Year: 1876

Two old men, one OF them the Duke
OF Wellington, were once riding in a
carriage across the country, in Eng
land. They were each over eighty
years OF age, and they enlivened their
journey by an expedient that might
almost appear to SAVIOR second child
hood-guessing what would be found
on the other side OF each hill which
they had occasion to ascend. The
guesses OF the Duke were so often
accurate that his companion sex-
pressed surprise. MY friend" was
the reply, Il have spent my whole
life in guessing what Is on the other
side OF the hill" A little later, as the
two friends were relating the Incl
dent, in pleasant way, to lady, she
made some remark which led the
Duke to observe: MADAM, the duty
OF a General in war, the plan OF bat
tie or a campaign, is neither more
nor less than simply guessing what is
on the other side of the hill.'


1t was q somewhat homely, but cer-
tainly very foraible way Of illustra-
ting at once familiar fact with its
familiar lesson. Many OF Us remem-
Der a reading exercise in q school
book much In use forty years ago.
entitled. @The Journey Of Day. the
Picture OF Human Life" The COM
parison is, In many ways, apt and
forcible, yet in none perhaps more
than in this, that In life, as In o jour-
ney, there is always ~fke other side of
the hill" As hill difficulty. there il
another side to it; as an obstacle to
the view we try to have OF the road
before us, Ii becomes, when sur
mounted no longer q hindrance but
an outlook; We approach 1t In the
shadow, perhaps. yet beyond there 10
glorious sun-setting or sun-rising,
fields and streams. aud distant city
spires, all aglow In the brightness
What beautiful element in our ma
ture is this principle Of hope. remind
ing us, always, that however the side
toward US may look forbidding or
disheartening, there is another side
to which we shall come by-and-by.
Surmounting the hill. often, We see
that -end OF the Lord" to which an
apostle refers In citing the case OF
Jot, the much afflicted man. Let no
one distrust the divine intention to-
ward him till he has seen that inten-
ton fully developed and wrought out
Let no one in his journey through
life sit down despairing at the foot Of
the hill. "The other side OF the hill'
may bring him rest, and fullness and
contentment.


Sagacity In men. besides, as the
great soldier intimated, seems to be
very much a faculty for skilfull
guessing There is certain process
OF. reasoning even In a guess. As
Wellington and his friend rode on.
they were passing through country
one portion of which had certain nec-
essary resembiances to the other.
They knew at least, that the other
side OF the hill would not bring them
to desert, nor to the ocean. There
are certain features OF an English
landscape which are pretty sure to be
remarked. from whatever point OF
view. From the country already
seen the two friends could reason,
with certain degree OF confidence,
to that which was as yet unseen. So
there was reasoning even in their
guessing. When Wellington planned
a campaign, there was q rigorous
method in the guesses by which ne
calculated the movements Of his ene-
my as well as his own. And still, IL
was guessing. The other side OF the
hill was not a thing seen and really
known until he came to 1t, and woe
to him IL he then found that he had
made any serious mistake.


Too much OF our living Is hap-haz-
ard and careless, so far as the future
Is concerned: especially that far fu-
ture which seems to US so dim in the
distance as we look at it from the
successive hill-tops OF life. As we
can not k,iow ~ hat day may bring
, FORTH" we content ourselves too cas-
lily without even a prudent conject-
ure. There Is, after all, only sort OF
half wisdom In the maxim, mot to
cross a bridge till we come to it,
not to be concerned about the other
side of the hill till we have reached
it. "A prudent man., says the in
spired oracle, aforseeth the evil and
hideth himself; but the simple pass
on and are punished. BE wise TO-
day." says another good counsellor
or what avail will be the wisdom OF
OF to- morrow, IL the folly OF to-day
has already ruined US? = Chicago
Standard.