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the sunny south
PACE EIGHT
Literature ^
EDITED BY
Lucian L Knight
Religion
N account ot the Interest
/ ■which attaches at present
to our new possessions In
the orient, we know of no
volume which Is likely to
attract wider attention
than one which Is Just out
from the press of Charles
Scribner's Sons entitled,
••Ten Months a Captive
Among Filipinos," by Al
beit Sonnichsen.
At the time of his cap
ture Mr. Sonnichsen was an officer In
the United States army of occupation.
He left for the Philippines In 1898. be
fore the outbreak of the insurrection, as
quartermaster of the transport Zealandla.
Shortly after his arrival in Manila he
attached himself to the Utah battery and
he was connected with this organisation
when he was taken prisoner. Going out
one day with a friend named Huber, he
carried a camera for the Durpose of tak
ing (snapshots, and while thus engaged
the two were arrested on the supposition
that they were spying against Aguin-
aldo's government. Thereupon began the
long period of captivity which lasted for
the space of ten months and which fur
nished the material of the publication
under review. Mr. Sonnichsen's work is
not only thrllllngly Interesting, but also
exceedingly Instructive, because of the
light which it throws upon the habits,
peculiarities and customs of the Filipi
nos. This description of the prison to
which the friends were carried imme
diately after arrest will be of Interest to
our readers:
“We received an old sleeping mat large
enough for the two of us, and a small
space on the floor whereon to spread It.
When night came we retired, but. there
being sixteen of us, our quarters were
cramped, to put It mildly. At one side I
found a filthy Tagalog so close to me
that his breath, suggestive of decayed
flsh, fanned my cheek. I tried to escape
this horror by crowding Huber, but he
was likewise flanked on the other side. A
socialist In our situation would have had
his ideas considerably modified. That
night 1 became a Darwinist. Later on
rats, lizards and a species of large beetle
appeared and promenaded about the floor
and walls. Had they only confined them
selves to that I should not have com
plained, but they became entangled In
my hair, crawled down my back Inside
of my clothes, tickled the soles of my
feet, and. in fact, made themselves ob
noxious In general.”
Here Is what the author says of the
character of the food which was given
them to eat while In prison:
"The native prisoners lived chiefly on
rice, but always had some sldq dish,
which, no matter of what composed, was
always called ‘vianda,’ or ‘ulam,’ In Tag
alog. Sometimes It was shrimps or sm^l
crabs, at times a species of catfish boiled
with tamarind beans, but their favorite
relish was ‘bogone.’ I boldly swallowed
a spoonful of this mess one day and
survived, which is proof of an excellent
constitution. 'Bogone' is made In this
manner: A quantity of small shrimps,
hardly bigger than the ordinary spawn,
are placed in an earthen Jar, where they
are mixed with salt, vinegar, and areca
nut. and allowed to stand a week. The
mixture is then ready for use. Some
times small flsh are substituted for
shrimps, but the result is the same.
With a small dish of this on one side of
him, a pot of rice on the other and
two bananas within easy reach, Mr.
Filipino Is as happy as the proverbial pig
In clover. Squatting on his heels in true
oriental style, he reaches Into the rice
pot, takes a handful, squeezes it Into a
ball, and, dipping it into the ‘bogone,’
conveys the whole to his undef lip. which
in an astonishing manner projects Itself
to receive It."
On more than one occasion the pris
oners narrowly escaped death, and they
lived in constant fear and apprehension.
This Incident will illustrate the distress
of mind under which they labored:
"At about 9 o'clock a mob of bolomen
gathered outside the prison and amused
themselves by Jabbing their long knives
in between the bars at us. We were
now alone, the native prisoners having
disappeared. It was bright moonlight,
and plainly could we see the crowd of
half-naked savages outside, the long
blades of their boios flashing in the yel
low light as they flourished them over
head. Again those vicious cries of
"Muerte! muerte! muerte a los Ameri
canos!' Then they tried to force our
doors, but they were strongly bolted.
Every moment their fury Increased, and
it seemed to us that the long-dreaded
climax had arrived.
“But Just then, in the veriest heat of
the excitement, we heard the trampling
of horses' hoofs outside, and the next
moment a mounted officer dashed into
the midst of the turbulent mob, laying
about him with a heavy riding whip, and
thundering out oaths in Spanish and
Tagalog. We could hoar that whip whiz
zing through the air, followed by cries of
pain. In two minutes the horseman was
alone, glaring about him as if seeking
some more victims. Approaching the
bars, he shouted to us: ‘All right; I told
’em; they not trouble you again!’ It was
Pena, the commandants or military* gov
ernor of the district. We admired his
style of telling them.”
