yy JACQUES FUTRELLE
r
ILLUSTRATIONS
COPYRIGHT 1908 THE
COPYRIGHT 190g by THE
SYNOPSIS.
Count dt Roslnl, the Italian Bmbas
cador. Is at dinner with diplomats In
tlxi national capital when a messengnr
brliiKH u note directing him to coma to
the embassy at once. U'-re a beautiful
young wurnan asks that she ha given
a ticket to the embassy hall. The tick
et Is made out In the name of Miss Is
abel Thorne. Chief Campbell of the
e. ret service, ami Mr. Urlmm, his head
detective, are warned that a plot of thu
Latin races against the English speak
ing rai'ci Is brewing In Wuahlngton,
end Grimm goes to the state hull for
Information. In a conservatory his at
tention Is culled to MIhs Isabel Thorne,
who with her companion, soon disap
pear. A revolver shot Is heard nnd
Campbell and Orlmm hasten down the
hall to Mud that Henor Alvarex of the
Mexican legation, has been shoti A wo
man did It, und Urlmm Is asaured It wa
Miss Thorne.
CHAPTER VI.
Revelations.
Some vague, Indefinable shadow
darkened Miss Thome's clear, bltis
gray eyes, In sharp contrast to the
glow of radiant health In her cheeks,
as she stepped from the automobile In
front of the Venezuelan legation, and
ran lightly up the steps. A liveried
servant opened the door.
"A gentleman Is waiting for you,
madam," be announced. "Ills card Is
here on the"
"I was expecting him," she Inter
rupted. "Which room, please?"
"The blue room, madam."
Miss Thorne passed along the hall
way which led to a suit of small drawing-rooms
opening on a garden In the
rear, pushed aside the portieres, and
entered.
"I'm sorry I've kept you " she be
gan, and then, In a tone of surprise:
"I beg your pardon."
A gentleman rose and bowed
rravely.
"I am Mr. Orlmm of the secret serv
ice be Informed her with frank
courtesy. "I am afraid you were ex
pecting some one else! I handed my
card to the footman."
For an Instant the blue-gray eyes
opened wide In astonishment, and then
some quick, subtle change swept over
Miss Thome's face. She smiled gra
ciously and motioned him to a seat.
"This is quite a different meeting
from the one Senorlta Rodriguez bad
planned, Isn't it?" she asked.
There was a taunting curve on ber
scarlet lips ; the shadow passed from
her eyes; her slim, white hands lay
Idly In her lap. Mr. Grimm regarded
her reflectively. There was a determ
ination of steel back of this charming
exterior; there was an indomitable
Will, a keen brain, and all of a wom
an's intuition to reckon with. She
was silent, with a questioning upward
slant of her arched brows.
"I am not mistaken in assuming that
you are a secret agent of the Italian
government, am I?" he queried finally.
"No," she responded readily.
"In that event I may speak with per
fect frankness?" he went on. "It
would be as useless as it would be
abrurd to approach the matter In any
other manner?" It was a question.
Miss Thorne was still smiling, but
again the vague, Indefinable Bhadow,
momentarily lifted, darkened her eyes.
"You may be frank, of course," she
said pleasantly. "Please go on."
"Senor Alvarez was shot at the
German embassy ball last night," Mr.
Orlmm told her.
Miss Thorne nodded, as if In won
der. "Did you, or did you not, shoot
him?"
It was quite casual. She received
the question without change of coun
tenance, but involuntarily she caught
her breath. It might have been a sigh
of relief.
"Why do you come to me with such
a query?" she asked In turn.
"I beg your pardon," Interposed Mr.
Grimm, steadily. "Did you, or did you
not, shoot him?" '
"No, of course I didn't shoot him,"
was tho reply. If there was any emo
tion In the tone it was merely Impa
tience. "Why do you come to rue?"
she repented.
