In the reign of Henry VIII, 72,000 thieves were hanged, being at the rate of 2,000 a year. In the reign of George III, twenty persons were executed on the same morning in London for stealing. In 1785, ninety-seven persons were executed in London for stealing from a shop to the value of five shillings or more. If the amount were less than five shillings the punishment was not capital.At the beginning of the nineteenth century the punishment of death might be inflicted for more than two hundred crimes. These are some of the offenses that were punished with death: Picking a man’s pocket, taking a rabbit from a warren, stealing five shillings or more from a shop, cutting down a tree, catching and stealing a fish, personating a Greenwich pensioner, stealing a sheep or horse, harboring an offender against the revenue acts.
In the reign of Henry VIII, 72,000 thieves were hanged, being at the rate of 2,000 a year. In the reign of George III, twenty persons were executed on the same morning in London for stealing. In 1785, ninety-seven persons were executed in London for stealing from a shop to the value of five shillings or more. If the amount were less than five shillings the punishment was not capital.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century the punishment of death might be inflicted for more than two hundred crimes. These are some of the offenses that were punished with death: Picking a man’s pocket, taking a rabbit from a warren, stealing five shillings or more from a shop, cutting down a tree, catching and stealing a fish, personating a Greenwich pensioner, stealing a sheep or horse, harboring an offender against the revenue acts.
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Punishment in China—SeeCrime Exposed.
Punishment of Sinners—SeeSinners and God.
PUNISHMENT, PROFITABLE
Oscar Wilde wrote:
I want to get to the point when I shall be able to say quite simply, and without affectation, that the two great turning-points in my life were when my father sent me to Oxford, and when society sent me to prison. I will not say that prison is the best thing that could have happened to me; for that phrase would savor of too great bitterness toward myself. I would sooner say or hear it said of me that I was so typical a child of my age that, in my perversity and for that perversity’s sake, I turned the good things of my life to evil, and the evil things of my life to good.And if I then am not ashamed of my punishment, as I hope not to be, I shall be able to think, and walk, and live with freedom.In the very fact that people will recognize me wherever I go, and know all about my life, as far as its follies go, I can discernsomething good for me. It will force on me the necessity of again asserting myself as an artist, and as soon as I possibly can. If I can produce only one beautiful work of art I shall be able to rob malice of its venom, and cowardice of its sneer, and to pluck out the tongue of scorn by the roots. (Text.)
I want to get to the point when I shall be able to say quite simply, and without affectation, that the two great turning-points in my life were when my father sent me to Oxford, and when society sent me to prison. I will not say that prison is the best thing that could have happened to me; for that phrase would savor of too great bitterness toward myself. I would sooner say or hear it said of me that I was so typical a child of my age that, in my perversity and for that perversity’s sake, I turned the good things of my life to evil, and the evil things of my life to good.
And if I then am not ashamed of my punishment, as I hope not to be, I shall be able to think, and walk, and live with freedom.
In the very fact that people will recognize me wherever I go, and know all about my life, as far as its follies go, I can discernsomething good for me. It will force on me the necessity of again asserting myself as an artist, and as soon as I possibly can. If I can produce only one beautiful work of art I shall be able to rob malice of its venom, and cowardice of its sneer, and to pluck out the tongue of scorn by the roots. (Text.)
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PUPILS OF CHRIST
It is customary for students who have been attending colleges and academies to return home during the summer vacation or during the Christmas or Easter holidays, when they will recount to their father their trials and triumphs in the field of literature, and express to him their gratitude for the education they receive. They will gladly listen to his counsel, and will sit once more with joy at the family table.We all are, or we ought to be, pupils of Christ, preparing ourselves during this life of probation to receive a diploma of sanctity which will admit us to the kingdom of heaven.—Cardinal Gibbons.
It is customary for students who have been attending colleges and academies to return home during the summer vacation or during the Christmas or Easter holidays, when they will recount to their father their trials and triumphs in the field of literature, and express to him their gratitude for the education they receive. They will gladly listen to his counsel, and will sit once more with joy at the family table.
We all are, or we ought to be, pupils of Christ, preparing ourselves during this life of probation to receive a diploma of sanctity which will admit us to the kingdom of heaven.—Cardinal Gibbons.
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PURIFICATION
Moral life is often purified by storms, as the air by a rainy day:
The health-giving properties of rain are not appreciated by the general public. Rain is an essential to physical vigor in localities that have any extensive population. Man and his occupations load the air with countless and unclassified impurities. The generous, kindly rain absorbs them, even as a washerwoman extracts the dirt from soiled clothes. The ammoniacal exhalations, the gases resultant from combustion and decay, are all quietly absorbed by a brisk shower. People talk about a “dry climate,” but it is a snare and a delusion. There is nothing in it. A very dry climate will never support a large population, for it would soon become so poisoned that it would be fatal to the human race. A scattering few might inhabit it, but not the multitude.—Colliery Guardian.
The health-giving properties of rain are not appreciated by the general public. Rain is an essential to physical vigor in localities that have any extensive population. Man and his occupations load the air with countless and unclassified impurities. The generous, kindly rain absorbs them, even as a washerwoman extracts the dirt from soiled clothes. The ammoniacal exhalations, the gases resultant from combustion and decay, are all quietly absorbed by a brisk shower. People talk about a “dry climate,” but it is a snare and a delusion. There is nothing in it. A very dry climate will never support a large population, for it would soon become so poisoned that it would be fatal to the human race. A scattering few might inhabit it, but not the multitude.—Colliery Guardian.
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The life of God, if allowed to sweep through the earth unhindered, would purify man’s life, as ocean waves, described below, purify the lands they reach:
The air of the sea, taken at a great distance from land, or even on the shore and in ports when the wind blows from the open sea, is in an almost perfect state of purity. Near continents the land winds drive before them an atmosphere always impure, but at 100 kilometers from the coasts this impurity has disappeared. The sea rapidly purifies the pestilential atmosphere of continents; hence every expanse of water of a certain breadth becomes an absolute obstacle to the propagation of epidemics. Marine atmospheres driven upon land purify sensibly the air of the regions which they traverse; this purification can be recognized as far as Paris. The sea is the tomb of molds and of aerial schizophytes.—Public Opinion.
The air of the sea, taken at a great distance from land, or even on the shore and in ports when the wind blows from the open sea, is in an almost perfect state of purity. Near continents the land winds drive before them an atmosphere always impure, but at 100 kilometers from the coasts this impurity has disappeared. The sea rapidly purifies the pestilential atmosphere of continents; hence every expanse of water of a certain breadth becomes an absolute obstacle to the propagation of epidemics. Marine atmospheres driven upon land purify sensibly the air of the regions which they traverse; this purification can be recognized as far as Paris. The sea is the tomb of molds and of aerial schizophytes.—Public Opinion.
