Middletown transcript., 1903-06-20

from trials they have to bear. They
think of them as bondage and by nc
means the ideal of a beautiful life. But
| much that is best in life comes out of this
very bondage. ''Do you wish to live
without trial?" asks a modern author.
'sThen you wish to die but half a man.
Without trial you cannot guess at your
own strength" Men do not learn to
swim on a table, they must go in deep
water and buffit the waves. Trials are
rough teachers, but rugged teachers make
rugged scholars. Hardship is the native
soil of manhood and self reliance. Men
who 90 through life and come to the
grave without a winkle are but half a
man. Difficulties are Gods errands, and
when we are sent ON them we should es-
tenn it as proof OF Gods confidence in us.
Nature like the God of nature, wrestles
with us as friend, not as an enemy,
wanting us to gain the victory in order
that we may see and enjoy her richest
blessings. This is true of the mental, ply
sical and the moral world. Failure often
leads man to success by awaking pow
ers that were sleeping, and by arousing
his latent energy. Men of mettle turn
disappointments into helps as the oyster
turns the sands into pearls which annoy
it. The conflict with difficulty makes us
better acquainted with our object, and
compels us to consider it in all relations.
Strong characters like the palm tree
thrive best when most abused. Men
who have stood up bravely for years
under great misfortune have been unable
to stand prosperity. Their good fortune
takes the spring out of their energy, as
the Torrid zone does the races that are
accostumed to more vigorous climate.
Some never come to themselves until
bafled, rebuffed and defeated. Trials
unlock their virtues, defeat is the
threshold to victory. We are victors of
our opponents. They develop the pow
ers in us by which we overcome them.
Without their opposition we could not
have braced and anchored ourselves as
the oak is braced for its battles with the
tempests. So our trials, misfortunes, sor-
rows and failures develop in us the same
way. Grants failure as a subaltern,
made him commander-in chief. Poverty
drove Horace to poetry. sit is in me and
shall come OUT said Richard Brinsley
Sheridan. And it did for he became
the most eloquent, brilliant and amazing
statesman of his day. 1t was his defeats
that encouraged him to strive for emin-
ence and gain it, but it took hard per-
sistent work in his case to secure it just as
it has in many others. Byron was stung
by determination to reach the top by
the severe criticism his "Hours of Idle
ness" received when published, when
the author was only nineteen years of
age. Yet in few years he stood by the
side Of such men as Scott, Southey and
Campbell. Many an orator has been
spurred into eloquence by abuse and
ridicule. From an aimless idle brain
emergencies have called forth powers and
virtues which before were unknown and
unsuspected. How often you have seen
persons loose their fortunes and the
props of all kinds removed from them,
develop their energy and ability. So the
prison has aroused the smouldering fire
in many noble life. Robinson Crusoe
was written in prison, pilgrims Pro-
gress" the greatest allegory in the Eng
lish language, appeared in Bedford jail.
''The Life and Times of Baxster' and
Penn's "No Cross no Crown" were writ
ten by prisoners. Sir Walter Scott
wrote the History of the World" dur
ing his Imprisonment of thirteen years.
Luther translated the Bible while con-
fined in the Castle of Wartburg For
twenty years Dante worked in exile and
even uuder the sentence of death. Ad-
versity defects towards, draws out the
faculties of the wise and industrious,
puts the modest to trying their skill and
makes the idle industrious. Neither do
uninterrupted success and prosperity
qualify us for usefulness and happiness.
Storms OF adversely like those of the ocean,
rouse the faculties excites the inven-
ton, prudence, skill and fortitude OF the
voyager. Men have drawn from adversely
the elements of greatness. If you have
the blues go and see the sickest and poor
est families you know. The darker the
setting the brighter the diamond. Don't
60 and tell your acquaintances that you |
have been unfortunate, people do not !
like to have unfortunates for acquan-
tances.
Let US daily take lessons from the
flowers of the fields, the birds of the air,
the fishes of the sea and develop within
the power to live in the sunshine, not in
the shadows, and scatter the flowers OF
along life's pathway as we
go, for we will not pass this way again.
-<D<--