Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-06-10
,(RY ]. @. Osborn.)

1By J. @. OSborn.)
We read of a time when the morning
stars sang together" We understand
this is to imply that the material uni
verse is so contented that its very
motions EVEN are in tune, that planets,
suns and starts are forever singing as
they shine" Perhaps each separate
star, as it came from its Makers hand,
struck its own peculiar note, and as it
swung off to it's appointed place in
the infinite constellation, caught the
keynote, and blended with the mighty
anthem, "the music of the spheres"
Coming nearer home we must be-
lieve that man, the last and noblest
of the Creators works, comes under
the same law. In the Creators plan
each individual has his part, sings his
little song, or plays his little accom-
paniment The thing for us to do is
to be sure we have the key so that our
little melody shall harmonic with the
grand chorus.
And in a more personal view each
life is a little song complete in itself
! if only it is in tune. Such was Gods
| thought, we may well imagine, when
He said of man, HE is very good"
But the tempter came, and sin has
wrought havoc with the strings and
keys, and discord instead of harmony
prevailed, until in the ''fulness of time"
the Master Musician came. and struck
anew the keynote so loud and clear
that all must notice.
Longfellow has sung THE Psalm of
Life" and we refrain. Dropping met
aphore let us think of it little as re-
lated to our every day affairs. the
commonplaces, hundrums, routines
with which we must mostly secure
ourselves. For these, after all, fill up
the measure, or mar and spoil the mel
ody.
For the most part our daily avoca-
lions are determined for US by the
pressure Of the most unpoetic things,
the necessity of food, raiment and
shelter Our physical needs compel US;
there is no escape. We are children |
of the dust OF the earth, but into us
has been implanted a spark of the !
divine essence-"The Breath of Life"
Emerson was it not who said, who |
sweeps a room as by thy law makes it
the reasonabIeness of the command, |
six days shalt thou labor, and do all |
thy work." and we obey. But the spir |
1t in which we approach our task, |
there is the keynote. There is a diff /
ference between the slave cringing I'M
der the drivers lash, or the miser i'm
PEELED by an insatiate greed OF gain,
and the free born child of God, labor
ing that he may live, and living that
he may honor God and bless his fell
low men. AS in the old plantation
days.
When go to the field the soft
cotton to hoe
Il think OF my Dinah and sings
as l co." !
or that other, 'Tt is sweat to labor for
those we love-" And when we come to
realize that work is form of worship.
and that work is an expression OF love,
then is our toll TRANSPORTED Every
task becomes a strain in the music;
every motion of the muscle q note in
the song, as with oar-beat and heart
beat we bound over ife's billow."
We demand improved Industrial con-
ditions, and they will come, whatever
may be our organisms, when we have
and learned how TO apply this
truth, that work is our
first duty TO our fellow men and our
truest praise TO God. The desire for
personal gain makes our labor drudg- Il
cry, and we are never satisfied with
the result When emancipated from
this unnatural desire the WEAKNESS is