St. Joseph County Independent, Volume 22, Number 27, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 23 January 1897 — Page 2

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CHAPTER I. It was November. Not the cold and tolorless November of our Northern climes, but a November brilliant with sunshine and gay with flowers; as hot as an English summer, and twice as parched and dusty and glaring. In short, the November of Southern Europe, of the Mediterranean. “Blue spectacles with wire-gauze sides are not in themselves pleasing objects,” reflected a certain English traveler, as he stood and looked at the dazzlingly white i Jhigh rpad that crosses the island of . but one begins to appreciate their uses in an oven of a place like this.” The deep notes of a bell struck upon his ear. The sound, proceeded from the belfry of a plain, ecclesiastical-looking building upon an eminence at his right hand. Images of silent aisles deep in cool shadow, of smooth stone pavements on which the sunlight rested only in colored patches thrown from the painted windows, suddenly presented themselves to his mind, and were grateful to him in comparison with the white glare of a Maltese noon. He turned and bent his steps leisurely toward the church. Lawrence—this was the Englishman's name—was admitted by a gray frocked ’Capuchin monk, and stepped at once into the coolness and stillness which he had desired, the church had no architectural beauty. It was decorated in the florid Italian style, gaudy with gilding and ill■attention to the objects around. Lawrence found himself in a passage, dimly lighted by the lantern carried by his guide. Then came a flight of steps,' then another passage, or underground gallery, •with lamps fastened at regular intervals along the walls. The nature of the place which he had entered flashed suddenly across Lawrence’s mind. He had seen similar vaults and passages at Palermo. J t was the final resting-place of the dead Capuchin monks. I awrence had no taste for horrors. Yet something in the Rembrandtesque play of light and shade, something in the wearied monotone of the old monk’s voice as he droned out the name and date of his exhumed predecessors, excited the young man’s imag- , ination. As he turned a corner he came full up- J on a group of sightseers, who seemed to be bent upon penetrating to the farthest limits of the vaulted passages. The party { ■'consisted of two or three gentlemen and i rtwo ladies, accompanied by a little Mal- > i tese guide and a Capuchin. It was evi- I • dent that the gentlemen, and one at least of the ladies, took great interest in the • sight.

He turned his back upon the exploring f party, and feigned to become absorbed contemplation of tbo-stone-wall, im.il I the SOimd of Yoiocu, ana luugh- I ter had receded down one of the echoing passages; then began to retrace his j steps. But before he had gone very tar j tie saw that one member of the tourist party was also returning. This was the second lady of the group. Lawrence gathered that she had probably lost her •way, and he was not unprepared for the question which the lady, after a moment's hesitation, addressed to his guide. “Is this the way out?” She spoke in English, and the monk did not understand her. Lawrence answered in his stead. “This is the way. You turn to the right and go up tbe steps, but the door at the top of the steps is locked. You will want one of the guides to open it for you.” Then, as she seemed to hesitate again, he added: “If you wish to ge*. out, this man will unlock it. Shall I tell him?” “Thank you. If your guide can do so, I shall be glad to get into the fresh air.” “Os course you will bo glad,” Lawrence said to himself, approvingly. “Any sensible person would be glad to escape from this charnel-house.” Then aloud: “I will tell him.” He gave the direction in Italian, and stood aside to let her pass, when an unforeseen accident occurred. The lady’s foot tripped over some unevenness in the pavement, and she would have fallen but forthehelp afforded by Lawrence’s quick, ■strong arm. Even then she did not seem able to recover herself at once. Lawrence felt that she was trembling from head to foot, and leaning upon him as if unable to support herself. A fresh attack of faintness made her glad of support in any form. He knew this from the way in which she tightened her grasp upon his arm. “Where are your friends? I will call them.” “No —please; I am better now.” She would not allow him to help her

up the steps, but he followed her into the church, fearing that she would turn dizzy and require his arm again. At Lawrence’s request the monk opened the church door, set a chair for the lady beside it, and brought her a glass of cold water. Lawrence waited for a minute or two, partly out of anxiety for the lady’s recovery, and partly in order to be- I stow a few more glances upon the fair face that had so impressed him. He neither liked to leave her alone nor I to seem to be watching her, and had she I not spoken he would probably have moved j away, but as she handed back the glass of water that he had given her, she said, gently: “I am very much obliged to you for your help.” T . , “Prav sav nothing about that. I wish