"Why do I come to you?" Mr. Grimm
echoed the question, while bis listless
eyes rested on her face. "I will be
absolutely frank, as I feel sure you
would be under the same circum
stances." He paused a moment; she
nodded. "Well, Immediately after th
hoting you ran along the hallway
with a revolver In your hand; you ran
down the steps into the kitchen, and
out through the back door, where you
entered an automobile. That Is not
conjecture; it Is susceptible of proof
by eye witnesses."
Miss Thorne rose suddenly with a
queer, helpless little gesture of her
arms, and walked to the window. She
stood thera for a long tle Wi bor
hands clasped behld her ittak,
' T.!mt brll,,a ua t0 Rx!r quv
tlotC Mr. Grimm contlnfid merciless-
"If you dill lint uhnnj 9nn Al.
vrez, do you know who dldP
1 here was another long pause
T want to believe you,
Miss
"riie. ne supplemented.
She turned quickly with something
" defiance In her attitude.
"Yes, I know," she said slowly. "It
were useless to deny ft."
"Who was It?"
"I won't tell you."
Mr. Orlmm leaned forward In his
c"tlr, and spoke earnestly.
"Understand, please, that by that
nswer you assume equal guilt with
le person who actually did the
hooting," he explained. "If you ad
ere to It you compel me to regard
Tou as an accomplice." Ills question
ing took a different line. "Will you ex
Plain how the revolver came Into your
Possession?"
"Oh, I-I picked t up ln the hall.
y there," sho replied vaguely.
1 1 want to believe you.i Miss
ilmrne," Mr. Grimm said again.
You may, I picked It up In 'the
Jiallway," Bho repeated. "I saw It ly
there and picked It up."
"ELUSIVE
mm
by M.G.Ksrltivr
ASSOCIATED .SUNDAY MAGA2INE3
MERRILL COMPANy
"Why that. Instead of giving un
alarm?"
"No alarm was necessary. The shot
itself was an alarm."
"Then why," Mr. Grimm persisted
coldly, "did you run along the hall
way and escape by way of the kitch
en? If you did not do the shooting,
why the necessity of escape, carrying
the revolver?"
There was that In the blue-gray
eyes which brought Mr. Orlmm to his
feet Ills hands gripped each other
cruelly; his tone was calm as always.
"Why did you take tho revolver?"
he asked.
Miss Thome's head dropped for
ward a little, and she was silent.
"There are only two possibilities, of
course," be went on. "First, that you,
In spite of your denial, did tho shoot-
Ing."
"I did not!" The words fairly burst
from her tightly closed Hps.
"Or that you knew tho revolver, nnd
took It to save the person, man or
woman, who fired the shot. I will as
sume, for the moment, that this Is cor
rect. Where Is the revolver?"
From the adjoining room there
came a slight noise, a faint breath of
sound; or It might have been only an
echo of silence. Their eyes were fixed
each upon the others unwaveringly,
with not a flicker to Indicate that
either had heard. After a moment
Miss Thorne returned to her chair and
sat down.
"It's rather a singular situation,
Isn't It, Mr. Grimm?" the Inquired Ir-
Mr. Grimm Found Himself Inspecting
relevently. "You, Mr. Grimm of the
Secret Service of tho United States;
I, Isabel Thome, a secret agent of
Italy togother here, one accusing the
other of a crime, and perhaps with
good reason."
"Whero is the revolver?" Mr.
Grimm Insisted.
"If you were any one else but you!
I could not afford to be frank with
you and"
"It you hnd been any one else but
you I should have placed you under
arrost when I entered tho room."
She smiled, and Inclined her head.
"1 understand," -she said pleasantly.
"For the reason that you are Mr.
Grimm of the Secret Service I shall
tell you tho truth. I did take the re
volver because I knew who had fired
the shot. Ilelleve mo when I tell you
that that person did not act with my
knowlodge or consent. You do bo
lleve that? You do?" She was plead
ing, eager to convince him.
After a while Mr. Grimm nodded.
"The revolver Is beyond your reach
and shall remain so," sho resumed.
