St. Joseph County Independent, Volume 22, Number 25, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 9 January 1897 — Page 2

A < SINGULAR < GUEST,

HENRY APPS of Hexton completed the fixing of the wires on the lawn of Hasleigh court. He looked up at the dim light in the dressing room and chuckled softly as he beut the last yard of wire. “A trip in time,” said Mr. Apps, ‘loaves nine.” He threw the rope ladder gently in the air. and at the first effort caught the projecting nail. ‘“Once on board the lugger,’” quoted Mr. Apps, facetiously, as he mounted the rope ladder, “ ‘and the gurl is mine.’ ” He opened the window very gently and soon stood inside the dressing room. Near the table in the corner of the room was an iron safe. “Well, Pm jiggered!” exclaimed Mr. Apps. He loosened the flaps of his fur cap ami wiped his brow with the back of his hand. “Well, I’m jiggered! If they ’aven't been and left the key in it for me.” “I might ’ave sived myself a lot of trouble if I'd a-knowed.” Mr. Apps swung open the heavy door of the safe and listened to the music downstairs. Young Lady Staplehurst was giving (as Mr. Apps very well knew) a dance, a fancy dress dance, on her return from the continent, after her term of widowhood. “I’ll just see, first of all.” he said, “that the coast is clear, ami then —then for a bagful.” Henry Apps stepped out into the j broad passage. He slouched with his jimmy sticking out of his capacious side pocket a few steps fowl'd the stairs. ( Suddenly a girlish figure turned the corner. I “Bless my ’art!” cried Mr. Apps. “Why, how do you do?” said the , young lady, stepping forward. । She gave a soft laugh that was very plensant. “Do you know that I recog- ( nlzed you at once in spite of the cos- ( tume?” She held the hand of Mr. Apps for a ( moment, causing that gentleman to gasp for breath, and called one of the maids. 1 “Just bring me a pencil and a card,” j ■he said. "I must arrange for a ear- t riage to take Captain Norman back to < Ms hotel in the morning. I wasn’t sure ( that he would come.” > “I can walk,” remarked Mr. Apps, with restored self-possession. “I won't hear of It. When shall we ■ay, now?” , “Say In an hour’s time,” said Mr. Apps. “I can go upstairs again alone, change my togs and do all I want to.” “And can’t you stay longer?” She gave the card to the maid and or- i dered it to be dispatched at once. “I’ve got a busy night before me,” i urged Mr. Apps. exeusingly. i He thought of his dog waiting on the ‘ lawn, and feared it might give an inopportune bark. Besides, the safe was 1 ■till open and the diamonds were wait- 1 tag for him. He had noticed with sat- ( ^faction that Lady Staplehurst was I wearing none. “You were always an active man, cap- * tain.” i “Always a-doing something.” agreed Mr. Apps. “If it isn’t one thing it’s another.” He shook his head reflectively. “1 often wonder I don’t write a book about it all.” “I don’t believe you will know anybody here, Captain Norman,” she said, as the. walked downstairs, “but 1 j couldn’t help sending you a card, seeing how friendly we were on the Feehawur. Do you remember those evenings on deck in the Red Sea?” She was really a very tine young worn- , an, and in her costume she looked extremely well. “Do I not?" said Mr. Apps. with much fervor. “Shall 1 ever forget cm / “And then the journey from Brindisi, you know; and the funny little German —you remember him?” “He was a knockout, that German was.” “And the girl who played the banjo, and ” “It was great,” agreed Mr. Apps, “great.” The large ballroom was very full. A small covey of brightly dressed young people flew toward the young hostess to complain of her temporary absence from the room, and a broad-shouldered gondolier shook hands with her and took up her card with something of an air of proprietorship. “I thought I had left the key in the—excuse me.” The young hostess took back her card from the gondolier. “I am engaged to Captain Norman. You don't know him? Allow mo.” “Pleased to meet you,” said Henry Apps. “’Ow’s the world using you?” “That's an original costume of yours, Captain Norman,” remarked the gondolier. “I don’t know that I’ve over seen anything so daringly real before.” “Well, wot of it?” demanded Mr. Apps with sudden aggressiveness. “Wot’s the odds to you wot I like to wear? You needn’t think you are “Captain Norman,” interrupted the young hostess laughingly, “you mustn t overdo the part. Look here. I’ve put your name down for this waltz, but if you like we’ll sit it out—that is, if you .promise to keep up that diverting east

end talk. I like it. Do you think we can manage to do so?” “Ra-ther,” said Mr. Apps. “And it is a capital make-up, Captain Norman,” she went on. “Do you know that at first, just for one moment, I thought you were a real burglar?” “Fancy that, now,” said Mr. Apps. He was relieved at seeing an obvious way out of his difficulty. “There’s nothing like doing the thing in proper, strlteforward w’y.” “Ami,” said Lady Staplehurst, with her fan on her arm as she walked across the room, “you have got the east end accent capitally.” “'Tatn-’t-so diiMty, | H h?” _ . . She beckoned to the gondolier.

