p. 358 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 8, No. 30. (8/10/1882)

Rescue the Children.

By Cannon Farrar

THE late Cardinal Wiseman said, "Give me the children of England, and in twenty years England shall be Catholic." I say, "Give us the children of England, and in twenty years England shall not only be temperate, but"—and the words seem to open a vista of progress and prosperity such as we can hardly conceive—"England shall not only be temperate, but shall be a nation of total abstainers." Well, now, I ask you, is it really an injury to induce children to take the pledge, or is it an injury, with heartless prejudice and callous obstinacy, to leave them exposed without defense to all the terrible temptations and enormous evils of drink? It seems to me that if we can succeed in saving them from that, we may laugh to scorn the ridiculous notion that we do them any harm by inducing them to give up that which they do not need, which they naturally do not like, and which can be nothing to them but a source of peril and of ruin.

Almost every book one takes up contains some damning evidence as the awful consequences of drink, and only yesterday I was reading a book by the author of "John Halifax, Gentleman," in which she describes her visit to the East London Hospital for Children, and she tells how the nurse said that numbers of children from the district, full of drink and ignorance, are brought there with cancer, hip disease, and disease of the bones, with rickets and all kinds of constitutional corruption, so weakly from the constitution which they have inherited from vicious parents, that, although they could only be saved by surgery, they are too weak to undergo an operation, and her remark upon it is this: "For such children and in such places, death itself seems to be a better thing than life." Even more than that, we find poor little hapless children, whom God made to live and to be happy, dying in this Christian England, in this very year, by something which bears a sort of grotesque and horrible resemblance to unconscious suicide. At the very beginning of this year, amidst the very sound of the blessed Christmas bells, amidst the rejoicings with which the new year was introduced by Christian people, one little child of three, in Glasgow, gets up in the night, takes the whisky which its mother has been drinking, drinks, and is found lying dead in its bed in the morning; and that England may not be behind Scotland, another little child of four, at Huddersfield, sees that its mother has bought some spirits to welcome friends, gets up in the same way, drinks the spirits, and is found dead in the morning. Now, let us ask whether there can be anything worse than all this neglect and accident and cruelty and disease and death? Yes; there is something worse than all this—there is sin. Disease and accident and cruelty and death may maim and torture the body, murder and suicide may end the life, but sin blasts and corrupts the soul, and many and many a drunkard's child in England is being trained up deliberately in the habits of sin.

I believe that there are people wicked enough and imbecile enough to say that the mention of these very painful facts is what they call "sensationalism." Now, what have I been doing? I have merely been mentioning one or two facts out of hundreds and hundreds of similar facts, not drawn from disputable sources, but simply from the cold, daily, impartial records of justice, and only bearing upon one single fraction of all the terrible evidence which ought to exert all the powers of every Christian man in doing what little he can to resist the tyranny of drink. There are people who talk of "sensationalism" when we speak of facts like these.—Cannon Farrar

Upper Columbia T. and M. Society.

By Mrs. G. W. Colcord, Sec.

REPORT FOR QUARTER ENDING JUNE 30, 1882.

Districts	No. of Members	No. Reports Returned	No. of Members Added	No. of Missionary Visits	No. of Letters Written	No. Signs taken in Clubs	New Subscribers Review	New Subscribers Signs	New Subscribers Instructor	New Subscribers Other Periodicals
No. 1	26	14		54	18	22		2
" 2	36	19	2	24	29	12		5	1
" 3	34	28	2	36	19	22	1	4	13	2
Agents	3	3		191	146		3	6	13
Totals	99	64	4	305	212	56	4	17	27	2

Districts	Pages Tracts and Pamphlets distributed	Periodicals Distributed	Annuals Distributed	Membership & Donations Tract Fund	Sales	Periodicals	T. and M. Reserve Fund	Total
No. 1	802	197		$ 2 75		$ 3 00	$ 10 00	$ 15 75
" 2	10696	259		3 50	3 25	20 80	20 00	47 55
" 3	1170	457	34	6 00		11 20	26 00	43 20
Agents	6045	140		1 25	56 18	24 40		81 83
Totals	18713	1053	34	$ 13 50	$ 59 43	$ 59 40	$ 56 00	$ 188 33

Mrs. G. W. Colcord, Sec.

