Birth and Growth of Religion; To Young Workers (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1886. Excerpt: ... EARLY RELIGIOUS THOUGHT. It was a lovely day in spring. Everything was so lively and happy. Who could help laughing and singing t First, there was the sun, so glad to smile down again upon earth, and do it in real warming earnestness. There was the tree, so glad to give up its miserable, bare, starved look, and put out leaves, dancing for very joy in the pleasant breeze. There was the lowing milk-giver, so glad to lie amidst buttercups and daisies. There was the poor little girl, so glad to stop shivering in her thin garments. There was the butterfly, so glad to have nothing to do but flit from flower to flower in sunlight. Yes, it really was a very lively, happy time. But what brought it all about J 4 The sun for long weeks before had been rising very late in the morning, climbing a very little way up in the sky, and dropping down very early in the afternoon. He hardly said "How do you do?" before he had to say " Good-bye." He was not shining long enough, nor did he get up high enough, to give a good warming to anything here. Still, his few, struggling beams which during the winter were all he would spare us were as much as were wanted then. There was a deal to be done when our country was relieved from his glowing brightness, that had lasted so long as to burn up flowers and grasses, and tire the very children at play. That grand oak had been hard at work thrusting out new branches and foliage. That apple-tree had quite exhausted itself raising blossoms and fruit, wanting so much to rest a while from labour. That soil, which had raised so famous a crop of corn, now wanted time to prepare by internal changes fresh food for a root harvest, which winter frost and wind would help it to do. That boy, who had had more sport than lessons while bright sunlight ...