Or gamily eirdr,
A CONSECRATED LIFE.
Teach me, my God and King,
In all thing i Thee to see,
And what I do in anything,
To do it as for Thee!
To scorn the senses' sway,
While still to thee I tend;
In all I do, be Thou the Way,
In all, be Thou the End.
All may of Thee partake;
Nothing so small can be
But draws, when acted for Thy sake,
Greatness and worth from Thee.
If done to obey Thy ]aws,
Even servile labors shine;
Hallowed is toil, if this the cause,
The meanest work, divine.
George Herbert
MR. ILI3IHOND.'S LETTERS TO LITTLE
CHILDREN. NO. VII.
The Flood.
In my last letter I told you a little story about
the great flood in this part of the country. The
bridges are not all rebuilt yet, and large reser
voirs where there were many fishes, are still
empty, for the dams are not rebuilt.. So you see
I am still thinking about " the fiord," or "the
great flood" as all call it.
I spoke, in my last, about foolish and wise
builders, and I think you will now be interested
in reading a story about eight little children in
England. They were playing upon the sand
beside the s:a-shore- The tide was out and the
sky was clear ' while the pretty seagulls were
sailing through the Air.
" Oh, see what /beautiful flat stones '." said
George; " how nice they would be to build a
house with."
" Let us build one," said Edith, who was the
eldest of the girls.
" No, let us build two, and see which is the
best," replied George.
"Edith, you and Sophie, and John and Wil
lie, build one; and Sarah, and Kate, and Fred,
and I will build another.'
So the little builders went to work. George
and his party thought it would be so nice to
build on the flat sand, that was as smooth as
the floor of the play-room at home, and where
they did not need to waste any of the stones in
making a foundation. ,
Fred and the girls brought the stones, while
George put them together, and very soon the
house began to grow to quite a respebtable size.
But, Edith led her laborers away from the
beach to where the rocks began to peep above the
sand, and where the tide never came;. and hav
ing found a rock that was as high as her waist,
she began to put her house together. It was
hard work, for they bad to pick up the stones on
the beach and take them up to Edith, who spent
some time in laying them on the uneven rock, so
as to get a good foundation. So George had fin
ished his house before Edith had put up more
than three or four rows of stone; and as he had
nothing to do, he began to look at her work.
" Why, Edith, how slow you are; my, house
is, built, and your's is not half done."
I wanted to build a good stronc , b one," said
Edith, "and it takes a good while to build on
this rock."
"Oh, you should have built it on the sand, as
I did."
Just then a loud cry from Fred made George
turn round.
The tide was coming in, and as one of the first
waves had reached his house, it was washing
away the lower stones. All gathered around it,
but it was too late. The waves came in faster
and faster, and carried away first one stone and
then another, until, with a crash, the whole build-
ing fellinto the water.
" Yes, Edith," said George, sadly, "I see that
you were right. I ought to have built my house
upon a xock. 11
How is it with you, my little friend? Have
you been building your house upon Jesus—the
Rock of Ages, or upon the sand ?
I otter hear parents tell their children, to "be
good," instead of telling them to come to Jesus,
and trust only in Him; and I say .to myself,
Those parents are teaching their children to
build upon the sand." All children ought to
",.be good," but•they never will be good in God's
sight, till their blind eyes have been opened to
see themselves as lost, guilty sinners, and to see
also that Jesus has taken their place, and suffered
for their sins on the cross. Have you ever felt
that you have broken many of God's good laws,
and that you have been very hard-hearted not
to love the dear Saviour, who bore for us the
punishment we deserved ?
I have just found upon my desk, a letter from
a girl, who writes as if she had budded her hapes
upon the Rock, which shall never be swept
away. She gives her reasons why she thinks
she truly loves the Saviour.
