(LTntrr jHrtnomii
Terms $1.50 per Annum, in Ailvauoo.
8. T. SHUGERT mt R- M. FORSTER, Editor*.
Thursday Morning, February 10, 1881.
FMID tkr Y M. C. A WatrhtiiAn.
INTERNATIONAL LESSONS.
Fkuhuary l.'l.
Lemon 7 :
The Preaching of John the Hnptlst.
I.VII :i : 7—IS.
Uoldon Text—t.ukn 3: S. Mtroory 13-17.
Critical AVYj.—Tho (Jospel histories
now pass over a long period. Ihe date
here ts given(vs. I, 2) with great partic
ularity, but litis <!<• not help the stu
dent to perfect chronologieul accuracy.
Tiberius succeeded his father Augustus
Caesar A. D. 14. Fourteen years added
brings us to A. I>. 28, at which time
Christ would he, according to the cor
rected standard, nearly thirty two year*
old. But Tiberius became Associate
Emperor two years before, so that i os
sibly Luke reckoned Irotn tint date.
This would bring John's ministry to 20
A. I>., which is not genet ally received.
The scene of this ministry w.ih the
thickly peopled district surrounding
bis native place in the hilly country ot
Judea, extending westward to the
shores of the Dead Sea, and northward
tor some distance along the batiks of
the river Jordan. I lie three leading
points of John's ministry as stated here
are: first, his stern and fearless denun
ciation of sin and call to repentance ;
second, his enforcement of the duties
of practical religion ; third, his an
nouncement of the approaching minis
try of Christ. Crowds gathered to listen
to the bold preacher, hut he did not
seek their attention and applause by
any of the arts of oratory. According
to Matthew his chief rebukes were ad
dressed to the Pharisees and Saddu
cees while the converts came principal
ly from the common people. "Vipers'"
—the term is one ot reproach rather
than contempt, in allusion to the poi
sonous moral influence of both these
proud and influential Jewish sect*.
"Wrath to cotne " —this seems to de
note the terrors of a future judgment,
not penalties to be imposed in this life,
as from battles, invasions, pestilence,
etc. V. Bis a strong blow at the pride
of caste and race. V. 'J. It may be
inferred front this that both John and
his hearers looked upon the future
judgment a* near at at band. I* there
any difficulty in this'.' We think not.
To John the judgment of ail things
may have seemed imminent. To htm
the Son of Man was already Sovereign
Lord of all things—he did not see the
intervening humiliation and death, but
only the glory and kingship of the Me*
siah. Vs. 10, 11. We see hero not only
the inculcation of benevolence, but
also, as it appears to u, something of
that entiro preoccupation of John's
mind with the coming of the new dis
pensation, which made the acquisition
o£ property seem to hitn a very second
ary matter. In one sense John was
certainly an advenlist, and, if he ex
pected that the judgment was to he
forthwith inaugurated he was no more
mistaken than many Christians have
been from the earliest apostolic days
until now. In truth, one grand
principle of Christianity is the subordi
nation of the present to the future—a
willingness to be dispossessed of every
thing in the expectation of the corning
blessing. Acts 2 : 37, 38, 43-45 ; Phil.
3:8. Vs. 12, 13. John here hits the
besetting sin of this class—the Jewish
underlings or assistants of the wealthy
Komar. publicans or Revenue farmer*
infamous for exaction and robbery in
thenameof law. From v. 14 we infer
that the soldiery were a quarrelsome
and discontented class. Whether they
were Romans or Jews we have no means
ol judging. V. 15. This shows the
ripeness of tbe popular mind lor the
preaching of Christ's advent. V*. 10-
18 refer to parallel accounts in Matt. :
11, 12; Mark 1 : 7, ■* ; John 1 : 20, 27.
