davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22
" Somebody Must be In"

Here is little story which tells better
than dictionary can the meaning of the
word disinterestedness."
The late Archdeacon Hare was once, when
tutor of Trinity College, Cambridge, giving
a lecture, when cry Of fire" was raised.
Away rushed his pupils, and forming them
selves into line between the building, which
was close at hand, and the river, passed buck
cts from one to another. The tutor quickly
following, found them thus engaged. At
the end of the line, one youth was standing
up to his waist in the river: he was delicate
and looked consumptive.
"What !" cried Mr.. Hare, "you in the
water, Sterling, you, SO liable to take cold p
Somebody must be in it, the youth an
swered "why not l, as we'll as another?'
The spirit of this answer is that of all
great and generous doing. Cowardice and
coldness, too, say, "Oh, somebody will do it"
and the speaker sits still; he is not the one
to do what needs doing. But nobility of
character, looking at necessary things, says,
Somebody must do it; why not l p And
the deed is DONE Uatterbor.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22

The Greek soldiers, when they marched
against the Persians, traversed many weary
league, but that which comforted them, and
made every man hero, was that Alexander
marched when they marched. If he had
been carried luxuriously, like the Persian
monarch, while they were toiling over the
hills and dales, they might have murmured;
if he had been seen to drink of costly wines
while they were parched with thirst, they
might have complained. But Alexander,
like great commander as he was, marched
in the ranks with his soldiers, 80 that they
saw him faint and weary as they were, and
wiping the sweat from his brow when they
did the same; and when, as was his due,
they brought him the first crystal draught
they could obtain, he put it one side and
said, "Give it to the sick soldiers, l will not
drink till every man can take draught." p
o. glorious Jesus; surely Thou hast done
the same and more. Resistance thou hast
borne even unto blood, thou hast known toll
and agony, even to the sweat of gore, and
suffering, and weakness, and self-denial thou
too hast drunk of, for thou savest others, thy.
self thou could not save. Courage, brother,
then. Our warfare is of the Lord. Let US
go forth to it conquering and to conquer
Spurge0n.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22
The Whole Bible in the Book of job

A man once asked me if ever studied
Job. Aud he said there was something re-
markable about Job. If you got the key to
Job you got the key to the whole Bible
=" How do you make that out ?" | asked
" WE'LL" he said, 81 divide Job into seven
heads. 1 job untried. God pronounced
him perfect man. He is Adam in Eden
perfect before his trial. 2. Then trial
came-and adversity came to job; that is
the second head. Trial came just as it came
to Adam, and like Adam he fell. 3. Then
the third head-the wisdom of the world
The wisdom of the world came to try and
soothe Job. You never heard such wisdom !;
but they made poor work of it. Job could
stand his scolding wife and his complaining
children, but he couldn't stand the wisdom
of the world. 4. They couldn't state any
thing about forgiveness, and that is what
Job wanted. 5. Then Job cries out, Oh,
that had daysman betwixt me and God !"
That is Christ 6. Then God speaks and
Job learns his lesson; and fat he comes
down upon the dunghill. Behold AIN vile :
what shall l answer Thee? will lay my
hand upon my mouth etc. There is u man
coming to see his lost and ruined condition
by the fall. 7. Job learns his lesson and
God now lifts him up, and that is the last.
And Jobs last estate was better than his
first" Why, man after he is restored is
better off than Adam was in Eden? Adam
might have been in Eden ten thousand years
and then the devil might have come and
taken everything that Adam had but now
sour life is hid with Christ in God" and
Satan can't get at it
A man once said to me, "Did you ever
notice that God promised to give Job double
of everything he had possessed? And did
you notice that he didn't give him double
children? g? He had ten, and God didn't give
him twenty; he gave him ten. God wouldn't
admit that Job had lost his children, so he
had ten on earth and ten in heaven"
You that have departed children and
friends don't say that you have lost them;
they have only gone on before you, and by.
and-by you shall meet them.-MO0dy.
=.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22
Why a Child Loves Sugar.

