B K jjij t > w * iw * w MM ww w w l * > * wi > < < w * wlM A i i wxf p i ii ! lr ' iirT mi it i piwi
H * ' § '
{ : OUR ROBIN .
- -
' "
' * ' ' * * * * • -
3f'
• • - - > *
| f- - < ocampaway.Iurgoih'my ! aiost
feLr. ' ' - persuuslvo tones. v
fvf I - r. • "All in good time , my dear , " assents
jR ) bln coolly.
| | - ' \A , moment later she fairly bubbles
$ & & & vor with laughter.
| h X * , ; \ * 'Oh , do come hero and look ! Bee
§ & „ ' , ' " /oj 'Iiiovor saw anything bo absurd
K - 1 - ' Jn lif < 3 ! l8n1 * lfc ghastly ? "
PV I'pr a moment I hesitate , then
f&K * curiosity * gets the bettor hand , and' ,
K/ ] a4Y acingto ; the table , I glance over
& her"shoulder , and .own to. myself that
fg1 ' * her exclamation wasnot uncalledfor. .
rc " * The volume lies open at ' a rough ,
| . % " . old-fashioned woodqut , which ropre-
fe 71 . ' .sonts,4n .perspective quite unique , a
| f ; # i | churchyard crowded with cross-boned
pCi - . tombstones. In the foreground a form
p | -1 • ia struggling out of its tomb , and
j , .j . pointing its skeleton finger at a knock-
kj ' kneed , cringing .figure , who , with hair
| ; , 5 . standing on end liko the quills of an
y > . angry porcupine , is Tainly endeavoring
f'l * ' ; to hide behind a diminutive headstone.
jjT : . 'f'What a horrid old book , " I ox-
p claim , , turning over .a few leaves , and
g | readinghere and there a short sen-
' * ' tonce of the
\ large-typed old printing
1 ; , so old indeed is the volume that the
? ' ' - , letter 4s" is throughou 't printed long ,
* fjjj ? > , 'iiearly ' resembiing an "f. " '
§ ; . 'c ' " ' "vl musfinduce your brother to lend
. . . it to me , " cries Robm , , as Vho points to
: . vii-second woodcNt , representing a ruin ,
"
t- - \ ' With-presumably evil , spirits hovering
b in the..air. "I never .saw anything so
jt Y -dOlightfully morbid in my * life see
M yj' "Ifore ; " and sh > reads aloud '
> . " 'To those Jho would have in ter-
'
l * • • course-with departed friends. The hour
I -selected should be after "midnight , but
L' before the striking of one o'clock. The
§ ' night chosen should be at the early
jfe - ' shrinking .of the moon' what is the
f 'shrinking of. the moon ? " interrupts
sjj Robin.
jjj | * "Just after the full moon , " I suggest ,
p for I am * becoming interested.
H T" . - . "Perhaps so , " acquiesces Robin
j * . then she continues to read. " 'Let any
i one so desirous select , if possible , a
) & ' b frying-ground for his . experiment ,
t\ and'letfbim also fast for at least ten
f hours previous to the trial then let
V / ' hint.close his eyes and repeat three
t" # • ' times in a loud.clear voice the follow- '
\ / ing'words' " Robin pauses , and breaks
* g / into a half-vexeiHaugh. . , - x .
? . ' / "What a shame ! " she cries impa
le , ' gently. "It isin tatin ; the whole
% v Jipell is written in Xatiri , and I did . so
t - . -hint to try it. ' " Then she ponders'for * '
' X moment meditatiyelj' .wonder
K hi' elfi'er.the ghosts' ; would' be very par-
> • ticulav .about pronunciation ; , because
> ? if. not , you fihpw , , I , could say it some-
ho frAny Hfay , ' its /receipt worth
; : keeping , .if only to , ; put " in one's ° " scrap-
' . ' ' book. " . .
' ' \ 'She takes a sheet of paper from a
packet lying on the tableand , " prp1 -
f ducing a pencil fromher pocket/pro-
Y\ \ -cee < 3s fiastilyvith / 'hOT iaskJ1 * Avfiils T/
y totally oblivious of John's anger should'
he catch us in , his . study , tuin ; to the
' beginning.of the fasGtnating. vplume.
/ , Xapir6 1iged , to read'sideways , hecause
: Robin is holding up the center'pages'
iv and. copying from the end of the book.
, ' . Sb. engrossed are we both with our all-
: ; . - 'absorbing occupation , that we become
• Afforgetful Of bur surroundings. '
I ' { ' : : i "Good morning , Sliss-Wolstencroft. " ,
John's scornful voicabreaks in on
XDur'dreams , and , withdrawing my nose'
from > .close proximity .with the fusty
leather-covered volume , I see my
"brother standing like an avenging
• spirit in the doprw.ay.
; ' * ; Guiltily I straighten my aching back ,
mnd wonder what will happen. [
* "Oh , good niorning ! " answers Robin , t
1" -glancing up with one of her brightest
smiles. "I shall soon have finished
my work , and then I will go. "
- J. John stands for a moment undecided ,
then he enters the room , wanders
p . .round it in his-usual aimless fashion-
' .nd mechanically begins .smelling a
y "luge bunch- roses which Robin has
'rplaced on the chimney-piece.
* v. "Wasn't it good of me toarrange :
• rsome flowers ior your study ? " she asks
. iHn her sauciest tone.rArid I have let
• ? hi the fresh air too. Bee Bee made
' uf'tnat you would oe furious at'
' ny impertinence ; but I thought you
Wouldn't mind. "
• "I forgot to lock the. door last
.jnt ! , " - answers John quietly , but with
-no show of anger.
Robin only laughs ,
f i * ' ! Now ! call 'that the most base in- :
-gratitude , 3' she remarks , pausing for a |
moment to glance up slyly at me , "aft- ;
er the trouble I have taken to makej
your room' nice too. " j
John has strolled away from the !
hearth-rug and moved round the room ; ;
he now approaches the writingltable.
"Are you sketching ? " he asks , bend-
Jng over her chair.
, 'Nb ; I am copying a receipt for rais- :
"ing ghosts. .It will beexcruciatinglv
-difficult to learn and worse to pro- '
viiounce ; perhaps
> But her sentence remains unfinished.
