davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26
Why Children do not Attend
Church.

The principal fault lies with parents
themselves. There is too little home
discipline of any sort nowadays.
A child who does not want to co to
church is permitted to stay at home
without any good reason. He "does
not want to go, he "does not see the
use, he will not 60" And SO parents
allow their children to do as they please.
Not, indeed, in reference to the public
school are they permitted to choose for
themselves. To that they must 90,
whether they wish to or not. And so
they go on. Parents are not afraid to
prejudice their children in regard to
their secular studies, but when attend
ance at preaching is in question, there
is no parental authority; or, at least.
there is the largest degree of laxity.
Now, L assert that parents are response
BILE for the absence of the children from
the pews on Sunday morning. Let a
man resolve that his family shall be at
church, and they will be there. Nv
father, an active worker in the church,
always took his children with him. They
never thought of neglecting any of the
church services with which they were
connected.
1t is not merely authority that is
needed e {, at home, but an appeal to the
enid conscience. Let a boy express
dislncllnatlon to attend service; show
him that he owes all he has to his Heav-
emily Father; show him the propriety of
6heePing up the public recognition of
God show him the Divine commands
which call US to the house of God. In
nlnety-nlne cases out of one hundred, the
boy will see the duty in clear light, and
his conscience will take him to the sane
tuary.-Latheron Standard.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26
Day and Night in Sweden.

:, The peculiarities of day and night in
Sweden strike the traveller very fore
IDLY, after being accustomed to the tenn
perate zones. In June the sun goes
down In Stockholm little before ten
o'clock; There is great illumination
all night, as the sun passes round the
earth toward the north pole; and the re-
traction of its rays is such that you. can
see to read at midnight without an ar
tifcial light. There is a mountain at
the head of Bothnia, where, on the Dist
OF June, the sun does not appear to 90
down at all. The steamboat Goes m
from Stockholm for the purpose of con-
veying those who are curious to witness
the phenomenon. 1t occurs only one
night. The sun reaches the horizon.
you can see the whole face Of it, and in
five minutes more it begins to rise. At
the North Cape, latitude seventv-two
degrees, the sun does not 20 down for
several weeks. In June It would he
about twenty-five degrees above the
horizon at midnight. In the winter the
sun disappears and is not seen for weeks.
then 1T comes and remains for ten or fE-
teen minutes, after which descends. and
hnally IS not seen at all, but make cir
Gle round the heavens The Swedes are
very industrious, and labor is reckoned
by the hour, twelve hours being reckoDed
a day work. Birds and animals take
their accustomed rest at the usual hour.
whether the sun goes down or not
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26
One Who Tried Two Masters

do believe in Jesus? Ay, sir. that
L do, with all my soul, heart, mind, and
strength. believe in him, I love him.
and L mean to serve him to the verv
best OF my ability for the balance of my
days"
The speaker was not a well-matured
Christian, not by any means the type Of
perfect man in Christ Jesus" on the
contrary, it was only for little while
that he had begun to serve Jesus at all !;
and his very countenance was SCARED and
scanned by the sins of his former life.
But he had come to halt-had con-
sldered his ways, and with full pur-
pose OF heart" had turned to the Lord
In this new life he was quite as much in
earnest, quite as resolute and determ
lned, as he had ever been in the way OF
evil.
L saw him first as he presented himself
candidate for church membership and
when asked if he "believed in Jesus !"
with a look of mingled surprise at the
implied doubt, and of joyful assurance
that lighted up his whole face, he gave
the answer quoted above.
Then, springing To his feet and facing
the congregation, he added, Glow can
help believing in One who has broken
the letters of sin that had bound me fast
for so many years, and made free man
of me; One who has rooted out the ter
rible, burning thirst for liquor that was
consuming me, body and soul, and given
me in its stead a longing for himself for
his forgiveness, his everlasting love. and
his blessed service? Don't talk to me
about antidotes, or pledges, or any thine
OF the sort. They may be well enough
for some men, and don't doubt thew
have done a great deal Of good in the
world but mine was desperate case. 7
had lost all power over myself, the evil
one led me captive at his will, and moth
ing but Omnipotence itself was strong
enough to break the evil yoke. Worse
than all, had lost all hope of myself.
and ceased to make my effort to restrain
my wicked propensities. 1 knew was
far on my way to perdition, but I was
too hardened in sin and too stultifed bv
strong drink, to be very much troubled
either by my guilt or danger, till 1 was
struck down, as was Saul Of Tarsus, and
like him had my eyes opened by AL
mighty power Then fell on my knees
just where | was, and cried to God to
save me from myself, and help me to
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26

