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Exeter Advocate, 1909-07-01, Page 2EVIbENCES OF RELI610N Its Fruits are to be Seen in Noble Lives and Kindly Deeds "Ye shall know them by their fruits."—Matthew, vi., I0. Back of the now generally ac- cepted statement that you may know each man's faith by the fruits of his daily living lies another truth of not less importance, that the only safe test for any faith, for any reli- gion, is in its fruitage in the lives of people and in the conditions which it produces. Any system of religious principles and ideas holds authority for us, not because of the wonder elements in its historical or legendary begin- nings, but because of the power it has to win our admiration, to arouse our better passions, and to stir us to noble endeavor and to better living. A faith has to be judged by its present fruits and not by its roots buried in the dark past. We do not need to worry over the history of a faith in its beginnings; we need not allow the legends that havo grown up to account for the wonderful characters of some of its ideals to stand in the way of our appreciation of its present values. Many persons are seriously con- cerned as to religion. They know that it meant much to their mothers and fathers; they feel it ought to mean something definite and vital to thein, but they cannot force themselves to believe THE LEGENDARY WONDERS and the philosophical absurdities that seem to be inseparably bound up with religion. Is there not a plain path for ua all here, to take religion on the evidence of its real, present values? If it is true that you cannot afford to stultify your mind with super- stition, it is equally true that you cannot afford to allow prejudice to rob your life of the tremendous contribution which religion has to make to it. We may test every faith wholly by its fruits. What is it doing for the world 1 What effect dues it have on the characters, dispositions, deeds of those who follow it? Is any community the better for_ those who hold a certain faith? Does it raise ideals, supply motives for high, helpful conduct, and amelior- ate the conditions of living? Does it make life richer and more reason able h The apple tree in your old orch- ard may have had many a misshap- en root, many a feeder under the soil that twisted and turned around bowlder or stump, but the twisted roots never interfered with your enjoyment of the fine, rich fruit. You judged the tree by its efficiency in doing its particular business. You could enjoy its products even though much pomology remained a mystery to you. Men suffer and sacrifice because they have seen the vision of that which is higher and better than ease or profit. Many are giving their full, efficient lives in service of their fellows because they have learned to interpret life in the terms of religion, of self -giving LOVE AND SACRIFICE. That sense of the higher values of life, that consciousness of the ends of living which makes us more than clay, that faith in the eternal right- ness of the universe that makes it evidently better being good than bad, being right than wrong under all conditions—this is religion, and every man may know its fruitage in humanity and judge it thereby. You must not judge any tree by its orchard, by its owner, nor by the crates that its fruit is packed in. You have no right to ignore re- ligion because of its legendary ac- cretions of its present day incid- ents; you must know it by its es- sential effects on the lives ofs men. . n This is no academic, philosophi- cal cal inquiry. It is a matter for us all whether we will live by the direction of such motives as those; whether we will take life in the terms of its higher values; whether we really have faith to follow this high vision that shows the path of living for the sake of the full, fine, ideal life, and find the full fruitage of life in following our own best faith. HENRY F. COPE. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL INTE:11NATIONA1. LESSON, JULY 4. Lesson I. Paul's Second Misolon- ary Journey. Golden Text, Acts 16: 8. I. Planning fur the Second Mis- sionary Campaign.