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tassel! ,I.â€"â€"The Kingdom divided, 1. Kings 12. 1-24. Golden Text, Prov. 13. 20. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL Shechemâ€"Situated west of the Jordan in the hill-country of Eph- raim, just below .Gerizim. Reput~ ed to have been destroyed in the Jewish war and restored by Ves- pasian. It occupied an important position in the early history of Israel. The “oak” of Moreh conâ€" nects Shechem with Abraham (Gen. 12. 6). “Jacob’s well was there.” .There also Joseph was buried. Joshua made it a city of refuge, and near by the law was read by him (Josh. 8, 33-35). After Jero- boam was proclaimed king he built Verse 1. Rehoboamâ€"The only son of Solomon of whom we have any mention. His mother was Naamah, an Ammonite princess. Upon his succession he was forty-one years old, a man of weak character whom the luxuries of his youth had made insolent and unreliable. a, palace it; Shechem, but' it was a poorly fortified place and did not; remain the capital for long. 2. Jeroboamâ€"«He was son of Ne- bat and Zeruah, an Ephraimite of Zeredah. Having been proclaimed first king of Israel after the separ- ation, he reigned twenty-two years. See next lesson. His abilities were early recognized by SolOmon, who appointed him commissioner of the house of Joseph. In this important position the foundropportunity to plot against the king, from whose avenging presence he fled into Egypt. Previous to this he was promised the leadership of the ten tribes by the prophecy of Ahijah (15). ... . . u Heard of itâ€"Some prefer to make this refer to the death of Solomon, placing verse two where verse one now stands. At any rate, Jeroboam must have been in close touch with the situation at home, so that he could respond without delay when the time was ripe. }. 3. All the assembly offlsrael came â€"â€"The reasons why they hesitated to accept Rehoboam without condition lie upon the face of the story: 1. They wanted assurance that the new reign would be less despotic. 2. The old spirit of independence stirred them to suspect an heredi- tary monarchy. 3. The ascendency of Judah and the centralization of power in Jerusalem were justified neither by geographical nor eco- nomic conditions. These facts na- turally awakened jealousy in a peo- ple whose tribal instinct. was still strong. 1 4. Thy father made our yoke grievousâ€"In building the temple and maintaining the splendors of his court Solomon made large levies of men and imposed upon. them heavy labors. ‘ i We will serve theeâ€"They would not totally reject the hereditary ginciple, but the succession must confirmed by the popular will. 5. Depart yet for three daysâ€"It is likely he was taken by surprise, and, being a. weakling, he missed a golden opportunity of winning the immediate and decisive support of an important section of: his people who were already seriously disafâ€" fected. 6. The old markâ€"Their counsel was that of worldly wisdom. In effect it said, “Assure them with good words that you are their ser- vant, and they will be your ser- vants forever. ’ ’ 8. The young men that were grown up with himâ€"They were the court favorites of a. period of mor- nI relaxation and effeminacy, and stood ready to give silly advice by which‘ they might profit and the common herd be subjected to dis- comfort. “Be severe,” they said. INTERNATIONAL LESSON, JAN. 1. “ Ring out the old, Ring in the new, Ring out the false, Ring in the . true. ” And the Best of To‘ You. “Tell them you will! not surgender your prerogative of enforced ser- vice, but will even increase the bur- dens impoSed by your father, and that, whereas he chastised with whips, “you will chastise them with~ leaded thongs (scorpions, 11).” This“ mad counsel exactly suited the! haughty spirit of the young men? arch, already drunk with unaccus- tomed powar. ‘ 15. A thing brought about of’Je- hovahaâ€"As a. punishmefit for the sins of Solomon the Lord had de< creed, through his prophet. that the kingdom should be rent asun- der. Thus, the folly of Rehoboam, and the consequent material disas- ter to both kingdoms, were made the means by which Jehovah’s higher purpose for the moral and spiritual good of humanity should be accomplished. _ we; ‘17. The children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judahâ€"The chief of these cities were Jerusalem, Mizpeh, Gibeoniignd HebroAn. 