The Newtown bee., 1906-05-04

Some of the best sermons have been preached from the stage! Some of the best theology has been restated in the theater, and were it not for the perverted tastes of the people at large the stage might be to-day one of our best and most popular ways of teach ing highest law.
 Novels, good and indifferent, teach also the precepts of Jesus and picture to us, as does the theater, only less vividly, all phases of life, giving con- crete examples of ruin for evil and re- ward for Righteousness. The author must needs make heroic real manhood, real wOmanhOOd, no matter the pres ent-day snObishnesS, the passing fol- lies. The gospels hold up Christ, perfect man. to every age, and novels likewise continue to hold up ideal men to all readers. In Christ's day the sins were: cOldneSS, pretence, intem- perance, avarice, cruelty. The times nave not much changed, yet every au- thor knows that the true standard is still the standard; hence, no matter, life, it's ruts, it's failings, the heroes of our novels will continue to be manly men, the heroines womenlY women!
 1nstinctively
 AS WE READ, WE SEEK THE GOOD,
 we dislike the evil. Thus do our na- lures recognize divine law! And thus as the plot increases in interest do we hasten, do we become partisans, to pass judgement, to be angry, to be sad, anxious, pleased, relieved. The au- thor painted true picture; he had a heart as we'll as mind,- he saw, he felt, and as he brings before us men and women; we accept his created world because he has been true to the best that we know in our world. If the story writer had been a rich man, and If he had attempted to hold up to us and to make reasonable extrava- gance, self-eSteem, arrogance, licen- tiOusness, his book would not have been read for the public does not ac- cept such standards. We may not have the means to buy all the con- forts that wealth can command, yet we will not say that even the luxuries Of this world are of as great import ance as are the more lasting and the more enjoyable possessions of the mind and SOnl.
 Divine law, eternal truth announced by Christ or before him, or not before revealed, is stated and restated in ev- cry plot and entanglement of every novel. God is not mocked, men may be deaf to his voice, yet over and again, in the most trashy novel as we'll as in the masterpieces of master-men, he will announce his desire, he will show us the ideal way! Man stands con- demned by every novel that he reads, not because the book is light, but be- cause there is in it Truth and Ideal! The reader may say, "Yes," "Yes," "That is so," yet in actual life his honf m V ho fo fp0v,o n 1ooiro <o yoo like what he is reading and admires as is Zenith from Nadir. That is as much of a condemnation of the reader as a reading of the Bible and not heed ing it's truths. Truth comes in various channels then; hence W hen we are intereS te d, when we assent we have had restated to us truth and God holds us the more responsible, the more account able. IN POETRY WE FIND OLD TRUTH IN
 NEW CARE, new truth, for God reveals only as much IS each age can understand. The story teller has repeated for us the | he has preached for us | again the Sermon on the Mount," he | las written the biography of Jesus in new form. The poet has done these ;hings and more. He has sung again with David, and with the ancient Psalmists; he has caused to vibrate the 'trings of new harp, and in our ec- tasy we have felt what the mind 'ould not reason, what the eye could lot not see! Our best poetry is theol- 'gy, even better than theology, for the- 'logy is definition, while poetry is as- 'iration. The poet makes us to want o know, makes us to feel after; hoping where we cannot see, waiting where ve have not strength.
 Especially do we see truth restated a the history of nations. There was easOn for the enforcement of AsSvria.