p. 248 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 4, No. 31. (8/15/1878)

Earlier text: The Order of Events in the Judgment

Round Shoulders.

I SPEAK of round shoulders, hollow chests, and stooping forms. There are, perhaps, not three persons in any school of fifty pupils, but have them. It is so among the people of nearly all professions and occupations, sexes and ages. Indeed our whole arrangement of society could have been no better calculated if on purpose to produce them. Military men and sea-captains are usually exempt, and so are Indians and those peasant women of Italy and other countries that carry burdens on their heads. School teachers are often exempt, though not always.

Now what are the causes of this deformity, the consequences, and the remedy? First, and in general, round shoulders are caused by the prevailing practice of doing everything in a bent-over position from childhood up, so that like pumpkins growing between two rails, we grow into bad forms. The low desks in our school-rooms, and the habit of placing our books upon them and bending over to study, produce round shoulders. I never saw a school-house with desks high enough, and I do not believe there is one high enough in America—perhaps not in the world. They ought to be so high that bending over them would be impossible, and the top adjustable, so as to be set at an angle of inclination. The desks we use in all offices, shops, and places of business are constructed as if a man were hardly yet metamorphosed from some lower order of four-footed beings to what God made him—upright. The positions which we assume in our work, tend to produce stooping.

The chairs we sit in are mostly made for deformed people. Persons with square shoulders are pained and made uneasy by sitting in them. It is even questionable whether our chairs were not better without backs—I mean those in which we sit to write and do work, and not our chairs for parlor and sitting-room use—than that they should, as they now do, crowd the shoulders forward and cramp the chest; and those with backs should be made after a normal and not abnormal standard.

The way in which we lie in bed, helps to produce round shoulders. High bolsters and higher pillows on top of them make many a bed look very fine, but if we wish to preserve an upright form, we must not seek it by such means. True the head should be kept higher than the feet, but not by bending the neck or back. Let the foot of the bed be a little the lowest; and if we lie on the back, lie without a pillow; or if on the side, with one high enough to keep the head in line with the body.

But enough of causes which may vary for different persons. Let us look at the effects. First, round shoulders and stooping forms, detract from a fine personal appearance, either when standing, sitting, or walking. Women like a beautiful face, eyes, feet and hands, and take great pains, often run great risks of life, to obtain them. Why not work as hard for fine forms?

But laying aside all thoughts of good looks, and turning a moment to our ability "to do and to dare," we find that a truly graceful posture is the only easy one; that where the bearing of the body is not correct, as in stooping, we wear ourselves out by spending strength to support ourselves in an unnatural position; that those who go about their business gracefully, do more and do it easier than the awkward.

Stooping is unhealthful. The lungs are cramped, and do not fully inflate. This brings on consumption; and besides, the blood being only half oxygenized, we only half live. Nothing is so important in securing good health and good feelings as thorough breathing.

The cure lies in higher desks in our school-houses, better chairs, smaller pillows on our beds, less work in bad positions, and vigorous training of the muscles of the chest, back, and sides, in proper positions, and for counteracting the effects of sedentary habits and of work.

Plato said no republic was complete without its gymnasiums. This is true of all schools, and more so in all cities and towns. The gymnastic hall, well ventilated, lighted and warmed, where the sedentary and studious, those confined much in-doors, both male and female, can in appropriate costume, throw off the restraints of a confined life, and take vigorous body-training under a master, with music, is full as important as was the gymnasium in the days of Plato.—Home Journal.

RELIGIOUS NEWS AND NOTES.

—The Baptists have twenty churches in Liberia.

—The Cincinnati authorities are trying to close the theatres of that city on Sunday.

—Signor Gavazzi, the Italian evangelist, is preaching and lecturing to large audiences in Dublin.

—The three chief Presbyterian denominations of Scotland raised, last year, $6,640,000 by voluntary subscription.

—America has sent over four hundred missionaries to Turkey and spent $5,000,000 in efforts to convert the Turks to Christianity.

—The Southern Methodist church has in Texas, besides Germans, 408 itinerants, 755 local preachers, 76,509 members and 23,277 Sunday-school scholars.

—Chicago claims a population of nearly 540,000, and Bishop Cheney, in discussing church failures to reach the masses, declares that only 50,000 are habitual worshipers in sanctuaries.

—A member of the church of Scotland offered $5,000 to begin a mission in Ichang, China. The offer was promptly accepted, and a minister and three colporteurs have already sailed.

