St. Joseph County Independent, Volume 13, Number 30, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 31 December 1887 — Page 1

VOLI ME XII i.

FAITH. ET JOHN ST 'AKT Bl A( KIE. What thing is faith ? Aik th 'U th? pleesomo i bov Who for tho first time breasts tbe buoyant wave; K Tig faith that leads him with adventurous ;ov | * To follow where they plunge, his comrades E brave. Ask thou the boor who oats and drinks and I sleeps. And loves and hates and hopes, and fears and ‘ prays, W Fishes and fowls, work day and Sabb ith keeps, An'.where life's Bigu-pcßt points his path, obeys. Or ask the sage, witli subtle-searching looks, Well trained all things in heaven and earth to scan; Or ask the scholar primed with Greekish ' ooks All live by faith < f what is best in man. Or l im. shavp-eyo , w.th line atom c science, The loves and hates of lively dust pursuing ; Who tortures Nat ro with all str.ngo a.pliS anco To drag to light the secret of bor doing. Ask thou the captain who with guess sublime Mapped forth now wo Ids on his night-watch-ing pillow, And saw m visi m a fresh start of time. Bi- with grand hopes beyond the Atlantic bilK low. Ask thou the soldier who on bristling lances Bushes undaunted, breathing valorous breath, And, where his leader cheers him on, advances | To glorious victory o\ r huge heaps of death Or ask the patriot who, when toes were strong, And faithless fr auds hud sld th-ir i iglits tor pelf, ■Waits till harsh need and shame rouse the base throng Info the bigh-souled echo of himself. Ask thou the statesman, when the infuriate mo > Bra l 8 sensele.s vetoes on his wisest plans : Unmoved he stands, his bosom knows no i throb; His eye the calm evolving future s ans. Ora-ktl:e martyr, who. when tyrants 'ear His quivering tlesh, with calm assurance R dies; Sweet life hj loves, but scorns to breathe an air D.ugged with the taint of soul-destroying ; Ires. In such know faith, faith or in man or God, In thine own heart, or tried tradition's stre in; "Tis one same sun that paints t o fl on er i sod, And shots from polo to pole the quickening learn. God is the Power which shapes this pictured scene. Soul of all creatures, substance of all creeds ; Faith intuition quick and instinct keen To know His voice and follow whore He loads. toip|e CHAPTER V.

r N a stately man- i sion. high up on _the side of a £ mounta:n in Vir- ‘ . gmia, Miss Isabel ) Randolph sat by ?-her handsome! ' grate, where a fire blazed brightly, i

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and mused of the past. Her thoughts were evidently not pleasant ones, for j she sighed now and then, and glanced Badly out of the window on the glorious autumn scene that stretched before her vision. A servant brought her a card, but no , sooner did she read the name than it ; dropped from her hand as if it had ; been a coal of fire. “Heavens!” she thought, “what brings him here ? I suppose I must ■ see him though; there is no escape.” Very whi'e and stately she appeared when the door opened to admit the undesirable visitor. The gentleman that advanced to um cw; B H “ i /K \H // ‘ W Bi h k p 'WUo “ Oh. my God, how can I bear it! n | meet her, with a carriage and manner as haughty and self-possessed as her °wn, was no other than Dan Le Fane. ; “Good-morning, fair cousin,” he said, blandly, with his dark, cruel eyes bent searchingly upon her lovely fa e—which was beautiful still, notwithstanding it betrayed traces of thirty- ; five or six years/ “I trust I see you Well, after ail these long years of separation. You are little changad. Still beautiful as the old siren that sent me ■ to the Evil One as fast as possible.” The woman’s face grew scornful, an ! j indignant, contemptuous glance fell Upon the dark, handsome face of the f man, and in tones of withering scorn, she replied: “That is false—just as false as you We. I can find no better comparison. You went your evil course simply because your heart was evil. I always dis iked you.” “And I always loved you,” said the E an, smilingly. E “love! You are too cruel to know *ba£ that word means. It was you who wrecked my life far more dread- ! fully than you ever dreamed of, thank heaven! But it is past. What brings ; Jou bac ; to your old Lome now ? Some De w contemplated crime, no doubt.” “You are highly comrlimentary, to ® a y the least. But I will tell you why | * came back. I came to see you prin- ■ Cipally and to take possession of the L late Richard Fairleigh’s estate.” “The late ” I . “Yes; why do you turn pale? Upon , my word, I did not suppose that name | y’uld move you so at this late day. । *.es, h e jg dead. Here, take this chair. V How lovely you look when so white; a IE gk l * 8 highly becoming to you.” % fc «ne was white, and for a moment Le

