“There was a scar on yonder mountain side,
Gashed out where once the cruel storm had trod;
A barren, desolate chasm, reaching wide
Across the soft green sod.
“But years crept by beneath the purple pines,
And veiled the scar with grass and moss once more,
And left it fairer now with flowers and vines
Than it had been before.
“There was a wound once in a gentle heart,
Whence all life’s sweetness seemed to ebb and die;
And love’s confiding changed to bitter smart,
While slow, sad years went by.
“Yet as they passed, unseen and angel stole,
And laid a balm of healing on the pain,
Till love grew purer in the heart made whole,
And peace came back again.”
One of the most difficult duties of Christina life is to endure wrong patiently and sweetly. Yet many persons have to learn the lesson. There are none who do not, sometime or other, suffer unjustly. Strength ought to be gentle, but there are strong men who use their strength brutally. Power ought to be paternal, but there are those possessing power who exercise it tyrannically. Justice is not a universal quality among men. There are many who are misjudged or misunderstood. There are those who for kindness receive unkindness. There are those who repay self sacrifice and love with ingratitude and neglect. There are good men who suffer for their goodness.
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