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第66章

over the teacups-第66章

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have the satisfaction of saying to the believers of a creed different

from their own; 〃I told you so〃?  Are not others oppressed with the

thought of the great returns which will be expected of them as the

product of their great gifts; the very limited amount of which they

do not suspect; and will be very glad to learn; even at the expense

of their self…love; when they are called to their account?  If the

ways of the Supreme Being are ever really to be 〃justified to men;〃

to use Milton's expression; every human being may expect an

exhaustive explanation of himself。  No man is capable of being his

own counsel; and I cannot help hoping that the ablest of the;

archangels will be retained for the defence of the worst of sinners。

He himself is unconscious of the agencies which made him what he is。

Self…determining he may be; if you will; but who determines the self

which is the proximate source of the determination?  Why was the A

self like his good uncle in bodily aspect and mental and moral

qualities; and the B self like the bad uncle in look and character?

Has not a man a right to ask this question in the here or in the

hereafter;in this world or in any world in which he may find

himself?  If the All…wise wishes to satisfy his reasonable and

reasoning creatures; it will not be by a display of elemental

convulsions; but by the still small voice; which treats with him as a

dependent entitled to know the meaning of his existence; and if there

was anything wrong in his adjustment to the moral and spiritual

conditions of the world around him to have full allowance made for

it。  No melodramatic display of warring elements; such as the white…

robed Second Adventist imagines; can meet the need of the human

heart。  The thunders and lightnings of Sinai terrified and impressed

the more timid souls of the idolatrous and rebellious caravan which

the great leader was conducting; but a far nobler manifestation of

divinity was that when 〃the Lord spake unto Moses face to face; as a

man speaketh unto his friend。〃





I find the burden and restrictions of rhyme more and more troublesome

as I grow older。  There are times when it seems natural enough to

employ that form of expression; but it is only occasionally; and the

use of it as the vehicle of the commonplace is so prevalent that one

is not much tempted to select it as the medium for his thoughts and

emotions。  The art of rhyming has almost become a part of a high…

school education; and its practice is far from being an evidence of

intellectual distinction。  Mediocrity is as much forbidden to the

poet in our days as it was in those of Horace; and the immense

majority of the verses written are stamped with hopeless mediocrity。



When one of the ancient poets found he was trying to grind out verses

which came unwillingly; he said he was writing



          INVITA MINERVA。



Vex not the Muse with idle prayers;

She will not hear thy call;

She steals upon thee unawares;

Or seeks thee not at all。



Soft as the moonbeams when they sought

Endymion's fragrant bower;

She parts the whispering leaves of thought

To show her full…blown flower。



For thee her wooing hour has passed;

The singing birds have flown;

And winter comes with icy blast

To chill thy buds unblown。



Yet; though the woods no longer thrill

As once their arches rung;

Sweet echoes hover round thee still

Of songs thy summer sung。




Live in thy past; await no more

The rush of heaven…sent wings;

Earth still has music left in store

While Memory sighs and sings。





I hope my special Minerva may not always be unwilling; but she must

not be called upon as she has been in times past。  Now that the

teacups have left the table; an occasional evening call is all that

my readers must look for。  Thanking them for their kind

companionship; and hoping that I may yet meet them in the now and

then in the future; I bid them goodbye for the immediate present。











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