I
h
8
.1
i
ABOVE ALL.
pr. Talmago Dlscourooa on tho Pro
emlnonce of Christ.
. KloqnaiitTrlbiito to threatnmianI
Mercy of tlin NIour-Tli llmutlca
of tho tlonpol Depleted In
dinning Word.
In continuing his sermons in London
Rev. T. DoWltt Tnlmngo, In a lato dis
course, selected for Ills subject tho "Pro
eminence o( Christ," taking his text
from John, 111, Sit "Ho thnt comuth
from nbovo Is above alL" lto Raid:
Tho most conspicuous character of
history stops out upon tho platform.
Tho linger which, diamonded with light,
pointed down to him from tho Beth
lehem sky wns only a ratification
of tho finger of prophecy, tho finger of
penralogy, tho linger of chronology, tho
linger of ovents all llvo fingers point
ing In ono dlroctlon. Christ In tho over
topping figure of nil time. Ho la tho
vox hum mm in all music, tho graceful
est lino In all sculpture, tho most ex
qutslto mingling of lights and shades in
all painting, tho nemo of all climaxes,
tho domo of all cathcdrallcd grandeur
nnd thu peroration of all splendid lan
guage. Tho Greek alphabet Is tnado up of
twenty-four luttcrs and when Christ
compared Himself to tho first letter and
tho last letter, tho alpha and tho ome
ga, Ho appropriated to Himself all tho
Bplcndors that you can spell out either
vlth those two letters uud all letters
between them. "I am tho alpha and
omega, tho beginning and tho cud, tho
first and tho last." Or If you prefer thu
words of tho text "abovo all."
It means, after you havo piled up all
Alplnonml Himalayan altitudes, tho
glory of Christ would hnvo to spread Its
wings and descend 1,000 leagues to
touch those Biimmlls. 1'ellon, a high
mountain of Thcssalyj Ossa, a high
mountain, nnd Olympus, a high mount
ain; but mythology tolls us when tho
giants warred against tho gods they
piled up these thrco mountains, nnd
from tho top of them proposed to scale
the heavens-, but tho height was not
great enough and there was a complete
failure. And after all tho giants
Inaiah and Paul, prophetic and apostolic
giants; Huphacl and Michael Angulo,
artistic, giants; cherubim and seraphim
nnd archnngpl, celestial giants havo
failed to climb to thu top of Christ's
glory, they might all well uuito In the
words of tho text and say, "Ho that
coinuth from abovo Is all."
First, Christ must bo above all olso in
our preaching. Thoro nro also many
books on homilctica scattered through
tho world that all luyincu, as well as
nil clergymen, have made up their minds
what sermons ought to bo. That ser
mon is most effectual which most
pointedly puts forth Christ us tho par
don of all sin and tho correction of all
evil, indlvlduul, social, political, na
tional Thuro is no reason why wo
should ring thu endless changes on a
few phrases. Thero aro thoso who
think that If an exhortation or a dis
course hnvo frequent uiontton of Justifi
cation, winetillcatlon, covenunt of works
and covonant of grace, thut therefore
it must bo profoundly evungullcnl,
while they arc susptelous of a discourse
which presents the sumo truth, but un
der different praseology. Now, I say
there is nothing in all the opulent realm
ef Anglo-Snxonlsin or ull tho word
treasures that wo inhorltcd from tho
Latin and tho Greek and tho Indo
liuropcuu but wo havo a right to mnr
ahal it lu religious discussion. Christ
eats tho example. Ills Illustrations
wero from tho grass, tho flowers, tho
spittle, tho salvo, tho bamyurd fowl,
tho crystals of salt, as well us from tho
bcus and tho stars; and wo do not pro
pose In our Sabbath school teaching
and in our pulpit address to bo put on
tho limits.
I know that there is a great deal Bald
in our day against words, as though
they wero nothing. They may bo mis
used, but they have an Imperial power.
Thoy nro tho brldgo between soul and
aoul, betweon Almighty God and tho
human race. What did God write upon
tho tablets of stone? Words. What
lld Christ utter on Mount Olivet?
