davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25
The Health of the Countenance.
BY REV. ANsoN G. CHESTER.

David makes use of this unique expression
in the Forty-second Psalm. But when we
discover its meaning, we find that even David
himself never said more beautiful thing.
There is moral as well as physical pa
thology. Brooding over grief is disease
whose diagnosis is to be made up from the
face. When we are profoundly detected we
look sick. And little wonder We ought to
look sick when We let 60 of God. Losing
him, we have nothing left. Faith is tonic
that we are to keep taking all the time, and
if we leave off taking it, even for little sea-
son, it is a natural consequence that we
should appear morbid and miserable. The
soul becomes frightened whenever God is abb
sent from it, for God is its only dependence.
And the countenance, in its sympathy with
the soul in the midst of its tribulation, puts
on an unnatural expression, equivalent to
that produced by disease.
But by and by the cloud that has settled
down upon the disheartened believer turns
itself inside out, and reveals it's lining of sil-
yer. God comes back to him, and he reach
es out for the strong arm precisely as Peter
did as soon as he found that he was really
going down. And the moment the doubling
disciple has God again, that moment he gets
well of his sorrow. The soul takes healing
from the Divine Presence-revives and re.
covers through the reposSession of that upon
which it depends for its vitality and strength
and courage. And because the soul is we'll,
the face loses its sad and sick expression
clears and brightens and looks cheerful and
brave again. 1t gets well, too. And this is
what David means by "the health of the
countenance."
We need never be afflicted, unless we will,
with this miserable sickness of detection. We
can preserve healthy countenance if we care
to preserve it. The face of Jesus always
shines, and if we stay close to him our faces
will be sure to catch something of his radi
ance. And then their "health" will be con.
summate.
The moment that we get anything of Je
sus into our countenances, God himself be-
gins to think them beautiful.-New YOrA
Evangelist.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25
The Sleeping Church.

Mr.. Moody relates the following: "There
was little story going the round of the
American press that made great impress
sion upon me as father. A father took
his little child out into the field one Sabbath,
and he lay down under beautiful shady
tree, it being hot day. The little child
ran about gathering wild flowers and little
blades of grass, and, coming to its father, it
said: Pretty pretty At last the father
fell asleep, and while he was sleeping the
little child wandered away. When he awoke
his first thought was: Where is my child
He looked all around, but he could not see
him. He shouted at the top of his voice,
and all he heard was the echo of his own
voice. Running to little hill, he looked
around and shouted again, but all he heard
was the echo of his own voice. No response
Then, going to precipice at some distance,
he looked down, and there upon the rocks
ana 6rlers he Saw the mangled form of his
loved child. He rushed to the spot, took
up the lifeless corpse and hugged it to his
bosom, and accused himself of being the
murderer of his own child. While he was
sleeping his child had wandered over the
precipice. 1 thought, as heard that: What
picture of the church of God How many
fathers and mothers, how many Christian
men are sleeping now, while their children
wander over the terrible precipice a thou
sand times worse than that precipice, right
into the bottomless pit of hell. Father,
where is your boy tonight? 1t may be,
just out here in some public house; it may
be, reeling through the streets of London,
drunk; it may be, pressing on down to
drunkard's grave. How many fathers and
mothers are there in London-yes, praying
Christians too-whose children are wander
ing away while they are slumbering and
sleeping? Is it not time that the Church of
God should wake up and come to the help
of the Lord as one man, and strive to beat
back those dark waves of death that roll
through our streets, bearing upon their bosom
the noblest young men we have? 0, my
God, wake up the church. And let US trim
our lights and go forth and work for the
kingdom of Cod
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25

