p. 13 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 29. (7/28/1909)

Earlier text: National Convention of Northern Baptists

7,000 Copies

By Editor

of August Monthly being mailed to-day

2,400 W. Wash. Missionary Society 2,000 Kansas City 1,000 Louisville, Ky. 1,000 Van Wert, Ohio 200 Sioux City, Iowa

“What time I do put in the Lord greatly blesses. I feel more thankful each day for the message of love and purity we have to give to this sinful world.” (From a worker in San Francisco.)

The general articles and departments touch upon each feature of the Gospel Message for to-day, as the following partial outline indicates:—

General Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition; Current Topics.

Prophetic “Westward the Course of Empire”—A review of the rise and development of nations, showing the historical and prophetic setting of the last (The United States) with its attending progress and prosperity. By Eld. M. C. Wilcox.

Bible “Needs of the Soul, and How Supplied,” by Eld. Wm. Covert; “I Am the Resurrection and the Life,” by Mrs. E. G. White; “The Law of Faith,” by Eld. S. W. Nellis; “Man’s Station Between the Present and the Future Life.”—Bible Reading—by Eld. J. O. Corliss; “Shall We Recognize Matter, or Spirit Only?”—Dealing with principles of Christian Science—by Eld. R. A. Underwood.

Religious Liberty “Fundamental Principles of Religious Liberty,” by Eld. W. A. Colcord.

Health and Temperance “Dangers in Use of Milk,” by Dr. H. F. Rand; “Prohibition Progress in Canada.”

Twenty-five copies cost $1.00; they sell for $2.50. 100 cost $4.00. You sell them for $10.00. Order of your Tract Society. Ask for the SIGNS WORKER which contains selling points and suggestive canvasses.

Signs of the Times

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA

Story of Pitcairn Island

Told by a Native Daughter

THIS fascinating story begins with the mutiny on the sloop-of-war Bounty in 1789, when Captain Bligh was dragged from his bed and cast adrift in an open boat with eighteen unfortunate companions.

From murderous mutineers to peaceable Christians, faithfully observing the commandments of God, is the wonderful history of the settlement of Pitcairn Island by the Bounty's mutinous crew.

In simple but beautiful language the writer of this tale, Miss Rosa Young, a native daughter, unfolds the story of love and hate, crime and its punishment, and the development of a happy race of islanders.

266 pages, tastily bound in cloth. Price, post-paid, $1.00.

THE BOY PUZZLE

By Rev. Joseph F. Flint

A Picture Book for Mothers

By Rev. Joseph F. Flint

BUT this book is not written alone for mothers. Every father, in fact all who have an interest in the welfare of the boys of this nation will find a wealth of help and encouragement in this presentation of the boy question. The author goes to the bottom of things and shows very clearly where the trouble lies if your boy or your neighbor's boy goes wrong.

As the hope of this Republic lies in our boys a careful reading of “The Boy Puzzle” will do much to help solve the difficulties that confront us.

217 Pages, beautifully bound in cloth, post-paid, 75 cents.

Pacific Press Publishing Association

Mountain View, Cal.

Portland, Ore. Regina, Sask., Can. Kansas City, Mo.

Weaving Web for Eternity

By Emma Hildreth Adams

By Emma Hildreth Adams

The writer, looking back to-day a long distance into the deeply interesting and many-hued past, can see, seated at an old-fashioned loom, in an upper room of a white house in western New York, an aged, bright-faced, and extremely active woman, wearing a pretty coverlet of white and blue.

Very skilfully, first from one slender hand, then from the other, she shot the seemingly alive shuttle between the upper and lower threads forming the warp of the purposeful fabric. Seldom, if ever, in a long day’s work, did she make mistake.

As I, a child, watched the graceful, rhythmic motions of hands, body, and shuttle, each act producing exact result, and noted her assured, confident manner, she seemed to be acting a most serious part in some scene whose outcome might affect decisively her entire life.

The total movements of the person and the machinery were full of meaning, eloquent of purpose and power, and appeared to say: “It must be done well. Failure must stand in the distance.”

All down these long, eventful years that living, breathing picture has been teaching its momentous lessons.

