Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1892 — Page 7

A LION TO FIGHT.

Through Christ W& May Come Ofl Conquerors. Shall We Amwtr ‘-Here*’ to the Muster Call of the Pardoned in - - the Last Day, The great outpourings to hear Dr. Talmage preach continue. Probably the greatest demonstration the past month was that at the town hall, Birmingham, when he delivered three addresses the same evening to audiences aggregating 30,000 persons. At Sheffield, Derby, Leicester, Exeter and Bristol, also, pheaudiences assembled, the most cordial welcome being everywhere accorded him. The sermon selected for publication this week is entitled “Celestial Sympathizers, ” the text, being taken from I Cor. xv, 82, “I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, ” and Hebrews xii, l*, "Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. ”

Crossing the Alps by the Mont Genis pass, or through the Mont Cenis tunnel, you are in a few hours set down at Verona, Italy, and in a few minutes begin examiniug one of the grandest ruins in the world — the amphitheater. The whole building sweeps around you in a circle. You stand in the arena, where the combat 4vas once fought, or the race run, and on all sides the seats rise, tier above tier, until you count forty elevations or galleries, as I shall see fit to call them, in which sat the senators, the kings, and the twentyfive thousand excited spectators. At the sides of the arena and under the galleries are the cages in which the irons and tigers are .kept without food, until frenzied with hunger and thirst tltey are let out upon some poor victim, who with his sword and J.lone is condemned to meet them. I hink that Paul himself once stood in such a place, and that it was not only figuratively but literally that he had “fought with beasts at Ephesus. * The fact is that every Christian man has a lion to fight. Yours is a bad temper. The gates of the arena have been opened, and this tiger has come out to destroy your soul. It has lacerated you with jnany a wound. You have been thrown by it time and again, but in the strength of God you have arisen to drive it back. 1 verily believe you will conquer. I think that the temptation is getting weaker. You have given

it so many wounds that the prospect is that it w ill die and you shall be victor, through Christ. Courage, brother! Do not let the sands of the arena drink the blood of your soul! Your lipn is the passion for strong drink. You may have contended against it twenty vears, but it is strong of body and thirsty of tongue. Yon have tried to fight it back with broken bottle or empty wine flask. v is not the weapon. With one horrible roar he will seize thee by the throat and rend thee limb from limb. Take this weapon,sharp and keen—reach up and get it from God’s armory—the Sword of the Spirit. With that thou mayest drive him back and conquer. when avery man and woman nas a lion, to fight! If there be one here who has no besetting sin, let him speak out, for him have I offended. If you have not fonght the lion, it is because you have let the lion eat you up. This very moment the contest goes on. The Trojan celebration, where ten thousand gladiators fought and eleven thousand wild beasts wore slain, was not so terrific a struggle os that which at this moment goes on in many a soul. The combat was for the life of the body; this is for the life of the soul. was with wild beasts from the jungle; this is with the roaring lion of hell. Men think when they contend against an evil habit thut they have to fight it all alone. No! They t'ond in the center of on immense circle of sympathy. Paul had been reciting the name of Abel, Enoch, Noali, A oral)am, Sarah, Isaac, Joseph, Gideon and Barak, and then says, “Being compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses." Before I get through I will show you that your fight is aa arena around which circle, in galleries above ach other, all the kindling eyes and all the sympathetic hearts of the ages, and at every victory gained there comes down the thundering applause of a great multitude that no man can number. “Beiug compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses."

Cn the first elevation of the ancient amphitheater, on the day of a celebration, sat Tiberius, or Augustus, or the reigning king. 80, in the greet arena of spectators that watch om* struggles, and in the first divine galtfry, os I shall call it, sits our King, one Jesus. On his-head are many crowns. The Roman emperor got his place by cold blooded conquests, but our king hath come to his place by broken hearts healed, and the tears wiped away and the souls redeemed. The Roman emperor sat with folded arms, indifferent as to whether the swordsman or the lion beat, bntour king's sympathies are with us. Nay, unheardof 'condescension! I comedown '.from the gullerv into the arena to 'help us in the tight, shouting until ,all np and down his voice is heard: ; “Fear notl I will help thee. I will 'Strengthen thee by the right hand of , mv power." \ "Kow bring on your lions. Who can

