William, who had said nothing as yet, but had been walking backwards and forwards, with his head down, and his hands in his pockets, turned suddenly round to Mary, and said, "I have been thinking we can soon know if your knife is in the nest. We only want a polemoscope for that. Hurrah! long live optics!"
"A lemoscope!" said Lucy, "What is that? Is it a long hook?"
William.—(Smiling rather contemptuously.) "Poor sister! What ignorance!"
Father—"William, speak kindly—tell your sister what this instrument is, and what you want to do with it."
William.—(Scientifically.)—"In war, when a besieged garrison wishes to know all the movements of the enemy, without being seen, they erect behind the walls, or the ramparts, a mirror, placed at the end of a long pole, and inclining towards the country. You understand, then, that everything that takes place outside, is reflected in the mirror, and can be seen from within, or in another mirror placed at the bottom of the pole, and sloping inwards. This, Lucy, is what is called a polemoscope—that is to say, an instrument for observations in war."
"Thank you, William," said Lucy, "but what are you going to do with it?"
William.—"The thing is quite plain. I am going to fasten a small mirror on a light pitchfork, inclining it downwards. This pitchfork I shall fasten firmly to pole; then some one will climb, dear papa, without any danger, as far as the strong branches reach; from thence he can draw up the pole and its mirror, with a long string, and by raising the mirror above the nest, he will enable us to see, with the aid of your telescope, all that the nest contains. This is my plan, and I think it is not so bad!"
Father.—(Smiling.)—"Dear William. It is a great pity, however, that you are so blind. There are two things you have not considered. One is, that the branches which cover the nest, are very thick and tufted. Therefore, your mirror, even if it reached their summit, would only reflect the leaves, and consequently neither the nest nor the knife; and the other thing which you do not observe, is this, that the magpies, by an admirable instinct, which God has given them, build their nests, not like a basin, as you supposed, but in the form of a ball; so that the nest is covered with a vaulted roof, formed of sticks closely interwoven, which shelters the bird and its brood from bad weather, and above all, from the cruel claw of the kite or hawk."
"I am much obliged to you, dear papa," said William. "What a pity," he added, with a sigh; "for my plan would otherwise have been infallible."
"Let us seek a better one," said their father. "Mary, go and see if you have not left your knife in the fruit-room. Perhaps it was yesterday, that you peeled the apple for Sophy."
"I will do so," said Mary, and she went into the house for the key of the fruit-room.
She soon returned, exclaiming, "The key is not in its place, and I put it there this morning."
"Miss Mary is mistaken," said Elizabeth, coming out of the kitchen; "I see the key in the door."
"Papa," said Mary, "I recollect, when I put the key in the cupboard, this very morning, Sophy looked at it, and said, 'It is certainly the prettiest key on the bunch.'"
"Let us go to the fruit-room," said the father, directing his steps thither. "I fear this will prove a sad affair."
"What is this, too," cried Mary, examining the shelves, "the big key of the cellar here Where did it come from? And this key covered with cheese, from one end to the other!"
"Let us go to the cellar!" said the father. "I believe we shall find out more there than we can here."
They opened the door, and found the brilliant silver knife, not in the magpie's nest, but sticking in a cheese, from which a large portion appeared to have been detached.
The children were amazed, and their Father much grieved.
"Here is your knife, Mary," said John, who first saw it. "Certainly, there is no need of a looking-glass to find it."
"You must not joke, my children," said the Father; "this is a very sad business. I am thankful it has taken place in the absence of your dear Mother, and I forbid you writing her anything about it. This must concern me, and me alone."
William.—(Indignantly.)—"It amounts to a theft, a falsehood!"
Lucy.—"But who has done it, William? Did not Mary leave her knife here?"
William.—"Who saw the Magpie carrying it off in his beak?"
Mary.—(To Lucy.)—"Do you not understand that it was poor Elizabeth, who came here with my knife, which she took off the table where I left it, and who, after having cut a piece of cheese with it, went to the fruit-room, no doubt to steal some apples also."
John.—(Angrily.)—"Papa, Elizabeth has acted deceitfully— will you allow her to remain with you? One of the Psalms, the 101st, I think, says, 'He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house.'"
The Father.—(Gravely.) "It is said also in Holy Scriptures, my son, that 'mercy rejoiceth against judgment,' and perhaps, John, if any of us, had been brought up like poor Elizabeth, we might have done even worse than this."
"I am quite vexed," said Mary, "Oh! why did I not take more care of that wretched knife!"
William.—"But, Mary, it was not your knife left upon the table, which tempted her to take two keys secretly out of the cupboard, and which made them the instruments of this theft. For Papa," continued he, "it is a theft, and a shameful one too! These stolen keys are no small matter!"
The Father.—(Calmly.)—"I know it my children, and it grieves my heart, that one of my servants, who daily hears the word of God read and explained, should so far have forgotten the fear of the Lord! This is what saddens me, and wounds me deeply."
Lucy.—"Elizabeth has not long been our cook, and probably she never heard the word of God before she came here. Poor girl I she is perhaps very unhappy now,—and I am sure, she will repent and turn to God."
The Father.-"That is right, my dear child, I rejoice to hear you plead the cause of the unhappy, and even of the guilty, for as I said before, 'mercy rejoiceth against judgment.'"
"I was therefore wrong," said John, "and I confess it ... for certainly I scarcely pitied her.... I did wrong I and now I think as Lucy does."
"And I also," said William, "'Clemency governs courage,' says a Grecian historian, and ..."
The Father.—(Very seriously.)—"But, my dear William, what have the pagans of old and their morals to do here? My son, you know it is the word of God which rules our conduct, and which commands us to suffer and to forgive."
Lucy.—"Papa, will you allow me to repeat a passage, which I learnt by heart last Sunday?"
The Father.—"Repeat it, Lucy, and may God bless it to us all!"
Lucy.—"'Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother.' It is in the seventh chapter of Zechariah."
"I too, was wrong then," said William, "very wrong! for it is the wisdom of God alone, that enlightens us."
"True, my son," said his Father, "may God always remind you of this. I am going to speak to Elizabeth," he added, "as for you, my children, do not say a word about it, and above all, bless the Lord, for having made known to you his grace and holy law. Pray to him together, that my words may have their due effect upon the mind of this poor guilty creature."
The Father went out to look for Elizabeth, and the children repaired to William's room, who, having knelt down with them, prayed to the Lord to take pity upon her, and to touch her heart, and he ended the prayer in the following words:—"In thy great wisdom, O Most Gracious God, and in thine infinite compassion, through Jesus Christ, grant unto each of us true repentance, and a sincere change of heart, and may this affliction be turned to the glory of our Saviour Jesus."
The children then returned to their several occupations, and not one of them ever thought of judging Elizabeth, or even speaking harshly of her.
We may add, that the exhortation of her charitable master, produced sincere penitence in Elizabeth, and that the poor girl was not sent out of the house; for "mercy pleaded against judgment."
It is thus that God deals with us! Oh! which of us can tell how often he has received pardon from the Lord!
"The night cometh when no man can work."—JOHN, ix.
Oh! my sister! my sister! What a lesson may we learn from the death of our dear Amelia! She was but sixteen years old like myself, and only two years older than you are, but how much had she done for the Lord. I saw and heard her, when Jesus came to call her to himself; I was in the churchyard when they placed her body in the grave! Oh! what a solemn warning! and now I feel humbled before God, and I pray Him to pour into my heart the same Spirit which He bestowed so abundantly upon our friend, as well as that lively faith, which although Amelia 'is dead, yet speaketh,' as it is said of Abel, and which shall speak through her for many years to come!
I wrote to you less than a fortnight ago, that Amelia was unwell; but how little I then thought it was her last illness! Oh! how uncertain our life is, dear Esther, and how much wiser we should be if we would only believe so!
On the seventh day of her illness, her mother said to me, "Anna, your friend is going to leave us; the danger of her disorder increases every hour, and we must give her up to God!"
I wept much and bitterly, and could not at first believe it; but when I was alone with Amelia, the next day, she said to me, with that calm peacefulness which never left her, "I am going away from this world, Anna; yes, dear Anna, I am going to depart; I feel it, and ... I am preparing myself for it!"
I tried to turn away her thoughts from this subject; I told her that she was mistaken, and that God would certainly restore her; but she stopped me with firmness of manner, and said, "Do you envy my happiness, Anna? Do you wish to prevent me from going to my Heavenly home, to my Saviour, unto his light and glory?" The entrance of her father and the Doctor prevented my reply, and I left the room in tears.
"You must not cry," said her mother to me. "We must pray, and above all, seek profit from the occasion. The time is short! Her end is at hand! But," added this servant of Christ, "that end is the beginning of a life which shall have no end!"
Three more days passed away. On the fourth, we had some faint hope, but the following day, all had vanished, and towards evening, Amelia declared, that the Lord was about to take her.
"Yes, my dear parents, my excellent father and mother," she said, with a beam of heavenly joy on her countenance, "I am about to leave you; but I do not leave my God, for I am going to see Him, 'face to face.'"
"My dear parents," she continued, affectionately, "rejoice at my departure; I am going to Heaven a little before you, it is true, but it is only before you, and you know it; and the Apostle says, that, 'to be with Christ is far better.'"
I was present, Esther, and was crying.
"Why do you cry, Anna?" she said, "Are you sorry to see me go to my Father's house?"
"But, Amelia, I lose you; we all lose you; and ..."
"I do not like to hear you say that, Anna; do not repeat it, and do not think of it. Our Saviour says that, 'He who believes on Him shall not see death;' and I am certain, that my soul is about to join those of His saints who have already departed this life, for His grace has also justified me."
"Ah!" said her aunt, who had not left her bedside for two days, "you have always done the will of God, dear Amelia; you are therefore sure of going to Him."
"Dear aunt," she replied, with sorrow on her countenance, "I assure you that you grieve me. I have been during the whole of my life, but a poor sinner, and have by no means done what you say; but.... God Himself has pardoned me, and it is only, my dear aunt, because the blood of Jesus has washed away my sins, that I shall see God."
It was thus, my sister, that Amelia spoke at intervals almost the whole night. Her voice at length became weaker; and towards morning, after a slight drowsiness, she said to her father, "Papa, embrace your child once more." She then turned to her mother, and said, "My dear mamma, embrace me also, and ... may Jesus comfort you all!"
A few minutes after, our darling friend fell gradually asleep, and her last breath died away like the expiring flame of a candle. She experienced nothing of the agony of death. Truly, dear Esther, Amelia knew not what death was!
But oh! how I have myself suffered! and how difficult it is to tear one's self thus forever here below, from such a friend as she was!
Nevertheless, my sister, God knows we have not dared to murmur. I wish you had heard the prayer that Amelia's father offered up, when his daughter had ceased to breathe! Oh! it was the spirit of consolation itself which spoke! And since that solemn hour, what piety, what strength and peace of mind, Amelia's mother his displayed! I am sure you would have said, that the Lord was present, and that He was telling us with His own voice: "Amelia triumphs—she is in My glory!"
I wished to be in the churchyard when our friend, or rather, when her body of dust, was committed to the grave. There were many persons present, but especially poor people; some old men, and several children, came to take their last leave of her.
A grey-headed and feeble old man was standing near the grave, leaning with his two hands on a staff, and with his head depressed. He wept aloud, when the clergyman mentioned Amelia's name, as he prayed, and gave thanks to God. He then stooped down, and taking a little earth in his hand, said, as he scattered it over the coffin: "Sleep, sweet messenger of consolation! Sleep, until He whom thy lips first proclaimed to me, calls thee to arise!" And with this, he burst into tears, as they filled the grave.
When all was finished, and the funeral procession had departed, the poor people who were present approached the grave, sobbing, and repeating, "Sweet messenger of goodness! Our kind friend, our true mother!" And two or three of the children placed upon her grave nosegays of box and white flowers.
"Alas," said a young girl, "she will never hear me read the Bible again, nor instruct me how to live!"
Another cried loudly, "Who will now come to visit my sick mother, and read the Bible to her, and bring her comfort and assistance."
And there was a father, a poor workman, with two little boys, who, holding his children by the hand, came and placed himself near the spot where the head of Amelia was laid, saying to them, "Here, my poor children, under this sod, rests that sweet countenance which used to smile upon you, as if she had been your mother! Her lips have often told you, that you were not orphans, and that God was better to you than a parent.... Well, my dear children, let us remember what she used to say: 'God has not forgotten us, and He will sustain us!'"
I was with my brother, who himself wept with all his heart, to see the sincere grief of these poor people. He whispered to me, "I have a great mind to speak to them, and ask them what Amelia used to do for them." I had the same wish; so we approached a group which surrounded the grave, and asked them when they had become acquainted with Amelia.
"For my part," answered the old man, already spoken of, "this messenger of peace visited me two years ago, for the first time. I lived near a family to whom she had brought some worsted stockings, for winter was just setting in, and so my neighbor mentioned me to her, as a poor infirm old man. She desired to see me, and had she been my own daughter, she could never have shown me more respect and kindness! She procured me a warm quilt that same evening, and on the morrow, towards the middle of the day, she came with her excellent mother to pay me a long visit.
"You must know, sir," continued the old man, to my brother, "I was then very ignorant, or rather my heart was hard and proud towards God. I had no Bible, and did not care about one. Well, this dear young lady not only brought me one, with her own hands, but came to read and explain it to me, with great patience, at least three times a week, during the first twelve months.
"God took pity on me," added the old man, in a low voice, "and last year I began better to understand the full pardon which is in Christ Jesus, and was even able to pray with Miss Amelia.
"She used sometimes to call me, 'My old father,' but it was I who ought to have called her the mother, the true mother of my soul.
