DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES
Techny, Illinois

Prle« 10c







"TAKE COURAGE!"

Across the centuries comes the calm reassuring

voice of the Master, bidding us trust in
Him. "Take

courage!" He says to us today, as He did to His

apostles then, in the midst of the storm-tossed
waves.



**Take Courage!**

By

(Rev.) Bruno Hagspiel, S.V. D.

FERVORINOS

FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

“Take courage: it is I,

do not be afraid” (Mark 6:50).

DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES

TECHNV, ILL.



IMPRIMI POTEST

Techny, 111., die 3 m. Septembris,
1941

Carolus Michel, S.V . D.

Superior Prov.

NIHIL OBSTAT

Chicagiae, die 6 m. Septembris,
1941

Georgius J. Gasey, J.C.D.

Cancellarius

IMPRIMATUR

Chicagiae, die 6 m. Septembris,
1941

+ Samuel A. Stritch, D.D.
Archiepps. Chic.

185,000 copies

COPYRIGHT, 1941

REV. BRUNO HAGSPIEL, TECHNY,
ILL., U. S. A.



‘TAKE COURAGE!”*

To all men, in all climes, the figure of

Christ has stood, from the day of His birth,

for all the optimistic qualities we need so

much. Generosity, Charity, Kindness, Pa-

tience, Mercy — beyond belief is the roll-call
of the goodnesses of God the Son, made flesh

for our sake. From Bethlehem until the As-

cension His public life was nothing but an

unselfish giving of Himself, in order to bring

peace and joy and happiness to unhappy

mankind.

Today, how badly we all stand in need of

His helping hand! How sadly are we all

deficient in that Christian optimism which

alone can enable us to continue the welfare

that is life! How gladly would we all be able

to use that genuine courage which comes

only from faith in Jesus!

Let us go to Him, and He will give us that

courage.

WHAT IS COURAGE ?

"Courage is not just

To bare one's bosom

to the sabre-thrust

Alone, in daring.

"Courage is to grieve.

To have the hurt, and make

the world believe

You are not caring.

* In the new version of the New Testament, put

out by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, this

is the form adopted in place of the traditional

phrases of the Challoner-Rheims edition: "Be of

Good Heart!" and "Have Confidence!"

5



"Courage does not lie

Alone in dying for a cause.

To die

Is only giving.

"Courage is to feel

The daily daggers

of relentless steel

And keep on living."

One of the loveliest words of promise from

the lips of Jesus is recorded by Luke: "Do

not be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased

your Father to give you the kingdom" (Luke

12, 32). Imagine! Christ's own kingdom is

to be given to us. . . . With these words of

our Lord as a certain guarantee, who would

not have trust in the Savior? Who would

not heed His commands, follow His wishes?

Do you remember that story of Jesus' meet-

ing His apostles on the storm-tossed waves of

Genesareth? The apostles had gone ahead by

boat to Bethsaida, and Jesus was alone on the

land. "And seeing them straining at the oars,

for the wind was against them, about the

fourth watch of the night He came to them,

walking upon the sea, and He would have

passed by them. But they, seeing Him walk-

ing upon the sea, thought it was a ghost and

cried out. For they all saw Him, and were

troubled. Then He immediately spoke to them,

and said to them. Take courage; it is J, do not

be afraid. And He got into the boat with them,

and the wind fell" (Mark 6, 50).

Matthew tells this same story but adds a

touching incident omitted in Mark's version.

When Jesus spoke urging the apostles to

6



take courage, Peter "answered Him and said,

Lord, if it is Thou, bid me come to Thee over

the water. And He said. Come. Then Peter

got out of the boat and walked on the water

to come to Jesus. But when he saw the

strong wind, he was afraid, and as he began

to sink he cried out, saying. Lord, save me!

And Jesus at once stretched forth His hand

and took hold of him saying to him, O thou

of little faith, why didst thou doubt? And

when they got into the boat, the wind fell."

WHAT A LESSON FOR US 1
"All things are possible to him that be-

lieveth," said Christ Himself. His victory is

your victory. If you believe this, how can

you allow yourselves to slack your efforts, or

to be downcast, or to be despondent? If you

believe in your Leader, and trust Him, you

will obtain renewed valor for the daily round

of duties and disappointments, and fill your

role, if not with glory, at least with a serene

and steadfast courage.

This booklet, "Take Courage!" is the fourth

of a series of five booklets which include the

following: "Cheer Up!" "Be of Good Heart!"

"Have Confidence!" "Take Courage!" and

"Lift Up Your Hearts!" While "Cheer Up!" is

intended mainly for people in every walk of

life, the other four booklets have a special ap-

peal for all those who desire a more ascetic

spiritual approach to the problems of discour-

agement and pessimism.

Readers are urged to pass on their copies

of these booklets to their friends and acquaint-

ances; all of us need such encouragement in

our daily lives.

7



FROM ALL CROAKERS, DELIVER
US, O LORD!

Do you know what a croaker is?

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines a

croaker as an animal that croaks, such as a

frog or any of various fishes that produce

croaking or grunting noises (as certain grunts

or surf fishes) or one who croaks; a habitual

grumbler; a foreboder of evil. The Oxford

Dictionary adds: a croaker is one who talks

dismally.

^ Have you ever met such specimens of

croakers in your progress through life? Don't

we actually come across such croakers only

too often? Are you perhaps one yourself?

The following poem will paint their por-

trait for you, once for all:

THE CROAKER

Once, on the edge of a pleasant pool.

Under the bank where 'twas dark and cool.

Where bushes over the waters hung

And rushes nodded and grasses swung.

Just where the creek flowed outer the fog.

There lived a grumpy and mean old frog,

Who'd sit all day in the mud and soak

And just do nothing but croak and croak.

Till a blackbird hollered, "I say, yer know

What's the matter down there below?

Are you in trouble, er pain er what?"

The frog sez, "Mine is an orful lot;

Nothing but dirt and mud and slime

For me to look at just all the time.

It's a dirty world!" so the old fool spoke,

"Croakity, croakity, croakity, croak!"

"But yer looking down!" the blackbird said;

"Look at the blossoms overhead.

8



Look at the lovely summer skies;

Look at the bees and butterflies.

Look up, old feller! Why, bless your soul,

Yer looking down in a muskrat hole!"

But still, with a gurgling sob and choke.

The blamed old critter would only croak.

And a wise old turtle who boarded near,

Sez to the blackbird, "Friend, see here;

Don't shed no tears over him, fer he

Is low down just 'cause he likes to be.

He's one er them kind of chumps that's glad

To be so mis'rable-like and sad.

I'll tell yer something that ain't no joke —
Don't waste yer sorrow on folks that croak."

BE GOD’S CHILD!

Far better be a child than a savemt.

Never has knowledge been so heaped up

for the common people to come and partake

of it as it is in our age.

The radio, newspapers, cheap books — man-
kind is fairly buried under the avalanche of

available information.

Confused by it all, man has lost the goal

and guiding star of his life. Seeking reasons

for existence in purely material backgrounds,

he cries aloud in despair, loses courage, for-

swears his Maker.

Today, the machines in factories seem alive;

the men operating them are the corpses.

Today, haste and hurry are the golden

calves erected for man's worship.

Men kick at circumstances, forget they can

rise above them. Men have lost the clue to

the spiritual childhood which alone can lead

us to Paradisal portals.

9



What is spiritual childhood? Well, it is,

first of all, to have humility, to think nothing

of ourselves; it is to rely as children do, on

their Father, with absolute trust and confi-

dence; it is to abandon everything, including

ourselves, to God's hand. Children have no

fear, no worry, no dread of the morrow. Their

world is bounded by their parents, who shield

them from harm and direct their steps. Chil-

dren show us the way to our common home,

heaven.

What did our Lord say? "Unless you be-

come as little children " You know the

rest, don't you?

Did you ever stop to reflect that the first

sermon which Christ preached was the Ser-

mon on the Mount?

Right at the beginning of His public career

it was necessary that He give a complete idea

of what His teaching would be. And this He

did in the imperishable beauty of the Beati-

tudes :

"Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is

the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are the meek; for they shall pos-

sess the land.

"Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall

be comforted.

"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst

after justice; for they shall have their fill.

"Blessed are the merciful; for they shall

obtain mercy.

"Blessed are the clean of heart; for they

shall see God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall

be called the children of God.

10



"Blessed are they that suffer persecution for

justice' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of

heaven." (Matt. 5, 3, 10)

Isn't it noteworthy that right away at the

start He deals with one of the gravest of all

problems: poverty? And omnipotent though

He is, does He promise the poor that the bur-

den of their poverty will be lifted from them?

No, He simply urges them to bear their

burden willingly and happily, and theirs

will be the kingdom of heaven. Then He

continues with the ones who have borne

trials and difficulties, the "meek in spirit" —
and because they are willing to forgive and

forget, and "have no nerves" and do not get

on others' nerves, and do not let themselves

get disturbed, nor embittered to the point of

being angry, and are always ready to repay

evil with good, they are promised that "they

shall possess the land."

Study the Beatitudes. From them you will

learn the way of living that Christ came to

teach; and from them you will learn to face

the daily struggle with greater valor, know-

ing the precious rewards awaiting the victor.

WAS YOUR PRAYER ANSWERED?

How many people pray earnestly for some

favor, then when that request is not granted,

turn rebelliously on God!

How trying it is to send up fervent prayers

for something, and not have our petition al-

lowed!

So many who once offered up their heart-

felt petitions to God now ^neer at His promise:

"If you ask the Father anything in my name,

11



He will give it to you/' "What," they cry, ,

"did I not ask in His name, yet it was not

given to me? Prayer is a fraud and a deceit."

And they refuse any more to deal directly

with God by prayer.

Let us examine the paradoxes of prayer.

The difficulty is that many people do not

ask in His name; they ask for things that

might be harmful. The following paradoxes

will show you that prayer is always effica-

cious. But when, in our ignorance, we ask for

things that are not conducive to salvation, its

efficacy may take form in a way not antici-

pated. Here are some paradoxes:

He asked for a stone, and God gave him

bread.

He asked for health that he might achieve;

God made him weak that he might obey.

He asked for riches that he might be happy;

God gave him poverty that he might be wise.

He asked for strength that he might do greater

things;

God gave him infirmity that he might do better

things.

He asked for power that he might have the

praise of men;

God sent him weakness that he might feel

the need of God.

He asked for all things that he might enjoy

life;

God gave him life eternal that he might enjoy

all things.

