20 minutes past 2, Eighth mo. 17, 1786. The guide spoke indistinctly, in the wonted manner of guides, but we managed to understand him. We spent a pleasant half hour wandering about the garden, with its beautiful paths and avenues, and here and there masses of white and yellow anemones called forth our admiration. This beautiful spot of earth deserves, if any does, the name Sanssouci-free from care. The Orangerie, a little distance from Sanssouci, was the next point of interest, and we had occasion to admire more handsome rooms, but our chief plea sure here was the beautiful view from its towers, over Potsdam, Babelsberg, and the various lakes. Our guide pointed out to us the noted mill, now overgrown with ivy, whose owner would not sell it to Friedrich the Great when he built Sanssouci, in spite of the latter's persuasions. It is now royal property, and makes a picturesque point in the landscape. We visited the Wenes Palais next, the crown princes summer residence. Great preparations were being made for the arrival of the royal family, who were expected in a few days. We were fortunate in securing a talkative guide, and as we were the only visitors we saw all very leisurely, something that rarely occurs when several parties are together. I shall not attempt to describe this magnificent castle, which Friederick the Great built to show that he had money left after the long and tedious Seven years' war. It is said that he burnt all the bills in order that no one could find out how much this palace cost. One room, however, I must describe. It is the most beautiful we ever saw. The first impression on entering is that one is in a sort of grotto, but on a second glance we see that the walls, ceiling, and floor are mosaic work in shells. Shells and precious stones of all kinds are placed together in fanciful mosaics. Words cannot do justice to the indescribably beautiful effect. Here we see a handsome piece of amethyst, there garnets, in the rough, and still further beautiful rock crystal. The shells are from all parts of the world, and in all colors of the rainbow. The guide pointed out one small section made of precious stones, jasper, agate and amethyst, that was valued at more than $5,000. He also told us that when Napoleon saw this room in 1813 he was so surprised that he could not refrain from expressing his admiration in the strongest terms, much as he disliked to acknowledge that there was anything so handsome in Berlin as in Paris. A drive past other royal residences and through the town finished our sight-seeing in Potsdam, and we were soon speeding back to Berlin, tired enough with all the beauties and splendors of the day. But we would not exchange our lot as free-born citizens of America for all the magnificence of all the royal palaces. Mediocrity is, after all, much better than aristocracy. F. H. Berlin, Fourth mo. 25th, 1885. THE ground-pines wash their rusty green, ·Emerson's May Day. NEWS OF FRIENDS. PHILADELPHIA QUARTERLY MEETING. This meeting was held as is usual at this season of the year, at Race Street Meeting-house in Philadelphia. It was largely attended and the occasion was one of much interest. In the Meeting for worship, Ann Packer of Green Plain Monthly Meeting, Ohio, was present, and very early in the meeting, she gave earnest testimony to the verity of the blessed assurances which have so long been the comfort and support of pilgrims heavenward. She had experienced the upholding power of Divine Truth; she had been preserved by its blessed influences, and felt sure that but for its benign power, soothing every sorrow, pointing the way in times of bewilderment, and directing the heart to the source and centre of all light and wisdom, her own life on earth would have ended long ago. The same holy influence enables us, in our measure, to be helpers and comforters of one another-binding up the broken-hearted, and setting at liberty those that are bound. The living witness for God in the soul, which promotes righteousness, keeps us and guards us through life, and assures us of blessing and joy beyond life, can be known by every heart, and is the source of love and unity in the Church of Christ. Its diffusion will bind us together as one for the work and service of God, and give us the reward of peace after the work is performed. It leads us in the highway of holiness and in the lowly paths of true peace-and its teachings and leadings are so simple that the wayfaring man, though a fool as to this world's wisdom, need not err therein. L. J. R. followed, calling attention to the words of the Blessed Master: "Well done, good and faithful servant-thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things." These lesser services of love and ministration are given to all, as a work for God and mau, in the earlier stages of spiritual experience, and the blessed promise of the great Master was, that if the little things of love and helpfulness were faithfully performed, greater things will be intrusted to the willing and obedient disciple. The lowest seat in the kingdom is enough of reward for the faithful servant. The new heaven and the new earth begin in the heart of the faithful and obedient. S. S. Ash then briefly addressed the meeting in these words: "There is for us a little message, but a Divine messsage- Fear not little flock, for it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.'' To-day we mourn the removal from among us of one of the boldest and strongest of those who were ready to bear testimony to the Eternal Truth. A faithful voice is silenced. Our champion has laid