Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-07-23


/. BEFORE THE MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL
| SOCIETY. ...
OF all the guests at life's perennial feast, {.
Who Of her children sits above the priest?
For him the broidered robe, the carven seat,
Pride ut his beck and seauty at his feet;
For him the incense e fumes, the wine is poured,
Himself q gnu adoring and adored - IL
His the first welcome when our hearts rejoice,
bis in our dying ear the latest voice:
Font. altar, grave-his steps on all attend;
Our,staf, our stay, our all but heavenly friend
r Where is the meddling hand that dares to. probe
The secret grief beneath his sable robe?
How grave his port, how every gesture tells
Here truth abides, here pence forever dwells.
vex not his lofty soul with comments vain;
Faith asks no questions; silence, ye profane
Alas! too Oft while all ls calm without
The stormy spirit wars with endless doubt;
This is the mocking spectre, scarce concealed
Behind tradition g bruised and battered shield
He sees the slespless critic, age by age. s,s So
Scrawl his new readings on the halIow ed page,
Ihe wonarons deeds that priests and prophets
piseo'-.a Sc issAna, orystalized in law,
And on the soil where saints and martyrs trOd
Affairs new buIlded to the Unknown God;
HIS shrines imperlled, his evangels torn
He dares not lump, but ah, how sharp the thorn!
Yet while Gods herald questions us he reads
The Outworn dOgmas of his ancient creetls,
Drops from his ritual the exploded verse,
Blets from its page the Athanasian curse,
Though by the critics dangerous art perplexed,
His holy life ls Heaven s unquestlonel text;
That shining guidance doub. can never mar
The pillars flame. the light of Bethlehem's star!
Strong is the moral blister that Will draw
Laid on the conscience of the Man Of Law
Whom blIndfOld Justice lends her eyes to see
Truth in the scale that holds his promised fee.
What! Has not every lie its truthful side,
Its honest fraction. not to be denied?
Per conlra-ask the moralist-in sooth,
Has not q lie its share in every truth
Then what fOrbids an honest man to try ...
To lind the truth that Turks in every lie,
And just as fsrly call on truth to yield
The living fraction in its breast concealed ?
Sn no VIZ sho 1l,lo
His modest virtues boldly to defend,
And he who shows the record of u saint
See himself blacker that the devil could paint
fetstay thy judgment; were thy life the prize,
Thy death the forfeit, would thy cynic eyes
See fault IN him who bravely dares defend
Tue cause for!orn, the wretch without friend
Nay, though he righttul side is wisdom choice
Wrong has its rights and claims champion 5
voice;
Let the strong arm be lifted for the weak,
For the dumb lips the fluent pleaders speak,
When with warm ''rebel'' blood our street was
dyed,
Who took, unawed, the hated hirellng's side ?
No greener civic wreath can Adams claim,
No brighter page the youthful Quincy's name!
How blest Is he who knows no near strife
Than Arts long battle with the foes OF life
No doubt assails HIM. doing still his best
And trusting kindly Nature for the est;
No mecklpg conscience tears the thin disguise
That wraps his breast and tells him that lie lies
He comes; the lan2uid sufferer lifts his head
And smiles " elcome from his weary bed
He speaks; what music like the tones that tell
t'ast ID the hour oil danger-all is we'll -
Now can he feel the petty stings of grief
Whose cheering presence always brings relief?
What MIA ugly dreams can trouble his repose
Whs yields himself to soothc anoth.r's woes ?
Hour after hour the busy day has found
The good physician on his lonely round;
Mansion n amt hovel. low and lofty door.
He knows, his Journeys every path explore
Where the cold blast has struck with deadly chill
The sturdy dweler on the storm-swept hill
where by the stagnant marsh the sickening gale
Has blanched the poisoned tenants of the vale.
Where crushed End manned the bleeding victim
lies,
Where madness raves, where melancholy. sighs,
AND where the solemn whisper tells too plain
That all his science, all his art, were vain
How sweet his ireside when the day is done
Ana cares have vanished with the setting sun!
Evening at last its hour of respite brings
Ana ON hts couch his weary length he fling5
soil Ds my pillow, servant of mankind,
lulpu by an Opate art could never find:
Sweet be thy sumber-thou hast earned it we'll
Pleasant thy dreams! Clang! goes the midnight
Qlares, burning, binding, in the narrow street
Still. nol.Oms. deadly sleeps the envcnomed air.
Unstlrred the yellow flag that says "Beware!"
Tempt not thy fate-one little moments breath
Thou at whose door the gilded chariots stand:
whose dear-bought skill unclasps the mlser's
hand,
Turn from thy fatal quest, nor cast AWAY
Ihat Ic !ife 50 precious; let Il meaner prey
reed the destroyer's hunger; live to bless
Anose nappler homes that nee thy care no less,
smiling he listens; has he then charm
r w nose magic virtues peril can disarm?
NO Safeguard his; no amulet lie wears;
Too we'll he knows that Nature never spares
Her lruest servant, powerless to defend
FROM her own weapons her unshrinking friend
Ne ne uares the 1a'e the bravest well might shun.
NOT asks reward save only Heavens "Well
done ~
rye Yes. sharp the trials, stern the daily tasks
nat suffering Nature from her servant asks:
His the kind Office dainty meuials scorn
HIS ~, path how hard-at every step a thorn.
.t ,, sa' ooes ms sa!denng. restless slavery buy,
10 i've companion of disease and pain
10 dls by poisoned shafts, untimeiy slain?
Answer from hOary eld, majestic shades
FROM Memphian courts, from Delphic colon
Speak in the tones that Persia's despot heard
na " ,aem N. nations treasured every golden word
rom the far Isle that held Hippocrates;
Anu tnou, best sitt thai Pergumus could send
y Imperial Rome, her noblest Caesars friend
Master OF masters. whose unchallengcd SWAY
Net bold Nesailus dared to disobey, %
ie VINO While prophets dreamed of dawning
Taught your rude lessons in Salerno's rbymes.
ana ye, the nearer sires, to whom we owe
! nc better share of all the best We know,
en- u every land an ever-growing tram,
Since weakening Science broke her rustel chain
speak from the past and say what prize was sent
~ crown the toling years So freely spent
List while they speak:
our willing hands have eased our brothers load.
One lorehead smoothed, one pang of torture less
Une peaceitii hour sufferers couch to bless
i i me smile brought back to fever's parchlng Iips.
ne lght restored to reason in eclipse,
Lies treas ure rescued like a burning brand
onatchrd from the dread destroyer's wasteful
hand '
Snch sSh were our simple records day by day;
or gIins ike these We Wore our lives away.
n,, ~ toiisome paths our daily bread we sought,
But breau from Heaven attending angels
brought;
ram was onr teacher, speaking to the heart,
notnef OF pity, nurse OF plying art;
Our icSson learned, we reach the peaceful shore
W w mere the pale snflerer asks aid no more
i hese precious words our welcome, our reward:
Lord'' '