John's knowledge of Christ wa* prol>a
tly derived, in the first place, from In*
father and mother—Zacbarta* and Eliz
abeth —whose instructions must have
greatly influenced linn. He was also,
doubtless, tbe subject of direct inspira
tion. John 14-20; Acts 2 : 1-4
Doctrinal and jirarliral infereneta, —
1. Repentance a first condition ot ac
ceptance with God. 2. The future
judgment a certainty, demanded by
highest considerations of equity, ami
foretold explicitly by God'* word. The
more sinful and licentious the age the
more stern, (earless and practical the
preaching required. 4. True repent
ance is followed by corresponding fruit*
in life and conduct. 5. It. ligiou* hat.its
and training are proof of conversion or
the new birth. 6. Covetousness, the
first special sin denounced, t* one of the
hardest to overcome. 7. Cheerful be
nevolence is one of the brightest evi
dences of Christian principle. 8. .fust
ice as between man and man a require
, mentof the Christian religion. 9. IVac
able living and contentment of spirit
an indispensible feature of Christian
character. 10. The reign of Christ in
the heart is the crowning feature of the
Christian life. 11. A faithful preacher
no less than faithful Christian in every
walk of life, does not covet eminence
for its own sake, and is willing to sink
into obscurity if Christ can be magni
fied thereby.
A.vswkr to Prstkh. — A religious jour
nal gives a new illustration of a direct
answer to prayer. J)r. I). 11. White has
been trying to raise $15,000 in Kngland,
to be used, with a gift of a like amount,
in miasion work in Pastern Africa. A
gentleman after hearing him preach
offered SSOO, if some other person would
give the same. This was obtained,
when the first man offered another SSOO
provided an equal amount could be
raised. Dr While did not know where
to go, as be felt thet he bad asked in
every plsoe where help would be likely
to come; so he went to Ood in prayer.
The next dey a lady came to the office
and said . " I felt *ll yesterday that I
ought to go to London and give you
SSOO, end here it is." Hhe would not
even give the initials cf her name, and
the amount stands credited lo " a
friend."
MONEY IN POLITICS.
From Forney'* l*rorr*.
(treat Britian has branded on a liigli
crime the purchase of the British
voter. A theft in ofliee, a violation of
public trust, a broken statute, all lire
punished quickly ami inexorably,
and from Lord Bacon to thetilasgow
hankers, from the bricklayer to the
peer, the wounded law is avenged in
the criminal, high and low. But
nothing is followed with such stern
and sudden ferocity as the paying o(
money for the ballot. That is set
apart as a crime dark as forgery and
shameless as rape. I have spoken of
the boldness with which some ot tin
pious frauds of Philadelphia resorted
to this infamous system to defeat Han
cock ; ami now that we are in the
mid*t of another holocaust ot sacred
things, another sacrifice of suffrage in
the progress of a State legislature,
chosen to register the decree of a few
ordinary men, some reference to the
British law on the subject may be use
ful. Justin McCarthy's wonderful
book, the second part of Men oj our
Time, dc-cribes the present condition
of Knglish practice for the punish
ment of bribery.
"As in a former ago no gentleman
thought it was wrong to seduce n wo
man, so in a very recent day no man
with money thought it improper to
spend ism* of his money in corrupting
elector*. What censure wis t likely a
country squire would have got. fifty
years ago, it accused before a council of
squires of having seduced some tenant's
wife or daughter? Just so much would
a rich man have got, twenty years ago,
from a parliamentary commiitt-e, if it
were proved that he had allowed his
agent to lay out money ingeniously for
him in bribes. Then, again, the deci
sion of the parliamentary committee
was very often determined by the po
litical opinions of tbo majority of its
members.
" I lit rc had, therefore, been for a long
time an opinion growing up that some
tiling must be done to bring about a re
form, and in Ist",7 a parliamentary select
committee reported in favor of aband
oning altogether the system of referring
election petitions to a tribunal com
posed of member* of the House of
Commons. The proposal of this com
mittee Was, ihiit f ry p'! hon 4A i<A/ 0<" rr
t'-rr- I I ■ one ni the uili/fi of' f/,. superior
rjurl-i at HV '-Miu.-f- r, wall power lode
rule both law and fact, and to report
not only as to the seat but to the extent
of bribery and corruption in the con
stituency. I lie judges themselves strong
ly objected to having Mich duties llil
posed upon them. the Lord • duel
.1 ustice staled, on their behalf, that he
had consulted with them, and was
charged by them, one and ail, toconvey
lntlie Lord Chancellor their strong and
unanimous feeling of insuperable ob
jeetion to undertaking functions the
etlect of wlileli would be to lower and
degrade the judicial office, and to de
stroy, or at ail events mateually impair
the confidence o( the public in the
thorough impartiality and indexible in
tegrily of tlie judges, when in the
course of their ordinary duties political
matter* come incidentally before them.
