? Sunday Sermon Si 5 o 2 i J A Scholarly Discourse By i jg Rev. D. MacLaurin. Brooklyn, N. Y. Stimln.v tnorit: hk Hie Kev. I v. I'mmlil P. MiWLiinvln, pastor of til? Greene Avenue hiptit Church, preached on 'To Know the Unknow able: h Prayer." The text was from Ephenians III: 17-1'.): "To the end thnt ye, being looted and grounded In love, mny be trotm to iipprehend with all the saints what Is the hreniltli and length nml height and depth, nnd t know the 'ove nt Christ which passeth knowledge." lie said in the course of his sermon: Who cm know the unknowable? Is not this in the luitnre of a paradox? Wherein cr.n one be so strengthened I fcs to become able to apprehend that I which Is really tcyond the reach of his apprehension'; lln not Paul here , erred In n prayer otherwise luminous, spiritual, profound ami possible? Has lie n;:t Introduced here something that tirdina'y mortals rannot grasp? Well, t think that It will be as well for ns to go slowly In our disposition to criticise him. It is . safe rule to assume that tliese ; posfolle men know what they were about. 1 am convinced that Paul not only knew by experi ence the things he snM; but that he was inspired by the Holy Spirit In all bis wrltinir. Whit about life? What about the duration of sentient existence? What about the continuity of that which we call ourselves? Tell us. tlmu biologist? Perhaps thy science Is more exact than that of the mathematician or the man who philosophizes about time. Tell us. if you can, what Is life? Hast tlmu ever seen It? No never! Hast thou ever touched It? Only indirectly. Hnst thou tell tig what It is? No! Then space runs Into infinity, time runs Into forever nnd forever, and life runs into God! And we know some thins about all of these: nnd yet there 1s no limit to their vast extent It bas done us good to investigate them It is a noble exercise it is enlarging to the mind and the heart to couie Into contact with concepts so sublime and mighty aa these. So It Is with this matter which Paul prays that wp shall comprehend. We aliall not be able to master it, nnd yet we can by studying it. apprehend something to Its immeasurable depths, something of Its infinite length, some thing of its all inclusive lireadtb. something of Its mighty altitude. And so I'll it I prays that we shall be so rooted and grounded in love that we 1 shall be able to apprehend with nil saints. hU:h and lowly, rich and poor, ancient and modern, the dimensions I of Christ's love. Now. let us for the ! sake of clearness of thought detine n few or the terms of our wealthy text, j To the end that ye. being rooted nnd , grounded In love. Love here means I love toward our fellow creatures. In- deed. It alwnys means that In the Bible unless It Is otherwise defined, i It means the affection we should have for the men and women of earth, the peopl" of whom we ar? nnd to whom ! we belong by race connections. It Is to be n rr-lh'ctlnn of Cod's love for the nice. Its energy is to be meas- ! ured only by the energy of the Divine love. Its Inclusiveness is to lie lim ited and measured only by the Inclu Siveness of the liivlne love. Out of the heart are the issues of life. When love Is in the heart every thing is love begotten, roundatloned, like a building which has been settled, ns a whole, an 1 will never show cracks or Haws in the future through fail ures In the foundation. Here, then, Is the idea of the soul being so placed ns to make It strong for the noblest life. The two meta phors supplement one another they belong to each other. The former, rooted, gives us the idea of organic life ami growth; the latter, founda- ' tinned, gives us the Idea of strength : l"rived from the union of parts. A Christianity which Is not rooted Is i always unstable. A Christian love I that lias not penetrated Into the depths ' Is not a love of a permanent or en- during character. O that the love of every one of ns may penetrate Into the very being of Cod! That the ten drils of our affections may twine themselves about the heart of the incarnate Coil! Then shall we he Stable, then shal! we grow. To the end tlw.t ye, being rooted nnd foundittloncd in love, may be strong to apprehend with all the saints. Strong for what? Thnt yon may know the love of Christ In nil Its mighty dimensions! And this Is n most nat ural evolution. To acquire, love Is to obtain tiner powers of peroeptlng. There Is nothing I ke love for sharp ening the wits. The eves and ears of a loving mother are immeasurably qiih !ev than the senses of 1he love less. It Is not true that love is blind; iov Is endowed wiili sight of enor mous range. Hut while he was yet afar off His ,'ather saw Him. Vo not be surprls l, therefor."1, to End that when we are rMited and grounded In love wo obtain liner pow ers of apprehension. Hut what nre divine love and grace! The holy pano rama is stupendous, nnd even with our sharpened spiritual senses we cannot take In the Infinite glory. And so tlie apostle tells ns that we are to apprehend It with nil the saints, with the help of all the saints! It takes all of us to survey the vast estate. One Christian sees one aspect of the glory and another beholds another. The Matterhorn, s-en from Zermatt, is one thing; from the Eggishorn It Is quite another. And so with these stupendous wonders of divine glory. Each Christian Is to behold his own share of the. marvelous revelation. Matthew will discern one aspect, ami Mark another, and I-tike another, and John another. Each Individual will behold some Individual glory. Tbe furrow of. one field abounds in won ders; wiut then of the iutlulte estate? 