THE GIFT OP HTfiomas S^rederfck Cranes Professor of the Romance Languages and Literatures. ..A-nzwJ'... f/^/y^fl Cornell University Library The original of tliis bool< is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924027282684 Cornell University Library PN 6268.R4S53 Preacher's promptuary of anecdote. II 3 1924 027 282 684 THE PREACHER'S PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. THE PREACHER'S PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. SroRi£s, New and Old, Arranged, Indexed, and Classified, for the Use of Preachers, Teachers, and Catechists. REV. W. FRANK SHAW, M.A., VICAR OF EASTRV, KENT ; AU'JHOR OF ' BIBLE-CLASS NOTES ON S. MATTHEW,' ' THE MOURNER'S MANUAL,' ETC. GRIFFITH AND FARRAN, SUCCESSORS TO NEWBERY AND HARRIS, WEST CORNER OF ST. PAUL's CHURCHYARD, LONDON. 1884. "r E. P. BUTTON AND CO., NEW YORK. Tb-e rights of Translation and of Reproduction arc reserved. PREFACE. There is a story told of a devout old woman, whose Bible contained a large number of passages underlined, whilst in the margin were the letters T and P. On being asked by a friend to explain the meaning of these letters, she said these were promises and other sentences of God's Holy Word, which she herself had tried, and which she had proved to be true by her own experience. And it occurred to the author that some such letters might very well have been placed in the margin of many of the following pages, seeing that most of the stories herein contained have been proved and tested by that most criticalof audiences, a congregation of children, and have succeeded in interesting them and rivetting their attention. For it is often matter of com- plaint by those who make large use of anecdotes in their sermons, instructions, and addresses, that the ordinary Cyclo- paedias and Collections of stories contain so much ' padding ' and extraneous matter, so many anecdotes and illustrations, which, however good and interesting in themselves, are utterly unusable, and of no practical value to the catechist, the preacher, or the teacher. The constant search for suitable stories and anecdotes being th«s rendered so great a labour as sometimes to resemble the ' hunt for a needle in a bottle of hay,' it struck the author that possibly it might be helpful to others and to himself, were he to gather together, in a handy volume, such stories as he himself had told, either in catechizing children, or in sermons, or in addresses delivered in the wards of the Union Workhouse. This little book, then, is the outcome of this idea, and con- 6 PREFACE. sists for the most part of stories that have been actually told by the author at sundry times and in various connections. These 'jottings from the notebook' have necessarily been gathered together from a great variety of sources of all kinds : from books of travel and of biography ; from magazines, reviews, and nevi-spapers ; from the lips of friends, and, in some instances, from personal experience. Some of them have been told and re-told again and again, until it is now well-nigh impossible to trace their origin and assign their author ; others are here reduced to writing for the first time. Hence, under all the circumstances, it seemed better not to attempt to give the names of authors when the list must necessarily be so incomplete, conjectural, or even incorrect. One exception, however, must be made, and the author takes this opportunity of acknowledging his many obliga- tions, not only in the following pages, but in his own parochial work also, to the Lives of the Saints, and to the various other writings of that prince of anecdotists, the Rev. S. Baring Gould, to whom he is indebted, more or less directly, for Nos. S, 6, 9, 13, 26, 34, 74, 75, 93. Should any others chance to recognise herein their own mental progeny, the author begs them to accept his grateful acknowledg- ments, trusting that the pleasure and the profit which his flock have derived from their recital may be considered sufficient apology for their insertion here. Many of the following Stories are capable of use in very different connections, according to the way in which they are applied, and to the special point which it is desired to bring out ; but it is hoped that the Tabulated List of Anecdotes suitable for Catechizings and for Sermons for the Seasons of the Christian Year, together with the Index of Texts, and the General Index of Subjects, will render the book handy, easy of reference, and useful generally. W. F. S. Eastry Vicarage, Lent 1884. CONTENTS. I. PA The Man on the Bridge, GE 9 2£. PAGE The Clergyman's Wife and -^. The Dispute on the Shadow her Maid, .... 31 of the Ass, .... 11 27. A Sudden Scare, . 32 3- A Myth of Cupid and Venus, 11 28. Dr. Johnson's Penance, 33 4- The Hermit and his Bowl, . 12 29. The Prussian Pointsman and 5- The Ravens of S. Meinrad, 13 his Little Son, . 33 6. King Ina and his Palace, 13 30. The Railway Collision, . 34 7- Napoleon and his Questioner, 14 31- The Three Young Travellers, 35 8. The Little Russian Boy's 32. The Snow Wall, . 36 Letter to God, . 15 33- A Mother's Arms, . . . 37 9- S. Walaric and the Idol, 16 34- The Voices of the Bells, 38 lo. The Arab and the Camel, . 16 35- The Story of a Naturalist, 39 11. The Patient Sufferer, 17 36- The Bride's Return, 40 12. The Man who sold his Soul 37- The Captain and the Stow- for Half-a-Crown, 17 away, ... 41 13- The Flight of S. Walaric from 38. Franklin and the Grindstone, 42 the Priest's House, 19 39- The Strange Dog, . 43 14. The Casting away of Impedi- 40. The Little Hollander and the ments 20 Hole in the Dyke, . 44 15- The Great Earthquake in 41. The Young Norwegians and Jamaica, 21 their Dog, 46 16 Narrow Escape of S. Richard, 21 42. The Three Black Crows, 47 17 The Man who turned his Four- 43- The Wife that would Gossip, 48 penny Bits into Sixpences, 22 44. The Two Schoolboys, . 50 18 S. Isodore and the Dropping 45 The Christian Rain-maker, . 51 Well, ... 23 46 The Master's Eye, 52 15 What I have to Do, = 4 47 The Man and his Three 20 The Little Scotch Boy and Friends S3 his Father 25 48 The Roman Knight and the 21 Little Mary and the Tprk Chasm, .... 54 Cellar, .... 26 49 The Dutch Engineer, . 54 22 The 'Luck' of Roaring Camp, 26 50 Oh, Adam ! . . . . S6 23 ' My Father's at the Helm,' . 29 51 The Murderer and his Mother, 58 24 Napoleon and the Private 52 The Nobleman and his Fool, 59 Soldier, 29 53 . The Market Woman at 25 Bruce and the Spider, . 30 I Devizes, Co CONTENTS. PAGE 54. The Little Boy and his Alphabet, . . . . 6t SS- The Covenanters and the Mist, 62 56. The Rotten Timber, . . 63 57. The Ship Launch, . . .64 58. The Smuggler's Cave, . . 65 59. The Family with Short Memories, . . . .66 60. King Henry V. and the Holy Eucharist, . . . .67 61. The Little Boy and his Cockle-shell, . . 67 62. S. Patrick and the Shamrock, 68 63. The Thistle and the Night Attack, . . . .69 64. The Man saved by a Dagger Thrust, ... 70 65. David and Madmen, Spiders, Flies, .... 66. The Painter Saved by the Spoiling of his Pictujre, 67. The Little German Boy, 68. The Sentry and the Clock, . 69. The Smith that made a Hiss, 70. The Duke of Wellington and the Officer, . 71. The Quaker and the Funeral, 72. The Eleventh Commandment and the Bishop, 73. The Dog and the Shadow, 74. The Little Choir Boy, . 75. The Hermit and his Tree, 76. Chitty the Platelayer, . 77. The Bishop and the Boys, 81 78. The Man saved by a Hen, . 82 79. The Martyr in the Indian Mutiny, , . .82 80. The Girl and the Newspaper, 83 81. The Poisoned Ring, . . 84 Bi. TheBoywhosaidhisPrayers, 85 83. The Captive and the Stork, . 86 84. The Sentry and the Hog, . 88 85. The Welsh Parson, . 90 86. The Cornish Farmer, . . 91 87. The Commercial Traveller and the Mysterious Voice, 93 88. The Little Girl carried off by Indians, and her Hymn, . 96 89. The Young Greenlander, 98 90. S. Martin and his Cloak, . 99 91. S. Augustine's Conversion, . 100 92. Death of a Working-man, . loi 93. Pachomius and his Monks, . 102 94. The Bells of Bottreaux, . 103 95. The Clergyman and his Five- Pound Note, . . . 104 96. The Dying Child and his Guardian Angel, . 106 97. The Fiery Cross Summons, . 107 98. The Empty Socket, . 108 99. Canute and his Courtiers, . no 100. The Boy on the Burning Deck. . . .HI Tabulated Index of Stories, 113 Index OF Subjects, . . . 115 Index of Texts Illustrated, 117 THE PREACHER'S PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 1. The Man on the Bridge. Great events turn on small pivots. Obedience. Partial knowledge. Seeming failure. One dark night, about two hundred years ago, shortly after the clocks had done striking twelve, there was heard a violent knocking at the door of a small house in a back street in Paris. The French minister of those days had suddenly sent for one of his agents. Hastily dressing, the man hurried into the presence of his great and powerful master to receive his commands. H e was ordered to use the utmost secrecy and despatch, to post night and day so as to reach the town of Basle on the third day, to go and take his stand on the bridge of that town for the one hour between two and three o'clock in the afternoon, carefully to notice and accurately to write down all that he saw during that time ; and then to return with all speed and report what he had seen. Off he started, and by incessant travelling reached Basle on the third day, soon enough to take his station on the bridge at the time appointed. Lounging on the bridge in an easy, careless way, apparently unobservant of every- thing, but really wide awake, and keenly alive to everything, he watched the passers by most narrowly, and took careful and minute notes of all he saw. lO THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. Ordinary passers by went past him on the bridge : now it was a child at play, and then a peasant coming in from the country ; now a girl selling flowers and fruit, and shortly after a workman carrying his tools ; next a gipsy woman selling brooms and baskets ; then a Punch and Judy show^ ; then a detachment of soldiers ; now two young lovers ; then a nurse with a party of children ; and last, a traveller with a staff, who quietly leaned over the parapet of the bridge and looked into the water, and as he did so tapped the pave- ment three times very quietly with his staff, and then went on his way. At length the clock struck three. Greatly disappointed at having seen, as he thought, nothing, the messenger left the bridge and hastened home to the minister. Travelling night and day, he reached home just as the clock struck midnight on the third day. At once he reported all that he had seen on the bridge accurately and minutely, whilst the minister listened with unconcern, until mention was made of the traveller who had struck the pavement with his staff. Then he was all attention, asked to be told it again, and, having heard every particular a second time, immediately sent word of this to the king. That same night 30,000 French troops advanced by forced marches upon Strasburg ; and the town when summoned surrendered to them. Neither the messenger nor the traveller with the staff knew what they were doing nor why they did it ; but the magistrates of Strasburg told the French minister, by this preconcerted signal on the bridge, that a plan which they had made for giving up the town had been successful. Learn from this story, — how great issues turn on small events, as the wakefulness of the king on a certain night saved the hfe of Mordecai (Esth. v. 14, vi. 1-4) ; to obey orders implicitly without asking questions ; to remember that we know only a part of God's ways ; to do our duty patiently and perseveringly, leaving results and events with God. THE PREACHER S PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 1 1 2. The Dispute on the Shadow of the Ass. Disputing about trifles. Demosthenes, the celebrated Greek orator, was once defending a prisoner who was being tried for his life, when, the court and the audience being rather inattentive, he suddenly began to tell them this story : 'A traveller once went from Athens to Megara on a hired ass, during the " dog-days." It was noon, and he was exposed to the full heat of a burning sun. Not finding so much as a bush under which to take shelter, the thought struck him that it would not be a bad plan to dismount and seat himself in the shadow of the ass. The owner of the donkey, who had accompanied him, objected to this arrangement, declaring that when he hired out the animal to him the shadow was not included in the bargain. A fierce dispute began between the owner of the ass and its rider, and at last from words they came to blows, which finally resulted in an action at law.' Having said thus much, Demosthenes continued the defence of his client ; but the audience, whose curiosity was aroused, were most anxious to learn how the judges decided so singular a case. Thereupon Demosthenes reproved them sternly for greedily devouring a childish story about an ass's shadow, while they turned a deaf ear to a cause in which the life of a human being was concerned. 3. A Mjrth of Cupid and Venus. Trouble proves us, and shows who are our true friends. One day Cupid was playing in the rose-garden. Tlie sun was shining ; the birds were singing ; the butterflies in their gorgeous beauty were flitting hither and thither ; the 12 THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. flowers were a blaze of many colours. The child was happy. Venus called hira ; but the child was happy in his play, and came not to her call. Presently he spied a rose, larger, fairer, and more fragrant than the rest. He stretched out his hand to seize iL But underneath it lay a large sharp thorn. It pierced the child's hand. The butterflies folded their wings ; the birds ceased their singing; the flowers closed their petals and hid their beauty ; the heavens lost the sunshine and became dark. Then Cupid in his pain sought the mother who had called him, and on her bosom wept out his grief. Is not the myth true for all time.? When pain, and sorrow, and desolation come to us, then we realize the truth of that scripture, 'Lord, to whom shall we go but unto Thee.''' We seek the sympathy of Christ, whose call we before allowed to pass by unheeded. 4. The Hermit and his Bowl. No place free from temptation. Anger. We cannot get away from self. There was once in Egypt a man who had a very fierce and violent temper. So he ran away from his home into a monastery, where he thought he would be free from provocations to anger. But there he was frequently irritated by the other monks, who unintentionally gave him annoyance. So he determined to escape wholly from the society of men, ' and then,' said he, ' I cannot give way, for I shall never be tempted.' So he took with him only an earthenware bowl, out of which to drink, and he hid himself in a remote desert One day as he was fetching water from the spring, he upset the bowl and the water fell ; then he dipped the vessel again, and as he was going his foot tripped, and again the water was spilt ; he dipped it once more, but his hand shook, and a third time he spilt the water. Then, flaming into a furious passion, he dashed THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 1 3 the bowl against a stone and shivered it to fragments. After a while his anger cooled down and he came to himself. Then he looked at his poor shattered bowl, and said, ' Oh, fool that I am ! how can I escape the tempta- tion which is in my nature ! If I have not men to be angry with, I rage against an earthen pot ! ' 5. The Ravens of S. Meinrad. Murder will out. The murderers of S. Meinrad fled from his hermitage filled with a vague fear. But his two faithful ravens pursued them, screaming harshly and dashing against the heads of the robbers with their beaks and claws, as though desirous of avenging their master's death. Frightened more and more, and continually attacked by the enraged birds, the murderers ran towards WoUerau. There the ravens were recognised. It was suspected that something was wrong. They ran to the hermitage, and there the saint lay dead. Returning to WoUerau, the alarm was given, the assassins were pursued, overtaken, and brought to justice. 6. King Ina and his Palace. The world pasaeth away. All is vanity. Ina, king of Wessex, who reigned from A.D. 688 to 726, once made a feast to his nobles and great men in one of his royal houses. The house was hung with embroidered curtains and tapestry, and the table was spread with vessels of gold and silver. Next day Ina set out with Ethelburga, his queen, for another of his houses ; and, as the custom was, the rich hangings and the costly plate, the chairs, and beds, and tables, were all packed up and carried off, and 14 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. the house was left desolate and empty. When Ina had got about a mile from the house, Ethelburga, his queen, per- suaded him to turn back again, saying, ' Turn back, my lord, to the house whence we have come, for it will be greatly for thy good so to do.' The king hearkened to the voice of his wife, and returned to the house. He entered, and found it cold, and bare, and desolate ; plate, hangings, and furniture all gone, the house full of rubbish, and a litter of pigs lying in the king's bedchamber. So Ethel- burga spake to the king : ' Seest thou, O king, how the pomp of this world passeth away.' Where are all thy goodly things ? How foul is now the house which only yesterday was thy royal abode ! Are not all the things of this life as a breath, yea, as smoke, and as a wind that passeth away ! ' 7. Napoleon and his Questioner. First Communion. The happiest day of life. Repentance. All is vanity. During the sunshine of his prosperity, when he was carrying everything before him, when princes, kings, and emperors courted his favour, hung upon his lips, and basked in his smile, when senates and nations trembled at his nod, and carefully noted his every deed and word and look to gather therefrom his future policy, and when, in short, he was at the zenith of his power and fame and glory, the Emperor Napoleon I. thought but little of God, lived only for himself, and was negligent of his religious duties. But afterwards, when his power had been broken, and he had been humiliated and dethroned, and was now a cap- tive and an exile at St. Helena, 'he came to himself,' began to see the vanity of all earthly things, and became once more earnest and attentive to the duties of religion. Then it was that he returned a very remarkable answer to one of his adherents and admirers, who asked him to tell him what THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 1 5 was the happiest day in his life. An answer which is well worthy of being recorded, as coming from one who had attained to the very highest pinnacle of earthly power, who had gratified a boundless ambition, who had ' withheld not his heart from any joy,' but had tasted of all the greatness and pleasure that the world had to offer, and yet who, like Solomon before him, was compelled to acknowledge in his latter days, ' Behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit.' ' Sire,' said his questioner, ' allow me to ask you what was the happiest day in all your life ? Was it the day of your victory at Lodi ? or at Jena ? or at Austerlitz ? or was it when you were crowned Emperor.'' or the day on which you entered Vienna, Dresden, or Berlin in triumph?' ' No, no, my good friend ! ' replied the fallen emperor ; ' you are quite mistaken, it was none of these. It was the day of my first Communion ; that was the happiest day in all my life ! ' 8. The little Russian Boy's Letter to God. Faith. Trust. Simplicity. Prayer answered. A few years ago, a Government official living at St. Petersburg died in utter destitution, leaving behind him, motherless, and without friends or relations, two little children, the one a boy of seven years of age, and the other a little toddling girl of three. Left in the house alone without money and without food, the little fellow did not know what to do to get food for his sister. At last, urged by the tears of the little one, he wrote on a piece of paper, ' Please, God, send me three copecks (a penny) to buy my little sister a roll ; ' then he hurried off to the nearest church to slip it into an alms-box, believing in his simplicity that the prayer would reach heaven through this medium. A priest passing by observed the child on tiptoe trying to thrust the paper in, and, taking the paper from him, read the message. Returning home with the child, he took the 1 6 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. little ones to his house, and gave them the food and clothing they so much needed. On the following Sunday he preached a sermon on charity, in which he mentioned this touching little incident, and afterwards went round the church with a plate. When the offerings were counted, it was found that the congregation had given 150 roubles, or nearly ^200. 9. S. Walaric and the Idol. Early days of Christianity. Destruction of idols. One day S. Walaric, who lived about 6ig A.D., saw on the bank of a river a huge stump of wood covered with rude sculptures, which the people of that part venerated with pagan rites. Fired with zeal, S. Walaric ordered the boy who accompanied him to knock the stump over. The boy put his hand to it, and, the bottom being very rotten, the piece of wood rolled over. Some peasants rushed up in great wrath, and would have done an injury to the man of God or his servant, had he not arrested their arms by his mild remonstrances. This incident gave him a text whereon he preached to them with such success that it led eventually to the conversion of the whole neighbourhood. 10. The Arab and the Camel. Encroachments. Give an inch, take an ell. Once a camel came to the door of a tent and thrust in his nose. Not being resisted, he thrust in his feet. There being no hindrance, he came half way in. After a while he got all the way in. Then the Arab said to the camel, ' This tent is too small for two.' Said the camel to the Arab, ' If so you had belter leave ! ' THE preacher's PROMPTUARV OF ANECDOTE. 17 11. The Patient Sufferer. Suffering for Christ. Patience. Silence. A few years ago there lived in a village near Burnley a little girl who was cruelly persecuted in her own home, because she was a Christian. She struggled on bravely, seeking her strength from God, going regularly to Holy Communion, and rejoicing that she was a partaker of Christ's sufferings. The struggle was too much for her poor weak frame, but He willed it so. One day the Angel of Death came for her suddenly. She had fought the good fight, she had kept the Faith, she had witnessed a good confession before her witnesses at home, and at length her sufferings were ended. When they came to take off the clothes from her poor dead body, they found a piece of paper sewn inside the front of her dress, and on it was written, ' He opened not His mouth.' 12. The Man who sold his Soul for Half-a- Crown. Prayer. When a mistaiie is made, har/< bacli. There was once an eccentric clergyman, who happened to be staying in a part of the country where he was little known. One day, taking an early morning walk, he met a man going to his work. ' What a lovely morning ! ' said the parson. ' I am sure we ought to be very thankful to God for all the mercies and benefits He bestows upon us.' The man did not know about that. ' Well I I suppose you ask God's blessing on your family — your wife and children.'' The man could not say that he did. 'But surely you pray to God, don't you ? ' With some hesitation the man said, ' Well, no, I don't.' ' What ! do you nevtr pray?' 'No, never,' said the man. 'If I give you half-a- 1 8 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. crown, will you promise me faithfully that you will never pray as long as you live ? ' ' All right, master ! I don't mind if 1 do.' ' Well, here is the half-crown, and remember that you have promised me never to pray to God as long as you live.' The man took the money and pocketed it, and went to his work. After a time he began to think the matter over, and he said to himself, ' Well, this is a queer job ; I have promised never to pray as long as I live ; ' and the more he thought about it the less he liked it. On he went with his work, but he became more and more uneasy and uncomfortable. Then he went home and told his wife that he had seen a gentleman in black who gave him half-a-crown on condition of his never praying as long as he lived. ' Why, mate, you have sold your soul to the devil for half-a-crown surely. Oh, how could you do so?' He went back to his work, but unutterable terrors took possession of his soul, for he expected every moment that Satan would come and claim possession of him and carry him off to hell. Whereas he had been most careless and neglectful of religion, he began to come to Church, as having a certain sense of protection ^nd security in God's house from the evil one ; and yet he felt that he might not and could not pray. He was thoroughly wretched and miserable, and the terrors of his mind had a marked effect upon his health. One Sunday he went to Church, as was now his custom, feeling that there was no hope for him, and yet that the Church was the best and safest place for him to be in. The prayers were said, the hymn had been sung, when a strange clergyman entered the pulpit and gave out his text : ' What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? ' He preached a very earnest, powerful sermon, in the course of which he mentioned that he once met with a man who sold his soul for half-a-crown. The feelings of the poor man all this time can be better imagined than described. In the preacher he recognised the clergyman who had THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 1 9 given him the half-crown, and he could scarcely contain himself. No sooner was the service over, and the preacher had retired to the vestry, than the poor man rushed into the vestry, holding out half-a-crown, and saying, ' Take it back ! take it back ! ' ' Did not I give you half-a-crown,' said the clergyman, 'on condition that you would never pray as long as you lived ? ' ' Yes, you did ! and I have been utterly miserable ever since.' ' Do you wish to pray now?' 'Yes, indeed I do ; I would give anything to be allowed to pray.' ' Well, give me back the half-crown and you can go home and pray.' He did so, and from that time became a praying man, was never absent from his place in Church, and was thenceforth a regular and devout communicant. He had learned by a bitter but wholesome experience the value of prayer, and he henceforth prized it rightly. He had made a great mistake, had committed a grievous sin ; but he was not ashamed to repent and to retrace his steps. 13. The Flight of S. Walaric from the Priest's House. Flee euil communications. Eschew filthy conversation. One day S. Walaric, who lived about A.D. 619, turned in to warm himself at the fire of the parish priest of a little town on the French coast, for it was winter, and the old man was numb with cold. The priest was then entertaining the magistrate of that part of the country, and the two were making merry, by relating to each other extremely indecent stories, and cutting many a foul joke. Walaric remained for some moments warming his hands and listening in a sort of amaze, hardly realizing what these two men were saying. Then suddenly he burst forth, ' My children, for every idle word ye shall give account in the day of judgment.' liut 20 THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. they, nothing heeding, continued their evil and unseemly conversation ; whereupon Walaric, colouring like fire for very shame, caught up his staff, left the fireplace, shook off the snow from his feet against the evil house, and fled away through the biting cold and dark night, rather than countenance their filthy communications by 'standing in the way of sinners,' and listening to such evil words. 14. The Casting away of Impediments. Lay aside every weight. All that a man hath will he give for his life. Lady Brassey, in her Voyage in the Mediterranean, tells this story : — ' At Sidler Tchiflik three men sprang on to the train just as it was starting, and clung to the carriage doors. The guard saw them, but dared not push them off for fear of killing them, yet could not venture to stop the train on account of the delay this would have caused. He there- fore beckoned to the men to creep slowly along the side of the carriages after him. It was a terrible walk, and made my blood run cold to see it. The poor men were wet, be- numbed, and awkward. Each had a bundle on his shoulder, — one on a stick, one on a gun, one on a sword. As they crept slowly along, hanging on for their lives, first one bundle then another dropped off, till at last, after an agony of suspense, they were safely landed in a cattle truck, having lost the very little all that they possessed.' These men dropped and cast away their bundles that they might lay hold on the train and save their lives. Shall not we lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, that we may lay hold on eternal life ? THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 21 15. The Great Earthquake in Jamaica. God's providence. Wonderful escape. Man's extremity God's opportunity. On 7th June 1692, just before noon, the rich and flourish- ing town of Port Royal, in Jamaica, was swallowed up by an earthquake, the three shocks of which followed one another in quick succession. In two minutes from the commence- ment of the first shock, the city was in ruins. All the principal streets, being next to the sea, sank at once, together with all the people who were in them. A high rolling wave closed over them, and in an instant sixteen hundred human beings were swept away. But, almost incredible as it may appear, one of those who was thus swallowed up alive by the pit was, in the good providence of God, permitted to return again to the land of the living. This was Louis Galdy, a Frenchman. He was swallowed up by the second shock, but by the third shock was cast forth again into the sea, where he saved himself by swim- ming until a boat came to his rescue and took him up. He lived for forty-four years after this, became a member of the House of Assembly, and afterwards churchwarden for Port Royal, and finally died 22nd December 1736, at the age of eighty, and was buried at Green Say, where this remarkable incident is recorded on his tomb. 16. Narrow Escape of S. Richard. Providential escape. Angelic warning. One day S. Richard was invited to dinner on the occasion of the inauguration of a new doctor. When he had taken his seat, a message was brought him that a youth was outside on a horse who wanted to speak to him immediately. Richard rose from the table and crossed the hall to the door, and found no one ; but at that instant 2 2 THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. a large stone fell from the wall, exactly where he had been seated, and would undoubtedly have crushed and killed him, but for the providential warning which drew him from the spot just at that moment. 