The record-union., 1899-02-27

wave till some wind overtakeS it; it is
not al low, dreamy indulgence or plague
that wastes 1t is a great gift fraught
with possibilities vast enough to fill
all eternity with the JOY of God. "Ac-.
tivlty, RESPONSE bility, absorbing interest,
that is life; nothing else is" says
Goethe.
There is a sort of plant insect crea-
ture which fastens itself to the wave
washed reef and does nothing but
grow and Irvine its feelers, floating in
the tide, or floating itself on its foot
stalk, when the tide has receded, for
months and years together No harm
in the plant to do that thing. But for
you, with your mind and soul and skill
and advantages, to be fastened to
bleak rock, able to do nothing but toss
or fold lazily your arms, would be an
awful calamity. And yet many lives
seem as aimaess and changeless asi
sea anemone. The golden days float
over them and leave them just where
and what they were; for they have no
higher aim than that queer polypus OF
the sea- They go through certain me-
chanical routines of rising and dress
ing, and visiting, and dining, ana
going to sleep again, and are
little aroused by the arrival OF a FRIEND
or writing some note of ceremony. But
as it courtesies in the wave, and vi
brates it's exploring arms, ana gorses
some dainty medusa, the sea- anemone
goes through nearly the same round Oh
pursuits and enjoyments with many OF
these mortals upon whom God mas SET
his seal of Immortality. How lil-pe-
coming a useless life then is when there
is such wide room for the exercise OF
your noble powers.
l slept and dreamt that life was Beauty
I awoke and found that life was Duty;
Was then thy dream shadowy lie?
Toll on, sad heart, courageously,
And thou shalt find-thy dream to be
MONDAY life and light to thee
Let holy purposes be yours then
through life and light that come from
these will he the fairest diadem ever
placed on the brow of womanhood. In
every sphere of human effort woman
may be beautifully illustrious. And II
YOU are to walk unsecured over the
rough paths of earth and know life
grandeur and highest interest, YOU Ii
need Christ in your hearts. Skepuclsm
.kes all the interest out of human life.
With no heavenly Christ for your love
and service, and no heavenly contlnu-
ing life for your inspiration, you cannot
breath the divine air of truest living.
Then the underworld vineyard Will De
open to you with more by-paths ana
highways for leaving the footprints OF
a useful life than you will ever have
power to make. =,
And as you go on the paths Will
ramify into an ever broadening sphere'
because you have been useful III
smaller ways. Alert for usefulness
faithful to duty, and you will get the
crown of dignity that will entitle you
to fill any rank and will not be satlsnea
to:
Sit and sing yourselves away
To everlasting bliss.
These become the plague OF society,"
inane weights to progress. Ihe com
pass of womanhood is the measure o.
usefulness" That little daisy tiia'
winks it's blue eyes at US through Tue
blades of grass is far more than lii'e
wax beauty covered by the dome u
GLASS The helpless child that Smiles Ut
nrattles on it's mothers knee, or sleeps
innocently on her bosom, is far more "
ne than the stately and costly statue
on the commons The daisy anS bape
are filing places of usefulness IN NE.
Rut more and better still, to be uselui
you.u need a rich heart and soui
charged with high moral forces, such as
root daen into the truth, and are KEEP.
br;ebt and strong by the baptism oi
Gods spirit and grace.
when Mary brought the alanasler
how &C a. tribute to her Master, it was
not ont of pride nor self1shness, but the
testimony of a noble life. here was q
self denial and conservation. 1t worKeo
from within outward, as spring ooes >
in putting down its carpet OF green anu
garnishing hill and dale with mowers
of fragrant beauty. The roots OF true
womanhood strike deep in the SOIL VI
the moral being, and all true SER
vice finds its impulse there. Goo gives
YOU all an alabaster box OF precious
ointment. On whose head VIII you
break it? On your own, for your
adornment, or advancement. or the IN
diligence Of self? Or will you bring the
tribute of your faith and love, the OF
fering of your heart and life, and lay
If all at the feet of Christ? Do this ana
He will make your name immortal, too,
as he did that Of Mary.
You will then be useful, not because
others are, nor for the glare of reward.
b1,t because you have nobility OF being,
with every power consecrated. Tnen
outward flourish is no standard for use
fulness. A fair flower may grow IN
some foul place, the jewel may be worn
on an assassin's finger. Not cultivated
mind will you need most, but rlcn
heart, to make you useful.
Some places are better fitted for your
usefulness than others. The world is
wide: there are various gifts, and there
is fitness in things. Everything in its
place and time God has made beauti-
full The sun has glory. the mountains
sublimity, the sea power. because they
remain what they are and fulfill their
mission. And 1 do not limit woman's
mission when I say that along with
men there are some great places in life
to which she has not been appointed:
and however you may be fattered by
them, you will not be successful In
them.
Many men toll hard, but fail, because
out of place. or trying to fill some other
ones place. And that is true Of not a
lew WoiHcH. AHey al III q I'LL as etAsN~
seems full of promise and beauty, but
it is a great waste of time and strength
to try to overtake the object There
is life kingdom for you. wide and deep
and lofty, but If you choose what lies
outside of this you may find too late
that it was wasting folly.
To be what we were meant to be and
to do what we were fitted to do is the
highest reach of usefulness. And this
noble purpose is worthy of the best you
can become. 1t is pitiable to see some
sea ndily endowed failing to obtain in