Signs of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 22.
Not My Will, but ThinePage 1
Earlier text: AND SHALL NOT GOD AVENGE HIS OWN ELECT?SUNDAY-LAW MOVEMENT IN CALIFORNIA.
By W. N. G.
The California Sabbath (Sunday) Association held its annual meeting in San Francisco on the 14th inst. The published reports would indicate a very elaborate affair, but it was, as far as the business was concerned, the usual spectacle of a half dozen men conjuring plans for binding the consciences of their fellow-men on Sunday, while another half dozen looked on. As usual, the men who were willing to take office and really father the movement were some superannuated ministers with little or nothing else to do. True, there is a display of the names of prominent pastors as an “Executive Committee,” but the reports from year to year indicate that this is a mere formality. In urging the presidency upon the one nominated by the committee it was stated that he had nothing else to do. And it would be somewhat natural for such an individual to engage in such a work, on the principle that a certain power “always finds employment for idle hands.” The treasurer reported twenty-eight cents in the treasury. Yet this handful of men are wont to inveigh against the minority’s opposition to their work. In the midst of the business, and the exchange of compliments in the general desire to shift responsibilities upon one another, the matter of the State Christian Endeavor Convention, then in session at San Jose, was brought up. On the Christian Endeavor program was a “sacred concert” at a large suburban pavilion on Sunday. It was suggested by Dr. Briggs that, while that particular concert would of course be all right, it was a dangerous precedent. This called out a suggestion that a representative of the Sabbath Association be sent to San Jose to arouse a Sunday observance enthusiasm in the convention. Amongst other names, that of Dr. W. W. Case was mentioned as a proper delegate, and this suggestion brought out the fact that there is not a little hostility existing between the Christian Endeavors and the Epworth League, a purely Methodist institution. Dr. Case is a Christian Endeavorer, but he is also an Epworth Leaguer, and he feared that, on that account, he would not have sufficient influence for the occasion. As an instance of the sectarian prejudice that is being manifested between these young people’s societies, he cited the fact that an Epworth League brother, who was also a member of the Christian Endeavor Society, had been “peremptorily kicked out” of the Golden Gate Union of the latter organization, because he declined to wear the “C. E.” Dr. H. A. Ketchum was finally selected for the somewhat delicate mission. It was a delicate mission; for, while it was designed ostensibly to merely arouse an increased Sunday enthusiasm, the move was prompted by a kind of fear that the young people had already too much enthusiasm on Sunday. It was feared that their program was being in a measure manipulated in the interest of the street-car company, which it was stated also owned the pavilion. It is a fact (and this say we, not the Sabbath Association) that it is becoming a very delicate matter for the experienced men in the churches to know just how to hold the reins on these young people’s societies. Since the “Christian Citizenship” movement has been launched amongst them, and they have been enthused with the idea that upon them rests a great religious responsibility to do political battle for the country, and they are looked to as the coming power in the land, they evince a decided inclination to take the lead at once. When the hour arrived for that part of the program which was to have a telling influence upon the public, for which time two addresses, etc., were booked, there were twenty-five people in the hall. But there were presented some of the usual stock-in-trade pretexts for a state Sunday law, and these go out through the press to the public as the utterance of an annual convention representing the Christian sentiment of the state. The first address was by Rev. Robert Whitaker, who said that appeal for a Sunday law should be made on the ground of general good, rather than for specific religious reasons. This he deemed to be the only ground on which the workingmen could be interested. Yet his further argument showed that the suggestion was merely one of policy, the best means of securing the desired end. A Sunday law would work to the advantage of religion—“our congregations would be larger, but it would not be religious legislation.” In other words, the appeal on the ground of general good would inveigle the workingmen into supporting that which is in effect religious legislation, but which makes a pretense of being something else. The speaker showed in various ways that his plea of “general good” was only a subterfuge to catch popular support. For instance, he said that there is enough sentiment in the state to stop half the Sabbath desecration at once, if the sentiment were only crystallized; and it can be crystallized by meeting the laboring men where they are. The reasons set forth for a Sunday law must be as a stand between labor and the money-maker. When Dr. Case’s address was called for, he waived the portion which had been specially prepared for the occasion because of the limited