HPB-SB-3-109

T i

vol. 3, p. 109

H. P. Blavatsky Scrapbooks

from Adyar archives of the International Theosophical Society

vol. 3 (1875-1878)

 

SBT, DT

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eng • рус

Charity

There’s ever a beautiful angel stands, Who knocks at our hearts, with gentle hands, Oh, open wide for her the door, She pleads for the poor—the suffering poor. From out the plenty, God has given The golden gifts of a bounteous heaven ; Your cup of blessings running o,er. Oh, cool the lips оf the thirsting poor. And when the festive board is spread From feast of plenty, where wine flows red. Oh, gather the crumbs from off the floor. To feed the hungry—the starving poor : Hide not your hearts ’neath silken fold Of royal purple and ’broidered gold, For naked feet, a-weary and sore, Are seeking raiment.—Clothe ye the poor. Oh, ye, who sit amid the flowers, And heed not the fleeting, golden hours, Let sunlit smiles shed gladness o’er The breaking hearts of the sorrowing poor. Open your hearts to the gentle guest. Her presence will make your hearth-stone blest ; For the Angel of Charity, open the door ; She pleads for the poor—the suffering poor. “Thy bread upon the waters cast, Ye’ll find when many days have past.” Treasures in Heaven's Kingdom store ; Remember the poor—the suffering poor.

Kathlfen

Climatic Influence of England

Of all climates of Europe, England seems to be most fitted for the activity of the mind, and the least suited to repose. The alterations of a climate so various and rapid, continually awake new sensations, and the changes in the sky front dryness to moisture, from the blue ethereal to cloudiness and fogs, seem to keep the nervous system in a constant state of disturbance. In the milder climate of Nice, Naples, or Sicily, where, even in winter, it is possible to enjoy the warmth of the sunshine in the open air, beneath palm trees, or amid evergreen groves of orange trees covered with odorous fruit and sweet-scented leaves, mere existence is a pleasure, and even the pains of disease are sometimes forgotten amidst the balmy influence of nature, and a series of agreeable and uninterrupted sensations invite to repose and oblivion. But in the changeful and tumultuous atmosphere of England, to be tranquil is a labor, and employment is necessary to ward off the attacks of ennui. The English, as a nation, are pre-eminently active, and the natives of no other country follow their objects with so much force, fire, and constancy. And, as human powers are limited, there are few examples of very distinguished men living in this country to old age ; they usually fail, droop, and die, before they have attained the period naturally marked for the end of human existence. The lives of our statesmen, warriors, poets, and even philosophers offer abundant proofs of the truth of this opinion ; whatever burns, consumes, ashes remain. Before the period of youth is passed, gray hairs usually cover those brows which are adorned with civic oak or the laurel ; and in the luxurious and exciting life of the man of pleasure, their tints are not even preserved by the myrtle wreath or the garland of roses from the premature winter of time.—Sir Humphrey Davy.

<Untitled>

—In London, Ont., a man has been fined $5 in gold for swearing in the street on Sunday. If this were impartially done in this late hour municipal debt might be considered as provided for.

Astrology, – Its Good and Evil Stars

At the Restoration, Lord Chancellor Hyde, in his speech to the Parliament, thus referred to the astrological influences of the time:—

The Astrologers have made us a fair excuse, and I hope a true one: All the motions of the last twenty years have been unnatural, and have proceeded from the evil influence of a malignant star. And let us not too much despise the influence of the stars. And the same Astrologers assure us that the malignity of the star is expired, the good genius of this kingdom is become superior, and hath mastered that malignity, and our own good stars govern us again ; and their influence is so strong, that, with our help, they will repair in a year what has been decaying in twenty. And they only should have no excuse from the state who continue this malignity, and own all the ill that is past to be their own, by continuing it and improving it for the time to come.

<Untitled> (A little nonsense now and then)

“A little nonsense now and then Is relished by the wisest men.”

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If you have religion you need not tell people about it ; they will find it out after trading with you for a while.

I fully believe in predestination ; if a man will drink whisky and won't work, he is predestined to become ragged and go to the devil. – Josh Billings

Professor Huxley on Mesmerism

The following is the full text of Professor Huxley’s remarks about mesmerism, in the course of his lecture to the British Association at Belfast:—

I need not say that since those days of commencing anatomical science when criminals were handed over to the doctors, we cannot make experiments on human beings, but sometimes they are made for us, and made in a very remarkable manner. That operation called war is a great series of physiological experiments, and sometimes it happens that these physiological experiments bear very remarkable fruit. I am indebted to my friend, General Strachey, for bringing to my notice the other day an account of a case which appeared within the last four or five days in the scientific article of the Journaldes Debats. A French soldier, a sergeant, was wounded at the battle of Barcilles, one, as you recollect, of the most, fiercely contested battles of the late war. The man was shot in what we call the left parietal bone. The bullet, I presume, glanced off, but it fractured the bone. He had enough vigour left to send his bayonet through the Prussian who shot him. Then he wandered a few hundred yards out of the village, where he was picked up and taken to the hospital, where he remained some time. When he came to himself, as usual in such cases of injury he was paralysed on the opposite side of the body, that is to say, the right arm and the right leg were completely paralysed. That state of things lasted, I think, the better part of two years, but sooner or later he recovered from it, and now he is able to walk about with activity, and only by careful measurement can any difference between the two sides of his body be ascertained. The inquiry, the main results of which I shall give you, is conducted by exceedingly competent persons, and they report that at present this man lives two lives, normal life and an abnormal life. In his normal life lie is perfectly well, cheerful, and a capital hospital attendant, does all his work well, and is a respectable, well-conducted man. That normal life lasts for about seven-and-twenty days, or thereabouts, out of every month ; but for a day or two in each month—generally at intervals of about that time—he passes into another life, suddenly and without any warning or intimation. In this life he is still active, goes about just as usual, and is to all appearance just the same man as before, goes to bod and undresses himself, gets up, makes his cigarette and smokes it, and eats and drinks. But in this condition he neither sees, nor hears, nor tastes, nor smells, nor is he conscious of anything whatever, and has only one sense organ in a state of activity—viz., that of touch, which is exceedingly delicate. If you put an obstacle in his way, he knocks against it, feels it and goes to the one side, if you push him in any direction he goes straight on, illustrating, <... continues on page 3-110 >

Editor's notes