VIRTUE AND CRIME 157 



which we in our pride and arrogance are unable to realise ; for 

 they may be above any act of virtue we have capability to per- 

 form, so far superior are his talents to our own, whereas we 

 ought to bless our stars that such high or difficult perfor- 

 mances are not required of us, and not begrudge him the 

 higher rewards he obtains at the price of undeserved public 

 condemnation, under whose scorching breath we should writhe 

 in direst agony, where he fights bravely on and wins in the 

 long run. For the same reason we often complain of our lot 

 in life and envy the lot of others, because we are unable to 

 know his fault or virtues, temptations or graces, and complain 

 of the injustice of God, whereas it may be that we do not cor- 

 rectly gauge how we ought to act for the benefit of our neigh- 

 bour's happiness, and we ought never to forget that our own 

 happiness is the reward, and solely the reward, of the use 

 we make of our time, talents and capability to labour for the 

 good of others and the community, rather than for our own 

 good. Or again, our lot may be the punishment of the sins 

 of our parents or our grand-parents, whose sins we may have 

 to atone for, but the nature of which sins we are completely 

 ignorant ; but in this case we may rest assured that we have 

 at some time of our life been given the opportunity to choose 

 for good or evil, and that that choice has decided the course 

 of our future life and happiness, and whether or no we had 

 to atone for the sins of our parents or be rewarded for their 

 virtues. 



JUDGE NOT. 



Judge not the working of his heart and of his brain ; 



You cannot see, what in your dim sight appears a stain. 



Maybe, the contest fought and won, whose awful strain 



Would leave your pride with bended knee, 



Craving for mercy midst your cries of pain, 



A sight for pity in your misery. 



Judge not! for " Judgment is Mine/' saith the Lord. 



Judge not, the fault and sin by which you think he is undone, 



May only be the outward sign of inward grace 

 That would leave you vanquished where he won. 

 In fight so fierce Jgainst some appalling sin 

 Its very breath would scorch your smiling face ; 