A Receipt in Full.

Do you remember the story of Martin Luther, when Satan came to him, as he thought, with a long, black roll of his sins, which truly might make a swaddling-band for the round world? To the arch enemy Luther said, "Yes I must own them all. Have you any more?"

So the foul fiend went his way and brought another long roll, and Martin Luther said, "Yes, yes, I must own to them all. Have you any more?" The accuser of the brethren, being expert at the business, soon supplied him with a further length of the charges, till there seemed to be no end to it.

Martin waited till no more were forth-coming and then he cried, "Have you any more?"

"Were these not enough?"

"Aye, that they were. But," said Martin Luther, "write at the bottom of the whole account, 'The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.'"

Contrasts.

Every rag stuck into a window to keep out the cold from a drunkard's home denotes a contribution towards buying new suits for the rumseller and his family. The more elegance and ease in the rumseller's family, the more poverty, degradation, and despair in the families of those who patronize him. The corner grog-shop, with large plate-glass windows and marble floors, is paid for by the tenants of other landlords who refuse to let their buildings for such purposes. The more plate-glass and marble slabs there are in the rum-shop, the more soiled garments must be stuck in the windows of their patrons to keep out the cold air, the more silk flounces upon the dress of the rumseller's wife, the cheaper the calico upon the wife and children of his patrons.

The more spacious the parlor, and brighter the fire of the rumsellers, the more scantily furnished and colder the abodes of those who patronize him. While the rumseller drives his $1,000 span, his customers cannot even afford a five-cent horse-car. From the bung-hole of every barrel of liquid damnation that is sold by the dramsellers there flows a constant stream of drunkards, criminals, paupers, tramps, lunatics, and imbeciles, to fill poor-houses, houses of correction, jails, and prisons. What blasted hopes, ruined homes, and paupers' graves are the relics of the trade! Every dollar that the owner of the rum-shop, and his rum-selling tenant put into their pockets, comes out of the pockets of the poor men, and is a dead loss, so far as the public good is concerned. Worse than that, the more rum sold, the more burdens there are imposed upon the honest citizens and tax-payers. The richer the landlord and his rum-selling tenants grow, the poorer becomes the landlord who lets his buildings for tenements and legitimate business. It is an undisputed fact that the laboring man who has a family cannot indulge in liquor-drinking, and pay his landlord and grocer.—Ex.

Which Does It Do?

By Meteor

If whisky has ever organized an institution whose aim was the upholding of Christ's kingdom, or has ever reformed a drunkard, or saved a lost or ruined soul, we have failed to see it. Does it add converts to the church, or converts to the penitentiary? Does it add philosophers and statesmen to our nation, or does it add subjects to our asylum, and paupers to the workhouse? Does it educate the mind; or does it dethrone reason? Does it create love, peace, and happiness, or strife, quarreling, and misery? —Meteor.

The License Plea

"Yes," said the Rev. John Pierpont, "you have a license, and that is your plea; I adjure you to keep it; lock it among your choicest jewels; guard it as the apple of your eye; and when you die and are laid out in your coffin, be sure that the precious document is placed between your clammy fingers, so that when you are called upon to confront your victims before God, you may be ready to file your plea of justification, and to boldly lay down your license on the bar of the Judge. Yes, my friend, keep it; you will then want your license signed by the county commissioners and indorsed by the selectmen."

Temperance’s Benefits

TEMPERANCE puts wood on the fire, meal in the tub, money in the purse, credit in the country, contentment in the house, clothes on the children, vigor in the body, intelligence in the brain, and spirit in the whole constitution. Intemperance does the opposite of all this. Should such an evil be encouraged by a license ?

Stumbling-Blocks.

It was a season of deep religious interest at Spaulding. Tea parties and festivals had been forgotten, and everybody attended the revival meetings being held in one of the two churches the village contained. Many souls had been born again, and the good work was going on.