Upon this, the old man turned away weeping, and as he walked slowly on, he frequently looked back upon the newly-covered grave.
"The same thing happened to me," said the workman. "The mother of these two little children died ten months ago; we were in want of everything, then, and I knew not even how to dress these children. Believe me, Miss," he added, addressing me with feeling, "when the mother is gone, all is gone!... but our gracious God did not forsake us, for He sent us his angel; I say His angel, although she is at present much more than an angel!... Is she not indeed a child of God in heaven? ... but, in short, she clothed these two little ones, and I am sure she did not spare herself in working for them; the clothes they now wear were made chiefly by that dear young lady's hands. Then she used to come and visit us; she often made my two children go to her house, and always gave them good advice. She also sent them to school, and although it was certainly her mother who paid for them, yet it was Miss Amelia who taught them to read at home, and who, almost every Sunday, made them repeat their Bible lessons.
"Ah, Miss," he continued, "all that that dear young lady did for us, for our souls as well as for our bodies, will only be known in heaven, and at the last day. For my part, and I say it here over her grave, and in the presence of God, I am certain, that when the Lord Jesus shall raise us all up again, the works of Miss Amelia will follow her, and we shall then see that while upon earth she served God with all her heart.
"No," he added, as he wiped away the tears from his children's eyes, "I would not wish her to return from the glory which she now enjoys, at the same time I cannot conceal from you, that my heart mourns for her, and that I know we have lost our consolation, our benefactress, our faithful friend!"
"Who has not lost one?" exclaimed a poor woman, at whose side stood the little girls who had planted the flowers; "I know very well that Miss Amelia's mother will take her place, she is so good and kind! but it was no little joy to receive a visit from that sweet and amiable young lady, so good, so pious, and so full of joy. Oh! what should I have done with my husband, so long confined to his bed, if this messenger of goodness had not procured work for me, and recommended me to the ladies who now employ me. And then again, what were we, until Miss Amelia spoke to us? How much she had to put up with when I refused to read the Holy Scriptures! and yet she was never weary of me. Oh! no; she came day after day, to exhort and to teach me, and blessed be God, we begin now to know something of what the Saviour has done for us.
"And," added she, drawing the little girl towards her, "I shall go on with my dear children, reading and learning that word of God, which was Miss Amelia's greatest joy.
"Come, come, my friends," she said, in a persuasive tone, "we must also die, and be put each in his turn, under this ground; but as our benefactress is not dead ... (no, she is not dead, for the Lord has said it!)—so also shall not we die, if we follow in her steps."
The poor woman then wished us good day, and moved away with her children. We all walked on together, still speaking of Amelia. My brother took the names and addresses of many of the poor people, with whom he had just been conversing, and spoke a few words to them of comfort and encouragement.
As soon as we were alone, he showed me the list of names, at the head of which was that of the old man, and he said, "Here is a blessed inheritance which Amelia has left us. She has done as Dorcas did: her hands have clothed the poor, and her lips have spoken comfort to them. Dear Anna, Amelia was not older than we are; let us remember this, for we know not when the Lord shall call us."
How wise and pious this dear brother is! We have already been able to pay together, two of Amelia's visits. Her mother, to whom we related all we had heard, gave us further particulars of what the pious and indefatigable Amelia used to do. Ah Esther, her religion was not mere "lip-service." The Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ assisted her, and she might have said with truth, I show "my faith by my works."
Let us take courage, then, my dear and kind sister! we lament our loss in Amelia's death, but on her own account I lament her not. I can only contemplate her in the presence of God, and of her Saviour, and I rejoice to think of her delight when she entered the region of heaven. How beautiful it must be, Esther, to behold the glory of that heaven! to hear the voices of saints and angels, and to know that God loves us, and will make us happy forever.
Think, sister, of the meaning of—forever!
Amelia's father, whom I saw a few hours ago with her excellent and pious mother, said to me, in speaking of their darling child, "For my own joy and comfort I should have wished to have kept her with us; but, my dear Anna, even if I could have done so, what would have been all our happiness, compared with that which she now possesses in the presence of her God."
But do not suppose, my sister, that Amelia, with all her piety, was less prudent with regard to the things of this world, than faithful regarding those of heaven. Her mother has shown me her books, and her different arrangements, all of which indicate that discretion spoken of in Scripture, carried out in the most minute particulars.
First, as respects order and cleanliness in everything belonging to her: it would be impossible to imagine a more proper arrangement than the one she made of each article, both in her wardrobe, her writing- table, her work-box, and her account-book.
"As old Margaret has but one Bible, some of the leaves of which have been lost, I have given her mine, which is quite complete, and have taken hers, adding to it some sheets of paper, upon which I have written the passages which were deficient. Thus I have saved the expense of a new Bible; and it is the same thing to me."
Amelia's diary is very remarkable; her mother has allowed me to read many portions of it, and to copy out what relates to her usual manner of employing each day. I send it to you, dear Esther, and you will find, as I have done, that the Spirit of God always teaches those who trust in Him, how precious time is here below. The following is what our dear friend wrote upon this subject.
"January 1st, 1844—Nearly eighteen centuries, and a half have passed away, since our Saviour took upon himself the form of human flesh for our salvation. Those years seemed long as they succeeded each other, but now that they are gone, they appear as nothing.
"Families, and nations, and the mighty generations of mankind, which, in times gone by, peopled the earth, have all passed away. Nothing remains of them here below!
"But such is not the case in heaven,—I should rather say,—in eternity. There, all these nations still exist, no man can be absent, but must appear before the Sovereign Judge, to answer for the use which he has made of his time.
"It will therefore be the same with me. I know not how long I shall live here below, perhaps I shall see but a portion of this year, and shall enter into glory before it is concluded; or perhaps I shall yet see many more years. This the Lord knows, and I ought not to consider that such knowledge would be of any importance to me, since that which constitutes my life, is not its length or duration, but the use which is made of it.
"Truly to live is to know, that my thoughts and actions are all directed to the glory of Jesus, whether upon earth by faith and hope, or in heaven by the sight and by the glory of God.
"But here below, I have only time at my disposal; that is to say, days composed of hours or rather, I have in reality but a single day to make use of. Yesterday is no longer mine, and to-morrow, where is it? I have it not yet, and perhaps shall never see it.
"Lo my earthly life is 'to-day.' What must I do then with 'to-day,' that God may be honored and glorified in it? for after all, if I have the happiness of counting the year 1844, as dating from a Christian era, and not from that of a false prophet with the Mahomedans, nor yet of a false God, with the poor Indians, it must be to Jesus Christ, from whose birth I count my years, that those years should be dedicated.
"But I cannot do better than walk in the footsteps of my Redeemer, and in his conduct and conversation whilst on earth, I observe these three things: Temperance, piety, and charity, to all of which he wholly devoted himself, and has thus left me an example to follow.
"I will therefore imitate him first in his temperance. He rose early in the morning—he eat frugally—he worked diligently—he wearied himself in well-doing: in a word, he exerted the whole strength of his mind and body in the cause of truth, but never in the cause of evil.
"These, therefore, must be settled rules, moderate sleep, moderate repasts, moderate care and attention to the body; active employment, always to a useful purpose, profitable to my neighbor, and never interfering with my duties at home.
"In the next place, I must imitate Jesus in His piety. His Father's will was as His daily food. What a thought! To live wholly to God, and as He himself teaches us in His Holy Word. To do this, I must know His Word; I must study it, meditate upon it, and learn it by heart. Besides reading, I must pray, for prayer is the life both of my heart and soul with God. What glory is thus permitted to me, a poor sinner, that I ought, and that I can, live to Him, love Him, and devote myself to Him! It is heaven already begun on earth; for in heaven my soul will enjoy no other happiness than that of knowing God, and living to His glory. This thought fills me with joy, and I am encouraged by it to consecrate myself wholly to Him, as did my Lord and Saviour.
"Lastly, I will, by the grace of God, imitate Jesus in his charity. How many souls there are about me to love, to comfort, to enlighten and to assist. But I can only do it in the measure which God himself has assigned to me. At my age, and but a girl, subject to the wishes of my parents, I ought only to desire to do good in proportion to the means with which the Lord has furnished me. But I must, in so doing, endeavor to overcome selfishness, idleness, the love of ease, avarice, hardness of heart, pride, and indifference, and I must love my neighbor as myself. Oh! what an important undertaking, and how many excuses and deceits this kind of charity will encounter and overcome.
"But I will look to Jesus, and pray to him; I will implore the secret guidance of his Spirit; and since he is faithful, he will not leave me alone, but will lead me, and enable me to walk day by day, I mean 'to-day,' in his sight, and in communion with him, who is so full of love and gentleness."
This, my dear Esther, is what I have copied from Amelia's journal. You see the light in which our friend regarded her life on earth, and how much importance she attached to one day—a single day.
As I read what she had written, I felt my soul humbled before God, and I trembled to think of the useless way in which I had hitherto spent my time.
You see in particular what Amelia felt on the subject of piety; what love her soul had for God! and this is what produced in her that active, sincere, and constant charity.
You cannot form the least idea of the work, of kindness and benevolence which she was enabled to accomplish. That passage, "The memory of the just is blessed," is truly applicable to her.
Amelia was justified in her Saviour, for she trusted in him, and thus was she also justified before God, by her faith in Jesus. The spirit of Jesus led her in "all her way," and in whatever family she appeared, her actions and words manifested a heavenly mind.
Her name is remembered with blessing in the hearts of all who knew her; her counsels, her instructions, her example, and her acts of benevolence, are continually spoken of by those who witnessed them, and it is thus that she left behind a sweet savor of holiness, like a ray of heavenly light.
Dear Esther, here is an example placed before us; it has been the will of God that we should know her, that we might be charmed with her excellence, and that the happiness both of her life and death, might tempt us to imitate her.
No, no, my sister, she is not dead; she is rather, as the poor workman said, at her grave, "a child of God in heaven." As she followed Jesus, let us also follow her, and let her memory be thus a blessing to us both.
God be with you, my dear sister. I long to see you, that we may pray the Lord together, to make us like his faithful, holy servant, the dear and pious Amelia.
The Tract found by the Way-Side.
"Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer." —Prov. XXV. 4.
Every one knows in these days what is meant by a religious tract. It is a little printed pamphlet, which is sold at a very low price, or is still oftener given away, or dropped in the streets and lanes, that those who either purchase, or accept, or find them, may read the truths of the Gospel, and the good advice which they contain.
This is an old-fashioned way of imparting instruction, both to high and low. It was in use, for instance, as early as the first days of the Reformation, when some faithful Christians of Picardy, in France, assembled together to read the Holy Scriptures, on which account they were exposed to persecution, death, and above all, to be burnt alive.
These true disciples of the Lord Jesus composed and distributed, with considerable difficulty, some little pamphlets, in which were taught the doctrines of salvation by Christ alone, and in a form which enabled the poor and ignorant to read and understand; for it was impossible for them at that time to procure a Bible, which was not only a scarce book, but cost a large sum of money: indeed, almost as much as a thousand Bibles would cost in the present day, and which, besides, they could not carry home and read quietly to themselves, as they were able to do with a simple tract.
At a later period, and chiefly for the last fifty years, this method has been adopted in almost all countries where true Christian churches and societies have been established; and even now, millions of these tracts, adapted to all ages and conditions of men, are published and distributed every year.
It is, however, but too true, that many tracts thus distributed are not religious tracts; that is to say, the substance of them is not in conformity with the truth of scripture. Many are published for the purpose of upholding false religion and wicked principles, and which, consequently, do great mischief to those who read them.
And if it be asked, "How can a good tract be distinguished from a bad one?" we thus reply to this very natural question.
A good tract is that which leads us to the Bible; which speaks of the love of God in Christ; and which encourages the reader to be holy from a motive of love to God.
A bad tract is therefore that which does not speak of the Bible; which tells us that salvation may be obtained by human merit, and which consequently would persuade us to be religious from interested motives: that is to say, to obtain pardon by means of our own good works.
Those tracts, too, which speak of man's happiness as if it came from man alone, and not from God, and which consequently deny the truth of God's word: these must also be called bad tracts, and must therefore be carefully avoided.
The family of a vinedresser, in the Canton of Vaud, in Switzerland, was, unhappily, as well known in the village in which he lived, for his bad conduct, as for his impiety. The father, whose name we will not mention, was a proud and hard-hearted man, both intemperate and dissolute; and his wife, who thought as little of the fear of God as her husband did, was what might be called a noisy babbler.
The pastor of the village had often, but vainly, endeavored to lead these unhappy people to a sense of religion, but he was always received by them with scoffing and ridicule.
The family was composed of the vinedresser's three children. The eldest, Mark, was as haughty as his father, and although he was only fourteen years of age, he was already able to join in the disorders of his drunken and gaming companions. He was entirely devoid of any sense of religion. His sister, Josephine, who was rather more than twelve years old, possessed a more amiable disposition. The pastor's wife took much interest in this child, who could not help seeing that her parents were not guided by the Spirit of God. Peter, the youngest, was but ten years of age, but his brother's wicked example counteracted all the good which he might have received from that of his more amiable sister.
