Newspaper Page Text
i,
II
THE SUNNY SOUTH
EIGHTH PAGE
Literature ^
EDITED BY
Lucian L Knight
Religion
AKING advantage of the
first tokens of »P •
proaching spring, the
publishers are begin
ning to send out an
nouncements of forth
coming publications g t-
lore. We have never#
seen anything like it;
and. fudging from pres
ent indications, the
spring season of 1301 is
likely to be even more
prolific in works of fic
tion than either the
season of 1900 or the
season of 1599, lioth of
which were character
ized by unusually large outputs. But
this condition of things is not surpris
ing. in view of the extraordinary run of
popularity which such novels as “Rich
ard Carvel," "Janice Meredith,” "T>
Have and To Hold," "David Harum.”
•‘When Knighthood Was in Flower.” “Al-
Msrgaret E Jsnffster
lee of Old Vincennes” and other pro
nounced favorites have enjoyed in the
market of late years. On the one hand
the excellence of the novels themselves
has encouraged the public to read, while
on the other hand the substantial char
acter of the profits has encouraged the
authors to write; and of course the con
junction of such circumstances is well
calculated to bring about the conditions
•which now exist.
Some of the fortunes made from au
thorship in recent years have been
colossal. Paul Leicester Ford, Mary
Johnston, Winston Churchill and Charles
Major have each accumulated splendid
bank accounts, with the prospect or
making them still larger in the near fu
ture. Running back over the history
of the last half century in this country,
we know of only two authors who have
enjoyed greater financial returns—Har
riet Beecher Stowe, the author of “Uncle
Tern's Cabin," and General Lew Wal
lace, the author of "Ben Hur.” But
even the great lights of literature, such
as Dickens, Scott, Thackeray, Dumas.
Bulwer, Hugo and Balzac, whose names
ere household words everywhere, failed
In many cases to achieve anything like
the success which has come to some of
our present-day writers, while thousands
of Inspired men and women of genius
who have enriched the literature of the
world with immortal productions have
died in obscurity and want. So it cannot
trent-med that there is any lack of en
couragement offered to present-day au
thors. Nothing like it has ever before
been known. But the continuance ot
such conditions depends largely upon the
character of the books which come from
the press: and so many Inferior works
are already beginning to flood the mar
ket, due to the Unwonted stimulus which
authorship has lately received, that the
appetite of the public Is more than apt
to recoil unless there is some change for
the better. We sincerely hope that the
publishers will continue to keep the
standard high by publishing only such
novels as measure up to the best of JudD
clous criticism.
On the list of publications scheduled
to appear this spring are several vol
umes on wllich the public is inclined to
base great expectations. Some of them
are as follows:
"Biennerhassett,” by Charles Felton
Pidgin. C. M. Clark Publishing Compa
ny, Boston.
“The Silver Skull.” by S. R. Crockett.'
F. A. Stokes Company. New York.
‘The Curious Career of Roderick Camp
bell,” by Jean N. Mcllwraith. Hough
ton, Mifflin & Co.. Boston.
"A Soldier of Virginia,” by Burton Eg
bert Stevenson. Houghton, Mifflin & Co.,
Bostcp.
"Kings End,” by Alice Brown. Hough
ton. Mifflin & Co.. Boston.
"Valencia’s Garden." by Mrs. Crown-
inshleld. McClure. Phillips & Co.. New
Tork.
“Souls of Passage.” bv Amelia E. Barr.
Dodd. JJead & Co., New York.
"Pro Patria.” by Max Pemberton.
Dodd. Mead & Co., New York.
“When Blades Are Out and Love’s
Afield.” by Cyrus Townsend Brady. J.
B. Llppincott Company. Philadelphia.
“The Crisis,” by Winston Churchill.
The Macmillan Company, New York.
"Dorothy.” by Charles Major. Bgwen-
Merrill Company. Indianapolis.
We might continue the list still further
but we have mentioned enough volumes
to indicate the diversity of the season’s
outputs of fiction and to warrant the
hope that it will prove iruitful in the
production of good literature. Most of
the volumes are from old favorites, but
others are from writers who are entirely
new in authorship.
if
Below we publish some biographical
data in regard to Mrs. Humphrey Ward,
author of "Eleanor." in answer to one of
our correspondents:
Mary Augusta Arnold was born in Ho
bart, Tasmania, June 11. 1851. the eldest
daughter of Thomas Arnold, (the second
eon of Dr. Arnold, of Rugby), and the
niece of Matthew Arnold. She married
Thomas Humphrey Ward, journalist and
author, April 6. 1872. Her urst book was
“Milly and Oily; or. a Holiday Among
the Mountains." which appeared in 1SS1
over the name of Mrs. T. H. Ward. Most
of her inter books appear over the name
of Mrs. Humphrey Ward. “Milly and
Oily” was never reprinted. “Miss Breth-
erton” followed in 1884. and was well re
ceived. After that came a translation of
the "Journal Intime” of Henri-Frederick
Amici. 1885; “Robert Elsmvre.” 1SSS; "Ad
dress at Opening of University Hall.”
