Wednesday, December 03, 2014

A Strange Little Poem in the Adventist Review - 1889


Judge Not
A Poem
2/1/1889   Adventist Review and Sabbath Herald
This journal does not give the author...but says "-- Selected"

An internet search gives the author as Major Harry Larkyns.

He was an English entrepreneur and theater critic in SF...and became involved with a married woman, Mrs. Flora Muybridge.  He possibly was the father of her son.
He was shot in Napa County, CA., Yellow Jacket Mine 7 miles from Calistoga, Oct 18, 1874 by the jealous husband, Mr. Eadweard J. Muybridge. (He was a pioneer in photographing movement and early cinematography.  Father of the motion picture, he is credited with the first film ever...of a running horse in 1878, showing a galloping horse lifts all 4 feet off the ground at the same time.  He also developed the first type of movie projector.)   The trial was very famous and in all the papers.  He was found not guilty in this crime of passion (justifiable homicide) regarding his wife. Later, he sent his wife away and sent their son to an orphanage. 

A movie on Mr. Muybridge is immanent, release name of "Eadweard".  A later movie is forthcoming, "Flying Horse", staring Benidict Cumberbatch in 2016.  The story was recently produced as a stage play in Prague, titled "Human Locomotion."  A BBC special about Mr. Muybridge is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Awo-P3t4Ho.   A museum of his original photographs is in Kingston, England.

This verse was found in Harry Larkyns personal affects, apparently penned just days before his death.    It is reproduced in a couple of Masonic books.  One of the titles is "Who Can Tell?"  

Odd.  

 7 years later, this poem appears in the Seventh-day Adventist journal Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, without his name.  Now doubt they didn't want the good poem associated with such a nefarious and notorious author.

The Internet Poem is listed here.  There are a few minor changes in the Adventist Review version...and they are indicated by striking out the original red text and adding the green text.

I just find it interesting that the good old Review would print the poem of a murdered philanderer. Perhaps it was passed on to them as "-Selected" and they did not have the internet to do such research.

OKW

The Poem

"Judge Not"  (Review Title)
or    "Who Can Tell?" (Other Title)
by Harry Larkyns


How do we know what hearts have vilest sin?
                        How do we know?
Many, like sepulchers, are foul within
            Whose outward garb is spotless as the snow
            And many maybe be pure we think not so.
How near to God the souls of such have been
What mercy secret penitence may win -
                        How do we know?

How can we tell who have sinned more than we?
                        How can we tell?
We think our brother has walked guiltily,
            Judging him in self-righteousness.  Ah, well!
            Perhaps had we been driven through the hell
Of his untold temptations, we might be
Less upright in our daily walk than he -
                        How can we tell?

Dare we condemn the ills that others do?
                        Dare we condemn?
Their strength is small, their trials not aare not few.
            The tide of wrong is difficult to stem
            And if to us more clearly than to them
Is given knowledge of the good and true,
More do they need our help, and pity too -
                        Dare we condemn?


God help us all, and lead us day by day!
                        God help us all!
We cannot walk alone the perfect way;
            Evil allures us, tempts us, and we fall
            We are but human, and our power is small;
Not one of us may boast, and not a day
Rolls o'er our heads but each hath need to saypray,
                        God bless help us all!

Ellen White and Christmas

Here is a little study sheet I worked up in preparation for a sermon on December 6, 2014 at the Antioch Church.   Happy Reading.


Ellen White and the Holidays
Relevant Readings Relating to Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years
Articles by Mrs. Ellen G White, Listed in Chronological Order
Pertaining to the Holidays...During the Holidays

Collected by Elder O. Kris Widmer, MDiv
December 1-4, 2014, by thumbing through the facsimile reproductions.

Locate Online at:  www.whiteestate.org

The White Estate has prepared one document on this topic (in 1962/1989), compiled from parts of 5 articles, indicated by a box.  This compilation document, available on line, is titled "Ellen G. White statements related to the observance of Christmas and Holiday Gifts." The chosen articles are printed in the order from the articles below numbers:  12, 7, 16, 4, 10.  It should be noted that the compilers left out her retelling of the nativity story from RH 12/9/1884, paragraphs 13, 14 and the first 5 sentences from paragraph 15., inserting an ellipse (...).  (Beware, the ellipse!) A more complete picture of her thoughts on the observance of these holidays can be found by reading widely and completely the following items, and I strongly suggest the articles in italics.

