The Missouri Bar association has
adopted a series of recommendations
which, if followed, will radically re-
duce the divorce business in the Mis-
gouri courts.
A New York circus manager has
placed at the service of the war de-
partment twenty-five elephants for the
campaign in Cuba. In one way or an-
other those Cubans, sooner or later,
are bound to be given a show.
The proverbially dull English Sun-
day is disappearing under the influ-
ence of the bicycle. In this country
the reverse is the case, declares the
New York World. The bicycle has
nearly killed Sunday baseball in many
Western towns.
There is no particular objection to
jokes about the advantage of enlisting
football players for the war, but the
New York Tribune ventures to predict
that the young heroes of the gridiron
would make an uncommonly good
record f they should volunteer to
serve their country.
Says the Boston Herald: —It is Mark
Twain who observes, in one of his
sketches of travel in foreign parts,
"that the reason there is comparatively
little arable land in Spain is because
the great majority of the Spanish peo-
ple are in the habit of squandering it
on their persons, and when they die it
is buried with them.
President Dwight reports that the
already visible requirements of Yale
for buildings and endowments cannot
be supplied for less than from $3,000,-
000 to $4,000,000, which he hopes to
secure during the next six or seven
years. Lest this announcement should
stupefy the friends of Yale, he adds
that the university has received as
much as that since 1887. It is a strik-
ing reminder of the generosity with
which Americans respond to claims
upon their benevolence.
The naming of the new battery on
Sullivan’s Island, Charleston (S. C.)
harbor, after Sergeant William Jasper,
is said to be the only instance on rec-
ord in this country of a fort being
named in honor of a soldier otherthan
a commissioned officer. Sergeant Jas-
per was shot and killed at Savannah,
Ga., on Oct. 9, 1779, while planting
the flag of the 2d South Carolina regi-
ment on the British ramparts. He
had previously distinguished himself
during the attack on Fort Moultrie,
June 28, 1775.
There is a fashion in vegetables as
in everything else. At present celery
is rising to the top of the wave of pop-
ularity.
change.
is a delicious vegetable when boiled,
steamed, fried or baked. It makes
an admirable soup, and a superior
salad. When old medicinal
virtues, being an active nervine. The
seeds dried and pulverized make celery
salt, and this mixed with powdered
pepsin, makes an invaluable remedy
The
root, which most Americans foolishly
throw away, when washed and boiled
is a very wholesome and palatable
dish. ‘lhe pale green, yel'ovish tips
are fine ornaments for garnishing
meats and salads, and, to cap the cli-
max, the chemists now extract from
the plant several new medicines of
great efficacy.
There is good reason for the
It is a fine appetizer raw, it
it has
for many kinds of dyspepsia.
In general the phrase ‘‘American hu-
mor’ has come to mean a spirit for
catching the ludicrous and grotesque
side of life. Yet the humor of Amer-
ica today is far deeper, maintains the
Chicago Times-Herald. Grim-visaged
war is not the companion to evoke
light merriment even in the most flip-
pant minds. The righting of great
wrongs does not tend to idle jesting.
There are quips and jokes of the hour,
but they bite with a mordant sting,and
beneath the surface words betray the
serious temper of the time. A zeal-
ous orator for war was asked: ‘You
will go to the front at once?’ ‘No, but
my brother is ready,’ he replied, and
asked: ‘“Will you go?’ “I suppose
so, since I have no brother,’ was the
dry retort of the man who had argued
for peace. In this reply rings the
quality of the speech of that great
American, Abraham Lincoln. Such,
humor is of the very essence of wis-
dom. It betokens loyalty to the will
of the people even through contempt
for the inconsistent advocate of an
unwelcome policy. But humor is a
mood not always of whimsical or
ironical turn. That which now governs
the minds of citizens is relentless and
forbidding in its revolt against cruelty,
injustice, and a smarting sense of be-
trayal. This republie, standing fore-
most in the eye of the world, has
shown the nations that the humor of
America is imperative in its demands
for fair dealing and respect for the
rights of men.
