AJST EGYPTIAN REBEL.
&. Romance in the Land of the
Sphinx-
The tents of the Egyptian army
arose, white as Know, against a sky of
ultramarine below spread the white
Band- Heat more intense could not be
imagined. The air fairly quivered
with it, and it had x pon the eyes the
blinding1 effect of the flashing of the
mirror in th sun. It was not a time
of battle.
The little army composed the mili
tary cordon with which Ismail Pasha
protected the recently established
agricultural districts on the borders
of AbyssiDia and the roads for trade,
which in ISM had not long1 been
opened.
The dearth of cotton, caused by the
civil war of the United States, had
given Ismail the idea of making Egypt
a, great cotton-growing country, and
since then, railways, telegraphs and
all manner of improvements have been
introauced.
At the date of the story, great
caravans of camels bore the products
of the fields to the various markets.
and no roaring, red-eyed steam mon
ster had vet invaded the land of
mystery, silence and the sphinx.
Everyone was languid. The officers
resting in their tents, the common
soldiers squatting about at ease. A
caravan on its way south had paused
to eat and rest until night fell, and
that great, golden thing, the moon of
Egvpt, should rise to lipht them on
their way. Each man had said his
prayers, and before praying, since
water was not plentiful, had rubbed
his hands with dust which was
counted to his credit just the same, by
the recording angel of his paradise,
who alwavs makes allowances for
circumstances. Now peace had fallen
upon the hot world, where almost
everybody slumbered.
In his tent, Capt. Ibin El-Varrakah
was dreaming. His dreams carried
him away from the tents, the soldiers
and all his present surroundings. He
was once more in the home of his
Uncle Rizk entertained as a beloved
guest, lie had seen his aunt, who was
his mother's sister, even without the
face veil. I'.ut she, having sent kind
messages to his mother, and given
him a present, had retired to the pri
vate rooms of the women, from which,
now and then, came a silvery ripple of
laughter, and words spoken in a voice
that was the sweetest lie had ever
heard.
lie knew it was that of his Cousin
Fat-Meh. Fat-Mch had been a beau
tiful little girl, lie had always re
membered Fat-Meh affectionately
But now he could not tsk to see her
any more than if bhe had been the
daughter of some stranger. He might
not look upon a woman's face, even if
fche were his cousin. He bowed to
custom, as the voung man of this coun
try dot s. liut it came into his mind,
nor that little Fat-Meh, who had
been as dear as a sister to him in those
babv years, was veiled and hidden from
him as from a stranger, that even old-
established Egyptiancustoms might bo
carried too far.
lie sat and ate tle various dishes
which the black slave offered to tha
guests. But all the while he thought
of little Fat-Meh, and laid a plan by
which at least to see her.
In Egypt, one is not obliged to sit at
table until all the company have tin
ished their meaL Each may rise when
he is satisfied, say: "Praise be to God,
wash his hands in the ewer which the
servant holds for him before and after
meals, dry them on the embroidered
towel and retire from the company.
And so, as soon as he dared. Ibin did
this, and saying that he wished once
more to see the gaxaen and pome
granate trees under which he had
plaved in childhood, ieft the room.
Ost into the garden he went and
standing where he could see the lat
ticed, windows above, began to sing a
little rhyme that children sing when
they play together, beating time w ith
the palms. What more natural, when
memories of youth returned with the
sight of the garden where, before Fat
Meh had been able to walk alone, he
had led her by her tiny hand what
more natural than that he should re
member the rhyme and sing it again?
And while he sang, another voice,
soft and low, took up the strain. Some
one was singing behind the lattice of
the window. He knew it was Fat-Meh.
A little, later he saw that the lattice
was pushed softly open. A veiled face
peeped forth, a hand was extended for
a moinentJLnd a rose dropped. Above
the veil he saw great eyes, like stars,
bordered with kohl. Then, as if by
accident, the vail dropped, and he saw
his cousin Fat-Meh's face the baby
face become a woman's, and beautiful
exceedingly.
