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in the human heart. It is not the grand achievements of man that destroy faith in what is termed Mormonism, but intemperance, indolence, and sin of every kind which characterize the bad side of civilization.

I wish with all my heart that our young people could behold the great works of the world's mighty intellects; then they could comprehend in a degree the gigantic task before them. Just think of it. Zion is to become so glorious that the Gentiles will be attracted to her light and the kings of the earth to the brightness of her rising. Paris enjoys, in a measure, the distinction which the forepart of this prediction of Isaiah conveys; but all her glory and renown are not sufficient to induce the kings of the earth to descend from their thrones and come to the brightness of her rising. Yet when her intellectual attainments, and that of the world in general, is compared with our own humble surroundings and position intellectually, we will realize with force the necessity of educating our selves, of wasting less time and caring more for high and noble attain ments than the acquisition of property or the excessive pursuit of pleasures. It is not only our duty to wake up to these matters by cultivating our talents, but it is a grand and glorious cause to be engaged in; for, inasmuch as the works of genius yield an elevating and refining influence upon the minds of such of the human family as are groping in spiritual darkness, how much more good will result from the same influence upon the minds of those whose spirit is lit up by the sunshine of the Gospel. Besides, let Zion's intellectual light shine, and it will attract the attention of thousands of intelligent men and women, who will begin to see virtue and divine power in Mormonism, which will lead them to investigate. The same class of people could never be reached by the imploring voice of the Elders of Israel. This idea was

firmly impressed upon my mind through observing the character and disposition of the more enlightened portions of mankind.

It is pleasing to notice that system is laying hold of the various organizations of our Church, and that education, in general, is receiving an impetus which bodes good for the cause of education. But we should watch with a jealous eye the trend of modern education, and trust only to the Spirit of God for guidance. We would be led to receive much good anyhow from the great educators of the world, and at the same time avoid the danger of adopting the same methods and aims as the world, because our foundation and the destiny that awaits us are entirely dif ferent from those of the world. The education of today is entirely realistic and practical; and I believe suited to the condition and age in which we live, for the apostate Christian world is so full of immaterialism and superstitions that the hand of God is visible in the introduction of a negative power through the medium of education. But the commonwealth that is being reared in these mountain vales is founded upon the solid rock of revealed truth. The difference between the two might be illustrated by incidents that came under my observation several times. Parents having a wayward boy tried, repeatedly, by reasoning and coaxing to get him to attend the B. Y. Academy; they were certain if he would obey, that a turning point in his life would be an assured thing. We are in the academy, and the wayfaring world is not. The Lord is shaping things with a view of getting them there. Now what kind of a training do we need; that is, educationally? Does the finger of prophecy point us out as a commercial or bartering people, like the ancient Phonecians or the Hebrews of today, without a particle of artistic refinement in their character? Not so. All will agree that the fine arts will occupy a prominent

But

position in the Latter-day Zion.
whoever thinks of that condition
dropping down from heaven, instead
of exertion on our part to bring it
about? The doors of some of our
Church schools have been thrown
open to music, but to art, well, I was
going to say they are closed, but one
or two of them have offered a room
for art to occupy, in the spirit of
"catch if you can.
Is not the time
here or in the near future when those
arts will constitute a part of our

scholastic education? The Gospel brings mankind nearer to God. Music, poetry and painting are heavenly, and therefore the proper kind of influence to surround such a people.

Just such thoughts are suggested to one's mind by the art feeling in the city of Paris. One becomes convinced there, that art don't grow like mushrooms; and also, without what the fine arts have done for it, the city would not be worth seeing. John Hafen.

A BUFFALO

AFTER the Pioneers had entered this valley and were returning to the East to arrange for the further emigration of the people, President Woodruff and Luke Johnson started out one morning early to procure some buffalo meat for the camp. After traveling some little distance they saw a herd of several thousand head contentedly grazing near the foothills. The hunters cautiously approached so that the buffalo sentinels which were stationed some little distance from the herd, might not

discover them.

HUNT.

the direction of the herd, they discovered that the buffalo guards or sentinels had noticed their presence and had given the alarm. The whole herd was now in motion and moved with tremendous speed toward the very spot where the brethren were concealed. It seemed as though inevitable death awaited them. They sprang to their feet and shouted and gesticulated wildly so as to turn aside the maddened beasts.

