Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-02-28

things are to last? This all men must
know, that soon or late all things decay
and perish, and all men and all communi-
ties, some time in their career, need the |
help from others, which they themselves
have either freely given or selfishly with
held. But however that be, generosity
never hurt man or nation. Magnanimityll
is the truest policy, and mercy can win
more lasting victories than sword. Injl
these stormy days of ours, the Catholic
Church has been at its post, has striven to
do its duty on the battlefield, in the camp.
in the hospitals; its trained and disciplined
ministers have been at hand, and men who
had heard of the grand old creed of Christ9I
endom, only from its defamers, have learn
ed to knowit and respect it in its works of
charity and broad and liberal benevolence.
heard q few days ago from Southern
man a story illustrative of this. In a
Southern hospital, during the war, a con-
federate soldier lay dying. By his side sat
priest vainly endeavoring to raise his
thoughts to the new world he was so
soon to enter. The poor fellow understood
nothing about it he had never heard of
the simplest truths of religion. They had
not taught him these things where he came
FROM. "But I'll tell you what, Stranger
said he, s'though Ifnever heard of them
things--of hell, and heaven, and purgatory
IL heard of angels, and know one, too"
The, priest was silent with astonishment.
s.Look ye here's stranger, continued the
soldier, "do you see that ere gal down there
there moving about around them beds ?
that gal with the big white bonnet; how
that's an angel, If ever there was an angel"
and he pointed to Sister of Charity near
by. SNOW, stranger" said he, 81 don't
know you, or what you are talking about,
butt know the gal with the big white bon
net; just call her here, and whatever she
says is right and true. 90 that, it you
nd hn of tU cot
also by his side. and, as she bade him. he
consented to believe, and thus his life ebbed
away; and perhaps, who knows, the angel
face he met beyond the dark river bore a
glorified resemblance to that of the "gal
with the big white bonnet" Well, you
ladies can't all be 'sgals with big white bon
nets, p and, perhaps, don't care to be. Fe-
male tastes on that subject are apt to vary.
But you can perform some angels work,
for all that. You remember when Shylock
would have his pound of flesh, and refused
to abate one. jot of what was nominated in
the bond. You remember how eloquently
the young doctor of Rome pleaded to him,
and stroye to soften. his heart: -sr
The quality of mercy is not strained: 90, .e 4 e!:t
1t droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven s.
the Place tSt 5s1esth it is tTiSe S sLessd t
IT'S mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes A#
The throned monarch better than his crown; -t.
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty.
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings. Z
But mercy's above this sceptered sway;
1t is enthroned in the hearts of kings, ,- "a.
1t is an attribute to God himself.
And earthly power doth then show likest Gods
When mercy seasons justices. . fE=f > -.
Therefore. though Justice be thy plea consider this:
That in the course of Justice none of should see
salvation. We do pray for mercy,
And that same prayer doth teach all to render the
deeds of mercy. SC @
All, fair young Roman Doctor of Laws,
gentle lady of Belmont masquerading it
for pastime, but growing into serious ear
nest in the presence of danger and warm
ing with all the fire and eloquence and
tenderness of her woman's nature in
her struggle to set pity and mercy in
that uncongenial heart, had we among
our modern women such heads and
such hearts, could they plead as she
did for mercy, for charity and reconcilia-
ton, the wounds of civil discord would
soon be healed and the light of peace and
union shine forth again over this racked
and tortured land. Sisters, be kind at least
to your sisters in the South, and let your
household infiuence-the true realm of
woman's dominion-soften and elevate ma
lures less fine, than your own; and thus,
across the sea of sorrow, as dark and dreary
as ever tempest tossed, the light may shine
again; the light which of old shed its rays
on the Lake of Galilee and lulled its waves
to rest; the light that for nineteen hundred
years, in all their clouds and storm, has
never been wholly extinguished, sometimes
dimmed and flitkering, but ever renewed,
the pure and steady light in which all the
Trays are blended and comningl led, of Chris
tian charity and mercy and faith and hope.