The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, January 06, 1904, Image 2
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J
u Am ati
Jy/MIL
|8j Anna Katharine Green, J
COPYRIGHT, 1890, BY R<
CHAPTER XXIV,
Continued.
: " 'Tell your friend to stay,' he pleaded
in the lawyer's ear, but not so low
I could not hear him. 'He makes me
think of the brother I lost years ago?
brother I loved. I cannot bear to
feee him go away. He makes me remember
the days of my youth.'
" 'He is only going for a physician^ i
Tou need a stimulant and whatever
help a practitioner can give you. He
Will not be absent long. There must
be a doctor in the neighborhood.'
" 'Yes. ves. across the street, but I
k do not like him, he Is stern and un'
feeling. Let another one come; but
don't let this gentleman go for one, I
should hate to die before he comes
back.'
"Touched by this mark of feeling In
toy behalf, I started quickly for the
door.
" 'I will not be gone ten minutes,' I
declared, and was rewarded by a smile,
the sweetness of which I have not yet
forgotten.
"When I returned with the eminent
physician, Doctor Dowife, I noticed
that the countenance of both the sick
man and the lawyer wore a changed
air. The former was excited, even
more than -when I left him, while the
latter cast upon me very peculiar
looks. As the doctor moved toward
the bed, I asked the meaning of these
looks, -whereupon my friend whispered:
" 'He has been asking the longest
string o.f questions about you. He
wanted to know how you lived, what
were your characteristics, and whether
you had a name for uprightness and
honor, We have talked of nothing else
mU/ia hnrA V\nnr\ rrr\nn
UUC JVUiOCii. OIUV.C JVU Uft*C uccu
and I shonld certainly think he contemplated
leaving you a legacy if he
had not shown such satisfaction at
hearing you had a fine fortune of your
own.'
" 'Bah!' was all my reply to this; but
I began to feel uncomfortable and
(wish I had not been tempted to accompany
my friend.
? " 'He must make some sort-of a will
or there will be an eadJefisS litigation,'
the lawyer now remarlsed. *1' wish he
had relatives. What is a man to do
\vith a fortune who owns no human
tie and has no, time left in which to
make one.'
| " 'There are the charities.'
I "The lawyer shrugged his shoulders.
Evidently he was not of a decidedly
philanthropic turn.
t "At this point the doctor joined us.
1 "'Well?' asked the lawyer, with
some anxiety.
" 'He has only about two hours to
live.'"
CHAPTER XXV.
' - ? I
THE SURPRISES OF AN H0TJB.
^ j- "At this verdict of the ?doctor," repumed
Mr. Degraw, of Cleveland, "an
raBk (exclamation of sympathy left our lips.
Only two hours in which to enjoy the
possession of a fortune, after years of
SttM^ftwearing penury and want! Only two
HfigSRhours in which to gauge his new reMBH^BBponsibllitles,
and determine upon whom
SEgSSHor what he would lay this burden of
HXKHjwealth otherwise useless to him. It
Sura^EBeemed like mockery, and it awoke in
Sfl^Ane a feeling almost akin to fear.
SBE^Hu'hough I laughed at .the surmises of
S$8jEBhe lawyer, I knew ;tbat the mind of
man fhno /I ni TTATI iri^A Q nfinn of
TWBraj^BUV UJtlU) iUUO V?4* I ?uw/ ?AN*WAA MV
S^Bg weakest ebb and under the pressure
SHfrcKf death, would be and must be necesjaOBMjWLrilv
influenced by the. minds of
gSERBHose about him, and 'I refused such
g&NBlflBponsibility, and longed to escape
gSgrareBom the scene and Its possible conIgSraNXquences.
"But when I turned to look at the
SggnKlylng man, I felt that it would be
fiNNffiHbruelty for me to leave one who manljKjgS^wfestly
clung to me with such desperate
and unreasoning persistence. He
sBSK would not, in all probability, refuse my
request If I entreated permission to
P*.".. go; would not, perhaps, lift his hand
to stop me if be saw me turn again to
wara ice aoor, out i snou-iu never lorget
his look for all that, or feel comfortable
at its remembrance. What-r
ever the result might be I must linger
till he himself said good-bye, for since
we could not give him the peaceful and
comfortable surroundings which he
craved, we must at least grant him the
sympathy and interest which might
serve to make him forget his surroundings.
"I had bought a great bunch of white
roses while I was out, and these I now
brought forward and placed on his?
breast,- with the remark that I thought
be would like something beautiful to
look at.
"Instantly the tears welled in his
eyes, and he moved his hands feebly
and buried them among the blossoms.
" 'My mother's garden used to be famous
for its roses,' said he. 'Frank
\and I used to pelt each other with
thpm. You could not have broueht me
\ anything that -would make me happier
^than these.'
**His nfeasure was gratifying, and
yet as if I had done something:^.
**&|ray of influencing his
"Mrr^wragK^IW^ntly agreed with
my feelinf^S^fe^.letter, for he gave
me a queecv-Swl^^p^^ again ap"f'l
am sorry to tronblfcy$fl#/he 20w
said, addressing the dyin^xM$i3ftyt as
a lawyer and a citize^i?OTl^5t tocumbent
upon me to suggeetti^ttvybu
should make a will, Mr. Deiancy.. If
vou do not. there will be morOTrotng
iing and litigation after your"death
than before it, and this, I have no
doubt, you wish to avoid.'
" 'Yes, yes.'
"'Shall I listen to your wishes, then?
Have you decided to what friend or
friends you would like to leave this
' money ?' j
'* 'I hare decided,' said the sick man.
1 wish it all to go to one person.' J
" 'No matter how large tbe sum may I
ber
, ; ' / ::-k
i- v
v.
'ER - P
.LIONS. Jl
L U
I Author of "The Forsaken 1'
\ Ina," Etc. J
ISERT BONNER'S SONS. J
' "'No matter how large the sum is;
the larger the better, I say. Ah! this
is a delight after years of rain desire
and want.'
"The lawyer drew up a small table,
placed upon it writing materials, and
began to fill in the draft of a will
which he had brought with him. While
he was doing this I talked with ?the
Ar\*\kf\T? on/1 lonf cn/?V? QCoicffl T1f>0 fl C "WJ1C
^UULlV/1, auu itij C ouvu uwuiuvuuvv mm i. ?w
necessary to make the dying man comfortable
and keep up his strength.
