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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times, 1895-3-21, Page 6eiterieneelenternetnenenetene ¶UIWBXET:Ellt TIZIES rnrrrrr".?' D ON ANGELS' FOOD. RV..OR, TALMAGE DISCOURSES ON HEAVENLY MANNA, ett ------ 'earthly leemishatent Not Needed In State* of Spiritime Exattetion—Music einem.* a Large Wart of the eeraPhit Menu—Euter the Kingdom. IsTovr York, March X.—Among the thousands who greeted Rev. Dr. Telniage tat the Academy at blusio this afternoon Were a large number of strangere front distant parts of the Union. At the close Of the services the preacher, on leaving the platfornnfonnd himself confronted by ennagh people to All an ordinary sized enurch, all intent on shaking hands with him. The subjeot of discourse for the Afternoon was 'A. Seraphic Diet," the text selected being- Psalms lxxviii, $5, "lean did eat angels' food." ' Somewhat risky would be the undertak. In to tell just what was the 7nanna that tell to the Israelites in the wilderatess, of What it was load° and who made it. The Manua was called angels' food, bue why so called? Was it because it came from the place where angels live, or because angels compounded it, or because ngels did eat it , or because it was good °Donee tor angels? On what crystal platter was Lt meried to the door of heaven and. then thrown out How did. it taste? We are told there was someteang in it like honey, but ,if the saccharine taste in it had been too strong many Would not have liked it, and so it may have had a commingling of flavors—this delicacy of the skies. It must have been nutritious, for a nation lived on it for forty years. It must have been herdthful, for it is so inspiringly ap- plauded. It must have been abundant because it dismissed the necessity of a , sutler for a great army. Each person ' had a ration of three quarts a day allowed to him, and so 15,000,000 pounds were neessary every week. Those were the times of which my text speaks, when man "did eat angels' food." ' If the good Lord who has helped me so often, will help me now, I will first tell you what is angels' food and then how -we may get some of it for ourselves. In our mortal state we must have for mastica- tion and digestion and assimilation the products of the earth. Corporeity as well as mentality and spirituality character- izes us. The style of diet has much to do with our well being. Light and airy frothy food taken excusively results in weak muscles and semi -invalidism. The taking of too much animal food. produc- es sensuality. Vegetarians are cranks. Reasonable selection of the farinaceous and the solid ordinarily produces physical stamina. But we have all occasionally been in an ecstatic state where we forgot the neces- sity of earthly food. We were fed by joys, by anticipations by discoveries by com- panionships, tit dwindled the dining hour into insignificance and made the pleasures of the table stupid and uninvit- ing. There bays been cases where from .seemingly invisible sources the human body has been maintained, as in the re- markable case of our invalid and Christian neighbor, liollie Faucher, known throughon.t the medical and Christian world for that she was seven weeks -with- out earthly food, fed and sustained on heavenly visions. Our beloved Dr. Irene - ens Prime, editor and theologian, record- ed the wonders concerning this girL Pro- fessor West, the great scientist, marvelled over it, and Willard Parker, of worldwide fame in surgery, threw- up his hands in arnazemen.t at it. There are times in our lives when the soul asserts itself and says to the body: "Hush! Stand back I Stand down!" I am at a banquet where no chalices gleem, and no viands amoke, and no cul- inary implements clatter. I am feeding on that which no human hand has mix- ed and no earthly oven baked. I am eat - Ing "angels' "angels' food." If you have never been in such an exalted state, I commiser- ate yourleaden temperament, and dismiss yon from. this service as incompetent to understand the thrilling and glorious sug- gestiveness of ray text when it says, "Man did eat angels' food." Now, what do the superna,turals lie on? They experience none of the demands of corporeity and have no hindrance or en- vironment in the shape of bone and muscle extd flesh, and hence that which may de- leetate our palate or invigorate our poor, dying frames would be of no use to them. But eb.ey have a food of their own. My teat 'says so. There raay be other courses of food in the heattenly menu. that I am not aware of, but I know of five or six styles of food always on. celestial tables when cherubim and seraphim and arch- angel gather for heavenlyrepest—the mys- tery of redemption, celestialized music, the heavenly picturesque, sublime col- loquy, eternal enterprises saintly associa- tion, divine companionship, celebrative eu.bilance. There is one subjeet that ex- cites the ouriosity and inquisitiveness of all those angels. St. Peter says, "Which thing the angels desire to look into"—that is, why did Christ exchange a palace for a barn? Why did he drop a sceptre from his right hand to take a spear into his left sideP Why quit the anthem of the wor- shipping heavens to hear the crooning of a **taw mother's voice? Was it better than a garland? "Could it not have done been en Kane other way?" says angel the first. l'Was the human race worth such a sacri- Ace?" says angel second. "How could. !heaven get along without hin for thirty- three years?" says angel the third. "Through that assassination Iney sinful wan rise into eternal companionship 1" itays angel the fourth. And then they all bend toward each other and talk about it and guess about it and try to fathom it and prophesy