FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY. Facts, Hints, Gems, and Poetry. Facts. The Norway Maelstrom, of the old school books is a myth. At certain stages of the tide there is something like a whirlpool, and in bad weather the place is a dangerous one, even for large vessels; but if these are wrecked it is by being dashed against the rocks, or by foundering,-not by being drawn down into a vortex. In 1859, an official report on the subject was made by Mr. Hagerup, minister of the Norwegian Marine, who says that more violent currents of the kind are to be found at other points on the coast of Norway, but the worst of them is not so bad as the Maelstrom of the old stories. It is not required that a man should always be perfect in order to be a true Christian. But it is required that he should be a sincere seeker after perA peculiar tree, called the tallow-fection. It is required that he should tree, grows in China, the fruit of which be moving forward and advancing up contains a seed covered with a white, the straight and narrow way of life. solid, fatty matter, which the natives convert into candles. The German Imperial Crown is a foot high, of 21-carat gold, and heavily set with pearls. The sceptre is of silver gilt, and two feet long. The globe, carried in the hand, is of the finest gold, 37 inches in diameter, and encircled by two rings, one perpendicular and half covered with jewels, and the other horizontal and entirely crusted with gems. On the top is a cross which fairly blazes with precious stones. The insignia have long been kept in the Hofburg at Vienna, and will be brought forth for Kaiser Wilhelm's coronation. Hints. If we would have powerful minds, we must think; if we would have faithful hearts, we must love; if we would have strong muscles, we must Gems. Character, like porcelain, must be painted before it is glazed. There can be no change after it is burned in. Death is the dropping of the flower that the fruit may swell. The real man is one who always finds excuses for others, but never excuses himself. Love is ownership. We own whom we love. The universe is God's, because He loves it. A Christian man's life is laid in the loom of time to a pattern which he does not see, but God does; and his heart is a shuttle. With every child we lose we see deeper into life, as with every added lens we pierce farther the sky. POETIC SELECTIONS.-THE CHILDREN'S CORNER. Poetic Selections. SPEAK THOU THE TRUTH. SPEAK thou the truth. Let others fence, Guard thou the fact, though clouds of night Borne from thee by their swoop. Face thou the wind, thou safer seem We were not made to sit and dream: Where God hath set his thorns about, Is better than the whole, half-heard, Show thou the light. If conscience gleam, The smallest spark may send his beam Woe, woe to him, on safety bent, Be true to every inmost thought, Hold on, hold on; thou hast the rock, We have heard Thy footsteps near- Pause, behold the pleading tear, Prostrate in Thy path we lie, Lest our very faith should die,- Lord, we cannot let Thee go, In our midst Thy presence show; The Children's Corner. LITTLE SINS. IN a Carolina forest of a thousand acres you can scarcely find a tree that is not dead and crumbling to decay. No fire has swept over it, no lightning scathed those naked, bleaching pines. This ruin was wrought by a little insect's larvæ, no larger than a grain of rice. What a hundred axe-men could not accomplish by years of hard labour, this seemingly insignificant insect sent its feeble offspring to perform. One alone could have little power, it is true, but millions were marshalled, and all the skill of man could not stay their course. Such is the power of little sins. Performing the same act over, for even two or three times in succession, and the habit is formed. MORMONISM. THE Bible names the various forms of sin, false doctrines and delusions, and condemns them. The Papacy is specified in its various characteristics, and Mahommetanism has been supposed to be described in Rev. 9, by an angel falling from heaven, smoke from the bottomless pit, and locusts with stings of a scorpion. Mormonism comes under the general heads of " deceivers,” "false teachers," and those that bring in "damnable heresies." THE FOUNDER.-HIS CHARACTER. Joseph Smith was a native of Sharon, Vt., born Dec. 23, 1805. At the age of ten he removed with his parents to Palmyra, N.Y. Those who knew him and the family have testified that his reputation was bad. They avoided honest labour, were untruthful, intemperate, and suspected of theft. They would dig for hid treasures, and were otherwise visionary. Joseph was considered the worst of them. He had not brilliant talents, and his education was so poor that he could neither read nor write well. Of arithmetic he had but little understanding, even of the elementary rules. He said he had visions at the age of 15. At the age of 17 he said an angel informed him that God had a great work for him to do; that a record on gold plates, giving an account of the dealings of God with ancient inhabitants of America, was in the earth in Manchester, N.Y., and with them were two transparent stones having silver bows, which being used as spectacles, the plates could be read. At the age of 21 he professed that these plates were put into his hands by an angel of the Lord. Smith got stone spectacles, and behind a blanket drawn