Z
pot
os
eR eid eee ee ee Se ee 830 30 E30 3030 L308 3
203
TERRIBLE DYNAMITE
CRUISERS AND BATTERIES. =
& WE OWN TWO SHIPS UNLIKE THOSE OF ANY
OTHER NAVY,
SA)
50%
93
33
OCOD GED HONGO eset
‘With the incorporation of the Brazil-
ian cruiser Nictheroy into the United
States Navy under the name of the
Buffalo that branch of the service will
have two ships that are unlike those
of any other navy in the world—de-
stroyers on a huge plan. These two
ships—the Vesuvius and the Buffalo
—are throwers of dypamite. The ex-
plosives which they throw do not de-
pend, as do those thrown from the tor-
pedo tubes of ordinary warships or-the
missile sent from a torpedo boat, on
any mechanical contrivance inside of
the missile. They travel through the
air, and their propulsive force comes
from compressed air, which is stored
in a tube that is more like a gun than
a tube. The shots have ranges far su-
perior to those of the torpedo and ac-
curacy which is almost perfect.
The one question is whether large
ships like these can get near enough
to an enemy to reach him with their
shot. They are not like torpedo boats
or torpedo boat destroyers. They are
large and noticeable objects, and while
the Vesuvius is armored, the Buffalo
has little defensive power. Butif they
do get near enough to an enemy to
is different. Against this objection
the gun offers these advantages over
the submarine torpedo: It has
greater range, is almost absolutely
accurate, and the projedtiles cannot
be stopped in its course by torpedo
nets or exploded by rapid fire guns,
as it is too swift in its flight.
The aerial torpedo which is thrown
from the dynamite guns on these two
ships is shaped like the head of a
rocket and is about ten feet long.
FIFTEEN-INCH FULL CALIBRE DYNAMITE
PROJECTILE.
Spiral vanes guide its flight and the
explosive charge, consistitig: of from
200 to 500 pounds of nitro-glycerine,
is in the head and middle of the pro-
jectile. When loaded the entire af-
i#ir weighs 1000 pounds. It can be
set to explode either on impact or by
a time fuse. A range of 2000 yards
with entire accuracy is attainable.
As said before, the question is
whether a ship carrying these guns
SANDY HOOK’S DYNAMITE
BATTERY.
use their dynamite guns properly the
ship against which they operate is
doomed. No armor, no strength of
construction, no bulkheads can save
the warship that is struck by-the tre-
mendous charge of nitro-glycerine or
explosive gelatine with which the aerial
torpedo is loaded.
The Nictheroy originally was a
merchant vessel owned by the Mor-
gan line, and her name when she
was in a peaceful occupation, was El
Cid. She was bought by the Govern-
ment of Brazil in the time of the last
revolution there, and was to be used
against the insurgents, who had
seized the navy and were bombarding
the forts in the harbor of Rio de
THE THREE DYNAMITE CRATERS OF THE
VESUVIUS.
Janeiro. She was refitied pretty thor-
oughly as a cruiser, and her coal
bunkers were so arranged that they
protect the machinery and the parts
necessary to operate the gun. The
latter is mounted in the bow, and
projects through an opening in the
spar deck, giving it a clear range for-
ward and permitting a free motion on
each side, so that it can be trained
either to port or starboard. The air
reservoirs of the gun are in the lowet
hold, on the starboard side, directly
under the gun, and a central air-pipe
leads up through the foundations
on which the carriage of the gun
could get near enough to attack anen-
emy. To approach an alert ship of war
close enough to use the dynamite gun
the Vesuvius or the Buffalo must steam
for several miles under fire, for the
ordinary powder guns of any warships
will throw shot at least three or four
miles, and the big guns will carry
seven miles with fair accuracy. The
dynamite throwers must rush at the
enemy under a storm of shot, there-
fore, and this, at the rate of speed of
either these ships, would mean that
they would be exposed to it for fifteen
minutes at the least before they could
reply. But if they survive this fire
and drop one projectile within fifty
yards of the greatest battleship afloat,
the result will be the enemy’s annihil-
ation. No craft can withstand the
shock of an explosion of the amount
of gelatine or nitro-glycerine which
their projectiles can carry.
It is somewhat misleading to speak
of dynamite guns when referring to
the dynamite battery on Sandy Hook.
What they are really is torpedo tubes
that discharge aerial torpedoesinstead
of the submarine variety. The tubes
are mounted like cannon, and to an
extent look like them; but, exactly
speaking, they are torpedo tubes, and
nothing else. Like the submarine tor-
pedo, they are of use only at close
range, or what is considered close
range in these days of high power steel
cannon which throw shot ten miles.
The dynamite battery has an extreme
range of only 4300 yards, a little over
two miles.
