The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, September 28, 1904, Image 6
A Blues
ROMANO
*
By Miss Anni
CHAPTER V. jc
Continued. " . T
"Gentlemen do not usually pay *
morning visits to girls of eighteen, my *!
*lear Henrietta," said Miss Theodora,
.-with her little air of superiority. "Mr. ?
^Chester asked leave :o inquire for my
iiealth after the fatigues of the ball?
a very pretty and a very natural piece 0
of attention, too. Unless I am much
mistaken, we may look to receiving a .
;visit from Mr. Chester before tbe (lay
is out."
i ^And Theodora was right. Just at a
*the hottest hour of the afternoon, a
'Aunt Hosie and Daphne, picking cur- e
nants and raspberries for the annual J
jelly-making, forth rushed Margot to
j?ay that a fine English dandy in a tan- ^
dem (un beau Dadais Anglais avec sen
fcetail en flieche) vras inquiring before
the front porch for Demoiselle Vansit- a
tart.
wAnd Dapnne's cheeks flushed crim- a
son! She had spokjn truth, rigid and j
unvarnished, as respects the ball. The y
partners who held her till her breath e
was gone, the ladies who smiled j,
at her chasser-croisees behind their
lans, the crush, the glare, the cmpti- .
?ess of the whole scene, bad disap- 1
pointed her simply as a child is dls- q
appointed with actualities falling short n
of impossible expectation. In this mo- a
jnent sbe lost tbe child, assumed the ?
avoman; a sense of power, a thrill of
>? i tl
jvamty, uangerousjy sweci, ij. uuij uj ,
virtue of their newness, sprang to life ^
jwithin her heart. j.
^*'1 don't want one bit to see Mr.
^Chester," so she told Aunt Hosie, who ^
?tood gravely watching the changes of
<olor on the girl's face. uAnd of course
the vi6lt is to Aunt Theodora, uot me.
JStill, after giving him so many dances _
1.-st'night, it might look odd if I did
not go in to sec him, just for form's '
?ake." tl
k t ^ IJ
,#Arid In three minutes' time, her fin- jj
-gers stained with raspberry juice, and ^
5n her garden dress and hat, she en- y
jtered the parlor, where Mr. Chester a
awaited her alone?Theodora, who had v
not expected her visitor so early, ue- *0]
tog still occupied with lappets and a
Jaces, in the maiden seclusion of her g
pwn chamber. tl
^This first visit did not prove a brll- ?
iiant success. Mr. Chester's conver- r,
?atioa was modeled after the elliptic ^
or telegraphic fashion prevalent among s,
gentlemen of his class?a form of utterance
wherein nominatives exist not, C(
fvonouns are supplanted by "urns," ^
"ahs," or perusals of the ceiling?and ^
which altogether gives you more the 0
idea of a message framed at so much jj
per word than of an attempt made by ^
a.rational human being to communi- 0
cate .with his kind. a
'"Enjoyed ball last night? Tired.
Balls in hot weather deuced mistakes.
'All balls out of London deuced mis- a,
takes." Long pause. "Pretty country,
Jersey, for a week. See it all in j,
a ,week. See everything in a week." j'
A longer pause. "Know Cheltenham?" t]
TThig, .when Miss Theodora's entrance
Lad infused temporary vigor into the
conversation. "Know Cheltenham ^
rwell.? Too well. Hunted there couple ^
of seasons. Deuced slow, set of peo- g]
pie, Cheltenham people. Warwick- ^
?hire Stamers?most intimate friends."
Such was Mr. Barry Chester's style; p
5f the style be the man, such was a
tolerably fair index to Mr. Barry Chester's
mental powers. Fortunately, there
Suing a strip of mirror above the parlor/mantelshelf,
in which he could s
catch distorted glimpses of his charms, r
as he stood first on one foot and then
on the other, pulling restlessly at his ,
mustache, .while Miss Theodora en?leavored
to fill up the gaps in his dis- j(
.lointed talk with high-flown CheltenpAminkfonrtoc
nf hor nirn Fav*
tunately, too, as far as Chester was .
concerned, Daphne's judgment was un- j
conditioned by experience. ' She had
absolutely no standard, either of man- '
ner or intellect, of men or books, by
which to measure him. *
"A mostr presentable creature, realty,".
Miss Theodora pronounced, when I1
4i?e showy hired dog-cart, high-step* ?
fiiuff, broken-winded hacks, mock liv- h
*ry, and all, had dashed away among "
?he vista of sand hills out of sight tl
^Aad, little as one cares for looks in F
the other sex, so very unusually hand- it
^iome.', ? ^ o
? "The man has cold eyes and a hard *
>mouth," said Aunt Hosie, who had ^
been present, critically taciturn, dur- D
<ng the last three minutes of the visit. *
**And he is not a gentleman! No, Theo- s
ilora, not in spite of all the Warwick- J
hire Stamers in the world. Mr. Ches- ^
4ter is ill at ease with himself. He tries *
^iis best to forget his origin, and sue- 13
^eds?just sufficiently well to make a
jrou remember it."
' 3?or did it please heaven to soften ^
.{Aunt Hosie's opinions upon further c
{acquaintance. J
Before a month was over Barry Ches- *
#er had contrived excuses for paying *
ttwo more afternoon visits at Quer- ^
nee. his attractions each time enhanced *
3t>y the smart hired dogcart, 4-betaiI en ?
ffliecll," and mock private livery. Hy 1
ihe cud of a fortnight it had grown to e
an accepted thing that the young 1
man should constantly hover around E
Mef-de-la-Iieine, not paying Daphne Jattentions
that as yet could he called 1
*erious, but always finding some reatson
that necessitated his spending long s
afternoons or evenings in her neighbor- 1
jjckhi. f
' But Aunt Hosie's first verdict against 2
kim remained unmodified.
i She gave him no actual discourage* 1
xnent. holding the fine old orthodox '
doctrine as regards the celcstial or 1
providential forging oi men's marriage s
chains. She never strove to bias A
Caphne for or against his suit. She '
simply disliked him intensely, and did ^
not see that it fell within her duties 0
as a Christian to pat a cloak upon ^
her dislike. s
"Anil I believe, right down in my s
heart. I feel as yon do, Aunt Hosie." 1
said the girl, in a moment of half-sad,
half-jesting expansion. ".Mr. Chester 1
arfirrlliiiia llisi .? fiiiftiimHim nf ('
rOCKING;
E ^REALITY,
e EdwardsI
ourse. He is handsome, lias seen the
i-orld, too! I am sve, in liis presence
feel as impressed as Aunt Theodora
lerself by the Warwickshire Stamers
'et, if it comes to liking?if you were
o r.sk me whether I shall miss Mr,
/Hester wnen ne leaves, ur wueiuw *
rish I bad never known him at all, 1
ould not answer you."