Notwithstanding the objections of the
judges, however, the government, alter
having made one or two unsuccessful
experiments at a measure to institute a
new court for the trial of election pc
titions, I fought in a toil to refer such
petitions to a single judge, selected from
a list to he iiielo by arrangement
among the judges of tiic three superior
courts. i
"Of late year* some really stringent
measures have been taken against brib
ery. Several boroughs have teen dis
franchised altogether because of the
gross and seemingly ineradicable cor
ruption that prevailed there. Time,
education, ari<l public opinion will,
probably before long, cleanse our politi
cal system of the stain of bribery. Re
fore long, surely, it will be accounted as
base to give as to take a bribe."
The practice of corrupting the voter,
first at the ballot-box, ami then in his
place as a member of the legislature,
was not known until Simon Cameron
openly bought Ins scat in the Senate
ot the I 'nilerl States. Before that day
men were elected without reference to
their money. Since then, not only ha*
the practice of purchase been common,
hut in Pennsylvania, with few excep
tions, the practice has ruled out hun
dred* of able and deserving candidates
for the Senate anil other places, ami
confined the choice to n class instituted
by Cameron and his family. The
I temncraU sometime# carried the leg
islature, and thus secured the senator ;
but n* Caiuerou always elected himself
by hi* money, and after that his son
to the same place, the great office of
United States Senator became u sort
of family possession. It is interesting
to note that the only factor in electing
such senators front Pennsylvania was
money. There was no ability in the
father or the son—not even a pretence
of it. They were not speakers, nor
writers, nor thinkers, uor philosophers.
They were simply rich men, and their
most intimate friends cannot (mint out
one act of single benevolence to any
public association from either ; even a
vicarious suggestion of n public bene
fit, no scheme of education, no one
work of reform. Joined to this power
of purchase, came other wretched at
tributes. In power in the Senate, the
two men seized the high places of the
government; and with these they pun
ished all who would not anplaud their
combination, and rewarded all who did
not hesitate to praise them. The man
ner in which their terrorism has been
maintained on the one hand, and sub
mitted to on tbe other, has no parallel
in any modern community. It has
crushed out the public spirit of most
of our young men. It has made thou
sands who were too poor to protest,
mere claqueurs and echoes of success
ful and reckless knaves. Many hum
bly take places nt the hands of the
successful purchaser of senalorship*.
confessing their compelled humiliation.
Others see bow Presidents uml Cabi
net* yield to these influences, and
sadly admit that nothing else is to be
expected from strangers w hen the peo
ple of Pennsylvania sell out their own
birthright without hesitation to infe
riors. Occasionally there i* a revolt,
hut it is always feeble, and temporary
because there arc always newspaper.—
ready to assail independent thought,
even while they admit the justice of
the example. The result is that in
dependence i* rare because it is ri*kv,
ami that reckless tyranny becomes
more delimit in the face of a frightened
people. Henec public opinion us such
is crushed or silenced, and the trans
gre—or not only goes free, hut for
given ; not only forgiven, hut hon
ored.
It is worth recollecting that before
this purchasing business began in
Pennsylvania, we hud some very cred
itable senators in CoOgrc-s, George
M. Dallas, William Pimlluy, Robert
Morris, George Logan, Albert Galla
tin, Aimer Laycoek, Walter Lowrie,
William Wilkin*, and James Buchan
an. Since the Senate has become the
preserve of a family in Pennsylvania,
other State* have been careful to *cud
their best intellects to that branch of
Congress. In Pennsylvania the late
choice of senator- has been decided in
a certain wuv; Imt Illinois had scot
Douglas ami Trumbull; New urk,
Dickinson and Kernau ; New Jersey,
I rclinghuy-'u arid Stockton; Dela
ware, Bayard; Maryland, Rcverdy
Johu-oii : Massachusetts, Wilson uml
Sumner; Indiana, Morton nrnl Hen
dricks. In all the gigantic struggle,
during uml since the war, Pennsylva
nia ha- been silent and unknown, ex
cept where senators like Bigler. Buck
ul.w, Cowan, Wallace and Wiltoot
were idected i v unpurchased legisla
tures. Evcrv county can jx>int to it*
statesmen ami orators of both parties ;
it* scholar- ami writer*; its men of
science ami culture anmng Republi
cans and Democrats. The first are
rarelv called forth, while Bigler,
Bm-kalcw, uml Wallace are chiefly re
membered to prove what the Demo
crats could do, if the majority favored
them a- often a* the other side. The
Republican- are a- truly disfranchised
a* it they lived in China, so far a- the
I nited State* Senator i* concerned.
