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/ L| AiJATl s It T -Av o/ I By Anna Katharine Green, J ^ COPYRIGHT, 1B?0. ?Y *< CHAPTER XXI. Continued. Mr. Degraw, -who had on]y put these questions for the purpose of testing the fellow's truth, felt a mountain Sifted from his breast. She was not | cheating him, then, by coquettish wiles Into believing she possessed an interest in him. She "was really alarmed, and, woman-like, knew no other course than to humor the man she feared in behalf ?f the man she loved. And yet had it ibeen all humoring on her part?those brilliant glances, those lovely smiles? :Yes, for she was an actress, trained to express emotion, and gifted with ge aius for doing so. With a cleared brow he confronted the man before him. "I am relieved by your explanations," said he. "And now it only remains for us to consider together as to what course we shall pursue in reference to tlus dangerous fellow." The other gave him a searching glance. "Are you not going to follow Miss Rogers' advice?" he inquired. "And leave her just when she may need me most?" "I know it does not seem chivalrous, but it may, perhaps, he wise." "Wise when you have the power to arrest this fellow at any moment it may seem best to you?" "But I do not wish to arrest him just yet. His secret is what we want to get at, and this we can only reach by leaving him at large. Why does he pursue girls by the name of Jenny Rogers? And why, when he makes their acquaintance, does he forsake some and injure others? Is It mania on his part, or has he some scheme Aiiuat waiiiij iii>ui>co iiic >v uuitsuif sacrifice of these innocent girls? We do not know, but we are anxious to, and that is Tvhy I advocate leaving iilm at liberty for a little while longer. He has no suspicion that he is watched toy any one but you, and, when you "have taken yourself away he will certainly show his hand, and that openly and at once." "But this is being cold blooded with a vengeance! What if in the meanwhile the present object of his attentions falls a victimto his mania?" "She will not. This time he seems to be really affected by the charms of the lady be addresses. If he injures her I am no judge of man or woman. Besides, remember, there is a watch dog at her side. Nothing can harm her or shall harm her, while [ remain on the watch; of that you may be sure." His tone was so convincing, and he showed so much feeling in his last words that Mr. Degraw looked at him !n surprise. "Ah, we fellows are not without heart," observed- the man. "Give us half a chance and we can show ourselves as considerate as the best." *But you are not omnipresent, and peril may reach her in ways unforeseen and unexpected." "I do not think so. I am both liked and trusted by my master. He confides every commission to me. I am his right hand man, and he will make no move "without me." "Do you not flatter yourself?" "No. He apes the great gentleman And does not manual work himself." The artist sighed. "Well," said he, "I will follow your wishes as far as to try and keep away from the house. If my anxieties make It impossible, why, that Is the fault of human nature, and must not count against me. You, on your side, must promise that you will not only watch over her. but eivp me tho onnnrtimJtv to assist you in doing so if his actions toecome in any way threatening. Miss 'Aspinwall, whom I will take into ray confidence, must promise the 6ame, and with these two sureties before me 1 may succeed in restraining my impetuosity." "I am sure you will," was the reply. 'And if you would go further and remove to the hotel?" "I will." VThen I think matters must culminiate very soon, and you will either find that his interest is no greater here than it seemed to be in some other quarters, or that it is of such a nature that the police will feel justified in seizing upon him, in which case his arrest will eccur promptly and effectually." * **I yield for the nonce," said the artist, and fearful of retracting his word, Which had somehow he#>n tnrn frnm iici, he broke up the conference by a gesture, and walked rapidly away in the direction of his present home. But before he had reached it he deliberately turned'about and hastened back to the mansion he had just left. "I will not act the part of the coward," he inwardly determined, "nor will I be a slave to the cold blooded wishes of the police. She is here, and I will see her if only to say good-bye." CHAPTER XXII. FARTHER INTO THE MAZE. Dinner was now over, as Degraw could tell from the sound of voices that floated tbrougb the open window, and made merry music on the broad piazza. To enter amidst this crowd in bis present frame of mind seemed impossible. How could he bear the fire of eyes that was sure to greet him, and with wliat patience could he utter the necessary civilities that would be demanded of him. He would rather forego the Interview. But just as he was about to tv.vn away he caught sight of her face guying from an upper window, and though "there was nothing in her countenance to show that she saw him he stopped i in delight, and gave her one long 10ok. ! in which was concentrated all his | liopes and fears. The next moment he j ground his nails Into his palms in an-; ger, for he perceived that her tender j face was bent over a basket of flow- j *rs. and that she was kissinjr them j with passionate fervor. Oh. was it I Sor this he had come back? Was his! 