The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1909-11-11
THE THINGS MEN DO.
Most Important Results OF Life Otter
Merely Incidental.

sehk hSobiko Va
our lives are often those which we
think of as merely incidental, if,
indeed we notice them at all. Men
have shaved oh, year after year,
perfccting a piece Of machinery
which they dreamed would revo-
lutionize the factories of the world.
One day they stumbled, seemingly.
on simple contrivance that they
thought quite unimportant, but
that trivial device has later been
counted by the world as the main
work of their lives.
Men are nearly always mistaken
In the relative estimates they put
on different parts of their work.
This is often seen in reading the
lives of literary workers. The
volume or poem which they held
to be their masterpiece has, not
infreuqently, received scant at
tention at the hands of competent
judges while verses they wrote,
perhaps in some moment of lei
sure have spoken to mems hearts
and can never die. George Math-
cson wrote many devotional and
theological books, each of which
required hard toll to perfect. One
evening after time of great men
tai suffering, he produced in FIVE
minutes little poem that is in the
hym-books of the world just as he
wrote it, save for the subsequent
change of one word. If when he
wrote these verses, he had been
asked what he considered his most
important contribution to the re-
ligious thought of his time, he
would probably have pointed to
one of his valuable volumes; but,
while his Portraits of Christ
may be forgotten, wherever men
and women have suffered and
found companionship and strength
in Christ, there will they sing, 20
love that will not let me CO."
Cardinal Newman was one OF
the great religious controversial
lists Of his time, and wrote many
learned volumes. Who reads
those now? He wrote one little
hymn, Lead Kindly Light" and
thought it was one of the smallest
in compass of any of his works it
will live to inspire and cheer men
wherever the soul longs for God.
Thomas Ken was prominent
writer of the 18th century. Few
today even know that he publish
ed book. He wrote four lines,
beginning, Praise God, from
whom all blessings fow," and
millions of hearts each week come
near to God in those familiar lines.
The great work of our lives,
that which will bear fruit after we
have been forgotten, will more
than likely be one of the things
that we do almost, if not quite,
unconsciously. The task we con-
slider the very center of our lives
may seem to accomplish no par
ticular good, but some little for
gotten kindness will live in an
other life forever.
That the enduring results of
our life will probably be what we
consider its by-products is on
salve for the lazy man who says,
What use then, for me to keep
on in my particular line? If l ever
accomplish anything, it will more
than likely be something never
aimed to do" On the contrary,
this very fact should call every
one of us to honest, hearty toll;
for it is only in the pathway of
duty well done that anything
worth while is ever accomplished.
Matheson wrote his poem in a few
minutes, but if he had not trained
his mind and heart by long year
of hard, painstaking toll he never
could have given the world these
immortal lines. Perhaps the
machinery we perfect through
many weary months may never
accomplish what we confidently
expect of it, but, if we are bidden
to build it let US do it at any cost
and let it be finished as in he
great Taskmaster's eye." Luck