By JOHN R. MUSICK,
Author of “Myitarlou* Mr. tfoword," "Tha
Dork Stranger,'* "Charlie Allendale'*
Double,” Etc.
OOpyrtcbt, IMT. by Rob»»t noxaaa'i Boa*.
All rlcbu roaarratf.
CHAPTER X.—(Continued.)
“Course ye might hang him up by
the neck until he was dead an’ he
wouldn’t tell. What would a man
care for bein' killed himself? It's
when you begin an attack on his flesh
an’ blood he trembles.”
“Well, d’ye reckon that’s certain?"
asked Padgett, rubbing his bullet head
to get the idea through.
“Know it.”
“Why didn’t we light on that afore?”
"Because the youngster goes under
a nickname. He’s Crack-lash here an'
Paul Miller in Fresno. That's the
whole long and short o’ it.”
“Well, sail in on the capen an’ see
what ye kin do with him,” growled
Ned seating himself on a stone and
twirling bis stick in his hand. ”1
leave it all t’ you; take it an’ see how
ye’ll come out."
Then followed another long con
sultation among the other three.
it was not until late that night they
proceeded to carry out their plan. The
old hermit whom they called the cap
tain was taken apart from his fel
low prisoner and seated on a stone.
Ben Allen then proceeded to interro
gate him.
iou are captain josepu muici ui
the schooner ‘Eleanor,’ ain’t ye?” ho
asked.
‘‘Those two rogues told you that.
They know It, and It’s no use to deny
it.” ’
“You left a wife at home—a wife
and child?”
“Yes.”
“Your wife was named Mollie and
your boy baby’s name Paul?”
“I don’t admit or deny."
“After you sailed away so many
years your wife gave you up for dead,
and with her child removed to Fresno,
where she lives now. She never told
her son the sad, uncertain fate of his
father, fearing when he grew up he
would start in search of him, and
she always had a superstitious dread
o’ the forests o’ Alaska.”
The sea captain sat unmoved
throughout the narrative. Ben went
on:
"But when Paul Miller grew to be
a man he heard of the fabulous riches
In Alaska and came to find it. He had
amassed quite a fortune, when he
was robbed, followed the robbers to
the woods and was captured by them.
Now, the young man yonder is Paul
Miller, your son.”
The etern old captain was unmoved
save a slight twitching at the cor
ners of his mouth, but he made no
answer Ben continued:
“Though you may have lost the
walrus hide on which the map to the
buried treasure is, yet you know the
spot, and can take us there. Y’ou
shall do it or I swear that your son
shall die before your face.”
Again Ben Allen was disappointed.
The old man was wholly unmoved, as
if he had been talking to stone. The
captors waited about him with half
suppressed breathing, hoping that
something would occur to break his
imperturbability, but they were dis
appointed.
The threat of Morris had only been
to intimidate the prisoner. He was
willing to make any sort of threats,
but not being the hardened criminal
Ned Padgett was he called a halt at
the line of murder.
,|i_ “Boys,” continued Morris, "I haven’t
given up all hope yet. We may be
able to do somethin’ with him. Let’s
keep up the scare.”
| “Agreed.
“We can even get a rope and go
through pretense o’ hangin’ the
youngster.”
“That’s it; go through anything to
I make the old rascal tell us where it
' Is.”
With this resolution more firmly
fixed in their minds they once more
returned to where the old captain sat
as unmoved as when they left him.
"Well, Captain Miller, have you de
Jj elded to tell us where you cached the
■ treasure?” asked Ben Allen.
“No,” was the immediate answer.
“Do you want to see your son hang
before your eyes?”
“I have no son.”
“Don’t you know that young man
Is your son?”
The prisoner fixed his great blue
orbs on the speaker and in a firm, un
moved tone answered:
“He is not my son. I may have a
Bon living. I once did, but he Is not
my son. I like the young man, for he
Is noble, brave and honest, but he is
no relation to me.”
They were wholly unprepared for
this answer. The sincerity with which
It was given took everyone aback and
for several moments they stood
aghast and silent. The ex-sea captain,
after a brief silence, continued:
“Even if I had the walrus hide I
would not give It to you. Even If I
could now go and unearth that buried
treasure I would not do it.”
