Earlier text: ALL IN MOURNINGTHE New York papers lately contained hints of a tragedy, which had its wretched ending in that city; a tragedy no less terrible because the same has occurred in thousands of American homes. Here are the facts in detail:— A young man, a clever, generous lad, the son in an influential and pious family in Scotland, two years ago, fell into dissolute habits. Every means was tried to bring him back to his better self, with little effect, until he saw and loved a young girl of his own rank in life. The hope of marrying her, of regaining his self-control and self-respect nerved him again with the strength of his boyhood. He asked his father for the means to bring him to this country, resolving to begin life anew, where no one knew his shame. The money for his outfit was given him, and with tears and prayers his old father and mother saw him depart. The day before he sailed, he went to the woman he hoped some day to call his wife, told her he loved her, and asked her to wait for him until he returned to claim her. The promise was given and the young fellow set sail, his heart elated with hope and triumph. In this new world a happy home, a full noble life, might yet be his! On his passage he was observed again and again to take out two letters from his pocket and pore over them. They had been handed to him as he came on board the ship. One was from his father, a passionate, almost breathless, prayer for his safe deliverance from the old temptation, the other from his betrothed wife, happy, hopeful, and loving. When within two days sail of New York, a friend whom he had made on the steamer, ordered wine at the dinner-table, and filled the young man's glass. The smell and sight of it maddened him. His head reeled. One glass? One little glass? There could surely be no danger in that? He raised it to his lips and drank. Two days later he landed in New York in a state of intoxication; was driven to a hotel where he continued to drink heavily for a week, until he was seized with delirium, and placed under a physician's care. When he recovered, his money was all spent, and he was ordered to leave the house. He was sober now, and understood fully what he had done. He looked at the landlord steadily. "Go? Yes, I will go. That is all that is left for me to do," he said. "The 'bus will be ready to take you away in five minutes," the man called after him, as he went up stairs. But the next moment his bell rang, and when they went up they found him dead upon the floor—his life taken by his own hand. The letters he had read so often, and that had seemed to promise hope and brightness for the future, lay beside him. Thus he left the world without one word of farewell to anybody in it—the victim of "just one glass."—Youth's Companion. "I'll Drink Till I Die."—A sad scene was witnessed at the Harlem Police Court recently. A man, his wife, and their boy appeared before the judge. The husband charged his wife with being guilty of habitual intoxication, and said she had pawned all his household and wearing apparel to procure money with which to purchase liquor. While repeating his sad story in court, he kissed his wife repeatedly, and appeared broken down with grief. In answer to Judge Otterbourg's question, "Mrs. Sommerset, what have you to say?" she made the reply, "I'll drink till I die; I cannot help it." It is needless to inform our readers that this unfortunate woman will be sent to Blackwell's Island, where the law will protect her from her terrible appetite for a time, unless she has money to induce some one to supply her secretly. Should an appetite like this be risked by indulging in even the most moderate drinking?—N. Y. Witness. A LITTLE Galveston boy, who is very observing, was asked by the teacher what was the future of the verb to drink. "To get drunk," was the correct response.—Ex. NEW YEAR'S EVE, and a bitterly cold one too. Mr. Rawlines sat in his library in a great easy chair, with his slippered feet stretched out in front of a blazing fire. The book cases reached from floor to ceiling, filled with rare and costly bound volumes, and an astral lamp shed a soft light upon the busts of great men and their marble pedestals. Warm, crimson-lined curtains shut out the wintry scene; within all was luxurious warmth and comfort. Mrs. Rawlines and her daughter (en route for a party) looked in to say "good night" to the master of the house, and to say that he needn't sit up for them. He followed them to the carriage, put them in, then returned to his comfortable seat with a shiver, as the wind swept into the hall before he could close the door. Two or three account books lay on a chair beside him, and taking them up, he ran his eye over the figures with evident satisfaction. "Pretty well for one year, I think," he said to himself. "And if that last speculation turns out well, I shall have cleared nearly double the amount I made last year. At this rate I shall soon be able to quit Blank street entirely." He closed the books and leaned his head back in the chair. "Yes, a good year's work," he muttered half aloud. "You call it a good year's work, do you?" exclaimed a voice at his side. Turning he beheld a tall woman scantily clad, holding a babe in her arms, while a little child clung to her skirts. "Yes, I should think you might," she continued, "and here I stand, with these children, starving, utterly helpless, without a roof to cover me. "Well, my good woman, how can I help that?" he asked, a little uneasily. "How can you help it? You have brought me to this state. As long