EMMELINE'S - -COSY CORNER CLUB.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 76

EMMELINE'S - - COSY CORNER CLUB.

SESSION 1908. TOPIC. — " My Favourite Poet "— "With the qualities you most sclnrire in his verse, illustrated by quotation. My Dear Comrades. — While congratulating I you ve-ry warmly on the saocese of the firsts j meeting of the session, in which the variety | of topics and the brightness of treatment were very noticeable, I think you will equally enjoy to-day's meeting Fortunately, the tast«> oi our members in poets and their vorks is very varied, which ensures ihe enjoyment of that immense circle of readers who, from the interest they take in our work, and the regularity with which they follow it. merit the title they themselves often claim in their rare letters to me — the Silent Members. ROBEET BROWNIXG. Dear Emmeline, — Take a handful cf Browning's gems to fling over the drab cloak of everyday life, and see how they- brighten it , Optimism, the big cheery outlook of life;

the steady glorr of "belief in the laght; tie warm invigorating sun of love — these are some of his gems. Here are the diamonds of flashing sight from' Paracelsus. "He seem/ed as thougpi where'er he looked there shone a star." "God and my faith stand, sure." "In His good time I shall arrive. God guides me and the bird — in Has good: time." "Why ever make man's good distinct from God's?" Through th® deepest, blackest night, orec the 'ploughshares of agony, Paracelsus's feet tread into the end of the day ; and even there, with death heavy on him, he can say: "I press God's lamp close to my- breast. Its splendour, soon or late, will pierce the gJoom." Take next the warm-blooded sun-opals of Pippa,: — "All service ranks the same with God." "God's in His heaven; all's right with the world." Thus the scatter of rubies, sapphires, emeralds — "Tho* jhis weak soul sink and darkness come, some little word shall light it up again, and I shall see all clearer and love better" (Pauline). "Take all in a word: the truth in God's breast Lies Jraoe for trace with ours impressed" (Christmas Eve and Easter Day). "All I cotuld never be, all men ignored in me. This I was worth to God." "Gro-w old along' with me, the best is yet to be ;- the last, for • which the first of life was planned" (Rabbi Ben Ezra). "One who never turned his back, but) marched breast forward, never doubted clouds would break, never - dreamt, thought right were worsted, wrong could triumph, held we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better," sleep' to wake" (Epilogue). These great words need no comment from, -me. Browning is the poet of love, of life, of belief in the good. > He is the electric spark that touches ih& divine fire in every man's heart. He is the prophet of God's infinite mercy and of man's infinite power to overcome evil.

I must frankly confess that I am not ai Browning worshipper, Ted, but even so, I' love and appreciate many of his brave ancß splendid thoughts, and find' some of my favourites are yours also — a very pleasant discovery between comrades such as we aTe, "so near and yet 'so far."