18S1: "The History of David Grieve.” 1892;
“Marcella,” 1894; "Unitarians and the
Future.” 1894: “The Story or Bessie Cos-
trell” (a short, but powerful tale). 1895;
"Sir George Tressady,” 18%: “Helbeck of
S&nnisdale.” 1S9S: and "Eleanor.” 1900. In
addition she wrote numerous articles on
West-Gothic Kings and Bisnops In Vol
umes II. and III., of Smith’s "Dictionary
of Christian Biography.” and is a con
tributor to Macmillan's Magazine. The
Nineteenth Century. The Quarterly Re
view. etc. She is the honorable secretary
of University hall. London, opened in Oc
tober. 1890, and was one of the founders.
Her address In London Is 23 Grosvenor
Flaee. S. W.
"Everybody's Magazine.” published by
John Wanamaker, New York, appears to
be increasing in popularity and excellence
with each new Issue. Besides the char
acter of the contents the artistic make-up
of the publication Is fully abreast with
the progress of the times, it not some
what In advance cf it: and we know of
no magazine wh'ch Is growing more rap
idly in favor with the public or Is more
deserving of recognition. Some of the
features of the April number are as fol
lows: "Why New York Needs Purify
ing." by Bishop Potter and Rev. Walter
Laidlaw: "The Wolf Hunt.” by Charles
Major: "Concerning Bad Men.” bv Owen
Day, of Macon. He had long ago discov
ered his talent for music and he was
very ambitious cohcernlng it. He subse
quently moved to Baltimore, where he.
became the first flute In the Peabody
symphony concert. But while traveling
around with the company he contracted
a severe cold, which finally developed
into consumption. By the advice of
physicians he spent his winters at sev
eral resorts in the south, but it was all
of no aval], and his strength failed. Dur
ing his illness he wrote many poems
aiaior: i.oncermng can Men. ov uwen which are marvels ot inspiration. In De
M lster: The Charm of English Gardens. remher. 1880 when too feeble to raise
by Neltje Blanchan and many others
touching upon every topic of present day
interest.
if
Mrs. Zeralda G. Wallace, who died in
Indianapolis last week, was the step
mother of General Lew Wallace and the
oris Inal of the character of Ben Hur’s
mother in General Wallace's famous
“Tale of the Christ.” Mrs. Wallace was
eighty-four years old at the time of her,
death.
She was widely known for her active
participation in the early work ot the
Women's Christian Temperance Union,
and to her many admirers she was
known as "the Deborah of the W. C. T.
U.” She was a native of Kentucky, and
the second wife of David Wallace, who at
the time of his marriage was lieutenant
governor of Indiana and afterwards gov
ernor ;nd member of congress. She was
the fir.-t woman to offer a resolution In
the W. C. T. U. convention condemning
the use of wine at the communion ser
vice.’ Site was seven years president of
til’ Ind ana union, and one of the most
fearless advocates of the cause to which
she devoted the best years of her life.
Paragraphs About
Books and Authors
Si nee the recent death of Maurice
Thompson, the author of “Alice of Old
Vincennes,” the publishers are preparing
to bring out several of his earlier works
for the purpose of floating them cn the
rival wave of popularity created by hl3
greatest literary success. But In justice
to Mr. Thompson it must be remembered
that most of the publications thus ad
vertised are not the products of his ma
ture genius and unless this fact Is borne
in mind his reputation Is apt to suffer
from an apparent decline in mental pow
er. Perhaps no American author ever ad
vanced more steadily In his literary career
than Mr. Thompson and manifestly it is
very unjust to exploit his earlier works
upon the success of his I at or ones without
making an explanation fully acquainting
the public with the facts.
if
George Cary Eggleston is the author of
an interesting romance entitled, “A Car
olina Cavalier,” which the Lotbrop Pub
lishing Company will publish this spring.
In the announcement of the work we
are told that the plan of the sto:-y took
form in Mr. Eggleston’s mind when, years
ago, in the confederate service, he was
guarding the railroad near the home of
South Carolina’s revolutionary governor,
the famous John Rutledge, and had recess
to the letters and other historical stores
of the old revolutionary mansion.
*
On the authority of the World Almanac,
the twelve most popular books in the
American market last year, arranged in
the order of preference, were as follows:
“David Harum,” "Richard Carvel,”
"When Knighthood Was in Flower," "To
Have and to Hold,” "Janice Meredith,”
“Ehen Holden,” ’The Reign of Law ”
"Alice of Old Vincennes,” "The Day’s
Work,” “Red Rock,” “The Redemption of
David Corson” and “Wild Animals I
Have Known.”
if
Beulah Marie DIx, author of "Hugh
Gwith and "Soldier Rigdale,” two stories
of life in old New England, has written
another novel dealing with the Massachu
setts of John Endicott’s time, entitled
"The Making of Christopher Ferringham.”
