HomeMy WebLinkAboutExeter Times, 1896-1-16, Page 7;
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CURRENT NOTES.
Sir Charles M. Kennedy, in an ad-
dress on "Diplomacy and Internetional
• LaW," at University College,' Bristol,
last autumn, used. the following lan-
guage which bas e1oria,1 significance at
• the preseinee time: "International law
. existed les a necessary consequence
O f the.existence in the world of separate
states holding intercouxse with eaeh
other. The form which it had assumed,
derived from the content of nations,
Was no less a necessary consequence of
the past history of the vrorld. Its evi-
dences were found in rec,ognized rules,
maxims, • prinelpies and usages, in offi-
•del document% and in the writings of
publicists. Its autbority was enforced
by morel no less then by phydeal sane -
tions that had been approved by prece-
dent and confirmed by time. The ends
for which international law had been
accepted among states were national
ietuxity, the advancement of civilization,
the ?extension of commerce and Wes-
t;
A purse between nations, the preservation
of peace, the mitigation of war, and the
repression of violence and. wrongdoing.
It rested on public opinion. It applied
to new questions principles deduced
from past events, (ft progressed like
all other law; and like all other law,
hada foundation welch deeper than mere
usage. The greater regularity wbich
now characterized international trans-
actions, and. the greater respect now
paid, to international duties and obliga-
tions, formed bright inddents in this
century's closing years. We must, how-
ever, be satisfied. with cautious meas-
ures. Nations realized the little per-
manent value of undue pressure or ad-
vantage; they no longer rushed into
• war on trivial provocation or. for snaell
cause,s. While acknowledging fully
benefits conferred by enlightened public
opinion and. rulers, we must not leave
Dut of sight the consequences of deliber-
ate policy, of gusts of popular passion,
or of rashness and. incapacity, whiab had
repeatedly led. to wax, and might do so
roan. The first Napoleon regarcledin.-
capacity (inabectillite) as the most dan-
gerous factor in human affairs—the only
motive power with which it was not pos-
eible to reckon."
Dr. Bernardo, the apostle of the slums,
who as a result of once interesting him-
self in the ease of a single homeless lad
was led to found a colony of outcasts,
was presented recently in Exeter Hall,
London, with an illuminated address and
a, cheek for £3,417. Lord. Kinnaird
presided, and tendered these testiraon-
leis on behalf of friends of .the instals,
tions Dr. Bernardo bas founded. The
magnitude of this charitable work ap-
pears from the fact that the public sub-
scriptions one time or another made to
it hetee now reached a total of nearly
eight and a half million dollars. About
toripfive thousand rescued waifs are being
4.
-- for in the eighty-four Bernardo
A
ne,•e The boys are carefully taught
In fourteen different handierafts, while
the girls bee brought up in cottage life
to domestic lea•vice. Some seven hun-
dred children tete every year sent to
• Canada and. the dieteorties. Of the 8,044
• emigrants over ninety eight per cent,
it is claimed, have turned out satisfac-
torily. The cost of maintaining the
small army of children now in the Bern-
ardo institutions is $700 a day for food
alone. •
THE PRINCE IMPERIAL
Sante Incidents in the Life of the Son or
Napoleon us.
Archibald Forbes, in his "Memories
• of War and Peace," says that the prince
imperial, the son of Napoleon III., "took
back" to his Spanish ancestry; that he
had. all the pride, the melancholy, the
ardor of shine, the courage bordering
on recklessness, of a true grandee of
Spain.
Hoe; perfect his self-restraint could
be is easily seen from an 'incident of
the time of his studying at the govern-
ment school in Woolwich, England. He
one da.y heard that a Frenchman was
visiting the academy, and sent out to
say that he should be glad to see his
countryman. The person, .who happen-
ed to be a bitter anti -Imperialist, was
presented. and the prince asked from
what part of France he came.
• The visitor looked. the youth straight
in the face with a sarcastic wsmile., ut-
tered the ord "Sedan," and grimungly
awaited the effect of his brutality.
The prince flushed and. his eye kind-
led. Then he controlled himself, and
• quietly remarking, "That is a very
prettypast of France," he closed the
interview with a bow.
His dignity and self-control were fine-
ly manifested when, a lad not yet sev-
enteen, he followed his father's coffin,
as chief mourner, along the, path lined
by thousands of French sympathizers;
and his demeanor was said, to be truly
r- Loyal when, later on in that trying day,
i'he masses of French artisans hailed him
with shouts of "Vive Napoleon IV. I" He
stopped.
"My friends," said he, "I thank you,
but your emperor is dead. Let us join
• in the orr of 'Vire in France!'"
Then he bared his head and led off
the cheering. _
• SWORN 1,200 TIMES.
This Widow Biased the Bible During
•Three Whole Days to Softie ller
band's Eqtate.
A woman in Germany the other day
had to be sworn twelve hundred times
in a suit in which her deceased hus-
band's estate was involved. The hus-
band bed been a lumber dealer, and
during 'his long business career a cer-
tain cabinet-maker had kept anuaming
account with him. Their business re-
lations were so complicated at tire time
of the merchant's death that there was
• a difference • of opinion between the
execators and the cabinet-maker as to
the amount the tatter owed the e.stale.
