THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. {From the New York Ohserver, INTERNATIONAL LESSON AY REY, MENRY M. GROUT, PD. PD, October 5 —Solomon Succeeding David.—1 Kings 1 : 22-35, GorpeN Texr.—And thou Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy fa ther, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind.—1 Chron. 28 9. The Books of the Kings take up the narrative of Hebrew history where those of Samuel leave it. Tradition ascribes their authorship to Jeremiah. But this ia far from certain. The books were largely compiled from existing docu- ments, and have always had a place in the Jewish canon. Originally the two were one, and were first divided, for fa: cility of reference in the Septuagint, David had pow completed his three- score and ten years, and was old snd out-worn. His life bad been one of ex- posure and fatigue, the result of which is often seen in premature decay. Con fined to his chamber and to bis bed, be depended upon others for knowledge of what was transpiring in the kingdom. And some things were just now taking place which did not accord either with his, or the divine purpose. Of his sons, Adonijah was now the eldest. As such thesuccession to the throne seemed to be his. But he was not fit to rule. And by divine appoint. ment this distinction was to fall to an- other. David bad sworn to Batbsheba that Solomon should be his successor. And how this consummation wis hast- ened by Adonijah himself we are told in this chapter. In the part before us we have. 1 A faithful prophet.—It was not the sole or the chief business of the ancient prophet to foretell events. He was a special messenger of God to convey any and every expression of his will to in- struct, to counsel, to reprove, to fore warns, to cheer. Nathan had been David’s counsellor about building the temple, and bis reprover for sia (2 Sam. 7th and 12th). His appearance here is as one still faithful toGod and to his king. He knew it was God's will that Solomon should succeed to the throne, and he made haste to apprise the king of a conspiracy which aimed (to thwart that will. Adomijah was young and strong aud evidenily in favor with the people, and David was old and weak. Nevertheless Nathan stood firm on the right side. On that side he was bold and willing to help. 2. A rapectful sbject—It is worth noticing that in coming into the king's presence, Nathan paid to him due hon. or. He had dared to denounce his sin but here he prostrate: himself before to the ground. Respect for superiors shown in customary and becoming ways is a virtue, A Christian ought always to be faithful; but he ought also to cul- tivate and exhibit good manners. And in nothing do good manners appear to muck as in proper deference for those who in age, quality or office are above us. 3. Inordinate ambition—That which now brought the prophet into the king's preseace was Adonijah’s attempt to usurp the throne. Not much is told us but much is intimated, respecting Adon: ijah's character. Of attractive person, “a goodly man,’ like’ Amoon and Absa. lom he was a spoiled child, wayward, headstrong, ungoverned. “His father had not displeased bim at anytime in saying, Why hast thou doneso ?” (v.6 ) H's mother’s name, Haggith, dancer, suggests a character wanting in moral depth. He was far from fit to rule. His exclusion of Solomon sud ike oth- ers mentioned from the festivities indi. cate that he knew of Soloman’s election to the throne. He had the memory of Absalom’s folly and ruin asa warning against such a course. Nevertheless be “tgxalted himself, saying. [| will be king” (v. 5). Few passion are either so powerful or corrupting or ruinous of happiness as ambition. Aspiration after any kind of real excellence, or power for useful. ness, is good. But “Ambition is the troublesome and vexatious passion that can afflict the sons of men. [tis an in finite labor to make a man's sell misers- ble.” Chastened and held in check it may excite to worthy effort ; but allow- ed to dominate it is a blighting curse. 4. Willing helpers in wrong doing ~Bac- rifices and feasts wore customary at the accesvion of a new king in oriental and 's fonst was under. fa Adoni, politieal purpose, He bad already made s show of royalty (v. 5), Nevertheless he was a usurper, And thoso who joined it could see this, Nevertheless among those who joined ARLE Te Ll tions took them over to the side of the usnrper, How often is this the case ? We wonder at it, snd yet who knows that he will not himsell at sometimes do the same, It is easy to imagine that the side just now ascendant is right, easy to join a popular mov: ment, snd to find plausible ressons for so doing. 6, Arrogance defeated and the right man made king.