About the end of May, there was to be, in a village not far distant, a match at rifle-shooting. It was a public fete, at which all the people in the neighborhood assembled.
On the morning of this day, Mark had answered his father with great insolence, at which he was so much enraged, that he punished him severely, and forbad him, besides, to go to the fete. The father went thither himself, and Mark, after a moment's indecision, determined not to heed the command he had received, but to follow him to the shooting-match.
He therefore took advantage of his mother's absence, who, according to her usual custom, was gone to gossip with some of her neighbors, and notwithstanding the remonstrances of Josephine, he hastened over fields and hedges, to the scene of the match.
"What is this?" cried he, picking up a little pamphlet, with a cover of colored paper, which was lying on the path near the opening in the hedge. "Oh! it is one of those tracts they leave about everywhere; it will do very well to load my gun;" and so saying, he put the tract into his pocket, and ran on as before.
But when he approached the village where they were shooting, dancing, playing, and making a great noise, he suddenly stopped, for he recollected that if he should meet with his father, who was there, he would certainly beat him, and send him home again, in presence of all the people who might be assembled; besides, his brother Peter was there also, and he might see him, and tell his father. He therefore kept at a distance, behind a hedge, not daring to advance any farther.
"Supposing I read this book!" said he, at last, after having vainly racked his brain to find out how he could be at the fete without being discovered. "There is nothing in it but nonsense, I know beforehand; however, it will occupy me for a while."
This tract was called "The Happy Family," and Mark became so much interested in it, that he not only read the whole, but many parts of it twice over.
"How odd it is," said he, when he had finished reading; "I should never have thought it could be thus; this Andrew and Julia, after all, were much happier than we are, and than I am, in particular. Ah!" added he, as he walked on by the hedge-side, looking on the ground, "possibly Josephine may have spoken the truth, and that, after all, the right way is the one which this lady points out."
As he thought over the little story he had been reading, he retraced his steps towards his own village, at first rather slowly, but soon at a quicker pace, and he entered his father's house very quietly, and without either whistling or making a noise, as he generally did.
"You have not then been to the fete," said Josephine.
Mark.—(A little ashamed.)—"I dared not go, I was afraid my father would beat me."
Josephine.—"It would have been better, Mark, if you had been equally afraid of offending God."
Mark was on the point of ridiculing her, as he always did, but he recollected Andrew and Julia, and was silent.
Josephine.—(Kindly.)—"But is it not true, Mark? would it not be better to fear God, than to be always offending him?"
Mark.—(Knitting his brow.)—"Yes, as Andrew and Julia did! would it not?"
Josephine.—(surprised.)—"Of whom do you speak, Mark? Is it of "The Happy Family," in which an Andrew and a Julia are mentioned. Have you ever read that beautiful story?"
"Here it is," said Mark, drawing the tract from his pocket, and giving it to his sister.
Josephine.—"Yes, this is it, exactly! But brother, where did you get it, for it is quite new; did you buy it of a Scripture Reader."
"Did I buy it?" said Mark, sullenly. "Do you suppose I should spend my money in such nonsense as that?"
Josephine.—"Then how did you get it? Did any one give it you?"
Mark.—(Slyly.)—"Ah! they have often tried to give me some, but I tore them to pieces, and threw them away, before their faces!"
Josephine.—"So much the worse, Mark! for the truth of God is written in them, and it is very sinful to tear the truth of God in pieces."
Mark.—(Rudely.)—"But you see I have not torn this, for it is quite whole! And as you are so anxious to know how I came by it, I found it on the ground, near the road, and just beyond the brushwood."
Josephine.—"Ah! then I know where it came from. The Pastor's son, and the two sons of the schoolmaster, have got up a Religious Tract Society, who distribute them in all directions."
Mark.—(Reproachfully.)—"And pray why do they scatter them about in this way? Can't they leave people alone, without cramming every body's head with their own fancies. Let them keep their religion to themselves, and leave other people to do the same."
Josephine.—"Do you think, Mark, that Andrew and Julia did wrong to listen to their father and grandmamma, and to follow the precepts of the Bible in preference to the ridicule of scoffers."
Mark.—(Softened.)—"I did not say that.... I think Andrew and Julia were right; but ... come give me back the Tract; I want to look at something in it again."
Mark then went away, carrying the Tract with him; and shortly after, Josephine saw him sitting in the garden, behind a hedge of sweet- briar, reading it attentively.
"Where's that good-for-nothing Mark?" demanded the vinedresser, when he returned home at night half tipsy. "Did he dare to venture to the shooting-match? I was told that he was seen sneaking about the outskirts of the village! where is he now?"
"He went to bed more than an hour ago," answered his mother, "and was no more at the shooting-match than I was, for I saw him reading in the garden."
"Mark, reading!" replied his father. "What could he be reading? It would be a miracle to see him with a book in his hand. An idle fellow like him, who never did learn any thing, and never will!"
The vinedresser's wife was silent, and after putting poor little Peter to bed, who was quite tired and weary, she managed to get the father to bed also, and peace reigned for a season in this miserable abode.
Mark, however, who was not asleep when his father returned, had heard himself called a good-for-nothing idle fellow, and he trembled from head to foot, when he found he had been seen in the neighborhood of the village.
"What a good thing it was," said he to himself, "that I did not go on! It was certainly God who prevented me!" added he, half ashamed of the thought because it was so new to him; but he determined no longer to resist it.
On the morrow, to the great surprise of his father and mother, Mark got up in good humor; he answered his father without grumbling, and when he was desired to go and work in the field, Mark hastened to take his hoe and spade, and set off, singing merrily.
"What has happened to him?" asked the father. "One would scarcely believe it was he! Wife, what did you say to him yesterday, to make him so good-humored this morning?"
"I never even spoke to him," said his wife, dryly. "You know how whimsical he is."
"I wish he may remain in his present mind!" said the vinedresser; and thereupon he went off to the ale-house, to talk with his neighbors of the best shots of the preceding day.
Josephine related the history of the little tract to the good pastor's wife, who advised her to meet Mark on his return from the field, and to speak to him again of what he had read.
"Is it you, sister?" said Mark, in a happy tone of voice, as soon as he saw her. "It is very good of you to meet me."
Josephine, who never received such a welcome from him before, was quite delighted, and going up to him, she said, affectionately, "I want very much to talk with you again about Andrew and Julia."
Mark.—(Seriously.)—"And so do I. I should like very much to resemble them."
Josephine.—(Quickly.)—"Do you mean what you say, Mark? Have you thought of it again since yesterday?"
Mark.—(Still serious.)—"I have thought so much about it, that I am determined to change my habits. Yes, Josephine, I think you are right, and that, after all, religion is better than ridicule."
The conversation continued as it had commenced, and when Mark returned home, he went up and kissed his mother, who was just laying the table for dinner.
"What's the matter?" said she, with some surprise; "you seem in very good spirits, today."
"Nothing is the matter, good mother, but that I wish to alter my conduct," replied Mark, seriously.
"To alter your conduct," cried little Peter, as he looked up in his brother's face, and began to titter.
"And you, too, little Peter," said Mark, "you must become good, also."
"What a funny idea," cried the child, laughing. "What has made you turn schoolmaster, all at once? and, pray, when am I to begin?"
"We shall see by-and-bye," said Mark, kindly. "In the meantime, come and help me to tend the cow."
"There is something behind all this!" said the mother and she blushed to think that this change had not been occasioned by anything she had said or done to him, herself.
When the father returned from the ale-house, they all sat down to dinner, and as usual, without saying "grace." Josephine said hers to herself, and Mark, who recollected Andrew and Julia, blushed when he took his spoon to eat his soup.
After dinner, when they were out of the house, Josephine said to Mark, "What a pity it is, brother, that papa does not pray before each meal."
"All that will come in time, Josephine," said Mark; "I never prayed myself, and yet ... I must now begin directly. But what shall I do? Papa will be very angry if he sees me religious."
"I do not think he will," said Josephine, "for I heard him say to mumma, this morning, that he should be very glad if your conduct improved."
Mark blushed, but did not reply. He returned to his work without being desired to do so, and his father, who was quite astonished, said to his wife, "There is something very extraordinary about Mark. I wish it may last."
"You wish it may last!" said his wife; "how can you wish that, when you do not care to improve yourself."
"And you, my poor wife," said the vinedresser, "do you care to change any more than I do? I think as to that matter, we cannot say much against each other."
"Well, at all events," said his wife, "I am not a drunkard."
"Nor am I a tattler," replied the husband. "And for this reason let us each think of our own fault, and if Mark is disposed to reform, do not let us prevent him; for, my poor wife, our example is not a very good one for him."
Josephine, who was working at her needle, in the adjoining room, could not help overhearing this confession of her father, and she felt the more encouraged to uphold Mark in his good intention.
She therefore went again to meet him, and repeated to him all she had heard. "I think," added she, "you will do well to relate what has happened to our father and mother, and read them the little tract."
"Not yet," said Mark, "for my principles are not sufficiently strong. It is but an hour since the ale-house keeper's son laughed at me, because I told him I would not play at nine-pins with him, during working hours. He asked me if I was becoming a Methodist, and I did not know what answer to make. However, I trust I am already improving, and I have read the little tract again for the third time."
"Oh!" said Josephine, "we ought to read the Bible, and we do not possess one."
"True," said Mark, somewhat surprised. "I never thought of that. We have really no Bible in the house! Indeed, this must not be," he added, looking on the ground, and striking it with his spade.
"What shall we do, then?" said Josephine, "for it would be very nice to have one."
Mark became thoughtful, but said nothing. From that day his conduct was always regular, and his habits industrious, so much so, that his father, who was never in the habit of showing him much kindness, said to him, at the dinner table, and before all the rest of the family, "Well, my good Mark, tell us what has happened to you; for it is very pleasant to us to see how well you now behave. Tell us, my boy, what has been the cause of this improvement."
"It was from this book," said Mark, drawing it out of his pocket, where he always kept it.
"Be silent," cried the father. "If this book has done good, how can it be horrid trash? Do sour grapes produce good wine?"
"But," replied the mother, bitterly, "I will not have any of those books and tracts in this house."
"Well, for my part," said the vinedresser, "I will encourage all that teach my children to do what is right. Mark has worked well for the last eight days; he has not occasioned me a moment's vexation during the whole of that time, and as he says that this book has been the means of his improvement, I shall also immediately read it myself. Come, Mark, let us hear it. You can read fluently; come, we will all listen. Wife, do you be quiet, and you too, Peter; as for Josephine she is quite ready."
Mark began to read, but he could not proceed far; his father got up and went out, without saying a word, and his mother began to remove the dinner-things.
But as soon as the family re-assembled in the evening, the father said to Mark, "Go on with your reading, Mark, I want to hear the end, for I like the story."
Mark read, and when he came to that part of the tract, in which the Bible is mentioned, the vinedresser looked up to a high shelf on the wall, where were some old books, and said, "wife, had we not once a Bible?"
"Fifteen years ago," she answered, "you exchanged it for a pistol."
The vinedresser blushed, and listened with out farther interruption until Mark had done reading. When the tract was finished, he remained silent, his head leaning on his hands, and his elbows on his knees. Josephine thought this was the time to speak about the Bible, which she had so long wished to possess, and she went up to her father, and stood for some time by his side without speaking.
Her father perceived her, and raising his head, he said to her, "What do you want, Josephine, tell me, my child, what do you want to ask me?"
"Dear papa," said the child, "I have long desired to read the Bible, would you be so kind as to buy me one?"
"A Bible," cried her mother, "what can you want with a Bible, at your age?"
"Oh! wife, wife," said the vinedresser, much vexed, "when will you help me to do what is right?" "Yes, my child," he added, kissing Josephine's cheek, "I will buy you one to-morrow. Do you think there are any to be had at the pastor's house?"
"Oh! yes, plenty," cried Josephine, "and very large ones too!"
"Very well then," said the father, as he got up, and went out of the house, "you shall have a very large one."
"But," said his wife, calling after him, "you don't know how much it will cost."
"It will not cost so much as the wine I mean no longer to drink!" replied the father, firmly.
He kept his word. The Bible was purchased on the morrow, and the same evening the father desired Mark to read him a whole chapter. The ale-house saw him no more the whole of that week, and still less the following Sunday. His friends laughed at him, and wanted to get him back. He was at first tempted and almost overcome, but the thought of the Bible restrained him, and he determined to refuse.
"Are you gone mad, then?" said they.
"No," replied he, "but I read the Bible now, and as it says, that drunkards shall not 'inherit the kingdom of God,' I listen to what it says, and I desire to cease to be a drunkard."
"You see," said Josephine to Mark, as they accompanied each other to church, "how good God has been to us. We have now a Bible, and it is read by all at home."
Mark.—"Have you been able to tell the pastor's son how much good his tract has done us?"
Mark.—"And what did she say?"
Josephine.—"She said, 'God is wonderful in all his ways,' and that, 'He which hath begun the good work in us, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.'"
Mark.—(Feelingly.)—"Who could have thought that when I went as a rebel to that Fete, that God was there waiting to draw me to himself. But, dear Josephine, there is yet much to be done."
"But," said Josephine, "where God has promised he is also able to perform. He has told us to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us do so, and you will see that God will renew our hearts, and make us wise and good."


