Yet another death—this time a cousin two years my
elder. His graveside service was local. Nothing to do but layer on the clothes,
pull on gloves, secure a scarf to a hooded, long raincoat--all to withstand the
cold. The robed minister admitted he wore his topcoat underneath.
The emotions that came with so many deaths so quickly
left me bereft of column material. I turned to my resources and found something
that seemed appropriate.
Dr. Frank Crane wrote eight volumes of four-minute essays. I have
volume eight, published in 1919,but no information of how I came to own it. Here is the essay
that caught my eye.
“There is an old epitaph that runs: ‘Here lieth David
Elginbrod. / Have mercy on him, gracious God, / As he would do if he were God,
/ And You were David Elginbrod.’
“Maeterlinck makes the old man in Pelleas and
Melisande say, ‘If I were God, I would have pity on men.’
“Omar somewhere wishes that he might grasp the sorry
scheme of things entire and remould it nearer to his heart’s desire.
“If you were God, what would you do? Not that you
impeach the divine wisdom, criticize the Omnipotent; but what changes would you
make in men and things?
“If I were God I would enter all men’s breasts and
take out the will to war.
“I would eliminate hate from every heart, and give
every one ‘good-will toward men.’
“I would make cruelty, fraud, and injustice loathsome
to every creature, so that none would do deeds of that kind, nor think such
thoughts, any more than he would cut his flesh or eat nauseous stuff.
“I would make men’s appetite crave only such food as
is wholesome for them, and cause them to turn sick when they are about to eat
or drink too much.
“I would make every man and woman loving and loyal,
and have every Jack find his Jill and live happily ever after.
“I would allow only enough children to be born to maintain
the population to a sufficient number, and have them all live free from disease
their allotted span.
“I would make death a luxurious and desired
experience, when death’s time comes.
“I would do away with the motives of money, fame, and
pride, and make every man’s desire be to serve well his fellows.
“Every person should receive the same wage, ‘to every
man his penny,’ and the only emulation should be for superior helpfulness.
“I would put in every human soul enough intelligence
to control and balance its passion.
“I would make every woman beautiful, and as good as
beautiful, and all men brave and honest and true.
“Every child should be happy and obedient.
“I would remove all lions, tigers, snakes, and fierce
carnivorous beasts, and would cause human beings to abhor flesh food, so that
none should any more kill.
“I would have born into every human creature’s nature
a dominant passion for the good, the true, and the beautiful.
“I would have all humanity co-operate and organize
for their mutual welfare, each for all and all for each, and take away the lust
of contention.
“When I read this over I said to myself: ‘Why so hot,
little man? Perhaps, after all, that is what God is doing, only He is not in so
much of a hurry as you. Be still. And wait. For a thousand years are in His
sight but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.’
To which I could make answer in no wise, except in
the deep and ancient cry of the Hebrew poet: ‘How long, O Lord? How long!’”
Pat, again: Here endeth today’s lesson. Thanks to the
Rev. Dr. Crane.
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