The accuracy of fire of the dynamite
battery is great. This is due to the
absolute evenness of the propelling
force. Compressed air projects the
torpedo. The best of powder varies
in pressure, while compressed air is
exact.. The full calibre projectile
(called full calibre in distinction from
the snraller projectiles, which are made
to fit the tube by means of fingers)
weighs 1000 pounds, 500 pounds of it
being explosive gelatine, either nitro-
DYNAMITE CRUISER VESUVIUS.
rests. Shields protect the weapon
and the men who serve it.
On the way to Brazil the crew prac-
ticed with it, using ‘‘dummy” pro-
jectiles, and its accuracy was found
remarkable. The gun was so new, how-
ever, that the men were almost as
much afraid of it as the enemy was
expected to be, and there was consid-
erable relief on board when it was
found on arrival in Brazil that there
would be noneed for firing it with
real dynamite, as the revolution was
over. Smce then the successful in-
stallation of two batteries of these
guns ¥n United States forts has made
artillerists more confident, and much
reliance is placed in the ‘work of both
the Vesuvius and the Buffalo.
One weakness of the dynamite gun
system is the fact that the projectiles
are discharged with compressed air.
This makes necessary a special plant
which, of course, means complica-
tions of the kind that every naval
officer is anxious to avoid. It is not
so bad on land, where the necessary
steam plant can be protected wifa
earthworks, but on a ship the meiter
glycerine or guncotton, and it is fired
with an air pressure of 1000 pounds
to the square inch. This pressure is
exerted so evenly and gradually that
the explosive is not shocked into pre-
mature detonation, and it is so steady
that the unwieldy torpedo or projec-
tile hits with remarkable accuracy.
The enormous charge would wreck the
hull of any battleship afloat, even if it
did not strike the ship directly, but
exploded anywhere within fifty feet of
if under water.
-There are two dynamite batteries at
forts in this country. One is in Fort
Scott in San Francisco Harbor and the
other is in Fort Hanceck, on Sandy
Hook. The Fort Scott battery con-
sists of three fifteen-inch and the Fort
Hancock battery has two fifteen-inch
and one eight-inch tube or gun. The
torpedo boat Vesuvius has fifteen-inch
guns, :
A Kansas genius introduced a bill
in the legislature against snoring: in
sleeping cars, hotels, churches and
other places where the practice ie
more or less annoying,
AGRICULTURAL TOPICS,
The Broody Hen.
When the hen is broody, remova
her to a new and clean nest at night-
fall, and put some china nest eggs un-
der her, and darken the nest by plac-
ing a cloth or board in front of her,
If she sits quietly all day, it will be
safe enough to put the clutch of eggs
under her the next night.
Feed her only dry food while sit-
ving, and always have fresh water
where she can get it when she comes
off. While she is off, see that the
eggs are all right, andif any have been
broken in the nest, it may be neces-
sary to wash the others, as anything
which closes the pores kills the
chicken.
The Life of Peach Trees.
It is an almost universal complaint
that peach trees do not last as long as
they used to do. ~~ We do not believe
that this is on account of the weather,
because late winters certainly havo
not been so destructive as many that
occurred thirty to forty years ago.
The increase of borers and of fungous
diseases, in which we include the yel-
lows, are, we think, mainly responsi-
ble for the change. By keeping
borers out and dressing heavily with
potash manures, peach trees may be
made much longer lived than they
used to be. One of the secrets of the
longevity of old-time peach trees was
that they were never severely pruned,
and never produced heavy crops. The
old-time thirty-year-old peach trees
had a tall trunk with very little top.—
Boston Cultivator.
The Gladiolus.
What the geranium is to the living-
room window-garden, the gladiolus is
to the outdoor garden. Such a display
as I-bave had of this flower this sea-
son! I planted several hundred bulbs
among the border plants, and for a
month past people have been stop-
ping to stare at and admire my free
tlower show. And it has been worth
coming a long way to see, I assure
you! It seems as if every bulb has
put up from two to four flower stalks,
and such colors! Scarlets, crimsons,
pinks, lilacs, mauves, cherries, car-
mines, violets, yellows, in endless
shades and combinations. No two
stalks seem to give flowers alike. I
can’t help wondering if the milliners
did not get some ideas here for their
daring color combinations for hats and
bonnets. No two plants were just
alike as to flower, it seemed. We cut
the great stalks laden with gorgeous
bloom for tall vases in the house, for
church decoration, and for gifts to
friends, but the supply seemed inex-
haustible.— Eben E. Rexford, in How
to Grow Flowers.
