Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-04-24

Bible belongs to the childhood of the
race, to the days when men took life
less seriously and when they cared less
than we do for the scientific explana-
lions that lie back of phenomena Life
was simpler the universe was smaller !:
their gods were nearer and more easily
understood. AS we have passed from
childhood perhaps it has been unavoid-
able that we should lose some of the IL
responsibility and simplicity of those
days.
Sometimes it seems, however, as if
the race had lost childhood and passed
over manhood, as if we have grown pre-
maturely old. We have forgotten the
child,s smile, but have not found in the
mans heart deep happiness. 1t is d
poor kind of progress we have made,
as race, If we have found in the
passing centuries no deeper springs of
JOY than we knew long ago. We take
our religion not too seriously, but too
gloomily. 1t would be better to Wor-
ship with the ignorant simplicity and
the genuine gayety of those who once
danced before their affairs than to con-
tinue perfunctorily to go through the
motions Of manufactured and mourn
full mimicry. Ii your piety is pain
full thing to you and a pleasureless
thing to others it probably is all pre-
tense after all.
If we have forsaken the garlands of
| Greece and the festivals of Judea, what
of jOyousnesS has Christianity in their
stead? If the Christianization of the
nations means that the whole world is
TO be uniformly clad i'll somber suits
of Sunday blacks, with countenances 60
match, it can only be regarded as a
| doubtful benefit.
1t is no use talking about the bless
| ings of faith unless we look and act
| as if we really are blessed. 1t is nc
use believing in cloudleSS heaven il
we pass all these days in the shadows
| The 10y Of the Lord is of little use IN
| this world unless it is the kind Of a
| joy that man can see and desire to
| share.
We are the people of the stores OF
| knowledge and the laden houses OF
goods; but, alas, we walk through them
with empty hearts, for we have not
vet learned how to live. We are pick
| ing I'D life's lead and deSpising its gold
We are blind to the sweetness and light
| i'm life. to the wayside flowers of JOY
to the deep sources of thankfulness.
| We need to lift up our eyes to see
how good a world this is, how fair its
morns, how bright it's moons, how glorl
ous it's evening light we are too much
with the little, tangled chaos OF our
own making, too little with Gods great
glowing universe, that compels the up
| lifted eve, the expanded chest, and the
singing heart.
| We need to take our faces from oul
ledgers and to look into other races te
learn larger faith and love for men, &c
rejoice in friendships, to find the thrill
of the broad and upward way, TO INC
time to live and let the making OF
living take care of itself for while.
After all. all our shadows come from
orr suicidal selfishness, and gladness
| doom and enduring is found only In tine
life of self-giving. There will always
h, a song in the heart when the hands
are busy with loves service. the bes'
wav to sing to the Lord is to serve oul
fellows for so our song starts another
| o,, +barn ia q chorus of heavenly
| haDDineSS.