COUNTy St. JnsrpJ aiSfe JniiejenittnL

fancied sho would faint, but by a strong j ellort she recovered her composure j somewhat. “I suppose you knew that your third cousm and o.d lover had been living on the prairies, a ranchman’s rude life almost the life of a recluse.” She bowed coldly. ^es, you knew all that; well, there I are some other things you did not , know, I dare say. He had prospered ; with his herds, and curse him! money always came easily and honestly to him. He was growing richer and - IS 7 JI r/(vVr k iA - u^— - ni ~ “ Golly! bress de Lor!" richer, when one night his ranch burned down and he perished in the flames.” “Oh, my God, how terrible!” “Yes,” watching her - mrrowly and enjoying her evident angaish. “The ranch burned, as I say, and that leaves me his heir, as he left no will, in fact made no provision for his little adopted daughter.” “His—what?’’ in surprise. “His adopted daughter. Ah, so this is news to you ! Well, it seemed it was a little waif Richard picked up in some Southern city. 1 never knew the particulars, but she is a lovely girl of about seventeen, I should judge. He caled her his daughter, and she never knew that she was not what she seemed until I had the pleasure of informing her that she had no claim whatever legally upon Richard Fairleigh’s fortune.” “Her name?” “Nora, he called her. Nora Fairleigh. ’’ Then that for which he had been half prepared at the beginning of their conversation took place. Miss Isabel Randolph sank back in her chair in a dead faint. “Queer,” ho thought, puzded for once in his life, “that she should faint over his adopted daughter, and take ' his death as calmly as she did. Ab, I she’s coming around.”

She recovered slowly at first, but when his dark, evil face grew plainer, gloating over her misery, she struggled for composure amP< onquered. " The story yon bring is so terrible, it is enough to weaken stronger nerves than mine. Are you quite sure that Richard is dead—have you undoubted proof of that?” “Oh, yes, we have positive proof, and I have possession of his vUn able papers that prove me to be his true heir. Congratulate me, fair cousin, upon my good fortune. ” “I have no congratulations for you. Is your call not at an end? Surely you have told me enough bad news for one visit.” The man laughed, then exclaimed in sudden passion: “Isabel, is there still no hope for me 1 have loved you so long, aud now I am richat last, may I not hope?” “Stop, sir, you do not know how repugnant your words are to me. For the love of heaven, take yourself from my presence.” “I will, and woe betide you, Isabel, for yo ar ch Ring reception of my favor. I will have revenge for everv word so < oldly uttered toward me this day and for all your past rejections. ” And he was gone. When the door closed upon his retreating figure, Is ibel sank upon her knees before her- chair, and slow tears crept through her white fingers. “Oh, my God. how can I bear it!” she murmured. “Richard, my love, my own dear Richard, are you dead? Do yon know all now? Have you learned that it was only my evil cousin Dan, and unfortunate circ Distances that made you doubt me, and—and the little girl you called Nora. I must see her; I must know if—if my suspicions are correct. Dan said he would be revenged. Ah, he little dreamed that the tables might be turned if I chose to show my hand.” When all preliminaries of his b siness had been completed, Dan LeFane went for a last call upon his cousin, but was refused admittance. “You beautiful witch,” he muttered, looking back at her stately home, his dark eyes full of passionate longing and revenge. “Beware! I would crush you as heartlessly as a worm under my heel, and the time ■will come by and by when you shall feel my power. Only to-day I bought the mortgage on your fine home, and before another year yourself and your old father shall be homeless. ” When he boarded the train at the station he noticed carelessly an old lady enter. She wore plain old-fashioned clothing and her hair was snowy white. A heavy veil quite concealed her features. Dan LeFane little dreamed .that at last Nemesis was on his track. CHAPTER VI.

Saw

w<y out ob dese ver mountains. An’ I muss git back. Lor, what’ll her do when dey tell her all bout Nobody knows but Skete, nobody now libin kin toil de whole truf an—an dese yer

WALKERTON, ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, INDI ANA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1887.