Ventilating a Barn Basement,
Luther Hoffman, of New Jersey,
writes: I have a basement that covers
32x85 feet. This winter I have forty-
eight head of cows in it that I am
milking and feeding. I have no trou-
ble concerning ventilation. Basement
is eight feet high.
banked nearly to top of wall. There
are two driveways and at the end of
each I have small windows whiclt I
can drop from the tep. When I laid
the foundation I used three-inch round
tile pipe every six to eight feet just
under the sill. These need not bo
closed except in case of a blizzard.
On the west end there are large win-
dows, but I seldom open them, the
pipes furnishing enough air.
On the south I have double sash
windows. ‘The top sash is hung with
weights so I can drop them from one
inch to two feet, according to the
weather.
except the space occupied by doors. I
also have three hay chutes, which ex-
tend from stables out through the
roof. These I open or close according
to weather.
all day, I often leave all ventilators
fresh slaked lime.
The Bell Glass in the Garden,
- The advantage gained by the use ot
bell glasses over melon and cucumber |
vines is gradually gaining recognition
in this country, where it bids fair to
be of greater service even than in
foreign countries where it has long
been practiced.
melon in August
The north side iss
The front is all windows | est
| and committed to jail,
attempting to
‘When cattle can be out |
| ident that it
Boilers have been placed near the well
{and an effort will be made tomogrow
i that they
| selves against these attacks.
have no fear of further trouble.
| counter close to
KEYSTONE STATE NEWS CONDENSED
HIS FOOT SEVERED.
Lightning Maims a Boy and Kills a Dog.
Woman Rendered Unconscious.
Lightning striking the house of
George Waddle, at Liberty, Lycoming
County, tore off the shoe of his T-year-
old son last week, and the boy’s foot
was almost severed from the leg. The
bolt also struck the stove, shattering
it and killing a dog close by. It passed
out through the side of the house, sete
fing the building on fire. At Sterling
Run, Mrs. Thomas Moore was sitting
near a telegraph instrument, when she
was struck by lightning and rendered
unconscious for ten hours.
The following pensions were granted
last week: Abednego Womer, Philips-
burg, Center, $6; Samuel Mardus, Sax-
ton, Bedford, $8; Levi B. Lary, Brook-
ville, $8; W. M. Gill, Franklin, $6; W.
Cameron, Ohioville, $8; Samuel Shank,
Salex, Cambria, $2; Samuel C. Weaver,
Waynesboro, $6; John A. Noal, DuBois,
$6 to $8; Wesley Stephens, Strongs-
town, Indiana, $8 to $12; James
Shaffer, Irvena, Clearfield, $10 to
W. H. Robinson, Pittsburg, $16 to
George B. Dutrow, Altoona, $10 to
Thomas Rank, Watsonville, $8 to
Frederick Heyl, Allegheny, $12; Mary
Conley, Johnstown, $8; Catharine Ann
Steiner, Pittsburg, $§; minor of Aman-
der Baker, Roulet, Potter, $10; Mary
Long, Altoona, $8: Jemimah Walser,
Mackeyville, Clinton, $8; Mary 7T. Fox,
Bellefonte, $8; Annie M. Campbell, Al-
legheny, $8; minors of Mathias C.
Oliver, Wyalusing, Bradford, $12;
Sarah EE. Horning, Horatio, Jefferson,
| $12; Eli G. Fitch, Athens, $10; John D.
Clark, Mercer, $6; Thomas H. McCon-
nell, Johnstown, $6: Thomas Cart-
wright, Patton, $8; Lester Steadman,
Crawford, $&; Philip W. Miller, Cata-
wissa, $8; Henry Schwenk, Austinville,
$30; Philip Showalter, Everett, $12;
Lemuel Sterling, Harlansburg, $8;
Joseph Smith, Milan, $17; James Brad-
dock, Pittsburg, $8: John J. Coller,
New Bedford, $17; James W. O'Daniel,
Meadville, $10; Kate M. Caldwell,
North East, $8; William =H. Boyer,
Bellwood, $6; Henry Bloomfield, Al-
toona, $12; Jacob Gwinner, Harrisburg,
$6; Josephus Ross, Washington, $6;
Isaac Wolf, Tower City, 36; Isaac
Thomas, Bellefonte, $8; Jacob Shull,
Shippensville, Clarion, $6; Pulaski B.