"According to your laws I suppone I
am an accomplice. That Is my mis
fortune. It will In no y alter my
determination to kei silent If I am
arrested I cant ,' elp it " Sho studied
his faoe -nti byf-j) yes. "Am I to
Ve arrested f
"'Jiere is the paper thnt was taken
from enor Alvarez Immediately tfter
he was shot?" Mr. Grimm queried.
"I don't know," she replied frankly.
"As I understand It, then, the mo
tive for the Bhootlng was to obtain
possession of that paper? For your
government?"
"The Individual who shot Senor Al
varez did obtain the paper, yes. And
now, please, am I to be arrested?"
"And Just what was the purpose,
may I inquire, of the message you tel
egraphed with your fan ln the ball
room T"
"You read that?" exclaimed Miss
Thorne in mock astonishment. "You
read that?"
"And the man who read that mes
snge? Perhaps he shot the senor?"
"Perhans," she taunted.
For a long, tlmo Mr. Grlmtn stood ,
staring at her, staring, staring. She,
too, rose, and faced him quietly.
"Am I to be arrested?" she asked
again.
"Why do you make me do it?" he
demanded.
"That Is my affair."
Mr. Grimm laid a band upon her
arm, a hand that had never known
nervousness. A moment longer he
stared, and then;
"Madnm, you are my prisoner for
the attempted murder of Senor Al
varez!" The rings on the portieres behind
him clicked sharply, and the draperies
parted. Mr. Grimm stood motionless,
with his hand on Miss Thome's arm.
"You were Inquiring a moment ago
for a revolver," came ln a man's voice.
"Here It Is!"
Mr. Grimm found himself inspecting
the weapon from the barrel end. Aft
er a moment his glance shifted to the
blazing eyes of thn man who held It
a young man, rather slight, with clean
cut, aristocratic features, and of the
pronounced Italian type.
"My God!" The words came from
Miss Tliorno's lips almost In a scream.
"Don't!" -
"I did mnke some Inquiries about a
revolver, yes," Mr. Orlmm Interrupted
quietly. "Is this the one?"
He rnlsed his hand quite cnBtially,
and his fingers closed like steel
around the wenpon. Behind his back
Miss Thorne make some quick em
phatic gesture, and the new-comer re
leased the revolver.
"I shall ask you, please, to free Miss
Thome," he requested court. ously, "I
shot Senor Alvarez. I, too, am a secret
ngent of the Italian government, will
ing and able to defend myself. Miss
Thorne has told you the truth; she
had nothing whatever to do with It
She took the-weapon and escaped b
cause It was mine. Here Is tho paper
that was tnken from Senor Alvarez
and he offered a senled envelope. '
have read It; It Is not what I expected
You may return It to Senor Alvarez
with my compliments."
After a moment Mr. Grimm's hand
fell away from Miss Tliorno's arm
and he regarded the new-comer with
an Interest In which admiration, even
played a part.
"Your name?" he asked flnnlly.
"I'letro Putrozlnnl," was the ready
reply. "As I say, I accept alt respon
slbllltT."
A few minutes later Mr. Grimm and
his prisoner passed out of the legation
side by side, and strolled down the
The Weapon From the Barrel End.
street together, In amicablu conversa
tion. Half an hour later Senor Al
varez Identified Pietro Petrozlnnl ns
thu man who shot him; nnd the mai.l
servant expressed a belief that ho was
tho man who slummed the door in ber
face.
(TO UK CONTIXl'Kn.)
Doing Your Own Papering.
In preparing tho paper for hanging
first trim off all white edges which
might show afterward. Then spread
tho paste on the paper, very evenly, to
obvlute the danger of Irregular drying
nd later spotty effects. Regulate the
temperature of the room so that the
paper will dry within one hour after
hanging.
The following method of estimating
the number of rolls of paper may be ol
help. This estimate holds good for
rooms of from seven to nine feet in
height Measure '.he number of yards
around the room, nnd multiply this by
two. The rosultant figure representi
tho number of full-length strips. For
each ordinary sized window and dooi
allow' two stripe each. &ubtrct thli
from the firm figure, and divide ay five
This will give you the number of dou
ble rolls required. This estlmnte makes
tUowauce enough so that the trim
mings fill In odd places. Country Lift
In America.
