The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, November 01, 1899, Image 6
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. __ .