1. Let us notice, how wide is tho compass of love. To the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strong to apprehend with all the saints, what is the breadth? now broad is its compass? Why, my friends, the lore of Christ Is so bron'd as to take In this whole world! Tbe love of Christ comprehends all men, all people, reaching to the utmost stretch of human sin, or sorrow, or Deed It Is tbo great gospel whosoever. How broad Is this lore of Christ! There is actually no limitation to It. Iu you mean that Jesus Christ can love the man who has lived a wicked, yes, a vile life who no.v bears upon his face the marks of the beasts who Is so repulsive that we shudder to look upon him tbut man, tbut poor wreck of a thing tbr.t man In the gutter, that man disowned by bis own father, and, listen to It, bis own mother, and all bis friends? Will not that man's excesses shut blm out from the love of Christ? No. Not Even for that man, denied, wretched, Jesus Christ bas love. He bates the sin; but loves tbe sinner, lie came to seek and to save just such broken lives as that! 2. Kow far It will carry us. There nre a great many really good people who fear to become open disciples of the Christ and unite with Ills rhmrli because they fear that they will not be able to bold out. ns they say. Their idenl of the Christian life is so lofty thnt they fc.ir they shall not be able to continue In well-doing to the end so they stand aloof. Then, there are a grent many Chris tians in the churches who nre fearful all the time fearful ns to the Issue of their life, nnd ninny are especially afraid of death. They have a horror of it; tbey are nfrald that It will come to them In an hour when they may not be ready for It; they nre afraid that It may bring a pain that they mny not be able to endure ami so they are full of terror. And then there are Christian men and women, and young men and wo men everywhere, who nre asking, "Is this Christianity able to tarry us through this life?" Is It strong enough to carry us up the steep sides of the mountains of difficulty we meet In life? Is It strong enough to carry us safely through the valleys, where there nre hissing serpents, nnd where the rolled vampires have their homes, nnd where crouching beasts of temp tation nre over rendy to spring upon us In an unguarded moment. Is this love of Christ able to cany us all the way through? On the high seas of life. In the stresses of nil weather, when the billows roll nnd dash against our frail bark is there a pilot nble to guide tlie ship through the mighty seas? Oh, look nt what God has donel First: He has promised to provision us. Look nt the eleventh verse of the eighty-fourth I'salm: "For Jehovah. Cod is a sun and a shield; Jehovah will give grace nnd glory; no good thing will He withhold fvora them that wnlk uprightly." That Is actually In the Bible. I sometimes think that we treat the Ilible ns if It were a huge Joke that these words do not mean what they actually say. Listen to them again: "No good thing will He withhold from them that walk up rightly." And these words nre con firmed by our Master's own teaching. Second: He has promised to protect us. "I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains." Well, that may not be n wise thing to do. Is it wise to look at our ditllcnltles? Is thnt wbnt It means? Hut the Psalmist is not done: "From whence shall my help come?" No wonder, when you nre looking at the 'mountains of difficulty, that you should say that. Now listen. "My help comcth from Jehovah, who made heaven and eartb." Is thnt not good enough? No wonder Haul said: "What then shall we say to these things? If God Is for us, who Is against us?" III. From what depth will It rescue us? The d-pth indicates the distance that love reaches. It goes down to the deepest forms of sin. It reaches to the greatest sinner. Wherefore, nlso. He is nble to save to the utter most them that draw near unto Cod through Him, seeing that He ever livetb to makexintcvcesslon for them. I shall never forget hearing one of tlie foremost Africans In n powerful speech In the City of Washington. I. C. Ho was pleading for patience. He pleaded with the people to give his race n chance and time, nnd he said: "Oil, think of the depths of the depths of Impotence nnd super stition and poverty out of which and up from which my race must come!" Ah. yes! Hut we were in lower depths still. Down beneath the black man, wearing shackles ourselves had forged about our feet nnd hands the shackles of sin. It Is up out of these depths our Cod jitist lift us. IV. The height unto which He lifts us. For this Love is not only broad ns our needs, continuous ns our pil grimage, reaches down to the depths where wo are, but It also lifts up to tbe