THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. JOHN C. AQER.
Theme: CnMIng Out KvH Spirit.
Wroofclyn, N. Y. In the Church of
the New Jorusalem Swedenborglan ) ,
the pastor, the Hv. John Curtis Agor,
preached Sunday morning on "Cast
ing Out Evil Spirits," a sermon sug:
Rested by the Emmanuel Movement.
The text was from Matthew 10:7:
"And He called unto Him His twelve
disciples and gave them nuthorlty
over unclean spirits to cast them out."
Mr. Ager said:
Tho, Lord's twelve disciples were
exceptional disciples only In the sense
that they were types of representa
tives of dlscipleshlp. That Is, tho
outward duties and powers and privi
leges which the Lord conferred upon
theso twelve men were divine types or
symbols of tho spiritual duties and (
powers and privileges that are con
ferred upon all true disciples of the
Lord. So this power or nuthorlty
over unclean spirits to cast them out
every true disciple of the Lord pos
sesses In the measure of his disclple
shlp, that Is. In the measure In which
he hos com.- Into ;he true order of
his life.
This great truth lies at the founda
tion of certain lines of thought that
are attracting much attention at the
present time. These concern them
selves mainly with man's deliverance
from physical evils, or diseases, with
only an obscure recognition of tho
fact that physical evils are mainly
the effects or results of spiritual ovllg.
But the next step, that the spiritual,
evils that beset us aro caused by our
affiliation with evil spirits, as these
words plainly imply, Is regarded as
an absurd superstition.
For modern Christian thought
gives the least possible space and con
sideration to the supernatural. It has
never found any place In Its thinking
for an nctual spiritual world, which is
the endless abode of all who have
passed out of this world through the
gate of death. It has even less re
spect for the Idea that those who have
passed out of this world, wheveret
they mav be, have any vital connec
tion with our experiences here.
This attitude of mind Is most plain
ly out of harmony with the apparent
teaching of the Gospels, which every
where take for granted the existence
of spiritual beings, good and evil,
who hold most Intimate relations to
men on the earth. So this aspect of
the Gospel ttMhiBg is something that
needs to lie explained nway, and the
attempts to do this are numerous and
various.
To the new church, on the othet
hand, this is n vital truth, both as a
fundamental philosophical principle
and as a practical doctrine.
A century and a half ago Sweden
borg set forth with great fullness a
truth that recent philosophy has been
making a good deal of, the truth ol
the solidarity of the human race.
Protestant theology rested on pure in
dividualism. But the truth that hu
manity as a whole Is a on?, a vital
and organic entity, has now coma tc
be clearly seen and Its significance
recognized. Most thinkers, however,
confine this truth to the present popu
lation of this earth, while Sweden
borg makes it include all humanity,
the population of all worlds, Includ
ing the spiritual world. He teaches,
furthermore, that this universal or
ganism is in the human form that is,
is a human organism, as all Its parts
and constituents are. In this organ
ism each Individual soul has its place
and function, like tho cells and fibres
of the human body, each one vitally
related to every other. But while it
is true that no individual soul or
spirit could exist If cut off from every
other soul or spirit, yet every human
soul is a separate individual, with
complete capability of determining
the character of Its own life for itself.
Another doctrine to which Sweden
borg gives a unique Importance Is the
doctrine of Influx.
Every individual soul in its true
order is a finite Image of the Infinite,
and is therefore made up of number
less functions and powers and parts,
from highest to lowest. Into this
complex organism the divine life flows
In an unceasing stream. Modern
psychology teaches that our con
sciousness covers only a part of this
mental organism, the part that lies
next to our bodily sensations, and
therefore the lowest or outermost
part. And as consciousness Is an es
uentlal element of all choices and de
terminations, and It is by choices and
determinations that character Is de
termined, so It Is only this lower or
outer conscious region of our life Into
which spiritual disorder or evil can
enter.
All these regions of the human
soul, from highest to lowest, are
merely organic vessels or receptivi
ties, and are living only by virtue of
the unceasing inflow of life into them.
Into the highest or Inmost region of
tho bouI the divine life flows directly
from the Lord. This region lies
above or within all human and an
gelic consciousness, and forms the
eternal connection between the In
finite and eternal life and the finite
life, ensuring to the human soul Its
tendless existence. Into all the re
gions of the soul below this highest
or Inmost two streams of life flow,
one Inwardly from the Lord, one out
wardly from other finite souls. And
It is this latter Interflow of life from
soul to soul that binds all finite souls
Into a single organism, the universal
man.
Thus the life of man is in no sense
and In no respect self-derived. The
human soul is nothing but an organic
vessel: and it Is made alive solely by
what flows into It. And this Inflow
ing life enters the soul in two ways,
one directly from the Lord, the other
mediately through other souls. And
this Is true of all the activities of
Ufa, and especially of Ub two chief
activities, thought and feeling.
