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HJM'&kL. ^DESTRUCTION, An Occurrence of the Future, Written For this (paper. 13? S^gar ^avocett, CHAI'TEK I. You ask me, raj' dear nephew, to narrate the story of that fateful and ghast lv c&tastroDhe which brought us, in th< year 4739, A. D., 60 peculiar and wonderful a deliverance. I will heed youi request, old and feeble man that I am lo the fullest of my powers. Well, then let me begin at the autumn of the yeai 4738. At this time, as the history ol your land will readily tell you, a last terrible political change had possesset the entire earth. Here in America anarchy had for nearly three centuries rioted. Nothing but the splendid material advantages of the countrj* hac saved it from the most piteoiiB bankruptcy and degradation. Tho whol< radical movement, as you doubtless know, began with a certain systen ol mild and rather sane socialism. Bui society was not prepared for ever these comparatively gentle measures. The single tax idea might have succeeded if the executive, both in the nv\A of rronornl onnif n 1 Vin.n OittlCO UJ1U C*U hUV ^vuviwi v?r. not proved fatally corrupt. Naturallj good and honest citizens revolted against the gross maladministration ol affairs, and finally came that short bul bloody civil war in which honor and decency were defeated. Afterward almosl utter lawlessness reigned. I am thankful, notwithstanding all the miseries and misfortunes it has been my lot tc witness during my own lifetime, that ] did not exist during those wild and hideous times. License replaced liberty; bands of insolent robbers ruled in al! public places; the family was travestied in its most sacred domestic relations by the sanction of a new libidinous mar riage code. Meanwhile, through successive decades, a spirit of stern revolt had been slowly gaining strength. By this time the electric steamships easily accomplished trips across the ocean in six ant1 occasionally in four hours. Europe has thus become closo to our very doors, and everything which happened there was tc us very much as the occurrences in Connecticut were known in Massachusetts during previous times. Our house, my dear nephew, had inherited traditions ol conservatism through many generations. We were called aristocrats by our enemies, but we belonged, as you are aware, to the large yet powerless body classed politically as Caution !sts. Who first coined the name I cannot tell you: it had become applied, however to a great throng of dissenters in Europe, in Asia, and in many parts of Africa. My father, my uncles, and numerous other kin !red besides, were in constant communication with foreign friends and sympathizers. The one universal language which for 300 years past had replaced all those various and inconveniencing tongues previously 6poken on earth, of course rendered such intercourse in every way facile. At this time Europe and Asia had been, as one might say. over6wept by a very deluce of blood. Not a trace of the great European dynasties now survived. The anarchists ,(or indomitables, as thev had grown' everywhere to called) had set a price upon the heads of all who bo e within their veins the least drop of royal blood. I think il highly probable that by the year 4726 not a single person lived on our planet who could claim the remotest relationship to the Guelphs, Hapsburgs, Kohenzollerns, or any of those races which hud once so towered in sovereignty above their kind. At nrst tne siaugntei of royalty had been wholesale and brutal. History will tell you how the man who insisted on calling himself Victorian XII., King of England and Emperor of India, had been hanged in London before a shrieking and sneering y, mob of Indomitables; how Hudolph XVIII., eelf-styled Emperor of Austria, had, with his entire family and a body of devoted retainers, first received the most hideous indignities in a square of Vienna, and thon teen literally tortured to death; how a certain individual, wno xiaa persisted in proclaiming nie right to tbe German throne under the title of Friederich Wilhelm XIV., hnd been first stripped naked before furious thousands in Herlin, and then belabored with merciless lash strokes until he Bank dead at the very portals of what was once his ancestors' imperial palace. These and manv other frightful tragedies, my near nephew, mu?i sure-ij have formed a part of your education. And I need not tell you that we Cautionists had always deplored them, while at the same time realizing the foily of all kingly claims and the futility of seeking v.o base government on anything which dealt with ancient "divine rights" of rulership. We called ourselves, and indeed we were, philanthropists of the truest and purest type. The indomitables (though BELABORED WITH LA^H STKOKE.i. y- " " at last grown much more human) hae shown us the uttor vileness and iaisitj or their theories. These beings, enormous as regarded mero multitude, were yet the dregs of the human race. W* pitied them; wo comprehended how the} were the inevitable result of those tyrannies and social bigotries which for ages had disgraced civilization. And yet wc perceived but too clearly that the tin}* was fast approaching when either they or we must perish. In old days men fought and di^d for love of country. Our Impulse was so mui-a lareer than one ol mere patriotism that it dwarfed such ac aim into relative pettiness. We hac' reached that loftier plane of loving which c.ii>irA.fo 'i 11 n i n a n n fl CUa ?rj O, |M111V>OU['11I^V<0. Uivwiiis/ liiu henco no longer foolishly struggles Our lives were clean and chaste, out daily habits purity itself, our thoughts exalted, sincere, mutually aidf..l. Arte! J moreo'-or, my t oy. we hail struck tha' key-noto of all harmonious existence which to you. at this luter i.ml triumphant hour of human advancement, appears a pro ess harliy less easy than breathing itself. 