davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05
Spirit of Chinese Converts.

Many who have some knowledge of
missionary statistics, have, doubtless,
often wondered what sort of Christians
the figures for commandments represent.
Are Christians won from heathenism earn
est, faithful, spiritual Christians, such as
are found in the churches at home? AT
the London Conference on Missions the
Rev. w. Fleming Stevenson answered
this question, so far as China is concerned,
from observations made by himself. He
first showed how little Cinnamon can gain
by becoming Christians. At best, if they
become helpers, they can only receive
very small salary, hardly sufficient to
keep them alive; while, on the other
hand, they lose the companionship of their
friends and become outcasts, and have
difficulties in their business which they
never had before. In worldly point Of
view they are losers, rather than gamers,
in becoming Christians But, says Mr..
Stevenson, they take all this joyfully, and
freely hazard their lives for the gospel.
They can cut off our head3 remarked
some Chinese CHRISTIANS to,y Pr. Steven
son; "but they cannot beAgad Christ.
There are many noble women among the
converts. One who went to missionary
hospital became a convert while an in
mate. When she left, she found her hus-
bands home closed to her. For some
years she was shut out; but she did not
despair nor give up her religion. Finally
she induced her husband to accept the
gospel then her son, and others Of her
relatives, until eleven in all were con-
verified. In conclusion, Mr.. Stevenson
says
~ have found nowhere in Christian
lands men and women of higher type
than l met in China-of finer spiritual
experience, of a higher spiritual tone, or
of nobler spiritual life Where missions
show such fruit, they are beyond the i'm
parchment of producing shallow and tran
STORY impressions; and 1 came away with
the conviction that there are in the ma
tive churches in China not only the ele-
ments of stability but of that steadfast
and irresistible revolution that will carry
over the whole empire to the new faith.
Canada Presbyterian.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05
Sadness of Heart.

Sainte Beuve, famous French htera-
tuer, says of Theophile Gautier one quite
as famous as himself, that in religion
he was Pantheist, and beneath an out
ward joviahty he bore the deep sadness
inherent in that cherries faith. The
one thing that strikes a reader Of the
philosophers, moraEsts, and the high
priests of literature of the present time,
is their profound melancholy. They are
sad at heart. "Pessimism, as it is called,
the latest form of German philosophy,
saturates the literary works of France,
Germany, and of few Bnglishmen.-
Schopenhauer, the German leader of the
school, says 1.-The truth is, men ought to
be miserable, and they are so, and indl-
rectly he counselled suicide as the easiest
way out of misery. II despise human
ity, said Humboldt, Gin all its strata; l
foresee that our posterity will be far more
unhappy than we are. If for eighty years
one strives and inquiries, still one is
obliged finally to confess that he has
striven for nothing and found out moth
ing. Did we at least only know why we
are in the world?"
We have heard much talk Of the gloom
of Puritanical households, and Matthew
Arnold has wall over the middle
class of England (which entered the
prison Of Puritanism and had the key
turned upon their spirit there for two hun
dred years But there is no dark ness
which comes so near to utter blackness
as that which rests upon the spirit Of the
Atheistic or Pantheistic classes Of mod
ern society. It's "hideousness, its i'm
mense ennui, to borrow Matther Arnold S
phrase, are simply appalling.-Pes6yte-
TtGn.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05
The Largest Sapphire in the
World.

I have recently been favored with the
sight of one of the famous Jewels of the
world-a stone that has its history and
it's pedigree, and is celebrated in the an
mails of the trade and in the annals Of
the noted gems of Europe; | have held
it in my hand, and admired beneath the
rays of the sunlight the finest sapphire
that is known to exist This beautiful
and well nigh priceless stone combines,
in singular degree, the leading qualif-
cation of size, shape, color and water.
In form it is fiat oval, being about two
inches long by an inch and half wide.
1t is cut slightly en- ca6ochon on top;
and into multitude of small facets be-
meath. It's hue is perfect, being a warm,
lustrous Marie Louise blue, not so dark
as to show black beneath the gaslght,
but having all the velyety softness and
purity Of tint that is required in really
fine gem of this description. It's weight
is 300 carats. 1t belongs to a noble and
wealthy Russian family, in whose pos
session it has been for the past two cen
turies, and it has been placed by the
owner in the hand of one of the great
diamond merchants of Paris for safe keep
ING. One of the Rothschild family has
offered for it no less sum than 100000,
but the offer has been refused. | asked
the courteous gentleman in whose care it
had been left as to the actual value Of
the stone. He told me that, being as it
was perfectly unique, no precise valua-
ton could be set upon it, but that he was
inclined to estimate it at a sum Of $780,
600. He also showed me a string Of
graduated pearls, Of extreme
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05

