Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

ATTkCARSTAIR RNEVE4"/E/I By No I. Prudence Carlyle picked her wa: daintly, yet with a certain stiff air o determination, across the wet sand to within speaking distance of th( only other visible human being. "Laetitia!" she called. The damsel so addressed was, t< all appearance, engaged with purell Infantile implements in a purely in fantiie pastime. "Hullo!" she responded with un femnie brevity, and without look lug up from her digging. nhre's a man at the top of the clift. and he's been staring at you foi Miss .aetitia Carstairs, B. Se. dropped her spade where she sat nud. clasping her bear arms rounc he' cqually bare ankles, complacent ly .urveyed the score or so of patches W dishevelled sandthat bore evidenc( of her diligence. "Haven't I dlone a lot. Prue?" shE clernded. ignoring the informatior :iusr conveyed to her. "I ought tc tome on him soon, if I've any luck.' 'Eut," pursued Prue. "there's tha nia:., and that bathing dress of your; -'n not at all sure that it's-well 4ui'.e decent." Leury rose slowly, and her gray y traveled demurely down to her bare pink toes. I've heard," she observed, "that ii- -well-'deuced becoming.' " "Laetitia!" "Oh! he didn't know I heard him,' explained that damsel airily. "Ie" ejaculated Prue. "Even he," mimicked the girl, a ith a gay little laugh. "For you s? . my dear Prue, there are such thirgs as men in existence, and one occasionally comes across them, even on sien Oh! did you see him?' She was down on her knees in an instaut. driving a rod into the yield ing sard. 'Certainly not," said her compan 'n, severely; "if I had" "There!" interrupted Laetitia tri i:rcphantly, as with a quick deft movement she hauled up her rod. 'sn't he a beauty?" "Good gracious, child! I thought yo:: r"eaut the man'" "What man?" inquired Laetitia absently, as she carefully placed her laitest treasure in the bucket by her side. "'The man who made quite unnec essary comments on your get-up." Letty glanced casually over her shoulder at the offending male. "There's three hundred feet be tween us." she observed serenely. "*'3 can't see much." "If." said Prue, witheringly, "you are referring to your garments, that's true. They can't be said to be exact 2y voluminous. Really, your al:pear ance - "That;" interrupted Letty, shak tng back the red-brown curls from 'her' sun-kissed cheeks, "is my mis fortune, not my fault. And P rue," she added, teasingly, "there's noth ing like science for the complexion. It keeps you out in all weathers, you *see. and gives you plenty of exer tise." "It does that," admitted Prue rue Eully, letting hei' gaze wander up the three hundred feet of precif.itous tliff that she been "morally com l)elled." as she herself expressed it, to descend. "What I really car2e to -say was, how much longer are you going to be?" Laetitia seized upon jger bucket and spade and executed a pas seul, looking more like an embodimeat of mischievous childhood than a young woman who had earned the right to t he magic letters B. Sc. after her ixame. "Prue," she declared breathlessly. 'when she had finished. "I'm going to find that Balanoglossus 01' die for i. Give me another hour, and then I'll come." But barely half the time had c-lapsed before a shout mentally des ignated as "Red Ind-ian" by P?rue, startled the stillness of the cove, and Laetitia, waving her arms frantically, came dancing shorewards. "Prue," she cried. "I've found him. Oh, I could just:shout!" "You're doing that alread:-," coin imented Prue dryly. "So would you!" retorted Lae "Nc', 1 shouldn't, my dear. In the lirst place, I shouldn't spend a whole glorious summer day digging about for a miserable" "He's the missing link." began Lactitia loftily. "Oh. go and get into your missing garments," besought Prue. Letty dived obediently into a cave, reappearing in something under five minutes. "clothed, and in her right mind," as she laughingly declared; and together they commenced the ascent. It was by no means an easy climb, for, besides being very steep in places, the rocks had an uncom* fortabie trick of crumbling away even beneath their light weight. Ar rived at last to within ten feet of The road above, they came to a stand stil simnultaneously. 