20
THE GERMAN CRISIS,
Statesmen to Meet on Tuesday
to Discuss the Immense
Army Bill.
BISMABCK MAY BE THERE.
Jhe Korth and South German Fac
tions of the Socialists.
A. YAIN STEUGGLE FOR HARUOXY.
Jrondad Lairs Against Emigration
America Are Proposed.
to
THE EX-CHANCELLOR'S BITTEEEEHAEKS
JCOBRISPOXDIXCE Or THE DISPATCH.
BekLIK, 2fov. 9. "I will be among men
who will look upon me as a Pariah."
This was a bitter utterance from the lipt
flf the Iron Chancellor, when asked if he
would take his seat in -the German Reich
stag ifovember 2i But there are those
who believe he will be present to speak
against the Government, and to throw h!s
mighty influence against the very princi
ples which he himself advocated, initiated
and carried into effective operation under
the aged Kaiser.
The Reichstag, which convenes in a few
days at the call of the young Emperor, has
been in existence for about six years now,
and during that time, by elections only,
has made a cumber of decided changes.
But, on the whole, it has been exceedingly
friendly to the reforms in education, in
Proiginaiir
finance, in foreign policy and in military
matters, framed under the eves of the Em-
fic-or and advocated bv the Caprivi minor-
The Crisis "ear at Hand.
The end is, however, near, for critics in
Germany agree that liie new military
C-eaure, concerning which there has been
until now the gratest secrecy, will not
secure the approval of the Reichstag. This
means dissolution, for the Emperor will
d : bi . defeat in his pet scheme.
"Dissolve the Reichstag a dozen times if
necessary, but pass the measure."
This dictum of the E-nperor has become
the shibboleth of the Ministry, and no
stsne will now be left unturned to perform
tfce Kaiser's will.
TLe clerical element in the Reichstag
will fight it because it is a part of the policy
of the Triple Alliance, and no measure in
wb "i Italy has an interest will receive the
m-crsement of that wing of the Reichstag.
Jii.i ihev have no Windhorst to lead them
not?, and their opposition will, under any
c rcmstances. be weak.
Then there is the prospect, too, that the
Socialist faction, which is exceedingly
strong, will be divided, and will make
no en on any measure impossible. Division
the-e means strength, for the Ministry.
Liebknecht v ill lead the extreme wing of
t!e Socialists. He is the North German
representative, and, if anything, must be
classed as an Internationalist, as a Marxist,
a man who loves his theory of social reform
for the world belter than he loves his coun
try. A Division of the Socialists.
Vollmar, of South Germany, is more con
servative, and has a strong following among
the Socialists. In fact, the Ministry looks
for a division of that party into "North
German" and "South German," under the
leadership of the two men mentioned.
Bebel, the orator of the party, stands be
tween the two, vainly endeavoring to bring
about harmony. He is a queer mixture of
the demagogue and statesman. At times
when addressing the Socialists of Berlin,
he drops almost into anarchistic utterances.
In the Reichstag, again, his oratory is oc
casionally as forceful and effective as was
ever that of Bismarck. He is the Demos
thenes of his party on the floor of the
Reichstag.
Singer is the moneyed man of the Social
ist party, and as he handles the funds of
that organization, now on deposit with the
Bauk of England, is no weak factor in its
courcils. In all livelihood he will lean to
the Vollmar wing of the party. Auer,
another Socialist leader, Is known as a
"trimmer." He fits himself to events and
the popular demands, instead of taking the
Initiative in any movement. But the Lib
eral element in the Reichstag is composed
of a set of staid business aiid professional
men. and on these, together with those who
might be termed the "out-and-out Minister- 1
laiists," the hopes of the Kaiser rest.
Absorbing rnblic Opinion.
The army bill debate will, hotfer
the Dubiic" attention lor month'
audits provisions are neces .
ineutous interest. To i-
old
me,
ent
ma-
r,
.use
briefly, it may be said
Is but the beginning
tnent on the part
members ot the Tri
. T
tt
of it tJHi the Increase of the French army
nearly to the limit or that nation's capacity.
In 1890 the enlistment In the French army
reached 230,000 men, in 1891 it was 217,071, '
and in 1892, 211,000. France, therefore, in
turning her attention to increasing its pop
ulation, for its enlistment will continue to
decrease for five or ten years to come.
The new army bill fixes the effective
forces of Germany from October 1, 1893, to
March, 1899, as follows: Infantry, 711
battalions; cavalry, 47 squadrons; dis
mounted artillery. "484 batteries: field ar-
'tillery, 37 battalions; railway troops, 7 bat
talions; tram service, 21 battalions. This
makes a total of 492,068 men and means an
increase in the effective strength of the Ger
man army to 2,138 officers, 234 surgeons, 200
armories, 23 veterinaries, 11,857 non-com-missioued
officers, 72,073 privates and 6,130
horses. The increase in expense will be
from fl6.000.000 to 520,000,000. The meas
ure itself in its preamble adverts to the
armament of Russia and France in terms
which leave no doubt as to Germany's atti
tude toward these nations.
Disappearance of Military Supremacy.
It asserts eloquently that Germany's
military supremacy has disappeared; that
Russia has to-day a war strength of 4,556,
000 men. while France has 4.053,000. To
equal this the nation must rise to the very
ia-i. uoicu oi lis capacity, auu every man
capable of bearing arms must be in line.
Wnen all the provisions of the new bill have
been carried out the available force of Ger
many will be 4.400,000. This means a yearly
enlistment of 235,000 men. To this must be
added the 9,000 one-year men, taken from
the number being educated for the profes
sions. Thus the number to be trained yearly
will be 244,000.
Bnt even with the passage of the military
bill the Emperor's troubles will not cease.
The emigration laws will perhaps be made
ironclad, and America will soon note the
effect in the decrease of Germany's annual
contribution to American citizenship. Nor
will it end with that. The addition of
516,000,000 in expenses means 516,000,000
more in taxes, and the nation will not be
alone taxed to its utmost capacity lor sol
diers, but far beyond its capacity for fnnds.
