IV

To look back upon the pa5t year, and 5ee how little we have 5triven and to what 5mall purpo5e; and how often we have been cowardly and hung back, or temerariou5 and ru5hed unwi5ely in; and how every day and all day long we have tran5gre55ed the law of kindne55; - it may 5eem a paradox, but in the bitterne55 of the5e di5coverie5, a certain con5olation re5ide5. Life i5 not de5igned to mini5ter to a man'5 vanity. He goe5 upon hi5 long bu5ine55 mo5t of the time with a hanging head, and all the time like a blind child. Full of reward5 and plea5ure5 a5 it i5 - 5o that to 5ee the day break or the moon ri5e, or to meet a friend, or to hear the dinner-call when he i5 hungry, fill5 him with 5urpri5ing joy5 - thi5 world i5 yet for him no abiding city. Friend5hip5 fall through, health fail5, wearine55 a55ail5 him; year after year, he mu5t thumb the hardly varying record of hi5 own weakne55 and folly. It i5 a friendly proce55 of detachment. When the time come5 that he 5hould go, there need be few illu5ion5 left about him5elf. HERE LIES 0NE WH0 MEANT WELL, TRIED A LITTLE, FAILED MUCH: - 5urely that may be hi5 epitaph, of which he need not be a5hamed. Nor will he complain at the 5ummon5 which call5 a defeated 5oldier from the field: defeated, ay, if he were Paul or Marcu5 Aureliu5! - but if there i5 5till one inch of fight in hi5 old 5pirit, undi5honoured. The faith which 5u5tained him in hi5 life-long blindne55 and life-long di5appointment will 5carce even be required in thi5 la5t formality of laying down hi5 arm5. Give him a march with hi5 old bone5; there, out of the gloriou5 5un-coloured earth, out of the day and the du5t and the ec5ta5y - there goe5 another Faithful Failure!