University of South Carolina Libraries
f . The Abbeville Press and Banner. I BY HUGH WILSON. ABBEVILLE, S C, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1889. VOLUME XXXIII. NO. 42. ^fjfj Picking1 Up. One of the time-consuming cares of every house-keeper may be described under tiie general bead of picking up. She picks up after her liusbaud, after her girls, atter Ihe babies in the nursery. The latter strew the nursery floor with tlicir blocks, toys, and pie-J ture books; about oue baby in a hun-j dred are being taught to put its little properties away when doue with them, while the other ninety-nine are diligently instructed at an early age in the art of being waited upon by their elders. Girls come in from their pleasant excursions here and there, flushed, dimpled, sweet as the rose that laughs in the hedge ; but sweet as they look, they are thoughtless beyond belief in wArlr fi\r fhpir I Lie 111UUU UA Uiaiviug uuii\ ?W* v. mothers. A parasol oil the piauo, a pair of gloves oil the music-rack, a hat on the top of a cabinet, a"wrap thrown carelessly on the back of an easy chair, and the youug woman drifts languidly into the dining-room, quite oblivious that it will take manuna or the maid a good quarter of an hour to "tidy" the apartment which they have set awry. Doubtless their intention is to carry their things to the proper places themselves, after a period of rest, but she who procrastinates in such au affair is lost. In pulling away one's out-dooi clothing, one's letters, one's books, ii is the tiivt moment of decision which counts, the primary indecision which is fata). What the young person lazily or thoughtlessly imposes on somebody who "is older, and by reason of hpr nrlriprl vfiars less able to bear the strain, may be just the traditional straw, beyond which strength and vigor will endure no more. For the good man of the house we have always the most elastic toleration, yet we think that too often he binds a burden ton the shoulders of his wife which, frets her unwarrantably, though she makes no si?;n of complaint. "My husband's progress through the house," said a matron recently, is marked by a litter of hats, coats, slippers, newspapers, pamphlets, books, boots, corkscrews, inkstands, reports, collars, handkerchiefs, etc. He is forever saying, "Dear, do you remember where you put such or such a thing ol mine '" and wondering why his wife has so inconvenient a habit of clearing things up. It needs only a glance to show that if every body were of one mind about putting articles at once where they belong, picking up would be reduced to a minimum, and one labor of the housewife greatly simplified. Tiie Belieyer's Victory. How is it achieved " iNot by doubting the plain revelation God has given us, for it has been forcibly said, "Doubt cramps energy. It is not so far as a man doubts, but so fur as he believes, that be can achieve or perfect any thing. Only so far as a mau believer strongly, mightily, can he act cheerfully, or do anything that is worth doing.*" "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth," said the infallible Teacher. Manv a one will say, "I have long desired to possess this overcoming faith, but something seems to obstruct the way." It is a useless repetition ol words to urge upon such persons "Believe," "believe,'' "that is all you have rv /1a )) TKm? ri/\f 1 \ol im?/% un<l o/i LU uv? A UCJ uuuuva Y c, cauii ov gain the victory, without a more correct view of their own hearts. It is often the case that spiritual victory is withheld because the heart cannot be entrusted with the spoils of conquest. As Mr. Spurgeon says, "It behooves us to lay all our laurels at Jehovah's feet, each one of us saying, 'By my Gori have I wrought this valiant deed.: The trophies of our conflicts we hereby dedicate to the God of battles, and ascribe to Him all glory and strength." Let Him see that we are ready to take to ourselves credit for any victory we may gain over the world, the flesh, and the devil, and so to boast of our own prowess or skill, and the principles, both of love and of rectitude, compel Him to deny the believing spirits to our souls. Victory over oui foes comes only through a faith that isunostentatious and unselfish, and without any thought of merit, continually falls prostrate at the mercy seat. it is "ui iiecessary in oruer 10 posses.such a faith that there must be a long period of preliminary training. Nothing is required but a just view of ourselves ; of the fact that all we are, or ever can bo spiritually, is of grace, and exists irrespective of personal merit. This view may be the abiding conviction of a soul at a very early period of religious experience. It is for this reason, among others, that all new converts should be scriptually taught; not committing the fatal error of resting in a present emotional religion, without giving attention to the foun<lntlnnu nf flipir fat til. Christ-Possessed. "Can you tell rue," asked a clerical friend of mine of a candidate for missionary work, "whatjustification is?" The man gave to the question a satisfactorp reply. "And what," pursued my friend, "is sanctificatian ?" "Sanctification," said the candidate, the fire kindling in his look as he spoke, "sanctification is a God-possessed soul, sir." jfo truer answer could be given. It fc one thing to possess Christ?it is a very different thing to be possessed by Christ. In the one caBe we have life, but in the other we have life triumphant. If God is in possession, Satan is cast out, for "what concord hath Christ with Belial, and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" (2 Cor. vi. 10.) It is to be feared that of this most * 1 j .. ?? ,1 1? vimS?iSIa<va aT r!!