The hero is a young fellow, trained In
cavalier camps, and the story details his
evolution under the influence of a Puritan
household and environment.
if
Jeremiah Curtin, whose name is asso
ciated with the English translation ot
"Quo Vadis,” has just returned to this
country after an extensive tour of the
globe. While on the continent Mr. Curtin
spent some time with Mr. Sienkiewicz,
from whom he brings the gratifying in
formation that "Quo Vadis” will soon
have an Interesting sequel.
if
Longmans, Green & Co. have just pub
lished an authoritative life of Queen Vic
toria by R. R. Holmes, librarian to the
late sovereign. Most of the proof sheets
of the work, it Is said, were read and
corrected by her majesty shortly before
her death. _
if
Mary Johnston’s new romance. "Au
drey,” will not begin to appear in The
Atlantic Meatfly until some time this
summer.
(Sidney Lanier,
Georgia’s Greatest
Poet Author
Many letters have recently been re
ceived from correspondents asking for
biographical Information in regard to
Sidney Lanier, Georgia’s greatest poet-au
thor. Here Is an appreciative little
sketch which some one, writing over the
signature of ”E. M. D.,” has just sent
us and we gladly publish it for the ben
efit of our .readers:
-My soul Is like the oar that momently
Dies in a desperate stress beneath
the wave.
Then glitters out again and sweeps the
the sea;
Each second I'm new-born from some
new grave.’*
Sidney Lanier was born In Macon, Ga.,
on February 3, 1842. His father. Robert S.
Lanier, is still living and resides in Ma
con, Where he is a prominent lawyer.
His mother was before marriage Miss
Mary Anderson, of Scotch descent, and
it was from her that Mr. Lanier Inher
ited his great genius for music and
poetrv, for she was gifted in both of
these as well as In oratory. His earliest
passion was for music. When a child he
could play almost without Instruction on
any instrument he could find, and while
yet a boy he played the flute, guitar,
organ, piano, violin, and banjo; especi
ally the flute, out of deference to his
father, who feared for him the powerful
fascinations of the violin, for it was the
violin’s voice that above all others com
manded his soul. Sometimes when he
played he would fall into a kind of
trance, in which he said he dreamed
beautiful dreams and heard heavenly
music. But his father, seeing that the
violin thus affected him, made him prom
ise to discard It and to play the flute in
stead. In time he learned to love his
flute as much as he did his violin. When
the civil war broke out he enlisted at the
age of 18, and carried with him his flute.
In one of the battles he was taken pris
oner and when about to be searched ho
slipped the instrument up his sleeve,
where It escaped the notice of the officer.
Everywhere he went with the army the
flute went too, and many were the times
that he cheered the disheartened and
homesick soldiers by lively tunes and
jigs. . „ ,
In December. 1867, he was married to
Miss Mary Day, a daughter of Charles
cember, 1880,
food to his mouth, he penciled his last
and greatest poem, "Sunrise.” He died
the following August, leaving his wife
and four sons to cherish his memory.
"Light raindrops fall and wrinkle the
sea
Then vanish and die utterly;
One would not know that the raindrops
fell
If the round sea-winkle did not tell.
So souls come down and wrinkle life
And vanish in the flesh-sea strife:
One might know that the soul had place
Were’t hot for the wrinkles on life’s
face.”
In Poet's Corner
A Vision of CHrist
By Charles W Habner
Vain is life, I said, and full of sorrows.
Disappointments vex us, doubts and
fears:
Hope’s lost dove is drowned, no green
Tomorrows
Isle the dreary deulge of our tears;
All the promises that life doth make us,
Prove to be as false as they are fair,
For when dark and evil days o'ertake us,
Lo, they vanish Into empty air!
From the cradle to the giave we wan
der,
In a land of shadows and of dreams,
And the more we on life’s riddle ponder
Deeper, darker still the mystery seems;
What If all our altar fires should waft
their
Sacred incense to the sky In vain?
What If there Indeed be no Hereafter,
Or that we, once dead, live not again?
Why this war between the Good and
Evil*
What is evil, why Is It, and whence?
Is not God the master of the DevllTl
Are they equals In omnipotence,
Dual geds. divers but In their natures.
Rival rulers of the universe.
One that loves and blesses ail his creat
ures.
One that kills them with th9 primal
This C l said, iny sad soul blindly grop-
lng -
Earthward, grave ward. In her madden
ing quest;
I was worn with watching, doubting,
hoping.
Never fli ding comfort, peace or rest.
Then, at last, to heaven mine eyes 1
lifted,
By some mystic spell thereto enticed,
Suddenly the awful gloom was rifted __
And I saw the shining face of Christ.
Oh, how tender was the look He gave
me! —,
Oh, what glory round about Him shone!
Down I fell, and cried: "O Master, save
me,
I have sinned, forgive me. Holy One.
Nevermore my wayward heart shall
grieve thee.
Never will I doubt thy love divine.
Blessed Son of God, dear Christ, receive
me.
