' --—
By JOHN R. MUSICK,
Author of “Myotorlon* Mr. Howard," "Tb*
Dark Stranger,” -'Charlie Allendale'*
Double," Etc.
Oopj-rtgfct, 1W7. hr Hobbit BobbuC* Son.
All rlrhU reserved.
CHAPTER XVI.—(Continued.
"Did you leave the others there?”
“Yes; an’ lomme tell ye, it’ll take
four to manage that woman. I
couldn’t stay in the same camp and
Bet up quarters by a big black stump
half a mile away from her.”
“Curse such luck! I wish the men
had stayed.”
“Why? W7io are you afraid of?”
“I don't know who ho is, only he
rails himself the Old Man of the
Mountains.”
"Where Is he?”
"In her tent.”
"Where did he come from?”
"Looks as if he had slid down the
peak of some iceberg. Go and take
a squint at him.”
Cummins, though a coward when
thero was a woman in the case, had
little fears of men. Creeping stealth
ily up to the tent he peeped in and
beheld the “Old Man of the Moun
tains,” seated on a camp stool before
the :;air Laura, his rifle between his
knees, while she was telling him her
story.
“Umph! It's old St. Js’ick or an
escaped Selkirk. Looks as If he
bristled with weapons, and I don’t
doubt but he can use ’em. The boss
is right, for a glimpse o’ that face
and the arsenal ho carries Is enough
to give a polar bear the ager.”
Notwithstanding the unprepossess
ing appearance of the man from the
mountains, he pressed his ear close
to the tent to listen to tho conversa
tion between the two.
“Why did you come to Alaska, my
poor child?”
i came 10 nna me man i loyc. My
Paul, who was lost.”
I.aura told the old man her atory
and at the conclusion said:
"He tells me Paul is dead I do
not believe him. He has deceived me
on more than one occasion, and he
will do so again if it serves his pur
pose. My heart tells me Paul lives.”
“My child, that silent monitor is
never wrong. Your Paul lives. He is
not far away, but he, you and I are in
great peril. We must act with caution
and secrecy or we will all be dead
before morning. These men are des
perate criminals. Will you trust me?”
“Yes, with my life!”
“Pretend as if you had heard noth
ing, but be ready to act as I direct.”
“Do you know where Paul is?”
“Yea, but he is under a strong
guard. Is there no one with the
train you can trust? No Indian or
Esquimo?"
“I do not understand them nor
they me; but I have my trusty ser
vant, Ben Holton."
y “Where is he?”
“He was sent to-day to see if the
pass could be opened.”
“The pass has not been closed,”
taid the hermit. “My dear daughter,
sending him oft was only an excuse to
get your friends out of the way; but
All is well. Heaven is on your side
and directed me here.”
"Humph! We’ll see about that!”
growled Cummins, rising from his
knees. “They kin put their trust in
what they like, but if the boss will
let me have my way, I’ll put mine in
about ten inches of cold steel!”
He hurried to I.ackland, who was
sitting on a sled, his face expressing
the deepest anxiety. In as few words
ns possible he narrated the interview
between the mysterious old man and
I.aura. Lackland made several ef
forts to speak before he finally suc
ceeded, then, in a voice strangely un
oatural, he said:
“It has come at last! I hoped I
would be spared bloodshed, but there
Js no help for it. Since it must come,
let it come. We will do our worst. If
the old man and Paul Miller are In our
way, let them die!”
“Well, there will be little time
to act.”
1 AUUH It.
Lackland, who still shrank from the
thought of committing murder him
self, began to plan to have his myrmi
dons do all the work, and agreed very
readily to have reinforcements.
"I think it would be well for you to
start back and get two of the men,”
he said. “Can’t you do it in a few
hours?”
“Yes; on snowshoes I can make it
by to-morrow noon. Let us leave
the valley and start down the trail.”
They had to cross the river to reach
the trail, but by this time the Yukon
was frozen over, so they crossed on
the ice.
They had scarce got over when they
saw three forms coming along the
trail.
“There they are now,” said Lack
land.
The three forms could be seen com
ing hurriedly up the path and, when
they drew nearer, the form of the old
man could be seen coming along be
hind.
