[THE following is the complete story of the lesson for to-day as it is given in the Gospels. It is found by running into one connected narrative the records of all the four writers of the Gospels. There is nothing in it but what was written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John on this subject, as found in the Revised Version. It is taken from a book entitled “Christ in the Gospels,” in which the whole life of Christ, as given by the four Gospel writers, is so arranged. It thus becomes the most interesting book that we ever saw. See last page of this paper.—Ed.]
And the apostles, when they were returned, gathered themselves together unto Jesus; and they told him all things, whatsoever they had done, and whatsoever they had taught. And he saith unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile. For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And he took them, and withdrew from thence in a boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias, to a desert place apart belonging to a city called Bethsaida. And when the multitudes heard thereof and saw them going, and many knew them, they followed him, because they beheld the signs which he did on them that were sick; and they ran there together on foot from all the cities, and outwent them. And Jesus went up into the mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. Now the passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand; and he came forth, and saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd; and he welcomed them, and he began to teach them many things, and spake to them of the kingdom of God, and their sick and them that had need of healing he healed. And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, The place is desert, and the day is now far spent. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and country round about, and lodge, and buy themselves something to eat. Jesus, therefore, lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude cometh unto him, saith unto Philip, Whence are we to buy bread, that these may eat? (And this he said to prove him; for he himself knew what he would do.) Philip answered him, Two hundred shillings' worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little. But Jesus answered and said unto them, They have no need to go away; give ye them to eat. And they said unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred shillings' worth of bread, and give them to eat? And he saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. One of the disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, when he knew, saith unto him, There is a lad here who hath five barley loaves and two fishes; but what are these among so many? (For they were about five thousand men.) And Jesus said, Bring them hither to me; and he said unto his disciples, Make the people sit down in companies, about fifty each, upon the green grass. (Now there was much grass in the place.) And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. Jesus therefore took the five loaves and the two fishes and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake the loaves; and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes, likewise also the two fishes divided he among them all, as much as they would. And they did all eat, and were filled. And when they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the broken pieces which remain over, that nothing be lost.
So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves and the fishes which remained over unto them that had eaten. And they that ate the loaves were about five thousand men, besides women and children. When therefore the people saw the sign which he did, they said, This is of a truth the prophet which cometh into the world.
And straightway he constrained his disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side of Bethsaida, while he himself sendeth the multitude away. Jesus therefore perceived that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king; and after he had sent the multitudes away, and had taken leave of them, withdrew again into the mountain himself alone to pray.
And when evening came he was there alone on the land; and his disciples went down unto the sea; and they entered into a boat, and were going over the sea to Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. And the sea was rising by reason of a great wind that blew; and the boat was now in the midst of the sea, distressed by the waves. And seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them, about the fourth watch of the night he came unto them, walking upon the sea; and he would have passed by them. When therefore they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they beheld Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the boat. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were afraid and troubled, saying, It is an apparition; and they cried out for fear (for they all saw him, and were troubled). But straightway Jesus spoke unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters. And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters, to come to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were gone up into the boat, the wind ceased; and they were sore amazed in themselves; for they understood not concerning the loaves, but their heart was hardened. They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat; and they worshiped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. And straightway the boat was at the land whither they were going.
The Preacher’s Source of Power
By Lyman Abbott
THAT preacher is always original and always powerful who gets his material directly from his own personal and devout study of the word of God; and just in the measure in which he departs therefrom and depends on commentaries, homilies, sermons, or systems of theology, for his inspiration and his life, he ceases to be, spiritually vital.—Lyman Abbott.
Love Must Be Given Away
By Macleod
A MAN may be a miser of his wealth; he may tie up his talent in a napkin; he may hug himself in his reputation; but he is always generous in his love. Love cannot stay at home; a man cannot keep it to himself. Like light, it is constantly traveling. A man must spend it, must give it away.—Macleod.
God’s Help in Peril
By Luther
WHEN we are most ready to perish, then is God most ready to help us.—Luther.
THE LAW OF GOD.
Perpetuity of the Law.
(Lesson 7.—Sabbath, June 5, 1886.)
1. GIVE as much proof as you can that the law existed before God spoke it from Sinai.
(a) "Sin is the transgression of the law," and "is not imputed when there is no law." But sin was imputed to Cain (Gen. 4 : 7), to the Sodomites (Gen. 13 : 13), and to the Amorites (Gen. 15 : 16), as well as to others. Therefore they must have had the law.