It i- to the further shame of Penn
sylvania that the John Welsh Corrup
tion Fund originated in this State.
Lik" the bribery of the legislature, it
grew Ir on the same seed. The two
were equally infamous, and will long
be remembered as warnings. In Eng
land both examples would have been
terribly avenged. The new law there
ha- made such offences crimes ; a* we
realixe almost every day a member of
Parliament i* indicted for bribery. It
i* a word and blow. < hie proof end*
the ea-e. Confession follows the fact
of purchase, and the judge act* like a
flash. Here wo have our laws too.
But they are dead. They arc down in
statute-lxHiks, but they are scorned by
our servants, t >ar judges do not see
them. Our legislatures turn away
troin them. Our pre-* ignores them.
In England, whore money i* a great
power, law i* greater; and even there,
when the ari-tocraey hold- the House
of I/>rd*. young ambition may force
it- way into the Commons, in defiance
of the g"d ITutus, ami push the mil
lionaire out of his purchased cushion*.
Wln a Brilliant Man Cost the tinldrn
Opportunity.
The Louisville Courier-Journal
gives something about a charcoal
sketch of a late member of Congress ;
Milton Sayh-r, of Cincinnati, was,
when he wa* a member of Congress,
by no means an average congressman.
He was very far above tbe average.
Around the cradle of thi* spoilt child
of miturc all the fairies nssctnhled ;
not n sprite wnw absent ; one gave hiin
intellect, another lieauty, a third grace
fulness ; and so ou to the end. There
never appeared in the House of Ue,e
reset) tali vesa more pleasing figure.
In nil (shots he was the floor's best
man ; a* geninl and gentlemanlike as
Garfield, with a little more dash and a
little more discretion ; as ready and
intelligent as Nini Cox ; as manly as
Joe Blackburn ; as sensible and level
headed a* Michael Kerr; and though
not as aggressive a fighter as Nun
Randall, nor such an industrious
worker as Conger, Hale and Kasson,
still so quick, so bright, so genuine
to lie able to hold his own—when he
was not prepared — and to 10-at the
best of them when be was. When in
1870, Ha in Cox quitted the Speaker
ship to go on what he himself must
now feel was a fool's errand to St.
Louis, Milton Sayler was made Speak
er pro Urn ; and, but for the indiscre
tion directly traceable to this current
scandal he' would be the Speaker of
the House to-day. The woman in the
case cost his career. It is perfectly
understood in Washington society that
he hn* boon, from the first, the victim,
and lliflt, as to the main point* in the
affair, there is in truth and honor no
case against him. He was. and still
i* t a handsome bachelor. He was a
weak, yielding creature ; she importu
nate nnd strong; and he fell,
"Krom morn o *, from noon to *T •"
A summer a rlaJ—"
heedless of the maxim which a man
less gifted might have heeded. In the
end, if there is an end, it will turn out
that be has been generous and waver
ing- 0
THE railroad flagman dues a flour
ishing business.
TilF (<KAMiK IN CKNTHK COUNTY.
EXTRACT FROM THE REPORT OK I.EOKARt)
KIIONK, HVK.KKKEH, TO THE RMi IIT II
AKKUAI. SESSION or HIE I-K.NN
KVI.VANIA STATE CHANCE.
lii Centre tlio status of the Orange
bus not materially changed since my
lust report to the State Orange. A
gradual accession to our ranks has
heeti going on, and u healthy growth
of the Order and litisim -* undertak
ing* generally* All the subordinate
Orange* in the county, with the ex
ception of one, are in good standing
on the books of the State Grange.
This is better than lit the time of my
last report. Immediately after the
adjournment of the lust session of the
Slate Grange, a series id public meet
ings were held in nil the subordinate
Oranges in the county but one. Dur
ing these meetings forty lectures were
delivered, mostly by Brothers l)r.
Jnmcs ('abler, ('ul. .lames I . Weaver
and myself; and fourteen essays were
read by Sisters Weaver, Spanglcr,
Rhone and otlu-rs. The arrangements
lor these meetings could not well have
been better —the subordinate Oranges
in most instances having engaged
churches or halls and employed good
singing classes, accompanied by in
strumental music, so that the meetings
were not only instructive, but in many
cases a feast of entertainment in the
locality where they were held. These
public meetings are productive of
much g'sul in the way of keeping our
subordinate Oranges fixed to their
places, and of gradually educating
public sentiment in favor of tbe
< frder.
