Sunday-school times

              VOLUME IV.
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY AT ONE DOLLAR A YEAR.—PHILADELPHIA, FEBRUARY 8, 1862.
NUMBER 6.
THE  SlWDAY-SCHOOIi  TIMES,
A Weekly Religious Paper.
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Address,
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Subscriptions are also taken by
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533
for tha Sanday-Soheol Tlm.a.
A YEAR IS IHE DMSI SCHOOL,
Being a Conrse of Instruction about GOD, in Fifty-two
Lessons, Comprising Talks, Stories, Texts, Illustrations,
Catechisms, Hymns, Exercises, Sec.
By thk Author op Sister Mart's Stories.*
To Teachers —If you attempt to teach all
the hymns given in the Afternoon Sessions,
you will probably proceed too slowly. At
the end of the year or more requisite for a
course of 52 lessons, the older scholars will
perhaps pass out of your infant-class, many
little ones will have recently entered, and
those of the intermediate ages will remain.
Then the same course can be taught again
with increased advantage; and then the
hymns, &c, before omitted can be used so as
to keep up a degree of novelty. Schools vary,
and no definite quantity or measure will suit
all. Please select as much as proves avail¬
able in your own.
It is not expected that the Morning Sessions
„ will be simply read aloud to the children.
They are designed to be thoroughly consider¬
ed by the teacher before school, and she will
•' then " preach without a written sermon," or
use this arrangement as speakers use their
\   notes.—M. H. G.
SIXTH SUNDAY.
Subject.—Omnipotence. God's power to
kill and to save alive. (See Deut. 32: 39.
2 Kings 5: ?.) Hymn before worship. The
Apostles.
MORNING   SESSION.
Teacher, Say this after me:
Oh we love to come
To our Sabbath home,
"When the six days' work is o'er,
To hear and sing
Of our heavenly King,
And learn to love him more.
[Tbey sing it by liniDg till they know it well enough
to use before worship in future. The school unites in
prayer.]
Teacher. Did you ever hear of the twelve
apostles? [Hands.] These were their names.
Say them after me, counting on your fingers,
* bo. Peter and Andrew his brother, one, two;
—James and John tbe sons of Zebedee, three,
four;—Philp and Bartholomew, five, six;—
Thomas and Matthew, seven, eight;—James
the son of Alpheus and Jude his brother,
nine, ten ;—Simon the Canaanite and Judas
Iscariot, eleven, twelve. [The teacher goes on.]
But Judas Iscariot was wicked and he killed
himself; then the apostles and Christians
chose another in his place, that was Matthias;
and the Lord Jesus came shining out from
heaven and chose another apostle, that was
Paul. The apostles were good, holy men,
whom God sent with a joyful message to all
people.    (See 2 Cor. 5: 20,21.    6.)
Do you  know any histories  about  these
apostles?    Tell me anything you ever heard
I about any of them    [Replies.]    Now I will tell
you something about two of the apostles.    It
is about James and Peter.
| PETER AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD.
(See Acts 12.)
Peter and James were living in Jerusalem.
Herod was king there,    The men of that city
Hated the apostles, and wished they were all
Mead.
I So King Herod sent his soldiers and cut
■James's head off; and the people were glad.
When Herod saw that it pleased them, he sent
for Peter too, and shut him up in prison, and
said that, on a holiday, when the streets were
crowded, he would bring Peter out, and kill
him before them all.
Peter was in the innermost room of the
prison, lying between two soldiers. He was
Chained to their wrists, so that he could not
atir without their knowing it. Outside there
were other soldiers watching. There were
twelve or fourteen of them ; set there to keep
Peter from getting out, and to keep his friends
from coming to take him away. Next day he
was to die, Yet he was sleeping. He was not
afraid. But Peter's friends who loved him
were not sleeping. They were together in
another house, praying the Lord not to let
Herod kill him.
Peter lay sleeping; but, look I the angel of
the Lord came on, and a light shone in the
prison.    The angel struck Peter on the side
and raised him up, saying, " Arise up quick-
ily," and the chains fell from his hands.    The
■angel  said to  him, "Dress yourself and put
ft-on your shoes," and he did so.    And he said,
■"Throw your cloak around you  and follow
line," and Peter went out, following the angel.
