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into consideration the additional facts, that our Home and Foreign Mission fields are rapidly expanding and calling for more men every year to cultivate them and gather in glorious harvests; that for the last decade or two of years there has been relatively, if not actually, a decided falling off in the number of candidates for the ministry; and that for various reasons, which will suggest themselves to the observing reader, there were never before so many ministers in secular callings;-in view of such facts, which no intelligent man will call in question, it will be found that there is a real, actual, alarming dearth of available and acceptable ministers already existing in the American Church. And the causes which have produced this sad state of things are growing in intensity and scope from year to year, and the alarm has not been sounded a moment too soon, and it is the part of wisdom to give heed to it and put in requisition every available means to increase the supply.

S.

A True or Fancy Sketch-Which? Two preachers I have in mind have caused me considerable reflection. One was a big, whole-souled, impulsive man, who made warm friends of sinner and saint at first acquaintance. His pastorate was blessed with a number of sweeping revivals, and his enthusiasm at such a season was irresistible. His life was parity itself, and his sermons were at times masterpieces. Yet, strange to say, after his first year his church ran down constantly. His congregations continued large, and their love for him seemed to deepen from year to year, yet the collections, the prayer-meetings,and, in fact, all the tests of an active, sterling piety, so forcibly illustrated the "facilis descensus," that a change was felt to be imperatively demanded.

The next minister was of an almost antipodal type. He measured his words in speaking and his time in visiting, and nothing could prevail upon him to use one word more or to stay one minute longer than he deemed necessary. He never overflowed, you knew to a

minute how long his prayer would be, and never was a good dinner spoiled because the service was longer than usual. The collections increased, and the prayer-meeting was well attended, and yet I have good reason for believing that that church never was at a lower ebb, spiritually, than under his ministration.

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I inquired into the history of the two The former had commenced his ministry as a "circuit rider," with little education. His sermons were thought out whenever he had opportunity, chiefly on horseback, his reading was done zealously, but in the most haphazard style, and by "boarding around" his habits of life were rendered necessarily irregular. The other had graduated from a theological seminary and had been drilled to perfection. expended all his efforts on making the church a machine, and his sole idea of success was to make it run without friction. In short, he had system "on the brain," as the saying runs, and wished to systematize everything, even to the manifestations of divine power. The other hardly knew what system meant. And between the two the church at Ris in a bad way, and is still at a loss to know how it came about.

That Mucilage Recipe.

J. L.

We have received nearly a hatful of recipes, in reply to inquiry in August number, page 661, several of which we give in brief:

J. G. REID.-"Starch, two ounces; white sugar, one ounce; gum arabic, two drachms; mix with water. After the gum is dissolved add sugar and starch, boil till the latter is thoroughly cooked. A little alcohol prevents souring. Have used it for years in a mineralogical museum and find it invaluable."

A. G. MURRAY.-"About two ounces of gum tragacanth; one ounce of clean rain-water; one teaspoonful of camphor or tablespoonful of alcohol, as soon as the gum is well softened."

W. A. YINGLING.-" Gum arabic and

rain-water. Two ounces of the former should make over one-half pint of mucilage."

J. H. MACNEILL. -"Common cherrytree gum dissolved in water."

We have received also several recipes for paste which is claimed to be superior to any mucilage:

J. W. B.-" Alum, one ounce; warm water, one quart; when cold add flour to the consistency of cream; powdered resin, one-half teaspoonful; cloves, two or three; boil to desired consistency, stirring constantly."

R. B. T.—“Flour, one tablespoonful; water, one teacupful; powdered alum, one-half teaspoonful; oil of cloves or carbolic acid, six drops."

L. S. Keen, S. T. Icken, H. W. Trueblood, William Wilmer, all recommend: "Common flour paste, one teacupful, ordinary size; carbolic acid, twenty drops."

"An Acre of Ground."

