p. 10 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 46. (11/19/1896)

DARK CLOUDS ARISING.

ABOUT a century ago, La Fayette, a Roman Catholic, said that, "if the liberties of the American people are ever destroyed they will fall by the hands of the Roman clergy." Bishop O'Connor, of the same church, said: "Religious liberty is only endured until its opposite can be carried into effect without peril to the church." "When the Catholics," says Archbishop Kendrick, "shall here be in possession of a considerable majority, . . . then religious liberty will have come to an end in the Republic of the United States." In speaking of those who are opposed to Catholicism, he says, "They know how the Roman Church dealt with heretics in the middle ages, and how she deals with them to-day wherever she has the power." In a speech at Rome, 1882, Archbishop Ireland said, "We can have the United States in ten years."

These men, and multitudes of others, are simply living up to the oath they have taken. A priest in his oath says: "I do further declare that I will help, assist, and advise all or any of his Holiness' agents, in any place wherever I shall be; and do my utmost to extirpate the Protestant doctrine and to destroy all their pretended power, regal or otherwise." They do not only "denounce and disown any allegiance as due any Protestant king, prince, or state," but will tax themselves to the utmost to destroy regal or other power.

A bishop's oath says, "Heretics, schismatics, and rebels to our said lord or his successors, I will to my utmost persecute and oppose." A cardinal's oath binds him to "seek out and oppose, persecute and fight against, heretics, schismatics who oppose our lord, the pope of Rome." The canon law of the Catholic Church says, "The goods of heretics are to be confiscated and applied to the church." Ablegate Satolli has declared that "what Rome has done for other countries she will do for the United States."

Rev. 13 : 15-17 portrays a scene soon to be enacted by those who have the seal of God. But God says, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Rev. 2: 10.

—W. M. Adams, in Workers' Bulletin.

[As regards the well-known policy of the Roman Church, in all ages and in all countries, the saddest feature is the coöperation of apostate Protestantism. The National Reformers, years ago, declared their readiness to "join hands with the Catholics" in furthering their pet schemes of a religious amendment to the Constitution, and a national Sunday law. And the experience of the past ten years, together with the present outlook, indicates that enforced Sunday observance is to be the mainspring of religious persecution in this country. Whatever Protestants do toward the legal enforcement of this papal institution is just so much in the line of helping Rome to do for the United States what she has done for other countries. All compulsory observance of religious dogma or religious institutions is of Rome. It is Roman, no matter if it is under the guise of Protestantism.

—W. N. G.]

"I CHARGE thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." 2 Tim. 4: 1-5.

SYMPATHY

By Harper's Bazaar

"That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth that our daughters may be as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace."

SYMPATHY.

WHAT is the peculiar quality which some persons possess that makes us turn to them when we are in trouble, while we as naturally shrink from others whose friendship for us may be quite as sincere?

Some one has said that "there are persons who are as much out of place in a house where there is illness or death as would be a parrot perched on a coffin."

Perhaps these may be the people who, never having suffered themselves, do not know how to sympathize with those who suffer. Their one idea in the presence of grief is to make the mourner forget her sorrow—a thing which is manifestly impossible. They talk lightly, even merrily, of indifferent matters, and avoid all reference to the trouble which presses like a weight upon the sufferer's heart. Such frivolous and incongruous chat jars upon the sensitive ear. It depresses rather than soothes. To sympathize intelligently one must be tactful. But even beyond having tact, one should possess that tender-heartedness that feels another's wo. When we are in trouble the friend we want is the one to whom we can talk our trouble out. There is comfort in speaking of it. It ceases then to be a hidden pain which we must bear alone. We can not forget it, and to try to hide it under light conversation is agony. The true sympathizer may gently and judiciously lead the talk into other channels and awaken our interest in topics which are not wholly incongruous to our present state of mind; but she does not feign forgetfulness of our grief.

There is much said to the effect that words of condolence do not lighten sorrow. They may not lighten it, but they make it the easier to bear. And words are not all, for he whose pity and desire to comfort are genuine, will convey in a hand-clasp, a look, a tone of the voice, more genuine sympathy than can be expressed in the most eloquent language.