they are links in the machinery of His
universe. We must not only be con-
slant, but intense. Prayer is not to be a
thing of yesterday, but thing for all
times, until it changes into the praise
above, although there may be prayer in
heaven. We see prayer everywhere
We cannot get into the gospel groove
without prayer; it is the very atmosphere
which surrounds Immanuels land. We
have to pray our passage to heaven. We
must be constant in our instancy, be-
cause we cannot leave off praying either
in times Of prosperity or adversely. Men
should pray everywhere, for our bodies
are temples. As long as Christians live
they should pray, because only as they
pray they live. We must not only pray
when we can pray, but when we cannot.
The best praying in the world consists
in groanings that cannot be uttered. 1t
is often better for us to mourn like doves
than sing like nightingales We must
beware Of prayers that leap like grass
hoppers, but rather we should soar on
the wings of prayer until we reach the
resting-place of God.
again, there can be no such thing as
instancy and constancy in prayer unless
there be expectancy. The soul of prayer
is gone when we have got no expects
ton. We must believe we have the
blessing or we shall not receive it, and
we must not pray God to do what we can
do ourselves. We pray, Thy kingdom
come, but we must help to advance
Christ's kingdom. In closing Mr.: Spur
geon said he liked the prayer which the
Duchess of Gordon once heard, and which
was found among her papers, % Lord,
give me grace to feel the need Of Thy
grace; give me grace to ask for Thy
grace; give me grace to receive Thy
grace; and when in Thy grace Thou
hast given me grace, give me grace to
use Thy grace.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05

tor Emmanuel, was to direct that the ex-
cavations should be more vigorously pros
ecuted, and the Italian Parliament made
grant of $4,000 year for that pur-
pose, SignOr Fiorelli being appointed to
direct them. In 1872 about one-third of
the whole area as defined by the walls
had been excavated. Fiorelli then esti-
mated that, assuming the average depth
to be 25 feet, by employing 81 Iaborers,
male and female, it will require until
l947 to unearth the entire town, although
the portion actually within the walls
might be excavated in fifteen or twenty
years.-G. A. HUDSON, in Frank LeslieS
Sunday Magazine.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05
Is Prohibition a Failure?

Persons interested in the liquor traffic
are in the habit Of asserting that the pro-
hibitory law now in force in the State Of
Maine has proved failure; that there
is as much drinking done now in secret as
was done in public before the law came
into operation; and that the proper way
to diminish drunkenness is to afford the
greatest facility and encouragement to the
open and public sale of liquor. In reply
to such assertions an ex-Mayor of Port
land furnishes the following comparative
statistics. If the prohibitory law has
been the means of efecting the wonderful
changes indicated by his figures it is an
abuse of language to speak of it as fail
ure. Ex-Mayor Kingsbury says: "In
1880, in Maine, there were 1000 open
bars, AGO taverns with open bars, and
nearly every grocery store kept the ar
ticle on sale. The estimated sales amount
ed to nearly $12,O00,O00 Now there is
not an open bar in Maine and no tavern
or grocery keeps it for sale, and the esti-
mated Sales do not reach half million.
In 1880 the use of liquor was nearly uni
versal. 1t was found in every house.
Now it is a rare and exceptional case
The large majority of the people are total
abstainers Public sentiments SO strong
in that direction that even the political
parties are compelled to make their nomi-
nations for office in obedience to it. In
1880 there were 10000 persons Zone out
of every As of the population who were
inebriates, and 200 deaths from delirium
tremens. But now not one in three hun
dred is a drunkard, and there are not
fifty deaths annually from delirium ire
mems. These facts are but few illustra-
tons of the many that might be given Of
the marvellous changes wrought out by
the combined workings Of the prohibition
law, moral suasion. and public opinion"
Cd1,ada Presbyterian.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05
Mr.. spurgeon on Prayer.