'Oood gracious!" ejaculated Prue, y' hoe Laetitia merely whistled. The man above raised his cap. '!'ve been waiting to help yoti t:p.' h e.xplained; "if you'll allow Prue regarded the smooth, steer inc'line of rock with a blank s:are; thlen turned wrathfully to Laetitia. -We-er--slid down," began thai young woman, a delicious dimpl3 ap perin g in the small uplifted chin. "E~xactly," agreed the young man his blue eyes twinkling; "but yot --o"adm:itted Prue, after a long p :."What do you propose tC 'c wung hiZself over the railing :'e.garded ther unwary from tray -ei aito another world, and clinging enlit one hand reached down a~ ''-"s he conld with the other. ,'v.'h directed., "go back a~ eras.on c"n and get a bit of run..c.nd'l catch: your nand anl( , B. Sc., AND ANOTHER. -a Alexander. !6N,ARE%EfB "You'll have to leave that-thing whatever his name is, behind," an nounced Prue, with a touch of de lightful malice in her tones. "I'd sooner leave myself," asserted Letty indignantly. "Have you got a bit of string?' 'she asked. He felt obediently in all his pock ets, and finally produced a boot-lace. "Please be very careful." she pleaded, as she fixed the dangling end to the bucket. "and whatever you dio, don't spill it." Geoffrey Forsyth assured her earn estly that he would sooner spill his life's blood, but owing to his watch ing a pair of gray eyes and a little dimpled chin to the exclusion of ev erything else, the precious bucket bumped against a projecting rock. and lost a large proportion of its con tants. Letty's face was a study of min gled indignation and dismay. "Oh," she cried, "I do hope the Balanoglossus hasn't gone! If it has -please help me up at once!" She stepped back, and running a little way up the smooth incline caught his .brown. hand with hers. The f:.ct that his clasp was closer than was absolutely necessary was lost on her as she seized upon her treasures. When Prue arrived on the scene she was greeted by a wail of dis may. "It's gone! Oh!"-this furiously to her rescuer, "I'll never forgive !you, never!" He came towards her, looking about as crestfallen as a man well could. "I'm awfully sorry," he began apologetically. "Sorry," she echoed wrathfully, "what's the good of being sorry?" "Letty!" expostulated Prue. "Well! I-I-Oh! its' too oad. And the professor's coming to" To the young man it seemed im probable, almost incredible even. but there really was something curiously suggestive of tears in the fresh young voice. "Laetitia!" said Prue, attempti~g to be severe, "you seem to forget that we might have been left down there all night, but for Mr." "Forsyth," he prompted, dejected ly. Letty tossed her head. "I'm very much obliged to you, Mr. Forsyth," she said chillily. "Good evening," and picking up her bucket and spade she. walked off. leaving Prue to "do the grateful," as she mentally ejaculated. And Geoffrey Forsyth, who had been thanking his lucky stars for this unexpected chence of making the acquaintance of his "gray-eyed di vinity," was left inwardly cursing all things. Then the usually reitcent Prue did a strange thing, for she ob served, as she shook hands with the dejected knight errant: "We are going to explore the caves on Friday-in search of more mon sters." "Thank you so much," he sa'd with straightforward candor. And Prue, despite her thirty years, blushed. Possibly she was dimly conscious of ulterior motives. Any way, she omitted mentioning to Letty that the young man possessed that particular piece of information. II. "Hullo, Uncle! What in the world are you doing here?" "Come to that," said the professor genially, "what are you doing here?" As a matter of fact, he was not particularly interested in what his nephew might or might not be doing, f>ut he was unused to subterfuge, and the consciousness that. he was not, as usual, altogether on science bent, gave a distin :t twinge to his biological conscience. "Specimen hunting, I suppose?" queried the young man. "Why, yes," admitted the profes sor. "Care to join me? That is, if you've nothing.better to do." "Fact is,'' pursued the professor, with a would-be nonchalance that in stantly aroused the suspicions of his keen-sighted nephew, "fact is, there's a former studenit of mine ,here, a Miss Carstairs. I'm expect Iing to meet her to-morrow. We pro Ipose to explore the Gullot Caves f.or Actinia." Forsyth siirveyed the professor from under his lids with a sudden, new interest. It was true that he Iwas forty-five, and