Nebraska Newspapers

    in si
STORY OF A
KLEPTOMANIAC.
A detective run across a lot of
queer tilings in bis life, and
somehow the queerest never find
their way into the newspapers. It la
difficult to say why; perhaps It is be
cause they are too queer. For Instance,
I doubt If you have ever heard of a cer
tain strange Incident that happened
only a season or two ago In that select
sectlou of the fashionable world known
as "society."
A leader of fashion. Mrs. Register, re
quested me to call on her one morning
when the season was at it height.
"I want your help. Mr. Ixiwe," she
began, auj then stopped awkwardly.
"Perhaps you are not aware that at sev
eral balls and dinner parties this season
there have been Jewels and ornaments
stolen. It has, of course, caused a great
deal of unpleasantness. In several cases
trinkets have even been actually taken
from the wearers, without their know
ing how It was done or who did it."
I had heard several wild tab's of arti
cle having been missed at fashionable
gatherings, and there was much specu
lation as to who was the culprit. The
articles wre not, as a rule, of tmmeiwe
value, and they always' disappeared
singly, consequently no public notice
had been directed to the matter. In one
or two cases the police had been con
sulted, bat it was Impossible for thera
to help. There could be no doubt that
the thief was a person who mixed In
society as an equal; probably a woman,
who had allowed her love of Jewelry
to tempt her to dishonesty.
"I presume, then, that the er thief
' a guest--a person In society?" I said,
.nquiringly.
"I am afraid so. Two or three things
were missed at a dance which I gave
last week. Now, I am giving another
dance next Thursday, and I am, of
course, most anxious It should not oe-
cur again, at any rate In my house. I
thought I would engage your services
for the evening, to see if you detect any
thing suspicious. Of course, you would
be treated as a guest."
We made arrangements about terms,
and it was agreed that I should be In
troduced as an Englishman, by name
Captain Burke.
"I suppose, Mrs. Register," I Mild,
carelessly, "you don't suspect anybody
In particular?"
"Oh, no," she said, but I noticed what
I thought was a look of anxiety on her
face, and made a mental note of It
A I was leaving, Mrs. Register said:
"Of course, Mr. Lowe, you quite under
stand, there must be no expose. If you
make any discoveries, they must be
treated as secrets. I can't have a sceue
of any kind. It must be hushed up."
I returned to the office Impressed
with two idea. First, that my task
was one of those delicate cases that re
quire all your tact and yield very little
credit; secondly; that Mrs. Register
knew more, or, at any rate, gueawed
more, than she cared to tell.
Thursday evening arrived, and I went
to the Register mansion, l'ractically,
my duty was to mingle with the guests,
enjoy myself, and keep my eyes wide
open. Nothing seemed to me more Im
probable than that there should be
a thief among the brilliant throng
that crowded the rooms. Everything
was conducted In the most luxurious
atyle, a Hungarian band discoursed
the sweetest of dance music, and the
guests were among the highest in the
land.
For a while nothing occurred of the
smallest significance. But at about two
'clock In the morning, while I was sit
ting In a snug corner of the conserva
tory, where cigarette smoking was per
mitted, I noticed a couple take up a po
sition In the opposite corner. They
were both young, and evidently very
much in lov- with one another. The
girl waa handsomely dressed, and wore
me valuable jewels. In particular I
noticed a pair of diamond ear-drops,
which had Just come Into fashion again.
Without being a connoisseur of pre
cious stones. I understand them well
enough to know that these were very
valuable indeed, ana likely to be worth
several hundred dollars.
These two young people were slttlrg
oat daring a dance, and they flirted all
through a set of lancers, without any
Impatience at their length.
At Ust they got op and went Into the
haO-room again. On the chair, where
the girl had been sitting, lay something
akJnlag. I strolled across and examined
tt It wan her vinaigrette, which she
had wntmtSf left there by accident I
KMt It, thinking It mtgftt serve as
4 tc far r taaaloaatls fhlef, 1 be
rr t tto Mtjrhbertfeod. tad with-
' ' I ! '"'fit -' ' '
i r
m
with the air of the true aristocrat Ills
name I dida't know, but I had noticed
blm chatting with the guests. He was
evidently known to everyone, and was
a man of social Importance.
