HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Advocate, 1895-6-21, Page 314"
STANDS LITE A :ROCK.
1
ificto... How Futile Are Hic A *Intuit*
Nadu Upon the SeriPture--The lsible as
Compared to Othqr Books—Its Divine'
Protection,
1V.DR. TALMAGE OPPOSES BIBLE
RECONSTFiUCTION.
New York, jaue 10, —In his eermon
yesterday Rey, Dr. Talmage tiealt with
a subject that is agitating the entire
Christian °hurt% at the present moment
'Expargation of the Scriptures."
The text chosen was, "Let God be true,
but every man a, liar" (Romans 111, e).
The Bible needs no reconstruotion ao-
corning to some inside and outside the
pulpit, It is no surprise that the world
bombards the Scriptures, but it is amaz-
ing to find Christian ministers picking
at this in the Bible and denying that
until litany good popple are left in the fog
about what parts of the Bible they ought
to believe and what parts reject. The
beinousness of finding fault with the
Bible at this titne is most evident. In
our day the Bible is assailed by scurril-
ity, by misrepresentation, by infidel
siejentists, all the vice on earth and all
the venom of perdition, and at this par-
ticular time even preachers of the gospel
fall into line of criticism of the word of
God. Why, it makes me think of a ship
in a September equinox, the waves dash-
ing to the top of the smokestack, and the
batches fastened clown, and many
prophesying the foundering of the ;steam-
• er, and .at that time soneeof the crew with
axes and saws go down into the hold of
the ship, and they try to saw off some of
theplanks and pry out some of the timb-
ers Weans° the timber did not come from
the right forest. Lt does not seem to
rue a commendable business for the crew
to be helping the winds and storms out-
side with their axes and saws inside.
Now, this old gospel snip, what with
the roaring of earth and hell around the
stem and stern and mutiny on deck, is
having it very rough voyage, but I have
noticed that not one of the timbers has
started, and the captain says he will see it
through. And I have noticed that keelson
and counter timber kinie aro built out of
Lebanon cedar, and sheis. going to
weather the gal , e, tont no credit to those
who 3nake mutiny cin deck.
When I see professed Christians in this
• particular day finding fault with the
Scriptures, it makes me think of a fort-
ress terrifically bombarded, and the men
on the ramparts, instead of swabbing
out and loading the guns and helping
fetch up the ammunition from the mag-
azine, are trying Sills crowbars to pry
out from the wall certain block's of stone
because they did not come from the right
quarry. Oh, mon on the ramparts, better
get back and -fight down the common
enemy instead of trying to make breaches
in the wall!
While I oppose this expurgation of the
Scriptures I shall give you my reasons for
such opposition. "What," say some .of
the theological evolutionists, whose brains
have been addled by too long brooding
over them by Darwin and Spencer, ."you
don't now really believe all the story of
the Garden of Eden, do you?" Yes, as
much as I believe there ever° roses in my,
garden last summer. "But," say they,
"you don't really believe that the sun and
moon stood still?" Yes, end if I had
strength enough to create a sun andmoon
• I could make them stand still or cause
the refraction of tbe sun's rates so it
• would appear to stand still. "But "
they say, "you don't really telieve that
the whale swallowed Jonah?" Yes, and if
1 were strong enough to make a whale I
could have made very easy ingress for
the refractory prophet, leaving to evolu-
tion to eject him if be were an unworthy
tenant. "But," say they, "you don't
really believe that the water was turned
into wine?" Yes, just as easily as water
now is often turned into wine with an
a -mixture of strychnine and logwood.
"But," say they, "you don't really beli-
eve that Samson slew a thousand with
the jawbone of an ass?" Yes, aud I think,
that the man who in this day assaults
the 33ible is wielding the same weapon.
There is nothing in the Bible that stag-
gers me. There are many things I do not
understand. I do not pretend to under-
stand, never shall ili this world under-
stand. But that would be a very poor
God wbo could be fully understood by the
human. That wcaild be a very small
Infinite that can be measured by the finite.
You must not expect to weigh the
thunderbolts of Omnipotence in an apo-
thecary's baeances. Starting with the
idea that God can do anything, and that
he was present at the beginning, aivsl,
that he is present now. there . is nothing
in the holy Scriptures to arouse skepti-
cism in my beart Here I stand, a fossil
of the ages, dug up from the tertiary form-
ation, fell'en off the shelf of an antiquar-
ian, a man in the latter part of the glorious
nineteenth century, believing in a whole
Bible from lid to lid.
I am opposed to the expurgation of the.
Scriptures in the first place because the
Bible in • its presant shape has been so
miraculously preserved. Fifteen hundred
years after Herodotus wrote his history
there was only one manteserlpt copy of it.