down his head in peace, and this dispensation should teach us all more entire dependence upon the Divine Helpnot doubting the blessed promise that it is indeed the Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom to those who humbly seek it. Susan Carrall also spoke briefly of our deceased friend and minister, Samuel J. Levick, whose long and faithful services among us are to be held in lasting remembrance by those who were often edified and encouraged by his earnest, helpful words of counsel and exhortation. The feeling of solemn and tender emotion in view of the deep bereavement that has befallen this meeting was general; and under the covering of this feeling the brethren retired, and the business of the Quarterly Meeting was entered upon Besides the usual routine of the Quarterly Meeting at this season, and the reception of minutes of unity for Ann Packer and her companion Elizabeth A. Davis, and the reading of the Advices of the Discipline-the several changes in the Book of Discipline proposed by Philadelphia Monthly Meeting were read and considered and generally united with by the women's meeting. A Friend on behalf of the men's meeting announced that that body were agreed that the subject shall be duly forwarded to the approaching Yearly Meeting for its action. There is a deep feeling among us that those requisitions of our Discipline that several generations of Friends have not seen it right to enforce, ought, in the interests of pure truth, to be expunged from their place among the Rules of the Church. Their enforcement in these days would endanger our organization, and surely would not tend to promote the great principles which we believe are for the healing of the nations. We need to draw closer and closer together in love and seek that unity of the Spirit that is the badge of true discipleship and the cement of the Church of Christ. Sincerity should characterize our lives, and should of all things extend to our religious profession. The light which shines today in the hearts of the faithful, is as able to reveal the pure and perfect will of God, as was that granted to any generation. Changes ought to be made in our Rules, only with religious care to do the rightbut where a wide divergence has been created between practice and profession by outgrown Rules, and it is evident that a conformity with the Law to which we profess allegiance, is known to be inconsistent with the best sense of right among us, it is certainly wise and best to make thoughtful amendments thereto. S. R. STANFORD QUARTERLY MEETING. Stanford Quarterly Meeting was held at Creek (known as the stone meeting-house), on the 8th of Fifth month. The meeting of ministers and elders was held on Fifth-day afternoon, the 7th of the month, but few strangers present, a solemn meeting. Our aged frien·l, George G. Macy, we were pained to learn, was confined to his house by a lingering illness. We have seen his well-known form so long in our midst that it was a solemn meeting to sit without his presence, counsel and aid. The Quarterly Meeting was held the following day. Although it was very rainy, the meeting was well attended. After a long and solemn silence Elias H. Underhill, of New York, arose and said he had been reminded of the condition of Paul, with the desire to strengthen and encourage the brethren, and not that he had left his home to communicate much in words, but in his presence to encourage and strengthen his brethren in this portion of God's heritage. We felt that not only his presence but his words and geniality of purpose was a strength and encouragement to us. After a few moments of silence, John Stringham, Superintendent of Friends' College, L. I., arose, and was much exercised in a lively and lengthy discourse for this meeting and the principles of the Society of Friends. Amanda Deyo, in a short and sympathizing discourse, followed, and after a few moments of silence James C. Stringham said he believed we had been blessed in meeting together and now, perhaps, the time had arrived to look to the business of the Quarterly Meeting, extending an invitation to any who felt a desire to remain with us through the business meeting, and they would be cordially received. The business meeting was conducted in much harmony of purpose, and although some remissness was noticed in some of the answers, still we have reasons to be thankful, believing these weaknesses abound mostly with those who have but little interest in our Society. Therefore, let us press on and not dwell on the gloomy side, but be ever ready to enter into the harvest, fully equipped for the service, and as we are faithful and not found weary in well doing, we shall reap our reward. *** -Miami Quarterly Meeting held at Waynesville, Ohio, Fifth month 9th, was not as large as common, owing to unfavorable weather, and some Friends being away from home. Testimonies were borne by two ministers, which gave general satisfaction. The business was transacted in much harmony and love. The First-day morning meeting was very large, the house being full. The corpse of Rachel Evans was brought in and it was a very solemn meeting. Testimonies were borne by two men Friends and two women Friends, and a prayer was made by a young woman. The remains were interred in Friends' burying-ground. The deceased had been a regular attender of that meeting for over half a century. "None knew her but to love her." J. W. M. ORTHODOX FRIENDS. -Of the answers to the queries at the recent session of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Friends' Review, says: 'The same general