The Newtown bee., 1906-12-21


hard! 1t is like CLEAN of stray sun
shine on a sere and sour November
day. On the other hand, how the tug
of life grows ominously sterner when
lack of sympathy is met where its OPP
posite might be reasonably expected,
Or harsh word cuts deep into a Sensi-
tive soul already ver-burdened, or
brutal cynicism chills the hearts
warmth when the clouds lower black \
ana threatening above the head of
despairing weakness. They scOrch
like the lightning flash ofa sultry aft
erDoon that fires the NOV Of new-cut
hay in the farmers barn.
..oh. the good we all may do.
While the days are going by $751;.
Beliingham taught Robin a lesson
n regard to the permanence of char
4cter, without regard to environment
q is first ardor as young disciple had
faltered in the face OF little o,ercom
ng tempt atiOnS and he had thought.
When get to Belingha,n, | shan
get away from these trials y Blu
neither in Bellingham nor else where
lid Robiu ever .scape himself and he
learned that out OF the abundance OF
the heart, as Christ said, the month.
,poke..and til life flowed forth. what
.ver the surrounding circums' ancrs.
The true secret of esca ping temptation
is not in removal of body but OF self; nol
alone in the struggle for deliverance.
but in working together with God, for
| it is He that worketh in us both t.
will and to do of.His good pleasure, ii.
| vel will let Him. Is it at all likely
that we shallescape ourselves at death?
Eternity begins where and with what
character Earth takes leave Of US.
Robin attended private school
| taught at Bellingham by an aunt and
| the obstinacy of his nature was illus
fusal to spell the word grease, though
entirely familiar with it. The line
between perseverance and obstinacy is
definite and marked, but, while perse-
verance ripens and natures excellence,
like the mellow sunshine OF Autumn,
obStinacy sourS and mildewS the graces
Of life like persistent spell of moist
! weather in the dog days. The willing
horse lisa good type OF perseverance,,
but one must go to the stye. for a fit
sample of pure obstinacy.
There were two intervals of school
away from home while the family was
at Bellingham, one at CRANKY with a
relative OF Rev Richard and another
at Pennington. The CRANKY school
incident might have fastened love OF
alcohol on Robin: for the relative with
whom he boarded, also teacher of the
district school where he attended, be
lieved in cider and, beginning when it
was fresh from the press, Robin never
learned when it became hard and
would at length swallow a glass OF
hard cider with great gusto, habit
which has sent many farmer boy tc
perdition. Providence interviewed in
the shape of itch, caught at the dis
trict school, and Rev Richard drove up
with sleigh in great haste after his
infected son, one letter having miscar-
ried informing the father that he must
come at once and get Robin. How
mysterious the ways. of Providence
and how slight the Interruptions that
divert the currents of life! At Farm
ingtOn, Robin worked forAhis board liz
la family where a diet of pork
and green apples brought on a
trouble that again interrupted study
and required some effort to subdue
! At Belllngham, too, Robin carried
on the farm Of a widow for some
months, cutting no end of brush that
soon renewed itself, milking cows
helping about haying and engaging in
the general run of farm work. It~was
while working in a meadow here one
day that the tolling of the distant
church bell announced the assassina-
tion of the Martyr Lincoln. In carry
ing sawhorse to this farm, two miles
from the parsonage home, Robin
strained his side, an injury from
which he did not entirely recover foI
q number of years.
Robins life at this period was in it's
transition state, too veally for manli-
ness and too protected by the Provi-
dence of God to fall prey to the evils
of imagination that beset all youths
not properly instructed by their pa.
rents in the mysteries of life. Robin
was not so instructed and only native
virtue and Gods care saved him from
immortality and vice.
TO BE CONTINUED