audience, and talked at random awhile from some notes which he said were “informal and perhaps illogical.” And to talk of “rescuing the Sabbath of the Lord” on Sunday, was certainly illogical. The Sabbath which the Lord made, which he sanctified, which he commanded, which he personally observed, was not Sunday. It was concerning the seventh day that he said:— “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call9 the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isa. 58:13, 14. The speaker said that the whole responsibility of the matter of better Sunday observance rested upon the evangelical churches, and severely criticised the ministers of San Francisco and vicinity for their conspicuous absence. He could not see why the ministry could not see eye to eye on fundamental questions. If any question ought to invoke the enthusiasm of all the ministers of San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda, it was the question of Sabbath reform. The Conference (Methodist) must stop ministers from traveling on Sunday. The Sunday newspapers must be stopped—not so much for the work that is done on them, but for the sake of the 100,000 newsboys that are being trained for hoodlumism and outlawry. He didn’t explain how the temptations of this class were any worse on Sunday than on any other day. He advised that the matter of better Sunday observance be worked up in the prayer meetings, and that every minister should be above suspicion in his own practice. They should all stop advertising their meetings in the Sunday papers. He complimented himself and one or two other ministers very highly in this respect, and then stated that there was not a church in San Francisco that had been in the habit of Sunday advertising but had had its trouble or row of some kind. They go for the crowds, and with the crowds comes their damnation. He concluded with the demand that the state be sown knee deep with literature on the subject of Sunday reform. In the evening there were further addresses to a somewhat larger audience. The resolutions adopted by the convention were to urge upon all the duty of a better observance of Sunday. To “invite the co-operation of all good citizens in securing a sabbath law in the state of California which shall restrain all our citizens from unnecessary work,” etc. To petition Congress for a law forbidding the carrying and handling of mail on Sunday, and all unnecessary labor by government employees. To ask for a state law closing saloons on Sunday. To ask the ferry companies to abolish saloons on their boats. Also, protesting against the Sunday newspapers, as “enemies to the best interests of religion and the church of Christ.” THE U. S. SUPREME COURT AND SUNDAY LAWS.
By W. N. G.
The United States Supreme Court has taken its stand on Sunday laws. It says the Georgia Sunday law is constitutional. The following despatch explains the position of the court:— “Washington, May 18.—Justice Harlan to-day delivered an opinion in the Supreme Court in the case of Hennington versus the State of Georgia, involving the constitutionality of the law prohibiting the running of freight cars in Georgia on Sunday. The opinion held the law to be valid.” The Sunday law of Georgia contains provisions which make it, under certain circumstances, the most tyrannical of all the state Sunday laws. It even includes the death penalty. Section 4579 provides as follows:— “Any tradesman, artificer, workman, or laborer, or other person whatever, who shall pursue their business or work of their ordinary callings upon the Lord’s day (works of necessity or charity only excepted), shall be guilty of a misdemeanor; and, on conviction, shall be punished as prescribed in section 4310 of this code.” Following is section 4310, referred to in the foregoing section:— “Accessories after the fact, except where it is otherwise ordered in this code, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $1,000, imprisonment not to exceed six months, to work in the chain-gang on the public works or on such other works as the county authorities may employ the chain-gang, not to exceed twelve months, and any one or more of these punishments may be ordered at the discretion of the judge; provided, that nothing herein contained shall authorize the giving the control to private persons, or their employment by the county authorities in such mechanical pursuits as will bring the products of their labor into competition with the products of free labor.” Section 4814 provides that where persons are convicted of misdemeanor, and sentenced to work in the chain-gang, or are confined in jail for non-payment of fines imposed for such misdemeanor, the authorities may hire out such convicts, upon such terms and restrictions as may subserve the ends of justice, and place such convicts under such guards as may be necessary for their safe keeping. This provision is emphasized by the further possibilities under section 4821. If any of such convicts shall be guilty of insurrection or attempt at insurrection, they may, upon conviction in the county court, be “deemed guilty of a capital offense, and punished with death, or such other punishment as the judge in his discretion may inflict.” Thus if a person is convicted of doing any ordinary labor on Sunday, being a conscientious observer of the seventh day, and should refuse to labor on