'ER *D LIONS. Jl ^Auth?r of "The For??ken ^ I Inn," Etc. | )1ERT BONNER'S ?0W?. M exiJe to be made unbearable by this revelation of secret rapture over a gift bestowed by his fraudulent rival? It was a thought too bitter to be cherished. Whatever sacrifice he might hereafter be called upon to make, he could not and would not stand on one side at this critical moment. Making his way rapidly to the front steps he mounted them and passed bowing and smiling through the crowd. Taking up his stand in the hall beside a table well covered'with books and pamphlets he waited for her coming down the broad, oaken stair. Would her step patter trippingly from step To step, or would It drag lingeringly down as if weighted with hopes or hampered with fears? . He had an immediate opportunity to judge, for almost before he had settled himself into the shadow he coveted he heard the expectant sound, and it was as lingering as he could "wish and as soft as was the rustle of the silken garments that accompanied it. Summoning up all his courage he passed round to the foot of the 6tair and met her just as she was setting her foot on the last step. "Signorina, forgive me," he began, and then grew dumb, for her breast was ornamented with the hateful blossoms of his rival. "You have not read my note?" He looked up at her face; her eyes expressed terror; she glanced over his head at the front door and back into the recesses above her. "Have you read it?" she persisted. "Veo nnd T will nhPT If Tfin tiKsnrp me that your dismissal is final; that you take these means to rid yourself of a siiitor whose importunity is unwelcome. But?O, don't caress those flowers!" he exclaimed breaking into his own words as he saw* her fingers spread lovingly over the blossoms fastened in her bosom. "Even if their giver were the man he seems it would be an Intolerable sight to me. As it is?" "Sir, did not you send me these flowers?" "No." She turned, pale,, then red and raised her hand as. if to tear the blossoms away. "I thought you did," said she. The words, the tone raised him into the seventh heaven of delight. Had he not been conscious that more than one pair of eyes "were resting upon them he would certainly have caught her hy the hand and uttered a thousand passionate protestations. But the hour vcas not propitious for love making. Besides she looked restless and panteil with impatience. "Mr. Degraw's man brought them here. I should have thought the do^ nor's name would have appeared upon them." "It was, but I only thought of you. They were lying on the window 6eat, you see. Oh, Mr. Degraw, will you not leave me? Indeed, I am in earnest when I beg you to do so. Though it seems cheerful and innocent as paradise before the fall there is death in the air, and you will be the object of it!" "Signorina, were that death as near iiitr uuw ao juu ait: jl uuuiu xiut jjjuvc. That you remain is enough for me. How could you think I would go after I learned that the shadow of danger rested over these walls?" "But I am not menaced; oh, why will you not believe me! See! I entreat." She put hdfe two hands together, then stopped to wring them, for his look was immovable. "Do not call the attention of the others," he remonstrated. "We do not wish to frighten them or even to enlighten them as to the importance of the matter we ate discussing." Then as he saw her hands drop despairingly at her side, he added: "But you alarm yourself unnecessarily if it is my safety you regard. I cannot think that I am in any real danger, nor can I think that you regard me as being bo." TTpr pvps flashpfl -roildlv snrt irjth nn incomprehensible expression to his face. "Why do you say that?" she demanded. "Because you send me away. Because you encourage cowardice in a man who has not. to my knowledge, betrayed any great evidences of pusillanimity. If you thought this other Degraw as great a villian as your words imply, you would be asking for the protection of the police instead of trying to beguile him from his intentions by the frankest aad most confiding of smiles." "You do not understand," she panted. "I am in a net;*I must go on in my own way. If you love me you will trust me. Mr. Degraw, do trust me. It will be my salvation and yours." "Mysteriqus!" he ejaculated. cppitipH trv IncD hnnW "And you "will not go?" she entreated, lier breast heaving, her eyes "wandering, her form swaying to and fro. He felt like crying "yes," just to calm her, but he thought her anxiety exaggerated, her emotion one that he ought to restrain. "You are moved," said he, "by what Mr. Degraw's man has told you." She shrank back. A look of inconceivable terror appeared in her eyes. "Mr. Degraw's man?" she repeated. "Yes, I saw him talking to you yesterday, He has been talking to mo cinee. I know just what we have to fear." . Iler head fell;' she stood a picturc ? uj. iiuouBL.ioa ueioro ms eyes. He, charmed by lier beauty, hesitated to break the spell under which she bad fallen* What a dream it was to be standing here in sight of this lovely form and the E^veet down-cast face whose charm was ever new and ever captivating to him! What other face or form could ev^r compare with it in his eyes, and where, if he lost her, could he hope to look for embodied I lore and poetry again? Nowhere. Yet, as the word thrilled through his consciousness, he found himself looking away and behind him to the open parlor door, where in the huge frame formed by its lintels he 6aw Miss Aspinwall standing, with her gaze fixed ? on his and an inexplicable smile on her ' lips! Ah, she is lovely, too, and he found himself asking, as many a man had done before, wny nis neart snouiu have yielded itself to one -whose caprices were a constant torture to him. and .not to the noble nature, open mind and serene beauty of this finest specimen of her sex. There was no answer, and with a sigh he looked back only to hear the signorina murmur: "And what did Mr. Degraw's man say to you?" "Only what should relieve your mind," was his answer. "He is?well, he is not our enemy, and nothing can occur to us without his knowledge." Her hand, which lay on the open balustrade, tapped the wood impatiently. "I wish I knew what plea would serve," she cried. "Won't you take a trip to New York just for a week?' "No," he answered; "no, I shall stay here, and if this Degraw, as he calls himself, shows even so much as the tip of his cloven foot?" "Hark!" she cried, drawing back as if 6he would fly up-stairs. "He is coming now; i near nis voice wu ujc porch. You have undone us both. I can never recover my self-possession sufficiently?" "It is not necessary. I am going to meet him and unmask his pretensions before this household. I was going to wait, but I will not see you sacrificed. Don't, dearest," he pleaded, for she had almost grasped his arm, "I am master of this situation and you will soon see