Earlier text: Publishers' Page“In Every Thing Give Thanks:”
By Mary Martin Morse
For the bee with his song from the clover,
The bird mounting up to the sky;
For the heavens that lovingly hover
O’er such sinners as you and I; For the rhythm we hear in the river,
And the pictures we see in the clouds,—
The day coming ever and ever
From the mantle that night enshrouds; For the lofty dome bespangled
With its wondrous worlds of light,
That tell of a halcyon day-dawn,
“No weeping,” and “no more night;” For friendship’s sacred chalice,
And the scepter of King Truth;
For the crown of loving-kindness,
That rests on age and youth; For the fairest flowers oft hidden
In the forest’s light so dim,
And rain-drops by God’s own bidding
That whisper of love from him; For the echoes that, repeating,
Life’s sweetest strains prolong,
The ocean that chanteth ever,
And the brooklet’s ceaseless song; For the piles of rock ascending,
Like Babel’s tower, so high,
And the river that in wending,
Enmirrors earth and sky; For the belfry of the bluebell,
Re-echoing chimes for me;
For the blessings that outnumber
The sands of the shifting sea; For all things,— and canst thou say it,
When the heart no longer sings,
And the Hope that rose to heaven,
Lies with battered, broken wings? Or dost shrink from the gall and wormwood,
And recoil from thy Calvary now?
If willing to welcome the spear-thrust,
And joy in the thorn-pierced brow, “Then thou shalt bask in the glory,
When I come to claim my own,—
Faithful in much and in little,
Thou shalt share with me my throne.” The World to Be Warned
By Ellen G. White
The most solemn truths ever entrusted to mortals have been given to us to proclaim to the world. The proclamation of these truths is our work. The world is to be warned, and God's people are to be true to the trust committed to them. They are not to engage in speculations, neither are they to enter into business enterprises with unbelievers; for this would hinder them in doing the work given them. Christ says of his people, “Ye are the light of the world.” It is not a small matter that the counsels and purposes and plans of God have been so clearly opened to us. It is a wonderful privilege to be able to understand the will of God as revealed in the sure word of prophecy. This places on us a heavy responsibility. God expects us to impart to others the knowledge he has given us. It is his purpose that divine and human instrumentalities shall unite in the proclamation of the warning message. John writes: “I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” This message is to be proclaimed, not in a few places only, but to the whole world. “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, . . . the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” To John was given a view of the remnant people of God, and as he beheld their character and their work, he exclaimed, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. . . . And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” In the issue of the great conflict, there will be only two classes in the world,—those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark. Although church and state will unite their power to compel “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,” to receive the mark of the beast; yet the people of God will not receive it. The prophet of Patmos beheld them “that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God,” and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. But of those who trample on God's law, and oppress his faithful people, the terrible prediction is uttered:— “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.” On which side are we standing? Have we placed ourselves fully under the direction and protection of the Holy Spirit, and are we giving the message for this time? Does every effort we put forth tend to advance the proclamation of the message? So far as his opportunities extend, every one who has received the light of truth is under the same solemn and fearful responsibility as was the prophet of Israel, to whom came the word: “Son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.” Are we to wait until the fulfilment of the prophecies of the end before we say anything concerning them? Of what value will our words be then? Shall we wait until the judgments fall upon the transgressor before we tell him how to avoid them? Where is our faith in the word of God? Must we see the things foretold come to pass before we will believe what he has said? In clear, distinct rays light has come to us, showing that the great day of the Lord is at hand, “even at the door.” Let us read and understand, before it is too late. Study carefully the following scriptures:— “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, . . . and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.” “The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of man shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.” “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.” “Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your hearts,8and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?” The Lord has declared the judgments and calamities that must fall upon those who continue to dishonor him. Warnings have been given by God, and these warnings should be kept before the people. God's appointed messengers are to give the call to flee from the wrath to come. “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children: . . . let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?” “Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people. Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen.” “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.” “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens, and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.” Looking Backward
