The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-02-15
RELIGIOUS ITEMS.
SERMONS.

Sometimes little flower will tell us more
OF Gods wisdom than the gandest words
That ever preacher preached or organ CHORDS
Thundered within the temples sacred door
A flying seed waited on busy wind,
A bird-nest hiding where the branches lean,
A glimpse Of sunlit valley, left behind,
With sweet homes nestled In the living green,
Some friendly voice that greets us on the road
In common salutation brief and kind,
gentle glance by stranger eyes bestowed,
The dear face of child with tender meaning lined,
lonely grave where violet buds have blown
These are the presents by which God Is known.
The United Brethren report for 1876,
4,078 churches, an increase of 81; 143,-
881 members, an increase of 1906; 1862
ministers, an increase of fifteen. During
the year, $669,799 were raised for all
purposes; of this sum, 1925, 1876 were
for the support of the ministers. This
church has an official publishing house
at Dayton, Ohio.
A ROMAN CATHOLIC congregation at
Rome, New York, has left the Romish
communion and cOnformed to the doc
trine, discipline and worship of the
Protestant Episcopal Church. The So
ciety consists of about fifty German
speaking families. The change thus
brought about has been under consider
alton for the two last years.
The receipts of the Foreign Mission
Committee of the Southern Presbyterian
Church to December l, comprising eight
months of the ecclesiastical year, amount
to $36, 62S.26. This is $2,525.75 less
than was given in the corresponding
eight months of the previous year. The
falling off is mainly in the contributions
from the churches.
The minutes of the last Association
of Nebraska show total of eighty-two
Congregational churches, only three OF
which have pastors. Sixty-one are sup
piled with acting pastors, and eighteen
| are vacant. Number of ministers, 81
members, 1898; gain during the year,
S96. Ten new churches have been or
organized, and five have been dropped
from the list.
WITHIN two years Bishop Pellicier, o.
San Antonio, Texas. has erected CathO
lie churches at Binsley, Hallettsville
Cicero, Victoria, Mulberry, and Ban
derry, in his diocese, and has laid thu
cornerstone of another at Hestehoba
He has also established several converts
within his diocese during the same
period. .LL
The Methodists have made steady
progress in Germany, though not with
out much opposition from the clergy
and police organizations. During thu
past year there has been an increase o
nine ministers, $50 members, 81 churches
80 Sunday. schools, and 2,065 Sunday
school scholars. The whole number Q
members is 10,224, who contributes
during the year $4,000.
The Moravian Year Book for 1877 rt
ports thirteen bishops in different part
of the world, and 81, 262 members. {
this total, 81, 413 are to be found in til
missions. The territory occupied b
! this church is divided into three prov
inces- German, British, and American
!, The German province contains 7,7S
members, tho British 5,672, and tn
American 1888.
The Chmchman says: The Scriptul
' puzzles, which are becoming SO abun'
, ant, are very irreverent. Holy iii
dies" are little more than SUFFERING
for allowing amusement to the children
! which will keep them quiet on Sunday
The interest is in no wise connected wit
the Scriptural part of the device. 1t
wholly in the art of making out til
puzzle. There is no more of real III
I, of Scripture in it than if the fy-leav'
of Bible were taken upon which
work out problems in arithmetic. Thel
! is no objection to the game of enigma
= but there is the same objection to pla.
! ing it with sacred names as there wOul
be in having a checker-bOard paste
|. upon the covers of ones Bible and usir
!, that for Sunday diversion.
= Chinese Club Life in San Francisc
After the labor of the day is over IL
, weary Chinaman betakes himself to Il
Z club room, theater or opium den fl
an evenings enjoyment. The club-roOn
are filled nightly. The Chinaman
! All inveterate gambler. With him it
l one of the necessities of life. He wi
3 stint his stomach to save few cents
I crafty his Unsuitable desire to win {
> lose. He does not seem to care what tt
game is. 1t il said that in many plac
in China, it is no unusual sight to see ric
j merchants carrying beetles and larl
grasshoppers in the large sleeves of the
coats. A certain mark is placed upC
s each insect. A saucer is produced, ar
two of the beetles are placed in it
: fight battle. The respective owne
e make their bets, and the battle goes c
e until one or the other of the insects
u killed. The same thing is dOI
0 with tame quails, which are bred ar
trained in the same manner as gamecock
o Since the effectual raids made by the p
/ lice upon the game of fan-tan, and Il
severe penalties imposed upon all wi
= are arrested for playing it, that game h
y been generally abandoned. The gan
u which is now universally played
}. "dominoes." Instead of playing Il
IS game as whites do, the Chinese mix Il
a dominoes well together. Two dice a
g thrown for the choice. The man gettil
n the highest number of spots on the di
/ draws of the first six dominoes. II
l. second best throw takes second choiC
= and so on. The game is generally play,
u by four persons. The first choice th'
y plays the first dominoes; whoev
n matches it wins it and plays anoth
s. domino. At the end of the game piec
l. of Chinese coin are given out. The
> coins represent certain amount
Q: American money. All bets are settl
d outside of the club-room. In this w
e the Chinaman is enabled to crafty
r passion for gambling without trespassi
8, upon the city laws prohibiting banki
$, games. 1t happens sometimes that
n police officer arrests the domino playt
IL in mistake. He sees the dice shake
r and, being ignorant of the game, thin
ID that the men are playing dice gan
N The Chinese have been raided SO mu
IT during the past year that the appearan
e of police officer at the door of one
s. their club-roOms instantly creates
{. panic, and it requires the assurance
d the officer that everything is I" all RICH
to quiet them down.
!. Recipe for a I" Clay Sleigh Ride"
q Ten young couples. One four-hor
e outfit with driver. One night, cold
r than blixen. One mile of mortimer
d Ten miles of nearly frozen to deaf
r. One chilly dance hall. One drunk
| cII,u- III raa boura IF liuht fantast