residence of the nobleman. I mounted the steps, pulled the bell, and as the door, apparently of its own accord, opened I looked for some one whom I might ask whether his Excellency was at home; but no one was to be seen. At last I discovered some faces at the rear of the hall, behind a pair of sashed doors. As I approached, these swung open, and the parties indicated a willingness to answer any inquiries I had to make. They told me that the minister was out taking an airing, and that I should return "um halb sieben Uhr.” One took his watch to show me what that meant. "O,” said I, "Ich verstehe." And I did versteh that halb meant half; sieben seven, and Uhr, o'clock. I then started off and whiled away a few hours in sauntering about. Punctually, at half past seven I returned, confident that I would meet the gentleman whom, above all others, I was desirous of seeing. I was greeted with an excited gesticulation on the part of the porters, and with the exclamation, "Sie sind eine Stunde Zu Spaet!" I was one hour behind time, and an interview with the Baron for that day was impossible.

I succeeded at last, and was in no wise disappointed with the reception I met with at the hands of Von Bethmann Hollweg. His presence was both pleasing and imposing. A tall figure, with steel-mixed hair, and benignant countenance, he fully realized the conception I had formed of him. With that peculiar bearing of courtesy and dignity which characterizes the German nobility, he conducted me to a seat on the sofa, before which a table is drawn, where a visitor in a German house always feels that he is welcome. He spoke English during the first of my calls, but afterwards said to me, "Sie muessen unsere Sprache lernen, und in Ihrem Interesse Spreche ich hinfort nur Deutsch." He seemed pleased to see the first student from the Reformed Church of this country; wondered that as young a man as I was would undertake so much, and expressed his willingness to do anything for me in his power. He told me I should call upon Dr. Hoffman immediately; gave me a card to Gov. Wright, of Indiana, who was at that time our Ambassador, and told me I should return and inform him as soon as I had settled upon quarters. At the close of my visit he took leave of me as beautifully as he had received me, and told me that I would always be welcome in his family circle.

I called upon him a number of times during the year, and always met with the same kindness. He had his fixed hours for interviews, and I generally found a number of persons waiting in the anteroom. Most of these wore dress coats, white vests, and white kid gloves. Once, after I entered, I told him I hoped he would excuse in a foreigner any want of conformity to the rules which prevailed around him, when he cordially threw his hand into mine and said, "We are a plain people-a plain people." He wanted to

know what lectures I was attending, and what my impressions were of the different professors. Alluding to Steinmyer, he remarked, "I called him here." In case of a vacancy the professors make a number of nominations, but the appointment devolves upon the Cultur Minister. Von Bethmann Hollweg seemed proud of the choice of Steinmyer, but agreed in the general opinion that Nitzsch was the great theologian of Germany.

During the winter I was favored with two special invitations to the house of the Baron. One was to dine with him, and the other to an evening soiree. At the former there were only three guests present, of whom one was a lady on a visit to Berlin, and the other a student from Erlangen. On this occasion I found the Baroness to be a great admirer of English literature, and to be better acquainted with some of our American authors, e. g. Hawthorne, than I was. The soiree was quite large, and characterized in the fullest measure by the intellectual brilliance for which Berlin society is famous. Besides, Drs. Nitzsch and Hoffman, who have been already mentioned, there were present Fredehenburg, who occupied the principal chair of philosophy in the University, and Dr. Wichern, the famous founder of the Rauhe-Haus, at Hamburg, who occupies so prominent a position in Germany in all enterprizes of a practical benevolent character. These gentlemen were attended by a portion of their families. With some of the young ladies I had previously become acquainted. German Gemüthlichkeit prevailed. No one seemed to think that this was the room in which the Court of Prussia was wont to condescend to be entertained by one of the ministers of State. As we sat at the tables, which were scattered promiscuously through the large saloon of the palace, drinking our tea and nibbling at slices of cold ham or Bologna sausage, all seemed as easy and as free as if engaged in social enjoyment in a cottage of some remote corner of the land.

I embraced the opportunity of a short vacation given the students at Whitsuntide to visit Pottsdam. I had several letters to Dr. Krummacher, the court-preacher, residing there. From early childhood I had heard of the author of Elijah the Tishbite, and as I approached the house wondered if I was going to be fortunate enough to meet him to-day. His residence was of an antique and rather ostentatious style of architecture. It was built close up to the street, but there was an open space on either side, and a large pleasure-ground extending back from the house. The appearance plainly indicated that the family spent a large portion of their time out of doors. I did not see much of Dr. Krummacher before dinner. The description I had had of him corresponded to what I found him to be. He was about sixty years of age; had a large frame; a heavy head of auburn hair, approaching red; a round

His kind heart

benevolent face, and a remarkably heavy voice.
shone through an expressive countenance; but there was not at
hand the gentle courtesy and dignified mildness which characterized
Von Bethmann Hollweg. He seemed to have more difficulty than
some of the younger members of the family in keeping his face
straight at some of my awkward attempts to express myself in Ger-
man; but did not, as was the case with the nobleman, give me an
opportunity to be amused in turn at his English conversation.
the dinner table after praying,