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Longfellow pictures life as a wave hastening to cleanse itself in the ocean:
Whither, thou turbid wave?Whither with so much haste,As if a thief wert thou?I am the Wave of LifeStained with my margin’s dust;From the struggle and the strifeOf the narrow stream I flyTo the sea’s immensity,To wash from me the slimeOf the muddy banks of time.
Whither, thou turbid wave?Whither with so much haste,As if a thief wert thou?I am the Wave of LifeStained with my margin’s dust;From the struggle and the strifeOf the narrow stream I flyTo the sea’s immensity,To wash from me the slimeOf the muddy banks of time.
Whither, thou turbid wave?Whither with so much haste,As if a thief wert thou?I am the Wave of LifeStained with my margin’s dust;From the struggle and the strifeOf the narrow stream I flyTo the sea’s immensity,To wash from me the slimeOf the muddy banks of time.
Whither, thou turbid wave?
Whither with so much haste,
As if a thief wert thou?
I am the Wave of Life
Stained with my margin’s dust;
From the struggle and the strife
Of the narrow stream I fly
To the sea’s immensity,
To wash from me the slime
Of the muddy banks of time.
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God uses many unseen agencies to offset the moral poisons of the universe:
“A device has been perfected by the chemist of the mechanical department of the Erie Railroad,” saysThe Railway and Engineering Review(Chicago), “by which all the cars on the Chicago limited train are thoroughly sterilized at Jersey City after each round trip between Jersey City and Chicago, a run of about 2,000 miles. Experiments looking to this method of cleaning cars so as to kill all disease germs and destroy all bad odors have been in progress for some time. A deodorizing apparatus has also been devised which is placed under the seats in the cars, out of sight of passengers, and gives off an odorless gas, which combines with the stale tobacco-smoke or other offensive odors which may accumulate in the cars, and serves to completely nullify them. This treatment has been so effective that it is expected it will be extended to all the passenger cars in the Erie service.”
“A device has been perfected by the chemist of the mechanical department of the Erie Railroad,” saysThe Railway and Engineering Review(Chicago), “by which all the cars on the Chicago limited train are thoroughly sterilized at Jersey City after each round trip between Jersey City and Chicago, a run of about 2,000 miles. Experiments looking to this method of cleaning cars so as to kill all disease germs and destroy all bad odors have been in progress for some time. A deodorizing apparatus has also been devised which is placed under the seats in the cars, out of sight of passengers, and gives off an odorless gas, which combines with the stale tobacco-smoke or other offensive odors which may accumulate in the cars, and serves to completely nullify them. This treatment has been so effective that it is expected it will be extended to all the passenger cars in the Erie service.”
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SeeEvil, Purging from.
PURIFICATION BY PRESSURE
The man in narrow circumstances, or prest severely with many cares may be purified by such pressure like the water described in this extract:
The best water is that which has gone deepest in the earth, where there is the tightest pressure, atmospheric and telluric. Continued and intensified filtration has refined it; but it is here, and not in its open-air exposure, before or after, that the water gets effective oxidation. The remarkable fact that water absorbs oxygen in something like a geometrical ratio to the increase of pressure, coupled with the other equally important fact that under a certain pressure and temperature organic germs cease to exist; both these conditions, protracted for the water by a long detention in the depths of the earth, secure the rarest refinement and also vitalization of the element.—The Sanitary Era.
The best water is that which has gone deepest in the earth, where there is the tightest pressure, atmospheric and telluric. Continued and intensified filtration has refined it; but it is here, and not in its open-air exposure, before or after, that the water gets effective oxidation. The remarkable fact that water absorbs oxygen in something like a geometrical ratio to the increase of pressure, coupled with the other equally important fact that under a certain pressure and temperature organic germs cease to exist; both these conditions, protracted for the water by a long detention in the depths of the earth, secure the rarest refinement and also vitalization of the element.—The Sanitary Era.
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PURITANISM, POETRY OF
How is it, then, that out of the hard soil of the Puritan thought and character, out of the sterile rocks of the New England conscience, have sprung flowers of poetry? From those songless beginnings have burst, in later generations, melodies that charm and uplift our land—now a deep organ peal filling the air with music, now a trumpet blast thrilling the blood of patriotism, now a drum-beat to which duty delights to march, now a joyous fantasy of the violin bringing smiles to the lips, now the soft vibrations of the harp that fill the eyes with tears. What is it in the Puritan heritage, externally so bare and cold, that makes it intrinsically so poetic and inspired?—Samuel A. Eliot.
How is it, then, that out of the hard soil of the Puritan thought and character, out of the sterile rocks of the New England conscience, have sprung flowers of poetry? From those songless beginnings have burst, in later generations, melodies that charm and uplift our land—now a deep organ peal filling the air with music, now a trumpet blast thrilling the blood of patriotism, now a drum-beat to which duty delights to march, now a joyous fantasy of the violin bringing smiles to the lips, now the soft vibrations of the harp that fill the eyes with tears. What is it in the Puritan heritage, externally so bare and cold, that makes it intrinsically so poetic and inspired?—Samuel A. Eliot.
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PURITY
A pastor visiting in the home of a laundress exprest admiration of the whiteness of the linen hung out upon the lines. They gleamed in beautiful purity as compared with the dark slates on the roof of the house behind them. But presently snow fell and quickly covered the roofs and streets with an absolutely unsullied mantle, and now the linen clothes seemed actually to have lost all their whiteness. The preacher said to the laundress that the clothes did not look anything like so white as before. She replied, “Ah, sir, the clothes are just as white as they were, but what can stand against God Almighty’s white?”
A pastor visiting in the home of a laundress exprest admiration of the whiteness of the linen hung out upon the lines. They gleamed in beautiful purity as compared with the dark slates on the roof of the house behind them. But presently snow fell and quickly covered the roofs and streets with an absolutely unsullied mantle, and now the linen clothes seemed actually to have lost all their whiteness. The preacher said to the laundress that the clothes did not look anything like so white as before. She replied, “Ah, sir, the clothes are just as white as they were, but what can stand against God Almighty’s white?”
It is a fact that the whitest sheet of paper looks yellow and dingy when placed on freshly fallen snow. So looks the morality of ordinary man beside the sinlessness of Jesus. (Text.)
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The ermine, whose fur is so famed for its perfect whiteness, has been taken as the emblem of the integrity and incorruptibility that should characterize the judiciary. Thus a judge is spoken of as wearing the ermine. The dainty little creature makes it the business of its life to keep clean. So strong is this instinct that it will suffer capture or welcome death rather than defilement. Knowing this, trappers and others seeking its fur will smear the paths it might take to escape, and it keeps itself unspotted, tho it yields its life. (Text.)
