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I REV. DR. TALMAGE UNDAY'S DISCOURSE BY THK NOTED DIVINE. Subject: "The GIott of Sunset." Text: "Abide with us. for it is toward Bvenlng."?Luke xxiv., 29. Two villagers, having concluded theii orrand in Jerusalem, have started out at the city gate and are on their way to Emmaus, the place of their residence. They go with a Badneart. Jesus, who had been their admiration and their joy. had been basely massacred and entombed. A.s, with sail face and broken heart, they pass on their way a stranger accosts them. They tell Him their anxieties and bitterness of soul. He in turn talks to them, mightily expounding the Scriptures. He throws over them the fascination of intelligent conversation. They forget the time and notice not the objects they pass, and before they are aware have come up in front of their bouse. They pause before ?!:?? entrance and attempt to persuade the btranger to tarry with them. They press upon Him their hospitalities. Night is coming on, and He may meet a prowling wild beast or be obliged to lie unsheltered from the dew. He cannot go much farther now. Why not stop there and continue their pleasant conversation? They take Him by the arm, and they insist upon His cominc in, addressing Him in the words, "Abide with us, for it Is toward evening," Thecandlesare lighted; the table isspread; pleasant socialities are enkindled. They re joice in tne presence o: tne stranger sruest. Ho asks a blessing upon the bread they eat. and He hands a piece of it to each. Suddenly and with overwhelming power the thought flashes upon the astonished people?it is the Lord! And as they sit in breathless wonder, looking upon the resurrected body of Jesus, He vanished. The interview ended. He was gone. With many of us it is a bright, sunshiny flay of prosperity. There is not a cloud in the sty; not a leaf rustling in the forest; no chill In the air. But we cannot expect all this to last. He is not an intelligent man who expects perpetual daylight of joy. The sun will after awhile near the horizon. The iViui-lnnjc will luni.thnn Whilf" TeiiMnlf mnnv of us stand in toe very hour described in the text, ''for it Is toward evening-" The request of the text is appropriate for some before me, for with them it is toward the evening of old age. They have passed the meridian of life. They are sometimes started to think how old they are. They do not, however, like to have others remark upon it. If others suggest their approximation toward venerable appearance, tbey say, "Why, I'm not so old, ifter all." They do. indeed, noticethat they eannot lift quite so much as once. They zannot walk quite so fast. They cannot read quite so well without spectacles. They cannot so easily recover from a cough or auy occasional ailment. They have lost ; their taste for merriment. They are .surprised at the quick passage of the year, they say that it only seems a little while ago that they were boys. They are going a little down hill. There is something in their health, simething in their vision, something In their walk, something in their changing associations, somethine above, something beneath, something within, to remind them that it is toward evening. The great want of all such is to have Jesus abide with them. It is a di3mal thing to be getting old without the rejuvenating influence of religion. When we step on the down Krade of life and see that it dips to the verge of the coid river, we want to behold some one near who will help us across it. When the sight loses its power to glance and gather up, we need the faith that can illuminate. wnen we jeei me rauure 01 me ear, we neea the clear tones of that voice which in olden times broke up the silence of the deaf with cadence of mercy. When the axmen of death hew down whole forests of strength and beauty around us and we are left in solitude, we need the dove of divine merey to eing in our branches. When the shadows begin to fail and we feel that the day is far ipent, we need most of all to supplicate the etrong beneficent Jesus in the prayer of the villagers. "Abide with us, for it is toward s veaing. The request of the text is an appropriate exclamation forall those who are approached In the gloomy hour of temptation. There is nothing easier than to be goodnatured when everything plea ;es, or to be humble when there is notning to oppose us, or forgiving > when we have not be?n assailed, or honest when we have no inducement to fraud. But you have felt the grapple of some temptation. Your nature at some time quaked and groaned under the infernal force You felt that the devil was after you. You saw your Christian graces retreating. You feared that you would lall in the awful wrestle with ein and b? thrown intc the dust. The gloom thickened. The first indications of the night were seen In all the trembling of your soul, in all the infernal suggestions of* Satan, in all the surging up of tumultuous passions and excitements. You felt with awful em jjuasis mat it i7B"s tuwara evemng. in iqh tempted hour you need to ask Jesus to abide with you. You can beat back the monster that would devour you. You caa unhorse the sin that would ride you down. You can sharpen the battleax with which you split the head of helmeted abomination. Who helped Paxil shake the brazen gated heart of Felix? Who acted like a good sailor when all the crew howled in the Mediterranean shipwreck? Who helped the martyrs to be ( firm when one word of recantation would have unfastened the withes of the stake and put out the kindling flrer When the night of the soul came on and all the denizens of darkness came riding upon the winds of perdition who gave strength to the soul? Who gave calmness to the heart? Who broke the spell ot infernal enchantment? He who heard the request of the villagers, "Abide .villi us, for it is toward evenink'." ' One of the forts of France was attacked, and the outworks were takeu before night. The besieging army lay down, thinking there was but liitle to do in the morning, and that the soldiery in the fort could be easily made to surrender. But durine the nieht. throucn a back stairs, they escaped into the country. ]n the morning the besieging army sprang \ipon the battlements, but found that their prey was gone. So. when we are assaulted In temptation, there is always some secret stair by which we might get off. God will nor allow us to be tempted above what we are able, but with every temptation will bring a way of escape thar we may b2 able tr bear it. The prayer of the text is appropriate for all who are anticipating sorrow. The greatest folly that ever irrew on this planet is the tendency to borrow trouble, but there are times when approaching sorrow