STOCK MARKETS.
OF FIRST CONSIDERATION BY
THE PRESIDENT.
WALL STREET IS THE PULSE
MAINE REPORT TO BE HELD
UNTIL MARKETS CLOSE.
As tho Crisis Approaches tho Fine
Italian Handiwork of Unprinci
pled Stock Oamblors Becomes
Moro and Moro In Evldonoe.
Washington, D. C, March 21. A spe
cial telegram to tho New York World
says:
Tho president will not send the Maine
court of Inquiry's report to congress
until after the markets have closed, so
as to prevent panics.
It Is the present Intention of tho pres
ident to scud tho (hidings of the court
to congress without deluy, but In the
event that tho document should bo of
a startling character, as Is confidently
expected, the president desires to send
It In such a manner that It will not
create undue excitement.
At the navy department It was an
nounced positively that the report
would reach here Mondny night or early
Tuesday morning, and would bo tho
subject of discission at the cabinet
meeting.
Secretary Long was at tho execu
tive Mansion to Inform tho president
of the expected arrival and Immediately
after his departure Judge Day was sum
moned. Tho president explained the situation
to him and ho advised that In the event
the findings were Immediately trans
mitted to congress It be not done until
after. the closing of the stock markets
In order that It would not Inllucnco
prices.
Both of them agreed that this would
be the wiser course, as no matter how
ever carefully tho report Is guarded
there- would be many people on tho
right side of the market, even though
by accident, and It would be asserted
that they had received Information re
garding the contents of the report.
Itls Btated on excellent authority thf
tho president has decided to prevent
tho publication of the report until after
8 o'clock in the uftcrnoon, after which
time all markets will have closed.
There Is absolutely nothing to Indi
cate that tho Maine court of Inquiry re
port is already In the hands of the
Washington ofllclals. Secretary Long
and Assistant Secretary Day, at the
close of ofllce hours, made positive
statements that no udvices of any char
acter relative to tho Hndlngs of tho
board have as yet been received. It Is
specifically denied that any olllcer of
the Maine, who urrlved here this after
noon, was tho secret bearer of this
most Important communication. It Is
admitted that a special meeting of the
cabinet will be called to consider the
findings of the court and outline a plan
of immediate action. In this way Its
transmission to congress will be expe
dited. Warlike preparations continue with
unabated vigor ut the war and navy
departments, but the main interest of
officials centered In the forthcoming re
port. There is no doubt Unit the authorities
here arc keeping themselves fully ad
vised as to tho movement of tho Span
ish torpedo flotilla, now en ruute from
Spain. Spain's purpose, as mndc known
In Washington, Is that the torpedo flo
tilla will continue Its trip to Cuba and
Porto Rico. It was Btated by one high
naval authority that no steps had been
taken toward Intel cop ting this flotilla
or warning it away.
WHAT THE REPORT SHOWS.
Tho Blamo For the Explosion Is
Not Posltlvoly Fixed.
Key West, Fla,, March 22. The report
of the court of Inquiry sent to Wash
ington Saturday night was signed by
Captain Sampson, the president; Cap
tain Chadwlck, and Lieutenant Com
mander Porter.
Hero Is an epitome of the main
points of the report. The court finds:
First The explosion that destroyed
the Maine was from the exterior on tho
port side, leaving the ram in almost Its
original position, driving the bow In
the forward structure to the starboard,
the after part of the ship swinging
slightly to starboard and then sinking.
Second The explosion was followed
by a second one In the interior of the
ship, as a result of the exterior blow.
Third The second explosion was In
tho reserve magazine. This destroyed
the superstructure of the ship.
Fourth The big muguzlne forward
did not explode. This is demonstrated
beyond a doubt.
Fifth The exterior explosion prob
ably came from a torpedo. Evidence
that a mine might have caused the dis
aster was produced, but It was not suf
ficient to convince the court.
Sixth The impact came low under
the hull of the Maine, or. the port side,
blowing one of the bilge plates to tho
surface, where It is still In sight.
Seventh The ship Is broken in two,
and probably cannot be raised.
Eighth The forward turret was
hurled far to starboard, Us top being
Intact.
Ninth The solitary plate showing
above water Is a bottom plate, not from
along the keel, but on the bottom port
side.
Tenth The bow of the Maine now
points nearly east, while the rest of the
ship lies along a Hue nearly at a right
angle.
Eleventh The ram of the Maine lies
off to port where the bow lies, nearly
on a line parallel with the body of the
ship.
Twelfth No evidence was adduced
Implicating the Spanish government or
ofllclals In knowledge of or preparation
for the destruction of the ship.