The craving of children for sweets is we'll
known to be one of the most imperious of
their appettes. 1t has reference probably
to that ceaseless activity which especially
characterizes the age of childhood. 1t may
be that sugar performs in their systems the
part enacted by fatty substances in the bodies
of adults. AS it undergoes oxidation--is
burnt up, circulating with the blood-it may
be the source of the power which enables
them to keep in motion from morning to
night. Besides this, it is known that it rem
ders easier and more perfect the digestion of
the albuminous food upon which their growth
depends In respect to these Offices it is
therefore nearly essential to their well being.
And yet how strong, for generations, has
been the prejudice against sugar Under
what difficulties, and ia the face of what dis
couragements and protests have our children
obtained the luxury Home and School.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22
Interesting Dialogue.

A religious exchange gives the following
dialogue on the subject of giving to Foreign
Missions:
81 don't believe in foreign missions and |
won't give anything except to home mis-.
sions; l want what I give to benefit my
neighbors."
"Well," replied DR.. Skinner, I" whom do
you regard as your neighbors
"Why, those around me" replied the
brother,
"Do you mean those whose land joins
yours ?" inquired DR.. Skinner.
eyes"
"Well," said DR.. Skinner, How much
land do you own?'
"About five hundred acres"
"How far down do you ownH" inquired
DR.. Skinner.
"Why, never thought of it before, but l
suppose l own halfway through"
EXACTLY" said DR.. Skinner. 81 sup
pose you do, and I want this money for the
Chinese-the men whose land joins yours on
the bottom
The hardened brother had never thought
of that, and gave good sum for the cause Of
foreign missions.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22
The Power of the Bible.

An African preacher illustrates the power
of Gods Word thus: "We know that rocks
are very hard. Our cutlasses and hoes can
do nothing against them, so we leave them
alone. But white people have something
that can break up and scatter any rock in
Uwet or Umon. You will admit that that
something must be more powerful than rocks.
So we all know what country laws and Gus
toms are; we cannot change them, SO we
leave them alone. But thing has come to
Calabar, even Gods word, and it has broken
up and scattered customs that our fathers
thought would remain forever What must
you say concerning that word but that it is
more powerful than the customs of our coun-
try? You know how strong your hearts are :
hearts as strong as yours, have been changed
in our town, have been changed by this word /;
and what must you, therefore, say but that
this word is more powerful than Calabar
hearth Bend your heads, then, before this
word"
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22
sELF-DIsCIPLINE.

In recent address to young men, ex-
Governor Seymour of New York said:
"Some time since in reviewing my life, l
asked myself, { If l were to wipe out twenty
acts, what should they be 2" Should it be
my business mstakes-my foolish acts (for
l suppose we all do foolish things occasion.
ally(-my grievances-why no, for after all
these are the very things by which have
profted-they are the price of wisdom. So
1 finally concluded it would be better to ex-
punge, instead of my mistakes, my triumphs.
| could not afford to miss the tonic of NOR
tifcation, the refinement of sorrow-I need
ed them every one. The great pivotal diff
ference by which we rise or fall turns upon
the way in which we grapple with our faults
If successful the curse becomes blessing.
Every man is free agent, and he is respon-
sible to himself for this liberty. He is him.
self the greatest of all earthly tribunals
All my acquaintance with the eminent men
of our country has taught me that the key
to greatness is found in fearless self-exam-
ination."
Good advice to thoughtless generation,
which is becoming more thoughtful by the
stress of its own prodigious wrongs and self
inflicted penalties. We are slowly unlearn-
ing much that we never should have known,
and are growing wiser by the virtue of the
"rods and scorpions" with which we are be-
ing chastised. There is providential pro-
cess of success by failure, just as there is a
spiritual experience of those being exalted
in due time who humble themselves under
the mighty hand of God. There are always
hidden tendencies to pride and self deluson
which demand watching. Intellect and
learning are naturally idolatrous, and there
are few of the many self-trained who are not
open to the biting satire of worldly wit,
who said of one of them: ''He is a self
made man and he worships his maker p
But it is this idolatry of self which generally
prevents self-discipline until it is too late.-
To blunder through life, to pile error upon
weakness, anu SORROW upon each new expert
ment is to make ruin sure. Fearless self
examination" and honest repentance come
only of "the wisdom that is from above. y
One who is not brave enoug gh to face him.
self, can never rise above his sins and in
frmities. Moral character must serve its
time amid difficulties. Religious character
gets its tone and shape largely under trials
They are the tests of principle, and the in
struments of its refinement. We could not
afford to be without them. What would the
Psalms of David lose, if their notes of sorrow
and their strains of triumph over it could bt
left out? What could be substituted for tn,
self discipline, the troubles, the martyrdoms
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22
INGRATITUDE.