And eight days later she accepted
im! Ran into the house one evening,
5h face, with the news that Barry
:hester loved her?loved her to sucL
new, trembling happiness in her girl,
n extent he could not possibly face
xistence unless she would become his
rife. And she?how could she have the
eart to say him nay? They were to
tart at once and colonize in Virginia,
:ou could buy an estate iu Bedford
lounty, with stabling for thirty horses,
nd an icehouse on it, said Daphne,
or a few hundred pounds, and peaches
Fere grown in orchards like our cidei
pples, and?and please might she ask
Ir. Chester to come in?he has only
i-aited for her on the terrace?and
very thing might be talked over quiet7
after tea.
She was so without guile, this counry
nurtured child of eighteen?her seuestered
life, the fine inborn whiteess
of her nature, raised her so high
* ?11 +hof
UUYC I Lit? IC> UJ kjl an iuiociiuvucj i<iu?
ven Aunt Hosie forgave her for being
azzled by Barry Chester's protestaions.
Besides, stifling her personal
islike and some natural jealousy at
escending from the first place in
)aphne's affections, what objection
ould Aunt Hosie urge /' *ist Mr.
hester's suit?
The modesty of his worldly prospects
"as laid bare by him, .without reserve,
a this first evening of his engagelent.
He had sold out of the army
ume months before, and the money,
r remainder of the money, realized by
le sale of his commission constituted
is actual fortune. At the same time,
is expectations fron rich friends,
Warwickshire Stamers and others,
mounted to moral certainties. He was
oung, not yet twenty-eight, and fond
t an outdoor life. (Did you ever know
consummately useless man of the
arry Chester type who d!d not make
ie same profession? The outdoor life,
Tit large, signifying pigeon shooting,
ace courses and general polarity, peraps,
toward horsily cut coats, a jewel
et whip, and gaiters.)
His project was to emigrate this
5ming autumn to Virginia, the most
opeful of colonies, 'twas said, for genlemen
settlers, buy a farm at a cost
f six or seven hundred pounds, and
ve upon it. Not a brilliant outlook,
e knew, and yet all that he had to
ffer! This and his own great love?
n expression for a moment flushing
is face that made even Aunt Hosie
link him handsome. Would Daphne
ccept him?
Daphne accepted him; three weeks
iter knelt at his side before the vilige
altar?caring for him?well, iu
ae dreamy fashion young girls do care
>r the first man whose lip-worship has
lised their lives from commonplace
) drama, but sobbing in earnest terror
rhen the moment neared in .which
tie must loosen her arms from Aunt
[oeie's neck and drive away, amidst
n avalanche of old shoes and huzzas,
any Chester's wife.
She was in nature so rich in good
s to render lier passionate allegiance
? every new phase of duty a matter
f course. Whatever Mr. Chester's
liortcomings, and they were many?
>apline clung to him during the eight
lonths in which they lived side by
ide with an unswerving, blind tenderess
that does not always fall to the
>t of worthier men. Did she, at any
loment, love him with such full measre
as she had to give during these
ight months? Header, she believed
tie loved him, and
There a button goes, 'twere an
epigram
'o offer the stamp of every Guelph.
They spent their honeymoon in Sark.
fc rained, and oefore ten days .were
ver Mr. Chester had ceased to repress
is yawns or gild over his expletives
i his bride's presence. After this came
aeir wedding visit to the old aunts at
'ief-de-la-Reine, a visit during which
: was understood that preparations
f every kind should be set on foot
or the coming exodus to Virginia.
\reeks, however, glided away into
lonths, the harvest was gathered in,
he russets of late autumn came to
ettle on lield and hedgerow, arad still
Ir. Barry Chester's projects took 110
efinite form. Nay, he began at times
o talk about a steeplechase on Querec
Common in the coming spring,
bout flat races in July, after a while
o discuss the wisdom of starting for
"irginia at all. Colonial life a deuced
hance, even for a man" with capital,
ust as much to be gained iu the old
ountry as abroad if a fellow had paience
to wait, and brains?to utilize.
Vhv, here in these islands a very good
hing might be done in breeding and
sporting the little Normandy horses!
f one could only rent pasture grouud
nough somewhere in the neighborlood
of Queraec, he was certain a
uoderate fortune might be realized by
lorse breeding, and at less risk than
a any colony going. Pending this?
Pending this, Mr. Barry Chester
pent his days?as the winter wore on,
lis evenings?more ami more away
?o:n home; wore flashier ties, wore
howier jewelry, and showed his prolivities
for outdoor life in general
>y taking a prominent part in the mauy
exercises of the island. Perilous
uns in pursuit of bags of newspaper;
teeplerhases where the stiffost fence
vas a furze-crowned hurdle; the most
>reakneek leap a two-foot-dcep tank,
illed beforehand from the parish water
art; trotting matches. pigeon mur!ers.
and all such liliputian Held sports
i." the limited area of dry laud and the
haky financial condition of the Nimods
themselves permitted.
Who should reitson vrttli him as tc
he error of his ways? Not his wife,
.u< f'ovto in Ynnnir ionnvaut.
'though she was, Daphne by this tin
must have entertained suspicions, yc
may be sure, as to the fineness of stu
in Mr. Chester's nature. But she hi
these suspicions jealously, even fro:
herself; believed in all things, hope
all things, never by look or word r
proached Chester for his neglect, <
questioned liim as to the hours that 1
passed away from her side. And t
her reticence unknowingly helped c
his ruin!
There are human temperaments i
adjusted that the mere contact of vi
tue seems poisonous to them.
Daphne Vansittart's simple, trutl
, ful character was one to have callt
forth every higher quality in a lov<
endowed with ordinary delicacy, o
dinary manhood. Upon Barry Chesti
| (who shall say through what hidde
moral chemistry?) her devotion acte
: as a directly evil influence.
