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1 HE CHEAT MAGICfAN. !V.';,h spell lip<? on the street tf>-d.iy [ found it du!l not Ions r-jo; SfOvV these old bouses, dim and Kray. o.-e:n bright with a m>>'erious glow; !iml even tb" solvr trees laok gay Tuat once 1 called "a gloomy row. * Ah? then I longed for sunny field.-*, Where bud .md bell fresh leave's tmfoTvi; [Jut now the joy this pavement yields 1* quite as much as .heart ran hold; Fi?ink you some great magician wields His wand, transmuting stone lo gold? ?vr.?elheart, "on lcno-.v th* reason why Such witchery hangs about the place; ?rntn cne small window?all to liirh? There fihyiy 'cms a (lower-like lave. Di.u smile* to j-"."1 me loiter by, Thougli time?the tyrant?runs lpice. And be the nomine dark or fair, [ carry lo my daily toil I'hf liciit that shines from eyes and hair. Which neither rain nor wind can spoil; ft d to tiie erimorul city bear v/ure thoughts tuat taught car. j'.ain or I soil. D-.happy he who thus may take Heart-sunshine into mart or mil!; And happy she who for his nak? (.-an smile behind the humbles', sill; f he world its wiser hea;l may shake. .. . . . i _?.:?! rnu love 3 cr.e irue mm. ?E. Matheson, in Chambers' Journal. *& *&> Ddvid's Choice 2y FLORA STEWART EttORY. yxyi't* yi ">:-a-!rr rer AVID HORTON had come ^ to Springfield because tlie O T J O fates bad willed it so. Tlie K " J? tes were in th > form <?f ^fOtf an eccentric aunt, .who left a large estate to David on fiie condition that he marry one?auy oae?of Springfield's fair'danghters. -t first David had rebelled; He said lit tvould never step foot in the- pokey Ihttle village. Tlien be concluded to spend the summer tliere. Sitting on the hotel porch he espied a vision in trills ana mrues. wuu that?" lie asked the clerk, interested at or.ee. And who wouldn't have been? b'or tbe lady wag dressed iu the daintiest of white lawns, and wore a b>g picture hat, from under the brim erf which she glanced almost mischievously at him. "Oh, that is Mrs. Vernon,"'was the answer. The clerk lifted his hat in response to a bewildering senile of greeting. "Hang it all!" David thought, "1 never did see a womau I could love that wasn't already married." He ate his supper with relish, thinking all the while of the fact that he never saw an attractive single girl In his life. floing out on the porch again, his atieniion was arrested by the siuht of another charming young woman. Instantly lie^forgot about the picture hat ?he looked fair and squaj** and 'way deep into a pnir of the tenderest blue eyes imaginable. ' Who is that?" he asked quickly. #4,Why, that's Mrs. Hurd." Again David's heart sank. He wondered why married women were allowed to go around loose in nink airy "owns and soft lace. Four different girls passed during the -opening. "Uncdmmoniy ujtfy and dowdy," David thought. bitterly, i "Our girls aren't much, but our widows are our pride," the garrulous cferk volunteered. "And who are the widows?" David avked, wearily. "Mrs. Vernon and Mrs. Elurd," came tfhe answer. "Hurray P David exclaimed. M.V beautiful sunset. I am very enthusiastic about sunsets." The clerk looked puzzled. it was all a matter of taste which was the prettier. Both were cfiarmng each in-her own particular wy. But it u>ust not be imagined the ladies were at all alike. Mrs. Vernon was plump, inclined to stoutness, with rosy cheeks, brown hair and sparkling eyes. She was frona hardy German stock and rose at 4 in the- morning to. accomplish a big day's work, if the occasion demanded it. No .matter liow hard she worked her eyes lost none of their luster nor her smile its brilliancy. Mrs. Ilurd was petite, decidedly small, in fact, with yellow hair and Sreat blue eyas-eves as innocent as a child's, but full of pathos bom of years. Contrary to Mrs. Vernon, Mrs. Hurd .was delicate. If she swept the house, then she must buy baker's bread that day and lie down awhile in the afternoon. All nijrlit, brown and blue eyes haunt?d David's dreams. With the morning came 'a determination to meet the blue eyes first. He did. The acquaintance ripened rapidly. It became a courtship before Mrs. Hurd realised it. "I love hiiu, dear," she confided to her friend. "I think 1 was wrong about .second marriages; you see, a! woman needs some one to l?au on. I am -so tired standing alone." "You know best," Mr? Vernon answered, kissing her fondly. "I sometimes think that way myself." One evening David asked his sweet heart to take him to call pn Mrs. Vernon. '"I hear she ia the