the seventh day because of his duty to “obey God rather than men,” he might be convicted of “attempt at insurrection,” and sentenced to death. And the Supreme Court of this so-called “Christian nation,” this “land of the free,” which guarantees freedom of conscience to all its citizens, says that such a law is constitutional. Thus the nation has taken another advanced step in the matter of establishing the religion of Sunday observance. This shows the weakness of that provision of the national Constitution contained in the First Amendment, that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” What security does such a declaration give to the people, when the state Legislatures may make such laws ad libitum, and the Federal Supreme Court says they are constitutional! But the climax of absurdity seems to have been reached in section 4582 of this “constitutional” Sunday law of the state of Georgia. Here it is:— “All moneys arising from fines imposed for offenses, the gist of which consist in their being committed on the Sabbath day, shall be paid to the ordinary of the county, to be by him distributed for the purpose of establishing and promoting Sabbath schools in the county.” Thus it is put in the power of vicious bigots to draw blood money from honest, conscientious, Christian men, with which to sustain Sunday schools. Alas! for the education that children would receive in schools, supported by funds secured in such a diabolical manner. Such possibilities surely ought to convince any reasoning person that a religious institution or dogma calling for such outrageous measures can have no foundation in truth. Nothing but the basest imitation of the religion of Jesus Christ could call for laws in which are provisions for even the sacrifice of human life. Men who would no doubt read with a shudder of the cruel orgies connected with the sun-worship of the recognized heathen, will enthusiastically uphold, in the name of Christianity, laws including the death penalty in support of a day whose observance originated in sun-worship itself; a day whose observance as a pretended Christian institution was the result of compromise with heathenism and the edicts of apostasy. And there are to-day, all over our fair land, and over every other nominally Christian land for that matter, scores of “societies,” “associations,” “leagues,” “unions,” “parties,” “bureaus,” etc., shouting the “reform” slogan, whose prime object is the securing of just such laws as this Georgia law. Yes, we have professed ministers of the Gospel leading out in these “confederacies” (Isa. 8:9-13), calling for Sunday laws with “fever exceptions and heavier penalties.” And it is because of a growing sentiment in this direction, and the quaking of office-holders and office-seekers before this “reform” wave, that we are told “the world is growing better.” When, however, we call attention to the law of God, which we ought to obey rather than the law of man; when we call attention to the “perfect” law (Ps. 19:7), which is “holy, and just, and good” (Rom. 7:12), which tells us that “the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God;” when we call attention to these declarations of the word of God, we are blandly told that we are now under grace. The “grace” of a Sunday law, with “chain-gang” or perhaps “capital offense” and “death” accompaniments, is a grace the world could well spare—in the interest of both humanity and Christianity. Joe was only a black boy, but he sang softly and tenderly. Then, leaning over the bed on which lay three little curly heads, with faces that were very white by the side of his, he tucked the covers in tightly, saying to himself:— It was a dark night, and the wind and the rain outside had been beating against the little mountain cabin for hours. Joe knew that was why Mrs. Martin had not come home as usual at sundown. He always came and stayed with the children when she went down the mountain for work, and he would not leave them now. They cried a little at first, but Joe gave them some supper, and then before the open fire told them about “Brer Rabbit an’ de Tar Baby.” They were all asleep now, but Joe did not dare sit down, for fear he would fall asleep too. He poked the fire, washed the dishes, and walked about the room, singing softly to himself. And so the long night wore on, and Joe would not sit down. He told himself stories softly, always moving, moving, moving, lest he fall asleep. At daybreak Mrs. Martin came home with her brother, who would take her and her children home with him. “You see,” she said, putting her hands kindly on Joe, “why I did not worry about the children. I knew I could trust Joe.” “Here, Joe,” she said, handing him money, “this is for yesterday, and this,” handing him more, “is double the amount for last night. You deserve it.”10 Joe took the first money, but refused the second. “Dat warn’t money work; dat were love work,” he said. “I knowed yer’d trust me.” “But, Joe, I am rich now. I can afford to pay you.” “Rich er poor, I kin love you all de same, an’ de Lord Jesus, too. He give me dat work to do. He trust me, too. I’m ’bleeged to ’im. I reckon he gwine settle fur it some dese days. Dat were love work. I’m glad all you is rich.” And without another word he put his rimless felt hat on his head and left the house.—S. S. Advocate. SWEETHEARTS AND WIVES.
