HOME AND YOUNG FOLKS, For the Central Presbyterian. The Presbyterian Cot. My Dear Children,—It has been a long time since I have had a little chat with you. Sorrow and bereave ment, such as I hope you may never know, made my heart too heavy to burden you with its sad notes; but as I try bravely to remember that God has given me the great priv ilege of having one more re deemed soul around his throne, whose mother I am, I will try to hush the sadness of my song and tell you of other things. But just here, perhaps I have told you before, for it is a favorite thought of mine, this past year has made me feel more than ever that our Saviour in all his teachings to us inculcates no duty more plainly or more forcibly than caring for the sick. And so as I looked back to-night through the record book that tells of all the sweet little letters and nice sums of money, often earned by self-denial and hard work that you have been sending me all these years, I felt so thankful in knowing that there were scattered all over our country so many little Christians trying to serve their Master. I was tempted, at first, to tell of some Sunday schools and some societies that have sent such large sums and of others who have never faltered, but every month, in every year, since 1884, have never failed to send in their offering, but this might dis hearten some others who are newer recruits, or who cannot send so much; and perhaps no offering ever touched me more tenderly than a child’s letter written in large let ters, ill-formed and with only 30 cents enclosed, but with the sweet accompanying words: “Dear Mrs. Smith, I send thirty cents, all I have. I wish it was more, but I am an orphan myself.” So I hope no one will feel it is less God’s work be cause they cannot send a larger sum. For some time your Cot was empty. This gave us a chance to make it fresh and clean, and also to let the Endowment Fund catch up a little; and we have in bank to day $1,724. But during the summer a lady very much interested in your work, found near her summer home a little girl name Mary who was not only a great sufferer, but whose parents were too poor to give her any of the comforts that are so essential to our sick ones. The doctors discouraged our taking her, and thought she could never get well, but one of our best physi cians hopes a great deal from kind nursing and nourishing food, and has undertaken the case to see what he can do for her. Her back is sad ly humped. So many of her home people are deaf and dumb that she is just beginning to talk sweetly, is developing rapidly both in mind and body, and loves to tell, of her mother and her mother’s cow; and as she talks her great big brown eyes glisten like stars. So it is plainly our duty to try and do all we can for her and to leave it in His hands who knows so much bet ter than we do, what is best for Us all, whether she is to get well or only to have the tender care the good food and other ministrations to make her life brighter while it lasts. So I think now that you know she is on your Cot you will be glad to feel that you are helping to nurse her. In many letters I am asked what is best to send. Remember it is “the love of money that is the root of all evil”—the money itself is very necessary, for while we pay no doctor’s bills we pay $12.50 for board, $1 for washing and medicines make another bill every month, and then we can buy just what hap pens to be needed at the time—if we have money in hand to do it. So I hope our old friends among the children, and new ones, too, will begin to realize what a blessing it is not only to be well and strong them selves, but to be able to help those who are not. Please address your letters to me at 912 E. Leigh Street, Richmond, Va. Lovingly your friend, M. S. Smith. Circumstantial Evidence. The pear tree stood by the kitch en window and was just six feet high. Jack had measured it on the first day of the month ever since it had been planted, and he was never an inch out of the way when he told its height. The fact is it was his own tree, and he had a right to watch its growth and lavish un usual care upon it. Last summer it had borne two pears, which a hail storm had destroyed, and of the six teen that had promised fair this season but six remained on the