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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 29, 1915)
PLATTSMOTJTff SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAC A Comedy of Youth Founded by Mr. Manners on His Great Play of the Same Title Illustrations From Photographs of the Play Copyright, 1913. by Dodd. Mead O Company PROLOGUE. A romping, madcap, bewitch ing Irish girl, as Irish as St. Pat rick's day in the morning, is turned over to the care of aris tocratic English relatives. They are stiff and artificial, and she is as sweet and natural as a healthy country girl can be. They dislike her, but Peg holds her own with jaunty pride and in the end, by her generosity and big heartedness, wins them over, end, what is more, wins her for tune, and, what is still more, wins a very gallant lover. This, in brief, is the story of a play which by its originality, sweet ness and charm has been one of the most phenomenal successes New York has seen in a long time. The author of the play has turned it into c novel, so sympathetically, ' so brilliantly, that Peg as a heroine of fiction is as lovable as she was on the stage. CHAPTER. . The Irish Agitator and Angela. "F AITII, there's ui man snvs more and knows less than yer self, I'm thinkin'." "About Ireland, yer river- jenee?" "And everything else, Mr. O'Con neil." "Is that criticism or just temper, fa ther:" "Its both. Mr. O'Conue:!." "Sure it's the good judge ye must be Df ignorance. Father Cahill." . "And what might that mane?" "Ye live so much with it. father." "I'm lookiii' at it and listenin' to it How. Frank O'Conneil." "Then it's a miracle has happened. father. To see and hear oneself at the same time is iudade a miraole." "Don't provoke the man of Cod!" "Not for the wurrld." replied the oth er meekly, "bein' mesef a child of Sa tan." "And that's what ye are. And ye'd Lave others like yerself. I'.ut ye won't .while I've a tongue in mo hed and a ethrong stick in me hand." O'Conneil looked at Lim with a mis chievous twinkle in his blue-gray eyes: "Yer eloquence seems to i:ade some thin' to back it up, I'm thiukin'." Father Cahiil breathed hard. lie was a splendid type of the Irish parish priest of the old school. Gifted with a vivid power of eloquence as a preach er and a heart as tender as a woman's toward the poor and the wretched, he Lad been for many years; idolized by the whole community of the village of 21., in County Clare. But of late there was a growing feeling cf discontent among the younger generation. They lacked the respect their elders so will ingly gave. They asked questions in stead of answering them. They be gan to throw themselves, agniust Fa ther CabiU's express wishes and com mands, into the fight for home rule under the masterly statesmanship of diaries Stuart Paruell. Already more than one prominent speaker had come into the little village and sown the seeds of temporal and spiritual unrest. Father Cahill opiosed these men to the utmost of his power. He saw, as do many farsightcd prie-jf did. the logicy of bloodshed and desolation tb:;t would follow any direct action by Ihe Irish against the British govern ment. Though the blood of the patriot be;tt in Father Ca hill's veins, the weil being of the jteople who had grown up with him was ne;u- to his heart, lie was their priest, and be could not bear to think of men he had known as ehil in n being beaten and maimed by con stabulary and sent to prison afterward in the tight for self government. To bis horror that day lie met Frrtn Dv.cn O'Counel!. one of the best snown of all the younger agitators, in the main street of the liitle village. O'Comiell's backsliding Lad been one 3f Father Cabin's bitterest regrets. CI had closed O'Couneli's father's ?yes in death Jind had taken care of Ihe boy as well as lie could. Hut at ;ho age of Oft ceil the youth left the tiH.iir- that had so ninii.v wretched tic-inories of hardship and struggle and t '.rkcd 'his way to Dublin, it was nj.Miy years before Father Cahill heart 3f him again. lie had developed E. ;::!'Y'iiio into one of the most daring 31 all the fervi l speakers iu the sacred :-au.;e of Irish iilerty. . And Father Cahill was going to hear frnrn Frank Owen OMJounell .. again, p-igh little did he rc!;ui on the im lrt.anee tint the present young and comparatively untutored reformer R ouid achieve. Wilberforre King.