During voyage, few years since, was
converting with the mate of the vessel on this
topic, when he concurred in the view pre-,
sented, and observed that it called to mind
one of the most thrilling scenes ever beheld.
With this he related the following story:
was at sea on the broad Atlantic, as We
now are. 1t was just such bright moon,
light night as this, and the sea was quite as
rough. The captain retired, and l was upon
watch, when suddenly there was a cry of GA
man overheard" To get out boat was
exceedingly dangerous. I could hardly
make up my mind to command the hands to
expose themselves. volunteered to 60 my
self, if two more would accompany me. Two
generous fellows came forward, and in mo-
ment the boat was lowered, and we were
tossed upon frightful sea.
AS we rose upon mountain wave, we dis
covered the man upon distant billow. We
heard him cry, and responded, coming"
As we descended into the trough of the sea
we lost sight of the man, and heard nothing
but the roar of the ocean. AS we rose upon
the wave, we saw Mm again, and distinctly
heard his call. We gave him another word
of encouragement, and pulled with all
strength. At the top of each successive wave
we saw and heard him, and our hearts were
filled with encouragement; and, as often in
the trough of the sea, We almost abandoned
the hope of success. The time seemed long;
kb ,Io do htrf
for life. We reached him Just as be was
ready to sink with exhaustion. When we had
drawn him into the boat, he was helpless and
speechless.
Our minds now turned to the ship. She
had rounded to; but exhausted as we were,
the distance between US and the vessel was
frightful. One false movement would have
filled our boat, and consigned us all to
watery grave. Yet we reached the vessel,
and were drawn safely upon deck. We were
all exhausted, but the rescued man could
neither speak nor walk; yet he had full
sense of his condition. He clasped our feet
and commenced to kiss them. We disen-
gagged ourselves from his embrace. He then
crawled after US, as we stepped back to avoid
him; he followed as, looking up with smiles
and tears, and then patting our wet foot
prints with his hands, he kissed them with an
eager fondness.
l never witnessed such scene in my life.
l suppose if he had been our greatest enemy
he would have been perfectly subdued by our
kindness. The man was passenger. Dur
ing the whole remaining part of the voyage
he showed the deepest gratitude, and when
we reached the port, he loaded us with pre-.
sents.
But, dear reader, Christ has seen you ex-
posed to more fearful peril, and has made
an infinitely greater sacrifice for your rescue.
He saw you sinking in the billows of eternal
death. He did not merely venture into ex-
treme danger to save you, but has actually
suffered for you the most cruel death. Yet
you have never embraced his feet, nor given
any proper testimony of your thanks. What
estimate ought you to place upon your de-
pravity, when such goodness has for 80 long
time failed to subdue you!-Dr. Parker's
limitations to True Happiness.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22