“Why?"
“For two reasons. First, I will not
compromise with crime. Second, even
If I did decide to do so and turn over
the treasure to you it would be the
iignal for our own destruction. You
would never dare let us go after what
you have done.”
Bob Allen and Morris and the sail
ers were abashed. They fell back
before the piercing glance of the offl
► cer against whom they had mutlned.
The baffled rascals swore flke troop
ers and Ned Padgett made an appeal
for his knotted stick, but was over
ruled, and after some more delibera
tion It was decided to try the effect
of the rope»on the young prisoner.
“I tell you he is the son of the old
man; watch him closely when we go
to hang him up and see if his eye
does not grow moist.”
They had a rope made of seal hide,
and, cutting a pole with their hand
axes, stretched it across the narrow
end of the cavern and placed a rope
about Paul's neck.
"Now old man, confess that you
have lied, and swear that you will
take us to the gold, or this young
fellow will die.” Paul, who had not
heard the conversation between the
hermit and his captors, was unable
to explain their conduct to his own
satisfaction. He believed his last
hour had come and determined to
meet his fate like a hero. When told
to prepare for death, he rose, made
no resistance, and his arms were
tied behind his back. The noose was
adjusted about his neck, and he took
his position unde> the cross-bar, and,
closing his eyes, Murmured a short
prayer.
All eyes were on the other captive,
but he sat with face averted and said
not a word. There was no change in
his expression—no more Indication of
grief than might have been expected
at the death of a stranger. When the
miserable farce was over Paul had
been released, and the four rascals
retired again to confer with each
each other. Tom Ambrose said:
“Well, it's my opinion that we’ve
lost our last chance of ever getting
his buried millions.”
At this Padgett again proposed ms
knotted stick and swore be would
brain both wdth it, but he was pre
vented by Morris and Allen, who de
clared there should be no real vio
lence. The two prisoners were given
a meagre supper of dried beef and a
little meal gruel, and driven to the
far end of the cavern for the night.
When they were apart from the
guard Paul asked:
"What was meant by their extraor
dinary course to-day?”
"They labor under the mistaken
idea that we are related and both
have some knowledge of the buried
treasure. As they are mistaken they
will succeed In getting nothing from
us.”
‘I have been mystified at their
strange conduct all along,” said Paul,
“and I would not be surprised at any
time at their taking our lives.”
His companion shook his grizzled
head and answered:
"No, no; they won’t harm us so
long as we have the secret in our own
breasts. If we Bhould tell them and
they should find the treasure, then we
would be killed in short order.”
Paul shuddered, was silent for a
while and asked:
“Then you don’t believe we have
any hope of mercy at their hands?”
The sea captain answered:
“No.”
“Captain, let’s make our escape.”
“Sh! Speak lower; you may be
heard.”
“I will, but I am in earnest.”
‘So am I, but we must be cunning
as the fox to escape from those ras
cals.”
“I am willing to trust you implic
itly.”
“Then say nothing.”
Though night and day were the
same in that dungeon, the captors had
their sleeping and waking hours. Paul
and his companion threw themselves
on their miserable pallet of straw, but
not to sleep. They lay so they could
watch their captors.
At last, one after another, they be
gan to grow drowsy. One rose and
went toward the pile of straw, and
stretching himself upon it, was soon
snoring. A short quarrel followed on
the subject of guarding the prisoners.
Padgett was the man selected and
he swore he had done more than his
share at that business and he wouldn’t
do any more of it, but Morris, who
seemed the person In command, de
clared he must take his turn of two
hours, and left him on duty while
the others went to bed.
The whole matter could not have
been better planned for Paul, for Pad
gett was careless and yawned sleep
ily before his companions had closed
their eyes. For a long time he made
a fight against the wiles of Morpheus,
but at last his head dropped forward
on his chest.
