THE INVALID.
My! but I've been awful sick! Teacher sent me roun' some flowers.
Ma says I was out my heai— Shucks ! I wi.-sht that they wuz Jell,
Runnin' rnces. playiu' tag— Like the tumbler that I ate—
An' such funny things I said ! But you mus'n't no an' tell.
Wisht that I couid 'meinbor what An' I'd like some choc'late cake,
I wuz doln'then; but. gee ! An ico cream an'peanut stick—
Course 1 cau't. No feller could. These things never, never 'd do.
I wuz 'iirious, you see! Says the doctor, when I'm sick.
I've been 'way from school a week, I wuz sicker''n anyone.
Don't know when I'll go again; Jimmy Deane—he thought he wliz
'Spec't will be a good long time, Orful sick; but, pooh! I beat
Though the doctor says I'll men' Him clean out of sight, becuz
Pretty fas', cuz I'm a boy— It'll be a munf, nt leas',
But I guess 'twill take a sight 80 ma says, 'fore they dare let
More days than lie thinks it will, Me eat stuff—an' then I can't
'Fore I'm feelln' jus' all right. Goto school all day. I bet!
—Edwin L. Hitbin, in Puck.
A A A A A ji, a . A
1 ODDIE'S WOOL SOCKS.
<
i A Story of a New England Courtship. Ik
John Sylvester came up from the
field where ho had been working aud
went into the barn chamber which
he hud occupied since his second
cousin, Ellejenette, had come to live
with him and his mother in the five
roomed farm house.
"Oddie! Oddie!" called his mother,
as he crossed the path which led to
the kitchen porch.
He neither answered nor looked at
hev, and disappeared within the shad
ow of the great barn door.
"What's he come up to the house
for. Ellejenette, do you know?"
Ellejenette signified that she did
not.
Mrs. Sylvester took her knitting
and place I herself upon the kitcbeu
porch, so that she should not fail to
see her sou when he emerged. She
was past 70 years old, and a natural
propensity toward inquisitiveness,
sedulously cultivated through a long
life, showed itself in the unlovely
form of a thirst for knowing the most
trivial things her sou did. Ellejenette
often wondered at John's patience,
an 1 warmly sympathized with his
trials.
"I don't see what he's after up
here, this time o' day! Ellejenette,
fetch them peas and shell 'em out
here! I want some company."
"I suppose lie's through work to
day," Ellejenette ventured.
"Why, 110, he isn't, Ellejenette.
What are you thinking about? Don't ;
you know he said at dinner he
shouldn't be through with the south
meadow before tomorrow night?"
Sho rose, walked across the grassy
yard, aud standing in the barn door
called again, "Oddie! Oddie!"
Presently she returned.
"I can't get nothin' out o' that fel
ler etcept 'All right, pretty soon.'
Ellejenette, you go uud call him. He
always answers you."
"Oh, I don't want to now, Aunt
Cha-lotte! I will when he comes
down. Won't that do?"
"Well, yes, s'pose so. Strange he
left off work this time o' day,"and
Mrs. Sylvester continued tj ring the
changeson this theme,tillEllejenette's
mind wandered far away,aud she took
refuge in day dreams from the fretting
and nagging.
The round, fat peas slipped from
their cases rapidly under her deft fin
gers; she did not need to keep her eye
ou her work, and looked instead out
into the lovely summer world. Her
ho ne for the first 20 yea so' her
life had been in a tenement house in
a large city, its surroundings little
short of squalid. Her father was a
hard-working mechanic of small cali
bie, her mother always an invalid; the |
two died within a few months of each
other, and, oh! how gladly had Elle
jenette given up her position a< sales
girl in a department store and come,
at Mrs. Sylvester's request, to make
her home at the farm.
Johu came out of the barn. Elle
jenette saw that his working clothes '
were gone and he was dress >d in his
Sunday best—all except "
"Oddie! Oddie!" screamed Mrs.
Sylvester. "Where are you going?
Why didn't you tell me you wero
going away?"
"I'll be back pretty soon," said
John, rolling out the light wagon,and
amo lieut later leading out the driv
ing horse.
"Can't you tell us where you're
going.' ' pursued Mim. Sylvester.
"What you so secret al o 1 ? Should
think you wore going courting." Her
gaze reached his leet, aud her quer
ulous tones fell to a shocked and dis
mayed key. ".John Sylvester, you've
got 011 your wpol boots!"
"Well, mother,'' replied Johu, "if
you'll only stop calling me O Idie, I'll
keen them 011 night and day."
