Earlier text: LETTERS TO AN ANTINOMIAN.—6"GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD."
NOTHING less than divine wisdom could have framed this petition, so simple and so reasonable is it. Human greed would ask for enough to-day to supply all possible wants for the future; but if that were granted, the person could use no more of it to-day than he would use if he had only enough for to-day's needs. Not only so, but human greed would overreach itself. Thus: if the man should to-day receive enough for all time, he would have no occasion to ask for anything to-morrow. He would trust in his possessions instead of God, and would soon forget God. Thus cutting himself off from the only power that can bestow and preserve, he would soon lose what he has, and then have nothing either for to-day or to-morrow. Riches make to themselves wings and fly away. But the man who every day asks for provision sufficient for that day, with the assurance that he will receive it, is far better off. He has enough for to-day, and that is all he could use anyway. And then he does not wear himself out in the vain effort to take care of property that he has stored up for the future. His future supply is in the hands of God, who thus becomes his banker. Surely the man who has all he needs, just when he needs it, while someone else takes care of that which he does not actually need, is far better off than the man who has only what he needs to-day, but who is burdened with the care of a lot of stuff that he may never need. THIS petition teaches contentment. The conclusions in the preceding paragraph are in harmony with the teaching of the apostle Paul. Said he: "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1 Tim. 6:6-10. HERE the apostle brings out an additional danger from not trusting God for our daily bread. It is that the man having more than he needs for to-day, is tempted to use more than he needs. Thus his thoughts become centered entirely on self and the gratification of his own desires and lusts, which increase and multiply with the gratification, until he is finally drowned in perdition. THE apostle continues: "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy." This is in harmony with the petition which the Lord has taught us. We are not taught that to have riches is sin, for the Lord gives some men power to get wealth, but that the sin comes in setting one's heart upon them. The possession of riches is a great danger, for Christ says: "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!" This is because it is next to impossible for one who has riches to keep from setting his heart upon them, and so neglecting to trust in the living God, and forgetting that it is God who gives us all things richly to enjoy. THIS is taught by the parable in Luke 12:15-21. "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully." Here we see that it was not the man's superior skill that brought him his wealth, but the providence of God in giving "rain and fruitful seasons." And the man thought: "What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do. I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." If he had listened to the Lord he might have known what to do with his goods. Says the inspired word: "Charge them that are rich . . . that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." 1 Tim. 6:17-19. Instead of this, the man trusted in his riches, and had nothing. "But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" Why is the man called a fool? Because the fool, according to the Bible, is one who says in his heart, "There is no God." This man acted as though there were no God, because he assumed that he must take care of himself, and left God out of the account altogether. He may have been a professor of religion, but he was practically an atheist. There are thousands of such men in the world to-day. But no matter how much they exalt themselves (for the man who by his actions assumes that his prosperity depends upon himself alone, virtually puts himself in the place of God), they will in the end be put in fear, and be made to know that they are but men. "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." We have already read from Paul the injunction to rich men to lay up in store for themselves "a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." In the Sermon on the Mount Christ said: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matt. 6:19-21. Neither of these texts implies that the kingdom of God can be bought with money. But they both teach that no man can reach Heaven unless he has his treasure there. It204 is not that his wealth buys him a place in the kingdom of God, but that his thoughts are of God and Heaven, and thus he prepares for Heaven. In all his ways he acknowledges God, and thus God directs his paths. At the present time the principle contained in the petition, "Give us this day our daily bread," needs to be taught; because the tendency of the last days is all against it. We read: "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days." James 5:1-3. This does not apply to the millionaires alone, but to all who are heaping treasure. That is, to all who allow their treasures to "heap" up or accumulate. Some time ago we saw a gold piece that was discolored by rust. We asked what caused it, and learned that it had been paid out by a woman who, having a little more money than she needed, had buried the surplus in the ground. She was not a rich woman, but we could not help thinking of the words of James. But the principle of heaping up treasure was there, which showed distrust of God. And what made it worse was that the woman professed to believe in the soon coming of the Lord. Whether we are poor or rich, let us "beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth;" and let us not fear to trust the Lord, knowing that if God clothes the grass and the lilies of the field in beauty, and provides for the sustenance of the birds of the air, he will much more care for those whom he has bought with the blood of his own dear Son. The sacrifice of Christ is the pledge of God's care for us. