The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-04-12
THE ANNUAL MIRACLE.
The Beautiful Story of the Coming Of
Spring, And It's Meaning.

The annual miracle Is developing
The earliest spring flowers are m
bloom. The delicate perfume of the
violet and the jonquil are in the air.
Just beneath the surface of the earth
the Others are ready, waiting eagerly
for the time when they may put aside
the thin partition between them and
The light and spread their varied
forms OF beauty before the sun which
has brought them life through in
finite distance. The trees, like virgin
brides. tiniidly conscious OF their own
beauty. begin to deck themselves in
their summer garments and show us
pale. lovely suggestion Of the green
that will be so vivid and luxuriant in
Tune. We have more light than dark
ness now. the sunshine is with us
longer than the night shadows. Pres
emily we shall have the sweet, slow
evenings and gently lowering twilight
OF the late spring and summer. All
these things seemed very far away a
month or two ago, while the bitter
cold, the long. black nights and the
gloomy days Of winter were upon us
The story OF the coming of the
spring is familiar and the meaning Of
it should be written IN Our hearts to
keep alive hope and fai,h and good
cheer. Many of US have needed them,
many OF US do need them, al! of us
shall need them in the days to come
All of us have known, k2ow or
must know times OF fear and gloom
when deliverance seems far away and
happiness impossible. individuals
and families endure years OF it-years
OF poverty, humiliation, anguish and
bitterness OF many kinds. Willing
and faithful labor brings no reward
but daily renewal OF the struggle for
the bare and scanty needs OF life.
Other willing hands are denied even
the opportunity to labor. The mis-
take OF a moment OF weakness, of
yielding or over-conhdence bring
trains OF disaster apparently endless.
Sins hastily done and repented in
misery bring consequences which
seem blacker and heavier and harder
TO bear as years go by. We go down
until we think we have reached the
bottom of distress and the limit of
desolation, and shudder to discover
yet lower depths awaiting us; and Our
very souls within US cry out against
the anguish and the darkness, some
times the horrible degradation, often
the laceration OF our sensibilities
Even when our little harmless vanities
and with what pathetic fondness we
cling to hem!-have been torn from
us by hard and remorseless circum-
stances. our poor remnants of pride
are bruised and tortued pitilessly. We
ponder desperately within ourselves
whether there is any limit to our pun
ishment for sin or error, for neglect
or misuse OF opportunity. whether
what we have done or left undone
may never be expiated by suffering.
None OF us is exempt. Sorrow and
loss and pain. the wretchedness so
closely akin to utter despair that the
dividing line is lost. come to all men
and women. the rich and poor, proud
and humble. strong and weak, good
and bad. young and old Black disas-
ter falls suddenly. like pail from
clcudless skies and hides from US
the glory. the light and the beauty OF
the world. leaving us to deal with the
sqralor. the gloom and the hardness
OF =. Ruin creeps upon us like an in
visible, destroying fend OF the air.
Our dearest, iondest. most confident
hopes die in the darkness of the
night, the morning does not come and
the merc;ful oblivion of sleep is denied
us. Dreary days and weary nights
follow each other in bleak procession
and. looking ahead, We see no rescue
nor prospect
Yet every year the springtime
comes. bright and fragrant. balmy
and beautiful. and the long summer
days of sunshine, rustling leaves and