At rare intervals the prisoners were the
recipients of favors which closely bor
dered upon something like kindness, and
writing of these occasional bright spots
In prison life, Mr. Sonnichsen says:
“Considering the circumstances, the
poverty of those who held us, themselves
sometimes starving, we ought not to com
plain. Those who really have come in
sufficiently close contact with the Fili
pinos to know them, and are enabled to
judge them without racial or national
prejudice, cannot but admit that th%y
are as entitled to be called civilized as
other nations, and even more so than
some whose representatives we receive
at our capital and accord the same honors
a^ those of the most polished nations."
Mr. Sonnichsen gives this discriminat
ing portrayal of two of the most import
ant elements of the population, viz.: The
Negritos and the Igorrotas:
"I had never seen a Negrito before, so
was much interested. They were not
well built and almost dwarfish In stature.
Their skins were coal black and their
hair crisp and kinky like that of an
African Aegro, but their heads were bet
ter formed, I think, not being so egg-
shaped. They are practically primitive
savages, their only approach to clothing
being a cloth around their loins. Their
teeth they file to sharp points. • • •
i he Igorrotes are by no means similar
to the Negritos, except in the absence
of all manner of superfluity of dress, bar
ring a breech clout of the most econom
ical dimensions. Their straight blue-
black hair is long and coiled up loosely on
the top of the head. Their color is of a
light coffee brown, and differs but slight
ly from the average Tagalog. Most of
them are tattooed, some even In their
faces. In physical appearance they are
small, but well shaped, every muscle de
veloped in symmetrical proportions, and
compare favorably with the Negritos,
whose legs seem to have an almost uni
form thickness from hip to catr. What
causes us to wonder was the fact that we
seldom observed an Igorrote who was
not leading a string of dogs. Inquiry re
vealed the fact that dog forms the fa
vorite dish in an Igorrote bill of fare, and
to obtain a sufficiency they often come
down to the lowlands to trade horses,
calves, goats, copper ore. and even gold
dust for curs that would hardly be per
mitted to exist in our country.”
Speaking of the attitude of the natives
toward the friars, the author says:
"Not only do the Tagalogs hate the
friars, but all the natives of Luzon, Ilo-
canos. Macabebes, Mestizos, and even the
Spanish soldiers regard them as human
birds of prey, and the stories I have
heard of their fiendish cruelty and cun
ning trickery would fill volumes and
make a fitting parallel to the Spanish In-i
quisition. From nobody, not even the
Spanish officers, have I heard a word
in their defense, and the native clergy
unite In calling them oily hypocrites and
tyrants. There were, of course, excep
tions, for once I heard of a good friar
who lived in a small provincial town and
as "cura” ruled his flock with sympathy
and love, but then he died.
"They were mostly of the Franciscan,
Recollet, Augustin and Jesuit orders, and,
strange to say, the Filipinos are not so
averse to the latter as to the rest. The
Jesuits have founded schools and done
less harm, but the Recollets seem to be
the most hated. I have had men show
me crippled limbs caused by the friars
by torture inflicted in undergound cham
bers In order to force their victims to re
veal the hiding place of insurgent refu
gees. Another showed me scars on the
soles of his feet, where they had tortured
him by placing burning candles to the
bare flesh. I have myself entered secret
chambers under their convents and seen
hideous instruments of- torture.”
Mr. Sonnichsen draws this picture of
Aguinaldo:
"One evening Cigarettes, who was sit
ting in the window, called out to us, 'Cap
tain Elimio! Captain Emilio!’ In a mo
ment as many of us as could crowded up
there and peered through the bars into
the bamboo pavilion. There he sat at one
of the tables—we knew him by his pict
ures—small In stature and very dark.
His dress was black, all except a colored
jockey cap. In one hand he held an
empty glass, in the other a bottle. Grad
ually he poured the sparkling beer Into
the glass, then drained it. Again he re
peated- the operation. It was Interesting.
We could almost hear the slzz of the
foam. We forgot the president, our In
terest centered in the frothing liquid
which we had not seen for so long a
time. Anyway, I think it showed poor
tact o'h the great man’s part In holding
that sparkling beverage up under the
very nose of four miserable, half-starved
wretches who had been obliged to as
suage their thirst with half putrid wa
ter the past month. This was the first
and last time our eyes ever rested on the
dusky features of Don Emilio Aguinal
do. ”
We might multiply extracts ad libitum,
but enough have already been cited to
show the character of the work which
Mr. Sonnichsen offers the public. Though
possessed of few literary graces, it Is
intensely interesting and full of import
ant information.