Iput he did not know that he was really being
Bled out of prison;   it seemed  to  him  like
dreaming.
They passed the first guard of soldiers.
They passed the second guard. They came
to the great iron gate.    It opened of itself.
**JBntore 1 according to Act of Congress, in the year 1861,
■ By Mary Harvey Gill, in the Clerk's Office of the Dis-
B trict Court of the United States for the District of
W New Jersey.
They went out and passed through one street,
and suddenly the angel wa3 gone.
Peter stood still and considered. He saw
that he was really free I "Now I know sure¬
ly," said he, " that the Lord has sent his angel
and has delivered me out of Herod's hands,
and from all the people who are expecting to
see me killed." He went on and came to the
house where the Christians were together
praying. He knocked at the door. A girl
named Rhoda came and asked, "Who is
there?" When she heard Peter's voice she
opened not the door for gladness, but ran in
and told them that Peter was standing there;
and they said "You are crazy!" But she said,
"He is there 1 It is Peter himself I Indeed it
is! Peter is there, standing before the door!"
Then said they, " It is his angel." But Peter
continued knocking. And when they had
opened the door, and saw him they were
astonished. But he, beckoning to them with
the hand to keep quiet, told them how the
Lord had brought him out of the prison.
How did the Lord bring him out?   [Replies.]
This history is printed here in the 12th
chapter of Acts, in the Biole. [The teacher
always holds up the Bible and points out the place.]
Let us sing " Little gentle breath." [They
sing and speak Hymn VIII.]
Say this after me,
Oh do not be discouraged,
For Jesus is your friend ;
He will give you grace to conquer,
And keep you to the end.
I'm glad I'm in his army,
And I'll battle for the right.
[They sing this by lining; or else sing something more
familiar to them.]
Teacher. Shall I tell you what became of
King Herod?    [Hands.]
HEROD AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD.
(See Josephus.)
In the morning Herod sent for Peter. He
was not in the prison. The soldiers had
missed him as soon as it was day; and they
were in great trouble. Herod could not find
him. He questioned the keepers; and com¬
manded that they should be put to death.
Soon after Herod went to live in another
city, called Ce3area. A company of foreign¬
ers came there to beg a favor from the great
King Herod. Herod told them he would come
out on a certain day aud talk with them in
the presence of all the people.
On the set day Herod came forth, dressed
in a robe all woven of silver threads. He
stood on a lofty platform and looked down on
all the people, and spoke to them grandly and
proudly; and while he was speaking, the sun¬
shine lighted up his silver robe till it shone
like the sun, and dazzled their eyes. Then
they gave a shout and said, " This is not a
man who is speaking! He is a god 1" And
Herod let them call him a god. There is no
god but the ONE, and Herod knew it; but he
did not say so; therefore the angel of the Lord,
unseen, struck down the king. Herod fell on
the platform and groaned and rolled in agony.
A dreadful illness had seized him. They car¬
ried him to his splendid bed. They took off
his silver robe, and oh, what a sight I Great
sores, and crawling worms! The worms were
feeding on himl So Herod was eaten by
worms and died.
Hear what God says of himself here in the
Bible, "See now that I am, and there is no
god with me. I kill and I make alive; I wound
and I heal. Neither is there any that can de¬
liver out of my hand."
We will learn part of that verse. Say after
me. Deut. 32: 39.—I kill and I make alive;—
I wound and I heal;—neither is there any
that can deliver—out of my hand." [Repeat
several times.]
Sing "Little gentle breath."   (Hymn VIII.)
Repeat to me  the  prayer for your body.
(See Third Sunday.)    And now the prayer for
your soul.    (See Second Sunday.)
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Catechism IX.—God kills and saves alive.
Repeat Deut. 32:   29.
Deut. 32: 29. "See now that I am—and
there is no god with me.—I kill—and I make
alive;—I wound and I heal;—and there is
none that can deliver—out of my hand."
Who says this ?
God the Lord.
