Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-06-02

one string. The human soul Is an In.
strument of thousand strings, and all
sorts of emotions were made to play on
it. Now an anthem, now dirge. 1t
is no evidence of weakness when one 10
overcome OF sorrow. Edmund Burke
was found in the pasture field with his
arms around 4 horses neck, caressing
him, and some one said: "Why, the
great man has lost his mind" No, the
horse belonged to his son, who had re-
Gently died; and his great heart broke
over the grief. 1t Is no sign OF weak
ness that men are overcome of their
sorrows. Thank God for the relief of
tears. Have you never been in trouble
when you could not weep and you
would have given anything for a cry?
David did we'll when he mourned for
Absalom; Abraham did we'll when he
bemoaned Sarah. Christ wept for
Lazarus; and the last man that l want
to see come anywhere near me when
have any kind of trouble is q worldly
philosopher.
Again | remark that those persons
are incompetent for the work of com.
fort-bearing who have nothing but
cant to offer. There are those who
have the idea that you must groan over
the distressed and afflicted. There are
times in grief when one cheerful face
dawuing upon mans soul is worth q
thousand dollars to him. Do not
whine over the afflicted. Take the
promises of the Gospel and utter them
in manly tone. Do not be afraid to
smile if you feel like it. Do not drive
any more hearses through that poor
soul. Do not tell him the trouble was
foreordained; it will not be any COM
fort to know it was a million years
coming. If you want to find splints
for broken bone do not take cast iron
Do not tell them it is Gods justice that
weighs out grief They want to hear
of Gods tender mercy. In other words,
do not given them aqua fortis when
they need valerian.
Again l remark that those persons
are poor comforters who have never
had any trouble themselves. A lark
spur can not lecture on the nature of q
snowtiake-it never saw snowflake;
and those people who have always
lived in the summer of prosperity can
not talk to those who are frozen in
disaster. God keeps aged people in the
world, think, for this very work of
sympathy. They have been through
all these trials, They know all that
| which irritates and all that which
Boothes If there are men and women
here who have old people in the house,
or near at hand so that they can easily
reach them, l congratulate you Some
of us have had trials in life, and
although we have had many friends
around about us, we have wished
that father and mother were still alive
that we might go and tell them. Per-
haps they could not say much, but it
would have been such a comfort to
have them around. These aged ones,
who have been all through the trials of
life, know how to give coincidence.
Cherish them; let them lean on your
arm, these aged people. If, when you
speak to them, they can not hear just
what you say the first time, and you
have to say it a second time, when you
say it a second time do not say it
sharply. If you do, you will be sorry
for it on the day when you take the
last look and brush back the silvery
locks from the wrinkled brow just be-
fore they screw the I'D on. Blessed be
God for the old people! They may not
have much strength to go around, but
they are Gods appointed ministers of
comfort to broken heart.
People who have not had trials them
selves can not give comfort to others.
They may talk very beautifully, and
they may give you great deal of poetic
sentiment; but while poetry is perfume
that smells sweet, it makes very poor
salve. If you have grave in a path
way, and somebody comes and covers
it all with wild flowers, it is a grave
yet Those who have not had grief
themselves know not the mystery. of
broken heart. They know not the
meaning of childlessness, and the hav-
ing no one to put to bed at night, or
the standing in a room where every
book and picture, and door are full Of
memories--the door-mat where she
sat, the cup out of which she
, drank, the place where she stood at the
door and clapped her hands, the odd
| figures that she scrubbed, the blocks
that she built into house. All. no.
you must have trouble yourself before
you can comfort trouble in others.
But come all ye who have been bereft,
and We who have been comforted in
your sorrows, and stand around these
afflicted souls and say to them: Il had
, that very sorrow myself. God COM
forted me and He will comfort you;'
and that will go right to the spot. In
other words, to comfort others, we
must have faith in God. practical ex-
perience, and good, sound, common
sense.
Again remark. there Is comfort n
the thought that God, by all this pro-
cess, is going to make you useful Do
you known that those who accomplish
the most for God and Heaven have all
| been under the harrow? Show me
man that has done anything for Christ
in this day, in public or private
place, who has had no trouble, and