Personals About Authors
Sarah Grand
• ■■ALT!
Jfca bswsla
kkfobea, i
Bt:on.
• HRALTH fer tat cants.
bswsls and kidneys set natural, destroy
core headache, biliousness and c*
All druggist*-
T MAT Interest the many
admirers of Mme. Sarah
Grand, whose latest por
trait is herewith present
ed, to know that she was
born in Ireland, though of
English parents, that she
married at the age of 16
to Brigade Surgeon Lieu
tenant Colonel M’Fall and
has been a widow since
1S9S. She has traveled
much owing to the exigen-
. v. ..... husband’s military life,, but
at present is settled near London with
her sons and two stepsons. Although her
own family is small, she has had a large
family of literary children, perhaps the
most famous being "The Heavenly
Twins,” brought out in 1893. Her first
book had the usual adverse reception
when in manuscript, and she went the
rounds of the publishers with it before
finding one who was courageous enough
to bring it out at his own expense. It
made him rich and made her famous in
short order. Since then Sarah Grand has
had no trouble in finding publishers, for
she is a paying investment. Her books
since "The Heavenly Twins" are "Our
Manifold Nature,” 1894; "The Beth Book.
1897; "The Modern Ma.n and Maid,” 1898.
and "Babs the Impossible," 19C0.
It may be mentioned in passing that
she is a “woman's rights woman,” is per
sonally attractive, musical, a cyclist and
a lover of outdoor exercise.
Mrs. Hugh Fraser has now made a
reputation for herself and need no longer
be introduced as the sister of Mr. Marlon
Crawford. Mrs. Fraser is perhaps best
known by "A Diplomatist's Wife in Ja
pan.” Her husband was at one time Brit
ish minister to Japan and this gave her an
opportunity of studying the customs of
the people. She has Just written a novel,
the scenes of which are laid in the
Thames valley and Devonshire, entitled
"A Little Gray Sheep,” and the work may
be described as a study of character and
of social life.
tS
Mrs Stephen Crane has given up the
house occupied by Crane for two years up
to the time of his death in Sussex, and
has taken up her residence in Milbome
Grove, South Kensington, London, where
she holds'an occasional Sunday afternoon
at which one may meet interesting repre
sentatives of the literary society of Lon
don. Though Mrs. Crane was born in
America she comes of old English stock.
*
J. M. Barrie is biographically treated in
an Interesting work which J. A. Hamer-
ton has Just compiled, entitled "J. M. Bar
rie and His Books.” Mr. Barrie is rather
young in authorship to be the subject or
an extended biographical work, and h:s
own writings are so biographical In char
acter that the work seems to he super
fluous. But the readers of "Sentimental
Tommy" will no doubt be pleased with
the announcement. M. F. Mansfield &
Co. are the American publishers.
*
Sletkiewicz’s methods of work are as
i follows: After fully maturing the plot of
i a new novel In the head, he divides his
i time into weeks, not days. He isolates
himself completely, writes rapidly, . and
never makes more than a single MS. copy.
In the morning, having breakfasted on a
cup of tea and a slice of 'bacon or of beef,
he works steadily from eight o’clock un
til one, pausing at eleven for a cup of
coffee and two or three raw eggs. Dur
ing the afternoon he relaxes and receives
visitors, but seldom or never returns their
calls.
G. A. Hentv Is undoubtedly the most
prolific of present day authors. More
than sixty volumes have come from his
pen on up to date subjects, and still he
continues to write. Scarcely two months
have elapsed since the queen’s death, yet
ho has already published her biogrophy,
every line of which was written after the
crown had been transferred to Edward.
Mr. Henty must have an electric battery
back of his pen.
*
Dr William Barry, author of "Arden
Massiter,” will publish, through the Scrib
ners early in April, another Interesting
work to te called "The Wizard's Knot,”
which will deal with life in Ireland. Dr.
Barry is an Irish Catholic priest, and is
aduke distinguished as theologian, lec
turer, traveler, author and scholar.
f *
‘Dorothy” is to be the title of Charles
Major’s forthcoming novel. On account
of the success of "When Knighthood was
in Flower," it will be awaited with deep
interest. As yet the character of the
story has not been Intimated, but the
scenes are laid in England.
