The End From the Beginning

At this season we recall again one of the pleasant pastimes of our childhood, when we paused with other wide-eyed youngsters to watch the billposter, forerunner of circuses and shows a and other events, skillfully ply his paste and somehow make the parts of a ready-made picture slip piece by piece into place⎯thus to tell all passers-by of things to come. The first piece may not have given much hint as to the complete picture but perhaps the second or third did. And one by one we began to see the features of the various performers⎯and we experienced much impatience when we were pressed for time and couldn’t wait for the picture to be completed. We are not so much aware of late of these skillful plyers of paste and posters, perhaps because we take less time these days to see some things that once absorbed us, which should not pass unnoticed. Some of these patterns and pictures would no doubt be pleasant to contemplate and some of them we surely wouldn’t like if we were to see the end from the beginning. Said the Savior of mankind: ‘Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see of all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.’ Intimations of things to come have a way of preceding the arrival of the events themselves. By the first postings on the board, often we may know what the finished picture is intended to be⎯and always we would do well to appraise the intended picture before all the pieces are pasted down. We ought to be aware of the probable end of anything before we begin.