17. The Man who turned his Fourpenny Bits into Sixpences. The biter bit. Honesty the best policy. The devil cheats his slaues. In the early days of railways, when the iron horse was a novelty, and a constant source of wonder and amazement to the rustics, it so happened that a certain line of rail ran through the outskirts of a large village. And it was a con- stant amusement to the children and the loungers of the village, to go and sit on the fence just above the railway and watch the trains, as they passed up and down the line at full speed. Amongst the rest was a certain idle and dissipated shoemaker, who was often to be seen sitting on the fence, swinging his feet and smoking a short pipe, and waiting for the next train to pass. One day he thought he would try what effect the weight of the train passing over it would have upon a fourpenny bit placed upon the rail. Accordingly he placed the coin carefully on the rail and waited for the next train to pass ; nor had he long to wait. As soon as the train was gone he ran to the spot where he had placed his fourpenny bit, and now to his astonishment and great delight he found what appeared to be a sixpence, battered and worn thin ! He caught it up eagerly, and went off at once to the public-house, where, in due course, they took his battered fourpence for a sixpence. ' Hurrah ! ' cried he when he got outside ; 'I've found my way to make my fortune.' He soon set to work to get as many four- penny bits as he possibly could, and for a wonder did not go near the alehouse for several days. He persuaded his THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 23 poor wife to give him all her hardly-earned savings, which he duly turned into fourpenpy bits. At last in one way and another he managed to get a bag of 300 fourpenny pieces ; and he waited impatiently till night should come, that he might carry out his newly-invented plan of turning fourpenny bits into sixpences. As soon as it was dark he took his bag, ran down to the railway, clambered over the fence, got down to the line, carefully placed his ^5 worth of fourpenny bits in order on the metals, and waited for the train to pass. He had waited thus, it might be for half an hour, when there was heard a low and distant rumbling, accompanied by some vibration of the metals ; the noise steadily increased, then altered in its character, then for brief space seemed to cease altogether, and then, with a flash of light, a whizz, and a roar, the express dashed past ! Instantly he jumped down on to the line, lantern in hand, eager to gather up his newly minted sixpences. But to his horror and dismay not one single trace of them could ever be found ! He searched up and down the metals that night, and again by daylight, but nothing more of his 300 fourpenny bits was ever seen. What became of them, whether they were scattered by the fierce rush of the express, or whether they were caught up into some part of the machinery, I know not. They were never heard of more. The biter was bitten. He who would have robbed the Queen was himself cheated out of ^5. This taught him a lesson, and from this time he became an altered, sober, steady, honest, and industrious man. 18. Isodore and the Dropping Well. Perseueranoe. Water wears the stone, "Tis dogged as does it. ' Wearied and disgusted with the drudgery of learning, Isodore (who lived about a.d. 636) ran away from school, and, as the sun grew hot, sat himself down to rest beside 24 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. a little spring that gushed over a rock. As he rested in the shade and watched the drip, drip, drip, of the large round drops from the under edge of the rock, he noticed that the continual dropping of the water had hollowed out a basin in the stone beneath the jet. And the water-drops pattering on the stone were to him what the Bow Bells were in after time to Whittington. For he thought within himself that if the light rain of the spring could scoop out the hard heart of the stone, then assuredly constant learning would at last overcome his natural inaptitude to acquire learning. Accordingly he turned round, went back to school, and was so painstaking and diligent in trying to learn that in time he became an accomplished Greek scholar. 19. What I have to do. Life's work. I keep my body under and bring it into subjection, A friend once asked an aged man what caused him so often to complaii* of pain and weariness in the evening. ' Alas ! ' said he ; ' I have every day so much to do ; for I have two falcons to tame, two hares to keep from running away, two hawks to manage, a serpent to confine, a lion to chain, and a sick man to tend and wait upon.' ' Why, you must be joking,' said his friend ; ' surely no man can have all these things to do at once.' ' Indeed, I am not joking,' said the old man, 'but what I have told you is the sad and sober truth ; for the two falcons are my two eyes, which I must diligently guard, lest something should please them which may be hurtful to my salvation ; the two hares are my feet, which I must hold back lest they should run after evil objects, and walk in the ways of sin ; the two hawks are my two hands, which I must train and keep to work in order that I may be able to provide for myself and for my brethren who are in need ; the serpent is my tongue. THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 25 which I must always keep in with a bridle, lest it should speak anything unseemly ; the lion is my heart, with which I have to maintain a continual fight in order that vanity and pride may not fill it, but that the grace of God may dwell and work there ; the sick man is my whole body, which is always needing my watchfulness and care. All this daily wears out my strength.' Let us learn from this ancient man to keep our body under and bring it into subjection, and to keep our tongue from evil. 20. The little Scotch Boy and his Father. Trust Confidence, A father's hand. Two gentlemen were travelling in Scotland. One day they went out on a botanical expedition, taking as their guide a little boy named Johnnie. In the course of their ramble they came to some cliffs, and looking over perceived some very rare plants growing at a great depth below. There was no way of getting at these plants, which they particularly desired to have, but by being lowered over the cliff with a rope. They asked the little boy if he would go down and get the specimens, offering him a large reward. At first Johnnie utterly refused to go, but after- wards, when he thought of the great poverty of his parent?, and pictured to himself what the offered reward would do for them, he consented to go down and get the plants on one condition. ' Well, my lad,' said the gentlemen, ' and what is your one condition.'" ' Thai my father holds the end of the rope,' replied Johnnie. To this they readily assented. A rope was fetched ; the boy went for his father, who held the end of the rope whilst his son was lowered over the cliff to gather the plants. Johnnie secured the plants, was drawn up again in safety, and duly received the promised reward. 2 6 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. 21. Little Mary and the Dark Cellar. Tru3t. We walk by faith, not by sight. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. There was once a little girl named Mary. One day she went into one of the rooms of her father's house, and saw a large dark opening in the floor. She very timidly went as near to the edge as she dared, and looked into it, but she could see- nothing except blackness and darkness. Whilst she was wondering what this large black hole in the floor might be, she heard a voice from below : ' Is that you, Mary?' 'Yes; who are you that are speaking?' ' Why, I am your father, Mary ; don't you recognise my voice? Jump down.' 'Oh, I can't,' said Mary; 'it's all dark.' 'Never mind,' said her father; 'don't be afraid. You can't see me, but I can see you ; jump down and I will catch you.' Mary hesitated a little, for it was dark and she was afraid, and she could not see her father. But then, reassured by his voice, she grew bolder and got up her courage, and she jumped down, and her father caught her safe in his arms. 22. The 'Luck' of Roaring Camp. Influence. The power of innocence. A little child shall lead them. Some thirty or forty years ago, shortly after the first rush to the gold diggings, and before any line of rail had as yet crossed the continent of America, there stood, in one of the remotest canyons of California, almost cut off from the rest of the world, a few rough log huts, rude shanties, and several tents, which clustered round the diggings, and formed the miners' camp. So rough and ready, so boisterous and so reckless were the men here gathered together by the thirst for gold, and so fierce and THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 27 mad were they alike at work or play, that these diggings had gotten the name of Roaring Camp. Dressed in flannel shirts, with trousers tucked into jack-boots, girded with a belt into which were stuck a revolver and a bowie-knife, they worked hard and they lived hard. Sunday and Monday were all alike to them. The air seemed thick and laden with oaths and blasphemy. Their time was spent in hard exciting work, deep drinking, reckless gambling, fierce quarrelling, and wild debauchery. And scarce a week passed by without some one or more murders being com- mitted. Into this wild and bad and wicked place there struggled down the steep side of the gully, late one night, a man, a woman, and a mule laden with a few house- hold goods. The man was sick and ill, having been wounded by a shot from the Indians in their journey through the desert, — and so ill, in fact, that he died that night. His poor young wife, grieving at the loss of her husband, and exhausted by the hardships and privations of their perilous journey, gave birth to a little girl, and died within a few hours of becoming a mother. It was soon noised abroad that a little baby had been born in Roaring Camp. And as this was a strange 3.nd uncommon event, the miners came flocking round to look at the baby, for some of them had not seen a baby for many years. Now the poor mother was dead there was not another woman in the place, and here was this poor little baby all alone in the world, amidst these wild, rough miners. But there was a spark of goodness and kindness in many of those hard, rough men, which only waited to be fanned into a flame. They began to consult how they should feed the baby. At last it was suggested that they should get a goat, and one undertook to do this. Many of them were anxious to nurse the baby. The very sight of it seemed to do them good, to warm and" to soften their hearts, to bring back old and long-forgotten memories, and to remind them of their days of innocence. A tent was set apart for the baby, and, to prevent quarrelling, a roster 2 8 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. was drawn up as to who should take turns in nursing it. The advent of this' little baby girl seemed to have brought a new interest into the camp, and with it new manners and customs, new kindness, new peace. Not that it happened all at once, — by no means. But gradually it became an understood thing in the camp that there was to be no noisy, boisterous shouting when baby was asleep. No man was allowed to come near the baby when he had been drinking. One of those who had formerly been most wild and reckless, who was known as a most successful miner, a good wrestler, a dead shot, a strong and powerful man, who had been wont to stick at nothing, made himself head nurse, and threatened to shoot any one who annoyed or interfered with his infant charge. And they knew that he would keep his word. If any man began to use bad language in baby's presence, one of his mates would say, 'Come now! shut up ! let's have none of that here.' If they 'found a flower or anything curious or pretty, they would bring it to baby to play with. It was strange and marvellous the change which the sight and presence of this dear little innocent baby girl wrought amongst these rough men. It made them recall the days of their childhood, and led them on to think of better things. One day Jack said to his mates, ' I think we ought to have this little one baptized I ' And as there was no clergyman within some hundreds of miles, they hunted high and low through the camp, and at last found an old Prayer-Book, and then, having duly studied the directions in the Office for the Private Baptism of Infants, in the presence of a goodly number of the other miners, who gathered in a circle round and stood reverently uncovered during the service. Jack thrice poured water on the head of the baby, and said, ' Rose, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ! ' As she got a little older. Jack began to teach her the Lord's Prayer and some other little prayers. And so from month to month the appearance and the manners of Roaring Camp altered so completely and entirely for the THE PREACHERS PROxMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 29 better, that you would have hardly known it for the same place which a few years ago had a name for wild, reckless wickedness. When little Rose was about five years old, a clergyman came to the camp and began to hold regular services. He was much interested in little Rose, and when the cholera broke out and carried off Jack and many of the other miners who had been the kindest to little Rose, and upon whom her innocent childish prattle and winning ways had had most effect, then the clergyman took Rose from the camp, adopted her, and sent her to school. God has many ways to bring souls to Him. He works in a mysterious way His wonders to perform ; and by this dear innocent child He taught many of these wild, rough men to repent them of their wickedness, and to become as little children. 23. My Father's at the Helm. Trust. Confidence. Faith. A little boy was out at sea in his father's boat. A storm came on, and it became very rough. The waves curled angrily around them, and dashed over the boat. They were carried up mountains high, and then down they went in the trough of the sea. Some one asked the little fellow, ' Aren't you afraid ?' ' No,' he replied ; ' why should I be ? my father's at the helm.' So in life's troubles, when tossed upon its wildest sea, let us remember ' our Father's at the helm,' and He will bring us safely through, if we look up to and put our trust in Him. 24. Napoleon and the Private Soldier. Take God at His word. Hath He said it and shall He not do it? One day the Emperor Napoleon I. was reviewing his troops, when his horse became restive and ran away. A 30 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. private stepped from the ranks, caught the charger by the reins and stopped him. The emperor merely said, ' I thank you, Captain,' and rode on. At once the man, still in the uniform of a private soldier, went and took up his position with the officers of his regiment. They said to him, ' Where are you coming to ? Go back to the ranks.' ' No, indeed,' said the man ; ' I am no longer a private, I am a captain. The emperor has said it, and a captain I am, and as such I take my place here.' When the story was reported to the emperor he was much pleased, and confirmed the captain in his rank. The man took the emperor at his word, and shall not we take God at His word and put our trust in Him .'' 25. Bruce and the Spider. Perseverance. Bruce, the King of Scotland, had been defeated in several battles, and was now a fugitive and a wanderer, forsaken by nearly all his friends. A price was set upon his head, and he knew that if he were taken he should receive no mercy from his enemies. One day, when hiding in a cave, thinking over his plans and meditating what it were best to do, he noticed a spider that was trying to climb up one side of the cave. But just as it had almost reached the top, it fell to the ground. At once it set to work again, climbed the wall as before, and had nearly reached the top when it fell the second time. The King became interested in the poor little insect, and eagerly watched what it would do next. Again, for the third time, it bravely tried to climb the wall, but with the same ill success, for down it fell upon the ground. But, instantly gathering up its powers, it made a fresh attempt, time after time, until the King began to think that the poor little spider would give up the attempt in despair, as a hard thing utterly beyond its powers. But THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 3 1 no ; although it has now failed eight times, it makes a little pause, and then renews the attempt more cautiously and more resolutely than before. And now this ninth time it has succeeded, and has reached a little ledge at the top of the cave. So the King plucked up courage, and said within himself, ' Why should I not try like that little spider ? True, I may be beaten in eight battles, but I shall conquer in the ninth ! ' And so it came to pass. He left the cave, came forth from his hiding-place, gathered together his forces, attacked the enemy, and though he was beaterl again and again eight times, yet in the end he gained the victory, triumphed gloriously, and reigned long and happily. 26. The Olergsnnan's Wife and her Maid. Reverence. Prayer. Ask properly. There was once an old clergyman, who was much dis- tressed because he could not get his wife to kneel in Church. Do what he might, say what he would, his reproofs and exhortations were all to no purpose. She was more com- fortable sitting, and she thought she could pray to God as well in one posture as in another. 'You may pray as well,' said he, 'but I doubt whether you are heard as well.' However, it was all of no use ; he might just as well have spoken to a stone wall, for all the impression he produced upon her. He thought long and anxiously about the matter, and at length resolved what he would do. Accordingly he went to his wife's old servant Hannah, and said, ' Hannah, I will give you a crown if you will go to your mistress, sit down on the sofa at her side, and ask her to give you a holiday to-morrow, because you want to go home to your friends.' Hannah was shy, and loth to do as her master suggested. But the prospect of the crown encouraged her, and at last she made up her mind to do as she was 3,2 THE PREACHER S PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. requested. So she opened the door timidly, went in, and, walking up to the sofa where her mistress was sitting, seated herself by her side. The old lady looked up in great astonishment, and asked what in the world she wanted. ' A holiday to-morrow, ma'am.' ' Leave the room instantly, you impudent woman ! ' exclaimed the old lady ; ' and if you wish to have a request granted, learn to ask for it in a proper manner.' Just at that moment the husband put in his head at the door, and said, ' My dear, is not this preaching to Hannah the lesson I have so long and so often been preaching to you ? If you want to have a request granted, ask for it in a proper manner. How carefully we observe this simple rule in approaching the great ones of the earth : ought we not to be still more particular in drawing nigh unto the King of kings ? ' 27. A Sudden Scare. The wicked fleeth when no man pursueth. In the war of 1509 a division of Maximilian's troops was cautiously advancing along one of the slopes of the Dolomite Alps, when the notes of a horn broke suddenly from out the mist which wrapped the mountain-side and hung above the deep gorges. It was but a casual blast, blown by a herdsman, as is still the custom there at certain seasons, to warn off bears. But supposing themselves to be attacked by the Cadore people, panic seized the invaders, and they fled in haste the way they came over the Santa Croce pass to Sextem. How often are men scared at imaginary dangers ! And how often does God use some simple thing to protect His servants or bring His purposes to pass ! In His hands the weakest and feeblest instruments are mighty. THE PREACHER S PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 33 28. Dr. Johnson's Penance. Bring forth fruits meet for repentance. Result of disobedience. One day his father asked Samuel, then a boy, to go and take his place at his bookstall in Uttoxeter market-place, but pride or perversity induced him flatly to refuse. Exactly fifty years later, Dr. Samuel Johnson, now a famous and distinguished man, stood in the market-place at Uttoxeter, bareheaded in the rain, for two hours, on the anniversary of that selfsame day, exposed to all the scoffs and insults of the idlers and the passers-by, as a penance for his boyhood's sin. 29. The Prussian Pointsman and his Little Son. Obedience to parents. Honour thy father and thy mother. A few years ago there was connected with one of the Prussian railways a certain pointsman, who was stationed at a very important and difficult part of the line, where trains were constantly passing and repassing at full speed. He lived with his family in a little hut quite close to the line, and amongst his other children he had one little boy named Conrad, about three years old, who would often come and stand by his father when at work, and prattle to him, and so while away the time. One day the man was at his post, holding down the handle of the points to enable a passenger train then due to pass safely on to the up line. While so waiting he looked up, and to his horror saw Conrad quietly playing between the metals of the down line, on which the express might be expected to pass every moment. His first impulse was to rush acfoss the line, catch him up, and place him in a place of safety. But then he dared not c 34 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. leave his post even for a second, lest the train, already due, should come up at that moment and be wrecked, and hundreds of lives be lost. As these thoughts hurriedly passed through his mind, he lifted up his heart to God for help and strength, and had only time to shout to his little son, 'Conrad, lie down!' when just at that moment the passenger train for which he was holding down the points thundered past him, and the express also at the same instant rushed along the down line, where he had last seen his boy, with a whizz and a roar. Hardly daring to face the sight which he feared must meet his eye, he rushed to the spot, expecting to find Conrad cut to pieces ; instead of that he found him alive and entirely unhurt, without so much as a scratch upon him. Trained early in habits of obedience, when his father called to him to lie down he had done so instantly, and the train had passed over him without hurting him. His obedience to his father had saved his life. So, too, my children, remember that obedience to your parents will ever bring its blessing ; for it is ' the first commandment with promise.' 30. The Railway Collision. One taken and another left. That no more than five persons were injured in that railway accident, in which one train ran into another that had broken down in a tunnel, whilst a third train following immediately crashed into the wreck of the two previous trains, is certainly remarkable, seeing that the three trains must have contained at least a thousand passengers. One young man had a marvellous escape. He was in the second train, and was somewhat shaken by the first collision, which upset the carriage in which he travelled. He managed to crawl out, however, went to the back, and entered the guard's van. But no sooner had he done this, and reached, as he THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 35 thought, a place of safety, than the second collision oc- curred, throwing him and the guard upon the engine of the third train. The guard was killed on the spot, but the passenger, although severely cut and bruised, had not even a bone broken. 31. The Three Young Travellers. Kindness. Things done for Christ Aclinowledgment of God. Some months ago, three small children — a boy and two girls, aged respectively ten, seven, and four years old — arrived in St. Louis, having travelled thither all the way from Kulm, in Germany, without any escort or protection beyond a New Testament, and their own innocence and helplessness. Their parents, who had emigrated last year from the Fatherland and settled in Missouri, had left them in charge of an aunt, to whom in due time they forwarded a sum of money sufficient to_pay the passage and other expenses of the little ones to their new home across the Atlantic. As the children could not speak a word of any other language than German, it is doubtful whether they would ever have reached their destination at all, had not their aunt, with a woman's ready wit, provided them with a passport, addressed not so much to any earthly authority, as to Christian mankind generally. Before taking her leave of the children, the aunt gave the elder girl a New Testament, instructing her to show it to every person who might accost her during her long voyage, and especially to call their attention to the first leaf of the book. Upon that leaf the wise and good woman had written the names of the three children, their birth-place and several ages, and this simple statement : ' Their father and mother in America are anxiously awaiting their arrival at Sedalia, Missouri.' 36 THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. This was followed by the irresistible appeal, — their guide, their safeguard, knd their interpreter throughout a journey, over sea and land, of more than four thousand miles,^ ' Verily I say unto you. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.' Many were the little acts of kindness shown to the dear little travellers, many the hands held out to help and smooth' their journey, by those who read the first page of their New Testament, until they reached their parents in perfect health and safety. 32. The Snow Wall. Protection of God. Trust in God. Prayer answered. It was a bitterly cold night. The frost, which had been sharp all day, became more intense and biting. The roads were hard as iron, and rang with a metallic sound beneath the feet. The sky was dull and heavy with snow, but as yet none had fallen. , The French army was in full retreat from Moscow ; and, driven to desperation by famine and by cold, the lawless soldiery were daily committing the worst and most terrible excesses, so that they had become a by- word and a terror to all the inhabitants of the country and the dwellers in the cities along their line of march. The poor fled with their wives and children to the mountains and the forests ; the rich entrenched themselves within their own strong houses. Before the face of this fierce and pitiless host, all faces gathered blackness. In a large, old- fashioned cottage, near the market-square of a little German town, which lay close to the line of march of the French army, there sat three people on this night, an aged grand- mother and her two grandchildren, a boy and a girl. The grandmother could not flee, and the boy and girl would not leave her. Besides, they all three judged that it was better THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 37 to meet dangers of God's sending, than to fall into others of their own devisingi! So they committed' themselves unto the keeping of Him Who never slumbereth nor sleepeth, and prayed in the words of the hymn,-,— ' O God, till darkness goetfc hence, Be Thou our stay and our defence ; A wall, when foes oppress us sore. To save and guard us evermore. ' They waited and watched, and watched and waited on, every moment expecting to hear the sound of the French bugles. At length the wind began to rise and roar round the house ; large flakes of snow fell down the chimney, and hissed upon the clear wood fire; and they knew that it was snowing hard. Towards nine o'clock they caught the iitful and uncertain sound of a bugle, and then there was a low, dull, murmuring sound, from which they judged that the French had entered the town. And every moment they expected that the soldiers would burst in ! And every moment they lifted up their hearts in prayer to God that He would not fail nor forsake them. Hour after hour passed slowly on, in dread and expectation ; and still hour after hour passed over in peace and safety. With the first break of day the French army continued their terrible retreat, and left the town. On looking out, the grand- mother and her grandchildren discovered how marvellously God had heard their cry, and had wrought out their deliver- ance. About the house the snow had drifted deep, so as to wall it round and to conceal it. The Lord had heard His servants' prayers, and had been a Refuge and a Defence to the oppressed ! 