X ld,Y 00-J "' v ““'n you would let me call your friends. ’ “They will be here directly,” she answered* “I told them that I would sit in | the church until they returned. We are | ■going back to the ship very soon.” Then, I after a little pause, she added words that | were evidently meant as a dismissal. “I am quite well now. Please do not let me detain vou. Thank you very much. Before he left the church Lawrence remembered that he had given the old monk no remuneration for his services, and he began to search for a coin tnat would suit his purpose. Two or three loose papers which he was carrying about got in his way. He held them in his hand, and stuffed them carelessly back into his pocket when he had found the coin he wanted. He gave his lira to the

monk, then walked to the door, and stood j for one moment looking on the hot whiteQ ness of the landscape without. A foot- [, step and voice behind him made him look s round. j “I beg your pardon; I think you have c dropped this paper.” e fl he young lady with the violet eyes and red-brown hair was offering him a paper. g Lawrence took it hastily, and with a , certain air of consternation. ■ R lam very much obliged to you,” he ? said, the color slightly rising in his face, f “It would have inconvenienced me very ■ -i/Ywl* .bblwm.von mnuv

on to himself, as he strolled down thi . dusty road. “She has thanked me, ant I have thanked her. Os the two, it । she who has done the greater service. J thought I had put that part of mv lettei into the envelope. It seems I did not, and so my letter has gone without its conclusion. What did I say in the first sheet, I wonder? I believe I left mv decisive answer unwritten till the last.” He opened the folded sheet of foreign paper and ran his eyes over the words it contained. They were not many. "As regards your plan of wintering in Egypt because I do, 1 think it is (if ytfu will allot, me to say so) absurd and impracticable. Clare is not in the state of health to take a long journey. She had much better go to Mentone, if she goes abroad at all. Tell her so from me with my love. I will write to her next mail. Your affectionate nephew. .1. D. L.” Lawrence meditated. “I posted my letter yesterday.” he said. "Shall I write another? No, I'll wait and write to C lare when I in on board and post it at Alexandria. There’s plenty of time. Os course they would not leave England, even for Mentone, without my permission. After all, Clare will be much better at home this winter than wandering about in trains and steamboats, They should have made a change earlier in tlie year.” He crushed the letter in his hand, and began to tear it into small fragments, which he strewed along the road as he went. "I shall feel anxious till I see their next letters now, I suppose," he reflected, as if with a sense of injury. “I shall get them at Alexandria, and I must wait there for news of their movements. I almost wish that girl hadn't picked up the paper. I should have felt much more free if I had thought that they would get my decision by that mail. Even if I write again to-dav, there will be an interval of a day or two between the letters. Shall I telegraph to them not to leave Queen’s Holt?” Thus debating with himself he walked

। back to the town, and entered the hotel, i and when ho embarked on board the I Syria that afternon, neither letter nor ha<l been dispatched. After I he came on deck for a smoke before dinner. And the first person that he saw upon the deck, seated in a low bamboo chair, and wrapped in a fleecy white shawl, was the lady with the violet eyes whose acquaintance he had made that day in the church of the Capuchins, near Valetta. “Kismet!” said Lawrence to himself, with a half-amused smile. “What service shall we do each other next, I wonder? Oue might venture a great deal for a woman with such a glorious pair of : eyes!” ~ “ % CHAPTER 11. Lawrence found himself unable to determine whether or not he had been observed and recognized by the lady in question until later in the afternoon, when his doubts were resolved for him by a member of the party whom he had encountered in the church. This was a good-natured, gray-haired officer in the Indian army, who entered into conversation with Lawrence on deck, and remarked that he believed that he, Major Haye, had to thank his new acquaintance for some very kind help rendered to a lady now traveling in company with him and his wife. “She told me the circumstances," said the Major, “when she saw you on board this afternoon; and I am sure that we are very much obliged to you for the trouble you took.” Lawrence made a polite disclaimer, and 1 then they fell to walking up and down the deck, and Lawrence had an oppor- ! tunity of bestowing further attention up- ' on the lady whose acquaintance he wish--1 ed to make. She was leaning back in her ' long Indian chair, enveloped in the folds of the soft Shetland shawl; her eyes were fixed upon the distant seas, and she neither moved nor spoke. In another chair of the same kind sat “the woman ’ with the eyeglass.” as Lawrence had

