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Country Living
how to live so as to secure life’s best results. What were the conditions
chosen by the infinite Father for His Son? A secluded home in the
Galilean hills; a household sustained by honest, self-respecting labor;
a life of simplicity; daily conflict with difficulty and hardship; self-
sacrifice, economy, and patient, gladsome service; the hour of study
at His mother’s side, with the open scroll of Scripture; the quiet of
dawn or twilight in the green valley; the holy ministries of nature;
the study of creation and providence; and the soul’s communion with
God,—these were the conditions and opportunities of the early life of
Jesus.
Country Heritage of Noble Men
So with the great majority of the best and noblest men of all ages.
Read the history of Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph, of Moses, David, and
Elisha. Study the lives of men of later times who have most worthily
filled positions of trust and responsibility, the men whose influence
has been most effective for the world’s uplifting.
How many of these were reared in country homes. They knew
little of luxury. They did not spend their youth in amusement. Many
were forced to struggle with poverty and hardship. They early learned
to work, and their active life in the open air gave vigor and elasticity
to all their faculties. Forced to depend upon their own resources,
they learned to combat difficulties and to surmount obstacles, and
they gained courage and perseverance. They learned the lessons of
self-reliance and self-control. Sheltered in a great degree from evil
associations, they were satisfied with natural pleasures and wholesome
companionships. They were simple in their tastes and temperate in
their habits. They were governed by principle, and they grew up pure
and strong and true. When called to their lifework, they brought to
it physical and mental power, buoyancy of spirit, ability to plan and
execute, and steadfastness in resisting evil, that made them a positive
power for good in the world.
Better Than Wealth
Better than any other inheritance of wealth you can give to your
children will be the gift of a healthy body, a sound mind, and a noble
character. Those who understand what constitutes life’s true success