The ermine, whose fur is so famed for its perfect whiteness, has been taken as the emblem of the integrity and incorruptibility that should characterize the judiciary. Thus a judge is spoken of as wearing the ermine. The dainty little creature makes it the business of its life to keep clean. So strong is this instinct that it will suffer capture or welcome death rather than defilement. Knowing this, trappers and others seeking its fur will smear the paths it might take to escape, and it keeps itself unspotted, tho it yields its life. (Text.)
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SeeAssociations Mold Men.
PURITY OF ASSOCIATIONS
Most people would like to be reckoned with the good and true of earth, but they often overlook the necessity of a change in their moral conditions before that which they hope for can come to pass. A mother, speaking on this point, says:
As a companion for my children there was brought into the family a little lamb, to which, in its helplessness, our hearts went out in love. We were about to take it in our arms to love and cherish when we discovered it was alive with what are commonly called “ticks.” Horrified, I ordered the lamb tied to a tree, and forbade the children, or any one, in fact, to go near it until it could be cleansed. I stood with my children on the piazza, watching it with mingled emotions. Its pathetic bleatings made us long to take it in our arms and caress it, “mother” it, in its separation and loneliness. But I and my children were clean. The lamb was not. Far from being clean, it was alive with filth. The standard of approach to me, as to all cleanly people, was cleanliness. Much as we yearned over the lamb and longed to care for it, until purified with a cleansing wash, communication could not be established. When the conditions were fulfilled, children and lamb,the latter white as newly-fallen snow, “clean every whit,” played together in happy companionship. (Text.)
As a companion for my children there was brought into the family a little lamb, to which, in its helplessness, our hearts went out in love. We were about to take it in our arms to love and cherish when we discovered it was alive with what are commonly called “ticks.” Horrified, I ordered the lamb tied to a tree, and forbade the children, or any one, in fact, to go near it until it could be cleansed. I stood with my children on the piazza, watching it with mingled emotions. Its pathetic bleatings made us long to take it in our arms and caress it, “mother” it, in its separation and loneliness. But I and my children were clean. The lamb was not. Far from being clean, it was alive with filth. The standard of approach to me, as to all cleanly people, was cleanliness. Much as we yearned over the lamb and longed to care for it, until purified with a cleansing wash, communication could not be established. When the conditions were fulfilled, children and lamb,the latter white as newly-fallen snow, “clean every whit,” played together in happy companionship. (Text.)
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PURPOSE
The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder; a waif, a nothing, no man. Have a purpose in life, if it is only to kill and divide and sell oxen well, but have a purpose; and having it, throw such strength of mind and muscle into your work as God has given you.—Thomas Carlyle.
The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder; a waif, a nothing, no man. Have a purpose in life, if it is only to kill and divide and sell oxen well, but have a purpose; and having it, throw such strength of mind and muscle into your work as God has given you.—Thomas Carlyle.
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SeeResoluteness.
PURPOSE DISCERNED
A stone-mason may be a mere machine for breaking rock or he may be an architect’s assistant. It all depends on his point of view. If he is absolutely ignorant of the purpose of the stone which he hammers he will be the machine. But if he has even a remote idea that his block of stone is going to be set somewhere between the base line and the finial of a cathedral of a thousand years his work graduates into the artistic. The knowledge that the earnest expectation of the cathedral waits for his chunk of stone makes that stone mean something more than stone to him.—T. C. McClelland.
A stone-mason may be a mere machine for breaking rock or he may be an architect’s assistant. It all depends on his point of view. If he is absolutely ignorant of the purpose of the stone which he hammers he will be the machine. But if he has even a remote idea that his block of stone is going to be set somewhere between the base line and the finial of a cathedral of a thousand years his work graduates into the artistic. The knowledge that the earnest expectation of the cathedral waits for his chunk of stone makes that stone mean something more than stone to him.—T. C. McClelland.
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Purpose of God—SeePlans, Human, Transcended.
Purpose, Organic—SeeDesign of God.
Puzzling, Things that are—SeeMystery in Religion.
Qualities Admired—SeeAppreciation of Character.
QUARRELSOMENESS
The New YorkTimescomments upon a disagreeable trait in a great artist:
The quarrelsomeness of Whistler began with a combination of nervous fastidiousness and temperamental gaiety of disposition. That spring, that elasticity of mind which kept his hand so full of craftsmanship, was the source of his eternal youth, his quips and cranks and love of teasing. In time the habit became fixt and Whistler developed a Mephistophelean dexterity in touching the raw, ever losing thereby one friend after another. Like the dog that has a reputation for biting, the genial master made a desert about his den, but consoled himself with noting how efficacious this reputation was in holding off bores.
The quarrelsomeness of Whistler began with a combination of nervous fastidiousness and temperamental gaiety of disposition. That spring, that elasticity of mind which kept his hand so full of craftsmanship, was the source of his eternal youth, his quips and cranks and love of teasing. In time the habit became fixt and Whistler developed a Mephistophelean dexterity in touching the raw, ever losing thereby one friend after another. Like the dog that has a reputation for biting, the genial master made a desert about his den, but consoled himself with noting how efficacious this reputation was in holding off bores.
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QUIBBLING
Many a man makes excuses for his errors that are no more reasonable than those of the lawyer whose client was sentenced by Judge Kent, the well-known jurist:
A man was indicted for burglary, and the evidence showed that his burglary consisted in cutting a hole through a tent in which several persons were sleeping and then projecting his head and arm through the hole and abstracting various articles of value. It was claimed by his counsel that, inasmuch as he did not actually enter the tent with his whole body, he had not committed the offense charged, and must, therefore, be discharged. Judge Kent, in reply to this plea, told the jury that if they were not satisfied that the whole man was involved in the crime, they might bring in a verdict of guilty against so much of him as was thus involved. The jury, after a brief consultation, found the right arm, the right shoulder and the head of the prisoner guilty of the offense of burglary. The judge sentenced the right arm, the right shoulder and head to imprisonment with hard labor in the State prison for two years, remarking that as to the rest of his body he might do with it what he pleased. (Text.)
A man was indicted for burglary, and the evidence showed that his burglary consisted in cutting a hole through a tent in which several persons were sleeping and then projecting his head and arm through the hole and abstracting various articles of value. It was claimed by his counsel that, inasmuch as he did not actually enter the tent with his whole body, he had not committed the offense charged, and must, therefore, be discharged. Judge Kent, in reply to this plea, told the jury that if they were not satisfied that the whole man was involved in the crime, they might bring in a verdict of guilty against so much of him as was thus involved. The jury, after a brief consultation, found the right arm, the right shoulder and the head of the prisoner guilty of the offense of burglary. The judge sentenced the right arm, the right shoulder and head to imprisonment with hard labor in the State prison for two years, remarking that as to the rest of his body he might do with it what he pleased. (Text.)