/v/1 _ Y-vr\n _ OlCSbtU ill 111 111 ^ IA |J11> UC^C \Jl U UU'l^UO" session, many Christians know comparatively little ; jet it is the one secret both of holiness and of safety, for where God is not, there sin and Satan are, just as where light is not, there darkness inevitably is. Amid the ten thousand snares that beset our path heavenward there is absolutely no security except to obey our Lord's own words: "Abide iu me, and I in you" to be, as some one has put it, at once, "Christ inclosed and Christ indwelt." Regarding white streaks in butter, a correspondent says : "Recently we became convinced that by letting the cream rise until the milk became sour and firm the butter will be nica and yellow, but if a part of the cream be taken off while tne milk is sweet and churned with the sour cream, the butter will have white streaks every time." Moderation is a little stream which flows softly, but freshens everything L along its course. A Secret. BY LIZZIE M. HADLEY. "I'll tell you something," says little Bell, "If you're certain, sure, you'll never tell. "Well then," whispers the little maid, "My papa, a great, big man's afraid." "Oh, Isn't that funny enough?" laughed Sue, Your papa's afraid, and mine is, too." "Not of bears or tigers or bumble-bees; It's something a thousand times worse than these. It's a terrible thing, that goes up and down Through every city, village and town. And my papa says he almost knows That things will bo ruined wherever it goes. Yes, Isn't It dreadful f" says Belle, with a sigh, "It will swear, and papa says, steal and He. I 'spect It has horns and cloven feet; AudSue! what do you s'pose It will eat?" Then closer together drew each little maid Looking about as If half afraid. They might see this thing with cloven feet; And And It liked little girls to eat. And then they fancied they heard it roar, As It gobbled them up and cried for more, *'"L " ?- ' ?t? n-ti UD, u H iihiuc, cries utile, is oo ulciuiui too; Does your papa call it 'Republican,' Sue?" Sue shnkes her bead. "Ob, it can't be that. For my papa calls it a 'Democrat,'" Little Scotch Urauite. Burt and Johnnie Lee were delighted when their Scotch cousin came to live with them. He was little, but bright and full of fun. He could tell curious things about his liome in Scotland and bis voyage across the ocean. He was as far advanced in his studies as they were, and the first day he went to school they thought him reinerkably eood. He wasted no time in play when he should have studied, and he advanced finely. At night, before the close of the school, the teacher called the roll and the boys began to answer "Ten." When Willie understood that he was to say ten if he had not whispered during the day, he replied, "I have whispered." "More than once?" asked the teacher. "Yes, sir," answered Willie. "As many as ten times?" "Maybe I have," faltered "Willie. "Then I shall mark you zero," said we leacuer meriiiy : " ami wiuu j? m great disgrace." "Why, 1 did not see you whisper once," said Johnnie that night after school. "Well, I did," said Willie ; "I saw others doing it, and so I asked to borrow a book ; then I lent a slate and pencil, and asked a boy for a knife and such things. I supposed it was allowed." "Oh, we all do it," said Burt, reddening. "There is no sense in the old rule;and nobody could keep it, nobody does." "I will, or else I will say I haven't," said Willie. "Do you suppose I would tell ten lies iu one heap?" "Oh, we don't call them lies," muttered Johnnie. "There wouldn't be a credit among us at night if we were so strict." "What of that, if )>ou told the truth ?" laughed Willie. In a short time, the boys all saw how it was with him. He studied hard, played with all his might in play-time; but, according to his account, he lost more credits thau any of the rest. After some weeks the boys answered "nine" and "eight" oftener than they used to. Yet the school seemed to have grown quieter. Sometimes when Willie Grant's mark was even lower than usual, the teacher would smile peculiarly, but said no mere of disgrace. Willie never preached to them or told tales; but, somehow, it made the boys ashamed of themselves, just the seeing that this sturdy blue-eyed boy must tell the truth. It was putting the clean cloth by the half soiled one, you see ; and they felt like cheats and story-tellers. They talked him all over, and loved him, if they did nickname him "Scotch Granite," he was so firm about a promise. 