and then to make to me, with truly touching delicacy and modesty, on this or that point, which I had referred to in a sermon; for he constantly attended public worship and was one of my most regular hearers. I reckon it as a great honor to me, that this man, one of the fairest and noblest ornaments of the Church of Christ, and one of the most prominent and laborious theologians of modern times, counted me worthy of his confidence, and, in proof of this, that he dedicated to me the new edition of his splendid and immortal work, "Der heilige Bernard und sein Zeit-Alter." And who among all his friends in the neighborhood of Berlin, who yet walk on this earth, thinks not, with a heart swelling with joy, of the entertainments at which every year, on his birthday, he assembled us around his hospitable table. On such occasions the highly welcome duty devolved on me, in name of the other guests, of offering our hearty salutation in the form of a toast. Alas! it also devolved on me to offer our farewell beside his grave. I spoke on that sad occasion also in the name of his friends. How copiously our tears poured down on his coffin, and how many a " Have pia anima" was then whispered from true sorrowing hearts! But how many a glance was directed with joyful hope upward also to heaven, which seemed to become more and more our blessed home by the thought, that we would once more again behold, amid the glory of immortality, that beloved face!

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD.

BY THE EDITOR.

Next to the pleasure of making a journey, is that of reading or hearing the descriptions of intelligent travelers. Few books of travel are so rich in instruction and so pleasing to read, as "William H. Seward's Travels Around the World." We know of no other distinguished scholar and statesman, who made a circuit of the globe, at "three-score years and ten." Not even Alexander von Humboldt crowned his old age with such an achievement. Seward is an exceedingly interesting traveler. His ripe scholarship, his diplomatic experience with the nations of the earth, acquired while Secretary of State, his familiar acquaintance with the history of all nations, all these make him the best traveler we know of. The princes and rulers of the far East treated him, not only as a sage and statesman, but with almost royal honors. In Japan one of the great officers of State said on meeting him:

"I have heard of you much, and I know you by character. I

see your face now for the first time, and I am happy to see it. I am happy that you have arrived safely after so long a journey. I see that you are very old and very handsome. You show high resolution in making so great a voyage." A Chinese statesman said, "Mr. Seward, your complexion is very fresh, and your step vigorous." On several other occasions he was complimented by men in high places, as being "so old and so handsome."

Right royally was he entertained by Oriental nabobs. To be sure, some of the duties were new; indeed the whole routine of entertainment was often more of a burden than a pleasure. In Yeddo, Japan, his party is entertained at a fashionable place of resort"The Delmonico's of Yeddo," as he calls it. Leaving their boots at the door, they are ushered up a very steep and highly polished staircase into a large chamber. Seated on a clean matted floor, before each person a small table, eight or ten inches high, is placed. Tea is served, in little cups, "piping hot." After tea, fiery liquor, distilled of rice, served up in shallow saucers. The middle-aged hostess is assisted by eleven pretty girls, from twelve to sixteen years of age. Their beauty is greatly enhanced by gay dresses, and white cosmetics. Aside of each guest one of the girls knelt, until they were to bring a new course. They had voices like birds, and were very graceful. The dinner was rather "a self-denying ordinance." Vegetable-soup flavored with soy soy, raw fish in thin slices with horse radish, petty bits of game, various preparations of rice, and many dishes, whose ingredients they could not ascertain. All the courses were intermingled with sweetened fruit and confectionery. And every course brought the inevitable fiery rice whiskey. All the dishes, even the sugar had a raw singular flavor.

"The dwellers in Canton (China) are Epicureans. In the midst of the tempting display in the provision shops are seen the carefully dressed carcases of infinite rats and unmistakable saddles of dogs, while here and there you notice in the shop-windows a placard, which announces 'black cat served hot at all hours.' A decoction of snake is sold as a medicine." Indeed water snakes they relish as much as we do the eels.

Among Mr. Seward's traveling party are three ladies. By an extraordinary stretch of Eastern hospitality, these are often included among the social gatherings given in honor of their venerable and distinguished friend. "They are the only women of whatever nation or race, who, within the memory of man, have been received in an official circle in Japan." In China, Japan, and India woman is degraded to a very inferior rank. "Among the common people of Japan neither sex maintains decency in dress, and they use the public bathing houses promiscuously. "There as elsewhere in the East the marriage relation exists, "without its rights and responsi

bilities." This debasement of woman has tainted and corrupted the whole State.

At Cochin China a very wealthy Chinese invited the Yankee ladies to visit his family. He, his wife, and five hand-maidens received and entertained them. Besides the costly Chinese furniture in this home, they found a Brussels carpet, pictures of the Yosemite Valley, and a small American sewing machine with a crank. Neither party could entertain the other in conversation. The inspection of one another's dresses and jewelry afforded mutual amusement. The wife was a delicate looking woman of forty, richly dressed, finger nails as long as her fingers, polished and stained to resemble tortoise shell, each nail having for its protection a wrought gold case. Her coarse, black Mongolian hair carefully dressed and fastened with gold pins, partly covered with a black satin cap, tied at the back. Her feet were not more than three inches long, and were tightly encased in scarlet satin shoes; her face and neck, literally plastered with pearl-white, in shocking contrast with eyelids and cheeks painted pink, and lips red. She was refined in manners and speech, reputed intellectual and fond of books. Among other luxuries at the feast, tea and tobacco were indulged in. The Chinese ladies gave their guests cigarettes, while they themselves used long silver pipes, blowing the smoke out of the nose.

In Japan women are the slaves of silly usages. The married and unmarried are required to wear different and distinctive badges. The girl has her full hair tastefully arranged, teeth white, and her whole exterior more or less attractive. As soon as she marries, "her eyebrows are shaven off, her teeth stained jet-black, the ornaments removed from her hair, and she becomes repulsive."

