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ROBERT HARD!
oEVEN DAYo.
A DREAM AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
BY REV. CHARLES M. SHELDON,
Author of “In His Steps,” “The Crucifizion of Philip Strong,” * Malcom Kirk," Etc.
+ EEE Ye SRE
[Copyright 1900, by Advance Publishing Co.]
Mon. | Tues. | Wed.
Thurs.
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BEGUN IN No. 12, MARCH 23, 1900.
“Oh, Robert, Robert!
4 5 6 7
OS S888883383380828888838835888
Come back to:
me, for I am so lonely, so lonely!
Would to God all our riches might be
taken from us and all our position in
society be lost to us, for I am fast los-
ing my love for him who is my hus-
band! Great and long suffering and
forgiving God, help me! I feel wicked
sometimes. I cannot bear this kind of
a life. It is killing me. It is robbing
me of all that life contains that is
sweet and true. Oh, Father of Mer-
cies, for Jesus’ sake do not let me grow
insane or without belief! Oh, Robert,
Robert, my lover, my husband! I will;
I will love you!” And Mrs. Hardy fell
on her knees by the side of the couch
and buried her face in its cushions and
sobbed and prayed.
Suddenly the whole scene changed,
and Mr. Hardy, who had stretched out
his arms to comfort his wife as in the
old days when love was young, felt
himself carried by an irresistible pow-
er up away from the earth, past the
stars and planets and suns and satel-
lites that blazed like gems in space; on,
on, for what seemed to him like ages
of time, until even the thought of time
grew indistinct; on and up and into
the presence of the most mighty Face
he had ever looked into. It was the
Face of Eternity. On its brow was
written in words of blazing light the
one word “Now.” And as he looked
into that calm, awful Face and read |
that awful word Mr. Hardy felt his
soul crumble within him. When the
Face spoke, it was the speech of a
thousand oceans heaved by a million
tempests, yet through the terror of it
ran a thread of music—a still sweet
sound like everlasting love—as if
angels sang somewhere a divine ac-
companiment. And the Face said:
© “Child of humanity, you have neg- |
lected and despised me for 50 years.
You have lived for yourself. You have
been careless and thoughtless of the
world’s great needs. The time of your
redemption is short. It has been grant- |
ed you by him who rules the world |
that you should have but seven more
days to live upon the earth—seven days
to help redeem your soul from ever-
lasting shame and death. Mortal, see
to it that thou usest the precious time
like those who toil for jewels in the
mine beneath the sea. 1 who speak un-
to thee am Eternity.”
Then Robert Hardy thought he fell
upon his face before that awful Face
and begged in bitterest terror for a
longer lease of life.
“Seven days! Why. it will be but
seven swift seconds to redeem my
past! Seven days! It will be a nothing
in the marking of time! O mighty Pow-
er, grant me longer! Seven weeks!
Seven years! And I will live for thee
as never mortal yet lived!”
And Robert Hardy sobbed and held
his arms beseechingly up toward that
most resplendent I"ace. And as he thus
stretched out his arms the Face bent
down toward his. and he thought a
smile of pity gleamed upon it, and he
hoped that more time would be granted
him; and then, us it came nearer, he
suddenly awoke, and there was his
own wife bending over him. and a tear
from her face fell upon his own as she
said:
“Robert! Robert!”
Mr. Hardy sat up confused and trem-
bling. Then he clasped his wife to him
and kissed her as he used to do. And
then to her great amazement he related
to her in a low tone the dream he had
just had. Mrs. Hardy listened in the
most undisguised astonishment. But
what followed filled her heart with
fear.
“Mary,” said her husband with the
utmost solemnity. “I cannot regard
this as a dream alone. | have awake=-
ed with the firm conviction that I
have only seven days left to live. 1
feel that God has spoken to me, and I
have only seven days more to do my
work in this world.”
“Oh, Robert, it was only a dream!”
“No; it was more, Mary. You know
I am not imaginative or superstitious
in the least. You know I never dream.
