public. It is to be regretted, however, that in the
lands south of us where the Christian Protestant
religion is almost nowhere given its full rights,
the people have been far from following the ex
ample of that free institution which is our great
est blessing—the institution of religious liberty.
Now there is every reason to hope that after a
complete investigation and intelligent discussion
of these difficulties we shall not be long without a
remedy for some of them, if not for all.
But last in consideration, though first in impor
tance to the general welfare of thepe nations, are
the discussion and recommendation for adoption
to their respective governments, of some plan of
arbitration for the settlement of disputes and dif
ficulties which may arise between them, in order
that such disagreements may be peacefully settled
and wars prevented. This would be the most
valuable in every sense. The tax of war is the
heaviest burden that has ever been borne by any
nation in the past. If the congress should once
for all put an end to war among the nations of
America, it would be a magnificent advance
along the line of human progress.
It is impossible yet to say what will be the out
come of this congress. Of this much we may be
sure. It will do a great amount of good by the
simple meeting of representatives of so many
nations in friendly converse in the house of their
richest sister. The excursion over the country
by the delegates is alone worth all the cost of the
conference. It is a grand thing for sister nations
to meet. No nation except our own would pro
mote such an enterprise. No nation in Europe
would do it even if they could, for the jealousy
of kings does not permit peoples to meet.
Whatever may be the results of this congress this
much has come to pass: All Europe has watched
it with mingled incredulity, suspicion, and appre
hension. It marks the beginning of a better
time for humanity. It is perhaps for the conti
nent concerned, the setting up of an anvil on
which the sword may some day be beaten into a
plowshare. D. M. Taylor.
THE FREE LANCE.
A FAIRY TALE.
Tlioro's a tamarack treoon Nlttany hill
As stately as one tnay see, *
Ami let the weather be stormy or still,
•Tls all the same to the tree ;
For it clings to the ollff with its horny roots,
And buffets the gale with Its sinewy shoots,
And laughs at the ravage of wind and rain
In the vale bolow mid the corn and grain.
And llioy toll queor tales of the tamarack trao
On Nlttany’s beautiful brow;
They whispered them long ago to mo,
And they utter them boldly now:
They say, would you think it, that each Ilallowoon
The tree gtveß a party, and spirits in green
And spooks in yellow and russet and gray
Make the woods resound with their elfln play ?
The garrulous grouse comes there to woo
The little Olympian bear;
And the dandy dong likewise to sno
For the hand of the raven fair.
And they dance on the limbs of the tamarack troe,
And all are happy as happy can be,
While the bluo baboon with his flowery flute
Warbles soft strains from the land of Toot.
And the brlsky bat comes ambling down
On the rays of the mulberry moon;
And the squamold snake from the liquid lake
Flies up with the lovely loon.
And the mango bird with her robes of laco,
And ribbons, and ribbons around her faeo,
All flutter about on tlielr wings of jot
To the musto of banjo and castanet.
Not least among all those guests so lino
Is young Mr Plesiosaurus,
With his own wee wife and Ills daughters nino,
All the way from the village of Taurus.
And they ogle the others as round they go
On the tamuraok branches, now fast, now Blow;
Yet nobody minds Sir. Plesiosaur
With his gimlet eye and his lantern jaw.
So all night long with dance and song
On the boughs of the tamarack tree,
Those spirits delay till the breaking of day
Puts an end to their frolicsome glee.
Then the bat and the dong on the tips of their toos,
And the lunatic loon with the luminous noso
Lead tho rovellors forth from Nlttany hill
And the echoes sleep and the graves are still.
E. F. D.
The new Baptist University of Chicago recent
ly received a gift of $1,000,000 from John D.
Rockfeller in addition to the $700,000 already
contributed.