12



He received nothing that he asked for;

Yet much more than he hoped for.

His prayers were answered, he was most

blessed.

One of life's most painful experiences is to

pray and not find our prayers answered. Not

every one can see God's favor visible over

his enterprises. Not every one can, Moses-

like, receive direct pledges from God.

Have more trust in the Lord. He knows

what is best for you. A good mother or fa-

ther will not let a child play with matches,

nor swallow innocent-looking poison, nor run

out into the street under the racing wheels of

cars, nor will God allow His children to ob-

tain their foolish desires just because it seems

good to them.

In Bologna is a street called "Via Dei Mal-

contenti," the Street of the Discontented.

Aren't there many such streets and byways

in many other cities? From day to day the

number of discontented, dissatisfied people

grows. Seldom does one find a truly happy

man, such as the beggar who sang:

"Not one single hour

have I not been rich and gay;

God's will and mine

have been the same alway."

The fault? Is it not that men today want

their own way in everything, and refuse God

the allegiance they owe Him? Few indeed

have the desire to submit to Him in even such

tiny matters as the weather, as did the traveler

13



who carved on the walls of a Swiss hunting

lodge:

"It's God's will; therefore be still."

With Father Rodriguez, the companion of

St. Alphonsus, let us say: "Build up and tear

down, O Lord, I am content. I desire nothing

but what Thou dost will."

St. Augustine tells us that nothing occurs

by chance in the whole course of our life,

but God overrules all. Just reflect, then, that

if you seem to be struggling under a present

burden of evil or suffering, God has allowed

that to happen — and of course it is intended
for your own good.

One of our artists has immortalized in a

painting the scene in which Columbus stands

before Queen Isabella of Spain, telling of the

new world to which he is about to sail by

favor of her royal patronage. The young and

beautiful queen bends forward from her

throne in rapt and favoring attention. The old

men, soldiers, priests and courtiers, look on

with varying expressions of belief, incredulity,

or contempt. The treasurer is bringing in the

queen's jewels, which, like a true enthusiast,

she is willing to sell to secure the means

necessary for the launching of the tremendous

enterprise.

Erect and majestic as a true prophet at the

sublime moment of divine revelation, before

them stands the great sailor of Genoa, his

face alight with the joy of inspiration, con-

trolled in its expression by the stately calm

of science, his left hand resting on the chart,

14



and his right hand pointing to the new world

beyond the untraversed, storm-tossed ocean.

The incarnation of courage himself, his con-

fidence is infectious and communicates itsejf

to those around him. Sublime in his destiny

and in the existence of his land of promise,

he laid his course due westward and then

sailed it, as unmindful of the world's derision

as of the perils of the unknown sea.
^

"Behind him, lay the gray Azores,

Behind, the gates of Hercules;

Before him, not the ghost of shores.

Before him, only shoreless seas.

The good mate said, 'Now must we pray,

Fdr lo, the very stars are gone.

Brave Admiral, speak, what shall I say?'

Why say, 'Sail on! Sail on! and on!

"
'My men grow more mutinous by day.

My men grow ghastly wan and weak.'

The stout mate thought of home; a spray

Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek,

'What shall I say, brave Admiral, say.

If we sight naught but seas at dawn?'

Why, you shall say at break of day,

'Sail on! Sail on! Sail on! and on!'
"

"They sailed and sailed, as winds might

blow.

Until at last the blanched mate said, —
'Why now, not even God would know

Should I and all my men fall dead.
The weary winds forget their way.

For God from these dread seas is gone.

Now speak, brave Admiral, speak and say' —
He said, 'Sail on! Sail on! and on!'

15



"They sailed! They sailed! Then spoke the

mate,

"This mad sea shows his teeth tonight:

He curls his lips, he lies in wait.

With lifted teeth, as if to bite.

Brave Admiral, say but one good word.

What shall we do when hope is gone?

The words leaped like a leaping sword, —
'Sail on! Sail on! Sail on! and on!'

Sometimes Religious (Priests, Brothers or

Sisters) complain to their confessors that they

never get anything out of meditation. . . . Let

us listen to what the Little Flower sa^’d about

this. She actually confessed that she FELL

ASLEEP during her meditations not once, but

OFTEN She writes: "I suppose I ought to

be distressed that I so often fall asleep dur-

ing meditation, and thanksgiving after Holy

Communion, but I reflect that little children,

asleep or awake, are equally dear to their

parents; that to perform operations doctors put

their patients to sleep; and finally that "the

Lord knoweth our frame. He remembereth

that we are dust."

After all, in this as in so many other matters,

the Lord remembers not our achievements

and accomplishments but our efforts and en-

deavors. The worldly failure is often a spir-

itual triumph.

One "Blessed be God!" in adversity is

worth more than a thousand "Thank Gods!'*

in prosperity.

16



Do not be troubled because you do not

have great or shining virtues. God made a

million tiny spears of grass where He made

one tree. The earth is fringed and carpeted

not with forests but with grasses. Only have

enough of little virtues and common acts of

fidelity to duty and you need not bewail your

lot, that you are not a heroic outstanding hero

or saint.

Someone has said that he is glad our Lord

did not say, “Good and successful servant/*

for some of the most faithful have been fail>

ures from a worldly standpoint. Fidelity

means success. It wins God's praise — and
what more do we want?

Perhaps to make yourself more faithful in

your daily round of duties all you need is

to be a little more cheerful in your view of

your situation. Try to be like St. Bernardine

of Siena, of whom his companions said.
“When Bernardine comes, weariness goes."

Or think of the little flute and drum still pre-

served in the monastery at Avila, cpmmem-

orating the holiday hours when St. Teresa

would take them and play on them, for her

own amusement and that of her Sisters. If

you are cheerful for God's sake, you will be

doing the best thing possible for your own.

SWEETS TO THE SWEET?
Do you find your meditations hard to get

through? Is there a lack of sweetness in your

communion with God? Have your prayers

lately been like the prayers of the Lamaists,

who spin a wheel around mechanically, and
consider their invocation said? Is your soul

17



buried under layers of dust and dreariness,

till it seems it cannot breathe?

Do not take this too hard. God sometimes

baits us with a certain amount of sweetness

in our religious exercises to induce us to

strive closer to His side. Besides, to have

sweetness and delight in such devotions does

not mean we have earned it but simply that

it is God's gift to us. It is a little "candy"

which He allows us to have before coming

with the lesson for the day

And remember, many a wayward child is

bribed away from further mischief with a

stick of peppermint!

ARE YOU WEARY OF WELL-
DOING?

In his talks on the spiritual life. Father Faber

has an excellent discussion on weariness in

well-doing.

Nothing in Ihe spiritual life is more deserv-

ing of close study. We might say that Father

Faber realized there is a technique to sanctity

and tried in his essay or conference to make

clear that we must know HOW to get around
obstacles on the road before we cari make

any progress along it.

Perhaps you are a Religious. You do not

feel you have deliberately committed grave

transgressions. But your soul is weary. You

find no comfort in prayer. There is a dryness

in everything you do. You feel deserted by

God. You do not have ease of mind. Father

John Tauler, O.P., the mystic, adjures us, in

such case, to be sure God wants you to bear

this interior dryness and darkness patiently

and "you will be in better state than if you

18



were to enjoy many and great feelings of

devotion."

In such desolation, and anxiety of spirit,

not caring about anything, strive to remember

the words of Job: "After dryness I hope for

light."

In one of the mystic dialogues recorded by

Blessed Henry Suso, he reports Eternal Wis-

dom as saying: "Every sick man imagines his

own sickness is the worst, and every man

suffering from thirst that no one is more mis-

erable than he. Had I allowed other suffer-

ings to afflict thee, thou wouldst have said the

same. Therefore, be of good heart, pluck up

courage, allow me to do as I will, and resign

thyself to me, making no exception whatever.

Knowest thou not that I only will a thing as

best for thee, much more seeking thy good

than thou couldst thyself? And remember

that I am the Eternal Wisdom, and therefore

am the only One who perfectly knows what

is really best for thee."

If, then, you find that there is a dimness in

the soul, and a burden of weariness upon you,

is it not true that just this is what Christ wants

you to endure for your own good? Let Him

have His way, therefore, and you will find

eventually that the weariness you are suffer-

ing is itself the greatest refreshment possible

for your soul.

THE SHADOW OF DESPAIR
In the religious life it is easy to become

discouraged. Here we are, aiming at perfec-
tion, and we seem always to be playing a
losing game. Here we are aiming at the goal
set before us by Christ Crucified, and we fall

19



so far short. Here we are, desiring the glory

of canonization and the ineffable bliss of heav-

en — and being held back by some irritat-
ing infirmities: we are not humble enough or

obedient enough or punctual enough. Lo! be-

fore long, unless we watch out, we become

languid (what s the use?), and we lose our

spirit of joy (where is the spiritual delight

which is supposed to attend striving after

God?), and eventually we are disgusted with

the whole idea of even trying to continue the

fight.

Discouragement is the shadow of despair.

Once yield to such discouragement and de-

jection of your soul, and you will find your-

self making excuses why you can avoid striv-

ing at all after perfection.

"Comfort's in heaven; and we are on the

earth,

where nothing lives but crosses, cares, and

grief,"

says Shakespeare, and it is easy enough for

us to become faint-hearted, if we did not have

before our eyes always the spectacle of Jesus

bidding us "Take courage!". .

.

Every spiritual director knows he must have

the words of the Psalmist on his tongue per-

petually: "Expect the Lord, do manfully, and

let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for

the Lord" (Ps. 26, 14). More than wise saws

or learned homilies do people need words of

cheer and encouragement to make them keep

on trying to attain God. More than ecstasies

or inspirations from on high do they want and

yearn for a cheery assurance in God's mercy,

in an encouragement to trust in His love.

20



Have you got that habit of making an ele-

phant out of a mosquito, a rhinoceros from

a gnat?

When your nerves are jarred, isn't it eas^

for you to look at your troubles through a

magnifying glass?

Or, perhaps you cherish your troubles and

brood over them, and think of the person

who innocently or otherwise caused them as

your archfoe. ... A senseless dog runs after

the stone that struck it. Don't seek for second

causes of your trials and troubles. Remember

the saying in the story of Job, "Blessed is the

man whom God correcteth" (Job 17, 18). Such

as God loves He rebukes and chastises. Per-

haps He is only testing you out with sonie

petty annoyances, and you straightway con-

sider yourself a martyr.

Try to maintain the spirit of St. John

Chrysostom, the golden-tongued orator who

underwent such persecutions at the hands of

his enemies in high places.

