Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-06-25

had never thought 10 hotice. he had
been catching cod an his life, but the
only thing he knew about them was
that they were cod-how 10 bait his
hooks for them, the best time and
places 10 catch them, that they we're
cod and were worth 30 many cents a
pound, was positively all he knew. Yet
in that humble craft Of his there was
wonderful book Of God opened before
his eyes, II he would but read t. Fish
are more than something 10 catch and
feed on. They are thoughts Of God,
and Il is worth our while TO get even a
glimmer Of Divine thought Agassiz
spent a large portion Of his lie In
studying the thoughts Of God inlaid
into a fish-scale. And that fsh-scale
has been a narrow door into a wide
and many-chambered knowledge. I
fear that more Of US are TO be charged
with the stupid ignobleness Of this FISH
erman. Every man occupation ought
10 be for him door into large knowl-
edge. Each mans work is for him the
best chance and avenue toward the
most useful knowledge. Hugh Muller,
iOurneyman mason though he was,
found the stones he hewed written all
over with the Divine thoughts, and so
skilled did he become In reading them
that when he read the world listened.
The great truth of God dips down into
every mans occupation, how humble
sOever. The clerk who handles goods
ought to find library in them. He
/ ought never 10 allow himself TO look at
them with dull eyes, as simply so many
things TO sell. Why, the method Of their
manufacture, the place and way Of the
growth Of the rough material. the laws
of political economy presiding over
their prOduction-those goods are sug-
gestive Of all these. And thus, before
every mans eyes, God spreads some
open books Of knowledge and Of cult
ure. But too many of US are like the
fisherman-handling our goods, ex-
changing our moneys, making our bar
gains, building our houses, with dull
eyes, careful not that while we work
we learn, but careful only that we catch
he fish, make money, live well, and
dream on through life with eyes shut to
the wonder and the truth Of God.
We Ough TO be more l0Uing and self
sacrificing than lCe are. During the late
financial crisis in New York / was read
ing of a most touching incident. She
was a washer-wOman, living in one Of
the northern cross streets; weeks in and
weeks out straining for sixteen hours a
day over the wash-tub. She supported
BY this hard work a decrepid husband
and one child. She lived in a little
six-roomed house, four of the rooms of
which she rented, and so. with rent
] and gv,a akr v,.apnrr.1 70 al
and have a lew dollars laid away. Then
the financial crisis struck the rainy
day came, terrible with disastrous
clouds. Every man Of the four who
rented her rooms was thrown out of
work. Good, honest fellows, with their
families around them, facing the prob
lem OF a livelihood. Every day they
went out with shovel and with basket,
wandering the long streets in quest Of
work, but coming back hopeless.
HopelessP Desperate-but for one ray
of light cleaning into their darkness.
Il forgive them the rent says Ann,
/ the washer-woman, "and it's going on
five months now. Sure an they've
had but one meal a day for the winter
| long, and that little oatmeal. If they
made a few pennies shoveling snow
now and then, would it be that would
take it and the children starving?"
/ Through those five dark months Ann
scrubbed and sOaped and wrung; toiled
over the hot irons, carried home the
heavy clOthes-basset, paying the rent
for those four families, cOnsecrating to
them her little hard-earned capital,
keeping those husbands and fathers
back from God knows what extremity
of reckless despair and crime. How
Heavens brightness gilds and glorifies
that humble life. More of such spirit
do we all need surely, amid this toiling,
suffering world; more of this sweet dis
traction from the self and loving atten-
ton to those around US. Thus will our
lives get into chime with the great heart
of Christ and become nobler.
We ought to be stronger than ne are.
Our wills ought not to be so much like
reeds shaken even with the breath of
zephyr. We should be steadier in duty.
We should be firmer against tempta-
ton. We should be most resolute
against bad habits. WeshOuld be more
thoroughly fixed in good habits. We
should be more paRoplied with a sol
dierly boldness in our contest for the
good against the bad.
Surely as really as he called Moses
does God call US unto nobler life. Let
us put away our excuses as Moses did
at last. Let us heed the call. Let us
with him, in the strength of God go
forth into the lifted life. God will not
fail us. He did not fail Moses. Midi
an shepherds merel y let us be nolonger.
| 81 I co,1nt this thing 10 he prapdly true
That a noble deed is a step toward God;
Lifting the soul from the common sod
To a clearer air and broader view
- HnllLnrH HINT d d in Chicnn1