33. A Mother's Arms. Heaven : its calm — rest— peace. A sorrowing mother, bending over her dying child, was trying to soothe it by talking about Heaven. She spoke of 38 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. the glory there, of the brightness shed around, of the shining countenances of the Holy Angels ; but presently a little voice stopped her, saying, ' I should not like to be there, mother, for the light hurts my eyes.' Then she changed her word picture, and spoke of the songs above, of the harpers harping with their harps, of the voice as the voice of many waters, of the new song which they sang before the Throne ; but the child said, ' Mother, I cannot bear any noise.' Grieved and disappointed at her failure to speak words of comfort, she took the little one from its bed of pain, and enfolded it in her arms with all the tender- ness of a mother's love. Then, as the little sufferer lay there, near to all it loved best in the world, conscious only as its life ebbed away of the nearness of love and care, the whisper came, ' Mother, if Heaven is like this, may Jesus take me there ! ' 34. The Voices of the Bells. Confidence in God. Commit thy way unto the Lord, On the frontiers of Austria is a little town called Feldkirch, containing some three thousand inhabitants. In the year 1799, when the armies of Napoleon were sweeping over the Continent, carrying all before them, Massena, one of his generals, suddenly appeared on the heights above the town at the head of 18,000 men. It was Easter Day, and the rays of the rising sun glittered on the weapons of the French, as they appeared drawn up on the hills to the west of the town. The town council were hastily called together to consult what was best to be done. To defend the town was utterly out of the question. What then were they to do .■' Should they send a deputation to Massena with the keys of the town, and an entreaty that he would treat the place mercifully ? After much dis- cussion, which only seemed to increase their perplexity, THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 39 the old Dean of the Church rose and said, ' My brothers, it is Easter Day ! We have been reckoning our own strength, and that fails. Let us turn to God. It is the day of the Lord's Resurrection. Let us ring the bells and have service as usual, and leave the matter in God's hands.' They hearkened to his words, and agreed to do as he had said. Then all at once from the three or four Church towers in Feldkirch there rang out joyous peals in honour of the Resurrection, whilst the streets were full of worshippers hastening to the house of God. The French heard the sudden clanguor of the joy-bells with surprise and alarm, and at once concluding that the Austrian army had arrived in the night to relieve the place, Massena suddenly broke up his camp, gave the order to march, and before the bells had ceased ringing not a Frenchman was to be seen. Thus God can save how and when He wills. 35. The Story of a Naturalist. That which is secret shall be made manifest. Secret sin comes out at the Judgment. One day Thomas Edwards, the Scottish naturalist, went out on one of his expeditions to search for insects. He had on, as usual on such occasions, an old coat with many pockets, and each pocket held a goodly store of chip boxes wherein to place the various specimens of the insect tribe which he might find. He had had a most successful day, had met with many curious and rare insects, which had all been duly deposited each in its own little box. And now he was returning home laden with the spoils, every box and every pocket full, when suddenly he was over- taken by a tremendous storm. The thunder roared, the lightning blazed around him, the rain came down in torrents, like water from a bucket, and he was soon drenched and wet to the skin. Espying a farmhouse at a short dis- 40 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. tance, he made for it, and begged permission to shelter him- self from the storm. To this the gudewife readily assented, made up a blazing fire, threw on a log, and told him to draw near and dry himself, whilst she went on with her house- hold duties. Accordingly he did so, and soon his " benumbed limbs began to feel the pleasant warmth of the fire. Presently the housewife returned, uttered a loud cry of horror and disgust, caught up a broomstick, and, deaf to all entreaties, drove him forth again into the pitiless storm. He now looked at himself, and soon perceived the cause of this strange treatment, for he was covered from head to foot with his beloved insects, so abhorred by others. The soaking rain had loosed and destroyed the boxes, and set their inhabitants at liberty, and they remained unseen in his pockets till the warmth of the fire had brought them out. So will it be in the Day of Judgment : men's secret darling sins will come forth to light, and cover the sinner with horror and confusion as with a cloak. The fire of the Day of Judgment will bring them forth, and then the sinner will be driven forth by the Judge into the fierce storm and tempest of God's judgments. 36. The Bride's Return. Heaven a prepared home. The month of January about twenty years ago was remarkable for some very heavy falls of snow in various parts of the kingdom. On many lines of railway the cuttings were filled with snow, the trains ceased to run, and communication was cut off. Late one afternoon a gentleman and his newly-married wife went to the Ludgate Hill Station, and asked at the ,booking-office for a ticket for . ' The line is blocked with snow,' said the ticket- clerk. 'We cannot book you beyond C .' After a THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 4! hurried consultation with his wife, they drove off to the London terminus of another line by which also they could reach . But here again they met with the same answer, ' We can only book you to C .' They had not intended to go to their new home for some days, but as the station from which it was reached was on this side of C , they hastily determined to go straight home. After a very cold and uncomfortable journey, they reached the station; to find the roads deep in snow, and no conveyance ready to take them home. After some delay they managed to get an old fly, but so heavy were the roads that the driver refused to proceed without two horses, and, in fact, it was as much as these could do to drag the carriage through the deep and frozen snow. At length they reached their new home, but only — as they were not expected for some days — to find it shut up, dark, silent, and apparently deserted. But, after wading though the deep snow to the front door, and after long and repeated knocking, they managed to arouse a servant, and got in, but only to find no fire ready, and no food in the house, which was at a considerable distance from the village. How different a reception from that which had been intended I No sound of bells, no circle of welcoming faces, no bright room, no warm and cheerful fire, no cosy supper. We learn by contrasts. Such will not be the reception of the faithful Christian into Heaven. All will be eager, ready, and prepared to receive him, for the Lord hath said, ' I go to prepare a place for you.' 37. The Captain and the Stowaway. Self-sacrifce. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. The Cyprian, commanded by Captain John Alexander Strachan, left Liverpool on Thursday, 13th October 188 1, 42 THE, preacher's PROMPTUARY of ANECDOTE. for the Mediterranean. She had not long left port when she encountered a heavy gale, which gradually increased to a perfect hurricane. At length, her steering-gear having been carried away, and one boiler tube having burst, she was driven ashore on the coast of Carnarvonshire. On board the ill-fated vessel there were in all twenty-eight persons, including one poor ' stowaway.' Before the ship struck, the life-belts were distributed amongst the crew, one being reserved for Captain Strachan ; and one after another the crew had plunged into the boiling surf, to be hurled by it to the shore, as offering the only chance for saving their lives. The captain remained by his vessel to the last, and ■v*as then about to follow the example of the others, when for the first time he caught sight of the poor shivering stowaway, whom terror had now driven forth from his hiding-place. But at that moment the captain had no word of anger or of blame for the little shivering waif. Taking the life-belt intended for himself, he fastened it securely round the lad, and told him to leap into the sea. He himself followed, but without a life-buoy. There was a fierce struggle for life amidst that boiling surge, but at length the boy was cast upon the shore ; whilst the noble- hearted man perished amid the breakers. Is not this an apt picture of what our Blessed Lord has done for us? ' When we were yet enemies,' ' in due time Christ died for the ungodly.' 38. Franklin and the Grindstone. Flattery. Interested motiues. The deuil tempts us into sin and then moclts us. One cold winter's morning, Benjamin Franklin, then quite a little fellow, was met by a man with a pleasant, smiling face, and an axe on his shoulder. ' My pretty boy, said the man, ' has your father a grindstone .? ' ' Yes, sir. THE PREACHER S PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 43 he has.' ' You are a fine little fellow,' said the man. ' Will you let me sharpen my axe on it ? ' ' Oh yes ! ' answered Franklin, pleased with being called a fine little fellow, — ' it is down in the shop.' Patting the boy on the head, the man asked, ' And will you get me a little water to wet the grind- stone ? ' Fairly captivated by the flattery and pleasant manners of the stranger, little Benjamin ran and got the water. 'How old are you, and what's your name?' said the man ; and then without waiting for any answer he went on, ' I am sure you are one of the finest lads I have ever seen. Will you just turn the grindstone for me for a few minutes?' Pleased and flattered with all the fine things the man said of him, little Benjamin set to work to turn the grindstone ; but it was not long before he bitterly repented that he had undertaken the task at all, for the axe was a new one, and he had to toil, and tug, and toil again till he felt ready to drop. The school bell rang, but he could not leave off his task. His hands were blistered, and he was out of breath, and yet the axe was not half ground. At last, however, the axe was sharpened, and the man turned round to him and said, ' Now, you little rascal, you've played truant long enough ; be off to school with you, or you'll repent it ! ' It was hard enough to be turning the grindstone so long out in the cold, that winter's day ; but to be called a ' little rascal ' by the very man whom he had been serving was outrageous, and FrankUn never forgot that day's lesson. Does not the devil treat men in much this way ? He flatters and tempts us to our ruin, and then he turns round and mocks us for our pains. 39. The Strange Dog. Murder will out. Vengeance suffereth not the murderer to Hue. A dreadful murder had been committed, and Sir Astley Cooper was upon the scene, when a man suspected of 44 THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. having been concerned in it was apprehended. Sir Astley, being greatly interested in the matter, accompanied the officers with their prisoner to the gaol, where he and they and the accused were all locked into a cell together, when they noticed a little dog, which kept biting at the skirt of the prisoner's coat. This led them to make a careful examination of the coat, when they found upon it certain traces of blood, which ultimately led to the conviction of the man. When they came to look round the cell after their examination of the garment, the dog had disappeared, and was nowhere to be found, and that although the door had been carefully kept locked, and had not been opened. 40. The Little Hollander and the Hole in the Dyke. A stitch in time. What a very little boy can do. The little son of Hans Vedder of Haarlem went out to play in the meadows. He had promised his mother to be home in good time, when the moon appeared above the dyke, and his mother felt quite happy about him, knowing that he would be as good as his word. So she went on with her household duties, plied her spinning wheel right merrily, and when it was time for supper, laid the cloth, and put upon the table a loaf of white bread, and some honey in the comb, and cream, and a pat of butter. And when all was ready she called her husband Hans, and he came to supper. But Hansel did not come. They waited a little for him, but as still he came not they sat down to supper, saying, ' He will be here presently.' And still he came not. For it so happened that just as he was returning home along the dyke, at the appointed time, he saw a tiny stream of water trickling down from a little crevice in the wall of the dyke. And the httle Hollander THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 45 knew well what that meant ; for his father had early impressed upon him how all their safety depended on the strength and soundness of the dyke, and how, if aught injured that, w'ide-spreading ruin and uttermost destruction must follow ! So now he thrust his finger into the crevice in the wall, whence the water was spurting out, and eagerly watched to see if it still continued to trickle. To his delight the water ceased to trickle. His little forefinger had wedged itself so tightly into the tiny crack that the hole was stopped. And then, still keeping his finger in the place, he sat down contentedly to wait till some one should presently pass that way, when the hole would be stopped more securely, and he would be released. But alas for poor little Hansel ! his short watch turned out to be a long one. No friendly voice was heard, no friendly step passed that way. He grew very tired, but he well knew the danger, and he bravely stuck to his post. A storm arose ; the thunder crashed over his head, the lightning played around him, and the rain came down in torrents. His little finger ached, grew stiff and numb and sore, and his body was cramped with pain. But still the brave boy regarded not ' his own pain, but stuck to his post, and patiently kept his finger in the dangerous hole. The night seemed long and dreary, but at last he fell asleep ; until when morning came he was found by his parents after a long and anxious search. His mother carried him off rejoicing ; whilst his father, and the others who had joined in the search, stayed to mend the wall. When the builders came to examine that part of the dyke, they said that if that tiny crevice had not been stopped just when it was, in the very nick of time, it would have widened gradually, until the wall was undermined, the dyke destroyed, and the country deluged ! 45 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. 41. The Young Norwegians and their Dog. Daily bread. Deliuerance. Sagacity of a dog. One day, about the middle of the seventeenth century, two young Norwegian brothers, neither of whom could swim, left home in a boat for a long fishing and shooting expedition, taking with them their favourite dog. They had excellent sport for four days, and then, as their provisions were exhausted, they began to think of returning home. But before turning their faces towards home they rowed to a small island in the centre of Lake Ref, to take up a net which they had set the night before. On reaching the tiny islet — which was only forty-eight feet long by twenty-four feet wide — they landed, leaving nets, provisions, and most of their clothes in the boat. Suddenly a fierce squall came down upon the lake, tore their boat from its moorings, and drove it to the opposite shore, more than a mile distant, leaving the poor young men exposed, half naked, to the full fury of the squall, which drove the waves right over the little island, and chilled them to the bone. On the following morning, when the storm had abated, they saw the boat with their faithful dog in it on the opposite shore. Ravenous with hunger, they searched about and found some sorrel and dog-violet, of which, however, there was but a scant supply. They then set to work to build with the drift-wood a shelter from the piercing wind. Next day they found a little more of the sorrel and dog-violet, enough, but barely enough, however, for two scanty meals. And so it went on day after day. Each day's search discovered a small portion, just sufficient to keep them alive, until at the end of the time they found more than there was at first. All this time they could see their boat on the opposite shore, watched over by their faithful dog. Again and again, pressed sore with hunger, they tried to entice the dog to come across, that they might kill and eat him. But in vain ; for though they often THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 47 fancied that he was just about to swim across, he did not, and on the ninth morning of their captivity he disappeared. The faithful dog had gone to their home. When there, his howUng and moaning and manifest uneasiness induced their father to send a servant in search of them. Led by the dog, the servant came to Lake Ref, found their boat, guns, and other things ; but not seeing anything of the young men, he jumped to the conclusion that they must be drowned, and so returned home. At length, when they had been captives on this little island for some twelve days, with their last remaining strength they managed to cut on some pieces of timber a short account of what had happened to them, together with this text : ' My flesh and my heart faileth : but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.' Then they committed themselves to God, utterly despairing of all human help, and imagining that their supply of green food had all failed them, though, when they crawled at night to the spot where the sorrel grew, — for they were too weak to walk, — they found it had grown afresh. At length, in the night between the twelfth and thirteenth day of their captivity and their famine, they heard the sound of horses galloping up the mountain side. They shouted and were heard. The riders came down to the beach, found the boat, put off to their assistance, and brought them safely ashore. The remarkable thing was, how God gave them, day by day, their daily bread, enough to keep them alive, but no more. So true is it, ' God never yet forsook at need the soul that trusted Him indeed.' 42. The Three Black Crows. Exaggeration. The men were all at work in the fields, when three women were talking and gossiping at their doorsteps. One of them, Mrs. A. , mentioned how ill her husband had been 4? THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. the night before, and how he had brought up something 'as black as a crow! Their gossip over, they separated and went indoors. A short time afterwards, Mrs. B. put on her bonnet and went ' down street' to get something at the shop. Whilst waiting to be served, she entered into conversation with Mrs. C, and told how ill poor A. had been the previous evening, how he had been in great agony, and at last had brought up something like a black crow, and then at once he was easy. Mrs. C. listened with much interest, and shortly after left the shop and went home. That afternoon some friends dropped in to tea at Mrs. C.'s, and during tea-time she related, to the amazement of her guests, how poor A. was very ill last night and in great pain, until a large black crow fluttered out of his mouth. And so the story grew, as it was passed on from mouth to mouth, until at last it was currently reported in that countryside, that ' a man named A. was taken very ill a few nights ago, and was in great agony, until — would you believe me ! — three large black crows flew out of his mouth, fluttered round the room three times, gave three caws, and disappeared, and the man was well ! ' No lie is so dangerous as a half truth, one which has a little foundation of truth to build upon. Beware of filing down the sharp edges of the truth, or of making little additions to a story. 43. The Wife that would Gossip. Gossip. Learn to held your tongue. The tongue of woman is man's fall. A German woodman had a gossiping wife, whose tongu,e was ever clacking. He tried all he knew to make her hold her tongue, and not tell out everything, but all to no purpose. To his great annoyance, he constantly found that she had been gossiping about their private affairs, which he did not care for the neighbours to know. One day he THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 49 returned home looking very gloomy and very sad ; he would hardly eat and he would hardly speak. Seeing that something was the matter, she pressed him to tell her what it was. For a long time he would not. At last he said to her, ' Can you keep a secret, if it concerns my life ? ' ' Yes, of course I can.' ' Well, will you solemnly promise that you will not breathe what 1 am going to say to a single creature?' 'Yes, I promise you I will not tell.' 'I have killed somebody. But you must not mention it to any one, or I shall be hung.' ' Oh, how dreadful ! but don't be afraid, I won't say a word.' ' Now mind you don't, for it concerns my life ! ' Shortly after, the man took up his hat and went out. For a time the woman went on with her household duties, but at last, feeling the burden of this secret greater than she could bear, she went to her most intimate friend, and said, ' I have a great secret which 1 hardly like to tell even to you. But I am sure I can trust you, and you'll promise not to breathe one word to any living soul ? ' Her friend gave the promise, and she went on, ' Now be sure you don't tell any one, for you would get us into such trouble. My husband has murdered a man ! ' The friend sympathized with her, and promised to keep her secret, and then after some further talk they parted. But no sooner was she gone, than the friend goes to her most intimate friend, and, under promise of the strictest secrecy, tells what a dreadful murder had just been committed. And so, all in confidence, you know, under promise not to breathe a word to any one, the sad news flies rapidly from one to another, until at last a woman tells her husband, who goes at once and gives information to the village constable. Presently, as the woodman is at work, he feels a tap on his shoulder, and looking up he sees the constable, who at once says to him, ' You are my prisoner.' ' Indeed ! how so ? what have I done ? '■ ' You are accused of murder.' ' Well, I won't hide anything from yoU ; come with me farther into the forest and I will show you the body ! ' Accordingly he led the way into the depths of the forest, the constable 50 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. following close behind, and when he had reached a very dark and gloomy clearing, he said to the constable, ' Here lies the body ! ' With that he turned back a sod which had lately been disturbed, and there lay — the body of a snail ! Then out spake the woodman : ' In order to test my wife, I told her this morning that I had killed a body, and now I am charged with murder. That is the body I have killed ; that is the only murder of which I am guilty.' The constable saw that the man was speaking the truth, and left him. What the woodman said to his wife when he got home I must leave you to imagine ; but this I can tell you, that she learned a lesson that day which she never after- wards forgot : she learned to hold her tongue and to keep a secret. 44. The Two Schoolboys. Be ye therefore ready also. Self-sacrifice. In midst of life we are in death. The roof of Bridgenorth Church was being repaired, when two boys from the adjoining grammar school went in. The coast being clear, for the workmen had all gone off to dinner, they climbed the ladders, got on the scaffold- ing, and had a fine scamper in and out amongst the rafters. At length, when it was nearly time for the men to return to their work, a plank, loosened by their scampering about, nappened to give way. In falling, theyounger of the boys managed to lay hold of a beam, whilst the elder saved him- self by catching the younger by the legs. And there they hung, hoping each moment that the workmen might return and release them from their perilous position ; but still they came not. After a time the elder thought he perceived signs of the younger's relaxing his grasp of the beam, and at once he asked him if he thought he could hold on ten minutes longer, if freed from his weight. After a few THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 5 1 moments' hesitation he faintly said that he thought he could. Then the elder boy sent a message to his mother, said ' Good-bye ! ' and loosed his hold of his companion. There was heard a dull thud on the floor of the church, and all was over. Shortly afterwards the workmen returned to their work, and rescued the younger and survivor from his perilous position. Death comes amid our play. Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend. 45. The Christian Rain-maker. Providence leading the heathen. Answer to prayer. Rain. A very striking story comes to us from Basutoland, where one of their strongest superstitions is a faith in the power of their rain-makers, many of them most cruel and wicked men. Shortly before the Zulu war, a great drought prevailed in all the country round, causing great suffering and distress. One day the magistrate was not a little surprised to receive a deputation of heathen Basutos, who said that they had heard the God of the Christians was God of heaven and earth, and had power over all things ; their rain-makers had been unable to bring the rain, — ^would he now appoint a day on which prayer might be made to the God of the Christians, and they too would come ? On hearing this the mission priest acceded to their request, saying that God might or might not see it best to grant the prayer, but he would by no means hold back from laying before Him their needs. Accordingly a day was fixed, and a special service, including the Prayers for Rain, drawn up for the occasion. When the day came, long before the time for service, and before the Christians reached their little church, it was filled with a strange and motley congregation of heathen Basutos in their blankets, 52 THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. and beads, and skins. However, they readily made way for the Christians, and filled the farther end of the church, the place assigned to them, thronging outside the door. The great Basuto chief was there with his son, and so also was the Fingo chief. The special lesson was i Kings xviii., and solemn and impressive were the words : ' If the Lord be God, follow Him ; and if Baal, then follow him.' Before the service was over the rain was falling softly. The Basuto chief said to the priest, ' Truly your God is the God of heaven and earth.' There followed then a beautiful and plenteous rain, which fell throughout the country. 46. The Master's Eye. God sees and knows. The eye of God. A few years ago a gentleman in Ireland had a farm there, about a mile and a half from his house. It was situated on the side of a hill, and from his attic window he could get a view of every portion of the land. He would often go to this window, with a powerful telescope, and about five minutes every day he \wo\i\& spend in this way, examining what his work-people were doing, and whether the work of the farm was being carried on properly or not. The men happened to know this, and it often quickened them in their various duties to know that the master's eye from the little attic window might possibly at that very moment be resting upon them. Our Master's eye is always resting upon us. He sees and knows all we think, or do, or say, and yet how many people act as though God were both blind and deaf! THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 53 47. The Man and his Three Friends. Put not your trust in princes. A .friend in need is a friend indeed. Th€re was once a man who had three friends, one of whom he loved very dearly, the second not quite so much, whilst he valued the third but little, and treated him with coldness and neglect. Now it so happened that the king of the country sent an officer to this man, commanding him to appear at court immediately. The man was surprised and frightened. He thought that somebody must have been speaking evil of him, or accusing him of some grievous offence against his king. And therefore, being afraid to go to court alone, or to appear alone before the presence of royalty, he resolved to ask one of his friends to go with him. First he naturally applied to his dearest friend, to whom he had given most of his time and atten- tion ; but he at once refused point - blank, giving no reason and making no excuse for his want of friendliness. So the man applied to his second friend, who said, ' I don't mind going with you as far as the palace gates, but I will not go in with you unto the king.' In despair the man turned to his third friend, whom he had so often slighted and neglected, when at once he replied, ' Fear not ; I will go with thee, and speak in thy defence. I will not leave thee till thou art delivered from thy trouble.' Can you guess who these three friends were? The first friend is a man's worldly goods, which a map must leave behind him when he dies. The second friend is the relatives and friends who follow him to the grave, but leave him there and do not accompany him into the presence chamber of the King. The third friend is that true Friend Who never fails nor forsakes His brethren. Who sticketh closer than a brother, and of Whom it is written, ' If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father.' 