come to him. I saw my sins as I had
never seen them before; I felt all nv un.
worthiness, all my weakness, ali nv
utter inability even to come to the great
merciful Saviour l saw waiting to help
and to save me. So I cried aloud. "a
Jesus, Master, save me in spite of my
self; put out the hand and snatch me
from the evil one who holds me fast
bound, and give to me, who have no
power at all, the power and strength to
cling only to thee
"And he did it. From that hour
now nine months ago, he has held me SO
fast that neither my old master, Satan,
my own evil nature, nor my former
burning thirst for liquor have had any
power at all to separate me from my
Lord and Saviour.
And you ask me, sir, if I believe in
Jesus? Do | believe in the very breath
! draw? do [ believe that am alive to.
day? that [ am on earth and not in
hopeless perdition? that 1 have heaven
before me, and not hell? Ay, ay, sir,
you may be assured 1 believe in nv
Lord Master, and that every throb OF
my heart is henceforth a halleluiah to his
praise, for | stand here to-day monu-
ment OF his power to save the very worst
sinner, and of his wonderful compassion
tor them that are farthest lost in the
mazes of their own iniquities. And O..
my friend, If there is here present one
who, like me, has been a slave of the
evil one, need not tell you that the
devil is the hardest task-master that
ever man served. You know it to
your cost, and 1 know it, for 1 served
him long and faithfully. But if you
want master who gives life and liberty
rest and peace now, and blessedness for
ever, come to Jesus-Jesus the sinners
only Saviour, and one who came to seek
and to save just such poor, miserable,
lost, and needy sinners as you and I.
You can't come? No, know you can't,
but he can draw you by his own al
mighty love, and he will if you Just trust
him. Don't doubt his Willingness or his
power; since he saved me surely no other
need ever despair. But come, come
NOW, before it be forever too late.
He wiped his streaming eyes and sat
down, and there was many an older
Christian present who felt that he could
hardly have preached such a sermon, or
borne stronger testimony for his Lord
and Master. AS Jesus said of the Mag
dalen, To whom much is forgiven the
same loveth much. "-Chqistian Treasury.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26
Dying Nations

Why do nations die Cultivated
Greece, and all conquering Rome; Van
dial and Goth, and Hun, and Moor and
Pole, and Turk, all dead or diving.
Why Murdered by nations more pow
erful? Swallowed by earthquakes? Swept
away by pestilence or plague, or starved
by pitiless famine? Not by any of these.
Not by the lightning and thunder: not.
by. the tempest and the storm; not by the
poisoned air, or volcanic fires did thew
die They persisted by moral degrade
ton, the legitimate result of gluttony,
lnt1e1mlperance, and effeminacy.
When nation becomes rich. then
there is leisure and the means of indul-
gence in the appetites and passions of
our nature, which wear the BODY and
wreck the mind AS with nations SO
with families. Wealth takes away the
wholesome stimulus of effort, idieness
opens the foodgates of passionate indul-
gence, and the heir of millions dies
helrless and poor, and both name and
memory ingloriously rot. If, then, there
is any truth and force in argument, each
man owes it to himself, to his country.
and more than all, to his Maker, to live
life of temperance, industry, and self
denial as to every animal qualification
and If with these we have an eve to the
glory OF God, this nation of ours will live
with increasing prosperity and renown
until, with one foot on land and another
on the sea, the angel Of eternity proclaims
time no onger.-Anon.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26


