Evening star. [volume], August 19, 1906, Page 5, Image 17

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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Kccwit? of Draper.!
1
'Written for The Star by Rev. Ignatius Fealy of St. Joseph's Catholic
Church.
Taking for granted the universal admis
sion of the existence of the Supreme Being,
and the disposition on the part of every
creature to render due homage to this In
flnlto Majesty, it might be fitting to make
a number of observations on the neccesslty
of prayer as ona of the most character
istic acta of religion.
Of all the elements of divine worship
none, except sacrifice, is more essential
than prayer. Indeed, it Is the most exalted
function In which man can be engaged.
This act of worship Is the elevation of the
?oul to God. to adore Him. to bless His
holy name, to praise His goodness, to re
turn Him thanks for His benefits, or to
humbly petition Him for some necessity
of soul or body. Among the various aspects
?f prayer, the most prominent is the act
of petition. It Is as a beggar that man
most frequently has recourse to his Mas
ter; and it Is not merely the Importance,
but it Is the necessity of the act of petition
that is too often underestimated. Many
persons, readily* admitting the utility of
acts of praise and thanksgiving, reject
acts of petition on the ground that they
Rev. Ignatius Fealy.
are Infringements on the eternal decrees
of God, and therefore at variance with the
unchangeablencss of the divine order. Our
entreaties, on the contrary, are not intend
ed to enlighten an omniscient God as to
a condition which He has seen from all
eternity. The aim of prayer is not a
change In the arrangement of God; in re
ality It concurs in obtaining what God has
determined to grant us through our
prayers; and in this sense prayer is an
Important factor in framing the eternal
decrees of God. The copious supply of rain
which heaven sends at the entreaty of a
famine-stricken people comes not as a re
ault of any disturbance In the established
laws of nature, but simply from an at
mospheric change caused by Providence.
Neither were the laws of physiology upset
to prolong the life of Kzechlas, who had
asked for the recovery of his health; for
God had merely to so dispose secondary
causes that, being properly directed, they
might gradually cure him of his dlseas&
Do we not in that model of prayers, which
Christ Himself dictated to us, cry out in
all humility, "Not our will be done, but
may Thy will be done?" Nor should it
be fancied that because God la Infinitely
above human creatures In dignity He
would be above listening to their requests.
The very creation of us miserable crea
tures Involves a greater act of condescend
sion than the mere answering a request.
The adversaries of prayer say that It ia
no better than useless, from the fact that
God has endowed man with powers entire
ly adequate for the attainment of his end,
and therefore he has no need of prayera.
This Is true as far as It goes, but the
most powerful of these means for the ac
quisition of thfs end is none other than
devout supplication to God. Prayer Is the
one great channel through which strength
flows down to us from an all-wise source,
which Is ever solicitous for the welfare of
all His creatures.
PILGRIM FATHERS'
HALO IS IK DANGER
The halo usually accorded the Pilgrim
fathers was rudely shattered last week by
John D. Long, former Secretary of the
Navy, who gave a distinct shoek to his
hearers by declaring that they were no
better than they ought to be and that some
among them were the equals of present-day
grafters.
Mr. Ixmg's remarks were part of an ad
dress delivered at the tercentenary of the
First Church of Plymouth at Plymouth,
Mass. Among other things he said:
"The saints in Plymouth colony can be
counted on the fingers. Some of the very
elect were false to their trust and used
their positions to feather their own nests
falser to the trust than any president of a
modern insurance company. Within the
first decade social vices Infested the com
munity; drunkenness, bickering, slander,
licentiousness and even crimes against na
ture were common. All this took place In
a community of very limited numbers. No
New England village of today need fear
comparison with the early Plymouth col
ony."
? Cardinal Gibbons Aids Hackmen.
Cardinal Gibbons has signed a petition
prepared by the Baltimore hack drivers'
association against the holding of Sunday
funerals, and has promiasd to give bis aid
also In preventing weddings on Sunday at
which carriages are used. The hack drivers
have also enlisted the aid of many clergy
men of various denominations, as wall as
of all undertakers.
