Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-01-04
DAILY DEMOCRAT.


We shrink and shudder at the surgeons knife
Each nerve rccoiling from the cruel steel
Whose edge seems searching for the uuyering
life:
Yet to our sense the bitter pangs reveal
That slll, although the trembling flesh be torn.
This also, can be borne.
We see y sorrow rising in our way,
And try to Zee from the approaching ILL.,
We seek some small escspe-we weep and pray
But when the blow fails, thea our hearts are
Not that the pain is Of its sharpness shorn,
But think il can be borne.
We wind our life about another life
We hold II closer, dearer than our own;
Anon it faints and falls in deathly strife,
Leaving u: stunned. and stricken, and alone
But oh Ne do not die with those W mourn.
This. also. can b borne.
Behold, We live through all thinxs-fsmine
thirst,
bereavement, pain all grief and misery:
All woe and sorrow; life isaicss its worst
On soul and body-but We cannot die.
Though We be sick. and tired, and faint. and
worn,
Lo al things can be borne.
is better to 60 to che house Of mourn.
ing than to the house Of feasting
Be GENEROUS Elegant mansions. luxu.
rious homes, comfortable firesides, VAIN
clothing and plenty, are .he concomita ats of
wealth and competence. The opposites Of
these are found in i'll constructed novels.
dilapidated house, crowded rooms. cold at
tics, breadless homes and coalless fire. sides,
Winter comes to find the rich, now as ever,
provided against physical want Not so,
however, with the poverty stricken. De.
cember's frosts and storms have come upon
many. We fear,in this country, who will suf.
fer severely. Public charity may be dis
pensed 10 proper manner, but still there
are those whose pride will prevent them
from asking for THAI which nature makes il
imperative they should have. In view Of
these facts We take occasion to remind peo-
pie who live in the enjoyment Of luxury
and plenty that they should 60 abroad ION
charitable thoughts INTENT" and seek oppor-
tunities to be generous to the suffering
poor.
PiErY OF DANsnUsE.-In 1S47, when
Fanny Ellsles danced At the Argentine The
atre, her most ardent admirers subscribed
money in order to offer her . golden wreath
worth 1000 lire
But before purchasing il they resolved to
lay tho matter before the Holy Father. Ow-
ine 10 the financial difficulties Of the mo-
ment, they feared lest he should severely
blame this act Of pfodigality.
"Pressnt your WREATH" replied Plus IN
to them, "if you wish to do 90; there is in
this step nothing that could compromise
either the dignity Of my church, OF the Sc
curity Of my States. Permit me only to
tell you that your souvenir TO . celebrated
danseuse 10 not very happy. am only .
poor priest, aud not very competent to judge
in such affairs But | should think that
wreaths were destined for head and sot for
legs"
Fanny Ellsler, nevertheless, received her
IL 900 lire wreath but an indiscreet friend
told her Of Plus KS reply, and she sent
him @ 5000 lire for the poor.
PoLlrRsEss OF PAUL An old poet has
quantity called Jesus "the first true gentle
man that ever breathed." Paul's politcness
too, must not be overlooked, compound IS it
was with dignity and Difference. 1t appear
cd in the mldness of the manner in which
he delivered his most startling and solemn
messages, both to Jews and heathens; in
his graceful situations in his winning
reproofs-the excellent oil which did not
break the head" in the delicacy Of his al
lusions to his claims and services and,
above oil in the calm. self-possessed and
manly attitude he assumed before the ru-
lers Of his people ard the Roman author-
ties. In the language OF Peter and John
to their judges, there is an abruptness sa-
voring Of their rude fisherman life, and
filter for the rough echoes Of the Lake
Of Galiles, than for the tribunals Of power.
But Paul, while equally bold and decided,
is far more gracious. He lowers his thun-
derbolt before his adversary ere he launch
powerful. His words to the King Agrippa
II would to God that Tot only thou, but
also oil that hear me this day, were both
almost and altogether such 40 am, except
these bonds''-are the most chivslrous ut
tcrances recorded in history. An angel
could not bend more gracefully, or assume
an attitude Of moro exalted courtesy.
RELIGIOUS ExorIoS. Next come the
smotionalists They think that piety con-
sists in high feeling. They think that they
are near to God when..they experience rap
turous enjoymsnts, and have rspturous
visions. Why, you are no nearer the sun
| when the clouds are gone than when the
clouds are over it. You may enjoy the
| sun more when it Is unobscured. but the
clouds make difference in your distance
| from It. The smotionalists have a convic-
ton that God is near to them when they
feel intensely. Their idea Of q religious
life is that it is a glorious fountain contn-
ually throwing up its sparkling waters-its
treasures Of experience. They do not re-
ALIKE that = man may he just ~ good a. q
Christian. that he may be just as conscien-
tious, just as earnest in life. just IS correct
in thought and in act, without experience
ing such an intense emotion. A man with
out this high emotional nature may not be
IS rich in experience but piety is not to
be measured by the amount Of feeling which
can be generated. Great enjoyment and
satisfaction may dow from intense emotion
but il is not, therefore, . characterize
element Of Christian experience. The emo
tionalist is not to be despised except - =
portidIst, - man who has knocked the
land" from the commandment. He says
"Tnou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with oil thy soul, and
with eli thy streE gth," and there he ends
it whereas the commandment brings ia
the whole duty and department Of man
and thy neighbor % thysslf"
CnARirY.-"But the greatest Of these Is
charity" Faith and hope are good, even
full Of excellence, but Of the beautiful trim
ity spoken Of BY the apostle, charity il
best.
II seems TO " that now 10 the ct time q
preach short sermon on charity ,-new
when the cold Of unkind Winter chills many
. hearthstons where the 6re burns low
There 10 . sweet charity in the Summed iol
oil the poor and needy. The warm cir and
glad sunlight are theirs in peculiar de
gree-thsirs for blessing. They have con
mon lot in al the joy Of the long, balmy
days. All the peace and plsutifulness o.
seed time and harvest are theirs but thes,
fade away with the green leaves and III,
| flowers.
From the dreasirsss Of Winter every
warm glow Of charity dies out. All th,
gladness and brightness and chess Of th,
chilling days is forced and artificial Coz
pity and help those who have not the msani
to produce i'll For such. the hope ant
faith are all that remain--others must havs
1 the charity. Such may hope for the swif
coming Of SUMMER hours-cthers must ait
them - they may in wearing of the leader
present.
1.-THE poor yc have always with you, AMI
vhensoever ye will 70 can do them good !
more especially are they ysur care whel
the summers charity il Withdrawn.