The capacities of the human soul
may be grouped under two heads,
namely, Intellectual and emotional.
Life flowing Into the Intellectual ca
pacities produces thought; flowing
lBto the emotional capacities It pro
duces feeling and willing, and all
thought and feeling" and willing In
man are so produced'. Thus our
thought and feeling are not, as thay
appear to be, self-derived. They are
the product of these two streams of
life that flow into us unceasingly, one
directly from the Lord, the other me
diately through other souls. We
know how thought and feeling are
communicated to us by means of what
enters the mind through the senses
that is, by means of language and
visible and tangible objects, and we
acknowledge that such thought and
feeling are communicated, and not
self-derived. So there Is no move
ment of the human mind that is not
a product of an inflow of thought or
feeling from other minds. This Im
partatlon and reception of thought
nd feeling we are wholly uncon
scious of; but It Is the only explana
tion of many meuja.1 phenomena.
All this may sound like mere spec
ulation; but It Is, In fact, only a
somewhat elaborated way of snylng
that everything good and true in hu
man llfo Is from tho Lord, and every
thing evil and false Is of the devil
and from the devil. ThlB truth the
Christian church has nlways recog
nized as a matter of doctrine. But to
hold It merely as a doctrine 1b not
3iifllclent. It Is a primary and funda
mental principle of right living, and
wo ran never make much progress In
right living until the mind hns gained
so clear and firm n recognition of this
truth as will enable It to shape and
determine all our thinking and feel
ing about all our experiences with
evil and falsity and with good and
truth. For so long os wo regard the
right thoughts and feelings that are
stirred In us as our own, bb purely
self-derived, we simply make of them
valued possessions of our self-life,
and so long as we regard tho wrong
thoughts and feelingB that are stirred
In us ns our own, we can never rid
ourselves of them.
Thus what we find ourselves deal
ing with in all our experience with
wrong thoughts and feelings Is other
personalities. Whether they are living
In this world or the spiritual world
we do not know, and It makes no
difference. They aro unclean spirits,
incarnate or dlscnrnate, trying to im
pose their life upon ub. So far as we
permit them to work their will in
us they will go on stirring up In us
all sorts of false thinking and evil
feeling. But so far as we are striving
to become disciples of the Lord He
gives us authority over them to cast
them out.
Let us note the exact meaning of
these words, "He called unto Him His
twelve disciples and gavo them au
thority over unclean spirits to cast
them out."
From these words we may be as
sured in the first place that this au
thority over unclean spirits to cast
them out Is bestowed by tho Lord
only upon His disciples. Therefore,
If we wish to possess this power over
the Infernal Influences that are Stir
ling up wrong thoughts and feelings
In us we must be disciples of the
Lord. A disciple 1b a learner, and a
disciple of the Lord Is one who wishes
to learn from the Lord.
Calling His disciples unto Him, the
Lord gave them this power. The Lord
calls to us In every truth about right
living that we give heed to; and we
listen to His call whenever we accept
any truth as His truth, and therefore
as the true wisdom of life. This de
sire for the true wisdom of life and
willingness to Accept It in place of our
own wisdom Is what opens the mind
for the true wisdom of life to flow In;
and this wisdom Is all power or au
thority over evil spirits. For no evil
or falsity can exist In the presence of
Divine wisdom. Just as effectually as
light dissipates darkness does truth
dissipate falsity, and falsity is evil's
sole defense. The hold that anything
has upon our life is determined solely
by the way we think about it and feel
about it. The truths wo profess to
believe are so Ineffective In ridding us
of our evils simply because of our ob
scure and Indefinite conception of
them, and our loose and feeble hold
upon them. Our prime need, there
fore, is clearer conceptions of the
truth; that Is, clearer conceptions of
the right way of looging at all the Is
sues and experiences of life, and of the
right way to feel about them. The
liower or authority over unclean spir
its that the Lord bestows upon U3 is
the authority of law over disorder, of
right over wrong, of truth over fals
ity, of light over darkness. All this Is
the power of right thought and right
I purpose. This authority no evil spirit
:r evil inlluence can withstand. With
it we can effectually cast out even the
most Insidious Invasions of evil upon
our life.
Such is the authority over unclean
spirits that tho Lord bestows upon all
disciples. Tho only condition neces
sary to receiving it is to be a disciple
of the Lord. The twelve disciples did
not ask for this authority. It was a
token, and tho chief token, of discl
pleshlp. So if we do not possess this
power it is because we are not disci
ples, and the only way to get It is to
become a disciple. And becoming a
disciple is simply learning how to
think In the right way and to feel in
the right way about all the experi
ences of life, even the most trivial,
nd compelling ourselves to think and
to feel always In that way and to
bring all our words and all our acts
into harmony with that thinking and
feeling. This is the disciple state of
mind and the way of llfo. All that Is
necessary to gain It is to see that this
Is the chief business of our life In this
norld, and to give to It tho dally
uudy and thought and effort It de
lerves. And, -Jolng this, we shall
'ery Boon come to see that the author
ity over unclean spirits to cast them
out Is a pure gift from the Lord, and
ha' His yoke is Indeed easy and His
uurden light.
r i T '
dotting Even With What?
