Jasper Weekly Courier, Volume 40, Number 7, Jasper, Dubois County, 22 October 1897 — Page 7

AV EEKLY COURIER. . I Nft l'wMI-llcr. JAH'KU. I I IX III AN A THE DOME OF PICTURES. In a Mule house keep I ptotWtl MMfilti It la not a fixed lnm.M', It li i .uinl, it Im only a few InphSS from one Jd to Hit- oilier; Ttt behold, It ha room for II tin- !iuws ot the world, all the memories! Ihre the tahlcuux uf life und lure the KIMUplliKS of death. ALT HITMAN Ah. each man kHfl his Iiume of Dnanis A picture dome WrnTi.in are painted homely rare. Defeat and triumphs and despairs: A K"ery thronged with wider tin mes Than those of Rome. The pictures of this Dome of Dreams Are memorh s. Youri Han foot Wanderin through tho ii u, Ttir .iinli daisied fields whet) life wns new, py woodland paths, by lilted sir' ams And Mo WBi trees. The picture of a muld at school With Booting hair: Transfigured In the mist i .1 she On that dim shore of memory, I, lie's dewiness about her, cool And pure and fair. The picture of a mad that leads From an old home ; A hoy that from a wooded swell Look through his tears and waves farewell Then dOWB throuijh unknown hills and nn ads Afar to roam. The picture of the Ion. Ion way lie traveled far; fair fruited hillside slantlns; south. Baked iMWMota upland am:t With drought, Ar. I n!e,ht paths with no Klean of day Without a star. And pictures of wldc-sWplnn vales And stnrm-tissi il waves. Of vaMrys bathed In noonday peace, of sheltered harbors of releaae, tilue Inlets specked with sunlit sails; Of open graves. "And pictures of fair Islands set In golden foam; And pictures of Mack Wreck upcast On harren crags ly many a Mast But en! Life paints MOT pictures yet t'pon that dome. -Sam Walter Fobs, in N y Sun.

.,irlllWIlfIl'fIIt llltlff IIMIMI,fflfmirr.

1 PERILS OF AUTHORSHIP. I 5 s- . 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 J 1 ; ill i t 1 1 1 m a 1 1 1 11 1 nc

MILDRKD8 pretty face won I new expression as slic toed with lier teaapooa and tried to finish her roll ;. j coffee. John had just left for Iiis ofttce. They had been married three I 'intlis, and the serious asp ri, .f life v 1 r for the lirst time present 1 ag thcinM'lvi's. "I wish I could do something to help John." thought Mildred, as she gazed .abstractedly out of the window. "He has to work so hard," and he gaff a littii sigh. What can I do?" she pondered. "What Mi I do?" she asked herself again and again, as with deft touch she lightened and arranged the dainty I pal Unent. Suddenly her face looked M if a door had opened and Hooded it with sunlight. "I know what I will do; I w ill write n ttOry. I know lean if I try People 1) not hae to be so awfully clever to do that. It i a knack, not I talent. There is Mrs. --, who has made icaps of money ; and her storic- are only J 'i trash all of them. Johfl sa;. s so." Before another hour had pnssed the Outline of a plot was d. lin ing in her e riled young brain, an. I as sunn as sii" could get the time she sat down w:th pail and sharpened pencil. Then came a pause. "How shall 1 lxgin?" She drew little get mictric figures on tht margin of her paperas she retlceted, her thoughts seeming I J revolve in a circle, returning ever to tl e place from whence they Started. Kitiaily she w rote: "In a small i 1 Ingo on the ban ks of " "Oh, tJi at is so commonplace. No; that will uot do." And she tore off the first abed of her pad and reflected airain, then wrote: "Frank Atwood wee Um only son of " "No, no; that is too st 1; pid," and the T Dttd sheet of the pad went IntU the w Bate pajM-r basket. She recalled what John had said of the superlluoiis first t hree pages, which might with benefit to most stories be eliminate! for John was a journalist and litenry critic, and his standards and ideals were just on the measure of her own. So she thought with great deference of what he had said about tedious preambles. "lie is right," she said, with decision. Tt is the personal interest in the characters which we arc looking for in reading a story. All that conies before that ia tedious siicrfluity. "I will dash l ight on with a letter from the heroine, which will at once explain the situation." So with the confidence which came from fee'ing herself at Inst on the right track, she wrote: "Dear Frank-I return herewith the letters, which of course I have now no riirht to keep 1 need not tell you what it cost me. "I have reflected much upon what you said yesterday, but 1 am at last resolved. I will not see you ftfatlL Any attempt to make me break this resolve will be fruitless. Ood knows you have only yourself to blame that thl marriage haa " "l'lease, ma'nm." said the eook, coming suddenly in upon the young authorcss. "Please, ma'am, the butcher is here. Will you 001110 and see him and give the order yourself about bavin' them chops frenehed or whatever it to." m "Oh. w hat a botet1 sighed Mildred "I was just getting into the swing of It." And she left the manuscript upon her desk to be resumed later. The matter of toe chops diafkoetd of, there, were other things requiring intent ion. At last, however, bJm wiwut lier des!, ngain. Bee red a er the letter w ith which her itOTJf ojhmic.I to see how it Bounded. "Kealli," said she, "1 think