concerning it. But the sub- ject is too big, and they only nibble at it. They only break off a piece of it, They only taste it. They just dip into it. And then one angel says, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain!" And another tiays, ' rernsea,rchable." And another says, "Past finding out!" And anoher says, "Alleluial" And then they all fill their Mips of gold. with the "new wine of the klogdont " Unlike the beetkae of eareh,which poist on, these glow with immortal health, the Wine pressecl from the grapes of the termite Eshcol, mid they all drink to the entory a manger and cross, shattered •eptileher end Olivetie eseensioxi. Oh, hat rapturous, inepiringtranepoeting neme of the world's ransom! That makes )1 , itagelte food. The taking a that food levee steortger pulse to their gledness'adde teeeral Inotnings of radiant° to their fatheads gives vaster circle to the sweep If theit airings on miesion interconstellat Ion. some of the crumbs tie thet angel a . - ..... . . tq..k wow rxn. a= mynx our wilderness eitalp to.dity, anti we feellike orylug with Prittli "Ob, the deptbe of the riehes, both of the wisdom ani knowledge a God!" or with expirirtg Stepon, "Ined ,Tesus, recetve my spirit 1" Or With many an enraptured soul "None but C1trlst1 ItTone but Christi" Pass teround this angels' food. Carry it through all these alsles. Climb with it through, all these galleries 1 Take it among all the hovels as well as among all the palaces of the great town! Give eel na- tions a testa ef this angels' food. Now in the emerald pekoe of heaven let the cupbeareria and servants of the king remove this course from the banquet and brtug on another course of angels' food, evitich is celestial music. eeett and I have seen at some concert or oratorio a Whole assemblage to whom the mUsio was a feast. Never Anythiog that they took in at the lips of the mouth was so delightful to their taste as that which they took in at the lips of the ear. I have seat aud you have seen people actually* intoxicated Wita sweee sounas. Oratoelos 'Weenie are always too protracted. for those of us who have not had our faculties cultivated in that direction were never long enough fox them, as at 11 o'clock at night the leader of the orchestra gave the three taps of his baton to again start the musio they were as fresh and alert as when three boors be- fore and at 8 °hawk the ovitain was first lifted. Music to there is food for body, food. kr mind and food for souL From what 1 read in my Bible I think celestialized music will make up a large part of angels' food. Why do I say "celestialized music?" Because, though music may have been born in heaven, it had not all its charms until it came to earth and took a baptism of tears. Since then it bas had a pathos and a tenderness that it could not other- wise have possessed. It nad to pass under the shadows and over stormy seas and weep at sepulchers and to be hummed as lulla,by over the cradle of sick children be- fore it could mount to its present alti- tudes of heavenly power. No organ on earth vrould be complete without the stop "tremolo" and the stop "vox humane.' And no music of heaven would be com- plete without the "tremolo" of earthly sorrow comforted and the "'VOX humane" of earthly sympathies glorified. Just take up the New Testament and lind it a note- book of celestialized It says Jesus sang a hymn before he went to the Mount of Olives, and if he could sing on earth with Bethlehem hu- miliatiou close behind Him, and sworn enemies close on both sides of Him, and. the torments of Golgotha just before Him. do you. suppose He sings in heaven? Pare. and Silas sang in midnight dungeon, and do you, not suppose that now they sing on the delectable summits? What do the harps and trumpets and choirs of Revela- tion suggest if not m-usic? What would. the millions of good singers and players upon instruments who took part in earth- ly worship do in heaven. without music? Why, the mansions ring with it. The great halls of eternity ring with it. The worship of unnumbered hosts is inwrap- ped with it. It will be the only art of earth that will have enough elasticity and strength to leap the grave and take posses- sion of heaven. Sculptuxe will halt this side of the grave because it chiefly come mereorates the forms of those who in heaven will be reconstructed, and what would. we want of the sculptured iinitae tion when we stand in the presence of the resurrected original? Painting will halt this side of the grave because the colors of earth would be too tame for heaven, and what -use to have pictured on canvas the scenes which shall be described to us by those who were the participants? One of the disciples will tell us about the "last supper" better than Titian, with mighty touch, set it up in art gallery-. The plainest seine by tongue will describe the last judgment better than Michael Angelo, with his pencil, put it upon the ceiling of the Vatican. Architecture will halt this side the grave, for what use would there be for architect's compass and design in that city which is already built and garnished -until nothing can be added; all the Tuileries and Windsor castles and St. Clouds of the earth piled up not equal- ing its humblest residences; all the St. Pauls and St. Peters and St. Izaa,ks and St. Sophia,s of the earth built into one cathedral not equalling the heavenly tem- ple, but music will pass right on, right up and right in, and millions in heaven will acknowledge that, under God, she was the chief cause of their salvation. Oh, I would like to be present when all the great Christian singers and the great Christian players of all the ages shall con- gregate in heaven! Of course they must, like