When one person has wronged an
other, the unjustly Injured person Is
nlways, for the time being, ou a high
er plane than the one who has done
tho Injury. Tho wronged ono has not
loBt what the other has lost. The
ouly way to make the loss equal la
for tho injured ono to "get even."
Then, in adition to his hurt feelings,
lie has the satisfaction of krowlng
that he Is no bettor than the other
fellow.
What an Ingenious tempter Satan
is, to persuade us to add lnlurv tn
' insult unto ourselves! For that la
wnat "getting even" accomplishes; it
Is lowering ourselves and our stand
ards to tho level of tho one who has
wronged ub. How much better to
help the other to "get oven" with the
higher standards which Christ alone
can enable us to hold to: love and
forgiveness. Presbyterian Record.
Heal Prayer.
In souls filled with love the ambi
tion to please Qod in real prayer.
FISH INVISIBLE WHEN ASLEEP.
"That file fish is asleep," said tho
attendant.
"How do you know'.'" the vWlior
to the Aquarium asked. "But 1 eau'l
see him, by the way."
"That's how I know. He, like
many other fish, change color on
going off. Awake, he is mottled with
brown and dark olive green; a hand
some, somberly splendid object.
Asleep be I a pallid gray, with dark
er wlugs and tall a ghost of a file
fish, practically invisible. Many of
the weaker fish, especially in the
tropics, have this ability to change
from a bright to a pale, vague hue
when they sleep. Thus they sleep
lately. Otherwise their slumber
would end between a bigger fish's
laws." New York Press.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
Mi: NTS FOR MAY 17.
HIS CHAIR.
Caller "Is the profesror of ap
plied physics In?"
Boston Butler "No. sir. He Is at
present occupying the chair of appllod
lather." Harper's Weekly.
Subject: .Tcsns Betrayer! nnd Ponied,
John 18:1-27 Golden Text,
Matt. 17:22 Commit Verses 2,
!1 Commentary.
TIME. Wednesday morning early.
April r. A. D. 30. PLACE. Qeth
Samane and Courtyard of Annas.
RX POSITION. I. The Perfldlty of
.Tudn, 1-8. Jesus longed to meet the
Father In prayer. The awful weight
of agony was crushing Him (Matt.
26:38). But He must strengthen the
disciples and fortify them against the
coming trial. To this He attended
first, nut now this work was done.
The necessary words had been
spoken, the wondrous prayer that
made their safety sure had been of
fered, and Jesus goes forth to the
garden where He shall meet the
Father In prayer and get the strength
needed to Insure Him victory In nil
last great conflict. This garden was
a place of frequent resort for our
Lord. It was a chosen sanctuary
where He met the Father. Those who
knew Him best knew that this retired
place of prayer was the likeliest place
to find Him at that time of night (v.
3). Judas had often been there. In !
that hallowed garden beneath the old
olive trees ho had seen Jesus Inter
reding with Ood. But his heart had
become so hardened by covetousnesa
that the sacred sight had made little
Impression upon It. His principal
thought seems to have been that the
garden of prayer would be a good
place to capture Jesus unawares.
Judas had not become so hardened
In a day. But little by little, by al
lowing the greed of money to usurp
a larger place In his heart, and by
hardening his heart more and more
against the truths that he heard con
stantly falling from the lips of tho
Son of God, Judas had become what
we here see him. Two bands were to
meet that night !n the garden, God's
band and the devil's. Judas had pro
vided himself with a large company
of soldiers (v. 3. R. V. marg.). Evi
dently a great fear of this humble
man. Jesus, hud taken possession of
them, and they feared the multitude
also. If Jesus had seen fit to resist,
their preparations would have proven
totally Inadequate (Matt. 28:63).
They did not have to search for Jesus.
Jesus fully realizing His peril, but
knowing also that God's appointed
time had come, went forth and dellv-
ered Himself into their hands (v. 4; .
comp. ch. 10:17, 18).
II. .Jesus Protecting His Own, 4-0.
Jesus knew that at last the awful
hour that He had so long looked for- I
ward to with sorrow unspeakable had
come. He knew all that was roming
upon Him. but He did not shrink. He
"went forth" with steady step and un
daunted heart. He put to Judas and
his band a question that had more in
It than appears on the surface.
