THE UNSEEN FRIENDS. H. W. Naisbitt. "An innumerable company of angels."-Hebr. 12: 22. I heard their garments trailing down the aisles of sable night, Marked the planets flash and twinkle as they smiled upon their flight; Coming, going, all unerring to their wisely destined place! When 'neath noontide's splendor hidden, stars are veiled from mortal ken, Oft when moonlight gleams like silver, cloudlets floating far on high, In the garret, in the cellar, where the poor in sorrow dwell, The babe in waxen beauty dies; the bride of yesterday; The struggling widow; man of toil, the one too tired to stay; The broken-hearted Magdalene, the sinner sick to death, The portals of a palace to an angel's touch may swing, Perchance e'en worlds of glory from great Kolob to the Sun, Find need and good from messengers, who willing flash and run. To worlds unnumbered as the sands upon earth's ocean shore, Our Father's presence sees, nav hears, His creatures ere they call These dry the tear, they whisper peace, they lift the head that droops, A MOTHER'S SILENT PRAYER. O Father, thou hast given this soul into my keeping. Must I be held responsible for its development? My whole being throbs with joy and fear; joy that Thou hast deemed me worthy to call from Thy kingdom Thy most precious gift to woman; fear-that I may not lead this little one unto Thee, the source of health, intelligence, and faith. Give me knowledge to attend to her physical wants, that she may develop into strong, vigorous womanhood, to become wife and mother herself; for I know, O Father, that one must be free from physical distress if one would carry on in the best way the work of life. Help me in training her mind, that I may not force or retard its growth; that I may walk by her side, directing and helping but never leading nor dragging her mind in the same course that my own takes. She may rise to far greater heights than I have risen, so help me that I may permit her individuality to perfect itself. I know her tender, loving, yet strong nature-she comes to me with her little joys and sorrows. Help me always to give her counsel and love and sympathy, that I may ever be to her as I am now, her dearest friend. In Thy infinite love Thou hast preserved me from much sin, yet 1 can not desire my baby to become as I am. Thou knowest my frailties and imperfections; wilt Thou help me to cleanse my soul from all impurities, that my character may be worthy of her emulation? If it is necessary that she have trials in order to refine and strengthen her, pour them upon her and give her strength and faith in Thee that she may bear them and say, "Father, teach me the lesson Thou dost wish me to learn from these afflictions." O, Father, wherein I fail if I do my best, wilt Thou guide her? Surround her with Thy influence. Let her guardian angels be about her to whisper words of advice and warning. Keep her pure that at the end of her days here, she may enter Thy kingdom, not as she left it, but purified and enriched by earthly experiences of joys and trials. May she be permitted to look with fearless eyes upon Thee and her loved ones who have gone before her. FATHER AND DAUGHTER. Susa A. Between mother and daughter,and between mother and son, there is a mutual sympathy existing. Thank God, those boys and girls are few who cannot take their little heart troubles to the mother and find comfort with her. But how seldom do we find a feeling of confidence and frank trust existing between father and daughter? While we are yet children, father means to us as much as mother; but as we grow to womanhoood, we forget that the very name father is sacred to us. We drift away in our feelings from the man whose hair is getting gray, and whose brow is wrinkled, and all because of our crowding wants and our ambitions; but his heart throbs just as truly in its love for us, as it did so long ago when the little daughter ran to get the first kiss, and carry the lunch pail from the gate; and to tell the childish troubles which filled the little heart with woe. We forget the big arm chair, and the dear old stories which sent our drowsy heads to rest upon his should er. We forget all this, but he still remembers it, and loves to dwell upon it all, when the years have stolen the trusting child and given instead. the reserved woman. Have you ever seen that hungry Talmage. look in a father's eyes, when, by some little action-unintentional, perhaps he has been made aware that he stands in the relation of banker to his daughter-nothing more? Or have you seen that quick glow make his whole face beautified when the daughter has come to him with confidence for counsel? Girls, do you know that your fathers are longing and praying to help you? They yearn each day for that interest in your lives, which. virtue of their fatherhood, should be given them? If you have never made an attempt. to try them, you cannot tell how much your fathers can love and forgive. Even the daughters in sore trouble are their daughters still. The heart of the father of the prodigal son, is the heart of every true father. Little do we know how the love of the children builds up the manhood of the father! If you have never done so before, begin now and make a friend of him, who is so willing to be so much to you. Thank God for him, and honor him, for you will find that in case of a friend in need, a father is a friend indeed. No work in the world pays like mother-work. John C. Swenson. The ancestors of Goethe, the great German poet, were plain artisans who, through thrift and energy, attained to a considerable degree of material prosperity and social importance. His father was a plain, blunt, practical man, who had, through travel and erudition, acquired a fairly good education, especially in the law. Katherine Elizabeth Textor, the mother of the famous poet, was as opposite in character and disposition from her husband as could well be. She was affectionate, genial, and imaginative, and her ability as a story teller was celebrated among her townsfolk at Frankfort. In August, 1749, Johann Wolfgang Goethe was born in Frankfort. His early education was received almost wholly at home. His father took a deep interest in