Year: 1873

Down in the minds of men, even when
the thoughts do not find utterance, the
! queries, Why is this care and trouble
sent me? Why must l bear this cross
Why does this misfortune befall me? are
constantly yelling while often the whole
mind and nature that thus question reb-
els violently against the discipline given.


Most rare are the individuals who bear
their crosses without outcry or COM
plaint, who study their own natures, re-
alize their own needs, and acknowledge
to themselves their own defects and sins.
They may be quite prone to find reasons
for the misfortunes of Others That
mans sons have gone wrong because they
were not restrained in the beginning of
the downward course. This woman's
daughter lies i'll and dying because the
mothers vanity dressed her too slightly
for some party display; and thus they
will apportion to the follies and sins of a
neighborhood the accompanying reward
quite correctly. But when the pain
comes home, and the unwelcome pay
ment is made to themselves, they cry out
"Why has this come hitherY


Mankind is naturally so 10th to acquire
self knowledge, that only the various ills
and calamities of life can induce people
to take lessons in the disagreeable sci
ence Any knowledge that is so com
pletely at variance with self-love can but
be distasteful to the best of us. 1t is less
troublesome to sit in querulous judg-
ment upon our neighbors' weakness and
wrong-doing than to muse IN silent judg
ment upon our own, in spirit crying "pec-
cavi," when we find that had ours been
their temptation, ours also had been
their sin.


Very little of our pain, grief. and
trouble but arises from the violation of
some natural law, upon our part, or the
part of our ancestors. Through all the
stormy ages of the past, by their blood
shed, slavery, and oppression, by their
struggles and agonies and deaths, one
lesson is always taught, that-'the soul
that sinneth it shall die"


The charity "that suffereth long and is
kind" is learned mainly by a knowledge
of our own proneness to evil. The for
giveness that stoppeth not at seventy
times seven" knows and remembers its
own weakness of will and the power of
temptation. And meekness and long suf-
fering and forbearance are all learned by
faithful study of self and human nature.


And we are not only morally but men
tally improved by cares, sickness, and
perplexing labor. How much more
thought and ingenuity do people exer-
else who can scarcely make their income
meet their expenses than do those who
have never felt want of money for any
thing. The rich man can improve him
self in his library and the lecture-room.
The poor man sharpens his mind by
studying economy and ways and means.


How many good resolutions are made
while the weary though tranquil days of
convalescence are passing. And fire.
quently a taste for reading is formed or
revived that thoroughly transforms the
and CARRIES Re infinanpa throne oh
the whole after-life.


Pain teaches charity, sympathy, and pa
tience. Money losses teach prudence
and forethought. Loss of friends by
death reminds us that we, too, are NOR
tai, and must daily add to our prepara-
tlons for the event. And so, all that is
grievous as well as all that is pleasant in
our lives work together for our improve
ment, if we will but be teachable and pa
tiently learn the lessons daily given. 1t
is not essential to go long journeys, at
much expense, to acquire useful knowl-
edge; the most important and necessary
wisdom, selt-knowledge, may be learned
anywhere. 1t needs only constant exam
inaton of motives and thoughts, and the
results of the actions spriuging from
them, and thus having learned ones own
faults, defects, and needs, there will arise
means to remedy and improve.


1t is an erroneous opinion that teach
ers and schools are indispensable, for we
may be really uneducated though literal
ly crammed with facts. The best, high
est education is that which gives us the
most thoughtful appreciation of others
wisdom, the deepest sympathy with and
love of nature, the most thorough knowl-
edge of the extent and power of our own
capacity, and the most loving reverence
Tor the Great Teacher.