By J. O. Corliss
The Experiences of Former Days — No. 1 THE human mind is so constituted that it requires frequent stimulation to keep it steadily trending in the same direction. This is specially true regarding things of a moral nature. For this reason the Sabbath was instituted, that men might look through it each week to the creative power of Him to whom they are called to give allegiance. The passover was established upon the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage, that they might have a memorial of God’s power to rescue his people from the grasp of a powerful nation. Ex. 12:3-14. Upon crossing the Jordan, a monument of twelve stones, taken from the bed of that river which had been miraculously made a highway for a nation’s entrance to the promised land, was erected in Gilgal, as a memorial of that event. Joshua 4:20-24. Had the seed of Abraham ever kept these and other memorials in sight, and so kept fresh in mind God’s deliverances, they need not have had the charge brought against them of forgetting God so far as to turn to worship the idols of other nations. Isa. 63:9, 10; 2 Kings 17:7-17. It will be noticed that when the psalmist would set before his hearers the greatness of Jehovah, he invariably referred to the faithful leadings of God, in the preservation of Israel when in difficulty. In his own words, he “considered the days of old, the years of ancient times,” as found in Psalms 76-78. Again: in order that the early church might be “established” in the truth for those days, the apostle felt it necessary constantly to remind the brethren of certain things in the earlier experience of the work, lest these being forgotten, the church might fall a prey to doubt and ultimate defection. 2 Peter 1:12, 13. Among the members of that early church were numerous Jews,—men who had stepped out from life-long traditions, to follow the faith of him whose kingdom their religious ceremonies foreshadowed. After the death of Christ, however, circumstances arose which suggested questions of doubt regarding the genuineness of the alleged Messiah’s mission. There seemed to be but one remedy for the sad issue, and that was readily prescribed. To prevent those already disaffected from being swallowed up in the force of prevailing sentiment, the apostle exhorted them to “call to remembrance the former days,” when their minds first became enlightened, and they endured great affliction, through being made obnoxious to the world by reproaches and oppression. They were also reminded of the strength of faith which had permitted them at that time to enjoy, even the spoiling of their goods. Their attention being fully called to these things, the word was then pressed home to them not to cast away their well-bestowed confidence, which, if retained, would bring its sure reward. The history of the apostolic church has been repeated many times in the various phases of the work of God among men. Those who have not been able to see the hand of God specially leading up to their time and work, have invariably lacked enthusiasm in their profession, and have seemed indifferent to the evident calls of heaven to service. The history of every religious people since the Reformation reveals that the further removed they became from the origin of their particular work, the less they retained of those special characteristics which separated them from all other people. This is because they lost sight of the history of circumstances which gave them a distinct place and work among men. The case of Seventh-day Adventists is no exception to the general rule. In the early days of their work, every one identified with them became the butt of ridicule, yet the most of these willingly sacrificed worldly profit for the pleasure of seeing the truth prosper. These having lived contemporary with those who were giving their lives for the spread of the message of the speedy coming of Christ, knew much of God’s leading in the work they were doing. But many of those pioneers have joyfully finished the part assigned them of God, and now rest in hope of soon seeing what they so ardently believed to be the early outcome of the message they carried. Many of those now entrusted with the responsibilities older ones have laid down, have not had a personal knowledge of the early sacrifices and struggles through which the present work was established. Without this it is only natural for them to form plans for labor from present experiences, without particular reference to the evident leadings of God in the planting of the message. To do this opens the way for results which place the work on altogether a different basis from that which was evidently intended by Providence at the beginning. In view of this possible tendency, and in order to strengthen and confirm those in the message who have accepted it simply from its logical clearness, we have thought best to recount some of the early incidents of the work, hoping they may be a source of comfort to others as they have been to the writer. “Remember Me”
By H. F. Ketring