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Rom. 8:32. CLEARING up after breakfast was always Katie's work, and so, too, was the care of the dining and sleeping-rooms. So brisk and systematic was she in her work that eight o'clock generally found Katie's tasks performed, and she at liberty to start on her walk to the pretty little school-house half a mile distant. This morning it was not quite eight, yet beds had been aired and made, dining-room swept and dusted, and fresh flowers picked for the vases, and Katie with lunch-basket and books in hand started to find mamma for the good-bye kiss. She hunted some time in vain, but her mother was at last found in the basement kitchen with a pile of pie plates flanking the pan of flour on the long kitchen table, and another pan of mixture which gave promise that pies were under way. Katie noticed how weary mamma looked, though so early in the morning, but said nothing to her about it. As she came up to the main kitchen, she was met by intense heat accompanied with the odor of roast beef, which was cooking for dinner. "I should think mamma would expire, working all the morning in this hot kitchen!" Katie exclaimed, going to the table to get her basket, which she had left there while searching for mamma. She paused in dismay. "Such a looking room!" A pile of milk-pans, the unwashed churn, with dripping dasher and ladle tilted across its top, and a table full of dirty dishes all waiting till mamma should find an opportunity to wash them added to the confusion; and that pile of shavings Frank had made while whittling a boat to be used on the pond that day at school, added to the chaos; and the overturned basket of chips—the combined work of the two pets, Jack and Jill—helped in the clutter. "It is early—better help her by putting the room in order," whispered Conscience. "You'll have plenty of time before school, and think what a relief it will be to her when she finds it done." A look of disgust passed over Katie's usually bright and happy face. "It is not my work to attend to the kitchen, and it is so hot; it isn't my fault if the kitchen is all in a clutter." And out she started, but the words of her morning verse came to her mind with unusual force, "Bear ye one another's burdens." "Why should that Scripture verse flash in mind? I have hurried so fast all the morning to finish my work, that I might walk to school before the sun gets so scorching; besides mamma doesn't expect me to help her here." The little voice continued, "Give her a surprise as well as rest, by putting things to rights before she comes in." "Bear each other's burdens" seemed to grow larger and larger before Katie's eyes. "I'll do it. Mother's hands will be full with the pies, dinner, and little sister May, who, although good, requires some attention." All this for only one pair of not strong hands! The hat, dainty cuffs, and apron came off, and in its place, covering the neat school dress, went on her big gingham work-apron. She hoped mamma would not finish her work down-stairs until hers was all done and she gone. How broom, dish-cloth, and wing flew in that next half hour. The hand of the old clock pointed to a quarter of nine before the jaunty hat was again donned, and Katie, feeling truly happy, tripped merrily along on her way to school. "I wonder what mother said when she came in and found the revolution in the kitchen," was the thought that filled her mind until she took her place at her desk, where, amid the difficulties of mathematics, and bewildering dates of history, her morning kindness was forgotten. "My good, thoughtful, and unselfish child! God bless her!" was what her tired mother exclaimed, as she entered the kitchen, wearily thinking of the work that must be done there before dinner. It was such a help, and so restful, for that hurried mother to find all things properly arranged in the crowded, untidy kitchen of an hour ago. Katie little knew how often she was in her loving mother's thoughts that day, and how her thoughtful attempt to lift a burden from her mother had made her heart happy all day, as she worked unceasingly; for love lightens labor, and we never forget, never overlook or cease to hunger for expressions of love and sympathy from the dear ones of our homes to whom we daily minister. School was at last dismissed, and as Katie wended her way up the drive, her heart gave a bound of joy as she saw mamma sitting in the cool of the piazza, with little May playing at her knee, looking so rested and happy. She felt her little sacrifice of the early morning was doubly repaid. Mamma's kiss that afternoon was accompanied by a long embrace, and a heart-felt, "Thank you, my