INCE the death of Queen
Victoria last January
thousands of readers
* throughout the Anglo-
Saxon world have been
curious to know upon
whose shoulders will
devolve the task of
writing the authorized
biography of the late
sovereign. What seems
to be an accredited dec
laration upon this point
has Just come from
England enabling us to
inform our readers that
the. delicate task In
question has been com
mitted to the pen of the duke of Argyle,
better known, perhaps. In literature at
least, as the marquis of Lome. Being the
son In law of the queen he will write from
the standpoint of Intimate personal ac
quaintance. with her domestic life and
character, and even if he is tempted by
reason of his close relationship to color
his portraiture rather too highly, the
public will be more than willing to for
give him In exchange for the Insight
which he will give them into the sanctu
ary of the queen's inner life. Some idea
of the duke’s literary qualification may
be. obtained from running hastily over the
list of books which he has written In
clusive of such irtlly able volumes as
“The. United States of America \ft er tbe
Civil War," “Imperial Federation” and
“The Life of Palmerston” and many
others equally Indicative of ripe scholar
ship and profound research. Belonging
to the celebrated clan of the Campbells,
the duke of Argyle Inherits much of the
robust Intellectual fiber of his Scotch
ancestors, and is by no means Indebted to
his connection with the royal family of
England for any of the essential qual
ities upon which his reputation rests.
We hope the authorized life of Queen
Victoria will not be so wretchedly slow
In making its appearance as was the
authorized life of Prince Albert. More
than fifteen years elapsed before Prince
Albert's biography was completed, and
when It came from the press at last It
was not only too belated, but entirely
too voluminous to meet with any popu
lar acceptance. We are not Informed
how elaborate the authorized life of the
queen will be, but we feel safe in putting
our readers on notice that it will not
be of vest-pocket proportions, and If
they expect to buy it when It comes out
they must provide liberal space for its
accommodation as well as ample means
for its purchase. However, the author
ized life of the queen is not the public’s
only source of information, although It
may be the. most thorough and the most
correct. Every magazine, newspaper and
periodical In the country has been literal
ly over running with biographical
sketches, anecdotes and personal gossip.
Besides numerous volumes, going more
elaborately Into details, have already
commenced to appear in the market, and
there Is no telling when the flood will
subside.
*
Every one who sympathizes with the
brave struggle which the Boers have been
making in South Africa against the su
perior odds of Great Britain will appre
ciate this poetic tribute from the pen of
William Watson. Coming from an Kng-
liishman', whose pre-eminent abilities
made him the choice of an important eic-
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“Curfew Must
Not Ring Tonight 1
Perhaps no poem ever written has ren
dered more valiant service on school com
mencement occasions than Mrs. Rose
Hartwick Thorpe's famous old gem,
“Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight.” We
speak of it thus in no depreciation of its
merits, but rather in cordial recognition
of its fine dramatic qualify which adapts
it to use on such occasions. Mr. George
Bicknell. of Sullivan. Ind., is the pos
sessor of an interesting letter received
from Mrs. Thorpe several years ago ■ in
which she narrates the circumstances
under which her famous poem was writ
ten. and the letter just published in The
New York Times Saturday Review reads
as follows:
“Pacific Beach. Cal., October 9, 1897.—
Dear Sir—I was a schoolgirl at the time
I wrote ‘Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight.’
I cannot remember a time when I did not
write poems, many of which were mere
jingles, but I well remember that one of
those early effusions (I was ten years old
when it was written) created quite a sen
sation among the high school students at
the place (Litchfield. Mich..) where I lived
at that time. My mother, considering my
rhyming propensity detrimental to my
studies, forbade its indulgence, and I hon
estly tried to obey her, but did not al
ways succeed. In regard to (he curfew
poem I read the story in a number of
Peterson's Magazine. (October. 1863). The
Incident was related as a historical fact,
and I have since learned that it was au
thentic. The evening after reading the
story I retired to my room as usual in
order to prepare my arithmetic lesson,
and wrote the story of Bessie and Basil
in rhyme on my slate instead of the
problems that should have been worked
out there. While in the midst of the
poem mother came to the door announc
ing a young lady friend who had come in
for the evening. I begged to be excused
for a few moments, and mother, think
ing I was studying. Informed my friend
that I would come to the sitting room In
a few moments when I had finished my
lesson. After my friend was gone I con
fessed my fault to mother, and received
pardon for the d»?eptioji, which had been
unintentional.
“The history of the qpem since its first
appearance in public Is well known. It
was first published in The Detroit Com
mercial Advertiser in the fall of 1870. and
was written in April. 1867. It has been
translated into every language where cul
tured tastes predominate; has been set to
music for singing nurposes, also as an
accompaniment for recitation; illustrated
booklets have been published both in
England and America, and the simple
story does not grow old, but touches the
human heart everywhere. Sincerely
yours. ROSE HARTWICK-THOEPE.”