1 Well, at the end of the term Willie's 1 name was very low down on the credit j list. When it was read he had hard work not to cry; for he was very sensitive, and he had tried hard to be perfect. But the very last thing that day was a speech by the teacher, who told ' of once seeing a man muffled up in a cloak. He was passing him without a look, when he was told the man was Uen. JtiiauK, me great nero. "The signs of his rank were hidden, but the hero was there just the same," said the teacher. "And now, boys, you will see what I mean when I give 1 little "medal to the most faithful boys 1 ?the one really the most conscientious- ( ly 'perfect in his deportment, among you. Who shall have it?" "Little Granite!" shouted the forty boys at once; for the child whose name was so "low" 011 the credit lisl had made truth noble in their eyes. Lament of Charles Lamb. The brilliant author of "Elia" was a sad victim of the drink curse, and his lament conveys a terrible warning to all. He wrote thus of himself: "The waters have gone over me; but out of its black depths could I be heard, I would call out to all those who have set a foot in the perilous Hood. Could the youth, to whom the flavor of the first wine is delicious as the opening scenes of life, or the entering upon some newly discovered paradise, look into my desolation, and be made to understand what a dreadful thing it is when he shall feel himself going down a passive will; to see his destruction and have no power to stop it, and yet feel it all the way emanating from himself; to feel that all virtue has left him, and yet not able to forget a time when it was otherwise ; to hear about the piteous spectacle of his own ruin ; could he see my ' airaa fovprp<l with lnat nifrht'n drinking, and feverish looking for tonight's repetition of the folly ; could he but feel the body of the death out of which I cry?hourly with feebler outcry?to be delivered, it were enough to make him dash the sparkling beverage to the earth in all the pride of its mantling temptation." The principles of Quakerism, if they had always predominated in America, would have prevented all Indian wars and all other wars. The great work of the Quakers now, to which they are called in the proyidence of God, is not the temperance cause, nor missionary work in Pagan lands; but ill unceasingly and vigorously, in all meekness of spirit, laboring to convert the Church universal into the principles of Christ, as taught by Him in His Sermon on the Mount, so that Christians and Christian nations shall at once begin to learn war no more, and stop the dishonor that rests on them by their barbarous and hellish mutual slaughter. J. H. Acknowledging' Faults. A'liere is one means of preserving l)eace, harmony, and good-will in our soeial relations which, although very simple, very just, and manifestly very effective, is perhaps more frequently shunned and disliked than any other, it is the frauk admission of having been in the wrong. .Nothing so quickly disarms resentment, calms, irritation, melts away cold displeasure, turns anger into tenderness, and changes a defiant attitude to one of sympathy, as this candid confession, and yet few words are more rarely uttered. The simple avowal of the trutb, without excuse "or palliation?"I was wrong," or "I was mistaken," or "I regret having said or done as I did"? is worth a thousaud elaborate attempts at explanation, which are generally uubelieved, unaccepted, and give rise to argument instead of reconciliation. The person thus addressed undergoes an immediate change of sentiment towards him who speaks. He no longer desires to prove or to emphasize the error or the offense; he rather inclines 'v :< if oiwl to rt dpq tvr IfciluiC ltj IU CAUuov jv9 mmu x.v.v?. tiou whether he, too, may not have been equally to blame. And the sympathy tnus established unites those in friendly concord who might otherwise be always at enmity. Of course, the primary element in any such avowal is its absolute truthfulness. To utter such words for the mere sake of conciliation, without feeling that they express the reality, would re-act for evil, like any other falsity. (Sometimes children are required to do this, and it is always an act of injustice. Unless they can be brought to feel that they have been in the wrong, they should not even be allowed to say so. jSo good can ever come to child or man by Insincerity But when once convinced of error? i when confession to self has been made 1 ?the confession to the one who has been wronged is a debt which justice < demands, and which magnanimity will hasten to pay. Very Joften it is the only reparation that it is possible moL-u Thorp ;<i no hesitation as to 1 the duty of restoriug what has been . borrowed, or making good any proper- : ty of our neighbor's that we may have injured; yet, if we have hurt his feel- 1 ings, or injured his good name, or in any way taken some drops out of his cup of happiness which cannot be restored, is it too much for us to confess the wrong and to express whatever regret we truly feel ? Is there not something mean and ungenerous, as well as unjust, in the spirit that refuses to make the only possible atonement? And yet how common is such a refusal ! A Sharp Thrust. Some men who pass for very respectable citizens, and who really are not without good qualities, have a habit of not only finding fault with their wives at every least provocation, but of doing it in terms such as no gentleman would think of applying to any lady except his own wife, or possibly his own sister. There is a story that such a man came home from the shop one night, 1 and found his wife much excited over the outrageous behavior of a tramp. 