“But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.” Gen. 40:14. This was Joseph’s request to the chief butler, after he had interpreted his dream in the prison, and told him, “Within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place.” “Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.” Verse 23. Joseph and the chief butler had been companions in the prison. They had partaken of the same scanty fare allotted9to the prisoners. They had occupied adjoining cells, and their “feet were hurt with fetters,” and they were “laid in irons.” Now has come deliverance to the chief butler, and he is to go free and be restored in favor with the king, while Joseph is to remain. As he foretells the happy lot of the chief butler, and remembers the injustice that he himself is suffering, he begs to be remembered before the king, that he, too, may go free. He says, “For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.” Any one would suppose that the first thought the chief butler would have had as he again stood before the king, would have been of his friend and companion still in the dungeon. But not so. The joy of the king’s palace had made him unmindful of the one who had foretold his deliverance. And yet how many of us who have sat “in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron,” when the loving hand of our Saviour opened our prison-house and restored us unto our place before the King, have forgotten those who were bound there with us. We all have been bound in the prison-house of Satan. We have sat in darkness and in the valley of the shadow of death, and we saw no light. Many were our companions in the same miserable condition, until the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness shone into our dark cell, and we heard the blessed words, “Let the oppressed go free.” He brought us forth from the mire of sin and wretchedness, and washed us in his own precious blood, and “raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Now since he has brought us in before the King, have we forgotten those wretched ones we left in the dungeon? Or do we “remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being [ourselves] yourselves also in the body?” Brother, Christ was once in the flesh, and suffered all that we have ever suffered, and more, too; and when he was passing through the climax of his sufferings, a poor condemned thief who was his companion on the cross entreated, “Lord, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom.” When Jesus comes “in his kingdom, and all his holy angels with him;” when he sits “upon the throne of his glory,” crowned “King of kings, and Lord of lords,” do you think that he will forget that poor thief who hung with him on the cross? Then since he has restored you to your sonship, and you have access to the throne of grace, be mindful of your wretched companions who are still languishing in Satan’s dungeon; and when you come before the King, don’t forget to “make mention” of them; and if he should send you to open “the prison to them that are bound,” be glad for such a privilege. Say: “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are in Rome [or Chile] also.” Brethren, here on the west coast of South America are more than ten million poor wretched souls whom Satan has bound, lo, these many years in his intensely dark prison-house, until they have nearly lost the power of seeing. So long have they breathed the foul atmosphere of his filthy dungeon, that they are not at once attracted by the sweet fragrance of “the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.” The cup of Babylon, “filled with abominations and the filthiness of her fornication,” they have drained to the dregs, and it has so destroyed their relish for the pure and holy, that it is with difficulty they can be induced to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” The wine of Babylon has so blunted their sensibilities that they can hardly “feel after” the Lord, “though he be not far from every one” of them. Their cell is even deeper and darker than yours was, and their misery and wretchedness many times greater. Have you forgotten to “make mention” of them before the King? If so, hasten to do so, that he may send some one to help us bring them “out of this house.” If you can not come yourself, then help to send some one else, that these poor wretched souls may be set free before it is too late. Do now as you will wish you had done when you see the “King in his beauty,” and then remember that some of those lost ones who are calling in vain to the mountains and rocks to fall on them to hide them “from the face of him that sitteth on the throne” might have been saved had you done your duty. _Righteousness_
By H. W. HERRELL
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.” Matt. 5:6. Righteousness is right-doing, and David tells us that all of the commandments are righteousness. Ps. 119:172. Righteousness is also holiness, and holiness is likeness to God. Therefore when we hunger and thirst after righteousness, we are really hungering and thirsting after God; and “God is love.” 1 John 4:16. “When the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, we shall be truly keeping the law of God; for the apostle Paul says, “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Rom. 13:10. We can not receive righteousness by our long prayers, or through any outward form of worship, but it is a gift of God, given to every man who will surrender all to him, and truly hunger and thirst after the same. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; . . . both without money and without price.” Isa. 55:1. Thank the Lord, the gift of righteousness is free to all. Many of us could not have it, if we had to purchase it with money, or with some other costly gift. Well do I recall an experience that I had when I was a boy, of traveling through a strange country with men who were furnishing telegraph poles. There was a drought, so we could hardly get any water for love or money; but when we came to a place where it was offered to us, how willing we were to drink, and O, how refreshing it was to us! So the living waters of life will satisfy our hearts as nothing else can satisfy. Many of us have been trying to quench our spiritual thirst at the shallow streams, when we should so hunger and thirst that we would come to the fountainhead, Jesus Christ, the righteous. Jesus said, “The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14. May we all seek to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Without this no man can be saved. Let us take the Lord at his word, and prove him for ourselves. He tells us that he is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Eph. 3:20. Prepare for Your Place
