In the days of Solomon, Jerusalem was supplied with water from Solomon's pools and brought into the city by aqueduct. These pools are constructed of heavy masonry and comprise three great reservoirs between two shelving hillsides standing on different levels, the one draining into the other, and consisting partly of masonry and partly of rock cutting and cover about seven acres. They were fed by springs, and are at the present time in very good repair. They are located in the hill country toward Hebron, about six or eight miles southwest of Jerusalem.
The upper pool is 380 feet long by 233 feet wide and 25 feet deep; the middle pool is 423 feet long by 233 feet wide and 39 feet deep; the lower pool is 52 feet long by 175 feet wide and 50 feet deep.
These pools were no doubt made by the order of Solomon. “I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees; . . . I made me pools of water.” Eccl. 2: 5, 6. About 200 yards above the upper pool is a fountain. The water from it is conducted by an underground aqueduct to the pools.
Modern Jerusalem has depended entirely upon the rain for its water supply; hence the water is very precious and is not furnished free, but sold. Altho the past summer has been very hot and dry, the lack of rain has been turned into a blessing, because it awoke the people to a realization of the fact that Jerusalem was entirely dependent upon rainwater. The first relief came through a Mohammedan, who undertook to bring water by rail from “Bettir,” the first railroad station west of Jerusalem. He succeeded in bringing in five tanks daily, and sold the water cheaper than it was ever sold before.
Plans were made by an eminent architect, who during his stay in Jerusalem had become interested in the situation, for bringing water from Solomon's pools in iron pipes to Jerusalem. He estimated the cost at £5000, and that 8000 skins could be distributed free to the poor every day.
The fourth of July was a day of universal rejoicing in Jerusalem, as a few days previous the new governor, in telegraphing his congratulations to the sultan on the occasion of Mahomet's birthday, asked that the day might be signalized by permission to pipe water into Jerusalem, so that the suffering this year might be mitigated, and the poor people be supplied with the water freely. A favorable reply was received, and plans were at once made to launch the new enterprise.
The course to be followed is principally that pursued by Solomon: past the orchards, “Urtas,” through Bethlehem, past Rachel's tomb and Mar Elias, across the plain of Rephaim where David, parched with thirst in his battle with the Philistines, longed for the water of the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and the valley of Gihon across the valley of Hinnom, around Zion into the Tyropeon valley.
The work is now being pushed faster than is usual with the Turkish Government. (This fund for bringing water into Jerusalem has been on hand since before the discovery of America.)
At one point, following the course of the oldest aqueduct, the piping enters a tunnel through a mountain between Jerusalem and Mar Elias, which is about 450 meters in length. This tunnel is being enlarged and utilized as a sort of reservoir to accumulate the water and give it head for its outflow in Jerusalem. In exploring this tunnel quite a perfect arch was found at one point, supporting the roof, which is of very great interest, as the tunnel and arch were doubtless constructed by Solomon, giving evidence that the arch dates back of the Romans and the Greeks.—Ex
THE BLIND WEAVER.
By Beth Day
[Beth Day, in Youth’s Companion.]
A BLIND boy stood beside the loom
And wove a fabric. To and fro,
Beneath his firm and steady touch,
He made the busy shuttle go.
And oft the teacher passed that way
And gave the colors, thread by thread;
But by the boy the pattern fair
Was all unseen. Its hues were dead.
“How can you weave?” we, pitying, cried.
The blind boy smiled. “I do my best;
I make the fabric firm and strong,
And one who sees does all the rest.”
O, happy thought! beside life’s loom,
We blindly strive our best to do,
And He who marked the pattern out,
And holds the threads, will make it true.
THE IDEAL MOTHER.
The ideal mother never threatens her children; she does not like to imply a doubt of the prompt obedience she expects.
The ideal mother has plenty of faith. She does not believe that her twelve-year-old school-girl, who hurries away undisturbed by any haunting memories of the untidy bedroom she has left behind, or with easy unconsciousness of the places on her boots where buttons should be and are not, is necessarily going to be a life-long slattern; or that the mischievous baby who persists, in the face of the most obvious evidence, that he “didn't touch the milk jug, it 'pilled itself,'” is congenitally deficient in sense of honor.