i papers,” clapping his black hand to Jus I breast, “J must guard wif my life, old | massa say, an 1 hab. La now wouldn’t ole Jim jist jump es he knew. But he ■ shant nebber know; dat ar is pore ole black Skete’s secret. Nobody shant i ebber find out ’bout em ’cept Miss i Nora. Oh, if de good Lor’ would only ' send some star to lead me back to her i Yes, boss, cornin’, coinin’ right oil', i I got a whole big string ob fish and cocht a wild duck to boot.” “Well, the boys want a good dinner; they’ve got orders from tiie Captain at last, and you’re to stay here alone for the next fortnight and take care of Satan’s Boost.” “Good Lor, yo beant goin’ to leab me here all alone!” cried Skete, beginning to tremble. “ Yes, we are, and you’d batter not stir from the place either, ’cause you’ll lose yer skin es you do Bedskins are thick as snakes, and .they jist love to burn darkies; got a natural grudge ag inst ’em. ” “*>h, oh, oh!” howled Skete, “I don’t wan’t yo’ to leab me here. I’ll die if you do, boss.” The man laughed boisterously. “Not much you won’t; you jist keep yer eyes peeled. I’ve lamed ye how to shoot first rate, and we’ll all be back in less than a week.” Then Jim muttered to himself : “It’s agin the Cap'in’s orders, but 1 can't help that. Every man will be needed in the dangerous undertaking. Skete’s too big a coward to attempt to escape, and if he did he’d never find his way home; that is, not with his wool on.” Tims it happened that Skete was left in charge of the robbers’ stronghold and no trouble apprehended. No sooner were the members of the band quite out of sight than Skete had a double shufe all to himself, and actually stood on his head a second — a feat he had not attempted for the past twenty-five years. “> oily! bress de Lor! Now if Skete ain’t in luck. Stay hero and keep de house, and jes’ wait till you nice, bery nice gentlemen come back! Colly,” snapping his fingers in the direction that they had taken, “if I aint a makin’ tracks ’fore an hour, den 1 am a fool, sure. Oli, hi, yi; de idee ob me waitin’ till dey come back. Now. Miss Nora, honey, Skete’s a coinin’; he may *W.,- ... ■■ i 7^ 1L / ■ ■. ■ V Skete felt a cold body crawl over hit foot. be long while, but he’ll gitdar, oh, yes, honey; he’ll git dar.” Skete made his humble preparations as quickly as possible; he gathered together a small bag of broiled meat and crackers and seized his rifle and the revolvers Jim had thought best to leave h m, as well as a long sharp knife and small dagger he purloined from the outfit of the band. The bag be swung across his shoulder, the knives and revolver be fastened in his belt, the small knife in his breast, and the ride he carried in his hand ready for any emergency. Toor, simple ’ kete. He had heard of the vastnesses of the mountain ranges, of the wide desolate plains, of the dangerous red foe on every side; but he dimly comprehended it all. One idea was firmly fixed in his dull brain, and that was that he must escape and find his beloved mistress; that he must tell her the secret he held, before he died. The da.- was very fair, birds sang in the hemloc’s and pines, flowers hung in festoons from many a scraggy ledge and over many a dangerous chasm, the hardy autumn blossoms that would live until winter’s keen breath put out their sweet li es. S! ete watched the sun as it began to climb high over head. “’Bout noon; guess I’ll take a rest; might not be goin’ jes east if 1 keep on now; wait till de sun begin to go down west, den I kin tell de way. Oh, golly, dis am a nice place for a rest.” Under the shade of a bunch of small mountain-pines Skete crawled, and after a light dinner went soundly to sleep. How long he slept he knew not, but he was suddenly awakened by the sound of voices. Peeping out from his hiding-place, he beheld a party of Indians near, sitting around a fire and chatting amicably together as they smoked their pipes; but as they spoke in the Indian tongue Skete could not understand a word they said. In great terror he drew back his head and remained motionless, hoping to escape detection. The Indians —there were ten of them —appeared to be a hunting party, and they cooked their dinner and ate it leisurely, and appeared to be in no hurry to move on. Poor Skete lay under the shadow of the pines, praying for their departure — his lieart thumping so loudly he wondered they did not hear it. All would have gone well, no doubt, had not Skete felt a cold body crawl over his foot, and, to his indescribable horror, knew it to be a snake. One glance toward its glittering eyes and really large body, and with a yell that startled the Indians, Skete leaped to his feet and jumped away from his little too friendly neighbor. Os course he was now in full view of the Indians, who at once surrounded him. [TO BE CONTINUED] It would seem proper to call the Camden ministers cucumbers, because they double up people so fast. — Philadelphia Herald.

HEN Skete had , been a denizen of Satan’s Boost for more than a week, he began to look about him and to dream of escape. “If eber I could jes slip off; I blebe I could git back to Miss Nora. I blebe I could find my