There is nothing hopeful for monarchy in
the future, and the fateful scenes of 1818,
when such men as Carl Schurz, Carl Heint
zen, Franz Sigel and Oswald Ottendorfer
were driven to American shores, may be
members of tlpa
repeated with an effectiveness n ot dreamed
of in that early period.
THE WHITE HOUSE'S HIST0EY.
More Than 100 Tears Have Passed Since
the Building Was Begun,
CUIcago Tribune.;
The corner-stone of the White House was
laid on October 13, 1792. The Commission
ers had on the previous 14th of March
advertised for plans for a President's
house, and on the 16th of July they held a
meeting in Georgetown and examined the
plans that had been submitted.
As is part of local history now, they ac
cepted the plan ot James Hoban, a Dublin
architect, who had made designs lor the
President's house, lramed, it is said, in the
model of the mansion of the Duke ot Lein
ster at Dublin, the palace of royalty in Ire
land. The stone was in part quarried at
Aquia Creek and brought to a new wharf,
built for the purpose near the toot of Seven
teenth street, but obstinate David Burns, as
Washington called him, refused to allow the
wagons to pass over his ground in carrying
the stone to tho site of the White
House. He abused Mr. Hoban
roundly, and if the City Hall had
been built and present legal fashions then
prevailed he would have gotton out an in
junction, but it is doubtful if there was then
a Judge nearer, than Upper Marlbiro or
Annapolis; so despite Burns' opposition the
tone was carted through his place and the
White House roe. No memorial of the
ceremonial of laying the corner-stone has
been discovered. It is certain that the
Virginia Free Masons, who had in 1791
laid one corner-stone of the District of
Colombia, and who in 1793 assisted in lay
ing the corner-stone of the Capitol, did nut
participate in Hying the corner-stone of
the White House. It was probably laid by
Maryland Masons.
The building began io rise, however, and
in eight years was ready tor occupancy. The
donations of Maryland.572,000, and of Vir
ginia, $120,000, assisted to pay for it, and in
April, 1800, four months niter Washington's
death, Congress appropriated 515,000 to pay
for the furniture. Thenceforward it became
the chief mansion in the nation. From the
time when Mrs. John Adams hnng the
family wash in the East Room to dry to the
sad event lately chronicled, it has been a
home set upon a hill to be seen by all. It
has had the fortune of the humblest homes
In the land marriage, births and deaths.
Its joys and sorrows nave a wide echo.
The Trench Stage.
Some curious facts about the history of
the Paris theaters during and immediately
after the war of 1870-71 will be brought out
for the first time in a history of that period,
written by Albert Soubies. It is surprising
to learn, lor instance, that during the first
siege of Paris by the Germans both the
Ambtgu and tho Beaumarchais gave per
formances almost daily, which were gener
ally profitable. While the commune was
holding full sway and devastating the ill
fated city the Gymnase closed its doors only
on Good Friday.
Quite, a Hagnlfier.
A lens for the detection and study of the
bacillus of cholera, consumption, and other
kindred diseases, has just been made for a
foreign scientist, by an Englishman. When
used it is immersed in a medium of mono
bromide of naphthaline, and shows the
microbes magnified to 10,080 timet their aot
ual size.
gy&rV TNv nrgwsf j
THE .
MOTM A BIG LENS.
Bow Uncle Sam's-. Star-Gazers Ac
complished a Delicate Task.
SUPPLYING A NATION WITH TIME.-
Wonders to Be Shown by the Government
Observatory at the Fair.
ASfEONOUI IN THE M0DEBN STAGE
rcOBMERPOKDIXCS OP TSEt)ISPA.TCH.J
"Washington; Nov. 18. Government
star-gazers have been having a great time
moving into the new Naval Observatory,
which is the most beautiful building for
astronomical purposes in the world
situated on the heights overlooking Wash
ington from the northwest. Naturally, the
transfer from one place to another of in-
luments so aeucaie mat a ringer must not
ordinarily be allowed to touch them, lest
their adjustment be spoiled, is attended
with no small difficulty. But the article
which required the greatest care in its re
moval was the dbject lens of the famous
equatorial telescope.
Until the lenses for the Lick Observa
tory in California were made this was the
largest one in America, beinc 26Vf inches
in diameter. It cost 530,000. This precious
thing was wrapped in -the softest of. old
linen sheet, packed in a box between mat
tresses, and conveyed in a spring wagon at
aiuneraipace over lour miles of road up
hill and down, reaching its destination
safely. The new observatory will have
eight telescopes, two of which the public
will be permitted to use for amusement,
one of these having a 5-inch and the others
9-inch glass.
To Exhibit at the Talr.
The exhibit of the Naval Observatory at
the World's Fair will include a 5-inch
ieiel?5taa
telescope, through which visitors to the Ex
position will be allowed to gaze at what
ever is most interesting in the heavens both
by night and by day. It is also intended
to show a picture of the sun on a large
scale, a pencil of rays being thrown through
a lens by a mirror 40 feet into a dark room.
In this camera obscura a huge image of the
orb of day will appear on a screen, showing
the tremendous flames which leap 7,000
miles above its surface and also the so
called "spots," which are fiery chasms cap
able of swallowing 'up hundreds of such
planets as the earth at a gulp. At noon each
day the astromomers in Washington will
drop a time-ball rive feet in diameter on top
of the main building at the Fair.
It has been suggested that the newly dis
covered filth satellite of Jupiter ought to
be secured tor exhibition at Chicago. It is
such a very little one that the star-gazers
snspect it to be merely a captured asteroid.
They entertain a like surmise respecting
the moons of Mars, which were originally
found by the big glass of the eqnatoria'l
telescope at the Naval Observatory here.
Possibly the earth may capture an asteroid
or two some day. There doesn't seem' to be
any reason why such a thing might not
happen.