him sneak away abashed." He leaped toward the door. He had his eye on his rival, who was crossing the piazza to meet him, when Miss Aspinwall stepped forward and interposed her firm figure between him and his secret fee. ; "Read this," she whispered. "It is the letter frpm Mr. Morris. It came in the six o'clock mail." She drew him into the parlor. She thrust the paper into his hand. MechAnlln V? A TV? AaVvH Afl IItT 1 > A auiiujij nc uptiiuu it, joieviiu.iJiAv.aAJj uv road it "Dear Miss Aspinwall: Mr. Hamilton Degraw is a -well-known person in this place. He is a fine, intelligent and conscientious gentleman, of irreproachable character and connections. This I wrote you before. In person, he ia tal! and imposing, and with his first word he impresses himself upon you as a gentleman. His hair is dark; his eyes gray; and he wears a largte mustache. If you have any doubt as to the person who presented my first letter being the gentleman he professes to be, ask him the name of my little one who was born three months ago. II he says it is Frederika Holcomb, be sure he is all right, for that is the name we settled to give her, on the evening be spent with us before going ; East We have changed it since to Dorothy, but that he cannot know. "With regards to yourself, I remain most respectfully yours, "HERBERT MORRIS." The artist re-folded the letter, gave it back, and slowly sauntered out into the hall. He was followed by Miss Aspinwall, who, gliding by him, approached the newcomer with grave but courteous dignity. TJnnri-nvpninf" cniH chf? nnrt I ' a conversation that naturally and witn ease led up to the subject of Cleveland and the people who live there. The ; artist stood In the door-way, "with his back to them; but he heard every word, and showed to those who thought it worth their while to watch him, a countenance of growing uncertainty, as the^stranger's answers came quickly and without embarrassment, even when the Morris family was discussed. At last he moved to hide his agitation; the crucial question had Wen put in these words: "Mr. Morris has a little infant, I be- , ucve. xjkj yuu auuu wutti uauic lucjr have given it, Mr. Degraw?" The answer was direct and unhesitating: "They have called her Frederika. At least, that was the name decided "upon on the last evening I 6pent with them." "Thank you," was Miss Aspinwall's response. "I have been wanting to j know for a long time." And she turned to flash a glance at the artist He had gone. To be continued. Divraell on Love. The sale of a batch of letters to Disraeli to his sister, written Before the days of his fame, brought to light some interesting passages in which "Dizzy," as he always was to his sister, was very candid. In describing a visit to Wyndham Lewis's he writes: "By-tbe-by, would you like Lady Z. for a sister-in-law? She is very clever, has $250,000 and is domestic. As for love, all my friends who married for love or beauty either ueat meir wives ur ji?c^ a^an n^ui them. Thi3 is literally the case. I may commit many follies in life, but I never intend to marry for love, which, I am 6ure, is a guarantee of infelicity." Within four years Disraeli married Wyndham Lewis's prosperous widow. In a letter written four years before he became a Member of Parliament, Disraeli thus described a debate in the House of Commons: "It was one of the finest we have had in two years. Bulwer spoke, but is physically disqualified, and in spite of all his exertions can never succeed. I heard Macaulay's best speeches and Sheil and Charles Grant. Macaula.v was admirable, but between ourselves I could floor them all. This is entre nous. I have never been more confident of anything than that I could carry everything before me in the House. The time will come."?New York Sun. The Way It's Done fn Turkey. Turkish methods arc usually arbl-1 trnry, often contradictory. Mr. Morawitz, the author of the Finances of Turkey, has received from the Sultan the Grand Cross of the Order of the Medjidie in recognition of the excellence of his work. At the same time the Turkish censor has prohibited the circulation of tiie book In Turkey, and has ordered the police to seize aDy copies which have conic under their notice. The stingy inau may keep everything erec-ut his uromiecs. A SERMON FOR SUNDAY AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED "DAVID AS A RULER." The Hev. Dr. Edward B. Thnrber, Tostor of the American Clinrch in Paris, fr'tnce, Deiti ribcn the Life of the PioIid1st i'.Miu Shcepi-oto te Throne. Paris.?The Rev. Dr. Edward B. Thnrber preached a sermon in the American church here which has attracted considerable attention. His subject was "David as a Ruler; or, From Sheepcote to Throne." The text was taken from I Chronicles xvii:7: "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, 'I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldst be ruler over My people Israel.'" Dr. Tliurber said: What a great distance from the pastures in Bethlehem to the throne in Jerusalem. The contrast between the shepherd hoy and the King of Israel is one of the marvels which human history presents us. It is certain that no one is able to bridge such distances without the intervention of assisting conditions and forces. There must be acting factors in the life if the great results are secured. A man becomes a debtor to 60 much, to his environment, to favoring conditions, to friendly agencies, and sometimes to seemingly adverse circumstances. His own powers are stimulated, directed and assisted toward the good that is to he reached. The American Revolution had something to do in advancing Washington to his position in history: his earlv education, his ancestry, his religious feeling, the peiple among whom his lot. was cast, were all factors in his career. The French Revolution was the great opportunity which tne genius oi isapoieon couiu avivc auu uur ize. Many a man fails to come conspicuously to the front because the times are not ripe for a dramatic career. The wise man studies and understands how varying factors may be made to contribute to his progress and welfare. He comes to know how much depends