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THE QUIET HOUR
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In his Primitive Culture, K. It. Ty
lor tells of some "Chinese worship
ers who, when their idol failed to
give them the things prayed for, were
overheard to say to him, ‘How now,
you dog of a spirit we've given you
an abode In a spl ndid temple, we
gild you and feed you and fumigate
you with incense, and ye t you are so
ungrateful that you won’t listen to
eur prayers.’ So they drag him in
the dirt, and then if they get what
they want they dean him and set
him up again with apologies and pro
mises of a new coat of guilding."
How childishly stupid and absurd
they are to imagine that such selfish
utilizing of the Idol merely to secure
their selfish ends can bo considered
worship. And yet how easy it is for
us to do the same thing.
The fact is we are constantly in
danger of merely utilizing God, in
stead of worshiping him.
It is the temptation to value our re
ligion chiefly for what we can get
•ut of it in the selfish, lower sense,
The man who tried to use Christ
to get his brother to halve his inher
itance with him, and the woman who
tried to “use her pull” with him to
get good berths for her two sons, are
but. two representatives of a vast mul
titude.
Their central thought, in their rela
tion to Christ, is not one of loving de
votion and joyous fellowship. The
fact of the matter is that, if you
scrape off the surface gloss you will
find essentially the same thought as
that which found place In the Chinese
idol-worshiper’s mind.
It is the difference between making
Christ an end in himself, and making
him merely a means toward an end;
between loving him and using him.
It is the difference between the
warm hearted, passionate devotion
which loves him for what he is, and
is almost oblivious to the gifts lie
brings, or sees in them only calls to
deeper gratitude; and the sordid, and
calculating spirit attracted to him by
the loaves and fishes.
It is the difference between the
meaner standard of baser soul which
catching no glimpse of his grace and
glory, would press heavenly power in
to the service of earthly plans; and
that nobler, diviner insight which
marks earth’s loftiest souls in the
presence of the Master, and which ex
presses itself in worship.
On° of the evils incident to this sub
stitution of a utilized God for a wor
shiped God is the fact that the man
is liable at any moment to be disap
pointed in, and to discard his God
as lie would a machine that no longer
“works."
Man’s fidelity hinges on God's utili
ty. So long as piety brings prosper
ity it is a fine thing. But when Job’s
possessions are swept away and the
storms of adversity strip his fields
bare—why then, according to his wife
philosophy, the proper thing to do is
to curse the God who is no longer a
guaranty against earthly disaster.
You have known such people. As a
rule they have no trouble in reconcil
ing the ways of God with some other
chap’s troubles. President King’s
characterization of the optimist as
“the man who thinks everything hap
pens for the best—as long as it hap
pens to the other fellow,” fits their
case to a tee.
But when the cyclone levels their
home: or the bursting dam carries it
away: or the death angel fails to pass
over their family circle and leave it j
unscathed, these people are apt to
question the value of a God whose,
favor does not guarantee them iniun
ity from humanity's common heritage
of sorrow, and oftentimes their idol
is toppled down. Almost any pastor's
reminiscences will furnish men and
women, supposedly firmly grounded i
the faith, who, passing t hrough some
murmurings and even drifted out into
i
unbelief.
Some times this type of religionist
stakes all upon the answer to some
specific prayer. If their God endur
es this test, well and good. If the
answer is not forth-coming in what
they deem a reasonable length of
time, they are ready to heave faith
overboard and brand devotion as a d<>*
lusion.
Or, It may bo that they think t
y 1 solely a’ petition—a met ho
for pi tting things they want. "Giv
ns iiiia day our daily blind" is, fo
them, tiie golden text of the Lord .
n. .'> r; not "Hallowed be thy Name,
ir "Thine is the glory.” Prayer h
in rely a species of mendicancy, and
they hector heaven as the Italian
lazzaroni besiege tourists. Not that
petition is not legitimately included
in prayer—it is; and it is an impoi
taut part of it. Itut the moment that
selfseeking petition shrivels up the
soul’s souse of Joy In Christ's m a
ness, prayer ceases to be prayer and
becomes the beggar’s whine.
