The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-12
THE MURMUR
OF THE WORLD

Spring un1oeks the flowers to paint the
laughing earth. whilst the waning Lena
teaches its needful lessons of humility and
abnegation In the burgeoning trees the
birds sing and mate. In beautiful hirdland
there is marrying and the giving in Of mar
riage, and forest grove and garden ring
with the praises Of the winged worshipers
of the God Of birds and flowers, budding
trees, and men and all things. Lad and
lassie, man and maid, hear a new song, feel
a rev impulse as they look to the mating
birds and the bursting blossoms Of he
springtime. The glad earth throws of its
robe of grey-and-brown and puts on its
mantle of green; and all animal life seems
to catch the spirit of the flowers. Every
flower that blooms in this world is a prayer;
every one that fades is a benedictlon. No
man of soul ever yet with forethought
crushed rose or trampled a daisy under
foot. The violet reflects the magnolia and
the yoiceless anthem of the flower world
is the speech of God. No flower ever yet
wasted it's sweetness; for every flower is an
integral part of the great plan of mercy
and sweetness to the world. The magnolia
receives the kisses of the sun, and the vio-
let impears the dew of the dawn; and each
serves its purpose in low green valley or
upon the misty mountain SIDE The robin
sings his little heart out in the waning
light of winters afternoon and when the
flowers are released from captivity his mate
comes to him and sings not all. But, song
or no song, the robins nest, the sparrow
builds his little home of straw, and the
bird world is peopled anew with the song
sters and them that twitter in glade and
field and garden
In the new birth of flowers and the
mating of birds there is much of human
interest. 1t is natures time for mating,
though 1t may not be fashions. Shy youth
with surging blood looks al shy maid with
fevered face, and across the thin red limo
of modesty they clasp hands, and the
laughing old earth reels beneath feet that
have not yet found the pathway to sin or
the velvety highways to unholiness. All,
radiant vision of life where it is beautiful!
Youth and maid hand In hand in the
springtime weather frolcking up the gen.
tie sunny slope of life together! The sun
is brightest to such young lovers, the birds
sing for them the sweetest songs, the
hear and yet hear not the song of tho
sedgy rill as it murmurs its way to the
sedgy river; they hear with christening
ears that grand, sweet song of praise that
fills the shadowy chancels of the forest and
rings upon the wings of the viewless winds.
knowledge of them renews ones own
youth; brings back that glad time when all
life was afternoon and swinging on the
To in, oil, n,1,;,, A.
face of youth so close to the flushed face
of maid that the dimmed evening star
twinkled at a kiss. In the golden-bound
grammar of love there are but two per-
sonal pronouns, and they fill all the lives
Of those who swing upon the gate as the
enhancing shadows fall upon a murmuring
world. All the world forgetting, but by the
world not forgot, the young lovers whisper
their fond nonsense and virtue abides with
them. There is not a greyhaired old man
nor a white-haired old woman who does
not recall the blessed time of loves brief
young hour. Looking back, it sheds upon
the long pathway a gentle radiance loved
of the gods The insubstantial incense that
rises from the briar-root pipe goriies the
face of her who swung upon the gate, and
from the grey glow maid looks and
laughs. From it all there comes the sound
of voice not forgot. "Hark! 1t is Ellen,
or an angel sings!' And so the graphite
pencil is stayed as from memory's ghostly
shore there floats forth melody and
there is outlined in the smoke a vision of
perfect love not to be seen in real life
again. In the shadow-land perchance we
shall claim some things which we may not
grasp in this Autocracy of Pain which We
designate as human existence.
The boys are come. Chappell and Bah
are here in this yalley,and in the shadow of
the mountain there was never yet more OF
purity, or sweetness, light, laughter or joy.
They came If upon the sweet winds that
blow from the south, shouting and romping
through a melody that all men and women
shall hear that do but hearken. They are
beautiful realizations of youth, and make
hope to take the form of truth. Their time
is not come to swing upon the gate; but
it shall come. Their time is not at hand
for deeds in forum or field; but high up IN
their sky is a rainbow of glorious pronIse.
All, laughter-loving lads-beautifulest and
brightest in all the Republic Of Boyhood
They rob the years of the memory of
troubled dreams, ana iSHu wings 10 Il
proud fancy All hail the little emperors
of joy!
This period of self-denial draws TO
close. Many persons deny themselves moth
ing, it is true: but that is So much the
worse for them, whatever form their re-
| ligion may take. 1t is cleaning TIME for
the human heart, appointed OF old and
sanctioned by doctors and priests for ages
1t is time for introspection, and whatsoever
does not AXE stock of his or her life now
is not likely to do so at any other time.
This must not be taken as "sermonizing"
on the part of the wretch who murmurs Of
the world as best he may; but it is meant
to be absolutely practical. Ii is common
sense, having to do not with religion, but
with common morals.
Burgeoning buds, and the bees and the
birds and the sunlight, with the coming of