“Captain Norman and I are great friends,” she said, In an explanatory way. “He has not been long home from abroad, and he knows scarcely anyone.” “Not a blessed soul,” echoed Mr. Apps. “You must, let me show you around a bit, Captain Norman,” said the gondolier. with determined gentility. “Can you come around to my club one night this week?” “Whaffor?” demanded Mr. Apps suspiciously. “Why, to dine. Say, Thursday.” “ ’Evens knows where I shall be on Thursday,” said Mr. Apps. “I don’t.” “You must consider me at your disposal if you require any introductions. I know a lot of good people, and to any friend of Lady Staplehurst ” “Oh, come off the roof.” said Mr. Apps, with much discontent. “Wat’s the use of forklng." "Isn't It capital?” asked Lad}' Staplehurst of the gondolier delightfully. “How much more interesting It would be if everyone would only talk to me in their character.” Lady Staplehurst arose with something of haste in her manner and spoke to Henry VIII. “What regiment do you Isdong to, Captain Norman?” asked the gondolier. “Find out," said Mr. Apps. “Am I too curious? I know very little of the army, I am afraid.” The gondolier was resolved to be agreeable to Lady Staplehurst’s friend. “I always dodge the army nights in the house. I suppose you know several of the service members?” “I know as many of them as I want to know,” said Mr. Apps. evasively. "A man in my position in life ’as to be a bit careful who he mixes up with." The hostess returned from Henry VIII. "I can make nothing out of this man.” whispensl the gondolier to her, as he arose. “I think he’s silly.” “If you knew his qualities you wouldn't speak of him like that.” She resumed her scat by the side of Henry Apps. “Well, blow me!" said lardy Staplehurst, screwing her pretty mouth In her effort to imitate the cockney's accent; “blow me if this ain't a fair take, I mean tike dahn,” she laughed. “It’s of no use, Captain Norman, I can't talk as you can." “It's a gift,” said Mr. Apps, “that's what it Is." “You don't want to lie introduced to anybody here, I suppose?" “Not me.” “You have heard ” She pointed in the direction of the gondolier. “All I want to." “He's really making a big name in the house, you know. I watch iris career with great interest.” "Thinks a jolly lot of bisself.” "Oh, I think a lot of him, too," remarked Lady Staplehurst pleasantly. “And is that a jimmy sticking out of your jacket pocket? This is Indeed realism. You don’t know how it works, I suppose?” "Well, I've got a kind of hidea,” said Mr. Apps. "Lookee 'ere. You put this in and ” Mr. Apps found himself getting quite excited in the explanation that he gave. It was a new sensation to meet one who showed an intelligent interest in his profession, and he could not help feeling flattered. Looking up, he saw the gondolier gazing at him. “ ’E don’t look ’appy, that chap,” said Mr. Apps. "Will you excuse me for one moment?” "Wot are you up to, miss?” he said a pp reh ens 1 v el y. “I want to speak to him.” “Oh” (with relief). "I don’t mind that.” While Lady Staplehurst was making the gondolier resume his ordinary expression Mr. Apps thought and thought. The couples promenading after the waltz looked curiously at him. “It’s the rummiest show you was ever in, ’Enry,” said Mr. Apps; “you're hiving ’em on toast, you are; but you’ll be 1 gled to get upstairs agen. You want them diamonds, that’s wot you want. . Time means money to you, ’Enry.” Lady Staplehurst hurried toward the > doorway. A murmur of amusement ’ went through the room as the guests ? saw a new arrival in the costume of a t police constable, accompanied by a man t in plain clothes. Mr. Apits, thinking f over his exploit, gazing abstractedly at i his boots, regretting their want of polt ish, did not see them until the plain

