Norwich bulletin., 1918-06-08
Sunday Morning Talk
crumpIed Rose Leaves.

An old story tells of test by which the real princess was discovered from among a number of pretenders. The several claimans were invited to sleep. each one in turn, in certain bed in the castle. The peasant girls, who were false claimants, each slept soundly, but when it came the turn of the real princess she reported in the morning that she had passed a restless night. She had found the bed uncomfortable and rough. Investiga- tion showed that it was a crumpled rose leaf that had gotten under the woman's slumbers. Such sensativeness was judged to be an indication of gentle birth and breeding and her claim was accepted. -
 But is it always mark of royalty to be disturbed by triff1es? Does being fastidious mean that one is a superior sort of eing? By no means, neces- sarily. It may only mean that one has gotten into fussv habits; that he. is in danger of becoming a nuisance to everybody about him.
 There is not much sympathy in the world today for the "rose leaf va riety of troubles The sheer bulk of misery that fills so much of the
 world precludes most of the minor worries. The historian tells us that
 in the Middle Ages a common man had two main wishes; first, for a
 good leathern coat, and second, not
 to be killed" In how many quarters
 of the globe today are such funda- :
 mental desires in the forefront of
 mems desires! Millions of people in
 h rfrAa lf EFr;w smile to think of the triffes that used
 to bother them.
 There is no doubt that many yof
 us mederns were getting soft and fiabby. Trifes light as air were enough to disturb us. A dayy could be gloom shrouded, if an inconveni- ent shower spoiled our plans for a picnic; if the breakfast steak was not done to a turn if the milk had soured; or even if our shine got splashed with mud on the way down. town. We were dominated by num- berless petty inconveniences.
 It all seems so silly now. One be- comes quite ashamed of his trivia Icomplaints in view of the able-bo jed troubles that aff1ict millions of oul fellow beings. One cannot decentlJ growl a short allowance of sugar, wher WIlOic clC tlQllSIy IOl 1 bread One is not going to complain over a hard bed when his neighbor's 1 boys are sleeping in muddy trenches 1 But it is when we think of the pool | fellows maimed and suffering in the hospitals that our minor ills seem tht i least important. At such times, more than ever, we feel like accepting the advice of Emerson: "One topic is per. emptorily forbidden to all rationa mortals, namely. their distempers. I you have not slept, if you have. thu
 headache or leprosy Or thunderstroke
 I beseech you by all the angles to holt your peace and not pollute the morn 1 ing. Come into the azure and low the day"
 The Apostle Paul asked us to leari 1 to endure hardness as good soldier of Jesus Christ" For such lesson there is abundant opportunity in thes days The mood of the hour is agains extravaganza, luxury and coddling Life has been reduced in. many quart CTS to an almost military simplicity Nearly everyone is learning, in som degree, to rough it-and. generally t his physical and moral advantage When the boys return, toughened il body and dicipiined in spirit by tn army regimen, they must find a soci ety in the homeland that has mad it's own sacrifices met it's own prob laytne and is fit for- the tasks of tn