TARIFF AND SURPLUS. Senator Plumb, of Kansas, Attacks President Cleveland’s Message. The Financial Policy of the Executive Defended by Messrs Beck and Vest. A Lively Discussion of the Tariff Question in the United States Senate. [Washington telegram.l Mr. Allison precipitated a long and lively debate in the Senate, on W ednesday, when he moved the adoption of the ho’'’'v recess resolution. Mr. Plumb was on his’j r ~ ly to pr otest against the proposed recess, which he eaid was against the public interest. Congress would be in session till the dog-days, and during the latter part of the iession the country would be in the midst of a heated Presidential canvass. There was no reason why members of Congress should go home for the holidays. In fact, that was a mere pretense Not one member in a dozen (nt least of those living west of the Ohio River> would go home during the holidays. Ho referred so Mr. Pugh s resolution that. Congress si oakl not adjourn until action was taken for the disposal of the surplus in the Treasury, and said he did not agree with the President in many of his statements in the late annual message, ana he did not at all agree with him in saying that the responsibility of non-action in the matter of the surplus would rest on Congr. ss. The primary responsibility for the present condition of the Treasury rested, he thought, with the Pn sident, who totally disregarded the law which required birr practically, to spend the surplus in the discharge of the National debt. The President's excuse for not doing so was that the provision of law was found in an appropriation bill, and was therefore, in the President's opinion, merely a temporary expedient. He (Plumb) did not know any warrant for the (’resident distinguishing between laws passed by Congress, and saying that one provision of the law vas less mandatory on him than another provision. It did not come with good grace from the President to criticise the particular places where imj ortant provisions of law were found. The President would find that in attempting to do so he would hat ea pretty large contract on his hands, and one which might result somewhat disastrously to him. The President in hismess-qe had omitted to state one important fact -which was that the last C< n;ress passed a law requiring him afliruiatively to pay M .- We,wo a month in the discharge of the public debt, and that the PiesiJmt had nut that bill in bis pocket, thin preventing its becoming a law. Mr. Beck remarked that the President had paid the money out oven faster than that bill required Mr. Plumb regarded that as only another way that the President had for saying that he thought bo could do I etter himself than Congress know how to tell him The Senator from Missouri (Vest) had made the welkin ring all over the State in denunciation of the national banks as the vampires that wer sucking tlie substance of the people. He wondered whether that Senator did not smile to himself—behind the door, perhaps when ho saw a Demvcratio President bring with him into his administra tion as Secretary of the Treasury the president of n national bang, and appoint us Treasurer < f the Cnited States the cashier of another national bank. Mr. Beck said be did not propose to go into a debate in regard to the President s jxilicy on a resolution for a holiday ud> urnment. The resolution was usual, and would probably prevail. But there wire s mo things whi h the country ought to know m e> n noction with the statement made by the Senator from Kansas 1 h i Senator bad not told the country that tho policy of the Uepu lican party, by imposi g and maintaining unnecessarily high taxation, had produced the treasury ampins, aud that that same party w as determined to hold it there or t< waste it in such schemes as tho Republican parfv might desire. The b enator had not told the country that the Republican party had ho nd lusted the debts of the I luted States that they could not be paid paid with the ni< ney thus brought by high taxation into the Treasury unless such premiums were paid to the bondholders as they might demand. Tho policy ol tho Republican party had postponed tho pay merit <>f “250.000,000 of the debt till ixal. and of $740,000,0A) till 1 Ml. The President had paid every dollar of tho 3 yer cent, bonds that w ore payable without paying the premium which tlie bondholders might Bee fit to ask. The Democratic ) arty, headed by the President, was endeavoring to reduce tuxes so that so large a surplus should not come into the Treasury. All that tho President hud sni<l was that it was not a proper thing for him or the Stcretary of the Treasury to do to pay $l3O or Sl5O for every tIOO of the public debt, and that it was the duty of Congress to reduce the taxation of the people down to a point that there would not be a surplus. He thought that the course of tho President and of the Democratic party would bo further vindicated, while it would be i ery bard for gentlemen on the other side to explain why they had kept up taxation to the extent which they had done. Mr. Vest, in reference to what he called Mr. Dolph's solicitude for building up the American marine, called attention to Mr. Cameron s bill in behalf of the Red Mar line of steamships, owned entirely by American capital, and said that not one Republican Senator would record bis vote in favor of that bfll, because they did not propose to touch the infamous navigation laws or male a break in the solid compact which they had made with the f rotected industries of the country by tariff legislation. They feared lest a ere • asse might be created in that long line or protected industries which might result in a deluge. In response to Mr. Plumb’s criticism of the President for vetoing the river and harbor bill, he reminded that Senator that the most virulent attacks upon the bill had come from himself (Plumb', The executive had only acted in the line of the Senator's argument. The President had sharply defined the issue between the two parties, and he (Vest) indorsed that message from beginning