• Twelve hundred years after Plato wrote
his book there was only one manuscript
copy of it God was so careful to have us
• have the Bible in just the right shape
that we have fifty enaposeript copies of
the New Testament 1,000 Years .old and
, some of them 1,50(1 years old. This book,
• banded' down from the time of Christ or
just after the time of Christ, hy the hand
of such men as Origon in the second cen-
tury and Tertullian in the third century
and by men of different ages who died for
their principles. The three best copies
of the New Testament in manuscript in
the possession of the three great churobee
• —the Protestant chnrch of England, the
• Greek church of St. Petetsburg and She
Romish church of Italy.
It is it plain matter of history that Tis-
ohenclove went to it convent in the penin-
sule, of Sinai and was by ropes lifted over
the w di into the convent, that being the
only mod° of adiniesion, and that he sew
there in the waste basket for kindling
for the fires 4,41, manuscript of the holy
Scriptures. That night beheopied xnany
of the passages of that Bible, but it watt
not• until fifteen years luxe passed of
eartteee entreaty and prayer and coaxing
and purchase on las pare that that copy of
the holy Scriptures was pat into the band
• of the Emperor of Russia—that one copy
so marvelously. protected.
Do you not know* that the tantlegdo of
the books of the Old and New Testaments
as we have it is the tame eatalogne that
lute boott co3ning on down through the
ages? Thirtysnine books of tho Old Testa -
anent thousands of years ago. Thirty-
nine now. Twenty-seven books of the
NeW Testament 1,600 yeare. age. Tw Macy -
;seven books a the New Tostainent now
Mareion, for wtekedness, Was turned out
of the °Mira in the semeni century and
in his assault on the 13ible and Christien-
ity he ineideritally gives a, otitalogue Of
the books of the Bible—that catalogue
corresponeing exactly with ours—testis
leiony given by tile enemy of the Bible
and the enemy a Christianity. The eatan.
leen° slow just like the catelogue then.
Assaulted and sint on end torn to pieeeS
and berned,' yet adhering. The eeoles to -
lay, in 300 languages, nonfronting four-
fifths of tho human race in 'their own
tongue. Four bowline million oops of
it in existeuce. Does not that loots as if
this book Mal boon divinely protected, as
if God hati guarded it all through the
centuries ?
Is it not an argument plain enougb to
every honest man and every hottest wo-
man that a book divinely protected and
in this shape is in the very shape that
God wants It pleases God and ought to
please us. The epidemics which have
swept thousands of other books into the
seloulther of foigetfulness have only
brightened the fame a this. There is
not one book out of a. thousand that lives
five years. Any publisher will tell you
that. There will not be tnore than one
book out of 20.000 that wittily° a century,
Yet bore is a hook intich of it 1,600 years
old, and much of it 4,000 years old, and cies of the word of God he is prurient in
with more rebound and resilience and his taste mid imagination. If a num
strength in it than when the book was cannot read Solomon's songs without int -
first put upon parchment or papyrus. pure suggestion, he is either in his heart
Tbis book saw the cradle of all other or in his lif o a libertine, e
books, and it will see their graves. Would The Old Testament description of
you not think that an old book like this, wickedness, uncleanness of all sorts, is
seine of it forty centuries old, would: purposely and rigbteously a disgusting
'come along hobbling with age and on account instead of the 13yronie and the
crutches? Instead of that, more potent . Parisian vernacular which makes sin at -
than any other bookof theqiine. More , tractive instead of appalling. When those
copies of it Minted in the last ten years: old prophets point you to a lazaretto, you.
than of any other book, Waiter Seott's ' understand it is a lazaretto. When a man
Waverley novels, Macaulay's "History of j baying begun to do seight falls back into
England." Disraeli's "Endymion," the. wickedness and gives up his integrity,
works of Tennyson and Longfellow and! the Bible does not say he was overcome
an the popular books of our time having by the fascinations of the festive board,
no suoh sale in the last ten years,as this or that he surrendered to convivialities,
old evornout book. Do you 'know what a or that he became a little .fast in his
struggle a book has in order to get babits. I will tell you what the Bible
• through one 'century or two centurieef setys, "The dog is turned to his own
Solna old books during a fire in a seraglio' Vomit again and the sow that was washed
of Constantinople were thrown into the , to her wallowing in the Ittire." No gilcl-
street. A anan without any education' Mg, of. ink -pity. No garlands on secleath'e
picked up one of those books, read it and head. No pounding away with a silver
did not see the value of it. A scholar lnallot at iniquity when it needs an iron
looked over his shoulder and saw it was. sledge hammer.
