"WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT?"
By Editor
THIS is the question which the inhabitant of earth is asking of the watchmen whom God has set to warn the world of coming danger. This year closes a wonderful century. Its closing is ominous of the future. Just before us a new century is about to dawn. What is its prospect? The SIGNS OF THE TIMES wishes to answer these questions in a way so striking, so true, so loudly, that more will hear the answer than ever before. To do this, it will issue this coming autumn a World's Outlook number, which we hope will exceed in circulation all other special issues combined. It is too early now to announce the leading articles of this number, but all have been outlined. But as yet we have no good short story for that issue. We are writing this note to ask for contributions. We desire a story which will not overdraw the facts of life nor underdraw the importance of eternal issues; one that will help to uplift, purify, and intensify all that is good and noble in home life and character. It should not exceed 3,000 words. We are asking for this gratuitously, solely as a missionary offering on the part of the writer. We are sure we shall receive from generous hearts responses. We shall select from these—not, perhaps, the best all around, but the best suited to the paper and its object. Others acceptable will be reserved for other issues of the SIGNS if there is no objection. Whatever is thus contributed should be in the editor's hands not later than October 1, 1900. We know that this is not the usual plan in this day of prize stories, but the SIGNS OF THE TIMES is a missionary paper, published not for profit, and we therefore feel free to ask, believing that hearts touched by His Spirit will respond.