Broughton, -Bradford, $6; John B.
Cramer, Berwinsdale, Clearfield, $8;
Archibald Croyle, Johnstown, $6;
Robert McKnight, Bradford, $6; Mar-
tin V. Orner, Altoona, $12; James W.
Shaffer, Irvona, $10 to $12; Samuel
Zimmerman, Milesburg, Center, $6 to
$8; James S. Neil, Indiana, $6 to $8.
At Chipmunk, N. Y., last week, a
gusher was struck that promises to
eclipse any well struck in the Bradford
field in recent years. The well is the
property of the Seneca Oil Company,
and is located on the reservation,
about 500 feet northeast‘of South Van-
dalia station on the W. N. Y. & P.
railroad. The Chipmunk sand was
tapped at 3:15 p. m., and oil at once
gushed from the casing and was
ignited by the fire in the boiler. Driller
Andrew Cauflield and Tool-dresser
James Hogan made a run for their
lives. The well has continued flowing
without a break ever since and a con-
scrvative estimate places its produc-
tion at 190 barrels an hour. Many oil
men who have visited the well are con-
is flowing 150 barrels.
to extinguish the fire with steam, but
its owners are not very hopeful.
Harry Trimble, the young man who
| was shot by Herschell Merritt, a non-
union mill worker, at Scottdale, a few
jays ago, was taken to the Mercy Hos-
pital, Pittsburg. Merritt was released
on $1,500 bail. The chances of Trim-
ble’s recovery are not known. The
| parties involved in the trouble and in
| recent attacks on the non-union
men
were not connected with the strikers.
The non-union men say that they have
not been molested by the strikers for
months, but by outside parties, and
propose to defend them-
Officials
William H. Woodring, a hatter, at
Allentown, was arrested the other day
charged with
burn . the store. The
night watchman found the stove in the
store . overheated and goods on a
the stove saturated
with oil. Woodring was formerly a
| prominent Easton lawyer, and a mem-
: A | ber of the
open and sprinkle the wet spots with |
| shall’s foundry, Pittsburg, while
| furnaces the other
| stopped.
Pennsylvania legislature
from Northampton county in 1893.
Peter Guth, a millwright ‘at Mar-
con-
near one of
morning had
clothing caught on a rapidly revolving
shaft. He was whirled around a
number of times and fell to the floor,
dead, as soon as the machinery was
The left arm was torn off
structing a scaffold
i and the body was mutilated. Guth was
To ripen a musk- |
in our northern |
states is a feat not often accomplished, |
or even in early September.
ever this has and can be done if na-
ture is thus assisted: A twelve-inch
bell glass placed directly over the hill
at planting time has a two-fold advan-
tage; that of hastening germination
and preventing the rotting of seeds in
rainy weather. As soonas the seed-
lings appear the glass must be raised
gradually; those which I have in mind
ultimately resting upon common
bricks turned on edges. These form
an excellent support. Three bricks to
a glass leave ample space for the vines
to run out—a privilege quicklyavailed
of. Daily watering is of course in
order save in cloudy weather.
An idea of the difference in growth
may perhaps be best obtained by notes
taken July 15, 97. Side by side are
four hills of cucumbers planted on the
same date. Twelve-inch bell glasses
were placed over two of the hills and
gradually raised as described. A
growth of two feet only had been
made by the open air plants against
five in the glass capped hills. With
such strong sun-stored root-growth
melons can but steal a march on the
ordinary cantaloupe calendar. Other
glass devices may perhaps be less ex-
pensive and answer the purpose as
well.—G. A. Woolson, of Vermont.
Clothes More Important Than Beauty
A strange girl reeently camo to
Atchison as a bride. ‘‘Is she good
looking?” we asked an Atchison wow-
an who had seen her. “I didn’t
notice,” the woman replied, ‘‘but she
is well dressed.” —Atchison Globe.
Ro Aa
An act of Congress in 1872
ished flogging in the navy.
abol-
i $7,000.
34 years old and married.
Insanely jealous of his wife, William
3arton, of Shamokin, a few days ago
| dragged her from bed and with a rock |
How- |
head
and
murderously struck her on the
several times. Although dazed
weakened, Mrs. Barton managed
escape to the street, help arrived and
Sarton was overpowered and lodged in | e
hat : i | it for a time and eternity, but they chose
jail. His victim is in a critical condi-
tion.