"Whom seek ye?" "Jesus of Naza
reth," Is the quick response. Little
did they realize who He was whom
they sought to capture and destroy.
There are five words of awful sadness
in this fifth verse. "Judas was stand
ing with them." Think of It, he who
had been a chosen apostle standing
with the enemies of his Lord! So to
day there are many standing with the
enemies of Jesus whom one would
naturally expect to be standing by the
side of Jesus. Judas standing there
Is an illustration of the brazen ef
frontery of sin. But Judas does not
long remain standing. With majestic
calmness uud dignity Jesus simply
says, "1 am He," and Judas and his
helliBh crew go backward and fall to
the ground,
lost (v. 9, R. V.).
III. Peter Denies His Lord, 21-27.
Peier following his Lord at this time
got him Into trouble. Further
more, he had followed his Lord afar
off ( Mutt. 2 7 : 5 S ) . 1 1 we follow Jesus
at all we should follow close. Jesus
had warned him of his weakness and
his coming fall (ch. 13:38). Further
more, just before this He had given
His disciples a hint that they were to
go away (v. 8). He had told Peter
on the preceding evening that ho
could not follow Him at this time, but
that he should later (ch. 13:30), but
Peter had turned a deaf ear to all
this. He had asked "Why cannot I
follow Thee now?" and started out to
do so against the Lord's wurnlng. He
had boasted, "I will lay down my life
for Thy sake" (ch. 13:37), and now
undertakes to make good his boast
and prove his Master mistaken in His
estimate of him, but our Lord knows
us all better than we know our
selves. We next see Peter standing
with Christ's enemies and warming
himself at the enemies' fire. The end
is now sure. Of course he does not
sympathize with them and what they
are saying about his Master grieves
his soul, but he Is not protesting. He
ought to have stood separate from
them (Ps. 1:1; 20:4-10, 2 Cor. 6:4
17), but that would have uttracted
too much attention to him and would
have made him appear singular and
exposed him to danger. The same ar
guments for conforming to the world
l are advanced to-day and aro of as
little value as in Peter's day. He
after all escaped none of the danger
he nought to avoid. He only got away
by denying his Lord, and that is the
only way. anyone can escape who
seeks t4 make friends with the world
(Jas. 4:4; 1 Cor. 15:33, R. V.; Prov.
13:20; Eph. 5:11, 12). Bad company
is a good thing to keep out of unless
one goes Into it to win them for
Christ and keeps that purpose In his
mind every moment. Peter had no
such purpose lu his mind.
Hard Fate.
Chancellor Klrkland, of Vanderbllt
University, like others of similar of
fice, 1b known to his students by the
briefer name of "Chance. '
Besides being the university's
chief executive, he is also its head
professor of Latin, and the boys say i
prize long ta!ker at chapel exer
cises. On day, after a protracted
discourse, while conducting a class tn
Horace, he called on a certain stu
dent to read, who did so In utter In
nocence and absolute accuracy bb fol
lows: "It Is hard for us to endure
the blows of chance."
The class burst out In a roar of
laughter, and as the "Chanca" Joined
In, the dumbfounded student per
ceived the modern significance, of an
cient words. Llpplncott'a Magazine.
Three hundred tons of tobacco are
distributed annually among the sail
ors of the British navy. It is sold to
them at cost.
EPWQRTH LEAGUE LESSONS
SUNDAY MAY 17.
Our Calling. (1 Cor. 1. 26; Phil. 5.
816.) Epworth League '
Anniversary.
The Epworih League Is a company
of rel'e that are called. It Is not
perfect, or It would not exist. It Is
a group with unmeasured possibili
ties. The people of middle life wlli
live out their lives on their present
level; you know what they will dc
and what they will be until the end
But the young ppople are not so; be
sides what they are today there Is tc
ho taken Into account whRt they will
be tomorrow. It Is not easy to in
fluence the generation of which you
are a part by nny direct attack, but
It Is comparatively an easy thing to
Inlluence the generation which Is Just
ahead. And this we can do when
we work with others and with our
selves, who are to be the mature
generation of the next few years.
The young people of the Epworth
Legaue are called, first of all, to Join
themselves to Jesus Christ Now is
the one golden opportunity for be
ginning tho life of dlscipleshlp. The
chances which remain after twenty
five years of age are so small that
they may be left out of the nccount
Of course there Is always opportun
ity, but once character Is fixed there
Is smaller likelihood of response to
the opportunity. Today Is the time,
not merely because there may be no
tomorrow, but because tomorrow, If
It comes, will, In all probability, bo
too late.
The young people are called to the
practice of the Christian life. If
Christian service and the study of
the Bible and Interest In all forms
of tho kingdom's progress are to
mark our mature life, they must be
provided for now. You cannot force
new Interests upon old people.