It vanished. The window wasclosed.
He picked up the rose and hid it in his
ibosom and returned to the house
Before he left his uncle's abode, how
ever, he had asked some questions and
learned thivt Fat-Meh was already
promised in marriage and that the
meeting of relatives to settle the ques
tion of dowry would occur very soon.
It is not often that a young Egyp
tian see a girl's face, and this one
glimpse of his cousin's face remained
in Ibin's heart as a kiss might in that
f an Hnglishman. lie was dreaming
of her s a man entered the tent in
hate and a voice called: 'Captain
wy captain!" and he looked up and saw
a soldier beside him.
"Captain," this man said, saluting
him, "a boy. who appears to be dying,
asked to be brought to you. Will you
see him?"
Ibin sprang to his feet and followed
the man into ihe open air. There, sup
ported by two other men. stood a beau
tiful, beardless boy, who lifted his
eyes and looked into Ibin's face im
ploringly. "Captain," he said, "I have some
thing to tell you something which no
one must hear. Take me to your tent
take me quickly."
Without a word th v&ptaia opened
bi arrni M rtc(ie the. farnting form.
v, v ss.
softer substance. A blast whb piit in
the bottom of the bote ami f f row
and, lifting It, bore it into his tent.
The soldiers did not dare to ollow,
and, seeing they were not wanted, re
tired.
Softly as a mother bears her child
Ibin laid his burden down upon tlie
rugs spread in its shadow and knelt
down beside it.
His heart was beating wildly.
He trembled from head to foot, nis
eyes the eyes of a lover, against
which no woman ever yet disguised
herself had recognized his cousin
Fat-Mch on the instant. Why she thus
masqueraded he did not know, but she
had asked for him and wild fancies
filled his mind. Now as he knelt
there he whispered:
"I know j-ou! I know you, Fat-
Meh! Tell me quickly what it is that
ails you'.'
"Oh. Cousin Ibin, it is a wound," the
girl gasped "here in my arm! I came
with the new soldiers who came
to-day. Two of them quarreled. One
struck at the other. He sprang behind
me and the blade entered ray arm. I
am dying! And, oh! it was so horrible
to think of dt-ing amongst strange
men, and that they should know! And
I knew that you would keep my secret.
Hide me! Let no one know even after
I am dead!"
"Have no fear. I will shield you with
my life if necessary," said Ibin. "Here
on your sleeve I see blood. Is it
here?"
"Yes!" whispered the girl.
On the instant Ibin ripped up the
sleeve, and to his joy found a little
wound, which had bled badly but not
dangerously. When he bound it up
and reassured her he covered her face
and left her to rest and went out to
tell his tala. The little soldier, he said,
was not much hurt. He was a mere
boy and fancied himself dying, and had
asked for him that he might send a
message to his parents. For the pres
ent he would care for him. Then he
returned to his tent.
Fat-Meh was awake. Her great eyes
turned upon him.
"Ibin," she said, "do I seem bold to
you? I suppose so. Hut listen. I hare
been learning lessons. In Egypt Kom
en are slaves. They sell us as li we
were birds. I, for instance, huve a
heart. I wish to marry one I love.
And there came to our house aa old
woman, who told my parents that a
rich man wished to marry me; and
they said I must marry him. I prayed
them not to give me to him. They
laughed. The preparations were com
plete. The time had come. Do you
bl line rae for running away? A few
jewels bought the help of an old wom
an. While they were looking ttr a
lost girl, a boy marched away with the
soldiers.
"Oh, I would have done anything to
escape that frightful man! See, I have
even cut my long hair! Does it make
me ugly? Do you think me bold and
bad very, very bad? I saw that you
loved me when j-ou looked up at me
from the garden. Hut, if I have made
you despise me, at least let me stay
and be 41 little soldier, and see you now
and then, and perhaps, wait on you
sometimes. And when there is a bat
tle, fight beside you. Only do not send
me hack to marry somebody L hate.