that starte: ofl reey aretVajad thee 1m took up the broken thread. "Only yourself to blame 'b it this m.iiTiai'e has ' A rloleel ringing at the telephone again bloke the . incut. "Hallo," said our young bo relief. "Mildred, is tluit you?" "Yes. is It you. A i ice 7" "Ves. Mawntu dpea not feel very well and wishes yoal to take luncheon aj i t h u. She has sent the carriage. lie ready to collie as soon as it nrri es." Oh rtOUeiy no more authorbi lo -day, Bo slipping her paper into the dc-k she di parted. The new pu rposc of authorship brought a great light mid hope into Mildred's life, she pictured to hereeli Lis reading her story, possibly renewing it. "After he has written all kinds of nice things about it I will tell him that 1 RBI the author;" or and her heart turned cold und sick what if he Should say It was trash? For, of course, like other good critics, .lohn was seldom pleased. If things were all excel' lent, what would bo the Deed of critice ? So be had cult i vat cd t he art of discovering Haws in what seemed to ordinary readers pure gerne, ! lad developed rather a talent for pillorying people in a single terse phrase, and was panel) Valued for his skill in beating down with the editorial club tender young aspirants who were tring to make themselves beard. This sounds brutal. Hut he was only professionally brutal. I.i his personal charaetcrist ics none could be more tender or s in pat betic. Mildred knew of this caustic vein and believed it too -as sho did nlso nil of John's attributes and gifts "but," she thought, "if he should say any of those dreadful things about nie, w bat ibotl I I do? I should never never tell biin." And so during the entire day she thought and planned, new Intricacies of plot suggesting themselves vivid atid interesting scenes coming liefore her stimulated imagination. Her Bother urged her remaining end sending for her husband to dine with them, lier secret desire was to return, but she looked at her mother's wist fu face and had not the heart to refuse. She WOnld stay and send for John. That gentleman arrived at home nt the usual hour. A-s he put his latchkey into the door he smiled, thinking of the quick ear w i ic h t as listening for it, and of the pretty apparition which would meet kiln in the hall. "ByJove," he thought, "w bat a lucky fellow 1 am 1 " Hut the expected figure did not come to meet him. He was OOUSCiOOJ of a little chill of disappointment, and still more a.s he wandered through the room and found all silent and deserted. He rang for tin- maid. " here is your mistress'.'" "She is out. sir. There's a note, sir, somewhere,'' and she looked anxiously about. "Ob. it is on her desk," said sbe w ith returning memory, starting to go for it. "No matter, 1 will get it," and John turne! bin impatient steps toward his wife's room. There was no note on the desk, and quite naturally be opened the lid. His eyes wtire riveted upon the words before hi 111: "Hear Frank I return herewith the letters which I have no longer uny right to keep. I need not tell you what it costs me " He felt as if his blood were turned into ice. "I have reBeeted much upon what you aid yesterday " "Yesterday!" .lohn felt n.s If he WOTS going med, "Yesterday!"- and be had so trusted her! The room had grow a black, and a great sdedge hammer WW heating at his brain, but be read on "upon what you said yesterday, but I am at last resolved. 1 will not see you ftgale. Any attempt to mnke me break this resolve will be fruitless. Ood hneWS 1011 have only yourself to blame that this marriage has " John stood for a few moments as if turned into stone, hi face blenched, his muscles ten.e. Then a ray of hope seemed to come to aim. "There is no Signeturei it i not her." He looked again. How eon Id he doubt it! He knew too well the turn of every letter He was alternately livid with nice and tholringwith grief. Hiavdreaenof happiness vanished. Bomcthlag like s eures came from between bis closed teeth. "She loves this man. and .-he meets him and tells him to, and only yesterday. Oh, it is too horrible! too horrible!" He buried bis face in his band and groaned. "I shall go away; I shall neer " At that moment the telephone bell rang. He took no notice lt. "I shall never- " Again it raup long and load, What Should In' do? There was no one else to answer it; be must go. So lo- said huskily: "Hello!" Mildred's silvery VOieS replied: "John, is that you?" 'Hie situation was shocking. How (TOiild be reply? but there wns no time for reflection. He knew that the central office would share all hi confidence through that infernal piece of black walnut and KbOttJT. So he said: "Yea." "Why do you not come? Dinner ia wailing for you." How well he knew the prct ty inflections of that voice! "I wish no dinner I Ml going aw ny good -by." It might have been the COttVOBttOSml telephonic "good-by," or !t tnigtt contain a profotitidcr meaning The effect at the other end of the line Cannot be described. Ten minute later a eab drove furiously up to the door of the spertmeef house, a nd Mildred, with white face and fast-beating benrt. rushed into the room, and would have rushed into John's arms if be had let her. "You are going away." she :iid, breathlessly. "You are a very clever net rts," sa id that gentleman, repulsittf, tier Intended embrace. "A what?" said she, :itiiaed. "John, w hat's the" "A ven clever actress," said he. quite n if she had not spoken, "but hereafter sre vvdl have a more ierfct't under-

