20
TALKS FOR THE TIMES.
but even rise superior to many of those things which
are commonly called its ills and annoyances and
disappointment-. In truth, many of the so-called
worries and vexations of life are but the legitimate
offspring of our own shortsightedness or neglect or
ignorance or indifference or recklessness. As finite
beings we shall, of course, never be able to foresee
all things, nor make adequate provision for all con¬
tingencies. Yet it is none the less true, that we often
blame one another, blame society, blame government,
blame the A.lmightv himself for afflictions and calam-
ities, both personal and national, w<hich might have
been averted bv the exercise of forethought on our
part, or by a little deeper investigation iuto the nature
of things. At the verv threshold of our existence
we are given a painful illustration of this fact. Hap¬
piness, we are told, once reigned supreme in the earth.
Xor do we hear of any cavilling or complaining until
law wa< rashly violated. Whereupon we hear of
Adam blaming Eve, aud Eve blaming the serpent,
and again Adam blaming his Maker. "Thewomau,"
said he, "whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave
me of the tree, and I did eat." Unfortunately Adam
was not the la-t person who, through a perverted use
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