Presently bis eye caught the little
Jeweled vinaigrette. lie looked care
lessly round the conservatory, to see If
he was observed, and picked it up. He
now had his back to me. I waa on the
point of stepping up to him, when he
turned round, and replaced the vinai
grette and walked quietly away.
It was lucky I had not moved. I
should have looked rather foolish. Some
curiou instinct bade me cross the con
servatory, and look at the vinaigrette
again. Without thinking about it. I put
it to my nose.
The next thing I remember Is, that
I fouud myself sitting iu a chair. Grad
ually, things became clearer. The
vinaigrette lay by my side. It was
drugged. For a few minutes I bad lowt
consciousness. 1 still felt dizzy and
sick, but knowing that everything de
pended on my being prompt and acute,
I managed with an effort to pull myself
together.
Theuarose the question. What should
I do next? Should I go straight to the
man who had tampered with the vinai
grette? A moment's thought showed
me that that would be worse than use
less. I had no proof of anything. The
situation must be allowed to develop
Itself before I interfered.
After some little reflection, I decided
to go back to the dre wing-room, where
I could see what waa going on. Under
any circumstances 1 must not lose sight
of the girl to whom the vinaigrette be
longed. For nearly half an hour I waited in
vain. She danced with two or three
different men, but did not seem to hive
oiiwsed It
At last, after one of the dances, she
appeared to be looking for something.
With what was, I presume, an apology
to her partner, she skipped across the
room to a group of girls. Evidently she
was asking If any of them bad seen her
vinaigrette. For some time she got no
Information, but presently a girl who
was passing, leaning on a man's arm,
turned round and made some remark,
pointing with ber fan to the conserva
tory door. The owner of the vinaigrette
gave a little nod of thanks, and hurried
across the room.
All this time I observed that the man
who had drugged the scent bottle, and
who was chatting with some of the
people standing about watched the girl
closely.
As soon as she had left the drawing
room he broke off bis conversation, and
strolled quietly toward the conserva
tory. As he passed through the cur
tains I noticed that he glanced around
to see if he were being followed.
That settled it; I had found my man,
and must act promptly. Mrs. Register
was standing near the piano. Remem
bering her Injunction that there was
not, under any circumstances, to be an
expose or a scene, it was necessary to
proceed with caution. I caught her eye
without much difficulty. She under
stood at once that I bad something to
say, and disengaged herself from her
friends.
"Will you come with me to the con
servatory?" I said, quietly. "I believe
I have solved the mystery."
She turned pa'c- "Very well," she
said. "Give me your arm. Be careful
what you do, Mr. Ixwe," she added, in
a troubled voice; "it must be hiisbed
up."
When we reached the conservatory
we found. Just as I expected, the young
lady lying hack in a chair unconscious.
Her ear drops were missing.
"Miss Bentou has fainted," said Mrs.
Register.
"One moment," I said; "there la no
rau.te for alarm. Do you see what has
happened? Ilerdiamond ear-droMi have
disappeared."
"Io you know who It Is?" she whis
pered. "Yea. Her vinaigrette has been drag
gednot sufficiently to do ber any
barm. I saw it done."
"What shall I do? Fetch General
Register, will you? He must advise
me."
"Which Is General Register?"
She came to the curtains and pointed
blm out to me.
"Very well," I said. "Chafe Miss
Benton's bauds, and try to bring bar
round, but don't send for any help at
I don't think 1 ever felt so reluctant
to proceed with a case m I did at that
mints. The man whom Mis. Register
had pointed otrt as ber husband was the
atasVWto had drsggsd the rlnsUjTttt
JffW M fsdtawat bfisa Beaten tats
etc. 'earatnry. ta a wand,
rxrwssia
"Will you come wltb me Into the con
servatory. General?" I said. As 1 spoke
I looked him steruly In the face, lie
turned deadly hite. and his eyes shift
ed nervously alxiut the room.
