To an Atheist

—

FIJI, REMOTE AND PICTURESQUE 831

loose and crated, above as well as below deck, must have totaled

tens of thousands.

Large bunches were offered at the wharf by native vendors

for twelve and a half cents each.

With all the above stamped on our minds we turned our backs

upon picturesque, remote Fiji one midnight, thankful that loose

steamship connections in the South Pacific had dropped us such an

opportunity.

RIVERSIDE, UTAH

To an Atheist

O man, thy haughty pride and skilfulness,

Is but a cloak for thy disgracefulness;

Thy fine contempt of all thou canst not prove

Or subject to thy law, does not remove

Thee further from that state of loftiness

Which thou dost seek, though not by faithfulness

And prayer, but by a cheap indifference,

Thrust in the face of God's omnipotence.

Yet, thou dost set thy croos and look for rain

And sun, to moisten and mature thy grain,

Dost murmur, should thy land be parched and dry,

Dost turn a hard-set face toward the sky,

To cast self-blinded eyes, by far too proud,

In hope of finding, soon, a rainy cloud;

And, seeing none, doth sigh for very fear

Thy bread should be the scarcer for it next year.

Or should thy crops prove richer than before,

Thou'lt gather gleefully into thy store,

Nor give a little thanks to Him above

Who gives to all a measure of his love;

Thou seest thy neighbors enter the Church door

—

To give their thanks, aye e'en the very poor.

And while they pay their tithes or sing a psalm,

Thou'lt clasp thy gold the tighter in thy palm,

And dream of some day reaching heights of fame,

(Which giveth unto man a gilded name)

By conjuring up some creed — Man's evolution,

Thinking to overthrow facts of God's creation.

Oh, shrunken spirit, better for thee a sleep

—

Dreamless, unwaked eternal, deep

Than late to stand, cowering beneath thy shame,

Clutching thy withered wreath of earthly fame.

But thus it cannot be, you must awake!

Death has small power since Christ its chains did break.

He gave unto us all a free salvation,

That we might work, and earn an exaltation;

So, too, in time, that' which you scorned below,

(God's holy law) you'll hear again, and know.

By dint of strictest serving, and much pain,

You yet his promised blessings can obtain.

Lilaine Olva