Kansas City journal., 1898-03-13
Our Yesterday. and Our Tomorrow.

Our Yesterdays and Our To-morrows.
George H. Hepworth. in New York Herald.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil there
of.-Matthew, visa.
Here is bit of philosophy too profound
to be appreciated without careful and con-
tiEuous study. 1t also contains q stern in
Junction not to worry over what cannot
be Eelped. but, on the other hand, to make
the best of your circumstances. You are
commanded to let the past go its way in
to the land Of forgetfulness, and not to
borrow from the future the troubles which
you fear 1t may contain, but to live in
the present as far as possible. 1t is n
command very difficult to obey, and yet
obedience is absolutely necessary If you
would get out of life all that God has put
into 1t.
The man who has vivid remembrance
of his past troubles and who cherishes
that memory deliberately throws a gloom
over his present. II he will confine HIM
self to the duty of the moment he will
generally find that he is quite equal to 1t.
but il he collects all the miseries of yes
terday and of the day before he becomes
disheartened, and his encouragement saps
his moral strength and produces moral
weakness. You have enough to do to face
what is Immediately before you. and IL
you conjure up the ghosts Of misdeeds and
of trials which have been outlived you do
yourself serious injury and interfere
With your spiritual or business success.
In like manner, if you think you can
master to-days work. but dampen your
ardor by wondering how you are going to
get through tomorrow, you produce
nervous tension which debilitates and
brings about the very failure that you
dread. No man can carry more than one
day at time. When Jesus asks you
not to attempt to do so He gives you wise
counsel, and you had better follow the
advice. Life is not so smooth that you
can afford to make 1t rougher by recall
ing the bad roads over which you have
already passed or anticipating the bad
roads over which you will have to pass
before the end of the journey is reached.
You may be cheerful, and therefore strong.
II you will forget the things that are be-
hind and let the future take care of itself:
but If you propose to. add yesterday and
Tomorrow to to-day you will do what
God warns you against doing. and will
certainly make a great mistake.
If the sun shines now. be grateful and
contented. Suppose it did rain yesterday.
or suppose we are to have blizzard to-
morrow. You have got beyond the rain
on the one hand, and on the other, the
time has not come to meet the blizzard.
1t Is foolish to make yourself miserable
now because you were miserable a few
days ago or because you may be miserable
few days hence. One duty, one labor at
time is quite enough. If there is any
enjoyment to be had. take 1t with an eager
gasp; for if you sit in the warm sun
shine for only five minutes it helps you
to bear the cold of the next five minutes.
fn hos Rro
five minutes by worrying about the other
five minutes.
Let me illustrate. There is nothing in
connection with death more wearing than
the regret that you did not do more for the
one who has gone. This Is universal ex-
perience with those who have any heart
The fact of separation seems to have a
magic in it, for it is suddenly revealed to
you that there were many little attentions
which you failed to render. and the remem-
brance pierces like a knife. No one ever
parted with a loved one without self-blame
of that kind.
But as general thing 1t is all an illusion
conjured up by overwrought nerves. In
very truth you did whatever the circum-
stances suggested, you did as much as hu-
man nature is capable of doing, but in the
presence of death you accuse yourself of
things which you are quite innocent, and
In doing so you make the parting harder to
bear. 1t may be we'll for the dear one that
he has gone. He has sweet sleep for the
first time In many months. He is glad that
the bonds of mortality are broken. that he
is at last released. and in the lower depths
Of your own heart you are also glad for his
sake. But there comes this thorny thought
that you may have been remiss, and your
soul Is wrung by it.
You do yourself wrong. You did what
you could. You were loving. tender, gentle
and more than kind. You have real bur-
dens enough without adding imaginary
ones. Your tears must not be embittered
by an accusation which has no basis in
fact. Life is too precious and too short to
be wasted in regrets of that kind The
duties of the future demand your close at
tention, and you have no right to think of
the dead except to recall a sweet relation
ship and to dream of a reunion.
Live your life as quietly and as peace
fully as possible. Live in each day as it
comes. Other days. whether past or fu-
ture, must not be allowed to press on your
heart. This is the noblest policy you can
adopt. the policy which comes to you as a
divine injunction. Let neither regret nor
anticipation intrude upon you to make
you weak.
1t is evident that there is a plan ac-
cording to which your life is arranging
itself. and equally evident that If you are
reposeful and trustful. doing the duty of
the present hour and not frettins over the
duty of the next hour. you are in a men,
tai condition which keeps all your powers
at their best.
1t is the grandest privilege to feel that
there is God, guardian Of human des-
tiny. and that you are In His hands, If
that conviction is one of your possessions.
your pearl of great price, you can be quiet
even in the midst of tumult and cheerful
in the midst of sorrow. for your very tears
will serve a background for the rain
bow of hope and promise.