The ideal mother has a just perception of relative values. In this complex civilization of ours, every mistress of a household, whatever her social position, must choose between many conflicting claims on her time. But whether it be social duties that try to crowd out the children entirely, or exhausting labor for their material needs that leaves no time for their moral and intellectual guidance, the ideal mother remembers that she is first of all a mother.
She is never too busy or too tired to hear the story of the day's school troubles, to admire and criticize the six-legged pig or triangular man submitted by budding genius, to pity rather than to reproach when clumsy little fingers have wrought mischief with intent to “help,” to answer questions by carefully chosen explanations instead of by impatient formulas that repress inquiry.
The ideal mother remembers her own childhood, and the faulty perspective in which it saw the world around it. Often, therefore, she gives sympathy where the unthinking see only cause for laughter, encouragement where the sternly just would censure. —Anon.
CHANGING A TOWN.
We know that the followers of Him who “went about doing good” try to walk in His footsteps and minister to human suffering wherever they find it; but perhaps the following story will give us a more vivid realization of what Christianity does toward meeting human needs.
Norah had been given a model village for a birthday gift. There was a big square, painted with streets and grass plots, and on this were set up tiny houses, people, and trees of pasteboard. It was a most fascinating plaything, and Norah never tired of setting up her village and sending the pasteboard people to church or along the streets. She was sending all the little ones to school one day, when her father, who had come in and was looking at the little village, asked, with an interested face,—
“What kind of a town is that, Norah?” and then as she looked up inquiringly, “I mean is it a Christian or a heathen town,—a town where people know and love God, or one where they do not?”
“O, a Christian town,” Norah answered quickly. “See the church?”
“Suppose we make it a heathen town,” her father suggested. “What must we take out?”
“The church,” answered Norah, setting it one side.
“Is that all?”
“I suppose so.”
“No, indeed,” said her father. “The public school must go. There are no public schools in heathen lands.”
Norah set the school aside. “Then the children ought not to have books in their hands,” she said.
“Certainly not the girls,” her father said. “Nor ought they to be in the streets with the boys. Take them out.”
Norah looked very grave as she set the happy-faced little girls aside.
“Take the public library, too,” her father directed.
“Anything else?” she asked, sadly.
“Isn’t that a hospital over there on Elmwood avenue?”
“But, papa, don’t they have hospitals?”
“Not in heathen countries. It was Christ who taught us to care for the sick and the old.”
“Then I must take out the Old Ladies’ Home,” said Norah, very soberly.
“Yes, and that Orphans’ Home at the other end of town.”
“Why, papa,” Norah exclaimed, “there is not a good thing left! I wouldn’t live in such a town for anything! Does knowing about Jesus make all that difference?”
As we remember how Jesus tried always to teach men to be loving and kind to one another, we realize anew how wide must be the difference in the conditions of life among those who strive to follow His teachings and among those who have never heard even His name.
Would you like to live in such a town as Norah’s would be without all that her father told her would be impossible in a heathen town, where nothing of the influence of Christ’s love had penetrated? What can you do to make this country less like a heathen country?—Ex.
CAME FROM THE SALOON.
The last public act of J. Wilkes Booth before shooting down President Lincoln was, five minutes before the tragedy, to throw down a dollar upon the counter of a saloon and call for a brandy, which he got and drank.
The last public act of Guiteau, before shooting President Garfield, was to come from a saloon, where he had been drinking brandy, to the place where he committed the crime.
Czolgosz made his home, while in Buffalo, at a saloon hotel, and went from it to Music Hall, where he assassinated President McKinley.—Southern Star, Atlanta, Ga.
EMINENT MEN ON TOBACCO.
BLINDNESS caused by tobacco-smoking is, in my opinion, practically always incurable. Nor is this so uncommon as is believed. Not a large number are totally blind, but thousands upon thousands have their eyesight permanently weakened by the deadly poisons inhaled when the tobacco habit is indulged.—Dr. Roberts.
One of the chief reasons why my voice shall always be lifted up against the use of tobacco is that it leads in so many cases to alcoholic intemperance. I am convinced that tobacco-poisoning is the cause of many a drunken spree.—Dr. Edwards.
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WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED
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REMINISCENCES OF JAPAN.
By John A. Brunson
I.