At the root of all of these counter
feits of religion is that same beggar
ly thought about Christ which looks
upon him merely as a convenient lev
er for lifting the world’s burdens,
rather than as the one who is chief
among ten thousand and altogether
lovely.
Worship must stand first in relig
ion. True worship is the spontaneous
overflow of loving devotion to Christ.
It is so taken up with the gracious
Giver that it almost forgets to cal
culate the value of his gifts. It loveE
Christ because he is lovely and not
merely because he is lavish. All oth
er sentiments and emotions are swal
lowed up in loving loyalty to the glor
ious Christ. With Zlnzendorf it can
say, "I have but one passion Jesus
only Jesus."
Teach Self-Government.
II is told of the mother of the great
English reformer. John Bright, that
she taught her son to govern himself.
One day when little John prefer
r< d wading in the brook to studying,
he sought (o throw the respoiiMhil
ity on his mother and asked her per
mission lo play. "Thee hud better go
and listen to the Voice, then do a
it says,” answered the mother, and
the boy was sent off by himself to
reason the matter out. Anil he did
what in arly every normal boy would
do when thus put on his honor and
judgment. He returned, saying “the
Voice says I hail better study hard
for liaif an hour and then I may
va le in the brook.”
The habit of self-government, of
•easoning out things for one’s self
a a most excellent training for thi
trowing mind. Self-government will
ilso incidentally teach the child
Gleans, Scrubs,
Scours
Polishes
Ol
Dutch
Cleanser
Is the only thing you need
to do all your cleaning—in the
kitchen, dairy, bath-room,
parlor, pantry and throughout
the house and in the bam.
Old Outch Cleanser
polishes brass, copper, tin, nickel and
all metal surfaces. Excellent for clean
ing harness, no acid or caustic; (not a
soap powder),
For Cleaning Harness:—
Sprinkle Old Dutch Cleanser
on wet sponge, rub harness well,
rinse with clean water and wipe
dry—removes all dirt and will
not harden or crack.
For Polishing Metal:—
Sprinkle Old Dutch Cleanser
on wet cloth, rub briskly, rinse
with clean water, wipe dry and
polish with a little dry powder—
easiest and quickest.
1A*
Large Sifter Can
I on that ho is I na measure tho
(■suit of tils own floods Selected.
The Message of the Bells.
i’.iii ring. O hells of Christ mas-tide.
Your joyful inessafe far and wide
Thru all the blessed land proclaim.
Tills is the blessed Day of days
When here, to walk earth's troubled
ways,
Tho l.ord our Savior came.
) not with pomp and splendor fine,
hit 'mongst the lowly sheep and kino
And cradled in the straw,
.le came, and low the path lie trod
VIways, the greatest gift from God
An erring world e’er saw.
Vs In the dawning eastern skies
The Wise Men watched the Star
That heralded His birth,
Thus we await God’s Kingdom come,
■Vhen man and all God’s creatures
dumb
Shall dwell upon this earth
In brotherhood; when war shall cease
And Iaive and Universal Peace—
Their banners white unfurled—
With tenderness and gentle sway.
Their watch word "Mercy,” shall for
aye
Prevail thruout the world.
Fling out your message, O ye bells,
Your cadence silvery foretells
The gracious times to be
When sweet Compassion, angel fair,
O’r this our land and everywhere
Shall brood perpetually.
Louella C. Poole
Size is no criterion of value. The
loudest voice does not always utter
the wisest words. Size may impress
the shallow, but the thoughtful know
that power often abides in the small
est things.
Elect Officers.
The Degree of Honor met in regu
iar session on Thursday evening and
■baled the following officers for the
ensuing year:
l ast Chief of Honor—Mrs. Eliza
beth I edit.
Chill d Honor Mrs. Belle .Mulli
gan.
Lady of Honor—Mrs. Alary Alarr.
Chief of Ceremonies Mrs. Carrie
Paxton.
Usher—Mrs. Cora Bloom.
Financier—Mrs. Mary Parchen.
Recorder—Mrs. Emma Foster.
Receiver Airs. Sarah Wanner.
inner Watch Mrs. John Jones.
Outer Watch—Mrs. Emma Scobbie.
Trustee—C. M. Wilson.
The officers will be installed on
the first Thursday eve ning in Jan
uary.
