antagonize the second class. All agree on the desirability of all moral excellences, and that in truth it is the aim of Christianity to teach men how to live and die right. Here is common ground on which the best classes can stand. And if the Church is to continue to influence and direct the second class of young men,a very large percentage of the best educated and brightest minds of every community,- instead of making itself a mausoleum, it must address itself to man's every-day needs, more to the world of sense and touch, and less to that from whose bourne no traveler has ever sent reliable advices."

Another remarks," Plain application of the gospel in regard to right and wrong living, and the results, present and eternal, which follow the acceptance or rejection of Christ as a Saviour."

A young lawyer says, "I look upon Phillips Brooks as in many respects an ideal preacher. Young men want a largeness, a freedom and suggestiveness, in their preaching that may be applicable to all creeds. Most Sunday-school teaching is a farce; it is mere henpecking at the truth, however reverent."

A young manufacturer bears the following testimony: "The gospel, pure and simple. Repent, or ye cannot be saved. I think that people expect such preaching. If some of the sinners do get offended, they will not take offense unless it comes home to them, and touches their consciences, and then they will be urged by an irrepressible impulse to hear more. 'God is love.' I do not mean sensational preaching, but I sometimes feel that pastors often preach all around and over us, instead of into us, and drive the truth home with sledge-hammer blows."

A young man of earnest piety says: "A good practical sermon, plain talk on the present day, anecdotes used as illustrations, which show the advantage of Christian life and the misfortunes and sufferings of riotous living." A young doctor who is a type of manly piety says: "As to preaching, vigorous, robust, muscular Christianity, based upon the primary principles of faith, and devoid of all the etcetera of creed, that will teach them to live the life that now is, that will teach them to think less concernedly about their own salvation, and more concernedly of the uplifting of other men." Another young doctor remarks: "Very little theology and much Christian morality; full of all manner of illustrations and pictures from every-day life, painted with oratorical coloring and picturesque effect; of course imbued with a Christian spirit."

"Preaching Christ," answers the son of a minister, who is himself very far from being a minister. A merchant says: "The best sermon, and the one I most enjoy in the whole year, is the sermon to children in June: simple, with illustrations to make it pointed. I am not educated enough to understand all sermons."

"Personally," says a young banker, "I am greatly interested and benefited by hearing practical sermons preached from every-day working Christianity." Says a young lawyer: "That which shows the character and manliness of Christ, that which induces individual thought. I would that each church had a Bible class where every man could come with an honest question, and know that it would be discussed honestly; where any religious question would be treated with the same honesty and fairness given to legal questions."

I close these quotations with a long extract from

a letter of a distinguished student of social science, who, since his letter was written, has become the editor of one of the leading magazines, and who, a young man himself, has special interest in the work for young men: "The work among young men must, I think, be chiefly the work of individuals for and with individuals. The strange young man must find a friend as well as a sermon at church. A certain degree of acquaintance and recognition will go far toward making the av erage young man a church-goer. There is no substitute for this personal interest. The Sunday-school and the Church can greatly help each other in this matter of getting and keeping young men. The number of young men who do not go to church is very large. Tact and good sense on the part of Christian business men, who encounter these young fellows on week-days, could make regular attendants of many of them. Why do we not invite more of them, and ask them to our pews? There are scores of men in Plymouth Church who could make church-goers out of non-church-going young men by simply asking them in a friendly way to join them on Sunday at church, and to go home with them for dinner. Of course such courtesies must spring out of genuine interest and friendliness. If they are of this sort, they may change the whole current of a young man's life.

"I do not like sensational preaching, or services arranged obviously to draw. The plain gospel preaching, with sympathetic reference to the practical difficulties and dangers of young men, just as we hear it preached in our church, is what seems to me most useful - better than lectures or essays. Of course it is to be remembered that many young men need intellectual as well as spiritual pabulum; but they need the latter most. They are not chiefly dependent upon the pulpit for the former. I think there ought to be a great field in Sunday-school teaching for the building up of young

These letters are written by some of the noblest young men in Minneapolis. Of good intellectual standing, and many having a college training, their moral character is no less worthy than their intellectual. They may serve us, therefore, to represent the demands of the best young manhood on the pulpit. It is to be noticed that the demand is not for entertainment. I am aware that the pulpit is looked upon in many places as a rival of the drama. A friend of mine, an able, thoughtful, and earnest minister, on his summer outing was the guest of a New England hotel. One Sunday he was to preach in the village church. A fellowguest approached him, and said, "Ah, Mr. L, I understand that you are to entertain us this morning." Entertainment, when a man should worship God! Entertainment, when a man should be sober and serious, with the remembrance of his sin! Entertainment, when a man is hearing truths as to his present and eternal being! I recognize that some people do demand entertainment, and ask that their minister should be as restful and as interesting as the platform lecturer, and a good deal more. I recognize that ministers are to be found who meet this demand. They have their reward. But I also recognize that the best men and women no more demand that the pulpit should be entertaining than they demand that the gospels or the epistles should be entertaining. Entertainment is good; but the place for entertainment is not the church. Eat