—It is said that Mrs. A. T. Stewart, in addition to her munificent gifts at Garden City, contemplates establishing and endowing a diocesan divinity school during the coming autumn.

—In Berlin, with a population of one million, only 35,000 persons attend public worship, and there are 20,000 burials every year without any religious service. This is relatively worse than Chicago.

—Mr. Spurgeon's London congregation proposes to celebrate the quarter centennial of his pastorate by presenting him with a fund of $25,000; but in accordance with his wish, the money will be used for church purposes.

—No less than forty bishops preached in the London churches on Sunday, July 7. Of this number thirty-one were foreign and colonial prelates, the entire number of home bishops being nine—four English, two Scotch, two Irish, and one Welsh.

—The foundation for a Jesuit college to cost $500,000 has been begun in San Francisco. It will comprise a college, with all the requirements of modern education, such as laboratories, libraries, studies and rooms for the students and professors, a church, and a theatre capable of seating 5,000 persons.

—Mr. George Muller and wife landed in excellent health at Liverpool July 7, and were present at the Monday evening service in Bethesda chapel, Bristol. Mr. Muller said he traveled 19,000 miles since he left Bristol, had preached 299 times in 200 churches, and had 108 invitations from places in America which he could not visit.

—The California Chinese Mission now sustains ten mission schools. The number of pupils enrolled in May was 467. The total number reported as having attended the schools for a longer or shorter time since September last is 1,178. Of those now in the schools, 64 give evidence of conversion. The number converted in connection with the schools, from their first organization, is about 200.

—The Presbyterians of Canada are trying to secure an endowment for Queen's College, the only university they have. They have raised for this purpose $40,000 in Kingston, $15,000 in Toronto and $9,000 in Montreal.

—The Rev. Dr. Wm. H. Milburn, well-known as "the Blind Preacher," has recently returned to New York after a sojourn of two years and a half in the United Kingdom. During that time he has traversed almost every portion of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, traveling about 30,000 miles, and preaching and lecturing over 600 times. Mr. Milburn expects to lecture during the coming winter on what a blind man "saw" in the course of this long tour.

Golden Rules for Smokers?

ARE there any Golden Rules for smokers? Answer.—Yes. 1. A perfectly healthy man does not need to smoke. 2. A sickly man had better not smoke. 3. A woman should never smoke. 4. A man who can get enough to eat should not smoke. 5. A man with disorderly digestion, or a foul tongue, should not smoke. 6. A man who does not love tobacco should not smoke. 7. A man who loves it had better not smoke. 8. And finally no one should smoke. This last may be considered the Golden Rule. Obey it, and we may sooner expect the Golden Age. —Herald of Health.

SECULAR NEWS.

—There are 174,041 farms in Pennsylvania.

—Minnie Warren, the well-known dwarf, recently died at Fall River.

—The Shah of Persia invested about $20,000 in pictures while in Paris.

—The Western farmers are harvesting by moonlight to escape the terrible heat of the day.

—The number of drowning accidents and of deaths by sunstroke this season is unprecedented.

—Queen Victoria has reigned forty-one years, only three years less than the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

—According to the new directory there are 1507 saloons in Cincinnati, 400 more than there are groceries.

—Nearly the entire business portion of Castleburgh, Kentucky, was destroyed by fire, July 22. Loss $200,000.

—July 26, fourteen children and three teachers were drowned by the capsizing of a boat in Blackwater river near the town of Bailieborough, Caven county, Ireland.

—The first balloon ascension in England was made by a young man attached to the Neapoliton Embassy, from the Artillery Ground, at Moorfields, September 15, 1784.

—The British Government will require an increase of revenue this year over last of about £3,500,000, but the returns of the quarter just ended show a falling off of about £50,000.

—An explosion occurred August 7, in a coal mine, at Scremerston, near Berwick, England. Thirty-five men were in the mine at the time, only two of whom got out, and they were severely burned.

—The largest of the pyramids is 481 feet high and 693 feet on the sides; its base covers eleven acres. The stones are above 30 feet in length and the layers are 208. Three hundred and sixty thousand men were employed in its erection.

—From 1866 to 1878 the coinage of sovereigns in Australia has been about 48,000,000 sterling, against 98,000,000 issued by the London mint. These coins are current in England, and the Economist thinks them powerful emigration agents.

