The Washington herald., 1911-01-15
STRENGTH FROM FAILURE.

One of the most comforting thoughts
that can come to us-a thought that will
help us nightly on our rocky and toll
some road through Iife-is the thought
that, though in most of our undertakings
failure is inevitable. out of our very fail
ures we may acquire strength and cour-
age for the rest of the journey. In one
of the letters of DR.. Johnson you may
remember his saying:
complaints are vain. We will try to do
better another time. Tomorrow and to-
morrow few designs and a few failures,
and the time of designing is past for
ever
You might think that utterance. unless
you considered it carefully, rather
hopeless view to take: but. rightly un
derstood. it is a stirring call to duty. to
strife. to the expression of all that is
best within ourselves. 1t should remind
us how little use there is in the world of
idly complaining and bewaiinE our lot:
of wasting time and energy and the
buoyancy OF our spirits by regrettins our
past failures and follies. We are none of
of wasting time bcmoaning our fate. cry
ing over our mistakes.
''Bctwcen two worlds. life hcvers like
Trsixt night and morr ulnn the hcrizon 5 verge,
How little do know that which are,
How less what bc. The eternal surge
nj lime ard tide rolls On. and bears afar
'hIr huhb'cs: as the Old burst emerge
lashel from the foam nf ages.
us. such egotiStS that our individual
happiness or ills seem for the time being to
shut out our view OF everything else If We
have sinned. if have failed. it would
seem to many of Us that we are doomed
to carry the weight of the worlds burden
on our baCkS-that no recovery was pos
sible Let us. rather. thank God that
time. the great healer. returns to all of
us our sense of proportion. and that We
can come soon to see that, after all, in
spite of our mistakes, our failures. or our
sins. the world wags on pretty much the
same as before.
Nothing in life is more unhealthful than
the act "f broodins over ones sins. If
have made a mistake. been unkind
sliEhted our work. hurt others or our
selves. let us. in heavens name. try
quickly to forget these things. Back
there where the sin was lies no hope Of
recovery. Forward. beyond there lies
the only hope.
The M~rG Finger writes ard having wr1t
Move n. Ncr ali your piety
shall lure it hack TO cancel half line
Nor all youl tears wash cut a word of II -
says Omar. all gloom and pessimism
But even if the reasoning Of the old
Persian philosopher were true, we have a
philosophy that succeeded that: a philoso-
ply equally us true and much more
hopcful-thc philosophy expressed by
Christ when He said to the poor woman
in the temple. Go. and sin no more
The important part of that utterance was
the go. To all men, we suppose. after
sense of dire failure there comes the
thought of some quiet monasterial retreat
where they may shut them from their
kind and hide their faces from their
fellow man. And such a longing some
times appeals with infinite force. But il
is not that way redemption lies. II is as
true now as IT ever was in the world
that a man must work out his own sal
walton.
And you will observe that this saliva
tion is to be worked out: not cried out
or lamented out or prayed out. but
worked. Let d man shut down hard on
the recollection Of his failures. and
fronting the world hravely, set about his
work, resolved to sin no more.
We are much bound TO them that do sceed
But pathetic bound
T" S,ch fail. They all lnse cyrsr1nd
They comfort us fT work that will not speed.
And fe-Itsrlf failure.
And even in the face of failure or dis.
aster let us remember that this world OF
ours is a good old world-good to live in
good to laugh in. good to weep in good
to die in. Around US though we may not
realize ii. is wrapped IL fine mantle OF
loving sympathy. Helpful thoughts and
helpful hearts are all about us
No one is ~ accirsed Of fate
No utterly desoate.
But some heart. thuugh unknown,
Responds unto his own