“Holton, come here!” said Lackland.
As the old man advanced toward him.
the Indians were ordered across the
river on the ice.
“What d'ye want, Mr. Lackland?”
“Your mistress sent for you to go
back and meet Miss Willis—”
“Me go back!” gasppd old Ben.
‘This do seem monster queer. Why,
I jn about petered out. I don’t believe
y I kin go a mile furder.”
“It’s not. t>rer t mile.”
“We'll try t’ stand it.'*
Lackland took the arm of tie tired,
faithful old fellow and led him as rap
idiy as he could travel until the car
ern was reached.
"Is that the place, Cummins?” he
asked.
“Yes.”
“Come In her*—la this cavern!”
“What for?”
‘Shut your infernal mouth and come
on; you taik too much!”
“I won't go!” he cried, for his sus
picions began to be aroused, and he
made an effort to pull away.
The faithful old man seemed to
realize that in some way this attack
had reference to his mistress, and
he fought with the desperation of a
madman; but he was choked into
insensibility, and Lackland said:
“Take him up! Drag him in there,
and tie him hard and fast!”
Cummins obeyed instructions, and
a few' moments later emerged from
the cave, raying:
“Well, boss, that's done.”
“Yes, but there is not a second to
lose, for the old man at the camp will
not be dealt with so easily. You
mii3t get two or three of the others,
if they have not gone, and bring them
here at once. Don't waste a moment,
for everything depends on getting re
inforcements before daylight.”
The nights in Alaska were long at
this season, and it was possible for
reinforcements to arrive before dawn.
CHAPTER XVII.
A Grcan In the Dark.
When Paul Miller leaped from his
pallet and rushed from tho door of
the hut, he was a3 insane as any
inmate of a madhouse.
“Oh, stop! stop! stop!" shrieked
Kate Willis. “Where are you goin'—
where are you goin’?”
“Laura! Laura!” he shouted.
“Laura! Oh, my goodness saLes
alive, does he know’ her?” cried Miss
Willis, clapping her hands as a new
and wonderful thought burst or. her
mind. “It can’t be—it must be—lie is
the girl's lover! He must be her
Paul!” She shouted to some of tho
Indian porters left to look after the
camp:
"Stop him!”
The Indians were soon on him, had
him tied with mooseskin thongs and
carried him back to tho shanty, where
he was lain on the bed. Kate followed
them, sobbing frantically and groan
ing:
"He’s dead! They've killed him
and I'm to blame for it. Oh, what a
fool I’ve played all the way through!”
He breathed and, placing her head
on his breast, she discovered that his
heart still beat Sac placed the kettle
over the little oil stove and prepared
some nourishment, bound up his head,
which was slightly bruised, and soon
had his eyes open. No sooner was he
rational enough to recall what had
happened than he began to sob.
"Don’t take on so!” the kind-hearted
woman said. "I tell ye, ye couldn’t
have got a mile away from here! Ye
would have died and ye must know
it!"
"But Laura, my darling, in the
power of that man!”
"Say, let’s you and I understand
each other, an’ then there won’t be
any danger of making mistakes. Are
you Paul Miller, who’s been dead so
long?”
“I am Paul Miller and they may
have reported me dead.”
"From Fresno, California?”
“Yes, from Fresno, California.”
"Have you a sweetheart called
Laura Kean?”
"Yes—yes! It w-as she you told
me had gone on—and I will—”
“Now, look here! 1 am your friend.
I am the best friend you and Laura
ever had aside from yerselves. If ye’ll
jist listen t’ me, we’ll outwit the
whole caboodle an’ show ’em what's
what yit.”
Kate told him he must pretend to
be a great deal worse than he really
war. and she would report that she
believed he was going to die. He
at once fell in with the plan, with the
assurance that as soon as he was
strong enough ho was to start secret
ly for the camp where Laura was
waiting for her companion to join
them.
mpanwmie mere was a cnauge in
guard. Cummins was relieved and
four men sent to take his place. The
Indians went with Cummins, and
Kate had four white men to contend
with.
She often eavesdropped the four
men when at quarters, and gained
enough of their plans to realize that
they must act promptly.
