Christian Nation Vol. 18 1893 - Rparchives.org

June 7, 1893.A FAMILY PAPEE.firn^^^irI LOVE IT, I LOVE IT.AND WHO WILL DARETO CHIDE WIE FORLOVINQTHE OLD ARWI CHAIR.THE STRANGER FRIEND."There's a Stranger at the door ;Let him in."The words floatedthrough the open windowone sunny May morning as Agnes Waldenstood by the ironing-board. Only half theclothes in the large basket were ironed, andAgnes' face had a very tired look, yet veryurave, for with a great effort she kept back allcomplaining thoughts. To pleasure seekers itwas a delightful day, but the same soft breezewhich kissed the "spring beauties" and violetsmade Agnes' head ache, and a feeling of languorcame over her.Mrs. Walden had been called suddenly tothe sick bed of her sister, and leaving Agnes totake care of the house and y;unger children,sha had hastened away. Tbe firstfew dayspassed pleasantly enough. Eoy and Alice wereanxious to help eijter, and did so in many ways,but this morning was one of special trial.As brother Paul came to the house for a newpaper cf seed, he sang these words :"There's a Stranger at the door ;Let him in."The voice sounded so cheerful and brightthat Agnes took up the strain, but stopped atthe third word. She straightened to her fullheight; her tired eyes looked beyond the fieldsand woods into the depths of blue ; the facegrew bright as her thoughts followed her eyes."A stranger? Ah, no! Isn't he a lovingfriend to me? Doesn't he know and care thatI am tired? My life is full of blessings, and Iam so happy in spite of the ache. My motheris well, and will come back, while Aunt Lou issuffering so much. Papa is home, and thechildren are so good, and I am so glad we havethem. I wonder why they call Jesus a stranger.I wonder if the Bible calls him a stranger.' Behold a stranger at the door ; .he gentlyknocks .' O, that isn't in the Bible. Well,let me see ; ' Behold I stand at the door andknoek' —that doesn't call him a stranger. ' Ifany man hear my voice and open the door, Iwiil come into him, and sup with him.' Iwonder where it calls him a stranger."She fell to thinking so earnestly that ali painand weariness were forgotten for the present,and the pile of folded clothes lowered rapidly,but she found no satisfactory answer to herquery, so she decided to ask her father.A half-heur later Mr. Walden came into thekitchen to melt the glue in order to mend abook wbich had been loaced and came homesomewhat dilapidated."Are you tired, Agnes?" he asked sympathetically." O, no, not much, hardly at all," said Agnesso brightly that her father felt cheered andthankful for his young housekeeper.Several days passed before Agnes found aconvenient time to ask her father about thenew question. It was one evening when thechildren were in bed, and Paul had not yet returnedfrom the " rehearsal," that she sat onthe opposite side of the table from her father,reading "Tales of a Traveller." When Mr.Walden folded and sealed the third letter, shutup the inkstand, aud was putting away hispen, Agnes dropped the book into her lap»knowing that she was now at liberty to talk'and broke right into the midst of her subjectby saying." Papa, why do they call Jesus a 'strangerin songs?"" Why—I don't know—what do you mean? 'he answered, shortly recalling his thoughtsfrom their flightto absent friends." You know that song, ' There's a strangerat the door,' and, ' Behold a stranger at thedoor.' Does the Bible anywhere call him astranger?"" Isn't he a stranger to my little girl?,' askedMr- Walden, tenderly."No, papa, how could he be, whea you andmamma have always taught me that he is afriend?"" Notwithstanding our teaching, could he notbe a stranger to your real self?"Agnes thought a moment, and answeredslowly, "Yes, sir.""Are there not many, who have heard ofJesus all their lives, to whom he is unknown asa friend?"" Yes, sir. Then the songs are written forthose who will not know him ?"" Certainly."" But, papa, why don't they know him? Howcan they help believing?" Agnes had becomeso earnest that for the moment she forgot thatit was the lifework of her father to teach mento see and know these things."Is