Ana this was something else. I shall
die out of this world a week from to-
night. Are the children here? Call
them in.”
Mr. Hardy spoke in a tone of such
calm conviction that Mrs. Hardy was
filled with wonder and fear. She went
to the curtain, and, as we have already
recorded, she called the children into
the other room.
Mr. Hardy gazed upon his children
with a look they had not seen upon his
face for years. Briefly but calmly he
related his experience, omitting the de-
tails of the vision and all mention of
the scene where George had appeared,
and then declared with a solemnity
and impressiveness that could not be
resisted:
“My dear children, I have not lived
as I should. I have not been to you
the father I ought to have been. I
have lived a very selfish, useless life.
I have only seven more days to live.
God has spoken to me. I am”—
He broke off suddenly, and, sobbing
There was his own wife bending over him.
as only a strong man can, he drew his
wife toward him and caressed her,
while Bess crept up and put her arms
about her father’s neck.
The terrible suspicion shot into Mrs.
Hardy’s mind that her husband was in-
sane. The children were terrified. On-
ly Alice seemed to catch the reflection
of her mother’s thought. At the same
time Mr. Hardy seemed to feel the sus-
picion held by them.
“No,” he said as if in answer to a
spoken charge, “I am not insane. I
never was more calm. I am in posses-
sion of all my faculties. But I have
looked into the Face of Eternity this
night, and I know, I know, that in
seven days God will require my soul.
Mary,” he turned to bis wife with the
most beseeching ery, ¢ "ary, do you be-
lieve me?”
She looked into her husband’s face
and saw there the old look. Reason,
the noblest of all gifts, shone out of
that noble face, now lighted up with
the old love and standing on the brink
of the other world. And Mrs. Hardy,
looking her husband in the face, re-
plied:
“Yes, Robert; I believe you. You
may be mistaken in this impression
about the time left you to live, but you
are not insane.”
“0 God, I thank thee for that!” cried
Mr. Hardy.
Often during the most remarkable
week he ever lived Mr. Hardy reposed
in that implicit belief of his wife in his
sanity.
There was a pause. Then Mr. Hardy
asked George to bring the Bible. He
then read from John’s gospel that
matchless prayer of Christ in the sev-
enteenth chapter, and then kneeling
down he prayed as he had never pray-
ed before that in the week allotted him
to live he might know how to bless the
world and serve his Master best. And
when he arose and looked about upon
his wife and children it was with the
look of one who has been into the very
presence chamber of the only living
God. At the same moment, so fast had
the time gone in the excitement, the
clock upon the mantel struck the hour
of midnight, and the first of Robert
Hardy’s seven days had begun.
CHAPTER III.
When 2: Hardy woke on the morn-
ing of the first of the seven days left
him to live. he was on the point of get-
ting ready for his day’s business, as
usual, when the memory of his dream
flashed upon him. and he was appalled
to decide what he should do first.
Breakfast was generally a hurried and
silent meal with him. The children usu-
ally came straggling down at irregular
intervals, and it was very rare that the
family all sat down together. This
morning Mr. Hardy waited until all
had appeared, and while they were
eating he held a family council.
His wife was evidently in great ex-
citement and anxiety, and yet the love
and tenderness she felt coming back
to her from her husband gave her face
a look of beauty that had been a stran-
ger to it for years.
The children were affected by their
father’s remarkable change in various
ways. George was sullen and silent.
Will looked thoughtful and troubled.
Alice, a girl of very strong and decid-
vd opinions and character, greeted her
father with a kiss and seemed to un-
Nerstand the new relations he now sus-
tained to them all. Clara appeared ter-
rified, as if death had already come in-
to the house, and several times she
broke down, crying at the table, and
finally went away into the sitting
room. Bess sat next to her father, as
she always did, and was the most
cheerful of all, taking a very calm and
philosophical view of the situation, so
that Mr. Hardy smiled once or twice
as she gave her advice.
