St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-11-07

gage on this house or that farm. insin-
uating with sly winks and mods, that
this man is doing well, or that man has
got to go under. We complain not,
for we suppose that Gods providence
is wise, and these persons are of some
use in the world. Neither do we COM
plain of the existence of flies, snakes,
and wild beasts on the same grounds.
A case comes before the public like
that of the Rev. Mr.. Murray. In the
hour of prosperity he is Landed to the
skies. But when misfortune comes
the very time when true friendship is
needed-he is kicked to the bottom of
the hill, and held down when he gets
there. If this be the teaching of the
Master, then 1 have greatly misappre-
hended it. What loving friendship
What Christian charity, which Paul
says, "suffereth long and is kind"
Mr.. Murray may have made mistakes
1 think it likely he did. But is that
good reason for destroying him root
and branch? Who knows, save Him
alone, what agony of mind and spirit
this man has gone through? Then why
seek to cast him down and belabor him,
who, before the Eternal Judge may be
far better than either you or I, dear
reader. While 1 would not, if l knew
it, encourage wrong doing, l would APP
peal to the general public to be forbear-
ing in the case of Mr.. Murray. With
his mistakes, he is yet noble man, l
believe, whose motives are pure, and
will yet bring him out all right.
Henry Ward Beecher, the man who
has done more for religious enlighten-
ment than any other man, either in this
country or Europe, was pursued by this
same ugly and wicked spirit. When
the fends of jealousy and hate were let
loose upon him, he withstood what
would have killed an ordinary man.
While l say all praise to this brave
Christian man, l also say 1 am sorry
for his accusers, who had in their hearts
more vengeance than loving charity.
Knowing that through the whole do
main of nature the law of like begets
like, from all we have said, what is the
lesson to be deduced Plainly this :
That forbearance, forgiveness, gentle
ness, loving-kindness and peace, are
essences belonging to the higher law,
and will beget again the same heavenly
qualities. At the same time, where
combativeness, vindictiveness, and de-
structiveness bear sway, the results
will be in perfect accord with the harsh
means taken.
have seen this illustrated in every
day life. l know of farmers to-day,
whose animals flee from their approach
acting glad to get out of their way.
While l have seen others who would
almost be Overrun by them. While one
was boxing their ears and telling them
to cleaI out, the other was calling and
caressing them. The same law works
the same in families. Where parents
are eternally whipping and scolding
their children, there you will generally
find inharmony between husband ana
wife, and a disorderly household.
Nothing ever has, or ever can, equal
the law of love, in the intercourse of
men. People may argue differently
just as long as they live, and they will
never succeed in making thinking peo-
pie believe otherwise. And simply
from the fact that love is one of the
chief attributes of the higher law, which
is ever and always the law of God. If
L had the power of some men, and the
'tongue of angels" would preach this
doctrine from the mountain tops, |
would proclaim it from the valleys, and
into the depths of the forest. Who can
read the words of John without being
convinced, that with him, the law of
love was an all-absOrbing one7 1t was
the great burden of his preaching, and
John was right, because the law is
right, and will eventually maintain it
self. The trouble with us, and this
law of charity, is, we get impatient
about it. We hate to wait for its per-
feet working, and rush off on tangent
to make law ourselves. l believe all
of us would do well to give this subject
careful examination. l believe that the
kindness of the head and the heart will
conquer when every other means will
fail.
Then gently scan your brother man,
Still gentler sister woman;
Though they may gang kennin wrang
To step aside is human:
One point must be greatly dark,
The moving a0hy they do it;
| And just as lamely can We mark
How far perhaps they rue it."
F. V. POWERS.
70 A cultured physician once said Z:
81 would not have IL son who could not
drink wine with me without danger of
becoming brute" When his eldest
son was expelled from college for
drunkenness, it made him temperance
man, but it was twenty years too late.
-ErchGnge.
70 A drunkard in Hamilton, Onta-
rio, who took his mothers corpse at her
dying request to be buried in a neigh
boring town, got drunk at the depot,
forgot all about her, and rambled off
leaving the body at the station, till
strangers buried her in the Potter's