"Every one has them, I suppose," said Lucy, "but Alice, I do not believe it is best to talk of them, or even think of them too much. I believe that talking of them especially, has a tendency to make them appear much larger than they really are."
"But you say God sends them," persisted Alice, "and if so—"
"He sends them for our good no doubt, but I don't believe he means that we should exaggerate them. You know you can shut out the view of all this beautiful world with a bit of black cloth not so large as your hand, if you only hold it close enough to your eye; and so, by dwelling on one single trouble, we may keep out of view all the mercies of our lot."
"But what if some one persists in holding the black cloth close to your eyes, and would not let you look at any thing else."
"Then I would make the most of every peep of sunshine I could get," said Lucy, smiling.
Alice sighed and turned away. She could not appreciate Lucy's philosophy, or religion rather, and she could not help repeating to herself that Lucy could know very little of the trials of life, or she would not be so cheerful.
Notwithstanding Alice's conclusion, Lucy had seen something of trouble. Two of her sisters had died of consumption, her mother was wasting slowly, but surely by the same disease; they were not rich, and Lucy had no other prospect when her school education should be finished, than that of going out into the world to earn her daily bread as a teacher. Yet with all this, she could be cheerful and even merry, not only seeming to enjoy but actually enjoying every pleasant circumstance in her lot.
Why? Because she had early learned to acquaint herself with God, and be at peace. Because she had cultivated habits of thankfulness, referring every enjoyment however small, to God as the giver. Because she had asked and received grace, fully to accept the meaning of that most precious and wonderful promise—
"All things work together for good to them that love God."
Alice was religious too, and very conscientious about many things, but she had never learned to apply her conscience in this direction, and truth to tell, she took a certain pleasure in brooding over her troubles, making the worst of them, and above all talking of them to any one who would listen to her.