[Hymn VIII and the prayers for the body and for tho
soul are repeated till perfectly known ]
Hymn XII.—See Rev. 19: 11-14. 2 Cor.
10: 3, 4.    See "The Sunday-School Army."
Oh do not be discouraged,
For Jesus is your friend,
He will give you grace to conquer,
And keep you to the end.
I'm glad I'm in his army,
And I'll battle for the right!
Fight on, ye little soldiers,
The battle you shall win ;
For the Saviour is your captain,
And he has vanquished sin.
I'm glad I'm in his army,
And I'll battle for the right!
And when the conflict's over,
Before him you shall stand,
You shall sing his praise forever
In Canaan's happy land.
I'm glad I'm in his army,
And I'll battle for the right!
Catechism X.—The apostles.
[Count on the fingers by twos in repeating this ; thus,
"Peter and Andrew, &c, one, two;" touching the left
hand thumb; '• James and John, 4c, three, four;"
touching the first finger, and so forth. This is a mnemo¬
nic. Soon the fingers recall the names associated with
them, and reaching the thumb again shows that the list
ii ended.]
When Jesus was here among men he chose
twelve apostles to carry his Joyful message to all
people.    Tell me their names.
Peter and Andrew his brother;
James and John the sons of Zebedee;
Philip and Bartholomew;
Thomas and Matthew;
James the son of Alpheus—and Jade his
brother;
Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot.
(Lists like this, in learning, might be sung
or chanted.)
Two others were chosen afterwards. Tell me
their names.
Matthias aud Paul.
The Lord Jesus came shining out of heaven
to send one of those two.    Which one?
The apostle Paul.
Who sent the apostles ?
God sent them.
What had the apostles to do f
To carry Christ's joyful message to all
people.
Hymn Before Worship, XIII.—Page 53
"Sabbath-School Bell."
Oh we love to come
To our Sabbath home,
When the six day's work is o'er;
And read and sing
Of our heavenly King,
And learn to love him more.
Oh we love to come
To our Sabbath home,
And learn of our teachers dear,
Who point U3 with love
To our home above,
And the crown that awaits us there.
Oh we love to come
To our Sabbath home,
But we would not come alone;
We would each bring in
From tho depths of sin
Some wretched wandering one
Whose feet now stray
In the broad, broad wayj
Who knows not of God or heaven;
And would bid them taste
Of the blessed feast
Which our Father's love hath given.
Then toil we on
Till the race is won
And the pearly gates unfold,
And we find our rest
On the Saviour's breast
At home in the city of gold.
—Miss Sarah Hamilton.
THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL LIBRARY.
AS in the case of all libraries, one for
Sunday-schools, to be good, does not
depend so much upon the number of books
which it contains, as upon their quality.
That such a library ought to be selected with
care, no one will deny. It is evident, how¬
ever, that this is not always done; indeed, so
far as our knowledge goes, it is done in but
few cases. When a certain amount of money
is on hand, it is generally committed to some
one going to the city, who has not the time
to attend to the important matter of selection
deliberately. Even when there is much time
to be devoted to it, the book store is not the
place to settle the matter in hand, unless the
person selecting is wonderfully familiar with
the running publications.
We propose a few rules, which, we think,
ought to be observed in the selection of a
Sunday-school library.
1. Do not select from only one catalogue.
No publishing house publishes all good books ;
but all publish some good books. The old
fashion has been for Sunday-schools in our
church to confine themselves to the catalogue
of the American Sunday-School Union. But
this fashion, we are glad to know, is not now
so strictly followed. Many of our best Sun¬
day-schools have long since broken out of
those traditional traces. That society pub¬
lishes many good books, no doubt; but there
are also many on its catalogue that are not
equal to thousands of volumes published
elsewhere.
2. Let no book be selected, the character
of which is not certainly known by some one
belonging to the school or congregation,
either from thorough personal examination,
or by information received from some reliable
source. Titles of books are very deceptive !
You may have seen, in the shelves of book¬
stores, the "History of Modern Europe," in
two volumes, which, when opened, is nothing
but a checker-board I So sometimes, it is
said, what is marked as a copy of the Bible is
nothing but the case of a whiskey flask! The
difference is just as great between many beau¬
tiful and attractive titles of books, as you see
them in the catalogues, and the real charac¬
ter and contents of the books themselves.