He was great when he preached; great

when he wrote; great when he ruled. But

when he suffered he was greatest of all.

Exiled by the Empress Eudoxia he went

forth from the country, knowing full well it

was his death sentence, for he was already

an old man. No relief or surcease from suf-

fering was granted him, until he finally ex-

pired. His last words were: "God be praised

for everything."

The only evil is sin. The only damnable

thing in the world is sin — and that came
into existence through man.

Hence the next time you call the roster of

21



evils which are plaguing you, please do not

list as an evil such an item as POVERTY or

SICKNESS. They are not evils: sin is. Pov-

erty — as Christ Himself proved, by embrac-
ing a life of poverty — is one of the best
ways to reach heaven. Riches encumber

many a man on his journey through life; they

weigh him down. St. Francis of Assisi ideal-

ized poverty into a lady of charm and gra-

ciousness : Lady Poverty, his mistress, he

called her.

Sickness, too, knocks the pride out of many

men and opens their eyes to the eternal truths.

Any chaplain in any hospital can repe^ count-

less stories from his own experience of men

who were brought back to thpir God through

the medium of a sickbed.

Everything created is perfect. Whether I

make good use, bad use or indifferent use of

it is my own affair.

If I use it for evil — well, then I am pro-
ducing evil through such misii^e of it. But

let me not place the blame upon God if I am

the author of my own evils.

‘THANK GOD TM A LEPER”

Here is a story of our own 20th century.

It is a modern miracle to confound a world

that does not believe in Christ.

A young girl afflicted with the "living

death" of leprosy was abandoned by her

family to the leper colony cared for by the

Redemptorist Fathers in one of the Virgin

Islands.

"Why did this happen to me?" she finally

asked the priest-chaplain.

22



The missionary drew out his crucifix and

placed it in her hands saying: "There is the

only Person who has a philosophy of pain

The pagans ignored pain, but Christ did not.

He took it and gave it a positive .value, the

value of Redemption."

Before long the young woman was received

into the <Jhurch, and when she received her

First Holy Communion she burst forth with

the strange expression : "Thank God Fm a

leper, because through it I received the gift of

the Catholic faith."

Let us turn to the latest newspaper for the

sequel. (I am writing this during the first

week of May, 1941). Here is the conclusion:

Devotions were held weekly in the leper

chapel in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual

Help, and one of the most popular requests

was a return to good health. But no cure was

sought by this girl. Nevertheless, our Lady

rewarded the girl for her magnificent profes-

sion of faith. The young woman was cleansed

completely of the contagion, and once more

the glow of health was placed upon her

cheeks. The doctors were amazed, but they

put the official stamp of approval on the cure.

The gates of the colony swung open and the

girl who had exclaimed "Thank God Fm a
leper" went forth free to mingle with society,

a proof to our doubting Thomases of today that

God watches and wards over all of us.

Every time I hear people complaining of

their age and of how the ‘decrepitude and

weariness of their years is a great burden, I

can't help but remember what a leally old

man once assured me: "The bes\ years of life

are between 20 and 80."

23



It is too bad how some writers on the spir-

itual life fall into oblivion- I am thinking

especially of Louis Blosius, a 16th century

author who drew on the sources of Blessed

Henry Suso and Father John Tauler for much

of his work. Both these latter writers were

Dominicans, and are famous for their writings

of a soaring mystic quality. One of Blosius'

exquisite little books is called "Comfort for

the Faint-hearted" (there is an edition pub-

lished in England), and it is crammed full of

the most pertinent and meaty sayings and

explanations, dialogues and discussions, of

just those wearinesses and annoyances which

infest the spiritual life. If you can get a copy

of this book, treasure it. It belongs on the

same shelf as "The Imitation of Christ," and

Scupoli's "Spiritual Combat."

Failure is normal. The worldly success is

an abnormal man.

Too many people use their troubles as clubs

with which to knock down the good spirits

of others.

Everyone in this world has a cross to bear.

Some people hide their cross with the blos-

soms of patience and hope; others wreathe

theirs with thorns of discontent and repining.

Smile at your own miseries, and you will

be making it easier for your fellow-man to

carry his cross.

Kind deeds and words, that's the true blue

of piety; to hope the best, and do the best,

and speak the best.

24

R. L. STEVENSON



GOD’S PROMISE

God has not promised skies ever blue.

Flower-strewn pathways always for you.

God has not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God has promised strength from above.

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

25



THE VALUE OF PATIENCE IN

SUFFERING

1. Nothing more valuable can befall a man

than tribulation, when it is endured with

patience for the love of God, because there

is no more certain sign of the divine election.

But this should be understood quite as much

of internal as of external trials.

2. It is the chain of patient sufferings that

forms the rings with which Christ espouses a

soul to Himself.

3. There is such a dignity in suffering for

God s sake that we ought to account ourselves

unworthy of an honor so great.

4. Good works are of value; but even

those lesser pains and trials that are endured

with peace and patience are more valuable

than many good works.

5. Every sorrowful trial bears some resem-

blance to the most excellent passion of our

Lord Jesus Christ, and when it is endured

with patience, it makes him who endures it a

more perfect partaker of the passion of his

Lord and Savior.

6. Tribulation opens the soul to the gifts of

God, and when they are received tribulation

preserves them.

7. What we now suffer God has from eter-

nity foreseen, and has ordained that we should

suffer in this way, and not in any other way.

BLOSIUS

It is not only in the New Testament that we

find words of good cheer and of encourage-

ment.

The Prophets in the Old Testament had a

gigantic task; to shepherd the Chosen People

26



of God in strait ways, and to keep their spirits

up with assurance of the Messiah to come.

And again and again their words are explicit,

and very plain : the Messiah will one day

come, and hence nobody should be faint-

hearted and slacken. his efforts to be worthy

of Him, when He did come.

Isaias cries out: "Take courage and fear

not : . . .God Himself will come and will save

you" (Isaias 35, 4). What could be clearer

than this?

And so for thousands of years the Chosen

People were kept from despair and a sense

of abandonment by God through the messages

of their prophets. God used these messengers

to convey His complete promise that He would

come and save them

Shall we, today, having our Lord's own

promise, feel more faint-hearted than did the

Jews of the Old Testament?

COMFORT FOR THE FAINT OF
HEART

Perhaps you find your besetting faults —
try as you might — are still not conquered.

But do not let this cast you down, and make

your dejection greater.

It might easily be that your conscience is

becoming more tender and sensitive to your

sins; it might easily be, again, that you are

just more conscious of your faults than you

were before, simply through turning the at-

tention always upon them.

Or God may even allow us to stumble a
little oftener in order to keep us humble.

Or he may blur our sight in order to conceal

27



from us some other progress we may be

making in the spiritual life.

If you have not conquered the sin which

irks you — if temptations still assail you, and
your defects loom again and again, as if

never once vanquished —
;

do not be despond-

ent. As St. Francis de Sales says, "The dog

goes on barking because he has not been let

in."

Let us take with us a thought from peren-

nially young Shakespeare to lighten our day:

"A merry heart goes all the day,

your sad tires in a mile-a."

We hear so much about his debt to long-

dead authors, that it might not come amiss

to reflect he was thinking of Ovid's "that

load becomes light which is cheerfully borne."

A doctor who wanted a little boy to take

some medicine regularly had trouble making

the boy take it, for it was very bitter. He

hit on a way to make the boy take it.

He told the boy he could drink it at any

time of the day he chose. Then he instructed

the mother and left the medicine with her.

In the morning, she poured out a spoonful

and dropped it into a large glass of water. The

boy tasted it, made a face, did not come back

for the rest till noon. By then the medicine,

which was thick and gluey, had partly dis-

solved in the water, and the boy found it

still bitter. By evening he finished the large

glass and found it still more bitter. He

thought matters over that night, and the next

morning got up early, and when the medicine

28



was put into the glass seized it quickly and

drank the whole top of the fluid off, and with

it all the medicine, which had not had time

to dissolve. To his mother he explained his

action: "You see, ma, by drinking it right

away, I only get one bitter mouthful, but by

drinking it through the day, I have to finish

the whole glass, and then every drop is

bitter."

Much has been said and written about the

"sorrow songs" of the Negro whose cruel lot

was to be transplanted across miles of ocean

to a foreign shore, and to drag out a miserable

existence as a slave, the mere chattel of a

master often cruel beyond words. These spir-

ituals often were burdened with the distilled

grief and groan of the unfortunate black, but

his native unconquerable cheerfulness flames

through again and again. We can do worse
than to adopt one of these tunes and adapt it

to our own needs:

"Ef it rain or ef it blow.

Keep uh gwyne.

Ef it sleet or ef it snow.

Keep uh gwyne.

Tain't no use to sit and pine

Ef de fish ain't on de line;

les' bait yo' hook ag'in an'

Keep uh gwyne."

A certain missionary spent fifteen years in
China before being called to his eternal re-

ward.

Eight years of his apostolate were passed

in the active work of the missions; and then

29



he fell sick and was taken into the Lord's

school of suffering, and lingered there for

seven years before dying.

God, in inscrutable wisdom, compelled him

to leave the busy highways and byways of

the vineyard to take up an apostolate of suf-

fering. Those who knew him well agreed

that in the last seven years, thus spent in

bodily anguish, he accomplished far more for

the welfare of souls and for God's glory than

in all his previous life of activity.

We are told how the Chinese Great Wall

was constructed of mortar mixed with human

blood. Does not this story remind us of such

a parallel? Only if suffering is mingled with

the structure of life, only if our blood is

mingled with the Cause, can we hope to with-

stand the assaults of Satan and sin. Only

through a bed of pain did this missionary

actually achieve all that his travels and trials

had failed to bring about.

"Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom.

Lead thou me on;

The night is dark, and I am far from home;

Lead thou me on;

Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see

. The distant scene—one step enough for me."
CARDINAL NEWMAN

THE PRAYER OF THE OPTIMIST

To be the King's jongleur in heaven is a

fit reward for those who bring sunshine

and laughter to the hearts of men.

30



God, grant that 1 may see the joke of things.

The little things that bother, now and then.

God grant my sense of humor may be strong
To weep a bit and then to smile again.

God grant there be a chuckle in each tear.

To every trial, God grant a funny half.

So when I'm being judged, perhaps you'll

say:

"Are you the soul who always tried to laugh?"

And when 1 nod and answer, "Yes, I am,

I tried to kill my troubles with a grin,"

Perhaps you'll smile and say,"That was a task!

But here's the Gate of Heaven. Enter in!"

