The Little Gleaner Part 75

THE greatest height yet reached in a balloon is seven miles and a quarter.

IN 1707 it took two days and a half to get to Oxford, a distance of fifty-five miles.

THE number of Bibles sold by the British Bible Society up to 1881 was 100,035,933.

TWO millions and a half is the number of persons who are said to be slaves to Sabbath toil in America, and they generally receive no more than six days' wages for seven days' work.

ANNA SWAN, the Nova Scotia giantess, who, with her husband, Captain Bates, the Kentucky giant, was an earnest member of the Baptist Church, is dead.

She was seven feet nine inches in height.

A GREAT improvement in Sunday observance in the army and navy has, it is said, taken place. But there are old officers, like the gallant admiral, who deplore the fact that "the service is going to the dogs," because there is not so much pipeclay used on a Sunday as there was when they joined the service.

LORD SUDELEY, of Toddington, near Cheltenham, has the following fruit trees planted in his grounds--Gooseberry trees, 93,000; plum trees, 20,083; black currant trees, 167,000; apple trees, 2,919; pear trees, 852; damson trees, 8,845; cherry trees, 532; red currant trees, 10,000; raspberry trees, 25,000; cob nut, 100; strawberries (acres), 52. In addition, 100 Scotch firs and 10,000 poplar trees.

THE HAMPTON COURT VINE.--This n.o.ble vine is more than a hundred and fifty years old, and nearly as many feet in length; its stem is thirty-two inches in circ.u.mference. In a good season it will yield more than two thousand bunches of fine grapes, weighing on an average seventeen ounces each bunch, or, in the whole, nearly one ton. They are of the finest black Hamburg kind, and are said to be reserved chiefly for the Queen's table.

RUNNING AWAY WITH A RITUALISTIC CRUCIFIX.--It is stated that a crucifix adorns the eastern end of Bourn church. Many of the parishioners are opposed to certain Ritualistic practices, and have shown their disapproval by leaving during divine service. During the week the church is left open, and on Monday, September 17th, a young lady entered and took away the crucifix. The lady, having secured the crucifix, proceeded to Bytham Station, and thence to Essendine. Arrived there, she went into a friend's house and had a cup of tea. In the meantime, the Vicar and the young lady's brother started in pursuit, discovered the missing ornament, and brought it safely back and replaced it in the church. The event has created great excitement in the village, and we understand that legal proceedings will be taken.

WOLVES AND TELEGRAPH LINES.--It is believed in Norway that wolves are frightened away by telegraph lines. While a vote was pending on a grant to a new line, a member of the Storthing remarked that, while his const.i.tuents had no direct interest in it, they would support the grant because the wires would drive away the wolves. It is stated as a remarkable fact that since the first telegraph line was established, twenty years ago, wolves have never appeared in its neighbourhood.

Wolves, it is known, will not enter a roped enclosure.

IN connection with the Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, a hospital ship was launched from the yard of Messrs. Fellows and Son, of Great Yarmouth, on September 29th. She is 100 feet in length, and of 152 tons register. She is to be fitted up as a hospital ship, for the treatment of accident and illness among the fishermen of the North Sea. She is named the _Queen Victoria_, and Her Majesty, who takes much interest in the Mission, subscribed 50 towards the cost of the vessel. The launch was witnessed by a large number of people. The _Queen Victoria_ is the same type of vessel as those already in the Mission service.

A NEW ALPINE RAILWAY.--A railway from Visp to Zermatt is about to be built, an undertaking that has for a long time been considered impracticable. From the year 1891 travellers will be able to reach the El Dorado of Alpine tourists in about two hours and a half from the main line in the Rhone Valley, and step out of the railway carriage almost at the foot of the mighty Matterhorn. The line is already marked out, and follows pretty closely the present bridle path. It is to be narrow gauge, without cogwheels, and will cross the Visp torrent five times.

The curves will be rather sharp, and there are to be six small tunnels.

The capital for building the line is said to amount to six million francs, and work is to be commenced this autumn. The length will be twenty-eight miles, and as Zermatt is 3,160 feet higher than the starting point, the incline will be over two per cent.

AN ANCIENT DOc.u.mENT.--According to a telegram received from Lloyds'

Signal Station at St. Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight, a letter, supposed to have been written 103 years ago, was picked up on the beach, at Rock End, on October 3rd. The following is a copy of the doc.u.ment:--"Office of Ordnance, 11th July, 1785. Gentlemen,--His Majesty's ship the _Trusty_, being ordered to be paid off at Portsmouth, you are, by the Board's directions, to cause her powder to be taken on sh.o.r.e, and lodged in His Majesty's magazine, under your charge.--I am, gentlemen, your humble servant, AUG. ROGERS, Secretary. Respective Officers, p.r.o.ndy's Hard, W. A." There is a memo, on the back of the letter--"11th July, 1785. Aug. Rogers, Esq. _Trusty_ paid off."