"Ton go take those boots right off!
I know where you're going! You can't I
fool me, and you cau't make such a
show of yourself! You're going to
that wedding, you know you be!" |
screeched the old lady. "I guess Tip
Farnhain won't like it very well for !
you to ma"ch into church with them i
wool boots 011 and all you're Sunday I
clothes. How you look! Folks wou't
get through talking for a year! Elle- ;
jenette, you speak to him!"
Ellejenette shelled peas.
"I should think you'd be ashamed!
All the Famhums' city boarders will
be there. Go get your other boots
011! You sha'n't behave so! You
just "
John was in the wagon, rolling |
smoothly over the grass aud out into
the dusty road. As he passed Elle
jenette an early summer apple spun
across the short, crisp growth and
stopped at her leet. As she picked
up the gift she saw Johu's eyes
twinkle, and she nodded her thanks. 1
"I do declare!" Mrs. Sylvester be
gan to whimper, coming back to her
seat and doaling the kitten, who had i
been playing cat's cradle with the
yarn, a hearty slap. "Seems as if
' that boy was possessed. Tip Fnruliam
| wanted liiui to stand up with liim and
,be wouldn't, Oddie wouldn't. He's
so bashful "
Ellejenette had her own opinion
about John's bashfulness.
"Now, the Methodist church is
going to be filled cram full of folks
: this afternoou. You see if it ain't.
I Tip's gill's got lots of relations over
at Salnb: ity Four Corners, and they'll
: everyone be there. Ellejenette, did
I you know Oddie could have had that
girl if he wanted her? And now he's
going to her wedding in that nice gray
suit and them old wool boots! Oh,dear,
• oh, dear! Old folks might as well die
as soon as their children are grown up
to do as they've a mind to!"
"Aunt Charlotte," said Ellejenette
with a now-or-never feeling, for she
had long ago resolved to make this re
mark to her aunt when she had an
opportunity, "don't you think John
would be more communicative some
times if you didn't irritate him at first
off by calling him that—that pet
name?"
Elle.'ejiette considered Oddie any
thing but a pet name, but she thought
she would put it this way.
"I.and alive, child, I've always
called him Oddie. He always was
odd; he's odd now,going to a wedding
with wool boots on—wool boots!" and
the song continued with variations
throughout the afternoon, till even
patient Ellejenette was delighted
when 5 o'clock came aud she might
make a move toward preparing the
evening meal.
John returned, but Ellejene'te did
not hear him, as she and worked
in the roomy kitchen. The first she
knew of his arrival was when he passed
thrnugb to the milk room.
"Time to milk before supper?" he
asked,co uiug out with the milk pails
011 his arm. He had resumed his
working clothes, and still the wool
boots were in evidence.
"I guess so," said lillejeuette,peep
ing surreptitiously through a crack of
the oven door at her jr,huny cake.
"But hurry up."
Instead of hastening he stood look
ing a! the young girl, and Ellejenette
added: "Was the wedding a nice
one? Did you have a good time?"
"Welding! What wedding?" said
he."l haven't been to any wedding,"
aud went out with the milk pails mak- 1
iug a little clink, clink as he strode
down the path.
Ellejenette found herself wondering
as to his absence, and mentally shook
herself for so doing. "I'm getting as
bad as Aunt Charlotte," she said to
herself. "I'm bound I won't be so
inquisitive, if it kills me," and she
tied on her sun hat and went out to
the strawberry bed, picking straw
berries until John came with the milk.
"I've got something nicer than you
have," she called to him, showing her
rosy treasures.
He pretended to clutch a handful,
and she ran before him into the house.
He looked at her with animation as
sho sped. Ellejenette had a snub
nose and a wide mouth, but John did
not know it; he saw only a pretty
smile aud a creamy skin, and thought
Ellejenette was a beauty. He loved
her because she always called him
John. Ellejen 'tte did not know that
John had sandy hair and was too
broad for his height; she saw only two
bright blue eyes and a candid, heart
some look. She remembered with
joy that he sometimes called her Ellie.
■Tliese two were on the way to beconi- I
ing engaged, but neither of them yet
knew it.
Ellejenette flitted blithely about the
supper table. First of all she made
Mrs. Sylvester comfortable, with her
cricket under her feet, her shawl on
the back of her chair and her "eating
glasses" (in contradistinction to her
"reading glasses") in readiness by the
side of her plate. Ellejenette passed
Johu hiscnp of tea next.
"Did you look in this?" inquired
he. "Because if you did you need't
pass the sugar."