Library Books.
The following is a list of new
books at the library:
Life of Charlotte Bronte Gaskell.
Fighting The Slave Trade in Cen
tral Africa—Swan.
Study of Words—White.
Across the Plains—Stevenson.
My Mark Twain—Howells.
Love and Law In Child Training
Poullson.
Heroes of Missionary Enterprises—
Mott.
Fiction
Master of The Vineyard—Feed.
Heart That Knoweth—Roberts.
Paid in Full—Walter.
Jane Field—Wilkins.
Good Men and True—Rhodes.
Flamstead tjuarriels—Waller.
Over Bemerton’s—Lucas.
German Books.
Ludwig—Wisconsin ilimmel mid
Erde—Ludwig.
Immense—Storm.
Das Edle Hlut—Wildenbruch.
Novellen—Heyse.
I)er Katzensteg—Sudermann.
Lichtonsteinn—Hauff.
Juvenile.
Boys and Girls of TheWhite House
—Sage.
Our Country’s Flag.—Rolden.
Stories of the Saints—Chenowath.
Childrens’ Stories of Great Scien
tists—Wright.
Randy’s Winter—Brooks.
Grandpa's Littel Girl at School—
Curtis.
Mary Ware in Texas—Fellows-John
son.
Our Country West—Mason.
lie that thinks he can afford to be
negligent is not far from being poor.
Johnson.
Ladies, This is Your Opportunity
to buy ali silk, imported Ribbons at less than
half price. Very choice for sash and fancy work.
Sale Commences
Friday a.m., Dec. 9
50c Ribbon 23c I
75c to $1.00 QOr
Ribbon for . . OOG
Don’t wait; be here and get first choice.
See samples in window
R. A. Dittmar
FOR SALES—A good stock of grocer
ies, butcher shop and fixtures, doing
$10,000 business a year. Stock will
invoice at $1,000. Will sell right.
Have other business. Address J. I
Jewell, Juza So. St. Joseph, Mo.
The incongruity of names—Tie' j
Modern Prescilia, Modern which
means New, Prescilia, which means
somewhat old.
Land Sale.
1 will sell at public auction to the
highest bidder on December 20. into
at the front door of the Farmers
State Bank in Shubert. Nebraska at
two o'clock i>. m., the eighty acre
farm belonging to the estate ol the
Lit ■ George Kvans, being the west
half of the northwest quarter, sec
lion 21, town 5, range 15 Richard
son County, Nebraska. This is a
good eighty acre farm, fair improve
ments ami only one and one half
miles from Shubert, Nebraska
Ternisof Sale—$1,000 cash on day o
sale, balance in 30 days.
Respectfully,
50-2t .J. M. Kvans, Shubert, Neb.
AN EYE TOOTH
will often cause much misery to the
owner if it begins to decay. It, is
wisest to have your teeth looked t*
frequently, so as to be sure that
none are decayed.
FOR APPEARANCE SAKE
as well as for the practical purpose
of chewing, get your teeth in good
shape. It is our business to do this
excellently.
Dr. Yutzy, Dr. C. K. Heffner, Falls City, Nebraska
.- mmm ■■■■""■■■ *******
I
r «T Fresh meat of all kinds may be
* had of Mack & Nixon, either at
-the Market in Barada or at the
Mack farm. Good Beef, 8c and Vc per pound.
Pork dressed I lc. Will deliver if not too far out.
Mack & Nixon, Barada, Nebr.
i t
Horses, Mares and Mules
For Eastern. Southern and Foreign Markets
As 1 have bought and owned more horses and mules in the last twenty years than any
other one country buyer in Kurope or America, and as I buy horses and mules for eight or ten
different markets, 1 can pay you more money than any other initn in America for any kind
of a horse or a mule you have for sale.
Falls City, Saturday, Dec. 10
t
Now if you have an extra draft horse, trotter or pacer, chunk or southern horse, dont sell
them until you show them to me. I want mules from fourteen hands high to as big as they
grow. I want them from three to ten years old. I 'm coming to buy not to look.
You’ll Get the Same Square Deal that I've Given You for Years
W. J. Owens
Most Extensive Dealer in the U. S. Wait for Me—I'm Coming