—Wicked schemes, however planned and supported. do not always prevail. So it was in this instance. But the defeat was not accidental. It came about by the prompt action of Nathan, and the resolute will of David. Loyal to God and David, Nathan made haste to apprise the king of what was going on; and the king, weak as he was in body, showed himself still the man of courage and energy he had always been, Wrongs seldom defeat themselves, (Good men must be quick to see and resolute to meet rising danger. It is interesting to notice David's re- gard for his own pledge (29, 30). He would keep it at any cost. He roused himself on his sick bed to assure its ful- fillment. Fidelity to pledges marks a noble character, It is instructive to observe his recol- lection of past mercies as reasons for keeping his vows, As God has so often delivered him out of straits and danger, he would now still trust him and rely upon his help. He sees in such mercies a ground both of obligztion and of trust. Solomon, of all David's sons, had most of his father's good qualities, He was God's choice, and was best prepared for royal responsibilities, That all this while he does not appear on the scene, but patiently and trustfu'ly leaves all to che will of God and the guidings of his providence, is a special mark of self control snd faith. And God's pur- pose prevailed. PRACTICAL SUGARSTIONS, 1. Here we are again reminded of the folly of parental indalgence. Much of Adonijah's wickedness and of David's fresh and last misery came of it. 2, God fearing ani unselfish men are the best counsellors, Nathan was not a schemer for himself. 3. There is great blessing in true friends who hasten toour help in an evil time, David and Solomon had true friends in Nathan and Zadok and Ben- sisal, Good men are likely to havesuch helpers. 4. Nathan was a prophet sod Zadok was a priest, and yet they meddled with public affairs. 5. Wickedness is never profit«ble. So Absalom and his sssociates had found. So Adonijah and those who joined him now discovered. Its day is short, Its gains impart no good while they last, 6. The enthronement of Solomon wa, the defeat of Adonijab. So bring in the true and the right and good, and the false and wrong and evil are thereby ex. pelled. holiness, 7. Jesus is the world’s rightful king, but there are many usurpers who would supplant him. Wa must stand by him against them. And he will prevail, Extirpate sin by cultivating iain Beating His Wir. . How does that woman feel agiine whom her hushand lilts and ? Who has bean beaten by the lover of her youth—the person who. form or other, “ovirted™” her once upon s time? Is appals one to think of it! A woman-—a ereature like ourselves easily made to weep, easily made to ache in body or in heart,a being who often is the mother of a little bsha at the time! Why, it is like some horrible dream to think that some men do whip their wives! The men we know have always protected us, always worked for us, lovingly caressed us, saved us all the toil and pain they could, and never in- sulted us. Yet most of us have Lad our feelings dreadfully injured, and coaxed up very often indeed. Most of us hardly think our lot soft enough, our male relation gentle enough with us, A short, hasty reply, such ss men give each other constantly, we consider “brutal” if given by a man to a woman. We expect 80 be considered much more delicate then men ; and indeed we are. We can do wonderful things with our frail little bodies under strong impulses, and wear ourselves out in the good cause, Wo wateh and nurse very brave. Ig, but we can vot fight. Fancy one of us, broken dows with privation and hard work, having nice to wear his in ane life except whatshe can get out of miserable little baby with hollow eyes, fp aud Ith it; her beiig besten by her husband nothing nice to eat; no sweeness in her | *0Ming And now he beats her; strikes her with that great sledg hammer fist; black her eyes ; leaves bruises on ber arms ; or perhaps being merciful, takes a broom to her, because she can’t get dinner without market money, or}has answered hin back, or remonstrated when he gave little Ted some gin to drink. How does she feel | How ean she live | Noth: ing cao be worse, it serms to me, You may say “that sort of the people’ as much as you like, We are all mado of flesh and blood and weak little hone, and we know how a baby's head feels against our boroms, and how the man we love ean thrill us with his touch, | don't believe the lessons on the piano, or having a knowledge of French, or even a classical course at college can alter that, Awd perhaps a woman who has no intellectual resourses suffers most when her heart is wounded. We must just think of this: All good women feel pretty much slike toward their hus. bands, Fancy baby's father beating you Oh, of all the terrible paragraphs we read in those agonizing daily papers, the most wretchedly pitiful, 1 think, sre those headed “Arrested for Beating his Wite," “New York Leader. - re AGI— Facts and Fancles Dr. Pratt, of London, states in a lee- ture that in 1,000 married wen, between the anges of 24 and 30 there are six deaths; in the same number of bachelors there are ten deaths; twenty-two, The early German seitlers on the Schuylkill were mainly members of the Society of Friends, and it is claimed for them by Mr. Back, in his historical ad dress aL Norristown during the late cen tennis] exereises, that the earliest pro test against negro