Paul raised his own head and
shoulders from his pallet of straw
and surveyed the entire cavern at a
sweeping glance. There was a fire
burning in the center which threw out
a dull, ruddy glow, dimly lighting the
scene. Where the fire had been built
the cavern was wide, and from the
lofty ceiling ages ago great fragments
of stone had been torn loose and lay
in a heap on the floor, a little to one
side of the fire, leaving a dark path
in the shadow. Paul could also see
that their captors had placed their
rifles in a corner farthest from them.
The three men sleeping on the straw
were between the prisoners and the
rifles, which were on the right of the
sleeping sentry. All the advantages
and disadvantages of the position
were taken into consideration at a
glance. Paul's companion arose and
gave their surroundings a quick sur
vey, and then they exchanged glances.
The look was sufficient. They under
stood each other as well as if they
had spoken volumes. Paul was to look
after the guard and the captain to
seize the rifles. The young man
nodded assent to the request ex
pressed by the captain’s eyes, and be
gan to act. They rolled up the blank
ets and left them on the straw, with
their caps stuck over them, giving
them, in the uncertain light, the ap
pearance of two sleeping men. Paul
went first on hands and knees, creep
ing around the little mound of stone
and earth and over the loose stones
with all the caution posslblo. He
was closely followed by the hermit,
who seemed to possess the wonderful
faculty of moving without noise.
The sentry stirred in his sleep
when Paul was within ten or fifteen
paces of him. The determined youth
seized a stone and leaped towrard him.
Ned Padgett suddenly started up with
a yell and had half raised his rifle,
when the stone, hurled with great pre
cision and force, struck him on the
shoulder. Down he went under the
blow, dropping the rifle at Paul’s feet.
To seize the gun and turn at bay
on the others was the work of an in*
star.-t. They were starting up from
their sleep and Ben Allen shouted:
“The prisoners! They are making
their escape!"
CHAPTER XI.
The Dog Courier.
Paul Miller drew his rifle to hie
shoulder and let drive two or three
shots in quick succession, sending
their late captors flying helter skelter
to the rear of the cavern. Whether
any of them were wounded by his
bullets or not he did not stop to
learn. He then seized the rifles,
blankets and caps and the two men
hastened away from the cavern, tak
ing the precaution to secure not only
the rifles, but three pistols and all the
belts of cartridges they could find.
Both of them had filled their capa
cious pockets with dried moose meat
until they stuck out like stuffed tur
keys.
They broke two of the rifles because
they could not carry them and
strapped the others on their backs.
Long they traveled in a western di
rection, guided hy the stars. They
had given up all hope of finding their
Metlakahlan friends, who no doubt
supposing them lost, had returned to
their home on the island. After wan
dering three or four hours into the
forest and being completely ex
hausted, the two fugitives rolled
themselves in their blankets and
slept. They dared not build a fire,
for it might attract the attention of
their pursuers.
When day dawned they made a
brealifast on some of the dried moose
they had brought with them and pre
pared to resume their journey. They
discovered that they were gradually
ascending a mountain side. On ail
sides of them were forests of scraggy
spruce, the trees seldom being over
five or six inches in diameter, and
ferns and other forms of plant life
were occasionally noted.
At last they came to a great cleft
between gigantic snow-robed moun
tains.
The first night after they began
their ascent they camped on the
mountain side near a spring and
spread their blankets under the lee of
a large bowlder.
Hope had been revived in the breast
of Paul Miller, but his companion, who
had been deceived and cheated so
often by outrageous fortune, evinced
little or none of his spirits.
“We are a long way from civiliza
tion yet,” he said to one of Paul’s
remarks about their being safe. “So
often, my friend, have I had my hopes
raised only to be blighted that I al
low myself to believe nothing good
can come to me. A terrible fate
seems to have taken possession of my
being—I seem doomed.” The old gray
head was bent on his hands, and he
was silent, while darkness came over
the scene.
The next day’s travel over this un
known region was but a repetition of
the experiences of the day before.
Higher they climbed, up, up and up,
approaching on the mountain side the
line of eternal snow. A few hundred
yards more of climbing brought them
to the summit of the divide, where
there was a pile of stones which
seemed to have been placed there by
human hands. No life of any kind
was visible, unless that white speck
on the distant ledge bo a dog or a
goat.