3. The plan pursued in the school, with
which we are connected, is one which we
think good, and we, therefore, recommend it
to others. It is this: A record book is kept
open in the Sunday-school, in which any
teacher may record the title, publisher's name,
and price of any book, which he or she has
personally read or carefully examined, and
knows to be good and suitable. Whenever
new books are to be procured, they are care¬
fully selected from this list. In this way, it
is not possible that a book of indifferent cha¬
racter should get into the library.
4. It also frequently occurs, that a member
of one school may visit friends in another
town, and thus come in contact with other
schools. This furnishes admirable opportu¬
nity of becoming acquainted with well known
and accredited books in such schools. These
should be noted, and the information used in
improving the library at home.
When we consider how large an influence
the library exerts upon the school, and upon
the families whose children attend it, we may
be assured that this subject is worthy of far
more attention than it generally receives. As
a bad, indifferent book may destroy much, so
a good book may do much to build up and
benefit. The books of the school are, in a
great degree, the companions of the children,
and in this sense also do "evil communica¬
tions corrupt good manners." So also is, in
this way, fulfilled the spirit of that word of
Solomon: "He that walketh with wise men
shall be wise."—German Reformed Messenger,
Tor the Sunday-School Timea.
THE ANGEL GUIDE-AN ALLEGORY.
THE blessed angel, Sleep,breathed a sooth¬
ing song into the ear, and it heard the
discordant sounds of earth no more. She
touched the weary eyes, and they no longer
overflowed with tears at the sight of want
and misery. She closed the portalB of the
brain and the soul was at rest.
Bending over the couch of peaceful slum¬
ber, she heard the rush of wings, and lo!
Imagination stood by her side and said, "Thy
work is well done.. Give now this mortal
into my care. I find little place on earth, in
the busy hours of day, when Labor sits upon
the throne, and claims tribute from the wide
world; but thou and I will together rule the
night." Sleep bowed a grave assent and
glided away in the darkness.
Imagination touched not the gently breath¬
ing clay, but whispered to the Soul, " Come
with me!'" The Soul obeyed, was instantly
folded in the arms of the angel, and thus they
winged their swift flight.
Pausing at length in mid-air,—"Look down
now, on Earth, the abode of countless mil¬
lions, the home also of thy birth." And the
Soul saw the Earth's surface covered by in¬
numerable lines, which crossed and recrossed
each other, forming an intermiuable laby¬
rinth, from which it seemed that one could
never escape. The beginning and end of
none of them were visible, being enveloped
in a thick mist. Multitudes of shadowy forms
were moving swiftly to and fro, intent on
carrying out some hidden purpose.
To the astonished inquiries of the Soul,
Imagination replied, "These are the paths
which men tread, in their course from the
cradle to the grave. The source and desti¬
nation of human life are mysteries which thou
mayst not yet penetrate. But see what spirits
of good and evil mingle in the scene, and ex¬
ert a mighty influence over hearts all uncon¬
scious of their power."
"Yonder is Pleasure painting afresh the
bitter apples of vanity, that gay youth may
snatch at them more eagerly. Ease is build¬
ing a luxurious bower, into which she may
entice the unwary, while Indolence and Lust
lie in wait within. See Anger, Revenge, and
Murder hold fiendish consultation, how they
may best work destruction! Envy sets a
^nare for incautious feet, and Jealousy tears
up every tender flower that springs to beau¬
tify the way. Sly Covetousness plants thorns
which shall secretly wound those who are in¬
ordinate lovers of gain. Pride rears marble
ha'I4&, in which the atmosphere grows chill as
ice, and whose doors have secret springs that
convert the palace into a prison. Cowardice
rolls great stones to stay the wayfarer's steps,
and Sin, the master spirit of this evil band,
assists and urges on these terrible deeds."
The Soul shuddered in helpless distress,
and, in pity, its guide showed where Courage
hewed a causeway through uplifted moun¬
tains, and Industry scattered plentiful boun¬
ties. Sympathy offered luscious fruits and
pleasant draughts to the way-worn travtlier.