"No, I was afraid I should turn the
milk," said she; and at this truly
choice wit both laughed. But not so
Mrs. Sylvester; the maid was yet un- j
born who could make Aunt Charlotte
laugh when she was brooding over
her woes.
"Did you goto the wedding, Oddie?"
said she.
"No, ma'am," said John.
"Well, then, where did you go?"
"Oh—up in town, to the postoffioe
—and here's a letter for you—l most
forgot it."
Mrs. Sylvester took her letter with
rapturous welcome. She seldom re
ceived one. This was a collection of
circulars, detailing the miraculous
cures wrought by a patent medicine,
and containing portra Is and letters of
individuals who had used the reaiedy.
It entertained Mrs. Sylvester the
whole evening, and she went to bed
happy, announcing that she would
buy a bottle the first time she went t«
the store.
Uuwearied as ever, Mrs. Sylvestei
commenced early iu the morning ou
the undying subject of John's attend
ance at the Fnvnham wedding. She
asked what pew he sat in; the number
and names of the attendants. She
begged for the items of the bride's
dress and the bridegroom's behavior.
She made a requisition for detailed
information regarding tho wedding
supper.
"Why don't you tell her you were
not there, John?" said Ellejenette
boldly. "Don't tease your mother."
John laughed good humoredly, and
hostilities we e ended for the moment
by the arrival of a neighbor ou some
farm business. But "Elle.enette's re
solve not to grow so inquisitive as
Aunt Charlotte was put to a severe
test. It was so slrange, she thought,
to see John dressed up in those nice
clothes of bis, which he hardly evei
wore to the village to do errands, aud
yet keeping on those coarse, heavy
wool boots, shabby with farm work.
She could not put it out of her mind,
mainly because Mrs. Sylvester dwelt
on it so long and persistently. If
Johu was not at the wedding, where
was he? And loyal Ellejenette knew
he was not at the wedding, because
he said he was not, aud John always
spoke the truth.
Days passed at the farmhouse, as
they do everywhere, filled with the
trifles of work and play which make
up human existence. Neighbors
called and satisfied Mrs. Sylvester's
thirst for knowledge concerning the
wedding; they assured her Johu was
not present. Ellejenette kept the
household running smoothly.
1 Oue moonlight evening John.smok-
I ing (in the porch, spoke through the
open window to Ellejenette inside.
, "liuve you seen liow this moon
flower vine lights up iu the evening?'"
■ he said.
"Now, Oddie, doVt you call her
j out there. She'll catch cold," fretted
| Mrs. Sylvester.
But Ellejenette had already passed
| through the door. She turned to gc
iu agaiu. John caught her hand and
gently pushed her into a scat.
"I thought I'd tell you where I was
i the other day,"he said, throwing
away his cigar and producing a packet
from his pocket. "I only went, to sit
for some pictures. You asked me to,
you know. My boots didn't take. I
didn't goto the wedding. I shan't
goto any wedding until I goto my
own,and I shan't goto that one unless
you'll go, too. Will you, Ellie?"
His arm slipped about her waist;
his rough cheek pressed her soft one;
their lips met.
"Oddie! Oddie! What are you
doing out there?" arose the shrill,
tremulous voice of his mother.
John turned aud lco'ted through
the window. She saw tiis happy face
and the dim outline of Elle euetto be
hind him. For once in his life John
answered his mother without hesita
tion.
"I am courting Ellie," he said.—
Springiield Republican.
QUAINT AND CURIOUS.
An ingenious person residing at
Little Bock, Ark., has ] atented an iu
fla'able boat. One gets into it, sits
down, fastens a sheet of rubber about
his waist and blows the thing up.
This done, nothing can sink it. The
craft, moreover, may be adapted for
the use of two or more occupants if
desired.
A woman handles the mails iu the
smallest postoftice building in the
United States. It is in San Diego
county, t'al., between Sail Diego and
Escondido. The structure began its
career as a piano box, and is six feet
high. There aretive private boxes ou
one side fastened by Yale locks, and
two stages stop daily to take and de
liver mail.
A strange fatality was noticed among
the turkey fl .cks iu Utica township,
Indiana, and a post-iuorte 11 was had
over the body of a line gobbler which
suddenly succumbed. When the fowl's
throat .was cut open it was found to
contain a live bug which resembled
the old-fashioned pinching bug. It
had caught the gobbler by the wind
pipe and choked the fowl to death.
Other deaths were traeed to the sume
cause.
