Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-04-11

cedar be ssvs. Gather the hurricanes
into your bosom To the fig tree he
says. Bear fruit and put it within reach
Of all the people But TO the palm tree
be says. BE garden and storehouse and
wardrobe and ropewalk and chandlery
and bread and banquet and manufac-
.ory. and then be type Of what meant
when / inspired David, nay servant, to
say. The righteous shall flourish like a
ralm tree Oh. Lord God. give us
more palm trees; men and women made
Tor nothing but to be useful; dispositions
Il abloorn: branches Of influence laden
With fruit: people good for everything,
as tie ralm tree. If kind words are
wanted. they are ready to utter them.
IL helpful deeds are needed. they are
ready to perform them. II plans OF use
lulness are to be laid out. they are ready
70 project them. II enterprises arc to
be forwarded, they are ready TO lift
them. People who say. ''Yesl Yes!
when they are asked for assistance by
word or deed, instead Of "Nol Nor
Most of the mysteries that bother Others
do not bother me because | adjourn
them. bat the mystery that really both
ers me is why God made 30 many SEQ
pie who amount to nothing so far as the
worlds betterment is concerned. They
stand in the way. They object. They
discuss hindrances. They suggest pos
sibilities of failure. Over the road of
life instead of pulling in the traces they
are lying back in the breechings. They
are the everlasting No. They are brain-
ole trees: they are willows always
mourning, or wild cherry trees yielding
only the bitter. or crab apple trees pro
ducing only the sour, while God would
have us all flourish like the palm tree.
Planted in the Bible that tree always
means usefulness. But, how little any
Of us or all Of us accomplish in that di-
rection. We take twenty OF thirty
years to get fully ready for Christian
work, and in the after part Of life we
take ten or twenty years for the gradual
closing Of active work, and that leaves
only so little time between opening and
stopping work that all we accomplish i
80 little an angel Of God needs 70 exert
himself to see it at all
ALL THINGS ARE or UsE
Nearly everything see around, BE-
Meath and above, in the natural world
suggests useful service. II there Is DOth-
ing in the Bible that inspires you 10 USE
fulness, 90 ont and study the world
around you this springtime, and learn
the great lesson Of usefulness "WhsS
art thou doing up there, little star
Why not shut thine eye and sleep, f0-
who cares for thy shining NO szith
the star, II viii not sleep. guide the
sailor on the sea. cheer the traTslsr
among the mountains help tip tbe
dew with light. Through the wiDdOvE
Of the poor mans cabin ! cast beam q
hope, and the child on her mothers lap
asks in glee whittier come and what
do and whence ] go. To gleam and
glitter, God set me here. Away have
no time 70 sleep" The snowflake comes
Struggling down. 'Frail. tickle wan
derer, why comest thou here?" II am
no idle wanderer," responds the snow
fake. "High up in the air was born,
the child of the rain and the cold, and
at the divine behest come, and am no
stragglcr, for God tells me where to put
my crystal heel. To help cover the
roots of the grain and grass, TO cleanse
the air, TO make sportsmen more happy
and the ingle FIRE more bright, come.
Though SO light am that you toss me
from your muller and crush me under
your foot, am doing my best to fulfill
what was made for. Clothed in white
| come ON a heavenly mission, and
when my work is done and God shall
call in morning vapor ! shall go back
drawn by the fiery courses Of tho sun.
"What doest thou, insignificant gras:
blade under my feet? 81 am doing q
work." says the grass blade, ''as best
can. / help TO make up the soft beauty
of field and lawn. / am satisfied If
with millions of others no bigger than
we can give pasture 10 the hocks anC
herds. | am wonderfully made. HI
who feeds the ravens gives me susie
nance from the soil and breath from tbs
air, and he who clothes the lilies Of th'
field rewards me with this coat of green.
"For what, lonely cloud. goest thor
across the heavensT Through the
bright air a voice drops from afar, say
ing; Cup and down this sapphire floor
pace to teach men that, like me, they
are passing away. l gather up th'
waters from lake and sea and then
when the thunders toll, refresh tn,
earth, making the dry ground 10 laugh
with harvests Of wheat and fields o.
corn. 1 catch the frown Of the storm
and tho hues of the rainbow. At even
tide on the western slopes vii
pitch my tent, and over me shall dash
the saffron and the purple and the fir,
Of the sunset. A pillar Of cloud like me
led the chosen across the desert, and sur
rounded by such as the judge oI
heaven and earth will at last descend
for Behold he cometh with cloudsr
Oh, my friends, If everything in the in
animate world be useful, let us immor
tai men and women be useful, and IN
that respect be like the palm tree. But
| must not be tempted by what David
says Of that green shaft Of Palestine
that living and glorious pillar in ths
eastern gardens. as seen in olden times
the palm tree; must not be tempted
by what the Old Testament says Of it Il
lessen my emphasis OF what John the
Evangelist says OF it in my text
A LAWFUL ROBBERY.
Notice that it was a beautiful and
lawful robbery Of the palm tree that
helped make up Christs triumph on the
road 10 Jerusalem that Palm Sunday.
The long, broad, green leaves that were
strewn under the feet of the colt, and In
fha WAY Of Christ were torn off from the