The matter was brought into the
conne, and at the trial the reading of
the defendant's affidavit consumed
twelve home. Then the widow was
cited before the magistrates, and during
her te.stimony, so a foreign paper says,
was obliged to make oath twelve hun-
dred times, once for ascii of the twelve
hundred litigious points involved in the
suit. This took three -elide sittings of
tib 4 b t b the su t.
THE EXETER, TIMES
1 RID ON HIS HAND.
REV. DR. TALMAGE ON THE RETURN
OF THE PRODIGAL SON.
ljeW 1.11100 on a Familiar Story—The
lifeboat Bing Ever Flashod on the Via.
ton IS That Which Oar Father ruts on
a Forgiven Soul,
Washington, ,Tan. 5,-1n his sermon
to -day Rev. Dr. Tabliage took for his
subject the return of the tirodigal son.
The text chosen was Luke xv., 22,
"Put a ring on his hand."
1 veil' not rehearse the familiar
story of the fast young man of the
parable. Yon know what a splendid
horae he left. Yon know what a hard
time he had. And you remember how,
after that season of vagabon.dage and
prodigality be re,solved to go and weep
out his sorrows on. the bosom of paren-
tal forgiveness. Well, there is a great
excitement one day in front of the
door of the -old farm house. The ser-
vants come rushing in and. say:
"What's the naatter? What is the
matter 1" But before they quite ar-
rive the old man ories out, "Put a
ring on his hand." What a seeming
absurdity! What can such a wret-
ched mendicant as this fellow that is
tramping on toward the house want
with a ring 1 Oh, he is the prodigal
SM. No more tending of the swine
trough 1 No more longing for the pods
of the carob tree! No more blistered
&al Off with the rags! On with the
robe! Out with the ring I Even so
does God receive every one of us wben
we come back. There are gold rings,
and pearl rings and emerald rings,'
and diamond rings, but the richest
ring that ever flashed on the vision is
that which our Father pets upon a
forgiven soul.
I know that the impression is abroad
among some people that religion be -
means and belittles a man; that it
takes all the sparkle out of bis soul;
that he has to exchange a roistering
independence for an ecclesiastical
straight -jacket. Not oo. When a man
becomes a, Christian, he does not go
down; he starts upwards. Religion
multiplies. 1 by 10,000. Nay, the multi-
plier is infinity. It is not a blotting
out; it is polishing, it is axe arbores-
cence, it is an efflorescence; it is an
irradation. When a man comes into
the kingdom of God, he is not sent
into a menial service, but the Lord
God Almighty from the palaces of
Heaven calls upon the messenger an-
gels that wait upon the throne to fly
and "put a ring on his hand." In
Christ are the largest liberty, and
brightest joy, and highest honor, and
richest adornment. "Put a ring on his
hand."
I remark, in the first place, that
when Christ receives a ooul into his
love, he puts upom him the, ring of
adoption. While in my church in Phila-
delphia there came the representative
of the Howard Mission of New York.
He brought with him eight or ten obit-
dren of the street that he had picked
up, and he was trying to find for them
Christian homes, and as the little ones
stood on. the pulpit and. sang our
hearts melted witlain us. At the close
of the service a. great hearted, wealthy
man came up and. said, "I'll adopt this
little bright-eyed. girl, and I'll adopt
her as one of my own children." And
he took her by the band, lifted her
into his e.arriage and went away:
The next day, while we were in tiae
church gathering up garments for the
poor of New York, tide little child
came back with a bundle under her
arm, and she. said: "There's my old
dress. Perhaps some of the poor child-
ren would like to haVe it," while she,
herself, was 18 bright and. beautiful
array, and those who more immedi-
ately examined her said, she had a ring
on her hand. It was a ring of adop-
tion. e
There are a great many persons who
pride themselves on their ancestry, and
they glory over the royal blood that
pours through their arteries. In their
line there was a lord, or a duke, or a
prime minister, or a king. But when
the Lord, Our Father, puts upon us
the ring of his adoption we become
the children of the'Ruler of all na-
tions: "Behold what manner of love
the Father hath bestowed upon us
that we should be called. the sons of
God." It matters not how poor our
garments may be in this world, or how
scant our bread, or how- mean the hut
we live in, if we b,ave that ring of
Christ's adoption upon our hand, eve
are assured of eternal defenses.
Adopted! Why, then, we are broth-
ers and sisters to all the good of eartb
and Heaven! We ha.ve the famly name,
the family dress, the family keys, the
family wardrobe. The Father looks
after us. We have royal blood in our
veins, and there are crowns in our line.
If we are his children, then princes and
princesses. It is only a question of time
when we get our coronet. Adopted!
Then we have the family seorets. "The
secret of the Lord is with them that
fear him." Adoeted I Then we have
the family inheritance, and in the day
when our Father shall divide the
riches of Heaven we shall take our
share of the mansions and palaces
and temples. Henceforth let us boast
no more of an earthly ancestry. The
insignia of eternal glory is oin• coat
of arms. This ring of adoption puts
upon us all privilege. Now we can
take the words of Charles Weeley, that
prince of hymn -makers, and sing:
Come let us join on* friends above
Who have obtained. the prize,
And on the eagle wings of love
To joy c,elestral rise.