upon the interest and services of one whom he may seek and serve, and who may seek and serve him. David's open eouI called a multitude of agencics into service, for his career and their employment made his history possible. and pave to it that peculiar color and variety which charm us. The stars spoke to him. and through him they speak to us. as his thought and feelings are reported in the music of the oalms, which have been such a 6olace and inspiration to multitudes since his time. The fields, flowers and forests, the streams and scenes of nature, bird and beast, had tneir part in the poetry he felt and exDressed in a literature that will last as long as language endures. His friendships, nno umtVi .T/vnaftian his associa tions with all classes and conditions of men. give us a unique and interesting personality. Yon cannot understand David until you take into consideration the nature of the tendencies within him, and measure the degree of the influences which entered into the formation of his character and career. There is a large mixture of contrastinr and contradicting tendencies in him. These are manifested through the years of his eventful history. He was like a citv that is being builded. The original low, marshy places must be drained and filled up. rough paths mu6t give place to well paved streets, rude huts will be superseded by well constructed houses, palaces and public buildings; the crude; and inartistic will be replaced by the work of architects and artists, before the city can become beautiful and healthful. Through all the period of construction there will be present the contrasts and contradictions that mar and Qualify the glory of thp city. There are two things that would be apparent to a candid critic: that progress is being made, and that the issue of endeavor will be sure and satisfactory. This contrast is presented through the course of David's life. If we look at some features which come before us conspicuously we will judge him severely; if we kok at others we will eay how admirable! and at the same time we will perceive that his way is onward from the sheepcote to the throne. At times David is as humble as a child that feels his weakness and need, and yet stands before his father, that be may be taught and led, and again, he is as haughty as a man who counts no one his superior. He unhold6 truth and righteousness as essential to manhood, and tnen under the influence of fear he deceives King Achish, who has befriended him. He Bhows a wonderful spirit of forbearance and forgiveness toward his enemy, Saul, and then he puts his friend Uriah to the peril of certain death. His love for Jonathan is wonderful and ideal, and then he yields himself to degrading loves. He needed to be taken out of these conditions of selfishness, sensuality, pride and the evil of^a wrong life, if he wan to become "a man after Gpd's own heart." We would miss all, however, unless we knew about the sovereign influence whicli pervaded, arranged, employed and directed all factors and conditions which entered into and contributed toward David's career. Without this dominating influence Jerusalem would never have been related with Bethlehem. We must al6S remember that the fruition of a great character would have been impossible without the presence of God. While all this is true we must bear in mind even the divine power did not contradict the choice of Da*id or force his voluntary action. God dealt with him as a free and intelligent soul. He was called to enter into partnership with God, and he in turn prayed that God would be with him. He cried out for the living God, as the thirsty land cries out for the Jifejriving water, that it may blossom as the rose and rejoice in the beauty and bounty of fruitfulness. It is with such an interpretation and qualification that we listened to, and understand, what is intended when God is represented as saying, "I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheen, that thou shouldst be ruler over My people Israel." God entered into and interested Himself in David's life, even a* He would in our lives. God directed and utilized circumstances, made use of environment, employed the stars that spoke to David's soul, was m the blue sky of Palestine, and amid the clouds that at times darkened the heavens and pervaded with His purpose and power all the forms of nature in Bethlehem, that spoke ?so insoirinjily to the 6o?.l of the young man. God utilized the strength of body and soui, employing all tLe powers and facultits and opportunities in the interests of his progress. He made use of di?>ciDMne, dinanpointments and apparent failures, of his sins and errors; in no wav condoninc them, but with a purpose to make them serve Him and work for David's promotion. Life takes on larger meaning, and that meaning is better understood when God is in our life. The little fountain up the slope of some Alpine peak has ite significance, but when we connect its ceaseless flow and contribution with the Rhine, which gives a waterway to a large country, it seem9 more important to us. When the Rhine flows onward, bearine the contribution of a multitude of rivulets and rivers through a wide domain, and gives its varied service Jo the wealth and welfare of an empire, we give the noble river larger consideration. It means much more to us. The coming of the Kine of Italy to France and Paris is something more than a personal visit. The King brings the pood will of a kingdom. Hp represents the desire of raoprochment nf two nations into reconciliation and friendship. The decoration of a city, the snlendor of illumination, the march of soldier?, the manifested good will of a people, are t;?e emphatic expression of the value of fraternity between nations. These a^d recent movements of a similai k'nd are the ult?ranees of that longing for the federation of nations in a SDirit of adjustment which will make for the prosper tv in el nrnorrpco nf nil r>f>nnlp. The move mcnt-s in them?elvps may seem simple, but they arc not chi'd's play, when we recognise what large designs and hopes they express. This little life of ours takes on greatness