THE number of preserves in Austria alone, not counting those in Hungary, is stated at 15,764. and on these there were shot, in 1887, 32 bears, 113 wolves, 24 lynxes, 9,490 stags, 60,252 roebucks, 7,709 chamois, 2,998 wild boars, 26,411 foxes, 9,729 polecats, 1,055 otters, 2,672 badgers, 333 marmots, and no fewer than 1,439,134 hares. Wild rabbits are scarce in this country, and are not counted in the general record, but 27,797 were shot in Bohemia, where there are most warrens. The totals for feathered game are--4,498 grouse, 1,300 wild geese, 102,748 pheasants, 1,336,934 partridges, 34,448 quails, 12,652 woodc.o.c.k, 7,614 snipe, and 28,914 wild ducks. The birds of prey shot were 561 eagles, 38,610 owls, 1,365 horned owls, and 106,353 hawks, kestrels, kites, and vultures.

THE RABBIT PEST IN NEW ZEALAND.--The United States Consul at Auckland, in a recent report, describes the extent to which New Zealand has been economically injured by rabbits, and the cost incurred in endeavouring to exterminate them. Nothing, he says, could so overrun a country since the locusts in Egypt. The rabbits have so eaten out the ranges that the capacity for maintaining sheep has greatly lessened, and the flocks have fallen off in numbers. At the Stock Conference of 1886, it was stated that rabbits reduced by a third the feeding capacity of land, and the weight of fleeces had decreased by 1 lb. to 1 lb. each. The number of lambs decreased from thirty to forty per cent., while the death-rate increased from three to thirteen per cent. Since 1882, when the Rabbit Act became law, Government has expended 7,000 on Crown lands alone, and it is estimated that during the last eight years private persons have spent 2,400,000 in extirpating rabbits. The methods generally in favour were fencing, poisoned grain (generally phosphorized oats), and ferrets, weasels, and stoats. Large numbers of men have been hired from time to time to make war upon the rabbits, and it is said that these "rabbiters"

encourage the vermin in every way, and have been caught killing the stoats and ferrets. The bonus system has been found objectionable and expensive. Notwithstanding all that has been done, in some localities the rabbits have continually increased, and the damage has continued. It is hoped, however, that as the country becomes more populous, and the large tracts of land are occupied and cultivated, the numerous herds of rabbits which now roam over the land will disappear.

ONE THOUSAND MEN DROWNED.--It is reported from China that the whole of the new embankment of the Yellow River, which was commenced last autumn at the spot where the old embankment gave way, has been completely swept away by the summer floods. It is said to have cost about 2,000,000 sterling (9,000,000 taels). As the floods rose, it was seen that the strain was becoming dangerous, and Li Hang-tsao, the high official in charge of the work, was sent for in hot haste, but before he could arrive the whole bank went down before the flood, and of the eight thousand feet of river wall lately completed, not an inch remains, and the waters are pouring unchecked through the immense gap into the Honan province. From eight hundred to one thousand labourers, who were on the bank, were also swept away and drowned. It is reported from Peking that all the officials concerned are being severely punished.

A SHARK STORY.--Sir,--The following story may be of some interest to many readers of your valuable paper. The sailing-ship _Gra.s.sendale_ (registered 1,800 tons, and cla.s.sed A1 at Lloyds'), with a crew of about thirty-five hands, on its voyage from Sydney to San Francisco, met with great numbers of sharks, about twenty of which the crew killed. One shark, in particular, had a quant.i.ty of young ones with her. By some means the little ones were frightened, and swam into its mouth.

Naturally the crew were curious, and tried to hook it, which they eventually did. When they cut it open on deck, imagine their surprise to find no less than forty-two little sharks, measuring from twelve to fifteen inches in length, all alive, and capable of swimming as well as ever--a most remarkable incident, not heard of before, even in America, being, to all appearances, a shark's wonderful way to shelter their young. This information the writer has received this week direct from his brother, who is chief officer of the said ship, and he can, therefore, vouch for its truth.--Yours truly, H. H. WHITE. Rye, October 10th, 1888.--_South Eastern Advertiser._

[Ill.u.s.tration: "IT WAS AGREED THAT SOME ONE SHOULD READ THE BIBLE TO HER." (_See page 266._)]

THE BLIND WIDOW.

"_Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days._"--ECCLESIASTES xi. 1.

Recollecting the feelings of discouragement and sadness which often oppressed my mind during the first months of our employment as district visitors and Sunday School teachers in a retired village, and the many instances affording cause for joy and thankfulness which occurred during the latter years of our residence there, I am led to record one of them, with the hope of encouraging my fellow-labourers in this interesting occupation.

One of the first cases which came under my own observation was that of a blind, aged widow, who lived a few steps from the church. Her husband, who had been dead at this time about seven years, had led an unG.o.dly life, and had fallen a victim to the habit of intemperance. She was left with one son, who was a lad at the time of his father's death, and was soon after bound as a parish apprentice to a good neighbour, a blacksmith, with whom he afterwards lived as servant. I think he was a good boy. He had remembered and taken pleasure in what he had learned at the Sunday and National School. He was constant in his attendance at public worship, and showed much dutiful affection and attention to his widowed mother. In his spare hours he took care of her little garden, drew water, and tended the nursery of beautiful geraniums which adorned her windows; and when he could, he would come and read aloud to her on Sundays out of the Bible or some good book. All the poor widow's happiness centred in Henry. It was her delight to do all she could for him; and many a time have I seen her, blind as she was, bestowing her cheerful labour in making his shirts as white as snow. She had one other son, older than Henry, who had accompanied an uncle to the West Indies, and as she had never heard of them since, she thought they had very likely both of them died in that climate, so unhealthy to English const.i.tutions.

