FAILURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 44

FAILURE.

To very many of us come thr.-s when all life seem,* a failure, Avhen we foel as if no one thing had prospered in our hands. From earliest childhood some learn to know the bitter meaning o f the Avoid. In school nfe earnest faithful effort to pass a standard, to excel in this or that study, through some untoAvard circumstance Avhich proves a stumbling-place has ended in failure; and the eager, impatient child-heart must learn to feel a curb on its impetuosity, and plod for another year through the Lame Avork, whilst others, who were perhaps much less in earnest., press forward ; and yet, even through this very failure, the child may learn lessons Avhich the more .successful one misses — carefulness, diligence, patience, perseverance, and last, and by no means least, humility; and all these shall in afrer life prove stepping-stones to victory. When failure— repeated failure — meets and overcomes us Aye ought to search very diligently within ourselves for a cause, and surely k the search is reAvarded by the discovery of some Aveak point there avc may count these failures as victories which have led on <o the bettering of ourselves by making strong the Aveak points.

Do not then be discouraged, O friend, I at your seeming failures, even though it ma-/ appear to you that long weaiy year.s of toil, of patient bearing, of struggling on through tangled labj'rinths of difficulties, doubts, and perplexities, Avith the eye fixed on some heigi,. to which you aspire end but in failure — nil your fair hopes blighted, all youV lofty plans laid loav in the dust, all I your _ bright dreams vanishing in a cruel j aAyaking to the cold numbing sense of failure, Avith its desolation of helplessness stealing over the spirit, and causing the hands to hang nerveless at your .side and the feet to lag wearily and slowly where before they j had bounded so eageily along, and Avringing l from the heart the bitter Avail, " I have laboured in vain ; I have spent my .strength for naught!" Listen, O despondent, disappointed, 'desolate one, listen Avhile I tell you that One of old, clinging to an arm mightier than his oaaii, and trusting to a. strength greater than His cried out, '• Though I fall, yet ,sh;>U I ri.se again," ancl take to your stricken heart the comfort that is yours by right. Whilst you cling to that mighty arm, do you not knoAv that the God A\-ho is able of stones to make bread may also out of your bitter failures make steppingstones which, even though it be in pain and sorrow, shall assuredly lead up to victory, and then may you in calm and radiant joy look down from your height upon the manyfailures of your efforts in the past and bless C4od for those very failures. Cherish always as an ally strong to aid you in surmounting failure that SAveel bright spirit, C4od-given — the angel, Hope. We are so prone to fall, led on as we so often are by pride, reckless ira1 pe(uo,M(y. and A"anitA r , or hindered by indo- | lence, oai-elessness, or the procrastination Avhich makes us too late to meet the success Avhieh might have croAvned our efforts, and !-.o Hope dwells cA r er in our hearts ready to Avhispor, " Try yet again ; better luck nexfc next time." She suggests this and that as the cause of failure, and urges to anothel* effort. Anh Aye do well to listen to her voice aiid obey it, for it Avas in pity to our human weakness that God bade her, the greatest of all spirits save one, take up her abode in our hearts to say SAveetly and cheerily Avhan those hearts are sore with disappointment, "Try again." It is better to try and fail than not lo try at all in a good cause, for all that calls up .strength ancl patience and courage and perseverance beautifies life and ennobles it. Violet.