fear? All Ihe spectators in the angelic gallery- are -our--friends. “He shall give bis angels charge over thee to keep thee irf all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Tbou sbalt tread upon the lion :nl adder; the young lion and the drag ju shall thou trample under foot.” , , Though the arena be crowded with temptations we shal 1 , with the angelic help, strike them down in the name of our God and leap on fallen carcasses! Oh. bending throng of bright angelic faces and swift wings and lightning foot! I hail you today from tbe dust and struggle of the arena. I look again and I see tlje gallery of the prophets and apostles. Who are those mighty ones up yonder? Hosea and Jeremiah and Daniel and Isaiah and Paul and Peter and John and James. There sits Noah waiting for all the world to come, into the ark. and Moses, waiting till the last Red sea shall divide; and Jeremiah, waiting for the Jews to return; and John, of the Apocalypse, waiting for the swearing of the angel that Time shall be no longer. Glorious spirits! Ye were howled at, ye were stoned, ye were spit upon! They have been in this fight themselves, and they are all with us. Daniel knows all about lions, Paul fought with beasts at Ephesus.

I look again and I see the gallery of the martyrs. Who is that? Hugh Latimer, sure enough! He would not apologize for the truth pleached, and so he died the night before swinging from the bedpost in perfect glee at the thought of emancipation. Who are that army of six thousand six hundred and sixty-six? The are the Theban legion, who died for the faith. Here is a larger host in magnificent array—eight hundred and eightv-four thousand —who perished for Christ in the persecutions of Diocletian.

Yonder is a family group, Felicitas of Rome, and her children. While they were dying for the faith she stood encouraging them. One son was whipped to death by thorns; another was flung from a rock; another was beheaded. At the last mother became a martyr. They are together—a family group in heaven! Yonder is John Bradford, who said in the fire, “We shall have a merry supper with the Lord to-night!” Yonder is Henrv Yoes. who exclaimed as he died, “If I had ten heads thev should all fall off for Christ!” * The great throng of the martyrs! They had hot lead poured down their throats; horses were fastened to their hands, and other horses to their feet' and thus they were pulled apart; they had their tongues pulled out with hot pincers; they were thrown to the dogs; they were daubed with combustibles and set on fire. If all the martyrs’ stakes that had been kindled could be set at proper distances they would make the midnight, all the world over bright as noonday.

Hook again, and see another gallon’ that of eminent Christians. What strikes me strangely is the mixing in companionship of those who on earth could not agree. There is Albert Barnes, and around him the presbytery who tried him for | heterodoxy! Yonder is Lyman Beecher, and the church court that denounced him! Stranger than all, there is John Cal vin and James Arm.imus! Who’d have thought that they would sit so lovingly together? There is George Whitefield and the ministers who would not let him come into their pulpits because they thought him a fanatio. There are the sweet singers, Toplad.v, Montgomery, Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts and Mrs. Sigourney. If heaven had had no music before they went up they would have started the singing. I look again and see the gallery "of our departed. Many of those in the other galleries we have heard of, but these we knew. Oh, how familiar their faces! They sat at our tables, and we walked to the house of God in company. Have they forgotten us? Those fathers and mothers started us on the road of life. Are thev careless of what becomes of us? And those children —do they look on with stclid indifference as to whether we win or lose this battle for eternity? Nay; I see that child running its hand over your brow and saying, “Father, do not fret;” “Mother, do not worry.”