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QUICKENING
An old legend tells that Adam lay buried on the very spot on which the cross of Christ was planted and that a drop of blood trickling down touched him instantly starting him into life. It is in allusion to this curious legend that in very old paintings of the crucifixion a skull is introduced. (Text.)
An old legend tells that Adam lay buried on the very spot on which the cross of Christ was planted and that a drop of blood trickling down touched him instantly starting him into life. It is in allusion to this curious legend that in very old paintings of the crucifixion a skull is introduced. (Text.)
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Quiet—SeeSounds.
QUIET, STUDY TO BE
One of the darkest and most trying experiences of the war was at the time Lincoln relieved McClellan of his command:
Loud cries of dissatisfaction arose in the north. Men came to Lincoln clamoring for changes in commands and plans and policies. “Gentlemen,” he said to one delegation of advisers, “suppose all the property you were worth was in gold and you had put it in the hands of Blondin to carry across the Niagara River on a rope. Would you shake the cable or keep shouting at him, ‘Blondin, stand up a little straighter; Blondin, stoop a little more; go a little faster; lean a little more to the north; lean a little more to the south’? No, you would hold your breath as well as your tongue and keep your hands off until he was safe over. The Government is carrying an enormous weight. Untold treasures are in our hands; we are doing the very best we can. Don’t badger us. Keep silence and we will get you safe across.”—James Morgan, “Abraham Lincoln, the Boy and the Man.”
Loud cries of dissatisfaction arose in the north. Men came to Lincoln clamoring for changes in commands and plans and policies. “Gentlemen,” he said to one delegation of advisers, “suppose all the property you were worth was in gold and you had put it in the hands of Blondin to carry across the Niagara River on a rope. Would you shake the cable or keep shouting at him, ‘Blondin, stand up a little straighter; Blondin, stoop a little more; go a little faster; lean a little more to the north; lean a little more to the south’? No, you would hold your breath as well as your tongue and keep your hands off until he was safe over. The Government is carrying an enormous weight. Untold treasures are in our hands; we are doing the very best we can. Don’t badger us. Keep silence and we will get you safe across.”—James Morgan, “Abraham Lincoln, the Boy and the Man.”
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QUIETNESS
Scientific authorities are generally agreed that the night air contains less dust and fewer germs than the atmosphere during the day time. This is, of course, due to the fact that greater quietness prevails at night, and the traffic of the street is practically at a standstill. The still night air is more wholesome to breathe and is in a purer state than the air obtained in the daytime.
Scientific authorities are generally agreed that the night air contains less dust and fewer germs than the atmosphere during the day time. This is, of course, due to the fact that greater quietness prevails at night, and the traffic of the street is practically at a standstill. The still night air is more wholesome to breathe and is in a purer state than the air obtained in the daytime.
For the enjoyment of the best spiritual conditions we need frequently to seek intervals of retreat from the restless distracting world. (Text.)
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QUIETNESS IN DANGER
A lion in India had stolen a man and ran away with him to the jungle. A young officer loaded his weapon and followed in close pursuit. He discharged his piece full at the lion, which caused the animal and his victim to fall to the ground at once. While the officer was reloading his weapon, the lion began to crunch the captain’s arm. Notwithstanding the pain, the brave man, knowing the lion’s habits, resolved to lie perfectly still. The beast freed the man’s arm and crouched down with his paws on the thigh of the fallen foe.While in this dangerous situation, the captain unthinkingly raised his hand to support his head. The moment he moved, the prostrate man’s lacerated arm was seized the second time and crunched as before. This second painful lesson was sufficient to enable him to keep quiet until the young officer arrived and rescued him.
A lion in India had stolen a man and ran away with him to the jungle. A young officer loaded his weapon and followed in close pursuit. He discharged his piece full at the lion, which caused the animal and his victim to fall to the ground at once. While the officer was reloading his weapon, the lion began to crunch the captain’s arm. Notwithstanding the pain, the brave man, knowing the lion’s habits, resolved to lie perfectly still. The beast freed the man’s arm and crouched down with his paws on the thigh of the fallen foe.
While in this dangerous situation, the captain unthinkingly raised his hand to support his head. The moment he moved, the prostrate man’s lacerated arm was seized the second time and crunched as before. This second painful lesson was sufficient to enable him to keep quiet until the young officer arrived and rescued him.
Quietness in time of danger has saved many a man from sad consequences. (Text.)
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Quietude—SeeSilence.
Race Improvement—SeeImprovement.
RACE LOYALTY
Lieut. David J. Gilmer, of the Forty-ninth Volunteer Infantry (colored), commanding a detachment at Linao, was crediting his men for some good work they had done.
When he concluded, one of his men asked the lieutenant if he thought the Forty-ninth would be sent to China. The lieutenant said: “I don’t know, but I hope so.” Then some other soldier said: “Why, lieutenant, don’t you think we are doing enough?” The lieutenant said: “No! I wish that we could take part in all wars for our country; for the more good work we do the more benefit our race derives from it. If to sacrifice my life would cause our race to receive the same consideration in public affairs in the United States as other races, I would gladly walk out to any selected place and accept the death penalty.” (Text.)
When he concluded, one of his men asked the lieutenant if he thought the Forty-ninth would be sent to China. The lieutenant said: “I don’t know, but I hope so.” Then some other soldier said: “Why, lieutenant, don’t you think we are doing enough?” The lieutenant said: “No! I wish that we could take part in all wars for our country; for the more good work we do the more benefit our race derives from it. If to sacrifice my life would cause our race to receive the same consideration in public affairs in the United States as other races, I would gladly walk out to any selected place and accept the death penalty.” (Text.)
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Race Prejudice Overcome—SeeCivics.
Race-track, The—SeeGambling.
RACE TRAITS
All the white race have teeth vertical, the jaw short; and the manner in which the teeth fit one upon the other is perpendicularly, so that when we close the mouth we bring the lower teeth against the upper teeth in such a juxtaposition that the two sets stand vertical, one above the other. The races of men which have that kind of dentition are called orthognate; that is, straight-jawed races; while there are other races—and, among others, all the inhabitants of the South Sea Islands and all the inhabitants of Africa south of the Atlas—that have their front teeth inclined, so that the upper teeth and the lower teeth, when brought against one another, form an angle and the mouth is more prominent; these men are called prognate. And that difference is a constant one. All the races of men with prognate jaws have also thicker and more prominent lips. They have also flat noses, which I have already described, with broad partitions between the nostrils, and the nostrils opening sideways.—Prof.Louis Agassiz.
All the white race have teeth vertical, the jaw short; and the manner in which the teeth fit one upon the other is perpendicularly, so that when we close the mouth we bring the lower teeth against the upper teeth in such a juxtaposition that the two sets stand vertical, one above the other. The races of men which have that kind of dentition are called orthognate; that is, straight-jawed races; while there are other races—and, among others, all the inhabitants of the South Sea Islands and all the inhabitants of Africa south of the Atlas—that have their front teeth inclined, so that the upper teeth and the lower teeth, when brought against one another, form an angle and the mouth is more prominent; these men are called prognate. And that difference is a constant one. All the races of men with prognate jaws have also thicker and more prominent lips. They have also flat noses, which I have already described, with broad partitions between the nostrils, and the nostrils opening sideways.—Prof.Louis Agassiz.