to end. If the President had done nothing less than write that message, he hi’d proved himself to bean honest, brave, patriotic man. and worthy of the leadership of any party that ever existed in the history of this country. Mr. Allison, chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, said the House had passed the resolution without even a division. The Senate cm Id not promote the public interests by remaining in session while the House was in its present unorganized condition Revenue measures had to originate in the House of Representatives, and as none would come before the 4tn of January he did not see that-U»e-fqibPp interests could be promoted t>y refusing trio House the adjournment which it asked. Mr. Butler expressed contempt for the disgusting spectacle which the Senate whs presenting—for the affectation and hypocrisy exhibited to-day. There was not a Senator who did not know that all that was said about the Senate remaining in session was absolutely bosh and hypocrisy. It was the idlest, flimsiest, shallowest hypocrisy he had ever witnessed. Mr. Sherman agreed with Mr. Butler that it ■was hardly worth while for the Senate to deny the House" the usual privilege of a holiday adjournment, but he did not agree with him as to the character of to-day’s debate. It had brought to the attention of the Senate the folly of some features of the President’s message, notably the folly of endeavoring to create a scare and alarm about the condition of the country, because (fortunately) there was a surplus "of $55,0.0.00) in the treasury. If it wore true that there was such a "state of alarm, certainly a Democratic House ought not to fidjourn over me holidays. He (Sherman) believed that the language of the President was entirely too strong. It was right and proper for Republican Senators to call attention to the folly of the House of Representatives adjourning without even an organization. The surplus of $55,000,000 was less '.han was in the Treasury at other periods of the present administration. He thought it but reasonable and right that the humbug by which it was sought to frighten the country should be punctured, exploded, or explained away. THE WAR ON WHISKYLocal Option Carried in Nine Michigan Counties. The Prohibitionists are jubilant over tho success attending the local option law. Elections under that law have thus far been held in nine counties of Michigan, every one of which has given an emphatic majority against the saloon. Barry County rolls up a 2,000 majority. The anti-saloon element in Eaton County have called for an election to be held Jan. 24. To the call were attached 4,146 names. lonia County is moving in the matter and will hold an election before Feb. 1.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. Notes on the Lesson for January I—“ Herod and John.” ;From the Chicago Standard. By Kev. J. M. Coon.] The lesson for the above date may be found in the first twelve verses of the fourteenth chapter of Matthew. DAILY HEADINGS. M. A conscience- smitten king. I. Sani, xxviik, 7-30. T. Good versus evil. Prov. xxix., 1-14. W. Swear not at all. Judges xl, 23-40. T. A better audience, Esther v., 1-14. F. Mark’s account. Mark vi., 14-33. & Luke’s narrative. Luke ix, 1-3. S. Herod and Christ. Luke xxul, 1-12. HISTOBICAL. A double murder; Jolin’s decapitation, Herod’s spiritual suicide. John and Herod are the two contrasted characters here. Herod Antipas, governor of Galilee and Pencil under Rome, a quarter-segment of the large domain of Herod the Great, his lather; a weak, but ambitious man, easily 10l to iniquity, hardening his heart, like 1 haraoh, against the truth, the same man who later suffered so severely at the hands of Aretas, his first father-in-law, and in the days of the feast with an added callousness, looked upon the basely-apprehended,cruelly-beaten Christ. Ou the other hand, John, stern, bold, tearless; appearing first an infant at the advent of Jesus; again a prophet at Christ’s entrance upon his ministry; once more a strong, inquiring voice, though stilled in part in the midst of Christ’s mighty works; now finally a martyr to the right, his work done, m Herod’s dungeon. The days of his “decrease” are ended. In Christ is his “increase.” WHAT THE LESSON SAYS. 1 At that time. When Jesus was teaching in “his own country,” near Nazareth of Galilee. Herod the Tetrarch. Herod Antipas, sou of Herod the groat, conceived in sm, his mother but one of the wives of that ruler, Malthake by name, ft is the same Herod of Galilee to whom Pilate sent Christ at his subsequent apprehension. Tetrarch. Ruler of the fourth part, i. a, ot his father’s divided kingdom. Fame. The popular report. What every one was saying about Jesus. 2. Servants. Greek, “boys." His body-slaves with whom ha might talk familiarly and unconventionally. John the Baptist. Doubtless a frequent designation on the King’s lips, as it was a haunting memory in mind and heart. Hixen from the dead. Not yet a pious doc - trine, but a popular superstition. Mighty works. Luther translates with accustomed simplicity “such deeds.” Literally, these powers. 3. Had laid hold. A previous incident John was alrea iy tn prison before Jesus assembled his full apostolic college, and before He began His preaching tour of Galilee. (Matt 11: 2; 6; 11) Hrison. A convenient attachment in those days to every unprincipled court. Herodias. Daughter of Arwtobolus, and gr ind-daughter of Herod the Great, hence her own husband's niece. First married to Herod Philip 1., whom sho ambitiously ami wickedly abandoned for Herod Antipas. Her plots subsequent; v caused her husband’s banishment to Lugdunum (Lyons), where she died m exile. Herod also had a lawful wife living elsewhere; an iniquitous household. 4. John said unto him. A bold, fearless, face-to-face accusation. It is not lawful. Not. by any civilized code; certainly opposed to the Ixvitical statutes to which’ John gave fealty (Lor. 18: 16; 20: 21). The name of Aretas, the father of II r ul's legitimate wife, is mentioned m 2 Cor. 11: 32.