Mr. Hardy was pale, but calm. The
impression of the night before was evi-
dently deepening with him. It would
have been absurd to call him insane.
His wife was obliged to confess to her-
self that he had never appeared more
sound in judgment and calm in speech.
He was naturally a man of very strong
will. His passions, as we have al-
ready seen. were under control. Never
in all his life had he felt so self con-
tained, so free from nervousness, so
capable of sustained effort. But the
one great thought that filled his mind
was the thought of the shortness of
the time.
“Almighty God,” was his prayer,
“show me how to use these seven days
in the wisest and best manner.”
“Robert, v aat will you do today?
asked Mrs. Hardy.
“I have been thinking, dear, and I
believe my first duty is to God. We
have not had morning worship togeth-
er for a long time. After we have
knelt as a family in prayer to him I be-
lieve he will give me wisdom to know
what I ought to do.”
“I think father ought to stay at home
with us all the time,” said Bess.
“Robert,” said Mrs. Hardy, who
could not comprehend the full mean-
ing of the situation much better than
little Bess, “will you give up your
business? How can you attend to it?
‘Will you have the strength and the pa-
tience while laboring under this im-
pression?’
“I have already thought over that.
Yes; I believe I ought to go right on.
I don’t see what would be gained by
severing my connection with the com-
pany.”
“Will you tell the company you
have only”— Mrs. Hardy could not
say the words. They choked her.
“What would you do, Alice?’ asked
her father, turning to his oldest daugh-
ter, who, although a cripple, had more
than once revealed to the family great
powers of judgment and decision.
“lI would not say anything to the
company about it,” replied Alice
finally.
“That is the way 1 feel,” said Mr.
Hardy with a nod of approval. “They
would not understand it. My successor
in the office will be young Wellman, in
all probability, and he is perfectly com-
petent to carry on the work. I feel as
if the matter were one that belonged to
the family. I shall, of course, arrange
my business affairs with reference to
the situation, and George can give me
half a day for the details. But you
know, Mary, 1 have always kept my
business in such shape that in any case
of accident or sudden death matters
could easily be arranged. Thank God!
I shall not have to take time for those
matters that I ought to give to more
serious and important duties.”
It was true that Mr. Hardy, always a
man of very methodical habits in a
business way, had always arranged his
affairs with reference to accidental re-
moval. His business as manager ne-
cessitated his being on the road a great
deal, and he realized, as many railroad
men do realize, the liability of sudden
death.
But such a thought had not had any
influence on his actions to make him
less selfish. He thought, as all men do,
that he should probably live right
along after all; that death might take
the engineer or conductor or fireman.
but would pass him by.
Suddenly Will spoke up: “Father, do
you want George and me to leave col
lege?”
“Certainly not, my boy. What would
be gained by that? I want you to keep
right on just as if 1 were going to live
50 years more.”
George did not say anything. He
looked at his father as if he doubted
his sanity.
His father noticed the look, and a
terrible wave of anguish swept over
him as he recalled the part of his vi-
sion in which he had seen his oldest
son in the gambling room.
Again the prayer he had been silently
praying all the morning went up out of
his heart, “Almighty God, show me
how to use the seven days most wise-
ly.”
“father,” said Bess suddenly, ‘what
will you do about Jim and Clara? Did
you know they were engaged ?”’
“Bess!” said Clara passionately. Then
she stopped suddenly. and, seeing her
father’s brow grow dark, she cowered.
afraid of what was coming.
But Mr. Hardy looked at the world
differently this morning. Twenty-four
hours before he would have treated
Bessie’s remark as he usually treated
her surprising revelations of the se-
crets of the family. He would have
laughed at it a little and sternly com-
manded Clara to break the engage-
ment if there was one at once, for
James Caxton was not at all the sort
of man Mr. Hardy wanted to have
come into the family. He was poor,
to begin with, and, more than all, his
father had been the means of defeating
Mr. Hardy in a municipal election
where a place of influence and honor
was in dispute. Mr. Hardy had never
forgotten or forgiven it. When he be-
gan to see his children intimate with
the Caxtons, he tried to forbid their
going to the house, with the result al-
ready described.