she was probably two or three and twenty, but "I don't think I can come to-mor row," was all.he said, and he strolled out into the garden of the little hotel and had a very bad, and rather long, quarter of an hour. But the morning sunlight brought a ray of hope. It might be all a mistake on his part, and any way there was nothing to prevent his searching for-Actinia. On rounding a corner in ti?e semi darkness of the Guliot Caves he ran into Miss Laetitia Carstairs--and alone, a fact he found peculiarly comforting. "I beg your pardon," said both si' multaneously, and presently she added with frank unconventionality, as he lingered near "I suppose you're Actinia-hunting, too? There are some awfully rare ones here." "I should be delighted if I might help you-" She turned swiftly at the sound of his voice. "Oh!" she said icily, "it's you." "ant I help you?" he asked eagerly. To lose them?" she suggested cruelly 'No, thank you. I wouldn't think of troubling you," and with her small head very erect she n:r'd on. She was quite awar'e that he was standing watching her, and fired with the determination to make a digni fled retreat, she forgot that in the Guliot Caves it behooves one to fol low the advice of the Apostle, and walk circumspectly. A momen1 later there was a plunge, a little hiss as her' candle spluttered out in the water. a smothered. inarticulate cry and t.hen: a cheery "I'm coming!" .'Tnat's twir," she s:aid crossiv' when at length he had succeeded im dragging her out of the pool. whose smooth. slippery sides would. shE knew, have defied her unaided ef forts. "I apologize," he replied gravely, as he wrung some of the water out of her dripping garments. "Don't be absurd." she snapped. Then, after a pause. "Of course. I ought to thank you." "Not at all," he said imperturably, I and, taking a leaf out of her book, remained serenely silent. well aware A that she could not descend from her 1t perch without his aid, and deter- 0 mined not to proffer it. A "Well-thank you." she said at A last, almost meekly: then flashed out A It Illogically, "Though it was all your I fault. And now would you mind I helping me down"" B "On one condition." he laughed: c "that you let me follow you around and see that you don't make any further attempts on your life." And she had no choice but to assent. tl Half an hour later he was won dering, as he obediently held the g candle and watched the deft, skil- e ful movements of her white fingers, t1 what his next step should be in the thawing of this scientific icicle, when d Fate kindly intervened and took the step for him. , "Where's the professor?" he asked. tl (He had already e:plained the rela- tl tionship between them.) "Oh, somewhere about," she an swered vaguely. "He's on the look- a out for. a" "Spare me, please," he laughed. tl And at that very moment, as they C turned another corner in the intrica cies of the wonderful caves, the pro fessor's voice came echoing back to i them: "Dearest Prue, you must know , I love you." "It seems," said Letty roguishly, and. the dimples came back into her face as if by magic, "it seems he was on the lookout for-a wife." Then she doubled back into the cave they had just quitted, and, sit- c ting down on a rock, laughed im moderately. Geoffrey Forsyth, with a sigh of intense relief, sat down be side her. But in the midst of her laughter her eye was caught by a small, shining object on the dark, dark wall of the cave. "Why," she cried, springing to her feet, "how could I have missed him! There's the very mesemb" "The mesemb-whatever its end may be, can wait," he said firmly, drawing her back on to the ledge be side him. She was so surprised at this sud den masterfulness in one hitherto so meek that she actually did sit down. "It's my turn now," he asserted: "you've been hours pottering round after creatures with impossible names, and I've been a miracle of pa tience. Now I want to talk about something I understand." "And what may that be?" she in quired, a trifle sarcastically. "I want to make love to you," he replied calmly. "But," she objected. after the first gasp of surprise at his audacity, "but I don't want to be made love to-by you." "That," he asserted, "is because you don't know me." She laughed in spite of herself. "Modesty will never be you!' ruin, Mr. Forsyth." "I don't want it to be," he ad mitted