101 oi li*lill4.. etaietit, LETTERS IRON MRS. SWISSHRLIR. NUMBER BIX Worreiponderice of the Pittsburgh Gas ette.) The Responsibility of the churches. -. Among. the causes which conspire to fill, and - -- tt e honsee of ill fame, forcible rra dul nt abduction hold a prominent place; but for these, Christian people - are - not often re sponsible; and, in. discussing the subject it is prhicipally important to discover wherein they are to blame, as it is to them we must apply for the remedy.. It is the Gospel that must redeem the world,and whether that Gos pelis preached inside or outside the organi zations which take the name of Christian, it is to its preaching we must look for the • npliftinir of humity. In as far as an in . dividu or a ch ur ch is gcr — idened .- by l y .he law of hichn:intjot °Lone tittle cannot pass a ay until all be fulfilled," in just, far is or it, void of offence; and in_se T r as'professing - Christians Tall short o f i. e standard of the Divine law, in' just that far are they "a stumbling block, and rock - Of - offence.' ' In this position stands the great mass of Christians, and almost every branch' of thc4rofessedly Christian church. They are a stumbling block in this, that they follow i. -s permit their members to follow the lead lof the Parisian prostitutes who, dictate what our women shall wear and - when and how. It is a fact, too notorious for any one to plead ignorance of it, that the public prostitutes of Paris dictate what is, or, what is not to be worn; and that our Christian women bow to' their behests. One ollen wonders, as when they ordered tilting hoops, whether modesty isa virtue, whether it is a part of a true .woman's nature, or only a whim. The Empress who used to net our fashions,has •long since been laid upon the •shelf as a leader of the ton, and has found-herself unable to control the mode even in her own:drdwing roohere her husband's mistress has flauner new styles in the fade of the insulted wife; and American Christian women have adopted these styles. Of course these women invent lease tosuittheir own purposes; and we are gravely told that the virtuous *omen of Feria are obliged to imitate them or forego the admiration of their own husbands. In other words, the worst class of women in vent styles of dress for the worst kind of purposes, and respectable women enter into competition with them, for admiration,and fight the battle on the line laid down ythe enemy, , - • By far the most elegant toilette& I have ever seen were onstreet-walkers, outrrocLsinaing their shame, and writers tell us that the loose women of Baden. Baden far surpass, in elegancy of attire, any of the titled nobility who appear there; and, to my mirid, it is one of - the most 'unaccountable of all *unac countabilities that respectable women will consent to be convertedinto poor imitations ' of these magnificent moths. It is perfectly astonishing that they are not "left alone with their glory" until their contaminated finery is as disreputable . as Alm means by which it is obtained; bat, instead of con - tempt for the arts by which they lure souls - to destruction,oar Christian women render them that most subtle homage of imitation, and think, by adopting those same arts to produce a contrary effect from that for which they ,were contrived. Thus, they leave-the more vain and thoughtless of their sex without restraint in their love of finery, and that love lures more souls to destruc tion than any other cause, and perhaps more than all other causes combined. ' 1 Pashion and finery are so essential that she is a brave woman who dares gato church in a last year's bonnet; and to' zratify the love of dress, ofrather to avoid the suppos ed odium of being unfashionably dressed, thousands of women sell themselves like sheep in the ' shambles. Can we wonder that it is so when the Church and Christian communities