Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-11-28
Thoughts of a Day.

Thoughts Of a Day.
Who will doubt now that Peter once
picked up fish while wading through
a little stream down there in Asia Mi
nor: and taking out of its mouth u
piece of gold wherewith to pay the
tribute money. Here is man right
over in Lexington; a real live man,
who purchased real white-fish, and
upon cleaning it found a five-dOllar
bill within it; the regular Uncle Sam
article. Now, there be possibilities,
and possibilities. This man is no
prophet as we ARE informed. He might
have had previously some doubt of
Peters legerdemain. His name is DR..
ID. &. O'Brien and he lived in an age of
much boosted realism" of material
ism," etc. We never believe aught but
what we can see: to see with our eyes.
TO see with the mind is of small i'm
port, only "see" See the exterior of
things; a snowy sembance. What a
blessing to be reahst. TO carp at
realty when all that is desired is that
some palpable hull may be visible. A
| realty which is not real, but merely
makes a show of being real. The soph-
istry of the profession makes little diff
ference. 1t is an excellent plea for
cOnceited humanity, to indulge itself.
EgOtism may have full sway here. u
believe nothing | cannot see." That
Peter picked up fish and took out
coin from its trembling gills, is a fable.
"What foolish credulity!" these NOR
tails screamed. But here is a man who
has picked five-dOllar bill. with Uncle
Sans stamp on it, right out of poor
fish's belly. "a mere accident with
no connection with the subject at issue,
just remarkable coincidence" n
strange world this if all things go by
chance or coincidence. The plea for
realization in this age is but the climax
of egotiSm. Let people talk it until
they run against the true reality, that
which alone has being. The man that
falls upon this rock is crushed.
The days of heroism have not passed.
The human race can hardly be said to
be degenerating. AS noble cases of
fortitude are found today as ever or
namented u page of history. yes and
even more magnanimous. The war
rior'S valor is hardly at par. Though
we still have an admiration for it; and
love to point at times TO those ennobl-
ing incidents of the late war. when boys
from the farm or the store. unframed
in war save by its own rough schooling,
performed acts of self. sacrifice which |
darken the luSter time has given to the |
Romans fame. 1t was not to face a |
man in hand to hand contest with an |
equal chance OF life. 1t was to face a |
rain or shot whose every one held with
i'll it a death-Sting. But there are other
cases of fortitude more remarkable and |
more credible III that they are envelOp- |
ed with no clangor of magniiicence, but |
are the uninSpiring result Of a quiet but |
firm resolve. Little Matilda Oresch, of |
Detroit, but ten years old. while work. |
ing III a mill had her whole scalp torn |
off. The only chance for her recovery |
was that human flesh should be grated |
over the bruise. The family was i'm
poor circumstances. Who would sub
NIT to the painful operation for the
sake of life. Brave little Emma her |
sister, but twelve years old, soon decid-
ed. She walked up to Grace Hospital |
and offered her side to the surgeons |
knife to save the life Of her sister. The |
operation was painful. A piece of skin
as large us her hand had TO be cut from
the quivering flesh, and while still at
tached they had to be bound together |
until vitality can be impaired to the in
grated flesh. 1t will be fully five days |
before they can be loOSened from their |
bands. During that time they cannot |
move a muscle. But then must come |
u second like operation; for one graft |
was not enough to cover the great wou-
nd. Still for all these long days the lit
tie martyrs suffer; not in their own |
quiet beds. but in q hospital cot sur
rounded by strange faces. This is the |
true heroism, the true valor. This |
quiet unOStentatious submission to UNI |
told pain! There will be no costly re-
ward. Only the life of sister.
--ts+-
If it is true, as many aver, that the |
millennium will come just as soon as
drunkenness shall be stopped, it surely |
cannot be far away. There was Il
drunken Californian who was told by |
a hypnotizer that he could not drink |
anything containing alcohol. He |
seemed to get along beautifully until
the season of mince-pie came around;
and felt no desire for any kind of fire.
water. But when he tried to eat a
piece of mince-pie for he loved mince-
pie) it almost choked HIM. 1t is said J
that this will prove big boon for the |
w. G. r. u. workers. They have just |
decided, moreover. at Detroit that CT
der and ginger ale are alcoholic; and |
must not be touched. Birch beer also
has been proven to be intoxicating; and |
bitterS are most dangerous and must
be prohibited. The order has just es-
tablished on inebriate asylum down in
Georgia near a mineral spring, whose |
waters are said to KNOCK drunkenness
silly"
TO say the least this most estimable !
order is degenerating greatly from the
high standard once set for it. 1t has
lost its hold, to a large extent of the
essential and is making a doll of the
ideal TO sympathize with any work
which has avowed so noble purpose
is the inherent duty of every conscien-
tious person. But it is doubtful if it is |