Pity me. even if you scorn me."
On this, Capt. Ibin El-Warrakah
quite forgot Egyptian good manners,
and took Fat-Meh's hand in his and
held it against his heart, and told her
that she was a rose, a nightingale and
a dove, and he recited this verse to her:
Ya mllah knafoo min Alloa
AY a bhar.iui ashik li-aa
no'oukum rack tooh min Allan,
Kuddarn I mowla aleirjia."
Which might be very freely 'trans
lated -thus:
"Oh, beloved one! Since Allah has
given us to each other, the love we feel
is ordained by him. Therefore, let no
one blame us for what was decreed in
paradise."
But in spite of this bold speech and
thcix brave hearts, matters might have
ended badly for both had it not hap
pened that the khedive elected to visit
his soldiers that morning, mounted
on a prancing horse, followed by
other highmightinesses mounted on
other prancing horses, with music and
clash .and jingle and floating banners
and great pomp and ceremony. And
it so happened that Capt. Ibin El-Warrakah
had of late accomplished certain
doughty deeds, and been reported fa
vorably for them, so that when he
begged for mercy, mercy was granted.
Like ail the viziers and sultans in
the "Arabian Nights Tales," the khe
dive was sentimental. He felt for true
lovers. Therefore, having a right to
do as he pleased, he declared that these
lovers should be married, had the cere
mony performed as soon as possible,
bestowed his blessing and a dowry
upon the bride, made the captain a
colonel, and sent a message to the
parents to the effect that they had bet
ter not let him hear them make any ob
jections. And this was all very lucky for little
Fat-Mch. for Egyptian fathers make
nothing of putting a daughter who has
disgraced her family as completely a
this little rebel bad certainly done into
a bag, along with a few lumps of lime,
and having her quietly tossed into the
oearest river. As it ended, we may
suppose that she lived happily ever
afterward. CoL Howard Anpleby, ii
N. Y. Ledger.
VTclljs a Candle's Flam.
Wonderful stories have bom told
concerning the extreme delicacy of the
scales used by the mints at Philadel
phia and London. That at the first
named place is said to tell th exact
weight of a hair; the London wonder
shows a difference in the weight of a
card after a name has been written
npon it- "The most accurate scale in
the world" is now being discussed in
England. It is so finely balanced that
it shows the weight of a candle taper
to be much less after the flame has
been extinguished.
He "They are not on f peaking
terms, j-ou know." She "Wby.they are
dead iu love with each other." He
"For that reason they don't speak; thej
just sit and gaze at one another."
Boston Transcript.
f-M Is V 9 WX .41VIM S WAUa
to the dignity of a real court-
jnouvyvi
t-
THEY WOULDN'T DO NOW.
Fire Engines I'ned by .( AncleutK Long
Before the Air Chamber AY as Invented.
History traces the use of fire engines
to a very early date. The Romans cer
tainly possessed them, as Pliny is wit
ness. Appollodorus, too, architect to
the Emperor Trajan, speaks of leather
bags with pipes attached from which
water was projected by squeezing the
bags. A far more advanced fire engine,
however, was used in Egypt.
Hero, of Alexandria, in a treatise on
pneumatics, written about the year 150
B. C, describes a machine he calls "the
siphon used in conflagrations." It con
sisted of two cylinders and pistons con
nected by a reciprocating beam which
raised and lowered the pistons alter
nately. Thus, with the help of valves,
which opened only toward the jet, the
water was projected, but not in a con
tinuous stream, as the pressure ceased
after each stroke. The air chamber had
yet to be invented.
To what extent Hero's engine was
used we do not know. It is clear that
unless several were brought into ac
tion simultaneously such machines
would be almost useless. As far as
the construction went, however, Hero's
"siphon" was a great success, for, with
the addition of air chamber, hoes and
improvements in details, it has become
the modern fire engine.