clothes man tapped him on the shoulder. “What, Apps again?” exclaimed the man. “Yus,” said the burglar, discontentedly. “Yus, it’s Apps again, Mr. Walker. And vurry glad you are to see him, I’v e no daght.” “Always a pleasure to meet a gentleman like you,” said Mr. Walker, cheerfully, as he conducted him toward the doorway. "I’ve wanted to run up against you before.” Much commotion in the ballroom at the diverting little scene. General agreement that Lady Staplehurst was a perfect genius at entertaining. “But, loveliest girl,” said the gondolier confidently to Lady Staplehurst, “isn’t this carrying a joke rather too far? That’s a real detective.” “I know," said the loveliest girl, trembling now a little. ‘“Fhat’s a real burglar, too.” “A real ” “Yes, yes. Don't make a fuss. I don’t want the dance spoiled. Take me down to supper, like a good fellow.”—London Tit-Bits. What Franklin Accomplished. Lord Jeffrey wrote of the American' Inventor and philosopher, “He never lost sight of common sense.” Philip G M ’ “HUbert, Jr., tn a sketch of rranklln lir his recent book, “Inventors,” says;' “Nothing in nature failed to interest him,” and a catalogue of his achieve-, ments, showing his activity and resource, is conclusive proof of the tfuth of both statements: Franklin Inspired and established the* Junto, the pleasantest and most useful American club of which we have konwledge. He founded the Philadelphia library, parent of a thousand libraries, which marked the beginning of an Intellectual movement of endless good to the whole country. He first turned to great account the engine of advertising, indispensable In all modern business. He published "Poor Richard,” a record of homely wisdom, in such shape that hundreds of thousands of readers were made Ixffter and stronger by It He created the |>ostotHee system of America, and was the first champion of a reformed spelling. He Invented the Franklin stove, which economized fuel, and he suggested valuable improvements in ventilation and the building <>f chimneys. He robbed thunder of its terrors, and lightning of some of its power to destroy.

He founded the American Philosophical Society, the first organization In America of the friends of science. He miggcwted the use of mineral manures, Intnsiuced the basket willow, promoted the early culture of silk, and l>ointed out the mlvautages of white clothing In summer. He measured the temperature of the Gulf Stream, and discovered that northeast storms may begin in the southwest. He pointoil out the advantage of building ships In water light compfl^^* ments. taking the hint from ths Chinese. ami first urged the use of oil aa?a means of quieting dangerous wax. i Besides these great achievements, accomplished largely as recreation from his life-work as eronomlst amj statesman, Benjamin Franklin helped the whole nice of inventors by a remark that has Iwen of Incalculable value and comfort to theorists and dreamers the world over. When some one spoke ('ontomptuously of Montgolfier’s Imllooti experiments, and asked of what use they were, the great American replhM tn words now historic, "Os what use is a new-born babe?" Must Be an Astrologer. Ignorant people think that an astronomer is also an astrologer. Sir John Herschel once reieived a letter asking him to cast the writer s horoscope. Another letter-writer requested the distinguished astronomer to consult the stars and answer these two questions: "Shall I marry?” ami "Have I seen her?" Maria Mitchell records in her journal that on an Atlantic steamer an Irishwoman, learning that she was an astronomer. asked her what she could tell. Miss Mitchell answered that she could tell when the moon would rise, when the sun would rise, and when there would be an eclipse of the moon or of the sun. “Oh!" exclaimed the disappointed woman, in a tone which plainly said: "Is that all?” She expected to have her fortune told. Once in a town not far from Boston, ' during a very mild winter, a lad, driving a team, called out to Miss Mitchell on the street, saying: "I want to ask you a question. Miss Mitchell!” Shle stopped. He aske>l. "Shall we lose ouir ice crop this winter?” The Great Khan of Tartary. The personal appearance of the Grert Khan, as described by Marco, was £ 8 follows; “He is of good stature, neither tall nor short, but of middle height. EJe has a becoming amount of flesh, aqd is very shapely in all his limbs. Ills complexion is white and red, the eyes black and fine, the nose well formed and well set on.” But the portrait of Kublai Khan, drawn by a Chinese artist, does not exactly correspond with the pen portrait given here by Marco. We know also, from Marco’s own narrative, that the Emperor was subject to gout in his later life, and we are led to infer that he was rather corpulent, as he is represented in the drawing given by the Chinese artist.—St. Nicholas. When sound can go but in only one direction it travels far. An old well at Cerisbrook castle, Isle of Wight, is 182 feet deep. On a still day a pin can be heard to strike the water. Not for thirty years has the Birmingham tinplate trade been in so prosperous a state.