Dogs not tne same ray ui UJCWV
or blacken, according to the nature <
i the substance across which it travel!
It was just a piece of old, miserab.
! luck, so he thoroughly and honest
! believed; possessing in a conspicuoi
degree that hallmark of incapacit;
j the habit of laying his failures to tl
I door of others! Circumstances ha
handicapped him before his birth?f<
| Aunt Hosie's intuition proved correc
Mr. Chester's mother was the daughti
| of a gamekeeper. As a child his fatl
e.* had sent him to the wrong schoo
' as a lad put him into the wrong pr
! fession; and now, juBt precisely at
! time of life when a fellow wan
worldly counsel, worldly judgment, I
had been fool enough to saddle hie
self with a wife!?a creature with
waxen baby face, a heart and tempi
sweet if you will, sweet to mawkisi
ness!?but about as fit she and the oi
aunts together, to help or guide a ma
with practical wisdom as if they La
all been picked up off some desert is
| and in the Tacific.
; From the comparatively innocuoi
' follies of paper hunting and pige<
killing Mr. Chester sank, siep i
; step, to grosser pleasures; was heai
' of at length by the affrighted Mil
Yansittarts as frequenting tavern
1 skittle alleys and the like places <
unhallowed resort. He grew moro
and silent (luring such hours of tl
1 twenty-four as it was his pleasure
spend at home; threw the quiet hous
hold into ever increasing disorder t
the lateness of his hours; complaint
of his meals, complained of Margot
waiting! In fine, gave every sympto
of the morbid discontent which, boi
of idleness, shadows all the innocei
environments of such men's lives wil
| its blackness.
And now, at length, the Miss Ta:
sittarts, taking counsel together
Daphne they durst not admit in
their secret?resolved "to speat!" sc
ernn and warning looks, parabolichints,
leading remarks thrown out i
the dinner table?and the small artl
lery of domestic warfare had long be<
employed without result. Barry Che
ter's delicacy was not of sufficient
' fine texture to be wounded so long ;
Fief-de-la-Reine offered a conveniei
roof under which he might abide fr<
of expense. He must be spoken to :
perfectly plain and unmistakab
' tones, and Theodora Vansittart, of hi
own free choice, undertook to 1
, spokeswoman.
Aunt Hosie, to whom Chester's sii
of omission and otherwise were sp
cially abhorrent, was yet, at this crisi
the most lenient of the three siste:
toward the wrong-doer himself. .Tu
as the law of her own life was effoi
so was the law of her judgment up(
others mcrcy. She had the charii
born of strength, the insight of a pur
unselfish heart into the temptatioi
and backslidings'of her frailer bret!
ren. Miss Theodora's imagination e
ercised itself more upon the fic-titioi
trials of young ladies and gentleim
than upon those of flesh and blood, ar
her condemnations were unehangeab
as a stone-carved decalogue. Ban
' Chester idle because he ay as weak?
coin, though light, need not necessari!
be bad. Give him time, and under tl
' influence of Daphne's affection, thinj
would yet come straight? Never! Mil
'ri<j?oi7 vi/% hcliof in mon pnmir
straight -who had once sunk to taven
1 and skittle alloys. And as to his fli
friends, as to his interest through tl
Warwickshire Stamers?"I don't b
lieve," said Theodora Vansittart, wil
a kindling eye, "that Barry Chest<
knows a Warwickshire Stamer I
sight!" And the heinousness of h
crime really swept away any lingerir
scruple or pity she might yet have fe
toward the culprit.
To be Continued.
The New Guinea Cannibals.
! "New Guinea is a new country wil
; great natural wealth, and whether tl
people who wish to take advantage *
1 it go among cannibal savages or civ;
: zed Christians depends on themselves
said the Rev. W. R. Mounsey the othi
1 day when describing the work done I
himself and his colleagues of the Brl
' ish New Guinea mission on the norl
coast. This part of the world wi
' twelve years ago inhabited by a rai
1 o' dangerous cannibals.
Stirring times were the lot of tl
first missionaries who went out, ar
' often the bishop or one of his assistai
c'crgy, landing on a louely part of ti
'.each, was immediately surrounded t
hundreds of chocolate colored savagi
whose bared teeth gleamed no less ot
inously than the huge spears whic
they carried.
On one occasion the bishop of Xe
Guinea had his whalcboat wrecked c
the coast and lost everything. He ar
another clergyman laid their w
clothes on the beach to dry in the su
l're.sently they saw a crowd of savagi
watching them, and. fearing mischie
they drrssed and walked boldly towai
' the crowd, which slowly uisperseu.
was afterward learned that the bo;
had been watched and a great fea
planned, in which the bishop and cle
' gyman were to be eaten.
Cannibalism is now practically e:
tinct. although several natives sti
practice it in secret?London Mail, u
1 Capo to Cairo.
! The great Cape to Cairo Railway, tl
: dream of Cecil Rhodes, is gradual!
' nearing completion. It has now reach(
a point within sixty miles of the VI
toria Falis, and the engineers hope 1
1 get to the falls by March. As soon :
1 the falls ar<> reached work will begi
to harness them after the fashion <
Niagara.
i
We all struggle for that which ts
I ran f'niar lint for a brief hour*
le I SOME WISE BARBAR'ANS.
iU ,
? I ?avases AVhn Knnu Enough t<? J'reserve
Their Xativ? r.il'tf.
m ! The naturalist Andiv. who recently
!(| i returned from tlio Canca affluent of
1 j the* Orinoco, reports that the Yenefcuej
Inn rubber collectors and their Indian
ie | assistants, at ihe present. rati? of pro}y
J irress, will in a few years more have.