From the time of Hero to the year
1018 no progress worth recording seeras
to have leen made, although at the
latter period we learn that at the
building of the city of Augsburg in
struments for fires and water syringes
are mentioned.
In 1657 a fire engine was used at Nu
remberg almost identical with that of
Hero. It had a water cistern and was
drawn by two horses. Twenty-eight
men were required to work it, and it
threw a jet one inch in diameter eighty
feet.
Late in the seventeenth century the
air chamber and hose made their ap
pearance. The latter, with the suc
tion pipe, were invented by Van der
Heide in 1G70, while their use in con
nection with the air chamber was first
recorded by Perrault in 1G84. Inven
tion. GLASS BETTER THAN SILVER.
Itut If Your Ware Ik of the Latter, Follow
These Direction.
Silverware is much more difficult to
keep in order than glassware, especial
ly in cold weather, when it is subject
ed to the blackening influence of the
gas from stove or furnace. The wise
housekeeper permits no article of silver
that is not in frequent use to remain
upon her sideboard and needlessly add
to the labor of cleansing. The best
receptacle for unused articles of silver
is a bag of Canton flannel. This is
made wide enough to accommodate
the various articles and is stitched
to form narrow pockets with suit
able openings at the top, a tape
being attached to each side at
the center. In these pockets the
pieces of silver are placed, each kind by
itself; and the bag is then rolled, tied
securely and put aw&y in a drawer that
is entirely free from dampness. When
a certain article is wanted, a quick wip
ing with a piece of chamois will usual
ly render it perfectly presentable.
Silver that is in daily ute should be
washed with very hot suds made with
soap that contains nothing that will
scratch the polished surfaces, and
should then be well rinsed with hot,
clear water, dried quickly and thor
oughly with a soft cloth, and immedi
ately rubbed vigorously with a soft,
dry chamois. If the silver is treated
thus whenever it is washed, it will re
main bright for a long time without
polishing. Delineator.
A Sign of Mental Activity.
"Talking to one's self is generally
considered a sign of a weak brain."
said a doctor the other daj-, "but noth
ing could be a greater mistake. It is a
sign of an extremely active brain. It
may be a strong or a weak intellect,
but the activity must be there to cause
this peculiarity. If you will observe
you will be astonished how many peo
ple you will meet on the street who
are thinking aloud. The talking is
done unconsciously. Often the people
addicted to the habit, if you caused
their attention to it, would aver that
they never were guilty of such a thing.
Some of the brightest men I have ever
known do their thinking aloud without
knowing it, and, on the other hand,
some of the weakest individuals, men
tally, whom I have met in my practice
keep up a continuous conversation with
themselves. So it would seem that a
man who talks to himself must be one
of two extremes, a wise man or a fool. "
Pittsburgh Dispatch.
He Could Ktand It.
Mother Miss Smithers, your school
mistress, tells me she's always being
obliged to scold you, Johnnie. I'm so
sorry to hear that.
Johnnie (considerately) Oh. never
mind, mother. It doesn't matter. I'm
not one of those sensitive children, you
know! Brooklyn Life.
Labor.
Mrs. Kingley Miss Twilling came
this afternoon and brought her work
with her.
Mrs. Bingo Indeed! What was it?
Mrs. Kingley A banjo. Puck.
Didn't Fall Out.
Bessie Did you have a nice moon
light drive with Charlie last night?
Jessie It was lovely. He is such a
good all-around man. Truth.
One of the tributes paid to Presi
dent Eliot in honor of his twenty-fifth
anniversary as president of Harvard
university is an official address of con
fidence and esteem adopted by the
facultv of arts and sciences.
It is reported, on doubtful authori
ty, that a Philadelphia lanaiord raised
the rent of a house on the ground that
the walls had ' bulged out and so made
It larger.
A boy doesn't become a man until
he is twenty-one; but we have known
a hat to become a man as soon as it wai
tried on. Texas Siftirjgx
tuiii -- .... .
moned. and it is feared that the boy
injuries will rPisuii seriously.
