The hatchet., 1900-09-02
OMNISCIENT LOVE

so small because they were distant
81 wonder how far they areT he
unused aloud
"What? The stars?' asked his
mother, who was by.
"Yes," said the little boy.
Every far" she told him.
"But how far?" he persisted.
"If miles were minutes, and you liv-
ed century of centuries, you would
die ere you reached the midway point
to yonder bright blue star that seems
the nearest of ALL"
The child did not understand but
he was silent After n time he asked
her, "And beyond the stars, what is
thereY
"More stars"
"And beyond themT
"Stlll more stars"
"And beyond the uttermost starsW
"fhhnite."
"And beyond thatY
'There Is no beyond"
"And God, thenY
"God Is lnhnlty."
'If l were a bird that could live
without food and without drink and fly
upward TO the stars-past the stars
which | can see, and past those which
| can't see. and past those which are
beyond those which | can't see, and
flew and flew, all day, all night, with
out pause-how long would 1t be before
l reached the end Of lnfnltyT
"You would fly for ever and ever, and
yet you would never be any nearer to
the end of 1t, for it has no end"
"How can that beY
run off to bed and don't ask so
many questions again"
But the child could not sleep for
thinking Of infinity, which Is the birth
place of the stars and of God and the
cemetery of mems reason. He could
not understand.
Days passed and months and years,
and still he thought about infnity, and
still he could not understand. The
more he thought the less he under.
stood
One day, grown to lad, he sat alone
musng, while his schoolmates all
about him were at play.
A teacher seeing the gravity of the
lads face, drew near and asked him
the cause of 1t,
II am thinking of infnity," replied
the lad II want to understand what
infnity Is"
"You can't, not being God. Run off
and play ball"
One day the same child, still a child,
was gazing at the sky, In June God
drops huge hollow turquoise, cover
wise, over the world and varnishes II
within with molten sunlight and tries
TO dry it quickly with handfuls OF
cloud cotton, portions Of which cling
puftily to the interior Of his dome.
And then said the little boy to his
mother: "God made the sky, didn't heF
And the clouds? And the sun? And
everything else upon the earth and be-
meath 1t and above it?
"Yes."
"And who made GodT
"God never was made. There never
was a time when he was not"
Before the beglnningT
Before the beginning he was; after
the end he shall be-"
But
run off and don't ask so many
questions"
All that day the child thought OF
God and why he had no youth, no past,
tnl IN
der about And he could not under
stand.
Years passed. Often he thought of
God, who was before time was anG
shall be when time no longer is. But
he could not understand.
One day, grown to adolescence, he
went to the wisest man In the world
and asked him about II.
1T is very easy" said the wisest
man In the world.
"YesT said the youth.
"Yes; everything is possible to, from.
by and of God"
"Yes?" said the youth.
"Yes; because he is God"
Then, one day, when the child was
grown to manhood a maiden crossed
his path. For the space of breath
she gazed on him. Her eyes had the
blue of the midday sky, the light Of
the sun, the depth of the night. His
eyes saw all this as they mirrored
themselves In hers.
She went her way, and the man gaz-
cd long and steadily after her OF a
sudden he smote his brow with his
hand and cried, "N0w l know" and
went to see the wisest man In the
world.
20 graybeard," said the man to him,
"now understand ininity!
"YOu are a madman" said the wlsest
man and drew back.
Eyes, and understand GOdw
"You are fool" said the wlsest
man and frowned.
"Yes; because lover
you are a sage" said the wlsest
man and extended his hand. - New
York Commercial Advertiser