Johns ! handr-swpops suddenly down }
upon the volume , closes it violently ,
.takespossessionbf . it. ' •
. .j , Oh , 'Vcries Robin , springingto.lier'
feeTand facing my "brother with .an
* . innocent look of astonishment , "what
did you do that for ? Give me back-
the book , please I have not finished. ' }
. "And never TvilU" answers ' "John
t U sternly , as "he locks up the kbookdn ' his
I iig desk and placesthe * key ' in .hid
1 pocket. "How dare"you ! t4mpetpwith ]
U such thmgs ? " add im 'iaJL. : see that
ie is .white y ' iy P8 * * ' - * -
m * 'D r S eW ! " echoes Robin scorn-
I • • : * • > fullyfr&agmfli flusned cheeks. "Dare
1 ' • • * .in sidi Such nbnsense ! I would re-
1 • ' • ? * peatallithatvnonsense at midnight as
I - -i sooS&ufclook & at you ; and I will too ,
H - > ' ' rad rai&e a ghost if I can" still more
If * ; cbrnfuUy. "Only I forgot" her an-
\ \ " > & copied erTughT 7aiseT'half a ghost I-3
II ifS * * ' : wonder" medjJatively "if it will be
1 Jj bis-liead or his heels that I shall
J vsvoke ? " .
fl * /e -John is evidently in no humor for
J" > M . . king.s
m * "Give , me thatpaper ! " he says , hold-
m * wf f / * ing out Tiis hand with a gesture of
Mi V / cbmmand.
K-J * } Robin * , however , with a malicious
Wmj' -f and.defiant smile , quietly places it in.
"
* M"JT - . er.pocket. . ,
mahf Though lost to. sight , to memory
H . 'dear , ' " .j&o'quotes , tapping her pocket
B affectionately ; and then she "turns and ,
B- . with a.mocking little laugh , trips out
W of the room.
I : I follow close on her heels ; and wo
I ' Xhave the-satisfaqtion of-hearing the
I , , vkeyturned fiercely in-thelpck before ' ' .
I jtgi > i ' e are naif-way across thehaUr -
'
CflAFTER-V.
John , when ho takes his place at
the. breakfast table , seems to have re ?
covored his equanimity , ; he oven ap-
poArs to be in an apologotic frame of
mind.
"I am afraid you must think mo a
dreadful boar , Miss Wolstencroft , " he
says , addressing Robin. "I never
oven thanked you for the flowers this
morning ; yetl do appreciate your kind
ness in arranging them. "
"I don't want any thanks , " answers
Robin a little brusquely. "Of course
I know itwas very officious of me. I
don't suppose I should ever have
thought of taking them to your room ,
only Blanche was constantly impress
ing it on me that it was forbidden
ground. "
"An excellent reason for your visit , "
remarks John a trifle sarcastically.
"A truly feminine reason , " declares
Robin. "She excited my curiosity.
There was something so delightfully
romantic and fascinating about a for
bidden room. "
John gives a short laugh. *
"If you have taken such a fancy to
tho room , " lie says slowly and thought
fully , 'I will leave it unlocked at night ,
so that you can have the run of it be
fore breakfast. "
I glance up in amazement , and catch
a lurknig Jook of satire in my brother's
eyes ; but , if he intends to annihilate
Robin , by either eye , tono or manner ,
he is vastly , mistaken ; his arrow flies
clean'-over ' her head , leaving her total
*
ly unscathed *
"Will you ? " she returns , helping
herself' for the second time to mar
malade. . "That" is kind only I am
afraid that if I know I may go in every
morning the room will quite lose its
charm. "
Nevertheless Robin avails herself of
the permission , and from that time
forth John's study is regularly sup
plied with fresh flowers , and the
window thrown open to the early sun
shine. - Taking heart , I gradually in
troduce a few little jcomforts which
have been hitherto wanting we re
cover his smoking chair with gaily-
flowered chintz , and a white fur mat
is placed inone t corner for the accom
modation o * Nell , who seems to be re
gaining her lost place in her master's
heart.
During these early days of June the
weather is particularlybright and
warm , - so my * friend and-1 spend much
of our time in the open air , either
driving thro.ugh the .shady lanes or
wandering idly about the grounds and
garden.
Itliad been decided that Harry must
make .one more voyage before our
marriage ; and as the hour of his de
parture draws near he spends more
and more time daily at Todmore. I
must * own that Robin is the most dis
creet of girls sho seems to know in
stinctively wiien she is wanted and
when she is.not , and thinks , nothing of
.absenting .herself for hours together ,
. when she deems such a course , expe
dient.
* 'It must be very slow work , court
ing isn't itu she asiks one day com
passionately , after Harry is gone.
"Not very it is .much slower for
you , " I answerj with a superior shake
of my head.
"Not . a bit of it , my dear. I have
my book and-flowers , or if I like I can
go to sleep in fact I * am free ; whilst
you must talk , on one theme for hours
at a stretch. Ugh ! I couldn't do it. "
"In that case you. .had better make
up your mind to die an old maid. "
"Oh , I don't see that ! " a little im
patiently. "Once you. are married.it
is all right ; but it is the courting I
could never stand. Now if a man
should ever propose to me" doubt
fully "I should answerI am quite
ready to marry you , only don't let's
have any engagement. "
"If any man asked you , that would
be your answer ? "
"No , of course not any man ; but the
right man. I am sure" speaking
with confidence "that I could gethim
into shape if . we were oncevimarried ;
but I could , not could not possibly go
on saying sweet-things to him for hours
together it would be frightfully in
sipid. "
"Ah , Robin , you are fancy free !
Wait till tho right man comes. "
"I am quite willing to wait ; falling
in love always seems to sour people.
I suppose the fact is all the sweet
ness goes to the beloved .object , and
their friends must put up with the
rest. "
"Am I so cross then ? "
"You ? Oh , no ! " and Robin laughs
a little. . "But then I really believe
you have more sugar in your tempera
ment than most people. Now in my
constitution there is a strong dash of
pepper and mustard ; butlhopenovine-
gar. "
For some days after that first inva
sion of my brother's sanctum John
seems brighter and more companiona- '
ble ; then the old gloom settles down
and envelops him once more. Instead
of remaining with us in the drawing-
room after dinner , ho creeps off to his
beloved study ; it certainly is very odd
and unsociable of him. Indeed , his
conduct , instead of improving , as I bad
hoped it would , under the iufluence of
va stranger , becomes more eccentric
than ever.
