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-'V?V fllEY. BRTALMAGE. [THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN' DAY SERMON. _ Subject: "Rubies Surpassed.** V4 ' f T^xt : " Wisdom is belter than rubies."? Provorbs vlll., 11. K You have all seen the precious stone comJBonly called the ruby. It is of deep red joolor. The Bible makes much of it. It (flowed in the first row of the high priest's breastplate. Under another name it stood In the wall of heaven. Jeremiah compares the rudd7 cheek of the Nazarites to the ruby. iSsekiel points it out in the robes of the king :Of Tyre. I7our times does Solomon use it as !a symbol by which to extol wisdom or religion, always setting its value as better than rubies. The world does not agree as to how the Arecious stones were tormed. The ancients {bought that amber was made of drops of jperspiration of the goddess Ge. The than hereto no was supposed to havedropped from a /ttormoloud. The emerald was said to have been made of the firefly. The lapis lazuli was thought to have been born of the cry of an Indian giant. And modern mineralogists say that the precious stones were .made of gases and liquids. To me the ruby seems like a spark from the anvil of the setting sun. The home of the genuine ruby is Burmah. and sixty miles from its capital, where lives and reigns the ruler, called ''Lord of the Babies." Under a careful Governmental guard are these valuable mines of ruby kept. Baroly has any foreigner visited them. When a ruby of large value was discovered, it was brought forth with elaborate ceremony, a procession was formed, and, with all bannered pomp, military guard and princely attendants, the gem was brought to tho king's palace. Of groat value is the ruby, much more so than diamond, as lapidaries and jewelers .will tell you. An expert on this subject ^'Writes, "A ruby of perfect color weighing .live carats Is worth at the present day ten {times as much as a diamond of equal weight." It was a disaster when Charles the Bold lost tfee ruby he was wearing at the battle of Grandson. It was a great affluence when Bodolph II of Austria inherited a ruby from his sister, the queen dowager. It was thought to have bad much to do witn tne victory 01 Henry V, as be wore It into the battle of A#in court. It to the pride of the Russian court to own the largest ruby of the world, presented by Gustavus III to the Busman Empress. Won? droits ruby l It has eloctrlo characteristics, and there are lightnings compre&seri in its double six sided prisms. What shall I call it? It is froeen fire! It is petrified blood! In all the world there is only one thing more valuable, and my text makes the comparison, ''Wisdom is better than rubies." But it to Impossible to compare two things together unlets there are some points of similarity as well aa of difference. I am glad there to nothing laoking here. The ruby is more beautiful in the night and under the lamplight than by day. It to preferred for evening adornment. How the rubies glow and burn and flash as the lights lift the darkness ! Catherine of Aragon had on her finger a ruby that fairly lanterned the night. Sir John Mandeville, the celebrated traveler of 400 years ago. said that the Emperor of China had a ruby that made the night as bright as day, The probability to that Solomon, under some of the lamps that Illumined hto cedar palaoe by night, notioed the peculiar glow of the ruby as It looked in the hilt of a sword, or hung in some fold of the up 'bolster?, or beautified tbe lip of some chalice, while he was thinking at tbe same time of the axoellenoy of oar holy religion as chiefly seen in the night of trouble, and he cries out, ^'Wisdom is better than rubies." Ob, yee, it is a good thing to have religion 'tfhile the sun of prosperity rides high and everything is brilliant in fortune, in health, la worldly favor. Yet yoa can at such time hardly tell bow much of it is natural exuberance and how much of it is the grace of God. But let the sun set. and the shadows avalanche the plain, and the thick darkness of sickness or poverty or persecution or mental exhaustion All the soul and fill the house and All the world; then you sit down by the lamp of God's word, and under its light the oonsolatlons of the gospel come out; the peace of God which passeth all understanding appears. You never fully appreciate! their power until in the deep night of trouble the Dmae Lamp revealed their eiquiaitesess. Pearls ana amethysts 'for the day, but rubles for the night , AU of the books of the Bible attempt in some way roe assuagement ut muiwiuui. Of the 150 psalms of David at least ninety allude to trouble. There are sighings in erery wind, and tears In every brook, and pangs in every heart. It was originally pro?oswi to oall the President's residence at Washington - 'The Palace' or "the Executive Mansion," but ofter it was destroyed in the war of 1814 and rebuilt in was painted .white to cover up tho marks of the Bmoke and 8re that bad blackened the stonewalls. Hence it was called "The White House." Most of things now white with attractiveness were once black with disaster. What the world most needs is the consolatory, and here it comes, pur holy religion, With both hands full of anodynes and sedatives and balsams, as in Daniel's time to stop mouths leonine; as in Shadrach's time to oool blast furnaces; as in Ezckiel's time to console captivity: as in St. John's time co unroll an apocalypse over rocky desolations. Hear its soothing voice as it declares: "Woepins; may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." "The montaini shall depart and the hills be removed, but My loving kindness sball not depart from you." "Whour the Lord loveth He chasteneth." "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, uor any heat, for the Lamb which is in the midst of thethrono shall load them to living fountains of water, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." The most wholesome thing on earth is trouble, if met in Christian spirit. To make Pa&l what he was it took Bhip wreck, and whipping on the bare back, and penitentiary, and pursuit of wild mobs, and the sword of decapitation. To make David what he was it took ail that Aaithophel and Saul and Absalom and Goliath and all the Philistine hosts could do against him. It took Bobert .Chambers's malformation of feet to make iim the literary conqueror. It was bereavement that brought William Haworth, of Wesley's time, from wickedness to an evangelism that won many thousands 'for heaven. The world would never have known what heroic stuff Ridley was made of ;hud not the fires been kindled around his ifeet, and not liking this slow work he cried: cannot burn. Let the fire come to me. I cannot barn." Thank God that there are ?