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RADIANCE, REFLECTED
The human soul may see God as veiled in the incarnation, tho we are told that none can look on Him (in His full glory) and live:
Lighting by “glow,” or by the reflection of rays from a dull white surface, is becoming more and more common. According to the writer of an article inThe American Magazine, this was first done on a large scale at the Chicago Exposition in 1893, where it was adopted by Luther Stieringer. The cafe of the Adams House in Boston is lighted by a domed ceiling that glows gently and evenly with the reflected light of hundreds of invisible incandescent bulbs hidden around its base. In the great blue dome of the great pillared reading-room of Columbia University Library—the noblest educational building in the country—hangs what is locally known as “the mothball,” a huge globe of ground glass. It is perhaps a hundred feet above the floor, yet at night, when four calcium lights are turned on it, its subdued, reflected radiance fills the whole hall.
Lighting by “glow,” or by the reflection of rays from a dull white surface, is becoming more and more common. According to the writer of an article inThe American Magazine, this was first done on a large scale at the Chicago Exposition in 1893, where it was adopted by Luther Stieringer. The cafe of the Adams House in Boston is lighted by a domed ceiling that glows gently and evenly with the reflected light of hundreds of invisible incandescent bulbs hidden around its base. In the great blue dome of the great pillared reading-room of Columbia University Library—the noblest educational building in the country—hangs what is locally known as “the mothball,” a huge globe of ground glass. It is perhaps a hundred feet above the floor, yet at night, when four calcium lights are turned on it, its subdued, reflected radiance fills the whole hall.
(2608)
RADIATION
God is eternally radiating His life into the universe as the sun from its glowing center rays forth heat:
The most recent estimates place the effective temperature of the sun’s radiating surface at about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.This vast globe of gases and vapors is radiating heat into space, is cooling off. The intensely heated particles of the interior rise to the surface, give off their heat, and sink back again, just as do the bubbles of steam in a kettle of boiling water. This circulation from within outward takes place over the whole of the sun and, as a rule, it proceeds steadily and quietly, without any marked disturbance.—Charles Lane Poor, “The Solar System.”
The most recent estimates place the effective temperature of the sun’s radiating surface at about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
This vast globe of gases and vapors is radiating heat into space, is cooling off. The intensely heated particles of the interior rise to the surface, give off their heat, and sink back again, just as do the bubbles of steam in a kettle of boiling water. This circulation from within outward takes place over the whole of the sun and, as a rule, it proceeds steadily and quietly, without any marked disturbance.—Charles Lane Poor, “The Solar System.”
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RANK, OBSEQUIOUSNESS TO
“In Europe, and especially in France, people have the greatest regard for any one who has received a medal or other decoration of honor,” said Dr. Helms, of Buffalo, in the course of a sermon on “France and the French.” And to prove this he related a little anecdote. “A friend of mine,” said Dr. Helms, “visiting a popular summer resort in southern France, became annoyed at the manner in which he was neglected in the dining-room. Men who came in long after he did would be served, while he sat unnoticed. Finally he became curious to know the reason for this, and slipping a coin into the hand of a friendly-looking waiter, he asked him why it was.“‘Because,’ replied the waiter, ‘Mr. So-and-So belongs to the Legion of Honor, and Mr. Blank has received the Order of St. Michael, and Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones and all the others have some decoration.’“My friend was equal to the occasion,” added Mr. Helms. “In his trunk up-stairs was the badge he had worn at the Republican convention which nominated President Taft, and he wore it prominently displaced on his coat lapel when he came down to dine again. Thereafter he had no occasion to complain about the service and nothing in the dining-room was too good for him.”—BuffaloEvening News.
“In Europe, and especially in France, people have the greatest regard for any one who has received a medal or other decoration of honor,” said Dr. Helms, of Buffalo, in the course of a sermon on “France and the French.” And to prove this he related a little anecdote. “A friend of mine,” said Dr. Helms, “visiting a popular summer resort in southern France, became annoyed at the manner in which he was neglected in the dining-room. Men who came in long after he did would be served, while he sat unnoticed. Finally he became curious to know the reason for this, and slipping a coin into the hand of a friendly-looking waiter, he asked him why it was.
“‘Because,’ replied the waiter, ‘Mr. So-and-So belongs to the Legion of Honor, and Mr. Blank has received the Order of St. Michael, and Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones and all the others have some decoration.’
“My friend was equal to the occasion,” added Mr. Helms. “In his trunk up-stairs was the badge he had worn at the Republican convention which nominated President Taft, and he wore it prominently displaced on his coat lapel when he came down to dine again. Thereafter he had no occasion to complain about the service and nothing in the dining-room was too good for him.”—BuffaloEvening News.
(2610)
Rapidity in Nature—SeeGrowth in Nature.
RAPPORT
In missionary work, first and foremost, confidence must be established and the heart won. The missionary may be learned, may be hard-working and godly, may be earnest as John Knox, and indefatigable as Mr. Moody, but if the people do not love him, they will not listen to his doctrine. It is a terrible fact that there are some missionaries on the field who are not loved by the people. While unlovely and unloved, all they do is as wood, hay, and stubble. As in wireless telegraphy, there must be harmony of note between despatcher and receiver, so, ere messages to the soul pass, despatcher missionary and receiver Oriental must be in tune. What wonders you can do when the heart is won! The multitude may hold you in its grip, from dawn till sunset, still next day you are full of hope again. It is the missionary in tune with God and with the heart of the East who does the work. Let much emphasis be put on the right key as to the heart, for therein lies the secret.—James S. Gale, “Korea in Transition.”
In missionary work, first and foremost, confidence must be established and the heart won. The missionary may be learned, may be hard-working and godly, may be earnest as John Knox, and indefatigable as Mr. Moody, but if the people do not love him, they will not listen to his doctrine. It is a terrible fact that there are some missionaries on the field who are not loved by the people. While unlovely and unloved, all they do is as wood, hay, and stubble. As in wireless telegraphy, there must be harmony of note between despatcher and receiver, so, ere messages to the soul pass, despatcher missionary and receiver Oriental must be in tune. What wonders you can do when the heart is won! The multitude may hold you in its grip, from dawn till sunset, still next day you are full of hope again. It is the missionary in tune with God and with the heart of the East who does the work. Let much emphasis be put on the right key as to the heart, for therein lies the secret.—James S. Gale, “Korea in Transition.”
(2611)
Rated High, Brought Low by Drink—SeeDrink, Peril of.