During his presidency, honest Abe Lincoln

pursued a course which drew down torrents

of invective and hate and contempt. It left

him unshaken. Said he: "I do the very best

I know how — the very best I can, and I
mean to keep doing so until the end. If the

end brings me out all right, what is said
against me won't amount to anything. If the
end brings me out wrong, ten angels swear-
ing that I was right would make no difference."

Well did he know that we are all carpenters

of pur own crosses. And he would have

agreed with a later President, Theodore Roose-

velt, that "he who has never made a mistake

is one who never does anything." Great men.

great blunders — little men. little blunders
— no men at ail, no blunders.

If you have been criticized for omissions

and commissions in your life, don't take it too

hard. There are many people who make fault-

finding their avocation, forgetting that even a

31



tombstone will say good things about a fellow

when he's down. Why not say them now

about your fellowman while he's standing up?

TAKE A LESSON

The seventh of ten children, Dorothy E.

Nees, of Glistown, Pa., became blind in her

left eye when she was six years old.

Nine years ago she walked into an open

door and lost the sight of her right eye.

How many of us would be crushed by such

a misfortune!

Dorothy started studying Braille, the medium

of printed communication between
blind

people.

Now she goes to conventions, interviews

people, attends momentous events, and keeps

countless other blind people happy by writ-

ing them an account of what she has seen
or

heard. . . . Imagine a blind woman describing

the annual festival surrounding the
blooming

of the cherry blossoms at the Nation's
capital!

But Dorothy did that. Dorothy has
hundreds

of pen-pals whose spirits she keeps up, to

whom she portions out her share of the

laughter and delight she gets out of the
uni-

verse. If she were wealthy, one could dismiss

this story more easily: but all she has is
$30

a month State pension. From this she
pays

for everything. . . . Says she, "God has shown

me how to get the most out of my money.

Have you hitherto pitied yourself?

A diamond is a chunk of coal that stuck to

its job.

32



FOR MARRIED PEOPLE

So many married people find their daily

lives a very burden, simply because they face

a daily succession of squabbles, misunder-

standings, arguments, flares of temper.

They lose courage because they have not

learned how to AVOID such heart-wearying

and grinding irritations.

I shall never forget the conversation I had

with a great benefactor of our missionary work

in foreign lands, on the occasion of his Golden

Wedding Jubilee.

"Believe me or not. Father," he stated

earnestly, "in all the fifty years of our mar-

ried life, my wife and I have never had a mis-

understanding or a squabble."

"John," J smiled, "you owe it to everyone

to tell me your secret Jt sounds almost

impossible."

"Well," he explained, "whenever a problem

arose, Teresa would ask me, 'What do you

think?' . . . And J would simply reply, 'What

do YOU think?' . . . Then she would say:
'J think perhaps this would be the best thing

to do.' And J would reply, 'That's EXACTLY

what J thought' . . . and the problem was set-

tled. And of course, this also held good for

any issue that I might bring up for joint dis-

cussion."

What a deference between such a married

couple and many others whom J have known!

Too many married couples prove the truth

of that saying of a Spanish king: "To have

peace and quiet under the roof of a married

couple, it is required that the man be deaf as

a post, and the> woman stone blind."

How often in the home will a humorous re-

31



mark avert the prolongation of a bitter quar-

rel, and make both parties see how petty was

the argument!

When Xanthippe, after raging at her spouse,

the famous philosopher Socrates, in an at-

tempt to embroil him in a quarrel, found him

serenely preserving silence, she tempestuous-

ly threw the dishwater over his head. Soc-

rates could have beaten her; he could have

scourged her with his eloquent tongue; he

could have made that quarrel last indefinitely.

What did he do? Calmly rearranging his

robes, he commented on a natural law: "After

so much thunder, it is only reasonable to ex-

pect a shower."

Get rid of mutual disagreements, and face

the world together — "two against the world"
— and you will be armed with the very full-
ness of courage.

No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne;

No gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.

It takes a great sorrow to make a great

saint. The saints of God are those who have

locked up life's failures, humiliations, disap-

pointments in the tabernacles of their own

hearts where God alone may see the tragedy,

while the world beholds only a joyful face.

Remember that if Christ does not break the

hearts over which He reigns. He comes of

His own choice to reign in broken hearts.

FAITH came singing into my room,

and other guests took flight:

FEAR and ANXIETY, GRIEF and GLOOM,

sped out into the night.

34



I wondered that such peace could be.

But Faith said gently, "Don't you see?

They really could not live with me."

Get the lovely habit each day of doing

three things: something you ought to do,

something you are not obliged to do, and

something you hate to do. In time you will

find^ many former failures turned into suc-

cesses.

"He who has seen the whole world hang-

ing on a hair of the mercy of God," as St.

Francis of Assisi saw it, has no alternative

but to be an optimist, for he has "seen the

truth." Chesterton says that Rossetti dis-

covered, bitterly, but with great truth, that

the worst moment in the life of an atheist (or

a pessimist) is the time when he is really

thankful and has nobody to thank, and that

gratitude, the badge of an optimist, produces

in such men and women as St. Francis mo-

ments of the most pure joy ever known in

this world. Remembering the thread held in

the hand of God, can we fail to be — or
become — optimists, too, forever thanking
Him for keeping our balance?

In Egyptian tombs you will find the famed

tear-bottles of the ancients.

Men wept even then.

Hundreds of years ago men walked the

floor and wrung their hands.

Where are they now?

Frangois Villon, the vagabond poet of Paris,

penned perhaps the finest summary of it all:

"Where are the snows of yesteryear?"

35



THANKS BE TO GOD

Thanks be to God for His goodness to me.

Thanks be to God now and in eternity.

Thanks be to God for the wonders He has done.

Thanks be to God for His dear and only Son.

Thanks be to God for our sweet Virgin Mother.

Thanks be to God for becoming our Brother.

Thanks be to God for His Body and His Blood.

Thanks be to God for His gift of the Rood.

Thanks be to God for His Sacred Heart benign.

Thanks be to God for this treasure divine.

Thanks be to God for my angel guardian bright.

Thanks be to God for morning, noon,^ and night.

Thanks be to God in all ages and in all climes.

Thanks be to God one hundred thousand times.

Thanks be to God in my joy and in my sorrow.

Thanks be to God for today and for tomorrow.

Thanks be to God in my illness and in my

health.

Thanks be to God both in poverty and in

wealth.

Thanks be to God in my work and in my

prayers.

Thanks be to God in my troubles and in my

cares.

Thanks be to God in my life and at my death.

Thanks be to God when drawing my last

breath.

And when, lifeless, my poor heart

shall lie at last under the sod,

then may my soul, in heaven apart,

sing thanks unto its Lord and God,

Sing thanks to Thee, O good and generous

God.

Not for naught is the Celt famed for his grin

and wit. The sadder the lot of a race, the

36



finer the spirit produced, in inevitable com-

pensation.

"Life is for work, not for weeping," wrote

Canon Sheehan.

THE QUIET HOUR

My heart is tired tonight —
How endless seems the strife!

Day after day the restlessness

Of all this weary life!

I come to lay the burden down

That so oppresses me.

And, shutting all the world without.

To spend an hour with Thee,

Dear Lord,

To spend an hour with Thee.

I would forget a little while

The bitterness of fears.

The anxious thoughts that crowd my life.

The buried hopes of years;

Forget that mortaTs weary toil

My patient care must be.

A tired child, I come tonight

To spend an hour with Thee,

Dear Lord,

One little hour with Thee.

Fm foolish, wayward, yes, I know —
So often wandering;

A weak, complaining child — but oh! .
Forgive my murmuring;

And fold me to Thy breast.

Thou who hast died for me.

And let me feel 'tis peace to rest

A little hour with Thee,

Dear Lord,

One little hour with Thee!
37



In his compact spiritual booklet, "Living

with God in My Heart," Father A. Noser,

S.V. D., speaks of the martyrdom of the soul

of the Little Flower. "She ate the hard and

dry bread of spiritual aridity, of want of con-

solation in prayer daily throughout her re-

ligious life." For her it is "always night, al-

ways dark, black night." Father Noser con-

? tinues:

"Seeing her suffer so much, one of her

sisters remarked: 'To think that it may in-

crease!' St. Therese replied: 'It is quite a

mistake to trouble ourselves as to what I

may still have to suffer. It is like meddling

with God's work. We who run in the way

of love must never allow ourselves to be dis-

turbed by anything. If I did not simply live

from one moment to the next, it would be im-

possible for me to be patient; but I look only

at the present. I forget the past, and take

good care not to forestall the future. When

we yield to discouragement or despair, it is

usually because we think too much about the

past and the future/ How true! Hence, when

she was told that some thought that she

feared death, she answered: 'That may easily

come to pass It will be time enough to

bear that cross when it comes; meantime I

wish to rejoice in my present happiness.'

What strength and joy of soul would be mine

in the midst of pain if I would but follow this

wise teaching!"

If Atlas had once thought about the size of

the world he was carrying, he could never

have carried it around.

38



Not with distorted faces and clenched fists

should we look up to heaven when adversity

clouds the sky.

The little trials which we go through —
are these not our credentials for a heavenly

passport? Only those "washed in the blood

of the Lamb" shall enter into His glory

It is true, every day we are driven to dis-

traction by petty worries; every day we lose

heart and grow irritable over the pinpricks of

life; we grow moody, brood, exercise (to the

full) our antipathies to certain persons or

things; we exaggerate our troubles and ills;

we frighten joy away with our frowns and

bid whole flocks of ravens and crows roost

around us.

In His public life, lesus taught us how to

deal patiently with one another. He showed

us how charity by silence was a practical

virtue; and He proved by example how hu-

miliations produced humility, the willingness

to "take upon yourself ignominy and hu-

miliations of every sort." There can be no

humility without love of humiliations.

The next time you think your hardships are

grievous reflect on the Sacred Writer's de-

scription of the God-man -— "a worm and no
man" — "from the crown of His head to the
sole of His foot, no soundness in Him" —
"only wounds and bruises and swelling

sores.". . .

.

Then, perhaps, you will learn to clench your

hands — not into fists of despair, but into
hands that pray, clasped in limitless hope.

Cowards accept defeat; the brave try again.

Keep your temper; nobody else wants it.

