94 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



Concerning these things, I know of nothing better than to exer- 

 cise faith and patience. And to aid us in this somewhat difficult 

 exercise, I offer a few suggestions of a general nature, with 

 which this paper will close. One of these has been already alluded 

 to. We desire gratification, and the best service is sometimes any- 

 thing but gratifying. Service has reference to our needs rather 

 than to our desires. The sharp rebuke of a friend may be the 

 most valuable service he can render us, but it will cut hke a knife, 

 and it' may be a long time before we can appreciate its service, or 

 see its worth. 



Keeping ever in mind the idea of service as the test of worth, 

 we may come to see that the failures and disappointments of life 

 do not prove the worthlessness of the hopes and purposes that 

 never reached fruition. It may be that they rendered us a better 

 service than if they had been fully realized. One who should see 

 a large building in process of construction, if unfamiliar with the 

 work, might think the scaffolding a very important part of the 

 structure, and look with dismay to see it torn down. The scaffold- 

 ing does play an important part in the building of the house, but 

 the house once finished, the scaffolding is a deformity, to be re- 

 moved. Our characters, into which all service received and all 

 worth acquired, are finally gathered, are built as houses are, and 

 much that is of service while the building is going up, is cast aside 

 as worthless when the structure is finished. And the higher we 

 build with house or life the more of scaffold we need. Doubtless 

 we often fail to perceive the distinction between that which is 

 temporary in its use, and that which is permanent. 



No man can cherish a pure hope without being served thereby. 

 It may fade away until he sees clearly that it can never be real- 

 ized, but if he has drawn from it strength and patience, and 

 elevation and insight, how shall he say that it has been worth- 

 less ? So, too, of our purposes and plans. They may, or may not 

 be realized, but their worth or worthlessness does not depend wholly 

 upon that. A life is made noble by a noble purpose. A life is made 

 broad by an ample plan. Plan may fail and purpose be defeated, but 

 if thoy have done good service in building character, it matters little 

 what their fate may be. Hopes, feelings, thoughts, plans, pur- 

 poses, — all these creatures of the mind begin to work for us the 

 moment they are born, and if good in themselves no matter how 

 short-lived they may be, they cannot be without value. It is well 