dear daughter, for your loving help this morning, and may He who watches over you each day fill your heart with a desire to fulfill your Scripture lesson of to-day, not only to mamma, but to any who may cross your path, so that you will never, when the tired hands are still and the lips make no response to your loving entreaties, awake, too late, to the fact, that you never helped them to bear a burden." When Katie knelt that night to pray, she asked God to help her to keep the morning lesson ever before her, that she might never again be tempted to slight even the lightest burden that she might help another to bear. Her prayer was answered, for soon her school-mates exclaimed, "Katie Deans is the most lovable, helpful girl in school; she never wearies of helping us with our tiresome lessons." By her patient perseverance in the right way she brought several of her most selfish schoolmates to feel that this burden-bearing instead of being a sacrifice proved a blessing, as it will to all who will practice it. Let us each one, therefore, endeavor to carry out this divine injunction, as we have opportunity.—Presbyterian Observer. THERE is an old Latin motto, "Labor omnia vincit," which means that labor conquers all things. This is not quite true in a strict sense, but it is true in the strictest sense that the boy who is too lazy to work or who is ashamed of it will never succeed in anything. Never be ashamed of your business. If one has an honest business, he need not feel ashamed of it. Some young persons act as if they thought many kinds of honest toil menial and degrading. But they are wrong. "Man hath his daily work of body and mind
Appointed, which declares his dignity." When the service is for the good of man or the glory of God, and is performed in the right spirit, it must ever be ennobling. It is the work we do in an unwilling, slavish spirit that degrades us. Toil is manly, even if it be that of a boot-black. "If I were a boot-black," said a noble Christian man, "I would strive to be the best boot-black in the world." The lad who determines to do his best everywhere, in every place, however lowly, where honest work is needed, will soonest rise to honor. "If little labor, little are our gains;
Man's fortunes are according to his pains." Not long since a young man was asked to carry a small package of written paper to his sick relative, but he turned up his nose with the answer, "No, you don't, now; send it by an expressman." One evening, near the hour for closing a store in Philadelphia, a bundle of prints was ordered in haste by a house not more than a block distant. The carts and porters had gone. The merchant requested one of his young men to deliver the bundle, but as he did so he perceived a look of disgust in the clerk's face, and without saying another word he turned to his desk, put on his hat, picked up the bundle, and walked off to deliver it himself, leaving his proud clerk dumb with mortification as well as with fear of losing a good position. There are some city-bred boys who act as if they were "above carrying a market-basket home." Even when mother is bearing a heavy load for their sakes, they think it "degrading" to be seen doing such service. They soon get too big to wait on themselves. They grow up to be of less use in the world than butterflies. The following story of one of the greatest men of America is worth impressing upon each generation of youth:— Chief-Justice Marshall was a great and good man. Good men are not proud men, for pride is an indication of a little mind. Chief-Justice Marshall was not too proud to wait upon himself. He was in the habit of going to market himself, and carrying home his purchases. Often might he be seen returning at sunrise with poultry in one hand and vegetables in the other in the most homely fashion. On one of these occasions a fashionable young man was swearing violently because he could find no one to carry home his game. Judge Marshall stepped up, gently rebuked him, and asked him where he lived. When he heard the reply he said, "That is in my way, and I will take your game home for you."205When they came to the house, the young man inquired: "What shall I pay you?" "Oh, nothing," said the judge, "you are welcome; it was all in the way, and it was no trouble to me." "Who is that polite old gentleman who brought home my game for me?" asked the young man of a bystander. "Oh," said he, "that was Judge Marshall, Chief-Justice of the United States." "Why did he bring home my game?" "He did it," said the bystander, "I suppose, by way of teaching you not to be above attending to your own business!"—Christian at Work. The Home Circle.
By Mary B. Sleight
"Forgive our debts as we forgive,"—
Ah, who, dear Lord, can pray that prayer?
The rest with ready zeal is said,
But self-accused we falter there,
Conscious, beneath its crucial test,
Of hate our lips have ne'er confessed. As we forgive! O Christ in Heaven,
Can we both pardon and forget,
When arrows dipped in deadly gall
Within our hearts are rankling yet—
Sharp arrows by the false hands aimed
Of those who once love's largess claimed? Be pitiful, O blessed Christ,
Nor chide us for our bitter thought
Of those who rendered hate for love,
And mocked us for the gifts we brought,
For thou alone, dear Lord, dost know
How measureless the debt they owe. Forgive us, Lord. Can theirs exceed
The endless debt we owe to thee?