>ms that unfold their best glories under the mplight I Tbank God for the ruby. Moreover, I am sure Solomon was right in raying that religion or wisdom is better than rubies, from the fact that a thing is worth what it will fetob. Religion will fetch solid 'happiness, and the ruby will not. Ia all your observation did you ever find a person thoroughly felicitated by an incrustment of Jewels? As you know more of yourself than any one else, are you happier now with worldly adornments and successes than before you won them? Does the picture that cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars on your wall bring you as much satisfaction as the engraving that at the expense of 95 was hung upon the wall when you first began to keep house? 1 Do all the cutlery and rare plate that glitter on your extension dining table, surround ed by flattering guests, contain more of reaibliss than the plain ware of yoar first table, at whioh sat only two? Does a wardrobe crowded with costly attire give you more satisfaction than your first clothes closet with Its four or five pegs? Did not the plain ring set on the tbird finger of the left hand on the day of your betrothal give more gladness than the ruby that is now enthroned oa the third finger of your right hand? If In this journey of life we have learned Anything, we have learned that this world, neither with its emoluments nor gains, can / satisfy the s?al. Why, here come as many witnesses as I wish to call to the stand to testify that before high heaven and the world, in companionship with Jesus Christ and a good hope of heaven, they feel a Joy that all tho resources of their vocabulary fail to express. Sometimes it evidences itself in ejaculations of hosanna ;sometimes in doxology: sometimes in tears. A converted native of India in a letter said "How I lonir llor my bed, not that I may sleep?I lie awake often and long?but to hold sweet oommunion with my God." If so mighty is worldly joy that Julius II, Ihearing bis armies were triumphant, expired, and if Talva, hearing that the Roman Senate had decreed him an honor, expired. ': .. v./ ana it Dionyslus and Sophocles, overcome of joy, expired, and if a shipwrecked purser. waiting on the coast of Guinea in want and starvation at the sight of a vessel bringing relief, fell dead from shock of delight, is it any surprise to you that the joys of pardon and heaven rolling over the soul should sometimes be almost too much for the Christian to endure and live? An asred aunt said to me: "Da Witt, three times I have fainted dead away under too great Christian joy. It was in all three oasea av the holy communion." An eminent Christian man while in prayer said '"Stop. Lord ; I cannot bear any more of this gladness. It is too much for mortal. Withhold! withhold!" We have Heard of poor workmen or workwomen getting a letter suddenly telling them that a fortune had been left them, and how they were almost beside themselves with glee, taking the first suxp to ciaim tne estate. Jiut, oh. what it is to wake up oat of the stupor of a sinful life, and through pardoning grace find that all our earthly existence will be divinely managed for our best welfare, and that then all heaven will roll in upon the soul! Compared with that a spring morning is stupid, and an August sunset is Inane, and aurora has no pillared splendor, and a diamond has no flash, and a pearl no light, and a bery no aquamarine, and a ruby no ruddiness. My gracious Lord! My glorious God! My precious Christ \ Roll over on us a few billows of that rapture. And now I ask you, as fair minded men and women, accustomed to make comparisons, is not such a joy as that worth more than anything one can have in a jeweled casketV Was not Solomon right when he said, "Wisdom is better than rubies'?" xnere is aiso something In the deep carmine of the ruby that suggests the sacrifice on which our whole system of religion depends. While the emerald suggests the meadows, and the sapphire the skies, and the opal the sea, the ruby suggests the blood of sacrifice. The most emphatic and startling of all colors has the ruby. Solomon, the author of my text, knew all about the sac ridce of lamb and dove on the altars of the temple, and he knew the meaning of sacrificial blood, and what other precious stone ,^nnh ho crk txtaII uqo fn armhAli?a if aa fha ruby? Red, intensely red. red as the blood of the greatest martyr of all time?Jesus?of the centuries' Drive the story of the crucifixion out of the Bible and the doctrine of the atonement out of our religion, and there would bo nothing of Christianity left for our worship or our admiration. Why should it be hard to adopt the Bible theory that our redemption was purohased by blood? What great bridge ever BDiuntr its arcnes. what temple ever reared its towers, what Nation ever achieved its independence, what mighty pood was ever done without sacrifice of life? The great wonder of the world, the bridge that unites these two oities, cost the life of the first architect. Ask the shipyards of Glasgow and New York how many carpenters went down under accidents before the steamer was launched; ask the three groat transcontinental railroads how many in their construction were buried under crumbling embankments or crushed under timbers or destroyed by the powder blast. Tu.hu thAHtatisMrta of how manv mothers have been martyrs to the cradle of sick children. Tell ua how many men sacrificed nerve and musole and brain and life in the effort to support their households. Tell us how many men In England, in France, in Germany, in Italy, in the United States, have died for their country. Vicarious suffering Is as old as the world, but the most thrilling, the most startling, the most stupendous sacrifice of all time and eternity was on a bluff back of Jerusalem when one Being took upon Himself the sins, the agonies, the perdition of a great multitude that no man can number between 12 o'clock of a darkened noon and 3 o'clock in the afternoon, purchasing the ransom of a ruined world. Dive in all the seas, explore all the mines, crowbar all the mountains, view all the crowned jewels of all the emperors, and find me any gem that can so overwhelmingly symbolize that martyrdom as the ruby. Mark you, there are many gems that are somewhat like the ruby. So is the cornelian, so is the garnet, so is the spinel, so is the balas, so the gems brought from among the gravels of Ceylon and New South Wales, but there is only one genuine ruby, and that comes from the mine of Burmah. And there is only one Christ, and He comes from heaven. One Redeemer, one Ransom, one Son ef God, only "one name given under heaven among men by which we can be saved." Ten thousand times 10,000 beautiful imitations of that ruby, but only one