—It is stated by a Chicago authority that 30,000 boys and girls of Chicago are patrons of drinking saloons, and many of them are drunkards. About 9,000 of these tippling children are arrested annually for drunkenness and one species of crime and another, and many of the saloons could not exist if it were not for these juvenile drinkers. There was a city ordinance prohibiting the sale of liquors to minors, but this was declared invalid through some influence. A committee of the Citizen's League now call for a restoration of the ordinance or the passage of another and still more binding, to save 30,000 of Chicago's children from the drunkard's death and drunkard's doom.—Church Union.

—A terrible accident occurred on the Pittsburg, Cincinnati and St. Louis railroad, August 7, at a point one and a half miles west of Mingo Junction, Ohio. The train was composed of two sleepers, one hotel car, one baggage car, two postal cars, and two coaches. The latter was occupied by emigrants. The fast line, which was about twenty minutes behind time, and running at the rate of forty miles an hour, collided with a freight train. The entire train, except the hotel cars and sleepers, were thrown from the track and fearfully wrecked. Eleven or twelve persons were reported killed, and fifteen or twenty seriously wounded. All the passengers in sleepers escaped without serious injury. The loss of life was confined to those in the forward cars, occupied by postal clerks and emigrants.

Song Anchor.

By Editor

In preparing this book for the Sabbath-school, no labor or expense has been spared. The object in compiling has been two-fold: First, to present a collection of music which by merit has become popular throughout the whole land; second, to add to this a collection of new music equal to the best.

We mention as some of the contributors: D. S. Hakes, P. P. Bliss, R. Lowry, WM. B. Bradbury, W. H. Doane, E. A. and W. O. Perkins, T. C. O'Kane, S. J. Vail, and a long list of others. Among the well-known favorites we would mention: Almost Persuaded; Blessed Are They that Do His Commandments; Crown Him; Coming By-and-by; Come Home; Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah; Hold On; O Christian Awake; Over There; Pull for the Shore; Saviour Who Died for Me; Shall We Know Each Other; Sweet By-and-by; The Gate Ajar for Me; The World's Harvest; Teach Me, O Lord; Urge Them to Come; Work On; Work, Watch, Pray; Whiter than Snow; Your Mission; with many other favorites, and over sixty new pieces of sterling merit, one of which appears this week.

The Song Anchor contains 160 pages, printed on fine tinted paper, neatly and substantially bound. Price, by mail, post-paid, 50 cents; $40 per 100 copies, by freight or express; $44 per hundred, by mail, post-paid.

Address, PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland, Cal.

Eugene City, Oregon.

By Alonzo T. Jones

We have now been here eighteen days, and have given twenty-four discourses. The interest has been good throughout. Some have already decided to obey the truth and others are almost persuaded. Last Sabbath there were twelve at our Sabbath meeting some of whom are keeping the Sabbath, and we know of four or five others who wanted to come, but Satan hindered them.

On Sunday, August 4, two of the ministers of the place, the Disciple and the Presbyterian spoke against us on the Sabbath question. The Disciple minister of course would have the whole law abolished, but our discourse on the two laws set that all straight. The Presbyterian minister just as strenuously upheld the perpetuity of every part of the moral law, only that we should keep the first, instead of the seventh day. We reviewed him Monday evening. May the truth ever prevail, and to the Lord be all praise and glory. We hope for much good fruit here. Pray for us. A. T. Jones. August 6, 1878.

California State Missionary Society.

By John Norton Loughborough

THE eighth annual meeting of the California State T. and M. society will be held at Yountville, Napa county, in connection with the camp-meeting, from August 29 to September 5.

First session, August 30, at 5 P. M. All directors, secretaries of districts, and church missionary officers are requested to bring their T. and M. account books to the meeting, that all may be audited.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, President.

A. M. LOUGHBOROUGH, Secretary.

Switzerland.

By Daniel T. Bourdeau

THE work at Orbe and at Valleyres is progressing as fast as we could expect, considering the obstacles we have to meet. We hailed the coming of Brother Andrews with joy, believing that "two are better than one" in breaking up new ground that requires so much anxiety and wearing labor as does even Switzerland, a country indeed favored in many respects, but where great blessings have been abused. This is true of the measure of freedom that Switzerland has so long enjoyed; many have taken advantage of this to do evil, and others have indulged extreme independence, while religious fanatics from abroad have crowded upon the people false doctrines that have aroused the caution of many, making the work of introducing present truth more difficult, and in some places impracticable until prejudice is removed by prudent and patient effort. We do not, however, despair of Switzerland as a field of labor, but believe it will yield a rich harvest of souls.

