The age-herald., 1901-02-03
"Ye soft illusions, dear deceits, arise

"Ye soft illusions, dear deceits arise:
 In the give and take of every day lifeein this workaday world there need not be any giving of offense or any taking of bitter ness my beloved; no harsh judging, one by another
 Rather should we give only love-glad greetings, and turn faith-fair faces to fellows whomsoever they be, man, woman, maiden or youth, or little children, so at no time could there be the semblance of eX cuse for unhappy, unloving or unworthy thoughts concerning one another; nor yet goodheartedness in the similitude of a mock -frown, or the boisterous shoulder slap of undue familiarity.
 True friendship, or goodwill, or comrade- ship, does not need to be shouted in the public ways, proclaimed from the house. tops, or beaten upon the body. Rather may it be whispered in listening ears or con- veyed by touch that is tender. A soft voice is most excellent in all the offices and affairs of love and companionship, as in the simple duties and obligations of dali ly life.
 You do not need friend to wiring your hand as If he would break it to prove his lIleHuSHlp tHu II ile pcioiSt III lhsle rihN VI emphasis you prefer he should seek other friends and leave you to yourself and your own.
 And most of all do you object to every one blundering in upon you as if he were hired to make thunder for village stage the riotous registering of a lout treading upon the toes of your sensibilit!es of deco rum and repose.
 These loud ones of society set your teeth on edge and so disarrange your thoughts that you feel your raiment is likewise un- tidy, thus by their exuberance creating for you a measure of discomfort, to escape which you would gladly cast the whole tribe of loud ones into outer darkness where they belong and from whence they may no longer annoy you.
 And as you cannot escape these Jacka- napes of annoyance, you also must endure, in part at least, those who give you spir- itual unrest, who outrage your cherished convictions of things, felt and seen and known of the soul; who are players at blind-mans s-buff amongst the precious treasures of your spirit, and would deprive you of whatever to you was dearest-the repute of a loved one, the memory-linger- ing bar in an anthem of praise, cross or crueifx, crescent or star, poor little wisp of hair, memory of voice that Is still, touch of baby hand long cold, anything your heart treasures as of your life.
 Such things are real to real men and wo- men, youths, maidens, even little children, however illusory the iconoclast may hold them to be. Ah it is monstrous, this work of iconoclasts of all degrees of littleness in seeking to dispel ilusions!
 Illusions! Show that soul without its sweet illusions and you show a soul dark beyond hopes long reach and striving! Priceless are some of the illusions of our lives, and rob life of them all and life is robbed of all.
 When one sybarite said woman was an illusion and received answer that as long as there were men in the world they would be hugging illusions, there was in that wit the wisdom of profound philosophy.
 We shall never know many things we ought never to know.
 Even as we of the faith have the divine