Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1916-01-06
"IT is BETTER FARTHER ON

Hope springs eternal in the
heart of man"-unless he be a
dyspentic, pessimist or an "old
CROUCH" in which case he is not
a normal man and Hope doesn't
anything to do with him. 1t
comes to use in the darkest,
shortest days of the year, when
the sun is pausing to rest 1T
tie before starting on it's long
journey to the summer solstice.
1t bids us keep the New Year
and with it start the new life
that somehow we are sure is 60
ing to be ever so much better
than that of the year just closed.
1t gives us lengthening days
while the worst storms of the
winter are raging, just to re-
mind us that spring is coming.
1t gives us the blossoms of the
beautiful spring time, that we
may follow just as surely as
spring followed winter. When
the harvest time arrives, with
all it's busy labor, it presents the
winter to us as a season of rest,
with opportunity to enjoy the
fruits of the harvest. With ev-
cry day that dawns there comes
the promise of something bet
ter lust ahead. The coveted
leisure to carry out some cher
ished plan, the trip we have al
ways wanted to take, the book
we have planned to read, the
visit with friends we love-
all these keep just little ahead
of us, and if by chance we do
catch up with any of them, las we
frequently do, Hope Immediate
ly places in our view another
and better object toward which
we may aim.
ST. Paul never said truer
thing then when, in / Corinth-
ians xiii, he utters these words,
when / was a child, I spoke
as a child, | understood as a
child, / thought as a child; but
when | became a man | put a.
way childish things" Who is
there among the readers Of this
article who could sit down and
spend a half day reading the
stories that seemed so great
in the days of childhood or the
budding of youth? How terrib-
" insipid they seem and we
wonder how the young folk can
content themselves with such
trash" we are tempted to call
it. Yet in many cases it isn't
trash at all. We have simply
passed far beyond it, lured by
Hope to better things.
To the man or woman whose
heart is a dwelling place for the
blessed trinity, Faith, Hope and
Charity, the passing of years has
no more terrors than rumbling
of the swift moving wheels of
railway train which is bearing
us to destination we are anx-
ious to reach. Faith in the low
ing Father above, who "holds
the key of all unknown" Hope
in the future which is continual
ly growing brighter; Love for
God and our fellow menEThese
are the things that make life
grow richer day by day. The
charging opportunities to bless
the world by just living. the
touching of hearts with those
who are suffering as we have
suffered, the being able to speak
a word of cheer to someone who
is treading the path we know is
so rough, are set before us by
the Angel of Hope that has guild
ed us all the way along, and will
guide us to the end of our jour
ney.
The Lay Of Service is the Law
of Life The longer we live the
better able we are to serve the
world-not physically, for Hope
does not tell us that we shall
grow stronger with the passing
of years of maturity-but men
tally and spiritually. The ply
steal nature is mans smallest
endowment. The other and
greater faculties given him for
the purpose of serving the world
shall more and more richly de-
velop as the years go by, never
reaching, in this world, their
full completeness, but always
having possibilities ahead. To
the man who has sought earth's
highest gift, "the Pearl of Great
p,.ica y tho A nneol of Hama ,ao.xo,s