Aurora, Neb.. March 21. District
court has been in session here for the
last two weeks, with Judge Bates pre
siding. The suit of the county of
Hamilton to recover an alleged short
age against Peter Farney and his
bondsmen during his term as county
treasurer for the years 1892-3 occupied
the court all of last week and was
given to the Jury Saturday afternoon.
A verdict was returned In favor of the
defendants.
George Goen, a conductor on a freight
train, Just after leaving St. Joseph, met
with an accidont by which his face and
hands were seriously cut and bruised.
A Jar of the train threw him out of the
window of the caboose.
The horses of German cavalry regi
ments are to be shod with paper shoes,
recent experiments as to their durabil
ity and lightness having proved very
satisfactory.
LILIPUTIAN LOVERS MAFRY.
There's to be a wedding In Midget
town, nnd all tho Lillputlans are shak
ing their diminutive heads and naylnr,
"I told you so." Franz Ebcrt, who U
a low comedian In height and a star
In the legltlmnto as far as talents arc
concerned, Is to marry Kline Lau, eleven
Inches tailor, Ebcrt In about two feet
In height, and when he lifts up a glass
of wine you cannot help but wonder
why were glasses ever made so large
and heavy.
nils engagement did not come as a
iurprlse. Even the public who Baw
the midgets in the part of lovers on the
Chicago stage lust week could not help
seeing that there was no simulated af
fection between them.
Franz Ebert was a ronflrtned bachelor
iverybody had supposed. You have read
about man of the world, who smoke
cigars and talk In cold, hard tones
when tho subject of love Is mentioned.
Well, that Is the kind of man he was
once, ills associates weic baohclors,
and some of them were six feet tall.
Many Is the time that I have seen
him Bitting In restaurants here drink
ing Ilhlnc wine out of a glass about
as big as his head, and smoking the
fattest, blackest, wickedest looking ci
gars you ever saw.
Marry7 Not he! Why, he Is thirty
years old. When a man gets to thirty,
you know, he is such a man of the
world, such an altogether experienced
person that Cupid slnnds no chance
with him ut all. A man must not give
his thoughts to tho subject of women.
Now, I don't know whether Fran.
Ebert thought all these things or not. 1
can only say that ho looked them. One
of tho last times 1 Haw him he was
sitting In a well known restnunuit In
West Thirty-first street surrounded by
a company of men of the average
height, who were listening with gnno
attention to the philosophy of life which
was proceeding from those midget lips.
lie seemed then to huve the expression
of a man who was under conviction.
When tho hardened man of the, world
bas fallen n victim to the love of woman
he becomes outwardly more cynical
than ever, and oh likely as not he will
quote Schopcnhuusor on marriage. It
seemed to mo then that Frunz Ebert
had reached the stage when a man
grasps at synlclsm like a drowning man
docs at a straw. He might then, for all
I known, have been quoting Mr. Schop
Bnhauser's remarks that marriage
doubles a man's sorrows and halves his
Joys.
It was another- Franz Ebert whom I
saw a few minutes later. He came Into
a restaurant up In Harlem not far from
tho theater where the Lillputlans were
playing. By his side was the small st
and one of the prettiest women whom
I have ever seen. There was a proud
look In Ebert's face. Ho seemed as one
transformed. He looked up into tho
eyes of the woman by his side and
smiled. They went to a table down In
the center of the room.
The waiter started to pull out a
chair. Ebert stopped him and Bolemiy
drew the chair from tho table him
self and motioned to his' companion to
sit down. Then he pulled the chair up
again. He sat down opposite the young
woman and proceeded to expatiate ut on
tho delicacies on tho bill of fare. Ho
delivered his order to the waiter In
detail. It was a pleasure to Bit there
and watch them, although It was prob
ably nut the most polite thing In tho
world for a mun to do.
They were under the shadow of a
lowering palm. Their heads and should
ers were barely above the table's edge.
Tho waiter had brought seveial pon
derous volumes of German comic week
lies for them to sit on. Ebert waved
him aside with an Imperious gesture.
They were alone, those two. To bo
Bure there were fifty or sixty other
diners In the restaurant, but the mid
gets knew none of them. The young
persons were oblivious of all that
passed around them. They did not
realize that they wore being watched.
They were li.oklng across the table,
over the assemblage of cruets and sauee
bottles, and there was an lndcllnublo
something In these glances, of which It
Is not for you and me to speak, it
was their affair. She watched him ad
miringly as he compounded a wonderful
salad dressing. Then camo the eolfee,
and Ebert, that conllrmed bachcior,
that burdened man of the world, leaned
back In his ohnlr ami lighted a cigar
which many a six-footer would not es
say to smoke. Among the wreaths of
smoke he sut. She, In her chair op
posite, toyed with the sugai 'ongs, and
sometimes when the smoke was thick
est cast sidelong glances ut him who
smoked the largo cigar.