ruby. Christ had no descendant. Christ had no counterpart. In the lifted up grandeur and glory and love and sympathy of His character He is the Incomparable, the Infinite One' ,;The only wise God, our Saviour." Let all hearts, all homes, all times, all eternities, bow low before Him! Let His banni. be lifted in all our souls! in olden times Scotland was disturbed by freebooters and pirates. To rid the seas and ports of these desperadoes the hero William Wallace fitted out a merchant vessels, but filled it with armed men and put out to sea. Tho pirates, with their flag inscribed of a death's head, thinking they would get an easy prize, bore down uj.on the Scottish merchantman, when the armed men of Wallace boarded the craft of the nirstra and nnt- thfim in nhnina nnri than sailed lor port under the Scotch flag flying. And to our souls, assailed of sin and death and hell, through Christ are rescued, and the black flag of sin is torn down, and the striped flag of the cross is hoisted. Blessed be God for any sign, for any signal, for any precious stone that brings to mind the price paid for 3uch a resoue. I like the coral, for it seems the solidified foam of breakers, and I like the jasper, for it gathers seventeen colors into its bosom, and ~ ,!ke the jet. for it comDreases the shadows of many midnights, and 1 like the chrysoprase because its purple is illumined with a small heaven of stars, and I like the chrysolite for its waves of color which seem on Are. But this morning nothing so impresses me the ruby, for it depicts, it typifies, it suK???sts "The blood of Jesus Christ that cleanseth from all sin." Without the shedding of blood there is no remission." Yea. Soiomon was right when J Vint*-,,,. 4>knn ill my ICAL uc acfciUj uuuuiu 10 uoitui luau rubies." To bring out a contrast that will illustrate my text, I put before you two last earthly scenes. The one is in a room with rubies, but no religion, and the other in a room with religion, but no rubies. You enter the first room, where an affluent and worldly man is about to quit this life. There is a ruby on the mantel, possibly among the vases. There Is a ruby in the headdress of the queenly wile. On the finger of the dying man there is a ruby. The presence of these rubies implies opulence of all kinds. The pictures on the walls are heirlooms or the trophies of European travel. The curtains are from foreign looms. The rugs' are from Damascus or Cairo. The sofas are stuffed with ease and quietude. The rocking chairs roll backward and forward on lullabies. The pillows are exquisitely embroidered. AH the appointments of the room are a peroration to a successful commercial or professional life. But the man has no religion, never has had and never professed to have. There ?3 not a Bible or one religious book in the room. The departing man feels that his earthly career is ended, and nothing opemi bejnnd. Where he will land stepping off from thll life Is a mystery, or whether he will land at all, for it may be annihilation. Ho has no prayer to offer, and he does not know bow to pray. No hope of meeting again in another state of existence, He Is through with this life and is sure of no other. The ruby on the mantel and the ruby on the wasted finger of the departing one say nothing of the ransoming blood which they so mightily typify. So far as giving solace or illumination to a departing spirit, they ars a dead failure. Midnight of utter hopelessness drops on all the scene. Another room of mortal exit. Religion and no rubies. She never had money enough to buy one of these exquisites. Sometimes she stopped at a jeweler's show window and saw a row of them incarnadining the velvet. She had keen taste to appreciate those gems, but she never owned one of them. She was not jealous or unhappy because others had rubies while she had none. But she had a richer treasurer, and that was the grace of God that had comforted her along the way amict bereavements and temptations and persecutions and siokness and privations and trials of all sorts. Now she is going out ol life. The reom is bright, not with pictures 01 statues, not with upholstery, not with anyol the stems of mountain or of *ea, but there is a strange and vivid glow in the room. Not the light of the chandelier or star or noonday sun, but something that outshines all ol them. It must be the presence of supernaturals. From her illumined face I think she must hear sweet voices. ' Yea, aha does hear sweet voioee?voices of departed kin dred, voices apostolic and prophetic and evangelic, but all of them overpowered by the voice of Christ, saying. "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom." From her illumined face, I think she must hear rapturous music. Yea, she does hear rapturous music, now soft as solos, now thunderous as orchestras: now a saintly voice alone, now tho hundred and forty and four thousand in concert. From her illumined face, I think she must breathe redolence. Yea, she does inhale aroma from off the gardens whose flowers never wither and from the blossoms of orchards, every tree of which bears twelve manner of fruit. From her illumined face, I think she must see a glorious sight. Yea, she sees the wall that has jusper at the base and amethyst at the top and blood red rubies between. Goodby. sweet soul! Why should you longer stay? Your work all done, your burdens all carried, your tears all wept I Forward into the ngnt! Up into the joy! Out into the grandeurs! And after you have saluted Christ and your kindred, search out him of the palaces of Lebanon cedar and tell him that you have found to be gloriously true what thousands of years ago he asserted in this morning's text, " Wisdom is better than rubies." In those burnished palaces of our God may we all meet. For I confess to you that my chiet desire for heaven is not the radiance, or, to take the suggestion of the text, not the rubescence of the scene. My one idea of heaven is the place to meet old friends, God, our best friend, and our earthly friends already transported. Aye, to meet the millions whom I have never seen, but to whom I have administered in the gospel week by week by journalism on both sides of the sea, and throughout Christendom, and through many lands yet 3emibarbaric. For the last twenty-three years every blast of injustice against me has multiplied my readers all the world over, and the present malignancy printed and uttered becaue our church is in financial struggle after having two great structures destroyed by fire and we compelled to build three large churches ?I say the present outrageous injustice in some quarters will multiply my audience in all lands if I oan keep in good humor and not fight back. A gentleman tapped me on the shoulder summer before last on a