slavery in the English colonies was prepared by these German settlers, at Germantown, February 18, 1688, An Eoglish manufacturer advertises that his safety matches may be eaten by children with positive benefit to their appetite and digestion. A large whale became entangled in a submarine cable near Panama, snd in his efforts to extricate himself was so se, verely injured by the wire that he died the same day. In Mount Morris, Mich., a family, be. lieving its members to be bewitched by an old woman in the neighborhood, nicked the ears of all its pigs and cows £3 drive out the devils, A ssmpie of American cheese in Lon’ don whee analyzed proved to contain neither milk nor say of its derivatives Its chief ingredients were lard and col. oring matter. It came from New York State, A flash of lightning cremated » farm. er near Galveston, Tex., a few days ago. He was working in a field with a thres- her when from a cloudless sky a flash of lightning descended, knocking him senseless on a pile of straw, which was ignited snd burned him to a crisp, A minister who was in the vicinity was rendered unconscious by the violence of the shoe's, A cordwainer, aged 104, and his son, aged &5, arrived at Liverpool, N. 8, the other dav from St, john, N, B,ons visit to some friends, During the day t= son, while seeing the sights, strayed away from his father, who rushed around for some time asking everyone he met: “Have you seen my boy? The reunion which afterward took place was very affecting. While John D, Walford was digging a well near Uniontown, Pa., one day last woek, he put in a blast which failed to go off. Descending into the well he was suffocated. A friend went drown and tied a rope sround bis body, but while it was being drawn up the rope became unfastened and the body fell fifteen feet to the bottom. When it was recovered life wes entirely extinet, Dakota is said 10 have 40,000 head of stock (valued at $1,000,000) chiefly on what are termed the “bad lands” west of the Missouri river, but what are really very good lands for stock raising, Ex Governor Hendricks narrowly es eaped desth in a railroad accident by which twenty 4ix persons were injured, near Farmer City, Ill, on Wednesday of Inst weok, As ii is he was severely bruised. Miss Kate Magruder, the daughter of the Confederate General J hn Bank- head Magruder, recently arrived in Bal timore from Europe and during the season will make a concert tour through the United States, amisted by her brother, Henry R. Magruder. The 5645th year in the Hebrew calen. dar began at sunset on Friday last. Im. church services and a general observance of the event by the reform wm well as the orthodox Jews always widowers number Another EarthQuake, MICHIGAN AND INLIANA FHAKEN UP. Muxsoie, Ivd, Sept. —A distinct earthquake shock passed through this state fiom the southwest to the north, east at 2.30 o'clock this afternoon places beard from generally report the sume results as were noticed here viz, : Buildings shaking, glass breaking, furniture moving, dishes snd tinware falling from the tables and shelves and the people running into the streets from fright, Cixosxnari, O, Sept 19.—A few minutes before three o'clock this after noon the telegraph operator at the Bee Dine depot, Cincinnati, receives dispst, ches from all along the road, from Cn, cinnatijto Lafayette, Ind, inquiring if an esrthquake shock had been felt in Cincinnati, and stating that it had been ercaptib'e at offices from which in- quires had been sent. About three o'clock, Cincinnati time, operators per ceived a slight tremor in the buildiog The sume thing was noticed in various offi. es in the city, but it was not atti onto, FOMEW HAT butelto he earthquake until telegraph ic dispatches from the west came in. It was quite different in some of the suburbs in Cincinnsti. In Ciifton the agitation wa. so violent as to ring bells on tables and io some instances on the doors At Cummiosville, in the north. western ward, Uincinnati, the tremor was felt so distinetly as to cause quite an slarm, not only in the public schools where the pupils with difficulty kept in their seats, but also private houses, The houses of Captain Frazier in Cam- minsville was so violently shaken that the inmates beosme alarmed, In the Mornington school house, northeastern Cincinnati, the agitation was felt, which was recoguized al once by the teachers s+ being caused by an earthquake. Here too it required oll the suthority of the teacher to avoid a panic. The shock was so slight in the business portion of Indisna a+ not to be noticed by a majority of the citizens. In Covioglon, Ky , the Mr, Worth- ington’s residence on Fourth street was so violently shaken that his little daughter lying sick in bed screamed with terror saying that come one wis moving the bed, rr spat dm article fo Sold by of send 50 eta in Bot 3 Boson, 51.35. Da. Swarne & Bow, a HEALTH IS WEALTH! of Ch A ; A an NN TRLATMENT T° ARETE AD REALS TREATHIAT, & “ " Mowry wiodomm, erase thon of the borie, , ang rie led won pb init . 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