Let all the saints terrestrial sing
• With those to glory gone,
For all the servants of the King
In Heaven and earth are one.
I have been told that when any of
the members of any of the great secret
s.ocieties of this country are in a dist-
ant city and are in any kind of trou-
ble and are set upon by enemies they
have only to give a certain signal, and
the members of that organization will
flock around for defence. And when
any raa,n belongs to this great Chris-
tian' brotherhood, if he gets hi trouble,
in trial, 18 persecution, inetempta.tion,
he has only to show this ring of
Christ's adoption, and, all the armed
cohorts of Heaven will come to his
rescue.
Still further, when Christ takes a
soul into his love, he pils upon it a
marriage ring. Nov, that is not a
whim of . mine—Hosea, li, 19, "I Will
betrbth thee unto me forever—yea,
will betroth thee unto me in right-
eousness, and in judgment, end in lov-
ing kindness, and in mercies." At the
wedding altar the bridegroom puts a,
rhao upon the hand of the bride, signi-
fyiug love and faithfulness, Trouble
may otene upon the household, and the
carpets may go, the pictures may go,
the piano may go—everything else may
go. The lint thmg tbat goes is that
xna,rriage ring, for it is consideredw
sacred. In the burial hour it is with-
drawn frona the hand. and keet ie a
casket, and sometimes the box is open-
ed on an anniversary day, and as you
look at that ring. you. see under its
arch a long procesmon of precious mem-
ones. Within the golden circle of that
nng there is room for a thousandsweet
recollections to revolve, arid you think
of the great contrast between the hour
when, at the close of the _"Wedding
March," under the flashing lights and
enaid the aroma of orange blossoms,
you set that ring on the round finger
of the plump liand, and, t hat, hour
when, at the close of the exhaustive
watobing, when you knew that the
soul had fled, you. took from the hand,
which gave back no responsive clasp,
from that emaciated 'finger, the ring
that she had worn so long and worn so
well.
On some anniversary day you. take
up that ring, and you repolish it until
aLL the old lustre comes back, and you
can see in it the flash of eyes that
long ago ceased to weep. Oh, it is not
an umneaning thing when I tell you
that when Christ receives a. soul into
his keeping he puts on it a, marriage,
ring! He endows you from that mo-
ment with all his wealth. You. are one
—Christ and the soul—one in sym-
pathy, one in affeation, one in hope.
There is no power on earth or hell
to effect a, divorceraent after Christ
and the soul. are, united. • Other kings
have turned out their companions
when they got weary of them and erent
them adrift from the palace gate. Alla-
enema banished Vashti. Napoleon for-
sook Josephine, but Christ is the hus-
band that is true forever. Having lov-
ed you. once, be loves you to the end.
Did you not try to divorce Margaret,
the Scotch girl, from Jesus? They said,
"You must give up your religion ?" She
said, "I can't give up my religion."
And so they took her down to the
beach of tbe sea, and they drove in a
stake at low- water mark, and they
fastened her to it, expecting that as
the tide wane up her faith would fail.
The tide, began to rise and came up
higher and higher, and, to the girdle,
and to the lip, and to the last moment,
just as the wave was washing her soul
into glory, she shouted the praises of
Jesus.
Oh,, no, you. cannot separate a soul
from Christ 1 It is an everlasting mar-
riage. Battle and storm and darkness
'cannot do it. It Ls too much exultation
for a man, who is but dust and ashes
like myself, to cry out tbis moment,
"I axe persuaded that neither height
nor depth nor principalities nor pow-
ers, nor things present, nor tbings to
come, nor any other creature shall
separate me from the love of God
which is in Christ. Jesus, my Lord!
Glory be to God that when Christ and
the soul are married they are bound.
by a chain, a golden chain if I might
say so—tie:bale with one link, and that
one link the golden ring of God's ever-
lasting love.
I go a step further and tell eou that
when Christ receives a soul into his
love he puts on him the ring of festiv-
ity. You. know that it has been the
custom in all ages to bestow rings on
very happy occasions. There is no-
thing more appropriate for a birthday
gift than a ring. You delight to bestow
suoh a gift upon your children at such
a time. It means joy, hilarity, festiv-
ity. Well, when this old man if the
text wanted to tell how glad he was
that his boy had got back, he express-
ed it in this way. Aotuelly, before he
ordered. the fatted calf to be killed to
appease the boy's hunger. he command-
ed, "Put the ring on his land."
Oh, it is a merry time when Christ
and th6 soul are united 1 Joy or for-
givenessl What a splendid thing it is
to feel that all is right between God
and myself. What a gim•ious thing
it is to have God just take up all the
sins of my life and put them in one
bundle, and then fling them into the
depths of the sea, never to rise again,
never to be talked of again. Pollution
all gone; darkness all illuminated.; God
reconciled., the prodigal home! "Put a
ring on his hand.?"