is so evident that we need to be making special preparation for its coming. , One of your '.'bildron has lately bo?ome a favorite. The cry of that child strikes deep er into tho h^art than the cry of all the otners. You thiuk more about'it. You give it more attention, not because It is any more of a treasure than the other?, but because it is becoming frail. There is something in the cheek, in th? eye and in ttie walk that makes you quite sure that the leaves of the flower are going to bo scattered. The utmost nursing and medical attendance are ineffectual. The pulse becomes feeble, the complexion lighter, the step weaker, the laugh tainter. !No more romping for that one through hall and parlor. The nursery is darkened bv an approaching calamity. The heart fpels with mournful anticipation that the sun is going down. Night speeds on. It i3 toward cvenng You have long rejoiced in the care of a mother. You have done everything to malce her last days happy. You have run with quick feet to wait upon her every want. Her presence has been a perpetual blessing in the household. But the fruit g:itherer> arelooking wistfully at that tree. Her soul is ripe for heaven." The gates are ready to Cash open ior ber entrance. but your soul siuk; at the thought of n separation, i'ou oannx bear to think that soon you will be called to tak?* tbela.?t look at that face which from tne 3rs". hour ha? looked upon you with affectiou unchangeable. But you see that life 'is eboing an'I the grave wili soon hide her from your sight. You sit quiet. You fr-ei heavy hearted. The light is fadiag from the -eky. The air is chill. I; is toward evening. You bad a considerable estate and felt independent. In five minutes on oao fair bal ance &aeet you could see ju.?t now you stood in the world. But there cams complioation3. Something tba: you imagined Impossible happened. Toe best friend yon had proved traitor to your interest. A sudden crash of National misfortunes prostrated your credit. You may to-day he going on in business, but vou feel anxious about where you ars standing and fear that the next turning of the wheel will bring you orostrate. You foresee wfcat you consider certain deftuoattoa. You think of the anguish of telling your friends vou are not worth a dollar. You know not how yon will ever bring your children home from school. You wonder how you will stand the selling of rour library or the moving into a plainer house. The misfortunes of life have accumulated. You wonder what makes the sky so dark. It is toward evening. Trouble is an apothecary that miies a great many drafts bitter and sour and nauseous, and vou must drink -some on? of nn a rrrnnt manv nncWs. and you must rarrv some one of them. There is no sandal so thick and well ad" justed but some thorn will strike through it. f Tnere is no sound so sweet but the undertaker's screwdriver grates through it. In this swift shuttle of the human heart some of the threads must break. The journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus will soon be ended. Our Bible, our common sense, our observation, reiterate in tones that we cannot mistake and oucrht not to disregard. It is toward evening. Oh, then, for Jesus to abide with us! He sweetens the cup. He extracts the thorn. He wipes the t?ar. He hushes the tempest. He soothes the soul that flies to Him for shelter. Let the night swoop and the enroclydon cross the sea. Let the thunder roar. Soon all will be well. Christ in the ship to soothe His friends. Christ on the sea to stop Its tumult. Christ in the grave to scatter the darkness. Christ in the heavens to lead the way. Blessed all such. His arms will enclose them. His grace comfort them, His liarht cheer them, His sacrifice free them, His glory enchant them. If earthly estate takes winsrs. He will be an incorruptible treasure. If friends die. He will be their resurrection. Standing with us in the morning of our joy and in the noonday of our prosperity, He will not forsako us when the luster has faded and it is toward evening. Listen to Paul's hattle shout with misfortune. Hark to mounting Latimer's fire song. Look at the glory that has reft th* dungeon and filled the eatth aod heavens with the crash of the falling manacles of despotism. And then lof-k at those who have tried to cure themr?ves by human prescriptions, attempting to heal gangrene with a patch of court plaster and to stoo the plague of dying empires with the quackery of earthly wisdom. Nothing can speak "peace to the soul, nothing can unstrap our crushing burdens, nothing can overcome our spiritual foes, nothing can open our eyes to see the surrounding horses and obarlots of salvation that fill all the mountains, but the vpice and command of Him who stopped one night at Emmaus. The words of the text are pertinent to us all. from the fact that we are nearing the evening of death. I have heard it said that we ought to live as though each moment were to be our last. I do not believe that theory. As far as preparation is concerned, we ought always to be ready; but we cannot always be thinking of death, for we have duties in life that demand our. attention. When a man is selling goods, it is his business to think of the bargain he is making. When a man is pleading in the courts, it la his duty to think of the interests of hi? clients." When a clerk is adding up his ac^ counts, it :s his dut.v to keep his mind upon the column of figures. He who fills up his life with thoughts of death is fur from being the highest style of Christian. I knew a man who used to often sav at nieht. ''I wish I might die before morning!" He became an Infidel But th^re are times when we can and ought to give ourselves to the contemplation of that solemn momect when to the soul time ends and eternity begins. We must go through that one pass. There is no roundabout way, no bypath, no circuitous route. Die we must; and it will be to us a shameful occurrence or a time of admirable behavior. Our friends may stretch out their hands to keep us back, but no imploration on their part can hinder us. They might offer large retainers, but death would not take the fee. The breath will fail, and the eyes will close, and the heart will stop. You ^may hang the couch with gorgeous tapestry, but wnatdoes death care for beautiful curtains? You may hang the room with the finest works of art, but what does death care for pictures? You may fill the house with the wailings of widowhood and orphanage; does death mind weeping? ; This ought not to be a depressing theme. Who wants to live here forever? The world has always treated me well, and every day I feel lees and less like scolding and complain* < ing. But yet I would not want to make this my eternal residence. I