Mr. Hardy looked at Clara and said
very tenderly: “Clara. we must have a
good talk about this. You know your
father loves you and wants you to be
happy. ard”— Mr. Hardy stopped in
his emotion, and Clara burst into tears
and left the table.
“Come,” cried Mr. Hardy after a mo-
ment, during which no one seemed, in-
rlined to speak, “let us ask God to give
us all wisdom at this time.”
George made a motion as if to go out.
“My son.” called Mr. Hardy after
him gently. “won’t you stay with the
rest of us?’
George sat down with a shamefaced
look, Alice and Clara came back, and
Mr. Hardy read that famous sixth
chapter of Ephesians, beginning *‘Chil-
dren, obey your parents in the Lord.”
Then in a brief but earnest prayer he
asked God's help and blessing on all
the day and rose to face it, the great
burden of his responsibility beginning
to rest upon him for the first time. He
sat down for a moment by his wife
and kissed her, putting his arms about
her, while Bess climbed up on the side
of the couch, and the boys stood irreso-
lute and wondering. Any outward
mark of affection was so unusual on
the part of their father that they felt
awkward in the présence of rr. rIirs.
Hardy was almost overcome.
“Oh, Robert, I cannot bear it! Surely
it was nothing more than a dream. It
couldn’t have been anything more.
You are not going to be called away
from us so soon.”
“Mary, I would to God that I had
seven years to atone for my neglect and
selfishness toward you alone. ButIam
certain that God has granted me but
seven days. I must act, God help me!
Boys, you will be late. We will all be
at home this evening. Alice, care for
your mother and cheer her up. You
are a good girl and”—
Again Mr. Hardy broke down as he
thought of the many years he had
practically ignored this brave, strong,
uncomplaining nature in his own
house, and remorse tore him fiercely
as he recalled how he had practically
discouraged all the poor girl’s ambi-
tious efforts to make her way as an
artist, not on account of the expense,
for Mr. Hardy was not a niggard in
that respect. but because he had a
false idea concerning the profession.
He looked at the girl now as she limp-
ed across the floor to her mother, her
pale, intellectual face brightened by
her love and her eyes shining with
tears at her father’s unusual praise.
“O God,” was the inner cry of Mr.
Hardy’s heart, “what have I not neg-
lected when I had it in my power to
create so much happiness!”
The thought almost unnerved him,
and for a moment he felt like sitting
down to do nothing. But only for a
moment. He rose briskly, went out
into the hall and put on his overcoat
and, coming back a moment, said: “I
am going down to see poor Scoville the
first thing. I shall be so busy you must
not look for me at lunch. But I will
be back to 6 o’clock dinner. Goodby.”
He kissed his wife tenderly, and she
clung to him, sobbing. Then he kissed
his daughters, a thing he had not done
since they were babies, and shook
hands with the boys and marched out
like one going to execution, something
bright glistening in his own eyes.
Ah, ye fathers and husbands, you
who are toiling for the dear ones at
home, how many of you have grown
so unaccustomed to the tender affec-
tions of home that your own wife
would almost faint and think some-
thing was going to happen to you if
you kissed her goodby when you went
away to your work in the morning?
How do you know that she who has
been your faithful friend and lover all
these years and nursed you through
peevish sickness and done a thousand
things every day for you without so
much as a word of thanks or praise
on your part—how do you know she
does not care for these demonstrations
of affection? And if she does not, how
does it happen except through neglect?
Call it not a little thing. It is of such
little things that heaven is made, and
it is of the home where such little
things are found that it can truly be
said, “Love is master, and the evil one
cannot find an entrance to blot with
his foul tread the sweetest thing on
earth.”
Mr. Hardy hurried down toward the
tenement where Ward Scoville lived,
revolving in his mind as he went along
plans for his future happiness and
comfort.