Words. Out of what did Christ strlko
the spark for tho illumination of tho
tho unlvcrsu? Out of words. "Lot thero
bo light," nnd light wna. Of course,
-thought is tho cargo and words aro only
tho ship; but how fast would your cargo
got on wiinoui mo snip' What you
need, my friends, lu all your work, in
your Sabbath school class, in your re
formatory institutions, nnd what wo
nil need is to enlarge our vocabulary
when wocomo to speak about God, and
Christ, nnd Heaven. Wo rldo a few old
words to death whon thero Is such illim
itable resource. Shakespeare employed
15,000 different words for.dramatle pur
poses; Milton employed 8,000 different
words for poetlu purposes; ltufusChoato
employed over 11,000 dlfferont words for
legal purposes; but tho most of us havo
less than 1,000 words that wo can man
ago, less thun 600, and that makes us bo
stupid.
When wo coiuo to sot forth tho lovo
of Christ wo aro going to take tho ton
dcrcst phraseology wherever wo find it,
and if it has never boon used in thut di
rection before, all tho mora shall we
use It Whon we coiuo to speak of tho
glory of Christ, tho Conqueror, wo nro
going to draw our similes from triumph
al ureh nnd oratorio and everything
grand nnd stupendous. Tho French
navy lias eighteen flags by which they
glvo fclgnal; but thoso eighteen flags.
they can put Into sixty-six thousand
dlffei ut combinations. And I havo to
tell you that theso standards of tho
cross may bo lifted into combinations
'infinite and varieties everlasting. And
let mo say to young tnon who aro after
a while going to preach Jesus Christ,
you will have the largest liberty and
unlimited resource. You only havo to
jprcsont Christ in your own way.
Jonathan Edwards preachod Christ in
the bevcresturgumont ever penned, ami
John llunyan preached Christ In tho
hitbllmcst uUegory over composed. Ed
ward rayson,v sick and exhausted,
.limned up agulntt tho sldo of tho pulpit
and wept out his dlicourso, whllo
Georgo Whitfield, with tho manner and
tho volco and tho start of nn actor, over
whelmed his auditory. It would havo
been a different thing If Jonathan Ed
wards liml tried to write nnd dream
about tho pilgrim's progress to tho
celestial city, or John llunyan had at
tempted nn essay on tho human will.
Itriglitcrthan tho light, fresher than
tho fountains, deeper than tho seas aro
all these gospel themes. Kong lias no
melody, flowers havo no sweetness,
sunset sky has no color compared with
thoso glorious themes. Theso harvests
of graco spring up quicker than wo can
sicklo them. Kindling pulpits with
their flro and producing revolutions
with their power, lighting up dying
beds with their glory, thoy nro tho
sweetest thought for tho poet, anil they
nre the most thrilling Illustration for
tho orator, and they offer tho most in
tense scenu for tho artist, and they nro
to tho ambassador of tho sky nil enthu
siasm. Complete pardon for direst
guilt Sweetest comfort for ghastli
est agony. Hrightcst hope for grim
mest death. Grandest resurrection
for darkest sepulchre. O, what a
gospel to preach! Christ over all In
it. His birth, His suffering, His mira
cles, His parables, Ills sweat, Ills tears,
His blood, His atonement, Ills Interces
sionwhat glorious thomesl Do wo
oxerclso faith? Christ is its object Do
wo havo lovo? It fastens on Jesus.
Havo wo a fondness for tho church? It
Is because Christ died for it Havo wo
n hope of Heaven? It Is becauso Jesus
went ahead, tho herald and tho fore
runner. Tho royal robo of Deinotrlus wns so
costly, so beautiful, that after lie put It
off no ono ever dared to put It on; but
this robo of Christ, richer thun that,
tho poorest and the wancst and tho
worst may wear. "Where sin abounded
graco may much more abound."
"Oh, my Bins, my Ins, said Martin
Luther to Stuupltz, "my sins, my sins!"
Tho fact Is that tho brawny Gorman
student had found n Latin lllblo thnt
had made him quake, and nothing else
over did make him quake; and when ho
found how through Christ ho'wns par
doned and saved, ho wroto to a friend,
saying: "Come over and Join us great
and awful sinners saved by tho graco
of God. You seem to bo only n slender
flintier, and you don't much extol tho
mercy of God; but wo who havo been
such very awful sinners prnlbo His
grace the moro now that wo havo been
redeemed." Can It bo that you tiro so
desperately egotistical that you feci
yourself In first rato spiritual trim, and
that from tho root of tho hair to tho tip
of tho too you aro Bcarlcss and Inimaeu
lato? What you need Is a looking gluss,
and hero It Is in tho lllblo. Poor, and
wretched, and miserable, and blind,
and naked from tho crown of tho head
to tho solo of tho foot, full of wounds
and putrefying sores. No health in us.