(To be continued.)
BIBLICAL TALE OF POWER.
“Jezebel,” by Miss Lafayette Mo
Laws, Has Won Favor.
Miss Lafayette McLaw’s “When
the Land Was Young” instantly
sprang into popular favor, and for
a first book was a pronounced suc
cess. The promise in her first book
has been more than realized in “Jez
ebel,” a work of singular power and
insight. It is a Biblical tale of the
days when Omri and Ahab were
kings of Israel and Elijah was a
prophet of Jehovah. Ahab, the Is
raelite, takes to wife Jezebel, the
worshiper of Baal. When Ahab
comes to the throne and Jezebel sets
up the worship of Baal, the prophets
and believers of Israel are incensed
against the queen, and Jezebel be
gins a fierce persecution of her ene
mies. This contest is the chief mo
tive of the story.
Miss McLaws has endeavored to
throw new light upon the character,
of Jezebel, and, while she does nof
depart from the Biblical account, she
surely presents this strong-willed,
beautiful queen In a somewhat novel
and striking manner. We get
glimpses of Jezebel the woman as
well as Jezebel the queen, and it is
as a woman with warm passions and
jealous instincts that Jezebel is
most and best portrayed.
The book is replete with dramatic
situations, the action is rapid and
stirring, and the denouraent in orig
inal and startling. Altogether it is
one of the books of the day and a
distinct contribution to the novel
literature of Biblical days.
Keenness of Elephant's 8cent.
An elephant’s sense of smell is so
delicate that the animal can scent
a human being at a distance of 1,000
yards.
TARIFF IS THE ISSUE
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT BE
LIEVED TO FAVOR REVISION.
“The Iowa Idea” Has Many Supporters
in the industrial Centers of the East
—Subject la One That Cannot Be
Ignored.
According to interesting and inher
ently probable reports, President
Roosevelt will sound the keynote of
tariff revision In his western speeches.
His sympathies, there can be no doubt,
are with the reformers—with the au
thors of "the Iowa Idea,” and the
courageous and progressive minority.
Tariff revision is spoken of as a
western issue, but there is consider
able evidence that “the Iowa idea” is
quite popular in the industrial centers
of the East. Even Rhode Island and
Connecticut have been infected or af
fected by it, and the proposition to
lower the tariff on goods controlled by
powerful combinations is meeting
with favor among the wageworkers of
the very citadel of high protection.
The timid and timo-serving politicians
have been advising the president to
taboo the tariff issue, but the com
ments of the press upon his trust pro
gram must have convinced him that
the subject could not be Ignored. How
refreshing and inspiring a presidential
utterance In favor of the Iowa Idea, as
honestly and Intelligently Interpreted
by Gov. Cummins, would be, and what
a marvelous Impetus it would Impart
to the movement for freer trade and
a modern commercial policy!
Mr. Roosevelt has been criticised In
Democratic and Independent papers
for his silence on the tariff question,
especially In its relation to the trust
evils he had been so vigorously con
demning. Of course, in so far as these
strictures implied doubt as to Mr.
Roosevelt’s courage and sincerity, ref
utation of them would be a work of
supererogation. The whole course of
the administration belies and disposes
of such insinuations. The president
believes in determining what is right
in a given case and then “going ahead”
and defending the rignt against all
opponents. The tariff question is a
complex one, but the conclusions Mr.
Roosevelt will finally reach may con
fidently be indicated in advance. He
will eventually be found on the "Buf
falo platform” and in full accord with
the best and soundest thought of the
Republican party. To a program of
tariff revision there will be no such
opposition as his trust proposals have
provoked.—Chicago Tribune.
Plea for Tariff Reductions.
There are mossback Republicans as
well as mossback Democrats, and Con
gressmen Hopkins and Maun showed
that they belonged to that category in
their recent speeches. In contrast to
those purely conventional partisan
harangues is the address which was
made at Jamaica Plain by Ecgene N.
Foss, Republican candidate for Con
gress from the Eleventh Massachu
setts district, and it is vastly more
interesting and significant.
