Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index.
TIEE SO-UTH-WESIEBK BAPTIST, THE OSEnariAN HEEAID
of Alabama.
of Tennessee.
VOL 55—NO. 5.
Table of Content!.
Fibst Page. —Alabama Department: Record of
State Events: Communion ; Missionary Work
for the Month—Rev. D. E. Butler; Wiser
than Webster—Rev. J. S. Baker; Letter
from Eafaula—J. A. B. Besson ; Spirit of the
Religious Press ; Baptist News and Notes;
etc.
Second Paoe.— Our Correspondents : Read This
—M. B. H.; An Apology—J. M. Robertson ;
Letter from Calhoun, Tennessee—Elder Gru
ber ; Our Texas Letter—W. H. Parks : Shonld
a Minister be Recompensed for his Services—
A. L. Hillman : Affliction—T. C. A.; A Flor
ida Christmas Tree, etc—-DncleShad ; Ordina
tion—J. B. Cheves ; Miss Lottie Moon's House
—Jennie H. Clayton; etc. Producing Our
Own Food—Georgia Grange.
Thihd Page. —Sunday-School Department :
Work in the Boweu and Mercer Associations—
T. C. Boykin ; Better Work and More Work—
Presbyterian at Work : David Sparing Saul—
Lesson for February 6th ; etc. Select Misoel
lany : The Press ; Large Salaries for Clergy
men.
Focbth Paoe.— Editorial: Zeal—Rev. S. G.
Hillyer. Worthy of Imitation; Church Debts;
Motive Power—Puzzling Suggestions ; An In
viting Field of Labor ; An Item in Past Histo
ry : Some of Our Thoughts—Rev. J. S. Baker.
Georgia Baptist News; Death’s Terrors ; Ob
jects of Christianity—Rev. D. E. Butler.
Vanderbilt University. Increase of Christian
ity—Dr. J. S. Law ton. Revival in Ireland ;
Very True: etc.
Fifth Page.— Cor: espondence: Shall we Send
our Daughters from Home to be Educated—
Concluded—Aunt Edith ; Acknowledgment—
W. N. Chaudoin; A Revival—H. T. Smith.
Song for the New Year—Poetry ; Gold Dust;
etc. Special Correspondence: Are our Meth
ods of Collecting Funds for Benevolent Pur
poses Wrong: Church Choirs—Rev. R. W.
Fuller; Silent Musio—Poetry; Death of Mrs. C.
W. Hubner; The Sight of Angels—Poetry :
etc.
Sixth Page.— Our Pulpit; For What is Your
Life -A Sermon, by Rev. T. T. Eaton, of Pe
tersburg Va., Indian Missions : Creek Items
—H. F. Bucknsp ; Selections : The Chaldeau
Account of Genesis ; etc.
Seventh Page. —Science and Agriculture : Con
vention of Crop Reporters ; etc.
Eighth Page.— Publishers’ Department. Italy
of America—How to Explore Florida in a
Week—The Cost in Detail—A Paper for Tour
ists. Marriages. Obituaries. Advertisements.
INDEX ANDBAI'TISL
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT.
Mr. M. A. Sbehane has retired from the ed
torial department of the Henry County Regis
ter, and is succeeded by Mr. J. A. Corbitt.
The Baptists, Presbyterians and Methodists
of Eufaula are holding union meetings of much
-Let: ; •- .a- .
Muscle Shoals Association is, perhaps, the
largest association in the State—numbering
tome 2515 members.
Ihe Alabama Baptist Convention meets in
Montgomery in July next-
Rev. Redmond Jones died very suddenly at
his residence, in Tuscaloosa county, on the sth
•of September, 1875.
Capl- W. C. Wallace has been appointed, by
the Board of Managers of Eufaula Bible Soci
ety, colporteur for Barbour county.
Rev. Mr. Golland, of Abbeville, has with
drawn from the Methodists and joined the
Baptists.
Rev. A. R. Holderly, superintendent of the
Tuskegee Orphans’ Home, has commenced the
publication of a journal called the Orphans
Banner , with a view to the increase of the rev
enues of that institution.