The great telescope of the Lick Observa
tory, by which Jupiter's new satellite
was discovered, has an object glass 36 inches
in diameter. It is expected that the Chi
cago University will buy the 40-inch lens
which now lies in the rough at the Clark
factory in Cambridgeport, Mass.
The limit of Size,
This mighty glass was ordered for the
University ot Southern California, but that
institution has tailed to pay for it. Clark
thinks that he can make a telescope lens 45
inches in diameter. A limit ot size exists
by reason of the fact that lenses bend of
their own weight, and thus their very big
ness may cause them to distort the images
of objects seen through them. Obviously it
is not possible to put anything beneath to
hold them up. AH of these telescopic
glasses are cast in Paris by a concern which
keeps the details ot its processes secret
Each one actually consists of two lenses,
one of flint glass and the other of crown
glass. The two together so neutralize all
colored rays that the light which comes to
the eye ot the observer is perfectly white.
The big glass disks are shipped in the
rough to the factory at Cambridgeport,
Alvau G. Clark is the only man living who
understands to perfection the art of pre
paring and finishing them. First they are
ground down to the proper shape with re
volving concave tools, after which the sur
faces are caretully smoothed and polished
with fine rouge. Then the lenses are ad
justed in a big tube like that of a telescope
lor trial. The tube is pointed at a star, the
image of which should appear perfectly
round when seen through the glasses.
The Genius or Mr. Clark.
But in reality the image it sure to be
more or less out of shape, because of inev
itable defects. It is in remedying these de
fects that the genius of Mr. Clark is chiefly
exercised. He goes over the lenses with a
bit of rouge on his thumb, and rubs the sur
faces here and there, polishing awar an in
finitesimal thickness in this spot and that,
until at length all the rays passed through
the object-glass are concentrated at a sin
gle point. Now the image of the star is
perlectly round, and the lenses are fin
ished. Even the finest of them contain
many little bubbles of air, bnt they do no
harm.
The astronomers of the Naval Observatory
have looked all over the world for spiders'
webs. Such, gos'amer filaments spun by
industrious arachnids are utilized in tele
scopes lor cross-lines extended at right
I angles with each other across the field ot
.PITTKBtma XHSFATOH, .
rr
view, so as to, divide the latter into mathe
matical spaces. Threads of cobweb are em
ployed for the purpose because they are
wonderfully strong for their exceeding fine
ness, and also for the reason that they are
not affected by moisture or 'temperature,
neither expanding nor contracting under
any condition.
Specimens were obtained from Chins,
because it was imagined that the large
tpiders of. that country would perhaps pro
duce a particularly excellent quality of
web. However, it was found that the best
web is spun by spiders of the United States,
such at are plentiful in the neighborhood
ot Washington. Accordingly, expeditions
are made early in June each year, to get
from the fences and barns hereabout the
cocoons of the big "turtle-back" spiders.
Each cocoon is composed of a single silken
filament wound round and round, though
there are apt to be soma breaks in it where
'Mistress Spider left off work for a time.
Sending Oat the Time,
The five-foot time ball to be dropped at
the World's Fair will be made of a canvas
on a steel frame. It will be wound up each
day to the height from which it is to fall.
and it will be set and electrically connected
in such a manner that the breaking of the
circnit at 12 noon will release it The
cable by which it will be controlled has
already been laid connecting the new ob
servatory with the entire Western Union
telegraph system. Within 30 days it will
be in operation, the touch of a button at
the "Washington end of it instantaneously
transmitting notice of the hour over
350,000 miles of wire. When that button
speaks the whole country will listen, and
the hands of 70,000 electric clocks all over
the United States will point to the correct
minute and second. There are 7,000 such
clocks in New York City alone. All rail
ways, factories and industries of every kind
pay attention to this signal. Three minutes
before noon each day all the Western Union
lines are cleared of business, every operator
takes hit finger from the key, circuits are
opened, and, at the instant" when the sun
passes over the seventy-fifth meridian, the
spark of Intelligence is flashed to all parts
of the country. It requires less than one
fifth of a second to reach San Francisao.
The 12 o'clock signal sent irom Washing
ton indicates 11 a. M. for Chicago, 10 A. M.
for Omaha, and 9a.hi. for the Pacific
coast, the United States being divided into
four perpendicular strips, and each strip
setting its clocks by the time ol the meri
dian which bisects it from north to south
Thus each strip is always one hour later
than the next strip to the east The West
ern Union Company earns about $1,000,000
annually from its electric clock service,
charging $15 a yuar for setting each clock at
noon daily. The time sold thus profitably
it gets from the Government (or nothing.
but anybody can have t e same privilege
free of charge by putting an instrument and
wire into the observatory.
The Host Complete Collection.
.The most complete existing collection of
portable instruments used in connection
with navigation is kept at the Naval Ob
servatory for supplying the ships, of the
United States navy. It includestne finest
and most costly devices of this description,
from small telescpes in leather cases to the
contrivance newly invented by an officer in
the service for determining the pitch ot a
ship in a storm. There are small astronom
ical outfits, with which one may go ashore
and set up a miniature observatory at brief
notice. All naval vessels that go to sea
must have their chronometers regulated
and tested at intervals.
For this purpose a meat refrigerator has
been put into the new building by a Chi
cago Aim. The chronometers will be placed
in this cooling apparatus, which is of the
latest and most improved pattern, the
temperature being reduced by ice overhead
to 40 Fahrenheit The ice being removed,
the air inside the box will be raised to 95
by hot-water pipes surrounding it A
chronometer which endures such extremes
of heat and cold without being affected will
be expected to withstand similar influences
on a trip from the Equator to the Arctic.
Each ship is provided with four chron
ometers and a watch, the last being carried
in the pocket oi the navigating officer com-,
monly. These watches are regularly tessed
like the chronometers. They are ot Amer
ican make. To such i point of excellence
has the manufacture of watches in this
country attained that time-pieces of this
kind, costing $16 or $18, are found to run
within 15 seconds a month of absolute ac
curacy. Foreign watches are not in it with
them "at alL
A Style of Educational Show.