candidly. "Now tell me, just as a matter of cui'iosity, what kind of a man do you like?" "One who knows what he wants and gets it," she said succinctly, - thinking of the professor and the s trick he had played on her, a trick f her sense of humor caused her to re- b gard with infinite amusement. n "Well," replied her' companion, I: "I know what I want." and he looked at her so expressively that she al promptly ejaculated- be "I imagine you won't get it." ti "Do you think nct?" he inquired B regretfully. "It was luncheon I was a referring to." b< "Oh!" she said, and then added te scornfully-"I might have known al that. Men are always thinking q about things to eaf." "Except when they are thinking a: about the woman they love," he sup- n plemented. To which she deigned a no reply.a "May I begin now?" he asked e presently.1 "How can you be so absurd?" she h demanded. "Why, you've only h known me a week.' a: "But a week of this is equivalent I< to a year of ordinary 'knowing,' " he w reminded her. 1 "I suppose," she said with a sigh,a "it's no good asking you to leave off." "Not a bit," he returned cheer- d fully, "and as my knowledge of 0 human nature leads me to imagine you'll see no more of the professor a and Miss Carlyle for the rest of the S day, you'd best make up your mind t to be content with me." b "And are you going to make love to me all day?" she asked in dismay. ~ He dropped into sudden gravity, S and for a moment she saw the real ~ man, and was startled. c "D)earest," lhe said gently, and his b very voice seemed to have changed, r "dearest, I love you. But just be- ~ cause that is so, I am not going to do ~ anything to vex you. I am not even going to speak of my love, only I t want you not to quite forget it. Will you promise?" But Letty for once had nothing to ' say. He took her hand and kissed it, then relapsing into his normal gen. s iality, said quite simply and natural- ' ly, "Now, shall we go out and ex- e plore? There are some quite fascin- t ating 'bits' in this dot of 'an island. a Come along." reassuringly, "we are going to be just pals, aren't we?" a And Letty, for some inexplicable reason, sighed softly. ' But he kept his word rigorously,7 and was all day no more than a quite delightful pal-the adjective was Letty's own. At the end of it. as thy .stood to gether in the gathering dusk, he ~ asked, looking .down on her: 1 "Well, wvhat's the pr'oz:ami for to- t morrow.? You-r can't spoil sport, you ~ know'.. so shall it he science--or' me?" For an instaint she hesitated, and i he caught lher' hands tr'iumpl)hantly in his ownl. "She who hesitates is lost," he quoted gayiy "l'!l come for you atd ten sharn "--Thc Sketch. For t1 Youn, Child THE WAY OF A BOY. hen mother sits beside my bed t night, and strokes and smooths my head, nd kisses me. I think some way ow naughty I have been all day; how I. waded in the brook. nd of the cookies that I took. nd how I smashed a window-light E -rassling--me and Bobby White nd tore my pants and told a lie; almost makes me want to cry hen mother pats and kisses me; n just as sogv as can be. it I don-t ten her so-no. sir. te knows it all; you can't fool her. -M. C. Watson, in Good Housekeeping. A LITTLE BIRD TOLD HIM. Little Mrs. Bird built her nest in ie apple tree near the kitchen door; t rid before her children were half I rown Mr. Thomas Cat ate them t rery one. Mrs. Bird fluttered among e-leaves of the apple tree, and cried' r )r a whole. day. Then she went I own into the corner of the orchard t id built another nest. But Master ommy Spratt found it, and took all ie eggs away.. Mrs. Bird cried over e 'mpty nest all- day. Then she 'ent far, far away into the woods, id built another nest in a thorn tree. One morning, while she w%s sitting eacefully on-her.eggs in. the nest in ne thorn-tree, she heard footsteps n the stones below. She looked ver the edge of the nest with tartled eyes. At first she did not now whether to be afraid or not. he creature she saw had on a very hort dress, but it also wore a small, >und straw hat and short hair. Mrs. ird did not know whether it was a irl or a boy. Girls were harmless reatures, she knew. Suddenly the reaure jumped over a log and -hooped wildly. "Oh me! oh, me: It is a boy" PUZZLE F WHERE S.TH SU 3rieked poor Mrs. Bird. She sprang om the nest and darted through the, anches around and around her