Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-12
SundayMorning ak
The Buried Life.

| But often in the worlds most crowded streets,
But often in the din Of strife.
There rises unSpeakable desire 49,
After the knowledge OF our buried lie.
| Thus Matthew Arnold depicts the yearn-
| ing which now and then comes to man
| for an earlier mood. a former attitude
! lost experience vanished, but not forgot
ten-for the moment out Of reach, but not
| altogether irrecoverable
What have you done with the best part
Of you, my friend? Perhaps you do not
| realize the fact, but you have practically
| dug a grave and deposited therein the
thing that was finest and purest In YOU
| Upon 1t, as the years have como and gone,
you have spread layer after layer OF IN
terest in lesser matters, and now that for
| mer self is sitting for breath.
There was q time when the sweet and
simple satisfaction OF the home meant
good deal to you; when you would snort
en- your luncheon hour in order that you
might get home in season to toss the baby
In your arms. or to have a romp with the
children, or to spend the first half hour
after supper in reading some profitable
book with your wife. But. as the cares OF
this world have thickened, and 'he
deceitfulness of riches and the strus-
gle for them have grown upon
you. the homeseeking and homemak-
ing instinct has become dulled In you.
You aim still to furnish the means OF sup
port for the family and to make them as
ample as possible, but your children miss
the direct touch of your personality upon
| them. Your wife longs for the old, happy,
close cOmradsship, and children and wife
both are beginning to show to others the
lack OF just such an influence as the fath-
eT and husband alone can bring.
Do Won REMAINDER the time when the
| sound of my Country. IT'S OF Thee or
THE Star Spangled Banner" played by
| a marching band thrilled you to the fnger
| tips? Citizenship meant a great deal to
ply to play the game OF politics and TO get
yoar share of the offices but You did work
hard to get the right men into office, 10
keep the standard OF public service high.
TO serve the nation. the state. the COM
nudity In ways accessible to you, because
you believed that patriotism means not
simply going to war in behalf of native
laid, but in times OF peace, vigilance and
attention to the prosaic details that make
| for the welfare of the people. that keep
the water system pure, the schools ana
| libraries up TO par. the moral atmosphere
| free from harmful elements. But. some
how. you have today lost all interest In
practical or theoretical politics. Caucus
night finds you at home instead OF at the
booth You take rather pessimjstc
view OF politics in general. 1t Is TOO
nasty for you to soil your hands with.
Religion once had charm for you. Ii
seemed to offer An explanation OF the
mysteries Of this life; 1t furnished inspi-
ration for manly living day by day. You
felt the contagion OF noble lives lived
under the influence of religion and re-
joced to feel yourself part Of that noble
company who
Through lfes long days OF strife
Still chant their morning song.
But the zest and power Of religion have
somehow disappeared Not merely that
you have ceased going to church regular
Iy. or if you go. you do SO perfunctor4ly,
but YOU are aware that the fires OF a SEN
stt;re religious feeling experience no long
er glow.
TOO bad, indeed is it that these varied
types OF buried life exist all about
us Those rare. beautiful growths
OF other years needed TO be tend
ed and not to be choked. and il
is not their fault that they have been
nearly suffocated by 'other things enter
ing in and choking them. But 1t 1s not
too late to resurrect them. The spring Is
here again. A great many things that We
thought were dead are now awakening
to new life. You can never be sure that
what you thought had gone forever IL
beyond reviving. Give that which was
best and still Is best In you fresh
chance Remove the layers of worldli-
ness, selfshness, pride, ambition that
weigh down upon the buried life. Give 1t
light and air and fair chance, and see
how wondrously beautiful and strong 1t
vet can become. THE PARSON.