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IpONpS i iliiifiSrBv |a ? SHSaS"a?;'HSa5H5H5^5H5HSai Q aagcgESBSaSBSgSasaJSaSBS ?<^?^?^?<SV?',^?<k-?^?<5>'S CHAPTER I. 1 "I wonder why there are so man; children in the world; children an the greatest abomination in exist ence!" said Reginald, threading hi way through his innumerable broth ers and sisters to the schoolroon fireplace. A small sister had posses sion of the best armchair, a fadet chintz concern with ears to it. Reg gie, of course, dislodged her and tool possession, while little Letty, perfect ly satisfied of the droits d'aine, mad* no remonstrance, but squatted on th< rug. They were all there. Reggie, liom< from Oxford; the beautiful Janet who enjoyed the privilege of beinj grown up; Arthur, whose future fat< was not decided, but who was th< tallest, handsomest and most attrac tive looking of lads, though all unan imously declared that he had inher ited Saxon wit with Saxon beauty and would never do any good witl his brains. Little Letty,'on thi hearth rug, crept up and lean against his long legs, sure of not be ing rejected there, even though sh< might be an inconvenience and al ways in the way. Tola, an abbreviation of Ceneren tola, or the Cinderwitch, sat upon th< table; a little sunburnt brunette o seventeen, with curly brown hair ant eyes like diamonds; and she had chil dren all about her. Tommy, Johnnie Mary Cilly, Jack Eddie! No wondei the splendid Reggie looked down 01 the herd with the outspoken expres sion of disgust, which nobody mindec in the least. Janet settled her hair before th? cracked old mirror. "Well, Reggie,' s?e said, "having called a family council, what is the result? Are w< not all in committee?" "You know aa well as I do,' growled Reggie. "We must resolv< ourselves into a Committee of Ways and Means. There is something up.' "Something down, you mean," saic Tommy, who was scribbling at i table. "Mother's eyes are red." "That's nothing new," said Tola . sorrowfully, hugging the baby. "Don't jaw," said Reggie, giving Tommy a little kick, which extortec a growl of "Shut up?do!" "I imagine," said Janet, coming forward, and looking lovely, "thai the last remaining hope of the family the last diner at the tenant's dinner has given notice to quit." "And like our first parents we shall be reduced to living vaguely on th< fruits of the earth," said Tola. "And how to avert it?" "By putting our shoulders to th( wheel," said Arthur. "Of course, w( fellows must take whatever worh comes in our way." "Reggie," said Janet, timidly, "] havo taken a step already. I havt put in an advertisement offering my self as a lady help, and I have twc or three answers here, which I kepi to open at our meeting." "So that was the secret of our dailj walks to Plumtree postofTice?"' cried Tola. "Quick, Janet, do see what thej are about." Janet opened the first two letter.and read them at first gaily, then falteringly. The one offered intolerable conditions, and the second held out no hope of any salary. "Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" she sighed "This will never do. Now for mv last hope." The third letter proved to be onlj an agent's advertisement. "I am glad of it," said Arthur "Nonsense, Janet; mother would never hear of such a thing. Whai could possess you to imagine it? Lei us be serious. You can still hav< TTnrlfi Alfred's rlarkshin. I sunnnsp Redge?" "I suppose so," rather sullenly "Sixty pounds a year, after sending me to Oxford, too. 1 wonder how h< has the face!" '"I wouldn't despise sitty pounds t year," said Arthur. "I wich I had i chance of it." "I never said I did despise it; onlj when one has been brought up to expect everything to be so differ ent " "Hush!" cried Tola. "Is not thai papa calling?" ^ A stentorian voice rang througl the house. "Boys! 1 say, boys!" Reginald rose slowly and weni downstairs. "Poor boy! It is hard on him," *&id Janet. "I really did thinl Uncle Alfred would have acted differently. " "I think it was very kind of him,' said Tola; "and after all Reggie's protestations, it seems that he want: to give up the only chance any on< of us has had, except Tommy." "Tommy!" "Yes, Tommy. No! don't frown a me. I did not mean to let it out, bu as I have "begun 1 may as well finish Tommy has earned ten shillings fron the Plumtree Gazette." ^ T<1 ~ I ' : A A ..4 1 *>Cli U UUt', J 11 VJ IIJ . bfliu /V1U1UI puling his brother's curly wig. "Ant how?" "By my literary efforts," said Torn "I hare been a contributor to tha famous weekly." "How often? When? What d( you mean?" "Oh! for ever so long. 1 furuisi the epitaphs." "Well," said Janet, with rather ; careworn look coming over her swee face, "I must go about my business We seem to be doing no good, and i Is not worth while waiting till Reggi< comes back." Arthur followed her to the door "Don't be down, old girl," he sai( Wndly. "Something is sure to turi up." "I never heard that anything dii turn up for