Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-10-24
CUR CORRESPONDENCE.
4 Correspondent Refers Pleasantly 10 the
Gr.on Literary so. .icty.

Having observed IN the JOURNAL o ca
sional mention of Il Literary Society bear
in@ tie beautiful name of Orion, | am led
10 some brief reflections upon lis origin and
the sacred associations with which ii is
rncompasscd 1t is the Hebrew "C,W
the Greek "OrioH." The giant of the Arabs
tie giant of oriental astronomy, was
Nimrod, the mighty hunter, tabled as hay
inr been bound in the sky for his impicty.
The Two dogs, Sirius and Fomalhaut, and
the hare, among the neighboring constella-
tions, make his train complete. In heather
mythology Orion is represented as accom-
panied in the chase 10y Diana and Latona.
Among the sculpturcd drilics of the Pan
Ihcon he is imagcd as Il man of imposing
yhgS'q9c, costumcd as a huntsman-cncir
clcd with starry girdlc, a shield in the
left hand, and club in the right in the act
of striking Modern astronomy describes
the group rs containing two stars Of the
first magnitude Bctelgeuse on the right
shoulderan Rigcl on the left foot Of Orion.
Half way between three stars appear in the
-irCllr, forming Jacobs staff" or, as they
are sometimes called, 1.-The three kings"
Tie inspired mention Of Orion is in that
most ancient and remarkable Book in the
Sacred Canon where it is represented the
Lorl, out of the whirlwind, convcrscd with
job, contrasting His Omnipotcnce with hu-
man impotence The Lord inquired:
"Canst thou bind the sweet influences of
Pleiadcs, or loose the bands of Orion?
Canst thou bring forth *Mazzaroth in his
sason? or canst thou guide Arcturus with
his SOnS?"
There has been great diversity of opinion
among biblical scholars as to the b;ogra-
phcr of Job-a man of whom the Lord said
there was none like him in the earth a
perfect and an upright man, one that fear
eth God and cschewcth evil" 1t is gcncr-
ally conceded, however, that Moses was the
author and that the book was written when
lie was fugitive in "thc land of INDIAN
During his forty years residence with the
"shcphcrd kings" he heard of this great and
good man either by written account or oral
tradition As dwcllcr in Ur of the Chal-
dccs, celebrated seat Of oriental learning,
hc had acquired much Of the eruditlon of
the Egyptians, No doubt while watching
his iocls ON The star-lit plains, he pursued
and became familiar with the lore of the
wonderful Chaldeans-a study which was
lcplctc with poetic conceptions of unsur-
passed sublimty and beauty, and which
justly placed him foremost among the wri-
tiers OF sacred history.
With single exception there is one re-
markabIc feature which characte,izcs the
history OF job rs compared with the later
productions of Moses in tie Pcnla;cuch, his
songs prayers and psalms there is no alu-
sion to future state. In that far-awav
mythical age, when Abraham was Il strip
ling in the tents of Terah the great question
of the immortality of the soul was agitating
the minds of men. With more OF less of
faith and light, through instinct, nature and
inspiration, it has flashed belief in the
thoughts and crccds of all succeeding times
III oil own pllSHt 'h'N, III inc pitLc vi tlul1
revealed from the tomb in the garden of
Joseph, where our isel Lord broke the
bands of death and brought Life and In
mortality to light, in reply to the question
IT man die shall he live again ?'-we
read Tcnnysons In Memoriam' as cx-
prcssivc of the universal sentiment of the
unrcgcncratc heart of the human race
"Oh vet we hope that somehow good
VIII be the final goal of all
= x x *
That nothing walks with aimless feet
That not one life shall he destroyed,
Or cast as rubbish to the void,
When God hath made the pile complete
so runs my dream; but what am L.
An infant crying in the night
An infant crying for the light,
And with no language but cry"
After weary search among the evidences
Of creation, among thousand types and
shadows and "fancs of truitess prayer" he
despairingly resumes:
"Oh life as futile then as fral
Oh for thy voice To sOOthe and bless.
What hope OF answer or redress
Behind the veil, behind the veil 2"
But job rcCounting his affections and
perpleXities-the outgrowth of Gods heavy
Christening -cXutingly ailirms thc.futurc life:
"Oh that my words were now written,
OH that they were printed in Il book
That they We're craven with an iron pen
and lead in the rock for eycr
For | know that my RcClccmcr livcth,
and that He shall stand at the latter day
upon the earth: '."..
And though after my skin worms destroy
tins body, yet in my flesh shall | see God;
Whom | shall see for myself and not
,nntbor" y
This is the immutablc answer-thc first
clear revelation of Mediator between God
and handmade through the sorrows and
Affections of ore whom inspiration demon
mates the servant of the Most Hgh'-thc
eldest testimony To the resurrection and the
lac, delivered when Orion and kindred
groups marked the dawn of history with il
Illustrations Of other mighty truths.
This DEPRESSION i, too full of interest to be
pursued here. The objects Of the Orion
Society, presumed by the title, Literary
,rr ia discuss pOlitr litCraturp incIuliur