allowed to sell beer and syder by the
quart, for the tyme whyle the farmers are a building of their
meeting-house, and _on Lord's days_ afterwards."

_Salem Observer_, July 14, 1827.

* * * * *

The interest, which is now felt in the subject of the Sabbath, renders the
following article, respecting the curiosity of Le Sage, worthy the
attention of the reader. It was extracted from a review of Le Sage,
published in Scotland about twelve years ago.

"At the time we are now speaking of the Sabbath was observed at
Geneva, with a gloom and austerity of which we, in Scotland can
probably form a more correct notion than the inhabitants of any
other country in Christendom. Le Sage felt some curiosity to know
whether the author of Nature still continued to impose on himself
the same law that originally marked the institution of the day of
rest. It would have puzzled the first philosopher in Europe to
think of any method by which this question could be brought to
the decision of experiment: but the ingenuity of our young
enquirer soon suggested an experiment.--He measured, with great
care, the increase of a plant day after day, in order to
discover whether it would cease growing on the Sabbath. The
result could not fail to solve the difficulty, and to convince
the young man, that though the work of Creation might terminate,
the work of Providence is never interrupted."

_Salem Observer_, 1829.

* * * * *

Sunday in Salem in 1838.

SALEM AND THE SABBATH.

On our way to church in the quiet city of Salem recently, a
stranger overtook us, and inquired where the Rev. Mr. W---- was
to preach that morning? We answered that we were going to his
church, and would show him a seat. For which he expressed his
thanks and immediately remarked, that he had travelled recently
nearly over all our country, and nowhere had he witnessed such
entire abandonment of all secular avocations on the Sabbath. It
seemed like a different country, and made him feel the
significance of the name of that ancient town--Salem, City of
Peace.--_Christian (Boston) Monitor_.

Fifty years ago hardly any one thought of absenting himself or herself from
publ