ndurance wins by being grateful
for small daily joys, like the evening light, and the smell of roses,
and the singing of birds. She spoke of the faith that rests on the
Unseen Wisdom and Love like a child on its mother's breast, and of the
melting away of doubts in the warmth of an effort to do some good in
the world. And if that effort has conflict, and adventure, and confused
noise, and mistakes, and even defeats mingled with it, in the stormy
years of youth, is not that to be expected? The burn roars and leaps in
the den; the stream chafes and frets through the rapids of the glen; the
river does not grow calm and smooth until it nears the sea. Courage is a
virtue that the young cannot spare; to lose it is to grow old before
the time; it is better to make a thousand mistakes and suffer a thousand
reverses than to refuse the battle. Resignation is the final courage
of old age; it arrives in its own season; and it is a good day when it
comes to us. Then there are no more disappointments; for we have learned
that it is even better to desire the things that we have than to have
the things that we desire. And is not the best of all our hopes--the
hope of immortality--always before us? How can we be dull or heavy while
we have that new experience to look forward to? It will be the most
joyful of all our travels and adventures. It will bring us our best
acquaintances and friendships. But there is only one way to get ready
for immortality, and that is to love this life, and live it as bravely
and cheerfully and faithfully as we can.

So my gentle teacher with the silver hair showed me the treasures of
her ancient, simple faith; and I felt that no sermons, nor books, nor
arguments can strengthen the doubting heart so deeply as just to come
into touch with a soul which has proved the truth of that plain religion
whose highest philosophy is "Trust in the Lord and do good." At the end
of the evening the household was gathered for prayers, and the Mistress
kneeled among her servants, leading them, in her soft Scottish accent,
through the old familiar petitions for pardon for the errors of the day,
and refreshing sleep through the night and strength for the morrow. It
is good to be in a land where the people are not ashamed to pray. I have
shared the blessing of Catholics at their table in lowly huts among the
mountains of the Tyrol, and knelt with Covenanters at their household
altar in the glens of Scotland; and all around the wor