C
P
I'
LOSS AND GAIN.
DIVINE SERVICES AT THE BROOK
LYN TABERNACLE.
Jlev. Dr. TulriiiiHo Impound I'miiltlar
Text with CliHlitcU-rlnlln t'leurnox itiul
Originality A I'hImi iiml Mulleluii Iln
iort Concerning llui Doctor Doiinuiicoil.
Uhooklyn, Mny tt Tho Huv T Do Witt
Talmugo, D.D., told tho congregation nt tho
Tabernacle today that n tiinlluious falsehood
bad goiio through tho country, saying thntnt
A recent meeting of tho ollleers of tho Thir
teenth regiment ut Ills house, ho Imd set bo
foro tlicin four kinds of wine. Ho Mid: "I
will pay $1,000 to uuy charitnhlo Institution
if It can bo proved that ono drop of wlno or
any other intoxicating liquor was ottered In
my houso that evening. Tho twonty-flvo '
gentlemen prusotit may bo called upon for
testimony. Any threo rvNiierlnhlo clergy
ntou or lawyers or detectives may Ihj selected;
they also to decide what charity shall have
tho money. 1 nslt tho nownpapers till over
tho laud, w hteh havo been misled by tho
falsehood, to correct It.." i
Tho opening hymn of tho service licglns: I
SaUutloul oli, Urn Joyful sound, ,
Tls pleasure to our earn. I
Dr. Talmago announced in tho subject of
tho sermon "Loss and Gain," and his toxt
was: "What shall It profit n man, If ho shall
gain tho whole world, and loso his own
oull" Mark viii, !M.
1 am accustomed, Bubbath by Babbath, to
stand before nu nudlcueo of bargain makers.
There may bu men in ull occupations sitting
boforo me, yot tho vast majority of tliom, I
rim very well uwaro, nro engagetf from Mon
day morning to Saturday night in tho store.
In many oi tho families of my congregation,
acrosr the breakfast table and the tea labia
nro discussed questions of lossuud gain. You
nro overy day asking youroolf. "What la
tho value of tills t What is tho value of that'f"
You would not think of giving something of
greater value for that which is of lesser
value. You would not think pt selling that
which costs you $10 for If5. If you had
n property that was worth $15,000, you
would not sell it for $1,000. You nro Intelli
gent in all matters of bargain making Are
jou as wlo in tho things that ertnin to tho
matters of tho soul I Christ adapted his in
structions to tho circumstances of those to
whom ho spoko. When lit talked to fishermen
h? spoke of the Gospel net. When ho talked to
tho farmers, ho said: ' A sower went forth to
sow When ho talked to tho shepherds, ho
told tho parablo of tho lost sheep. And am I
not right w hen speaking this morning to an
uudieuco nmdo up of bargain makers, that
I address them in the words of my toxt, asking-
"What shall it protlt a man, if ho shall
gain tho wliolo world, and loso his own soull"
1 propose, ns far as possible, to cstimuto
and com Hire tho valuo of two properties.
First, 1 have to say that tho world Jsa
very grand proicrty. Its flowers are God's
thoughts in bloom. Its rocks nro God's
thoughts in stone. Its dew drops are God's
thoughts in penrL This world is God's child,
a wuyward child, indeed; It has wnudercd oil
through tho heavens, lint about 1,683 years
ago, ouo Christmas night, God scut out a
sister world to call that wanderer back, and
it hung over Bethlehem only long enough to
got tho promise of tho wanderer's return, mid
now that lost world, with soft feet of light,
comes trending back through tho heavens.