A freakish rainstorm was witnessed
one afternoon recently by I'hiladel
phiaus. On the west side of Broad
street, between S'ine and Spring Oar
den streets, people had their umbrel
las up, while on the east side not a
drop of rain fell. The dividing line
of the shower was tho middle of the
street, the mark being as straight as
if made with a rule. Ha lit not been
for the city ordinance governing bicy
cle riders ou Broad street, the unfor
tunate "bikers" who were caught iu
the rain could have crossed over aud
ridden ou tho dry side. While they
had to take the wetting tho pedes
trians who were without umbrellas
hurried over to where then ia fell not.
A remarkable pebble, which, was
picked up somewhere in Egypt, that I
land of dark mysteries, is in the pos
session of a well-known lapidist in
Philadelphia. The stone is translu
cent, aud at a casual glance looks like
an ordinary seashore pebble. It is
about, half the size of a walnut aud
oval in shape. When the stone is held
to the light its remarkable peculiarity
is beheld. Inside is a drop of water
that circles about the interior. How
it ever got there is n mystery that
nature alone could solve. The sur
face of the stone is perfect, but there
is no doubt of the hollow interior.
The pebble is only interesting as a
curiosity, but many wealthy institu
tions have offered good round sums of
money for it.
DR. TALMAGE7S SERMON.
SUNDAY'S DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: A Heavenly Guard—Ml*ston of
the Ansel*— Have Much to Do With
the Every-day ASalr* ot I.ife—A Guard
ian Angel For Every One.
[Copyright, Louis Klopscli, 1895.1
WASEIITGTOX, D. C.—The brilliant beings
supposed by some to be Imaginary are by
Dr. Talmage In this sermon shown to be real
and to have much to do with our every-day
life. The t'#xt is, Judges xltl., 19, "And
the angel did wondrously."
Fire built on a rock. Manoah and his
wife had there kindled the flames for sac
rifice in tho praise of God and iu honor of
a guest whom they supposed to be a man.
But as the flame rose higher and higher
their stranger guest stepped into the flame
aud by one red leap ascended into the
skies. Then they knew that he was an
angel of the Lord. "The angel did won
drously."
Two'hundred and forty-eight times does
the Bible refer to the angels, yet I never
heard or read a sermon cn angelology.
The whole subject is relegated to the
realm mythical, weird, spectral and un
known. Such adjournment Is un-Scrlptural
and wicked. Of their life, their character,
their habits, their actions, their velocities,
the Bible gives us full length portraits, and
why this prolonged and absolute silence
concerning them? Angelology is my
theme.
There are two nations of angels, and
they are hostile to each other—tile nation
of good angels and the nation of bad an
gels. Of the former I chiefly speak to
day. Their capital, their headquarters,
their grand rendezvous, is heaven, but
their empire Is the universe. They are a
distinct race of creatures. No human be
ing can ever join their confraternity. The
little child who In the Sabbath school
sings, "I want to be an angel," will never
have her wish gratified. They are super
human, but they are of different grades
and ranks, not all ou the same level or the
same height. They have their superiors
and inferiors aud equals. I propose no
guessing ou this subject, but take the Bible
for my only authority. Plato, the philoso
pher. guessed and divided angels Into
supercelestial, celestial aud subcelestlal.
I>lonyslus, tho Areopagite, guessed and
divided them into three classes, the su
preme, the middle and the last, and each
of the-e Into three other classes, making
nine iu all. Plillo said that tile angel 3 were
related to God, as the rays to the sun.
Fulgentlus said that they were composed
of body and spirit. Clement said they
were Incorporeal. Augustluo said that
they had been in danger of falling, but
now are beyond being tempted. But the
only authority on this subject that I ro
spect says they are divided into oherubim,
seraphim, thrones, dominations, principal
ities powers. Their commander in chief
is Michael. Daulel called him Michael.
St. Johu called him Michael. These
supernal beings are more thoroughly or
ganized than any army that ever marched.
They are swifter than nuv cyclone that
ever swept the sea. They are more radiant
than any morning that over came down
the sky. They have more to do with your
destiny aud mine than any being iu the
universe except God. May the Angel of
the New Covenant, who Is the Lord Jesus,
open our eyes and touch our tongue and
rouse our soul while we speak of their
deathlessness, their intelligence, their
numbers, their strength, their achieve
ments.