1 mean, simply, that we have learned to love one another In a way wo even loved our might} atch-foe, the Indomitables. What oui i <i:n*..nit W.J rend ere easy to us by a wholly natira1 process of human evolution. It wus the Pi' ' * p?T V Bplrltuolization or our minds, our tcm* fi perameuts. It hud come, by slow yet li certain degrees, broadaning outward c from those centers which were once ii deemed incapable of such artistic ex- h I pailttlUJJ. IlttU UUl piOUCUCODUlO, *41 v/ lofty and prophetic moods, had spoken c i ! of a9 the higher life, we had reached 1: with no apparent effort. All the future t potentialities of peace and happiness o were plain to us as the sun and stars. "We realized ourselves to be the final f fruit and flower of mortal development, t Other physical development wo clearly a foresaw, but wc felt that an ideal of e sweet and holy meaning, long desciied from afar, steadily gaining strength and e splendor^had now burst u^on u_g qt last, in the largeness of its benedictiou ana " salvation. d , Hut, like all dawns, this one had first | smitten the mountain peaks, leaving the ( valleys In the rihade. The Indomitables were in that shade. We perceived the n ! possibility of our own destruction at the t j hands of these less fortunate beings, t I who in every country of the globe far d j outnumbered ue. To annihilate them u , was against our will, and yet we felt ' that not to make the attempt would t | be doubtless to delay thousands of s years the coming of happiness ou earth 1; i and the reign there of wisdom and peace. b i We were stronger than tho Indomlta- e i bles in everything but numbers. Foi j years past we had been slowly gaining 0 I force through organization, fraterniza- ^ . tion, and all methods by which a great v sect of believers, with the certainty of ij right on their side, may prepare for the c i victory or defeat of a last epical and a i prodigious contest. A system of inter- u communication had become established I between us in all parts of the world; at | almost an hour's notice we could flash to a Australia, New Zealand.or Patagonia,by u means of submarine cable, intelligence q I in ciphor which would cause those of our order dwelling there to send us * i naval and other aid. For in many a 11 secret nook of the coast, unknown to f1 [ the anarchical governments, huge ships " I had long ago been prepared and a posi- u ; tive clandestine military netwo.rk may ? ' be said to have stretched from Sweden ^ ! to the Cape of Hope, from the Canada? to Terra del Fuego. Of course I do ^ not wish to have you suppose, dear nephew, that the Indomitables were n ignorant of these far-reaching and sub- fj tie preparations. They decidedly were h not, but, altogether masters of the situ- y ation in every political 6ense, they ^ nevertheless had lapsed into that most 0 piteous form of weakness which is born of Internal corruption. Teeming with . dishonesty, they could not trust one * another as individuals; and as different ^ communities they were divided by sharp j lines of feud. I know of nothing more t] sad and odious thau their misrule i.rd in- jx ternecine turmoil. They had complete- %( ly proved the total fallacy of all "equal rights" principles when applied tobodiee in which individualism held potent M away and true philanthropy was at e [j zero mark. The worst form of monarchies, like ambition, envy, creed of gain, arrogance, cold-blooded selfishness, c; tramping rough-shod on the feeble, _ hypocrisy, falsehood, audacious theft, ^ conscienceless nepotism, wholesale slander?these raged far more hotly j( among the rabbles, who now called 3] themselves law and order, than they ,] had ever approximated toward raging when anarchy, in all its crude and ilar- 1 ing usurpature, had not flooded the world. Ages previpu6ly a crrtain French -n revolution had foretokened just the horrid effects from which wo of a sounder and more enlightened condition ^ rtraya cllfTarinfT t.llPIl T5llt thfiTfi bad come the reaction of tyranny; now 0 a reaction was threatened, but it did [ not in the lea9t f artake of social vehi geance or even revolt. As I have said, j we were silently yet potently massing, without a shadow of rancor or passion. The Indomitablee must go. or we must r( go. The globe must either be given up to wild sin and misery (for every year p( each increased, one being a conse- fr quence of the other), or it must, by a a tremendous pulse of righteous onslaught tl on our part, become the habitation of ^ humanitarianism, content and philosophic virtue. _ CHAPTER II. All through those latter years we g CautioLtets had openly concerned our- a selves with the pursuits of learning, ^ nrt/1 a/tinnfifln onarnh &UUVY1CU?U OUl* ovivuwiiv g Scarcely was there a single great w academy, throughout the length and a breadth of the earth, which was not ^ nourished and administered by oui agency. Of what we had already accomplished