The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-07-05

Religion always produces courage,
and is therefore a prime necessity We
may not change events, hut We can
change our attitude toward them,
There are struggles and SORROWS at cN-
cry turn Of the road, and they cannot
be avoided Time spent in deVising
way to escape from them is time
wasted, for we must either master
them or be mastered by them. The
chief value OF religion, therefore, lies
in the fact that It teaches us how 10
face them and make them subserve our
spiritual development Philosophy and
science can do great deal tor us in
this direction, hut after all, the really
religious man has better, more
cheering and more hopeful outlook
than any other that lives.
Now, there is a courage of the battle
field, and it is admirable To read "
the soldier who exposes himself 10 dan
ger without dinchiny is to make the
nerves tingle and the cheeks flush with
excitement. He counts death as moth
ing does not even give Il a passing
thought. and when he falls cries as did
the French officer "Pish' It is no mat
ter; We have won the fight" such
things show us what human nature is
made OF, how grand il is and how self
sacrificing it may become when great
thought burns in the brain and noble
emotion fills the heart,
There Is counterpart 20 this phySi-
cal courage. for there IS another kind
OF battle 10 be fought and in that bat |
tie We must be either towards or he
roes, The events which Providence or
dains, and which occur in every house
hold. require courage different in 4
kind from that OF the soldier. and very (
much higher, To die on the field is GER
tainly very noble. but 10 live patiently I
quietly. sweetly. and with resignation /
is very much harder than 10 die To |
calmly meet your fate. to bravely DO
your work from day 20 day, 70 bend |
your shoulders TO the inevitable bur
den, and 50 force it to contribute 10
your strength Of character. one must
have learned a great secret 20 be able
TO do all this. and that secret can only
oe whispered into his ears by meSsen-
gers from the throne of God. The ideal
man the man Of calmest soul. the man
OF moral valor is he who has found
some means Of communicating with
heaven and whose spiri, is fed by faith
as his body is nourished with food.
You are not without troubles, and
you never will be until you fan asleep.
they are like an easterly
storm. which simply renders you un-
comfortable and puts you TO inconven-
fence. and then again they are like
the cyclone which comes in irresistible
fury and tears everything up by the
roots. You have business perpleXlties
which render your nights sleepless. or
you have domestic arrangements
which throw the home into gloom. or
the sharp pangs Of bereavement food
your eyes with tears and drown your
heart in grief. All these things are
part Of life. and no human being has
ever been exempted Why IL is so I
cannot tell. neither can the wisest Of US
all.
We must take courage, though. for
the fight must be won, not lost And
this victory does not depend on chance.
Hard as the struggle may be, and how
ever prolonged, you cannot be defeated
il you get your tactics from on high.
So man can teach you how to become a
victor. but God can and He will You
alone may not be able to do much.
but you and He can do all things.
Keep up your courage by adding TO
your faith. Wherever you are, what
ever you may be called upon 10 suffer,
your faith viii give you strength. while
your doubts will make you weak. The
road is sometimes a long and weary
one, but if year by year you see heaven
more clearly because every step brings
you nearer TO the mountain top, and II
your soul Is mellowed rather than en-
Filtered by events, your life will have
a radiance like that Of the full moon at
night, and in your heart there will be
be a peace which only the conscious
ness that rest is close at hand can give
Courage dear soul. for tomorrow will
be bright and glorious day.
GEORGE W. HEPWORTH.