Decatur Democrat, Volume 36, Number 9, Decatur, Adams County, 20 May 1892 — Page 2

democrat DBOATUB, INDyL BtticnuEN, . ■ - t pctli—■». Makers of steel tires have formed a trust. This trust business Is really (jetting tiresome. Now that the United States Senate has abolish Its chief clerk it will do well to do Irway with its secret ses- • sions. There is a curiosity in many quarters to know the particular brand of nerve food affected by Edward A. Trask, all-around rascal. A man may be old and young alternately twenty times a day, as bright and cheerful thoughts and sad and despondent ones succeed each other i In his mind. New York will make a special feature of her dairy exhibit at the World’s lair. This will enlist the sympathies of the creme de la creme of Fifth avenue society. “There is no honor among thieves” says Superintendent Byrnes, of the New York police force. It takes a ' practical thief-catcher to change some . of the sentimental old laws in use. People in a backwoods section of Indiana are excited over the appearance of a ghost which tosses balls of 1 fire. It is probably some baseball crank practicing to become a pheno- 1 menal pitcher and send ’em in red-hot ' — < Here at last is a terrible example ( in the right line. An Atlanta, Ga., j lawyer gesticulated so vehemently < that he dislocated his shoulder. The j next thing some disciple of Black- j stone will talk so hard he’ll unhinge j his jaw. J Imprisonment for life is generally < looked upon as a milder punishment i than death, but think what it means 1 to Anarchist Ravachol—daily ablu- > tions, a clean face, and work, work, < work, every-day as long as he lives! < It seems cruel, but he deserves it. The total foreign commerce of the . United States for the twelve months , ending March 31 last amounted in j value to nearly $2,000,000,000. Yet Congress hesitates about appropriate ing $5,000,000 to the World’s Fair, : which will do more to promote foreign i trade than ten years of legislation. ] A Nebraska girl, whose rejected lover committed suicide after be- j queatbing her all his property, amounting to SIO,OOO, tore up the ( will in court and renounced her claims in favor of his mother. Such a case has not been heard of since 1 Ruth, the Moabite, showed such re- , markable devotion to her mother-in- ■ law. “Tell me what you believe; I have 1 doubts enough of my own,” is a say- ! ing attributed to Goethe. This say- 1 ing would apply to the advertising i talk of the day as well as to higner < religion. Notwithstanding the evi- < dence which exists on all sides, it is i easier to raise doubts than to lay < down clear and explicit principles of < belief. _____ 1 “Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in ‘ D Minor,” exclaims the editor of the New York Mail and Express, in one . of those rare and radiant gushes that distinguish him from the common herd of mortals, “has been the balmy link of thousands of couples in connubial bliss.” The “balmy link” deserves to go on record. Perhaps it is the link that has been missing so long. There are supposed to be 20,000,000 people in the United States, at the lowest calculation, who drink. Suppose each one of these 20,000,000 drinkers should contribute the cost of one drink a week, that is, drink one drink a week less, and letthe amount be converted into a road fund. The regular price is 15. cents for a drink. This would foot up $7.80 in fifty-two weeks for each drinker. Multiply this by 20,000,000 and we have 8156,* 000,000, which would build 31,200 miles of macadamized road. How far a lie will travel before overtaken by the truth is shown in the constant repetition of the silly story that the Rev. Lyman Abbot and his wife of Brooklyn have joined the Salvation army. The eloquent successor of Henry Ward Beecher and able editor of the Christian Union pleasantly explained that the story grew out of the fact that he and his wife had made to some members of the army a donation of $5, and that he had no thought of further alliance with Booth’s cohorts. It is time to bury this story. One of the plagues resulting from the business.college, which in many respects is most useful in communities, is the ignorant and, unscrupulous stenographer. This class of mechanics has become a plague. Any girl or boy paying the required fee is turned loose in a few months as a competent shorthand writerand operator on the hand type machine. No qualifications arc demanded as preliminary to beginning stenography, none, have been acquired in a large proportion of •cases when the pretender is turned out an “expert.” So long as the primary and grammar grades of the common schools are from tbeir true object the business school —will be 8 necessity.' But that business school that will give its certificate only to intelligent and honest