39



The peace and joy and happiness of
heaven —

our home — were hardly ever portrayed so beau-

tifully in art as when Fra Angelico painted
these

ethereal angels. The famous Dominican
painter,

usually called Fra Angelico da Fiesole,
lived from

1387 to 1455, and left behind him marvels
of al

fresco work on the walls of many a convent,
espe-

cially of the renowned Monastery of San
Marco in

Florence. Fra Angelico painted only
sacred themes,

refused all pay for his art, and started every
bit of

-10



work at his easel with prayer. Believing his work

was directly inspired by Heaven, he would never

change a design. The Church has confirmed his

actual spiritual perfection by advancing him to the

ranks of the Blessed. Studying his exquisitely

drawn and delicately painted angels, one is at-

tracted irresistibly to the final goal of all Christians,

and longs ardently for that ultimate bliss which is

heaven. To reach that supreme happiness, all the

strife and strain of our day is well worth while.

41



AINT IT FINE TODAY?
Sure this world is full of trouble,

I ain't said it ain't.

Lord! I've had enough and double

Reason for complaint.

Rain and storm have come to fret me.

Skies were often grey;

Thorns and brambles have beset me.

On the road, but say!

AIN'T IT FINE TODAY?

It's today that I am livin'.

Not a month ago.

Havin', losin', takin', givin'.

As Time wills it so.

Yesterday a cloud of sorrow

Fell across the way;

It may rain again tomorrow.

It may rain, but say!

AIN'T IT FINE TODAY?
DOUGLAS MALLOCH

"What really tries our mettle both as men

and as Christians is to labor resolutely, when

duty calls us, at what we do not like, and by

doing this, with the help of God, we acquire

not only mastery over the things we are about,

but what is still more important, a thorough

command over ourselves." Thus Gladstone,

the famous English statesman.

If we're thoughtful just a minute,

in whate'er we say or do;

If we put a purpose in it,

that is honest through and through;

We shall gladden life and give it

42



Grace to make it all sublime —
For though life is long, we live it

Manfully for all our time.

lust this minute we are going

Toward right or toward wrong,

lust this minute we are sowing

seeds of sorrow or of song.

Just this minute we are thinking

on the way that leads to God

or in idle dreams are sinking

to the level of the clod.

If you are a member of the human race,

let me assure you that at some time in your

life you will consider you have got a raw

deal, which you will find is due to one of

these reasons, or a situation arising from a

combination of them:

MONEY (TOO MUCH OR NOT ENOUGH)

SOCIAL INJUSTICE

BUSINESS TROUBLE

DOMESTIC TROUBLE

or just

ordinary

plain

everyday

STOMACH TROUBLE

You need not write me that I have diag-

nosed your condition properly.

Just do something about it

FEAR OF FAILURE

Fear of failure is the boulder in the path

of many a well intentioned plan.

Fear of failures reduces our effort.

43



It saps our strength.

It prevents us from winning.

Concern yourself about your problem or

plan. But don't worry about its outcome.

There is a vast difference between the two

things.

E. H. Baynes gives us the slogan:

"There is just one test, you must ride your

best — then you win, if you win or lose."

THE OTHER FELLOW HAS IT
WORSE

in more cases than one, and you are pos-

sibly apt to magnify your handicaps.

A man in the Middle West lost both arms

above the elbow when he was a boy.

By industry and inventiveness he managed

to take care of himself daily, and even drive

a car. To his friends he was always cheerful.

One day, however, with a twinkle in his

eye he confessed that, though he had sur-

mounted most obstacles, there was one thing

he could not do.

Everyone wanted to know what this was.

"Well," he said slowly, "I find I can't

put a collar button in the back of my shirt-

band."

Do you have as cheerful a spirit in meeting

your troubles?

Instead of being "run down" maybe you

are just "wound up" too tight. . . . Learn to re-

lax. Edison slept only 4-5 hours a day, but

he had learned to take cat-naps or short rests

in the odd moments of the day. He was al-

ways ready to start a new task.

44



We read once of an old Scotsman who

would start counting, slowly, when anything

happened which was especially exasperating:

a delay, a trivial accident, interference
or

trouble of one sort or other: "One tomato,

two tomatoes, three tomatoes." And rarely

did he get as high as sixty tomatoes before

all the annoyance was worn off and forgotten

or else seen in its true light.

Genius is only the power of making con-

tinuous efforts. The line between failure and

success is so fine that we scarcely know

when we pass it: so fine that we are often

on the line and do not know it. How many

a man has thrown up his hands at a time when

a little more effort, a little more patience,

would have achieved success. As the tide

goes clear out, so it comes clear in. In busi-

ness, sometimes, prospects may seem darkest

when really they are on the turn. A little

more persistence, a little more effort, and

what seemed hopeless failure may turn to

glorious success. There is no failure except

in no longer trying. There is no defeat ex-

cept from within, no really insurmountable

barrier save our own inherent weakness of

purpose.

They said it couldn't be done, but the poor

fool didn't know it and he went ahead
—

AND DID IT!

Do not look at life's long sorrow,

see how small each moment's pain;

God will help thee for tomorrow.

So each day begin again.

45



The staunch race of the Scots has a rare

quality: perseverance and endurance.

Memorize this Scotch ditty, and follow it.

"With toils and cares unending

Art beset?

Bethink thee, how the storms from heaven

descending.

Snap the stiff oak, but spare the willow

bending.

And bide a wee and dinna fret."

In 17th century England, Joseph Addison

and Richard Steele inaugurated a sort of

gentleman's paper, full of gossip, chitchat,

comment on what the Christian gentleman

should or should not do.

Addison, famed for his urbanity and serene

mind, and for a style cool and limpid as his

own personality, gave the clue to his entire

life in these words of guidance: "Cheerful-

ness is a kind of daylight in the mind, filling

it with a steady and perpetual serenity."

What finer definition could you have in few

words than this of what it means to be a Chris-

tian gentleman?

What's the use of fretting?

If you've troubles, try forgetting.

Take things easy — praise or blame,
the world will wag on, just the same.

What's the difference anyhow

a hundred years from now?

Don't anticipate your sorrow.

When it comes, no need to borrow.

46



Get your sleep out, troubled one.

You cannot rush the slow old sun.

So let the seasons come and go,

bringing with them weal or woe.

Use the moments as they fly,

nor try to help them hasten by.

In life's long race you needn't hurry.

And if you'd win it, don't — don't worry!

‘‘HAVE YOU HAD YOUR IRON

TODAY?’^

Do you remember that slogan? It sold a

lot of merchandise. Everyone wanted pep
—

and they still do, so here is a definition of

PEP for you to go by.

Vigor, vitality, vim and punch
—

The courage to act on a sudden hunch.

The nerve to tackle the hardest thing.

With ie^\ that climb and hands that cling.

And a heart that never forgets to sing,

— that's PEP!

He who has no future, has no life; he exists,

but does not live.

DR. O. BROWNSON

It is not the victory which gives happiness

to noble hearts, it is the struggle.

COUNT DE MONTALEMBERT

We are not among those who are given to

overmuch complaining. We have an especial

antipathy to the whole brood of grumblers,

47



and croakers, and murmurers. We have noth-
ing to do with despair. Hope is our watch-

word, and our rallying cry. We love to fix
our attention on the brightest, sunniest spot of

every picture. If, as we look around us, we

see many things which offend our eyes; if, as

we listen to the onward march of passing

events, we hear much which jars on our ears;

if, as we compare things as they are with

things as we would rather have them be, we

find on every side ample room for improve-

ment; we are bound to confess that we see

much that is encouraging, hear much that

gladdens our hearts, and daily meet with fresh

reasons for thankfulness and gratitude.

GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA

HAVE YOU...?

He has achieved success who has lived

well, laughed often, and loved much; who has

gained the respect of intelligent men and the

love of little children; who has filled his niche

and accomplished his task; who has left the

world even better than he found it, whether

by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a

rescued soul; who has never lacked appre-

ciation of earth's beauty or failed to express

it; who has always looked for the best in

others and given the best he had; whose life

was an inspiration; whose memory, a bene-

diction.

Don't worry about the future,

the present is all thou hast.

The future will soon be present,

and the present will soon be past.

48



“TAKE THEM AS YOU FIND

THEM”

Don't disturb yourself about

Fair or stormy weather;

Squalls must sometimes whistle round

When people live together.

Some will smile, and some will frown.

You need never mind them;

Travel on as best you can
—

Take them as you find them.

You are peacefully inclined.

And you sometimes wonder

Why the restless souls delight

In exciting thunder,

Rushing hastily along.

Clouds of dust behind them.

Never follow in their track
—

Take them as you find them.

Some are of a different stamp.

Quiet, deep, and clever,

(Well, you know sincerity

Is canonized forever.)

Nature first, and habit then.

Crookedly inclined them.

Don't investigate them much
—

Take them as you find them.

Pass a little grievance by.

Don't appear to heed it;

Be as helpful as you may.

Kind to those who need it.

Never flatter, never try

Skillfully to wind them

To your own peculiar view —
Take them as you find them.



They may think you very wrong;

You may think they wander:

Charity will whisper then,

"Better not to ponder."

Actions wear a different look

When motives are assigned them:
Keep your eyes upon yourself —
Take them as you find them.

The Indians have a proverb that when the

sandal-tree is cut down, it covers with per-

fumes the ax that strikes it.

In the same way the true Christian should

remember that adversity and trials leave their

own distinctive perfume behind them.

And good fortune has a wearying and try-

ing side to it, which few of us realize, until

we have gained it and then have found it is

too late to retrace our steps and remain in

the happiness of our adversity.

Not for nothing did Petrarch write his book

in the 14th century on this' topic: "A Remedy

Against Both Fortunes." He knew from expe-

rience what havoc both good fortune and mis-

fortune can play with the soul of man, unless

approached with the proper spirit.

The old Romans had one word: VIRTUS,

which we translate today as VIRTUE.

But they meant by it: manliness, deriving

the word from the noun VIR, signifying MAN.

Then by easy steps it came to mean that

which ent with^ manliness : STRENGTH, and

COURAGE.

In fact, you cannot have the one without

the other.

50



You cannot be always courageous
— we

do not refer to the reckless flashy courage

that desperadoes might evince, but rather the

steady serene fortitude which NEVER yields;

you cannot be courageous, unless you have

a sizable amount of virtue within you.

By its very essence, Christianity demands

of its believers that they have virtue and be

courageous.

The generic term in Hebrew for man is

”Henoch." It means fever, or pain.

Montaigne declares that even pleaiure in

its greatest extent becomes pain.

Socrates taught his disciples that misfor-

tunes were necessary to bring forth great

thoughts and great virtues.