In response to the pastor wishing to know (in July number, p. 661) how to till his acre-farm so as to bring good profit with little labor, we have received several answers. The following may prove helpful:

Much depends upon where 'a country pastor' lives about turning ground into money. If he lives near a city, strawberries and black-cap raspberries will pay the best to market. If in the country, and he wishes to raise for his own family use, let him raise a small amount each of beets, peas, string and lima beans, sweet corn and parsnips, but buy his celery, onions and cabbages. If he expects to stay long, let him always have what he needs of black-caps and strawberries, and plant the rest in potatoes. I never hoe my garden until I am obliged to "hill up." Constant raking over keeps the ground light and free from weeds, and I can rake over four times as much in an hour as I can hoe; then when I hill up I have no weeds the rest of the summer. That is the way I get the most money for the least work.-OLD PASTOR.

On the same subject "D. G." writes: "He will find that, if his land is suitable for peas and oats, if he sows oats broadcast, and after harvesting them sows broadcast peas, he will not need to labor in the field at all after sowing until he reaps, and yet have a paying crop."

The Church for Young Men.

I don't claim to have found one that just meets my ideas, but, when I do, it will have two characteristics well marked. In the first place, its preacher will make more prominent than is usual the manliness of Christ. Manly young men admire nothing more than manliness in others. It will cover a great many faults in a preacher, and its absence will hide a great many virtues. So that the preacher of my church must, as one of the very first requisites, be a manly man, and delight in dwelling as often as possible on the supreme manliness of Christ-a theme, by the way, which it was left for a layman (Thomas Hughes) to develop.

In the second place, this church I hope to find will be careful to avoid unreasonable caution in intrusting young men with her work. No doubt it is all very proper for them to sit and learn wisdom at the feet of the Gamaliels, but after all an ounce of experience is worth a pound of precept. Then the young man who is a man has a horror of being a mere hanger-on, even to the best of things. He wants to feel that he is giving an equivalent, as far as possible, for everything he receives-even from the church. And when you have him at work-not merely at fitful and irre sponsible work, as in revivals, but at some permanent charge, as a Sundayschool class then you have him sure. LAYMAN.

A Familiar Scene.

The following scene is by no means unusual in the winter, either in city or country churches. The last stanza of the last hymn is begun by the choir. Suddenly throughout the church a stir 18 seen. One arm after another flies up

in the air like the windmill that roused the wrath of Don Quixote. Then one head after another ducks down behind the seat; an animated shuffling is heard, and the heads emerge with a double allowance of blood in the face, and just in time to bow for the benediction. What has happened? Nothing at all. The congregation have simply been putting on their overcoats, wraps and rubbers. The preacher must not let such

a little thing disturb his gravity, nor detract from the solemnity with which he delivers the benediction. Of course such unseemly haste to escape from the building is neither reverent nor complimentary; but-time is so short, you know, and there is so much to talk about before dinner. If that isn't a valid excuse, it's the only one I can perceive. Who can suggest a remedy? ORDERLY.

QUERIES AND ANSWERS.

"S. A. C."-Can you give us a comprehensive definition of superstition? -A.: Faith without knowledge.

"K. A. S."-A.: Why be offended that your neighbor has adopted your methods? You forget that "imitation is the sincerest flattery."

"J. A. P."--What is the cheapest edition of Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress?"-A.: That published by the Book Society of London. Price, one penny.

"A. K."-What is the best undenominational work giving a collection of Scriptural passages for use in visiting the sick and the afflicted?-A.: Referred to our readers for answer.

"A. K."-By whom is written the poem entitled "No Sect in Heaven," and where may it be found?—A.: Mrs. Cleveland is its author; the American Tract Society publishes the poem as a leaflet.

"J. R. F."-Where can the work known as "Scott's Parallel References" be had?-A.: It is probably out of print, as it is out of date, having been superseded by more comprehensive works. It may possibly be had of some second-hand book-dealer in any of our large cities.

"E. B. J."-Can you recommend a really practical book to a beginner studying elocution without a teacher?-A.: The "Drill-Book of Vocal Culture and Gesture," by E. P. Thwing, is by one who has had years of experience in the pulpit and lecture field, and it is warmly commended by such men as Drs. Talmage, Duryea, etc.

"J. S. T."-What standard works on theology would you recommend a young minister to study?-A.: Study first of all, the standards of your own church or denomination. What these may be, you can ascertain from your leading theological professors. An acquaintance with your own will lead you to know and to study other authorities outside of your particular church.