The mental and spiritual attitude insensibly convey much to the sufferer that words must leave unexpressed. Yet this silent sympathy does its work of soothing and healing none the less effectively because it falls so gently and unobtrusively on the wounded heart.—Harper's Bazaar.

STOP TO THINK.

LET us stop to think of the good-by kiss. Better miss a car than leave a heartache.

Let us stop to think of the children. We, too, were children once, and loved to be remembered.

Let us stop to think of the aged. For us, too, the evening shadows will close at length, and we shall, perchance, be left at desolate hearthstones. We shall need to be remembered then.

Let us stop to think of the stranger. We

too, have been alone, and have needed the touch of a kindly hand upon our lives, and many a life has gone out in the blackness for the lack of such a touch as any one of us might have given.

Let us stop to think of God and the future. At best the time is short, and the end is near. And when it shall come, blessed will be he to whom the entrance upon another life will be but the realization of dear and familiar dreams, the consummation of a lifetime of longings. Let us stop to think. If there be any virtue, if there be any praise, let us stop to think upon these things.—The Lookout.

COMMON BLESSINGS.

By George Bancroft Griffith

BY GEORGE BANCROFT GRIFFITH.

THE light of love divine shines through The little violet's lid of blue; And dreams of heaven the meanest flower May give the heart at sunset's hour.

How vast, how grand, how bright, they be, Those spheres that wheel above the sea; Yet, strange as true, some blessing's found In dead leaf flutt'ring to the ground.

Ah, o'er the frailest penciled fern What flames of wayside beauty burn! And in the simplest things we see The wondrous plans of Deity.

Who rightly heeds? What mind can weigh The blessings that we have each day? Who counts each little breath of air, Each drop of dew, each sunbeam fair?

One hand controls each hidden spring, And guides as well the sparrow's wing; Through means of which we've scarcely thought Stupendous miracles are wrought.

—New York Observer.

A SENSIBLE EXAMINATION.

By Epworth Herald

THE young man was a candidate for appointment as a foreign missionary. It was winter; the examiner sent the candidate word to be at his home at three o'clock in the morning. When the young man arrived at the appointed time he was shown into the study, where he waited for five hours. At length the old clergyman appeared and asked the other how early he had come.

"Three o'clock sharp."

"All right; it's breakfast time now; come in and have some breakfast."

After breakfast they went back to the room.

"Well, sir," said the old man, "I was appointed to examine your fitness for the mission field; that is very important; can you spell, sir?"

The young man said he thought he could.

"Spell 'baker,' then."

"B-a, ba; k-e-r, baker."

"All right; that will do. Now, do you know anything about figures?"

"Yes, sir, something."

"How much is twice two?"

"Four."

"All right; that's splendid; you'll do first rate; I'll see the board."

When the board met the old man reported:—

"Well, brethren, I have examined the candidate, and I recommend him for appointment. He'll make a tip-top candidate—first-class!

"First," said the old examiner, "I examined the candidate on his own self-denial. I told him to be at my house at three in the morning. He was there. That meant getting up at two in the morning, or sooner, in the dark and cold. He got up; never asked me why.

"Second; I examined him on promptness. I told him to be at my home at three sharp. He was there, not one minute behind time.

"Third, I examined him on patience. I let him wait five hours for me when he might just as well have been in bed; and he waited, and showed no signs of impatience when I went in.

"Fourth, I examined him on his temper. He didn't get mad, met me perfectly pleasant; didn't ask me why I had kept him waiting from three o'clock on a cold winter morning till eight.

"Fifth, I examined him on humility. I asked him to spell words a five-year-old child could spell, and to do sums in arithmetic a five-year-old child could do, and he didn't show any indignation; didn't ask me why I wanted to treat him like a child or a fool.

"Brethren, the candidate is self-denying, prompt, patient, obedient, good-tempered, humble; he's just the man for a missionary, and I recommend him for your acceptance." —Epworth Herald

A TEA TOPER

By John Harvey Kellogg

BY J. H. KELLOGG, M.D.