Tho hills, how beautiful they billow up, tho
etfgo of tho wave white with tho foam of
crocuses I How beautiful tho rainbow, tho
arched bridge on which heaven and earth
como and talk to fcoch other ill tears, after the
storm Is over! How nimble tho foot of tho
lamplighters that in a few minutes set all
ths. domo of tho night ablazo with brackets
of lire I How bright the oar of tho saffron
cloud that rows across tho deep sea of
hcavenl How beautiful tho fcpring, with
bridal blossoms iu her huiri I wonder who
it is that lieats time on a Juno morning for
tho bird orchestra. How gently tho harebell
tolls its fragrance on tho air! Thoro may bo
grander worlds, swarthior worlds, larger
vorlds than this, but think that this is a
most exquisite world a mignonette on tho
bosom of immeusltyl "Oh," you say, "tuko
my soul; glvo mo that world I Iumwlllltuj
to take it in exchange. I am ready now for I
tho bargain. It is a beautiful world, so sweet
a world, so grand a world I"
But let us look moro minutely into tho
valuo of this world. You will not buy
property unless you can got u good titlo to it.
Afaer you lfuvo looked at tho proporty and
found out that it suits you you bend an at
torney to tho publlo otllce, and ho examines
the book of deeds, and tho book of mort
gages, nnd tho book of judgments, aud tho
book of lions, and bo decides whether tho
titlo is good befwo you will havo unytulng
to do with it Tiiore might boa splendid
property, and in ovory way exactly suited to
your want, but if you cuuilot got a good titlo
you will not take it. Now, I nm hero this
morning to say that it is iiniosslblo to got n
good titlo to this world. If I settle down
upon it, in tho very year I so settlo down
upon it as a permanent possession I may bo
drivon nway from it. Ay, in ilvo minutes
oftor I glvo up my soul for tho world I may
havo to part with tho world, and what kind
ot a titlo do you call thntl Thoro is only ono
way in which 1 can hold nil earthly iwsses-
bIoii. nnd that is through tho sense All
beautiful sights through tho eye,, but tho oyo J
may oo uioueu oui; an capuvaung souuus
through tho ear, but my oar may bo deaf-
nod; all luschiousness of fruits and viauds
through my tnsto, but my tnsto may bo do-
stroyod; all appreciation of culturo and of
art through my mind, but I may loso my
iniud. What a f rail hold, then, I havo upon
any earthly possession I
In courts of law, if you want to get a man
oil a property, you must servo upon him a
writ of ejectment, giving him n certain time
to vacate tho premises; but when deuth
comes to us and serves u writ of ojoctment,
lio does not glvo us ono second of forewarn
ing. Ho says: "Off of this placol You havo
no right any longer iii tho jiossesslon." Wo
might cry outt "I gavo you $100,000 for that
property;" tho pica would bo of no avail. Wo
might snyt "vo navo a warrantee uocu ror
that property;" tboploa would bo of no avail,
Wo might say: "Wo havo a lieu on that
Btoro houso;" that would do us uo good.
Death is blind, and ho cannot seo a bcal, and
bo cannot read an indenture. So that, first
and last, I want to tell you that whou you
proposo that 1 give up my soul for tho world,
you cannot glvo mo tho llrst item of titlo.
Having examined tho titlo of u property,
your next questlou is ubout insurance. You
would not bo silly enough to buy a largo
wureliouso that could not possibly bo insured.
You would nbt havo uuythlug to do with
such a property, Now, I ask you what as
surance can you glvo mo that this world is
not going to Ih) burned upl Absolutely none.
Qoologistr toll us that it is already on flro; .
tuat tuo heart or. the warm is ono grunt liv
ing coal; that it Is just like a ship on tiro at
sen, tho flumes not bursting out because tho
hatches aro kept down. And yot you pro
pose tc ulm off oa mo, in return for my
soul, a world for which, iu the first place,
you give mi title, and in tho bocond place,
foi w hid. j on eriu give no lusurauco. "Oh,"
you '', "thu water of tho oceans will was)
i i'l iho laud nnd put out tho flro." Oh,
i hern urn Inflammable elements In tho
i'it, hwlrogen and oxygon Cull off tho
b-gcu,iiiit then tho Atlantio nnd I'nelllt'
urn would hlnro like heapi of shavings,
i want mo to take this world, for which
1 1 imii giw no KMslblo Insurance.
