The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-02
Sir LaunfaI's VisioE

illogical story, was the cup or platter used
by Jesus at the last supper Brought
to England by Joseph OF Arimanthea, it
remained there many years an object of
alteration. It's custodians were 10 be
chaste in thought word and deed, one
of them failing in this requirement il dis
appeared. 1t then became favorite I'M
der!aking with the ancient knights 10 go
in search of it.
MIR. Lowell in his poem represents Sir
Launfal as about to go forth from his
castle in quest of the sacred object. Be
fore starting he lies down to sleep, hoping
to receive some guidance in a dream.
He sleeps and sees a vision of himself
mounted and clad in shining mail, pass
ing out the gate of his castle. 1t was the
morning of an ideally perfect day in mid
summer and morning also in the younS
knights heart. BY the gate sat loath-
some leper asking aims. The sight OF him
chilled Sir Launfals blood and in scorn
he tossed him coin of gold. This the
beggar refused to touch.
Better the blessing of the poor,
Though l turn me empty from his door.
The scene changes, and in the dead of
winter Sir Launfal returns bent old man
from his unsuccessful search. Another
had seized his earldom and he is shouted
away from the gate of the castle. All
night outside he sits, and when the duh
morning comes he finds the poor blanched
leper by the gateway still.
And Sir Launfal said:
81 hold in thee
An image of him who died on the tree,
Mild Mary's son, acknowledge me;
Behold, through him / give to thee.
"He parted in twain his single crust,
He broke the ice on the streamlets's brink
And gave the leper to eat and drink
Immediately the leper is TRANSPORTED
and stands before him the glorified Christ.
To Sir Launfal he says:
In may elimes without avail,
Thou has spent thy life for the Holy Grail;
Behold it is here-this' cup which thou
Didst fill at the streamlet for me; but now
This crust is my body broken for thee,
This water His blood that died on the
Tree;
The holy supper is kept, indeed,
In whatso we share with another's need;
Not what we give. but what we share,
For the gift without the giver is bare;
Who gives himself with his aims feeds
three
Himself, his hungering neighbor, and me.
The point Of the story is that, though
Sir Launfal could not find the sacred OBJ
iect by direct search, yet when for a mo-
ment the noblest within him triumphe1,
he discovered that il was already in ms
possession.
This is true not only of ancient knights
and the Holy Grail. but of modern men
and happiness-love beauty and all the
eraces and virtues. 'Tis proverbial now
that those who think of nothing but OF
being happy rarely find happiness. There
are those who are consumed with de~
sire to be admired; this can be read in
every facial expression, tone of voice and
arrangement of dress. To such admira-
ton is not given. Vanity and jealousy
repel.
No; love and happiness must come 10
us. So too, the virtues of the ideal char
acter. They cannot be directly assumed
and worn as a garment Would-be saints
succeed in doning mean apparel, but
their arbitrarily assumed humility has
been the hight of pride and bigotry In
slruction is The. spectacle of ostensibly
humble men standing in the way OF the
advancing intellect of the world and pre-
tending 10 hold the very keys of knoWl-
edge and heaven
What, then, is the more excellent way?
Do ever the duty that his nearest and
grow and happiness and admiration ana
virtue will come to you. BY growing /
mean primarily expansion of the mind by
new ideas. This is not always looked
upon as a duty YET it is just as much the
right and proper business of a man to
grow as il is the business of a tree or
of anything else that lives.
A favorite but utterly false religious
idea has been that the ignorant man may
enjoy Gods blessings equally with the in
telligent. But God refuses both material
and spiritual blessings to men who do not
make intellectual advancement. This is
the teachings of history.
In medieval times, when intellectual life
was at the lowest ebb in Europe, prayers,
fasting and ecclesiastical professions were
resorted to for salvation from epidemic
diseases of all kinds. Yet there is not the
slightest evidence that God ever helped or
gave immunity. He gives us protection
and health only as through study we
learn.
Material blessings are the reward OF
scientific progress, are Gods encourage
ment so to speak, of intellectual growth
So with spiritual blessings. No man can
stand still in ignorance and be humble,
for bgotry is the natural atmosphere of
such a mind
When one ceases to learn he soon begins
to think he knows il all. The pride and
bigotry of the middle ages We're the natu-
raj concomitant of dense ignorance.
In the last twenty years so many new
ideas have dawned upon the world that all
that was known before seems Ignorance
in comparison; and doubtless, in the light
of the truths about to break upon us. all
we now know shall seem as nothing One
who realizes this can have nothing of the
dogmatist in him, can only be an humble
devoted student.
Thus humility comes to us. It is FREE
quently remarked that the most eminent
scholars are characterized by a charming
simplicity and sweet reasonab leness,"
perfectly naturall
So liberalism is q temper peculiar to
growing minds. The liberal churches are
composed of people Of expanding mutual
life. This constant enlargement generates
that indefnable but well-known some
thing which we call the liberal spirit. and
this spirit holds them together. The one
who learns most rapidly has most of It
and conversely.
WOMAN MURDERED IN her HOUSE.
Crime Committed While Men where