Astronomical science is now finding a
presentment on the stage in the shape of
what are called "scientific spectacles," or
"Urania" entertainments. The lecturer on
extra mundane matters carries the sun,
moon and stars around with him from city
to city, together with as much scenery as a
grand opera company is ordinarily equipped
with. This style ot educationai show was
originated in Berlin, and it has been intro
duced on a larger scale in this country by
Garrett P. Serviss, the well known astrono
mer. Instead of merely throwing magic
lantern pictures upon a screen, scenes on
the moon and other planets are actually ex
hibited by elaborate stage settings assisted
by the finest kind of scene painting and
most ingenious mechanical contrivances.
For instance, views on the moon place
the audience seemingly on the very surface
of that orb, from which the spectator looks
off and beholds the earth and other worlds
shining at brightest mid-day in a sky of
inky blackness. This is because the moon
has no atmosphere, the bright blue ot the
heavens as seen from the earth being due to
its surrounding envelope of air. Eclipses
of the sun and moon, as well as ma y other
phenomena ot nature, are shown. Aston
ishingly realistic effects of light, such
as sunrises and sunsets, are produced
by means of rows of electric-light
bulbs above and below the stage.
Some of the bulbs are red, some blue,
and some white, and all -are controlled by a
single instrument in such a manner that a
lunar or other landscape can be illuminated
by ever so many chancing hues. The sun
is an arc light of 18,000 candle-power, in
closed in an iron box and projected through
lenses upon the back "drop" from behind
the latter. An eclipso is made by passing
an opaque disc across the Tens. For the
moon an arc light of only 2,000 candle
power is employed. Many other phenomena
are illustrated by various devices.
Volcanoes seem to throw up streams -of
lava, while steam ascends in clouds from a
perforated pipe running across the front of
the stage; lightning flashes vividly, and th'e
scene is rendered more realistically appall
ing by peals and crashes of thunder, which
a small boy creates by banging a sheepskin
stretched on a' wooden frame with balls of
wood hanging against it so as to vibrate
with awesome noise. Rene Bache.
A MAINE FOX SIOEY.
How a Young Pet Learned Some Tricks
Daring Ills Captivity.
Lewlston Journal.
Jason Iiunt, of Kennebunkport, tells a
fox story. A few years ago he caught a
young fox, built a pen for him out of a
hogshead, and kept him tied up with a cod
line around his neck. He made a pet of
tbe animal, which became quite tame, but
the mother fox used to come around every
night and keep tbe boushold awake barking
for her young one.
One morning he Srent out to look after
his pet and found a good sized hole gnawed
in the hogshead and the cod-line bitten off
close to the young fox's neck and the ani
mal gone. Soon after there were stories
in the neighborhood of a remarkably bold
or tame fox.'which would come into a door
yard in the daytime and make off with the
chickens.
Nearly two .years afterward Mr. Lunt
lost a number of chickens from foxes aud
seta trap and oue morning found that he
had caught the chicken thief. It was a
good sized, fox aud a remarkably fat one,
and while Mr. Lunt Mas feeling around
the animal's neck and admiring his con
dition bis fingers came in contact with
what seemed to be a collar under the fat of
the animal's neck. He had curiosity enough
to find out what it was and cut ,out the
double turn of a cod-line, which proved it
to be the tame fox he had for a pet two
Tears Deiore,
l
SUNDAY... JTOyEMBEB-
NEXT TO INCREDIBLE
But Plainly True When Viewed
Through the Proper Light
ONE OP THE STARTLING PHRASES
Which ire by No Means IJncommon In the
Kew Testament Books.
EULES WITH EXCEPTIONS MANIFOLD
CWBtTTES.rOB THE DISrATCH.l
"Whosesoever sint ye forgive, they are
forgiven; and whosesoever tins ye retain,
they are retained."
Jesus Christ said that But is it not
amazing? Is it not next to' incredible?
We will forgive your sins, and Ihey are for
given; or we will retain your sins and they
are retained. Who will believe it?
Let us not forget, however, that this is
not the only startling wordthat Jesus spoke.
Partly, perhaps, for the sake of attention,
aud still more for the sake of making those
to whom he spoke remember what he said,
and most of all that he might make men
think, he expressed himself, not once or
twice, but many times, in sentences strange,
paradoxical, and bard to understand. More
than once he se'emed to contradict the com
mon sense of men.
. As, for example, in the Sermon on the
Mount: "Resist not evil;" "give to him
that asKeth thee;" "judge not;" "ask, and
it shall be given you." These words need
explanation. We recite them, and at once
a score of difficulties drawn out of experi
ence confront us. Are they to be taken
literally and followed exactly as they read?
Or, are we to understand them as the direct,
unqualified statements of great principles,
which are to be applied as best we may,and
are to be studied in tbe light of other great
principles which on this side and on that
hedge them, about with limitations? That
Is, are we to read them each apart, as if
Jesus said just that and never a word else?
Or are we to interpret them according to the
spirit of Him who spoke them, as it Is re
vealed in all His other words together?
Deeper Than the Surface.
It is evident, I think, that these words
are deeper tnan they seem. The meaning
does not lie altogether upon the surface.
Often the meaning seemt not to lie upon
the surface at all, but to be hidden away
underneath where we must diligently search
for it, f we would really understand His
will. Every one of these hard savings
touches the heart of truth, but we must do
some studying before we see just how.
Every one teaches a profound .principle,
but it is not so evident in what way the
principle is to be applied. These are the
rules of Christian living, but they are rules
with exceptions manifold. And the appli
cation of the exceptions, Jesus Christ de
sires to leave with us. Tbey are not to be
obeyed slavishly in the letter, but wisely in
the spirit And we are left to learn that
wisdom. Because one of the purposes for
which Christ came into the world was to
make people think.
And so we come back to this hard saying
which we will take lor our study. And we
find that it is like a great many other hard
sayings of the Master, and that we must
think about it if we wish to understand it
To be contented with the surface meaning
is probably to miss the real meaning alto
gether. Whosesoever sins ye forgive, they are for
given: and whosesoever sidb ye retain they
are retained, xne .Lord cr trutn said mat,
and it is true. But how?