Henceforth and forever I am thine!’
To Mamie
By J J Peterson
I heard a voice within my breast
Which binds my being in its spell;
A voice which bids me. say “farewell
To thoughts of peace or dreams of rest;
My spirit hears Its pensive ton.e.
And says to me. "Go on! go on!"
Again I leave thee! fairest maid
That ever waked my heart's desire,
That ever breathed my spirit’s fire.
That ever Ip my fancy stayed;
Again thy face shall miss this one,
A voice has said, “Go on! go on! ’
Oft In thy father’s halls, when thou
Would press thy sweet face into mine.
You’ve asked me what should be the
crime
That made me roam as I do now;
But, ’tls enough that I, alone,
Should know the bane which says, “Go
on!”
In all my paths o’er land and sea,
From native heath to foreign isle,
Save she who reared me as a child,
There’r none whom I have loved as thee;
Yet, now, my love for thee Is gone—
A voice has said, "Go on! go on!
If every face could wear thy smile.
And every heart could be sincere.
And every hope without Its tear.
This life might be a pleasant while;—
But, ’tls not so; It cannot be.
For thou, alone, can’st be cf? thee!
Life’s just the same wherier I go;
A morsel of hypocrisy,
Save thou, alone, who could’st not be
As others In this earthly show!
I tire of everything I see
But thy sweet form ,and thy dark eye!
Good-by' good-by! my lady love.
My bark Is flying from the shore.
Perchance I ne’er shall see thee more.
Yet, howe'er far frem thee I rove,
Still shall my passion sigh for thee.
For thee—for thee, and only thee!
Good-by! good-by! across the wave
The. lightship, now. Is fading fast;
My sail Is higher on the mast.
The wind is growing loud and brave!
Fair one! farewell! ’tls done, ’tis done!
A voice has said, "Go on! go on!”
Good-by! my restless spirit screams,
To all my hopes and Joys and fears;
To all my trials, griefs and cares;
To all my past, distempered dreams!
Good-by; where’er their breeze be
blown—
A voice has said, "Go on! go on!’’
And let the past rest ’neath some shade—
The burial-ground of all my woes.
And let forgiveness shame my woes,
And bless, the curses they have laid;
For I am on the billows borne—
A voice, has said, "Go on! go on!”
"Go on! go on!” and, on I must!
My soul’s as restless as yon tide!
A voice Is whispering at my side,
A voice which I am wont to trust;
The same which in youth’s holy morn
Proclaimed the strange edict. "Go on!”
Farewell, my lady, yet farewell!
The night has closed yon western sky!
The wild winds shriek their wildest cry.
And I must close this parting tale!
Farewell! fer I am from thee borne,
A voice, has said, "Go on! go on!”
if
Happiness
By J a Muon
Ot all the wise things e or was tongued
or was penned.
None truer has been found to this far
day
Thun "Happiness’ bloom Is not found In
the end.
But sheds Its perfume on the way."
F the poet who deserves the
widest recognition abroad
is the one who is the best
interpreter of sentiment at
home, then the growing
popularity of Frank L.
Stanton, who is conceded
to be the south’s foremost
present-day representative
In the American congress
of song, admits of ready
and satisfactory explana-
tion. Perhaps it Is not wide
of the mark to say that no southern poet
during his lifetime has ever seen his pro
ductions more extensively copied into the
American newspapers than has ho; and
Jerome K. Jerome writes from London
that the south’s faverite singer is rap
idly coming into notice on the other side
of the water.
Though Mr. Stanton gathers his in
spiration from many sources, he seldom
journeys far from home In his excursions
with the muses; and this domestic char
acter of his work explains In large meas
ure the success he Is now reaping. He
wisely reasons that he can do his host
work be restricting himself to those
things with which he is most familiar,
and, consequently, his poems are as full
of the aroma of southern life as are the
hedges in springtime or the orchards in
autumn. In proof .of the perfectly nat
ural and spontaneous quality of his work,
lie seldom blurs or erases what he lias
tnce written. So our northern friends'
v ho desire to acquaint themselves with
southern conditions, without leaving
home, will not find It necessary to go be
yond Mr. Stanton’s work. Here they
will find the south pictured exactly as
it is with ro exaggerated hues or im
ported tints; here they will find the old-
time negro with his droll humors and
his queer superstitions. Just as loyal and
faithful as in the old plantation days,
hut contrasted with him they will also
find the present day negro, differing in
many important respects from his ante
bellum progenitor; here tHey will find
the backwoods "cracker,” whose Arca
dian simplicity defies the march of civil
ization; and here they will find in luxu
riant growth the peach and the orange,
the pineapple and the cotton plant, the
strawberry and the watermelon, while
Ihrough every line they will feel the
heart-throb of national brotherhood.
Mr. Stanton is best known through his
dialect poems, which are popular, not
only because they stand the test of crit
icism, of dialect itself, but also because
they are true to life. Everyone who
1 nows anything about the typical negro
will at once recognize the fidelity of this
portraiture of "The Backsliding Brother.”