mentally dubbed her that morning; a lady 1 who, as he afterward ascertained, xvas j Major Haye’s xvife. “We shall have wind soon,” said Major Haye, as they turned their faces to the west. The dinner bell rang. Mrs. Haye rose from her seat and spoke to her companion. Laxvrence involuntarily strained his ears to listen. j “Will you come down, Anne? or are you too tired?” I “I would rather stay here, thank you, j Mrs. Haye.” “Very well,” Mrs. Haye made answer, rather indifferently, as Lawrence thought. “I’ll tell the stewardess to send you something to eat. Don’t catch cold, that’s all.” , , I

She swept away, and the gentlemen followed. Lawrence was leaning over the j rails and let them pass him. He thought j that they were all exceedingly inattentive to the comfort of their fellow-passengers. | Should he offer to do anything for her? But what right had he to interfere? He moved up the deck toward her chair. Her eyes were closed; she did not see him. He was obliged to speak. “I beg your pardon for disturbing you, but can I do anything for you to-night?” She opened her eyes quickly, and raised her head. Even in the twilight he could see that she changed color. But she smiled / a little as she answered: “Thank you, nothing. My friend’s maid > will bring me all that I want.” • “I hope you are better now?”

“Quite well, thank you. Q n ]y a littlo The tone was so cold that Lni felt checked. 'There was a moment nCe pause, during which she looked drhn^q 7 out at the sea. as if she took no ‘ in him or in his communication* “w 1 lifted his hat and walked awav he took his place at the di U n' . Major Haye frowned at him su sni table> He returned to the deck as seo n n '° US ^' ble, but she was gone. as possi * She did not appear at breakf ast npxt morning, but about eleven l i 1 found her and Mrs. Haye sit t J° ; he quillv side by side with books fa S Tiands. perhaps Mrs. Haye did p ot fi ud her boo\ interesting, or else s® was at traded by Lawrence’s appeal^ f O r she closed the volume almost ivisdjatcly. and made a remark about thi j lencss of the day. It was a eommonplact o pser vation, but the manner in whiela^ WRS proffered was inviting. All the ot’-,. sengers were away, either in the SJlloon or smoking and chatting with ttm& icer g of the ship. F “I hope wo shall have good W^her al! the way to Alexandria,” said Lawrence. Mrs. Haye hailed the introduction es the word Alexandria as affording newer subject of discussion than the ^l^her. . "You are going to Alexa nuJAy’ she i ■