Attribute of Cuccets.
An American must not die; he
must direct his energies townrd suc
cess; success means making one's
way in life; nine times out of ten. for
ninety-nine men out of a hundred, that
means the business world. To seize
the business opportunity; to develop
that opportunity through the business
virtues of attention to detail, Indus
try, economy, persistence and enthusl
asm these represent the plain and
manifest duty of every citizen who In
tends to "be somebody." Stewart E4
ward White.
Like Moving Picture Shows.
Marionette or puppet theaters, for
merly well beloved by the Italian resi
dents from memories of their old
home, have disappeared in New York,
being replaced by the moving picture
shows, but the mythological and le
gertd.iry dramas familiar In the van
lshed playhouses are still preserved
and in more effective form by tbt
films of tho Olographs.
For the
Hi
A Garden Party.
The Invitations were made in shape
of vegetables, patterns being taken
from seed catalogues, drawing paper
was used, then they were tinted with
water colors. When all arrived, cards
numbered from one to twenty five
were passed with small pencils; the
following questions were written on
the cards, one opposite each number,
all to be answered by the names of
well known flowers:
1. A southern baby. I. What the Scotch
Kir I said when asked to walk the tight
rope. 3. Why the younf lady cried when
her fattier removed the ladder from be
neath her window. 4. What the woman
aid to the tramp, i. The sunset. S. A
color. 7. Admired by all lovers. L Two
girls. . I.nnglng. 10. A cure for pain.
It. What single gentlemen need. II. What
Mrs Tsft used to rail her sweetheart
13. The nurse's delight. M. A lively color.
IS. A hunch of something children like.
IS. What the teacher did when he sat on
the tack ln Ills rhslr. 17. A dignified plant.
11. Part of the wealth of Jacob. I. What
still retnnlned to Job In his poverty. M.
The world. 21. What the toad will do
when he sees the snake. 2! Wearing ap
parel for an animal. 21. Queen Victoria's
delight. 24. A rnuse for tears. 25. Some
thing very small.
ANSWKR8
I Virginia creeper. I. Canna. I. Canta
loupe. 4. Hegotila. I. The morning glory.
. I'lnk. 7. Moonflower. I. Rosemary, .
Pine. ID. Ralsam. II. Rachelor's buttons.
12. Sweet William. 13 Cyclamen. 14. Scar
let runner. IS. Candy tuft. 11 Rose. 17.
Primrose, is. Phlox. 1. Job's tears. 20.
Cosmos. 21. IMp 22. Foxglove. 21 Peas.
24. Onion. 25. Mignonette.
A "Five and Ten Cent" Shower.
Encountering a bevy of girls the
other day with "Polly" at their head,
all giggling and fairly bubbling over
with suppressed excitement. I headed
off the procession to be literally run
Into by the same number of boys. It
seems that "one of the girls" who Is
to be a June bride objected seriously
to "showers" as she feared to tax the
pocketbooks of her friends, so she
firmly declined to accept any. Hut
"Polly," always In for a lark, had gath
ered the clan and they were all going
to the "Five and Ten Cent" each se
lecting one article and then all were
to go to the home of the bride-to-be
nnd proceed to "shower" In the good
old-fashioned way. An obliging friend
was calling upon the unsuspecting vic
tim and had promised to stay until
"they" came. They hail ordered re
freshments sent from a nearby ca
terer and were Just having the time of
their lives, as one of the lads ex
pressed it I next saw the bunch
loaded down with all sorts of parcela.