20. There was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judahâ€"Dean Farrar has point~ ed out the comparative strength and weakness of the two kingdoms. Israel, with such famous shrines as ‘Bethel, Gilgal, Jericho, Shechem, 'Acho, and Joppa; and such nation- al heroes as Joshua, Deborah, Ba- irak, Jephthah, Gideon, Samuel and Saul; and her freedom “from the trammels of a bad commencement” ; and her superiority in the matter of isoil and climate; and her conse- |quent larger freedom and more lbrilliant literature and higher de- velopment in prophecy; she seem- ed to possess overwhelming advan- Itsges, but she suffered two serious drawbacksâ€"image-worghip and the lack of one continuous dynasty. Judah, on the other hand, possessed ithe advantages of a magnificent ca.- "pital, a loyal people, kings who more nearly approached the ideal, icompleter freedom from sins that curse a. nation, and the wide expec- tation that out of Judah should come the Deliverer. 16. What portion have we in David ZflAdopting the proverbial language used by Sheba, in his re- bellion against David (2 Sam. 20. 1). ' Sea to thine own house.â€"â€"An an- nouncement of independence, and equivalent yo» {‘Hands_o_ff.” 7 18. Adoramâ€"This man, who was over the men subject to taskwork, was naturally the most hated per- son whom Rehoboam could have sent to patch up a. poor piece of work. He» represented just the ar- rogant, despotic spirit of their task- master which made him particular- ly offensive to the people. It is litâ€" tle wonder that, in their resent- ment, they stoned him to death. His fate awoke the king to the fact that it was perilous for him to ex- pose himself to the wrath of such men, and, he fled to Jerusalem. GASOLINE OUSTS RATS. Rats appegr to have a, strong eb- jection to gasoline. Not long ago a visitor exploring the London (England) sewers was told by his guide as they walked under Long Acre and Soho that the sewers in this neighborhood are almost en- tirely free from rats. Thisjmmu- nity has been noticed only since the development of the motorâ€"car in-, dustry and the establishment of its headquarters in Shaftesbury avenue and Long Acre. A large quantity of gasoline thus finds its way down the drains, and this, in the opin- ion of the sewer men, effectually keeps the rats away. 21-24â€"Through the man of God. Shemaiah (see 2 Chron. 12), it is made known unto Judah that Re- hoboam’s purposeto fight for the reâ€"establishment of the kingdom is disapproved of. Once more Jeho- vah makes it plain that this thing is of me. - 23. Judah and Benjamin â€"- The latter was only plrtly within the bounds of Judah. Simeon, by its position, was practically absorbed by J udah, which accounts for their seeming to be eleven. instead of twelve tribes. A Corner of the County ofKildm-c Dear to Those Who Know It. The black bog .of _Kilbarron,v'm _the County of Kildare, Ireland, lies five long miles from either railway or post office and is considered to 'be at the “back of beyant entire- 1!: There are'three style-s of dwell- ings in the black bog, says the Ros- ary Magazine, houses, cottages and cabins. The houses are quxint, rambling edifices, owned by the farmers, who still hold to olden styles gmd ancient weys unmindful of the great modern note which in sweeping through Ireland to-day. The cottages belong to the Gov- ernment and are rented to laborers at a. very low rate; while the cab- ins‘are simply relics of the old re- gime, just clay huts roofed with straw. There are very few of the latter standing in Ireland_ now. The black bog is a dangerous place for nightly rambles, ms if abounds in deep holes full of inky water. But some warm summer evening after sunset, when the fogs 'are rising all around, go down there all you. who are city tired, and find out how good that, springy sod will feel to your cramped feet. Try a. short Marathon along those short-pethways, you who are weary of life’s treadmill, and see‘ if you do not get; to feeling like «young colt just, let loose in a. clove’!