and prandeur when we recognize that God en'ers into it, with His wisdom. His love, His purpose and His power. David was to carry all these with him through the lon^ and trying way that led from the sheepcote to the throne of Israel. That life was big with the plan and power of God in it. It had all the meaning and dignity which these factors could give it. Whes. we take a comprehensive look we will see that the expansion ^Christianity is connected with the shcepcot-. It was this fact and sense of the Divim Pre6enoe that brought to David inspiratioi and strength. Wc take our inspiratioi partly from ideals, but also from co-opera tive agencies that help us to traaslat ideals into life. God took David frou humble beginnings and led him away, iittl by little, from the sheepcote toward th throne. u.ne Doy was 10 cutue mm |n/or? eion of thoughts, ideals ard purposes tha would force him onward from point t point; so many things arc to be expected from the company a man keeps, th friends he chooses, the great souls he pei mits to influence and nelp him. Davii chose God, God chose hi: , and a fellowshi] %vas formed - that determined a car^ei How much is to be expected from such.a' association! . : This was a real presence. It is a res presence which God desires ub to know ani realize. One says of a great statesman "He habitually practices the presence c God and lives under Him to Christ." Th doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit is teaching about the real presence of Go with man. The words of our Lord in th parable of the vine and the branches rei resents the relation between Him and Hi followers. It is more than any earthl; love, fellowship or friendly relation. Hoi much these contribute to make our jive purer, better and longer. You and I evei more think we could have been, becaus we have had those who loved us, andeav to us the ministry of their love. Hoi much it means when the soul is relate with God by His abiding presence! Hoi much more comes out of our lives becaua of this union! Mr. Hurlev is quoted a Raying of Mr. Gladstone in his remarkabl biography: "Life is a great and noble cal ing; nQt a mean and groveling thing tha w> are vto shuffle through as we can, but a elevated, and lofty destiny." The man. b< gms more fully to understand himself an the goou he should strive to reach when h admits to his mind and lheart a stream c new perceptions, feelings and influence which must come, when he aillows God t take him out of the crude, the sinful an lead him forward. This God shapes lif and destiny. The great poet represents Hamlet a taking in this thought and 6aying: "1* rn know, our indiscretions sometimes serv us well, when our deep plots do pall; an that should teach us. There's a divinitv that shapes our enda, Rough hew them how we will." Were it not for the intervention of th divine wisdom and will how all of our plan orfA nnrnntea urmilH fail. illRfc for the lac of the wisdom, goodness and power whic they reqnire! David was only rich and sure of the bes aB God was with him; this presence ii volved a glory, blessedness and fruition b( yond the measure of man's mind. Th shepherd boy, with, all his limitations, i so reinforced by God that he comes t royal position and power. This divine presence is not only wif David at the sheepcote, but continu* through the long way of his entire ? checkered career, toward the good whiCii i in God's thought. The Heavenly Fathe never left or forsook him. There wer great difficulties to face, buc.i as belon to every strenuous, religious life, and the needed to be oiirmounted. Many a ina may stand before a mountain, but or must climb the steep ascent and make vu of the means thr?t are to be taken if b reaches the height and the other sid< The difficulties which David must me? and master are great. There were episodt and experiences in his life which to numa view seemed to say: "Give, up expectatio and endeavor, for you cannot win th crown." It is true that he had been calle of God and anointed by the nrophet San uel when he was a lad, but h# afterwar left the sheepcote, so that he became tried and successful soldier; the plaudif of the multitude had rune in his ears, b? his apparent success excited the anger an envy of Saul. David became an outlaw, hunted fugitive, and his life was in diret neril. How could he become a king! Yf God was with him; this wis bis assuranc of success. God was with him in his darl est nijrht. in his deepest distress, in hi most difficult and dangerous experience! when friends were hopeless and no word of assurance and cheer came from any hi man source, but amid all this he was mal ing progress, amid the labryinth of a myi terious providence, toward the throne h was to occupy. This, then, is the word< for us to-daj The God of David will be with every on who consents and covenants with Him. I His wisdom we shall be wise; in Hi "11 Vin n + ? Tt* U lfl lnfl S Lieu ({til wc ouail Ut omnijt,. AAA o-i.o ?vi we shall find our ]ove will live and grov When He is our life i^e will know hoi much life means. In the outlook whic Jesus Christ presents to us we will knoi that we are going forward to a wisdon love and life that are immortal. God waits to make Himself known in a of the relations of life where His presenc can be of service. That of which He d< sires of everv one of us is a more unr< stricted yielding to His presence an power. Fidelity to Daty. Almost the only thing veritably nobl< distinguished, desirable, and of boundles honor is to serve. One of the chief necei sities of a life worth living is to find a goo master or a good cause, and serve him c it to the last point of self-imposed fide ity. We are all of us servants, or ough to be. and the motto inscribed under til proudest crest of knighthood known t the world is that of each succeedin Prince of Wales, "Iich Dien." That sen ice differs in degree and dignity cannol of course, be denied. There are splendi services which glorify the lowest detai nnd tfipre are {services which would t ignoble if duty, which turns everythin into what is divine, did not redeem then If we refuse the bridge, we must at leas see