Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-06-29

life and he has builded himself into the
Kingdom at shalt never end
Silas Mariner, .he weaver of Raveloe,
that wzcned child or George Elliot's
fancy, had developed the spirit of tho
miser until he began to think that his
gold was conscious of him as his loom
seemed to he, and he would, on no account
have exchanged those coins which had
become his famiiars for other coins with
unknown faces. He handled them, he
counted them till their form and color
were like the satisfaction of a thirst to
him, but it was only in the night, when
his work was done that he drew them
out to enjoy their companionshp.
Thus, year after year Sias Mariner
had lived in his solitude, his guineas
rising in the iron pot and his life mar
rowing and hardening itself more and
more into "A mere pulsation of desire
and satisfaction that had no relation
to any other living being. Human ex-
istence for him, had reduced itself to
the function of weaving and boarding
without any contemplation of the end
toward which the functions tended Had
1t not been for the loss of his miser's
hoard. Silas Mariner might have died
as he had lived for so long, in utter
selfishness, regarding no one else save
himself as of any importance.
one dark night, his gold was stolen
from beneath the hearthstone and then
n little later on a lowering New Years
eve. after he had flung wide open his door
to look out into the backness of the
night. he fell asleep on the threshold
When he awoke to consciousness again.
he turned toward his hearthstone where
tho two logs had fallen apart sending
forth only n rcd, uncertain glimmer
He seated himself in his fIre-sidc chair,
and. suddenly to his blurred vision. it
seemed that there was gold on the floor
in front of the hearth. Gold! His own
gold Brought back to him as mystic
rously as it had been taken away, He
felt his heart beat violently and for a
few moments he was unable to stretch
out his hands and grasp the restored
treasure. The heap Of gold seemed to
glow and get larger beneath his agitated
gaze. He leaned forward at last and
stretched forth his hands, but instead
Of the hard coin. with the familiar re-
sisting outline, his fingers encountered
soft warm curls. In utter amazement,
he silently fell on his knees and benz
his head low TO examine the marvel
It was a sleeping child-a round fair
thing. with soft, yellow ringlets all over
its head. The gold that pershes was
gone forever but there had crept into
its place n motheress waif with golden
hair and an immortal soul. Silas Mariner
accepted the unsouEht responsibility of
motherhood and fatherhood combined
and from the dark night when he began
to live for Eppie, his life pushed oVt be-
yond the four walls of his weaver's cot
and his horizon of happiness kept grow
ing larger and larger until it reached
the uppermost bounds Of the eternal city
OF God.
Charles G. Crittenden lives in New
York in a palace erected for his own
selfish qualification. Death enters and
takes his lite daughter and he Is
heart broken ~ lie buries her in a
splendid tomb beneath the hearth
stone of his own home. He goes out
into the world to seek what he can &c
to shake off his sadness. He meets A
Maynard girl who has sold her body
for the wages of sin and he says Leave
off this wicked life, go thy way and
sin no more, " and she answers
Where shall 7 go?" for the only doors
open II her in that great city were
the doors swinging inward to the gildet
palaces of vice. Then he built tbs
| Florence Crittenden Home for faller
women and he formulated plans to built
such home in every city of America
| and in every city of the world. HI
lost the daughter of his heart. hut hi
life had expanded out through service t.
unfortunate girls victimized by beastll
men. so that when little while aGc
| he came into eternal reunion with h:
| own little daughter gone on before, hi
had left behind him an influence tha
shall never end, an influence in perfec
| harmony with the principles and pur
poses of the eternal Kingdom Of God.
A frail woman was carried in caske
into one of the great churches OF Lon
don. Lines of people, high and low
rich and poor, streamed by tn
casket In the crowd came a woman
poorly clad, with a shawl pinned Owe
her head. leading a child by one han'
and holding a baby close to her breas
beneath the shawl. When she reached
the bier she loosed the clasped han'
ward and the shawl fell from her head
She peered into the casket and then tn
| officer waiting behind her, took he
gently by the arm and said Move on
but she held up her hand to him an'
the others pushing forward and clutch
ing the baby to her breast said: "Wai
n minute. give me a little time. Sh
saved my two boys and I must stay wit
her a minute longer" Then she press
ed n kiss on the glass above the stllI
white face. II was the face of Catherln
| Booth. the mother of the Salvation
Army, and all the people bowed the'
heads and wept. That glorious woma
had learned the real meaning of citizen
ship in the Kingdom of God and her re
ward was the assurance "lnasmuch a
We had done it unto one of the least o
these. we have done 1t unto me- Truly
life is worth the living when it is live
as these lives were lived.
EVAPORATION TO CLASS.
Members of the Glass of 1916, student
reloved, do you want an investmen
that is secure? Do you want to plac
YOUR talents where they will bring yo
certain interest? Then. speaking 10
your Alma Mater soon to be and for n
the teachers and friends who love Yol
| exhort you take ADVANTAGE of you
high privileges of citizenship IN IN
Kingdom that Is without end. You ar
going out into a world full of tempta
tons. but it is also a world filled wit
many blessed opportunities for service
~. 20 N shah