Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-06-15

There are many wonderful and glo-
rious pictures in the Louyre's palatial
gallery, but one picture there impress
ed me as more pathetic than any other
-Rembrandt's supper at Emmaus"
1t is a little hand breadth thing. but
few of the larger and splendid can
vases held me with so strong a clutch.
There are many wonderful and glo-
rious passages In the New Testament,
but few more pathetic to my appre-
hension than that little story of the
walk to Emmaus, the disciples not
recognizing the Master, while yet their
hearts burned within them as they
talked with Him by the way. And the
story reaches its climax of beauty, I'M
folds the sweetest flower of its sig
nificance, where the disciples, rehelrs-
the details OF the event, tell how Je-
sus twas known to them in the break
ing of bread"
Whatever may be thought of the
narrative as a report of things act
ually happening. it is a lovely para
DE of spiritual realities. How inter
estlng and suggestive that He was
not known to them by any sign that
marked Him as the Messiah or in any
way pre-eminent. but by one of the
simplest things He had ever done in
their presence. One likes to think of
their recalling something pleasant in
His manner, some happy, grateful
look upon His face, as If He were
Gods minister in answering the pray
er, Give US this day our daily bread"
which He had taught them when they
asked Him how to pray. Perhaps the
time when He sat at the table with
them was the time when the conscious
burden of His ministry was least OPP
pressive and He unbent Himself in
the most intimate and friendly man
ner.
1t is very lovely TO be thought OF
alive and remembered when dead as
doing kind and pleasant things. Among
the thousands of exaggerated and pre-
tentious epitaphs in Mount Auburn
there is one which reads: she was so
pleasant" l think it one of lne most
enviable. And there are many wo-
men and as many men who earn it
perfectly. They do not strive nor cry,
but wherever they go and whatever
they do they diffuse an atmosphere of
comfort and content. They rake sick
people well ard sad people merry.
They dispel the gloom from anxious
hearts and the fevered pulse is quoted
at the cool fountain of their unfailing
cheer
A great many persons are known to
their families and friends in the same
way as Jesus was known in the New
Testament story by their behavior at
the morning. MONDAY or evening meal
Joy of the street" says the proyln-
cial proverb. Curse of the home. 1t
is proverb which fits many people
like a glove. There are men who
spend all their pleasantness and gay
ETY. on their companions in business
and at the club and have only sour
looks and cross words at home. There
are women who can smile and smile"
at the afternoon reception and the
evening party and be anything but
agreeable in the uneventful round of
and women are in this uneyentful
round goes far not only to show their
true character but to make it what 1t
Is for better or worse.
Francis Bacon said: God hangs
the greatest weights upon the smallest
wires" That would be dangerous me-
chanics were not the wires so many
3,, "a !,
strength as that of the cables on
which our great suspension bridges
swing in air. The atomic theory may
be true or false in physics; it is GER
tainly true upon the spiritual plane
All great actions, characters and
events are prepared fer in silence and
obscurity in innumerable little seem
ingly unimportant actions, refusals, &C
ceptances, dispositions. The roots Of
a great character spread ont like the
roots Of a great tree. ten thousands
filamarts drawing their virtue from
the dark earths and secret springs
and yielding each its proper Increment
to that great strength with which the
tree or character filings its branches
and defies the storm. Men and wo-
men are best known as they are most
surely fashioned by such little seem
ingly petty actions as the breaking
of bread or the making Of it or the
tasks necessary for the honest earning
of 1t, because the whole character
rushes into expression in every part
because every part reports the sound
v-,1rnrt4.Huauc ~ +hn 1syhOIa r.,
which it has contributed its due pro
portion of those elements which in
their aggregation and coordination