INTERNATIONAL RRES8 ASSOCIATION.
CHAPTER XV.
HEN Mine Hether
I union left the
Frenchman'* room*
that afternoon, ahe
tottered like one
enfeebled by the
*udden oncoming of
age. M o n * I e u r
Cauaaldlere wai be
alde her; It waa hla
hand which placed
her In her carriage,
hi* head which bowed politely a* the
carriage moved away. Hut the lady
aeemed neither to »ee nor hear, Her
face waa deathly pale and her eye*
were fixed; aha entered the carriage
mechanically, and mechanically lay
back among the moth-eaten cti*hlon*;
but, ahe never came to heraelf until the
carriage atopped before the door of An
nandale Caatle.
The approaching carriage wheel* had
been heard by the Inmate* of the Caa
tle, ao that when the vehicle atopped
there xtood Handle Hloane ready to aa
alat, hla ml*tre** to alight. With her u»
ual erect currlage and firm tread, Mlaa
Hetherlngton * tapped from the vehicle,
and walked lip the atone alepa to the
Caatle door, laying, aa ahe puaaed 'In
old aervlng man:
"Handle Hloane, come l>en wl' me!"
She walked on, Handle following,
They walked Into the great dining
room, and the door closed upon the
two.
What passed at I hat Interview no one
knew; hut half an hour later Handle
came forth, returned to the kitchen,
and sat there crying like a heart broken
child.
"Mysle,” said he to the housekeeper,
"Mysle, woman, I'm turned awa' oot
on the world. Clod help me! The
mistress has shown me the door of An
nandule Castle.”
It was not till two days later that
Mr. liorralne, happening to call at the
Castle, heard that Miss Hetherlngton
could not see him, for she hud taken to
her bed and was seriously 111. He heard
also from Mysle, who seemed scared
and wild, that her mistress had never
been herself since that night when Han
dle Hloane had been driven from his
situation. The clergyman, more
shocked and mystified, asked to be al
lowed to see the lady, but Mysle re
fused to permit him to place his foot
Inside the door. After a little persua
sion, however, she consented to allow
him to remain on the threshold while
she went and Informed her mistress of
his call.
In a short time the woman returned,
and Mr. Lorraine was at once admitted
to the bedside of the mistress of the
house.
Mr. ixirraine Degan lormwiui to cx
presa hi* regrets at the lady's Illness,
but he was at once stopped.
" ’Twasna’ o’ myself I wanted to
■peak,” she said In her bard, cold tones;
” 'twas o’ something that concerns you
far more—where Is Marjorie?”
“Marjorie la at the manse.” returned
the clergyman, dreading what the next
queatlon might be.
"At the manse! and wherefore Is she
no at school? She should have gone
back ere this.”
"Yes; she should have gone, but the
lassie was not herself, so I kept her
with me. She Is troubled In her mind
at what you said about the French les
sons, Miss tletherlngton, and she Is
afraid sbe has annoyed you."
“And she would be sorry?”
"How could Hhe fall to be? You liae
been her best friend."
There was u great pause which was
broken by Miss Hetherlngton.
"Mr. Lorraine,” said she, "I’ve aye
tried to give you good advice about
Marjorie. I kenned weel that twa sil
ly men like yersel' and that fool Solo
mon Mucklebacklt wanted a woman's
sharp wits and keen eyes to help them
train the lassie. I've watched her close
uud 1 see what maybe ye dinna see.
Therefore I advise you again send her
awa' to Fallnburgh for awhile—'twill be
for her gude.”
"To Kdlnburgh!"
"Ay; do you fear she'll no obey?"
'Not at all; when 1 tell her you wish
It sbe will go."
Miss tletherlngton sat bolt upright,
and stared round the room like a stag
at bay.
"I wish It!" she exclaimed "| dlnmt
wish It mtnd that. Mr. 1/irralnr. If
anybody daura say I wish It, ye ll tell
them 'Us a leg. You wish It; you'll
■sad her awa'; 'lla for the bairn's
good!*'
Mr. Lorraine began to be of optnlou
that Miss Hetherlngton'* brain was af
fected, he could But account for her ee
reatrlclty ta any other way. Nevertbe
leaa her whims had to be atteaded to;
aad aa ta this case they would cause no
great lacunv entente. he promised tar
pllril obedience to her will
“Yea. you are right Mtaa llethertng
tog; 'twill do the child good end she
shall go.” he said, a* he rose to tahe
hi* leave.