"What's the matter?" he said, husk
ily. "Is anything wrong?"
"Miss Benton has fainted."
"h." he murmured with relief.
"And her ear-drops have disappear
ed," 1 added. For a moment I thought
he was going to drop down. I put my
arm through his, and led him toward
the conservatory. lie was trembling
like a leaf.
When we got well Into the shadow of
the curtaius I stopped. "General Regis
ter." I said, quietly, "take my advice,
and give them up to me at once."
"What do you meanT' he said,
hoarsely.
"The ear-drops. It will prevent a
scene."
He put a trembling hand Into the
breast pocket of his dress coat and gave
me the ear-drops. He did it like a man
In a dream, and I really liclieve that
for the time leing he was unconscious.
Then he turned away aud left the
dra wing-room hurriedly.
"Will he not comer said Mrs. Regis
ter, with an awful look of terror In her
eyes.
"General Register is not well," I re
plied. "Here are the ear-drops."
The poor woman went scarlet. She
knew what I meant, and I was deeply
grieved for her. From the first she must
have had a faint suspicion of the truth,
and was anxious to save him from pub
lic disgrace and scandal.
She was thoroughly unnerved. Miss
P.entou showed signs of returning con
sciousness.
"Now." I said, "put the ear-drops
back Into her ears. She won't know
what baa happened."
Mrs. Register replaced tbem with
trembling fingers.
"Send someone to look after this girl;
I'll stop with her till help comes. But
you must go and find your husband.
Make haste." I added, significantly,
"or you will be too late."
My work not quite over. When
Mrs. Kpgint .- : und ber husband In bis
dreilng-ro . : ;.e was, as I feared, on
the point of committing suicide. She
saved him. A number of trinkets, some
of great value, were found In his safe.
There Is. of course, only one explana
tion. On that point the General was
mad. There was no object In bis steal
ing tallies' ornaments, as be Is a very
wealthy man, and bad not put them to
any use.
There was not much difficulty In find
ing their respective owners. I returned
them myself, asking each one as a mat
ter of courtesy to make no Inquiries
as to bow they fell Into my possession.
Buffalo Times.
New York's Sanitation.
The appeal to the public conscience
told at last. With that attack In the
churches, which had not been without
blame, the new era began. That year
(is"9) a public competition evolved the
present type of tenement, far from per
fect, but an Immense Improvement up
on the wicked old Iki tracks. The aaui
tary reformers got the upper hand, and
their work told. The death-rate came
down slowly. It Is to-day, at the end of
thirty years, quite 25 per cent lower
than It was when the health depart
ment was organized, ami New York
has been redeemed from a reproach
for which there was no excuse, for no
city in the world baa such natural op
portunities for good sanitation.
The Immense stride it has taken -va
measured by the mortality during the
unprecedented hot spell of last Hum
mer. It was never so great, as. indeed,
there never waa an emergency like It
since records were kept. During the
ten days It lasted the heat crave! many
more victims than the last cholera epi
demic during Its whole season. Yet,
beyond those killed by the direct ef
fects of the sun, the mortality was f-iu-gularly
low; the infant mortality -ever
the finger that points unerringly to the
sore spots In a community, If any thero
lie was so noticeably low as to caue
a feeling almost of exultation amoiig
tbe sanitary officials. And It waa
shown, by comiarison with earl'cr hot
spells, that the population yielded more
lowly to the beat Where It had taken
two or three days to reach the climax
of sunstroke, It now took five. The
people, better housed, better fed. and
breathing clean air In clean streets, had
acquired a power of resistance to which
the past had no parallel. The saulta
rlans had proved their case. "Light In
Dark Places," by Jacob A. Riis, In the
Century.
An Old City.
Toulouse Is the chief city of Gflseony.