They remember the day they left us. They remember the agony of the last farewell. Though years in heaven, they know our faces. They remember our sorrows. They speak our names. They watch this fight for heaven. Nay; I see them rise up and lean over and wave before us their recognition and encouragement That gallery is not full. They are keeping places for us. After we have slain the lion they expect the King to call us, saying, “Come up higher!" Between tho hot Btruggloa in tho arena I wipe the sweat from my brow and stor.l on tiptoe, reaching up my right hand to clasp theirs in rapturous hand-shaking, while their voices come ringing down from the gallery crying: “Be thou faithful un-’ to death ant. you shall have a crown.” But here I pause, overwhelmed with the majesty and the joy of the scene. Gallery of the King! Gallery of angelß! Gallery of prophets and apostles! Gallery of saints! Gallery of friends and kindred. Oh, majestic circles of light and love! Multitudes! Throngs! How shall we endure the gaze of the universe? Myriads of eyes beaming on us. Myriads of hearts beating in sympathy for us. How shall we over dare to siu agin! How shall we over become discouraged again! How shall wo ever feel lonely again I

NIAGARA FALLS.

Description of the Famous Haver bj Sir i Edwin Arnold. The Mighthy Torrent, Thundering, Smoking, Guttering It Fasted Before Him—A Bight to Dwell and Linger in the Kind Forever. Before the balcony in which this is written the groat cataract of America is thundering, smoking, glittering with green and white rollers and rapids, hurling the waters of a whole continent iri splendor ami speed over the sharp ledgos of the long, brown rock by which Erie “the Broad" 1 steps proudly down to Ontario ‘‘the seautifui.” says Sir Edwin Arnold in the London Telegraph. Close at hand on opr left—not indeed further than some 600 or 700 yards—tho smaller, but very imposiug. Amcriinan Falls speaks with tho louder voice of the two, beoauso its coiling spirals of twisted and furious flood crush in full' impulse of descent upon the talus of massive bowlders heaped up at its foot - The rebounding impact of water on rock. the clouds of water-smoko which nso high, in air, while the river below is churned into a whirling cream of eddy and surge and backwater, unite in a composite ©Sect, at once magnificent and bewildering. But if you listen attentively you will always hear tho profound diapason of the groat fall—tha t surnamod the Ho rseshoo—sound ing /

superbly amid the loudest clamor and tumult of its sister, a deeper and grander note; and whenever for a time the gaze rests with inexhaustible) wonder upon that fierce and tumultuary American Falls, this mightier and still moro marvelous Horseshoe steals its way again with irresistible fascination. Full in front lies that wholly indescribable spectacle at this instant—~~lts solemn voice an octave lower than the excited, leapiug, almost angry cry of fervid life from the lessor cataract. — resounds through tho golden summer morning air like the distant roar from the streets of fifty Londons ail in full activity.

Far away, botween the dark-gray trees of Goat island aud the fir woods of the Canadian shore, the Niagara river is seen winding eagorly to its prodigious leap. You can discern, even from this balcony, tho line of the first brfeakors. Whore the Niagara river feels, across its whole breadth, tho fateful draw of the cataracts, whore its current seems suddenly to leap forward, stimulated by a mud desire, a hidden.-«peU, a dreadful and irresistible doom. You can noto far back along the gilded surface of tho upper stream how these lines of dancing, tossing, ougor, anxious and fate-im-pelling breakers and billows multiply their white ranks and spread and close together their leaping ridges into a wild chaos of racing waves as the brink is approached. And then, at the brink tho re is a curious pauso—the memerttary peace of tho irrevocable, Those mad upper waters —reaching the great leap—are suddenly all quiet and glassy and rounded and green as tho border of a field of rye, while they turn the angle of the dreadful ledge and hurl tlieinsolvcs into the snow-white gulf of noise and mist and mystery underneath. There is nothing more Iranslueontly groen, nor more purennially still and lovelier than Niagara tho Greater. At this her awful brink the whole aroliitravQ of the main abyss gleams like a fixed and glorious work wrought in polished aoquamarino or emerald. This exquisitely colored cornice of tho enormous waterfall this brim of