stenographers, men and women who can in truth take down and will in fact write out dictation instead of cheating employers and writing out ill-spelled inventions or distortions of whgt was dictated, will speedily acquire a reputation that will make its fortune. A style of theatrical criticism rather too arbitrary to tie eminently satisfactory, but which is certainly determinate in its character, was applied to a terpsichorcan performer in Springfield, Ohio. A young gentleman with an arachnologlcal sobriquet was jigging for the entertainment of a motley group that included a critical personage fortified with corn-juice and armed with a revolver. The degree of celerity with which the dancer alternated his feet to the spirited beat of the music was not at all to the satisfaction of the self-constituted Rhadamanthus, and after several times expostulating and urging an increased liveliness of pace, the annoyed gentleman out with his revolver and forwarded a leaden protest to shatter one of the dancer’s knees. The result of this emphatic expression of opinion will be the permanent retirement from the stage of the offending jig dancer. A few years ago in Chicago a critic who argued with a revolver undertook to persuade Mr. Edwin Booth that his interpretation of Richard 11. was incurably defective. Though the young man’s bullets happily flew wide of the mark, Mr. Booth was sufficiently impressed with the logic of the argument to give over attempts to act Richard 11., a character he never assumed. Though this style of criticism is more effective and less debatable—though in some instances not more destructive — than that which consist of throwing burning type at the self-esteem of imperfect actors, we doubt if it is likely to become popular. It has its drawbacks, especially the one that inaccuracies of aim might do injustice to some fairly meritorious person in the company, an injustice that could not be repaired easily. Criticism of any kind is objectionable to the one criticised, it may be admitted, but as between being punctured with a bullet and being belabored by a well-galled paragraph, we think there is reasonable margin for preference. Ten lives lost: a hundred persons injured, some for life; a thousand or more temporarily 7 thrown out of employment; a million in property, some of it invaluable and irreplaceable, and the convenience of tens of thousands hindered by. suspension of surface transportation in the cijy of Philadelphia, is a large price to pay for the folly of uncovered lights in a theater “fly.” The wonder is not that theaters occasionally burn down, but that flres do not occur -in them oftener. In no other class of buildings is so little common sense shown in protecting life or material against fire. In no other kind of business involving corresponding risk is there so much inflammable material. In no other are there so many chances of combustion, for in no other is fire so necessary in»so many ways, nor in any other are the expedients of a business equally inflammable. In modern theater construction, like that of the Auditorium and the amusement houses built in European cities within twenty-five years, science and art have combined to provide stages representing the highest achievement in both. So far as is within ascertained possibility everything in and about the stage is metallic or of burned earth capable of stopping flame if it should make slight progress. But in the. common mediocre theater there is little or no precaution against Are. Gas jets without shields are placed promiscuously among properties nearly always of easily consumable texture, while the sweep of draughts between “flies” and from lofts and dressingrooms insures at all times means of spreading flame with a speed defiant of barrier or of check by chemical or mechanical means. No policing, no hanging about of manual fire machines, is protection for life or property under such conditions. That the Philadelphia fire did not cost hundreds of lives instead of ten, so far as known, is not due to forethought on the part of the direction of the house or conservative vigilance by the city fire inspectors. An examination of lights, “flies” and properties in almost any city would undoubtedly afford opportunity for improvements that managers should make witnout compulsion but which the fire department should require to be made. Vagaries ot Zame. Sitting up late to-night, “while rocking winds were piping loud,” I took down an old anthology and turned over its leaves with a wonder often felt before at the number of men who survive in it by virtue of doing small things well, says a writer in Scribner’s. Sometimes, in fact, one thing has been enough to give a man his world-wide fame and send him down to posterity hand in hand with the greatest. At the names of Carew and Col. Lovelace, Sir Henry ' Wotton and Sir John Suckling we '■ stop to read once more their thrice ■ familiar lines; but, too often, the sad , word “Unknown” makes the tribute , thus paid an indirect one; What , would not' one give to know who . wrote “The Two Corbies,” tor instance? or that song of which “Love ■ will find out the way” is the burden? i Things go much by names nowadays, i and good anonymous poets of our own [ time are few and far between. But _ fameiatighs at tltJes, and, Ctibostnsr leaves that fall neglected, binds them into her immortal garland whetbet t their rightful owner will or no.

