Earlier text: A LAY DISCURSUS ON THE SOUL“In the days that were before the flood,” says our Saviour, “they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away.” Matt. 24:38, 39. Why did they not know? Noah spent a hundred and twenty years in building the ark and telling the people that the flood was coming. Christ was preaching to them through Noah. 1 Peter 3:18-21. Then why did they not know in time to be saved?—Because they did not believe. When the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, they were to be taken into the “promised land.” They were delivered by “a mighty hand and an outstretched arm;” were led through the wilderness, overcoming all obstacles by the same power, up to the very border of their destination. But they “could not enter in.” Why?—“Because of unbelief.” “The Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Heb. 3:19; 4:2. Now these things “were written for our learning,” Rom. 15:4. The lesson of the flood is in the warning that “as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.” Christ’s second advent is foretold many times in the Scriptures, and signs are given by which it may be known that it “is near, even at the door.” Yet those who do not believe are in darkness, and will not know of His coming until it is too late. To such His advent will be as a thief in the night. “But ye, brethren [true believers], are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” 1 Thess. 5:4. The lesson to us from the failure of Israel at Kadesh-Barnea is, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” Heb. 4:1. We are plainly told that “there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” Verse 9. And to this is added the warning to those who profess to be such a people: “Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Verse 11. Those who believe not are the victims of the “god of this world,” who hath blinded their minds, “lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Cor. 4:4. [From time to time we will reply under this head, if deemed advisable, to such candid inquiries as may be sent us. Correspondents wishing a reply to their questions must give their full name and address, not for publication unless they wish, but as an evidence of good faith on their part, and to give us opportunity to reply by letter if deemed best. It is always well to inclose stamp. Let the questions be short and pointed, and such as may be answered in limited space. The questions will be numbered continuously 1219.—Samuel and the Witch of Endor.
The subject is too large for this column to deal with in detail. Briefly, however, what is desired to be known is, Did the prophet Samuel appear? Did the “witch” bring him up? If he did not appear, how may we account for the record? (1) God would not answer Saul “neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.” Verse 6. (2) In order for the dead to come back, there would needs be a resurrection; for the Bible expressly tells us that “the dead know not anything.” (3) The only one that can raise from the dead is God; but as He refused to answer Saul through any of His appointed agencies, it is not to be supposed for a moment that He gave to the witch of Endor power to bring Samuel up from his grave. (4) This act of seeking to this woman was the last great act of rebellion against God, for which Saul met his doom. 1 Chron. 10:13. Surely, then, it was not God who wrought through the woman’s witchcraft, a thing expressly forbidden of God. How, then, can the record be explained? Simply thus: When Saul placed himself under the influence of the woman whose baleful practises were forbidden of God, he came completely under her hypnotic spell. Her familiar spirit was a lying spirit. She said to Saul, “Whom shall I bring up unto thee?” He replied, “Bring me up Samuel.” The spirit first told the woman that her inquirer was Saul. The wretched king tells her she is safe and asks what she sees. She tells him, “An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle.” “And Saul perceived [under the hypnotism of the woman] that it was Samuel,” and thus deceived, the lying spirit deceived him to the end. It was the hypnotic suggestion to Eve’s selfishness that deceived her. It was the same hypnotic suggestion to Saul’s selfishness that deceived him. And it is thus that the whole world will be deceived who seek God or His prophets contrary to the expressed will of God. “There is no other way but His way.” 1220.—Easter.—How Originate.
Will you explain how Easter originated, and give its history? F. C. Only briefly can we do this. (1) The term Easter comes from the Saxon goddess of spring, Ostara, or Eostre, German Ostern. It originally was a festival held by the pagans in which were made floral offerings and other life-symbols, such as eggs, the yule log, the wreath, etc., all typical of nature worship. (2) No day was set apart in the early church, and when observed, there was no uniformity in its observance. As late as 651 in England, Bede tells us that while Queen Eanfelda was keeping Palm Sunday, King Oswy was observing Easter. One party in the church observed it at an early date on the 14th of Nisan, whatever the day of the week; the Western church observed it on Sunday. Victor of Rome (197) came near excommunicating one who endeavored to otherwise persuade him. (3) When half-converted pagans came into the church, the remains of the celebration of the Passover were tacked on to the pagan festival, and “Easter” was adopted. Its greatest effects are to lead men to be satisfied with a mere form, and to hide the great truth of Christ’s resurrection. See article, “Christ Is Risen.” JUMBLE OF CHURCH AND STATE IN ENGLAND.
