Middletown transcript., 1868-01-04
'a0'a atloralA 4radina. y ~
lalba1me ssareh AFTER PerfsstIon.

1t is too much the practice Of '"the
world" to Judge harshly all men who are
lining to lead, a moral or religious life.
a wrong be committed by such an one.
hone are SO ready to censure as the sorong
loers, who, seem to have but little charity
or those who, Ike themselves, are subject
% the frailties Of our common humanity.
70 such we commend the subjoined lesson.
,f.xisdon, which they should lay TO heart:
Two friends lived together in a certain
city, the one Christian and the other a
sceptic q They often talked about religion,
and the chief objection urged by the sceptic
against Christianity was that those who
professed to be influenced by its principles,
and to have the course of their lives direc-
ted through its,precepts, were +. fat from
being faultless.a '.tiSurely," he said, "if
it were true, they would not be so imper-
feet as they are. aIftheh rek kgiOn' had been
really originated and were sustained by
God, we Should be able to discover no flaw
In it. :"
His friend had frequently reasoned with
him. He had spoken of the external evil
denses Of this religion, of its intrinsic ex-
cellence, and of the great change its pos
session caused in the lives of those who
received it and tried to live according to
its dictates. But all had been of no avail;
the same objection was thrown back with
redeubled force. .HThose who profess it
are imperfect ; therefore it cannot have
come ffome God, al lVs''n s-a --''
These friends often walked out together.
One day they went to visit some acquaint-
ances who lived in the country. Their
way led them through pleasant villages,
whefetbey found groups ofchildren playing
under the elms that grew upon the village
green. lust as they entered one hamlet
they saw a throng Of boys and girls rush
out Of school and to various sports-mar-
bles, ball, cricket, and FOUNDERS; but not far
from them they noticed little girl watch
ing the other children at play, yet not able
TO Join them because of her lameness. 1t
was brilliant day. The flowers of the
earliest menth Iof summer we're just unfold
ing their petals, and the air was fragrant
with newly-mown hay; The earth looked
as thoughshe had put on one ofher jewelled
dresses, and the sky its lightestrobe Of blue,
to Welcome in the reign of the queen of
summer. lone thing only disturbed the
full enjoyment Of the scene for weeks a
yenomous east wind had been blowing, and
though the landscape was SO fair, enough
of.it still remained to tell the wanderers
that the brightest day is not quite perfect.
Not long after taking this walk the
friends were ostrolling tlrbugh a gallery
Of sculpture and painting, which contained
the masterpieces and choicest works of the
artists apdyseulptors of every age. Rem
brandt and Rafaelle, Titan and Turner
Canova and the old Greek masters had left
their treasures to meet together in this
place. The friends marvelled at the won.
drous seoloring, and at the marble which
almost seemed instinct with life. Madonas
with anguish pictured upon their faces
4 Graces, that made the gazer grieve tt
thinkfno breath of life was in them, ant
fruit that might have tempted the yer,
birds to peck it, attracted their attention
4 They wondered at the power Of man at hi
highest inspiration but yet they wer
obliged TO confess that nothing they 'saS
j depicted there, beautiful though It was
I eqpalled even the mperfection Of nature
} lSoons after visiting this palace of art the,
! were strolling through a garden. In it
J midst stood a mansion, around which wa
Everything that heart could desire. d, 1t
owner also was renowned, and honors wer
shpweref upon him in (all the I profpsion
r with which grateful country could besto'
them. HIRE they thought, insthe heart {
B this lordly man, must happiness be found
: But no /; when they came to inquire, the
found that his only son was dead, and th
q possessor Of all they saw had no -childre
: to perpetuabe his name, nor any one whol
: he cared to love. .a hiANi "
). As they wandered on through tt
grounds they saw tree covered with ros,
/. of brilliant color. Here" said IL
e sceptic, plucking one of the flowers; g
: have at last found something that is perfec
e and has no flaw within it," He locke
v into it, as did his friend also, expecting
e find it as he said. But as they gazed il
= tently at the blossom, they saw that son
e few of its petals were withered, and hiddC
V in Its very centre lay a worm.
n Not long after they we're once more tall
d ing Of the imperfections of those who pr
J. fessedto be Christians They remember,
,e that they had not found anything absolute
= perfect in the world. The village gree
i, with its groups Of merry children, had
4 cripple also; the glory of the early day
/: summer was marred by a biting east win
,r mans most beautiful works were faded al
l. fawed all over; the peer, who was su
" posed by those who did not know him
d be amongst the happiest of the earth, h
re no son to bear his honors into the futur
and even the. flowers which seemed
IS everything the freshest from the hand
st God, hid worms Or blight within tn
m leave. Then the seeptic remembered ii
r he expected perfection only in erring ma
ly and, ceasing to wonder why God had I
W made His servants perfect in the wol
IN while all around them was imperfect,
in became himself Christian And th
If every doubt was removed for he found Il