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The pentagon has said that a US air strike has killed over 150 al-shabab militants in Somalia.
Military spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the strike hit a training camp where a "large-scale" attack was being planned.
Al-Shabab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda, was pushed out of Mogadishu by African Union peacekeeping forces in 2011 but has continued to launch frequent attacks in its bid to overthrow the Western-backed government.The group has said it carried out a string of recent attacks including a twin bombing at a busy restaurant in the Somali city of Baidoa last month.
The strike, which combined both drones and manned aircraft, took place on Saturday and targeted Raso Camp, a training facility about 120 miles (195km) north of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
He said the group had neared the completion of specialist training to conduct "offensive operations", but did not give any details about the alleged plans. If this report is correct then US forces might have foiled a murderous terrorist attack of epic proportions. It is yet to be seen if this attack has dealt a severe blow to Al-Shabab's military force.


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Our founder, Paul Bennett, grew up in the insurance business. In recent years he became increasingly concerned watching seniors wade through the confusing and complex world of Medicare just to find the right plan. Who could they trust to help them navigate the waters with their best interests in mind? Without an independent agent, there was little help to be found.
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Building on the foundation of his Santa Monica pop-up, Chef Ricardo created Once Las Vegas as a one-of-a-kind Peruvian Nikkei dining experience. Drawing distinct flavors from both Peru and Japan, along with the comforting dishes of Chef Ricardo Zarate's childhood, the menu includes dishes such as Big Eye Tuna Sashimi Ceviche, with black truffle and kizami tigers milk; Arroz Chaufa, Peruvian fried rice, snow crab, yuzu aioli and crispy calamari; and Ox Tail Bibimbap, with black mint stew, tacu tacu rice, fried egg and plantains. To compliment the menu, there are 11 signature cocktails, including a Rum & Cola "slushee" machine for an irreverent, Vegas-style twist on a boozy classic.
Located on the second level of the Grand Canal Shoppes, the design invites guests to leave the bright lights of the strip behind and unwind within Once's simple yet rustic dining room. The interior design is a nod to native Peru, with floor-to-ceiling living plant walls complemented by dim Edison lighting throughout. It is designed to celebrate family and friends and is surrounded by lush greenery, evoking an outdoorsy, rural vibe. Once is open for dinner daily and for lunch Friday - Sunday.
Named after Chef Ricardo Zarate's mother, Rosaliné is what he calls "the next phase of Peruvian dining". Taking diners back to his roots, Chef Zarate has created a menu of classic Peruvian dishes alongside 'street-food' updated with a California sensibility. Located at 8479 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, California, the space is designed to bring family, friends and strangers together in a communal environment inspired by the streets of Peru. Rosaliné is open daily from 5:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Everything at Mamacita is made from scratch—from the quinoa bowls featuring farmer's market ingredients and your choice of protein, to the Purple Corn Tea and Strawberry Horchata, to the colorful local street art that adorns the walls—Mamacita comes from Peru but could only be in LA. Named after the Mother Earth, Mamacita celebrates all that She has to offer with a spirited mix of food, music, and culture.
Meaning "eleven" in Spanish, the pop-up series Once (on-seh) was a nod to Chef Zarate's place as the 11th child in his family, and inspired by interpretations of early food memories in his native Peru. The menu featured 11 à la carte plates (not including dessert)—all intended for sharing—and changed weekly based upon what's available at the local farmer's market. Dishes included versions of Peruvian staples such as Lomo Saltado, Ceviches, Tiraditos, and much more.
In 2009, Zarate headed to Los Angeles, opening Mo-chica, Downtown at Mercado la Paloma. Housed in a cultural center designed to showcase local creativity to the broader community, the restaurant was soon followed by pop-up restaurant Test Kitchen, where Zarate offered consumers a new dining experience weekly from a rotating roster of high profile guest chefs.
With Zarate's cuisine beginning to draw a large following, he introduced modern Peruvian cantina Picca in 2011. A critical success, it was recognized as one of GQ's "best new restaurants" and a Conde Nast Traveler 'Hot Table,' and Food & Wine honored Zarate as one of the magazine's prestigious "Best New Chef," all within one year of opening.
In 2013, Zarate also expanded to Santa Barbara, opening Blue Tavern, a quintessential Californian fare-driven restaurant, seen through the eyes of a native Peruvian.


