The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-09
SUMMER TIME.

old, that the human tree naSs ~e"
the hiSh.noon Of its possibilities and achieve
ment They insist that we are approaching the
time O. decadence and retrogression. They cite
the prophecies OF the Old and the New Tesla
ments and seek to prove their theory from the
anaIogtes of nature. The Seventh Day Adventists
to fix the time for the end of the
world and the Anal judgment from somewhat In
tricate calculations and, perhaps, violently
manufactured assumptions from the Book OF
Daniel. These brethren, however. have placed
the universal disaster SO many times and In the
face OF the memorable fact of nothing happening
have changed 1t with such cheerful hopefulness,
that we need not consider them very seriously.
Others point out that we are having wars and
rumors OF wars, earthquakes In divers places,
the seas roaring and mems hearts failing them
for fear. Others again. less literal. insist that
It is difficult to imagine how man can go much
further than he has gone In his conquests. and
use Of the forces of nature or the expansion OF
his power. They tell us that he has explored to
the ultimate, penetrated to the most remote
mysteries, learned the very last that antiquity
hid so long, approached almost within hearing
and seeing distance Of the profound mysteries
of life and death. These consider that we are
nearing the end because so little remains to be
learned and to be done.
The Springtime is the lighting from the dark
ness, the Weakening from the death and stag
nation of the Winter. The Spring brings us
many beautiful and fragrant things which, how
ever, are transient. 1t comes also with its
lap full Of promise. In the Summer nature is
In full blossom but not In full glory. The fruit
tage and the harvest come later. Observing life
and conditions as they are, we may believe that
the world and the human race have reached their
Summertime. We have achieved much. but what
we have done is but preparation. rousing to life,
ripening. poisoning toward full f~ruition of the
grand designs OF creation. Man is undisputed
lord OF the earth. We are told that he was
made In the image of God. Believing this, we
must believe that he was created that he might
represent and execute the purposes of God.
OF f%ullfllment of these, as we are given to I'M
derstand them. we are far short. All the achieve
ment, all the discovery. all the power and know
ledge we have won from nature. are but pre-
~paration and equipment. All will be used in
the great ana eliminating work by mankind
of raising mankind to heights of happiness, of
purity and nobility. closely approaching the
divine, OF which now we hardly dare dream.
The wrath OF man is made to work to the
glory OF God-which means also the glory OF
humanity. The seIhshness and ambition of
man are directed to the same great end. Science
and have knitted and are knitting to-
gether the far separated nations and peoples
of the. earth. The interests of the antipodes are
made mutual. Thought. purpose and hope fol-
low interests and are made universal. The wars
and rumors OF wars are not the mere physical
combats with weapons; and the earthquakes
and winds and the seas roaring are not the
temporary and circumscrfbed commissions OF the
earth's surface and the storms sweeping across
the ocean. The revolutions are not limited by
the overthrow OF kings and the changes of
government The larger and more important
wars. upheavals and revolutions are moral and
social. Mankind is being marshalled in world
wide array for orderly conquest of ignorance
and sin and misery. All these discoveries of
science and resulting men rs given to us are
but new weapons in this great warfare. increas-
ihS Vastly IA QoWSA AoA 6ocN Va S0NA
warrior. The warfare OF humanity is like the
warfare Of the elements in the Summertime.
The thunder storm clears the atmosphere. The
wind destroys and the lightning kills and blights;
but the wind sweeps away and the lightning
scorches the noxious things floating invisible
which threaten our life and strength
We have not reached the summit OF our
achievement We are but prepared to achieve.
We have learned how to prevent and to cure
many of the diseases which used to destroy
us by uncounted thousands, and we will learn
to overcome more. We are delving and work
ing restlessly and ceaselessly to find and destroy
the roots and sources Of old wrongs long &C.
cepted as inevitable. Awkwardly, many times
blunderingly and with seeming waste of effort.
we are seeking the seeds of veteran vices which
have warred against the welfare OF humanity
and hindered Its upward progress. Judging
by what has been done. there is abundant rea-
son to believe that this quest and effort will
be successful. We are in a time Of disturbance
and of strange things. Events hurry on the
heels of each other. Changes In thought and
standards. progressing silently and invisibly are