state of the Society was reported as that with which we have been long familiar from year to year; attendance of most of the members at First-day morning meetings, and neglect of other meetings by many; a few instances of sleeping,' in nearly all of the reports; a good degree of love and unity amongst the members of individual meetings; frequent reading of the Holy Scriptures in almost all Friends' families; some members only being exemplary, in the accepted meaning of the Query, in plainness of speech, behavior and apparel;' the testimony of the Society to a free Gospel ministry not being sufficiently maintained by all the members; the unnecessary distillation and use of distilled spirits, and frequenting of taverns being generally avoided; places of diversion, however, not being universally so, by our younger members; the testimony against war appearing to have had no violations during the year; but that against oaths being infringed by one member, acting in an official capacity.' The reports from the Quarterly Meetings on the use of intoxicating drinks showed that 234 members of the Yearly Meeting ' have, during the past year, partaken of such bever- the Methodist house; and then another process ion, ages. "Much the larger number of these have made headed by a brass band, was made to the house of the only occasional use of fermented drinks, especially Congregationalists, where the bread and wine were cider. While the number thus reported is slightly again partaken of. Five persons, professing to be greater than last year, there is reason to believe that ministers in the Society of Friends, took part in these spirit-drinking scarcely exists amongst our members, proceedings. The most of our readers and that the habitual use of fermented drinks is be- belong to bodies of Friends which have no conneccoming more and more uncommon." Caln Quarterly tion with the organization of which the actors in Meeting reported its members entirely clear for the these scenes are members; and therefore they may year past. not feel the same measure of responsibility in respect to them; yet it must be remembered that these proand thus reproach is cast upon the Truth we proceedings are published abroad as those of Friends,' -The Educational Committee reported that eleven schools had been assisted during the year, scattered through the different Quarters; 168 pupils, of whom 75 were members, being taught therein. The aid thus rendered was believed to have proved a blessing to many families. The continuance of the work was encouraged by the Yearly Meeting; and the sum of $1,500, asked for by the committee, was appropriated for its use. -The answers to the annual queries showed the decease, during the year, of several elders. Two of these were over ninety years of age, and the youngest in his sixty-ninth year. No meetings have been laid down, except Sadsbury Meeting of Ministers and Elders. -The Quarterly Meeting reports on Education showed that there are within the Yearly Meeting 804 children of school age. Of these, 196 have been at Westtown School; 271 at schools under the care of Friends, 54 taught by members but not under care of meetings, 85 taught in family schools, 21 not anywhere under instruction, and 177 at public schools or other schools not taught by members. -Westtown School report for last year was presented to the Yearly Meeting. The average number of pupils has been 1951; the number of boys being constantly in excess of the number of girls. The financial exhibit showed over $2,000 balance at the end of the year. Contracts had been made for getting out the stone for the foundations of the new build ings, and it was expected that ground would be broken for their commencement by the 1st of Sixth mouth next. fess." -Commenting on the revivals at Greenwich, in the permanence and ultimate value of the proOhio, The Friend says: "We have little confidence fessed conversions effected in this manner; or, in the good results of any methods which do not turn the thoughts inward to the operations of that Grace of God which bringeth salvation; yet, if those engaged in this work would lay aside the name of 'Friend,' and assume some appellation which would relieve our Society of all responsibility for their actions, we could leave them, as we do other religious societies, to the judgment of Him who knoweth the hearts of all men, and who will try every man's work." -Friends' Review is engaged in an elaborate review of "A Reasonable Faith," seeking to refute its doctrinal arguments by citations from the Scriptures. Three instalments of the article have appeared and more are to follow. may be termed for distinction sake) Gurney Friends, -In a book recently published in Ohio by (what and including Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, the number of Monthly Meetings in America are given as 324, and particular meetings 688, having 600 men, 371 women ministers, a total of 971. London Yearly Meeting has 323 recorded as ministers, Ireland, 36, and 7 others in France, Australia, etc., making a grand total of 1,337 preachers. If the acknowledged ministers of all the other branches were added, it is probable they would aggregate not far from 1,600. ACTION OF ALCOHOL ON THE HEART.