Every day I find happy Christian
people. I find some of them with no
second coat, some of them in huts and
tenement houses, not one earthly com-
fort; afforded. them, and yet they are as
happy as happy can be. They sing
" Rock of Ages" as no other people m
the world sing it. They never wore
any jewelry in their lives but one gold
ring, and that eva,s the ring of God's
undying affection. Oh, how happy re-
ligion makes us 1 Did it make you
gloomy and sad? Did you go with
your head cast down? I do not think
you got religion, my brother. That ie
not the effect of religion. True reli-
gion is a joy. "Her ways are ways of
pleasantne.ss, and all her paths are
peace."
Why., religion lightens all our bur-
dens; it smoothes all our way; it inter-
prets all our sorrows; it changes the
tar of earthly discord for the peal of
festal bells. In front of the flaming
furnace of trial it sets the forge on
which sceptres are hammered out.
Would you not like this hour to c,orne
up from the swine feeding and try
this religion. All the joys of heaven
would come out and meet you, and God
would cry. from the throne, "Put a
ring cm les hand I"
You are not happy. I see it. There
is no peace, and sometimes you laugh
when you feel a great deal more like i
crying. The world s a cheat. It first
wears you down with its follies; then
it kicks you. out into darkness. It comes
back from the massacre of 1,000,000
souls to attempt the destruction of
Your soul to -day. No peace out of
God, but here is tbe fountain that can
slake the thirst. Here is the harbor
where you can drop safe anchorage.
Would you not like, I ask you—not
perfunctorily, but as one brother raight
talk to another --would you not like to
have a pillow of rest to put your head
on? And would you not like, when
you retire at night, to feel that all is
well, whether you wake ap to -morrow
morning at 6 o'clock or sleep the sleep
that knows no .waking? 'Would you
not like to exchange this awful uncer-
tainty about the future for a glorious
assurance of heaven ? Accept of the
Lord Jesus to -day and all is well. If
on your way home some peril should
cross the street and dash your life
out, it would not hurt you. You would
rise up immediately. You would stand
in the celestial streets. You would be
amid the great throng thatforever
worship and are forever bappy. If
this night some sudden disease should
come upon you, it would not frighten
you. If you knew you were going
you could give a. calm farewell e to
your beautiful home en earth • and
know that you are gomg right into
the companionship of those who have
already got beyoxid the toiling and
the weeping.
You feel oh Saturday night different
from the way yea feel on any other
night of the week. 'You come home
from the bank, or the store, or the
office and you say, "lVell, now my
work is done, end to -morrow is Sun-
da -Ye" If is a pleasant tbought, There
are refreshment and reconstruction 18
the very idea,. Oh, bow pleasant it will
be if, whea we get through the day of
our life, and we go and lie down in
our bed of dast, we c,an realize, "Well,
now the work is all done, and to -mor-
row is Sunday—an everlasting Sun -
dale,
Oh, when, thou city of my Gods
Shall 1 tIty ecnrrts ascend,
Where congregations nenr break up
And Sabbatirs have no end?
There are people in this house to -day
who are very near the eternal world.
If you axe Christians, I bid you be of
good eheer. Bear with you our con-
gratulatiOns to the bright city. Aged.
men, who will soon be gone, take with
you our love for our kindred. in the
better land, and when you see them
tell there. that we are soon coming.
Only a few more sermons to preach
and hear; only a few more heartaches;
only a, fees more toils; only a few
more tears. And then—what an en-
trancing spectacle will open before us!
Beautiful heaven, where all is light;
Beautiful angels, clothed in wbite;
Beautiful strains that never tire,
Beautiful harps through all the choir;
There is.ball I eoin the chorus sweet,
Worshipping at the Saviour's feet.
Aed so I approach you now witb a
general invitation, not picking out here
a. man, or here and. there a woman, or
here and there it child, but giving you
an unlimited invitation, saying, "Come
for all things are now re,a,dy." We, in-
vite you. to the warm, heart of Christ
and, the inclostue of the Christian
church: I know a great many think
that the aura does not amount to
much; then it is obsolete; that it did,
its work and is gone now, so fax as
all usefulness is coneerned. It is the
happiest place I have ever been in,
except my own borne.
I know there are some people who
sey they are Christians who seem to
get along without any help from oth-
ers, and who culture solitary piety.
They do not want any ordinances. I
do not belong to that class. 1 cannot
get along without them. There are so
marry things in this ;world that take
my attention from God. and Christ
and heaven that I want all the helps
of all the symbols and of all the Chris-
tian associations, and I want around,
about me a solid phalanx of men who
love God. and keep his commandments.
Axe there any here wbo would like to
enter into that association? Then by a
childlike faith, apply for ad.-
m• ienon into the visible church, and.
you will be received. No questions
asked about your past history or pres-
ent surroundings. Only one test—do
you love Jesus?
Baptism does not amount to ay -
thing. say a great xaany people, but
the. 1,ord Jesus declared. 'He that be-
lieveth and is baptized ehall be saved,"
putting baptism and faith side by side.
.And an apostle declares, "Repent and
be baptized. every one of you." I do
not stickle for wane particular mode
of baptism, but I put great emphasis
on the fact that you ougbt to be bap-
tized, _yet no more emphasis than the
Lord Jesus Christ, the great Head of
the Church, puts upon it.