all the rest of us, be cleansed and ransomed by the blood of the slain Lamb. Alas, that some of the great artists of sweet sound have been as distinguished for profligacy as for the way they warbled or sang or- fingered the keyboard or trod the organ pedal. Some who have been distinguished bassos and sopranos and priraa donnas on earth I fear will never sing the song of Moses and the Lamb or put the lip to the trumpet with sounds of victory before the throne. But many of the masters who charmed us on earth will more mightily charm us in heaven. Great music hall of eternity I May you and I be there some day to ac- claim when the "Halleluiah Chorus" is wakened, As on earth there have been harmonies made up of other harmonies, a straiu of music from this cantata and a strain of music from that overture, and a bar from this and a bar from that, but One great tune or theme, into which all the others were poured as rivers into a Sea, so it triay be given to the mightiest soul in the heavenly world to gather something from all the sacred songs we have sung on earth or which have been sung in all the ages, and roll them on in eternal. sylnphony,but the one great theme and the one overmastering tone that shall carry all before it and uplift all heaven front central throne to farthent gate of pearl and to the highest capstone of amethyst will be, "Unto Hira who loved ue and washed. tie from our sins in His own blood and made us kings and prieste lento God and the Lamb, to Him he glory I" That will be manna enough foe all heaven to feed on. That will be a ban- quet for immortals. That will be angels' food. ToW in the emerald pakee of heaven Id the cupbearere and servants of the King remote this course from the banquet and bring on another course of angels' Iood, Whieh is laying out of mighty enterprise. The Bible lets us know positively that the angels' hatte am world's affairs on their heart. They afford the rapid tran- sit from world to world. Miistering spirits, escotting spirits,defending spirits, guardian spirits—yoa, they -have all worlds on their thought. We are Veld they sang tegether at the ereation. and that implied non only the oreation or our world, but a other worlds. Shall they plan only kr oux little planet and be unconcerned for a planet 800 times larger? No. They bave all the galemieS under their observation; mighty seheinee of helpfulness to be kid out and exeouted; shipwreeked worlds to be towed in; plan- etary fires to be put net; demoniac), hosts riding up to be hurled beck and down. These angels of light untorse an.Apollyon with one stroke of battleax celestial. They talk these matters all over. 'They lteml toward each other in sublimest colloquy. They have cabinet meetings of winged immortals. They assemble the mightiest of them in holy consultation. They plan out stellar, lunar, solar, oonstellated achievement. They vie with coati other as to who shall do the grandest thing fox eterriels. They compose doxologies fa the temple of the sim. They preside ova coronations. If in the great orgau of the universe one key gets out of tune, they plan for its retuniug. No undertaking is so difficult, no post of clute- is so distant, no mission is so stupeudatie but at God's command they are gladly obtained. When they sit together in heaven's places, Gm beet and Miclaael, the archangel, and the angel that pointed Hagar to the fountain in tbe desert, and the angel that swung open the prison door of delivered Peter, and the angels who are to be the reapers at the end of the world, and the angel that stood by Paul to encourage him on the foundering cornship of Alexandria, and the two angels that seutineled the tomb of Christ, and the four angels that Si. John saw in, Apocalypse at the four corners of the eartleand. the twelve angels that guard the twelve swiogiug pawls, and the 20,000 cbarioted angels that the psalmist described, and more radiant than all of them put together, and mightier than all, and kegler than all," "the Angel of the Covenant," the cadences ol his voice the best music tbat ever en- tranced mortal or immortal ears, His smile another noon risen on midnoon, His presence enough to make a heaven ie there were no other attraction—I sayewnertazze meet together in tho counted cbamber Mose to the throne, eh, that will be regalement infinite! That will be a repast supernal. That will be angels' food. And one of my exciting anticipations of heaven is the prospect of seeing and talk- ing with some of them. Why not? What did they come out for on the balcony on that Christmas night and sing for our world if they did not want to be put in communication with us? I know -the serenade was in Greek, but they knew that their words would be translated in all languages. If they thought themselves too good to have anything to do with us, would they have dropped Christmas carols upon the shepherds, as bad as any of us have ever been? Aye, if they sang fox mortals, will they not sing for us when we become immortals? Now in the emerald palace of heaven let the cupbearers and servants of the King remove this course from the banquet and bring on another course of angels' food, the last course and the best—the des- sert, the culmination of the feast, which is celebrative jubilance. You and I have known people who prided themselves on never getting 'excited. They have culti- vated the phlegmatic. You never saw them cry; you never heard. thorn in a burst of laughter. They are monotonous and to me intolerable. I am afraid of a man or a woman that cannot cry. I am afraid of a man or a woman who cannot laugh. Christ says in. the book of Revela- tion that such people are to Him nauseat- ing and cause regurgitation—(Revelation iii, 