They were to go. The waiter, good and
olllclous soul that he was, picked up tho
little woman's coat and started to as
Blst her to put It on. Ebcrt In the frac
tion of a second had the garment In his
own hands und held it up while the
young woman Bteudlly pushed her arms
through the sleeves. No waiter could
perform such a service for her while he,
Franz Ebert, stood near. Then the wai
ter helped the comedian Into his coat,
and the two midgets, looking neither to
the right nor the left, went from tho
room. As the doors were swinging I
could see that the little woman's hand
was resting lightly upon the midget's
arm.
"it's a match," I heard the young wo
man In the picture hat, who sat at an
adjoining table, say to her escort.
"1 guess not," said he. "They're only
friends."
It is supposed that Mr. Ebert and Miss
Lau have been engaged for several
months. " 1 doubt not that they were en
gaged when I saw them the last time
In Harlem.
Franz Ebert has been with the Lill
putlans for sixteen of the thirty years
of his life. He was born In Berlin. Ho
Is an actor of much ability, and were he
of average length he would take even
higher rank. Ills art does not depend
upon his smallness. He Is a thoroughly
competent actor, the dramatic critics
unite In saying. The midget has more
than the usual actor's thrift. He has
saved money and owns two handsome
houses In Berlin. Ebert Is a shrewd
business man and has made profitable
Investments.
Miss Lau is twenty-three years oia.
This is her third season with the Lillpu
tlans, although she has been on the
jtage for six years. She came from
Hamburg, where her father waa a
prosperous real estate dealer. She has
property left her by her parents. The
Eberts will start in their married life
with more of earthly pelf than usually
falls to the average young couple. Miss
Lau has a brother in Chicago who is
1 wholesale tobacco merchant. He will
give the bride away.
Mr. Ebert, when seen in Chicago, said
that the wedding would take place In
New York. Then they will sail for Ger
many to spend the honeymoon In Ber
lin. There can be no doubt, by the way,
that the fact that the diminutive per
sons played the part of lovers in "The
Fair at Mldgettown" inspired them
more than over with the ardor of be
ing lovers in real life. The members of
the company noticed more of reality
:ome Into tho acting of the two as time
passed. It was unconscious acting
which became real life.
Neither of them cared to talL about
the affair when seen behind the scenes
it McVlcker's theater. In Chicago.
Miss Lau said, simply, "Yes, it is so,"
ind hastened away as fast as Bhe could
TO FIGHT WITH BENZINE.
A PLAN TO ANNIHILATE HOS
TILE SHIPS.
A Novol Yot PlaUBlblo Coest De
fense To Charge tho Atmosphere
with Benzine A New Method of
Warfare.
Washington, D. C, March 22. Joseph
C. Sibley of Erie, Pa., has a proposition
for annihilating hostile fleets should
they approach one of our harbors. He
will submit it to the war and navy de
partments. Mr. Sibley, who Is in the oil business,
snys that If benzine Is conducted
through pipes under the water and re
leased, the subtle fluid will rise to the
surface and permeate tho atmosphere
to a height of twenty feet above the
water. With the air thus charged, any
hostile fleet afloat would be rent Into
a thousand pieces, Mr. Sibley says.
He adds that the fumes of the ben
zine would be certain to penetrate to
the fires aboard ship and he believes
that no powder magazine Is tight
enough to exclude this vapor. The ben
zine, he explains, should be released on
the ebb tide, so that It would be car
ried outward, and he suggests thnt
wooden booms be constructed at the
entrance to a harbor to prevent the 'jen
zlne flowing back on the flood tide.
So volatile and easily evaporated Is
benzine, says Mr. Sibley, that "its work
would be accomplished In a very few
minutes after the vessel reached the
danger spot and that the atmosphere
and the water would bo cleared of It
the moment the explosion occurred. All
of tho enemy not killed by the explo
sion, he says, would be stifled by the
fumes.
Mr. Slblev cites thnt accident at Oil
Creek, In Pennsylvania, In 1892, when u
benzine tnnk tilted, released a quuntl
ty of Its contents, and a sea of flame
swept through the valley, consuming
everything In Its path and killing thir
ty persons.
MARK HANNA'S AGENTS.
Working Like Book Agents In Wall
Street.
New York, March 21. Mark Hanna's
personal agents visited every broker of
prominence in Wall street Saturday.