as I had strength, I managed to keep body and soul together, and a roof, bad as it was, over me. Then sickness came, the rent of the miserable room was due, I begged the agent you employ to grant me a little time. His answer was: Have the rent the next time I come, or out you go into the street. "I went to your office last week to see if you would be more merciful. You sent word 'you could not be bothered, your agent attended to those affairs.' To-night we have been turned out beggars, and homeless." "I knew nothing of this," began Mr. Rawlines. "It is your business to know," interrupted the woman, fiercely. "The property is yours. It is your place to see that your tenants are justly treated." "No," as he made a movement toward his purse, "I have not come here to ask anything of you. But remember, man, that those treasures will not last forever. The lives of the widow and the fatherless will be demanded of you." Her voice sank, and with a great sob she glided from the room. On the threshold she passed a young man who entered the room and stood before the astonished master. "Who are you?" asked Mr. Rawlines, half rising, then sinking back into the cushioned depths of his easy chair. "Who am I? Your memory is short it seems," said the new-comer with a bitter laugh. "A month ago you advertised for a clerk. I happened to see the notice, and applied at once for the situation. I was the first applicant. No sumptuous breakfast detained me that morning; a crust and a drink of water had sufficed for me. You asked for my references from former employer. Fresh from college where I had worked my way, I had no experience, but would have served you faithfully and well for the merest pittance. You told me to call again. I did come again and again, but each time was refused admittance into your sanctum, and at last learned that the place had been given to some one else. It was only a slender hope at best, still when even that was taken from me, I felt that now there was nothing and no one to look to. A little help at that time would have saved me. Now would you like to know what you have driven me to?" He stooped down and whispered a few words in Mr. Rawlines' ear. The latter started and drew back. "Ah," continued the young man with a scornful smile. "You tremble, I see, and well you may. It is n't pleasant to listen to, is it? 'A good year's work,' I think you said? How will you answer for one day's work? You count your year's work by figures which represent dollars and cents. I count your work by figures too, but they represent the number of widows and orphans, young and old, ground down by you and your agents, while you are rolling in wealth. You're not the only one, I know, but that's no excuse for you. Well, I won't trouble you any longer. Good-night," and the loud banging of the hall door followed. Mr. Rawlines sat up and looked around, then glanced at the clock. It was only half an hour that he had been asleep, and John the footman was parleying with some one in the hall. Mr. Rawlines wiped his forehead, saying: "Only a dream after all, I'm thankful. John," as the servant entered, "who is it?" "It's the young man as was here this mornin', sir, and he says he must see you." "Very well, let him in," replied the gentleman. A young man entered hastily, and with an eager expression. "I've ventured to call this evening about the vacant place," he began. "Ah, yes," returned Mr. Rawlines, "what salary do you expect?" "I have a little sister dependent upon me for the support, but I am willing to work for very little." "Suppose we say five hundred for the first year," said the other, mindful of his dream. "That is more than I expected," returned the young man. "I will try to deserve your confidence, sir. You don't know what you have saved me from, I felt so desperate to-night. But now with such a prospect I have no fear. It will be good news for Mattie, poor child; I will come early to-morrow." "Yes, and stay, here is a little money in advance, I dare say you will need it." The youth drew back a little proudly, with a slight flush on his cheek. "Thank you, sir. I do need it, but I would rather wait until I have earned it." "Tut-tut, don't be so proud, boy," said Mr. Rawlines kindly, "I would not do it in every case. But I think you can be trusted." "Thank you for your good opinion. I hope I may merit it. Good night." Mr. Rawlines sat down again with a thoughtful air. "I don't believe I would have given him the situation if it hadn't been for that horrid dream. That tenement house of mine too, I must look to it. Smith always has the money somehow, and I've never troubled my head about it. I must see after matters myself a little more." And he did see after matters himself after this. Hitherto he had been so engrossed in business that he had not found time to do anything good, beyond occasionally contributing to some charitable object when his companions in Blank street did so too. But now he had awakened to the true state of things, and when another New-year's eve came round, it beheld him planning several buildings for the poor, helping deserving young men who needed assistance at some trying moment, and encouraging the downcast, struggling creatures in his daily path. His wife and daughter were astonished at the change, but soon they, too, became interested in the good work. This year the bank account was not so large, but Mr. Rawlines could now honestly say: "It is a good year's work," remembering that "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me."—Advocate and Guardian. The Home Circle.