And then tuko tho fact that Christ gath
ered up all tho notes ugulnst us and
paid them, and then offered us thu re
ceipt And how much wo need Him in our
sorrows! Wo tiro Independent of cir
cumstances if wo havo His graco. Why,
Ho made Paul slug In tho dungeon, and
under that graco St John from desolate
Patmos heard tho blast of tho apocalyp
tic trumpets. After all other candles
havo been snuffed out this is tho light
that gets brighter uud brighter unto
the perfect day; and after, under tho
hard hoofs of calamity, all tho pools of
worlds enjoyment havo been trampled
Into deep mire, at tho foot of tho eter
nal rock tho Christian, from cups of
granite, Illy rimmed and vino covcrod,
puts out thu thirst of his soul
Again, I remark, that Christ is nbovo
all in dying alleviations. I have not
tiuy sympathy with tho morbidity
abroad about our demise. Tho Kmpcror
of Constiintlnpolo nrranged that on tho
dtiy of his coronation tho stonomason
should eotno and consult him about his
tombstone. And thero nro men who
nro monomanincal on tho subject of
departure from this llfo by death, nnd
tho more thoy think of It tho less they
nro prepared to go. This is un un
manliness not worthy of you, not
worthy of me.
A thousand feet under ground, by
light of torch tolling in tv miner's shaft,
a ledge of rock may fall upon us, and
wo may dlo n miner's death. Far out
at sea, falling from tho slippery rat
lines, and broken on tho halyards, wo
may die a sailor's death. On mission
of mercy lu hospital, amid broken bones
nnd reeking leprosies and raging fevers,
wo may dlo a philanthropists death.
On tho Held of battle, serving God and
our country, slugs through tho heart,
tho gun carriage may roll over us, nnd
wo may dlo a patriot's death. Hut,
after all, thero aro only two styles of
departure; tho death of tho righteous
and tho death of tho wicked, uud wo all
want to tlio the former.
God grant that whon that hour coraos
you maybe at home! You want the
hand of your kindred In your hand.
You want your children to surround
you. You want the light on your nil-
low from eyes that havo long reflected
your love. You want tho room still.
You do not want any curious strangers
standing around watching you. You
want your kludred from afar to hear
your last prayer. I think that Is tho
wish of all of us. Hut Is that all? Can
earthly friends hold us when tho billows
of death come up to tho girdle? Can
human volco charm open Heaven's gato?
Can human hands pilot us through
tho narrows of death Into Heav
en's harbor? Can nn earthly
friendship shield us from tho arrows of
death and In tho hour when Satan shall
practice upon us his internal archery ?
No, no, no, no i Alas 1 poor soul, If that
is all, better dlo in tho wilderness, far
from tree shadow and from fountain,
alone, vultures circling through tho
air wultlng for our body, unknown to
men, and to havo no burial, If only
Christ eould say through tho solitudes,
"I will never leave thee, I will uever
forsake theo." From thut pillow of
stone a ladder would soar heavenward,
angels coining and going; and across
tho solitude and burrotinofs would como
tho swcot iiiHea of heavenly minstrelsy.
Gordon Hall, far from home, dying in
tho door of a heathen temple, said:
"Glory to Thee, O Godl" What did
dying Wllbcrforco say to his wlfo?
"Como nnd sit beside inc, nnd let us
talk of Heaven. I nover knew what
happiness was until I found Christ"
What did dying Hannah More say? "To
go to Heaven. Think what that 1st
To go to Christ who died that I might
live! O, glorious grave! O, what a
glorious thing it Is to die! O, tho lovo
of Christ, tho lovo of Christ!" What
did Mr. Toplady, tho great hymn
maker, say in his last hour? "Who can
measure tho depth of tho third Heaven?
O, tho sunshine that fills my soul! I
shall soon bo gone, for surely no ono
can live In this world after such glories
as God hns manifested to my soul."
