Safed and the Milk and Cake

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 119, 13 February 1926, Page 15

Safed and the Milk and Cake

THERE was an handmaiden of the Lord who wrote an epistle unto tne saying, When thou contest to the city wherein I reside, then do I desire that thou shalt lodge at mine House; and if it be that Ki turah cometh also, that will be more than twice as well. And it came to pass, that I visited that city, and spake unto divers vf the people assembled in a Congregation, and I abode in her Home. And she had prepared for me a Prophet's Chamber wherein was a Bed with Four Great Posts, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, bless the Bed that 1 lie on, end a Chair, and a Basin, and a Candlestick, And I lacked for nothing. And at night she spake unto me, saying, Is there anything that thou wouldst like to cat before thou goest to Bed? And I thanked her, and said, There is nothing that I desire. And she said, Wouldst thou not cat a Slice of Cake and drink a Glass of Milk ?

And I said, Now thou speakest of Milk and of Cake, I pray thee, lead me to it. But be this known unto thee, that so greatly hath Keturah indulged me that whenever I cat One Slice of Cake, I am likely to ask for Two. And she said, Thou shalt have Three.

And it was good Cake; likewise was the Milk good. And I consumed them, and slept well; and rose in the morning witli a Light and Thankful Heart.

Now I considered how I had refused all manner of meat when she asked me if I desired food, for indeed I desired it not, but how I immediately fell for it when she said, Cake and Milk. Fbr here is something in Psychology.

A man will walk into a Bookstore wherein are a Thousand Books that it might profit him to read, and will walk out without buying any of them, and then will subscribe for abook he doth not want when an Agent shall call, and say, This is the One Great Book that should be in thy home. Likewise doth a man say: I am a bachelor, and I am well suited, and there will be a Long Chase and an Hard Fight before I marry, but when there cometh down the Pike, not a Regiment of Women, but Just One Girl, then doth he hasten to the Jeweller and buyeth a Ring. Likewise doth the Orator fail when he quoteth Statisticks of Thousands or Millions, but maketli his point when he giveth Individual instances.

So when mine hostess shall say, Wilt Thou cat before bedtime? I shall answer, I desire no food: but if she shall say, Cake and Milk, or Crackers and Milk and a Baked Apple, then will I sign for it on the Dotted Line.

For this is the Law of the Concreteness of the Particular over the Vagueness of the General. And it is well for all who have to do with Education and Instruction and Reformation and Evangelisation to know of these things.