Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-03-14
Firesids Department.
From the Sunday-School Times-l
Half-and-Ha1f.
BY ALEXANDER CLARK.

1t is Pliny, 1 think, in his Natural
History, who makes mention of an odd
sort of eagle, which has one leg similar
to that of a goose, webbed At the foot
and heavy, while the other is light,elas-
tic and taloned, in orthodox eagle order
This singular,-or, rather, doubular,-
bird half water fowl and half sky-soarer,
by the use of her close foot, takes to the
water, and by reason of her goose .in-
stinct, dives for fish; while, by reason
of the eagle-instinct, she rises into
the sky. and, by the open foot, ,seizes her
winged prey.
But it is an awkward union both fish
and feathered game elude her halfisf
grasp, and she starves into an uncome-
ly skeleton Participating of two dis
similar natures, the bird is clumsy ir
every movement, weak of foot and
wing, bad diver, a pitiful flyer, ex-
posed, despised, and an easy prey, al
This bastard bird is fit illustration
of all the neuters and ambidexters ir
religion. For there are persons who
have the one close foot for sea and
swamp-for this world and its slippery
scaly treasures-and another open foi
the air and sky-for heaven and heaven
ly things. They founder through .
half-and-half, or nothing kind of life,
reaching downward for mammon ant
upward for grace. But, like Pliny'i
bird of divided instinct, they are neither
one thing nor another. They are nei
ther geese nor eagles. They caricaturt
the nature and the name o
both. They are sometimes seen float
ing on the sea of worldliness, eyeins
downward and diving for prey, tn,
open foot and the mounting wing bu
clinging hindrances in such an element
Then, again, they may be seen blinking
skyward and fluttering noisiiy aloft il
zigzag lacking with the wind, as if in
tent on things above; but the web-foo
and the goose-wing break the flight ant
waste the strength of such half-intend
cd and half-attempted service.
And so men who aim at a mammol
life, bearing the profession of Christi
anity, find it terrible slow fishing. Bet
ter that both feet be webbed and botl
wings unwieldy, if diving is the direc
ton of living. Better for man to b,
material and sensuous through, if hi.
being is to be down in the deep sea o
sin. Any adaptation to higher fligh
and nobler attainment only embarrasi
the soul that would sink itself into the
murky tides of the world. Or, if th'
man would fain rise and seek the NOR
enduring riches above,-if he would ge
nearer and still nearer to God will
every breath and pulse of his being, b,
is only crippled by the propensities o
the carnal nature. He who attempt;
the way to heaven must become a new
creature. Old things must be put away
All things must become new. Nc
worldly web-foot here along the starry
way. If the clear high heavens of Goo
and the angels are to be attained evel
and for evermore, the soul must have
the eagle wings, and the eagle feet, ant
the eagle eyes, and mount up with re
newed strength, and poise in the opel
sunlight of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
resting and rising and rising and restins
on him.
Like the unbalanced bird of the an
cient philosopher, because of its divers
and conflicting natures, caught and de
voured by the prowling ravens,-s,
the double-minded man, unstable in al
his ways, drifted about by every wint
of doctrine, as the Scriptures say,-nov
dipping into the surging sea of lus
and worldliness, now essaying to soa
into the calm skies of spiritual blessed
ness.-is only worried by every move
ment into weakness and bondage, AM
is taken captive by Satan at his will.