By C. W. Hubner
WHERE is the light on earth or in sky
That is like to the light of a mother's eye?
Hath the fairest star we look upon,
Or splendor of rising or setting sun,
Glory to thrill us or magic to move,
Like the eye of a mother illumined with love? What's like the gloom, the total eclipse,
That sudden surroundeth us— sealing the lips
To grave-like silence, save only the cry
Of the wounded soul writhing in agony—
The storm that o'erwhelmeth us, cloud upon cloud,
When that eye's peerless glory is veiled by the shroud? Are the sweet sounds on earth and in air,
Or those which we deem that the angels must hear,
Sweet as the love-words that tenderly come,
Blessing us, guiding us; filling the hours
With beauty and fragrance, as God fills the flowers? What's like the hush, the silence supreme,
The mid-ocean solitude, vague as a dream,
That burdens the heart when, forever and aye,
We turn from her confined dust, weeping away
And O! tell me where hath love holier shrine
Than the spot where a mother's blest ashes recline?
—C. W. Hubner. Introducing Yourself to Yourself
It is easy to say, "Know thyself," but who is to introduce you? Most people go through life without making the advantageous acquaintance in question; and if a friend should take the liberty of introducing you to yourself, what would you say? "Do turn out your toes, Maria," said Mrs. Ames, as Maria, her eleven-year-old daughter, came in from school, a great pile of books in her hands and a tired look on her face. "And do try to stand up straight, and keep your shoulders back. Why can you not move and walk like other girls?" The child's countenance took on a sullen expression, but she made no reply. Seating herself at the window, she began to prepare her lessons for the ensuing day. Aunt Phebe, a benevolent old lady who was aunt to every one in the neighborhood, observed this, and said:— "Maria, dear, do you need to study to-morrow's lesson immediately? Can you not be out-doors awhile, on this lovely afternoon?" "I do take a walk about dusk," Maria answered pleasantly; everybody answered Aunt Phebe pleasantly, for good nature has a winning way of its own. "But I cannot afford to lose any of the light, and the days are growing so short." Aunt Phebe said no more. Sixty years' experience had taught her the lesson which some of us are very slow to learn, that nothing is so entirely wasted as unnecessary talk, advice, and admonition. But she thought a good deal, though she was silent, and once or twice as Mrs. Ames said querulously, "Do Maria, sit up! Do Maria, keep your feet still! Maria I cannot endure such clumsiness; you must assume a more ladylike position," etc., a pained expression crossed her placid countenance. When at last the books were closed, and the little girl, for whom a companion had called, had departed to take her daily twilight exercise on the block and around the corner, the dear old lady ventured on a word of reproof to the mother. "Elizabeth, you will pardon me, but I fear you are making Maria unhappy. And she is a very attractive child!" "Attractive, Aunt Phebe! How can you say so? You see for yourself how big and ungainly she is growing, and she never knows what to do with her hands and her feet. If I were her stepmother, people would say that was why I was so clear-sighted to her defects, but she is my own child, and a very great trial she is to me. I love her, but she mortifies me." "She is obedient, truthful, and faithful to her duties, is she not?" "Oh! yes; but then, Aunt Phebe, her disposition is so sullen. She pouts when I find fault with her, and that puts me quite out of patience." "Well, dear, if you would find fault less frequently, and only in private, you might not have the sullenness to complain of. A sensitive nature cannot bear to be blamed in the presence of others. Another thing you must remember, your daughter is growing very rapidly, and some of her attitudes, and angularities, and her awkward changes of position must be set to that account. Nature suggests these movements as easeful and reposing. Seriously, I would be more careful, if I were in your place, about wounding her by too constant criticism. As she emerges from the chrysalis of her present awkwardness, many things will arrange themselves, and many little ungraceful habits will drop away. Do not let Maria have the memory of an unhappy childhood." Are not many, who have laid upon themselves the responsibility of caring for young people, making the mistake of Mrs. Ames? In their anxiety to do the very best things for their children, and to have them excel in everything which is desirable, they keep up an incessant monotony of deprecation, and reproach. Meanwhile the boys and girls, burdened with multiplied tasks, soul and body receptive together, and both developing every day, are perhaps petulant, and fractious, as they will not be in a few years when the forces of their being are more harmoniously adjusted. Perhaps they lack grace of movement, and ease of manner. They are quite probably conceited and vain, or, it may be, touchy, and sullen. Be patient, and watchful, and always tenderly loving, dear mothers, and your reward will come by-and-by when the husks of the present hour fall away from the ripening fruit.