Evening capital., 1905-04-22
!. SATURDAY NIGHT TALKS !
! Flood Tide of the Soul.
BY F. E. DAWSON.
April %. '05.-CJohn I2:12-26.)

BY F. E. DAWSON.

aroused over anything. In business
politics, and religion, it is all the
same. They are not affected TO any
outward seeming by any of the events
that thrill and agitate other minds.
They seem TO think il a bad sign 10
take a deep interest in any subject
under the sun. They pride them
selves on the calm. judicial attitude
they occupy toward every subject
which interests the rest of the world.
Such people would have been
strangely out of place in the city
of Jerusalem when Jesus Of Nazareth
made his triumphal entry. The city
of David had seen many crowds and
professions during its long history.
but never had such an uprising of tho
populaee taken place as was seen that
day. For the first and last time the
Messiah had assumed his kingly rights
and as the Son Of David accepted the
homage of the multitude. For days
and weeks the mighty tides of popular
enthusiasm had been gathering. It
had been rolling up from every quar-
ter of the land. and had been held
in check only by the Masters steady
hand
But now, at last, the ancient Feast
OF Tabernacles had come and the
Iong-expected king presented himself
to the Jews as their Messiah. Three
million people looked upon that scene
and joined in that triumphal entry.
Two vast streams met and mingled
at the city gates, while shouts of
"Hosanna to the Son of David rent
the air SO frantic with joy were the
spectators that as the king passed
in regal state upon the royal beast
of burden. they tore the branches from
the trees and strewed them in the
way that he might not be contaminat-
ed with common clay And in the
transport Of their Joy they tore their
garments from their shoulders and
made a glorious carpet for His ad-
varcing feet.
There were children in that crowd
as in all professions who ran before,
and followed after. making the vel
kin ring with their happy voices, dane
ing and laughing and scattering flow
ers before Him whom they had learn
ed to love as the children's friend.
But even there the dull. cold, sneer-
ing faces of the objectors appeared
and their harsh criticisms of the pro.
cession. and the shouts and the whole
4Nn limo
of ravens amid a whole heaven-f'ill
of larRs. They could see nothing to
get excited about. This was tempo
rary ebullition of popular emotion that
would soon die out. AS for them, they
preferred the solemn and stately wor-
ship of the fathers than this running
after new things.
These cold-b1ooded people have left
a numerous progeny. Stolid. matter
of fact. impossible of arousement, they
are the despair of preacher and teach
er. and all those who have to do
with them. Who wants a wooden
Christianity. or a logical Christianity
only? It loses its power when it loses
ifs pathos. Every religion goes down
ward when it loses the power of ex-
citing the highest. most intelligent
and most courageous enthusiasm.
Not one man in ten thousand needs
TO be cautioned against decorum. 1t
is no credit to any person to be al
ways standing, shivering, gnawing the
dry stones of logic, never having seen.
and never caring to see the blossom,
the fruit. the ecstaey of unutterable
emotion. The soul is a winged crea-
ture and should have its moments OF
transport and ecstacy.
This is true in all the matters OF
life. The musician is not always
pounding out the scale. His soul
catches its divine flame, he is set on
fire with the frenzy of music. and the
great orators leap. and dance and
thunder over the heads of wondering
thousands. So of art. so of oratory.
so of invention. There is not a great
masterpiece in the world today that
Is not the result of the enthusiasm OF
some great soul When your founda-
ton is strong and enduring it matters
little how high you carry the walls
of your superstructure.
It is a great thing to be capable
of taking fire to say and do things to
make cold critics frown. The enthu-
siast is the pathfinder, the builder, the
engineer of the ages. He points out
the path Of progress, his flag floats
on the highest pinnacles. He has
visions and realizes them. He dreams
dreams and brings them to pass. It
Is his spade which digs the canals,
his pick which moves the mountains,
his powder which blasts the obstruc-
tions. his drills which bore tunnels,
and his name which IS recorded high
est on the scroll of fame.
Such men are entitled to triumphal
proeessions when they come to their
own. They are no more upset by ap-
plause than was Jesus of Nazareth.
No great man ever is. Popular admi-
ration may be to some men a snare.
but it is not to one who is really
king in his own realm by divine
right. Some people are so afraid OF
doing karin that they never express
anv approval with any warmth lest
they should unduly exalt and pun up
4he object. More worthy objects have