Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-07-19
CHARACTER BUILDING.
1t Is More Than Gaining a Reputation,
and Is Always Going On.

and Is Always Going On.
We are very apt TO confound char
acter and reputation together as being
one and the same thing, and many a
boy is satisfied with earning a good
reputation, when he is not equally
anxious about having good character
Reputation is truthfully defined as
what a person seems. The person
may be all that he seems and his repu-
tation may be the reflection Of his
character, but it is sorrowfully true
that the reputation and the character
Of a boy may be wholly dissimilar
lie may carefully conceal from the
eyes of his neigh bors all that Is
wrong and all that is inconsistent
with his profession as a Christian,
and therefore his reputation may be
good, and his standing high as Chris
tian. citizen. friend and head OF a
family All this may he be, and yet
his character be worthless structure
which shall fan as soon as the storm,
Of temptation beat upon 1t, and thus
prove its utter instability.
Reputation IS the shadow. Character
is the real substance. II the character
is carefully built all through a boys
life. reared with painstaking block by
block, each part Of the structure being
firm and solid, there is but little dan
ger that his reputation will not be
equally good, but the reputation is not
the taing TO be principally desired. 1t
is the character itself, to which we
should look
II we make a candid confession OF
our real desires, fear that most Of uS
would have to admit that ii is the
reputation rather than the character
for which we yearn. Not that we donot
ell wish to deserve all the good that i
said about rs, but the first thought In
our hearts is that the good shall he
said. aud the deserving il, is an after
consideration.
A reputation may be destroyed Us
some adverse circumstances, and leave
the character intact A mans charae-
ter IS like lighthouse which stands
out in the water steadfast and firm, NO
matter what alterations Of sun and
storm, of wind and calm. play up
on IT, If it had been reared as II
should be, steadfastly and surely.
nothing viii be able to overthrow 1t,
and il will abide when allthings earth
ly will be stripped from us.
We begin in childhood to lay the
foundations Of our characters. Every
deed that is well done. every action
has - Il
block laid in this foundation upon
which we are TO build in after years
the fair structure which men will see
and know as our character If there
is weak place in it. that weak place
will sometime be the ruin OF the whole.
and all that is strong and fair may top
pie over. because one Of the founda-
tion stones is imperfect and has no,
been securely laid.
Character is not something that can
be built all at once-in month or a |
year. Day by day we fashion it, slow
~ and almost nnconseiously. and our |
building does not end until we reach |
the end of life. Every act. every
thought and word has an influence |
upon the structure we are fashion
my, and II we realized this /
as we should we would be more care.
ful of the little things we sometimes
lold but lightly, forgetting that they
nave vital influence. Nothing is little
'eally. Ii is these small things in
,very-day life which are the most inn
,ortant, since they are noiselesslv
a fabric that shall endure
eternity. Everyday life.
With all its petty annoyances. its trials.
ts cares and perplexities. forms our
for character building. II
S not the great occasions of life that
all for heroism. or other great quali-
les. No, these are occasions that show
What our character is, and how il will
tand the test of strain and tempta-
ion, but the character itself has
cen fashioned in those quiet
loUrs when we did each little every
lay duty that came to our hands faith
ully and well. when we checked tie
work restrained the irritable
peech, and wrought as well as ne
new each little duty that was Re
leNte thShBe IL our path.
Overcoming the little daily annoy
noes that lie in our path help us to
iuild up true heroism better than over
oming the great trials which come 10
5 now and again in life's journey II
Te had given up to these smaller trials.
re would not have been able 10 over
ONE the greater ones. but faithfulness
4 that which is least. strengthens us
. that when greater strain comes we
an meet it as we did the smaller tests
nd overcome all difficulties and OBJ
taeles.
Our character building should have
hrist as the foundation. II we build
18th single eye to His glory. with
lis love filling our hearts and
ne desire TO please Him ever pres
NJ with us, eve need not fear
nat we shall build amiss. Each act ,
al he full of love to Him. and any
ling that we do with His love ami. I
ating 1t is sure to be right We car.
ot 60 astray when we take Him fc q