TIE NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW for November
Contents:
Presidential Inability, by Lyman Trumbull,
LII. D.. Thomas M. Cooley, LII. D., Justice of
the Supreme Court of the State of Michigan,
Benjamin F. Butler. Professor Theodore w.
Dwight. LII. D.; England's Hereditary Repub-
lie, by the Marquis Of Blandford The Appoint
ing Power, by George F. Hoar, United States
Senator; The Christian Religion-Part II, by
Robert g. Ingersoll.
d. Appleton & Co., publishers. New York.
THE BIBIIorHEoA SAcRA for October has the
following table of contents:
Chapter on Proverbs, by Rev J. 1. Nom
bert D. D., Passaic, New Jersey Is Salvation
Possible Without knowledge of the Gospel 2
by Lucius E. Smith, editor Of The Watchman,
Boston, Remarks Upon the Languages of the
Arabs and the Turks, by Prof H. S. Osborn,
Oxford, Ohio The Language of Isaiah XII
LAVI., by Rev. William Henry Cobb, Tx
bridge, Mass. What is Sweden borgianism by
Rev. James Reed, Boston, Mass. A Sober View
of Abstinence from Intoxicating Stimulants, by
Rev. Daniel Merriman, D. D., Worcester, Mass :;
Theological Education; Notices of Recent Pub
locations
Andover: Published by w. F. Draper.
LIrrELL's LIVING AGE for the week ending
October ed.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26
The Royal Family of Russia.

1t may be platitude, writes G. A.
Sala, to remark that illustrious rank. an
income of great many thousands of
roubles year, fine house to live in. a
French cook and plenty of servants, and
the breast of your coat all covered with
stars and crosses, do not necessarily of
themselves confer on humanity the thing
called happiness but it is expedient to
remember this truism in view of the
opinion that these adorn no states of ex-
lstence more monotonous, more useless,
and indeed more mischievous to society,
and indeed more generally deplorable
than those of the male members of the
imperial family in Russia. The grand
duchesses are more fortunate. Thew
have, at least, the chance of marrying
foreign potentates, of escaping from his
imperial majesty jain which his i'm
perial majesty himself is the chief pri-
soner-of conversing with free people
and of breathing free air. But here are
these young, middle-aged, and elderly
imperial gentlemen, forming caste
apart, as isolated and comparatively as
numerous as the imperial caste of the
Yellow Girdle in China, condemned to
pass their lives, buttoned and buckled
and strapped up in the tightftting uni
forms, and to wear helmets or forage
caps on their heads They were dressed
IN uniform when they were children;
they live in uniform; and when they die
they will be buried in uniform. Each
adult one of them is INJURED up in palace
OF his own as big as barrack, where he
keeps or is rather kept, in safe custody
by swarming retinue of aides-de-cam
equeries, maitres d hotel, grooms and lac.
queys, and the wages Of this army Of
parasites added to the revenue appor-
toned to their highnesses from a civil
list of ten millions of roubles year, but
which is practically unlimited, 90 far
towards eating up the fat of the land.
and grinding the face of the miserable
moujik even to the bone.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26
Coughs Satire.

John B. Cough, in his late book called
Sunlight and Shadow" gives us an in
timation of that to which many of our
churches are drifting in their exceeding
hberality of doctrine and practice. He
says:
Jesus Christ said to his disciples, I
have chosen you out of the world We
seem to be ignoring that; and 1 ask,
What amusement or pursuit is there fol-
lowed by the unbeliever, that is not fol-
lowed or defended by some Christians i?
Cards, dancing, theatres, operas, wine,
and liquor drinking, gambling, all these
are patronized and defended by some
who are members of Christ's body-the
Church. 1 have witnessed the solemn
service of admitting new members into
the Church, and heard those received
assent to the doctrines and covenant; in
which act they promised to follow the
Lord Christ. And 1 have sometimes
imagined them at the theatre, at the
card-table or in the ballroom, notwith
standing their solemn vows in this i'm
pressive service, and the idea seemed so
inconsistent as to become revolving.
Perhaps we are becoming more liberal
and less scriptural; but I own it would
be strange thing to hear from among
the pulpit notices, one read like the fol-
lowing:
There will be a prayer meeting next
Wednesday evening, at half-past seven,
to last an hour, after which there will
be a social dance in the church parlors.
The Whist Club will meet at Brother
Whites. Wines, spirits, and cigars will
be furnished. Only whist, eucRre, and
seven-up will be permitted for we must
draw line somewhere.
On Saturday afternoon, the Dramatic
Society of the Sunday School will re-
hearse, previous to giving public exhibi-
ton. The play will be The School for
Scandal, revised by the Superintendent.
We propose emitting our usual Thurs
day lecture, as the opera company from
New York will give grand perform
ance; and the members of our choir are
engaged for the chorus at the theatre on
that evening.
Our usual monthly lottery for the Sab
bath School library will be drawn at
eight o'clock on Tuesday evening. All
are invited to attend.
A fair will be held on the 18th inst
in our church parlors, to raise funds for
a new billiard table in the gymnasium of
the church. There will be several at
fractions: rafting for some very elegant
articles also the grab-bag, particularly
tor the children: We hope to see large
We will now resume our
service by singing,
Far from my thoughts, vain world, begone.'
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26
WoRLDINEss-T GREAT SrN-- Tf

