The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-05-30
SOME RAMBLING THOUGHTS.
Written for the Democratic Advocate,
BY MEMO.

Those who are deaf TO the voice of Nature may
even be deaf to the voice of tina Almighty, for He
has chosen His works to aid in the revelation of
Himself The old saying is that man made the city
and God made the country; and, in these days OF
sweltering warmth. when the bricks and pave
ments absorb the heat only To give it forth again
seemingly in greater measure. as evening draws
on there Is no doubt as TO whose handiwork IS the
more successful II can but get away to the shady
gardens and breezy hillsides Of the country. The
voice of Nature is at time soft and gentle as
that of a mother while she croons and rocks her
restless one to sleep; at another, as wild and bos
ferrous and startling that Of some rough and ha-
erazed cowboy when he urges his galloping mus
tang through the quiet streets of frontier town
Yet Nature in every mood. whether speaking
through the calm quetude of a summer day or the
fierce storms of the winter is and indivisabie
the same medium for bringing to the inner ear the
encouraging and the adnonitory tones of the One
who is incomprehensible to us in being the maker
and sustainer of the vast universe with It's myriad
worlds, and still more incomprehensible TO us III
the individual training and oversight that Is given
TO ms. minute specks though we are in the enor-
nous world of matter.
As the writer raises his eyes from his writing pAu
the whole bay and harbor of New York are spread
ont before him as in panorama. He is stretched
on the grassy slopes oHFort wadsworth, shaded
from the fierce heat of the sun by "a shed. The
sights and sounds and turmoil of the city are miles
away under the dim haze to the northward; all its
anxieties are ouieted for time. The land-breeze
comes every few moments in hot puts that make
inaction and semi-somnoent thought joy. The
sailing vessels bearers of vast coastwise COM
narce glide through srhe Narrows'' as silently as
Ghosts Even the steamers move in and ont with
handy A sound. except the dull deep throbbing
which speaks of the power that forces them forward
in snite of winds and tides. The waves as they
break below against the rocks send upa continuous
gurpline and kissing that have no menace in them
but only serve to increase the soothing influences
lhat are casting 'nei. speN w, en- ~
ueeP anu lieApiessioie 'eise =. -.
ldie one rs ne reVeis mere III pi"eiu '"'"s""
-. a., ,,o,,,is,, has inst
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~, a. and h Diobt
- - - -, ,La n,an al the
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NC 80 IS. ia so,,,ds
~. =, , column Of
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equa,iy pinee - a. ,nt,,a
as ms ues'inA'ion-
What we feel most strongly ourselves may also
appeal strongly to our fellows If forth carefully
The uppermost thought then at this moment of
physical peace is that definite aim and purpose are
essential to in any walk of life He who is
Jack of all trades and master of none" is not the
man who "gets there" II does not do for us to
spread our efforts thin over shoreess of pur-
pose They must have carefully chosen direction
and persistency Without these we shall drift
about like helpless hulks in the vast sweeping eddy
of the sargasso Sea- 1t is ptiful to know of those
who have inherent powers to accomplish good for
os.n,so -, w.. ,,o,n7 nothina eSoent aim or
,novipg In no one direction long
The "Lucania' suggests another thought Share
II with me. There is many another good port De-
side Liverpool and yet to that port only WIN she
60 IL Is her CHOSEN destination sun WINE her
engines are driving ner ior"aru 10 her port there
VIII De upon the ocean snip pushing anu urNihs
with Its load OF passengers ana goods towards eaeh
other port OF every size ana importance. These
other eraf are as essential TO the commercial unity
of the world as is the great ocean greyhound that
has just gone by. Well? Only this Because your
ism and my 'ology absorb all our individual ener-
gies and purposes we must not therefore imagine
hands with us in our abors, however intrinsically
noble they may be. Learn to be dissatisfied with
your neighbor only if he is doing nothing to justify
his existence Learn to wish him God-speed and
God-guidance if he is thinking and working for
Others though in entirely different directions from
yourself If we become deeply interested in one
special line, the very intensity of our interest is
liable TO blind US to the essential character oil the
sin of eager definite toilers. Fhe maker Of the
wateh-sprine knows nothing of blowing and cut
ting and temperiuc CRYSTALS. Yet both are equally
necessary tn the comnleted watch
Perhaps an anecdote by Rabbi Gottheil regarding
religious differences may be felt to have bearing
upon the different works we earnest ones each
brother Rabbi in Philadelphia" said he Il heard
strange music on the street, Every now and then
there seemed To be the promise Of definite air.
and then again a few notes that sounded like
'Wacht am Rhein.' But listen as would, no per-
feet tune came out OF these sounds that were har-
lnonlops In themselves when my friend arrived
asked ior an explanation. he tod me that the
musician was simple MINDED herman VINO mad
lost track Of his fellow bandsmen some years be-
fore. He managed to exc out an existence by play
ing on his tenor-horn Just the notes and parts that
had played. He knew nothing else. Then" con-
tinued Rabbi Gottheil, sit seemed to me that must
learn lesson Of charity towards my fellow relig-
ious workers of various denominations We are
each simply playing our part and simple or pecu-
liar unreasonable though it may sound to Others
yet the Instrumentation of all sends up unitedly
grand harmony and perfect melody to that wonder
full Wisdom above who is justified of His children"
Lincoln said after Gettysburg when there were
proposals 70 Sckies LOT ms
ae'ons III 'iat mlnous Oattie'- uenlienen' there
Is glory enough ior all oil us AS the shadows
lengthen ana the hour comes Tor closing THIS let
ter the writer says, There are ports enough around
all to embark in definite projects"
One of the regular and most kindly readers of
these Rambling Thoughts was looking over Gle
ero some days SINCE and came across the following
sentence: 1.-THE man who knows himself viii find
within himself traces of the divine and while he
considers himself an image of the Deity he will be
careful to avoid those feelings and actions which
would injure this great gift" The writer was asked
for some Thoughts" on this line. They are here;
unworthy, perhaps, of the great topic and yet pos
sibly useful in suggestive way, because of their
very ineompletness.