What did tho dying Fanewny say? "I
can ns easily dlo as closo my oyes or
turn my head In sleep. Before n fow
hours havo passed I shall stand on
Mount SCton with tho ono hundred and
forty nnd four thousand, and with tho
Just men mndo perfect, nnd wo shall as
cribe riches and honor, nnd glory, nnd
majesty, una dominion unto God nnd
tho Lnmb." Dr. Taylor, condemned to
burn at tho stnlto, on his way thither
broko away from tho guardsmen and
wont bounding nnd leaping nnd Jump
ing townrd tho fire, glad to go to Jesus
and to dlo for Him. Sir Charles Haro,
In Ills last moment, had such rapturous
vision thut ho erled: "Upward, up
ward, upward!" And so great was
tho pence of ono of Christ's disciples
that ho put his fingers upon tho
pulso of his wrist nnd counted it uud
observed it; nnd so great wns his plac
idity that after a while ho bald:
"Stopped," and his llfo had ended hero
to begin in Heaven. lint grandor
was tho testimony of tho worn out first
missionary, when, In tho Mamartino
dungeon, ho cried: "I tun now ready to
bo offered, and tho time of my depart
ure is at hand; I havo fought tho good
fight, I havo finished my course, I hnvo
kept tho faith; henceforth thero is laid
up for mo a crown of righteousness,
which tho Lord, tho righteous Judge,
will glvo mo In that dny, and not to ine
only, but to nil of them thnt love His
appearing" Do you not sco that Christ
Is abovo all In dying alleviations?
Toward tho last hour of our earthly
restdenco wo nro speeding. When I sco
tho suusct I Bay, "One dny less to live."
When I seo tho spring blossoms scat
tered, I say, "Anothor Reason gone for
ever." When I eloso this lllblo on Sab
bath night I say, "Another Sabbath de
parted." When I bury a friend I say,
"Another earthly attraction gone for
ever." What nimble feet tho years
havo! Tho roebucks nnd the lightnings
run not so fast From decadu to decade,
from sky to sky, they go at a bound.
Thero is n place for us, whether
marked or not, where you nnd I
will sleep tho last sleep and tho it.cn
nro now living who will, with solemn
trend, carry us to our resting us. Ayo,
It Is known in Heaven whether our de
parture will bo a coronation or n ban
ishment llrlghter than a banqueting
hnll through which tho light feet of
tho dancers go up and down to tho
sound of trumpeters will bo tho sepul
chur through whoso rifts tho holy light
of Heaven streams. God will watch
you. Ho will send His angels to guard
your slumbering ground until, at
Christ's behest they shall roll away
tho stone.
So also Christ Is abovo all In Heaven.
The lllblo distinctly says thnt Christ
is tho chief themo of tho celestial
ascription, nil tho thrones facing His
throne, all tho palms waved boforo His
face, all tho crowns down at Ills feet
Cherubim to cherubim, seraphim to
Bcrnphlm, redeemed spirit to redeemed
spirit shall reclto tho Saviour's earthly
sacrifice.
Stand on homo high hill of Heaven,
nnd In nil tho radiant sweep tho most
glorious object will bo Jesus. Myriads
gazing on tho scars of his suffering, In
silence first, afterward breaking forth
In acclamation. Tho martyrs, all tho
purer for tho flamo through which they
passed, will say: "This Is Jesus for
whom wo died." Tho apostles, ull tho
happier for tho shipwreck and tho
scourging through which they wont,
will say: "This Is tho Jesus whom we
preached at Corinth, and at Cappadoela,
and at Antioch, and at Jeru
salem." Little ehlldron clad in
white will say: "This Is the Jesus who
took us up In his arms and blessed us, j
nnd when the storms of tho world wero '
too cold nnd loud brought us Into this '
beautiful place." Tho multitudes of tho
bereft will say: "This Is tho Jesus who
comforted us when our heart broke." .
Many who had wandered clear off from
God and plunged Into vagabondism, but
woro saved by grace, will Bay: "This '
is tho Jesus who pardoned us. Wo woro
lost on tho mountains uud ho brought
us home. Wo wero guilty and ho
made us whlto as snow. Mercy bound
less, grnco unparalleled." And then, I
nfter each ono had recited his peculiar j
dollverences and peculiar mercies, ro- j
cited them as by solo, all tho voices
will como together In a great chorus,;
which shall mnko the arches echo and
re-echo with tho eternal reverberation
of gladness and peace nnd triumph.
Edward I. wns so anxious to go to the
Holy Land that when ho was about to
expire ho bequeathed $100,000 to have
his heart, after his doceuso, taken to
tho Holy Land in Asia Minor, and his
request was compiled with. Hut thero
nro hundreds to-dny whoso hoarts ore
already in tho Holy Land of Heaven.