failures of a year statistics of commercial COLLAPSES IN 1896. Number of Failures for 1800 Has Been Larger than in Any Previous Year Except 1803-Figures from Dun's Review Are Correct. Business Disasters. Commercial authorities state that the number of failures for 1896 has been larger than in any previous year excepting 1893, and about 14,890, against 13,197 last year, and that the aggregate defaulted commercial liabilities alone have been about $224,700,000, against $173, 1196,0(>0 last year, an increase in number Jof about 12 per cent, and in liabilities of about 29 per cent. This report would be more disheartening if the comparison of failures by months did not show that over $36,000,000 of the increase was in the two mouths of extreme political agitation —August and September and was Ldue to conditions which happily passed With tle’Se months. With about 21 per cent, increase thus explained, the remouing increase of less than 9 per cent, ^es not appear great. While the returns ^or December are not yet exact, the his- ‘ yof the year’s commercial disasters her wise correctly stated in the fol1896. 1895. i January $21,735,743 $15,336,804 February 13,130,451 11,994,268 March 22.558,941 20,482,611 April 12,487,697 10,966,459 May 12,296,348 10,227,606 June 15,660,508 19,832,196 July 15,501,095 10,443,198 August 28,008,637 10,778,399 September .... 29,774,917 10,955,652 October 14,880,266 15,386,750 November .... 12.700,856 12,150,329 December 26,000,000 24,651,858 For the last quarter of 1893 the figures nre: October $28,167,814 November 16,202,802 December 19,654,171 The comparison with returns of the closing months of 1893 has not heretofore been published, as the reporting force at all the offices had not then become sufficiently famHiar with the improved method to insure entire accuracy, but as now printed the returns are substantially correct. The manufacturing failures in that quarter were al«mt $27,505,355 in amount and the trading about $30.515,365, with $6,004,067 of brokers and other commercial concerns. The manufacturing failures by months are separately shown as follows: 189(5. 1895. January $8,5.85.(596 $3,308,905 February .... 5.502,30.8 3,904.779 March 9,419.322 13,010,307 April 15.(552.521 4.520,649 May 4.624.228 3,400,901 June 8.209,984 12.156,408 July 7,568,940 2,866,517 August 13,100.249 4,131.488 September ... 11,810.007 5.207,110 October 6.939.394 6.801,941 November .. . 4,659,615 4.247.983 December ... 11,200,000 10.263,085 For the last quarter of 1893: October $12,916,660 November 6.223,447 Ihiviulwr 8,365,248 Tb«» trading failures by months: IsThi tnnr.. Janmirv . ..$12,112,629 $11.225.899 February .... 6,(506,076 7.430.4.89 Mandi 12.675.607 6.834.041 April 5.529.745 (>.316.710 May 7,094,767 6.142,205 June 7.324.786 7.231.021 July 6,906^385 6,704,539 August 9.056.008 (5,266.811 September . . . 12.775.874 5.458,7(57 October 7,416,822 8.280,18.8 November .... 7.180,238 6,987.043 December.... 13.500,000 13.828,679 For the last quarter: October $11,952,551 November 7,699,174 DiM'ember 10,863,640 In ISIM the January failures reached $32,319,232, a higher aggregate than in any other month for three years, because the yearly settlements brought home disaster to many who had been weakened by the panic of 1893. Thore followed a swift decline in magnitude of liabilities, and throughout 1894 the range was comparatively low, l>oth in manufacturing ami in trading, and it did not greatly change until December it reached $22,895,953, in which month a considerable rise nearly every year precedes the nnnua! settlements. In 1895 the failures following such settlements wore unusually low, and th.' range would again have been low through most of the year except for specially large manufacturing failures in two months, May and .Line, which included the Cordage Company for nearly $10,090,000, the Walter Wood Harvester Company and the Manning brewery. The December rise was slightly greater than in 1894. ami subsequent failures in January indicated that the wrecks had been less thoroughly cleared away.