J*
GOULD'S POINTED ADVICE
“I called upon Jay Gould once to ask
him for a rule that would bring me suc
cess in my work,” said Edward Boyer,
principal of one of the finest grammar
schools In New York city.
“Every one who knew Jay Gould knew
that he was a preoccupied man—that his
thoughts were usually far away from ths
present scene. 1 was Introduced to him
by a friend, but I felt that he was scarce
ly conscious of my presence. Vfe had
planned to make some startling remark
to attract his attention, and as I did so.
the great financier looked at me for a
second as if he saw me for the first time.
Then I put my important question. "YV hat
is your business?’ he asked as quick as
a flash. T am a schoolmaster.’ I replied.
'Then let other people do the work.' The
advice was to the point and has proved
itself invaluable.”
nu
fimtiwilr cured. Ho fit* or nei luuirooo
altar lint day* woof Or.Blwi
Restorer, tend for nu ^F, d
treotlflo. Dr. ■• B. Kllae, Ltd* 9*1 Area tt.i
Uladalahla.Pa.
ment of the population of Great Britain
for the office of poet-laureate on the
death of Alfred Tennyson, it will be read
with greatly Increased interest; but the
poem is equally as remarkable for its
strength as for Its magnanimous senti
ment. In full it runs as follows:
Unschooled In letters and in aTts un
versed;
Ignorant of empire; bounded In their
view
By the lone billowing veldt where they
upgrew
Amid great silences; a people nursed
Apart; the far-sown seed of them that
erst
Not Alva’s sword could tame; now, blind
ly hurled
Against the march of the majestic world.
They fight and die with dauntless bosoms
curst.
Crazed, If you will; demented, not to
yield
Ere all Is reft! Yet, mad though these
may be,
They have striven as noblest Englishmen
did use
To strive for freedom; and no Briton he
Who to such valor In a desperate field
A knightly salutation can refuse.
With Wlilianj Watson in the office of
poet-laureate the mantle of Tennyson
would have rested upon shoulders not
wholly unworthy of the burden, but pos
sibly it is well enough as It is; for if he
had succeeded to the office he would
have been the victim of comparisons
which would have made him seem much
less brilliantly equipped than he really
is, and no doubt because of this same
severe test Alfred Austin is really an abler
man than he has appeared to be since
falling heir to Tennyson’s official honors.
*
Rev. W. H. Fitchett, the Australian
Wesleyan clergyman, educator and Jour
nalist, who has endeared himself to Eng
lishmen young and old by his “Deeds
That Won the Empire,” "Fights for the
Flag,” "How England Saved Europe,"
and other spirited books in praise of the
race and its glories, has published a new*
work, “Wellington's Men; Some Soldier
Autobiographies,” based upon four works
practically inaccessible to ail but profes
sional soldiers—Captain Kincaid’s "Ad
ventures in the Peninsula,” the narrative
of "Rifleman Harris,” Sergeant Anton's
"Recollections” and Captain Mercer's ac
count of his troop of horse artillery at
Waterloo. These narratives are well
worthy of a wider public. In the portion
devoted to Kincaid's story Mr. Fitchett
incidentally tells this anecdote:
One curious incident in the siege of
Badajos may be related. The day after
the assault two Spanish ladies, the
younger a beautiful girl of fourteen, ap
pealed for help to two officers of the
Rifles who were passing through one of
the streets of the town. Their dress was
tom, their ears, from which rings had
been roughly snatched, were bleeding,
and to escape outrage or death they cast
themselves on the protection of the first
British officers they met. One of the
officers was Captain Harry Smith, of the
Rifles. Two years later he married the
girl he had saved in a scene so wild.
Captain Harry Smith, in after years,
served at the Cape as Sir Harry, and this
Spanish girl, as Lady Smith, gave her
name to the historic town which Sir
George White defended with such stub
born valor. The two great sieges of
Badajos and of Ladysmith aTe separated
from each other by nearly a century; but
there exists this Interesting human link
betwixt them.