—Acts 15: 36-39. The lesson for toelay connects with not mar his whole career because of one youthful mistake. And the future proved that Barnabas was right in nis judgment. Paul him- self in later years found that Mark had developed into a man of great heart, self -forgetful and courage- ous, whom he could love and trust and respect. In his two imprison- ments St. Paul mentions Mark in terms of high approval (Col. 4: 10, 11; Philemon '24; 2 Tim. 4: 11). Paul on the other hand was will- ing to take the risk of having as his assistant u young man who had failed him in one of the great crises the eighth lesson of eur last quarter, of his life; and had nut yet proved dangerous journey as was now be- fore thein from which he had re- coiled three or four years before. Paul was apparently in not very firm health, and it was absolutely necessary to liavo a perfectly re- liable helper. Both Barnabas and i'aul were right, and therefore each one stool steadfastly by his own judgment. 'l'.trre was only one solution of the trouble, and that was to part as friends, and make two mission- ary companies instead of one. ii. New Work in Old Fields.— Act s le: 40; 16: 1-10. Barnabas and Mark went to Cyprus where the tanuly of Barnabas belonged (Acts 4: 36), and where he went with Paul on the first missionary journey (Acts 13: 4-12). Barnabas is not mentioned again in the Acts, for ho did not comp again within the plan of that history; but "the choir in- visible" on earth is heard in heaven and the ret,.rd% of the faithful are written in the Book of Life. Mark is mentioned again through his connection with Paul. The Companions of Paul. Paul chose Silas as his companion in the place of !Minoltas. Silas (a contraction of the Silvant's of the Epistle•) was one of the lenders of the mother church at ,Jerusalem. Ile came to Antioch with Paul ns their deleq-,te nfter the great eon- ference (Arts 15: 221. Like Pail. train work w.' to he ,lone, for same be was 81;<.nlnn citizen (Ilendall1. re* '' left the mis>~tonnrie., and re- and was In thorough sympathy with turned home. ]low much the dangers him. of a wild almost unknown country, 111. The Beginnings of Chris - how much the malarial sickness on tianity in Europe. ---Vs. 11-13. The the coast which may have attacked four missionaries immediately sail and weakened the young man. hail from Tina.s in a straight course. c0 to do aith his return we do not m.. e, to the island of Snrnothranie, the first day. The next day they sailed 75 miles to Neapolis (New ('its. Naples), the seaport of Philippi. Everything was favor- able. ter they made in two nr three days a journey which took Paul at another time five days (:lets 20:61. Thence ten mil0=, by land or by th- rives. to Philippi. Philipni was named after Fins Philin of Macedon. 1t is trilled (v. 121 the chief city of that , art i Maredonin t;'e fila in rank. 0. ,1 which describes ttie epoch making himself able to undertake such a gathering at Jerusalem to settle the disputed questions concerning the reception of the Gentiles into ttic church wish th. Jews. For some time after that Paul and Barnabas, the returned mis- sionaries, preached the word of the Lord in the home church at Antioch which had sent them forth. But the missionary spirit burned within them and Paul proposed to Barnabas that they return to their mission field which needed thein more than the Borne city where were many preachers and teachers. He should visit his spiritual chil- dren to see how they were growing in grace. Ile would look at the tender vines in the vineyard he had planted to see what further caro was required. These churches, so far separated from ethers, having received but n small portion of the truths of the gospel, exposed to temptations, to errors, and to dangers, had no small need of apostolic care and training. Barnahas was quite willing to go. Then arose a practical question between them. They needed some- one to go with them as an assistant In many ways. Barnabas wanted to take with them his young cousin John Mark. who had started with them on their first tour. hart on reaching the coast of .lwhere their know. Barnabas had good reasons for wanting to take his cousin with him. The young man wanted to go. Doubtless he was sorry that he left the missionary company three nr four year. before. a peeially when at Jerusalem he heard the glowing accounts of their sleeve,. and was fired nith new missionary peal. ile warted to redeem his ehiracter and life Barnabas real- ised the possibilities in .1' he ilark 110 loved him. He loelieio'd In him Ile %rented to K;ve the i seder the emper' r. mrd Tu.! tee young elan nnnther chance. and 1 creme. tt++++ +++++♦+++++ +++ ++2 The Man From Over There } i+++++++++++++++++++ +4+ The man's eyes appeartd just above the ledge of the open window and stared straight into mine ques- tioningly. They were big eyes, dilated with excitement, and they wore a hunt- ed, panic-stricken look, such as you may seen in the eyes of a rabbit that has ben trapped. "Better come right in," 1 said. The rest of his head appeared ever the ledge, and the face of an old -young man with a short, un- trimmed beard was revealed. My study window was about twelve feet above the garden, and he had managed to scramble up by a pipe. Now a leg was flung over the window ledge and my visitor was preparing to spring into the room. r:.1,01•• 'hat i4 n llnntat) i- 1.,71. The strangeness if this intrusion and something in the man's eyes made me cautious. I unlocked the bottom right-hand drawer of the writing -table, took out the revol- ver that lay there, slipped in a cartridge, and laid the weapon on the table by niy side. The roan watched the proceedings with attention, and finally nodded approval with an air of assurance that was not without humor. Then ho threw his leg over the window ledge and sWpped into the room. Ho was panting and ex- hausted; though he was well dress- ed, his clothes were soiled by climb- ing up the face of the house, and one hand was bleeding slightly. He sank into the arm -chair and wiped the perspiration from his forehead, his head dropping for- ward and his chin resting on his b reast. "Been running?" I asked. He nodded, breathlessly. I studied his appearance curious- ly. He was a little, wiry man, and not more than five -and -twenty years of age in spite of the ugly growth of beard. Now that the 'iced for effort had passed, he was trembling from head to foot, and he drew in his breath with a queer, half -sobbing sound. Sometimes his eyes wandered furtively to the win- dow. "Are the police after you?" I asked. He had recovered his breath somewhat. "Yes. I had to ,print for it," he said. "Vaulted the wall at the end, scrambled along the gardens, saw your window open and climbed up." "And here you are." He nodded. The man bore him- self, in spite of his physical dis- tress, with an air of self-posses- sion that was almost ludicrous. It didn't appear to occur to i tin that any apology was needed for it,`rud- ing upon the privacy of it law-abid- ing citizen with the -police at his heels. "What's the trouble?" I asked. "Murder?" I made the suggestion at random, never dreamed I had bit upon the tru "Yoth. u've gltessod be skid. "I'11 tell you the yarn directly. f want to stroke now." His assurance was imperturbable. He admitted the charge as casual- ly as if he had borrowed somebody's utnbrella and forgotten to return it "You're a cool hand," 1 said. "You don't imagine I'ut going to shelter you, do you?" "I guess you'll please yourself about that," he replied. "You've got mo all right." As he stoke he stretched out his hand to the pipe -rack by his side, selected one of my briars, and then, without so much as "By your leave," reached fur tho tobacco jar. "i'm a bit blown," he remarked, as he pushed tobacco into the pipe. "Clot a tnatch 1" His effrontery was irresistible, but, feeling that. I was master of the situation, I decided to allow the comedy, or tragedy, which ever it might prove to be, to play itself out. - Ilo sat there for a few minutes putting smoke luxuriously, and I stared at him and—wondered. 1Vhy is it that a peaceful, well -regulat- ed citizen like myself, who would never dream of breaking the laws ' ,-f the land, should feel an instinc- ' tiie sympathy with a fugitive from justice 1 1 ought to have tackled (1 is man and rnagtered him—which I could 1 have done quite easily, without the assistance of the revolver ---and t'anded him over to tho police. There was no reason in the world why i should listen to his story, which he was pi i-bably inventing at this very moment. If he was nn innocent man, it rested with him to prove it to the authorities; if he was guilty, he must take his T•unishment. And yet. such i= e queer twist •,f human nature, i was hi.pingdrep (ken at the bottom of my heart that be would he able to make out a pains to maintain an air of detach- ment, though the team's impudence fascinated me. "I'll give you the flat-footed truth," he said, coolly. "As a rule, though, that's the last thing in the world people believe." He knocked the loose tobacco - ash into his hand and dropped it upon the carpet. "1 conte from over there," lie