This year the marked rise in March was directly traced to the fact that several large manufacturing and two large dry goods houses had failed to distribute goods produced or purchased in 1895, and the subsequent decrease promised a fair summer record when there came the political agitation and alarm already men tioned. This disturbance affected manu factoring concerns first and most largely, though others of importance afterward suffered. The ratio of liabilities to all firms in business is about 30 per cent, smaller than in the third quarter with its disastrous excitement, although slightly larger than in the fourth quarter of last year. This raises the average for the year about 30 per cent, above last year's, but not near to that of 1893 or some earlier years of misfortune. The ratio of defaulted liabilities to payments through clearing houses, which are taken as roughly representing the volume of solvent business, was in the fourth quarter $3.77 to SI,OOO, against $3.46 in the same quarter of last year, but $6.06 in the previous quarter of political alarm. This makes the ratio for the entire year $4.37, which has been surpassed since 187 S only in the years 1884 and 1893. Compared with last year the increase is nearly a third, although most of the excess occurred, as has been shown, in only two months. Besides the commercial failures, as above reported, there were 195 failures of banks during the year, with liabilities closely approximating to $50,000,000. For the year 1895 there were 132 failures,

but the aggregate of liabiiities wm only $20,710,210. The railroad receiverships during the year 1896 embrace 4,559 miles, with stock issues amounting to $73,397,800 and bonded and other indebtedness amounting to $153,252,724. The bonded indebtedness was slightly larger than in 1895, but the stock very much smaller. SWEPT BY A BLIZZARD. Many Western Mates Are Ftruck by a Furions Storm. Press dispatches tell of a furious bliz-' zard which has swept over almost the entire Northwest. The visitation has also extended to the Southern States, where it manifested itself as a tornado and drenching rainstorm. In Nebraska the storm was accompanied by heavy snow with the thermometer at zero. Telegraphic reports from the extreme western section of the State, where most of the suffering would occur during a blizzard, indicate that little snow has fallen. It is in the western counties where several lives were lost during the great Nebraska blizzard in trying to reach their homes. In Western Missouri, throughout Kansas and in the territories trains were delayed by snow drifts. A fall of about forty degrees has been experienced at most points. Reports from 100 Minnesota and North and South Dakota points indicate that it Jias been the greatest storm of the winter. In Northern Minnesota it snowed steadily for twenty hours. At Niles, Mich., for seventy-two hours rain fell steadily, and fears were entertained that a repetition of the famous flood which occurred eight years ago would take place. In Northern Illinois rain fell almost incessantly for sixty hours, and the mercury was steadily above fifty degrees. All vegetation was pushing forward, and it is almost positively certain that if the mercury drops below zero within a weekthere will be wholesale destruction of wheat and fruit prospects. The greatest suffering from the storm in Arkansas is reported at Benton, where half a dozen small frame houses were demolished and several freight cars standing at the station were overturned. Several persons were more or less injured and many had narrow escapes and thrilling experiences, but no fatalities occurred. The storm was severest in the southern portion of the State, and it is not unlikely that casualties occurred in some of the numerous lumber camps in that section. All the towns between Little Rock and Texarkana suffered more or less damage, and reports from the country give several instances of damage to farm houses and cabins. The relief train of the Kansas City, Shreveport and Gulf arrived in Shreveport. La., from Morringsport, the scene of Saturday’s severe storm, bringing in the wounded. Two of the four Goodman children killed were found 100 yard* from their home with their clothes stripped from their liodies. which were bruised and mangled. The pat* of the storm was narrow and short, but terrific in destructiveness. The body of a man who was blown from the bridge has been recovered, but is not identified. A man whose name is not given is missing. It is believeil he was killed, but the body has not been found. A number of women visited the hospital a id provided garments for the injured. The most disastrous wreck that has occurred in Missonri for years happened near New Haven. The Missouri Pacific trm k is built on the bank of the river most of the way to St. Louis. At tho point whiTe the wreck occurred the small streams from the wn-a w»Hhed out ’load, and when freight No. 128 was passing this place the track gave way, the engine sinking in the river and eighteen . ars follow ing. The killed are: J. G. I;vans, engineer; Fred Hanekap, fireman; James McGuire, head brakeman. A number of other trainmen are reported seriously injured. Two carloads of mules went down in the wreck, besides a large amount of freight.

SUICIDE OF A BANKER. W. A. Hammond, of National Bank of Illinois, Kills Himself. William A. Hammond, second vice president of the National Bank of Illinois, ended his life in the Evanston waters of Lake Michigan at day break Saturday. Six hours later the waves threw his dead body upon the shore. The body of the banker was found half n mile north of the pier, where the shore current and a southeast gale had carried it. Mr. Hammond had been charged with wrecking the National Bank of Illinois.-of which he was the active manager, by his heavy finan* jg N $ WiF Sl] W. A. HAMMOND. cing of tlie Calumet Electric Railway, and other schemes, with bank funds. The shame and wrong of his position since the failure of the bank are believed to have unbalanced his mind and driven him to suicide. Mr. Hammond was 45 years old. In 1883 he married Miss Ida Strong. They have four children. Mr. Hammond began learning the banking business as a clerk in the National Bank of Illinois, when that concern iVns first organized. He obtained his situation on the strength of his personal connections and the good reputation he enjoyed iu society. His father was the Rev. H. L. Hammond, one of the best-known Congregational clergymen. Gradually he rose from clerk to paying teller, to assistant cashier, to cashier, and finally to second vice president. For several years past the control of the bank was largely in his hands, as President Schneider grew too old to be active in the management. It was expected that Mr. Hammond would succeed President. Schneider as the head of the institution. Th£ directors of the Butler & Pitsburg Railroad met at Pittsburg and passed a resolution in favor of amalgamating with the Pittsburg, Shenango and Lake Erie to form the Pittsburg, Bessemer and Lake Erie Road. T1 combination will have a capital of <,11.000,000. Messrs. Moody and Sankey are to hold a series of revival services in Cincinnati.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE . LESSON. Reflections of an Elevating Character —Wholesome Food for Thought— Studying the Scriptural Lesson In-' telligently and Profitably. Lesson for January 10. Golden Text—“ They were all filled with* the Holy Ghost.”—Acts 2: 4. The Holy Spirit is the subject of this lesson. Acts 2: 1-13. After the ascension the apostle returned to Jerusalem, as we read in the last lesson, and re-' mained in a “protracted meeting” in th® upper room with other disciples, both men and women. This meeting lasted ten days. During this time Peter brought up the subject of appointing some one tofill the vacancy in the twelve caused by the apostasy and suicide of Judas, and to he with the eleven a witness of the resurrection. From the two candidates brought forward, Matthias was chosen by lot, and from that time ranked as oneof the apostles. At the end of the ten days’ prayer meeting came Sunday, May 28, according to the usual reckoning, which was the time of one of the three Jewish feasts. Explanatory. “The day of Pentecost.” Pentecost is the Greek for “fifty.” It was the name applied in Christ’s time to the harvest or first fruits feast held seven weeks and one day after the Passover. See Lav. 23: 15-21 and Dent. 16: 9-12. This “feast of weeks” was not unlike the feast of tabernacles which came in the autumn, except that the latter lasted a week, and was celebrated in booths erected in the open air. Both, however, were joyful festivals, as contrasted with the more sober passover. All three of these great annual feafets commemorated, according to the