-notl.. wealthy, rcperious EiiSlIsnman, L?ft tlart-s ci- TOG O' MY-: HEART i By J. Hartley. Manners dren Nathaniel, who in a large meas ure inherited much of his father's dominant will and hard headedness; Monica, the elder daughter, and Ange la, the younger. Nathaniel was the old man's favor ite. While still a youth he inculcated into the boy all the tenets of business, morality and politics that had made Wilberforee prosperous. Pride in his name, a sturdy grasp of life, uu unbending attitude toward those beneath him and an abiding rev erence for law and order and fealty to the throne these were the foundations on which the father built Nathaniel's character. Next in point of regard came the elder daughter, Monica. Patrician of feature, haughty in manner, exclusive by nature, she had the true Kings north air. She had no disturbing "ideas," no yearning for things not of her station. She was contented with the world as it had been made for her and seemed duly proud and grateful to liave been born a Kiugsnorth. She was an excellent musician, rode fairly to hounds, bestowed prizes at j the local charities with grace and dis I Unction as became a Kingsnorth and looked coldly out at the world from behind the impenetrable barriers of an old name. When she married Frederick Chi chester, the rising barrister, connected with six county families, it was a proud day for old Kiugsnorth. His family had originally made their money in trade. The Chichesters had accu mulated a fortune by professions. The distinction in England is marked. Frederick Chichester catnu of a long line of illustrious lawyers. One had even reached the distinction of being made a judge. lie lelonged to an hon orable profession. The old man was overjoyed. lie made a handsome settlement oe his oldest daughter on her marriage and felt he had done well by her, even as she had by him. Five years after Monica's birth An gela unexpectedly was born to the Kingsnorths. A delicate, sickiy infant it seemed as if the splendid blood ol the family had expended its vigor on the elder children. Angela needed con- ft. . , ir- "Not far the wurrld." stant attention to keep her alive. Froa tremulous infancy she grew into deli cate youth. She seemed a child apart. Not needing her, Kingsnorth did not love her. He gave her a form of tol erant affection. Too fragile to mis with others, she was brought up at home. Tutors furnished her education The winters she passed abroad witt her mother. When her mother died she spent them with relations oi friends. The grim dampness of the English climate was too rigorous for a life that needed sunshine. Angela had nothing in common with either her brother or her sister. She avoided them and they her. They did not understand her. She understood them only too welL A nature thai craved for sympathy and affection a? the frail so often do was repulsed b? those to whom affection was but a form and sympathy a term of reproach It was on her first homecoming since her mother's death that her at tention was really drawn to tier fa ther's Irish possessions. . i Iy s curious coincidence she return d Iwmie on a day when Willwrforce Kiugsnnrth had delivered an electrical speech, invoking Providence- to inter pose in the l-ettletnent yof the Irish difficulty, lie was noted for his: hatred of the Irish. ' Mt Was the oue topic of conversation, throughout dinner. And e fjM, ff. 1 fss S i i 1 I i Jr??' ' l'; .... i?1 V: TP iluriag that dinner that Angela for the first time really angered Iter father and raised a barrier between thorn that lasted until the day of his death. The old man had laughed coarsely rt the remembrance of his speech on the previous night and licked his lips at the thought of it. ' Monica, who was visiting htr father for a few days, smiled iu agreeable sympathy. Nathaniel nodded cheer fully. From her father's side Augela asked quietly: "Have you ever Leeu in Ireland, fa ther?" "No. I have not." answered- the old man sharply. "And, what is more, I never intend to go there." "Do you know anything about the Irish?" persisted Angela. "Do I? More than the English gov ernment does. Don't I own land there?" "I mean do you know anything about the people?" insisted Angela. "I know them to be a lot of thiev ing, rascally scoundrels, too lazy to work and too dishonest to pay their way even when they have the money." "Is that all you know?" "Isn't it enough?" His voice rose shrilly. It was the first time for years my oue had dared use those two hated words "Ireland" and "Irish" at his ta ble. Angela mu.it be checked and at once. "It wouldn't be enough for me if I had the responsibilities and duties of a landlord. To be the owner of an estate shorJd be to act as the people's friend, their father, their adviser in times of plenty and their comrade in times of sorrow." "Indeed! And pray where did you learn all that, miss?" asked the aston ished parent. Without noticing the interruption or the question. Angela went on: "Why deny a country its own government when England is practically governed by its countrymen? Is there any po sition of prominence today in England that isn't filled by Irishmen? Think! Our commander