,n completely exterminated the Bnlata
rubber tree, whose product is almost
,0 *he only article of commerce in that
r. region. Their invariable practice is to
destroy the tree to obtain ihe rubber. '
[j. Nothing is done to repair I his waste, j
id and more than two-thirds of tin; trees !
sr have been cut. j
r. So many siorics are told of the dear
Mruction of sources of weallh by bar-* '
>n barous and semi-civilized peonies thai
id it is pleasant to hear of other folk of '
i low culture who conserve the good <
:h ! things they possess. Dr. Krnst Fried- )
)f J rich has| been writing of the tribes of 1
i? Australia who consider it an offense .
le of the gravest nature to destroy cer- .
ly tain trrvs which bear edible fruits and 1
is who punish more severely than we do '
F, the bad boys who rob birds' nests, j
io Some of these tribes also make it a se- i
id rious misdemeanor to kill the young of 1
Jr animals, which, when they have their ]
it. growth, supply a great dea! of meat. i
& The pronuneiamenlo of the King of ;
h* the Tonga Islands in 1SW, dcciaring |
'*? j the volcano of .Niuaru io ik* num. i
j was a well meant endeavor vo save the '
a 1 poultry of the largest island from the I
ts | wrath of the fire mountain which had j (
ie | covered the island witJi volcanic dust. |
Q* threatening, the existence of the fowls, i
a , of whose eggs the natives were particjr
ularly loud. It was Ilis Majesty's ,
idea that his peopie iiuil treated Niuafil i
with a degree of familiarity bordering i
llj on disrespecl. and he thought if he (
made the mounlain "tabu." s-? that the
natives would be afraid io go near it
ov have anything to do with ii. the vol- 1
18 cano would erase sifting hot ashes |
)n down on the poultry.
I It: would be interesting to know if '
the guano companies that made such 1
scs haste to exhaust the deep beds of rich '
^ i fertilizer on the isiauus aiong im; tuusi
ge | of Peru ever heurd of the riffhl care
' J that the Ineas look to conserve this j
tQ | source of wealth. ;
I* The old Peruvians knew the value of
ty | this material as well as we do and J
used enormous quantities of it for the ,
?g enrichment of their farips. For geuer- i
m ations the Ineas kept guardg on all 1
,n these islands to prevent anv infringe- 1
ment of the law forbidding the killing '
of any bird harboring 011 rheui. Dur- ;
j ing most of the year natives were per- I
n. ' mitted to go to the islands for supplies '
_ . of fertilizer, but in the breeding season |
{ it was a crime punishable with death |
,j. | to )?e caught there. 1
al j .These vigorous measures were shaped '
ut ; by a definite policy. It was the pur- j
il- J pose of tiie fnoas to prevent any dimi- i
;n liution in the supply of guano. The
?. aim was to encourage in every way j
ly the breeding of these birds, so that the
as annual additions to tlie store of guano j
at would suffice to meet tlie needs of the !
;e farm lands.
in Nearly all that the civilized world
le ! buys l'roin tropical countries is raw j
sr material, and most of the natives who
>e collect it have little idea of the need ]
of conserving the supplies so that they ,
is may be a permanent source of prolit to j
e* them. They recklessly destroy the eles,
pliant, rubber plants, the oil palm and
fs other sources of wealth .
s* There are. exceptions, however, 1o ,
this rule. One of them is a tribe of no- |
)n torious cannibal* living behind the i
(Gold Coast in Africa. Their home is 1
e> in the belt where the kola tree grows, 1
18 itiid the kola nut is sent to many conn* |
k* fries for medicinal purposes. i
x" - Any injury done to one of these trees
13 is severely punished. The natives
know that they can obtain the goed j
J thin.es ilny want b> selling kola nuts. '
te and have sense enough to protect the J'
trae.that boars them. ' j
* ilere are two examples of half civil- i
y ijced peoples who have learned the folly J
of destroying sources of profit, and are
beginning to repair the mischief 'they i
_ have done. Gum tragacanth. used in j
1S making mucilage, was a considerable
ie export from* Persia till the wild sup- |
ie jdies were entirely exhausted. The i
e. cultivation of the plant has recently '
^ been started in wide areas around IsaP
pahan and Tabriz, and the Government
,"y is regulating the business?and declares
jg that it intends to renew the industry,
,g "Wild assafoetida was gathered ex- 1
It tensively in tlie wide region between !
. the Aral .Sea and the Persian Gulf, till
it became so scarce thai it did not pay '
to collect it. .Many hundreds of na- |
tives between Kabul and Ralkh are i
j nt' ilSSat'OC- i
I1U? 111111.15 iuv.il .
ie ticla.?New York Sun.
Df
j 'Daughters of Revolutionary Soldier*.
?? There are no Revolutionary soldiers
oj. r.ow alive, nor are there any survivors
jy of the war of 1S12, the last veteran of
it.' the 1S12 fracas, a resident of New
tii J York Stale, having died some years
1S 1 ago. Daughters of Revolutionary sol2Q
diers draw pension under a special act
of Congress. Hannah Barrett, daughie
ter of Private Noah Harrod of Captain
id Webb's company of Colonel Sbepacd's
at regiment of Massachusetts troops, was
ie one of these pensioners. She lived at
)j 425 Massachusetts avenue, and died
?s last December. The only other surn
viving da lighter paid by the Boston
;h pension office is Rhode Thompson,
j daughter of Thaddens Thompson, a
w I private in Captaiu Thomas's company
>n of Colonel Lamb's raiment of-New
td Vork Artillery. She resides at Woodet
hury. Conn. The Boston office does not
n. 2ovcr all of New England, as payments
are also made at Augusta. Mo., and
f, Concord, N. II. There are about 2.0IK)
d tvi/inu-s oi soldiers of JS12 still alive,
It and of this number 100 arc paiil pen- i ,
it ijoiis through ibe Bo>ton urtico. l'?os- j
st {on 1'eeord. I |
IVIiy tlie Pope Ditln'l Have i? Tooth I'nlle'' j "
s- "1 have drawn 'J.OOO.iUl ti?<;ili,*"-s:iid" i <
ill I he dentist-monk of liouic recently before
his death.
No charge was made and the priest
ivorked in the open air in the garden
le >f Ids monastery and used no instru- I
ly iients but his thumb and forelinger. '
'd fx'O XIII. was one of his clients, and j
c- Pope J'ius IX. said to him once:
to "Dear brother, 1 should like very
is iiu< h to have :i tooth pulled by you.'' ' 1
in "Oh, Holy Father!"'
)f "P.uc it is impossible.-'
"Oh! Why?" said the monk.
"Because.'' returned the Pope rjuiet"e
y. "1 have none I fit to pull."?Ilom.^
Correspondent rail Mall Garettc.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 1
" I '
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS S
FOR OCTOBER 2.
