THE labors of Mr. Charles Wesley had been very extended and arduous during the early part of the year 1743, and, by the Divine blessing, eminently successful. From the west of England he proceeded to the colliers of Staffordshire, who had before been visited, and found that the society at Wednesbury had increased to more than three hundred, of whose religious state he speaks, in his journal, with strong feelings of joy. At Walsall, he preached on the market-house steps:—
"The street was full of fierce Ephesian beasts (the principal man setting them on), who roared and shouted, and threw stones incessantly. At the conclusion a stream of ruffians was suffered to beat me down from the steps. I rose, and having given the blessing, was beat down again; and so a third time. When we had returned thanks to the God of our salvation, I then from the steps bid them depart in peace, and walked through the thickest of the rioters. They reviled us, but had no commission to touch a hair of our head."
He then proceeded to Birmingham, Nottingham, and then to Sheffield. Here the infant society was as a flock among wolves; the minister having so stirred up the people, that they were ready to tear the Methodists in pieces.
"At six o'clock, I went to the society house, next door to our brother Bennet's. Hell from beneath was moved to oppose us. As soon as I was in the desk, with David Taylor, the floods began to lift up their voice. An officer in the army contradicted and blasphemed. I took no notice of him, but sung on. The stones flew thick, striking the desk and the people. To save them, and the house from being pulled down, I gave out that I should preach in the street, and look them in the face. The whole army of the aliens followed me. The captain laid hold on me, and began rioting. I gave him for answer, 'A Word in Season, or Advice to a Soldier.' I then prayed, particularly for his majesty King George, and 'preached the gospel with much contention.' The stones often struck me in the face. I prayed for sinners, as servants of their master, the devil; upon which the captain ran at me with great fury, threatening revenge for abusing, as he called it, 'the king, his master.' He forced his way through the brethren, drew his sword, and presented it to my breast. I immediately opened my breast, and fixing my eye on his, and smiling in his face, calmly said, 'I fear God, and honor the king.' His countenance fell in a moment, he fetched a deep sigh, and putting up his sword, quietly left the place. He had said to one of the company who afterward informed me, 'You shall see if I do but hold my sword to his breast, he will faint away.' So, perhaps, I should, had I only his principles to trust to; but if at that time I was not afraid, no thanks to my natural courage. We returned to our brother Bennet's, and gave ourselves up to prayer. The rioters followed, and exceeded in outrage all I have seen before. Those at Moorfields, Cardiff, and Walsall, were lambs to these. As there is no 'king in Israel,' I mean no magistrate in Sheffield, every man doeth as seemeth good in his own eyes."
The mob now formed the design of pulling down the society house, and set upon their work, while Mr. Charles Wesley and the people were praying and praising God within. "It was a glorious time," says he, "with us; every word of exhortation sunk deep, every prayer was sealed, and many found the Spirit of glory resting upon them." The next day the house was completely pulled down, not one stone being left upon another. He then preached again in the street, somewhat more quietly than before; but the rioters became very noisy in the evening, and threatened to pull down the house where he lodged. He went out to them and made a suitable exhortation, and they soon afterward separated, and peace was restored. At five the next morning, he took leave of the society in these words, "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."—Watson's Life of Wesley.
North Pacific Conference.
By Charles L. Boyd; E. F. De Bord
WEST CHEHALEM, YAMHILL CO., OR.—We came to this place in response to the earnest solicitation of Bro. N. Hansen, who, with his own and one other family of Sabbath-keepers, is living in this pleasant valley.
We find the people very kind and hospitable, by whom our temporal wants are liberally supplied.
Considering the condition of the weather, the attendance is good. As the claims of God's law are being pressed home, some have fallen away; but the interest remains good.
Including Bibles, we have sold upwards of $20 worth of books since we came here.
That some will be led to a practical knowledge of the commandments of God and the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, we labor, and ask you to unite with us in prayer to God.
February 20, 1884. CHAS. L. BOYD, E. F. DE BORD.
From England.
ELDER A. A. JOHN writes from Great Grimsby, Eng., to Bro. Nordyke of this Office, under date of Feb. 3: "We are so busy that our friends do not hear from us very often. The Lord has been pleased to so open the way before us that we have not had time to get discouraged. The other friends are doing well. We hope soon to see the brethren from America, and we rejoice that so much is being accomplished by the workers in different fields.