By Anon.
If sweethearts were sweethearts always,
Whether as maid or wife,
No drop would be half so pleasant
In the mingled draft of life. But the sweetheart has smiles and blushes
When the wife has frowns and sighs,
And the wife's have a wrathful glitter
For the glow of the sweetheart's eyes. If lovers were lovers always,
The same to sweetheart and wife,
Who would change for a future Eden
The joys of this checkered life? But husbands grow grave and silent,
And care on the anxious brow
Oft replaces the sunshine that perished
With the words of the marriage vow. Happy is he whose sweetheart
Is wife and sweetheart still;
Whose voice, as of old, can charm him;
Whose kiss, as of old, can thrill; Who has plucked the rose to find ever
Its beauty and fragrance increase,
As the flush of passion is mellowed
In love's unmeasured peace; Who sees in the step a lightness;
Who finds in the form a grace;
Who reads an unaltered brightness
In the sweetness of the face. SOME MORE ON THE SAME SUBJECT.
Another enthusiastic true temperance advocate, of Healdsburg, Cal., writes us on the same subject as Dr. Godsmark. The doctor speaks from the standpoint of science, and our other friend from experience. He says:— “A cigaret smoker is an opium fiend. I have been one nearly twenty years, and, O, such a hold it had on me! It was nothing but smoke from morning until night, smoke the minute I got out of bed, until the last second I went into bed. A smoke before retiring was then my prayer, and my satisfaction. If I was out of humor, a smoke was necessary to steady my nerves and put me in humor; but it generally always made me in worse humor. I was continually irritated. Cigaret smoking is, I think, the worst form of smoking. A person is looked down upon who smokes opium or who is drunk. Yet a smoker is nothing less than a drunkard. I used to think if I did not have a big glass of whisky before breakfast, I could not eat. I gradually gave up liquor. Liquor was easy to conquer compared to tobacco. Tobacco was my god. Day and night did I worship it, and, what was worse, the more I used, the more I wanted, and the more I used, the less satisfaction I got. If the young boys could only see the terrible effects of tobacco while they still have time and are young. I used to smoke to keep me from getting too hungry, and smoked after meals to take away the taste of my food, smoked when I was excited, and smoked when I wanted to get excited. Smoking benumbed my senses. I was half dead, and had no strength. I could sleep, for I was always in a stupor. I could not work, would lose my wind, in fact, was no man at all. I would fly into a passion easily, had no patience, had heart trouble, blood out of order, no appetite, always craving food, but could not enjoy it, had frequent choking spells, a continual cough, and raised large, hard lumps. My heart at times seemed to stop beating, and, in fact, I knew I was dying slowly but surely, yet I had not the courage to stop; I was a slave to tobacco. I always managed to have money for tobacco, whereas other necessities were forgotten or neglected.” He then tells us how he became cured. He used three boxes of “no-to-bac;” but his permanent cure he ascribes to God and his grace. Now he says when met by his friends, they say, “How well you are looking!” and, “How fat you are!” May God bless and keep this brother by his grace, and help others to learn, not by their experience, but by his. There is freedom from all hurtful indulgences in Christ. A MERCHANT sat at his office desk. Various letters were spread before him. His whole being was absorbed in the intricacies of his business. A zealous friend of religion entered the office. “I want to interest you a little in a new effort for the cause of Jesus Christ,” said the good man. “Sir, you must excuse me,” replied the merchant. “I am too busy to attend to that subject now.” “But, sir, inquiry is on the increase among us,” said his friend. “Is it? I’m sorry, but I’m too busy at present to do anything.” “When shall I call again, sir?” “I can not tell; I’m very busy. I’m busy every day. Excuse me, sir; I wish you a good-morning.” Then, bowing the intruder out of his office, he resumed the study of his papers. The merchant had frequently repulsed the friends of humanity in this manner. No matter what the object, he was always too busy to listen to their claims. He had even told his minister that he was too busy for anything but to make money. But one morning a disagreeable stranger stepped very softly to his side, laying a cold, moist hand upon his brow, and saying, “Go home with me!” The merchant laid down his pen; his head grew dizzy; his stomach felt faint and sick; he left the counting-room, went home, and retired to his bed-chamber. His unwelcome visitor had followed him, and now took his place by the bedside, whispering ever and anon, “You must go with me.” A cold chill settled on the merchant’s heart; specters of ships, notes, houses, and lands flitted before his excited mind. Still his pulse beat slower, his heart heaved heavily, thick films gathered over his eyes, his tongue refused to speak. Then the merchant knew that the name of his visitor was Death. Humanity, mercy, and religion had alike begged his influence, means, and attention in vain; but when Death came, he was powerless—he was compelled to have leisure to die. Let us beware how we make ourselves too busy to secure life’s great end. When the excuse rises to our lips, and we are about to say we are too busy to do good, let us remember we can not be too busy to die.—Christian Work. CIGARET SMOKING.