Notice, that Christ gave her an entirely
different message in this first interview, from
that given by the angels, and then given by
Himself in the second interview, which John,
Luke and Marx do not record. Matthew
xvii 9, 10,) records that second inter
view, when +" Mary Magdalene and the other
Mary (verses 1-10) were not only allowed
to ''touch" Jesas, but to hold Him by the
feet and worship Him. And then it is thai
He repeated the angelic message about the
meeting in Galilee. Between the early visit
to the sepulchre, and this interview there is
gap which Matthew leaves open. John
Xxx: Ills fls it up, by recording the
first interview and its events, &c. In this
first meeting, recorded only by John, the re-
markable words under consideration were
spoken. "Touch me not; for l am not yet
ascended unto my father. And then also
Christ's first message was sent to His disci-
pies; $50 tell my brethren, and say unto
them, l ascend unto my Father, and your
! Father and to my God and your God. =
Nothing is yet said'by Him about the meet
ing in Galilee. He did not speak Of that
until the second interview which occurred
that same morning; and when, CONTRARY to
the opinion of commentators generality Mat
thew says that the two Marys, not the other
women, were present. Compare Matt. xviii
Is, and 9, 10. Mary Magdalene has made
her second visit to the sepulchre; has seen
Jesus alone; is returning the second time to
the disciples, when she meets "the other
Mary tells her what has happened, and
they, together, go on their way to the dis
ciples with ChristS message about His ascen-
sion. Aud now it is that He meets them,
and they can touch Him. But why now,
and not beforeI That is the question which
1 propose to answer. But as these prelimi-
nary remarks have been necessarily so ex-
tended, in order that the way might be open
ed, | must defer the answer to another num-
Der. In the meantime, let all who feel in
terested in this matter examine Lev. xvi, and
ascertain a fact which has a vital bearing
upon the further discussion; viz: that the
High Priest entered into the "Holy of holieS"
tsVies on the great day of atonement, ere his
work was completed, and not once, as many
suppose. 1st, verses lila, he entered to
make atonement for himself and those repre-
sented by him. 2nd, verses 1917, he en-
tered again to make atonement for the holy
place, which was among an unclean people.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22
rs ABSALOM SAFE?

Absalom was the favorite son. He seems
to have been permitted to take his own
course. His effeminate admiration of his OWL
person was unrebuked. His wilful disregard
of the rights of others was not punished,
and, as an indication of the blindness of Da-
vid's affection, we learn that after his rein
statement in the royal favor, he began to do
things which should have attracted the at
tention of his father, even if they did not
excite his suspicion, II Samuel XIV: 1-6.
A surveillance should have been exercised.
Instead of this he went on unmolested. He
had his agents all through Israel. Men in
high station were enticed among the con.
spirators. At last the torch is lighted, and
the rebellion sweeps over the land. Absalom
spurns all disguise. , He has no fair words.
He does not attempt to excuse his conduct.
He stands with spear in his hand and MUIR
der in his heart. The battle is fought. 1t
is lost. He is slain. And now the King,
waiting for the tidi6gs, asks, Is the young
man, Absalom, safe? Too late, that ques-
ton now, indulgent father Too late to
ask, Is he safe9 when he is shaking the
kingdom to the centre. That question
should have been put long ago, when David
saw that fiery soul tortured by sisters dis
grace. When he found that two years had
not cooled Absalom's hot blood when he
saw the chariots, and the horses, and the
guards, then he should have inquired, " Is
he safe ?"
The time to put to ourselves the question,
Are our children safe ?" is when they are
yet in tender years; when their habits are
forming, when good and evil still lie before
them. Study the dispositions, and ask, are
these such as will render them virtuous,
lovely, and safe in society. Had David
broken that haughtness, and uprooted that
vanity, and weakened that reVengeful spirit,
and eradicated that selfshness and wilful.
ness, in old age he would not have asked,
" Is he safe ?" We must see that the chill
dren are safe before they grow up. Note
what company the child goes with. The sal
utary teachings of home will be neutralized
by the teachings of the street. Note what
books they read, and what pictorials they
see. Some illustrated papers should never
enter the family. Children are not safe
when they prowl the streets until bedtime.
They are not safe when left to the care Of
nurses. If they are sent away to school, be
governed in your selection by the religious
influences which shall surround them. When
Edmund Burke was thirteen, he was put to
school under Quaker. "Under his eye I
read the Bible morning, noon and night,
and have ever since been happier and bet
ter man for such reading" Thus he wrote
in manhood. A child, speaking of his home
to a friend, was asked, "Where is your
home ?" He looked with loving eyes to his
mother, and said, "Where mother is."-
"She always made home happy" Such was
the tribute of praise that large family of
children bestowed upon their departed moth
er. In such home Absalom is safe.-Pres
byterian.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22
Sight of the Jordan.