Yes, deathless. They had a cradle, but
will never have a crave. Tho Lord remem
bers when they were born, but no one
shall ever see their eye extinguished or
their momentum slow up or their existence
terminate. The oldest of tlieru has not a
wrinkle or a decrepitude cr a hindrance,
as young after 6000 years as at the close of
their first hour. Christ said of tho good
in heaven, "Neither can they die any more,
for they are equal to the angels." Yes,
deathless are these wonderful creatures of
whom I speak. They will see world after
wor'.d go out, but there shall bo no fading
of their own brilliance. Y'ea, after the last
world has taken its last flight they will be
ready for the wid'jst circuit through Im
mensity, taking a quadrillion of miles In
one sweep as easy as a pigeon circles a
dovecot. They are never sick. They are
never exhausted. They need no sleep, for
they are never tired. At God's commaud
thev smote with deatU In one night 185,000
of Seunacherib's host, but no fatality can
smite them. Awake, agile, multlpotent,
deathless, imrnortai!
A further characteristic of these radiant
folk is intelligence. The woman of Tekoah
was right when she opoke to King David of
the wisdom of an angel. We mortals take
In what little we know through eye and
ear and nostril and touch, but those beings
have no physical encasement, aud hence
they are ali senses. A wall five feet thick
Is not solid to them. Through It they go
without disturbing flake of mortar or crys
tal of sand. Knowledge! It flashes on
them. They take It In at all points. They
absorb it. They gather It up without any
hinderment. No need of liternture for
them. Tho letters of their books are stars.
The dashes of their book* are meteors. The
words of their books r.re constellations.
The paragraphs of their books are galax
ies. The pictures of their books nre sun
rises and sunsets and midnight auroras
and the Conqueror cu the white horse with
the moon under h!s feet. Their library is
au open universe. No need of telescope to
see something millions ot miles away, for
Instantly they are tuero to inspect and ex
plore It. fill astronomies, all geologies, all
botanies, nil philosophies, at their leet.
Whet r.a opportunity for intelligence is
theirs! What facilities for knowing every
thing and knowing it right away!
There is only one thing that puts thorn
to their wits' end, ami the 3ible says they
have to study that. They have been study
ing !t all through the ages, and yet I war
rant they have not fully grasped It—the
wonders of redemption. Those wouders
are so high, so deep, so graud, so stupen
dous, so magnificent, that even tho in
telligence of angelhood is confounded be
fore it The apostle says, "Which things
the angels desire to look into." That Is a
subject that excites luqulsltireness on their
part. That is a theme that strains their
faculties to the utmost That is higher
than they can cilm'D, deeper than they can
dive. They have a desire for something
too big for their comprehension. "Wnlch
things the angels desire to look into."
But that does not discredit their intelli
gence. No one hut God Himself can fully
understand tho wonders of redemption.
If all heaven should study it for fifty
eternities, they would get no further than
the A B Oof that inexhaustible subject.
Hut nearly ail other realms cr knowledge
they have ransacked and explored and
compassed. No one but God can toll
them anything they do not know.
have read to the last word of the last line
of the last page of the last volume of in
vestigation, and what delights mu most is
that all their intelligence is to be at our
disposal, and, coming into their presence,
they wliltell us In five minutes more than
we can learn by 100 years or earthly sur
mising.
A further characteristic of these immor
tals is their velocity. This the Bible puts
sometimes under the figure of wings, some
times under the figure cf a flowing gar
ment, sometimes under the figure of naked
fee:. As these superhuinats aro without
bodies, these expressions are of course fig
urative and mean swiftness. The Bible
tells us that Daniel was graying and Gab
riel flew from heaven aud torched him be
fore he got up from his knees. How far,
then, did the Angel Gabriel have to fly In
In those moments of Eanlel's prayer?
Heaven Is thought to be the center of the
universe, our sun aud Its placets only tho
rim of the wheel of worlds In a moment
the Angel Gabriel flew from thut center to
this periphery. Jesus told Peter he could
instantly have 60,003 angels present It b«
called forthem.
What foot or antelope or win? of alba
tross could equal that velocity? Law of
gravitutlon, which grips all things else,
has no influence upon angelic momentum.
Immensities before them open and shut
like a fan. That they are hero Is no reason
why they should not be a qulntilllon of
miles hence the next minute. Our hodies
hinder us, but our iniuds i>«a circle the
earth in a minute. Angelic boings are
bodiless and have no limitation. Go.I may
with his linger point down to some world
in trouble ou the outmost limits of ereu
tlon, and instnntly an angelic cohort is
there to help it, or some celestial maybe
standing at the furthermost outpost of im
mensity, and God may say "Come!" and
instantly It is In Ills bosom. Abraham,
Elijah, Hagar, Joshua, Gideon, Manoafci,
Paul, St. John, could tell of their unhin
dered locomotion. The red feet of sum
mer lightning uro slow compared with
their hegiras.