The confirmation of Canon Gore, a pronounced ritualist, as Bishop of Worcester, against the strong protest of the Low Churchmen and many Dissenters, and the decision of the lord chief justice “against the right to oppose the confirmation” has revealed several things concerning Protestantism which are not hopeful. The opposers of the confirmation have based their action on the ground that the law of the kingdom is against so pronounced a ritualist, that the confirmation is really the introduction of Romanism and the indorsement of Roman practices. Canon Gore and other ritualists have opposed State control in Great Britain, not because they do not believe in the union of Church and State, but because they do not believe in that form in which the State is dominant. They prefer the Roman Catholic idea, in which the Church dominates the State. Nevertheless the form which Canon Gore did not indorse confirms his confirmation as bishop. On the other hand, many of the opposers do not believe in any form of Church-and-State union, yet they appealed to the State to defeat the ritualists and were defeated. They ought to have expected it. Christ’s cause is not advanced by State aid. The true Protestant idea would have been to oppose this ritualistic movement by preaching the everlasting Gospel in the power of the Spirit. With a vigorous and aggressive ritualism, and a lame and halting and indifferent Protestantism, it may easily be seen that the gain will be even more emphatically rapid Romeward. While the present is the time in which the powers of darkness were to work “with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish,” it is also the time in which God is to do His mightiest work in the earth, the time in which His special work is spoken of as a “loud voice” going to all the people. Rev. 14:6–10. As intensity is taking hold of all the powers of darkness, so intensity will be manifested in God’s great work in the earth in these last days. That intensity is taking hold of all the agencies of evil is a fact that is evident to every thinking person. Every wicked policy of the world is being burnished anew, polished, sharpened; and to craft is added keener craft, and pure honesty is at a discount in many an institution. The clerk with a conscience is not wanted to-day in the business houses of some who are piling million upon million. The conscientious man who pays his fare when he has been overlooked, or who returns money given him by mistake in making change, is looked upon as a curiosity. They expect to lose it when the mistake is against them. It only illustrates the fact, that, in the scramble for money, the world does not expect honesty. The sharp, shrewd, scheming man is the one whose service commands the greatest compensation. He is employed for two reasons: he will help the concern he is with to distance its competitors, to cut under them, to get ahead of them, to drive them out of business; and if that institution does not employ him, it fears its competitor may, and he will do for the competitor what they wish him to do against him. But this intensity is not manifest simply in the scheming business world. It is seen in every avenue where the evil genius of men and evil powers can make itself manifest. We see it in the multiplication of heinous crimes in all parts of the world, the very frequency of whose occurrence is taking the edge off the horror which the people naturally feel toward such things. “Unnatural” crimes against children are on the increase. The humane people of Germany not long ago were making the strongest possible protestations against this horrible evil—parents driving their young daughters into a life more terrible than death. The protest has gone by: the practice is still alive. And Germany is not alone in this. Go where you will, take the evil practice which you will, and you will find that it is keener to-day than yesterday. Piracy has been driven from the seas, it is true, just as roving bands of robbers have been driven from settled communities. That was the crude, the unrefined, system of exacting tribute from the people. It is more refined to-day, more general, more exacting, and more impossible to escape from, than the piracy of the high seas or the brigandage of robber bands in days gone by. He who can control the light we use, the fuel we burn, the food we eat, and the water we drink, is a thousand times more powerful than the boldest pirate or robber chief that ever preyed upon man, and he gets a far greater tribute than they ever dreamed of hoarding. It is legal to-day, because it is more refined; and in its refinement lies its power. It is but the illustration of that intensity which is taking hold of the selfishness of the human heart. But while all this is true of the powers of darkness in their work, the powers of light are not idle in this great culminating struggle. There are true-hearted Christians in the earth to-day who are laying their lives on the altar of service, and are taking up the light of Christianity to bear it to the remotest corners of the earth. God will bless and is blessing the efforts