The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-02-10

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have to say that the world Is very
grand property. Its flowers are God's
tloGphts In bloom. Its rocks are Gods
thoughts in stone. Its dewdrops are
God thoughts in pearl. This world
is Gods child-a wayward child, in
decd: It has wandered Off through the
heavens. But nearly two thousand
rcu.s ago. one Christmas night, Goo
sent out sister world to call that
v"'licror back, and II hung over Beth
l'rom only long enough to get the
r,,iiise of the wanderers return: and
"tw ;hat lost world, with soft feet OF
.-at. comes treading back through the
i.;vcrs. The hills, how beautiful
icy hilow up the edge Of the wave
White with foam Of crocuses. How
lC"Utiful the rainbow, the arched
r.urc On which heaven and earth
r'.rs" and talk to each other in tears,
Liter the storm Is over! How nimble
e feet OF the lamp-lighters that in u
ivT minutes set all the dome of the
:; III ablaze with brackets of fire!
'uw bright the oar Of the saffron
'''iil that rows across the deep sea OF
t..yen. How beautiful the spring,
"i'h bridal blossoms in her hair. |
w,ader who it Is that beats time on O
ne morning for the bird orchestra.
Low gentle the harebell tolls its fra,
"Ince on the air. There may be
"ragdcr worlds, swarthier worlds,
larger worlds than this: but l think
,!iGt this is n most exquisite world
4 mignonctte on the bosom of immens.
ity!
oh" you say, "take my soul! give
me that world! I am willing to take
t. in exchange. l am ready now for
tue bargain. 1t is 30 beautiful world,
80 sweet world, so grand world"
biologists tell us that 1t Is already
OH fire; that the heart Of the world is
one great living coal; that it is just
like Il ship on fire ut sea, the flames
not bursting out because the matches
are kept down. And yet you propose
TO palm off on me, In return for my
soul, n world for which. in the first
place, you can give no title. and. In the
second place, for which you can give
no insurance.
oh" you say, "the water Of the
oceans will wash over all the land and
put out the fire."
Oh. no. There are infammable ele.
ments in the water. hydrogen and Oxy.
gen. Call Off the hydrogen, and the At.
lantic and the Pacific Oceans would
blaze like heaps Of shavings. You
want me to take this world. for which
you can give no possible insurance.
Astronomers have swept their teles.
copes through the sky, and have found
out that there have been thirteen
worlds in the last two centuries that
have disappeared. At first they looked
Just like other worlds. Then they got
deeply red-they were on fire. Then
they got ashen. showing they were
burned down. Then they disappeared,
showing that even the ashes were scat.
tered. And II the geologist be right in
his prophecy, then our world is to 60
on In the same way. And yet you
want me to exchange my soul for it.
All, no, 1t Is n world that is burning
now. Suppose you brought an insur.
ance agent to look at your property for
the purpose of giving you Il policy
upon 1t. and while he stood in front of
the house he should say: THAT house
is on fire now In the basement" you
could not get any insurance upon It,
Yet you talk about this world rs
though 1t were safe Investment, as
though you could get some insurance
upon 1t, when down in the basement /,
is on fire.
! may also add that this world Is a
property with which everybody who
has taken possession has had trouble
Now, know large reach Of land tina,
is not built on. ask what is the mat
ter, and they reply that everybody who
has mad anything to do with that prop
erty got into trouble about it. 1t is
just SO with this world; everybody that
has had anything to do with it MS a
possession has been In perplexity. How
was it with Lord Byron? Did he no,
sell his immortal soul for the purpose
Of getting the world? Was he satisfied
with the possession? Alas! alas. the
poem graphically describes his case
when 1t says:
Drank every cup Of Joy,
Heard every trump of fame.
Drank early, deeply drank,
Drank draughts which common mill
ions might have Quenched.
Then died Of thirst because there was
no more to drink.
Oh. yes, he had trouble with it: and
so did Napoleon. After cOnquering ma
tiOns by the force Of his sword, he
lies down to die, his entire possession
the military boots that he insisted Oh
having upon his feet while he was
dying. Or the even greater sorrow
perhaps, Of having to retreat from
Moscow, his army defeated, his hopes
shattered, and his pride Of achieve
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