in chief is Irish; out lord high admiral is Irish: there are the defenses of the English in the hands of two Irishmen, and yet you call them thieving and rascally scoun drels!" Kiugsnorth tried to speak; Angela raised her voice- "Turn to your judges the lord chief is an Irishman. Look at the house of commons. Our laws are passed or de feated by the Irish vote, and yet so blindly ignorant and obstinate is our insular prejudice that we refuse them the favors they do us governing them selves as well as England." Kingsnorth looked at his daughter aghast Treason in his own house! His child speaking the two most hated of all words at his own dinner table and iu laudatory terms! lie could scarcely believe it He looked at her a moment and then thundered: "How dare you! How dare you!" Angela smiled a little amusedly tol eraut smile as she looked frankly at her father and answered: "This is exactly the old fashioned tone we English take to anything wc don't understand. And that is why other countries are leaving us in the race. There is a nation living within a few hours journey from our doors, yet inillious of English iieople are as ignorant of them as if they lived in Senegambia." She paused, looked once more straight into her father's eyes and sai.l. "And you, father, seem to be as ignorant as the worst of them!" "Angela!" cried her sister in hor ror. Nathaniel laughed good nr.turedly, leaned across to Augela and said: "I see our little sister has been reading the sensational magazines Yes?" "I've done more than that," replied Angela. "In Niee a month ago were two English members of parliament who had taken the trouble to visit the country they were supposed to assist in governing. They told me that a condition of misery existed throughout the whole of Ireland that was incredi ble under a civilized government." "Uadicals. eh?" snapped her father. "No; Conservatives. One of them had once held the oilice of chief secre tary for Ireland and was Ireland's most bitter prosecutor until he visited the country. When he saw the wretchedness of her people he stopped his stringent methods and bpgan cast ing about for some way of lessening the poor people's torment." "The more shame to him to talk Tike that to a girl. And. what's more, you had no right to listen to him. A Con servative indeed! A fine one he must be!" "He is. I don'f see why the Liberal party should have all the enlighten ment and the Conservative party all the bigotry." "Don't anger your father!" pleaded Monica. "Why. little Angela has come back to us quite a revolutionary." said Na thaniel. "Leave the table!" shouted her fa ther. Without a word Angela got up quiet ly and left the room. Her manner waj entirely unmoved. She had spoken from her inmost convictions. The fact that they were opposed to her fathei was immaterial. She loathed tyranny, nnd his method of shutting the mouths cf those who disagreed with him was particularly obnoxious to her. It was also most ineffectual with her. Fronj phildhHl she ; had . always spoken as Le 'felt. ! No discipline checked her. freedom of speech as well as freedoir Vf thought was as natural, and essen tial to her as breathing. ,'From that time she saw but littli of her father. When he died he lefl her to her brother's care. Kingsnortt made no absolute provision for her she was tu be dependent oa Nathaniel ! When the tim-came rltat she seemed I io to iua.ry u her brother ay proved oi me maicu. ue miouiu inaKe i' handsome settlement on her. In response to her request Nathaniel nllowed her to go with him to Ireland en his tour of inspection. Mr. Chichester was act-ly engaged cl the Old Lailey -oh "Ti important criminal case, so Monica alo joined them. Everything Angela saw in Ireland appealed- to her quick sympathy and' Pintle heart. It was just us she had thought and read and listened to. On every side she saw a kindly people borne down by the weight of poverty, lin es ruined by sickness and the lack of nourishment a splendid race per iyhing through misgovernmenr and In tolerant ignorance. Angela went about among- the peo ple and marie friends" with them. They were chary t first! of taking her to their hearts. S"ue was of the hated Saxon race. What was she doincf there she, the sister of their, till now, absentee landlord? She soon won them over by her appealing voice and kindly interest. All this Angela did", in direct opposi tion to her brother's wishes and her sister's exhortations. The morning of the meeting she had ridden some miles to visit a poor fam- iiy. Out of five three were in bed with low fever. She got a doctor for them, gave them money to buy neces saries, and. with a promise to return the next day, she rode away. When within some little distance of her brother's bouse she saw a steady, irregular