Including a sprinkling can. carpet
beater, clothes line, clothes pins, tack
V
The Midsummer Hat
2 ,
; ;:
) If 'm
J l ,,Mm
THK big picture hat Is at Its best
when midsummer weather calls
iur no ui-vt-iuiuiicui. iu luce, ur
lacy fabrics, and for flower garnitures,
gay and dainty. Kvery one concedes
tho beauty and elegance of transpar
ent nets, chiffons and millinery bruids
and they seem to Inspire the trimmer
with airy fancies which she works out
Into the poetry of headwear A cer
tain hat, of fine black chiffon, shirred
on a large wire frame (of fine silk-covered
wire), was finished with a little
touch of silver bruld and trimmed
with two blnck plumes. This seems
simple enough, but the design was so
excellent and beautiful that this par
ticular bat was christened "A Midsum
IN fOQUC
Doleros, sleeveless, and otherwise
promise a popuarlty for the coming
season.
King's blue Is possibly the shade
that heads the colors for spring and
summer.
Dim. blurred-looking eastern em
broideries are effective on work and
handbags.
Sashes and belts of gray satin are
strongly effective with gowns of brll
tant color.
Some sailor hats are seen with the
jdge lace frilled. They are known as
Georgettes.
One of the new les Is the velvet
parasol, with a daltty silk lining of
becoming hue.
Drop fringes of the crochet-button
or ornament type are becoming popu
Inr nnd are shown In both cotton and
silk so that even it wash gown may
be f ringed if deslrkd.
Hostess
15
CJ
hammer, soap dish, tc. As the young
couple were going to housekeeping at
once I am sure this shower was really
most acceptable.
Bath and Laundry Shower.
A much feted bride had bad seem
ingly every kind of a shower, finally a
clever young matron proposed a "bath
and laundry" affair and It was a great
success.
The twenty guests consulted before
hand, so there were no duplicates.
Here Is a partial list of the gifts:
Clothes line, 7 dozen clothes pins, a
bag for same made of denim, the name
neatly outlined In red, all kinds of
starch, a hamper for soiled linen,
laundry and bath soap, buth towels, a
dozen wash cloths, bath brush, an Iron
ing board, white felt to cover It, sev
eral laundry bags for handkerchiefs
and collars and cuffs; these were
made of white pique, the monograms
being worked In colors.
lion would be a fine addition If the
expense Is not too much nWn n nnH
sized clothes basket, and an apron of
waierproor material. Oh. yes. I for
got, both ball and bottle bluing, Iron
ing holders, Irons, rest and wax.
Novel 8ouvenlrs for a Progressive
Party.
At a recent bridge nartv the hn
tess gave each guest a very pretty
Dasaei. i-or games won the players
received articles for a work haHk-
there were bodkins, dainty thimbles,
sman embroidery scissors, wee pin
cushions, tape needles, tape measures.
neeuie books, emeries, papers of
needles, cards of hooks and eyes, rib
bon runners, etc. There were no oth
er prizes given. The Idea Is a good
one All the things were of fine qual
ity; the thimbles had been picked up
In Italy for a mere trifle, being of sil
ver gilt set with various semi precious
stones. At another party this same
hostess gave small one-play books of
Shakespeare bound In soft red leather.
Once she had a beautiful bag for each
player, regardless of who won or lost.
Jelly and Pickle 8hower.
A bride of this month had a most
practical and accetpahle shower given
her. The guests each brought either
a glass of Jelly or a Jar of some kind
of pickles or relish; recipes for each
accompanied the gift and the hostess
presented an aluminum preserving ket
tle with a spoon of the same material.
Hot buttered toast, orange marmalade
and tea was served, with candled gin.
ger and peppermints. The room was
decorated with nasturtiums.
MADAME MEKrtL
mer Night's Dream" In the establish
ment where It was made and many
copies found their way over an appre
ciative country.
A lovely hat of white net Is shown
here, having a wide border of black
velvet about the edge of the brim,
and at the top crown. A scarf of
rennalssance lnce Is draped over the
upper brim and a wreath of ribbon
foliage and small r0ses encircles the
crown. At the left back, a snowy
looking willow plume Is mounted
aRnlnst the crown, with Its full head
falling to the brim. This design mer
its as good a name as can be found
for It
JULIA BOTTOMLEY.