"J. H. T." - Can you inform me where and for what price I can purchase a small book entitled "The Dietetics of the Soul"? What are its merits and who is its author?-A.: The book in question may be recommended to all who are suffering from melancholy, or other mental depression. Its author is named Feuchtersleben, and its correct German title is: ". Zur Diætetic der Seele." It may be had (in German) of E. Steiger & Co., 25 Park Place, New York, for 30 cents, bound in cloth. We do not think it is republished in English.

"W. F.”—Moses took the golden calf, burnt it, and ground it to powder. (See Ex. xxxii: 20.) Can gold be burnt?A.: Either gold or silver, if subjected to a white heat, becomes friable, and is readily converted into fine powder. The golden calf was probably hollow, and hence easily broken into pieces. The heat necessary to calcine the pieces could be produced by bellows. Another theory has it that the idol was of wood coated with gold, in which case the fire served the double purpose of consuming the wood and calcining the gold.

"C. M." One of my congregation,

not a church member, whenever I approach him with words of solicitation, meets me with scorn and with allusions that are downright insulting. Does not a decent self-respect require me to let him alone hereafter?-A.: What are those allusions about, that you feel insulted over them? The probability is that he has some basis for them, or thinks he has. The first thing for you to do is to get that man's opinion of you in full. It will probably do you more good than the opinions of all the rest of the church. And then you will not have to strike in the dark.

"DUBIOUS."-Is it right for me to conceal from a church for which I am candidating my consciousness of certain weaknesses that may unfit me for the position?-A.: If you are tolerably sure you are unfit for the position, you have no sort of business candidating for it. Your own opinion of yourself, however, is probably the last thing anybody would want. Moreover, is not the Lord to have something to do with you and your weaknesses if He assigns you that field of labor? Remember the rebuke He gave to Moses. Give the church a fair opportunity of judging you; beyond this you need not feel called upon to "run yourself down."

"R. V. S."-Is it right for a pastor to appropriate to the use of the church what is known as "conscience-money?" Quite a sum has been sent to me through the mail. I have no hint as to where it is from, but feel assured it was not the giver's to give.-A.: Why, use it for the church, of course. What else can you do? If it is impossible to find the rightful owner, the church has the same right to it you would have to money you found, and whose owner you could not find. Besides, if the Lord's steward loses the funds, and you, finding them, return them to the Lord, who is wronged? Probably the money can't be returned to the owner now, or the sender's awakened conscience would have caused him to do so.

"PASTOR H."-Ought I to allow a blatant infidel in my neighborhood to say what he pleases, and I remain silent?

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Or should I take up the gauntlet and answer him in my pulpit ?-A.: The best answer we can give to the brother is a paragraph from the Autocrat of the Breakfast Table," by Dr. Holmes: "If a fellow attacked my opinions in print, would I reply? Not I. Do you think that I don't understand what my friend, the professor, long ago called the hydrostatic paradox of controversy? Can't know what that means? Well, I'll tell you. You know if you had a bent tube, one arm of which was the size of a pipe stem, and the other big enough to hold the ocean, water would stand at the same height in one as the other. Controversy equalizes fools and wise men in the same way, and the fools know it."

"JUVENUS."-A.: No; your intense self-consciousness in public prayer is not a hopeless indication. It is probably just the reverse. You say you can't feel as you do in private prayer, but "the thoughts seem more on the people than on God." Well, that shows that you have had little experience, but not necessarily that you have little piety. It shows you appreciate the importance of the situation and your own weakness. It is an experience we have all had to go through. Don't shirk your duty because of it. As a practical remedy, we would suggest that you fix your mind upon the afflictions, the trials, the temptations of persons present, until your heart is full of sympathy for them, and then out of your full heart endeavor to talk to God. Try to pray in public as you do in private.

"G. P. A."-Our new church edifice has a kind of ringing sound from the speaker's voice which prevents many from understanding what is said, and makes it unpleasant for all listeners. The auditorium is ampitheatre in style, about seventy feet by fifty in size, and rather more than the ordinary height. It has open timber finish, ceiled with ash. The speaker stands on the side of the room, in front of the orchestra. There is no alcove except for choir. What can be done?-A.: Stretching wires across the church below the ceiling,

one-third of the distance to the floor,

is the cheapest and easiest remedy we know of, but it is not always effectual. Anything to break the sound-waves. We would be glad to receive suggestions from our readers who have had experience in meeting this difficulty.