of every such honest-hearted soul who is entering upon this work. The rapid growth of the Student Volunteer movement is one of the evidences of this intensity in the work of God. During the last eight years twice as many consecrated students have gone into missionary fields as during the previous eight years. The leaders of this movement are declaring that only a beginning has yet been made in the line of work which they intend to press with increasing zeal. But this is only one of the active forces that are intensifying their efforts. It is not the case with all the professed followers of Christ; it is the case with all who are truly submitted to His will in heart, mind, body, and possessions. In the line of teachings the powers of evil are bringing to the front with unyielding persistency, and with ingenuity and plausibility, every wind of doctrine that can possibly be used to strand a struggling soul. These philosophies are taking the form of negations of God’s Word, His truth, and His very existence; and millions are yielding to the deception. There has recently been organized in Kansas City the Church of this World, the church of agnosticism, whose purpose is to organize into agnostic churches, or bodies, the agnostics of every city and town, for the purpose of carrying on an aggressive campaign of infidelity. The leaders in this movement hope thus to win more converts to the creed of unbelief than they could do by working without leadership and organization. Those who can not be stranded by this philosophy are approached by a more subtle scheme than this. In the guise of Christianity it aims to explain into nothingness the most vital principles of God’s truth, to make the Rock of Ages appear a cloud of mist with which the elements can toy at will. The mind that loves philosophy is blinded with the glare of Theosophy; the mind that has a tendency to doubt, has the whole field of unbelief and infidelity from which to choose; the mind that loves the mysterious is approached by occultism and Spiritualism; the mind that loves the elevation of man is hunted by the sophistries of Christian Science; and so it goes. For every particular bent Satan has a particular philosophy, running close enough to the truth or to plausibility to ensnare the feet of the one who is not rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus. But while all these things are in the earth, God is calling men back to the one truth, the one God, the one Saviour, the one perpetual law. His last message to the world is to be the Gospel in its purity, stripped of all the traditions of the ages, the misinterpretations of the “fathers,” and the fallacies of heathenism. That message is going to the world now. It is going with greater power than ever; and that power will be increased to the end. The great culminating work of this earth’s history is going on now. The powers of darkness are focusing their forces upon man; the powers of light are working as never before that no soul who has a sincere desire to do God’s will may be overthrown by the evil one. The struggle is growing more intense; the climax is drawing nearer; and the great day of deliverance is drawing on apace. It is a time for consecration of heart, that our refuge may be sure in that day of trial. THE PERNICIOUS TREATING CUSTOM.
A commercial traveler of our acquaintance who has been “on the road” for many years, and whose duty calls him to all parts of the United States, tells us that the treating custom has come to be recognized as almost an indispensable adjunct of his line of business, and that the practise of it has increased greatly in recent years, and is now well-nigh universal. The “drummer” who will not treat and be treated is made to understand very distinctly that he is not “up with the times,” and that he must either conform to the practise or fall out of the ranks. He can neither obtain new customers nor hold his old ones unless he becomes “a good fellow” in the convivial sense of that term. If he expects to sell a large bill to a dealer, he must do it over a social glass; this much is expected of him by the firm he represents and the men with whom he deals; his success in the trade will be measured largely by the freedom and generosity which he displays in dispensing drinks among his actual or prospective customers. We have it from this same informant, of whose truthfulness and reliability we have no doubt, that some large business concerns now attach so much importance to this treating practise as a means of drawing trade, that they are sending out men to travel around the country, not for the purpose of selling goods directly, or even of soliciting business themselves, but simply to make the acquaintance of prospective customers, and prepare the way for their regular representatives with their sample cases. This preparation, it need hardly be said, consists chiefly in the exercise of that genial hospitality and good fellowship which consists in a frequent “setting up” of the drinks. This is, in fact, the main feature of the advance agent’s duty, and large9amounts of money are supplied him for