Air. Micawber," she an fwej'ei, auickly. "At all events ft ? jfsCENl^ij hliisigi5g5H5Egiga5H5Hsgsgl J, no use folding one's hands to wai I- until it does." 3 He drew back. "I don't want to d . that," he said, quietly. s "Oh! Arthur, I did not mean an} . thing, but it does j-ile me to se a Reggie with all his splendid talent . and his grand education, and ever} 1 thing to be thrown away on such . paltry employment; and yet, i? he r< t fuses it, it is like giving up wide . prospects still. There, I won't gruir Q ble." And, drying her eyes, Jane 2 went off. Arthur went slowly downstair , with his hands in his pockets. Thl theory of Reggie's splendid talentsl was it only a theory? He had b * lieved in it implicitly in spite c e every successive report, first froi _ school and- then from Oxford?eithe Reggie was growing too fast fo work, poor boy. or he had an unfai master, and Reggie coul'd never stan j a master he did not like. Then a s Oxford he had turned out to have los ^ all the previous years of his life b having been so badly taught. The 3 | it was most unsafe to press on th highly strained intellect of genius I and, finally, Reggie obtained no hor ors, merely scraped through as hun dreds of others have done, and cam " home beautifully got up in appeal | ance, but with small honor to hiir self, and a gratified feeling of sell respect, in the belief which he foun ' unshaken in the breasts of his famil r ?that his superiority was unassai] 1 able, only that he had been unfoi " tunate in his surroundings. Arthur had his hand on the handl of the door when his father came ou j) of the library and stopped his exit. "Here. Arthur, I want you," h ' said, briefly. ; The library of Denstone Court was , alas! only now called so by courtesj as the books were gone. Only th * yawning shelves remained. It wa * a fine room, and, like the rest of th house, had about it the ghost of de parted comfort and luxury. 1 The Squire of Denstone Cour looked about as woin away and shat ' by as his own furniture. He had le everything slip helplessly through hi ' fingers. His poverty might at on time have been grappled with, bu the time had gone by now. ' Poor Mr. Denstone got more am " more deeply involved, more and mor ' hopeless: and he found no help in hi ' wife, who. worn out by the cares o her large family and the feeble petu ^ lance of her lord, had subsided int 5 a mere household drudge. The son and daughters might have been ; comfort individually, but they wer * a tremendous incubus en masse. fine nowerfnl friend thev had i] : the Uncle Alfred, the successful Liv erpool merchant, who had sent Reg ^ inald to Oxford, and whose offer of ; 5 clerk's place in his house, at a salar; of sixty pounds a year, had seemei ' such a downfall to all their hopes * It was on the subject of this offe that Mr. Denstone wanted to speal ' to his son. ' "Come here, Arthur," he said, ner vouslv, "and sit down. I want to tall to you, but it fidgets me to see yoi 1 standing." . 1 "You look .tir^d, father," said Ar thur, kindly." *1 am afraid something ' has worried you.". i "I am always tired , and alway worried," said Mr. Denstone, impa tiently, thrusting his hand througl his thin gray hair, "but I am quit used to it now, thank heaven. It i really your mother's fault, she doe worry so about Reggie." ^ "What about him?" said Arthur ^ surprised. "Of course, the salary i t not a very high one, but with his tal J ents he is sure to get on, and m; - ?.in u;^ ^ Illicit? will ]jiuuttui> unci iiiiu a |iai l nership." "But he is not to have it, you see. ? "Not to have it? Has my uncle re 3 tracted his offer?" "Yes, he has; and in the most un 1 flattering manner. It is that that ha 1 so upset your mother." "I am so sorry," said Arthur, fer ' vently. "I always knew how it would be, said Mr. Denstone, querulously j "Reggie gives himself the airs of : " | marquis, and dresses like a dandy j Your uncle is a plain man, and, bles 1 my soul, he married his cook, as yoi know, and can't be expected to be : judge of refinement. He ACtuall; L ; writes these words: 'Your 'son i f j much too fine a gentleman for me. ' { want a clerk, not a young swell; am 1 j I want a fellow who appreciates th " j luck of getting the place, not on I wno turns up ms nose at everytnini ' | here, and scents the whole house wit] 3, cigars. So you may tell him I hav s | changed my mind. If v6u have ; 3 j more humble minded youth amoni your sons. 1 don't mind trying him but not this young cock who crow t too loud for my dunghill. I want t plain, honest fellow. I hate you . geniuses. If you can't supply th i article. 1 can look elsewhere; bu Betsy would much like a nephe\ . about the house. Your fine gentle I man looked upon sixty pounds a yea as about enough to keep him i . cigars; but in that we agree to differ t What an unfeeling letter, Arthur.