The great plays of the world are predicated

on the groanings of man's heart against grief

and tragic adversity — all the Greek tragedies
culminating in that masterpiece, "Oedipus";

"Lear," "Othello," "Macbeth," "Hamlet"— the
finest specimens of English drama; the heart-

rending sorrows of Italian operas. And at

the beginning of classic literature, it was the

trials of Ulysses and the ruin of Troy which

inspired Homer, and the afflictions of Aeneas

which prompted Vergil to take up his pen.

Nearer to our time, it took persecution and

exile and resentment to dictate the cantos of

"The Divina Commedia" to Dante, and his

blind days drove Milton to the composition

of the immortal "Paradise Lost," with its organ-

stop harmonies.

Wisdom is to know that rest is rust and that

real life is to love, to laugh and to work.

51



THERE’S A SONG IN EVERYTHING

In the meadow strewn with blooms.

In tho lark that warbling soars.

In the wind that sobs and roars.

In the heather's purple brooms.

In the magic of each spring:

There's a song in everything.

In the mountain's hidden vein.

In the brook and in the streams.

In the pine trees' quiet dreams.

In the silver summer rain.

In the strength of eagle's wing:

There's a song in everything.

In the shifting autumn sky.

In the boat that gently sails.

In the rhythm of the flails.

In the white clouds floating by.

In the moon's pale, misty ring:

There's a song in everything.

In the orisons that rise.

In the blessings that descend.

In the lisped word of a friend.

In a mother's lullabies.

In the joy that yule logs bring:

There's a song in everything.

In the soul that hopes and fears.

In the hearts that love and trust.

In each "may" and in each "must,"

In all the hours, days and years

Of man's ceaseless wandering:

There's a song in everything.

Ah, if song is everywhere.

On the hill and in the plain.

E'en in sorrow and in pain.

52



And if all God made is fair.

You, dear heart, you, too, must sing.

There's a song in everything.

FREDERICK M. LYNK. S.V. D.

Do not shrink from suffering.

If you have the inherent qualities, you will

emerge from the test with added luster.

Diamonds must be broken into shining

planes by other diamonds. Gold must be tor-

tured by incredible heats to yield all its*

glory. The glittering sands found on Arizonan

deserts are immediately discarded by pros-

pectors: they know that anything shining so

brightly in its natural state must be "fooTs

gold" — iron pyrites, with absolutely ho
value.

Some people will find reason for going

against any proposition others originate. They

can find no good in it — left to themselves
they would start nothing themselves and they

refuse to encourage their neighbors to have

enthusiasm enough to originate anything.

They are like Flaherty, who was approached

by the parish priest and asked for a cgntri-

bution to put an iron fence around the ceme-

tery.

"Why, Father," he argued, "I don't see that

I find any sense to it. Why a fence? There

is nobody inside of that cemetery that wants

to get out — and begorrah! there's for sure
nobody outside that wants to get in."

The man who gives up goes down.

B. C. FORBES

53



Don't expect nothing but pleasant hours in

the twenty-four that make up a day. You

would find it pretty monotonous, anyway.

IT TAKES SO LITTLE

It takes so little to make us sad,

just a slighting word or a doubting sneer,

just a scornful smile on some lips held dear;

and our footsteps lag, though the goal seemed

near,

and we lose the courage and the hope we had,
so little it takes to make us sad.

It takes so little to make us glad,

just the cheering clasp of a friendly hand,

just a word from one who can imderstand;
and we finish the task we long had planned,
and lose the doubt and the fear we had,
so little it takes to make us glad.

IDA G. MORRIS

Scientifically, the darkest part of the night

comes just before the dawn.

Spiritually and mentally, we all know this
is true.

But how many of us concentrate on think-
ing of the day ahead, of the new horizon of
promise, instead of fretting over the gloom

all about us?

DO THE LAUGHING

Andrew Carnegie knew that to run a big

business it is not enough to be a dynamo of
^'ork and ideas,

54



People do not always get their best results

done just because the boss is a pusher.

Said Carnegie: "'My young partners do the

work and I do the laughing.”

He knew how a creative and optimistic at-

titude gets things done. He trusted his assist-

ants to get the details done, and kept himself

free to attack the big problems. He did the

laughing . . . and was always ready for any

difficulty.

A little more kindness;

A little less greed;

A little more giving;

A little less creed;

A little more smile;

A little less frown;
A little less kicking

A man when he's down;
A little more "we”;

A little less”!”;

A little more laugh;
A little less cry;
A little more flowers

On the path of life.

And fewer on graves

At the end of the strife.

If pleasures are greater in anticipation, just

remember that this is true also of troubles.

ELBERT HUBBARD

Adversity is sometimes hard upon a man;

but for one man who can stand prosperity,

there are a hundred that will stand adversity.

CARLYLE

55



BUT ONCE.,..
I shall pass through this world but once.

Any good therefore that I can do or any kind-

ness that I can show to any human being —
let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect
it, for I shall not pass this way again.

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

If you

your ears

would keep

from jeers,

these things keep meekly hid:

MYSELF and I

and MINE

and MY
and how I do

and DID

WM. F. NORRIS

4

If you coddle your worries, they will be

just like the Chinaman's famous queue — no
matter how he turned, it always hung behind

him.

And then some people are like Peter

Schlemihl, who sold his shadow to the devil

and was never happy thereafter. They simply

miisf have something to irk them and shred

their souls to bits.

They have never learned that to make a

shadow, one need only stand in his own sun-

shine

There are two qualities that are the prop-

erty of only strong men: confidence and

resignation.

56



ROCKEFELLER’S HEALTH RULES

When John D. Rockefeller, Sr., was 97 yeari

of age, he stated that since his youth he had

observed the following ten rules for health:

1. Never lose interest in life, business and

the outside world.

2. Eat sparingly and at regular hours.

3. Get plenty of exercise but not too much.

4. Get plenty of sleep.

5. Never allow yourself to become an-

noyed.

6. Set a daily schedule of life, and keep

to it.

7. Get a lot of sunlight.

8. Drink as much milk as will agree with

you.

9. Obey your doctor, and consult him often.

10.

Don't overdo things.

Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in the

world. It beats money and power and in-

fluence. Single-handed, the enthusiast con-

vinces and dominates where wealth, accumu-

lated by a small army of workers, would

scarcely raise a tremor of interest. Enthusi-

asm tramples over prejudices and opposition,

spurns inaction, storms the citadel for its ob-

ject, like an avalanche, overwhelms and en-

gulfs all obstacles. It is nothing more nor

less than faith in action.

HENRY CHESTER

"Oh, give me the man who sings at his

work," cries the redoubtable Carlyle.

Every boss would rather hear his employees

whistling than whining.

57



Try the whistling; it is easier on your

larynx too.

A word to the wise from Mark Twain:
"Grief can take care of itself; but to get

the full value of joy, you must have some-

body to divide it with."

The soldiers at the front during the last

World War found their morale visibly im-

proved with a simple song:

"PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES IN YOUR
OLD KIT BAG AND SMILE, BOY, SMILE."

Do you have a marching song of this type

to pep you up through the struggles of every

day?

THOSE WHO LIKE EVERYTHING THEY
HAVE ARE HAPPIER THAN THOSE WHO
HAVE EVERYTHING THEY LIKE.

Nature compensates us beautifully for even

our physical defects. Have you ever noticed

that when a man has one short leg, nature

so arranges it that the other leg is longer?

Yoh kin talk about your sorrow,

Yoh kin talk about your grief;

But it ain't no use to borrow

trouble — dat don't bring relief.
Yoh mus' face de changin' seasons,

so don't complain or doubt;

Yoh war put on earth for reasons

and dar ain't no backin' out.

58



De winter's mighty chilly,

and de summer's mighty hot;

de roads is long and hilly,

and dar ain't no restin' spot;

but, honey, don't be tearful,

jes' let yoh haht be stout;

Yoh might as well be cheerful,

'case dar ain't no backin' out.

PHILANDER JOHNSON

You tell on yourself by the way you speak

to others. Ella Wheeler Wilcox compresses

this thought in her poem:

"Talk happiness. The world is sad enough

Without your woes. No path is wholly rough;

Look for the places that are smooth and clear.

And speak of those to rest the weary ear

Of earth, so hurt by one continuous strain

Of human discontent and grief and pain.

Talk faith. The world is better off without

Your uttered ignorance and morbid doubt.

If you have faith in God, or man, or self.

Say so; if not, push back upon the shelf

Of silence all your thoughts till faith shall

come;

No one will grieve because your lips are

dumb.

Talk health. The dreary, never-changing tale

Of mortal maladies is worn and stale.

You can not harm, or interest, or please.

By harping on that minor chord, disease.

Say you are well, or all is well with you.

And God shall hear your words and make

them true."

59



BOOST YOURSELF TOO!

How many business men have "booster"

signs tacked up around their offices!

They know full well the value of having

such little stimulants to urge their staff of

salesmen and office clerks to keep pushing

the company's business.

I have even heard it said that in the inter-

departmental memos of the Campbell Soup

Factories the word soup is always spelled with

a capital S. To those clerks soup is not just

soup ... it is their business and livelihood, it

is SOUP.
Do you boost your own personality the

same way? Do you keep reminding yourself

of the importance of stressing your own sense

of peace and joy and happiness, without which

you are letting your own self, your "business"

run down?

THE SUICIDE

The man, his face almost concealed beneath

the upturned collar of his expensive overcoat,

stood in the shadow of one of the steel girders

of the bridge, looking at the water fifty

feet below. It was dark and forbidding down

there, and there was a murmur like that of

sighing as the water lapped about the con-

crete pylon of the bridge. He reached into

his pocket for a last cigarette before — be-
fore making his escape.

The smoke billowed from his mouth as he

reviewed the situation for the last time. Es-

cape was what he was looking for. Escape

from the futility of seeking what could not

be found. He had tried everything. Wild

60



orgies of sensuality. Travel cind excitement.

Drink and dope. And now the last great

failure — marriage. He had really loved the
girl. She brought back to him faint dreams

of happiness in simple things, solid things,

holy things. But she couldn't stand him after

a few months. No woman could. He de-

manded too much — gave nothing. He was
too much a brute to be treated like a man.

The river was the best place for him.

A man passed by as he finished his cig-

arette. Rather, a semblance of a man. He

had no overcoat, and the clothes he had were

shabby. The man saw him standing in the

shadow and said:

"Got a dime I could have for a cup of cof-

fee, mister?"

The other smiled ironically in the darkness.