remarked, jerking his thumb vaguer toward, the .West. "America?" "Now York." "I thought so.' He studied me thoughtfully. "What made you think so? Ac- cent 1" "Partly. But nobody but an American would have the" --I hesi- tated for the expression, and, re- jecting "impudence," substituted "presence of mind" --"would have the presence of mind to climb in- ti, a stranger's house and chuck tobacco -ash upon his carpet." He signified his appreciation of this point without embarrassment. "I ran a dry goods store," he went on. "Did pretty well. Had a partner. Partner's name was Bowles; mine's Vagrant. We had a big deal on to buy up another firm. Bowles pulled out. just when I wanted him, went over ko the enemy, and burst me up." I wondered how much of this was true and how much of it was in- vented while he was loading his ,Pipe. "It was a low down trick, sir,' he said, emphatically. "1 was go- ing to bo married to a hundred - thousand -dollar -girl. As it was, Bowles made half a Million, and 1 had to creep into a hole and pull the holo in after etc•. That was twelve months ago, but, 1 reckoned I'd get level with Bowles. I've been scraping the pieces together to follow him to this country. Lye been on his track for three weeks. ,He's staying at tho Cecil, but 1 never had the luck to got hiin all to myself for ten minutes." "You set out to kill him!" 1 said coldly. "Not me, r.ir. I didn't want to gratify Bowles by hanging for hlin. I in not playing nigger jokes. 1 wanted to lay a stick across him. I wanted to make hint yelp. 1 wanted to mark him, so that every time he looked at his ugly face in the glass he'd say to himself, "That's what 1 got for playing a who's in here?" inquir«t the low down trick on Vagrant.' You Ace my game, sir I I wanted to inspector. quake that man sorry for himself.' I felt. my blood run cold. My "it strikes me as shocking waste wife was staying in Bournemouth. of time and energy. But go on. My visitor looked as if, with more time at his disposal, ho would like to convince rile of the peculiar fitness of making your enemy yelp. "Bowles was slum," he wgnt on. "I could never catch hiui in a cosy corner. Then I heard he waw buy - billdog type-- the kind of loan who, 1 sled a person with any decent feel - whom be once lays hold of a prig- I ills. c.ner, never lets go aga.iu, but is 4hH'' smiled pleasantly, slow to move. ••Ttanks, old boy," she said. "You He felt called upon to tell me the stay kiss me if you like." w hole story, and 1 asked a series "Oh, don't be ridioulous !" 1 said of questions. The police had been sharply. searching all the roads in the dis- This was carrying a joke too far. triet, and a lady whose house back- If the impudent little rascal had r I upon mine had seen someone come a foot nearer, I should have climb into my study window. knocked him dew a. "'But I have boen sitting iu the "Would you like the sonata le to fetch a cab, ma'am?" inquired study for the last two hours," 1 said. "No one could have eaterec! the inspector, affably. "If he would be so good," said without illy seeing him." The constable looked perplexed, my visitor, with what was intended for a winning smile. "And 1 do tee but. luckily omitted to ask point- hope roti will catch this horrid hlank if 1 had seen him. team. "You had better come up and The constable left the room, and see the room," I suggested. I wished the in,pectour would fol - Ten minutes had been wasted in low his example. But he foltealled convcrsatiou. We proceeded up- upon to tell an anecdote akout a stairs and were joined by a smart- smart capture tie once madill. when koking inspector, who was by no he was stationed at 1Vhitechapel. means the kind of man to be hood- My "wife" listened with an air winked easily. of rapture. and the inspector bab- Ttin study was enmity when we bled on maddeningly. At length reached it, and my visitor had care- a message was brought up that the fully reniloved all marks of his vis- cab sad arrived. I had to get th it. The revolver which 1 had laid servants out of the way and aocont- on the corner of the writing -table pany my visitor to the door. He bad disappeared. Probably he had shook hands with the inspector mos tiansferred it to his pocket, and affably, winked at me impudently if he was caught it would be, traced and begged me, iu a whisper, not to me 'without difficulty. Tho pipe te a bel anxieous ns accountthe cab and be had been smoking had been re- got