Some of you. have been thinki.ng on
this subject year after year. nu
have found out that this world is a
poor portion. You want to be Chris-
tens. You have come almost into the,
kmgdom of God, but there you stop,
forgetful of tbe fact tbat to be almost
saved. is not to be saved. at all. Ole
nay brother, after baying come so near
to the door of mercy, if you turn back,
you will never come at all. After all
you tam heard of the goodness of
God, if you turn away and die, it will
not be because you did not have a good
offer.
God's spirit will not always strive
With hardened, self -destroying man.
Ye who persist his love. to grieve
itlay never hear his voice again.
May God Almighty this hour move
upon your soul and bring you back
from the husks of the wilderness to
the Father's house, and set you at the
banquet, and "put it ring on your hand."
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON, JAN. 19 '96
"The Ministry of John the Baptist.'
Luke 3.1-30 Golden Text. --John 1, 29.
GENERAL STATEMENT.
Eighteen years have paseed since our
last lesson, and thirty-one or two since
Lesson I. These years have brought
many changes to Palestine. Galilee.
however, continues under the rule of
Herod Antipas, and nearly all of Jesus's
life was lived ander the civil administra-
tion of Antipas and of Pilate, the proc-
urator of Judea. An intense longing
for moral relief pervaded Palestine, and
was felt fax beyond its bounds. The
people who sat in darkness were search -
mg for light, when suddenly John's voice
was beard. We should thoroughly un-
derstand the storray background against
yvhicli the rugged figure of this "great-
est born of women" stands out in bold
relief. Public and personal depravity,
oppression of the poor, subservience to
e despotic foreign power, a formal and
hypocritical hierarchy, an combined to
make the common people eager to hear
and attend to his words. Brought up in
the wilderness, he became an ascetic,
dressed like a barbarian, and lived with
utmost simplicity. His rhetorical fig-
ures were homely, taken from coarse,
simple life in which he had been trained.
The thousands flocked to hear him—
people of every class. He condoned no
vice, feared no authority, taught no new
doctrine. "Live justly, love mercy, and
waik humbly before God," was his mes-
sage to high and low. When in Eferod's
presence he softened no tone, 'but de-
nounced his luxurious vice. As a con-
sequence (in March, A. D. 28), john was
put into prison, and eventually
ilered . The most remarkable day m
john's life was that on which was xe-
vealed to hina "the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin. of the world."
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
Verse 15. TJae people were in eopecte-
time Zo expectatioxi of the coming of
the Meseiah. Not only the Jews, but
Romans, Greeks,.Egyptians, and men in
the fax East thrilled with this strange
feeling, and now that a, reformer,
redie.ally different in character and
methods from any priest oe scribe whore
they, had. ever heard, carae to the front,
it was a very natural supposition that
he was the Christ. ,
16. John answered, A deputation had
come from the Sanhedrin to ascertain
his dams (John 1, 19-28.) The Answer
was to these men. 1. indeed baptize yon
with water. He cleansed them by a
simple teremony and. symbol, but their
evil nearts required ulna more than
symbols and ceremonies, His wont was
syrabolicaa and. by water; the nressiah's
work roost be real and. in., _spirit. Oire
mightier than cometia. 'Irlightier to
effect what my baptism is powerless to
Produce." The latehet of whose shoes
I am not worthy to unloose. Or, as we
might say, "I am not worthy to untie
the thong of bis sandals, to loose isa
shoes, to button his gaiters. In epiritual
power I am as far beneath him as in
soda standing a bootlack is beneath a
prince." He shall baptize you with the
Holy Ghost, John could, lead his fel-
lows to repent and to long for and strug-
gle after a change of heart, but tbe
Christ was to charge their hearts. And
with fire. The emblem of purification.
The story of Ise. 6. 6, 1 in a beautiful
illustration of this.
17. Whose fan is in his hand. Not a
fan in our sense.—a. great wooden fork
rather, with which the farmer threw
up the thre,shecl grain against the wind
so that the light particles of chaff miglit
be blown away before the grain fell
back to the earth. Christ was to win-
now the people, and very worderfully
he did it. He will thoroughly purge his
floor. Truly cleanse it. The wheat.
The good.; those wile, love goodness. The
chaff. The worthless ones. Burnwith
fire unquenchable. "Unquenchable"
Meal:LS that cannot be put out. Set the
dry chaff an fire, and. the work of the
flame will be so swift it cannot be ar-
rested. The word seems sixaply to
symbolize final and utter destructron.
18. Many' other things in his exhort-
ation .preetbed he. He discusses all
"live mires." Hie was applied Christ-
ianity. Ile told the soldiers, the publi-
cans, the beggars, and the king him-
self with equal directness what it was
their duty to do.
19, 20. And this state of things went
ou for a year and xaore. The Incident
narrated in these two verses occurred
thirteen months after the baptiara of
our Lord, which is reported in the fol-
lowing two. Herod the tetrareb. "Tet-
rarch" means "ruler of a, fourth part,"
and Herocin principality was one-fourth
of the older provurce of Syria, He had.
now reigned about thirty years. His
government extended over Galilee and
Perea. Herodias his brother Philip's
wife. Our note an verse 5 of Lesson I
identifies tbis "brother Philip" with
Herod Philip I, who lived the life of
a private gentleman in Rome. He was
one of the less harmful of the sons of
tbat royal orimiaml, Herod tire Great.