*' "1 am afraid Reggie must hav ) offended him," said Arthur, thought fully. ) "It is just my luck," said Mr. Der stone, fretfully. "If I have a so i with brains above the ordinary, h t goes and flies in the face of Provi . dence. Your mother thinks nothin t would be lost by your trying now." D "I wish I might," cried Arthui eagerly. "But not if Reggie wouli . feel as if I were supplanting him." 1 "No fear of that, my good fellow, 1 uoi/1 hie* foilioi- ruthor r>nnfomnfnmic ly. "You hardly look like brothers.' I Arthur felt that was true enough - as far as clothes went, and he wa 5 :jurQi).sriitn!k of hi* suuprior ohvpina. J advantages. It is extraordinary Tiow ) long family delusions continue, t At this moment. Mrs. Denstone ) came in, a little, pale, rather trembly, > woman, with a sensitive, pink coior ) coming and going in her thin cheek. ""'1- - * J 4-41 O ? ~ 9 ~ wiiai uoes wriuui StlJ ; au<; oaiu 7 to her husband. P Arthur put his arm round her ten\ derly. ft "There is nothing Arthur would ) not do for you, little mother," he > said, "and so you may imagine that ) this opening is bliss indeed, only if > Reggie does not like it " ; "Reggie won't mind. He thinks it * might just do for you," she said. H "One cannot wonder at his horror of the idea after what he had expected." o "All right!" said Arthur. "Then I will start for Liverpool to-morrow .. morning. I don't see why i shouldn't e send you every sixpence of the s money, mother mine, for : shall evi.. dently board with my uncle." a CHAPTER II. i- "Good-bye, Arthur! God bless ;t you!" said his mother, choking hacklier tears. s The whole family had accompanied s him to the station. There they stood, - all thirteen of them, on the platform. !- Arthur thought to himself that they >f were an uncommonly good-looking n family, and he wont'ered how far r sixty pounds a year woi'ld go to rer r.infs the shnhhv. black cashmere r gowns that Janet and Tola wore, d Reginald was so disgusted at their j it all having come that he walked off ! it to the upper end of the platform and j y tried to look as if they did not belong j n to him. He did not think them good- i e looking at all; on the contrary, he : ; thought the children hideous, and as j t- for Tommy?the vulgarity of that | i- boy! e "Take care of yourself, my boy," j - said his father. t- "Give Aunt Betsy my blessing," j said Tommy; and when the train j d moved off, he flung an old slipper i y after it for luck. I- Janet slipped away and joined Reggie. "Oh, Reggie," she said, "I wish it e had been you." t "Thank you for nothing, my dear! I am thankful it isn't." e "But, after all, perhaps, if Uncle : Alfred had only persevered a little, he j >, would have seen what a pity it was;' I r, so much talent! " e "Gammon! " said Reggie, who, with j s all his faults, was too much of an e Englishman to stand flattery. "Good j !- gracious, Janet! there is Colonel Cur- j tis, and you are such a guy. Do, for I t goodness sake, efface yourself among j i- the rabble." t Janet drew up her haughty little j s head. e "If he cares about my dress n ; t she said. "Dress by hanged!" said Reggie d sharply. "At least you should look e like a lady." s Colonel Curtis was advancing tof ward them. Janet meant to stand j - her ground, but her brother's words , 0 brought the tears rushing into her j s eyes, and she was obliged to retreat ; a quickly, and take refuge among the j e children. Colonel Curtis eyed the letreating [ n eleven wistfully, but it was more than ; - he could do to join thsm. That ' - would have been too formidable, j a Reggie was advancing upon him with y a cordial smile, but he was too much | 1 disappointed to wish to talk to that ! i. vapid youth, so he only nodded to \ r him and went on, and Reggie walked It home by a roundabout route to avoid i the cavalcade. Arthur arrived in Liverpool about j k 7 o'clock. He was full of interest and u curiosity about his new home, and his mind was too much occupied with the - hopes and fears which chased each g other therein, to have room fo^ shyness, even when tie-moment arrived s in which he found himself being con ducted by a footman into the library h of his uncle. e Poor Arthur! A little pang shot s through him as the contrast struck s him forcibly between this solid, handsome, comfortable apartment, rich i with useful and interesting books, s and the poor, old, shabby room at - home. The contrast between the two y brothers was much the same. The - shabby, gentle, peevish Squire, with his sari fare anil threadbare coat, and " the smart, stout, dapper, old genue- \ ' man with his thick black hair ! brushed into a formidable cockatoo - tuft on his head, and his clothes of s the best make and quality. Mr. Alfred Denstone was not aloue; his - wife and one guest were already as sembled for' dinner. To be Continued. ? Centenarians and the Rath. One's heart goes out to the aged s Irishwoman who was up against the 11 Keynsham Guardians in the matter 1 of a bath. They desired that she y should take the statuory bath. She s refused. She alleged that she had 1 not done such a thing for fifty years. ^ And she had reached the age of 83 e without any truck with this modern e fad of washing. She is with the ma? jority. The centenarians, as a rule, h don't wash. Many aged peasants e this witter has known in Kentish a villages. One typical old fellow, of ? vague but advanced age, ("might be j an 'undred," was the general opin- | s ion.) was worried about his hair, I a which was thinning. The doctor had j r advised washing the head. "Wash I e my 'ead!" said the old fellow. "Why,1 j t I'd as soon think o' washing my j v feet!"