- H..iu^ aim 111 II i HI eg.rr-W- --' looking suddenly interested. fV’ "I am going through it. Pocfj. don't stop in Alexandria if they drKheln it do they?” ’ Mrs. Haye cast a curious giance at her silent friend, and answered quicllv: “Some very dear friends of mi^live in Alexandria—or rather in a subud called Ramleh, where most of the Eimeans live, 1 believe ” “I beg your pardon. I was throwing no discredit on Alexandria,” saij Lawrence, with his pleasant smile. “I on ly meant that people are generally in a hurry to see Cairo and tho P^amids when they come to Egypt. I have no doubt that Alexandria is a very,charming place.” "Still, I like to live in civilized places. My husband was once quartered 5n a village where there were no othtt Europeans within fifty miles of him.l He almost forgot how to speak his cjvn language. But my friends in Ramleh, Mr. and Mrs. Dumaresq. say they likj it very much. And so do the Burtons.” J •'I know a Mr. and Mrs. Bur»n who came to Egypt some years agf,” said Lawrence.” "These were the Mansfield Burtons." "Yes: so my friends, or rather acquaintances, were called.” "And they lived at a village in Hampshire—l forget the mime of it.” "Queen’s Holt?” "Queen’s Holt, of course. It must be the same. What a small world it is. Do you know tho place?” "1 have hoard Mr. Burton speak of it. I knew him in Ix>ndon. He used to come to my aunt’s house a good deni. My aunt—Mrs. Seymour—lived in Loudon at that time.” “Mrs. Seymour? Was her husbfnd a general officer?” said Mrs. Haye,' with much animation. “He was. And he served in thW unjab for ten years before he died. I w 1 ' 0 sa 7 you have heard of him?” - Mrs. Haye had not only hearAf him. but knew him “personally, intjpely,” as she observed with much effuj^BLSml. to Lawrence’s amusement, she(W?^t''b ately sent a sailor to summon tlenur (To be continued.) ~

THE ANCIENT CITY OF PE| NG. One of the Oldest in the World and the Capital of the Great Khan. The city is one of the oldest in the world; but it was not made a capital until Kublai Khan, somewhere about 1282, fixed his court there, rntlir the Mongols the name of Peking was Ihanpalik, or City of the Khan; and th b title was easily converted into Can ixiluc, by which name it is known in • >e accounts of those times. Peking • now divided into two parts; the n 'therd portion is the Tartar city, ai ! contains about twelve square mi ®; in this are the palaces, government* niildings, troops, and military barracla/rhe southern part is the Chinese eitl and is more populous than the Tartar less of its space being taken up by gab|ens and public buildings. The populate) is estimated at different figures; but >0 million appears to be a fair estimate A wall separates the Tartar froni^e Chinese city, and a wall of varx«ug height surrounds the whole, that of the Tartar section being about fifty bet high, and that around the Chinese'petion some thirty feet high. These TO Is are of brick and stone filled in Jth earth and paved on the top with slan of stone, affording a promenade twite feet wide. There are sixteen gate in all, and each gateway is fortified ith towers of stone; and other towersrie fixed at intervals of about sixty ya Is all around the walls. These towns project fifty feet from the outer sidetf

the walls, and those at. the gateways have in front of them a fortiliea^ a semicircular shape, so that tbb4w must be entered from me side ano, from the front. * , a The Tartar city is divided info tl A inclosures, each being surrounded Ji A its own wall, and each inside of > other. The innermost of these is® Prohibited City, and contains theß perial palaces and offices. Its cir<m forence is nearly two miles; the wajjn covered with imperial-yellow til| which look brilliant when seen trow distance. The inclosure next outsid«« this is occupied by the government® lices. and by the army appointed® keep guard over the emperor and ■ family. The next outside of this is^K outermost of all, and consists of du® ing-bouses and shops.—" The True St® of Marco Polo," by Noah Brooks in® Nicholas. H Increases in Value. B “Are you aware,” asked the ag® earnestly, “that every year you W off taking put an insurance policy’* becomes dearer?” J "Yes,” replied Mr. Hardcase; “so life.” —New York Journal. Is During his entire career StradivaL made from (>,OOO to 7,000 violins. Er of these were sold for more than during his life. Now some of them c • mand SIO,OOO each.

