The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-17

but neither do philosophers, for That mat
ter as we have lately had the pleasure OF
demonstrating and purpose here and now
10 demonstrate again.
Ii is. We regret Go say, a view OF tl---
good folk that whatever weather rusts
their wheat is needfIl for their grass thal
promising children are untime.y nipp-d
by death for the future behoot or very
Questionable parents and that in general
Its am M wind Chat blows nobody
good" The ways Of Providence are ac-
kn0wIedged by these gentry To be- past
finding out and set they are forever lay
ing down path. never direct ana COM
monty asinine FOR Gods providence 10
travel. A vessel is destroyed ana tnese
brethren see I'm the act the hand of God
because forsOOth some passenger got on
an eighteenth century French detth-Dcd
Gag as he went down. The families ot the
drowned satl0rs-culrenuy supposed I'D
exist In every pOrt-hud &c difficult 10
transmute 90 food and clothes The sonu-
ment OF defunct passengers no matter
how sublime. and even the cargo owners
and the insurers Of the ship are prone 20
wish that providence had used some otner
property than theirs But Dc is assumed
that God could not think OF any simpler
way to publish a testimony 20 the worid'
and that he adopted, as the means OF cele'
struction Of hundreds Of people and 4
million dollar ship. This is what business
men-even with their limited powers or
operatiOn-would call poor economy. ana
we have never observed that Cod Wlth
his unlimited power, is poor economist
I'm his direct dealing with the temp0ia al
affairs Of men as given us ln the Ola les
lament. there is such plain strashlloI-
ward heWing TO the line as t0roids u7 10
assume that his methods are ever inal-
rect and places the burden OF an impos-
slb.e proof on those who declare THAT my
are SO.
The Egyptians declined TO free the chill
dren of Israel and blow upon blow per-
suaded them TO loose their hold This IS
the negative from which the recent pic
ture OF the war with Spain was made.
The Israelites refused obedience TO the
laws and cumulative punishmeut-pracil-
cally identical with the present English
system-brought them to repentance
Certain neighbors of the Hebrews owned
land which the Hebrews wanted XIII
'cm. and take it" was the principle on
which they were directed 90 act, and the
agony column of our daily press Is Wit
ness 10 the fact that this perfectly aireet
and sensible mode Of procedure has grown
in popularity ever since
Ii is quite true that there are cases I'm
which the dispensatIOns Of Providence do
not seem 20 be simple and economi cal and
direct. and we have no quarrel With those
who confess themselves unable 10 under
stand such cases our quarrel Is with
those who find out things that never did
exist and then demand applause for men,
tai efforts which come near to prove the
non-existence Of their minds. our quar-
rel is with one who declares that God Is
generally considered to deDar a man OF
sight only to bestow on him the eQuiVa-
lent OF sight I'm the development Of ner
senses God is not generally considered
10 do any such wasteful thing, and VIII
not be - considered until Il becomes the
universal practice Of wise earthly parents
10 chop off one OF a child's legs and spend
the balance OF their lives IN teaching him
to hop on the other. our quarrel is with
one who sets up. as a general principle
accepted by sensible people, piece OF ar
rant folly and then takes credit Cor de-
molishing IL
The plain truth about the matter over
which our German savlnt makes such
splitter is, OF course, tn!s. blind man
has uncommon need 20 develop an acute
sense Of hearing. II he acts on the dc
tates Of that need and gives the proper
effort to the development bis nearing be-
comes abnormally acute. III he does not
50 act there Is no reason TO suppose that
his hearing will ever become more acute
than the normal. BY as much as a blind
man has a greater incentive than other
people 10 exercise the sense Of hearing,
by this much he Is likely 10 DO so. And
by as much as his exercise Of this sense
is beyond the ordinary, by just so much
and by no more the blind man hears more
k-enly than the man who ID no. blind.
SPECTATOR.