a floating plank somewhere. If w reject the panacea, we must at least hav a pill. But the alternative of unbelievei is u8ual]y nothing. They now well enoug that science has no eyes for the unsee world, and that no philosopher ever y? saw God. They take refuge in their d lemma in?in forgetting it.?Christian Ei deavar. Pride vs. Progress. Without humility religious progress i impossible. Pride is the destruction ( the principle of progress; it whispers t U9 continually that we are all that coul be desired, or it points our attention t high positions and ambitious efforts b< yond the scope of other men. Yet the tru ?rowth of tne soul is not to be measure y our attempting many extraordinar duties, but by cur power of doing simp! duties well, and humility, when it reign in the soul, carries this principle into pra< tice. It bids us hallow our work, esp< cially whatever may be to us hard or dii tasteful work, by aoinc; it as a matter c principle. It enriches common acts c neighborly and social kindness with tha intensity of moral effort which is due t every act of which the deepest movin power is the love of God.?F. D. Huntin/ ton, D. D. Honoring the Father. I 6aw a beautiful thing not long ago. ] was a brilliant, successful man, wide! known, paying honor and giving loving a tention to hia father. The father haa a ways been a man of humble parts; he ha never been known as a brilliant or partii ularly successful man. But he has been good man, and a good father, and, no* that the son ha3 come to honor, there i nothing that he can do too good to sho' his gratitude lo and respect for hi father. It is a beautiful tight.?Sunday School Times. "Keepinc Still." Many a man whose life has had in it good deal of trouble and opposition woul have saved much if he had learned in hi childhood the lesson of "keeping still." ] the hard word hurt-s it will not make i easier to make an angry reply. If you d not answer at all, it stops rijrht there; your tongue cannot be restrained nobod knows wliat the result may be. Patienc sometimes serves a man better than coir age. You will find again and again th.i the wav to keen out of trouble is to kee | still.?The Christian. The Soul's Anchor. You are ccrtain to be assailed wit troubles. No hurricane can strike u fu ringed ship more euddeniy than storms c adversity may burst upon you. But : Tesus Christ is in your soul you cannot su fer wreck. There is many a bereaveinem many a trouble that may strip a man f canvas or cordage, but never touch th solid fitrength of his godly character, have seen just such faBt anchored Cbrii tians.?The Rev. Dr. T. L. Cuyler, \'r is ' ' THE SUNDAY SCHGOI t I INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS I FOR DECEMBER 20. i ' ? Subject: The Birth of Christ, Matt, il., 1? j. 12? Golden Text, Matt. i? 21?Memorj t Verses, 10, 11?Commentary on the 0 Day's Lesson. 1 T i? 4i._ i oi 1 _ X. VXUiUCU LTjr IUC OK*A \ TO. Ay ? "When Jesus was born." The date of the , birth of Christ is uncertain, but the gen? erally accepted date is December 25, B. C. P 5. He was born four years before the time from which we count his birth in out common reckoning. "In Bethlehem ol , Judea." To distinguish it from Bethlehem J. in Galilee, mentioned in Joshua 19:15. "In . the days of Herod;" Herod the Great, j He was an Edomite, and, although a prose lyte to the Jewish religion, was notorious ? for his wickedness and cruelty. He reigned 5 thirty-seven years in Judea and died a few g months after the birth of Christ. He was ? the father of Herod Antipaa who put to ? death Joha the Baptist, and to whom * Piliate sent our Lord at the time of Hie ? crucifixion. At this time the sceptre had ji literally departed from Judab, and a for" eigner was on the throne. "Wise men." " Or magi. Much learned and interesting discussion has arisen with respect to the ? "wise men" and the "star." Augustine j and ChrysoBtom Bay there were twelve ? magi, but the common belief is that there ' were but tnree. "JTom tne east, rer? haps from Media, or Persia, or, possibly, ? from Arabia. Lew Wallace supposes there I? were three men?an JJgyptian, a Hindu r and a Greek?who were., brought togethei j: in the desert by the Sjpirit of God, and , who thence journeyed in company, being j directed by the star, until they found the ? Christ. "To Jerusalem." Tney seemed ? to suppose that when they reached the * capital of the Jewish nation they would ? have no trouble in finding the object of j thrir search. ? 2. ''King of the Jew6." . "There was at this time a general expectation throughout the East that one would be born in Judea ;t who should possess universal dominion." : ThUr>was a title unknown to the earlier ^ history of Israel and applied to no one except the Messiah. It reappears in the inscription over the cross. "His star." r Many interpreters, especially those who seek to eliminate tne supernatural, explain ? the "star," or "qjdereal appearance," by a 8 conjunction of Jupiter ana Saturn, which k occurred in May, B. C. 7, and again in Deh cember with Mars added. It is, however, much more in harmony with all the facts t, to believe that the star which attracted J- .the attention of the magi was supernatural. M'A simple meteor provided for the occae I'.sion. ''In the east." In the country eaRt is I of Palestine, from whence they came. "To O | worship Him." God had .influenced these , wise men to take this journey to find and a pay their homage to the Saviour. They ! were bold to confess the object of their coming. II. Searching the Scriptures (ve. 3-8). ? i A </TT J 1 T it Al.!* )) I J. naa neara mese mings. iae magj c had created no Email stir by their inquiries g which immediately attracted the attention y of the king. > "Troubled." Herod, now n sunk into the jealous' decreptitude of his ?e savage old age, was residing in his new ^ palace on Zion, when, half maddened as | he was already by the crimes of his past e. career, he was thrown into a fresh parft oxysm of alarm and anxiety by the visit of these magi, beftring the strange intently eence that they had come to worship a newn born king. Herod feared a rival. "All Jerusalem with Kim." Fearing that he d would make this an occasion of renewing his acts of bloodshed. d 4. "The chief .priests." This expression a probably comprehends the high :s priest and his deputy. "Dei -nded of them." Because they would be most liked ly to know. "Where the Christ should be ? born." The wise men had said nothing J about the Christ, or the Messiah, but only about the King of the Jews. But Herod ? saw that this king must be the expected F" Messiah. 