HOME MINTS AND HELPS.
Throrgh papers for pantrjp shelves
look very dainty when fresh, oHclcuh in
white or a light color is much better to
use in every place that is to come in
contact with the food. It can le wiped
as often lis dusty or otherwise soiled
without injury. If one chooses, the
tissue-papers used for china closets may
be used on the edges of the shelves.
The floor of the pantry, unless of hard
wood, or even close and weil-painted,
should also be covered with oilcloth or
linoleum.
Chicken Breasts: Trim the breasts
of some chickens to resemble trimmed
lamb chops. Stick a ieg bone (the
joints cut off at each end) into the end
of each cutlet; pepper and salt them,
roll them in flour, and fry them in a
granite pan wiih butter. Serve them
in a circle in a dish with peas, mashed
potatoes, cauliflowers, beans, tomatoes,
or other vegetable, in the center. They
are nicer larded on one side, choosing
the same side for all. They shauld not
be rolled in flour. These fillet s may be
served in a circle, with mushroom sauce
poured in the center. A nice course for
a company dinner. Housekeeper.
Lemon or Claret Jelly: Soak one
box of good gelatine in one pint of cold
water ten minutes: add two pints of
boiling water and one and one-half cup
fuls of granulated sugar. Stir until
dissolved. Add to this the juice of
three lemons and strain through a jelly
bag. Claret wine added makes a very
grateful and palatable acid jelly, where
the patient craves and the physician
allows acid. If unfermented wine is
preferred, grape juice, which is very
nice and healthful as well as inexpen
sive, can be procured at the druggists.
When wine is used, leave out a part of
the hot water, a little less than is used
of the wine. Good Housekeeping.
Raspberry Trifle: Six small spouge
cakes. such as are sold for a cent apiece
at bakers' shops; one quart milk, five
eggs, one cup sugar, one quart red rasp
berries, one cup sweet cream; vanilla
for flavoring. Make a custard of the
milk, the sugar and the yolks of the
eggs, flavoring with the vanilla. Split
the cakes, lay half of them in the bot
tom of a glass dish, pour over them half
the cream, and strew thickly with the
berries sprinkled with sugar. Cover
these with a second layer of cake,
moistened with the rest of the cream,
and spread with the remainder of the
berries. Pour the ice-cold custard over
all: beat the whites of the eggs to a
stiff meringue with s little powdered
sugar; mix in a handful of berries and
heap the meringue on top of the trifle.
Harper's Bazar.
SILKS AND RIBBONS.
How to Remove I'nslffhtly Spots and Dis
coloration. Clean colored silks in a mixture made
by boiling to a pulp old kid gloves as
near the color of the silk as you can
get. Place the gloves in a new tin pan,
in cold water; when boiled, strain the
pulpy mass, add a little hot water and
ammonia. Wash the silk ribbon in
this and put a little borax and spirits
of camphor in the rinsing water
about half a teaspoonful of each to a
quart of water; do not iron, but let the
pieces hang until dry. Clean black rib
bons in the manner described for black
6ilk. It is said that when the color
has been taken out by fruit it may be
restored by ammonia, and that when
color has been destroyed by a strong
acid it may be restored by wetting the
spot with a strong soap lather, to
which a pinch of saleratus has been
added. Never try anj cleansing fluid on
a gown unless you first experiment
with a piece of the goods, for colors
are curious many times when so treat
ed and act in an unexpected manner.
From an old recipe book I glean that
ribbons may be easily renewed if washed
in a suds of cold water and castile soap,
and ironed, while damp, with a cloth
between the iron and ribbon. Colored
ribbons, neckties, drapery, silk scarfs,
etc., are easily and quickly cleaned by
immersing them in a bowl of naphtha,
but remember how explosive it is and
also that it chaps the hands. Silk em
broidery upon fancy-work or dresses
may be cleaned with a camel's-hair
brush dipped in snirits of wine. Many
stains may be removed from light silks
with clear water, rubbing spot dry at
once so that the water will not run into
the dust on the edge of the spot and
cause a light ring or shading. Ladies'
Home Journal.