best housekeeper in Springfield," he said, thoughtlessly. Mrs. Ilurd hastily wiped the dust from a chair. ?.trs. Vernon was delighted to see them and insisted upon making lemonade ami briuging out some cake. ' I always have cake on hand," she t-xp.'ain, when David complimented it. Mrs. Hurd picked at her dress nervously and choked on a piece of frostllug. Twice Davjd had.taker, tea at her house ar.d^-fihe had bought cuke. She felt her waJJs were falling, but she was too just to blame her friend. Going home David had a groat deal it-j say about how nice vvcrything looked at Mrs. Vernou's. Next morning Mrs. llurd row very earJy and gave the house* a thorough cleaning from top to bottom. When David cams at 10 o'clock for her to go driving she could scarcely wove. Her eyes had lark rings under them, and ilie corners of her mouth drooped pitifully. ' I cannot go, David." she said, wistfully. Seeing his disappointment, she added: "Why not ask lira. Veraon fin's morningV" "Ail right, Nellie, 1 wilt," he answered, lightening. She had hoped be would say "no." / | Tar morning it wits (lip samo. ; .Mrs. iliirii was not dressed to .^o driv[ i*.".;, and Mrs. Vernon was asked in her : place. So i!" went on. Mrs. Herd working I harrier and harder, but tlvre was no David to compliment the spotless bouse ; or cat thi? rich cake i David hardly realized he was neg! lecting Ids sweetheart until Mrs. Yer! non reminded him. She saw that her | friend was grieving, and she feit, too, a dangerous sentiment for lite hand- j , some David growing in her own heart. ! There were so many dishes and quite a pile of ironing. Mrs. Kurd looked at her morning's work helplessly. "1 guess f am getting more worthless every day,'' she sighei!. "I didn't* use I > try to <\o so much." An unconscious siuile hovered around her tip.* contradictory to the teardrops that glistened o;i her long lashes. "He won't h' here to-dav: h> wasn't here yesterday, I wish lie tail never come?" siit? was going t > say. '"into my lift-."' v. hi'i! :i ni:tit's voice interrupted her. "Who?" David asked. , She turned quickly. Site wondered how much of the monologue* ho had hoard. "The doctor," she answered. "He was hero this morning and tned to frighten mo about my heart." "Aren't you going to ask :ne (o sit down;" David asked. "No, not here; you should not have coi::c (o the side door." "I didn't-, dear, until I had rung the hell three times without receiving an answer." Mrs. Ilurd laughed nervously. "I? I?thought?aren't you going to take ?Jrs. Vernon driving?" ll?r pale lace flushed. Her lips began to tremble. "Oh, David, what must you think of trne crying like a big baby! Please go away for a while." David did not obey the pleading voice; instead be took her sliRht form in his arms and kissed away the tears. "[ came for a definite answer to-day, Nellie.- Are you willing to trust yourself in ray keeping?forever?!' Still holding ber lie commenced to sing. His ! soft, mellow tones soothed her: "Last night the nightingale woke me. Last night when all was still." She stretched out her arms joyously. "For, oh, the bird was singing, was singingWas singing, of you?of you." David did not tell her of his great wealth until the next day. "And I ; can have help? Some one to?to?" "To what?" David asked. "To keep the house as clean as Mrs. i Vernon's," she burst out. burying her face on his shoulder. "Wait and see," he answered, thankful anew for liis aunt's bank account, and peculiar will. "We'll import a J chef if you want one."?The American Oupfni. Hi* Doc unci thtj Train. Persons waitiug for trains a? the Union Station last night witnessed an amusing incident in the cab stand and had a laugh at the expense of J. P. Sparker, of Squirrel nil?, who missed .1 his train because his big greyhound re- 1 fused to stay at home when his master departed. The owner of tlie dog arrived at the station in a cab and intended to take the 0 o'clock traiu East, but on jumping out of the cab with his "grips, he was greeted by the dog, which jumped about and barked on seeing him. The owner of the dog was stumped, as he could not take the animal along and did not have time to return home with it and get his train. The dog, innocent of the trouble he had made by following the cab from home, tried to be playful, but his master was angry. While the crowd laughed the owner concluded to take a later train and, bundling the dog into the vehicle, ordered the driver to go back to Squirrel Hill.?Pittsburg Uxzette. Kcniarkahle Fox. A mornied frcak