Yet, notwithstanding all this, Mr. Bruce, the good pastor, was troubled. Several of his congregation, for whom he had most fervently prayed, and strongly hoped, refused to yield: Mr. Taylor, the store-keeper, a good, honest man, but needed a living experience; Dr. Steele, who had so many opportunities for pointing sick and dying ones to the Saviour; and many others.

Most of these urged, as an excuse, the failings of Christians; but there were Bertha and William Page, children of the most active and influential members of the church—what excuse could they offer? Surely, both father and mother were exemplars of the gospel he preached. Bertha Page was a highly intelligent and amiable young lady, always ready to assist in the outward work of the church and Sunday-school, but strangely reticent whenever the subject of personal piety was broached.

Of course Mr. Bruce did not consider the shortcomings of professing Christians a sufficient reason why the unconverted should remain unconverted, but he did think cold-hearted, inconsistent believers would help on the Lord's work by becoming devoted in heart and Christ-like in life; and, accordingly, he preached a searching sermon from the text, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord."

"I do wish the minister would preach more about the joys of heaven, and not scold so much," said one.

But the sermon was one which many profitably applied only to their neighbors.

"Yes," said Mrs. Page, as she sat at the well-spread table that afternoon—for the family observed the good old-fashioned custom of having dinner and supper in one on Sunday—"Yes, a most excellent discourse. Bro. Bruce preaches good practical sermons, that people can understand, and I hope those for which this one was meant will receive it. If we would prepare the way of the Lord, we must remove everything that would hinder people from seeking him—all the stumbling-blocks. I can't wonder that Mr. Taylor thinks the religion isn't good for much that doesn't make people pay their debts. He's lost hundreds of dollars, first and last, by trusting church-members. And there's Dr. Steele. He says he can't understand why anyone expecting a mansion in Heaven can be so terribly afraid to go and possess it as Bro. Lewis is when sick. Hannah Butler pretends to feel so much concern for her husband and children; but anybody can see that she herself is keeping them back, scolding and fretting about the house from morning till night. I might name twenty other cases. Even Bro. Bruce would be more efficient if he called around oftener among the people. But then, I suppose these extra meetings will take up a good part of his time. Well, I hope the sermon to-day will be of benefit to those who need it. When Bertha and Willie want to start for the kingdom, I hope they will find no stumbling-blocks in the way."

Mr. Page was a man of few words, and knowing how well his wife liked to talk, he ate his meal in silence, simply nodding assent, now and then, to her remarks.

Two hours later, Mrs. Page lay, in the fading light of that short winter day, on the back parlor lounge, her mind filled with anxious thoughts concerning the children she loved; just such anxious thoughts as every Christian mother must have who sees her sons and daughters approaching manhood and womanhood unconverted. Many prayers had she offered for the gentle, studious Bertha, and generous, affectionate Will. What would she not be willing to give or do, she asked herself, if she might only see them numbered with the saved.

The front door opened and shut. As the folding doors were partly closed, she could not see who had entered, but she soon distinguished the voices of her son and daughter.

"I say Bert, what do you think of it, anyway? —this religion, I mean, that all the folks are making so much fuss about. If what mother says is true, we are just as good as these folks who talk so much in meeting. I wouldn't lie, or cheat, or steal. Why are not my chances of Heaven as good as theirs?"

"O Will, that's mean and cowardly; not like you at all. We have no right to neglect our duties because others are unfaithful. As for the 'chances' you speak of, there are no chances about it. I've been studying the Bible, and I find that we never can be fitted to live with Jesus and the holy angels until our hearts are made clean, and our sins forgiven, no matter how good our lives may appear."

"I suppose you are right; you almost always are, but why don't you seek this change if you believe in it? I'm always ready to follow you anywhere; I must say, though, I can't understand why mother should talk so about those she calls brethren and sisters. Think I'd keep talking about you to others if you'd done wrong? No sir! Not while you were my sister."