“I'll deed him the place where he
lives and arrange it in some way so
that he won’t have to go to the hos-
pital or come on the county when his
poor wife is gone. It will be the best
I can do for him. Poor fellow! What
& shame I did not come down last
He kissed his wife tenderly, and she clung
to him, sobbing.
night! And his wife a hopeless in-
valid and the oldest child only 4 years
old, Mary said!”
He was surprised as he drew near
the house to see a group of men stand-
ing there outside and talking together
earnestly. As Mr. Hardy came up they
stood aside to let him pass, but were
barely civil.
“Well, Stevens,” Mr. Hardy inquired
of one of the men, recognizing him as
one of the employees in the casting
room, “how is Scoville this morning?”
“Dead!”
Mr. Hardy reeled as if struck in the
breast with a heavy blow.
“Dead. did you say?”
CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.
A HORRIBLE OUTBREAK.—*‘Of large sores
on my little daughter’s head developed in-
to a case of scaldhead’’ writes: C. D. Ishill
of Morganton, Tenn., but Bucklen’s Arnica
Salve completely cured her. It’s a guaran-
teed cure for Eczema, Tetter, Salt Rheum,
Pimples, Sores, Ulcers and Piles. Only
25¢ at F. P. Green.
——Mrs. Blaine has purchased a lot of
seven acres adjoining the city cemetery at
Augusta, Me., overlooking the Kennebec,
which was a favorite place with Mr. Blaine.
It is said that she contemplates having her
husband’s remains removed there from Oak
Hill, Washington.
‘‘Safe bind, safe find.”” Fortify your-
self by taking Hood’s Sarsaparilla now and
be sure of good health for months to come.
MINERALS OF CENTRE CO., PA.
A Paper Read Before the Historical Club of Storms-
town by Miss Harriet Elma Wilson.
The principal minerals of Centre county,
now being mined, are coal and iron ore.
The mineralogist classifies the varieties
of mineral coal, as, anthracite, bituminous,
coal, coking coal, cannel coal, brown coal
or lignite, jet and native coke. Of these
varieties bituminous coal is found in those
townships along the summit of the Alle-
gheny mountains. In the townships of
Burnside, Rush, Snow Shoe and Curtin.
Coal has recently been found near the Bear
Meadows, on Tussey mountain. The
Meadows have been styled, a peat bog.
Dr. F. A. Genth classifies the Allegheny
coal as semi-bituminous. It cokes and
yields combustible gases, but contains only
from 15 to 18 per cent of volatile combusti-
ble matter.
Bituminous coal contains 20 per cent and
upwards of volatile matter, while in an-
thracite the volatile matter is only 3 to 7
per cent.
Anthracite was made out of bituminous
coal by the expulsion of volatile ingredients
a condensing process.
Small quantities of anthracite and semi-
anthracite have been found in the Hudson
River slates along the foot of the North
mountains, between the Susquehanna and
Potomac rivers.
In Ontario and Ohio,oil and natural gas,
have under certain conditions, been found
in the Trenton limestone under Hudson
River slates. The slates may be oil pro-
ducing but not oil containing.
A farmer in Centre county had a shaft
sunk, some years ago, for coal in the Utica
and Hudson River shales. The party who,
put it down knew when he begun, that
he would not succeed in finding coal,
still he kept on, and when down 80 feet
through shale and limestone his concience
bothered him for taking the man’s money.
Work was stopped not to be resumed.
These shales as depths are attained are
carboniferous. The limestone among them
cannot be distinguished from them by the
naked eye.
In Ontario the clays of this period are
manufactured into pressed brick and terra-
cotta ware, being far superior to some of
the clays from the drift material used in
Pennsylvania and Ohio for the same pur-
pose. In Centre county itis a fine clay.
Crocks were made from it years ago. The
shales burn white when exposed to the sun.
Fire-clay is manufactured into bricks at
Sandy Ridge,about 1912 feet above the tide.