I need not speak. Telescopes of a superb power had been invented by us, and through their means and those of the now interplanetary magnetic ci^rrents with which you, deai nephew, are now so wholly familiar, we had obtained distinct tidings from twe e planets of our 60lar system, Mars and ? Venus. But apart from a somewhat s vague interchange of signals wo were a then, as now. in ionorano.o of the real quality or the races on these neighoor worlds. Still, the advance had been immense. From the moon, our compara- i1 tively near stellar companion, we had b succeeded in securing no sign of life. ? This lauk of success corroborated pre- o rious conclusions, namely, that the 3 moon was a frozen ori\ without atmos- j phere. a colo=sal cinder, so to speak, revolving round a world which, because >f its much smaller size, it had long igo preceded in the cooling off process. li ana in muse evolutional manges 01 I lowor vegetable and animal life to high- s er, which every orb of the billions crowding space doubtless has been fated to undergo. Our greatly improved telescopes had shown us the ' Ilia mnnn n.n iifivcr hfifore. ^ lUWplu^uj . Her icy peaks and barren vales were na J familiar to our astronomers as to ordinary tourists are the slopes of the Alio- e ghenies or Catskills. No longer had ^ science the faintest doubt on the subie t of her complete present sterility. If the question of her duration over pre- ' sented itself, this, it was taken for s granted, would depend on the general t stability ot' earth ?nd the solar system. 1 And yet, suddenly, to the surprise of i millipnsl the moon had of Jate revealed j. some extraordinary novelties of phase. ? Not Jong ago, while observed here in f America during her second quarter, the , entire hollow of her curve had become ? flooded with a mis'y golden fire, which * had faded, at length leaving a spirit of t1 flame plainly visible. The sight wa? E horrifying to many of the Indomitables, o for ignorance, as you know, too often * consorts wun cowaruice. as ieai, iou, j is at the root of so much religion, in a , few days various now sects were formed " that spent the'r timo in praying for deliverance from the horror of some calamity?dreaded yet unknown. "We I Cautionists, however, were for the most c part tranquillity itself. Your own farn- ? I ily, my dear boy, has been noted, > j through several generations, for their " scholarship in different directions. Geology has.alwnys beep a study in which * i excelled: your father was devoted to 0 astronomy, and spent hours raking the ' heavens at night with a telesc >pe of J i great strongth. From him I learned | (hut these lunar phenomena were most j probably the harb ngers of the moon's final and utter extinction. "But I thought," was my reply to j h:m, "ihat eh) had not had, for thou- ? sanus or years, a s.ugio trace 01 me left." r; "No visible traco," he answered. "I3nt I Kl j evidently, hidden deep down within tho bowols of her sphere. Iiave lain sluggish e; yet. pftva??i? 'Ires. There is no doubt at all that frco ih'.i cold era ers o several ; a \ o'.caiioea live liames have been gush ' ag of late. As for those weird, yeriow Ights which have' elthor circled the aoon when at her full or brimmed the nterval between her two cups when she ia<? been yet an immature growth in >ur heavens?those, I should say, are ertainly caused by flery issues of a ike sort from craters on her other side, hat side which the eye of man has "Then you think," I so if! 1o your nther, "that these outbursts ore merely he last throes of dying life in the orb, nd that no harmful consequence to arth may possibly come from them?" Your father's grave, sweet face cloudd a little. "There is one chance," ho replied, and it might bo fraught with fearful anger." "One chance?" I questioned eagerly. You mean " "That imprisoned gases within the aoon may lie at the core of this agitaion. If I can use so queerly contradicory an expression, the moon might unergo an earthquake. You of course nderstand me." "Perfectly; why not? But considering he depth of the moon'6 frozen crust, a eismic disturbance in her could scarcey be of serious import." Your father stroked his gray, silken ioard and into those mild, starry-Diue yes of his came a troubled look. . "The._frQz<?ji .crust..on ,.the_.moon's therside,"he slowiy said, "may hot e half so deep as on the side at which re are able to Raze. Those strange [phi* indicate that there eruptive agenies are at work which are fiercer than ny we have been able distinctly to lark." "And you then apprehend " I sked, suddenly pausing, and scarcely inaware just why I had either begun my uery or thus abruptly broken it off. "Apprehend?" your father repeated, rith a faint yet meaning smile. For a ime ho was silent, even broodingly 60, nd then he again began to speak, in is rich even tones, and with a touch of i)wonted fervor. "It has long been my theory," he said, that nearly all the worids in space ave a moment at which they definitely eiish. The great astronomer, Arauana, oes not agree with me on this point, nd yet he admits the probabilities of ly hypothesis. In any large orb like tie moon, these cooling-off processes ave been, of necessity, irregular. All tie surface or the planet is not equally ens^ or obdurate. Meanwhile the gases ngendered by ages of slow, sullen, and epressed combustion have been iniBting on some sort of