By O. C. Godsmark
In reply to a query appearing in a recent number of the SIGNS, in which the question was asked regarding the smoking of cigarets, we hastily offer the following facts, hoping to be able to treat the subject more fully in the near future. As was stated by the editor, the use of tobacco is always evil, and only evil continually. It affects the blood in both a physical and chemical manner, and thus in turn affects every structure of the system. From the scores of public examinations we have made of the blood of tobacco users, we have found the above to be indisputably correct. Cigarets have in them all the native narcotic poisons that are incident to the tobacco plant. Being composed largely of the coarse, pulpy part of the leaf, or, more properly, of the stems and midribs, they require being flavored with rum and certain secret chemicals, in order to give them the flavor of the more desirable portions of the plant. Aside from the additions of rum and chemicals to the already poisonous tobacco leaf, they are wrapped in rice-straw paper, which is entirely unfit to be taken into the system in any manner whatever. The lime, acid, and chemicals used in the manufacture of paper, to reduce the straw to the proper pulp, are exceedingly injurious. That this is the case is very apparent from the fact that different state Legislatures have at times been compelled to prohibit the paper mills from using the rivers as dumping grounds; for by their having so done, thousands of fish have annually been destroyed in our river courses. The Legislature of Indiana was recently called upon to take immediate steps to save the fish in one of her principal rivers, as they were found lying dead along the shores by the wagon loads, for some distance below where a paper mill had begun operations. The cheapness of the cigaret places it within easy reach of the small boy's finances, and therefore presents a more easy step to the path that is annually leading thousands of our noblest youth to broken constitutions and ignoble graves. “If you are musical,” says the New York Recorder, “you will enjoy nothing more than a chime of bottle bells, which, while it may sound very difficult, is very easily arranged. Your apparatus will consist of two chairs, two long poles or sticks, and eighteen bottles. The chairs must be placed the length of the stick apart, back to back; upon each stick place nine bottles suspended by a string tied about the neck, with a loop big enough to slip over the stick. Place one stick with each end resting on the seat of the chair, and the other resting on the top of the back. For a hammer almost any stick will do to beat with. For quick tunes two sticks should be used. If the bottles are all the same shape and size, they can be tuned to produce all the notes of the scale by pouring water into them. The more water the lower the note; or differently shaped bottles can be used to fill the places when the correct note can not be produced. It is not possible to tell just how much water to use; for it varies with the thickness of the glass. You may have as many bottles as you like, and there may be two players, one on each side.” CRYOSTASE is the name of a new substance discovered by a German chemist. It is a remarkable compound substance, and has some curious properties, among which is that of solidifying under the influence of heat and again becoming liquid at temperatures below the freezing point. It is the only substance which possesses the property of liquefying when cold and becoming solidified when hot; for altho some substances like albumen harden at a slightly high temperature, they can not be brought back to a liquid state even under the influence of a very low temperature. Full details of the composition are lacking. It is said to be made by mixing equal parts of phenol, camphor, and saponine, to which is added a rather smaller quantity of turpentine.—Information. ELEVEN elk that have been broken to harness and trained to drive single, double, and tandem, are owned by two men of Columbia Falls, Mont. They were captured about a year ago, and were easily tamed, being now as gentle as horses. They were taken by hunters on skis. When an elk was located, it was driven down the mountain side into the deep snow in the valley, and there roped and made captive. The owners have had offers ranging from $200 to $250 apiece for the animals, but none of the herd is for sale.—Selected. Some men think they are performing a meritorious act when they pay their debts, instead of recognizing that they have only done what they ought to do. And the same men seem to think that they have acquired a still greater degree of merit, when they have simply been honest enough to pay the Lord his due in work and worship.—Boehm's Review. GREAT BRITAIN.