One evening I am quite startled by
making a new discovery regarding
'him. Harry had been dining with us ,
and it was'after eleven before he took
his departure , aunt Louisa at that time
being fast asleep fn her chair ; Robin
and I , instead ; of retiring at once to our
rooms , remain chatting softly in the
drawing-room. It is past twelve be
fore we decide on going to bed. Aunt
Louisa is the first to seek her room ,
then Robin and I , arm-in-arm , ascend
the broad staircase.
"Oh , wait a minute ! " cries Robin , as
weipauso for a moment- the first
> lariding. 1 forgot myebook Irwon't
be a second getting , it. "
"But the lamp is out. "
"No matter ; I am very clever at
groping , and I know where I left it. "
So she runs down-stairs again , and
I stand gazing out of the staircase
window at the grounds , bathed in
moonlight , and backed by the dark
line > of tree-tops which shade the Lov
er's Walk.
Naturally enough , I am thinking ofj
Harry , and wondering whether the'
time of his absence maybe shortenedto
eighteen months , as ho hinted during
the evening ! I suppose I fail into one
of my dreams , for I certainly start
when Robin's arm is again slipped
within 'mine. , * . . .
' "Whatvare you gazing at ' sd intent
• lyP'kshcrasks. 1"i ; ' ; ; ! . - ' , . , , : ' "
.
-i * • *
' , ' - - " * , * ' , t. ' * " * '
-C - • ' S '
" "STbthirig , " I answer , preparing "to"
movoupstairs. .
But Robin's eyes are riveted on'the
moonlit grounds.
"Look , " sho cries , in a low voice ,
full of pldased excitement "I believe
we aretgoing , to have an adventure-
there is a burglar in the garden. "
"Don't , " I cry , with a shiver , and
trying to pull her up-stairs. "It is not
kind you know how nervous lam ! "
"But I am not joking in the least , "
remonstrates Robin ; "it is a real live
burglar. See , he is coming towards
the house. " *
My first impulse is to run up-stairs
apd lock myself into my room ; but I
have no chance of availing myself of
that prudent instinct of self-preservu-
tion , for Robin holds me firmly by the
arm. Seeing that escape is out of the
question , my oyes turn with a kind of
involuntary attraction towards the
scene without.
"There he comes there ho comes ! "
murmurs Robin , as tho advancing fig-
uro. stops from the shadow of the trees
into the patch of moonlight.
A moment later sho breaks into a
fit of smothered laughter.
"What a sell ! " sho cries , with a sigh
I verily bolievo of disappointment.
"It is only your brother after all ! "
"John ? . Impossible ! " I say , strain
ing my eyes to make sure of the point.
"He is in his study. "
"If not John , then it must be John's
double , " answers Robin.
All eagerness has died out of her
tone now that she is fully assured that
no thrilling adventure , is in store for
her.
her."Yes
"Yes , it certainly is John , " I say
rather unwillingly , as the figure passes
by the window , within a few paces of
the house ; ' 'he is coming in at the side
door. What could have induced him
to go out at this time of night ? "
"Restlessness , " suggests Robin.
"No , he is not given to restlessness.
Wait here for a moment ; I must run
down and speak to him. "
"All right , " responds Robin , with a
yawn ; and she sinks down upon the
window seat as I'depart on my errand.
John is turning the handle of the
side door as I gain the end of the
passage.Ho , gives a violent start-when
he sees me , and holds up his hand'as.
if to ward mo off.
"John , where have you been ? " I
cry.
cry.He
He recovers himself instantly , and
answers , placing-his hand reassuringly
on my arm
"Only for a stroll in the moonlight ,
child. Why are you not in bed ? "
"Harry went late , and I have been
chatting since with Robin. We saw
you from the staircase window , and
took you at first for a burglar. What
were you doing out of doors ? "
"Doing ? " says my brother , with
just a touch of impatience in his tone.
"I was merely walking in tho grounds.
There is no law against it , I suppose ? "
"But midnight is [ such an odd time
to go for a walk ! " I object.
"Perhaps so ; but then I am an odd
fellow , " answers John drily.
I make no response , only sigh ; and
John , stooping down , kisses me on the
cheek.
"There , run away to bed ; and don't
be alarmed in future by my nocturnal
rambles. I often go out for an hour
or so at night. "
• 'You often go out ? " I say feeling
strangely perplexed.
"Yes , often " ; only you never chanced
to see me before. Good night. "
"Good night" knowing I am dis
missed ; and then I turn away reluct
antly , and retrace my steps to the
staircase , where Robin is awaiting me.
"Well ? " she remarks interrogative
ly , and with a very deeided yawn.
"He had only been for a walk in the
grounds , " I remark , with a melancholy
shake of my head ; "it seems he often
does so. "
"How sweetly romantic ! " and Rob
in clasps her hands in derision.
• 'Not at all , " I answer , annoyed at
her tone ; ? it must be lovely out in the
moonlight. " * - * ' - *
"Yes ; and the full moon is said to
have an attractive influence on "
: she pauses , and gives a mischievous
laugh.
"Well , on what ? " I demand sternly. ,
"Oh , on pupyy-dogs ! " she answers
meekly ; but I know well enough what
she means insinuate . , and stalk away
before her up-stairs.
"You old goose ! I was only teas
ing ! " she cries , catching me by my
dress before ? I have time to gain my
room. "There give me a Mss of
forgivenessorI shall never sleep. "
. "Now remember that you never call
Jack a lunatic again , " I say firmly , as
I comply with her request.
"I never did ; and , if I am notallow-
ed my little jokes , ' I shall pine away
and die , " says Robin pathetically.
"That would be toc too utterly
sad , " I answer , laughing. "And now
good night ; it is nearly one o'clock. "
Then I seekmy bed ; but it is some
time before I fall asleep , for my
thoughts are occupied with Jack. What
can be his [ object in wandering about
the grounds at night ? Has he been
long in the habit of doing so ? Is there
any truth in Robin's little jest , and can
the moon affect his brain ? This last
question however I scout at once. John
is perfectly sane , and we came of a
sane family. Of course he is eccentric
and melancholy and given to the study
of abstruse sciences , "but he is healthy in
mind and body.
I had hoped that Robin's cheering
presence was rousing him from his us
ually torpid state ; and now , by a mere
chance , I discover that he has been
avenging himself for extra liveliness
during the day by long and mysterious
walks at night. , Shall I remonstrate
with him on the strangeness of h's
conduct ? Better not ; remonstrances
from the lips of a younger sister are
, apt-Jto fall-flat on.mascuHne ears. Sov
having come to a satisfactory b it hif--
miliating acknowledgment of my own
helplessness , I fall asleep.