"L. S. K."-To what extent have personalities a place in public prayer? Recently two men were gambling in a building when it fell in, one being killed. At his funeral I prayed that the other, through God's mercy in sparing his life, might be led to a better life. Was I right? Give us a few rules for guidance in such matters.-A.: A public prayer should be on public matters. No person should be singled out it, except in one of two cases: when

the public welfare is exceptionally dependent on the person, or when public feeling is unusually aroused concerning him or her, as in cases of bereavement or calamity. The personal matter then becomes really a public matter. There are occasions, however, of a semi-public character, such as funerals or special prayer meetings, when the rule is more lax. The incidents related are an instance in point. Was the preacher right in so praying? We think so undoubtedly. The escaped sinner was so closely connected with the occasion that so far as that audience was concerned he was a public figure. But to pray for a sinner by name, in ordinary public worship, is almost never defensible. It is out of taste; it stirs up needless animosity; it furnishes a cloak for malice; it does no good, but much harm in many ways.

HELPFUL DATA IN CURRENT LITERATURE.

THE LIMITATIONS OF FREETHINKING. By Rev. Dr. D. S. Phelan. North American for September, 10 pp. A well-digested and rather brilliant essay, without much that is particularly new, but what there is being remarkably well said.

CAVE-TOMBS IN GALILEE. By Lawrence Oliphant. The Living Age for August 18, 6 pp. An article with something new even for old travelers in Palestine. The writer has made considerable study of the tombs of which he writes, and it is worth while for a minister to know what he has to say of them.

INDIAN WAR IN THE COLONIES. By Edward Eggleston. The Century, 19 pp. Mr. Eggleston here begins his series of historical articles on life in the colonies. It is safe to predict that they will be both valuable and interesting. The present installment certainly is. He handles the English language in an admirable manner, and his fancy is lively, while not running away with

his facts.

OUR NOMINATING MACHINES. By George Walton Green. Atlantic Monthly for September, 6 pp. A clear and vigorous statement of the reasons for much of the rottenness in our politics. The writer attempts rather to tell what the matter is than how it is to be cured. We have never failed to urge upon the preacher his duty to take part in politics. We urge the reading of

this article for the same reason.

WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH; OR, WHO ABE THE DISCIPLES OF CHEIST? By J. S. Lamar. Sevday Magazine for October, 5 pp. The subject looks like an immense one for a magazine article, but the readers will find that it refers to the denomination called "Disciples" and "Christians"-of which Garfield was a member. It is a description of their doctrines, methods, and a few statistics of their progress.

WITHOUT GOD, NO COMMONWEALTH, By Cardinal Manning. Eclectic Magazine for September, 6 pp. A clear, concise statement of the principles on which government rests. The cry of "Equality, fraternity, liberty," is a taking one at present, and is too apt to be carried farther than reason can consent. Cardinal Manning recognizes this tendency, and his words on the subject are, to say the least, timely and suggestive.

EDUCATION IN CHINA. By Rev. D. M. Bates, M.A. The American Church Review for September, 18 pp. A very interesting article discussing the modes and standards of education in China, what relation it sustains to the people at large,. and the advance made in educational methods from the West. The description of Chinese literature is brief, but interesting, and the discussion on the educational institutions established by missionary societies is not without value.

CLERICAL TRAINING BEFORE AND AFTER ORDINATION. By John Andrews Harris, D. D. American Church Review for August, 16 pp. The writer admits the fact of a decline in ministerial authority, and sets himself to the task of finding the reasons and of pointing out the indications of such decline. The fact is not particularly agreeable, but it has to be faced. It is not necessarily a proof that the ministry is declining because its authority is declining. It may mean simply that the people are much farther advanced than they used to be in independent thinking and in moral judgment. The priest's authority is greater than the minister's, but the priest may be not nearly so great as the minister. This article is not profound, but it is suggestive, and shirks none of the disagreeable phases of the subject.

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