est, screaming and .scolding furious Foolish Mrs. Bird! Why, almost y boy in the world would have en sure, from the noise she made, iat -she had a -nest hiddenA there. t this boy did not know it. He was very young boy, far too young to wandering in the woods alone. To 1 the truth, he had run away; and. Lthough he did not know it, he was uite lost. The boy walked on past the tree; d, after a little. Mrs. Bird lost sight I+him, and settled quietly down gain. After a long time she heard queer noise, and, peeping over the Ige of the nest she saw the boy corn g back again. His hat was gone, I is feet were covered with mud, his 3 ands and face scratched with briars, I rid he had discovered that he was 1 st, and was 'sobbing bittei'ly. He 'as so tired and blinded with cry ig that he tottered as he walked; ad, when he had reached the tree4 'here Mrs. Bird had her nest, he ropped in a weary, muddy little hea p the dead leaves, and fell asleep. Mrs. Bird screamed and scolded d darted about the tree, swooping low that her wings almost brushed te boy-s head; but he did not hear Presently poor, distracted Mrs. ird heard other strange sounds. e heard voices calling. "Harold' :arold! Harold!" and the echoes ught up the words and tos:=(d them ck and forth until the :-ees and cks seemed to be crying, "H-arold! [aroid!" too. But Harold did not ear. H-e was too sound asleep. oon two figures appeared in the dis "More boys! more boys:" shrieked [rs. Bird. "Oh, my poor eggs. that shall I do?" They were very large boys. We tould have called them men, but rn. Bird did not know the differ ace. She was afraid of anything at wore trousers and short hair and small, round straw hat. Suddenly one of the men stopped nd caught the other,by the arm. "Listen, Charlie:' he cried. "Do u hear that bird scolding down onder in the thicket?" "Yes, what of it?" said the other. "~Something has disturbed her. It iay be the boy. Let us see." "P-papa, how d-did you know; here 1 was?" asked Harold, sieep y, when he awoke a moment later > find himself safe in his father's "Oh. a little bird told me,"~ an verd papa, lau~'ghing. RAIJLROAD JACK. "R~airced Jack." who v-as without .oub zh moe+ mraeled dog in the ZLO ren.... ountry, was chloroformed this morn ng at Lindy's stables, this step being ecessary owing to his infirmities. Ie was nineteen years old, and up to ve years ago his life had been spent n traveling about the country on ailroad trains. He was known to very railroad man throughout the astern States. Jack was started on his travels Lbout seventeen years ago by Station ,faster John Kelly. In speaking of it his morning Mr. Kelly said: "He vas the most knowing animal I ever aw. He would jump into a bag ,age car and ride to Saratoga. He vould stay around Saratoga for a ime and then take a train to Round ,ake, where he would stay over Sun lay, returning here Monday morning. ext he would be on the train run iing to Albany, where he would >oard a West Shore train and ride :o Weehawken. He would cross on :he ferry to New York and go to the 3rand Central station, where he would jump into the baggage car of L New,.York Central train -bound for klbany. "He never missed getting on the ight train, no matter where he was. le traveled from Troy to Boston, ;ometimes going through and at )ther times stopping off at various tations. Jack would go as far as 7ashington and return over the Pennsylvania Railroad. He always cnew where he was going. One of ts favorite rides was from Albany :o Binghamton. It must be five rears ago since Jack gave up travel ng on the railroads, for he was then ,etting quite old." Since his retirement from railroad ife Jack has been taken care of by ?mployes of the Westcott Express ICTURE. -- BrooklynDail Eae 3mpany. It is said that Jack had risited almost every State in the nion. The exact truth was known mly to the traveler himself, and he lid not include the gift of articulate ;peech among 'his other accomplish nents.--Troy Times. The Only Opening. The story is told of two Trenton ne who hired a horse and trap for Elittle outing not long ago. Upon 'eaching their destination the horse ras unharnessed and permitted eacefully to graze while the men Ished for an hour or two. When they were ready to go home Sdifficulty at once presented itself, nasmuch as neither of the Trenton ans knew how to reharness the orse. Every effort in this direction net with dire failure, and the worst )roblem was properly to a&iust the >it. The horse himself seemed to re ent the idea of going into harness tgan. Finally one of the friends; in great lisgust, sat down in the road. 