*
The necessity of prayer cannot be better
exemplified than by recalling that it was
while wrapt In prayer that the great
apostle of the Gentiles learned the "Mys
teries of the Kingdom of God." And who
was more successful In his undertakings
than David, who made it a habit to recur
to prayer before embarking on any one of
them? So much so ts prayer a means that
I Divine Providence has placed at our dis
posal for the attainment of our end that
the poet hardly exaggerates when he ex
j claims that "prayer moves the hand that
moves the universe." Prayer is of almost
incalculable worth in keeping man ever
cognisant of his dependence upon God, and
thus insuring a careful use of the gifts
he has already received from Him. Oper- :
atlng against a constant tendency which
Is in every man to draw Mm away from
God, prayer Impels the creature to God; It
teaches him to master hU faculties more
easily, whereas If everything should c<yne
to hand unsought God might be soon and
totally forgotten. It is a natural Impulse
for human creatures to depend on some
one of a higher station and to look up to
him for assistance; and thus it should be
with all men in respect to God. As the
child finds It advantageous to hug closely
to Its parent when it is anxious for some
favor, so mankind, while kept conscious
of their dependence on God, will also stick
rather close to Him, and communicate with"
Him perhaps through the medium of
prayer.
God wishes to hear our prayers. Is It
not reasonable that the Supreme Author
of all Being, after bringing a creature from
mere nothingness Into existence, would be
naturally solicitous as to his future wel
fare?
Indeed. God is ever ready to accede to a
request, provided It Is conducive to an in
dividual's eternal welfare. If prayer, then,
has been made a means so useful In the
economy of salvation, does It not appear
most probable that God has appointed it
as a moral necessity for the possession of
thi best of all His good gifts?final per
severance? That we need the assistance
of God is evident only after the most
I cursory study of poor human nature. May
not any creature exclaim with St. Pault
"1 do not that good which I will, but the
evil which I hate, that I do?" The great
apostle of the Gentiles knew hia weakness
and. seeing his Inability to overcome it by
merely natural efTorts, had recourse to
God through the medium of prayer. When
consideration Is made of the sovereign
majesty of Him of whom we are to ask
such aids, and the facility with which we
can approach this "Throne of Grace." the
obligation to pray becomes still more Im
perative and its neglect leas excusable.
The necessity of prayer Is well demon
strated from its universal usage among
men. While the forms of religious wor
ship have differed?and that very widely
among men?the world has never yet
heard of a nation or people, whether an
cient or modern, savage or civilized, pagan
or Christian, which has not poured forth
supplications to the Supreme Deity in one
form or another. Prayer Is the expression
of a sentiment deeply ecgraved In a soul
of every man; it was for other men what
It cannot but be for each and every one
of us?light for the intellect, comfort for
the heart and strength for the will. Why
then can it not follow that prayer is a
necessity since It springs from an Instinct
so common among men?
This widespread practice of prayer, this
universal aspiration, springs from an in
nate sense of our own misery and depend
ence and our Inborn conviction of God's
infinite power and boundles mercy. Inline,
since prayer holds so conspicuous a place
among the elements that go together to
form human actions, since It is not only
so advantageous, but even morally neces
sary for the attainment of our eternal hap
piness, we should endeavor to remain free
from the reproach which Christ Himself
I cast upon His own disciples for their neg
lect of prayer, when He said: "Hitherto
you have not asked anything in My name;
ask and you shall receive, that your Joy
may be full."
BARCELONA'S GREAT
NEW CATHEDRAL
Frank S. Bond, writing from Spain to the
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, says:
?The most conspicuous part of every town
or village Is Its church, whose steeple
towers far above everytlvlng else.
"One of the most Interesting things. In
that line, which we hav? visited is what Is
called 'La Sagrada Familla.' This Is a
magniflcant eccleslastl&il pile which Is
slowly rising In the northern suburb of
Barcelona. It has already been under pro
cess of construction for twenty-four years,
and as It Is the product of 'alms of the
faithful.' It Is probable that a great deal
of time will yet be consumed before it
reaches completion.
"Without seeing it, one can not appreciate
the beauty of Its exterior design. Its gen
eral architecture surpajses anything else
w? have seen In the church line, even in
cluding fit. Peter's and other fine churches
?'"U?f!i*sald that the entire cost of this
enormous work cannot oa less than a roli
Uor and a half sterling. Some distance
away Is a large convent where many nuns
are stationed, and It 1s (aid upon goo* au
thority that this convent la connected wltn
La Sagrada Familla by an underground
passage, and U la also stated that under
neath the church, ceBs hare been con
structed."
Stuck On All Kind*.
Prom the Yonkera BUtcsmia.
Redd?"Ever buy an* thornless rosesT'
Greene?"Oh, yes; r* been stuck om
those, too."
NOTRE DAME CONVENT.
The $20,000 Bnlldlng That la Nearlnj Completion at the Corner of North Capitol and K Street*.
