The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1898-06-04

ness, gentleness, cOnsc1cntiousness and
devotion to what is best and highest.
There is an old story from mythology
which tells us that the angel who takes
care of the flowers was once touched
with gratitude toward one of the roses,
and offered it any favor that it might re-
quest. The rose asked to be adorned
with some new charm. The angel sim
ply covered it with moss, and thus it re-
mains, unpretentious, unsurpassed, a
type of that ''ornament of a meek and
quiet spirit which in the sight of God is
of great price" The worker may so
lose himself with his earnest endcavors
that it makes no difference whether he
says, "Lord have gained" or, "Thy
talent hath gained its proper increase.
Let us glance for a moment at the
lives of some of our self made men.
Who has not heard of Abraham Lincoln?
One of the greatest patriots and states
men that America has ever known. He
did not have even what every boy and
girl in the United States have today, u
common school education. He worked
on farm, helping to support his moth
er and those depending upon her, and
the future seemed dark and cheerless.
But the fire of enthusiasm was there
burning brightly in his soul and every
evening, by the light of the blazing pine
wood, he would sit and read over and
sessed. He was determined to make his
life worth living and grandly he sue
ceeded in so doing. He did his best,
his very best in everything he attempt
ed and at last reached the presidents
chair,-held the highest position within
the gift of the nation, loved and honor
ed by all, our martyred president.
Again look at Benjamin Franklin, a
man whose brilliant career will never
cease to hold its place in American his
tory. He began as u poor apprentice
the way. Although the hill of knowl-
edge was, for him, sleeper than the av-
erage, he climbed it without murmur,
and upon reaching the top, discovered
what was heretofore unknown to the
world-the nature of tightening. This
alone would be enough To make him
famous, but it is only small part of
the services he rendered to mankind
SO it is with each one of us. If we
are determined to make our lives success
full we shall certainly do so, no matter
what obstacle, what discouragements,
what heartaches may intervene, as Long
fellow has beautifully said in his poem,
''The Builders
''For the structure that we raise,
Time Is with materials filled,
Our todays and yesterdays,
Are the block with which we build.
Build today then, strong and sure,
With a firm and ample base,
And ascending and secure,
Shall tomorrow find its place"
On the other hand, we find many per-
sons who having every opportunity
which wealth and position can give, do
not improve their time to advantage,
but drift along through their youthful
days sighting each precious moment un-
til the morning of life is past,
and they are left alone in the world to
provide for themselves, mere driftwood
upon life's sea. In this way many II
brilliant future is blighted, many tai
ent is, like flower in the desert, left to
die undiscovered and unhonored, and
the tablets of the past are blank, that
their names should have filled in the
pages of history.
We do not know what great possibil-
tiles are in store for those around u.s.
Opportunities, which if only grasped
and made the most of, might yield that
which might out shine the most brilliant
genius of the day.
Opportunities are on every hand that
come with the growing year. A few
months ago we looked out of our win
dows and saw tameness upon the
whole field of creation. A dead same
ness was on the mountains, trees and
grassess-all seemed alike in death
winter reigned.
But since then the same great influen-
ces have come upon gardens, fields and
forcst-the same light, heat and air
the same new breath of the living God.
There is no dreariness now, all is life,
activity and opportunity. SO with our
lives. There are opportunities on every
hand, which if neglected will pass away,
unknown to the world, with the talent
God has given them wasted, for, as the
poet has said
"Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid
Some heart once pregnant with celestial
fire;
Hands that the rod of empire might have
swaYed,
Or walked to ecstasy the living Tyre"