By C. C. Lewis
In the eternal plan of heaven every person has a place. “Not more surely is the place prepared for us in the heavenly mansions than is the special place designated on earth where we are to work for God.”—“Christ’s Object Lessons,” page 327. Reader, have you found your place in the work of God? And are you prepared to fill it? You have no higher duty than to find that place, and fit yourself to do its work acceptably. But do not delay the preparation for the place until you find it. Those who seek the place before the preparation, will find neither place nor preparation. Prepare while you seek, and seek while you prepare; and when you find the place, you will be largely ready for it, and may need only special preparation. Seek ye first the preparation for the place, and the place itself shall be revealed unto you. Suffering as Life’s Turning Point
THERE are no times in life when opportunity, the chance to be and to do, gathers so richly about the soul as when it has to suffer. Then everything depends on whether the man turns to the lower or the higher helps. If he resorts to mere expedients and tricks, the opportunity is lost. He comes out no richer or greater; nay, he comes out harder, poorer, smaller for his pain. But if he turns to God, the hour of suffering is the turning-point of his life.—Phillips Brooks. “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” Matt. 15:11. There is nothing without a man that, entering into him, can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are they which defile the man. Lest some in reading the article may think that the writer is attempting to defend the use of meat, he will state that he has abstained entirely from the use of flesh, fish, or fowl as a food for about ten years, as a result of the study of the Sabbath-school lessons on the book of Daniel. He discards these articles and others because he believes there are better foods. But if the question were asked, If you were out on an island or in some lonely spot where you could not obtain anything else to eat, what would you do? I would answer, I would do as I do now,—eat the best I could find. I would not starve if there were any kind of food to be had. The observance of dietary rules is a means, not an end. Some people take up the matter of dress, diet, etc., much as the Pharisees performed their multitudinous ceremonies, thinking thereby to live a life worthy of heaven. Such is a religion of works. It can be seen in many of the observances of the Catholic Church. It can be seen in the Jewish church. It can be seen among the heathen. A man may be a footpad, or an adulterer, and yet have conscientious scruples which prevent his eating meat on Friday. The Jewish leaders, full of hatred, and scheming to have Jesus put to death, “went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.” John 18:28. A Brahman is defiled if even the shadow of a meat-eater falls on him. In Christian communities this question of ceremonial defilement has quite largely passed away. Even the injunction not to touch the flesh of the swine is now scarcely observed. Many, taking authority from Peter’s vision, recorded in Acts 10:11-16, feel free to eat everything which can be made to minister to the pleasures of taste. But there are some who go to the other extreme, perhaps, and tend to make a fetish, as it were, of diet, as something which will earn, or help earn, for them a place in the kingdom. That which goes into the mouth can not defile one. As James says, “So is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body.” It is the words, representing the thoughts, which constitute the corrupting stream; or as Jude (verses 4 and 8) shows, it is the uncleanness of thought, word, or deed that defiles. It may be said that these are the result of wrong eating. This may be true, and doubtless it is often true. A man may eat that which will unnerve him, unfit him for usefulness and for a study of spiritual things, and render him gross and animal-like in his nature. It is possible for us to eat in such a way as to insure perdition, but we can not eat in such a way as to insure salvation. A man can not eat himself into the kingdom of God. “The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Rom. 14:17. The first part of the third chapter of Philippians is an instructive story of11Paul’s escape from ceremonialism. After recounting all his acquirements as a Pharisee, ending with the words “touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless,” he proceeds, “but what things were gain to me, these I counted loss for Christ. And do count them but dung, that I might win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ.” The point I would enforce is this: the laws of health are good, and to violate them is to bring disaster on ourselves; but we must not make a fetish of them. We must not trust in them for salvation. We must not judge or condemn our brother because he eats differently from us, and think that we are the better in character because he eats flesh-meat, and we do not. “But meat [food] commendeth us not to God; for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to them that are weak.” 1 Cor. 8:8. “As a Man Thinketh”
By Isabel Richey
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FATE.