We have just heard of the death of my dear sister, Mrs. Kerr. Oh! I am sick of seeing funeral trains, and hearing the moans and groans of the dying. Let us unite to hasten the coming of the just One, who will put an end to death's dark reign.
I am greatly pleased with the SIGNS. We have about sixty-five regular readers on our list, and the remainder of the one hundred sent here we sell at meetings or from house to house."
The Virtue of Giving
THAT man may last, but never lives,
Who much receives but nothing gives;
Whom none can love, whom none can thank,
Creation's blot, creation's blank.
Love Does No Wrong
LOVE "worketh no ill to his neighbor." The person who has God's love in his heart will not knowingly wrong a fellow-being.
DROPPING SEED.
THE land was still; the skies were gray with weeping;
Into the soft brown earth the seed she cast;
"Oh! soon," she cried, "will come the time of reaping—
The golden time when clouds and tears are past!"
There came a whisper through the autumn haze,
"Yea, thou shalt find it after many days."
Hour after hour she marks the fitful gleaming
Of sunlight stealing through the cloudy lift;
Hour after hour she lingers, idly dreaming,
To see the rain fall, and the dead leaves drift.
"Oh! for some small green sign of life," she prays,
"Have I not watched and waited 'many days'?"
At early morning, chilled and sad, she hearkens
To stormy winds that through the poplars blow;
Far over hill and plain the heaven darkens,
Her field is covered with a shroud of snow;
"Ah! Lord," she sighs, "are these thy loving ways?"
He answers—"Spake I not of many days?"
The snowdrop blossoms; the purple violet glistens
On banks of moss that take the sparkling showers;
Half-cheered, half-doubting yet, she strays and listens
To finches singing to the shy young flowers.
A little longer still his love delays
The promised blessing—"after many days."
"Oh, happy world!" she cries, "the sun is shining!
Above the soil I see the springing green;
I could not trust his word without repining;
I could not wait in peace for things unseen;
Forgive me, Lord, my soul is full of praise;
My doubting heart prolonged thy 'many days.'"
—Selected.
Think Twice.
"Did Horner pay the bill?" inquired Mr. Gilbert of his clerk, who had just come in.
"Didn't pay it?"
"No, sir."
"What answer did he give?"
"He was angry, and said that he wished you wouldn't send him the bill any more; that when he was ready, he would bring you the money, and not before."
"He said that, did he?" Mr. Gilbert spoke with considerable excitement of manner.
"Yes, sir. I have never called on him that he didn't get out of patience, and say something unpleasant."
"Very well," replied Mr. Gilbert, in a menacing tone; "give me the bill. I'll collect it."
And, taking up his hat, he left the store. Within two or three blocks was the office of an alderman, and thither his steps were turned.
"Thank fortune! there's a short way to deal with men in these cases." Thus Mr. Gilbert talked to himself as he moved rapidly along.
"Not send my bill, indeed! Why doesn't he come and pay it, if he is so nice in these matters? He doesn't mean to pay; that's the true reason. But he is dealing with the wrong man, and he will find this out before he is twenty-four hours older. He can bluff off a clerk, but will find a city bailiff a different sort of a customer."
Such was the state of Mr. Gilbert's mind as he hurried on his way to the alderman's office.
Horner, the offender in this case, was a poor tailor, who had become indebted to Gilbert for groceries. The amount of his bill was sixty-six dollars; a very large sum for him, and far exceeding what he had supposed it would be. Sickness, and the loss of a child, had, some months previously, lessened his income, and also burdened him with unusual expenses. But for this, he would not have become indebted. Honest and sensitive, the debt worried him. Instead however, of going to Mr. Gilbert and asking him to let the obligation stand for a short time until he could pay it off gradually, he kept away from him, and fretted himself with thinking over the unpleasant relation he bore to the grocer. As was to have been expected, the bill came in. The clerk, by whose hands it was sent, made his demand in a style that Horner thought rude, if not insulting. This was more in imagination than reality.