bright tranquility betwoon fervor of rush and fury of pluugo—is its principal feature, aud stamps it as far more beautiful than terrible. Indeed, the whole spectacle of the cataracts is one of delight and of deopostchurm, not by any melius of honor or of awe; since nowhere are the measureless forces of nature more tenderly revealed more softly and splendidly clad, more demurely constrained and between its stoop confines. Even the heart of the abyss, in the recess of the Horseshoe, whore tho waters of Erie and Superior clash together in tremendous conflict, the inner madness and miracle of which no eyo can see or ever will soe. by reason of the veils of milky spray tu.d of the rolling clouds of water-drift which forever hide it—oven this central solemnity and shudder-fraught miracle or tho monstrous uproar and glory is rendered requisite, reposeful ana soothing by the lovely rainbows hang over the turmoil and clamor. From its crest of cVysopraso and silver, indeed, to its broad foot of milky foam and of whitestunned waves, too broken find too dazed to begin at first to lloat away, Niagara appears not terrible, but divinely and deliciously graceful,’ glad and lovely—a specimen of the splendor of water at its finest—asight to dwell aud linger in the mind with ineffaceable images of happy and grateful thought, by no means to affect it either in act or seeing, or to haunt it in future days of memory, with any wild rominitconco of torror or of gloom.

"Breaking Into Society."

A young man who was holdinsr forth in un up-town club room last night de- ■ clured that it was more difficult for a [ stranger to make frioads in Now York ; than In any othor city in the civilized world. “I don't mean,” ho said “that it is i hard to make acquaintances. That is | very easy. You may evon get very | chummy with some men. but there is always a certain barrier which you can’t overcome. You won’t ask to meet your friend’s relations or his intimate visiting friends. I hnvo evon known whoro men have roomed together for several yours, lent oacli other money, helped ouch other in l business, and yet each Imd his owh lino of friends whom he viaitod. and neither knew the other’s sister or par- ' ents. It wasn't because they hod not similar tastes or beonuso they did not thoroughly appreciate each other’s character. I warrant that there tro thousands of suoh Instances In iitit city now, and I will guarantee, too, I that such peculiar conditions exist | nowhere else.—N. Y. Sun. /. 1

HARAKIRI.

How the Rea! Operation Is. Done by the Japanese. Harakiri, a peculiar mode of suicide, in the eyes of the nobility of Japan the most dignified and honorable way of all violent deaths, the only means of restoring honor, revenge being impossible, has seldom been witnessed by European or American eyes. As the word “harakiri” has crept into American politics, writes Albert de Leur, an explanation of its meaning in Japan may bo interesting, and the reader can • then judge if the adaptation of the word is allowable. Duelling is now and ever has been condemned by intelligent Japaneses, sis the uncertainty of its results was considered too hazardous to the settlemeut of its cause. For ages it has been the custom in Japan, when a Samurai considered himself insulted by one equal in rank, that the injured party should proceed to his home, call together his family and friends, inform thorn of the insult suffered at the hands of his enemy* and set apart a day upon which he would revenge himself and restore the family, honor, injured by the words or acts of his opponent, by Committing “harakiri.” The family and friends of the noble to commit suicide entered the room led by a priest, the latter bearing in his hands a full blooming lotus flower which he deposited aeross the sword lying upon the platform, and the spectators took seats around the room. The nobleman then entered, dressed in pure whit© garments with a yellow colored scarf encircling his body, and carrying in his hind a little saucer in which burned a wick lighted previously from the everlasting light in front of the family god. Aftpr recounting in a solemn voice the insult suffered by him from his enemy, be invoked the spirit of his ancestors to see in "what manner he uphold the family honor intrusted to him at nis birth, and rising upon his left knee ho would take hold of the wakizaska with his left 'h ind, lift up his white robe with his right hand, wrapping the end of the yellow sash around his left wrist* find deliberately anrl very slowly insert tho dagger-like knife into his stomach above the right hip bone and draw it across until within four or five inches of his left hip bone. At the moment he inserted the knife his next of kin would take the katana (ordinary sword) and with a swift blow sever the head of the suicide from the trunk.

Caught a Ballooner.

