The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-27

From the Nashville Tennessean.
Edwin Markham, the distinguished
poet is the latest authority to pay high
tribute to the literary value OF Jesus
writings. Mr.. Markham says the meth
DDS of Jesus are essentially those of the
poet, in that his chief appeal is to the
| heart and imagination. General ex-
lhortation is lacking in the writings of
the Savior, who is constantly picturesque
and definite In His appeals. This extract
| from an estimate of Jesus as a poet,
printed in a current magazine, shows
| the high estimate placed upon the Mas
| ter's work by Mr.. Markham:
| I'm all these vlgnettes, how swift and
easy Is the craftsman's stroke Motto
the Attic parsimony of expression. where
the phrases are as frugal of word as
the later etchings of whistler are fru
gal OF line. Bold are the poetic figures
Of Jesus. With q sudden word or phrase
he seizes the attention, rouses the imagi-
nation: Let the dead bury the dead
If these should hold their peace the
stones would cry out The words break
| forth like the clear notes of a bugIe.
When Jesus would prophesy The over
throw of the world-spirit, He crowds the
thing into one majestic smile-T saw
Satan fall as lightning from heaven.
He does the thing with one unsurpass-
able metaphor that lies forever burning
against their name-'whited sepulchers.
Not Millions priests that are blind
mouths not Shakespeare's crowns that
are 'gilded perturhations. has the ter
rife energy and import Of this phrase
of the Galilean poet. Indeed. fragments
of His savings are flying over the world
ar shorthand of thought. Only Shake
10 nd IA q sn
primitive) has given us SO rich a liter
i airy currency-so many phrases that mint
human ideas for all time, phrases that
are inevitable, like carnations and crys-
| tails
Jesus enforces principle by Selling on
| definite and radical images, the mark
of the poetry OF intensity. He had the
| poets art that makes common things
speak wildly the spiritual facts OF our
existence. The tree Of evil fruit is not
merely ignored; 1t is hewn down, and
hewn al the root; nor is it left 10 rot
| it Is cast into the fire. The man who
sets his hand to the pillow OF the king
dom might think that to hold on was
quite enough. but this Is not enough:
he is told that he must not even look
back. Again, the rich do not have mere
| difficulty in entering heaven; they seem
shut out: 1T Is easier for a camel to 20
through the needles eye than for a rich
man to enter into the Kingdom of God
| And the men of the new life are figured
not merely as willing servants. but rather
| as eager servants standing through the
long night watches with robes upsathercd
in their hand. with lamps trimmed and
burning. all ready to spring to the door
at the FIRST knock of the returning
Master
The influence which Jesus words have
| had on all writer's since His time proves
| clearly the gripping power they possess
In literature. in politics. and in the world
| o. business the great leaders find Their
aphorisms in the word of the Great
Teacher HIS appeal Is so universal tina;
| al -aodrrn literature wonld re spineIes.
were His direct and indirect influence
borrowed from it, The time will never
co-re when another book will supplant the
Bible as literary model.
|
"How Srarper IT, an = Serpent's Tootr, ,
| From, r erybe7v's.
An ,rri' able o. farmer and his unyain
iy, slouching son were busy grubbin
sprouts one hot, sultry day, when thu
old man suddenly stumbled over a email
stump
Gosh durn that everlasting sturnpr'
he exclaimed. II wish 1t was In help
The son slowly Strengthened up from
his work and gazed reproachfully at his
father.
why. you ouphtn't to SAY 'thst pap
he ORA wied. "You might stumble ovci
Thai af,rpp aS'in some dax.'s