-Dr. B. W. -The Friend, of Fifth month 9th, says: “A | Richardson, of London, says he was recently able to series of 'revival meetings' was held at Greenwich, convey a considerable amount of conviction to an Ohio, in the early part of the present year, of which intelligent scholar by a simple experiment. The notices have been published in several of the public scholar was singing the praises of the "ruddy papers, claiming many conversions as resulting there- bumper," and saying he would not get through the from, and stating that, in addition, a large number day without it, when Dr. Richardson said to him: professed to receive the blessing of sanctification. "Will you be good enough to feel my pulse as I They were conducted by a member of the Binns' stand here?' He did so. I said, 'Count it carefully ; Meeting in Ohio, who is in the station of a minister what does it say?' 'Your pulse says 74.' I then among them. A letter, written by a Friend in that sat down in a chair and asked him to count it again. neighborhood, states, that they were held in a He did so, and said, 'Your pulse has gone down to 'Friends' Meeting-house which had been recently 70.' I then lay down on the lounge, and said, 'Will built there, in which an organ had been placed, and you take it again?' He replied, Why, it is only a choir of singers organized. After continuing them 64; what an extraordinary thing!' I then said, in this house for five weeks, it was announced at a When you lie down at night that is the way nature First-day morning meeting, that in the evening they gives your heart rest. You know nothing about would have a love-feast [partake of bread and water], it, but that beating organ is resting to that after which they would march to the Methodist extent; and if you reckon it up it is a great deal of house, and there partake of the bread and wine. rest, because in lying down the heart is doing ten The meetings were continued three weeks longer at strokes less a minute. Multiply that by sixty, and it is six hundred; multiply it by eight hours, and within a fraction it is five thousand strokes different; and as the heart is throwing six ounces of blood at every stroke, it makes a difference of thirty thousand ounces of lifting during the night. When I lie down at night without any alcohol, that is the rest my heart gets. But when you take your wine or grog, you do not allow that rest, for the influence of alcohol is to increase the number of strokes, and instead of getting this rest, you put on something like fifteen thousand extra strokes, and the result is, you rise up very seedy and unfit for the next day's work till you have taken a little more of the ruddy bumper,' which you say is the soul of man below."-Selected. STEDMAN'S IDEA OF WHITTIER. Edmund C. Stedman, the poet, has an elaborate critiqué upon Whittier in the current issue of the Century magazine, in the course of which he says: SO "The training of the Friends made his boyhood still more simple; otherwise, as I have said, it mattered little whether he derived from Puritan or Quaker sources. Still, it was much, in one respect, to be descended from Quakers and Huguenots used to suffer and be strong for conscience' sake. It placed him years in advance of the comfortable Brahmin class, with its blunted sense of right and wrong, and to use his own words, turned him ' early away from what Roger Williams calls the "world's great trinity, pleasure, profit and honor," to take side with the poor and oppressed.' The Puritans conformed to the rule of the old Testament, the Friends to the spirit of the New. One has only to read our colonial annals to know how the Jews got on under the Mosaic law, inasmuch as to the end of the Mather dynasty the pandect of Leviticus, in all its terror, was sternly enforced by Church and State. The Puritans had two gods. Deus and Diabolus; the Quakers recognized the former alone, and chiefly through his incarnation as the Prince of Peace. They exercised, however, the right of interference with other people's code and practice, after a fashion the more intolerable from a surrender of the right to establish their own by rope and sword. Whittier's Quaker strain, as Frothingham has shown, yielded him wholly to the 'intellectual passion' that Transcendentalism aroused, and still keeps him obedient to the Inward Light. And it made him a poet militant, a crusader whose moral weapons, since he must disown the carnal, were keen of edge and seldom in their scabbards. The fire of his deep-set eyes, whether betokening, like that of his kinsman Webster, the Batchelder blood, or inherited from some old Feuillevert, strangely contrasts with the benign expression of his mouth-that firm serenity, which by transmitted habitude dwells upon the lips of the sons and daughters of peace. We all are weak and all are strong : POETRY. STILLNESS. "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him.”—Psl. xxxvii, 7. Who works to make thee whole? Art thou satisfied and still? 'Neath the shadow of His will? Thy vessel must be shapen For the joys of Paradise, In furnaces of pain, Be still, and let Him mould thee, Are deepest joys distilled, Through death to endless Life. For the kingdom and the crown ; Who calleth thee His own. Such stillness is a shrine ; 'Mid the shadows and the gloom; For His presence and for home. For resurrection stillness There is resurrection power; And common days are holy, And years an Eastertide, For those who with the Risen One, Then let His true love fold thee, Keep silence at His word; -Faith Words Press. THE SEVENTEEN-YEAR LOCUSTS. HOW AND WHEN THEY APPEAR, WITH THEIR HABITS. F. H. Hillpot, of Tinicum, Bucks county, writes to the editor of the Doylestown Democrat as follows: "Seventeen years ago, I wrote you a description of the locusts, wherein I stated that they would appear in 1885, and no sooner, which you so kindly published in your paper of the 12th of May, 1868, and now 