Hut the lady called him two h
“Mr, Lorrwa* she said tend Mar'
|wrle ug to »e to say good-bye.” sad
having agala promised to obey bet Mr
Loffwiae red tied
relieved to tad that hie fo*t*» ehIM was
ftb • 4 • U«H |
Hit |
I tiMMMri*** •
ahe waa to go to her lister's house In
Kdlnburgh for a lime. The young girl
was reluctant to leave her home, but
did not dream of disobeying any wish
of her foster-father.
By early the next afternoon all was
done, and as Marjorie was to start ear
ly on the morrow, she, In obedience to
Mr. I^rralne's wlah. put on her bonnet
and went up to the Castle to wlah Mlaa
Metherlngton good-bye.
She had heard from Mr. Ijorralne
that the lady whs Indisposed, bill he
had uot spoken of the malady us seri
ous, and ahe was therefore utterly un
prepared for what she saw.
Hhe was admitted by Mysle, conduct
ed along the dreary passage, and led at
once toward Miss lletherlngton's bed
room.
"Shu's waitin' on ye,” said Mysle;
Mile M Del'll waillll on yr an nay.
Marjorie atepped Into ttie room,
looked around, and theen ahrank fear
fully back toward the door. Could thin
be MIhh lletherlngton thin little •brlv
eled old woman, with the dim oyea
and thin allvery hair? Hhe glanced
keenly at Marjorie; then, aeelng the
girl ahrlnk away, ahe held forth her
hand and Maid:
"Come awa' ben, Marjorie, my balr
nle; come ben."
“Vou you are not well, Mlaa Hetli
erlngton," aald Marjorie. "I am mo
aorry."
Hhe came forward and at retched forth
her hand. Mlaa lletherlngton took It,
held It, and gazed up Into the girl *
face.
"I'm no JiimI my*el‘, Marjorie," abe
Maid, "but while* the heat of u* come to
thla paaa. Did ye think I wua Immor
tal, Marjorie Annan, and that the pai
nted Anger o’ death couldn't be pointed
at me aa weel a* at another?"
"Of death?” aald Marjorie, Inallnc
tlvely withdrawing her hand from the
old lady'* tremuloua graap. "Ob, Ml**
lletherlngton, you aurely will not
die!"
"Wha can tell? Hurely I ahull die
when my time cornea, and wha will
there be to abed a tear?”
For a time there waa alienee; then
Mlaa lletherlngton apoke;
"What more have you got to aay to
me, Marjorie Annan?"
The girl Minrted a* If from a dream,
and roae hurriedly from her aeat.
’‘Nothing more, she Halil. "Mr. Lor
raine thought I hail better come uml
wlah you good-bye, I am going away.”
“Mr. Ixirralne! you dldna wish It
yerael'?"
"Yes, I—I wished It -”
"Awcel, good-bye!”
Hhe held forth her trembling hands
again, and Marjorie placed her warm
Angers between them.
"Good-bye, Miss Hetherlngton."
Hhe withdrew her hand and turned
away, feeling that the good-bye hud
been spoken, und that her presence was
no longer desired by the proud mistress
of Annandale, Hhe had got half way
to the door when her stepa were arrest
ed—a voice called her back.
"Marjorie! Marjorie Annan!"
Hhe turned, started, then running
back, fell on her knees beside mIsh
Hetherlrigtoti’H chair. For the Arst
time In her life Marjorie saw her cry
ing.
"Dear Miss Hetherlngton. what is
it?” she said.
" TU the old tale, the old tale," re
plied the lady, drying her eyes. “Won’t
you kiss me, Marjorie, and say only
once that you're sorry to leave me sick
ening here?”
“I um very sorry,” said Marjorie;
then she timidly bent forward and
touched the lady's cheek with her
Ups.
Curiously enough, after having soli
cited the embrace. Miss Hetherlngton
shrank away.
"Cold and loveless,” she murmured,
"nut, Marjorie, my bairn. I'm no blam
ing ye for the sins of your forefathers.
Good-bye, tussle, good-bye.”
This time Marjorie did leave the room
and the Caatle, feeling thoroughly mys
tlAed as to what it could ull meat*
CHAPTER XVI.