love to watch the clouds and bathe my soul in the blue sea of 1 heaven, but I expect when the firmament is rolled away as a scroll to see a new heaven, grander, higher and more glorious. You ] ought to be willing to exchange your body I that has headaches and sideaches and weak ness innumerable, that limps with the stone bruise or festers with the thorn or flames ] pn the funeral pyre of fevers for an incorMintlhlA hnrlv nnrt an nr? that hlinlra nol. hfl. ' fore the jasper gates and the great white throne. But between that^and this there la an hour about which no man should be reckless or foolhardy. I doubt not your courage,but 1 I tell you that you will want something better than a strong arm, a good aim and a trusty sword when you come to your last battle. You will need a better robe than any you have In your wardrobo to keep you warm In that place. Circumstances do not make so muoh difference. It may be a bright day when you push off the planet, or it may be a dark night and while the owl is hooting from the forest. It may be spring, and your soul may go out among the blossoms, apple orchards swinging their cansera in the way. It may be winter and the earth in a snow shroud. It may be autumn and the forests set on Are by the retreating year?dead nature laid out in state. It may be with your wife's hand in your hand, or you may be in a strange hotel ! with a servant faithful to the last. It may be in the rail train, shot off the switch and 1 tumbling in long reverberation down the embankment?crash, crash! I know not the time, I know not the mode, but the days of our life are being subtracted away and we shall come down to the . time when we have but ten days left, then nine rlaVR then elffht day*, then 1 seven days, six days, five daj*3. four days, three days, two days, one day. Then hours 1 ?three -hours, two hours, one hour. Then ; only minutes lert?five minutes, four min-, utes.three minutes,two minutes,one minuie. ' *< Then only seconds left?four seconds, three. ! seconds, two seconds, one second. Gonefl .; The chapter of life ended. The book closed. 1 The pulse3 at rest. The feet through with the journey. The hands closed from all ' woric. No'wordouthe lips. No breath In the nostrils. Hair combed back to lie un disheveled by aay human hands. The muscles still. The nerves still. The lungs still." . The tongue still. Ail still. You might put the stethoscope to the breast aud hear "no sound. You might pur a speaning trumpet to the ear, but you couM not wake tho deafness. No motion, no throb, no life. Still, still! So death comes to the disciplo! What if the sun of life is about to set? Jesus is the day spring from ou high, theperpetual morning of every ransomed spirit. ' What if the darkness com*sV .f*?us is the light of the world and of keavi.;. What though this earthly house does ".-rumble? Jesus has prepared a house of many mansions. Jesns Is the anchor that always holds. Jesus is the light that is never eclipsed. Jesus is the fountain that is never exhausted. Jesus is the evening star, hung up amid the gloom of the gathering night. You are almost through with the abase and backbiting of enemies. They will call you no more by evil namns. Your good deeds will no longer be misinterpreted nor your honor lllched. The troubles of earth will end in the felicities. Toward evening. The bereavements of eirth will voon be lifted. You will not much longer stand pouring I your grief iu the tomb, like Rachel weeping ! lor her children or David mouruiuir for Absalom. Broken hearts bound up. Wounds healed- Tears wiped away. Sorrows terminated. No more sounding of the dead march. Toward evanim;! Death will com?, sweet as slumber to the oyelide <;! the babe, n* fuii rations to a starving soldier. as evening hour to the exhausted workmau. The sky wiii take on Irs sunset gioxv, every cloud a Hr<? psa'.m. every lake a glossy mirror, tbc forests trausligure 1. delicate- mists climMniJ tho air. Your fri-nds i will announce it: your pulses will beat it; yourJoy; will rms: it: your hps wiil whisper it, "Toward evymag"' Exeter Chnrcli Sold for 843. The Church of the Saoond Congregational Society of Exeter, N. H., has been sold at auction for ?45. The edifice was built in 1824 at a cost of i 10,000. The site must be cleared for the erection of a new building within three weeks. Pi\rl? Rafii DnnkAVi. The consumption of horse and donfcey meat in Paris is rapidly Increasing. The records ahow thttt 30,000 hotsea WW? Mldlor (ood in that city i& 1896. ? SABBATH SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR AUGUST 23. Lesson Text; "Absalom's Rebellion," II Samuel xv., l-lJt-1* Golden Text: Kxodus xx., 12?Commentary. 1. "And It came to pass after this that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses and flftv men to run before him." Absalom was the third son of David, born in HebroD, and bis mother was Maacah, daughter of the king of Geshur (II Sam. ill., 2, 8). Absalom signifies '-father of peaoe," but his life would rather suggest one who was of his father the devil (John viii.. 44). Because of the murder of his brother Amnon, David's firstborn, he fled to the king of Geahur and was there three years, but through the pleading of the wise woman of Tekoa, emT/??U i.. T 1 piv.yo'* uj oyttu, uttuio UHL'K. IU Jtinisumui and dwelt two years without roconciliatlon to his father, after which, through Joab's intercession, the king became reconciled to him. saw him and kissed him (chapter xiv., 28. 33). 2. "And Absalom rose up early and stood beside the way of the gate." The expression "ro3e up eany" signifies great earnestness and is used many times in Jeremiah concerning God's unwearied earnestness in urging His people to repent and turn to Him. In Isa. v., 11, it is used, as here, concerning the earnestness of the wicked, for here we see Absalom in the place of public gatherings, kindly greeting t&e people who came to the king to have their wrongs righted and seeking to turn their hearts from his father to himself. The self-seeking of the natural heart is often seen in those who seek to advance themselves, no matter who is overthrown, but when this is seen in a son against his own father then the devil is surelv doing special work. 3, 4. "Absalom said, moreover, Oh. that I were made judge in tho land." He speaks of th9 justice that ho would show if he were made judge in the land, but it should not require much penetration to see that a man who would treat his own father as unjustly as he was now doiug would not be likely to do justly by any one unless it might happen to serve his own ends. I heard only this' week of a Senator who said that no politician would take hold of a matter without considering how It might affect his own political prospeots. It is the world's way to live unto oneself; it is only by the Spirit of God that we can deny self and live unto God. 5, ?. "So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel." There was not a finer looking man in all Israel (chapter xiv.. 25). but perhaps not one with a blacker heart. "Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain," but "a meek and quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price." and it is the heart, not the outward appearance, that God looks upon (Prov. xxxi., 30; I Pet. iii., 4; I Sam. xvi., 7). When the king kissed Absalom (xiv.. 33), it was the loving kiss of a heartbroken father welcoming his erring son, but these kisses of Absalom were more like the kiss of Judas when ho betrayed his Master, for every one was a stab at his father's heart. There are those, even in this day, both in ho oni^ nf If whn words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." 