54 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. 48. The Roman Knight and the Chasm. Self-sacrifice. The offering up of self. Some 350 years before the birth of Christ, a great chasm opened in the Forum at Rome, which the soothsayers declared could only be filled up by throwing into it Rome's greatest treasure. Thereupon, Mettus Curtius, a young and noble Roman knight, arrayed himself in full armour, and mounted his charger, and, declaring that Rome pos- sessed no greater treasure than a brave and gallant citizen, leaped into the chasm, upon which the earth closed over him. ' For Romans in Rome's quarrel Spared neither land nor gold, Nor son, nor wife, nor limb, nor life. In the brave days of old.' 49. The Dutch Engineer. Duty before pleasure. Prayer. Man's extremity God's opportunity. One gloomy November night, about a hundred years ago, a furious north-east wind was blowing on the coast of Holland. The gale increased in violence every moment. The chief engineer of the embankment by which the sea is kept out from the Low Countries, had been invited to go that very night to a party at Amsterdam. It was the time of the autumn high tides. The hour came for him to start for Amsterdam. He looked out into the wild, dark night, and thought of his embankment. Must he give up the party? His friends would be very angry with him for failing them. But how about the embankment.' He ou£^At not to leave that. There is a short, sharp struggle in his breast between duty and pleasure ; but in the end duty triumphs. At once he THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 55 sets out for the embankment ; and on reaching it finds all in confusion, disorder, and dismay ! His 200 men are at their wits' end. The storm has become a hurricane. The store of tow and mortar is exhausted. They know not wherewith to repair the breaches, and the tide is still rising. But no sooner does the engineei: appear upon the scene than he is welcomed with a joyful shout, ' Here is the master ! God be praised ! All will go well now ! ' At once confidence and order are restored. The engineer stations each man at his post. And now a tremendous struggle follows between man and the raging elements ! About half-past eleven a cry arose from about the centre of the line of men, ' Help ! help ! ' ' What is the matter ? ' ' Four large stones carried away by that last wave ! ' ' Where ? ' ' Here, here ! ' No time was to be lost if those stones were to be recovered, and the master did not lose a second ! He tied a rope round his body ; four men followed his example. Forty strong arms held the ends of the ropes whilst those five brave men plungtd into the surf to repair the damage. The waves in their fury lashed them and blinded them, but that they heeded not. They worked on bravely, did their duty, recovered the stones, and were then hoisted, bruised and breathless, up the side of the embankment to the top. But soon the cry, ' Help ! help ! ' rises from all sides. ' Stones ! stones ! ' ' There are no more.' 'Mortar then!' 'None is left.' 'Off with your clothes then,' cries the master, tearing off his own, ' and thrust them into the crevices ! ' And the 200 men stand there half-naked, exposed to the full fury of that November hurricane, but bravely and cheerfully trying to do their duty. It wants a quarter of an hour to midnight, until which time the tide must continue to rise ; only a very few inches more and the sea must pour over the embank- ment, and spread itself in destruction over a defenceless country. To-morrow not a soul will be alive in all those towns and villages now so flourishing. All the available clothes have been used to repair the damages, as S6 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. far as possible, but still the tide is rising, and must rise till midnight. ' Now, my brave men,' said the engineer, ' we can do no more ! Let us all fall upon our knees, and wrestle with God in prayer that He will help us.' And the 200 men knelt down upon the embankment, which seemed to tremble under them, and in the midst of the roaring of the tempest they lifted up their hearts and hands to Him Who can say unto the sea, ' Thus far shall thou come and no farther.' And as in the day when He was on the Lake of Galilee, He said unto the sea, ' Peace, be still,' so now He heard the cry of His servants, and delivered them out of their distress. The tide turned. The wind abated. The embankment stood firm. And tlius thousands of human lives were saved, because God heard and answered prayer, and because one man, in the hour of danger, had not failed to do his duty ! 50. Oh, Adam! Those who Hue in glass houses should not throw stones. Curiosity. Disobedience. A gentleman was once driving along the road, when he saw a man at work in the field close by, who every now and then stopped digging, rested on his spade, uttered a groan, and exclaimed, ' Oh, Adam ! ' The gentleman stopped and asked him what was the matter, why he was groaning, and what he meant by saying ' Oh, Adam ! ' ' Well, sir, 1 think there is a great deal the matter ; for if it had not been for that silly old gardener, our grandfather Adam, and his disobedience, I should not have to sweat in this way.' 'Oh,' said the gentleman, 'I suppose you fancy that if you had been in Adam's place you would not have taken of the forbidden fruit ?' ' No, sir, I wouldn't have been such a fool as to let my curiosity lead me on to dis- obedience, and cause me to be turned out of Paradise, THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 5-7 and bring nothing but worry, and trouble, and death, and work, work, work, on all my children. I wouldn't have been such a fool, not I.' ' Well, my good fellow,' said the gentleman, 'come up to my house by and by, and I will see what I can do for you ;' and he drove on. The man thanked him, and went on with his digging. At the appointed time the man went up to the house, and was shown into the presence of the gentleman, who then said to him, ' I have been thinking what I could do for you. And now I tell you that you may have the use of this room, and the run of the garden in which to walk whenever you like, and four good meals a day shall be provided for you, and you may stay here as long as you like, on one condition, viz. that you do not touch that pewter plate.' The man was delighted, and was most full in his ex- pressions of gratitude. ' Well, I am in luck surely,' said he, as he passed out through the window, to wander in the garden till his meal should be ready. He got up in the morning, had his four good meals in the day, passed most of his time in rambling in the garden with his hands in his pockets, doing nothing. After about a week of this he began to find it very dull and monotonous : every day was much the same, and there was nothing to do but to get up and go to bed again, to eat and drink, and walk in the garden. He almost began to wish that he had a little digging to do just to pass the time. One day he went in to dinner, feeling very dull and low-spirited, it was so intolerably dull and miserable being all alone and having nothing to do. His eyes wandered round the room, and he caught sight of the pewter plate. A longing came over him to take it up and see what was in it ; and said he to himself, 'There'll be no harm done in just touching it. He need never know, and will be none the wiser.' Accord- ingly he left the table, crossed the room, and took up the pewter plate to have a good look at it, when out jumped a mouse! He put back the plate, but he could not put back the mouse, for that had got away. Next time the 58 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. gentleman came in to see the man, he noticed that the pewter plate had been moved. He called the man, and said, 'Why, what is this that you have been doing? Have you touched the plate?' He was obhged to confess that he had. ' Out upon you ! go back to your digging, and never more say, " Oh, Adam ! " for you have been put in the same position that he was, and have failed. Your curiosity has led you on to disobedience. And now you too must lose your Paradise.' 51. The Murderer and his Mother. Sin leads on to sin. Nip sin in the bud. Correct thy son betimes. Parental neglect. A desperate highway robbery, accompanied by murder, had been committed, when at length the murderer was apprehended, tried, and sentenced to be hung. The day arrived for his execution, and found an immense crowd gathered together to witness it. They trod upon one another in the streets, so that there was no room to move ; they climbed the lamp-posts, they filled the windows, they crowded together on the roofs. At last the wretched man ap- peared with his arms pinioned, led by the executioner. Just as he was about to mount the steps leading to the gallows, he looked round and surveyed the mob for a moment, and, spying his mother among the crowd, begged that he might have one last word with her. His request was granted, and the poor old woman came up, whilst the crowd made way for her. When she was quite close, the condemned man put his mouth to her ear, as though to whisper some last words of comfort, and then suddenly withdrew it, whilst a piercing shriek rent the air. He had bitten off his mother's ear ! A storm of groans and hisses rose from the mob, and several missiles were thrown at him. When asked how he could be so brutal and unnatural as thus to injure THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 59 his own mother, he exclaimed, 'Afi, if only she had punished me, instead of praising and petting me, for that first little act of theft which I committed, I should never have come to this.' See then how one little sin leads on to another, until Satan has riveted his chains upon us. 52. The Nobleman and his Fool. The folly of not being rich towards God. The street of Bij- and-By leads to the house of Never, In former times it was the custom for every nobleman or other great man to have in his household a jester or pro- fessed fool, who was dressed in a suit of motley, with cap and bells, and whose office it was to amuse his lord and his guests. The custom lingered on longer in some parts of the country than in others, but it may be safely said that, as Mr. Arscott of Tetcott, on the Tamarside, was the last of those old Western squires who kept open house with open hand, so his man, Black John the dwarf, was about the last of the jesters here in England. Now there was a certain lord who once gave his fool a wand or staff of office, and told him to keep it till he should meet with a greater fool than himself, when he was to hand it over to him. The fool took the wand and carefully kept it, using it only on high days and holidays and state occasions. Some years afterwards, his lord fell sick of the illness of which he died. The fool went to see him, when the sick man said that he should soon be leaving him. ' Whither art thou going?' said the fool. ' Into another world,' said the nobleman. ' And when wilt thou return — within a ^onth ? ' 'No.' 'Within a year?' 'No.' 'When, then?' 'Never.' ''Never ! What arrangements, then, hast thou made about thy sojourn ? what care hast thou taken about thy reception and entertainment?' 'I have made no arrangements at all.' ' What ! ' said the fool ; ' art thou going on a journey 6o THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. from which thou wilt never more return, — art thou going into another world, — and hast thou made no provision for thy reception and entertainment ? Here, take back thy wand, for surely thou art a greater fool than I am ! ' 53. The Market Woman at Devizes. A visitation of God. Sudden death. A lie in the right hand. Tailing God's Name in uain. In the market place of the little town of Devizes, in Wiltshire, there stands a monument, erected to keep in memory a very awful and striking visitation of God, which took place there some time in the last century. It was the market day, and the little town was full of country people, who had come in to sell butter and eggs and poultry, and vegetables and fruit, and also to make purchases, and to transact business generally. A woman was sitting at her stall in the market, when a customer came up, and, after looking at some of the goods on her stall, bought and paid for them, and put them into her marketing basket. Then, as they were old acquaintances, they began to chat, and ended by having quite a long gossip. At last the customer said, 'Well, now, really I must be off! ' ' Stop a bit,' said the market woman ; ' you haven't paid me for those things.' ' Oh yes, I did ! ' said the other ; ' don't you remember I gave you half-a-crown, and a new shilling, and a fourpenny piece ?' 'No, you never paid me at all ; ' and then, turning out her purse, ' There,' said she, ' you see 1 haven't taken e'er a half-crown to-day.' 'Well, all I know is that I paid you, and counted the money into your own hand.' ' Where's the money gone, then? you see I haven't got it. No, you never paid me at all, and you meant to sneak away without paying.' ' And I tell you that I have paid you once, and don't intend to pay you again. I paid you a bright new THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 6 1 shilling and a worn fourpenny piece, and a half-crown. And I'll never have anything more to do with you.' At this the market woman became very furious, and shouted, ' You old cheat ! you wanted to get my things for nothing, you did ! You never paid me a penny. May God strike me dead if you did ! ' By this time a little crowd had begun to assemble round the two women, attracted by curiosity and the sound of high words. What was their horror and amaze to see that which followed ! For no sooner were the words of the market woman out of her mouth, than she fell down straightway upon the pavement. And when they came to lift her up they found that she was dead, whilst in her left hand were the half-crown, the shilling, and the fourpenny bit, which she had called God to witness that she had never received ! God does not always strike the liar and the perjured person dead upon the spot, but He is the same all-holy God He ever was ; He marks what is done amiss, and He will not hold him guiltless that taketh His Name in vain. 54. The Little Boy and his Alphabet. God looketh at the heart. There was once a little shepherd boy, who was out in the fields with the sheep one Sunday morning. He heard the sweet Church bells ringing to call the people to Church, and he could also see at a distance the people going up in little groups and knots of twos and threes, and so coming to the door of the Church, and going in and disappearing ; and there came over him a longing to pray to God, to ask Him to take care of him, and to make him good and happy. But how was he to pray ? for he did not know any prayer He thought a moment, and then he knelt down upon the grass where he was, and he put his hands together, as he had seen people doing in pictures and on old monuments, 62 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. and began A, B, C, D.^ Now it so happened, that a gentleman on his way to Church was passing along on the other side of the hedge. He saw the boy kneeling down with closed eyes and joined hands, he heard him distinctly saying the letters of the alphabet, and he wondered greatly what he was doing. So he stopped a moment, and called to the boy in a kindly voice, ' My little lad, what are you doing?' The boy looked up, 'Please, sir, I was praying.' 'But what are you saying your alphabet for?' 'Oh, I don't know any proper prayer, but I wanted to ask God to take care of me, and to bless me, and to help me, so I thought I would just say all I did know, and that He would put the letters together and spell them out, and understand what I mean.' ' And so He will, and He does, my boy. But if you like I will teach you the one great prayer which our dear Lord taught His disciples.' And, sitting down there by the lad's side, he taught him to pray to God in the words of the Our Father. 55. The Covenanters and the Mist. Remarkable deliverance. Prayer answered. The shadow of God's wing. A party of Scottish Covenanters were once gathered together on the hill-side to worship God in their own way, which was not then permitted by the law of the land, when the alarm was given that the soldiers were approaching. They knew that they could expect no mercy from the troops, but would probably be ridden over, or shot, or cut down in cold blood, just where they were. Some of them were stout ' The curious may compare with this simple, honest, child-like use of the alphabet in prayer, a childish, not to say profane, use of it in a ' liturgical curiosity ' given in the Sacristy for Feb. 1871, p. ga, and entitled ' Ritus Brevissimus Recitandi Breviarium pro Itinerantibus et Scrupulosis.' THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 63 and strong men, but they were unarmed, whilst the greater number consisted of weak and helpless women and children, besides an infirm and aged minister. Defence and flight were alike impossible. What should they do ? They gave themselves unto prayer, and cried unto God, that He would' save and deliver them, that He would hide them under the covering of His wings. And their cry was heard. Whilst the dragoons were yet at a little distance, there came rolling over the hills and along the hollows a thick, white, blinding mist, which shrouded and concealed everything, and enfolded the little company in its embrace and hid them. They themselves kept silent, and soon discovered from the noise and shouting, the oaths and curses of the troopers, that they had lost their way. The commander of the troops now thought only of the safety of his men and horses ; and when, after casting about for some time, they at length found the track, the word was given, and they rode off at a quick trot. No sooner were they all out of sight than the mist rolled off again, the sun shone forth, and those who had been kept by God, and hidden, as it were, under the shadow of His Hand, sang praises unto Him for their great deliverance. 56. The Rotten Timber. Be thorough. One rotten timber may sink a ship. God sees our uiorli. Two shipwrights were at work on a fine large vessel. As they sawed away at a piece of timber, they discovered that a part of it was worm-eaten and rotten. ' Better not use that piece, Jem.' ' Why, what does it matter. Jack? It's given us trouble enough, and is only a little bit gone ; besides, no one will see it.' So the timber was put in, and a bolt went through the rotten part, fastening it to the sound timbers above. In due course the ship was finished. 64 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. Then came the launch in the presence of thousands of spectators, with flags flying and bands playing ; the wife of some great man dashed a bottle of wine against the bows, and gave a name to the noble vessel. Then she was prepared and got ready for going to sea. She had a prosperous voyage out, and was now returning home, her decks crowded with passengers, and a valuable cargo in her hold, when there came on a furious storm. At first she seemed to weather it bravely ; but as the storm increased, and the waves mountains high thundered against her and broke over her, her timbers creaked and groaned and strained as she pitched and rolled. At last she springs a leak. That rotten timber has done its deadly work, for it has been found wanting in the time of need. Unseen by men, it has had important work to do, and it has failed to do it. And so that noble vessel fills, and at last goes plunging down into the depths of the ocean, with much treasure and hundreds of valuable lives on board, whilst only a few poor shipwrecked men hardly escape with their lives to tell the tale ! That fine vessel, those precious lives, were lost, because one idle man scamped his work, because one dishonest man put in bad materials. What great consequences turn on little things ! How many lives which gave fair promise at the first are wrecked through little sins ! 57. The Ship Launch. The power of little things. What a little child may do. Despise not one of these little ones. A noble vessel had been built, with all the latest improvements, and able to carry some thousand tons of merchandise, besides a multitude of passengers. The day arrived for naming and launching this fair vessel. The yard was decked with flags. The intimate friends of the THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 65 ship-owners were on board the vessel. A brass band plays lively and popular tunes. Every available spot is crowded with spectators. All is eagerness and excitement to witness the launching of the ship. And now the wife of a noble lord cuts the string which holds a bottle of cham- pagne suspended. The bottle is dashed against the bows, and the wine foams forth, as the lady pronounces the vessel's name. The 'dogs' are knocked away, and the vessel is expected to be seen gliding gracefully down the ' slip ' into the water. But no ! there is a hitch somewhere, for the vessel moves not. The hurrahs given in anticipa- tion die away, and consternation and disappointment sit on every face. ' What can be the matter ? ' ' Why won't she move ? ' are questions on all lips. At this moment a little boy runs forward from the crowd, and with all his puny strength gives a push to the mighty vessel. At once there is a titter of amusement, and then a chorus of loud laughter at the bare idea of this little fellow's fancying that he can launch the vessel with a push ! But not so fast, good people all. The little boy is right, and you are wrong. That little push was all the vessel needed to start her on her journey. Now she moves slowly off, runs down the 'slip' at a gradually increasing pace, and takes the water in a graceful way. The little boy's push gave her the start. She stood waiting for that push. See, then, how great a matter one little effort may accomplish, and despise not the day of small things. 58. The Smuggler's Cave. The hiding-place. Decision, There was once a smuggler down in the West, whom the revenue officers had tried to take again and again, but he was too wary and too cautious to be surprised. Be- sides which, he had a host of friends and admirers through 66 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. all that countryside, who gave him early information of any intended raid, and at the same time misled the coastguard, One wild night, however, he was surprised and surrounded before his spies had time to give him warning. At once he sprang into his boat, and put out to sea ; but quick as thought the coastguardsmen put off in their boat and gave chase. And now they are rapidly gaining on him ; they have almost reached him ; but he shifts his seat, and, without turning his double-prowed boat, rows again towards shore. Thus, whilst they are turning their larger boat, he gets a little start. But the advantage is only for a brief space. The coastguard, excited by his trick, are putting forth all their strength, are gaining upon him evidently. Now there seems no escape, so hardly is he pressed.. But right in front of him is the black, yawning mouth of a sea cave, into which the huge wild waves are thundering with a deafening roar, as they cover the sides of the cave with foam and spray. Towards this fearful-looking cave he now directs his boat, and then, waiting to catch the swell of the waves, he allows himself to be swept onwards into what seemed to his pursuers as the jaws of destruction. But his coolness and courage have saved him. He rides in safety over the row of jagged rocks which guard the entrance, like some giant's teeth ; and, keeping his boat steadily in the middle between the two sides of the cave, he is carried on the top of the wave to the farther end. Here the revenue officers do not care to follow him, and he is safe. So, amid life's stormy sea, whilst the avengers of blood, Satan and his crewj are following hard after us let us flee to that sure Hiding- tlace, the clefts of the Rock of Ages. 59. The Family with Short Memories. Sunday observance. Like father like son. One Sutiday afternoon a clergyman was returning home from Church, which was at some little distance from his THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 67 house, when a man in working clothes stopped him and said, ' Beg pardon, sir, but have you seen my boy on the road?' 'Was he driving a cart?' asked the clergyman. 'Yes, sir.' 'And were there some hurdles and a pitch- fork in the cart?' 'Yes, that's it,' said the man. 'A little boy with a short memory?' continued the clergyman. The man stared, and seemed surprised. ' Well, I don't know that he is specially forgetful ; but what made you think he had a short memory ? ' I know he had, and, more than that, I think he belongs to a family that have very short memories.' The man showed his extreme surprise at this statement, and said, ' Why, what in the world makes you think so, sir ? ' The clergyman looked him full in the face, and replied with calm solemnity, ' Because God has said, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy " and I think you have forgotten all about it. ' 60. King Henry V. and the Holy Eucharist. Deeds better than words. The Holy Communion. One day a courtier found King Henry V. attending the celebration of the Holy Eucharist at an almost deserted side altar in Westminster Abbey, whilst a great crowd, gathered thick together, filled the nave, and hung upon the lips of a popular preacher. When an opportunity pre- sented itself, the courtier inquired of the king why he was not with the larger congregation in the nave. On this the king replied, ' I would rather go to meet my Friend, than merely to hear Him talked about. ' 61. The Little Boy and his Cockle-shell. The Holy Trinity a mystery. No man can by searching find out the Almighty. S. Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, and one of the greatest doctors of the Western Church, was once walking 68 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. up and down on the sand of the sea-shore, wrapped in thought, and trying to think out for himself how there could be Three Holy Persons in the One Eternal God ; in short, how the Father could be God, and the Son God, and the Holy Ghost God, and yet at the same time be ' not three Gods but One God. ' And whilst he thought upon these things, walking up and down, and stopping every now and then to meditate more deeply, his eye caught sight of a little boy digging in the sand. And as he watched him, he saw him digging a hole with his spade, as children still love to do, and then running down to the edge of the sea, dipping up the water irt a little cockle-shell, which he carried in his hand, running back to the hole and emptying the shell full of water out into the sand-hole. The saint became inte- rested in watching the little fellow, and asked him what he was trying to do. The boy replied, ' To empty the ocean into that little hole.' The saint smiled, and said, ' Im- possible ! that you can never do 1 ' Then a voice sounded in his ear, 'Not more impossible than for thee rightly to comprehend the mystery on which thou wast meditating ! ' He looked round, and the little boy was gone, and his spade, and his cockle-shell, and the hole in the sand ! There was no one on the sands besides himself. He had seen a vision, meant to teach him that ' no man can by any means find out the Almighty unto perfection.' 62. S. Patrick and the Shamrock. The Holy Trinity — Tliree in One, and One in Three. About the year 441 A.D., S. Patrick, who has since been called the Apostle of Ireland, went over there bent upon carrying out his long-cherished plan of converting the Irish to Christianity. On oije occasion, when preaching before one of their petty kings, he spoke of the Holy, Blessed, and Glorious Trinity, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as being not three Gods, but Three Persons in One THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 69 God. The king listened in amaze, and at length interrupted him, to ask in the words of one of old, ' How can these things be?' S. Patrick stooped and picked a leaf of the shamrock, with which the ground was there carpeted. Then, holding it up, he said, ' Seest thou this leaf, O king ? ' ' Certainly I do,' replied the king. And now, touching each lobe of the trefoil in succession. Saint Patrick asks the king, 'What is this?' 'A leaf.' 'And this?' 'A leaf.' 'And this ?' 'A leaf.' 'As, then, O King, thou seest and confessest that this leaf consists of three leaves, and yet nevertheless is but one leaf ; so God the Blessed Trinity consists of Three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and yet is but One Lord God Almighty.' The king saw the force of the illustration, believed in and confessed the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and was baptized into the Faith. From the use thus made by S. Patrick of the shamrock in illustrating the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, this leaf has ever since been employed as the national emblem of Ireland. 