?London Chronicle. r Odd Names of Sailors. n, When the crew of the timber laden vessel from Nova Scotia were linpfl nn at l.ivernool in nrrier that e they might "declare" before the Cus"" toms officer, one man gave his name ! as Washington Sealoam, and another as Salvation Army. Thinking the n men were joking, the officer appealed e to the captain, who confirmed the accuracy of the names.?Birmingham s Post. d Horrors. A Nemaha County woman thought " she was using cold cream, hut the bottie was found to contain a precaution for cleaning white slippers. The , paper adds that now her face squeaks s every time ?he tries to smile,?Kan J sa? Citv Star. 0oes????????9oo330c9??? \ ! sHousehold Matters.:! e?aee??e?e?o????????????0? I A Water Lily Salad. Cut fresh lettuce of good size in email points, and place hard boiled eggs, cut in petal strips In a circle on these leaves; fill the middle with the yolks mixed with mayonnaise. Put two egg yolks through the sieve and sprinkle over the petals to simulate I pollen. This kind of an arrangement makes the water lily quite perfect. When fully prepared place upon a flat dish. White Potato Pudding. Wash and peel four good sized white potatoes, grate them up fine and put them in a dish with one quart of milk; set this over a gentle fire and stir until well scalded; beat, four eggs and mix one cupful of sugar with them, and stir into one quart of cold milk, one teaspoonful of salt, a small lump of butter and half | a grated nutmeg, or ground cinna- j mon, if you prefer; mix this with the I potato and pour into a deep dish, which has been buttered, and bake four hours.?American Home Monthly. Iccd Chocolate. Put one ounce of unsweetened*chocolate into a saucepan and pour on it gradually one pint of boiling water, stirring all the time. Put the saucepan on the fire and stir until the chocolate is all dissolved, then add granulated sugar to taste and stir until it begins to boil. Cook for three minutes longer without stirring, then strain and cool. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract, bottle and store in a cool place. When needed put two tablespoons of crushed ice in a tumbler, add two tablespoonsof whipped cream, one gill of milk and half a gill of any carbonic water. SUr thoroughly before drinking.?New York World. Corn Cake. k Southern corn cake recipe is a valuable addition to one's scrap book. Mix and sift three-fourths of a cupful of cornmeal, one and one-fourth cupfuls of pasty flour, one-fourth of a cupful of sugar, one-half teaspoonful of salt and five (level) teaspoon fuls of baking powder; add one cupful of milk, one egg well beaten and one and one-half tablespoonfuls of melted butter. Beat thoroughly, turn into a shallow buttered pan and bake twenty-five minutes in a hot oven. Cut /n square and arrange on a bread plate. If a richer corn cake is liked two tablespoonfuls of butter may be used.?From the Cooking Department of the Woman's Home Companion., Eangor Pudding. Moisten one and one-third cupfuls cracker crumbs (the common "Boston" cracker) with one cup boiling water. Let stand until cool, then add one pint milk, one-half cup molasses, one-quarter teaspoon salt, one egp slightly beaten, one-half pound raisins, seeded. Turn into buttered mold, steam eight hours (or less if small pudding is made) over boiling water. I put mine in the upper part of a double boilel\ Remove cover when cooked and set away in mold to cool. When cover is taken off the pudding will be watery around the edges. This liquid, however, will jell when cold. To be eaten with cream, plain or H> Acf An Pncf" Wiiippcu. UUObUU JL \j u k>t Spanish Beefsteak. Lay. % slice' of the tender side of tli? round (about two pounds) a little more than two inches thick on a tin plate, leaving the fat around the edge. Bake in a moderate oven for half an hour. Add a small teacupful of I water and baste every few minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with a saltspoonful of salt and half a saltspoonful of pepper, cover with a j layer of sliced onion and bake for a J quarter of an hour longer. Sprinkle a second time with a saltspoonful of salt, then cover with a , layer of chopped tomatoes (large canned ones will answer) and bake again for fifteen minutes. Sprinkle over it one tablespoonful of grated cheese and place it again in : the oven long enough for the cheese