Norwich bulletin., 1915-03-13
THE MAN WHO TALKS

as by the Sectarlan- label of his re- ligion. Blood is thicker than water blood. All there is of religion is com prehended by one word: love. Oh, but there is action and suffering. Yes, and without love the action is not right or the suffering either. There is too much superfciality to religion as commonly professed and expressed. Religion must be as deep as the heart, as warm as the blood and as enduring as love; and Love endureS forever. Why should the average man be bothered with complex ideas of religion which is superlatively expressed by every humble, pure, earnest life? This is a hoary criticism: I've hear too much about Paul in most of our churches Christ who said He drew all men unto Him, and He even drew Paul. Too many have their grip on a line in- stead of on the cable. What a man is must be something more than he pretendS to be.
 Many people who slip into the mantle of superiority and swell around would flee to privacy and change their clothes if they realized what misflt the mantle Is. Some of them look as strange as a goose would in peacocks' plumage, or would a giraffe with a Princess ruff1e around his neck. Only those appear to be great who have waited for the public recognition and praise which greatness merits and they usually wear the mantle of greatness with such humility that we have to look twice to be sure they have tit on. Real greatness has no use for a pose or a strut, or any of the outward signs of a weak inward consciousness. It can stand alone, and it shines with out a polished surface. Greatness expressed by conceits is pure Vaude- vile. Most of the greatest Americans have looked like farmers, while our Beau Brummels have the appearance of tailors dummies.
 The man or woman who takes special pride in ancestors loses con- siderable of it if they spend sufficient time to study up their pedigree. All family life runs from low to high, and either from crooked to straight or from straight to crooked. Most of us have poor relations We have reason to be proud of if we have common sense; and wealthy relations we cannot think of without Nblushing. Amy of us who have the money to employ an expert tracer of genealogy can get a certified statement that we have a king in the background, and the number of rela- tives who were paupers, knaves or williams will not be mentioned. Pedi- grees always stop at the top notch, which is well, since Darwin has been credited with having proven our far forbears were simian: but isn't it sur prising how We have slidden down the mountain of greatness. We would better found our pride upon ascendence than descendence. The man who is equal to or superior to his father may congratulate himself with better grace than he who hurrahs in the shadow of a distinguished fortear.
 There are 5000 variaties of dahlias but less than a score of colorS or forms, so it is not strange that the commercial representatives of the bus mess think there are at least $500 va rieties more than are needed. Doubt less their position is tenable, but their method to make the reduction by or ganizatfon, agreement and decree is not likely to accomplish the purpose. We, once heard professional gardener declare there was no excuse for the existence of more varieties of dah1ias than could be counted on the fingers of both hands. Had he said ten to each class his remark would have been more sensible and endorsib1e, for we call to mind at least ten classes and that would have carried the number to 100 varieties. Then considering the many strange and desirable conlbina- tons of color, l, 400 kinds do not ap- pear to be excessive. There are hun dreds of thousands of seedlings grown
 
 many amateurs have their choice seed ling which love nor money cannot in- duce them to part with. The com nercial varieties even cannot be con- trolled except to a limited extent.
 If you are feeling miserable you would do well to ask yourself why? More misery comes from misconcep- ton than misfortune. More persons than we think are miserable because they think they be. Most people who have met with heavy money losses make themselves miserable over it; but a friend who had lost a big fortune told us he had come to know it was the greatest blessing of his Iife-the spirit had turned his great loss into a great gain. He was poor, but there wasn't a pile of rubbish between him. self and God. There is erything in the point of view, and you are given the privilege to choose any viewpoint you please. Whoever has made you believe God is afhicting you has driven a nail into your soul which needs ex- tracting. He who said I am the life and the light is busy leading his chill dren from the gloomy valleys to the illuminated heights. He who. knows what he is heir to never finds misery in the list unless he wants to-What he wills he can have.
 If you learn where a mans heart is, you will discover where he tarries in spirit whatever his professions. This is why when you talk with business men they talk incomes and profits and when you talk with workers they con- verse of industries and wages; and when you talk with the unfortunate and oppressed they talk of home and God. Those who do not possess money. or see any to bow down to seem to get the better grip on God and love, the things which money cannot buy. The men of large accom- plishments often die like dissolutes so far as hope and g1impses of a future life is concerned while those who have known misfortune and want die like kings It is not the wealthy or the great alone who see beckoning angels, or get 8 view of the coming sunrise in the gloarning of life. The things money cannot buy are usually missed by souls that have been greedy for gold and blind to the blessing of Love. The soul lowest down Is often- est given the power to see farthest up.
 It will not be long before the morn ings will ring with the g1ee of the robins. The blue birds are already here warbIing but the robins with their maths will soon salute the ris-