His counsel was as the
oracles of God. We did not dream of thinking for ourselves, acting
for ourselves, while we had him to tell us how to think, how to act;
and we were happy in our devotion. We felt what a blessed thing, not
merely protecting and guiding, but elevating and ennobling, was
reverence and obedience to one wiser and better than ourselves. But
that did not last. It could not last. Our teacher was taken from
us; perhaps by mere change of place, and the chances of this mortal
life; perhaps by death, which sunders all fair bonds upon this side
the grave. Perhaps, most painful of all, we began to differ from our
teacher; to find that, though we respected and loved him still,
though we felt a deep debt of thanks to him for what he had taught
us, we could not quite agree in all; we had begun to think for
ourselves, and we found that we must think for ourselves; and the new
responsibility was very heavy. We felt like young birds thrust out
of the nest to shift for themselves in the wide world.
But, after a while, we found that we could think, could act for
ourselves, as we never expected to do. We found that we were no more
children; that we were improving in manly virtues by having to bear
our own burdens; and to acquire,
'The reason firm, the temperate will,
Endurance, foresight, strength, and skill.
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