16) "Because thou art lukewarm and - neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth." But the angels in heaven have no stolidity or unresponsiveness. There Ls one thing that agitates them into holy warmth. We know that absolutely. If their harp be hung up on the panels oi amethyst, they take it down and with deft fingers pull from among the strings a cantkle. They run in to their neigh- bors on the same golden street and tell the good news. If Miriam has there cymbals anything like those with which she per- formed on the banks of the Red sea, she claps them in triumph, and there is a festal table spread, and the best of the angels' food is set on it. When is it? It is when a man or woman down in the world who was all wrong by the grace of God is made all right—(Luke xv, 10) "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Why are they so happily agitated? Be- muse they know what a tremendous thing it is to turn dear around from the wrong and take the right road. It is because they know the difference between swines' trough with nothing but husks and a king's banquet with angels' food. It is because they know the infinite, the ever- , lasting difference between down and. up. And then their festivity is catching. If we hens the bells of a city ring, we say, "What is that for?" If we hear rolling out front an auditorium the sound of a full orebestrie, we say, "What is happen. ing here?" And when the angels of God take oia jubilance over a ease of earthly repentance your friends in heaven will say: "What new thing has happened} Why full diapason? Why the chime from the oldest towers of eternity?" The fact is, my hearers, there are people in heaven who would like to hear from you. Yom children there are wondering when father and mother will come into the kingdom, and with more glee than they ever danced In the hallway at your coming home at eventide they will dance the floor of the heavenly mansion at the tidings of father and moth.er saved. Besides that the old folks want to hear from you. They are standing at the head of the celestial stairs waiting for the news that their prayers have been answered, and that you are coming on to take from their lips a kiss better than that which now they throw you. Calling you by your first name, as they always did, they are talking about you and saying, "There is our son," ot "There is our daughter down in that world of struggle, battling, suffering, sin- ning, weeping, Why can they not see that Christ is the only one who can help and comfort and save?" That is what they are saying about you, and, if you will this hour in ono prayee of surrender that will not take more than a second to make decide this, then swifter than telegraphle dispetch the news would reach thene, and angels of God who never fell would join your glorified kindred in celebration, and the caterers of heaven would do their best, and saints and sem antis side by side would take angels' food. Glory be to God for sea a possibility 1 Oh, that this moment there might be a rush for heaven The Spitit end the Bride say, Come, Rejoicing &ante re-eolao, Come, Who feints, who thirsts, Who Willi May Thy Secreelle4 bide thee QOM& THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. INTERNATIONAL LESSON,Nat'. Polk• 41'otritty or nue," ROM. XS. 8-I4. Golden Text, 1 Times. 5,22. Ottemeari sestenseinetr. When to the Ranee Christians Paul wrote the vigorous verses we study to -day, neither he ear they were beset by the modem "liquor question." Nevertheless the eigest of Christian morals here given is oue of the best of all temperance lessons, nese eve or six moral preoepte, if followed out, would, baeish from the community all seifith indulgence of appetite. Paul sews, harmthytooi " Owe no man anythiug' )(verge "Love gahny(verse htirenathleoy lArise e; from lethargy I ' (verse 9) ; Do no (verses 11 and 12) ; Behave with rectitude and demotion (verse 13) ; and be envelop- ed and coated aud cloaked with the Lord Jesus, juet ati an anoient soldier was cover- ed all over by his armor (verses 12-14). Think how utterly contrary to all this is the intoxication whteh piles up debts on the invidual and the community; which Bowe the seeds of hatred to our neighbors; which works more "ill" and harm than any other force in modern society ; winch affectis the community with a sorb of moral stupor, and seems at times to befog even Christian ooneMences ; which is the most fruitful source ot vice and "work of dark- ness;" which ao fastens its ehaokles about a man that the slavery of its victimis more readily seen than. the Christian armor of those who oppose it. The Epistle of Paul to the Romana is the mose elaborate pre- duotiou of the apostle's pen. While it is one of the profoundest theological treatises ever composed, it is written in headlong and ofehand style, and frau beginniug te end 15 18 characteristically a letter. Its date Is probably A. D. 58, the fourth year of Nero's reign. EXPLANATORY AND PRACTICAL NOTES. Veva 8. The apostle has just spoken (verses 1-7) of the Chrintan's duty to the civil government, and his words on Weill subject come to us with increased force when we remember the vileness of the government to which he urged loyalty. From the duties of a citizen he passes to, the duties of a neighbor, and hie first ie. junction has been interpreted by some fanatics to forbid the credit system in trade. Owe no man anything, but to love one another. There is no doubt that in modern merchandise the credit system is so strained and misused that it has become a readier ministrant to acute "panics" and chronic fraud than any other elemeat. But the apostle is here handling much pro- founder principles than any laws of trade. The