Mr. Stanton makes him moralize as fol
lows:
De screech owl screech rum de ol* barn lof:
"You drinked yo’ dram sence you done swear
off,
En you gwlne de way
Whar' de sinners stay
En Satin gwlne ter roas' you at de Jedgmlnt
Dav."
Den de ol’ ha’nt say fom de ol’ chu’ch wall:
"You des so triflin’ dat you had ter falll
En you gwine der way
Whar de brimstone stay.
En Satin gwlne ter roas’ you at de Jedgmlnt
Day."
Den I shake en shiver,
En X hunt fer klver,
En I cry ter de good Lewd: "Please deliver!"
I tell ’im plain
Dat my hopes Is vain,
En I drinked my dram fer ter ease my pain!
Der. de screech owl screech rum de north ter
south:
"You drinked yo’ dram en yon smacked yo'
mouth!
En you gwlne de way
Whar de brimston? stay,
En Satin gwlne ter roas’ you at de Jedgmlnt
Day.” 1 '
In quite another key. but equally droll
and comical, is another negro dialect
poem entitled, “His Fall From Grace,”
t hich is short enough to be reproduced
almost in full:
Brier Williams wuz a-saying in de publto meet-
in’ place.
He counted it a privilege ter fall away rum
grace.
• • • « »
"You knows," he says, "de los’ sheep what
wuz missin’ rum de fol’.
Wen de night wuz dark en rainy, en de win
a Mowin’ col’?
Well, de shephud ler de yuthers en he never
satisfy
'Twell he ketch up wid de ios* sheep en he
lan’ 'im high en dry!"
Now, dat was his contendin’, en he talk it
right erlong
’Twell de vuther ol’ back sliders raise a hal
lelujah song! . . __ ,
But de preacher sorter study, ez he lookln
cross de hall,
■Bout de many times Brier Williams had been
havin’ uv er fall.
"You fall.” he says, "on Monday—des take
de road wid sin—
En den on Tuesday mawnin’, please God, you
down ergin!
Now. don’t you call dat triflin’ ? W’en
Wednesday roll eroun’
Des ’bout de time you git up once mo’ you
hits de groun’!
For nearly twelve years Mr. Stanton
has been on the staff of The Atlanta
Constitution, having first become, con
nected with the paper during the days
of the lamented Henry W. Grady, the
south’s great editor and orator. He edits
the. column which appears daily on the
editorial page under the head of “Just
from Georgia,” and no feature of the
paper attracts wider attention. He
usually heads It with a poem on some, up-
to-date line of thought and then follows
it up with an anecdote illustrative of
some phase of Georgia life or a bit of
humorous comment on current political
happenings, while, next comes a fragment
of verse. Pathos and humor keep on In
timate terms in Mr. Stanton’s columns,
but Mr. Stanton is buoyant and optimis
tic, and he makes them weep. Though
Mr. Stanton does most of his work in
his little den on the sixth floor of the
building, his column never lacks the
freshness of the open fields and never
falls to generate cheer with Its droll
philosophy and itg wholesome humor.
Mr. Stanton’s patriotism Is undoubted,
as may he seen In these spirited lines to
“Old Glory:”
She’s up there—Old Glory—she’s waving o’er-
head.
She dazzles the nations with ripples of red,
And she’ll wave for us living or droop o’er us
dead.
She’s the flag of our country forever!
She’s up there—Old Glory—no tyrant dealt
No blur on her brightness, no stain on her
scars,
stars.
The brave blood of heroes hath crimsoned her
bars,
She’s the flag of oi.r country forever!”
-L L Knight, in the Boston
Transcript
Some Religious
Items of Interest
On March 2d Pope Leo XIII, who was
born in 1810, entered upon his ninety-sec
ond year. Of all the bishops of Rome,
for St. Peter and his immediate success
ors can hatdly be styled popes, he, in
point of age, is .far and away the first.
Of the 262 occupants of the chair of St.
Peter, though there are at least a score
cf well-authenticated octo^narlans. he is
the only nonagenarian ot that number.
Though he has broken the record in point
of years of life, it seems an impossibil
ity that he should break it In length of
tfflee, for his immediate predecessor, Pio
Nono, reigned for over one and thirty
years, and the present pope has some
thing like eight years before he will have
been supreme pontiff as long as that.