have joined with the vile wo men of the Old World—the recruiting seri geants of Satan's army—to make their alure meats honorable ? Who shall answer for the lora souls, who have gone astray intheir attempts to be, like the grand ladies who sweep to communion tables in velvets and satins, loaded with ephemeral gew-gaw trimmings, which cost enough to support a family for a year, while the poor shiver with cold and hunger ? Who shall draw aside her dainty robes from the contaminating touch of a lost woman, when she has acted the part of tempter, in holding up a false standard of. respectability. Do not our fathionable ladies teach by - every act of their lives -that dress is the one thing needful, and what protest is made by those who profess to have come out from the world and to be separate ? How can we expect poor 'girls to stand alone and up right against an overwhelming public opin ion which sayithat beads, and bugles, and fringes, and folds, and:flowers, and feath ers, and a general conglomeration of fud dles, more costly than good clothes, and ephemeral as April anow, are essential to respectability? Christian women t or women whom the churches recognize as Christian, sacrifice the honor of their husbands, as business man, and the comfort of their chil dren, for trimmings; and what right have they to blame the poor girls who sacrifice their own honor on the cemmon shrine for a' little more fringe and lace ? What does a dress or' cloak amount to without the price being doubled for something to be flawed on it, or plastered over it, or hung to it in some kind, of way? : The garment itself is a small matter; 'but the trimmings, the „ . trimmings, and how to put them on 1 This is so great a perplexity, and so grave a mat ter of discussion; that I have sometimes wondered if we would not soon have a new • edition of the book of Comm= Prayer, and have it introduced into all bur, churches, with a special petition, for everyday of the year ' asking wisdom to decide how the dress shall be trimmed for that particular day. I intend no irreverence; for I do not under stand how a Christian can think and talk two-thirds of her time on a subject that she cannot pray about, and if-a woman's happi ness and respectability do really depend on • the kind of trimming she is to wear, and \ the forms in which it is put on, she ought to make it a subject of hourly prayer. How many professedly Christian women Make it the great• business of their lives to get dressed? No one should follow a business about which he or she cannot ask Divine di rection. If engaged in any such, he or she should ask , deliverance; and surely the Christian world never more needed deliver ance than now, for a frightful responsibility is resting upon her. She has joined hands with the man thieves, and partake - a with adulterrs, not only in connection with our ' crown ng national sin, but succumbing to the arts of the worst cfass of an infidel and • licentious people, who are teaching us to sacrifice houor -and virtue and domestic peace to the arta by which they lure men to destruction. t.Tntiln.onr churches shall make a stand against that inordinate love of ornament which sweeps all before it, we cannot hope to stay the licentiousness by which it was created, as a potent auxiliary. It has made • its way, as an entering wedge, into thous :ands upon thousands of homes which still hold its ugly another at bay; but thousands have entertained . the offspring: and found it ..a• precursor-to _the parent vice. As men. given over to a love of strong drink, will sacrifice all to gratify that love, so wo men given over to a love of finery will re sign all for a litte more gimp. Zexr,G. SwlssixtiLy. Pennsylvania leather-Stocking LCorrespondence Pittsburgh_Gazette.l To visit the Penneylvturla oil regions and not meet with some individual possessing characteristics which