Religious Items
of General Interest
The resignation of Rev. Dr. A. C. Dixon
as pastor of the Hanson Place Baptist
church, In Brooklyn, to take effect on May
1st, has been presented to the congrega
tion. In his letter Dr. Dixon said that
after long and prayerful consideration of
the unanimous call to the Ruggles Street
church in Boston, he had decided to ac
cept it, believing that it furnished a wider
field for ministerial work. At the same
time he would part with his Hanson Place
brethren after ten years’ harmonious co
operation with deep regret. His retire
ment at the present time will cause much
surprise, as he was deeply interested in
a project for the erection of a new J150,-
000 church, with a roof auditorium and
elevators as distinctive features. Many
of the Influential members of the congre
gation regarded the project as impracti
cal, owing to the large outlay, and with
Rev. Dr. Dixon’s departure it will prob
ably be abandoned.
yf •
The report of the Philippine commission
is emphatic against the restitution of the
friars to the position which they former
ly held, or even their return to their par
ishes as incumbents. Of the 1.124 friars
who were in the Philippines in 1896 nearly
all fled during the revolt against Spain.
Since American occupation many of these
have returned, the total number now be
ing 4i2, and others, still in other coun
tries, are planning to return in case of
favorable action by our government. Th»
commission reports that “a return of the
friars to their parishes win lead to law
less violence and murder, and the people
will charge the course taken to the Amer
ican government, thus turning against It
the resentment felt toward the friars ”
The feeling against them is largely due to
the political powers which they exerted
under the old regime, and which they
made instruments of oppression and ex
tortion.
*
The Circular church, Charleston, S. C.,
celebrated its two hundred and twentieth
anniversary on Sunday, February 10th.
Rev. Dr. C. S. Vedder, pastor of the Hu
guenot church, offered the prayer; Rev.
Dr. J. Y. Fair, pastor of the Independent
Presbyterian church, Savannah, Ga..
preached the sermon; Rev. J. E. Kirbye,
pastor of the Circular church, read a his
torical sketch, and Rev. J. E. Jenkins,
of Atlanta, delivered an address on "Con
gregationalism: Its Past and Future in
the South.” The Circular church, which
Is the oldest Congregational church in the
south, was composed originally of Pres
byterians from Scotland and Ireland,
French Protestants who were exiled from
France on the revocation of the edict of
Nantes, and Congregationalists from old
and New England.
*
The board of trustees of the Society of
Christian Endeavor at its recent semi
annual meeting planned largely for uni
fying the work in city, district, county
and state unions. Looking to this they
adopted resolutions stating that they had
decided to hold the International conven
tion. after this year, biennially. Instead
of annually, in order to concentrate ef
forts upon strengthening the state, dis
trict and local organizations; and they
recommended to the state unions that
they consider the advisability of holding
biennial state conventions, alternating
with the international convention, and
that special attention be given to the
county and district conventions during
the year when the state convention is not
held.
Philadelphia Press; “This stumps
me,” exclaimed the police report
er, who was in charge of the “an
swers to correspondents” pro tem.
“Here's a fellow writes: ‘There is a
strong: odor of camphor about my dress
suit. How can I overcome it?’ ”
"That’s easy,” remarked the snake edi
tor. "Tell him to wear a small piece of
limburger in his vest pocket.”
m WO men now in Kalamazoo.
Mich., assert that Joseph
Smith was not the author
of the “Book of Mormon,”
as he is generally sup
posed to be. They say that
the book was written by
Rev. Solomon Spaulding, of
western New York, who
undertook it merely for the
purpose of whiling away
time. Rsv. S. F. Porter,
one of the parties to whom
reference is made in the foregoing para
graph, Is preparing to take an extensive
missionary trip through the northwest
for the purpose of exposing what he
says Is an outrageous fraud. He says
that the first edition of the "Book of
Mormon” was written by Mr. Spaulding
as an historical romance. It was a ro
mantic account of the cave dwellers of
North America and of wandering tribes
formerly in South America. He used
the Greek word Mormon to denote the
class who went out with homed heads
to frighten their enemies. When at Con-
neaut. O., Mr. Spaulding ir. said to have
opened a mound and found skeletons, and
this, according to Mr. Porter, inspired
him to write a book. Spaulding sent
the manuscript to the firm of Patterson
& Lamblln of Pittsburg, but, having no
money to meet the expense, it was not I
published. Sidney Rigdom was_ a print
er employed in the office, and thought so
well of the story that after Spauldtawg’s
death he got possession of the manu
script and printed it, and it sold well.
Then he called in the aid of Joseph
Smith, Jr., who was known as a fortune
teller and a conjurer.
Smith agreed to become a partner of
Rigdom in publishing the book, and pre
tended to have read it pff from metallic
plates by means of a magic stone he
possessed. Smith improved upon Rig-
dom's idea, and he said he was inspired
to find the plates and how to read them.
