When I see, as I sometimes do see, those whom the world calls
unsuccessful, furnished with every virtue and adorned with every grace,
made considerate through suffering, sympathetic by isolation,
spiritedly patient, meek, yet defiant, calm and contemptuous, tender
even of the sorrows and tolerant of the joys which they despise,
enduring the sympathy and accepting the companionship of weakness
because it is kindly offered, though it be a burden to be dropped just
inside the door, and not a treasure to be taken into the heart's
chamber, I am ready to say, Blessed are the unsuccessful.
Blessed ARE the unsuccessful, the men who have nobly striven and nobly
failed. He alone is in an evil case who has set his heart on false or
selfish or trivial ends. Whether he secure them or not, he is alike
unsuccessful. But he who "loves high" is king in his own right, though
he "live low." His plans may be abortive, but himself is sure. God
may overrule his desires, and thwart his hopes, and baffle his
purposes, but all things shall work together for his good. Though he
fall, he shall rise again. Every defeat shall be a victory. Every
calamity shall drop down blessing. Inward disappointment shall
minister to enduring joy. From the grapes of sorrow he shall press the
wine of life.
Theodore Winthrop died in the bud of his promise. As I write that
name, hallowed from our olden time, and now baptized anew for the
generations that are to follow, comes back again warm, bright,
midsummer morning, freighted with woe,--that dark, sad summer morning
that wrenched him away from sweet life, and left silence for song,
ashes for beauty,--only cold, impassive clay, where glowing, vigorous
vitality had throbbed and surged.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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