I build my life
As men may build a castle, stone on stone;
Whether I know or not, ’tis I alone
Who fill my days with peacefulness or strife. I have the power to think,—to choose my thought,—
And as I think and plan, so must I act;
Then doth the imaged thing become the fact—
The phantom breathes, the miracle is wrought. So, if I choose a life as pure and true
As any saint’s of all the ages past,
I need but think fair thoughts, and hold them fast;
I need but plan and hope and will and do. I am the sum of days that are no more;
If one be darkened by an evil deed,
I may not change it now, but I may heed
And learn a lesson by the pain I bore. I build my life, for failure or success—
Just as I will. It rests with me to choose.
God, give me noble thoughts; help me to use
Only the stones which make for perfectness. “The Little Mother”
By Mrs. J. C. Brower
ALWAYS as I go about my daily tasks, I have present the memory of a Western home presided over by a little Scotch woman whom her children delight to speak of as “the little mother.” It was a home, where, because of a large and growing family dependent upon a small income, and because the “house-band” did not reverence the Great Father, “the cares of life came thronging fast.” Often the fare was very plain, and sometimes scant; and the children’s clothing, though neat and clean, bore evidences of frequent turning, darning, and patching. The neighbors visited, gossiped, and aped the manners and fashions of their “smart set.” The little mother remained at home because of the incompleteness of her wardrobe, and for the love she bore her boys and girls. She was not a church-member, but her worn Bible, the fervor expressed in the old hymns she hummed about her work, her firm adherence to right principles,—these and many other things proclaimed her a child of the King. Many a weary, discouraged soul found comfort and new inspiration in a quiet chat in the bare little “front room,” and returned to face the emptiness and selfishness of the great world stronger in a determination to trust all to the One “divinely good.” Many a weak one learned to believe that “God holds the lever of circumstances,” and that something of the Great King’s character is reflected in all his handiwork. Not far from the dooryard of the home was a grassy knoll upon which lay a large gray rock. Below, a little valley sloped to a wooded stream. Beyond, in the distance, stretched the rugged hills. Beside the rock, upon the little knoll, the little mother erected a Beth-el, which she called her “retreat.” As the children grew older, they learned of its existence, and understood why, so many evenings, they had missed her from her accustomed place among them. Here she brought her sorrows, her cares, and her perplexities, indeed, all her burdens; and when forbidden to kneel or to read God’s Word in her home, she would come aside to her retreat, her “mercy-seat,” and pour out her fulness of heart before Him who is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” She sought for light and truth, and when truth came, she walked in every ray with thankful heart. Her boys and girls came to rely upon the principles so carefully taught by her in word and example, and to hold in tender regard her “retreat.” One who entered the family a few years ago said of her, “She is the best woman I ever knew. She carries a blessing with her wherever she goes.” The sick, sad, destitute, and afflicted come to her for help and comfort. The gay and thoughtless are helped by her counsel. She lives a quiet life, unconscious that she has ever accomplished anything worthy of notice. But the Heavenly Father, who has been her counselor in her quiet hours, and her support through all the toilsome days, has blessed her seed-sowing. “Her children rise up, and call her blessed,” and in many a perplexity are strengthened by remembering her counsel and her life, and especially by the retreat, which, like the little mother, they have established for themselves. SWELTERING as I am this July day in New York, I am inclined to say to the question, how to keep cool in very hot weather, “Go to the tropics.” Or, at least, throw conventions aside and dress as they do in the tropics. It is never so hot in the Philippines as it is here to-day. It is far easier to keep cool there, for one can safely adapt his dress and manner of living to the climate. When a drop in temperature of from twenty to fifty degrees is not uncommon, one hesitates to advise wearing the thinnest of clothes in the temperate climate. Yet when we are having a “spell” of very hot weather, there are ways of making life more tolerable. The rule observance of a few details with regard to personal dress and habits would remove many of the causes of discomfort from which so large a number of persons suffer, to a large degree unnecessarily. The invigoration of the four or five minute shower-bath is a good beginning for withstanding the wearying and wearing “dog-dayish” hot day. This does not necessarily mean the latest devices of modern plumbing. A tin dipper and a pail of cold water are sufficient. A second shower before retiring, without any strenuous