efficiency, no activity, scarcely any symptoms
of life; prayers, if there are any prayers a
all, are so dull and heavy that they never
rise to heaven; sermons are unheeded and
unappreciated, and fall as water spilled upon
the ground, no impression made upon the
world, no conversions, no growth in Chris
tian life, no enjoyment of religion, no COM
fort, no assurance, nothing to distinguish pro-
fessors from the world, except that their
names are on the Sesson-book, and they are
sometimes seen at the communion table. y
But why such scenes, why this dearth and
famine, and mildew and death, where all
ought to be vigor and joyous life Would
you like to have the answer-would it inter-
est you to have the matter explained p
Here is the explanation, whether you want
to hear it or not. There is no meat in Gods
house. = Gsd will not, God can
not bless church with an empty storehouse; (;
the heavens are brass; no prayer goes up,
and no spirit comes down, while thatargly
record stands on the register above.
People tell us they cannot afford to give.
Can they afford to do without giving? Can
they bear the consequences of attempting to
rob God? No church under the heavens
can have its welfare and efficiency advanced
no church can have the elements of real
prosperity that does not honestly and fully
meet its pecuniary obligations. "NO meat,
no 61essing."
The Assembly rightly observes g that to
the ministry of the word, above all other
agencies, the Lord Jesus looks for the en-
lightment of His Church and her growth in
this as in other graces. And I" if the trum-
pet gives an uncertain sound, who is pre-
pared for the battle ?" When the believers
mind and conscience are tenderly but fully
enlightened, he will respond to the Masters
voice. '.Giving to Christ thank offering
will become part of his worship, as spon-
taneous and delightful as prayer or praise.
The people need faithful, patient, tender in-
struction on this subject. But few of them
have any intelligent idea that giving to
Christ is an essential act of Christian wor-
ship and service, suited to promote their
spiritual growth and comfort, and indispen-
sible to subduing the selishness of the heart
and resisting the encroachment of the world.
This view Of the question is seldom more
than casually alluded to in inStructing the
people in the duty of giving, whereas it is the
chief point upon which they need instruction.
If these wise counsels of the Assembly
shall be heartily accepted and faithfully put
in practice by the ministry--the doctrine
preached and the machinery worked-an i'm
portant reform will have commenced and val
liable and increasing fruits may be looked
for. But the machinery without the doc
trfne will be IS powerless as the engine
without the steam. Let it never be lost
sight of, that God has ordained the proceeds
of HIS wOrship to be the revenue of HIS
Church. ZACCHEUs.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25

peace-makers; aud yet after this declaration
he announces revival of religion in his
highly favored Church.
DR.. Tying, of New York, deserves pass
ing notice. He was born in Newburyport,
Massachusetts; when, we don't know
Went to Harvard, but clung fast as Athan-
asius to his Trinitarian views. Studied with
Griswold, Apostle of Rhode Island, whose
daughter he married. Settled in George
town on Potomac, where from the smallness
of his salary he was obliged to take up the
birch. Removed to Prince George, Mary
land, where he fatty contradicted the Patron
Of his church, who conceited that he had seen
a spirit; for about spirits the doctor is
Sadducee. Thence to the Quaker city, and
thence to the Knickerbocker, where he still
holds his popularity. His temperament is
very impulsive, but his impulses are gener-
GUS, though mixed with occasional indiscre
ton. His talents are fine, though restricted
to his profession. Invention is not one of
his mental distinctions, and yet the Doctor
did find out strange expression during the
war which the Spy must regret. Ats meet
ing of the American Bible Society, the Doc
tor did say that he would shoot down
rebel like dog" From his idiosyncrasy
he no doubt forgot it in sixty minutes, but
this deed would have been rather worse than
Peters depriving Malchus of his ear. Hope
that the doctor does not shoot down the Ca
nine species in New York, and that like
Cowper he is more of Christian than to
tread on worms, for they, poor things, can
feel as well as they who are lionized. In
my next, Culross must wind up these playful
letters, and my dear S. for the present, vale
vale.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25

were taught by Paul. as the Bible now teach
es them wherever tits read, that "The pro
mise that he should Ae heir of the world, was
not to Abraham, or 10 his seed, through the
law, but through the Righteousness of faith.
Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by
grace; to the end the promise might be sure
to all the Seed; not to that only which is Of
the law, bat to that also which is of the faith
of Abraham; who ia the father of US all;
as it is written, | have made thee a father
of many nations. '') And this as the promise
to which circumcision Was attached. Paul
here quotes Gods own words when entering
into the covenant Of circumcision. Gen.
xvii: s. Proof again that this covenant
was made for spiritual, not for national
seed. And the Apostle also Rom. iv: 12)
recognizes and prochims the truth which
we hold, that hisspiSitual fatherhood exists
even where there issns circumcision. When
we walk in the steRl Of Abraham's faith,
then are we his sect shd are embraced in
the promise. SeaGll. III: 80 also. There
fore though the covelant token be changed,
SO that we baptize instead of circumcise, the
covenant is not changed and its promise re-
mains for US also. So Paul teaches again
and again. Did he know or not? Abra-
ham received the sign of circumcision,
seal of the righteousness of the faith which
he had, yet being uncircumcised; that he
might be the father Of all them that believe,
though they be not Crcumcised." Look at
it as we will, the teachings of inspiration do
not give this token as the mark of national
ity, nor as a seal to the Canaan promise, but
as mark upon Gods separated people,
Abraham is father to them all, father to all
who believe, even though they be not cir
cumcsed. When Paul taught thus, the COW
enant token had been changed to baptism by
Jesus Christ. But this, he shows, did not
change the relations in which believers stand
to Abraham. In the covenant which gaze
him circumcision, these relations were estab
Hshed Therefore thet covenant was spirit
ual and for all nations, not carnat and for
the Jewish nation alone.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25
ART THOU WEARY?
Art thou weary? art thou languid?

