Newspaper Page Text
Caught in the Links.
A French writer relates the story of a captain
of a vessel who was one day walking along by the
side of a river not far from its mouth while the
water was at low tide. Before him was a great
chain, one end of which was fastened to a ring and
fixed in a stone on the bank. The other end was
fastened to a huge anchor that was sunk in the
river. Not seeing the chain the captain stumbled
against it, and his foot passed through one of its
links, and he could not draw it back again. Vio
lently he struggled and struggled to extricate him
self. He turned his foot first on one side and then
on the other, but all in vain.
Failing to accomplish anything, he called out for
help, and some strong men came to his assistance,
but they could accomplish nothing. His foot had
begun to swell, and it was impossible to get it
out. Os course, they said let us take the chain
away, but this was impossible. It was fast at both
ends. Finally, they decided to send one of their
number in this direction and one in that to obtain
implements for cutting it loose. One man stayed
with the poor fellow to watch the fast rising tide.
Higher and higher the tide came, and the poor
man began to scream, “Help! Help!” The man
who was left to watch him himself started in the
search. “Help! Help!” the cry was heard all
through the neighborhood, and from every direc
tion men and women came, but it was too late.
When they got there, the mighty, rolling tide had
swept over him, and not a trace of him could be
seen.
Oh. my friends, this terrible picture of a man
fast in the chains, shrieking and crying for help,
endeavoring to tight back the waters as they came
mercilessly feeling for his life is the picture of
many a man and woman in our midst.
Satan has laid his chains; he has laid them well.
Unsuspecting feet have dropped into their links,
and there they have been allowed to stay until after
awhile the deluge comes. They cry then for help,
and help sometimes comes; but alas! alas! it is too
late. Character is gone, hope is blighted, peace
has taken its flight, and down in despair, with anx
ious friends standing by, goes the life and the soul
forevermore.
God save us from the clutches of Satan. Thanks
be to Him, Jesus Christ can break the chain before
the tide sweeps over us.
The Lesson.
Now field and forest teach us all
How glorious is death,
Arrayed as for a festival,
To meet the winter’s breath.
The sumac and the oaks rejoice,
Nor shun th’ advancing king;
’Tis but a sleep, and thence the voice
That calls them forth in spring.
Are you and I of lesser worth
Than weeds of slope and fen?
That will which once accorded birth
Shall waken us again.
—By Edwin L. Sabin, in the Housekeeper.
To live content with small means; to seek ele
gance rather than fashion; to be worthy, not re
spectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars
and birds, babes and sages with open heart: to study
hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently,
await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the
spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up
hroiigh the common—this is my Sympathy.—Wil
liam Henry Channing.
New York is to have one of the largest and best
lighted harbors in the world. The new Ambrose
Channel is to be 40 feet in depth and 1,000 feet
wide and Congress has appropriated $320,000 for
lighting this great waterway. The light will be
visible for thirty miles, and every device for harbor
lighting, from a huge new light house on Staten
Island down to light ships and small floating lights,
is to be used.
He is the happiest man wl nders the greatest
number happy.—Desmahis.
The Golden Age for August 16, 1906.
“Higher Criticism.”
By Mrs. Leslie Crossley.
Emerson speaks of “a certain enormity of culture
making a man invisible to his contemporaries, and
therefore unrecognizable.” Do not the alleged
“seekers after light” in what is called the higher
criticism make the mistake of an enormity of
Bible culture that leads into the mists of an un
knowable land, where shadowy theories never can
be recognized by sane men as the clear-cut, ma
jestic figure of Truth?
I have heard it said that reason and philosophy
may speculate and theorize, but true science is ex
actly like the mind of God from whence it came.
“Thy word is truth.” This declaration from the
divine life of the Son of God gives to all men an
impregnable position from which can be proclaimed
the solution of every ethical and spiritual problem
that may be brought before the tribunal of con
science.
I am not at all apprehensive that any attack
upon the Bible will ever be able to “impair a chap
ter or invalidate a verse.” But I am grieved to
think of the hurtful influence that may demoralize
our young men (may Heaven bless and keep them)
just entering upon their life’s career with bright
promise and buoyant hopes, and who so much need,
at this critical period, a rock of strength to which
they can cling with unfaltering conviction in the
hour of trial and temptation. If a young man is
taught to believe that some portions of the Bible
are untrue, it is reasonable that he should lose
faith in the whole.
It is related that “a self-satisfied undergraduate
of Oxford one day informed Prof. Jowett that he
had searched everywhere in all philosophies, an
cient and modern, but had nowhere found a God.
The professor, after a moment’s pause, said:
“Well, sir, if you do not find a God by five o’clock
this afternoon you must leave this college.” It is
further stated that “if the young man had been
an honest inquirer. Prof. Jowett would have pa
tiently assisted him in his struggle with doubt, but
he had no tolerance for silly brag, and so sent the
embryo sceptic away to reflect on his philosophies
in a positive manner.” We have some institutions
of learning in our own boasted Christian country
that would be more honored by a reputable public
if they adopted the educational conviction of Prof.
Jowett.