A rich mine of the black oxide of copper
has recently been discovered on the line of
Randolph and Cleburn counties. The ore is
reported to yield sixty-five per cent, and to be
worth $240 00 per ton.
The Russell Register is glad to see the lazy
negroes who have been loitering around
town taken off to Louisiana, as laborers, by
an agent who has recently secured fifty of
them.
Mr. Frank L. Wadsworth, of Montgom
ery, will be glad to learn that he has been
tendered, and, has accepted, the position of
Assistant Superintend ent of the Alabama
andJChattanooga railroad.
The Alabama Senate passed a bill making
January Ist, February 22d, July 4th, and De
cember 25th, legal holidays; and papers
faiing due on those days to be paid the day
before.
The total bonded debt of the State, at pres
ent is ten million dollars, exclusive of rail
road endorsements and of bonds loaned
the Alabama and Chattanooga and the Mont
gomery and Eufaula railroads, but including
past due interest.
A meeting of the Mexican war veterans is
to be held in Montgomery on the 10th Feb
ruary, to effect an organization for the pur
pose of visiting the Centennial. Mr. J. J,
Martin, of Montgomery, has been appointed,
by the general government, one of the com
missioners to make the necessary arrange-,
ments.
John Bacon McDonald, son of Joseph B.
McDonald, of Seale, Russell couhty, won the
appointment as cadet to West Point, which
was offered by Hon. Taul Bradford, Con
gressman from the Third Alabama District,
to the boy in that District who might stand
the best examination therefor. The Board
of examiners decided the matter at Opelika
recently. Master McDonald is only 17 years
old, and he had to contend for the prize in a
class of twenty-two applicants, some of whom
were twenty-one years old.
“WORK FOR THE MO.VTH,”
What Christian has not work to do,
this month of February, 1876? The
garden of the Loud is always open to
his laborers. There is church work to
be done, and each one has some por
tion for his or her share. The garden
ers prepare the soil and sow the seed ;
God gives the rain, dew and increase.
Every Christian has a garden in
which to sow, cultivate, and reap. Some
have large gardens, others small; some
cultivate well while others are careless,
slothful and slovenly. The showers
fall on all al'ke, but the harvests of
many are meager and dwarfish.. Some
have great pleasure, pride and joy,
while others are never happy or indus
trious. Some never complain; many
are constantly finding fault with the
seasons. Some are never ready when
the “times of refreshment from the
presence of the Lord” come. The
shower was a surprise and the spirit of
it goes not from the right direction.
And thus it is the gard n of the Lord
does not look “gay and green” as once
it did. But may we not now begin, in
this spring time, anew, better and more
jealous cultivation of the fields in
which our labours are to be bestowed ?
Ist. There is the Mission garden ;
who are the active workers in this ?
How much work must he done in a
short time, can be known by a reference
to the necessities of the Home and
Foreign Boards, and our local agen
cies.
For encouragement and instruc
tion, we give the following extract from
an official document by the secretaries
of this department of work in another
denomination :
“ Now is the time to begin the work
of collecting for missions.
“ Mark our word: If each preacher
Nbtki begin At fcnc, ahd devote a r&ssoiT
able portion of his time to missionary,
collections, calling on every member and
friend of our church in his bounds,
for a contribution, nineteen out of ev
ery twenty will collect their entire as
sessment, and five out of every ten
will exceed what has been allotted
to their charges. The reports from
various fields of missionary toil are
encouraging. There is a loud call for
more preachers. Send us the means
and the men will be ready.
“ Now, dear brother, don’t lay down
this appeal and forget the cause of
Jesus; hut we beseech you to go to
work in earnest for the salvation of
poor, dying sinners. The calls are
urgent.”
Wiser Than Webster. —A writer
in the Church Journal censures severe
ly the use of certain words and places
that are found in every edition of
Webster’s Dictionary, and that have,
moreover, received the sanction of the
best writers botli in England and
America. He represents the use of
them, not only as improper, but as de
moralizing in their tendency, and, con
sequently, highly criminal. He says ;
“They make us have alow opinion
of human nature, cause us to hang our
heads and blush for the weakness and
wickedness of Adam’s children,” etc.