There have been a number of older Kindles on sale for cheap lately at Woot.
They currently have the 1st generation Kindle Oasis available for $149 refurbished and it includes the leather charging cover. They have both the black and merlot covers.
That's a good deal for the Kindle Oasis 1 considering Amazon still sells them new for $289 so that's nearly half price.
It's a shame that people have to resort to buying an older model if they want a premium 6-inch Kindle, but the software is still the same the newer models.
The new Kindle Paperwhite is more of an mid-level model, and since they discontinued the Kindle Voyage there is no premium 6-inch Kindle anymore, just the 7-inch Oasis.
In some ways the 1st gen Kindle Oasis is better than the 2nd gen model. It's smaller, lighter, and more portable. Battery life is better too, and it's more pleasant to hold without the metal back.
The Kindle Voyage is back at Woot too. It's $129 new and $89 refurbished. Check the Woot tablet section for more Kindle deals as they update the listings frequently.


Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live a real life adventure like The Goonies or Indiana Jones? Look no further than our latest NJ Escape Room adventure "The Tomb".
Imagine you and your friends, family, or coworkers are trapped inside an ancient forgotten tomb. You must work together as a team, exploring your surroundings and racing against the clock using logic, critical thinking, and your gut instincts to find clues, solve puzzles, crack codes, find hidden passage ways, and uncover hidden secrets that will ultimately lead to your escape!


So much basil. I have been trying to find new recipes in order to use up the basil in my garden. I am best at growing basil and cherry tomatoes. We have one cherry tomato plant that has continued to produce throughout the summer and through the fall. It looks like it won't last much longer, but we're enjoying it while we have it. The basil, on the other hand, has been doing fabulously. My sweet basil has begun to die off, but I bought this new one called Ajaka and it seems to be quite hardy. I made this recipe with some of the last of my sweet basil.
Heat the oil in a pan on medium high and rub the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken in the oil until cooked (maybe 10 minutes?) and set aside the chicken, leaving the oil in the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the oil to cool slightly so your tomatoes won't splatter everywhere. Add the tomatoes and cover with a splatter shield if necessary. Please be careful! Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes until the tomatoes cook down some. Add the garlic and butter and allow to cook for a few minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and add the basil a minute or two before serving. I served mine over spaghetti squash.