Wroumuci havo swept their telescopes
'imugh tho sky, and havu found out that
ii'ie li.iw' tieen thirteen worlds 111 the lust
centuries that hnvo disapcarcd, At
irst they looked Just llko other worlds. Then
.hoy got deeply nil t hoy wcro on flro. Then
hey got mlir'ii, showing they wero burned
Jown. Then they disappeared, showing that
oven tho ashes weru scultonil.' And if tho
geologist Ik) right In his prophecy then our
world is to go In tho sumo wny. And yet
you want mo to exchange my soul for it.
Ah, no; it is a world that is burning now.
Suppose- you brought an Insurance agent to
look at your property for tho purpose of giv
ing you ti K)lley tioii it. and w hilo ho stood
iu front of tho houso ho should say i "That
houso is on llro now In tho lM.sement," jou
could not get any liisiirnneo upon ft. Yet
you talk tihout this world as though it wero
a snfo Investment, us though you could get
some insurance tion it when down in llio
basement it Is on llro.
1 remark, also, that this world Is n pro
lorty, with which everybody who has taken
It as a possession has had trouble. Now, I
know it largo reach of laud that Is not built
on. I ask what is tho matter, and I hoy reply
that everybody who bus had anything to do
with that property got into trouble about it.
It is just so with this world; everybody that
has bad anything to do with it, as n posses
sion, has lieen iu ierploxlty. How was it
with Lord Hyrouf Did ho not soil his Im
mortal soul for tho purpose of getting tho
world? Wns ho satisfied w Ith thu posossionf
Alasl nlasl tho ocm graphically describes
his caso when it says:
Drank every cup of Joy,
Heard every trump of fame;
Drank early, deeply drunk,
Drnlik droughts which common millions might
havo quenched,
Then died of thlrvt lccauso there was no more
to drink
On, jw, ha bad trouble with it; nnd fo did
Nnpoleon. After conquering nut Ions by tho
force of tho sword, he lies down to dlo; liis
entire tiosscssion, tho military boots that ho
Insisted on having ukii his feet while ho was
dying. So it has been with men w ho had
hotter ambition. Thackeray, ono of tho most
genial and lovable souls, after ho had won
tho applauso of nil Intelligent lands through
his wonderful genius, Nits down in a restau
rant In 1'aris, looks to tho other end of tho
room, and wonders w hoso that forlorn nnd
wretched faco is; rising up nfter a while, ho
finds that it is Thackeray In tho mirror. Oh,
yes, this world is it cheat. Talk about a man
gaining tho worldl Who over gained half
of tho world? Who over owned n hemis
phere Who over gained a continent! Who
ever owned Asln? Who over gained n city?
Who over owned Brooklyn? Talk about
gaining tho worldl No man over gained It,
oi tho liuudred-thouaudtli tmrtof it. You
are demanding that I sell my soul, not for
tho world, but for u fragment of it Hero is
a mun who lias had a largo estate for forty
or fifty years. Ho lies dowgto die. You say:
"That man is worth millions nnd millions
of dollars." Is ho? You call up n surveyor,
uith Ids compass and chains, and you sny:
"Thero it u property extending threo miles
in ouo direction, and threo miles iu another
direction." Is that tho way to measuro that
man's property? Nol You do not want any
surveyor, with his compass and chains. That
Is not tho way you want to measuro that
man's propel ty now. It is nu undertaker
that you need, who will como nnd put his
finger iu his vest pocket, and tako out a tnpo
line, nnd ho will measuro ilvo feet uino inches
ono way, nnd two feet and a half tho other
wny That is tho man's property. Oh, no, 1
forgot ; not so much us that, for ho does not own
oven the place in which ho lies iu tho ceme
tery Tho deed to that belongs to tho execu
tors nnd the heirs. Oh, what a projierty you
propose to give mo for iny soull If you sell
a bill of goods you go Into tho counting room
and bay to your p.utncr: "Do you think that
man is good for this bill? Can ho give
proper hoeurity I Will ho meet this payment?"
Now, when you aro offered this world as a
possession, I want you to test tho matter. 1
do not want you to go Into this bargain
blludi . 1 wunt you to usl: ubout tho title,
about tho insurance, about whether men
havo over had any trouble with it, nbout
whether you can keep it, ubout whether you
can get all, or tho ten-thousandth or ouo
hundred-thousandth part of it.