"The cup that cheers and not inebriates" has been the song of poets and the solace of millions for more than an hundred years, and its innocence has been almost unchallenged during a greater portion of this time; but within the last quarter of a century there has been a growing suspicion that the steaming decoction has something besides comfort in it, and now there are hundreds of scientific physicians who are speaking out plainly against the use of both tea and coffee on the ground that they are stimulants which are capable of producing effects upon the nervous system only different in degree from those which arise from the use of alcohol, opium, tobacco, and other narcotics and stimulants.

Startling as the fact may be to those who have never had their eyes opened to the real character of these common but by no means harmless drugs, it is even asserted that there are persons to be found who are veritable tea-drunkards. Dr. Arlidge, an eminent English physician, states that there are thousands of tea-drunkards among the lower classes in England, and very forcibly remarks as follows:—

"A portion of the reforming zeal which keeps up such a fierce and bitter agitation against intoxicating drinks, might advantageously be diverted to the repression of the very serious evil of tea-tippling among the poorer classes. Tea, in anything beyond moderate quantities, is as distinctly a narcotic poison as is opium or alcohol. It is capable of ruining the digestion, of enfeebling and disordering the heart's action, and of generally shattering the nerves. And it must be remembered that it is not a question of narcotic excess merely, but the enormous quantity of hot water which tea-bibbers necessarily take is exceedingly prejudicial to both digestion and nutrition. Our teetotal reformers have overlooked, and even to no small extent encouraged, a form of animal indulgence which is as distinctly sensual, extravagant, and pernicious, as any beer-swilling or gin-drinking in the world."

The term "tea-drunkard" is well known throughout Russia, where tea is used much stronger than is common in this country. A dozen cups of strong tea taken after the Russian fashion, without cream or sugar, simply flavored with a little lemon juice, in the course of a couple of hours will produce effects as distinctly intoxicating as an equal quantity of light wine or lager beer.

Theine, the active principle of tea and coffee, when taken in any but the smallest doses, produces all the symptoms of intoxication.

The eminent Dr. Edward Smith, of London, in making some experiments with tea and coffee some years ago, took, with his assistant, an infusion of two ounces of coffee, containing so small a quantity of theine as only seven and one-half grains. Both fell to the floor unconscious, and remained in this state for several hours.

A prominent official in the British army, when doing service in Africa, lost his favorite horse in a manner which is both singular and instructive. A cook left a few pounds of tea in the sack which had contained it, which was filled with corn by a Kafir groom, who knew nothing of the presence of the tea. Upon serving out the corn to a troop of horses, of course the last one received the larger share of the tea, which was eaten greedily by the hungry animal, along with the corn. The result is thus described:—

"The animal plunged and kicked, and ran backward, at intervals galloping madly around, finally falling into a donga, where it lay dashing its head on the rocks, and was dispatched by an assegai thrust through the heart. The post-mortem appearances indicated extreme cerebral congestion."

In view of these facts is it not evident that the poetic eulogy of tea should be modified by the change of one little word, so that it will read, "The cup that cheers and yet inebriates"? and is it not apparent that a thorough-going temperance reformer will wish to abstain from the use of these beverages when he becomes aware of their real character?

CLAMS THAT TRAP MEN.

BIVALVES of various species form traps of a deadly character, and of these the various clams are most frequently heard of. The Sun told the other day, of a rat whose tail was caught by a clam over in Hoboken.

Darwin's theory on the broadcast distribution of species was that the birds carried them. For instance, a heron wading on the spawning bed of a trout gets a number of the eggs stuck to its legs. On flying to a stream some miles away, hitherto unstocked with this kind of fish, the eggs are washed off and are hatched according to the regular course of nature. The fish breed and multiply.

A Canada goose killed in Ohio, had a freshwater clam attached to one mid-toe. Had the goose not been killed the clam would have dropped off in water perhaps hundreds of miles from its original home.