the first and second decades of Liyy, and r tell you at this point in my disemirse
he offered the man a large reward if he: that a man who does not like this book;
would bring the books to his study, but and who is critical as to its contents, and
in the excitement of the tire the two who is shocked and outraged with its de-
parted, and the first and second decadee seriptions, has never been soundly con -
of Levy were forever lost. Pliny wrote vetted. The laying on of the hands of
twenty books of history. .A11 lost. The presbytery or episcopacy does not always
most of Menander's writings lost. Of 180 change.a man's heart, and men sometimes
comedies of Plautus, all gone but twenty.1 get into the pulpit as well as into the pew,
Euripides wrote 100 draanas. All gone never having been changed radically by
but nineteen. 2Eschylus wrote 100. the sovereign grace of God. Get your beart
dramas. All gone but seven. Varre right, and the Bible will be right.' The
wrote the laborious biographies of 700 trouble is men's natures are not brought
Romans. Not a fragment left. Quinti- 1 into harrnony with the word of God. Ah,
lian wrote his favorite book on the cop., my friends, expurgation of the heart is
ruption - of eloquence. All lost. Thirty what is wanted.
books of Tacitus lost. Dion Cassius: Yon cannot make me believe that the
wrote eigbty books. Only twenty remain. Scriptures, which this moment lie on the
eethen inid the pervent of the heruseho/d,
rine the strangers that • happened to be
within the gates. Twine a day without
leaving out a cluiptxr or a vette they read
this holy book, morning by morning,
eight by night. Not only the older
ehildreu, blit the little child who weld
ju t spell her way through the verse While
4 Or mother 'wiped her, tee father begin-
ning and reading one verso, and then all
the members of the family in turn reads
Ing wveree. The father 3neintained his
integrity, the mother inaintaleed her in-
teerity, the sons grew up and entered
professtons and counnereial life, adorning
every sphere in the life in which they
lived, and the daughters wont into fatni-
lies where Obrist was honored, and all
that was good and pure and righteous
reigned perpetually. For thirty years told me of the jewfish.
the family endured the Scriptures. Not "If you want sport," be said, "some-
one of them ruined by them. Now, if thing that is it regular curtain raiser, try
you will tell me of a family wbere the the jewfish of the islands off this coun-
• Bible has been read twice it day for thirty ty." Before this, however'a fellow pas -
years, and the children liave been brought senger who I met oix the train between
tm in that habit, and the father went to FA Pao and Los Angeles, saw my rods
ruin. and the mother •ta riun, and the and seid, "if you want sport try the jews
sons and daughters were destroyed by it— fish," So by the time I reached Los
if you will tell me of one such incident, X Angeles, whore I dined with a man who
will throw away my Bible, or I will had oaught a jewilsh and shoyved me a
doubt your voracity. I tell you if it man is • photograph a one,I was at fever heat and
shocked with what he calls the indelica- lost no time in Teaching the island of
Santa Catalina, that is a piece of Los
Angeles °entity that seems to have been
diseoonected in some way and drifted off
shore.
I did not know what kind of tackle was
needed for jowl:isle so took everything I
had, from an old, and striped bass rod down
to a Ay trout rod, When my Los Angeles
friend saw them he laughed and loaned
3110 his outfit, wiholt was a16-ofince rod of
sPlit bamboo, about 9 feet leng, with • a
.big reel that would held 600. feet of 21
errand line, I should think a tarpon out-
fit svould be just the thing for thejewfish,
though sometimes I have thought that
it repo and donkey engine mould be the
thing.
It took Ile tevo hours and a half to reaoh
the island front the little port of San
Pedro, and a beautiful spot it is; a jumble
of mountains and canyons of the deepest
green resting in an ocean of intense blue.
The mountains are from 1,000 to 8,500
feet in heitht and the sbore formed of high
cliffs except where the canyons had out
down, were little beathes. The island is 27
miles long and would delight a real lotus
• eater, for I imagine it is the land of the
afternoon.
FOR T
BOYS .AND GIRLS,
INTERESTING READ/NG
'or the 'Young, Consisting of Stories of
Animals and. Adventure, and Short
Sttetehes,
The Game aewilett.
Being told Unit there was good fishing
to be bad in Southern California and de-
termined to try it, and it casual acquaint-
ance having posted me I found myself
one morning piewing the Santa Catalina
Channel in seareh of the fishing ground.