"That's just it, Willie. I've tried hard not to notice mother's talk, and I'm ashamed of myself that it should trouble me as it does. I've returned from meeting a great many times, feeling deeply my needs, and she would say something about the minister's peculiarities, or somebody's inconsistency, that would drive away all serious impressions, and the worst of it is, the next time I hear that person speak, I keep thinking of what mother has said. She's a good woman, and wouldn't do anything wrong for the world. All that she says may be true; but I do wish she wouldn't talk about people."

"Isn't it St. Paul who said something about telling your brother his fault between him and yourself? I'm going to learn that passage, and sometime you'll hear me quoting it, when I can without being disrespectful. Hark! there's the bell for evening service. Run and put on your things, sis, and I'll meet you in the front hall."

Again the parlor door opened and shut, and Mrs. Page knew that she was once more alone. Covering her face with her hands, she groaned in contrition. Those ten minutes had given her a revelation of which she had never dreamed. She had never meant to be unjust or unkind. Naturally a talker, she had imperceptibly formed the habit of speaking her thoughts in the family circle, and now she saw how much evil might be wrought by a few unguarded remarks.

"By God's help, I will in the future keep my tongue from evil," she murmured.

At the meeting, Mr. Bruce missed the face of Sister Page, and wondered at her absence. Her children never why she remained at home, but the strength she gained alone in prayer that evening showed itself in later life. Habit was strong, but Mrs. Page had learned to set a watch over her tongue; and rarely, if ever, was she heard again to make disparaging remarks concerning her fellow disciples.

Bertha and Willie were not converted during that revival, but before Mr. Bruce left Spaulding, his heart was gladdened by seeing them gathered into the fold.—Zion's Herald.

The Spool of Cotton.

Once a young man with very little money opened a small store in a New England city. So few people came in to buy his goods that he grew discouraged, and said to himself as he shut up his store one night, "If I don't have more customers to-morrow, I'll give it up and go away."

Just then a little girl came along, looked up at him, and said:—

"Are you the man that keeps this store?"

"Yes," he answered, "this is my store; but it is shut and locked up now."

"Well," said the little girl, "won't you please open it again, and sell me a spool of number seventy cotton? All the stores are shut up, and my mamma wants it to finish my dress to-night, so that I can go and visit my auntie to-morrow."

The young merchant could not refuse the child's pleading voice; so he unlocked the store, went in, lit his lamp, found for her the spool of thread, and

took his six cents. She went happy on her way home; and the next day her mother came in with two other ladies, thanked him for his kindness, and bought some goods, as did the other ladies also, who had heard the story. Perhaps they told it to others, for more customers came in, and from that day his store was successful. Afterward he became very rich, and used to say, "I owe it all to that spool of cotton."

But it was the kindness, more than the cotton, which won him friends and success; for who wouldn't rather buy of a kind, pleasant person, than one who seems selfish and careless of others?

The Home Circle.

WATCH AND WAIT.

Though the welcome day and hour Of His re-appearing power, Mortal may not date aright, Still resounds that word of might; Coming soon, or coming late, "For his coming watch and wait."

If our Lord (as once of old To the prophet's gaze unrolled) In the clouds of heaven descend, While ten thousand saints attend, 'Mid the thought of pomp so great, "For his coming watch and wait."

Thus we watch the east at dawn, While night's veil is scarce withdrawn, Knowing well the king of light, Soon its sable fold will smite— By one moment's magic skill All the sky with glory fill.

When we catch the angel's word, When the trumpet's note is heard, When the dead in Christ shall rise, When we meet them in the skies, When we hear his "Enter thou," May we cease to watch—not now.

Let that word the key-note be Of our service glad and free; Pure and true, and like His own, Be our life-hymn's answering tone; Firmly, yet with hearts elate, "For his coming watch and wait."

—The Watchword.

An Argument.

"But, mamma," said Minnie, looking grave but determined, "I shall have to wear this dress, because my only other white one that is clean is too tight for anything; it hurts me so that I can hardly breathe."

"I'm sorry, daughter," mamma said, with an equally determined face. "But you surely see that such a delicate muslin as that you have on is not suitable to wear to a lawn party. It will tear as easily as lace."

