ing with triumph, thinking that he was
fairly smoking the little Doctor out, "what can you say for _your_ side
of the question? Was there ever a time when life and property were so
protected as now? And were there ever so many Bibles and tracts and
other religious matter published and disseminated as at the present
time? Missionaries are going by thousands all over the earth, and the
gospel will soon have been preached to all nations."

"That's so, that's so," concurred the Doctor again.

"Come, come, Doctor; defend your side of the question," cried Fred.

"I did not know that I had committed myself to either side," returned
he. "But I will say this much: While I am not pessimistic as to the
outcome of this struggle going on between God's and Satan's forces in
the world, yet we should not overlook the fact that the devil is
fearfully active in these times. While I have admitted all that Will has
said, yet there is another side to the question. Let me call your
attention to the fact that there never was a time when there was so much
rum and tobacco used in the world as to-day. The amount consumed per
capita is increasing tremendously. Remember that with every missionary
there are sent in the same ship from seventy-five to one hundred gallons
of intoxicants, and tobacco galore. Never has this world seen so vast
preparation for war. The people of all Europe are groaning beneath the
taxation imposed upon them for the support of vast armies and navies. At
no time has money been piled up in the hands of the few as at the
present. Hundreds of millions in many instances are held by a single
individual. By no sort of philosophy can he be entitled to it, and by no
system can he come into possession of it without robbing thousands of
his fellowmen. And as to inventions: surely no man delights more in the
splendid achievements of our age in this direction than I do. But I
declare to you that I believe labor-saving machinery to be a mighty
curse to mankind, because the laborer is being driven closer and closer
to the wall by the innumerable inventions that are driving him out of
every field of labor. The great money kings are taking advantage of
every such invention, and what the end is to be I do not dare predict.
Ignatius Donnely's fearful picture in his work, Caeser's Column, I hope
and believe to be terribly overdrawn. And, as I said before, I am not
pessimistic as to the final outcome; but let us beware of crying 'Peace!
peac