debt of love underlies and precedes all other debts. We are to love the man from whom we purchase, the man to wbora we sell, and the man who neither sells nor buys front us ; not to like them, selecting them from all the rest of the world because of their harmony to our tastes, but to love them, holding ourselveit in constant nada nese to sacrifice our own convenience and preterence for them. This is the spirit of the Lord Jesus ; and if it be not good business policy, that is eimply because "business" as generally conducted, is pagan and not Christian in spirit. Temporary indebt- edness is often a necessity, and is directly conducive to the prosper- ity of both Beller and buyer; but, (1) No man has a right by any sort of indebtedness to forfeit his moral indepen- dence; (2) No man has a right in any business relation to transgress the Golden Rule—to do what, under similar circum. stances, he -would not cordially like to be done to him. Dr. Moule wittily says that the debt of love to our neigbbor is not like a forgotten amount which is owing to the seller, but is rather like interest en capital which is constantly owing to the lender. Hach fulfilled the Ism. " The law" merely outs into language what a loving heart does spontaneously. "Fulfilling" is filling full. It is as if every precept and command of the Mosaic law was a cup, of no value whatever until filled to overflow with the love to carry which it was fashioned. 9. This verse shows that the "Thou shalt note" of the second half of the Decalogue mean ST/11ply, " Tbou shalt love thy neighor as thyself. Each prohibition is the negative statement of a positive command. How complete is the self-abnegation which the Gospel enjoins may be seen from the phrase as thyself. Remember, "love is holiness spelled short." 10. Love worketh no ilL .A negative statement again. Love is the fulfilliug of the law. See note on verse 8. Men and women are often kept back from the simple, pure love which characterized. the early Christiana, and which is God's ideal for all his children, by foolish conventions which are the outgtowth of selfishness. 11. And that. Better, "and this ;" our love to our neighbor is made active by a consideration of the time. High time to awake out of sleep. This becomes espe- cially true when we make use of the pas- sage ab a temperance lesson. Now is the time to think and talk and work and vote on this burning question, which makes every other questiat petty when compared to it. Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Thi e is the reason for the holy promptitude to which Paul ex- horts. Bus in what sense is salvation now nearer ? The simple answer is that Paul refers to the coming of the Lord, which he confidently expected in his own time. Those who explain the "high time" to be the Gospel time, and the "'sleep" to be the sin and ignorance from which Christianity called the world, aud those who hold, with Dr. Whedon, that the apostle merely means that we are now midway between our first earthly salvation and our final heavenly salvation, that ie figures as a night, and the engrossments of life ea a sleep, death and salvation as a dawn, and eternity as a blesecid noonday, can find much in the context to favor their inters pretation, and either explanation brings noble, moral suggestions ; but I prefer the• simple explanation with which we alerted. It doenot to the slightest degree lessen the divine authority of Paul to hold that not every future fact and deed was reveal- ed to him, and the natural inference from his epistles is that he expected the second coming of Christ " atraightvrity." 12. This verse is a continuance of the figure introduced in weasel. The method of interpretation which we adopt for that verse will control our understanding of this. Works of darkness. Deeds of wickedness that men seek to hide under cover of night; atiokedneas itself, however, ia a state of spiritual darkness. Cast off. As those who rise at dawn of day oast off their night garments. Armor of light. Better, "Armor of the lighe'' Such arroot ae is worn hy soldiers in the daytime. 13, Honestly. Decently, Rioting. Reveling, Drunkennewe Tbe excites of the enoiectb feasts was great, Chamberine. Sensual seas, In this case, ite in many, precipitated by strong drink. Wantonness. A broader phrase Moluding all those crimes and witiked patella:a thab belong especially to the eiglittatne. Strife and envying. The tont tempting which Inaturally aud inevitably succeed limn. tiousimes, 14, Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. Clothe yourselves with the moral disposition and habits of Christ. .Provision. 'Fore* thought, purpoth."—Whedon. To fulfill the luete. " The heathen Geutiles," saYil Dr. Clarke with painful ancureey, "lived and labored, bought and sold, 'admitted and planned for the flesh. It was the bust - nese of their lives to gratify initial taste. Their philosophy taught thein little else, and the whole circle of their deities, as well AO the whole ethane of their religion, aerved only to exclite and inffeene eucb passions and produce such praoticee." One of tbe blessed results of the coming of Chriat is that vice has been made diare putrible, even among the vicious. And yet in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and ninety-five multitudes (churchgoers, too, and. regular Sunday school attendant) po systematically make provision for the flesh, "to fulfill the lusts thereof," These things ought not so te be. VESSELS THAT WILL NOT SINK. A Double Bottom Should be Extended Above the Water Line. Speaking of the Elbe disaster one of the moat prominent shipbuilders on the Atlan- ti0 meat is reported by The Clevelaud Merine Record to. have mid' that