"I used to make balloon ascensions in connection with Warnor’s circus/’ said an old and retired aeronaut the other day, ‘‘and one day I went up from Pekin, Illinois. _The balloon was new and light, and I got a much longer ride than what I expected. I finally descended in a farmhouse y ard about ten miles away, my anchor having caugnt in a cherry tree. The f armer was an old fellow, about 6(j years of age, and he sat reading on his door step as I came down. He removed his glasses, put them in their case, .put the case in his pocket, and then came forward and carelessly observed: “ ‘That a balloon?’ ” “ ‘Yos. Help me pull it down,’ ” •• ‘Are you a ballooner?’ ” “ ‘Yes. Pull hard.’ ” " ‘We got tho air ship down, and I wanted him to take me to town In his wagon. He had none, and I had hired a rig of a neighbor, and was about to depart when the old fellow stepped forward with: “ ‘I have a little bill here, sir.’ ” “ ‘Bill! What for?’ ” ** •Damage to cherry tree. 2 shillin’s; akcetring mv poultry. 60 oeafe; skeering my old woman, the same; services of myself. sl. Total, $2.25, which is mighty cheap considerin’ the times.” •* ‘But I won’t pay it!’ ” I protested. •• ‘Oh, you won’t? Well, I’m a Justice of the Peace, and I'll issue a warrant. My nay bur is constable, and he kin serve it. The old woman is out of hnr fit by this time, and she’ll be witness, and I sort o’ reckon I’ll fine you about $25 for disturbin’ of the peace and contempt of this court!’ ” ‘‘And I was made to realize that the best way out of It was to come down with the amount of his bill, and luckily I had it, and a quarter to spare.”

Cryptograms by Stamps.

Secret correspondence by means of postage stamps might very easily be carried on, according to Notes and Queries. A postage stamp eon be stuck on each of the four corners of an onveiope in at least twelve different positions, forty-eight in aIL These twelve different positions can be repeated on quite eight to ten other points of the envelope. If it is square and of good size, ninety-six to 130 in all. This will give us. say, 150 different modes, easily distinguishable one from another: of applying a stamp on an envelope. Let each one of these different positions or modes—or as many of them as are waffted—represent a word or a sentence, and let these words or sentences be tabulated so as to form a code, such at is used by those who telegraph to very distnul parts of the world, and tho system of correspondence is complete. If adopted—and I dare say it has already been adopted—it would, I fear, be principally by lovers, but it might evidently be used as a cipher that could not possibly be found out unless the code were laid hold of.

A New Metal Discovered.

A Birmingham (Conn.) man who is so modest as not to wish his name to appear in print claims to have discovered a proeess by which so mo metal, which he does not name, can, at un expense of GO cents a pound, bo reduced so that to all ap|>earancoa it is gold. It is as heavy as the precious metal, is easily washed, and can be hmamerod or drawn. Tho inventor declares that there is no use in taking out a pstent because nobody can discover the secret of its manufacture by analyzing it All that be proposes to do with it is to uso it ns a foundation for gold-plateJ goods. Rut what a cause of disturbed consciences will be tho possession of such metal to some men. A good nutno /ortho now metal would be "devillde."

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.

Sunday, B«pt, 11. PHILIP AND THE ETHIOPIAN—Acts 8:26-40-Snpt,—l6. And the angel of the Lord j spako unto Philip, saying, Arise, and no toward the south, unto the way that go- 1 eth down from Jerusalem, unto Gaza, which is desert. School.—27. And be arose and went: and, behold,a man of Ethiopia, u eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of tho Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28. Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias tho prophet. 29. Then the Spirit said nnto Philip, Go near and join thyself to this chariot. to. And Philip ran thither to him and heard him read the prophet- Esaias, and said, Undorstandest thou what tbou readest ?- —t— -31. And he said. How can I, except some man should guide me? And ho desired Philip that he would como up and sit with him. 32. Tho place of the scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth. 33. In his humiliation his judgment wa* taken away: and who shall declare his generation V for his life Is taken from tha earth. 34. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speakei h the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 36. Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36. And as they wont on their way, thoy came unto a certain water: and, the eunuch said, See. here Is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37. And Philip said, If thou beliovest with all thine heart, thou mayost. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Sou of God. . 38. And he commafided the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 33. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that tho eunuch saw him uo moro; and Le went on his way rejoicing. 40. But Philip was found at Azotus; end passing through lie preached In all tho cities tilt Uo came to Cxsaroa.