into placed in the rack. was driven away. I The two officers looked round the I returned to the house acrid, room carefully and stared out of somewhat to my annoyance, the in - the window. spoctor accompanied me back to the study. There were no marks on tho • daresay you are anxious to gravel path below, and he had go in search of your murderer," I plenty of time to make his escape said by the way he cane. The disquiet- ••Murderer?" inquired the inspoe- ing thought was that if he had been ter.. in a curiously dry voice. "Who seen to enter the place it was cer- said I was in search of a murder - lain someone would see him leave er 1" it. "I understood that. a man had I was in a been shot," I remarked, shortly. charged with ''People who are shot don't al- iuurderer and ways die," he replied. "I see you cape. smoke Turkish cigarettes." "Rune business," said the junior "Help yourself, ' I growled. 1E officer. "Must have been another was clear that I had been made a window." fool of in some way. The inspector looked at me hard. "He was only stu,niel, and re - "Can you suggest anything, sir 1" covered consciousness two minutes he inquired. after I arrived on the scone. He "I'm afraid not," I said, cauti- begged me not to arrest the man ously. "Would you care to look who had shot him He said it was ever the house?" a family quarrel and he didn't want ' • if you please." it to get into the papers." We marched upstairs and search- ''Then why—" ed in various rooms. Finally we I paused. If I said too much I night give my self away. was locked. But the iruspector's cold eyes we 'e came to my bedroom. The door fixed on Inc thoughtfully. ''This little per orinanco has :est you twenty pounds," ho said, quietly. "In—in what way?" "You are not a very good actor, sir. Directly I entered I knew by your face the pian was in the house and you were trying to shelter Besides, there aro scratches on the window -sill where he climbed i As a matter of fact, too, "wife" had the misfortune her chin slightly when she sh That's the worst of shaving in a hurry. But why is it that people will always assume that the pot :e days; that's why my beard is un- followed by the two officers, and are fools 1" trimmed. Ile came this afternoon, and I had a big stick. But Bowles diew a shouter on roe. 1 ducked, ran in and collared him. We strug- gled like wild beasts, and—some- how the shouter cracked off, and— well, I wR3 the Duly living roan in the house for about two minutes. Then there was a ringing at the bell. It wasInc i the h oust agents clerk fair way of being having harbored a helped hint to es - Tho bedroom door being locked meant that instead of escaping by the window the rascal had remained in the house. of the aged Emperor of Austria. Before I could reply to the in- spector's question a voice said, "Yon can't come in for a moment. ing a house in this district. 1 f sha'n't keep you waiting long." found out the name of the house. Thisvoice sounded like that of a Jt was empty. 1 climbed in by tlio woman, though I knew- very well back window and waited for him. It must be that of Mr. Vagrain, of I've been waiting for hintthree New York. I returned to the study, :n the course of a momentor two "Then you have actually allowed I hoard the swish of skirts, the this murderous rascal to escap'?" door was opened, and in stepped-- 1 said, making a desperate effort I nearly laughed aloud. The ras- to hold my own. cal had made use of my razors and "Not at all. My man will join removed his ugly little beard. Fur- the cab at the corner and he a o.t titer, ho had gone to the wardrobe be driven straight to the statien. and taken out a long, blue cloth And now I must be going and make coat belonging to my wife. It had; out my report.. Perhaps, sir, yen to deep collar, and this, being will regard this ass a lesson. Eveer who had followed Bowles round. 1 turned up at this hack, concealed good citizen is bound to assist the was caught like a rat in a trap. 1 his short. hair. Ile was wearing a, police. Good day.' slipped out by the back e -ay, think- wide -brimmed hat and veil. ing to dodge him, and ran straight The fellow made a very present- It only remains to be added thrt into the arms of a milkman who able woman and strolled into the Mr. Vagrain was "bound over" to had heard the shot and wondered room fasteuing on a pair of my keep the peace, his proaeeutur de- whitt was up. I flung bins off and wife's best kid gloves—ho had re- claring that the affair was an ac - ran. But the hue and cry had markahly small hands—with all the cident. Evidently he had good rea- 'etarted. 