(b) Death is the result of sin (Rom. 5 : 12); "sin is not imputed when there is no law" (Rom. 5 : 13); therefore the presence of death is evidence of the existence of the law. "Death reigned from Adam to Moses" (Rom. 5 : 14); therefore the law must have been in existence during that time.
(c) The law is the righteousness of God, as has been shown from Isa. 51 : 6, 7. God's righteousness cannot be separated from him, and therefore must have existed as long as God has existed. But God is "from everlasting to everlasting" (Ps. 90 : 2); therefore the law of God must have existed even from the days of eternity.
2. What relation do the ten commandments sustain to the throne of God? In the last lesson it was shown that the ark in the earthly tabernacle, having above it the cherubim between which the glory of God appeared, was a figure of the throne of God in the temple in Heaven. And since the ten commandments were underneath the cherubim in the figure, they must also be underneath the covering cherubim in the reality; therefore they may properly be said to be the foundation of God's throne.
3. From this, what must we conclude as to the extent of their jurisdiction? A throne is the symbol of government. The throne of God represents the Government of God. Therefore when we say that the ten commandments are the foundation of God's throne, we mean that they are the foundation of his Government. That is, the ten commandments are the law of the Government of God. But if the ten commandments are the law of God's Government, then they must be in force wherever God's Government extends.
4. How long is God's kingdom to endure?
"How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation." Dan. 4 : 3. "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." Dan. 7 : 27.
5. Since God is to reign forever, and the ten commandments are the foundation of his throne or Government, how long must they endure?
6. In what words does the psalmist corroborate this?
"Thy word is true from the beginning; and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever." Ps. 119 : 160.
7. To what would a change in the law be equivalent? To a change in the Government of God.
8. What strong language did Christ use concerning the law of God?
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matt. 5 : 17, 18.
10. How long will it take for this prophecy to be fulfilled? As long as the days of Heaven, or to all eternity.
11. Then how long will the ten commandments exist unchanged?
Christ said that not one jot or tittle should pass from the law "till all be fulfilled." Matt. 5 : 18. From the preceding verse it appears that he had reference to the prophets, meaning that nothing should pass from the law until all the sayings of the prophets were fulfilled. In Ps. 89 : 20-27, we have a prophecy concerning Christ. To fulfill this prophecy will require all "the days of Heaven," that is, all eternity. Therefore Christ's words are equivalent to the statement that the law will exist unchanged to all eternity.
12. Quote a direct statement of the psalmist concerning the stability of the commandments.
"The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness." Ps. 111 : 7, 8.
13. What have we already found the ten commandments to be?
"My tongue shall speak of thy word; for all thy commandments are righteousness." Ps. 119 : 172.
14. Whose righteousness are they?
"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings." Isa. 51 : 6, 7.
15. What does God say of his righteousness? Isa. 51 : 6, last part.
16. How long must the righteousness of God endure? As long as God himself endures.
17. What does the psalmist say of the existence of God?
"Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." Ps. 90 : 1, 2.
18. Then what must we still conclude as to the length of time the ten commandments will exist? That there cannot by any possibility be any end to their existence.
19. In making a direct address to the Jew, what does Paul say that he knows?
"Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law." Rom. 2 : 17, 18.
20. How does it happen that he knows God's will.
When Paul says that the Jew knows the will of God, he adds, "Being instructed out of the law." That is, the Jew knows God's will because he is instructed out of the law. It therefore follows that anybody who is instructed out of the law of God will know God's will. From which we must conclude that the law of God is the expression of his will.
21. Since "being instructed out of the law" causes one to know God's will, of what must the law be a statement? It must be a statement of God's will.
22. What scripture further establishes the conclusion that the law of God is his will?
"I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart." Ps. 40 : 8.
23. Is God's will changeable.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1 : 17.
24. In view of these different lines of argument, what must we conclude in regard to the law of God?
"It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." Luke 16 : 17.
Sin’s Pollution and Human Blindness
The fearful peril of man is in his blindness to sin's dreadful pollution. He compares man with man, and so does not see the truth. If he compares man with God, he makes a god of his own, according to his own standard, and that is only comparing man with man. When the soul sees the reality of its defilement, it feels that humility before God is its only possible position. When a soul comes to Jesus in this frame it honors him; it puts itself in relation with his own mind and mission; it makes up the needed complement of Jesus's work by accepting it.—Half Hours.
