The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-04-25
ECHOES AND REFLECTIONS.


the edifices he has built, the pictures
he has painted, the dramas he has
written, the histories he has told, the
PHILOSOPHERS he has produced the
poems, love. patriotic, and relig-
ions he has sung, there comes into our
hearts, for the human mind. an adj
miration that has in it so much OF awe
and wonderment, it is near akin to
worship. But when we are prompted
to offer to this idol the burnt offering
of life sacrificed to the pursuit OF art,
the Angel of the Lord arrest our hand,
saying, "Lo! do not worship this some
thing called intellect. 1t is not the
originator of these works, it is but the
receiver of impressions from the works
of One that originates all things.
Anoint thine eyes with the healing
waters of knowledge and of faith, and
they will be clear to see in the COD
created worlds of matter and OF spirit
the first types of all these works OF
man."
Think of the pyramids of Egypt.
See there. growing on The banks OF the
yellow sluggish Nile those thick jung
les of the dark green papyrus plant.
Behold the men building together, the
stems of those long, long leaves, allow
ing their blades TO trail in a circle to
the ground. What shape is that be-
fore youP The shape of a pyramid, the
original pattern of all cones and point
ed steeples, of all slanting lines meet
ing in q single vertex.
Behold the marble, white temples OF
Greece, with their graceful Corinthlan
Ionic columns. Remember the smooth
date tree with its single tuft Of leaves
at the top. Then examine the capital
closely and you will find it to be COM
posed of long leaves overgrowlng 8
rose. They are modelled after the
leaves of an icanthus plant, that was
seen growing in a rose on Greek
girls grave. The hanging gardens o.
Babylon are copied from terraces o.
flowers and foliage growing on moun
tains that God hath hewn. The bleal
castles of the Rhine are copied from
the inaccessible, battlemented, gray
stone crags of Germany. The Gothic
cathedrals of Italy, with their forests
of heaven painting spires, are copiet
from a forest of dense, tall, needle
straight trees. All curves are copie'
from curves of nature-the arch of tn
rainbow, the winding path of fai
river, the circle of the horizon, tn
shape of sun and moon. The crystal
that we tread beneath our feet, tn
snow flakes that etch tiny white cathe
drals, and strange white 'minutur
white gardens on our window frames
contain every single line and curry
that can be found in architecture
The work of man in this realm are bu
the echoes, the reflections of the work
of God.
: The paintings of the greatest value
: the Madonnas, the Passover, the Cruc
Exions, the Last Judgement, and thos
of more humble subjects; pictures
. fire side scenes, of peasants standing
harvest field, of ships becalmed {
sea, are those that best portray the lii
that God has created. The crucifixlo
: that.strongly reflects the agony of tt
!, real Christ, the Madonna whose fae
= reflects the tenderness and purity {
:. the Virgin Mother, the ocean paintin
: that best suggest the stilled face of Il
restless deep. the God created deel
are great just in the proportion
which they reflect as echo, the worl
: of the great. the only Originate
Likewise in literature; tie best dram
are those that most truthfully portr'
Q the passions, the ambitions, the dai
! conflicts. triumphs and defeats of lif
g the dramas that reach deepest into Il
A depths of human life and human e
perience. The best dramas are Il
. best echoes of the souls of men.
e The finest national songs, as Scot
it that have with Wallace bled Il
. Star Spangled Banner. Dixie, Mar
land my Maryland. Long live t
Queen, The Marseilles Hymn, are tho
a that echoggladly and loudly the pr
y riotism of vast multitude of pcopl
a Then turning from the art realm al
J. thinking of individuals, we viii fl
this same principle of reverbration
hold true. Personal influence IS
% echo of one character responding
y another.
II Emerson says Every institution
n the heightened shadow of man."
will slightly change the phrasing