The Thirteen club might claim the pope
for one of themselves. When he was
elected men not so much past middle age
row can remember how some of the su
perstitious faithful begged of him not to
be the thirteenth Leo. During the last
century, of the seven popes four were
Pius by title, two Leo and one Gregory,
and it was semi-ofllcially announced that
when Cardinal Peed was chosen pope
in 1878 he was to become Gregory XVIL
But his holiness defied augury and styled
himself Leo XIII. There has been no
nonagenarian sovereign—for, after all, the
pope Is a sovereign—within the recollec
tion of man. The nearest approach was
ICaiser Wilhelm I, the "old" German em
peror ,who died on March 9, 18S8, just
thirteen days before entering upon his
ninetieth year. The two European rulers
at present nearing the nineties are the
grand duke of Luxembourg, who will he
eighty-four next birthday, and the king
of Denmark, eighty-two the 8th of next
montle
if
One of the most notable religious ef
forts ever contemplated is now under
consideration. It is nothing less than the
erection in Chicago of a temple to cost
82,000,000. The plan will be to effect the
consolidation of several Methodist Epis
copal churches and congregations, in
cluding Trinity, the First church and
others, sell the church properties and
employ the. capital thus derived, probably
$2,000,000 In the building of one of the
greatest religious temples ever known
In the history of the world.
if
The number of Catholic archbishops
and bishops In England and Wales Is
nineteen, the number ot priests 2,837, and
the number of churehes, chapels, and
stations 1,536. These returns show an
increase on last year of one bishop,
twenty-five priests, and seven churches.
The Catholic population of Great Britain
is estimated as follows: England and
Wales. 1,500,000; Scotland, 365,000.
if
While the Baptist Young People’s
Union of America Is seeking a new gen
eral secretary, Dr. J. W. Conley, of Oak
Park, III., will perform some of the work
pertaining to the secretary's depart
ment, and Rev. W. H. Geistwelt, of Chi
cago, will give assistance' in the editorial
department of the Baptist union. Both
of them are hard working pastors.
if
Rev. G. Campbell Morgan, of Londop,
expects to sail for America about June
12th and to return In the summer of
1902. Four months of each year will be
spent at Northfleld, but for the rest of
the time Mr. Morgan will be traveling
from town to town, engaged in the North-
field extension work.
if
The will of the late D. H. Baldwin,
of Cincinnati, by. which the bulk of his
estate was left to the boards of home
and foreign missions of the Northern
Presbyterian church, will not be con
tested, and the boards will receive near
ly $200,000 each.
if
American Methodism will heartily ap
prove the selection ot Bishop Galloway,
of the Methodist Episcopal church,
south, to preach the opening sermon be
fore the Methodist Ecumenical confer
ence, which is to assemble In Wesley’s
chapel, London, next September.
**
In Prussia, changes of faith are re
corded by the state. During the seven
years, 1890-1897, the number in the old
Prussian provinces leaving the Catholic
church for the Protestant was 40,677; the
number leaving Protestants for Roman
ism was only 4,442.
DuKe Henry's
Answer
When Duke George, of Saxony, the
great enemy of the Lutheran doctrine,
was on his death-bed, he desired to make
his brother, Henry, heir of his land, on
condition that Duke- Henry, who was a
Lutheran, would not permit the gospel
to be preached in the land. If he were
rot willing to agree to this the emperor
was to receive the country. The nobility
undertook to speak to Duke Henry about
it, and put forth every effort to induce
him to agree to the condition. Among (
other things they told him that besides
the teautiful country there was also on
hand muefti money and sliver, which
would be his if he agreed to his brother’s
wish But the honest Lutheran prince
replied: "You remind me of Christ’s
temptation in the wilderness, when the
devil approached him and said: ‘AH
things will I give thee If thou wilt fall
down and worship me.’ If my brother
can, with a good conscience, disinherit
me, he may do so; but do not think that
for the sake of money and property I
will hinder God’s word in its course. I
would rather remain poor than to give
up God and His word.”
But what occurred? Duke George died
before his testament was completed and
Duke Henry was the lawfql heir. He
assumed the go-eminent and at once
permitted the preaching of the gospel in
bis country.
The Supremacy of
tHe Bible
When may we look for the decadence
of the Bible? I will tell you when. One
of two things mutt first occur: either
men, to tbedr everlasting sharfe, de
cadence and ruin, must cease to care for
that ideal of a divine humanity regnant
over a universe of order, psace and love
the revelation of which forms the es
sential organic unity of the Book of
Bcoks, and which culminates in the por
trait of Jesus of Nazareth, Son of Man
and Son of God; or else some other, bet
ter way must be found for bringing men
Into closer, more vital and spiritual, more
practical and effective contact and sym
pathy with it. Some better means ot
implanting that ideal and that life must
be discovered than the appreciative, in
telligent readings of the writings whiclf
come to us touched with its Are, breath
ing its aroma, conscious of its presence,
impassioned and inspired with the knowl
edge that in Him they have seen the
Father. Until some other literature has
appeared which can bring the life of the
careworn toiler, the household drudge,
the high and the lowly, the poor In spirit
and the intellectually and morally great
Into touch and sympathy with a "human
life divine.” and a “victory that has
overcome the world," the place of the
Eftle will be unique and unquestioned.
Poems on Eafter
By Thoms* Blackburn
Awake, thou wintry earth— •
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, look forth
Your ancient gladness!
Christ Is risen!
Wave, woods, your blossoms all—
Grim death Is dead!
Ye weeping funeral trees
Lift up your head!
Christ Is risen!