AMAZING RELIGIOUS WORK OF
A POLISH WOMAN UNDER BAN
A singularly interesting document in the
form of an encyclical by Pope Pius X has
been received in this city and translated In
to English. It has to do with the M&riavites
of Poland, a society of priests that has
been put under the ban, afld the encyclical
is addressed to the archbishops of Warsaw
and the bishops of Plotsk and Lublin,
among the Poles. Perhaps no country in
the world, and certainly no country In
eastern Europe, can show so many in
stances of feminine influence in all move
ments, pplitlcal and social, as Poland.
Once more Is history repeated, and a
woman is at the head of a religious revival
which has set the country agog with party
i faction; for the new sect has declared open
war against politics In general and pa
triotism in particular. As a matter of fact,
the idea of* the revival first originated in
the brain of a pious Capuchlne monk, a cer
tain Father Honoratus of Nove Miasto, who
mere than twelve years ago tried to In
duce the priests of the Roman Catholic
Church In Poland to lead simpler lives and
cease to extort money from the poorer
classes, especially in lespect to fees for
performing baptisms, marriages and fune
rals. Indeed, there is a proverb which says
that the cow generally follows the Polish
peasant to his grave, meaning that the
priest will not bury the deceased under an
extravagant fee. which necessitates the
sale of the family cow. But Father Hon
oratus died before he could win more than
four priests to his way of thinking, and no
more was heard of the revival until some
three or four years later, when a women.
Felicia Kozlowska, a clairvoyant, who pre
viously had earned her living by making
church vestments in the cathedral city of
Plock. suddenly came upon the scene and
assumed the leadership of the crusade.
It is difficult to say exactly how much
power she claimed at the beginning, but it
seems to be quite certain that the few
young priests to whom she spoke her ideas
of reforming the clergy believed her to
have received her directions from God dur
ing a vision. They eagerly adopted her
plans for organizing a revival, and the
movement rapidly spread among the lower
clergy of the diocese of Plock.
The woman now numbers among her ad
herents 900.000 laymen and over a hundred
priests.
*
* *
The message from the pope In regard to
this sect Is very rigorous. It Is translated
as follows:
"About three years ago this apostolic see
was duly informed that some priests, es
pecially among the junior clergy of your
dioceses, had founded, without permission^
from their lawful superiors, a kind of
pseudo-monastic society, known as the
M&riavitea or -Mystic Priests, the members
of which, little by little, turned from the
right road and from the obedience they owe
the bishops 'whom the Holy Ghost has
placed to rule the church of God' and be
come vain in their thoughts.
"To a certain woman, whom they pro
claimed to be most holy, marvelously en
dowed with heavenly gifts, divinely enlight
ened about many things, and providentially
given for the salvation of the world about
to perish, they did not hesitate to Intrust
themselves without reserve and to obey her
every wish. Relying on an alleged mandate
from God they set themselves to promote,
without discrimination and of their own
initiative, among the people frequent exer
cises of piety (highly commendable when
rlgbtly carried out), especially the adora
tion of the most holy sacrament and the
practice of frequent communion, but at the
same time thsy made the gravest charges
against all priests and bishops who ventur
ed to express any doubt about the sancttty
and divine election of the woman or showed
any hostility to the society of the Maria
vites. Such a pass did matters reach that
there was reason to fear that many of the
faithful in their delusion were about to
abandon their lawful pastor*.
"Therefore, on the advice of our vener
f able brethren, the cardinals of the general
inquisition, we had a decree issued, under
date of September 4, 1904. suppressing the
: above-named society of priests and com
, maftdlng them to break oft honestly all
j relations with the woman. But the priests
i In question, notwithstanding that they
| signed a document expressing their subjec
| tion to the authority of their bishops, and
that, perhaps, they did, as they say they
did. partly break off their relations with
the woman, still failed to abandon their
undertaking, and to renounce sincerely the
condemned association. Not only did they
condemn their exhortations and Inhibitions,
not only did many of them sign an auda
cious declaration In which they rejected
communion with their bishop, not only in
more places than one did they incite the de
luded people to drive away their thus lawful
pastors, but like the enemies of the church,
asserted that she had fallen from truth
and justice, and hence has been abandoned
by the Holy Spirit, and that to themselves
alone, the Mariavlte priests, was It divinely
given to Instruct the faithful in true piety.