We do not get'any nearer, the meaning by
remembering that He said it to his apostles.
For, alter all, the apostles were but men
like the rest of ns. They were better inen,
no doubt, than the most of us. But still,
they were men. And, because men, there
fore ignorant, as the wisest are ignorant;
and prejudiced as the fairest are prejudiced;
and not able to look with perfectly clear
sight into anybody's heart Tbe apostles
could make mistakes, as we can. They
were not by any means infallible. And yet
they were to forgive men's sins, and to re
tain men's sins.
Tile Same Meaning Now as Then.
If that is an awful thing to say to-day in
the case of a man before whose name the
title "reverend" is written, it was just as
awful a thing to say a good many hundreds
of years ago in the case ot men bofore whose
names we write the title "saint." Shall
Peter forgive men's sins? Shall John for
give men's sins? It matters not what Peter
nor what John. It maybe a Peter or a
John who lives in Palestine, or it may be a
Peter and a John who live in Pennsylvania;
it makes no difference. The words mean
now what they meant then, and neither
more nor less. It is evident th'at tbey are
words which Jesus Christ felt to be
altogether fitting to be spoken to a com
pany of plain, good men. They did not
exceed the abilities of men. Aud the in
ference is that if they could be spoken to
men once, they can of right be spoken
under similar conditions, to any men and
anywhere. '
The words were addressed to the apostles,
at their ordination; that is, at their formal
and final commission to be tbe ministers of
Christ And they are used todjy upon the
occasion of an ordination; and with Christ's
meaning and no other meaning. We can
hardly hope to find a better pattern for an
ordination service than that which was set
by the Lord Christ himself.
The only question, then, is as to what
Christ meant If e can find that meaning
we have found the truth. And .we can find
it only by dint of thinking.
Let us determine, first, what the words do
not and cannot mean. For the truth is
never inconsistant with itself. When we
have learned one truth of Jesus Christ, and
have mastered it, then we have a clew to
whatever else He said. Because He evi
dently did not mean to contradict that All
new truth is true under the conditions of
the truth we knew before.
It is plain, then, that this hard saying
cannot mean any contradiction to the will
of God, nor any contradiction to the con
ditions of release from sin, nor any contra
diction to the true definition of forgiveness.
Set Among the Xiativcs.
Whatever commission our Lord gave to
the apostles it was not such as to leave Cut
of aecount the will of God. Neither Peter,
nor James, nor John, nor the whole apos
tolic company together, could free from the
burden ot sin any man whom God had not
freed, nor release irom the penalty of the
law of God any man whom God had not;
pardoned. The same condition which must
be attached to the rule of prayer "if the
Lord will" must be attached also to'the
rule of absolution. Ask and it shall be
given you if itplease God.' We absolve
you from your sins if it pleases God. This,
then, we may set among the negatives.
The commission to the apostles does not
mean anything that contradicts or sets
aside the absolute and final pardoning
power of God.
Neither does it overlook the inevitable
condition which is set in Holy Scripture be-
lore tne uoor oi paroon. That condition is
repentance. He who would be forgiven
must repent God is forever ready to for
give. God 'is our father, nud though we
may forget Him, He will never forget us.
Every prodigal son of God has a welcome
waiting for him 'at home. However far
away we may go from God, however we
may efface the divine likeness in us, and
seek adoption into the family of the devil;
still God is our father. Though a soul were
hidden in the depths of hell, still even in
that blackness God will see a child of His.
But the father waits. Pardon for sins de-
fiends not upon him, but upon us. God
as made it possible for us to turn away
from him, if wewwill; and to stay away
from him, if we will. He holds out His
hand, but we may not take it Thus there
is no divine giving without human re
ceiving; we must first be re
eemive to the blessintr. And since
repentance it essential If we would be recep- J
-20. 1893.
tive to the blessing of forgiveness, and it,
indeed, only another name for such recep-.
penitence there is no pardon. And this is
one of the eternal truths. The hard saying
must, accordingly, be read in the light of it
Neither Peter nor all the apostles, nor the
Pope, nor all the priests in Christendom,
can put away the sins of anyone who is not
penitent, nor keep back the divine pardon
irom any that repent.
Two Conditions Affect the Meaning.
Thus we have discovered two conditions
which affect the meaning of Christ's 6harge
to the apostles; it cannot set aside the will
of God, nor can it set aside the penitence of
man. There is a third condition; the word
"forgive" which is the heart of the sentence.
must be understood according to the trne
definition of forgiveness.
fow forgiveness is quite commonly in
terpreted to mean that the forgiven sinner
has fortunately escaped from the punish
ment which is due him for his sins. But
that is a mistake. The worst thing in the
world, according to Holy Scripture, is not
pain but sin. The most fearful calamity
into which a man can fall is not to be pun
ished even in the agonies of hell; it is to
be a sinner. Jesus Christ came not to save
us from the consequences of our tins, but to
save us from our sins themselves. And all
Bin inevitably involves a separation from
God. That is the fearful thing about it,
that it keeps us out of the light of the love
of God, And what we ought to long for,
and to long for so earnestly that everything
else Is but as nothing, is to get back' again
to God. And that is what forgiveness does
for us. It assures us of God's welcome, and
is our reception into His love again.
The sin has been committed, and all its
lesser penalties go on. Tbe penitent
drunkard is forgiven, but the diseases
which his transgressions have brought upon
him still rack his body with pain. The
penitent thief is pardoned, but the nails
still hold him to the cross, and he dies
there, just as the impenitent thief dies.
Absolution does not come in between sin
and these inevitable consequences of it
What absolution does, in God's name, for
the penitent soul, is to declare that the old
fatherly and filial relations are resumed.
It is a solemn assurance of the unchanged
love of God.