ALL I know is that I know nothing.—Socrates.
Jim's Secret.
“MAMMA, I can never bear it, never.”
The words were spoken with a sob, and the boy who uttered them sat in an easy chair by the window and watched his playmates at their sports.
Beside him lay a crutch; on a table near him a guitar, upon which he had grown tired of playing. Near by stood a rack of books, which had lost their interest. His box of paints he had not touched for days. The wealth, luxury, and comfort which ought to have made his life happy were as naught to him, because he could not run and leap and play like the boys he looked upon from the window.
His mother rose and stood by him, and smoothed his hair pityingly. She did not answer him a word. So often she had tried to show him how much there was left in life for him, but without avail. Presently she touched the silver bell, and when the servant appeared, ordered the carriage.
“I am going to make a call, and I want you to go with me, Willie,” she said to the boy.
In less than an hour they were in the suburbs of the city, and halted before a low-roofed, dilapidated cottage. A feeble “Come in” was the answer to their rap.
The room they entered was bare, comfortless, and cold. The fire on the hearth had gone out. The only occupant of the untidy room, a boy about Willie’s age, sat wrapped in an old faded bed quilt. Beside him stood a pair of crutches.
“How are you to-day, Jim?” Mrs. Lyman asked.
“Pretty well, thank you. Mother has got a half a day’s work, and we’re going to have some dinner and some fire by and by, when she comes.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Not very. The woman up-stairs gave me three soda crackers yesterday, and we had them for breakfast.”
“What about your father?”
The bright look on the boy’s face faded.
“The judge sentenced him. If it had only been his first offense they might have got him off. He has gone to Sing Sing.”
“What do you do all day while your mother is away? Don’t you miss her much?”
“Yes; but I look out of the window and watch the people going by. I am so glad we have a front room! Then I read in the Testament Pastor Kendricks gave me, and shut my eyes and pray the Lord not to let the time seem very long, and it isn’t. Then I’m always so glad when she comes, and—”
“Mamma,” Willie interrupted, almost jumping from his seat, “why can’t we take Jim home with us in the carriage, and give him some of my clothes and let him have some dinner with us?”
“But what would his mother say if she came home and found her boy gone?”
“Let’s write a note and leave it on the chair, and tell her that the woman up-stairs will bring him back before dark. Say, mother, will you?”
And so it happened that half an hour later two little crippled boys, one well attired and the other protected by an old bed quilt, went up the stairs of the Lyman mansion and into the room where one discontented boy had sat murmuring that morning.
A nice warm bath and some of Willie’s clothing changed Jim so that his new friends laughed outright as he thought how even his own mother wouldn’t know him.
And what a pleasure it was to Willie, at the dinner table, to watch Jim’s evident enjoyment of the roast veal, sweet potatoes, apple sauce, and pumpkin pie.
The meal ended, the two boys spent the afternoon in the play-room. Willie’s tool-chest was a source of wonder to Jim, who was a natural mechanic.
And when it grew dark, and was time for Jim to be taken home, Willie could hardly believe it; and after he had gone, such plans as he and his mother made.
It all ended in Jim’s mother having plenty of work, and hiring a neat room just around the corner, and in the two boys playing and studying together nearly all the time.
And Willie has learned Jim’s secret of contentment. I wonder if you could guess what it is?
“Straight is the line of duty,
Curved is the line of beauty;
Follow the first and thou wilt see
The second ever follow thee.”
“He is greatest who chooses to do right at all times.”
No man ever achieved anything for Christ who did not, when necessary, trample both self and selfish enjoyment under foot.—H. Clay Trumbull.
The Home Circle.
By Mrs. Helen E. Brown
FROM DAY TO DAY.
My days are stairs that lead to life's great end,
And one by one I steadily ascend,
Climbing with purpose true the upward road
That brings me to the city of my God.
Sometimes the step is bright with the full sun,
That shines in cloudless radiance thereon;
Sometimes a shadow falls upon the way;
But, dark or light, I need not go astray.
Sometimes it is a slippery step I tread,
And fierce temptations make my soul afraid;
But, held in Christ's dear hands, so tender, strong,
The next I mount with courage and a song.
Each step in the long course a history has;
I make a mark as one by one I pass;
A gladsome record here, a tear spot there,
A rescued soul, a struggle or a prayer.
