aries, but could scarcely believe their words; not until he had gone through the same experience did he become fully convinced. Now he had been tendered a release, he scarcely knew whether he was ready to accept it. He was more than ever interested in his labors. He loved the work, he loved the people; and the people loved him that is the Saints, his fellow-missionaries, and the many friends he had made. His affection for dear ones at home They were more endeared He was not lessened in the least degree. to him than ever, so his love was not transfered from the old to the new friends. The fact was his love had greatly increased. Never before did he realize that he was capable of entertaining so much affection for mankind. His heart went out to everybody. could love his enemies, and do good to those who despitefully used him. No hatred was found in his heart, and he was truly happy. He was pleased that his mission had been acceptable to his president, and that he was worthy of an honorable release. While to him the time had passed rapidly and pleasantly, he remembered his aged mother at home, who no doubt was counting the weeks and days, and fondly hoping that she might be permitted to live to once more see her far-off son. For her sake, he felt it a duty to return home, now that he was released. Besides there was another powerful attraction to draw him homeward. That was Alice Williams. She, too, was patiently and lovingly awaiting his return. Herbert decided to spend a short time in sight-seeing before leaving; then he would come back and bid his friends farewell. Some few of the Saints would go with him, having prepared to emigrate to Zion. Among them was the young lady, whose brutal father had driven her from home. She had saved money sufficient to pay her emigration, and had received promise of a home with a family that had gone to Utah a few years before. More than that, she had received a promise of marriage from a worthy young man—a missionary who had made her acquaintance while he wis in the field some two years before. ST. PAUL'S COMPANIONS IN ROME. BY COL. R. M. BRYCE-THOMAS. IX.-TYCHICUS. We hear of Tychicus first in A. D. 59, at Ephesus, at the time that St. Paul left for Macedonia after the great tumult raised by the silversmith Demetrius regarding the worship of the goddess Diana (Acts 19: 23 et seq., and Acts 20:14). He was a disciple from Ephesus, and had grown into the affections of the great Apostle, who a few years later called him "a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord" (Col. 4:7). He remained a firm friend of St. Paul up to the close of his life. Tychicus is a Greek word meaning "fortunate," and has about the same meaning as the Hebrew word "Gad," or the Latin words "Felix" or "Fortunatus." Dr. Plumptre says that the name was very common among slaves and freedmen, and he refers to it as having been found on a Christian inscription discovered in the catacombs of Priscilla. That inscription is now in the Lateran Museum in Rome. He also refers to the name having been found on a non-Christian inscription giving the names of the household of the Emperor Claudius, now in the Vatican Museum, as belonging to an architect. Such callings were frequently hereditary, and it is said that architects found their best openings at that time at Ephesus. For this reason the idea had become prevalent that Tychicus was an architect by profession. He seems to have been employed by St. Paul as one of his emissaries or messengers to the churches to carry news to them of his sufferings, of his successes, of the oppositions he had to encounter, and of his health and general treatment in Rome; and we find that in the year A. D. 64, five years after the time that Tychicus and others had left Ephesus in Paul's company for Macedonia, the Apostle despatched him to both Ephesus and Colosse with his epistles which he had written to the churches established at those places (Eph. 6: 21 and Col. 4: 7). This was near the close of St. Paul's first Roman imprisonment. Tychicus must have either returned to the Apostle to Rome after delivering the letters, or else he must have met him after the latter's release from his imprisonment, because we find that when Paul wrote to Titus the Bishop of Crete in the following year (A. D. 65), he proposed to send Artemas or Tychicus to him as his messenger, showing that the latter, whom he had dispatched to Ephesus and Colosse in A.D. 64, must have since then joined him again . . . A year still later on, namely A.D. 66, St. Paul, during his second imprisonment, in writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, tells him that he had no one with him except Luke, and that he had sent Tychicus away to Ephesus. This must have been a second message to Ephesus, perhaps another epistle which the Apostle entrusted to Tychicus to deliver, for the latter was evidently with him in A. D. 65 as shown above (II Tim. 4: 12). Very little is known about this devoted companion of St. Paul except that he was an Asiatic (Acts 20: 4), and that he was first heard of in connection with the Apostle at Ephesus, so that in all probability he was one of that great preacher's Ephesian converts. According to tradition Tychicus became eventually bishop of Chalcedon, in Bythinia, or Neapolis in Cyprus. Pas de Calais, France. [TO BE CONTINUED.] TRIVIALITY. "In youth triviality seems only ludicrous and insignificant, but it slowly envelops its victim in its grayish mist, penetrates his brain, pollutes his blood like a poison or the fumes of charcoal, and the man soon becomes like an old signboard eaten through and through with rust. It looks as if something was painted upon it once upon a time, but now it is impossible to distinguish what it was.' OPPORTUNITY AND HAPPINESS. BY J. C. HOGENSON, OF THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. According to an old East Indian legend, "There was once a beautiful lady upon whom one of the good genii wished to bestow a blessing. He led her to the edge of a large field of corn, where he said to her: 'Daughter, in the field before us the ears of corn in the hands of those who pluck them in faith shall have wonderful virtues, and the virtues shall be in proportion to the size and beauty of the ear gathered. Thou shalt pass through the field once and pluck one ear. It must be taken as thou goest forward, and thou shalt not stop in thy path, nor shalt thou retrace a single step in quest of thine object. Select an ear of corn full and fair, and according to its size and beauty shall be its value to thee as a talisman.' "The maiden thanked the good spirit, and set out upon her quest. As she advanced she saw many ears of corn-large, ripe and beautiful, such as calm judgment might have told her would possess virtue enough; but in her eagerness to grasp the very best, she left these fair ears behind, hoping that she might find one still larger and fairer. At length, as the day was closing, she reached a part of the field where the stalks were thinner and shorter, and the ears were small ani shriveled. She now regretted the grand ears she had left behind, and disdained to pick from the poor ears around her, for here she found not an ear that bore perfect grain. She went on, but, Alas! only to find the stalks more and more feeble and blighted, until in the end, as night was coming on, she found herself at the end of the field without having plucked an ear of any kind." This legend has a grand lesson for every one. It points out clearly the necessity of grasping every opportunity as it comes to us. We cannot turn back in life's pathway, therefore an opportunity once neglected will never come to us again. Are we as young people grasping our opportunities? Now is the time in life when they are of the most value to us, because it is now that we build the foundation upon which we are to build our future successes or failures. Let us not then neglect our duties and opportunities of today, because if we do we may find tomorrow's poor and blighted. If we develop today as we should do then joy and happiness will be ours. A clear conscience, a contented mind, a cheerful disposition, these follow in the wake of fulfiled opportunities. Happiness never comes through greed and selfishly acquiring possession, but it comes always in transmitting what we possess to others; that they also may know and share with us our happiness. Happiness never comes through idleness, but through hard work and by doing our duties day by day as they come to us to the very best of our ability. Be contented with your own, do not envy others what they possess, or of their happiness, and go spend your time in vain regret; but take off your coat and get to work and do things and you will be surprised how soon the happiness and opportunities which formerly only others had will now also come to you. From the little poem which follows you will note that happiness lies in taking advantage of opportunities, doing your full duty and work: "THE TWO SEEKERS." Two men went seeking happiness— He tried to grasp its flower; |