him and constantly disciplined him in methods of hard study. It was the intention of his father that he should follow the profession of the law,and, accordingly, Goethe was drilled more in this branch of learning than any other. On the other hand the tender and sportive side of his nature was developed by his mother. She took delight in telling imaginative stories to him and his sister Cornelia. The influence of the character of his father and mother upon his own character has been described by Goethe himself in the common lines: "Vom vater hab' ich die statier, In 1765 Goethe entered the University of Leipzig as a student in law. While there he also attended lectures in logic and Roman law. He soon grew tired of these, however, and began studying literature on the side. He first acquired his taste for science by listening to medical students converse on scientific topics at the dinner table in the home. of one of the professors. A serious illness interrupted his studies, and in 1788 he returned to Frankfort and spent two years with his father in recuperating. While at Leipzig, Goethe had come under the influence of Gottsched and other artificial poets. As a result of this association his first attempts at versification were pedantic and conceited. Indeed, almost all of the German literature of this period was largely innuenced by the superficial and conventional literature of France. Goethe, however, was to become to Germany what Rousseau was at that time to France: the liberator of thought and expression from the stiff conventionalities which they were held. in In April, 1770, Goethe resumed his studies, this time at the university in Strassburg, in southern Germany. He found a different influence here to that he had experienced at Leipzig. He came in contact with the famous Herder, who was a disciple of Rousseau, and Herder's liberality powerfully influenced Goethe. It was while here that he began the study of literature in earnest, and especially was he deeply moved by the power of Shakespeare. But true to his own wild fancy, rather than follow the prescribed courses at the university, he devoted himself largely to work wholly outside of the university curriculum because it appealed to him, and because he loved it. As a result of this side work, he failed to pass the examinations when he tried for his doctor's degree. It is significant to note that his Thesis bore plainly the influence of the radical doctrines of Rousseau. While at Strassburg, an incident occurred which affected his life, perhaps not less than the new life he out the hope of a consummation, he tore himself from Lotte (as she was called) and left the place. As a result of this experience Goethe wrote "Die Leiden des jungen Werthirs" (The Sorrows of Werther), which appeared in 1774, two years after the incident occurred. Werthers is, perhaps the best representative of Goethe's work during the period of "Strim und Wrang (Storm and Stress). Goethe was full of fire and passion. He had imbibed freely of had received through Herder and Shakespeare. It was his meeting with Frederika Briver, the beautiful daughter of a country parson at Sesenheim. He visited her country home occasionally with his friend Weiland and soon he fell desperately in love with this youthful and charming Frederika. This somewhat protracted episode deepened his nature, broadened his experience, and was the inspiration of some of his most picturesque descriptions and touching lyrics. The affair terminated the new and radical school in France sadly, however, at least for Frederika. of which Rousseau was the central After a visit which she made to figure. His nature had been deepStrassburg, at his attempted gradua- ty stirred by his relation to women, tion, he suddenly became indifferent and, as a result, his writings during towards her, and without any ex- this period were extremely sentiplanation or apparent cause what- mental. ever, he left her, never to return again, and "She withered like a flower that is waiting for the rain, She will never see the stranger when the fountains fall again." Goethe returned to Frankfort in 1771, and, out of respect to the wishes of his father, began the practice of law. His legal practice was, however, scarcely more than a mere matter of form. He spent a good deal of his time in society, especially at Darmstadt, where he was received with open arms, and given much encouragement in his literary work. In 1772 Gotz von Berlichinger appeared. It was, I believe, his first drama, and at once established his position as the foremost of German authors. Entertaining high hopes. of Goethe his father desired his promotion in the law. Accordingly he secured his admission at the Imperial Court at Wetzlar, whither Goethe went in May, 1772. Shortly after his arrival at Wetzlar, he met, by chance, a beautiful girl to whom he became deeply attached. This young woman (Charlotte Buff) was already engaged to a young man of excellent character, and, at last, finding that his heart could not endure such a strain with It was not long after his return to Frankfort that he became involved in another love affair. His relatives this time were with Anna Elizabeth Schonemann, better known as "Lil li." Lilli was high spirited, independent, and a lover of society. Her ways were coquettishly charming. and she appears to have completely mastered Goethe. He protested his servitude in verse and otherwise, but it came to nothing. It was, however, evident that Lilli had a tender regard for Goethe, but the course of love ran anything but smoothly, and the final result was a complete rupture. Some of Goethe's sweetest lyrics during this period of his life were the direct sequence of this love affair with Lilli. In 1775, upon the invitation of the Duke of Weimar, Goethe removed to Weimar. He was made privy councilor to the duke and received an annual income of 1200 thalers. This made him independent; and now his whole force was thrown into his life work. There was a profound change in Goethe after his residence at Weimar a few years. He became more conservative, sober, and precise. The days of storm and stress were left behind. and he entered upon his new life |