street of Edinburgh, o il A UT K..O <r> tha flhntlnnrl OUUL IrtUU, (1UU OtklU, *. ii?0 AAA luv Islands, North Scotland, and I read your sermons every Sabbath to an audience of neighbors, and my brother lives in Cape Town, South Africa, and he reads them everv Sabbath to an audience of his neighbors." And I hear and now say to the forty millions of the earth to whose eyes these words will come, that one of my dearest anticipations is to meet them in heaven. Ah, that will be better than rubies. Coming up from different continents, from different hemispheres, from opposite sides of the earth, to greet each other in holy love in the presence of the glorious Christ who made it possible for us to get there. Our sinsr all pardoned, our sorrows all banished, never to weep, never to part, never to die! I tell you that will be better than rubies. Others may have the crowns, and the thrones, and the scepters; give us our old friends back again, Christ, "the friend who stioketh closer than a brother," and all the kindred who have got up from our bereft households, and all our friends whom we have never yet seen, and you may have all the rubies, for that will be better than rubies." Instead of the dying kiss when they looked so pale and wan and sick, it would be the kiss of welcome on lips jubilant with song, while standing on floors paved with what exquisiteness, under ceilings hung with what glory, bounded by walls facing us with what nnlonHni- nmiH (rlnrinnQQ militia* ovar U9 with what doxoiogy?far better, infinitely better, everlastingly better than rubies: Lost in the Forest. It was a recent afternoon in the House. A great leader was talking and was emphasizing his views with voice and hands and feet, says the Washington Post. The Hon. Dan Lockwood came over and sat down by tha Hon. Amos Cummings in what is oalled the "Cherokee Strip. "Wtat are you doing over here?" queried Cummings; "why don't you go back on your own side of the House and listen to the oratory?" "Oh, I don't care to listen to him," replied Lockwood, wearily. "In the view he takes, as well as in his methods of thought and expression, he reminds me of Que Scheuyer's celebrated tronhle with a tree. Gus lived in Buf falo. He'd been out doing politics one night, and became very much convinced, indeed, and was faring homeward about 3 o'clock in the morning. Gus's convictions seemed almost too heavy a load lor him, and their weight carried him from one side to the other, and caused Gus to leave a trail as devious as a corkscrew. At the crossing of Second street there blazed an arc light. "Part of the scenery at this point was a big elm tree. The tre3 was very black and the arc light very brilliant, and between the two Gus became confused and rattled, and finally brought up standing in front of the tree. He took a hard look, steadied himself and started on a little journey around it. He missed it, somehow, and came slap up against the tree instead. Gus recovered himself and made an effort to steady things for a second attempt. At last he felt that all was ready, and veered away in an attempt to go around the tree on the other side. Again he came against the rough, hard bole of the elm. Gus's reason began to reel. What was the matter? For the tnird time he nerved and manned himself for the enterprise. The tree must be gone about in some fashion if Gus was to sleep at home. With a mighty effort of self-control Gus started again. This time he bent away to the left, as in his first essay. And for the third tin'-e he ran squarely and energetically against the tree. This time he peeled his nose and started the blood. Gus went no further with the business. He gave up, and. as he sat dismally down on the ground at the base of the elm, he observed in a voice full of terror and concern: 'Lost! Lost in the impenetrable forest!' And, as I said," concluded Lockwood, "while listening to our friend and attempting to follow his argument, Gus and his encounter with the elm tree were vigorously recalled to mj memory." Uniforms to Scare the Enemy. According to the report prepared by the War Department, red uniforms were first adopted by the Emperor Valerius Maximus, in order that the Boman soldiers might not be frightened by the sight of their own blood. To this day the children of England are told that this is the reason why French troops wear red trousers, and French children are taught the same notion respecting the red coats of the British. The legionaries of ancient Bome wore the skins of bears on the field of battle to make them look fierce. For the same reason they put figures of frightful beasts . on their shields and helmets. From [ this old custom springs modern crests and armorial bearings. The idea of . scaring the enemy by such devices has been perpetuated up to quite recent 1 times. Tall bearskin hats were originally adopted to make them look taller \ by the French cuirassiers, each of whom carried a handful-of grenades for scattering among the ranka of their ! foo.?Troy Times. .. - RELIGIOUS READING HOW TO LENGTHEN* UFE. There are t.wo ways of add ug to our years There is the arithmetical way?merely add lug. The better way is the geometrical meth ol?broadening the yeare enjoyed. The for mer is known to be biologically impossible No drug, no surgery, will add ten years t< our existence here. But we uiuy widen anc deepen our days by adding to their contents If we can now accomplish a journey in on< hour which formerly took twelve, have w< not added eleven hours to the life of each on< who has to perform that journey? Nature'i powers are now bridled.and accomplish worl for man in a fraction of the time man's un aided strength would require. Merely length ening our days to Methuselah's term woulc not adequately represent that all men havi economized in time in this sense. We may broaden our lives by love anc truth, by benevolence and sincerity. Abra ham was the first benefactor we know of Whilrt nrr* mnv rtr>f nil hp Ahrnhnma inter ceding for cities full of malefactors and sin ners, we all see enough of cities full of suf fering ana sin to convince us that life is given to us to do something more with that to pass its days in selfishness. Active and scientific and systematic bene volence is fast becoming the practical part o religion today, and there is shrewd, religiou; earnestne&s in the the new movement to improve men's moral's by baths, clean clothing and clean dwellings. But the?e things ar< hard. Discouragement is plenteous. We all experience disappointments in oui own charity work. Unworthy recipients, in gratitude, sheer laziness and improvidence dishearten us. All things fail occasionally. Educatior fails?not every pupil becomes a scholar Home training fails?the best parent maj have the worst