Brother Johnson fired fifteen shots from a rifle at the approaching throng In order to conceal of animals, but without any noticethemselves they made their way able effect upon them. To the great along a dry gulch, the banks of relief of the brethren, however, and which were at first a little above their to their astonishment, when the herd heads, but gradually became lower, was within a very few feet of them, so that it was finally necessary for it veered to one side and just missed

them to crawl along in order to be unobserved.

them.

it

When the larger part of the herd While they were going in this had passed, one animal came very stooping posture a rattlesnake, which near to President Woodruff, who, had been unnoticed by Brother with a well-directed shot, brought Johnson, suddenly struck at him and to the ground, and this was the only barely missed his nose by about two critter from the immense herd which inches. Before the serpent could was slain. The brethren, however, again make an attack, he was killed were very thankful for their marvel

by Brother Johnson.

ous deliverance, as it seemed to them for a few moments as though they could not escape a terrible death.

The brethren, when within about two hundred yards of the herd, which was gradually moving towards President Woodruff also states them, sat down to await the approach that before reaching South Pass, on of the animals. Suddenly the earth their way west, the Pioneers passed seemed to tremble, and on glancing in a herd of these migrating animals,

going toward their grazing grounds, which required three days' travel for them to pass, the animals traveling in one direction and they in the other. The buffalo were so closely packed that the utmost vigilance was needed on the part of the traveling brethren to protect themselves from destruction. One can well imagine how many thousands or perhaps hundreds of thousands of animals there must have been in such an immense herd. They extended on either side almost as far as the eye could reach.

It is one of the most remarkable things how these animals have become extinct in so few years. It can only be accounted for upon the theory that both Indians and white men have mercilessly destroyed them, not to satisfy hunger, but merely for the sport of shooting them down. Many thrilling and exciting adventures are related by the Saints who in early days crossed the plains, but none will perhaps exceed in exciting interest that which is related above from the experience of our beloved President.

FORGET-ME-NOTS.

WHAT MAKES MEN.-It is not the things that we call best that makes men; it is not the pleasantest things; it is not the calm experience of life; it is life's rugged experience, its tempests, its trials. The discipline of life was here good and there evil; here trouble and there joy; here roughness and there smoothness, one working with the other; and the alterations of one and the other, which necessitate adaptations, constitute a part of that education which makes a man, in distinction from an animal which has no education. The successful man invariably bears on his head the marks of a struggle which he has undergone.

The best sailors come from the roughest seas, and the bravest soldiers from the hardest fights. They who seek to avoid care and labor, and who choose for themselves an easy path, are simply defrauding themselves of the noblest qualities of manhood, and making themselves like mushrooms grown in the shelter, instead of oaks which have wrestled with a thousand storms, and which still lift their giant arms and sun-crowned heads triumphant toward the skies.

It is not wise for us to seek trial or hardship, lest we miscalculate our strength and suffer defeat; but it is

right for us to accept without a murmur what the Lord appoints, and calmly, bravely and manfully meet the varied trials of our earthly life, knowing that God's grace is sufficient for our every need, and assured that those things which try us most severely are wisely ordered for our benefit, and are working for our strength, our profit, and our salvation in the kingdom of our God. C.

PERSONAL APPEARANCE.—In personal appearance and habits, much of our success in life depends. There have been many instances where the soul shining through a maimed and deformed body, has conquered the adverse circumstances. This is far easier to do than to overcome an offensive or disagreeable trick of behavior-society will accord its pity and sympathy to natural defects, but for acquired ones it only reserves its disgust.

Every reader will call to mind some person toward whom he or she has felt a repugnance almost unendurable merely from an offensive habit such an one has formed-sometimes a mere turn of the lip, a cast of the eye, or a peculiar inflection of the voice. Often a practice has been formed of clearing the throat, or

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YOUR MORNING MOOD.-Have you never known a whole family set "at odds" of a morning, simply by the entrance of the cloudy member "of the household." All may have been pleasant and bright in the breakfast room, the children chatting cheerfully about the fire. But when that scowling brow dawned upon them, when the door gave its accustomed slam, and the hand or sharp voice gave its usual order, or administered its rebuke, the whole scene changed. The frown was contagious, and worse still, the spirit that prompted it was quite as catching. Children were ready to find fault with one another, and to be disobliging in small matters. The meal was taken in silence, except a few curt remarks, which did not help digestion or fit anyone for the day's duties.