Art thou weary art thou lsnguid?
Art thou sore distrest?
"COme to me, saith one, "and coming,
Be at rest -
Hath he marks to led me to him,
If he be my guide?
"In his feet and hands are wOund-prints,
And his side"
Is there diadem. as monarch,
That his brow adorns?
"Yes, crown in very surety,
But of thorns?"
If find him, if follow,
What his guerdon here?
Many a sorrow, many labor,
Many tearl'
i'll still hold closely to him,
What hath he at last
"Sorrow vanquished, labor ended,
Jordan passed."
If / ask him to receive me,
VIII be say me Nay?
" Not till earth, and not till heaven
Pass away ~
Finding, following, keeping, struggling,
Is he sure to bless?
Saints, Apostles, prophets, martyrs
Answer, Yesp'
Baptist Union.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25

The MOST agreeable of all companions is
simple, frank man, without any high pre-
tentions to an oppressive greatness; one who
loves life and understands the use of it;
obliging alike at all hours; above all, Of a
golden temper, and steadfast as an anchor.
For such one we gladly exchange the great.
est genius, the most brilliant wit, the pro-
foundest thinker.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25
Prayer Meeting Hints.

Sit near the front.
Hold sacred the evenings of your prayer
meetings
"Boil it down." A great deal can be said
in three minutes.
Welcome strangers who drop into the meet
ing. A kind word to such has often done
great good.-SOwing and Reapang.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25

ANTICIPATED sorrows are harder to bear
than real ones, because Christ does not sup
port US under them. In every slough we
may see the footsteps of Christ's flock who
have gone before us.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25

FAITH addresses itself to mans whole be-
ing; it sounds every depth it touches every
spring; it calls back the soul from its weary
search within itself, full of doubt and con.
tradiction; it presents it with an object, i'm
plicit, absolute, greater than itself-"One
that knoweth all things" 1t provides for
every afliction, every want and aspiration.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25

Do LITTLE HELPFUL THINGS, and speak
helpful words whenever you can. They will
weld far more valuable harvest than you
expect, and you will find it after many days.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25

KIND words are among the brightest flow.
ers of earth they convert the humblest
home into paradise. Use them unsparing-
ly, especially around the fire side circle.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25

We scatter seeds with careless hand,
And dream we ne'er shall see them more;
But for a thousand years
Their fruit appears,
In weeds that mar the land
Or healthful store.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25

ONE OR THE OTHER.-Either exercise
your graces, or Satan will exercise your cor
ruptions; as one bucket descends, another
rises.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25
We must not hope to be mowers,

We must not hope to be mowers,
And to gather the ripe, golden ears,
Unless we have first been sewers,
And watered the furrows with tears,
1t is not just as we take it,
This mystical world Of ours;
Life's field will yield, as we make it,
A harvest of thorns or flowers.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25

WELL SAID.-An exchange paper tells
those who complain that they do not meet
warm welcome when they move into new
church, that "any Christian man who goes
with the right spirit into any Christian con-
gregation will speedily find warm place
there, because he will make his own place
warm"
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25

IT IS very easy to take things as they
come; but suppose they don't come.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25

To ENDEAvoR to work upon the vulgar with
fine sense is like attempting to hew blocks
with razor.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-02-18
MOnOnania,

Edward Patterson read paper before
the Medical Society of New York on
"Monomania as Affecting Testamentary
Capacity" He said that the courts were
daily committing errors in questions of
insanity by clinging to the theories
which the medical profession has long
since exploded. 1t is important to know
how justice can be best administered in
the cases of criminals whose mental fac
ulties are seriously impaired, and the
law has been manifestly unjust IN many
instances. There is also serious evil in
the current decisions of the courts on
the testamentary capacity of certain per
sons. In former times it was held that
only total insanity could break will. In
1925 it was decided that only total de-
pravity or complete insanity was a de-
Tense to an indictment. In 1856 the
question of unsound mind simply was
first raised to invalidate will. Until
then the distinction between total and
partial insanity was not recognized. The
speaker said that melancholia and mono
mania belong to partial insanity, which
was that condition of the mind in which
the patient is intelligent and rational as
to most subjects, but is the victim of a
delusion or illusion on one or more sub
jects. He said that general insanity was
that alteration of the mind which pre-
vents the subject from exercising his
reason. He cited cases to show that par
tial insanity had been declared to invali-
date a will. In American cases it seems
to be the rule that where monomania
exists in the shape of delusion, which
has no real existence, against person
who should receive bounty at the hands
of testator, and if the will be the pro-
duct of such delusion, it is invalid. The
mere holding Of erratic or strange be-
hefs is not evidence of partial insanity,
and no matter with what tenacity they
are held it does not disprove testament
tary capacity.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-02-18
Hunting for Diamonds.