An Ideal ItreakTast Dish.
Bacon and poached eggr, if correctly
cooked and served make a breakfast
dish which will tempt even the most
capricious appetite. Ce.re should be
taken in selecting the bacon. Choose
bacon of medium size, with the fat and
lean quite distinct in coloring. The
lean should be pink and the fat white.
If the lean looks streaked the bacon
will probably be hard or tough. In cut
ting the rashers from a piece of bacon
cut in the same way as slices off a loaf.
A sharp knife or a small carver should
be used, and with a little practice the
rashers can lie cut with unerring pre
cision from top to bottom of the joint,
fat and lean even slices. It is much
better to do this j-ourself than to have
it cut at the grocer's. The toast be
neath the eggs should be extremely
thin and well browned and the eggs
poached according to the individual
fancy. They should be served on a
small platter, with the thin slices of
bacon resting upon a bed of water
cresses. Prepare this dish for break
fast some warm morning and see if
the members of your household will
not appreciete it. Chicago Times.
Flower In the Sickroom.
A great deal of nonsense has been
talked alout the injurious effect of
flowers in the sickroom. The presence
of Cowers with strong odors is usuallj
offensive to persons in health and,
of course, is much more so to an invalid
with supersensitive nerves. The pres
ence, however, of flowers with delicate
fragrance is generally beneficial. Cer
tain colors are said to act favorably
upon the nervous sj-stein. Red bios
soms are stimulating, while delicate
bine flowers are soothing. X. Y. Tri
bune. - tf1. -'1HZr
J. O. Phillipi onthe Missouri racific
RELIGIOUS MATTERS.
"CONSIDER HIM.."
Heuukws 13:8.
He claims the strife of the -warring trill,
Ke softens the hardest breast:
He speaketh peace to the troubled soul.
And giveth the weary rest.
He feeds the hunpry with bread from Heaven,
And then, in the thirsty strife.
He cleaves the rock in the desert way.
And sends the niter of life.
Be hears my cry. He drieth my tears.
And waitiDp, I find at lenpth.
He is better to me than all my fears.
And stronger than all my strength.
He standeth by In the wildest storm.
When the waves would overwhelm.
The mighty prasp of ni Pilot hand
Holds steady my trembling helm.
He lifts the burden I can not bear
Just when I urn sinking down:
He pilds the top of the heaviest cross
With the flashing light of the crown.
He feels the strain of the yearning love.
When dear ores sadly part:
He bears the brunt of sorrow's stroke.
He bindeth the broken heart.
In the darkebt nipht He whispers low.
Till Hope and Faith are one:
He leads through the aam. more safe and sure
Than alone in the cloudless sun.
He eases pain and assuages pricf.
He comforts in all my gloom:
His peace throws liht through the darkened
vale.
And a halo above the tomb.
He stays the heart 'neath the setting sun.
Through the t-hadows. dark and deep;
He lendeth down to the water's edge.
And gives His beloved sleep.
He breaks the bars of the prison ensre.
And beareth the soul on His wing:
The victory wins from the opened grave.
And wresteth from Dtath his sting.
He eometa again with the trump and shout.
And the hosts from the shining shore;
The Glory of God He'll bring to me.
Forever and evermore.
Then soul! look back upon what He was.
Look on through the ages dim:
He is and shall be the very same
Christ Jesus. "Consider Him:"
Capt. R. K. Carter, in X. Y. Independent.
THE GOVERNING MOTIVE.
If IMscourasrcment Oiertakes Yon In JAta,
Look liucit to Your Heroic Ilesolve.