"But I've got to wear it, you see!" said Minnie, with a touch of impatience in her voice. "You don't want me to wear tight clothes, you know."

"And what reason have you for wearing that broad, blue sash?"

"Well, mamma, you know it's the only one that matches nicely with this dress and these stockings; and things ought to match."

"Yes, and why must the stockings be worn?"

"Oh well," said Minnie, catching an end of the sash and twisting it, "I suppose I could wear other stockings, but I thought with my nice, new slippers these would look the prettiest, and I didn't think that you would care."

"Does it seem to you that those slippers that were bought only to wear in the house, are the proper thing for lawn parties?"

"No'm; but I had to put them on. My boots have the ugliest great nails sticking into my toes; I could hardly walk around last night; so of course I had to put my slippers on."

Very grave looked the mamma. It was a sad fact that she had not heard of the dress that was too tight, or of the nails in the high buttoned kid boots, until this morning. Could it be possible that her little daughter had been tempted by her desire to appear in fine, new clothes at the party?

"There is nothing for you to wear, my daughter. I suppose you would not like to go in your every-day clothes, and you say your other white dress is too tight, and the nails in your kid boots hurt your feet. So, of course, you will have to stay at home. If I had heard of this before, I could have altered the dress, and had the boots put in order; but you know you have never said anything about it before."

Then was Minnie's face very red. "I can wear them, mamma," she said, turning away. "They are not very comfortable, but I can stand it."

"No, daughter, I cannot allow you to stand it. You know I do not wish you to dress so that you can hardly breathe, nor wear shoes in which you can hardly walk around. I see nothing for you to do but to remain at home."

Then did poor Minnie burst into a flood of tears. She poured the words out very fast. Her dress was not too tight; she did not have any trouble to breathe, and her shoes did not hurt her but just a speck, and she could wear them just as well as not.

"Minnie!" said her mother, breaking into the midst of the storm of words, "then what have you been telling your mother?"

Poor little Minnie! It was a hard lesson. She went to no lawn party that afternoon; she sat on the back piazza in her dark calico dress and thick boots, and sobbed. She had grown so used to making little bits of things into great ones, when it suited her convenience to do so, that she actually did not realize that she was telling what was untrue. I know some other little people who have the same bad habit.—The Pansy.

Religious Notes.

By Editor

—Several hundred Catholics in Lille, France, have bound themselves by an oath not to send their children to the secularized public schools.

—It is said that the removal of the Christian Brothers as teachers of the public schools in France has resulted in an increase of 100,000 scholars.

—The Golden Censer speaks about “the violation of the Sabbath by Sunday camp-meetings.” We would like to know how such a thing could be done.

—It is related of Ex-Governor Hubbard that he one time had a census taken of the State Prison of Texas, and found that not ten per cent. of the convicts had ever attended Sunday-school.

—A Chickasaw Indian proposes to pay half the cost of Testaments to supply the school children of that tribe. The American Bible Society has forwarded him a box of 500 Testaments, which he is now distributing.

—Bishop Crowther, of the English Church Missionary Society on the Niger, reports the average Sunday congregations at the stations on that river as having 3,472 attendants, of whom 1,597 are nominal Christians, and 451 communicants.

—Lo Foo, a Chinaman converted under the labors of Dr. Graves at Canton, sold himself as a slave that he might go to Demerara, and preach the gospel to his fellow-countrymen there. He now has a church of 200 converted Chinamen who are supporting missionaries among their own people.

—“The Supreme Secular Benevolent Association” has been incorporated in Albany, N. Y., according to the Christian Statesman. Its object is “the doing away with the observance of Sunday and national days of thanksgiving as religious days, and the abolishment of the use of the Bible in public schools.”

—The Roman Catholic Bishop Laughlin, of Long Island, has returned a check for $2,000 which had been sent to a church in his diocese, being the avails of a horse-race. More than this, he suspended the priest for taking the money. His action is worthy of all commendation, but as it is the first case on record we fear it will be the last.