5. He would. Literally, wishing to. Mark states that it was Herodias who desired to I commit the murder, but could not because of Herod’s fear of the people, and also for something of a personal regard on his part’ The woman was hero again first in the transgression, the man trending fa-1, however, upon the heels of iniquity, his sin all the more aggra--1 rated because of his disposition. The multitude. See the scenes about Jordan. .4 prophet. Wo learn from the subsequent events of Matt 21: 26, that the chief priests j and elders also feared the multitude, “for all । held John as a prophet;” that is, a teacher I sent of God. See Christ's conversation wfh । Nicodemus in the days of the latter’s halting | faith. (John 3: 2.) & Herod's birthday. As usual with heathI en potentates, a day of wino and dancing. ; The daughter of Herodias. Salome I y name, ; afterward the wife of her uncle, Herod Philip I. Her very presence at the king’s feast I compromising, and, in .-uch a fashion as sho I came, damning* Pleased Herod. Caught the I momentary fancy of an inebriate. Wine and lasciviousness go well together. The house of drinking is not unusually under the same roof as the house of sin. 7. Promised. Os the origi mil wor d Liddell and Scott say: ‘‘To make an agreement, to come to terms, especially of a surrender.” A I surrender here, sure enough. Oath. Gratu- : itously given in the wild intoxication of the I moment The word orkox, from which this I is translated, was originally identical with erkos —a net, a snare. it was a net spread by the evil one in this case. Whatsoever. Without reservation. It is what Satan expects of all his victims. BRIEF HINTS. Notice as suggested by this lesson: The eventfulness of the gospel annals. Tho tragedies of sacred history. ——The far-ex-tending influence of the Christ-life. The conservation of force and the everlasdngness of good. The instant antagonism 'tw.xt vice | and virtue. How wide-reaching and allabsorbing wickedness is. The ordinary form and manifestation of demoniacal possession. The prophetic element in history. The power of woman for good or ill. The peril of evil associations. The king versus the multitude.—The death of a righteous man, its after-influence. The hazard of the oath. Man’s responsibility for his chosen delights. The baseness of absolutism in government What prison walls might tell The test of faithful discipleship. What Christ said of sin’s hate while in the flesh. LESSON OUTLINE. 1. Vs. 1-2. A haunted throne. Herod’s disordered mind, induced by a' disordered heart, sees reminders of his evil deeds everywhere. 2. Vs. 3-4. A sin-cursed throne. A likeI minded pair, conspicuous for their double I and shameless sinning, sat thereon. 3. Vs. 5-7. A weak and vacillating throne. I The King afraid of the people as well as of i the prophet, and at last capitulating under | the wanton solicitations of a frivolous girl. 4. Vs. 8-9. A demon-possessed throne. There was a she-devil there in the shape of Herodias, a woman like unto Jezebel of old in Ahab’s household. There were Satanic emissaries all around the King io encourage his vicious counsels and propensities. 5. Vs. 10-12. A bloody throne, rd -with the appalling murder of John the Baptist. Weak, sin-cursed, demon-po messed, bloody. No wonder it was a haunted throne thronged with the spectral chafing of a palsied brain. ! Here read Satan’s heritage, here behold the | course of sin in high life. Such life is not ■ ‘’worth living.” BLACKBOARD EXERCISE. Evil Conscience. Good Conscience, Haunted (v. 2). Just (Mark 6: 20). Frring (v. 9). Obedient (Matt. 11 • 2). Ruled of evil (vs. 8-10). Happy (2 Tim. -1:7). Oath-bound (v. 7). Naught-fearing (v. 4). Deadly (v. 11). Which is better? Next lesson, “Feeding the multitude.”— I Matt. 14: 13-21. , To Remove Indentations from Furniture. Wet the indented places well with warm water; then take some brown paper live or six times doubled and well soaked in water, and cover with it the bruises. Then apply to the paper a hot flatiron until tho moisture is evaporated, and if the indentations have not disappeared repeat the application until the whole surface is completely level. Half hardy and tender plants should be taken to the cellar before they are nipped by freezing.