itendisg uud $ on need not troubls yourself." 'W iiv. John," Maid die. "hive J jU lot year Meeaef "'u; on tlie OOatrarjT I bave recovered them. 1 am no longer a dupe. I wa fool enough to think yoS "John, for bod's .-ake tell sac what this mentis!" "Oh. Mildred! Mildred!" maid he. breakinf down utterly. "Why did you not tell SSO like an lione t woman that von loved MMM one eise'.'" "John. J 011 know, I ' Stop!" said he. "Stop! do not stall, your. soul vitli any inure filsehood, "You need not have married nie," went on the wretched man. "dod knows I Brisk von bad not." She tried to put BST anus about him as he paced to nnd fro in rapid strides, but be peeked her away angrily. "No, no mme of that. That bus lost its charm." Mdtucd burst into tears. I never would -jiove believed you would be so no .tiicI," aobbed she. "W hat bae I doi.e?" "Dene?" shouted the exasperated ma., "done? Why, you have spoiled the life of an honest man, who doted on you. believed in you like a trusting fool who would have risked his life on your honesty - "Sto," said Mildred, and she gathered herself up to a fuller height than John's eyes had ever before beheld in her. She, too, w as angry now. "If von have any (barges to make I demand that they be definite and not in base innuendo. Yon are very cruel and also very insulting to nie. I shall not remain in this house to-night; nor return to it until you have apologized." And lite swept from the room and from John's astonished sight. A moment later he heard the messenger call, then heard Iiis w ife trive an order for a oak, then saw lier packing a handbag. He intended doing so himself. Jtut somehow having her do them was infinitely harder to bear. Mildred was very angry. "Not a thing of his," she said to herself as she tripped off her rings and fathered her trinkets. "My purse, ton," she t bought, and went to the desk to find it. Hereon band had been watching for this. He knew she would try to secure that letter. "Oh." said he. "you are a little too late. You should have thought of that before." These, to her, unmeaning words, uttered with much concentrated bitterness, made her seriously doubt bis sanity. She 1 eked at him curiously. How rle could she construe this incomprehensible fury? sbe pursued. The thought had calmed her resentment. She went to his side, placed her hand kindly on bis arm. "My dear John," said she. "will you explain tO me what all this means?" He felt touched, and oh, how he longed to take her to bis heart ; but that could never be again. "Will you first explain to me." he nnWered, trying to be hard and cold; "explain to me where vou were jester day?" " ertairly he is mad," she thought, and she tried to be very calm. "Ah. yes." he went on. "You can look very innocent, loo. woman, look at that!" and with tragii gesture he held up the paper. Mildred look ' at It bewildered; then she read: "Dear Krank." A gleam of light first came into her face, and find nelly deepened into ,111 CXpn aaion of interest and amusement. Bke understood it nil. John looked to see her crushed, despairing Bd penitent; and Instead be witnessed this unaccustomed, this extraordinary ehnnge, and laughter pi al after peel of silvery laughter ramj through the rooms, Bhe tried tosneek, but could not. John in bis turn began to think that she was med. At last, with tears running down her cheeks, not from grief

