Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-12-09

Let us illustrate this truth by exam
pies. He who tries to enter among
the lower and humble ones of society
will not be long in discovering great
physical and moral miseries. The
nearer he reaches that life the more
wounds he discovers, and at last the
world of miserable ones seems to him
like a vast, black creation before
which the individual with his poor
means of solace appears reduced to
impotence. 1t is true that he feels
anxious to hasten, but at the same
time he thinks What is the use?"
Evidently the case Is most agonizing.
Some decide the question by doing
nothing from despair. They remain
therefore sterile, yet not from the
lack of pity nor of good intentions.
They are wrong. Often a man has not
the means to do good by wholesale,
but that is no reason why he should
not at retail. So many people fail
to do anything because, according to
them, there is too much to do. They
need to be recalled to the simple duty.
This duty is this, in the case now &C.
cupying our attention: that every one,
according to his resources, his leis-
ure and his capacities, should form
friendships among these disinherited
ones. There are people who by the
exercise Of little will-power manage
to introduce themselves into the cir
cles Of the ministers, or to wriggle in
to the society of the chiefs of the
State. Why, then, could not all form
acquaintance with the poor people
and become friendly with those toll
ers who are in need of necessaries?
Once know a few families, with their
histories, their antecedents and their
difficulties, you could be of great util-
ity in doing simply what you could,
and in praCticing fraternity under the
form OF moral and material assist.
ance You would have, it is true at.
tackled but one little corner, but you
would have done your best and per-
haps drawn some one other to do his
best also. In acting this way instead
of only stating that there exists much
misery in the world, sullen hatred,
disunton, vice, you would have intro
duced little good into it. And how
ever small the number of good wills
like yours becomes, the good will
grow and evil will diminish. But,
even If you are left alone to do what
you have done, you have witness that
you have done the only reasonable
thing the simple and childlike duty
which was given you. Now, in doing
that hovA 1icna,0rA1 IL
secrets Of right living.
Human ambition dreams Of vast
projects, but it Is rarely given us to
do great things, and even the most
rapid and certain successes are al
ways the outcome of patient prepare
ton. Faithfulness in small things is
the base of everything grand that is
accomplished. We forget that too
often. Still. If there Is a truth neces-
sary to know, it is that, above all In
the dangerous and painful moments
of existence. One can save himself
In case Of shipwreck on broken
beam, an oar, or a piece of plank
On the tumultuous ocean of life. when
everything seems to be broken to
atoms, remember that one only Of
these poor atoms may become our
plank Of safety. The decentralization
consists In despising these pieces.
You have been ruined. or have a
great grief, or perhaps you have Just
seen destroyed before your eyes the
fruit of long labor 1t is impossible
to reconstruct your fortune, to re-
sucitate your dead, or save your lost
labor. And before the irreparable
your arms fall. Then you neglect to
care for your person, to keep your
house, or to watch over your children
That is pardonable, and how we'll we
understand it! But that is very dan
gerous! To let yourself go transforms
the evil into worse one. You who
believe that you have nothing more
to lose, you will for that lose that
which yet remains to you. Gather
the fragments Of your goods; have
for what remains a scrupulous care
And soon that little will console you.
Accomplished effort comes to our aid
as neglected effort turns against u.s.
II there remains but one branch to
JON Neei NAAh6, NlihS W ludI
branch, and If you are left alone to
defend a cause which seems lost do
not throw down your arms to Join the
fugitives On the morrow after the
deluge few isolated persons repeo-
pie the earth. The future sometimes
seems to rest on one head alone, as
1t happens that life hangs but on a
thread. Inspire yourself with history
and nature; each will teach you in
their laborious evolutions that calami-
ties like prosperity can come from
the least causes, that it is not wise
to neglect details, and above all one
must know how to wait and to recon-
mence.
In speaking of the simple duty
cannot refrain from thinking of mill
tary life, and of the examples that 1t
offers to the combatants of that great
struggle which is life. He who, once
his army is beaten, abstains from
brushing his garments, polishing his
gun, and observing his discipline I'M
derstands but imperfectly his duty as
a soldier