'There's only one thing we can do, 311." said he. "What's that?" asked Bill. "Wait for the foolish beast to -awn:"--Harper's Weekly. Gulls Destroying Grasshoppers. The great flock of sea gulls tbat is learing luka township of grasshop es is much appreciated by the peo le up there. While driving in that ownship Sunday we saw at some dis ance what seemed to be a big lot of uew tin cans stretched across a quar' er section of land. Presently we dis ~overed there was life and activity in he white objects glistening in the unlight, and then we discovered it to >e countless thousands of sea gulls tretched across the fields and catch n: hoppers and bugs. They were not vild, as one could drive with a few 'ods of them and not disturb them in he least.--Pratt Union. Why She Wanted Rain. "That was a tender-hearted .y ung ady who stopped and spoke to me fter the services to-day," observed he rector. "She seemed to be filled rith sympathy for the farmers, for ;he asked me to pray for rain.'' 'Who? That Vibbers girl?" asks he rector's wife. "If she isn't the ypocrite! Why. I saw her buying ancy silk hosiery at a bargain sale -esterday. And she wants you to )ray for rain. "--Detroit Free Press. When a woman has reached the ie of focrty-five in JIapan and is un rarrd the authorities pick out a isand for' her and compel them to ;;arry. This plan red'uces the r-ure er of old r.:aids, but forczs many EPI OI1I L[AGE LESSONS SUNDAY. DECEMBER 2. Temptations and How to Meet Them. Matt. 4. 3-11. Daily Readings. The sphere of temptation.-1 John 2. 15, 16. How they work.-James 1. 13-15. A cheering promise to -e tempted. -I Cor. 10. 13. How to endure to the end.-Ileb. 12. 3. The snare of plenty.-Deut. S. 11 18. Do not choose bad companions. Prov. 1. 10-14. Topic-Temptations and How to Meet Them.-Matt. 4 3-11. It must be that temptations come. It is in the case, essentially. Temp tation grows out of our moral free dom, which is the supreme attribute of human nature. Without this en dowment, as says Dr. Austin Phelps, "a man would have no right to say I. Without it a humming bird is his e'qual: with it he is kindred of the angels." Further, he says: "Few men can stand cn the summit of a lofty tower without a momentary sense of peril in the consciousness of power to plunge himself headlong. A special police guard the Column Vendome, in Paris. to prevent that form of suicide. .So fascinating;, often, As..the.power .to do an evil deed." Temptation is solicitation to exercise this godliVe power of choice in ways forbidden by highest wisdom, by God himself. There are two main sources of evil prompting and solicitation. "A man is tempted when he is* drawn away of his own lusts." James said. That, of course, is true. "I fear most of all," said Luther (was it?), "the great pope inside. Myself." There is, ac cording to Scripture, from. Genesis to Revelation, another source of temp tation: namely, the evil personality we call the devil, or Satan. "He goeth about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." "He has many wiles, even appearing as an angel of light, sometimes. perhaps oftenest so -at least when he tempts people who mean to do right. Besides this evil, Invisible personality there are multi ?udious sources of temptation in the world. Evil persons tempt us to do wrong. The pressure of life's neces sities,, or its fancied needs, is heavy upon us. Men lie, steal, forge for this cause. CHIISTIAN [NEAVOR NOTES DECEMBER SECOND. Courage or Cowardice-Which?-Luke 12:4, 5; Gal. 1:9-12; Jer. 1:6-10, 17. 