this time, she said: "Oh, you dear silly silly thing! Oh, yon dear goose that's my 3tory and I was rohag to surprise you and bring you ever ever so much money and now you have gone and spoiled"- and here she began to cry in earnest. "And you have said --- such cruel cruel-" Her aotm, together with John .'re.it enfolding aims, stifled the rest. "(Iii. niy angel, my angel, I have been sin-h u brute ( an you ever forgive rue?"- N Y. .rapide.

RANTING REPUBLICANS

WHY SOLDIERS WERE TOO SHORT

Prince lllniiinrck M a tilled t rltU clam of (irmmn Tro. .lust at the time when vague reports were beginning to creep abroad that (icrninny was meditating fresh extension of her frontier at the expenee of Holland a lbitch oflicerof high rapk happened to be visiting the court of Merlin and among other spectacles jroi up to amuse him a review was organized at Potsdam. "What does your excellency think of our soldiers?" asked Prince Itisniarvk as one of the regiments came inarching past in admirable cnler. "They look a if they knew how to tight," replied the visitor, prnvely. "but they are not quite bill enough." The prince looked rather suirprlsed, but made no answer, and se eral other regiments filed past in succession, but the Dutchman's verdict upon each was still the same: "Not tnll enough." At length the grenadiers of thepuard made their appearance a mngn tlcent body of eeterene, lug ami stalwart enough to haw satisfied even the giantloving father of frederteK the ircat, but the Inexorable critic merely said: "Fine sold iers, but not tellcnough." Then Prince Bismarck rejoined: 'These grenadiers are the ftneet nu n in our whole a tiny : nmy I ask w bat your ssnseUenes Itpleaeed to mean bj saying that they n re not tall enouifb ?" The Dutehtnae looked him full in the face nd replied with significant emphasis: "1 mean that we can flood our country 12 feet (hip. " Luaduii Tit-Bite.

a; to llroni Ool Home otori-

fius Karls. Once more the administration papers ar ercwinjj lustily ubout the state of be treasury. They began to have this kind of hurrahs about the time their miraculous tariff bill passed the house and Bjf may look for a fre.sh attuck ut least once a month. When they go into one of these fits they begin by telling w hat a terrible time tho lust udminisitration had with the gold reserve. It was continually worrying, they soy, nnd having the utmost dilhculty in keeping the coin atoek up to the mark. The president and secretary of the treasury "wexe at their wits' end." They resorted to "eery expedient" for the purjposc of getting and keeping gold, und to little purpose. Put now behold! "Lesa than soen months after the inauguration of McKinley exactly the reverse is true and Secretary (lag is obliped almost daily to refuse often of gold. The treasury has more gold than it know s what to do with and instead of paying freight baa issued hints to assistant treasurers all over the country to discourage gold puymeuta us far as possible, it is more than likely that the treasury will soon be actually on a gold basis and forced to pay out the yellow boya for expenses." How distressing that would be! And how sad to think that all this embarrassment and danger is due to tho unspeakable wisdom and transcendent geniua of n republican administration! Why, then, do the roosters exult? Why can they not restrain their exuberance in face of this impending calamity long enough to explain BOBM things? Dawn to the time of the passage of the Dingley bill by the housx' all the republican sul'cs were declaring with one voice that there was nothing the matter with the treasury but insufficient rev enue, That was the only reason w hy gold ran away, and it would nevt rconie back until more revenue was provided. Now, it la notorious that the shortage of revenue bus been greoter than ever tine the passage of the Dingley bill. yet the sagen end their bornbknrera are boasting that the tnensury is getting more gold than it wants. Wouldn't it be well for them to stop crowing long enough to mend their reputation by showing that the fact does not utterly demolish their theory? They persist in ignoring other notorious facts and that is why the public memory diould be jog-ged nrrnin. They ignore the fact that the quantity of gold in the treasury is small compared with what it waa during Cleveland" first administration and dtrwn to its close. The total amount of gold now in the treasury is $1s4..'i o.noo, round figures, of which $l47.ron.noo belongs to the government and t37.0OO.00X) Is held against certificates ir. the hands of the public. At the end of Cleve land's first term the total gold in the treasury was $20, 500.000, of which $196,300,000 belonged to the government, while Si:i0,2O0,OOO waa held against certificates. Thus it nppears that the government owned nearly $49.000.000 more gold and held In Its vaults $142.000.000 more at the end of the first Cleveland administration than it does now. And for a year and a half before the close of Cleveland's term the holdings were about the same ns nt the end. Yet nobody was worrying for fear the government would "le forced to pay cut the yellow boys for expenses." Nor did anybody "borrow trouble, because from 70 to 92 per cent, of the cash received at the evv York custom bouse was In gold coin nnd gold certificate. Nor should the public forget the fact which republican rooster try to crowout of mind that it waa not nntil the berinnins; of the Harrison admin!tration that the treasury began to lose gold and that darlag that cdmlnistratlon the treasury lost very near $M.OOO.OOO In gold owned. "Finally, the public should not permit the vociferous crowing to drive out of mind the fact that it was during the Harrison ndministrat'on that the revenues of the government fell lirlow the expenditures for the first time in 25 renraorth.it it wn during the last year of the republican McKinley tariff that the revenues fell over $72.000.000 short of the expenditures by far th greatest deficit in time of peace in the history of the country. Tt now remains for the republicans to beat their own record of unparalleled badness before they get through with their thnumaturgienl Dingley lnw. They hare mnde a most promising beginning for that achievement of prodigality. Chlengo Chronicle.