And on life's mystic ladder to the skies
Bright angels come and go to Paradise;
And work grows dearer as the end draws near,
Until I reach at last the golden stair,
And enter through the open pearly gate,
Where shining angels watch for me and wait;
There at his feet I'll cast my trophies down,
And shout the victory which his love has won.
—Mrs. Helen E. Brown.
John Knox.
By Pansy
I WANT to take you back to the sixteenth century, into rugged Scotland, and into the rugged times of that period of its history, I want to introduce to you, hoping you will become better acquainted, a man of whom it was said, "No grander figure can be found in the history of the Reformation in this island than that of Knox."
John Knox was a boy when the Reformation movement began in Germany; indeed, it was ten years after that when he was ordained a priest. It was twelve years later that he avowed himself a Protestant—and thus incurred the wrath of the Cardinal. He was of course obliged to withdraw from St. Andrew’s, where he held the position of teacher, and seek a place of refuge. This he found with a friend named Hugh Douglas. And the old ruins of the chapel at that place are still called Knox’s Kirk. One of his beloved friends was tried, and condemned to the stake for heresy. The Cardinal, whose anger he had roused, was killed about that time, and Knox was suspected of having a hand in it; and, having been tried, was condemned to the galleys. For about a year he suffered as a prisoner, and from illness. After he was set free he went to a town on the borders of England, where he succeeded in turning the hearts of many to views of the Reformers. Always—as he had opportunity—he defended the cause of the Reformation.
He was raised to a post of honor by King Edward, receiving the appointment of King’s Chaplain. He was offered a Bishopric, but declined that honor. At Edward’s death he was again in danger, because the new Sovereign was not in sympathy with views which he was advocating—and not thinking it wise to throw away his life, he went to the continent, he was for a time pastor of a church in Geneva, where he became a friend of Calvin, and spent two or three peaceful years.
When he returned to England the Scottish clergy burned him in effigy, and he was not well received even in England. Elizabeth was now upon the throne, but this did not seem to make matters much better for Knox.
Now I cannot tell you in the little space given me about the stormy times that followed his return to Scotland. He believed that the time had come when the Reformation in Scotland must be established, and he fought bravely with tongue and pen for its success. The young and beautiful Queen of Scotland tried her powers of pleasing, upon the heroic man who had dared to speak plainly of the sins even of the Court. "But faces of angry men could not move him, neither could the beauty of the young Queen charm him, nor her tears melt him." He continued to preach according to his conviction, and kept it up with no lessening of power until a short time before his death. But about 1572 his strength declined, but, though growing weaker physically, he seemed to lose none of his intellectual and spiritual vigor. He spoke in public for the last time Nov. 9, 1572, and died on the 24th of the same month, holding up his hand to testify of his adherence to the faith for which he had lived, and preached, and toiled, and in which he was now dying. I think the more you study the character of this man, the more you will admire it. If he seems rough, remember he lived in rough times. If he was intolerant, it was an age of intolerance, and his intolerance was exercised only where the truth was assailed.
Carlyle says: "Nothing hypocritical, foolish or untrue can find harbor in this man; a pure and manly, silent, tenderness of affection in him; touches of genial humor are not wanting under his severe austerity. A most clear cut, hardy, distinct, and effective man, fearing God without any other fear. There is Knox, throughout, the spirit of an old Hebrew prophet, a spirit almost unique among modern men."
How Uruguay Butter Is Made.
ONE of the curious customs is the manufacture of butter. The dairyman pours the milk, while still warm, into an inflated pig skin or goat skin, hitches it to his saddle by a long lasso, and gallops five or six miles into town with the milk sack pounding along on the road behind him. When he reaches town his churning is over, the butter is made, and he peddles it from door to door, dipping out with a long wooden spoon the quantity desired by each family. Though all sorts of modern agricultural machinery are used on the farms of Uruguay, no amount of persuasion can induce the natives to adopt the wooden churn. Some of the foreigners use them, but the butter is said to be not so good as that made in this curious, primitive fashion. Fresh milk is sold by driving cows from door to door along the principal streets and milking them into the jars brought out by the customers.—Cor. Inter-Ocean.
Faithfulness in Assigned Work
WE had better be content with the work given us, which we are able to do, and perform it faithfully, than to vainly wish for something beyond our reach, which we would not be able, perhaps, properly to perform.—Sel.