'Iuch fighting-among men and na tions-is simply because men are too cowardly to stand by the principles of peace (Luke 12:4). "He's not afraid of- anything," we say In admiration; but a well-bestow ed fear is one of the most valuable human qualities (Luke. 12:5). Pleasing men is well enough if It is a by-product of our lives, and not' the main product (Gal. 1:10). Consciousness of God's presence Is the bad man's prison and the good man's fortress (Jer. 1:S). Suggestions. The word "courage" comes from the Latin word cor, heart. Whatever the appearance, a man is courageous if his heart 'is brave. The most valiant exercise of cour age is n:anfully to grapple with one's dearest sins and tear them out of one's life. No one is likely to have the true courage if he admires the false cour age. Spiritual courage is helped by phy sical courage, but physical gourage cannot endure at all without spiritual courage. Illustrations. "Your face is pale," sneered one soldier to another. "Yes," he ans wered; "if you were as much afraid as I am, you would have run long ago." A Quaker often shows more courage by refusing to go to war than a sol dier in the hottest battle. Peter, who whipped out his sword in Gethsemane, shrank from a wo man's tongue in the high priest's courtyard. Perhaps Paul's most courageous act was in contiiuing his jom'ney to Jerusalem in spite of his friends' prayers, well knowing what fate awaited him there. Am I afraid of the right things? Am I bold where Christ wants me bold? Is my courage firmly based upon Christian faith? Courage consists not in blindly overlooking danger, but in seeing it and.conquering it.-Richter. Courage without discipline is near er beastliness than manhood.-Sir Philip Sidney. Courage is always greatest when blended with meekness.-Chapin. God is the brave man's hope and not. tbe coward's excuse.-Plutarch. Oddest of All Preserves Perhaps the oddest of all jams (some of which is imported into this :ountry) is made from a red pulp btained from the seed-ressels of the :ommon wild rose of Europe. It is rick-red in color and, as might be imagined, i-s in flavor entirely unlike any other known kind of preserve. In parts of the South what is known s "peach leather" Is made from peach juice, which is put int bright pans and dried in the sun. In the ry state it looks a good deal like eather, and is eaten without further preparation, keeping for an indefinite dhne. There is commonly manufactured in -'urkey a similar product from grapes, he juice !being evaporated to the con stency of molasses. Some flour is :ixed with it, and the stuff is spread in thin sheets upon muslin, being hen exposed to sunshine for a couple f days. In the same Oriental country wal auts are commonly strung upon twine, and after- coating them with a mix ture of grape, molasses and sugar are dried. Travellers bound on long journeys frequently carry these trings of nuts, which afford much nourishment in concentrated shape. in California a delicious syrup is made from orange juice, which, of -ourse. is quite rich in sugar. And in Virginia watermelon syrup, which is said to be particularly delicious, is -z unknown as a local product. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.-, MENTS FOR DECEMBER 2. e' Subject: Jesus Before Pilate. Lu ke xxiii., 13-23--Golden Text, L 2 xxiii.. 4-Memory Verses, 20 -Commentary. Jesus 1. Pilate endeavors to release ntius (vs. 13-17). 13. "Pilate." P t and Pilate belonged to an r.cie led to knightly Roman family. - "C e rulers gether." Pilate summons t one that ' and the people. 14. "As as taught perverteth." As one that . religion. doctrines injurious to you the first "Having examined." At t could be trial he had heard all thf"N fault." brought against Him. 've a s:ngle They had failed to pg charge. - Christ had 15. "Nor yet Herod. Galilee and traveled extensively ir charge. "He yet Herod brings no ' (R. V.) This sent Him :ack un' u cquittal. "Is i'volved a distinct /Nothing worthy done unto Him." ' one by iim. - 'f death hath been R. V. - jim.'' John bays 16. "Cha"'i:e esus and scourged that Pilate took . note done until a Him; but this release Him." little later. "- w.efn they saw Pilate hol. -d th,hey would be satis Je-us scourged 'they were clamoring fied, but not so; d .nuthing short of for His blood, a ould satisfy them. ' th on a cross ase one." This 3 7. "Must re the Revised Ver verse is omitted in 1arallel accounts. sion. But gee' fnc f the Jews (vs. Ii. Thie clauo-s ried out." The 18-23). 18. "They people (Mark chief priests moved th An insurrec 15:11). "Barabbas." murderer. tionist, a robber and a Insurrection. 