!=~ . ' — MARCH OF METHODISM. ■ IUV , ... . ■ .-Jt THEIR TWENTY-FIRST QUADRENNIAL CONFERENCE. Gathering at Omaha el Some of the Meet Eminent Divine* of the World-Report* from the Bishop* of India and Africa. An August Body. Omaha has been the scene of a mdst interesting conference of Methodist ministers, the twenty-first quadrennial

\ sZk* BISHOP NEWMAN.

present. The body was called to order by Bishop Bowman, and after appropriate ceremonies, Dr. Monroe was chosen Secretary, and the lay delegates, at their own requ est, were accorded seats apart from the ministers. After the usual scramble for eligible seats, two hours’ time war given to the episcopal address, which was delivered by Bishop Foster. The past quadrennial, the report stated, had been a prosperous one for the church. Work in the foreign field had been given special care, and numerous visits by the bishop to foreign lands had been made with beneficial results. The book concerns of the church are the largest in the world. There have been no dissensions In the church and there is more intelligence and less bigotry in the pulpit. The membership during the past four

years has grown rapidly here 2,293,614 communicants; 442,000 souls have been added to i the church during the i four years by confes- J sion of faith; churches q have increased 264, with an increased val-, uation of contributions to all societies have increased $334,135. The Epworth

League received great praise as a mediator between the Sunday school and the church. It has In three years sprung up from naught to 8,000 chapters with 500,000 members. The National University at Washington is announced as a certainty and liberal endowments asked for, as millions will be necessary for its equipment. The woman's college in Baltimore was also commended. “The church demands an Americanized franchise as well as a naturalized

franchise,” said the Bishop. “The continuation of foreign , languages and customs in this country . is wrong, and we are openly opposed t o the teaching of fore i g n languages in schools. The centralization of wealth is denounced, and if not arrested "here will be danger to the • social and state func-

BISHOP FITZGERALD.

tions. The church must act. It cannot side with wealth; it must go with the toiling mass. Total abstinence is imperative, and complete' prohibition is urgent” Bishop Thoburn, of India and Mayalagiaj in his report, said the Methodist 1 Church was teaching and preaching the

BISHOP UOODSBLL.

gospel in India and Mayalasia in thirteen different languages. The work in India was in excellent condition, but the need was great The working force from Amer'ca had fallen off some, but the work had continued to* grow. The membership had increased nearly 30,000 during

the quadrennial. The Methodist Sunday schools in India now have a membership of over 55,000, an increase of 15.Q00 during the four years past.' In the day schools the church had 29,000 native pupils of “ India. The report ■warmly commended the work of women in the missions of India. The church has established three publishing houses, and is sending out pamphlets and periodicals in nine different languages from its own presses. “The day of small things is past," said the Bishop. “We must take up the work before us and carry practically the responsibilities laid upon us. We do not know what may happen to-morrow, but we do know that the san never sets in the morning. It is just morning in India. Let us up and be doing while the daylight lasts. ” Bishop Taylor, of Africa, undertook to read his report, but having been a preacher for fifty years without ever

having read a sermon, he broke down on his manuscript. By consent of the conference he was permitted to aisde his paper and talk. Being one of the most ready and powerful speakers in the Meth- ’ odist Church, he hod fair sailing, and soon

1 1 _ W 1 Yaw W Ik.

bishop walden. had everything hi s own way. Although about 80 years of age, he does more work than almost any other preacher in the convention, and is held in the highest regard by the clergy and the laity. He is one of the marked characters among the bishops, though age is telling on him. At the close of the bishop’s address he presented to the conference a native African girl about 4 years old, and only nine months out of heathen Africa. The little girl was placed upon the speakers’ table amid great cheering. When Bishop Taylor said that the child had been out of heathendom only nine months, Bishop Fowler added: “And is now in the general conference.” This sally brought down the house. Bishop Bowman stepped to the table and took the child by the hand, at which a colored delegate shouted that now prophecy is fulfilled in that “Ethiopia has stretched forth its hands unto God.” The blushes of Bishop Bowman, as he .was the one that took the outstretched hand, created a storm of applause. This was one of the most pleasant incidents of the conference so far. In the discussion of the American university and Christian education, all tho addresses were with reference to the proposed great university at Washington, which will be'open only to college graduates and the doors of which are not be thrown open until an endowment fund ot $5,000,000 has been secured. The nature of the scheme was set forth by Bishop Hurst while presiding. Rev. Dr. Moulton, the English delegate, was called for by the- audience, and, responded briefly, expressing his approval of the magnificent scheme and faith in its consummation. It was announced that several subscriptions had already been promised, Mrs. McCabe taking the first share of SI,OOO. Another sum across the water Is only waiting for some one to go after it. A resolution was adopted asking the bishops to deslg’uatn Oct. 16 as Columbian day, whan