children. Medicine fails The pulpit j fails. Still we must keep on We may not "accomplish" the work, but wt must not withdraw from it. "Love must noi foisake thee."' So with truth. We grow discouraged when we see how non-trutt flourishes. Insincerity is rampant and erroi triumphant. Nevertheless let us for our pan say what we mean, do as we profess, be whai we are and what we seem. Truth in the enc prevails. Happy they who have held fas to it. Love and truth shall deepen our days if they do not add to theiu arithmetically T.eh lis nrizp anch life elivip. nnd so "ftnc favor and good repute in the eyes of Got and man."' % "old fools." Martin Luthor once said,?"Children are dhe happiest. We old fools are ever distressing ourselves with disputes about the word constantly asking ourselves Is it true? Is il possible?" If disputes and doubts about the word of God prove men "old fools," then are enough such in our day. A. minister can oot preach depravity, or elections, or divine sovereignty, or the deity of Christ, or future punishment, but there are many who wil ask, "Is it true? Is it possible?" If they hae: the temper of children,?a confiding, teach able, humble temper, they would know more than they do, understand more, and be mucl happier. The meek God willguide. Thesame may be applied to the province of God; foi there too are intricacies,dark passages, appa rent contradictions; ana when it is affirmed that God rules over all, and that out of th? widespread confusion and wickedness that sc distreis us, he will bring order and light, wt ask again, "Is it true? Is it possible?" Again when we see how heathenism, and infidelity and war, and popery, and slavery ail combine to curse and sink our world, and are told tha' all these must and will fall before the progresi of divine truth, unbelief starts up and in quires. "Is it true? Is it possible?1' For al this Luther would "say we are "old fools.' How much better if we had the temper o children. Instead of doubting as we do, we should then say as did Luther one day wher he had heard a great deal of bad news, "Oui affairs must be going on well, since the devil is storming so." It is no sign tha God is not governing well, when wickec men rage and the devil storms. But hav ing quoted Luther we ought to saj that he did not expect God to do every thing i 1 j ^InlnKr oK/Attt n.A tr UUU 1LUILI IlVtUUIKt UO pmiuij .7Uvnou u word or deed: "I confess," he said, " I hav< been too violent?but not with regard to th< papacy. We ought to have the language 01 purpose to use against it. every word o which should be a thunderbolt." And if h( were living in our day and country, w< think we would have as many thunderbolts for slavery and war as for papacy. 8om< might, in his own phra3e, call him an olc fool, but that would not much frighten nim One thought more. If for anything, beliel or unbelief, action or inaction, wo must b< called "old fools," let us take care that ii shall be a slander, and not a merited appel latioa. TAKE JESU8 OK THE ENGINE. At the Fulton Street Prayer Meeting, Ne* York, a man spoke who had tried to get th< floor for some time. He said : "I want to saj a few words. I am a locomotive engineer and have been a drinking man. God has spoken loudly of late, and called me to whis^ tie down the brakes as to drinking rum Still I kept on. But I was so troubled that ] did not know what to do. There was a re vivul in our place, and my little girl was con verted; then my little boy; and I begun tc think it was time I was converted, too; ] became more and more unhappy. I coulc And no rest in the rum saloon and felt it was no place for me I had no doubt my children were trulj converted, I saw so great a change In them It made me feel that I ought to be a changec man and lead a religious life. Finally I cam* in here?I and a fellow-eugineer. He sooi found the Saviour. I kept on seeking aad at last I found Jesus, too. We are going to dutj , upon the engines?myself and my fellow-en gineer, who sits here beside me. We ar< going to take Jesus on the engins with us We cannot go without him. Let me have hin along and my hand in his, and it will be safei for all concerned. Our passengers will know they are safer with Jesus on board. I tel you it will make a difference. I want you t< pray for me and for men of our profession, j think we don't get much prayer. Prayei would save a sinush-up now and then. Pra] for us that we may be sober, God-fearing men. I am glad I ever found my way ir here." CHRISTIAN' HOPE. Hope isoften but atrifler, robbing us of ener gies and withdrawing us from work that w* may dream, liut Christian hope is an armec warrior, grave and calm, ready for conflict because assured of victory. Our hope, if i be nerfect. will teach our war and our fin gers to fight ;wiii put vigorinto us forserviee will teach us scorn of all things foul anc worldly. It will be as wings to lift us abovi cares and sorrows., and as weights to keep ui down to common task?. It will make u! strong to do and patient to suffer, wise to un derstand, and willing to accept all the wil of our Father God.?[Dr. A. McLaren. John Newton, in his old age, when hi! sight had beeome.so dim as to be unable ti read, hearing this Scripture repeated, "Bj the grace of God I am what I am," paused for some moments and then uttered this affecting soliloquy: "I am not what I oughf to be.?Ah! how imperfect and deficient. ] am not what I wish to be. I abhor tha< which is evil, and I would cleave to thai which is good. I am not what I hope to be. Soon, soon I shall put off morality, and with morality all sin and imperfection. Though I am not what I ought to be, what I wish tc be, and what I hope to be, yet I can trulj say I am not what I once was. a slave to sit and Salan; I can heartily join with the apostle, and acknowledge. 'By the grace o: God I am what I am.' " In order that our giving *hall be acceptable wo must see that the object for which w< give is a worthy one. What worthier thai Christ's kingdom? Curtailment in tlie Use of Gold. A marked decrease has been noted in Ne^ York by exchange brokers in the exchange: of gold coin for gold bars. Forthepasl year there has been a great falling off in such exchange, which indicates a curtailment in the use ol gold in the arts. Jewelers often take gold coin to the United States Assay Office and exchange the money for j?ld bars, which they use in manufacturing jewtlry. In January, 1893, the amount of gold exchanged was $577,599.89, while last month the gold exchanged amounted in value tc but $187,518.40. The Ice Crop. Wisconsin is expected to harvest 2.000,00< tons of ice this season. . SABBATH SCHOOL. INTERNATIONAL LESSON FO MARCH 4. [ Lesson Text: "Selling the BIrt: right," Genesis xxv., 27-34? > Golden Text: Luke xii.? ' 23?Commentary. 