The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1899-05-19


very pretty blossoms, -some Of them
bearing seed or fruit of some value; re-
member to have seen some of them gath
cred as food for dumb animals
others as food for animals that
can talk; to have seen some of
them carefully eulled and preserved
for use as medicines in the healing of dis
eases and wounds. Recognizing the fine
and useful qualities which inhere in
many of these spontaneous growths, l
inquire of Mr. Wick what kind of fact
condemns plant to be classed with
weeds. He replies that the plants stig-
matized as weeds, which are SO unwel-
como in cultivated grounds, may be
beautiful as wild. flowers, may be pre-
cious as medicinal herbs, may be useful
as greens or as grasses; but that any
plant growing among cultivated plants
without having been Intentionally placed
there-occupyipg the space and consum-
ing the nourishment which properly be-
long to the cultivated CROPS q weed. 1t
is the fact that plant is growing where
it was not invited to grow, and where it
ia not fitting that it should grow, which
condemns it to be reproached as weed.
This fact in regard to weeds, has it's
parallel within the field of religion. To
saw wood is exemplary, and to lath a
new house may certainly be commended.
To drive horse, to sail a yacht, to troll
for blueish, is legitimate and admirable.
But working and pleasuring, needless
working and secular pleasuring, are
plants that our Lord dislikes to see grow
ing among the hallowed appointments
of his Sabbath. They are right things
in the wrong place-weeds in his garden.
Reading also is commendable, choice
method of utilizing the Sabbath hours.
The genial Interchange of ideas and the
exchange of respectable news is an &C.
cupation worthy of the most excellent.
But to read anything foreign to the serv-
ice during the hour Of public worship, or
to spend a prayer-meeting occasion in
whispering thoughts that might wait, or
in indulging mirth or exciting mirth in
others,-is to have plants growing in the
hour of worship which God never want
ed to grow there, and which he hates to
see there. They are right things in the
wrong place; they are weeds in Gods
gardenl
DIFFERENT. KINDS OF VEGETATION RE-
QUIREs DIFFERENT KINDS OF NUTRI-
MENT.
In making the tour of the garden, we
come to plot OF rare seed-wheat, next
to which are several rows of pesse, and
adjoining the pesse Is breadth of beets.
l shall not raise my wheat on this plot
next year, observes the gardener, nor
my pease there, nor nay beets there; /
shall give each crop fresh pasture.
This wheat Ia feeding upon silex; those
pease upon lime; those beets upon pot
ash; each appropriates what its peculiar
nature Graves. Here are stalks of wheat
and vines of pease growing side by side,
in soil containing the very same ingre-
dents; the wheat absorbs silex, but the
pea absorbs none. 1t is slick which 10 to
render the wheat stalks rigid. able to
stand erect and support it's head of
grain the pea-destined to Irvine itself
about another object for support-has
no use for the rigidness which slick i'm
parts. The soil yields each plant the
food that it wants-without scoldinR
wheat for the neglect of lime, or pease
for the neglect Of potash, or beets for
the neglect Of slick.
And so the souls OF men appropriate
divine truths in accordance with the
craving of their need. Let a passage
from the Word of God be read IN the
hearing Of twenty persons those persona
have spiritual needs as diverse as those
OF wheat, pease and beets; and the Holy
Word, like the soil OF the garden, has
the diverse kinds of truths which are
adapted to supply those needs. Is there
soul that is discouragedf It will alb.
sorh the element OF cheer which the pas-
sage contains. Lis there soul that liz
grieved? 1t will absorb the element Of
consolation. Is there soul that Ia gull
ty? 1t viii appropriate the element of
rebuke. Is there soul that is tender
and pitiful? Its magnet win gather up
the element of pathos. Is there q soul
that Ia animated with martial ardor? It
will neglect every element save the hero
ical. Every need of the soul finds it's
own appropriate portion In the Word OF
God and takes it. o, the richness and