A resolution unanimously passed asking all the societies of the Methodist Church to decline to ask for or receive any financial aid from the United States Government for any educational or religious Work—whether among the Indians or others. It was stated that the Methodist Church.as a church, had never asked for or received any such aid, though some quasi-Methodiet organization had received a few thousand dollars. The Methodist Church goes on record as being utterly opposed to the government assisting any religious body in a financial way. If any denomination cannot live without government aid, the feeling was that it would be better for it to make an assignment and go out of business. A complete separation of church and state is an absolute necessity, and by this action of the General Conference the Methodist Church has joined hands with the great Baptist Church, which, so it is claimed, has never received any government aid for denominational purposes. The farewell remarks of Dr. Moulton, the Wesleyan delegate, were in good taste, and were heartily applauded. Bishop Vincent’s response in behalf of the conference was eloquent and comprehensive. The conference joined in singing two verses of the hymn beginning “Blest be the tie that binds," and Dr. Moulton left for his home iu London. Most disorderly scenes were the rule during the discussion of the rules of order, for the laymen are jealous of their rights, and the clerical brethren are equally desirous not to lose any of their prerogatives. So much time has been wasted that it would seem it would be well to adopt a set of rules that will not have to be tinkered with every quadrennlum. There are too many parliamentary martinets who can tell the difference betwixt the north and northwest side of a hair. Those who are sticklers for the niceties of parliamentary law obstruct legislation, though they exhibit their skill in debate. The laymen were anxious to have a rule passed that would give them the advantage in putting the clerical delegates on record, but by a separate vote of orders they failed. The lay vote for this change of rule was 113 and clerical 48; total 161. But 216 clerical delegates and 37 lay voted against, and the motion was lost, and the clerics doored a big point. Among the pleasant incidents of the session was the marriage of the oldest delegate, Dr. John L. Smith of Valparaiso, Ind., who has passed his eightieth mile-stone, but who is as vigorous as most men of 60. The bride is probably 50 years of age ami is sprightly and

session of the legislative body of that church. At the opening ■meeting in Boyd’s Opera House, 509 of the 522 delegates » were present, including many from the United Kingdom. All the bishops were nroaent.

f, and now numJOHN WESLEY.

|b|l| sore’s OPERA aocsi.

handsome, and no one wonders why tho veteran minister has chosen such a companion for the closing years of a busy And successful life. The venerable groom is as gallant as happy as if only coming' blit of this teens. The committee on the World’s Columbian Exposition reported, and the report was adopted. It sets forth the Christian character of th.? dlscpvprers of America and of the founders of this Republic. It’recounls the expressed opinions of the fathers of we nation, and of Abraham Lincoln, and other such men. The following resolutions in substance were unanimously adopted: Resolved, That to open the gates of the exposition on the Sabbath would bo to afflict 2,500 000 Metbodlsti and 10,000.000 adherent), and would shock the moral sentiments of all civilized nations and violate tbe law of God. Resolved. That Congress should condition all appropriations upon the written agreement that the gates shall bo closed on the Sabbath. The action of the general conference has been telegraphed to both houses of Congress and to the President and to the officers of the World’s Columbian Exposition. While the conference is heartily in favor of the exposition it is heartily opposed to its opening On the Lord’s day, and the utterance of the highest and most influential body in the Methodist Church will powerfully affect the entire denomination, and will have much to do with tho exhibits and the attendance upon the exposition. The great debate of the conference upon changing the constitution of the church was carried on at almost Interminable length, extending over several days, but always with lively interest. The main question was the right of representation of laymen. The final action was regarded as a victory for those who held that the plan of lay representation is not a part of the constitution, but it was not satisfactory to the committee, because there were many other things in the report that they wished to have discussed. Dr. J. M. King, of New York, a leading candidatofor the episcopacy, offered a resolution fwr a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States. It relates to the protection ot the public schools in the United States against religious encroachments and to define tho attitude of the churches with relation to the schools. Dr. King spoke earnestly in behalf of the resolution. Ite wanted the conference to indorse the bill which has been prepared upon the subject of the complete divorcement of church and state. The passage of this bill would save the public schools from sectarian influence, he said, and would remove.a great deal of politics from the churches. The resolution was adopted. One of the colored delegates offered a resolution pledging the colored Methodists to loyalty to the church, and one of the most interesting debates of the session took place, being conducted entirely by colored delegates. Four speeches were made and the speakers . compared well with any of the white brethren. One of the speakers said that the complaint named byDr.JJuckley as bishop-phobia attacked the colored preachers as well as the white, but as the colored preachers were the pupils of the white it would be natural for the pupils to follow tho example and teachings of their Intructors. It was decided that there was no necesity for any utterance concerning the loyalty of the colored people, as for twenty-five years they have been faithful and true to all the interests of the Methodist Episcopal church. Nearly all the evangelical churches in Omaha, led by their pastors, showed marked attention to the general conference, opening their pulpitq on the Sabbath and their .church edifices during the week for committee purposes. In return for this courtesy the conference voted to place chairs on the platform with the bishops for the use of the pastors of Omaha. _ CHU AOo salet»-kstipera_ara in favor of having the world’s Fair dosed on Sunday. This Is one es the things the good people have overlooked.—Grand Rapids Gazette, -