It was my privilege to live three years in Japan, and labor in connection with other missionaries for the advancement of the great principles of righteousness, of which Christ’s life on earth was a perfect exponent. Nine years have passed since my return to America, nine busy, eventful years, crowded full of absorbing experiences; yet the pleasant memories of my sojourn among the soft-voiced, kind-hearted, polite Japanese, still live. As I reflect upon those years, memories of unique experiences and pleasing scenes come racing through my mind like howling hounds, in hot haste giving chase to a fleeing fugitive. Come apart for a few moments, and let us glance at this remarkable people, and their beautiful island home, one of the most picturesque portions of the globe; for they are indeed a remarkable people, living in a remarkable country.
The People.
Laying aside all speculation as to their origin, and refraining from any attempt to draw the dividing line between the perplexing mazes of mythology and the chronicled events of their early history, we prefer to look at them just as they are, just as we met them in daily association,—real human beings, clothed with flesh and blood, exhibiting excellences and defects, and engaged in the serious business of struggling for existence. Among them we find the high-toned gentleman of real refinement and culture, clad in silk, and living a life of comparative freedom from vexatious care and fatiguing toil. There is also to be seen the rude boor of harsh, repulsive features, coarse character, and barbarous behavior. Between these extremes exist the usual gradations of intelligence, with their accompanying privileges and distinctions. But let us dismiss from our minds, once for all, the thought that they are a rude, uncivilized people. Heathen they are, it is true, but a race of barbarians they are not. Heathen, I say, in the sense that so many in America, the country whose boastful claims to superiority fill the world, are heathen. They know not Christ; therefore they love Him not, and hence do not obey Him. They are absorbed in selfish interests, and are assiduously seeking worldly promotion, material prosperity, earthly glory. In short, their lives are centered in self, and every self-centered life is essentially sinful, heathenish, abhorrent to the unselfish Christ, who gave Himself, not His means, to save others. Then we may say that self-giving for the benefit of others is the mark of a Christian, self-preserving for the benefit of self is the mark of a heathen. “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” Judged by this Scriptural standard, we say the Japanese are heathen; but many who are not Japanese are, for the same reason, to be classed as heathen also.
Japanese Girls Drawing Water.
A Shinto Temple.
The Japanese are intelligent and progressive. They have a very well-ordered system of education, embracing the University of Tokyo, with its six faculties of Law, Literature, Science, Engineering, Medicine, and Agriculture, and matriculating annually more than a thousand students, on the one hand, and the modest primary school on the other. Between these extremes are schools and colleges of various grades. Text-books of Western authorship are frequently used; and the aspiring youth is inducted into the fields of scientific research by competent teachers, who have either studied abroad or have attained to a laudable degree of proficiency in their own schools. Consequently the amount of illiteracy, considering the great density of population and extreme poverty of thousands, is not so great as one would think. Many of the lower classes can read and write, and exhibit a good degree of intelligence. It is no uncommon thing to see a jinrikisha man draw from the folds of his scant clothing a daily newspaper, and utilize the unemployed moments in informing himself of current events.
They are kind and agreeable, and polite to a fault. They will often speak a lie rather than give offense. This fact makes them unreliable in business transactions. Indeed, their unbusiness-like habits are a source of vexation to the Westerner; and when the services of an Oriental are needed, the post of trust is given to a Chinaman in preference to a Japanese. The cashier, for instance, of the Kobe branch of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, with which we did business while living in Kobe, was a Chinaman, who was both honest and accurate.
Cleanliness is another marked feature of Japanese life. In almost every village is found a public bath-house, where baths can be procured for a few cents. They are liberally patronized by the natives, but seldom by foreigners. Many of their tubs are quite expensive, and will accommodate several at once, and the bather has no assurance that he will be the sole occupant of the tub when he enters and begins his ablutions. Indeed, one of the opposite sex may come in, and with a gentle, “Gomen nasai” (excuse me, please), proceed to share with him the luxuries of the bath. But it must be remembered that exposure of person is not regarded as an act of indecency in Japan, as it is in America.
In point of morality the Japanese will compare favorably with other nations of higher professions. It is true, as Dr. Griffis observes, that chastity and temperance are not characteristic virtues, and yet it can truthfully be said that licentiousness is not so prevalent as the superficial observer would at first suppose.
