The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-01-12

man AT 40. After awhile PARALYSIS
struck him. Having by poor health
been compelled suddenly to quit bust
ness, he lost what property he had.
Then his beautiful daughter died :;
thena son became hopelessIy demen,ed.
Another son, splendid of mind and COM
manding OF presence, resolved that he
would take care of his fathers house
hold, but under the swoop of yellow
fever at Fcrnandina. Fla, he sudden
~ expired. So you know good men and
women who have had enough troubles.
you think. TO crush SO people. No
worldly philosophy could take such a
trouble ard set it to music or play it
on violin or flute, but l dare to open
that dark saying on a golden harp.
You wonder that very consecrated
people Ea,e trouble? Did 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 ,,.an who has now and always has
had pcrfer, 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 passenger boy and send me
word, aud ] will drop everything and
go righ, away to look at him. There
never has been man like that and
never will be. Who are those arrogant,
self-concei:ed creatures who move
about without sympathy for others and
who think more of st. Bernard dog.
or an AIderney COW. or Southdown
sheep. or a Berkshire pig than of
man? They never had any trouble or
the trouble was never sanctified. Who
are those men who listen with moist
eye as you tell them of suffering, and
who have pathos in their voice. ard a
kindness in their manner and an ex-
cuse or an alieviation 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 lfave suffered!
The mightiest influence for publication
and salvation is trouble. No diamond
fit for crown until it is cut. No
wheat fiji for bread till it is ground.
There are only three things that can
break off chain-a hammer, a file or
q fire-and trouble is all three of them
The greatest writer's, 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
vorites while the English language con-
tinues to be written and spoken? An
early heartbreak that he never once
and when, 80 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 Il piece of poor Matilda's S work
Washington Irving sank
from hilarity into silence and walked
away. Out Of that lifetime grief the
great author dipped his pens migh;iest
Calvin's "Institutes of
Religion" than which n 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 a 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
er I, standing for trouble.
When in England man is honored
With kniglthood, he is struck with the
lat of the sword. But those who have
'ome to kEighthood in the kingdom of
iod were first struck, not with the fiat
# the sword, but with the keen edge of !
he scimeter. To build his magnifi-
:ence Of character, Paul could not have
pared one lash, one prison, one ston-
ng. one anathema. one poisonous viper
rom the hand, one shipwreck. What is |
rue OF individuals is true of nations. |
The horrors of the American revolution !
ave this country this side of the Mis- |
issippi river to independence, and the
onf1ict between England and France
ave the most of this country west of |
he Mississippi to the United States.
rance owned it, but Napoleon, fearing
hat England would take it, practically
nade present to the United States, for
e received only S1500o,00O for Louisl-
ma. Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Ne
raska, Iowa, Minnesota. Colorado, Da.
ota. Montana, Wyoming and the In
ian Territory. Out of the fire of the
merican revolution came this country
asst OF the Mississippi. out of the Eu-
opean war came that west Of the Mis-
ssippi river. The British empire rose
D its present overtowering grandeur
trough gunpowder plot, and Guy
awkes' conspiracy. and Northampton
and Walter Raleigh's be-
eading, and Bacon's bribery, and
dissolution of parliament,
nd the '~ttles of Edge Hill, and the
of centuries. So the earth