Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-12-15

ness, he lO9t Wnht properly ne uhu
Then his beautiful daughter died;
then son became hopelessly demented.
Another son. splendid Of mind and COM
handing OF presence, resolved that he
would take care Of his fathers house
hold. but under the swoop of yellow
fever at Fernandina, Fla, he sudden
" expired. So you know good men and
women who have had enough troubles,
you think, to crush 80 people. No
worldly philosophy could take such a
trouble and set II to music or play it
on violin or flute, but dare to open
that dark saying on golden harp,
You wonder that very consecrated
people nave troupies uio you ever
know any very consecrated man or
woman who had not had great trouble?
Never! 1t was through their troubles
sanctificd that they were made very
good. If you find anywhere In this
city man who has now and always has
had perfect health and never lost
child, and has always been popular.
and never had business struggle or
misfortune, who is distinguished for
goodness, pull your wire for tele-
graph messenger boy and send me
word, and will drop everything and
go right away to look at him There
never has been man like that and
never will be. Who are those arrogant
self-conceited creatures who move
about without sympathy for others and
who think more of IA ST. Heruard dog.
or an Aderney COW. or Southdown
sheep. or Berkshire pig than OF
man? They never had amy trouble, or
the trouble was never sanctitied. VINO
are those men who listen with a moist
eye as YOU tell them of suffering, and
who have pathos in theirlvoice. and
kindness in their manner, and an ex-
cuse or an alienation for those gone
astray? They are the mon who have
graduated at the royal academy OF
trouble and they have the diploma
written in wrinkles on their counte-
nances My! my. What heartaches
they had, What tears they have wept!
What Injustice they have suffered!
The mghtest influence for publication
and salvation is trouble. No diamond
fit for crown until il is cut. No
wheat ft for bread till ii is ground.
There are only three things that can
break off a chain--a hammer. hie or
fire-and trouble is all three of them.
The greatest writers. orators and re-
formers get much of their force from
trouble What gave to Washington
Irving that exquisite tenderness ana
pathos winch will make his books ia
yorites while the English language con-
tinues to be written and spoken? An
early heartbreak that he never once
mentioned, and when. 80 years after the
death of Matilda Hoffman, who was to
have been his bride. her father picked
IN piece of embroidery and said;
"That is piece of poor Matilda's work
manship," Washington Irving sank
from hiarity into silence and walked
away. Out Of that lifetime grief the
great author dipped his pens mightiest
Reinforcement. Calvin's institutes OF
Religion" than which more wonder
full book was never written by human
hand, was begun by the author at Is
years Of age because Of the persecution
by Francis, king Of France. Faraday
toiled for all time on salary of 6 so
year and candles. As every brick OF the
wall Of Babylon was stamped with the
letter N, standing for Nebuchadnezzar,
so every part of the temple Of Christian
achievement is stamped with the let
ter T. standing for trouble.
When in England a man Is honored
with knigl,thood, he is struck with the
fat of the sword. But those who have
come to knighthood in the kingdom OF
| God were first struck. not with the nat
Of the sword. but with the keen edge OF
the scimeter. To build his magnH-
cence Of character. Paul could not have
spared one lash. one prison, one ston-
| ing. one anathema. one poisonous viper
from the hand. one shipwreck. What Is
true OF individuals is true of nations.
The horrors OF the American revolution
gave this country this side of the Mis-
sissippi river to independence. and the
conflict between England and France
gave the most of this country west OF
the Mississippi to the United States,
France owned it. but Napoleon, fearing
that England would take it, practically
made a present to the United States, for
he received only $l50000o0 for Louisi-
ana. Missouri. Arkansas. Kansas, Ne
braska, Iowa. Minnesota. Colorado, Da.
kota. Montana, Wyoming and the In
dian Territory. Out of the fire OF the
American revolution came this country
east of the Mississippi. out of the Eu-
ropean war came that west of the Mis-
sissippi river. The British empire rose
to its present overtowering grandeur
through gunpowder plot. and Guy
Fawkes' conspiracy. and Northampton
instruction. and Walter Raleigh's be-
heading and Bacon's bribery, and
Cromwell's dissolution of parliament,
and the battles OF Edge Hill. and the
vicissitudes OF centuries. So the earth
itself. before 1t could become an appro-
pirate and beautiful residence for the
human family. had. according TO geol-
ogy. to be washed by universal deluge
and scorched and made incandescent