The Sun of April 19 told of a gull which was nearly drowned by a clam which had closed on its bill in a Massachusetts bay. Similar stories are told of other birds.

Men have stepped into the open jaws of huge clams accidentally at low tide, and the clams, closing their jaws, have held them fast till the tide rose, when the men were drowned. Other men have reached for a lure in the form of a luminous spot. The instant they touched it the shells of a clam closed on their arms, and in a few minutes the men were drowned. Some of the clams that trap men are found embedded in the coral reefs of the Pacific and Indian oceans, and the men captured are pearl-divers. The flesh of one of the huge clams sometimes weighs twenty pounds, and added to that is the 500 pounds or more of shell. The shell is something like five feet long by two and three-quarters wide. Poets are fond of saying that these shells are the cradles of sea goddesses, since they are very beautiful if polished. They are also used as baptismal fonts.—New York Sun.

ADULTERATED BEER.

DR. WINSLOW ANDERSON says that one of the worst adulterated articles in general use as a beverage—and we must admit that it is in very general use—is beer. Instead of its being a brew of malt and hops, costing one-tenth of a cent per glass and selling for ten cents per glass, thus making ten thousand per cent—quite a reasonable profit—beer is often adulterated with cocculus indicus, capsicum, ginger, quassia, wormwood, calamus root, carraway and coriander seeds, copperas, sulphuric acid, cream of tartar, alum, carbonate of potash, ground oyster shells, nux vomica, picrotoxin and strychnine. These articles, presumably, do away with malt and hops, make a stronger beverage when mixed with water and two to eight per cent. of alcohol, thus making the profit one million per cent., instead of ten thousand per cent. Dr. Anderson has seen several people "crazy drunk" on beer, and when one considers the picrotoxin, cocculus indicus and strychnine, it is no wonder they lose their reason.—Nat. Pop. Review.

THE HARMLESS AND BEST BEVERAGE.

A committee waited on Abraham Lincoln to notify him of his nomination for President of the United States. He remarked that as an appropriate conclusion to an interview so important and interesting, he supposed good manners would require that he should treat the committee with something to drink; and opening a door that led into a room in the rear, he called out, "Mary! Mary!" A girl replied to the call, to whom Mr. Lincoln spoke a few words in an undertone, and, closing the door, returned again to converse with his guests. In a few minutes the maiden entered, bearing a large waiter containing several glass tumblers and a large pitcher in the midst, and placed it upon the center-table. Mr. Lincoln arose, and gravely addressing the company, said: "Gentlemen, we must pledge our mutual healths in the most healthy beverage which God has given to man. It is the only beverage that I have ever used or allowed my family, and I cannot conscientiously depart from it on the present occasion. It is pure Adam's ale from the spring." —From "Six Months at the White House with Abraham Lincoln," by F. B. Carpenter.

CHLORAL FOR SLEEPLESSNESS.

By London Lancet

AGAIN we have to record with deep regret a sad proof that those who take or give chloral or bromide of potassium for sleeplessness are guilty of a deplorable error and do a grievous wrong. The narcotics which poison sleep also deprave the nervous centers, enfeeble the controlling power of the will, and leave the mind a prey to the depressing influence of a conscious loss of self-respect and self-confidence. The cultured mind feels the ignominy of this intellectual and moral depreciation with great acuteness, and in the end succumbs to the sense of powerlessness to recover self-control and do right. The deprivation wrought is purely physical. The baneful influence of the lethal drug is, so to say, organic. The essential elements of the nerve tissue are blighted by the stupefying poison, as by alcohol in habitual drunkenness. In short, the recourse to chloral and bromide is precisely the same thing as a recourse to alcohol.

The man or woman who is sent to "sleep"—the mocking semblance of physiological rest—by a dose of either of these narcoticizers is simply intoxicated. No wonder habitual drunkenness of this class first impairs and then destroys the vitality of the mind organ, and places the subject of a miserable artifice at the mercy of his emotional nature, and makes him the creature of his passions. When will the public awake to the recognition of facts with regard to the use of these most pernicious stupefacients? Persistence in recourse to them has no better excuse than unwillingness to take the trouble to search out the cause of the "wakefulness" which prevents natural sleep.—London Lancet.