to melt. It will be covered with a thick, rich gravy, and the steak will be tender.?New York Press. jjfllNTS FORU THE 5Housekeeper, Soak hard, dry lemons in warm water for two hours. Dry thoroughly and they will be found juicy and good, and can be grated as well as the freshest. Bread crumbs come in for use in many ways, and they should never be thrown away. Grated they are excellent for breaded chops and cutlets, and toasted they make excellent croutons. It is a mistake to keep rooms so warm that a distinct change is felt in passing from one room to another. It is difficult in steam heated apartments to regulate temperature, but pvptv rnnm should havp some fresll air in it, never mind how cold th* day. To clean the long, thin vase slicc a potato into long, thin strips and drop into it. Shake thoroughly and then add a little water and shake very hard. Pour off this water and add fresh and continue to shake the vase hard. When the potato and water are emptied the vase should be shining and clear. Wipe the mahogany dining table with a soft rag dampened in tepid water and with pure soap. Rub dry with soft cheesecloth. Caution the children, and older folk, too, about putting their feet on the base and legs o? the table. Otherwise unsightly scratches will make the careful mistress most unhappy. Footstools obviate the resting of the feet on the lower part of the table.?New York Globe. \ BITTER WAR ON INTEMPERANCE j SOLDIERS FIGHTING TIITS CCT.SE j GREATLY CHEEKED. Loses Long Fight AVith Drink; Dies to Keep Vow?Richard Hoffman Takes Poison When Intoxicated For First Time in Seven Years. The following "temperance tract" ?s from the news columns of the New York American: | The third of three brothers to com! mit suicide in two years, Richard | Hoffman, killed himself yesterday in j ; the presence of his wife and seven I i children, grimly fulfilling a seven- i ! year pledge to end his life if he ever j drank another drop of liquor. Up to seven years ago, Hoffman, a j superintendent on the docks of the ! Red Star Line, was an excessive j ! drinker. He came to poverty through j I his drink and his family suffered I ! from his ungovernable temper. RealI izing one day that the liquor was i I proving his undoing, he stopped short j | and declared that he would be a new i I man, and would never touch a drop j again. ! For seven years he kept this vow. | When he made it, he went to live in I a pretty little house at No. 3 Third J place, Brqoklyn, and announced that | he intended to buy It. At the same I time he purchased a small bottle of j carbolic acid, which he placed on a j shelf, announcing that he intended to drink it as soon as he was sober j enough to do so after his next taste I of liquor. Early yesterday morning, while j lying in bed, Hoffman wakened his i wife, who saw a terrible expression on on his face. "My God," he moaned, "the drink j j got me again. I'm craving for it, and : I'm afraid I'm not strong enough to I He lie lb. j Thoroughly frightened, Mrs. Hoff man rose and said she would cook I i breakfast immediately and the food i i might appease his appetite for drink. j A half hour later, when she returned : ! to the room, she screamed when she I i discovered that he had slipped out 5 ! of the house. Harry, twenty years old; Annie, ! ; nineteen, and three of the younger : | ones, with Mrs. Hoffman started im| mediately to hunt for the missing I man in all of the saloons of the neigh[ borhood. The other children were | left with Marion, the seven-monthsj old baby. Hours were spent in vain [ ; hunting for Hoffman. About 1 o'clock j his wife and all the children except ; Harry went home and sat down to j eat. Silence reigned during the I gloomy meal. In the middle of it 1 the basement door clanged and Hoff| man staggered into the dining room, , barely able to stand. Mrs. Hoffman's j face was buried in her hands and the i children dared not look at their father. Hie staggered across the room to | the shelf where the carbolic acid vial i was kept and as he pulled the cork ! he turned to his family and said: ' Well, I'm going to keep my promj ise. Good-by." He drained tne DOtue to me iasi drop and as Annie and Blanche, the thirteen-year-old daughter, sprang to his side, he fell to the floor. Nebraska Begins Work. The State temperance workers of ; | Nebraska have just held a conference ; and will at once start the agitation ; for legislation in 1909 that will put I the legalized saloon out of existence I in Nebraska, or at least extend the | option principle from city and village | to county. An organization was ; formed. It will work independent of j all political parties, but it is proposed ! to make it a force within all parties.! to the end that county option is made ! an issue in legislative districts and j the forces of the organization thrown I 1n favor of those will agree to vote for that legislation. County op- i I tion came close to winning out in the i