N the outskirts of
the town of ladth,
und on the direct
road of communi
cation between
Leith and Kdlti
burgh, stood the
plain abode of the
Rev Mungo Men
tellh. minister of
the Free Kirk gf
Rem laud
the Reverend Mr Menteitb had es
poused Isis In Ilfs the only sister of
I Mr, luurraln*. n little, timid, clinging
I woman with fnir hair and light blue
{ »)n», who was as was in the bony
| hands of hvr pious husband
At the house of the pair our morulnn
! In surly summer arrived Marjorie tu
I nan escorted thither In a hired #v front
Edinburgh by the Minister It was bv
no means ksr trst visit and the wel
tome she I evened If a little Melancho
ly, was not altogether devoid of sym
palht Her aunt was an vltti tluttete
• feature though weah and eoper.u
Homs and Mr Meatteth tike many uf
hi* . lass, was hy no nteans ns hard as
■ he dovtrines he upheld They had l»*»
children uf their own. and the .tuning
uf one m pretty and s». rlwae of hta was
Ithe a gleam uf sunshine
A week pa seed nwgy with one super
natural? dreary Sabbath, spent in what
may be railed, figuratively, wailing and
gnashing of teeth.
At last there came a day of terrific
dissipation, when what la known by
profane Scotchmen as a “tea and cook
ie shine” was given by one of the eld
ers of the kirk.
(Carly In the evening Mr. Mentelth
was called away, and when the meeting
broke up about nine o'clock Marjorie
and her aunt had to walk home alone,
ft was a fine moonlight night, and as
they left the elder's house and lingered
on the doorstep Marjorie saw standing
In the street a figure which she
seemed to know.
She smarted and looked again, and the
figure returned her look. In a moment
to her utter amazement, she recognized
('aussldlere.
Startled and afraid, not knowing
what to say or do, she descended the
steps to her aunt's aide.
As she did ao the figure disappeared.
She walked up the street, trembling
and wondering, while Mrs. Mentelth
talked with feeble rapture of the feast
they had left and Its accompanying ' ed
ification."
Marjorie made some wandering re
ply, for she heard footsteps behind
her. (Dancing over her shoulder, she
saw the figure she had previously no
ticed following at a few yards' dis
tance.
She would have paused and waited,
but she dreaded the observation of her
</imiiunlnfi Mo mIip ulrnnlv walked
fuater, hurrying her aunt along.
They panned from the afreet, and •till
ahe heard the feet following behind
her. At, laat they reached the gate of
the mlnlater'a houec.
Here Marjorie lingered, and watching
down the road aaw the figure pauae and
wait.
Mra. Mentelth puahed open the gate,
haatened acroaa the garden, and
knocked at the door. In a moment the
figure came up rapidly.
“Huah, mademolaellel" aald a fami
liar voice In French and almultaneoualy
ahe felt a piece of paper preaaed Into
her hand. Hhe graaped It Involuntarily
and before ahe could utter a word the
figure flitted away.
Meantime the houae door had opened.
“Marjorie! ” cried Mra. Mentelth from
the threahold.
Marjorie haatened In.
“What kept ye at the gate, and who
waa yon that pawned ?"
“A man a gentleman."
"Did he apeak to you?”
Without reply, Marjorie puaaed In.
Ah aoon aa poaalhle ahe haatened up
to her own room, locked the door, and
there with trembling flngera unfolded
the paper and read aa followa:
"I have aornethlng Important to way
to you. Meet me tomorrow at noon on
the Edinburgh road. Fray loll no one
that you have received thla, or that I
am here. "I.eon Cauaaldlere."
Majorle aal down trembling with tha
paper In her lap. Her flrat Impulae
waa to Inform her aunt of what had
taken place. A little reflection, how
ever, convinced her that thla would be
undealrable.
After all, she thought, she hail no
right to assume that CaiiMldiere'* mes
sage had not a perfectly Innocent sig
nificance. Perhaps he had brought her
news from home.
It was not an easy task for Marjorie
to keep her appointment on the fol
lowing day; Indeed, everything seemed
to conspire to keep her at home. To
begin with, the family were much later
than usual; then It seemed to Marjorlt
that the prayers were unusually long;
then Mr. Mentelth had various little
things for her to do; so that the
hands of the clock wandered towurd
twelve before she was able to quit the
house.
At last she was free, and with palpi
tating heart and trembling hands was
speeding along the road to meet the
Frenchman.
(TO HE CONTINt'EI*.)
How OKtrichfl* linn.