highest altitudes of the Divine Life. The wny to measure is to bo gin nt the cross nnd the foul abyss of evil nnd go up to the throne. This wondrous Love lifts up from the low est degradation nnd sin to the glory of Sonshlp In the courts of heaven. How high will It lilt us? O, God, Thoti knowest. Well, nftcr we ndd nil our powers together nnd seek to npprehend the love of Christ in Its length and breadth nnd depth and height, the superlative glory Is all beyond us! It passeth knowledge. Even when we ire filled unto nil the fullness of God, the overflowing Is infinite! Let us soon see to it that we use our Indi vidual power to Its utmost. Let us ee to it that every capacity is hal- lowed. Let us open the innermost tliamber and let In the King, and by the ministry of His love toward ns these higher perceptions' muy become ours. II ! Duty I'.tCHinc Clear. A group of twenty. five Christian men had considered for an hour the cues- tiim of personal evangelism. More ! than half of them had prayerfully j ugieeil to try to rnrm the babit of con versation about Christ. As the meet' Ing broke up a well-known business j the leader, and with deep emotion, said: "There is a retired army otiicer living neur me, for whom I have hud deep 'jonctrn for a long time. His daughter, a Christian woman, hns often tulkud with mo about him. My duty bas now become clear. I am going to seek him out nnd try and win bim for Christ." There are thousands of men, old nnd young men, who are waiting for the kindly conversation of a neigh bor or friend to attract them to per sonal attachment to Christ. Hum's Horn. There tever was so t-nny .otal ab stainers in our country and in till world there are te-duy. inVING'S BOOK P1ATE. I Ttia book lIkw usei by bir iicury Irrlas bas now s, recognized value in collection of such designs. Tbe cop ies of tho plate have already been sold et fool prkei la England and on ths continent Tbe design, which- waa radt by direction of tbs great actor, la shown herewith. JUNE SEVENTEENTH. Topic The Glorified Life. John 17: 1-10. 22-24. . If even Christ needed to b? g'orl fled before He could Rlorlfy Ooil. how much mtiro do wo need God's power )tid grace before we can ;!.rlfy Him In the earth! Christ's glory Is bo ml up with our fibcdienco: If wb love Christ, this thought will bo a mighty Incentive to n rrihlo llfo. Th: more wa live for Christ's glory, the mere we shall live fur one another. Wo enloy earth In proinr'lon as we see Christ's glorv In It; thus nljo shall we enjoy heavrn. Suggeations. The glorifV'd life; Is uncorsclous of Its own glory, conscious only of Christ':!. "Moses wist not that his f,ic shone." Woo unto us wl:cn all men spealt well of us! Th"lr clamor will drown Co l's voleo. "Glorified ' tint "chitted" are hi'i dred wirdH. A n ible n.an is the onK- nobb-man. The Kl'iiitje-l llfo glories In Christ. Illustrations. Wordly gl'iry draws Inward, like the sponge: heavenly glory gl os outward, like the spring. Karih's greatest g!orb"J. H!;e the Otvek ollvo wrua'.h, am valued for their Idi-r.l slgn'.flciinoo; so nro heav en's. The mlirnr (.learns only so long as It is turned t: the sun; our lives aro radiant only so ling as tlie- reflect as in a mirror the g'ory of God. When the light falls upon the dia mond. It nlno becomes n light-bearer, nnd shines In the dark. Wo need more phosphorescent Christians. Quotations. Am I seeking my reputation below or above? Air. I letting my light shine? Is religion to mo the happiest thing In life? Yes. there Is glory for the future; nothing for tho I rue believer that Isn't glory. D. L. Moody. We shall each have our own pe culiar glory, wlille yet lost In the "Creator Light" who rule.) that gold en day. Nathaniel West. Thousands of us are yet living on two or throe hundred dollars that might live on the exceeding riches of God's glory. M. K. Baldwin. The Noblest Study. Missions are the new Arts 'f tho Apostles, they ate tho newest New Testament., they are tlie prolongation of Calvaiy. They are the "greater things than these" which the Holly Spirit enables Christ's fo'io-.vers to do. A man may be a Christian' and be Ignorant of missions, but he Is nn un developed Christian. EPWOHTH LEAGUE LESSONS SUNDAY, JUNE 17. Our Accounting. Gal. 6. 7-10; hc. 20. 11-15. He who does not count his llfo a high nnd gracious gift of God, which may Increase in power and capacity forever, has missed life's greatest moaning. Hut If llfo la great In Hi privilege. It is also great in its requirements. There is no such thing as possession without responsibility, and tho larg er the wealth tho greater tho obliga tion. What will you do with your life? It Is an endowment. It Is a test. It is a probation. Cod would put us to the proof. Ho gives tlmo and strength enough for us to determins our re-lotion tu the Infinite future. All life's activities have to do with that. Nothing wo do can bo separated from Its relation to to morrow. Our work, our play, our social life, our Intel lectual life all exert an Influence on nnd help to shape our destiny. That Is what probation means. It Is op portunity to form character, to fix life's direction. Llfo, then, Is the groat choosing time. The play