( to be continued. )
They "Were Irregular Twins.
An old , ragged , red-faced , forlorn-
looking woman accosted a gentleman
with :
"Plaise , sur , for the luv of Heaven
give me a nickle to "buy bread with.I
am a poor , lone woman , and have
young twins to support. "
' "Why , my good woman , " he replied ,
"you seem to.be too old to have twins
of your own. "
"They areubt minesir , " she replied ,
"I'm only raisin' 'em. " *
• 'How old are your . iwinsP" .
• * - * One" of. 'em , iaseven weeks ould and
thVotheris eight months. " > .
fCK. . . , a- . . - „ jjiii mmm b
wmmmimmmmmmmmmmmmmm
*
- . -thealmamg ;
_ _ _ „ . , ,
Dr. TaJmago Says , . Noxt to the
Bible , It is the Most Solemn of
Books.
His Discourse Contains a Brilliant
• Verbal Painting of Gideon and
His Troops.
TheBB Ancient "Sogers , " However , "Were
Void of Sufficient Hervo.
Eprclal to'The Kfinias City Tlim ? .
BnooKi/rN , April 14. At the Brooklyn
taboruaclo to-day , after expounding : passages
desoriptive of tho world as it shall bo when
gospelized. Dr. Tahnago gave out tho hymn :
People'and renlms of every tongue
Dwu.l on Ills love with sweetest song.
Text , Revelations xix.,4 : "Amen ; Alle
luia. "
Tho Nineteenth century is departing.
After it has taken a few more steps , if each
year bo a step , it will be gono into the eter
nities. In a short timo we shall be in the
last , decado of this contury , which fact
makes tho solemnest book outside the
Biblo the almanac , and tho most suggestivo
and the most tremendous jiece of machinery
in the earth the clock. The last decade of
this century upon which we shall soon en-
tor will bo the grandest , mightiest and most
decisive decade in all the chronologies. I
am glad it is not to' come immediately , for
we need by a now baptism otthe Holy Ghost
to prepare for itThat last ten years otthe
Nineteenth century , may we all , live' to soe
them ! .Does any ono say that this.division
of time is arbitraryi ' Oh , no ; in other ages
tho divisions of timo may have been arbi
trary , but ouryears date from Christ. Does
any one say that tho grouping pf ten togeth
er is an arrangement arbitrary ? Oh , no ;
noxt to the figure seven , ten is with God a
favorite number. Abraham dwelt ten years
in Oaanan. Ten righteous men would have
saved Sodom. Jn the ancient tabernacle
wei'e ten curtains , thoir pillars ton and their
sockets ten. In tho ancient temple were ten
lavers and ten candle-sticks and ten tables
and a moulten sea of ten cubits. And the
commandments written on the granite of
Mount Sinai were ten , and the kingdom of
God was likened to ton virgins , and ten men
should lay hold , of him that was a Jew , and
tho reward of tho greatly faithful is that
thoy shall reign over ten cities , and in the
effort to take tho census of tho New Jerusa
lem tho number ten swings around the
thousands , crying "ten thousand times ten
thousand. " So 1 coma to look toward the
closing ten years of the Nineteenth century
with an intensity of interest I can hardly
describe.
I have also noticedjthat tiie favorite time
-inmanypfjthe centurle3 ffor great events
was thej.cl65ihg : fragment of the century.
Is America to bo discovered , it must be in
the last decade of the Fifteenth century ,
namely , 1492. Was free constitutional gov
ernment to be well established in America ,
the last years of the Eighteenth century
must achieve it. Were three cities to be
submerged by one pitch of scorias , Hercula-
jieum and Strabiaj and Pompeii in the latter
part of tho First century must go undor.
The fourth century closed with the most
agitating ecclesiastical war of history , Ur
ban tho Sixth against Clement the seventh.
Alfred the Great closes the Ninth century
and Edward Ironsides the Eleventh
century with their resounding deeds.
Tho Sixteenth century closed with the
establishment of religious independ
ence in tho United Netherlands. Aye ,
almost every century has had its
peroration of overtowering achievements.
As the closing years of the centuries seem
a favorite time for great scenes of emanci
pation or.disaster , and as the number ten
seems a favoroite number in tno scriptures ,
written by divine direction , and as we are
soon to enter upon the last ten years of tho
nineteeth century , what does the world
propose ? What does the church of Christ
propose ! What do reformers propose ? I
know not ; but now in the presence of this
consecrated assembly I propose that we
make ready , get all our batteries planted
and all our plans well laid in what remains
of this decade , and then in the last decado
of the nineteenth century march up and
take this round world for God.
When I say we , I mean the five hundred
million Christains now alive. But , as many
of them will not have enough heart for the
work let us copy Gideon , and as he had thir
ty-two thousand men in his army to fight
the Midianites but many of them were not
made of theright stuff and he promulgated
a military order saying : "Whosoever is
fearful and afraid let him return and depart
early from Gilcad , " and twenty-two thous
and woro afraid of getting hurt and went
homo and only ten thousand were left and
God told them that even this reduced num
ber was too large a number , for they might
think thoy had triumphed , independent of
divine help , and so themumbermustbe still
further reduced and only those should be
kept in the ranks who in passing the river
should be so in haste for victory over their
enemies that ; though very thirsty , they
would without stopping a .second just scoop
up the water in the palm of their right hand
and scoop up the water in the palm of their
left hand and only three hundred men
did that and those three hundred men
with the battle , shout , "The sword of the
Lord and of Gideon , " scattered the Midian
ites like leaves in an equinox , so out of the
five hundred million nominal Christians of
to-day let all unbelievers and cowards go
home and get out of the way. And suppose
we have only four hundred million left ;
suppose only two hundred million left ; sup
pose only one hundred million left ; yea ,
suppose we only have fifty million left ;
with them we will undertake the divine
crusade , and each one just scooping up a
palm full of the river of God's mercy in one
hand and a palm full of the river of God's
strength in the other , let us with the cry ,
"The sword of tho Lord and of Gideon , "
the sword of tho Lord and of John Knox ,
tho sword of the Lord and of Matthew
Simpson , the sword of the Lord and of
Bishop Mcllvaine , the sword of the Lord
and of Adoniram Judson , the sword of the
Lord and of Martin Luther , go into the last
decade of tho nineteenth century.