The largest limonite mines in the State
are at Scotia.
Limonite is distinguished from other iron
ores, magnetite and hematite, by the color
of the streak. In limonite it is yellowish
brown to dull yellow. In magnetite, black,
and hematite, red.
Turgite, associated with limonite, is red
colorand gives a red streak, it is distinguish-
ed from red hematite in heing hydrous.
Fossil ore isa variety of red hematite.
Paint springs are quite numerous on the
Muncy or Bald Eagle mountain as it is
called by the geologist of the country.
These springs have silently been at work
for centuries bringing up from great depths
small particles of fossil ore, which is found
in veins among the rocks; the particles are
deposited and have formed immense beds
of bog ore. This earthly ore when heated is
strongly attracted by the magnet.
The clays from The Hill are being shipped
to some steel works for making molds. The
flints are also being utilized for some pur-
pose. There is lots of flint through Half
Moon township that might be put to some
use.
Thirteen years ago I was surprised that
James D. Dana had nothing in his ‘“Man-
uel of Mineralogy’’ concerning Centre coun-
ty.
There being no fine cabinet specimens from
the county is the reason Centre county is
not in Dana’s list of localities. Times have
changed since then. Among the most priz-
ed is the siliceous oolite or quartz oolite
found scattered through the Barrens. It
takes a fine polish and could be used for
ornamental purposes, as marble.
Quartz crystals are found scattered in the
soil. These are worthy of study. Many
odd forms of crystals, some with double
terminations, others full of flaws and etch-
ed. Quartz imbedded in limestone, in-
clining to be stellated or stellular from a
centre in all directions. Hornstone and
chert which has graduated into chalcedony.
Red and yellow jasper are occasionally met
with. Ferruginous quartz is quite abundant.
A quartzite or vitrified (metamorphic)
sandstone,some beautifully banded, is used
for educational purposes, in collections for
schools. A veins of quartzite. According
to Dana : ‘‘Traces of gold have been found
in Silurian and Carboniferous quartzites.’’
Not in Centre county. What of the future?
Payable quantities of gold cannot be ex-
pected.
Chalcopyrite, copper and iron sulphide,
coating on limonite near Stormstown.
There have been specimens of lead-galenite
found in the county. Persons having them
cannot locate the locality in which they
were found.
Years ago lead was found and melted in-
to bullets.
A golden yellow calcite, same variety,
that the miners in Missouri called the moth-
er of lead is found near Pleasant Gap.
Our limestone is of commercial yalue,
when burnt into lime, also as a flux in fur-
naces. Since blue or gray limestone is used
for marble, some of the limestone in Half
Moon valley maybe superior to some of
the same color that is used for monumental
purposes. This is not so brittle nor full of
‘other minerals. ;
On the Jacob Beheres farm is an old
quarry of white crystalline limestone.
Years ago some was shipped and used as
marble. There may be headstones in our
cemetery made from this marble. It burns
into lime.
Cement is made from an impure magne-
sianjlimestone. Half Moon is the locality
for dolomite. White calcite crystals are
also found.
Penn’s Cave needs only to be mentioned,
it being well known. There are other caves
in the county that have not been explored.
The cave at Stony Point, one on Geo. S.
Gray’s farm and one on Jacob Hicks’ farm
in Half Moon valley. Beautiful stallac-
tites have been taken from Gray’s cave.
A beautiful crystal of gypsum, selemite
variety was found near Fillmore.
A two pound specimen of cryolite with
imbedded crystals of siderite was found.
Cryolite is mined oniy in Greenland and
shipped to no port except Philadelphia. It
is manufactured intosoda, alam and alum-
ina at Natrona Pennsylvania. Mining in
this country may be in its infancy. Having
the rocks of different ages, we ought to
have the minerals, providing there has been
the change.
Discovers North Pole!
La Joie, a Canadian, Tells Tale of Strange Land and
People.