"I can't pay this now," was the tailor's brief answer. He spoke with a troubled voice and countenance. The clerk interpreted his manner by the word "anger."
"When will you settle it?" he inquired, with something peremptory in voice.
"I can't tell," said Horner, in a short, quick tone of voice.
The clerk bowed and went away. His report did not please the grocer, who, in a few days, sent again for the money. The second demand came upon Horner while he was thinking of the bill, and hopelessly casting about in his mind for some means of paying it. Not possessing a great deal of self-control, he unwisely uttered an expression of impatience the moment he saw the clerk of Mr. Gilbert.
"Well, sir; what about that bill?" said the clerk.
"It's no use to keep calling on me," replied Horner. "As soon as I have the money I will see Mr. Gilbert."
A third time the clerk called. Poor Horner was in a very unhappy state of mind. He had been thinking of little else besides the grocer's bill all the morning; while in his mind was a nervous presentiment that he should have a visit that day from the collector. He was not in error. Even as the thought troubled him, open swung his door, and the messenger of Gilbert entered.
"See here, young man!" exclaimed Horner, before the other had time to speak; "just tell Gilbert not to send that bill here again. It won't bring the money an hour sooner. When I am ready, I will pay it, and not before."
The clerk turned off and left the shop without a word of reply.
"That wasn't right, John," said the tailor's wife, in a tone of gentle reproof, after the lapse of five minutes. She wisely forbore to speak until time enough had elapsed for her irritable husband to regain a degree of self-composure.
"I know it wasn't," answered Horner, pausing in his work and giving vent to his feelings in a heavy sigh. "I know it wasn't. But this constant dunning is hard to bear. He knows, as well as I do, that he will get his money as soon as I can possibly earn it."
"No, John; not as well as you do," said the wife, mildly. "He cannot see your thoughts."
There was a brief silence.
"Have you ever seen Mr. Gilbert, John?" inquired Mrs. Horner.
"No. But—"
The tailor hesitated. He saw what was in the mind of his wife, and felt its force.
"Don't you think it would be better to see him, and explain just how it is with you? I don't believe he would give you any trouble, if you were to do so. There is no telling what kind of messages his clerk takes to him. If he gives simply your words to-day, Mr. Gilbert will be angry; and there is no knowing what he might be tempted to do."
"I don't want to see him," replied Horner. "I can't bear to look into a man's face if I owe him money."
The wife sighed, but did not answer. Both remained silent for some time. Horner's own mind soon suggested all that his wife wished, but hesitated, to say. It was but right for him to see the grocer, explain to him fully his position, and, after assuring him of his intention to pay every dollar of the debt, ask of him a liberal extension of time.
"I'll see him," said he, at length, pausing suddenly in his work, and getting down from his shop-board. In a little while he was ready to go out, when he started forth to see his creditor.
In the meantime, Gilbert had kept on his way toward the alderman's, fully resolved to hand his debtor over to the tender mercies of the law. He was within a few doors of the office when he met a friend.
"What's the matter?" inquired this individual. "You look as if you were going to sue somebody."
"Just what I am about doing," replied the grocer.
"Ah, indeed! Who is the hard case that requires such a stringent measure?"
"Horner, the tailor. You know him, I believe?"
"Yes; very well. But you are not going to sue him?"
"Indeed I am."
"How much does he owe you?"
"Sixty odd dollars."
"I'd think twice before I troubled poor Horner," said the other, shaking his head.
"He sends me only insulting answers," replied Gilbert. "I've dunned him until I'm tired."
"Perhaps you've dunned him too hard. He is sensitive and irritable."
"No; I've only sent three or four times. This morning he returned for answer that he would pay when he was ready, and not before."
"And, on the spur of the moment, you have determined to put the account into an alderman's hands."
"I have."
"Too hasty, friend Gilbert. In all matters of this kind it is better to think twice. Remember that Horner has had sickness and death in his family. These, I know, have thrown him back. Here lies the cause of his slowness in paying. But, surely, these things entitle him to consideration. He is honest. I am certain of that."
"I didn't think about his sickness and the loss of his child," said Gilbert, in a modified tone. "But this is no justification for the rude, unsatisfactory answers he sent to my applications for money."