Thy patient, unrequited love,
Thy mercy, boundless as the sea,
Thy life-blood poured, a healing balm,
From wounded side and nail-pierced palm? Ashamed and penitent we kneel;
O thou who dost our sins forget,
Help us with thy sweet charity
To pardon freely all the debt,
That praying, Lord, that prayer again,
Our inmost hearts may say, "Amen."
—Mary B. Sleight. THE great sources of mischief from eating are three—quantity, frequency, rapidity—and from these come the horrible dyspepsias, which make of human life a burden, a torture, a living death. By eating fast, the stomach, like a bottle being filled through a funnel, is full and overflowing before we know it. But the most important reason is, the food is swallowed before time has been allowed to divide it in sufficiently small pieces with the teeth; for, like ice in a tumbler of water, the smaller the bits are, the sooner are they dissolved. It has been seen with the naked eye that if solid food is cut up in pieces as small as half a pea, it digests almost as soon without being chewed at all as if it had been well masticated. The best plan, therefore, is for all persons to thus comminute their food; for, even if it is well chewed, comminution is no injury, while it is of great importance in case of hurry, forgetfulness, or bad teeth. Cheerful conversation prevents rapid eating. It requires about five hours for a common meal to dissolve and pass out of the stomach, during which time this organ is incessantly at work, when it must have repose, as any other muscle or set of muscles, after such a length of effort. Hence persons should not eat within less than a five hours' interval. The heart itself is at rest more than one-third of its time. The brain perishes without repose. Never force food upon the stomach. All are tired when night comes. Every muscle of the body is weary and looks to the bed; but just as we lie down to rest every other part of the body, if we, by a hearty meal, give the stomach five hours' work, which in its weak state requires a much longer time to perform than at an earlier hour of the day, it is like imposing upon a servant a full day's labor just at the close of a hard day's work. Hence the unwisdom of eating heartily late in the day or evening; and no wonder it has cost many a man his life. Always breakfast before work or exercise. No laborers or active persons should eat an atom later than sundown, and then it should not be over half the midday meal. Persons of sedentary habits or who are at all ailing, should take absolutely nothing for supper beyond a single piece of cold stale bread or a ship-biscuit, with a single cup of warm drink. Such a supper will always give better sleep and prepare for a heartier breakfast, with the advantage of having the exercise of the whole day to grind it up and extract its nutriment. Never eat without an inclination.—Hall's Journal of Health. The New York Herald gives the following account of the progress of the work of constructing the new tunnel from Croton Lake to the reservoir in Central Park, a distance of thirty-one miles: Deep down under the rustling cornfields, green meadows, and peaceful woods, by the faint yellow light of innumerable smoky lamps, and the intermittent cold gleaming from white electric lights, six thousand grimy men are tunneling night and day, so that the water supply of New York may flow through miles of solid rock. It never ceases, this grinding and clanking and whirring and dull booming of powder explosions, save for two hours out of the twenty-four, when three thousand men drowsily crawl out of the dim shafts on the surface of the earth and eat their meat and bread and go to sleep, while three thousand other men take their places. For many months these cold, trickling caverns and shafts have been drilled and blasted continually. Hundreds of powerful steam drills, driven by streams of compressed air from wonderful, shining engines, eat into the hard rock like so many steel parasites, and mountains of torn gneiss and shining mica have been piled up around the shafts as the work went on. In two years a tunnel of thirty-one miles will stretch from Croton Lake to the reservoir in Central Park, through the brick and stone lining of which will gush a body of crystal water, more than enough to supply the metropolis plenteously. For all these blessings and the proud distinction of owning the longest rock tunnel in the world, the city will have to pay at least $33,000,000, or perhaps $60,000,000. The Mount Cenis tunnel is seven miles and a half long, and cost about $15,000,000, while the St. Gothard tunnel is nine miles and a quarter long and cost very little more. Few people in the city have any idea of the marvelous rapidity with which the aqueduct tunnel is being made. Indeed, the speed which is kept up has attracted the attention of miners all over the country, for nothing even approaching to it has ever been seen before. Over eight thousand men are employed in the work, six thousand under the ground and two thousand on the surface. At the bottom of each shaft the miners work in two directions, so that while one set of men are drilling southward, there is a set of men in another shaft working northward to meet them. These shafts are about a mile apart, and yet so delicate and accurate are the plans of the engineers, that in no case, they declare, will the line of the tunnel be more than an inch out of the way, when the miners in the different tunnels meet each other under ground. British Plants Unchanged for 300 Years