render him conspicu ous among all men, displays a lack of ob servation on. the part of the visitor. There are a few oil princes, with rough corners just disappearing from C their chW. acters,- fellows who, a few, years ago,' drove canal boat horses, broke stones or chopped cord Wood to gain &livelihood, but who, during the flush times of the oil mania, managed to get rich through the stupidity and cupidity of the petroleum hunters.' Then there are the.amellers, a race of beings endowed with supernatural - powers, who - sniffle about _a piece of land„at so many - - difeats per minute, to•disoover the presence of-"oil-away-down between the surface and , China. When the'smeller strikes the right place, his nasal, orgiin is attracted to the ground, and he fills in spasniato the earth. These paroxysms iast.a few monients; when .the charm is over, and the smelleses, drives down• a staker-ari at the exact spot Tor the drill, pockets his fee and marehes off., There are many who take large stock injhe supernatural powers of the smeller, sad would go their last dollar to follow his nose , in development. The faith in the ability of the smeller to scent out oil localities has been materially strengthened of late by the actual discovery of good sited for wells, and the fellows are reaping a rich harvest out of the credulity of those engaged in the devel opment of new territories. There are other eccentric classes worthy of place here, but we will take the better side of life for a brief sketch of a character who is universally known throughout the 1 region and who occupies a - large share of veneration and respect. By common con sent and custom he is familiarly called "Uncle Billy, the hunter," but he was christened, some seventy-one years ago, Wi 1- liam Groves. He was born of parents who were born before those of early pioneer settlers of .America. Originally from Bel gium—where many millions of dollars are now stowed away in judicial coffers await ing the claims to be made good of several brigades of the heirs of the first Groves who crossed the deep blue sea—this race of people brought into America many of the; traits and characteristics of der faderland, hat rapidly fell into the habits and customs of the wild country in which they had cast their lot, and became daring and, intrepid hunters and backwoodsmen. The early traditions of the State teem with exploits of bravery, endurance and achievements of the elder Groveses, and while Uncle Billy is the lent of the original stock who gave themselves.up to a senu-nomadic lite, he is nonkthe less a_ goad specimen of the pio neers who figuredhim. He was in troduced to life in 1 His father shared the glory of' sending A foot" into eternity „ by way of a bullet wound and the Ohio river, an adventure which made Major Brady famous in the history of the country. Uncle. Billy lithe very ideal of a hunter, a veritable leather-stocking. He is hale and hearty, 'quick in action, fleet-footed, wiry and Muscular. He has two sharp gray eyes '—all'good hunters have gray eyes—which are strangers to glasses, strong as those be longing to the ordinary run of people at one-third his age. There is a look intel ligence about Uncle Billy, an e air of a true American isovereign. s ruddy, ie . glowing face, having here and there deep set wrinkles, beams with benevolence and kindness. He moves with a quick, nervous stride, and thinks nothing of walking thirty or forty miles a day on a hunting excursion.' Let the grumbling, gouty old men at home, who are hauled about on easy chairs, and have scarce life enough -in their bodies to arouse from their languid inertness, think`of this and contrast their own condition with that of the old hunter of Forest county. Uncle Billy is a hunter from instinct, training and desire. He has a philosophy of his own, rude and crude, and yet broad enough to admit of no doubt as