His failures continued for some time after this verdict was written, but at length the world was startled by the splendid flights made by his dirigible "No. 4," and when that vessel was wrecked in August, 1908, the German Government and the German people combined to aid the old patriot and inventor to make good his loss.
(42)
Aeroplane—See Tendencies, Inherited.
Affection, Disinterested—See Friends,
Keeping.
Affection for Animals—See Animals,
Absurd Fondness for.
Affections Misplaced—See Animals, Absurd
Fondness for.
AFFLICTION
At some famous pottery works a visitor
selected for purchase an exquisite model
of Dante and Beatrice. The price was,
however, far greater than he anticipated,
being treble what had been asked
for some other specimens of the potter's
handiwork. "Why is this so much more
expensive?" he asked. "Because it has
passed more often through the furnace,"
was the reply.
God sends His children sometimes through repeated furnaces of affliction in order that their characters may attain a rare and priceless perfection. (Text.)
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AFFLICTION PRODUCING VIRTUE
The editor of The United Presbyterian writes thus:
On a recent evening during a severe hailstorm
we opened our door to observe the
progress of the storm, and were surprized
to find the air laden with the odor of nasturtiums.
There were porch-boxes containing
nasturtiums, geraniums and other flowering
and foliage plants. Beds of nasturtiums
were by the street's side and at the side of
the lawn, and into these the hail had fallen,
beating down and breaking the vines until
the porch floor and the ground beneath the
boxes and the vines were covered with ends
of broken sprays, leaves and bright bits of
yellow and gold, scarlet and maroon of the
mangled flowers. But the air was full of
the sweetness of the crusht and wounded
vines. They were returning good for evil
in the misfortune that had come upon them.
For every wound that the hail had made
they were giving out the fragrance of a
beautiful spirit. Tho bruised and broken,
they were filling the whole atmosphere with
an aroma which was in beautiful contrast to
the adverse rain of hail that still rattled on
the roofs and walks and fell among the
prostrate vines. Blest is that life which can
yield its sweetest fragrance when the storms
are at their highest. We have all known
men and women who, when lacerated with
pain, prostrate under the hand of God, have
made the very atmosphere of the sick-room
redolent with the incense of Christian hope
and trust.
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AFFLICTION, USES OF
The Scriptures say that "It is good to be afflicted," and experience has her own confirmatory word:
The waters go out over the fields, leaving
a waste, where pasture and corn-field had
been, and then gradually subside. What
have the waters done? Have they ruined
the labors of the year? They who do not
know Egypt might think so indeed, but the
peasants know that to that yearly flood they
owe the fertility of the land, that it is that
which makes the crops grow and enables
them to gather in the harvest. So it is with
the river of the grace of God: the waters at
times overflow their banks, and one seems
to be overwhelmed; the soul is borne down
by the flood, all her fruitful land is covered
by the waters—waters of desolation, bereavement,
affliction. "I am overwhelmed, undone;
God has smitten me; my life is all
wrong; I shall never smile again." Nay, the
flood which terrifies thee is the water of
the river of God. The water is washing
away the impurity of thy soul, giving thee
fertility; the fruits of love, patience, charity,
shall grow now; it is not a flood of desolation,
but of blessing and fruitfulness.
(Text.)
(45)
Afraid of the Darkness—See Fear of Man.
AFFLUENCE, THE PRINCIPLE OF
The structural provisions of the living
organism are not built on the principle of
economy. On the contrary, the superabundance
of tissues and mechanisms indicates
clearly that safety is the goal of the
animal organism. We may safely state that
the living animal organism is provided in its
structures with factors of safety at least as
abundantly as any human-made machine.