(Subject: Klislia Succeeds Kli.juli, II ! C
Kings, II., 12-22?Golden Text, II
Kings, II., 0?Memory Verne*, 12-14? !
Commentary on the Day's Lesson,
T. The vision (v. 12). Lesson 11 of the j ^
third quarter should now be rev'eiwed. 12. j ^
"Elislia saw it." That is, tlie ascension of j i
Elijah. Elisha saw this, however, not with L
bin natural eyes, for it was a scene belong- j A
inpr to the spiritual world, and to behold I ic
it lie must, like ihe young man mentioned ^
in chapter C: 17. have hi.s inner senses un- j y
reiled. This sight was a special divine fa- j j,
?? and was made by Elijah the condi- j ^
Lional sign of Elisha's obtaining a double ) 0
portion of his spirit (v. 10). "My father." f
fhi.s title of affection was given bv the j
rowiger prophets to an elder. Elijah had ; ?
been a father to him in his care and train- . a
ing, in love and legacy. These words [ p
should be understood a.s an exclamation of ; j
ivoftder and-amazement. Elislia sees his , j
spiritual father depart, and he sees the ' ^
chariot and the celestial steeds, and he i ]
jails after them all. .Some think that j t
Elisha desired to convey the impression ; 0
that Elijah was more to Israel by bis coun- i ?
?els, reproofs and prayers than chariots j ?
md horses. "Rent them." This was a
r.onimon mode ;>1 expressing gnet. iMisna }
looked upon Elijah'* departure as a per- i
'onal bereavement. He had lost the guide
nf his youth; loneliness came over i (
liiin and he acted like a heartbroken j
mourner. I
IT. Dividing the -Jordan (vs. 13. 14). 13. j
The mantle. This was the same mantle i
with which he had been called by Elijah to !
the prophetic office, and by which Elijah I
divided Jordan. Having the mantle was a J
proof that he was invested with the au- j
thority of his master. "Stood by the i
bank." He was the same man and yet not |
Lhe same; like many another who has |
?one to the gate of heaven with a depart- 't y
ing saint. He could no more lean on Eli- ' V
jab, but he found that he had received as j };
the prophet's dying legacy, 1. Elijah's : ;
mantle. 2. Elijah's (jod. 3. Elijah's j *
?pirit. 4. Elijah's office. I
14. '"Smote." Elisha's first miracle was
identical with Elijah's last one. He acts 1
upon the faith that he would receive from i t
Sod the power which he had desired, i ]
'Where is." etc. This question docs not j y
imply doubt of God's presence, but is an j
entreaty for His power to show itself, and. |
zive a foretaste of the spirit of Elijah i ]
iv hi eh had been promised. j ;i
in. Searching for Elijah (vs. 15-18) 15. (
Sons of the prophets. The fifty who had n
lone to a heiglit to watch Elijah and j j
Klisha as they went across the Jordan (v. j t
D. and were waiting for his return. "They <j
aid," etc. When they raw the miracle ]
ivrotight by Elisha they were confirmed in' 1 t
the belief that lie was the divinely ap- -j t
minted successor of Elijah. "Bowed i c
themselves." Thus showing that they at- ; V
knowlcdgcd him as their head. These j t
men were trained up in the schools of tlie ; a
prophet?. q
1G. '"Seek thy master."' Tt cannot be. ]
mpposed after what they had said before >
to Elisha that the Lord would take away a
!iis master on that day. that they expected
to find Elisha somewhere alive. Xo doubt f
Klisha had at once told them how Elijah 1
iad departed, but evidently they could J
not fully believe that lie had gone bodily I
to heaven. Their search to find him. how- ! C
?ver. was as fruitless and idle as the at- -i
tempt of some moderns to explain away j l!
the idea of a bodily ascension into heaven, i 1
'Ye shall not." Klisha was absolutely* I $
certain that the body could not be < t
found. | a
17. "Ashamed.'' To iefu.se longer to J >'
jrant their request. He saw that, ihev 1 c
would not be satisfied until they had mado
the search. The best way to solve doubts ! c
in<l questionings about religion is by a j 1
personal investigation. Dr. Nelson, in his j '
book on infidelity, says that he never j A
inew an inlidel who fairly investigated the j c
ilaims of the gospel to remain an infidel. ?
18. "Did 1 not say?'' 'Hie search only '
confirmed the words of Elisha. Those
that would find Elijah, let them aspire to .
'he heavenly paradise. Let them follow :
the high steps of his sincere faithfulness, i ?
trong patience, undaunted courage, firrent
zeal and constant obedience.* * I J
IV. Healing the waters (vs. 19-22). 19. j v
"Men of the city." l'rominent citizens o? i c
Pr.fliantt { liov wow? plrflpi ? fir I t
the city who-thus applied to Klislia, ami 1
their action shows tiiut lie had their eonfi- t
rience. As he had now attained the high- n
est eminence in the prophetic office, possi- a
lily they cxpected that he might he able to 'I
rid the city of its plague. "Is pleasant." 1
rite situation of Jericho, near the passage ; c
[>f the Jordan, was such as to attract a | n
?on>ideral)le population after it was re- j i
built: and for the sake of the prosperity ; I
which came to them in other ways they j 1
were content to dwell in such nil unvvhole- j
soinc place. Now, however, they saw a
liope of benefit and with this thought they
;ame to Elisha. Jericho was a part of that j
sountry which, in Gen. 18:-10, is compared : ],
'to the garden ot (lie Lord.'' "Is naught.'' <]
Ts had. harmful; tlie word '"naught" was j t
formerly used in this sense. "(J round bar- j r
ren." .See R. Y. "Oasteth her fruit." K. i >
Vr., margin. The evil effect was clearly im j i
Ronsequenee of the hurtful water, for the I t
liealing of the spring is to bring a remedy J t
for the other evils. It seems therefor# j v
that the water was such as earned the tree* j \
to she;d their fruit prematurely. J 11
20. "A new cnise." A new cup or dish, ; j'
one "never used in any common or unholy ' J
service. The purity of the vessel was to J s
typify the purification wrought flpon the t
spring." "Salt therein." "Klislia in work- v
ing this miracle would seem to'make use
of means just as Jesus did when lie put
spittle on the blind man's eyes" (John
9:6). The injurious property ami effect
was not taken from ihe water by the salt > c
poured in. for even if the salt actually j t
possessed this power, a whole spring could ,|
not b<? corrected by a single dish of salt, | ;i
even for one day, much less for a longer j]
time, or forever. i u
*21. "Unto the spring." Tito fountain j < .