Not only was that intelligent woman weaving an article of usefulness that day. She was doing also a day’s work upon the fine web of her truly noble character. She was constructing fabric for the ages.

In course of time the coverlet would wear out, vanish from sight, be no more. But the immaterial texture she was fashioning would live while the divine Father lives, for she was one of His children; was living by faith; doing things as if seeing Him who is invisible.

What vast gain there would be to the world, full of human weavers, could each one but fully realize that every passage of a speeding shuttle, trailing its thread of white or of color, fitly symbolizes the hurrying, urgent acts of their changeful lives!

Reflecting a moment, one may understand that it is not an easy task to remove from a web, intended for any purpose whatever, threads which will weaken the product, mar its beauty, or shorten its service.

Even tho the unsuitable threads could be readily withdrawn, and be replaced by others better adapted, still would the result lack perfection. There would be flaw, quickly discernible to a skilful cloth architect.

Much more, then, when weaving the intricate web of human character, a web designed for a high and definite purpose, a web whose warp has been laid by divine hands, made of fiber capable of endurance eternal, would it be difficult to extract threads of the woof, which blur the design, mar its beauty, lessen its value, thwart the intent of the high-destined fabric.

If the thread the shuttle carries be weak here and there, if it be discolored, stained deeply now and then by abject thoughts; if it be broken suddenly by some cruel, red deed, or if the poison of depraved intent drop upon it, and eat out its fine quality, costly will be the repairing and short its time of service. The shuttle has been thrown with loss.

But if the smoothly coiled thread be evenly spun, of lasting fiber, of true tint, then will each thrust of the laden shuttle contribute strength, beauty, profit, endurance, to the entire, valuable product. The texture will then stand the test of strain and wear to the limit of requirement.

All the daily acts which form the filling, the weft, of the fabric will be genuine. They will be threads spun by an alert, faithful conscience, threads selected by a cautious judgment, and for their lasting quality, since they must stand, finally, searching investigation, test complete.

To all such conscientious weavers, will be thrown open wide, one day, the “strait gate which leadeth unto life.” What recompense for every struggle to walk uprightly; for every effort to be prompt, obedient, faithful! Sadly enough, Christ said of that gate, “Few there be that find it.”

The vast majority of men and women living to-day are weaving character with frightful thoughtlessness, thrusting their shuttles forth and back with astounding rapidity, thinking little about quality of web, but hastening wildly for quantity, keeping their looms busy yielding fabric for this life only, failing to weave therein the precious qualities of faith, earnestness, self-sacrifice, obedience to the Father’s will.

A Suggestion by a Physician

A PHYSICIAN of standing whom we consulted on the ravages of the Christian Science fad took occasion to remark that many of the gentlemen of his profession were acting most unwisely in permitting themselves to be called in at almost the last moment when the Christian Scientist is about to die, in order to sign the death certificate, which is then accepted by the Board of Health, and deceased is recorded as having died with full benefit of physician, if not of clergy. He claims that thus the physicians play into the hands of those who are decrying their own profession, and the new sect is able to escape the odium of a Christian Scientist's death. He thinks that if the physicians were to set their faces against this practise as one man, the health officers would be able to hold post-mortems on the victims of the fad, and thus fetch out into the light the

sad tale of deaths and frauds. As it is, the world never hears of the deaths, and the delusion goes on.—Lutheran.

I Will Not Worry

By Hattie Dusenbury

I WILL not worry. I will trust: God knows I am a child of dust; He knows I long to do His will, The darkness closes ’round me still.

I will not worry. I will hope; Perhaps upon some sunny slope The flowers are waiting for me there, While here the hills are bleak and bare.

I will not worry. I will pray; I know God cares for me to-day; And trusting ever in His love, I’ll tread the path that leads above.

— Hattie Dusenbury.

This to You

“Pick out your task, and then KEEP AT IT. In the prison walls around you, the walls of poverty, obscurity, or monotony, select your stone, and work at it until you get out.

“There isn’t a man who can not succeed if he will work perpetually at one thing, keep his body rested by regular habits, keep his brain young by a little reading and a great deal of thought, and keep himself a free man by SPENDING ALWAYS LESS THAN HE MAKES.”