stream of people climbing a great hill. She rode- toward it nnd; screened by a clump of trees, saw and heard her first "home rule" meeting. When Frank O'Conneil first spoke his voice thrilled her. Gradually the excitement of the people under the mastery of his power communicated itself to her. It pulsed in her blood and throbbed in her brain. For the first time she realized what a marvel ous force was the call of the patriot To listen and watch a man risking life and liberty in the, cause of his coun tryher heart and her mind and her soul went out to him. When the soldiers marched on to the scene she was paralyzed with fear. When an order to fire was given she wanted to ride into their midst and cry out to them to stop. But she was unable to move hand or foot. When the smoke had thinned and she saw lying motionless on the ground the bodies of men who a moment be fore had been full of life and strength: when was added to that the horror of the wounded crying out with pain, her tirst impulse was to fly from the sight of the carnage. She mastered that mo ment of fear and plunged forward, calling to the groom to follow her. She ordered the- body of O'Conneil, who had been hit, taken to her own home. The long, slow, tortuous journey home, the men- slowly following with the ghastly, mute body on the rude lit ter, became a living memory to her for all the remainder of her life. She glanced down every little while at the stone white face and shuddered as she found herself wondering if she w ould ever hear his voice again or see those great blue eyes flash with his fierce courage and devotion. As they neared her brother's house stragglers began to follow curiously. Sad looking men and weary women joined the procession wonderingly. All guessed it was some fresh outrage of the soldiers. It seemed to Angela that an infinity of time had passed before they entered the grounds attached to the Kings north house. She sent a man on ahead to order a room to- be prepared and a doctor sent for. As she saw her broth er coming forward to meet her with knit brows and stern eyes she nerved herself to greet him. "What is this, Angela?" he asked, looking in amazement at the strange procession. "Another martyr to our ignorant government, Nathaniel," and she press ed on through the drive to the house. (To Be Continued.) HELPFUL WORDS From a Plattsmouth Citizen. Is your back lame and painful? Does it ache especially after exer tion? Is there a soreness in the kidney region? These symptoms suggest weak kid neys. If so there is danger in delay. Weak kidneys get fast weaker. Give your trouble prompt attention, loan's Kidney Pills are for weak kidneys. Your neighbors use and recommend them. Read this Plattsmouth testimony. Jonathan Hatt, general storekeeper, 414 Main street, Plattsmouth, says: "I consider Doan's Kidney Pills a very good remedy for backache and other kidney troubles: They have proven their value to mei Others of my family have also-tried Doan's Kidney Pills,': procured at Gering & Co.'s Drug Store. They think just as much of them as I do." Price 50c, at all dealers. Don't simply ask for a kidney remedy get Poan's; Kidney Pills the same that rr. Hatt had; Foster-Milbum Co., Props., Buffalo,- N. Y. 013JI . IIL Hill!' lISlliiEffl "They Knew Net the Time of Tfisir Visitation." The First Palm Sunday A Fulfilment of Prophecy The Crisis of Israel's History Their "Double" of Disfavor. Favor Returning to Natural Israel. Spiritual Israel's History and Natural Israel's History Parallel Messiah "a Stons of Stumbling to Both the Houses ef Israel" Christendom Net Ready For Messiah's Second Advent. New York City, March '.Pastor liussell spoke to day at New York City Temple, W. God Street near Broadway. We re port his address from the text. "Hosanna! Bless ed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!" (Mark 11:0.) The Pastor j PASTOR. gU5SEiriJ spoke In part as follows: Little did the Jews understand the vast importance to them of the evert which Christians commemorate cu t?alm Sunday. It will be remembered that this event occurred at the close of our Lord's earthly ministry three and one-half years after His baptism at Jordan and live days before His cruci fixion. The Sabbath had leen speat in rest at Bethany. Lazarus, whom Je sus had awakened from the sleep of death, had, w ith his sisters Martha and Mary, prepared a banquet for Jesus; and when the Sabbath closed, the sup per was eaten. It was at that time that Mnry brought forth the box of valuable per fume, and therewith anointed our Lord's head and feet It was the same occasion on which Judas had murmur ed against this expression of her lov ing devotion, declaring that it was wasteful, that the money should have been given to the poor. It was then