Its authentic record Is older than Paris
can attest. It was a metropolis before
Christ was dreamed of; the Cacsan
were sheltered within it walls: Charle
magne so esteemed the town 800 years
after Christ that be left It as the crown
Jewel of the Inheritance of his heir; Its
possession was the cause of tierce and
vengeful wars; about Its devoted walls
the soldiery of the "Alblgenwe refor
mation," which anticipated Luther's
revolt, waged their desperate and hope
less warfare In defense of their home
and their faith, besides giving a line ot
princes to the thrones of France and
the Roman empire.
'1 am deeply Interested In discover
ing the lost tribes of Israel," said Mr.
Musty, as be oame In and sat down by
the busy editor for an hour's discussion
of the subject. "So?" replied the man
of resources; "why don't yon adver
tise for them? The business office Is on
the first floor. Bars, Dick, show the
gentleman ta the advertising department"-Pock.
The Arkansas river waa named frnta
a nation af Indiana; aha eailad Qnap-
Nnaaa
if ha I
aar to Mi la tan.
AlvIXU EATING GRASS
DR. TAUMAGE ON THE DESECRA
TION OF SACRED THINGS.
Two Ftylea of Character ta Illnstrate
God's Word-One Is Like Light
bonne, and the Other I Like a Black
Uaoj-A e rd Irene.
Oar WaMBingtoit f'nlpit.
Dr. Talmai;e iu bis sermon uses a weird
and strange scene of ancient times to il
lustrate the behavior of modern people
who desecrate sacrl thing ami for their
arrogance get a bad tumble. His subject
! was "A Kine Eating Grass" and the text
I Daniel iv.. .'.'!. "The same hour was
the
thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, ao.l
j he was driven from men and did est grass
as oxen, and his tssly was wet with the
! dew of heaven, till bis hairs were grown
; like eagles' feathers aud bis oails like
j birds' claws."
Better shade your eyes lest they be put
I out with the splendor of Babylon, as some
morning yon walk out with eliu. nadnex
znr on the suspension bridges which bang
from the house tops and he shows jou the
vastness of his realm, as the son kindle
the domes with glistening almost insuf
ferable, and the great streets thunder up
their pomp into the ear of the monarch,
and armed towers stand around, adorned
with the sjsiils of conquered empires. Neb
uchadnezzar waves his hand above the
stupendous scene and exclaims, "Is not
this great Babylon, that I have built for
the house of thp kingdom by the might of
my power, and for the honor of my ma
jesty':" Hut in n instant all that splen
dor is gne from his vision, for a voice
fulls from heaven, saying: "O, King Neb.
nchsilnezzar, to thee it is spoken. The
i kingdom is departed from thee, and they
; shall drive thee from men, and thy dwell-
in shall be with the beasts of the field,
j Tbey shall make thee to est grass as
j oxen, and seven years shall pass over
j thee, nntil thon know tbst the Most High
! relet b la the kingdom of men and givctb
it to whomsoever he will." One boor
from the time that he mnde the boast he is
on the way to the fields, maniac, and
. rushing Into the forests he becomes one of
the Irf-asts, covered with espies' feathers
for protection from the cold, and his nails
growing to -birds' claws in order that he
might dig the earth for roots and climb
the trees for nuts.
You see, there is a grest variety In the
Scriptural landscape. . In several dis
courses we have looked st mountains of
excellence, but now we look down into a
great, diirk chasm of wickedness as we
come to speak of Nebuchadnenar. God
In his Word sets before us the beauty of
self-denial, of sobriety, of devotion, of
; courage, and then, lest we should not
thoroughly understand him, he introduced
Daniel and Paul and Deborah as illus
trations of those virtues. God also speaks
to us In his Word as to the hatefulness of
pride, of folly, cf Impiety, and lest we
should not thoroughly understand him in-
trodtices Nehuchadnesxar as the imper
, sonstion of these forms of depravity. The
former style of character is a lighthouse,
showing us a way into a safe harbor, and
the latter style of character-Is a black
buoy, swinging on the rocks, to show
where vessels wreck themselves. Thanks
nnto God for both the buoy and the light
house! The host of Nehuchadneir.ar is
thundering at the gates of Jerusalem.