It is stated that British plants have undergone no changes during the past 300 years. This has been determined by comparing existing plants with the dried specimens in the Sir Hans Sloane herbarium. ONE of the best proofs of the poisonous nature of tea and coffee is the fact that they are recommended as physiological antidotes for some of the most deadly poisons known. If a person swallows a large dose of opium, or almost any other narcotic, the doctor does not prescribe hot water, or milk, or ginger tea, or lemonade, or any other bland thing, but strong tea or coffee. He knows that the poisonous effects of these drugs upon the body are just the opposite of those produced by opium, and expects the coffee to antidote the opium, not by destroying or eliminating it, but by opposing it. Atropia, another deadly poison, is also used as an antidote for opium, and it acts in the same way as tea and coffee. There are thousands of people who are suffering from the poisonous effects of tea and coffee, as shown in dullness, and headaches, and neuralgias, and dyspepsias, and biliousness, and a host of ailments which they are prone to charge upon the liver, or the climate, or the weather, or to attribute to overwork or taking cold, or any cause but the real one. Take away the accustomed cup of coffee for breakfast or tea for dinner or supper, or both, and they declare themselves utterly good for nothing. They are nervous, and irritable, and confused, and disconcerted, and are as helpless as the old toper without his dram. And yet these very people declare, "Tea and coffee do not hurt me! They may not agree with some people, but my temperament needs them." As well talk about the "temperament" needing alcohol, or opium, or tobacco. All these drugs belong in the same category. They differ chiefly in the degree of their poisonous and intoxicating qualities.—Good Health. DR. SLAYTER, in a late number of the Lancet, writes of a case of delirium in a girl who chewed large quantities of tea. It appeared that masses of tea leaves had lodged in the bowels, and the delirium was in some measure dependent on the irritation and reflex action which followed. Trembling delirium, and delusions of injury from others, gave it a strong resemblance to delirium tremens. The amount of tea chewed daily was over one pound. The patient recovered by the use of free cathartics and the withdrawal of the tea. In 1881 I saw a boy who had delirium and trembling that had existed at intervals for two months. The fact that his father had died an inebriate seemed to be a sufficient reason for his symptoms in the minds of his friends. It was ascertained that he had for years drunk large quantities of tea. Having been employed in a tea-store, he had chewed it freely. He was literally a tea inebriate. He had inherited an inebriate diathesis, and the early and excessive use of tea was a symptom of it. He had all the symptoms of one who was using alcohol to excess. He recovered, and a year later used coffee to great excess, until he became unfit for work; then he was under medical care for a time, recovered, and finally became an opium-taker. Another case came under my observation in the person of a little girl twelve years old, the daughter of a patient under my care for inebriety. She had gradually and steadily become excessively nervous. She could not sleep; had muscular twitchings and delusions of fear; would burst into tears, and complain that she was going to be turned out into the streets. She heard voices at night and could not keep still. She also imagined that her father was being burned. It was finally found that she was a tea inebriate, and both drank and chewed it at all times without any restraint. A physician consulted me about a singular stage of trembling and mild delusions which had appeared in a family of three old maids living alone. It was found to come from excessive use of tea, and to be tea inebriety. When this was stopped, they recovered. My observation leads me to think that these cases are not uncommon among the neurotics. They are of such a mild character at first as to escape special observation, and hence are supposed to be due to other causes. Such cases, after beginning on tea, take other drugs, and become alcohol, opium, or chloral-takers, or develop some form of neurosis which covers the real and first causes.