Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-21
of your ltfe and play them down into the

4
depths forever.
How many touches did Mt Church give
to his picture of ''Cotopa1:" or his Heart
of the Andes?" 1 suppose about $4,000
touches. | hear the canvas saying:
"Why do you keep me trembling with
that pencil so long: Why don't you put
it on in one DASH" NO" SAYS Mr..
Church Il know how &c make Il paint
ing. 1t will take 50,00Q of these touches"
And | want you. my friends. TO under
stand that il is these 10000 annoyances
/ which. unter God, are making up the pic
ture of Your life, TO be hung at last in
the galleries of. heaven, fit for angels TO
look 1T. God knows how TO make Il pic
ture.
Little Strokes Only.
/ go into Il sculptor's studio and sec him
shaping n statue. He has a chisel in one
hand and a mallet in the other, and he
gives very gentle stroke-click, click,
click. | say. why don't you strike hard
! err ''Oh," he replies, that would shat
ter the statue. | can't do it that way. I
must do it this way" So he works on,
and after awhile the features come out.
and everybody that enters the studio is
charmed and fascinated. Well, God has
your soul under process of development,
and it is the little annoyances and veXa-
! tions 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 veXations until at last YOU shall
| be glad spectacle for angels and for
men.
| You know that large fortune may be
! spent in small change and 4 vast amount
! of moral character may 90 away in small
/ depletions. II is the little troubles of life
/ that are having more effect upon You than
great ones. \ swarm of locusts will XIII
! n graintield sooner than the iucurSion of
/ three or four cattle. You say. Since l
! lost my child. since lost my property. |
have been Il different man." But YOU do
not recognize the architecture of little
annoyances that are hewing. digging. cat
! ting. Shaping. splitting and inrcrjo.ning
Your moral qualities. Rats may sink 4
ship One lucifer match may SCI de-
struction through block OF Storchouses
Catherine dc Modici cot her death from
smelling Il poisonous rose. Columbus by
stopping and asking for piece Of bread
and drink of water at Il Franciscan
convent " bS lt't 10 inc tslStfiftfN OF Il new
world. And there is IN intimate connoc-
{ ton between triiieS and universities, be-
tween nOthingS and everythingS.
Now. he careful To let none Of these an
noyances go through your soul unar-
raigned. Compel them to administer to
your spiritual wealth. The scratch Of a
siXpcnny nail sometimes produces lock-
jaw, and the clip of most infinitesimal
gnnnV0npn lann Cra foravnp no
not let any annoyance or perplexity come
across your soul without its making you
better
Our government does not think il be-
lifting 10 put q tax on small articles
The individual taxes do not amount to
much. but in the aggregate TO millions and
millions of dollars. And | would have
you, o Christian man. put high tariff
Oh every annoyance and veXatiOn that
comes through your soul. This might not
amount 10 much in single cases. but in
the aggregate ii would be a great revenue
of spiritual strength and satisfaction. 4
bee can suck honey even .nt of Il nettle,
and If you have the grace OF God in your
heart you can get sweetness out of that
which would otherwise irritate and annoy.
Faithful in Little Things.
A returned missionary told me that a
company of adventures rowing up the
GangeS were stung to death by flies that
infest that region ut certain seasons.
have seen the earth strewn with the car
casses of men slain by insect annoyances.
The only way to get prepared for the
great troubles of life is to conquer these
small troubles. What would you say Of
n soldier who refused to load his gun or
tn int ii..t
a skirmish. saying: II am not going to
expend my ammunition skirmish
Wait until there comes general en-
gagement. and then you will see how
courag eous L am and what battling will
do. The general would say TO such
man, "If you are not faithful in skirm-
ish, you would be nothing in a general
| engagement" And | have to tell YOU,
o Christian men, if you cannot apply
the principles of Christ religion on
small scale you will never be able to apply
them on Il large scale.
If had my way with you. | would have
you possess all possible worldly prosperity
i would have you each one a garden, 4
river flowing through il. geraniums and
shrubs on the sides. and the grass and
! flowers as beautiful as though the rain
bow had fallen. l would have YOU
house. n splendid mansion and the bed
should be covered with upholstery dipped
in the setting sun. l would have every
hall in your house set with statues and
statuettes. and then | would have the
four quarters of the globe pour in all
their Injuries on your table and yon
should have forks of silver and knives Of
gold. inlaid with diamonds and amethysts
Then you should each one of you have the
finest horses. and your pick of the equip
ages of the world. Then | would have
YOU live 80 years. and YOU should not
have pain or ache until the last breath.
Wisdom i'm 1t All.
Not each one of u.s. You say Yes.
Each one of lou. Not TO your enemies -
Yes The only difference | would make
with them would be that | would put a
little extra gilt on their walls and a little
extra embroidery on their slippers. But,
you say, why does not God give us all
these things All. | bethink myself he
is wiser Ii would make fools and slug
CARDS of us if we had our way. No man
mis- his hest nicture in the norfico ar