T

HAT "Wine is a mocker" is being emphasized today as never before. Both chemistry and therapeutics; political economy and sociology, all unite with religion in declaring the folly of hoping for anything from the internal use of alcohol. A mocker is one who holds out great hopes to men and then disappoints them for his own devilish amusement. It is in this sense that wine is a mocker. It has promised nourishment, and results in disintegration. It promised pleasure and brought woe. It has promised mental power and made fools of men. It has mocked the doctor. It has appealed to him as a stimulant and proven to be a narcotic. It has promised vital heat and acted as an ice-bag. Claiming to be an antidote for venom it has slain more than the sting of the insect or the fang of the reptile. It has mocked business as the mistletoe mocks the oak. Promising vigor and activity it has depressed every legitimate enterprise. It has mocked the government. Promising to bear the burdens of government it has doubled and trebled them. In times past it has mocked the Church and in a few cases does yet. Promising to fulfill the will of the Master in worship it has proven the temptation of the weak. Now it mocks us all by promising to clean up as a business and be decent, while touching the depths of depravity never before reached. It promises men to abide by local option while trampling upon every law made for its restraining. If we listen to this mockery Puck will be justified in increasing the size of the type in its headline, "What Fools These Mortals Be." When will men learn to unmask this mocker of humanity?

THE POWER OF EXAMPLE. There is a moral side to this question. The greater the character, respectability and influence of the moderate drinker, the more powerful his example for evil, for he is practically advancing and advocating the fallacious theory that the use of alcoholic beverages in moderation is safe, healthful, and respectable, and thus

leading the young and inexperienced into fatal error. "No one liveth to himself." The conscientious, moderate drinker should be moved to this consideration, "How many, by my silent example and influence, have become moderate drinkers or drunkards?"

From any side from which we may view this question, the only conclusion in the whole matter and the only absolutely safe rule is to practice total abstinence.

A GREAT INVENTOR'S TESTIMONY. Mr. Thomas A. Edison, the great inventor, who recently celebrated his sixty-fifth birthday, says he feels as young as he did at forty and is able to work as hard as he ever did in his life. He attributes his remarkable health and endurance to temperance in eating and his avoidance of alcohol and narcotics. He neither drinks nor smokes. The quantities of meat which most men think necessary for health and vigor are never a part of his diet. He says that he eats about one-third the amount consumed by most business men.

APPRECIATION.

In the sermon of the retiring Moderator at the recent General Assembly at Louisville occurred the following words: "The growing temperance sentiment in America makes increasing demands upon the Temperance Committee whose faithful and efficient service through 30,000,000 pages of temperance literature scattered broadcast last year as well as through their other activities had counted mightily for righteousness."

The Temperance Committee gratefully appreciated this commendation of Dr. Carson, especially because he fitted himself to speak of this agency by visiting our office, meeting with us, and inspecting our work. We earnestly wish that our brethren generally when passing through Pittsburgh would look in on us and see for themselves what has been done and what is being attempted by this Committee of their Church in furtherance of the cause of temperance reform.

The Best of a Bad Job-A Hearty Tale of the Sea, by Norman Duncan, is a delightful story of old Tom Tulk, fisherman and skipper. A few of his adventures on the sea off the wild, bleak coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador are told in a vivid, realistic fashion that makes us feel the ice and the wind and the waves. The hero's big-heartedness, dauntless courage, and triumph over misfortune make the story a very appealing one, as well as its charming style and real philosophy. (Fleming H. Revell Company, New York. $1.00 net.)

The International Bible Dictionary, edited by E. N. Peloubet, D.D. The name of the editor is a sufficient guarantee of the character and worth of this new and important work. Dictionaries rapidly grow old, especially in these days, and demand the retouch of modern scholarship and research-this the present work has received. It is self-pronouncing, a feature that cannot be too highly commended. The articles number 5,419 and the illustrations 508, which is said to be largely in excess of any other one volume Bible Dictionary of recent issue. The Chronological Table includes that of Usher, Bucher, Hastings, Jewish and Assyrian side by side. Biblical chronology is unsatisfactory at the best, and an approximation in many instances is all that can reasonably be hoped for, but the most reliable authorities have been consulted and their conclusions given with every possible accuracy. Apart from chronology the Appendix also contains the fullest information concerning almost everything pertaining to the Book, such as "Chart of the Life of Christ," "Period Between the Testaments," "Chronology of the Acts," "Harmony of the Life of Christ," "Weights," "Measures," "Money Values," Reckoning of Day and Night, "Miracles of the Old Testament," "Miracles of the New Testament," "Statistics," "Parables," "Maps" and much else to which every Bible student at times wishes to refer. The type is clear and the subjects accessible. We know of no one book to which the Bible student could turn with more satisfaction than this. (John C. Winston Co., Philadelphia. Pp. 812. Price, $2.40 net.)