Considerable misconception prevails
us to the manner In which the ostrich
rims. It seems to be still generally
held that when running It spreads out
Its wings, and aided by them skims
lightly over the ground. This is not
correct. When a bird really settles It
self to run It bolds its head lower
thau usual anil a little forward, with a
deep loop in the neck. The neck vi
brates sinuously, but tht head remains
Steady, thus enuhllng the bird, even at
top speed to look around with unshak
tn glance in any dltactlon, The wings
lie along the aides about on a level
with or a little higher than the back,
and are held loosely, just free of the
plunging "thigh " There is no attempt
to hold them extended or to derive any
assistance from them aa organs of
(light When an ostrich, after a hard
run, Is very tired its wlnga sometimes
droop; this Is due to exhaustion They
are never, by a running bird exerting
Itself to the utmost, held out away
1 from the sides to lighten Its weight or
! increase Its pace. Hut the wlnga appear
i to be of great service In turning, en
1 abllng the bird to double abruptly even
when going at top spaed From the
| Zoologist
V VSsH.f Ml X
* Mister Millie a ante to know if you i
1 won't let us lake yoor trig awning* I
I »>be a going to give a yon h party to
mono* sight and waste to hate it us
| the plaeaer *
Wants my easing1'
1 try Mbs would have hot vowed the
Joheees , but lb.Ife la blue, you |y„y,
i and Millie's balf la ted Cleveland
j Flgia tmatef
* f bare e not another btl of firewood
I on b»aytd, natal the .twamhogi en- .
. »*ef What a ike mailer with thg
tug ingulfed the kandlwbbee 1*1x11
i gdetpjvte North Anyetirgg
TALMAGE’S SERMON.
THE POMOLOQY OF THE HOLY
BIBLE.
(1ml Among lb# Orchard* ’Ths frail
Tran Yielding fruit Aflrr Ml* Kind"—
(Inwlii Chapter L. Venn II. Why
Wu tbs Orcbnrd firstr
T IS Wednesday
morning In Para
dise. The birds did
not sing their
opening piece, nor
the fish take their
first swim until the
following F r I day.
The solar and lu
nar lights did not
break through the
thick, chaotic fog
of the world’s manufacture until
Thursday. Before that there was
light, but It was electric light or phos
phorescent light, not the light of sun
or moon. But the botanical and po
mologlcal productions came on Wed
nesday-first the flowers, and then the
fruits. The veil of fog is lifted, and
there stand the orchards. Watch the
sudden maturity of the fruit! In our
time pear trees must have two years
before they bear fruit, and peach trees
three years, and apple trees five years;
but here. Instantly, a complete orchard
springs Into life, all the branches bear
ing fruit, The Infertile forces, which
have been doing their worst to destroy
the fruits for six thousand years, had
not yet begun their Invasion. The
rureullo had not yet stung the plum,
nor the caterpillar hurt the apple, nor
had the phylloxera plague, which has
devastated tho vineyards of America
and France, assailed the grapes, nor
the borer perforated the wood, nor the
aphides ruined tho cherry, nor the
grub pinictuccd the nectarine, nor the
blight struck tho peur. There stood the
first orchard, with a perfection of
rind, and an exyulslteness of color, and
a lusciousness of taste, and an af
fluence of production which It may
take thousands of years more of study
of the science of fruits to reproduce.
Why was the orchard created two
days before the fish and birds, and
three days before the cattle? Among
other things, to Impress the world
with a lesson It Is too stupid to learn
iiiui mm *11t in iM'uiiiiH'r liiiiit uicai
diet, and that the former must pre
cede the latter. The reason there are
In the world so many of the Imbruted
and sensual is that they have not Im
proved by the mighty, unnoticed fact
that the orchards of paradise preceded
the herds and aviaries, and flah-ponds.
Oh, those fruit-bearing trees on the
banks of the Euphrates, and the Ot
hon, and the Hiddekel! I wonder not
that the ancient Romans, Ignorant of
our God, adored Pomona, the Goddess
of Fruits, and that all the sylvan dei
ties were said to worship her, and that
groves were set apart as her temples.
You have thanked God for bread a
thousand times. Have you thanked
him for the fruits which he made the
first course of food In the menu of the
world's table? The acids of those
fruits to keep the world's table from
being Insipid, and their sweets to keep
It from being too sour?