1 heard police whistles dignity in the world. sons fur not wishing to make it going in all directions, and it Ifo glanced at the ofhicers with publie. seemed to nio that half the popu- lation was at my heels. 1 ran all I knew ; saw the wall at the end of these gardens, and—here I nm." "You made a mistake in running away," I said. "You should havo faced it out. It was a rnisadven- turo.,, But it was just here that the so- ealled Yankee slitnness cnnie in. The roan winked scornfully at the n otion of facing it out. He knew better than that. Bowles's friends would employ the best counsel; they could prove threats and mur- derous intentions; he had waited for his victim for three days in an empty house, and—well, he guessed if the police took him the rope was ar good as round his neck. While I was urging the folly of this, a knocking was heard at the front door, and a moment later one e.f the maids came with the mes- sage that a "police uhcer wanted to speak to me." I took care not to admit the girl to the room, "Tell the constable I will be with him imrnediat.ely," I said, and closed the door. My visitor was on his feet and 1•) my side. "Keep tho constable busy for three minutes," he whispered. "Thatcn's all I ask." Of urso, I ought to havo taken him by the scruff nt his neck and handNl him over to the authori- ties. But i couldn't do it. Since the day I first followed the hounds 1 have liked to see the fox have a talc so far plausible that i might faun ran. h. jistifurd in Iettirg him run. i went downstairs—not too quick- • Nee 111 tell you 1-iy stirs. li. I .• said. .1% ase was ne dif celty in creat. •• Th tabl 1 I handed ft to "her" 1 gave him G een--"Late returns show that i iincin:; one." 1 replied. taki,t` was a burly fellow of the heavy, a look that would have extermin- it was a silver•plsted &that.." some surprise and bowed slightly. "Anything wrong, Harry 1" ho inquired. lie had taken my Christian naino from a portrait in the bedvcotn and used it with the familiarity of cus- tom. What was I to do 1 If I repudi ated him I made myself look foo'.• isli. Besides, the fellow's adroit- ness was delightful ; it seemed un- sportsmanlike to give him away now. "A man has been shot a few rods away and the police have a notion he has taken refuge here," I re- plied. "Very sorry to give trouble, ma'am," said the inspector, "hut we are hound to leave no stone un- turned." "Where are you going I in- quired, by way of keeping sip the comedy. "1 sin going into Kingston to set- tle Bentham's account," "she" re- plied. "You had better write out a cheque." "Write out a cheque?" 1 gasped. "Oh, we can attend to that some other time." It appeared to me that this was carrying realism too far. "I promised to settle it this af- ternoon," "she" said, with perfect composure. "Make it out for twen- ty and don't cross it. 1 can cash it at the bank. The account is nineteen something." Once more what was I to do? I had practically acknowledged him as m wife. How could I draw back I took out a cheque-book ait.h a groan and filled in a draft for twenty pounds, making it pay- able to "self" and endorsing it. Strange to say, too, three montt.s later h received a remittance fie twenty pounds frons New York, with a note of thanks for "services rendered." "Your loan carried tno back to New York, and I'm flour ir•hing again," said my correspond- ent. The impudent rascal:—London Tit -Bits I'Itl «sl 1'S BIRTH R.1'l1'. St ati'ticr Show Considerable 1 crease. A <omprchensive work has just been published, which was cum piled at the special instigation of the German Minister of Education by the medical department of his office. It gives some interesting statistics , of the Prussian Mate in the year I 14407. The birthrate was consider-' ably lower Ono in the preceding years, numbering 1,2e,,,291. Suicides showed an increase of 350 over 1900. There were altogetl - er 7,643, of whom 1,79ewere women 744 cases occurred during intoxi- cation, while 1,203 deaths were due' to delirium tremens. The number of victims of our der and tnanslaugbter was 78'l, or AO more than in the preceding sear. — -.fir--- LATE RETURNS. Brown—"I hear you celebrated your silver wedding a few weeks ago?" Green—"So we thought at the time." Brown—''What do you mean bA that?"