OPINIONS AND POINTERS.

The thicker the tariff wall ia built the easier It la to aee thronigb i. 'Puck. Whenever a republican diaeovera that his party has abandoned all the principles of Lincoln, Greeley. Sumner snd Trumbull and ia therefore compelled to leave It, have you noticed what an idiot and rascal he becomea in the estimation of the newspapers belonging to the Hanna bureau? Columbua (O.) Press. A well look for oranges to grow In Siberia or snowstorms to prevail st the equator a to expert the republican administration to bring about genera! prosperity. Its daily business is the systematic snd legalized pillage of the people. Its regular occupation is robbing Peter, the producer, to pay Paul, the plutocrat. Kansas City Times. The big tariff-pampered corporations are responaible for the great bulk of the grossly ignorant and semibarbarous immigration from southern Europe. The coal mining districts of the country nr the neste of nnarr hism the swarming centers of n population which has no conception of free government, has no appreciation of free Institutions and lire riotous enemies of native labor. Probably not one in n hundred can read the language of the eountry whose laws protect them nnd whose privilegea they er. joy. Minneapelis Times.

DINGLEY S DEFICIT PRODUCER. A nnd luvr la Among Ibe Innnlnrnt Psekesklllttee. Mr. Nelson Dingley ery coolly informs the country through the New York World that his celebrated tariff act may reasonably be expected to pro