Whcro your trensurcs are, thero nro
your hearts also. Johu llunyan, of
whom I spoke at tho opening of tho dis
course, caught a glimpse of that place,
and in his quaint way ho said: "And I
heard In my dream, and lot tho bolls of
tho city rang again for Joy; and as they I
opened tho gates to let in tho men I
looked in after them, and lol tho city
shone lika tho sun, nnd there wore
streets of gold and men 'walked on
them, harps in their hands to sing
praises with till; nnd after that thoy
shut up tho gates, wliiou when I had
seen I wished myself among them."
"Is Mrs. Hicks at home?" asked tho
caller. "Sho Is not," roturned ltrldgot.
"And whon will Bha bo In?" Mini
wait a bit whotle 01 roon up Bhtalrs uud
ask her?" Harpor's Hazar.
Our domestic affections are tho moil
salutary basis of all good government
Dlsruull,
"BLOSSOM."
A Llfo Drama Wltnosaod Prom My
Oliambor Window.
OU years I have
been un invalid.
Tho nature of
my malady
makes It 1 in
possible for mo
to leave my
room, but I can
nit at tho win
dow and watch
the movements
of so much of tho
great, b u sy
world us passes
along tho not
very prepos
sessing street In
which I dwell.
Men and wom
en, boys and girls, go and como dny
nfter day. Dozens of them curry din
tier palls and lunch boxes, lu the
morning they go by with bright fncoBtind
sprightly steps, many of them wearing
n fresh flower on their breast. In tho
evening they return, not a few of them
weary nnd worn, nnd I wonder who,
besldo the Great Pitier ot us nil, waits
for their coming with a welcome of
love. All dny long they have been busy
at ofllcc, store, fa tory and mill, and
tho thousand and ono pluccs where
duty has called them. Work, work,
work, hour after hour, day In and
dny out. And while hands nro
delving, minds nro busy with tho
thoughts of fudlng yesterdays, earnest
to-duys nnd brighter to-morrows. How
mnny of them will ever realise the hope
that is sustaining muscle and mind?
How ninny of them arc performing u
labor of lovo for thoso who nre worthy
of tho offering and the sncrllloo? Day
tiftcr day the lunch boxes go and come
while tho bunds thut are carrying them
aro building a city, copying the books
nnd documents, nnd nre mingling all
the checkered thoughts and deeds from
which tho mighty weaver, Time, Is
making the world's history. Wluit in
significant, nnd yet whatall-lmportnnt,
purts these hiimblu toilers play! Down
.u dingy basements, up in towering
olTleo buildings, everywhere nmld the
busy marts of trado they perform the
work that fate or fortune has brought
to them. As I watch them go uud come
I try to Imagine what hopes inspire
their hearts, what lovo sustains their
hands. I wonder If tho aged lnborer,
homeward bound, still lores the old
wlfo ns ho did long years ago when
they together dreamed sweet dreams.
Ho was to bo a prince of men and sho
his loving princess. I am sure tho gor
geous paluco In which they wero to
dwell has faded away, und In Its place
is nn humblo cottage or a rented flut
And the coach and four has never, uev
er stood before their door. Neither hue
any other conveyance designed for
pleasure. Only tho wagons belonging
to the grocer, the bnker and tho milk
man have ever stopped there. Or it may
bo yet one other vehicle the symbol of
death tho hearse.
Hut If to-night they can greet each
other at tho door and call back tho old
lovo light to fading eyes If ho can
hold her worn palm In his, or press
against his check tho one whose touch
oneo brought such exquisite pleasure
if tho fire In tho heart still burns, fate
hns been kind to them, mid their paths
havo not yet led them out of Paradise.
Sometimes there passes my window
u face thnt awakens in my mind more
thau usual interest uud I watch its
goings und comings with a deeper
thought than thut born of curiosity.
I remember very distinctly the first
tlmo I baw "Blossom" puss my win
dow. Sho woro n pink dress and a hat
trimmed with ribbons of tho same
color; sho looked llko a fresh spring
llowor. Her real mime I havo never
known; to mo sho will always bo "Bios
soin." Her fuco was ns bright und pret
ty ns a dew-wnshed clover mead on n
Juno morning, nnd her ncutly-flttlng
dress und very becoming hut added to
tho winsome uess of her appearance.
