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

A pastoral poet, Robert Bloomfield, of
England, writes;
"The farmers life displays In every part
A moral lesson"
AS observe the processes OF nature
and reflect upon spiritual truths, l am
affected with surprise and admiration at
the extent to which the various princi-
pies, operations and Incidents of earth.
culture, are images of things ethical and
spiritual.
A year ago, you made tour of the
garden with me; and while the gardener
spoke of the habits Of plants, and of the
various modes of treatment which he APP
piled to them for the production of vari-
GUS results, the preacher pointed out the
correspondence between those behav-
Tors and processes, and the phenomena
which are exhibited Ia Gods garden, the
garden OF the soul. Let US, If you please,
make another tour with the gardener.
THE HOLLOW, BRICK WALL.
The first thing to arrest our attention
as we enter the garden, is long brick
wall, some IL feet high (and said to be
hollow, along which are trained various
trees and vines. The gardener explains
that this arrangement is designed to Sc
cure higher temperature and thus
assists In the production of some of the
finer and more tender fruits-peaches,
apricots, aud the delicate French and
Flemish pears. Along the south side of
this wall, he estimates that his trees and
vines enjoy an increase of warmth which
is equal to removal southwark through
seven degrees Of latitude; that is to say,
they have about the same degree of
warmth that they would enjoy in North
Carolina, between Raleigh and Newbern.
All, yes, replies the preacher, under
stand. And many are the souls that are
planted in climate which Ia Northern,
which ehills the fervor Of devotion and
prevents the evolution of the finer and
more delicate fruits of character. 1t
may be their pursuits take them
amidst worldly people, amidst
customs that know nothing of
Christ, amidst scenes from which the
light Of the New Jerusalem is excluded :;
what can prevent their virtue and their
piety from the chill of such a latitude?
May Ii not be some contriyance like that
Of the gardeners wall for raising the
temperature, say q mid.week prayer
meeting or perhaps even noon-meeting,
or at least a few moments retirement at
monday for private communion with
Godg Some device of this kind may be
competent to raise the spiritual atmos-
phere In which one performs his daily
routine, seven degrees, and enable him
to produce the more tender fruits OF a
Christian life. Thus may one dwelling
In chill earthly climate, secure for the
seed a warmth that ia natural to sphere
seven degrees nearer Heaven. Thus may
he who trafflcs in sugar and thread, he
who drives an express wagon or collects
fares on rail-car, he who edits daily
newspaper or is employed in enacting
laws or In executing them,--thus may
such an one surround himself with an
atmosphere as conducive to goodness as
that which encompasses an invalid or
missionary.
"My soul has often found relief
! And oft escaped the tempter's snare
BY thy return, sweet hour OF prayer"
THE PLANTS sTrGMATIzED AS WEEDS.
We see at our left o plot which has
been little neglected, and In which the
weeds and the cultivated plants are en-
gagged In ground struggle for suprema-
cy. AS ! pause little and concentrate
my attention upon the plants which are
classed as weeds, notice that some Of
them are very pretty plants, and remem-