this specific purpose. From the soil thus mellowed and fructified it is expected that the regular representative, who follows hard after, will reap an easy and abundant harvest, especially, after he has done a little more mellowing on his own account. A scheme more shrewdly devised to promote intemperance and immorality could hardly have been planned by the evil one himself. And one of the saddest and most deplorable features of the business is that many highly respectable and professedly Christian men, the heads of great mercantile houses, support and encourage this treating practise among their employees under the plea that it must be done to keep up trade. At what a cost in ruined lives and blighted careers, in sorrow and suffering brought on the innocent and helpless, trade is thus promoted, can be faintly imagined! It is a feature of modern business “enterprise” which every honest man, to say nothing of the professed Christian, ought to disown and do his utmost to suppress. It is altogether vicious and abominable and without justification in the slightest degree. A business built up by such practises can not prosper in the long run, but a curse must rest upon it as sure as God is merciful and just.—Christian Work. In the Marshall (Texas) News of a little while ago appeared a “Special Letter” on the “Babes of the Mills.” Its opening paragraph thus reads:— Does it surprise the reader to be told that in the cotton mills of the country children of six and seven years are working 11¾ hours a day; that in order to perform their tasks with greater ease, for which they are paid as high as ten cents a day, they call upon younger brothers or sisters to help them, and that when weary and sleepy with their tasks, the din of the machinery, and the heavy atmosphere, they are revived by having cold water dashed into their faces? At one place I heard of children, working on the night shift, turned out for some fault at 2 o’clock in the morning, allowed by a compassionate clerk to go to sleep on a bench in the office, as they were afraid to go home. Ladies told me of a common sight in the mill cottages; children lying face downward on the bed, sleeping from exhaustion, just as they had come in from the night shift, too utterly weary even to remove their clothes. A picture is given of a little one throwing herself upon the bed when the day’s work is over, too tired to undress. In 1887 a law was passed by Alabama, limiting the children’s day in factories to eight hours; but through the influence of Massachusetts mill owners it was repealed in December, 1894. Some of these mills are now working children under twelve for eleven and three-fourths hours a day. And this mill population is said to be composed entirely of white people. As the writer puts it: “The illiterate negro sends his child to school; the illiterate white sends his to the cotton mill.” All these things are the result of the conscienceless greed of men who many times pose as philanthropists in the use of money which, vampire-like, is sucked by the mill system from the blood of children. How it makes one long for the reign of Him who will render justice to all. What a mighty protest such a condition of things ought to raise. But they are hardly noticed by a people whose conscience is becoming hardened by greed of gold. Unrest and Demonstrations in Russia
THE unrest in Russia continues to increase, and demonstrations against the government are reported from various portions of the empire. At the Russian capital on March 17 a students’ riot occurred, in which over a thousand persons took part. A large force of police and cavalry were busy all day clearing the streets. A great many arrests were made, but the repressive measures were not so strict as on previous occasions. The military were held ready for mobilization; squadrons of cavalry, batteries of artillery, and detachments of infantry packed the side streets ready to do terrible execution. In the provinces the movement is considered more serious than this demonstration. Disquieting reports are daily received from various parts of the country. At Tula the soldiers refused to fire on the strikers when ordered to do so. A grenadier regiment has been removed from Moscow because it is feared that it could not be depended upon to fire on the people, and there are evidences elsewhere of the sympathy of the troops with the revolutionary movement. It is significant of deep-seated trouble for Russia that these anti-government demonstrations are made by students of the higher schools. The more repressive the government’s measures, the more widespread are the disaffections among the educated classes. Following are the demands which are being made by the leaders of these demonstrations: “We demand personal, corporal liberty (habeas corpus and similar guarantees are meant); freedom of the press; freedom of conscience; unrestrained privilege of assembly; responsibility of administrative officials to the courts on the same terms as other citizens; universal, but not compulsory, education; equality of nationalities.” Without such a reform as is here demanded, Russian