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About Pacific Christian messenger. (Monmouth, Or.) 1877-1881 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 1879)
PACIFIC CHRISTIAN MESSENGER, FRIDAY, AUG. 8. 1879 Christian Family. Strange Things. •Til itrange that man of common mdm Can ba so taken in. By those who only through pretense Profess a love for these— And lead them on to wretchedness And every forte of sin ; When there's a shining goal far hence ' That all should aim to win. - ■Tie strange that men with open eyes Will go whore they must fall ; That men professing to bo wise, .Can stoop to things so small. The soul to virtue sinks and dies, And sorrows dark appall, When there’s a path ut which to rise, Inviting to ub nil! ’Tie strange mon choose a path ao low rise » so high f ■ When they might rue — strange _ > men buy the cup ol *Tis ofwoo I When jey’s free glass is nigh tors show *Tis strange the fair, false colon Since all disclaim to lie I •Tie strange that they should set as though They never were to die I •Tie strange that while light paths lead up And dark paths lead ns down ! While light will fill the soul with hope, And darkness hope will drown— So many will in darkness grope, Who might enjey renown. And like the world’s moot favored group, Wear honor’s shining crown. Seattle. [The following poem wee written by one of the Oregon excursionists, Mrs. Belle W. Cooke, of Salem, a lady whe has ob tained considerable distinction. She is the author of an interesting volume of poems, and wherever known is recognized a woman of culture and high social at- inmenta. The linea here presented de- cribe the beautiful scenery of Seattle and uget Sound.—Ed. Statesman]. ueen city by the northern Sound, High seated on thy sloping hills, Begirt with snowy mountains round, Thy beauty all my being thrills. When burns the sunset in the west. With crimaon bait and purple shades, On dark Olympus’ snow-flecked orest A misty crown gleams out and fades. While on Tacoma’s kingly face The rosy blushes gleaming lie, And changeful hues, with wondrous grace Across the watery mirror fly. When morning looks through fringe of trees, And tips the western peaks with gold, And misty veils curled by the breeze Lie on the water, fold on fold— Then rocky gorge, and tree-crowned spur, Touched by the pencil of the dawn. With rounded heights, and groves of flr, Spring oat to‘greet the beauteous mjrn, The ioe-crowned king*with shadows cold Spsikles and glistens white, and grand. And beauty wakes in wood and wold, And beams from nooksr<p^pvery band. Long may thy beauty bless the earth, And teach the lesson God doth mean, And nobler men in thee have birth Than ever yet the world hath seen. —Seattle Eoit. Twins. Four little fat red legs, two very small red noses, and four as bright red cheeks as you ever laid eyes on, I am most positivé. The noses were cold, too, just like two tiny lumps of red ice that might have been a fair-sized piece at some time or other, but if so, had melted away until only a mere little dot was left standing. Then there were four black eyes as bright as—as—why, as bright as your own pretty eyes, my sweet litt’e reader. It is very strange, too, bow exactly alike those four eyes were. I have often seen two eyes just alike, but four eyes precisely the very same col or and shape, is another thing, I can tell you. The owners of these four great black eyes,'1 'were about three feet tall, and their overcoats and caps must have been made from the very same piece of cloth, and cut from the very same pattern. How it happen ed that one wore blue mittens and the other dark brown, is something I can not explain. Just wait a minute ' I shouldn’t wonder a bit if their moth er insisted on their wearing mittens of different colors so that she could tell them apart. I never thought of that before, did y’ou, now ? It was a very cold, winter morning and the pavements were icy, and I was coming down our front steps very carefully for fear I might slip and break my precious bones—they ain’t old bones yet by a good deal. It had rained in tbé night, and •then, the wind changea and every thing froze ight up solid, and directly in jront of ur house was a nice sheet of ice al most large enough for a skating pond. There wasn’t another like it on the whole street. I was very proud of all that beautiful, smooth, white Some people you know,*are delighted, if there is more ice in "their gutters than their neighbor^ can boast. Just as I opened the gate, one of these cold-nosed, black-eyed, red cheeked individuals called out bold ly : “ Please may we break up your ice?” “Well—don’t—know about that,” I said slowly; “I’m afraid my :se won’t like to be all broken up with that great stick you have there. Will you be careful