Fat is now a feeling. Is skinny next on the list?
As a new member of Facebook, I frequently find myself flummoxed by its strange ways. Someone "liked" my "status"? I've been invited to play "Candy Crush"? Someone has "poked" me? Usually, with much grumbling and cursing in Yiddish, I find some way to adapt to the world of countable likes, crushes on inanimate objects, and intangible pokes. However, I recently came across something that required more than a few oy veys: "fat" is an emotion on Facebook.
Hidden cleverly among the pre-written emotional updates (e.g. "Feeling happy", "Feeling annoyed", etc.) is the phrase "Feeling fat", accompanied by a rosey-cheeked, double-chinned smiley face. While I have no problem with Facebook offering its users the chance to express and connect over quite varied emotions, the potential expression of and connection over the "emotion" of "fat" concerns me. What is the difference between saying one feels fat and saying one has fat? What do people expect their friends to say in response to their feeling? Does the openness regarding feeling fat perpetuate or reduce fat shame?
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, one of the warning signs of anorexia is "frequent comments about feeling 'fat'". The expression of fat as a negative feeling rather than a necessary part of the body is messed up, to say the least. Saying one feels fat objectifies emotions and creates a tricky sort of codependence between weight and mind (i.e. "If I'm having certain emotions, my weight must fluctuate accordingly." and vice versa). This article from the blog Dances With Fat provides some insight regarding the terminological issues of "being fat" versus "having fat".
Interesting point, but still portrays being fat as undesirable.
Whether people update their Facebook feelings as "fat" jokingly, negatively, or positively, fat stigma – and the general nature of Facebook – is likely to facilitate self-shaming comments from friends. I can just picture it: "You think YOU'RE feeling fat?" and the body-snarking like.
I believe that words hold power. What we post on Facebook can majorly impact our perceptions of ourselves, our friends, and our world. It will be interesting to see whether "Feeling fat" increases in usage and creates more toxicity in the world of body image, or "Feeling fat" sits unused in the depths of Facebook emotions. I know that I won't be changing my feeling to fat anytime soon, partly because I have no idea how to do so on Facebook, but mostly because I want to use social media in a way that doesn't portray fat as negative, that helps build self-esteem, and that differentiates between legitimate feelings and socially constructed ones.
Great piece! Please continue to share your contemplations as you dive into the world of Facebook. Your opening and closing sentences of the last paragraph are spot on! Bold is brilliant!
Couldn't disagree more. Feeling fat is similar to feeling heavy, these are not emotions, please do try to use some common sense instead of trying to find an issue where there is none. I can have fat AND be fat too, the two things are vastly different. Ever heard of one word having two or more meanings?
Please stop oversimplifying everything, this blog sometimes really makes me think, are you actually serious when you write these articles, or just a good attempt at trolling? Are these really your problems? Are there really people, for whom this is an issue big enough to write and publish?
There are fat people, get over it. If someone is "proud to be" fat, that is just stupid. Being "happy and content in my own shape" is good. Being "proud to be fat" is just simply idiotic. Makes it sound like you worked hard, day and night, eating, drinking, collecting all that fat with the sole purpose of becoming larger, and now you accomplished your goal and you are proud. Really? You can be proud to be athletic, that's something you worked for, trained, planned, walked towards purposefully. You cannot be proud of being tall or short.
Rant over. I really do hope thatmost of these articles are just decently mediocre attempts to trolling because if people actually occupy their brains with this and really think like this, this actually scares me more than any kind of "unrealistic body image" in the media.
Interesting thought, but not what the article is about. You yourself stated at the beginning of you self-defined "rant" that "fat" is not an emotion, which is quite literally what this article is stating. I believe that the writer is trying to point out the inconsistencies between feeling "anxious" or "happy" as Facebook includes and feeling "fat". The addition of this "emotion" leads to the mindset of "fat" replacing happy, or nervous as a viable emotion. Which we know that it is not. If you had an amazing day, got a promotion at work you may feel happy. If a loved one died you may feel sad. These are emotions we recognize and have that are a direct cause of something happening in our lives. Which is actually the definition of emotion ("a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others") however "fat" does not come as a result of such things and should not be considered an emotion. Furthermore, allowing the use of "fat" as an emotion is troubling in the sense that, because it is not truly an emotion, we must wonder what the insinuations are. If "fat" is to become synonymous with "sad" we have a serious problem. You've said that being fat isn't something to be proud of and that's your own opinion but you also said it is good to be happy and content with one's own shape. Allowing "fat" to be counted as an emotion distracts from this objective, especially when being fat is so strongly associated with the negative ideas it holds today. Your anger about this being the biggest problem people write about confuses me. It is a problem and should be addressed. While there may be, and are, larger problems out there then day-to-day occurrences why can not we address both? Why can not we help people on a grand scale and also the insecure teen on Facebook whose perception of fat as en emotion is magnified by this, who will go on to using it to describe sadness perhaps and therefor associate the two individual events as oner? Who will then go on to do anything to avoid being "fat". Why does the push to have a better attitude towards fat disturb you? Why do people who think clearly and critically and can see the repercussions, perhaps within themselves, frighten you? Feeling fat is not similar to feeling heavy in the sense that "heavy" is defined "a great weight" or "feeling weighed down, such as by weariness" in these situations heavy literally translates to a derivative of sad. Fat has no such definition and is applied only when talking about the physical aspects one's self. Are you stating that to be fat is to be sad? Because it would appear we have come full circle. I guess that I simply do not understand why these ideas are so troubling to you. If anything the majority of your comment would appear to only further the validity of this article. If you do not agree with this article, or the purpose of this organization, by all means, leave their page and take a breath then never return to an article that gives you so much anger.
Me thinks that Ellie is doing some major projecting. Only a troll would have a problem with fat people feeling good about themselves. It's the height of hypocrisy to claim on the one hand that it's good to be "happy and content in my own shape" then on the other to denigrate those who are happy and content being fat. Talk about being a troll!


• WPD's swift response to Hurricane Florence.
• How officers dismantled a multi-state counterfeit ring.
• The ground breaking ceremony for our new training facility.
• The agency receiving the ASIS honor.
• The officer support fund for those impacted by Hurricane Florence.
• How to get tickets to the 2018 Legends Luncheon.


If you're looking for a perfect example of an ideavirus, and of the extreme weirdness that happens on the internet, look no further! Via Ann Althouse and Boing Boing, I present to you: Crying, while eating.
The funniest part, in my opinion, is "what he's eating" and "what he's crying about". "Babe, pig in the city"? I can sadly relate.


text:
/*
 * $Author: yjung $
 * $Date: 2006/02/17 10:24:52 $
 * $Revision: 1.7 $
 * $Name: qfits-6_2_0 $
 */

/*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Includes
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <time.h>
#include <pwd.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <sys/time.h>

#include "qfits_time.h"

/*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Macros
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

/* Get century from a date in long format */
#define GET_CENTURY(d)      (int) ( (d) / 1000000L)
/* Get century year from a date in long format */
#define GET_CCYEAR(d)       (int) ( (d) / 10000L)
/* Get year from a date in long format */
#define GET_YEAR(d)         (int) (((d) % 1000000L) / 10000L)
/* Get month from a date in long format */
#define GET_MONTH(d)        (int) (((d) % 10000L) / 100)
/* Get day from a date in long format */
#define GET_DAY(d)          (int) ( (d) % 100)

/* Get hours from a date in long format */
#define GET_HOUR(t)         (int) ( (t) / 1000000L)
/* Get minutes from a date in long format */
#define GET_MINUTE(t)       (int) (((t) % 1000000L) / 10000L)
/* Get seconds from a date in long format */
#define GET_SECOND(t)       (int) (((t) % 10000L) / 100)
/* Get centi-seconds from a date in long format */
#define GET_CENTI(t)        (int) ( (t) % 100)

/* Make date in long format from its components */
#define MAKE_DATE(c,y,m,d)  (long) (c) * 1000000L +                          \
                            (long) (y) * 10000L +                            \
                            (long) (m) * 100 + (d)
/* Make time in long format from its components */
#define MAKE_TIME(h,m,s,c)  (long) (h) * 1000000L +                          \
                            (long) (m) * 10000L +                            \
                            (long) (s) * 100 + (c)

/*  Interval values, specified in centiseconds */
#define INTERVAL_CENTI      1
#define INTERVAL_SEC        100
#define INTERVAL_MIN        6000
#define INTERVAL_HOUR       360000L
#define INTERVAL_DAY        8640000L

/*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Private to this module
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

static long timer_to_date(time_t time_secs) ;
static long timer_to_time(time_t time_secs) ;
static long qfits_time_now(void) ;
static long qfits_date_now (void) ;

/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
/**
 * @defgroup    qfits_time  Get date/time, possibly in ISO8601 format
 *
 * This module contains various utilities to get the current date/time,
 * and possibly format it according to the ISO 8601 format.
 */
/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
/**@{*/

/*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              Function codes
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
/**
  @brief    Returns the current date and time as a static string.
  @return   Pointer to statically allocated string

  Build and return a string containing the date of today and the
  current time in ISO8601 format. The returned pointer points to a
  statically allocated string in the function, so no need to free it.
 */
/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
char * qfits_get_datetime_iso8601(void)
{
    static char date_iso8601[20] ;
    long        curdate ;
    long        curtime ;

    curdate  = qfits_date_now() ;
    curtime  = qfits_time_now() ;

    sprintf(date_iso8601, "%04d-%02d-%02dT%02d:%02d:%02d",
            GET_CCYEAR(curdate),
            GET_MONTH(curdate),
            GET_DAY(curdate),
            GET_HOUR(curtime),
            GET_MINUTE(curtime),
            GET_SECOND(curtime));
    return date_iso8601 ;
}

/**@}*/

/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
/**
  @brief    Returns the current date as a long (CCYYMMDD).
  @return    The current date as a long number.