Come, see, the graves are green;
-It is light; let’s go
Where our loved ones rest
In hope below!
Christ is risen!
All Is fresh and new
Full of spring and light;
Wintry heart, why wear's! the hue
Of sleep and night?
Christ is risen!
Leave thy cares beneath.
Leave thy worldly love!
Begin the better life
With God above!
Christ is risen!
By Geortf* Herbert
Rise, heart! thy Lord Is risen! Sing his
praise
Without delays,
Who takes thee by the hand that thou
likewise
With Him may rise—
That as His death calcined thee to dust.
His life may make thee gold, and much
more just.
Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy
part
With all thy art;
The Cross taught all wood to resound His
name.
Who bore the same;
His stretched sinews taught all strings
Is best to celebrate this most high day.
Consort with the harp and lute and twist
a song
Pleasant and long!
Or since all music is but three part vied
And multiplied
Oh, let thy blessed spirit bear a part.
And make up our defects with his sweet
art.
I got me flowers to strew thy way,
I got me boughs off many a tree;
But Thou wast up by break of day.
And brought’st thy sweets along with
thee.
The sun arising in the east.
Though He give light, and the east per
fume,
If they should offer to contest
With Thy arising, they presume.
Can there be any day but this.
Though many suns to shine endeavor?
We count three hundred, but we miss—
There is but one, and that forever!
Christianity Reigns
Zion Herald: Christianity is still here.
It has often been banished from the world
by pagan decree, or philosophic scorn, or
Infidel Jest, but still It comes back. It Is
here to stay, because it is part and par
cel of life itself. It Is the spiritual at
mosphere which the soul of man must
breathe in order to sustain it in well
being, while infidelity represents spiritual
suffocation, moral asphyxia. Voltaire
said that though twelve men were need
ed to build up Christianity, one man
could overthrow It; but that man has not
yet been found. Certainly that man was
not Voltaire or Thomas Paine or Robert
Ingersoll. Voltaire also prophesied—"be
fore he knew”—that Christianity would
not survive the nineteenth century; but
we today are dating letters “19QX A. D.”~
"in the year of Our Lord”—and the
papers are full of plans for twentieth cen
tury enterprise In behalf of the cross.
Infidelity is mocked by its own boasts.
We are never alarmed, therefore, by
this talk of “overthrowing Christianity.”
The thing never yet has been done, nor
can be done. A few things that are
thought to belong to the fringe of Chris
tianity may be stirred around more or
less In the course of public discussion or
social reconstruction, but the great cross,
verities will remain. Rest assured in
your Christian faith. It will stand.
While you keep it, it will keep you. But
while you maintain confidence In these
revealed truths of our religion, be careful
to add to your faith virtue, and to exhibit
before the world that best of all evidences
of Christianity—the orlament of a manly,
righteous and helpful spirit.
Paragraph Sermons
Observe the true motive for Christian
work. The Lord did not sav to Peter.
“Lowest thou the work?” or "Lovest
thou my lambs?” but "Lovest thou me?”
for the most potent principle In the Chris
tian heart Is love to Christ. Yet we are
too prone to forget that this Is the case
and so we dwarf even our best efforts by
engaging in them from motives which,
though good enough, are lower than the
highest.—William M. Taylor.
if
Hope and fear are gospel motives—but
only tor children In the talth. The true
motive of the gospel Is personal affection
working In constant fellowship of life
and aim. He who lives with Christ finds
it ever easier to live for Christ. This Is
the miotlve power which makes hard duty
possible. This is the perfect love which
casts out fear.—L O. k.
All things proceed from thee and
therefore In all things thou are to be
praised. . . . For thy will and the love
of thv glory ought to be preferred before
all things and to comfort us more and
to please us better than all the benefits
which either we have received or may re
ceive.—Thomas a Kempis.
*
Nothing but love will kindle love. Power
will no<t do It. Holiness will not do It.
Gifts will not do it—men will take your
gifts and then repay you with hatred.
But love begets love: heart responds to
heart. Jesus loved.—Dolan.
Old Books Made New!
The Georgia Book Bindery, 8V4 S. Broad St.,
Atlanta, Ga., take old books, bind and repair
them and make them look like new. They
guarantee satisfaction. They Mnd books and
magazines of all kinds, and manufacture blank
books, do bindery work and ruling for print
ers. Address Richard A. Magill, proprietor, for __
particulars. Uashvllla
HE last half century has
witnessed ' astounding
transformations.. Wave
after wave of change
has swept over philoso
phies, language, society
and governments. Tran
sition has characterized
our generation and we
are in suspense as to
what the future will
bring to humanlt}’.
What will he the new
philosophy, the new art
and the new science, is
hidden from us; but of
one thing we are as
sured, the word of God
au.utin iorever.
Some stars are said to he fixed. We
know the needle of the oompasa points to
the North star, and men feel safe in sail
ing by It. Astronomers tell us of other
fixed stars. But when men thus affirm, it
Is not absolute, but relative truth. So In
all departments, certain truths are only
relatively fixed, while others are as Im
movable and enduring as the throne of
God.