They had typewritten Interviews with
them and asked the brokers to permit
the use of their names In connection
With them.
These Interviews deprecate war and
afllrm that It Is ridiculous for the
United States to make such a fuss over
the destruction of the Maine, which
they declare was caused by an explo
sion on the ship.
These agents of Mark Hanna plan to
print the llrst batch of Interviews here
today In an afternoon paper that Is
Wall street's pal.
The agents of Mark Hanna were bold
and bulldozing. They announced frank
ly from whom they came and what they
wunted.
One broker resented the Impudence
of the agent who approached him and
used vigorous language.
"All right sir, you will regret your
action, because when I return to Wash
ington I shall report to Mr. Hanna what
you have said and he will attend to
your case in time," was the insulting
remark. The broker's reply cannot be
printed. It would make even Mr. Han
na's hide creep. The agent shot out of
a door in haste. Ho will not return to
that ofllce.
THURSTON RETURNS.
He Left to Take Part In the Cuban
Question.
Omaha, March 22. Senator Thurston
returned Monduy to Washington to re
port the result of his observations made
as a member of the New York Journal
Cuban congressional commission, from
which he was so suddenly recalled by
the death of his wife.
The senator will, It is believed, not
only corroborate whas has already been
said by Senator Proctor relative to the
frightful conditions existing there un
der the very patronage of the Spanish
authorities, which were Inaugurated by
General Weyler, but In addition to this
Senator Thurston will offer a solution
of the vexed question now agitating the
minds of the people and will recommend
that immediate steps be taken for the
freedom of Cuba,
Shot While Hunting.
Young Mynster and Earl Hendricks
started for Manawa together to spend
the day hunting. Mynster was about 17
years old and Hendricks about the same
uge. As they left Hendricks' home his
mother called and Bald, "Be sure not
to shoot yourselves, boys," and Mynster
shouted by the reply, "Of course wo
won't."
They had been across the lake and
had returned to this side. They landed
at the wharf of tho Council Bluffs Bow
ing association. Mynster Jumped from
the boat, seized one of the guns and
pulled It muzzle llrst from the boat. As
he did so tho weapon was discharged
and Mynster fell to the wharf. Ills
companion hastily Jumped from the
boat and called for help and the
wounded boy was carried to the resi
dence of Colonel Beck and a messenger
sent to this city for surgical aid.
Upon the arrival of a physician an ex
amination disclosed that the charge had
torn away the right wall of the abdo
men, a number of shot had penetrated
the liver and a large portion of tho
Intestines were protruding. These were
replaced, the Injury washed and dressed
and the wound sewed. It was evident,
however, that the Injury was fatal. The
Injured boy sank steadily until death
came, lie remained conscious to the
end and stated to Dr. Cleaver that the
accident was due to his own careless
ness. He was also able to recognize
his father, who was summoned by the
messenger.
A post graduate school for ministers
has recently been organized in New
York York city and Is known as tho
New York Biblical Institute. It has
provided a course of lectures on Mon
day afternoons during the months of
February, March, April and May, two
being given In one afternoon, one of
a. theologic, philosophic or scientific
shaiacter and the other of a practical
nature, by an experienced pastor.
In Holland women nnd persons of
either sex under the age of G are now
forbidden to begin work earlier than
5 a. m. or to continue at work after
1 p. m.; nor may their work exceed
eleven hours a day In all.
Connecticut still keeps its standing as
a clock-making state, one of its old
reliable firms getting the order for the
mammoth clock to be placed in the
Washington p-ostoflice.
There Is talk of establishing a cotton
factory at Three Rivers, Quebec, and
the city council Is taking active steps
to secure some such industry for the
town.
TALMAGES' SERMON.
Washington, D. C, March 20. Dr.
Talmage preached today from Genesis
xxl., lit: "And God opened her eyes, und
she Baw a well of water; and Bho went
and lllled the bottle with water and
gave the lad drink."
Morning breaks upon Beersheba.
There Is an early stir In tho house of
old Abraham. There lias been trouble
among the domestics. Hagar, an as
sistant In the household, nnd her son,
a brisk lad of sixteen yearB, have be
come Impudent and Insolent, and Sarah,
the mistress of the household, puts her
foot down very hard and Bays that they
will have to leave the premises. They
are packing up now. Abraham, know
ing that the Journey before his servunt
and her son- will be very long und
across desolato places, In the kindness
of his heart sets about putting up some
bread and a bottle with water In It.
