Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-02-21

sound of agony that appalled, the eartl
and the heavens. But in the wake o
that life what a phosphorescence o
smiles on the cheeks of souls pardoned
and lives reformed, and nations re
deemed. The millennium itself is only
one roll Of that irradisted wave of glad
ness and benediction. In the sublimes
Of all senses it may be said Of him, "H,
maketh path to shine after him"
But l cannot look upon that luminosi
ty that follows ships without realizing
how fond the Lord is of life. That fir
Of the deep is life, myriads Of creatures
all a-swim and a-plsy and a-romp il
parks Of marine beauty laid out and par
TERED and roseated and blossomed BY
Omnipotence. What Is the use Of thos,
creatures called by the naturalists "crus
taceans" and 'copepods," not more thar
one out OF hundreds of billions Of which
are ever seen by human eyer God ere
ated them for the same reason that ht
creates flowers In places where no hu
man foot ever makes them tremble, and
no human nostril ever inhales their redo
lence, and no human eye ever sees theil
charm. In the botanical world they
prove that God loves flowers, as in the
marine world the phosphori prove that
he loves life, and he loves life in play
life in brilliancy Of gladness, life in ex.
uberance.
And so l am led to believe that he
loves our life if we fulfill our mission as
fully as the phosphori fulfill theirs. The
son Of God came that we might have
life and have it more abundantly." But
am glad to tell you that our God is not
the God sometimes described as harsh
critic at the head Of the universe, or an
infinite scold, or God that loves funer.
ais better than weddings, or a God that
prefers tears to laughter, an omnipotent
Nero, a ferocious Mana Sahib, but the
loveliest Being in the universe, loving
flowers and life and play, whether Of
phosphori in the wake of the Majestic OF
of the human race keeping holiday.
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE.
But mark you that the phosphorescence
has glow that the night monopolizes,
and ask you not only what kind of in.
fluence you are going to leave in the
world as you pass through it, but what
light are you going to throw across the
worlds night of sin and sorrow? People
who are sailing on smooth sea and at noon
do not need much sympathy, but what
are you going to do for people in the
night of misfortune? Will you drop on
them shadow, or will you kindle for
them phosphorescence2
At this moment there are more people
crying than laughing, more people on
the round world this moment hungry
than we'll fed, more households bereft
than homes unbroken. What are you
going to do about it2 "Well," says yon.
der soul, II would like to do something
toward illumining the great ocean of
human wretchedness, but l cannot do
much"
Can you do as much as one of the
phosphori in the middle of the Atlantic
ocean, creatures smaller than the point
Of sharp pinr "Oh, yes" you say.
Then do that. Shinel Stand before the
looking glass and experiment to see if
you cannot get that scowl off your fore
head, that peevish look out of your lips.
Have at least one bright ribbon in your
bonnet. Embroider at least one white
cord somewhere in the midnight of your
apparel. Do not any longer impersonate
a funeral. Shinel Do say something
cheerful about society and about the
world. Put few drops of heaven into
your disposition. Once in awhile sub.
stitute sweet orange for sour lemon.
Remember that pessimism is blasphe-
my and that optimism is Christianity.
Throw some light on the night ocean.
If you cannot be a lantern swinging in
the rigging, be one of the tiny phosphori
back of the keel. ShineI "Let your
light so shine before men that others see
ing your good works may glorify your
Father which is in heaven"
Make one person happy every day, and
do that for 20 years, and you will have
made 1900 happy. You know a man
who has lost all his property by an un-
fortunate investment or by putting his
name on the back Of friends note. Aft
er you have taken a brief nap, which every
man and woman is entitled to on a Sun
day afternoon, go and cheer up that man.
You can. if God helps you, say some
thing that will do him good after both
of you have been dead thousand years.
Shine! You know of family with bad
boy who has run away from home. Go
before night and tell that father and
mother the parable of the prodigal son,
and that some of the illustrious and use
full men now in church and state had
silly passage in their lives and ran away
from home. Shinel You know Of fam
lily that has lost child. and the silence
of the nursery glooms the whole house
from cellar to garret. Go before night
and tell them how much that child has
happily escaped, since the most prosper
GUS life on earth is a struggle.
ShineI You know Of some invalid who
is dying for lack Of an appetite. She
cannot get well because she cannot eat.
Broil a chicken and take it 10 her before
night and cheat her poor appetite into
keen relish. Shine! You know Of some
one who likes you, and you like him, and
he ought to be Christian. Go tell him
what religion has done for you, and ask
him If Won can pray for him,