JOHN A. BRUNSON.
Nehemiah, the Leader.
By Thomas J. Cummins
In the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, Jerusalem lay in ruins; her gates were down, and the remnant of the Jewish dwellers were in great distress. The month Chisleu (which corresponds to our November) was at hand, a month which, if it brought nothing else, brought very cold weather—sometimes snow—to the already afflicted Jews. It was a sad sight to see this city of God shorn of her grandeur, open at all times to the invasion of the enemy. And as the pale moon arose over the hills, lighting up her ruined walls and temples, they must have mocked at her.
But a deliverer was at hand; for on such a night, clad in the dress of his rank, a young man of noble birth and bearing might have been seen urging forward the beast upon which he rode; his destination an elevation where he might get a better view of the city. His face was set, and his eyes shone with a steady light, bespeaking the great purpose that lay locked within his breast.
At last Jerusalem lay before him, not in all her splendor, as she appeared when the Son of God wept over her. Everywhere, to the north, south, east, and west, her walls were down here and there huddled the lights of the Jewish dwellers. The cold moon shone down on truly a ruined city and a humbled and afflicted people.
Nehemiah had been reared and educated in royal courts, becoming in time cupbearer to the king. He must have developed a bright and sunny disposition; for he mentioned that he had not been aforetime sad in the presence of the king, and he was in this office when we find him inquiring of certain of his kinsmen13and men of Judea concerning the Jews and Jerusalem.
It was at this period of his life that this captive, letting the sense of duty take possession of his being, steadfastly maintaining his trust in God, at last became endowed with authority from the king, and went to restore those walls that he now looked upon in sorrowful silence, and to gather again the scattered and afflicted Jews.
Simply he tells the story of inquiring of these visitors to the capital of his king. He said, “When I heard how that the walls of Jerusalem were down, and that the remnant were scattered and in great reproach; when I heard all these things, I mourned,” but his interest did not end there. He prayed to the living God that in some way he would move the heart of the king, so that he might have opportunity to go.
Some months elapsed. How he must have looked for some change in the attitude of the king. He must have chafed under the delay. How could this mighty monarch, with the care that is incident to a great kingdom, have time to notice the attitude of his cupbearer? He must have watched his every action, as day by day he gave the king his drink.
Still a change was going on. God was working a change—not to soften the heart of the monarch, but to strengthen the character of His servant—the captive. Finally his state of mind so stamped itself upon his features, so plainly marked the lines, that the king noticed the change in his young cupbearer, and inquired the cause. Now was the opportunity; yet he did not immediately go into detail as to his plans, of which he was to figure as head. No, he prayed to the God of heaven to direct his speech. And you know with what success. He received the signet of the king, and, with the secret locked within his breast, we find him at night and alone looking upon Jerusalem’s ruined walls.
Thus, my young friends, is briefly sketched the history of this young leader before he began active work in the restoration of Jerusalem—a work that ended so successfully; and as I read this history of the character and work of this young leader, I can not but exclaim, How much the world needs men like Nehemiah to-day to restore broken walls and to gather the scattered people,—young men and women who, when assaulted by flattery, envy, fear, are not dismayed, but, steadfastly maintaining their allegiance to God and duty, work on. You remember how powerful Nehemiah became in the hands of God. He was able to say to every discouragement, as he answered the servant of Sanballat and Geshem, “I am doing a great work, so that I can not come down.”
The experience of Nehemiah is full of help and instruction to us that, in time, must become leaders of either the forces of God or those of Satan. The same influences that surrounded him surround us. Here was a young man used to the elegance of court life; in favor with the king, his opportunities for self-aggrandizement were great. Yet, when the truth was presented to him, and he was brought face to face with duty, the forces of his whole nature were changed; even his very features were changed, and, denying self, we find him at last standing upon the restored walls of Jerusalem, a conqueror.
My young friends, how the truth we represent needs Nehemiahs to-day, not only for the cities, but for every home. Are not the people falling a prey to the deceptions of evil? Are not the walls of our homes down, and our loved ones passing beyond our control?