We had to suspend our meetings here several days because of opposition revival meetings. Yet we watched the work carefully and kept up the meetings at Valleyres. We begin meetings again at Orbe this evening. We have, up to this date, held fifteen meetings at Orbe and six at Valleyres. Some are seriously examining the truth, and we hope they will obey as they fully see its importance.

D. T. BOURDEAU.

Orbe, Vaud, Switzerland, July 17, 1878.

North Pacific T. and M. Society.

By I. D. Van Horn

Report of work done by the Tract and Missionary Society of the North Pacific Conference for the quarter ending July 1, 1878.

DISTRICTS	1	2	3	Total
No. of Members	44	23	48	115
“ that Reported		8	17	25
“ Families Visited		24	41	65
“ Letters Written		5	42	47
“ New Subscribers for Signs		1	7	8
“ “ “ “ Instructor			16	16
“ “ “ “ Review			1	1
“ “ “ “ Reformer			16	16
“ Periodicals Distributed
“ “ “ “ Signs		109	201	310
“ “ “ “ Review		1	1	2
“ “ “ “ Instructor			2	2
“ “ “ “ Reformer			5	5
“ Pages Tracts and Pamphlets Dist.		6,843	5,633	12,476
“ “ Books and Pamphlets Loaned		1,444	7,569	9,013
“ Annuals Distributed		24		24
MONEY RECEIVED.
Received by Membership		$1.00	$2.00	$3.00
“ “ Donations			10.35	10.35
“ “ Book Sales		6.75	1.00	7.75
Total		$7.75	13.35	21.10

It will be seen that we have no report from district No. 1, so that we can give only a partial report. But we hope hereafter all will see the necessity of reporting. The director of district No. 1 has been sick, which is probably the reason we have no report. But few members have reported at all. We shall try hard to make a better showing for the third quarter in this year. We need labor among the churches on this very point, such as Brother Haskell is doing in other Conferences. I hope we may have just such help before another year rolls round.

I. D. VAN HORN, President. Salem, Oregon, July 29, 1878.

California Conference.

By California Conference Committee

The seventh annual session of the California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists will be held at Yountville, Napa county, in connection with the camp-meeting, from August 29 to September 5, 1878. First session the 29th, at 5 P.M. Let each company choose their delegates immediately, furnishing them with credentials and a statement of the standing of the church, both financially and as to numbers. All ministers and licentiates should have their written reports of labor and expenses prepared to pass in at the first session. Let all church and systematic benevolence books be brought to the Conference.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, JOHN MORRISON, W. N. GLENN, California Conference Committee.

Southern California Camp-Meeting.

By M. J. Church, W. R. Smith, R. F. Eagle

THE southern California camp-meeting of Seventh-day Adventists will be held near Grangeville, Tulare county, commencing Tuesday morning, September 10, at six A. M., and closing Monday morning, September 16, at six A. M. Let all our brethren and sisters of the southern California field come to this meeting in the same manner as is requested above of those in the northern part of the State. We are one, and if we seek God alike we may share like blessings at both meetings.

M. J. CHURCH,

W. R. SMITH,

R. F. EAGLE,

Camp-Meeting Com. of Southern Cal.

Northern California Camp-Meeting.

THE northern California camp-meeting of Seventh-day Adventists will be held at Yountville, Napa county, commencing Thursday morning, August 29, at six A. M., and closing September 5, at six A. M. Let all our brethren and sisters in northern California make especial effort to attend this meeting. Come, bringing your friends and children with you. Come, praying the Lord to meet with us in power. Come, consecrating yourselves to God as never before. Come so as to be all in readiness to commence with the meeting and to stay to its close. Coming thus, it may be made to us indeed a source of great spiritual profit.

G. D. HAGER, E. R. GILLETT, JOHN CUSTER, Camp-Meeting Com. of Northern Cal.

Systematic Benevolence Fund.

By John Norton Loughborough

LET there be an effort on the part of all s. B. treasurers to collect the s. B. funds for the quarter ending October 1, and all arrearages on s. B., before coming to the camp-meeting, so that there may be ample funds to settle all accounts against the Conference. J. N. L.

Tract and Missionary Funds.

By John Norton Loughborough

THERE should be an earnest endeavor in each of our churches and districts to have all pledges made to the $1,000 T. and M. fund, all dues on the Missionary one-third, and all dues to periodical account, settled up by the time of the camp-meeting. J. N. L.

Camp-Meeting Posters.

By Camp-Meeting Committee

WE mail this week posters, advertising the southern California camp-meeting. Those who receive them will understand that they are requested to post them up in their immediate vicinity, without any further notice.