Is it audacious for mo to propose it ? Oh ,
no ; a captive servant in the kitchen of
JNaaman told the commander-in-chief where
ho could get rid of the blotches of his awful
leprosy and his complexion became as fair
as a babe's. And didn't Christ in order to
take the ophthalmia out of the eyes of the
blind man use a mixture of spittle and dust !
And who showed Blueher a short cut for his
army so that instead of taking the regular
road by which he would have come up too
late , he came up in time to save Waterloo
and Europe ? Was it not an unknown lad ,
who perhaps could not write his own name ?
And so I. "who am less than the least of all
saints , " propose a short cut to victory and
am willing to be the expectoration on some
blind eye and tell some of the brigadier
generals of the Lord of hosts how this
leprosied world may in the final decade of
the Nineteenth century have its flesh come
again as the flesh of a little child.
Is there anything'in prophecy to hinder
this SDeedy * consummation ? No. Some
one begins to quote from Daniel about
"times , time and a half time , " and takes
from Revelation the seven trumpets blow
ing them all at once in my ear. But with
utmost roverenco take up all the prophe
cies and'hold them toward heaven and say
God never will stop consecrated effort and
holy determinationand.magnificent resolve ,
and that ifthe . church of God will rise up
to its full work it can make Daniel's time
twenty years and his half time ten years.
Neither Isaiah , norEzekiel , nor Micah , nor
Malachi , nor Jeremiah , nor any of the major
or minor prophets will hinder us a second.
Suppose the Biblo had announced the mil-
lenium to begin the year 3S89 , that would ,
be no hinderance' . In one sense God
never changes his mind , being tho : same
yesterday , to-day and forever. But in an- ,
other sense v - .he does < $ chaHge his
mind and times withoutnumber
every day , and that is when his peo
ple pray. Didn't ho change his mind
about Nineveh ? By God's command Jonah ,
at the top of bis voice , while standing on tho
teps of tho merchants' oxchango and the
palatial residences of that city7 cried out ,
"Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be over
thrown. " Was it overthrown iniorty days !
No. The people gave up their sins and cried
for mercy , and though Jonah got mau be
cause his whole course of sermons had been
spoiled and went into a disgraceful pouting ,
we havo the record so sublime I cannot read
it without feeling a nervous chill running
through mo. "God saw their works and they
turned from their evil way and God repented
of the evil that he had said he would do unto
thorn and ho did it not. " God is a father ,
and soma of us know what that means , and
some time when we have promised chastise
ment and the child deserved it , the little
darling has put her arms around our neck
and expresses such sorrow and such prom
ises of doing better that her'tears landed on
the lips of oar Mss , andswe. held hoc a half
'hour after on our knee , and would as soon
think of slapping nnangel In-the face
as of oven striking , nqr with tho
weight of ourlittle flncer , God is a
fatherand while ho has promised this world
BcourgingH , though they woro to bo for a
thousand yoara or live thousand years , ho
would , if tho. world repented , substitute
benediction and divine caress. God changed
bis mind about Sodom six .times. He had
determined on Its destruction ' . Abraham
asked him if he would not spare it if llftv
righteous people were found thoro ; and ,
narrowing down the numbor , if iorty-ilvo
people , wore found there ; if forty people ; if
thirty pcoplo ; if twenty peoplo : if ten peo
ple wero found there. And each of tho six
times tho Lord answered yes. Oh , , why
didn't Abraham go on just two steps fur
ther and say if five bo found there and
if one be found there , for then
for the sake of Lot , its one good citizen , I
think Sodom would have Deen spared.
Eight times does tho Bible say that God re
pented when ho had promised punishments
and withheld tho stroke. Was it a slip of
Paul's pen when he spoke of God's cutting
short the work in righteousness ? No ,
Paul's pen never slipped. Thoro is nothing
in tho way of proptecy to hindor tho cru
sade I hayo proposed for the last decade of
the Nineteenth century.
Tho whole trouble is that we put off tho
completion of tho world's redemption to
such long and indefinite distances. The
old proverb that "what is everybody's busi
ness is nobody's business , " might bo
changed a little and be made truthfully to
say Avhat is tho gospel business of all tho
ages is the gospel business of no ago. Wo
are so constituted wo cannot get up much
enthusiasm about something five hundred
years from now or a thousand years from
now. Wo are fighting at too long a rango.
That gun called the "Swamp Angel" was a
nuisance. It shot six miles , but it hardly
ever hit anything. It did its chief destruc
tive work when it burst and killed thoso
who wero setting it off. Short rango is tho
effective kind of work , whether it bo for
wordly or religious purpose. Some man
with his eyes half shut drones out
to mo the Bible quotation : "A thousand
years are as ono day , " that is , ten centuries
are not long for the Lord. But why do you
not quote the previous sentence , which
says that one day is with tho Lord as a
thousand-years ? That is , ho could do the
work of ten centuries in twenty-four hours.
The ' mighiest obstacle to christian work is
the impression that the world's evangeliza
tion is away off. And we take the telescopo
and look on and on through centuries until wo
see two objects near each other and wo
strain our vision and guess what they arc
and wo call great conventions to guess what
they are , and we get down our heaviest the
ological works and balance our telescopo on
the lid and look and look and finally con
clude that they are two beasts that we see ,
and tho one has hair and Jthe other has wool
and wo guess it must bo tho lion and tho
lamb lying down together. In the great
cradle of postponement and sotnno-
lenco we rock the church as
though it were an impatient child and say ,
"Hush , my dear , uon'tbe impatient ! Don't
get excited by revivals ! Don't cry ! Your
Father's coming ! Don't get uneasy ! Ho
will be here in two or three or ten or twenty
thousand years. " And wo act as though
we thought that when Macaulay's famous
New Zealander in the far distance is seated
on a broken arch of London bridge , sketch
ing tho ruins of St Paul's his grandchild
might break in and jolt his pencil by asking
him if he thought the millennuim ever
would appear. Men and women of the eter
nal God ! Son's and daughters of the Lord
Almicrhty ! We may havo it start in the de
cade that is soon to commence and it will bo
done if wo can persuade the people be
tween now and then to get ready for tho
work.
What makes mo think it can be done ?