7. "Let ine go and pay my vow. which I have vowed unto the Lord in Hebron." The margin of the R V. says probably after four years, not forty years. But what a liar he was and how desperately wioked; there was murder in his heart, and that against his own father, yet he seeks to hide it under a pretense of paying a row unto the Lord, while all his vows must have boen to the devil rather than to the Lord. Hebron was his birthplace, but it was also the place where the bodies of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lay buried, and that his wicked heart could soeak o:' Hebron, which signifies fellowship and carries us back to faithful Caleb, who followed the Lord fully, shows how hardened in sin he had become. 8. "If the Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord." This, he said, was the vow which he bad made to the Lord while in his banishmanf lit ftnohnr Tf hla ann as he seems to have done, how comforted he must have been by this evidence of his son's repentunce. How little he though that with such words from his son's lips the father of lies was in his heart. 9. "And the king said unto him, Go in peace." Believing him to. be sincere he gives him a father's blessing, but there was no peace in that foul heart covered by so fair an exterior, for "There is no peace, saith the Lord to the wtcked" (I?a. Jvii., 21). Peace was within his reach, as it is within the reach of every one who has ever heard of the Prince of Peace, but it can only become the possession of those who are truly penitent and and sincerely submit to Him as their Saviour and Lord. "Ihe work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness aud assurance forever" (Lsa. xxxii., 17). "So he arose and went to Hebron." 10. "Absalom reigneth in Hebron." With profession of devotion to God on his lips and nis wiuer a uic.ssuik suuuuiuk iu llis oitrs uo goes forth to carry out his devi'isb designs against his father. Toe proclamation which he caused to be sounded forth was equal to his saying, "I hereby rebel against my father and drive him from his throne." David so understood it, for he said untoallhis servants, "Arise and let us flee, for we shall not else escape from Absalom," and tho servants said, "Behol thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint" (verses 14. 15). Contrast the conduct of the king's sou with that of his servants and of Ittai th? Gittite in Terces 19 to 21. 11. "They went iu their simplicity, and they knew not anything." This is written of the 200 men out of Jerusalem who went with Absalom. If we would follow Jesus in this spirit, simply trusting, not knowing nor desiring anything but His will, what blessed people we would be and what glory He would l?et through us, but ro follow a leader like Absalom thus blindly is the way to ruin. There are many nowadays who rebel azainst fhe word of God und yet have many followers who know nothing of God, Imt whatthoy bvar from others. They are too simple. 12. "The people increased continually with Absalom." How thoughtlessly the crowd will follow a popular leader. " How multitudes turn away from the God of Truth aiui His dear bou to listeu to an Ingersoll. In all directions aud on all sides au increasing multitude is following the one whom Absalom followed and wlio would love to destroy Jesus Christ, the King of kings, and His followers. But the Lamb shall overcome und they who are with Hiiu are called aud chosen aud faithful. David returned in due time, aud so will the Lord Jesus. Let us be patient and faJth/ul.? Lesson Helper. PECULIAR DEATH OF A~PRTSONEFT Geneva Jailer Fires at the Oiling and the Ball Rebounds. Joseph Allen, of Elgin, 111., twenty-one years of age. committed to the county jail at Geneva on a charge of burglary, wes shot and killed at the jail by Jailer B. E. Richardson. There were fifteen prisoners confined in a large cage aud two of them attacked a I.til Kim luuu. aucuijiuu^, iv MM uiuu. 1 LIT uiriui u* unce attracted the jailer and he ordered the men into their cells. They refused to go, and Richardson tired his revolver through the bars of the ease to fri?hton theoj. So aimed at the ceiling, which is tnadeof heavy eteel plates, aud from this the ballet glanced and struck Allen, who was standing at the further corner of the i-aga, entering the heart and causing imaediate death. The jailer is greatly grieved over the affair, and was exonerutea by tho coroner's jury frurn b.uwe. Uro|> Handles Cause Paralysis. Frederick Gallagher, accompanied by Jes?e Er^eazinger and William Laoine. started from Morriatown. N. .J., on their, wheels to visit Groeu Pond, which if. about twenty miles from Morri-rtowu. The wheelmen reached Mount IToiio. when Onilnchur wn; seize'] with an attack o: paralysis. Hi= companions assisted huu to Rjckawav, where Dr. Flagg said that tiw attack bal been brottgfit on by too much riding on a wh?el with drop handle bard. ' ? Enjtland'* Lorn Oriental Trad*. The four groat Stanley of England's trado with China used to *.