The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-03-01

In, BfowninKs saul, one OF the
great poems OF the recent times, there
Is a fine prophetic motive which grad
ually developes and becomes clearer un-
Oil IL is seen 10 be the dominant note OF
the poem. The simple shepherd, begin
ing his song with the most familiar
things in order To distract the melan-
choiy king, Is led on slowly, from STRAIN
tostrain, the music deepening aud widen
ing almost unconsciously until IL bursts
into the splendid psalm OF prophecy;
then one becomes suddenly aware that
this profounder music was latent ia
the earliest aud simplest notes, and that
IL is this deep harmony which imparts a
thrilling meaning 10 the whole. The
poem is a beautiful parable OF every
true human life; a parable which be
comes more clear and more true 10 us
the more deeply we study IL and the
more thoroughly we understand our
own lives. Even human life begins In
association with the most familiar and,
apparently, the most trivial things. All
its earlier activity is mere play but
from the first hour it's little life, like IA
stream flowing seaward, deepens and
broadens: the play becomes educational;
the instincts are gradually turned into
intelligence: familiar and obvious things
become new and strange because seen
through fresh experience; finally play
in IL because OF the spontaneity and
freshness of youth then come the
strain. the responsibilities, the strenuous
and unbroken toll OF maturity. The
mere thoughtless Joy of purely physi-
cal vitality has gone out of 10: pressure
and pain, great cares and heavy bur
dends. have come into IT,. Tile earlier
and melodious notes are no longer
heard But il life has been taken
seriously and earnestly, the first melody
has given place TO an ever-deepening
harmony; living becomes more solemn
and awful, not because so much has
been lost, but because its possibilities are
seen TO he so measureless. And now, if
one has ears to hear and eyes 10 see, the
prophetic element becomes more and
more definite. IL is no longer time In
which "A man is working when this deep
or harmony sounds IN his heart; IL is
eternity. Az he looks back he sees
clearly that from the first careless play
time OF childhood this deeper music
has always been latent, these pro-
founder notes have formed an Under
tone which has at last become not
only audible but dominant There are
Tunes when III WOulu pe pIelsHnl 10 cS-
cape the soiemnity OF life; when we
would delight 10 recall, If we could,
the SIMPLE JOY and pleasure of child
hood, with It's near hopes and its imma-
date aims. But since this is no longer
possible, even il IL were wise, why not
take the profound and sustaining Joy
which comes with the deeper truth,
constantly breaking into the conscious
ness through all our experience. that
tins long aud at times terrible educa-
ton is the preparation for something
greater than we had even thought OF
the glory of which would blind us III IL
were TO break upon as We began. like
David. with the song OF the water bub-
bling in the brook. and the wind play
ing on the grass, and the sheep brows-
Ing on the hills; let us end, like lbs
song. with the sublime vision Of life
redeemed and puriied-a life typiiied
by the Christ Christian Union.