bursts forth at the eastern foot of a high ' 'j
double mound, or group of mounds, situ- | 0
atefl a mile or mote in front of the mount-i j a
am ynarantaum, ana aoout imny-nvi: ;|
minutes from the modern village of .Ten* j >
cho. It is a large and beautiful fountain 1 j
of sweet and pleasant water: not. indeed, y
cold, but also uot vvariu. It is the only, i
one near .Jericho, and there is every reason !
to regard it as llie scene of Elislia's mil-'
aole. "Lord?healed." Xot Elisha, nor I
the salt, but Ood wrought the change in j ^
the fountain. This miracle was typical of j j,
the work done by tlie Lord after the as- j n
cension of Christ, by means of the apostles | J(
and their successors casting the salt of j
Christian doctrine from the new cruse of | t(
the gospel into the unhealthful waters of 0
the .fcricho of this world, and healing j
them. Compare this miracle with that of
the healing of the poisonous pottage (cliap. j ^
4:38-41) and the waters of Marali (Exodj j 41
13:25). j (J
l-'rcucli Wiil?r-l'ow*r Schrmr,
Application lias been made to the French
r.egi-.'attue for sanction to employ the ; '
water power 01' a lake one ami a half
miles wide, .situated 011 a liigli point, in the 11
Department of ilje Ardtche. for the pur* , _
pose of generating electric power for light- ;
ing. not only St. Ktienne. but all the prin- "
i-ipal towns in the Department of the
Loire. Tin's scheme is in addition to the j
Electricity supply project belonging to the
municipal authorities of St. Ktienne. and 1
is promoted by M. Mallet, 01 St. Ktienne. j <
I. - ? --A-* .: .-..1 .?| ,uKI luiiui, iu\nW
II' IM tlliunuclicu tllrt l i?v*o? I-"" - -- P
will be a\ailable from the Ardeche wuiu'a. l;
i
Harvard Memorial in Loudon, ; j
[American residents in Loudon. England, j c.
Iiave obtained permission from the Bishop
of Rochester to erect a stained glass win- \ a
low in St. Saviour's Collegiate Church, j aj
Southwai'k, to the memory of John Har- j ,
rard^Avho originated the great college j j,
whif'^beais his name in the United States, | tt
*""io was born in Southwark iu 1007. _ j ?j
Reward For Hlg Fortitude,
Spencer Charrington. member of the
British .Parliament, eighty-two years old, ?
ha9 received a silver cup from admiring i c'
fellow-members because he sat through a
twenty-tive-hour sessivn on July 19-20, i b
' a
'HE GREAT DESTROYER !
OME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT !
THE VICE OF INTEMPERANCE. |
>nr Drink lilll Is ?J.I51,C33,n:9 Only !
For One Year, or SO;i For Kach Drink- |
er-Larite Increase In Coimumption of !
Alcoholic Beverage*.
One-fourth of all tho people in the f'ni- j
ed States drink alcoholic beverages. The j ]
mount of money spent in this way during j
903 was $1,451,6315,379, or an average ex
ienditure for each drinker of All t
his is. according to the American (Jro- j
er'3 annual estimate of the nation's drinl: ;
lill.-based upon official United States reiorts
and carefully compiled statistic-", and j
lot announced in the interests of the \V.
\ T. U... or intended for anything but I
old, actual information, lor the nation to j ]
ace and ponder upon. . .
These statistics show. also, tint every i
nan in the United States who drinks at
11 drinks twice as much as his t'or.ef at lira
did?or a* he himself'did'if he w.\s <
Irinking twenty-thret years ago. For in
880. the- consumption of alcoholic drinks 1
>er capita was 10.50 gallons'. To-day it is
9.98 gallons. All of which jzoes to prove
hat prosperity leads to an increased use <
f stimulants: that as the American people
row bigger and richer they drink harder. i
r else, as they drink harder they grow
icher. But ihw.is lejectcd by.the White
libbon workers. i. i
At any rate, the fact remains that iu the
ast twenty years the desire for strong 1
Irink?but particularly for beer?has inreased
as steadily as the years have
assed, and more steadily and far more [
apidly than even tfce increase in populaion
has justified.
The use of spirits is now more "general
han ever before and, according to the retort,
if there was not a tax of $1.10 per
;allon on whisky the nation would have j
teen debauched with cheap qualities of the j
iquor years ago. There have been 132* ; _
llicit distilleries seized during the past j
ear and 66,444 gallons of moonshine j
diisky reported for seizure. While, were t f
ieer as cheap as its rivals, coffee and tea. j
t is further determined it would be ;
ilaced at once as the king of American j
leverage*. j
As it is, However, coffee si ill leads il?c j m(
ist. The United States drinks more of it j *?
han any other nation, using approximate- i J?11
y 1.000,000,000 pounds of raw coffee everv ! .r
ear, at a cost of about $160,000.01)9. which i
epresents about 1,566.902,614 gallons. j ^1:
Then comes beer, a strong second, with : in
.449,879,95*2 gallons in 1903. or an aver- j P?
ce for each father, mother and child of
bout 18.04 gallons annually. Of this !
mount only 4,000,000 gallons are of the j [?e
niported quality. The total expense to | J?'
he nation for its beer alone last vear was ; ?
727,042,245. I
There is more tea drinking, too, since j ?
he duties were decreased. Tea comcs !
hird on the list as far as the quantity [ .
onsumed is concerned, 90,000,000 "pounds ; j2*
>eing imported in 1903. or about one-half \
he amount of coffee (450.000,000 gallons), j J
.t a cost of about one-tenth. And last in i c"
uantity, but with a thump, comes the fierv !
iquors and spirits that make up the insit?- j v
ous cocktail and iridescent and potent ,
fter-dinnqr cordials. .
The year's consumption here is notable ' 49
or an increase of one-tenth of one gallon j
>er capita, the largest increase for one j Q.c
ear since Columbus discovered America. ! ?l!
