Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-01-21
THE TIGHTENING LOAD.
By Henry =. Cops

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It Is an easy matter to talk dolefully
of the burdens we must bear, to look
out with the fearful eye and survey
the whole race going on its way with
bent shoulders, dropping to the vast
chasm Of the grave in the dim hope
of burden free life. But to use our
burdens as inspiration for poems OF
pessimism is to miss their purpose
utterly.
Man Is a strange creature In this
matter Of burden bearing as in others
Take this man, for instance, who has
been for years complaining that his
load was too much for him. Now, at
last, his burden has been lifted; it is
gone, and what Is the first thing he
will do, what but go forth assiduously
seeking new burdens? Men cannot be
happy without them.
There is a fine art in burden bear
ing. Some people think it is the art
OF making another carry the load
while you carry the tag, while others
imagine it is matter Of binding
yourself to what is on your shoulders.
But 1t Is in neither Of these ways.
Strange to say, 1t is matter of carry
ing the burdens we have by adding
others to them.
Many man has died of a broken
life from the weight of one little bur
den simply because he has borne it as
slave, while others grow ever more
they take them up gladly, eagerly
choosing to bear them. Our burdens
are our blessings when we choose
them wisely.
The shrill laughter of childhood mel
lows into calmer, deeper joys of later
years as duty comes into our yocabu-
larry; we take up our work and dis
cover the meanings Of living. For
moment we may envy the child's care
free days, but who would lose for them
that enriching of our hearts that has
really dropped into them from our
burdens?
Look over the richest lives the
world has known and how heavy have
been their loads. Lincoln, with ma
tons woe upon him, Livingstone with
continent, and Jesus with world.
Who could bear more and yet who
| could give more than these? The
worlds stream flows richer because of
| the gift of their courage, hops, and
| love.
Their cares were not their own;
| they cared for others. This is the Sc
| cret of joy in every way of life. A
woman never knows the JOY of living,
| nor is her life a blessing in itself,
until she bends beneath the burdens of
home and motherhood The youth
! suddenly rises and enriches into man
hood when he takes home on his
shoulders.
Taking up the burdens Of others we
not only lose the sense of the weight
I of our own, but we turn the whole
matter Of burden bearing into a pro-
cess of strengthening, sweetening, and
| enriching life. In this the best is de-
veloped; here grow the fair flowers of
sympathy, gentleness, forgiveness, and
mercy; all the ameliorating influences
| of life spring from the necessity of
| common helpfulness.
This is the higher law of life, that
| we should find ourselves in serving
| others that we should learn love
| through helpfulness and sacrifice. This
! is what is meant by the way of the
cross, not a punishment to be borne,
| but a ministry to be shared, a chance
to enter into other lives by taking up
| their loads.
This would be a cold and desolate
! world if we never needed one an
! other; If there were no drafts on sym
pathy pity, tenderness, and help these
| fair blooms would soon perish; the
! godlike in us could never be but for
| such human needs, our weaknesses,
! and our cares Like dull slaves we
would lie inert under our own bur
dens. but for the call Of another's
need, bidding US arise and walk with
/ him.
Look into the faces on the street;
you find depth, JOY, light, and cheer
never in those who care only for their
! own noeuS anu ever III l1USS WHO take
into the area of their own lives the
cares and needs of others. They have
learned the secret of living, which is
to share life, and the secret of light
! ening our loads, which is to bear the
! burdens of others.
You will not need 10 hunt for bur-
dens; you need not become a profess
sional uplifter. Simply keep the life
hospitable to the lives OF others, make
living a business of sharing strength
and love. Never say to yourself, I
| have no strength to spare. Live for
/ the life of all and you shall find al!
| of life.
LIVE UP TO YOUR FAITH.
By Cyrus Townsend Brady.
Nicodemus-he that came to Jesus
by night-St. John vii. so.