Religion stationed friendly guides to point
out the right paths. Patience laid her hand
on heavy burdens, and they grew light.
Mercy smoothed the rugged road, and For¬
giveness invoked mild winds to dispel deadly
miasms. Repentance withdrew the clouds
from before the Star of Bethlehem, that the
wanderer might catch the gleam of its light,
and be glad.
"Now wouldst thou trace thine own path¬
way since the day of thy birth ?" Quick as
thought they stood on earth, and the Soul,
looking back, followed its course, surrounded
by throngs of eager spirits, through unseen
dangers, past lures skillfully planned, beset
by manifold temptations. And then its fancy
sped onward to all the waiting Future might
bring, till it turned with agonized imploring
to the companion of its vision. " Oh ! let me
not be left to wander alone ! Give me some
angel-guide that I may be saved from danger
and death !"
To this Imagination replied, "It is mine
only to show thee all these things. I have no
power to save, but lo! where Duty and Love
stand awaiting thy choice. One of them
shall attend thee through life's mazes. Choose
between them."
Silent they stood in the presence of the
awe-stricken Soul. Duty gazed with stern
eyes upon the balance she held in her hand,
and in which every mortal thought, motive,
and action were weighed with exact precision.
Tho tender heart of Love overflowed her
downcast lids, and the pearly drops fell on
a cross of wood, which she clasped to her
bosom.
Perplexed, the Soul turned from one to the
other, then, in a sudden passion of longing,
fell at the feet of Love, crying out, " Oh ! Love,
be thou my deliverer 1 I give myself to thy
guidance!"
Love raised the suppliant, with precious
words of comfort. A strain of sweet music
floated out on the night wind. Imagination
bore the Soul back to its slumbering com¬
panion, the Body, then vanished in the air.
Dawn appeared in the East. Morning touched
the closed eyes with a sunbeam from its gol¬
den quiver, and the charm of Sleep was
broken.
But ever after the Soul felt the magical
influence of its chosen guide. It owned her
power and invoked her aid. It followed the
beckoning of her invisible hand, and wrought
wonders in the name of Love. It seemed to
bear a charmed life. The darts of evil fell
harmless, and Sin slunk scowling away, foiled
in its purpose.
Babes felt their mothers' arms enfolding
them more tenderly, when they had been
looked upon by such sweet eyes, and little
children fell to singing holy hymns of praise
when they had caught the sound of that voice.
The poor thanked God for sending them cha¬
rity by the hand of such a blessed messenger.
The suffering ceased to remember their sor¬
rows in praying heaven to reward this inva¬
luable friend, and even the selfish and un¬
thinking paused to wonder wherein such love¬
liness might consist.
The angel-guide never deserted her charge.
Love bore the Soul through the waters of
death, and they seemed as clear fountains, iu
which it was washed white, that so it might
the more purely put on the robes of immor¬
tality.
When the Soul stood before the great white
throne, and saw all things by the light which
shone from Jesus' face, it discerned Love and
Duty standing hand in hand among the holy
throng of angels, and, solving the mystery,
mused thus: " Duty alone can never gain ad¬
mission for mortals, at the pearly gates of the
New Jerusalem ; but Duty follows, doubting
not, where Love has led the way, and both
together serve as willing ministers of the
most high God." E. J. G.
Collinsville, Ct.
For the Snnday-School Times.
A SCHOLAR GONE TO REST.
AN able writer has well said, " There are
in truth very few particulars in any man's
life worthy of being recorded ; and of those
who really have lived a very short memoir
indeed will serve all the valuable purposes of
history."
The above sentiment, the correctness of
which we will not question, will not deter us
from giving a " very short memoir" of a little
boy of only ten summers, who lived and died
in the city of Schenectady, New York, a true
child of grace.
His name was Charles R. Pemberton.