—Christian Intelligencer. —Of 689 missionaries in India, the United States sends seventeen. —By the sinking of a ferry-boat near Savannah Georgia, Sept. 28, twelve colored persons were drowned. —A fire broke out in the Merchants' Bazaar, in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 28, and destroyed twenty warehouses. —Pope Leo XIII., has given his approbation to a series of school-books specially prepared for Roman Catholic schools in America. —Ex-President Enoch Pond, of the Bangor Theological Seminary, is ninety-five years old, and says that he has not had a headache in sixty-six years. —Illinois was recently visited by another violent tornado, which did great damage at Quincy, and the village of Camden. Several persons were killed. —A collision on the Southern Pacific Railroad, at Tucson, A. T., resulted in the serious injury of two men, and a loss to the company of over $100,000. —The year's cotton crop is figured at 6,589,329 bales, against 5,757,397 bales last year; the consumption in the United States was 1,915,000 bales, against 1,760,000 last year. —The mourning badge worn by Walter H. Leman, at the Garfield funeral procession in San Francisco, was the one which his father wore at the funeral of General Washington, in 1799. —William Ryan, one of the participators in the robbery of the train on the Chicago and Alton Road, near Glendale, Mo., has been sentenced to the penitentiary for twenty-five years. —Of sixteen souls on board the ship Calcutta, from the East Indies for Boston, and wrecked near East London, only three, the mate, captain, and one seaman, were saved. Five bodies have been recovered. —The buildings of the Quaker College at Swarthmore, Pa., were destroyed by fire on the 25th ult. All the students escaped, but lost all they had. The fire was caused by an explosion in the laboratory. —September 25, a slight shock of earthquake was felt at Elmira, N. Y., which was immediately followed by a hurricane, unroofing many buildings. A heavy rain-fall succeeded, which added greatly to the damage. —A fire broke out in Robert's Opera-House block at Eldredtown, twelve miles northeast of Bradford, Penn., on Friday, Sept. 30, and before it was got under control, sixty buildings were burned, in the business center of the town. —The town of Stanton, Nebraska, containing four hundred inhabitants, was destroyed by a hurricane, Sept. 29. Several lives were lost. The Union Pacific Railroad Company furnished box cars for the shelter of the homeless ones. —A three days' conference of the International Federation of free-thinkers was held in London, commencing Sept. 25, Bradlaugh presiding. Bennett, of America boasted that there were millions of free-thinkers in the United States. —A liquor saloon in Salt Lake was recently broken into, and the faucets of the whisky and brandy barrels were turned, allowing about $4,000 worth of liquor to run out. The newspapers think it was an outrage to allow so much "good whisky to run to waste." —An important engagement recently took place between the French and the Arabs, south of Susa, Tunis. The Arabs admit the loss of fifty killed and many wounded. The French loss is unknown. Twenty-eight thousand troops have embarked at Toulouse for Tunis. —In the Episcopal church of the Ascension, Chicago, they have, as a distributed tract informs the congregation, the blessed privilege of confession and absolution, the sacrifice of the mass, low mass being celebrated at 8 A. M., and solemn mass at 11 A. M. on Sundays, as also the celebration of each kind on week days. —The Anchor Line steamship Anchoria, from Glasgow, recently ran down a small sailing vessel. All on board the latter were drowned. A passenger on the Anchoria says: "The boats were too slow to save any one on the unfortunate vessel. We heard cries for assistance, but the poor fellows were drowned before we could give any aid." —Great destruction has been caused by an earthquake in the province of Abruzzo, Italy. The archbishop of Chieti, the chief town, says that over