Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-02-24

and the heavens. But in the wake of
that life what q phosphorescence of
smiles on the cheeks of souls pardoned,
and lives reformed, and nations re-
deemed. The millennium itself is only
one roll OF that irradiated wave Of glad
ness and benediction. In the sublimest
Of all senses it may be said of him, He
lnalleth path to shine after him"
But cannot look upon that luminosi-
ty that follows ships without realizing
how fond the Lord is Of life. That fire
of the deep is life, myriatls of creatures
al a-swim and a-play and a-romp in
parks Of marine beauty aid out and par
TERED and roseated and blossomed by
| Omnipotence. What is the use of those
creatures called by the nafuralists 'crus-
taeeans' anu 'copepodS," not more than
one cut OF hundreds Of billions of which
are ever Eeen by human eye? God ere
ated them for The same reason, that he
creates flowers in places where no hui
man foot ever makes them tremble. and
no human nostril ever inhales their redo
lence, and no human eye ever sees their
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 III 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 10 tell you that our God is not
the God sometimes described as a harsh
critic at the head Of the universe, or an
infinite scold, or God that loves funer-
ais better than weddings, or God that
prefers tears to laughter, an omnipotent
Nero, 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 or
Of the human race keeI ing holiday.
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE.
But mark you that the phosphorescence
has glow that the might monopolizes,
and ask you not only what kind of IN
fucnce you are going to leave in the
world IS you pass through it, but what
light are you going to throw across the
world 'snight Of sin and sorrow? People
Whoare sailing on smooth sea and at noon
do not need much sympathy, but what
are yop going to do for people in the
night Of misfortune? Will you drop on
them shadow, or will you kindlo for
them phosphorescence:
At this moment there are more people
crying than laughing, more people
the round world this moment hungr,
than we'll fed, more households bereft
than homes unbrolien. What are you
going to do about it? We'll" says yon-
der soul, Il would like to do something
toward illuminins the great ocean of
human wretchedness, but cannot do
much.
Can you do as much rs one of the
phoSphori in the middle of the Atlantic
ocean, creatures smaller than the point
Of sharp pin? Oh, yes" you say.
Then do that Shine! Stand before the
looking glass and experiment to see if
you cannot get that scowl off your fore
head. that peeyish look out of your lips
Have at least one bright ribbon in yoar
bonnet. Embroider at least one white
cord somewhere in the midnight Of your
apparel. Do not any longer impeTsonate
Il 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 a sweet orange for q sour lemon.
Remember that pessinlism is blasphe-
my and that optimism Is Christianity.
Throw some light on the night ocean.
II you cannot be lantern swinging in
the rigging, be one Of the tiny phosphori
back Of the keel. Shine! Let you1
light so shine before men that others see
ing your coed works may glorify you1
Father which is in heaven"
Make one person happy every day, and
do that for 20 years, and you will have
made 1890 happy. You know man
who has lost all bis property by an I'M
fortunate investment or by putting his
name on the back of friend'snote. Aft
e. you have taken brief nap, which every
man and woman is entitled to on Sun
day afternoon, go and cheer up that man.
You can, if God helps you, say some
thing that viii do HIM good after bota
Of You have been dead thousand years.
Shine, You know Of Il family with a lad
boy who has fan away from home. Go
before night and tell that father and
mother the parable of the prodigal son,
and that some of the Industrious and use
full men now in church and state had q
silly passage in their lives and ran away
from home. Shine! You know of fam
ily that has lost child, and the silence
Of the nursery gloomS the whole house
from cellar TO garnet. Go before night
and tell them how much that child has
happily escaped, since the most prosper
ous life ON earth Is a struggle
Shinel Yen know of some invalid who
is dying for hack Of an appetite. She
cannot get well because she cannot eat.
Broil a chicken and take it to 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
be ought to be a Christian. Go tell him
what religion has done for you, and ask
him if you can pray for him.
TIE FAILURE OF EULoGY.
s9NiiEs Ols AoF Il us POSITION so charged
with sweetness and light that We cannot
help but shinei Remember if you cannot
be leviathan flashing the ocean into
fury You can be one Of the phosphori,
doing your part toward making path Of
phosphorescenee. Then viii tell ven
what impression you viii leave as You
pass through this life and after you are
gone. viii tell you to your face and
not leave it Cor the minister who ofici-
ates at Your obsequies.
The failure in eli eulogir,n of the de-
parted is that they cannot hear it. AL
hear it except the one most interested.
This, in substance, Is what or some one
else viii say CT yon on such an occasion:
I'VE gather Tor offices of respect TO this
departed enc. Is is impossible TO tell
how iaany tears he wiped away, how
many burdens he lifted. or now many
souls he was, under God, instrumental in
saving. His influence viii never eea 4.
Ne are all better for having known hin.