Another remark I have bo make concern
ing these illustrious Immortals is that they
are multitudinous. The r cen us bus never
been taken, and no one but God knows
how many they are, but all the Bible ac
counts suggest their Immense numbers
companies of them, regl nents of them,
armies of them, mountain tops haloed by
them, skies populous with them, John
speaks of angels and other beings round
the throne as ten thousand times ten thou
sand. Now according to my calculation,
ten thousand times ten thousand are 100,-
000,01)0. But these ure only th*> angels in
one place. David counted 20,000 of them
rolling down the sky in chariots. When
God came away from the riven rocks ol
Mount Slnal, the Bible says Ho had the
companionship of 10,000 angels. I think
they are In every battle, in every exigency,
at every birth, at every pillow, at every
hour, at every moment, the earth full of
them, the heavens full of the.m.
They outnumber the human race in
this world. They outnumber ransomed
spirits in glory. When Abraham hud his
knife uplifted to Blay Isaac.it was an angel
who arrested the stroke, crying. "Abra
ham, Abraham!" It was a stairway of
angels that Jacob saw while pillowed In
the wilderness. We are told an angul led
tho hosts of Israelites out of Egyptian
serfdom. It was an angel that showed
Hagar the fountain where she tilled the
bottle for the lad. It was au angel that
took Lot out of doomed Sodom. It was an
angel that shut up the mouth of tho hun
gry monsters when Dnuiel was thrown In
to the cavern. It was an angel that fed
Elijah under the juniper tree. It was an
angel that announced to Mary the ap
proaching nativity. They were angels that
chanted when Christ was born. It was an
angel that strengthened our Suvlour in His
agony. It was an augol that encouraged
Paul In the Mediterranean shlpwreek
It was an angel that burst open the prison
gato after gate, until Peter was liberated
It was an angel that .stirred the pool o!
Siloam, where tho sick were healed. II
was au angel that John saw flying througt
the midst of heaven, and an angel wltt
foot planted on the sea, and an angel thai
opened the book, nnd au angel that sound
ed the trumpet, and an angel that thrusl
in the sickle, and au angel that poured oul
the vials, and an angel standing in tho sun
It will be nil angel with upiiftod hand
swearing that time shall bo no longer. It
the great llnal harvest of the world the
reapers are the angels. Yea, the Lord
shall be revealed from heaven with mighty
angels. Oh, tho numbers nnd the mlgtit
aud the glory of these supernals—fleets ol
them, squadrons of them, host beyond
host, rank above rauk, millions on mill
lons, aud all on our side If we will hav<
tburn!
This leads mo to speak of the offices ol
those supernals. To defend, to cheer, t<
rescue, to escort, to Rive victory to the
right and overthrow the wrong—that is
their business—just as alert to-day and
efficient as when in Eihie times ttiey spread
wing or unsheathed sword or rooked dowi
penitentiaries or iilled the mountains witt
horses of lire hitched to chariots of lire anc
driven by reinsmen of lire. They havt
turned your steps a hundred times, ant
you know it not. You were on the way tc
do some wrong thing, aud tlioy chaiigec
your course. They brought some though l
of Christian parentage or of loyalty t<
your own borne, aud that arrested you
They arranged that some one should mee
you at that crisis and propose somethini
honorable and elevating, or they tool
from your pocket some ticket to evi
amusement, a ticket that you never found
It was an angel of Ood, 'and perhaps tin
very one that guided you to this servici
and that now waits to report some hoi'
impression to be made upon you:
soul, tarrying with one foot upot
the doorstep of your immorta;
spirit aud the other foot liftec
for ascent Into the skies. By some praye:
detain him until he can tell you of a re
pentairt and ransomed soull Or you weri
some time borne down with trouble, be
reavement, persecution, bankruptcy, sick
ness aud all manner of troubles beatiut
their discords in vour heart aud life, Yot
gave up. You said: "I cauuot stand it am
longer. I believo I will take my llfd
Where is the rail train or the deep wave 01
the precipice that will end this torment o;
earthly existence?" But suddenly youi
mind brightened. Courage came surgini
into your heart like oceanic tides. Yot
said, "God is on my side, and all these ad
verslties He can make turn out for mi
good." Suddenly you felt a peace, a dee!
peace, the peace of God that passeth al
understanding. What made the change 1
A sweet and mighty comforting angal o
the Lord met you. That was all.