1 He had begged for something to. eat, 1 nnri nnf. liitini* what the woman gave him, had abused her iu the rudest I terms. }' "Johnny," said the man, thoroughly indignant, "when you heard that cowardly rascal abusing your mother, why didn't you run at once to the store and let me know ? I wouiti have 1 made abort work of him. Didn't you hear?" 1 "Yes, pa, I heard. I was out in the 1 barn and heard what he said about the victuals; but?" ' "But what?" ' 1 'HVhy, pa, I thought it wras you scolding mother. He used the very 1 same words you do when the dinner 1 doesn't suit you. I didn't think any- 1 body else would dare talk to mother in that way." * ?I < The best supplement of religion is ' common-sense. After having resolved ' to fulfill the highest possibilities of our nature, the wisest course lies in attempting to reach the mental and physical condition which render noble i living possible. A serene old lady, whose daily living was like noble music, was once ( asked by a moody young girl how she could exercise sell-command without one apparent failure. i "My'dear," said she, "the first secret of decent living is in the help and support we receive from above; the second lies in taking care of ourselves. ; When I find I am more than usually sensitive to the worries of life, I take i half-an-hour alone and read a pleasant book, or even take a nap. If the 'chariot-ivheels jar in the gates,' I say i to myself. 'Come, come, Martha ! We must stop to oil up !' i "When I was a girl, I had a quarrel , with my best friend, and all because I had been up half the night before, and didn't know enough to take a nap be fore finding fault with her !" "But 1 should grow selfish if I watched my moods in that way," said her little friend, discouraged. "O, bless you, it must be done with discretion ! Regard your mind and , body as delicate and complicated machines which must be kept in order. You wouldn't expect your watch to keep time if a bread crumb had lodged among the wheels; why should you demand gentleness and patience of this human mechanism if you don't exert yourself to see that it is kept in repair? ' - * * - *1. ~ "1 Olice nuu U 1U ul mu uccpcai mur go blues, which yielded to an orange, eaten in a bright little room. The orange was so sweet, and the sunlight so dazzling, that I couldn't resist the conviction gradually stealing in on me that this is indeed the "best of all possible worlds.' " To make jests of sacred things requires 110 high order of ability, and is no mark of superior wit. Such achievements are within the compass of the faculties of a fool. No man of culture and prudence would do it. It degrades religion in the minds of the ungodly. It destroys conviction in the minds of those who are not far from the kingdom of God. It wounds the feelings of thoee who love thp cause and the Word of God. It dead ens the religious sensibilities of those who indulge in it. A. foreign lady, to whom theEuglieh language was somewhat strange, while in this couutry recently, was invite; to partake of some oysters. "O, thank you," she replied, "a little of the juic e none of the beasts." The Emotional Should not bo Stifled. When we use the understanding in our spiritual investigations in a way to depreciate religious emotion, serious consequeuoes are sure to follow. Love, warm and demonstrative, is the truest manifestation of vital godliuess. Joy in the Lord?a joy that expresses itseli in a genuine manner?is always in keeping with the best type of religion. Peace in the soul?the peuce of Godis one of the chief qualities of holy character. All these belong to the emotional part of our nature, and when that is lightly esteemed, increase in these heavenly graces is impossible. Our age is one of marked intellectual activity. The training of our yooth, especially in the higher grades of instruction, is conducted with this constantly in view. Our studeuts are warned that they will rank low in life, if unprepared to grapple witli abstruse problems, or to combat successfully with haughty scepticism. But is this, after all, the highest preparation ? We think not. ' To develop moral sensibilities, grow irr breadth of holy sympathy and open the hidden springs of tuc OWUl UUUWUiU LUL19 13 LUllUIC Ui U superior kind ; it is this that will qualify the coming generation for high achievement. We plead not for mental sluggishness. Mind, with all its wondrous capabilities is God's gilt. Let all proper stimulus come to it. Its far-reaching possibilities have never yet been measured. But the danger is, rather, in bestowing upon the intellectual a disproportionate attention; overlooking the care of the emotional nature in the strife for high rank in scholastic honors. Faults of Many Mothers. American women of all classes are, as a rule, sinfully negligent of some of the duties which pertain to health, especially exercise in the open air. The excuse that their many cares engross them, and that they, in consequence, have but little opportunity for leaviDg their homes is scarcely sufficient. The number who actually cannot enjoy each day an hour's outing mu9t be small, indeed, even among the class forced to work the hardest. Not only do many women fail in this respect in their duty to themselves, but their young children suffer in consequence of the same neglect. From one week's end to another during the winter not a few of them keep their little ones in overheated rooms, if not huddled around the kitchen stove, and the result is we find them, as snrincr an proaches, weak, puny and ailing. In such families colds, coughs, sore throats, and the like, are common affections. There is scarcely a day during the coldest season when even the baby cannot be safely taken out of doors. Mothers should understand that upon the duily enjoyment of fresh and open air depends, in a great degree, the health of their little ones as well as themselves ; it is, in fact, absolutely