Summed up, the total represents 120,- I
100,000 gallons, less than one-tentli the ! i1.1
mount of beer, but the money value is ! y
nany times as much, the revenue of im* ! It(
>orted spirits alone amounting to nearly j ln
126,000.000. This shows in a relative es- ;
imate that the average cost of coffee, tea j "
nd cocoa per capita every year is $2.01 j | F?
vliile for spirits and liquors it is S15..14, i .
ir about seven times as much. j
The report shows further that we are j ?
Irinking more imported wine and less do- j
nestic than we were two years ago, the j
atio being about 30,000.000 gallons to M
i.OOO.OOO, while Deer is turning jusi rue slither
way. the United States exporting j ta
nany gallons annually. ! ,
/ ihc
I >r
Stnnj; to Death. j ;u
"At la?t ifc biteth like a serpent and j ?
tingeth like an adder." i J?
The nolice court missionary in Birniing- j ?
lam, England, tells of a young married |
Ionian, twenty-eight years of age, who j j?
lied a shocking death from drinking. Up j jjj
0 the age of twenty-six she had been a | *u
eetotaler. and did not know what the j .
a?to of drink was. She was a leading j j,
nember of the Gospel Temperance Mis- | f?
ion. and sang the polos at the meetings. ! i?
L'hen she was taken ill, the doctor ordered |
randy, and it proved like the first taste j v:
if blood 1o a tame tiger. She could never j
gain be kept from it. and at last it killed if
ler. A craving was awakened which must ,
lave been in I lie blood. The adder .smug j ?
icr to death.?National Advocate. I
Oneer Drunken Manias. | iy
DT
A sheriff who died some few years since Ki
:cpt a 1 ecord of the curious cases of 5j(
[rmikenness that came under his observaion.
Several habitual ca<>es had devel- j jjr
iped odd manias. One woman who had j tjj
teen arrested 167 times for drunkenness ! :Ul
n twenty-eight years had a mania for
ireaking win.iovs when she was intonated.
An dd soldier suffering from a
round in the head always stole Bibles
ilien he was tipsy. Another man stole
lothing )>ut spades, while one woman's i
amy rail to shawls and another's to shoes. "
1 man named f?mbb was :mprisoned
cvmii time., tin- sffalina' tub*, although i
here was nothing hi lii< line of life to | jp:
iiakc tubs imrtic-ii!arJy desirable to liim. ! "8
* |pe
Irish 1'oveity. ? '
TIi? fi??al problem in lrc lanJ is callable (
if very >ini|>Je demonstration. Last year ,
lie poptiialion of the Sister Inland had ,
Iwindled down to aboxit 4.413,600. yet tiie ,
ntoun: spent on whisky and l>eer alone
ii 19IKJ ?--u'-hc-d tiie huge total or ?11.'H)0.- ! P?
<K>. and tiie stun paid to tin* British JSx- hequer
as excise duty exceeded i<5,000,000. on
he expenditure upon intoxicating drinks mi
t all kinds during the year is estimated '.?|
t over ?'14,000.01)0. which would mean lti
li^iiit Jt'15 for each iaiuilv oi five person*. 5io
wonder that poverty stalk's through Pi1
iie land in the presence oi ?ucli a -elt-ini- j
o.-eJ burden.?London Christian. t
i jat
A Revelation. on
The editor ai tiie Xew Yorl: Voice, on
eing asked ij there was noi sor.ie mistake dV(
i it* statements. replied: ".No. We went nei
lit." lie .savs, "our own private detectives jv,
t> uuike inveaiijations, and then em- ^
loved a good lawyer to go with us. and ?,e(
jgethtr we examined the records, and to vv0
ur humiliation and the disgrace o) the ?n
ity, we found that some of the most in- as
inious dives in the city .belong to men ha'
rho occupy high positions, and to whom ths
lie people look as examples of law abiding
nd honorable citizens."
A Oneer l'rojecl.* j* i
TIio Tr-sian < .'overnnieut will pr.y jO.ODO cai
iii)!ex to any one who will indkale. l?el'o:e re<
u!y !. lfXIo, a method ol "doctoring" alco- f?1
ill i.t sticli a way that. v:hile n.selul lor tin
inning and oilier purpose*. it will have dri
,if!i a l>ad taste that ?u on.-' could ji:i?-ii)'y ity
rink it.
Italian Aimv Temperate. '
Alcoholism is < xtrem?.;y rare io the I se<
Laliait anuy. In ihc year 1901. ihe !ate?c l?1
ii- wlikii lii'ir.t*-- ati* available. only twen." live
casSM vw:c a;it!:ii.;ed iir.o the lso<i>i- J10
i W. f01
Making It Eaoy ro Do Right.
Tn Sweden i lie saloons are closed on pay }
ay, and the banks are kept open from n<?
lily morning until midnight. The (iov- WT
rnnient is protecting the laboring man ,V1
gainst the greedy, ruinous saloon traffic.
nd encouraging mom to put tneir money
i bank. It would be a commendatory act
our Government would take an equal in-rest
in her subjects.?Arkansas Search- }u
gl". frl
______ 0r(
The Holland Society of Total .\Utinuce,
in making some studies about llie inuenee
of alcohol oil the work ot school |Qg
liildren. found that among 1780 children, aaj
'venty-tive were steady users ot alcoliolic p0]
everages; 1262 us-ed tliem occasionally,
od 453 were t.ota,1 abstainers.
i
Enoch Walked With God.
My God, how can I walk with Thee?
O, wilt Thou not tc me confide,
rhe secret of the Enoch life,
In Thy communion to abide?
Not for eternity alone,
lo brighten hope and cancel fear;
But, listening Father, for to-day, *
To know the joy to feel Thee neai?
[n skies and flowers and holy book
At times I hear Thee speak to me,
[ love to speak to Thef: in prayer,
But, Father, do I walk with Thee!
Can I be walking with my God,
If, through some storm' of selfish grief,
[ filirink, and lie with sullen gloom
In some foul C2ve of unbelief?
Or, if alternately within
Now reigns the good and now the iU?
Or, if my heart in changeful mood*.
Rebels against Thy holy will?
Come, Holy Spirit of the Lcosd,
Before whom chaos cannot be,
To harmony bring all my soul.
That God may come and walk with me?
Be near mp, 0 Thou, Christ diviae
Wlio art the life, the truth, the way,
Now let me closely follow Thee
Then I shall walk with God to-day.