Out of Negation Into Definition,
Thus we get out of negation into defini
tion. Forgiveness is not to be understood
here as meaning that a man stands in the
place oi God. Take that, then, out of tbe
Idea of absolution. Neither is forgiveness
to be thought of here as separated from re
pentance, as making penitence unnecessary.
Take that, also, out of the idea of absolu
tion. Neither is forgiveness to be consid
ered here as meaning anything less than the
approval of God; it does not carry with it
a deliverance from the inevitable penalties
of sin. Take that, too, out of -the idea of
absolution.
What then remains? Why, this: That
"Almighty God, the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of
a siuner, but rather that he mav tnrn from
his wickedness and live, hath given power
and commandment to his ministers to de
clare and pronounce to his people, being
penitent, the absolution and remission of
their sins. He pardoneth and abiolveth all
those who truly repent and unfeignedly
believe Hit holy gospel." That is the be
ginning and the middle and the end ot it
The prieBt knows the love of God, he
learns the penitence of the sinner and he
stands between the two, where the Lord put
him, and speaking in his own name, as the
representative of Him who sent him, he
declares that the promises of God are stead
fast and that this penitent sinner is ap
proved of God. '
Ignorance and superstition and ambition
have taken 'these old words and read them
without relation to the gospel where they
stand, and have translated them into a lie".
They have left out the will of God, and
made pardon dependent upon the priest
They have left out the repentance of the
tinner and have made a. formal confession
to take the place of it They have set aside
the true meaning of forgiveness, and have
made it to signify release from the penalties
ol sin. And the result has been the enslave
ment of the conscience.
Nevertheless the race has ever cried for
absolution. Before the altars of all rejig
ions men and women have made their pray
ers for pardon. The world over there have
been priests to whom penitents have re
torted with the story of their sins, begging
lor assurance of forgiveness. Are we really
forgiven? Does the great, just, holv God
above really love us who have so offended
him? People ask that every day, and have
asked it from the beginning of the world
with tears. For to be with God, in harmony
with him, approved of him, is the deepest
longing of tbe human heart
Ji'o Adequate Answer From Man,
And no book can satisfy these anxious
questions; nor can any argument which a
man holds with his own soul provide ade
quate answer. We want a voice, the voice
of authority, the voice of assurance. We
want somebody who knows the law of
God, who is better acquainted than we are
with tho'spirit ot God, who can tell us, so
that his saying shall convince us, that our
longing is met and satisfied. Here am I,
burdened, thus and thus with lamentable
transgressions, this have I said, that have I
done, all these have I left undone, and ndw
I come to God. O, man ot God. thou who
Knowest God, what does God say?
The soul needs a physician. The sick sonl
looks out tremblingly" into the future and is
alraid of death. Such and such is my con
dition. O physician of God, must I, then,
die? And the physician answers, and tbe
answer brings the same comfort which the
good promise of the physician of the body
brings. One may encouragingly say this,
and another that, and ttlus and thus may we
speak with our ownselves, but there are a
great many people in the world who desire to
know what the physician says. That they
accept
And for this Christ has made provision.
It was of this which He thought when He
spoke the bard saying of the text. Go out
and tell men the best yon can how tbey
stand with God. Here it one whom you
know to be penitent; tell him that he is for
given. Here is another whom you believe to
be impenitent; tell him that his sins are
retained.
It may be in a quiet conversation between
two, where there is frank conleision made.
It may be in the midst of a crowded church
where the preacher declares the love of
God and His longing for the love of man.
And some hear, and turn to God, and the
burden of their tins is lifted; while others,
near, and turn away and sin again, some
have their sins forgiven; others have their
sins retained.
The man of God, in the name of the God
of love, declares to the penitent soul the
forgiveness of God. That, and nothing less
and nothing more, is absolution.'
Geokge Hodges.
THE BUN AND THE STABS.
Astronomy Now Claims That the Two Bod
ies Are About the Same,
Gentleman's Magazine.
The sun is a star and the stars are suns.
This fact has been a familiar one to astron
omers for many years. That the stars shine
by their own inherent light, and not by
light reflected from another body, like the
planets of the solar system, may be easily
proved. That many 'of them at least are
very similar to our own sun, is clearly
shown bv several considerations.
Three facts prove this conclusively.
First, their great intrinsic brilliancy com
pared witn their small apparent diameter,
a diameter so small that the highest powers
of the largest telescopes tail to show them
as anything but mere points of light with
out measurable magnitude. Second, their
vast distance from the earth, a distance so
great that the diameter of the eartii's orbit
dwindles almost to a point in comparison.
This accounts satisfactorily for tho first fact.
Third, the spectroscope that unerring in
strument of modern research shows that
the light emitted by many ot them is very
similar to that radiated by the sun.
Their chemical and physical constitution
is, therefore, probably analogous to that oi
our central luminary. The red stars cer
tainly show spectra differing considerably
from the solar, spectrum, out these objects
are comparatively rare, and may, perhaps,
be considered as forming exceptions to tbe
general rule.
IN CYCLES OF CHAOS
The World of the Present Was
Evolved to Its Existing State.
WORD PICTURES OP THE. PAST
Painted From Figments Scattered Through
the Kocky Strata,
THE MENTAL EVOLUTION OF HiN
rWBITTXX FOB THK PISPATCH.I
There is a most remarkable distinction
between the historic records of nature and
what may be termed the formulated record
of events by man. To one who goes btjek to
the border of archaean time and carefully
(cans the way through the paleozoic, the
mesozoio and then inters the tertiary,
viewt the eocene, the mlocene and the
pliocene ages, " then continues on
through the cenozoio up and Into
the age of man to such a one the petty
little record of human epitet and hatet, of
ignoble ambitions, of love and telfiihnesi,
dirt and distress, seem most amazing in
their contemptible and trivial nothingness.