Pundita Ramabai’s School

A RECENT visitor to the school of the Pundita Ramabai, at Poona, says: "Of the 57 pupils, 43 are widows and 39 are Brahmins. About one half of the pupils attend daily prayers in Ramabai's own room, to which the door is always open and where any may come in, and the shy ones are not noticed until familiarity has done away with the shyness. The Pundita told me that she did not put new pupils at books for some time, but turned them into the garden to learn of

God's wonderful works. Next they were told about themselves and their Creator. Then came the books."—Woman's Work for Woman.

KOREA

"AND those who have wisely taught shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and those who have turned many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever." Dan. 12:3, Boothroyd.

KOREA.

KOREA is a kingdom occupying a peninsula in the eastern part of Asia. On the east is the Japan Sea, and on the west is the Yellow Sea. It is about four hundred miles long and one hundred and forty miles wide, and has a population of about twelve millions. It is called by the natives "Chosun," which means "Land of the Morning Calm."

The form of government is that of an absolute monarchy. The reigning monarch, named Li Hsi in Chinese, succeeded to the throne in 1864.

The people of Korea are tall, well formed, and strong, and in color are lighter than the Japanese.

The Korean girls are given names which they retain until they are married, names that mean "Blessing," "Amiability," "Fair," etc. When married they are known as the wife of such a man, or the mother of such a one.

The Korean language has an alphabet of fourteen consonants and eleven vowels. The Chinese is used in all official and literary writing. The Korean language and the way of writing it are hard to learn.

The Korean costume is made of silk, linen, cotton, and grass-cloth, and is long and loose in style. In color it is generally white, tho red, blue, and green are often seen. It is padded in winter.

Mrs. M. F. Scranton writes of the dress of the Korean boys and girls: "The boys, when dressed up, have on long pink or red coats and white loose trousers, fastened about the ankle with a band of a bright colored cloth or ribbon. They wear white wadded socks and wooden shoes. Their long black hair is parted in the middle and hangs in a braid down their backs, and is tied with a black ribbon. The girls generally wear red cotton skirts, with short jackets either green or yellow in color. Their hair is combed like the boys, only they wear a plum-colored ribbon instead of a black one."

The Koreans have but little religion and much superstition. They believe that they are surrounded by spirits who are powerful, and who can be propitiated by prayer and gifts. In private houses are found small wooden tablets on which are inscribed the names and titles of ancestors, and before these incense is burned.

Rev. G. H. Jones writes: "The religion of Korea is of a triple character. Ancestor worship, with the Confucian code, is the state religion; Buddhism has a large number of monastic communities patronized by the people when they have occasion; Spiritism, a form of Shamanism, is the religion of every home."

Korea made a treaty with the United States in 1883, which opened the country to foreigners. In 1884 Dr. R. S. Maclay, of the Methodist mission in Japan, visited Korea, and arranged for the establishment of a mission there. In 1885 missionaries of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and of the Presbyterian Church of the United States, arrived in the country and established missions, that have ever since been growing in influence and numbers. To them have since been added missionaries of the Church of England, of the Presbyterian Church of Canada and Australia, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and of the American Baptists.

Rev. G. H. Jones writes: "In Korea the Protestant mission work is carried on at forty different places. The storm of war and desolation has driven us ten years nearer our ultimate goal. The chief results have been the relief of Christianity from misconceptions of the people, the mastery of a hitherto unknown tongue, and the successful inauguration of a Christian foundation. Woman's work has been specially successful."

In Korea the Protestant missionaries number 82. Of these 35 are Presbyterians (31 from the United States and 4 from Australia); 26 are Methodists from the United States (24 of the Methodist Episcopal Church and 2 of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South); 12 are of the Church of England, from England; 5 are Baptists from the United States; 4 are independent.

In October, 1895, there were reported in the Protestant missions in Korea 42 congregations, 528 baptized members, 567 probationers, or inquirers who had given evidences of conversion and were applicants for baptism; 445 Sunday school scholars.