The young people are called to be
merciful. One of the snd things
about middle life and old age Is that
the sympathies have been blunted. If
you are going to possess tenderness
and gentleness nnd pity and helpful
ness In the years that are to be, you
must care for these things now. That
Is the educational value which Is add
ed to the practical value of the De
partment of Mercy and Help.
The young people are called to be
Intelligent. There I3 growing need
for wisdom as well as devotion In the
service of God. The unintelligent
Christian of tomorrow will be at the
greatest possible disadvantage. But
Intelligence concerning the church
concerning the place of Christianity
In the world's life, concerning the re
lation of all activity to the religious
life, must be secured now; tomorrow,
when It will be most needed. It will
be out of reach.
Farming in Tuscany.
MAY SEVENTEENTH.
Being a Christian. II. At Home
and In School. 1 Chron. 13: 12-14;
Isa. 54: 13. (Union Meeting
with the Juniors.)
Parental control. Gen. 18: 16-19.
Brotherly forbearance. Gen. 45:
15, 10.
Justice and kindness. Eph. G: 1-4.
Obedience. Prov. 0: 20-22.
Instruction. Ex. 13: 8-10.
Teathableness. 1 Sam. 3: 1-10.
Some ure afraid of household re
ligion; the urk of God seeniB some
thing awful. But others know God as
a dear household Friend, though a
mighty one.
God In Hie homo Is stronger than
any earthly father, tenderer than any
earthly mother.
Children are taught of God when
ever they are taught God's truth, In
any field.
The teaching most necessary for
children Is the teaching of God; that
alone brings peace and power.
Thoughts.
If yon aro not a Chilsllan at home,
then you are not a Christian any
where else.
If you are not A strong Christian
While you are being educated, you are
being educated for this world and
not for heaven, for time and not for
eternity.
Being a Christian at home does not
make it show; therefore It Is most
sure to be real, ar-d to be pleasing
to God.
The school Is among the most In
fluential places for Christianity, be
cause there souls are growing bo
fust.
Illustrations.
Life Is an ellipse with two foci, the
home and the school. Put Christ in
both.
The home Is the fountain of life on
earth; If It is pure, the Ufa may
nevertheless become muddy, but If
It Is muddy, the life is not likely
to become pure.
The time to straighten an oak Is
when It is a sapling.
The friendships made In school are
the most lasting. Make friends there
with Christ.
By E. K. PARKINSON.
Discovery and Existence.
A very charming woman was relat- j
lng to a group of Interested listeners
the rather pathetic story of a young '
girl who had contracted yellow fevei
from a box of lace purchased for hot
bridal clothes and mailed to her from
New Orleans. A physician present at
once declared that the disease could
not have been carried in this manner.
"But, doctor," the lady urged, "1
was In the town at the time. Sadie
was my best friend, and I knew all
the circumstances."
"Impossible," he persisted. "Ex
periments made a few years ago in
Cuba demonstrated fully that the dis
ease can be conveyed only by a mos
quito, the Stygomyla-fasclata."
The lady hesitated for a moment,
divided between politeness and con
viction, and then appeased both.
"But, you see, doctor," she replied,
smoothly, "the incident which I waa
relating happened ten years ago, be
fore the Stygomyia was discovered!"
Harper's Weekly.
Professor T. D. A. Cockerell, of
the University of Colorado, describes
a well-preserved specimen of a wusp,
belonging to the genus ParatljVa,
found In the shale rocks of Miocene
time at Florlsant, CoL, which exhibits
a peculiar venation of the wings, ex
actly as It uppears in tho same genus
to-dey. The most striklug peculiarity
is a characteristic imperfect vein lii
the wing, whlrh persists In the same
Insect at the present time.
Bordering the west coast of Italy
and protected from the cold north
wind by tho Apennlne mountains, Is
the province of Tuscany with Flor
ence as her chief city. On the slope
of the Fiesole hills, overlooking that
beautiful city on the banks of the
Arno, la the farm of a retired Eng
lish merchant, and In the Pall Mnll
Magazine he gives n charming de
scription of farm life In that far
away country.
Thp farm Is considered n large
one, but as the manner of measuring
In Tuscany Is so different comparison
Is difficult. About a third of It la
put Into wheat each yeur and the
number of bushels sown Is the meas
ure of Its fllze. The grain Is sent
to the local mills to be ground Into
flour nnd the straw, chopped up and
mixed with grass, is oaten by tho
oxen.
The farm work Is all done by a
pair of beautiful white Tuscan oxen,
whose strength Is prodigious. He
tells how he once saw a restive ox,
who was about to be shod, by one
kick floor six men who. with n rope
passed round a tree, were tugging
at his hind leg. And yet their agility
Is extraordinary "as any one mny
sep who watches n pair, with their
necks Joined together by the yoke,
turn round In a space that would
barely suffice for a pony." The mode
of plowing on the deep hillsides
among the vines and olives would
amaze the traveler.
