Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-01-17
SOCIAL, LITERARY AND RELIGIOUS
TOPICS.

SOCIAL, LITERARY AND RELIGIOUS
TOPICS.
For Saturday Night Perusal and Sunday
Reflection.
REV. DIR. BLACKwOOD, of the Ninth
Presbyterian church, Philadelphia, ap-
pears in his pulpit in handsome black
gown, such as is worn by Presbyterian
pastors in Great Britain.
REV. B. F. BALLOON and Rev. George
Balcom, who were brOthors and Baptist
ministers, died on the Goth Of December;
the former in Corning, N. Y, and the lat
ter in Cawker City, Kan.
AT the beginning of last year the Bap-
tist churches in the United States number
ed 23,908. This year the number is "a,
449, an increase of SCI. The total men,
bership last year was 1904, 24. This year
it is 2, 102, ,031 being gain of 77,S07.
THE Wissionary Herald estimates that
over s3, 600, 600 within the past year has
been given to the missionary enterprises of
the Presbyterian, Episcopal, Baptist,
Wesleyan and Congregational churches
only by dozen givers.
THE FIJI Islands, which are now a dis
trict of the Australasian Wesleyan Metho-
dist church, have S41 chapels and 191
other preaching places; 10 missionaries,
4S native missionaries, and %, 274 men,
bers, exclusive of 80 European members.
There are besides 5, 431 probationary men,
bcrs.
CHARLES O O'CONOR thinks our country is
going to the dogs because it is getting An
glicized, and the Duke of Somerset thinks
his country is going to the dogs because it
is getting Americanized. Countries are al
ways going to the dogs according to crOak-
ers but, as matter of fact, they are gen.
orally improving.
Four of the higher schools of the Pres
byterian church in the South have fifty
one colored students preparing for the
ministry, and the colored students in Bid
die university pay over So, 500, and the
girls in Scotia seminary over s., 600 a year
for their own education. The whole
amount reported as paid last year by the
churches and schools was $1S,G11.
Pore LEO XIII. has approved the ap
pointment of Right Rev. DR.. Elder, here
tofore bishop of Natchez, to be coadjutor:
with the right Of succession to the Arch
bishop of Cincinnati and to be administra
tor of the archdiocese. Archbishop Pur
cell has been failing very fast of late ant
has returned to the convent in Brown
county, and entirely given up administer
ing the work of the church. He is report
ed very weak and prayers for the restora
alton of his health are offered in all tn,
churches.
IT is now more than 200 years that tin
Catholics have been in China, and although
they suffered for long period from sever
persecution they have been able, since tn
French treaty of 1860, to regain mucl
that they have lost. Great propertic:
which had been cOntiscated were restored
to them, and now they have secured a po
sition in nearly all the provincial capital
of the empire. In many places the mis-
sions support themselves, while other mis-
sions have very large revenues and are abb
to support the weaker ones.
; THERE are several societies iii LondOl
which furnish wedding portions to Jewisl
girls of the poorer classes. They are ell
dowed by wealthy members of the faith
and poor Jews with daughters make week
ly contributions, from sixpence down to
penny, in the names of the girls. Once
year, before the Passover, or before New
Years day, there is drawing 10y young
women engaged to be married, the prize
ranging from $3.50 to 1000, according t(
the capital of the society and the number
of candidates. There are no blanks cacl
candidate draws something. On the oc
casion of a wedding the Jews Of the neigh
borhood often contribute towards th'
brides dowry. Young men, on seeking
wives, make a point of learning whether
the girls they fancy belong to any of these
societies.