Milford chronicle., 1896-06-05

Life is bubble
OF trouble,
That's double
! All worldly sought pleasure
And comfort that's near;
We pass by unheeding.
The bitter heart pleading,
OF thousands who're needing
A kind word of cheer
Life but story
OF strife
And vain glory,
We lose noblest energies
Seeking for fame.
Look back through the ages
Oftime's blotted pages,
The long ago sages would
Tell you the same.
We pass in our hurry
OF worry
And furry,
Ever forgetting resolves TO be just;
And when all is past mendiug
We sigh DER the ending,
LIES but short ending
Then dust unto dust.
If we were to visit the different places
for the construction of the Ocean Grey
Hounds" we would find the laying of the
keel, frame after frame inspected and put
in place. Planks, beam and other parts
are placed in position by the master
hand Of mechanics, until we behold the
majestic craft that is to battle with the
mighty waves of "Old Ocean," As we
notice the preparations advancing we find
the engines that are to give life and mo-
ton are placed in proper position. Com
Portable quarters are provided for crew
and officers. Anchor and chains are
carefully inspected Every thing that
goes to make up safe aud successful
voyage is attended with care We behold
her as she rests on the bosom of her ma
tive element, tEing of beauty. The
little riplets seem to welcome her by their
gentle kisses. Everything is in readi
ness for the voyage. The captain, with
his brawny face, gives orders through the
speaking tube to the chief engineer to
start the fires. New life springs into
every one. The Jolly tars" are placing
every thing in proper shape. At last the
order IS given to weigh anchor. The en-
glue gives forth steam. The ponderous
propeller is seen to turn, churniHg the
water into foaming waves 'Od Glory"
is seen to mount to the highest track as
a symbol that she is under the protection
of this great republic. She moves. The
friends on shore send cheers of encour-
agement by waying their farewell. She
receives the salute from the forts nearby.
She passes from view upon the unknown
sea Of mighty pillows.
Thus our own preparation for the Yoy-
age of life may be figuratiVely coutrasted.
Among some of the requisites for sue
cessful voyage of life are knowledge, i'm
dustry, courage, cheeTfulness and good
ompauionship. By knowledge, we mean
the knowledge we give to ourselves. The
noWlsdge that we receive at school or
college is but beginning, and is valua
bic mainly inasmuch as it trains the
mind and habituates It TO continual ap-
plication and study; and that is put into
us by others is of far less use than that
which we acquire by our own diligent and
persevering effort,
Our own active effort is the essential
thing, aud no facilities, no books, no teach
ers,no amount of lessons learned by rote
will enable us to dispense with it. The
road of knowledge is free to all who will
give the labor and study requisite to
gather it, nor are there any difficulties
so great but that the student of resolute
purpose may not surmount and overcome
them The object of knowledge should
he to mature wisdom, improve character,
to make us better, happier, and useful,
more BENEVOLENT, more energetic and
more efhcient in pursuit of every high
purpose on the voyage Of life.
Industry carries a man onward, brings
out his individual character, and stimu
lates the actions of others On the whole,
it is no good that human nature should
have the voyage made too easy. Better
be under the net essi,y of working hard
aud faring meanlv, than have everything
10 heart and pillow of down to repose
upon. Indeed, to start in life with COM
paratiIely small means, seems so neces-
sary as a stimulus 10 work that it may al
most be set as one of the conditions es-
sential 10 success on the voyage.
One Of the things that is greatly needed
i'll the present age is courage But the
greater part that is needed is not courage
of heroic kind. Courage may be dis
played in every dav life AS we'll as in lis
tOric fields Of action. There needs for ex-
ample, the common courage to be honest,
the courage toresist temptation, the cour
age 10 speak the truth; the courage 10
be what we really are aud pretend what
we are not; the courage TO live on our
own means and not dishonesty upon the
means of others A great deal of unhap-
piness on the journey Of life is owing to
weakness aud undecisions of purpose
in other words, the lack Of courage Men
may know whar is right, aud yet fail to
exercise the courage to do it. They may
understand the duty they have to do, and
yet fail to summon up the requisite reso-
luton to perform it. The weak and un
man IS at the mercy of every
temptation. He cannot say ono" but
falls before it. It is the strong and cour
ageOus man that leads, guides aud rules
the world The weak aud tiniid leave no
trace behind them, while the life Of SIN
gle upright aud energetic mas is like a
track Of light His example is remem
bered AMI appealed to- aud his thoughts,
his spirit, his courage, continue 10 be the
inspiration Of succeeding generations.
We may make the most of life. or we
can make the worst of it. Il depends
very much OH ourselves whether we ex-
tract 10Y or misery from it. There are
always two sides Of life, the blight or tie
gloomy. We can bring the help Of the
will 10 bear Ia making a choice and thus
cultivate the habit Of heiug happy or the
reverse. We can encourage the DISPOSE
ton OF looking at the bright side OF
things instead OF the dark; aud while We
see the cloud let us not shut our eyes TO
the silver lining The beam in the eye
sheds brightness, beauty and joy upon
the voyage Of life in all Of lis stages. Il
shines upon coldness and warns 1t upon
Suffering, and comforts ii uDon ignor.