August 19

"As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2 Cor. 6:10).

Sorrow was beautiful, but her beauty was the beauty of the moonlight shining through the leafy branches of the trees in the wood, and making little pools of silver here and there on the soft green moss¹ below.

When Sorrow sang, her notes were like the low sweet call of the nightingale, and in her eyes was the unexpectant gaze of one who has ceased to look for coming gladness. She could weep in tender sympathy with those who weep, but to rejoice with those who rejoice was unknown to her.

Joy was beautiful, too, but his was the radiant beauty of the summer morning. His eyes still held the glad laughter of childhood, and his hair had the glint of the sunshine's kiss. When Joy sang his voice soared upward as the lark's, and his step was the step of a conqueror² who has never known defeat. He could rejoice with all who rejoice, but to weep with those who weep was unknown to him.

"But we can never be united," said Sorrow wistfully.

"No, never." And Joy's eyes shadowed as he spoke³. "My path lies through the sunlit meadows, the sweetest roses bloom for my gathering⁴, and the blackbirds and thrushes await my coming to pour forth⁵ their most joyous⁶ lays."

"My path," said Sorrow, turning slowly away, "leads through the darkening woods, with moon-flowers only shall my hands be filled. Yet the sweetest of all earth-songs--the love song of the night--shall be mine; farewell, Joy, farewell."

Even as she spoke they became conscious of a form standing⁷ beside them; dimly seen, but of a Kingly Presence, and a great and holy awe⁸ stole over them as they sank on their knees before Him.

"I see Him as the King of Joy," whispered Sorrow, "for on His Head are many crowns, and the nailprints in His hands and feet are the scars of a great victory. Before Him all my sorrow is melting away into deathless love and gladness, and I give myself to Him forever."

"Nay⁹, Sorrow," said Joy softly, "but I see Him as the King of Sorrow, and the crown on His head is a crown of thorns, and the nailprints in His hands and feet are the scars of a great agony. I, too, give myself to Him forever, for sorrow with Him must be sweeter than any joy that I have known."

"Then we are one in Him," they cried in gladness, "for none but He could unite Joy and Sorrow."

Hand in hand they passed out into the world to follow Him through storm and sunshine, in the bleakness¹⁰ of winter cold and the warmth of summer gladness, "as sorrowful yet always rejoicing." –Selected

“Should Sorrow lay her hand upon thy shoulder, And walk with thee in silence on life's way,

While Joy, thy bright companion once, grown colder, Becomes to thee more distant day by day?

Shrink not from the companionship of Sorrow, She is the messenger of God to thee;

And thou wilt¹¹ thank Him in His great tomorrow- For what thou knowest not now, thou then shalt see;

She is God's angel, clad in weeds of night, With whom we walk by faith and not by sight.”　

八月十九日

「似乎忧愁，却是常常快乐的。」（林后六10）

忧愁是很美丽的，她的美丽是月光的美丽，她的歌声好像夜莺的鸣声，她的目光带着并不期望快乐的神情。她能够与哀哭的人同哭，却不能与快乐的人同乐。

快乐也是很美丽的，他的美丽是夏晨的美丽。他的目光含蓄儿童时代的欢笑，他的头发受着日光的闪射。他的歌声像百灵鸟的歌声一般翱翔云上，他的脚步是一个从来不知道失败的得胜者的脚步。他能够与一切快乐的人同乐，却不能与哀哭的人同哭。

忧愁沉思着道：「我俩是绝不能合作的了。」

快乐说：「是啊，绝不能了。我的道路是在充满阳光的草场上的，玫瑰为我开着芳香的花朵，山鸟和画眉为我唱欢乐的情歌。」

忧愁徐徐转过身去说道：「我的道路是在黑暗的森林中的。但是世上最甜蜜的诗歌━深夜的情歌━却是属于我的；再会，快乐，再会罢。」

在她说话的时候，他们觉得有一个人体立在他们旁边；虽然看不清楚是谁，却知道是一位君王，他们跪倒在祂面前，感觉非常惧怕。

忧愁轻声说道：「我看祂一定是快乐的王，因为祂头上戴着许多冠冕，手上和脚上带着胜利的钉痕。我在祂面前，一切的忧愁都化为不熄的爱和欢乐了，我愿意把我自己奉献给祂。」

快乐低声说道：「你错了，忧愁，我看祂是忧愁的王，祂头上戴着的冠冕是荆棘的冠冕，祂手上和脚上带着的钉痕是痛苦的伤痕。我也愿意把我自己永远奉献给祂，因为有祂同在的忧愁一定比我所知道的快乐更加甘甜。」

他俩同声欢呼说道：「这样，我们在祂里面乃是一体，只有祂能将快乐和忧愁合成一体。」他俩手牵着手同在世上跟随祂走━有时在风雨中，有时在阳光中，有时在冬日的凛冽中，有时在夏日的温暖中━「似乎忧愁，却是常长快乐的。」──选

1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 conqueror   

n.征服者，胜利者

参考例句：

• We shall never yield to a conqueror.我们永远不会向征服者低头。
• They abandoned the city to the conqueror.他们把那个城市丢弃给征服者。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

6 joyous   

adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的

参考例句：

• The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
• They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

9 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

10 bleakness   

adj. 萧瑟的, 严寒的, 阴郁的

参考例句：

• It forgoes the bleakness of protest and dissent for the energizing confidence of constructive solutions. 它放弃了bleakness抗议和持不同政见者的信心，激发建设性的解决办法。
• Bertha was looking out of the window at the bleakness of the day. 伯莎望着窗外晦暗的天色。

11 wilt   

v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱

参考例句：

• Golden roses do not wilt and will never need to be watered.金色的玫瑰不枯萎绝也不需要浇水。
• Several sleepless nights made him wilt.数个不眠之夜使他憔悴。