The crown of that sacred city is struck
Into the dust by the band of Babylonish
Insolence, The vessels of the temple,
which had never been desecrated by pro
fane touch, were ruthlessly sei7.ed for
sacrilege and transportation. Ob, what a
sad hour when those Jews, at the com
mand of the Invading army, are obliged
to leave the home of their nativity! How
their hearts must have been wrung with
anguish when, on the day they departed,
they heard the trumpets from the top of
the temple announcing the hour for morn
iug sacrifice and saw the smoke of the al
tars ascending around the holy hill of
Zion! For well tbey knew that in a far
distant land they would never hear that
trumpet call nor behold the majestic as
cent of the sacrifice. Behold those cap
tives on the road from Jerusalem to Baby
lon 1 Worn and weary, they dare not halt,
for roundabout are armed men urging
them on with boot aud shout and blas
phemy. Aged men tottered along on their staves,
weeping that they could uot lay their
bones In the sleeping plnce of their fath
ers, and children wondered at the length
of the way and sobbed themselves to sleep
when the night f fallen. It seemed as
If at every step a heart broke. Hut at a
turn of the road Babylon suddenly springs
upon the view of the captives, with its
gardens and palaces. A shout goes up
from the army as they behold their native
city, but not one huzza is heard from the
captives. These exiles saw no splendor
there, for it was not borne. The Euphrates
did not have the water gleam of the brook
Kedron or the pool of Hiloam. The wil
lows of Babylon, on which they hung their
untuned harps, were not as graceful a
the trees which at the foot of Mount Mo
riah seemed to weep at the departed glory
of Judnh. and all the fragrance that de
scended from the hanging gardens upon
i that great city was not so sweet as one
breath of the acseia and frankincense that
the high priest kindled In the sanctuary
at Jerusalem.
Pride and Ruin.
On a certain night a little while after
these captives had been brought to his
city Nebuchadnezzar is scared with a
night vision. A bad man's pillow is apt
to lie stuffed with deeds and forebodings
which keep talking In the night. He will
find that the eagles' down in bis pillow
will stick him like porcupine quills. The
ghosts of old transgressions are sure to
wander about In the darkness and beckon
and hiss. Yet, when the morul.ig came, he
found that his vision had entirely fled
from him. Dreams drop no anchors and
therefore are apt to ssil away before w
ran fasten them. Nebucbadnrnar call
all the wise men of the land into hi pres
ence, demanding that by their necromanry
tbey explain hi dream. They, of course,
fail. Then their wrathful king issues an
edict with as little sense as mercy, order
ing the slaying of all, the learned men of
the country. Bat Daniel the prophet
come In with the interpretation just In
time to save the wise men and the Jewish
captive.
My friends, do you not see that pride
and ruin ride in the same saddle? 8ee
Neburbadnexsar on the proudest throne
of all the earth and thea see him grace
with the sheep and the cattle! Pride Is
commander, weO planed a ad eaDarlsoaed,
bat it leads forth a dark aad frowning
test. The arrows from the Almighty's
ver are apt ta strike a maa whea on
wlag. OeUath shahss his great spear
In d fine, but the smooth stone from
the brook umke him slat'ir.-r slid fall like
su ox under s butcher's Lludgeon. He
who U down cannot fall. Vcsm'Ik scud
ding under bare poles do not fed the
fore of the storm, while tlme with all
sails set capsize at the sudden descent of
the tfuqw-t.
lU-uiriiioer that e can be as proud of
our humility as of anything dse. Antis
thene walked the streets of Athens i'h
a racged cloak to demonstrate his humili
ty, but Socrates declared he could sec the
hypocrisy through the holes in Lis cloak.
We would all see ourselves smaller than
we are if we were as philosophic as Scver
iii. the emperor of Rome who said at the
close of bis life. "I have leeu everything,
and everything is nothii g." And when
the urn that wa to contain his ashes was
st his command brought to him lie said.