fox, owned by L. S. Nelson, of Winchester, N. H., killed in January of this year, resembles the cross, silver and woods gray fox, but is not like any of them; it has the large black spot on fore* shoulder about six inches square like the cross fox; and chest, belly, tail and under par(3 of rides are black with silver tipped, the sides and hips are black under the prominent gray. The only red on jt is down the spine from kidneys to tail. The tall is lipped with white, the cars are four inches loner. The fox stands seventeen and cne-half mchc3 high and weighed twelve and three-quarter pounds. It* has bp.cn pronounced by {lift best judges of fur to bi> altogether different from the woods gray or the cross fox. The hair is longer and coarser than any of them.?Forest ami Stream. An V'.xactlnir Job. The season for trarelers' tales ha3 now commenced. Here is one: When we had climbed to (he top of-the mountain we observed a fine old man sitting on a rock, with a pair of fieid glasses in his hands. Every now and then he would look earnest!y through theglasses and whoop continuously with a vigor remarkable for his ajjc*. Wo watched him at a respectful distance, and then wont up to speak to him. . ' Why do you look through the glasses ans. tucu cry ouu as K in pain: asiteu one of our party. He turned and eyed" us carefully. "If you talk to me you will take off my attention, and I shall lose my job. I am the eclio for this district, ami?" here Ih? old man iookpd through his glasses again, and emitted a series of thrilling whoops.? T r*.ir1?v. niilo Xn.ua Uptter Still. i A man recently lof?- lus umbrella in the stand in the hall of a. provincial hole! with a car:! bearing the folknviusr inscription attached to it: "This umbrella belongs to a man who can <l?al a blow of 230 pounds' weight. He will be back in ten minutes," says Home Note. On returning to his properly lie found .n its: place a. card thus inscribed: "This onrd xva<? left here by a man who caa run ten miles an hour. He will not be back!" ( rntefullr li'relvcrt. Accoriling to Andrew Lang there are sixly words in tlio English language for vrhich no rhymes can be found.Mr. Lang's statement is received and fi!e:I, and the secretary is directed to return to him a vole of thanks.?Cleveland r.'ai? Dealer MOST- MODERN ~ ?V. ' : ' - . | I . i : I w U A I*; ,v4: THE BROADWAY TAB I1 Tliis new church building is an exump external good taste. Every bit of s] conveniences, including elevators, i church building easily acccssible. CLOTHESLINE^CLABSP. :j In the illustration here is shown an exceedingly simple ahd efficient dollies line clamp, invented by two Chicago meu, for attachment to a fence, post .or other support. It is made in two parts, and operated by a thumbscrew. The bnse or main portion is permanently secured to the fence. At the top of the base is a book, which is opposite to a similar hook on the pivot piece, forming a clarap, and at the bottom of each is an opening to re ceive a thumbscrew. The .jaws of the clamps are opened by turning the screw backward and the rope inserted between the hooks. The line is then drawn taut or lightened and the screw turned so as to bring the clamps toward cach other as far as possible, which firmly holds the line. AssumDtOIiDS THE LINE TAUT. ing several of the clamps are in position at different, part3 of.the yard or space in which the Hue is to be ' aM/v A A. HAr*A rt/l 1* I\A toLTCLCU^u, uuc tjim vi 11lir v.au uc secured to the first hook. It can ttaeu be c&rriod to the second clamp, drawn tight and clamped to prevent it becoming slack, and so on to a third and fourth, lentil the end of the line is reached. The advantage of this is obvious.?Philadelphia Ilecord. A N ltfoTi of Agriculturist!). The Chinese are emphatically an agricultural people, and from time immemorial the sovereign has initiated a year, which begins with the spring, by turning over a few furrows in the sacred field. In each province the cercmony is performed by the highest official, to impress on the people the importance of agriculture. ? London Sphere. jueic i-ourer ?y legacy. Mrs. Susan J. Crane, of Hartford-, Conu., lias been made poorer by a legacy. She was willed fifteen shares of the stock of a bank Which failed a few weeks later, and now a jndg^uent for the face value of the stock, 51500, has been entered against h?r. She says she will not pay it. Japan's purchases of American rawcotton this season were 331,468 bales, I against 46,540 bales last season. As?. American J MIL E. H. FI jQe is Gbaiooian, President, General 1J tion, Chief Engineer and Traille liana; "of churches! > 1 A * .