When it came time /or him to name the
person to whom he wished to leave
his money I withdrew as far from him
as possible, but the room was too
small for me to escape hearing the
eager whisper that left Mr. Delancy's
lips, even if the words had not been the
familiar ones:
" 'Hamilton Degraw.' -v
" 'You wish?'the lawyer stammered,
as much taken back as I was myself.
" 'To leave all my property, real and
personal, to this gentleman, whose
name you say is Hamilton Degraw.'
" 'But,' I now cried, with an embarrassment
easily to be understood; 'I
am a stranger to you; as much of a
stranger as either of these gentlemen.
I pray you to reconsider this matter.
I do not need your wealth. Besides?'
I " 'Tlnn't waata nrorlrmc mnmontR '
he entreated, "with a burst of his ominous
cough. 'You are a stranger, but
you have a face like my brother
Frank. He,was the most loyal soul
alive, and so I believe are you. And
that is what I want; loyalty and truth
in my heir. They will both be needed,
I forewarn you. Write down the
name,' he now commanded the lawyer,
'and be sure you make the will legal or
I will rise from my grave to reproach
you.'
"There was no use in trying further
discussion. He was in full possession
of his faculties, as even the doctor was
ready to swear, but he was growing
very weak, and opposition robbed him
of even the slight remains of strength
which were still left him. Mr. Cutting,
who was pale as the paper on which
he wrote, put down my name, as requested,
and then, asking the doctor
to call in his man from the buggy before
the door he put the pen in the
dying man's fingers and watched him
breathlessly, as we all did?I no more
than the rest?while he scrawled those
few lines which In one moment raised
me from a gentleman of respectable
means into a man of fortune.
"The sigh of relief which followed
the completion of his signature came
from his breast, not mine. I was in a
daze, and realized little of the Importance
of the moment I did not even
fully comprehend the looks of pardonable
astonishment and good-natured
sympathy that passed between the two
professionals present, or notice when
or how the witnesses affixed their
Tinmen thta mnst hnrripd ?nd TP
markable of wills. I was only conscious
of a great oppression, as if a
burden under -which I felt unable to
stagger had just fallen upon my shoulders,
and was greatly relieved when
the sick man called me by name and
said'"
'Now I am going to tell you what
I wish you to do with this money if
these gentlemen will only leave us
alone.'
"The lawyer, who had just stepped
fnrwrtrH fn nflfpr mo hie hnnrl in rnn
gratulation, stopped and looked as if
he did not know -whether to continue
this ceremony or not. But -when he
observed my relieved countenance he
grew Quite cheerful, and warmly
wringing my hand whispered:
" 'It is a matter of three million,
Degraw; so be careful what you promise.'
"I stared; I could not take to the
figures at first, but when I did I felt
actually chilled as if a dash of cold
water had been thrown upon me.
Three million! I hardily dared to look
the reckless giver of this fortune in
the eye. Three million! And two
hours before I had neither heard his
name nor be mine. 'What mystery!'
thought I; 'I hope he "will tell Hie what
he "wants me to do with all this
money.'
"The two gentlemen had by *his
time -withdrawn into the hall, the doctor
whispering as he passed me:
" 'Raise your voice if you see him
going, mere js noming more we can
do-for him now but close his eyes.'
"A task which it seemed for the moment
as it we should not be called
upon to perform, for when I turned
toward him he already lay like one in
his last rest, saTe that his hands still
moved among the blossoms I had given
him. But when he felt me near he
raised his heavy eyelids and beamed
upon me with an inexplicable smile
that was at once sad and searching.
" 'Will it be a great disappointment
to you to lose the use of the money I
have just put into your hands?'
"My cheeks flushed; it was a little
hard to see the prospect of so much
wealth dissolve into nothing, with a
suddenness equal to its coming, but
my tone, I am sure, showed no real
regret as I answered:
" 'It is your wealth, and I have nol
the shadow -of a claim upon it. What
ever you wish me to do with it I will
do; that you may rely upon.'
" 'Even if it involves trouble and sacrifice?'
" 'Most decidedly.'
" 'Ah, providence is kind to send mc
just the man I need in my extremity.
Receive my thanks, and forgive mc
that I seemed to give you personally
what I only meant to give you in trust
sfor another. Why I felt it necessary
to. do this you will understand -when 1
tell you that my real heir is as yet a
pereonvunknown?a person for -whom 1
have notstime to seek, and for whom
" l t. ^
you yourselfmussi-iow* aa &wuu us uy
portunity offers.'
" 'But ' X
" 'I will tell yoxKexactly what she
must be. She must youn?, beautiful,
charming and coodXSbe most be
! a resident of New Yor^ 1^1 she must
1 f *
1 *>
I X
< I
* \ ^
' ' r>~
m
hareuft>r her name th? simple one of
Jenny Rogers. That is all I ask. Whe*
you find such a girl, and have studied
hnv nkovanf/tw ?n/mir*v\ frt tnattt 4viot ehn
U^A ViittiaV.lCl cuuuj^u iU JauvTT IUO v cue;
will do me credit as my heir, then I
ask you to hand over to her, by deed
of gift, all the fortune "which for eo
many years has been -without benefit
to man or woman.'
"I Etood aghast. What sort of a
proposition was this! Was not the
man in sound mind, after all? Some
girl, any girl, who bore a certain name
and fulfilled certain conditions, was
to reap tne Denent or tnree minion dollars,
and I "was to be the man to
c-boose this girl!
"He saw my perplexity aDd shook
his head in seeming trouble.
" 'You shrink from the ta6k!' he exclaimed.
'You cannot understand -why
I impose upon you the burden of such
a responsibility. But whom shall I
ask to bear It If not you? I have not a
friend; I am dying, and my only hope
of peace lies in the thought that this
wealth, which has come so late, shall
adorn the life and elicit the gratitude
of some one bearing the name that is
so dear to me.'
41 'It is the name, then,' I cried,
'which is of importance. You do not
care so much for her station in life,
though, of course, this must be rt*
spectable.'