"Little urn. thou shnlt contain one for
whom the world a too little."
Io yon not also lesrn from the misfor
tune cf this king of Babylon what terri
ble thing is the loss of reason? There is
no calamity that ran possibly befall us in
this world so great as derangement of
intellect to have the body of man and yet
to fall even below the instinct of a brute.
In this world of horrible sights the most
horrible is the idiot's stare. In this world
of horrible sounds the most horrible is
the maniac's latich. A vessel driven on
the rucks, when hundreds go down never
to rise and other hundreds drug their roan-
tcled and shivering bodies upon the win
ter's beach, is nothing iimparcd to the
foundering of intellects full of vast hopes
and attainments and capacities. Christ's
heart went out toward those who were
epileptic, falling into the fire, or mauiacs,
cutting themselves siiiong the tombs.
W enre accustomed ta be more grateful
for physical heahh than for the proper
working of our mind. We are apt to take
it for irranted that the intellect which has
served us so well will always be faithful.
We forget that sn encine of such tremen
dous power, where the wheels have such
vastuess of circle and such swiftness of
motion and the least impediment might
put it out of gear, can only be kept In
proper balance by a divine hand. No hu
man hand could engineer the train of im
mortal faculties. How strange it is that
our memory, on whose shoulders all the
misfortunes and successes and occurren
ces of a lifetime are placed, should not
oftener break down, and that the scales
of judgment, which have been weighing
so much and so long, should not lose their
adjustment, and that fancy, which holds
a dangerous wsnd, should not sometimes
maliciously wave it, bringing into the
heart forebodings and hallucinations the
mot appalling! Is it not strange that
this mind, which hopes so much in its
mighty leaps for the attainment of it
objects, shf.uld not be dashed to piece nn
Its disapijointments? Though so deli
cately tuned, this instrument of untold
harmony plays on. though fear sliBkos It.
and vexations rack it, and sorrow and joy
and loss and gain in quick succession
beat out of it their dirge or toss from it
their anthem. At morning and at night,
when In your prayer you rehearse the
causes of your thanksgiving, next to the
salvation by Jesus Christ, praise the Ijord
for the preservation of your reason.
Kee also in this story of Nebuchadnezzar
the ue that God make of bad men. The
action of the wiekd sre used as instru
ment for the punishment of wickedness
in others or as the illustration of some
principle in the divine government. Nebu
chadnezzar subserved tsith purpose. Kven
so I will go hack with you to the history
of every reprobate that the world has ever
seen, and I will show you how to a great
extent hi wickedness was limited in its
destructive power and bow God glorified
himself In the overthrow and disgrace of
his enemy. Babylon Is full of alwimina
Hon, and wicked Cyrus destroys it. Persia
fill the cup of its iniquity, and vile Alex
ander puts an end to it. Maeedon must
be chastised, and bloody Emilius does it.
The Bnstile is to be destroyed, anil corrupt
Naolion accomplishes it. Kveu so selfish
and wicked men are often made to accom
plish great and glorious purpose. Jo
seph's brethren were guilty of superlative
perfidy and meanness when they sold him
iuto slavery for about $7, yet how tbey
must have been overwhelmed with the
truth that God never forsakes the right
eous when they saw he had become the
prime minister of Egypt! Pharaoh op
presses the Isrselites with the most dia
bolic tyranny, yet stand still and see the
salvation of God. The plague descend,
the locusts, and the hail, and the de
stroying angel, showing that there is s
God who will defend the cause of his
people, and finally, after the Israelites
have passed through the parted sea, be
hold, in the wreck of the drowned army,
that Cod's enemies are chaff in a whirl
wind! In sotne financial panic the right
eous suffered with the wicked. Houses
and stores and shops in a night foundered
on the rock of bankruptcy, and healthy
credit, without warning, dropped dead In
the street, aud money ran up the long lad
der of -." per cent, to laugh down upon
those who could not climb after it.