* .. .** * ! ' $k i/m "a *;" && . p? iii tis i".:' njiit' 5" ,i i i>, jas *r~ w? > ' ? . > - a Hi.?IU?fHlili><4i?.M. -. - mi 3RNACLM, NKW YORK. feri le of perfect internal planning, and ^ unco is utilized; and tlio latest modern 2,^ make every i?:irt of t Li is unique gn erf ra corkscrew. ?s Despite the multiplicity of cork- !aJ screws that'have made tlicir appear- j_j0 ancc in the last feneration, .there is jjj( still an occasional departure from pn conventional type. The illustration ivi ; ? ? er^ pn J , vo dii 3xc?r.?3n cortKacsHw. ^ sbowa a new device of this character, ^ of English origin. The cap, hinged on- tr; one of the lever ends, covers both tlv ends, and affords a convenient handle to for introducing the screw- into the In cork. When the screw has secured a scl good grip on the corlc the collar is mj brought into contact with the ucck of ~ the bottle. The crip is then turned j back, the levers depressed, which, av owing to their design, give a powerful te; and steady pull, which draws the cork tr: quietly and easily. The bottle, during ho the operation, may be restejd upon a tic table or other similar support.?Phila- '01 delphia Record. jP H NOW TO STAND. jo oil *1*^ Je iffJ * A Pl( \ ? rii .? fsli J / Je; t /m , (ii f ' : l *t\ * f Si H #/ k ! ' if / 2 ?, K1 *% ? ?f I po \ ' 1 I i\ i ? f 1\ co Ml l\ M : a ( \ jil p f / * \ll!' 1 If S ill' I } If / 1)3 I m ! POT aT I? If I \16 iDJ it 31 l i.tlKtlt ITi fi If . ' ? I if' *Jc ci I.' A 1/ . {/It 1/1,5 tri-II' cJLJ? ? Now, in maintaining tJie body In the position shown at the right, says the Chicago Tribune, it Is necessary to (J)' exert almost every important muscle alj in the body, and the result is a con- gVI staut straining of the* muscles, with uci consequent rigidity and early fatigue, ini Standing still is a difficult and fatigu- ] ing act. But standing in a proper at- no titudf-, with the important joints at knee, hips, waist and upper chest in ?o: their correct position for resisting the ^ down-pulling effect of gi^avity, is Tll neither disagreeable nor fatiguing. gn, . H< Pa Railway King, S ^ I ^ ^ ?From a paii ting by V. Krumliaar. g A IUl I MAN. , arc Si" [unager, Superintendent of Construe- j' jer of Every Uoad in Ilia System. u'lr 1HE <PVL<?IT. BRILLIANT SUNDAY SIRMON BY Hr REV. DR. H. ALLEN TUPPZR. Sulijccf: Sliii-rlaso ?r.d Divorce. v'ew York City.?Dr. II. Allen Tup f pnsiorof the Fifteenth Street Rapt Church, preached iiuuday on "Marge and Divorce." The text was luhew xixi-i-C: "And He answered :1 said unto them: Have ye not read tt He which made them at tin beming made them male and female, d said for this cause shall a man ve father and mother and .shall ave to his wife; and they twain shall one flesh? What therefore Clod th joined together, let not man put under." Dr. Tuppor said: ilarriage wa3 the first institutional t of God to man; and the family was first organisation formed by Gcd * the blessing of humanity. During the centuries, amid the changes of j vernmenta, ceremonies and disponsaii3, the impress of divine favor rest-i upon these heaven-born establishing, and when their integrity has! mi maintained they have been the irccs and centres or light and love; t when their integrity has been usimfnM. cnr-riTtra njlri Sit (Thrill ve co:nc upon mankind. Jhrlst wrought the beginning of Ilis \-ieles at a marriage feast, in a gatlii'K of families; a-:d the pen oi iniralion pictures Ilim as (he F.ridejom and His Church as the Bride, e Jioly ordinance of marriage was rcn to support social order; to iu>aae human happiness, and to prole that through well regulated famis truth and righteousness might be tnsmitted from age to age. The vioion of its vows is the canker at the art of human progress and ciuilizan. In the West Indies, we are told-, ire is a timber that has all the aparance of -strengths and solidity, but icn the test is applied it snaps'nsundand a fine white powder fills the air. e cause is now apparent; a worm has ten its way into the heart of the )0d and slowly but surely devoured ; fiber until a hollow shell only relins. rhe divorce evil, if not arrested, t?ill idually undermine our proud civilizaitk nnri when the testing time comes jat appeared to be so attractive will ove to be only a hollow sham. >a the discussion of marriage and dirce I will call your attention to a rine law, a social disease and a fatal nger. First? A divine law. Centuries ago ? cunning