The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-09-19
Suppressed.


ed to use along the outside OF the
sidewalk. A few days later they re-
moved the blocks and the space that
had been covered was marked by a
fringe OF beautiful, fresh, vlvldly
green grass grown up through the
crevices between the bricks. In an
other few days the grass had dlsap-
oeared, scorched to death by the heat
of the August sun, trampled by many
needless feet The grass had been
there all the time and the seeds Of it
are there, dormant and hidden, now.
Guarded and shaded a little from the
sun. protected from the trampling
feet, i grew to life and beauty. EN-
posed and unprotected, it was burn
ed and beaten down.
All nature is crowded with para
bles. allegories and lessons, from
which we may learn if we will but OBJ
serve and think a little, and we may,
find them in the smallest and COM
monest things that live OF grow as
in the unmeasured and immeasurable
sweep and spread of the planets, stars
and systems Of space. This little
story OF the grass springing to lite
and dying illustrates the truth, ia
miliar 20 US all and forgotten by us
all, of the universal seeds Of good in
human nature. The seeds are every
where. We do not believe in them
because we do not see them. Like
the grass, they need shelter and shade
to tempt them forth.
Everything in nature needs help.
The wild things deal directly with
God and in the woods and fields grow
as His laws allot them strength and
light and darkness, rain and sun
shine to their needs. When we cul-
tivate and tame them we train them
to BE- dependent on our care and air.
AS we organize civilized society we
make man more dependent on man,
and then withdraw our guardian
ship and neglect to cultivate and pro-
tect. We create social conditions
which make OUT brother and sister
need our keeping and refuse to be
their keepers. The seeds Of the viz
tues and graces are left to lie dor
mant and unfruitful, discouraged by
the blazing, cruel heat Of the stress
and strife Of life, by the tramping
of hurrying, grinding feet. When
they tinidly and doubtfully peer out
through the crevices Of hard sur
roundings, promptly obedient to some
temporary opportunity, we leave
them to die again, parched. We
trample over them and beat them
doun-we busy people intent on our
Own affairs.
The gentle dew that illustrates the
quality of mercy does not come dl-
rect from Heaven. 1t rises from the
earth, as it is ordained to do so by
the laws made in Heaven. From the
earth and mankind, obeying the or
dinances OF rhe Creating Power,
should come the mercy and care to
st-eauthcn and help and ennoble man
Kind. We are made responsible.
The earth teens with suppressed lie
everywhere. Very rarely. il a; all.
car we say that we have made it
yield all there is in it. Where the
clover spreads fairest and blooms
most luxuriantly, where the corn or
wheat stand thickest, there is always
the possibility OF stimulating and cul-
tivating the land to induce it to bring
forth more. In the most pi:ifully bar
rem and scorched spots, even in the
busiest streets Of the cities where
brick and cobblestone and asphalt
cover the ground and make dreary
prospect there is life in the ground
waiting to come forth responsive to
a Jew days OF rest. to the faintest
hope OF living. The whea: spilled in
the marts where it is not crush
By wheels and hoofs will lind earth
enough in which to germinate. The
seed carried by bird to the top OF a
+La duet