"Nor In this all a few weeks ago two of
these priests came to Rome?Romanus
Prochiewsky and Jannes Kowalski, the lat
ter of whom Is recognized in virtue of some
kind of delegation from the woman re
ferred to. as their superior by all the mem
bers of the society. Both of them, in a pe
tition alleged by them to have been written
by the express order of our Lord Jesus
Christ, ask the supreme father of the
church or the congregation of the holy
office in his name to issue jbl document con
ceived In these terms:
*
* *
" That Maria Francesca (the woman men
tioned above) has been made most holy by
God; that she is the mother of mercy for
all' men called and elected to salvation by
God in these days, and that all Mariavlte
priests are commanded by God to promote
throughout the world devotion to the most
holy sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin
Mary of Perpetual Succor, free from all re
striction of ecclesiastical or human law or
custom, and from all ecclesiastical and hu
man power whatsoever.'
"Prom these words we are disposed to
believe that the priests In question were
blinded not so much by conscious pride as
by ignorance and delusion, like those false
prophets of whom Ezekiel writes: 'They
see vain things and they foretell lies, say
ing: The Lord salth: whereas as the Lord
hath not sent them; and they have per
sisted to confirm what they have said. Have
you not seen a vain vision and spoken a
lying divination, and you say: "The Lord
salth," whereas I have not spoken,' We
therefore received them with piety, ex
horted them to put away the deceits of vain
revelation, to subject themselves and their
works to salutary authority of their supe
riors, and to hasten the return of the faith
ful oif Christ to the safe path of obedience
and reverence toward their pastors, and
finally to leave to the vigilance of the
holy see and the other competent authori
ties the task of confirming such pious cus
toms as might seem best adapted for the
fuller increase of Christian life In many
parishes of your dioceses, and- at the same
time to admonish any priests who were
found guilty of speaking abusively or con
temptuuosly of devout practices and exer
cises approved by the church. And we
were consoled to see the two priests, moved
by our fatherly kindness, throw themselves
at our feet and express their firm resolu
tion to carry out our wishes with the de
votedness of sorts.
"They then caused to be transmitted to
us a written statement which Increased our
hope that these deluded sons would sin
cerely abandon past Illusions and return to
the right road:
" 'We (these are their words), always
ready to fulfill the will of God. which has
now t>een made bo clear to us by his vicar,
do moat sincerely and Joyfully revoke our
letter, which we sent on February 1 of
the present year to the archbishop of n ar
iaw. and In which we declared that we sep
arated from him. Moreover, we do most
sincerely and with the greatest joy profess
that we wish to be always united with our
bishops and especially with the archbishop
REMARKABLE LETTER FROM
RUSSIAN JEWISH NOVELIST
Special Dispatch ^ to The Star.
NEW YORK, August 18.?A letter was re
ceived In this city by Johan Paley, editor
of the Jewish Daily News, from Jacob Di
nesohn, one of the foremost Jewish novel
ists in Russia., giving his reasons for re
fusing an Invitation to come to America
out of danger of the seething revolutionary
volcano In Russia. The Invitation was tea.
dered by the Jewish Dally News. The let
ter sheds light on a very peculiar condition
noticed In Jews who cling to Russia as
their cherished fatherland, though It be
the home of the most oppressive tyranny.
After expressing surprise and pleasure at
the receipt of a first-class steamship ticket
and a telegram inviting him to come to
America, Herr Dlnesohn answers his
friend:
"My only fear Is that possibly the dubious
tone in my last letter regards the danger
In which the Jews In Russia are situated
may have led you to believe that I was con
cerned about my own life, but yet it Is not
swerving from the truth to say that the
danger in which life stands at the present
moment Is exceedingly great. The dubious
tone of my previous letter ts exactly like
the dark, uncertain condition of the Jews
In Russia.
"But where a whole people are under eon
sideratlon a single Individual la of very lit
tle account. It vaa not for my own person
that I expressed the pessimistic view of the
future In Ruaala; It was of the atx million
Jewish souls In whose blood our red-handed
government seems determined to drown the
revolutionary activity in Ruaala. And this
I see day after day with my own eyea and
feel it with all my senses. And in this gen
eral terror of what account is the individ
ual? I feel myself merely a minute drop
in the sea of blood and tears; and my own
person, believe me, has lost in my eyes Its
weight and value above those who are in
the same danger. Besides, one becomes
-accustomed to anything; when you aee
death every minute before your eyes, you
ceaae to fear him yourself; and are even
able to outstare him. A great many of my
friends have already been killed or shot
almost before my own eyes, and they were
as innocent and harmless as can be imag
ined.
"It Is Just Saturday a week ago that my
friend, the well-known writer J. L. Pereta,
came near being an Innocent sacrifice to the
times. At twelve o'clock noon he started
to take a walk, having been confined to the
houae for some time. He had not gone
twenty paces from his door when a Cossack
of the street patrol took the fancy to dis
charge his gun behind his back. The ball
was so near to Pereta that It touched his
of Warsaw, as far as your holiness will or
der this of us. Furthermore, as we are
now acting In the name of all the Marla
vltes. we do make this profession of our en
tire obedience and subjection In the name
not only of all the Marlavites, but of ad
the adorers of the most holy sacrament.'