Dealers with pocket full of securities
stood shouting in the deaf ears of banks.
Men rushed down the streets, with pro
tested note after them. Those who tie
fore found It hard to spend their money
were left without money to spend. La
borers went home for want of work, to see
hunger in their chair at the table and
upon the hearth. Winter blew his breath
of frost through finger of icicles, and
sheraffs, with attachments, dug among
the cinder of fallen storehouses, and
whole cities joined In the long funeral pro
cession, marching to the grave of dead
fortunes and a fallen commerce. Verily,
the righteon suffered with the wicked,
but generally the wicked had the worst of
it. Splendid estates that hud (time to
gether through schemes 0f wickedness
were dashed to pieces like a tter' ves
sel, and God wrote with letters of fire,
amid the ruin and destruction of reputa
tions snd estates that were thought Im
pregnable, the old-fashioned truth, which
centuries ago he wrote in hi Bible, "The
wsy of the wicked be turnelh upside
down." As the stars of heaven are re
flected from the waters of the earth, even
so God's grest snd magnificent purposes
sre reflected back from the boiling sea
of human passion snd turmoil. As the
voice of a sweet song uttered among the
mountain may be uttered back from the
cavernous borne of wild beasts snd rocks
split and thunder scarred, so the grest
harmonies of God' providence are rung
back from the darkest csvern of this sla
struck earth. Kennscherib and Abime-
lech and Herod and Judss snd Nero and
Nebuchadnettsr, though they st niggled
like beasts unbroken to the load, were
put Into a yoke, where tbey were compell
ed to help draw ahead God's great pro
jects of merry.
Psseersttsm.
Again, let as learn the lesson tbst men
esn be gUty of pottuUsg the sacred ves
eto ef the temple aad carrying thru
!say to Babylon. The sacred vessels In
j the temple at Jerusalem were the cop
j sod plulca of gold and silver with which
j the r.tcs and ceremonies were celebrated.
The laying of heathen hand upon them
i ami the carrying the ft as spoils wfO
an unbounded offense to the Ird of the
I temple. Yet Nebuchadnezzar committed
tin Nery Kicrihge. Tboiieli that wicked
king i gone, the sins lie inaugurated walk
up snd nit. n farth. t urning it from
century to i-e.itwiy. The sin of desecrat
ing s;t red things is committed by those
i Mho oil sacramental day take the com
munion cup, while their conversation and
iI.hIs all show that they live down in
Babylon. I low solemn is the sacrament!
It is, a tim for vu i, a time for repent
ance, a time for faith. Sinai stands near,
with its tire split clouds, and Calvury
with its victim. The Holy Spirit broods
over the s.-cne, and the glory of heaven
seems to gather in the sanctuary. Vile
indeed must that roan ! who will come
iu from his idols and uiiresnted follies
to take hold of the sacred vessels of the
temple. O thou Nebuchadnezzar! Back
with you to Babylon!
Those also desecrate sacred things who
use the Sabbath for any other than reli
gious puqsises. This holy day was let
down from heaven nmid the intense secn
larities of the week to r u.:.J us that we
.ire immortal and to allot, us preparation
fur an endless state of h: iplucss. It is s
green sjiot in the hot dese-T i f this world
that gushes with fountains and waves
with palm tree. This is the time to shake
the dust from the roties of our piety and in
the tents of Israel sharpen our swords for
future conflict. Heaven, that seems so
far off on other days, alights usiti the
earth, and the none cf heavenly choirs
and the hosiimia of the white robed seem
to mingle with our earthly worship. We
hear the wailing infant of Bethlehem, and
the hammer stroke of the Carpenter's
weary son in Nazareth, and the prayer
of Ji'thscmane, aud the bitter rry of
Golgotha. Glory be unto the Ixird of the
Sabbath! With that one day" in seven
God divides this great sea of business and
gayety, so that dry shod we may pass
between the worldly business of the past
and the worldly business of the future.