WoRLDINEss-THE GREAT S1N.-If 7
were called to point out the most alarm
ing sins of to-day-those which are most
deceitful in their influence, and most
soul-destroying in their ultimate effects
i would not mention drunkenness with
all its fearful havoc, nor gambling with
its crazed victims, nor harlotry with it's
hellish orgies; but the love of money on
the part Of men, and the love of display
on the part of women. While open vice
sends its thousands these habits sends
tens Of thousands to perdition. They
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26

A SERIOUS CURIOSITY in the Museum
of Natural History of Leyden. It con-
sists OF some bits of wood, full of holes
like a sponge, fragments of piles and
sluice-gates, which recall an immense
danger run by Holland toward the mid
die OF the last century. A shell-fsh a
species Of WOODWORK, called taret,
brought, it is believed, by some ship re-
turning from the tropics, and multiply
ing with marvellous rapidity in north
ern waters, had 50 corroded and gnawed
the wood of the dykes that, had it gone
on for short time longer without dis
covery, the sea would have broken in
and flooded the whole country. The
discovery Of this danger threw Holland
into dismay. The people rushed to the
churches, and the entire population set
to work. They lined the sluice. gates
with copper, they fortified the injured
dykes, they strengthened the piles with
rails, with stone, with sea-weed, and with
masonry; and partly by these means,
but especially by the rigor of the eli,
mate, which destroyed the terrible ami
NAL, the horrible calamity, feared at
first as irreparable, was avoided. A
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26

scar the conscience, incrust the soul with
an impenetrable shell of worldiness, de-
bauch the affections from every high and
heavenly object, and make man or woman
the worshiper of self. While doing all
this, the poor victim is allowed by pub
lie opinion to think himself or herself a
Christian; while the drunkard, the
gambler, or the prostitute is not de-
ceived by such thought for moment.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26

The ORTHODOX THEOLOGY OF To- DAY. By New
man Smyth. limo, PIP. 1S9 $125. Charles
Scribner's Sons 743 and 745 Broadway, New
York
The name of this writer is already familiar to
the readers of this paper as the author of !" Old
Faiths in New Lights very interesting and
suggestive volume. The first chapter of the pre-
sent volumeis devoted to Churches and Creeds, -
and undertakes to show the necessity for def
mite statement of our faith, maintaining, how
ever, that creed should always be held sub,
Ject to revision. Succeeding chapters treat of
Forgiveness and Suffering. +" Imperfect Theo.
ries of the Future Life, " Negative and Positive
Elements in the Conception of the Future Life u
etc. There is much to admire in the work
what it lacks, we think, is erplicitness; the au
thor seems too anxious to conciliate modern
thought and expresses himself in rather an un-
certain way about the fnality of the probation-
airy character of the present life At the same
time, he is candid thinker, who evidently aims
to elicit the truth and his remarks are always
well put, and well worthy of consideration.
Por sale by West, Johnston & Co. of this city.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26
Recent Publications.