outlet. For ertainly on a bulk 60 volcanic a9 that f the moon they surely mu9t have oblined it. And yet nothing is more linkable than that they should at last, 1 some stern effort to escape, rend Dmp'.etely asunder the material which Dntains them." "I see!" was my exclamation. "And icn you believe that the moon may terally explode in the heavens?" His gentle eye kindled. "You have grasped my meaning pre[sely. Ardiland believes that these hcnomcna we are now so constantly itnessinj, have a most harmless exI _ M 4 ? T AnnnA1 TTT' V> V? IIV* milUUUil. X UUUlivu t*0* \s\j nnu >r the secretion of gases must still, I houli say, be onormous, and if certain heinical crises occur their disruptive gency would bo terrific." I held my brea'h for a moment; I had le profoundcst laith in your father's idgment on all subjects, and for his stronomic knowledge I had long felt ositive reverence. "That," I presently gasped, "would ignify the destruction of the moon?" 2if.er total destruction?yes." "And lo the earth, what?" "Excessive danger." "Of what?" "I will not say destruction also," he ;turned, with hesitant voice; "but surer there would be frightful injury. And erhaps, too, our planet might be sent om her orbit and flung into the sun. gain, it is wholly credible that in case le moon shoald be shivered into fragion ta not all of these would bv anv icans striko the earth. Many of them -perhaps most of them?might dart ito the radius of attraction wrought ?>y nr. for the centrifugal force or their ight would be furious when first generteu, and much o( ihe telluric mass, ineed, for this very reason of intenso peed, be dissolved into vapor during its rild passage through ether; and hence ur collision with any pari of it might e rendered far less hurtful." jTO BE CONTINUED. J EXPOSITIONS AT PARIS. In view of the approaching Frenct xposition, it is interesting to note the normous increase' in the extent an? uccess of the various expositions held t Paris, says the Scientific American The first occurred in the year 1798 t brought together the modest numer of 110 exhibitors and cost only 12,000. The buildings, of wood emelished, were erected on the Champs e Mars. Twenty-five medals were istributed. The second took place three year? iter (1801) in the court of the Louvre t represented 220 exhibitors and quite clipsed the first. A third exposition, opened the folswing year at the same place, collectd 550 exhibitors. This was a veritale triumph. Mannlenn T inaiieurntpfl the fourtt xposition, which was held on the Eslanade of the Invalides in 1806; there ,'ere 1,422 exhibitors. This figure /as carried to 1,622 at the fifth expo ition in 1819, in the palace of the youvre. The sixth (1823) met wit!: ittle success, as also the seventh ir 827 in the reign of Charles X., in the talace of the Louvre. As an offset, the ighth, opened on the Palace du Carousel in the reign of Louie Philippe athered no less than 2,487 exhibitors "his success was accentuated in the exosition of 1839, held on -the Champa Ilysees (3,381 exhibitors), and in thai f 1844, also on the Champs-Elysees 3,960 exhibitors). The exposition ol S49, again on the Champs-Elysees ost $300,000. The first universal exposition war hat of 1855, which caused the construcion of the Palace of Industry. The xpense rose to $2,300,000. There were 3,954 exhibitors and more than 5,000,00 visitors. Then came the wellnown expositions of 1867 (52,000 exibitors), of 1878 (52,835 exhibitors, ano 6,000,000 visitors), and 1889 (55,480 exlibitors and 32,500,000 visitors). From Ills Point of View. "t understand that there are some rms that give a young employe a lise of salary when he marries," she lid. "It is a strange fact," replied the ynieal bachelor, "that then- are men o constituted that they enjoy encouryiug other men to get into trouble." I NEW YORK H Designs For Costu Pv?i? :?>x ^?^u'ar *r New York City (Special).?Some fascinating flannel waists are to take the place of the silk and cambric 3hirt-waist; they are almost invariably PAS.TTVATTwn PT, ATJ'NT'.Ti XV ATST. (The waist in this illustration, taken from Harper's Bazar, can be made in flannel, silk or satin, hut should have asllk vest, and the fronts must be outlined with either black braid or black velvet ribbon.) made of French flannel, and are unlined. They are regular shirt-waists with a yoke in the back, or plain back and with just a little fulness in front, *nd are fastened with small gilt butions. They are made in plain flannel tn all light shades, and also in the polka-dotted flannel. The very prettiest are blue with a tiny polka dot of pink or red, while the red and blue with black polka dots are always smart. This is by no means an economical fashion, as the waists soils very quickly; but it is a very pretty one, and there is mnch more warmth tn the flannel waists than in the silk ones. One style of flannel waist is a THREE UP-TO-DATE WALKING GC little more elaborate and really more nsefal; it is made of plaiu flannel, red or blue, is cut out in a square at the neck, and has a chemisette and stockcollar of black satin; and on the sleeves, that are in coat shape, are small turned-over cuffs of black satin. These are pretty waists, and are fashionable with any skirt. Walking Gowns That Are Up to Date. The large engraving shows three of the swellest early winter gown6. That on the left is a tailor importation from Paris. Green