The Portland daily press., 1871-12-22
Religions Advertising.


Concerning this very matter of advertising
there is something more to be said. Among
the doctors of medicine it is one sure and in
fallible sign of quack that he indulged in
the practice of sensational advertising 1t
may not be wise to insist too rigidly upon the
same test for the detection of the religious
quack. But if one reads the column of 'Re-
ligious Notices. in almost any Saturday
morning newspaper, he will find some an
nouncements which, to say the least, have a
most unpleasant sound. Not to mention the
persistent, and probably sincere, earnestness
with which the Prophet Ice warns of the
wrath to come, and finds in each weeks
news welcome opportunity to add a screed
of doctrine to the burden of his grevious testi-
mOny; and not to mention notices of social
ed spiritual ''circes," ''seances,'' Harmonic
or progressive bands," or whatever they may
call themselves, it is easy to find among the
regular and even orthodox ''intimations''
much that suggests the quackish note Of the
Blank, ''the successful leader of children's
services, will address the children and friends
and there will be excellent music and singing
by the children; )" Miss Dash, pianist. Sub
sequently 'grand reunion and tea social"
Or, again, the Honorable Mr.. Whey, a can
didate for Office in the impending election,
and ingenuously advertised as such, will give
his views on certain points of a politico-relig-
ious sort. Or yet again, Reverend Brother
will discourse at I P. NJ on that fruitful, soul
stirring, and most evangelical theme, "Jehoia-
kim's Penknife-Seats Free" as, indeed, they
ought to be, that none may have excuse for
failure to receive the solemn message. The
seats are also free on that other occasion
when ''The Elements that Constitute a Su-
perior Young Lady will be the topic of dis
course" and one conjectures, with unsatis-
fed wonder, whether the sermon on "Per-
sonal Examination which was announced
for the second service of the same day had
any logical connection with the first discourse.
Am 1 superior young lady is surely prac-
tical question; and. in that case, what ele-
ments constitute me ? ought to be matter of
public interest and importance.-Reu. Geo.
B. Bacon, ON "SOme Kinds of Spiritual
Quackery;' Scribner's for january.
The Height Of Ell Captain.
The great weather-stained SCARED face of
Ell Captain wa on our left, and though its
base was almost i,,lfa mile away, it lowered
so high above and scemed so to hang over us,
that we should almost have said we could
throw stone against it from the path. No
picture by pen or brush can ever convey an
idea of the vastness of this view; its magni-
tude battles description; nor can the specta-
tor begin to realize it except after seeing it
from all points, and studying for days at
time its colossal features in detail. 1 know of
no better way to convey even an inadequate
idea Of it than by taking some familiar OBJ
iect, as church spire for instance, for COM
parison. Let the reader then take as the
unit of measurement church spire, say 200
feet in height Put yourself upon the curb
stone opposite and run your eye along ID to
the top.
Fix that measure in your mind. Now go
hack a little way and double church and spire
fancy yourself looking upward to the top Of
two such spires, 400 feet. Have you fixed
YOUR distance? Then go back still farther
and double the height Of your two spires
imagine yourself looking up to the top OF the
fourth spire piled one above another: Ihere's
a distance Of 800 feet straight up. Take lit
tie time to think it ovef. Then back still far
ther, to save something of the effect, and
double up again-count them up from the
bottom-eight spires high, 900 feet. Rest a
little and, if you can, famiiarize yourself with
the thought and with the distance, for have
not yet done with the eye of your fancy. Now
for the last leap in this perpendicular geomet-
rical progression-double the whole eight
and at the top of your sixteenth spire-f
haven't lost you on the way in some Of these
tremendous upward leaps-reach just hun
dred feet beyond-the height of half spire-
then draw a long breath-put your knife into
| cloud-you are at the top of Ell Captain, 81
! 800 feet in air.
Keeping that point in mind, drop down
from it and spread out under it, for half Q
mile, granite curtain, scanned, and scared
and discolored by the storms and tempests o
uncounted ages-at its base pile up scraggy
| slope of rocks and mountain debris-plan
| along the dizzy far-off edge row OF gian
pines, that from its foot shall look like bushes
turn river along its front, and set grove
beside it, and over 1t all throw the halo and
witchery of golden sunset deepening all it,
shadows, bringing into relief its outlines, ant
bathing in tender light its hoary summit
/, and you have Ell Captain as saw it on tha
August afternoon, and seeing it wondered
and worshiped.-Isaac II. Bromley, on "Th
Biq Trees and the Yosemite" Scribner's Jo
Ja,,utry.