It is difficult to understand why one should seek
to grope about in the sunless realm of doubt and
fears, when he can come out into the unclouded
light in which stood St. Paul as he exclaimed with
exultant joy: “I know whom I have believed.”
When we reach this lofty height, aglow with the
radiance that streams down from the unquenchable
Star of Bethlehem, and lifted far above mere
shadowy ambition, we can talk face to face with
the Author of all intelligence, and tell Him we
“are persuaded” that the science and philosophy
of the ages never has healed one broken heart,
never has brought the calm-browed angel of Peace
into a tempestuous life, and never has saved one
soul from eternal death.
Some years ago I saw it stated that Miss Flor
ence Willard made an impassioned temperance
talk to the Missouri Legislature during one of its
sessions. Dr. Palmone. editor of the St. T/onis
Christian Advocate, in speaking of Miss Willard’s
address, said it was “logic set to music, and the
music set on fire.” I do not suppose that any one
appreciates intelligence more than I do. and more
gladly* pays homage to trulv great men of every age
and country. I not only admire, but reverence
genius, science, philosonhv and all scholarly at
tainments that are set to the music of heaven, and
the music set on fire by. love for God and heart
breaking humanity.
Bishop Berkeley’s twelve-year-old son asked his
father '"’hat was meant bv Cherubim and Sera
phim. The bishop replied that the cheruhim were
supposed to be the angels who excelled in knowl
edge, and the seraphim those who excelled in love.
“Then, father,” said the little son, “I hope that
when T die I will be one of the seraphim, for I
would rather love God than to know all things.”
“A little c’y’d lead them.” Thomas
Young, who was said by Professor Tyndall to be
the greatest of philosophers, tells us that
“Humble love, and not proud science,
Keeps the door of heaven.”
Scenes of a Chinese Journey.
(Continued from page 3.)
turned into joy. “Recently,” said he, “I have
seen what a sinner I am; please pray that God may
save me.” How we were humbled as afresh it came
to us, God answers prayers! Months before we had
prayed for him, and then as he passed out of sight
we had forgotten to hold him before the throne.
In that moment God rebuked us and taught us that
“though the vision tarry, wait for it.” May I
not ask you to pray definitely for this young man?
He has notyet come to the point wheie he is willing
to break fully with the life of sin. Pray that he
may turn his back on all and follow Jesus wholly.
There are many sinful complications in his life that
only the grace of God can break. Will you unite
with us in praying for him?
Chinese Inn—On the morrow we leave the little
boat for a Chinese hotel. This one is strongly
recommended on account of its newness, and hence
its freedom from “China’s millions.” This appealed
to us strongly, and soon we were domiciled in a cor
ner room on the third floor, with a fine view of the
city and surrounding country. The Inns of China
are not always things of beauty nor famous for
cleanliness, but this one is above the average. Ex
cepting the front rooms the others are small and
dark. The partition walls are thin and run only
some two-thirds of the way to the ceiling, hence
conversations are almost as easily heard in adjoin
ing rooms as in one’s own apartments. On our floor
a large furnace was often going and the smoke
paid us frequent visits, and under such circumstan
ces foreigners are liable to incline to tears.
In the mornings the boy will bring you a bowl
of steaming water; such a bath may be conducive
to cleanliness but it is rather trying on the flesh
to say the least. Guests furnish their own towels
and soap. This accounts for Chinese travelers in
variably carrying a towel tied to their umbrellas.
But towels are not for drying the face, they think,
but for washing; letting the wind be the drying
agent. No wonder many Chinese faces, especially
children’s, looked chapped and hard.
Frequently we indulged in Chinese food of which
I am quite fond. I cannot say I would care for it
all the time; for a change it is very nice, but a
foreigner needs foreign dishes. They prepare it
with so much grease that it needs the counteracting
influences of their rice wine. This qualiity in wine
makes it a staple accompaniment of a Chinese meal.
This, of course, we omitted. One soon learns to
manage chop sticks and Chinese food does not
come too high. Eight cents (gold) will get a fairly
good meal, and fifteen cents will bring quite a num
ber of extras.
New Opportunities.—The hotel proved a fine place
for meeting visitors from other cities and villages,
thus scattering the Gospel message. I was struck
with the large number of men who had been abroad,
either to America, England or Australia. Some
spoke quite good English and all were impressed
with the fact that these countries have far out
distanced China. One who had gone to America
when only a boy of fifteen,remaining until forty,
said, “When I first came back to China, my heart
was very sick to return to America. Everything is
so different here, the streets so narrow and the
cities so dirty.” Day after day, as I talked to such
men I was impressed with the splendid service in
civilization America and England can be giving by
allowing the celestial to come to their shores. These
men, even though many of them formerly were
coolies, return to inculcate new views of life and
are but another force to break their fellows from
a dark, superstitious past.
Note—This delightful paper is taken from a clever
publication entitled “Gleanings,” and issued in Ma
coa, China. Me will give further extracts from this
article next week.—Editor.
“Happiness consists not in having, but in being.
It is the warm glow of a heart at peace with it
self. A martyr at the stake may have hapj ’
that a king on his throne might envy.”
5