The very night the “Old Man of the
Mountains,” as he called himself, so
suddenly appeared in the tent where
I.aura was expelling her unwelcome
suitor, they set out. On and on they
hastened over the frozen snow, and
Paul’s heart began to beat with pleas
ure. But hark! What are those omi
nous sounds in their ears? They have
been four or five hours on the route
when they hear the sound of feet
crushing the hardened snow.
“Paul!” ICnte whispered, “we are
pursued! Can you run? ’
“I can—and I can do more—I can
shoot!”
“Run first and shoot when you have
to. Gimme yer hand.”
The strong woman took his hand in
her own and they ran along the snow
covered trail swiftly as hares. They
were almost at the point where the
river was crossed on the ice when
a voice behind them cried:
"There they go!”
“Halt—stop, or we'll fire!”
Paul wheeled around and leveled
his rifle at one of the dark objects
coming toward him, but Just a3 his
finger was ready to press the trigger
he was struck a blow between the
shoulders, which sent him sprawling
in the snow.
It was Cummins, going after rein
forcements. who came up at this in
opportune moment.
The nta prisoners were lifted from
the ground and carried to the cavern,
where they were left tied hard and
fast, their fates to be determined
later.
Paul Miller was not unconscious at
any time, and when h© found himself
tied, lying on the hard floor of the cav
ern, he began to calculate on hit
chances.
Suddenly he heard a groan in the
darkness.
“Kate—Kate—was that you?" h»
whispered.
“No!” was the answer.
“Who was it?”
And another hollow groan came on
their ears.
“Great goodness gracious! What is
it?” shrieked Kate Willis. “What is
it?”
“Hush, Kate!” whispered Paul.
"Soir.o other unfortunate is here as
well as ourselves! ’
Then cam© another deep groan,
which seemed to be only a few paces
away.
“Who are you?” asked Paul.
“I’m Ben Holton,” came a feeble
answer. “I ain't done nothin’ t’ be
tied up here an' left t’ die in this
way!”
"I know him!” gasped Kate. “He
was Laura’s faithful servant!”
In the anguish of his soul Paul
groaned:
“Oh, Laura. Laura, why can I nol
reach your side and save you from
those fiends?”
Paul had deep thoughts, but kepi
those to himself. He still had faith
that heaven would never permit Buch
an evil as these unscrupulous men
contemplated to succeed. IIow
divine interposition would come he
had no idea, but he believed it would
come.
At that very moment Paul had a
faithful friend of whom he had never
thought coming to him. The dog
courier that had borne the tidings
that he and his companion were per
i O 11 1 II f-, 1U lliv I.WIVJV •»» -» • —
a strange fondness for him.
On the night Paul left, his canine
friend was tied with the other dogs,
lest he should follow and betray their
flight. The dumb brute determined
to follow, and when Paul was gone
set to w'ork to deiiberattdy gnaw the
seal riata in twain. His sharp incis
ors did the work and his keen sense
of smell soon told him the course they
had gone, and he finally brought up
at the cavern.
Paul was lost In painful thought
when he suddenly felt the touch of a
cold nose tip on his cheek and be
came aware that a friend was near.
The dog sniffed about him for a mo
ment, and, reaching his wrists, at
last, realizing that something was
wrong, seized the thonfce with his
teeth and began pulling At them.
“What is that noise?” asked Kate
Willis.
“Be quiet!” Paul answered in an
undertone.
The sharp teeth of th* deg were
silently cutting the thongs, which
tied his master. In a fewr minutes
Paul’s hands were free. Then antying
his ankles, he crept to where Kate
sat against the big rock, her aims tied
around it.
“Who’s that?’ she asked.
“Keep quiet!” he whispered. Kate
was a bit nervous and very anxious
to know if there was any chance foi
escape, but she restrained her nat
ural inclination and said nothing.
Paul released her and went next
to old Ben Holton w'ho was groaning
as if he was breathing his last.
The old fellow, dumb with aston
ishment for a moment, blurted out:
“Be ye agoin’ t’ untie me?”
“No, no. ye won’t!” roared the sen
try, who began to suspect what was
up. Lighting a torch, ho started tt
the interior of the cavern, where
they had left the captives, when sud
denly there came a sharp growl, an
oath, a cry and a man was on his
back, a furious dog at his throat.