—Journal of Inebriety. "THE laws of health are the laws of God." —The Pope has approved the plans for the Catholic University at Washington, D. C. —All the evangelical churches of Europe and America contributed $10,371,000 to missions during the past year. —The Presbyterian Synod of India is composed of twenty-eight churches, 712 communicants, and 2,328 Sunday-school scholars. —The Christian at Work says that "it requires no gift of prophecy to foresee that the Northern and Southern Presbyterian Churches will ultimately be reunited." —The Boston correspondent of the Cynosure complains that the church bells of that city are a nuisance. The Catholic bells seem to be particularly objectionable. —A recent meeting in Chicago in the interests of a more stringent Sunday law was addressed by Socialists, Knights of Labor, and by both a Baptist and a Presbyterian minister. —A late dispatch from Berlin says: "The greatest discomfort is caused here by the continued expulsion of Russian Jews who have lived for forty years in Prussia and who have sons in the army." —"A Congress of churches and Christians" is now in session in Chicago considering the nature and principles of the secret lodge system and its influence on the Christian religion and civil liberty. —It is stated that D. L. Moody, the evangelist, will visit this coast in May next at the time of the International Convention of Young Men's Christian Associations, held in San Francisco, and the Conference of General Secretaries, held in Oakland. —The dry goods clerks of Chicago are going to petition the Legislature of Illinois to pass a law forbidding the opening of business houses on Sunday. —The Synod of Alabama has unanimously expressed its judgment that the time had come when the General Assemblies of the northern and southern churches should take such action as will combine their strength and resources on such plan of cooperative union as will avoid friction and waste, and so increase their efficiency, in the various departments of church work. —Professor G. Frederick Wright, of Oberlin, Ohio, has an article in a recent number of the Congregationalist explaining that Sodom and Gomorrah were not destroyed by fire and brimstone, but by petroleum gas and oil. The miracle was in having the torch applied at the right time! For the Bible account of the destruction of those cities see the nineteenth chapter of Genesis, particularly verse 24. —It is now positively asserted that McGlynn's land views have not been condemned by "the church;" and the doctor is seriously meditating a journey to Rome. It seems that Cardinal Gibbons has been interesting himself in McGlynn's behalf; and it is stated that the Pope not long since directed the Cardinal to say to the Doctor that "his holiness" saw nothing in his land theories contrary to Catholic teachings. —The Church of England, called also the "Anglican Church," is said to have 13,000,000 members and 23,000 clergy. Of this church the Gospel in all Lands says: "As membership in a State church is claimed as a national right, and not because of the possession of saving faith in Christ, it is probable that not more than 3,000,000 are communicants in the sense that the word is used in America, and the others may be more properly classed as adherents." —A fifty-thousand dollar fire occurred in a tannery at Napa City, Cal., March 20. —A grocer in New York has been fined $100 for selling oleomargarine unlawfully. —On March 20 a serious conflict occurred at Detroit between the Polish Catholics and the police. —Eighty-seven Russian torpedo vessels have been ordered to be put in constant readiness for service. —Thirteen more indictments have been issued against members of the "boodle" gang in Chicago. —The Italian bark Luziace Serra, together with the captain and crew of twelve, have been given up for lost. —Germany has 28,000 miles of under-ground telegraph wires and France 7,200, all in successful operation. —Twelve men were burned to death, March 23, in a boarding-house which was on fire at Bessemer, Mich. —It is reported that Alexander will be re-elected King of Bulgaria just as soon as the Regents deem it opportune. —An explosion occurred March 23 in the Bulli colliery, Sydney, New South Wales, by which seventy miners were killed. —Recent reports show that resistance has not yet been crushed in Burmah. Fighting has been renewed at several points. —The trial of the saloon-keeper, John Arensdorf, for the murder of the Rev. George C. Haddock in Sioux City, Iowa, began March 23. —According to authentic statistics there are in Prussia 5,000 persons over 90 years of age; and there are 600 ten years older than the emperor. —Willie Sell, the 16-year-old boy, who was tried and acquitted of the murder of a whole family at Kansas about one year ago, has now confessed his guilt. —A large party of Mormon emigrants have started on their pilgrimage to Chihuahua, Mexico, where they will form a colony under the direction of Erastus Snow. —On March 4 while the crew of the American steamer Omaha were having gun practice at Nagasaki, Japan, a shell exploded, killing four of them and seriously wounding