A dime! what difference could a dime make

now?
^

"Sure, Fve got a dime, buddy. I've got

more than a dime." He took out a wallet.

"Here. Take it all." There was about $100

in the wallet, and he took it out and thrust it

toward the tramp.

"What's the idea?" asked the tramp.

"It's all right. I won't need it where I'm

going." He glanced down toward the water.

The tramp took the bills, and stood holding

them uncertainly for a moment. Then he said:

"No, you don't, mister. I may be a beggar,

but I'm no coward, and I won't take money

from one either. Take your filthy money

with you — into the river." He threw the
bills over the rail and they fluttered and scat-

61



tered as they drifted slowly down toward the

dark water. "So long, coward." He walked

off.

The suicide gasped. Suddenly he wanted

the tramp to have the money he had thrown

away. He wanted to give — and couldn't.
To give! That was it! To give! He had

never tried that before. To give — and be
happy He took one last look at the river

and then turned from it and followed the

tramp. . .

.

L. F. HYLAND

Let us be like Stevenson's hero, who "went

up the great bare staircase of his duty, un-

cheered and undepressed" no matter what

befell.

It's thus with worldly troubles; when the

big ones come along, we serenely go to meet

them, feeling valiant, bold and strong, but

the weary little worries, with their poisoned

stings and smarts, put the lid upon our cour-

age, make us gray, and break our hearts.

WALT MASON

Ah! learn to make the most of life,

nor lose one happy day.

For time will never return sweet joys

neglected, thrown away,

nor leave one tender word unsaid,

— Thy kindness sow broadcast:
"The mill will never grind again

with water that is past."

SARAH DAUDNEY

62



A certain business man has this sign printed

on his calling cards:

THROW AWAY YOUR HAMMER AND BUY
A HORN

In other words, don't knock — boost!
Don't tear down, but see the good points in

something and praise them. The next time

you feel inclined to rip down the other fel-

low's work or character, throw away your

hammer and buy a horn. Praise his good

points* He will feel better, and probably act

better, and eventually will do a better job.

And you will not have lost your own sense

of contentment.

The mind of the Church is like that of a

solicitous Mother, ever mindful of her chib

dren's welfare. How better explain this than

by noting that right in the midst of the solemn

hush of Advent she sets aside one Sunday

on which to rejoice, Gaudete Sunday, And

again in Lent, she forgoes all the penitential

atmosphere of the season in order to celebrate

Laetare Sunday, And on such Sundays even

the very vestments carry out the symbolism

of joy: they are rose-colored. The very liturgy

carries a daily exhortation: Sursum Corda, , ,

,

"Lift up your hearts," that is, don't relax now

— keep up your efforts and meantime rejoice,
for soon will come the Birthday of Christ, soon

will come the Resurrection, and your expecta-

tions of great joy shall be fulfilled.

Whatever your sex or position, life is a

battle in which you are to show your pluck;

and woe be to the coward! Whether passed

on a bed of sickness or a tented field, it is

63



ever the same fair play, and admits no foolish

distinctions. Despair and postponement are

cowardice and defeat. Men are born to suc-

ceed, not to fail.

THOREAU

Time and again we read in the autobi-

ographies of famous after-dinner speakers,

actors, public characters, that they prepared

carefully for a festive occasion and rose to

give their neatly tailored witticism or felici-

tations, only to find to their horror that they

had lost their notes, or forgotten entirely the

trend of thought they had decided on. And

again and again we are told how a sudden in-

spiration came to their rescue and they pro-

duced a remark on the spur of the moment

which "went over" far better than their orig-

inal effort ever could have done.

How foolish to worry about such trivialities!
How silly to fret about making an impression!
These men, inured to the exigencies of such

occasions, never let the situation get on their

nerves. They simply kept calm, cool and col-

lected, and the situation took care of itself

better than they could have planned.

Our President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt,

has an excellent bon mot credited to him:

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie

a knot and hang on."

One can bear grief, but it takes two to be

glad.

64



THE TOWN OF DON’T YOt WORRY

There's a town called "Don't You Worry"

on the banks of the River Smile,

where the Cheer-up and Be-happy

bloom sweetly all the while.
’

Where the Never-grumble flower
'

blooms beside the fragrant Try,

and the Never-Give-Up and Patience

point their faces to the sky.

In the valley of Contentment,

in the province of I Will,

you will find this lovely city

at the foot of No-Fref Hill —
there are thoroughfares delightful

in this charming little town,

and on every hand are shade trees

named the Very-Seldom-Frown.

Rustic benches quite enticing

you'll find scattered here and there,

and to each a vine is clinging,

called the Frequent Earnest Prayer.

Everybody ther.e is happy,

and singing all the while,

in the town of Don't You Worry,

on the banks of the River Smile.

J. M. NEAD

The failures of life sit around and com-

plain; the gods haven't treated them right;

they've lost their umbrellas whenever there's

rain; and they haven't their lanterns at night;

men tire of the failures who fill with their

sighs the air of their own neighborhoods;

there's one who is greeted with love-lighted

eyes — The Man W^d Delivers the Goods.

65



FORGET IT!

If you detest this vale of tears, forget it!

If you've a whine for victims' ears, forget it;

the folks who toddle to and fro and do their

duties as they go don't care about your tale

of woe — forget it!
... Folks are pretty much the same; the

man who roars is most to blame; they'll treat

you as you play the game — forget it! You
have some gossip to relate? Forget it! A

scandal never pays the freight — forget it!

It is best to begin your folio; even if the

doctor does not give you a year, even if he

hesitates about a month, make one brave

push, see what can be finished in a week

All who have meant good work with their

whole heart, have done good work, although

they may die before they have time to sign

it Life goes down with a better grace

foaming in full tide over a precipice, than

miserably struggling to an end in Scuidy

deltas. ...

R. L. STEVENSON

TEN THOUSAND PASS

Here is a little rhyme about opportunity. G.

G. Blande wrote it, and he has put into these

few lines pure gold. Are you one of the

ten thousand? What if you have passed by

and missed your great chance? ... It shouldn't

worry you. Perhaps the magic wine would

have gone to your head and done you more

harm than good.

Read on:

66



"I seek for none.

I knock at no man's gate.

1 sit as one

enthroned in regal state.

Ten thousand pass

unheeding me and mine;

One kneels — his glass
I fill with magic wine."

FAITH IN YOURSELF

Believe that you can — and you will not
fail, though great be the task begun. Believe

that you can — though hard the trail, and
rugged the road you run. Have faith in your-

self. lust know you can and you're simply

bound to do; and never a barrier, bar or ban

can keep you from carrying through.

Believe in yourself and then go in and work

with your heart and soul. Believe in your-

self and you'll surely win, no matter how far

your goal. There's a marvelous force in the

faith that springs from this great and noble

thought; by the magic spell of the strength it

brings, the greatest of deeds are wrought.

Believe in your soul that you will succeed.

For as surely as you hold this thought you

will back your faith with the power of deed,

till the last hard fight is fought. Aye, hold

to that thought and you'll do your part in the

way that it should be done. Just start with

a winner's confident heart, and your battle is

really won.

So go to it, now, and hit your stride, at the

crack of the starting gun, and never falter or

turn aside 'til the whole long course is run.

6 ?



You may not be brilliant, or clever, or smart;

you may not be fast of pace, but if you have

grit and a confident heart, you'll be there at

the end of the race.

LAUGH IT OFF!

If life seems to go all wrong.

Laugh it off!

Drown your worry in a song.

Laugh it off!

Do your work with smiling face.

Look ahead and keep the pace.

Be a winner in the race.

Laugh it off!

One lifted a stoiie from my rocky road,

one carried awhile my heavy load,

one lifted his caiilile when all was dark,

one heard the song of the morning lark —
A look, and I knew a brother was near,

only a, smile, but it banished my fear.

Ah! little you thought of the help you gave,

but the little you did was mighty to save!

ITS DEAD EASY TO DIE....

It really takes more to hang on, instead of

givinig up. Robert W. Service wrote a first-

class poem on this once and called it "The

Quitter." Why not copy it and pass it

around? It might give the other fellow cour-

age, and it won't do you any harm to remem-

ber it from time to time, either.

Here it is:

68



When lost in the wild and scared as a child,

and death looks you bang in the eye,

and you're sore as a boi|, it's according to

Hoyle

to cock your revolver . . . and die.

But the code of man says: "Fight as you

can,"

and self-dissolution is barred.

In hunger and woe, oh, it's easy to blow,

it's the hell-served-for-breakfast that's hard.

You're sick of the game — well, now that's a
shame,

you're young, you're brave and you're bright,

you've had a raw deal, I know, but don't

squeal,

buck up, do your hardest and fight.

It's the plugging away that will win the day,

so don't be a piker, old pard,

just draw on your grit . . . it's so easy to quit,

it's the keeping-your-chin-up that's hard.

It's easy to cry that you're beaten and die;

it's easy to crawfish and crawl;

but to fight and fight when hope's out of sight

— why, that's the best game of them all.
And though you come out of each gruelling

bout

all broken, beaten and scarred,

just have one more try ... it's dead easy to

die,

it's the keeping-on-living that's hard.

Whenever my work takes me to an office

building I am eternally simused by the sight

of people going through revolving doors.

You can tell a lot of characters by the way

69



people push their way through a revolving

door. Some do so breezily; others gingerly,

as though the door behind them might nip

them where they "ain't" looking; others de-

corously, with dignity; still others heartily so

that the door spins about merrily behind

them . . . and some push it just enough to al-

low themselves through and let the fellow be-

hind do his share ... while the worst category

of all gets into the compartment and LET'S THE

FELLOW BEHIND HIM PUSH HIM THROUGH!

A little boy walked into a large firm one
day and asked for a job.

He was so small the owner was amused.

"What is your motto, my son?" he asked.

"The same as yours," was the brisk reply.

"What is that?" inquired the puzzled owner.

"Why," said the boy, "the motto you have

on the door there — PUSH!"
PS. : He got the job.

If you were busy being kind

before you knew it you would find

you'd soon forget to think 'twas true

that someone was unkind to you.

If you were busy being glad

and cheering people who are sad

although your heart might ache a bit

you'd soon forget to notice it.

If you were busy being good

and doing just the best you could

you'd not have time to blame some man

who's doing just the best he can.

70



If you were busy being true

to what you know you ought to do

you'd be so busy you'd forget

the blunders of- the folks you've met.

REBECCA FORESMAN
tii

LEARN TO LET GO

If you want to be healthy, morally, mentally

and physically, just let go.