According to a story published in the
New York Herald, Joseph Zolique La Joie,
a Canadian Frenchman, has discovered the
North pole.
The alleged discovery is now being in-
vestigated by explorers and by ethnol-
ogists of the Smithsonian institute, at
Washington. The story tells how La Joie
made a start with a companion. George
White, from Great Bear lake in 1889 on a
trading and hunting expedition. The men
pushed on together beyond Cape Brainerd,
in Grantland. Here they separated in 1892
in quest of game, agreeing to return to the
common camp after 10 days’ scouting. La
Joie was set adrift on an iceberg, which
was driven northward for 36 days, when
he reached land.
A strange race of people surrounded his
camp at night. By diplomacy he succeed-
ed in making friends with the tribe, and
afterwards became its ruler. The head-
quarters of the strange people was in a
large cave hearing on its walls in hiero-
glyphics in a strange tongue a history of
the race, running back for 13 centuries at
least. The language, which La Joie had
learned, is unknown to enthnological ex-
perts. The home of the strange people is
a largeisland. In company with the natives,
La Joie pushed northward and discovered a
burning mountain, which from the action
of the compass in always bearing toward it,
he concluded was the North pole. He has
since strengthened this belief by studying
the location of the pole and of the point to
which he must have traveled.
The burning mountain perpetually lights
up the whole surrounding country for hun-
dreds of miles. The natives of the new
land are of great size and live to he ex-
tremely old. They have no idea of fire,
and food is eaten raw.
The explorer remained with the strange
people two years, he says, and started back
with two natives. They both perished on
the journey, but La Joie says he can re-
cover their bodies as well as a number of
trinkets which are hidden with them.
La Joie was questioned by General Gree-
ly, Admiral G. W. Melville, Prof. W. J.
McGee and others. The explorer stuck
tenaciously and consistently to his story.
Tests were applied, including taking dupli-
cate photographic records of the new lan-
guage, but La Joie held his own.
Origin of Lent.
Ancients Observed Season of Fasting and Com-
munication with Gods.
‘Lenten Tide,” that is, the lengthening
time, was the name given to March,
because in March there was a
lengthening of days. The Teutonic priests
fasted until the first of the year—March
25—t0 go into communication with Mother
Erda, just waking to life, and to obtain
from her divine revelations. As we know,
fasting produces vivid dreams, and nearly
all the ancient peoples supposed that the
gods spoke to mortals through dreams.
Going without food exhibited a power of
self-control and will power, and the gods
admired will power. By the middle of
the fifth century the Teutons were masters
of Italy. Nominally they are converted to
Christianity, but they still retain many of
their old religious forms and customs,
among others this habit of fasting through
March. Wisely does the church, as it did
with the Roman Saturnalia, occurring De-
cember 25th, adopt the lenten season and
in Pope Felix’s time added to the length
of time, making it thirty-six days, so that
the biblical law of giving one-tenth might
be observed, thirty-six days being one-
tenth of a year. Four more days were
added later to make the time correspond
in length to that which Jesus was suppos-
ed to have spent in fasting while in the
wilderness, and the official title quadragesi-
ma is given. However, the old pagan
name of Lencten or Lent still survives.
A Palatable Dish,
“Will you have oysters?’ asked the
man, glancing over the bill of fare.
“Yes,” said the short little woman, as
she tried in vain to touch the floor with
her toes. ‘‘And, John, I want a hassock.’’
John nodded, and as she handed his or-
der to the waiter he said. ‘‘Yes, and
bring a hassock for the lady.”’
‘One hassock ?’’ asked the waiter, with
what John thought more than ordinary
interest, as he nodded in the affirmative.
Still the waiter did not go, but brushed
the table cloth with a towel and rearranged
the articles on it several times, while his
face got very red.
Then he came around to John’s side,
and, speaking sotto voice, said: ‘‘Say.
mister, I haven’t been here long, and I’m
not up to all these things. Will the lady
have the hassock broiled or fried 2?’
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