As to the Fireplace.
The sides of a fireplace should be
well splayed or beveled. In order to
retlect the heat, says Arts and Decora
tion. The back should lean forward
at the top, for the same purpose, and
the fireplace rhould not be too deep.
A projecting chimney produces an
effect of pushing the guest away,
whereas a receding one beckons blm
nearer, to enjoy the hospitality of the
open tire. For this reason the Ingle
nook, that Is, the fireplace built into
the wall of the room. Is especially
cozy and attractive.
Chiffon Scarfs.
The scarf, which has come Into
high fashion for afternoon and eve
ning wenr during the summer. Is
made of three layers of colored chif
fon. Purple, blue and pink la one
combination; green, white and black
is another. Gray, white and black la
used by older women, and pink, blue
nnd lavender !s a combination chosen
by mnny young glrU. Violet and red
is one of the Paul Polrot Ideas, which
must be handled with discretion.
30
I The Universal I
V1 vvu
By Dr. Frank Crane
In the oue universal church to which
all good men belong, composed of
those of alt falth.i who honestly live
up to the best they know, whether
Christian or Pugan, Jew or Gentile,
Catholic or Protestant, there Is a cer
tain fundamental creed. This, the
greatest common divisor of all creedB,
may be thus stated:
. 1. The good man sees, acknowl
edges, and believes In, first of all, the
difference brtween right and wroug.
When the word ought disappears from
one's vocabulary he may be sure of
moral decay The one mnn abomina
ble to any decent society Is the man
who thinks noihlng matters. We can
tolerate one, even, who doubts there Is
a God; but If one believes tin re Is no
line between right and wrong, then,
as Dr. Johnson said, "let us count our
Bpoons when he leaves."
2. The good man believes that hap
piness will come to him, permanet.lly,
and ns a law, only as he practices dt)-'
Ing right. Juy, peace, and bliss are
not to be cozened nor Juggled from
God or nature, but are the sure por
tion of them that persistently de what
they think right. Doing right, of
course, does not always bring money
or fame or other externul desired
things, but It brings peace and poise
to the soul, as surely as three times
live makes fifteen. There are no more
exception to this rule than to a law of
physics or of geometry. The cosmic
accuracy runs In spiritual as wi ll as
ln material things.
8. The good man's duty (In which be
find happiness) Is first of all to de
velop his personality. God made him
for a purpose; bis Joy will consist In
finding and fulfilling that purpose. He
Is not to be some one else, not to
copy; but, using all mastors, to be
come more and more himself.
4. It Is his duty to be strong He
can be of use to others only as he has
force In himself. He therefore Bhuns
all things that tend to weuken his arm,
hlB brain, or bis heart.
5. His duty Is to be clean. This
Item of the creed is oldest and new
est; oldest, In that cleauslngs were a
part of every early religion, the com
mands of Moses, for Instance, abound
ing In many lustra! rites; newest, In
that the one lesson of modern science
Is the power and safoty of the anti
septic life. The devil's name as far as
bodily health and mental clearness
and spiritual vigor is concerned. Is
dirt. Dirt Is the one enemy to be
tinted, with all ono's soul and to be
fought unto one's last breath. ,
6. Ills duty Is to be brave. The basic
sin of all sins Is cowardice. Tho high
er the realm of life ln which we move
the more dangerous Is any kind of
fear. And the most deadly of all fears
Is the fear of the truth, or the fear for
the truth. Any man or institution that
fights to preserve himself or Itself, for
the sake of "expediency," that Is to
say, for fear the truth might do harm,
any man or Institution, In the words of
Znngwlll, that proposes to live and die
in "an autocusm without facts," Is
doomed.
7. His duty Is to love. Although, ac
cording to the foregoing points In the
creed, he Is to develop self and be
clean, brave, and strong, yet he Is to
find his motive for all this and the
end for which he does all this, outside
and not Inside of himself.