Mrs. Worthington was, I think, naturally an amiable woman. Many sorrows had subdued and broken her spirits, for she had once lived near London in very good circ.u.mstances. Though in some degree acquainted with the leading doctrines of Scripture, and believing them to be true, she was, it seemed, quite dest.i.tute of any hope towards G.o.d, or true faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, as her Saviour and her Friend. To use her own words, "she had long ago given up herself for lost." When I asked what led her to do so, she replied that she knew she had not led a good life, and that some neighbours had told her it was no use for such a person as she was to think of going to heaven. In this sad state she was lingering on in a painful earthly existence, without one hope of anything better beyond it.

There was a kind woman who lived in the next house who, when able, would lead her to church and back again. There she paid attention, and thus had many interesting Scripture histories stored in her memory, for she had never learned to read.

At length, with her own consent, it was agreed that some one should read the Bible to her every forenoon. She listened with earnest attention and much interest, and at length found, to her great joy, that she was not excluded from hope in the mercy of that gracious G.o.d and Saviour whose loving-kindness and tender mercy towards a lost and fallen race it reveals and declares. She discovered with delight that she was one of those very characters that had moved His heart to pity, and for whose redemption and happiness He had sent His only-begotten Son into the world, and spared Him not, "but delivered Him up for us all," that He might make satisfaction for fallen sinners, and lead such back as reconciled children to their Father and G.o.d. She received the gracious message with a sense of her own extreme need of its blessings, and welcomed it with her whole heart, as sent to her by the G.o.d of love.

I think the first word of promise which was fixed in her mind was the engagement which G.o.d makes, in Luke xi., to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. She felt that her mind was dark, and her heart cold and dead towards G.o.d. She wished it were otherwise, and prayed for the Holy Spirit. It was delightful to observe the heavenly light dawn in her once benighted soul, and to behold the altered state of all within. Humility, thankfulness, hope, and love all appeared in their loveliness, and in various ways did she give incontestable evidence that old things had pa.s.sed away, and that all things had become new.

I remember calling one morning, and finding her much out of spirits. On inquiring the cause, I found that, it being the wake season, some of her former friends and acquaintances had visited her. It was their conversation which had grieved her, consisting very much of scandal and detraction, and she was greatly distressed at being obliged to hear it, and felt that she had done wrong by listening to it, so truly had her mind become conformed to the principles of the Gospel of peace.

Before her change of heart she was much disposed to murmur, but when enabled to apprehend the love of G.o.d to her, her spirit was filled with grat.i.tude to Him for all His undeserved mercies; and however depressed her circ.u.mstances on earth might be, she had the comfortable hope of eternal bliss in that world where all tears will be for ever wiped away, and there will be no more want and pain, for "the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters" (Rev. vii. 17).

One morning, to my great sorrow, I found her very ill. She was suffering from an attack of paralysis, which took away the use of her left side, and very much affected her speech. She was suddenly rendered almost helpless. At first she was greatly distressed, knowing that her own means were insufficient to pay any one to help her, and that the only alternative was a removal to the workhouse, a prospect which to her mind was full of terror and disgrace. It became, however, quite needful, for there was no prospect of amendment; and in about a fortnight she was obliged to quit a home endeared to her by a long residence, and the honourable independence with which she had occupied it, for though often obliged to take only bread for her breakfast and supper, she invariably paid her quarter's rent. Her faith in Christ, however, soon gained the ascendancy over her natural regret and sorrow, and she received this painful dispensation as her Heavenly Father's will, and submitted to it with quietness.

The workhouse was about nine miles from our village. It was a well-conducted one, and favoured with the visits of some Christian friends and a good clergyman. The matron was a kind person, and treated our blind friend with much consideration. Her son visited her as often as he could, and paid her every dutiful attention, so that her home there was, I think, more comfortable than the one she had left. I never saw her afterwards, but I occasionally heard of her. She was almost entirely confined to her bed, but quite able to enjoy and profit by the kind visits and Christian conversation of some persons who visited the workhouse. She found her G.o.d was present with her there, and He fulfilled to her that beautiful promise made to His people of old--"Even to your old age I am He; and even to h.o.a.r hairs will I carry you; I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you"

(Isa. xlvi. 4).

A. E. H.

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE OF A SHIPWRECKED CREW.

Two seamen, named John G. Crone and James R. Wilson, late of the Scotch barque _Henry James_, arrived a short time ago at the Liverpool Sailors'

Home, and gave information of the loss of that vessel, through which they underwent an extraordinary experience.