The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1893-02-17

Inc same SPIRIT OF cruelty tnht you ue'
plore In the Iioman Coliseum il seen il,
the sharp appetite the world seems 10
have for the downfall of good men, and
In the divorce of those whose marital life
was thought accordant, and In the alb
sconding Of bank cashier Oh, my
friends, the world wants more of the
spirit of LET him up" and less of the
spirit of Thumbs down" There are
hundreds of men In the prisons of Amer
lea who ought to be discharged, because
they were the victims of circumstances
or have suffered enough.
There are in all professions and occu-
pations men who are domineered over by
others, and whose whole life is a struggle
with monstrous opposition, and circum-
stances have their heel upon the throb-
bing and broken hearts. For Gods sake,
let them up! Away with the spirit o!
Thumbs DOWN. What the world wants
is 1000 men like Telemachus to leap out
of the gallery into the arena, whether he
be IA Roman Catholic monk, or Methodist
steward, or Presbyterian elder, and 80
in between the contestants. Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall be
called the children OF Godr
TRAIN THE CHILDREN RIGHT.
One-half the world is down and the
other half is up, and the half that is up
has its heel on the half that is down. If
you, as boss workman, or as n contract
or, or as bishop, or as state or na-
tional official, or as a potent factor in
social life, or in any way are expressing
any one, know that the same devil that
possessed the Roman Coliseum Expresses
you. The Diocletians are not all dead.
The cellars leading into the arena of
life's struggle are not all emptied of their
tigers. The vivisection by young doctors
of dogs and cats and birds most of the
time adds nothing to human discovery,
but is only continuation of Vespasian's
Coliseum.
The cruelties of the world generally be-
gin in nurseries, and in home circles, and
in day schools. The child that transfixes
Il fly with pin, or the low feeling that
sets two dogs into combat, or that bullies
weak or crippled playmate, or the in.
difference that starves a canary bird,
needs only to be developed in order to
make first class Nero or full armed
Apollyon. 1t would be good sentence
to be written ON the top line of a child
book, and fit inscription to be en-
broidered in the armchair of the sitting
room, and an appropriate motto for
judge and jury and district attorney aliG
sheriff to look at in the courthouse.
BLESSED are the merciful, for they shall
obtain mercy"
And so the ruins of that Coliseum
preach to me. Indeed the most impress
i've things on earth are ruins. The four
greatest structures ever built are II
ruins. The Parthenon in ruins, the tenn
pie of Diana in ruins, the temple OF
Jerusalem in ruins, the Coliseum III
ruins. Indeed the earth itself will yet
be pile of ruins, the mountains in ruins.
the seas in ruins, the cities in ruins, the
the hemispleres in ruins. Yea, further
than that, all up and down the heav-
ems are worlds burned up, worlds
wrecked, worlds extinct, worlds abap-
aoned. Worlds on worlds in ruins!
But am glad to say it is the same OLD
heaven, and in all that world there is
not one ruin and never will be ruin.
Not one of the pearly gates will ever be
come unhinged. Not one of the anne
thystine towers will ever fall. Not one
of the mansions will ever decay. Not
one Of the chariots will ever be IN
wheeled. Not one of the thrones will
ever rock down. Oh, make sure of hesy-
en-, for it is an everlasting heaven
Through Christ the Lord get ready for
residence in the eternal palaces
NIGHT IN THE COLISEUM.
The last 4vening before leaving Rome
for Brindisj and Athens and Egypt and
Palestine | went alone to the Coliseum.
There was not living soul in all the i'm
mense area. Even those accustomed to
sell curios ut the four entrances Of the
building had gone away. The place was
30 overwhelmingly silent l could hea4'
my own heart beat with the emotions
aroused by the place and hour. Ipaced
the arena. walked down into the dens
where the hyenas were once kept las
{%ended to the place where the emperor
used to sit. / climbed upon the galleriea
from which the mighty throngs Of PEG
pie had gazed in enchantment.
To break the silence / shouted, and
that seemed to awaken the echoes, echo
upon echo. And those awakened echoes
seemed to address me, saying: "Men die.
but their work lives on. Gaudentius, tho
irchitect who planned this structure;
the SO 600 enslaved Jews brought by Ii
tus from Jerusalem and who toiled on
these walls, the gladiators who fought
In this arena, the emperors and expresses
who had place on yonder platform, the
millions who during centuries sat and
rose in these galleries, have passed away
hut enough of the Coliseum stands to
tell the story Of cruelty and pomp AMI
power-500 years Of bloodshed."
Then, as stood there, there came to
me another burst of echoes, which seemed
throbbing with the prayers and songs
and groans of Christians who had ex-
pired in that arena, and they seemed to
say, How much 1t cost to serve God III
ages past, and how thankful modern
centuries ought to be that the persecu
ton which redeemed the sands of this
amphitheater have been abolished"
And then questioned the echoes, say
ing, Where is Emperor Titus, who SAT
here?" The answer came, "Gone to
Judgment" Where is Emperor Trajan
who sat here?" "Gone to judgment.
Where is Emperor Maximinus, who sal
here2' "Gone to judgment" "Whert
are all the multitudes who clapped and
shouted and waved flags to let the van
quished up, or to have them slain put
thumbs down. The echoes answered
Gone to Judgment" Inquired, "All?'
And they answered, GAIL"
And looked up to the sky above tn,
ruins, and it was full of clouds scurry
ing swiftly past, and those clouds seemed
as though they had faces, and some O
the faces smiled, and some of then
frowned, and they seemed to hav'
wings, and some of the wings wer'
moongilt and the others thunder charged
and the voices Of those cloudsoverpow
cred the echoes beneath. Behold, h