A letter from the South African dia-
are found, as follows: The diamond
earth, transported by the carts to the
place where it is to be picked over, is at
first roughly crushed by men seated in a
circle around it, armed with sticks, who
beat it as it is thrown by shovelfuls in
the midst of them; this first operation is
for the purpose of separating it from the
stones. 1t is then passed through a
coarse sieve, that retains the worthless
portions, and afterward through finer
sieve, to free it from dust, and to put it
in condition to be picked over. 1t is
then poured upon tables, around which
men are arranged with scrapers made of
tin, or the remains of old buckets; each
one plunges his scraper into the mass,
and draws out a large handful, which,
with the same movement, he spreads in
such way as to see with glance if
there are any diamonds. The skill ac-
quired by the eye from constant practice
renders the work less minute than it ap-
pears at first, so that the newcomers,
seeing the continual movement of the
arm back and forth, cannot believe in the
possibility of asserting so quickly made.
1t is difficult for diamond to escape at
tention unless it is very small, for this
crystal, though giving out no radiance
i'll its rough state, and having no color,
leaps to the eyes in an astonishing man
ner in the midst of the earth and gravel.
1t is always pure, even in the dust,
which never touches, and seems to re-
spect it.
In spite of the favorable conditions,
the rejected earth still contains many
diamonds, for the Katfres employed in
this work are often more occupied in
chattering than in looking at the table
and, from idleness or native depravity,
sort in beds so thick that the diamonds
are buried in the other materials, and es-
cape the eye. As an illustration of the
negligence with which these men per-
form their task, one of my associates,
astonished to see that our three united
claims, worked together by all our Kaf-
fres, gave us hardly eight or ten dia-
monds a day, when we had a right to ex-
pect twenty-five or thirty, concealed in
the earth on the table diamond of thir-
ty-six carats-larger than hazel-nut.
He did this to test the fidelity of the
workmen and, although he watched
them attentively, all the earth was sorted
before him without the diamond being
perceived. 1t had been thrown under
the table, where it was afterward found.
This negligence was confirmed by an
other circumstance in displacing the
table to transport it to less encumbered
place, we found, among the sand that
had been sorted, a diamond of thirteen
and one-half carats, which would have
been lost for us like the others.
1t has become new industry at the
mines, for those who cannot purchase @
claim, to re-examine the abandoned earth,
which is sometimes very productive
One of my friends made in this manner
without risking any capital, fifty dollars
a week. Many children, and young
Dutch girls, pass whole days digging al
hazard i'll the sand, and are sometimes
largely recompensed. In the street
where 1 worked child found, in eartl
already sorted, diamond of seventy
three carats.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-02-18
A Sea Story.

The crew of an English man-of-war
was down with scurvy, and, there being
none of the usual remedies at hand, an
old sailor suggested the trying of one
which had saved ships crew in some
land of the tropics. This was simply to
bury the men upright as far as their
chins, until the earth drew the poison
out of their bodies.
Six pits were quickly dug in the warm
alluvial soil, and when the sun went
down, the men were placed in them, and
the earth shoveled in around them. 1t
was beautiful moonlight night; and the
operation completed, the invalids chatted
gayly together; their shaggy heads just
bursting through the earth, in the fitful
moonlight, made them look like men
coming up to judgment; their voices
sounding weird and ghostly, as of an
other world. After awhile, one by one
they fell asleep, and all was still. Their
comrades then stole away and sought
their cabins. When they rose in the
morning, and went to see how the
buried men Jared, they found that the
wolves had come down in the night, and
eaten off every head level with the
ground
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-02-18

My lord rides through his palace gate,
My lady sweeps along in state;
The sage thinks long on many thing,
And the maiden muses. on marrying;
The minstrel harpeth merrily
The sailor plows the foaming sea,
The huntsman kills the good red deer,
And the soldier wars without cen fear;
But fall to each, whate'er befal,
The farmer he must feed them all.
Smith hammereth cherry red the sword,
Priest preacheth pure the Holy Word
Dame Alice worketh 'broidery well,
Clerk Richard tales of love can tell
The tap wife sells her foaming beer,
Dan Fisher fisheth in the mere
And courtiers ruffle, strut, and shine,
While pages bring the gascon wine.
But fall to each, whate'er befall
The farmer he must feed them all.
Man builds his castles fair and high,
Wherever river rrlnneth by;
Great cities rise in every land,
Great churches show the builders hand !;
Great arches, monuments, and towers;
Fair palaces and pleasing bowers,
Great work is done, be it here or there,
And well man worketh everywhere
but work or rest, whate'er befall.
The farmer he must feed them all.