By H. P. Holser
ONE of the best evidences of the power of the Gospel message for this time is the readiness with which it frees people from the bondage of custom. Compared with the United States, the people of Europe are much more custom bound, traveling in the beaten track of centuries; and it is generally conceded that of the leading nations of Europe, England is in some respects one of the most conservative. To-day, as in every age, the tendency of prevailing custom is to hinder people from enjoying the freedom of the Gospel. The Gospel means liberty; customs mean bondage; and the older the custom, the greater its hold on the mind. In every age, to accept the Gospel meant to break with prevailing customs of the day,—to undergo sort of a social ostracism. The masses are led; very few have independence of mind and character to stand alone; hence more than ordinary power is required to induce them to break with old established customs, and stem the heavy tide of the world. But this very power is seen in the Gospel as in nothing else. It was seen in the first century among the heathen under the preaching of the apostles. It is seen to-day in Great Britain under the preaching of the same Gospel. While many are there turning back from a partial reformation to the hoary traditions of Rome, others are making long strides in advance to a complete reformation, or the good old Gospel. This at once gives them freedom from the erroneous social and religious customs which hold the masses in bondage. During the past year, the Third Angel’s Message has scored marked victories in “Old England.” To many, “all things are become new.” The change has been so great that in some cases the individuals were thought to have lost their mind, and were sent by their employers to the physicians. This is but a repetition of what Paul refers to when he says that those who accepted the cross in his day were counted fools by the wise of this world. But the interesting feature in England is that those who pronounce insane such as accepted the Gospel, profess themselves to believe the Gospel. This is a forcible illustration of how far the so-called gospel of to-day is departed from the true. But, altho the “god of this world” has so greatly blinded the people, “the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ” is shining unto them, dispelling the darkness and deceptive power of sin. Since the beginning of our work in this field there has been no time when the power of the truth was so manifest as at the present. Much literature has been circulated; the truths for this time are taking hold of the people, and, filled with the courage of conviction, many are taking a bold stand for the Lord. Our laborers in this field are unable to occupy all the openings for presenting the truth. It is quite evident that the time has come for the closing work of the Gospel to go with power. This is seen both in Great Britain and other fields in Europe. A decided change has taken place in the last two years. According to the prophetic word, we may expect to see this cheering work continue and increase till the whole earth is lighted with the glorious Gospel. Basel, Switzerland, April 24, 1896. DEMONIACAL POSSESSION IN CHINA.
By Isaac T. Headland
Professor in Peking University. A CURIOUS instance of what our Chinese pastor believes to be demoniacal possession happened, not long since, less than a square from where the writer is now sitting. The mother of a Christian teacher in the Girls’ High School has been repeatedly “possessed with the spirit of a young girl.” At the time of which we write, the report was brought to our native pastor, and he was asked to go and cast out the “devil.” When he arrived at the teacher’s house, he found that the person possessed was an old woman; but that she was talking with the voice of a young girl. This is the first fact. Second, she claimed to know, and by her conversation gave evidence that she did know, much about the Christian religion. Third, she refused to believe in Christ as the Saviour, and often tried to make it unpleasant for her son, who for several years has been a Christian, and is a graduate of the Presbyterian College at Teng Chou Fu. Fourth, she had used this phenomena as a means of livelihood for many years past, and claimed herself to be possessed of the spirit of a young girl, and when she talked, talked not as herself (the old woman), but as the spirit (the young girl). The pastor ordered the spirit to come out. The spirit refused point blank at first. Several persons were gathered around, many of whom were students. The pastor prayed, and once more ordered the spirit to depart. It made excuses that it had nowhere else to go. He told it it must go, and it promised to go gradually. “I won’t, I won’t, I won’t,” said the spirit, in the voice of a young girl. “Then if you won’t, we must put you out.” “You can’t put me out. How will you put me out?” With this he ordered the bystanders to bring paper, which he rolled up as sticks of incense, and, lighting them, he ordered some one to seize the old woman and hold her while he blew the smoke of the burning paper into her face until she almost choked. Finally she promised to leave if he stopped (still in the voice of a girl). He stopped, and again she began to make excuses, and ask to be allowed to leave gradually. On his refusal, and when he began at once to light his paper again, she began to cry, “Don’t smoke me again,” and say that they were all so crowded around that she could not get out. He paid no attention to her cries, but smoked her again; and in a short time she cried out, and left the old woman, who fell back in a helpless way, and in a few moments came to herself and began to talk in her natural tones, and the spirit was gone. On the following Sunday she was taken on profession of faith, and has had no further attacks. These are simply facts. We make no comments as to the interpretation of them. They are not uncommon in China.—Independent. CAST A STRAW FOR THE RIGHT.