" One morning," she says, "I went to school,
and some of the girls came to me and asked me
if I had been to hear you preach? and I told
them I had not. They asked me if I would not
go ? I said ' Yes, I would go just for the fun of
it.' When the Christians went around to talk
with the sinners; two or three came and talked
with me. I felt real angry, and thought they
bad no business to come and talk with me. The
next evening I asked my best friend to go with
me. We went, sat up in the gallery,. made sport
of what was said, and left before it was out. We
were afraid that some one would talk to us. We
did not want any one to tell us what great sin
ners we were.. Week ago Tuesday, we went again,
took the same seats ; went for the same purpose
to laugh and - scoff. That afternoon we staid un
til-it was out, You came and talked with me,
and asked inelf I loved the Saviour, who bled
and, Aed for me? and with shame I answered,
- You asked me if 'I - did not want to ? I
said, 'Yes.' I was ,perfectlY indifferent at the
time. I. did not care when I would learn to
love Him, just so I would loVe Him- before
I died, In • the evening I came again, still
perfeeily indifferent. - I listened to your preach- ,
ing. Yolk told' how our bleaked Sa4iour had been
crucified, and that my sine - had helped nail Him
tlieii3 l .. ra l thought that it was strange, that I did
not love Him who had suffered for me; that I
loved a great many people who had never suf
fered or done anything for me ; and when you
asked for those to rise who wished to be prayed
for, 1 arose with this determination : I will love
Jesus !' Now I am happy to say I do love
Jesus, and I will tell you why I think I do.
Firstly, because I love to read the Bible, which
I never used to. Secondly, because 1 love to
pray, which I never did before. Thirdly, be
cause I used to hate a great many people, and
now I can say with joy, I do not hate anybody.
I have one favor to ask of you : Please pray for
me, for I often feel weak and helpless, and have
many temptations that will lead me astray. But
I have given myself to the Saviour, and will
pray that my heavenly Father will guide my
footsteps aright."
Can you, too, say, "I love the Bible," " I love
to pray," " I love Christians?'' If not, then I
fear you are not upon the .Rock, and by and by,
when " the floods" shall come upon you, I fear
you will be swept away.
In, a town a few miles from here, a whole
family were swept away by the angry waters,
and all were drowned. Their house was built
upon the sand, and they found it out when it was
too late. Oh I hope it will not be so with youl
Will you not go to the dear Lord Jesus at .once
with this
Child's Prayer?
0, Lord, I fear I have not been building my
hopes for heaven upon Jesus—" the Rock of
Ages." Help me to come and trust ord . ) , in Him,
who died on the cross that guilty sinners, like
me, might be forgiven. 0, Lord! plea to for
give me , only for Jesus' sake, and then when
trials and temptations, like a great Hoed, come
upon me, I shall find that His loving arms are
beneath me, and my prayer, " Let not the water
flood overflow me," will be answered. Hear this,
my little prayer, 0, Lord God, only for Jesus'
sake, Amen.
Words of Jesus.
" Whoso heareth these sayings of mine, and
doeth ,t.heru, I will liken him unto a wise man,
which built his house upon a rock; and the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the`winds
blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not;
for it was founded upon a'rock. And every
one that heareth these sayings of mine, and do
eth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man,
which built his house upon the sand ; and the
rain descended, and the floods came, and the
winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it
fell, and great was the fall of it."
VERNON, Conn., Nov. 4, 1869.
ARIIFV.Ad..OF CHINESE IN SAN FRAN
CISCO. •
The mail communication established be
tween China, Japan, and this port is regular
and complete. No better steamers cross the
Atlantic than pass on the Pacific Ocean
from California to the Celestial empire. The,
"America," arrived here the other day. She
is the largest vessel I have ever seen, and
none as large has ever landed in this harbor;
built with all modern improvements in na
val architecture, and also with a view to the
greatest practical usefulness, she is capable
of bearing a large number of all classes of
passengers. The travel of white persons
between here and China is comparatively
small, but that of Chinese greater. Of the
latter are brought over monthly from five
to eight hundred or more. This list load
contained over six hundred, including two
hundred females.