Danger in Comfort

A PHILADELPHIA physician warns the public against sitting with one leg crossed over the other. “This apparently harmless habit,” he says, “is likely to cause sciatica, lameness, chronic numbness, descending paralysis, cramps, varicose veins and other evils, including appendicitis. The reason is simple. The back of the knee as well as the front of the elbow and wrist, the groin and the armpit, contains nerves and blood vessels which are less protected than those in other parts of the body. The space behind the knee contains two large nerves, a large artery, and numerous veins and glands. It is the pressure on these nerves and vessels which is apt to give rise to the various troubles against which I give warning.”

The Care of Books

CHILDREN should be taught how best to take care of books, and ought never to be permitted to throw or bang them about or tear them in pieces. They should be encouraged to accumulate volumes, and to do this must have a place in which to keep them. Good, plain book-shelves cost but little, and every child should have a set. In one well-ordered household there are five youngsters, between the ages of five and fifteen years. Each child has a bookcase, and each member is expected to take care of his or her own possessions, to be responsible for them, and to exercise absolute control and ownership over them.—Detroit News and Tribune.

Imitation in Fashions — The Evil of It

THE “Christian Advocate” quotes Samuel Johnson: “The greater part of mankind speak and act almost wholly by imitation,” and remarks that this is shown in pronunciation, in action, in habits, in fashion. The use of tobacco begins by children imitating older boys or parents, and cigaret-smoking is brought into society by leaders of fashion. Drunkenness oftentimes originates in the same way. Even tall buildings in cities are built through imitation and emulation. Rage for automobiles is brought in in the same way. It continues:

“Some magazines and comic papers are satirizing women’s hats, but women are simply acting as thousands of men act and from the same impulse. The changes in women’s apparel are more numerous than those in men’s, but a large portion of men are just as ignominious slaves to fashion as women. The only difference is that fashion in men’s dress is more stable and less extravagant, but that is only because men take less interest in dress than women do.”

The sad fact is that the great mass of the people should yield to these extravagant and frequent changes, not because of their own taste, but because some very few people, largely through commercial reasons, start a new style. “The Advocate” quotes a manager of one of the largest concerns in women’s hats as saying that changes are made for the very purpose of keeping up on a large scale with abundant profits. He declared that the milliners of Paris meet and determine, and we must follow, and affirmed that business would be greatly diminished, profits greatly lessened, if a woman was allowed to wear a hat until it was worn out. However, he says, and we ask our women readers to note it, that it was not necessary for her to go to an extreme unless she wanted to, for his establishment, while directly following the fashion, always keeps on hand hats which would not be conspicuously out of fashion, but very few of the ladies will buy them.

Christians ought to be above these things. There are certain fashions and customs which it is well to follow, which do not mean extra work or labor or time or anxiety. One can readily and easily avoid all extremes and keep ever before him the motive of living for the glory of God. “The Advocate” well calls the “evil of imitation in the church and the damage it does” a large theme. It is one which Christians should consider.

Take the Chicago and Northwestern Line for all points East.

Through daily and personally conducted tourist cars from San Francisco at 6:40 p. m. Low round-trip tickets on various dates to Eastern points. Apply to Southern Pacific agents, or

R. R. RITCHIE, General Agent Chicago & Northwestern R. R. 878 Market St. San Francisco

Handling Coins

DID you ever stop to consider who possessed that nickel before you did? Yet you place it between your lips while drawing on your gloves to make a wild rush for the car. Possibly a little child has had the coin in his mouth. Money is taken from the clothing of persons who die from loathsome diseases; it finds access to every filthy quarter on earth and is not a clean article by any means. If the money is handled, even with gloves, keep the gloves away from the face, especially near the eyes. It seems like a trivial thing to consider, but when thoroly understood there is nothing trivial about it.—Woman’s National Daily.

Good Common Sense

WHEN a boy thinks it is time to go home (does he ever think it?) he should, or can say, “Well, this is very pleasant, but I had better be going;” or, “Ten o’clock! Well, it’s time I left;” or something to that effect. And having said it he should go, and not stand talking at the door indefinitely. When a girl has been sitting in a warm room all evening, then goes to the door with a caller and stands there unprotected, she is more than likely to contract a cold. You do not feel it, for your clothes are heavier than the girl’s, besides you have your overcoat on; but the girl is usually unprotected and sometimes lightly clad; that is why parents object to lengthy leave-takings.—Town and Country.