In anticipation of day of special
prayer for revival Of religion, Mr..
Sturgeon delivered a discourse on the
text, Continuing instant in prayer" in
which he said:
"If we know how to get into contact
with the Omnipotent and the Eternal we
can do all things Our prayers should
be full af strength and forcefulness.-
PRAYER is a wrestling. The whole of the
spirit, memory, judgment, affections I'M
aginatons, even the whole soul, should
be brought to bear in prayer-the entire
man should pray. We are to be as i'm
Fortunate as if our God was unwilling to
grant the desired blessing. God cannot
be expected to give to those who are not
fully in earnest in what they ask Is it
to be expected that He will accept our
sacrifice if we lay no fire to it? The
children of God must learn how to cry
nightly to their Father; then will He
have regard unto the voice of their sup
phcation.
There must be an instancy and I'M
petuosity in prayer, if we are to receive
the blessing. We must get to feel what
a precious thing grace is, then we shall
not pray with the lip only, but with the
heart. We must try and see our souls
deficiency. and try to realize what would
become Of us if God should withhold His
blessings. We must be thirsty in order
to receive the water Of life We must
not play at praying, but pray out, and
let it be the very sweat Of our soul. If
PRAYER. as Luther says, is the Christians
bic gun, with which he doth lombard
heaven. then the promise must be the
shot which is to be sent against the gates
Of the celestial city We must have
strong faith not only that God Is, but
that He is the rewarder of all those that
diligently seek Him Wemust be brought
to feel that there is a commerce between
our souls and God; and although our
prayers may not alter His DEGREES, yet
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05

purity and fneness (the centre one was
as large as a small cherry, and he told
me that the necklace belonging to the
noble Russian was composed Of six SINH
lar strings, Of equal beauty and excep-
tional size. The great sapphire was
mounted to be worn as brooch, being
surmounted with large diamonds of some
twenty carats each It's guardian inform
ed me that the pendant belonging to this
brooch was composed of large pear
shaped sapphire, weighing sixty carats,
and set in diamonds. The whole collec-
ton of jewels belonging to this family
is worth over $2,000,000 There is no
such sapphire as that largest one, con-
tinued my informant, "eyen among the
crown jewels of Russia. l furnished my
self two very fine ones to the empress,
each weighing sixty carats; but they do
not compare with this magnificent gem.
The gentleman who spoke was well quail
flied to give an opinion, as he is one of
the few diamond merchants of the world,
and is, moreover, noted expert He
was recently sent for by the Russian
Government to go to St. Petersburg, to
make full estimate Of the value of the
crown Jewels and he furnishes whatever
ornaments in precious stones are pur-
chased by the members of the imperial
family.-LUoY HOOPER, in Philadelphia
EUe'tr1g Telegraph.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05
Sin Put Away.

Blessed is that man to whom the Lord
will not impute sin" Our sins cannot
hinder US, nor withdraw us from prayer ;
for they are gone, they are no sins, they
cannot be hurtful to us. Christ dying for
US, is as all the Scripture, both of the Old
and New Testament, witnesseth, He
that taketh away our sorrows" Like as
when l owe unto man hundred pounds:
the day is expired he will have his mon
ey; l have it not, and for lack of it am
laid in prison. In such distress comes a
good friend, and saith, "Sir, be of good
cheer, l will pay thy debts" and forth
with payeth the whole sum and setteth
me at liberty. Therefore, though our
sins condemn us, eve have an Advocate
with God the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous. We have one Advocate, not
many; neither saints, nor anybody else,
but only Him and no other, neither by
the way of meditation, nor by the way of
redemption. He onlyis sufficient, for He
only is the door," let Him have all the
praise. Behold the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world.
Latin,er, burned 4. D1555.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05

