THE LIGHT ON THE PATH.
"Let us seek service and be helpers of one another."
"Master," said the little child, "I am unhappy. Though I have
companions and games, they do not content me. Even the music which I
love above all the rest is not truly in my heart; nor is it the
pleasure to me which it should be. What am I to do?"
And the master replied:
"There is a task, the greatest and severest of all. But a child must
learn it. Thou must know _from the first days_, that all thou doest
and sayest, whither thou goest, what thou seekest; these, all these,
come from within. All that is seen of thee is of thy inner life. All
thy doings, thy goings and comings, thy ways and thy desires, these
are from within. And when all these things _are for thyself_ there is
misery.
"Now there are many things which may not be had by directly seeking
them; of these the greatest are two. The one is that which already has
given thee sadness in the heart,--the Light of the Face. And the other
is happiness.
"But there is a way in which these are to be found. Dost thou not know
that often, even with much trouble, thou canst not please thyself? But
always, _with little trouble or none_, thou canst please another.
"And the way is Service.
"Thou poor little one! Thou hast come with thy complaint of
unhappiness; and yet thou hast all that is bright and rare;
companions, and music, and a dear home. Dost thou know that there are
in the world uncounted poor ones, children like thyself, who have not
their daily bread? And yet there are many of them who never fail to
say: 'Lead us not into temptation.' And they say this _without having
tasted_ of the daily bread for which they have been taught to pray.
"And thou? Thou art unhappy. And thy daily bread is set before thee
with music and with sunshine.
"Yet there are little ones, like thyself, who are hungry in the
darkness.
"And thou? Thou art unhappy."