duce a deficit in the government' revenue of something like $50,000,000 before it can be exjiected to make its benign influence felt. Iletween .Mr. Keed's "state ot mir.d" as a panacea for financial evils and Mr. Du dley's deficit-producing tariff tet the eountry bait tume rare prospects before it. Mr. Dingley says the deficit will be the natural result of the vast importationa that took place before the bill went into effect, but we think it must be clear to all sensible persona who know the character and effect of the Wilson protection bill that the importations, in anticipation of the enactment of the Dingley law paid their due proportion of revenue into the treasury so that these importations, instead of contributing to the deficit, have actually tended to cut it down by adding to the resources of the treasury. Put what effect w ill the predicted deficit have on our finances? The republicans during the campaign of last year declared over and over again that the bond issues were occasioned by the treasury deficit, nnd they raked Mr. Cleveland fore and nft especially aft, in the nature of things for permitting auch a dangerous thing as a deficit to make ita appearance, thus compelling the government to issue bonds in time of peace. And not only Mr. Cleveland, but the democratic party, waa called harshly to task for enacting a tariff law that would create such a terrible thing ns a deficit. In the face of all this, Mr. Dingley comes out boldly and saya the deficit under his celebrated monopoly-feeding and trust-breeding act will amount to $50,000,000 the first year. If the republican theory of bond issues ia true Mr. McKinley will l.ave to engage in that business before he is many months older. If the failure of the treasury income to keep even w ith the outgo makes it necessary to issue bonds in time of peace, Mr. McKir.ley (i-. he interim of appointing negro pot' asters in the south) would do well to have his bond plates prepared. The so-called deficit under Cleveland had not reached $25.000.000 before he was compelled to issue $110.OOO.('O0 of bonds. This leing so. nothing short of an issue of $200.000.000 will satisfy the deficiency promised by Mr. Dingley IB the res-ult of his w onderful lew. As all sensible men know, however, ther was no such thing under the Cleveland administration as an issue of bondbl to cover a deficit. The violation of law by which Mr. Cleveland made greenbacks and treasury notes payable in gold instead of coin drove some $300,000,000 of our gold abroad, and Mr Cleveland, acting as the partner of the gold grabbers, issued bonds to buy the gold back. That waa all there w as to the bond issues. It is a very fortunate thing for the republican fraraers of the Dingley law that the cheapening of the gold dollar with respect to a number of commodities has helped business and revived hope In the minda of the people, otherw ise the so-called deficit would have assumed alarming proportions for the

treasury reeripte are in direct ratio with the prosperity of the people. Atlanta Constitution.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

I

LAW IS DEMOCRACY.

It Stands for Kfgnal Justice and (.oort Order. Mr. Pryau performed b-.eh a patriotic and a political duty in calling attention in a recent speech to the democratic position on the great questions which are now fretting labor and causing needless alarm in some unusually calm minds. After pointing out that the party took strong ground in its last national platform against the too free and haeity use of the restraining power by the courts, Mr. I'.ryanaid: "Those who have suggested the burning of property and the destruction of life as a meanaof settling labor disputes do not understand the genius of our institutions. The American jiople. are law-abiding. When the laws nre bad they change the law s." In this observation the Nebrnskan gavei xpnv-sion tothe conservative force which is a guarantee of the perpetuity of American institutions. That uufortunnte class of persons who see danger to these Institution in the acta of judges who mny interpret the laws unjustly or in the errors of other officers who may misuse their power, display, as Mr. Pryan says, a lack of understanding of the spirit nnd active force of our governmental machinery. The ballot is in the hand of every American citizen above tho age of 21 yeara. He ran use it to correct every abuse of power and every Injustice imposed by the strong upon the weak. If it be "government by injunction" to which he objects be can ay ao at the polls. If enough people agree that his objection is well founded, the cause of complaint will be soon removed. The party doctrine on this question waa Intended to emphasize the fact that this is a government of the people and that tfley have not only the right but also the power to apply the remedy to any wrong usa made of their machine by those intrusted with ita management. The declaration is only In line with the contention and teachings of democracy from the days of Jefferson. There Is no anarchy in democracy. Tbjere ia nothing in its traditions or Inltscreed which counsels violenc for the correction of public or private wrong. There is nc thing but equal justice and good ordnr in democracy, ami those who interpret its character in any other way do not tin derstand the genius of the party of Jefferson and .lackston.- St. Louis Republic.

Mr. McKinley is in favor of ths free coinage of silver if Kngland is. Thnt is the republiesn. financial programme up nnd down. 'Atlanta CoOsti tut ion.

International I .. n for October Of.