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Daily News Bulletins

Colds.

By G. H. Heald

By G. H. Heald, M.D. A treatise on the causes, prevention, and cure of colds. White leatherette binding. 58 pages, 25c. Address this office.

LIBERTY

THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF

THE RELIGIOUS LIBERTY BUREAU

An illustrated, 48-page, quarterly magazine, published as an exponent and advocate of true religious liberty; defending Christianity and the rights of conscience; upholding the Bible as the infallible word of God; recognizing the church and state as ordained of Heaven for specific and distinct purposes, but vigorously protesting against the alliance of the church with the state in the attempt to advance religion and to promote the state.

Price 25 cents per year. Liberal terms to agents.

Address. LIBERTY, Takoma Park, D. C.

Our Little Friend

By Editor

An Illustrated Paper for the Smaller Men and Women, for the Children and Little Ones

Instructive and entertaining, clean, wholesome, sensible. It is a character builder, a helper to father and mother. Our Little Friend would plant seed in the joyous life of the children in the Present, that it may bear blessed fruitage in the Harvest of the Future. Respect your child's individuality. Take the paper for him or her. Only 50 cents a year.

Address, OUR LITTLE FRIEND, Mountain View, Cal.

For Our Raisin Dealers.

In a little note in our issue of April 28 we referred to “raisin day” and advised people all through the East and West to use raisins for food. In response we received a letter from a gentleman in Auburn, Cal., who commends the article with one exception. He intimates that all the facts have not been stated, and says:

“California’s sun-dried raisins would be more largely used as an agreeable, health-giving food both by Easterners and Westerners if they could be bought at retail at a reasonable price, but when the retailers of California ask 20 and 25 cents a pound for layer raisins, the same price that Eastern dealers also require, it can hardly be expected that they will be very heavily used as a food.

“I state my own experience in giving these prices. Have been in California eighteen months and have not been able to obtain layer raisins at any less price here than in the East, otherwise we should use them plentifully. The raisin producers must arrange for a better distributing system and cut out some large intermediate profits before they can expect a more general use of raisins as an article of food.”

And we think that the criticism is certainly to the point. On inquiry we find that conditions are about as they are stated above. When raisins are selling for from four to six and eight and ten cents to large shippers, they certainly ought to sell for a less price in the retail stores.

Violence in Street-Car Strike

Riot, violence, bloodshed are accompaniments of the Pressed Street-Car Company strike at Pittsburg, Pa., at this writing, July 15. One hundred were injured by gunshots and missiles of various kinds. The fight is between the strikers and the strike breakers and the sympathizers of each side. What the outcome will be no one knows. O that men might be men!

The Sabbath Question

By Editor

We begin in this issue a series of articles on the world-wide agitated and important Sabbath question. It is pressing itself upon the attention of all. The business man, the laborer, the legislator, the judge, must all meet the question. They can not evade it. How important it is to get right views of the Sabbath! It is preeminently a Bible question. Let us appeal to our readers to accompany us through the Bible in our studies on the Sabbath. Any question which arises and which the articles do not answer — if we can.

For All Time

For All Time.—When the Lord gave His law, it was for all time. It meets every condition that has ever arisen or ever can arise. It is therefore not subject to repeal or change. It is as unchangeable as the righteousness, or character, of God, and as enduring as His throne.

Bomb Outrages in Chicago

There have been in Chicago during the last two years thirty-one bomb explosions. The last one wounded twenty persons, damaged thirty buildings, and put the central telephone exchange out of order. It seems to be carried on by a certain gang of crooks against prominent gamblers. There has been little or no punishment, and each explosion is more serious in its consequences than the preceding. To such conditions of desperate devilishness is society subject.

The Curse of the City.

The immigrants from the Old World largely flock to the cities—live or die. Many of the country boys are doing the same thing; and because of this, Secretary of Agriculture Wilson tells us that farm labor is dear or can not be had, and prices of foodstuffs are increasing. “Thousands of fertile acres are lying idle in the Far West because their owners can not get ‘hands’ at any price.” What a blessing it would be to many in the cities if they would get “back to the land.”

