Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-04-02
THELIGHT OFTHE WORLD
A SURPRISINGLY BEAUTIFUL FLOW
Err OF CHRISTIAN FAITH.

I
Light of Asia"-BrilIiant and Charac.
teristie Excerpts from the Two Works
As in his great poem ''The Light OF
Asia Edwin Arnold presented in death
less verse the tender story of the life and
teachings Of Gautama Buddha, weaving
Herewith the legends dear to the hearts OF
Buddhists, so he has now, in a companion
poem no less grand and beautiful, told
the story of the life and sacrifice of Jesus
Christ, ''Tse Light Of the World, in such
wise as must endear this work TO Chris
tians.
The exquisite descriptive passages of the
latter work are perhaps more finished, and
seem certainly to be pore extended than
in the former, a fact which will commend
the poem to the interest of those who read
| for the literary beauties OF the work more
than the ethical teachings which are skill
| fully interviewer with them
| This book is published and copyrighted
by Funk & Wagnalls, New York, and ex-
tracts are given below by special arrange
ment with them.
The poem consists of over 5000 lines, di-
viced into six books, as follows; Book l,
Mary Magdalene: Book II. The Magus;
| Book III, The Alabaster Box: Book ~ lin
two parts), The PARALLELS; At Tyre; Book
| V, The Love of God and Nam Book VI,
The Great Contamination. Preceding the
poem, which is written in blank verse, IS a
sort of Introductory book entitled AT
Beth lehem." which is written in rhymed
verse.
Book opens with description of the
Sea Of Galilee as it WAS in the days of
Christ:
Now all is changed-all save the changeless
things
The mountains and the waters, and the sky
These, as lie saw them, have their glory yet
At sunrise, ana at sunset; and when noon
Burns the blue vault into cope of gold.
And ofttimcs. in the Syriaa Spring, steals back
Well nigh the ancient beauty 20 those coasts
Where Chfist's feet trod. That lily which lie
loved,
And praised for splendor passing solomoa's-
The scarlet martagOn-decks herself stiN,
Mindful of His high words. in red and goii.
To meet the step OF summer. Cyciamens
Lift their pale heads TO see if lie viii pass:
And Amnry His and white hyacinths
Pour from their pearly vases spikenard forth,
Lest Tie should come unhonorcd. In His paths
Still, Us Of old. the lowly crocus spreads
A golden carpet for Him; and the birds
small almoners OF Hcaven-as once he said
Who fall not unregardod -triil their hymns
OF lively love and thanks in every thorn.
Only what Sian coul do. Sian hath well done
10 blot with blood AMI tears His track divine,
To sweep His holy footsteps from His earth.
In steel and gold. splendid and strong and
fierce.
Host after host under that Mount has marched
Where He safe saying: blessed the peace
makers.n
In rage and hatred host with host has FLASHED
There whore lie taught Love ye your enc
mies.''
Banners which bore His cross, have Knocked
His cross,
Scattering His land with slain: til now. at last,
Truly the sword. not peaee, is what He brought!
For love of Him nation hates nation so
That at Ills shrine the watchful Islamite
Guards Christian threats! Dead lie His once
fair fields;
Barren the fallows where His sowcr sowed;
None roaps the silver harvests Of His seed;
None in the wheat row roots the III tares out.
The hungry land gasps empty in the glare:
The vulture's self goes tamished; the wolf
prowls
Fasting, amid the broken stones which built
The cities of His sojourn. Wild birds nest
Where reSels once were logdest. An are gone
Save for those names never TO pass away.
Capernaunl. Bethsaida Ma.rdala-
The nine white towns that safe beside Ills
Lake.
Vanished the stately stoas, lofty fanes;
Vanished the walls, the towers, the citadelsl
Titus aad Omar wrought fair Palestine
No hurt like His who gave her hallowed ground
The fatal benediction Of His feet.
Loves house is desolate for love OF Love.
The waters glass no sail; the ways have shrunk
Into a camel path; the centuries
With food and blast have torn the terraces
bare
Where the fox Uttered in the grapes. Ask not
Which was His city mid ihis ruined life!
None surely knowcth Of Gapernaum
fN.f+1.
dwelt
Longest and latest at this nameless mound
Whore. on the broken column, nests the stork,
Where knot grass with It's spikes and bitter
balls
Of trailing colocynth, and nehbuk thorns
Bind as they viii the marble wreck, and weave
shelter for shy ierboas, and the snake.
So still. 50 far away, 50 quite fOrsook
His city's burial place. the painted grouse
Lays her eggs there in carved acanthus leaves
And crickets chirp whore CAESARS year is writl
Yon Arab. with the matchbox and the spear,
ilancing askance--for Affects haunt the spot
Murmurs, Peace be to youi this is Tell huml"
Desolate most of all, with one starved palm
And huddle OF sad squalid novels, thou
El-licjdel! burned a-dry beneath black crags;
The story opens with the description of
Pontius PLATE, Claudia his spouse, and
5heir attendants en- route to Rome. They
stop mt Magdala for the night, and are
directed, for accommodations, 70 the house
lf Mary Magdalene. On his journey
through Galilee the memory of Christ has
haunted the Roman procurator, and he
seeks an interview with his hostess, which
she grants.
Thus met
She VINO most loved Him, he who rendered Him
10 death: Pontius and Mary. For, anon,
The bar slides backward of the Woman's
Court.
And, on the stairway of the leewan. stood
One tall. and proud. and fair; albeit past grief
Had dimmed the luster of those large dark eyes
Bent upon plate. Rich the Jewish blood
ilowcd through the sunburnt ivory of her
face
Unveiled for misunderstanding show
Of color to the thinned uncolored cheek,
But leaving pale as pearl lined ocean shell
The full white neck. and where neck rose to
breast
The tender margins OF the bosom, bound
By silver borderei cymar, crossed-and pale
As mooniighi's heart the low smooth forehead
framed,
Under the black waved hair: forehead and
hair.
And eyebrows bent like the new moon; fun lids;
Silk lashes, long aud carved. sha1owing with
touch
or softest melancholy that worn place