Thero is tho world now. I shnll say no
moro about it. Moko up your mind for your
self, as I shall before God havo to make up
my mind for myself, about tho value of this
world. I cannot ulTord to mako u mistake
for my soul, and you cannot atlord to mako
a mlstalvo for our souL
Now, let us look at tho other property tho
soul. Wo cuuuot mako u barguiu without
seeing tho comparative value. Tho soul I
How Bhall I ostlmuto tho valuo of it? Well,
by its exquisite organization. It is tho most
wonderful piece of mechanism over put to
gether. Machinery is of valuo iu proportion
as it is mighty aud silent at tho samo time.
You look at tho engine aud tho machinery iu
tho Philadelphia mint, and, as you sco
it performing Its wonderful work, you
will bo surprised to find bow si
lently it goes. Machinery that roars and
tears soon destroys itself, but silent ma
chinery is often most effective. Now, so it
is with tho boul of man, with ull its tro-
inonuous lucuuios is moves iu suenco.
Judgment, without any rackot, lifting its
I scales; memory, without any nolso, bringing
j down all its trcusurcs; conscience taking its
judgment bent without uuy excitement; tho
underbuilding mid tho will all doing their
work. Velocity, majesty, might; but silcuco
silence. You listen at tho door of your
heart. You can hear no souud. Tho soul is
all quiet, it is so delicate mi instrument
that no human baud can touch it. You
break a bone, aud with splinters aud band
ages tho surgeon bots it; tho oyo beomes in
tlumed, tho apothecary's wash cools it; but a
boul off the track, unbalanced, no human
power can readjust It, With ouo sweeep of
its wing it circles tho universe, aud over
vaults tho throno of God. Why, in
tho hour of death tho soul is so mighty, it
'throws usJdo tio body us though it wero a
toy. It drives liacU medical bkul as impo
tent. It breaks through tho circle of loved
ones who btand around tho dying couch.
With ono leap, it springs beyond btar and
moon and tun, and chasms of immensity,
Oh, it is u soul suporiortonll material things!
Ko llro can consume it; no floods can drown
it; no rocks can crush it; no walls cau im
pede it; uo time can exhaust it. It wants no
bridge on which to cross n chasm. It wants
uo plummet with which to sound a depth. A
soul so mighty, so swift, so silent, must bo a
prieoloss soul.
I calculate tho valuo of tho soul, also, by
its capacity for happiness. How much joy
it can got In tills world out of friendships,
out of books, out of clouds, out of tho sea,
out of flowers, out ot ten thousand tliiugl;
nnd yet all the Joy it has hero does not tout
its capacity. ou are in a concert before
tho curtain hoists, and you hear tho instru
ments preparing ths shurp snap of tho
broken string, tho scraping of tho bow across
tho viol. "There is uo musk in that," you
say. It is only gettiuc ready for the music.
And nil tho enjoyment of tho soul In this
world, tho enjoyment wo think Is real enjoy
ment, Is only pniiiratlvo. it Is only nnti
rlpatlvo; It is only tho first stages of tho
thing, it is only tho entrance, tho beginning
of that which shall ho tho oreheMrul liar
monies and splendors of tho ivdcomed.
You cannot test tho full (tower of tho soul
for happiness In this world, How much
power tho soul hns hero to Had enjoyment in
friendship! but, oh, tho grainier friendships
for tho soul in tho skle.il How sweet tho
Honors hero I but how much sweeter they
will bo therol 1 do not think that when
flowers dlo on earth, they dlo forever. 1
think that tho fragrance of tho (lowers Is tho'
spirit being wafted away Into glory. God
says thcronro palm trees Iu heaven and fruits
lu heaven. If so, why not tho spirits of tho
dead flowers! In tho sunny valleys of heaven,
shall not tho marigold crecpl On tho hills
of heaven, will not thoamtiruntli bloom? On
tho ninotliystluo walls of heaven, will not
tho Jasmine climb? "My Itolovod is como
down In his garden to gather lilies." No
flowers iu henwii? Where, then, do they
get their garlands for tho brows of tho
righteous?
