The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-02-20
THE EAGLE AND THE SERPENT.

More than once has been witnessed
by observant naturalists a deadly
struggle in mid-air between an eagle
In full flight and serpent 1t has
grasped in its talons The writhing
reptile, helpless prey at the center of
It's body, has yet both extremities
free, and with one flexible writhe
struggles to AK and tighten a suffo-
eating coil around the throat of it's
captor, while with the other, 1t secures
purchase on tapping wing, drag
ging II down in its strong pulsation
and straining to pinion 1t closer and
ever closer to the body Soon loss of
equilibrium begins to betray itself In
the eagles flight Over and over it
is seen to reel, recovering itself again
only to become more hopelessly en-
tangled, till at last, inextricably man
acled or outright strangled, it drops
like a stone to the ground.
How picturesque a symbol this of
the kindred struggle enacting itself
throughout all generations In the pa
thetic destiny of man; symbol of the
grim fight unto death and aloft even
In the highest ether to which he
mounts, between the eagle or soaring
element in his being and the reptilian,
creeping on the ground! What need to
multiply illustrations? The vigorous,
healthy brain in the suffocating coil Of
weak and gasping lungs; the tender
affectionate heart chilled and paralyzed
In its pulse-beat of love by the en-
brace of cold-blooded apathy; genius
dragged down by poverty to grind in
the treadmill of sordid cares; enthusi-
astic hope for family, country, church,
broken-winged by bereavement, dis
ease, treachery, coarse materialism of
spirit-ever, through all the ages, is
encountered the witness of their I'M
dying warfare. All literature is full of
it. Every heartfelt psalm means with
it's pain or exults with its triumph.
1t is in all litanies and prayers of
supplication. Music sets it to sym
phonies and anthems in which the
mighty masters strain to commingle
every note of wall or thanksgiving, of
sob or hush of peace, that can be
wrung out of planning viol, throbbing
drum, ringing bugle, or pealing organ.
Not the victory, however, of the
reptilian over the eagle or soaring
element-not this is the theme of
those who-the Isaiahs, the st. Johns,
the Dantes, Millions and Beethovens-
have uttered the highest and sublim-
est in epic, lyric, symphony, requiem
or anthem. Only the reality, the
pathos, the pain of the conflict, this
they all profoundly recognized. For
fain would they speak home to the
quivering sensibilities of their brothers
In flesh and blood. In compassionate
sympathy, would they draw nigh to
the spectacle of the highest and most
aspiring in the soul in it's deadly
wrestle with what their own personal
experience has revealed to them as
possessed of such stealthy, sinewy, as
phyxiating power. But this once ten
derby expressed, all the sublimest man
takes form as a Miriam song of
thanksgiving Tor deliVerance out OF the
Red sea, as striking of the ringing
cymbals in triumphant faith that
health, not disease, love, not dispair,
life not death, are the eternal powers
which, as finality, rule the world.
In every man or woman, yes. in
every fibre and blood globule of man
or woman, is there something Of the
eagle or soaring element; Of that
which yearns for and exults in free
flight and wide ranging under the
unhindering vault of the blue sky.
No capacity in us that has once been
awakened and given taste of what
glories of creation respond to it--no
endowment of intellect, affection, con-
science, without longing setting in
for happy, nesting indwelling in it's
blessed realm. But alas! how soon