Reaction, The Law of—SeeConfidence, Inspiring.
READINESS IN RETORT
Jedediah Burchard, the brilliant evangelist of the middle years of the nineteenth century, who swept like a flame over New York and New England, was holding great prayer-meetings at Danbury, Conn., before his preaching services. At one of these crowded prayer services, when many were asking prayers for unsaved relatives and friends, and a young man had earnestly besought prayer for an aged father, a blatant infidel who haunted the meetings simply to interrupt, jumped up and said, “Mr. Burchard! I want to ask prayers for—the Devil!” “Go right on praying, brethren,” said Mr. Burchard, “this man also wants his father prayed for!” That interrupter never again was heard of at a meeting.
Jedediah Burchard, the brilliant evangelist of the middle years of the nineteenth century, who swept like a flame over New York and New England, was holding great prayer-meetings at Danbury, Conn., before his preaching services. At one of these crowded prayer services, when many were asking prayers for unsaved relatives and friends, and a young man had earnestly besought prayer for an aged father, a blatant infidel who haunted the meetings simply to interrupt, jumped up and said, “Mr. Burchard! I want to ask prayers for—the Devil!” “Go right on praying, brethren,” said Mr. Burchard, “this man also wants his father prayed for!” That interrupter never again was heard of at a meeting.
(2612)
READING BY SCHEDULE
Rev. W. H. Fitchett writes about a great Methodist pioneer a paragraph that shows how an education may be acquired by regular and persistent toil.
The Staffordshire peasant, Francis Asbury, traveling five thousand miles a year, preaching incessantly, spending three hours a day in prayer, and without a settled home, yet had it as a fixt rule to read a hundred pages daily. He made himself a scholar, and mastered Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.—“Wesley and His Century.”
The Staffordshire peasant, Francis Asbury, traveling five thousand miles a year, preaching incessantly, spending three hours a day in prayer, and without a settled home, yet had it as a fixt rule to read a hundred pages daily. He made himself a scholar, and mastered Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.—“Wesley and His Century.”
(2613)
Reading Current Literature—SeeLiterature, Current.
Reading, Eloquent—SeeLord’s Prayer Interpreted.
Reading Indispensable—SeeEducation to be Prized.
Reading the Gospel in Faces—SeeFace, The, Revealing the Gospel.
REALISM
The art of painting pictures so near to life as to deceive the naked eye is very old. Pliny relates that Zeuxis once painted some grapes so naturally that birds used to come and peck at them, and that Parrhasius once painted a curtain so artfully that Zeuxis desired to draw it aside so that he could see the picture it hid. Discovering his error, he confest himself outdone, as he had only imposed on birds, whereas Parrhasius had deceived the human intellect. Another time Zeuxis painted a boy with some grapes, and when the birds again flew at the grapes he was very angry, saying that he was certainly at fault with the picture. He reasoned that had it been perfect the birds would have been frightened away by the boy.Caius Valerius Flaccus says that Zeuxis’ death was occasioned by an immoderate fit of laughter on looking at the comic picture he had drawn of an old woman.—PhiladelphiaLedger.
The art of painting pictures so near to life as to deceive the naked eye is very old. Pliny relates that Zeuxis once painted some grapes so naturally that birds used to come and peck at them, and that Parrhasius once painted a curtain so artfully that Zeuxis desired to draw it aside so that he could see the picture it hid. Discovering his error, he confest himself outdone, as he had only imposed on birds, whereas Parrhasius had deceived the human intellect. Another time Zeuxis painted a boy with some grapes, and when the birds again flew at the grapes he was very angry, saying that he was certainly at fault with the picture. He reasoned that had it been perfect the birds would have been frightened away by the boy.
Caius Valerius Flaccus says that Zeuxis’ death was occasioned by an immoderate fit of laughter on looking at the comic picture he had drawn of an old woman.—PhiladelphiaLedger.
(2614)
REALISM, REFRAINING FROM
He came unto the door of heaven,Free as of old and gay;“What hast thou done,” the porter cried,“That thou should’st pass this way?”“Hast fed the hungry, clothed the poor?”The vagrant shook his head.“I drank my wine and I was glad,But I did not give them bread.”“Hast prayed upon the altar steps?”“Nay, but I loved the sun.”“Hast wept?” “The blossoms of the springI gathered every one.”“But what fair deed can’st thou present?Like light, one radiant beam?”“I robbed no child of his fairy-tale,No dreamer of his dream.”—Anna McClure Sholl,Appleton’s.
He came unto the door of heaven,Free as of old and gay;“What hast thou done,” the porter cried,“That thou should’st pass this way?”“Hast fed the hungry, clothed the poor?”The vagrant shook his head.“I drank my wine and I was glad,But I did not give them bread.”“Hast prayed upon the altar steps?”“Nay, but I loved the sun.”“Hast wept?” “The blossoms of the springI gathered every one.”“But what fair deed can’st thou present?Like light, one radiant beam?”“I robbed no child of his fairy-tale,No dreamer of his dream.”—Anna McClure Sholl,Appleton’s.
He came unto the door of heaven,Free as of old and gay;“What hast thou done,” the porter cried,“That thou should’st pass this way?”
He came unto the door of heaven,
Free as of old and gay;
“What hast thou done,” the porter cried,
“That thou should’st pass this way?”
“Hast fed the hungry, clothed the poor?”The vagrant shook his head.“I drank my wine and I was glad,But I did not give them bread.”
“Hast fed the hungry, clothed the poor?”
The vagrant shook his head.
“I drank my wine and I was glad,
But I did not give them bread.”
“Hast prayed upon the altar steps?”“Nay, but I loved the sun.”“Hast wept?” “The blossoms of the springI gathered every one.”
“Hast prayed upon the altar steps?”
“Nay, but I loved the sun.”
“Hast wept?” “The blossoms of the spring
I gathered every one.”
“But what fair deed can’st thou present?Like light, one radiant beam?”“I robbed no child of his fairy-tale,No dreamer of his dream.”—Anna McClure Sholl,Appleton’s.
“But what fair deed can’st thou present?
Like light, one radiant beam?”
“I robbed no child of his fairy-tale,
No dreamer of his dream.”
—Anna McClure Sholl,Appleton’s.
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REALITIES INVISIBLE
The schoolboy writes these figures on his slate: 2+2=4, and says two and two make four. But the two and the two which he has written on the slate do not make the four which he has written on the slate. For both the twos are there unchanged, and the four also. The two and two that make four are in his head—invisible. The figures on the slate are not the realities, they are only symbols which interpret the realities, and the realities are invisible—Lyman Abbott,The Outlook.
The schoolboy writes these figures on his slate: 2+2=4, and says two and two make four. But the two and the two which he has written on the slate do not make the four which he has written on the slate. For both the twos are there unchanged, and the four also. The two and two that make four are in his head—invisible. The figures on the slate are not the realities, they are only symbols which interpret the realities, and the realities are invisible—Lyman Abbott,The Outlook.
