A New Hope: ‘A Handful of Clay’

Henry Van Dyke’s short story urges us to keep despair at bay with hope and perseverance.

Will a piece of clay become a beautiful vessel? Cropped image of “Etruscan Vase Painters,” 1871, by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Public Domain

As you sit down in the evening, you feel exhausted and discouraged. Life’s pains have pushed and pulled you so much that you feel pressed into a life of despair. Yet despite every hardship, you maintain hope and perseverance. These qualities will not only carry you through tribulations and dark nights but also crown you with glory.

In his short story “A Handful of Clay,” Henry Van Dyke emphasizes the importance of patience, hope, and perseverance, especially in the most difficult of times. Through a handful of clay, Van Dyke shows that these virtues can help us look past hardships to see life’s beauty.

Unremarkable

It is springtime and a swelling river flows with vigor, given new life and renewed strength from the melted snow. The trees on the bank take in the new season’s light. With beautiful foliage beginning to adorn their branches, the trees look quite glorious. Flowers, too, wonder at their own beauty. They bow to each other, acknowledging each other’s glow.