5 ? The topic in tbis section of eight verses "Selling the Birthright." Evidently tl . committee were not looking for the ric k est and most instructive selections [ Genesis, but we will And something evi r here. The intervening events have been tl | death of Sarah, aged 127?3aid to be the on woman whose age is recorded in Scriptu . ?and the purchase of the cave of Machpeli nt Hebron as a burial place (chapter xxlti. Isaac marries Rebekah (chapter xxiv. Abraham dies, aged 175. and is buried 1 Isaac and Ishmael. Ishmael dies at the a( of 137. When Isaac was sixty years of ag " Jacob and Esau are born (chapter xxv 1-26), and that brings us to the lesson. 27. <:And the boys grew, and Esau was cunning herder, a man of the field, ai " Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents , Why should the Spirit write '-And the bo ' grew?" Don't all boys grow? Yet tl * Spirit saw flt to write concerning Jes [ "And the child grew" (Luke ii.. 40), and Samuel it is said. ''And the child Samu grew on,"-."And Samuel grow" (I Sam. i iii.. 19). The 3ame is written of Isaa " Ishmael, Moses and Samson (Gen. xxi.. ' 29; Ex. ii.. 10; Judg. xtii., 24). Why tfc statement should be made of these sev< ordinary boys and of Him whose name Wonderful let some one tell who knows. is worthy of note that the Old Testame word signifies to become great. Nimro who built Babel and other cities (Gen. J ' 8-10), is the only other person spoken of aa c mighty hunter. Neither his record n T Esau's are among the best. In the R. ' margin it is said Jacob wa3 a quiet, hari : less, perfect man. ^ 28. liAnd Isaac loved Esau, because ' . did eat of his venison, but Rebekah lovi f Jacob " So each of the parents had th< J favorite : one was father's boy and one w 5 mother's boy. This would not tend to pea : in the household nor to lov9 between t . brothers. If it were wrong in their day, wi their comparatively little light, how mu more to be condemned in the light in whl we liveThen how humiliating to see'Isa partial to Esau for his stomach's sake. B ? it is an everyday story. In the church Philippi there were those whose god w .their belly and who minded earthly thin I (Phil. iii., IS). And suoh may be found 1 > day. Of* W A .U r.^1 an/1 77.a 3 rlu u uouv'i- 1uu <*uu came from the field, and he was faint." T i first gin was through something good i 5 food and pleasant to the senses (Gen. ill. ( I The Lord Jesus wQen Ho had fasted foi I days and was afterward an hungered, w able to resist the devil, saying. "Man shi ? not live by bread alone, but by every wo ! that proceedeth out of the mouth of Go 5 (Math. iv.. 2, 4). He afterward taugt f ' Take no thought for your life what shall eat or what ye shall drinic." "Labor d [ for the meat which perisheth, but for th j meat which enduretn unto everlasting 1U ) which the Son of Man shall give unto yo^ , (Math. vi.. 25; John vi.. 27). 30. ''Amd Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, ( pray thee, with that same red pottagp, foi } am faint. Therefore was his name call t Edom." See the margin for the meaning 3 Edom. One of the interesting things Genesis is to note words used for the fli I time and trace them on through Scriptui ' Also the origin of Nations. The wretch f origin of the Moabites and Ammonites lssai i in Gen. xix.. 30-39. and now we have theo i gin of the Edomites, and you can hard r meet them anywhere in Scripture witho ) thinking of the hunter who was so hung t for red pottage. He did not know the wor I of our text. "The life is more than maat ai the body than raiment," nor those words r the Spirit. "The kingdom of God is not me * and drink, but righteousness and peace ai [ joy in the Holy Ghost.*' j 31. " And Jacob said, Sell me this day tl ) birthright." What a lovely brother th l wouldn't give his poor, hungry, only broth f food without a recompense! Ab, Jacob, y< 5 are a poor specimen! God's grace to y< ) was wonderful, and it is the same to us. i | youweseetoo oft ourselves. From Dei j xxi. 17. we learn that one item in the birt I right was a donbte portion of the inheritant And from ICbron. v., 2. we see that the birt [ right did not always fall to the firstborn, 1 , while Reuben was the first born the birt t right became Jossph's. 32. "And Esau said, Behold, I am at t point to die, and what profit shall this birt right do to me?" Some one thinks 1t as if said: "How exposed is my manner of lif I may at any time be cut off. My birthrig is of little value and never did me any goo If Jacob thinks he can do something with let him have it. Give me the pottage! I the birthright go Or it may be that he w so faint he actually thought he would th< die. for afterward we Ami him earnestly, b vainly, seeking the blessing with tears (He xif., 16,17). How many there are who sa What profit is it to serve God? (Job xx 15 , Mai. ili., 14), and are sorry when it too late? How lew lay to heart the solen words, "What shall it profit a man though! gaiu the whole world and lose his own soi or what shall a man give in exchange for I soul?" (Math, xvi., 26). Esau represer those who prefer a present enjoyment ai are willing to let the future look out for : self, while Jacob, with all his crookednes thought of the future. 33. "And Jacob said, Swear to me tl day. And he sware upon him, and he so his birthright unto Jacob." Iu Heb. z Jacob has honorable mention among tho who had faith in God, but there is no roo for faith in this transaction. It was selfi and crooked and scheming. Faith wou have said, If God means me to have t birthright. He knows how to give it to m if not, I am content. Anyhow, I will love n brother aud do right before God. But su< was not Jacob's way at this time. 31. "Then Jacob gave Esau bread ai pottage of lentiles. aud he did eat and drii and rose up and went his way. Thus E? despised his birthright." Israel despised tl pleasant land ; they believed not His wor They also despised and rejected Him wl ?? Tl/! nnnt,\ It n r?