He bids us:
“Do not write while these events
were transpiring when you mean
while these events were occurring.
Do not say or write demise when you
mean death. Do not write eventuate
or inaugurate if you can help it, and
you can by earnest effort. Do not
call a man reliable when it is just as
easy to call him trustworthy. Do not,
as a friend did the other day, say ‘ it is
too rough, in my opinion, for this sec
tion,’ and thereby make people sus
pect you have been trained as a gov
ernment surveyor, but not trained in
the use of the English language. Why
not say in English, and not in yankee,
* this part of the country,’ ‘ this neigh
borhood,’ this * community ’ anything
in fact but the vulgarism his sec
tion.’ Also, please do not vrite us
about something that occui id *in
our midst.’ Keep all that tor your
‘ medical man,’ as our English cous
ins call him.” ,
He concludes his hypercritical arti
cle as follows:
“ In the long run we do not believe
that people who say eventuate, inaug
urate, demise, ‘in our midst,’ etc.,
can remain honest, upright people.
There is a moral lack somewhere. To
outrage the language of one’s native
FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FEBRUARY 3, 1876.
land is a crime, and leads to other
crimes.”
Of couare the writer of the article
noticed .is wiser than Webster —in his
own estimation. If he be in truth the
wise man, which his superlative van
ity leads him to believe he is, much
we marvel that the literary world has
not discovered the fact, and, with one
accord, called upon him to bring out a
revised and expurgated edition of
Webster. When such men as our critic
is, shall appear in public adorned with
meekness and humility, we shall con
clude that we have seen the dawn of
the happy millenial day for which th e
children of the Most High are looking
and praying.
Communion. —The Baptist Minis
ters’Conference in the city of New York
has discussed the open communion
question. How they may decide, is
yet to be seen, but a secular paper,
the Tribune , says editorially :
In the earnest and somewhat acri
monious discussion at the Baptist
Ministers’ Conference on the subject
of open communion, less divergence
of views was shown than had been
supposed to exist. The denomination
in this part of the country is very
largely favorable to close commun
ion. The resolutions introduced were
intended to draw the lines more sharp
ly ; but the debate disclosed greater
differences of personal feeling than of
doctrine.
For the Index and Baptist.]
LETTER FROM EUFAULA.
Dear Index —On Sunday, the 16th
of this present mont", I Tisited
Cowikee church, located at Fort Brow
der, a little village thirteen miles North
of Eufaula, for the pnrpose of wit
nessing the ordination of our dear
brother, Wm. H. Patterson, President
of Union Female College, of our city.
been impressed with the ‘'act- of the
need of more laborers in the : a ' ’ fer’s
vineyard, especially in this part of our
State, and, on various occasions, has
made it his duty to go out and visit
some of the country churches, who
were without a preacher, breaking to
them the Bread of Life, and publish
ing the glad tidings; he has been
warmly met by the brethren, and his
heart was encouraged in the good
work, and one of the churches which he
served asked for his ordination, and
requested our church at Eufaula, of
which brother Patterson is a member,
the privilege of having his ordination
at their meeting-house, which was duly
granted, and our pastor, elder W. N.
Beeves, was delegated to aid in form
ing the presbytery, which, with him,
was composed of elders W. H. Norton
and Z. T. Weaver, and by them brother
Patterson was duly and in order set
apart to the holy work. Brother
Reeves preached the crdination sermon
Text: Romans lltb chapter, and part
of 13th verse —“'lnasmuch as I am the
apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify
mine office.” It wa a most appropri
ate and well-conceived argument, show
ing the exalted character of the office,
its origin and aim, its trials and diffi
culties, and its successes and tri
umphant end. After the sermon, the
examination of the candidate was con
ducted by elder Norton, the ordi
nation prayer by elder Weaver, and
the charge by elder Reeves, and the
benediction was pronounced by elder
W. H. Patterson, now fully inducted
into his new office. Brother Patterson
has assumed the charge of Cowikee
church, and also of Pine Grove church,
serving them on alternate Sundays,
and I believe he will be “a workman
that needeth not be ashamed, rightly
dividing the Word of Truth.