"It was, therefore," continues the en
cyclical, "very pleasant for us to be able to
believe that these sons of ours, thus par
doned, would at once on their return to
Poland give effect to their promises. On
this account we hastened to advise you,
venerable brethren, to receive them and
their companions, now that they professed
j obedience to your authority, with equal
mercy and to restore them legally. If their
acts corresponded with their promises, to
their faculties for exercising their priestly
functions.
"But the event has deceived our hopes,
for we have learned by recent documents
tnat they have again opened their minds
to lying revelations, and since their return
to Poland they not only have not yet shown
you, venerable brethren, the respect and
obedience they promised, but they have
written, to their companions a letter quite
opposed to truth and genuine obedience.
"But their profession of fidelity to the
vicar of Christ is vain In those who. In fact,
do not cease to violate the authority of
their Ushops. For by far the most august
part of the church consists of the bishops,
as our predecessor. Leo XIII of holy mem
ory, wrote in his letter of December 17,
1888, to the archbishop, inasmuch as this
part, by divine right, teaches and ru>es
men: Hence, whoever resists them or per
tinaciously refuses obedience to them puts
himself apart (from the church. On the
other hand, to pass Judgment upon or re
buke the acts of bishops does not at all be
long to private individuals; that comes
within the province only of those higher
than they in authority, and especially of
the sovereign pontiff, for to him Christ In
structed the charge of feeding not only
His lambs but His sheep throughout the
world. At most, it Is allowed In matters
of grave complaint to refer the whole case
to the Rorman pontiff, and this with pru
dence and moderation, as zeal for the com
mon good requires not clamorously or abu
sively, for in this way" dissensions and hos
tilities are bred or certainly increased.
?
* *
"Idle and deceitful, too( Is the exporta
tlons of the priest Johannes Howalskl to
his companions In error on behalf of peace,
while he persists In hi; foolish talk and In
citements of rebellion against legitimate
pastors and in brazen violation of episco
pal commands.
"Wherefore that the faithful of Christ
and all the so-called Marlavlte priests who
are In good faith may no longer be led
astray by the delusions of the woman above
mentioned, and of the priest, Johannes
Howalskl, we again confirm the decree
whereby the secretary of Mariavites, un
lawfully and invalidly founded, is entirely
suppressed, and we declare it suppressed
and condemned, and we proclaim that the
prohibitions are still In force which forbids
all priests, with the exception of the one
whom the Bishop of Plotsk shall. In his
prudence, depute to be her confessor, to
have anything whatever to do, on any pre
text, with the woman.
"You, venerable brethren, we earnestly
exhort to embrace with paternal charity
erring priests Immediately they sincerely
repent and not to refuse to call them again,
under their direction, to their priestly du
ties, when they have been duly proved
worthy. But should they, which may God
forbid, reject your exhortations and perse
vere In their contumacy, It will be our care
to see that they are severely dealt with.
Study to lead back to the right path the
faithful of Christ who are now laboring un
der delusion that they may be pardoned,
and foster in your dioceses those prac
tices of piety recently or long since ap
proved in numerous documents issued of
the apostolic see, and do this with all the
more alacrity now when, by the blessing of
God, priests among you are enabled to ex
ercise their ministry and the faithful to
emulate the example?of the piety of their
fathers."
cheek, leaving a red mark, and grazed his
ear. The bullet that missed Peretz lodged
In a fourteen-year-old Jewish boy who wis
standing by and crippled him for life; It wjs
necessary to amputate the boy's arm. Re
gardless of this narrow escape, Perets and I
took a walk a few hour* later through the
same street, where we met fully armed mili
tary guards who are permitted to shoot or
stab whomever they please without any re
sponsibility whatever. And this Instance Is
by no means an exception; they happen
every day in almost every street, especially
in the Jewldi quarter, and I have neither
heard nor read of any investigation made to
determine whether the murder by these sol
diers is according to law or not.
"There are people who tremble at the
sight of a raw recruit, and who hide them
selves under a feather bed at sight of him.
