Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-27
AN EXILE IN GREATNESS SCHOOL
The International Sunday School Les.
son for August 80 is, david Spares
Saul's Life" Sam. &c.
By William T. Ellis.

a fair chance in these days." recently
declared Mr.. j. Campbell White, who
was pointing out that it takes disci-
pine in burden-bearing, self-denial
ana responsibility to bring youth to
manhood's full measure. Many a great
man has pointed to the school of
hardship as the secret of his success.
Soft times make soft characters
There is no automobile road to great
ness Hard experiences are needed to
produce hardy spirits
The best thing that can befall a
person who looks forward to any sort
OF sovereignty is a bitter succession
OF hard times. Let him have. as did
David, few active, powerful enemies
and great trial that will go down to
the uttermost depths of his soul. Give
him occasion to test the primal YER
tiles; and to have to rely upon his
own wisdom and courage and persist
ence for safety. The only justification
for any sort of hazing in college Is
this true principle, that hardship and
oppression have an educational value
For, after all, what is the ultimate
use of education except to help d
person find his own soul.
songs OUT OF Sorrows.
Thus David became a king In the
school of exile and persecution he
learned how to reign. 1t was with a
confident step and even eye that he
eventually came to his coronation; he
learned that confident step scaling the
obstacles of the wilderness, and that
even eye by looking into the ever
present face of danger. The seven
years of pursuit by Saul, during which
David ''ate bitterness" as the Chinese
say, were the years that proved the
worth of Jesse's son.
More than that, out of these seven
years were born many or most of tho
immortal Psalms of David, which lave
meant more to the human race than
the rise or fall of a myriad kings
The world would be but slightly inter-
ested in David as king We're it not
for his songs in the night Out Of
the depths Of his personal sorrows he
uttered the sentiments of the univer
sal heart The Psalms are the most
contemporaneous of literature be-
cause they express, better than any
other form of words, what men and
women are feeling today Comfort and
is commonly said that the prosperity
Of this generation is responsible for
its lack Of great poets, as we'll as for
its multitude Of petty rhymsters. The
poet must learn in suffe..i..., what he
teaches in song David sounded the
depths Of loneliness, despair and sin,
ere he could sound the notes which
have vibrated as bugie calls through
the Eutions.
A Young Mans Testing.
A fair test of anybody's calibre is
whether he takes what is coming to
him without whimpering. How does he
face hard times? Can he meet Jude
served enmity and punishment in
fortitude? David had de-
served only honor from Saul and Is
rael; instead, he was treated with
ignominy and ingratitude. Things Gid
not turn out according to story-bool.
is one Of the shaft err
ing discoveries made by most young
men who enter upon wide range of
activities. There was danger that Da-
vid's faith in the verities, and in the
old-fashioned religion of his country
mother and father, would be shaken.
He was thrown among evil compan-
ions, who scoffed at the pious teach
ings unsophisticated home folk.
But David kept the faith. He got
the best out Of his trials, and not the
worst. Troubles are always char!ots;
it is with us to choose whether we
shall ride in them or be crushed by
them. In the first place, David decid-
ed to play fair. He would not match
meanness with meanness, disloyalty
with disloyalty, ingratitude with in.
gratitude. Like many noble business
man of today, in a world full Of trick
cry and deception, he determined to
do the right thing, or go under in the
attempt
Even for the sake of his own char
acter he could not afford to do
mean deed. Saul's ingratitude he met
with magnanimity. Twice he spared
the monarch's life, when he mad him
absolutely in his power; for David
had kept his respect for the Lords
Amounted. Shrewd David mus: also
have perceived, in the example Of
SauPs degeneracy, how great a price
one must pay for a mean act. While
Saul yielded to maudlin and incon-
slant remorse, or pleaded piteously
that everybody was against him, or
wept and reproached himself at the
knowledge of David's mercy. or COM
mitted rnwarranted murder upon the
priests, David was learning that It
only pays to be big and brave and
daring.
Another mistake David avoidti was
the common one of qnie'.ng work and
taking to complaining because things
we're not going well with him. Many
a person forsakes the church because
some member thereof has hurt his
feelings. David had been sorely injur-
ed by the nations highest representa-
i've; yet he remained loyal and pa
.riotic When Keilah was threatened
by the Philistines, he fastened to it's
'escue; and even the gross ingrati-
,ude of the inhabitants thereof did
not turn him sour.
A Fugitive in the Caves.
Driven from his home and wife
md office, with his fathers family
also prosecuted on his account, David
lad to become fugitive and an out
aW q dWeller in caves end hidar