I bad met it friend In Los Angeles who
Berosius' history all lost.
table of the purest and best men and
Nearly all the old books are mummified women of the age, and which were the
and are lying in the tombs of old librari* dying solace of your kindred passed into
and perhaps once in twenty years some. the skies, havein them a taint which the
man &aims along and picks up one ol strongest microscope of honest criticism
tbena and blows the dust and opens it, could ntake visible. If men are unbolt -
and finds • it the book be does not want. trollable in their indignation when the
But this old book, much of it forty con-. integrity of wife or child is assailed, and
turies old, stands to -day more discussed judges and jurors ;le far, as possible excuse
than any other book, and it challenges violence .under such . provocation, wbat
the admiration of all the good, and the ought to be the overwhelming and long
spite, and the venom, and the animosity, 1 iesoundbig thunders of condemnation for
and the hypercriticism of earth and hell. Jany Than Who will stand in a Christian
Inppeal to your common „sense if a book pulpit and assail the more than virgin
so divinely guarded and protected in its purity of inspiration, the well beloved
present shape .11111St not be in just the ' daughter of God?
way that God wants it to come to us, and Expurgate the Bible! You might as evell
if it pleases God, ought it not to please , go to the old picture galleries in Dresden,
us? and in Venice, and in Rome, and expur-
Not only have all • the attempts to de- gate the old paintings. Perhaps you
tract from the book failed, but all the at- , could find a foot of 'Michael Angelo's
tempts to add to it. Many attempts were: "Last Judgment" that might be improved.
made to add the apoeltryphal books to the Perhaps you could throw more expression
Old Testament. The council of Trent, 1 into Raphaers "Madonna." Perhaps you
the synod of Jerusalem, the bishops of could put more pathos into Rubens"`De-
Hippo, all decided that the a.pocbrypbal scent From the Cross." • Perhaps you
books must be added to the Old Testament could change the crests of the waves in
"They Must stay in" said those learned. Turner's "Slave Ship." Perhaps you
mon but they staid out. There is not an might go into the old galleries of sculp-
intelligent Chrietian man that to -day will ture Mid change the forms and the posture
put the book of 'Maccabees or the book Of of the statues of Phidias and Praxiteles.
Judith beside the book of Isaiah or Such an icogoclast would very soon find
Romans. Then a great many said, "We himself in the penitentiary. But it is
must have books added to the New Testa -1 worse vandalism when a man proposes to
numb," and there were epistles and refashion these masterpieces of inspirit -
gospels and apocelypses written and tion and to remodel the moral .giants of
added to the New Testatment, but they . this gallery of God.
have all fallen met You cannot add any- i'Now, let us divide off. Let those people
thing. You cannot subtract anything. ! who do not believe the Bible, and who are
Divinely protected book in the present critical of this and that part of it, go clear
shape. Lot no Man dare to lay bit hands over to tbe other side. Let them stand be-
en it with ti. intention of detracting hind the devil's guns. There can be no
from the book or casting out any of these compromise between infidelity andthris-
holy pages, - 1 tianity. Give us the out and out opposi-
Besides that, I am opposed to this ex- tion of infidelity rather than the work of
purgation of the Scriptures beanie if the these hybrid theologians, these mongrel
attempt were successful it would be tee ecclesiastics, these half evoluted people,
annihilation of the I3ible. Infidel geolo- who believe theBible andel° not believe it,
gists would say, "Out with the book 61, who accept the miracles and do not accept
• Genesis." Infidel astronomers would say, 1 them, who believe in the inspiration of the
"Out with the book of Joshua." People Scriptures and do not believe in the inspi-
who do not believe in the atoning sacrifice ration of the Scriptures—trimming their
would say, "Out with the book of Leviti- belief on one side to suit the skepticism of
cus." People who do not believe in the the world, trimming their belief on the
miracles would say, "Out, with all those other side to suit the pride of their own
wonderful stories in the Old Testaments.", heart -and feeling that in order to demon -
and some would say, "Out with the book Watts their courage they -must make the
of Revelation," and others would' say, 1 Bible a target and shoot at God.
"Out veith the entire Pentateuch," and! There is one thing that encourages me
the work would go on until there wouldvery much, end that is that the Lord made
HA
• The Bull ltloom.
A. correspondent wrieing from Meoun-
onia, Museoka, gives an interesting ac-
count of an adventure evihch he had with
neoese it few weeks ago while employed
in =hang it toboggan trail through one
of the pine forests iu that section of the
country. While engaged at work he came
across a moose yard and on looking around
saw one or the "giants of the forest"
about fifty yards distant. The story of
his encounter is, perhaps, best told in the
correspondent's own words: ,
"After a moment," he writes, "the
moose turned and walked behind a hill,
which though not high, was steep. Iran
to the top with all speed, hoping to get a
view of the lordly creature as he made his
way through the bush. I could not see
him at firstbut on looking down the steep
incline there he was not ten yards away.