rbariscas. attempted ts onip the divine/Teacher by asking Him p question: "Is it lawful for a man put away his wife for every cause?" that day there existed two opposing iiools. At the head of one was Shamli, who insisted that divorce should allowed only in the case of adultery; the head of the other was Hillel, io maintained that a man might put my his wife for any cause at all. The jiplers of Christ thought that the ip was well set. for if He failed to U1 strict views on the marriage ques>;i they would report Him to the folders of Shaiumai, and if He held the posite opinion they would turn upon iiu the oninily of tlie followers or illcJ, one of whose strong adherents is Ilerotl, who had just beheaded hn the Baptist. Iu the words of anlier: "Brushing aside their quibbling, sus goe3 back to foundation pMncI23 and gives Hl3 massage to the ureh of all ages concerning marriage id- divorce." [t is a fivefold message: The raarige. of.one man'and one woman is a line ir.slitation; it is a divine act; it ins husband and wife in a relation jsc and more binding than the rcla>n oc parent and child; it so unifies isband and wife tliat they cease to be ro and become one flesh; ami it can > fiissolved only by doatb. When the ?int .was made by Gie Pharisees that oses maintained tliat a writing of diircement shall be given under certain nditions, Jesus declared that this was Concession to the hardness of heart of e people. The position of Jesus Christ on the bject under discussion is clcarly set L-th in Ilis Sermon cti the Mount: "It s been said, 'Whosocwcr shall put vay his wife, let hira give her a writ's of divorcement, but I say unto you pt whosoever shall put away his fe saving for the cause of fornicam, causeth her to commit adultery." id Ma'rk records these words of sus: "Whosoever puttcth away his fe and mnrrictij another committeth ultcry against her. And if a woruan all put away her husband ani be irried to another, she corainitteih ultery." And in Luke we havo set rtli tue same law oz unnsr. x'Ton; is recorded words wo are forced to e following conclusions: That Jesus owed divorce on one and only one auiid. namely, adultery, and that lie jms to allow the re-marriage of the aocent party. !n fiphesians v:22-2S Taul gives the blest picture of Ihe sanctity and dlgy of the marriage relation, for he mpares it to the mystic union beeoi! Christ and the glorious chureh of j redeemed for whom Christ died, lis is 110 temporary bond to be tipped at will. Jesus i3 to-day the ;nd of Ilia Chureh, and it is being, rifled by llim and made without at or wrinkle. Moreover, in Romans :1-C Paul argues that the Christian set free from the bondage of the v, as the woman can have a now sband only on the death of the mer husband. But in I Corinthians :12-1G Paul speaks of the problem in illy lifo presented where the busnd is a Christian and the wife a athen and vice versa. I?e has two ngs to say about this new problem it had not arisen whan .Tesus spoke the snbiecf. Ills first word is that, j Christian must not fores a sepavan. If the heathen husband or wife willing "to continue the union, the ristian must be willing to do so. ie marriage is legitimate and the ildren are legitimate. But the other ird is this: Suppose the heathen Kgand or wife is not willing to keep the marriage relation and insists on wration, then what? Well, let the believing husband or wife go. snya u). He uses the word "depart" here, t tlfe technical word "put away." t would seem that this is a case of luntary separation, not a legal dire?. If this be true, there could, of irse, be uo re-marriage in such ;cs, for the marriage has never been ;ally annulled. This alternative is t even raised by Paul in this oonnecn. It may be properly said, then, it Paul did not advocate divorce for ything save adultery, though he dors : even indicate this exception save L>y plication. ?iiis divine taw is set forlh in no untiiin sound on tlie pages of CJod's 3rd; and the disobedience of it must "all sorrowful results to tlse indiual, the family, and the community, iecond?A social disor.se. Divorces > more numerous in the United itrs in proportion to marriages than any oilier country of which we have i record. This social disease is cou : i i fagious and spreading. .In 1S70, 0.5 ! per cent, of marriages ended in divorce. In 1S80. 