It Is u very plain lunch that Abraham
provides, but I warrant you there
would have been enough of It had they
not lost their way. "Ood bo with you!"
said old Abraham as he gave the lunch
to Hagar and a good many charges us
to how she should conduct the Journey.
Ishmuel, the boy, 1 suppose, bounded
away In the morning light. Boys al
ways like a change. Poor Ishmaell Ho
has no Idea of the disasters that are
ahead of him. Hagar gives one long,
lingering look at the familiar place
where she has spent bo many happy
days, each scene associated with the
pride and Joy of her heart, young lsh
mael. The scorching noon comes on. The
air Is stilling and moves across the
desert with insufferable suffocation.
Ishmael, the boy, begins to complain
and lies down, but Hagar rouses him
up, saying nothing about her own
weariness or the sweltering heat; for
mothers can endure anything. Trudge,
trudge, trudge.
HELP COMES TO HER.
And so they ko on day after day and
night after night, for they have lost.
their way. No path in the smiting
sands; no sign In the burning sky. The
sack empty of the flour; the water
gone from the bottle. What shall she
do? As she puts her fainting Ishmael
under a stunted shrub of the arid plain
he sees the bloodshot eye and feels
the hot hand, and watches the blood
bursting from the cracked tongue, and
there Is a shriek In the desert of Beer
sheba, "We shall die! We shall die!"
Now, no mother wus ever made strong
enough to hear her Bon cry In vain
for a drink. Heretofore she had cheered
her boy by promising a speedy end of
the Journey, and even smiled upon him
when Bhe felt desperately enough. Now
there Is nothing to do' but place him
under a Bhrub and let him die. She had
thought that she would sit there and
watch until the spirit of her boy would
go away forever, and then she would
breathe out her own life on his silent
heart; but as th,e boy begins to claw
his tongue In agony of thirst and strug
gle in distortion, and begs his mother
to slay him, she cannot endure the spec
tacle. e puts him under a shrub and goes
off a bowshot, and begins to weep until
all the desert Beems sobbing, and her
cry strikes clear through the heavens,
and an angel of God comes out on a
cloud and looks down upon the appall
ing grief and cries: "Hagar, what ulleth
thee?" She looks up and she sees
the angel pointing to a well of water,
where she Alls the bottle for the lad.
Thank God! Thank God!
EACH HAS A PLACE.
I learn from this oriental scene, In the
first plnce, what a sad thing It Is when
people do not know their place una
get too proud of their business! Hugar
was an assistant In that household, but
she wanted to rule there. She ridiculed
and jeered until her son, Ishmael, got
the same tricks. She dashed out her
own happiness and threw Sarah Into a
great fret; and If she had stayed much
longer in that household she would have
upset calm Abruhum's equilibrium. My
friends, one-half of the trouble in the
world today comes from the fact that
people do not know their places, or,
llndlng their pluce, will not stay In It.
When we come Into the world there Is
always a place ready for us. A place
for Abraham. A place for Sarah. A
place for Hagar. A place for Ishmael.
A place for you and a place for me.
Our llrst duty Is to And our sphere;
our second Is to keep It. We may
be born In a sphere fur off from the one
for which Gpd finally intends us. Slxtus
V. wns born on the low ground, and
was a swineherd; God called him up
to wave a scepter. Ferguson spent his
early days In looking after sheep; God
called him to look after stars, and
be a shepherd watching the flocks of
light on the hillsides of heaven. Ho
garth began by engraving pewter pots;
God raised him to stand in the en
chanted realm of a pulnter. The shoe
maker's Bench held Bloomfleld for a lit
tle while; but God raised him to sit In
the chulr of a philosopher and Christian
scholar. The soap-boiler of London
could not keep his son In that business,
for God had decided that Hawley was
to be one of the greatest astronomers
of England.
BORN ON TOO HIGH PLANE.
On the other hand we may be born In
a sphere a little higher than that for
which God Intends us. We may be born
In a castle and play In a costly con
servatory, and feed high-bred pointers,
and angle for gold fish In artificial
ponds, nnd be familiar with princes; yet
God muy have better fitter us for a
carpenter's Bhop, or dentist's forceps,
or a weaver's shuttle, or a blacksmith's
forge. The great thing Is to find Just
the BDhere for which God Intended us.
and then to occupy thut sphere, and oc
cupy It forever. Here Is a man God
fashioned to make a play. There Is
a man God fashioned to make a consti
tution. The man who makes the plow
Is Just as honorable as the man who
makes the constitution.
In the Lord's army we all want to
be brigadier generals! The sloop says:
"More mast, more tonnage, more can
vas. Oh, that I were a topsail schooner
or a full-rigged brig or a Cunard
steamer!" And bo the world is filled
with cries of discontent because we are
not willing to stay in the place where
God put us and intended us to be.