Christ Is glorious to our souls now, but
how much grander our appreciation after u
whllol A conqueror comes back after a Iwt
tie. Ho has been fighting for us. Ho comes
upon tho platform. Ho hns ono arm in n
sling, and tho other holds a crutch. As ho
mounts tho platform, oh, tho enthusiasm of
thu iiudleucul Thoysay: "That man fought
fonts, and imperiled his life for us;" and
how wild thu hllza that follows htl7ll
When tho Lord Jesus Christ shall at laxt
stand out before tho multitudes of tho re
deemed of heaven, mid wo meet hlin face to
face, and feel that ho was wounded iu tho
l.vnd, aud wounded lu tho hands, nnd
wounded in tho feet, and wounded lu thu side
for us, uicthluks wo will Is) overwhelmed.
Wo will slthouie tlino in silence, until somo
lender amidst tho white lobed choir shall lift
thu baton of light, nnd gl o tho signal that it
Is tluio to wakotho song of jubilee; and nil
ifcavon will then bnvik forth Intoi "Ho
snuual hosanunl hosannal Worthy is tho
Iumb that was slain."
I calculate further tho aluo of tho soul by
thu price that has lieen paid for It, hi St.
Petersburg thero Is u diamond that tho gov
ernment paid $X),O00 for. "Well," you
sji, "it must, havo been very valuable, or
tho government would not havo paid $1100,000
for it." 1 wunt to set what my soul Is
worth, and what your soul Is worth, by see
ing whnt has been paid for It. For that im
mortal noul, tho richest blood that was over
Bhcd, tho dcc)cbt groan that was ever ut
tered, all the griefs of earth compressed Into
ono tear, all tho sufferings of earth gathered
into ouo rapier of pain and struck through
bis holy heart, uoes It not Imply tremen
dous valuo?
I argue, ulso, tho vnluo of tho so.ul from
tho homo that lias been fitted up for it in tho
future. Ono would havo thought a street of
adamant would havo done. No; it is a street
of gold. Ouo would havo thought that n
wall of granite would havo done. No; it is
tho llamo of sardonyx mingling with tho
green of emerald. Ouo would havo thought
that uu occasional doxolugy would have
done. No; it is a perpetual song. If tho
ages of heaven inarched iu a straight lino,
some tiny tho last regiment, perhups, might
pass out of sight; but no, tho ages of heaven
do not march In a straight Hue, but In a clr
clo nrotind about tho throno of God; forover,
forocr, tramp, tramp! A soul so bought,
so oqlllpivil, bo provided for, must bo u price
lesssoul, amajestlcsoul, a tremendous soul.
Now, you huvuseeu tho two piopertles
tho world, tho souL Ono perishable, tho
other immortal. Ouo unsatisfying, tho other
capable of over increasing felicity. Will
you trndo oven? Ilemember, it is tho only
investment you can uinko. If a man sell a
bill of goods wortli $."5,000, and ho is cheated
out of it, ho may get $5,000 somow hero else;
but a man who Invix.t-s bis soul invests nil.
Losing that, ho loses all. Saving Hint, ho
saves ull. hi tho light of my text, it seems
to mo us if you wero this morning offering
your soul to the highest bidder; and 1 hear
you suy: "Wluit is bid for It, my deathless
spirit? What Is bid for it?" Satan says:
"I'll bid tho world." You say: "Begonol
That is no equivalent. Sell my soul for tho
world? Nol Begonol" But thero is somo
onoel.soin tho audience not so wise ns that,
llosays: "What hr bid for my Immortal
boul?" Sutun sajsi "I'll bid tho world."
"Tho worldl Going at that, going at that.
goingl Gouul" Gone forever!
What Is tho tiling of greatest price,
The wholo creation round?
That wlilcli was lost In jiaradiso,
Thut w lilch in Christ Is found.
Then let us gatliar round tho cross,
That know ledge to obtain;
Not by tho soul's eternal loss.
Hut u crluiitiug gain.