Hlt7-nul llefore Klus A k r i p ysv -Acts MitlU-.'U. (Arnnscd from Peloubt-t's Note. OOLDKN TKXT. W'liuso. vi r therefore shall confess Me before men, him wlU I confess also before my gather which Us In Heaven. Matt. 10:31 THE BlX'Tloaf includes chsp'ers :5 snd K, the whole slur)- of th trial of PüuA. before Agrl;pa. TIME. first of Ain-ust. a. r. ). ri years after the last lesson. PLACE Cssarsn, 7 uulea northwest ot Jerusalem. LESSON NOTK8. The New Governor, 1 est as. 24:27After I'aul had lain in prison for two, yeara Felix was removed on account of grave complaints of his conduc and 1'orcius Festua was appointed in his stead. Fcstus was u much better maa than Felix. l'aul's Address. 20:1-23. Fcstus and his brilliant court. King Agrippa, Queen Bernice, the principal otlicera of tho troops qiiarteuii at Cesarea and the moat Influential of the civil magistrates, were gathered together. Fextua arose and stated the object of theirconiingtogether. The prisoner had been vehemently accused as one worthy of death. lie bad appealed to Ciesar and must be sent to Home. Hut Fest us, not being veil acquainted w ith Jewish laws and customs, could not mnke out any definite charge against him that would be a reasonable excuse for sending him as n prisoner to Home. Paul began hie address with hia usual polished eourte3". lie well know that an awkward) and rusty weapon was of no advantage to the Christian warrior. Then for the third time in the .Vets is related tho tory of his conversion, the wondrou change wrought in himself by Jesus Christ. 19. "Whereupon," after hearing the call. "1 waa not disobedient unto the Heavenly vision:" Yet the seeming cost and the struggle were very great. 20. "But shewed first unto them of Damascus:" Immediately after his conversion. Then after two or three yeara be returned to Damascus and preached, again. "And at Jerusalem:" For n brief time, going there from Damascus. He also visited there, and of courso preached at other times. "Throughout all theeoaats (borders) of Judea:" The exact time of this preaching is not known, as no rftcord is given of It. But there was abundant opportunity for it between A. D. 40, when Faul left Jerusalem, and A. I). 49, w hen he began hia first missionary journey. "And then to the Gentiles" over a large part of the known world. "That they should repent," the first, deep, essential duty. An Interruption by Festus. Vs. 24. 25. 24. "Festus said with a loud voice" of astonishment and positive assurance. 'Paul, thou are beside thyself :" Thou art mad, insane; the same word that is translated mad in the next verse. 25. "1 am not mad:" Paul speaks for himself, and leta Festus make the application for himself. "But apeak forth the words of truth and soberness:' From Festus' standpoint, that of worldllneas, the words of Paul were the fände of a crazy, unbalanced brain; but from Paul's standpoint, that of eternal life and spiritual life, they were simply true and earnest. The Appeal to Agrippa. V a. 26-29. Paul turns from Featus, and appeals to King Agrippa to confess that he ia speaking nut of fancies, but of facts, of actual occurreneca. 20. "For the king knoweth of theae things:" Agrippa aa a Jew waa acquainted with Scripture, and as a ruler in Palestine U as familiar with tiie facta of Gospel history. If, "King Agrippa, bclievest thou the propheta?" If he believed the Scriptures, then Paul could prove from thoso prcjuises the truth of the Gospel he was preaching. 29. "Almost thou persuaib st me tobe a Christian:" Tliere are two quite dileiejIBt opinions aa to the meaning of these words. The view taken in tho common version, that Agrippa's better nature was touched, and that bespoke ainecrely. saying in effect, if you go on a little longer, and sjn-ak many more stieb wurtls, you will persuade even me. The other interpretation is that of the B. V. With but little persuasion thou wouhlst fain make me a Christian. It was a sarcasm. 29. "I would to God:'' 1 earnestly desire of God. the only aource of such a blessed good. "Were both almost, ami altogether:" (1) This is the natural rendering If we adopt the translation of our authorized version in verso 24. (2) If we adopt the R. V. of verse 28, then Paul's answer la: "I would that

you were persuaded, whether with little trouble or with great." Alford and Prof. Biddle suppose that Paul takes up the words of Agrippa in a sense slightly different from that in which Agrippa used them, to give point to hia reply: "I could pray God that both in lit tie and In great measure (i. e., in everything), not only theu," etc. "Such as 1 am, except these bonds:" The chains he had. upon him while he was speaking. Ho would have them free to exercise their religion for the good of others. Vindication, but the Appeal toCaeaar Stood. Va. 30-32. 30. "The king rose," and the others in the order of their rank. 31. "Nothing worthy of death or of bonds:" This was a true verdict and a complete Tindication. He still roust go to Caesar, since he had appealed to him; and because this was God's way by which he could best reach Borne.

Spear Points. Idleness is danger seed. Wisdom has a short tongue. Unbelief ia Satan's counsel chamber Be what you want others to think you are. lie that does nothing makes but one mistake. Opposition ia the mill that fans the chaff out of tia. Defeat in the right is better than vietory in the wrong. nulld higher, foolish man, earth is too low for sofety. Ram's Horn.