There are so many beautiful passages both in sacred and profane history
alluding to messengers, in connection with our subject, that there is no
doubt but as civilization progressed the word and its meaning laid the
foundation for the many improvements which are to be found in our
present postal system,—a system which now connects all nations together
by a _letter-line mode_ of communication.
There is a beautiful passage in Holy Writ from which, figuratively, we
date the origin of _first carrier or messenger_: it is that of the dove
that went forth from the ark. “And the dove came in to him in the
evening, and, lo, in her mouth _was_ an olive leaf plucked off: so Noah
knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.”
_THE RETURN OF THE DOVE._
“There was hope in the ark at the dawning of day,
When o’er the wide waters the dove flew away;
But when ere the night she came wearily back
With the leaf she had pluck’d on her desolate track,
The children of Noah knelt down and adored,
And utter’d in anthems their praise to the Lord.
Oh, bird of glad tidings! oh, joy in our pain!
Beautiful Dove, thou art welcome again.”