1 doubt very much whether there
was ever so much gratuitous and
cheerful labor bestowed upon any
cause by a devoted membership as bus
been bestowed upon the Order of the
l'atrous of Husbandry.
If you will allow me 1 will enumer
ate a few of the r'-ults accomplished
by the Order in return for all this
diligent labor and devotion : thnt are
furU that Patron-, can point to with
pride:
1. It has succeeded in building up
a Patrons' Mutual Fire Insurance
Company, of nearly a million ami a
half dollars of insured property, in
l<-- than four years, for the sole bene
fit of Patron*, uml hits added nearly a
half million during the last year, with
out any losses* for two years.
2. It hits succeeded in forming a
Patrons' Co-operative Live Stock As
sociation. for the sale of surplus live
stock belonging to Patrons, which has
maintained itself lor over two years,
ami transacted business t" the amount
of $28,000, with better and more -at
isfactorv results during the lust year
than at any previous period.
3. It lias succeeded in maintaining
the business relations of tbe subortli
date Grange* unincumbered bv mer
cantile tax, that was imposed upon the
snlmrdinatc Granges to deter them
from buying in the cheapest and Ik*i
markets; and it ha* defeated the in
stigators of the prosecution, and ha
thruwn the < 'ommon wealth into cost of
prosecution.
•t. It has succeeded in organising
a number of ' irange libraries among
the fanners of the rural districts for
the diffusion of knowledge among our
ela-s and a zeal for better schools, let
ter fanner.*, latter homes and social
relations among our people.
*. It has also succeeded in securing
representation on the lf ard of Trus
ted- of the Pennsylvania State Agri
cultural College hv the election of at
least five Patrons, ami has the proud
r Cord of securing thi* rcpr *eotation,
in an honorable, straight-forward way,
in an institution that was especially
designed to lw> agricultural. It should
be Ixirne in mind this U not a local or
denominational school for sectarian,
or denominational purposes; hut thnt
it is a Mnto institution founded by the
.Nate of Pennsylvania, ami endowed
bv the General Government for the
particular purpose of giving a theo
retical and practical agricultural ami
mechanical education to all those who
may desire to enter it, to especially fit
thernselves for agricultural and roe
chnuieal pursuits, and also to prepare
them by a general collegiate education
to enter any of the professions with
equal rank and ability with th<se who
may graduate at other institutions;
hut above other colleges it) giving a
practical agricultural education to the
farmer in a similar manner that a
theological seminary or medical uni
versity gives a practical education to
those that enter the professions.
Our worthy Brother Dr. James Gal
der did efficient service for the college
during the nine years that he was
president of the institution. Me en
tcml ujMin his dutie* nvder very em
barrassing circiiinMnuiv, when there
were but few student* in atteudauce,
and the college in disrepute among the
people of our State ; and when it was
incumbered by a Hunting debt of $-V2,-
000 ami a mortgage debt, of B*o,ooo.
But under bis administration the col
lege rapidly improved and increased
in the number of its students. The
mortgage debt was provided for, and
two-thirds or more of the floating debt
canceled, with manv external im
provements, such as building a reser
voir and securing a good and perma
nent wtiter supply, steam apparatuses
for heating the building and many
iuternal improvements.
We feel sorry that our worthy
brother resigned his useful position in
the college, and that we should lose
his valuable services in connection
with the institution. We hope, bow
ever, that his successor may continue
to grow iu fitvor with our |>cople, and
be equally successful iu attaining still
higher practical results from the more
favorable conditions ti|ou which he
enters upon his duties.
Much as has been accomplished by
tliu college, there is still great need of
improvement. A farm of four hun
dred acres connected with the institu
tion needs to he stocked with flocks
uinl herds of thoroughbred horses, cat
tle, sheep, swine und poultry ; private
gardens connected with the institution
that are neglected need to he abolished,
and a public garden he instituted, of u
suitable size, where practical horticul
ture can he taught to thestudeuts und i
people.
A greenhouse should he erected
where plaut* from every country and
climate could l>e kept for Instruction
iu botany and vegetable ph siology,
as well as practical plant culture, aud
he placed, with t he jiuOlit tjard/n, under
" ]' r of<*>it>nal and jira'tinil gardener.