" 'I only'care that she shall be lo?ely
to look at, pure of soul and kind:y in
spirit. I had rather she were no* otherwise
favored by fortune. I should
like to have her raised suddenly into
prosperity. If she is the girl I see in
my mind's eye, she will not be spoiled
by it.'
" 'But "Jenny Rogers!" It-is a common
name; I shall run across a dczen
or more in a great city nue wew lorjr/
" 'You will know my heiress when
you see her; real worth always shows
in the face. Besides, you will have ample
opportunity to choose among them.
I give you a year, Mr. Degraw, and as
this understanding between us is secret
no one need ever know the reason
of your Interest In these girls till you
see fit to make the deed I request. Oh,
It is a drqam of mine! -May I hope to
see it fulfilled?'
"I felt like saying 'No;' I felt like
tearing up the will he had just signed,
and so shirk a task that at this moment
seemed too bizarre for any quiet
man's performance. But the expression
of his eyes stopped me. I could
not refuse what was so dear to this
dying man. Though trouble and annoyance
must follow, I resolved to
make the promise which would send
him out of the world in peace.
" 'I will do what you wish,' I declared.
'I will visit New York, make
the acquaintance of such girls as are
known to bear this name, and when I
have found one that in my judgment
is worthy to become the possessor of
three million I will make your fortune
over to her. Is that all you require?'
" 'Yes, yes, but three million!'
" 'That is the amount, I am told.'
"A radiant delight overspread his pallid
countenance. (
" 'Ah, it will make a queen of the
girl you choose. In my grave I shall
feel her pleasure. Though I could not
do this for thee, sweet Jenny,' he exclaimed,
lifting one arm to heaven with
an energy that surprised me, 'I can, at
least, do it for one who shall mirror
thy rare nature and bear thy beloved
name!'
"This look and the accompanying
gesture were a revelation.
" 'It is, then, for the sake of a Jenny
Rogers you once knew that you desire
this disposition of your money?' I ventured,
anxious to learn if the cause
which influenced him to this action
was a natural one.
I -* " * ?- i - J tAV. if
"'xes, yes," oe cneu. uu, n. mj
strength would only last till I could
tell you of her gentle beauty, her heavenly
pity, the sweetness of her looks
and the comfort of her words to me in
the days when I was such an invalid
that I could not answer her back or
even smile when she handed me in a
flower at my broken window!
To be continued.
Originated From Accident!.
It is curious to note that many things
which have turned out most useful
discoveries for man, having great influence
upon tho lives and destinies
of mankind, owe their beginning to
6ome slight accident. It is said that
the art of printing took its origin from
some rude impressions taken (for the
amusement of children) from letters
curved on the bark of a beech tree.
Gunpowder was discovered from the
falling of a spark on some materials
mixed in mortar. The stupendous results
of the steam engine may all be
traced to the boy who sat watching the
steam which came from the nose of a
teakettle. Electricity was discovered
by a person observing that a piece of
rubbed glass attracted 6maH bits of
paper. Pendulum clocks were invented
after Galileo stood observing the
lamp in a church swinging to and
fro. The telescope we owe to some
children of a spectacle maker placing
two or more pairs of spectacles before
each other, and looking through them
at the distant sky. Their idea was
followed up by olikT heads.
Qnenclied. ?The
young man was orating in oratund.
His genuflections were things
to hear. His impassioned gestures
clearly proved tnat ne was wen up in
physical culture. Whenever be paused
for breath he congratulated himself
, that he was doing this thing in style. .
"Light of my eyes," he concluded,
and then stood, so.
"Oh, come off the perch/' she said,
I in a rasping and strident voice.
The young man did immediately
. come off the perch -with an admirable
' promptitude.
1 It will be seen that she didn't care to
be the light of his eyes. Therefore,
adroitly did she thus turn off the gas.
?New York Sun.
, Manufacturing Butterflies.
Collectors of butterflies have discovered
a worse ill than the "breaking on
the wheel" of their favoiytes.
Men with much ingenuity and no
conscience make butterflies to order.
That is to say. they take the common"nnni
? ? ??> AAw 1? ! m ATTfit* TT7 5 f ll Q
, t'SL ftptrUAIUCiJ, > CiaCCl UJlXt UW& Hivu u
: thin paste, and then so deftly apply
delicate metallic powders of various
colors that the mother of that same
common or garden butterfly would not
know it from a real and wonderful red
admiral or other choice specimen.
There is a great flutter among the
museums and private collections.?Lon?
don Express.
7 ' , Y
t _
*
<
A SERMON FOR SUNDA1
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLE
"BREAD UPON THE WATERS."
The Rev. Edward Nile* Declares Thai tl
Opinion of the TZorldly Economist ]
Not a Supreme Court Whose Decision
Are Binding on the Christian.
Brooklyn. N. Y.?Sunday morning, i
Ue White Cnurch (Bushwick Avenue R
formed) the pastor, Rev. Edward Nile
preached on "Bread Upon the Waters
The text was from Ecclesiastes xi: i
"Cast thy bread upon the waters, for the
shalt find it after many days." Mr. Nil*
said:
The book of Ecclesiastes is the life r
view of the wisest and richest man of h
day. Every statement has been tested.
A young man might have said the san
thing with equal eloquence and convi
tion, but the impression on the mind <
the elderly reader would be, ''Yes, his ai
vice is all very well in theory, but win
does he know about life?"
The words of the aged Solomon are ope
to no such criticism. Our text is the nr
of the bhort, pithy sentences with whit
the teachings of his wonderful career a
summed up.
In thought he goes back to the ear
days of his reign, Then his country w;
insignificant. Jerusalem itself was a t
oneer city only thirty-three years old. H
people bore something of the same rel
tion to the surrounding nations as did tl
Boers of a dozen years ago to the Eur
pean countries. They were strong, reli
ious self contained, with few extremes <
poverty or wealth, who had partially ei
slaved, partially exterminated, the ori
inal inhabitants of the land. Yet, th<
were mostly isolated on thefir plantatioi
and lacked the polish of refinement ar
culture which orlly comes with long se
tlement of a country and contact witn tl
great world.
Solomon recalled how ardently he hf
entered into the work of putting his su
jecta abreast of the times. He had wi
ened the borders of the land until th<
reached the lied sea. mere a aocKvai
was established, a fleet of ships was Dili
and launched, marking the first ventur
of the Jews in commerce.