Of the dead, it is a well-settled rule
that we are to think and speak as they
were at their best. The living do not
fare so well at our hands. We insist
upon judging them, if not at their worst,
at least at no better than their aver
age. With severe impartiality, we are
reluctant to take even ourselves at our
best. We shrink from holding to the
convictions arrived at when our
thought is clearest, and incline to
those which are the product of con
fused and groping moments. The emo
tions which rise within us when we are
most responsive we are tempted to let
go for those which come to us when we
are dull and unstrung. So of those re
solves and plans of life which are the
birth of our better selves; we will not
see how a true philo.phy lies in testing
ourselves and bracing ourselves by
chem, instead of looking preferably at
Ihe flaws in the work and the strain of
the stuff in actual achievement.
It might almost be said that the es
sential difference between a theist and
an agnostic is that the former falls
back on the testimony of his best mo
ments, while the latter puts the empha
sis on his worst. Prof. William Knight,
in his recent book on "Aspects of
Theism." frankly declares, what most
candid men will admit to be the fact,
that "theistic evidence comes and goes."
This agrees with Darwin's saying that
his judgment "fluctuated;" that some
times the theistic conviction would
force itself upon him with irresistible
power, while sometimes it would escape
his efforts to grasp it- Hut why should
any man hesitate over the choice be
tween his faculties at their flood and
at their ebb? If he can sell pig iron or
write letters or make a speech or paint
a picture letter in some moods than ir.
others, why not acknowledge that he
can judge better of the deep things of
God at some times than at others, and
why not choose the best times for the
latter as well as for the former?
In the sphere of the emotive life we
often fail to give their full evidential
value to our most impressionable
states. Immortality seems very real
and necessary when death snatches
away our lest and leaves a chasm at
our feet. Why should not the memory
of such experiences weigh as much
with us as the dulling of belief in the
life beyond, which the daily round and
irresponsive man and nature bring?
The social nature of religion is borne
in upon us overwhelmingly when, with
the great congregation, we are lifted
upon the swell of a mighty hymn.
Surely that fact is as good t-o nlantour
feet upon as the sense of individual
isolation before God, which comes at
other times. In any view of the case,
emotion plays a great part in life, and
it may well be that we need more bold
ness and confidence in taking our emo
tions at their best.
Matthew Arnold struck deep into
human experience when he wrote:
Yet tasks in hours of insight willed
May be in hours of gloom fullilled.
nre, above all in the executive part
of life we must hold fast to the princi
ple of taking ourselves at our best.
And the best here often means, not the
day's actual work, which may be
wortnlfcss enough, but the dominating
motive with which we have taken up
the while of life's task. What drudg
ery! whit pettiness! what failure! we
cften crj , when, if w would but look
back to 'he original "resolution with
which wa set out, we might, again see
it to be hex -lie, and the drudgery and
pettiness ani failure to be only the
dust along the road where a radiant
purpose is marching on to its goal.
Outlook.
RIGHT AMBITION.
No irand Work Than That of Kdlfyfng
and lluilding I'p the Church of God.
Ambition is very of ten ignoble. When
its im is purely selfish it is one of the
basest passions. A man who is under
its sway will care only for his own ad
Taneement in position, office or wealth,
and will lx?nd all his energies to secure
those things which promise to help him
to attain that "hich he desires. But
ambition may be sanctified. It was
thus that Paul viewed it when he wrote
I that he would give up bis lady love,
and Ida to her mother, who firmly ap -
to the Corinthians: "Seek that ye may,
excel to the edifying of the church. "If
our aim is to serve others, and we en
deavor to increase our resources and
powers for such service, we engage in
a laudable undertaking. There were
those at Corinth who desired to
use the spiritual power they possessed
of speaking with tongues for their
own profit. They were not anxious to
promote the welfare of others. Iiut the
great use which every Christian should
make of his endowments is to help all
whom he can reach. Wc ought not to be
content with any attainments we have
made, if there is yet more than we can
attain to which will be helpful to our
brethren. We are under obligation to
develop to the fullest extent possible
every Christian grace. We have no
right to be satisfied with a mere hope
of salvation. We are called to con
stant effort. While we are not to en
gage in Christian endeavor in a spirit
of rivalry, we are to "consider one an
other to provoke to love and good
works," and this will be most surely
done as we seek to excel in spiritual
life and gifts.
