Norwich bulletin., 1914-10-17
SUNDAY MORNING TALK
BLESSINGS BY THE WAY.


 It is a strange paradox of human life that we gain some of our richest blessings by not striving for them directly. They come to us 1ncldentaliy and often when we have ceased to think about them at all. They are d sort of byproduct of life that is given to the pursuit primarily of some thing else.
 There is happiness, for instance Everyone. wants to be happy. But practically one gains happiness not by striving for it directly, not by making dead set' at it, but by doing his duty as well as he can.. and finding happiness by the way. The profession al pleasure seeker is by no means sure to be the happiest of mortals- Indeed, he may easily be one Of the unhappiest The most pessimistic booH in the Bible is the book of Ecclesiastes 1t is the record of a strenuous pleas ure seeker, and one who found only acrid disgust with himself and with the world. "AlI is vanity and veXa- ton of spirit" he said.
 They are nest likely to find happi- ness who center their attention on some other object than that. They seek the happiness of others, they try to be of service to the community, they engage in some usetul and en- crossing occupation. And, strangely H.. a waysfde angel to bless and inspire their lives. They learn to appreciate the experience of the Apostle Paul, who in the midst of constant labors and. incredible hardships was still as one "alway rejoicing" who in a dun geon cell could sing songs at mid night with his feet fast in the stocks. Or does one crave fame, popularity, the good opinion of his fellows? Here again the result is incidental to un- selfish service. It does not come through direct quest. One may make up for the part, scheme for effects, pose before the motion picture machine but the real hero does not arrive by that route Expenditures of self is q | first essential. Washington at Valley Forge had no thought of the heroic l scene he was making for future ages. Lincoln. sad-hearted, saying his few words over the Union dead at Gettys- burg, had no thought that his brIel speech would live forever in the | hearts of his countrymen.
 Men find fame not by seeking 1t di- | rectly. but by going about the tasks | to which they are called in a regardless | and whole-hearted sort of way. His | tory proves the truth of what TennJ- son fold us. in his noble lines on the
 death of the Duke of Wellington:
 Not -once-or twice in our rough island
 The path of duty was the way to r Z glory"
 Health of body and of mind fol- | lows direction of attention to some thing beyond ones own personal af- I fairs. Hundreds of invalids have been cured by the introduction into thei1 live sof some strong objective inter T est. How often we are reminded ol | the profound words of Jesus, He thai I loseth his life for my sake shall fino T it!' It may be the best possible course from the viewpoint of health Il alone for one to turn aside from his II own personal affairs to some field oi Il unselfish service.
 Il One recalls .the rejoinder of old Dr Il Samuel Johnson when informed that g certain lady had died of broke, heart. He remarked that if she ha6
 been a., poor washerwoman with g i family of seven little children to brtna :: up she would not have had time tt die of grief.
 :, SeIfishness proves in the end bad t philosophy and even bad hygiene. Con- ,, stantly to Hook out for No. I Il means impovverishment of mind anc ;l heart, It may even mean disorderec
 physique. They gain most from the life that now is and from that to come who seek first the Kingdom of God that all these other good things may e 'oeieu --- THE PARsON,