and not hurt it much?” “ Yes* ma’am,* they both said to gether, and they looked at me as though I was a very particular per son indeed, and their eyes grew larg er and brighter than ever. So I left them with those two great sticks, and a large sheet of ice for playthings, and went off down town; but somehow or other I kept thinking the whole morning long about these same industrious young gentlemen. I went in a store to order some oysters for dinner, and the man asked how many I wanted, and I answered, "Two please,” and he said, “What did you say madam 1” and gave me a glance as much as to say that he didn’t con sider me exactly first class customer, and I replied, as quick as a .flash, “ I mean a quart; I was thinking of something else.” Then I bought some crackers to eat with my oysters, and it is a wouder I didn’t ask for red-leg ged ones, for I still had the twins on my mind. When I at last reached a certain large drygoods store I forgot all about my little friends, because, you see, I was choosing a new silk dress for my self, and this is a matter that requires the concentrating of one’s entire men tal faculties. These are pretty large words ain’t they, dear I Never mind, when you are a woman, and do your own shopping, you will understand what I mean. Just as I had made up my mind that I would take one of three pieces of silk that lay on the counter before me and had begun to feel rather glad, on the whole, that I wasn’t obliged to se lect a new dress every day of the week, Mrs. Donavon came sweeping up tome. Her hair is exactly the color of—of—why, of sunshine, it real ly looked just like sunshine as it lay in soft rings on her beautiful forehead. And her eyes are the deepest of brown, the very shade of the long sealskin sack that she happened to have on that morning. Then her dress was black velvet, and trailed on the floor for a half yard or more, and glittering diamonds were fastened in her little pink ears. But she didn’t look hap py. She looked very beautiful, she looked very fashionable; she looked very queenly, but she didn’t look hap py. I think she was tired of her vel vets and diamonds. Mrs. Donavon’s dear little son is an angel in heaven. I thought of somebody up in our street who hae two bright-eyed boys to be proud of. But I feared that she hadn’t the velvets and diamonds and sealskin sack too. When I reached home again there were my red cheeked friends in the very same place that I left them. Their noses looked colder than ever, and I doubt if they had stopped to rest once. “ Well, boys,” I call but, “ have you had a good time this morning ? 1 think you two must be twins; Ain’t you twins ?” “Yes, ma’am, we’re twins,” spdke up the blue-mittenedone, looking as wise as an owl, and nodding his head very gravely. "I thought so f I said, " now, tell me your names.” Mine’s Willie Miller, and his name’s Johnny Davis, and I live in that house, and he lives over there !”* •What a thane it is," I went on, that two such loving twin brothers can not live m the same house togeth er !" And then 1 opened my gate, and walked up the steps, and into the hall, Everlasting Consolation. climbed the front stairs, and laughed every step of the way as though “ Consolation!” There is music in something very funny indeed had the word. Like David’s harp, it just happened — Interior. charms away the spirit of melancholy. It was a distinguished honor to Bar True Story of Betsy Prig. nabas, to be called the “ son of con Betsy Prig lives at Hull’s cove on solation.” Nay it is one of the illus the island ef ML Desert. The scenery trious names of a greater than Barna around her home was beautiful, and bas, for the Lord Jesus is “ the con crowds of strangers came ever summer solation of Israel.” " Everlasting to praise the sea which sparkled at Consolation.” 2 Thus, it lfl. Here her feet, and to roam over the moun is the cream ef all, the spikenard tains that towered far above her head. very precious, for tbé eternity of com But Betsey Prig, eared nothing for fort is the crown and glory of it. scenery. She devoted all her time This makes an estate worth having and thought to getting a living for when a man may held its fee simple herself and children. in perpetuity foiever. A man works Fortunately she had a little house, to make money, and after toiling and it did not cost her much to clothe hard he finds himself the owner of it, them, though they could not be and it is a consolation te him ; but it blamed if sometimes when their toes is not an everlasting consolation, for were frost-bitten in the winter they he may lose or he may spend all his asked for better shoes and stockings. treasure, or he may be compelled to But Betsey had a way of telling leave it. It can not be, at best, more them if they had not