There is an old Scottish mansion quite close to where I have a little summer home in the north of Scotland, which has in it a room noted for the sketches and pictures that from time to time have been drawn upon the walls by visiting artists.

It is a room to which people came from the ends of the world, and it all began in this way.

That room had been redecorated. Its plaster walls had been repainted.

There was an accident in that room with a syphon of soda water which burst and covered the newly decorated plaster wall with stain.

The woman of the house was, of course, not unnaturally irritated at such an accident to her newly decorated room, and she was not slow to express her irritation.

There was a great artist staying in the house, no less than Sir Edwin Landseer.

He did not say anything to her, but when even the next day her irritation had not altogether abated—for the stain had dried, and it looked even worse then, and was seen to be permanent—he stayed at home when the rest of the party in the house went out on the moors.

He took a piece of charcoal, and with a few deft touches and strokes he transformed that disfigurement into a thing of priceless beauty.

He made it the background of a waterfall, and he put in the surrounding crags and one or two fir trees, a noble stag.

It is regarded, indeed, that sketch upon the wall, as one of Landseer’s most successful sketches of Highland life.

The point is this. That which was a disfigurement has become a thing of permanent beauty and pricelessness.

I do not care where you have failed.

I do not care if it is in the deepest motive of your being.

I do not care how far you have fallen.

I do not care how deeply you have disfigured and defaced the image of God—the great Craftsman, the great Master and Lord of us all, can turn your soul from that very failure into a positive endowment for future service.

J. STUART HOLDEN

Let God do it for you!

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.—He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord . His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.—In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy: I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord .

The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.