The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-12-31


you think, to crush so people. No
worldly philosophy could take such
trouble and set il TO music or play IT
on violin or flute, but dare TO open
that dark saying on u golden harp
You wonder that very conseerated
people have trouble? Did you ever
know any very consecrated man or
woman who had moi had great trouble?
Never! II was through their troubles
sanctiticd that they were made very
good. If you find anywhere in this
city man who has now and always has
had perfec, 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 al 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 st. Bernard dog
or an Attorney COW. or Southdown
sheep. or Berkshire pig than OF
man? They never had any trouble. or
the trouble was never Sanctitied. VINO
are those men who listen with moist
eye as you tell them of suffering. and
who have pathos in their voice. and u
kindness in their manner, and an eX-
cuse or an alienation for those gone
astray? They are the men 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 mightiest influence for publication
and salvation is trouble. No diamond
fit for crown until il is cut No
wheat 81 for bread till it is ground
There are only three things that can
break off a chain--a hammer. file or
q 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 and
pathos which will make his books ia
voritcs while the English language con-
tipues to be written and spoken An
early hearth that he never once
mentioned, and when. 30 years after the
death of Matilda Hoffman. who was to
have been his bride. her father picked
up a piece of embroidery and said:
THAT is piece of poor Matilda's work
manship." Washington Irving sank
from hilarity 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 25
years of age because of the persecution
by Francis, king of France. Faraday
toiled for all time on salary OF ESQ
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 7. standing for trouble.
When in England man is honored
with knighthood, he is struck with the
fat OF the sword. But those who have
come to knighthood in the kingdom Oh
| God were first struck. not with the flat
| of the sword. but with the keen edge oil
| the scimeter. To build his magnifi
| 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 thu
conflict between England and France
gave the most of this country west o.
the Mississippi to the United States
France owned II. but Napoleon. fearing
that England would take it. practically
| made a present to the United States. fol
he received only s15.O0OooO 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 th'
American revolution came this countr,
east of the Mississippi. out Of the Eu
ropean war came that west Of the Mis-
sissippi river. The British empire ros'
to its present overtowering grandeur
through gunpowder plot. and Gu,
Fawkes' conspiracy. and Northampton
instruction. and Walter Raleigh's be
heading. and Bacon's bribery. ant
Cromwell's dissolution of parliament
and the battles of Edge Hill. and th'
vjcissitudes of centuries. So the eartf
itself, before il could become an appro
| pirate and beautiful residence for TIT
human family. had. according to geol
ogy. to be washed by universal delug'
and scorched and made incandescen
by universal fires, and pounded b,
sledge hammer of icebergs. ant
wrcnched by earthquakes that split con
tinents. and shaken by volcanoes tha
tossed mountains and passed through
the catastrophes of thousands of year!
before Paradise became possible. ant
the groves could shake out their greer
banners, and the first garden pour it
carnage of color between the Gihon ant
the Hiddekel. Trouble a good thing
for the rocks. good thing for nations
as well ms good thing for individuals
So when you push against me with