' FROM LAKES TO OCEAN deep waterway canal may BE BUILT. Report of the Commission Is Favorable to the Scheme, and It la Commended by the President — Census Figures Upon Employments, From Duluth to the Sed. ’The projected deep waterway from Duluth to the ocean is a matter of vast importance to the entire middle west and northwest. It is given new interest by the report to Congress of the commission, comprising Messrs. Jas. B. Angell of Michigan. John E. Russell of Massachusetts and Lyman E. Cooley of Illinois, appointed under act of AI arch 2, 1895. The report says in part: “It is entirely feasible to construct such canals and develop such channels as will be af'enuate to any scale of navigation that maj ye desired between the great lakes anil the seaboard, and to conduct through the same domestic and foreign commerce, and that it will be wise to provide for securing a channel of a navigable depth of not less than twenty-eight feet.”

is recommended that early surveys be made, as such preliminary work will consume three years. The commission reports that the Canadian commission appointed for the same purpose has furnished much important information. The document gives many statistics relating to the traffic on the great lakes. It says that the agricultural competition this country has recently had to meet with India, ami which is likely to be intensified, impels the Government to take steps to cheapen freights; that the limit of reduction in railroad rates has been reached and attention must be directed to waterways. In referring to wheat tho commission | expresses fear of the consequences of the increasing competition from the Argen- j tine Republic and Uruguay. The rapid I development of the American iron ore i business on tho lakes indicates that, with ! access to the ocean by a practical water- ; way, we can control our domestic business and enter into competition in any market of the world. In transmitting the report to Congress President Cleveland says: “Tho advantages of direct and unbroken water transportation of the products of our Western States and Territories from convenient points of shipment to our seaboard ports are plainly palpable. The report of the commissioners contains, in my opinion, demonstration of the feasibility of securing such transportation, and gives ground for the anticipation that better and more uninterrupted eonunerce, through the plan suggested. between the great West and foreign ports, with the increase of national prosperity which must follow in its train, will not long escape American enterprise and activity. “It will be observed that tho report of the commissioners, though ns comprehensive as the time and facilities nt their disposal perniitted, does not definitely deal with the cost of the work they were called upon to eonsider. and omits some of tho other details related to it. Thus far they have labored I without compensation and n part of the ‘ small sum appropriated for the payment of their expenses still remains unexpended. " "I suggest to the Congress the propriety of making provision for such further prosecution of their work as will fully develop the information necessary to a complete nn- : dorstamllng of this Interesting and ImportAN ARM I or X.AIXVAK-. . Census Bulletin Shows 3<> Per Cent.

of the People Hard nt WorkMuch interesting data about the occupations of the American jwoplo is given in a bulletin of the eleventh census just furnished the press. It shows that the total number of peo'ple engaged in occupations of all kinds in 1890 was 22.735,(551. This is an increase of over 5.900.000 working people in a decade. This whole number of working iwople consists of those 10 years old or over and makes up over 36 per cent of the entire population and almost 47 per cent of ah persons 10 years old ami over. Os the whole number of working people the females form 17.22 per cent. Divided by classes the working people of the country are ns follows: , Agriculture, fisheries and mining. 9,031.33(5. Professional. 944.333. Domestic and i>ersonal service. 4.360,577. Trade ami transportation. 3.22(5.122. Manufacturing and mechanical industries. 5,091.2113. The domestic and personal service includes hotel keepers, sailors ami marines, laborers. barb< . . detectives, etc. The first-named class shows a ten years’ gain of over 1.000.009. or of almost 3,909.990 for a score of years. Considerably more than four-fifths of the illiterate male population of the country and over one-fourth of the illiterate ' female population are working. Over 59 per cent of the workingmen are married, over 37 per cent single, over 3 per cent widowed, and one-quarter of 1 per cent divorced. Os all foreign whit, s at work here 14 per cent of the males ami 13 per cent of the females cannot speak English. There is an element of BV2 per cent of the men I employed in domestic and personal service who cannot speak English, and almost 5 per cent in the manufacturing and mechanical industries. Manufacturing and mechanics embrace the largest number of females who cannot speak English—over 4 per cent —with do- 1 mestic service a close second. In Massachusetts. Rhode Island and Connecticut the males engaged in manufacturing and mechanical industries in 1890 constituted very nearly one-half of all mon in gainful occupations. । In twenty-four States and territories, inchiding all in the south central and I most of those in the north central and I south Atlantic divisions, the males en I gaged in agriculture, fisheries ami mining I constituted more than half of all rhe IkAvorking males. Os the females at work . oy far the greater proportion were found L in domestic and personal service in a large I majority of the States and territories. In manufactures and mechanics the • carpenters and joiners, numbering (ill.- ; | 482, make up the greatest clement, with dressmakers and milliners following with 499,(590. There are a little over 1,000.000 bookkeepers, clerks, salesmen. G9OJ>-iS merchants and dealers, 5,281.557 farmers, planters and overseers, and 3,004,001 agricultural laborers, 349.592 miners, ami only a little over (50,000 fishermen and oystermen. For the twelfth time in succession the Prince of Wales has been nominated for the office of grand master 'of English ; Mark Masons.