—In a nomination for membership in a workingmen’s club in Blockley, England, the vicar objected to a proposed member, stating that he was neither a gentleman nor a Christian, because he had never been baptized. He had no objection to dissenters, but he would have no unbaptized persons in the club. We have known some baptized persons who were not gentlemen.

—In Brooklyn, N. Y., the “Church of the Spiritual Dispensation” was organized recently, with a creed founded on “what is known as Spiritulism.” This “church” must be just the opposite of that built upon “the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone.” Spiritualism is built upon the foundation of Satan.

—A widow of a Methodist minister recently died in Helmsley, England, and it was desired to bury her beside her husband. This the vicar would not permit, because it was consecrated ground. There was an unconsecrated part of the cemetery, however, which could be used; but he would not suffer the procession to go in at the ordinary entrance, because the passing of Nonconformists over consecrated ground would hurt the feelings of Churchmen.

—The American Bible Society has refused to handle the Burman Bible translated by Judson, because baptizo is rendered by a word which in the Burmese means “dip.” It says to the Baptist missionaries, “The word baptizo must be transferred, not translated.” But Rev. Matthew Yates, a Baptist missionary in China, says that the American Bible Society publishes a version in China, for Pedo-Baptists, which does not transfer the word, but translates it by the use of the Chinese word See-lee, which means “washing ceremony.” Thus the American Bible Society shows itself not merely an anti-Baptist organization, but dishonest as well.

—The San Leandro Reporter says: “An example of what the laboring man may expect if all Sunday laws shall be repealed is found in the case of H. J. Glenn, who is compelling all his men to work in the harvest field on the Sabbath and fourteen hours a day at that.” The Reporter is evidently in the dark as to the provisions of the California Sunday Law. That law simply prohibits the keeping open of “any store, workshop, bar, saloon, banking-house, or other place of business, for the purpose of transacting business therein.” The law cannot touch farmers. We predict that an amendment will soon be in order, that will call upon farmers as well as trades-people to rest on the “venerable day of the sun.”

—A writer in the Herald of Life, quotes Christ’s words in Matt. 22:37-40, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” It then says: “Moses had not taught thus; but that men should scrupulously follow the letter of the law,” meaning by this that such teaching is not found in the Old Testament, among the writings of Moses. We would remind our friend that Christ’s words were in answer to the question, “Which is the great commandment in the law,” and are an exact quotation of Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18.

—A writer in the Christian at Work protests against the custom of forbidding women to take part in prayer-meetings. He says: “Our meetings are made too unnatural and different from any other gathering. Where else except in an orthodox prayer-meeting, do the women sit in stoical, irresponsive silence? How long could a church sociable or party exist if such were the case there? Are we not inconsistent in asserting that the ‘key to the hearts of the women of many of the heathen nations is in the hands of the women of Christian lands,’ and then debar them from helpfulness in their own land? We mourn over the decline of interest in our Congregational churches, and wonder at the few conversions. What else can we expect of a church where half of its working force is smothered into silence.”

News and Notes.

By Editor

—The wife of Frederick Douglass died on the 5th inst., of paralysis.

—It is stated that on Seventh Street alone, in Oakland, there are eighty-two saloons.

—The law prohibiting for ten years the immigration of Chinese laborers, went into effect Friday, August 4.

—Greek troops have occupied the Turkish village of Zarta, near the frontier. The Porte has demanded an explanation.

—The Senate has appropriated $300,000 for the new dry dock at Mare Island, Cal., and has directed that it be built of granite.

—Ex-President Grant and W. H. Trescott have been nominated by President Arthur as a commission to negotiate a commercial treaty with Mexico.

—The national debt statement shows a decrease during July of $13,860,027. The total debt is $1,905,225,546; total interest, $10,926,918; debt less cash in the Treasury, $1,675,054,433.

—At a meeting of 20,000 persons in the Alhambra, in Madrid, July 31, it was decided to appoint a committee to urge the Government to increase and strengthen the naval forces of the country.

—The longest span of wire in the world is used for a telegraph in India, over the river Kistnah, between Bezorah and Sectanagrum. It is more than 6,000 feet long, and is stretched between two hills, each of which is 1,200 feet high.