Legislature, but the brewers sucj ceeded in defeating it. They admit that it would mean that half the I counties In the State would vote for j no saloons, and that would cost them | millions. Not Wanted by the People. Judge Holt, of Belinda, West Virginia. recently sustained the City | Council in their action not to grant j liquor licenses, and then peremptorily j 1 (disqualified County Commissioner L. j "N. B. Paugh from holding office, who, ! it is now charged, before election had i made the following agreement: "I j do hereby agree if.I am elected as o j (member of the County Court of Barbour County to grant license for the ' sale of intoxicating liquors to certain i individuals who contribute to my election in a financial way, and I will not agree to vote for license for anyone who does not thus contribute.' He found too late that this is a free country, and that a candidate mort- | gaged in advance to the liquor inter ests is not wanted by the people. A Peculiar Accident. A snake which dropped down from i a tree on to the steering wheel is blamed for an automobile accident in Moonflv in rohiph n wnm. WUiiUCCllV/UV Ibvvuwj) <u an driver fainted, ran down a farm : wagon and then ran into a stone wall. Snakes, but of another sort, are to blame for seventy-five per cent, of all the auto accidents in this country.? The Motor Car. What Law Will Do. Wendell Phillips: "No one supposes that law can make men temperate, but law can shut up these bars and dram shops, which facilitate and feed intemperance, which double our taxes, treble the peril to property and life, and make the masses tools in the hands of designing men to undermine and cripple law." Temperance Notes. Local option prevails in Texas. By the passage of the prohibition j bill Atlanta will lose $250,000 rev- i enue. 7?ir?T-ir?n nnri Alabama are the States I to which the whisky interests will move from Georgia. New York's daily drink bill amounts to $1,000,000, which is $365,000,000 a year. Can we wonder that Commissioner Bingham needs more police? The action of Georgia in adopting a prohibition bill in the Senate has given the anti-liquor forces encouragement to believe such a bill can be passed in Alabama. The Associated Prohibition Press announces the withdrawal of the pro posed plan for the publication of a I national weekly paper by the Prohi- | bition party. More than two-thirds of tiie members of the Icelandic Parliament are Good Templars, and of the thirtytwo members that are elected (for some are appointed), not less than twenty-fiye are members of that order. " SUNDAY r Though(7 AFTERNOON T o/Wofer! READING. ' Divines, 1++++++** H^hh>TTT 3 WHAT THE VOICE SAID AT EVEN. ING. Rest, Efe, and be still. The task of the day is done. What you have 8cwn God trusts to the soil, rain and the sun. What vou have dreamed is His thought of days that are yet to be. What vou have hoped He counts in the sheaves of eternity. Rest, life, and be still. For you falls the night?sweet be on! t?ii. ntor-nnl .'riv?like the sun. in j. rum in co u* eternal noon. Touch. 0 soul, the soul of the infinite, patient God, , Who plants the seed of th<? ages in the moment's moldering sod. Rest, life, and be still. God gave this sunset hour That, watching, you might feel the peace of His quiet power. In lights and colors of life no dusk of de^th can mar, God paints this day in heaven, and over it hangs a star. ?Charles P. Cleaves, in Youth's Companion. - Drawn, Not Driven. "I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee."?Jeremiah 31:3. I understand the word "drawn" to !>e used here as the opposite of driven." I take the meaning to^be: 'It is because I love you that I do not force you; I desire to win by love." We often express surprise that human life does not reveal more trace3 of God's omnipotence. We see the visible universe subject to inexorable law and yielding submissively to that law. But man does not yield submissively; he resists the will of the eternal. Why should he ba allowed to resist? Is he not but an atom in the infinite spaces?these spaces that obey the heavenly mandate? wny not put down his insane rebellion and crush his proud will into conformity with the universal chorus? The Eible gives its answer. It is because love is incompatible with the exercise of omnipotence. Inexorable law can rule the stars; but the stars are not an object of love. Man is an object of love, and therefore he can only be ruled by love?or, as the prophet puts it, "drattn." Omnipotence can subdue by driving ?but that is not a conquest of love; it is, rather, a sign that love is baffled. Therefore it is that our Father does not compel us to come in. He would have us drawn by the beauty of His holiness; therefore He veils all that would force the will. He bides the glories of Heaven. He conceals the gates of pearl and the streets of gold. He reveals not the river of His pleasures. He curtains from the ear the music of the upper