"Of course not. But every man cannot, at all times, control his feelings. An honest mind often feels a quick sense of indignation when a demand is made for a debt where a present inability to pay exists. This is, no doubt, the case with Horner. Honest in his intentions, he felt your repeated applications as questioning that honesty; and he could not bear the imputation with becoming patience."
The two men separated. Gilbert had thought twice; and, instead of going to the magistrate's office, returned to his store. There, a little to his surprise, he found the tailor awaiting him. They met with some reserve and embarrassment. But Horner said, in a moment or two, and in a subdued voice:—
"I am sorry, Mr. Gilbert, to have kept you out of your money so long; nothing has prevented my paying you but inability. I have had sickness and trouble, or it would not now be with me as it is. I felt worried when your clerk called to-day, and sent you an improper message. Let me recall that. And, now, I will tell you the best I can do. If you will take from me five dollars a month, until the whole bill is settled, I will faithfully pay you that much, and more if it is possible."
"Perfectly satisfactory," replied Gilbert, in a voice so cordial that it sent the blood bounding through the veins of the unhappy tailor. If you had only made this proposition before, it would have been cheerfully accepted."
When the two men separated each was wiser and each felt happier. The tailor kept his engagement, and the grocer not only received his money but retained a good customer. So much for sober second thoughts.—Arthur's Home Magazine.
The Home Circle.
THE OLD TRUNDLE BED.
Oh, the old trundle bed where I slept when a boy!
What canopied king might not covet the joy!
The glory and peace of that slumber of mine,
Like a long, gracious rest in the bosom divine;
The quaint, homely couch, hidden close from the light,
But daintily drawn from its hiding at night.
Oh, a nest of delight, from the foot to the head,
Was that queer little, dear little, old trundle bed!
Oh, the old trundle bed, where I wondering saw
The stars through the window, and listened with awe
To the sigh of the winds as they tremblingly crept
Through the trees where the robin so restlessly slept.
Where I heard the low, murmurous cheep of the wren,
And the katydid listlessly chirrup again,
Till my fancies grew faint and were drowsily led
Through the maze of the dreams of the old trundle bed!
With its plump little pillow and old-fashioned spread;
Its snowy-white sheets and the blanket above,
Smoothed down and tucked round with the touches of love;
The voice of my mother to lull me to sleep
With the old fairy stories my memories keep
Still fresh as the lilies that bloom o'er the head
Once bowed with my own o'er the old trundle bed.
Politeness to Neighbors
It is much easier to be polite and neighborly than to fly into a passion when things do not suit you. Take this note, for instance, addressed by a lady to her neighbor next door:
“Dear Madame—Your children, who are numerous and appear to be disorderly, no doubt deserve the frequent floggings you give them; but as my nerves are weak, I write this to ask if you can't do something to deaden the sound.”
The Door of Temptation
If you would not fall into sin, do not sit by the door of temptation.
A Hint to Husbands.
By Rural New Yorker
Isn't it strange that some men, who will be kind and obliging to their neighbors, gentlemanly and polite to other ladies, will be so rude, and cold, and harsh at home, and perfect bears to their wives—crabbed, snappish, ungenerous, and altogether unsocial and hateful? Does anybody know of any such men? Not that I wish to lay all the wrong doing and blame on man kind, or condemn them en masse—not at all. There are plenty of good, noble men, but not quite enough. When they are so strong, and have so much power to do good, and win love, and bless their homes, why won't they all do it?
"Circumstances alter cases."—Some men's wives are trying enough; but then, in the perversity of things, you will generally find a real bear of a man united to a frail, patient, forbearing wife. She is your wife, Mr. Bear, and the mother of your children, and probably dependent on you for a home and means, and can't get away from you, so, of course, she is in your power, and you can treat her just as you choose. But if you expect her heart to bound with pleasure when she hears your footsteps, or to proffer you caresses, or to rejoice in your presence, you are much mistaken. She is human—neither more nor less. Please reverse your situations and conditions. How much and how long, would you bear such treatment as you give her? You will inevitably be measured and weighed for just what you are, and there is no help for it.—Rural New Yorker.
Sahara.
