VOL. 5. THE ANN ARBOR BAPTIST. An annual occasion of much pleasure and interest has been the RollCall of the church membership and the offering made for the Ladies' Society Fund. Every member of the church is expected to be present or accounted for on this occasion and to respond to his name when called. This time it is desired that the members respond by repeating a brief verse of Scripture or other appropriate quotation. The custom of the free-will offering may need explanation for the benefit of some of our newer members and attendants. The Ladies' Society assumed years ago the payment of an annuity of $140 for which the Trustees are responsible during the life-time of one of our aged members in consideration of a gift made toward the building fund of the church. The Ladies of the church were formerly accustomed to raise this sum by the May Floral Festival ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, MAY, 1893. Financial Report. LOCAL OBJECTS. Church contributions for local ex penses... Sunday School contributions for local expenses.... NO. 4 .$2,590 66 21 72 81 55 Total, $2,880 ditional....... The King's Daughters......... Baptist Young People's Union.... The Poor Fund and similar means; but for several years past, at the request of many members, this sum has been met directly by the annual free-will gifts of the members at the time of the annual Roll-Call,and by the proceeds of the teas and annual dues of the Society. Ladies Society ($161.45 in all) adSome offering is desired from every member of our church and congregation. In addition to the social oc. casion of this large church gathering there will be supper served by the Ladies at 6:30 P. M. to which all are invited. The supper will include this time a new feature-the serving of warm maple sugar. Only the usual fee of ten cents will be charged. The date of all this is Thursday evening, May 18. Roll-Call at 8 o'clock. THE ASSOCIATION. The Washtenaw Baptist Association met with our church Wednesday and Thursday, May 3rd and 4th, the sessions were well attended and of much interest. An admirable sermon was delivered by Rev. J. L. Cheney, Ph. D., pastor at Ypsilanti, Wednesday morning and an address of great power was made by Rev. D. D. MacLaurin, of Detroit, Wednesday evening on the duty of the church in the matter of the conversion of the children. It was listened to by a large congregation. A history of the Ann Arbor church prepared and read by Professor Tenbrook was of much interest, and the presence of the venerable, Deacon Daniel Brown, who was so intimately connected with the earliest history of our church from 1832 on was very grateful to the association. The beautiful singing by the choir and the bountiful hospitality of those in charge of the entertainment of the guests were highly appreciated by the visiting brethren and sisters. MISSIONARY CONTRIBTIONS. Ministers Home. Contributed goods also v'lued at $96. 64 for Home Mis sion Work. 25.00. $57.90. $35.00. $1.63. Also goods valued at $5.00, for Home Missions. 25.00. 723.72. 6 I would not if I could repeat A not uncheerful step with time, Each has freed himself of responsibility, and each takes his way lightly because of this care-free condition. Yet the one state is an attainment after striving, the other is a refusal to strive at all. The first is the result of a long struggle between belief and doubt, hope and despair; between the burden of a responsibility too great to be borne, and a crushing sense of inability to meet it. When the outcome of such a soul-conflict is Faith, it is a faith profound and unchangeable. "God lives!" Then, although the heavens fall, that soul may abide in security! "But," says the second man, "what is the advantage gained by worrying and straining to reach this state of mind? It is possible to be content without it. Look at me I long ago declined to face these questions, and I have been quite comfortable ever since. You have concerned yourself for nothing. You have but come around to my way of thinking. We stand upon the same ground, after all. We each do as well as the average man-rather better; but I have never troubled myself about the matter, while you you do not give a thought to to-morrow." "No," repeats the first man, "I do not give a thought to to-morrow!" "And," goes on the second, "neither of us has any anxiety as to the final result of to-day's action!" "You are right," echoes the first. I feel no anxiety as to the final result!" "Then how are you any better off than I?" demands the second. "What is the difference between us?" What, indeed?-Harper's Bazar. Selfishness. The essayist De Quincy, in one of his semi-jocular moments, said that not more than one man out of a hundred is perfectly sane and that hun dredth man isn't sane all the time! This turn of expression serves us in the remark that not one man in a hundred is perfectly righteous, and that hundredth man isn't righteous all the time. This amounts to a declaration that there is much of sinfulness in men-a declaration that makes up in truthfulness what it may lack in originality. Sin is essentially selfishness. Make whatever definition of sin you please, the fact is that sin is selfishness, and selfishness it is that constitutes sin. Sin is the "transgression of the law." But all transgression that is sinful is a willful pursuit after that which is unlawful but for which self clamors. No man can be regarded as free from sin until he has lost the last movements of selfishness. Not until he desires first of all the Divine Will in all things, and also has overcome the tendency to set up his own will (as such) in conflict with the wills of others-not until then has he attained unto complete unselfishness and sinlessness. Perfect love, which is essential to this state, casts out other things besides "fear." It excludes also self-will. It eliminates all disposition to resentment under whatever provocation. It destroys even the desire to win a victory over an opponent (which is to be distinguished from the spirit of the prayer, "Thy kingdom come.") It fills the man with a serenity and peacefulness which needs not to be proclaimed, but manifests itself as does the glorious sun in his coming when, in the stillness of a perfect June morning, he ascends as noiselessly as he does gloriously above the gleaming hilltops. But there is more righteousness in the world than ever before. Christian unselfishness is developing and growing. There is more and more advance toward the "perfection" to which we are called. And God is able to complete in us that which, through Christ he has well begun.