Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-10-13


hillsides, or sitting by the seashore or
watching the mad rush OF the whirlpool
rapids or Niagara falls, or when we
are in the presence OF the pyrotechnics
OF thunderstorm, or when we watch a
bird build her nest. or the wild flower
lift up its checks 20 be kissed by the
sunbeams In mountain glen, or when
we hear the ripping OF the brook leap
Ing over the rocks to find a bathing
pool in which the feathered songsters
can take their morning bath. And OF
all places where the voice of the Lord
can be heard distinctly speaking to us
1 believe that voice can best be heard
in the "silent places" of nature, far
away from the habitations of man. IL
human being cannot hear the voice OF
the Lord i'm the woods ana on the
boundleSs prairies or from the deck OF
a steamer or sailing ship cutting the
waters of the mighty deep, then 1 be-
lieve 1t is almost impossible for him To
hear the divine voice speaking under
cathedral tower or from pulpit I'm the
village kirk. Yet some people make a
boast that for them the lips OF nature
are absolutely dumb. In IL they can
neither hear the love OF man nor the
love of God calling them to the better
and the nObler and the higher life.
Deaf TO Voice of Nature.
Nine. de Stael was the great French
leader OF a Partisan salon. She was
the one woman whom Napoleon 1.
feared more than the marshaled armies
OF any crowned head OF Europe. She
was the brilliant daughter Of a famous
father. She was exiled from Napo-
Icons capital ON account of Ler sway
over the minds OF the French people
Yet she once declared that when the
voice OF nature spoke to her it always
spoke to deaf ears. Said she: ''If was
In Naples would not care IL 1 never
lifted the curtain OF my room and look
ed out of my hotel window at the bay
so many people rave about. would
not go ten feet to see the grandeur and
the sublimity OF the sun capped Alps
But would be willing to travel clear
around the world to hear brilliant
man talk whom / had never met be-
fore"
Sad, sad, such n testimony as that.
If man is deaf to the voice of God cali
Ing TO him i'm the silent places" of ma
ture he is deaf to some of the sweetest
and clearest pleadings of the divine
love. For my own part never see the
wild flowers growing either i'm valley
or upon mountain height but they call
to me: Friend. consider the lilies OF
the fields. Christ Is weaving for me my
garments. Shall he not clothe his hu.
man children, o We OF little faitb?' I
never see mother bird caring for her
young but she calls to me: II am
sparrow. God feeds me. God will feed
YOU" ! never stand before a great
natural wonder, like Kilauea or Yosem-
lite or GOthard pass, but over it and
underneath 1t and all around it myrl-
ads OF voices are calling from the "sl-
lent places" OF natUre as the voice OF
the Lord called to Moses out of the
burning bush: Take thy shoes of
from thy feet, for this is holy ground.
Thou art now in the presence of thy
Maker. am God. Listen to me and
obey me. 1 am God, who made ali
things, the omnipotent and omniscient
and omnipresent God. Canst thou not
trust him who holds the sea I'm the
palm of his hand, who can look upon
the earth and make ii tremble. who
can touch the hills with his finger and
make them smoker
The care and the protection of the di.
vine Fathers love always speak to me
in the "silent places" OF nature. Many
years ago the voices OF nature sounded
for me their divine lessons in one
mighty chorus. stood upon Obserya.
ton point and looked Off upon the won.
derful Grand canyon OF Yellowstone
park. 1t is one OF the most marvellous
places OF the world. There before you
is valley smooth as the floor of a
great cathedral, yet large enough to
gather into II one OF the nations of the
world. From each side OF this floor
rise two precipitous basaltic walls over
thousand feet In height, SCARED and
scanned with battling the elements OF
the ages. down which at intervals de-
tached rocks thunder. dulling the crash
OF artillery. Here the Rock OF Ages"
or richest blood red tinge, glittcrs
and sparkles in the evening twilight
From yonder cliff fortress seems TO
loom, on whose watchtower keen eyed
eagles have perched their eyries. from
which ever and anon one rises and.
flying I'm graceful circles, with sweep
or eye reconnOiters the land. Yonder
soar up Moran AID Bierstadt points.
from whose heights those artists paint
ed their famous pictures. varied In
every hue and capped with cOronets OF
green foliage. There the river. with
serpentine and graceful windings.
slowly crawls along TO empty her wa
ters Into the sea. Then suddenly, like
q mad horse. she rears herself and
takes the bit into her teeth. With
foaming flank and wild roar she dashes
and makes one awful leap over the
dizzy heights OF Yellowstone falls.
There, breaking into millions of pearls.
she hides herself behind n curtain OF
white, at the foot of which glIstens a
rainbow. fitting passementerie for
the robe or an angel And so perfect
there Is the symmetry OF the horizon
that you cannot tell whether the wa
tiers were lost behind curtains of earth
ly mist or curtains or heavenly cloud.
stupendozs Scene.
A scene stupendous, canopied by
arch OF heaven and lit by light OF sun,
No one spoke. 1t seemed as though the
angel who had once stood at the gate
or paradise had again unsheathed the
sword or fire and cut a deep cash into
old Mother Earth deep enough to take
out her very heart. Then as we stood
there my father with his deep voice
said, What a magnificent place in
which the nations OF the world could
be gathered and assembled before the |
Judgment seat OF Christi ''Yea, yea"
We all answered. 'And what q mag
nifcent place." / said, for men and
women to come and learn about the
mercies of the gospel OF Jesus Christ! |
II q sinner would not feel the presence |
or loving God here he would not feel l
IL anywhere" Aye" said father. |
that Is true" AS we listened to the
voice OF God calling out of the silence OF |
Yellowstone park, so you may hear the
efs.r. IL.