one thousand houses are uninhabitable, and the remainder more or less fissured. Four-fifths of the population are shelterless. The devastated territory is devoted exclusively to grazing, and cattle raising. —The Directors of the Paramore Narrow-gauge Railroad met at Little Rock, Ark., recently, and consolidated the Missouri and Arkansas lines. A contract has just been closed for 40,000 tons of steel rails. It is claimed that this is the largest contract for steel rails ever made in this country. The length of the line will be over 1,600 miles, the terminus being in the city of Mexico. —The beet sugar mill at Alvarado, Alameda Co., Cal., was blown up by the explosion of one of the boilers, Sept. 27. The accident was caused by the carelessness of the fireman, who fell asleep at his post. On awakening, he found the water very low in the gauge, and proceeded to pump cold water into the heated boiler. The result was an explosion. The fireman alone lost his life. —September 27, while the express train on the Canada Southern Railroad was being transferred across the Detroit river, the transfer boat ran violently against the dock, plunging the sleeping car "St. Clair," with all its occupants, into the river. The passenger car adjoining was thrown off, but as the coupling did not break, it was not submerged. Three passengers were missing, others lost their baggage. A most important discovery has just been made of enormous thefts from the treasury of Russia. Immediately after Baron Kuster had been relieved from his functions as Court Steward, a special Commission was appointed to look into his accounts. After working five or six hours daily, for twelve consecutive days, the Commission has ascertained that, roundly estimated, sixty million rubles (about $48,000,000), have been stolen from the imperial safe. —The Herald's Cairo cable dispatch says: All who have had long experience in the East are firmly convinced that the recent disturbances in Egypt were but a prelude to much graver events. No one can mix with the people here without noticing their intense hatred of Europeans, especially those in the employ of the Egyptian Government. The gravity of the situation is not properly understood in Europe, and probably will not be till some terrible outbreak has occurred. —Experiments have recently been made at Woolwich with a 100-ton gun, which gave entire satisfaction. The shot weighed 2000 pounds, and the cartridges, 448 pounds. The cost of each round was $150. The shot buried itself sixty feet in the sand bank against which it was fired. It was calculated that the velocity was sufficient to send the shot through three feet of armor one mile distant. Several of these guns have been made and are to be placed in position in the Mediterranean fortresses. —A terrible explosion occurred at Council Bluffs, Iowa, Sept. 27. A car of dynamite was billed to Denver as common blasting powder, but the Union Pacific company refused to receive it, and it was returned to the Rock Island yards. By some means it exploded, completely destroying fifty freight cars, the freight house, and the round house, and shattering other buildings. Considerable damage was done to buildings in Omaha. Twenty miles away the explosion was felt, and was thought to be an earthquake shock. —September 26, the ship Alice Buck from New York bound to Oregon with a cargo of railroad iron, struck on a ridge of rocks called Clam Rocks, situated on the southwest side of Half Moon Bay, about thirty miles south of San Francisco. The ship had been leaking for three weeks, and the crew had been working at the pumps continuously for the last sixty hours. Out of a crew of twenty-four, eleven were drowned. The remaining thirteen, including the Captain, were rescued after having remained in the water for nine hours. —Cannon, the delegate to Congress, from Utah, in a recent speech in the Mormon tabernacle at Salt Lake, used the following language: "The Government of the United States will be powerless in the future as it has been in the past to enforce the anti-polygamy, or any other law detrimental to the interest or progress of the Kingdom of God on earth. Nineteen years ago on the 2d of last July the Congress of the United States passed a law to prohibit and punish the practice of polygamy in the Territories. How much prohibition has that law effected? How many of us have been punished for the practice of polygamy? But one man, and he furnished the evidence himself for his own conviction." When Cannon is in Washington he professes to be a very loyal and virtuous citizen; what he really is, may be seen from his speech. HOSPITALITY.