63. The Thistle and the Night Attack. Qod often uses the weakest instruments. ' Children, what are these three flowers at the back of this florin ? ' ' The rose, the shamrock, and the thistle.' ' Very well, and why have we got these flowers on this piece of English money ? ' ' Because the rose is the flower of England, the shamrock of Ireland, as you told us in the story of S. Patrick preaching about the Holy Trinity, and the thistle of Scotland. ' ' But now shall I tell you why the thistle is the emblem of Scotland?' 'Yes, please, do so. ' Well, then, once upon a time the Scotch were en- camped at the distance of a few miles from their enemies There had been skirmishes on either side, but no very decisive engagement had taken place. At last the enemy's general planned a night attack, and determined 7o THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. to take the Scots by surprise. The attack was carefully planned, orders were issued that the utmost silence was to be observed, that the words of command were to be passed along the ranks in a whisper, that the whole force was to march over the heath barefooted, and a very dark night, without a moon, was chosen for the expedition. The arrangements were well made, and carefully carried out. The men were in high spirits, and marched softly and swiftly, in perfect silence. They had almost reached the Scottish camp, when one man happened to put his bare foot right plump upon a large and very prickly thistle. At once he uttered a loud exclamation of surprise and pain, and then, remembering the strict orders about silence, limped on without another word. But the deed had JDeen done, the alarm had been given. The watchful sentries in the Scottish camp had heard that single ' Oh ! ' caused by the sharp pricking of the thistle, and roused their comrades, the bagpipes sounded a gathering call, the men turned out quickly and quietly ; so that when the enemy came up, instead of finding the camp wrapped in silence and in slumber, they found the Scots fully prepared to receive them ; and in the end they were driven off with great slaughter. The Scots rightly attributed their safety, under God, to the warning given by the thistle, and from that time it was adopted as the national emblem. A thistle is a very common, humble plant, but it did great service that night. So many things which we esteem as poor, common, mean, are the most useful and the most necessary. God often chooses weak things of the world to confound the mighty. 64, The Man saved by a Dagger Thrust, Troubles bravely handled turn to our advantage. Two knights of old, clad in steel from head to foot, were engaged in mortal combat. After charging at each THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 7 1 Other with lance in rest, once or twice, one of them was unhorsed and hurled from the saddle. Partly stunned by his fall, and so encumbered with his armour as to be unable to rise without assistance, he lay upon the ground for a few moments, until he was aware that the other knight, his enemy, had dismounted from his charger, had drawn his dagger, and was now about to slay him outright. The dagger is raised aloft; it gleams in the sunlight with a cold and cruel glitter ; — another moment, and it will be buried in the heart of the vanquished knight. But as the dagger is descending, the fallen man gathers up all his powers for one last desperate effort, — seizes the hand of his enemy — wrenches round the dagger — alters the direction in which it is coming — and so, turning the very strength which his antagonist had put into the blow against him, drives the dagger up into the heart of the man who held it, and who is standing over him. His enemy falls dead upon him, and he is saved. So the brave man turns the things against him into the causes of his success and triumph. So the patient man uses his greatest sorrows, troubles, trials, as the stales in a ladder by which he may climb towards heaven. 65. David and Madmen, Spiders, Flies. All things have a use. Despise not small things. The Jews have a tradition that David in his youth once asked of God why He had created three things that appear most useless, — madmen, spiders, flies. The Divine answer came, that in after Ufa David should learn that, by finding that they were all useful to himself. And so it came to pass. He learned the use of madmen, when, in order to escape with his life, he himself feigned madness in the palace of Achish. He found how useful was the tiny fly, when he took the spear from Saul while asleep ; for, becoming pent 72 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. up behind Abner, he was unable to retreat, until a fly- stung the warrior, caused him to turn over without waking, and so released David. So too with the spider : when flying from Saul in the desert of Ziph, hotly pursued by his enemies, he took refuge in a cave, over the entrance to which a spider immediately spun its web. The pursuers came up, saw the web over the cave's mouth, and, judging that he could not possibly be there, passed on. 66. The Painter saved by the Spoiling of his Picture. The work destroyed, the workman saved. One day when Sir James Thornhill was painting the inside of the dome of S. Paul's Cathedral, he paused in his work, and stepped back to the edge of the platform to look at what he had done. Intent upon his work, he had completely forgotten where he was, and in another moment would have fallen backwards from the platform and been dashed to pieces on the pavement below. But a friend who was with him, perceiving his danger, caught up a brush, and, filling it with colour, made a large blotch upon the picture. The artist sprang forward to protect his work, arid his life was saved, though at the expense of his picture. So God, in His mercy, often overthrows our plans and spoils our pictures, that He may save our souls. 67. The Little German Boy. Charity. Ye did it unto Me. How Christ comes to us. In one of those large educational hospitals for which Germany is so justly famous, there was once a little boy. One dark and stormy night, the children were sitting down THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 73 to supper, and the teacher said their usual grace, ' Come, Lord Jesus, and be our guest at this time.' And the little boy of whom I speak looked up into the teacher's face and said, 'You always ask the Lord to come : why does He never come ? Will He really come ? ' ' Oh yes,' replied the teacher, ' He will come.' Then said the boy, ' I will set a chair for Him to-night to be ready when He comes.' Shortly after a knock was heard at the door, and a poor man was let in, all dripping with the rain, and famishing with hunger. They tended him with care, and led him at length to the vacant seat by the child. This opened the boy's eyes to the whole truth, and he said, ' Teacher, I see it now ; the Lord Jesus could not come Himself, and so He sent this poor man in his place. Isn't that it ?' 'Yes,' replied the teacher, ' that is it.' 68. The Sentry and the Clock. The watchful sentry. Providential occurrence. Great issues turn on small pivots. Many, many years ago, one of the sentries at Windsor Castle was charged with being asleep at his post. The penalty for this great military offence was death. A court-martial was assembled, and the prisoner was tried, when he solemnly asserted his innocence, declared that he had not been asleep, and to prove his innocence stated that as he was pacing up and down hisbeat in the cold frosty air he heard the clock of S. Paul's in London begin to strike twelve at midnight. He stopped, and counted one — two — three — four — five — six — seven — eight — nine — ten — eleven — twelve — thirteen.! And then, wondering that the clock should have struck so many times, and supposing that he himself must have been mistaken, he resumed his beat. His story was received with a smile of incredulity. But inquiry being made, it was found that it was even so as 74 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. he had said, that the clock had struck thirteen instead of twelve on that particular night. So on that little incident hung a brave man's life, and that combination of circum- stances — that the night was still, the wind, such as there was, setting that way, and that the clock should strike an extra stroke at that particular hour and none other — we may well call Providential. 69. The Smith that made a Hiss. Waste of power and material. Labour for naught. There was once upon a time a poor bungling man who called himself a smith, but who knew nothing of his craft. He took a good piece of iron and set to work to make a horse-shoe. He made it red-hot, and he hammered and hammered away, all to no purpose. It would not turn into a shoe ! So he changed his mind, and said, ' Oh, never mind ! it will make a very good nail.' So he set to work to make his nail, and he put it into the fire again, and made it red-hot. And again he hammered and hammered away, but it would not turn into a nail ! ' Well, never mind ! ' said he ; 'if it won't make a nail, it will make a very good hiss !' So again he put it in the fire, and when it was red-hot the foolish fellow plunged it into a vessel of water standing by, when of course there was a loud hiss ! And this was all he had been able to do after several hours' hard work ! His good piece of iron, and all his pains and labour, had only ended in a hiss ! What a waste of time, and trouble, and material ! There is no such waste of power with God. He works definitely and with a purpose. Go and do thou likewise. THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 75 70. The Duke of WeUington and the Officer. Unkind suspicions. Judge not. At one of the annual Waterloo banquets, the Duke of Wellington after dinner handed round for inspection a very valuable presentation snufif-box set with diamonds. After a time it disappeared and could nowhere be found. The Duke was much annoyed. The guests (there being no servants in the room at the time) were more so, and they all agreed to turn out their pockets. To this one old officer most vehemently objected, and on their pressing the point left the room, notwithstanding that the Duke begged that nothing more might be said about the matter. Of course suspicion fell on the old officer ; — nobody seemed to know much about him, or where he lived. The next year the Duke at the annual banquet put his hand in the pocket of his coat, which he had not worn since the last dinner, and there was the missing snuff-box ! The Duke was dreadfully distressed, found out the old officer, who was living in a wretched garret, and apologized. ' But why,' said his Gracpe, 'did you not consent to what the other officers proposed, and thus have saved yourself from the terrible suspicion?' ' Because, sir, my pockets were full of broken meat, which I had contrived to put there to save my wife and family, who were at that time literally dying of starvation. ' The Duke, it is said, sobbed like a child; and it need not be added that the old officer and his family suffered no more from want from that day. Appearances are often deceptive. We don't know all. Therefore judge not that ye be not judged. 71. The Quaker and the Funeral. Innocence vindicated. An American gentleman, who was a Quaker, once had a strange and unaccountable impression that he must go 76 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. somewhere, though he knew not where. Accordingly he ordered his gig, and when his servant asked where he was to drive, the master answered, 'Up and down the road.' And so he did. At last they met a funeral, when the master merely said, ' Follow this funeral ;' and they followed until they came to the churchyard. Whilst the service was being performed the Friend sat still in his gig. At its conclusion he walked to the grave, and exclaimed solemnly, ' The person now buried is innocent of the crime laid to her charge ! ' and then returned to his gig. An elderly man in deep mourning came up to him in great agitation, and said, ' Sir, what you said has surprised me very much ! ' 'I can't help it, I can't help it,' replied the other ; ' I only said what I was obliged to say. ' ' Well,' said the mourner, ' the person just buried is my wife, who for some years has lain under the suspicion of infidelity to me. No one else knew of it, and on her deathbed she again protested her innocence, and said that if I would not believe her then, a witness to it would be raised up even at her graveside.' 72. The Eleventh Commandment and the Bishop. The new commandment. Love. An English Bishop was once shipwrecked on the coast of Ireland, when he hardly escaped with his life. In very scanty clothing, of by no means ecclesiastical cut or appear- ance, and still wet with sea-water, he made his way to the house of the nearest parish priest, stated his case, and asked for food and clothes and shelter. The priest and his wife were inclined to doubt his tale, and certainly did not believe that he was a Bishop. Accordingly they thought they would test and examine somewhat his religious know- ledge. They asked him to say the Apostles' Creed, which he did ; then they asked him how many commandments there arc, when to their no small astonishment he replied, THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 77 ' Eleven.' They nudged each other and exchanged looks, as much as to say, ' There ! didn't I tell you that he was an impostor and no Bishop ! ' Then the priest said, ' Well, my good man, let us hear what the eleventh commandment is. ' At once the Bishop made reply, ' A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another. ' Then at once they perceived that he was a Bishop really and truly, and no impostor. They took him in and clothed and fed him, and on the morrow sent him on his way rejoicing. My children, don't forget the ' Eleventh Commandment.' 73. The Dog and the Shadow. Appearances deceptive. Contentment Greediness ouer- reaches itself. A dog carrying a piece of meat in his mouth was once crossing a plank over a stream, when, happening to cast down his eyes, he saw another dog carrying a piece of meat in his mouth, — that being of course the reflection of the real dog in the water. He looked at the other dog, and especially at the piece of meat he was carrying; and thought he had never seen such a dainty morsel, so good a piece of meat. His mouth began to water at the thoughts of it ; he coveted the other dog's piece of meat. Thought he, ' I may as well try to get it. Nothing venture, nothing have ! ' So saying, he dropped the meat he had in his mouth, and made a frantic snatch at what he saw in the water ! But as he snatched at it the meat vanished ; and now he found himself without any meat at all, and the other dog and the^ dainty morsel of meat he was carrying all had disappeared ; whilst a mocking-bird in a neighbouring thicket sang, ' A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.' And as he went on his way he mused over his poor despoiled and dinnerless condition, and said to himself, ' Better to have been content with what I had, than to have dropped the substance and grasped the shadow ! ' 78 THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 74. The Little Choir Boy. Punctuality. Stick to the post of duty. Temptation resisted. A little choir boy and an aged priest once made an agreement that they would say matins together. So on the first morning after their agreement, the little boy got up and went to the Church and lighted the candles. He waited some time for the priest, but he came not, for the old man lay in bed and would not get up. So the lad pulled the bell and waited. And as he pulled the bell, he spied through the window that the ground was covered with snow. And -he thought, ' I will run out and play in the snow, for the father comes not to matins, and why should I stay here ? ' But he resisted the temptation, and went into the choir and said the office by himself. On the second morning he went down and got to the Church first. Then he lighted the candles and rang the bell ; but the priest came not. Then the boy thought, ' Why shouldn't I take a run and have a slide on the pond ? ' But he battled with the temptation, and said the office by himself in the choir. On the third morning he thought, as he turned in his bed, ' It is so cold, I do not think I'll get up this morning ; the father won't leave his bed, and why should I?' However, he resisted this strong temptation, jumped out of bed, dressed, and ran to the Church, where he lighted the tapers and pulled the bell. But no priest ever appeared ; so he went into the choir and said the office by himself. This went on for six mornings ; each morning he was tempted to indulge himself and lie in bed, and each morning he overcame the temptation. The priest lay in bed and would not get up, and the little boy went into the choir and sang the office aloae. On the seventh morning the priest was roused by the bell, but he merely turned in bed and went off to sleep again. And as he slept he dreamed that he saw our Blessed Lord standing by the treasury of heaven ; and in His hand He held seven bright and shining crowns of purest gold. ' Oh, my Lord, are THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 79 these for me ? ' said the priest. ' Nay ! not for thee,' replied our dear Lord, ' but for thy Httle choir boy. Seven times he has been tried, and seven times he has overcome ; therefore for him are these seven crowns. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life' 75. The Hermit and his Tree. Pray and trust. God hnowa what is best for us. There was once in the Egyptian desert an aged hermit, ■who thought he should like to have an olive tree near his cave. So he got a little tree, and planted it in a suitable spot near the door of his cell ; and then, thinking it might want water, he prayed to God to send it rain. So the rain came down and watered his olive tree. Then he thought a little warm sun would do it good, and help to swell its buds ; so he prayed for warmth and sunshine, and the sun shone forth and it was very hot. Then, as the sapling looked somewhat poor and feeble, the hermit thought, ' What it now wants is a little frost to brace it.' Accordingly he prayed for frost, arid that night the hoar-frost covered the ground. But the little olive tree somehow did not seem to thrive, so he thought that possibly a warm southerly wind might help it on. And he prayed that the south wind might blow upon his tree, and the hot south wind blew, and the olive died ! Some days after, he was visiting a brother hermit in the same desert, and he noticed that he had a remarkably fine olive tree. 'Why, brother,' said he, 'how do you manage to get your olive tree to thrive so well ? ' ' I don't know that I did anything specially to it, but I just planted it, and God blessed it, and it grew.' 'Ah, brother, I once planted an olive tree< and when I thought it wanted water, I prayed God to give it rain, and He sent rain ; and when I thought it wanted sun, I prayed for it, and the sun 8o THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. shone out ; and when I thought it wanted bracing I prayed for frost, and the frost came. God sent me everything that I prayed for, as I thought it wanted it, but my tree died!' 'And I,' replied the other hermit, 'just simply prayed that God would take care of my tree, and then left it in His hands to arrange the how and the when, because I felt sure He knew what was best for my tree, better than I did!' 76. Chitty, the Platelayer. // England expects euery man to do his duty, how much more does Bod. Self-sacrifice. The ' Flying Dutchman ' — one of the fastest express trains in the world — was overdue at the Bristol station, as in one of the sidings they were moving some blocks of Bath . stone. By some mischance one of these blocks fell on to the up line, along which the express is every moment expected to thunder past. No time is to be lost I for should the block of stone remain upon the line, it will wreck the train. But what is that noise ? It is the approaching train. A gallant platelayer named Chitty, whose name deserves to be handed down, leaps upon the line, crowbar in hand. The roar of the train is in his ears, and he works for very life to clear the line and get the block away. Hurrah ! he has succeeded ! the block is off the meta's ; now the line is clear, now the train is safe ! But as he plies the crowbar for the last time, the train dashes up, and he is hurled into eternity ! He has saved the train at the cost of his own life ! Well and bravely has the platelayer cared for others and done his duty. THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 8 1 77. The Bishop and the Boys. Water the only valid matter for Holy Baptism. A number of the clergy were once assembled at the house of their Bishop. The social meal was over, and they went out on the balcony overlooking a large extent of sea and shore. At some little distance the Bishop perceives a party of boys at play. But their movements are so strange that they excite his curiosity. ' What can they be playing at? he asks his presbyters. Some say one thing and some another ; no one seems quite to understand what game it is that the boys are playing. At length the Bishop sends a deacon to inquire into the matter. He returns, and reports that he found the boys were playing at baptizing one another with sand. The Bishop sends the deacon to fetch the boys. They are brought into his presence. He questions them, and then, finding that, although heathens, they have some knowledge of the Faith and a sincere desire to be made Christians, he explains to them that whereas a Baptism even with sea-water would be valid, yet a Baptism with sand is no Baptism at all, even if the right form of words has been used, because the matter is not right. Then, having further questioned and instructed them, he commands them to be baptized in the name of the Lord, with water, the only right and lawful matter for Holy Baptism. For neither sand, nor oil, nor milk, nor wine, nor beer, nor honey, may be used to baptize with, — they are not the proper matter of the Sacrament. It can only be rightly and duly performed with water. God's commands are to be carried out in this way to the minutest letter. 82 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. 78. The Man saved by a Hen. Providential preservation. The help given in the needful time of trouble. In that fearful massacre in France, which took place on S. Bartholomew's Day, 1572, for three days a strict and rigorous search was made for all the Protestants, to slay them. Admiral de Coligny was put to death in his own house by tlie king's orders. His chaplain, in common with many others at that time, had a very narrow escape. He had concealed himself in a hay-loft, and, no one knowing of his hiding-place, would in all probability have been starved to death, had not He Who fed His prophet with bread and flesh brought by the ravens in the days of old, commanded another bird now to succour His servant. For it chanced that a hen came regularly every day and laid an egg near his place of concealment. On this he lived for several days, until it was safe for him to leave his hiding-place. 79. The Martyr in the Indian Mutiny. Hold fast. Strengthen thy brethren. A word in season. One day, during the Indian mutiny, in a half-deserted street of Allahabad, there lay, under the blazing sun, a young English officer only some sixteen years of age, his blood ebbing fast away from more than one deadly wound. A few short months ago, and he had been a light-hearted, happy boy in an EngUsh home ; now he was dying alone, killed by his treacherous sepoys, far away from friends and home, without one friendly voice to cheer him in his last moments, or one friendly hand to smooth his brow and minister to him in his pain. He was too faint and weak even to brush off the tormenting flies, or drive away the foul creatures that were hastening to make him their prey. He THE preacher's PROMPTUARy OF ANECDOTE. 83 must have felt himself utterly abandoned, but that he trusted in Him Who Himself died slowly and lingeringly of painful wounds, and Who is ever at hand to help and succour you His servants who trust in, and who serve Him to the end. Presently there came tramping and shouting through the streets a party of dark-faced sepoys, dragging with them a native Christian catechist, whom the young ensign knew by sight. They are shouting to their victim to give up the hated Faith of the English, and worship once again the Hindoo gods, or else they threaten to torture him and deal worse with him than with the English. The catechist is terrified and affrighted, and the look of terror and dismay upon his face shows that he is ready to yield. The English lad saw it, and with a last dying effort he raised himself for a moment on his elbow, and cried out, ' Brother, brother, be stedfast ! Do not lose your place in heaven ! ' These were his last words, uttered with his parting breath, but they had saved the Hindoo. The tempted man stood firm, and before the sepoys could put their threats into execution, they were called away to meet the advance of the British troops. When the city had been retaken, and the British rule had been restored, the catechist told how those words of encouragement had saved him from falling away. 80. The Girl and the Newspaper. Euil communications corrupt good manners. Avoid all appearance of euil. Dr. Neale was once travelling by rail in a carriage in which was a servant girl, an old man, and one or two other people. The old man was reading a newspaper with illustrations. When he had read it through and through very carefully, he offered the paper to the girl very civilly and very politely, saying that she might like to look at the 84 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. pictures. She thanked him, took the paper, looked at it for a moment, then the colour flushed into her face, and she gave it back to him with such a No, and looked away from him. At the next station she got out, as that was her home. And then Dr. Neale asked the man to let him look at the paper. This he did rather unwillingly. But when the good doctor had glanced at it, he thanked God that that young servant girl had acted as she had done. 81. The Poisoned Ring. Sin lurks hid. Sin finds out at the last Poison of sin. Some years ago, a man who wanted to buy a handsome ring, went into a jeweller's shop in Paris and asked to see some rings. He had a number of rings brought out for him to choose from. Amongst others was one very ancient gold ring, very handsome and very curiously chased, but chiefly remarkable for two little lion's claws on the inside of it. Whilst looking at other rings, the purchaser played with this, slipping it on and off his finger. After a time he bought another ring, and left the shop. But no sooner had he reached home, than first his hand, then his side, and next his whole body became numb, as though smitten with paralysis. The physician who was called in thought him dying, and said to him, ' You must surely have taken poison.' The sick man protested that he had not. At length he bethought himself of the ring ; and then it was discovered that it was what used to be called a death ring, such as were often used in those wicked Italian states some three or four hundred years ago. If a man hated another, and wished to kill him and get him out of the way, he would send him one of these rings as a present, and they were made in this way, — the inside was hollow, and con- tained a drop of deadly poison, which, when pressed, would flow out from a very small hole. When the poor man was THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 85 wearing the ring, the murderer would come and shake his hand violently, the lion's claw woud give his finger a little scratch, and in a few hours he was a dead man. Why do 1 tell you this story? To show you how for four hundred years this ring had kept its poison, and at the end of that time was strong enough to well-nigh kill the man who accidentally scratched his finger with its claw. So now sin may seem to slumber for a time, but it is a deadly poison that will surely slay the soul. 82. The Boy who said his Prayers. Be not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord. Example. Dare to do right. Prayer. Reverence. A little boy, not more than eleven or twelve years of age, somewhat delicate in health, and rather backward, once went to a large public school. The first night that he slept there, when they came to go to bed, he glanced timidly round the room to see what other boys were doing, and then he saw how first one and then another got into bed without saying their prayers. And then it came into his head that he should look singular if he knelt down and said them, and that after all he might just as well say them in bed ; and Satan whispered that if we pray with all our heart it does not matter how or where we say our prayers, or whether we kneel or not. But just as he was hesitating there flashed into his mind those words of our dear Lord, ' Whosoever therefore shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven.' And so, after a short, sharp struggle, he took courage and knelt down. Then there arose such a shouting and howling, such a volley of oaths, such a tempest of sounds, as might well have daunted a brave man, much more a weak and timid boy. But he held his ground. Shoes, slippers, any- thing and everything that they could lay hands on, were 86 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. thrown at him ; he was reviled, and mocked, and threatened. And so it went on night after night ; as soon as he knelt down the room was in an uproar, the same insults and injuries were heaped upon him. But he bravely and quietly held on. Wherever he went among his schoolfellows he was jeered at as 'the boy who said his prayers.' At last, however, by degrees first one and then another of his school- fellows began to take his part ; then they began to follow his example, and to kneel down and say theirs. And so by slow degrees, in that school, where, when he first went, none of the boys knelt down and said their prayers, they all did so. The good example of one brave boy changed the practice of a whole school. 