"Komm, Herr Jesu, sei Unser Gast,
Und segne was du Uns bescheret hast,"

he skillfully removed the cork from a fresh bottle of Rhine wine,
then held it for a moment in his hand and said, in English, in his
heavy guttural tone of voice, "Do you belong to the temperance
society too?" I replied I did not, and then he gave me
hah! hah! hah! which kept ringing in my ears all that day.

a loud

The bright spring afternoon was spent in the pleasure-grounds in the rear of the house. No one's enjoyment seemed greater than that of the old gentleman. One source of amusement was the pranks of a large house-dog in a pond. He would dash into the water and swim after, and bring out, any object that the young folks would throw in. The struggles and excitement of the dog produced general merriment, and the Doctor entered into the amusement as heartily as any one. Few laughed as much, and none so loud, as he. One of the young ladies asked me how I liked Germany. I told her I was so much pleased that I could spend my life there. She started off and told her father what I had said, to which he replied, "Ach er ist kein aechter Yankee." I saw Dr. Krummacher again, a year afterward, when I was about leaving North Germany. He shook me cordially by the hand, and said, "Gehen Sie zurueck nach Amerika, wie eine Biene voll von aus den Blumen von Deutschland gezogenen Honig;" that is, "Go back to America, like a bee full of honey drawn from the flowers of Germany."

"Every man is a little world within himself, and in this little world there is a court of judicature erected, wherein, next under God, the conscience sits as supreme judge, from whom there is no appeal; that passeth sentence upon us, upon all our actions, upon all our intentions; for our persons, absolving one, condemning another; for our actions, allowing one, forbidding another. that condemns us, in vain shall all the world besides acquit us, and if that clear us, the doom which the world passeth upon us is frivolous and ineffectual.

If

A DINNER AND A KISS.

"I have brought your dinner, father,"
The blacksmith's daughter said,
As she took from her arm the kettle
And lifted its shining lid.

"There is not any pie or pudding,
So I will give you this,"
And upon his toil-worn forehead
She left the childish kiss.

The blacksmith took off his apron
And dined in happy mood,
Wondering much at the savor
Hid in his humble food:
While all about him were visions
Full of prophetic bliss;

But he never thought of magic
In his little daughter's kiss,

While she with her kettle swinging,
Merrily trudged away,
Stopping at sight of a squirrel,
Catching some wild bird's lay.
And I thought how many a shadow
Of life and fate we would miss,
If always our frugal dinners

Were sea-oned with a kiss.

SEVENTY-FOUR TIMES.

It is said of a certain Life Insurance Agent, that he called on a man seventy-four times, to persuade him to insure his life. The last call was successful.

Who does not admire the patience and perseverance of this man? And all for a little temporal gain! He is a successful man because he is patient and persistent. If these qualities were wanting, how many a good work would have failed! The Thames tunnel would never have been constructed, nor the Great Eastern have been built, if the Brunels had lacked patience and perseverance. Genius without patient labor accomplishes little. Florence Nightingale, whose deeds of love are heralded through the admiring world, avows that she is nothing more than any other woman. But she displayed wonderful patience and perseverance and determination to carry her point. When soldiers were dying in the Crimea

for want of medicines, and the chests containing them arrived, red tape would not suffer a single chest to be opened, and the commanding officers were miles away; but this gentle, heroic woman called on a company of Turkish soldiers, and marching with them, ordered the chests to be opened. The soldiers obeyed the order, while she stood quietly by. Then, with her own hands, she distributed medicine to the suffering. Miss Nightingale was never court-martialed for this act.

Every city of the land is strewn with wrecks of good enterprises falling through simply for want of patient perseverance. Our primeval forests would never have been removed but for this quality. The woodman's axe was kept swinging and his nerves were strengthened by it.

In seeking the salvation of men, oh that Christians would imitate these characters, and let the love of Christ constrain them!--S. S. Times.

WHAT THE CHOIR SANG ABOUT THE NEW BONNET.

A foolish little maiden bought a foolish little bonnet,
With a ribbon and a feather, and a bit of lace upon it;
And that the other maid-ns of the little town might know it,
She thought she'd go to meeting the next Sunday, just to show it.

But though the little bonnet was scarce larger than a dime,
The getting of it settled proved to be a work of time;

So when 'twas fairly tied, all the bells had stopped their ringing,
And when she came to meeting, sure enough, the folks were singing.

So this foolish little maiden stood and waited at the door:

And she sh ok her ruffles out behind, and smoothed them down before, Hallelujah! hallelujah!' sang the choir above her head

46

"Hardly knew you! hardly knew you!" were the words she thought they said.

This made th little maiden feel so very, very cross,

That she gave her little mouth a twist, her little head a toss;

For she thought the very hymn they sang was all about her bonnet,
With the ribbon, and the feather, and the bit of lace upon it.

And she would not wait to listen to the sermon or the prayer,
But pattered down the silent street and hurried up the stair,
Till she reached her little bureau, and in a bandbox on it,
Had hidden safe from critic's eye, her foolish little bonnet.

Which proves, my little maidens, that each of you will find
In every Sabbath service but an echo of your mind;
And that little head that's filled with silly little airs-
Will never get a blessing from sermon or from prayers.