tree. Jack watched the lucious fruit with as much anxiety as a mother bestows upon her baby. His grandfather had given the young tree to him on his eighth birthday and he intended to celebrate the dear old man’s seventieth mile-stone in life by carrying him the delici ous pears that now hung so tempt ingly on the tree. One bright September morning as he stood feasting his eyes upon the great yellow pears, his father said with a smile, “Take a good look, my boy, for to-morrow will be the clay to pick them.” “Grandfather’s birthday will not be ’round till Thursday,” answered Jack. “But the pears should be picked a day or two before,” said his father. Jack dreamed of the beauties that night,and as soon as the sun was up he sprang out of bed and went to his window to get a glimpse of the golden fruit gleaming through the glossy leaves. The dew upon the leaves was shining as usual, but uo pears were visible. He rubbed his eyes to be sure he was awake and looked again, but no pears were there. There had been a storm in the night, and Jack’s next thought was that the pears had been beaten off, and down stairs he went, two steps at a time, to search among the grass for his treasure. He looked' everywhere, but no pears could be found. “Dorcas,” he called to the cook, “do you know what has become of my pears?” Dorcas came out of the kitchen, dish cloth in hand, certain that she had not heard Jack’s words aright. “Ye don’t mean to tell me, Massa Jack, dat yer pears has been took.” “They are all gone, Docas, and they could not walk off themselves, so somebody must have taken them.” “Seems mighty strange,” admitted Dorcas, as she went back to her cooking. “I believe Fred Colby took them,” he said to himself after Dorcas had gone. “I saw him looking wish fully at them yesterday while he was talking to father.” Walking slowly across the grass plot, he noticed foot prints on the walk where the previous night’s rain had left the ground soft and moist. “Here’s a clew to the theft cer tainly,” said Jack, following the footsteps with as much eagerness aS an Indian follows the trail of an enemy. Although Jack had fastened the crime on Fred Colby, he was sur prised when the footprints actually led to the fence that separated Mr. Colby’s lot from their own. “What have you lost, Jack?” in quired his mother from the sitting room window. “My pears; they have vanished entirely.” “Why, that is very strange, indeed. The storm must have blown them off. Did you look carefully among the grass?” “I have been searching for them everywhere, but it was a useless search, for they have been stolen. I found the tracks, and they lead directly to Mr. Colby’s fence.” “Do not jump at conclusions. You may be mistaken,” said his mother. “I am not mistaken, mother. The tracks are there to show for themselves; besides, if anything was wanting to prove my words I found these leaves right by the fence, and they are pear leaves. Just judge for yourself,” passing the leaves to her. “What’s up now?” asked Fred Colby, as Jack still continued his search. “Somebody stole my pears last night. The tracks are not hard to trace,” answered Jack, reaching through an opening in the palings for a few leaves which he said be longed to his pear tree. “You might as well accuse me of the theft,” said Fred, turning very white. “I think the evidence points that way. Just come over and examine the foot prints for yourself.” “You will pay for this insult, my boy. I never touched your pears, and it is my opinion you have been sampling them yourself,” retorted Fred. There is no knowing how much longer the jangling would have con tinued had not Dorcas rang the bell for breakfast. Just after Jack and his mother had taken their places at the table, Dr. Norris came in from seeing a patient, and joined them. He listened gravely while Jack repeated the story of the missing pears. “Am I not clever in working up a case, father?” asked the boy with considerable pride. “You have made a very good stag ger if you can bring evidence to prove your statement,” answered his father. “Are you certain that you are on the right track, my boy?” “I was never more sure of any thing in my life,” answered Jack. “Many aninnocentpersonhas been condemned upon circumstantial evi dence, but I do not intend