4.S per cent. In 1S90, C.2 per cent. la l'JOO, S.l per cent. In lt<90 the percentage of the divorced to. the i married was 0.5. In 1000 it was 0.7. According to the census of 1900 there wer~ Li57 divorced women in the United States under the age of twenty, i and 13,175 divorced women between I twenty and twenty-five years of age. South Carolina is the only State in the Union which grants no divorce. New York is the only State in the Union which proposes to grant divorces only on Scriptural grounds; yet New York grants, annually, more than a thousand divorces. Illinois gives a fair illustration the laws of almost all the States After reciting a long list of grwnuda upon which a divorce luay be granted, the law concludes vj* empowering the court to grant a divorce upon any plea which it thinks justifiable. The Western States, in order to Increase their population,are making open and shnmeless'biircfor thoie dissatisfi.ed-with the married state to come to them and have it dissolved. Statistics given"by tbe Chicago Daily News Almanac, 1903, show tbe follow ing number of divorces granted, m leaning titles of our country in 3901: , Providence, 327; Cincinnati, 495; Boston, 40G; Cleveland, 454; Philadelphia, 492; St. Louis. 573; New York, S17; San Francisco, S4C; Chicago. 1Q08. The statistics of Ca;roll D. Wright, Commissioner of I.abor, for twenty years, from 18G7 to 1SSG, show 328,712 divorces granted in the United States in those years. In 1SC7, 9037 divorces were granted, while in 1SSG 25,535 divorces were granted, making an increase of 157 per cent. The increase of population was sixty per cent, duriug the same period. In 1867 Ohio granted 991 divorces, and in 1900 the State granted 3217 divorces?one to every eleven marriages solemnized in the Slate. Indiana granted-, in 18G7, 109G divorces, and in 1900, 4599?one divorce to every six marriages > solemnized" in*the State. Only a snort time ag> the papers were telling of a woman in* Indiana who had eight living husbands, from whom she had been divorced, and this same woman was then preparing to be mar ried to the ninth victim: Mie&igau m 1SC7 granted 449 divorces, and in 1900 ' granted 2418 divorces?one divorce to every eleven marriages solemnized in the State. A table of divorces in the Christian world in 1883, as given in "Studies in History, Economics and Public Law," issued by Columbia University, gives the following interesting fact: Canada, Great Britain and Ireland, France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Roumania, Russia and Australia granted a total of 20,111 divorces, while in the same year the United 3tates grant.ed 23,472 <liv0rces?an excess over all other countries in the Christian world of 3361. Forty-five States and several Territories have various and conflicting laws, and more than 3000 courts bRre jurisdiction of divorce case3. A learned essayist says of our legislation that it "presents the largest and strangcst,aud perhaps the saddest experiment in the sphere of family laws which free, self-governing countries have ever tried." It v/as published in a recent Journal that divorces were granted In Chicago for the following causes:. Snoring, cold feet, eating with a knife, insisting upon going to bed in Ills overcoat and boots, smoking cigarettes, failure a3 a cook. During recent years divorce has developed into an industry in the United Statos, the legal profession and the bonch have done much to encourage this terrible'traffic. For G211 divorces in France in a given period, the United States'offers 25,000, the United Kingdom showing 475 and the German Empire G078 for the same time. For a period of twenty years in Maryland the ra.te of marriage to divorce was 01.04. Massachusetts averaged 31.28 to every divorce. Some of the popular theories ace thai Slvfjrce is due to the conflicting and inharmonious statutes of various States. Thus as Colonel Wright, in his report, informs us, it is the belief that persons residing in the State of New York, where the law i3 strict, are in the habit of seeking divorces in Rhode Island. Bat the statistics dhow that of 4402 divorces granted in Rhode Island only ninety-seven were to parlies married in New York, and of G020 granted in Pennsylvania, only 70i> were to parties tnarried iu New York, while of the 2$0,7ii'3 couples whose place of marriage was ascertained, 231,S07 were divorced in the same State in which they had been married. Third?A fatal danger. The attack upon the integrity of the family is nu unmitigated evil and a crime against social order, which can only result in *1.? oil lC! 1111T*O.C|f. (UK UL'SUIltUUll VI um m?v r , noblest and best in the world. Here we find the secret cause of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. The