DR. TALMAGE’S SERMON. • (I - -■■■;■ - A DISCOURSE ON THE DUMB DEVIL. Illustrate* ths Unix Inenmbsn* Vpoa Christians st Embracing Every Opportunity Thai oflbr* to Do Good and Advenes ths Causs ST Christ. At ths Tahsransls, In this sermon Rev. Dr. trated, in potent and convincing language, the duty incumbent upon Christians of embrazing §very opnortunltv that offers in this life to do good and to advance the cause of the Kingdom of Christ by a bold acknowledgment of their principles before men. The text selected was, Mark lx, 25, “Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come ont of him." Here was a case of great domestic anguish. The son of the household was possessed of an evil spirit which, among other things, paralyzed his tongue and made him speechless When the influence was on the patient be could not say a word—articulation was impossible. The spirit that captured this member of the household was a dumb spirit—«o called by Christ—a spirit abroad to-day and as lively and potent as in New Testament times Yet in ail the realms of sermonology I cannot find a discourse concerning this dumb devil which Christ charged upon my text, saying, “Come out of him.”

There has been much destructive supprstitlon abroad in the world concerning possession by evil spirits .Under the form of belief In witchcraft this delusion swept the continents Persons were supposed to be possessed with some evil spirit which made them able to destroy others In the sixteenth century in Geneva 1,500 persons were burned to death as witches Under one judge in Lorraine 900 persons were burned to death as witches. In one neighborhood of France 1,000 persons were burned. In two centuries 200,000 persons were slain as witches. So mighty was the delusion that It included among its victims some of the greatest intellects of all time, such as Chief Justice Matthew Hale and Sir Edward Coke, and such renowned ministers of religion as Cotton Mather, one of whoso books, Benjamin Franklin said, shaped his lite —and Richard Baxter and Archbishop Cranner and Martin Luther, and among writers and philosophers. Lord Bacon. That belief, which has become the laughing stock of all sensible people, counted its disciples among the wisest and best people of Sweden, Germany, England. France, Spain and New England. But while we reject witchcraft any man who believes the Bible must believe that there are diabolical agencies abroad in the world. While there are ministering spirits to bless there are infernal spirits to hinder, to poison and destroy. Christ was speaking to a spiritual existence when, standing before the afflicted one of the text, he said, “Thou dumb and deaf spirit, come out of him.” Against this dumb devil of the text, I put you on your guard. Do not think that this agent of evil has put his blight on those who, by omission of the vocal organs, have had the golden gates of speech bolted and barred. Among those who have never spoken a word are the most gracious and lonely and talented souls that were ever incarnated. The chaplains of the asylums for the dumb can tell you enchanting stories of those, who never called the name of father or mother or child, and many of the most devout and prayerful souls will neyer in ibis worjd speak the name of God or Christ. Many a'deaf mule have I seen with the angel pf intelligence seated at the window of the eye, who never came forth from ths. door of the mouth. What a miracle of loveliness and knowledge was Laura Bridgman, of New Hampshire! Not only without faculty oLspeqch, but without hearing and withouj sight, 'all these faculties removed by sickness when 2 years of age, yet becoming a wonder at needlework, at the piano, at the sewing machine, and an intelligent stndent ot the Scriptures, and confounding philosophers, who came from all parts of the world to study the phenomenon. Thanks to Christianity for what it has done for the amelioration of the condition -of the deaf and the dumb. Back in the ages they were put to death as having no right, with such paucity of equipment, to live, and for centuries they were classed among the idiotic and unsafe. But in the sixteenth century came Pedro Ponce, the Spanish monk, and In the seventeenth century came Juan Pablo Bonet, another Spanish monk, with dactylology or the finger alphabet, and In our own country we have had John Braidwood and Drs. Mitchell and Ackerly and Peet and Gallaudet, who have given uncounted thousands of those whose tongues were forever silent the power to spell out on the air by a manual alphabet their thoughts about this world and their hopes for the next We rejoice in the brilliant inventions in behalf of tho>ewho were born dumb. One of the most impressive audiences I ever addressed was in the far West two or three years ago—an audience ot about six hundred persons who had never heard a sound or spoke a word, an interpreter standing beside me while I addressed them. I 'congratulated that audience on two advantages they had over the most of us—the one that they escaped hearing a great many disagreeable things, and on the other fact that they eteaped saying things they were sorry for afterward. Yet after all the alleviations a shackled tongue is an appalling limitation. But we are not this morning speaking of congenital mutes. We mean those who are born with all the faculties of vocalization and vet have been struck by the evil one mentioned In the text—the 7 dumb devil to whom Christ called when he said, “Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him. ” There has been apotheosization of silence. Some one has said that silence is golden, and sometimes the greatest triumph is to keep your mouth shut. But sometimes silence is a crltifo and the direct result of the baleful influence of the dumb devil of our text There is hardly a man or a woman in this house to-day who has not been present on some occasion when the Christian religion became a target for raillery. Perhaos it was over in the store some day when there was not mucli going on and the clerks wore in a group, or it was in the factory at the noon spell, or it was out on the farm under the trees while you were resting, or It was in the clubroom, or it was in a social circle,- or it was in the street on the wav home from business, or it was cn some occasion which you remember without mv describing IL Some one got the laugh on the Bible and caricatured the profession of re-, ligion as hypocrisy, or made a pun out of something that Christ said. The laugh started and you joined in, and not one word of protest did you utter. What kept you silent? Modesty’ No. Incapacity to answer? No. Lack of opportunity? No. It was a blow on noth your lips by the Wing of the dumb devil. If some one should malign your father or mother or wife or husband or child you would flush up quick, and either with an indignant word or doubled up fist make response. And yet here is our Christian religion, which has donfi so much for you and so much for the world that it will take all eternity to celebrate

