Page:Free Opinions, Freely Expressed on Certain Phases of Modern Social Life and Conduct.djvu/306

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an account of a certain high priest of Memphis named Saurid,—who, so says the ancient Arabian chronicler, "prepared for himself a casket wherein he put magic fire, and shutting himself up with the casket, he sent messages with the fire day and night, over land and sea, to all those priests over whom he had command, so that all the people should be made subject to his will. And he received answers to his messages without stop or stay, and none could hold or see the running fire, so that all the land was in fear by reason of the knowledge of Saurid." In the same volume we find that a priestess named Borsa evidently used the telephone. For, according to her history, "She applied her mouth and ears unto pipes in the wall of her dwelling, and so heard and answered the requests of the people in the distant city."

Thus it would seem that there is nothing new under the sun to that "dainty Ariel" of the mind, Imagination. It sees all present things at a glance, and foretells what is yet to come. It may well be called the Sun-dial of the Soul; but it is a Dial that must be kept sound and clean. There must be no crack in it,—it must not be allowed to get overgrown with the slimy mosses and rank weeds of selfishness and personal prejudice,—the index hand must be firmly set,—and none of the numeral figures must be missing! So, perchance, shall God flash the true time of day upon it, for such as will hold themselves free to mark the Hour according to His will. And for those who do thus hold themselves free,—for those who care to keep this precious Sun-dial clear and clean in their souls, there shall always be light and love,—and such clear reflections of divine beauty