choir. He obscures in the sky the Son of Man. He forbids the striking of the hours on the clock of eternity. He treads on a' path of velvet, lest the sound of His coming footsteps should conquer by fear the heart that ought to be won by "love.?The Advance. A Hand For the tempted. It is no great virtue to be brave when we have neither trials nor temptations. One man may walk ' down the .avenue with _l_h? liquor in- . terests flaunting their devices on every hand, and he may have only a deepening disgust for the whole business. There is tnere no temptation and it requires neither courage nor self-coi? trol for him to walk in the midst' of these enticements. But to ? A V. ~ t Bome unioriuuaie out: wuu ics auuu.icu to the use of strong drink, and is trying manfully to overcome his besetting sin, to him it is a temptation to go down that avenue. He must walk with a prayer on his lips and courage In his heart that he may overcome he snares that are set for him. He is running a gauntlet of fire. He needs the help of God and a brother's hand, it is the man with an appetite who heeds to pray that the angel of the Lord may be round about him. He should have our sympathy and our help that he may pass through his furnace of fire unscatched. To place temptation in the way of the man who is doing his best to reform, is worse than to put a stumbling block in the way of the blind.?' United Presbyterian. 1 Little Creature Thtft God Loves., Here Is a little creature traveling on under my pen, not bigger than the dot over an "i." Who knows where it is going, what it lives upon, and whether it has not some anxiety on its mind! It goes very fast. I pause to watch it on its way- * * * A good journey to thee, little creature; may God conduct thee whither thou wouldst go! Have I frightened thee! I am, no doubt, so large in thy eyes; but perhaps for that very reason I escape thee like an immensity. My little insect might lead me very far; I stop at and rest in this thought, that thus I too am in the eyes of God a little, an infinitely little creature that He loves.?Christian Work and Evangelist. Neglect. The greatest danger to the church of to-day does not lie in a deliberate and willful opposition to Christ and His salvation, but in the decay of Christian sentiment brought about by a neglect of the principles of right' ? - . - J j? eousness. men are so aDsorueu m iuc temporalities of this world that they are neglecting the eternal verities which undergird the universe.?Rev. A. S. Herries, Presbyterian, Union City, Pa. Sing! We set up monumental stones over the graves of our joys, but who thinks of erecting monuments of praise for mercies received? We write four books of Lamentations and only one of Canticles, and are far more at home in wailing out a Miserere than In chanting a Te Deum.?C. H. Spur geuu. Mission off .Testis. Jesus cr^me not to save the palaces, but the slums. Farmer Digs Up $400. While working on his farm near Portland, Me., a few days ago, Jerome Terrell unearthed $400 in gold coin that had been buried forty-five years ago. George and Benjamin Denny lived on the farm in 1S62. When the Civil War began the brothers buried their hoard at the foot of an immense oak tree in a field on their farm. After several years the gourd which contained the money had rotted, and though a vigorous search was made, they were misdirected and the money was never discovered until Terrell found it. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL, ? INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS FOR JANUARY 10. ? Subject: Jesus and HisFirst Disciples, John 1:35-55 ? Golden Text,. John 1:45?Commit Verses :5537?Commentary on tho Lesson, TIME.?February, A. D. 27. PLACS ' v. ; ?By the Jordan. EXPOSITION.?I, Beholding Jesns* 35, 30. A great preacher with a congregation of two men. hut it was one of the most important sermons that John the Baptizer ever preached. It laid the foundation of that group of men. the Apostles, to whom we owe all our knowledge of Chris! and the Gospel. Little did John 4j? realize how much was involved in the testimony he gave that day, hut. faithful man that he was. he gave It. and it is bearing fruit still. It was x looking intently upon Jesus as He 1 walked (R. V. v. 36) that made John " v burst forth into this exultant and meaningful cry. If we fix our eyes ^ upon Him we will cry the same, un- % less, alas, our eyes are sightless. "O- r ^ Andrew, O John, look," he cries. r; "there goes the Lamb of God, the ' lamb of God's own providing (Gen. h 22:8), the lamb that takes away all man's guilt, the lamb typified in the Passover and every O. T. sacrifice"" II. Following Jesns, 37, 38. The result of John's testimony was startling but delightful. John'and Andrew at once turned their backs on John and followed Jesus. John, great man, was pleased to be thus deserted (Jno. 3:26-30). Three steps of Christian experience?they heard, they looked, they followed. Other stepscome shortly. We too must first look at Jesus as the Lamb if we would follow Him as our example. It is by the look, not by the following, that nrn o ro cotrarl (lao 4 ^ 9. 