(The reading of this work does not increase our respect for Chinese civilization. Much one finds to approve and admire. But far more to commisserate and condemn. Some of the first men of State are ashamed to invite Mr. Seward to visit them, on account of their miserable places of abode. The 200,000,000 of China are a chaotic world, an effete mass fast hastening to dissolution. Yet she boasts of mighty monuments. Her wall is a standing wonder to the civilized world. Begun 240 years before the Christian era. Finished 450 years later. From 25 to 50 feet high, the top wide enough for two carriages to pass, 1500 miles long. Its erection costing more than all the Railroads in the United States. Yet the building of the whole took only about twenty years of actual work.)

An Indian grandee of seventy years invites Mr. Seward and the ladies to visit him. He has his fifth wife, three sons, and their seed after them. The eldest son welcomes the guest in an English eulogistic oration. Servants gayly dressed stir the air with large

peacock fans. Others sprinkle the company "from head to foot" with rose water, to the perceptible damage of the Yankee ladies' dresses. Others cover them with fragrant bouquets and garlands. The infirm, venerable host's room, was on the third story. He greeted Mr. Seward as "the great father of the greatest of the nations." He ordered all the children of the house to be brought in. Twenty infants gaily dressed, were borne before him by their nurses. Then all the women of the family, the widows excepted, were introduced. Would they be seen by the ladies only, they nervously inquired? Then master replied: "They must all be presented to Mr. Seward, and receive him as a friend. He is a friend of mankind; he shall see us just as we are, and sec all that we do we will have no secrets from him."

"There was a sound of pattering feet, and a gentle rustling was heard. It was followed by the entrance of eight little women, all of whom were draped in gauze of gold and various colors-only g eaming jewels could be seen through their veils. They trembled like so many aspens, as they approached gracefully, lifted their slender arms-almost covered with gold-and extended to us their little nervous hands. The baboo (the old man) was not yet content. He requested us to raise their veils. We did so gently, and looked upon gazelle eyes and pretty features, but the wearers were so abashed, that, in tenderness for them, we soon let the veils drop. In answer to our compliments they spoke not a word."

While Mr. Seward was led through seventy-five apartments of the vast dwelling, the little women, left alone with the ladies, became quite talkative, through a lady interpreter. How many wives each of the sons had married and lost; how many children each wife had; what the jewelry of each was worth, all this they freely told their guests. One introduced her daughter lately married to a youth of ten years. The daughter was eighteen months old. The family consists of seventy-five persons, and has eight couple of such married children. Each woman has three dresses. These are woven in the shape required, so that they need no milliner's work thereon. In all China there is not found a mantua-maker or milliner. All the garments for females are made by men. The wife can neither sew, read, nor write. She has nothing to do but talk with their fellow lady slaves, and brood over numerous domestic miseries.

"They visit a Hindoo village school. Thirty boys, most of them naked, were sitting in the sand, under the shade of a wide-spreading Mango-tree, in a circle. The master stood in the centre, rod in hand, and gave out successive lessons, in the Tamil language, in spelling and arithmetic. The whole school, simultaneously, took the words from his mouth, giving them back with their own; and at the same time wrote the words with their fingers in the sand. These children showed great agility, as well as quickness of ap

prehension. No sooner had they written the text in the ground, than they sprang to their feet, raised their right hands to their foreheads and made a salam, indicating that they were ready to receive the next lesson."

Another school for girls was of a better order. The children were all jet black, and had straight hair, regular features, slender forms, little hands and feet, and were small in stature. They looked sad. All were gayly dressed, either in bright-colored muslins or gauzes interwoven with gold. Their fine, black hair, ears, noses, -necks, arms, wrists, ankles, and toes, were loaded with ornaments of silver, gold, pearls, and precious stones. A little girl, six years of age, wore $1500 worth of such ornaments. A converted Hindoo mother's daughter wore a green satin vest, low at the neck, small short sleeves trimmed with gold lace; a white skirt, over which was wound a long, full, rose-colored scarf; the necklace, ear-rings, and nose-rings were of gold coin. These ornaments constituted the entire fortune of the wearer. Instead of investing their means in business, bank stock, or real estate, as in other countries, they carry it thus on their persons. These girls answered Bible and History questions, as well as our own Sunday-school children, in the language of their own country.

A blessed work has the Dutch Reformed Church of America done for these people. In 1855 the three brothers Scudder, sons of an eminent missionary, who labored here thirty years ago, established the Arcot Mission here. They found thirty-five native Christians, without a church or school. Now the Mission numbers six missionaries and fifty native helpers, who teach day school in seventeen villages. They have three boarding-schools-two for boys and one for girls. In 1870 their Medical Hospital treated 53,963 patients. The Reformed Church of America gives $25,000 a year to this mission. "The simple homes, frugal habits and patient labors of these missionaries and their families are worthy of all praise and admiration."

A journey around the world is made through much tribulation. The more distinguished the traveler, the severer the trial. Now groaning on the restless billows of the "mighty ocean," then borne in litters, on donkey, or by unsteady yet sure-footed Japanese and Chinese. A powerful prince escorts them to his capitol on great elephants, which swing them in mid-air as they trudge heavily in a procession, guarded by 10,000 soldiers. They naturally feel insecure in their exaltation. The elephants knelt for them to mount. When they rose to their feet, "we held fast to the arms of our howdahs much as the landsman grasps the bulwark of a ship in a high Our animals marched three abreast, covering the entire pavement of the widened streets."

"Long before John baptized in the Jordan, the Asiatics had