seven more. —It is reported from Bulgaria that serious revolts have taken place at Plevna, Waden, and in the vicinity of Philippopolis, and that the insurgents have held all these places for three days. —A dastardly attempt was made March 23, to blow up the officers' quarters at the Benicia barracks, Cal. A twenty-five-pound keg of giant powder was exploded under the building but did little damage. —The special delegate sent by the Vatican to convey its congratulations to Emperor William on the attainment of his ninetieth birthday, was very favorably received. In an audience with the emperor the autograph congratulation of the Pope was presented. —An attempt was made to blow up the Salvation Army at Quebec, March 23. Many members were seriously injured. Fortunately the bomb exploded outside the building; had it exploded inside, as the intention was that it should, all the inmates would have been killed and the building completely wrecked. —The Pope is delighted with the plan of having a Catholic University at Washington. By his instruction the secretary of the Propaganda waited upon the American bishops with a brief, fully and heartily indorsing the project. In it are the Pope's words: "It is the pride of our pontificate and the glory of the church in America." —Advices received state that the Russian governor of Turkistan is buying up the head men of the tribes throughout the north of Afghanistan, and an extensive plot is being laid for a simultaneous rising in Afghanistan and the Punjaub. In consequence of this news 12,000 troops have been ordered to surprise Herat, and the Ameer has in readiness 10,000 men to re-enforce them. Howard.—Died, in St. Helena, Cal., Sunday, March 20, 1887, at 8 o'clock, A. M., of consumption, Mrs. Mary E. Howard, aged 37 years, 5 months, 21 days. Sister Howard was born at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and was brought up in the Methodist Church. She accepted the present truth and was baptized in Humboldt County, under the labors of Elder N. C. McClure, and was true to her faith till she peacefully fell asleep in hope of the speedy return of the Lifegiver. She leaves a husband and three sons, besides many friends and relatives, to mourn her loss. Words of comfort were spoken in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, to a full house, by the writer. J. D. Rice. THE regular annual meeting of the Society of the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Oakland, will be held at Hamilton Hall, southeast corner of Thirteenth and Jefferson Streets, Wednesday evening, April 6, 1887, at 7:30 o'clock P. M., for the purpose of electing a board of five trustees, and transacting such other business as may come before the meeting. A general and punctual attendance is requested, in order that the proceedings may strictly conform to the law. By order of the president. NOTICE is hereby given to the stockholders of Healdsburg College that according to the requirements of the by-laws of said association, a meeting will be held on the third Monday in April, 1887, for the purpose of electing a board of seven trustees and for the transaction of any other business that may be brought before the meeting. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, Pres.
S. BROWNSBERGER, Sec. Rural Health Retreat Annual Meeting
By J. S. Gibbs
The Annual Meeting of the stockholders of the Rural Health Retreat Association will be held at its place of business, Crystal Springs, near St. Helena, Cal., April 12, 1887, for the purpose of electing a board of directors, and transacting such other business as may come before the meeting. It is proposed at this time to amend Article IV, Section 1, of our present code of by-laws, so as to read, "The Annual Meeting of this association shall be held on the first Friday after the fourth Monday of April," etc., instead of "the second Tuesday of April," as at present. Proxies will be sent immediately to all stockholders where addresses are known. If any do not receive them, please notify us at once. A full representation in person or by proxy is desired. OAKLAND.—House of worship, southeast corner of Jefferson and Thirteenth Streets. Sabbath-School every Sabbath at 9:30 A.M. Preaching at 11. Prayer and missionary meeting every Tuesday evening at 7:15. Seats free. East Portland and San Francisco
EAST PORTLAND (Or.)—House of worship on G Street, between Tenth and Eleventh. Sabbath-school every Sabbath (Saturday), followed by services. Preaching or Bible-reading Sunday evening. Prayer-meeting Wednesday evening. The public cordially invited. Free public reading-room, corner of L and Fifth Streets. SAN FRANCISCO.—House of worship, 914 Laguna Street, between McAllister and Tyler. Sabbath-school every Sabbath at 9:45, and preaching at 11 A. M.; also preaching every Sunday evening at 7:30. Sabbath-school classes in the English, German, and Scandinavian languages. Prayer and missionary meeting every Wednesday evening at 7:15. Mission reading-rooms at the church.