nnd counterplay of forces outside of us may be Interest ing. The activities of tho grent world may seem of Importance. But tho greatest thing about any Indi vidual career is not what It has done, or neon, or suffered, or enjoyed, but what it has chosen. Eternal destin ies are settled here. Wo decide on this Bide of tho grave, and life on the other aide will follow the bent wo have chosen here. Man Is the crowning point of crea tion. He Is made In Cod's Image, and God's Ideal for him is communion with his Master. We sometimes hear It said that man Is naturally oppos ed to God. It is not true. Opposi tion to Cod Is unnatural, although It Is terribly prevalent. Our natural re lation Is one of communion. Augus tine was right "Thou hast mode us for thyself, nnd we find no rest until wo find it in thee." Sin has turned us away from God. And yot there are great yearnings within us that reach out to bim. Tho unrest of the sinner is the homesick ness nf the prodigal In the far coun try. It Is part of the Father's effort to bring his child back. My'tery of Chln'tc rn. "Where do ':he Chlnpse won en ot Chinatown 1 eei themsehcj?" asked a curious on. ''I have I en vis ting th quarter at different tlmei of night and day for several years. I have ra'm at least a hundred meils In thB Chi nese restaurants end b?en In mos. all the shops, tho theater, bn Joss homa amd tho mission, tu I bavo yet 'o ay my eyes on a Chinese womir. Once In nwhi!e a Chlnne Ljy or even baby done up .'n o.le.itil garments Ii sjfn on Pell cr Mott s'rev, bit th poor women ate evidently kept tnt y close. In Buch quirters and whh to fresh air It's a won:lor they live a'. M N. Y. Press. For Chapped Hands. To cure chapped bands always cars fully dry tho hands after washing, never allow the moisture to evap orate;; tbls Is cause of the trou ble. Defore going to bed rub bands Well with boracic ointment, vaseline, cold cream or glycerin. Those who cannot afford medicaments will find bit of mutton fat (uncooked) very (Tact I re. Draw on an ol4 pair of gloves after anointing. the SUNDAY school INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS FOR JUN: 17. Su'-l-rtt Tim Triinnriiloii, In'n I., -l.:ianillrn Ut.l l.uk lx 33 'luiilr: I. ! il Hie Trnltitiirtiiitl Mrlnorr Verff, SO, 31('nlillnfitnrjr I. A night of prayer (v. 2Si. ".S. "About an eight days after." Matthew and Mark say six day. There were sis full days und the fractional day at tli beginning and the end making "about" eight. These sayings." The myitis of the lat lesson. Kdershelm suppose the giv.it confession occurred oti the Sabbath, ami llif transdgurutlon on the night after the Sabbath one week later. There Is no iut.uiatiim ss tr liow th: intervening week wb spent. ''I'eter and John nnd James." It was tin; same favored three who bad j,otu with Him Into the room where He raised Jniius' daughter, and n few month Inter these same apos tles witnessed Ills agony In the garden. 'Into ii mountain." Tlie place ot the transfiguration sciie Is unknown, but It was probably Mount Hermon. not fir from Cuesaren I'liil ppi. This Is the opinion of nearly all modern au thorities. "To pray." It was the habit of .lesus to g! n lone In the n'ght to pray, lb-fore He chose the Twelve, and after feeding the five thousand, we see Him praying in the nlgliT. II. Jesus trauHligured (v. lift). SO. "As He prayed." I Hiring His prayer. The traio-tluuii'tlnn was the isiswer. "Countenance was altered." The orig inal word is elsewhere in the New Testament rendered "transformed" I (w? Horn. 12:'J; '.' Cor. 3:lSi, and is used ! of a s-ilrliu.il chnntre. Matthew says. "Ills face did shine as tlie fun." "Hal nu'iit b ..:lme white and dancing." It. V. Mark Fiiys. "Exceeding white us snow." It was His innev (s;,rit shining through .the veil of flesh. III. Hiavinly visitants (vs. ",0, 31). ,"(. "Muiies c.'.i 1 LT.as." Kilns is the Creel; form for Elijah. Tills was not a vision. These persons were actually present, nnd the disciples recognised them, ns is evident from Peter's propo sition In vtrs: :i;i. This gives good ground for hellevlmr flint we shall rec ognize our friends In Heaven "1. "Who appeared In glory." In like glory with .Isus: wiili glorllled todies. May this not he n bint ns to the appenrar.ee oi our resurrection bodies'.' "Spake of His decease." Or deparnire, .r exjilus from the world; ine'.r.dliii-, no doubt. His death, resur rection nnd nscon-don. "Which He wns about to ncomplish." U. V, "This eotivrs.-itioii would enable the disciples to s-'o the Importune nnd necessity of that which was to them tlie greatest mystery" th? suffcrliij; and death of their Mastt r. IV. Th'Nv disciples behold His glory (vs. :V2, :j:.li. 111'. "Heavy wilh sleep." It was In the night, ami the time when they usually slept. Our K'.igllsh Ver sion Implies that thry fell r.slep and were awakened to see His glory, while the original implies that, hough h':avy with sleep, tiny kept fully awake. "Were fully awnk"." II. V. Kveu though they mr.y h.'.ve l;i:n i !ep at iT.