that Fred Colby shall suffer for my crime. It was I who took the pears, Jack-. What about your chain of evidence now?” “You, father? How came you to take them?” asked Jack in astonish ment. “As you know, I was called away during the night. T^e wind was blowing then, and as I passed your tree I saw one of the pears lying on the ground. I saw, too, that a storm wTas approaching, and to save your pears from being tossed about and bruised, I took them off. The steps that you thought belonged to Fred were made by me whil- searching for my knife, which I thought I had lost somewhere among the grass.” Then rising from the table, the doc tor opened the door of a small press and from its upper shelf took down a basket containing the pears. “How I wish I had known of this sooner,” said Jack. “Now I must go and ask Fred to forgive me. If I could only learn to be less rash I would save myself a great deal of trouble.” “And other people as well,” said his father. Don’t you suppose that Fred was hurt when you charged him with being a thief?” “He surely must have felt it; but I will try to make things satisfac tory,” and Jack ran across the yard to apologize for the wrong he had done his friend. Fred forgave him freely, and after that Jack never made any positive statements unless he was able to prove them. From experience he had learned that it was never safe to depend upon cir cumstances alone.—Chris. Inquirer. Burdett’s Message to Boys. My boy, the first thing you want to learn—if you haven’t learned how to do it already—is to tell the truth. The pure, sweet, refreshing, wholesome truth. The plain, un varnished, simple, every-day, man ly truth, with a little l‘t.” For one thing, it will save you so much trouble. Ob, heaps of trouble. And no end of hard work. And a terrible strain upon your memory. Sometimes—and when I say some times, I mean a great many times —it is hard to tell the truth the first time. But when you have told it, there is an end of it. You have won the victory; the fight is over. Next time you tell that truth you can tell it without thinking. Your memory may be faulty, but you tell your story without a single lash from the stinging whip of that stern old task master—Conscience. You don’t have to stop and remember how you told it yesterday. You don’t get half through with it and then stop with the awful sense upon you that you are not telling it as you did the other time, and can not remember just how you did tell it then. You won’t have to look around to see who is there before you begin telling it.- And you won’t have to invent a lot of new lies to reinforce the old one. A££er Anan ias told a lie, his wife had to tell another just like it. You see if you tell lies, you are apt to get your whole family into trouble. Lies always travel along in gangs with their co-equals. v And then, it is foolish for you to lie. You cannot pass a lie off for the truth, any more than you can get counterfeit money into circulation. The leaden dollar is always detected before it goes very far. When you tell a lie it is known. Yes, you say, “God knows it.” That’s right; but he is not the only one. So far as God’s knowledge of it is concerned, the liar doesn't care very much. He doesn’t worry himself about what God knows—if he did, he wouldn’t be a liar; but it does worry a man, or boy, who tells lies to think that everybody else knows it. The other boys know it; your teacher knows it; people wrho hear you tell “whoppers,” know it; your mother knows it, but she won’t say so. And all the people who know it, and don’t say anything about it to you, talk about it to each other, and—dear! dearl the things they say about a boy who is given to tell ing big stories! If he could only hear them, it would make him stick to the truth like flour to a miller. And, finally, if you tell the truth always, I don’t see how you are go ing to get very far out of the right way. And how people do trust a truthful boy. We never worry about him when he is out of our sight. -We never say, “I wonder where he is! I wish I knew what he is doing! I wonder who he is with! I wonder why he doesn’t come home!” Nothing of the sort. We know he is all right, and that when he comes home we will know all about it, and get it straight. We don’t have to ask him where