Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-06-18
The witches, Cauldron.



miss ELTHEA EMBoDY.)
In the middle OF dark cave caul.
dron is boiling and bubbling over a
bright fire which throws fantastic lights
upon three gaunt figures watching the
seething mixture. These are the three
witches, and by this boiling cauldron
they are to know Macbeth's destiny.
For wicked man they must boil evil
things, 80 they have thrown in first the
toad, then the eye of newt aud toe Of
frog, wool of bat and tongue Of dog.
adder's fork and blind worms sting,
lizzard's leg and owlet's wing for a
charm OF powerful trouble. As an in
cantation they chant their weird couplet
Double. double toll and trouble,
Fire burn and cauldron bubble"
Then, at last, the poisonous broth is
done and cooled with "baboon's blood
that the charm may be firm and good. y
Hecate commends them for their work
and foretells the coming Of Macbeth.
He comes to these prophets for guidance
and they answer him with words of
double meaning, which he misinterprets
aud goes on in his crimes to his destruc-
ton.
There ia a time in the history Of ma
tions and Of individuals when the re-
frain of the witches,
Double, double toll and trouble,
Fire burn and cauldron bubble"
Is in the air, and the seething mass Of
evil seems ready to be cooled that the
charm may be ''firm and good" II it is
allowed to cool, the evil destiny is fxed
but if the process be stopped in time.
peace and prosperity will follow.
The ingredients in tho national trouble
are the conflicts between classes. In
the strife of Labor and Capital the
working people think the rich should
willingly give up their money for labor,
and the capitalist claims the full right
to the wealth he has gained by toll and
thought. Capital has forgotten that
Labor creates wealth and fixes
wages not what they should be, but as
low as labor can live upon them. Labor
has forgotten that only capital can give
il employment; that capital like all
force must be massed to accomplish
great ends, and that scattered il would
| be powerless. Ii is lack Of confidence
between the two forces that causes the
strife, and not lack Of equalized condi-
ton. Equality Of condition would re-
move all motives to effort, for it is the
reward OF improved condition that i'm
pels man to glorious deeds. The strug-
gle Of enterprise is preferable to the
oalmness Of equality. Some one has
said that imam is like nature: here a
crag aud yonder dell; here mountain
with cliffs and crown of snow; yonder a
level generous plain; anon dismal
swamp where pestilence broods. Equal
ity of condition is impossible until every
sunlit mountain and every laughing val
ley is level plain; climate alike the
world around, and all men equals in
body and BRAIN"
The socialistic trouble now disturbing
our country is another important ingre.
dent in the national cauldron. AL.
though it was introduced only a few
years since it already threatens TO de.
stroy our peace and happiness. Social
lists boldly publish their demands that
''the resources of life-the means of pro-
duction, public transportation and COM
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the common prop
erty Of the whole people through the
government; thus to abolish the wages
system, and substitute in its stead CO.
operative production with an equal dis.
tribution Of its rewards" II Socialism
10 allowed to grow and spread as it has
grown and spread In the past, instead OF
being voluntary, it will become compul-
sorry and its form OF government instead
of being nero theory will become a
fact.
The Chinese question and mob law
together with other problems keep the
national eauldron boiling and bubbling
till it threatens to overflow and engulf
the country. The blood that cools this
compound and makes its charm " firm
and good" Is the Indifference of the peo-
Pile to these important questions. 1t is
hard to see way to avert the calamity
which we know will soon be upon us.
Peace can be secured only by the aid of
higher help, which will enable every
man TO do his duty well.
Sometimes we are thoroughly aroused
by national troubles, but only momen-
tarily.
Our own lives occupy us, crowding
out all else. In them there are plenty
of ingredients for the witches cauldron.
Each little episode requires certain part
of our thoughts, and the longer we con-
slider it the greater 1t seems to us. Among
these trifes we find the most important
questions OF life.
When we think seriously that forget.
fulness is impossible to the mind how
gladly would we blot out words hastily
spoken. For time they may be unno-
tlced by our consciousness, but revealed
or unrevealed these secret inscriptions
will remain forever.
Life is full of corruption and strife;
the cauldron Is always fed with every
thing the witches can use in their aim,
to keep unhappiness and confusion in
the world. 1t is when the heart ia
young and the world is new" that the
broth appears attractive. The rose tint.
ed fumes SO conceal the cauldron that
the boiling is unseen. and lured on by
bright visions the thoughtless one is held
until the rosy vapor rises. leaving moth
ing ia the cauldron but disappointment
and good acts undone."
But sin brings pain and pain is the
correlative OF SIM it is punishment.
II requires but little experience to re.
allie that "there is more bitterness fol.
lowing upon sins ending than ever there
was sweetness flowing from sins acting, -
and that he who hnds pain in virtue and
pleasure in evil is novice in both.
When we sin we incur two great re.
sponsibilities. Wo not only desecrate
the "temple Of God, " (which temple we
are," but the evil charm about us
reaches out beyond our own lives and
leaves its stain upon the lives of others.
Imagination Is IN important ingredl-
ent in the eauidron OF life, and we ore
wholly responsible for any suffering we
endure from it. When the imagination
is excited by superstition, there is q
double fear and fascination in evil influ.
ence. Although most Of US are afraid
to confess that we have cherished q few
superstitious ideas since childhood, yet
we are unwilling to part with them.
They are our own dreams and iancies
which, instead Of harming, comfort u.s.