Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-15
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kind appreciation or gratitude. and it is
continuing as before. unruff1ed and undis-
turbed. when the returns do not come
Liege lords and potentates. masters ana
monarchs are we all when We fly our hags
of freedom from the tyrannies of every
day vexatlons.
Trees
Planted in the earth imbibe the air and
the soil: they drink deeply and delciously
from the rains and the vivifying sunlight
Thus they wax and expand into strength
and fertility. yielding their fruit. present
ing loneliness to the eyes. sheltering the
ground That which they received from
cloud and sun and earth is transmitted mys-
teriously into the glorious gifts of fruit and
foliage and timber which they offer bird
and beast and man.
Through simple realization of themselves,
through the mere, attaining the measure OF
their stature and magnificent strength
they confer boon to the earth that begets
them. And the more they have got from
the sun and sky. the more they can give
the better fruit they yield, the broader
shelter they offer the more sublime their
beauty.
SO with us We receive that which sus-
tains and vitaiizes our beings, and ali that
we receive we give 10 others. we breathe
the air We drink of the flowing rivers, We
eat of the fruits of the earth NO, we I'VE
on that which is more than meat. we
feed on thought and on that which Is more
than thought. We have not only our nat
ural body to feed; we have spiritual body
II is for us to give our spiritual body
that which sustains and strengthens 1t, not
to starve it. not to dwarf its beauties and
powers We feed on dreams of beauty
on visions Of the spirit, on outpourings or
the divine on rays from invisible suns of
unspeakable light. We feed on that which
unfolds thought, enl3rges and purifies the
heart. expands, exaltS, transigureS lnteIli-
gence and viii.
And an that we gain for ourselves, like
the tree. we can give again to the world
In receiving we can give; In getting we
bestow; in learning we can help
The
Reading habit is valuable when rightly
used. It is one of the best means Of men
tai Improvement and development. But
when our reading is not regulated or con-
troled when we read anything merely
for the sake OF reading something, and
often only TO escape thought, it may become
a positive injury to the mind as wei as
ruiuous to all independent thought.
We should read to get other peoples
ideas, that we may compare them with our
own, and assimilate those we find TO our
liking. But reading, we must always re-
member, Is not the highest form of mental
exercise 1t is much more profitable to us
In every way to think out a subject our
selves and form our own conclusions about
it than it Is to read the opinions of the
most able authority in the world. The
mental strength and advancement we get
through such work tends far more to our
development, and it is quite true that our
opinions may be quite as correct as an
others.
Best Of all it is to think out the matter
first, and then read the thoughts of an
other on the subject. thus comparing
adopting. or rejecting, and digesting the
whole for our own use. Feeblest and
weakest of all it is to refuse to think and
to quote this or the other writer's ideas
which we have happened 10 read. 1t is
a solemn truth that people too often read
because they are too lazy to think
A Letter
Of coincidence need not he long. a few
words spoken from fun heart, freighted
with sincerity, are enough.
In the life of Mrs. Elizabeth Prentiss one
finds a great many letters to friends in
afliction. To one she wrote: Having
dwelt in an obscure. sometimes dark, val
ley and then passed out into a bright place
in life, l am full of tenderest yearning
over other souls and would gladly spend
my whole time and strength for them It
seems to me that God must be preparing
you for great usefulness by these fiery
trials What you want is 10 let your intel
lect go overheard, If need be, and to take
what God gives, Just as little child takes
il, without money and without price No
process of reasoning can ever soothe the
mothers empty. aching heart, but faith
can. My dear friend. do not let this great
tragedy fail to do everything for you. II is
a dreadful thing to lose children but a lost
sorrow is the most fearful experience that
life can bring. 1t has been said that the
intent of a sorrow was to toss US on to
Gods promises.
Sometimes one may simply send a little
hoo
of Whttier's, for example, which lends
themselves to the letter Of coincidence, as
for instance:
That dea III seems but a covered way
Which opens into light,
Wherein no blinded child can stray
Beyond the Fathers sight"