Such people have our contemptuous laugh
ter just as now we laugh at those who
tremble to step foot into the street for fear
of being shot or stabbed. Just as a feather
bed Is no protection against a recruit with
a gun and bayonet, so 1s the policy of "sit
at home' no guarantee of safety fr<?m sud
den and horrible death. The Jews in Blaly
stok met their deaths In their homes, upon
their roots and In their cellars. With us
In Warsaw as soon as there is a talk of
a pogrom we are all ready to die upon the
street rather than like * rat cornered In
.Its hole. I myself went to the funeral of
the first seventy-one Jews killed In the
Blalystok pogrom. The Impression the sight
mads on me I coukl not give you an inkling
even If I wrote you a hundred letters. Again
let me assure you I fully appreciate. But
to maks use ot your steamship ticket is
quite out of tb' question. My place Is her*
with my psopls, come what m*|."
about tk {ftaoris
N ativcs of the Land of ihe Wingless Bird "Who Are Be
ing. Reached By Christianizing and Civilizing
Influences?They Are the People Who
Originated Nose-rubbing Custom.
BT WILLIAM EDQAR C.EIL F. R. O. 8.
(I'op.rrljtht, 1908, bj Church New? Association)
New Zealand ts a batch of islands lying
a lone way from everywhere. And the
New Zca Landers are a long way In advance
of many more pompous peoples. Every
Islander loves his sea-girt country, and.
I am glad also to say. thinks kindly, even
affectionately, of his dark-skinned native
race. Here are no paupers, no millionaires,
no strikes! But the land boasts of wing
less birds, flying fish and a lisaid which
moved so slowly that it was left out of the
ark Here are also to be found the Maoris,
who. in a few score years, have changed
from cannibal* to politicians. Some sour,
inquisitive people ask: "What is the dif
ference V I leave the question to be an
swered by the ghosts of departed warrior
chiefs and the rtiadee of the toaztmasters
at banquets on human flesh.
The oldest and the youngest of the popu
lation in New Zealand receive great care.
This Is a proper expression of a humanised
population. Every one in civilisation agrees
that wee ones, the very young, should have
the best care which conscience, cniture and
Christianity can provide. But tiiu number
who hold that equal consideration should be
given to extreme old age is unfortunately
out of proportion to the need. In New
Zealand there are pensions for oid people.
In New Zealand there are sheep railway
excursions for young people. It is not an
infrequent sight, that of train loads of
children being brought into the cities
at a rate of four miles for I cent,
and, vice versa, strings of railroad car
riages bulging out with city children en
route to the beauties and exhilarations of
the rural districts.
Geographically, geologically and ethno
logical!}-. these islands are packed with in
terest. In the realm of mineralogy there
Is plenty ifor the scientist and the financier.
The tourist sees Mount Cook and its con
tiguous mountains, with their dark heads
enveloped in sheets of snow and tiie valleys
fll>ed with living green. The North island
particularly is a mixture of Paradise and
Gehenna. Fragrant flowers, exquisitely
colored birds, trees of semi-tropical aspect
and a wide range of landscape suggest
the first home of Mr. and Mrs. Adam. And
then the active mud puddles, hot springs,
spurting, sparkling geysers and smoking
mountains tell of regions closely aided to
the infernal tract.
A glimpse of the Maori race. Whence
came these nose-rubbing, w 006-carving,
mystical, parable-speaking, copper-colored
people of the wonderland of New Zealand?
The Maoris, being a wandering, shifting
race without a literature or hlstoilcal- rec
ords, their knowledge of the past being
wholly confined to oral tradition, little can
with accuracy be said of their origin. Eth
nologists attempting to trace theli wander
ings And that they trod lightly on the soli
and their naked footprints were long since
obliterated, as was the lot of many of their
abiding places, by volcanic eruptions, tidal
waves and Invading hosts, with all the
carnage and -devastation accompanying in
tertribal wars.
Whence are these good-natured, orator
loving folk going? It may be that the
wonderful vigor and splendid physique of
the Maoris will preserve the race. They
arc come out of the darknes of the past.
1 chased by a strange and tenacious destiny
from their birthplace, and unless Chris
tianity rescues them they are doomed, like
other unfortunate people, to annihilation
before their time. In the meantime they
furnish a study of marltwi Interest.
It Is offered that as their idea oI creation
is Identical' with the Peruvian, the Maoris
came from the west coast of South Amer
ica. The argument Is scarcely worthy of
serious attention, for Max Muller says that
the Idea of the creation is similar In all
cosmogonies. The Maori legends relate that
the people came from an Island In the
south Pacific which would have been but
a resting place. This is sufficient for our
present requirements, leaving It for For
nander, Tregear, Hale and Muller, and
forty other philologists, to give it as their
opinion that the roots oir the language of
Polynesia are from the Sanscrit.