NEW PLAN OF FINANCE WORK OF THE CONFERENCE AT INDIANAPOLIS. Declares for Gold, for the Retirement of Treasury Notes, for Freer Banking and for a Monetary Commission to Suggest Reforms. The Scheme In Detail. The work of the monetary conference at Indianapolis is finished. After all the States had submitted plans for reforming the currency, it was clear that there was no substantial agreement as to what should be done, and that there was considerable difference of opinion as to tlfe proper mode of procedure. The committee on resolutions, composed of one delegate from each State, examined carefully all the manuscripts filed with it, and, after a session of twelve hours, the following resolutions were unanimously recommended: This convention declares that It has become absolutely necessary that a consistent, straightforward and deliberately planned monetary system shall be inaugurated, the

fundamental basis of which should be: Tlmt thr pr-- gold standard should be maintained. 2. That steps should be taken to insure the ultimate retirement of all classes of Uuited States notes by a gradual and steady process and so as to avoid injurious contraction of currency or disturbance of the business interests of the country, and that until such retirement provision shall be made for a separation of the revenue and note issue departments of the treasury. 3. That a banking system be provided which should furnish credit facilities to every portion of the country, and an elastic circulation. especially with a view of securing such a distribution of the loanable capital of the country as will tend to equalize the rates of Interest in all parts thereof. For the purpose of effectually promoting the above objects: Resolved, That fifteen members of this : convention be appointed by the Chairman ; to act as an executive committee while this convention is not in session—with the full powers of this convention. The executive | committee shall have the power to increase । its membership to any number uot exceeding i forty-five, ami five members thereof shall at j all times constitute a quorum of said com- ' mit tee. The Executive Committee shall have special charge of the solicitation, receipt and disbursement of contributions voluntarily made for all purposes; shall have power to call this convention together again, when and where it may seem, best to said committee to do so, and said committee sJiall continue in office, with power to till vacancies, until discharged at a future meeting of this convention. Resolved. That it shall be the duty of this Executive (’ommittee to endeavor to procure at the special session of Congress which, it is understood, will bo called in March next, legislation calling for the appointment of a monetary commission by the President to consider the entire question, and to report to Congress at the earliest day possible; or. falling to secure the above legislation, they are hereby authorized and empowered to select a commission of eleven members, according to tin' rules ami plans set forth in the suggestions submitted to the convention by Mr. Hanna, of Indianapolis, as follows: Article 1. The commissi m shall consist of eleven members, to lie named by the Executive Committee appointed by this convention. The Executive Committee shall have power to till vacancies in the commission aw they may occur. Art. 2. The first meeting of the commission shall be held at a time at.d pluce to be designated by the Executive Committee of this convention In a call to be issued therefor: and at such meeting the commi^lq^ shall organize by the eieclmn »** I' 1,, t ,ws ami the ndopiion of such rules at.d ■ for Its own government as may t’e ' by a majority of Its memb.-rs, amt 1 h< '^;, cbJiiiiiiwiPTO’nmtsston and afl TTIWTTimes shall be directed toward the accomplishment of the ob jeet of its creation, which is to make a