It is interesting to trace the universal
history as written in that grand script as
revealed by paleontology and archeology;
the record is so broad, so general and so
devoid of bias, of egotism and special
pleading. It Is tbe calm authoritative
voice of the age that speaks, the tongue of
the unrelenting past, which, though dead,
is still mutely eloquent The extinct forms,
tho vanished races, tbe countless dead
tombed in the ground, the births and deaths
of hemispheres, the submergence and emer
gence of continents all these come back to
bim who girds and grips himself to the
work aud in the proper spirit knocks at the
doorfor knowledge.
Investljratlon Shuts Oat Imagination.
One soon learns, as in mathematics, how
little, prccouceived impressions are worth;
one soon sees that through it all prevails a
line of law and that all that is, or was, or
will be, is only the unfolding phenomena
along that line. There is neither need nor
room for the imagination; for the truth
itself, the mighty evolving faeu are in
themselves stranger and more wonderful
than any mere imagination could conceive
them. But there is no other way that man
may know and understand man. It is im
perative ao know the geology of his history,
to comprehend bis paleolithic pedigree.
In what wonderful relief stands out the
great drama ot creation as we view it in the
broad light of the sciences! Yes, the great
drama and the great tragedy, for the one is
complementary to the other, the inverse
and the obverse and the myriads
of forms that are impressed on the
great slabs, abundantly testify to trag
edy on a most colossal scale.
Through what slow stages man hath
Journeyed up! But what wild, unconcti and
almost wierd ages were those when lire nas
gross, crude; when all the brain there was
was Ion or brain; when eons of time passed
in ceaseles", savage strife, an( all the prog
ress there was could only come from the
slow operation of that harsh law, the sur
vival of the fittest! But everything was
crude, tlie conditions were coarse and the
forms that had developed in response to
them could do no more than respond to
their environment.
When Continents Itose and Tell.
But what cries and shrieks, what voices of
rage and despair there must have been on
land and water at the close of paleozoic and
in mesozolc time, and this continued prob
ably thousands of centuries into the age of
man! Then the terror of the catachysraie
nights, when large areas of the earth under
went reorganization, when sea and dry land
changed and exchanged, when continents
were Inundated, while others emerged
covered with ooze and slime, when life was
Bwallowed up and new creation ajxatn vir
tually took place from some chance seed
that escaped the general wreck!
In that earlier marshy time, life could not
have been otherwise tlian low. Even now,
tbe marsh is not tne home of the higher
forms. The tinge saurians and the families
of the Amphibia throughout were the gen
eral representatives of animal life, while
tbe eartli whs not yet ridded with mountain
wrinkles, while the ligneous basins were
still shallow, the land lo and but little that
might be termed day. Wonderful commo
tion was that that came when the
crust was yet thin, when the pent
np forces broke forth in molten rivers
surpassing a thousand Niagaras! Gravel
anctsand there were none, rook disintegra
tion had not yet set in years to the extent
of many tens of thousands had yet to pass
as witnesses of slow terrestrial develop
ment, bringing with them tho gradually un
folding of the creation which should later
stand rortli as the creative crowning aot,
uciuivua granuesb masterpiece:
The Cycles of Evolution.
As we now understand the correlation of
solar energy into it3 varrious forms, sun
light Into chemical affinity, that into heat,
tho lient into motion, motion into electricity
and electricity back again into mnlight,
may we not postulate that in a similar anal
agons way the varied life lorins. In tho
separate principles embodied in their
structure, are only correlations alo, of
the same Initial ener.-y? It may be
early yet to grasp this, but (t seems
to be a necessary corralary to that line of
creative law that the discerning student
sees extending through all the eons or the
past ages and which must just as Inevi
tably extend into at! the axes or the future.
What marvelous development there has
been in the quarter century Just past! What
unfoldlngs there will be when we date 1930!
The physical evolution of man is about
complete and is beginning to be compre
hended, his mental evolution and Intellec
tual emancipation is only commencing.
Thou mystic, silent past!
Strong are the bars that hold thy wide do
main And azos dark and vast,
Wonld hide Irom u thy Ions unbroken
reign.
Far back in early dawn.
What empires sleep In solitude and gloom!
In those grand cycles gone,
What mighty secrets hide within thy womb!
Must this forever be,
That to our asking shall no answer come.
That all that we may see
And know is this, that thou rcmalneth
dumbt
Ah, no! For on thy rocks
Is all thy hlst'ry graven, clear and plain,
And science now unlocks
Thy tombs and calls thy dead to life again!
TEE BABIES IN CHINA.
The Little Ones Are Put Through
Many
Strange Ceremonies.
Washington Star. ,
When a Chinese baby Is a month old it is
given a name. Its head is alo shaved for
the first time, a ceremeny which is called
"mumefut," and is mile the occasion of
great rejoicing in rich families. All mem
bers of the family are present in their holi
day attire, and the baby to be shaved is clad
in a ngnt red garment.
The hair that is removed is wrapped in
paper and carefully preserved. After the
barber has performed his task an aged man
who is hired for this purpose and receives
a small compensation lays his hands upon
the head ot the little one, and exclaims:
"Long may you live!" Those present
thereupon sit down to a great feast, of
wnicu even tue little hero of the day re
ceives his .-hare in the shape of a tiny pbece
ot the riceflour cake which was donated by
his grandmother! All who have made pres
ents (of clothing, bracelets, eta), to tbe
child since its birth are invited to this re
past. On this day the Infant is also pre
sented with a red bed, a low chair of the
same color, and a cap upon which either
golden, silver or copper ornaments repre
senting Iluddha or eight clierubs,or written
characters (that signify old age and riches)
nre placed. Belore the child is put into
the new bed, however, the lather consults a
calendar and selects a lucky day.
The almanac also informs' him which
things should be removed from the presence
of the child. In one instance it must not
touch or see objects made ot bamboo during
a certain time; in another instance articles
of copper aud iron are proscribed. Objects
which are denoted as harmful by tbe 'calen
dar are either concealed or taken away. s
"' THE CLUB WOMEN.
" "
Mn. Cams V. Slurriff.
The rirst Contribution. -,
It was hospital Saturday, a cold, wet day!
late in May. and the women of the Western!