-t. yet when He was ".::' i.sllgured I. r fore tlftn" they were fully awake. "Saw His glory, nnd the t,-o men." They saw the brilliancy of their conn teii:uicc, and tht Y.".llng brightnefs of the garments. "::. "As they de parted." Wi re deiiarting. Pc:cr must l'.ae seen that they were ready to b'rive. "Peter said." Lager nnd Im pulsive as niwnys. It w.-s for him too brief u Klimns: ot th heavenly glory. "It is goo 1 for us to be hero." Peter spoke the truth. The apostles would be stronger and more useful because of the divine mai!if".statIoiis. "Three tabeinacies." Or booths, from t'.ie bushes en tiie mountains; such us w pre made at the fenst of Tabernacles. He greatly desired to have the hsuvenly visitants remain with them. "Not knowing what he raid." I'eter's plans were f'n quntly in opposition to those of his Lord. V. The voice from the cloud I vs. "A 30). Hi. "While He thus spake." "Here was the response to Peter's suggestion, a wise nnswer to a foolish prayer; de nying Iho petition in order to .grant something better." "There came ii cloud, and overshadowed them." Mat thew says a "bright" cloud. A cloud had freiiient!y been the symbol of the divine presence, it was a cloud that guided and protected tlie children of Israel H'xod. 1:1:21; 14:1b); a cloud that filled tbe temple nt the dedication (1 Kings H:in. nnd the Lord maketh the cloud His chariots (Psa. l()l:i:ti. I'eter refers to the clouds that over shadowed them on the mount us "the excellent glory" 11! Pet. 1:17). "They feared." This glorious manifestation of Cod's presence caused them to trem ble. It Is very likely that the trans figuration took place in tho nlgUt, in which case the light of Christ's .nn tenauce, the dazzling brightness of His garments, nnd the u!ory of. the cloud, would have n marked cfilct. because of the absence of the soiar light. "En tered Into." The cloud seemed to de scend over them nml envelop them. 3.". "A voice." Tlie voice of Cod the Father. It revealed nothing new, but confirms the old, for it was lh fame voice which bad been beard nt His baptism. This would show to Peter ami the npostles that they did not need to detain Moses nnd Klijah in order to ndd to their happiness. "This Is My beloved Son." Matthew ndds, "In whom I mn well pleased." "Hear Him." He is superior even to Slopes. 3d. "When the voice was past." Matthew tells us that wh"'i the disci pies beard the voice they lell on their faces, nnd were sore nfrald; then, re covering from the shock, they suddenly gazed nil around them nnd saw no person but Jesus. "Kept It close."' Mark says that. Jesus charged them that they should "tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of Man v ere risen from tbs dead." Th Knot ltemlndvl lllin. niram Bobbs was absent-minded, lie admitted that himself. Still, even ho was occasionally surprised by bis own fallllugs. One mnrnjng lie reached his office unaccountably late. "Deal me," lie thought, "where con I have been?" The answer was not forthcoming Hiram sat down at bis desk and took out bis pocket handkerchief. It was tied tightly in a knot. "Now," he exclaimed, "what wai that for? Ob, yes. Martby told uie to get my shoos soled." With an air of resignation to the whims of woman hood, he put on his bat, closed his desk, and went out to tbe "soled while you wait" cobbler's. He went in and snt down, took off his shoes and settled back In a cbalr to read his newspaper. "What is It, Mr. Bobbs?" inquired the cobbler. "What? Oh, er er er wby oh, yes; I want my shoe soled." Tardon me, sir," said the cobbler, "but I finished soling them only half an hour ego. They can't be worn out yet, sir."-Youth'a Companion. kind HEARTS TilE GENEROUS AND GOOD AT SAN FRANCISCO. Anecdotes In Abundance Showing- the Spirit of Sharing- One's Goods With One's Neighbor.. Human Motive Sound at the Core-.The Parrot Who Started the Song- "A Hot Time" and Chirked Up a Multitude. .The Philosophical Satisfaction That a New Start For an Eren Blffg-er Thing Is to Be Enjoyed By WILLIAM Rrwltl UorrMiotvlnr SAN FRANCISCO. Cal.-Never again while I live, though It bn a million years, shall I doubt the Tightness and goodness of hu man motives and Impulses. Not the show motives, mind; not the gild nnd filigree of uneventful days mailt up of vacant hours when men and women, out of sheer weariness, trick them selves with tho artifices of social faec- palnt nnu enamel an- pomade, trylnu to make themselves believe ttiit of such is the kingdom of life. Not these, but tbe profonnder Impulses, those tho race bad at tbo beginning, tho ones with real blood and fibre nnd bone In them, which now and then make the whole wide world thrill with a com mon understanding nnd sympathy. People are kind: thnt's a cinch, nere's this San Francisco case to prove It all over again from the be ginning. It has been worth a yenr of ordinary life tc be Upon the ground these Inst two weeks nni witness this outpouring ol the. world's unstinted generosity, to mce.t this great need. It Is not necessary to speak much of thnt; the giving was no pnrado c vir tue for the reward of a chatter of pub licity. It am thinking, rather. Just now. ot tbe spirit of those called the victims. Oh, these Cadfornlans! Whnt do you think they nre snying now In Snn Francisco? "Well, It came high," they say, with a wide, jaunty grin, "but we pulled oft the