Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-06-05
"COnsider the Lilies"

One of the secrets of the fair growth of
the lily is the perpetually maintained bal
ance of its several parts We find root be-
low and stem above, and each in such pro-
portion to the other as to be its proper
complement.
1t is said if the trunk of sound, grow
ing tree be cut in two, halfway between the
uppermost root and the lowermost limb, the
two parts of the tree will balance each
other. Probably something of the same law
prevails in all vegetable life. At least we
know that a careful gardener will not select
a dwarfed bulb for the production of the
largest blossom, nor would we, beholding
magnificent flower, expect to find a poor
stunted root at its base. There is certain
proportion of parts maintained in the grow
ing of healthy plant.
In human living there should be some
thing like this. There are lower parts and
there are higher parts in mans organism.
There are faculties which root themselves
downward, and faculties which soar sun
ward. He is not all animal. The animal
man is but the basis-the necessary material
support-of a nobler growth of intellect
and spirit. A good physical framework
strongly knit, pervaded with healthful ap-
petites, is excellent, but it is only the root
from which should shoot up something far
fairer Nor can a man be all mind and
soul Intellectualism and asceticism are
perversions of nature, and tend to deformed
growth as certainly as animalism does. The
root and blossom must carry between them
a well-poised vitality.
Suppose lily to be endowed with will,
and to come to some such determination as
to say, " | want roots. | don't care for bloom
and fragrance and all that. | want to be as
big as | can be at the bottom and let the
top look out for itself If other plants want
to be sentimental and go into the flower
business, they may. As for me, | choose to
be practical. | go in for the substantial.
go in for roots;" and forthwith it sets all
its forces to work to make roots. 1t shrivels
its stock and swels its bulb, and runs out
its finger-like rootlets to get hold of Just as
much dirt as it can. 1t rolls and revels and
distends itself in muck. And what is the
result 1t misses the real aim of its life.
1t adds no beauty to the landscape, gives no
sweetness to the air. Shut out of the
beneficent sunlight, it will die and leave no
seed to perpetuate its existence. And when
it dies it will make great deal of rotten
ness, and it will be fortunate crcum-
stance that it is all under ground.
1t is good thing, without doubt, for a
man to live WELL make money, to enlarge
all the resources of life. There is no harm
in that in itself. But the more root there
is, the more blossom there should be. If a
man lives only for those things, if there be
no proportionate development of the higher
powers and capacities, if he yield no CORE
spending good to man, and glory to God,
the end of that man is death, d" for if ye live
after the flesh ye shall die" Only his de-
cay will enrich the world. And if such an
one is ilattering himself with the fancy that
he is making root now SO as to produce
larger blossoms by.and-by-accumulating
now to dispense in coming days, let him
reflect that the summer is passing and will
soon be gone. The airs of November are
not favorable to the opening of flowers
Michigan Christian Herald.