He turned to make debut striking his ribs
against the projecting lin3b of it small
hemlock he was thrown down and around
the tree and as he rose he faced me. It
was now my turn to run; for the moose
charged at me with erected mane, express-
ing his rage by a fierce bellow. In turn-
ing I stumbled,the ground being very un-
even, and his feet nearly came down on
me as I dodged among some trees. I tried
to strike with my hatchet, the only wea-
pon I had, but I did not succeed in injur-
ing my pursuer. With some difficulty I at
last got out into the deep snow where my
snow shoes were of more use to me. The
moose still pursued, mo roaring at inter-
vals, and one who has not heard a moose
roar can form but little idea of the ter-
rible bellowing noise. After several at-
tempts to strike mo with his front feet he
balked and stood about twenty yards
away pawing and:mitring. I eagerly seized
this opportunity to climb a tree and soon
after the animal turned. and made off.
Of all my adventures in the bush, and
they number it few the one I bave just
related came the nearest to being my
de „tin"
The Son of the San.
By the banks of a limpid stream, one
suthmer day, sat a handsome youth, gaz-
ing into the water. He was fair, and
strong but serene, and a great mass of
golden ringlets clung about his throat and
fell over his shoulders. His appearance
betokened a bright and cheerful disposi-
tion, but as he watched the water at his
feet a troubled look crep over his face.
His lips moved, and low on the air fell
the word "Mother!"
In a moment the modonlese stream
seemed alive. It sparkled and bubbled,
and from its deep bosom rose a form
gleaming and white with spray. The
wates-nymph smiled, and in a voice like
the sighing of the reeds, or the lapping of
the waves addressed the boy:
"Why do you call me, my son? HAS
Phaeton so early tired of his work? Speak,
and tell me what you seek!"
The Phaeton sa d, "Mother, tell me, is
it true that Phoebus is my father? Epa-
not be enough of the Bible left to be out to manage the aniverse before they phos says I am pot aosoended from a god,
worth as much as last year's almanac. 1 were born and will probably be able to and if I am how can I prove it?"
The expurgation of the Scriptures means make' out to manage the universe a little "Is that one" laughed (etymon°. "Then
'their annihilation. .•1 .while after they are dead. While I de- knONV, Phaeton, that what I have said is
I am alsreopposed to this proposed ex-- mand• that the antagodists of the Bible,' true and since you wish foe pfoof go to the
that in proportion as people 'become self- i witere they belong, onee. tdevil's side, so
you are not the n of the great ..Phoe-
secrificing and good and holy tine cortse- ask that all the friends of this good book •
Pbtatsh17 . of the Sun and ask 10 111Y name if
purgation of the Soriptieves for the fact and the critics of the Bible go clear over
mated they like the book as it is. I have come Out openly and above board in behalf 'So up started Phaeton, and Cleetnene
yet to find a man or a wonian dietingu- , ofet. That book, which was the best m
isbed for self pacrifice, for consecration to , heritance you ever received from your an -
God, for holeness of life, who 'want the eestry, and which evill be the best legacy
13ible changed. Many of us have inherited you will leeve to your children when you
family Bibles. Those Bibles wore in use bid them good -by as you cross the ferry to
twenty, forty, fifty, perhaps 100 years in the golden city. Inditi he sew the palace of his father piled
the generations. To -day take down those Of all tlie w orks Of Dore, the great art- high on great pillars of cloud and en/s-
nottily I3ibles, and find out if there are ist, there was nothing so impressive as ' ported by balconies of. jasper and ivory and
any choptere whinh nave been erased by illustrated Bible, 'What 800110 of Abra- pearl.
lead peneil or pen, and if in any margins , liamic faith, or Edenie beauty, of dentin. 1 Phaeton felt his heart boat high With
you can iind the Words, "This chapter ion Davidie or Solomonie, of miracle or Pride as Ile 1•00kett en the glorious pilo.
net dt to read." There has been plenty parable of nativity or of crucifixion, or 1 whore dwelt his eire. 'So, scarcely stop -
of opportunity during the vast half cen- oe last judgment but the thought leaped
tury privately to expurgate the Bible. front the great brain to the skillful pencil,
Do you know any case of snob expurga- and feom, the skillful pencil to canvas bit -
tion? Did not your grandfather give it mortal. The Louvre, the Luxemburg,
to your father, and did not your father. the Niteional gallery of London compressed
give it te you? , within two volumes of Dore's illustrated
IR:sides that; I arn • opposed to the ex- 1 Bible. But the Bible will come to better
purgation of the Seriptures lactates° (he illustratiott than that my friends, when
so-called indelicacies and ortielties of the all the deserts have become gardens, and
Bible have demonstrated no evil msult. ,1 all the armories have become academies,
A cruel book will produce cruelty. An and all the lakes have become Gen nesarets
unclean book will produce uncleanness. with Christ walking them, and all the
Fetch 100 a victim. Out of all Christen- cities have beeome Jeruselems, with
ainu and ont of all the ages fetch , IflO it hovering Shekinah, and the two bemi-
vietint whose heart bag been hardened to sphere% Abell be clapping cymbals of divine
creelty or whose life has been niade he- praise, and the retina earth a footlight to
pure by this book. Show me ono.. Entailuel's throne --that to all lands, and
One of the best , families I ever • know ef ell egos, and all centuries, atid all eyelea,
for thirty or forty years 11101'lling And VViii be the best specimen of Bible illus.
avettieg bad all the members gathered to trate&
stink agent, into the water whith once
more appeared still and peaoeful.