The theological students Of Union
Seminary were favored recently by an in-
formal talk from DR.. Acland, Professor
of Anatomy and Physiology in Oxford
University. Scientific studies, he said.
were regarded as dangerous, at the time
of his appointment to that chair; but by
his bold defence of their value they now
hold a prominent place in that English
University. He also had continued to
hold to the Christian faith, and he be-
lieYed that evangelical truth was the
great remedy for moral disease. To keep
the body healthy is only an aid in keep
ing the soul healthy. Dogmatism either
in religion or science (and where found
the most he could not tell, always filled
him with amazement. After speaking
some time with considerable feeling Of
religion and science, and having plainly
shown by his own appearance that men of
the greatest scholarship are men of gen
uine humility, he closed by this new
anecdote of Farraday He once asked
Farraday: Have you ever conceived to
yourself what will be your occupation in
the next world?" Hesitating while,
Farraday answered: Eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man the things which God
had prepared for them that love HIM
IshaIl be with Christ, and that's enough"
Christian at Work.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05

Antananarivo is a city containing a
population of about one hundred thou
sand-situated in the center Of the once
heather island of Madagascar 1t is
said that the Sabbath is better observed
there than perhaps in any city Of its size III
Christian countries, or in the world No
trade Of any kind is allowed, no shops
open, or public houses The numerous
stalls for the display of goods on the
streets are all vacant and closed
There are numerous churches in the city,
some of them holding upwards of thou
sand persons, the smaller ones from four
to five hundred each. They are all well
filled on Sunday. The Queen Of NADIA
gascar some years ago became Christian,
and the code of laws which govern her
little empire now are worthy of imitation
by nations much older in Christian edu-
cation.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05

The best lawyers always tell the best
stories, and with none the less zest when
at their own expense Not long ago Coun-
sellor c. was before Surrogate Calvin
in a case where the question involved
was as to the mental condition Of the tes-
tatrix. The witness under examination,
herself an aged lady, had testified to find
ing Mrs s. failing, childish, and that
when she told her something she looked
as though she didn't understand. Coun-
sellor c., cross-examining, tried to get
her to describe this look, but he didn't
succeed very well in doing SO. At last,
getting little impatient, he asked
" Well, how did she look? Did she look
at you as I am looking at you now, for
instance?" The witness, very demurely,
replied: "Well, yes; kind of vacant like"
Hnpr'S.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05
POMPEII.

For several years before its destruction
Pompeii had suffered much in various
ways. The edict of Nero, interdicting
public shows and gladiatorial exhibitions,
must have injured its popularity as a
Summer resort. While this was still in
force came the destructive earthquake Of
A. D. 63, followed in the next year by
one still more severe, the effects Of which
are still visible in public and private
dwellings, where we find many floors out
of level, columns dislocated, and walls
rent or thrown down. The people were
engaged in repairing these at the time Of
the eruption of A. D. 70, by which the
town was overwhelmed. The manner OF
the destruction is plainly shown 1t was
produced by shower Of pumice-stone
and ashes, no lava having been elected.
This came down like heavy snow-storm,
filling up the narrow streets and by its
weight crushing in the fiat roofs, and
breaking down the wooden upper stories
of such buildings as possessed them. This
destruction was not very sudden, giving
the inhabitants time to make their escape.
This is shown by the small number of hu-
man skeletons which have been exhumed,
there being in all only about 100, and Of
these 63 were found in the barracks Of
the soldiery, which we shall visit. Here,
inside Of one Of the entrance gates, were
81 skeletons huddled together in mass
these were undoubtedly the guard on du-
ty upon this fatal night, who thus died at
their posts-a striking evidence of the
strict discipline of the Roman soldiery.
The re-discovery of Pompeii dates from
l748, when a peasant in digging well
came upon a painted chamber, containing
many objects of interest. Not long before
some excavations had been made upon
the site of the far more deeply buried
Herculaneum, The attention of Charles
III, the Bourbon King of Naples, was
drawn to the discovery of the peasant !;
he caused excavations to be undertaken
in the neighborhood, and in 1855 the
amphitheatre was cleared out. Since that
time the work has been carried on with
more or less energy, a sum of about S.,
600 year being appropriated for the
purpose of excavations, repairs, and Incl
dental expenses During the time of the
successive Bourbon rulers, however, little
actual excavation was performed, except
when some distinguished parsonage hap
pened to be in Naples, when building
would be excavated in his honor, and
named after him. Thus, among the OBJ
iects which we shall soon visit are the So
called House Of the Grand Duke Of Tus-
cany, the House of the King Of Prus-
STA, the House of Queen Adelaide, "
8. the House of the Emperor Francis H., "
" the House of the Grand Dukes of Rus
STA, and the House of the American
Admiral, " so called because it was exca-
waited in the presence of Admiral Farra-
gut in March, 1868. Most of the dwell
Ings and streets are, however, much more
appropriately named from their former
occupants, as indicated by inscriptions or
from objects of interest found in them.
One Of the first acts of the late King Vic
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05
From the Presbyterian.
GA MIND TO WORK"