(To be continued.)
TRADE IN OLD CLOTHES.
Philadelphia Does Large Business in
Cast-Off Raiment.
Philadelphia is said to do a biggei
business in old clothes, say3 the New
York Commercial—that is, of course,
in the cast-off or second and third
hand clothes of men—than any other
city on the American continent. It
is the center of the trade in the east
and the buyers of New York—men
with bags from Canal, Hester and
Baxter streets—and from all over the
middle states “work” the City ol
Brotherly Love for old clothes every
business day of the year. These out
siders number nearly 600 on an aver
age. The capital invested in the old
clothes trade of Philadelphia aggre
gates $3,500,000. There are about
1,000 flourishing retail stores, and tae
average value of their stocks is set
by experts in the trade at $3,000. Eaen
of a half dozen stores carries goods
valued at $15,000 or $20,000. Each
store gives employment to three per
sons on an average—the proprietor,
his wife, and the “busheler.” oi
mender. In all there are fully 3,000
in the retail shops.
Honduras in Hard Straits.
Honduras, since 1900, has had no
market for her cattle. In the past she
depended on Guatemala, but financial
conditions in that republic have close]
the market.
All He Needed.
“Wonder what Brown needs to
make him a successful author?'
“Nothing but a story to tell, and
brains to tell it."—Atlanta Constltu
tion.
Value of Texas Cattle.
It is said that Texas alone markets
$50,010,000 worth of cattle annually.
TARIFF AND FARMERS
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AL
WAYS AN EASY MARK.
When Potatoes, Beans or Onionc Hap
pen to Bring Profitable Prices. Take
Off the Tariff and Thus Deprive the
Farmer of His Legitimate Advan
tage.
Among the many expressions which
tho Now York Commercial has printed
in connection with the plan of taking
the tariff out of politics and placing it
in the hands of a bipartisan commis
sion none is more interesting and use
ful in pointing out how not to do it
than that of Mr. Charles H. Parsons
cf the Parsons Fruit company. This
jentlemau is quoted as saying:
“I certainly am in favor of a tariff
commission, non-partisan preferable.
Our President in his several speeches
last month entered quite fully into the
subject and a large majority of the
people are with hint. A tariff is neces
sary and should be one for the benefit
of all if possible. A tariff for the
benefit of the manufacturer! neces
sarily is for the benefit of our work
men, and when they are employed at
good wages the entire country is pros
perous.
“The President should have the
power if he, with the advice of the
eomnzission, should consider it neces
sary for the benelit of the country (In
case of shortage of our crops or pro
longed strikes) to suspend for a time
the collection of dizzies on articles af
fected thereby. For instance, had he
the collection of duties on articles af
on coal we should all feel much
easier, as the situation before us is
certainly alarming. If there were no
duty on coal and prospects of large
importations the present controversy
might reach an early settlement.
“When there is a failure of any of
the crops that are necessary to the
support of mankind, such as potatoes,
onions, apples, beans, etc., the duty
should be suspended for the time be
ing. thereby enabliz.g all to procure
them, if not at reasonable prices, at
least at much lower than if we have to
depend on our home supply.”
The simplicity of this scheme of
tariff tinkering is one of its chief
charms. An article has increased in
price through diminished supply or
abnormal demand. All you have to
do is to take ofT the tariff and the
price is forthwith lowered by foreign
competition. Wages are too high to
suit some people. Lower them by re
moving the tariff. Very easy, very
simple. Much too simple many will
think. The American farmer would
be quite certain to think so. It is the
votes of American farmers that sup
port and maintain the protection prin
ciple. Take away the votes of agricul
tural protectionists and we would
have free trade in short order.
None the lfess it is a remarkable
fact that all schemes of tariff reduc
tion seem to point first to the Ameri
can farmer. He must be thought an
easy mark by our politicians and
statesmen if one is to judge by the
readiness with which they pick him
out for sacrifice and slaughter. If he
glows sugar beets in Michigan or to
bacco in Connecticut, no matter; take
away the sugar and tobacco duties in
the name of “relief” or of “reciproci
ty.”