he is going and how long he will be gone every time he goes out of the house. We don’t have to call him. back and make him “solemnly promise” the same thing over and over two or three times. When he says “Yes, I will,” or “No, J won’t,” just once, that settles it. How Jimmy was Cured. Jimmy was the stingest boy y u ever knew. Hecouldn’t beartogive away a cent, nor a bite of an apple, nor a crumb of candy. He couldn’t even bear to lend his sled or hoop or his skates. All his friends were very sorry he wras so stingy, and talked to him about it; but he couldn’t see any reason why he should give away what he wanted himself. “If I didn’t want it,” he would say, “p’r’aps I would give it away; but why should I give it away when I want it myself?” “Because it is nice to be generous,” said his mother, “and think about the happiness of other people. It makes you feel happier and better yourself. If you give your sled to little ragged Johnnie, who never had one in his life, you will feel a thou sand times better watching his en joyment of it than if you had kept it yourself.” “Well,” said Jimmy, “I’ll try it.” The sled was sent off. “How soon shall I feel better?” he asked, by and by. “I don’t feel as well as I did when I had the sled. Are you sure I shall fell better?” “Certainly,” answered his mother, “but'if you should keep on giving something away you would feel bet ter all the sooner.” Then he gave away a kite, and thought he did not feel quiet as well as before. He gave away a silver piece he meant to spend for taffy. Then he said: “I don’t like this giving away things; it doesn’t agree with me. I like being stingy better.” Just then ragged Johnny came up the street dragging the sled, looking proud as a prince, and asking all the boys to take a slide with him. Jimmy began to smile as he watch ed him and said: “You might give Johnny my old overcoat: he’s Tittler than I am and he doesn’t seem to have one. I think—I guess—I know I am be ginning to feel so much better. I’ll give away something else.” And Jimmy has been feeling better ever since.—Our Little Ones. Russell Sage to Boys. The boy who is wanted in the business world of to-day must be educated, says Russell Sage in an admirable article'on “The Boy That Is Wanted,” in the November Ladies' Home Journal. If his parents can not afford to give him a high-school or college education, he must learn to study without the aid of a teach er, in the early morning before busi ness begins, and in the evenings after business hours. It can no longer be truthfully said than an education is out of any one’s reach. Our splendid school system, where one can study by day or in the even ing, has put the priceless treasure of and education within the reach of all. The main thing, in the be gining, that 1 would impress upon boys is one of the great command ments, “Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” The boy who respects his father and mother, who treats his sisters and brothers with loving kindness, has laid a good founda tion for a successful career. You will do as your parents tell you, and that certainly will be to study. Don’t be in a hurry to get away from your school books. The cares and responsibilities of business life will come soon enough. Go to school as long as you can, and, re member, every hour spent in study in your youth will be worth money to you in after life. Read good books—the Bible above all. Make yourself acquainted with history. Study the progress of nations and the careers of men who have made nations great. If you have no libra ry of your own join one of the nu merous associations to be found in all cities, where good, healthful books may be obtained. Study re ligion, science, statecraft, and his tory. Learn to read intelligently, so that you may turn to practical use in after life the readings of your youth. Be sure you begin right.. Do not waste time in read ing trashy books. Which is Worse? A little girl came to her mother with the question, “Which is worse, to tell a lie or to steal?” The mother, taken by surprise, replied that they were both so bad that she could not say which was the worst. “Well,” said the little one, “I’ve been thinking a good deal about it, and I think it is worse to lie than to steal. If you steal a thing you can take it hack, unless you have eaten it, and, if you have eaten it, I you can pay for it. But,” and there was a look of awe in the child face, “a lie is forever.” ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Acknowledgments to Presbyterian Cot in the Retreat for the Sick, Richmond,Va., from June 15th to November 1st, 1891. Maude T. Dinwiddie, Raleigh, N. C., 50 Thankoffering from Mrs. C. P. Svden stricker for Master Pinckney Sy denstricker, on his 11th birthday, as a small expression of thankfulness to God for having spared him all these years in sound health, without sickness or other accident, Lewis burg, W. Va., 5 00 By the Juveniles of Sabbath school at Pt. Pleasant, W. Ya., sent by Mol lie B. Jones, 10 00 Burns, Herman, Nettie and Mary Huy ett, Charlestown, W. Va., 4 00 Mrs. Dutton’s and Miss Mary Reimin ger’sS.S. class, Charlestown,W.Va., 5 00 Mrs. B. J. Farrar, birthday memorial of a dearnepliew, Central Plains,Va., 1 00 Mrs. W. S. Pettis, Oxford, Miss., 1 00 Members of Bethlehem Sunday-school, Old Church, Hanover county, Va., viz: John and Frank Beale, 70c.; Rosa Miles, 12c.; Clarence and Drew ry Miles, 25c.; Carrie Davis, 46c; Perry Davis, 16c.; Harry Tomlin, 25c.; Nannie and Maggie Tomlin, 50c.; Herman Pease, 25c.; a teacher, 31c., 3 00 A small class of little girls in the Wheatland Sunday-School-, hy hard work and self-denial, have earned $5 for the Cot, sent through Miss Minnie M. Ellis, Buckingham coun ty, Va., 5 00 Infant Class of Second Presbyterian church, Richmond, Va., for twelve months, viz: December, 1890, 55c.; January, 1891, $1.57; Feb’y, $1.86; March, $1.72; April, $1.78; May, $2.14; June, $1.58; July, 47c.; Aug., $1; September, 75c.; October, $1.30; November, $1.52; through Mrs. M. M. Gilliam, treasurer, 16 16 Also through Mrs. G., from Miss M. Carter, Goochland county, Va., 50 Total, $51 16 All donations should he addressed to Mrs. M. S. Smith, 912 E. Leigh street, Rich mond, Ya. Cure for Stammering.—Draw a long breath so as to fill the lungs to their utmost extent. Divide the sentence you wish to speak into syllables, marking time for each syllable by bringing the index fin ger and thumb of the right hand together; or marking time with the foot. Now, here is a specimen: ‘Pass-me-the-bread. Good-morning masdame-how-do-you feel this morning? Those syllable exercises must be practiced for at least one month; then a cure should be accomplished if the patient has no deformity of the throat or larynx, and if the front teeth are sound. There is nothing easier than this cure; it is simply to speak in sylla bles for one month, and is within the reach of everybody—man, wo man or child. —In Australia the government owns the railroads. It only costs a person $6.50 to ride 1000 miles there. Commutation rates for local service are still lower. A workman can ride to and from his work, a distance of six miles, for two cents a trip; twelve miles for four cents; twenty-four miles for eight cents; thirty miles ten cents. Yearly tickets, good for thirty mile trips, are sold for $17. 40. The best of men need to be warned against the worst of sins. CATARRH Is a complaint so common that compar atively few people are entirely free from it, so insidious that it gains a firm hold al most before its victims are aware of its presence, so dangerous as to seriously threaten the general health, and liable to develop into bronchitis or Consumption. It is a mistake to consider Catarrh merely a local trouble. It is unquestionably a dis ease of the blood, and therefore the right way to cure Catarrh is to remove from the blood the impurities which cause and feed it. This is to be done by taking Hood’s Sarsaparilla, the great blood purifier, which effectually expels all traces of poi son and germs of disease. Stuffed-up Feeling “For years I have been troubled with that terrible disease, Catarrh. I took Hood’s Sarsaparilla with the yery best re sults. It cured me of that continual drop ping in my throat, and stuffed-up feeling.” Mrs. S. D. Heath, Putnam, Conn. “Hood’s Sarsaparilla cured me of Ca tarrh, and built up my general health, so that I am feeling better than for years. Hood’s Sarsaparilla Is the only medicine I know of which will cure miller’s catarrh.” Geo. Foster, Lo gan, Ohio. N. B. Be sure to get Hood’s. ja 28—ly A (ll’MTQ WANTED for The History of nunlilO Christianity, by Abbott. A grand chance. A $4 book at the popular price of $1.75. Liberal terms. The reli gious papers mention it as one of the few great religious works of the world. Great er success never known by agents. Terms free. Canvassers wanted for our splendid albums. Write to-dav. Stinson Co., Publishers, Portland, Maine. a7-ly The finest quality of Bells forChurch«L Chimes,Schools,etc. Fully warranted* Write for Catalogue and Prices BUCKEYE BELL FOUNDRY, Tie VAN DOZEN TIFT CO., CmciMtt.1 je3—ly l WORTH A GUINEA A BOX.