rubbing of the skin, is refreshing and sleep conducing. As to clothing: the thinnest underclothing, preferably white linen mesh, should be worn; thin material is easily permeable by air and moisture. The next best material is cotton. Changes should be frequent, and strict cleanliness observed. If comfort is of any account, the laundry bill should not be considered. All articles which come into direct contact with the skin should be changed as often as they become soiled. A daily, and sometimes a semi-daily, change is recommended. The sense of cleanliness itself is cooling, and tends to a feeling of self respect. An abdominal band should be worn. It protects the internal organs in case of a sudden change in the weather. This should be of the thinnest flannel, and should be changed frequently. In going to bed a perfectly dry band should be put on. White, thin cotton stockings are the only ones permissible, and the shoes should be thin-soled and of white canvas or other porous material. These should be comfortably large. White open-worked stockings and slippers are suitable for women, while children should wear no stockings and the simple heel-less sandals which are now on sale in the up-to-date shoe stores. For hygienic reasons they should never be allowed to go barefooted in the cities. The suit should be of white drilling or some similar material, and the coat should button up naval fashion to the neck, and have a low standing collar. No shirt should be worn over the undershirt, unless possibly it be the negligee shirt. With a nicely laundered cotton suit, cuffs and collars may be omitted. For women the ideal costume is the low-necked dress of thinnest white muslin or organdie, with elbow sleeves, no gloves, and no hat. No clothing should be worn which constricts or unduly confines any part of the body. Everything that is worn should permit full and free circulation of the blood and air, as well as prompt evaporation of the perspiration. Lower garments should be suspended from the shoulders. A loose-fitting Panama hat, without any sweatband is the most comfortable headgear. It is also the most hygienic, for it can be washed frequently. Drink little, or if one must drink, drink cooled but not iced drinks. Iced tea and coffee and all alcoholic drinks are to be avoided. If one must have ice, let it be in the form of chopped ice. Iced sherbets are all right, but it is a good rule to keep away from the soda fountain. During the hottest weather one should be scrupulously careful of his diet. Don’t overeat. Avoid rich, hearty foods. Exercise should be taken before or after the heat of the day. Keep out of the sun, especially at midday. If one is obliged to be out, a pongee silk sun umbrella with a green lining should be carried. Take things easy. Don’t get excited over trivial matters; as the expression is, the “heat gets on the nerves,” and little annoyances are greatly magnified. Sleep as much as possible. From our Philippine brothers we may learn that the afternoon siesta helps in combating the effects of a hot day. This means for the busy man a short nap of ten minutes. What is beneficial is the few minutes of complete relaxation of the nervous system. American women in Manila adopt completely the tropical custom of undressing and going to bed, and are not expected to receive or make calls until five o’clock. The wardrobe of every woman should contain at least one attractive negligee costume, so useful and so common in the East; the silk kimono of the Japanese or the neutral colored sarong of the Javanese. To be found in such a costume on a hot afternoon the housekeeper should not be looked upon as slack or immodest, but appropriately dressed. I know this runs counter to the ideas of our New England grandmothers, but I feel that we have much to learn from our tropical relations. The night clothing for men should consist of a suit of pajamas. In the tropics the material which best protects the wearer from the chilling of the surface of the body during sleep is the thinnest woolen; but if this is objected to in this climate, pajamas may be made of linen mesh. If we would only let common sense, and not petty convention, dictate what we shall wear and how we shall live, we would find the hot weather more tolerable, and ourselves and those about us happier.—Good Housekeeping. LEND a hand to the tempted. Lend a hand to souls in the shadow. Lend a hand to the student at school. Lend a hand to those who are often misjudged. Lend a hand to the soul crushed with unspeakable loss. Lend a hand to the poor fighting the wolf from the door. Lend a hand to those whose lives are narrow and cramped. Lend a hand to the boy struggling bravely to culture his mind. Lend a hand to young people whose homes are cold and repelling. Lend a hand to those whose surroundings are steadily pulling them down. Lend a hand to the prodigal sister — her life is as precious as that of the prodigal brother. Lend a hand to the girl who works, works, works, and knows nothing of recreation and rest. Lend a hand — an open hand, a warm hand, a strong hand, an uplifting hand, a hand filled with mercy and help. — The Silver Cross.