?J. Hunt Cooke, in Chicago Stt-ndard. i .
Trust in God. ! \
We sing: "In some way or other, the
>rd will provide," and still we worry
out it, as if the Lord did not i?re any-*
ing about us. or were unable to help us,
wever much He might wish to do so.
What is lacking, in a greater or leas deee,
is an intelligent trust in God?a di?sition
to take God at His word. To ;
iny Christians it is comparatively easy
trust in God for spiritual blessings, but
Bicult, if not altogether impossible, ,to
list Him for temporal blessings, and yec
the promises of God's word there is no
stinction made as to these, or if there ia
y discrimination it is in favor of tera-ral
blessings. '"Thou shalt dwell in the
ad, and verily thou shalt be fed." "Your
savenly Father knoweth that ye have
ed of these things." What things? Why;
od and clothing, to be sure. And all
ese things shall be added unto you.
There are two errors with regard to
ese promises of God, into one or tha
her of which we are apt to fall.
The first is the disposition to spiritual*
s them, until they lose all reference t?
mporal thing*. "Thou shalt be fed."
fcs, with spiritual food!" "Ye shall ba
jthed." "Yes, with the rotes of right-,
usness!" But who says this? Assurednot
the Saviour when He directed the
tention ol' the disciples to the birds of
e air that are fed (not on spiritual food),
an illustration of the way in which Goa
juld provide for them! There is, in fact,
it the slightest intimation that anything
se is meant than the supply .of thosa
mporal and material wants to which the
sciples were subject while in the world,
le care that our Heavenly Father bejws
on the comparatively insignificant
d worthless objects of His creation is
ed as a convincing argument to prove
is care lor those that trust Him. "Are
not mucn Detter tnan mey: ?
The otiier error is that of the fanatic M
10 sava: "God has promised to take care lig
me, to feed and clothe me, why should H
make anv effort 10 care for mvself? To B
urt is eaefer than to work, therefore I B
ill give myself no conoern as to the H
Dthing and feeding of myself and -my . H
milv, for verily the Lord will provide!
Undoubtedly the Lord will provide, bat. B
>w? Xot by encouraging improvidence
laziness, but by putting the mean* of - B
pply within the reach of those who trust BH
tm that they may help themselves; just jH
He does for the fowls of .the air ana all HQ
e other creatures that He has made.- B
iod feedeth the sparrow that scratcheth H
r a living," is not exactly Scriptural lan* H
lage, but it conveys a very sound Scrip- H
ral truth, nevertheless. HS
The same rule applies in temporal mat? M
rs as in spiritual, says the Chicago Ad- 111
.nee. If one would enjoy spiritual bless- I
gs he must uee the means of grace that IS
sd has placed within his reach. The one
bio does not will assuredly starve spirit- |j}j
illy just as he who, through indifference Bj
laziness, neglects his opportunity to Ifl
ake a living, will starve physicallv. Sffi
"Trust in the Lord and do good!" and, BS
I assured, the "doing good" ifl as impor- H|
nt a condition of the promise as is the Eli
ustiug. But having done all. ye may safeleave
the results with Him who has Bag
omised. for His promise cannot fail. .
There is no room for anxiety, no occa- Bj
>n for worry. "Commit thy ways unto
e Lord, trust also in Him. and He will
ing it to pass, and He will bring forth
y righteousness as the light and thy B|
dgment as the noonday!" OEa
A Hypocritical Excuse. 99
We must impress upon parents the great K|
sponsibility which rests upon them. MB
I occasionally meet with people who say: HI
tVhen I was a boy my father and mother
;re very strict. They brought me up so He
pdly that a reaction took place in my
ind, and I have turned away from re- H|
;ion." I have sometimes said to such
rsons: MB
"Did thev teach vou to be honest?" 9M
"Yes." WBk
"To tell the truth?"
"Yes." > m
"Did they insist upon it?" WW
"Yes." _ _ 3g|
"Has any reaction taken pTace on these KB
ints?" 19
There is a great deal of nonsense palmed
: upon the community in relation to this
ltter. Not one man of us learns the
iltiplicatiou table from sheer love of HQj
but 1 never knew any one to say his
nd was in reaction against the multication
table.?Dr. John Hall.
Lofty S?.crTflcei. KflHI
The only way to become capable of lofty jflg
orifices is first to begin with humble Hfij
es. The doing of the little duties at our
n house door, the love of our neighbor,
ihaps uninteresting and rather stupid,
? the first steps in the ladder of good5?,
at the top of which sparkles the mar- HH
:'s crown. For there are martyrs now,
io live out their quiet lives, die in their
is. wear everyday rlothes, enjoy homely HV
>rship, yet lav tlieir lives at their heav- In
ly Master's feet as full and as acceptably H|
either Ignatius or Ridley. It is the
bit of making sacrifices in all thing* Hffj
it enables us tor lr.aking them in great. HM
"* ?ptaiinn mBl
ICU It in fljacu Kfl lie. X/iIUV|, M--MM
The Little Love Service!.
Many a trusting child is cast down be- Jftg
ise the little love service, which may be HI
juired. seems too small to be counted
aught in the great harvest field, forgetig
that the dear ]?rd a?-ks of Hi? cnil- HB
en only so much as He gives them abii-^H
to perform? Augustus L. Thompson. Hb
You Mukt Seek Kim. BOH
You need (iod in the very things that^^l
fiu to separate you from Him. You HP
i-t seek Him in the very places where
e misery of liie feeins to be that He ii^H
t. Von must question the stoniest pat'uc^^H
streams of water.?Phillips Brooks.,
A High Speed Record. Sb?IB
rn a dark room, where tie could man
thing but the outline oi his machine,
th a fitoD watch held on him and six^TO
tnesses present, John A. Shields, of Ot-HS
va, Kan., clattered off 222 words on aHI
> writer in a single minute, thus break-^^g
; the world's record by ten words and MM
monstrating his right to be hailed as tho^H^
rld's champion. Charles McGurrin has^^fl
a number of years held the world's
i at 212 words per minute. _
a Curfons Libel.'' Hal
tl. Bene Dubreuil, a French autlior, h'nv-Hflj
; written a novel containing a character^BK
med Bishop Volaille (fowl). Bishop Cka-HH
[i (capon), of Nice, hag brought an ac*^HE
. i