Human nature being the same in s
ages, we can be sure tliat many a Jewii
fogy remonstrated. "What, take bar
earned money, the result of eo much toil :
the fields, ana put it in these tubs, to j
on no one knows where, to return no oi
knows when, if ever? Young King, don
be so foolish as to throw away our mon<
on the sea."
The day when these ships sailed off ;
search of trade and profit \Vas likely mat
the occasion of great pageant by the Go
ernment to counteract these grumbling
but as week after week went by ar
month followed month, nothing was heai
of those much discussed ships. The wis
acres>, became all the wiser, shook the
heads more knowingly and croaked mo:
disconsolately. The time came, howeve
when off in the dim distance the watchi
by the sea discerned a white speck upt
the water. Looking more intently, 1
saw here a ship, there another ana b
hind still more. When near enough 1
be hailed all were found to be well. The
venture to countries before unknown ht
leen crowned with success.
As the crewf with their rich burdei
wended their way overland to Jerusale
the rumors of the profit of over $11,000,0
from the single voyage preceded them,
can imagine the smile of the aged Solomc
as he recollected the consternation t)
; ews caused to ,the conservative croaker
So evident were the benefits derlv<
from the policy of putting out money fi
long periods because of tne good retun
in the end, that a ship building fev<
Eeized the nation. Three year voyag
were undertaken and prospered, until fl
?[uaint, primitive Jewish community w;
airly gorged with wealth. Silver was i
6tones in the streets of the Capital Cit
magnificent palaces and other public buil
ings were erectcd where the rude huts h?
' tood. Palestine ceased to become tl
contempt of all countries. Distinguish*
royal visitors traveled over water and de
ert to see the grandeur with their ow
eves, to find that it was more remarkab
than depicted in even the most glowii
stories. Such was the mental vision thi
came before the reminiscent writers i
Ecclesiastes. The cause was for that tr
!y phenomenal industrial revolution he pi
into the precept of our text, "Cast tl
bread, or thy capital, upon the waters, I:
vest it in some enterprise that does n'<
brine in an immediate result; it shall r
turn unto you as it did unto me, infinit
ly multiplied, even thopgh it may be aft<
m-ny days." It is another way of sayin
"Nothing venture, nothing have."
Of course, Solomon ran many risks. H
fleet might have been shipwrecked, h
crews destroyed by the savages visite
tney were in danger of losing their w?
forever in thoee uncharted seas; yet, ?
though his eyes were wide open to tl
chance of loss, he didn't hesitate to act.
The rule of greater economy propoun
ed in the advice, "Cast thy bread upon tl
waters, for thou shalt find it after mai
days," is good for our own age. Thoi
who are content to do as did their fathe
may make a living. That is all. The shif
less young man whbtJives* from hand '
' mouth, satisfied if he barely meets h
bills, we regard as only less than crir
jnal. The father, with a family loolcii
* / ? liitn for cnnnnrt. who tacitlv assurw
that lie is to be well and keep bis poeitic
indefinitely, who lays up nothing in tl
bank, makes no investment, ;oins no fr
ternal order, pays no insurance, has mo:
ready money than he who is looking f(
the return after many days of the su
stance he is now casting upon the water
Which one is wise? The over $200,000,(J
we annually spend on life insurance pr
miums shows how thoroughly belief ;
Solomon's precept has taken hold of tl
American people.
Men without the yeast of imaginatk
never rise in the business world. A sho
time ago a salesman in one of the lari
notion houses, after telling me of tl
prestige held oy his firm ten vears ag
taid: "Now, I want to leave. They don
6eem to know how to accommodate ther
selves to changed conditions. They refu
to spend money unless they can see
coming back, and our trade is simply ru
ning away from us to other firms who a
these years nave been working for tl
future."
"Providence" comes from pro, befcri
video, to look. Looking before you. It
the bane of the poor that in some casi
they cannot, in many cases they will n<
do so. They buy their coal by the buck
instead of the ton, and pay over twice i
much for it in consequence. In the sur
mer, when it is cheap, they fail to pr
6erve fruit for the winter, when it will ac
80 much to the taste of a meal.
It is peculiariy difficult for a child 1
grasp this idea of foresight. He does ni
6ee any use in learning the o'd arithmcti
The boys are out on the street. A iootha
game is in progress. A. walk can be ha
in the park, a bicycle ride. Are these be
efits to be thrown away, so real, so paten
for the sake of abstract knowledge thi
older persons tell him may prove belpf
years and years from now? Is it not
marvel that the present being so vital, tl
future so intangible, such a large propo
tion of our boys and giris are persuade
to study as much as they do?
Those who are far sighted in their bus
ness are ofi:an singularly near sighted whe
caring for the best interests of their chi
dren. Only at one stage of their lives ."a
thfy go to school. Take a boy of any ta
ent early away from his books ana pi
him to earning the very little that he ca
make. The probabilities are tbat he wi
remain a small wage earner for life, tin
him more opportunities, casting yo<
money away for the time being in his ed
ration and when you are in real need tl
likelihood is that he can return it to yc
with large interest.
The long, long hours, patiently spent i
helping the little ones understand grei
moral and religious truth, represent ' <
muc:? time gone from you with no imm
diate, possibly no ultimate, advantage I
your&elf, but the return will be in tl
character of him you have been training.
The agony of prayers for wayward son
straying daughters, indifferent friends ai
all heard, and will be answered if we ke?
on casting our heart aches, our time an
our longings upon the apparently unheei
ing waters.
How many are the temptations to di
couragement experienced bv the Christia
worker. The Sunday-school teacher com*
home tired out by the seemingly unsn
cessful attempt to impress or even interei
those whom she lias been teaching. .
i
?
" - - i,
' .
7 whole church year passes and^-what has
L been accomplished? In the eyes of the
worldly economist, such wearing and tearing
labor is very foolish. According to hia
D method of computation nothing pays save
what brings in material profits. Such like
conception merits Solomon's characterira- .
tion, "All this is vanity and striving after
wind."