It Is at this point that he rises, like
an aeroplane leaving the runway on
the ground and sonring aloft; here the
man leaves the company and simili
tude of all other creatures. In his
power to be nctuated by unselfish mo
tives he becomes as a god compared
to the beasts.
He lives for his wife, his children,
his friends, his country, his race; so,
ln widening waves his radio dynamic
flows. The good man therefore ha'es
no living creature. Ho despises no
human being.
In him Is a centrifugal power out
flowing to Inundate the universe.
8. From this love arise all graces
and virtues as naturally as penclies
grow -from peach trtes. Loving all ho
cannot soil a soul, nor wrong a fellow
being, nor hurt wantonly, nor usurp,
nor push for precedence, nor bo un
kind, nor In nny way drift Into the
low, poison life of egoism.
9. His one aim, Inst of all, la to
serve. Strong In himself, fearless and
loving, he arises at length to the plat
form where stands he who was called
"the first bom among many brethren."
He Is the master's companion and also
can put away all cheap success, all
luxuries of greed and dominance, and
repent his master's worrls:
"Let htm who would bo greutest
among you be servant of all. I, too,
come not to be ministered unto, but to
minister."
The Yielded Life.
No mnn ever yet found God by first
getting rid of all the entanglements
ami complications of his life and then
turning to God. Yet many a man de
ceives himself Into thinking that that
Is what he can do. It Is a hopeless
attempt. The time that a man needs
a physician's advice and treatment Is
when he Is helplessly entangled by
disease. The time that a man needs
God is when his life Is so wound In
and out with the entanglements of
his wrong-doing the he recoils from
the thought of God. He must come
to God to get loose; he cannot first
get loose ".nd then come to God. Only
God can get htm loose; and God can
free him from every knot and shackle
of the hopelessly Involved bondage
Into which years of ill doing and deal
ings have brought him. He does not
see how this can be; he cannot see
how, until he has yielded up his hands
In acknowledged defeat aud glveu
over himself and all that be has to
God, In complete submission and
resolutely declared purpose to do
God's whole wilt. Then the miracle
of release will begin, tt can never be
granted upon other terms.
The voice of alt nature cries to us
that there is a God. Voltaire.,
00
Isaiah's Prophecy
Concerning Sennacherib
Suadsy Sbool Letiea far July 2, I91l
Specially Arranged lor Thli Piper
I.KHHON TKXT-Ialah 87:14-34
MKMi'RY VKRSKS 33-16.
OOI.DKN TKXT-"Ood Is our refuge
and strength, a very present help In trouble."-1'ik.
441.
TIMK-Probably . C. 701(07, toward
the close of Hvsnkluh'a reltrn.
l'LACK-Jerusalciil and vicinity. ThS
destruction of the army wee probably
southwest of Judith toward Egypt
The Importance of the event which
forms the subject of this lesson li
shown by the fact that Its history Id
given In three books of the Ilible, andj
probably referred to In another, oc
cupying seven or eight chapters, be
sides the clay cylinder on which Sen
uaeburlb made bis own record.
It was a great crisis In Israel's bis
tory like the exodus, and return from
captivity, a Blgnal landmark, to teach,
and warn and encourage, and comfort
Israel lu other great crises, and tha
nations and Individuals of alt times,
Hezeklah, although the son of a bad
father (but a good mother), began his
reign with a thorough and widespread
retormatlon and revival of the true re
ligion, even while the Assyrians were.
Invading the Northern Kingdom. Ha
cleansed aud repaired the temple, re
stored the temple services, and pro
vided for the support of the Levltes
and for popular religious Instruction
from the books of the law, thus bring
Ing about a great uprising against
Idolatry.
The result was most happy. "Heze
klah had exceeding much riches and
honor." His klugdom was tranquil,
strong and wealthy. Hut one constant
danger threatened Judah the grat
ing power of Assyria, whose overlord
Ship Ahaz had acknowledged, against
the urgent protests of Isaiah.