The last census gives the Maori popula
tion as 42,851, which is an Increase of 3.228.
Too much store must not be made of this
Increase, because the figures of the previous
census may have been inaccurate. I found,
however, a consensus of opinion among
men who know things about the Maoris
Sunday Morning Talk
All Hail to the Bread Winner.
1 The other day a little bevy of people
entered a railway restaurant and took
| possession of a table. There were four
children to begin with all of school age,
besides a toddling youngster. There was
a youngish appearing woman who seemed
to be acting In the capacity of a mother's
helper and a woman with a good many
wrinkles in her face who was plainly the
mother of the little tribe. Last of all came
the father, well loaded down with bundles
and of a serious, not to say solemn, de
meanor. He took his seat at the head of
the table and told the waiter to bring fonr
orders of chops and potatoes with a "side"
of cold tongue. The family was evidently
on its way to a summer resort, and good
cheer was abundant and expectation ran
high. A happy, healthy, harmonious family
it seemed to be, both in quality and in
quantity, the kind of family that President
Roosevelt would approve.
At a little side table In the same res
taurant sat a gentleman and lady watch
ing the pretty scene. "How Jolly they all"
seem," said the gentleman. To which his
companion replied: "All but the father. Do
you notice how grave he is, and I don't
wonder. Think of providing bread three
times a day for those seven hungry people,
to say nothing about chops. I declare. I
sometimes marvel at the courage and en
durance of the father or a family. Perhaps
his dally effort with hand or brain is the
only thing that keeps off starvation from
those chlldrr.-n. And there must be millions
like him who have the sole responsibility
for other lives."
Undoubtedly there are. Not only do 1
countless fathers win the bread for wives I
and children, but brothers* do It for sisters .
and sons for mothers. It has always been
so since civilisation began. One-half the
world carries the other half on Its back.
Socialistic theories break down at this
point. No reconstruction of society can ever
relieve the true man of the duty or deprive
him of the joy of winning the daily bread
of those dearest to htm. This ambition
steadies and Inspires him as he toils all day
long at the counter or the loom or the an
vil or the bench. Had he no such motive J
work might become unendurable.
But do those for whom be works always
appreciate what a load recta upon "father's**
shoulders? Is it any wonder that some- 1
times his face gets tense and the Unee In it ,
deepen? These are days of tremendous
strain and competition hi the Industrial
world. Sometimes when a man kisses his 1
wife good-bye in the morning he hardly
knows what will be hie fortunes or misfor- <
tunes before 1?e greets her again. Temp
tations, too, confront the business man to
day from dawn till sunset. He is In con
stant danger of becoming mean or sordid '
or tricky or false. He needs therefore the i
appreciation and help of those for whose i
that they have ceased to diminish In num
ber, and I am personally Inclined to be
lieve that they are on the increase. This
la gratifying, for to have such a noble and
heroic aboriginal race become extinct would
be cause for great regret. The education
of the Maoris. unMke that of the Fljlans
and Samo&ns, Is almost entirely In the
hands of the government. The ninety pub
llo schools, with an attendance of over
3,000 pupil*, are conducted exclusively for
the beneflt of the native race, at an ex
penditure of $100,000 gold per year
One of the most hopeful tokens "for the
remnant that Is left" of the native races in
thla new century Is the active Interest now
being taken In their welfare by educated
men and women of their own fletih and
blood. The Duke of York laid the comer
stone of the Victorian Maori School for
Girl* In the city of Auckland during his re
cent visit. This movement reminds u?e of
the similar effort of the Bey of Thyatlra.
who In that city opened a school for girls
and marked a new era in Moslem history.
I have noticed a similarity In manners
and mind among the Bemoans. Tongans
and Maoris. First, self-esteem Is n national
characteristic, the Maori, like the others,
having a fairly good opinion of himself.
Second, ceremonlousness. They are fond
of etiquette, the breach of It leading to war
when occurring between orders of chiefs.
Third, they are hospitable to strangers
and to the needy. Fourth, generosity, as
exemplified In the daring deed of Honl
Heke. the greatest warrior In New Zealand.
The taie is worth the telling.
He displayed the national trait of mag
nanimity at the siege of the fortified vil
lage of Chaeaat. The British troops were
besieging and had surrounded the place,
and the Maori clan seemed to be In hope
less State behind their fortifications. Boyd,
a British officer, grievously wounded In the
lower part of the stomach, fell into a
trench and was heard calling loud'.-y for
drink, but no one cared or dared to go for
water, fearing the frequent missiles. To the
great surprise of all, Honl Heke was seen
coming down from the pa (village) without
a weapon and wholly unprotected. He went
straight to the wounded man In the ditch
and. sullenly walking out In front of the
British Hne, filled a gourd at a convenient
stream, brought It to the dying officer and
said to him In a determined tone: "Drink
this, and If thou hast to die. die consoled,
for even thy worst foe has had pity on
thC6."