Whether It be a crown or a yoke, do
not fidget. Everlasting honors upon
those who do their wprk, and do their
whole work, nnd are contented In the
sphere In which God has put them,
while there Is wandering and exile and
desolation and wilderness for discon
tented Hagar nnd Ishmael.
Again. 1 llnd In this oriental scene a
lesson of sympathy with woman when
she goes forth trudging In the desert.
What a great change It was for this
Hagar! There was the tent, and all
the surroundings of Abraham's house,
beautiful and luxurious, no doubt
Now she Is going out Into the hot sands
of the desert. Oh, what a change It
was!
CHANGE OF FORTUNE.
And In our day we often see the wheel
of fortune turn. Here Is someone who
lived In the very bright home of her
father. She had everything possible to
administer to her happiness plenty at
the table, music in the drawing room,
welcome at the door. She Is led forth
Into life by someone who cannot appre
ciate her. A dissipated soul comes and
takes her out in the desert. Cruelties
blot out all the lights of that home cir
cle. Harsh words wear out her spirits.
The high hope that shone out over the
marriage oltar while the ring was be
ing Bet, and the vows given, and the
benediction pronounced, huve all faded
with the oiange blossoms, und there
she Is toduy, broken hearted, thinking
of past Joys and present desolation und
coming anguish. Hagar in the wilder
ness! How often is it we Bee the weak arm
f woman conscripted for this battle
with the rough world. Who Is she, go
lng down the street In the early light of
the mornlng.pale with exhausting work,
not hnlf slept out with the slumbers of
last night, tragedies of suffering writ
ten ull over her face.lier lusterless eyes
looking fur ahead, as though for the
coming of some other trouble? Her
parents called her Mary, or Bertha, or
Agnes, on the day when they held her
up to the font and the Christian min
ister sprinkled on the infant's face tho
washings of a holy baptism. Her name
1b changed now. I hear It In the shuttle
of the worn-out shoes, I see It In the
figure of the faded calico. I find It In
the lineaments of the woe-begone coun
tenance. Not Mary, nor Bertha, nor
Agnes, but Hagar in the wilderness.
May God have mercy upon woman in
her tolls, her struggles, her hardships,
her desolation, nnd mny the great heart
of divine sympathy inclose her for -ever!
DESTINY IN HER HANDS.
Again, I find In this oriental scene
the fact that every mother leads forth
tremendous destinies.
You say: "That Un't an unusual
scene, a mother leading her child by
the hand." Who is it that she is lead
ing? Ishmael, you say. Who is Ishmael?
A great nation Is to be founded a na
tion so strong thnt It is to stand for
thousands of years against all the
armies of the world. Egypt and As
syria thunder against it, but In vain.
Gaulus brings up his urmy, and his
army Is smitten. Alexander decides
upon a campaign, brings up his hosts,
and dies. For a long while that nation
monopolizes the lenrnlng of the world.
It Is the nation of the Arabs. Who
founded It? Ishmael. the lad that Hagar
led Into the wilderness. She had no
Idea she was leading forth such des
tinies. Neither does any mother. You
pass along the street and see and pass
boys and girls who will yet make the
earth quake with their Influence.
Who Is that boy at Sutton Pool, Ply
mouth, England, barefooted, wading
down Into the slush and slime, until
his bare foot comes upon a piece of
glass, and he lifts it, bleeding nnd puln
struck? That wound In the foot decides
that he be a student, Tlint wound by
the glass In the foot decides that he
shall be John Kltto, who shall provide
the best religious encyclopaedia the
world has ever had provided, and with
his other writings as well, throwing a
light upon the word of God such as has
come from no other man In this cen
tury. WELL IN THE WILDERNESS.
I learn one more lesson from this
oriental scene, and that is that every
wilderness has a well in it. Hagar and
Ishmael gave up to die. Hagar's heart
Bank within her as she heard her child
crying, "Water! water! water!" "Ah!"
he suys, "my darling, there Is no wa
ter. This is a desert." And then God's
angel said from the cloud: "What alleth
thee, Hagar?" And she looked up and
saw him pointing to a well of water,
where she filled the bottle for the lad.
Blessed be God, that there Is In every
wilderness a well, If you only know
how to llnd It fountains for all these
thirsty souls. On that lust day, on that
great duy of the feast, Jesus stood and
cried: "If any man thirst, let them
come to me and drink."