By Ralph Waldo Emerson
I PRAY YOU, O excellent wife, not to cumber yourself and me to provide a rich dinner for this man or this woman who has alighted at our gate, nor a bed-chamber made ready at too great a cost. But let this stranger see, if he will, in your looks, in your accents and behaviour, your heart and earnestness, your thought and will, what he cannot buy at any price, at any village or city, and which he may well travel fifty miles and dine sparingly and sleep hard in order to behold. Certainly let the board be spread and the bed be dressed for the traveler, but let the emphasis of hospitality be in these things. Honor to the house where they are simple to the verge of hardship, so that the intellect is awake, the soul worships truth and love, and that honor and courtesy flow into all deeds.—Emerson. GRIFFIN.—Died June 28, 1881, of dropsy of the heart, Mary E., wife of J. T. Griffin, aged 21 years and 3 months. Sr. G. embraced present truth in the summer of 1879, at the camp-meeting near Walla Walla. She had been an honorable member of the church, and at her death gave others good reasons to hope that she will be awakened in the resurrection morn.
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By Editor
THE tract entitled "Scripture References," is one of the most important that has ever been published by Seventh-day Adventists. Recently we have carefully revised and somewhat remodeled it. There were found quite a number of serious errors in the old editions. We are now publishing it, and the greatest care of our best proof-readers is being put forth in its execution. While perfection is scarcely attainable in such a work, we do not hesitate to recommend this edition to our ministers, and all our people. We stereotype it, and can supply all orders. It will be furnished at the Sacramento camp-meeting. INDICTMENT OF THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.
By Editor
LAST week we published a notice of the National Liberator, of Chicago, No. 15, containing three important speeches on the subject of temperance. John B. Finch of Nebraska, though a young man, is doing a great and good work in this cause. His speech, before the Northwestern Convocation of Temperance Workers, at Lake Bluff, Ill., was entitled, "The Indictment of the Liquor Traffic." We trust the publishers will not object to our giving our readers a specimen extract of this masterly argument. The "Health and Temperance Club" of the Oakland church have sent for two thousand copies; one thousand of which will be used at the Sacramento camp-meeting. Said a friend: "I had not time to read it when I took it, but I commenced and could not stop." Said another: "It is better each time I read it." Again we recommend all our H. and T. clubs to circulate this number of the Liberator. ADVENTIST ECUMENICAL.
By Editor
THE Foreston, Ill., meeting of First-day Adventists was held, professedly, in the interest of a more perfect union between Advent believers other than Seventh-day Adventists. To the criticisms of the editor of the Bible Banner we have referred; now a correspondent of that paper, an old and well-known Adventist, writes a very conservative article, giving credit to the convention as far as he possibly can, and says:— “It must, however, be confessed that the convention lacked—well, what?—say courage, may be, generosity. It came to the line Christianly, with open hand for universal Advent fellowship, then faltered, lost heart, and—showed a fist! at undeniably Christian brethren as devotedly working in the same one glorious faith. The bridge broke down at the middle span; the gulf yawns more ghastly than before.” It is a fact which can neither be denied nor concealed, that the element of “unity of the faith,” and also that of “unity of the spirit,” are lacking in the body of First-day Adventists. And every effort which they make to unite only makes the fact more painfully prominent, even to themselves. We might suggest a remedy—an infallible one, because a Scriptural one, —but refrain for two reasons: 1. It has often been presented to them before; and 2. Our past experience in this direction teaches us that our informaion would not be kindly received. But there are some among them who are earnestly seeking for light, and for better and safer ground on which to stand. Our prayer is that the Spirit of God will guide them to a full reception of “the present truth”—the real Advent message—the closing message of the dispensation. MINISTERIAL FITNESS.