that the Master had defended Mary and announced that the anointing was for His burial, which occurred later in the same week. It was then that He suggested to the disciples. "The poor ye have always with you; and when soever ye will may do them good. But Me ye have not always." The next morning, the first day of the week, corresponding to our Sun day. Jesus- made ready for His tri umphal entry into the city of Jeru salem a the King of Israel, according to the custom of their kings riding upon an ass and acclaimed by the pop ulace. The incident had been foretold by the Prophet in detail, saying. "Be joice greatly. O daughter of Zion! Shout. O daughter of Jerusalem! Be hold, thy King cometh unto thee: neis just, and having salvation: lowly, and riding upon an ass." Zeehariah 0:0. Prophecy Must Be Fulfilled. When the-Apostles had brought the ass and when Jesus sat thereon, the large concourse of people that had come from Jerusalem to see Jesus be cause of His awakening of Lazarus shouted aloud. They were filled with enthusiasm; and. after the manner of the time, some broke off palm branch es and others iaid their garments in the way. thus forming a carpet, as it were, in the road leading to Jerusalem. The shout of the people was just as the Frophet had declared. They hail ed Jesus as the promised Son of Da vid, the Messiah long waited for. On previous occasions, when the peo ple had sought to make Jesus a king after witnessing His marvelou works. He withdrew Himself from them un til their ardor should cool; for He knew that the Father's due time had not yet come. But now He knew that His hour was come; and therefore He helped on with the enthusiasm by sending for the ass. etc. Prominent sectarian Jews who were present although unable to account for the miracle of the awakening of Laza rus from the dead, were uuprepared to tnink of Jesus as the true Messiah or anything short of an impostor in that role. When these heard the multitude shouting and addressing Jesus as the Messiah, they were offended, and sent word to Jesus that He should restrain the Ignorant people who were thus ac claiming Him. But instead of forbid ding the ovation. Jesus intimated that It was the proper thing: that because the Prophet Zeehnriab had said. "Shout. O daughter of Jerusalem!" therefore there must be a shout: and that if the people had not shouted, the very stones would have cried out rather than that the prophecy should go unfulfilled. En route- to Jerusalem. Jesus halted the ass and the procession at the top of the" Mount of Olives: overlooking the Holy City. He wept while He pro- nonnced His sentence upon it Ln wortny! Unappreciative! As. Jesus declared. "Israel knew not the time of their visitation." The time had come for Israel to receive the King; and not only were they ignorant of the matter collectively, but they were not in the heart condition to un derstand or appreciate. There Jesus cried. "O Jerusalem. Jerusalem, that killest the Prophets, aud stonest them that are sent unto thee! How often would 1 have gathered thy children together, even a a hen gathereth her colt-ken under her wings: and ye would uotr (Matthew 237.) For DM re and one-half years He and m faithful Apostles had been declaring that the Kingdom of God was at hand, that the jieople should repent aud be lieve the Good Tidings; and even six months in advance of their preaching. John the Baptist and his disciples had declared the same message. Affer those four years of faithful I reaching throughout the length and the breadth of Palestine, the nation was apparently as unprepared for Jesus as at the tirst Hence our Lord's words. "Therefore I say unto you. Y'our House is left unto you desolate! Ye shall see Me no more until that day when ye shall say. Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!" That day is almost here! But the Jewish nation was there cast off from fellowship with Cod; as the Lord de clared. "They knew not the time of their visitation." Luke 10:44. For more than eighteen centuries Is rael has been outcast from national fa vor. -Thank God the day. is at hand when, nt the Second Coming of Mes siah, nis Kingdom shall be turned over to them! Then, as lie declares, they will be glad to say, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!" The long centuries of persecution and sep aration from Divine favor will have brought that people to a humbler con dition of heart, where they will be glad to receive of Divine grace upon Divine terms. To this great event St Paul refers us in Komans 11:27-34. Although God foreknew all that had happened, the offer of the Kingdom to Israel was just as bona-Gde. just as genuine, as though He had not known. God always does His part Whatever fiiilure there is iti any matter of con