While Mr. Foss is a Republican not
only by profession but by the faith
that is revealed in much of his reason
ing, he realizes that the idea of the
inviolability of the Dingley bill or any
other tariff law is absurd, and he is
practical enough not only to recog
nize current facta but to understand
their true bearing upon government
policies.
His general plea Is that New Eng
land needs free raw material. That
may be a sectional plea, but there Is
no doubt that he makes It strong of
its kind, and just now there will be
a pretty widespread sympathy for the
New England demand for untaxed coal
from Nova Scotia. Though there is
no tariff on anthracite and this fuel is
bituminous, it is of a quality to relieve
the market when the importation of
anthracite Is out of the question. A
tariff on it is unquestionably a tax on
New England’s industries and a direct
encouragement to American coal
trusts, which do not need protection.
And Mr. Foss urges with good rea
son that the question of necessity is
the prime question to be considered
when section is pitted against section
in the game of protection. "Does any
one mean to say," he asks, "that the
steel trust needs the same degree of
protection a9 when the iron and steel
business of the country was an infant
industry?" Manifestly the purpose
now, when this concern is underbid
ding foreign competitors everywhere,
Is not to protect, but to mulct the
people.
Such glaring facts cannot be ignored
and the wise Republicans are those
who, like Mr. Foss and Gov. Cummins,
keep their heads above the sand and
the rest of their anatomy in a proper
relation thereto.
For Curbing the Trusts.
The bill for the control of trusts
which will be introduced in congress
by Representative Littlefield, and
which it is said will bo put forward
as an administrative measure, em
bodies provisions which will strength
en the popular belief in the sincere
purpose of the president and his ad
visers to secure legislation that will
be effective in checking monopoly and
in curbing the operations of the
ttusts.
It is now generally acknowledged
that the cheapening of the cost of
production and distribution through
the formation of industrial combines
may, if properly managed, redound to
the benefit of the public. Whether
thp consumer gets a share of the
benefits accruing from the combine or
not depends upon the managers of
the combine. If they appropriate all
the benefits for themselves and use
their power to raise prices, destroy
competition and create monopoly the |
combine becomes an evil that should
be corrected or wiped out by the
power of the federal government.
It is to prevent industrial com
bines from becoming monopolies that
the Littlefield measure is proposed. ;
Under this bill the man who sues a
trust and has the facts to prove that
he has suffered damage from the
operations of the combine is entitled:
First—To receive three times the
actual amount of damage suffered.
Second—To have all his lawyers’
fees paid by the trust.
Third—To have the trust pay all
other expenses of the suit, including •
the court costs. '
If a middleman, retail dealer, manu- ,
facturer, or other person can show
that he has suffered damage from the 1
restraint of interstate trade brought 1
about by a monopoly he may collect
three times the actual damage suffer- i
ed, and the trust will be required to i
pay all the expenses of the suit.
Moreover, under this bill, if enacted ,
into law, the presidents, managers i
and directors ef the alleged monono- [
lies may bo compelled to appear in
court and tell every detail of their
business and to produce all books,
papers and accounts that may be nec
essary to throw light on the opera
tions of these combines.
The question of constitutionality of
such a law will of course provoke
wide discussion among the lawyers
If It can be made to stick It gives
promise of a measure that will check
monopolistic tendencies of the trusts.
The Life Saver.
The Next Congress.
When congress adjourned the sen
ate stood: Republicans, 55; Demo
crats and other opposition, 33. Mary
land and Kentucky have already in
creased the opposition to 35. Mr
Newlands (Democrat) seems likely
to succeed Mr. Jones (Republican)
from Nevada. The Democrats also
hope to gain the North Carolina seal
now held by Mr. Pritchard, though
their success is by no means con
ceded.
On the other hand, the Republicans
consider well nigh certain theii
chances of gaining the scats of Har
ris (Democrat-Populist) of Kansas
and of Turner (Fusionist) of Wash
ington. In the remaining states no
change sufficient to alter their repre
sentation in the senate is really ex
pected by either party.