The Sun Palace evas in the far Hard and
Phaeton traveled there with all speed.
When he reached the uttermost litnite of
Were Renee of earth, sea end sky.
There the rivers flowed, the grata Waved:
the wiuds hieW Woudreus iterates were
worked into the metals, soch as we pan
know of ill oar oonseiousnees, but we can.
not repreauce in material form.
Bat the most spleudia sight a all in
that gorgeous pittee was Photame himself
Stetted on a throne of radiant brightetees,
Q0170101)4 in a purple cloud, sat the Sun -
king with the shining rays on his brow,
At his feet ley MS bow and arrows. apd
SR brilliant was the ilght shoat WS person
that Phaeton could not look at him. Ar-
ranged in groups about the mom wore the
Years, the Months and the Days. Here
also was Spring, with a oirelet of violets
about her bead,. Summer, too, reveled. in
abundant garlands of roses; and Ant
-
until tenderly' looked on his Amigos of
wheat: while Winter, arch and strong,
glistened in an armor of iee.
When lehooleas Saw how the light dazz-
led Phaeton he laid aside his crown of
sun -rays, and motioned him to approlsole
Phaeton obeyed, and kneeling said:
"0, Phoebus, mighty ruler of the day/
and harbinger of good to men, tell 3110,
may I call you, father?"
And Phoebus, glad to see his son so tall
and strong anti handsome, raised. him end
embraced him and said:
"Yea, what Clymene hath said is true.
You are my son, and that you may doubt
it no more, ask of me what you will; and
by the groat river Styx and. the direful
punishment that follows the breaking of
an oath, I swear to grant your wish."
The Phaeton, drawing himself up to his
full height, gazed boldly at Phoebus, and
said, in it voice trembling with excite-
ment:
"0, Phoebus, my father, since thus you
olairn me for your son, and offer me the
gift I most prize, hear then, what I will
have It is that I may drive your chariot
of fire for one day around the wqrld.
Then when Epaphos sees ane, he will no
longer scorn me, but hail nee as the son of
Phoebus, the great Day -God."
As he finished speaking a silence fell
over the room, till Phoebus starting sud-
penly, as if he had doubted that he heard
those bold words, said:
"Phaeton, Phaeton, take back that
wish! You Imow not what you ask. You
are but mortal, and no one, not even the
great Zeus himself, time hurler of the thun-
derbolt, can hope to manage iny horses.
The way is not easy. Indeed you pass
many horrors. The Scorpion curled up in
tee south, stretches out his great fangs to
poison you as you pass. Then you must
also pass the jaws of the mighty Lion and
the awful Crab is not the least to of all to
fear: Draw back while yet you may,
beseeoh you. Look about the world;
choose all that is brightest and fairest and
It shall be yours. Only this one thing I
would fain deny you."
But the youth was headstrong and
proudly said:
"If I cannot do that which I have said,
mighty Phoebus, naught that is less will
satisfy me." ,
But the oath was sworn, and now, too,
the night had fled, and .A.urora, the sister
and herald of Phoebus, knocked at the
door,
saying that the chariot was ready.
Delay was now impossible, for already
had Aurora, thrown wide the gates of rose
and purple, and bands of gold were flung
along the path, marking the way round
the world. Then Phoebus anointed the
person of Phaeton with a strong unguent,
and warn ng him to spare' the whip bade
him a sorrowful farewell. '
There stood the four horses „impatient-
ly pawingthe ground -with their silver
hoofs. They breathed fire and their eyes
'shone like molten gold. The car itself
was of ivory,inlaid with sparkling jewels,
and when Phaeton sprang into it with the
crown of rays on his head no gra der sight
was ever seen by gods or men.
But it was time to be gone. In another
second up dashed the four horses; up, up
the steep ascent with lightning -like rapid-
ity Then, seeing the load lighter than
usual, the horses plunged forward. Ph te-
ton did all he could to hold them in, but
'
each second they erew more unruly, till at
last the youth dropped the reins and let
them:go whither they mkt
When the horses, which for ages had
drawn the burniug sun around the world,
:elt, for the first time, the slackened reins,
they dashed hither and. thither, like an
unmanned bark in a stormy sea. First
they rose so high ,n the air that heaven
itself caught fire; then they swept so low
that the tree tops were brushed by tho
wheels of the oar. The rain died on the
stalk. The rivers wore dried up; the
cattle fell dead in the fields. All the
nymphs of the fountains bewailed thoir
waters and even the pe 1110 fled to the
eaves to got out of reach of the awful
heat. Then it was that the people of
Ethiopia became black, and the great Sa-
hara Desert, evhich had been a sea, was
dried up till it became what it is to -day.