indispensable to the well-being of all. We can appear at our worst without special effort; but in order to appear to advantage we must struggle incessantly against temptation. The ugly Bide of our nature, craving expression nn lcca than nnr crrvnH qIHo tinanlrQ intn UV iVUJ VUUli V/M* ^VVV4 MKVMlkU <*tVV our activities whenever we are off our guard. It is constantly seeking a vent. Wiili some of us, it come9 out when we sit behind a writing-table; with others of us, when we rise in the pulpit, or in the superintendent's deaL; with yet others of us, when we are confronted by unexpected visitors or difficulties, or when we run anew against confirmed and ever-recurring faults in our subordinates, or When we open the door of home, or gather about the dinner-table. What poison this ugly side can put into print, or into talk, or into debate, or into teaching or preaching! What causes it can frus- ; trate! What humiliation it will eventually bring upon us ! If, indeed, we sould keep this side of our personality out of our dealings with others, what a worldful of good and of happiness would be restored to the very circle in which we move! A Noble School.?Mrs. Sharp (a missionary Bent out by the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church) said one day to her little negro scholars in West Africa: "A poor Congo woman wants me to Lake her little girl." "Take her! take her!" exclaimed all the children in chorus. "But I do not feel as if I could feed more than I now have," she answered. They thought a while and then the eldest said, If we could work and earn something, we could buy her food." "Yes, but I know of no one who has any work you could do." After some talk in Kroo, one of them 3aid, "Take her, cook the same as now, and we will all give her a part oil*each one's plate till she have plenty, only take her and teach her about God." What made it the more touching was that none had more than they really wauted for themselves, and that other tribes very much dislike Congo people; yet they were all willing gladly to divide what they had with even a Congo child. Coffee Cream.?This Is a delicate and agreeable dish for an evening entertainment. Dissolve one ounce and a quarter of isinglass in half a pint of water. Boil for two hours a teacupful of whole coflee in about half a pint of water (ground coffee is not so good for the purpose); add a teacupful to the melted isinglass. Put them into a saucepan with half a pint of milk, an d let the whole boil up, sweeten with loaf sugar, and let it stand ten minutes to cool, then add a pint of good cream ; 3tir it well up and pour it into a mold and put it into a cool place to fix; turn it out on a glass dish before serving up. A Neglected Disinfectant.? When the household of our grandmothers was threatened with infection the common practice was to sprinkle brimstone on a hot shovel or on hot coals on a shovel and carry the burning result through the house. But now this simple method of disinl'ectiug has gone out of fashion without any good and sufficient reason. The principle reason is neither good nor sufficient, viz., that nobody canj patent it and sell it in twenty-five and fifty cent bottles. A true perception of the gospel is the entire' forgetfulness of self, utter absence of any pretension, and the complete and utter refusal to accept the world's praise of judgment. "i " The Buttermilk Diet. The. writer of this article took the pains to look up the man who claimed so much for buttermilk. He proved to be a noted D. D., aud a hard-working editor in New York City. He told me that the buttermilk had done wonders for him. He drank from two (o four quarts every day. Occasionally he ate a small piece of dry bread. Nothing else passed his Jips except the buttermilk. At the end of the first week the inflammation of his stomach subsided aud far the first time immany months lie slept all night. At the end of the fourth week he considered himself well, though he coutinued to drink some buttermilk every day. He told me that while on the buttermilk diet he was s.t his desk every day and did not lose a pound. To avoid temptation he kept away from the table. He also stated that his physician informed him that he had curtsd a large number of ftvunpnl if>u wtHi l.ho U'imo nrnsnnntimi 7 ""X X ?f.V. ?/MV after everything else bad failed. Other physicians of his acquaintance had resorted to the same "heroic" treatment with like results. He mentioned the fact that a number of prominent physicians in Brooklyn had put their patients who were troubled with a low fever every day (occasioned mostly by weak stomachs) on the buttermilk diet with splendid results. Since the above conversation I have heard of a number of dyspeptics who have been helped and cured on the tame line. 1 , have tried it myself, and speak with confidence. Patients who have an excess of acid in their systems may not 1 be benefited by its use, but the great majority who are troubled with ordinary dyspepsia, torpid liver, and consequent "biliousness" will be greatly helped if not cured. The philosophy is simple. While buttermilk is inferior to skimmed milk in nutritive properties, it is still a valuable article of food. It is already soured and in a partially digested condition so that the stomach has little to do in taking care of it. Besides this it furnishes its own "juices" in a large measure so that the digestive apparatus is excused from m uch of the trouble, In