to its sin cerity. He holds that man was placed upon earth, not to maw a fortune, nor make his name illustrious. .Peace of mind, • content ment, happiness, and enjoyment, are the objects to be sought in this world of ours, rather than wealth, notoriety or fame. For full three score years Uncle Billy has satis fied hia ambition by attending to his farm in Summer time and through Fall and Win ter leveling his rifle at royal game and making the wildest retreat of the forest his castle. What cared he for the wealth poured forth at the feet of maze out of the bowels of the earth, so long as all the deer roaming' the wilds of Vemingo and Forest counties were not driven from his, reach, by the on- ward march of the army:, of speculators. He despised the tempting offers, running into tens of thousands of dollars, for the old farm - on which he, with his , faintly, lived and thrived, and lookPd 'upon the greedy site hunters witlknocharitablkeye, seeing in each one of them a full bontradictiop of his philosophical idecia of. life. _Uncle Nally did not envy his 3teißhbdre,pit French Creek, who rolled in wealth,. because, forsooth, they had chosen- to; change places with men of capital . ; but; prosecuting his agricul tural labors with becoming zeal i felt satisfied that want and hunger remained from his doors. The harcest was before him ; the forest with its bountiful wild game, his rifle, his eye, his unerring shot, remained to strengthen his ideas of contentment, and he was hapPy. Could all men partake of his self-satisfied nature, a happy world we would have. Uncle Billy is as full of thd anecdote of adventure as any other livin- e' man on the face of the globe. . He has bad dealings with everything and 'everybody short of Beize bub. Some of his stories would put the best contributors of the New York Ledger -to shame. Uncle Billy would run on all 'day, and night, too, in interesting story, if we had the time to listen to him.' He would prove a'fortune to any author •of the 41- vanus ' Cobb school of literature, as he could,'out of his own experience, furnish fit has hun fought shot Indiana, flongdrawn out f"d s e trri llh e g s. and wolves, and hears. and snake., and panthers, from Maine to \ Mexico. He knows every strip of forest in the State by heart, has a name for every towering hill 'or mountain, has islands marked with unerring fidelity, and creeks,and runs; and river bends traced with marvellous accuracy ,on the map of his brain. He can track a deer or follow shear any number of miles by the faintest trail, and as a marksman is truly perfect. While hunting with him, he\ was disap pointed that he had no fair opportuaity of displaying his rifle skill, and in the absence of game he determined to waste two bullets for his own glorification. Seeing, fully fifty yard from him, a stick of wood, about one, inch in - diameter, standing horizontally in the middle of a 'Mallow spot in the river, he. took aim straight from his shoulder and the bullet sped to its mark, cutting it in twain. "That would have torn the antlers from a back," coolly remarked Uncle Billy, in a tone of self-satisfaction with the result of his shot, •"btit now I'll show you how I would blind the eye of a benr at one hundred PrrrSEURGn a A rETTE : WEMEsfulr. DrelltlTA 1968: . yards.'! - Polntlog to a tiel!,cate B p ° t of white moss on a tre4 a b out t i ut . t , distance away, he took aim . "and the bull.et, faithfulto a nicety, drove tie mark into the 13ark: 'Our eyes be, tigt of a muchlater style than Uncle BR sys, we followed nit and shots bullet clear —of the tree, a result by no means flattering to our vanity. Altogether, our hero, is a study. A man 43f sound sense, of well cultured mind and self started train of thought, he is for aught we know to, the - contrary, the best living type of the: American hunter and back woodsman. - He averages one hundred