All the labor of the year was laid waste.
Whole cities wee° destroyed and still the
horses dashed on in their reckless oar .er.
Saturn, from the depths of the sea, tried
to find out the trouble, bit 12 he even
came near the surface of the evater he was
sure to be scorched. That was the warm-
est day the world has ever known, and not
a cloud could. be found to place itself be-
tween the earth and the terrible sun. ,
At last all the deities called to Mother
Earth to intercele for them, Gaea, burnt
and parched evith thirst liftea up her head
and prayed to Zeus:
"Zeus, father and protector of us all,
look down on the devastation spre
about! Is this the fate that I deserve after
my toil and fertility? If I am to die by
fire, then let it be by thy hand. Hurl your
thunderbolts at me till I cease to be. But
if I deserve this fate does Saturn deserve it
too? Behold bis waters are dried up; and
if a 1 this does not niove you look upon
the heavens! Even they are smoking, and
the universe will soon be laid waste. 0,
father Zeus, have pity, wo pray thee!"
Then, from high Olympus, Zeus looked
doevre and. calling. all the gods to witness
that unless a speedy remedy were applied
all this was lost, he hutted tho hapless
Phaeton the forked lightening and the air
was rent with flying thunderbolts.
As Phaeton was struck he dropped from
the 11 ming ear all aglosv and. fell as a
shooting stilt svhich marks its pathway of
fire, The limos, frightened. intd obedi-
ence, dashed back into the acoustomed path
and °aired the sun safely clown into the
1 Ind of sunset, whore the messenger a
Phoebus awaited it • Phaeton fell burn-
ing Ino the river Eridanus, svhiclireeeived
him and eooled his frame
ping to rest, he began his ascent of tho
Mountain and bs night found himsele not
fin. front the portals of the palace.
lInt it his pride had been great in the
morning, his awe, noev,as he looked upon
tho Wondrous structute from. a nearer
point of view, was unboueded. Curtains
of goldere violet hues hung about the place
evith strangely shifting patterns of crim-
son, and silver, as when we see a sunset
sky, beautiful, but qUielsly fading and
eVaneseent,
And even While ho looked, the nbny
curtains lifted and he stood before the
pelace. With firm, quid: stops the youth
;mended the stains, and entering the pal-
ace, wine etiddenly into the throne -teem,
For a montent he Was dazzled by the
light and splendor about 111111. On the
Wane of the room, Whieh weft of preolous
atruck Too Sean*
NaPolena Bonaparte at one time oOP-
t,enip1ated isa invasion of England, and 00
certain was be of euccess that he had tit,
medal struck in Perla in lamer of the
13,Yet4t, Only one epecimen has been left
to posterity; beettUtle et the faibire of. the'
bola enterprise he expressly ordered the
medals and dies to be deetroyed,
On one side is the Emperor's ben
length portrixiton the revere° is the itnege
of Hercules stifilno the giant Antaeus in
his arms. On the top are the words " De-
seente on Aegleterre," and underneath
E'rappe is Londres" (Struck in. Lindon).
This remarkable bit of coinage is said
to be still preserved in the Paris Mint.—
From Harper's Bound Table.
A Stupid Butler.
Spanish people seem to suffer from th
stupidity of seine og their servants a*
much as we do In America' if tbe follow-
ing story evbich appearedin a Madrid.
journal is true. It seems that a lady
ordered her butler eve morning to tell all
visitors that she was not at home. At
nigh when enumerating the persons who.
had called during, the day he mentioned,
the lady's sister when bis mistressf ex-
claimed: "I told you, man, that I was al-
ways at home for my sister! Yen ought
to nave shown her in."
Not day the lady went out to make a
few calls and during her absence her sis-
ter °ELMO to the house.
"Is your mistress at home?" she asked.
the butler.
"Yes madam" was his reply.
The lady went up stairs and looked
everywhere for her sis er. On coming
down stairs she said to the butler "My
sister must have gone out, for I could not
find her."
"es madam, she has gone out but she
told me last night that she was always at
home for you.'
Many persons in rainy Weather tarry
their umbrellas rolled up tinder their
arms, and no doubt there is in this a con-
siderable degree Of seeisflectien Even if
one likes to bravo the We ther it is still a
pleastne to be provided with the proper
raity Weather equipment, just es it limy
be it 'skinner° tee a man to know , that he
has It dross coat, oven if he doesn't always(
Nate it
snob is a human ceeation,
An Independeht Barber.