The Korea Mission, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was commenced in 1885. It now reports 9 male and 15 female missionaries, 122 members, and 288 probationers.—Gospel in All Lands.

OUR WORK AND WORKERS.

By Editor

A CANVASSERS, writing to one of our state conference papers, says of a certain locality: "The discussion of gold and silver is occupying the attention of the people here to such an extent that it is hard to get them interested in books that treat of the subject of laying up treasure where moth and rust do not corrupt." This statement, which is to a certain extent true in every community, brooks the pertinent query, Will not the indulgence of political discussion by the Lord's people have a tendency to lessen the interest in heavenly things? It is only by keeping the eye fixed upon the "prize" that there is any hope of winning the race. All detraction of interest from the main issue toward the controversies of the world, is of the adversary. "All the kingdoms of this world, and the glory of them," can have no attraction for him who will "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness."

BROTHER W. G. BUCKNER reports the addition of five members to the church at Stockton, Cal.

THREE persons were recently baptized in the river at Knoxville, Tenn., by Elder Grant Adkins.

ELDER G. T. WILSON reports to the Bible Echo the addition of eleven members to the church at Hobart, Tasmania.

OUR brethren should all remember that the special season of prayer this year, instead of being a week or ten days at holiday time, as in the past, is appointed for November 26 to 29.

THE last Indicator gives notice that Elder A. E. Place, president of New York Conference, would be at Tonawanda on the 14th and 15th of this month for the purpose of organizing a church.

ELDER W. C. WHITE, now in Australia, notes the progress made by Brother A. W. Semmens in the establishment of a Health Home in Ashfield. He has fitted up treatment and bath rooms in a roomy cottage, and up to the present has enjoyed a fair degree of patronage. Besides giving treatment to the sick who come to him, he devotes much time to the instruction of those who wish to learn how to keep well, and how to minister to others.

FROM the camp ground at Adelaide, South Australia, Elder W. C. White writes: "To-day (October 8) the camp ground is a busy place. Sixty tents are up, and all engaged. There is a prospect of a good attendance of our people. Forty-five have just come off the train from Melbourne. The ground is favorably located. Ten thousand copies of the camp-meeting edition of the Bible Echo have been sold, and thousands of people promise to attend the meeting."

THERE is a "little colored band"—a Sabbath school of twenty members—at Norfolk, Va., who report courage under discouraging circumstances. One of their number writes to the Messenger, and among other good words are these: "We feel willing to bear the persecutions of the world for Jesus' sake. Friends forsake us, ministers and teachers of popular churches assail us, and enemies threaten us; but God is our refuge, and his truth is our shield and buckler." To this we would add, "Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

ELDER S. N. HASKELL arrived in Melbourne, Australia, from Cape Town, S. Africa, October 8, two days earlier than was expected. He reported a rough passage, the steamer running through an immense field of icebergs. For days she was in danger, as more than a hundred icebergs were sighted. Careful measurements showed that one of them was 640 feet high, and over half a mile long. Another was 400 feet high and three-fourths of a mile long. When Elder Haskell landed he was suffering from a severe cold contracted because of the sudden fall of temperature among the icebergs.

OF the work in Manitoba, we have the following from Elder J. C. Foster: "October 10 I organized a church of twenty-two members at Roden. Part of these were formerly members of the church at Winnipeg. Six were baptized. Since that time I have labored in the southern part of the province. I also went over into North Dakota, where there is a colony of French Baptists. The pastor and his wife and a sister have taken their stand for the 'present truth.' This man has had about seven years' experience in the ministry, and I think will be a useful man to labor with his own people."