CAMP-MEETING COMMITTEE.

Appointment.

By John Norton Loughborough

THE Lord willing, I will speak in Sacramento, Tuesday evening, August 20th.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.

The Dark Day.

An old lady now living on the Little Colorado, Arizona, who has attained to the age of 128 years, was thirty years of age at the time of the dark day, of which she has a vivid recollection, and recalls many interesting incidents that took place with her people, the Spanish, and also the Indians, who were more superstitious. The Spaniards burned all their saints, of which they had a goodly number, while the Indians took to feasting upon dogs and other animals. The "dark day" was so called on account of the remarkable darkness that extended throughout America. The obscuration commenced about 10 o'clock in the morning of May 19, 1780, and continued until the middle of the next night. Birds sang their evening song, disappeared, and became silent; fowls went to roost; cattle sought the barn-yard; and candles were lighted in the houses. The true cause of this remarkable phenomenon is not, and will probable never be known.—Prescott (Arizona) Miner.

BUSINESS DEPARTMENT.

"Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully," (margin, negligently.) Jer. 48:10.

$2.00 EACH. L T Hicklin 5-14 Mrs E J Mack 5-31, Mrs E Grover 5-29. Hester Ferguson 5-1. M A Beatty 5-27, Mrs Emily Short 5-31, Mrs Eliza Salter 5-9.

$1.50 EACH. John Mack 5-31. John Lovell 5-31. Mrs W V Powell 5-31, Charles Gerard 5-31, J Windecker 5-31, Wm S Simmeus 5-31 Charles Williams 5-31. Henry H Brownell 5-31 Isaac Rixby 5-31, Mrs A H Bradford 5-31. N P Emil Larsen 5-31 Mary Wheeler 5-31 Mrs E M Conger 5-31. Albert Rice 5-31, L A Jones 5-31 Mrs Henry Parfett 5-31. Mrs Della Walker 5-31, Lizzie Devereaux 5-31, Miss Lutelia Armstrong 5-29, Mary Igoe 5-31.

MISCELLANEOUS. W T Ellison 75c 5-7, Sarah F Sharp (9 copies) $13.50. Miss Mamie J Dye 50c 4-47, H Fenner (10 copies) 15.00 5-31, Mrs M B Jaycox 3.40 6-1.

Received on Account.

Cal T and M Society $31.20.

Cal. Publishing Fund.

John Griffith $10.00.

Sunday in the Constitution.

By Editor

It is evident that efforts to enforce the Sunday law are not wanting, but that an interest in the matter is being more generally awakened, and the time not far distant when the observance of the true Sabbath of the Lord will be attended with difficulties that do not now exist. The following we clip from the Oakland Tribune:—

“The clergy of Oakland and San Francisco, and all others interested, are requested to meet in the lecture room of Calvary Presbyterian church in the last named city, at 11 A. M. on Monday, August 19, to take into consideration the propriety of presenting to Constitutional Convention, which meets next month, some measure to be incorporated in the organic law of the State as a safeguard to the Christian Sabbath.”

Modern Unbelief.

THE Pacific Methodist invites attention to the following statements from a sermon recently delivered by H. W. Beecher: "There are hundreds and thousands of men in our churches who, from one cause or another, listen to sound orthodox preaching for a score of years, and do not believe a word of it. They do not say anything about their unbelief; it is a good thing they think to have their children brought up under church rules and regulations; they have an impression there is morality in the pulpit, but, as to any philosophy of religion that they hear preached, it goes in at one ear and out at the other. . . . Whatever the cause may be, our churches are filled with men who are very much at sea in regard to their religious belief. . . . The pulpit is not any longer the chief instructor. A hundred years ago men read but few books, for the most part, and it was not reputable to read infidel books. Theological notions were derived from the pulpit largely, but now the pulpit is only one tribunal among a score, and tis not the most influential one at that. It is complained everywhere that men are abandoning the church, and that the churches are, in a majority of instances, thinly attended."

The Dime Tabernacle.

By James White

We are glad to learn that the Dime Tabernacle to be erected at Battle Creek, Michigan, the present season is being pushed forward with courage and hope. Already the dimes are coming in, and the builders are on the ground. Prominent citizens wish to help, and one gentleman offers one hundred dollars. The Tabernacle, 120x100, will seat, by filling the galleries and the aisles with stools, three thousand five hundred persons. The building should be pushed with all possible speed so as to be completed by the first of December. The dedication should take place at that time, as we wish to leave for Texas by the tenth of the month. J. W.