tract belongs to humanity. If thus we have before our minds the origin of Palm Sunday and what it sig nified as the climax of the test of Nat ural Israel in respect to Messiah, we are prepared to go further and to note that in God's providence there is a sim ilar test for us Christians. "Enemies For Your Sakes." St John emphasized particularly the fact that the rejection of the Jewish nation because of their rejection of Messiah did not apply to 'dl the indi viduals of that nation. As the Proph et .ad foretold (Ilomans 11 :-'7-S3). there was a small, faithful section, or "rem nant" This remnant accepted Christ and were accepted1 by Him. On the day of Pentecost this class became the nucleus or foundation of Spiritual Is rael. Thus we read. "He came unto His own nation, and His own re ceived Him not fas n nation; but to as many as received Him. to them gave fie liberty privilege to become sons of God. even to them that believed on llis name; which were begotten not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man. but of God" at Pentecost John 1:11-13. Thus, so far as the spiritual part of God's great Promise to Abraham is concerned. It has passed from the Jew ish nation: but there still remains for them a glorious earthly portion, to which they will be introduced at our Lord's Second Coming. Then their sins will be cancelled: and as a people ttie Hebrews will return to Divine fa vor and will inherit the earthly fea tures of- the Promise made to tneir fathers. Then through them God's blessing will be extended to all na- ; tions and peoples, under Israel s :ew Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). which will become operative at the hands of their great Mediator The Christ. The Messiah in glory. But by that time the election of the saints of this Gos tel Age will be complete; and The Messiah in glory will include Jesus the Head and the Church His Body joint heirs with Him in His Kingdom joint-heirs with nim in the spiritual features of the great Abrahamic Prom ise. G'alatians 3:S. 10. 20. All this is clearly stated by the Apos tle in Romaus 11 :2-"V-32. But somehow our eyes of understanding as Chris tians have been holden so that, until of late, we have not seen these lengths and breadths, these heights and depths, of Divine Love and Wisdom. The fact that now we see these things is a corroborative evidence that they are nigh at hand. Just so it was at our Lord's First Advent Mauy things pertaining to that day were complete ly hidden until the time of their ful filment came: and then only the "Wise Virgins" were so blessed, so assisted, that they trimmed their Lamps ef fectively (Psalm 110:105). and were en abled to see these beauties in the Di vine Plan of the Ages. The Time of Our Visitation. Apparently very few of the people of God have, until recently, noted the fact that Spiritual Israel has had a his tory parallel to that of Natural Israel. Few have seen that throughout the Scriptures these ale dealt with as type and antitype. Few have noticed that from the death of Jacob to the death .f Jesus finds its exact parallel ot F.S40VJ years between the death ol Jesus and our day. Few have noticed that in both cases there have been a nominal and a real Israel. The nomi ral Jewish system was fried, and all but the -Israelites indeed" failed. Likewise will be the experience ot Spiritual Israel. The nominal Christian system will lie tried, and all will fail except the spirit-begotten and faithful. As at the First Advent only a remnant, a small number, were found in the proper con dition, so, the Scriptures clearly inti mate, at the end of the Gospel Age only a small numlier will found sufficiently saintly, zealous and loyal to God and the principles of His Truth to be graduated With first honors. As at the close of the Jewish Age there was a special period of testing and trying, lasting forty years, so there is a s;e;iaJ siftiag- and testing dive to ceme to Christendom during the clos ing forty years of this Gospel Age, bo- fore the inauguration of the glorious Millennial blessings. As the trials and tests came upon the Jews In a subtle manner, to test their faith and obedi ence, so even more subtle will be the trials and testings connected with the Harvest of the Gospel Age, Of this time the Lord through the Prophet said, "Who may abide the Day of His pres ence, and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and He shall purify the sons of LevL and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord accepta ble sacrifices." Malachi 3:2, 3. "Both the House of Israel. Natural and Spiritual Israel are con trasted. Through the Prophet the Lord foretold that Messiah would be "for a Stone of Stumbling and for a Kock of Offense to both the Houses of Israel" to Natural Israel and to Spiritual Is rael. (Isaiah 8:14.) We have seen how the first House stumbled on that Talin Sunday commemorated today. They stumbled "because they knew not the day of their visitation." They did not know that the time had come for the election of the Kingdom class: hence they were not alert to their privileges, and failed to be in the proper condition of heart to receive the blessings. Or we might state the matter reversely and say that those who did not recog nize and accept Messiah were those whose hearts were not In the right con dition; else they would not have been left in darkness. 