  Returns the current date as a long value (CCYYMMDD). Since most
  system clocks do not return a century, this function assumes that
  all years 80 and above are in the 20th century, and all years 00 to
  79 are in the 21st century.  For best results, consume before 1 Jan
  2080.
  Example:    19 Oct 2000 is returned as 20001019
 */
/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
static long qfits_date_now (void)
{
    return (timer_to_date (time (NULL)));
}

/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
/**
  @brief    Returns the current time as a long (HHMMSSCC).
  @return    The current time as a long number.

  Returns the current time as a long value (HHMMSSCC). If the system
  clock does not return centiseconds, these are set to zero.

  Example: 15:36:12.84 is returned as 15361284
 */
/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
static long qfits_time_now(void)
{
    struct timeval time_struct;

    gettimeofday (&time_struct, 0);
    return (timer_to_time (time_struct.tv_sec)
                         + time_struct.tv_usec / 10000);
}

/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
/**
  @brief    Converts a timer value to a date.
  @param    time_secs    Current time definition in seconds.
  @return    Current date as a long (CCYYMMDD).

  Converts the supplied timer value into a long date value. Dates are
  stored as long values: CCYYMMDD. If the supplied value is zero,
  returns zero.  If the supplied value is out of range, returns 1
  January, 1970 (19700101). The timer value is assumed to be UTC
  (GMT).
 */
/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
static long timer_to_date(time_t time_secs)
{
    struct tm *time_struct;

    if (time_secs == 0) {
        return 0;
    } else {
        /*  Convert into a long value CCYYMMDD */
        time_struct = localtime (&time_secs);
        if (time_struct) {
            time_struct-> tm_year += 1900;
            return (MAKE_DATE (    time_struct-> tm_year / 100,
                                time_struct-> tm_year % 100,
                                time_struct-> tm_mon + 1,
                                time_struct-> tm_mday));
        } else {
            return (19700101);
        }
    }
}

/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
/**
  @brief    Convert a timer value to a time.
  @param    time_secs    Current time definition in seconds.
  @return    Current time as a long.

  Converts the supplied timer value into a long time value.  Times are
  stored as long values: HHMMSS00.  Since the timer value does not
  hold centiseconds, these are set to zero.  If the supplied value was
  zero or invalid, returns zero.  The timer value is assumed to be UTC
  (GMT).
 */
/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
static long timer_to_time(time_t time_secs)
{
    struct tm *time_struct;

    if (time_secs == 0) {
        return 0;
    } else {
        /*  Convert into a long value HHMMSS00 */
        time_struct = localtime (&time_secs);
        if (time_struct) {
            return (MAKE_TIME (time_struct-> tm_hour,
                               time_struct-> tm_min,
                               time_struct-> tm_sec,
                               0));
        } else {
            return 0;
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


INVOS FLOWERS always thinking about expanding the portfolio of our products, especially roses for wholesale, and increasing wholesale flower delivery; has a pleasure to announce two new varieties that are producing in Colombia. This is Rosa CRISTHA and BLUEZ. Available in length from 40cm to 70cm.
With lovely tones that will give a special touch to your vases.
We hope that these new varieties are of your interest, and for more information please contact our sales representatives.


Home Blog PC Buying Advice Can You Really Buy a Cheap Gaming PC?
Can You Really Buy a Cheap Gaming PC?
Gaming PCs are easily some of the most powerful choices on the planet. Designed to handle serious game play and graphics, they're the ideal way to go whether you're digging the most recent release of Mortal Combat or Call of Duty. Sometimes, though, that money just isn't in your wallet to get the top of the line release. You probably see ads for "cheap gaming PCs" all of the time, but is it actually possible to get one? Absolutely, and these tips can help.
• Lower your RAM needs. Most gamers don't see a lot of performance difference in 12 GB and 16 GB of RAM, so put that extra money you save there toward something a bit more necessary for gaming, like a better video card.
• Consider less storage space. How much storage space do you actually need on your machine? If you consider doing regular cleaning and uninstallations of games and programs you're not using, going with a smaller hard drive might actually make sense and save you some cash along the way.
• Dump the extras. Whether it's a DVD burner you just don't need or a fancy case that may look cool but will never impact the performance of your gaming PC, eliminating all of those extra bits and pieces are certainly the way to save some money and get the cheap gaming PC you want.
• Build your own. This is probably the best way to save money on your new PC. When you're custom-building something, you're going to get only what you need and nothing you don't, which means you'll get a machine that serves your gaming needs now and well into the future.
Cheap gaming PCs really are out there, but it takes a bit of work and a glance beyond the convincing adverts to find them.


The light source is employed with LED chips. With optic design the way in which the light is directed at the fruit.
The way in which the light is directed at the fruit is well optic designed made it possible for no other like compact and low price.
No other like compact and low price instrument was made possible with well thoughtout optic design that allows the light that is directed to the fruit.
Its portability and affordability allows the unit to be available for individual consumers.
Available for anyone to use with ease of portability and affordability that individual customers can use.
Measurement will display with just a press of a button. The buzzer alarm that relay measurement completion or error makes it easy to tell if it is taking the measurement.
Equipt with backlight, taking measurements in dark places are possible.
The following specification is for "PAL-0." See PAL-HIKARi2's specification here.
The following specification is for "PAL-0." See PAL-HIKARi5's specification here.
The following specification is for "PAL-0." See PAL-HIKARi 10's specification here.
(C) 2003-2017 ATAGO CO.,LTD, All rights reserved.


text:
layout: page
title: Falls Bolt Media Party
date: 2016-05-24
author: Jerry Escobar
tags: weekly links, java
status: published
summary: In consectetur semper ipsum nec tincidunt. Etiam ultrices tellus.
banner: images/banner/office-01.jpg
booking:
  startDate: 02/29/2016
  endDate: 03/04/2016
  ctyhocn: DTTCNHX
  groupCode: FBMP
published: true
---
Nulla nec pulvinar eros. Vivamus ultricies metus et turpis hendrerit, et rutrum dolor blandit. In vestibulum a augue at aliquet. Suspendisse potenti. Cras varius aliquam est, quis porttitor augue lobortis id. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Mauris sit amet tellus tincidunt, finibus dolor at, fringilla velit. Fusce tincidunt mi eu ullamcorper dictum. Nulla nec tincidunt risus. Vestibulum aliquam et felis vel finibus. Sed facilisis pharetra blandit. Nunc nec urna sem.

* Maecenas eu nisi convallis, viverra turpis eget, bibendum lorem
* Morbi sed tortor id dui dictum posuere at vitae enim
* Sed eu enim maximus, pulvinar nulla at, molestie nisi
* Morbi congue lacus at arcu sodales efficitur.

Pellentesque ornare nibh quis ipsum feugiat, et auctor magna maximus. Mauris lectus ex, tempor gravida orci a, rutrum aliquam erat. Morbi pharetra id justo vel fermentum. Praesent sit amet sapien ut turpis rhoncus vehicula. Maecenas sit amet consequat dolor. Donec laoreet tellus lorem, ac volutpat quam ornare rhoncus. Mauris ut tellus ex.


With the help of software that mimics a human brain, ESA's Gaia satellite spotted six stars zipping at high speed from the centre of our Galaxy to its outskirts. This could provide key information about some of the most obscure regions of the Milky Way.
Our galactic home, the Milky Way, houses more than a hundred billion stars, all kept together by gravity. Most are located in a flattened structure – the Galactic disc – with a bulge at its centre, while the remaining stars are distributed in a wider spherical halo extending out to about 650 000 light-years from the centre.
Stars are not motionless in the Galaxy but move around its centre with a variety of velocities depending on their location – for example, the Sun orbits at about 220 km/s, while the average in the halo is of about 150 km/s.
A new class of high-speed stars was discovered just over a decade ago. Swooping through the Galaxy at several hundred of km/s, they are the result of past interactions with the supermassive black hole that sits at the centre of the Milky Way and, with a mass of four million Suns, governs the orbits of stars in its vicinity.


