The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-12
THE MURMUR
OF THE WORLD.

NOW abideth faith, hope, charity, these
three; but the greatest of these IS charity"
Birmingham is glad in "a festival time of
great rejoicing. The ether day We wei
coined great national figure, the hero OF
twenty million firesides. Banners broke to
the breeze bugles did blow, drums beat,
and a multitude shouted its praise as a
proud ecao of tgle guns that tlnundered at
Santiago On the day that followed there
was opened to the people great display
of industry thrift, plenty and wealth..
There was seen eNihioft of want or suf-
fering amongst men. There were only
Shown human peace and human comfort.
There were no. bedrdden sufferers There,
no seekers after aims Luxury and plenty
we're parade; and gaunt poverty was
on the outside beyond !.Ghe reach of muslc's
proud swell. The wounded, 1ne bedridden,
the slowly dying were in other places.
We Shall be unworthy of the good things
that have come to us IL We do not in festi-
val time give our heed to charity's soft
call. We Shall not be worthy OF the
hero who came If shouts to him
drowned the cry of charity. We shall be not
deserving of the plenty and peace and
comfort that are ours now if we turn not
aside to give to them that need Our de-
sorts will be small indeed if we yield not
to that voice that asks for aid to the af-
f1icted. We shall deny God, deny truth,
deny justice, mercy and all righteousness
IL we fail to give of our plenty. The mu-
sic, grand and beautiful, will fall upon
senses not of right to be soothed by the
harmony of sweet sounds If they who listen
are not moved to give something to the
lew-stricken subjects of the Empire off
Pain, moaning and writing through weary
hours of day and upon the unloving bosom
of the night. The only true joy in this
world is the joy of comforting others. The
selfish have nothing more than the con-
tentment of full-bellied kline at even-time.
(. Sunday, which is the Sabbath of the
Christians, and under the temporal law
the rest day of all men, is without spiritual
significance if it do not teach us the lessons
of joyful humility and of human charity.
II is meaningless of good if it do not extend
the horizon of our view: if it do not make
the deeps elf our souls ever deeper in the
way of truth; If it do net make the world
brighter, more beautiful, more filled with
joy the space between the golden bridge of
love- birth and the black river upon the
other side where fall the shadows. The
exultant notes of the church bells this
morning, the majestic roll of anthem, are
merely brazen noises If they lead us not
towards the higher heights of the higher
life of mankind's fellowship and comrade-
snip.
CHARITY never failetn.-
"Faiuh, hope and charity, these ,ghree;
but the greatest of these is clarityr''
So wrote Saint Paul to the Corinthians
nearly two thousand years ago, in the dawn
of the worlds evangelzation 1t was true
of God then, and must be forever true 1t
is creed, dogma, religion, duty to all men,
1t is that which marks the boundary be.
tween brute life and mans enlightenment
1t is the realization of human loves divine
story. 1t is pure religion and undefiled as
it comes from God and the Father 1t is
the keeping of time to the thcobbing of the
great heart of the world. 1t is faith and
hope and truth and mercy all in one!
Tehre are various local institutions of a
charitable nature that are in sore need of
funds to carry on their work. In the name
off mercy, let us help them! Let us turn
from our own lighter pleasures and Pas
times, and nnger little while where char
ity lifts its blessed altar. Let us forget for
the moment tlhe ball, the banquet, and all
the places of merriment where folly harm
full or harmless dwells. and give thought
to them that suffer ami cry for kind words
and kind deeds THE vain pomp and glory
of this world can never silence ciharitys
appeal, and are feeting indeed when meas
Ired win The abiding benediosion of them