SYMPATHY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 84

SYMPATHY.

By Jessica. How often we say that Love is the sweetes thing in life. Aye and it is indeed th world's beautifier and God.'s great gift to mar But Love has s hand-maiden, gentle, sweet and tendeily compassionate, sweet-eyed, sofi voiced sympathy. Love is strong, brave, an majestic. Love dares al! and does all. Sh comes with her light and her gladnes-s am her wonderful tendencies and strength, come to rule and to reign. But Sympathy step softly; no g lttermg sunlight dances o'er he pathway, no joy-bells peal to herald her ap proach Nay, she steps softly gently, he: voice sweetly tender, her eyes aglow with th< light of compassion Her mission is to sooth* and comfort, to bring healing balm t< bruised hearts. Her paths are more ofter through narrow sombre halls of pain and sor sow, where her presence brings sunlight, than among the flowery ways of life though there, too. Sympathy is sometimes found "rejoicing with those that do rejoice. We often pondei over the mystery of pain ; wrestle in agony of soul against the sickening sense of failure , rebel against what we weakly call our fate. We often wonder whj we are called to go down into dark valleya and tread stone-strewn pathways. Is not the gold cast into the refining furnace' Then 5-0 is our heart-go" d cast into the furnace of living pain to be refin-ed, chastened, purified, and meet to offer to others. Shall not our lev© be deeper, our sympathy richer, for having experienced some of life's sterner discipline, and so when we find heaits "aching for lack of sympathy" the memory of what has been wi 1 be with us, and enable us to speak more tenderly the sympathetic words, which are as nectar to weary souls, glints af sunlight in gloomy daikness, and hope's messengers always. Rev. J R. Miller =ays "The gent c ministries -of love which you tßke time to perform as you hurry from ta=k to task in your busy days will give ycu the sweetest ioy when you remember them in the afterdays. What tli-ese ministries are to those who receive them you never can know till your own heart is sad and lonely, and one comes to you in turn with the true comfort of love Train yourself to the habit of sympathy. Be ready any hour to speak the full rich word of love which shall lighten the burden of th© on© you meet Everywhere are hearts that need what you have to give, and God has given love to you for the very purpose of blessing tho=e whom He sends to you day by day." The blessed faculties for loving and sympathising, with which our Creator endowed us, were not meant to be hoarded and stowed away within our own beings. As flowers expand to th© warmth of the sunshine, revealing sweet and sweeter beauties, so shall our sympathies become richer and fuller by lavishing them on others. The bread we cast on the waters of life'a restless stream shall returri to us «gain. TEere is no joy deeper than the joy of loving, no joy sweeter or more satisfying than that of giving. Giving not of our worldly substance only but of ourselves, our heart's rarest treasures. Perhaps 'twill be in the light of God's great lamps alone that w© shall see with clearer visions what has made for ua the treasures of our heaven. Could we but probe the great throbbing heart of humanity we should find * dull, ; heavy aching for sympathy. Let us give it freely and fully now when hearts are hungry I

and Hves are empty, not waiting till deatli gathers the hearts to his bosom and carries them to the fullness of heaven's love. "Why do we wait and coldly stint our praises. And leave our reverent homage unexpressed T M bpave hearts lie beneath a roof of daisies. Then heap with flowers each hallowed place of rest. For every year the veteran ranks are broken And every year new graves await our flowers. ™£ yy vu n °« gIVe to hying hearts =ome tete" Of half the love and pride that throb through onrs? Bring blooms to crown the dead, but in your giving *orj,et not hearts that still can strive «ud ache , Oh give your richest garlands to the ,ivin~ Who offered all in youth lor honour's bake/