The Life of Dr. J. R. Miller, by John T. Faris, is a book that will naturally inspire an interest among those to whom the name of Dr. Miller was a household name for a generation. As a biography there is an absence of striking incidents, but as a life it is the record of a work such as few men ever accomplished. Dr. Miller came of a typical Scotch-Irish ancestry and perpetuated in a marked degree the worth and principle of that sturdy race. His parents were Seceders, a constituent part of the present United Presbyterian Church. The war found Dr. Miller a student at college, and although anxious to enlist did not enter the service until his course at the theological seminary was practically completed. Then he entered the Christian Commission and did most efficient service. At the close of the war he became pastor of a U. P. Church which he resigned after two years, at the same time changing his ecclesiastical relations to the Presbyterian Church. From then on Dr. Miller did three men's work in one, author, editor and pastor. At which the more successful it would be difficult to say. His published works large and small number some sixty volumes, while Bethany, Holland and St. Paul's are his footsteps. A life so replete cannot but appeal to every thoughtful reader, and we predict for it a most grateful response. (Presbyterian Board of Publication, Philadelphia. $1.00.)

The Promise of the Christ Age in Recent Literature, by William Eugene Mosher, Ph.D. The recent literature considered may be found in the following: Frenssen's Hilligenlei, Lagerlöf's Anti-Christ, Sudermann's John, Rostand's Samaritan Woman, Widmann's Saint and the Animals, Andreyev's Judas Iscariot, Kennedy's Servant in the House, Fogazzaro's Saint, Pontoppidan's Promised Land, Hauptmann's Fool in Christ, Emanuel Quint. It will be noted that the works specified in most instances are not familiar to the average American reader, but the author has opened a vein of great promise. A book that will repay the most careful study. (G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York. $1.25.)

All knowledge is said to come by reasoning from the known to the unknown and such is the method pursued by the author of this book. Although intended primarily for medical students, the analogy between physical surgery and the work of the Divine Surgeon upon the soul will strike every reader with especial force. Spiritual surgery differs from the ordinary in the fact that we ourselves have a part in the process. The knife of the Lord is sharpened by our own wills. This book is an ingenious presentation of spiritual facts as suggested by comparison with the natural. A new path to an old truth. (Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York. 75c net.)

The Minister as Shepherd, by Charles Edward Jefferson. This book is based on five lectures given by the author before the students of the Bangor Theological Seminary. The ministry, or rather the pastorate, is treated under the five-fold aspects of a shepherd: The "Shepherd Idea in Scripture and History;" the "Shepherd's Work;" "Opportunity;" "Temptations," and "Reward." Dr. Jefferson has the happy genius of transforming old things into new. He is an artist who never sins against the emphasis of color. The shepherd idea is a familiar one, but not as he presents it. There is a peculiar freshness that lends the fascination of novelty. A book that pastors must and laymen should read. (Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York. $1.00 net.)

Captain of the Nine, by William Heyliger. The author is well known as a writer of boys' stories and in this sustains his previous reputation. There is to be a captain elected by the nine at St. Mary's, and Bartley is successful over Mellen, a rival candidate. But the latter proves to be an ungenerous loser and conspires to defeat Bartley in his position. This brings about a serious complication, which finally ends in a triumph for the right. A book of dash and vigor such as boys delight to read. (D. Appleton & Company, New York. $1.25.)

The White Shield is a series of stories from the pen of the late lamented Myrtle Reed. No one can read these delightful stories without a sense of deepening sorrow that such a brilliant mind should have so short a stay on

thought and diction that belong to literature of the higher kind. (G. P. Putnam Sons, New York. $1.50 net.)

