Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-05-10
PATIENT ENDURANCE.
How to Give the Clouds n silver Lin
ing-A Law of Christian
Living.

patiently endure an environment
which includes suffering and hard
ship is nothing less than heroism,
and there are unseen and unrecorded
instances in which men and women
have even shown the courage of
the martyr.
other high qualities of character.
It's nearest ally is self-control, and
self-control is as important when
you are building a character as a
rudder is when a ship is launched.
1t is literally the steering appara-
} tus which keeps us clear of the
A., rocks and shoals of an impetuous
and reckless temper. / would rather
, have patience with perfect self-con-
troll than to have genius. for while
genius is erratic and often unbal-
anced, these other qualities give us
poise and equilibrium. Patience is
grounded on resignation to the in
, evitable, which results in calm en-
durance under exasperating circum-
stances, and in the conviction that
1T is safer to bear ills we have than
to fly TO those we know not of.
When man cultivates patience.
therefore, he becomes master of
himself and master of whatever may
possibly happen. It is a kingly, a
royal virtue, and more depends on
its possession than we are apt to
think
You can reckon its value by con-
sidering its opposite. Impatience is
dangerous quality. 1t constantly
places your self-respect and your
. relations TO your dearest friends in
peril. Moreover, It makes unhappy
circumstances more unhappy still.
You can't rebel against your sur
roundings with a complaining heart
without rendering yourself weak TO
oppose or change them. Look your
! life over calmly and impartially and
you will find that where YOU have
been at odds with your lot you have
made that lot so much the worse
and more difficult to get away from.
whereas If you had accepted the
bitter experience and made the best
of it you would have reaped a ben
eft otherwise impossible. 1t is
equally true that where YOU have
been impetuous of speech you have
had cause FOR regret, while a curbed
tongue has been the cause for re-
Joicing. When you have been silent
you have done better than when YOU
have spoken. A bitter word sup
pressed strengthens the character.
while reckless utterance is like a
bomb which is sure to injure If it
does not kill a friendship.
1t is an ineSorable law that three
quarters of the world must drudge
IN order TO live. You NAV wonder
why this should be so, but Won will
find no solution of the puzzle. The
simple, stubborn fact faces Won. and
it ends all controversy. Moreover.
all the world, without execution
must sooner or later bear heavy
burdens of sorrow and bereavement
The normal condition of man ia IN
be burden bearer, and I had al
most said it is the only healthy con-
dition. There is no smooth road
laid down on the chart of life. We
all trudge through storm and sun
shine. Poverty, sickness. trouble
death are TO be found evervwhere
Kings and peasants alike have
their sorrows. 1t is the common lot
There is only one question to be
asked and answered: How shall we
make these experiences contribute
to strength of character, and pos
slbly TO our welfare? Not. surely
Dy restless controversy with the
inevitable and memorable. That
state of mind only aggravates the
evil without even the shadow of a
good result 1t is your attitude of
mind and heart which decides vour
happiness or misery.
Fight fate and you will surely he
defeated; not only defeated. but
soured. On the other hand, make the
pest OF. the worst, calmly and pa
tlently use events, and extract from
them whatever of good thew may
contain, and your DAYS will swine
along with a smoothness that will
surprise you. More and better than
that, your calmness and patience
Will have tendency to draw to Won,
the help of the other world. and IL
you and the other world come ~ a
harmonious understanding the very
complexion Of your adverse circum-
stances will change.
In a word, the soul which follovvs
IN the footsteps of Christ and in
poverty and hard work and misfor-
tune bravely meets and noblv en-
dures will find light in unexpected
places and joys where only fears
were looked for. There is a suhtIe
law here, and if we can discover II
and be guided by it the clouds will
have a silver lining and even our sor-
rows will prove blessing.
God is still with us, and so are the
angels of God. With patience and
courage we may fit ourselves for
their kind services and so make uSe
of the toughest places over which
we must travel to the rest and re-
ward of the glorius future.-Georoe
II. Hepworth, in n. Y. Herald
Genuine Honesty.
Be profoundly honest. II yvou1d c,,+