New series of tex-hooks are very
much needed that would he suited for
school and field instruction in agricul
ture and horticulture, so that these
branches could he studied and taught
in a more comprehensive way. Near
ly all the text lw>ok* used in agricul
tural colleges arc rather intended for
the general reader than as a text-book
for class recitation and instruction.
Ilut to bring about thoe much-need
ed improvements and great wants in
our agricultural institutions needs lal
eul and fidelity us wdl as money. It
would in volve an expenditure of ut
least ?'2*>,(HM) to commence with.
It would not lie unreasonable in the
State (irange and the farmers general
ly to ask the State for an appropria
tion that would put the college into
practical working condition, HI as to
meet the wants and ex|>ectatioiis of
the people of our State. M uch larger
sums arc unnuully appropriate by
the State for the interests of other
classes. More direct relations could
also thou Is- established wiih the Agri
cultural Department at Washington
by a persistent effort on the part of
the trusti-ex, sustained by the (tcople.
Ix-t the farmers once talk earnestly
and unitedly, ami their just demands
will then soon fe heard and obeyed.
It should IK- a source of satisfaction
to every Patron that, with the advent
and spread of the Order of Patrons of
Husbandry, a greatly increased inter
est i* manifested in agricultural i-du
ration and in agricultural and indus
trial schools, and that fanners an' as
suming their rightful positions in so
ciety and government, by electing a
just proportion of their own numbers
to the head of agricultural and indus
trial institutions, that were founded for
this class, and to legislative positions
in our government, that were designed
for the farmer as well as other classes.
latching at lcrir.il Sharper.
Not long ago a mild, clerical look
ing gentleman, dressed in black anil
decorated with a white necktie ami
spectacles, arrived at the city of Hrook
lyn. To several theologian* he rcprc
sonti-d himself a- a minister from one
of the Bout hern Btates, and in his ar
got ments and controversies upon the
(iospcl displayed talent and tact that
nonplussed his opponents. On several
occasion* he filled the pulpits of the
local brethren, ami preached with an
eloquence and force that almost woke
up the deacons. Invitations to tea
poured iu upon him, and in his social
relation* he was pronounced perfect.
One noticeable thing about him was
ihc availability of his ready cash.
He gave liberally to the church and
to charitable societies and never re
fused the beggar his pittance when
there was anybody around. Suddenly
he stopped disbursing, and when chidod
hv the ministers, who had noted his
almsgiving with pleasure, he frankly
announced that his money had given
out and that he would tie compelled to
wail for remittance, unless he could
get his check on his home hank cash- '
ed in this city. As a matter of course,
the clerical fraternity saw through his
scheme in a moment, and they deter
mined to put the swindler where he
would do the most good. Not being
of the world's people, they did not ex
actly know how to put a secular job,
and so they employed the service* of
a detective to aid them iu sending the
brother lit Blate prison. The detect
ive advised them to single sonic one
pastor as a victim, who should indorse
the cheek and take the culprit to a
certain batik, where he would lie
promptly arrested with the money in
his pocket There was difficulty at
first, as ail the ministers engaged in
the enterprise vehement IT volunteered
to lie the victim. This was finally
overcome hy casting lots, and one was
chosen. He notified the sharper that
he would indorse his cheek for auy
amount and the document was drawn
for SI,OOO. Together they went to the
hank, the money was paid, and the de
tective sprang upon his quarry. In
order to make assurance sure, a tele
gram was sent to the hank, and in an
Hour the answer came, "Check good.
Let the drawer have anything up to
$150,000. He owns this b&uk aud is
bishop of this diocese."
See* Hl* Father for the First Time.
The Petroleum World tells of a Ti
tuiville man, aged forty-five, who is
about to see bis father, a wealthy resi
dent of Youngstown.Ohio, for the first
time. Forty-five year* ago the moth
er set out lor a vi*it to her brother,
who resides in Curlaville, Clarion
county, thin state. While there a son
wan l*rti, and her visit wan prolonged
for a number of weeks. The uncle
was childless. lie PH>k a fancy to the
infant and wished to adopt it. After
much solicitation on his part the moth
er consented, and the father never saw
the child, who grew up, went west,
served in the army during the war,
und has only lately returned to his
native state.
I'ltOl'llKTN OF KVII,.