When Herod Antipas, the tetrarch, bad
oceasion to go to Rome to make sure his
claim to the tetrarcht• he became the
guest of this Herod Pbilip. When. he
left he not only had. secured the
tetrarchs' but he had robbed his
brother and his wife and. daugh-
ter, who were both as wicked as they
were beautiful, His *rime, wbich was
not only adulterous, but by the Mosaic,
law doubly incestuous, wits an abomina-
tion to the Jews, and public opinion
against him became much bitterer when
be east off his forraer wife and plung-
ed his country into war with her father
King Aretas of Petra. To have the most
popular preacher of the time denounce
bis conduct was more alarming to Herod
than were the troops of Aretas. Ile
could not afford. to be reproved at such
O time, so he shut up John in prison.
This was a most iniquitious orirae, and
led logieally to a worse crime—the mur-
der of john. And yet by a comparison
of ibis story with Mark 6, 17-20 and
Matt. 14. 3.5 we are persuaded that
—napes svas profoundly impressed by
John's righteousness, and it is probable
that one of several mixed motives in
the shutting him up in prison was to
make him safe against the plottings of
Herodias.
21. Now when all the people were
baptized. Ntrhen the day's crowd had
been baptized and the public ceremony
was over. Jesus also being baptized
"It became him to fulfill all righteous:
ness." Praying. Jesus himself needed
prayer. It was when he prayed that
the heaven was opened; two years
later, when he praved, the great trans-
figuration occurred; later still, when
he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane,
angels tame and confronted him.
22, The Holy Ghost descended in a.
bodily shape. To permanently equip
him for the work (Acts 10. S8; John 1.
28; 3.34). Probably the general under-
standing is correct, that the form of a
dove hovered over the head of Christ;
although the other interpretation—that
" like a dove" alludes to the manner
of descent and not to the form—may
be correct, Voice . , from heaven.
An articulate voice. Thou art my be-
loved Son. Literally, Thou art my
Son, the Beloved." This implies the
doctrine of the blessed Trinity.
PIANO TONNAGEK
An Estimate of the Average Outlay of Force
„. lit an Bowes Playing or Chopin.
The amount of power expended in
playing on a piano has recently been
figured out in a, way which, if not al-
together accurate, is at least interest-
ing, Commenting on the stateraent
made that it requires more force to
sound a note gently on this instrument
than it does to lift the lid of as kettle,
it is easy to verify it if one takes a small
handful ;If coins and piles them on a
key of the piano. When a sufficient
quantity. Is piled on to make a. note
sound they may be weighed, and the
figures will be found to be true.. If
the pianist is playing fortissimo, a
much greater force is needed. At
times a force of six pounds is thrown
upon a single key to produce a solit-
ary effect.
With chords the force is generally
spread over the various notes sounded
simultaneously, though a greater out-
put of force is undoubtedly expended.
This is what gives 'demists the won-
derful strength m their fingers that is
often commented on. A story used to
be told of Paderewski that he could
crack a pane of French plate glass half
an inch thick merely by placing one
hand upon it as if upon a piano key-
board and striking it sharply with his
middle finget. Chopin's last study in
C minor has a passage which takes two
minutes and five seconds to play. The
total pressure brought to bear on tbis,
it is estimated, is equal to three full
tons. The average "tonnage" of an
hour's piano playing of Chopm's music
varies from twelve to eighty-four tons.
Wagner has not yet been calculated
along these lines.
Betrayed.
Take back the ring which thou gayest,
n is much too cheap for me,
Though it sparkles bright as a train
headlight
The price -tag betrayeth thee!
dolutal DEaetehlaelroirlig_t:alomfasyn.tiy' ou..know
Miss Peewee -flow can you be so
cruel to poor Jingo.? Love nee, love My
tiONV why I detest .Jingo.
A STANLEY AMONG' WOMEN
MISS KINGLEV'S REMARKABLE.
TRAVEL THROUGH AFRICA.
She raced Fierce Cannibal; and Owners --
Climbed Mountains, Shot Gorillas, lip-,
set From Mer Canoe and Saw the Sava -
tees Diane in Her liouor.
Greatness may run in a family, or it
may not, but at all events the niece of
one of the most celebrated of this cen-
tury's Beglishmen, has made for ber-
self a record in the field of exploration
that ban never been equalled by wo-
man in modern times.
• Clad to her boot tope in ordinarY
walking skirts, without fuss and feath-
ers, and little thinking of what she
was to accomplish, Miss Nary IringsleY,
the niece of the Rev. Charles Kingsley,
writer and divine he who wrote "West-
ward. Rol" and. "Hypatia," has just re-
turned from a long journey or explore,
tion in We.st Africa, Miss Kingsley as-
cended great raountelon wandered.
through undiscovered te.reitory and hob-
nobbed with fierce cannibals and dwarfs.
A strangely modest and =Pretending
little woman she is withal, and. now
that she is back in England she is as-
tounded at the notoriety that has come
to her and at the praise. the English are
bestowing upon her. She seems quite
unable to see that sbe has aceomplished
A REMARKABLE FEAT.