Some one says: "There has always been
a band of music in front of the world's
marching column.” One can hardly In
dorse this as an axiom, but when Chris
tianity placed itself at the head of the
human race Its voice filled ear and air
with thrilling notes of rarest songs—songs
of rejoicing, songs of triumph. And it is
indeed cause for .triumphant joy to be
endowed with faith, which Is to life what
the root is to the tree; to possess hope,
which is of such a nature that it will
grasp with its teeth when both hands
have been chopped off, and to have char
ity, which Is a girdle binding all elements
and graces Into one.
These qualities are eternal, therefore
are non-changing. Scientific men assure
us, physical worlds wear out and die as
do human bodies. It is claimed that the
moon was once a world covered with veg
etation and life, but that many ages ago
Its last bird sang and leaf fell. It Is also
taught that suns exhaust their resources
iby burning them up as we bum fuel.
Though their light flamed for millions of
years, it went out at last. Mutation Is
written on all things of earth. The word
"transient” might be stamped upon all we
see and touch. Even the earth is to
change and fade into something else. But
the truth will abide forever.
The antiquity of a thing no longer se
cures veneration. Meen peer Into every
thing. They stand with geologic hammer
and rap at the doors of every cave and
read the fossil hieroglyphics of prehistoric
ages. Chemistry brings its analysis, and
natural philosophy Its anatomy, and
every avenue of investigation Is boldly
traversed, and much that men considered
sacred has, been thrown aside as rubbish.
This Is true in science, philosophy and re
ligion.
In forming our conclusions, we must
remember that what proceeds from man
must he Imperfect. If he constructs a
watch It will not forever keep perfect
time. If he builds a house ft eventually
falls down or burns up. His trains fly the
track. His representatives meet and
make laws, but they prove defective.
Even his loves and friendships are mar
red and blurred by errors. Each genera
tion has Its own theory of medical treat
ment. They once bled or leeched us;
then blistered, sweated and starved us.
In all things there have been changes
not only marked, but decided. And a
change of opinion ft not always a loss.
The verdict of history is that error must
die. All that is born of human device
must be unmasked. There is a narrow
and foolish conservatism which must -be.
abandoned. Many of our opinions about
God have changed, aa have our opinions
on other questions. But the truth Itself
cannot suffer. It will abide. "The word
of the Lord endureth forever.”
Darwin, while, holding a number of grave
errors, uttered a great truth when he
said, “Nature holds her tendency through
all periods, and never relaxes.” So with
moral truth. It is immutable because it,
also, is of God. Men reason with some
plausibility when they ask. Why does the
gospel admit of no change? 8clence has
changed; literature has changed, as well
as art. They claim truly, that new the
ories come to tha front, and new inter
pretations are adopted. Shall the gosepl
only remain stationary? But these men
whether they recognize, it or not, refer
to human discoveries. The gospel is not
a discovery; it is a revelation from God.
Those who talk of changing the gospel
“to suit the spirit of the times,” seem
to think that the All-wise being did not
know what a wonderful century this
would be and they propose to remodel
the gospel to fit the so-called new age.
Paul rejoiced that some things were
permanent. Christianity appeared In the
person of its founder, and Its great cen
tral truths were taught by Him. Paul
gathered up all the facts of His life and
embodied them in one word—"faith." He
who possesses this holds all the forces
which develop spiritual life. The early
Christians pressed Christ upon the atten
tion of men as the only effective Savior
of men. It was true then; Is is true to
day. All truth focused in Him. The
problem of our age is the same as in the
time of Paul’s ministry; it was the prob
lem of Socrates and Plato—Who will or
can make men better? Jesus Christ
alone can do it. Faith In Him Is the one
factor of power.
But the last and greatest of all is char
ity. It, too, la eternal. The Egyptians In
their hieroglyphics represent charity as
a naked child with a heart In his hand,
giving honey to a bee without wings—
the true significance of which Is that love
is the essential element, the leading ele
ment, and is the life of the heart. It is,
therefore, the regulating principle ol all
true lives.
Jesus begin His unique march to the
throne of the world by saying, "I must
be loved.” Love rules In His empire.
Hence, he announces that strange philos
ophy which underlies his plan of sub
duing the world; he will be a conqueror
without being a soldier. He alms at em
pire, hut will not fight Armies might
give him early victory, but love alone can
make Him master through eternity.
History relates men and women turned
white in the face when Caius Caesar
passed along the streets—he was a tyrant,
governing by force. Jesus Christ appears
among men, calls them brothers, and
proposes to divide His Inheritance with
them. Love is the crowning quality of
the nature of God. And "love never
faileth;” with faith and hope, it abldeth
forever.
-John Mattkowa. D D Pastor
McKeadraa Memorial Church,
™ E BUTT0N ~~
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DARNING ei fee KNEES nz im wwrnw
CUSHION
BUTTON
HOSE
SUPPORTER