deer and considerable other game every winter season, which brings him a handsomireve ne. He is of a religious turn of mind too, but adheres to no sectarian belief finding the foundation of , his faith in the grandeur of nature. He . knows God through His handiwork, and worships Him in the temple of the Forest, where awful si lence forever reigns, and where unspoken sermons, more powerful than man could utter, lay unction to his soul from the rocks and rills about him. On the Sabbath, with no eye but that of - the God Eternal resting upon him, Uncle Billy enjoys repose, and would not harm' anything breathing life. He observes the Lord's day because it is the Lord's day, not like those laying higher claims to chnstianity, governed by the wbrld's opinions rather than the promptings oT conscience. Uncle Billy believes that his hunting days are drawing to a close. He reads in the many years through which he has passed the - penalty ,of mortality—the warning that death can not be far distant, but he trembles not. Having, abiding faith in'the merits of his Redeemer he is ready to pass away when the awful summons .comes. He has a presentment that he will die suddenly; all of 'his forefathers have died aged, but without many hours for immedi ate prepiration. Sickness has been a strangerto him through life, and he feels that when the human machinery which now propels him forward becomes disordered, a general breaking up will take place, and the engine of life will suddenly stop forever. He would be buried in the forest where the mighty chorus of nodding trees chant end less praises to the Creator, and where Nature forever holds communion. with Nature's • H. TEETH EXTRACTED wrx-Erotrx - P - A.IN I _ • NO CHARGE MADE WHEN ARTIFICIAL TEETH ARE ORDERED, . • /um. err rou AT DR. SCOTT'S. APIS PENN LITHIUM, BA DOOR ABOVE HAND, ALL WORK W CALL AND EZ ME. ' • •WiTIAT GAS WELDON Si . KELLY, 4 Manatsoterers and Wholesale 'Dealers In . Lamps, Lanterns, Chandeliers • AND - LAMP. COODS. . Also, CARBON AND LIIBILICATING OIL% 33E.N.Z . 17 4 00,, &o. •• - - NO. 147 Wood Street. 8e :n4Y Between sth and 6th AVollnell. PIANOS. ORGANS, &O. "RUH THE BEST_, AND CHEAP. BST PIANO AND ORGAN. • Schontaeker's Gold Medal Plano, • AND ESTEY'S COTTAGE ORGAN, Mite SCHOMACKEB PIANO combines all the !idea valuable improvements known in the con struction of a first class instrument. and It u always been awarded the highest premium wherever ex hibited. Its tone is pat, sonorous and sweet. The workmanship. for durability and beauty, surpass all others. Prices from $5O to $l5O. (according to style and finish.) cheaper than all other so-called Scat class Piano. ESTEYI.COTTASE ORGAN Stands at:the head of all reed Instnimezta. In pro.. diming the most perfect pipe quality of tone of any similar Instrument In the United States. It is elm. pie and compact in construction, and not liable to get out of order. CARPENTER'SPATENT' " VOX HUMANA TREMOLO" Is only to be found In this Org.J. Price tram $lOO to $550. All guaranteed for. five years. / B.Mts /CURE & BURITLER, BT. CLAIR STREET. GLASS, CHINA, CUTLER 100 WOOD. STREET. ORLYAI GLASS AND • • QUEENSWARE, SILVER PLATED WAGS, PARIAH STATUETTES, BOREILLiN GLASS, And other STAPLE AND FANCY GOODS, a great variety. 100 WOOD STREET. RICHARD R. BREED & CO. 31;10: cl.; 41, • KOJI B TIEGEL, (Late Cutter with W. Hespeaheitle.) arraten-ANT No. 53 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh. se213:111 NEW FALL GOODS. CrWICHIEI, CASSIME2RES,dco. • Jun received by HENRY MEYER. Merchant Tailor. 13 Smithfield street., SEWING MACHINES. THE GREAT AMERICAN COM BINATION. BUTTOIMOLE OVERSIXIIING AND - SEWING KELCE/NE. IT HAS NO EiIiVAL, . I BEING ABSOLUTELY THE BEST MIME A t s MACHINE IN' THE WOR D,AND IN TRINSICALLY THE 0 EArEbT. All'Agents wanted to sell this octane. , 4:51 - lAlg. C. 43 ir.myst, Agent Ibr Weate, Penosvivants. Corner FIFTH AND MAMIE STREETS, :or It lehardeon , e Jewelry Store. WALL PAP ' S N EW WALL PAPERS, For Halls, .Pcvrlora ancAChambers, • NOW OPENING, AT 107 market St., near Fifth AVery JOS. R. HUGHES & BRO. eels: DENTISTRY 100 WOOD STREET. A splendid newstoeli of DRY• GOODS. 