Pearl, The Unexpected—See Discovery, Fortunate.
Pearls—See Appreciation.
Peccability of Men—See Vincibleness.
Pedagog Rebuked—See Unnatural Education.
PEDIGREE
Shells keeping their form and delicate
color and delicate wings of insects are preserved
in stone, embedded there ages ago,
"Trees waved, butterflies flitted on brilliant
wings and hosts of creatures basked in the
sunlight long before human foot trod the
earth," says Edith Carrington in "Ages Ago."
Some pique themselves in being able to trace
descent through a few centuries. But there
is a humble creature haunting our back-*yards
counting his pedigree by millions of
years. The common wood-louse, tho shy
and modest, might boast if he liked—the
scion of an ancient and noble family, the
trilobites, once the monarchs of the world
and the most numerous and highly organized
creatures in it. (Text.)
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Penalty from Mistaken Ideas—See Individualism, Excessive.
PENTECOST, MODERN
The Hawaiian Islands are among the greatest of the marvels of missionary success.
During the five years ending June, 1841,
7,557 persons were received into the Church
at Hilo, constituting three-fourths of the
whole adult population of the parish. When
Titus Coan left Hilo, in 1870, he had himself
received and baptized 11,960 persons.—Pierson,
"The Miracles of Missions."
(2330)
Penuriousness—See Sight, Imperfect.
People, Contact With—See Speech,
Common.
Perfection—See Compliment.
Peril and Reward, Ignoring—See Pride
in One's Task.
PERISHABLENESS
At the Wold's Fair at St. Louis, Mo., the
heroic statue of Joliet was so fine a work
of art that a movement was set on foot to
preserve it after the close of the fair. Many
admirers of it subscribed for the expense,
and it was removed to the entrance of
O'Fallon Park. The figure was twenty-five
feet high and fifteen feet long. The work
of removal was difficult and cost nearly
$2,000, but it was safely accomplished and
it made an imposing addition to the beauties
of the park. But it was made only of staff,
and tho it was believed it would last for ten
years, it was not supposed that it was
permanent. Not long after, however, while
hundreds of people stood admiring it in its
new position, there was a sudden break in
the image. A cloud of white dust arose,
and when it cleared away the big statue had
disappeared. A heap of white dust was all
there was to show where it had been. It
had absolutely crumbled to powder. All the
work that had been expended on its formation
and removal was lost in a moment. So
it is with all human work, however beautiful
and imposing. In God and His work alone
is permanence. (Text.)
(2331)
Permanence of the Spirit—See Record, Living.
PERMANENCY
"The first lizard possest the snout of a
dolphin, the head of a lizard, the teeth and
jaws of a crocodile, the backbone of a
fish, paddles like those of a whale and the
trunk and tail of a quadruped—a very monarch
of the early seas. Kill or be killed
must have been the rule of his life," says
the great French novelist Currie. But it
would seem the coat of mail worn by the
tortoises and turtles was a better protection
than the powerful claws and jaws of
the fish-lizard, which was short-lived. The
former are alive and flourishing to this day—the
latter have altogether vanished. On
the grave of John Keats are the words,
"Here lies one whose name was writ in
water." (Text.)
(2332)
Permanent Impressions—See Teacher's Function, The.
PERMANENT, THE
Rev. Robert P. Wilder, missionary to India, gives the following account of a vivid dream he had while working in the mission field:
"I thought the Master came to me and said,
'Take heed how ye build.' I asked Him
to show me the pattern. The veil was
removed and I saw the pattern; but I saw
