'The Cost of Character

The Cost of Character

Many people have fine dreams of moral and spiritual beauty, which never become anything more than dreams , because they will not work them out in pain, struggle, and self-restraint. Here is an incident from a private letter:

One day, lately, one of my little music pupils, a sweet little girl about nine years old, was playing scales and octaves, when she turned to me and said, 'Oh, Miss Graham, my hands are so tired!'

I said, 'Never mind, Norma; just try to play them once or twice more. The longer you practice them, the stronger your hands will grow, so that after a while you will not feel it at all.'

She turned the gentle little face weariedly to me and said: 'Miss Graham, it seems as if everything which strengthens, hurts!'

I gave her something else to do — but I thought: 'Yes, my dear little girl — everything that strengthens, does hurt!'"

The child was right. It is true in music, it is true in all art, it is true in the making of character — everything that strengthens, hurts, and costs pain and self-denial. We must die to live. We must crucify the flesh, in order that we may find spiritual gains.

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