Tho street In which I dwell is by no
means tho most aristocratic in the city.
It is what some would cull a plebeian
neighborhood. There are saloons on
tho business corners und all about Is un
air of arrested growth that for some
shadowy reason seems to bo sadly sat
isllcd with the present state of things.
All the people who go by my window
do not possess bright, happy and intel
ligent faces. I nlways watched for
"Blossom's" coming. Her presenco was
refreshing and reminded mo of a sweet
roso growing nmong tho plulnergrasses.
Her step wus elastic, her manner
sprightly. I funded sho had recently
come from a homo In tho country,
where the odor of apple-blooms and tho
songs of birds filled tho ulr. One morn
ing I suw her going townrd tho hub
j urban stntlon, carrying a lunch-box;
tlien'l know sho wus u member of tho
great company of tollers. Thereafter
sho went mul came regulnrly. Byand
by a sturdy young mechanic, whom 1
had often seen pass my window nlone,
walked beside "Blossom" one evening
on her way home. He had a frank,
manly face, but his working clothes
wore soiled and worn und Ids hands
wero rough. After thnt I saw them
pass by together qulto often. Ho seemed
to bo very hnppy in her society, but
"Blossom," with her pretty pink dresses
and pink ribbons, often looked far
away as though sho wero trying to dis
cover some ono whoso appearance wus
moro In harmony with her idea).
Near tho walk at tho sldo of tho
saloon that stood at tho corner wns a
largo mnplo tree. Men used to bring
chairs from tho salnou and sit In tho
shade of the treo during tho long Juno
afternoons and smoke, and chat, mid
laugh boisterously. Some of tho men
who used to meet thoro became fuiuillnr
I figures to my oyo. Among tho number
I was a young man who dressed splen
didly, though somewhat llashlly. From
my window across tho street, I could
seo tho sparkle of his diamonds sot
In Ills rings and pins. Ho woro a heavy
gold chain and un elaborate, charm, and
carried a miisslvo gold-headed cane and
I umbrella. 1 frhould have guessed thut
bo hud plenty of money, but I would
not havo dared to commend his method
of getting It Something In his appear
ance led mo to believe ho could deal
himself un extra card, or turn u trump
from tho bottom of the deck. After till,
had I seen hlin in different surround
ings and In different company, I might
hnvo been as favorably Impressed with
him ns when I wns n young and
thoughtless "blossom" for whom ho
used to wait at the drug store on the
opposite corner to tho suloon. I do not.
know how they became acquainted, but
I havo always doubted if they were for
mally Introduced to one another. Ho It
as It may, thero eamo a time when tho
manly young mechanic walked nlono
once moro. Thero were ninny other glrla
going nnd coining, but lie did not seem
to notice them. Ills eyes were usuully
wandering toward tho girl with tho
pink cheeks and pink dress und rib
bons, whom ho often saw strolling
homeward with tho young man who
woro the diamonds and flno clothes.
By and by thero was a wedding up tho
street somewhere; nt tho homo of a
widow lady, 1 Mispected, for "Blossom"
hnd never been accompanied by nny
ono whom I thought was father, or
brother, or sister; but I had on several
occasions seen her with u lady who ap
peared to bo almost an Invalid, und
whom I guessed might bo her mother.
Ono morning a flno carrhigo drove by,
and "Blossom," wearing a strikingly
large hat covered with white plumps,
occupied u scat besldo tho young man
whom 1 had seen sitting In the shade of
tho mnplo treo at the side of the sa
loon. Later an express wagon passed
In which were trunks 1 thought might
havo belonged to "Blossom."
In tho same old humdrum work-u-day
manner men went und came, btrt
"Blossom's" pink cheeks nnd .bright
eyes were not to bo been. The street
for a tlmo hceincd cheerless without
her; and I wondered If the world
missed her as I did. and us 1 felt sure
tho pulo woman did whom I hud seen
walking with hnr. The leaves on tho
maple tree, through which tho sum
mer sunshine und harvebt moonbeams
had splintered and sifted, lo.it their
bright green hue. By und by tho
blighting kiss of tho frost fell upon
them and In n cream and scarlet
blush of mingled death nnd glory they
fell to tho earth and wero swept Into
the gutter by tho first breath of win
ter. Tho snow-shrouded season
stalked slowly past. Tho bare limbs
of tho mnplo seemed llko uplifted
hands pleading for tho coming of tho
sun and tho south wind.