F.vcry week we have just enough work
given ns to do In six days. God makes
just enough break in our cotitinuoti oc
cupation to thrust in the Sabbath. If
you have not liefore noticed, observe here
after that when Satunlay night comes
there is almost always a good stopping
place in your business. All things secu
lar and spiritual in providence and reve
lation seem to say, "Uememlier the Sab
bath day to keep it holy." When the six
days of creation had passed, God stopped
working. Not even s pure flower or a
white cloud would he mnke, because it
was the Sabbath, and. giving an example
to all future times, he rested.
The Het of AM I'sta.
He who breaks the Sabbath tint more
certainly robs God than robs himself. In
evitably continuous desecration of the
sacred day end either In bankruptcy or
destroyed health. A grest merchant said,
"Had if not been for the Sabbath I have
nn doubt I should have been a maniac lung
ago." This remark was made in s com
pany of merchants, Rtid one of them said:
"That corresponds with the experience of
my friend, a great importer, lie often
said, 'The Sabbath is the Iwst day of th
week to plan successful voyages.' He
has fur years been in an insane hospital
and ill probably die there."
Those also repeat the sin of Nebuchad
nezzar who in any way desecrate the Holy
Scripture. There are men who use the
Word of God as an instrument of angry
controversy. Bigots st heart and zealot,
in the advocacy of their religion pecu
liaritie they' meet other sects with the
fury of a highwayman, thrusting them
through and through with what they con
sider the sword of the Spirit. It is a won
der to me that some men were not mads
with horn to hook with and hoof to kick
with and claws to grab with. What
Christ said to rash Peter w hen he struck
off the i-ar of Malchus he say to every
controversialist, "Put tip again thy aword
into its place, for all they that take tb
sword shall perish with the sword."
Rev. William Jay met a countryman
who said to him: "1 was extremely alarm
ed thi morning, sir. It was very foggy,
and I ws going down to a lonely place,
and 1 thought I ssw a strange monster. It
seemed in motion, but I could not discern
Its form. I did not like to turn back, but
my In-art beat, and the more 1 looked the
more I was afraid. But ns I approached
I ssw it was a man, snd who do you think
it was?" "I know not." "Oh. it was my
brother John." Then Mr. Jay remarked.
"It was early in the morning snd very
foggy, and bow often do we thus mistake
our Christian brethren,"
Just In proportion as men are wrong
will they he boisterous in their religious
contentions. The lamb of religion is al
ways gentle, while there is no lion so fierce
as the roaring lion that goes about seek
ing whom he may devour. It Gibraltar
belch their war flame on the sea, and the
Dardenelles darken the Hellespont with
the smoke of their batteries, but for ever
and ever let there be good will among
those who profess to be subject of the
gossd of gentleness. "Glory to God in
the highest, and on earth pi ace, good will
to men.
What an embarrassing thing to meet in
heaven if we have not settled our contro
versies on earth. So 1 give out for all peo
ple of all religions to sing John Fawcett's
hymn, in short meter, composed in 1772;
hut just as appropriate for LS!7:
Blest be the lie that bind
Our hearts in Christian love.
The fellowship of kindred minds
1 like to that above.
From sorrow, toil and pain
And sin we shall lie free,
And ierfect love and friendship r.gfPD
Through all eternity.
Living Ileresles.-Wben the church
tin been pure it lms always comjuerwi,
mid always will, but when the temple
of the living God Is denied by money
changers at d self seekers will be bred
an after-nge of worn, when the world
will pass to the winds Its beet books of
evidence. It was not the heathen In
the temple In the time of Christ, but
the Hebrew himself. A dead firn
cauiM-s living bereey, and Inaction
cbusi-s unchristian activity. A boly
chinth, with holy people and a boly
priesthood, Is the llfelilood of the
church.-Bishop William D. Walker,
Episcopalian, Buffalo, N. Y.
One English railway company alone
Issues over a ton of railway Mcfceai
weekly.
It Is a great art to da the right thing
at lbs right season.