broadcloth in two shades is the material, with appliqu.es of yellow lace. The jacket is very stunning, with elaborate stitchiugs and strapped seams. It falls away from the shoulders with a peculiar eflect, showing tne yolie ana us iace embroidery. The gown in the centre is strictly English. It is made in one of the latest gray checked suitings, severely plain, with strappings of the eame material. A vivid scarlet girdle and collar give a desired fait of color. The gown on the right is a dainty brown satin foulard banded with coral moire. The bodice is made plainly, with a tuckcd vest of creamy chiO'on. A Feathtr Sen*nn. The greatest ingenuity is expended at present in tue maKing ot Diras or wonderful plumage, and wings of iridescent hue, out of tho feathers of the humble bat necessary barndoor fowl. Of course it is much to be commended that such good results can be obtained by the feather manufacturers without tlie slaughter of countless wild birds of the woods, and we can enjoy,with easy conscience, the many elegant feather-trimmed shapeaux that will this season be prepared and sold. For this is undoubtedly to be a feather season?from the beautiful and expensive Taradise ospreys and ostrich plumes to quills, wings and couteaux of the manufacturer's creation. The wings, very pointed in most cases, will be smartest when backed with i?.? ?i-1. ti. -_. : i _A. some ongut ur son coior uunuani, uuu it appears that their most fashionable position on the hat or toque will be with the points turned downward. Designs of tlie "All-Over" Luce*. There are mauy stylish "all-over" 1 o /-?/-?ci * > rl /lnfu V* a i f an in/?h in diameter and with email conventional figures that are to be made up in original ways this winter, the cream lace over while silk f or waists. Many laces have patterns in chitlnn set into b uoS uoS u8>S uov uo? uo>S uoNouSw oS\5 oo\S uo\S </ov uo3 mmm. I mfis That Have Be- H ^the MetropoHs.^ ^ net in black and white. Tbere are the appliqued and embroidered net and one not in the trade conld scarcely begin to name them all There are variations in so many ways of so many laces that it is difficult to tell t'other from which, and names naed in the trade make only a necessary distinction and are beyond the grasp of the multitude. For Pocketlesn Womankind. Reticules of suede in fawn, gray or colors to match the gown are bestowed by Dame Fashion on pocketless wornonlrin/1 Tlxi from ao r>f tVthacrn ura of gold or silver, and many are studded with gems, big Oriental pearls, eastern turquoises and sapphires and roughly cut bits of lapis lazuli, jade and other beautifully colored atones. Bags of curious Japanese and Persian leathers are ornamented by flowers, dragons, and masks of silver, bronze and gold, and one bag of gray leather has a frosty silver frame studded with coral, and the chain by which it is carried is made entirely of Persian coins. Bockles For the Waist. There are many cut-steel buckles and ornaments for the waist, but among the latest and most popular buckles are large, round medallions showing designs in headsj many of them most artistic in design. They come in gold, silver and enamel, and occasionally cameo heads are set in the metal. Very Fancy WliUo Glove*. Evening gloves of white kid with pink, blue, mauve or yellow stitching on the back and the edges, buttonholes, etc., of the glove finished with colored kid, are French oddities sold at the smart glove shops. Inexpensive and Pretty Woolen*. Albatross?pretty, crcpy, cashmere stuff?in pale shades is being sold for house gowns aud evening dresses. It is light, thin and soft, well suited to drapery, and shows off well when velvet, lace or silk is added in the way of I WHS FROM THE NEW YORK PRESS, trimming. It is selling in odd tonee 1 ?nn>? Ui U1UC, lilac, UIUWIIO, wv?v of these albatross fabrics havo em broidered silk dots of -white, black or colors, and these make up well as odd bodices. f Fancy Lace Becoming Popular. There is a great and growing demand for fancy lace and embroidered goods. Two Striking Garment*. A long cloak that might answer for either a driving or a traveling wrap is made of cheviot and is reversible. The plaid of the reverse is let in on the sleeves and across the bust and appears as the cuff and pocket lapels | The garment is further decorated with bands oi black cloth upon which are' seen row after row of stitching. Small straps are buttoned across tho front as fastenings. The velvet three-quarters length coat of a rich chocolate hue is worthy consideration. It is beautifully decorated with an embroidery of black silk cord aud of black lace applique under which is an underground of fur. This form of trimming appears as well on the small shoulder cape, and on the wide rolling revers and collar. The revers and the collar are faced witb white cloth against which the black embroidery shows oil' to its lull ex ! W l 11\ a tiibek-qcakttsur | traveling LENGTTT COAT. j AVJtAV. tent. The siune effecr is carried on! on tbe lining down the entire front. I ho tliuf; the roar. \v!:on upeiieii, rcvcur j , .still more of the cuibroidery. THE SABBATH SCHOOL" INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS FOR NOVEMBER 5. Subject: Nehemlah'? Prayer, Neh. I., 1-11 ? Golden Text: Neb. 1., ll-Meiaorj verges, a-iu ? commentary on tli? Day'* Le?eon?Ita Teaching*. Connecting Links. Ezra gave us a history of the first restoration of the Jewish people after the Babylonish captivity and of the building of tha second temple. Nehemlah came into Judea about thirteen fears later than Ezra, and succeeded him In the governmsnt there. In this book we have a farther account of their settlement In Jerusalem, the building of the wall of the city, and also of some reforms brought about. 