Wooden Plows In Cue.
The plow which does duty In these
orchards Is a block of wood hewn
out of an oak stump, with Its tip
shod with Iron. A friend who was
visiting Mr. Cnulfleld expressed as
tonishment that an Englishman
should continue to use such a mon
strous lump of wood. So he pro
cured for him the latest thing In
American plow nnd volunteered to
guide It himself. "With some diffi
culty the yoke was adjusted, and tno
oxen, not accustomed to such a light
weight behind them, started off at a
gay pace, which soon lifted my friend
off his feet and left him waving about
at the tall of that plow, like river
weed stirred by a swift current. How
ever, It was not for long. There
came a crash, the oxen stopped short,
and we found that the plow had stuck
fast In a stout olive-root, and would
never be Itself again. There ended
my first, r.nd last, trial of an Iron
plow. I have gone back to the old
plow, whose convex bottom enables
It to slip over nny live rock or root
that It may meet."
How the Farms Are Worked.
In Tuscany the farmc are worked
on the following system: The man
who owns tho farm and the man who
works it share the profits and losses
the cynics say that the whole of
the former go to the candlno, and the
landlord has all the latter. Tho
rules governing the system have
never been reduced to legal terms,
but the unwritten law of custom Is
never questioned. These rules vary
considerably from district to district,
following, however, one broad line.
The landlord Is responsible for all
capital expenditure and Improve
ments that may be regarded as per
manent, the making of new walls and
vineyards, tho providing of stakes for
vineyards not yet In bearing, the pur
chase of live stock and of long-lived
farm Implements, such as wagons
and plows, which remain his own
property; while all annual expendi
ture and up-keep are shared equally.
The landlord, moreover, is morally
bound to provide food for his conta
dlnl In the case of a bad year, nnd
is allowed to recoup himself from
the next fat year. He has, on the
other hand, various small privileges
and dues, chief of which is the right
to employ his contadlnl for his own
purpose at less than the current
wage. On the whole, he says, the sys
tem works well for both parties.
The farm year begins with the
sowing of wheat. The land Is plowed
In September and October, and as
soon as All Saints' Day an Ives no
good farmer ever begins before the
contadino goes out to scatter his seed
broadcast over the field, which is an
operation requiring more skill than
may appear. No sooner Is the seed
covered up than there Is digging or
pruning to be done. "Care, however,
must be taken not to prune when
the moon Is young; for as Pletro says,
the new shoots would then remain
nlways tender at the tips only the
olive's hard wood does not require
this precaution."
Gathering Olives.
fhe olives now change from green
to dark purple which gleams in tho
sun, and the women are set to work
to pick up the berries, which tho
November gales have shaken down.
(The olives which give the oil are
not the same as the green ones that
one eats; these are gathered in the
early fall and pickled with lye.) The
olive-picking is long and toilsome,
particularly the part ascigned to the
women, who have to collect all tho
fallen berries and very cold work It
is for them when winter is on. Their
little earthenware pots full of hot
ashes barely thaw their numbed fin
gers, and their poor knees ache for
days after.
Then men climb the trees with n
basket strapped In front of them, and.
drawing the laden branches towards
them, strip them of the fruit with an
action as of milking a cow.
The olives picked from the trees
are kept separate from those that are
picked up on the ground, for tho lat
ter, being generally covered with
carH, yield an oil inferior In taste.
The olives are not allowed to re
main long before they aro taken to
be crushed. The great stone mill is
set In motion by an ox which walks
round and round the fixed stone ba
sin or "plate" and makes the upper
stone revolve till he Is tired and his
comrade takeB his place. The olives
are divided Into two parts. The first
Is crushed till the olives aro turned
Into an oily niaah. which is then
stuffed la bags of cocoa-nut fibre
called "cages" and put under a strew,
and tbe oil forced out. While tho
first lot ef berries ure being pressed
tho second lot are crushed, the pro
cess Is gone through twice with each
lot and the result Is an oil of the
first quality. Second quality oil Is
made by turning boiling water on the
olive "paste" and grinding and press
ing once more. The oil Is left to
clear until the dealers come up and,
digging Into the oil . fore-ftnger,
which they gravely suck, proceed to
make an offer.
Blessing the Oxen.
In February comes St. Anthony's
day, a great day for the patient
oxen for It is their saint's day, and
the village priest 1b romlng to bless
them. Their stables are given such
a cleaning that at first they do not
recognize them and refu:e to enter;
while their own white coats nre
rubbed as spotles- as a cat's shirt
front, till they gaze Inquiringly at
the little colored picture of the saint
pinned above their manger, and won
der what It all can mean. The priest
arrives and hurriedly recites tho
blessing, sprinkling them with holy
water and tliey only wince a little
as the drops from the brush fall on
their still sensitive skins, for they
seem to understand.
