The age-herald., 1899-09-03
THE MURMUR
 OF THE WORLD


 Quiet thy heart, since others are loving;
 Still thy soul. for the sky is vast;
 Rest thy limbs from the stale earth rowing,
 Flow in the furrow thy lot is cast:
 So, when in the spring all the earth is
 moving
 A flower may fall to thy feet at last" al
 Upon the starved flowers and the brown ing leaves the shades gently fall, but to the wlde-open eyes of mortals whose souls are not uatidy the shadows are crested with softened sunbeams, and the pure of heart are unafraid. It may have not been yours. my beloved, to keep yourself unspotted from the world: but 1t has been yours to keep your heart clean, your spirit tidy. and walk hand in hand with sweet charity and in some measure make for the worlds free dom from the tolls of grossness and wrong, and cleanse 1t of the rust that corrodes and corrupts Such as you no gloom has frighted; none shall fright, even when the cool and slumberous breath comes from that unmurmuring stream of the unmeas- ured shores whither journey the weary to rest at last. Perhaps;--and so the harbor- lights of love guide you to your rightful place in the blessed port of sleep. Your "eare casts anchor in the harbor of a dream" and there is rest too deep to be regardful of the unhappness that follows the footsteps of sin and hovers over mans injustice unrighteousness. unchartable- ness, and hate.
 In the empire of pain life's little light burns low; but angel hands close about 1t until the rustling, rushing winds fall to the whisper of things that might have been; the heart is quieted. the soul is stilled and the slow-returning light reveals a sky vaster and bluer and brighter for the dark ness that fell Mercy and truth and charity and kindness, and all the spiritual evangels of the better life come trooping forward rose-ladened, mercy-robed, love crowned-glorious! Whosoever knoweth not these things has not dropped sounding plummet into the calm waters of the worlds divine charity. He has not suf- fered, she has not known sorrow, who fails not to know that the goodness of humani- ty makes of unchartableness a blushless lie that echoes in the gutter and snarls blasphemy above the disordered couch of sin. Hearts break and bleed every day; wrong issues its damning decrees, minds become unclean, souls spotted with vice;
 
 the leper down, whilst truth, unweary nurse in the garb of holiness, tolls to save; and over it all the love of just men and good women shines with that steady radiance given of the Godhead since men and women began to love and be just and fear not anything save wrong doing. Never yet fell mortal too low in suffering to be reached by human love or godly piety. The olive branch and the lilly of charity are fadeess They are the banner of the Most High, under which march in measured tread to the divine harmony all humanity that is worthy upon this green planet.
 Charity rolls up the blackest curtains, and into the souls inner chambers burst the sunbeams of peace laughter, Joy; ana the heart beats riotously to the notes Of song borne inward from the infinite. There is no longer moan, no longer fervered pro- test no longer unanswered cry for tardy peace. Love, the all-heal, has wrought the miracle, as it has been doing ever since love came to abide upon the earth to bless and to save, to redeem the condemned and reprieve those who would be lost to the flowers that blossom to the song of birds and the music of many waters. The daffo- dii is still the daffodil. the rose the rose. It is hail! And farewell shall be unspoken until you and life have been longer togeth- CT. Truth and mercy and righteousness kiss each other in the festival of honest hearts that are purified. It is given to but few of us to walk the sinless way but all may tread the path of charity upon which the light of heaven beats for ever and for ever. It is not for any human creature to cast stones at any mortal who has erred; but the teachings of the -Nazarene are vain if they call not forth the helping hand and brave words of good cheer and hopeful promise "Neither do I condemn thee," are the words of God; the incarnation of char ity, and whoso finds it not in his heart to speak them should go feed with swine, for love and prayer are not for him.
 The world is very beautiful, my beloved; and the muck-heaps of its uncharitableness fill but small space. Sweetness and light abound to the glorifcation of that which is good; to the upbilding of humanity, and to the making of the higher life; to the sustaining of truth and the cause of mercy and charity. The growth in better things sllences the tongue of envy and malice and hate, islander and all false wit ness Under thy hearts work-wear burn eth the love- that would banish pain and unrest and untruthfulness, and bring hur- rying in bands of angels vocing a blessed anthem of love- glorious all-resounding, and filling the vast cathedral of the sou-spaee with a mighty harmony, and resting in softened lsping of love around the spirits confessional appointed of God the Father!
 THE MURMURER.