O, that the condition of the world would affect us as it did Nehemiah, not only to mourn, but to work; to do a great work that will end in the great restoration. Let us develop characters so in love with duty and work, that we can answer the temptations of evil as did Nehemiah, “I am doing a great work, so that I can not come down.”
THOMAS J. CUMMINS.
1330 E. Vernon Ave., Los Angeles, Cal.
HOW MUCH CAN I DO?
By Mrs. M. A. Loper
Not how little—how much can I do for the Master,
The naked to clothe and the hungry to feed,
The victims of penury, want, and disaster,—
How much can I do for the great wide world's need?
Not how little—how much for the wretched, the erring,
The outcasts that wander in shelter's stern quest?
They are children of Jesus, man's brotherhood sharing—
How much can I do for their comfort and rest?
Not how little—how much for the convicts in prison,
That they the great love of the Saviour may feel?
Each penny laid up in the storehouse of heaven
Is safe from the rust and where thieves can not steal.
Not how little—how much for the sinner's salvation,
A cup of cold water, a kind word, a prayer,
A long-cherished text, with its sweet consolation,
May rescue a soul from the depths of despair.
Not how little—how much; soon the call will be ended,
The last offering given, the last struggle braved;
When the voice of all peoples in praise shall be blended,
May some soul be there that my life-work has saved.
MRS. M. A. LOPER.
St. Helena Sanitarium, Cal.
OUR WORK AND WORKERS.
The Iowa State camp-meeting is to be held at Ames, May 29 to June 8.
Two converts to the faith are reported at Laton, Cal., by Brother F. D. Gauterau.
The summer term of the Southern Training School at Graysville, Tenn., will commence May 21.
The Messenger, of Perth, Westralia, notes the baptism of four persons at Collie, in that province.
The publishers of “Marvel of Nations” announce that Danish, Swedish, and German editions will be ready by May 1.
On the 22d ult. a church of nine members was organized at Canton, Ohio, by Brother A. G. Haughey, president of the conference.
Brother H. F. Courter, who recently went to the South from California, writes to the Southern Watchman that he is now holding meetings in Tallapoosa, Ala. Before going there he held a few meetings in Sanford, where he baptized five candidates.
During this month twenty-eight canvassers are starting out in Minnesota, as a result of a recent institute which closed March 26.
The Sabbath-school at Lima, Ohio, has recently increased from two to twelve members, and already they are planning to start a church-school.
At the close of the recent institute at Marshalltown, Iowa, ten candidates were baptized, five of whom united with the church in that place.
It is encouraging to hear of the enlargement of our school at Utilla, Bay Islands. Brother Lawrence Corwin and wife, formerly of Texas, have charge.
The brethren at Hickory, N. C., occupied their new church building on the 29th ult. for the first time. It was completed without any remaining indebtedness.
That “prisoners’ number” of the Life Boat, which we heralded in advance, is now being circulated, and will certainly have a good influence with the class for whom it is specially designed. It contains a great variety of good matter. The price is five cents for single copy, but the publishers grant a reduction for large quantities. Address 28 Thirty-third Place, Chicago, Ill.
Of the cause in St. Louis, Mo., Brother H. Gellert writes as follows to the Educator, of Keene, Texas: “Our English-speaking church has about 125 members. One sister in the congregation purchased a house of worship from a Congregational church for $5,000, which really cost $10,000, and made a deed of the property to the Seventh-day Adventist Conference of Missouri. . . . We organized a German Sabbath-school, with a sermon after the school, and Bible lectures at night, during the week. We have many souls here hungry for God’s truth. Our Sabbath-school and lectures are well attended, and our hope for the future is very good.”
Evidently the pupils of the church-school at Provo, Utah, are being “grounded in the faith.” A report in the Pacific Union Recorder says: “The A grade are studying the seven trumpets of Revelation. The B grade study ‘Bell’s Bible Lessons,’ No. 4, and will soon take No. 5. The C and D grades began with creation, following, as an outline, the lessons in ‘Gospel Primer’ and ‘Bible Reader,’ from which they read. The ‘Bible Reader’ is the best book for beginners that I have ever used. It is quite remarkable how fast the children learn, and how well they remember. The Bible is indeed the best of educators.”