educators declare that Russia will never move a single step forward, as her best men are periodically torn from society and sent into exile. It can thus be seen how strong is the feeling that actuates those who are leading out in this agitation against the present Russian Government. THE Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has decided to take up again the reciprocity treaties which are before the Senate, with a view to securing such amendments to them as will insure their ratification. In view of the fact that these treaties have to do with the tariff, the House claims the right to participate in any action upon them. Heretofore this right has not been conceded by the Senate, but it is expected now that it will grant the claim. A REPORT from Rome states that the Vatican has received confidential information from Ireland that the situation there is very grave. The Fenians have for some months been engaged in an active propaganda with a view to organizing for a general rising. ON March 13 the Spanish cabinet resigned, and the premier declared his inability to form a new cabinet. THE much-talked-of American ship subsidy bill was passed by the Senate on March 17 by a vote of 42 to 31. Several Republicans voted against the bill, and one Democrat voted in favor of it. This bill provides a subsidy for American merchant vessels carrying mail, the subsidy being in proportion to the tonnage of the vessel and the number of miles covered. A large number of amendments were offered, but were turned down almost without exception. An attempt was made so to amend the bill that no vessel would be subsidized which employed Chinese, but the attempt ended in failure. During the first two years one-fourth of the crews of subsidized vessels must be American citizens; during the next three years one-third of the crews must be American citizens, and during the remaining time of the contract one-half of the crews must be American citizens. Contracts made under the provisions of this bill will expire on July 1, 1920. One of the amendments permitted to be attached to the bill provides that the amount of expenditure shall not exceed $8,000,000 per year. THE British Government is planning to create a great army. It is proposed to make such arrangements with the English colonies that each will furnish a certain number of men in proportion to the number of inhabitants, and these would be subject to call to any part of the world, leaving for home defense such organizations as the colonies have at the present time. Even conscription is hinted at by the leaders, in order to secure the requisite number of men. THE burial place of the long-dead city of Thinis, the capital of some of the most ancient kings of Egypt, has been discovered by the University of California expedition now making explorations in the land of the Pharaohs. The site of this ancient city has been hidden for several thousand years, and the explorers are now bringing to light many interesting relics of its ancient inhabitants. A REPORT from the Orient states that Russia is sending large numbers of troops and great quantities of war supplies to the eastern terminus of the Siberian railroad, evidently in order to be prepared in case of a sudden declaration of war by Japan. A Japanese statesman recently declared that Russia must retire from her position in Manchuria or go to war with his country. THE Russian Government has arrested 60 officers for complicity in revealing military secrets to a foreign power. Colonel Grimm, the principal conspirator, who has been condemned to death, is said to have revealed to Germany, during the last ten years, every plan which Russia had prepared for her operations in the eventuality of war with Germany. THE Southern Pacific Railroad Company of California, the Southern Pacific Railroad Company of Arizona, and the Southern Pacific Railroad Company of New Mexico have been consolidated into one company to be known as the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. The affairs of these three companies will now be under one management. THERE have been a number of engagements recently in Colombia between government troops and insurgents, in which hundreds are said to have been killed. In one of these engagements 200 government troops were surrounded, and killed to a man, the insurgents refusing to give quarter or take prisoners in this particular case. MOST of the liquor places of Topeka, Kansas, were closed on March 15, as a result of the recent decision of the Supreme Court that the Murrell liquor law is valid. Since the rendering of this decision, the church people and prohibition people of Topeka have been working earnestly for the closing of the saloons. RAILROADS entering Washington, D. C., are planning for a grand union station to cost about $6,000,000. It is intended to make this the largest and most beautiful railway station in the world. The plans contemplate bringing all the roads, except the Baltimore and Ohio, into this station by means of tunnels. A MINISTER of Elizabeth, N. J., who denounced the anarchists after the assassination of President