Harvest Dny.
The peasants around Florence-have
an old custom called "Lighting up
the corn," which they all respect. On
Shrove Tuesday, as soon ns night
falls, all the contadlnl sally forth and
with lighted wicks in thpir hands,
make a complete circuit of all their
fields in which the young wheat Is
growing. And ns they walk they
chant these lines:
"Corn, corn, don't 'ee blight,
Here come I to give 'co light.
In the plain,
And on the hill
Let every sla.k a bushel fil!,
A bushel full, a bushel fair
A little loaf to every ear."
It Is a most picturesque sight to
see the hundreds of little lights over
hill and valley as far as the eye can
see, and to feel that each light Is in
the hand of some one who is offering
up a very genuine prayer, even
though It be a Pagan one.
In the latter part of April tho
olive-trees show tho first signs of
flower-buds. The earlier they appear
the better is the chance of n good
crop. The old Tuscan saying is that
If the flower-buds show In April you
will have barrels full as compared
with pint measures full if they do
not show till May.
On Easter day the farmer brings
his lundlord a present of t fine live
capon and a dozen eggs, which are
considered his perquisites and are
never forgotten. In June the little
figs appear, which ripen in August.
At the same time the wheat begins
to turn and the farmer's life is ono
constant round of work but fortu
nately for him Italy has many saints'
days which are Invariably observed
as holidays. Tho grain Is all cut with
a sickle and every one reaps for dear
life that the grain may be gathered
while the good weather lasts. Then
conies threshing, which is done with
flails and the winnowing with shov
els. No sooner is the harvest over
and a little rest enjoyed than comes
the gathering fit the grapes. On
vintage day the farm Is open to every
one to help with the picking. The
grapes are thrown into tall wooden
tubs, as they are picked, and there
pounded till the few grapes left are
swimming in the sweet "must." Tho
ox-cart carries these tubs just as they
ure Into the vat, where In a few
hours' time they will be fermenting
furiously, bubbling like a geyser and
sending up great puffs of crimson
froth. The Juice remains for some
days in tho vat till fermentation has
almost ceased, then it Is drawn off
and the skins pressed for the wine
which they still hold. The wine Is
put Into butts which have first been
thoroughly fumigated with sulphur,
and there It reposeB until it reaches
a ripe old age.
After tho wine is safely stored
away, the peasants have a great sup
per, with music and merry-making.
So the year goes, sometimes nature
is kind and a balance is carried tn
the right -ide of the books, but In
the long run if sufficient Is made to
cover all expenses and at the same
time provide a comfortable living, the
farmer considers himself fortunate.
PfcAilL STRINGING
' AS A BUSIMESS
1 lens nnd the Plague.
It has long been known that rats
are an Important cause of the spread
of plague, but more recent research
es seem to indicate that fleas serve
as an intermediate link in conveying
the disease from rats to men. Ac
j cording to the observations and con
elusions of Simond, Infection of
plague from one human being to
another takes place, but lu an In
significant number of cases compared
with those where fleas carry the In
fection from rat to man. The recent
experiments of the plague commie
siou at Bombay have established the
fact that fleas convey the plague
from Infected to healthy rats, and It
has also been shown that the species
of Ilea concerned is always found in
plague-Infected houses. Medical
science therefore declares war upon
lleas as upon mosquitoes, and the
mystery or epidomics is proportion
ately cleared up. Yet much remains
to be learned. Youth's Companion.
Too High.
As to tho cost of living, there Is
room for debate on some features,
but none on the following, all tt
which come too high: The fees of re
ceivers, tho purses to prize lighters,
the salaries of grand opera singers,
the price of a carriage ride, the tip
expected, or exacted, at luncheon
time.
A sweeping horizontal reduction,
say, of about two-thirds In each case,
would come somewhere near a normal
adjustment. New York Mall.
JOecrtunlty to Create a New Vocaflon
In the Care of Gema and All My
Lady's Jewelry A Chance to
Add t.) a Slender Income.
A very valuable strlfig of pearls
hould be restrung every month It
one would be on the safe side, for
there Is nlways the danger of the
silken cord rubbing against a dia
mond brooch at the back of the collar
and one or more of the delicate
strands being broken, thus making
the waxed threads too thin to hold
together for many days. Yet many
women cannot bear to part with a
costly chain or a handsome dog col
lar Just at the height of the season's
gayety, for the most expeditious Jew
eler would not be able to return the
pearls In less than three or four days
at least. There Is also a certain risk
In losing sight of a rare string of
pearls for the briefest time, as at
even the most reliable and far-famed
establishment there may be unwit
tingly employed some one who will
take the opportunity when reBtring
Ing a necklace of substituting a clev
erly manufactured pearl In place of
the real gem, the "pearl of great
price,' or perhaps of substituting be
tween the diamond clasps an entire
new string of apparently perfectly
matched true pearls, and so marvel
ously can pearls be Imitated that it
may be many months before the
fraud will be discovered.
