Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-06-13

And he bearing his cross went forth.-John
xix, II.
Proverbs, xiv, 10.
A cross is part of the household fur
niture of every family. tbs the decree
OF Providence that it shall be SO. 1t
would be very strange if you could find
an exception to the rule.
There are many sweets in life, but
there was never yet heart that had
no bitterness. There are pages in
every book which are never read ex
cept by ourselves and One Other. The
rest of the volume is open to our friends
and to the world. God and we have
many secrets which are not confided
to third party. He understands us;
no one else can. That is a popularity
of our human life.
And fortunate it is that the veil
which covers our hearts cannot be
lifted. If we could see all that our
neighbors suffer, and they could see
what we suffer, the revelation would
be very painful and life would have
an added agony. We are graciously
of concealment where we keep our
special disappointments and our pri
vate griefs, the key to which is never
lost or mislaid.
The true and noble make the best of
life, and refuse to increase another's
sorrow by the recital of their own.
Small souls, like babbling brooks, tell
everything as they go; but souls that
see the plan of God tell all to Him
alone and find a certain comfort in
their reticence toward others.
The degree of happiness we enjoy,
therefore, depends la1 gely on ourselves.
Our environment has less to do with
happiness than we think. The impor-
tant question is whether we have the
necessary elements within the heart,
and if that is decided in the affirma
tive it makes but little difference what
our surroundings are.
1t is hard to believe this, for we are
living in an age of show and sham and
display. In the decalogue of modern
society the first law reads, Thou shalt
worship no other god but gold. We
spend our lives in a scramble for cash.
and prove that we have succeeded by
an exhibition which is little less than
personal advertisement, and the OBJ
iect of which is to excite envy and
stimulate avarice.
But we are making a colossal blum
der. Happiness comes not from the
pocket but from the heart. 1t cannot
be created Oy WEALTH. HOT u0SITOy0 Ell ny
poverty. Where love is there is con
tentment, and when love is perfect
mere surroundings are regarded with
something like disdain. 1t is when the
heart is not satisfied that the nature
of the environment assumes undue i'm
portance Two rooms will do, if moth
ing better can be had, when love would
build home, but a palace is too small
whep the heart is aching. A rag car
pet on the floor and a single flower in
blossom on the window sill, if content
ment sits at your fireside are better
than splendor, with distrust or sus-
piciOn as your guest.
Here, then, you have two facts which
you must meet.
First there is no life that is not bur
dened with grief. 1t is a hopeless
task to search for one, for it will never
be found. This grief may come in an
one of thousand shapes, but in some
shape it comes to all of us. Its mission
is to teach us that there is One who is
wiser than we, and to search until we
find Him.
There is nothing in all the world
that draws us to heaven SO gently and
yet so irresistibly as the sense of help
Iessness. Make life round of pleas
ure. and the Lords Prayer would
never be uttered. But the smitten
soul seeks shelter, as the frightened
child rushes into its mothers arms.
We may not understand why this is so,
but true it is that the best elements of
human character have been developed
by sorrow rather than success.
Second, the happiness of life must
greatly come from the way you look at
life. If you jot down the things you
want but cannot have it is easy to
make yourself miserable. You can be
envious until you become morbid and
melancholy. If you believe that in be
ing poor or afflicted you have been
robbed of your rights no lay of sun
shine will fall on your pathway.
A man may look at nature through
smoked glass, and he can use smoked
glass when looking at himself and his
surroundings. Do but reckon your
blessings instead of your miseries, and
you halve the weight you carry. Form
the habit of looking for a silver lining
to every cloud and the cloud itself will
seem less dark. Some can be happy
with farthing candle, while others
mourn under the glare of an electric
light.
And religion comforts and consoles
because it furnishes a cheerful view of
every change that comes. There is no
hard listed and relentless Fate, but
Father in the upper air. 1t is not
chance that robs US of the loved one,
but Providence, which does what is
best whether we will or no. Slender
means are not the synonym of misery,
for this worlds goods are not to be
compared with the other worlds goods
You may have the earth and yet have
nothing; but if you have heaven you
have everything, and no man can taxi
it away.
Therefore, recognize the fact that
you are to have disappointments and
sorrows, but make the best of them.
and speak of them only to your best
Friend
Believe that there is light even in
darkness, and look for it until you find
it. Make your life great and noble by
making your soul noble and great.
Then you will be glad that you have
lived, and many will be sorry when
you go.-N. Y. Herald.
HOUSE IN CovINGToN STRUCK BY
HGHTNING.--The Allegheny Sentinel
of last Friday says
Last Saturday about IL O'Clock Mr.
&. s. Brooks dwelling house in east
Covlngton was struck by lightning and
damaged to a considerable extent. The
family were severely, though none of
them fatally shocked. The Iightninq