83. The Captive and the Stork. Good news from a far country. Redeem the slave. Wonderful deliuerance. In a certain village in Norway there may be seen the figure of a stork carved on the woodwork of the church, and they tell the following story relating to it. In that village there once lived a little boy named Conrad and his widowed mother. Now it so happened that every summer a stork came and built its nest near the house, and then when autumn came it disappeared and flew away. And Conrad and his mother were very kind to the stork : they fed it and petted it, and made much of it, until at last it would come at Conrad's whistle and feed out of his hand. Every spring they looked out for it, and when it returned the faithful bird seemed as pleased to see them again, as they were also to welcome it. And so the springs and autumns flitted by, until Conrad was grown into a man, and had become a sailor. The mother petted the stork all the more for the sake of her absent sailor boy. Now, it so happened that in one of his voyages the ship in which THE preacher's PKOMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 87 Conrad sailed was attacked by pirates off the coast of Africa. The ship was taken, the crew were put in chains, and afterwards sold as slaves. Weeks, months, years passed by, and the widowed mother had entirely given up her boy as lost. The only thing which seemed to interest her at all was the stork. For Conrad's sake she welcomed it, and fed it, until at length the time came for it to return to its home in the sunny south. Now it happened that as poor Conrad was working alone in chains one day at his dreary task, a stork came flying close to him, and in a moment his old home in Norway, and his mother, and the stork that used to visit them all, came vividly before him. Hardly knowing what he was doing, he whistled as he used to do to the stork at home. To his surprise and delight the bird came to him as if to be fed. He fed it, giving thanks to God that he had permitted his dear old iriend the stork to visit him in his captivity. Henceforth he fed it daily with scraps saved from his rations, and the visits of the stork seemed to cheer him and while away the sad and lonely hours of his captivity. At last the time drew nigh when the bird must fly away to the north, and his heart grew sad. But presently hope revived, as he thought, ' Perhaps if it be going home I may send a message to my mother, and possibly she might procure my release. At all events I'll try.' So he wrote a line or two on a scrap of paper, saying where he was and what doing, and asking for help, and then, asking God to speed his letter, he tied it firmly round the bird's leg. The spring came to the old home in Norway, and with it the stork, which the widow gladly welcomed and fed, because it reminded her so much of her poor Conrad. And as she feeds it she catches sight of the letter tied round its leg. What is this ? Scarce able to believe it, she finds it is a letter from her long-lost boy. Hastily she runs to tell her clergyman, and ask him what to do. The news quickly spreads through all the parish. Every one is of one mind : they must make a collection and redeem Conrad. On the following Sunday morning a collection is 88 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. made in church 'to redeem the Christian slaves from the hands of the Turks,' when all the parish is gathered together, and each one gives what he can. Then the case is laid before the king, and a man-of-war is sent to Africa with a large sum of money as ransom to release the Christian captives. And Conrad is at length released, and returns home to his mother. In that village they will never forget God's wonderful dealings with His servant Conrad, brought about by the means of the stork. 84. The Sentry and the Hog. Be watchful. Give attention to small matters. Appearances are deceptive. During the Amei-ican War of Independence, when many of the Indian tribes were in the pay of the enemy, and did much injury to the English troops by surprising small parlies, cutting off stragglers, and harassing them generally by feints and night attacks, there was a certain British outpost where the sentries regularly disappeared. Posted at night- fall, when the guard marched to relieve them they were gone, and nothing more was ever seen or heard of them. At first it was supposed that they had deserted to the enemy ; but when sentry after sentry had disappeared, some of them the bravest and most loyal men in the regiment, the colonel began to grow anxious, and determined that, as there was something strange and unusual about the matter, none but volunteers should be stationed at this post. One day the man who had been left as sentry the night before had entirely disappeared when the guard went to relieve him. Neither officers nor soldiers could make it out. There was something strange, mysterious, and uncanny about it. The post was an important one, and therefore could not be abandoned, and the number of men available for duty would not allow them to double the THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 89 sentries. Again volunteers are called for, and again, as always with British soldiers, there is no lack of volunteers for the post of danger. A man is selected, and he says, ' You must not mind, comrades, if I give you a false alarm, for I am determined to find out the mystery if possible, and I shall fire my musket at the slightest noise.' Then the command was given and the guard marched. The officer gave him the password, saw that all was right at the post, and then his comrades left him, as they had left many another fine fellow at that same post, and marched back to the guard-house. Not many hours had elapsed when the report of a musket was heard in the direction of this particular post. Out turned the guard, and went off at the double to see what had happened to their comrade. As they neared the post they saw him coming towards them dragging a wild hog, such as is common in those woods, behind him. When they got up to him they found that it was a Red Indian disguised in the skin of a hog ! In answer to their questions, the sentry told them, 'Not long after you had gone, I perceived a hog grunting in the wood, and apparently searching for acorns. I kept my eye upon the animal, and perceived that it was gradually making for a thicket immediately at the back of my post. I was half tempted to fire, but then I thought how you would all have the laugh at me for merely shooting a hog. However, my suspicions were aroused by seeing the Ifne which the animal was taking, and I watched it more narrowly. Then just as it reached the thicket it seemed to make rather an unnatural spring. I levelled my musket and fired. The animal gave a shriek and rolled over dead. I examined it, and found it to be an Indian, cleverly disguised in the skin of a hog. No doubt he intended to do for me what he had done with the others, make his way to the thicket behind the post, watch his opportunity, throw off his disguise, and despatch me with his tomahawk. My watchfulness and my suspicions saved me ! ' My children, be not ignorant of Satan's devices, — he is very cunning— he has many disguises ; 90 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. be watchful, and do not allow yourselves to be surprised by him. 85. The Welsh Parson. The Angel of the Lord tam'eth about them that fear Him, and deliuereth them. A Welsh clergyman was riding one Sunday, from one part of his large and scattered parish, to take a service in another part of it. Pressed for time, as he generally was on these occasions, it was his custom to make a short cut by taking a gloomy and unfrequented road. On this par- ticular Sunday he had not long entered on this lonely road, when he distinctly saw two evil and suspicious looking men place themselves in hiding in the hedge at a little distance in front of him. One of them was armed with a scythe, the other with a long and thick stick. They had selected a point where the road narrowed, and was overhung by dark hedges, and were there for no good purpose, but evidently bent on mischief. He lifted up his heart in prayer to God, that he might be protected from the assault of these evil men, and then rode on. But on turning his head he per- .ceived that a horseman had joined him, and was now riding by his side. He endeavoured to enter into conversation with him, but without success. It was only when he uttered some pious wish or expressed some religious senti- ment that the stranger appeared to take any notice of what he was saying, and even then his assent was indicated rather by his manner than by any actual words. They rode on side by side for a little time, but when they had nearly reached the place where the two men were lurking hid, to his amazement and thankfulness, he saw them suddenly leave their hiding-place, throw away their weapons, and make off as fast as they could run ! He gave God thanks for His great goodness in preserving him from this peril, and THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote, 9 1 turned to make some remark upon this incident to his com- panion, but he had utterly disappeared and was gone. The rest of his journey was accomplished speedily and safely ; but he ever regarded that strange horseman as his Guardian Angel, specially allowed to become visible in order to be seen by the robbers, and to frustrate their purposes. £6. The Cornish Farmer. He shall glue His Angels charge concerning thee. A guilty conscience. Tliere was once a Cornish farmer, a very worthy, good, religious man, who was in the habit of driving into Bodmin on market days, and then returning home in the evening along a very lonely road, and often with a considerable sum of money in his gig with him. And it was one of his peculiarities that he always drove alone, and never cared to have any one with him. His parish clergyman had often remonstrated with him for driving home alone in this way, but he always smiled and turned it off, and said he preferred to be alone and to enjoy his own thoughts. Now it so happened that one day an idle, good-for-nothing man, who had formerly been a servant to the farmer, was in the tap-room of a low public -house, telling stories about him and relating his peculiarities, when he happened to men- tion this fact of his often returning alone from market, with a large sum of money about him. Two bad men, who chose rather to steal from others than to work for them- selves, overheard what the man was saying, put a few more questions to him about the farmer's habits, the road he took, and other matters, in which they seemed to be suddenly interested, and then formed a plan to rob, and if need be even to murder him. Accordingly, they carefully went over the road along which the farmer always went to and from the market, chose a spot at which to attack him, 92 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. and even went so far as to dig a grave in a little thicket not far from the road, in which, if the worst came to the worst, they might bury their intended victim. Their plans were laid most carefully, and they watched and waited, waited and watched for a good opportunity to carry them out. At last there came a dull and gloomy market day, which was followed by a very dark evening, that seemed almost made for the robbers. They loaded their blunderbuss well and carefully, took their places in their hiding-place, and then waited for the farmer to pass. Nor had they long to wait, for, true to his time, they soon heard the clatter of hoofs and the rattle of wheels in the distance on the hard road. Nearer and nearer grew the sound. Now they could just make out something moving towards them. They levelled the blunderbuss and prepared to fire. Their excitement grows intense. Another moment, and the gig will be opposite their hiding-place. But just at that moment the thick clouds rolled away, there was a rift in the upper layer of clouds, the moon shone out and revealed the gig rapidly advancing, and two men in it. But what was their horror to perceive that the two men were exactly and identically alike in height and shape and features and dress ! Only as the one drove steadily on with extended arms, the other turned round to where they were lying in wait, and gave them such a look as paralyzed them and rooted them to the spot. There they lay, horror- struck, spell-bound, speechless, until the gig had passed, and the rattle of its wheels had entirely died away in the distance ! Then with a great effort they sprang up and ran off! One of them fled the country ; the other, urged by his conscience, wandered about for many days in a dis- tracted state of mind, until at last, one Sunday afternoon, seeing the Church door open, he strayed in just as the clergyman was giving out his text, ' If we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' The sermon went to his heart, and proved a word in season to the unhappy man. After THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 93 the service he went to the vestry and asked to say a word in private to the clergyman, and then and there made a full confession of the crime he had intended to commit, but which had been so providentially and mysteriously pre- vented. The clergyman could hardly believe the story, until the man took him to the place and showed him the grave which had been dug in readiness, in case the farmer had been murdered. When the clergyman came to speak to the farmer about it, he asked him who had been with him in his gig as he drove home on that particular night. He was hurt that the clergyman should ask him. ' Why, you know, sir, I never have any one with me ! And that night also I was entirely alone. But why do you ask ? ' Then the clergyman told him all, and how wonderfully he had been preserved ; when he replied, ' It must have been my Guardian Angel. I had been feeling the holy Angels very near me all the day ! ' 87. The Commercial Traveller and the Mysterious Voice. Remarkable Prouidence. An innocent man preserved. Voice of God. It is now many years ago since a gentleman, then living on the Devonshire side of the Tamar, had occasion to go to Lostwithiel on business. Entering the inn, he asked if he could have dinner there. The landlord, to whom he was well known, hesitated somewhat, and then said that his only room was already occupied by a commercial traveller who had just ordered dinner. ' Oh, never mind ! ' said the gentleman, * we will dine together.' To this the land- lord made no objection ; and presently the dinner was served, the gentleman being at the charge of a bottle of the landlord's best old port. The meal was enlivened by much 94 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. interesting and pleasant conversation ; in the course of which it came out that the gentleman was somewhat inclined to doubt an over-ruling Providence, or God's interposition in the affairs of men, or the use and benefit of prayer, or any supernatural agency whatsoever : all which the traveller, who was a religious man, as firmly and strongly upheld. After a pleasant evening, the gentleman called for the bill, which he insisted on paying, and then put in his pocket ; and the two men parted with mutual expressions of good-will. Some months afterwards, it happened that the gentleman, whom we will call Mr. C, was obliged to go to Launceston, where the assizes were then being held. The town was crowded, and he was very glad to return home as soon as his business was over. Giving his horse to the groom, he entered his study, and put on his slippers, with the intention of spending a quiet evening at home. Opening his desk and looking over some papers, he came across the bill for the dinner at the inn at Lostwithiel, and, scarcely knowing what he was doing, he shpped it into his waistcoat pocket, and went on sorting his papers. Presently, to his great surprise, he heard the groom bringing his horse round again. Throwing open the window, he asked him what he was about. ' They told me to bring round the horse, sir, because you were going to Launceston.' 'To Launceston !' said Mr. C.; 'why, I have only just come back from there. It's some mistake ; take it back.' The groom did so, but soon reappeared again leading the horse, saying, as before, that the horse had been ordered. Mr. C. was surprised, and asked, ' Who told you to bring it round?' 'Well, sir, I can't exactly say who spoke, but I heard a voice saying I was to take it round, as you were going to Launceston.' ' I never ordered it ; you take the horse back again.' However, when the man appeared with the horse a third time, Mr. C. said, 'Well, I don't understand it, but I'll go to Launceston.' Accord- ingly he put on his riding boots, mounted the horse, and rode off Already the day was beginning to close in, and THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 95 the darkness of night was coming on, as he remembered with some anxiety that he must cross the ferry, and if the ferryman were on the other side he would probably have great difficulty in making him hear. What was his surprise, then, on reaching the river side, to find the man there ready and waiting with his boat, and to hear him say, ' Oh, Mr. C, here I am waiting for you ! I'm glad you're come.' ' Waiting for me ! ' exclaimed Mr. C; ' why, what made you think I was coming?' 'Well, sir, I heard a voice calling me to come across and wait for you, as you would be here presently, for you were wanted particularly in Launceston.' 'Very extraordinai^,' thought Mr. C, and rode on. But presently he remembered that there was a turnpike gate at a little distance ahead, where the gatekeeper would probably be in bed and asleep, and hard to wake. To his astonish- ment, however, as he rode up he found the gate open, and the man said, ' Good evening, Mr. C; I'm glad you've come, for you are wanted at Launceston ! ' ' Why, how do you know that ? ' replied Mr. C. ' Oh, I heard a voice which said you had to go to Launceston on special business to-night, and I must not delay you.' ' Good-night, my man,' said Mr. C., and, quickening his pace, rode on. Nor did he draw rein till he got to Launceston, where the first words that greeted him were, ' Glad to see you, Mr. C; we're glad you are come, as you are badly wanted in court.' To the court accordingly he made his way, where he was at once recognised and accommodated with a seat. The prisoner in the dock then looked at him, and asked if he remembered him. 'No ! not at all ! ' said Mr. C. Again the prisoner asked, ' Do not you remember our dining together at Lostwithiel on such a day ? ' Mr. C. looked hard at him, then felt in his waistcoat pocket, brought out the bill, and said, ' Yes, certainly I do remember now, and here is the bill for the dinner ■ ' The prisoner then, turning to the jury, said, ' This gentleman can prove the alibi that is needed.' The man was being then tried for a murder, which he was supposed to have committed, and for which 96 THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. he would in all probability have been hung, had not Mr. C.'s testimony come at the right moment to prove his innocence. Thus an innocent man was saved, and faith in God's Providence restored to a doubter. 88. The Little Girl carried off by Indians, and her Hymn. Praise. God hears. Deliuerance. About the year 1754, when war was raging between the French and English in Canada, and when the Indians took the part of the French, it happened one day that a party of Indians surrounded the house of a poor family from Germany, at a time when the mother and one of the sons were absent. The father, however, was at home, as were also the eldest son and two little girls, named Barbara and Regina. The savages burst into the house, killed the men, and carried off the little girls, together with many other children of their own age, leading them by forced marches, and through trackless woods, in order to escape pursuit. Arrived at the Indian encampment, the little captives were divided amongst their captors. At this time Barbara was ten years old, and Regina nine. What became of Barbara was never known, but Regina was given to an old widow, who was very harsh and cruel to the little captive. Here she remained till she was about nineteen years old. But she did not forget her early home training. She said her prayers night and morning, often repeated the verses from the Bible, and sang the little hymns which she had learned at home. Especially would she often sing, — 'Alone, yet not alone am I, Though in this solitude so drear.' It was her one hope and constant prayer that our dear Lord would in His own time restore her to her friends. THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 97 In the year 1764 the long-deferred hope was at last realized. An English colonel discovered the Indian encampment, attacke'd and took it by storm. Peace was made with the Indians on condition that they should give up all their prisoners, when no less than 400 captives were brought in by the Indians and handed over to the English. Many of •them had quite forgotten their native tongue, and most of them were so strangely altered that their own mothers ■could not recognise them. After being fed and clothed, they were taken to a town named Carlisle, 'and it was published in the newspapers that all parents who had had children carried off by the Indians might come there and reclaim them. Amongst others, there came to Carlisle poor Regina's sorrowing mother. She searched up and down the ranks of the recovered captives, but nowhere could she discover her daughters. So great and bitter was her disappointment, that she burst into tears. The bystanders endeavoured to console her. The colonel asked her, ' Do you remember nothing by which your children might be discovered?' She answered, that she only remembered a hymn which she used to sing to them when babies. The colonel told her to sing this hymn, which she did as follows : 'Alone, yet not alone am I, Though in this solitude so drear ; I feel my Saviour always nigh, He comes the weary hours to cheer. I am with Him, and He with me, Even here alone I cannot be." Scarcely had she begun to sing when Regina rushed from the crowd, began to sing it also, and threw herself into her mother's arms. Thus the early training in religious things had brought about this meeting and recognition. 98 THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 89. The Young Greenlander. Revenge. Forgiveness of injuries. A young Greenlander once saw his own father killed before his eyes. As he was then only thirteen years of age he was considered too young to avenge himself. He was therefore obliged to flee ; but in his heart he cherished revenge. Fifteen years passed away. He had grown into a fine, strong man, when he set out one day to make the long journey to his native place. And why, think you, did he undertake this long and difficult journey? That he might avenge the death of his father by slaying his murderer. When he reached his old home, there was no lodging for him to be had but in the house of the mission- aries ; and, much as he disliked lodging with them, he was nevertheless obliged to do so. They did not say anything about the wickedness of revenge, although every one knew perfectly well why he had come back, but they were very kind to him, and invited him to attend their family prayers. One morning he said to one of the missionaries, ' 1 wish you would read to me some more of that book which tells about Jesus.' Accordingly the missionary read the account of the Crucifixion. When he had finished, the young Greenlander said, '/ do love jESUS— I would do anything for Him ; how good of Him to die for me ! ' The missionary said to him, ' Are you sure you would do any- thing for our dear Lord .? ' ' Yes, I would do anything for Him. What can I do?' Then said the missionary, 'This book says. Thou shall do no murder.^ ' Oh, but that man killed my father.' ' Our dear Lord Himself says, " I/ye love Me, keep My commandmenls ;^' and this is one of them.' ' Oh,' exclaimed the Greenlander, ' I do love Jesus ! but I— I must—' 'Wait a little ! calm yourself; think it well over, and then come and let me know.' He went out, but presently came back, saying, ' I cannot decide j one moment / vjill, the next / ■will' not. Help me THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 99 to decide.' The missionary answered, 'When you say, / will kill him, it is the evil spirit trying to gain the victory ; when you saj^ / tuill not, it is the Spirit of God striving within you.' And so speaking, he induced him at length to give up his murderous design. Accordingly the Green- lander sent a message to the murderer of his father, telling him to come and meet him as a friend. He cartie, with kindness on his lips, but treachery in his heart. For, after he had stayed with him a while, he asked the young man to come and visit him on his side of the river. To this he readily assented, but, on returning to his boat, found that a hole had been pierced in the boat, and cleverly concealed by his enemy, who hoped thereby to destroy him. He stopped the hole, and put off in his boat, which, to the surprise and wrath and indignation of the other, who had climbed a high rock on purpose to see him drown, did not sink, but merrily breasted the waves. Then cried the young man to his enemy, ' I freely forgive you, for our dear Lord has forgiven me ! ' 90. S. Martin and his Cloak. Charity, Deeds, not words. You all know the story of S. Martin, who , before he was baptized into the Faith of Christ, and whilst he was still a soldier, showed a rare instance of love and charity. In the depth of winter, a beggar, miserably clad, asked an alms of him for the love of God. Silver and gold had he none. His soldier's cloak was all he had to give. He drew his sword, cut it in half, gave one portion to the poor man, and was content himself with the other. And we may truly say of him in our dear Lord's own words, 'Verily I say unto you, he had his reward.' That night in a vision he beheld our Blessed Lord on His throne, and all the host lOO THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. of heaven standing by Him, on His right hand and on His left. And as he looked more stedfastly on the Son of God, he saw Him to be arrayed in his own half cloak ; and he heard Him say, ' This hath Martin unbaptized given to Me.' So the smallest act of love and kindness done to Christ's poor, for His sake, shall not go unrewarded. ' Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.' 91. S. Augustine's Conversion. Voice of God. The flesh lusteth against the spirit. Holy Scripture. Some of you know well the story of S. Augustine's con- version. I mean S. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, not our own S. Augustine, Archbishop of Canterbury. He had been hearing of some of the saints of earlier times, — how, for the love of Christ, they gave up everything they had ; how they chose rather to be afflicted, and poor, and despised in this life, and to reign with Christ hereafter. He rose from his chair, and said to a friend that was with him, ' What ! shall men like these, poor, and weak, and ignorant, enter into the kingdom of heaven, while we, with all our learning and all our powers, are going to hell? "Why do we not turn to God and mend our lives at once ? Why not this very hour ?' And out he went into the garden, in great agony of mind, and threw himself on the ground, thinking how hard it was to give up all his sins, and yet how much harder it would be to be shut out from the kingdom of heaven for ever. While he was thus torn almost in pieces by the struggle, a sweet voice sounded in his ear, which said, ' Take up and read 1 take up and read ! ' He looked round, but there was no one near. He listened, and again he heard the voice, this time quite close to him, ' Take up and read ! take up and read ! ' Again he looked THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. lOJ round, and saw a copy of S. Paul's Epistles lying on the grass, where he had thrown it when he had first gone out into the garden. He took it up, and the first words which met his eyes were these,, ' Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envy- ing ; but put ye on the Lord jESUS Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof.' He hearkened to God's voice ; God's word cut him to the heart ; and he determined then and there to burst himself free from those chains of fleshly lust wherein he was then held captive, to take the kingdom of God by holy violence, and to give himself utterly and entirety to God. And so, by God's grace and help, he truly did, and never turned back after he had once put his hand to- the plough of the Gospel, 92. Death of a Working-inan. Voice of God. Passing through the valley. A happy death. Not long ago there passed away from us a working-manj who in the time of health had been an earnest, devout, and regular communicant. A friend,, who called to see him, said, ' I am so glad to hear you received the Holy Com.