Control of Black Hand

“I believe that we have the right men and that with them we may be able to break up the Black Hand society which has been preying upon the wealthy Italians in the central states.” United States Attorney William Day announced at Cleveland, Saturday, at the close of a conference with postal inspectors. The conference was the result of ten arrests that were made in various parts of the state last week. The men in custody are believed by the federal officials to be the leaders of the blackmailers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana and Illinois. The prosecution will be conducted by Mr. Day. He said he believed that there was an actual organization of Black Handers, and that there would be more arrests soon.

A Sinking Sun.

In the Southern Cross, a religious paper of Australia, is an article by the Bishop of Durham, the title of which is “How May We Stay a Sinking Sun?” This “sinking sun” is England. Among the things which indicate a decline, Bishop Durham speaks of the decaying home, marked by the discontinuance of family prayer, marked by lack of attendance at public worship. The decline is marked also under a widespread decay of the sense of duty. What is true in England is true also in America. He closes with these thoughts: “The sun of England has passed its noon. Is it to sink into the clouds and go down behind the dark hills of time? It need not. The spiritual sky is independent of mechanical law. The Lord may yet bid our dear land shine in purer light, and from a higher point than ever, but I think that if He does, it will be in answer to the voice of a man. It will be because His servants heart by heart, home by home, not in words only, but in life, call aloud to Him to stay the setting.” The great question is, Will they call upon Him, when under the teaching of higher criticism the “Him” is no more than any man.

Noah as a Naval Architect

The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers refused to consider Noah’s name on the roll of honorary membership when it was suggested. Different secular journals are saying that the society is in pretty small business. The New York World, for instance, points out some of the things that Noah did, in the building of the ark, the size of the ark, the passengers and cargo of the ark, and tells us that when any member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, active or honorary, can build a ship that could weather such a storm as did the ark and carry such a crew as well as cargo, it would be time enough to reject Noah as a naval architect. This journal above quoted closes with: “But Noah’s services are too well known to the public at large for the votes of a lot of scientific boat-builders to make any difference with his reputation as a naval architect.” And this, too, is true.

Earthquakes

Earthquakes.—Harper’s Weekly, of July 10, has photo reproductions of the earthquake in France on June 10. The same types of ruin are shown that were everywhere manifest in Messina, San Francisco, and Kingston. Severe shocks have again occurred at Messina. Despatches from Athens, Greece, say that a severe earthquake occurred in the province of Elis, Southern Greece, and great damage to property resulted, and many were killed. The despatches declare that later news will increase casualties. July 15, Downieville, Cal., had a slight shock.

When the Kingdom?

When the Kingdom?—There is no scripture whatever, so far as we know, from which a just inference can be gathered that the kingdom of Christ was set up on the Day of Pentecost. During the passing of the ages there have been from time to time fuller manifestations of the Gospel work, of the kingdom of grace among men. Pentecost was but one of those glorious manifestations. But the everlasting kingdom of Christ will not be established until “His appearing.” “When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then shall He sit on the throne of His glory.” Matt. 25:31. See also Luke 19:11, 12; Dan. 7:13, 14; 27; 2 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 11:15. Christ will not take His own kingdom till His second coming, when His royal priesthood ends. Rev. 3:21.

Bryan to Seek Nebraska Senate Seat

The editor of William J. Bryan’s paper, The Commoner, of Lincoln, Neb., has announced that Bryan will be a candidate for the United States Senate to succeed the Republican Senator Burkett, whose term expires March 4, 1911. Bryan will make the race under a direct primary law modeled after that of Oregon, which makes it possible for a Democrat to succeed even tho the Legislature chosen at the same time is Republican. Nebraska politicians, it is said, are predicting his success, which would be quite probable under such a primary arrangement.

Escaping the Heat of the Cities

The suffering from heat in the great cities of the East has been at times intense. People have slept on platforms of fire-escapes, on the roofs of buildings, in the city hall colonnade, on the beach. Barefooted boys and girls wade in the water when the streets are flushed, and follow the ice wagons, while the horses are sprayed. O why do not many of these victims of misery get out into God's free country?