These were what Smith named later
the Golden Bible.
This story is corroborated by Henry
Bishop, of Kalamazoo, who relates that
William Dicksen told practically tfhe
same story. Dicksen also declared that
Brigham Young, who became the head
of the Mormon church, at one lime
worked for him.
President* qs Pew Holders
At Christ church, Alexandria, where
General Washington was once a vestry
man, one may see the very pew. No. 6. In
which he sat. says The CongregaiUonalist,
and note the plain but beautiful Interior
of the church, which has not been
changed since his day. The New York
Avenue Presbyterian church cherishes
Lincoln’s pew. When some years ago the
auditorium was reseated with handsome
oak pews. Lincoln’s was put Into place
Just as he used K. It Is the seventh from
the front, on the right-band side of the
main aisle, and can easily be distinguish
ed. looking plain and old surrounded by
its modern neighbors. Mrs. Radcliffe. the
pastor’s wife, sits in it now. Whenever
Mrs. Cleveland attended that church, she
was shown into it. During the Pan-
Presbyterian alliance, which was held in
this church, all the delegates, home and
foreign, wanted to see this pew.
General Grant’s church home was at
the Metropolitan Methodist church. It is
near neighbor to the First Presbyterian,
of which President and Mrs. Cleveland
were members, where Dr. Sunderland was
pastor for more than forty years, and
Where Dr. Talmage had his recent pas
torate. The spires of these churches point
to the time when Four-and-a-half street
was In the residence section. That was
nearly fifty years ago, and the Metro
politan Methodist will soon celebrate Its
semi-centennial. It was built with contri
butions from all parts of the country, and
was intended as a sort of national church
home for Methodists called here on busi
ness or pleasure. Several of the pews are
designated by the names of different
states. General U. S. Grant and Chief
Justice Chase were upon the original
board of trustees. The only chimes of
the city are here, and one of the bells is
inscribed. “Julia Dent Grant, wife of U.
S. Grant. President of the United States
of America:” another. "Nellie Wade Col
fax, wife of Schuyler Colfax. Vice Presi
dent of the United States of America.”
.The gift of a Baltimore gentleman was a
pew always to be set apart for the use
of the president. It is tne fourth from
the front on the left-hand' side of the
right-hand isle. Another gentleman from
the same city gave one for the vice presi
dent, and a third, for the chief justice, was
the gift of some one in New York.
It is a matter of interest that General
Grant occupied his for eight years. Vice
President Colfax used his for four years,
and Chief Justice Chase sat in his as long.
This is the church that General Logan
attended, as a large tablet at the right of
the pulpit indicates. After a lapse of
twenty years the president’s pew was
again occupied by the head of th« nation,
another soldier, but a man of ,peace as
well—President McKinley. Many other
churches could be pointed out as the
places where presidents, irtm Washing
ton to McKinley., have worshiped. At
least four have been regular attendants
at historic St. John’s Episcopal. General
Garfield was not only a member of the
Christian church, but often spoke for the
congregation when there was no preacher
or regular pastor. A church edifice and
a large hospital are his memorials here.
Ex-President Harrison, on his occasional
visits, seeked his former place of worship
at the Church of the Covenant.
Old Manuscripts of Jzcred
Books
Perhaps the oldest texts in existence
of St. John’s gospel and of the Epistle
to the Romans is now in the United
Stales.
The former is in the museum of the
University of Pennsylvania, the latter is
at Harvard university. They are among
the 118 papyri recently presented by the
Egypt exploration fund to the universities
of our land.
The fragment of St. John’s gospel forms
an important portion, small though it be,
of a book of about fifty pages contain
ing that gospel, dating about 200; St. John,
i, 23-41. except that verse 18 Is missing.
In the former chapter there are those pro
foundly significant vords, "Behold the
Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin
of the world." In the other chapter, St.
Mary addressed by Jesus, after His resur
rection, at the sepulchre. The handwrit
ing is a round upright uncial of medium
size, and the usual theological contrac
tions for God. Jesus Christ. Spirit, occur.
The reason why these two chapters (in
part) are preserved is that chapter 1 and
chapter xx were very nearly the outer
most of a large quire containing the other
chapters. The text appears to have af
finities with the Sinaitic Codex, and abso
lutely confirms our version.
The manuscript of the first seven verses
of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans is in
a large and rather rude uncial, and ap
pears to be a schoolboy's exercise at
Oxyrhynchus, and of the date of 316. A
few mistakes in spelling occur, which
a beginner in his lessons would naturally
make. That a chapter of St. Paul should
be used for such a purpose shows that
the writings of the New Testament had
long been in common circulation. The
older fragments of St. Mathew are re-
Are You Hard of Hearing or Deaf?