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REALITY
It takes actual experience to bring realization of many things that we thought we knew before. This is the way one of the passengers of the illfated steamshipRepublic(January 23, 1909) speaks of her experience:
“I have read sea stories,” she said, “and have read time and again of the command, ‘to the boats; women first,’ but, let me tell you, I knew what it meant last Saturday morning for the first time. Out of the fog-hidden night it came; I could not trace the speaker at first, as we all huddled on the deck. Out of the dark it came, straight and true and strong, and with all the chivalry of man at his highest behind it. ‘Women and children will enter the boat first.’ I think more of bravery now that I know what it means; I think more of manhood. I am glad I heard that command, as Captain Sealby hurled it at us through his megaphone.”
“I have read sea stories,” she said, “and have read time and again of the command, ‘to the boats; women first,’ but, let me tell you, I knew what it meant last Saturday morning for the first time. Out of the fog-hidden night it came; I could not trace the speaker at first, as we all huddled on the deck. Out of the dark it came, straight and true and strong, and with all the chivalry of man at his highest behind it. ‘Women and children will enter the boat first.’ I think more of bravery now that I know what it means; I think more of manhood. I am glad I heard that command, as Captain Sealby hurled it at us through his megaphone.”
(2617)
Reality Exprest in a Dream—SeeChrist in the Congregation.
REALITY VERSUS ILLUSION
We should steer clear of a credulity that accepts ghosts and visions because some good people testify about them.
A whole ship’s company was thrown into the utmost consternation by the apparition of the cook who had died a few days before. He was distinctly seen walking ahead of the ship, with a peculiar gait by which he was distinguished when alive, through having one of his legs shorter than the other. On steering the ship toward the object, it was found to be a piece of floating wreck.It is not surprizing, therefore, that there are apparently well-authenticated stories of ghosts who have been seen under different circumstances by people, and, moreover, by people of unquestioned mental ability, people of strong mentality concerning whose integrity and reliability there can be no question.—Edwin J. Houston, “The Wonder Book of Light.”
A whole ship’s company was thrown into the utmost consternation by the apparition of the cook who had died a few days before. He was distinctly seen walking ahead of the ship, with a peculiar gait by which he was distinguished when alive, through having one of his legs shorter than the other. On steering the ship toward the object, it was found to be a piece of floating wreck.
It is not surprizing, therefore, that there are apparently well-authenticated stories of ghosts who have been seen under different circumstances by people, and, moreover, by people of unquestioned mental ability, people of strong mentality concerning whose integrity and reliability there can be no question.—Edwin J. Houston, “The Wonder Book of Light.”
(2618)
Reason, The Real—SeeConfidence, Lack of.
REASON VERSUS INSTINCT
A boy was asked to explain the difference between animal instinct and human intelligence. “If we had instinct,” he said, “we should know everything we needed to know without learning it; but we’ve got reason, and so we have to study ourselves ’most blind or be a fool.”
A boy was asked to explain the difference between animal instinct and human intelligence. “If we had instinct,” he said, “we should know everything we needed to know without learning it; but we’ve got reason, and so we have to study ourselves ’most blind or be a fool.”
(2619)
REASONABLE RELIGION
Mr. Robert E. Speer tells of going to the house of a friend in Japan to meet a number of old Biblewomen who were being trained for Christian service, some of whom were fifty or sixty years of age before they found Christ. Mr. Speer asked them what they found dearest in Christianity. He supposed they would say that what they valued most was the moral peace and joy that it brought them. Instead, these old women, some of whom had not been able to read before they became Christians, said instantly that what they prized most in Christianity was the intellectual solution of their difficulties that it had brought. They had come into contact with a Savior who had set their minds free. Moral rest and peace were sweet, but it was sweeter still to realize that they were at last serving a reasonable Master. (Text.)
Mr. Robert E. Speer tells of going to the house of a friend in Japan to meet a number of old Biblewomen who were being trained for Christian service, some of whom were fifty or sixty years of age before they found Christ. Mr. Speer asked them what they found dearest in Christianity. He supposed they would say that what they valued most was the moral peace and joy that it brought them. Instead, these old women, some of whom had not been able to read before they became Christians, said instantly that what they prized most in Christianity was the intellectual solution of their difficulties that it had brought. They had come into contact with a Savior who had set their minds free. Moral rest and peace were sweet, but it was sweeter still to realize that they were at last serving a reasonable Master. (Text.)
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REASONING POWER IN ANIMALS
As throwing light upon the question of the intelligence of the animal creation, in the exhibition of memory and reasoning power, beyond the mere pale of recognized instinct, I wish to give a brief account of an interesting incident of which I was the witness. On a very warm day in early summerI happened to be standing near a chicken-coop in a back yard when I noticed the head of a very gray and grizzled rat thrust from a neighboring rat-hole, and concluded to watch the movements of the veteran. After a careful survey of the surroundings, our old rodent seemed to be satisfied that all was right, and made a cautious exit from the home retreat. A fresh pan of water had been recently placed before the chicken-coop for the use of Mother “Chick” and her interesting brood. These all seemed to have satisfied their thirst, and the water looked a friendly invitation to the thirsty old rat, which immediately started toward it. The rat had not reached the pan before five half-grown young ones rushed ahead and tried to be first at the water. The old rat thereupon immediately made a leap like a kangaroo, and was at the edge of the dish in advance of the foremost of her litter. Then ensued a most remarkable occurrence. The mother rat raised herself on her haunches and bit and scratched her offspring so severely, whenever they attempted to reach the water, that they all finally scudded away, evidently very much astonished and also frightened at the strange and unaccountable behavior of their mother. I was as much astonished as they, and waited with renewed interest the outcome of this remarkable performance. When the little ones were at a safe distance, the reason for her extraordinary behavior began to be revealed at once in the intelligent actions of the old mother rat. She first wet her whiskers in the water, looked suspiciously about her, then very cautiously and carefully took a dainty little sip of the liquid. She tasted it as tentatively and critically as a professional tea-taster, and when she was satisfied that it contained no poisonous or other deleterious matter, she gave a couple of squeaks, which quickly brought her young and thirsty brood to her side, and all fearlessly drank to their fill. Now, this old mother rat was experienced, had evidently learned her lesson in that school thoroughly, and so she would not allow her young and untaught litter to taste water which might have contained rat-poison, or what not, until she had satisfied herself that the liquid was harmless. As I witnessed this little scene in lowly animal life the thought would keep coming, does not this look very like reason?—F. Croll Baum,American Naturalist.