Once Upon a Time Tales is a series of fairy stories by Mary Stewart, after the fashion of Andersen and Grimm. An initial story by Henry Van Dyke, entitled the "Way to Once Upon a Time," forms the introduction. An ability to write stories of this character is a rare gift and one productive of great good. Children are natural readers of books like this. Parents with children beginning the reading age, will find a treasure in these tales. (Fleming H. Revell Company, New York. $1.25 net.)

Batter Up, by Hawley Williams, is a story that will appeal to boys, especially those who love school and sports. (D. Appleton & Co., New York. $1.25.)

Change Signals, by Ralph Henry Barbour, is a characteristic story for boys. It is a faithful picture of life as it goes on among a company of strong, healthy, red-blooded boys on the diamond and gridiron. There is an abundance of incidents, quite enough to hold the interest of the average boy reader from beginning to end. (D. Appleton and Company, New York. $1.50.)

Outlines of Missionary History, by Alfred Dewitt Mason, D.D., is more than the title would imply. As an outline it embraces the history of missions from their inception to the present. This also includes the various countries where they have gone, with a discussion of the political and social conditions under which they labored. For instance, the missionary history of North America would not be complete, with the Negro, Indian or Mormon left out. As well attempt to describe Africa and forget the Moslem. The strength of this book lies in the touch of life imparted to men and incident. Real history is never a tombstone. It does not mark so much where the hero died, as when he lived. A book calculated to inspire an interest in missions where little now exists. (George H. Doran Company, New York. $1.50 net.)

The Secrets of Sunday-school Teaching, by Edward Leigh Pell. The value of this book

lies in two things: Motive and Method. Both are essential, but motive is very properly given first place. The author's conception of the Sunday-school is not a part of the Church, but the Church itself organized for a special purpose, and that purpose the development of character by means of the study of the Bible. This book contains much that every Sundayschool teacher should know, and an equal amount that few really do know. It is written in a terse, energetic style that carries the reader on by a force within itself-not a mere "Help," but a personal helper. (Fleming H. Revell Company, New York. $1.00 net.)

The Story of Jesus-For Little People, by Edward Leigh Pell. "Pell's Bible Stories" gives a new interest to the Bible, especially for the young. We commend it to parents as a most useful Christmas gift. (Fleming H. Revell Company, New York. 35c.)

The Story of David-As Written by Himself, by Edward Leigh Pell, belongs to the well known "Bible Series" that bears his name. It is intended for young people and adds the fascination of personal recital to the absorbing biography of David. No boy or girl needs be urged to read this book. (Fleming H. Revell Company, New York. 35c net.)

"Avanti," meaning forward, is a story by James M. Ludlow, of the uprising in Sicily and the consolidation of Italy under Garibaldi. The natural materials for a strong book are not wanting in this novel-love, religion, and patriotism, if properly told and distributed, will always command attention, and such is the book stuff out of which "Avanti" is made. The author is an artist. He paints and writes with equal facility. A Sicilian night and the clash of arms are both within his easy range. In writing this book the author has laid history under the most lasting obligation. Few really know the tremendous struggle out of which united Italy was born, a fact which "Avanti" leaves without excuse. A historic novel that ranks among the best. (Fleming H. Revell Company, New York. $1.25 net.)

Why Sign the Pledge, with Recipes for Allaying the Drink Habit, by F. B. Meyer, D.D. Concerning Card Playing, by Rev. John F. Cowan, D.D. Transsubstantiation and Purgatory, by P. Anstadt, D.D. To Young Men, by

687

The Apostles' Creed, by Henry Wheeler, D.D., is both historical and expository. Historically “it was not the product of one man or of one day," but the growth of six centuries. The twelve articles as we have them today are discussed each in its order. This is of marked value as it raises questions such as the Virgin birth, and the resurrection of . the body, now disputed by many so-called advanced theologians. A clear and convincing expository on the most general statement of Christian doctrine ever written. (Eaton & Mains, New York. 75c net.)

False Modesty, by Dr. F. H. Lowry, is a treatise on the sexes, of special importance to parents and the young. It is delicately written and contains suggestions of value to society in general. (Forbes & Company, Chicago. 50c.)