in the various comments on the loss of that steam- er and the lessons to be learned therefrom he had failed to And a suggestion of what seemed to him to be of great importance. This was that a double bottom, such as is now built in all first-class vessels, ehould be extended up the sides to the first dealt above the water -line. Between the inner and outer skins cellulose should be packed, or some other obturating material, as is now done in the construction of men.of. war, so that in case of collision or other damage to the hull the water could be kept out, thus lessening. the chances of sinking. This shipbuilder Is of opinion that men of his handicraft who construct firet.olass passenger ships have much to learn front a study of the architecture of war vessels if they would produce a ship that is a near- er approach to the unsinkable vessel for which everybody is looking forward. Pate sengermarrying vessels should hare roirtrA or THEIR CREWS several times during a voyage, and thus every man would know his post and be prepared to do his duty on the instant. Man-of-war crews constantly go through the rnaneuvres of lowering the boats and preparing to abandon the ship; thus in case of a collision the chance of loss of life is reduced to a minimum. Not only has 'a mareonwar two skins, filled between with cellulose, but the inter- vening space is subdivided by numerous bulkheads of light but strong metal. When the hull of the ship becomes wounded the water swells the cellulose and the leak is arrested, always partially, often entirely if the break is not too serious. Moreover, ' a war -ship is equipped with leakearresters and collision mats as well as many life - rafts. Equipment on board a passenger 'vessel for saving life usually consistsof a few boate so tied up and stowed away that they eau be reached and launched only with difficulty; there are me collision mats; even the means for stopping a burst in an air -port is generally lacking. Bulkheads are few, and almost invariably doors be- tween them are open. Should transatlan. tic companies attempt to remedy all these detects no doubt the extra expense would be serious, but The Marine Record's ship builder is convinced that passenger traffic would increase so materially that it would eventually become A PAYING INVESTMENT. Had La Gascogne been thus fitted out and equipped there would have been little anxi- ety experienced with regard to her safe- ty. Eassenger ships of the present day can withstand any ocean gale; their only dangers of moment are from fire and colli. aion. There is an enormous amount of ine flammable materiel in passenger boom which is not present in warships. Light. est of metal bulkheads, or some material of a weedy nature that will not burn when coated with asbestos or other uninflam- mable substance, would seem to be the next step forward to avert danger from fire. Builders,' however, should strive also to altogether eschew wooden subdivisions in a vessel. All these improvements may be oeoured on boand passenger ships without tocupying much space, and by their adope sion the non -sinkable vessel would be more of an accomnlished fent. My Robin. When I was a child, be.ide our door, In a green aud spreading sycamore, There sung each morning, with note as clear As a crystal brook, and full of cheer, robin. r watched his plumage in childish glee, And fancied ha sung his song • or me; And the melody lingered in iseart and brain, Making me often a child again— My robin. I looked for his coming in early spring? When the crocus opens, and maples bring Their crimson tassels to kiss he breeze. .And thesunshine dallies with new-.evved trees --My robin I hear him'aing as the sun goes down, And the Eitar s come out o'er the silent town; But there's never a harsh or mornful note, That wells afresh from the warblers's throat— My robin. And I learn a lesson of hope and cheer Teat carries me on from year to year; To sing in the shadow as in the son, Doing my part WI the work is done,— My robin. Profit in Them Yet. "Bibben, I'll bet you $5 you don't dare make an offer for this horse, ' "I'll take -that bet, Tucker." "Well, how muoh will you give me for him?" "1'11 give you a dollar." "Take him. • Give me the dollar. He's yours." "Here's the money. trouble you now for the 85," "Hein itis, I deem to be out just $4, don't I?" "You do." "Well, I ain't, just the same. I'm ahead. I had a bet of $10 with the owner that I meld sell the animal for 50 cents." A Deep PlaCe in the Paelfie. One of the deepest spots yet discovered In the Pacific Oman is near the Friendly Islands in latitude 24 degrees 37 minutes south, longitude 176 degrees 8 minutes weak The depth there found watt equal to about five Englitili miles and is said to he some.; thing like 5,000feet, greater depth than had yet been found in thet R. 14 S.Nymphe has been ordered to ABOARD A CONVIGT SHIP, INCIDENTS OF A SEA VOYAGE WITH 250 CRIMINALS, *18 inteireafiag lexperienee—a nonelet Hogged , for Insabordination—Forir Eient leishee Without 11 I?lInCk- 4rnu400801d8 or the Erlsoners—the • Soldiers ,ott Board. "1 know something of lite on 24. convict Phip," amid a retired officer of an East Indian merehantman. "1 wail on the War. wick, 4 merchantman just beck from a' voyage to Caloutta, when the Govern- ment chartered her to tarry convicts atul Worm front Englaud to Gibraltar. It waa it moat interesting experienee. We were to take colligate front three different pri- sons. About midnight on Dec, 22, 1869, we left the East Indian docks, London, and dropped down the river to Gravesend, where the next afternoon we took on 100 men of the Seventy-first Highlandere who were to eat as guard for the eonvicte. Next tide we towed to Sheerness, neer the North Foreland, where we came to an anohor and waited for the first inatallment of convicts sent from Chatham. They were brought alongside on a small steamier. 