e lever over the top. There were, including
seventy nodal roots, more than eighty thousand feet of roots and
rootlets. These roots increased one thousand feet in twenty-four
hours. They were afforded every advantage by being grown in a hot bed.
On August 21 it lifted sixty pounds. By September 30 it lifted a ton.
On October 24 it carried over two tons. The squash grew gnarled like
an oak, and its substance was almost as compact as mahogany. Its inner
cavity was very small, but it perfectly elaborated its seeds, as usual.

The lever to indicate the weight had to be changed for stronger ones
from time to time. More weights were sought. They scurried through
the town and got an anvil and pieces of railroad iron and hung them at
varying distances, as shown in the cut. By the 31st of October it was
carrying a weight of five thousand pounds. Then owing to defects of
the new contrivance the rind was broken through without showing what
might have been done under better conditions. Every particle of the
squash had to be added and find itself elbow room under this enormous
pressure. But life will assert itself.

[Illustration: Squash in Cage.]

No wonder that the Lord, seeking some form of speech to represent his
power in human souls, says, "I am the vine, ye are the branches." The
tremendous life of infinite strength surges up through the vine and out
into all branches that are really vitally attached. No wonder that
much fruit is expected, and that one who knew most of this imparted
power said, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

SPIRITUAL DYNAMICS*

*Reprinted from _The Study_.

Will God indeed dwell upon the earth? asked Solomon. Will God indeed
work with man on the earth? asks the pushing, working spirit of to-day.
Has man a right to expect a special lending of the infinite power to
help out his human endeavors? Does God put special forces to open some
doors, close others, influence some men to come to his help, hinder
others, bring to bear influences benign, restrain those malign, and
invigorate a man's own powers so that his arm has the strength of ten,
because his heart is pure enough for God to work in it and through it?
If this is so, in what fields, under what conditions, to what extent,
and in accordance with what laws may we expect aid?

First, it is evident that there is power not ourselves. We did not
make this world. We did not put into it even the lowest fo