thorough investigation of the monetary affaire ami needs of this country, in all relations and aspects, and to make appropriate suggestions as to any evils fouml to exist, ami tlie remedies therefor; and no limit Is placed upon the scope of such inquiry, or the manner of conducting the same, excepting only that the expenses thereof shall not exceed the sums set apart for such purpose by the Executive Committee. Art. 4. The Executive Committee of this convention shall use so much of the voluntary contributions made to it as may be available for that purpose, to defray all necessary expenses of tlie commission, and shall notify the commission from time to time of the amount so available, in order that it may regulate Its expenditures accordingly; and no liability shall attach to said committee or to this convention beyond the amount so not i Hed. Art. 5. When the labors of this commission have boon completed so tar as practicable, the Executive Committee, if it deems it advisable, shall issue a call to bring this convention together again at a time and place designated in such call, anil at the meeting so convened the commission shall make report of its doings, and suggestions in such manner and form as it shall deem best adapted to present to this convention and its members for action: and. if legislation is deemed impossible, shall a company such report with a draft of sneh lull or bills providing for such legislation. Resolved, That all resolutions and communications as to methods of currency reform xvhieh have been presented to this convention be referred to such commission when formed. This plan was put together by W. B. Dodge of Minneapolis. M. Ek Ingalls- of Ohio. Rufus B. Bullock of Georgia. N. E. Fletcher of Michigan and Charles I. Libbey of Maine. In committee there was a long debate. J. 11. Walker of Massachusetts, (-hairman of the Committee on Banking and Currency of the national House of Representatives. attacked the plan. He declared that but for this eonvention Congress would have come forward with some scheme for the reformation of the currency system. Congressman Eowler of New Jersey declared that any commission appointed by the convention or at its suggestion would seem to the Committee on Currency and Banking and the Senate E’inance Committee as bearing the assumption that the members of those committees are not able I to draw a bill for bringing about the re- ' form sought. “The members of Congress are not absolutely ignorant,” said he, “and 1 all the wisdom of the country is not outside.” J. 11. Rhodes of Massachusetts sustained the plan in a speech that charged Congresses for ten years back with indifferI enee to petitions, appeals and popular I demand. There was uproarious applause from all parts of the hall. When it had subsided Mr. Walker said: “If this sentiment is to be applauded in this convention, 1 have ; nothing more to say.” The previous question was demanded, i Congressman Fowler, seeing that the conI vention was against him. withdrew his j proposed amendment to the report of the i committee, and the committee report was i adopted. Cigar Box Cedar Scarce. There is said to be a scarcity of Cuban cedar for cigar boxes since the outbreak of the revolution in that country. A good substitute, and one often used, however, is cumber wood, which is dyed to the popular color. It requires only the necessary circumstances to make any man a liar.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY CONSIDERED. A Scholarly Exposition of the Lesson —Thoughts Worthy of Calin Reflec-tion-Half an Hour’s Study of the Scriptures—Time Well Spent. Lesson for Jan. 24. Golden Text. —“His name, through faith in his name, hath made thi«s man strong.”—Acts 3: 16. Subject, “The Lame Man Healed”— Acts 3: 1-16. During the weeks and months that followed Pentecost, the ingathering of converts continued, though in a gradual and quiet way compared with the remarkable scenes that had preceded. It is not to be supposed that these now converts abandoned their Jewish associations or their former religious customg^^ It was to take many years for the CVcistian church to realize that liberty which lay implicit in their new faith. Not until Paul preached his version of the gospel, and wrote his epistles to the Gala-