/l T? <1 el HQ m CX ?? Ol came tin iucii uicaaimi tvuu Aicuobiuvi u< made light of His invitations (Ps. cvi., 2 Isa. liii., 3; Math, xxii., 5). Man has i | heart for the things ot God. The present everything with him until he is born fro > above, and even then, unless he is filled wi c the Spirit, he is apt to despise the riches God's grace and glory. A right spirit w j think more of the things of the kingdom th< J of all present things.?Lesson Helper. Blow at American Goods. General Mercier. French Minister of Wj 1 has decided that the canned goods for t use of the army shall in th^ future be e cluslvely of French manufacture. Hither these goods have been furnished by Ame cans, who held a monopoly of the buslnei The change will increase the C03t of t ' goods to the Government 130 percent., ai j It will bo necessary for the War Depurtme to ask for a supplementary credit in order f procure its supplies. Midwinter Fair Side-Shows. t To see all the side-shows at the Califorc Midwinter Fair will cost tho visitor ji i $10.10, inclusive of the general admissio i There are forty-one side-shows, akin to th ) of the Midway, where a gate fee is charge r and a dozen or so other concessionary toi i ures where the visitor may squander b > wealth. But, as was the case at Chicay [ thy visitor will have much more to see 1 fifty cents a day than he can attend to. A Pneumatic Skate. ? i Patrick Sullivan, of Sheboygan, Mich., h I invented a skate with a pneumatic cushion which the runner is fastened. It is said make long-distance skating much easier, also bids tair to increase th<* speed in shoi distance contests, r > State of the Militia. t The War Department this year has repor 1 ot> militia from the Adjutants General 1 evecy State in the Union. They show 92 1 commissioned officers and 102,912 enlist* men in the National Guard and about 'i.OOC i Q00 men in the unorganized militia. i Lincoln's Homestead. > The oM Lincoln homestead in Lari County. Kentucky, has been purchased by syndicate of Kentuckians. who expect beautify '.he place into a park and then d j nate it ' > the Government as a Nation park. I WOMAN'S WORLD. PLEASANT LITERATURE FOI R FEMININE READERS. ladies' whistling club. Less than a quarter of a century ag a whistling woman was considered ai abomination in the sight of men. Th very latest fad in London is a club o women called the Ladies' Whistlini fa Club, and when they get down to worl ^ the birds will go out of business. Sorn in of the women are already expert whit an tiers.?New York Times. ae Iy r? the smallest sovereign. ib The smallest sovereign of the cli }' world?that is, for her age?is Queei jv Victoria, who is under five feet i je height, and almost as broad as she i ?? long. Nor does she make any attemp *' to remedy this condition by artificia a means, for many a year has passei id since she has had occasion to requir " the services of her corsetiere. Her is her regimen at Balmoral: ua She begins her day at eight o'clocl of with tea, chocolate, or coffee, and dr; {el toast. At half-past nine she ha^break fast; small trout freshly caught froi 8. the River Dee being an invariable dish ils At "half-past twelve, after her mornin, ^ outing, she has a little refreshmentIt an egg beaten up in milk, some soup nt and a little fruit. She lunches at two Fd? Later in the afternoon there is the ir variable afternoon tea, and betwee: or eight and nine dinner is served.?A1 v- gonaut. n |je BANISHING THE TIBANT. The young husband was somewha ^ surprised when his wife came into th ?0 office. She opened the conversatio: he at once. "I want enough money to g out of town for a few days," she said cll "and you will have to take your meal oo down town for a few days." "Why at what does this mean?" "It means juf this: I got a messenger boy to come t the house for Mary Ann to tell her tha ;o- she was wanted at her aunt's, and a soon as she got around the corner shut up the house and locked it an 'or ran away. When she comes back sh >). won't find any one there. We don' ** owe her anything, so it's all right, an llt I wanted to discharge her, but yo rd know I never would dare to tell her t 4" go, and I knew you wouldn't dare, an lt* don't you Ihink your little wile kno^ pretty well how to manage ? Say yef at now, or I'll break down and cry rigb here in the office."?Indianapolia Jouj * nal. , I r * how to alight from a carriage. ed of Not one woman in ten knows how t 111 get out of a carriage or cab prefctilj Here is the way: First your hosier 9<i must be just right, the black silke an web fitting snugly and withou f.1' wrinkles about the ankle, and th [Jt shoe must be trim and pretty. Gras; ry the dress lightly at about the knee da stand steadily on the right foot. Poin * j the left foot sharply, bend the lei at knee, letting the weight of the bod, id steadily down thus toward the stree level, the prettily pointed toe an trim ankle being daintily in evidence er Directly the left toe touches the groun )u let it take the weight of the bod; 'u with a pretty springiness. All th lt beauty of the move depends on th h- right foot and the pretty pointing o :e. the left foot. If you need steadying you may grasp the inside of the car riage with the hand nearest. Th usual way of alighting from the car be riege is to extsnd a flat foot and com down on it, while the grip on the aid e; > of the carriage is ao tight that th ht whole body is swung around awkward lv. Watch the women and see, eve; ^ those with pretty feet, and this, too as wnen tnere is reaiiy no nine ac wnici in a tv oman's feet, trim ankles and prett; carriage of herself may be more charm y ingly shown and more legitimatcl; i.J when she is alighting in full view o the passing world.?Detroit Fre ? Pressll? , -i lis LEATHER 13 FASHIONABLE. * its ' ld Stunning street gowns have leathe it- bodices which are made in roum 3, waist fashion, with a frill of bias clot] added. The skirt of the gown i 1<j gored closely about the waist, that i ci. may not interfere with the fulness o se the bodice frill. At the foot there ar 3k three tiny frills of leather set on i Id deep facing of the same that finishe lie the inside and outside edge of th< 6 > skirt. Tiie bodice has culls and colla of cloth to match the skirt. Such i dress is, of course, worn without oute: id cloak. Very heavy leather is oftei lk employed with good effect, though thi [j0 observer is forced to wonder if sue] d. requires the services of a shoemaker 110 A more fitting taste employs undresse( ^. kid or chamois, and in all cases thi 2Q leather or kid exactly matches th( is cloth used in combination. Chamoii "J is especially suited to this use, and ii o{ beautiful in deep shades of red, greei 111 and purple. The kid or skin ii m mounted on a fitting lining of silk and when properly made has onlysid< and shoulder seams, being stretchec ir to the figure. Great care must b< he taken to avoid the bad taste of sug x- gesting trunk trimmings,, the constan; effort being that the leather, kid oi jg chamois shall only betray itself at he such by the elegant appearance of th< ld gown and the absolutely faultlesj modeling to the figure. The advan tage of the leather finish about the foot of the skirt need not be pointed out.?New York Advertiser. iia l9t WHEN SMILES ABE IMPOSSIBLE. n. at The utter absence of a sense ol 'd> humor from the average feminine com"g position is never more clearly visible, :o, says the Pall Mall Budget, than in a 'or busy thoroughtare on a wet and windy day. A woman may be a philosopher, she may have original ideas and brilliant theories