Norwich bulletin., 1917-06-23
Sunday Morning Talk
THE BRIGHT SIDE,

Though outwardly gloomy shroud
 The inner side of every cloud
 Is bright and shining.
 And so I turn my clouds about
 And always wear them inside out
 To show their lining
 They are happy nortaIs wso can
 follow this blithe plan of E1Nn Thor
 neycroft Fowler. There is a bright
 side in nearly every dismal situation.
 1T we know where to look for it. And
 when the brightness is found both
 religion and good manners ask us to
 keep 1t as clearly in view as possible
 As regards the ordinary accidents
 and inconvenience of life no diff1eulty
 is experienced. Most of us learn to
 take the smaller inconvenience phil osophically- If the shower spoHs our
 picnic plan we see, at least that it is just what our cucumber vines de- mand- A broken leg may send one
 to bed for 8. rest that is calculated to ward off some nnor5 serious disorder. terrible experiences of life one may be excused for perplexity. No ordir- ary optimism is sufficient to meet them. What good can possibly come, calamity as our minds must conten- plate at this hour? What silver lin ing can anyone discover in the black shroud of the great war Is any L. lion fine young men slain? Is any benefit to be argued in wastage rep resented by millions of shattered limbs, blinded eyes, and deafened ears?
 Are lands filled with widows and or phans, blackened towns, and ravaged fields capable of any consoiing ex- planation? Are prostrate cathedrals and ruined art treasures blessings in disguise? With such questions as these your sky-b1ue optjmist is in vited to wrestIe in these terrible 
 No cheap and easy answer will do. The fneffable horrors of the past few ] years have put new test on human faith and sanity. He is a benefactor | of the race who can point out a moral | path through the wilderness.
 That the world that ennerges from | everyone agrees. Reconstructed Eu- rope will arise on new foundations. The old, shaky ones are already sink i ing from sight. Will 1t be a better | laid down? There are indications that, in some important respects it will be. Various hoary wrongs will have been buried beyond hope of have been achieved Freedom and brotherhood will have some semblance of meaning.
 Thomas Fuller, who had experience n England's Civil War, with it's fiery trials, says quaintly:= "I have observed hat towns that have been casually burnt have been built again more | beautiful than before mud vaeis aft Ii srward made of stone; and roofs for II nerly but matched, after advanced to | be tiled"
 The good mans application of the fact, wfthal, Is in point for noderns. The Apostle tells me that must rot think strange concerning he fiery trial which is to happen to ne. May I likewise be improved bv t. Let my renewed soul which grows put of the ashes of the olden man. be more firm fabric and stronger structure; so shall afrliction be my ldvantage"
 Is religion to be a more compelling orce in the lives of men after the var, instead of so generally only an ecclesiastical decorum? Various pro- ,hets expect this change to come bout. There are indications that the world will at last be forced to the ,rogramme of the Man Of Galiiee. imply because every other device has ,erhaps the least likely source let i'm take the quoted opinion of Ernest laeclel, German agnostic philosopher. hat the cultivation Of the spirit of ,hrist's gospel, and it's application to he affairs of the State promise the i nly relief from the worlds misery nd the only safeguard of the worlds , 'eace- To perceive the truth is a first tep toward doing it. If a sincere at- empt in this direction should be , made, with it's almost inconcefvabIe , fleet on human happiness and veil ; eing, this red ocean of blood will not ave been spilled in vain. r.