1 Thessalonians 5:4. Many things indicate to us that we are now living In a time corresponding to that I 'aim Sunday! Many things imply that Christendom is now under going its great test and that only the fully consecrated of heart and life w-jll be accepted of the Lord as His Jewels (Malachi 3:17). aud be granted a share with Christ in His Millennial King-' dom. M..y things imply that we .ire now in the time when the true peopfe of God are being divided into two classes, as pictured for us by our Ixrd in the parable of the Wise and the Foolish Virgins. As only the Wise Virgins were prepared to enter into the marriage, so only the consecrated ones will be accepted as fit for the Kingdom and granted a share in the glorious resurrection change w hich will precede the culmination of the Time of Trouble, in which the Foolish Virgin class, although not of the world, will participate with the world. True, that great Time of Trouble will usher in the glorious Millennial Dispensation. In which the Church In glory with the great Bedeemer will pour out upon all mankind the wonder ful restitution blessings promised by the month of all the holy Prophets. Acts 3:10-23.) True, the Foolish Vir gins may subsequently get the oil, and subsequently may have a glorious fu ture; but they will lose the choice place of Divine favor and blessing. They cannot be of the Bride class, but will receive their blessings under th figure of "the virgins her companions that follow her." Psalm 45:14. It is In order for all of God's people who now get awake from the shnnber of worldliness which has long stupe fied them, to join hearts and voice In a great shout the shout that the King dom is at hand! "See That Ye Refuse Not Him." As the Jewish nation was not ready to receive Jesus as their King, on that first Palm Sunday, neither is Christen dom now ready to receive Him at Hit Second Advent As then, only the "Israelites indeed," In whom there wns no guile, knew the voice of the Shep herd, so will it be here an individ ual matter. The Laodicean jer!od :f the Church's history is upon us. (Revelation 3:17.) The nominalism of our day is fully portrayed In our Lord's words to the Messenger of the Church at Lnodicea. Christendom boasts that she is rich and Increased in goods, and has need of nothing: she knows not that she Is poor, miserable, blind and naked. The Lord now stands at the door and knocks. He offers Himself to the "Is raelites indeed." Ours is Palm Sunday in the highest possible sense. How are we receiving the great blessings which betoken the Parousia of the Master? Do w e hear Ills knock? Are we search ing His Word, listening for His voI?e and seeking to know His will in all things, that we may do It? To all such will come very shortly, we lelieve. the greater and fuller Pentecostal blessing the resurrection change from the glory of character merely to the glory of persons as well, when we shall see our Bedeemcr as He is and shall share His glory. 1 John 3:1. 2. As St. Paul says. "See that ye reject Pot Him that speaketh from Heaven!" Greater light greater privilege, greater blessing everyway, are ours than were those enjoyed by the Jews at our Lord's First Advent These privileges and blessings are our tests. Let us be faithful. Let us present our lodios a living sacrifice, and with renewed zeal seek to glorify our Lord in our bodies and our spirits, which are His. 1 Co rinthians C:20. Those who have eyes to see and enrs to appreciate the Voice now sinking from Heaven should be alert to bail Him Lord of all to accept Hira n their Bedeemer and King and to pre iout themselves voluntarily to HLm and His service not waiting for the time when He shall reveal Himself In ower and great glory to the world in general. The Lord is now looking for saints, for overcomers. valiant, faithful. !ersever Ing. thoroughly devoted to Him and His Cause or Bighteousness. thorough ly opposed to sin. and especially active in overcoming its domination hi their own hearts, in their own minds. In their own lodies. Such the Master pic tures as His joint-heirs, priestlv king. L Bitting w ith Himself in His Thrane of glory and world-wide dominion.