text:
reviewed paper: Schmitz, C. and P.R. Hof (2005) Design-Based Stereology in Neuroscience. Neuroscience 130, 813-831.
This review (Schmitz and Hof, 2005) reflects a crystallization of vision in the field of unbiased stereology; made possible by the advent of probes to be used in thick sections. The goal of unbiased or design-based stereology is to sample and probe characteristics of tissues and organs under the microscope without systematic mistakes, largely for estimating number, length, and the surface and volume of regions and particles. Thick sections allow for isotropic probes when estimating surface and length and when combined with an embrace of probes that have long been in existence offer a complete and now well established array of tools to estimate first and second order properties of biological tissue. "Design-based stereology can nowadays be viewed as a well-established methodology to reveal certain features of development, repair, natural aging, and normal anatomy of the brain which could not be detected otherwise" (Schmitz and Hof, fourth paragraph, first sentence).
The authors start off by differentiating between qualitative and quantitative comparisons and tell in what case quantitative comparisons need to be used; "to test for statistically significant changes in appearance resulting from a disease or an experimental treatment, particularly if differences between pathologic and physiologic conditions are discrete" (Schmitz and Hof, first paragraph). A corollary is "Beware of seeking some form of quantification even though the biological effect is clear from simple observation of the material" (Evans, et al., 2004, Chapter 1, third paragraph, second sentence).
Thick sections that allow room for isotropic probes so that the tissue can be sectioned arbitrarily (also called preferentially) are stressed; it is pointed out that the original definition of stereology, to obtain three-dimensional information from lower dimensional data is evolving since "in the current use of design-based stereology many methods (so-called probes) make use of three-dimensional sections" (Schmitz and Hof, second paragraph, second sentence).
The characteristics deemed most important for Neuroscience research that can be estimated with either global or local probes are listed; "volume, number, connectivity, spatial distribution, and length of linear biological structures" (Schmitz and Hof, third paragraph).
Important considerations that must be planned before sectioning and histology are covered; "design-based stereologic analyses cannot be initiated right away on existing sections, if they have not been prepared adequately for design-based stereology" (Schmitz and Hof, Section 2: Considerations for specimen preparation for design-based stereologic analysis). This affects the selection of, thickness, and orientation of sectioning of the tissue sections. Several important points about requirements are made:
-access to the complete region of interest
-sections and microscope fields that are representative of the whole region
-all parts of the brain region have an equal chance of being sampled
-all structures can be recognized
-the size, shape, orientation and distribution in space can't affect the estimate
Systematic random sampling is recommended throughout the entire region to ensure representative and equal selection of sections and microscope fields because "alterations in neuron densities may considerably differ from alterations in the corresponding total numbers of neurons, and results obtained from systematically and randomly sampled sections may considerably differ from corresponding results obtained using single "representative" sections" (Schmitz and Hof, section 2, third paragraph). A reference is given to a study showing different results for systematic random sampling verses only looking at representative samples based on size (Schmitz et al., 2004).
"Independence of design-based stereologic estimates from the size, shape, spatial orientation, and spatial distribution of the neurons or linear biological structures under study is achieved by the three-dimensional design of almost all probes described" and "the application of these new 3-dimensional (3D) stereologic probes requires the use of thick (i.e. 3D) sections instead of thin (2-D) sections" (Schmitz and Hof, Section 2, second paragraph). The requirement that no three dimensional arrangement of lengths and surfaces is favored when sampling is efficiently and easily met by using thick section probes that are themselves isotropic. The Cavalieri/point-counting probe to estimate volume can be carried out on thin optical sections of thick physical sections. When estimating number it is also easier and more efficient to use the thick-section optical fractionator probe. When thick sections can't be obtained thin sections can be used, but extra steps (isotropic or vertical sectioning), that cause decreases in efficiency and facility, must be taken to ensure isotropy of interaction with the probe and surfaces or lengths and to ensure a three-dimensional probing situation for number. Model based stereology, such as the use of the Abercrombie correction for estimating number of cells (Abercrombie, 1946) could be used, but "it is rarely possible to figure out how well the application of such correction methods really adjusted for bias in quantitative analyses based on the size, shape, spatial orientation, and spatial distribution of the neurons to be investigated" and "With the correct use of design-based stereology this is not any longer an issue" (Schmitz and Hof, section 2, third paragraph).
The modern array of unbiased stereological probes can be carried out on a system that includes specialized hardware and software. A camera for live imaging or software that will load image stacks, an automatic X,Y,Z stage, a modern microscope and a z-encoder and software to control the systematic sampling and super-position of probes on images of the biological structures is standard. The thick section probes require that the z-position is accurately encoded (Schmitz and Hof, Section 3, Laboratory equipment for design based stereologic analyses).
Following the rules of unbiased stereology will give estimates without having to take into consideration the size, shape spatial orientation and spatial distribution of the structures. To further minimize bias these other steps should be taken (Schmitz and Hof, Section 4, Potential bias in results of design-based stereologic analyses):
-comparisons between groups should be restricted to tissue processed in the same way, although number estimates are not affected by differential tissue shrinkage during histology
-the entire brain region should be available, recognizable and all parts must have an equal chance of being sampled; each study should provide a description of the method selected to identify the region of interest
-the estimate cannot be affected by artifact where the knife has sectioned or due to incomplete staining
-shrinkage in the z-dimension during histology must be measured for thick section probes using an oil lens and taken into account, when, for instance, estimating in-situ volume
Section 5: Parameters that can be assessed by design-based stereology (Schmitz and Hof)
Volume of a brain region. (Schmitz and Hof, section 5.2)
Use Cavalieri with either point-counting or tracing. To avoid over-projection, use thin sections.
Number of neurons within a given tissue volume. (Schmitz and Hof, section 5.3)
Counting cell-pieces is not the same as counting cells (Schmitz and Hof, Fig. 3). Use the physical disector if you have thin sections or the optical disector with thick sections. A unique point on the cell, such as its leading edge, is identified to count cells as opposed to cell pieces. Guard zones should be used where sectioning has caused artifact.
Number of neurons within a given brain region. (Schmitz and Hof, section 5.4)
Unless the region is very small, systematic random sampling will be used to sample a fraction of the volume (Schmitz and Hof, figure 1). Then either the VrefXNv or the fractionator method can be used to arrive at an estimate. "Estimating the number of neurons within a given BROI with the Fractionator method is from an economical point of view more efficient than doing the same with the VrefXNv method. This is due to the fact that the Fractionator method does not require estimates of the global volume of the BROI." (Schmitz and Hof, part 5, last paragraph).
Mean cellular/nuclear volume. (Schmitz and Hof, section 5.5)
Use the nucleator, or the rotator or the optical rotator probe, and for number weighted estimates, use these local probes in conjunction with a disector. For volume weighted estimates, point sampled intercepts can be used. Isotropic or vertical sections should be used to ensure that the shape and orientation of the particles does not influence the estimates. If it can be shown that the particles are themselves isotropic or arranged isotropically in space, then arbitrarily oriented sections can be used. "This problem has to be individually solved in each application" (Schmitz and Hof, section 5.5, last paragraph). For instance see Schmitz, et al., 1999.
Surface area. (Schmitz and Hof, section 5.6)
Use the isotropic fakir probe for both regional surface estimates and also for estimating surface of groups of particles. The surface area of individual particles can be estimated with the optical rotator.
Fiber length. (Schmitz and Hof, section 5.7)
Use the spaceballs probe. Remember that length estimates are of the length after histological shrinkage.
Three-dimensional cytoarchitecture. (Schmitz and Hof, section 5.7)
Use the nearest neighbor probe.
Section 6: Variability of estimates obtained with design-based stereology (Schmitz and Hof)
Unbiased stereology yields estimates and it is the mean of an infinite amount of unbiased estimates that will converge to the (unknown) true value. If an estimate is carried out many times it will vary; the coefficient of variation could be calculated, and the amount of variance will tell us something about the precision of the estimate. "It is one of the most desirable advantages of design-based stereology over other quantitative histologic techniques that predictions about this coefficient of variation (usually presented as "coefficient of error," CE) are possible" (Schmitz and Hof, section 6, second paragraph, last sentence).
It is stated that as a 'rule of thumb' the reciprocal of the square root of the number of counted neurons for the optical fractionator can be used as a CE, with the goal of getting it to be low, around 0.1. In other words, in many cases the local term will swamp out the between sections term and the Gunderson CE reduces to the local or 'noise' term (Schmitz, 1998). "different scientific questions to be addressed by design-based stereology require different levels of precision in the estimates" therefore "It is always advisable to design an individual sampling scheme for each new study, taking into account all potential factors that will likely affect the precision of estimates such as potential biologic variability, the number of animals or brains to be investigated, the number of sections to be analyzed, the number of neurons to be counted, etc." (Schmitz and Hof, section 6, last paragraph).
Suggestions are given about what parameters to report in the publication (Schmitz and Hof, Table 2), that match our guidelines for reporting.
This review has done a great job at laying out the bias that can compromise an experiment and talking about how unbiased stereology has answers to questions about bias: "In numerous published studies reporting quantitative data not obtained with design-based stereologic methods, these questions cannot be adequately answered. In some cases, such quantitative data can even be more misleading than purely qualitative statements, because they are based on inadequate methods and are prone to overinterpretation. The use of design-based stereologic methods permits one to answer all these questions positively." (Schmitz and Hof, Concluding remarks).
Evans, S.M., A.M. Janson, J.R. Nyengaard (2004) Quantitative Methods in Neuroscience, Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K.
Schmitz, C. (1998) Variation of Fractionator Estimates and its Prediction. Anat Embryol, 198(5):371-97.
Schmitz, C., Born, M., Dolezel P., Hof, P.R., and H. Korr (2004) Prenatal protracted gamma irradiation with extremely low does rate over several days induces massive neuronal loss in rat cerebellum and hippocampus. Neuroscience; 130 (4): 935-48.
Schmitz, C. and P.R. Hof (2005) Design-Based Stereology in Neuroscience. Neuroscience 130, 813-831.
Schmitz, C., Schuster, D., Niessen, P. and H. Korr (1999) No Difference between Estimated Mean Nuclear Volumes of Various Types of Neurons in the Mouse Brain Obtained on either Isotropic Uniform Random Sections or Conventional Frontal or Sagittal Sections, J. of Neuroscience Methods, 88, pp. 71 – 82.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl