lines from Lowell:--

"Lone watcher on the mountain height:
It is right precious to behold
The first long surf of climbing light
Flood all the thirsty eat with gold;

"Yet God deems not thine aeried sight
More worthy than our twilight dim,
For meek obedience, too, is light,
And following that is finding Him."

In one of the battles of the Crimea, a cannon-ball struck inside the
fort, crashing through a beautiful garden; but from the ugly chasm there
burst forth a spring of water which is still flowing. And how beautiful
it is, if our strange earthly sorrows become a blessing to others,
through our determination to live and to do for those who need our help.
Life is not given for mourning, but for unselfish service.

"Cheerfulness," says Ruskin, "is as natural to the heart of a man in
strong health as color to his cheek; and wherever there is habitual
gloom there must be either bad air, unwholesome food, improperly severe
labor, or erring habits of life." It is an erring habit of life if we
are not first of all cheerful. We are thrown into a morbid habit through
circumstances utterly beyond our control, yet this fact does not change
our duty toward God and toward man,--our duty to be cheerful. We are
human; but it is our high privilege to lead a divine life, to accept the
joy which our Lord bequeathed to his disciples.

Our trouble is that we do not half will. After a man's habits are well
set, about all he can do is to sit by and observe which way he is going.
Regret it as he may, how helpless is a weak man, bound by the mighty
cable of habit; twisted from tiny threads which he thought were
absolutely within his control. Yet a habit of happy thought would
transform his life into harmony and beauty. Is not the will almost
omnipotent to determine habits before they become all-powerful? What
contributes more to health or happiness than a vigorous will? A habit of
directing a firm and steady will upon those things which tend to produce
harmony of thought will bring happiness and contentment; the will,
rightly drilled,--and divinely guided,--can drive out all discordant
thoughts, and usher in the reign of perpetual harmony. It is impossible
to overestimate the importance of forming a habit of cheerfulness early
in life. The serene optimist is one whose mind has dwelt so long upon
the sunny side of life that he has acquired a habit of cheerfulness.

"Talk happiness. The worl