on the fundamental as questions of morality and ethics, but she rarely rises superior to a muddy It boot or a draggled petticoat. The ft- woman is an exception indeed who manages to preserve a smiling face in the teeth of an east wind which plays ts shuttlecock with her umbrella, and a or dreary sleet which bespatters her "1 clothes and freezes her lingers; young I. or old, fair or plain?scarcely one of them who does not frown ominously as she hurries along, forgetful of other people's feelings and umbrellas and .te toes, hustling and jostling, with never 11 a glance for the absurdity of the situation. For there is something unal mitigatingly ridiculous about pedes 1 * . , rtrians on a really bad day; nobody" wants to walk on the outside of this pavement because of the splashing; ? omnibuses and cabs; everybody want* to pass everybody else, regardless of the limited space afforded by the conglomeration of umbrellas; everybody pushes and elbows and shoulders, and 0 when an umbrella appears in sight att 1 consideration of gallantry or politee ness or sex or age are forgotten?it be-; f comee an object lesson in "the sur% vival of the fittest" and a free fight 1c or something near it ensues, in which' e the fair sex undoubtedly manage to' [- bear their part with more than m tolerable grace. FASHION NOTES. A Ermine is the one fur that cannot btf a successfully imitated. a Flat lace insertion is a pretty trimB ming on house dresses. ^ Accordion-plaited skirts are mnoh! ^ liked for house dresses of thin silk* crepon or similar fabrics. > I e Pointed apron-front over-skirt^ drapol high on the hips, have been ^ revived, and are now very popular., | rr TTia laiulinit nnlnrn fnr orvriTior en.nM 7 ?'~ *??~*o -r o ?x ; for general wear are black, green, tha q darker browns and a rica deep shade l of bine. g There seems to be no end to the - fancy kerchiefs and collars whioh thai i, lady of fashion delights in wearing; i. abont her neck. L~ Open-work stockings are again n popular, while novelties in imported hosiery show gay colored stripou plaids and diagonals. Lace or fnr trims a large majority of the reception and party dresses this season, and it is not unusual to seei 6 both on the same costume. Q House dresses of colored Henrietta ,? cloth, veiling or thin camel's hair are ' made up with silk, velvet or lace, or * 1 ;s combination of the two last. ^ Rhinestone ornaments of every shape 0 and size are extensively used upon t handsome hats, bonnets, toques an& s evening toilets sent from Paris. j 1 Bound handlps of wood about five d inches long, ornamented with fine e carvings and capped with gold or silt ver, are the latest styles in umbrella) d stioks. u Tailor-made shirt waists of pink o linen, embroidered pique, and fancy; d cotton fabrics are displayed among a other premature novelties of the j, spring season. , i it Ginghams, zephyrs and cambric* ' show flower stripes alternating withj those in Bolid colors. Some of fheai are as exquisitely finished as one could imagine, and suggest old time bro*; . cades in their daintiness. O i Made muffs of satin and velvet are y trimmed with ostrich plames or bands n of fluffy for. The ends of the mult :t are of velvet, full plaited and a band e of folded satin around the middle, withi p a puff or rosette at one side. ?> In making up a dress in a given) t style care should be taken that not !t only the fabrio but the colors and their} y combinations suit the style. Ther? it are many dresses spoiled every year] d because these details are not observed.] ' In new spring jackets models forj & middle-aged women remain of three; y quarter length; for youthful wearera,j 6 from twenty-fonr to twenty-six inches1 e is the desired length, the designs, as w * rule, being double breasted and tight-j ? fitting in the back. e A beautiful walking dress is made, _ of dull-brown cloth, trimmed withj dark. duakv red velvet ribbons, with.; e open work Bilk embroidery over silk' of the same shade. The corselet cor-1 sage has a double pointed yoke of the ' embroidery, silk and velvet, which is made continuous on the top of the fall1 sleeves. The skirt has a red silk uaderdress with panel of red velvet. I t. A French walking dress in mauve Y and -white crepon has a skirt lined; f with mauve surah and trimmed round e the bottom with a deep band of mauve moire. The trimly fitting jacket corsage has wide revers of the mauve moire and the same moire forms the lower part of the sleeves. The full' j chemisette is of white gauze and the ^ girdle of mauve moire. > a Tiny rosettes of piece velvet are t made useful in various ways. Some ' f have the velvet edged with narrow e lace. A big chou of black velvet on. a a turban has a white aigrette planted in, a the middle. Ciel blue satin is gath3 ered in large loose rosettes on hats of r brown velvet. Brown hats are offered a in beautiful shades of the richest vel-; r vet in soft and stiff felts and in com1 bination. 3 Walking dress skirts are usually, l made quite plain, frequently only fin-i . ished with a few rows of stitching; 1 above tne nem, dux many rows ox piam, 3 fancy or waved braid are often seen 3 also small gathered or plaited flounces s or bands of velvet or fur. A very 3 fashionable trimming consists in oarl rying the braid or fur or jet passemen3 terie lengthwise of the seam of the . , skirt, finishing with a narrow band. 5 around the bottom. I ? 3 Duplicating a Lost Carp. Kimura Choshiro, an upholsterer of t Asakusa, has perseverance if he has r nothing elae. He went to fish with a i fellow-angler, Mitsui Sobei, a retired > hosier of the neighborhood. Kimura) was smoking, when Mitsui caught ? large carp twenty inches long, half' > blue and half red, of remarkable. i, beauty. Mitsui brought it proudly to / Kimura, who put out his hand to take' it, but the carp, objecting to tha- '? smoke from his pipe, jumped out of his hand into the river. / Mitsui was angry, but Kimura toldt him there was nothing to get into* * , passion for, as he would give hiiif in return a carp o. the same size and" beauty. They parted, and Kimura, when he got home, took/flown his waterproof, with which ana some rice I and money he left home again. Five. j days passed, but he did not return., | Ten days, and still no Kimura. Kimura came back after a three* weeks' absence with a fine carp in his, hand. It appears he had been fishing all this time not only on the Sumidai gawa, but on the neighboring rivers j Nakagawa and Tone. He had caughtj tons of carp, but had thrown them] back, as none of them were like Mitj sui's, that he had lost, and it was only I after three weeks' tishing that he. I caught an exactly similar fish. He went at once to Mitsui and gave it tohim. much to the latter's amazement. ?Japan Gazette.