Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-02
REAL RELIGION
FOUND IN TAGORE
Buddhist Poet Understands
Fullness of Life, Its Beauty
and Perfection
BY ELLA WHEELER WILCOX
Copyright, 1915. Star Company.

chemist and physicist, was born in
Stockholm in 1868 and died in Italy
in 1896. Nobel left his fortune of
S9,2OO,000 to found prize fund, the
annual interest of which was to be
divided into five equal parts (each
amounting to about $4,000. the sum
available) to me distributed every year
to the persons who, during the year,
had done. best in Cd physical science;
CD chemistry; (S) physiology or med
icine; (4) idealistic literature, and (5)
the advancement of universal peace;
in 1905. the prize was awarded Presi-
dent Roosevelt for his initiative in the
peace between Russia and Japan,
In 1913 the prize was awarded to
Rabindranth Tagore. the Bengali poet,
whose works. both in prose and verse,
rank among the great classics. Tagore
wrote his poems in Bengali and trans
lated them into English. The father
OF the poet was one of India's great
spiritual leaders and was decorated by
the people with the, title of Maharshi
(great sage).
Rabindranth was the youngest son
and began writing poetry at eleven
years OF age. He lived the life of
high-born youth of romantic tempera-
ment, until suddenly the Divine Be-
loved" revealed Himself to the young
man. In his own words he says "A
ven was suddenly drawn and every
thing saw became luminous. The
whole scene was one perfect music,
one marvellous rhythm"
Songs Have Left IndeIible Mark on
the Life of His Nation
1t brought to the poet the fullness of
NE IN It's beauty and perfection which
ne mad endeavored to give to the world
in his lyrics. AS a part of Indian ma
tionalism, it is believed that his ma
uonal songs have made such an indeli-
pie mark on the life of the nation that
their influence will be felt as long as
the name of India endures.
Tagore devoted his Nobel prize
money to the development of a model
school at Bolpur. Here is an ex-
quisite little fragrant from one of Ia
cores poems:
Infinite wealth is not yours. NV pa.-
tient and dusky mother dust!
You toll to fill the mouths of your
children, but food is scarce.
The gift of gladness that you have
, for us is never perfect.
The toys that you make for your
children are fragile.
You cannot satisfy all our hungry
for that?
Your smile whicls is shadowed with
PAIN Is sweet to my eyes.
Your love which knows not fulfil
ment is dear to my heart.
From your breast you have fed us
with life, but not immortality,
that is why your eyes are ever
wakeful
For ages you are working with color
and song, yet your heaven is not
built, but only its sad sugges-
Over your creations of beauty there
is the mist of tears.
Il will pour my songs into your mute
heart, and my love into your love.
VIII worship you with labor.
Il have seen your tender face and I
love your mournful dust, Mother
Earth
And here are two more:
IN the worlds audience hall. the
simple blade of grass sits on the
same carpet with the sunbeam
and the stars of midnight.
mus my songs share their seats in
the heart of the world with the
music of the clouds and forests.
But, you man of riches, your wealth
mas no part in the simple gran
deur of the suns glad gold and
the mellow CLEAN of the rising
moon.
THE blessing of the all-embracing
sky is not shed upon it.
And when death appears, it pales
and withers and crumbles into
dust"
At midnight tho woald-be escetic
announced:
This is the time to give up my home
and seek for God. Ah, who has
, held me so long in delusion here?
God whispered, I, but the ears Of
the man were stopped.
with a baby asleep at her breast
lay his wife. peacefully sleeping
on one side of the bed.
The man said, Who are We that have
fooled me so long?
THE voice said again, They are
God but he heard it not.
The baby cried out in its dream.
nesting close to its mother.
God commanded, Stop, fool. leave
not thy home but still he heard
God sighed and complained, why
does my servant wander to seek
ing me. forcaking me?'"
Now, in view of all this interesting
history and work of great man so
TeCOBnlZeu DN the WHOle world, the
following press clipping from a Min
nesota paper requires but little COM
ment: ......
Prayers by all Christendom for the
conversion of Rabindranth Tagore, the
Hindu poet and winner of the Nobel
prize for literature. were urged here
by the Rev. Z. G. Horn. of Trinity
Methodist Church, at the Methodist
ministers weekly meeting to-day at
the Y w. C. A. This suggestion fol-
lowed talk by Professor Leroy Ar
~YAY@r@@R~