Increase in numbers is very earnest
ly desired and labored for in many'
churches. There is much less thought
about increase in graces and gifts. But
there is something faulty if progress is
not sought and manifest in both of
these particulars. To grow in grace
and in gifts is possible. Friendship
with Christians and the habitual study
of the Scriptures ought to develop both
character and gifts which may render
efficient service for edification.
And can we aim at any grander work
than that of edifying, building up, the
church of God? Any church-member
who can better qualify himself to pro
mote the increase and strength of the
spiritual house may well feel that
this is an imperative duty and
grand privilege. The counsel of
Paul to Timothy to stir up his gift,
may have suggestions for Christians of
all time. There needs often to be an
awakening of our powers for service as
one would rekindle a dying fire. God's
building rises slowly and gives many
tokens of weakness because there are
so few who are using their gifts and
opportunities for its edification. We
need the ambition to "excell," not in
selfish rivalry, but with that grand in
centive which the Apostle acknowl
edges, when he writes: "We make it
our aim . . . to be well-pleasing to
Hun." Christian Inquirer.
Life's Sustenance.
Seek your life's nourishment in your
life's work. Do not think that after
you have bought or sold or studied or
taught, you will go into your closet
and open your P.ible and repair the
damage or the loss which your daily
life has left you. Do those things, cer
tainly, but also insist that your buy
ing, or selling, or studying, or teaching
shall itself make you brave, patient,
pure and holy.
Do not let your occupation pass yon
by, and only leave you, the basest and
poorest of its benefits, the mcney with
which it fills your purse. This is the
life that, indeed, "catches the quality
of the life of God." and still it is a life
possible to every one of us. Phillips
Brooks.
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.
Bright Bits of Troth From the Raro'a
Horn Columns.
The devil always hates the man whom
God indorses.
Love to God is sure to bring peace of
conscience.
Whenever love makes a gift it anoints
it with its own blood.
Growth is always the result of life
inside.
The sinner is on his way to God as
soon as he turns his back on sin.
If you are a David. God will sooner
or later give you a chance to meet Go
liath. The highest duty of every man is to
love God and keep His commandments.
God is soon found when we are will
ing to kick the last sin out of the house.
Whenever you are sowing seed re
memler that it is God's business to
make it grow.
The only business of Christ in this
world was to seek and save the lost
Indifference about the salvation of
the world is disloyalty to Christ.
Many men sell themselves to the
devil because they first get in debt.
A Christian's cry for deliverance is
the marching order to the armies of the
skies.
A pure heayt is a jewel which should
adorn every blood-bought soul.
If tombstones! were reliable, the devil
would soon be wearing mourning.
You can often tall how much God has
to do with a church by the way the peo
ple sing.
Have you ever notned how fast God's
mercies multiply whea you try to count
them up?
God sees to it that th cheerful giver
never has to go out of the business for
want of capital.
God has declared that the way to get
happiness is to give it, and yet how few
believe it.
You are doing what Christ would do
when you are trying to lighten the bur
den of another.
The hardest place in which a Chris
tian man can be put, Is the one he picks
out for himself.
When we have once tasted the bread
of life, the best the world can offer
seems to be all crust.
There are angels in Heaven wh have
nothing to do but to help men who are
true to God. Psalms 34:7.
If you go to church without praying
for the preacher, the devil will be very
apt to walk home with you.
Every preacher ought to remember .
that the only thing that can be used to
hit sin square in the head is truth.
"Possession is nine points of the law,"
and profession is nine points in the
average Christian experience.
There isthe same relationship be
tween faith and works that there is be
tween the fruit of a tree and its roots.
The only condition upon which some
people are willing to work is that they
may do it in the front window.
All things work together for good to
them that love God, is a promise calcu
lated to make any Christian clap his
hands for joy.
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