Although these churches are now nu
merically small,yet trust under our dear
brother’s administrations, and the
blessing of the Holy Spirit, many
may be added unto them of such as
shall be saved.
Brother Patterson is a graduate of
Mercer, and doubtless mauy of his old
friends in your State will be glad to
hear that he has entered upon the
great work of the Gospel ministry.
J. A. B. Besson.
Etifanla. January 25th, 1876.
The Eufaula Newt says:
The planters in all this section are now
very busy in clearing their lands and break
ing them with the plow, preparatory to
when the time arrives. Asa gener
al thing the young oats and wheat are look
ing well, and never before has there been
so much land put in these grains as is now
the case in this section.
—The number of persons who attended the
recent religious services of Messrs Moody and
Sankey, in Philadelphia, is estimated at 875,-
000. The wife of the former was an active and
zealous co-worker in the enquiry meetings.
Spirit of the Religious Press,
%
We take the following interesting paragraph
from the Baptist Union of the 25th of Jan
uaary:
The Christian Convention held in Philadel
phia, last week, under the lead of Moody and
Sankey, was largely attended. It is estimated
that fully 1,000 ministers were present from
parts aside from Philadelphia. The subjects
discussed all had reference to active Christian
wort*, such as, How to reach the masses; How
to,promote and conduct revivals; How to
deal with inquirers; How to get ehurerr mem
bers, to work; How to have good spiritual
sim-jjig; How to expound and illustrate the
Scriptures. The suggestions were practical
and timely, though not new. The whole of it
may be summed up in this; Get the soul full
of love; consecrate all to Christ; go to work ;
determine to save souls; study the Bible, and
use it in argument and appeal, as a warrior
would ase his sword; observe human wants
an*i defects, and learn to use every-day facts
and experiences to persuade men to turn to
God.
The last evening of the Convention was the
closing meeting of the great revival work.
Over 12,000 people crowdel the great huild
injj, and many thousands went away unable to
gain admissi in. A collection was taken to aid
th>.Young Men’s Christian Association,
amounting to SI,OOO. The sermon of Mr.
Moody was on Daniel, the faithful servant of
God. Thus closed the most remarkable series
of meetings ever held in America, in which
thousands have been brought to Christ.
Mr, Moody has gone to Florida with his
wile, and will return to begin work in New
York on the Ist of February.
—The Examiner and Chronicle has caught
Dr. Talmage napping—or something worse.
It thinks this passage from a late Bermon of his
describing how the Israelites husked, roasted
and ate the green ears of corn on their arrival
in the land of Canaan almost as rich as Mrs.
Stowe’s little story about the preacher who de
scribed the house of Martha and Mary in
Bethany, as “a little white house behind the
trees.” This is the Talmage passage:
But after fourteen thousand six hundred
consecutive days of 'falli ng manna —Sundays
excepted—the manna ceased. Some of them
were glad of it. You know they had com
plained to their leader, and wondered that they
had to eat manna instead of onions. Now the
fare is changed. Those people in that army
under forty years of age had never seen a corn
field, and now, when they hear the leaves rustling
n see the tassels waving and the billows of
V: flowing over the plain as the wind
ii.\k ii'ed fnenY," it
lively sensation. “ Corn !” cried the old
man, as lie husked an ear. “ Corn !” cried the
children, as they counted the shining grains.
“ Corn !” shouted the vanguard ol the host, as
they burst open the granaries of tiie affrighted
population, the granaries that had been lcf in
the possession of the victorious Israelites.
Then the fire was kindled, and the ears of corn
were thrust into it, and, fresh and crisp and tender,
were devoured of the hungry victors.
—The Methodist is responsible for the follow
ing story :
A Confederate soldier was once seen during
the war to climb up a persimmon tree and to
commence eating the green persimmons.
“Why are you eattng green persimmons?”
shouted liis captain. “To pucker my mouth
down to the size of the rations,” called hack
the soldier.