>e opium, silk, ten and cotton goods. Opium and cottons were sent to China ports, and the Oelestials paid for them with silk and tea. Now only the silk trade remains, maiaa ana ueyion teas nave driven China tea oat of the English market, while the Chinese now prodnceand consume their own opium and buy their cotton goods trom India instead of Lancashire. ??... RELIGIOUS KMDIM OOD OUR GTIDE. Tho field of ripening grain lies still and beautiful in the calm noon of ft summer day. But let the wind wake out of the wegt ami stir its mellow surface with a thousand undulations of melting Ught and shade, aud we are filled with the sense of a grace and loveliness that are beyond all words. The rain falls in dull monotony of music, and a great tree droops its far stretched boughs and dripping leaves in palient waiting with a be&uty of darkness which we do not often stop to feel. Cut wheu the storm is passing, and the wind shakes the treasures of the shower from bough and twig and the innumerable leaves are dancing for delight in the first glimpse of sunshine, showing cool depths between the emerald dark and silvery light of their rain varnished surfaces, while the drops sparkle like diamonds at their edges, I light and shadow mingle iu the magic dance with unimaginable beauty. The wood depths on a cloudy day are restful with their cool, mysterious shadows. the green roof overhead, the brown leaf carpet rich with tracery of fern and growth of vine and herb loving the twilight and at home among the company of brown tree columns flecked with lichens green or gray. But what a different and more exquisite spirit of beauty haunts the sylvan ways when all the forest atmosphere is barred with slanting sunbeams and each opening among the leaves is traced i:i shimmering patterns on the brown wood floor. "It is not light which makes the wood sa beautiful, But light andsha ie." And what is true of grain flold, spreading tree and wildwood paaetuary, is true of every beauty which Go:t made on earth and, having made: thought gcod. Is it not alJ a parable?of joy and if:i?*f, of night and day, of partial attainment and waiting opportunity, of trial and overcoming, which make up th - .?un; of life. and of the divine illuminatun of the shadow of the life of earth which came with Christ? He shared our weakness that he might lead us up to strength. He shared our darkness that Ho mitfht bless us with His light. There is no terror in the shadow, for the God of light and beauty is our guide.?Congregationalism THE CROSS. The Cross waA an open secret to the first disciples, and they climbed the steep ascent to heaven by the "royal way of the holy cross," but its simplicity has been often veiled in later days. Perhaps the simplicity of the symbol has cast a glamour over the modern* mind that blinded us to its etren uous m -iiuiuk- ivn. lui iur>iuuvc, mi.u an unerring instinct of aiornl beauty, has seized the cross and idealized it. It is wrought iu gold and bung from the neck of light-h-arted beauty ; it is stamped on the costly binding of Bibles that go to church in carriages; it stands out iu bold relief od churches that are Hlled with easy-going people. Painters have given themselves to crucifixions, and their striking works are criticised by persons who praise the thorns in the crown, but are not quite pleased with -ue expression on Jesus' face, and then return to their pleasures. Composers have cast the bitter passion of Jesus into stately oratorios, and fashionable audiences are affected unto tears. Jesus' Cross has been ta'.cen out of His hands and smothered in flow* rs ; it has become what he would have bitted, a sourco of graceful ideas and agreeatile emotions. TVhfu Jesus presented the Cro>s for the salvation of His disciples, He wa:- certainly not thinking of a sentiment. which can disturb no man's life, uor redeen. any man's soul, but of the unsightlj beam which must be set up in the midst ol a ma; pleasures, and the jagged nails that must ierce his soul. . . . Jesus nowhere I commanded that one cling to His Cross, He everywhere commanded that ono carry His Cross; and out of this daily crucifixion has ueen uorn xue cn'jsi ueuuuiui .imuiuijuu from St. Paul to St. Francis, from a Kempis j to George Herbert. For ''there is no salvation of th-J soul nor hope of everlasting life but in the Cross."?Rev. John Watson (Ian Maelareu), iu "The Mind of tli? Master." A PBAYER. We ask thy help, our Heavenly Father, that we may ?ain release from our own Ignorance. ana that under the inspiration of thv Spirit, we may rise to some such thought of thee as "shall All our hearts with gladness and inspire us with hope and with love. In spite of what we see. Id spite of what we hear, in spite of all that is evil and all the causes that are working to destroy, and all that maketh pain and suffering, we rejoice that we may believe in a Redeemer. We r?joice that our faith is so much more contorting than our sight. We ask to be delivered from the thrall of our senses and from tho9e lower reasonings that belong to these mortal bodies. We ask for that power of faith by which we shall be able to realize the invisible and ineffable, for that rest, that confidence, that hope which endures through the night. We pray for God in us. for the divine consolation, for thy forgiveness, for that food which thou art to every hungry soul, for that water of life by which thou dost quench evil desire and satisfy holy longing. Amen. THE DIVINE P11ESEXCE. Nothing can be of greater practical lm* portance to every Christ an than the con.-taut rcalizatiou of tbe Divine presence. It is worth every effort. It is, as much as any one can be, the key to the position, the guarantee of a sacred life. An increasing HDureciation of this truth is shown in the large emphasis which, for n few years past, lias- bdeii put upou the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Is not this simply auother form of the same fact i The Holy Spirit is the preient God, the God who operates most immediately and directly upon the human heart, the God of the present dispensation or age. Faith also? what is that but the sense ot God's presence, the realization of unseen thiags. the close touch with the eternal, the appehensioa of Deity. Hence to say of a person he is "full of faith and the Holy Ghost." is only another way of saying that he keeps God ever b-fore his eyes ; God is at his right hand, so that he is not moved by mundane things. Id that Presence is fullness of joy, completeness of liberty, abundance of rest. trinity to trinity. Although man's nature is in the fullest, clearest sense a unite, yet he is also a trinity. us ww so frequently iind it essential, for convenience <>f treatment.to recognize. He i- mind, and heart, and will. he thinks lie loves, h<' determines. Very much in the same way probably?how else .-an we on<-?'ive it??wbiie we hold 1 hat God is in tin.1 completest sinse one. we speak oi the distinctions iu His esscme tha-. have taken the names. Father. S-m. and Jloly Spirit. It is our busiu<ss to conae rate 11 the trinity above ih-s trinity belot.*, to see that all ourreil'^-tions. our a'Jeetioas. our volitions, are a living saerili *e to I the threefold uuitv divine. Some give their ''utotiou.-i. but no* th?dr intelleets. Unit-:* we )<>ve God with the iniD'1 as well the li-art, our .-haracter wiil he dete-ulvt; and our life iiiihalan>?ed, ju.->t <is our theology will l>f unl>*!aneed if we ijjnnri the S-a <ir tlx- loiy Olmst. and .