Pennsylvania Ladies' Hospital Saturday;
and Sunday Association were arranging
their fragile yellow tables at the street corv
ners under wide-spreading umbrellas, witbj
a view to escaping all possible raindrops.
At tne corner oi JHitn avenue and Wood
street a group of ragged newsboys, with,
bundles of damp "extras" under their arms
and curiosity in their eyes, had gathered,
around to snifl longingly- at the flowers)
upon the table.
"I , say, Jack, it's for the hospital," an
nonnced" one newsy more erudite than hit
companions, who with great labor had
spelled out the sign attached to the contrfc
button box.
"Jack, I'm goin to give somethin'.
Onct I hed a broken leg an' they sent me tot
the hospital. They was mighty good to
mean' let's all give some money so when'
other fellers git broken legs they kin go
too.''
The suggestion was unanimously adopted
and a. collection taken up on the spot which
resulted in 15 well-polished pennies being
turned over to the prime mover. As having;
once enjoyed the distinction of "bein' in
the hospital" the first speaker was dele,
gated to drop the joint contribution into
tbe tin box.
That was the first contribution to ths
Saturday and Sunday Hospital Association.
AH day long the newsboys' interest in tha
collection never flagged. They seemed to
regard the big black boxes and the good
ladies who presided over them as their mas
cots, for with every three or four sales
made each urchin would drop a penny in
the box nearest or tempt Providence by .
saying:
"When I sell five papers I'll give
cent"
In the evening when the booths werd
closed the newsboys helped count the money
and were given a generous share of tbl
noivers they bad all day helped guard iron
marauding urchins irom abroad.
Every year the Newsboys' Home sends iA
its contribution to the hospital fund and the
mite of tbe homeless waifs really laid tha
foundation for the success of the venture
Ladies' Hospital Saturday add Sunday
Associations have long been in existence in
other cities. In Kew York inch women as
Mrs. Eliott Shepard, JIr?.G B. Huntington
and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt are active
promoters of the benevolence. The
association was organized in Pitts
burg two years ago. Mrs. Charles
J1. Sheriff, one of its charter members,
was immediately elected to the presidency
and has ever since held that office. Mrs.
St B. Montreville is secretary. Tha
avowed object of the association is the en
couraging benevolent gifts for hospital pur
poses at an annual convention by bringing
the claims of these organizations simulta
neously before the public. It has two col
lections during the year, a Sunday collec
tion in the churches on a certain appointed
date,, this year on the last Sunday in De
cember, and a street collection on tha
third Sunday of May. Last year the
money aggregated something like 515,000
for the joint associations.
President of Another Association.
Besides being President of the Hospita
Association Sirs. Sheriff is National Presi
dent of the orderknown as the Ladies of the
Grand Army of the "Republic It is com
posed of the wives, sisters and daughters of
soldiers, sailors or marines who served
honorably during the war and also army
nurses of good standing.
The object of the association is to assist
the G. A. K. in its mission or charity; to aid
needy members in tirue ot distress'or sick
ness aud to look after soldiers orphans'
homes. It has an advisqry board of veterans
and is one of the most influential, if not the
'most influential, association of women in
America, its work being indorsed and as
sisted by the G. A. E.
Mrs. Josie Slicker, of Pittsburg, has been
appointed by the President as National
Secretary, thus Pittsburg becomes the na
tional headquarters of the women's G. A. E.
work.
Mrs. Sheriff is one of the brightest and
most energetic of Pittsburg's many philan
thropic women. Her husband served
throughout the war, and had a thrilling ex
perience in one of the rebel prisons. He is
a leading manufacturer in the city, and
prominent in G. A. E. circles. Mrs. Sheriff
lives on Knoll street, Allegheny. She has
two children, a son, Charles, who is s
student at Princeton College, and a little
daughter of 12, as engaging a little maid as
mother's heart could wish.
Investigating a Seance.
There is a story told at the expense of
two members of the Women's Press Club,
which is causing considerable amusement
among the friends of those interested.
Both had been detailed to write up a
spiritualistio meeting at which a woman
medium and the spirit of Ichabod, a de
parted redskin, did some tampering with
the past or .future of the devout that savored
greatly of the marvelous. .
The two newspaper women's curiosity
was wrought to the highest pitch:
"I'd like to try it myself, but if I'd go
up to ask a question somebody would ha
sure to recognize me," said the" first news
paper woman, who is of an inquiring turn
of mind.
"Tell me something to ask and I'll go,"
taid the second, a recent acquisition to
journalism.
"Well, yon go up and ask what I'll lead
my society column with to-morrow. My
leader is 'up,' and if that question is an
swered right I'll believe in spiritualism."-
Up marched the investigator and took her
place at tbe end of the long row on the
mourner's bench, waiting their turn with
the medium. It was 8:30. Nine o'clock
came, and with it to both young women
visions oi irate city editors clamorous for
"copy." But both were bound to have It
out with spirits and editor. Half-past
nine came; botli inquirers breathed freely,
at last it was the newspaper woman's turn.
The yonng women leaned forward, their
ears strained to an intentness that should
have caught, the very flapping of Ichabod's
wings. The medium arose, and, turning her
eye upon the eager lace before her, said:
"It is now 9:30 and tbe meeting is closed
for tht evening."
The two newspaper women went back to
their offices and roasted the meeting to the
extent of half a column apiece, while the
city editor raised his nightly growl about
late copy and the general uselessne of
women in a newspaper office. And thus
two converts were lost to spiritualism.
Age Has Its Compensations.
'The life of,a woman," says Jenny June,
"previous to the existence of woman't
clubs closed generally at the age of 23. I
remember a remark which was once made
about a lady upon whom a gentleman was
calling and who invited him to come and
eele'brate her 23th birthday. He replied: -'I
am glad to know you are 25, for I draw
the line there; I 'never call upon a lady
alter tbe is 25.' The lady answered: 'I
begin to seo that age has its compensa
tions."-
rK
t
i
L-J-jlJL
r2Sutm