Evening star., 1914-12-20

anu wnOle clusters of diamonds, mere
line and there a verse. so full of life
that it Seemsas If they leaped from the
very heavens.
l heard a man pray the other DAY and
he weaved into his petition in such
fashion as to make the words lift us
all nearer to God those wonderful lines
of Tennyson on prayer. 1 think / never
realized before how near to the AL
mighty the great English poet must
have been and how the Holy Spirit used
him as messenger:
Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by
prayer
Than this world dreams of. Wherefore let thy
voice
Rise like fountain for night and day.
For what men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain.
IT. knowing God. they lift not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those who call them
For so the whole round earth is every way,
Bound by gold chains about the feet Of God.
History also has it's treasures OF
thought, words spoken by great lead
| ers which have become the watch
words Of nations, and declarations OF
courage which still ring with enthusi-
astic power. No student of history can
| fail if he seeks for messages from
the past.
| They form the golden threads of the
i doings and struggles of men which
| bind them together as one and make
human life continuity in spite OF
]
ton. But it Is to fiction that We espe-
cially turn for happy sayings.
| Scott and Thackeray and Dickens are
! crowded with sentences and narra-
tions which bring tears of sympathy
or Il hot flush of heroic determination
| Who can read the story of the death
| of poor little Joe in Dickens BLEAK
| House" and not go out with human
| heart to care for little wanderers?
| And who can read that most beautl-
| f11J nf all n
| is addressed by David Copperfield at
| the close of the story and not see a
ylorified womanhood and holy char
acter which at least hold up an ideal
llas contra,iicts it? And who can read
the word with which the splendid old
gentleman of Thackeray's creation,
Col. Newcome, welcomed the call of
| ,ntrance 20 life? 'At the usual even
ing hour the chapel bell began to toll
| md Thomas Newcome's hands outside
.hc bed feebly beat ttme-and just as
the last bell struck a peculiarly swse.
smile shone over his face and he lifted
lp his head 4 little and quickly said.
adsum,' and fell back. It was the
word we used at school when names
were called, and, 10. he whose heart
was as that OF a little child had an
;wered to his name and stood in the
presence of his Maker" Good stories
,ave led many a man to purity OF
,eart and life.
Above all other books, however,
-tands the Bible. and the gems from
are the richest of all because fash
oned by the hand of God Himself.
To read this book is to find jewel upon
Gewel which enrich the life, the char
cter and the soul. and make one feel
hat the Master of all is near. AS we
hink of il for moment how the
! precious words come crowding thick
! nd fast, until once more we are in
| raIestine with Joseph, with David.
| With Isaiah, with the Christ, whose
.ecious words can never pass away.
| md so all books which are based upon
| he Bible, called books of devotion.
| ave gems which shine with reflect
| light and grow rich with n borrow
led inspiration. A Kempis and st. Au-
gustine down to our own dear DR.. ].
r Miller, who passed from US recent
| ly and whose books. I am told, were
much loved by the Queen Of Greece
how full they are of good things, i'm
nerishable thoughts which were learn.
ed at the foot of the CROSS or at the
open tomb.
| A word as to our reading hours. And
first we can snatch a few moments
here and there even in the busiest
day. and gather gems from our books
which will help US work the better
| Again, we ought to have some quiet
( times when we can read undisturbed
An hour before bedtime is good, and
the messages received will often save
lus from worry over the days trials
and send us to our sleep with quieted