Hope

Gloom and despair are really ignorance in another form. They fail to reckon with the fact that what appears to be baneful often turns out to be good. Lincoln lost the senator ship to Douglas and thought he had ended his career; had he won the contest, he might have remained only a senator. Life often has surprise parties for us. Things come to us masked in gloom and black; but Time, the revealer, strips off the disguise, and lo, what we have is blessings.

                

  Never go gloomy, man with a mind,

    Hope is a better companion than fear;

  Providence, ever benignant and kind,

    Gives with a smile what you take with a tear;

      All will be right,

      Look to the light.

  Morning was ever the daughter of night;

  All that was black will be all that is bright,

     Cheerily, cheerily, then cheer up.

  Many a foe is a friend in disguise,

    Many a trouble a blessing most true,

  Helping the heart to be happy and wise,

    With love ever precious and joys ever new.

      Stand in the van,

      Strike like a man!

  This is the bravest and cleverest plan;

  Trusting in God while you do what you can.

     Cheerily, cheerily, then cheer up.

Anonymous.