The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-01-29
THE LONDONDERRY SITTER, IS
FRIDAY MORNING, JAN. 90 1909


they reply, 1--WE are giving drink to
that flower
Then the wind rises, and comes
bending down the wheat and sound.
ing its psalm through the forest,
and ! cry, Whittier away on
such swift wing, o wind2' And it
replies, I'VE are going to cool the
cheek of that flower" And then /
bow down and say, will God take
care of the grass of the fieldl" and
flower at my foot responds, Eyes; he
clothes the lilies of the field, and
never yet has forgotten me- a poor
little flower" Oh, when | see the
great heavens bending themselves to
what seems insignificant ministra-
ton, when find out that God does
not forget any blossom of the spring
OF any snowflake of the winter, l
come to the conclusion that we can
afford to attend to the minute things
in life, and that what we do we
ought to do well, since there is as
much perfection in the construction
of a spiders eye as in the conforma-
ton of flaming galaxies.
Plato had a fable which | have
now nearly forgotten, but it ran
something like this He said spirits
of the other world came back to this
world to find body and find sphere
of work. One spirit came and took
the body Of king, and did his work.
Another spirit came and took the
body of a 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, ALI
the best one has been left for you"
Ulysses said, What's thati" And
the reply was, THE body of a COM
mon man, doing a common work,
and for common reward" A good
fable for the world, and just as good
fable for the church Whether we
eat OF drink, or whatsoever we do,
let us do it to the glory of God
Again, we need to bring the reh-
gion of Christ into our commonest
trials. For severe losses, for bereave-
ment, for trouble that shocks like an
earthquake and that blasts like a
storm we prescribe religious consola-
ton; but, business man, for the small
annoyances of last week how much
of the grace of God did you apply3
"Oh," you say, these trials are too
small for such application. My
brother, they are shaping your char
acter, they are souring your temper,
they are wearing out your patience
and they are making you less and
less of man.
l go into sculptors studio and
see him shaping statue. He has a
chisel In one hand and mallet in the
other, and he gives a very gentle
stroke-click, click, click say,
why don't you strike harder9"
OH" he replies, that would shat
ter the statue. I can't do it that
way. must do it this way" So he
works on, and after awhile the fea-
lures come out and everybody that
enters the studio is charmed and fas-
cinated Well, God has your soul
under process of development, and it
is the little annoyances and vexa-
lions of life that are chiseling out
your immortal nature. 1t is click,
click, click l 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 sorrows, little
vexations, until at last you shall be a
glad spectacle for angels and for men.
You know that large fortuRe 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 incursion
of three or four cattle. You say,
Since lost my child, since lost my
property, have been a 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 a block of storehouses.
Catherine de Medicis got her death
from smelling poisonous rose. Co
lumbus, by stopping and asking for
piece of bread and a drink of water
at Franciscan convent was led to
the discovery of the new world And
there is an intimate connection be-
tween trifies and immensities, be-
tween nothings and everythings.
NO SIN TOO SMALL TO BE AVOIDED.
Now, be careful to let none of those
annoyances go through your soul I'M
arraigned. Compel them to admin
lister to your spiritual wealth. The
scratch of sixpenny nail sometimes
produces lockjaw, and the clip of
most infnitesimal annoyance may
damage you forever Do not let any
annoyance OF perplexity come across
your soul without its making you
better
Our national government does not
think it belittling to put tax on
pins, and tax on buckles, and tax
on shoes. The individual taxes do
not amount to much, but in the ag-
gregate to millions and millions of |
dollars. And / would have you, o
Christian man, put high tariff on
every annoyance and vexation that
comes through your soul. This might
not amount to much in single cases,
but in the aggregate it would be a
great revenue of spiritual strength
and satisfaction. A bee can suck
honey even out of nettle, and if
you have the grace of God in your
L