We should guard against anything that
appears to measure the condition and eff
fciency of church simply by the num-
Der OF its reported additions. But it
should also be remembered that church,
which is in a really healthy condition
otherwise, will, from the children who
are growing up in its families and in its
Sabbath Schools and from the community
around constantly add to the number Of
its communicate members. Conversions
and additions to the sacramental band
are one of the most important signs of a
church which is really alive.
Last year, as we intimated last week,
was in this respect one of spiritual dulness
in our denomination. The summer heats
are passing away. The scattering season
is at an end, Pastors and people who
have been from home are returning to
their places. Trimmed congregations are
expanding, Church work, that may, in
some of its departments, have been sus-
pended, is being resumed. What shall
be the outcome Of the autumn and winter
which lie Just before us?
Let the people pile upon their pastors
all the responsibility that they please
Let them demand earnest preaching and
persistent pastoral work But let them
remember their own responsibilities. The
work to be done is not wholly that of the
pastor. The responsibility for failure, if
failure there be, is not undoubtedly his.
Nehemiah succeeded in building the
walls of Jerusalem, for the people had a
mind to work" The most powerful
preaching is often weakened by the con-
duct of those who are already members
of the church. Weaker preaching is
winged with power by faithful hearers
and by working people.
The communicate members Of church
who are living in conformity to the world ;
who are irregular in their attendance on
the Sabbath and habitually neglect the
prayer meeting; who do not in any way
actively cooperate with the pastor in his
efforts to reach the unconverted; whose
cold religion freezes the non-professors
that know them; who never speak for
Jesus; who have no mind to work for
souls: they do more than any other cause
to retard conversions. They, they are
really lightweight on the spiritual pro
gress of a church
But let the people have mind to
work; let them always be in their seats
when the minister is in the pulpit; let
them attend with earnest prayer for the
efficient presence of the Holy Spirit; let
them show that they believe the truth
which is proclaimed; let them appear in
large numbers in the prayer meetings;
let them respond to the appeals which
are made to them by their pastor in his
efforts to win souls to Jesus: and spirit
ual death will not be reported.
Members of the churches under God,
conversions and additions to your num-
Der depend as much upon you as upon
your pastors. If you want to listen to
most powerful sermons, and to hear all
around you the anxious question, "What
shall do to be sayed?' and to know
that souls are being saved in large num-
bers, and to have your church rolls grow
by numerous healthy additions have
yourselves A MIND TO WORK.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-05

The curse that rests on some Of the
old countries, is not on the land, water,
air, climate, but on the people. And
when a farm or business, OF even a church,
for that matter, goes wrong and becomes
unremunerahve, insomuch that it Is re
garded as suffering from some kind of
malediction, it is only because there is on
those who manage it, the curse of sloth,
idleness, dissipation, or some other form
of SIM United Presbyterian.