William Brighty Rands

Lilliput Lectures William Brighty Rands

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.1897 Excerpt: ... XII In Church There are some things which it would be impossible for us at present to tie up with any piece of string of the length and kind that we should all agree upon. In other words, there are things which you will have to find the string for yourself when you get older. That is something to look forward to! In the meanwhile, your parents will help you, and I should have no right to tell you things as to which they might not in whole or in part agree with me. The things which must remain untied for the present in your minds, except so far as parents and teachers tie them for you, are such as these:--How and why it happens that some people own a great deal of land, while most people own none at all. How and why it happens that some are born rich and others born poor. What is the meaning of patriotism, or love of country; what kind of patriotism is right, and what kind is wrong. These are some of the things for which I wanted a piece of string when I wore pinafores, but I had to wait for it, and it only came at last after a great many years of work, and reading and thinking. There are some things of which no one can form a proper opinion who is not married; or who has not children; or who has not seen a good deal of those who suffer from pain or poverty. And even when we have got our piece of string, having seen and worked and read and thought enough to look for it, we very often find it does not tie up the things in a way that other people agree with. There is one place in which rich and poor, learned and ignorant, and in fact all of us, should forget our differences. And the best people do so. You know what I mean, for you have heard this before,--I mean in church, in the presence of God. It is true that since God is everywhere and reads our hearts, we...