Let go of the little bothers of everyday life,

the irritations and the petty vexations that

cross your path daily. Don't take them up

and nurse them, pet them, and brood over

them. They are not worth while. Let them

go.

That little hurt you got from a friend, per-

haps it wasn't intended, perhaps it was, but

never mind, let it go. Refuse to think about it.

Let go of that feeling of hatred you have

for another, the jealousy, the envy, the malice,

let go all such thoughts. Sweep them out of

your mind, and you will be surprised what

a cleaning and rejuvenating effect it will have

upon you, both physically and mentally. Let

them all go; you house them at deadly risk.

But the big troubles, the bitter disappoint-

ments, the deep wrongs and the heart-break-

ing sorrows, tragedies of life, what about

them? Why, just let them go, too. Drop

them, softly maybe, but surely. Put away

all regret and bitterness, and let sorrow be

only a softening influence. Yes, let them go,

too, and make the most of the future.

Then that little pet ailment that you have

been hanging on to and talking about, let it

71



go. It will be a good riddante. You have

treated it royally, but abandon it; let it go.

Talk about health, instead, and health will

come. Quit nursing that pet ailment, and

let go.

It is not so hard after once you get used to

the habit of it — letting go of these things.
You will find it such an easy way to get rid

of the things that may mar and embitter life

that you will enjoy letting them go. You will

find the world such a beautiful place. You

will find it beautiful because you will be free

to enjoy it — free in mind and body.
Learn to let go. As you value health of

body and peace of mind, let go — just simply
let go.

FAITH

I will not doubt, though all my ships at sea

Come drifting home, with broken mast and

sails;

I will believe the Hand which never fails.

From seeming evil, worketh good for me;

And. though I weep because those sails are

tattered.

Still will I cry, while my best hopes lie

shattered,

'1 trust in Thee."

I will not doubt, though all my prayers return

Unanswered from the still white realm

above;

I will believe it is an all-wise love

Which has refused these things for which I

yearn;

72



And, though at times I cannot keep from

grieving.

Yet the pure ardor of my fixed believing

Undimmed shall burn.

I will not doubt, though sorrow fall like rain.

And troubles swarm like bees about to hive;

I will believe the heights for which I strive

Are only reached by anguish and by pain;

And though I groan and writhe beneath my
crosses,

I shall ever through my bitterest losses
The greater gain.

I will not doubt. Well anchored in this faith;

Like some stanch ship, my soul braves
every gale.

So strong its courage is, it will not quail

To breast the mighty unknown sea of death.

Oh, may I cry, though body parts with spirit,

'T do not doubt,'' so listening worlds may hear

it.

With my last breath!

Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles

you. In brief, teach yourself neither to cry

for the moon, nor to cry over spilt milk. You'll

never get the moon, and the milk is gone

for good.

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day.

I'd rather one should walk with me than
merely tell the way.

The best of all the preachers are the men

who live their creeds.

For to see good put in action is what every-

body needs.

EDGAR GUEST

73



When trouble troubles you.

Sing, baby, sing;

Sing like the birdies do.

Sing, baby, sing!

Sing all the day.

Sing, baby, sing;

And the blues will go away.

Sing, baby, sing!

How we revere the pioneers ot America!

Of them it was fittingly said: "The cowards

never started and the weak died on the way."

It took men to face the plagues and perils

of the Wild West. It took courage and con-

fidence to face the dismal future, whose hori-

zon was so often silhouetted with the four

Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It took men.

If the call came today, could you be a

pioneer?

CONQUER SELF!

In all the straits and walks of life,

your duty is in all your strife

to conquer self.

No matter where you go each day,

whatever you do, whatever you say,

first conquer self.

To conquer others you must be

the master of yourself, you see,

and conquer self.

If you are conscious-stricken too,

remember something's wrong with you,

then conquer self.

To perfect self and conquer sin.

74



should be your task in life to win,

so conquer self.

The one who conquers self, you know,

will conquer death, the common foe,

by conquering self,

for death then has no pain nor fear,

to him who has perfected here,

and conquered self.

O Jesus, Thou hast conquered death,
to save my precious soul;

oh, help me conquer "Self" each day,

in all I do and say.

Then, when life s course is ended,

my task on earth is done,

my "Self" on earth is conquered,
and Thy embrace is won.

O Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee;
let me not be confounded eternally.

^ ^
• • •

Years ago the following made the rounds.

We reprint it here merely to show how far a
pessimist can go, once fairly started.

" Life is just one damn thing after an-

other. Man comes into this world without his

consent, and leaves it against his will. Dur-

ing his stay on earth, his time is, spent in one

continuous round of contraries and misunder-

standings. In his infancy he is an angel; in

his boyhood he is a devil; in his manhood he

is everything from a lizard up (including a

skunk). In his duties he is a fool. (If he

raises a family, he is a chump; if he raises a

check, he is a thief; if he raises a million by

stock juggling, he is a financier). If he is a

75



poor man, he is considered a bad manager,

and has no sense; if he is a rich man, he is

considered dishonest but smart. If he is in

politics, he is a grafter and a crook; if he is

out of politics, you can't place him, as he is

a useless citizen. If he goes to church, he is a

hypocrite; if he stays away, he is a sinner.

If he donates for foreign missions, he does it

for show; if he doesn't, he is stingy. When

he first comes into the world, everybody wants

to kiss him; when he goes out, they want to

kick him. If he dies young, there was a great

future before him; if he lingers before dying,

he is in the way. Life is a funny proposi-

tion. ..."

Think you, to thank you ' the Lord, for an

un-thinkful, unthankful heart can scarce enter

the heavenly gate.

Of course, unless you think, it is not pos-

sible to thank anyone. And conversely, in

order to thank, one has to think, too. The

real fact of the matter is that both words have

the same root. Here is a good opportunity

lO be thankful that we are able to think, to

thank. Alleluia!

WHAT IS IT ALL?

What is it all when all is told.

This ceaseless toiling for fame or gold.

The fleeting joy or bitter tears?

We are only here a few short years;
Nothing our own but the silent past;

Loving or hating, nothing can last.

Each pathway leads to the silent fold.

Oh! what is it when all is told?

76



What is it all? A grassy mound.

Where day or night there is never a sound

Save the soft low mourn of the passing breeze,

As it lovingly rustles the silent trees.

Or a thoughtful friend with whispered prayer.

May sometimes break the stillness there.

Then hurry, away from the gloom and cold.

Oh! what is it all when all is told?

What is it all? — just passing through —
A cross for me and a cross for you.

Ours seem heavy while others seem light.

But God in the end makes all things right;

He ''tempers the wind" with such loving care.

He knows the burden that each can bear.

Then changes life's gray into heavenly gold.

Ah! that is all when all is told.

The famous painting by Guido Reni depict-

ing St. Michael conquering the devil is the

study of the fight of an angel. St. Michael's

face is serene and untroubled. His angelic

powers make light of the task of disposing of

the archenemy of mankind. Victory seems

effortless to him.

The picture of the death of St. Jerome

painted by another great medieval artist delin-

eates for us each harrowing detail which has

accompanied the saint's struggle for perfec-

tion: it is the fight of a man that is here fixed

on the canvas. The bones seem almost break-

ing through the flesh, the eyes are blurred

with pain and long-endured suffering, the

scars on his body and soul are all but visible.

You cannot be a great man or a saint and

not pay the price.

77



OUR FEARS OF TODAY
Today, every possible type of dread and

worry and fear besieges the souls of men.

Mankind is beset by a continuous and haras-

sing storm of panic blended of imaginary

peril and actual evil.

How, then, to determine which things we
really ought to fear — how, then, to decide
which horrors we should armor ourselves
against?

In the twelfth chapter of St. Luke the

Evangelist records the exhortation of the Di-

vine Master which was especially aimed at

precisely this contingency in the lives of men.

Not only does Jesus tell us what to fear, but

He tells us definitely and concretely what
NOT to fear.. Read it for yourself:

"And I say to you, my friends: Be not
afraid of them who kill the body and after
that have no more that they can do.

"But I will show you whom you shall fear:
fear ye him, who after he hath killed, hath
power to cast into hell. Yea, I say to you,

fear him.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two far-

things, and not one of them is forgotten be-

fore God?

"Yes, the very hairs of your head are all

numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of

more value than many sparrows."

Then He tells them a little story to explain
how foolish it is to be covetous, and returns
to his theme:

"Be not solicitous for your life, what you

shall eat; nor for your body, what you shall

put on.

78



'The life is more than the meat, and the

body is more than the raiment.

"Consider the ravens, for they sow not,

neither do they reap, neither have they store-

house nor barn, and God feedeth them. How

much are you more valuable than they!

"And which of you, by taking thought, can

add to his stature one cubit?

"If then ye be not able to do so much as

the least thing, why are you solicitous for the

rest?

"Consider the lilies, how they grow; they

labor not, neither do they spin; but I say to

you, not even Solomon in all his glory was

clothed like one of these.

"Now, if God clothe in this manner the

grass that is today in the field, and tomorrow

is cast into the oven; how much more you,

O ye of little faith!
"And seek not what you shall eat, or what

you shall drink; and be not lifted on high.

"For all these things do the nations of the

world seek. But your Father knoweth that

you have need of these things.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and

his justice, and all these things shall be added

unto you."

It would repay every one of us to read and

reread that entire chapter. There is more of

the Lord's exhortation, and in our time of

turmoil and terror, what more steadfast and

enduring words exist than these, spoken so

many centuries ago in a spirit of divine ten-

derness and solicitude?

Our fears of today existed yesterday and

the century before yesterday, and the only

clue past those obstacles and pitfalls is in the

words of Jesus Himself.

Take and read! 79



Does the road seem long and weary? Does

the burden on your shoulders weigh you

down with anguish and strain? Does the view

ahead of you appear gloomed over with clouds

and storms? Turn to your mother, Mary —
and she whose heart was pierced with seven

swords of sorrow will not turn her ear away

from your story of worry or sickness or doubt.

The little poem added here is worth remem-

bering; if our mother will not listen to us,

who then will?

MARY, MY HELP

In the midst of all your trials

Mary is forever near.

Hear her words of gentle accent:

'"Courage, child, and have no fear."

Working with her, working by her.

You can tread as Jesus trod. ^

'Tis the secret to be holy

And to do the Will of God.

When the path seems hard to nature.
She will watch with anxious care;

Her sweet smile will lighten labor.

And her love will strengthen prayer.

Through her to your Jesus offer

Life for life, and love for love;

Then she'll weave your crown of glory

Jn our endless home above.