The report of the "America's" arrival
had scarcely spread, when scores of China
men and women sallied forth from their
dark cells and corners, and joyfully hasten
ed to the warf to welcome their countrymen
to this their new home. This arrival was a
sight worth seeing—their meeting and greet
ing of brothers, cousins, sisters, etc., etc.,
long separated by a mighty ocean, and, to
them, fabulous distance. Their manner in
meeting and greeting is, of course, different
from that customary among Americans and
Europeans. I have never seen Chinanien or
women kiss each other or shake hands, but
they fold their own hands, as id the act of
prayer, and shake them in expression of
joy at meeting a dear friend. Judging from
the, expression of countenance, and the
highly joyful manner they thus manifest,
they are with us men of like passion. Their
language is so fearfully ehiotic to a Cau
casia,n ear, that not a letter or syllable is in
telligible, and your ante-diluvian Hebrew,
philosophic Greek, classic Latin, expressive
German, euphonic French, or practical Eng
lish, won't furnish any clue to the know
ledge of a single sensible word; of such
cackling / confusion is their conversation.
Their first meeting and greeting over, They
prepare to go to their respective lodging or
boarding houses, but, as all baggage is sub
ject to search by the port officers, this task
has first to be performed.
The women are all neatly and cleanly
dressed, and some even handsomely, but, of
course, in oriental style. Their long, jet
black hair is put up in the shape of a cock's
comb, and generally uncovered; the ears,
wrists, and ankles are jeweled with brass,
silver or gold ; their upper garment is cut
straight down, and fits ' almost close to the
body and reaches to the knees; they wear
pants like men, and as wide as the team
ster's overalls;'and coat and pants are made
of farmer's satin, or some other cloth of a
dark color,and always of Chinese manu
facture. heir feet are dressed in white
hose and sandals, also of native make. Thus
the little dark-ficed, moon-eyed, celestial
girl is well dressed, sometimes. gaudily, and
often ludicrously, when landing on this coast.
But, notwithstanding her oriental lady-like
appearance, she is ordered to stand to ono
side with her companions, and, until she
has been searched, she is closely guarded by
a posse of policemen. Perhaps, after an
hour's patient waiting, she is marshalled
into a private tif)artment,. and there, by a
white woman,—l don't know whether she
believes in woman's rights, but if she don't
she ought—in .a ridiculous manner is literal
ly rifled of contraband dr4gs and keepsakes,
—now and then. The feeling all over pro
cess done, she passes' on and her neighbor is
next put through.
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1869.
Next follows the search of baggage. The
Chinese have generally small trunks, and
not much heavy baggage, but their bundles
and packets are innumerable, and how each
can retain his own amid such terrible con
fusion is incomprehensible tome. But these
custom officers understand their business of
destruction, and in less time than I write
this, the trunk is emptied of all its contents,
and every piece smelled, tasted, handled,
torn, broken, shaken, pinched, etc., etc., all
in the performance of loyal duty in search
of opium. The owner sees and feels, that
he is yanked, but, with an air of Mongolian
superiority, and, unlike the European gene
rally, he endures his affliction, and utters
not a word of complaint, but rather hastily
gathering up his scattered traps, prepares
for his final deliverance.
But, some one .must- convey trunk and
owner home, and who shall do it is the ques
tion. Their brother Chinamen in San Fran
cisco keep no teams, and only a few possess
them in the country, and, therefore, some
"foreigner" must this time become " John's"
servant. Watchful " Pat" is on hand with
his horse and wagon, and this time smiling
very pleasantly, he offers to take all in one
load for $2 50. The bargain is sealed, the
wagon loaded, and of they are, Pat in
front, baggage high up on the wagon, and,
t 6 complete the load, a dozen passengers
on' the top. Here, at least, John and Pat
meet in peace, if at the construction of a
sewer, the repairing of a street, or the build
ing of a railroad, they do fight like cats and
dogs. The Irishmen and Chinamen love
money equally well, and the question of de
bate among them seems to be : Who is en
titled to the largest share, the white man or
black man, the Irishman or Chinaman, the
Cancasian or Mongol.—Ref. Church Mess.
QUARRELING.
If anything in the world will make a
man feel badly, except pinching his fingers
in the crack of a door it is unquestionably
a quarrel. It degrades him in the eyes of
others, and what is worse, blunts his sensi
bilities on the one hand, and increases the
power of passionate irritability on the
other. The truth is, the more, peaceably
and quietly we get on, the better for our
neighbors. In nine "cases out of ten the
course is—if a man cheats you l cease to
deal with him; if he is abusive, quit his
company ; if he slanders you, take care to
live so that nobody will believe him. No,
mUtter who he is or how he misuses yoa,
the bent - way is to let him alone, for there is
nothing better than this cool, calm and
quiet way of dealing with the wrongs we
meet with.