In 701 R. C. the great Invasion of
Palestine was made by Sennacherib,
with a double siege of Jerusalem.
Sennacherib sent an army demanding
the surrender of Jerusalem. He may
have felt that It was a mistake to
leave In his rear so powerful a fort
ress, while he had still to complete
the overthrow of the Kgyptlana."
The Assyrians, coming near to the
walls of the city and speaking through
Rabshakeh, the chief olllccr of Sen
nacherib, made the contest one be
tween Jehovah and the Assyrian Idols,
between the true religion, the one
means of redeeming the world, and
Hezeklah, and Isaiah, and apparently
the scribes and elders, clothed In
sackcloth, went Into the temple and
prayed from their Inmost souls.
Note bow afflictions lead to prayer.
Hezeklah saw before him captivity,
suffering, probably death, the Iobs of
bis kingdom, the extinction of hi
line, the exile of his people. Rut above
all he saw the fall of true religion,
the dishonor of God s name, a relig
ious and moral Iobs to the world. We
should pray for temporal blessings,
for whatever we need; but at the
same time we should never let the de
sire fur earthly things overshadow the
Iargtr and more Important spiritual,
interests; but rather, as In Hezckiah't
cuse, the pressure of personal need
should make more Intense the desire
for God's cause and kingdom.
Then came a message from God
through Isaiah. Hitherto Isaiah's mes
sage had been one of warning to
Judah, In order to make them so obe
dient to God that the relief could
come to them as a blessing. Now his
message concerns the Assyrlnns, but
also shows Judah why God comes to
their help.
The wonderful detlveranco came
when the angel of the Uird smote
of the Assyrians a hundred and four
score and five thousand. Just where
this occurred we do not know. Hut
Sennacherib wns marching toward,
Egypt. The deliverance was a deliv
erance of F.gypt as welt as of Judah.
The scene may well have been near
Egypt. Whether it was by n storm,
or pestilence, no one knows. It Is
remarkable that the histories of both
bis chief rivals In this campaign, Ju
dah and Kgypt, should contain Inde
pendent reminiscences of so sudden
and miraculous a disuster to his host
From Kgyptlun sources there tins
come down through Herodotus a story
that a king of Kgypt, being deserted
by tho military caste, when Senna
cherib, king of tho Arabs and Assy
riaiiB Invaded his country, entered his
sanctuary und appealed with weeping
to his god; that the god appeared and
cheered him; that he raised an army
of artisans anil marched to meet Sen
nacherib In Peluslum; that by night
a multitude of field mice ate up the
quivers, bowstrings and shieldstraps
of the Assyrians; nnd that, as these
fled on the morrow, very many of
them fell. A stone statue of the king,
adds Herodotus, stood In the temple
of Hephaestus, having a mouse In the
hand. Now, since the mouse was a
symbol of sudden destruction, and
even of the plague, this story of
Herodotus seems to be merely a pic
turesque form of a tradition thnt pesti
lence broke out In the Assyrian camp.
There Is nothing In the lllble record
that contradicts the belief that tha
disuster occurred In the neighborhood
of Peluslum and the Serbonlan bog la
northeastern Egypt. It was a place
terrible for filth aud miasma. A Per
sian army was decimated here la
the middle of the fourth century be
fore Christ. Napoleon's army barely
escaped destruction here.
The amount of the Assyrian loss
was enormous, and Implies of course
a much higher figure for the army
which was vast enough to suffer it;
but here are some Instances for com
parison. In the early German inva
sions of Italy w hole armies and camps
were swept away by the pestilential
climate. The losses of the First cru
sade were over 300,000. The soldiers
of the Third crusade, upon the scene
of Sennacherib's war, were reckoned
at more than half a million, nnd their
losses by disease alone at over 100,000.
The grand army of Napoleon entered
Russia 230,000, but came out, having
suffered no decisive defeat, only 12,.
000; on tho retreat from Moscow
nlone 90,000 perished. Rut It wns un
der God's control and it was his sal
vaitop that saved Jerusalem.