productive industries, and by wealth accumulated in other natural ways; but this is not true of Jerusalem. That which we see here is due entirely to foreign capital, and in reality the inhabitants of the city are kept alive by money that comes from abroad.

In this respect, as in many others, Jerusalem is unlike any other city on the globe. Every Jewish family receives public aid. The Jews are divided into national communities, or what is equivalent to that, over which committees preside; and all funds raised in any given country, say, for example, Germany or Russia, are sent to Jerusalem to be divided among the members of the German or Russian community of Jews. In this way every person receives aid which is called "Haluka.” Poor Jews in Europe know that, if once they can get to Jerusalem, they will receive something, and, although it be a mere pittance, they think that, by living meanly, it will go a long way towards their maintenance, and perhaps some lucky chance will throw in their way what is needed to make up the actual amount necessary for their support. Hence they come here to live in wretchedness and poverty. As there is no work for them, they live in idleness. Whatever may have been the origin of this Haluka, it has been degraded so that now every dollar contributed in this manner is a positive curse to Jerusalem, and especially to the Jews. What I say now are not the exaggerated statements of a Christian, but the testimony of intelligent Jews themselves. Were this vast amount of money withdrawn, the poor Jews would suffer temporarily, but it would result in driving them into the world, where they could earn a living. This, however, they do not wish to do. These people are willing to have it so. The sentiment

of living in the Holy City" seems to outweigh any discomforts or hardships that may arise from filth, poverty, and want. The Jews throughout the world ought to be ashamed to foster such a spirit, or to perpetuate such a state of things.

If we turn to the Christian population of Jerusalem, we find that matters are not much better than they are among the Jews, although there is not among them so much desperate poverty. The Protestants form only a very small community, and for a very significant reason, - namely, a reason which expresses a radical difference between Protestantism and the various forms of nominal Christianity. Protestantism teaches independence and self-reliance; the Catholic and Greek churches teach exactly the opposite. Protestants are taught that they must earn their own living, and pay for what they receive. The Latin and Greek convents have vast properties in their possession, and every family belonging to either of these communities has its house rent free. It frequently happens that a family belonging, say to the Greek community, owns a house, but, instead of living in it, they rent it, and get of the Geeek convent a house free of rent. This is not done secretly, as might be supposed, but with the full knowledge of the convent authorities. Every family, in like manner, receives a gift of bread twice a week. Occasionally soup is given out in the same way. These simple, or rather characterless, oriental people reason as follows: "House rent and bread free. Ah! This is a beautiful religion!" Hence they become "Greeks" or "Latins," it is all the same to them which.

The worst of it is that priests and patriarchs foster this pernicious system. Consequently, how can Protest

antism, which is directly opposed in its spirit and methods to such a system, gain any foothold on such ground? I frequently say to intelligent travelers that, were I to be a missionary, I would much prefer to go to Stanley's country, the Congo, and labor with the savages, than to attempt to do anything in Jerusalem or Palestine.

It is no exaggeration to say that, taking the Jews and nominal Christians together, two-thirds of the inhabitants of the city are beggars, either actual beggars or polite beggars. By the latter phrase I mean a large class of people who prefer to accept their living, or a great part of it, as a gift rather than earn it themselves. This state of things which I describe is becoming worse every year. Tens of thousands of pounds are sent here each year, and, spent in these so-called charities, thus fostering qualities the very opposite of those in which industrious, enterprising, and prosperous people take pride.

I desire to say something further in connection with this and kindred topics, but, as my letter is already long, I will reserve other material for other occasions.

SELAH MERRILL, D. D., LL.D., U. S. Consul at Jerusalem.

THE TEMPEST.

The sky was fair; but a cloud arose

And darkened and deepened o'er all the azure,
And the lightning revealed its radiant glows,
And the deep-rolling thunder its heavy measure.

And sorrow came into a happy heart,

And burdened it down with a weight of grieving; The fair golden love-links were torn apart,

And the heart stood still, faint and unbelieving.

O beautiful sky, if the storm had not come

We could not have known how blue God made you; O tempest, we could not have seen your gloom If the sun had not shone at the first, and stayed you.

O sad, aching heart, you could never know

Until you had suffered God's earnest chiding, How smooth was the path you had learned to go; How easy His yoke, and His love, how abiding,

God's mandates are perfect; we may not know
How many the hidden blessings given;

And peacefully onward still we may gʊ;

Though the tempest arise, there's a Sun in heaven.

FRANCES HARDING.

70

DOES IT PAY?

Propose anything to an American, be he great or small, young or old, and there comes as if spontaneously from his lips the question; "Will it pay? does it pay?" What does he mean by it? What may he mean? In the broadest application of the expression its purport

is : "Will this course of proceeding return me value for the time and strength and means I may expend upon it?" To the thoughtful, earnest man it is the sitting down and counting the cost to see whether, having entered upon such a course, he will be able to carry it to completion. It is the striking of a prospective balance between the probable expenditures and receipts. To the most of mankind, alas, the question is a formula for this more material one, "Will it enhance the value of my property? Shall I have more dollars. and cents in my hand when it is over? Will it enable me to put nicer clothes on my back and finer food in my mouth and to appear with handsomer equipage and trappings?"

To some it may be merely a reckoning of one side of the transaction without any consideration of the outlay. The pleasure-seeker simply wants to know how much fun and amusement he can get out of it, and takes no thought of the tremendous expenditure of time, which counts for nothing on his balance-sheet, of talent which is destined to count for less, of strength which he is recklessly dissipating, of means which some