Yes, a guardian angel for each one o
you. Put yourself now In accord wit!
Him. When He suggests the right, follov
it. When He warns you against the wrong
shun It. Sent forth from God to help yoi
iu this great battle against sin aud death
accept his (lOlive.auce. When tempted ti
a feeling of loneliness and disheartenment
appropriate tha promise, "Tho augol o'
the Lord enenmpeth around about thou
that fear Him and dollvereth them." Oh
I am so glad that \the spaces betweet
here aud heaven nre througed witl
these supernatural taking tiding!
home, bringiug inossages here, rolling
back obstacles from our path and giving
us defenses, for terrific are the forces wh< I
dispute our way, and If tho nation of th«
good angels is on our side tlie nation o i
bad angels Is on tho other. Taul had ll
right when he said, "We wrestle 1101 j
against flosh and blood, but against prin
clpalitio-', against powers, agaiust th<
rulers or the darkness of this world !
against spiritual wickedness In hlgt i
places." In that awful fight may God send
us mighty augeiio re-enforcement! We |
want all their wings on our side, all theii 1
swords on our side, all their chariots or
our side.
Tlinnk God that those who fire for us (ire
mightier tban those who are aealn?t usl
And that thought makes me jubilant us tc
final triumph. Belgium, you know, was thf
battlegrouud of Eugland and France. Yes
Belgium more than once was the battle,
ground of opposing nations. It so happens
that tills world is the Belgium or battle
ground between the angelic nations, good
and bad. Michael, the comraander-ln-chiel
on one side; Lucifer, as Byron enlls him
or Mtphlstopheles. as Goethe calls lihn; ot
Satan, as the Bible calls h!m, the com
maudir-iu-chlef on the otherslde. All pure
uugellu;oi under the one leadership and all
abandoned angelhood undertheolher lead
ership. Many a skirmish have the two arm
ies had, but the great and decisive battle If
yet to bo fought. Either from oar earthly
homes or down from our supernal resi
dences may wo come In on the right side,
tor on that side are God and heaven and
victory. Meanwhile the battle Is being set
In array, and the forces celestial and
demoniacal are confronting each other.
Hear the boom of the great cannonade al
ready opened! Cherubim, seraphim,
thrones, dominations, principalities aud
powers are beginning to ride down their
foes, and, until the work Is completed,
"Nuu, stand thou still upon Gibeon, aud
thou, moou. In the valley of Aialoul"
THE GEE AT DESTROYER.
SOME STARTLINC FACTS ABOUT THc
VICE OF INTEMPERANCE
The lllosaom on lilt Ileak—'Seault of tha
Policy ot IteatrlclliiK Hum Nliopa in it
Small Section of Minneapolis—Ail Kx
parlinent That Prorata** Well.
| He can tell you what the time Is nt the
Sunday Islands whna
I The cloak Is strUlng 9nt Liverpool;
He can give you all the facts concerning
Cortez ami his men,
He was always taking medals when at
school.
—But— "
His clothes are old and torn,
Aud his manner is forlorn, '
He says that life's a failure at the best:
Ouco the brightest boy In town,
He Is ragged now and down,
Aud a hopeless heart is boating In his
breast.
He can quote you scones from Timon, he !s
full of ancient lore;
He can name the constellations in the
sky;
I He can tell you just how far It Is from her*
to Singapore,
Hoir all the wars were waged and when ?
and why.
I , —But—
In spite of all he knows
; He is full of wants and woes,
. -tie finds the world n cold and cruel place
Aud he drags along the street '
As If weights were on his feet,
j Aud something more than Time has niurred
his face.
I „
| He can talk on any subject with a gllbnoss
that is line;
Ask for dates and he will tell them right
away;
; Ills memory is marvelous, In fact it is "a
mine
' Of useful information," so they say
—But—
; His clothes are old and torn,
And his manner is forlorn—
I There's a blossom brightly blooming on his
beak!
Once the brightest boy In town.
He is rugged now and down,
With a dirty growth of stubbles on ms
cheek.
: —S. E. Klser, In Chicago Times-Herald.
Sugcratlve Experience.
1 Fifteen years age Minneapolis adopted •
the policy of restricting liquor saloons to
a .'mall and defined section of the city.
Tills system has worked sowell in Min
neapolis that other western cities are mov
ing toward i's adoption.