By Editor
IRENÆUS, in the Observer, relates the following, which we doubt not, for we have seen people who judged of the qualifications of a minister on equally high grounds:— “I was visiting a great planter in Kentucky, near Lexington, while attending the Presbyterian Assembly. He wanted me to see a couple of colts six weeks old, and when they were brought out I said, ‘Morgan colts.’ ‘Why,’ he exclaimed, ‘do you know a Morgan colt when you see it?’ ‘Certainly,’ said I, ‘or an Eclipse colt.’ ‘Well done,’ said he, ‘I never saw a minister before that knew a Morgan horse, or any other, at sight. Why, sir, you can have a call to any church in Kentucky!’ ” WHOLESOME SPEECH.
By Editor
THE following short article we clip from the Oakland Daily Times. It is short as to the number of words, but it is "big with meaning." We hope, not only for the sake of the tax-payers who are misused in the matter, but for the honor of Oakland, and for the sake of morality, that this state of things may not long continue. There is nothing more demoralizing to the youth of this age than the average novel. The best are bad enough, for real life is seldom shown by a novel writer. The novel reader lives in an ideal world, and is, or is becoming, an idealist—a day dreamer, useless, if not absolutely pernicious, to society. But the generality of novels,—the second or third-rate book of fiction, is as dangerous as the saloon with its gilded fixtures. Wise parents will not permit them a place in their households; surely a city should not supply them by taxing its citizens:— "Last month, the Alameda town library circulated 950 books, over 900 of which were novels. The Argus thinks that the time will soon come when tax-payers will not be considered old fogies and unprogressive, if they seriously inquire whether the furnishing of free novels to those who have nothing to do but read them, is a legitimate object, for the circulation of cheap novels was never contemplated by those who, years ago, were the prominent advocates of a system of public libraries. It is our own idea that public money should not be applied to such a purpose. The true object of a city library is to give people an opportunity to consult books which are of permanent value, not to circulate novels which can be bought for fifteen or twenty cents each, and which are used up after they have been through the hands of a dozen readers. It would be almost as reasonable to levy a tax to purchase chewing gum and peanuts for the class of patrons who devour the works of fiction." The following paragraph from the Examiner and Chronicle is one that nearly everybody can consider with profit:— "The man who says he has 'no time' for a thing, really means to say that he doesn't consider it important enough to take time for it. When he recognizes it as a thing that must be done, the time difficulty vanishes." Religious duties are very frequently put off on account of lack of time; but these very individuals usually find time enough to attend to their own business. What they mean is that they do not have time after they have done everything else that they wish to do, which is doubtless true. But this only shows what they consider to be of the most importance. "But no one can be expected to let his own business suffer; we must live." "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Who believes it? THE tenth annual session of the California Conference will be held in connection with the camp-meeting at Sacramento, commencing Oct. 13, 1881. As this Conference will be as important a one as has ever been held in this State, there should be a full representation of delegates from every company of Seventh-day Adventists in the Conference. Every recognized church of fifteen or less members is entitled to one delegate; larger churches to one additional delegate for every additional fifteen members. Unorganized companies and isolated brethren and sisters should also be represented in person or by letter, so that the wants of the cause in the State may be clearly understood. Conference business will be disposed of during the early part of the meeting; delegates are therefore requested to be on the ground at the first of the meeting. Also letters pertaining to Conference business should be forwarded to the Secretary, Eld. J. D. Rice, in time so that they can be duly considered, and such steps taken as will co-operate with the Spirit of God. We Our Publications in England.
By Editor
ANY of the books, pamphlets and tracts issued at this Office may be obtained of Eld. J. N. Loughborough, Ravenswood, Shirley Road, Southampton, England, who will furnish catalogues and prices in English money, and receive subscriptions for all our periodicals.