First , because Godis ready. He needs no
long persuasion to do his work , for if ho is
not willing that any should perish , he is not
willing that any of the peoplo of the next
decade shall perish ; and the whole Biblo is
a chime of bells ringing out "Come , come ,
come , " and you need not go round the earth
to find out how much ho wants tho world to
come , but just to walk around ono stripped
and bare and leafless tree with two branch
es , not arched , but horizontal. But he is
waiting , as he said he would , for the co-op
eration of the church. When we are ready
God is ready. And he certainly has all the
weaponry ready to capture this world for
the truth , all the weapons of kindness or
devastation. On the one hand the Gospel and
sunshine and power to orchordize and gar-
deuize the earth , and fountains swinging in
rainbow and Chatsworthian verdure and
aromas poured out of the vials of heaven ,
while on the other hand he has the weaponry
of devastation , thunderbolt and conflagra
tion and forces planetary , solar , lunar ,
stellar or meteoric , that with loose rein
thrown on the neck for a second would leave
constellations and galaxies so many split
and shivered wheels on the boulevards of
heaven. And that God is on our side , all on
our side. Blessed bo his glorious name !
Blessed was the hour when through Jesus
Christ my sinful soul made peace with him !
If you continue to ask me why 1 think
that the world can be saved in the final de
cade of the Nineteenth century , I reply be
cause it is not a great undertaking , consider
ing the number of workers that will go at it ,
if once persuaded it can be done. We have
sifted the five hundred million of workers
down to four hundred million and three hun
dred million and two hundred million and
one hundred million and to fifty million. I
went to work to cipher out how many souls
that number could bring to God in ten years ,
if each.one brought a soul every year , and
if each soul so brought should bring another
each succeeding year. I found out , aided
by a professor in mathematics , that we did
not need anything like such a number of
workers enlisted. You see it is simply a
question of mathematics and in geometrical
progression. Then I gave to the learned
professor this , problem : How many
persons would it require to starn
with if each one brought a soul
into the kingdom each year for ton years
and each one brougnt another each succeed
ing yoar , in order to have fourteen.hundred
million people saved or the population of
the earth at present ? His answer was two
million seven hundred and fifty-four thou
sand three hundred and seventy-five work-
el's. So you see that when I sifted the five
hundred million nominal christians of the
earth down to fifty million and stopped
there , I retained for this work forty-seven
million people too many. There it is in glo
rious mathematics , quod erat demonxtran-
dtim. Do you tell me that God does not
care for mathematics ? Then you have
never seen the Giant's Causeway where
God shows his regard for the hoxagonal in
wholo ranges of rockv columns with six
sides and six angles. Then you have not
studied the geometry of a bee's honeycomb
with six sides and six angles. Then you
have not noticed what regard God has for
the square ; the altar of the ancient taber
nacle , four square ; the breastplate , four
square ; the court of the temple in Ezeuiel's
vison , four square ; the New Jerusa
lem laid out four square. Or you
have not noticed his . regard for
the circle by making it his throne , "sitting
on the circle of the earth , " and fashioning
sun and moon and stars in a circle and send
ing our planetary system around other sys
tems in a circle. And as to his regard for
mathematical numbers , he makes the fourth
book in his Bible the Book of Numbers , and
numbers of tho hosts of Isrcal and numbers
the troops of Sennacherib • and numbers
Solomon's hewers in the forest and numbers
the spearmen and numbers the footmen and
numbers the converts at Pentecost and
numbers the chariots of God rolling down
the stops of heaven. So I have a right to
enlist mathematics for the demonstration of
the easy possibility of bringing the wholo
world to God in the coming decade by simple
process of solicitation , each one only having
to bring one.a year ; although I want to take
in forty thousand and I know men. now
alive who I think , by pen or voice , or both ,
directly or indirectly , will take hundreds of
thousands each. So you see that that will
discharge some of the 2.754,3 iu from the ne
cessity of taking any.
Another reason why I know it can be
done isthat we may divide the work up
among the denominations. God does not ask
any denomination to do the work or "
any dozen denominations. , ffhe work can bo
divided up , not geographically but accord
ing to the temperaments of the human fam
ily. We cannot say to one denomination.
You take Persia , and another. You take
China , and another , You take India , because
there are all styles of temperaments in all
nations. And * some denominations are es
pecially adapted to work with people of
sanguine temperament or phlegmatic tem
perament or choleric temperataont or bil
ious temperament or nervous tempera
ment or lymphatic teraporament. The
Episcopal church will do its most effective
work with thoso who by tasto prefer the
stately and ritualistic. The Methodist
church will do its best work among the
emotional and demonstrative. The Pres
byterian church will do its best work among
thoso who like strong doctrine and the
stately service softened by the emo
tional. So each denomination will havo
certain kinds of peoplo whom.it will especi
ally affect. So let the work be divided up.
There are the seven , hundred and fifty
thousand Christiana of the Prosbyterian
church , north , and other hundreds of
• A
}
thousands in tho Prcsbytorinn church ,
south , and all forcijm Prcsbytonuns , more
especially Scotch , . Eugllsb and Irish ,
muking , I guess , about two million Prosbv-
tcrinns ; tho Methodist church Is still
larger : tho church of England on both
sides tho sea still largor ; and many othor
denominations as much , if not more , con
secrated than any I huvo mentioned. Di
vide up tho world's ovnngolkation among
these denominations after thoy aroporsuad-
edit can be done boforo the Nineteenth
century is dead , and the last-Hottentot , tho
last Turk , tho last Japanese , tho last Ameri
can , tho last European , tho last African
will see the solvation of God before ho scos
tho opening gato of the Twentieth con
tury.
Again , I feol tho wholo world can bo
saved in the time specified , because wo have
all manner of machinery requisite. It is
not as though we had to build tho printing
presses ; thoy are all built and running day
and night , thoso printing religious papers
(9-J3 of those religious papors in this coun
try ) , thoso printing religious tracts and
thoso printing religious books. And thou
sands of printing presses now in tho sorvtco
of tho devil could bo brought and sot to work
in the service of God. Why was tho print
ing press.invonted ? To turn out billheads
and circulars of patent medicines and tell
tho news which in thrco weeks will bo of
no iinportanco ? From tho old timo Franlr-
lin printing press on up to tho Lord
Stanhope's press and tho YVashincton press
and the Victory press to Hoo's perfecting
printing press that machine has been im
proving for its best work and its final work ,
narnoly , tho publication of the glad tidlmrs
of great joy which shall bo to all people.
