8 
“BLESSED.” 
“Blessed are they that mourn," the gentle tones, 
A moment faltering, then strong and sweet, 
R ing out upon the morning air. The throng 
Wait silently, lest by a whispered sigh 
Or quick-drawn breath a word should fall unheard 
From Him, the Wonderful, the Prince of Peace. 
“Blessed ”—the widow, shuddering, draws more close 
Her sombre draperies, and bows her head 
In agony of dumb and hopeless grief. 
—"Are they that mourn!" A dry, half-stifled sob 
Bursts from a gray-haired man; ’twas yesterday 
They buried all most dear to him on earth. 
And sun and stars were blotted out. Hot tears 
Fall thickly on his knotted, sunburnt hands. 
And still he listens to that strange, sweet voice. 
“Blessed are they that mourn." What aching hearts 
Among the eager, silent multitude 
Cry out in bitter anguish that his words 
Are vain and mocking! 
Lo, the Saviour turns 
With infinite compassion in his eye, 
And, stretching forth his hands as though to give 
The blessing He has promised, speaks again: 
“They shall be comforted!" 
The morning sun 
Breaks forth in triumph from the heavy clouds 
That hid his face, The waves of Galilee, 
Gleaming far distant in the misty East, 
Cast off the shroud of night. The air is full 
Of waking glory. But of all who feel 
The gladness and the freshness of the morn 
Those only who have passeed through deepest gloom 
Receive the fullness of that new, sweet peace 
His words have given,—and they are comforted! 
—Willis Boyd Allen in Cottage Hearth. 
Farm Pleasures. 
BY W. D. BOYNTON. 
Now that the rush of the season’s work is 
over, we have harvested our fruitful crops, 
let us relax a little from our hard labor, and 
try to enjoy a few of these glorious autumn 
days before they leave us. We shall not be 
the poorer for a few days spent in fishing, 
and sight-seeing. 
There may be a great many things that 
could be done now, and that too, to very 
good advantage; but we have worked hard 
all summer, and are fairly entitled to a 
rest. Our systems need toning up after the 
incessant toil and heat of a summer’s cam¬ 
paign. I say that we shall not be the 
poorer in the long run, for having taken a 
vacation, becanse I think that such change 
and rest will enable us to more than make 
up for the time so spent. Who has not ex¬ 
perienced that feeling of renewed strength 
and vigor, that carries with it a fresh impe¬ 
tus, after he has refreshed himself with a 
rest and change of scene? The perpetually 
tired man cannot work to advantage with 
either head or hands. He may keep up the 
automatic motion year after year; but the 
man who keeps his intellect clear, and body 
fresh will accomplish more and better work 
in two-thirds the same time. < 
I know many farmers who have not been 
away from their farms more than twenty 
four hours at a time for twenty years. They 
have gone over the same old routine year 
after year until they have become a part of 
the farm itself. Such a farmer does not 
own the land, the land owns him. He sees 
but few improvements in agriculture and 
practices less. It is little wonder that they 
have gained the unenviable name of “moss- 
backs,” for surely they have given nature 
an excellent oppertunity for encreasing this 
type of vegetation. 
A man may be a fairly good man—good 
in a negative sense if he stands stock still 
and allows the world to go by him; bnt the 
broadening and enlightening influences that 
he has missed will so change the times, by 
changing others about him who fall into 
the current of progress, that he will be 
looked upon as the contracted and inferior 
specimen of manhood that he really is. 
We cannot afford to allow our minds or 
bodies to be ground down and worn out by 
incessant hard labor. Both need frequent 
rests and recreation. Change of scene and 
removal from contact with our every day 
avocations, is necessary in order to giye us 
this rest. Short trips and excursions to 
places of interest, will be found immensely 
beneficial in many ways. In thesevdays of 
cheap and rapid transportation, we can 
make considerable journeys with but a 
small outlay of time and money. Such 
trips enable us to see what is going on in 
the world around us. People who use their 
eyes and ears in this way, rise above the 
narrow confines of their own little neighbor¬ 
hood. They keep abreast the times, instead 
of becoming “rutted” in some particular 
line of action, or non-action, as we frequently 
find them. The farmer cannot afford to 
