The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-09-30
(NeW York Herald.)

Hod, that comfOrteth those that are cast
d0wn.-Il. Cor. vii. g.
The man who never feels discour-
aged lives on very low plane.
Encouragement is one of the phases
OF human experience through which
every soul must pass on its upward
journey.
To be discouraged at times is not
inevitable; 1t IS necessary to your spir-
ltual discipline and education.
Every one has his ideal, but no one
reaches it. Every one dreams, but no
one realizes his dream. The horizon
llne is always at the distance from the
traveller, no matter how fast or how
long he may walk. In like manner
the ideal is always far removed from
any present achievement, however
notable or satifactory that achieve
ment may be.
This fact is, Of course, tribute to
the grandeur and prophecy of the des-
tiny Of the soul. The soul is too large
to have its work fully accomplished
within the narrow limits of time. 1t
needs larger space than earth affords
and more time than human life can
get to do all that it is capable
of doing. If it were like the tree,
which attalns its full growth in a few
| years, cheerfully and contentedly
| drinks in the sunshine and dew and
rejoices as it spreads its branches to-
ward maturity, no encouragement
would be possible. The tree sings
with the summer breezes and shakes
in the winter tempest, but in both
summer and winter is wholly satisfied
with itself.
1t is not like the tree, however, and
therefore it cannot be contented. 1t
sees unused powers which only the in
definite future can unfold-not the
future of some short span, but the fu-
ture of eternity. 1t throbs with en-
ticing possibilities, it chafes at the dis
abllng and hampering necessities of
its environments it trembles with a
kind of remorse because it has done
SO little when it ought to have done
SO much; it reproaches itself because it
is SO utterly unworthy, yielding to
trivial temptations, allowing the ap-
petites of the body to dominate the
hunger of the spirit, dwelling in
swamps when it should live in the
clear air of the uplands.
If we recognize these facts we can
hardly help being discouraged, bles-
sedly, gloriously discouraged. Do
your best, your noblest, your grandest;
let the world feel that you are divine
presence; force the respect of your fell
lows by being thoroughgoing man,
with a warm heart for suffering and a
bold word against wrong. Then you
will become an immortal soul, doing
an immortal souls work. You may
still be discouraged, but your discour-
agement will be Gods spur to quicken
your pace, stimulous to your ambition.
In such encouragement there is even a
kind Of happiness like that of the
climber feels who is weary and worn,
but who has caught glimpse of the
stars above the summit and who has
something in his heart which only God
and the angels can put there.
This statement has a wide applica
ton. Life may not only seem to you
to be continual grind, but it may
really be SO. You struggle with your
circumstances, and possibly struggle
in vain. There are burdens to be
borne, difficulties to be overcome, an
apparently cruel fate to wrestle with.
There are hours when you are in de-
spair and hardly know which way to
turn. A kind of obscurity overshad-
ows you. Sickness, pain, poverty,
nameless hardships beset you. | speak
the truth when say that your task is
a difficult one, and that you deserve
supporting sympathy.
Is there no comfort for you? Can
you find no good cheer? The world
will give you neither the one nor
the other, for it is in many respects a
hard world that we live in. But you
can have both or else our religion is a
failure.
We are taught by the Christ that if
a mans heart is right everything is
right.
This has mystical sound and sa-
vors bad of occutism. And yet it /:
one of the grandest and lohiest truths
ever uttered.
Your surroundings may contribute
to happiness, but they cannot create
it. You have an exaggerated idea o
mere circumstances, while in fact the
state of your heart decides everything.
One man can be happier in wilder
ness than another in a palace. One
man is more contented with nothing
than another is with everything.
You can solve such a mental and
spiritual attitude toward life and Its
ever varying changes that discourage
ment, discomfort and the consequent
wear and tear of the soul will be re.
duced to the lowest minimum. Wish
ing things were different is exhaustlne
making the best Of them as they are
and doing it with the feeling that Goo
and His angels are on your Side, IS IN
5 vigoratng and health producing.
Religion, then, makes a radica
change of heart, and a very delight
full change it is. Under its influence
you get yourself we'll in hand, checI
all bitterness and envy and in th