We havo the presses , or can havo them bo
foro tho first of January when tho new de
cado is to begin , to put a Biblo In tho hand
of ovory son and daughter of Adam and
Eve now living , and if such person cannot
read we can havo a colporteur , an evange
list or missionary to read it to him or hor.
But tin s brings me to tho adjoining
thought ; namoly , wo havo tho money to do
tho work. I moan the fifty million of chris
tians havo it Aye , tho two million seven
hundred and fifty-four thousand christains
havo it , and tho dam which is beginning to
leak will soon break and thoro will be rush
ing floods of hundreds and millions aud bil
lions of dollars in holy contribution when
you persuade tho woalthy men of tho king
dom of God that tho speedy conversion of
the world is a possibility and that Isaiah
and Ezekiel and Daniel and St John will
not stand in the way of it , but help it on. I
have no sympathy with this bombardment
of rich menWo would each ono bo worth
five millions dollars if wo could , and by
hard persuasion might perhaps bo induced
to take fifteen million. Almost every
paper I tako tells of some
wealthy man who has endowed a
collope or built : i church or a hospital or a
free library , and that thing is going to mul
tiply until tno treasury of all our denomina
tions and reformatory organizations will bo
overwhelmed with muniiicenco if wo can
persuade our men of wealth that the world's
evangelization is possible and that they may
live to see it with their own eyes. 1 havo
always cherished tho idea that when tho
world is converted we would bo allowed to
come out on tho battlements of heaven and
see the bannered procession and the bonfires
of victory. But 1 would like to see the pro
cession closer by and just be permitted my
self to throw on a fagot for a bigger bonfire.
And if you porsuade our men of wealth that
there is a possibility for them to join on
earth in the universal glee of a redeemed
planet , instead of laborious beseeching for
funds and arguing and flattering in order to
get a contribution for Christian objects our
men of wealth will stand in lino as at a
Eostofticc window or a railroad ticket ofUce ,
ut in this case waiting for their turn to
makeja charitablc deposit. The Gentiles are
not long going to allow themselves to be
eclipsed by Mr. Hirsch , tho Jew who ha3
} ust Riven forty million dollars for schools
in France , Germany and Russia. I rejoice
that so much of tho wealth of the world is
coming into tho possession of Christian
men and women. And although the
original church was very' poor , and its
members wore fish dealers on tho banks of
Galilee , and had only such stock on hand as
they could take in thoir own net , to-day in
tho hands of Christian men and women
there is enough money to print Bibles and
build churches and support missionaries
under God in ten years to save the world.
My friendswhatbut such a consummation
Could be a fit climax to this century ? You
notice a tendency in history and all about us
to a climax. The creation rising f rem herbs
to fish and from fish to bird and from bird
to quadruped and from quadruped to im
mortal man. The New Testament rising
from quiet genealogical table in Matthew to
apocalyptic doxology in Revelation. Now ,
what can be an appropriate climax to this
century , which has heard the puff of the
first steamer and the throb of the first
stethoscope and the click of the first tele
graph aud the clatter of the first sewing
macnine , and saw the flash of the first elec
tric light snd the revolution of the first
steam plow , and the law of storms was
written , and the American Bible society
and American Tract society were born ; and
instead of an audience laughing down Dr.
Carey for advocating foreign missions as
was done at NorthamptonEngland in the last
century , now all denominations vying each
other as to who shall go tho furtherest and
tho soonest into the darkest of tho New
Hebrides ; and three hundred thousand souls
have been born to God in the South Sea
islands , and Micronesia and Melanesia and
Polynesia have been set in the crown of
Christ , and David Livingstone has unveiled
Africa and the last bolted gate of barbaric
nations has swung wide open to let the gos
pel in. What I ask , with a thousand inter
rogation points uplifted , can be a fit an ap
propriate and sufficient climax except it be
a world redeemed ;
Yea , I believe it can be done if wc get
prepared for it , because the whole air and
the whole heaven is full of willing help.
"Are they not all ministering spirits sent
forth ? " Wc make an awful mistake if wc
calculate only on the forces we can see.
The mightiest army is in tho air. My
brethren , so much of selfishness and pride -
and rivalry and bad motives of all kiDds get
into our work here that we are hindered.
But the mighty souls have gone up to the
flying armies of the sky have left all perfec
tion behind ; and these souls are with us and
without a fault and with perfect natures on
our side. You cannot make me believe that
after toiling here for long years for the re
demption of the world until from ex
haustion some of them fell into their
graves they have ceased their interest
in the stupendous conflict now raginpr ,
or that they are going to decline their
help. Irenacus Prime ! Honored on earth
but now glorified in heaven , have you for
gotten the work toward which you gave for
more than half a century your gracious life ,
your loving voice and your matchless pen ?
No ! Then come down and help. Alexander
Duff ? Have you forgotten the millions of
India for whose salvation you suffered in
Hindoo jungle and thundered on missionary
platform ? No , ! Then come down and help.
David Brainard ! Have you forgotten the
aborigines to whom you preached and for
whom you prayed until you could preach
and pray no more , lying down delirious
amid the miasmas of the swamp ? No !
Then come down and help. Moncrieff and
Freeman and Campbell F Have you forgot
ten Lucknow and Cawnpore ? No ! Then
come down and help. I rub out of
my eyes the stupidity and unbelief ,
and I , the servant of these great
Elishas in the g03pel , see the mountains all
round about are full of horses of fire and
chariots of fire ; and they head this way.
Hovered over are we by great clouds of
witnesses and helpers ! Clouds of apostles
in the air led on by Paul ! Clouds of mar
tyrs in the air led on by Stephen ! Clouds
of prophets in the air led on by Isaiah !