been standing than a temporary consolation. about idle their toes would not have A man toils hard for knowledge. had time to freeze. Hers never had He acquires it; he becomes an emi when she was their age. nent scholar; his name is famous— Times have been hard at Mount this is a consolation to him for all his Desert lately, as they have every toil. But it can not last long; for where, and Betsey has found it when he feels the headache, or the difficult to get her great family enough heartache, his degrees and his di to eat. She has scraped together all plomas can not cheer him. Or should sorts of dishes, some of which they his soul become a prey to despondency, liked and some they left untouched he may turn over many a learned until hunger drove them to eat. tome before he will find a balm for a Clams, flounders, even the detested broken heart. All earth-born consola Bculpins, that family had to consume; tions are, in their essence fleeting, and and as they grew fat, Betsey ceased in their existence, short lived. They not to tell her friends that it was all are brilliant and evanescent as the nonsense being so particular with rainbow-hues of a soap bubble. But children—one thing would do as well as to the consolation God gives to his as another if they were Properly people, they fade not, neither do they brought up. So when she chanced lose their freshness. - They can stand one day to capture a little snake, as all tests—the shock of trial, the flames green as the sweet grass that grows of persecution, the lapse of years; at Hull’» Cove, and as changeable as nay, they, can even endure death the treacherous waters of Frenchman’s itself. What is this “everlasting Bay, she ordered her family to devour consolation ?” It includes a sense of it. But they rebelled; go hungry pardoned sin. A Christian man has they could, but eat snake they would receivedin his heart the witness of not. Then Betsey, to carry out her the Spirit that his iniquities are put notion that one thing was as good as away like a cloud, and his transgres another, tried to swillow it herself. sions like a thick cloud. Union to Even she found the head slightly ob the risen Lord is a consolation of the jectionable, so she deftly turned her most abiding order—it is in fact dainty morsel, began at the tail, and “ everlasting consolation.”— Spurgeon. down it slipped.------------------------- A neighbor who saw Betsey thus How to Choose Silk. prove herself to circumstances, de Many ladies do not know how to scribed the scene to her son Cally. He choose a good black silk ; but well said if his mother had not seen it informed women know that it should with her own eyes, he would not be soft and heavy. A good silk must have believed it. “ Well,” answered Mrs. Hamor, “ I never be gummy or stiff. They pre caught a green snake this very morn- fer a r/ros grain because it is fashion ing, and it is under the door step able; but they will have it light, now ; let us take it down to Betcey, though “ full in the hand.” They do not look so much at the grain as at and you can see her eat it.” So Cally poked out the little rep the floss they pull out of it. If this tile, put him on a shingle, and they process of investigation is not allowed, went to Betsey’s modest house. She they pinch the specimen on the cross, thanked them, and said, “ Certainly, then pull it in a contrary direction. she should be glad of it.” Then she If the crease looks like a fold in a called the children in from tho shore paper, they reject that piece ; but if to their supper; and that might be it smooths out and disappears they duly influenced by the example, are secure. They also imperceptibly swallowed it as she sat in her place at touch the sample with the tip of the the head of the table. But this time tongue, for the presence of iron used she began at the tail. Cally said he in dye is thus detected. As regards should have to believe it, but he the color of black, there are very un never would eat another egg Betsey reliable green blacks and dun blacks. Prig laid as long as he lived; for A black, singularly enough, and with Betsey Prig is a hen.