We were advancing toward little wood
of balm and tamarind trees which, to my great
astonishment, 1 saw rising from the midst Of
a sterile soil. All at once the BethlemiteS
stopped, and showed me with their hands, at
the bottom of ravine, something that had
not perceived. Without being able to say
what it was, I got a glimpse of something
like a kind of sand moving over the motion
less soil. 1 approached this singular object,
and saw yellow stream, which l had diff.
Guilty in distinguishing from the sand on its
two banks. 1t was down deep below the
surface, and slowly rolled along thick
wave it was the Jordan.
I had seen the great rivers of America,
with the pleasure which solitude and nature
inspire; l had visited the Tiber with eager
ness, and sought with as much ardor the Eu-
rotas and Cepbysus; but / cannot describe
what l felt at the sight of the Jordan. Not
only did that stream recall an antiquity that
was famous, and one of the greatest names
that the most beautiful poetry had ever en-.
trusted to the memory of man; but its banks
offered to me as well the scene of the miracles
of our religion. Judea is the only country
upon earth that retraces to the traveller the
souvenir of human affairs and of the things
of heaven; and which causes to arise from
the very depths of the soul, by this comming
ling, sentiment and thoughts which no other
spot can inspire Chateaubriand.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22
JEHOVAH TSIDKENU.
The Lord our Righteousness. -
IHE wArcgYoRD or rHE REEoRNERs
BIZ Rev. R. NJ. McCHEYSE.

IHE WATCRYORD OF TIE REFORNEEs.
once was q stranger to grace and to God,
knew not my danger and felt not my load;
Though friends spoke rapture Of Christ the tree
Jehovah Tsidkenu was nothing to me.
| oft read with pleasure, 10 soothe or engage,
Isaiahs wild measure and Johns simple page,
But cen when they pictured the blood sprinked tree
Jehovah Tsidkenu seemed nothing to me.
Like tears from the daughters of Zion that roll,
wept when the waters went over his soul;
Yet thought not that my sins had nailed to the tree
Jehovah Tsidkenu-'twas nothing to me.
When free grace swoke me by light from on high,
Then legal fears shook me, trembled to diei
No refuge, no safety IN self could see,
Jehovah Tsidkenu my Saviour must be.
Ny terrors all vanished before the sweet name;
Ny guilty fears bsnished, with boldness | came
To drink at the fountain, hfG givisg and free.
Jehovah Tsidkenu is all things to me.
49, Tsidksau nv. trssscz0. and boast, -
Jehovah Tsidkenul l ne'er can be lost;
In thee shall conquer by food and by field,
Ny cable, my anchor, my breast-p plate and shield.
Fen treading the valley, the shadow of death,
This watchword" shall rally my faltering breath;
For while from hie's fever my God sets me free,
Jehovah Tsidkenu my death song shall be.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22

KING DAvID.-Better than any other,
Carlyle condenses the great lesson of Dauids
later life:
"David, the Hebrew king, had fallen into
sins enoug b,-blackest crimes; there was no
want of sins. And thereupon unbelievers
sneer, and ask Is this your man according
to Gods heart? The sneer seems to me
but shallow one. Davids life and history,
as written for US in those Psalms of his, |
consider to be the truest emblem ever given
of mans moral progress and warfare here
below. All earnest souls will ever discern
in it the faithful struggle of an earnest hu-
man soul towards what is good and BEST
struggle, often baffled sore, bsffled down into
entire wreck, yet struggle never ended ;
ever with tears, repentance, true, unconquer'
able purpose begun anew. Poor human ma
ture! Is not mans walking in truth al
ways that succession of falls {? Man
can do no other. In this wild element of a
life he has to struggle upward, now fallen,
now abased; and ever with tears, repent.
ance, and bleeding heart, he has to rise
again, struggle again, still onward. That
bis struggle be faithful, unconquerable one,
that is the question of questions.