“And so I am going to ask that we join together today in ’turning over a new leaf.’  What do I mean?  Simply this:  To meet our troubles fairly and squarely, grasp them firmly and then completely overturn them; when lo! we shall find their threatenings, their warnings and their fearful aspects shall have faded away, and brightness and peace shall have taken their place. [At the beginning of this paragraph grasp the drawing at the bottom, tear it loose from the top, and hold it up before the audience, inverted, as in Fig. 18.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 18]

“Truly, ‘a merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.’  May yours remain so throughout the new year and ever after.”

TRUE SUCCESS
    —­Lincoln’s Birthday
    —­Discouragement

It is Exemplified by the Life of Abraham Lincoln—­Stumbling Blocks and Stepping Stones.

THE LESSON—­That the very things which are obstacles in the way of many should be their stepping stones to the higher life.

The life of Abraham Lincoln is so fraught with good lessons that it is difficult to select that which is of the greatest inspiration to the young.  The illustration here given, however, points the way to true success as illustrated by the story of Lincoln’s life.

The Talk.

“Every one of us is anxious to be a success. [Draw the word ‘Success’ in red, and the rays of light in orange.]

“But many of us are discouraged and disheartened by seeing before us so many big ‘ifs’ in the way that we give up trying to gain the height toward which our eyes were once lifted. [Draw the wall, with the rocks obstructing the way; put in the letters ‘I’ and ‘F,’ and indicate the pathway.  Your drawing will now resemble Fig. 19.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 19]

“Some of us may say, ’IF I had not been born in such an obscure place or in such an obscure family, I might have been a great success.’

“Another might say, ’IF my father had only had the means to give me a lift at the right time, I might have been a great success.’

“Another might say, ’IF I had only had the chance to go to school when I was a boy, I might have obtained the education necessary to make me a great success.’

“One other might say, ’IF I could only work out my plans without meeting with the discouraging opposition of those who ought to help me and co-operate with me, I might be a great success.’

“Still another might say, ’IF I had only had the opportunities that other men have had, I might have been a great success.’

“And so we might stand and look with discouraged hearts at the ‘ifs’ before us and stop dead still.