Blessed with a pious mother, he was early
taught the simple truths of the word of God,
and at the age of five years became a member
of the Sabbath-school of the First Reformed
Dutch church. As a Sabbath-school scholar
he was a pattern for imitation for the whole
school. None had their lessons more per¬
fectly than little Charley. None were in their
places more constantly and punctually than
he. He had committed to memory not only
the Westminster and other smaller catechisms
usually taught in the school, but also a large
portion of the Heidelberg catechism, page
after page of which he has recited to his pas¬
tor before the school. His every-day deport¬
ment was of that kind and lovely character
which won the affections of all who knew
him. No one ever quarrelled with Charley.
No playmate ever heard him use an angry
or profane word. We are not to be under¬
stood as implying that he was a premature
man in boy's clothes, for he was a child in
thought and feeling, as God means children
should be. But it was a bright, sanctified
childhood, which gave evidence that he was
a child of grace.
A few weeks ago he was missed from his
place in the Sabbath-school, and the superin¬
tendent informed the scholars that Charley
was sick. Every little boy and girl felt sad,
for they all loved him as a brother. His pas¬
tor visited him and talked with him about
dying, and about his Saviour. The little boy
bore his severe physical sufferings without a
murmur, and in the quiet intervals from pain
would tell his mother and friends that he
would soon be at rest with his heavenly
Father. O, it was a precious privilege to
stand by that bedside and see how a Chris¬
tian boy could die. His pastor asked him the
first question of the Heidelberg catechism,
"What is thy only comfort in life and death?"
And though he was too weak to be heard
through the room, he looked up calmly and
replied, "That I, with a body and soul, both
in life and death, am not my own, but belong
to my most faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ,"
&c. "Is that so, Charley—do you really be¬
long to your most faithful Saviour ?" "Yes, I
do." " Can you trust him, so that you are not
afraid to die 1" "Yes, lean." The clearness
of his answers, the calmness of his manner,
and the intelligence which beamed in his eye
impressed all who saw him that his was a
real spiritual knowledge of the truth, and that
he fully comprehended the realities of his
condition. Afterward he wished them to
sing some of his Sabbath-school hymns.
When asked, which one ? he said,
" 0, sing to me of heaven,
When I'm about to die,"
and his own feeble voice tried to mingle in
the harmony.
A few days ended his sufferings and he fell
asleep in the bosom of his Saviour.
There was a company of sad, weeping
scholars and teachers in the school the next
Sabbath, for the day before they had laid
Charley away in the damp, dark vault. No
lessons were recited. Earnest prayers were
offered. Teachers talked of the absent lamb
which the good Shepherd had folded, and
sought to point the youth to Christ and to
faith in him. It was a solemn and impressive
scene, and one which, it is hoped, will be
long remembered.
Should this simple story of the dying
Christian child awaken in the hearts of those
who read it an earnest desire to find the Sa¬
viour that he found, or encourage any hum¬
ble teacher to pray and labor more hopefully
in the Sabbath-school, the writer has gained
his object. To have been the instrument of
training such a child for heaven is reward
enough for many years of toil. S.
Schenectady, Jan. 25, 1862.
He who puts aside his religion because he
is going into society, is like one taking off
his shoes because he is about to walk over
thorns.
Toil and trial are grim schoolmasters ; but
a flush of hope can make them beautiful, even
as a sunbeam the rude mountain frost.
It is not the quantity, but the quality of
knowledge which determines the mind's
dignity.
CULTIVATE GOOD MANNERS.
DEEM it not below the dignity of the
occasion, that I urge upon you the duty
of cultivating good manners. Young men
often make a serious mistake on this point.
They think, if they only have the substance,
the form is of little moment. If they acquire
learning and professional skill, that is all
they need. They can work their way through
by main force. It is a mistake. A man may
have such extraordinary force of character
and talents as to compel the path of promo¬
tion to open before him. But promotion so
gained, is gained at entirely too great a
sacrifice. It is gained in spite of a very
heavy drawback. The same amount of intel¬
lectual force, combined with suitable manners
and address, would have accomplished three
times the result. A surgeon may remove a
limb with the dull heavy cleaver of the
butcher. But he would hardly be thought to
be wise in preferring such an instrument to
the keen, well-tempered blade suited to hig
profession. By the use of a sort of brute
force, you may undoubtedly make a certain
amount of impression. But if you would cut
deeply, or use your force wisely, look well to
your manner. Its power in human affairs is
almost unbounded. Who that has ever been
brought into contact with a highly edu¬
cated Quaker, such for instance as the late
Joseph John Gurney, but has felt the con¬
trolling sway of beautiful manners ? It was
difficult in the presence of that man to say
what it was that affected you so powerfully.