—The Baptist Union remarks:
One of the most interesting things in the
Holy Land is the fact that one meets every
where, in daily life, the things that illustrate
the word of the Lord. The streets of Jerusa
lem are very narrow, and no one is allowed to
go out at night without a light. Throw open
your lattice in the evening and look out; you
will see what seem to be little stars twinkling
on the pavement. You will hear the clatter of
sandals, as the late traveler rattles along. As
the party approaches, you will see that he has
a little lamp fastened to his foot, to make his
step a safe one. In an instant the verse comes
to your memory, written in that city three
thousand years ago, Thy word is a lamp to
my feet and a light to my path.”
—The Christian Secretary, after disposing of
a captious objector to the name “Sunday
school, ” very sensibly and truly remarks:
We think it is high time for the church to
look more closely after the religious instruc
tion of the rising generation, and to encourage
this work; every member, as far as it is prac
ticable, should take some part in the same.
One man says: “Our Sunday-school is a curse
to us.” So any good institution of itself may
be a curse instead of a blessing, if it is neglec
ted or prevented. Those persons who have
the least to and > with our Bible schools, are the
ones to find the most fault with them. If they
could tie led to see that this bringing the young
and the old together for Bible study is a special
church service, and a privilege at the same
time, doing all in their power by their prayers,
presence and co-operation, to make the work a
spiritual success, there would be much less
cause for complaint. The children could be
more easily led to attend tile preaching service
and the prayer-meetings of the church. One
thing is sure, we shall never draw the young
into our congregations by denouncing the Sun
day-school. We may do it by making the in
stitution better; regarding it as a church ser
vice, and then giving all our energies of mind
and heart to the work of sustaining it.
—The following well timed advice, taken
from the Churchman, is worthy of careful peru
sal and practical observance:
The crying sin of the day is dishonesty.
One hears much of it in public life; but, as
we have said before, there is too much of it, al
together in private life. And its cause is to be
found in the want of self-control in the indul
gent of tastes and appetite. Reckless, extrav
agant living is at the bottom of it all. If this
living had any true foundation in any hearty
desires for desirable things, there would he
more hope of amendment. But when one
comes to see what things ill-gotten gains are
spent upon, the outlook is a sad one. Dress,
display, amusement, costly things bought, just
because they are costly; wealth won evilly,
merely that it may be wasted foolishly; these
are the signs of a time which is not pleasant to
contemplate. If a man loves any one thing,
say rare books, or pictures, or objects of art
of any kind, or music, or science, so well that,
ki r , t - h £ 8 t ke - 0f t -n e .° ne th! "S in which he would
“f he “ Wl, h"g to be poor in everything
else, no matter though his choice be an unwise
one according to the best standards of choice, he
willyet have a motive which will help to keep
him upright But for those who W none of
these things, but simply desire them because it
it is the habit of the time ; because, like pam
pered children, they must needs cry for what
ever they see just out of their reach; for them is
needed the wholesomeself-discipline which will
teach them to let alone what even is not theirs
And the beginning of this self-discipline is in’
the home. Parents must teach their boys and
girls the great lesson of doing without whatev
er cannot be fitly theirs. There need be no
niggardly restraint, but in some way the first
lesson for childhood should be that of earning
its pleasures. To get whatever it craves as
soon as it asks for it, is the worst training a
child can have.
—The New York Baptist Weekly, of the 27 th
ult., reports some of the details of a conference
recently held in Philadelphia, composed of
about one thousand Christian ministers.
Among other views, on various topics, that
paper presents those of Rev. Mr. Sankev, in
reference to the best method of conducting the
music of the Santusry. They are as follows:
He insisted that it is a bad arrangement to
have the singers away back of the church ;
where people cannot see them. He would
have them in front of the congregation, by the
side of the preacher. As to the music, there
should be no lancv pieces. The good old
tunes should be used, and the best of the new
Sunday-school hymns.
BAPTIST NEWS AMD MOTES.
—The Florida Baptist Convention will
meet, on the 11th of February, with the church
at Gainesville.