Otiffiitat emitmuitiratimto.
INICH, NUREMBERG, AND:LUCERNE.
lace ray last letter written at Prague, two
t
ays have passed, one spent in Munich, and
, tiler, yesterday, in this beautiful city on the
ies of the Lake of the Four Cantons. Munich,
of the finest of modern European capitals, is
some, considered the equal of Paris in its at
pions of art, and the taste and ekgance dis
ced in the architecture of its public and pri
tt buildings, and. in-its magnificent streets and
.1 . It is a Catholic city. There is but one
Pr t -tent evangelical church, a large; but un
pre ding building. The Roman Catholic
ch r hes are numerous, and the older ones elabo
rate in their decorations and ornamentations, of
hi altar and side chapels, nave and aisles, tran
se and choir • while those of modern date, more
sitn,
4 ,
' a in their interior adornments, display rich
tre , res of modern art. In the Court church
of S. . Michael, military mass is celebrated every
i
Sun ay at 11 o'clock, when the entire service is
pee . ' rmed in its musical portions, by a splendid
militiiry band of some forty pieces, whose care
fully modulated and exquisitely harmonious notes
rise swelling up in grand volumes of sound to the
ceiling (70. feet high), and fill every nook and
corner of the spacious edifice. At least 2,000
pencils, including some 800 soldiers, who march
ed in under charge of their officers, and stood in
the aisles, must have been present on Sunday,
AugTist Bth. There were but few strangers, or
mend
Sun
the
shod
on-lookers in this multitude; and the great
majcrity of those present took part in the service,
with more or less apparent devotion, the soldiers
crossing_ themselves with military , precision.
There seemed to be great' difficulty in obtain
ing information as to the, Protestant Church ser
vices, and we mistook the hour and reached the
building after the services were over. The The
atine church, opposite the Royal palace, contains
a side chapel, in which is a representation of the
tomb of Christ, constructed of solid rock-work,
and in another chapel is a shrine dedicated to
St. Gregory, in the lower part of which reposes
the larger part of a skeleton, (said to be that of
the saint himself), richly decorated with jewels
and lace and embroidery. It a corner near the
entrance to the same church, is a small chapel
dedicated to the Virgin, whose image surmounts
the altar, and which is hung round with votive
tablets, and small models in wax,
.of arms and
legs and children, suspended there by those whose
superstitious belief has led them to 'attribute to
the interposition of Maly, the recovery of theta
selves or their relatives from disease and wounds.
Afaria hat geholfen," "Tausend Dank zu
e., "Mary has helped," "A thousand
thanks to Mary," were among the inscriptions on
the tablets ; occasionally the name of Jesu.s was
added to,that of Mary.
„At Nllrepberg, where we stopped for two or
three days on our way from Prague to Munich,
—and the view over whose wide spreA plain from
the towers of its ancient castle, brings up won
derfully rich, clustering, historical memories of
past centuries—there are preserved, in all their
original horror, many of the instruments of tor
ture used in the Middle Ages. It sent a thrill
through one's whole frame, to see, and handle,
and try on (but the latter in the very mildest de
gree) the Spanish Boot, the thumb-screw, the
collar lined with sharp spikes, the ingenious lit
tle instrument for crushing the bones of the hand,
the knotted cord which, twisted hard around the
forehead, would make the eyes start from their
sockets. And these were not mere models, but
had actually been used, and were rusty with the
blood of the victims of the cruel mockery of jus
tice, which employed these horrid instruments of
torture. And down in the dungeons below the
Rath house, whence the light of heaven is shut
out, save, perhaps, in faint glimmers through a
few loop-holes, high up in the wall, whose floors
are dark and-rotting, and whose walls are cold
and slimy, the wretched prisoners were confined
in darkness and gloom, chained often by the neck
and arms, while their feet were fettered in stocks,
awaiting the hour when the summons should
come for their torture. Then they were led out
and through many a thick oaken door and wind
ing passage and conducted to the torture-chamber,
whose walls and vaulted roof of massive stone,
below 'the surface of the groui;id, shut out every
groan and shriek of agony. The rack was here,
too, and the pulley with , weights, whose cruel
strainings and shocks had wrenched the joints of
many a suffering human frame. And from the
Rath-house torture chamber, subterranean pas
sages lead to a fearful and gloomy vault, so black
and dark that the very light from the candle of
the guide is absorbed, almost. Here stands the
dread image of the Iron Virgin,—a horrid real-
ity, black and grimy with the smoke, and dust, I
and dirt of ages. In this dismal chamber, deep
under ground, with thick walls, and shut out
from 'every ray of heaven's light, the wretched
sufferer was made to kneel before the image, and
while hopeless of any relenting on the part of his
executioners, allowed a short space to supplicate
for mercy on his soul. The image, which is hol
low, was then opened, (the front half of it swing
ing outwards like a double door), and the prisoner,
made to stand in the opening, his 'feet resting on
a irated trap door. The parts which had been
opened, and which on the inside were lined with
large icon spikes, Were then forcibly closed, and,
pierced through eyes, and brain, and heart, and
every part of his body, death speedily released
the wretched being from his misery. A bolt be
neath the trap was pulled, the image opened,
and the pierced and mangled body fell into a
deep oubliette connected with a subterranean chan
nel leading into the moat of the fortifications.
