p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 26, No. 52. (12/26/1900)

Earlier text: Wanted: Sabbath-Keeping Tailors

Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly

By Editor

There will be no Sabbath-school or Sunday-school lessons next week in the Signs of the Times, nor, according to present plans, in the year to come. The Lesson Quarterly, published by the Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal., will contain the former; the latter may be obtained at any Sunday-school supply house.

Which?

Which?—Many times the claim is put forth by our Catholic friends that America was discovered by Catholics, and therefore it ought to be a Catholic country. But just now there seems to be good evidence that the Chinese discovered America 1,500 years ago, and erected temples in Mexico, in the State of Sonora. Now will the Chinese claim that America ought to be pagan? And yet, after all, the Indians were here first. Or have aborigines no rights?

Catholic and Protestant Nations

The "Catholic Mirror" tells us that of the thirty-four nations represented at Washington, twenty of the ambassadors are Catholic, one "schismatic" Catholic, Russia; five are "heathen," China, Japan, Korea, Siam, and Turkey; six are Protestant, Denmark, Germany, England, The Netherlands, Sweden and Norway, and Switzerland; of the Catholic, seven are from European countries, the rest from Central and South American States.

Be Careful about Quotations.

By Editor

Will all our correspondents and contributors be careful to copy quotations correctly verbatim et literatim et punctuatim? If there is more than one edition of a work from which a quotation is made, give the edition. Sometimes a correct quotation is disputed, because the edition is different from the one with which the critic is acquainted. For instance, in the article “Why Was Not Satan Destroyed at Once?” the quotation from “Great Controversy” may be correct, but it is from none of the three editions we have in our library. Use care in quotations and credits.

CONCERNING THE PROSPERITY OF IT.

By Editor

No issue of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES has ever met with more general favor than the World's Outlook Number. From all parts of the land the friends of the paper are writing us of their unqualified appreciation of its value, and their success in circulating it.

The first edition of 200,000 is already exhausted, and the second edition is now being called upon to meet the steady stream of orders that is coming in every day. This second edition bears the December date, so that it will have every appearance of an up-to-date paper for all the rest of this month, and in reality it will be thoroughly up to date for a number of months to come. We know that all the friends of this important paper, and the still more important work that it represents, will recognize the inestimable importance of the matter that this Outlook Number contains, and that they will keep right on pushing it all this winter. The value of it in January, February, and March will be even greater than it has been in November and December. The condition of things in the world to-day is rapidly growing worse, and is causing the bravest hearts to tremble. All may not acknowledge this, but we know that it is so. God's Word tells us plainly that in this time "men's hearts" will be "failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." No matter how giddy the world may be, and no matter how much men may say that they take no stock in such things, yet we know the truth of it all, because the Word of God so plainly tells all about it.

Now every one who knows these things ought to go forth with a full sense of the responsibility that rests upon him, and do all that he can to comfort and help those who are suffering heart failure because of the terrible things that all can see are coming upon the earth. Are you considering this matter as much as you should? And are you exercising your influence all that you can to circulate as many as possible of this World's Outlook SIGNS?

Those who are in the field working for it write us that they never saw the time when men were so eager as now to read on these important themes. Workers who ordered a few copies at first have ordered two or three times since, and their orders are getting larger all the time. If all appreciated the importance of this work as strongly as do the few, if all would work as faithfully as these few, more than a million of the papers would already have been circulated, and the papers would be still going out in a vastly immense procession.

A small part of the day of probation is still left to us in which to work. Now is our great opportunity. Are we seizing the moments as they go by, and using them in winning souls to Christ? T.

It Can Not Be Done.

One of the greatest griefs to the true Christian is that he can not make the one who does not know Christ understand the sweetness, the satisfaction, the rest of soul there is in His companionship and service. He can describe to that one a landscape, a person, a picture, a pudding, and he gets a fairly good idea of each, because he knows more or less about all the elements which enter into each. But not so with Christ. Knowledge of Him is like nothing else. This is well illustrated by the case of the little blind boy who was successfully operated upon by a skilful oculist. When the cure was complete, his mother led him out-of-doors, bandages were removed, and he obtained his first view of God's glorious sunshine and sky and flowers. "O mother," he exclaimed, "why did you never tell me it was so beautiful?" The tears started to her eyes as she replied, "I tried to, my dear, but you could not understand me." Even in this Christ-life on earth is this scripture true: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit." "O taste, and see that the Lord is good."

Children Working in God’s Cause

There is always room for children to work in God's cause if the older ones will let them and teach them. The great evangelist Edward Payson Hammond, M. A., always gave special attention to children, and great blessings followed his labors. Through his and others' labors, the Children's Special Service Mission was started in England, which now publishes over 100,000 copies of Our Magazine, and sends out illustrated tracts and leaflets in more than fifty different languages. They have published over 300,000 Scripture Union cards of outline lessons. The SIGNS has many children among its friends who are engaged in selling it.

Is Milwaukee an Exception?

By Editor

A news despatch, dated Milwaukee, November 2, states that "the body of the young woman found in the river several days ago lies at the morgue, still unidentified. A remarkable thing is the number of parents whose daughters have run away from home. The coroner says that within the last five days at least forty such have looked at the body of this girl, fearing that it might be that of their missing daughter." O, how many missing daughters and sons there are, and nearly always because of the neglect of early home training!

A Good Reform

A Good Reform.—In both city and country the hygienic skirt, which leaves the foot free and saves the skirt from street defilement, has taken firm hold upon the common sense of women. Where a few months ago such skirts attracted attention in the street, they are now seen by hundreds. The Delineator for December makes a special display of hygienic skirts in various styles, and in addition explains to the readers how to make similar ones for themselves.

Ladies' Home Journal Circulation

More than 95,000,000 copies of the Ladies' Home Journal have been issued during the seventeen years of its existence. Its first edition was 20,000. Its circulation now is about 950,000 a month.