—Rev. J. G. Walker shows by statistics pre
pared for the American Baptist Year Book for
1876 the following facts :
The total number of regular Baptist churches
in the United States is 21,255; ordained min
isters, 13,117; additions during 1875 by bap
tism, 87,874; by letter, 32,515; by experience,
4,660; by restoration, 8,076; diminutions by
death, 12,768; by letter, 34,517; by exclusion
17,561; by erasure, 3,719. Total membershipi
1,815,300.
—Rev. J. B. Hawthorne, pastor of Taberna
cle church, New York city, is seeking the res
toration of his health in the South.
—Dr. J. L. Reynolds, in the Memphis Bap
tist, declares for a Baptist congress to bring all
true Baptists to the old landmarks of the de
iKjmii'mion, draw a correct line of dis
tinction between truth and error.
—The father and a brother of Major Gener
al Schofield, of the Federal army, are Baptist
ministers.
—Rev. R. B. Cook, of Wilmington, Del., is
the reputed author of the Baptist Centennial
Endowment scheme.
—lt is estimated that the accessions by bap
tism to the Baptist churches of the United
States during the last year were, at least 100,-
000.
—Rev. W. Gray, a prominent Methodist
minister, recently joined the Baptist church
at Oak Grove, N. C.
—Ten years ago there were in Toronto, Can
ada, two Baptist churches and five hundred
memliers. Now there are six churches and
1,700 members.
National Finances.
The Indiana State G-range, at its re
cent session in Indianapolis, adopted
the following resolutions :
“ Resolved, That in the opinion of this
Grange Congress should immediately repeal
the law fixing the day for specie resumption ;
and at the same time pass an act making the
greenbacks a true legal-tender, receivable for
duties on imports, and interchangable at
pleasure in sums of one hundred dollars with
government bonds, bearing currency interest
at not over 3.65 per cent, per annnm, thus in
creasing the value of the greenback, and bring
ing about an honest practical redemption.
“Resolved, That the National Bank Act,
giving to the creditors of the Nation, besides
the interest on their bonds, to which they are
justly entitled, the additional privilege of the
issue of paper money equal to nine-tenths of
the bonds held by them, is a waste of the
means of the people and should be repealed ;
and as we are one nation, we should have but
one money, and that issued directly from the
Treasury, without the expensive intervention
of National Banks.”
Government Award. —The Fair
banks Scale was again j|sucessful at
Washington on Tuesday, and secured
the patronage of the Post-office De
partment for another year. Quality,
not price, is said to have settled the
verdict in their favor, and the repeat
ed approval of the United States Gov
ernment must be very satisfactory to
the Vermont scale-makers. —Evening
Post, Jan. 15.
Dr. Palmer, of New Orleans, has
recently published the life Rev. Dr.
Thornwell.
Our Yocuo.—The young have been called
the hope of the future for our churches; and, if
that be so, then the young should be correctly
informed and trained. One of the best meth
ods of doing this is by the means of appropri
ate reading; hence all Sunday-schools should
provide for their scholars a plentiful supply of
such papers as Kind Words, advertised in an
other column. Please refer to it, and send
on a subscription for your school. It.
Thomas Isbell, formerly of Jacksonville,
has taken charge of the post-ofllce at Cross
Plains.
WHOLE NO. 2805.
General, Denominational Hews,
t
—There has not been an Episcopal church
consecrated in the city of New York for seven
years
—During the last year one hundred and
seventy-eight Congregational ministers died in
the United States.
The entire number of heathens converted
to Christianity up to the end of 1873 is 1,537, -
-7t>. Of these 1,116,228 are in connection
with British Missions, and 183,571 with the
American—conversions by the Roman Catho
lics are excluded from this estimate.
There are 150,000 children in attendance
at the various mission schools in India.
The people of Brooklyn have a reformed
pugilist in the person of Rev. Fred Bell, who
is regarded a novelty, by reason of the habit
of interspersing his sermons with sacred songs.
It appears that singing ministers are becom
ing more than ever popular in every section of
the country. This is not strange, since it is
known that the heart can be more readily im
pressed and melted to kinder emotions by sa
cred music, well rendered, than by any other
influence.
—The Senate of California not only refused
to allow its daily sessions to be opened by
prayer but employed Sunday for the meeting
of important committees. This conduct is se
verely and justly rebuked by the religious jour
nals of that State.
