East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-09-05
IMMORTALITY
AND POETRY

"No mortality without poetry" Po-
cts only can tell the TRUTH Eternity
can be grasped only by the poetic in
stinct." Such were some of the unique
statements made by Rev. f. j.. Mines,
the new Presbyterian minister, in his
Sunday m-rnlng's address. a part Of
VIII "a IS quoted as follows:
'i-c idea of immortality cannot be
driven from the mind until every
other n.sA aud noble thought is eX-
tinguished The frost of unbelief that
plasts that flower will wither every
sweet and fragrant blossom hat
blooms in the garden of the soul. The
skepticism that beclouds that bright
and radiant star will darken every
soul Illuminating hope. Eternity!
Greatest thought that men can think.
old as life and birth, universal as
tears n death, precious as memory
and love. sweet as marriage. pure as
motherhood. great as the heart of a
hero, tender as the soul of a broken
hearted man sobbing for the return
of an absent lover, and as true as the
justice of God!
Nor 5 it significant that this sub
lime hope has been held by the great
est representative thinkers of every
race. There were men of smaller
cal Der among the Greeks who wrote
favorably to skepticism, but when we
rise to a Plato. a Socrates, an Aris-
totle. we find the Greek reason well
on immortality. Likewise n ancient
Egypt where learning became supe-
r.or 10 that Of modern times, long be-
fore Moses saw the splendor of the
Phar-os and where remaining evil
dences give suggestion of the Lost
Arts" Also in even more ancient
China where n superior civilization
flourished long before Romulus laid
the foundation of Rome. 1t is pos
s.hle 20 find modern F~renchmen who
profess to d'sbelieve, but when we as
Cend to the heights of a Rousseau or
q Victor Hugo, skepticism faints and
dies Of heart-failure because of thu
altitude. England, too. may have her
doU5ters. but not among the great
representatives of her COnsummate
ssnius, like Gladstone. Tsnnyson
Milton or Shakespeare. Even n tn
Hebrew race, the %custodians Of the
oracles of God, we find some skeptics.
as, q. e, the unknown author of Ec-
clesiastes; but not among her super
lat,ve thinkers like Moses, Job, Da-
vid. Isaiah, jeremiah and Paul.
Those representatives of the loft
est thinking Of every race are the
sure-footed guides to the heights OF
truth. Can We not follow their lead
ership? Otherwise shall we not ask,
what Is tn matter with my litue
mind If we canno appreciate mas
terpiece music or painting. snail We
not inquire, what is the matter with
out ear for music or n of art? OF
course, any mind of even % caIiber
can train itself to doubt 1t may
doubt God Christ and b BILE. 1t may
even doubt the d-ubtfulness Of its
own doubt. That is pure agnosticism
or the open profession OF know-n0th-
ing. But surely the human mind has
a higher function than tbs.
But not only the lofty thinkers, but
also The interpreters Of human feel
ing. the poets, have testified of inn
mortality. These. furthermore, are
the sure teachers Of truth. Indeed
they only tell the whole truth. They
J sing from the depths of the world.
! great heart, giving voice to affections
memories aspirations, visions ano
hopes. more assuring than argument
They have felt the reality of an i'm
mortal life, because the highest feel
ings Of the human breast cherish thi'
truth of the eternal years And no
, until love lies dead. not until memor.
has become deaf to all the swee
voices of the past, not until hope ha!
!, lost it's vision of the future, not unit
= ASPIRATION lies with palsied wings II
the barren dust of despair. will tn,
! hallowed flame of this immOrtd
= dream ever become e~Xtinguished. Tn
p poet assumes Immortality, wen a!
the statesman assumes the realty anC
7 necessity of liberty, law and order
The poet assumes immortality becaus,
he could not interpret the entire hu
man heart without it. And we repea
: he is the most trustworthy teacher
=, because his song comes not from bra. i
alone but from the entire man. Tn,
% fountains of reason, feeling, con
science, will, love, imagination an
nope. all send their little streams t.
swell the river of the poets song Tn
truth coming from the testimony o
a scientist may be partial, excius!v
. and limited. 1t has its channel
groove or rut. 1t has no authOrit.
or value in matters outside of its owl
narrow province. But the poet ha
all truth to teach, the truth of sc.ence
nature, man and God, the truth Of al
worlds, the truth of heaven an
earth, life, death and immortality.
Furthermore, the poets full
. throated song, coming as 1t does from
the entire man, appeals to the ent!r
man. It not only tells the Who'll
truth, but is most potent to max
that truth effectual. For only whe
the entire man sees, feels and accept
d the truth, does the truth become tn
master force of this life. The teache
may convince the reason alone with
out making any change in the life O
& her pupil. She must secure a respons
from the pupils entire being
This is why the Bible being s
largely poetry, is the greatest teache
/; IN the world. 1t tells the Who'll
truth, and makes that truth the mast
a TO- - - tGe--ae tA. 1AyAt