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the procession of life-第3部分

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indignantly does the latter plead his fair reputation upon

'Change; and insist that his operations; by their magnificence of

scope; were removed into quite another sphere of morality than

those of his pitiful companion! But let him cut the connection if

he can。 Here comes a murderer with his clanking chains; and pairs

himselfhorrible to tellwith as pure and upright a man; in all

observable respects; as ever partook of the consecrated bread and

wine。 He is one of those; perchance the most hopeless of all

sinners; who practise such an exemplary system of outward duties;

that even a deadly crime may be hidden from their own sight and

remembrance; under this unreal frostwork。 Yet he now finds his

place。 Why do that pair of flaunting girls; with the pert;

affected laugh and the sly leer at the by…standers; intrude

themselves into the same rank with yonder decorous matron; and

that somewhat prudish maiden? Surely these poor creatures; born

to vice as their sole and natural inheritance; can be no fit

associates for women who have been guarded round about by all the

proprieties of domestic life; and who could not err unless they

first created the opportunity。 Oh no; it must be merely the

impertinence of those unblushing hussies; and we can only wonder

how such respectable ladies should have responded to a summons

that was not meant for them。



We shall make short work of this miserable class; each member of

which is entitled to grasp any other member's hand; by that vile

degradation wherein guilty error has buried all alike。 The foul

fiend to whom it properly belongs must relieve us of our

loathsome task。 Let the bond servants of sin pass on。 But neither

man nor woman; in whom good predominates; will smile or sneer;

nor bid the Rogues' March be played; in derision of their array。

Feeling within their breasts a shuddering sympathy; which at

least gives token of the sin that might have been; they will

thank God for any place in the grand procession of human

existence; save among those most wretched ones。 Many; however;

will be astonished at the fatal impulse that drags them

thitherward。 Nothing is more remarkable than the various

deceptions by which guilt conceals itself from the perpetrator's

conscience; and oftenest; perhaps; by the splendor of its

garments。 Statesmen; rulers; generals; and all men who act over

an extensive sphere; are most liable to be deluded in this way;

they commit wrong; devastation; and murder; on so grand a scale;

that it impresses them as speculative rather than actual; but in

our procession we find them linked in detestable conjunction with

the meanest criminals whose deeds have the vulgarity of petty

details。 Here the effect of circumstance and accident is done

away; and a man finds his rank according to the spirit of his

crime; in whatever shape it may have been developed。



We have called the Evil; now let us call the Good。 The trumpet's

brazen throat should pour heavenly music over the earth; and the

herald's voice go forth with the sweetness of an angel's accents;

as if to summon each upright man to his reward。 But how is this?

Does none answer to the call? Not one: for the just; the pure;

the true; and an who might most worthily obey it; shrink sadly

back; as most conscious of error and imperfection。 Then let the

summons be to those whose pervading principle is Love。 This

classification will embrace all the truly good; and none in whose

souls there exists not something that may expand itself into a

heaven; both of well…doing and felicity。



The first that presents himself is a man of wealth; who has

bequeathed the bulk of his property to a hospital; his ghost;

methinks; would have a better right here than his living body。

But here they come; the genuine benefactors of their race。 Some

have wandered about the earth with pictures of bliss in their

imagination; and with hearts that shrank sensitively from the

idea of pain and woe; yet have studied all varieties of misery

that human nature can endure。 The prison; the insane asylum; the

squalid chamber of the almshouse; the manufactory where the demon

of machinery annihilates the human soul; and the cotton field

where God's image becomes a beast of burden; to these and every

other scene where man wrongs or neglects his brother; the

apostles of humanity have penetrated。 This missionary; black with

India's burning sunshine; shall give his arm to a pale…faced

brother who has made himself familiar with the infected alleys

and loathsome haunts of vice in one of our own cities。 The

generous founder of a college shall be the partner of a maiden

lady of narrow substance; one of whose good deeds it has been to

gather a little school of orphan children。 If the mighty merchant

whose benefactions are reckoned by thousands of dollars deem

himself worthy; let him join the procession with her whose love

has proved itself by watchings at the sick…bed; and all those

lowly offices which bring her into actual contact with disease

and wretchedness。 And with those whose impulses have guided them

to benevolent actions; we will rank others to whom Providence has

assigned a different tendency and different powers。 Men who have

spent their lives in generous and holy contemplation for the

human race; those who; by a certain heavenliness of spirit; have

purified the atmosphere around them; and thus supplied a medium

in which good and high things may be projected and

performedgive to these a lofty place among the benefactors of

mankind; although no deed; such as the world calls deeds; may be

recorded of them。 There are some individuals of whom we cannot

conceive it proper that they should apply their hands to any

earthly instrument; or work out any definite act; and others;

perhaps not less high; to whom it is an essential attribute to

labor in body as well as spirit for the welfare of their

brethren。 Thus; if we find a spiritual sage whose unseen;

inestimable influence has exalted the moral standard of mankind;

we will choose for his companion some poor laborer who has

wrought for love in the potato field of a neighbor poorer than

himself。



We have summoned this various multitudeand; to the credit of

our nature; it is a large oneon the principle of Love。 It is

singular; nevertheless; to remark the shyness that exists among

many members of the present class; all of whom we might expect to

recognize one another by the freemasonry of mutual goodness; and

to embrace like brethren; giving God thanks for such various

specimens of human excellence。 But it is far otherwise。 Each sect

surrounds its own righteousness with a hedge of thorns。 It is

difficult for the good Christian to acknowledge the good Pagan;

almost impossible for the good Orthodox to grasp the hand of the

good Unitarian; leaving to their Creator to settle the matters in

dispute; and giving their mutual efforts strongly and trustingly

to whatever right thing is too evident to be mistaken。 Then
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