—A nnie S awyer out the slightest desire to appear ridiculous, should be blue. The D owns , in July Wide Awake. . raven’s wing has a blue haze over it Seven Fools. No one not in the business can know how difficult it is to get glossy blue The angry man who sets his own black ; a dead black is not such a house on lire in order that he may feat. Cheap qualities of silk would bum that of hi» neighbor. The envi net reward the manufacturer for his ous man—who cannot enjoy life be trouble, therefore a brown or green cause others do. The robber—who, black are of inferior fiber. There is for the consideration of a few dollars net a more useful investment to be gives the world liberty to hang him. made than money expended for a The hypocondriac—whose greatest really good black silk. — Ex. happiness consists in rendering him self miserable. The jealous man— who poisons his own banquet and eats of it. The miser—who starves him self to death in order that his heirs may feast. The slanderer—who tells tales for the sake of giving his enemy an opportunity to prove him a liar. Send us a new subscriber. —Every man should ask himself this question: Should this turn out to bo a false stop, shall I bo able to get back again ? —He that would sleep, both in a whole skin and a whole conscience, must learn rather to forgive injuries than to revenge them. Courtesy and Christian Courtesy. There is a thing which we call high-breeding or courtesy; its name proclaims that it is the manner of the court, and it is supposed to belong ex clusively to persons highly born. There is another which we call Chris tian courtesy; the difference between the two is that high-breeding graceful ly insists upon its own rights; Chris tian courtesy gracefully remembers the rights of others. In the narrow limited sense of the word, “gentleman** can only be applicable to persons born in a certain class, and " gentle ” is the only English tnord “ genteel,” but in the larger, higher meaning it belongs to those who are gentle in character rather than in blood; and just as ‘gen tle” has b<Sen corrupted into " genteel" so the words " gentleman,” “courtesy," “ politeness,” have come to be consid ered the exclusive property of one class. The Spirit of Christ does really what high-breeding does outwardly. A high-bred man never forgets him self, controls his temper, does nothing to excess, is urbane, dignified, and that even to persons whom he is inwardly cursing in his heart, or wishing far away. But a Christian is what the word seems to be. Love gives him a delicate tact which never offends, be cause it is full of sympathy. 1 It de cerns far off what would, hurt fastidi ous feelings, feels with others, is ever on the watch to anticipate their thoughts. And hence the only true-'' refinement—that which lies not ..on the surface, but goes deep down into the character—comes from Christian love. '. - _ Little Things. A pin is a very little thing an arti cle of dress, but the way in which it * is put into a dress often reveals the - character of the wearer. A shrewd fellow was once looking out for a wife, and was on a visit to a family of daughter with this object. The fair one of whom he was partially enamor ed one day entered the room in which he was seated with her dress partially unpinned and her hair untidy; he never went back. You may say such a fellow was “not worth a pin;” but he was really a shrewd fellow, and afterward made a good husband. He judged of women as of men—by little things; and he was right— Smile» In Search of a Word. There is something funny in the idea of suoh a universal scholar as Caleb Cushing being at a loss for a word. But it is char acteristic of him that he would of course hunt till he found the right one. Many years ago, Gen. Cushing went into a lawyer a office with whom he was well acquainted, and naked, “ Mr.-------- . what do you call those strips left on your check book, on which you write your notes, when you detach a check T’ “ Well, really, I don’t know,” replied the lawyer, “I suppose they are marginal notes.” ’* No, that ain’t it,” he replied ; “ they have a specitio name.” He then hurried into one of the banks, and asked the same question of the Presi dent That gentleman was taken aback for a moment, and could not give the re quired proper name. The affair was for gotten until months afterward, when the bank president received an envclopj mark ed ’’ Newburyport.” Opening, he was surprised to read : ’• Stubs ! Yours, O. C ushino .” He instantly remembered, however, and highly appreciated the joke.— Ex. " The most alluring swindle that a' penny wise and pound-foolish econo my ever forced upon the masses, is a cheap school teacher. The sons of the rich, whether aided by public law or not, will have good teachers. The sons of the poor, if a false econo my is practiced as to common and high schools, obtain only third and fourth rate instructors. Penurious ness as to public schools widens the chasm between rich and poor. A sys tem providing one kind of education for the rich and another for the poor would delight the black angels be cause it would lead to the formation in the United States of an i ’norant class, and of a wide hereditary dis tinction between the wealthy and indipent. Every advocate of republi- can institutions will be forced by n*- licical necessity, as well as by phil anthropy, to defend the educational righto of the poor.’*—Jfev.