across the room so that others could not see him, read these plates, and Oliver Cowdery wrote it down. This was called the Book of Mormon, or Golden Bible. It was printed in 1830. ORIGIN OF THIS BOOK. After this book was published, and Mormonism began to prevail, intelligent persons investigated the imposture. It was found that some had seen the substance of the work. The evidence was conclusive that Solomon Spalding, a native of Ashford, a graduate of Dartmouth College, became a preacher, then retired from the ministry, wrote fiction, and while living in Conneaut, O., about 1811, wrote the Book of Mormon. He advertised to publish it, and put it in a printing office in Pittsburg, Pa. It was not MORMONISM. printed, but Sidney Rigdon copied it, and became a sort of teacher of it. The original manuscript was returned to the family, and after Smith's pretended translation of the written plates, publicly compared with it, and found in substance the same. Some passages of the Bible were thrown in, and care was taken to have it said that Joseph was a prophet. A SECT FORMED. Rigdon having got possession of a copy of the manuscript, made a few proselytes. Smith joined him, and both laboured to disseminate their doctrines. April 6th, 1830, they organized a sort of a church at Manchester, N.Y. Smith was artful, and in some things gained the public favour. In that part of New York, the approach of the Millennium was believed. Smith adopted the view, with the speedy conversion of the Indians and the final gathering of the saints in the interior of the country. Polygamy was condemned in the Mormon Bible. Masonry was not popular then, and so Smith avowed himself an anti-Mason. Afterwards he became a Mason. But the sect increased slowly. Joseph Smith was known in those parts, and the imposture was seen through. JOSEPH HAS A REVELATION. In old times the Lord said unto Moses, "Speak unto the people that they go forward." Joseph, in Jan., 1831, avowed that the Lord revealed unto him that he should lead the people to Ohio. So they took up their march and went to Kirtland in that State. It was avowed that the Mormon Bible was a higher authority than the civil law. Business therefore was done very loosely. A bank was set up without a charter. Joseph made himself president and Rigdon cashier. The people accused them of other fraudulent dealing, and in March, 1832, these two men were set upon in the night and treated to a coat of tar and feathers. There was an increase in numbers, and in 1832, Brigham Young, a native of Whittingham, Vt., joined them. He became a preacher, and at length was ordained as one of the twelve apostles. In 1836, a large and costly temple was finished and consecrated at Kirtland. Missionaries were sent to New England and to Great Britain, to gain converts. But in the midst of success their bank failed. Joseph did not need a revelation, but with Rigdon fled in the night to avoid arrest. They went to Missouri, and finally made a stand at a town called Far West. MORMONISM. At different places in the State they were accused of plundering and burning habitations, and of secret assassinations. The people made war upon them. The Mormons were defiant, threatened to spill the last drop of blood of those who should disturb them. They armed themselves, the militia of the State was called out, some were killed on both sides, the prophet Joseph and Rigdon were arrested and put in gaol, charged with treason. The militia overpowered the Mormons, and they agreed to quit the State. This they did, and went to Commerce, Illinois. Smith broke gaol and joined them. This was about the year 1838. The opposition which they had met was of course construed as persecution for the sake of their religion, and so late as March 23, the present year, Mr. Hooper, delegate in Congress from Utah, in a speech in defence of the Mormons thus construed it. AT NAUVOO, ILLINOIS. A gentleman who was a large landholder gave Smith a large tract, with the expectation of selling other parts to advantage to the Mormons. Then the prophet had a revelation that it was the duty of all to assemble there and build a city. Smith laid out his land in lots, sold them to great advantage, became rich. A city of some thousands of people soon sprang up. A very liberal charter was obtained for the Mormons, the prophet became Mayor, and also commander of the Nauvoo Legion, a military force made up of about all capable of bearing arms, and he was also first President of the church. In the mean time he professed to have received a revelation that a large temple for the Lord should be built. The people were to give liberally for the purpose, and also to work on its walls every tenth day. The revelation required them to build the temple and likewise a hotel for the residence of Smith and his descendants for ever. The temple was commenced in April, 1841, and the work was carried forward with great rapidity. Joseph had almost unlimited power. But it is well to inquire at this stage what his character was? There is evidence that he was sometimes profane. Brigham Young, his most faithful disciple, said, "His doctrine is right. As to anything else, I do not care if he acts like a devil." It has been seen that polygamy was prohibited at an early stage. But about the time of arriving at Nauvoo, Smith had induced a number of females to become his spiritual wives. His wife was |