-.imply wor-hip -the Fath'-.'. A ' 'iupr^hi'!i.-iv? coulee rati->11 is the inly thin^ that wiil mulie con^i-tent, syoia: -tt i- ! al Christiana. Your few things may ''< y ! v/.and rj -"null th:n>r.> : hut lie y.-u t>.lie uitliful over theui.?Fraii"es i!. If.iverbal. Tho risht so-: of pray 14 a"*iu *:i.- m api>"iite for the lifhie. ju< tii** r:j;ht t rr >y> Bi'tW atvak-'as a de.-ifv nriy. 1 ? ? ^ j SnrrtfBrlej- by Tel?phone. j Surrender by telephone ts the latest do- j oioDmont in war. A Cuban torco having > 'recently surrounded a 8paDiaL garrison, the | insurgent Genera: telephoned to the Spanish j commander that he maat oapliOlate under penalty of having the town Ourned, An ' [hour latr-r he tolepboned to fcnow the de- j cision, received the required surrender and ! 'entered the town without firing u shot. KntTtea to T*an?port tn? Craps. * Several Wwtarn railroads are being pressed to provide JaclHties for the movemeat of Ink vear's corn and small grain crop, which La coming Into market at a rapid TEMPERANCE. THE DEMON OF OBINK. My native land! amid thy cabin homes, Amid thy palaces a demon toamss Frenzied with rage, yet subtle in his wrath, He crushes thousands in his flery path ; Stalks through our cities unaoashed ana throws Into the cup of sorrow bitter woes; Gives to the pangs of grief an added smart, With keenest anguish wrings the breaking heart; Drags the proud spirit from its envied height. And breathes on fondest hopes a killing blight; Heralds the shroud, the oofftn and the pail, And the graves thicken where his footsteps fall! ?William H. Burleigh ONE NT?HT IN A BAB BOOM. He was a poor, half drunken wreck of a man, nearly seventy years old?a legitimate child of a legitimate saloon. It was 2 o'clock in tne morning when he staggered Into the Side aoor Ol a aen on usuruuru avenue. n this were Action we should not dare to make such a dfatement in face of a law that commands all such places to be closed at midnight; but. being an actuni occurrence that took place within four blocks of the Chicago Deaconess Home, and no hideous dream of inference, we must state the facts as they are. He had thirty cents in the pocket of his tattered coat, and he had come to s'ake the burning thirst that consumed nim. There were half a dozen other louugers theretravelers on the same road of which he had nearly reached the end. They knew him. It was '"Old Dart." When filled with licilior no tongue was sharper than bis in wordy combats, and nis antics had often furnished genteel amusement for the loafers around the criminal court nearby; they, in turn, generously supplied him with small change forhis drinks, aud he needed little else. The night nad been somewhat dull for the drunken loafers in the saloon, and the coming of ''Old Dad" promised a diversion. But his ready retorts were a match for their jeers, and they wanted something more exciting. "Wait a minute," said one, "and we'll have some fun." He went out and returned with a bucket of tar. Thev threw the feeble old man on the floor and began tearing off his clothes while the bystanders shrieked with delight at his useless struggles. Then, while two held him, one of the brutes daubed the hot tar over his body. When he cried out they crammed it Into his mouth. They filled his ears with the black, sticky mass, and plastered it over his eyes. Some feathers from 1 J -? - U~., Uln han/1. uu om uuaier were biuuk auuui uia then he was marched about the salooa by his tormentors, who laughed aad howled until they were tired. When the old man fell down from exhaustion, they went away and let him lie there. When the turnkey came to unlock the jail in the morning he louni a pitiable sight. The miserable man had dragged himself out of the saloon and crouched in one of the basement windows of the criminal court, a hideous, unrecognizable mass of filth. He was taken to the station and officers sent to arrest the flend3 who were implicated in the affair. The victim of this outrage comes of a proud Virginia family. He served honorably in the Confederate army, and after the war was engineer on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad. He wa3 steady and attentive to business, and was considered one of the best engineers on the road. But the salocn proved his ruin, and for the last few years he has wandered about the streets, slesping wherever ho could lay his head. Both the victim and the perpetrators of this brutal deed are the natural outgiowth of the licensed saloon. What are wo going to ao aoout lit?j&pworm neraia. dok't oive bbaxdt. The moral effect of early acquaintance with scientific truth is illustrated by a little story which the Rev. Dr. P.umbtelU in the Boston Transcript: A millionaire brewer, a Senator in another State, said to Mrs. Hunt, "I shall vote for your bill. I have sold out my brewery and am clean from the whole business. Let me tell you what occurred at my table. A guest was taken dangerourly ill at diuner?insensible?and there was a call for brandy to restore him.. My little boy at once exclaimed. 'No, that is just what he don't need! It will paralyze the nerves and muscles or the blood vessels, so they will not send back the blood to the heart.' "When the liquor was poured out to ffi^e the man, the lad insisted on pushing it bask. '"You will kill him; he has too much blood in his head already. " 'How did yju know all that?' his father afterward asked. " 'Why, it is in my physiology at school.'" It seems the text-books, prepared by such men as Professor Newell Martin, F. R. S.. of Johns Hopkins University, had succeeded in giving the lad some definite information which was proving useful. ' Senator," said Mrs. Hunt, "are you =orrv your boy learned that at school? ' Madam," the man replied, raising his hand, "I would not take five thousand dollars for the a^surauc? this gives that my boy will never be a drunkard." IT MAKES A DlFFEtlENCE. The mortality experience of the United Kingdom Temperance and General Provideut Institution of London, from 1866 to 1893. inclusive, shows the following comparative aggregate results: Total Abstinence Class: Expected claims ?Policies. 5311. Sums assured, 96,343,000. Actual claims?Policies. 4131. Sums assured, 4.317,789. General Class: Expectoi claims?Policies. 8440. Sums assured, $8,912.298. Actual claims?Policies. 