Article April 20, 1912 Issue

THE UNIVERSAL POEM

CASSIUS M. LOOMIS.

To the lover of song all being is tremulous with rhythm, measure, harmony, and order—heaven's first law. However distorted the material vision, however discordant the babel of earthly tongues, behind the veil of sense is that perfect realm of harmony known to him alone whose life is attuned to the gospel of love, that love which enriched Christ's healing ministry among men, and which is enriching a like ministry among his followers today.

The study of history discloses an order even in the world's events. There are pulse-beats in the affairs of men, significant and divinely appointed periods of awakening. A prophet is born not out of time, but just at the time when he is most needed. We do not give ourselves over to speculations regarding fate and destiny when we say that the coming of Christian Science was truly God-given—the one needful nineteenth-century event, as perfectly timed as was the appearance of the star of Bethlehem. Could a teaching that was to meet the needs of so wonderful a period of human progress have been given us before? It would not have harmonized with the complete poem of song which had to mortal sense been unsung for so many centuries. All this having come about in behalf of progress upon our own small planet, what of the millions of other starry orbs which make up infinitude? Must there not be order and rhythmical harmony pervading all immensity?

When a song, born of quickened sense, catches the public ear, there is response from every listening heart. Its music, combined with words, rhythm, and rhyme, touches the sympathetic chord in a mysterious way. Mrs. Eddy tells us on page 213 of Science and Health that "music is the rhythm of head and heart;" and without this rhythm, outpicturing order, harmony, and, in its last analysis, love, the art of complete expression could not be found. It is the universal poem, the song of songs that thrills our very being and uplifts us from the mire of doubt and erroneous thinking. Our poets live a new day after each inspiration of song; the heavens take on new color and the breezes murmur sweeter tales of romance. Voicing this universal truth as regards God's perfect image, Dryden says:—

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