—The Missionary Advocate reports the num
ber of Christians in India as 225,000, and shows
that the natural increase of that class of the
population during the laßt ten years has been
in the ratio of sixty per cent., while that of
the Hindoo population has been only five per
cent.
—lt is said that the church of Christ in India
with the violent opposition of Mohammedan
ism and Bohemanism, and only five hundred
ministers, is gaining on the world more rapid
ly than in the most favored sections of Ameri
ca.
—The Board of Managers of the American
Bible Society have appointed Rev Luther H.
Gulick to superintend the distribution of the
Bible in China and Japan, and will go east at
once to enter upon the work.
T%iip fl is no'4 singing in' India,
Lut Will '*ttp" L 111 oty*jr
The Christian Observer, of Louis
ville, Kentucky, assumes the position,
as a general rule, that children should
be required to attend not only the Sun
day-school, but preaching also, and, if
they should neglect either, it had bet
ter be the former. We have made
frequent practical tests which lead us
to a different conclusion. Few little
children attend the Sunday-school
without being able, on their return
home, to relate something they have
learned, but many return from preach
ing without knowing a word of the
sermon, and frequently with no better
results than a refreshing nap. The
instructions of the Sabbath-schools are
specially adapted to the various ages
or attainments of the children, while
sermons are generally beyond their
comprehension—wearying without ed
ifying or instructing.
" Know Thy Opportunity,”
The grim monster. Death, was stealthily ap
proaching. I could almost feel his hot, fiery
breath upon my forehead. My faithless goddess,
Hygeia, had utterly deserted me. Onlv now and
thou would Morpheus befriend me. but on this
auspicious day, he had deigned to moisten my
eyelids with heavenly ambrosia, and I slept. As
I slept, behold, I had a dream ! I thought that
I was roaming upou foreign soil whither my phy
sician had sent me to reoover my health. I was
in a great metropolis—one of the grand marts
of the world. In one of my strolls I chanced to
meet a man who had in his hand a handsomely
bound volume, entitled “ The People’s Common
Sense Medical Adviser.” and who said that he
was an agent for the sale of the book. The title
was such a novel one that I was impelled to
give the work a casual notice. As I hastily
glanced over its pages, I observed that it con
tained treatises not commonly found in medical
works. But I had too many times been hoaxed
by appearances, and I determined that I would
have nothing to do with it. A voice within me
like a faithful mentor whispered, ‘ 4 Know thy
opportunity; in that book is thy salvation !” I
began reasoning with myself. Although doubt
ful and distrustful, yet put forth my hand to
take the book, and, lo! the agent was gone ! I
was miserable. In my agony, I awoke. Great
drops of perspiration were upon my brow. By
my bedside was a friend who had called during
my slumber to see me. Said my friend, “X
have brought with me a book, just published,
which I thought might interest you.” One glance
at the wqrb, and I was assured that it was “ The
People’s Oommon House Medical Adviser,” by
Dr. It. V. Pieroe, of Buffalo, N. Y. Surely, this
was the veritable book which I had seen in mv
dreams. My friend loaned mo the work, and
every day, as my strength permitted, j perused
its pages. Although it contained very interest
ing treatises on Biology, Cerobral Physiology,
human Temperaments. Nursing of the Sick,
etc., yet, being an invalid, I was most interested
in the subjects of Diseases and Remedies. I be
lieved that I had a liver affoction, and yet more
than one medical attendant had pronounced my
disease Consumption, and that I would fall with
the autumn leaves. In that book I found my
symptoms perfectly portrayed. I was then con
fl'dent that I had not deceived myself. I rea
soned thus. Any Man who can so trnthfully
depict my feelings, and apparently understands
my constitutional tendencies, must know just
what my physical system demands. I will
my case with Dr. Pierce. I will take his Golden
Medical Disco very as recommended for my dis
ease." The result is, that after having perso
veringly followed hiß prescribed treatment, I
onco again enjoy the blessings of health. There
fore, I would say to the afflioted, “ Know thv op
portunity,” and take Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medi
cal Disooreiy, QuivJ