- munion this morning. It is the best comfort you can have.' He answered,, with the utmost fervour, 'Ah ! indeedjit is the best and the dearest ! ' He made his last Communion on. the very day that he was to go, in the Strength of that Divine Food,, even unto the mount of God. A few hours later he was lying quiet with his eyes closed. Complete silence reigned in the room, when suddenly he turned to his wife, who sat by his side, and said, ' Who spoke?' 'No. one,' she answered; 'did you think you heard some one speak?' 'Yes, I did hear a voice,,' he replied, 'which certainly spoke to me.' Then she asked I02 THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. him what words he had heard, and he answered calmly and distinctly, "The voice said, " Come, thou blessed of My Father!"' After that there was less than an hour of struggling life ; and then he was absent from the body but present with the Lord, Whose own, He Himself tells us, hear His voice. 93. Fachomius and his Monks. Obedience better than sacrifice. Excessive fasting. Do thine own duty. It chanced one day that Pachomius visited one of his numerous monasteries. And there a young brother com- plained to him that no salads or cooked vegetables had been served on table for a long time, but only bread and salt. The venerable abbot went into the kitchen, where he found the cook plaiting mats. 'How is this?' exclaimed the saint. ' What is there for dinner to-day ? ' ' Bread and salt,' replied the cook. ' But the rule commands vegetables and soup.' ' My father, so many of the monks deny them- selves everything except bread ; and it is such trouble prepar- ingthe vegetables and salads; and, besides, it is so disappoint- ing to see them come away from table almost untouched, when I have spent so much time in getting them ready, that I thought I could employ my time more profitably in making mats.' ' And prithee, how long has the table been without vegetables on it?' 'Some two or three months.' ' Bring all the mats thou hast made here, and show me them.' So the cook, with no small pride, produced them and piled them up before the abbot. Then Pachomius plucked a brand from the fire and set them all in a blaze. ' What !' said he ; 'withdraw from some of the monks the opportunity of denying themselves, and from those who are sickly the necessary delicacies, and from the young THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. I03 their needful support, because it gives thee a little trouble, and because thou thoughtest thou couldst do better plait- ing ! To obey is better than sacrifice.' 94. The Bells of Bottreaux. Thanksgiving. Blasphemy. Avenging Providence. Storm at sea. Voices of the bells. Not many miles distant from Tintagel, ' King Arthur's castle by the Cornish sea,' stands the Church of Bottreaux. But the tower is silent, though Tintagel Church has very fine bells. The story goes that the good people of Bottreaux determined, once upon a time, to have as fine a peal of bells as money could procure. Accordingly the order was given, the bells were cast, and were sent off from London to go round by sea. All went -well until the vessel came into the bay opposite Bottreaux, when Tintagel bells were 'swinging slow with sullen roar,' and the sound boomed over the waves to the ears of the pilot who was then steering the ship. Pleased with the sound of his native bells, the pilot exclaimed, ' Thank God ! we shall be on shore to-night ! ' ' Thank the good ship, you fool ! ' said the captain ; ' thank God on shore if you like.' ' Nay ! ' said the pilot ; ' we should thank God everywhere.' ' Go to ; thou art a fool, I tell thee, ' said the captain ; ' thank thy- self and a steady helm.' And so they went on, the captain jeering at the pilot, with many oaths and blasphemies, and the pilot soberly maintaining that it was the duty of all to thank God on sea or land. Meantime the Tintagel bells rang on : ' "Come to thy God in time ! " Sad grew the boding chime ; " Come to thy God at last ! " Boomed heavy on the blast." 104 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. The foolish blasphemy of the captain had been heard in heaven, and now he was not to go unpunished. ' Up rose that sea as if it heard The mighty Master's signal word.' The wind arose, the waves were lashed to fury by the wind ; the sea churned and boiled ; the vessel drove before the gale, until at length a monstrous sea struck her ; she gave a lurch and went down, bells and all ! The pilot alone escaped to tell the tale. The storm raged with tremendous fury, and ever and anon there was heard from out the ocean depths the deep, solemn tolling of the bells, clearly distinguishable above the roaring of the wind and waves. '" Come to thy God in time ! " , Swung deep the funeral chime ; Grace, mercy, kindness past, " Come to thy God at last ! " ' And still, amidst the frequent storms that break upon that rocky coast, * Those bells that solemn surges hide. Peal their deep notes beneath the tide,' and serve to remind us that 'verily there is a God that judgeth the earth ! ' 95. The Clergyman and his Five-Pound Note. Man's extremity God's opportunity. Help in due time. A few years ago a young clergyman was travelling in eastern Europe in the depth of winter. The season was a severe one, the ground was covered with snow, and the cold was intense. One night, shortly after midnight, he presented himself at a station in Roumania, and asked for a ticket for Vienna. It should be said that up to this time he had a profound belief in the power of a Bank of England five-pound note, of which he had a fair supply, his only THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. lOS other money consisting of two English sovereigns and a few Turkish piastres. The fare to Vienna being rather more than he had expected, more than the two sovereigns would pay, he tendered a five-pound Bank of England note. The clerk took it, looked at it, turned it over, called another official, and together they looked at it ; then he shook his head and returned it to the Englishman. Then another official came up and asked to see the note,, which was duly handed to him, and which he carefully inspected, whilst a little crowd began to gather round. Then the note was passed from hand to hand, until the clergyman began to fancy that possibly it might disappear. However, it was safely returned to him at length. Meantime he had been busy in his mind going over several plans, and trying to discover what was best to be done. At last he thought the better plan would be to take a ticket for-, the Austrian frontier ; which he accordingly did, happy in the thought that when he got there they would understand what a Bank of England note was, would change it for him, and that his troubles would be ended. Off they started, and, after a long, cold journey through the night, at last they reached the frontier, where the inevitable gendarme speedily presented himself. To him our traveller made known his wish to change his five-pound note ; but they knew nothing about such things there, no one would look at it, far less change it. Our traveller was in great straits, hungry, eold, and tired, without sufficient coined money to reach Vienna, his bank notes like so much waste paper. He bad some thoughts of telegraphing to our ambassador at Vienna to say that an Englishman was in trouble ; but he thought he would wait till the very last before he did that. His few remaining coins just sufficed to allow him to rebook for Lemberg, a place in Austrian Poland ; and on they went again, our poor traveller becoming more cold, more tired, and more hungry as the train went slowly on. He deter- mined to go to the best hotel at Lemberg, have a good supper, tender a five-pound note in payment of the bill, and ro6 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. await results. Eight — nine — ten o'clock came, and still the train went slowly on ; at last, about eleven o'clock, Lemberg was reached. He was tired, cold, and hungry, and by this time had only a few coppers in his pocket. Lifting up his heart to Him Who never faileth them that seek Him, he goes to the ticket office, asks for a ticket for Vienna, and tenders a bank note, fully expecting that here too the clerk will shake his head, hand back the note, and refuse to have anything to do with it. But man's extremity is God's opportunity ; when we have reached the length of our tether, God steps in and releases us. So now, to his great surprise and delight, the clerk took his note, looked at it, and then handed him the change, together with a ticket for Vienna, at which place he was perfectly at home. So often is it that God succours us at the exact moment, just in the very 'nick of time.' 96. The Dying Child and his Guardian Angel. Ministry of angels. God's comfort. God smooths the dying pillow. The only child of a poor woman, a little boy of three years old, one day fell into the fire by accident, during his mother's absence from the cottage, and was so badly burned that he died after a few hours' suffering. The clergy- man of the parish did not hear of the accident until the child was gone ; but as soon as he knew of it, he went down to see the mother, who was known to be dotingly fond of the child, in order that he might comfort and con- sole her. To his great surprise, he found her very calm, and patient, and resigned. After a little conversation, she told him how that God had sent her wonderful comfort. She had been weeping bitterly as she knelt beside her THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. 1 07 child's cot, when suddenly he exclaimed, ' Mother, don't you see the beautiful man who is standing there and wait- ing for me ! ' Again and again the child persisted in sayings that ' the beautiful man ' was waiting for him ; and seemed ready and even anxious to go to him. And, as a natural consequence, the mother's heart was strangely cheered. She told her clergyman that she thought it must have been the Lord Jesus Himself ; but he reminded her that it was more probably one of His heavenly host, seeing that we have our Blessed Lord's own warrant for believing that the angels in heaven care for, and wait upon, and minister unto Christ's little ones below. 97. The Fiery Cross Summons. Prompt, unhesitating, self-denying obedience. The Highland chiefs had a very simple, sure, yet striking way of summoning their clans to assemble on any great or sudden emergency. A goat was slain ; a cross was made of some light wood, its extremities were held for a moment in the fire, and plunged, still burning, into the blood of the goat. The rallying signal thus made was called the Fiery Cross, or Cross of Shame, as speaking of the infamy which attached to those who disobeyed its summons. This Fiery Cross, whose burnt and blood-stained extremities were a significant token to the most unlearned of the fearful fate which awaited the disobedient, was then delivered to a swift and trusty messenger, who dashed off at full speed to the nearest hamlet, where he delivered up the cross to the principal person, giving in a single word the time and place of meeting. He who received the cross was bound to send it forward with the utmost promptitude q.nd despatch. Wherever he was going, whatever he was doing, when he received the rallying symbol, off he must go at his topmost speed, to deliver it up at the next hamlet to another, who, io8 THE preacher's promptuary of anecdote. in his turn, must hasten off with it. Thus the shepherd was called from his sheep, the smith from his forge, the mourner from the funeral, the bridegroom just leaving church after his wedding must leave his bride, and each and all, without a moment's pause to take leave, to think,, to rest, must fly onwards as fast as his feet would carry him. And thus the Fiery Cross passed with marvellous, rapidity through all the district which owed allegiance to the chief, and called the clan to arms in an incredibly short space of time. And shall God's servants be less ready, less alert, less self-denying in obeying their Lord's command, in rallying round His standard, or in coming together unto Him ? 98. The Empty Socket. Filial affection. Honour thy fattier and thy mother. Temptation resisted. There is a Hebrew tradition that once the sapphire was missing from its place in the breastplate of the High Priest. Accordingly an elder was sent forth to search for a choice and goodly stone, which might fill again the empty socket. He was told to spare no trouble and no expense to find a sapphire worthy of this place in the service of God Most High. And so it came to pass that in his travels he came to Ashkelon, and found there a gem merchant, a Gentile» yet withal an earnest man and a devout. The elder told him of his quest for a fine sapphire, when the merchant informed him that he had such a stone as that he sought, unsurpassed for size, and colour, and brilliancy, and bade the other wait a little until he could get the gem from the place in which it was hidden. Accordingly the merchant went up-stairs to an upper chamber, where, in a darkened corner, with closed shutters, lay his aged father, stricken with the palsy, and from whose weary frame sleep seemed THE PREACHERS PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. IO9 Utterly to have fled. There beneath his pillow lay the casket containing the sapphire, doubly locked and sealed. The merchant, treading softly in the sick man's chamber, and speaking gently, told his father that he had found at last a purchaser for the gem. But as he spoke he per- ceived that his father had fallen asleep, through utter weariness, and was slumbering peacefully. He watched his father for a moment with a happy smile, then left the room, feeling that he could not run the risk of waking his father by attempting to get the sapphire. He returned to the elder, and told him that he was very sorry, but that he must defer their business for a while. The elder, due at Jerusalem on the morrow, and impatient to start on his return journey, asked what might be the price of the stone, and when the merchant named a price, — which he said was high but fair, so great was the beauty of the stone, — said that he was quite willing to give the price if the stone came up to his expectations. But he must see the stone itself. ' To-morrow thou shalt see it,' said the merchant. ' No, I must see it to-night,' said the elder, 'for to-morrow I must be in my place in the temple of the Lord.' The merchant thought within himself, ' It is a pity to let such an opportunity slip. I want to sell the stone, and he wants to buy it, and will give a good price for it.' So up-stairs again he went, and, bending over his father, watched him and saw how he was enjoying his sweet refreshing sleep ; then he hurried down-stairs again to the elder, saying, ' If I could I would gladly sell the sapphire, but I cannot let you see it just now.' The other, supposing that by all this delay he was trying to get a better price for the stone, and anxious to obtain it and be off, now offered to give exactly- double what the merchant had first asked for it, but said that he must have the gem at once, or the chance would be gone, for he would not repeat his offer. The merchant knew that this was a most splendid offer, and determined, if possible, to remove the casket from beneath his father's pillow. Again he went up-stairs, stood for a momei.t no THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. watching his father's sweet refreshing sleep, and then thrust in his hand underneath the pillow. The sleeper turned uneasily, and wanted but another touch to rouse him up. The good son would not risk spoiling his father's sleep, even for the large sum which he knew full well he never could get again for his sapphire. Carefully and cautiously he withdrew his hand, and, though sorely tempted to sell the stone, yet filial duty triumphed over love of gain, and he returned to the elder and told him he was very sorry, but once for all he must tell him he could not see the gem that day. When, in after time, Joshua the High Priest came to know the reason why the Gentile merchant would not sell the stone that day, he declared that there was no jewel in all the breastplate which might compare with that empty socket, the token and memorial of that son's filial piety. Let us learn herefrom to love, honour, and succour our father and mother, even though it be to our own hindrance. 99. Canute and his Courtiers. Flattery. Kings are but men. Human weakness. There was once a king of England named Canute or Knut, who reigned from a.d. ioi6 to 1035. He was a good, sensible, and devout man, who, unlike Herod, the king of whom we read in the twelfth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, was neither puffed up nor led away by the flattery of his courtiers. We are told that on one occasion, some of his courtiers, having broken out into extravagant exclamations concerning his grandeur, and power, and greatness, declaring that it was possible for him to do everything, Canute chose to give a practical reproof to their foolish flattery. Accordingly he ordered a chair of state to be set upon the sea-shore, when the tide was rising. It was done as he commanded, and then, taking his seat in the chair, surrounded by his courtiers and high officers of THE preacher's PROMPTUARY of anecdote. Ill state, in a loud and solemn voice he ordered the sea not to approach him, but to retire and obey the voice of him who was its ruler. Then he turned to his courtiers and con- tinued to converse with them, until the rippling waves began to play about his feet. But still he sat on as though expecting the waves to retire, until his courtiers were standing in the water, and he himself was splashed by the waves. Then, turning to his courtiers, he bade them observe how weak and feeble are the mightiest of earthly kings, how almighty power belongs to God alone, and how He, and He alone, can say unto the raging waves of the sea, ' Thus far shalt thou come and no farther, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed.' 100. The Boy on the Burning Deck. Obedience. Devotion to duty. Stick to your post At the battle of the Nile, the son of the French, admiral, a boy of about twelve years of age, was present. Early in the engagement he had been posted by his father in a par- ticular part of the ship, with orders to remain there until he should tell him to quit his post or otherwise relieve himj The battle raged fast and furiously, — man after man was wounded or struck down at his side ; the air was filled with smoke, and shouts, and oaths, and groans, and the roar of guns ; the rigging was torn to pieces ; the decks were slippery with blood ; and still the boy kept to his post, for his father came not. At last the ship took fire, and one after another of his shipmates urged him to leave the ship and save himself whilst yet he might. But obedience to his father chained him to the spot. The admiral was in his cabin dying of his wounds. The fire caught the ship, and the greedy flames rolled on towards the boy, but still he kept his ground. His comrades shouted to him, as they saw the flames approaching him on every side, and 112 THE preacher's PROMPTUARY OF ANECDOTE. Tcnew that tlie fire must soon reach the powder magazine ; and he cried, 'My father, must I stay?' as the stifling smoke rolled past him and the hot ashes fell about him. He was willing to save himself, if only his father gave the word and released him from his post. But there came no answer, save the roaring of the flames, the crackling of the burning ship, and now and then the explosion of a gun. ' My father, must I stay?' again he cried; but the father was past hearing. Then with a loud explosion the ship blew up, as the flames reached the magazine, and that brave young heart, which had stuck to the post of duty and of danger to the last, was no more I TABULATED INDEX OF STORIES. (The numbers here refer to the stories, not to the pages. ) THE APOSTLES' CREED. I believe in God the Father, 3, 8, ao, 21, 23, 24, 75. Almighty, 32, 45, 46 (Omniscient), 94, 99. Maker of Heaven and earth, 30 (Disposer of all events), 65, 99. And in JEsus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, 26 (to be v^orshipped), 67, 79 (confessed). Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, bom of the Virgin Mary. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, 11. Was crucified, dead, and buried, 37, 48, 60 (and so our best Friend), 76. 79- He descended into Hell, 21, 48. The third day He rose again from the dead, 64 (so Christ conquered death by dying). He ascended into Heaven, 33, 36, 47, 52. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead, 27 (terror of day to wicked), 35 (sins brought to light), 71 (mistakes corrected). I believe in the Holy Ghost, 87, 91. The Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, 31, 72, 79, 86 (Angels), 90. The Forgiveness of sins, 12, 86. The Resurrection of the body (when all men shall give account of their own works), 35. And the Life everlasting, 87. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. I. 72. 99- II. 9, 26, 82. III. S3. 94- IV. 59. V. 28, 29, 98, 100. VI. 4, s, II, 39. VII. 13, 80. VIII. 12, 17, SI. IX. 42, 43, 71 (suspicions). X. 2S. 49. 56. 69, 73, 76, 93, 100. H 114 TABULATED INDEX OF STORIES. THE LORD'S PRAYER. Prayer, 26 (ask properly), S4. 82, 88. Our Father, 20, 21, 23, 24 (take God at His word). Hallowed be Thy Name, 31, 99. Thy Kingdom come, 9, 14. Thy Will be done, 100. In earth as it is in Heaven, 85, 86 (Holy Angels), 96, 97. Give us this day our daily bread, 8, 41. Forgive ... as we forgive them, etc., 89. Lead us not into temptation, 74, 81, 98, Deliver us from evil, 15, 16, 55, 64, 68, 78, 83. For Thine is the Kingdom, etc, 54. 88. THE TWO GREAT SACRAMENTS OF THE GOSPEL. Generally necessary to salvation. Our need of preparation, 52. Sacrament — a sign, a means, a pledge, i, 57. What the outward visible sign or form in Holy Baptism ? 77. . Being by nature bom in sin and the children of wrath, 50. What is required of persons to be baptized? Repentance, 12, 86, 91, and Faith, 20, 21, 23. Why then are infants baptized? Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven, 22. How can a Uttle water in Holy Baptism, a few crumbs of bread and a drop of wine in Holy Communion, have such efficacy ? For power of little things see i, 8, 18, 34, 40, 56, 37, 63. The Body and Blood of Christ are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper, 60. The strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the Body and Blood of Christ, u, 92. What is required of those who come to the Lord's Supper? 4, 12, 14, 79, 89. Watch and pray, 10, 38 (be not ignorant of Satan's devices), 68, 81, 84. THE SEVEN CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY. Visit, 67. Give meat, 70, 79 (spiritual), 93. Give drink, 31. .Redeem the slave, 83, 88. Clothe, 90. House the stranger, 72. Lay the dead in grave, 5. INDEX OF SUBJECTS. >I5 THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS WITH THEIR CONTRARY VIRTUES. I. Pride, 19, 28, 38. r. Humility, 99. 2. Covetousness, 12, 17, 51, 53. 2. Liberality, 90. 3. Lust, 13, 80, 91. 3. Chastity, 13, 80. 4. Epvy, so, 73. 4. Gentleness, 11, 89, S. Gluttony. 12, 73. 5. Temperance, 93. 6. Anger, 4. 6. Patience, ii, 25. 7. Sloth, 56, 69. 7. Diligence, 49, 100. INDEX OF SUBJECTS, Acknowledgment of God, 31, Aifection, fili^, 98, Angels, ministry of, 8s, 86, 87, 91, 92, 96. Anger, 4, 8g. , Appearances are deceptive, 73, 84. Ask properly, 26. Baptism, Holy, 77 (the matter of). Biter, the, bit, 17. Blasphemy, S3, 94. , , Body, the, 19 (to be kept under). Boldness for Christ, 79, 82, Bread, 8, 41 (daily), Capitives, 83, 88. Carelessness, $6, Charity, 31, 37, 67, 7?, 90. Cheating, 17, 56 (through bad ■work). Child, power of a little, 22, 37. Christ comes, how, 67, Clock, 68 (which struck thirteen). Comfort, 33, 96. Commandment, the eleventh^ 72. Confession, 86. Confidence, 20, 23. Conscience, 86 (guilty). Contentment, 73, Conversion, 12, 91. Correct betimes, si- Courage, moral, 79, 80, 82 ; phy- sical,20, 37, 44, 48, 58, 76, 84, 100. Curiosity, 43, s°> 73> 80, Dangers of tongue, 42, 43, 66. Death, 33, S3 (sudden), 79 (of martyr, 92 (^ happy), 96 (of child). Decision, 38, 79 (for Christ), 82. Deeds better than words, 60, 90. Deliverance, providential, 15, 16, 30, 41, SS> 58, 64, 68 (by clock striking wrong), 78, 83 (from captivity), 85 (by angel), 86, 88, 95- Despise not small things, 57, 63. Destruction, 9 (of idols). Devil, 17 (cheats hi? dupes), 38 (tempts, then mocks). Disobedience, 28 (result of), 50, Disputes about trifles, 2, Duty, 49 (before pleasure), 74, 76, 93 (plain), 98 (to parent), 100. Encroachments, 10, 40, 84. Escape, 15 (from earthquake), 16, 29, 30, 32, 37, 41, 83, 88. Events turn on small pivots, i. Evil, 13 (communications), 64 (apparent, really good), 80 (communications), 81 (subtle). Exaggeration, 42, 99.' Example, 82. Extremity, man's, 41, 49, 85. Eye of God, 46. Failure, seeming, j. Faith, 8 (in God), 21, 23, 24 (in God's word). Fasting, 93 (excessive). Tl6 INDEX OF SUBJECTS. Father, 20, 21, 23, 98, 100. Filthy, 13 (conversation), 80 (newspapers). Flattery, 38, 99. Folly of not being rich toward God, 52. Forgetfulness, 59 (of God's com- mandments). Forgiveness, 86 (of God), 8g (of others). Friend, 47 (our best), 60. God — hears, 8i, 32, 45, 88 ; knows, 75 ; looks at heart, 54 ; sees, S, 17, 46, 56 (work). Good news, 83 (from afar). Gossip, 42, 43. Greediness, 73 (over-reaches itself). Heaven, 33 (a mother's arms), 36 (prepared for us). Help, 47, 78 (in time of trouble), 95. Hiding-place, 37, 58, 78. Hold fast, 79 (the Faith). Holy Communion, 11, 60, 92. Honesty, 17 (best policy), 56 (in work), SI. Human weakness, 99. Ignorance, our, 75 (of what really good). Impediments, 14 (to be laid aside). Impurity, 13 (words of), 80 (books), 91 (overcome). Influence, 22, 79, 82. Innocence, 22 (power of), 71 (vindicated), 80, 87 (preserved). Interested motives, 38. Judge not, 70. Judgment, the, 35 (will bring all things to light). Kindness, 31. Kings, 99 (but men). Knowledge, i (partial). Labour for naught, 69. Lay aside every weight, 14. Lie, a, 53 (avenged). Life, 7 (happiest day of) 14, 19 (work of), 44 (death in midst of), 48, 64, 66 (saved by destruction of work), 68, 76 (sacrificed to duty), 84 (saved by watchfulness). Like father like son, 39. Little things, i (great events turn on), i3, 40 (the power of), S7 63 (great instruments), 63. Love, 72. Mistakes, 12 (when made, hark back). Motives, interested, 38. Much ado about nothing, 2, 69. Murder will out, Si 39- Murderers, 5 (discovered), 39, 51 (and his mother), 89. Neglect of parents, 51, * Obedience i, 29 (rewarded), 93 (better than sacrifice), 97, 100 (to the last). Officer, 70 (in poverty). One taken and another left, 30, Original sin, 50. Patience, 4, 11, 25. Peace, 33. Penance, 28 (Dr. Johnson's). Perseverance, 18, 25, 33 (in trying to soothe), 40, 49, 100 (to end). Poison, 81 (of sin). Power, 8 (of prayer) ; 22 (of inno- cence) ; 69 (waste of) ; 79 (of en- couragement) ; 82 (of example). Praise, 88. Prayer, 8, 12 (no), 26 (must be reverent), 32 (answered), 45 (answered), 49, 54, 55 (an- swered), 75 (and trust), 82. Prepare to meet thy God, 6, 14, 19. 30. 3S. 44. 52- Procrastination, 52. Protection, 31, 32, 85 (angelic), 86. Providence, 13, i6, 30, 45 (leading heathen), 78, 87, 94 (an aveng- ing). Punctuality, 74. Rain, 45 (in answer to prayer). Redeem the slave, 83. Repentance, 12, 86. Revenge, 89. Reverence, 26, 82, 98 (for parents). Sagacity of dog, 41. Sand, baptizing with, 77. Satan disguises himself, 84. Scripture, Holy, 91. Secrets, 33 (disclosed at the Judg- ment). Self, 4 (we cannot get away from). TEXTS ILLUSTRATED. 117 Self-sacrifice, 37, 44, 48, 76. Sentry, 68 (saved). Shadow, 2 (dispute about), SS (of God's wing). Silence, 11. Simplicity, 8. Sin, 51 (leads to sin), 8i(lurks hid). Stitch, a, 40 (in time), 49. Strengthen thy brethren, 79. Suffering for Christ, 11, 79, 82. Sunday, 59 (observance of). Suspicions, 70, 71. Sweetness of Holy Communion, 7. Temptation, 4 (everywhere) ; 74 (resisted) ; 80, 98 (resisted). Terrors, 12, 27 (of conscience). _ Thanksgiving, 94. Things, Httle, i, 40, 57. 63 (power of), 84 (attend to). Things done for Christ, 11, 19, 31, 67, 82. Thoroughness, 49, 56. Tongue, 11 (restraining), r3 (sins of), 42, 43 (that would wag). Trifles, i (events turn on), 2, 68, 84. Trinity, the HoIy,6i (amystery),62. Trouble, 3, 47 (shows our friends), 64 (wisely handled makes for us). Trust, 8 (in God), 20, 21, 23, 32. Use, 65 (all things have some). Vanity, 6 (all is). Vengeance suffereth not murderer to live, s, 39- Visitation of God, 53. Voices, 87 (mysterious), gt, 92, 94 (of bells). Waste, 69. Watchfulness, 68, 84. Water, 18 ^(wears the stone) ; 77 (matter of Holy Baptism). Weakness, human, 99. Wicked, 13 (words), 27 (fieeth when none pursueth), 86. Wings, SS (God's). Wisdom, 75 (of God)., Words, 13 (wicked), 24 (of a king trusted), S3 (false and wicked), 79 (in season), 94 (wicked). Work, 19 (of life) ; 49 (diligence in) ; s6 (bad) ; 66 (spoiled). World, 6 (passeth away). TEXTS ILLUSTRATED. xvi. 13, xviii. 19, xlii. 36, in. s, . xiv. 14, GENESIS. EXODUS. 46,36 ■ 59 . 64 NUMBERS. xxxii. 23, . . 5, 3S, 39, 81 I SAMUEL. ii. 30, 82 XV. 22, . . . • I, 93 xvL 7, 54 xvni. 21, 11. 4. iii. 17, xi. 7, I KINGS. JOB. 4S 14, 58, 66 • 33 psaLms. ix. 9, . 8, IS, 16, 29, 30, 31, 32, 41, SS. 64, 65, 66, 68> 70, 78, 87, 95 ix. 16, 17 ix. 20, . . . . .99 X. 2, . . . . - 17 ".15 53 ii8 TEXTS ILLUSTRATED. Psalms —contin ued ViiOye.