The English press is ranking her with
Livingstone, Stanley, Spoke, Grant,
Burton, Cameron, Thonapson, Johrtson
and Selous, the more beconse, while
most African travellers bane a large re-
tinuenefrom 75 to 100 persons usually
—this brave, coolheaded young woman
made her jouxney with but eight or
nine.
She travelled through that part of
West Africa from Old Calabar, through
the French- Gaboon, exploring the go-
rilla country in the interior, and up
the Ogowe River to N'Djole. It is
dangerous and a waste region, and in-
habited, by many savage tribes. The
Ogowe River is a tortuous stream, and
contains perilous rapids. Near by lies
the Fangwe country, inhabited. by a
tribe of the most revengeful cannibals
in all Africa, whose custom it is to de-
vour their own dead. Through all this
M158 Kingsley went without a tremor,
and performed this great exploit of as-
cending the Caraeroons and. the almost
unknown Runabi ranges.
Notwithstanding all the vidssitudes
and dangers, the hardships and fatigues,
she had no sickness or fever. Her hard,
forced marches and the constantly men-
acing natives afforded. splendid incid-
ents for her diary, which, is said to be
• a very valuable work, ethnograpbically
and. geographically.
The trip througb the interior, from
the coast back to the coast, took two
months. So perilous was the undertak-
ing regarded by the French autborities
along the Gulf of Guinea that they were
more than astonished when tide daunt-
less English woman returned safe and
sound.
HER CHIEF EXPLOIT
was that of navigating the previously
unexplored Lake N'Covi, erossmg the
little-known mounta.in range of tbe
Sierra del Cristal, and. canoeing down
the all but unknown Rumbi River. On
the great volcanic upland, 13,700 feet
above the level of the sea, she slept in
the opezz air without a tent. This was
during her ascent of the Cameroon
Mountains, the highest peak of which
no woman had ever climbed before, and
very few white men.
Ber most exciting adventures weee
with the Fangwe cannibals. There is
one fact that shows precisely the ex-
traordinary characteristic of this tribe
There is not it single cemetery in the
Fangwe country. As soon as a man or
woman of these people dies or is killed
in battle, his body is at once put care-
fully away for food. In most of the na-
tive mud huts Miss Kingsley found
pieces of human flesh carefully dried
and laid away with the sarati precision
that civilized people store up meat in
their larders.
Miss Kingsley bad great difficulty in
saving her irk& attendants from being
eaten on the spot. She did so only by
the exercise of diplomacy, sometimes
by threatening the savages with the an-
ger of the French Government, some-
times by offering them presents and
sometimes by pure and simple persua-
sion. She learned that she was quite
safe herself for the reason that she was
regaxded as some peculiar sort of a.
charmed woman whom it was altogeth-
er too much of an experiment to at-
tempt to eat.
In her train were three Fangwe ele-
phant bunters upon whom the Fangwe
tribe had designs and whom they 'wish-
ed to devour. She was unable to per-
suade them to accompany her until she
had absolutely guaranteed. their safety,
but without elephants there was no way
of thoroughly expolring the country.
She also came across a tribe of dwarfs
in the deepest recesses of the forest.
These pigmies are even more savage
than the Fangwe cannibals. They shot
with
POISONED ARROWS,
poisoning them by sticking them into
a three days' old corpse. She learned
frora conversation through an interpret-
er with these dwaxfs that the corpse
must be exactly three days bid, nellber
more nor lees, or else tbe poison would
not take effect. All through the dwarf
country she came across corpses stuck
full of arrows and hroring, she said,
"like hedge -hogs." 't
In an interview in Liverpool she said:
"Oh you've only got to put your nose
the wind in that part of Africa to
know in whet direction a village lies,
though it may be ten miles off."
She had many a serious capsize in
African streams and frequently waded
for hours knee deep through ittora.sses
The most of tbe time she lived on the
diet of the country—manioc, the cassava
plant—being unable to obtain meat ex-
eept at rare intervals. From wild
beasts she was in little danger, seeing
no lions or tigers throughout her entire
trip, though pleaty of leopax.ds.
There was a great deal of big game
in tbe savage country, however, ele-
phants, hippopotami and gorillas, She
herself assisted in many an elephant
hunt„ and her men killed among others,
one gorilla wide% measrued 5 feet 7
inches in height. Two of the monster's
teeth she keeps as trophies.
• They say that & woman's wit will al-
ways achieve her end, and in Miss
Kingsley's ease a woman's wit certainly
conquered the savage. After frequent
batt es with them—verbal battles—the t bon.
friends arid gave for Ilex 0098041 beegio•
fit some fine savage balls at short no-
tice. "They ,jnirt cleared the rarnitme
out of tire main street," SilOr $4,3r.Sy "rub-
bed tberaselves over •eitir. red %Idle
whipped on their ma,„sles and deuced evil
howled for hours in the most weil-in-
tentioned wale"
Mies Kingsley,wilI publish her diary
et length. So far frora bailee disil-
lusioned as to exploring, she says that
oho intends to return to Airica, very
soon and go over a, good deal of the
same ground.
Oetsule of IKme. Ida Pfeiffer, who
travelled about raoet of the globe alone,
and Mrs, Frenele Sheldon, Charles
Kingslers niece stands absolutely alone
as a succeseful woman explorer. When
it comes to be considerea tbat she was
the &antler white person all through
the ,journey, dependent entirely an her
own cleverness and diplomacy and such
occasional assistance end advice as she
could get from one of tho white trailers
she, met occasionally, it is quite likely
that her exploit is after all the moat
riotable that the world has ever known.