‘ 'pas- ture. Or some misty day in Octoâ€" ber go down there among the brown heather and let the long, clean, wet winds blow the furrows from your fore head while the rain- drops are pattering on the bracken like the wee feet of the fairies themselves. Always enchanting, always beauâ€" tiful, even if it is at “the back of beyant,” the charm of this old bog will twine itself round your heart with a lure strong enough to draw you gack to the wilds of Kilbarron for evermore. ' KIN G GEORGE’S CORONATIQN Some of the Ancient Customs Which Survive to 1‘his Day. L The crowning of the King of Eng- land has usually been accompanied by what was regarded as the still more solemn rite of anointing with oil, which dates from the days of the ancient Hebrews. And in Eng land, before the ,Norman conquest, the term used was “hallowing, ’ or consecration, rather than that of coronation. But from old records it seems that the ceremony as then perform~ ed at Winchester was in all essen- tials the same as that whighmow takes place in Westminster ’Abbey. Few people seem to be aware; says the Queen, that the coronation ce~ remony was the only religious rite of the Angliqan Church which es~ coped the pruning policy of the Re- former's. Hence itc impressive ri- tual and gorgeous pagentries.' THE BEST MEDICINE . FOR LITTLE ONES The best medicine in the world for little ones is the medicine that will promptly cure all their little ills and at the same time can be given the very youngest baby with absoâ€" lute Safety. Such a medicine is eBaby’I‘ Own Tablets. They never fail to cure the ills of childhood and the mother has the guanntee of a government analyst that they do not contain one particle of in- jurious drug. Concerning them Mrs. John Robei‘tsen, Streetsville, Ont, writes: “I have used Baby’s Own Tablets for Constipation with the very best results. They are in- deed a. valuable medicine for lit- tle ones.” The Tablets are sold by all medicine dealers or by mail at 25 cents a box from The Dr. Wil' lieins’ Medicine 00., Brockville‘ Ont. THE BLACK BOG. However, much remains that is of deep interest and stately splen- dor. The dean and chapter of Westminster claim the right to in~ struct the sovereign in the duties of this solemn service, and on coro- nation day the regalia. are deliver- ed into their custody. ‘ The last coronation at which eV< cry Old World ceremony was duly performed was that of King George IV. At his crowning a coronation banquet took place, there was a procession of peers, the herb strew- er scattered flowers and the chalâ€" lenge of the champion of England was included in the ceremony. But at the coronation: of William IV., Queen Victoria and King Edward these old customs were for various reasons omitted. According to old records £100 is paid for the anointing oil supplied by the royal apothecary. The cor0~ nation chairs are of interest. That of the King is the. chair of Edward the Confessor, used by every Brit- ish sovereign since the time of Ed~ ward II. It is of oak, and is re- covered with fresh crimson velvet on each occasion. Beneath it is placed the stone of destiny, an ancient relic which came original- ly from Ireland. N0 DREAMS FOR MANDARIN. Awakening of China Ha: Brought Great Changes. The reforming of the pofitical as- pect of China, has brought with it some‘Qhanges, in social conditions and it seems as though many more were to follow. Among those who have felt these changed conditions are the mandarins, whose altered ofiicial routine is described by the North China. Daily News. The old dreamy days when a. mandarin spent hours in dolce far niente, “a. demigod amid subservient crowds, delighting himself with the philo- sophy and poetry of his lan .” are all gone since the introduction of telegraph, telephone and railways. Poppy growing is forbidden, but he must compel the reluctant agri- culturist to raise cotton and other products. LicenSgd gambling has been suppressed, but he must raise the revenue thus lost by increasing the tax» on suit and other necessi- ties. This causes riots, and he must put these down. The enraged and harried taxpayers no longer are in fear of the once revered mandarin, and they do not hesitate to attack his person when he ap- pears on the streets.