a word, the lactic acid seems to meet a want. As a food and medicine it is simnle and within the reach of all. What Others Say. Protracted or Revival Meetings.?Such meetings are a necessity. It> sounds pious to say that there should be a continuous revival in every church, that sinners should be converted at every service. Things in this world have never been as they ought to be. Special times of ingathering are just as essential in this work of the church as in the husbandry ol the earth. Every protracted effort for a revival should be made a success. A teeble aud inadequate effort usually , leaves the church in a worse condition than it was before the meeting began. , .Not that there is a positive injury done but it discourages the church, makes the world unbelieving or doubtful, and in a measure, at least make success in the future more difficult. That meeting where the best means and methods ar3 utilized cannot be a failure. It must be remembered however, that success is not always measured by the numoer oi immediate proiessions, auditions, or reclamatioiiB. The heralding of a number of conversions is sometimes disgusting. I cannot help thinking that there is greater concern about the results of the message delivered t.;iau about the message itself. Your Son.?Your sou came back from the military school with the military seep, head up, body erect, and facing the front with his eyes resting on the ground at an angle of forty-five degrees forward. What does all this amount to? Simply nothing, except that it* furnished a pretext for sending your son away from your own Church school to one unfriendly to the Church, if not to morals. You say that you wanted your son to get the benefit ol military discipline. Another dodge, which when fully understood means that your patriotism and party devotion are stronger than your love for the Church, whose institutions you have solemnly promised to support. It is a nrionf rmuhilru tn neirlwt t.hfl nroner b4v,,v "" ?o,"w- X ?? training of your son at home, and then send him oil' to a godless school and expect military discipline to make up for your failure. Your son keeps the step, and carries himself erect, but does he say his prayers? The Bible in the Heart.?The Bible may be in the hand or house and not be in the heart. Physiologists say that food is never really in the body until it is in the blood, ami to put it there requires the process of digestion. The living bread of Christ must pas* through the head and heart into the life-blood of character before the tissues of the soul can receive spiritual life and growth. When the celebrated Grimshaw first found Christ, ho told a friend that "if God had drawn up His Bible to heaven and sent him down another, it could not have been newer to him." Yet the only difference was that between the word in the hand and the word in the heart; but howvast that difference ! A direct word to a young person, spoken in sincerity, in sympathy, and in onrnpsfness. costs less time than the writing of a sermon, a story, or an editorial, and it may compass more. Such words are not spoken as often as they ought to be, and the world has lack accordingly. "It may be a little thing for yon," said Mr. Gougli, "to sneak the one loving, earnest word tnat turns a young man from the wrong way to the right one,?a little thing to you, but it's everything to , him.1' Such a word may be waiting for you to speak it to-day. It is a pity?it is a wrong?that men should be nominated and elected to the stewardship year after year for fear of hurting their feelings, even when they do not perform faithfully or effectually the duties of the office. ! "By their fruits ye shall know them." If they do not the work, whether through indifference or incompetency, let them be retired to the private ranks, and more energetic and skillful men be given their place. , "Let Southern Methodists remem- J ber that they have a great and good work to do to preserve the essential features of Methodism intact, and to offer a shelter to all who do not wish ] eithef politics or political methods 1 brought into the Church of God." Baked beans and beau soup are rib stickers and very healthy for old and youug. I ?... ; ' . The Weapons of Peacc. The weapons that we wield to day Are mighty in the press and pen; Wc do not seek our foes to slay, But only ask the rights of men. No burning town or widow's tears Spring frosn the triumph of our cause; But peacc and love in coming years, Equal, Just and righteous laws. With earnest faith I hope and wait, The coming of that promised time; When truth "and love shall conquer hate, And reign supreme through every clime. The race shall hear that song again. Which rang through Bethlehem 8 starlit sky; Sweet peuco on earth, good-will to men, And glory to our Gou on high. GRAINS. There is no worse thief than a bad book. He loses least in a qrarrel who keeps his tongue in check. Attempts at reform, when they fail, sirengmeu uespousm. The best proof of apostolic succession is apostolic success. They must be strong legs that can support prosperous days. Laziness travels so slowly that Poverty soon overtakes him. Shame comes to no man unless he himself help it on the way. The love of our neighbor is the only door out of the dungeon of self. Not to enjoy lifr, but to employ life, ought to be our aim and inspiration. Tho next thing to having wisdom ourselves is to profit by that of others. Power multiplies