1. "The words of Nehemlah." Rather the narrative or record. "8on of Hachallah." Probably of the tribe of Judah and of the royal family of David. "He was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes at 8hnshan, the capita). This title Implied that Nehemlah whs a counsellor, statesman, courtier and favorite. For twelve years he was Governor of Judea, leading a great religious revival and rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. At the end of twelve years he went back to Persia, but after a time he again returned to Jerusalem and effected some reforms there. After Nehemlah we read of uu mure governors appointed over JUGCft by the Persian kings; but their affairs seem to have been left to the management of the blgb priests. Nehemlah Is the last historlcalbook of the Old Testament that was written." "Month Oblsleu." Ninth month, corresponding to the end of November and the beginning ot December. "Twentieth your." Of the reign of Artaxerxes Longlmanus, who reigned from B. 0. 465 to 423. It was under this king tbat. Ezra wasgranted letters to go to Jerusalem. 2. "Hanani." His own brother, to whom he afterward gave the charge of tne gates of Jerusalem. Chap. 7:2. "Came." From Jerusalem to 8hushan. "I asked him." Respecting Jerusalem and its people. "Jews that had escaped." Survived all the dangers to which the new settlement at Jerusalem bad been exposed. 3. "In the province." Of Judea, now a province of tho Persian empire. "Great ufflictlon and reproach." Their subjeotion to Persia forced Itself on the Jews at every turn. The tribute Imposed on them was a heatfy burden to a poor people. Jewish recruits had doubtless been forced into the Persian armies. The country was pillaged in open day, and many Jews were carried into slavery by nightly surprises, while the corpses of murdered men were often found on the road. "The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down." The wall and houses I had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar i more than 140 years before (2 Kings 25:10), and their rubbish still lay In sight. They were partially rebuilt at one time. Ezra 4:12. The neighboring races, infuriated at the rejection of their friendly offers of assistance by Zerubbabel, years before, and still more so by Ezra's recent act in sending back to their homes all the wives of non-Jewish races foand in Jerusalem and JudeA, and attacked Jerusalem, and after fierce struggles had broken down the new* ly-bullt walls and burned the gates. Neh. 2:11-15. 4. "I sat down and wept." Perhaps now for the first time a deep, keen sense of his people's woes came over his soul. "Mourned." Over the condition of his people, the desolation of the Holy City, the reproach upon the name of God, ard the. sins which had brought them to this low estate, which had not yet b&n put away. "Certain days." From Chisleu to Nisan, four months, until the king noticed his grief. "Fasted." A token of the genuineness of his sorrow. "Prayed." In earnest, protracted -prayer that God would favor the purpose which he seems to have secretly formed of asking the royal permission to go to Jerusalem. No such permit bad ever yet been arrant ad since its destruction by Nebuchadnezsar. The proclamation of Cyras authorized Duly the rebuilding of the temple. 5. "Covenant nnd mercy." Covenant refers to God's definite promises. Mercy refers to His loving character, which gives more than is pledged. 6. "Enr attentive eyes open." Let Thine ear hear our confession, and mercifully pardon. Let Thine eye behold our suffering and send speedy sucoor. "Day and night." His grief was doubtless increased nt the thought that all this evil existed in spite of Ezra's work. He withdrew frOm his court duties and spent a time>in retirement in most sincere sorrow. His prayer was oft repeated in the course of these days of separation and mourning, at hours of the night as well as at the usual hours of daily prayer. "I and my father's house." Nehemiah had a clear sense of his identifications with his people in sin ns in misery. 7. "Have dealt corruptly." Some of these sins are mentioned in Neh. 5:1-7, 10, 11; 13; 15; Ezra 9:1; 2 Chron. 36:14-17. "Thy commandments." The moral pre cept? by which our lives should be regulated. "Statutes." What refers to the rites and ceremonies of thy religion. "Judgments." Tbe precepts of justice relative to our conduct to each other. 8. "If ye transgress." This is not a quotation, but a reference to the general eense of various passages, suoh as Lev. 26:27-30; Deut. 28:45-52. Tbe fact that God had fulfilled fits word of threatening was a proof that He would fulfill His word of promise. 9. "But if ye turn unto Me." "When we turn to sin Qod turns to discipline; when wo turn to righteousness, He turns to mercy. "Yet will I gather them." Qod had a place devoted to His people, and when they were content to dwell there He gave them liberty and rights there. 