the jewel of immortal value. Your setback, like that of Ahaz's sumdial, may be recovery and triumph.
 never had a setback but it turned out to be a set forward. You never would have become q Christian if you had not had a setback. The highest thrones in heaven are for the setback8. In 1861 the shadow of the sJIndial of this nation was set back and all things seemed going to ruin, and it was set back farther in 1862, and farther in 1863, and still further in 1865, but there is not an intelligent and well balanced man, north or south, east or west. but feels it was set back toward the sunrise.
 TURN THE SHADOWS BACK.
 But l promised to show you how the shadows might be turned back. First, by going much among the young people. In most family circles there are grandchildren. By this di- vine arrangement most of the people who have passed the meridian of life can compass themselves by juvenil- ity. Ii is bad thing for an old man or old woman to sit looking at the vivacity of their grandchildren shout ing Stop that racket" Better join in the fun. Let the eighty yeaf-old grandfather join the cight-year- young grandson or granddaughter My father and mother lived to see over eighty children and grandchil dren and great-grandchildren, and a more boisterous crew were never turned out on this sublunary sphere, and they all seemed to cry to the old folks Keep young" and they did keep young.
 Don't walk with a cane unless you have to, or only as defense in city afflicted with too many canines Don't wear glasses stronger than necessary, putting on number tens when eighteens will do us well. Don't go into the company of those who are always talking about rheuma- tism and lumbago and shortncss of breath and the brevity of human life It is too much for my gravity to hear an octogenarian talking about the shortness of human life. From all l can find out he has always been here. and from present prospects he is al ways going to stay. Remain young Hang up your stockings in Christmas time. Help the boys fly the kite. Teach the girls how to dress their | dolls. Better than arnica for your stiff | joints and catnip tea for your sleep less nights will be large dose of youthful conpanionship.
 THE WORLD IS GROWING BETTER.
 Set back the clock of human life Make the shadow of the srndial of Ahaz retreat ten degrees. People make themselves old by always talk ing about being old and wishing for the good old days which were never as good as these days. From all can hear the grandchildren are moi half as bad as the grandparents were. Matters have been hushed up. But if you have ever been in a room ad- joining a room where some vc:y old people little deaf were talking over old times you will find that this age does not monopolize all the young rascals. 1t may now be hard to get young people up carly enough iii the morning, but their grandparents al ways had to be pulled out of bed. It is wrong now to play rnischiovous tricks on the unsuspecting, but eighty years ago at school that now venera- ble man sat down on crooked pin not accidentally placed there, and purposely drove the sleigh riding par ty too near tine edge of the embank- ment that he might see how they | would look when trlnbled into the snow. And that man wEo has so little patience with childish eNuberance was in olden times up to prauls one half Of which. if practired by the eight year-cld of today. would set grandfather and grandmother crazy. Revive your remembrance of what you were between ii sC and ten years of age. and with patience capable of everything join with the young. Put back the shadow of the dial not ten degrees, but fifty and sixty and scr cnty degrees.
 Set back your clocks also by enter ing on new and absorbing Christian work. In our desire to inspire the | young we have in our essays had much to say about what has been ac- complained by the young; of Ilomu- Jus, who founded Rome when he was twen v years of age; of Cortes, who had conquered Mexico at thirty | years; of Pitt, who was prime min ister of England at twenty-four years; of Raphael, who died at thirty seven years; of Calvin, who wrote his Institutes at twenty-six; of Melancrhon, who took leaIned pro fessor's chair at twenty-one years; of Luther. who had conquered Germany for the Reformation by the time he was thirty five years.
 And it is ali very well for us to show how carly in life ere can do very great things for God and the welfare of the world. but some of the mightiest work for God has been done by septuagonalials and octo- genarians and nonageaarians. In deed, there is work which none but such con do. They preserve the equipoise of senatc.s, of religious de-