biggest show the world ever saw, now didn't we?" They r.ro taking to t.iemsolves nil the credit for thnt awful happening; they are actually glorifying in its stu pendousness as n spectacle. Chicago and Boston and Baltimore aud Galves ton, ns disaster-breeders, must now drop back Into the second clnss; Her culnnneura nnd Pompeii hnve been beaten to n standstill; Nineveh and Babylon aren't in it for n minute. Here nnd there, within the Inst week, tucked away In obscure corners of the newspapers, you mny have rend scraps of quotation from the quaint, old fnshloned utterances of a few thin blooded folk who have been trying to make out thnt the wreck and ruin came as a special visitation, brought down by the city's wickedness. San, Franciscans refuse to think that way. The' experience hns left them "strapped" sufferers from Just about tho most acute attack of "broke" that ever I have looked upon n perfect epidemic of peunilessncss. Vet they are referring to the Incidents of these days ns a blessing! "Wo nre glad it happened!" they sny. I have heard this again and again; not from the habitually desti tute, but from men whose money loss in the fire was vast. This is the sum of their argument: "When San Fran cisco was started, nobody dreamed it would ever be a great city. We didn't build for that, nt first. We have made a lot of mistakes. Lately we hnve been wondering how the dickens we were going to get those mistakes cor rected. Our srreets were too narrow, nnd they weren't laid out right for con venience or business. There were too mnny ugly spots; architecture wnsn't right; tho doubtful pnrt of the popula tion wns congested too nonr the very benrt of the city. We luul been dub blng along for yenrs with public ser vices that were nwny shy of our needs. Besides, social life was a little on the bum; the rich were too rich nnd the poor were too poor. Anybody could gee that wo needed a shaking up. And now we've bad It heaven be praised! We enn start it all over again and de It right this time. It's a pretty fair stnrt, too we're off lu a bunch; now watch us go!" If old ninn Jove seriously Intended this ns a thunderbot of Ills wrath, then lie needs a little hard target practice out back of the barn, because this was awfully poor shooting. lie never touched them at nil. Of course we shall tave to grant that tho San Francisco disaster was tho biggest thing that ever happened. The re are the figures to prove it. And It soems as though wo must grant tbe honesty of the people when they say they are rejoicing lu their new oppor tunities. The test of a man's convic tions lies in tho manner of his actions; nnd these San Franciscans aro making protestations and actions mntch one another. They are going to make an other city; It Is already begun; and it win bo a wonder. Save for the mood of the people, this disaster would have been the greatest catnstropho in history, so far as catus Wphu may be expressed in dollars aud cents. Within two weeks' time the people of tho nation have raised a relief fund of twenty millions of dollars a performance also unique. Grant all that. But that is not tho heart and foul ot tho matter, as I bavo watched t express Itself here. The vital part of It lies la tbe relations of man to man, bcro on tlie ground. Society has been startled Into letting fall Its mask of manners, product of a half century of differentiation. For tbe time being, during these two weeks, there have been no rich and no poor; tho whole artificial scbemo bus been resolved back to Its elements. If a reul Social ist knows real Socialism when he sees It, this situation would make him de lirious with Joy, There bat been no I'akery about it, either; It bas been tbe leal thing. It Is too good to last, of Course, but while it lust ' It Is heart softening, soul-sutlsfylng. Let me give you somo true stories, sample out of the crop of thousands that might be iiarvested. This first one bear tbe stamp of fic tion, but it Is aober fa?t, no less. A parrot started It. Tbe old Ban Frstucisco was a city of parrot cages; a ceusus enumeration would have shown their presence In every fourth house; they are a feature of all the refuge camps; next to savins their cull dreu, the bouueholders seemed to con UBIQUITOUS B. LIOriTOX. of tb Benton Tnnwrtpt.) sider these fowl their chlefest rospon siblllty. ' This particular bird was amonir the elect. On that dreadful Tbnrsdny night, when all Snn Francisco was flee Ing before a overflowing hell of Are. he swung upon his perch In a cage set atop a wheelbarrow load of Junk, trundled by an anxious refugee. All around wns fearful anxiety, despair ami hysteria. But the parrot kept the nonchalance of bis kind the large, free-and-easy, dcvll-mny-cnro ninnner which gets Into the nenring of every living creature lierenboiit. Presently he let slip from the cells of memory a phrase taught him In lighter times. "A hot time!" he screamed. Somebody laughed; then some other body looked It up, setting the words to their Jocund melody; nnd then from tho common throat and the common soul it swelled nnd swelled till It rose ns n splendid chorus a full mile across, nn nnthem of absolute undlsmny. Most likely the people