At this autumnal season how the or
chards breathe and glow, the leaves re
moved, that the crimson, or pink, or
oaffron, or the yellow, or brown may
the better appear, while the aromatics
fill the uir with Invitation and remi
niscence. As you pass through the
orchard on these autumnal days and
look up through the arms of the trees
loden with fruit, you hear thumping
on the ground that which Is fully ripe,
and, throwing your arms around the
I Miinl/ tmn niito n aYia l/n Ihnt nnn/Va
down a shower of gold and fire on all
aides of you. Pile up In baskets and
barrels and bins and on shelves and
tables the divine supply. But these
orchards have been under the assault
ot at least sixty centuries - the storm,
the droughts, the winters, the tnsec
tlvora. What must the first orchard
have been? And yet It is the explor
er’s evidence that on the site of that
orchard there Is not an apricot, or an
apple, or an olive- nothing but desert
and desolation. There is not enough
to forage the explorer's horse, much
less to feeil his own hunger. In other
words, that first orchard is a lost or
(hard, llow did the proprietor and the
proprietress of all that Intercotumnl
aiion of fruitage, let the rich splendor
slip their possession? It was as now
most of the orchards are lost; namely,
by wanting more. Access they had to
all the fig-trees, apricots, walnuts, al
monds, apples—bushels on bushels,—
and were forbidden the use of only one
tree lu the orchard. Not satisfied with
all hut one, they reached for that, and
lost the whole orchard. Ho right down
through the business marts of the
great elites and find among the weigh
ers and drrkk and subordinates, men
who onre commanded the commercial
world They had a whole orchard of
successes but they wanted just one
more thing one more house, or one
more country-seat, or one more store,
or one more railroad, or one more mil
lion They glutrbed for that, and lost
all th-y had gained Pur one more
tree they lost a whole orchard Thera
•re business men all around us war
ned m arly to death. The do tor tells
them they ought to atop Insomnia
or Indigestion or aching at the tease uf
the brain or ungovernable nerve* tell
them they ought to atop They ranlty
have enough for themaelvs* and their
hmlllss Talk with them •bout their
overwork and urge ueure prudence and
longer rest gad they ewy “Yew you
•re right after I have aaeomptiehed
ope mure thin* that t hate on my
mind. I will hand over my boa!newt
to at swan ami go to Korop* and gull
the kind of evhausttag life I hate Wee*
living for the tea thirty yewr* theme
morning you open your neper *nd
berk tag at Ike death column you tnd
be suddenly departed this life. In try
ing to win just one more tree, he lost
the whole orchard.
Yonder Is a man with many styles of
Innocent entertainment and amuse
ment. He walks, he rides, he plays
ten-pins In private alleys, he has
books on his table, pictures on his wall
and occasional outings, concerts, lec
tures, baseball tickets, and the Innu
merable delights of friendship. But be
wants u key to the place of dissolute
convocation. He wants association
with some member of a high family
as reckless as he Is affluent. He wants
Instead of a quiet sabbath, one of ca
rousal. He wants the stimulus of
strong drinks. He wants the permis
sions of a profligate life. The one
membership, the one bad habit, the
one carousal robs him of all the pos
sibilities and Innocent enjoyments and
roble Inspirations of a lifetime.
You see what an expensive thing Is
sin. It costs a thousand times more
than It Is worth. As some of all kinds
of quadrupeds and all kinds of winged
creatures passed before our progenitor
that he might announce a name, from
eagle to bat, and from lion to mole,
so I suppose there were In paradise
specimens of every kind of fruit tree.
And In that enormous orchard there
was not only enough for the original
family of two, but enough fruit fell
ripe to tho ground, and was never
picked up, to supply whole towns and
villages, If they bad existed. But the In
fatuated couple turned away from all
these other trees and faced this tree;
and fruit of that they will have though
It cost them all paradise.
This story of Kden Is rejected by
some as an Improbability, If not an
Impossibility, but nothing on earth Is
easier for me to believe than the truth
of this Hdenlc story, for I have seen
the same thing In this year of our
Lord 1897. 1 could call them by name,
if It were politic and righteous to do
ho, the men who have sacrificed a par
adise on earth und a paradise In heav
en for one sin. Their house went.
Their library went. Their good namo
went. Their field of usefulness went.
Their health went. Their Immortal soul
went. My friends! there Is Just one
sin that will turn you out of paradise
If you do not ouit it. You know what
It Is, and Ood knows, and you had bet
ter drop tbe band and arm lifted to
ward that bending bough before you
plunk your own ruin. When Adam
stood on tiptoe and took In his right
hand that one round peach, or apricot,
or apple Satan reached up and pulled
down the round, beautiful world of our
present residence. Overworked artist,
overwrought merchant, ambitious poli
tician, avaricious speculator, better
take that warning from Adam’s or
chard and atop before you put out for
that one thing more.