All these other fountains you find
are mere mirages of the desert. Para
celsus, you know, spent his time In
trying to llnd out the elixir of life
a liquid, which, If tuken, would keep
one perpetually young In this world,
and would change the aged back ngain
to youth. Of course he was disap
pointed; he found not the elixir. But
here I tell you of the elixir of ever
lasting life bursting from the "Rock of
Ages."
My mind leaps forward thirty years
from now, und I find myself looking
through the wickets of a prison. I see
a face scarred with every crime. His
chin on his open palm, his elbow on
his knee, a picture of despair. As I
open the wicket, he starts and I hear
his chain clank. The Jul! keeper says
that he has been In there now three
times llrst for theft, then for arson,
now for murder. He steps upon the
trap door, the rope Is fastened to his
neck, the plank falls, his body swings
Into the air, his soul Bwings off into
eternity. Who Is he, nnd where Is he?
Tills afternoon playing kite on the city
commons. Mother, you are now hoist
ing a throne or forging a chain; you
are kindling a star or digging a
dungeon.
And that drinking thut water you
hall never get old, und you will never
be sick, nnu you will never die. "Ho,
everyone that thlrsteth, come ye to the
waters!"
Ah! here Is a man who says: "I have
been looking for thnt fountain a great
while, but can't find It."
And here Is some one else who says:
"I believe all you Bay, but I have been
trudging ulong In the wilderness and
can't And the fountain." Do you know
the reason? I will tell you. Y'ou never
looked in the right direction. "Oh."
you say, "I have looked everywhere.
I have looked north, south, east and
west, and I haven't found the foun
tain." Why you are not looking In the
right direction ut ull
LOOK AND BE SAVED.
Look up, where Hugar looked. She
never would have found the fountain
at all, but when she heurd the voice
of the angel she looked up, and she
saw the linger pointing to the supply.
And, O soul, If today with one earnest,
Intense prayer you would only look up
to Christ, he would point you down to
the supply In the wilderness. "Look
unto me, all ye ends of the earth, r.nd
be ye saved; for I am God, and there
is none else!" Look! look, as Hagar
looked!
Yes, there Is a well for every desert
of bereavement. Looking over any
audience I notice signs of mourning
and woe. Have you found consolation?
Oh, man bereft, oh, woman bereft,
have you found consolation? Hearse
after hearse. We step from one grave
hillock to another grave hillock. We
follow corpses, oui selves soon to be
like them. Tho world Is In mourning
for Its dead. Every heart has become
the sepulchre of some burled Joy. But
Blng ye to God; every wilderness hus a
well In It; and I come to that well to
day, and I begin to druw water for you
from that well.
The old astrologers used to cheat the
people with the Idea that they could tell
from the position of the stars what
would occur In the future, and If a clus
ter of stars stood In one relation, why.
that would be a prophecy of evil; If a
cluster of stars stood In another rela
tion, that would be a prophecy of good.
What superstition! But here Is a new
astrology In which I put all my faith.
By looking up to the star of Jacob, the
morning Btar of the Redeemer, I can
make this prophecy with regard to those
who put thetr truBt In God: "All tfclrura
work together for gootl to those who
love God." Do you love him 7
CONVERTED HINDOO DYING.
Have you seen the Nyctanthes7 it is
a beautiful flower, but it gives very
little fragrance until after sunset. Then
it pours its richness on the air. And
this grace of the gospel that I com
mend to you now, while It may be very
uweet during the day of prosperity, It
pours forth Its richest aroma after sun
down. And It will be sundown with you
and me after awhile. When you coma
to go out of this world, will it be a
desert march, or will it be drinking at a
fountain?
A converted Hindoo was dying, and
his heathen comrades came around him
and tried to comfort him by reading
some of the pages of their theology:
but he waves his hand, as much as to
say, "I don't want to hear It." Then
they called In a heathen priest and he
Bald: "if you will only recite the
Numtra It will deliver you from hell,"
He wuved his hand, as much as to say.
"I don't want to hear that." Then they
Bald: "Call on Juggernaut." He shook
his head, as much as to Bay: "I can't
do that." Then they thought perhaps
he wus too weary to speak, and they
said: "Now, If you can't say 'Jugger
naut,' think of him." He shook his
head again, as much as to Bay: "No,
no, nol"
Then they bent down to his pillow
and they said; "In what will you
trust?" His face lighted up with the
very glories of the celestial sphere, as
he cried out, rallying all his dying en
ergies: "Jesus!" Oh, come this hour to
the fountain. I will tell you the whole
story in two or three sentences. Pardon
for all sin. Comfort for all trouble
Light for all darkness. And every
wilderness has a well In It.
Enormous Sums Spent For Arms.