felt better after that. This I saw with my own spectacles: Out on California street. In tho heart of what used to be the abiding place of aristocracy, n splck-and-spnn old gentleman stood daintily in tlie midst of one of the worst of the refuse plies, pokiug with his silver-bonded enne amongst the ashes. "This used to be my home," ho ex plained to the crowd of lookers-on. "I had quite a bit of money In a cab inet beside the fireplace in my rooms. I thought I might find a little scrap of coin a dollar or two, or a half-dollar; even a quarter would look mighty good to mo Just now. But I don't seem to see It." There was a grimy, ten-year-old boy amongst the spectators. From bis Jacket pocket he fished up a tin toy bank, and the bank gave out n cheer ful jingle as he shook It over the flag stone pavement. When ho had done shaking he held ten pennies and a nickel in his speckled fist. "Here," ho said, "you can have this. I don't want It." The old gentleman held out his gloved hand and accepted the coins with a manner of grave decorum. "Thank you," he said. "That will help a lot. Now if you will kindly give me your address " "Aw!" the youngster retorted. "I ain't got no address. I got Jarred loose from it last Wednesday. It's all right; I'll meet up with you some time when I'm broke myself." This, too, I saw: In one of the by streets well out toward Golden Gate Park n slender, delicately nurtured woman sat upon the curbstone in tenrs, in her lap a babe of a few mouths. Tho bnbo, too, wns crying; the cry of sharp hunger, half pain nnd hulf an Iter you've henrd it. Enter a mother ly, mlddlo nged Irishwoman, wide of beam, wholesome of countenance, and with n robust youngling borne astride her ample hip. Theso have been no days for the ceremony of contrasted conditions in life, nnd the big woman paused beside the other. "What's the matter wld ye?" sho asked. "This dreadful excitement has been too much for mo," tho little woman told her, "nnd I can't food my baby." The broad-gnugo one laughed a big, rich, rolling laugh. "Is that nil! Give me the little dear, then." And the hungry mite hungered no longer. At a time, ten days ago, when the question of supplying the needs of the llttlo children was at its gravest point, a lucky father was hurrying through ono of the crowded camps to his own family tent, carrying in h!e hand a bottle .of one of the prepared milk foods. Another father espied and hulled him. ."I'll give you a dollar for that," he called. But the first shook his head and of-"-tred to puss on. .. "Walt a minute!" the bidder urged. "I'll give you five. Well, then, I'll give you ten. Look here, man; I've hunted everywhere for some of that Btuff. I've got a baby here that needs It bad." Tho answer was prompt "I'll give you half of It, but you couldn't buy It all for a million." Nobody seemed to want it all. I am waiting for my first sight of a dis gruntled mun, woman or child. For all that anyone is permitted to see in out ward signs the social order Jias simply been shaken down, resolved back into Its elements. As It was In the begin ning, go it is now, ready for a fresh start, and opparently hilariously hap py lu facing again a wide field full of big, untamed, unbridled opportunities. Sun Francisco bas done It once; she can do It again. Thero is tbe Joy of It Tho satisfaction of achievement Is a good deal a matter of tenses. To have achieved and to have put aside the tools carries a degree of hoartaehe. Hope, even though. It must subsist on short, commons, is o lot better than overfed attainment. The lust of the Oght Is a lot better than - the weary, half-sad satiety of victory. Put It any way you like; that's the principle. They say a successful, self-made man will think longingly, now and then, of the good, homely, satisfying- dnva whan he used to eat his plain fare from uie Kitcuen table. That seems to me to be San Francisco's feeling Just now. The other day I happened upon one of tbe victims of the fire sitting near the site of his old home, bis hat pulled over his eyes, Ioaflni and looking down over the miles of ifnastly ruin where In spots the fires stll) smouldered. TtiV horror vcus then hardly more than a week old; yet presently- this man fetched a deep yawn, stretching his srms abroad. "Gee whlsl" he complained. "I wish something would happen. This Is get ting tedious." Do you get tie point? In the tran sition days everrtme was in that state of mind. And now things are going to happen, THE AUTO SEE-SAW. And FcnU f Oftntar Skill In nh. Competitions. For all who love to see feats of ,(,, nnd nerve and who docs not? niotr, car sports, which are so popular on Continent, nnd which promise snont! tnlve rank nmong the favorite sporti,,, fixtures In Orent Britain, offer ceptlonnl opportunities of pleasure A very difficult feat, which noiw'L the most expert drivers mny hpe J accomplish. Is thnt of balancing ( f(f on n platform arranged to swing nk n sec-saw on a pivot at Its centre. To, car Is driven nt ft fair speed np th, side of the platform which sloppn , the frronml, and the object of the drlri, Js to brins; It to a full stop at the poi which the car Is exactly bnlnnced , tbe now horizontal