The Pleasure of Devotion
Do you get real pleasure from your prayers, reading and meditation on holy things, or do you get through them to satisfy the demand of your conscience, and are secretly glad when they are over?
Poisoning by Confectionery.
By Polyclinic
A CASE has just been decided in one of the Philadelphia courts, in which a well-known confectioner was the defendant in a damage suit brought by a boarding-house keeper, in whose house a number of cases of poisoning occurred after eating cream-puffs prepared by the aforesaid defendant. The testimony showed that the puffs were made on a Saturday morning in June, sent some distance by train, and eaten on Sunday, about four P. M., some thirty hours after being made. All those who partook of them (and it appears that no one ate more than a single puff, some not even that much) were taken violently ill with symptoms of cholera morbus. In a few cases the patients were obliged to remain in bed several days. The case, as presented, clearly showed that the symptoms were due to the puffs. This effect of cream-puffs, when eaten more than twenty hours after being made, is by no means uncommon. Chemical examination of portions of puffs which have caused most decided symptoms, has failed to show any mineral irritant, and it is very evident that the action is due to a decomposition which takes place in the complex articles from which the puffs are made—milk, butter, flour, and eggs. All such fancy articles are liable to become the cause of gastro-intestinal irritation, simulating poisoning; and possibly some of the cases of supposed poisoning from metallic contamination of canned vegetables may be ascribed to a similar cause. In the case just tried, Judge Yerks very properly ruled that, while the puffs were undoubtedly the cause of the trouble, there was nothing to connect the confectioner with any responsibility in the matter, and a nonsuit was granted.
The Family at Home.
By Susan Teall Perry
How very near to Heaven is the home that has the spirit of the Lord pervading it. How beautiful the sight of the family whose members love one another, and minister unselfishly to the wants of the loved ones who belong to it.
How blessed are the children whose parents fear the Lord and keep his commandments, and train their little ones to reverence and obey their Creator and Preserver. No matter how humble that home may be, it is a happy one.
Childhood quickly passes away, and our children grow into manhood and womanhood before we are aware of it. Many mothers think while their children are too young to take care of themselves, and need constant care and attention, that it will be a relief to have them grow up and able to take care of themselves; but remember, dear mothers, who are singing your little ones to sleep to-night, and putting them in their warm beds so near your own that you can look at them in the night-time and see that they are safe, that this is the happiest time and the safest time you will ever know.
"The happiest time in my whole life," said a very good mother, "were those years when I could hold all my children in my arms." This good mother was one of the mothers whose home had been broken up, and whose children had been scattered, some in the West, and others in the North, and one across the ocean. Temptations and dangers were continually about them, and she could not shield them as she did in the days of their childhood. "If I could not carry them to the Lord in prayer," she added, "now that they are away from me, I should be very unhappy. When I awake in the night and think of them, I lift my heart to God, and ask him to gather them together under his wings; and when I think of them in the day-time, and the fierce battle of life is going on, and I know they are in the thickest of the fight, and the enemy's arrows are flying all around them, so I plead with the Lord that he will keep them from temptation, and be their shield and buckler."
Make childhood so pleasant for the children that in their maturer years they may look back upon it as the happiest time in their lives. Deny them no pleasures that are proper and right for them to enjoy. Let them have their pets, their playthings, and their childish treasures unmolested. Respect the trust they repose in you; never betray their childish confidences which to them are subjects of great moment. Help them in their schemes and plans, if they are only "bubbles in the air." Don't be afraid of loving your children too well. Caress them and show them you love them. Gather them in your arms when they come to you in sorrow, and tell them how you sympathize with them, and show them a way out of their troubles. "As one whom his mother comforteth" is one of the most suggestive illustrations in the Bible. When all other friends fail, the mother's heart is always open for the child to come into; even if he has wandered into the path of sin, she receives him and commits his case to the mother's God.
Make the home the happiest spot on all the earth, then, while you have the opportunity to do so. Let each member do his and her part toward making it full of love and gladness. The influence of such a home atmosphere will go with the children all through life, and when they have homes of their own, they will build them on the same foundations.
Parents cannot be too choice of home and its inmates. Keep bright weather in it by always preserving a cheerful spirit; even among the trials and changes that may come to you.
May God bless us, and enable us to make our homes abodes of love and peace and good-will to all.—Susan Teall Perry, in Evangelist.
Health and Temperance.
Poisonous Tea.
A RECENT New York dispatch to the San Francisco Chronicle gives the following facts relative to the poisoning of the crew of the bark Syringa:—
The bark sailed from Brunswick, Ga., for Hamburg, about five months ago. Her crew consisted of the captain, two mates, the third officer, the steward, and eight sailors. They had not been long at sea when all the officers, the steward, and several of the men were attacked violently with diarrhea. To this was added an itching on the soles of the feet and a numbness which, beginning at the feet, gradually crept up the legs. Their eyesight was also affected, but not sufficiently to interfere materially with sailing the ship. In due time the Syringa arrived at Hamburg, when the second mate was discharged and another man taken in his stead. After taking in a cargo, Captain Wright set out for this city. They had been at sea but a short time when all their former symptoms, which had disappeared while they were at Hamburg, again manifested themselves in an aggravated form. The steward also became somewhat ill again, but the new second mate was not taken down and the third officer continued comparatively well. Captain Wright endeavored to ascertain the cause of this mysterious malady. He examined the food and cooking utensils, but found nothing to which he could attribute a poisonous character except the tea. He was inclined to suspect that, because those who drank the strongest tea were the sickest. He had two pet rabbits on board; he determined to feed them on tea leaves. One refused to eat the tea leaves; the other did eat and died in a few hours. Tea was now tabooed, but although they gave up the cause of their trouble, Captain Wright and his brother, the first mate, so far as seeing was concerned, grew worse. They gradually became so blind that they could not take observations, or took them so badly that their calculations were unreliable.
As nobody on board knew anything about navigation at all, the Syringa from this time forth was sailed by guess-work. Finally, with the aid of friendly craft going in the same direction, she at last found her way into New York harbor. She reached New York seventy-two days after leaving Hamburg. The two Wrights immediately sought the advice of an oculist, but it is feared that they will remain permanently blind. An examination of the tea by an expert showed that it contained a large proportion of mineral poison.
Intoxicating Liquor and Crime
By Judge Noah Davis
An experience of twenty years of judicial life has taught me that more than seven-eighths of crimes committed in this country, which involved personal violence, were traceable to the use of intoxicating liquors. . . . That of all the causes of sin and misery, of pauperism and wretchedness, intoxicating liquor stands forth the unapproachable chief.—Judge Noah Davis.
Dr. Richardson to Visit America
Dr. B. W. Richardson, the eminent scientist and president of the British Medical Temperance Association, contemplates visiting America next season, and will speak on the subject of temperance in a number of the larger cities.—Sel.
Restrictive Temperance Measures in Switzerland
Switzerland is now adopting very rigid restrictive temperance measures. For ten years they have had free trade in liquor, and governmental reports show the result to have been terrible.—Sel.
British and Colonial Temperance Congress
It is proposed by the executive committee of the National Temperance League to hold during the month of July a British and colonial temperance congress in London.—Sel.
The Way of Transgressors
"Good understanding giveth favor; but the way of transgressors is hard." Prov. 13:15.
An Australian Intoxicant.
THEIR own stimulant, kava, they continue to use in great quantities, and many of the Europeans have contracted a liking for it. Its flavor resembles soap suds more than anything else one can compare it with. The root used is botanically known as that of the piper methisticum; it is hard and woody, hence the object of the chewing, which liberates the juices of the root more freely than any other process. Europeans grate the root and pound it, but admit that the liquor is not equal to the chewed. In Samoa the preparation of the kava bowl is attended with very great ceremony, only the young unmarried girls being allowed to chew it. The root is cut up into fine pieces, and the girls, who are directed by the prettiest of them, first rinse their mouths, take up a piece, and when sufficiently masticated and formed into a ball, spit it into the bowl. The chief girl then calls for water, and after washing her hands, directs one of her companions to pour on the water while she stirs the root with her hand. When enough water is in, and the balls are properly mixed with the ingredient, she takes up a strainer made of fibers of the hibiscus, and passes it from side to side of the bowl. When the strainer is saturated, she lifts it high above the bowl and squeezes the balls through the strainer in her hand. This is continued until the kava bowl is ready. It is contended by some of the Europeans who use chewed root that the mastication is perfectly dry and is a mere crushing process, but of course an amount of saliva must get incorporated in the process. The medicinal properties of kava are tonic and nervous sedative, and it is to these effects, and not to its flavor, that the taste for the drink arises.—Melbourne Leader.