In July, 1897, the German emperor
called together his military attaches at
a formal breakfast. After eating and
presumably drinking his Imperial Ma
jesty, with one of his sudden bursts of
frankness under such circumstances,
told his olllcers that it wus no use keep
ing It a secret any longer; the German
army had had Its artillery changed
without anything being known about It.
No fewer than five corps had at that
time been armed with the new gun,
a quick-firing weapon made by Krupp,
and by the middle of the present year
all the field guns will huve been re
placed by quick-firing guns capable of
throwing ten or twelve highly destruc
tive shells a minute to as great a dts-,
tancc as the field guns.
How well the secret wns kept may be
understood from the fact that Krupp
employs 16,000 workmen and that sev
eral powers try to spend lurge sums In
Germany to obtain military and naval
Intelligence. Indeed, there seems no
reason to doubt that the secret might
have been kept a good deal longer.
That happened which might have been
expected upon the emperor's possibly In
discreet avowal. The French military
attache of the Berlin embassy at once
took train for Purls, and found his
government prepared to deal promptly
with the question. In fact a model had
been determined upon some time be
fore, and orders were Immediately
placed with the government factories
and with a number of private firms.
Only the cost had prevented the
French war ofllce from making the
change before. The reason for this hesi
tation will be grasped when it Is stated
that the extra expenditure Involved
within a brief period will exceed J50.000,
000. The secret has been kept by the
French nearly as well as the Germans
kept theirs, but It Is now known
several Europeans governments.
The weapon now In course of manu
facture has a quick-tiring gun capable
of tiring at least ten shots a minute. It
has a caliber of three inches, the cali
ber of the French Held gun being !t0
millimeters, and of the horse artillery
gun SO millimeters. The latter weapon
Is slllmar to the latest pattern of the
Nordenfelt cannon. Its weight fitted
with automatic hydraulic or plyccrince
brakes to check recoil, and with steel
shields to reduce the risk from infantry
fire, Is somewhat greater than that of
the 00 millimeter Held gun, but the
range and the bursting power of the
shell are greater. The shell is fitted
with u perfect percussion fuse, whose
accuracy has been tested in thorough
fashion.
As many as 5,000 of these qulck-flrlng
guns for the French artillery are being
provided at a cost, Including 1.000 rounds
of ammunition for each, of $10,000 per
gun. Up till January 1 this year 800
guns were completed, with their due
proportion of projectiles. There will be
enough guns before the end of the
year to arm all the "corps" artillery and,
the whole artillery will be rearmed be-"
fore the end of 1899.
The French have satisfied themselves
that for effect two of their guns are
equal to a whole six-gun battery of
field guns, with a margin to sapre. Nev
ertheless, the superior council of war
has decided that each battery shall,
as heretofore, consist of six pieces.
Thus the effective power of the French
artillery will bo tripled by the adoption
of the qulck-llting guns.
In view of the d6cision It has been
resolved that each gun shall not have
not one, but two ammunition wagons,
which will not remain In the rear, as
In tho case of the Held batteries, but
will come up with the guns In action.
This Involves an Increase of thlrty-slx
horses for each battery. x
The problem of supplying ammuni
tion in the field Is made Immensely more
difficult by this new departure.
Hygonlc and Qracef ul Dress.
In studying the hygienic as well as
graceful proportions of the bicycle suit
there are many points to be considered.
First and above nil the suit must
be light weight. No woman on earth
has the strength to ride In a heavy
skirt which drags her down like a load.
There are so many pretty Buttings
readily formed for this purpose that It
Is narowed down to a question of the
manufacture rather than material
It Is absolutely necessary from a point
of safety and health that the skirt
should be short. There Is nothing gained
by wearing a long skirt. The wheel
catches It, and the display Is much
more Immodest than If a trim, short
Bklrt falling In proper lines made no
pretense of hiding the limbs.
The danger of the Ipng skirt catching
In the wheel and throwing the rider
demonstrates so frequently the danger
ct ruing from this fashion that It should
serve as a wurnlng. Some of the worst
accidents on record are directly traced
to the long skirt.
) High boots are going out. They are
declared to be unsanitary. Be that as
It may, they are very hot and uncom
fortable. The mooted question with women Is
whether a circular or divided skirt looks
the best. It Is a matter of opinion, af
ter nil, and best left to individual de
cision. The new bicycle hat is quite the pret
tiest that has yet fallen to the wheel
woman. It Is made of regular straw In
all the new shades, nnd has a saucy
rolling brim. The crown Is rather high,
with an outward curve. The trimming
Is usually a twist of chiffon and a
bunch of the curled twills.
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