—William W. Astor, of New York, has been confirmed as Minister to Rome, vice George P. Marsh, deceased. Mr. Marsh was known and respected at home and abroad for his learning and integrity; Mr. Astor is best known as the possessor of immense wealth.

—The Christian at Work rightly styles the cigarette and the toy pistol as the "two youth killers." It is estimated that over six hundred children have died from wounds made by the toy pistol. But where the toy pistol has slain its hundreds, the cigarette has slain its thousands.

—Secretary Teller has decided that the manzanita is a bush peculiar to the Pacific Coast; that it is not timber, and therefore is not subject to protection under the Timber Lands Act. The case came up for consideration by a man being arrested for cutting manzanitas from Government lands.

—August 4, a train of seventeen cars on the Pennsylvania Railroad, heavily loaded with coal, became unmanageable while going down a heavy grade. The cars were wrecked along the track, and the engine plunged into some standing cars, making great havoc. Six men were killed, and several more fatally injured.

—Miss Fanny Parnell, sister of the great Irish leader, and his associate in labor, died in Philadelphia recently, aged twenty-eight. She had attained considerable eminence as a writer. She is said to have been one of the most learned women in the country, reading with ease the modern languages of Europe, as well as Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.

—An amendment to the Sundry Civil Appropriation Bill has passed the Senate, which, if it becomes a law, as it doubtless will, takes all the county offices of Utah from the Mormons, and puts them in the hands of the Governor. This will place the Territory on an American footing, and will be the best blow yet struck against the polygamists.

—Two freight trains came into collision on the Lake Shore Railroad, near South Bend, Ind., August 1. The cars to the number of sixty were piled upon the engines and burned. Seven tramps who were on the train were also burned, and several train hands badly injured. The accident was owing to a failure to deliver the train dispatcher's orders to one of the trains.

—The River and Harbor Bill, appropriating $18,743,875 for the reclamation of marshes, and the improvement of rivers and harbors, was vetoed by the President, on the ground that the amount was extravagant, and that, while many appropriations in the bill were clearly for the general welfare, it contains appropriations for objects that are purely local, and not for the public good. Both houses of Congress passed the bill over the President's veto.

—The old soakers of Sitka will rejoice, as the Government has granted permission to ship a quantity of liquors to that port while the measles and scarlet fever prevail. This will probably result in a wild rush to get on the sick list, and secure a share of the interdicted beverages. It has remained for the Alaskans to demonstrate, however, that spirits are needed for either of the complaints mentioned. To an outsider it looks very much like a shrewd device to get contraband gin through the lines.—Chronicle.

—The word "liberal" is coming into bad repute. The infamous Cannon, for a long time the Mormon delegate to Congress, speaking of the Edmunds Bill, says that a great deal depends upon the spirit in which the commission enforces the law. "If it acts in a liberal spirit, and withstands the bigoted sentiment that made possible the passage of such a monstrous bill, I think that in course of time our people will pass through the ordeal without the loss of their homes and families." That is, the liberality would consist in letting the Mormons continue their beastly practices unmolested.

—Serious storms have occurred during the past week in Ohio and Kentucky. Heavy rains raised the Licking River much higher than was ever known before. Quite a number of people were drowned. The farmers along the river lost all their crops, and many cattle were drowned. Much damage was done to boats on the Ohio River, at Covington. Aug. 2, a water-spout at Millersburg, O., did great damage. It is stated that waves several feet high rolled over land which a few minutes before was parched from drought. Several miles of the Ohio Central Railroad were washed away. The loss to the railroad is estimated at half a million dollars.

—The Twelfth Annual Convention of the National Catholic Total Abstinence Union, met in St. Paul, Minn., on the 2d inst. Five hundred and ninety-one votes were represented, indicating an equal number of subordinate unions. Nearly every large city in the country was represented in the Convention. Bishop Ireland made a two hours' address, in which he declared that the woes of the people of Ireland were mostly brought about by intemperance, and that if they could be made temperate, and kept so for fifteen years, they could buy out the entire island with the money they would otherwise spend for drink.