laws as to family life were loose; divorce became epidemic, and the empire went down in rnin and disgrace. The Reign of Terror in France followed the establishment of a law that marriage could be dissolved merely by application; 20,000 divorces were granted in Paris in one year, r.nd during the same period 48,000 outcast children were carried into foundling hospitals and nearly 10,000 new-born babies were taken out of the sewers of the city and from the secret places by the police. The indescribable horrors of those times it is impossible to picture, and who will say that directly or indirectly the violation of the sanctity of the marriage state and the purity of the family life did not contribute largely toward those days of terror? The rejection of the Bible, the denial of God and the desecration of the home yielded bitter fruit, the taste of which still lingers in the mouth of France, and lessons written in blood have never been forgotten. To-day in that country it is allowable to obtain separation for five*-years, and at the end of that time to apply for the conversion of the separation into absolute divorce if the parties have not been reconciled. The practical results of the imperial divorce law in Germany have been gratifying. It gives four grounds for divorce?namely, adultery, attempt of either husband or wife on tiie life of the other; malicious, willful desertion I and coatinued violation of the marriage vows. Both iu France and Germany attempts are being made to escape threatening dangers by . the enforcement of stricter laws 011 marriage and divorce. Iu New England and Wales there were 170 divorces lit 1870: SoG in 18S0; 0C4 in 1900, and 727 in 'SS'J; and the gn wing evil is a: l-.v? attracting thi atj tontion of the lawmakers. We do not I recognize the family at all i:t our national constitution. It appears iu our State laws only as an object of some ! care, but not as an clement of political power. Mr. Gladstone declared that his fear for our future centered very largely upon our ability to protect the family, for weakness here means disaster everywhere. Realizing the perilous position In which v/e are placed by the increasing social evils resulting from divorces, a ? t. ?. number of public spirited men initiate# ? ? corrective movement iu 1878, andi wj?.t is nbw know>. as the Natioial Lea.gue for the Protection of the Pam ily, founded upon a broau oasis,- was organized in 18S1. Tlie results f?bm this and kindred organizations hav? been marked and encouraging. Radical improvements are noticed io -the laws of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin; divorces after residence of only three or six months are no longer permitted, as they formerly were, in North Dakota, Georgia, California and several Territories. Alt causes for divorce but 0115 have been striekoo from tfcs iaws of the District of "JolucBbia, and commissions on uniformity by co-operation of the States now exist in 110 less than thirty-four States and Territories. .. g The question of a constitutional amendment and admission of a nation- ? al law on the m'stter under discussion have been agitated; but as long as twelve States can be rallied in defense ,pf the maintenance of State rights, it :is a waste of time to attempt the amendments on marriage or divorce. But the agitaiion against this evil goes on as never before. The pulpit, the press, the platform, the schools, colleges and universities are awakening to a sense of the moral and social danger that threatens us, and the outspoken discussion of the marriage relation and thp divorce laws wust,estilt in great good. Thirty years ago none of our higher educational institutions gave any attention to the study of the family, but now the theological seminaries, the law schools and the-universities are giving special care to this most Important subject. We may be assured V : that our boasted civilization", our proud commercial greatness, our high edu- N-. '-vcational attainments and our brilliant material developments will only hasten. the day of onr disaster unless wc protect the family and honor the God of the home, whois the>Father of us alL .. An Infidel's Sermon to a r readier. Never shall. I forget the remark of a learned legal friend who was at one time somewhat skeptical in his views. Said he to me: . "Lna i ueneve, as you uo, iuai me masses of our race are perishing In sin, I could have no rest. I would fly to tell them of salvatiou. I would labor " v ' day and night I would