8266. Sums assured, $8,740.6'J0. Actual claims in total abstinence, onlj seventy per cent, of the expected, while in the general class they amount to ninety-eight per cent, of the expected. A riLifUL Ofl'/wiaLbbi A pritaetic incident was witnessed by a number of people at Ninth and Willow streets Wedaesday eveaiug, at about 6 S3, taat called forth some very severe commeat. A lame maa. leadiag by the hand a threeyear-old little girl, was so drunk a? to stagger all over the sidewalk. Cros-sing a gutter at that poiat the maa stumbled and fell, the little girl being uudarneath him. The child excited great sympathy ou the part of all who witnessed tae sad plight of the lather.? Lebaaoa (fenn.) Report. sans THE CUP. Above all things, if you would be wise shua that sparkling cup which the cuuniuij tempter holds out to you. Quaff It not. though it dauceaa i glitter so merrily in tae sunlight, for there is death ia the cup. It clrtwlv nml aiin>U* to thp fli<i. hou ire 1 grave; it loses yo'i home, friends and children; it covers vcu with shame, disgrace and humllation, and in the end it reduce? you to a miserable plight.?sacred Heart Review. SCICIDES I>CE TO BiTNEENNESS. Dr. Prinzing, of t'irn. Germany. come? forward with the remarkable .statement, made after careful investigation and exceptional facility for r^achinu' a correct result, that more than thirty per c>ut of all -uieiue? committed by men in the prime of life arc due to drunkenness. TEJIVKBANCE NEWS ANl> NOTES. A brewers horse lares letter than a drunkard's child. Many u man puts M.? family in the dark to help tiio saioon pay it? gas bid. The man w!r> begins by drinking hooic tirn>> may end by having to drink all th-> ; time. No man has a right to destroy his reason J by rirtnk, to become diseased by drink, to I destroy bis moral sense and conception of | rignt and wrong. Of six hundred and eleven paupers in the I Edinburgh poorhouse not one wa^ on ab- j stainer. and four hundred and sevan admitted that their poverty was due entirely to intemperance. Biahjp Gaines, at the African Methodist Confe:ence in Richmond, Vu., served notiiw that he would ordain no man to the mlnistrv who drank whisky, chewed tobacco or smoked cigars. The dovll might have thought oat some more effectual plan than the miming of bar- . rooms tor destroying souls, but the bar-room Is doing so much lor him that he ha* not nnt AGRICULTURAL J 2 TOPICS OF INTEREST RELATIVE c TO FAR3I AND GARDEN. ^ t < TEST THE EOOS. j Test your egge, after they have been < lat on for seven or eight days. If they I ire perfectly transparent they may as 1 veil be.taken out, as they will never i natch. They should be boiled and < laved to feed to the chicks that do 1 latch. If they are fertile the germ of < ihe ohick can be plainly seen when the < ;ggs aze held up to the light and ' (ooked at through a tube. It is well to set two hens together, then if only ' balf the eggs are found to be fertile, pou can put them all under one hen ind thus save trouble and room.? Dansville Breeze. A CBATE EOF. POTATOES, APPLES, ETC. Crates are exceedingly convenient cor use in harvesting the apple and l-i ? TT potato crops. nave euuugu ux ???*" ill oE a size to fill the farm wagon, then there will be no bruising consequent upon filling the wagon with a loose heap of the fruit or tubers, and CRATE FOR SMALL CROPS. then unloading again into baskets. Make the ends solid, catting an opening for handles, and patting in two long screws where the dotted lines show, to keep the top from splitting off. The sides are of slats, the bottom is solid. Sach crates, with good care, will last for years and prove a great convenience.?New York Tribune. PIGS, NOT HOGS, WANTED. Almost everybody now agrees with the little girl who said that clean little r>i?ro oro tii/>q Vint it vao nnnh a -nitir they wonld go and make hogs of themselves. Nobody nowadays wants the large hogs even for pork. As the hog is fattened largely on corn his digestion is injured, and the body becomes feverish and unhealthful. This, of course, aflects not only the palatableness, but the healtbfalness of the pork that the animal makes. Fig pork is more generally fattened in a reasonable way, feeding so as to keep the pig growing and its digestion good. For this reason pig pork is generally sweeter and more tender than pork from older hogs. But let a pig be Ltunted on corn feed, so that it fattens withont growing, and its flesh though fat will lack the fine flavor that th? flesh of a thriftily growing pig ought fn Vtaro CULTURE OF CURRANTS. Currants, though vigorous growers in the main, need some care, and at certain times substantial assistance to rid them of enemies. The bushes should stand from three to four feet apart in the rows, in soil made rich by stable manure, annually topdressed (in the fall) and kept free from weeds and grass. A mulch of straw, hay, leaves or other rubbish, which keeps their roots cool and damp, and somewhat approaches the conditions which they naturally choose, will be found quite helpful, and add to their vigor and fruitfulness. They should be well prnned annually to keep out all dead or decayed wood, and with a view to renewing the growth every lew yearn iruui mevuuug auu vigutuua shoots which the plants th^ow up from the ground. Attack the currant worm as soon as he appears, with hellebore tea (one ounce to a pailful of water), and if th? leaves begin to look sickly and droop, indicating the pith borer, examine for this grub, and burn the stalks in which he is found or whore he has been. Scarcely any other fruit will make so large a return for so little labor expended as the currant. It may be grown in an orohard between the trees without injury to them, and with as good results in fruit as elsewhere?indeed, partial shade seems beneficial, as approaching the natural preferences of the plant.? Boston Transcript. A FABII CABT FOB GENERAL USE. Tfco illnnfrrftt.inn showaa fltvle of cart that 1b quite commonly seen where earth is being banled from excavations, where highways and railroads are being built, and other places where teaming is being done that requires the quick and easy dumping of loads, but is unfortunately not seen very commonly upon farms where much hauling is done at all times of the year A GENERAL CJ5E CAST. in farm carts. Tnese are generally either four-wheeled affairs with stationary body, from which the load must be shovelled, or a two-wheeled tipcarp, that can be used only with oxen, whose strong necks are able co support the load thus thrown upon them. Oxen are becoming scarce on farms, however, aud even when used I it is much more humane to remove j from their necks this needless weight j ?needless because of the ease with which a tipcart can be constructed that will throw ail weight upon the wheeb. The diagram given need* lit-, tie explanation, as the construction iB | plainly shown. Such n cart may be ! rigged up for a pair of horses, a smgie horse or a yoke of oxen. The device j that is 6hown for holding the "tail-j board" is worm noticing, a* it in- j ( 6tuntiy releases the board, eveu when . j a heavy load is pressing against ;t. j One end of