McKinley, was set upon by supposed anarchists on March 17, and dangerously injured. Previous to this assault, his son was kidnapped, and an attempt has been made to kidnap his daughter also. A NEW and strong company of railroad financiers has been organized, with the purpose of obtaining control of all the principal railroads of Mexico, even including the Mexican Central. This wealthy syndicate has already purchased some of the roads, and is working for the control of all. SOME time ago Dr. Hertz discovered the body of a mammoth imbedded in the ice in eastern Siberia. There was grass in the monster’s mouth and food in its stomach when discovered. The body of the mammoth was dissected, and has been transported 3,000 miles to Irkutsk, Russia. THE Coachman’s Union of Trenton, N. J., has started a movement to put an end to Sunday funerals, in which they have the support of all the undertakers of the city but one. It is said also that the new movement has the indorsement of the clergy. RENEWED activity is manifest among the Venezuelan insurgents. They have captured Guanata, and are now threatening Barcelona and Cumana. THE attorney-general of Hawaii has handed down a decision in which he holds that the Porto Ricans now in Hawaii are not entitled to the right to vote there. Thus they are citizens of the United States while in Porto Rico only. In Hawaii they must be naturalized in order to vote. THE Agricultural Department at Washington has placed an order for 1,000 bushels of seed corn to be sent to the farmers of Arkansas, whose corn crop has been such a complete failure that not even seed was saved. This corn will be shipped by mail in sacks of one bushel each. KENTUCKY, the first State to allow women to vote on school questions, is now making an effort to disfranchise women. The reason for this change of sentiment is that at the last school-board election in Lexington 1,900 colored women registered, and only 700 white women. MR. FRANK P. SARGENT, of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, has been appointed by the President to the position of Commissioner-General of Immigration, in the place of T. V. Powderly, who has held the position for a number of years. A REPORT from London states that Field Marshal Lord Wolseley, former commander-in-chief of the British army, is to go at once to South Africa, and the report indicates that this means the making of new plans for the conquering of the Boers. ON March 13 the great strike of freight handlers in Boston was brought to a sudden termination, and most of the men returned to their places. The conclusion of the strike was brought about by the energetic efforts of the governor. TWELVE men lost their lives by the capsizing of a life-boat near Monomoy Point at the south end of Cape Cod on March 17. Seven of the men were members of the life-saving crew, and five had been taken from a stranded barge. IT is reported that Gen. Nelson A. Miles has made a personal request of the President and Secretary of War to be allowed to go to the Philippines, and take charge of the operations against the Filipinos. His request has been refused. FOR four days, March 15 to 18, the Northern Pacific and Great Northern roads were unable to operate their trains, on account of a heavy snow-storm which had filled in all the cuts, and buried the tracks for hundreds of miles. THE foreign trade of Japan for the past year has been the largest in the history of that country, both the imports and the exports exceeding $250,000,000. The imports, however, exceeded the exports by about $1,735,000. REPORTS of the meetings of the Hawaiian sugar planters indicate that the crop for the past year was one of the largest ever produced, tho in some parts of the islands small crops were raised on account of the drought. WILLIAM MARCONI has secured from the Canadian Government permission to establish a wireless telegraph station on Cape Breton, and expects to establish communication with England by the first of June. MANY arrests have been made in Turkey recently of persons who are accused of conspiracy against the Turkish Government. The latest arrest was of 40 officers accused of being traitors to the government. THE Senate Committee on the Isthmian Canal decided on March 12, by a vote of 7 to 4, to report favorably the Hepburn bill, providing for the construction of an isthmian canal across Nicaragua. AT a conference of the ministers of the foreign governments at Peking it has been decided to restore Tien-tsin to the control of the Chinese, tho no specific date has yet been set for the transfer. AT the opening of a new bridge across the river Maranon, in Peru, on March 15, the structure divided into two parts, throwing many persons into the river. More than one hundred were drowned. AUSTRIA is planning to raise her mission at Washington to the rank of an embassy, in which case the United States would raise to an embassy the American mission at Vienna. THE great floating dock which the United States purchased of Spain at the close of the war is to be towed to the Philippines to be used in docking war ships at Manila. A TORNADO struck