But I turn from Adam's orchard to
Solomon’s orchard. With his own
band he writes: ”1 made me gardens
and orchards.” Not depending on the
natural fall of rain, he irrigated those
orchards. Pieces of the aqueduct that
watered those gardens I have seen, and
the reservoirs are as perfect as when
thousands of years ago the mason's
trowel smoothed the mortar over tuelr
gray surfaces. No orchard of olden
or modern time, probably, ever had its
thirst so well slaked. The largest of
these reservoirs Is 682 feet long, 207
feet wide, and 60 feet deep. These res
ervoirs Solomon reffers to when he
says: “I made me pools of water, to
water therewith the wood that brlng
cth forth trees." Solomon used to ride
out to that orchard before breakfast.
It gave blm an appetite and something
to think about all the day. Josephus,
the historian, represents him as going
out "early In the morning from Jeru
salem to the famed rocks of Ktam, a
fertile region, delightful with paradises
and running springs. Thither the king,
In robes of white, rode In his chariot,
escorted by a troop of mounted arch
ers chosen for their youth and stature,
and clad In Tyrian purple, whose long
hair, powdered with gold dust, spark
led in the sun.” After Solomon had
taken his morning ride In these luxu
riant orchards he would sit down and
write those wonderful things In the
Bible, drawing his Illustrations from
the fruits he had that very morning
plucked or ridden under. And, wish
ing to pralso the coming Christ, he
says: “As the apple tree among the
trees of the wood, so Is my beloved.”
And wishing to describe the love of
the church for her lxird, he writes:
“Comfort me with apples, for I am sick
or love, unu desiring to mane refer
ence to the white hittr of the octoge
narian, ami Juat before having noticed
that the blossoms of the ulmond tree
were white, he suya of the aged man:
"The almond tree shall flourish." The
walnuts and the pomegranate*, and
the mandrakes, and the flg* make Hol
omotTs writing* u divinely arranged
fruit basket.
What mean Solomou's orchards and
Solomun'a garden*? for they seem to
mingle, the two Into one, flowers under
foot, and pomegranates over head To
me they suggest that religion la a lux
ury. All along, the world has looked
upon religion chiefly as a dire nee*#
•lly -a lifeboat from the shipwreck, a
I ad dei from the conflagration, n soft
landing place alter we kave been shov
ed ulf the preclptp* of this planet As
g consequence so many have said; "We
will await preparation for the future
| until tb< ciaah of the shipwreck until
i the conttcgratiott Is in full bias*. un
| ill we r«*«h the brlub of lb* prect
: t-Ur* ’ Mo doubt religion I* Ineaprenel
| bit important leer lbe last ealgettcy
Hut what do the apple* and the flg*
and the melon* and the pomvginnale*
and the citron, and the oils** of goto
nut ewe hard mean* t.uaurpt They
. moan that out religion la the luactaw*.
' the arematt*. the pungent the arbu
cement tbn eglurenceni. the Mtnged.
I lb* nutbragecius They meafl ubat
khlaard ftltea Meant uben be deglav
• I ' If Ml bapplneao •untlnue* in In
ctuaae I * anno* eccppurt M nark Inn
get It meant what Maps Pud man 11
a Hindoo convert, meant when be said.
"I long for my bed, not that I may
sleep—I lie awake often and long:
but to hold communion with m> *0< •
It means what the old colored ma
said, when he waa accosted hy cor,
porteur, "Cncle Jack, how are y°u"
"I is very painful In my knee, 11 •
thank my heavenly Master. I'm cause
to be thankful. My good Master Just
gilt me nuf to make me humble. Ana
do you enjoy religion aa much now.
Uncle Jack, as when you could go to
church and class-meetings?" Yes,
'Joys him more. Den I truss to de
people, to de meetings, to de sarment.
and when I hear de hymn sing, and
de pray I feels glad. nut. all dl* aln t
like de good Lord In de heart, God's
love here." It mean* sunrise Instead
of sundown. It mean* the Memnon
etatue made to sing at the stroke of
the morning light. It means Christ
at. the wedding In Cana. It means the
“time of the singing of birds Is come.