Take the Parsons idea of spasmodic
free trade in potatoes, onions, apples,
beans, etc. There is a potato crop
failure in ten states and a more than
average potato crop in ten other
states, as often happens. Now, it
won’t do at all to give the farmers in
the ten full crop states the benefit
of the higher prices that will naturally
I come necause or me crop raiiure in
the ten other states. The farmer
might do too well, might make too
much money. It is true that his last
year’s potato crop was hardly worth
the digging because of the heavy yield
all over the country and the conse
quent drop in prices. Don’t let him
recoup last year's losses by this year’s
higher prices. Take off the Dingley
tariff duty of 25 cents a bushel and
give the benefit to the potato farm
ers of Canada, Ireland and Germany.
If beans are abnormally high on ac
count of short crops, because of
storms or other unfavorable condi
tions in some sections, shall not the
farmers who were lucky enough to
grow good crops of beans take advan
tage of the improved prices? No,
says Mr. Parsons; take off (he Dingley
duty of 45 cents a bushel; take 45
cents off the market value of every
bushel of beans grown by American
farmers. When apples or onions are
scarce and high priced remove the
Dingley rate of 40 cents a bushel. No
matter if a million or more American
farmers are thereby robbed of a nat
ural and legitimate chance of getting
better prices this year than they got
last year. What is wanted is cheaper
apples and onions. The farmer can go
hang himself.
No, Mr. Parsons, you won't do. You
are evidently a very raw’ protection
ist. a very crude economist and a very
bad politician. The party that knocks
off the tariff from labor products when
w’ages are high and knocks off the
tariff from farm products when their
price is abnormally high will not last
long in this country, whether the
knocking off be done by an irrespon
sible bipartisan tariff commission or
by legislative enactment. Some shal
low tricks of tariff tinkering have al
ready been attempted in connection
with farm products. It would not be
wise to try any more tricks of the
same sort.
Dolllver's Queer Attitude.
Senator Dolliver occupies a peculiar
attitude. He thinks the tariff ought
to be modified on account of the enor- j
mous profits that are made by the
trust* and then in the next breath he
says he is not alarmed about the
trusts, that they will work out their
own salvation or destruction. The
Iowa platform calls for modification of
the tariff to hit the trusts and now the
senator says there are no trusts, or at
least comes near saying that. The ex
planation is that Dolliver does not be
lieve in modifying the tariff, but
thinks the people want it done—and
his belief in regard to trusts is one
common to a good many people. The
senator, however, in answering Speak
er Henderson, admitted that he did not
believe it possible for a Republican
congress, meeting in December next,
to reorganize and revise the tarifT. We
agree with both the senator and speak
er in admitting that there are incon
sistencies all along the line, also
much useless debate, and that it is
time to get together. However, there
are a good many Republicans who will
be unable to get togelbey so long as
the silly nonsense is going around to
the effect that McKinley was the vir
tual author of the Cedar Rapids plat
form, etc. Such statements are dis
gusting to the intelligence of men,—
Des Moines Capital.
MORE BRYAN CLAPTRAP.
j Attempt to Fool Workingmen on ths
Subject of Protection.
“Labor is able to travel on its owt
feet,'' says Mr. Bryan, in the latest is
sue of his journal, "solely because la
bor has been compelled to walk with
out assistance Bue the 'infant indus
tries’ must be provided with ‘jumpers,’
‘perambulators,’ patent walking de
vices and all kinds of supports and
protection. The working masses must
fight their own way, hut capitalists
must be given government bounty,
protection and a chance to wrest an
undue profit from the people.”
Mr. Bryan has been given credit foi
sincerity in his political utterances,
fallacious as they customarily are. ft
is difficult to believe he was sincere
when he wrote the above extract. The
absurdity of the statement, its gross
falseness, stands out In every sen
tence and every line.
The workingmen of this country un
derstand, if Mr. Bryan doesn’t, thal
they have had a large share of th«
protection given by national legisla
tion to infant industries. No intelli
gent person will dispute that Ameri
can industries have been greatly stim
ulated and strengthened by the pro
tection congress has afforded them.