platform. An iu beyond this point nnd the bnlntie i, destroyed: the platform tilts In tlie poslte direction, nnd the car, Impen by gravity, slides down It. One not be a motorist to see bow womH ful must be tho Judgment and control to stop it enr, traveling at, perhaps, i dor.cn miles an hour, on the exact tre of this deliontely-bnhinced pli(. form. Another competition which require el most eqnnl skill, and which cnujsn endless nmnsement to the onlookers Is the following: A couple of parallel plnnks are placed across a stream, and over these nnrrow planks the corapetl. tors essay to drive their cars. As each plank is only Just wide enough to takt the wheels, it Is easy to see that, un less a driver has his enr absolutely straight and strikes tho exact centre of each track, he must Inevitably come to grief; and In many cases this Is hli fate, much to his discomfiture nnd to the enjoyment of the spectators. In another competition wooden poiti nre placed In a straight line In the middle ot the track, at Intervals equal to the length of the average motor cor, and tho competitor's task is to steer a zigzag course between these obstnclei without touching or upsetting nny of them. In order to nccompllsh tlilj aifTicuIt font he must continually turn his car wlthUi its own length, nnd at the snme time be enreful to clear encti post In turn with his bind wheels. A more difficult test even thnn tbis Is the following. At Intervals along each side of the track dummy figures are placed, facing ench other nnd at such a distance apart as to allow bare ly an inch for the enr, If neenrntrfj steered, to pass. To steer between these pnrnllel rows of dummies, travel ing forward, without upsetting nny of them, would be n severe test for motor ists; but In the competition the driver must proceed bnckwurd, thus milling snormously to the dlfliculty of the feat It Is, perhaps, needless to sny that tbe dummies ns n rule hnve a bad time of It, nnd that the course Is often strewn with fallen bodies. In India some wonderful exhibitions of dexterity are witnessed. In which a driver, while traveling at twenty or thirty miles an hour, will pick up tent pegs at the point of his sponr or, wlta slashes of his sword, will cut oft Turks' heads. Equally surprising is a feat which Is very popular on the Continent, in which the motorist, while traveling at a high rate of speed, hurls a dart Into tho bulls' eye of n tnrget plnced by the side of tho trnck. Among other populnr features ol these novel sports Is climbing and de scending steep flights of stairs, a feat requiring considerable nervo nnd great command of the machine. It may be remembered that some time ago M. Du rny, the famous French record break er, drove his twenty-five horse power Gobron-Brillio car up tho steps leatllug from the polo ground at the Crystal Palace, and descended again without mlshnp.-Tlt-Blts. A to Keinm-rluits. "Do widows or widowers most re mnrry?" said the reporter. "Widows. Widows decidedly," the minister nnswered. '.'And how do you account for that fact?" "I account for It ou monetary rather than on sentimental groiuiJa. Widows remarry oftener than widow ers because they need help more than widowers. They are uloue; they may have a child or two t aud all the uiouey they can call their own is a life-insurance policy for twelve or fifteen bun-, dred dollars. "So they remnrry. They remarry speedily. With much wisdom acquired from their first marital experience, they have no dlfliculty In persuading some prosperous and steady young man to set then afloat upou a second mat rimonial voyage. ' "Widowers are most apt to remain single if they have children. Eight out of ton of the widowers whom I remarry are childless men." Phlla doiphiu Bulletin. Word Seldom Used. A philologist wos talking about words. "There are over 21!3,000 worda iu the English language," he said, "but we only use a few thousand of thecu. Tho extra ones are no use to us. Any man could sit down with a dictionary and write In good English a story thnt no one In the world would understand. Here, for Instance; can you make bend or tull of this"?" v And the philologist pattered off glib ly: "I will againbuy the atubal. You are asweyed. Yet this is no blushet'i bobance nor am I a cudden, either. Though the atabal Is dorn, still will I againbuy it," Then ho translated: "I will recover the drum. You nre amazed? ' Yet this is no young girl'' boasting nor am I a fool, cither. Though the drum Is hidden, still will I recover It." Louisville Courier-Journal. Th Spall Didn't Work. An amusing scene was witnessed la the Fourth Magistrate's Court yester day. A Javanese was arrested on a cburge of theft. As the man entered the, dock, be threw on the ground a hen's egg and then commenced to eke some "sereh." This was suppose to work a spell on the magistrate and cause him to discharge the accused. Unfortunately for the scheme of tie Javanese, lie was seen by the Malay constable in charge ef aim. Tsia, Malay seized the Javanese by the throat ani doted" itia unlft ke Pt up the "sereh," and so broke tke spell The case was postponed. Singapore Btfalti Times.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers