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-OR
The Flying Dutchman.
-BY CAPTAIN MASRYAT.
CHAPTER I.
About the middle of the seventeenth
century , in the outskirts of the small
but fortified town of Terneuse , situ
ated on the right bank of the Scheldt ,
and nearly opposite to the Island of
Walcheren , there was to be seen In
advance of a few other 'even more
humble tenements , a small but neat
cottage , built according to the prevail
ing taste of the time. The outside front
had , some years back , been painted of
a deep orange , the windows and shut
ters of a vivid green. To about three
feet above the surface of the earth , it
was faced alternately with blue and
white tiles. A small garden , of about
two rods of our measure of land , sur
rounded the edifice ; and this little plot
was flanked by a low hedge of privet ,
and encircled by a moat full of water ,
too wide to be leaped with ease. Over
that part of the moat which was In
front of the cottage door was a small
and narrow bridge , with ornamented
iron hand-rails , for the security of the
passenger. But the colors , originally
so bright , with which the cottage had
been decorated , had now faded ; symp
toms of rapid decay were evident in the
window-sills , the door-jambs and other
wooden parts of the tenement , and
many of the white and blue tiles had
fallen down , and had not been re
placed. That much care had once been
bestowed upon this little tenement was
as evident as hat latterly it had been
equally neglected.
The inside of the cottage , both on
the basement and the floor above , was
divided into two larger rooms in front ,
and two smaller behind ; the rooms in
front could only be called large in com
parison with the other two , as they
were little more than twelve feet
square , with but one window to each.
The upper floor was as usual , appro
priated to the bedrooms ; on the lower ,
the two smaller rooms were now used
only as a wash-house and a lumber-
room ; while one of the larger was fit
ted up as a kitchen , and furnished with
dressers , on which the metal utensils
for cookery shone clean and polished
as silver. The room itself was scrupu
lously neat ; but the furniture , as well
as the utensils , were scanty. The
boards of the floor were of a pure
white , and so clean that you might
have laid anything down without fear
of soiling it. A strong deal table , two
wooden-seated chairs , and a small easy
couch , which had been removed from
one of the bedrooms upstairs , were all
the movables which this room con
tained. The other front room had been
fitted up as a parlor ; but what might
be the style of its furniture was now
unknown , for no eye had beheld the
contents of that rotom for nearly sev
enteen years , during which it had been
hermetically sealed , even to the in
mates of the cottage.
The kitchen , which we have de
scribed , was occupied by two persons.
One was a woman , apparently about
forty years of age , but worn down by
pain and suffering. She had evidently
once possessed much beauty ; there
were still the regular outlines , the
noble forehead , and the large , dark
eyes ; but there was a tenuity in her
features , a wasted appearance , such
r s to render the flesh transparent ; her
brow , when she mused , would sink into
deep wrinkles , premature though they
were ; and the occasional flashing of
her eyes strongly impressed you with
the idea of insanity. There appeared
to be some deep-seated , irremovable ,
hopeless cause of anguish , never for
one moment permitted to be absent
from hep memory ; a chronic oppres
sion , fixed and graven there , only to
be removed by death. She was dressed
in the widow's coif of the time ; but
although clean and neat , her garments
were faded from long wear. She was
seated upon the small couch which we
have mentioned , evidently brought
down as a relief to her , in her declin
ing state.
On the deal table in the center of
the room sat the other person , a stout
fair-haired , florid youth of nineteen
or twenty years old. His features were
handsome and bold , and his frame
powerful to excess ; his eye denoted
courage and determination , and as he
carelessly swung his legs , and whistled
an air in an emphatic manner , it was
Impossible not to form the idea that
he vras a daring , adventurous and reck
less character.
"Do not go to sea , Philip ; oh , prom
ise me that , my dear child , " said the
female , clasping her hands.
"And why not go to sea , mother ? "
replied Pliilip ; "what's the use of my
staying hertj to starve ; for , by Heaven !
it's little better. I must do something
for myself and for you. And what
else can I do ? My uncle Vanbronnen
has offered to take me with him , and
will give me good wages. Then I shall
live happily on board , and my earn
ings will be sufficient for your support
at home. "
"Philip Philip , hear me. I shall die
if you leave me. Whom have I in the
world but you ? Oh , my child , as you
love me , and I know you do love me ,
Philip , don't leave me ; but if you will ,
at all events do not go to sea. "
Philip gave no immediate reply ; he
whistled for a few seconds , while his
mother wept.
"Is it , " said he at last , "because my
father was drowned at sea that you
mother- ;
beg so hard , -
" exclaimed the sobbing
"Oh no no !
woman. "Would to God "
"Would to God what , mother ? "
"Nothing nothing. Be merciful be
merciful , oh , God ! " replied the mother ,
sliding from her seat on the couch ,
and kneeling by the side of it , in which
attitude she remained for some time
in fervent prayer. At last she resumed
her seat , and her face wore an aspect
of more composure.
Philip , who , during this , had re
mained silent and thoughtful , again
addressed his mother.
"Look ye , mother. You ask me to
stay on shore with you and starve
rather hard conditions ; now hear what
I have to say. That room opposite has
been shut up ever since I can remem
ber why , you will never tell me ; but
once I heard , you say , when we were
without bread , and with no prospect of
my uncle's return you were then half
frantic , mother , as you know you
sometimes are "
"Well , Philip , what did you hear me
say ? " inquired his mother , with trem
ulous anxiety.
"You said , mother , that there was
money in that room which would save
us ; and then you screamed and raved ,
and said that you preferred death.
Now , mother , what is there in that
chamber , and why has it been so long
shut up ? Either I know that , or I go
to sea. "
At the commencement of this ad
dress of Philip , his mother appeared to
be transfixed and motionless as a
statue ; gradually her lips separated
and her eyes glared ; she seemed to
have lost the power of reply ; she put
her hand to her right side , as if to
compress it , then both her hands , as
if to relieve herself from excruciating
torture ; at last she sank , with her head
forward , and the blood poured out of
her mouth.
Philip sprang from the table to her
assistance , and prevented her from
falling on the floor. He laid her on
the couch , watching with alarm the
continued effusion.
"Oh , mother , mother ! what is this ? "
cried he , at last , in great distress.
For some time his mother could
make no reply ; she turned further on
her side , that she might not be suf
focated by the discharge from the rup
tured vessel , and the snow-white
planks of the floor were soon crimson
ed with her blood.
"Speak , dearest mother , if you can , "
repeated Philip , in agony. "What shall
I do ? what shall I give you ? God Al
mighty ! what is this ? "
"Death , my child , death ! " at-length
replied the poor woman , sinking into
a state of unconsciousness.
Philip , now much alarmed , flew out
of the cottage and called the neighbors
to his mother's assistance. Two or
three hastened to the call ; and as soon
as Philip saw them occupied in restor
ing his mother , he ran as fast as he
could to the house of a medical man
who lived about a mile off one Myn
heer Poets , a little , miserable , avar
icious wretch , but known to be very
skillful in his profession. Philip found
Poets at home and insisted upon his
immediate attendance.
"I will come yes , most certainly , "
replied Poets , who spoke the language
but imperfectly ; "but , Mynheer Vau-
derdeckcn , who will pay me ? "
"Pay you ? my uncle will , directly
that he comes home. "
"Your uncle , de Skipper Yanbren-
nen ? no , he owe me four guilders , and
he has owed me for a long time. Be
sides , his ship may sink. "
"He shall pay you the four guilders ,
and for this attendance also , " replied
Philip in a rage ; "come directly
while you are vdisputing my mother
may be dead. "
"But Mr. Philip , I cannot come , now
I recollect ; I have to see the child of
the burgomaster at Terneuse , " replied
Mynheer Poots. ;
"Look you , Mynheer Poets , " ex
claimed Philip , red with passion , "you )
have but to choose will you go quiet
ly , or must I take you there ? You'll not :
trifle with me. "
Here Mynheer Poets was under con
siderable alarm , for the character of
Philip Vanderdecken was well known.
"I will come by and by , Mynheer
Philip , if I can. "
"You'll come now , you wretched old
miser ! " exclaimed Philip , seizing hold
D the little 'man by the collar , and
pulling him out of his door. ;
"Murder ! murder ! " cried Poets , as
tie lost his legs , and was dragged along
by the impetuous young man.
Philip stopped , for he perceived that
Poets was black in the face.
"Must I then choke you to make you
; o quietly ? for , hear me , go you shall ,
alive or dead. "
"Well , then , " replied Poets , recov-
sring himself , "I will go , but I'll have
you in prison tonight ; and , as for your
mother , I'll not no , that I will not >
Mynheer Philip , depend upon it. "
"Mark me , Mynheer Poets , " replied
Philip , "as sure as there is a God in
ieaven , if you do not come with me >
[ ' 11 choke you now ; and when you ar
rive , if you do not do your best ferny
ny poor mother , I'll murder you there ,
ou know that I always do what I say ,
50 now take my advice , come along
luietly , and you shall certainly be
paid , and well paid , if I sell my coat. "
This last observation of Philip , per- .
iaps , had more effect than even his
hreats. Poets was a miserable little
item , and like a child in the por/erful
jrasp of the young man. The doctor's
tenement was isolated , and he could
obtain no assistance until within a
hundred yards of Vanderdecken's cot
tage ; so Mynheer Poets decided that
he would go first , because Philip had
promised to pay him , and secondly be
cause he could not help it.
This point being settled , Philip and
Zilynheer Poofs mo.3e all haste to tv
cottage ; and on their arrival they
found his mother still In the arms of
two of her female neighbors , who were
bathing her temples with vinegar. She
was in a state of consciousness , but
she could not speak ; Poets ordered her
to be carried upstairs and put to bed ,
and pouring some acids down her
throat , hastened away with Philip to
procure the necessary remedies.
"You will give your mother that di
rectly , Mynheer Philip , " said Poets ,
putting a vial into his hand : "I will
now go to the child of the burgomas
ter , and will afterward come back to
your cottage. "
"Don't deceive me , " said Philip , with
a threatening look.
"No , no , Mynheer Philip , I would not
trust to your uncle Vanbrennen for
payment , but you have promised , and
I know that you always keep your
word. In one hour I will be with your
mother ; but you yourself must now be
quick. "
Philip hastened home. After the po
tion had been administered the bleed
ing was wholly stopped ; and in half
an hour his mother could express her
wishes in a whisper. When the little
doctor arrived he carefully examined
his patient , and then went downstairs
with her son into the kitchen.
"Mynheer Philip , " said Poets , "by
Allah ! I have done my best , but I must
tell you that I have little hopes of your
mother rising from her bed again. She
may live one day or two days , but not
more. It is not my fault , Mynheer
Philip , " continued Pcots , in a deprecat
ing tone.
"No , no ; it is the will of Heaven , "
replied Philip , mournfully.
"And you will pay me , Mynheer Van
derdecken ? " continued the doctor , af
ter a short pause.
"Yes ! " replied Philip , in a voice of
thunder , and starting from a reverie.
After a moment's silence the doctor
recommended :
"Shall I come tomorrow , Mynheer
Philip ? You know that will be a
charge of another guilder ; it is of no
use to throw away money or time
either. "
"Come tomorrow , come every hour ,
charge what you please ; you shall cer
tainly be paid , " replied Philip , curlhig
his lip with contempt.
"Well , it is as you please. As soon
as she is dead the cottage and the fur
niture will be yours , and you will sell
them , of course. Yes , I will come. You
will have plenty of money. Mynheer
Philip , I would like the first offer of
the cottage , if it is to let. "
Philip raised his arm in tha air as
if to crush Mynheer Poets , who re
treated to the corner.
"I did not mean until your mother
v/as buried , " said Poets , in a coaxing
tone.
"Go , wretch , go ! " said Philip , cov
ering his face with his hands , as he
sank down upon the blood-stained
couch.
After a short interval Philip Vander
decken returned to the bedside of his
mother , whom he found much better ;
and the neighbors , having their own
affairs to attend to , left them alone.
Exhausted with the loss of blood , the
poor woman slumbered for many
hours , during which she never let go
the hand of Philip , who watched her
breathing in mournful meditation.
It was about one o'clock in the morn
ing when the widow awoke. She had
in a great degree recovered her voice ,
and thus she addressed her son :
"My dear , my impetuous boy , and
have I detained you here a prisoner so
Ions ? "
"My own inclination detained me.
mother , I leave you not to others until
you are up and well again. "
( To be continued. )
The
The suicide of Edward Martin Lang-
ivorthy , following on the death of an
unfortunate lady who claimed to be
his wife , recalls to mind one of the
most curious cases in the history of
he English courts. Mr. Langworthy
lad inherited something like 150-
)00 from his father and uncle , and aft-
jr a career at Eton and Oxford was
alied to the bar. He met Mildred Sa-
jine Palliser Long on the continent ,
ind went through a form of marriage
vith her at a Roman Catholic church
n Normandy , and to confirm the sem-
ilance of legality performed a similar
icremony in a Presbyterian church at
Vutwerp. He then took the lady on
lis palatial yacht Meteor to South
America , and at Buenos Ayres inform-
d her that their marriage was not
ralid. Mrs. Langworthy became another
nether and for the child's sake took
iroceedings against her deceiver. For
our years the wealth of Mr. Lang-
vorthy bought the quibbling of un-
crupulous lawyers to uphold his case ,
md the divorce court eventually de-
.
Teed the marriage invalid , but grant-
.
id the lady alimony at the rate of
1,200 a year. The ungentlemanly Mr.
angworthy , however , evaded payment
y fleeing the country ; Mrs. Lang- ;
vorthy might have been driven
hrough despair to suicide had not the
3all Mall Gazette , edited at that time
y Mr. Stead , taken up her case. She
irought a new case against Mr. Lang-
worthy for 25,000 damages for broach
if promise , and everyone rejoiced
vhen she won it. The general belief
vas that Mr. Langworthy had been .
igged on to such conduct by relatives ,
vho thought the marriage a mesalli-
.nce ; anyhow , the quarrel seems to
lave been made up to some extent he-
ore the end , and Mr. Langworthy's
uicide is ascribed to grief at the death .
iJ the lady he had so misused.
TALMAGEVS SEEMOE
"BURDEN BEARING" LAST SUN
DAY'S SUBJECT.
From GaL VI , Verso 8 , as Follows :
"Bear To Cno Another's Burden ? ,
and So Fulfil the Law of Christ"
Bat People Forget It.
Every man for himself ! If there be
room for only one more passenger in
the lifeboat , get in yourself. If there
be a burden to lift , you supervise while
others shoulder it. You be the digit
while others are the cyphers on the
right hand side nothing in themselves
but augmenting you. In opposition to
that theory of selfishness Paul ad
vances In my text the Gospel theory :
"Bear ye one another's burdens , and
so- fulfil the law of Christ. "
Everybody has burdens. Sometimes
they come down upon the shoulders ,
sometimes they come down upon the
head , sometimes they come down upon
the heart. Looking over any assembly ,
they all seem bright and easy ; but
each one has a burden to lift , and
some of them hav more than they
can lift. Paul proposes to split up
these burdens into fragments. You
take part of mine and I must take part
of yours , and each one will take part
of the others , and so we will fulfil the
law of Christ.
Mrs. Appleton , of Boston , the daugh
ter of Daniel Webster , was dying after
long illness. The great lawyer , after
pleading an important case in the court
room , on his way home stopped at ths
house of his daughter and went into
her sick-room. She said to him :
"Father , why are you out to-day in
this cold weather without an over
coat ? " The great lawyer went into
the next room and was in a flood of
tears , saying : "Dying herself , yet
thinking only of me. " Oh , how much
more beautiful is care for others than
this everlasting taking care of our
selves. High up in the wall of the
Temple of Baalbec there are three
stones , each weighing eleven hundred
tons. They were lifted up by a style
of machinery that is now among the
lost arts. But in my text is the Gos
pel machinery , by which the vaster and
the heavier tonnage of the world's
burden is to be lifted from the crushed
heart of the human race. What you
and I most need to learn is the spirit
of helpfulness.
Encourage the merchant. If he have
a superior style of goods , tell him so.
If he have with his clerks adorned the
show windows and the shelves , com
pliment his taste. If he have a good
business locality , If he have had great
success , if he have brilliant prospects
for the future , recognize all this. Be
not afraid that he will become arro
gant and puffed up by your approval.
Before night some shop-going person
will come in and tell him that his
prices are exorbitant , and that his
goods are of an Inferior quality , and
that his show window gave promise of
far better things than he found inside.
Before the night of the day in which
you say encouraging words to that
merchant there will be some crank ,
male or female , who will come Into
the store and depreciate everything ,
and haul down enough goods from the
shelves to fit out a family for a whole
winter without buying a cent's worth.
If the merchant be a grocer , there will
be some one before night who will
come into his establishment , and taste .
of this and taste of that and taste of
everything else , in that way stealing :
all the profits of anything that he may
purchase buying three apples while
he is eating one orange. Before the
night of the day when you approve
that merchant he wiil have a bad debt
which he will have to erase , a bad
debt made by some one who has moved
away from the neighborhood without
giving him any hint of the place of
destination. Before the night of the
day when you hnve uttered encour
aging words to the merchant , there
will be some woman who will return
to his store and say she has lost her
purse , she left it there in the store ,
she brought it there , she did not take
it away , she knows it is there , leav
ing you to make any delicate and com
plimentary inference that you wish to
make. Before night that merchant
that style of goods of
will hear some -g
which he has a large supply is going
p
out of fashion , and there will be some 0
one who will come into the store and p '
pay a bill under protest , saying he has y
paid it before , but the receipt has been
lost. Now , encourage that merchant , tl
not fearing that he will become arroa ]
; ant or puffed up , for there will be p ]
Defore night enough unpleasant things ti
said to keep him from becoming aped :
Dlectic with plethora of praise. di
Encourage newspaper men. If you gi
mew how many annoyances they have , al
f you understood that their most elab- pi
) rate article is sometimes flung out fi :
jecause there is such great pressure Is ;
m the columns , and that an accurate tl :
eport of a speech is expected , altl
.hough the utterance be so indistinct m
.he discourse is one long stenographic ei
uess , and that the midnight which tl
inds you asleep demands that they be ei
iwake , and thay are sometimes ground ta
etween the wheels of our great brain ci
nanufactories ; sickened at the often h ;
ipproach of men who want complice ;
nentary newspaper notices , or who ti <
vant newspaper retraction ; one day or
lent to report a burial , the next day tli
o report a pugilistic encounter ; shiftth
id from place to place by 01
udden revolution which Is IIsa
.ble to take place any day til
n our great journalistic establish- j
nents ; precarious lifo becoming more m
ind more precarious if you underPS
lood it , you would be more sympa-
hetlc. Be affable when you have not yc
.n axe to be sharpened on their grindta
tone. Discuss in your mind what the yc
nineteenth century would be without
the newspaper , and give encouraging
words to all who are engaged in thin
interest , from the chief of editorial de
partment down to the boy that throws
the morning or evening newspaper in
to your basement window.
Encourage mechanics. They will
plumb the pipes , or they will kalso-
nilne the ceilings , or'they will put
down the carpets , or they will grain
the doors , or they will fashion the
wardrobe. Be not among those whenever
never say anything to a mechanic ex
cept to find fault. If he has done a
Job well , tell him it Is splendidly done.
The book is well bound , the door is
well grained , the chandelier Is well
swung , the work ia grandly accom
plished. Be not among those employ
ers who never say anything to their
employes except to swear at them.
Do not be afraid you will make that
mechanic HO puffed up and arrogant
he will never again want to be seen
with working apron or in shirt sleeves ,
for before the night comes of that day
when you praise him there will be a
lawsuit brought against him because
he did not finish his work as soon as
he promised It , forgetful of the fact
that his wife has been sick and two
of his children have died of scarlet
fever and he has had a felon on a
finger of the right hand. Denounced
perhaps because the paint is so very
faint in color , not recognizing the fact
that the mechanic himself has been
cheated out of the right ingredients
and that he did not find out the
trouble in time ; or scolded at because
he seems to have lamed a horse by
unskilful shoeing , when the horse has
for months had spavin or ringbone or
stringhalt You feel you have the
right to find fault with a mechanic
when he does ill. Do you ever praise
a mechanic when he does well ?
Encourage the farmers. They come
into your stores , you meet them In the
city markets , you often associate with
them in the summer months. Office-
seekers go through the land and they
stand on political platforms , and they
tell the farmers the story about the In
dependent life of a farmer , giving flat
tery where they ought to give sym
pathy. Independent of what ? I was
brought up on a farm , I worked on a
farm , I know all about it. I hardly
saw a city until I was grown , and I
tell you that there are no class of people
ple in this country who have it harder
and who more need your sympathy
than farmers. Independent of what ?
Of the curculio that stings the peach
trees ? of the rust in the wheat ? of the
long rain with the rye down. Inde
pendent of the grasshopper ? of the
locust ? of the army worm ? of the potato
tate bug ? Independent of the drought
that burns up the harvest ? Independ
ent of the cow with the hollow horn ?
or the sheep with the foot rot ? or the
pet horse with a nail in his hoof ? In
dependent of the cold that freezes out
the winter grain ? Independent of the
snowbank out of which he must shovel
himself ? Independent of the cold
weather when he stands threshing his
numbed fingers around his body to
keep them from being frosted ? Inde
pendent of the frozen ears and the
frozen feet ? Independent of what ?
Fancy farmers who have made their
fortunes in the city and go out in the 1 ;
country to build houses with all the
modern improvements , and make
[ arming a luxury , may not need any
iolace ; but the yeomanry who get
: heir living out of the soil , and who
.hat way have to clothe their families
ind educate their children , and pay
heir taxes and meet the interest on :
nortgaged farms such men find a ter-
ific struggle. I demand that office-
seekers and politicians fold up their :
raseous and imbecile speeches about
he independent life of a farmer , and
iiibstitute some word of comfort drawn
rom the fact that they are free from
ity conventionalities and city epidem-
cs and city temptations. My most viv- .
d remembrance of boyhood is of my
ather coining in on a very hot day
rom the harvest field , and , seating
limself on the doorsill because he was
oo faint to get into the house , the
icrspiration streaming from forehead
nd chin , and niy mother trying to re-
uscitate him with a cup of cold water , '
rhich he was too faint to hold to his
g
wn lips , while saying to us : "Don't be
rightened ; there's nothing the matter ; n
little tired , that's all ; a little tired. " P
Jver since that day , when I hear peo- ii
le talking about the independent life iiti
f a farmer I see through the sham , tisi
'armers want not your ilatteries , bat sim
our sympathies. m
Encourage the doctors. You praise cl
le doctor when he brings you up from
n awful crisis of disease , but do you 01
raise the doctor when through skillful , . ,
reatment of the incipient stages pf
isease , he keeps you from sinking fr
own to the awful crisis ? There is a frM
reat deal of cheap and heartless wit tl
bout doctors , but I notice that the tt
ecple who get off that wit are the ttw
rst to send for a doctor when there
anything the matter. There are ot :
lose who undertake to say in our day othi
mt doctors are really useless. One him
tan has written a book entitled "Ev-
)
rc
ry Man His Own Doctor. " That au- of :
jor ought to write one more book h (
ititled "Every Man His Own Under-
ar
iker. " "Oh , " says some one , "physi-
ans in constant presence of pain get w
ard-hearted ! " Do they ? The most et
lebrated surgeon of the last genera- ov
on stood in a clinical department of be :
ic of the New York medical colleges ,
le students gathered in the amphl-
icater to see a very painful operation
a a living child. The old surgeon yt
lid : "Gentlemen , excuse me if I re-
re ; these surgeons can do this as well In
I can , and as I get older it gives so
o more and more distress to see
iln. "
in
Encourags all starting in Hfo by
mrself becoming reminiscent. Es- >
blished merchants , by telling these re
mng merchants when you got your he :
first customer , and liow you sat be
hind the counter eating your luncheon
with one eye-on the door. Established
lawyers , encourage young lawyers by
telling of tha time when you broke
down in your first speech. Established
ministers of the Gospel , encourage
young ministers by merciful examina
tion of theological candidates , not
walking around with a profundity and
overwhelmlngness of manner as
though you were one of the eternal de
crees. Doctors established , by telling
you yourself once mistook the mcaslea
for scarlatina. And If you have noth
ing to say that is encouraging. Ohman
put your teeth tightly together and
cover them with the curtain of your
lip ; compress your lips and put your
hand over your mouth and keep still.
A gentleman was passing along ,
crossing a bridge In Germany , and a
lad came along with a cage of bird ; ?
for sale. The Stranger Bald : "How
much for those birds and the cage ? "
The price was announced , and the pur
chase was made , and the flrst thing
the stranger did was to open the door
of the cage , and the birds flew out Into
the sunlight and the forest. Borne ono
who saw the purchase and the libera
tion said : "What did you do that
for ? " "Ah ! " said the stranger. "I was
a captive once myself , and I know how
good it is to be free. " Oh , ye who
remember hardships in early life , but
have come beyond those hardships ,
sympathize with those who are In the
struggle ! Free yourself , help others
to get free. Gov. Alexander Stephens f
persisted In having business mattera
brought to his bedside. There was on
the table a petition for the pardon of
a distinguished criminal , the petition
signed by distinguished men. There
was also on that table a letter from a
poor woman in the penitentiary , writ
ten and signed by herself alone. Dying
Alexander Stephens said : "You think
that because I have been ill so many
times and got well I shall get well
now , but you are mistaken ; I shall not
recover. Where is that letter by that
woman In the penitentiary ? I think
she has suffered enough. As near as
I can tell , she has no friends. Bring
me that paper , that I may sign her
pardon. " A gentleman standing by ,
thinking this too great a responsibil
ity for the sick man , said : "Governor , *
you are very sick now ; perhaps you
had better wait till tomorrow ; you
may feel stronger and you may feel
better. " The eye of the old governor
flashed , and he said : "I know -what I
am about. " Putting his signature to
that pardon , he wrote the last word
he ever wrote , for then the pen fell
from his pale and rheumatic and dy
ing hand forever. Oh , niy soul , how-
beautiful that the closing hours of life
should be spent in helping one who
had no helper !
Encourage the troubled by thoughts
of release and reassociation. Encourage
*
age the aged by thoughts of eternal
juvenescence. Encourage the herds
man amid the troughs of sin to go
back to the banquet at the father's
homestead. Give us tones in the ma
jor key instead of the minor. Give us
"Coronation" instead of "Naomi. " You
have seen cars so arranged that ons
: ar going down the hill rolled another
: ar up the hill. They nearly balanced
: ach other. And every man that finds
ife up-hill ought to be helped by those
rvho have passed the heights and are
Jescending to the vale. Oh , let us
3ear one another's burdens !
A gentleman in England died , ieav-
ng his fortune by will to his two sons ,
rhe son that stayed at home de
stroyed his father's wili and pretend-
d that the brother who was absent
vas dead and buried. The absent
) rother after a while returned and
laimed his part of the property
fudges and jurors were bribed to say
hat the returned brother and son was
10 son at all , but only an impostor ,
rhe trial came on. Sir Matthew Hale ,
he pride o'f the English courtroom ,
.nd for twenty years the pride of ja-
isprudence. heard that that injustice
iras about to be practiced. He put of"
iis official robe. lie put on the garb
if a miller. He went to the village
rhere that trial was to take place. He
ntered the courtroom. He somehow
ot empaneled as one of the jurors ,
'he briber came around , and the man
avc ten pieces of gold to the other
arors , but as this was only a poor
lilier , the briber gave to him only five J/
ieces of gold. A verdict was brought
i rejecting the rights of the re-
urned brother. lie was to have no
tiare in the inheritance. "Hold , my
) rd. " said the miller. "Hold ! we are
ot all agreed on this verdict. These
ther men have received ten pieces of
old in bribery , and I have received
niy five. " "Who are yon ? Where do
ou come from ? " said the judge on the
ench. The response was : "I am
om Westminster Hall ; my name Is
[ atthew Hale , Lord Chief Justice of
10 king's bench. Off of that place ,
lou villain ! " And so the injustice
as balked , and so that young man
at his inheritance. It was all for an-
her that Sir Matthew Hale took oft
is robe and put on the garb ot a
liller. And so Christ took off his
be of royalty and put on the attire
our humanity , and in that disguises
3 wen our eternal portion. Now wo
e the sons of God ! Joint heirs ! Wo
ent off from home , sure enough , but
e got back in time to receive our
ernal inheritance. And if Christ bore
ir burden , surely we can afford tear
ar each other's burdens.
lujcctl r ow Gntncti Swell * .
In New Guinea tight lacing is In
jgue among the fashionable younp ;
en , who wear a belt about eight
cues wide made of stiff bark. In
inio cases this is so tight that the I
iper part of the abdomen hangs over
a heavy fold. Among the same pco-
e a girl announces her betrothal by
pearing shining with nn ointment of
d ochre and oil , which covers her
ad. shoulders and bosom.