9. Tnn 5 ' 1 4. 15; cf. Nu. 21:9). We must first believe in what Jesus has done (Jno. 19:30; Ro. 3:25), before we ask,, "what would Jesus do?" and try to imitate it. But it ie by following that ^ we demonstrate that we really have f looked and are saved (Mark 10:52; 1 Jno. 2:6). John's simple, short,, sincere testimony has sent the youns men to follow Jesus and thus turned the world upside down. Oh the- . power of a Holy Ghost testimony (cf.. Jno. 4:39). .. . .. in. Abiding with Jesos, 2S, 39. e From following Jesus the two men go on to abiding with Him.' This is how it came about: As soon as they began to follow. Jesus turned and gazed at them, as they followed. What a look it was, so penetrating, so tender, so full of encouragement. Oneof them at least never forgot it. Hlg story of it hery in the very phraseology employed reproduces it. Then' there comes a question as searching, as the look, "What seek ye?" They did not clearly know themselves, but* there were deep yearnings in their heart that never had been satisfied, and He was the "Lamb of God" and would surely satisfy. They want to know Him better, so they timidly ask,. "Teacher, where do you live?" hardly daring to say bluntly, "we want to go> to your school." Men seek such various things when they start to follow Jesus, pardon for sin, healing for the body, loaves and fibhes. Happy_-tbgj.^^man who seeksJji^-Hinranr^VVhat are yoii^e&klhg? Jesus' reply went ? lOHoF merely the hea t of the question, but to* their heart's desire,. "Come, and ye shall see." ?What a moment of joy it was whan Jesus said that. And He is saying it to-day to every one who wisheb to come toHim. "Come," He says (Jno. 6:37;. kev. 22:17; Matt. 11:28). IV. Bringing others to Jesus, 40G7. No sooner had Andrew really * found Jesus, but he started right off v" and got his own brother and brought him to Jesus. The clear implication of the text is that John did the sameThis was just as it should be; as soon as we find Jesus we should go right off and bring some one else, and thebest one to begin with is our own brother. Andrew did a great worjk*, !; in'bringing his brother to Jeeus, for it was this brother who preached the . ?-A?* ,1 stir OnnfA. ?1 Cdl OC1U1UU UU LUC uaj Ui A CULC cost. Andrew's testimony was light to the point. "We have found the* Messiah," he said.. It was his personal conversation with Jesus that had settled his mind on this point. It' ' will settle any man's mind. A season . of personal communion with Jesus is. worth tons oi apologetic literature. Andrew did not stop with giving hiatestimonv,"he brought him to Jesus."' Never stop short of that. Jesuslooked Peter through and through. He saw what he now was and said,. , "Thou art Simon the son of Jona." He saw what he was to become,. ?Thou shalt be called Cephas" (rockman). It .was faith in the Rock that was to transform ordinary Simon intoextraordinary Rock-man (1 Cor. 10:4; Matt..1G:16-1S; 1 Jno. 5:5). Jesus "findeth Philip." He went to Galilee in part for that purpose. It was worth while. Short was the ' summons, "follow Me." Philip did not know all it involved, but he obeyed. The influence of his townsmen, Andrew and Peter, may have * had much to do with the prompt response. Philip was a student of O. T? scripture and an exact man (v. 45). Philip at once nunts up .\atnanaei. Everybody in this lesson who found Jesus seemed to go at once for some one else. Nathanael was decidedly skeptical about Jesus being the Christ. Indeed he did not believe He could be any good, coming from Nazareth. But he was sincere (v. 47) and when Philip enters into no argument, but says, "come and see," he came? and saw. When you say to the average skeptic, "corns and let me make, you acquainted with Jasus,' they won't come. Greenland Mosquitoes Bloodthirsty. The British bark Calcium, which arrived at Philadelphia from Greenland after a thirty-three days' run, was the first of the crvolite fleet to reach port. Captain Zurcker, of the Calcium, says that the natives reported last winter unusually stormy and that the summer had not been unpleasant, with the exception of attacks by swarms of bloodthirsty mosquitoes. The general idea that mosquitoes are not to be found in the Arctic Circle, the crew statec", is a great mistake, as the pests frequently forced the men to retreat while she was loading a cargo of cryolite at Ivietut. Give Statue to Peace Delegate. "' - + The French Inter-Parliamentary Arbitration Group presented M. Bourgeois, formerly Premier, who headed the French delegation at The Hague, with a bronze statue representing "The Awakening of Humauity," by Rnrlin. .-.-Ai. " Italian Floods Destructive. The damage by floods in Northern Italy to embankments and hydraulic works alone is estimated at more than ?1.000.000.