The section of history includes simply the verses of the lesson, with a glance at the situation as given in the previous verses. Time.—A. D. 37. Early summir. Immediately after last lesson. Place.— South-western Judea, in the sparsely inhabited region botween Jerusalem and Gaza, wbicn lies to the south-west, near the Mediterranean coast. Circumstances. Philip, having preached in Samaria, was sent upon another mission, by which the gospel would be carried to tho distant heath •u. As Simon Magus was an example of false conversion, so now we have an example of true conversion. Helps over Hard Places. —20. Go toward the south; i. e. from Samaria. Unto tho way: by going south he would strike the road which ran south-west from Jerusalem to Egypt through Gaza. Which is desert: i. e. the part of tho road to which ho was to go. 27. Ethiopia: all the African lands south of Egypt, especially Nubia, Senaar, Kordofnn, and part of Abvssinia. The land was wealthy. Candace: Candace was the general name of the queens of Ethiopia, as Pharoh was of the sovereigns of Egypt, and Offisar of the Roman emperors. Jerusalem, for to worship: he was a native Ethiopia*:, who had been converted to Judaism, aud hence made a visit to Jerusalem. 28. Read Esatas; i. e. Isatah. Be frobably was reading aloud. 32 he place of the scripture: I* a. 53; perhaps suggested by the discussions he must have heard at Jerusalem about the Messiah. 35. Phillip., preached unto him Jesus: he showed how this prophecy of the Messiah was fulfilled in Jesus. 39. The Spirlt....caught away PbiHp: either miraculously bore him, or led him by a sudden impulse to go away. 40. Azotus: Ashdod. twenty miles northeast of Gaza. Preached in all the cities: on the road along the coast, as Ekron, Rama, Joppa, Lvdda. To Cssarea: the capital of the Syrian province, seventy miles north-west of Jerusalem, on the Mediterranean, south of Mount Carmel.

Subjects for further study and special reports. —God’s providence. —Ethiopia.—God’s help of sincere seekers.—lsaiah’s description of tho Messiah as fulfilled in Jesus. -The Ethiopian’s faith.—Profession of Christ by baptism.—Rejoicing in believing.

How to Become Famous in Congress.

An interesting story was told at the expense of Young Bailey, of Texas, bv one of his colleagues. .Tust befox-e Co'gress tdjourneu on Friday Bailey's filibutering or. the World’s Fair bill after the caucus had agreed upon a compromise programme called tho story to mind. When Bailey came to Congress from a little Texas village ho tool: Judge Culberson into his confiaetco. Bailey bod never had any legislative experience, but ho was consumed with ambition. “ What must a man do to become famous in Congress ? " he asked the bluff old Judge. The Texas oracle pulled his spectacles down to tho tip of hij nose and said: , “ Ride a hobby. ” The Texas Representative who was telling the story, added : “Wo discovered his hobby long since. " Anottor story at young Bailey's expense when tho Suprcmd Court practically decided in favor of Reed's quorum ruling. It is toid that Bailey remarked to a friend : “ I regret that I can not agree with tho Suprouio Court. ”

r A straw hat and a linen duster have been worn for forty wiute sby Dr. S. B. Victor, of Cciumbiw, Mo.

THE CURSE OF DEBT.