1 shall never forget how they looked to me —I was a youngster then—in tffeir yellow and bleak stripes, and with the short, flat, brown arrow, which is the English Gov- ernment mark. stamped on the clothing. Having got them aboard, se made sail for Portsmouth, our next receiving station, where we got about a hundred more. From there we sailed to Portland, and took the balance of 250 from the prison there. "Ws lay in Portland Roads three or four days on account of storm and then stetted for Gibraltar. While lying there AN INCIDENT. OCCORREH. which loan never forget ; but first let me tell you something about the arrangement and discipline of the ship on this voyage. A staff surgeon hen the royal navy was in charge of the ship, and every one was subordinate to him. He was absolutely an autocrat. We were a full-rigged iron sailing vessel of 1,005 tons register, and we had now on board, with convicts, wardens, soldiers, crew, and families of some of the soldier, about 425 soula. So you can see we were pretty thick. The sailors, who usually had quarters in the forecastle, had to give them up and live in part of the after between decks. A barricade was built across the ship at the mainmast, both be- tween decks and on themaindeck. The convicts lived kietween (Lecke forward and Were turned up for exercise every day before this barricade n the main deck. Of course, the crew were not allowed to talk to them, but they got in a word now and then as they passed in and out among them at their work. A sentry was placed in the main and fore hatchee and at each side of the barricade, and as there were sixteen wardens, some of whom were on duty all the while, the convicts were as a rule kept quite orderly. They were not ironed unless they became unruly. Then bracelets were put on their wriats and on their ankles. "But while we lay in Portland Reeds a convict named Sturgess, who was serving a twenty years' term, became intractable, and on being reproved by one of the wart dens threatened the latter's life when his sentence should be served. I fancy if what followed should happen in one of your penitentiaries a howl of denunciation would go up all over the country, but BRITISH PRISON DISCIPLINE is very rigorous, you know. Sturgess was immediately put in irons and thruse into the solitary confinement box for twenty. four hours and sentenced to receive four dozen at the expiration of his confinement. He was a stolid brute and did not seem to mind, remarking he had been flogged five times before and it would go hard with him if he couldn't take another dose. "It is generally the duty of the boat- swain to do the flogging aboard ship, but the night watchman from Portland primal was sent off to punish this fellow. With the exception of the women, 'every one aboard was compelled to turn up to wit- ness the flogging. All the convicts were ordered up before the barricade, fled each one craned his neck to see the show and anxiously watched Sturgess to see if he were game. The thief's cat, with a knot in each string, was the weapon of punishment. The convict was brought up then stripped to the waist, his feet and knees lashed to two spars which were stood upright on the deck, his hands were chained, and a rope passing under the chain, traced them up high above his head, and his breast was pushed against an iron grating lashed between the spars. The staff surgeon then read the accusation and sentence and the night watchman was ordered to do his duty. I can see him now as he ran his hand among the strings of the cet and then with a quick, sharp stroke brought it down between the convict's shoulder blades. The chief warden, Don- ald Baire counted the stroke, 'One—two— three,' and after each atroke the,convict counted, too, and when he got to twenty. four he mid coolly: " Well, there's half of them.' "When he received the forty-eight without having once flinched or murmured the other 249 conviets set up a cheer. But the staff surgeon turned on them and thun- dered " If you do not keep silence, I'll flog every man 61 you. "There was another flogging on this voyage, but it did pot take so inesational eharacter. An old convict STOlin A PIEOB, 02' SALT HORSE out of tho brine. What he proposed to do with it no (Ale COUid imagine, He couldn't eat it; Ile couldn't cook or sell it. H3 aimply stole bemuse he couldn't help it. He got a couple of dozen to teach him to keep his hands off things. " "Three or four days out from Portland we lost a man overboard. The firat man in the rescue boat was a cmviet named Porter, who was also serving a twenty years' sentence. He showed his courage' ibut was not allowed to go out in the boat. WO had Dan Gretorex, the great Scotth forger, aboard. He always declared his innoeence, and indeed was believed by most people to be 4 Viatial of false swearing. Ho was a well educated mad, and wee placed itt charge of the dispeesimye Ho held hinetelf aloof from the Other eonvicts and was regarded by them with great veSpeoli rentember he wrote a poem ott the lOOS the sailor, and very good verses they were too. • "About their food? It was Of a better quality than that furniehed either the soldiers or orew. They always got. oorned beet Where the eallore got suet horse. Corm mewed vegetables and preserved potatoes Were supplied them, inlet suet 'for their duff, where that of the senora was mixed with slush front the coppere. Then they had plums for their della a Stioday, whil the sailorngat none in their %imp of lead.' The convicts got a gni of sherry every day