Well, thero uro u great many peoplo in the
house who say: "I will not sell my soul for
tho world. 1 Hud tho world is an unsatisfy
ing portion." What, then, will you do with
your soul? Somo ouo whispers hero: "I will
glvo my soul to Christ." Will you? That is
tho wisest resolution you over mado. Will
you glvo It to Christ? When? To-morrow!
No; uow. I congratulate you if you have
como to buch a decision. Oh, it this morning
tho eternal Spirit of God would como down
upon this uudieuco, nnd show you tho vuulty
of this world, and tho lmmonso importanco
of Christ's religion, and tho Infinite valuo of
your own immortal bonis, what n houso this
would be I what an hour this would be! what
u moment this would bol Do you know that
Christ has bought your soul? Do jou know
that ho has paid an iulliiltu price for it? Do
you know that ho is worthy of it? Will you
glvo it to him now t
I was reading of a sailor w ho had just got
a&lioro, and was telling ubout his hut experi
ence at sea. Ho said: "Tho lust time I
crossed the ocean wo hud n terillle time. Af
ter wt, liud beou out throo or four days, the
machinery got dlsari auged, nnd tho steam
began to c.cupo, und tho captain, gathering
tuo peoplo uuu tuo crow ou deck, said: 'un
less some ouo shall go dowi. mid shut off thut
steam, and urnuigo thut machinery at tho
jiciil of his life, Wo must nil bo destroyed.'
Ho was not willing to go down himself. No
ouo seemed willing to go. Tho pas
sengers gathered at ouo end of tho
bteamer waitlug for tholr fate. Tho captain
said: 'I givo you a last warning. Iftherois
uo ouo hero willing to imperil his Ufo und go
down and fix that machinery, wo must ull bo
lost.' A plain sailor said: 'I'll go, sir;' and
bo wrupped himself iu a conrso ploco of can
vas und went dewu, and was gone but a few
moments, when tho escaping btcam stopped,
and tho machinery was corrected. Tho cap
tain cried out to the passengers: 'All saved I
Let us go dow n below and sec what has bo
como of tho ioor follow.1 They went down.
There he lay dead." Vicarious buffering!
Died for nil! Oh, do you suppose that those
jieoplo on tho ship ever forgot, ecr can for
get thut KXr follow? "Nol" they say, "it
was through his sacrifice that I got ashoro."
Tho time enmo when our whole rnce
must dlo unless somo ono should en
dure torture and sorrow und slutine Who
shall como to tho rcsouo? Shall it bo ono of
thoboraphlm? Not one. Shall it bo ouo ol
tho cherubim! Not ono. Shall it Is) an in
habitant of somo pure and unfnllen worldl
Not one. Then Christ bald: "Ixjt I como to
do thy will, O God," and ho wont down
through tho dark stairs of our sin, and
wrctclieduess, and misery, and woe, und hn
topped tho porll, and bodied that you nnd I
might bo free. Oh, tho lovol oh, tho cn
durance! oh, tho horrors of tho sncrlllcol
Shall not our souls this morning go out to
ward him, saving: "Lord Jesus Christ, take
my soul! TIhmi nit worthy Uiluive III Thou
hast died towivo III" "
God help jou this morning rightly to
cipher nut this sum in (hwpcl nritliiuetlei
"What shall it prolltn man, It ho shall gain
tho wholo world, and loso his own soul?"
SICK NOTABLES OF EUROPE.
King Humbert has Crispi.
King Otto, of llavnila, Is mad.
Tho 1'iiikM of Wales has Inllucnro.
Tho Kinpicsrt Augusta Is puratyml,
The Duke of Kdluhtirgli bus u ehronlo In
(lamination. The liotilth of tho king of Holland Is very
doubtful.
Queen Victoria Is lu oscsslcm of a bron
chitis which tires her excessively.
I'lince Illsnmrck has thu gout, phlebitis,
rheumatism, neuralgia nnd 711 years.
Von Mnltko bus u uintlcu, u domain which
brings hint uo Income, which iu fact is ruin
ing him and ST ) ears.
Tho condition of tho HnqKiror Frederick la
known for certain. Tho son of the 12micror
Wlllinui has cancer of tho larynx, an Incur
able disease. If ho live some dais longer it
will lion mlnuie.