Clouds of patriarchs in tne air led on by-
Abraham ! Clouds of ancient warriors in
the air led on by Joshua , , and that bible
warrior at whose prayer astronomy once
halted over Ajalon and Gideon seems now
to lift one hand toward the descending sun
of this century and the other hand toward
the moon of the last decade saying : "Stand
thou still till the church of God gets the
final victory ! "
Then let us , take , what remains of. this de
cade to get ready for the final decade of the'
nineteenth century. You and I may not live
to see that decade ormay not live to see
its . close , but that shall not hinder me from
declaring the magnificent possibility. I con-
fess that the mistake of my life has been ,
not that I did not work hard for I could
not have worked harder and lived , as God
knows and my family know but that I have
not worked under the realiza
tion that the salvation of this
world was a nearby possibility. But
whether we see it , tee beginning or the
closing of that decade , is of no importance ,
if only that decado can cret the coronation ,
and then all decades shall kneel before this
enthroned decade , and even tho gray grown
centuries will cast heir crowns before it
and it will bo the most honored decade be
tween tho timo when the morning stars
sang together as the libretto of worlds was
opened and the time when themighty angel ,
robed in cloud and garlanded in rainbow ,
shall , with ono foot on tho sea and the
other foot on tho land swear by him that
livoth forever and'ever that time shall be
no longer. Alleluia t Ament
t
* ' '
•
-
•
, f
( MKBHHBi TBI
f
f
AinHstes Acntenes8 o " : ; |
floWcn Pays. ' | I
Nowadays acutenea8-fadcemed. . ' _ J j
aontiaHosuccess in any direction , ;
and a certain amount of it does |
materially aid in tho accomplish- . J
mont of purpose. , But of a person iV ' j
reputed "cuto" it is unexpectedly in- ;
Involved in difficulties of some ;
kind. , *
Whilo for tho greater part human •
acuteness is tinctured with baao ele
ments , it may bo exercised " without
injury to tho agent or object , merely
axemplifying a good-natured though j
keoawit. |
A young man under examination |
for admission to the University of j
Edinburg was asked if ho had stud- j
led logic , and replied affirmatively. " |
"You understand the difference h
between causo and offecta ? " inquired A
the professor. | i
"I do. " !
"Did you over know an instance f
where tho effect was in advance of
tho cause ? "
"Yes , sir. "
"Mention it. " said tho professor ,
in great amazement.
" \Vellwhen a man pushes a wheel
barrow ahead of him. "
On a certain occasion Babelais do- _
sired to visit Paris , butwas destitute ,
of the means for so doing. He made 1
up three packages and marked them I
" " "Poison for 1
"Poison for tho. king ,
"
dauphin , " "Poison for M. . " 1
His landlord saw them , reported I
tho case to the authorities , and he & 1
was arrested and taken to Paris. 1
The contents was analyzed found to I
be brick , dust and harmless. Then I
Habelais explained matters and the i
king was highly amused by tho ruse. I
In days gono by southern lawyers 1
were moro distinguished than Luther |
Martin. Ho was one day riding to 1
Annapolis in a stage coach , when his 1
only companion a young man who I
had just been admitted to tho bar _ 1
addressing him , said : < 1
"Mr. Martin , you have been won- 1
derfully Successful iiryour profession. 1
Are you willing to acquaint me with I
the secret of your success ? " I
"If you will pay my expense dur- I
ing the few days I shall remain in I
Annapolis. " I
"I will , " was the earnest reponse. I
"It is in this advice : Deny every- I
thing and insist upon proof. " 1
At Annapolis Mr. Martin enjoyed I
all the luxuries that a fine hotel
could furnish , regardless of expense jfl
and , when the time for his departure H
arrived passed the "bill" of enor-
mous proportions to the young
lawyer who was standingnear. The
latter merely glanced at it , and then I
returned it to Mr. Martin. I
"Aren't you going to pay it ? " Mr.
Martin asked.
"Pay what ? " , * <
"This bill. Didn't you promise to /
defray my expenses during my stay m
in Annapolis ? "
My dear sir , " was the quiet reply , jfl
"I deny everything and. insist upon jfl
"You need no further counsel from jfl
A Rich Plan's lievenge.
Even the arbitrary power of Prince I
Bismarck can not prevent him from I
receiving hard blows. The Berlin m
correspondent of the New York Trib- I
une writes as follows :
"Just opposite the palace of th 9
young Prince Leopold of Prussia , I
and next to the chancellors palace ,
on the "Wilhelm strasse , where half
of Europe is ruled at present , stands
a house , lofty and . palatial in size , I
tut with an air of desolation , deser- 9
tion and mystery which attracts the 9
attention of the passer-by. " If is " fl
larger than the home of the chan- H
cellor. The windows are closed , the 9
blinds lowered , and the great iron 9
gate opening updn the court , where 9
grass has sprouted , is barred and' f 9
bolted. The ivy has grown wild
along the wall , and the marble fl
statues of "Watt , Stephenson , Fulton 19
and a score of mechanics , which fill ' 9
the niches of the front and'sides , giv- 9
ing it the appearance of an interna- j9
tional tomb , are yellow with the re- j9
peated pelting of the rain. Between ! 9
the dark , gloomy , dungeon-like fl
house and the chancellor's palace , in fl
fact with adjoining walls , are the 9
stables ready for a stutl of horses fl
and appartments for a coachman fl
on the floor above. "Wrapped in 9
this silence , the house stands to-day fl
as it stood for years. It was the H
home of the great Borsig , the Gerfl
man locomotive-builder , one of the fl
wealthies and brightest men of Gerfl
many , and probably Bismarck's fl
most bitter enemy. The chancellor fl
had refused a request vital to his infl
terests , and ho determined npon refl
venge. He is long since dead , but he S
lived long enough ere ho left his mill- H
ions to an industrious son to offend fl
Bismarck more than any other man. fl
Borsig placed hisstables almost at fl
Bismarck's kitchen door. Na begfl
ging could change his purpose , and. fl
no money could change his lot. He H
had need of none , and his revenge fl
was taken. Though the family of fl
the great engineer hae long.since-leffc H
their "Wilhelmstrasse palace , the |
stables are as conspicuous as ever. " | H
Tbe "Simple Ways" of the Fathers. H
Salt Lake Tribune : "We talk about H
the simple republican or democratic H
ways ofthefqnnder of bur govern- fl
nient. That is one of the biggest 9 |
kinds of mistakes. They , could not j H
make any lavish displays because . |
they had no money to speak of. * 9
Their country was shamefully poor , 9
but they were an aristocratic ok7 9
crowd , after all , and theirheadswen * |
filled with the ideas that had com * 9
down to them from the courts of thi 9
old world. "Washingtonhimselfwni : ( " |
the chief of these. It was as hard to • 9
approach him as it was George in. 9
himself. He never , as president- - 9
peared at any reception exceptin full 9
military uniformincludinghis sword , < 9
as became , in his estimation , com- \ . 9
mander-in-chief of the army and nav * f 9
vi the United States , ' H
91
" " ' ' ? V. . a ' |