Other men have had a smile equally be¬
nignant, a voice equally melodious, a gait and
motion equally graceful, a goodness of heart,
a sweetness of disposition, a gentleness and
openness of speech equally inspiring con¬
fidence. It was somehow the infinite delicacy
with which, whatever there is to charm in
voice or word or look or gesture, was in him
so finely tempered together that you felt as if
mingling with a being of a superior nature,
and yet felt quite as much at your ease as if
talking with those of common clay. It was
real Christian goodness of heart speaking
out through the whole man. The very hem
of his garment seemed to speak. To analyze
the manner of such a man and detect its
hidden mystery, is like attempting to analyze
a delicate perfume. The most etherial of its
occult essences are sure to escape you. You
only know in such a case that there is true
Christian charity at the bottom, that there is
varied knowledge and intellectual power, and
that every adventitious advantage of person
and dress is U3ed to give whatever is said or
done its very highest and happiest effect.
Such a manner is the fruit of long-continued
and most assiduous cultivation. It is indeed
to some extent a gift of nature. But it de¬
pends still more upon culture and art. It
does not lose its power with the loss of youth;
on the contrary, it often increases with years.
Men and women in extreme old age have
been known to possess a sweet attractive
grace, an actual power of fascination, which
the young could by no means equal.
That which I recommend to you, is not to
be won from the dancing master or the tailor.
No one can be insensible to the claims of
graceful posture, movement, and costume.
But the charm of manner of which I have
been speaking, lies deeper than these. It is
no outside varnish. It springs from real
goodness of heart, from a life hid with Christ
in God. It is Christian charity clothing itself
spontaneously in fitting external expression.
It gives beauty to the plainest face, it teaches
winning words and ways to the most ignorant.
There lives at thig moment, in the town of New
Hartford, Connecticut, in a small unpainted
house by the roadside, some two miles from
the village, a poor woman by the name of
Chloe Lankton, bedridden with an incurable
disease. For twenty-seven years she has lain
in that humble apartment, unable to rise, or
to be removed, the subject of continual bodily
pain, and at times of such excruciating pain
as to make her continued life almost a con¬
tinued miracle. Her father, her mother, her
four sisters have successively died before her
eyes and been carried out to their long home.
She has been for many years left alone in the
world, with no means of support but that
which occasional and unsolicited charity has
sent her, and with no stated companionship
but that of a common hired domestic. Yet
the grace of God has so wrought in the heart
of that lone woman, that her very face is
said to beam with angelic sweetness, and all
who go to see her come away charmed, as if
they had been to visit the abode of a princess.
Young people for miles around visit her, not
in the spirit of compassion, but for the
pleasure they find in her companionship. The
very children troop to her abode to show her
all their latest treasures, and no new dress, or
doll, or knife, or kite is thought quite com¬
plete, till it has had the approval of their
dearest confidant and friend. What has given
this lone invalid such power to captivate and
charm both old and young? Nothing but the
Spirit of the living God, working in her a
heavenly sweetness of character, that finds a
natural expression in all lovely and beautiful
ways.
If then you would have truly good manners,
in their very highest type, seek first of all
goodness and purity of heart. Be filled with
a kind and loving spirit. Drink largely of
that charity which doth not behave itself un¬
seemly, and which seeketh not her own,
which suffereth long and is kind. Good
manners are only the natural expression of
unselfish benevolence. If this be wanting,
they are a cheat and a sham. But having
this, you will not count the slightest article
of dress, the most inconsiderable movement
of the limbs or the person, the most trifling
word on the most ordinary occasion, as be¬
neath your care and study, if thereby you
can add in any degree to the happiness of any
human being.-Jfr. Hart's Gettysburg Address,
"Mistakes of Educated Men."