Here is an entertaining story about a
Frenchman who was too proud to, do
things which were against his prisciples.
The story is vouched for as an actual fact
by the man to whom the incident happen-
ed. While travelling in Europe he stopped
overnight at Caen and noting that his hair
was unduly long be went to have it cut
by the local barber. He told the barber
to take off very little but before the scissors
had been at work many seconds he noticed
a favorite lock fall on to the calico jacket
In which he had been arrayed. Where-
upon he reproved the barber for not follow-
ing his instructions upon which the man
observed in mingled tones of repeoach and
dismay,
"Monsieur must permit me to do my
work in the way which seems best to me;
and what is more, I shall take off some
more."
"Not at all," said the traveller; "I tell
you I want very little taken off and must
insist upon your d ing as I direct you."
The barber however was not to be put
down in this way and said, "Monsieur, it
Is possible that this is how things may be
done in England, but here in France W0'
are not slaves. I shall out off as much4sa
I please."—From Harper's Round Table..
The Wheel a Benefit to Women.
It has often been asserted that cycling'
is injurious to women. There is a Little
truth in the assertion. Paraphrasing one.
of Lincoln's sentences, I would modify it ,
and say that cycling is harmful to some
women all of the titne•, to all women
some of the time; but not to all women
all of the time. There is no reaeon to
think- that a healthy woman can be in-
jured by using the wheel, provided she does
not over -exert herself by riding too long
a time, or too fast, or up too steep hills;
and provided she does not ride when com-
mon sense andphysiology alikeforbid any
needless exertion • and provided also she
does not get the bad habit of stooping over
the handle bar; and there is reason, not
merely to think, but to know, that many
women are greatly benefited by exercise:
There are certain anatomical and physio-
logical peculiarities which make it far
more dangerous for a woman to undergo
excessive strain ; but if she can be careful.
to avoid strain, cycl ng is both beneficial
and safe for any woman who is free from
organic disease. From a Doctor's View of
Bicycling," by J. W. Roosevelt, M. D., in
the June Scribner.
Was Pretty Quick Work.
An event recently transpired in Union,
Mo., which knocks the socks off Sioux
Falls, S. D., for rapid divorces and rapid
marriages immediately thereafter. It
seems that Mary Isabelle Mullinaux, who -
lived in Grutsviile, a crossroads town in
Franklin Connty,was deserted by her hus-
band, Thoinas F. Mullinaux. She grew
tired of waiting for his return. She earn"
to Union the other day and employed Col-
onel hlaupin as her attorney to secure a.
divorce, says a correspondent of the St.
Louis Republic. .A. big ease wee on in,
court, and during a recess of a few min-
utes Mrs. Mullinaux, who is a little red-
haired woman, of 25 years, and was dress- ,
ed. in red calico, appeared with het attor-
ney and witnesses before Judge Hirzel.
Just nine minutes after her petition was
filed Mrs. Mullivaux was granted a di-
vorce, and ske again assumed her maiden
name, Mary Isabelle Lewis. '
But she was not to remain Mary Lewis
Very long. She hustled downstairs in the
courthouse, and there Frank It. McCance,
a red-haired boy of 19 summers, was
breathlessly waiting to hear the outcome of
the divorce case. . He was her new lover:
When she told him that all was well his,
heart went pit -it -pat, and the two stepped
into the Recorder's office and secured
marriage license. Six minutes later they
were upstairs again and were married by
C. S. Gallenkanap, the probate judge, who
had left the case in court long enough to
tie the matrimonial knot. The entire pro-
ceedings, divorce, issuance of marriage li-
cense and wedding ceremony, were per -
fawned within thirty minutes. Before
another half hour the red-headed groom
and his red-haired bride had left town in,
faern wagen on their way to their new
abode in Moselle, it small station on the
elerisco Road.
Too Good '1'0 Keep,
An actor told me a story about Robson
last week --a sten? he assures me is really'
ttue, says the Washington Post
It happened On the way to Witehington,
ho mid, a fact that makes it espeolally
apropos. Mt. Robson merle the acqueint-
once of a charming young miss on the
cers,just this side of Madmen, She talk-
ed to him sedately and eyed him so steed
ily that at last he asked the eisasen for her
scrutiny.
" You. leek jost like the picture of it man
SAW " she said, after Much uraing,
"Viell, Who was ite" asked Robson.
The little maid didn't want to toll, but
on Mr, ilobson'e promise not to he veXed,
she finally said;
• "Well, he Wasn't at all. it Moe men and
r know it 'wasn't Senn because he was aa
'toter, and his nexne Wes llobson."
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