Such a way of setting out in the morning is a real social crime. Where it becomes habitual, it engenders a spirit of disregard for others that often leads to grave crimes.

How much better to leave your room with a cheerful spirit if you can, and if not able to compass that, at

This should be

least with one of peace and good will to all around you. within reach of all. The spirit of benevolence should reign in the heart whatever the misfortunes and trials that press us down. If the law of love and kindness reigns in the heart, we shall gladly do all we can to make others happy. In doing so we shall insensibly find all our own burdens lightened, for nothing makes us happier than trying to do good to others, in even the smallest We have the assurance, too, that no such efforts are left to pass unnoticed, for even "the cup of cold water' shall not fail of its reward.

way.

BE WILLING TO LEARN.-A man progresses just as long as he is willing to learn, but progression ceases whenever he reaches that point where he places his knowledge in the balance against that of all other men. Strange as it may appear, there are a good many just such men as this in the world. Some cannot be taught anything, no matter to what branch of human knowledge it belongs. Others are perfect only in one thing, and that relates to the business they follow. It is here that this egotistical importance works the most mischief, for it always cripples a man's usefulness in life.

There is another class of persons who will accept knowledge only from those whom they acknowledge as superiors. They must know the source of every item of information, and it is rejected as error, or accepted as truth, accordingly. They never think, reason, or experiment for themselves, and hence their belief and practice exhibit a strange mixture of the practicable and impracti cable, of truth and error.

The truly progressive class accept truth wherever they find it, and reject nothing because of its source. A hint dropped from the beggar's lips is just as valuable as though it came from royalty itself. These are the men who do think, reason and ex

periment for themselves. Like the miner, it is the gold they are after, and like him, they never reject it because it is associated with dross and dirt, but go resolutely to work to separate the pure from the impure, retaining only the former.

THE POWER OF A GREAT EXAMPLE.—There is nothing that will let the light into the soul like personal influence; nothing that can lift one up out of the darkness, and lead one

into the divine and quickening light, and baptize one into the spirit of faith, hope, love, and charity, like the magic power of a great example; nothing that can inspire, exalt and purify, like the magnetic rays of healing and helping that beam out of the eyes of noble men and woman. If your life has been deep and broad in its experience then you have seen lives that were better than yours; lives whose pure light shone upon you from a serener height than you could reach, and touched you and warmed you through and through, just as the drooping flowers, some chilly morning, have looked up through the thick fogs and caught a glimpse of the bright sun, which scatters the mists and opens the glad blossoms to the warm, life-giving light. Whose life is not, sometimes, wrapped around with fog? Who has not looked up from his little life-work and seen no cheering sun above him -nothing but a heavy, leaden sky hanging over? And then, perhaps, you have almost doubted the sun itself-doubted goodness and doubted God—until you have seen the clouds break away, the fogs lift, and doubt vanish before the beautiful radiance of some shining example. I tell you I tell you that I believe, more and more, that what the world needs to reform and

redeem it is not so much a sound

theology, or a profound philosophy, but holier, purer, diviner lives-lives that shall be the light of men.

HOW TO MAKE WORK EASY.— Every new business which a person

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for the ease and grace of his melodies, When a great singer was praised he answered: "Ah, you little know with what difficulty this ease has been acquired." It was only by repeated and long continued practice that this

skill had been achieved.

So, too, Sir Joshua Reynolds, when asked how long it had taken to paint a picture, replied, "All my life." The training of all his past years had been brought into that canvas.

He

Henry Clay, "the old man eloquent, "had not come forward all at once the finished orator, who could so sway an audience. tells the process by which he had developed what gifts he had in that direction. He commenced in his early manhood the process of daily reading and speaking upon some historical or scientific book. "These off-handed efforts," he said, "were made sometimes in a cornfield, sometimes in the forest, and not unfrequently in some distant barn, with the He ever regarded this early practice, horse and the ox for my auditors." and the stimulus that came with such an exercise of his powers, as that which had moulded all his subsequent destiny.

will make the most difficult efforts Whatever your calling, practice her dexterity all at once. easy. The danseuse did not gain wearisome hours of hard practice, Long and week by week, and year by year, were needful to give her limbs that suppleness and grace. There was

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