—A great deal has been said about the amount contributed to the wealth of the nation by foreign immigration. Allowing $100 as the amount that each immigrant brings with him, and making a liberal allowance for the average yearly production, it is estimated that at least $60,000,000 is added to the wealth of the country. As an offset to this, the S. F. Chronicle takes the average number of Americans who visit Europe annually, and calculates that, with the passage money, which goes to European steam-ship companies, and the average expenses of the trip, Europe receives $119,000,000 from traveling Americans. This gives a balance of nearly $60,000 against this country.

—Nothing definite can be learned in regard to Egyptian affairs. A slight engagement has been taken place between the British and Arabi's forces, in which the former claim a decided victory. More troops have been sent from England. It is stated that England refuses to allow Turkish troops to land until the Sultan declares Arabi a rebel, and he refuses to do this until after they have landed. He is no doubt playing a double game, and sympathizes with Arabi. The London Times says that if Turkey goes to Egypt, it must be as England's subordinate, and not as her ally. It is stated that the Czar is dissatisfied with the independent attitude of England, and with Gladstone's repeated declaration that England, under certain circumstances, would undertake the task of restoring order in Egypt.

THE PICTORIAL CHILD'S BIBLE.

BEING A

Consecutive Arrangement of the Narrative and other portions of the Old and New Testaments,

In the words of the Authorized Version, embellished with NEARLY 300 FINE ENGRAVINGS AND MAPS

THIS is a most beautiful book for children of all ages, and a very VALUABLE HELP TO PRIMARY TEACHERS Of Sabbath-School Classes.

The text is in Great Primer type, and is printed on heavy, calendared paper, making a large and elegant volume, royal octavo size, of 838 pages.

While the Bible is a book for all, there are some parts of it which are as milk for babes, and some as strong meat for men. The publishers of the "Child's Bible" have endeavored to put in consecutive form such portions of the Holy Scripture as seem best adapted to the wants and capacities of childhood, in the words of the Bible text. And where the sense requires it, words and clauses have been inserted in brackets, sometimes as summaries of what has been omitted, and sometimes as connecting links.

Believing that the youth should know at what cost the English Bible was won and preserved for them, there has been prefixed to this edition an account of the Sacred Scriptures from the time of their origin to the present day, prominence being given to the struggle of the English Reformers for its translation into the English language.

The numerous engravings were executed by the best artists of this country and of England and France. They will assist in interesting children in the text, and will aid in the instruction of those too young to read.

Price, in Muslin, marbled edge, $5.00 | In Morocco; gilt edge,.......$8.00

Bidding for Votes.

By Editor

WITH party politics we have nothing to do. But politics are now invading the domain of religion, and the issue is raised on a point which affects our conscientious convictions and practice. It is claimed by some that the anti-Sunday platform adopted at San Jose was intended to catch votes. If we are not mistaken that is what both sides—all politicians—are after. Delegates opposed that platform because they thought they would lose votes on it. Men who care neither for Sunday nor temperance are advocating the law; for what, unless to secure votes?

Our Saviour not only told us to render unto God the things which are God's, but also to render unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's. Or, in the words of another scripture, to give honor to whom honor is due.

It may indeed be, as some affirm, that there are no "sumptuary laws" existing in California, strictly speaking. If so, that expression in the platform has no particular application. But there is one expression which has an application which we can appreciate, and so can all if they will put themselves in our place, or consider the matter in the spirit of Christian unselfishness—in the spirit of the golden rule. That platform says they will oppose,—

"All laws intended to restrain or direct a free and full exercise by any citizen of his own religious and political opinion, so long as he leaves others to enjoy their own rights unmolested."

Now to all, of every party, ruling "sumptuary laws" out of the question, which narrows it down to the point which we here notice, we have one question to ask: Are you opposed to this expression in that platform? In other words, are you in favor of restraining or directing a full and free exercise by any citizen of his own religious opinion, as long as he leaves others to enjoy their own rights unmolested? How will you put yourself "on record" on this important question?

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