54. •.......~..._...~....~ 54. KITTMNG EXTRA HEAVY Bead Fl el, A VERY LARGE STOOL, mc:) on'erela, LAT GOOD STYLES. NELROY, DICKSON Sz' CO, WHOLESALE DRS G4:::103002B, epigh • WOOD STREET. . ig s ,11 cll c 0 m ::; ; Iai:1 ,1 ;; A 4fr ri IE; wl. rileop4 r4= w. g I A = IL H ...1 isi zrA :!!, Id g 0 o +r a co w 4 0 : 1 1 la A 24 i 2 g F- 0 i r a i g o z 0 a ! Va 0 - in - 4 ri il 4 , A g HOLIDAY PRESENTS, AND WHERE, TO GET THEN. _ J. M. BURCH:MLR 41 C 0.,. 52 ST. CLAIRSTRE I XT, Him just opened a a beantlfal,assortment of DRESS GOODS, Suitable for useful presests, which they are selling at lower prices than can be found in the city. POPLINS, DELAINSS, ALPACAS, IdERINOS, SILKS, CLOAKING morns, PAISLEY SA AWLS; PLAID btIA.WLS, • Table Linens, Napkins. Towele, Linen and Cam bric Handkerchiefs for Ladles and Gents. Every descriptlon'of DRY GOODS at lowest east ern prices. • No. 69 St. Clair, near Liberty St. de2 87• MARKET STREET. 87 . NEW 4S; I- 0013 1 S ! WATERPROOF—aII colors and qualities. CASSIMERES—•tor Ken's and Boys' Wear. - LADIES , CLOAKINGS—Large assortment. FRENCH-AND ENGLIBII MERINOS. - IRISH POPLIN—SI.OO per yard. VELOUS POPLINS. - • SILK POPLINS. PALERMA CLOTH—tbr Sults. BLACK SICILIAN LUSTRE'S. BLACK AND 'COLORED EMPRESS CLOTHS— Large varlet/. VELVETEENS—for Salts. ELECTRIb :cLonts. ' Large assortment of PLAIDS.' ' • Fall stook of DRESS GOODS, at Lowest Eastern Prices. - THEODORE. F. PHILLIPS', 87 MARKET STREET. X 168....... • . 7 -.4, • 16S. NEW GOODS. NEW. ALPACCAS. NEW MOHAIR. BLACK SILKS. HOSIERY and GLOVES . IP. SOUCY, No. 168 Wylie S9treet.,43 168. 168. GARB, MCCANDLESS & co.. (Late Wilson, Carr & C 0.,) WHOLZBALZ . DEALIRI .121 t Foleign and Domegie Dry Goadsi No. 94 WOOD STREET. Third door abo+re Diamond alley. PITTSBURGH. PA. LITHOGRAPHERS. IinIIJANIN IsureirmLY maim. OLBIB. Q INGE.HLY tr & CLEIS, SUCCOSBO2I t PRAC CAL o L m ITHO C. HERS. The only Steam Lithographic Establishment West orate Mountable. Business Cards, Letter Beads, Bonds, Labels, Circulars, Show Cards, Diplomas. Portralie, Yaws, Certificates of Deposits Invita- H o y 'Duos, as,. N05..111 and 7* Thl&streeS, Pricien4s, OARPTAITt3 AND OIL CLOTHS: AN" - REDUC'rIO • . - . _ OMR REGULAR DECEMBER CLEARANCE BALE isnow Mllylnaugarated, 'at Crises teat sr cure BETTED BARGAINS THAN EVER BE. 70101, CALIEtiPiE r r S 9 OIL CLOTHS, MATTINCS, '&c., Good Carpets for 25 cents a Yard. - OLIVER • , M'CLINTOCK AND COMPANY, No. 23 Fifth Street. REDUCTION ! 1 , CARPETS, cam. ‘Ol-.O°P3EICSI deo.) deo. We offer our stock at reduced prices for a SHORT T.IIIIF. before commencing to take stock. Noir is the time to buy. BOVARD, ROSE & CO., 21 Firrit AVENUE. de4:dftwir TAXING . STOCK. PRICES OF CARPETS GREATLY REDUCED ! Our Stock is now unusually kirye and well assorted in every lirut. We offer great indileetnents to buy now. DI'CALLUDI BROTHERS, 151'FIFTH AVENUE. now DECEMBER 1868. FOR 30 DAYS ONLY CARPETS ALIT 1:1-Mer.AELIOILa LESS - THAN WHOLESALE PRICES - • We offer _ FOR A FEW VV.LEKS ONLY our goods at a large reduction from regular rates. Our - stock is full and complete in all departments, and we shall sell the best qual ities and styles of Carpets at prices -at which we cannot re place them, giving our cus tomers an opportunity of ob taining Bargains that may never be offered again. This special sale will continue only until the time of taking our annual inventory of stock at the end of this month. lI'FARL AND & COLLINS, 71 AHD 73 FIFTH ANUS CRACKER BAKERIES. yj ~ .;,":: 17 0 'S' '7 ' "- -" '''ri_P f •,' : ' ''rn ‘3 ••!. ' , ect zi ri :. ..') c , Y i;.. 1 , IQ I : *. ' ?" ;t i.. ED pc.