TIE Holy BIBLE according to the Authorized
Version of 1911, with an Explanatory and
Critical Commentary and Revision of the
Translation, by Bishops and other Clergy of
the Anglican Church. Edited by F. c. Cook,
NJ A. Canon OF Exeter. New Testament
Vol. III. Romans to Philemon. Svo, PIP.
S44.
This is the well known Speakers Common
tary," one of the most scholarly in the English
language, and one of the most important COM
mentaries on the Bible undertaken in the pre-
sent day. 1t is adapted rather to scholars, we
think, than to the popular reader, and we have
always regretted the meagreness of the notes.
which are put at disadvantage by the fuller
treatment of some other commentaries. This
has been occasioned by the desire to keep the
work within moderate bulk. 1t would be i'm
possible without fuller examination than we
have given the present volume to Judge of its
treatment of disputed theological points but its
general tone appears to be entirely evangelical.
The contributors to this volume are the Rev. E.
H. Clifford, D. D., Hon. Canon of Worcester. on
Romans; Rev. t. S. Evans, Canon of Durham,
and Rev. j. Waite, NJ. A., on Corinthians Rev.
]. A. Jeremie, D. D, late Dean of Lincoln, Can.
on Westcott D. D., and VIM. Alexander, D. D.,
Lord Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, on Philip
plans, Ephesians, Colossians, Thessalonians. and
Philemon; and Rev. Dean Howson, on Galatians.
These names are guarantee of the thorough
manner in which this valuable work has been
prepared, and make it an almost necessary ad-
dition to the library of the Biblical student.
For sale in Richmond by West Johnston &
Co.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26

The BIBLICAL MUSEUM. PSALMS AND Pro
VERBS.
These two volumes have been examined and
read with much care and interest For extend
ed comment, we know of nothing comparable to
Henry or Poole. But for short, pithy and in
general, accurate exposition of pivotal words in
each text, this series is admirable The sermon
outlines are often suggestive, but to one not
lame, crutches are useless; and the young
preacher who starts out on homiletic crutches
will find hard work in learning to walk alone.
The illustrations are admirable, and on the
whole, the Biblical Museum is book we'll
worth having, and is worth double the price of
each volume. TWIN.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26

HE INTERNATIONAL REVISION COMMENTARY ON
THE New TESTAMENT, based upon the Revised
Version of 1881, by English and American
scholars and members of the Revision Com
mittee: Edited by Philip Schaff, D. D., LID
Vol. II. The Gospel according to Mark, ex.
planned by Matthew B. Riddle, D. D., Pro.
lessor of New Testament Exegesis in the Theo.
logical Seminary at Hartford, Conn, Member
OF the N. t. Company of American Revisers
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1881.
This is the first volume of series of popular
commentaries on the New Testament books,
based upon the Revised Version. 1t is a cheap
and abridged edition of the authors illustrated
Popular Commentary" of which two volumes
have appeared. We like the idea and plan of
this new work very much. The little volume
before us is beautifully gotten up, and gives the
promise of new and admirable popular COM
mentary on the New Testament using the Re
vised Text, prepared by the best English and
American Biblical scholars of the present day.
From the examination given it, we have been
greatly pleased with the manner in which the
work is done. limo. PIP. 243. Price 81. For
sale In Richmond by West, Johnston & Co.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26

worm had made Holland tremble-tri-
umph denied to the tempests of the
ocean and the anger of Philip of SPAIN
De Anetcss.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26

TIE ATIASr1C MoSTH1Y for November. Con.
tents:
DR.. Breens Practice; Among Lowell Mill
Girls-A Renaissance When did the Pilgrim
Fathers Land at Plymouth The Protrait Of a
Lady The Romance Of Modern Life So as by
Fire; The Theory Of a Common Origin for all
Languages From a Mournful Villager; A
Florentine Family in the Fifteenth Century
The Forestry Work Of the Tenth Census /;
Goethe's Limitations as Man and Poet Run
nlng-Water Notes; Three New Theological
Works; The Roman Poets of the Republic
Garfield The Contributors Club Books Of the
Month
Boston Houghton, Miflin & Co., publishers.
BLAcKwooD's EDINBURGH MAGAZINE for DC.
tober. Contents:
The Fixed Period; The Decadence of French
women; Uncle H., Conclusion A New Don
Quixote; Denis The Threatened Abolition of
6f5ank-Notes; Autobiographies, No. V, Carlo
Goldoni Tariff Reform.
G, Leonard Scott Publishing Co., Al Barclay
Street, New York.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26

DR.. POLLARD, Commissioner of Agriculture,
issues third edition of his Hand book of Vir
ginia." 1t is work of nearly 200 pages, and
treats Of the geology, the mineralogy the agri
culture, the commerce, the.manufactures, the ed
ucation, etc., etc., of the State One half of the
volume is devoted to a detailed account, in al
phabetical order, of the counties of the State.