10 5, G. "By the prophet." Micah 5:2. 3> flnfia r%nf. minfn tKp PTRr>t. wnrfia '8 found in Micah, but the sense is given. They did not need to take a lone time l' to search out the answer to Herod's J* question, for it was accepted truth that e the Messiah must come from Bethlehem. "Thou Bethlehem." Bethlehem signifies r* the house of bread, the, fittest place for e Him to be born in whom :is the true bread n which came down from heaven. "Art in 18 no wise least." Micah eays). "Though thou e be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of these shall He come forth unto l me that is to be ruler in Israel." "The b princes.'r "The thousands" (Micah 5:2). w The tribe had been subdivided into thou'? sands, and over each subdivision there U was a chieftain or prince. "A governor." To control and rule. "Which shall be * shepherd." To feed and-care for,-as a ^ ! shepherd his flock. This governor who controls is also a tender shepherd. Christ is both Shepherd and King. III. The child Jesus found (vs. 7-12). 7. "Privily called." Herod desired to , keep the time of Christ's birth as secret as possible lest the Jews who hated him should take occasion to rebel. A short i time before this 0000 Pharisees had refused ir to take the oath of allegiance to him. j. "Inquired of them diligently. "Learned f of them carefully."?R. V. " e i 8. "He sent them." He assumed con | trol, but they followed the directions of _ ! the Lord. "Search diligently." Herod was * honest in making this "charge to them; he k* greatly desired to receive definite word i concerning the new King. "And worship i Him also." What hypocrisy! He only ' wished to find the child in order to murder it (vs. 13, 16); he was crafty and 8 subtle, saying one thing and meaning ani other. But God did not permit him to carry out his purpose. The wise men, warned of God in a dream, returned another way. and Joseph, warned in the same . manner, took the yonng child and its ? mother and fled to Egypt. " 9. "The 6tar . . . went before tbem." * The same star which thev had seen in their * own country now again appears. The star had disappeared for a time, and this led them to inquire in Jerusalem for the youag King whom they sought. 10. "They rejoiced." The Greek is very ,? emphatic. They rejoieed exceedingly be0 cause they saw they were about to find the j child and because they had such unmis0 takable proof of being in divine order. That alone is enough to cause rejoicing. "c 11. "Into the house." They had left the stable that they were forced to tern? porarily_ occupy at the time of Christ's g birth (Luke 2:7), and were living in a |g bouse. "Fell down." They prostrated themselves before Him according to the J. eastern custom. "Gifts." The people of 5_ the East did not approach into the presence of kings without bringing them pres,1 yits. The custom still prevails in many places. "Gold." etc. Gold would always 0 be useful, while frankincense and myrrh g were prized for their delicious fragrance. ? Poultry. Industry of Missouri. The Missouri hen promises ':o become as r* famous as the Missouri mule. The value of the surplus products' of the Missouri j* hen amount annually to over $2,000,000 i* more than the value of the mule6 sold out j of the State. In 1902 oyer 53,000,000 dozen eggs were shipped out of tne State. No "* ether farm product brings in so much cash to the Missouri farmer as the hen. Mie: souri is third in poultry raising, Illinois coming first and Iowa second. According j9 to the prevailing figures in that part of . the country, a hen makes four dollars per year for her owner. Make Heart Beat After Three Hoars. *} Adranalin was used to bring a dead man back to life, and it proved part r/ ly successful. Joseph Totli, of Oakaale, : Ohio, was killed by a live wire. After he had been dead three hours the doctors be , gan their experiment, and in fifteen min* utes the heart beat slightly and the blood * began to course through the body. Short* ly after, however, all signs of life disapr peared. ' P The First Typewriter. The first typewriter, which was patent. ed by C. Thurber in 1842, will De exhibH ited at the World's Fair. The type keys 'i &re set around the pehipher of a horizontal It brass wheel, and in order to print a letteiL* it is merely necessary to punch one of the; * buttons, wnich causes the type to descend through a little tube and make a mark. e . I To Borrow Twenty-Five Millions. y Philadelphia Councils want to borrow ' $25,000,000. .. tSBSi There ii No Unbelief* There is no unbelieii ^Whoever plants a s?ed "beneath the sod | 'And waits to see it* posh away the clod? | Trusts be in God. ; 1 There is-no unbelief! ^ M w noever says wp/en ciouai are m we bkjv "Be patient, heart, light breaketh by and ^H| by," Trusts the Most High. V| There is no unbelief! Whoever sees 'neath winter's field of snoir The silent harvest of the future grow, God's power must know. There is no unbelief! Whoever lies down on his couch tp sleep, Content to lock each sense in slumber Known God will keep. ' ;" .Jjj There is no unbelief! Whoever says: "To-morrow," "the un- ~ ^ known/' "The future," trusts that power alone He dares disown. There is no unbelief! The heart that looks on when dear eyelids close " v./Mm And dares to live when life has oriy wow, God's coipfort knows. ' 'L* There is do unbelief! jQB For thus by day and nieht unconsciously, fiB The heart lives by that faith the lips deny, God knoweth why. ?Lizzie York Case, in Detroit Free Prew. M Be Calm. Does fretting make us the least more prudent? Does anxiety make us the least more industrious? On the contrary, wrote , Charles Kingsley, I know nothing which cripples a man more and hinders his work ing manfully than anriety. Look at the worst case of all?a man Who' Is melancholy and fancies that all is going wrong with him and that he must be ruined ana has a mind full of all sorts of dark and hopeless fancies. Docs he work Any the more or try to.escape one of these dangers W-, which he fanciesure hancrink ?ver him? 60 v far from it, he gives himself up to them without a strugpe: he sits moping, help- , less and ueelesjr.and eays: "There pf no ua? ij in struggling. . If it will eome, it must, i come." Hellas lost spirit'for work, and' .w lost the mind for work, too. flia mind' ia so full of these dark fears that he cannot turn it to laying any prudent plan to ?