flatterers, and flatteries multiply our delusions by hiding us from ourselves. If every person would be half as good as he expects his neighbor to be, what a heaven this world would be! It is with nations as with individuals : those who know the least of others, think the highest of themselves. Conscience, like any other faculty, should be carefully cultivated, especially as the light of nature is so imperfect and public opinion is so much .debauched. vv nen you uesire uonnees more iuuu anything else in this world, it is near at hand. "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Religion is in its essence an inward and spiritual holiness. Outward aetioas can be considered but two ways? either as the means and instrument, or else as the fruits and ellects of holiness. The divinest attribute in the heart of man is love, and the mightiest, because the most human, principle in the heart of man is faith. Love is heaven ; faith is that which appropriates heaven. Tomato Fritters.?One quart stewed tomatoes, one egg, one small teaspoonful soda. Stir in flour enough to make a batter like that for griddle cakes. Have some lard very hot on the stove, drop the batter in a spoonfull at a time and fry. It is a great comfort to people of com*via?im1aaa sviftei nnH folonfo lrnAIV iiIUupiauc 51110 auu u4ivuvj w xiwv/M that the measure of success, in the Master's sight at the last, will not be largeness of result, but faithfulness in the use of what the Master has entrusted to us. Spiritual account-keeping is much neglected, and many Christians drift along year after year without taking account of stock, or even reckoning up gains and losses. The books go unbalanced, and no care is taken to guard against spiritual bankruptcy. Oh, Christian, the God whom you serve is so excellent that 110 good can be added to him; aud so infinite that no good can be diminished in him ! { He makes happy, and yet is not the less happy; he shows mercy to the full, and yet remains full of mercy. How many professors are there who have light enough to konw what should be done, but have not love enough to do what they know! Such people have no advantage from carryj ing a bright candle in a dark lantern. Give me the professor who perfectly sees the way he should go, aud readily goes the way he sees. Stringing Seed Corn.?A Western farmer advises to tie the ears together with husks in some place where the grain can be saturated with coal smoke. The odor, he says, repels squirrels and worms from eating the seed. The seed comes up quicker, the plants grow more vigorously, and ripen several days earlier than from seed not so treaica. Wouldest tliou know the lawfulness of the action which thou desirest to undertake? Let thy devotion recommend it to divine blessing; if it be lawful, thou shalt perceive thy heart encouraged by thy prayer; if unlawful, thou shalt find thy prayer discouraged by thy heart. That action is not warrantable, which either blushes to beg a blessing, or having succeeded, dares not present thanksgiving. Be certain of this; that no misery can be equal to that which a man feels who is conscious that he has proven unequal to his part, who has deserted the post his captain set him, and who, when men said, "Such and such a one is there on guard, there is no further need to take further heed," has left his watch, 01* quailed before the foeman, to the loss, perhaps the total ruin, of the cause he had made his choice. Strive always to do justice. Never make an unkind speech or express yourself in a manner calculated to do injury, unless you are sure that you know what you aie talking about. | Truth of the matter is, there is toon much idle, unprofitable talk going on in this world anyway. Better a thousand times not to say anything than , to carelessly misrepresent anyjone. It still seems to Ihi an unsettled question whether wood can be ignited by the heat of a steam pipe in contact with it. It is admitted theoretically, that it is impossible for wood to take , fire at a temperature of 212 degress, or somewhat higher; but it is well known that there have been a larger number of cases of fire reported as occurring from this cause, and the evidence is very conflicting. The total railroad mileage in the state is 2,07G miles. One hundred aud 3ixty-two miles have been opened since June last. Father O'Conner, a converted priest living in New York, is said to have been the means of the conversion of eight hundred Catholics during the past five years. The Lowndesville (S. C.) Advertiser has been suspended. Birth Rnte In Different Sections. j The well known fact that the birthrate litis been decreasing steadily in :l New England for years past leads the -Jw New York Herald to inquire. "Is Maternity Failing?" In several of the *-jsi New England States the native population is nardly holding its own. The old blood in that region has already become very rare and is fallinginto - M smaller proportions constantly. There ^18 is remarkable disparity between the birth rate in New England and the ' ^3 South. The highest rate in the union ;J| is found in Arkansas, and the lowest in ^ New Hampshire. In Arkansas there - 'yM are born annually to every 1,000 women between 15 and 50 years of age ^ 198.9 children, while in New Hampshire to the same class are born only . - J? 71.6, or about one-third as many as in Arkansas. The six States with the highest birth rate are all in what is called the South. They are Arkatraas, JHM Texas, Mississppi, South Caroliu, Tennessee and Albaraa. The combined population of Arkansas and Texas is' barely half that of the six New Eng- . fjs land States, and yet these two Southern ~ y?k States give to the country an annual ^ average of 99,952 babies against 91,134 ??g in the six New England States of twice ~ the population. Of the total annual births in this country the South, With only about one-third the population of the country, furnished 708,610, while *--g the two-thirds of the population north of Mason and Dixon's line are gladdened annually by only 895,112 babies. The number.of births annually to every 1,000 people in New England is 22.1, while in tne South it is 38.7. In New York State the number is 25.7 on the 1,000. In England the rate is '. .