Send stamp for full particulars how to restore
vour hearing, by one who was deaf for 30
years. Dept. 38, John Gannore, Mt, Lookout,
Cincinnati. Ohio.
tained in England (Oxford or the British
museum), and the fragments of St. Mark
of the fifth century also remain In Eng
land.
Sermons in ^ ^
Paragraphs
God never places us in any position In
which we cannot grow. We may fancy
we are so impeded by fretting, petty cares
rh^we are gaining nothing; but when
we are not sending any branches up
ward. we may be sending roots down
ward! Perhaps In the time of our hu
miliation, when everything seems a fail
ure we are making the best kind of prog-
ress.—Elizabeth Prentiss.
yf
Some people dream of happiness as
something they will come to by and by.
at the end of a course of toil and strug
gle But the true way to find happiness
is as we go on In our work. Every
day has its own cup of sweetness. In
every duty is a pot of hidden manna. In
every sorrow is a blessing of cranfort.
In every burden Is rolled up a gift of
t£>d Ip all life Christ is with us If we
are true to Him.—Miller.
*
There will be joy for us In unexpected
quarters if we will only look. Our temp
tations are not joyful; hut it is written.
“Count it all Joy, my brethren, when ye
fall into divers temptations. Life Is
often hard, yet it is the school which
God deliberately chose for us and glort-
fles by his presence. We have special
trials, persecutions, grievances; but of
worse endurances than these Paul wrote,
"Nay. In all these very things we are
more than conquerors.'* If joy be hid
den, she is not hidden far if, with full
confidence of love, we only seek for her
In unexpected places.—I. O. Rankin.
*
Speak to my heart, O God, In the still
hours when I remain alone with Thee.
In my first waking thought, in muslngs
when I lay me down in peace to sleep,
in the night watches when the noises of
this world are hushed, in all quiet mo
ments of my busy days, reveal Thyself
to me, my Life! my Light! my Joy! When
the cares of life oppress, remind me of
thy loving care that never overlooks my
need. When the uncertainties of life
fill my soul with perplexity and fore
bodings, teach me simplicity of faith. So
by Thy presence and provision make me
ever patient to endure and strong to
work for Thee. And may these times of
happy meditation and sweet communion
be the hidden Joy of life! Amen!—Congre
gationalism
yf
If you would Increase your happiness
and prolong your life, forget your neigh
bor’s faults. Forget all the slander you
have heard. Forget the temptations.
Forget the fault-finding, and give little
thought to the cause which provoked it.
Forget the peculiarities of your friends,
and only remember the good points which
make you fond of them. Forget all per
sonal quarrels or histories you may have
heard by accident, and which. If repeat
ed, would seem a thousand times worse
than they are. Obliterate everything
disagreeable from yesterday; start out
with a clean sheet today, and write upon
it, for sweet memory’s sake, only those
things which are lovely and lovable.
Thus you will make life better worth
living.—Household.
yf
No one can properly understand an
other unless he Is In sympathy with him.
The. physician’s skill is poor compensation
for lack of all fellow-feeling for his pa
tient. The pastor’s words convey little
Instruction or comfort If they proceed
from a hard and stony heart. Only as
one puts himself in another’s place can
he really understand him or represent
him to others.—Rev. Charles F. Cowan.
LITTLE SHIPS CARE
O RDINARY folk were much amused at
an example of how seriously H. M.’s
ships observe the navy regulations which
occurred during the demonstration to wel
come the governor general. As the seven
war ships steamed slowly In line up Syd
ney harbor, the flagship Royal Arthur,
which was leading, carefully took sound
ings every few minutes. Each war vessel
In the procession solemnly “hove the
lead,” even the tiny gurtboat Karrahatta
being most anxious to learn If the tide
(the water was evidently deep enough for
the big flagship in front of her) was suf
ficiently high to enable her to reach moor
ings.
No Trouble To Answer Questions.
Write for our Resort Pamphlet.
ON TEXAS FREE.
J. H. WORD.
Southern Passenger Agent No. S N.
Pryor St., Atlanta, Ga.
E. P. TURNER, Gen’l Passenger and
Freight Agent, Dallas, Texas.
C+ Vi+iic’ Danrp 8ure Cure. Get Cir-
ST. VITUS L»ance. cular Dr . Fenner,
Fredonla, N. Y.
JERSEYS.
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