1.    RH Dec 17, 1872 - The Advent of the Christ
2.    RH Dec 24, 1872 - The Advent of the Christ 2
3.    RH Nov 21, 1878 - Holiday Presents
4.    RH  Dec 11, 1879 - The Holidays
5.    Manuscript Release 21 - 1880 pg 222 et al   "How Shall We Celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas?"  Partial Manuscript
6.   RH Jan 4, 1881  "The New Year"
7.    RH  Dec 26, 1882 - Holiday Gifts
8.    RH  Jan 1, 1882 - A Happy New Year
9.   ST Jan 3, 1883  "The Old Year and the New"
10.        RH Jan 29, 1884  "Sabbath School Reunion at Healdsburg, Cal" - a recounting of how Ellen White spend a New Years Eve...at the Healdsburg College (now P.U.C.)
11.        RH  Nov 18,  1884 - The Coming Thanksgiving
12.         RH  Dec 9, 1884 - Christmas is Coming
13.        RH  Dec 16, 1884 - The New Year
14.         RH  Dec 23, 1884 - Thanksgiving Sermon of EGW: Transcript from sermon given 11/27/1884
15.        RH Dec 14, 1886 - The Old Year and the New
16.         RH Extra Dec 11, 1888 - The Inestimable Gift
17.         RH Dec 17, 1889 - Christmas Address to the Young (a MUST read)
18.        RH  Dec 24, 1889  "The Work of Preparing for the New Year"
19.        Manuscript 24  Dec 25, 1889 , published in This Day With God (TDG) entry for Dec 25.  Ellen recounts a Christmas Eve spend at the Battle Creek Tabernacle, speaking at 10:30 p.m., then returning home to a late dinner with her nieces son and his family.
20.        RH  Dec 9, 1890  "Christmas Gifts"
21.        RH  Dec 23, 1890 "An Appeal to the Churches" - this article, while not about the holiday's specifically contains the key ideas she expresses in other articles:  Jesus left glory for you.  Give to Others, Take a soul inventory at the new year.
22.        RH Dec 15,  1891  "The World by Wisdom Knew Not God."  : In this article, at Christmas time, she expresses in Paragraphs 7 and 8 the ideas of the gift of God in coming in Christ to the world.
23.        RH Dec 12, 1892 - Christ Our Hope: Paragraphs 4-7 seem to be build on the idea of Jesus coming to the world.  John 3:16 quoted.  Jesus is the "best gift of heaven" and "the heaven-sent gift."  Good holiday words.
24.        RH  Dec 19, 1893 - Represent Christ in Self Denial: Paragraph 4 stresses not going in debt for gift giving and Paragraph 5 encourages  not spending money on holiday amusements.
25.        RH  Jan 2, 1894 - Look not everyman to his own things. - This seems to reflect her thought about holiday generosity.
26.         RH  12/18, 12/25, 1/1 - Our Duty to the Poor and Afflicted
27.        RH  11/26/1895  Appeal for the Southern Field:  Continued  12/3, 12/10, 12/17, 12/24 - This is quite the holiday appeal for people and funds to help with the blacks in the south.  "Christ left his high command." is the reason.  Christmas words for sure.
28.        RH  Nov 10, 1896  "A Test of Gratitude and Loyalty"
29.        RH  Nov 24, 1896 "The Right Use of God's Gifts"
30.        RH Dec 1, 1896 - "The Right Use of God's Gifts"  Pt. 2 
31.        RH  Dec 8, 1896  "God's Claim on Us"
32.         RH 12/25/1900   "How Much Owest Thou?" - Paragraph 1 -"Tis the Holiday Season"
33.        RH Dec 3, 1901 - Robbing God
34.        RH Dec 10, 1901 - Robbing God, Part 2
35.        RH Dec 17, 1901 "Bring an offering unto the Lord."
36.        RH Dec 23, 1902 "Think on These Things."  "Another year has almost passed into eternity..."
37.        RH 11/15/1906  "Christian Liberality"
38.         RH 12/27/1906  "Shall We Celebrate the Holidays?"

Eunice Widmer: The Umbrella

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