And these appalling witnesses of the fiendish
malignity and hate of persecutors in former days,
I have actually seen. And seeing them, it
is a wonder, almost, how a belief in such inge
nuity of wickedness can exist without standing
face to face with these silent witnesses.
Lucerne is also a Catholic city--out of a
population of about 12,000, but. 700 being Pro
testant. The rain poured in torrents during the
greater parLof yesterday, but we managed to
reach the church of " Maria Hilf," perched high
up above the level of the lake; and were amply
repaid. The church is a Catholic church, and
mass had actually been celebrated there the same
morning; the holy water basins at the entrance
were abundantly supplied; and in front of the
iron railing or screen which shuts off the
vestibule from the body of the nave—a taper was
burning before the picture of a St. John of Al
daria, whose prayers were stated in the legend to
have been so effectual, that the souls liberated
from purgatory through his efforts, could be seen
ascending like showers of sparks. Yet, in this
very edifice, at 11 o'clock, a Protestant service,
conducted by ministers of the Scotch Free
Church, is held every Sunday during the travel
ing season. The crucifix and high altar were
covered with a veil, and the shrines in the side
chapels screened by curtains. A rough desk
covered with a neat white cloth, was placed in
the centre of the chancel, and hence tile minister
(Rev. Mr. Peyton) in plain black gown and bands
gave out the hymns—offered up prayer to the
only Mediator—and proclaimed the truth as it is
in Christ Jesus. It is an instance (1 know of no
other) of more than mere toleration, of liberality
on the part of the Catholics, which deserves to be
noted. The congregation yesterday was quite
small, the weather being so stormy, and many of
the English speaking travelers preferring to at
tend the services of the Church of England; for
which regulalyrovision is made in most of the
continental towns, at least during the summer.
• THE SONG OF, FAITH.
BY HENRY S. OSBORN, LL. D.
We have often wondered after the musing
ministrelsy of a happy child's singing. No
doubt, in that word "after," this sentence needs
explanation. But it is written close after the
emotion. That woman, who timidly touched
the hem of Christ's garment, " came in the
crowd behind," (so the •word " press" means)
and thus she wondered after. And so have we,
trustingfor a blessing to some and yet following
after, wondered whether Jesus, who commended
the picture of a little . Child' to the faith of His
disciples, intended some notes in thi., music of a
little child's confidence, to teach our faith h ow to
sing. Some of us have not yet come up to the
music of a little child's faith, or to the faith
of a little child's song. It sings because there
is no better way of lifting the burden of its
peace at the time of its song. There is even no
consciousness of song—no desire to sing for the
music itself, nor is the song any cause, or essen
tial part of its peaceful pleasure. The son.",
itself, is the overflowing of the fullness of its
peace and its carelessness of the future, whatever
that future may be. It is a sure token that there
is more than enough to fill the spring, a token
that the source is more than a well, for it over
flows, and you may drink of the waters, as you
may hear the music of its song, at a distance
from the source. And thus the little child's
song, that song which is the effect, not the cause,
of its peace and faith in things that are, that lit
tle song. as the symbol of my faith's song, goes
before me, and sets itself up to my heart, and I
follow on, wondering whether, amid the crowd and
press of worldly joys and duties and hopes and
disappointments, my faith overflows in song, or
whether the crowds of worldly cares keep my
faith down at 'par, so that, while I follow in the
crowd, I simply come up in the press behind.