:e The opinion of the worldly economist is
Is not a supreme court whose decisions are
is binding on the Christian.' Nothing done
for others is ever lost. If performed for
God and humanity with faith in results
D the reward will be inevitable.
e' Better men and purer women are the |
certain products of every teacher's spirit- _
: ( ual venture, in casting her bread upon the '
l: waters, for the return it may sometime
bring. _
23 It-is ant to be a far cry to the manifes- J
tation of results. The many dayB of our
?* text may mean never on this corner of the
18 universe, so far as the pocketbook, the _
standing in the community, the tangible '
ie influence upon others is concerned. Yet
even so. j.
"Ours is the gracious service whence
^ Comes, day by day, the recompense;
The hope, the trust, the purpose staid,
>n The fountain and the noonday shade!
And were this life the utmost span,
h The only end and aim of man,
[e Better the toil of fields like these
Than waking dreams and slothful ease." t
ly Though the recipients be unworthy of ?
is our charity, unappreciative of the value P
>i- we attach to time, abuse our benevolence, ''
is the money we give, the hours we use. the ?
a- thoughts we devote to them prove to ub ['
ie who have tried it that
?" "What we spent, we had. ?
uri. _i. j u
vv nab >ye savcu, wc iubw. j g
?* What we gave, we have."
The bread, we have cast upon the waters t
returns to us in a different form, but in so f
satisfactory a way as to make it cur one d
j regret that we failed to invest more after e
* the same fashion. The more money we i;
' give away the less remains in our bank ac- i<
count, the more sunshine is in our faces t
. and hearts. The more intelligence we scat- x
ter abroad the more we glean for our- a
?* selves. The more prayers we offer up for c
others, the better we know how to pray t
;J(ifor our own needs. The more our hearts D
? sympathize with the pains of others the
lareer will our hearts become. < t
cs The more we disregard the worldly wise c
,, rule of selfishness the greater is our true j
prosperity. Says John G. Holland:
,j. "Give and spend, k
in And be sure that God will send, e
r0 ' For only in giving and spending, t
,e Do you fulfill the object of His sending." i
,'t Now we enjoy the interest. The time '
' ?? it- 'J ??l C
;y W]jj De wnen uiv aixiueu punctual vi um
courageous investment in stock will finally t
in come to maturity. In th^t great day we e
]e shall find that every cup ot cold water, t
v- every old coat, every piece of bread, every e
p. kind word, every call on the sick, if im- 8
id pelled by love, was done only incidentally ^
rd to the unworthy and really to the Al? 10
e- Worthy. We shall hear the voice of our 1
ir belovea Master say, "Inasmuch as ye have c
re done it unto one of these My brethren, c
r, even these least, ye have done it unto Me. "
er Then will the truth of the old Turkish r
>n proverb be manifest: "What yon give in
le charity in this world you take with you f
e- after death. Do good. Throw it into the x
to water. If the fish does not know it, God ?
ir does." t
id ?
George Mailer's Prayer Hcnrd, a
as Mr. George Muller, founder of the Or- x
m phan Homes in Bristol, England, institu- "
DO tions that have been for many years the c
I greatest monuments of modern times to d
>n a prayer answering God, gives in that most p
valuable and instructive book, "A Narra- v
? tive of Some of the Lord's Dealings with t
;d George Muller," a remarkable answer to 8
or prayer. The incident was reeorded No- "V
as vember 21, 1833, and is a? follows: t
er "Never were we so rcduced in funds ns d
es to-day. There was not a single half-penny n
ie ;?* Vian/i Tiofjpopn the matrons of the three n
*8 houses. Nevertheless, there was a good r
as dinner, and by managing so as to help one ij
y> another with oread, etc., there was a pro3- a
d* pcct of getting over this day also; but for n
1(1 none of the bouses nad we the prospect
of being able to take in bread. When I r
left the brethren and sisters at 1 o'clock, p
B* after. prayer, I told them that we mmfc a
r.n wait for helD, and see how the Lord would h
le deliver us this time. I was sure of help, h
'S bue we were indeed straitened. When I t
H came to Kingsdown, I felt that I needed ft
01 more exercise, being very cold;, wherefore ?
u" I went not the nearest way Thome, but h
" round by Clarence Place. fi
"About twenty yards from my house 1 a
"V met a brother who walked back with me, o
01 and after a little conversation gave me I
?10 to be handed over to the brethren, f
~~ the deacons, towards providing the poor e
" ' T-1._1.fi A ???? ofrtfh. +J
* saints witn coais, umiiKtm auu ? ??...
h! ing; also ?5 for the Orphans, and ?3 for n
g the other objects of the Scriptural Know!- t
j8 edge Institution. The brother had called "
j twice while I was gone to the Orphan b
,y Houses, and had I now been one-half min- b
ute later. I should have missed hira. But
ie the Lord knew our need, and therefore ji
allowed me to meet him. I sent off the y,
j ?5 immediately to the matrons." a:
ie I
iy Better Than We Know How. I;
ae Doing as well as we know how is or- ^
rs dinarily considered a pretty,xreditable per- *
t- form an ce. One who can honestly say that P
to he has done as well as he knows how ?
i6 k'likely to t/ake credit to himself for hig; *
n- doing; and, in passing judgment on
ig other for his conduct, we are inclined to
es commend him if he, or if we, can say that
>n he has done as well as he knoWfc how. Yet
ie just here is a common mistake of man- I
a- kind. All of us ought to do better than b
re we know how. Doing only as well as we t
j>r know how may be a lack and a failure on t
b- our part. tl
s. Doing better than one knows how, do- a
DO ing better than one's best, iB the duty and ji
;c- the practical attainment of everv person if
m who wants to fill his place in the world d
and to he'p his fellows as he should. One
who expects to be limited, in hi? work a
>n on,} ;n his endeavors, by the that he a
rt lias done, or by the beet that others have i r
?e done, or by what he can do, is practically y
ie without the noblest ambition, and certain- p
o> ]y without the highest aspiration?. To
1 be stopped by the thought of the imposn*
sible is to be held withm the .bounds of |
the ordinary and the commonplace. ^
All substantial progress is by doing
better than one knows how. Every great a
llJ explorer and discoverer and inventor and V(
ie pioneer and master missionary, in all :[!