^-zs— continued. xxiii. 4, , • 92 xviii, 9, S6. 6g xxix. 4, s, . . . 91 xviii. 21, . . . . 43 xxix. lo, . • 33 xviii. 24, .3.47 xxxiv. 2, , , . 94 xxiii. 13, 14. ... SI xxxiv. 7, 16, 32, 8s, 86 87,96 xxiii. 22, . 28, 29, 98 xxxiv. 13, . . 42.43 xxiii. 23, . 42 xxxiv. 17, 8, II, 32, 41, 49.1 XXV. II, . 79 iS, 64, 6s, 68, 78. XXV. 2S, . . . . 83 83. 8S, 86, 87, 88, xxviii. I, . 27, 34, 8s, 86 94 xxix. 17, . SI xxxvii. Si . 34 xxix. 2S, 20 xxxvii. 6, , ^ 68,71 xxxvii. 2S, . 8 ECCLESIASTES. xxxviii. IS, • i 71,87 6 . . . . 6s . 49, S6. 69 xlvi. I, 8, t%, 16, 29, 30, 31. i. 2, 32, 41, S5. 64. 6s, iii. II, . 66, 68, 70, 78, 87, ix. 10, . I. IS. 9S 8, It, is, S9. 30. 41. ISAIAH. 49, SS. 63, 78 xi. 6, . 22 Ivi. 4, . . 32,34 XXX. 21, 87, 92 Ivii. I, . . 2t)i 21, 23 xxxii. 2, . . . . S8 Iviii. 10, 53.94 xxxiii. 16 , . 8, 41, 60, 78, 92 Ixv. 2, . 8. 45. S4, 55 xliv. 20, 53 Ixv. 7, . . 49.99 1.7. . liii. 7, . . . 18 Ixviii. 6, . • 83 II xc. 16, • 49 Iviii. 13, 59 xci. I, 4, • 3= . 34. 55 lix. I, . 87, 88 • 33 xci. II, 12, xcv. 6, . 8s. 86, 87 26 Ixvi. 13, ciii. 20, 21, ' f DANIEL. civ. 24, • 65] . cxviii. 8, 20, 21, 23, 34 24. 32. IX. 21, . • 97 cxix. 37, . 80 HOSEA. cxix. 42, . 24 cxix. 162, . 60 vi. 3. . • 77 cxxii. I, . 60 cxxxii. IS, . 8, 41, 60, 67 9^1 95 72, 78, AMOS. cxlviii. 8, P ROVERBS. 32.49 iv. 12, . iv. 10, . • "35,52 ZECHARIAH. . i. SI. 57 iii. 6, . • 31 iv. 2S, . . 80 ECCLESIASTICUS. XV. 23-, . 79 xvi. 4, . • 6s i. 23. . . , . . 64 xvii. 14, . 40 V. 13, . • 43 xvii. 17, • 3 xix. I, . I, 40, SI, 65, 84 TEXTS ILLUSTRATED. 119 S. MATTHEW. lit. 2, . iii. 8, . V. 37. • V. 42, . V. 44. . VI. 10, . vi. II, . vi. 32, . vii. I, , X. 42, . xii. 36, xxiv. 13, xxiv. 28, xxiv. 40, xxiv. 44, XXV. 34, XXV. 40, xxvi. 41, xxvi. 63, xxvii. 12, xxviii. 10, xxviii. 19, IV. 22, . viii. 38, XI. 3. • xii. 20, 21, xviii. 27, xxi. 19, xxii. 32, 14. 8, 41 MARK, LUKE 8, 41 S. JOHN. 28 42 90 89 97 60, 78, 92 . IS 50, 70, 71 31, 67, 90 13. S3. 94 . 25 . 7. 60 30, 44, 79 30. 44 . 92 31, 67, 90 . 84 S7. 96 62, 77 • 35 79,82 60, 78, ii. 10, . • 17 iii. s. ■ . 77 iii. 9, . . 61 vi. 68, . 3.47 ^:..3. • . 92 xiii. 34, 37, 44, 72, 90 xiv. 2, . • • 36 XV. 13, 37. 44. 48. 76 ACTS. xii. 22, 23, . 99 xxviii. 4, . 39 ROMANS. ii. 7. . V. 6, . V. 12, . xii. I, . xii. 20, xiii. I,., 18 37 SO 48 89 I xiii. 7, . . I xiii. 13, 91 I CORINTHIANS, i. 27, iv. S, . ix. 27, . xiii. 11, • 3S. 63. 6S 70, 71 19 2 xiii, 12, I XV. 22, XV. 33. . 13 SO 80 2 CORINTHIANS. V. 7. xi. 14) V. 17, GALATIANS. 84 19, 91 EPHESIANS iv. 26, . • • • 4 iv. 29, • 13 iv. 31, ■ • 94 iv. 32, , 71, 89 V- 3. 4. . 13 V. II, . . 80 vi. 2, . 28, 29.98 vi. 4. • • SI vi. 18, . . 18 PHILIPPIANS. iv. 6, . . . . 8, 32, 75 iv. II, 73 COLOSSIANS. iii. 22, 23, . . . 46, 56 TEXTS ILLUSTRATED. I THESSALONIANS. V. 17, . • • 12 i- 3. 0. J n.LVLIljiJ, II V. 22, . .... .3 i. 8, i. 12, • • 69 • 74 iii. 8, 13. 42 43.81 2 TIMOTHY. iv. 7, . 84 i. 8, . .82 HEBREWS. V. 12, "i. 23, I S. PETER. 42. S3 II i. 14. • 16, 83, 86, 87, 96 V. 8, . . . 84 iv. 9, , • 33 iv. 12, . iv. 13, . . 91 3S, 46 I S. JOHN. iv. 14, . • 79 i. 9, . 12, 86 X. 23, . • 79 ii. 17. , . 6 X. 36. . 11 V. 7, . 61, 62 xi. I, . 21 xi. 27, . xii. I, . . 100 14 REVELATION. xiii. s. > • 73 ii. 25, . . • 79 xiii. 17, 1 iii. II, . • 79 MORRISON AND GIBB, EDINBURGH, PRINTERS TO HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE. 2 M.— s/84.— S. THEOLOGICAL AND DEVOTIONAL BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG. Sermons for Children. Translated from the French of A. Decoppet, Pastor of the Reformed Church in Paris, by Marie Taylor, with an Introduction by Mrs. Henry Reeve. 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Books of Travel 3 History and Biography ...' 4) 5 Stanesby's Illuminated Books 6 Useful Knowledge and Entertaining Anecdote 6, 7, 8 Handbooks for the Household ..> 8, 9 Fiction, &c 9, 10 Poetry and Belles-Lettres 11, I2 Birthday and Anniversary Books iz, 13 Devotional and Religious Books ... 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 American Sermons and Theological Books ... iS, 19 Educational Books 20 Darnell's Copy Books. History and Geography. Geographical Readers. Grammar, &c. Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry. Elementary French and Gennan. Needlework Manuals and Appliances. Miscellaneous Books 28, 29, 30 Works for Distribution 30, 31 WORKS OF TRAVEL. Important and Interesting Book of Travels. Unexplored Baluchistan : a Survey, with Obser- vations Astronomical, Geographical, Botanical, &c., of a Route through ■Western BalucUatan, Mekran, Basbakird, Persia, Kurdistan, and Turkey. By E. A. Floyer, F.R.G.S., F.L.S., &c. With Twelve Illustrations and a Map. Price 2&r. Important Work on South Africa. 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Stories from Early English Literature, with some Account of the Origin of Fairy Tales, Legends and Traditionary Lore. Adapted to the use of Young Students. By Miss S. J. Venables Dodds. Crown 8vo., price S-f- Similitudes. Like likes Like. i6mo., cloth, beveUed boards, price 2s. 6d. A Key to all the Waverley Novels in Chrono- logical Sequence. By Henry Grey, Author of " Classics for the Million." Price Threepence. BIRTHDAY AND ANNIVERSARY BOOKS. The Churchman's Daily Remembrancer, with Poetical Selections for the Christian Year, with the Kalendar and Table of Lessons of the English Church, for the use of both Clergy and Laity. Cloth extra, red edges French Morocco, limp 3 French Morocco, circuit or tuck 3 6 Persian Morocco, limp 3 6 Persian Morocco, circuit ... 4 6 Calf or Morocco, limp 4 6 s. d. s. d. Morocco, bevelled 5 o Morocco bevelled, clasp ... 6 o Russia, limp 6 o Levant Morocco, limp 6 6 Russia, circuit 7 6 Russia limp, in drop case ... g o With Twelve Photographs, 2s. extra. New Devotional and Religious Books, 13 Birthday and Anniversary BooT^s-~{continued), The Book of Remembrance for every Day in the Year. Containing Choice Extracts from the best Authors, and the exact place jndicated whence the Quotation is taken, with Blank Spaces for recording Birthdays, Marriages, and other Anniversaries, Beautifully printed in red and black. Imperial 32mo. "A charming little memorial of love and friendship, and happily exec7ited as conceived. For a birth- day or other Anniversary nothing can be prettier or more appropriate" — Bookseller. " Beattti/ully got up." — Leeds Mercury. May be had in the following Styles of Binding : — d. s. d. 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Cloth, bevelled boards, white edges Cloth, gilt boards, gilt edges ... „ „ „ rims French Morocco, limp Calf or Morocco ,, A Catechism of Church Doctrine. For Younger Children. By the Rev. T. S. Hall, M.A., The Vicarage, Hythe. Price \d., paper; 2d., cloth. Sermons for Children. By A. Decoppet, Pastor of the Reformed Church in Paris. Translated from the French by Marie Taylor. With an Introduction by Mrs. Henry Reeve. Price y. 6d. 14 New Devotional and Religious Books. Devotional and Religious Books — {coniintua). The Churchman's Altar Manual and Guide to Holy Communion, together with the Collects, Epistles, an Gospels, and a Selection of appropriate Hymns. Borders an Rubrics in red. Three Editions of this Manual are now issued. The following are the sizes and prices : — Royal 32mo., with Rubrics and Borders in red, cloth, 2s., or with Eight Photos., 4r. (A Confirmation Card is presented with this edition.) Large Type Edition, cloth, red edges, zs. Cheap Edition, for dis- tribution, cloth flush, dd. ; or red edges, gif. For the Use of Newly- Confirmed and others. The Young Communicant's Manual. Con- taining Instructions and Preparatory Prayers in accordance with the Church's directions for Preparations ; Form of Self- Examination ; the Services for the Holy Communion, with appropriate Devotions, Intercessions, and Thanksgivings ; Hymns, &c. Price \s. Cheap Edition for distribution, cloth flush, price dd., or cloth boards, red edges, <)d. Bishop Ken's Approach to the Holy Altar. With an Address to Young Communicants. New and Cheaper Edition. s. d. s. d. Limp cloth o 8 Calf or morocco, limp 3 6 Superior cloth, red edges ... i o Morocco, bevelled 4 6 French morocco, limp i 6 Russia, limp 4 6 With Photographs, 2s. extra. *»* Clergymen wishing to introduce this Manual can have Specimen Copy, with prices for quantities, post free for six stamps on application. A Lent Manual for Busy People and for the Young. 32mo. sewed, 3d., or bound in cloth with red edges, price 6d. The Song of Solomon, rendered in English Verse, in accordance with the most approved translation from the Hebrew and Septuagint. By the Rev. James Pratt, D.D. "With 7 Illustrations. Crown 8vo., cloth, 3^. 6d. An Epitome of Anglican Church History from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time. Compiled from various sources by Ellen Webley-Parry. Demy 8vo., cloth boards, $s: New Devotional and Religious Books. 15 Devotional and Religious Books — {continued). The Life Militant. Pkin Sermons for Cottage Homes. By Ellell. Crown 8vo., price ds. The Way of Prayer ; a Book of Devotions, for use in Church and at Home. Compiled by Rev. H. W. Millar M.A. Cloth, red edges, \s. Bogatsky's Golden Treasury for the Children of God, consisting of devotional and practical observations for every day in the year. Fcap. l6mo, with purple border lines, price One Shilling. Also kept in various leather bindings. A new and elegantly-printed edition of this well-kno'wn work. Foreign Churches in relating to the Anglican; an Essay towards Re-Union. By W. J. E. Bennett, M.A., Priest of the English Church, Vicar of Frome, Selwood, Somerset. Demy 8vo., price f,s. The Churchman's Manual of Family and Private Devotion, compiled from the writings of English Divines, with Graces and Devotions for the Seasons, Litanies, and an entirely new selection of Hymns. Super royal 32mo., price \s. 6d. Also kept in various leather bindings. Miniature Series of Devotional Books. Small square 32mo, 6d. each. Whispers of Love and Wisdom. By Annie Cazenove. Fragments in Prose and Verse. By Annie Cazenove. Cut Diamonds. By Ellen Gubbins. These three books may be had in a cloth case, price 2s. ; or leather, 3^-. 6d. They may all be had in various styles of leather binding. Traveller's Joy by the Wayside of Life. By Ellen Gubbins, Author of "Cut Diamonds," &c. Square 32mo., uniform with the above series, price 6d, 1 6 New Devotional and Religious Booh. Devotional and Religious 'SoiyKs,— {continued). The Children's Daily Help for the Christian Year. Taken from the Psalms and Lessons. Selected by E. G. Price \s. 6d., or bevelled boards, gilt edges, 2s. Also kept in various leather bindings. Now publishing in Monthly Parts, price One Shilling each. Sermons for the Church's Year. Original and Selected. By the Rev. W. Benham, B.D., Rector of St. Edmund the King, London, and one of the six preachers in Canterbury Cathedral. Sixty-four pages, demy 8vo. •* We hope that Mr. Benham's very useful venture will prove successful, as it well deserves to be." — Church Union Gazette. "We cordially appreciate the necessity for a revival of interest in the best sermons of the past, if only because the perusal of them may tend to elevate the literary style of modern preachers." — Church Review. Confirmation ; or, Called and Chosen and Faithful. By the Author of " The Gospel in the Church's Seasons Series." With Preface by the Very Rev. the Dean OF Chester. Fcap. 8vo. , cloth limp, i^d. ; cloth boards, red edges, is. A Cheaper Edition for Distribution, price ^d. Dr. Lee's Altar Services. Edited by the Rev. Dr. F. G. Lee, D.C.L., F.S.A. Containing the complete Altar Services of the Church, beautifully printed in red and black at the Chiswick Press, enriched vpith Ornamental Capitals, &c., in Three Volumes ; One Volume, folio size, IJ X 10 X ij intiies ; and two Volumes 4to., containing the Epistles and Gospels separately, each 12 x 9 Xf inches. The Set, in Turkey Morocco, plain ... ... £7 7 o ,, Best Levant Morocco, inlaid cross ... ;£io 10 o The Folio Volume, which contains all the Services of the Altar, may be had separately — Turkey Morocco, plain ... ... ... ... £3 3 o Best Levant Morocco, inlaid cross ... ... £440 *,* The work can also be bound specially to order in cheaper or more expensive styles. Messrs. GRIFFITH & FARRAN have a few copies remaining of this rare and valuable work, which is not only the best book for the purpose for which- it is designed, but is one of the finest specimens of typographical art which the Chiswick Press has produced. New Devotional and Religious Boohs, 1 7 Devotional and Religious Books — {continued). The Preacher's Promptuary of Anecdote. Stories New and Old. Arranged, indexed, and classified by- Rev. W. Frank Shaw, Author of " The Mourner's Manual," "Sermon Sketches," &c. One hundred short and pithy stories, suitable for the pulpit, evening classes, &c., each pointing a moral or illustrating some doctrine. Cloth boards, price Lazarus. By the Very Rev. The Dean of Wells. New Edition. The Churchman's Text Book. For every day in the Christian Year. Containing a Poetical Extract and an appropriate Text, with the Holy days of the Church duly recorded. An elegantly printed and daintily bound little volume in diamond 48mo. 3| by 2^ inches, cloth, limp, red edges, 6d. It may also be had in various leather bindings and interleaved with ruled Writing Paper, 6d. extra. The Seven Words from the Cross. Printed in red and black upon best hand-made paper, and bound in parchment covers, uniform with " Music in Song." Price y- (>d. On the Wings of a Dove ; or, the Life of a Soul : An Allegory. Illustrated by SiSTER E.— C. S. J. B. Clewer. Demy i6mo., with eight Illustrations. Cloth is. 6d. Emblems of Christian Life. Illustrated by W. Harry Rogers, in One Hundred Original Designs, from the Writings of the Fathers, Old English Poets, &c. Printed by Whittingham, with borders and Initials in red. Square 8vo., price 10s. bd. cloth elegant, gilt edges ; 21s. Turkey morocco antique. A New Inexpensive Confirmation Card. Printed in red and black, size 5 X 3 J inches. Sold in Packets of Twelve Cards for 6a?. An Illuminated Certificate of Confirmation and First Communion. Printed in gold and colours, size 6X4^ inches. Price 2d. An "In Memoriam" Card. Beautifully printed in silver or gold, price zd. *^* A reduction made on taking a quantity of the above Cards, l8 American Sermons and Theological Books. AMERICAN SERMONS AND THEOLOGICAL BOOKS. PUBLISHED BY E. P. BUTTON and CO., New York, U.S.A., AND SOLD IN ENGLAND BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. Brooks, the Rev. Phillips, D.D., Rector of Trinity Church, Boston. Influence of Jesus. Being the Bohlen Lecture for 1879. Eighth Thousand. Crown 8vo., cloth, price 3s. 6d. Sermons. Thirteenth Thousand. Crown 8vo., cloth, price Ss. Chapman, Rev, Dr. Sermons upon the Ministry, Worship, and Doctiine of the Church. New Edition. Crown 8vo., price Ss. Clergyman's Visiting List, in morocco, with tuck for the pocket. Foolscap, price 7s. 6d. Doane, Rt. Rev. Wm. Croswell, D.D., Bishop of Albany. Mosaics ; or, the Harmony of Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for the Sundays of the Christian Year. Cr. 8vo., cloth, 6s. Hallam, Rev. Robert A., D.D. Lectures on the Morning Prayer. i2mo., 55. Lectures on Moses. i2mo., cloth, 3s. 6d. Handbook of Church Terms. A Pocket Dictionary ; or. Brief Explanation of Words in Common Use relating to the Order, Worship, Architecture, Vestments, Usages, and Symbolism of the Church, as employed in Christian Art. Paper, gd. ; cloth, is. 6d. Hobart, Rev. John Henry, D.D., formerly Bishop of New York. Festivals and Fasts. A Companion for the Festivals and Fasts of the Protestant Episcopal Church, principally selected and altered from Nelson's Companion. With Forms of Devotion. Twenty-third Edition. i2mo., Js. American Sermons and Theological Books. i9 Hodges, Rev. Wm., D.D. 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It is the production of an experienced Schoolmaster. II. It gradually advances from the Simple Stroke to a superior Small Hand. III. The assistance given in the Primal lesson is reduced as the learner progresses, until all guidance is safely withdrawn. IV. The number and variety of the copies secure attention, and prevent the pupils copying their own writing, as in books vrith single head-lines. V. The system insures the progress of the learner, and greatly lightens the labours of the teacher. Darnell's Universal Twopenny Copy-Books, for the Standards. 1 6 Nos., Fcap. 4to. Being a series of sixteen copy-books, by George Darnell, the first ten of which have on every alternate line appropriate and carefully written copies in Pencil .coloured Ink, to be first written over and then imitated, the remaining numbers having Black Head-lines for imitation only, THE WHOLE GRADUALLY ADVANCING FROM A simple stroke to a superior small hand. STANDARD I. 1. Elementary. 2. 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By this means the in- struction is given in successive layers, as it were, and the inconvenience of confining the lowest Standards to the earlier part of English History is avoided. The Readers are copiously illustrated, and printed in conspicuous type. Book I. ... about 150 pages ... price I/- „ II. ■•• „ 180 „ 1/3 „ III. ... „ 200 „ ... „ 1/6 „ IV. ... „ 250 „ ... „ 1/6 New Educational Books. GRIFFITH & FARRAN'S NEW GEOGRAPHICAL READERS. To jneet the requirements of Circular 228. By J. R. Blakiston, M.A., Trinity College, Cambridge, Author of" The Teacher." Book I., for Standard I. With a Map and many Illustrations. Fcap. 8vo., cloth limp, 8(/., boards, 10^. Book II., for Standard II. With a Map of England and numerous Illustrations. Fcap. 8vo., cloth boards, price u. Book III., for Standard HI, With 13 Maps and 18 Illustrations. Fcap. 8vo., cloth boards, price \s. T,d. The other Volumes ■will be Ready Shortly. Each Volume contains the right number of chapters and of pages to satisfy all the requirements of the Code and the recent Circular. *,* Specimen copies post free on receipt of half the published price. New Educational Books. ?3 GEOGRAPHY. Pictorial Geography, for the Instruction of Children. Illustrates at a glance the Various Geographical Terms in such a manner as to at once impart clear and definite ideas respecting them. On a Sheet 30 by 22 inches, printed in colours, \s. lid. ; Mounted on Rollers and Varnished, 3^. bd. "FoTTtis an excellent introditction to the study f/"wza^j."— School Board Chronicle. Gaultier's FamiHar Geography, with a concise Treatise on the Artificial Sphere, and Two Coloured Maps, illustrative of the principal Geographical Terms. Cloth, 3J. Butler's Outline Maps, and Key, or Geo- graphical and Biographical Exercises : with a Set of Coloured Outline Maps, designed for the Use of Young Persons. By the late William Butler. Enlarged by the Author's Son, J. O. 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A Word to the Wise ; or, Hints on the Current Improprieties of Expression in Writing and Speaking. By Parry Gwynne. Uniform with " Don't," price is. The Letter H, Past, Present, and Future. Rules for the silent H, based on Contemporary Usage, and an Appeal in behalf of WH. By Alfred Leach. Cloth limp. Price One Shilling. Harry Hawkins's H-Book ; showing how he learned to aspirate his H's- Sewed, dd. Darnell, G. Short and Certain Road to Reading. Being a Series of Easy Lessons in which the Alphabet is so divided as to enable the Child to read many Pages of Familiar Phrases before he has learned half the letters. Cloth, dd.; or in 4 parts, paper covers, \\d. each. Sheet Lessons. Being Extracts from the above, printed in very large bold type. Price, for the Set of Six SheetSj dd. ; or, neatly mounted on boards, 3J. Exercises in English. Including Questions in Analysis, Parsing, Grammar, Spelling, Prefixes, Suffixes, Word-building, &c. By Henry TJllyett, B. Sc, St. Mary's Sch., Folkestone. These cards are supplied in packets of 30 cards each. Standard VII. has 24. They are provided for Standards IL, IlL, IV., V., VL, VIL, price u. each. The whole series is expressly prepared to meet the requirements of the Mundella Code. ARITHMETIC, ALGEBRA, & GEOMETRY. Darnell, G. Arithmetic made Intelligible to Children. Being a Series of Gradually Advancing Exer- cises, intended to employ the Reason rather than the Memory of the Pupil ; with ample Explanations of every Difficulty, in Language adapted to the comprehension of very young Students. Cloth, \s. 6d. *,* This work maybe had in Three Parts: — Part I., price e^/. Part II., price grf. Part III., price (sd. A KEY to Parts II. & III,, price is. (Part I. does not require a Key.) New Educational Books. Arithmetic, Algebra, & Geometry — {continued). Cayzer, T. S. One Thousand Arithmetical Tests, or the Examiner's Assistant. Specially adapted, by a novel arrangement of the subject, for Examination Purposes, but also suited for general use in Schools. With a complete set of Examples and Models of Work. Cloth, is. 6d. All the operations of Arithmetic are presented under Forty Heads, and on opening at any one of the Examination Papers, a complete set of examples appears, carefully graduated. Key with Solutions of all the Examples in the One Thousand Arithmetical Tests. Price 4J-. dd. cloth. The Answers only, price is. 6d. cloth. One Thousand Algebraical Tests ; on the same plan. 8vo. Cloth 2s. 6d. Answers to the Algebraical Tests, 2s. 6d. cloth. Thfeory and Practice of the Metric System of Weights and Measures. By Professor Leone Levi, F.S.A., F.S.S. Third Edition. Sewed, is. An Aid to Arithmetic. By E. Diver, M.D. Fcap. 8vo., cloth, price 6d. i The Essentials of Geometry, Plane and Solid, as taught in Germany and France. For Students preparing for Examination, Cadets in Naval and Military Schools, Technical Classes, &c. By J. R. Morell, formerly one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools. With numerous Diagrams. Cloth, 2s. ELEMENTARY FRENCH & GERMAN WORKS. L'Abecedaire of French Pronunciation. A Manual for Teachers and Students. By G. Leprevost (of Paris), Professor of Languages. Crown 8vo. Cloth, 2s. Le Babillard : an Amusing Introduction to the French Language. By a French Lady. Ninth Edition. i6 Plates. Cloth, 2s. 26 New Educational Books. J French & German Works — [continued). Les Jeunes Narrateurs, ou Petits Contes Moraux. With a Key to the Difficult Words and Phrases. Third Edition. i8mo. Cloth, 2.s. The Pictorial French Grammar. For the Use of Children. Forming a most pleasant and easy introduction to the Language. By Marin de la Voye. With 80 illus- trations. Fcap. 8vo. Cloth, is. 6d. Bellenger's French Word and Phrase Book ; containing a Select Vocabulary and Dialogues. Cloth limp, is. 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Plain Hints for those who have to Examine Needlework, whether for Government Grants, Prize Associations, or local Managers ;, to which is added Skeleton Demonstration Lessons to be used with the Demonstration Frames, and a Glossary of Terms used in the Needlework required from the Scholars in Public .Elementary Schools. By Mrs. A. Floyer, Author of " Plain Needlework." Price 2s. The Demonstration Frame, for Class Teaching, on which the formation of almost any Stitch may be exhibited, ' is used in the best German Schools. It may be had complete with Special Needle and Cord. Price 5^. 6d. 28 Miscellaneous Books. Needlework, &c. — (continued). Needlework, Schedule III., exemplified and Illustrated. By Mrs. E. A. Curtis. Cloth limp, with 30 illustrations, is. " Needle Drill," " Position Drill," " Pin Drill," " Thimble Drill." price 3d. Drawing Book, Needlework Schedule III. Price 31^. Directions for Knitting Jerseys and Vests, with scale for various sizes. By M. C. G. Especially suitable for elderly Ladies or Invalids. Dedicated by kind permission to Her Grace the Duchess of Marlborough. Sewed, 6ii. Crewel Work. Fifteen Designs in Bold and Con- ventional character, capable of being quickly and easily worked. With complete instructions. By Zeta, Author of "Ladies' Work, and How to Sell it," and including Patterns for Counter- panes, Bed Hangings, Curtains, Furniture Covers, Chimney- piece Borders, Piano Backs, Table Cloths, Table Covers, &c., &c. Demy, 2s. 6d, Designs for Church Embroidery and Crewel Work from Old Examples. Eighteen Sheets, containing a Set of upwards of Sixty Patterns, with descriptive letterpress, collected and arranged by Miss E. S. Hartshorne. In a handsome cloth case, ^s. MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS. New Edition, enlarged. The New Law of Bankruptcy. Containing the Bankruptcy Act, 1883, with Introduction, Tables, Notes, and an Index ; to which is added a Supplement, containing the Orders, Forms, Fees, and List of Official Receivers. 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A Complete Guide to the Game of Chess, from the alphabet to the solution and construction of Problems. Containing also some Historical Notes. By H. F. L. Meyer, Chess Contributor to " The Boy's Own Paper," formerly Chess Editor of " Hannoversche Anzeigen," "The Gentleman's Journal," and "Eco Americano." Cloth, price ^s. 6d. 30 Works for Distribution. Miscellaneous Books — (continued). Queen Mab ; or. Gems from Shakespeare. Arranged and Edited by C. W. A dainty bijou volume, uniform with The Churchman's Text Book, with illustrated title. Price 6d. Maxims and Moral Reflections. By the Due DE LA Rochefoucauld. With his portrait, drawn by himself. A new translation by N. M. P. Diamond 48mo. Uniform with the above. Price Sixpence. Caxton's Fifteen O's, and other Prayers. Printed by command of the Princess Elizabeth, Queen of England and France, and also of the Princess Margaret, mother of our Sovereign Lord the King. By Wm. Caxton. Repro- duced in Photo-lithography by S. Ayling. 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Kingston. 4 Vols., cr. 8vo., each containing three Tales, cl. extra, \s. 6d. each. 2 Vols., cr. 8vo.,each containing six Tales, cl. extra, bev. bds., 3^. 6aJ. each. 20 Vols., each containing separate Tale, price 6d. each. 1. The Miller of Hillbrook ; 11. The Tenants of Sunuyslde a Rural Tale. Farm. 2. Tom Trneman, a Sailor in a 12. Holmwood; or. The "New Merchantman. Zealand Settler. 3. Michael Hale and his 13. A Bit of Fun and what it Family in Canada. cost. By A. Lyster. 4. John Armstrong, the Sol- 14. Helpfnl Sam. By Mrs. M. dier. A. Barlow. 5. Joseph Eudge,the Australian ij. Sweethearts. ByMissGER- Shepherd. trude Sellon. 6. Life Underground ; or, Dick, 16. A Wise Woman. By F. the Colliery Boy. Bayford Harrison. 7. Life on the Coast ; or. The 17. Little Pretty. By F. Bay- Little Fisher Girl. FORD Harrison. 8. Adventures of Two Orphans 18. Second Best. By S. T. in London. Cross. 9. Early Days on Board a 19. Saturday Night. By F. Man-of-War. Bayford Harrison. . 10. Walter the Foundling ; a 20. Little Betsey. By Mrs. E. Tale of Olden Times. Relton. The Famous Women Library. By M. Betham Edwards. 6 Vols., crown 8vo., cloth limp, price 6d. each. Each Vol. contains a complete biography, with a steel plate portrait, and about 40 pages of clear letterpress. List of. Books in the Series : — I. Feman Caballero, Spanish Novelist. II. Alexandrine Tinne, African Explorer. III. Caroline Herschell, Astronomer and Mathematician, rV. Marie Fape-Garpentier, Educational Beformer. V. Elizabeth Carter, Greek Scholar. VI. Matilda Betham, Litterateur and Artist. The "STANDAED AUTHOES " EEADERS, ARRANGED AND ANNOTATED BY THE EDITOR OF " POETRY FOR THE YOUNG." THE Books have been planned throughout to meet exactly the requirements of the New Mundella Code. They are well printed from clear type, on good paper, bound in a strong an<^ serviceable manner, and have ijiteresting and ■useful Ilhistratio7isfro7n beginning to end. In the Infants' Books of the Series, very careful graduation in the intro- duction of sounds and words is combined with that great desideratum in Infants' Readers — an interesting connected narrativeform. The distinctive feature of the Series in the Higher Books is that the passages selected (both Prose and Poetry) are taken from the Works of Standard Authors, thus complying with the requirements of the New Code, and that they are of such a nature as to awaken, sustain, and cultivate the interest of youthful readers. The Explanatory Matter is placed at the end of each Book, so that children may, at the discretion of the Teacher, be debarred access to it, and takes the form of three Appendices : — (a) Explanatory Notes. (U) Biographical Notes. if) A Glossary of Rare or Difficult Words. The compilation has been made with the utmost care, with the assistance and advice of gentlemen long conversant with the requirements of Public Elementary Schools ; and the Publishers feel that the literary, artistic, and mechanical excellences of the Books will be such that the Series will be pro- nounced Tlie "le Plus Ultra" of School R eading Books. LIST OF THE BOOKS IN THE SERIES. Primer, Part I., 16 pages, 18 Lessons. 14 Illiiistratioiis, paper ... Id. „ „n.,48 „ 43 „ 31 „ „ ... 3d. „ „ n A, being the first 32 pages of Primer n. „ ... 2d. Infant Reader, 64 pages, 55 Lessons, 32 Illustrations, cloth ... 4d. „ „ (abridged) lieing the 1st 48 pp. of Infant Reader, ol. 3d, „ „ (enlarged) „ Infant Reader increased by 16 pages, cloth 5d. Standard I. Reader, 96 pages, 51 Lessons, 29 Illustrations, cl. Ip. 6d. ... cloth boards Sd. 34 „ ... 9d. 25 „ ... 1/- 26 „ ... 1/3 22 „ ... 1/9 25 „ ... 2/- 26 „ ... 2/6 GRIFFITH & FARRAN, WEST CORNER OF ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD, LONDON. Ditto ditto ditto . IL „ 144 „ 61 m. „ 192 „ 62 I?. „ 288 „ 74 ?. „ 320 „ 86 TI. „ 384 „ 92 TO. „ 384 „ 79