Some people think it necessary to quit work in order to regain failing health. This may be necessary in some cases, but not in a majority of cases. However, a change of work or of locality is often beneficial. But much good work is sometimes accomplished by people whose physical condition is far from good. In the New York Indicator of the 9th inst. is a letter from Sister Lulu Wightman, which contains an interesting report of labor. We cull the following: “It is now four months since I left Canandaigua for the South, for the benefit of my health. After a two-months’ sojourn in Georgia, and about six weeks in Arkansas City, Kan., I came to Boulder, Colo., and entered the sanitarium here.
Since leaving New York, I have had the pleasure of delivering a number of sermons and Bible-readings, besides making 126 missionary visits, distributing 2,148 denominational papers, 5,711 tracts, or 77,930 pages of tracts, and writing 242 missionary letters. I organized a Sabbath-school of some twelve members at Arkansas City, and have persuaded several souls to accept the message and begin the keeping of the Sabbath of the Lord. While seeking in the elements material for a stronger constitution, I have endeavored to keep busy, realizing that my time, as well as all else, belongs to the Lord.”
Missionary Progress in Africa
MR. HENRY M. STANLEY, as to the progress of missions in Africa, says: “When I was at Lake Victoria Nyanza, eighteen years ago, there was not a missionary there. Now there are forty thousand Christian natives and two hundred Christian churches. The natives are enthusiastic converts. They would spend their last penny to acquire a Bible.”
OPEN DOORS FOR THE GOSPEL.
By E. J. B.
A GENTLEMAN who has just returned from an extended missionary tour in China and Japan, says that in the late Boxer movement China was more sinned against than sinning; that “the constant talk of partitioning China, and the unreasonable demands made upon her by the powers,” made her suspicious. Of the present outlook he says:—
The missionary work is more prosperous than ever before. People are turning to the Lord by the thousands. Every mission school I saw was crowded to its full capacity with students who pay their board and tuition. Ten or fifteen years ago, when the schools required board and tuition they could hardly secure pupils. Even when they gave board and tuition, it was difficult to fill the schools. St. John’s College, in Shanghai, requires its pupils to pay board and tuition three years in advance. The capacity is three hundred. Not long ago there was a vacancy for thirty new students, and eighty-five applied, with sufficient money to pay three years in advance, tho only thirty could be accepted. St. John’s College is a mission school, and was a very small one a few years ago.
Rev. W. M. Upcraft of the West China Baptist Mission writes: “There are many calls, and open doors were never so widely open nor so many as now. . . . It is far to come and toilsome; but once here, there is unbounded opportunity and unlimited welcome.”
Rev. W. E. Witter, M.D., says, in the Missionary Review of January, 1902:—
The American Baptist Missionary Union has never before, in all the eighty-eight years of its remarkable history, faced so many wide-open doors, or received such repeated and imperative calls to enter and possess vast fields for God.
No more unfortunate calls ever came from any part of the world for the immediate thrusting in of the sickle and reaping unto life than have been coming for months from our representatives in the Philippine Islands. . . . A recent letter to the rooms (of the Baptist Missionary Union) was accompanied by a document containing the full name, age, etc., of 7,934 people, with thirty-five headmen, or chiefs, who desire to abandon Rome and go over to the Protestant faith.
Again:—
From the island seas of Japan, Captain Luke Bickel of our Gospel ship writes of having reached sixty-two islands with about 350 towns and villages, and given their first message of the Gospel to over 40,000 souls during the last twelve months. This work has been simply thrust upon him by the eagerness of the people to hear the Gospel. From Burma, Assam, Southern India, and Africa come similar appeals for more laborers with the promise of abundant harvests.
Do we see in these appeals, and in the many appeals from other equally needy and promising fields, no indication that God is calling upon us? He has given us great and precious light on His Word; are we faithful stewards of our Lord’s goods? He is by His providence opening doors of opportunity on every hand. The great needy world is appealing to us, and beckoning through these open doors; are we pressing in? We may not all go to share our cup of the water of life with those in the regions beyond; but we can help those who can go; and there are plenty to work for all around us, if we will open our eyes to their needs and our hearts to God’s sweet love and pity. The fields “are white to harvest.” Let us each ask, Am I doing what I can? If we are not faithful workers for the Master, the question is for us, “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” E. J. B.
PUBLICATIONS WANTED.
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