IN a report to the Bivouac, Elder W. J. Stone tells of his work at Belt, Mont., which resulted in twelve adherents to the faith, a Sabbath school of twenty members, and the purchase of a chapel organ. "Altho they have a lease of one year on the Scandinavian M. E. Church building, the minister is much opposed to their using it. Brother Stone says: 'Bitter opposition has been waged against us ever since our meetings closed, by the Baptist, Methodist, Swedish Methodist, and Lutheran ministers, besides an aged Campbellite preacher. They have visited, preached, held Bible readings, scattered Canright's literature, and resorted to almost every means, foul or fair, to hinder the progress of the truth. But the word of the Lord standeth sure, "For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth." It has only helped to establish every soul who has made a start, more firmly in the faith. The position taken by all our opponents there has been the abolition of the Ten Commandments.' If the reader will turn to Revelation 12 and read it carefully through, he will see what spirit is behind all opposition to the law of God. He will also see that the 'commandments of God' and the 'testimony of Jesus Christ' are inseparably connected. See also chapter 14: 12."

AMONGST the late items of interest sent us from Australia, by Elder W. C. White, is the following: "October 1 was a day to be remembered at Avondale. It marked the close of a very successful evening school (held for those waiting for our regular school), which had been organized and conducted by Prof. H. C. Lacey. On the evening of the same day, just as the workmen were closing their regular labors, a company gathered where the foundations had been marked out for our boarding house, and the first brick was laid in the foundation of what we shall call Bethel Hall. With appropriate remarks, Mrs. E. G. White, who has strong faith in the future of this school, laid the first brick, on a well-prepared foundation of concrete. Prayer was offered for the prosperity and success of the builders of the hall, and for the character builders who should afterwards occupy it. Short but earnest addresses were made by W. C. White, H. C. Lacey, and Metcalfe Hare, the chairman, secretary, and treasurer of the school board. It is the intention of the board that this building shall be ready for use by the middle of March."

"HADST THOU BEEN HERE MY BROTHER HAD NOT DIED."

By A. M. Richards

BY A. M. RICHARDS.

"Hadst Thou been here!" O wail of human wo, Wrung from sore stricken hearts and sadly tried, At His approach, whose coming seemed in vain, "Hadst Thou been here my brother had not died."

Long years have come and gone, but as we gaze On homes bereft of loved ones near and dear, The cry which rose from Bethany's humble cot Now trembles on our lips: "Hadst Thou been here."

"Hadst thou been here," O tender, pitying Christ, To shield us in temptation's trying hour, We had not been so nearly overcome, Our weakness sheltered in thy mighty power.

"Hadst thou been here" to pilot our frail bark O'er shoals and quicksands of life's boisterous wave, We should not now have been so nearly wrecked, "Hadst thou been here" to guide, protect and save.

And as in ages past thy people gazed With steadfast eyes to see thee go, so we, With eager, longing hearts, wait thy return, For as thy going shall thy coming be.

O Thou, at whose approach death's shadows flee, Haste thy return, for every scalding tear Shall then be wiped away, and pain shall cease, And darkness shall be light when thou art here. —The World's Crisis.

Die, But Don't Deny the Lord

An affecting incident connected with the massacre at Oorfa, Turkey, was that of a mother, in whose presence her two sons were caught by the mob, while men with drawn swords, ready to cut them down, demanded of the young men that they should accept the Moslem faith. But the mother called out to them, "Die, but don't deny the Lord." They stood firm and were immediately cut down.—Missionary Review.

Japanese Methodist Work in San Francisco

Rev. K. Ishisaka, the pastor of the Japanese Methodist Episcopal Church in San Francisco, was in attendance upon the recent Methodist Conference in Cleveland. He has 340 parishioners, and besides the Sunday school, his church conducts a night school to teach the English language to his countrymen. There is a dormitory in the rear of the church, where from 25 to 30 poor people find a place to sleep every night.—Missionary Review.

American Friends Missionary Work

American Friends have organized work in various parts of Mexico, Alaska, Jamaica, in India, China and Japan, in Palestine, and among the Indians. Through members of that church they are represented in work of other organizations in Central America, Brazil, Morocco, and West Africa, and a little assistance is given to the Chicago Hebrew Mission for Jews, and various other missions for Jews in large cities. In addition to these, two are on their way to join William Duncan's work in Alaska; and another to Sitka.—Missionary Review.

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