19. "Sedition." celebrated Matthew says he was cripts he :s prisoner. In some mann ca.led Jesus Baraboas. -sus.'' It 20. "Willing to release e that the was probable at this ti "ate's wife me -i",er caie from Pi release of (Matt. 2:: 19) urgidg thee proposal Jesus. Pilate repeated t of verse 16. Him G1e 21. "Crucify Him." L possible. the most ignominious death cording Had the Jews executed Him a ophets tc their law against faise p .ve and blasphemers they woul y at stoned Him, as they repeated '.ith tempted to do, and as they did -on Stephen. His prophecy of cruci He was practically a prophecy that l siould be put to death, as He actu n ly was, on a charge of high treas against the Roman government. can hardly be. supposed that /these people who were crying, "Crucify Him," were the same people who had brought Jesus into the city the Sun day before with shouts of hosanna. This was a Jewish mob urged on by the authegities; that was no doubt largely a Galilean crowd 22. "What evil hath He done."' How many and what various persons bear testim'ony to the innocence of the Holy One - Pilate, Herod, Pi late's wife. the thief on the cross, and the centurion at the crucifixion. "And let Him go." Pilate is laboring hard to release Him: he could have ended this whole matter with one word. It was at this juncture that Pilate asked, What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ? -This Is a question every person must an swer. 1. Every person must accept. or reject Him. 2. Rejecting Christ is the great sin of the world. 3. If we reject Him here we shall be re jected by Him hereafter. 23. "Instant." Insistent, urgent. "Prevailed." The reason why he fin ally yielded seems to have been the one given in John 19.12, "If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend." 7Bu Pilate gained nothing even with Caesar. for he was soon recalled, degraded and banished to Gaul. where he committed suicide. III. Pilt.te pronounces the death sentence (vs. 24, 25). 24. "Pilate gave sentence.' Before Pilate pro nounced the sentence he took water and washed his hands publicly, thus expressing in acts. what he uttered in words, "I am innocent of the blood of tl:is just person; see ye to it" (Mat 27:24). The people accept the re sponsibility and cry. "His blood be on us, and on our children." That blood was upon them,. not as vengeance, 'but as a natural consequence of their conduct. Within forty yeas the city which defy description. No history can furnish us with a parallel to the calamities and raiseries of the Jews at that time. There was rapine, mur der, famine, pestilence and all the horrors of war. The account given by Josephus is heart-rending. Pilate again ascends the judgment seat, which was set up in a raised place in the open souare, and delivers his final decree. 25. "He delivered Jesus to their will." Jesus Is now mocked the third time, about 8 o'clock, Friday morning, in the court of Pilate's pal'" ' ace. See Matt. 27:26-30; Mark 15: 15-19: John 19:1-3. When Jesus is brought out before them. Pilate makes one last effort to release Him (John 19:4-15). Now it is that he permits JTesuis to be scourged, hoping that will satisfy them; but the cry Is still. "Crucify Him," and He is taken back into the court and His own clothes are nut noon Him. It was at this time that Pilate said. "Behold, the man!" And well may we stop and behold Him. He was "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief'' (Isa. 53:3). In Him we see a .per feet exhibition of meekness and :ove and a perfect example for us to fol low. He was the God-man and as 9 such made the great atonement for the redemption of mankind. There's a deal of difference be twee"n using the ~Bible as a text-book of life and as a book or texts. PROLONGING TiOMiATO SEASON. Here's a capital idea for prolonging the tomato season 'that may profitably be pasted in - the scra-p-book of re minders for next-season. It is quite another principal of cutting up sweet corn that happens to be overtakien by frost and stacking it away in the shed where it will continue to supply the home table after the season proper hats closed. The tomato idea is sug geste'd by' a writer -in "Country Gent lemnan," who says:-J "An -old neighbor told us how to save our 'tomatoes after the frost. SoU last year we -planted some a bit later than usual, and just before frost we pulled all, taking care to knock off as few tomatoes as possible. These plants were hung in the stable on, poes where the sun shone on 'them for an hour or so a day. We hung ten large plants. and picked enough fruit for a family of four up to Thanksgiving .-inner." Liondon's population dcuties in about forty-f.ve years.