There are some children who sing to keep their
courage up when standing or walking in the
dark. And so some may " perform " the ser
vice of singing and reading and praying aloud
where they may be heard of 'men, for they are
walking in the dark and fear the future. They
hope that some may suppose that their faith was
so full that it was relieving itself of the burden
of its joy. But alas ! a dead faith sings not,
till:nigh the charmer charm never so wisely, and
the timorous sound of such attempts frightens
the listener and imparts less courage and hope
than do tears over the tomb of a buried faith.
This song of faith is like the cheerful light shi
ning off from the lighthouse on the shore, like
the sounds of sweet-toned bells chiming the call
to praise—'tis like the pure and brilliant light
beaming out from the morning star after the
dark night. And what a light-house would be
without a light, a bell without a sound, or a
morning-star without one, beam, such is a faith
which knows no song, and has not music enough
to be heard beyond the feeble heart that holds it.
Perhaps this is the reason why some fail in
the pulpit—in the Sunday School—in the family,
while others are eloquent and successful and
have much of that wisdom which wins souls.
Their faith lacks not knowledge and culture and
intellect, it lacks only music; its sound is an un
certain one. The tone is that of the midnight
fire-alarm rather than that of the evening chime
to the song of repentant praise and grateful
prayer. The speaker, or teacher, is set as God's
beacon upon the shore, but his perfunctory
method, or unfeeling manner, savors more of
one kindling the wrecker's light, than of one
holding 'up the warning pity and love of Christ
beaming out. upon the dark sea of life. How
powerfully attractive and convincing is the faith
with the fullness of song—the faith that feels
the• warm glow through its soul, as it holds the
hand of Jesus and sings the song of confidence
as to the future. To, be sure, God has His pur
poses and declares His decrees—and there are an
gels enough in heaven to answer all the ends of
God's glory; and, for Christ's purposes on earth,
the air is as full of ministering spirits as
"A beam of light of motes;"
'and no where, in Maven or on earth, were I to
perish, might I be missed, except in Jesus'
heart. There is an amazing sensitiveness in the
infinite heart of God in Christ, such that not
even the poor stricken woman in the crowd fol
lowing after, could touch the border of His gar
merit, but that Christ could discover it more
certainly and more quickly than could a hundred
eyes of even apostles and disciples and Christian
friends.
"We seem to be hardly worth destroying,
And much less, saving; yet He loveth each
As though all were His equal. *
Oh! it is the truth transcendent over all,
When thus to one poor spirit He gives His hand,
He seems to, impart His, own unboundedness
Of bliss."
And thus it is that a full and healthful faith
must be a faith with a song—yes, a song amid
all shadows—a peaceful chant amid the trem
blings of a world—why not, if Jes is leads 7
Lead on, thou Lamb of God, lead, on I Pll trust
my future with Thee, for Thou wilt not stay in
darkness. The very agony of Thy cross puts a
song into my heart as truly as does Thy resur
rection. The crown of thorns—the bitterness of
Thy betrayal-night—the scorn of thine enemies
—yea, the . spear, baptized with blood and 'Water,
all and each, like clouds at sunset, are fringed,
with hope, nay, certainty, that He that suffere
thus was not only willing, but mighty to saw
/
I see, by these very clouds, the light beyond tie
clouds. A God who would send His Son to W
ier, thus,' the penalty of His oivni law, means tal
vation to the uttermost, and the gates of lell
shall not prevail against such love. And now
there springs up such a rejoicing in the tittle
sanctuary of my heart, that it is too, full of glad
ness, and my faith . shall have its song, a song so
clear and strong, that others shall hear and
rejoice, for my faith has •seen the Lord as its
tioh.
strength'and
song, and. :4 is become nip salva-,
S. P. 0