, In 1884 under the lead of George A. Pea
body, then Mayor, an ordinance was adopt
ed in Minneapolis whloh confined the sa
loons to a district in the business quarter
equal to one-twelfth the entire area of the
city.
; At the time this ordinnnce was adopted
Minneapolis had a population of about 50,-
000 and 536 saloous, or one to every niuetv
-11 ve people.
The saloons were scattered all over the
city. They paid a license of SIOO each,
' 2 1 - 1 ?, i' 11{ tlie income from this source
$*>3,600. •
The Peabody ordinance has worked won
derful changes. The poulatlon of Minne
apolis is now estimated at 240,000, and
there are 330 saloons against 530 when the
I city had only 50,000 population, or one to
every 737 people instead of one to every
ninety-five.
The license has been Increased from SIOG
to SIOOO, and the city receives a revenue of
$330,000 from its saloons instead ot the
$56,000 it received under low license.
I'lie area from which the saloons are ex
cluded Is patrolled by twenty-eight police
; men. while the saloon district Is patrolled
by 147 policemen. That is, more than five
times as many officers are required for the
one-twelfth of the city iu which saloons
exist as for the remaining eleven-twelfths
Illegitimate selling in the prohibited area
takes place to some extent, but the arrests
In that areit due to liquor do not average
above tvyo n week, und the licensed saloon
keepers are interested in suppressing tbe
illegal trade. The general retail business
of tlie eity has been edging away from tbe
; "open" district, and to-day much of it is
carried on In streets beyond the "ilea 1
line." Property seems "also to have in
creased in value In certain quarters owing
to the disappearance of the saloons, und
such localities are preferred for residential
purposes.
Tlie experience of Minneapolis Is like thnt
of every other city which has made a sim
ilar experiment. It has been clearly de
monstrated that high license and tlie re
: strlctlon of saloons to the business quarter
of a city are necessary to the proper regu
; lation of the liquor traffic.
Intemperance an Oligtar'e.
Mr. William Hopkins of Boston deliv
ered an address on "Charity—A. Field for
Young Men" before tbe annual convention
of the Catholic Young Men's National
Union, held lu Newark, N. J,, recently, in
the course of which he said:
I"The evil of Intemperance Is [the mest
fearful obstacle for charity workers to bat
tie against. Moral suasion is perhaps the
: most powerful influence upon the unfortu
nate debauchee; and as I wrote tLis paper
, only last week the Massachusetts total ab
stinence society at Its monthly meetiug ad
vocated semi-annual parades to impress the
youth of our city with the beauty ot right
living and the wisdom ot abstemiousness;
but," he added, "let us bo temperate in ull
tilings, temperate not only in our food and
drink, but tolerant also in our opinion ot
others and considerate ot our neighbor's
point of view." '
Unloading Drunks.
One of the better temperance lessons can
be learned at tlie South Ferry station of tbe
elevated roads late Saturday evening. Be
tween 10 and 11 o'clock the incoming trains
are laden with liome-golng Stuten Island
ers, and It is one of the unpleasant duties
of the station men and guards to remove
tlie "drunks" from the cars. Mon in a
beastly stute of Intoxication are picked up
by head and legs and toted out to be
dropped on tlie platform as it they were so
much trash. Tlie employesof the road act
with amazing gentleness, their faces usual
ly broadly grinning as one after another
sot is delivered 112. o. b. But It is a sight to
turn a young man from liquor if he has
any sort of soul In him. —New York l'ross.
The Crntuda In Urief.
The American home will be iu danger as
long as the American saloon is allowed to
remain.
As "no diunkard shall e»ter the king
dom of Heaven," drunkard makers—liquor
sellers and license voters—are recruiting
agents for the pit.
The dally papers report another riot at
Honolulu involving over 100 drunken
American soldiers, ashore from a transport
bound for Manila.
During tho past year there have been
foriy-three murders in Han Francisco and
158 suicides. This Is a fearful record and
can largely bo traced to,tie liquor curse.
When ii man contemp.ates murder he
fortllles himself with liquor.
You may differ as to the methed of abol
ishing the saloon, but b«} "urethat t!u> wny
you vote doi.s not please the srloouiibper
and give him tho protection that he asks.
Never In the history of tills or any other
republic did an organization of Iniquitous
greed defy a government of tho people us
does the American liquor power of to-day.
It is not in tho United States alone th'it
the question of alcoholism troubles those
who think seriously of the welfare, the
health and tho strength of the young
population. Germany has now fallen In
liDe, and a leader In the movement against
excess Is the rector cf the University of
Eonn, Herr Koe»ter.