A real need, therefore, that haa
been felt for many yeara by all who
possess costly Jewelry, is for some
means of having the different neck
laces, bracelets, chains, brooches, etc.,
kept In order without having to re
linquish them tor an Indefinite time
just when they are most wanted for
various balls and receptions.
Strange as it may seem, not until
this last year did It ever occur to
anyone that for a means of eking
out a not too ample Income no task
could be pleasanter than to take up
as a profession the stringing of pearls
and polishing up and even resetting
of precious gems. With one or two
lessons, any girl or woman could
easily learn the art of pearl stringing,
and, the knowledge once acquired, a
field will be at once open to her
among her friends, while her list of
patronesses is sure to Increaae rap
Idly, for as yet there will be compara
tively little competition to encounter.
As the Koran says, "Thy friend has
a friend, and thy friend's friend has
a friend," and so the conscientious
worker will soon build up a thriving
business among her friends and ac
quaintances and through them among
tholr friends and acquaintances, and
so on, with the infinity of an endless
chain.
As a regular profession, this string
ing of pearl collars and necklaces
could really be made decidedly prof
itable. From the pearl stringing the
business could easily grow Into the
more difficult art of cleaning and pol
ishing Jewelry and of examining
brooches and Jeweled chains regular
ly to see that the stones are all free
in their settings, and with a tiny
pincers many a piece of Jewelry can
be rescued from an extended visit to
the Jeweler's. There are numberless
little side issues that can be taken up
by the professional pearl stringer, all
of which will net large returns on
the price of the necessary few lessons
in learning first-hand Just how the
work Is done.
Many girls and women are now
learning themselves how to restring
their own pearls and, how to keep
their jewels always bright and lus
trous, preferring, now that they know
that one or two lessons will make it
possible, to take Bole care of tbelt
valuable Jewelry. Small cases, la
wood, leather, silk, or stiver, fitted
with all the necessary soaps, sticks,
and chamois cloths for cleaning and
polishing precious stones, are now to
be had, and especially during the
summer or mtd-wlnter vacation, when
one Is apt to be far away from an)
reliable jeweler, do these cases prove
their usefulness. In the world of fas
hion it Is considered quite as neces
sary for the jewels to bo bright and
scintillating as It is for every article
of dress to be absolutely fresh and
spotless. The handsomer the Jewel
the more does It deserve to be kept
in perfect condition, while a less val
uable pin, ring, or bracelet will not
show up for half its 'worth If it b
not kept always clean and bright.
A curious fad of the present day
Is the wearing of good imitation
pearls by women who possess superb
strings of real and almost priceless
pearls. Naturally there 1b a certain
risk in always wearing the costly
string, but there can be little object
in possessing a valuable collar or
necklace of pearls and then constant
ly wearing the imitations. 80 wide
spread has thla fashion become
among women who can and do ownj
the real pearls that many wear dur-:
lng the day time pearls that are but
gross Imitations, and yet could they
not afford to own the real thing they
would consider it close to the lino of j
vulgarity to wear a piece of imits-
tlon Jewelry. It all revolves back to j
the old truthjt Sho who can afford j
tho costly gem can afford to wear
the Imitation, but she whose incomsj
is known to bo small need never
Btrlve to acquire a string of pearUV
for thoy will never be given the credit J
of being genuine, another illustratlooj
of the verity, "To him (or her) tnitj
hath." New York Times.
A flue of $100 and coata was im
posed at Hanlay, England, on Charles
Frederick Goodfellow, formerly secre
tary ot tho Potters' mills, limited,
for kissing Edith Ball, aged sixteen,
in a North Staffordshire railway
train.
An Extravasant Woman.
Mrs. Belle De Blvcra, president ol
the Equal Suffrage League of N.
York, said at a recent riinnar-
"We'd have had the suffrage.
women, long ago, were it not that,
where women are concerned, men art
Inclined to be a little unfair, a llttl
churlish.
"Their treatment of women Is on
par with old Hiram Doolittle's treat
ment of his wife. He made her kel
k Pfltll .1 S 1 J .. . nVtt
-"- ... .-..mil, auu ue wuuiu ti u "
It every night, growling and grumb,!
uug, line mis:
" 'Look here. Hannah musttrtj
plasters, fifty cents; three teeth ex
tracted, 12. There's $8. B0 In oiioW
spent for yonr own private pleaenrM
t-rv juu iuiuk i m niaae ot mouen
Washington Star.