lands and on all seas and in all the ape?, _
?? has secured to the world and to his fel- *1
lows results and advantages of priceless
L'? value, and has proved himself a benefac- t]
tor of his race, because he was not limited *
et bv precedents and possibilities, but war :
18 determined to do better than his best, .
n" better than he knew how. l
e- n
I Strength For To-Day.
to God promises us strength to enable us
at to do our present duty. If we believe | u(
c< that, and act accordingly, we shall never,
ilj never fail. "As thy days, so shall thy l
id strength be." That is the promise?a i
n. promise that never fails. Yesterday has
t, gone, not to return. To-morrow has not !?
it come to us, and it may never come. Touj
day is our day, and it is the only portion
a of time that is. Men who regret that they
ie did not do their work of yesterday, lose
r- tbeir present time because they are not
;d giving 'their whole strength to it. Men
who fear that they will not be able to do P'
si- to-morrow's work are losing to-day, and
m are not getting ready for to-morrow. (Jod a'
ij- does not promise strength for yesterdav ?
in i hich is gone, nor for to-morrow, which *
il- may never come, but for to-day which is "
it here. Let lis therefore trust, and use P
n while we have it, God's promised strength w
ill for to-day. "Sufficient unto the day is w
,-e the evil (and the good) thereof."?Sunday
jr School Times.
n- e<
" " "W /?..AAA 99 gf
]! " waceroru?av?.
>u The lesson "grace for grace" io that one | "
grace is given instead of another* We
in cannot live to-day on the strength of yesit
terday's food; each day has a portion o'
so its own. Yesterday's sunshine will not j (
e- light the earth to-day, but there is other ^
:o sunshine ready each new morning. When ^
le you were in sorrow a while ago God came
to all. and it is very certain that the only
s, safe way bv which we can learn to comre
manu is to begin by learning to obey.?
sp Sir Edwin Arnold. ,
,*1 ? be
j. Early Morning Meditation. Gi
For my part, I should try to secure
s- some part of every day for meditation,
n above all in the early morning and the
;b open air; but how that time was to be
e- improved I should leave to circumstance
jt ana the inspiration of the hour.?R. L. c-,
A Stevenson. j ^
How Little We Know.
How little we know,
As onward we go,
Vhat is laid to our charge in God's book.
The kind words unsaid,
The hearts that have bled,
[lie duties we often forsook.
How little we know
Of the care and the woe
ft*; ?^ ?u?vu iu 11 yccs ui uui aucuub.
The harsh heartless wordThat
our dearest ones heard?
Vhoee influence never more ends.
?Alice May Douglas.
Impressions of God.
It would be difficult to find a better ilhisration
of the popular conception of what
eligion ought to be than is afforded by a
rief story in the humorous department of
i widely read magazine. According to one
>f its contributors the "godmother" of 4
ittle eight-year-old girl had given to her
8 a birthday present a Bible. And not
ong after the aonor found the child read11
g "some passages in the Old Testament
irhich were full of hell fire and the wratb
if God." We are next told how the little
;irl gravely closed the book, and said she
Milieved she would not readm it any more,
*ecause heretofore she "had, had a very
avorable impreqpion of God." The writer
loes not attempt to add a moral. He
eem8 to think the Jesson is quite evident;
n, which opinion, gays the Chicago Interor.
we agree with him, but to us the story
ells something of which neither the writer
tor the editor had an inkling. Contributor
nd editor impliedly agree that religion
ught to be rather a pleasant "impression"
han such ascertainable knowledge aa
night embrace painful fact.
This joke concocter?we will go no furher
than that appellative in intimating
iur "subjective" doubt of the veracity of
lis story?might be brought to book very
orcibly on his ignorance of Scripture. Haa
le known the Bible thoroughly well him*
elf he would not have attributed the doc_
it ./? If j. _ xl_ _ AU
rme 01 hcii nrc tu tuc vm jLCDvamcuby
a truth, the sane, solemn warning to
trhich this coarse phrase is applied belong*
listinctively to tne New Testament?to
he teachings o? Jesus. But for the presnt
we care only to discuss his apt hint at
he popular preference in religion. The rea?
on why so many people shut up the Bibl?
,nd stop going to church i* because they
could rather cherish a dreamy "impresion"
of God than to have the spintuaj
lature so far waked to truth that it will
ry out for a Ruler and Father who shall
orrespond to their needi. The Bible hai
i-.disagreeable way of forcing upon itf
eaders clear-cut conviotions or right and
rrong, of duty and:?h,'of the nature of
reedom and tne attributes of deity, wfiilt
nost people prefer an "impression which
hall leave them free to believe anything
hat will not disturb their peace. If religon
comes to them it must come voiceless
,nd impersonal as the perfume of a rose,
tot as a prophet with his intolerable
'Thus saith the Lord." Religion is welome
if it be represented by a jeweled winlow
and a "Te Deum" of some great com.Mil*
hut Tint if in mean a decaJoeue Kra
en on stone and a "Miserere" of contriion
and supplication. So tens of thouands
of immigrants crowd to our shore*
yho have "a very favorable impression"
hat liberty means doing as you please unler
the protection of a Star-Spangled banier,
buti who rebel when it is found to
lean civil order backed up by a policelan'e
club and a militiaman's bayonet. Ii
a both church and state we had more fact
nd less of vague impressions it would
lean much for patriotism and piety, too.
A man to be of much value to his age
lust not be afraid of shattering the imressions
of his fellows if they do not
greA with the truth. John Knox made
timself hated at the court of Scotland, but
e saved his country frpm foreign dominaion.
If John, the! Baptist had oowed beore
the blast like a bulrush he would have
aved his head. And if Jeqns Christ had
een just a little more anxiots^to make a
ivorable impression unon ruler and pries!
nd rabble tnere would haveibeen no cross
n Calvary. Men who expected to find
Jim pliant found Him rigid. Men who
hought to see Him complaisant discovred
Him inflexible, and those who fiatered
themselves that they were the pillars
pon which Ijoth state and church rested
/ere told that they were "vipers," and
whited sepulchres full of dead men'*
ones." He cared bttle for impressions,
ut He cared much for truth.
" i <?j if
It may as wen ue iuiucdocu
mpenitent transgressor of God's Ian
fishes simply to retain a pleasant "impresion"
of God be had better tfhut his Bible,
tut if he wishes to know the truth about
rod and to learn how, having sinned, to
nd a full and ^ree aD" divine forgiveness,
here is no ocher book which can take iti
lace, and if he lose a childish impression
f God he will have obtained a glorious
nowledge of God?for. which all dreamj
nd fancies form but a poor substitute.
How to Get Help.
God works through agencies, but it ii
le that works. The physician does not Ij
eal you; it is the divine power working |
hrough all the agencies employed hew
hat neals. I entreat all to lay hold oJ
his great source of comfort and cheer; ,
nd if vou feel disheartened and gloomy,
ist look up, for there is a great God Who
i able to do for you all you need to hav< t
one. If you can truly say: "Lord, I
rant to be in the divine order; I want to
ppropriate all that is good and sweet (
nd pure and beautiful in the way oi
ight living," and lay hold of God thus, i
ou may get all the help you can possibly
ecover and use.?J. H. Kellogg.
Nature's Mission. j
What a holy thing it is, this nature love;
'hat a pure, sweet, religious thing** You 1
ronot put into a creed, or even into
psalm; but it lifts you, somehow, until
* * * ?- fZnrl
ou leei mat you arc *?? uw? >. nd
near to the heart of that which gives
>y to immortal beings. I believe we
lall never know, until it is revealed to
a in the other life, how much the birds? 1
le innocent, pure singers of the air?have 1
one to lift humanity above its baser
istinct, and make men more worthy to
e called the sons of God.?James Buck'
am.
_ Be Humble.
If inou desire the love of God and man, i
e humble; for the proud heart, as it loves
one but itselfe, so it is beloved of none,
at by itselfe; the voice of humility is <
od's musick, and the silence of humility f
God's rhetorick. Humility enforces, j
here neither vertue nor strength can |
revaile, nor reason.?Francis Quarles, 1
Seeking the Best.
We may, if we choose, make the worst
; one another. Everyone bias his weak
oints; everyone has his faults; we may
lake the worst of these; we may fix our
itention constantly upon them. But we
iay also make the best of one another.
7e may forgive even as we hope to be
trgiven. We may put ourselves in the
lace of others, and ask what we should
ish to be done to us, and thought of us,
ere we in their place. By loving whether
is lovable in those around us life will
?come a pleasure instead of a pain, and
irth will become like Heaven: and we
lall become not unworthy followers of
!im whose name is Love.?Dean Stanley*
American Apples For Enrope.
App'.e exports this season are a'most
DOO.OOO barrels, the largest quantity ever '
toyvrs. Short cious ir. Engfo:id 'and all (
ev Europe are responsible for the unu- '
lal demand.
Fastest Battleship Afloat.
Speed trials of the Libertad, which hag
en sold to Great Britain by the Chilean
overnment, have resulted in an average ,
20.3 knots an hour, thus showing that
e is the fastest battleship afloat. j
Trent h Imports Grow Greatly.
iimwfa nF 7T".1 ?/?/? fnr r(in litcf'. I
iveii months increased $51,303,200 and I
e expertn e'ecror.scd Sr,521,100. _ I >
t.. -.
mEsw
the domY scumm
INTERNA-ntNkL LESSON COMMENT^^E
JANUARY 10. JMH
g?fcj?X?t: IrhePteachlng of John fhr^T
IM ?9
?w DAyy$b?
I. A eftatt t-fepentance (vs. 1-4). "I*^R
those day As." Che time is defined in Lnk< Bfl
3: 1. It time of moral dearth. AD
Israel bioHAomc a barren wilderneeo. Hi
The Rom^^Bmpcror waa deapotio* and
cruel. He^^Band Pilate were little bet
ter. The -^ sthood was filled with cor
rupt men,^Hd even Caiaphas, the higb Bf
pnest, wa^Koarse and brutal. Unwt^H
such icade?Bthe people had sunk into I H
very low degraded moral condi tioiai
It had beenVonr liuHdred years since tbei
bad heard pi ophetic warnings, wheneaa XH
denly John appeared upon the flceoq
"John the B iptist." So named by Mark 9
and Luke an 1 by Jnsephus, who mention*
his preat ir ftpence and speaks of th?
crowds that nocked to hear him preach) HE
"Preaching." Heralding, a word snggert K
in? the pr?cl imation ot a king. John waf
a great refo -mer. "In the wilderness.
"John preac led in the wild, thinly ioi
habited regi< n lying west of \he Jordan
and the Dea I Sea as far north as Enonj fl
iwo-tniras on the way to the Sea of GaH
lee, and on both sides of the lower Joi*
dan." Mil
2. "Renen ; ye." Repentance includesj.^B
1. Conviction. 2. Contrition. 3. Cons
fession. 4. Reformation, and leads to BH
conversiop. John, Jesus, Peter and Pan!
all preachedl repentance. "Kingdpm
Heaven." Af Jesus is the Messiah, {hat is, Km
the Anointed, the King, so His gospel iiHg
a law and 1IL" dispensation a kingdom,
The kingdom of Heaven and kingdom ot wj
God in the ? ew Testament mean one and
the Bame th; ng and generally have refer
ence to the spiritual kinedom which ChrW Hfl
seta up in the! hearts of His followers. "A1 KB
hand." TheJjews expected a great national
deliverer, Tjip meaning here id that
coming of thf Messiah to begin Hie domiaflH
ion on earth,lander the Christian economy^Hfl
is at hand.
3. "Eeaiar." The Greek form for Isaialtfl0|
The reference here is to Isaiah 40: 3-5; alflJHK
see Luke 3: 4-6. "The Voice." The proph^^H
ecy draws attention to the work rathe^HB
than to the worker. The voice of
pronhet was loud and distinct. "Prepar^HH
ye." The idea is taken from the practice^^H
of Eastern' iponarcb*. who, whenever they^H|
took a journpv, sent harbingers before them^^B
to prepare the way. The Jewish chnrciflaB
WAD thp d?Mr.t onnn&irtr "Patln f?>ai?rkf
This is figurative language.' The word^Hfl
illustrate tie straightening force of tbJ^Mn
gospel. There must be a thorough prepiHHl
ar&tion befire God.ump-Kinar, will coruflBB
to us. Tb**?^3fliHe ""must; be "broughlS^B
low." ' The "drooped, dishonest Jife. ir>oflfl|flN
be "straighiened." Let us remove the otflBBS
structions <tf unbelief and carnal desires. HH
4. "Had! his raiment." etc. The a?|
pearance of John was like that of thHEHH
great prophst Rlijah in the popular rolncSBH
He was cloibed in the coar*, rough clol^H^H
called Backloth in the Scriptures. iHH
Wafe cheap, but admirable for keeping
the heatj ccld and rain. This mantle
girded around him with a leather girdle oBH
undressed tide. His food consisted
locusts,. closly resembling our gra^shon^B^H
pens, and o) wild honey. All this was
natural as. Yell as simple mode of livinH^H
in those dys in the wilderness. "Meat.lHgH|
Food. "Loctst8.'' The law of Moses gavoflSB
permission t cat Jocusts (Lev. 11: 21)^Hm
John here represent* the symbols of th^HBfl
renentance Ih tir^lhr according to an^^BH
cient Cwston^^^Fhairor saekdothBSffl
the fasting ^^^^^^olitude, were th^H^H
ordinary deepest bumilU^|mH
tion. HHB JnjB
II. Many^^^^^k made (vs. 5, G)Hh
"Went homes amflHKH
went John wa^HRH
preachingv^^^^^^Kr successful ant^^H|
the heart o^^^^^^Htion was etirfedHHB
L'ven Herq^^^^^^Rieard him gbdlv^^HI
md "did 6: 20). "jU^^DB
the regiop^^^^^Vds must have beei^HH
enormous. very popular, bnt^Hflj
Opuhli^^
the
John 1: 9H^H|MHEhHm|^^H
in. AHnMmHH
7'io)IHHHHHHH
honor at
DO seliis^^HBHHQ|Dnn^Mn
for taHNfl^HHK^B9Bg9HN^H[
ing to
ing but 'i^DBBH^HHKttgj^B|nHiH
iratists. 9fBB^^S^^SS3Sx
eral
unwritten
adhered to the wM^H|HflHBKXa^^ff9M
refused to give mtfchweiRHHBKEBHHBB
rhey did not believe in a tuture
eels or spirits: "Said unto them." Tb^BBH
three leading religious sects at that tim^HH
were the Pharisees, Sadducees and EsHH
penes, and he handled them with terribt^HSM
seventy. He fame into the forest of "ba^^B
IftWH, SOBQiUUT L'UOtv/iUD| ?WUM
religious bigotries," licentiousness and iaHHj
temperance, swinging bis gospel az ancfl^BH
crying, "Reform! Repent! ye brood oHH
npers." The reformer was thorougb^HS
I'fiere< -wan no compromising with tb^HU
worldly influences around him. "Genera^^Q
tion of'vipers." ' Brood'' of vipers.
denotes persons deceitful and malicioiu^^HH
. 9. "Think not to say," etc. The naturaH^n
impulse of the unregenerate heart is tflH
seek out excuses and subterfuges whcfl
the conscience is touched. John shattenHH|
two common errors: The first, that bap^EHl
tism would be sufficient to turn the wrat^HH
of God away, and second, that bccaus^^^H
they are children of Abraham, therefor^HH
they are safe. "These stones." UndouDt^PH
edly a reference to the calling of the Gen^Hn
tiles. Out of these hard, unregeneraft^HH
hearts God >is able to make hearts of fies^^H|
aud children of Abraham. 10.^ "The a^^^H
is laidi" "There is an allusion, here tflU
a -woodman, who. having marked a tre^fl^H
for excision, lays his ax at its roots, whili^^H
he lays off his otiter garment, in order tha^^HB
he may wield more powerful blows. Thc^MH
Jewish nation is the tree, and the Roman^MH
the ax, which,'by the just judgments o^^H|
God, was speedily to cut it aown." HflHi
IV. John points to Christ (vs. II,
11. "Unto repentance." John was a ro^Bnl
pentance preacher. This was "a baptisn^^^H
requiring and representing an inward spir^MH
itual change." "He that cometh." Th?D
preaching of John was preparing the mind^BH
of the people Jor the coming of the
siah, and they began to ask themselce^^^H
whether he were the Christ. But John^^QI
was not slow to undeceive them regardinj^MH
himself. "Is mightier." John clearly outj^^H
lined the work of the coming Messiah^VKg
His Daptism will effect what mine is pow^BQR
erless to do. "Not worthv." John Ehowj^^nH
his greatness bv his self-abasement. 12x H
"Whose fan." The fan, or the instrumen^^^f
for the purging is the gospel.
His church. Wheat." True believer^RSM
' Gamer." The kingdom of grace h<:flH
ind of Heaven hereafter: "Unquenchabl^HH
fire." Nothing will be able to extinguisifl^B
the awful fires that will kindle aroun^|BH|
the feet of the finally impenitent.
Cannes of Scarlet Fewer. HE
Dr. Frank Burr Mallorv, of the Harvarfl^BH
Medical Sbhoo], has conducted an
Ration a'ong original lines, and claims de^^BH
litely to have determined the orjganii^HB^H
vmen proauces scanei. icvci ""o-uunHnM
Fh&t the disease is caused by animal and^KSj
lot by vegetable organism is one of
Matures of tlie discover}-. Another is th^HH|
jimilarity of the i^erm to that which cange^MHa
palaria. The disease has been studk^H^H
'ose-y bv physicians for years, owing to^H9
ts specially infectious character. Dr. Maiory
says the efforts to discover the real^^^R
:au6e failed because all went on the thco.j^^^H
,bat the disease liad a vegetable origin. jHHH
To Live ori Vesuvius.
M. Reuman. the French astronom^^Hfl
loted for his studies of volcanic phenoHMsH
;na, although a very old man, has tak^^^^H
ip his residence on Mount'Vesuvius in flHH
lope that the..researches he is about to
lertake will result in important discovc^R^Hj
es.
Blctrest Erid?e For Trolley
The gorge bridge over the Cuya^HB^Hjj
Falls in Ohio is the largest in America^H|8H
iiee of electric lines. It is over 400
long and 110 feet in height. .BBH
Gold the Congo State.
It l'j reported that rich gold
)ecn discovered is the Congo State. KH^^H