The Pitiful Picture Presented tnt the Wilful Debt-Maker. ■ How can a man eat, sleep and bet jolly under the pressure of debt? Hois !on earth can be walk forth well ap-, j paroled-- »nd appointed, and face toe man whose unpaid-fortrousers be isj wearing? How dare he smile at hiw butcher, or hiß grocer, who are at that minute SSO apiece poorer for his pash dinners and teas? How dare be pet pais children on the head when be knows that if he should die that nigbL their future is wholly uncared for?! How on earth can he enjoy any luxoryj trusting only to his dodging instinct* if the day of pecuniary reckoning; should suddenly come! How can he) face the rascatly reflection of himself in the looking-glass longenough to tinj tho cravat which ought to be choking: -him? How can he have the ftnpudenoe logo among honest, upright peoplo sad expect cordial recognition, or any recognition at all. How dare the brazen thief, in his fine clothes, look into the frank, honest - face of the swarthy, red-shirted mechanic, whohas proved himself a man by that day’s hard labor? How can he pass a station house or a policeman without askingthat summary justice may be meted oat to him, rather than to the poor, friendless, ragged wretches whom ndveren circumstances seem sometimes to have so hedged about that God himselt caanot help them? I look upon such men with a wonder that never abates, says a writer in the N. Y. Ledger. Men did 1 say? Satan grins at tho misnomer. A» artist should be specially employed tocollect their prortraits for * The Rogues’ Gallery,” Imagine the horror with which their dainty originals would contemplate such » possibility! and yet I am not sure that it would not be a capital idea for every creditor to immdrtalisie hi 3 own well-dressed scamps in this manner; or at least have a framed collection of them in his Own place of business for the inspection of the curious. Perhaps one of the meanest -of these dainty fellows’ tricks is to victimise ,-v friend who may be supposed to hawscruples about refusing monetary compliance, or about reminding the creditor of bis protracted forgetfulness of the sum due. Yes—there is one lower depth of meanness yet, and that is, when the "friend” is a Woman, who. if she be not too smart, may her generally conveniently put off with welK framed excuses, or at all events b» supposed be too “refined” and **dnl cate” to press so unromantlc a them*. Fortunately, all women are not “fools.” Fortunately, a woman may know her “rights,” and defend them, toot, without stamping about the country inbrogans armed with a horsewhipt It Itcomforting whoa such a one, without compromising her womanly dignity, handsomely compels, as a man might and would do, immediate restitution, or the alternative penalty.

SENDING A DECOY LETTER.

How the Government Entraps Dishonest Mail Clerks or Carrier*.. •‘You want to know how we *gel on* to clerks or mail-carriers who steal money from letters, you say,” remarked a postoffiee inspector. “The rootl*od is simple enough, and yet we eatetr them every time. Of course there are a good many schemes we cau work oo « them, but the least complicated is thedecoy letter. ‘‘When We think a man is opening*--letters, we prepare a letter and give it a semi-fictitious address —to the wrong .fltrfiew tha wroag. uuinber or. someibijMt. of that sort. We put in a dollar or mx. and make it just bulky enough so that, it will attract the clerk’s attention, when he handles it. These clerks g«t so skillful, you know, that thpy almost invariably can tell by the sense of touch when a letter contains money.. This decoy letter is stamped with soam postmark selected, and is thrown into the clerk's or carrier’s box. “He gobbles it almost every timet We are on the watch, and if we bear nothing from it we know that it mast have been lost in transit. This tent ie used oftener outside the postoffloe than in it, however, in the interest of business men who suspoct their employe* and others.—-Boston Globe.

Light Hearted Peasantry.

Of all creatures the Irish poa»ant is the most light hearted. He certainly may be counted among the sociable ones of the earth. On all possible occasions—births, deaths, aud marriages —the poorer classes can their friends round them and kill the fatted calf, which alas! in spite of its high-sounding title, must ever he placed among the leanest of all hrn kioe. Nevertheless, they make am merry over their bread aad tea aad porter as others would over their "chicken and champagne”—perhaps a great deal merrier. They are indeed unhappy if alone. Above bm thinguw either in their joy or sorrow, tney datum some one near them to whom they cm pour out the yearnings of their hearts. Sympathy they crave, amd sympathy most eagerly they give. Impulsive. troublesome, careless, improv-ident-tho Irish people are, when aB is told, tho kinilest-heartod in th» world.—New York World.

Marriage in Ireland.

Marriage in Ireland among the farming classes is conduoted on very much the same scale as that of crowed hoods; a curious fact scarcely "uodsmstanded of the people" in EngUmd. These marriages are arranged mA brought to a satisfactory cowdnsitm without reference to the two most mccced, the bride and bridegroom apparently being the last to be eeisi suited ns to tho advisability of a matter tiiat has to do with their whole lifers happiness. The fathers and nmlhiae on both sides settle all preliminaries. There is no love making betweee Sim voting folks; they do not evon aee each other as a rule until everytMwg is arranged, he being in this part el the barony, she lo that, and time far ‘'lovers’ dalliance’’ in seed time and harvest being ali— N. Y. Bun.