Balancing these hopes of gains on
either side, and passing over the Dela
ware vacancies as an insoluble puz
zle, it may safely be predicted that
the senate in the fifty-eighth congress
will stand about 34 opposition to
about 54 Republican.
The probable division of the next
house is much more difficult to esti
mate. The reapportionments made
necessary by its increase of member
ship from 357 to 386 have disturbed
old political affiliations in many states
and compelled reconstruction of local
machinery. These changes are likely
to alter the representation of a num
ber of districts, but, as they affect
both parties, do not seem likely to
have much effect on the general re
sult.
When congress adjourned the
house stood: Republicans, laa; uemo
crats and other opposition, 152; va
cancies 6. Experience has shown
that in “off years” the opposition has
a slightly better chance to gain con
trol of the house. The Democrats
will doubtless gain districts there. So
will the Republicans. The question
is which will make the larger gains,
and whether the Democratic gains
will be enough to give a majority in
the house.
There is really no reason why the
Democrats should control the next
house. That party has been able to
find no issue and no leader that
seems likely to change the opinions
of any great numbers of voters rfr to
remove public distrust of the Democ
racy.
The Real Reason.
"I have taken occasion to look this
matter up since reading of these reso
lutions, and I think I can find reason
for the recent price of meat other
than the protective tariff. I find that
there were received at the stock
yards in Chicago in the one month of
July, 1902, 05,000 less beeves and 170,
000 less hogs than in the same month
one year ago. That means 7,000 less
animals per day. The Q. road alone
during the entire month brought from
the southwest, where the corn crop
was a failure last year, 1,000 less fat
steers per day this year than last.”—
Secretary Shaw, at Morrisville, Vt,
Aug. 19, 1902.
Oldest Legislative Bodies.
With the exception of the British
Parliament, the Swedish Riksdag Is
the oldest of existing legislatire
bodies.
TRE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
ESSON II, OCT. 12; JOSHUA 3:9-17
—CROSSING THE JORDAN.
olden Text—“When Thou Passeat
Through the Waters. I Will Be With
Thee, and Through the Rivers, They
Shall Not Overflow Thee."—Isaiah
43:2.
I. The General Situation. The Position
f Israel. The children of Israel were
ncamped on a broad fertile plain on
he eastern or Moabite side of the Jor
an, about one hundred and fifty feet
bove the usual level of the Jordan,
flth the mountains of Moab behind them
.nd the flooded river before them, with
ericho six or seven miles distant from
he river on the other side. The plain
ehere they were encamped was from
ive to seven miles wide.
II. The Marching Orders.—Vs. 9*11. In
he first place the officers notified the
teople to prepare to cross the Jordan.
Phey were to sanctify themselves (v.
), set themselves apart for a special
livlne work, devote themselves anew
o God's service, cleanse themselves
rom all filthiness of the flesh, and of
leart and life. 9. "Hoar the words of
he Lord your God." Their taking pos
lesslon of the land was acoordlng to the
livlne will.
III. On the March.—Vs. 12-14. 12. "Now
herefore take you twelve men,” to
>rlng memorial stones from the river
>ed, as described later on. “Out of every
ribe a man,” so that each tribe should
le represented, and each feel a common
nterest In the event. No one trtbo
ihould have an advantage over tha
>thers.
Ana it snail come to pu*». i mm
/erne Is the promise of what Is described
n v. 16. as fulfilled.
Why This Season Was Chosen for
Crossing. This season of high water
yas wisely chosen; for (1) the miracle
was the more stupendous and lmpres
live to the Israelites. (2) It Inspired
:helr enemies with greater terror. They
would see In it the marvelous power of
3od. (3) Those enemies, had the cross
ng been attempted when the water was
ow, would have appeared upon the op
posite shores to annoy the Israelites.
IV hy, then, did they not dispute It upon
the present occasion? The answer is
simple. They trusted to the swollen rtv
sr, which they knew no army could
pross. (4) “The crossing in harvest was
Uso providentially ordered with refer
ence to the food of the people; they
entered the land when It yielded abund
mce (see Josh. 6; U, 12.).”—Rev. Dr, F.