record, the escape of the Israelites from Egypt. “They were all filled with the Holy Ghost:” we can understand nothing less than that a new power took possession of them, quite distinct from that produced by their love for Christ or their faith in God the Father; nor can we understand this power to be a mere influence, an exalted state of mind produced by long fasting and meditation and united prayer. Nothing of the sort can explain the events that followed. Only the coming of a person, bringing the power of the absent Christ and of the Father to the waiting disciples, can be described in this account. “Other tongues;” that is, tongues other than their own, the Aramaic and the Greek. Many difficult questions surround this miraculous occurrence. Some think that the gift was not a temporary one, and that the linguistic powers thus acquired were of service to the disciples in their future missionary labors. A “gift of tongues” is mentioned in the first epistle to the Corinthians, which seems to have been an ecstatic utterance in strange languages. Paul gives directions for its proper exercise and regulation (1 Cor. 14). It is difficult for us to see how such unintelligible utterances could edify others, and indeed Paul makes this criticism (1 Cor. 14: 4). The gift of tongues at Pentecost, however, whether connected or not with the later phenomens. w«s of immediate and obvious titlue, in calling the attention of the multitude in Jerusalem to this little band of fanatics in the upper room. When they heard the disciples proclaiming the praises of a Messiah who had lived, died, and risen again, it was to them not an idle tale, but “the wonderful works of God,” w'hich they were almost ready to believe without further proof. Others smiled scornfully as they watched the shouting men, and, not unnaturally, concluded that they were intoxicated.

Teaching Hints. The disciples were prepared for the coming of the Spirit by their long waiting in prayer. They were prepared to continue that waiting as long as might be necessary, for they well knew, from Jesus' last words, that they could accomplish nothing without that mysterious Spirit whose nature; and work they but dimly understood. The church of today often fails to comprehend the absolute necessity for the presence of the Spirit in any work that it attempts. The manifestation of the Spirit’s presence was threefold —the soul of a great wind, signifying energy; fire, signifying purification power; and tongues, signifying speech, communication, preaching, the spreading abroad of the good news. The symbols indicate the chief offices of the Spirit; the purification and consecration of the believer, his endowment w T ith the ability to tell others of Christ, and the power which accompanies and confirms his utterances and brings about marvelous results. Though at Pentecost the coming of the Spirit was attended with these wonderful outward signs, it is no longer so. The Spirit convicts men of sin, silently but surely leads them to the Savior, and then prepares them for usefulness. It is idle for us to expect to receive the Spirit in any such miraculous way, or even in a way that will startle us. He comes into the heart when Christ comes, and works within us from the first, but with increasing power as we drive out more and more of self. In teaching the lesson to children, we must confine ourselves to the symbols. Any attempt to define the metaphysical relation of the Spirit to the Father and the Son will be wholly beyond the grasp of the little people. Explain to them that the disciples, though they continued to believe in the Christ who had gone from them, were not ready to go out and tell men about him because their own hearts were not full enough of love and faith and confidence in the power of God. So he sent his Spirit, his power, into their hearts, to make them strong and willing to work. Next Lesson—“A Multitude Converted.” Acts 2: 32-47. Faith. There can be no real unbelief, for whoever believes in the steadfastness and reliability of the laws of nature, whoever believes in the supremacy off right over wrong, whoever even plants a tree or trusts to the future, thus bears witness to his own faith in God, whose name, perhaps, he may find himself denying, and his faith only needs expansion and to be conscious of itself in or-< der to be the support of a consciously} religious life. —Rev. E. M. Wilbur.