Here again is a point of similarity?ora
tory. The Maori is never at a loss for speech
and can express himself In the most extra"
ordinary figurative language. I have heard
them, on short notice or with no notice
at all, rise in their public meeting houses
and deliver Impassioned Fpeeches. These
are usually, like Te Whitl. the Sunshine In
very florid phraseology. Here is a sample:
"A German was capsized and drowning,
when at the last moment Te Whitl came to
his rescue. The natives repaired him and
his canoe and <ent him off liberally pro
visioned. The man from the fatherland ex
pressed- his appreciation by presenting
Sunshine with a beautifully bound book.
Te Whitl accepted it, and when sent to
Jail made good use of it. i*aler he re
turned the volume with this inscription on
the fly leaf: 'When a traveler has eaten
the oyster he throws away the she.!.' "
There is at the present time a general and
hearty reception of the aosp'el on the part
of the Maori race. The missionaries have
performed prodigious feats of service in tak
ing very raw material, cannibals, and out
of it making humanized, civilized ana
Christianized citizens of the greatest em
pire In Christendom.
Formerly the plan of operation was for
a Maori chief to turn, after which the
whole tribe would follow and profess
Christianity. Fortunately this has ail
changed. The tribes are now converted by
the accumulation of individual believers.
The Maori seldom commits murder. ver>
seldom becomes Insane, but his nature is
riotously revengeful. In the good old aay?.
If a crime was committed, a tribesman of
the victim would take any man of the or
fending man's clan and atrociously mur
der him. This has all been modified by
the missionary and his message, lhe Maori
chiefs are gentlemen, noble characters who
always keep their word and are absolutely
honest. When stealing occurs, the Maori
says- "That Is what rats do. not men.
A few score years ago savagery a.nd
heathenism prevailed among this naturalij
noble and able warlike people. Now every
night and morning. In many districts 011
the North island, all come to the Chris
tian teacher s house for prayer and read
ing of the Scriptures.
sake alone he ventures into the difficult
and perilous places. _ .
So, then, honor and guard the bread-win
ner. When you get your chock at the regu
lar time, college boy or college girl, don t
take It as a matter of course but write a
line of gratitude to 'dear old dad. And
you the wife of his bosom and the other
bairns still in the home nest never let the
one who wins for you your dally bread g?
hungry himself for lack of love and consid
Happy bread-winner, gifted with the abil
ity to provide for the material wants of
anderwi?Mfor" ^oyreelf ^hat ^eariof 'great
price, a good name and a noble ????
the absentees.
Work of * Christian Endeavor So
ciety In Summer.
From the Church Economist.
The Sunday school of the Baptist i hurcli
In Norwood, Ohio, makes an extra endeavor
during the summer months to hunt up its
absentees. This Is done through the energy
of the teachers and the church missionary
and the use of'a little card of Informa
tion. This card has blank lines for t e
number of the class, the name of the
teacher and the date when It was returned
by the teacher. Below are four columns
headed. "Absent Last Sunday." "Date
Visited," "Reason Absent" and "Back n
3. 8. This Sunday." The first Is filled n
t>y the teacher at the end of the lesson
nour, with the names of those absent, t ie
next two during the week, as Information
>an "be gleaned, and the fourth on the
following Sunday, after which the card \?
returned to the officials. The missionary
ooks up all the pupils absent two consecu
Llve weeks. Splendid results are reported.
Oldest Christian Prelate.
Prom the Loudon Chronicle.
On June 18 the oldest prelate In Chris
tendom. Dr. Daniel Murphy, Koman catn
olic archbishop of Hobart. the ?f
Tasmania, entered on his ninety-second
rear. Born in Cork on the day ? wh?0
the battle of Waterloo was fought. Dr
Murphy was ordained In 1K? volunteered
?rtJ Indian mi-ion. and toward the
?lose of 1MB was nominated by Pope Greg
xVI as bishop of a new diocese in H>
lerabad. He labored in India for a couple
,f decade*, and was then transferred to
^aniaby Pius IX. His health was sup
>osed to have been undermined by twenty
rears- hard work in India at the time or
ttis transference to Tasmania, so that the
rasmanlans are particularly proud of him
is a splendid testimonial to the recupera
tive qualities of their delightful cimaU