Ono morning a robin perched in tho
branches of the. maple, sounded tho
first note of tho coming bprlng, uud, be
fore I scarcely realised it, nature had
thrown a blanket of glossiest green
over the lawns nnd fastened It down
with n thousand golden dandelions.
And tho hummer with her voluptuous
attendants eamo again, and joy ran
riot through the hearts of men. But
"Blossom" tripped along tho street no
more; nelthur did tho young mechanic
pass that way as ho oneo did. Under
my window I heard some ono say ho
had studied out an invention for simpli
fying some process of manufacturing
uud that ho had become rich. In tho
afternoon men sat in tho shndo of tho
mnplo treo, but tho young man with
the diamonds was not umong thorn.
i Li i
111 nn V?
IT WAS "III.OHSOM."
Only the pulo woman remained, and 1
saw her puss but once in a long time,
nnd then sho was always alone and ap
peared to bo in melancholy study. But
ono day, however, sho did not come
alone. She carried a child In her arms,
nnd beside her walked a womnn dressed
In black. It was "Blossom." Tho pink
dress, tho pink ribbons and thu pink
cheeks wero gone. After tho two
women hnd passed beneath tho branches
of tho mnplo treo und wero well down
tho street I heard one of the men sitting
In tho shade say: "Ho wus shot I
always expected ho would get It somo
time."
A year had elapsed, during which
tlmo "Blossom," a sober matroii J
dressed in mourning, had passed my t
window but three times, when tho j
cloud that I had wutehed her through .
lifted a little and the golden sunshine
of hope was sprinkled across her path
way, and brought me joy ns well.
Grateful am I thut I one day saw
another carriage dash past my window,
In which wore "Blossom's" mother,
"Blossom's" baby and "Blossom's"
own fair self pink dress, pink rib
bons nnd, better still, pink cheeks
and besldo her wns tho young me
chanic. I havo never seen any of them
sinco that day, but 1 am sure they aro
all happier, though 1 do not know
whom In this wide, strange world thoy
muy bo. And 1 who from my Invalid's
chair seo tho spring bunahino oneo
moro sifting through tho maple louves,
and hoar tho tramp of hundreds of toil
ers going to and from their work, havo
a kindlier thought for tho fates that
gavo my "Ii'ossom" "ono moro chance"
to procure the happiness that might
have been forever denied to her.
And I would that wo all might bo as
graciously favored. Nixon Waterman,
in Banner of Gold.
Little Willie "Papa, when u man
tnkes up tho law It means ho starts In
being a lawyer, doesn't It?" His Fnther
"Yes," "And when bo's a judge uud
lays down tho law is that where ho
quits?"' But his father told him It wns
tlmo ho was in bed long ago. Kate
t Field's. Washington.
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.
-
Tho Swiss National council has ap
propriated BIO.OOO francs (f 14,000) for
nn exhibit at tho world's fair of tho
Swiss watchmaking Industry. It also
npproved subsidies for exhibits of other
industries, including fetnalo work in
tho manufacturing line.
London manufacturers of musical
instruments havo discovered that tho
skill of thrlr workmen lias deteriorated
since tho abolition of the apprentice sys
tem, and recommend a return to it
"with a view to rnlsctho standard of
British workmanship in the trade."
Thu deep sea explorations that havo
lwen conducted by tho Austrian govern
ment In tho eastern part of tho Medi
terranean show greater depths than nny
before recorded, nnd as a result, tho
great depression of this Bea must bo
shifted considerably east from Its for
mer central position on tho maps.
Miss Ormcrod, an English woman
who Is enjoying a high scientific repu
tation, bit the tall of a llvo triton somo
years ago in order to study tho effects of
the acrid secretion the animal gives out
when nngry. Sho was seized with
spasms and convulsions thnt lasted sev
eral hours, und a sore throat that lasted
as many days.
More shingles nro being shipped to
tho east from Puget Sound thnu over
before. Twenty to twcnty-flvo car
loads go east every day from Tncoma.
alone. Lust year tho cut of Bhlngles In
western Washington was n03,OUO,000,
and tho sales about 4'tf,000,U00. This
year tho cut will reach l,000,000,000,and
the shipments 000,000,000. N. Y. Post
Tho healthiest children nre thoso
whose mother has not reached 33 years.