Johnson.
17. “And the priests that bare the
trk." When they touched the water the
Btream subsided, and they bore the ark
Into the middle of the river bed, and
there “stood firm on dry ground," with
good footing and without rtinching from
fear of the waters rushing upon them
from above. This required no little faith.
The priests were about three-fifths of
a mile up stream above the people, and
were thus seen by all; and their faith
encouraged the people to venture Into
the bed of the river, “And all the Is
raelites passed over on dry ground.
Probably at different points, over a wldo
space. They were now fairly standing
upon the Promised Land, on the eve of
conquest, and after that, of rest. “The
ark stood above. The army passed be
low. The women and children, according
to the Jewish tradition, were placed in
the center, from the fear lest they should
be swept away by the violence of the
current. The host, at different points
probably, rushed across. The priests re
mained motionless, their feet sunk in the
deep mud of the river.”—Stanley, Jewish
Church. Thus tho whole people crossed
In safety. In a very few hours, and stood
for the first time in their new home.
They encamped at Gllgal. Then the river
returned to Its usual course There was
no retreat now. It was victory or death.
"The crossing of the Jordan was a crisis
In the world’s history. There Is only
one date In history transcending this
In Importance,—the date when across a
wider Jordan, the dividing line between
h#iven and earth, God came in the per
son of a little babe to make a conquest
of a world of promise."—Richard Glover.
2. A Jordan flows between us and
every best good of life.—new life, use
fulness, education, higher spheres, en
larged lives, the redeemed earth, heav
en,—our Promised Land.
3. “The crossing of the Jordan was
to be the great Initiative of the con
quest. Such crossing over Is unquestion
ably the great need of the majority of
Christians; not to make some slight
change, but to get upon new ground.
The great lesson of Jordan is the power
of Christ’s resurrection to separate us
not only from Egypt, but from all wil
derness wanderings, and to secure for
us an entrance into heavenly places.’’—
Miss Smiley.
4. New eras and epochs In life nro
often of great value. They may lift
the life to a higher level; they are doors
to a larger sphere and nobler vision.
6. God still does wondrous things for
his people, marvels that prove that he is
With them, and which encourage them to
go on in the conquest of evil,—marvels of
converting power, of holy lives, of tri
umph over temptation, trouble, and
death.
6. Every one needs to lane a oeeiaou
stand, a positive step that cannot be
retraced, and commit himself to the side
of right and of Clod. A decided stand la
often more than half a victory.
7. Death Is like the river Jordan, sep
arating us from tho blessedness of the
future life. See 2 Cor. 5: 1, 8; Phil. 1; 23;
Luke 23 : 43. The scene in Bunyan's Pil
grim's Progress, where Christian reaches
the River of Death, and is welcomed by
the shining ones on the other side. Com
pare the hymns, "There is a lund of
pure delight,” and “On Jordan's rugged
banks I stand.”
8. We need to keep in mind what God
has done for us in tho past.* The Chris
tian sacraments are memorials which
hold the great truths of the gospel be
fore tho mind. They are irrefragable
witnesses to the great facts of Chris
tianity. They are a public and un
ceasing testimony to the world about
God and Christ and the gospel. Every
where their voice is heard. They are
an easy occasion and method of teach
ing the great truths of religion. The
Sabbath, the Lord's Supper, Easter,
Christmas are Christian memorials. The
»urth of July, Thanksgiving Day. New
Year's, Decoration Day are patriotic me
morials. Birthdays, marriage anniver
saries, commencement days, etc., are per
sonal memorials. Rightly kept, ail those
are a means of education and of per
petuating great truths.
Fitted for the Task.
The writers of the Bible were all of
the Jewish race. This fact sheds a
flood of light on the Bible. Certain
races have a peculiar fitness for cer
tain things—the Greek for art, for in
stance, and the Anglo-Saxon for civil
isation. So the Jews had a genius for
religion. The Bible in all its various
parts ie essentially a religious book.
God is the center of all its thoughts.
It represents the supreme product of
that raoe whose genius was religion
tor ages.—Rev. P. F. Sutphen,