In response to the subject of absorb-
ing interest now under discussion by
scientists as to the simultaneous arrival
of all the major planets to their peri
helia, inflicting dire results and bring
ing about the most fearful calamities
known to history, and resulting in the
most devastating disasters to men and
Is-asts, Professor Is-wis Smith lias writ
ten a letter to the Rochester Herald,
in which he says:
for the last two years the popular
mind has Ix-en excited to an unusual
degree over the statements made by a
few visionary enthusiasts, who, with a
great flourish of apparent wisdom,
have spread before the world the pre
diction that,owing to the simultaneous
urrival of the major planets to their
perihelia during the present year, the
most dreadful calamities ever record
ed in history are to occur, such as
earthquakes on a vast and destruct
ive scale, devastating tornadoes, wide
spread pestilence, great loss of life hv
j shipwrecks, famine and wars, and a
i thousand other things too dreadful
Ito contemplate. In all communities
i there is a certain class who will give
a listening ear to anything, no mat
ter how absurd, that partakes largely
of marvelousuess; hence this belief,
which has not a particle of evidence
to supfmrt it, is widespread in all civ
ilized countries.
I arn constantly receiving letters
asking when the planets will severally
ie in perihel ion, (nearest the sun J anil
when we are to look for a fulfillment
of these predictions that will make the
year IHBI famous for all coming time.
These questions convince me that the
delusion still exists, and has mrik deep
iu the minds of men, and that perhaps
it would he advisable to prepare a
statement setting forth the facts as
thev exist, aud, with slight variations,
will continue to exist as long as time
lasts.
All planets move in orbits or paths
more of less elliptical, the sun occupv
, ing the common focus of them ail.
It therefore neceAarily follows that a
planet is sometimes nearer the sun
than at others. In our age (but it
will not always he so; the earth is
about three million miles nearer the
sun fin the Ist of January than ou the
'2d day of July. On January 1, there
fore, the earth is iu perihelion, and of
course is iu that situation once a year.
Every planet is in perihelion once dur
ing its year.
Mercury, the planet nearest the sun,
has a smaller orbit than ours, and hence
it* year is correspondingly shorter, be
ing onlv eighty-eight of our days, aud
must, therefore, be in perihelion every
eighty-eight days. Ou the contrary,
Neptune, the most distant planet
known, has a year equal in length to
one hundred and sixty-four and one
half of ours, and is consequently only
once in perihelion during that time,
it follows that the time must come
when all the eight planets will !>o in
perihelion at once. It is only a qus
tion in simple arithmetic how often
j tuis will happen.
It has been stated, and insisted upon,
that this rare event, which probably
has not occurred since the Mosaic crea
tion, would take place during the pres
ent year. That this is not the case the
J following table will show:
Mrmrj ... Ft> 21. My 3#, Aa la Soi 12, lsl
*•<, Ort 16. I*M
F-rtS Juun 1. IMI
Mt" list 2S. IWI
Ju|.,ir.... JU|.imtr . tssu
Sataro Aufu.i I**:.
!'"• Manh2M*3
Nsptara OrtMwt 2J, ISKJ
It is not denied that this is a close
agreement, when it is considered how
long some of the periods of revolution
are. Ilut what of it ? Who has ever
proved or presented evidence that has
any semblance of proof that planets,
arriving at their perihelion point*,
have the least perceptible influence on
either the sun or earth, or anv of the
other planets?
Each planet, even the giant Jupiter,
is a pigmy compared to the sun; in
fact, he will outweigh all of them com
bined by more thau 700 times. What
effect then can the simple difference in
distance of any single planet, say of
Jupiter, have on the heat, and lights,
ami spots, etc., on the sun, almost
500,000,000 miles distant?
The planet Mercury is comparative
ly near the sun, and almost as dense
as lead, and the eccentricity of his
orbit is so great that he is over 29,-
000,000 miles nearer the sun at peri
helion than at aphelion ; but has any
one ever perceived any changes on the
snn once in eighty-eight days? Has
any recurrence of magnetic storms,
earthquakes, plagues, or an excess of
calamities of any kind ever been no- •
ticed during his perihelion passages?
If not, then it is safe to say none ex
ists, and the subject may be classed
with the thousand other delusions
which exist in the minds of men. and
for which no remedy is known save a
thorough and universal education of
all classes of society.
A CERTAIN gentleman must have
leeo very proud of bis wife wheu be
described her as "beautiful, dutiful,
youthful aud an armful."