SAHARA is the name given to the immense tract of the continent of Africa which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the river Nile, a distance of more than 3,000 miles, and from the base of the Atlas Mountains to the borders of Soudan. Formerly this region was believed to be a huge sandy plain, dotted over here and there with speck-like oases; but it is now known to consist mainly of plateaus; some of them of very considerable elevation; and the table land in the interior is much more fertile than was supposed, though in the west there is an area equal to that of the Mediterranean, covered with trackless sands, which are prolonged as sand-banks for miles into the Atlantic Ocean. A portion of this area, which is believed to be on a lower level than the bed of the ocean, it has been recently proposed to flood from the Atlantic, so as to furnish a water-way into the interior; and it has also been proposed to open a channel from Gabes, on the coast of the Mediterranean, to the great marsh lakes of Southern Tunis, the effect of which would be, it is said, to convert those lakes into a great inland sea, fifteen times as large as the Lake of Geneva. A considerable caravan trade is carried on across the Sahara, between Morocco, Tripoli and Soudan; and the French Government have had it in contemplation to construct a trans-Saharan railway to unite Algiers with the Senegal and Niger regions.
In the course of the works connected with this proposed railway, remains have been discovered buried in the sand which prove the Sahara to have been at one time much more populous than it is now, and its trade much more extensive. The existing population, which is entirely nomadic or pastoral, is estimated at from three to four millions. The chief mineral product is salt.
Don't, Girls!
Don't think it absolutely necessary to your happiness that every afternoon be spent in making calls, or on the street, or shopping. Home is not a mere hotel, wherein to eat and sleep—too dreary to be endured without company from abroad; home work is not mere drudgery, but useful ministration to those we love.
Don't mistake giggling for cheerfulness, slang phrases for wit, boisterous rudeness for frank gayety, impertinent speeches for bright repartees. On the other hand, don't be prim, formal, stiff; nor assume a "company face," eloquent of "prunes, potatoes, prisms;" nor sit bolt upright in a corner, hands, feet, eyes, and lips carefully posed for effect. An effect will be produced, but not the one you wish. Nor yet sit scornfully reserved, criticising mentally the dress, manners, looks, etc., of those around you. Make up your mind that your companions are, on the whole, a pretty nice set of people (if they are not, you had no business to come among them); that there is something to respect and like in each of them, something to learn of all of them. Determine to have a nice time anyhow; then do your part to make it so. Be genial, cordial, frank. If you can play and sing ordinarily well, do not refuse to take your share in entertaining your companions in that way. You are not expected to be a Nilsson or Kellogg. If you cannot play or sing, say so frankly, and do not feel humiliated. You probably excel in some other accomplishment. Even if you do not, you can possess that one grand accomplishment to which all others are but accessories, that of being "a lady"—"a true woman, gentle and gracious, modest and lovable."
If God has favored you with the good gift of wit, of bright speech and clever repartee, use it freely, only keep back the sarcastic shaft that stings as well as shines. Let your wit brighten, but never burn.
If not so endowed, be content to listen and appreciate. Listeners are as needful as speakers. Your quick apprehension and pleased response will make you as welcome and valuable a member of society as the more lively girl.
Don't be vain! If God gives you the blessing of beauty, accept it as his gift, not your merit. You may take a sincere and innocent pleasure in it, and in properly adorning it, without vanity, if you but remember always that it is not the best thing nor the main thing; and strive rather for spiritual and mental beauty, which will abide when physical charms pass away.
Don't flirt. There is danger in playing with edged tools—to your own pretty fingers and careless heart as well as to ruder masculine ones. Don't be forward, bold, careless. Men laugh, vote you "jolly, smart," etc.; but their real respect and admiration are for the modest girl, who needs no excuses made for her conduct. How often we see one after another of the quiet, gentle girls of a community led to the altar by worthy men—girls who never were considered "anything very special, simply nice girls" (recommendation enough)—while the saucy, reckless young belle, who was the observed of all observers wherever she went, and drew a circle of laughing men around her at every social gathering, gradually fades into a dissatisfied, neglected old maid. Some of the "nice girls" make old maids, too, but they make very nice ones.—Sel.
The Importance of the Mechanic.