It is also to be observed that the demand of these young men is for what may be called spiritual preaching. In a material age, in a material town, the cry is for sermons to be other than material. "That which shows the beauty of the religion of Jesus"; "The plain application of the gospel in regard to right and wrong"; "The gospel, pure and simple"; "Vigorous, robust, muscular, practical Christianity"; "Preaching Christ"; "That which shows the character and manliness of Christ"- these are the phrases which the young men use to voice their demands. The greatest preacher of our age while he lived, and one of the greatest of any age, was the most spiritual of preachers. With defects as an orator, yet with a mighty love for man and a mighty trust in God, Phillips Brooks led the thinking, worshipful part of the American people to higher things in thought and life. Spiritual preaching, like the ellipse, has two centers, man and God: man in his relation to God, God in his relation to man. Theological preaching has God for its center; moral preaching has man; spiritual preaching, both theological and moral, has both centers, God and man. God blesses the man who thus preaches; God blesses the people who are thus ministered unto.

With this demand for spiritual preaching runs the demand for what is termed the practical, personal sermon. The demand springs from the same source as the desire for spiritual preaching: it is the demand for help for help in the life of each day, for help to be good and pure, and brave and hopeful and strong, when the allurement is to be bad and foul and cowardly, and despairing and weak. Sermons which do not help miss their aim, or miss what should be their aim.

Charles F. Thwing.

An Immigration Restriction League. THAT there has been a growing sentiment in this country during the last few years in favor of more

have escaped the notice of any person who reads our newspapers and magazines. This feeling has found expression in many political platforms, and in various other ways; but there has until recently been no definite organization formed to work solely for more stringent immigration laws. The belief that a non-partizan, non-sectarian, and non-political organization is needed, which shall devote itself to this work, has led to the formation of the Immigration Restriction League. The objects of the league, which was started in Boston last July, are, as stated in its constitution: "To advocate and work for the further judicious restriction, or stricter regulation, of immigration, to issue documents and circulars, solicit facts and information, on that subject, hold public meetings, and to arouse public opinion to the necessity of a further exclusion of elements undesirable for citizenship or injurious to our national character. It is not an object of this league to advocate the exclusion of laborers or other immigrants of such character and standards as fit them to become citizens."

The league numbers among its members men of all parties, from all over the country, and is on a firm working basis. Its vice-presidents are Ex-Senator George F. Edmunds of Vermont; Hon. George S. Hale, Colonel Henry Lee, Hon. Henry Parkman, Hon. Robert Treat Paine, of Boston; Professors N. S. Shaler and John Fiske of Cambridge, Mass. A president is to be elected at the annual meeting in January. The league has already issued three regular publications, besides a large number of circulars. The publications referred to are "The Present Aspect of the Immigration Problem," "Various Facts and Opinions concerning the Necessity of Restricting Immigration," and a collection of statistics relating to the numbers, nationality, and distribution of our recent immigrants, and the proportion of the foreign-born among our insane, paupers, and criminals. These publications will be sent to any one applying to the Secretary of the Immigration Restriction League, 428 Exchange Building, Boston, Mass. Robert De C. Ward.

A Valentine.

My earnest love! When she is meek, And talks of prayer and penance lowly, Her silken eyelash on her cheek,

I love her then with love as holy,

As free from earthly stain or taint,
As monk may give to shrinèd saint.

My winsome love! When she's inclined
To view life more in aspect human,
I'm very glad indeed to find

That she can be so much a woman.
I love her for the love she gives,
And think no sweeter being lives.

My naughty love! But when she laughs,
And strives to puzzle and displease me,
When, merciless, she guys and chaffs,
And does her charming best to tease me,
'T is very strange this should befall,-
That then I love her best of all!

Madeline S. Bridges.

Cupid's Arrows.

PHOEBE, wandering in a wood,
Chanced to spy Dan Cupid sleeping;
Long the curious maiden stood
Tiptoe through the branches peeping.
For the youngster's lips she yearned,
Till, the branches parting slyly,

She to slake her thirst that burned
Stooped and kissed the rogue's mouth shyly.

Now the boy's eyes open wide,
And upon the maid he gazes,
Grasps an arrow at his side,

And his silver bow upraises.
Swift the maiden turns to flee;
Swift the arrow follows after,
Wounding in its flight a tree:

Hark! how rings the maid's clear laughter.

Cupid, with sleep-dazzled eyes,

Stares a moment through the bushes Where the laughing maid still flies,

Then adown the wood he rushes. Now the shaft o'ertakes the quarry, Now it cleaves poor Phoebe's heartMaidens, ere you wake Love, tarry First to filch his every dart.

James B. Kenyon.