Whether this protection has not beet
given at the expense of consumers ll
a question which free traders may hon
estly ask, but there is no honest doubl
in any rational quarter that the r®
suits have been beneficial to the in
dustries protected and to the labo)
they employ.
To undertake to separate the pros
perlty of American Industries from th«
prosperity of American labor is non
sensical. The superior condition o!
American workingmen, as comparec
with foreign workingmen, Is due verj
largely to the better wages they havs
received under the protective system
and made possible by that system
There was a time when our working
men could be deceived by claptrap a
the kind quoted above, but that tinn
has passed. They have learned by in
dubitable experience that they hav»
employment and good wages when I
protective law is In force, and thal
they have neither when a low tarifl
law is substituted. Mr. Bryan is wast
ing ink when he writes that labor h
not benefited by protection to home in
dustry.—Kansas City Journal.
Nothing Doing.
The Tariff Tinker searches tha
Dingley Law in vain for anything
which shelters these great monopolies
The Safe Plan.
’’.those who are clamoring for revi
sion will not In any event be pacified
by the promise of one eighteen months
hence. The real truth is that this
clamor had Its origin among free
trade Democrats. They worked up
the same sort of a movement in 1883
and when tne Republicans made a re
dr.ction, in harmony, as they believed,
with the principles of protection, these
same free trade Democrats used the
fact that this reduction hurt certain
industries to array those industries
against the Republican party and
thereby defeat it. The entirely safe
plan Is to ignore free trade clamor,
stand by prosperity and seek a safe
way. when the conditions are ripe, to
make such tariff changes as are actual
ly needed. There is certainly nothing
in the alleged tariff revision to war
rant Republican nervousness.—Toledo
Times.
Always.
The number of sheep in the United
Slates has increased twenty millions
since the repeal of the Wilson tariff.
A protective tariff always did Increase
the health of tho farmer—Cllntoi
(Mo.) Republican.
i
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VII, NOV. 16; JUDGES 2:7
16—THE TIME OF THE JUDGES.
Golden Text—"They Cry Unto the
Lord in Their Trouble, and He Sav
eth Them Out of Their Distresses"
—Psalms 107:19.
_ * , A * *
I. The Hook of Judges.—The Name.
This book Is so named because it Is the
record of the exploits of some of the
leaders, heroes, champions, and deliver
ers of Israel during one marked period
of their history, extending from the Con
quest of Palestine to the period of the
kings. "They were more like Peter the
Hermit and Jeanne d'Arc than like Ro
man dictators.”—Seelye. In most caeca
they gained their authority by their
great personal qualities and executive
powers, shown by their military success
in delivering the people from the op
pressors.
The Period of the Judges. According to
1 Kings 6:1, there were 480 years between
the Exodus and the commencement of
the Temple In the fourth year of Solo
mon's reign. Deducting from this the
•10 years in the wilderness, 25 years of
Joshua in Canaan, ami 20 or 40 for 8aul's
reign, 40 for David's reign, and 3 years of
Solomon’s reign, the period of the Judges
would be 4>0— 148 = 332 years (or 480 —
128 — 352 years), including the Judgeships
of Eli and Samuel up to the beginning of
the reign of Saul. Of tills about 280
years belong to the book of Judges. Hut
if we add together the numbers given
in Judges they amount to 410 years.
II. The Death of Joshua.—Vs. 6-9. 6.
"And when Joshua." On the life and
character of Joshua, see Lesson 1 of this
Quarter. "Let the people go," as In
Josh. 24:28. It therefore probably refers
to their departure from the great meet
ing in Sheehem after his farewell ad
diess, and their so.emn covenant.
7. "Served the laird all the days of
Joshua.” So deep was the Impress of
this great and good man upon the na
.lon. "All the days of the elders.” Those
who were leaders by reason of age and
ability. This Implies some kind of at
least local political organization. "These
elders would bo old enough to take part
in the war of Canaan twenty-five years
before, according to Judg. 3:1, 2; and
therefore reckoning from the age of
twenty to seventy, we cannot bn far
wrong in assigning a period of about
fifty years front the entrance into Ca
naan to the death of the elders, or twen
ty or twenty-live years after the death of
Joshua.”—Cook.
o. ./viiu diisr.ua . . • uiou. * a.
are a repetition of Josh. 24:28-31, with
slight variations.