It means Jeremiah's "well-watered
garden.” It means David's oil of glad
ness.” It means Isaiah's "bride and
bridegroom." It means Luke’s bad hoy
come home to a father's house. World
ly Joy killed Leo X. when he beard
that Milan was captured. Talva died of
Joy when tho Roman senate honored
him. Dlagora died of Joy because his
three sons were crowned at the Olym
pian games. Sophocles died of Joy
over his literary successes. And reli
gious Joy has been too much for many
a Christian, and hi* soul has sped
away on the wing of hosannas
An old and poor musician played so
well one night before his king that, the
next morning when the musician
uwoke he found his table covered with
gidden cups and plates, ami a princely
robe lying across the back of a chair,
and richly caparisoned horses were
pawing at. the doorway to take him
through the street in Imposing equip
age. It was only a touch of what
comes to every man who makes the
Lord his portion, for be has waiting
for him, direct from his King, robes,
banquets, churlots, mansions, tri
umphs, and It Is only a question of
time when he shall wear them, drink
them, ride In them, live In them, ind
celebrate them.
You think religion Is a good thing
for a funeral. O, ye*. But Solomon’s
orchard means more. Religion is a
good thing now. when you are In
health and prosperity, and the appetite
is good for citrons, and apples, and ap
ricots, and pomegranates. Come in
without wasting any time In talking
about them and take the luxuries of
religion. Happy yourself, then you can
■ .1_ a__ t(..L. i.iat Mtm
iiuinr wuicin
person happy every day, and In twen
ty years you will have made seven
thousand three hundred people hap
py. 1 like what Wellington said after
the battle of Waterloo, and when he
was In pursuit of the French with Ills
advance guard, and Colonel Harevy
said to him: "General, you had bet
ter not go any farther, for you may be
shot at by some straggler from the
hushes,” And Wellington replied:
"Let them fire away. The battle is won
and my life Is of no valuo now."
• * •
While there is enough of the pomp
of the city about heaven for those who
like the city best, I thank God there
Is enough In the Bible about country
scenery In heaven to please those of
us who were horn In the country and
never got over It. Now you may have
streets of gold In heaven; give me the
orchards, with twelve manner of
fruits and yielding their fruit every
month; and the leaves of the trees are
for "the healing of the nations; and
there shall be no more curse, but the
throne of God and of the Lamb shall
be In It, and his servants shall serve
him; and they shall see his face, and
his name shall be in their foreheads;
and there shall be no uight there, and
they need no candle, neither light of
the sun, for the Lord God giveth them
light; and they shall reign for ever
and ever.” But Just think of a place so
brilliant that the noonday sun shall
be removed from the mantle of the sky
because It is too feeble a taper! Yet,
most of all. am I Impressed with the
fact thut 1 am not yet fit for that place,
nor you, either. By the reconstruct
ing und sanctifying grace of Christ we
need to he made all over. And let
us he getting our pussporta ready it
we want to get Into thai country. An
earthly passport Is u personal mailer,
telling our height, our girth, the color
of our hair, our features, our complex
L.n <.*..! SUSP live I <•:* It Ill it u..l InlA ..
foreign port oil your passport. nor can
you get In on mliic. Kach one of us
for hliuself need* u divine signature,
written by the wounded hand of ihe
Son of Ood, to get Into the heavenly
orchard, under the laden branches of
which, In Hod's good lime, we may
meet the Adam of the Hrat orchard,and
ihe Solomon of the second orchard,and
the Ht. John of the laat orchard, to sit
down under the tree of which the
church In the Hook of fan tide* speak*
when It »a»*. "As the apple tree
among the trees of the wood, so |* my
tie loved among ihe sons | «„ down
under hla shadow with great delight,
and his fruit was sweet to my taste. •
and there It mat be found that today
we leaiued the danger of hankering
after one thing more and that religion
la * tutor), and that there la a tMviae
antidote for all poisons and that wa
had treated lu u* an appetite fur
beaten, and that it was a wholesome
and saving thing Km us t« have die
(nursed on Ike pomology of the Itthte,
or tiod Among the Orchard*
Our fniik Is sane and yetpmnahte,
uith Us rsdtsnt faet*. its aonrin.Ing
principle* U« simple •omsvssdmsaU,
lit pis- >i. si Mitten Its aide sympa
ihies a religion with Ihe ml of hlus
shute Ha head and the homely WIM
duwsre round II* feet He I John
Waigan
