Page:Cyclopedia of illustrations for public speakers, containing facts, incidents, stories, experiences, anecdotes, selections, etc., for illustrative purposes, with cross-references; (IA cyclopediaofillu00scotrich).pdf/367



But where shall we look for the highest, the most complete and perfect revelation of God that the human mind is capable of grasping? Grant the truth there is in all the symbols which the imagination of men has produced. The earth is like the little ball you can hold in your hand. The solar system is like the revolving electric lights in the Museum of Natural History. The infinite and eternal energy is like the sun radiating light and heat and life upon the earth. He is like the flaming fire which consumes the evil and purifies the good. He is like the wind and like the ocean and like the most beautiful statue that art can produce. More than that. God is not only like all these symbols; He is in the symbols. God is in the solar system, the very life and soul of the universe. God is in the fire that consumes and purifies. God is in the flower and the bird and the beast.—

(1529)

The immanence of God is illustrated in these lines from an unidentified source:

"Oh, where is the sea?" the fishes cried, As they swam the crystal clearness through. "We've heard from of old of the ocean's tide, And we long to look on the waters blue. The wise ones speak of an infinite sea, Oh, who can tell us if such there be?" The lark flew up in the morning bright, And sung and balanced on sunny wings; And this was its song: "I see the light, I look on a world of beautiful things; But flying and singing everywhere,  In vain I have searched to find the air."

(1530)

Immensity of Space Reveals God—See .

Immigrant Savings—See.

IMMIGRATION

There is an ominous side to immigration, but there are alleviating facts. One of these was thus referred to by Bishop Warren of the Methodist Episcopal Church:

A while ago I was in a small country village in New England. For the first time in my life I looked upon a Methodist Episcopal church, once filled with happy worshipers, but now closed and abandoned. The population of the entire township was declining, and tho a few of the last remaining Methodists had added their help to the older and stronger Congregational church, even this was looking into the future with fear and trembling. Many of the native stock had died or moved away, and "foreigners were creeping in." I got a boy to guide me to where one of these foreigners—a Finlander—lived. It was a neatly painted home, with a fine garden and an acre of land, all paid for, and occupied by the Finn and his son. All the foreigners in the village were Finns and there were of them just six men and four women. Of the latter, two were wives of two of the men and two were young women serving in American families. And what sort of people were they? One of the six men, I was told, was a lay preacher and, as Sunday services were a long way off and quite irregular, this little homeless community of ten dreaded and shunned immigrants were maintaining a weekly prayer-meeting! (Text.)

(1531)

The total immigration to the United States for 1909 was 751,786. The net gain in foreign population was 718,433. The comparative immigration from the leading countries of the world for three years is shown in the following table:

-+-+-+   RACE OR PEOPLE     |  1909   |  1908   |  1907 -+-+-+ Italians, North-South | 190,398 | 135,247 | 294,061 Polish                |  77,565 |  68,105 | 138,033 German                |  58,534 |  73,038 |  92,936 Hebrew                |  57,551 | 103,387 | 149,182 English               |  39,021 |  49,056 |  51,126 Scandinavian          |  34,996 |  32,789 |  53,425 Irish                 |  31,185 |  36,427 |  38,706 Magyar                |  28,704 |  24,378 |  60,071 Slovak                |  22,586 |  16,170 |  42,041 Greek                 |  20,262 |  28,808 |  46,283 Croatian and Slovanian | 20,181 |  20,472 |  47,826 French                |  19,423 |  12,881 |   9,392 Scotch                |  16,446 |  17,014 |  20,516 Ruthenian             |  15,808 |  12,361 |  24,081 Mexican               |  15,591 |   5,682 |      91 Lithuanian            |  15,254 |  13,720 |  25,884 Finnish               |  11,687 |   6,746 |  14,860 Russian               |  10,038 |  17,111 |  16,807 Japanese              |   3,275 |  16,418 |  30,824 -+-+-+

The reader sees at once that more immigrants came from Italy than from any other country. In fact, the immigrants from Ger