EACH ensuing day makes more prominent the fact that we have come upon the time when the mechanic is master. We have crowded professions and ill-filled trades. A chance to fill the position of sub-assistant clerk in a wholesale house is eagerly grasped at by a hundred applicants, though the wages received be scarcely more than 'a chance to learn the business.' Let a master workman try to obtain an apprentice at three times the salary offered the clerk, and his applicants will be poor alike in quantity and quality. A skilled workman in any trade need never want for hire; he is eagerly sought after by a hundred employers; he is independent of the condition of the market; the skill and cunning of his hand and eye are too valuable to lose, and must be paid whether the products are slowly or rapidly consumed. If business ceases, the master hand is eagerly seized by some rival house, which knows and values the product of his skill. He who would crush down the obstacles to success in our own days must have, as well as the wit to see the crevice, the strength to deal the blow. This is an age of the steam engine, and it is the engineer, not the conductor, who is master.—Sel.
THE YOUTH'S INSTRUCTOR.
By Editor
AN ILLUSTRATED WEEKLY PAPER FOR YOUTH AND CHILDREN, DEVOTED TO MORAL, MENTAL, AND RELIGIOUS CULTURE.
THIS paper is not devoted to insipid stories and religious fiction, but is filled with a great variety of that kind of reading which tends to the healthful development of the youthful mind. Its pages are made bright by the choicest illustrative pictures, and its columns are always full of useful information.
As a Sabbath-school and Lesson paper, it is suited to the wants of scholars and teachers, and is calculated to increase the interest of all who read it, in thorough Bible study.
The Sabbath-school Department contains two series of lessons, one for children and one for youth.
TERMS, ALWAYS IN ADVANCE.—Single copy, 75 cents a year; Five copies to one address, 60 cents each; Ten or more copies to one address, 50 cents each.
SPECIAL PREMIUM OFFER—THE SUNSHINE SERIES.
For every new subscription, accompanied with 85 cents, we will give "The Sunshine Series," consisting of a package of ten beautiful pamphlets of 32 pages each. These comprise a choice collection of sketches, stories, poems, etc., adapted to the wants of children, and contain more reading matter than can be found in many dollar books. Remember, the whole series, 320 pages, and the INSTRUCTOR for a year, for 85 cents.
A Model Institution for General Culture. Instruction Given in the Branches of the Usual College Curriculum.
Special Attention to Common Branches and the Elements of Learning.
Physical Culture and Experience in the Most Common Affairs of Practical Life, and the Useful Trades are Combined in This College with the Study of the Regular School Branches.
This College Is Very Successful in the Education of Youth, Because It Is Founded on Correct Principles.
1. The Bible is made the Text-book of Morals and Religion, and nearly every member of the school has Daily Recitations in Biblical History.
2. The union of manual and mental labor among the students will secure to them habits of industry, as well as a knowledge of the most common methods of obtaining a livelihood, and will thus make of them practical men and women.
3. The strong Moral and Religious influence finds its equal in no other Institution of the kind.
4. The expenses of Students for Board, Tuition, etc., come within the ability of all.
5. The Discipline is rigid, and the Instruction is thorough and Practical throughout.
DISCIPLINE.
One of the most prominent features of Healdsburg College is the effort to impress upon its students the claims and benefits of morals and religion. Any one of known evil habits, who is exerting a pernicious influence upon his fellow-students, is not tolerated in the school.
During the year 1883 there was completed a large building called
NORTH COLLEGE HALL,
Upon a tract of five acres of ground, the whole designed for a Students' Home, where will be afforded the best home influence, and an opportunity for combining manual labor with study. No other institution offers so favorable facilities on so reasonable terms.
To those who wish to obtain instruction in the Bible, Old and New Testament History, &c., special inducements are offered. A class will be opened at the beginning of the Spring Term, for old and young.
A PRIMARY DEPARTMENT
Is connected with the College to accommodate those children whose parents desire to place them under the instruction and moral influence of the school.
The Spring Term began January 2, 1884, and closes May 29, 1884 Any information, and calendar sent on application.
S. BROWNSBERGER. A. M., President,
Healdsburg, Cal.
The Rarity of Gratitude
ONE of the rarest qualities in mankind is gratitude.