I &"To* J: n j; w “VKuKJ I lam sorry to hoar you say that There Is another tide to thia” You Christian people ought in ouch times as those to go armed, not with esrthly weapons, but with the sword ol the Spirit You ought to have four or five questions with which you coqld confound any man who attacksChrlsfanlty. A man 90 years old was telling mo a few days ago how he nut to flight a scoffer. My aged friend said to the sktptio, “Did you ever road the history of Joseph in the Bible?" “Yea," said the man; "it is a fine story, and as interesting a story as I ever read." “Well, now," said my old friend, “suppose that account of Joseph stopped half way?” “Oh,” said the man. “then it would not be entertaining." “Well, now," said my friend, “we have in this world onlv half of everything, and do you not think that when wo hoar the last half things may be consistent, and that then we may find that God was right?" Oh, friends, better load np with a few Interrogation points. You cannot afford to bo silent when God and the Bible and the things of eternity are assailed. Your silence gives consent to the bojnbardmont of your father’s house. You allow a slur to be cast on your mother’s dying pillow. In behalf of the Christ, who for you wont through the agonies of assassination on the rocky bluff back ot Jerusalem, you dared not face a sickly joke. Better load up with a few questions so that next time you will be ready. Say to the scoffer: "My dear str, will you tell me what makes the difference between the condition ot woman in China atid the United States? What ao you think of the sermon on the mount? How do you like the golden rule laid down in the Scriptures? Are you in favor of the ten commandments? In your Isrge and extensive reading have ■you come across a lovelier character than Jesus Christ? Will you plehse to name the triumphant deathbeds of itffidels and atheists? How do you account for the fact that among the out and out believers in Christianity were such persons as Benjamin Franklin, John Ruskin, Thomas Carlvle, Babington Macaulay, William Penn, Walter Scott, Charles Kingsley, Horace Bushnell, James Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Admiral Foote. Admiral Farragut, Ulysses S. Grant, John Miljton, William Shakspeare, Chief Justice 'Marshall, John Adams, Daniel Webster, George Washington? How do you account for their fondness for the Christian religion? Amana the Innumerable colleges and universities of the earth will you name mo three started by infidels and now supported by Infidels? Down in your heart are you really happy in the position you occupy antagonistic to the Christian religion? When do you have the most rapturous views of the next world? Go at him with a few such questions and he will get so red in the face as to suggest apoplexy, And ho will look at hie watch and say he has an engagement and must go. You will put him in a sweat that will beat a Turkish bath. You will put him on a rout compared with which our troops at Bull Run made natimeatalL Arm yourself, not with arguments but interrogation points, and I promise you victory. Shall such a man as you, shall such a woman as you surrender to one of the meanest spirits that ever smoked up from the pit—the dumb devil spoken of in the text? • But then there are occasions when this particular spirit that Chirst exorcised wnen He said, "I charge thee to come out of him," takes people by t"he' wholesale. In the most responsive religious audience hZve you noticed how many people never sing at all? They have a booK, and they have a voice, and they know how to road. They know many of the tunes, and y?t are silent while the great raptures of music pass by. Among those who sing not one out of a hundred aings loud enough to hear his own voice. They ham iL They give a sort of religious grunt They maze the lips go, but it is inaudible. With a voice strong enough to stop a street car one block away, all they can afford in the praise of God is about half a whisper. With enough sopranos, enough altos, enough bassos to make a small Heaven between the four walls, they let the opportunity go by unimproved. The volume of voice that ascends from the largest audience that ever assembled ought to be multiplied about two thousand fold. But the minister rises and gives out the hymn; the organ begins; the choir or precenter leads; the audience are standing so that the lungs may have full expansion, and a mighty harmony is about to ascend, when the evil spirit spoken of in my text—the dumb* devil—spreads his two wings, one over the lips of one-hair the audience and the other wing over the lips of the other half of the audience, and the voices roll back into the throats from which they started, and only here and there anything is heard, and nine-tenths of the holy power is destroyed; and the dumb devil, as he flies away, says, “I could not keep Isaac Watts from writing that hymn, and I could not keep Lowell Mason from composing the tune to which it is seL but I smote Into silence or half silence the lips from which ft would have spread abroad to bless neighborhoods and cities, and then mount the wide open heavens.” Give the long meter doxology the ful) support of Chistendom, and those four lines would take the whole earth for God. Do not, however, let us lose ourselves in generalities. Not one of us but has hod our lives sometimes touched by the evil spirit of the text—this awful dumb devil. We haa Just one opportunity of raying a Christian word that might have led a man or woman into a Christian life. The opportunity was fairly put before us. The word of invitation or consolation or warning came to the liir side gate of the mouth but there it halted. Some hindering power locked the laws together so that they did not open. The tongue lay flat and still in the bottom of the mouth as though struck with paralysis. We were mute. Though God had given us the physiological apparatus for speech, and our lungs were filled with air which, by thp command of our will? could have made the larnygoal muscles move and the vocal organs vibrate, we were wickedly and fatally silent For all time and eternity we missed our chance. Or it was- a prayer -meeting, and the service was thrown oucn fdr prayer and remarks, and there was a dead halt—everything silent as a graveyard at midnight Indeed it was a graveyard and midnight- An embarrassing pause took place that put a wet blanket on all the meeting. Men. bold enough on business exchange or in worldly circles, shut their eyes as though they were praying in silence, but they were not praying at all. They were busy hoping somebody else would do his duty. The women flushed under the awful pause and made their fans more rapidly flutter. Some brother with no cold coufthod, by that sound trving to fill up the time, and the meeting was slain. But what killed it? —the dumb devil. This is the way I account for the fact that the stupidest places on carth are some prayer meetings. Ido not see how a man keens any grace if he regularly attends them. They are spiritual refrigerators. Religion kept onfee. How nets? In a sculptor’s studio stood a figure of the god Opportunity. The sculptor had made the hale fall down over the face of the statue so as to com-