1885 is here, and the locusts will be here too, and, as they will make their appearance once in every seventeen years, the time therefore is up. The writer hereof has had the opportunity of seeing them four times, viz., in 1817, 1834, 1851 and 1868, and out of curiosity he was led to watch their movements in 1851 and 1868. They will appear again in this month of May, 1885, about the 23d or 24th day, or perhaps a few days sooner or later, owing to the weather, cold or warm. They also appear one or two days sooner on the sun side of a hill than on the north. They will open a small round hole up through the surface of the ground about two days before they come out, in order, I suppose, to get naturalized to the air. Then, in the afternoon, about one and a half or two hours before sunset, they will make their appearance on the top of the ground, and the first thing they can reach to climb up, whether a brush, tree, stake, grass, or anything else strong enough to bear them, they will climb up from one to two, or even as high as twelve feet from the ground. As soon as they are satisfied as to the height they can go, they fasten their little feet. When this is done they immediately begin to open on the back from head to butt. This process goes on slowly, and it takes twenty-five minutes to work the head and six legs out of the shell. As soon as this is done it lets itself back, hanging at about right angle with its old shell, apparently almost dead, and so fatigued for awhile as to be unable to help itself. In this position it remains forty-five minutes, and when it has gained strength, reaches up, gets hold of its old shell with its two front feet, and draws itself up on top of it, and at the same time draws out its butt end. This done, immediately its wings begin to grow, or enlarge from mere nothing to the size they get, which takes exactly ten minutes. They keep coming up out of the ground every afternoon at the above hours, and also in the morning until the sun is up about one and a half or two hours, and at no other time in the day, until about the 7th of June, when no more leave the ground. However, in 1851, the writer observed one, an odd one, come out on the 18th of June. In their flight, if by chance they happen to fly on a pine or cedar tree, they will not remain two minutes, but leave as soon as they find their mistake. They commence to deposit their eggs, or nits, in the bark of the body, but mostly in the bark of the limbs of all trees, except pine or cedar, or any that contain turpentine, from about the 15th to the 25th of June, which is done by cutting open the outside bark with their stinger in the butt end, which they reach out with and turn it in shape of a hook. Placing this in the bark, they walk slowly forward and plow open the bark with it, and at the same time deposit the eggs therein as they go. The eggs remain there about twenty-five days, when they are hatched and come out a very small locust, so small it takes good eyes to see them. They can be seen best with a magnifying glass. These small locusts, as they come out of the bark, drop to the ground, work themselves into it, and remain therein for seventeen years. The writer, by digging up a tree, about four years ago, found some of the present coming locusts from two to two and a half feet under ground. The coming locust will remain with us until about the 1st of July, and in all that time it is not known that they eat anything, when they will die off and no more appear forever. But those eggs, or nits, so deposited and hatched into small locusts, will appear in May, 1902, when it is doubtful whether they will find me here. (Readers, mark this.) Locusts are now to be seen in the ground from four to eight inches deep, with their heads upward, preparatory to the opening through the surface. When their day appears, now soon, they can only be found under trees that were standing seventeen years ago, or where there stood timber at that time. There will be fewer locusts every time they appear, on account of the scarcity of timber, and consequently they will be harder on fruit trees." THE USELESSNESS OF WAR. The Christian World, said to be the most widely circulated religious newspaper in England, thus considers the situation : "We utterly reject and repudiate the position that it is our inevitable fate to be involved in a life and death struggle with Russia. There is absolutely no such necessity. An arrangement is possible; we cannot but believe it is practicable. The stronger the case is against Russia the more reason is there why we should wish the issue to be decided by arbitration. We cannot more effectually support Gladstone than by agitating for arbitration. What proof have we that he does not wish to be supported against such furious insistence upon war, such malignant bitterness of opposition to arbitration as prevails in the Jingo press? Lord Roseberry says that arbitrations always go against us. He gives no evidence, however, that this is so, unless we are to accept as proof that the Alabama arbitration went against us. We should be much surprised to learn that Lord Roseberry sets so much store by the £3,000,000 of the Alabama award as to regret that we did not spend a hundred millions, kill 20,000 Americans, and have 20,000 of our own soldiers and sailors slain in a gallant, glorious, un-Christian, immoral and utterly useless fight with the great Republic." WHY shouldst thou fill to-day with sorrow My heart? One watches all with care most true, Only be steadfast, never waver, Thou knowest what God wills must be -Paul Flemming. |