10. "These are Thy servants." Who will dewte themselves to do Thy will. "And Thy people." With whom Thou hastjjfade covenant. They are the descendants of those whom Thou hast delivered from Egypt; "to whom Thou bast Riven victories by Joshua, by Samson, by Deborah; and J caused to overthrow tbe Assyrian army." All their hi3toryshows the great care God has given tbem. 11 ??WI%a A s\n4?A * > * fno f Thr nnma Tril A ! If ilU UCSilO IV 1UIIA jluj uuMvt , j desires are: 1. Constant, not flashes. 2. Hearty, strong and growing. 3. Include j the favor of God and spiritual grace, i. j , Regard the means of salvation. "Prosper . I Tby servant this day." He had in mind to | j ask of Kinu Artaxcrxes that he might go | : to Jerusalem and help his people. He naked definitely forexactly what lie wanted. I "Mercy in the sight of this man"?the king, j Nehemiah bad decided that to remove the reproach of Jerusalem he must bo there in person. That to do so he must obtain the king's permlBsiop. To get nls permission j he must be in special favor with him. "I was the king's cupbearer." An important officer, having chnrge of the wines of the i royal household, standing by the king's I side at meals, and tasting the wine, to see tbat it was not poisoned. "Teachings." Love for God's cause J should prompt us to inquire after its intorpnts. Whenilod's DeoDlesulIerwesufTer | with them. The wisest course to take in I times of sorrow Is to seek a place of prayer, j We should never blame God for calamities COOD WHEAT" FROM THE YUKON Grown in Quicker Timo Than That of j lied Jtlver Valley. Evidence that the term "frozen N">rth' Is not applicable to the Yukon countrj ; was brought down to Dnluth, MInu., from Canada a day or two ago. There was a j largo sheaf of grain, besides thrashed ker> j nels of wheat, oats, and barley In the list ; of evidence. It all came from nonrDaw^on City and J A ?. t ??- 'PI.A inhnof itf<iaortwn i wns Krowu mis vcm. ..... Into iu May on ground tlmwed nfew inches | deep, and It was harvested from seventy- j live to elghty-flvo days later, thoroughly j ripe. That is from ten to twenty days . quicker than the best average performances j of the famous lted lliver Valley. In the i samples were white ili'e, red fife, and I Scotch wheat that would pass the best j grades here. The oats are fully as good as I auytbiug raised in theNorthwesteru States or in Mauitoba, aud the barley i3 iix rowed of the highest quality? The soed grain from which this was prc^ duced was sent to Dawson last fall at the suggestion of ClifTord Sifton, Cauadian Mlnisterof theluterior. The samples have been forwarded to Montreal and Ottawa and are very interesting aud suggestive. Sands 80.000 Word* hii Hour. Eighty thousand word* an Hour can bo sent on one wlra by i. new system of quicu telegraphing, tlie invention of two Hun i rod IUL2. / * 'flffl GOD'S MESSAGE TO MA PREGNANT THOUCHTS FROM THE;'|B WORLD'S GREATEST PROPHETS. | | Martyrdom?Help tb? Mlnliter?Clirflt'# Deadliest Enemy? Sayed Into Jp A Prayer for Piety?Deeds Not Dob(?,?H The Beet Men Get Most. jaH Oh, not oil martyrs meet a speedy death I One wears unplaintingly pain's burnlng'inH One smiles,' thoagh sword-thrusts torture -1* every breath; ' Martyrs are they, unknowing oarth'S 16* 'jj nown. j And not to all comes fleshly suffering; J One tolls 'mid wretched throngs with loy? ing heart; 1 And one from Heaven gathers voice to sin? In her sad corner from the world apaft. ' jB And some there are whose dally drudging 3 ruuuu, -jM Performed In bravery for the Mastery sake, | Is martyrdom as real as If 'twere found . In one triumphant moment at the stake. . . J Earth's martyrology lacks many a name The Lord has entered in His book of life,, v^a For thousands need not rack or wheel Of flame m To be accounted martyrs In the strife. ?Emma C. Dowd. Help the Minister. No one has tho right to let his natural sensitive temper become Important in the life" Jgg, and work of his friends or fellow Christians.' It is the very height of selfishness to do this* 3 And it is a difficult thing to check or re* prove. Many u minister suffers in 9ilenca rather than brave the danger of making a. bad matter worse by trying to present the :v true situation to the sensitive member. - 3 Thore are always grave diggers in the way. but it is generally best to talk firmly ana, Sjjl plainly with such Sensitive people, and to try to show them the real selfishness of theft mood. What a joynnisource of strength iti? ' "<% to the busy preacher when he can always be- M sure that he can ask this or that of his peo?. JS pie, and put this worker here or there, witb , the assuranpe that there will be no bard ' 'sj feelings and no sense of slight or unda? honor on the part of any one! This Is the sort of workers needed everywhere. You must Lo this s jrt of a helper to your minister. Look over that sensitive tendeooy that '-lg you bave. See if it is kept wit din Douuas. ? And if it has grown selfish, go resolutely at' , the task of reformation. For the- selfish- . ness of sensitive people brings weakneofr ' and confusion into the working church. ChrUt'fl Deadliest Enemy. The most fearful denial of God is not i*! made by the min,d. It consists In the denial' jy" of practicul life. Men have the opinion that there is a Qod, and yet act as if thert were no God for them. This Is practical ' rji atheism. The Pharisees were guilty of it. At? It has been a prevalent mood in the religions U13C0ry 01 tll? lyunautui uuuii;u wtinj. It tm , -n so easy to say "Lord! Lord!", But when there Arises the plain matter of acting as If jjjSH God wer? beside us and we responsible' to Him (or every motive and item of conduct, our taste becomes harder. Yet mei> ask us (or an expression of life that will conform to and confirm our confession of rt fniih. They have the right to do that. And we seldom fail to give them orthodoxv riVoj opinion; our greatest failure Is in right llv- . VH Ing. But the faith Is dead when denied bj % the life. Practical atheism contralicts the most rigid insistence upon orthodox symbols. The greatest heresy is not an honest doubt; it Is a loveless life. The Atheism of the schools and the essay can be met; the atheism of the counting roooij . ;??j market, aud home is the deadliest enemy of. <J ?he cause of Christ. '& Saved Into Life. Jesus of Nazareth is the world's 8avlorir from sin. But He is more. He Is the 8a"r- .< iour into goodness. The Gospel is not only '.<A the good news of rescue from peril, it is the glorious message of rescue Into life. Preach ing does not consist solely in solemn waru- - : ,T ings and calls to the unconverted; it is the blessed task of teaching and training which '< < results, not in the euro of the hurt, but in ~: <! the prevention of any hurt whatever. And w 30 Jesus comes not only to save meo from the results of their sin, but su- . V? premeiy to save them from any sin at all.' * His work is not to mediate pardon so much - J as it is to make and keep men holy. Thu? the great question is not. "From what are ? we saved?" but, '"Into wnat are we saved?" Christ does redeem us from the guilt of sin. $ But this is only the first step. He leads u? ' into the opulent life. Too many Christians' ? are looking backward to bewail their past. Tesus calls them to look forward and antici- \ . ? pate the riches of their future. God want* us to enter into the treasures of the life that shines before us. ''Follow the gleam." -' : ' ' ' ." *3 A Prayer for Pletv. ' 5 0 God. thou art my God! early will I seek: cheo. Thou art good and doest good to all^ thy mercy is over all thy works. Grant that the frequency and earnestness of my prayero may be proportioned to the greatness of my * i wants. Make me to rejoice in every oppor- ?s /\f txr/\Fahin and iir^sflrvfi me from th? ain of drawing near to thee with my ' lips while my heart Is far from thee. Send thy good 8pirit to direct and gald? me in the ways and works of godliness; purify my affections; enliven my devotion; teach me how to pray and how to hear ana read and profit by thy holy Word. Teaoh me the value of my soul and the salvation which has been wrought for it byJesns ./ Christ. Let my conversation be such as be ometh his gospel. And whatsoever I do in word or iu deed, let me do all in his name, giving thanks to Ood and the Father tbrongb him. Amen. Deeds Not Done. Men are not only tempted to prefer devotion to practice from the mistaken notion that it can of itself be acceptable to the Deity,and from the superior facility of praying like a Christian to that of living like a Christian, but because it is that part of religion of which the world takes the greatest ;oguizance. Whereas the real question irhieh evorv man should put to his own soul is not how often I have vowed to do good, but how often I have done it; not how often I have repeated the law. but how much I have obeyed it; not what I have promised, but what I have performed: for prayer with- '* :>ut good action is nothing but increase of guilt, beauuso it indicates how well we comprehend and bow accurately we remember the duty which wa have neglected to discharge. Sidney Smith. The Kent Men Get Most, What a beautiful world is ours; A friend writes: "I am going for a drive and I shall bring biifk a bundle or wild carrot oiosanras like the finest laoe work; set iu a bowl with rose gerauiums they will bo a 'joy forever.'" Even the woeds of earth have a spiritual .4 beauty. The hedge is a tangle of loveliness; the stone wail is a border of the king's trar:len. We do not like to hear Christians abuse the world. It was ma le forgood men llrst. and the best men get the most out of it. We may sot it down as a rule that the man who finds the most good iu the world Is ihe world's best friend and servant. There is enough beauty in* the field around the plainest c Miutry cottnge to satisfy the finest cravings, if one can only find it.?Ji. Y. . Evangelist. To live for today is in the noblest sense to live for eternity. To be my very best this very hour, to" do the very best for tho$e v about me. ami to spend this moment in a spirit of absolute consentation to God's priory, this is the duty that confronts rae.? D J. liurrell. D D lirltlsh Hallways Kill Many EmplcyeV Tho United Kingdom railway statistics for 1893, just issued, show that, although the number of passengers killed was only 153, the number of employes killed reached the large total of 542, while 12,977 of the latter class were injured. This showing gives little jusliilcation for the frequent boast that the English railroads are inorq carefully handled than tha American, especially in view of the fact that tho total mileage of passenger roads for 1898 is given us 20,026. ' 1.argent Cotton Mill In the World. The Manchester Mill- ?ir?? laying tounjatious nt MniiifliM^tfr, X. H.t for a cottofi milt 1C, 0 feet long, 1!M> ?ri<Jn?ud tourstoji?? tall, the lurgest iu ui?* world. __ .