The Evangelical
tuning township was
vandals recently who
church in
broken
amused
Pyma-
into by
them-
down the seats and using the Bibles as
a door mat. The organ was overturned |
and several windows broken. Young
men in the neighborhood are suspect- i
ed.
The will of James A. Wiley, filed at
washington, Pa., leaves $3,000 to the
First Presbyterian church of Washing- |
ton, and at the death of his sister a |
$25,000 mausoleum is to be built. About |
$50,000 is divided among relatives.
Thomas Robinson, former superin-
tendent of public printing, has sued
the Pennsylvania railroad for $25,000
damages for injuries received Novem- |
ber 27, 1897, when struck by a train at
Harrisburg.
The county commissioners at Butler
offered $500 reward for the arrest and
conviction of the person or persons
who murdered Adam Kamerer. Mrs.
Kamerer has offered an additional $300.
The sheriff closed the Hotel Weir in
Johnstown on executions aggregating
F. P. Weir owned the prem-
ises.
Judge Wallace of New Castle, who
sued the. Pennsylvania Company for
$500 for legal fees, has got a verdict for
$300. =
Porter Kinports of Cherrytree, Indi-
ana county, has sold all his hemlock
timber to Williams & Fourman of
Williamsport for $2,000.
S. S. Crawford of Butler, who was
given knockout drops and robbed of
$125 last week, fell from a roof and
broke his leg.’
Notice has been received that the
salary of the postmaster at New Castle
has been increased from $2,600 to $2,700.
TE SHBBNTE SHO. LESSON.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JUNE 5,
Lesson Text: “Jesus Condemned,” Mate
thew xxvii., 11-26—Gglden Text: IX
Tim. {i., 15=Commentary on the Les-
son by the Rev. I, M. Stearns.
/ 11. “And Jesusstood before the governor
and the governor asked Him, saying, Art
Thou tlre King of the Jews? And Jesus
said unto him, Thou sayest.” He gave the
same answer when Judas said, “Master, is
it I?” (chapter xxvi., 25). After all the
agony of Gethsemane and the insult and
mockery before the high priest, along with
Peter's denial and all forsaking Him, He
has been brought by the chief priests and
elders of the Jews before the Roman ZOov-
ernor, on their part determined that He
shall be put to death (verses 1, 2). When
the wise men came from the east. at the
time of His birth, their inquiry was, “Where
is He that is born King of the Jews?” (chap-
ter ii.,, 2). And it shall yet be seen by all
nations that He Is what He confessed be-
fore Pilate.
12. “And when He was accused of the
chief priests and elders He answered noth-
ing.” There was nothing to answer, for
there was no truth in their accusations,
and He knew that they were determined
to kill Him and that the time had come for
Him to let them.
13, 14. ““And He answered him to never
a word, insomuch that the governor mag-
veled greatly.” Pilate saw that”’he had a
most extraordinary prisoner. He had
never met one like this, and he knew not
what to think of Him. Pilate had strange
work on hand that day, and no man before
or since ever had just such anopportunity.:
Looking at Jesus we see how we should aet
when unjustly treated and falsely accused,
for He left us an example of patient endur-
ance of wrong that is unparalleled (I Pet.
if, 20,21).
15. “Now, at that feast the governor was
wont to release unto the people a prisoner
whom they would.” Pilate gave the release,
but the people chose the man. Consider
Him who stood dumb before Pilate as hav-
ingup to that time released millions of pris-
oners from the power of satan,and millions
since by His going to prison and to death
for us. He still lives to set the prisoners
free; and whosoever will accept Him is for-
ever free. He might have set Himself free,
for they could not take His life unless Heo
willed it (John x., 18). But He could not
free Himself and us too. He died that we
might live.
16, 17. “Whom will ye that I release unto
you, Barabbas or Jesus, which is called
Christ?’ Our lesson say that this man was
a notable prisoner. In Luke xxiii., 19, it is
said that he was in prison for sedition and
murder. Fancy people asked to choose be-
tween a red handed murderer and the spot-
less Lamb of God, between one of the great-
est of sinners and the only Saviour of sin-
ners, Barabbas or Christ! The choice to-day
Is between the most notable ofall prisoners
(see Rev. xx., 1, 2), the father of lies and a
murderer from the beginning (John wviii.,
44), and this same Jesus who silently—but,
oh, so beseechingly for our sakes—awaits
our choice.