TIkmo born of mothora betweon !J5 and
to years of ugo nre 8 per cont
weaker, and those of mothers of over 40
are ten per cent weaker. Tho ehlldron
of aged fathers and younger mothers
have, as a general thing, a strong con
stitution, but if tho parents aro of tho
same age, tho children nro less robust
At the Hoyal gardens in Edinburgh
Is a largu Insectivorous plant, of tho
genus Roridulu. Tho plant Is a natlvo
of Tasmania. It Is a branching bush,
with filiform leaves, more slender than
those of Droser.i, and, llko the latter,
furnished with glandular hairs, with
which It captures flies. Tho glandular
hairs of tho leaf of Drosora will not
move on contact with inorganic matter,
but will contract on a miuuto piece of
fresh meat in tho space of twenty sec
onds. Thu Insects most abundantly
captured by Drosura aro tints.
It appears that what havo been con
sidered a "good," L e.,perfoctly distinct
species of moths and butterflies, are
"wet season" and "dry season" forms 4
of tho same Insect Several so-called
species, some described even by Lin
nams. havo been shown by Mr. Jenncr
Weir to be such forms. Wo thus havo
not only winter und hummer forms, or
seasonal varieties, but "wet season"
and "dry season" varieties of forms.
Thus "species" aro moro and more, as
closer observations aro made, becoming
arbitrary, or artificial Bets of Individ
uals. Tho lighthouse board has received
information relating to a mugneslum
flash light, which, it Is bald, is going to
prove far superior to anything which Is
yet known for lighthouse purposes.
Tho light, which was devised by Prof.
Sehlrni, of Berlin, Germany, is pro
duced by blowing a small quantity of
magnesium powder with u current of
nir, which has previously passed through
pumice stone saturated with benzine,
into a benzine gas flame. The flash
produced Is exceedingly intense. With
the uo of ten centigrams of magnesium
powder u flash of 400,000 candle power
can be produced, which can bo seen on
u clear sunshiny day nt a distance of
six miles.
In Mlndlnac, the farthest south
eastern Island in tho Philippine group,
upon ono of its mountains, tho volcano
Apo, a party of botanical and ethno
graphical explorers found recently, at
the height of 'J,fi00 feet above tho sea
level, a colossal flower. Tho discoverer,
Dr. Alexander Schadenberg, could
scarcely believe his eyes when ho saw
amid tho low-growing bushes the im
mense buds of this flower growing llko
gigantic cabbage heads. But he was
still more astonished when ho found a
specimen In full bloom, a flve-potaled
flower nearly a yard in diameter, as
largo as a carriage wheel, in fact
Weighing theso when opportunity
served. It was round thnt a single flower
weighed over ill pounds.
HIS REASON.
Why "Arry" wutiatl ii llml sxli Like n
Nrjfrn.
Somo people contend that tho whlto
man is born with an antipathy for tho
negro and ihat no amount of legisla
tion, argumentation or exhortation will
ever Induce him to regard his colored
brother as his social equal. I used to bo
of that opinion, too, but I havo my
doubts ubout It now. This is what
caused me to doubt it:
Somo few months ugo tho firm en
gaged a now otllco boy. Ho was a bright
llttlo chap, just turned fourteen and
fresh from England. "Arry," tho clerks
call him, bvcuqsc that Is tho way ho
flr.st pronounced his own nnmu whon
naked what It was. When ho grows a
wit bigger and acqulxvs tv better knowl
edge of United States English ho will
punch homebody's head for calling him
"Arry," und then ho will bo called
Harry. But that will make anothor
nUiry whon tho tlmo comes round
"Arry" at oneo struck up a close.
frtewlFhlp with tho llttlo colored er
rand boy In tho ofllcc. Tho pnlr oftoa
taVo bites out of tho samo apple ami
othurwlso manifest congeniality ot
tnstes and temperamouts. Tho other
mottling "Arry" showed up tit tho ollkc.
with a dirty facts.
"Oo and wash yourself," said uio of
fhc clerks to nun, reprovingly; "Do you
v. ivnt to bo taken for a nlffger Iwy,"
"Amy" shot an euvloiviglanco at Wt
colored chum, und thco, replied with tho
Utmos; seriousness;
"I wish IwasUlto 'im; then whon I
didn't wash my lueo nobody wouldn't
know It." N. Y. -World. v
V
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