The Quarterback Reckless, by Hawley Williams, is a boys' book, written with a purpose. The interest centers at Lansing Academy, when two boys enter a contest for the position of quarterback on the 'Varsity team. Political schemes are resorted to, but a subsequent spirit of manliness seeks to redress the wrong. The average school boy will find this book one of particular interest. (D. Appleton & Co., New York. $1.25.)

The Master of the Oaks, by Caroline Abbott Stanley, is a book worth reading. It embraces incident, humor, pathos, religion and politics in generous proportions. The plot has motion to it, and the reader finds himself

being carried on by an interest that holds to the end. (Fleming H. Revell Company, New York. $1.25 net.)

The

Egypt to Canaan, by A. H. Tuttle. opening sentence reveals the purpose of the work, "partly historical and partly spiritual." One traces the deliverance of Israel by the power of God, while the other traces the deliverance of a soul from the bondage of sin, though this wilderness world to its God prepared country in heaven. The two purposes act and react upon each other. The author, while never far fetched in his analogies, applies incident and circumstance to the heart conditions of today. A book that lifts the Exodus out of national history and gives it a place in ordinary life. (Eaton & Mains, New York. $1.00 net.)

PRESBYTERIAL ORDER OF RECRUITS.

The Presbytery of Huron, on May 9, 1911, in session assembled, unanimously passed the following resolutions, growing out of a questionnaire, as presented by the chairman of the conference on the subject, "Recruiting the Ministry."

The questionnaire dealt with the influences that determined young men to enter the ministry and why young men are deterred and solutions suggested.

It seems to the Board of Education that it would be a good plan if all the presbyteries within the bounds of the Church would establish a Presbyterial Order of Recruits as a rallying centre for the purpose of spreading information concerning the ministry, its call and claims upon the young men, and endeavor to win students to choose the ministry as their life work.

1. Resolved, Inasmuch as the men ministering today were led by the Holy Spirit, especially through the influences of godly homes, the priesthood of the father, the mystic touch of the mother heart, linked with these the preaching and character of the "man of God," we therefore call for the renewal of consecration in every home, revealed in family worship, the closeness of pastoral oversight; thus ministerial recruits will be forthcoming, because of the fulfilling of the command: "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest."

2. Resolved, That a Presbyterial Order of Recruits be formed a rallying centre, thus

marshalling young men, providing them with inspiring literature, giving opportunities for service, through which latent talents would be called forth and trained, and therefore equipping such recruits for college.

3. Resolved, That a Presbyterial Committee be appointed, to provide suitable literature, having its force of appeal to boys in that adolescent period, presenting the special call to service for God and the Church, thus fulfilling the great commission: "Go ye therefore."

4. Resolved, That the week of prayer for colleges, or some special week, be set apart, when especially pastors and men fitted by rare gifts may present the claims of the ministry as a sphere for the best investment of a life, before high schools, collegiate institutes and colleges. Such a season would be recommended as opportune for pastors to present the subject to their respective congregations.

The committee appointed are:

Rev. George E. Ross, B.D., Goderich; Rev. E. H. Sawers, Brusefield; Rev. Samuel F. Sharp, B.D., Exeter.

FROM ALASKA.

From a letter from Dr. Young, Iditarod, Interior Alaska: "My meetings are fuller of interest than ever here and at Flat, and the house is filled at each service. There is good prospect of the output of gold from the Iditarod this past season ($3,060,000) being exceeded next summer, and the two towns will probably have as many people in them as now, -perhaps more. And Ruby and a new camp on the Kuskokwim (Aniak) promise well for a large population. A minister will have more work to do here than ever."

The distribution of literature is said to have saved many a man from insanity in the long Alaskan winter. Dr. Young feels keenly the need and opportunity for this sort of service. Here is an illustration of his method: "I have given away more than two tons of magazines and books from my free reading-room, besides having circulating library. I supply the roadhouses, villages, camps and cabins for hundreds of miles in all directions. Today I am sending packages of about 50 pounds each to Tacotna, 100 miles east; Mud River, 150 miles north, and Kikeman, 35 miles down the river. I'm going to send great appeals to our papers for reading matter in the spring."