18. “For ho knew that forenvy they had
delivered him.” It is written in Prov.
xxvii., 4, “Wrath is eruel, andanger is out-
rageous, but who is able to stand before
envy?” Stephen said in his sermon that
‘the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold
Joseph into Egypt” (Aets vii., 9). -
19. “Have thou nothing to do with that
just Man, for I have suffered many things
this day in a dream because of him.”
This was the message that came to Pilate
from his wife as he sat on the judgment
seat, Good was it for her if she never suf-
fered but in a dream because of Him. She
acknowledged Him to be a righteous Man,
but we have no evidence that she received
| Him as the Son of God. Multitudes even
yet call Him a good man, but will not ac-
i cept him as God their Saviour.
20, 21. “Whether of the twain will ye
that I release unto you? They said, Barab-
bas.” The [chief priests snd elders put
them up to thisy for they were bound to
destroy Jesus, There are many in places
of authority who influence others to do
wrong—many false teachers who teach
error. Bd
22. “Pilate saith unto them, What shall
I do, then, with Jesus, which is called
Christ? They all say unto him, Let Him
be crucified.” So they decided that they
would have none of Him. He must he
killed—the creature hating the Creator,
man attempting to do away with God who
made him, He eame unto His dwn, and
His own received Him not. They said:
“This is the heir. Come let us kill him,
and let us seize on his inheritance.” And
they caught him and cast him out of the
vineyard and slew him (John i., 11, 12;
Math. xxi., 38, 39). How Hs had told it
the
his
| this affair.
to |
i dren.”
} | ferred to trample it underfoot.
selves by defacing the walls, breaking |
| all to them over and over. again, for He
| knew it all from the beginning! But their
hearts were hardened an‘ their eyes were
[ blinded.
But what about Pilate’s question? for
there is none like it. Every one who has
ever heard of Christ must ask it of his
own soul, “What shall I do with Jesus?”
He is before each one for acceptance or res
jection.
23,24. “I am innocent of the blood of
! this just person. See yo to it.” Persuaded
| of His innocence, vainly seeking to release
{ Him, yet afraid to do right because of the
| people, Pilate washes his hands before
them all and proclaims his innocence in
But it won’t wash off, Pilate,
as easy as that, as you have found ere this.
It is easy to say, ‘1 am innocent.” But
what does God think of it? In Mark xv.
15. the record is that Pilate was willing to
content the people, but he certainly was
not willing to do right at any cost,
25. “Then answered all the people and
said, His blood be on us and on our chil-
They might have accepted this
precious cornerstone and built surely upon
to have it fallupon them and crush them
(Math. xxi., 42, 44). They might have
been as safe under this passover blood as
were their fathers in Egypt, but they pre-
Feartal
was the curse they pronounced upon them-
selves, and it continues to this day.
26. “Then released he Barabbas unto
them, and when he had scourged Jesus he
deilvered Him to be crucified.” The mure
derer goes free, and the innocent is
scourged and crucifled. What about this
.blood, Pilate? On what ground do you
scourge an innocent man? But O, my
soul, leave Pilate to God, and behold for
thyself God manifest in the flesh receiving
those stripes on your behalf, for it is writ-
tenthat He was wounded for our trans-
gressions, He was bruised for our iniquities,
the chastisement of our peace was upon,
Him, and with His stripes we are healed
Isa. liil., 5). Hear Him say: “This I bore
TR What hast thou done for Me?”
May such love constrain us to meekly en-
dure all things for His sake!—ILesson
Helper.
The Ship as Safe
Preachers are supposed to bring bad
| fuck to a ship. The late Dr. Deems, of
the Church of the Strangers, told this
story of an ocean voyage: “There were
several priests on board, and every
moment it was believed that the ship
would go down in a terrific storm that
arose. The priests in a bedy called on
the captain and informed him of the
panic among the cabin passengers.
“The captain replied: ‘Go forward
to the forecastle and see if the -crew
are swearing.’ The brethren were
shocked as they peeped into the sailors’
quarters by round after round of the
most fearful oaths, and when this was
reported to the captain he said: ‘Go
back to the cabin and have nothing te
fear; there is absolutely no danger t¢
the ship. When the crew get to praye
ing I will let you know." ” =
>