*’! Not Drunk J Just dizzy! There is a pres- sure on the brain, owing- t a clogging of the system. ■el C PiLLS will remove the obstruction ri and permits the vital funt- tions to act naturally. They cure S &Slc!t Headache, and all Bilious an.l* Nervous Disorders,arising from Weak f Stomach* Indigestion, Constipation [and Disordered Liver. Of all druggists. Price 25 cents a box. New York Depot, 365 Canal St. 3:' THOMAS NOWLAN. ROBERT E. MACOMBER NOWLAN 00., No. 921, Next to Corner of Main axi Tentii Street (Above Post Office,) RICHMOND, VA. DIAMONDS, PINE WATCHED DIAMOND, ENGAGEMENT AND PLAIN GOLD WEDDING RINGS AND RICH BRIDAL PRESENTS. Special attention given to the Repairing of Fine Watches and Jewelry. Masonic, College, School, and Socien MEDALS and BADGES made in the besl manner of style, quality, and workmanship au7—ly QHESAPEAKE OHIO RAILWAY COMPANY SCHEDULE IN EFFECT NOV. 3, 1891. LEAVE RICHMOND. 8:40 A. M. Daily for Old Point and Nor folk. Pullman Sleeping-Car Hinton to Old Point. 11:05 A. M. Express daily for Cincinnati Pullman Sleeper Old Point tJ Hinton, connecting with Pull man Sleeping Car for Cincin nati. 3:30 P. M. Express, daily for Old Point and Norfolk. Pullman Sleep Ing-Car Cincinnati to O. Point. 4:30 P. M. Accommodation, except Sun1 day, for Gordonsville Orange 10:30 P. M. The F. F. V., Limited, daily Pullman Sleeping-Car Old Point to Cincinnati, attached at Gor donsville to solid vestibule train, with Dining-Car anil Pullman to Cincinnati am Pullman to Louisville; connects at Covington, Virginia, forllo, Spring. TRAINS ARRIVE AT RICHMOND. 8:30 A. M. and 3:55 P. M. daily from Cin cinnati. 7:30 P. M. daily, except Sunday,from Hin ton. 10:55 A. M. and 6:55 P. M. daily from Nor folk. Station: Broad St., near Seventeenth. JAMES-RIVER DIVISION. (Richmond Alleghany Railroad.) LEAVE RICHMOND. 9:00 A. M. daily for Lynchburg, Natural Bridge, Lexington, Craig City (except Sunday), and Clifton Forge. Parlor (Chair) Car Richmond to Clifton Forge, daily (except Sunday). 4:30 P»M. except Sunday for Lynchburg connecting with a train leaving Lynchburg at 6 A. M. daily for Natural Bridge, Lexington, Craig City (except Sunday and Clifton Forge. Sleeping Car to Lynchburg. TRAINS ARRIVE AT RICHMOND. 6:30 P. M. daily from Clifton Forge. 8:30 A. M. except Sunday from Clifton Forge. Station: Eighth and Canal streets. For further information apply to A. TV Garber’s office, 901 east Main street, the Chesapeake Ohio Railway Company’ stations, Chesapeake Ohio General office. Eighth and Main. JOHN D. POTTS, Division Passenger Agent. DIRECTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH _ IN THE UNITED STATES. PUBLICATION. Rev. James K. Hazen, D. D.^Secretary and Treasurer, Richmond,Va. FOREIGN MISSIONS. Rev. M. II. Houston, D. D., Secretary Nashville, Tenn. Rev. D. C. Rankin, Treasurer, box 324, Nashville, Tenn. HOME MISSIONS. (Including Sustentation, Church Ere« tion, Evangelistic, Invalid, and Colore* Evangelistic Funds.) .Rev. J. N. Craig, D. D., Secretary, anti W. A. Powell, Treasurer, P. O. Drawer B Atlanta Ga. EDUCATION. Rev. E. M. Richardson, Secretary, Meu> phis, Tenn. G. W. Macrae, Esq., Treasurer, Memphis Tenn. EDUCATION of COLORED MINISTRY Rev. C. A. Stillman, D. D., Secretary Tuskaloosa, Ala. W. A. Powell, Treasurer, Atlanta, Ga. ANNUAL COLLECTIONS. Sustentation—First Sunday in January and August. Publication—First Sunday in March. Foreign Missions—First Sunday in May and October. Invalid Fund—First Sunday in July. Evangelistic Fund—First Sunday in Jttne and September. Education—First Sunday in April November. Church Erection—First Sunday in Fe“ rnary. Theological Institute for Colored Me8' First Sunday in December.