‘ It requires the Wisdom of a, Confucius for a. mandarin to maintain his dignity under the new order of things. The national awakening, bring- ing with it the reorganization of the army, the introduction of occiden- tal‘ sanitary systems, of modern prisons, and other reforms, has made mandarin life not what it once was. Now that official has to raise regiments of modern drill- ed soldiers and find the'money to equip and maintain them; has to build expensive barracks and hos- pitals, erect model prisons, and must refrain from old time punish- ments and find "the money for. all these bothersome novelties. He is bombarded with telegrams from Peking and has to withstand at- tacks by the reform party and the free press. ' Found in the Northern Rivers of Queensland. In Queensland some of the most interesting forms of animal life are to be found. The duck biped piaty- pus (with the web feet of a. duck. which lays eggs and suckles young). the lung fish, the walking perch and many" other queer creatures might be mentioned in “confirmation of this, says the London Globe. . v A remarkable‘\-little~ fish is tl.e rifle fish, which lives in the far nor them rivers of Queensland. A full grown specimen, writes a.‘ .cnvrres- pondent, measures aboufftenrinches FISH THAT SHOOTS FLIES. in length and‘averages one and a half pounds in weight. l'he rifle fish derives itsname from the fact that it shoots its food. It swims leisurely about the stream a. few inches below the surface and it always on the look out for flies and other insects that settle on the floating leaves and twigs or on the surface of water plants. On net- ting close enough to its victim it discharges a tiny jet or ball of wa- ter, which if shot straight knock: the fly into the stream, where it is instantly gathered. in by the shoot; er. Three quarterly dividends at the rate of 13V4 per cent. and one at the rate of 2 per cent, a total of $500,â€" 000 transferred to the rest necount, this sum being made up of premia mm; on new stock and $140,000 from the ordinary earnings; the sum of $10,000, transferred to ofiicers’ penâ€" sion fund, leaving a. balance of $80,- 000 to be carried forward. The paidâ€"up capital now amounts to "84,000,000, being increased by $800,000 during the year and the rest account now stands at 82,400,- 000, being also largely increased during the same period. THE UNION BANK OF CANADA The 46th The 46th statement of the Union Bank of Canada, submitted at the annual general meeting of the- shareholders, held on Saturday, December 17th, was a most satisâ€" factory one. It shows a very lib- eral margin of profit over the amount required for dividends. In fact, the bank earned at the rate of 14 per cent. on the average paid-y up capital, and as a result of the‘ satisfactory earnings increased; their dividend from 7 to 8 per cent? The net profits for the year, afterl deducting expenses of manageei ment, interest due depositors, .etcl,’ ‘eto., amounted to $451,620. During the year $800,000 of new stock was. issued at a premium of 25 per cent., amounting to $359,810. Those two sums, together with the balance at the credit of account on November 30, 1909, amounting to $28,000, made a total of $840,107 available for dis- tribution. This was apportioned as follows: The proof of the auto is the bin fer repairs. sets of the bank an increase of 535,-; 000,000 during the same perion The total assets now amount to the large sum of $47,455,000. indicating that the. Union Bank has become’ one of the larger of our financial institutions. That it is serving the needs of the siness commyn'ty is. shown by the act that it has ioan§f to business houses of over $30,000,- 000. Another indication of its grow-i ing importance in the country is the‘ fact that during the year 37 branché: es or agencies of the bank have been opened. Altogether, the show: ing made by the\bank is the best‘ in its history and reflects the high-1 est credit upon the president, board} of directors and general manager.,; An examination of the statement shows that the deposits not'bearing interest amount to ulmost $15,000,â€" 000, hlving increased by over 83,- 000,000 during the yeer. This in-‘ crease in the deposits not hearing interest indicates an increased ca.- pwcity for profit earning on the part of the bank. The statement shows the bank to be particularly strong: in cash reserves in gold and Do- minion notes, which amount to nearly 13 per cent. of the total lia- bilities, and also that the assets immediately available, including stocks, debentures and call 103113,} are very nearly $15,000,000, or over 37 per cent. of the total liabilities: The net profits for the year show: a gain of $44,000 over the figures of] the pliev_iou_s ygar and the total as-_ Dan ‘zh Annual Statement the Best in Its History.