at 11 where the soldiergot a pint of porter and the crew nothing. Many a eaosaviory t toeladrei,ne he wished the voyage could last for "They had their anIUSernente, too, They were not allowed to reed newepapers, but once in a while one would ateal one from a werden's pocket. The warden would discover the loss, and hunting up the thief take hie paper inva.y and atiok it back in his pooket. But before be had gene very far another would pick his pocket. I have seen a warden kept trotting a whole forenoon hunting up a precious old journal e Lie had brought aboard with him. Then they often amused themselves by HOIXING 81005 TRIALS. They had judge, jury, and counsel for the prosecution and defence). One night some of us got permission to go downen the main hatchway and look through the bars on ono of these trials. It was one of the funniest performances 1 over saw. The Judge's bench was a mess table,and he woma bunk blanket for a robe. His decisione were provocative of great mirth, and the speechee of the learned counsel were screamingly absurd. When the trial was &Malted we were allowed to hand them in a little to- bacco for a treat "Let me tell you about the soldiers we had ,on board. There were some of Colin Camp- bell's men who were at the relief of Luckt now—battered, grisly, scarred fellowe, who could have spun you stories by the yard. There was one old fellow called Anchor Jack from an anchor tattooed. on his forehead, of which ornament he was ex - exceedingly vain. He was at Lucknow and the storming of Delhi, and some of his comrades told me that when he rushed into the fire and smoke at Delhi he shouted, " "Ere I go, boys. Don't let 'em take my anchor.' "Thea we had some of the Twenty. eighth of the line called Twenty-eighth Old Brags, from the name of their Colonel. I can tell you one or two historical facts about this regiment. In Quebec once, when a French Mayor refused to give ehelter to their women and children when they first landed, some of them went to his house and out off his ears. Alter that they were known as the Slashers. They were at Waterloo, too, and were fighting 0 in open line of battle wben they were charged from the rear by a regiment of horse. The rear rank faced about, and they fought back to back until victorious. Thereafter they were allowed to wear the numerals '28' both in front and in the rear of their shakos, to show they were all , front, a distinction over any other regiment in the army. "On the morning we reached Gibraltar just as we were going in, a gun was fired and a checkered flag vvaa run up the staff, This was the signal that a convict had es, oaped from Gibraltar. We soon learned that he had scaled the north front, passing at least twenty aentinels, and had got over into Span, a thing unheard of before in the history of the fortress. Our convicts were landed by the new mole marched away two by two to their barracks, whence they were taken to the quarries and see to work. The Warwick lay in harbor it few days, then proceeded to Ceylon." "HOLD YOUR KNIFE FLAT." lloW to Put Out a Newspaper Scrap When Von glove no Between. / "Excuse nie, my dear," said the nice old /lady in the next seat, leaning forward as she towelled the girl, "excuse me but hold your knife flat." The girl had been trying to out an item out of a newspaper with a pen -knife, and the blade which was not very keen -edged, had made a jagged rota here and a crooked gash that way, and had finally come to a stop in a tangle of wrinkled paper. It was as this moment that the old lady had told the girl to hold her knife fiat. The girl colored as she felt the touch on her arm, but on glancing round and seeing the pretty gray curls,and the pleasant eyes behind the gold rimmed apectacles, the blush was lost in a smile. "I don't quite enderstande" eh; said. "Then let me show you, my dear," said the nice old lady. "Let me have the paper and knife for a moment,. Now we'll sup- pose that this is the piece you wish to out out. First make a little downward jab with the point of the knife alongeide the column mark no. Then put in the blade so, holding 'the handle of the knife as iiat against the paper as you can conveniently get it. You will find now that although this blade is dreadfully dull, you can cut straight down the whole length of the paragraph. Than bring the knife blade cleanly around the bottom, carry it up the side and finish along the top, and there you have the scrap easily cut out and without a tear of a break. Juet try your- sellhg self, now." owir"1" took up her witting out work where she had left it off, and soon had the paragraph loose in her hand aud with quite a true edge to it. "It's about a friend of mine getting married," said the girl, making a little wad of the item and and tuokingit into her purse. " That's all right," said the nice old lady, "we've all got to come to it some day, my dear, or all hope to, anyway. Here is your knife." "Thank you,and thank you for showing me how to use it," said the girl. "Don't mention it, my dear," said the nice old lady, "although, as my grandson gays, 'It's a trick worth knowing.' And I may jest as vvell tell you that no matter if your knife were as keen as a razor or dull flas;oll, dull as this—you can always cut out pieoe from a newepaper with rieatheis and despatoh by keeping the blade English Will Soon Be Universal. Gladstone °amputee that the habitual speakers of the English language have in- creased from 15,000,000 to 106,000,000 dur- lug the last 100 years, and that they *ill number 123,000,000 by the end of the year .1900. At that rate Of ittethase, Which id seven -fold eta& oehture, Ouch speakete will include not leer] than 840,000,000 by the end of the year 20004