Jesus a real personal friend to youAgnes, and in what way?"" Sometimes I get tired, and cross, and don'twant to do things, and thenifc seems as if Jesuswere here aud knew all about it. I know,papa, that it does not look much as if I triedto be good sometimes, but I do try."Paul came in at that moment, and the conversationquickly turned to the concert in whichhe was to sing the next evening.In the week which followed Agnes had needof help, for the mother was detained longer thanwas anticipated. The days were warm and fullof work for the unaccustomed hands. Manyfailures were made and quick words spoken tothe eager, restless Eoy and Alice. But when,at last, Mrs. Walden did return fhe c:uld seethat her daughter, by the belp of this Strangerfriend, harl grown to be a stronger, more cheerfulChristian.—Mid-Continent.CAREFUL PREPARATIONis essential to purity of foods. It is wisdom and economyto select those that are pure. The Gail BordenEagle Brand Condensed Milk is prepared with greatestcare, and infants are assured the best. Groceraand Druggists.HELPFUL CORNER.[Address all communications for this departmentio Be J. Wm. LiMejohn, editor, Denison, Kansas. ]Degradation of Words.I. Study of WoedsThis a tendency by no means uncommon.Frequently words are ennobled and purified,but most generally deteriorated. Fur illustrationI will quote the words of an ardent student."Humility," with the Greeks and Eomansmeant meanness of spirit; "Paradise,"in oriental tongues, meant only a royal park ;"Eegeneration" was spoken by the Greeks onlyof the earth in the spring-time and of the recollectionof forgotten knowledge; "sacrament"and "mystery" are words "fetched from the verydregs of paganism" to set forth the great truthsofour redemption. On the other hand, "ihief"(Anglo-Saxon, theow) formerly signified onlyone of the servile classes ; i nd "villan" or "villain,"meant peasant. The serf who under thefeudal system was adscriptus glebae. Thescorn of the land holders, the half-barbarousaristocracy, for these persons, led them to ascribeto them the most hateful qualities, someof which their struggling situation doubtlesstended to foster. Thus the word "villain'' becamegradually associated with the ideas ofcrime and guilt, till at length it became a synonymfor knaves of every class in society. A"menial" was one of the many : "insolent"meant unusual ; "silly," blessed,—the infantJesus being termed by an old Eoglish poet"that harmless silly babe ;" "officious" signifiedready to do kindly offices. "Demure" wesused once in a good sense, without the insinuationwhich is now almost latent in it, thatthe external shows of modesty and sobrietyrest on no corresponding realities. "Facetious,"whioh now has the sense of buffoonish, originallymeant urbane. "Idiot," from the Greek,originally signified only a private man, as distinguishedfrom an office-holder. "Homely"formerly meant secret and familiar.II. Study of Principles.Answers to May 10 :For twenty years Mr. Cuthberson stoodalone without ministerial help. Messrs- Linnand Dobbin were the firstto join him. Theywere sent from Ireland in 1774."The inhabitants of the colonies met in thecity of Philadelpnia, by their representatives,and declared themselves an independent nationon 4th of July, 1776."The visible church was very divided, thesystem of education was very deficient, and societywas very degenerate.Questions.What was the date of the union of the Reformedand Associate Presbyteries, and withwhat result?_ What led to the establishment of the Secessionor Associate church? In what year?Givo the date and cause of disruption in theSecession body?Was a anion attempted between the EeformedPresbyterian church and the Secession'With what result?What was the attitude of the associate bodiestoward the Eeformed Presbytery?How did the Seceders view Civil Government?What sentiments were substantially embodiedin their ecclesiastical standards in regard tothis?III. Miscellaneous.Can some one inform me through HelpfulCoBNEE how our Young Peoples societies couldbe more helpful to each other, and made moreefficient feeders to our church?—Caledon.