By Julia H. Duffie
Cast a straw for the right;
Tho feeble your arm,
Sink not in affright,
Faint not in alarm.
Right and wrong are contending,
Wrong oft on the throne,
Yet with love never ending
God watcheth his own. Uplift the downtrodden,
Cheer the humble and lone;
To the meek bring good tidings,
Hush the prisoner's moan.
Scorn oppression's base might,
The helpless befriend,
Cast a straw for the right;
And trust God for the end. ONE hundred thousand inhabitants of New York City, or more than five per cent. of the whole population (1,957,452 by the Board of Health census), speak colloquially a language that is hybrid, mongrel, indefinite, without grammar or literature, without rules or declensions, denationalized and variant, known as Yiddish or Jewish jargon, the language of the East Side. It is the dialect of the goose market, the pedler, and of the orthodox rabbis, tho not of the synagogue. It is the language spoken almost exclusively on the East Side by Russian, Polish, Hungarian, Roumanian, and Lithuanian Jews. To what country or nation does this jargon trace its origin? To no land and no government. It is a reflex of wanderings; a language founded on successive persecutions. Intelligent Jews subdivide the history of their race in Europe by periods of persecution; the eleventh century in Spain, the thirteenth in England, the fifteenth in Germany, the seventeenth in Austria, and the nineteenth in Russia. There is a tradition which many Jews reject, but which is accepted as true by all Christian historians, that King Casimir III., of Poland, known in English histories as Casimir the Great, and called in Polish, Krol Kmiotkow (King of the Peasants), fell in love with Esther, a Jewish girl, and that through her influence, which continued for many years, and by her intervention, the whole of Poland, now Russian, Austrian, or Prussian, became an asylum for the Jews, who were then bitterly and cruelly persecuted throughout Germany. The refugees from the west spoke German, mixed with a few English, Spanish, and Hebrew words. The Poles, the most hospitable people of northern Europe, followed the example of their king, and received the Jews kindly; the latter began to learn, not grammatically, but in the ordinary course of business, the Polish language, which in flexibility, richness, and power is hardly excelled by any language of Europe. Out of this mixture of colloquial German, with a few words of English, Spanish, and Old Hebrew, with Polish, further corrupted by additions from other languages, Russian, Hungarian, Roumanian, and Bohemian, was formed the conglomerate form of speech which is the Jewish jargon spoken in New York. But in this jargon German and Polish predominate. Six daily newspapers are published in New York City in this jargon. Speeches are delivered in it, sermons are preached in it, discussions are held, and business transacted in this language, without grammar or standard of usage. The characters used are genuine Hebrew letters. The age of this jargon is about three hundred years. It is not an attractive language; it is not musical, but is rich in diminutives, expletives, and terse abbreviations, and is readily learned.—Public Opinion, Feb. 15, 1895. ELDER J. E. JAYNE, president of Atlantic conference, has decided to locate for a time in Baltimore, in order to assist a number of churches situated within easy reach of that city. ELDER G. T. WATSON reports the baptism of nine candidates near Hartley, Iowa, April 26. He states that during the past year he has baptized ninety-two in different parts of that state, and has received fifty-three into the churches of the northwestern district of the state.