the tailboard fit? in behind j j an upright, as usually seen, but the i other end is held l?y an iron rod bent i into a T at the end, this part passing ! through a siot in the end of the tailboard, and being then turned at right I angles to the slot. APriiE CULTURE FOB PBOFTT. **Can apples be made as profitable as other fruits?" is a question that R. EL Sherwood, of Watervliet, Mich., J can answer. He haa been .able to to are from his apple orchards largo irops of fruit during the past threa rears, when other orchards in his lounty have failed to bear. He atiributes many of the failures to lack >f cultivation, pruning and spraying, ind believes that many have lost mors "rom the failure of their apple crop lue to the lack of proper care and attention, than could be obtained froril hundreds of acres of farm crops. From Eorty acreB of apple orchards he olaims to have received larger returns than from two hundred acres in farm crops, averaging about $55 per acre for the last seven years. He finds cultivation and pruning essential, and plows the land in the spring and eows to field peas. About August 1 the hogs are turned in to feed them down, as well as to eat the fallen apples and thus destroy the codling moth. The trees were sprayed with Borleaux mixture and Paris green, thfi former for the scab fungus upon the fruit and foliage, and the latter to destroy the canker worm, codling moth and tent caterpillar. In 1895 jhe considered that the returns from the spraying were not less than 8500. When tne time comes to harvest the apples, he first pioks up all windfalls and disposes of them as soon as possible. The apples are then picked, placed in baskets, and hauled to the barn, upon a low-down, "handy" wagon with a wide platform, wnere they are placed in bin6. He paoks in barrels holding two bushels and three pecks, and ships as soon as a good price is offered. He finds it pays to take pains in packing and to make the fruit look attractive. The European demand for American apples is growing, and should be encouraged. ?New York Observer. POULTBY POINTEKS. 4 There is one point I feel like urging unon mv sisters in the poultry bust ness; one which seems not to have presented itself to oar brothers, bat which I have foand an essential to perfect success, writes May Allis De Con. All nave doubtless experienced how a flock kept year after year upon the same groand will lose its vitality, becoming more subject to disease, less able to resist parasites. As'the result we have few eggs, poor hatches, puny chicks with still less vitality. We have all been through it 1 There are two principal causes. A flock becomes run down with too much in-breeding ?it is fatal. Never keep roosters from ?? ? A 41ha?* nit, your UWU UbUUIU IiUCJ quuuiu ug disposed of every seoond year at least, and a new, vigorous lot procured from' outside sittings of eggs, or by pas* chase of cocks or cockerels (the latter are cheaper) from other dealers. Be eure the stock is not related. Bat the greatest source of this decrease in vitality is an old,saturated disease breeding yard. For this there is only one sure remedy?two altercating runs, separated by fencing or wire netting. Give the flock free use of one while the other is being plowed and cultivated. This rich soil will make the very best gardens, in which may be raised lettuce, radishes, melons and such vegetables, enough for the family, and to spare to the family grocer or the 4 Vina a AAir\rv fn fhfl UOl^UUUtUUVAIi vuua enug little profit in one's parse. Ia the fall this plot most be harrowed over and sowed down to winter rye ; then in spring when the rye is thick and green, lift the slide opening upon it, and see how the poultry will lux* oriate upon the fresh, tender blades. Their very enjoyment will repay the small extra trouble, while the inorease in health and consequently ia eggs will be extremely gratifying.' Now put the other yard through the same purifying process of cultivation- However, should this gardening require too much labor, after plowing sow the yard down to grass and clover. It will answer the same purpose and the poultry enjoy it quite as muoh. Either way will keep the land sweet and wholesome, and it will pay, so that you will be thankful for one sister's brilliant suggestion. These poultry yards may also serve another purpose, thereby bringing treble profit. You miy have them set out with fruit trees, plums, apples, pears, between which the garden stuff may still be grown. The poultry enrich and keep the ground stirred * around the trees, hunting 'out and quickly destroying curculio, and other enemies; while the trees repay this debt in shade to their feathered friends, who in truth feel the need of it in summer. Thus plums and poultry form a mutual aid sooiety most advantageous to one's pocket. It may not come amiss to those in ; the zero belt who happen to be erect| ing new chicken houses, to suggest that they be put flown in tne grouna as much ae possible. In the side of a hill is the place of places; tut if that is not practicable, let the house down three or four leet into the ground,and when winter comes bank the top. This eouncis like a deal of work, but only by such means, so far north, does one meet with unfailing success in the production of eggs at the time when highest and most profitable. Another point which I desire to impress is the importance of clean eggs for market. The slightest stain de-? ' - - ' - * *>rrrrc ftrlll B. iracis iroui me oaic ui ? 1 gle soiled one will spoil that of the whole lot. It is strange how few seen* to realize this; perhaps they have not solved the problem of the cleaning. Wasning in warm water alone does not unswer, and it leaves tho eggshell with the smooth, shiny appearance of staleness. But the addition ot vinegar to the water removes all difficulties, i. e., stains, and leaves the shell with all its attractive, limy freshness. Occasionally, clear vinegar may be necessary to remove a bad stain. It goes withont saving that eggs must be absolutely fresh; which isr ? .1 .1 i. 1 - 4- i n 1 f/-* cn ^flOCQ lUUfctU, Lilt) UfSl CMCUlim fcv N'ever take chances on that point; an egg three, two weekb or even one week old ie> not what is meant by "absolutely" Jrcah. They should be marketed at lepst throe times a week,, every day, if possible. Freshness ami cleanliness go band in hand in a purse filling egg business. Silk From Fish Eggs. A Frenoh chemist has recently diacovered that the eggs of a certaiu species of rish are enveloped >u veritable silkoo cocoons. fc*iace tue Jearnea Frenchman began his experiments in this line (in 189-4) he has found seven different species of fish that prodnca eggs from which a fiiie qaalita^pf silJc j maj he woven.