3. "Hurled him ... In Tlmnath
heres" (or Serah In Joshun), In tho
mount (hill country) of Ephraim, “about
nine miles south of Shecliem."—Geo. Ad
am Smith. i
IV. The Fall Into Sin—Vs. 11-13. 11.
"And the children of Israel did evil.”
They first forgot God (v. 10). Their faith
lost its reality and power. The decay of
faith Is the prelude to the decay of mor
als. "In the sight of the l.ord," In the
presence of his commandments, and in
view of his works of goodness, and his
past punishments of sin. The sin was
treason towards their God. It was re
bellion to his face. "And served." "Tho
true religion Is a service of love and rev
erence; but all false religion is a service
of superstition and terror. The Impeni
tent often think that by refraining from
being Christians they escape service;
while, on the contrary, they serve Satan,
who Is a cruel master and whose wages
are death."—Johnson.
12. "And they forsook the Lord.'*
Probably not all, but enough to repre
sent the nntlon. "The grand success of
the reformation achieved by Samuel, and
such glimpses of Hebrew life as are giv
en In the book of Ruth, seem to Imply
that, as a whole, there was always a lat
ent religious life in the mass of the peo
ple, needing only to be roused and puri
fied."—Geikie. "Which brought them out
of the land of Egypt.” Who had done
such wonders for them; to whom they
owed their very existence as a nation.
This is stated to show the ingratitude,
the folly, and the treason the Israelites
committed in forsaking God. "And pro
voked the l.ord to anger.” "They exas
perated Jehovah.” There was no passion,
no vindictiveness, but grief and Indigna
tion, an Intense feeling against sin. The
people he wished to save refused to be
saved. The people for whom he was do
ing great things, for whom he was seek
ing a glorious and blessed career,
through whom he would save and uplift
the world, were basely casting theso
pearls away, and like swine trampling
tln-rn under their feet.
V. What God did to Have and Restore.
—Vs. 14-16. First. He made them suffer
the Consequences of their Sins. 14. "The
anger (indignation) of the Lord was hot."
What had seemed dull and tame to them
blazed up In a fiery flame. The more
Intense the love, the more Intense also
the indignation. If the feelings against
sin do not flame and burn, then the love
also Is a feeble thing.
Second. "He delivered them," or pun
ishment. Their enemies were only the
Instruments In the hands of God. From
whatever source the punishment of sin
comes, it Is from God. "Into the hands
of spoilers." Those who took the spoils
of war; also robbers, plundering bands.
"Ancient warfare was always attended
by the greatest cruelties; it was always
predatory; the property of the people was
taken away, and the people themselves
carried in bonds as slaves. Modern war
fare Is sufficiently horrible; but the an
cient was tenfold more horrible.”—John
son. "He sold them." For the sake of th«
spoils which attracted them, the fruits
of Israel's prosperity, the nations were
allowed to gain victories over them, "so
that they (the Israelites) could not any
longer stand before their enemies.” Lux
ury and vice weakened them, disobedi
ence lessened their patriotism, conscious
ness of wrong took away their courage
and manliness, their turning from God
aroused Jealousies and caused divisions.
They ate of the fruit of their own doings
and were tilled with their own devices
Second. He gave them Deliverance. 1G.
"Nevertheless." God punishes his people,
but he does not destroy them. As soon
as his discipline has led them to repen
tance and to a better life, he delivers
them from the evils their sins had
brought upon them. "The Lord raised
up," in various ways, by various means,
sometimes by a direct call, sometime*
by natural methods of his providence.
Rut In all cases it was the Lord who did
it. "Judges," deliverers. Gcd by his good
ness would lead them to repentano*. This
is the motive God loves to apply to men
so long and so far as possible.
Do Net Compromise.
It is a failure in our Christian
social economy that every one can
not have a rest. The spiritual activ
ity of vacation time should be direct
ed both to the personal culture ol
one's own spiritual life and also to
the exerting of a personal influence
m one’s fellow men. Beware of the
subtle influence that pervades all the
resting places and leads one to com
promise the high standards of Christ
ian life.—Rev. Dr. Johnston, Presby
terian, New York city.