OUR RAILWAYS.

A Summary of the Railroad Construction in the United States for 1887. [Chicago telegram. 1 The Railroad Gazette for this week has ; the following in regard to railroad construe- , tion for 1887: It is an opinion pretty generally held that the railroad building this year will i exceed that of 1882, when 11,568 miles were [ constructed. Naturally opinions differ as to whether the investment has not been , more than the conditions warrant. It is, i however, a reassuring fact that a great I proportion of the new road build- | ing of 1887 is designed and located to develop new business rather than to fight for what exists already or for I retaliation. All along the Western frontier we see the same phenomenon—the old roads reaching out further and further into young territory, and it is a territory of which the contributions to commerce have only begun. In the Northwest, for instance, while it is true that the Montana extension of the Manitoba ! parallels the Northern Pacific, it is ; also true that between the two roads lies a I belt of country from 70 to 150 miles wide j which will before many years support a ■ dense population. In the Southwest the wisdom of extending lines into New Mex- i ico and Arizona is more questionable, but ? the lines now watching the Indian Terri- ! tory are in position to take immediate ad- | vantage of th ■ open! ig of that fertile regiou. Much of the far Western building ! has been and is in obedience to the forces which are pushing the center of gravity . steadily in that direction. The Missouri River for a time furnished a convenient ; and apparently natural stopping-place, but the roads which have crossed into the territory beyond can now fix only an arbitrary terminus. Before them is always a field of possible profit, which they must occupy or their rivals will. In the Southern States the recent great activity has also been something in the nature of an invasion of new territory and brough about by the d velopment of new conditions: but naturally the limit of profitable building there must be quickly reached. A Good .showing for the Northwest. [St. Paul special.] There has been an unprecedented amount of railroad building in 1887 by all the wads in the Northwest. There is scarcely a system that has not pushed its autenna> further one into the wilderness. The Manitoba has built the most road, its total being 912 miles, and the ‘‘Soo” system comes next with 428. Os the 3,524 miles of new road enumerated below, about half is in country tributary to the Twin Cities. Besides this there has been about 500 miles of road-bed prepared ready lor the iron next year. The list is as follows: Miles. I Miles. Manitoba 912 Northwestern 136 “Soo" Line 428 Omaha 34 Illinois Central ... 387 Wisconsin Central 34 Milwaukee 321 St. Pnul A imluth. 15 Elkhorn 358 tt Louis 1J Northern Pacific... 311 Kansas City 306 Total 3,534 South Shore 204 CONSULAR REPORTS. Some Interesting Facts About the Agricultural and Manufacturing Indus- । tries of Europe. Edmund Jussen, Consul General at Vienna, has transmitted to the Department of State at Washington certain data gathered from the reports of the international seed and grain convention recently held in that city. In Austria-Hungary the yield of wheat for the year 1887 is estimated at 177,000,000 bushels, an increase of nearly 25 per cent, over the average yield of that country, while 185,000,000 bushels is the estimated yield of rye, also a considerable increase. The crop of oats, however, is hardly sufficient to cover the home demand. In Russia rice has yielded an average crop; barley is of excellent quality, but the crop of oats is poor, and the • prospect of potatoes not verv promising. । In the Scandinavian country the average amount of wheat is produced, but rye and oats fell far below the average. The wheat crop of Italy is poor, and the important demand of the country will amount to about 30,000,000 bushels. The corn crop is above the average, and the country will have a surplus for export. The wheat crops of Switzerland and Holland are above the average, while that of northern Russia is below. The wheat crop of France is large, but a considerable quantity of wheat must be imported to meet the home demand, as the quantity in store is very limited. In Great Britain and Ireland an average wheat crop is expected. The | total yield is estimated at from 9,500,0 90 to 10,000,000 quarters, so that after deducting the seed, 8,500,000 to 9,000,000 quarters will be left for home consumption, and the importation from 16,500,000 to 17,000,000 quarters will be required. In British India the yield of wheat for 1887 is estimated at 6,390,1.95 tons. From January 1 to June 30, 1887, British India exported to Europe 9,679,516 hundred weight of wheat. Consul J. Schoenhof, at Tunstall, England, reporting on the economic conditions of Ireland, treats upon the linen, hosiery and I^‘e manufactures of that country. He finds that the earnings of the people employed in the linen mills of Ulster are far [ below those of any class employed in the textile branches in England, mill regulations and working time being the same. The Consul reports that the linen trade suffers from depression, due partly to the fact (hat not so much 1 nen is used, owing to the cheapness of cotton, and partly also because the use of brown linen for ladies’ dress has ceased through change of fashion, but principally through the great reaction following the immense expansions in the wake of the Ameri an war and the cotton famine consequent thereto. The Consul says that with the advantages of cheap labor and great eagerness for finding opportunities to work all over Ireland, with an intelligent population, quick to take up and learn all manipulations to which they are sit, and with the excellent quality of the wool which the Irish sheep produce, one would expect to find quite a flourishing industry there. But there are no more than half a dozen prosperous mills in all Ireland, employing in all but a few thousand hands, and a great many mills are closed up for want of orders. RUSSIA DISTRUSTED. Fears that the Muscovite AV ar Party Will Provoke a Conflict. If war early in the spring is averted official ant.cipation will be deceived and military expectation disappointed, says a Berlin dispatch. Within the last few days it has become the settle ! conviction of the diplomatic circles that the Czar’s pacific tendencies have been overborne by the Pan-Slav-ist faction, and that he is now under the control of the war party, the leaders of which are likely to precipitate a war by some actof provocation committed without the Czar’s full assent.

NUMBER 30,

INDIANA STATE NEWS.