—Morning Star. Not only when Peace folds her arms about us, And hope is bright; But always-till faith, at the gate of heaven, Is lost in sight! Not only when in holy meditation At close of day, tidy when he sees her, what chance would she ever have of being asked to be his wife? Wait until after she has secured him, and then she need exercise no restraint-the bird is caged. He on his side is equally prone to practice a deception as great as her own. He comes to call in spick-andspan evening dress, with a little gift which he presents with a dainty air of compliment that makes her consider him the most generous creature in the world, until after marriage the fact leaks out that it was not his to give, and the girl to whom it belonged is But always-in the little cares and clamoring for its return. When they The increase of our soul ascends to heaven The while we pray; Not only when some great and mighty sor row Our heart-strings rend; troubles "Unto the end." go out he spends his money in a princely and inconsequent manner as Yes, always with us, all our trouble shar- though it grew, instead of having been ingThis Savior blest; The heaviest portion of the burden bearing, That we may rest; borrowed from a friend not two hours before. Ah, no; business worries, money difficulties, all are kept in the back While at our side the sweet voice ever ground during the engagement, but whispers, Lovers do not mean to be deceitful, but nevertheless the period of engaged ment is one in which they do not reveal themselves in their true character. Of course they do not see as much of each other's company before as after marriage, and those too brief intervals, as they then consider them, are utilized to show only the good side of the one to the other. Those evenings when he is to call she dons her prettiest gown, curls her hair to perfection, and greets him with a smile, even if ten minutes before she has been woefully put out over some domestic faux pas or girlish disappointment. She does not wrangle with him when he arrives, but puts her trouble out of sight until at least he leaves her, when she drops the mask assumed for his benefit and becomes once more her natural self. It is not deceit-it is policy. If she were to be ill-tempered and un marriage alters all this. Then do each learn the true man or woman they have married, and in too many cases have been so deceived?" Yet such the cry goes forth, "How could I deception will go on forever and such frauds will be practiced, and until that day comes when frankness, absolute sincerity, and truthfulness, with no false pretension, mark the era before unions of men and women who awakmarriage, there will be many unhappy en too late to the fact that they have been woefully deceived in their choice. -Jenness Miller Magazine. Beauty and Goodness. There are thoughtless people who say that beauty of soul signifies invariably beauty of body, that the spiritual and intellectual must of necessity shine through the corporeal vestiture as a lamp through a transparency. Granting that a certain dignity and nobility do inhere in the personality, and that education refines the features and informs the countenance with expression, the admission must be made that beautiful souls are not invariably resident in beautiful bodies. A very plain face, a rough skin, unsightly lineaments, have often been the outward accompaniments of rarely pure and exquisite beings, whose angelhood was compelled to await its wings on the other side of this sphere. An excellent man was wont to observe that when he chose a wife he should look for mental rather than physical graces. "Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain," he quoted grand ly, "but a woman that feareth th Lord, she shall be praised." H sisters, finding him slow to designa the future companion of his trave through the world, kindly indicate to him a certain irreproachable Mi Ursula, as devoutly good as she wa unfortunately augular and plai And very malicious was their sati faction when the bachelor broth exclaimed, "Great Scott! There reason in all things! A man wan something besides piety in a wife!" A receipt for beauty! Who sha compound it? It is easy to say th we must have good health, good ten per, good breeding, happiness. Ru kin says, pithily, "You can neve make a girl lovely unless you mak her happy." Tranquillity of lif ability to rest, freedom from heav burdens, luxury, these help; but afte all, beauty, like glory, is the untran latable word-From Harper's Baza Led by his Child. "A little child shall lead them." is expected that the parents will lea the children, but sometimes when s and the world have obtained so stro a hold on parents so to keep the from Jesus and hope and salvatic God still has a child lead them. W. Taylor, at Hicksville, O., Recently in a meeting with Bro. I ed to a very responsive audience preac the hope of knowing our friends heaven. It was a very tender med ing. In the after-meeting, when were encouraged to talk; a strang arose to talk. He was well dress and intelligent looking, and neari the fifties in life. In trembling voi he spoke, giving us a chapter in h experience. He had been a Christi but about three years. He and h wife had given the matter no atte tion. Bro. Upkike held a meeting the town where he lived, and daughter, a young girl, gave hers to the Lord, and commenced a pu beautiful life. After a year or two s sickened and died Before she we away from them she asked her pa to meet her in heaven. This led him to fix his thoughts a his heart on Jesus, and he became Christian. He lives now in the swe hope of meeting his beautiful daug ter in heaven. Many wept as the m told his story. It is yet true, "A little child sh lead them," and many children leading their parents into the kir dom. E. L. FRAZIER Irvington, Ind. 117 SHORTHAND AND TYPEWRITING Every young lady and gentleman should learn Shorthand and Typewriting. Any one with only ordinary ability can master the art in from four to six months and command a salary of from $50 to $100 per month. Graduates assisted to good paying positions. Write for full particulars to |