Tho oin)cror of Austria buffers from lassi
tude, his air Is gloomy und his nights nro
restless. lie is ol leu heard tooxclnlm: "Then
I haven treaty of alliance and friendship w ltli
those who lme Inflicted Kailowa on mol"
Tho king of Spain, Alphouso Xlll, has tho
whooping cough. Ills condition lately In
spired uueiisiiiesH. llesidoH, his majesty con
ducts hlinstll very badly In Ids cradle; ho
has u wny of exhibiting Ids Castlllnti pride,
osiK'cially iu thu bath tub, which disconcerts
the ladles who groom him.
I'lince William has ti disease of tho ear
that obliges him (o keep his room. Moreoer,
tho accounts of his health aro mysterious.
Somo persons nlllrin thut thu son of Knsler
Ickll! will havo to undergo an operation
(the loss of tho earf) ; others go further und
declare that Ids highness ii ns sick ns his
father, If not more so. Krucst Blum iu Thu
l(upiel.
Ituynl t'l'icinmiy of l'cct Wiishlni;.
Not long ago nt the Hofburg the ouicror
of Austria went through thu annual Maundy
Thurduy ceremony of washing the feet of
twelve old men. hi former times the cere
mony was double, ns the empress washed thu
leetof twelve old women; but of lute years
her mnjest)'s health has not permitted her to
ciiduru tho fatigues of this function. The
ceremonial lakes place in the throno room of
tho palaco, and is preceded by tho serving of
a meal in four courses to the aliiisinen. The
dishes uro placed ou tho table und removed
by tho eiiin ror and thu nrchdukes. Thero Is
no eating, but tho dishes, pla'-es, glasses, nnp
kins and covers are all plated lu boxes, em
blazoned with tho luqierial arms, and theso
nro carried to tho residences t tho old men.
A prayer is then intoned and, tho light leg of
each man Itelng buivd by court servants, tho
enqieror kneels und pours iv little water out
of a golden basin over tiich man's foot and
concludes his pious olllco by hanging a purse
fill of coins around every old man's neck.
This morning tho ceremony was attended as
usual by tho principal ministers and court
olllclnls and by several members of thu diplo
matic body, Including tho ambassadors of
Italy and Frnnce. Fonign letter.
helrlici) Snhrcl tint I'lirle.
A Meriden clothing denier recently oifered
u spring overcoat to any jpcrsou solving the.
i. ..... ....... . , ft t rn.i -i .. ..i . ..
' anil rniuo no.v pu&ziu. iiiis i-ijiisihicii in u
short cylindrical wooden box, tecuiidy
sealed. The point was to shako tho box w it li
mit rattling tho contents. Ou thu box was
printed: "You can't do it; but it enn bo
done." Those who got hold of tho boxes,
after shalilug them iu different ways, cut
them ojcn und found the contents to consist
of pieces of tin of different shapes. As uo
method of doing thu trie!: could lx thought
of, It v as generally 'supposed that tho puz.ln
could not bo bolved. Cliurles M. Fuil'dilld,
assistant to Superintendent Fitzgerald, of
the Meriden Klectrio Light company, eamu
Into possession of ouo of tho boxes, lie dis
sected it, noticed thu bits ot till, thought a
moment, and then, taking a piece of mag
netized iron, replaced tho cover on tho box
nnd applied tho magnet to one end. It was
btrong enough to attract all the small pieces
of tin and hold them fast to tho cud of thu
Iwx, however violently It was shaken. Ho
got tho overcoat. Hartford Times.
AiUertlfclnc ' Circulars.
There is a good deal of grumbling over tha
circular iiuisuuco just uow. livery morning
mail is likely to bring to you a heap of envel
opes addressed iu u neat hand and scaled and
stamped llko letters, which, when jou open
them, provo to bu but invitations from tha
bhoemaWer or tho butter, the tailor, dress
maker or who not else, to patronize him, her
or it. Very often tho envelopes bear Bomo
monogram, crest or emblem to mako them
look less like what they really aro. Ouo of
the latest is done up iu thu stylo ot a tele
graphic dispatch, aud nt llrst glnneo would
bu taken for such. Thu social directories aro
responsible for tho utility of tho scheme. I
cannot lndlevo that it will compare with tho
good old fashion of advertising in tho news
papers, while, to judgu from the lino (juulity
of tho stationery used and tho printing on it
and tho cost of postuge, it must represent a
very considerable expense to thoso w hu prue
tico it, Alfred Trumblo iu Now York Kuws
A Nu) el .Sellout Comment uiimiit.