tians and the Romans was it fully understood that the forms the Jewish religion we?,. ®- tory. since the realties of whichthmßß' typos were now accessible to every So that the apostles and other Christian ■ continued in the regular performance of their religious duties in the temple and the home, in addition to their frequent Christian gatherings where they "con- I tinned in the apostles’ doctrine and in breaking of bread and in prayers.” j ugt when the healing of the lame man occurred is not told us. It seems likely, however, that this event is related as that which caused the first public, official attack on the new religion; and it is not probable that it took very many weeks for things to come to that pass. In the study of the lesson, the whole chapter should be included, taking up the whole of Peter’s address, as in the last lesson. Explanatory. 1. “Peter and John”: one might preaeh n sermon on these words alone. The constant affectionate association of men so utterly unlike, drawn together by their common love for Christ as well as their three yesTs* journeyings. must have had its influence on both. "Who can picture the first meeting of these two on the day of crucifixion, after Peter s denial? John, * the beloved disciple, closest to his Master’s heart, must have had to straggle with a strong repugnance to the faithless Peter,, yet pity and love, and above all the supreme spectacle of Calvary, brought them together, we may suppose, even before Peter received the forgiveness of the risen Christ. "His feet and ankle bones received strength”: here again Luke notes the details: it was not a spinal trouble, nor yet disease of the hips or thighs or knees, but of the ankles. "Held Peter and John”: a touch of nature. The poor feHow was so overjoyed that he could think of nothing better to do than u> hug his benefactors out of sheer joy. There they stood. r-- i . •• -- wyStanders crowded around and stared good-naturedl wJrjye at this?” rem-nfTi's w*eH as Paul, catches the thing that is uppermost in the mind of the people in order to lead them on to his own thought. He was a

natural speaker. “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers"; words of familiar sound, to reassure the amazed multitude. But it had been long since the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob had been felt as an actual poxver in the lives of the Jews who prayed to him. “His son. Jesus”: this should be “his servant Jesus,” as in revised version.——“ Whom ye delivered up”: here again, as in his speech on Pentecost, Peter does not hesitate to charge the .le vs boldly with the supreme crime of all tbe ages, and does it nevertheless in such a xx ty that he was not immediately mobbed, as might have been expected.' “Ye denied the holy one and tbe just”: With bloxv after blow he brings back on them the bitter accusation, until • they must have winced at his words. Teaching Hints. Co-operation of men of different temperaments and beliefs as shown in the case of Peter and John, who xvent together not only here but afterwards. Faith brings gifts infinitely more precious than silver and gold. The man who has much silver and gold may find it difficult to retain such faith, though not impossible. One of the rich and luxurious prelates of the Roman Church, in the days when apostolic simplicity had disappeared and been displaced by xvealth and idleness, said to a companion. “Brother, we can no longer say like Peter, Silver and gold have I none.” “Alas! no.” replied the other, "nor can we longer say To the poor and maimed, 'Rise up and walk.’ This is one of the miracles in which little or no faith on the part of file person healed can be clearly seen from the record. Peter took hold of the man’s hand and lifted him, thus forcing him to make the effort to walk xvhich resulted in success. But we cannot say that there was no faith. The man immediately “praised God;” whether in the pious ejaculations natural to a Jew or in the deeper sincerity of real faith, xve cannot say, but there was at least the recognition of the hand of God in the cure. The chief thing to be emphasized is the persistence with xvhich Peter on every occasion presses home to the Jexvs these two truths: “You have murdered your promised Messiah. But God has raised him, and stands ready to save you through ’ faith in him.” True preaching must al- ' ways include the preaching of human ' sinfulness and need as well as the offer of r salvation. Men do not realize their own desperate condition until it is set before 1 them in plain, unadorned, square-cut Eng--1 lish, in a style that may diminish pexx' > rents and make the church unfashionable ' for a while. Next Lesson —“The Boldness of Peter and John.” —Acts 4: 1-14. ; ' Why do xve not always smile when--3 ever xve meet the qye of a fellow-be-ing? That is the true recognition which ought to pass from soul to soul - constantly. Little children, in simple - communities, do this involuntarily, tin-, consciously. The honest-hearted Ger- . man peasant does it. It is like mag- ; ical sunlight all through that simple, land, the perpetual greeting on the, right hand and the left betxveen stran- ‘ gers as they pass by each other, never without a smile.—Helen Hunt.