; th 4 fnoL When sukod why ho bo roprw* ton tod Opportun)ty» too wcuipior bh* covered un because we do not recognize Opportunity when It comes, and the wings to the feet show that Opportunity Is swiftly gone." But do not let the world deride the church because of all this, for the dumb devil Is just ns conspicuous tu the world. The two great political parties will soon assemble to build platforms for the Pre#Identlal candidates to stand on. A committee of each party will bo appointed 11 to make the platform After proper de- 1 liberation the committees will come in with a ringing report, “Whereas’" anQ, J “Whereas" and “Whereaa" Pronunclamentoes all shaped with the one idea | of getting the most vote*. All expreesion lu regard to the great moral evil* ( of the country Ignored. No expression I about the liquor traffic, for that would R lose the rum vote. No expression In re- H gard to the universal attempt at the | demolition of tho Lord’s day. No recognition of God In tho history of this nation for that would lose the vote of atheists. But "Whereas” and "Whoreas" and, “Whereas." Nino cheers will bo given for tho platform. The dumb devil of the text will put one wing over tho Republican platform and tho other wing over the Democratic platform. There Is nothing involved In the next election except offices. Tho great conventions will be opened with prayer by their chaplains. If they avoid platitudes and tell tho honest truth in their prayers they will say: “O Lord, wo want to bo oostmasters and consuls and foreign minis- - ters and United , States district attorneys. For that we are here, and for that we will strive till tho election next November. Give us office or wo die, forever and ever. Amen.” The world, to say the least, Is no better than tho church on this subject of sllenca at the wrong time. In other words, is It not time for Christianity to become * pronounced and aggressive as never be* fore? Take sides for God and sobriety and righteousness. “If tho Lord be God, follow Him, if Baal, then follow Him.” Have you opportunity of rebuking a sin? Rebuke Ik Have you a chance to cheer a disheartened soul? Cheer it Have you a useful word to speak? Speak IL Be out and out, and down for righteousness If your ship is afloat on the Pacific Ocean of God’s mercy, hang oua your colors from masthead. Show your passport if you have one. Do not smuggle your soul into the harbor of Heaven. Speak out for God! This morning close up the chapter of lost opportunities and pitch It Into tho East River and open a new chapter. Before you get to the door on your way out this morning shake hands with some one, and ask him to join you on the road to Heaven. Do not drive up to Heaven in a two-wheeled "sulky” with room only for one. and that yourself, but get the biggest Gospel wagon you can find, and pile it full of friends and neighbors, and shout till they hear you all up and down the skies, “Come with us, and we will do you good, for the Lord hath promised good concerning Israel.” The opportunity for good which you may consider Insignificant may bo tremendous for results, as when oa sea Capt. Holaane swore at tho ship’s crew with an oath that wished them all in perdition, and a Scotch sailor touched his cap and said, “Captain, God hears prayer, and wo would bo badly off if your wish were answered.’’ Captairf. Hpldano was convicted by the remark apd converted, amj fce-. came the moans of the salvation of his brother Robert who had boon an infidel, and then Hbbe.rt became a minister .of the Gospel, and under his ministry tho godless Felix Neff became the world renowned missionary of the Cross, and the worldly Jferle L‘Aubijn»a/ became the author of “The History of the Reformation,” and will be the gloryof thechurcb . fur all ages. Perhaps tou may do as much as the Scotch sailor who just tipped his cap and used one broken sentence, by which the earth and the heavens are still resounding with potent influences. Do something for God, and do it right away, or you will never do it at aIL Time fllee away fast, The while we never remember; How soon our life hero Grows old with the year That dies with the next December. Crary and Corwin. Isaac E. Craryy of Michigan, was a native of Connecticut. After obtaining license to practice law, he emigrated! to the Territory of Michigan, and wan soon appointed a General of militia. In 1835 he was elected a delegate to Congress from that Territory. Michigan l>eing admitted into the Union as a State in 1836, Gen. Crary was elected a Representative to Congress as a Democrat, and was continued in that body until the 4th of March, 1841. He died in 1854. In the memorable Presidential canvass of 1840, Gen. Crary made a speech in the House, in which he criticised the military career of Gen. Harrison. Tom Corwin replied to him, and such a reply 1 Even the Democrats members could not refrain from bursts •vs laughter. When ho got through there was very little of poor Crary left I heard it all, and shall never forget the scene. Judge East, of Nashville, Tgnn., at the close of the lute unpleasantness, was introduced to Mr. Corwin in Washington. One of the first things he said to him was: “I have your speech in answer to Gen. Crary in my desk at home, and I take it out once a year and read it.” “That is the only speech I ever made,” replied Corwin, “that I regret.” “I cannot see why you regret it," responded East, “for I think it is the . best speech I ever read.” “I regret it,” answered Corwin, “because it killed off ’a very clever fellow."— Harvey IFallerson in Courier-Journal A Friesland Bonnet We were not many passengers that day, and without any disrespect to the few, they were not interesting from the point of view of the seeker after types of aostume or character. The pai tiol exception was an old lady with the close-fitting gold helmet of Friesland —the only remnant of the national dress to which she had clung. The rest of the dress was strictly non-com-mittnl, so far as period, country and fashion were concerned, except the bonnet. That was a thing to make angels weep. At the risk of being thought rude, it was important to find out all about that bonnet—and unless one did stare that was impossible. It had a singular fascination about it, not because of its own merits, but simply oq account of its comical anachronism? It was a weird combination, that solid golden helmet with rosettes of gold filigree at each temple, and over this a cap us Brussels laco with flowing lappets, and, perched high on this arrangement, was this Paris bonnet o£ the fashion a few years- ago, brive with mauve nbbon and artificial flowers. She was a dear motherly old lady, with a sad, benevo? lent face, but, for all that, as she leaned over the vessel’s side, contemplatin» thedistairtr Bhore and coming vial de mer, every ribbon of that wondrous bonnet streaming in the breeze, she was a picture. -George H. Boughton, in- ; Harpers * \ 1