Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-06-28
RESIGNATION.
A Word for Those who Think Their
Lot Has Been Cast i'm Hard
Places.

! of affairs il that condition were
aYoldable. man is bound to get
its fullest extent of happiness out OF
1 life, and it is n sacred duty to do
| so. He ought to do his utmost en-
| deavor to make his environments as
pleasant and as cheerful as possible.
If he foresees an evil he should care
fully plan TO get it out of his way,
and work hard to accomplish that
object. There is no reason why we
should not extract from passing time
the very best and pleasantest it is
capable of furnishing. 1t is as much
I an injunction of religion to do this
| as it is to be just and honest and
| charitable. The old notion that one
| can be religious only when he is half
miserable, or that we should be
/ gloomy in order to please the AL
| mighty, is now obsolete; it is a libel
against Him who made the sky blue
and scattered flowers over the earth.
The same rule holds good when a
disagreeable condition is permanent
and unavoidable; that is to say, IL is
duty to take the brighter rather
than the more sombre view Of the
situation and find as much peace and
happiness as the circumstances con-
tain. There is no life so narrow that
it does not hold more OF good than
we at first think conceivable. If in
stead of looking with covetous eve
on the superior benefits which 9TH
ers enjoy we set at work TO live our
own life in our own way we shall be
surprised to find that flowers bios
som in sof which we thought only
productive of weeds. The great Sc
cret is to force ourselves into hnr-
mony with our surroundings-it is
not always easy to do this-and com
Fpel them to yield their best product.
This resignation is one Of the loft
lest of virtues and one of the most
heroic.
/ / can imagine that tree when cut
down, split asunder, steamed and
bent into the shape OF vessels ribs
may complain that it 10 hardly used;
that it is unjust to tear Il from its
native forest and change its destiny
and its purpose. But when the YES
/ sel Is afioat, breasting the storms OF
old ocean and bearing n rich argosy
from port 10 port, can also imag-
inc strange awakening on the paz-t
of that tree and conscious thanks
giving that il was not left TO flourish
with other forest trees, but was sim
gled out for special duty by n special
decree of Providence.
In like manner have seen n hu-
man life crushed by disappoint-
ment or by bereavement or by
some heart sorrow worse than death.
It seemed as though all the light
had gone out Of it-a black night and
gloom. And yet as time wore on
the stars came out, and when the
soul had become accustomed TO the
new environment there was peace
calm resignation which yielded no
small degree of actual happiness.
The narrow circle gave more than
the larger circle of other DAYS. and
the burdened life had flowers I'm Il
which do not blossom in soil which
Is rich with excitement and pleasure.
Many man has learned what life
means through affection, and I some
times think that our sorrows are the
best part of us. The man who has
his own way has o very poor way,
and the one who is led by God Is
on the road TO heaven. --sE,.; q,
Once feel Gods hand on your
shoulder and you win forget the
world and make n world of your
own. What others enjoy will be
nothing to'you, and what you win
find in your own pathway when you
are in the right relation to Him is
sufficient for you. If we were TO
live here forever it would be differ
ent. Then we should feel hardly to
be deprived of pleasures which 9TH
ers enjoy; but since this life Is so
short and the other life Is so long
what matters it that others have
riches and we poverty, Others leisure
and we severe toll, or others health
and we sickness? These things are
mere details in the economy OF the
soul whose value we have greatly ex-
aggerated. We can get on bravelv
and sturdily and live our little lives
so worthily that when the perfect
day comes we shall be warmly well
coined.
There are no circumstances In
which we may not build character.
and character Is all there is TO live
for. Be patient, therefore, and the
morning will break at last. Be cheer
full even in the twilight Of iIlness
greatly prolonged and the shadows
win disappear.
When the painful experience can
be avoided your efforts must not
cease, but when the unavoidable oc-
ours fit yourself to 1t, let it be your
mission to use it to your souls ad-
vantage, and you will soon learn that
no life is without peace and toy.
Resignation is itself source of com
fort and happiness.-George 81. Hep
worth, in N. Y. Herald.
RELIGIOUS TRUTHS.