apeak with all the pathos I could summon. I -would warn and expostulate and entreat my fellowmen to turn to Christ, and receive salvation at His hands. I am astonished at the manner in which tlje majority of yon ministers tell your message. Why, you do not act as if you believed your own words. Yon' have not the earnestness in preaehlng that we lawyers have in pleading. If we were as tame as you are, we would never carry a single suit" A. decade of years has passed away since that remark was made. I bless God it was addressed to me. It put fire into my bones which I hope will burn as long as I Rve. God preached a stirring sermon to me that day by the mouth of that infidel lawyer.?Peter Slryker. - ? tlfe ia Conntrnctlre. A certain evangelist is using a card on one side of which is the question. , "What must I do to he saved?" and following it are the Scriptures which . ' point out the way of salvatioa On the other side of the card is the question.! 'What must I do to be lost?" and the answer follows, "Nothing." '< The reply is simple but wonderfully impressive. Many think that in order, to be lost they must run the log gamut : 'ir of vices and be aggressively bad. Not | so. We are all bad enough to miss the kipgdom iu spite of the good points we may have?' < ?. | t' kijfe is an active, constructive force, i likened "Junto a living .tpmple or i ~ ..r.* -2 ji- muof thVrofn'rf* hf? hnilfc , U % 4.t UiUW V V MW up, and unless there i3 activity there ' , Is no building. Unless .tbera is- active ; goodness there is no character, and un- * ' less there is character there is no salcation.?Brethren Evangelist. *1 v Cm* f7a.igu:tai cf Ucu. * v ;' ? We ought not to judge men by their ' ' absolute excellence, but by the dis' lance which they have travefed from ; the point at which they started. "There are some man whom God has so roy-, ; ally endowed that tibey are like a bird; ' sitting on the topmost branch of the forest, and if God says to it, "Monnt up," it has nothing to do but spring )*| into the air, singing as it goes toward ' heaven. But others are like a bird upon the ground, that has to disentangle itself from the bushes, and then to work its way among the darkling boughs, before it can soar. The one' may have done better by his outward wings, but the better Inward wings of purpose and endeavor beat far stronger in the other, and bring Mm quite as near God; for God dwells beneath the shade as much as above the forestLondon S. S. Times. Spiritual Poverty. Professing Christians sometimes attribute their spiritual poverty to na- ^ ture. One is penurious, another cowardly, and they say it is because they, have been less generously endowed by; nature than others and cannot help it.1 It would be quite as reasonable for one; .whose father's table, to which he has free access, is daily loaded withj wholesome food, to go about the streets with gaunt, bony fingers and ghastly! countenance, starving to death, and1 saying, "I cannot help it." God Is I ohto tn a nsuurlous man libera!.' generous find benevolent, or a cruetf man as gentle as a lamb, or a passion-' ate man as calm and serene as bosom of a mountain lake when Iho winds are hashed to rest. He is abl? to mahc all grace abound toward all His children.?Christian Advocate. Do a Little* Dr. Johnson wisely said: "He who awaits to do a great deal of good at once will never do anything." Life 1? made up of little things. It is but once in an age that occasion is offered for a' great deed. Trne greatness exists ia being great In little things. We should be willing to" do a little good at a(tin>e, I n'oih t,* n crpnt deal of. ilHU UCVCl iiuib *.vr , good at once. If we would, do much', . good in little things?little acts one after another, speaking a word liere,'* giving help there, and setting a good example at all times, we must do the first good thing we can, and then the next, and so keep ou doing.?Scottish Reformer. Gives No Strength. . God gives us always strength enough and sense enough for what He wants'* us to do. If we cither tire ourselves or puzzle ourselves, it is oar own fault.; And wo may always be sure, whatever we are doing, that we cannot be pleasing Him if we are not happy ourselves.? Ruskiu. I learning What Life I*. Sorrow is not an incident occurring I now and then. It is (lie woof which is : woven into the warp of life, and he who has not discerned the c<ivine*saeredness of sorrow and the profound meaning which is concealed- in pain i has yet to learn what life is.?P. W?, 1 Robertson.