the town of Piper, Alabama, on March 16, wrecking or damaging 75 houses. Only one death was caused by the storm, altho several persons were injured. TWENTY persons lost their lives in the capsizing of a river boat on the Mississippi at Lone Landing, on March 12. The boat was overturned by a sudden heavy wind. THE finest building of the Bryn Mawr College at Philadelphia was totally destroyed by fire on March 16. The loss on the building and contents is placed at $225,000. GENERAL LORD METHUEN, who was captured last week by the Boers, has been released. JOHN P. ALTGELD, former governor of Illinois, died at Joliet, Ill., on March 12. THE freshman class of Yale University this year is said to contain a smaller proportion of smokers than any previous class. Dr. Seaver, of the university, states that the class has a greater average lung capacity than any previous class. This increased average lung capacity Dr. Seaver attributes directly to the fact that so many of the class are free from the harmful effects of tobacco. As an evidence that the brains of these young men were brighter as a result of abstinence from tobacco, he states that their average age of entering the university was five months and six days less than that of the previous class. It would seem that no other argument was necessary to show to the young and the old alike that tobacco in any form is hurtful and only hurtful. INASMUCH
By L. D. Avery-Stuttle
He was such a forlorn little old man. He lived all alone in a tiny one-roomed cottage half a mile from the village,—all alone save for the company of a child,—a mere babe of three or four years. And now the child was dead. Of course the neighbors came in; they had never troubled themselves to step in before to call on the “ill-assorted pair” as they termed them, tho they had been living there a year. Occasionally the child had been seen out at play or following the old man as he went about his chores. She wore a little red sun-bonnet in summer, and a faded blue hood and short cloak when the days were cold. Some of the more motherly women of the village wondered how the old man managed to care for a child like that. Some of them had noticed that the cloak was too small for warmth; and that the tiny shoes were out at the toes; that the stockings were ornamented with various tinted patches,—the work of clumsy and unskilled fingers; but farther than that they had not troubled themselves. The Browns were the nearest neighbors; they were well off; and Mrs. Brown had intended to look after them. In fact, she had set apart an afternoon, just the week before, to call, and offer her services; but she wanted to add another ruffle to Susie’s new frock, and the day had passed before she had realized it. Then there was Mrs. Jones,—a good woman, to be sure. She was a prominent church-goer, and attended all the revivals and missionary meetings, and her husband gave largely to foreign missions. She had thought of offering some of her Jennie’s outgrown clothing to the forlorn old man for his little waif; but—well, the fact was, she didn’t have time to pack up the clothes and fix them decently; so she had neglected it; and now the child was gone. No use now to offer aprons, and shoes, and warm cloaks which had lain useless in the attic of many a home in the village,—treasures which would have made the blue eyes sparkle with delight. The day the child was buried, the old man did not appear to understand why so many people came to the house, or why the child was taken away from him, and placed in a little casket. “Let me take her, I say! she is cold!” he moaned. “O my little girl, they are takin’ you away from gran’pa. She’s all I had, Mrs. Brown; do you see them curls? O them little curls on that baby’s head gleamed when the sun shone on it, like they was sprinkled with gold dust. Libbie, Libbie, gran’pa’s baby! open them big blue eyes, an’ tell gran’pa good-by; won’t you, Libbie?” and the trembling fingers shook as with palsy, as they caressed the golden head and patted the marble cheek. Some there were in that little company who turned away to weep. Mrs. Brown declared to Mrs. Sinclair that she had never seen so affecting a sight, and wondered what would become of the old man. “He seems to be half-crazed. I think it would be best to place him in the County House,” she reflected. “Yes; I think it would be best,” was the reply. The old man had somehow overheard the words. Then the dim eyes—till then dry—grew misty, and the great tears trickled down the pale cheeks, and fell on the coffin-lid. There was one quiet, meek-faced little woman, a new-comer in the village, who had not joined in the conversation of the others. Now she stepped over to the old man, and whispered something in his ear. After the funeral he went home with her, and became one of the family. He always seemed dazed and confused whenever the child was mentioned; people said he had softening of the brain, and declared it was the strangest thing in the world how Mrs. Reynor could wait on him so patiently. Once Mrs. Brown asked her about it. Her reply was only one word,— MRS. L. D. AVERY-STUTTLE.