^2 34.2; in Swedea30.2; in Switzland '- m 31.3; and in Belgium 32. The South is ^ not only by far the most proliflg part of this country but the birth rate in these States is greater than any civillized country on the globe. When the census of 1880 wns completed there was much surprise that the South, withoht .'Jt the aid of immigration, had gained a % greater proportion of population than any section of the country. A fh 11 and J fair count in the census of next year, "'-''JS we are conaueiii, win buuw a nmmar proportionate growth in the South. v*| It is true that the negroes increase y'M very rapidly, but statistics will v' ; ;a| show the annual increase of white births alone in the South can not be. matched by the North or West. Changes at the Express Office. Mr. Walter Bucker, who was appointed to succeed the late Col. T. Ik Gillespie as Columbia agent of the i Southern Express Company, has been / promoted to the position of route agent '<JM for the Atlantic Coast Line Division f of the company. Mr. J. J. . Croswell. Jfl has been appointed as Agent in Col- tjsfl umbia, Vice, Mr. Buckner promoted. ?Register, " Mr. Crosby says, in reference to New |?| York's gifts to Rom6, that:? The Roman Catholic Church has ob- ;r3 tained from the city donations of real estate to the amount of $3,500,000. In eleven years the Boman Catholic ^ Church has received from the Public . Treasury $6,043,626.45. It received in 'SfSM 1878 $710,350.98; in 1879. $693.1816.29. , , ?M In seventeen years this cnurch re- 7 ceived from the city $10,915,37i.81. Are the Boman Catholic Church and the State united in the treasury of $ this city? The murder of Mr. Clayton, a Re- " ' publican candidate for Congress in - J Arkansas, while getting up eyidence to contest the election of his opponent, ^ Mr. Brecbenride, has been conaemneu and deplored by citizens and newspa- 'M pers of both political parties with great unanimity in that State and all over As the South. There can be little doubt that it was a political murder, commit- iOjj ted to prevent his obtaining evidence to convict the parties who stole the ballot box in the town where he was 'la killed. San Francisco, Feb. 22.?The China steamer which arrived last night brought news of a great snow storm in ' | chftft Foo. Over a million and a half people iti the province are starving and riots occur daily. Missionaries nave been attacked by mobs of Chinese, led . ': ] by the gentry. On February 2 a great fire broke out inShidsuoki, Japan, extending down fourteen streets and destroying 1,000 houses, including temples, schools and hospitals. On the following day fire at Yokosaka gutted fifty houses aud burned to death three men. On the same day ten houses were destroyed at 3 Joshiu and fifteen at Toklo. Rev. Ebenezer Brown died recently in Baltimore, sged ninety-four years. He is said to have been the first missionary sent out by the Methodist Church, Bishop George sending him as missionary to the French inhabitants of the South, with headquarters at New Orleans. So says Zioria Herald. There is great excitement in Northern Georgia, about sixty miles southeast of Chattanooga, over the discovery of a vein of quartz four feet wide, 500 feet deep and three miles long, whicli is very rich in silver. The quartz has been thoroughly tested, and yields $30 in pure silver to the ton. A brother gives us the information that the first Woman's Missionary Society ever organized was organized in Natchez, Miss., in 1834, and collected that year $309 to educate a young Choctaw woman. So Mississippi was first in a work which promises to influence for good all the future of the Church.?Ncio Orleans Christian Ad- . vocate. Judge E. H. East, of Nashville, Tenn., will have direction of the financial aflfuirs of Vanderbilt University until the late Bishop McTyeire's successor as chairman of the board of trustees is chosen. Robert Ingersoil was proposed for membership in the Players' Club of New York, founded by Edwiu Booth. He was black-balled by the actors on account of his irreligious priuciples. Oh, how much we all need good, square, bard solid common sense in our ministry?the common sense that _ will tell a man when to be silent, when to spoak, how to do the right thing in the l ight place at the right time! Further advices from Shanghai by the China steamer state that the famine in Anhui and Kiang-Su is worse than at first reported. In one province 3000 families are starving, and altogether several millions are suffering from a famine caused by drouth two years iu succession; The Court House of Williamsburg County at Kingstree was burned Feb. 22. Loss $10,000. The Records wer# saved.