The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-02-04

The reader who turns from the Epistlet
OF St Paul or the gospels TO the stories
recorded In the Book OF the Judges finds
himself in an entirely new atmosphere.
The change is as great as the change
one makes on a summer afternoon from
the heat and din and convention OF the
city to the cool and quiet and freedom OF
the forest and meadow.
1t Is the change one always experiences.
marching back by the way OF history.
from the present with its complexities
and formalities TO that past that is sep
arsted from us by centuries where the
freedom OF childhood and the rollickng
play and laughter OF childhood still per-
meate life.
In Greece II Is the contrast between
the age OF Homer and the age OF Peri
cles. In Rome IL Is the contrast between
the tabled times OF Remus and Romufus
and the times of the Caesars. In Israel IL
is the contrast between Samson. the He
brew Hercules. and the times in Israel
when men tithed mint, anise and cum
min and with Pharisacial complacency
strained at gnat and swallowed a cam
el.
INGENUITY OF CHILDHOOD.
The ingenuity OF childhood is in our
Lesson. The tying together OF the foxes
tails and putting the fire brands between
Is the trick OF a school boy.
One reads II with the same charm that
one fingers over the Golden Age and
Dream Days" OF Kenneth Grahsme. The
easy morality or nations youth is ey-
erywhere manifest. In samson's alb
sence, Samsons father-in-law simply
hands over his daughter Samooa's wife.
to another with an ease that would do
credit TO a Dakota divorce court When
Samson appears the father says, is not
her younger sister faircr than she7 Take
her. I pray thee, instead Of her"
All this r. told with simplicity and
natui slism that indicates that marriage
was not n sacred VOW, the home was not
the corner stone Of national life and NOR
al integrity was not necessarily IN
cluded in the life consecrated to God.
There Is a picture OF physical strength
which we are accustomed to associate
with our rude and untutored ancestors.
Like the Greek Hercules he slays the
lion and II there had been Augean stables
TO be cleaned we feel confident that this
young hero would not have proven him
self wanting either In strength or cour-
age.
NOT OF ORDINARY HISTORY.
Read this story. however, as you may:
see In II the freshness and vigor OF
primitive time: see In IL II you will the
fertility OF a vivid imagination. Grant. X
you choose, its legendary character and
do this either in the interest OF historical
honesty or with the desire to preserve
those chosen people from any taint OF
morality and still there will remain the
feeling In the mind OF the candid reader
that there is something here that does
not belong TO ordinary history or custom
airy legend. This something. while II may
prejudice the mind of the historian and
lead him to see little fact and much nc
tion. while IL may spoil for the student
Of mythology the beauty OF the legend.
still for US. this something. IL everything
and gives point and meaning to the
whole
Charles Eliot Norton, commenting on
the impression that the buildings In Har-
ward yard made upon one, remarked that
he should like TO have the use OF
Kansas cyclone for n brief time that he
should start II in with the Fogy museums
Of art, get IT in full swing by the time Il
reached Appleton chapel. and end its
wild career after Il had leveled with the
ground the walls Of the University lib
rary.
Those who have a sense OF architectural
beauty will appreciate this sentiment
The effect produced upon one by the
reading OF the stories concerning Samson
IL that of a physical hurricane. Yet II
Is hurricane that Is directed.
A GOODLY INHERITANCE.
Samson entered into a goodly inheri- |
tance at birth.
The angel OF the God had appeared unto
his mother and said: Now, therefore, J
beware | pray thee and drink no wine 4
nor strong drink and eat not any unclean !
thing. for 10. thou shalt conceive and |
bear n son: and no razor shall come upon |
his head, for the child shall be n Nazi- |
rite unto God rom the womb and he 1
shall begin to save Israel out Of the
hands OF the Phllistines." Consecrated |
to God and given up to y work from his /
birth. No mother can give 10 a son
richer legacy than that In the womb he
was being trained TO lift his eyes TO the
hills from whence was TO come his
strength. in youth. wherever he turned
or whatever errand he ran, he was 10 |
find opportunity shaped for him. to use
his strength for the freedom of his ma
ton. He was born IN the line OF kings
What he was TO begin David was TO ac-
complsh
The Wild powerful Samson. child
as a Nazirte unto God from
the womb, this was the secret and the
source Of his power. IL was not that |
his natural strength was directed by
divine conservation; divine conservation
was the source and the essence OF his
strength.
CONSIDERATION THE STRENGTH
Conservation Is the strength Of every
man; II Is the strength OF everything. In
The physical world we prefer to cali IL