- ,vg cape from the very thing he dreads. And so, in a leas degree, with the people r\ who fret and are anxious. They may be in a great bustle, but they do not get their work done. They run hither and thither* .7 trying this and that, but leaving everything half done to fly off to something Or else they spend time unprofitably in dream- ~-Zt ing ana expecting and complaining which ' might be spent profitably in working. And they are always apt to lose their he a/is and w their tempers just when they need them most; to do in their hurry the very last "5? thing which they ought to have done; to ' { try 90 many roada that they choose, the ; wrong road from mere confusion and run > with open eyes into the very pit which they, have been afraid of falling into; A* we sometimes say, they will jro all through' the wood to cut a atraight.*tick and bring ;4 out a crooked one at last. Even in a mere '.V; worldly way, the men whom I have accnsucceea best in life have always been. cheerful and hopteful men, who went about their business with a smile on their face? and took the changes and chances of this 'j mortal life like men, facing rough "?nd a smooth alike as it came,, and so found the truth of this old proverb, that ''good times and bad times and all times pass over."' , .Nine-tenuis ol tne mistaKes we maKe in m life come from forgetting the fear 01 God 1 and the lav* of God and saying not: "I will do wha'. ? right." I ' '*I will do what 9 will profit me; I will do what\I like." If we would, say to ourselves manfully ?Q our^^^JB lives through, "I will learn the will of CMB9B and do it whatever it cost me," wk shoulq^HflflBB find in our old age that God's Hol^kSpirit^J^^H was indeed a guide and a. comforte^able and willing to lead us into all truth wkjch . was needful for up. We shoi^d find wJL mk Paul had spoken the truth when he that godliness has the promise of this as well as that which is to come. " M Bight Leading and Bight Following. If we set a good example we weD may SsB imitate it. But we are not to be always > rememDenng wnat nas oeen aone success- wm fully. What can be done we should conaider. Ood has set before us great pririci- j pies for our imitation and guidance. Lord | Bacon says: "Set it down to thyself...a? well to create good precedents as to. follow 1 them." It is well to tread in thd steps of those who have gone the tight way before us. It is even better to tread in the wsy that ?ball lead others aright, as jthey are influenced by us. Are we leading-' aright, as we seek to follow right precedents ??Sunday-School Times. ' ' f ' ? -ii i '? '1 Helf-Xejjlect. ] Perhaps the most difficult problem have to solve in our Christian living is how rightly to correlate the duty of selfdevelopment and the duty of self-devotion. When yielding to a strong impulse to selfdevelopment we too often forget to devote ourselves, and when coming under the 1 a.: i. _r ir . i f>way ui seuumcnt ui bcu-ucvuuuu wc ] apt u> neglect our self-development. Bat self-neglect is not self-sacrifice; self-waste ^ I is not self-devotion. The Great. Bcnefac- /tor of maDkind blessed the world not simp* lv by laying down His life, but through the richness of the life He laid down.? Thomas Anderson. Faith and Faithfulness. Meanings of words are not accidental. Words, like pebbles by the roadside, are histories in themserves. The words "faith" and "faithfulness" seenpi different at. first, as if the added syllables 'had changed the meaning Of the original .word. Faith is confidence in what cannot now be seen. Faithfulness is constancy in the fulfillment of known duties. Yet what but faith can secure faithfulness? Being full of faith? faith in God and faith in men?makes it possible for us to be faithful in our daily work for God and for men.?Sunday- ^ School Times. _ , Be Consfyfffr Be constant, 0 hajjpy soul, be constant and of good courage: for, however intolerable thou art to thyself, yet thou wilt be protected, enftched and beloved by that Sreatest God, u if He had nothing else to 0 than to lead thee to perfection by the highest steps of love; ana if thou dost not turn away, but per severest^ constantly, know that thou offerest to God ihe?zno8t > acceptable sacrifice.?Miguel de Molinos. Thoughts For M?. * 1. I must humbly repent of all my sins. 2. I must honestly confess my sins to God. . . 1 T mrtaf fieYr fVn T f/\ (nrmVp TT1A and make me pure. 4. I must try to liv? a pure and holy life. 5. I must ao all I can to lead others into the good and right way. , Spiritual Things Lag. SDiritnal interests h*ve not kept paca with the rapid development of the mate- * rial, and tmoge have been brought ta higher perfection than have men.?The Rev. George H. Combs. Deaths From a Cabbage Worm. A severe ioss of life is reported in the 4.2 r luuuues ui i^unueabt urcuigm ^ ?.??*, ing cabbage poisoned by a strange worm. Persons coming from White, Towns, Union, Dawson, Forsyth and other counties have reported a score of deaths from this cause. All occurred after eating .cabbage. A farmer in White County in gath- v ering cabbage, discovered a worm about two inches long and about the size of a needle. When he touched the leaf the worm acted like a snake. He sent the worm to the State chemist, who reported tnat it contained enough poison to kill fifteen persons. The worm is so small H that it is hard for housewives to find it * when preparing cabbages for cooking and many have been cooked in thi? way.