11116,
TEE ARMENIAN MASSACRES.
Vow the Clitiatians Are Treated by Die
Brutal Turks.
The city of Erzeroum may be called.
the capital of eastern Turkey. It Is
the seat of a Turkish Governor-General,
and has a large garrison. It is also
the residence of English, Russian, and,
French oinsuls-generat The pomile-
tion, a.bout 40,000, is overwhelmieglY
Turleish, the Anmeniaas numbering not
more than one-fourth of the total. The
latter have been, however, among the
moot Progreesive of their rase, and their
sobools have gained a reputation in
Europe as well as in Asia,. They have
been a prosperous community. Almost
the whole trade of the city, transit as
well as local, has been in their bands.
With prosperity bee come coaservatisra,
a‘nd the machinations of revolutionists
found little eneouragement among
thean. If any community ever deserv-
ed well at the hands of its ruler, the
Armenians of .Erzeroura deserved. pro-
tection at the hand.s of the Sultan.
The massacres in Trebizond and the
BitlLs region early in October created
a great feeling of uneasiness. The
Governor. hosvever, repeated his assur-
ance of protection, and, consuls and, mis-
sionaries sought, to quiet the people.
At about noon of Ootober 30th the b ow
fell like a, thuncler-bolt, The first vic-
tim was a, priest from a neighboring
village, who, while se,eking audience
with, the Governor, was shot down by
the soldiers in the court -yard of the
Government House. Then through the
streets in every .qya.rter of the city the
soldiers went, Joined by other Turks
and Kurds.
THEY SHOT TO KILL.
The bullets went straight, and meet
dropped in their steps. There was no
resistance. A few women and children
were out, down, but in general the order,
or at least. taro agreement, was, "Kill
the men; the womee and childxen will
fall to us." After four hours of carn-
age, in whieh not less than 400 men
were killed, the looting wren:termed. Not
a shop, and few houses were left. What
the Turks could not carry a,way they
destroyed. Pepper and acids were
thrown into the flour, and the bread
was trampled underfoot. Tile days that
followed were scarcely less terrible.
Th.ere was, first, the duty of burying
the dead.
Then came the search for tire missing.
Occasionally friendly Turks, eves at
personal risk, had shielded Armexians,
and under cover of the darkness these
returned to their homes. But the
multitude never eame back, and they
included the wealthiest, best -educated
men of tiae community. Then came
news from the villages. From the
plains, east, west, and south, ha.ggerd,
men. dishevelled women, and staggernig
children came to the city for protection.
To -day it is full of those who, unless
relief oomes quickly, will die of star-
vation. Relief is already being -sent,
and a, national committeet has been or-
ganized, which, it is expected, will work
in connection with, the Red Cross So-
ciety. The best estimates place the
total eumber of killed at not far from
50,000, while neaxiy, if not suite, 500,-
000 are destitute and suffenng.
Il
LOOKS JOH LIKE WAR,
"GET READY" IS THE CRY THROUGH
OUT ENGLAND.
irritation Inereashig—The War Wave in
Spreading in England—Ifireleas A.etiv-
ity at the Admiralty and War Depart.
lnentA
ALondon correspondent telegraphs
from. London:—"Get ready" is the try
which is ringing tle ough England in
tones which have only one meaning. The
country has suddenly been seized with
the idea that war is at its very doors.
The danger is undoubtedly exaggerated
in the popular mind, and perhaps in the
official mind as well, if one may judge
by the reports of tireless activity at the
Adeniralty and War Departments. I
say that tb.e danger is es-aggerated on
the assumption that the astounding re-
port is false which comes from Berlin,
to the effect that Emperor William has
assured Dr. Leyd, the representative of
the Transvaal Government, that Ger-
many will support that Government in
defence of the Boer republic, and will
send a Minister Resident to Praetoria,
in place of the present Consul.
Should thia report prove nem, the
first step taken by the Gerielan Emper-
or would be followed by a. declaration of
war by Great Britain. The sending of
a minister to a State which ranks,. es a
dependency of England. would be a. di-
rect denial of the British suzerainty,
and, according to Secretary Chamber-
lain's declaration or the British porky
on Saturday, this country would
peomptly attempt to enforce its sover-
eignty in the Transvaal.
This rumor regarding the latest ac-
tion of the Emperor has not yet beer;
There la
is no aatement of the publiern°
and official feeling over the Imperial
sentment manifested against the Boers.
published in London, and no eonfirnaa-
tion is yet received.
telegram of congratulation to Pre,sident
hourby in intensity. These is little te-
a popular elan:tor for war which it raey
It is all directed against Germany, arid
it is fast assuming the proportions of
be beyond the power of any Govern -
meat to control or resist.
Kruger. On the. contrery, it grows
Overloaded.
Boy—Say, mister, shall I cozy yer
satchel? Do it fer a dime,
Thide—My satchel is not heavy.
Boy—Well, let nre carry Sear carte
Fangwe finally •became ber devoted
ens.