The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-14
IN THE MATTER OF REST.
Climbing High Mountain Makes One
Feel Heaven HiSted."

cumming Il high IOtIntain Makes One
Feel Heaven Histed."
TO the Editor: DIR. Franklin is ac-
credited with saying that the best rest
IS found in a change of employment
rms is very true and can be amended
only by adding a change of surround
inSs. The season of the year is now
upon us when the tired worker who
having struggled with the buffeting
waves or necessity, begins to look
around and sigh for a place of rest.
1t was a wise providence that Sug
gested one day of rest in seven. Added
to that, there was for the CALLED fields
one year of rest in seven, and a grand
jubilee at the end of seven of these
sevenS.
The dust and heat of the lower la
titudes, together with the clang and
roar and din of the city naturally
make one look toward the mountains
with genuine longing for their sill
ent SUBMITS, air Yattitudes, and
sparkling springs as a proper place
for recuperation.
1t was fine inspiration that stirred
in the soul of Eugene Field the fol-
lowing lines:
eff t wern't for sight, and sound, and
smell
I'd like the city pretty we'll;
But when 1t comes to getting rest,
| like the country mucch the best.
at seems to me I'd like to go
Where bells don't ring, nor whistles
blow,
Nor clocks don't strike, nor gongs
sound,
And I'd have stiffness all around.
Sometimes it seems to me I must,
Just quit the city's din and dust,
And get out where the Sky is blue
And, say. now, how does it seem to
you?"
To leave the office, the store, the
factory, the foundry, and with them.
all the sights, sounds and smells of
the city; that one may climb the
rugged mountains. breath the free,
sweet and wholesome air. tramp,
tramp, tramp over field and wood
land, like a deer leaping the interven-
ing streams. beholding the beauty of
grass and flower and st;-'tis
enough to fill the heart of the jaded
servant with an intense desire to be
free.
Whose heart does not respond to
sentiments like the following?
How sweet to smell the gales per-
fume,
And feast the eye on natures bloom;
And on the dewey lawn to rove,
And hear the music of the grove"
1t was an enthusiasm like the above
that gave origin to a story recently
told by DR.. Van Dyke. 1t runs as fol-
lows:
There was a forester whose home
was hard by a very tall mountain
This Old man-for he was old-Was
in the habit of saying that he wanted
to climb to the top of that mountain
just as often and just as long as his
legs could take him there. because it
made his feel so heaven-hist-ed." One
can not think of this crude bit of elo-
quence without being reminded Of
Mrs. BroWning's lines:
Earth is heaven crammed
And every common bush is on fire.
But, maybe, after all, there is more
in the soul than there is in the sur
roundings. To some people every
common bush is aglow with a rehec-
ton of its divine origin, while other
people of other turns of mind, "stand
round and pluck blackberries" To
many it is only given to see the dull
gross exterior, the material outside
while others with spiritual discern
ment look beneath the sordid surface
and see a sweet and angelic soul ali
aflame with purity and vocal with
heavenly song.
Like the skilled sculptor, who, look
ing upon a huge block of granite
rough and uninvitng from the sur
face saw beneath that surface the
beautiful form of an angel, and with
mallet and chisel went to work chip
ping away the rough exterior, which
fell off as q robe of stone, and 10. the
angel form appears in full vision be-
fore the artists eyes.
Emerson is endowed with the same
genius of discernment. for we hear
him sing with the true instinct of a
poet-artiSt:
Let me go where e'er I will.
| hear a high-born music still:
'Tis not in the hi"h stars alone.
Nor in the cups of budding flowers,
Nor i'm the redbreast's mellow tones.
Nor in the bow that smiles in showers
But in the mud and scum of things,
There Away, always something sings"
David also, divinely inspired ex-
claims: "The heavens declare the
glory of God, and the armament
sheweth his handiwork Day unto day
uttereth speech, and night unto night
sheweth knowledge. There is no
speech nor language where their voice