A novel school commencement was held at
tho Now York trade sohools. 1U0 bricklayers
wero given diplomas, lbi plunders, each
armed with a sheepskin, wero set loose iion
thu community, together with 13 stono cut
ters, Ua ixiinters und !JS carpeuU'i-s. This
school has been in existence ocrso en years,
und is designed to teach all manual trade.-:.
It will bo u (liiccr btutu of things, but u satis
factory ouo, for tho plumber ot tho future to
havo to produce his diploma, hl.o thu doctor,
hctotttho Is allowed to userciso bis profes
sional skill. Philadelphia Times.
A Valuable Old Mumiicrlpt.
A now treasure was recently added to the
Lenox library, New York, lu tho shajje of a
Slxtct nth century vellum manuscript, valued
nt fl-',000. Tho work was produced lit thu
order of Cardinal Alcssundro l'uruese, after
wards Pope 1'uul III, and is illustrated with
six sujxsb paintings by GIulio L'lov to, th
Doro of that age, Frank Leslie's.
Tlio Chlnmu Treaty.
Tho Chine treaty, which wus recently
signed at Washington, prohibits entrance ol
Chlneso laUirers U tills country during a
period of tweuty years. It ullous Chinese
having families on this sidoof thu oiter, and
having property amounting to 11,000 or
more, to go to China aud return to this coun
try ou proving thu fact. Boston Uudget.
LEAP YEAR
BALL- PROGRAMS,
AND INVITATIONS
With Illumination designs appropriate for the occasion,
Printed in finest style of the art at
COURIER : OFFICE.
-AI.SO-
LEAP YEAR RECEPTION CARDS,
GRAND BANKRUPT SALE !
THE BEK HIVE STOCK
Is now on sale lor what it will briiitf. It comprises one of the
FINEST LINKS OK DRY GOODS ever brought
to the city, and must be closed out at once.
oOOO .PAIRS of SHOES
For Ladies, d'ents and Misses.
Cidl in and see for yourself. The goods must be sold, so
come and get them.
BE1E1 I-IlVR.9'5i9.7osi
The Season
Has opened and we have just
Cioods and a
i
-AT
vjmimm!m?M
l'.VKAJi.iMV?rrT Hlt. jt,jrklrsX.lV?Tk-ill
mmiwmwm
Grey Horse Harness Emporium,
1020 O Street.
NEW, NEAT AND NOBBY.
ST. CLOUD DINING HALL.
Twelfth street, pp Opera House
F. C. P"FJAV, the Caterer.
Tills Now and beautiful ll'-stnurunt lias Just lieen opened to (lie public. Wo will aim
to secure jour patronage by son lug tho best tint market nllords lit reasonable prices,
OPIOsT I)AV AND NIGMT.
My arrangements Willi all parts of Uiestato aro such that jwirtles orduriuu in tluio euu
lie supplied with III! ilelleaeles of the M'tixnu.
N. II All order for Wcddlntts, Parties, Suppers, KestlMils, Halls, IlnuiUet, etc., etc.
promptly nt tended to, and sent in all uts of tho count rj.
Pure Spring Water used instead of City Salt Water.
Wesscl & Dobbirjs.
Qrt JPr inters,
New Bun-Block,
Wedding Invitations, Engraved Calling Cards, Box Station
cry, Fine Printing of all K;.nds.
Give Us ei Trial Crcler.
for Driving
received a line line of Turf
great variety of
Whips,
Saddles,
FANCY DUSTERS
LAP ROBES
-AN'l)
Ladies : Fine : Saddles.
TIIH-
-
Cor. lliLhancl O Sis.