The age-herald., 1899-01-08
THE MURMUR
 OF THE WORLD

Credulity is not weakness at all times. Those persons who listen to the whisper ings of fancy are not always of the great concourse of those individuals who bend the listening ear to the entcing voice of hope. In all there is something of the purpose of resolution, of the spirit that breathes out of the doubtful that which is certain We scan the far verge of our own horizon and there discern star shining brightly. It is our star The clouds may lower above us obscuring the blue, but beyond 1t all we see the light of our hopes and our purposes. The storm may rage, the thunders roll in appalling power, the sky be darkened, and all the world gloomy, but our star shines so radiantly down on the low confines of space that we defy fear and take heart of hope.
 Fear is a nightmare, a commonplace liar whom we can defy, and if we be brave of spirit we do blow it down the avenue of the winds, and praise God that the power is given us thus to defy. Let the clouds lower, let the thunders roll, let all space be filled with the shapeless shapes of that fear born of unrest and possible unrght- eousness, but what care we! Upon the summit of the mountain Mephistopheles may have high carnival with the bats of perdition, but we hold them, all of them, in wholesome contempt and go on our way rejoicing that the part they play is not our part.
 It is well to take counsel of our fears, for fear is often merely prudence exag- gerated. When one writes fear one does not mean common cowardice. They gem erally are wholly dissimilar. The stoutest- hearted gentleman who ever lived must have feared the gentlewoman he loved. Love makes towards of us all. knew a young man in my early youth who came of a race of brave men-a race which had won distinction in England long before the ty- ranny of Cromwell drove it from England, to win new distinction in the New World This man loved a maiden, who loved me when I was child and caressed me long before sorrow claimed me as a brother. The man desired to marry this fair Penelope of my youth, and Penelope was willing, he dis covered after months of suffering arising from the abject fear of love. This discov- cry made all the world glorious to him, until it suddenly occurred to him that 1t would be necessary to "ask pa." This stern fact confronted and terrified him beyond measure. That was previous to the present custom of polite society which allows a would-be bridegroom to write to his loved ones father plain statement of facts, and leaving it to the father to suggest a per sonal interview. This lover of the other years finally screwed up his courage, with out the aid of strong drink, as that might have been fatal to his chances, and he called formally upon the father of his be- loved.
 ''I desire to speak to you privately, sir" said he to the father. Would you object to taking a walk with me-"
 Certainly not" declared the polite old gentleman; and the two started out. The lover mentioned the weather the condi- tion of the crops the policy of the govern ment, and everything else he could think of and found sympathetic listener. They entered deep wood and proceeded some distance. By this time the father of my Penelope had gotten almost out of breath, and suddenly he asked the lover, What it is you wished to speak to me about?"
 The pat question threw the lover into a perspiring terror. There was no escape for him. He looked around. Trees and flowers everywhere. He looked upward. Only the leafy roof of the forest and the singing birds. He was cornered. Cold precipitation started from every pore, his knees shook together. In his extremity he lodged behind huge primeval oak. Pene- rope's father thought the young man mad and so he was, as for that matter. Reuc- tanty the lover peeped from behind the great oak and in a strident whisper said, "I want to marry your daughter, sir!'' Certainly, you d-n fool. I could have told you that before We left the house." With that the old gentleman hurried off indignant and tired, leaving the lover out there in the heart of the forest
 Penelope he said, not unkindly, when he had reached the house and swallowed "four-fngers," 'I have given my consent