As throwing light upon the question of the intelligence of the animal creation, in the exhibition of memory and reasoning power, beyond the mere pale of recognized instinct, I wish to give a brief account of an interesting incident of which I was the witness. On a very warm day in early summerI happened to be standing near a chicken-coop in a back yard when I noticed the head of a very gray and grizzled rat thrust from a neighboring rat-hole, and concluded to watch the movements of the veteran. After a careful survey of the surroundings, our old rodent seemed to be satisfied that all was right, and made a cautious exit from the home retreat. A fresh pan of water had been recently placed before the chicken-coop for the use of Mother “Chick” and her interesting brood. These all seemed to have satisfied their thirst, and the water looked a friendly invitation to the thirsty old rat, which immediately started toward it. The rat had not reached the pan before five half-grown young ones rushed ahead and tried to be first at the water. The old rat thereupon immediately made a leap like a kangaroo, and was at the edge of the dish in advance of the foremost of her litter. Then ensued a most remarkable occurrence. The mother rat raised herself on her haunches and bit and scratched her offspring so severely, whenever they attempted to reach the water, that they all finally scudded away, evidently very much astonished and also frightened at the strange and unaccountable behavior of their mother. I was as much astonished as they, and waited with renewed interest the outcome of this remarkable performance. When the little ones were at a safe distance, the reason for her extraordinary behavior began to be revealed at once in the intelligent actions of the old mother rat. She first wet her whiskers in the water, looked suspiciously about her, then very cautiously and carefully took a dainty little sip of the liquid. She tasted it as tentatively and critically as a professional tea-taster, and when she was satisfied that it contained no poisonous or other deleterious matter, she gave a couple of squeaks, which quickly brought her young and thirsty brood to her side, and all fearlessly drank to their fill. Now, this old mother rat was experienced, had evidently learned her lesson in that school thoroughly, and so she would not allow her young and untaught litter to taste water which might have contained rat-poison, or what not, until she had satisfied herself that the liquid was harmless. As I witnessed this little scene in lowly animal life the thought would keep coming, does not this look very like reason?—F. Croll Baum,American Naturalist.
(2621)
Reasoning Successful—SeeTact.
REASONS
Lord Mansfield, when a friend of his own was appointed governor of a West India island, and complained that he would have also to sit as a judge and decide cases, which he dreaded, advised him to decide according to his notions of common sense, but never to give his reasons; for, said he, “your judgment will probably be right, but your reasons will certainly be wrong.” Many years afterward, Lord Mansfield, while sitting on Privy Council appeals, had a judgment of this governor brought before the court, which seemed so absurd in its reasons that there was a serious clamor for a recall of the governor as incompetent. It was found, however, that the decision itself was perfectly right. It appeared that at first the governor acted on Lord Mansfield’s advice by deciding without giving reasons; and finding that he acquired great reputation by these decisions, began to think himself a great lawyer, and then gave his reasons at length, which had the result above mentioned.(Text.)—Croake James, “Curiosities of Law and Lawyers.”
Lord Mansfield, when a friend of his own was appointed governor of a West India island, and complained that he would have also to sit as a judge and decide cases, which he dreaded, advised him to decide according to his notions of common sense, but never to give his reasons; for, said he, “your judgment will probably be right, but your reasons will certainly be wrong.” Many years afterward, Lord Mansfield, while sitting on Privy Council appeals, had a judgment of this governor brought before the court, which seemed so absurd in its reasons that there was a serious clamor for a recall of the governor as incompetent. It was found, however, that the decision itself was perfectly right. It appeared that at first the governor acted on Lord Mansfield’s advice by deciding without giving reasons; and finding that he acquired great reputation by these decisions, began to think himself a great lawyer, and then gave his reasons at length, which had the result above mentioned.
(Text.)—Croake James, “Curiosities of Law and Lawyers.”
(2622)
Reasons, Clear—SeeGood for Evil.
REASONS VERSUS EXCUSES
“What is the difference between a poor excuse for being late at school and a real reason for being late? Give an example.” Out come examples of oversleeping or dilly-dallying as contrasted with the unavoidable fact that the cars were blocked. “An excuse is hollow; a real reason is stout and whole.” “An excuse is a method of concealment; a good reason is its own justification.” So write my girls. One delightful girl of twelve explained, “This morning I was late but I had a real reason. When I went up-stairs after breakfast to feed my animals, my favorite guinea-pig, Christopher Columbus, was so sick that he could hardly stand up. I had to stay and make him comfortable, and so I was late to school. But the teacher said it was a good reason.” Echoes of the difference between poor excuses and good reasons resound for several weeks. “To-day I have no reason for being late, only an excuse. I didn’t know what time it was, but then I ought to have found out.”With older pupils I take up more complicated cases illustrating the tendency of any selfish person to deceive himself or herself. “I am traveling from New Hampshire to Boston with a large number of bundles and am delighted to secure an extra seat onwhich to deposit them. Gradually the car fills up and all who pass by look wistfully at my seat. If I continue to keep my parcels on it by what arguments can I pretend that it is right?” We bring out together all the half-conscious sophistry that clings like a burr to selfishness. “There may be seats farther on; if they want the seat they can ask for it; it would only crowd any one to sit with me; it is really more comfortable for her to stand.” Every one in the class realizes that these excuses are weak subterfuges; for as one girl said, “Such sputtering people deceive themselves.”—Ella Lyman Cabot, “Proceedings of the National Education Association,” 1909.
“What is the difference between a poor excuse for being late at school and a real reason for being late? Give an example.” Out come examples of oversleeping or dilly-dallying as contrasted with the unavoidable fact that the cars were blocked. “An excuse is hollow; a real reason is stout and whole.” “An excuse is a method of concealment; a good reason is its own justification.” So write my girls. One delightful girl of twelve explained, “This morning I was late but I had a real reason. When I went up-stairs after breakfast to feed my animals, my favorite guinea-pig, Christopher Columbus, was so sick that he could hardly stand up. I had to stay and make him comfortable, and so I was late to school. But the teacher said it was a good reason.” Echoes of the difference between poor excuses and good reasons resound for several weeks. “To-day I have no reason for being late, only an excuse. I didn’t know what time it was, but then I ought to have found out.”
With older pupils I take up more complicated cases illustrating the tendency of any selfish person to deceive himself or herself. “I am traveling from New Hampshire to Boston with a large number of bundles and am delighted to secure an extra seat onwhich to deposit them. Gradually the car fills up and all who pass by look wistfully at my seat. If I continue to keep my parcels on it by what arguments can I pretend that it is right?” We bring out together all the half-conscious sophistry that clings like a burr to selfishness. “There may be seats farther on; if they want the seat they can ask for it; it would only crowd any one to sit with me; it is really more comfortable for her to stand.” Every one in the class realizes that these excuses are weak subterfuges; for as one girl said, “Such sputtering people deceive themselves.”—Ella Lyman Cabot, “Proceedings of the National Education Association,” 1909.
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REBUFFS A STIMULANT