—Patents have been granted Indiana inventors as follows; George E. and M. H. Baker, Elkhart, fire kindler; John E. Cleveland, Indianapolis, wire-stretcher; Aller^ll. Gleason, Wabash, button fastenI ing m..chine; Spencer Lewis, Boundary, I assignor to Lake Huron Stone Company, | Detroit, grindstone frame; Nathan 11, i Long, Muncie, automatic gate; John Murray, Fort M ayne, device for working upright folding-beds; John G. Shafer, Clay I City, kitchen cabinet; Marnia hike M. M. j Slatteiy, Woburn, Mass., assignor of onehalf to Foit Wayne Electric Light Com- । pany, Fort Wayne, cut-out for electrical i distribution apparatus. —The old gas well on the DePauw ' properly, in Harrison County, is being I cased with galvanized iron piping, the old i pipe having rusted out by the action of the salt water. It is stimated that there is now a 30tl-pound pressure of gas at the well, and it is thought that arrangements will be made to utilize the gas in the manufacture of salt, as there is an abundant supply of brine, the intention being to utilize the gas for fuel. —The tenth well drilled at Marion for natural gas developed an immense flow of ! oil, the. flow being accelerated by the ' force of the gas. The oil is thrown to the I height of eighty feet, and the adjacent . territory is drenched. The well will be allowed to spout until it is ascertained whether or not the flow is permanent. From five hundred to a thousand barrels is the estimate of the flow. —The State Board of Health has received a communication from Dr. Moore, health officer of Warren County, stating that George W Brown, of Thomas Station, in that county, has recently died of glanders. He had some horses that were affected with the disease, and took it from them. The matter is exciting much anxiety in the neighborhood, as many horses have been exposed. —A sickening accident occurred near St. John, a hamlet in Warrick County, which resulted in the death of Reginald Fellow. Fellow was engaged in hauling sawlogs, ■ and while driving through the woods one of the front wheels of the wagon went into a hole, throwing him and the log from the wagon. He fell first and the log rolled over him, crushing his form into an almost shapeless mass. —A team of horses owned by D. IL McKinnej’ was killed at Marion under peculiar circumstances. One of the natural-gas arches was torn down by a passing load of straw, and the electric light wire, which was attached, dropped to the street. McKinney’s team, following a few minutes later, stepped on the charged wire and both horses fell dead from the shock. —A new bank, to be known as the German National Bank, will be opened in Vincennes soon. The principal movers are Messrs. Christian Hoffman, E. Bierhaus A Sons, Edward "Watson, Wm. and i Ernest Baker, Louis Meyer, Dr. G. IL Alsop, A. S. Heinekamp, Selman Gimbel, and Gerard Reiter. —The funeral of the late J. F. Studebaker was the largest ever held in South Bend, notwithstanding the excessively cold weather. The factories all closed for the day out of respect to the memory of the deceased, who was the youngest of the four Studebaker brothers comprising the great wagon firm. —Jack Macy, a brakeman, was killed at Danville, while attempting to step from a coal car to a flat. A lump of coal turned under his foot and he was thrown between the moving cars, the wheels of the flatcar passing over him and almost severing his head from his body. Macy lives at Terre Haute. ■ —James Longsdorff, a farmer living four miles east of Valparaiso, while walking home on the track of the Fort Wayne Railroad, was struck by a passenger train and so badly injured that he is thought to be dying. He leaves a wife and several children in comfortable circumstances. —A Board of Trade has been organized at Hartford City, having for its object the up-building of the city and the accumulation of substantial manufactories. Fifteen leading citizens of the city were elected as a Board of Directors, and the organization started upon a substantial basis. —M illie Hapner, aged G years, son of William P. Hapner, living at Union City, fell into the steaming vat at Hook Biou’ Butter-tub Factory, and before he could be rescued he was so adly scalded that he ; died soon afterward. He was literally i cooked alive. I —Peter Apgar, freight conductor of the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago Kai road, fell dead of heart disease in the yard at New Albany. He was go ng to order his train out, when he dropped dead. Deceased was 45 years old, and leaves . a widow. —Kev. M. B. McKinsey, of Frankfort, who has been holding a revival at Mt. Olivet Church, near Crawfordsville, baptized two young ladies, twins, at the same time, one with his right hand, and one with his left. This was the request of the young ladies. —ln 1848 a perpetual charter was given to the Council Grove Minute Men by the i Legislature, and the meetings are still ' held yearly. Council Grove is in the ! southwestern part of Tippecanoe County, near Shawnee Mound. —The 3-year-old son of Kiter Bill, living near Tipton, fell into a kettle of boilj ing lye, and was burned in a horrible manner. He was a mass of unrecognizable flesh when taken from the kettle, and died in fearful agony. —The Coroner's jury at Vincennes has rendered a verdict in the case of the tragic death of Miss Standfield, to the effect that she suicided by shooting. —The Madison County Orphan Home has been found to be more of a prison than a protection. The unfortunate children are tortured worse than criminals, and the people have begun an investigation. —Peter Cordeway was found near Columbia City in the woods, dying from a gun-shot wound accidentally received while hunting rabbits. —The body of Oliver Cardwell, who committed suicide at Indianapolis, has been stolen from the grave in Greenlawn Cemetery.