The Orangeburg democrat. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, August 08, 1879, Image 1
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JI ":'!?,: *7~0?- ?
"SCHOOL MARM" R E VIR ES TO THE ARTI
OJ.K OF "JiSCUJLiAl'IUS."
Editor Orangeburg Democrat :
Newspaper controversies, in my
Opinion, are never very amusing, in
structive, or conducive to amicable
relations between the contestants, be
cause Uiey are usually 'led away by
tbeir zeal into disagreeable personali
ties wbJcb have no logical or inciden
tal connection with the subject under
discussiou. 'it is intensely repugnant
to my feelings to enter the list, and
were I jo consult my own wishes, all
topics likely to engender dispute
would bo waved; however, at the
earnest request of several gentlemen,
I have reluctantly consented to take
up my pen in. defenco of the wrongs,
not the rights, of my fellow-sufferers,
who think "Esculapius" should en
counter ah avenging Nemesis to arr
rest liim in his dreaded course. But
before stating the cause of grievance,
I wish it distinctly understood that it
is not myself who originated this
movement, but the injured class who
employ me as their instrument.
I object seriously to be used as an
instrument even in this cause, for, if
a man is so forgetful of all he owes
to woman us to attack her in the pur
suit of the arduous labors thrust upon
her by his deficiencies, and to at
tempt a depreciation of the efforts
eventually resulting in the highest
good to him?why, I do not wish to
know him, have nothing to say to
him ; I do not desire to cross swords
with him?give me a foeman worthy
of my steel. Put as others think dif
fcrently and are not willing to pass
over the attack in silence, the pre
sent disagrceblo necessity has been
forced upon me.
The sentiments to which exception
has been taken, are found embodied
in the remarks of Esculapius with re
gard to the uicompeteucy of woman
(o fill the position of an educator,
lie 'says that a "first-class teacher in
the true sense of the term" cannot be
hired for thtTIow salaries ricjiiyed jn
'The public schools, and applies the
old saying "poor pay, poor preach"
t? this case. Evidently there can be
no objection to' his doing so, as poor
teaching ought to be rewarded in
kind, did he apply the saying to the
entire class, but 1 understand that he
restricts it to "'school inarms' who
may be hired for such salaries."
He certainly makes a broad state
ment, but he, I presume, is prepared
to support it by endless arguments
and numerous illustrations" coining
under his own observation. I am
not so fortunate as to know Mr. Es
culapius, but doubtless he is a cos
mopolitan wlio lias visited the vari
ous institutions of different couutics,
and is thoroughly competent to ren
der a correct decision upon the sub
ject as the result of long years of
8'tudy and investigation during which
he compared the respective methods
of instruction pursued.
Arc "the school inarms compe
tent," he asks. Subtle analogies
sometimes exist between perplexing
polemical questions and simple facts
which very often escape the observa
tion of the inquirer after their solu
tion. Whenever there is a reasonable
doubt upon any proposition presented
to our minds, we have the privilege
of acceptance or rejection respective
ly as it accords with our conviction,
or is antagonistic to the tenets previ
ously imbibed. That there is a doubt
upon the query propounded by Escu
lapius, the very existence of the ques
tion itself indisputably asserts. If
the superiority of the mind of man,
or rather, as more applicable here, if
his possession of greater talent lor
imparting to others the knowledge
acquired, were an established fact, a
fixed article of belief in the complex
creed of the world, why disturb the
decisions of 'past ages upon a topic
already proved a truth to the satis
faction of all interested, by renewing
a useless discussron of stubborn reali
ties? But since its positive estab
lishment has been questioned, and wo
are at liberty to bo biased on either
side, I will simply assert that woman
is as competent to teach as man with
out offering facts as proofs at present
because I wish furthor information
from Escnlapius before going deeper
into the subject.
He says, moreover, "Docs not the
very fact of a man's accepting such n
salary argue that he is not fit for
anything else, ami that he is trying
to make a living at the public ex
penso to the detriment of the children
of a community?" And what may I
ask, does the fact o,f woman's accept
ing it argue? It argues that man is
"a salary grabber." Having the pow
er of seizing the best places for him
self, ho hardly ever fails to do so,
forcing the only alternative upon her ;
so that from tho primordial" experi
ment in Eden, man has enjoyed tho
famo of tho world, woman the blame.
I wonder what Eve thought of Adazn
when he said, "She gave mo of the
tree, and I did eat.'.' Probably she
was struck only by the beauty of
truthfulness.
That fact may argue, but it docs
not prove that the man who accepts
is fit for nothing else, for unless his
muscle is as deficient as Iiis brain, he
can "make a living" in hundreds of
ways closed to Ids more delicate com
petitors in the school room.
Others arc spoken of as being cm
ployed because "somehow or other,
they deserve the charity of tho com
munity.'.' Disinterested, unsurpassed
charity?that which rewards so richly
the daily harrassing exertions of the
average "school mann." A? noble
j charity?charity in its highest, truest
meaning?it would ho to give them
the advantages of the "broader hori
zons and higher opportunities" of
which we have heard, but from which
they aro excluded by the host of
manly applicants.
"Nor can a man who is really com
tcnt to teach (and I never heard of a
woman being guilty of such a thing)
be employed for such a sum now."
Here by-the construction, or arrange
ment of his period, he leaves us in
doubt whether she was never guilty
of being competent, or never guilty
of sacrificing her talent for tho paltry
remuneration. In that spirit of
charity which he admires as one of
the brighest virtues, wo will hope
that he meant the latter. If
i he never heard of such a woman
(supposing his parenthetical ex-state
ment referred to the antecedent ex
pression) lie must have heard of
them, or elso inferences can be drawn
as to the extent of the classical, his
torical, and ijterary fields he has ex
plored. Great and wise men, poets,
philosophers, historians and divines,
have furnished numerous testimonials
in their lives and writings of woman's
fitness to educate mind, heart and
soul. We confess we stand in awe
of the knowledge of a modern Eseu
lapius which in its "perfectibility"
can set at defiance the wisdom of
those ancient sages and doctors of
the portico, to say nothing of the
charity by which woman is permitted
to occupy her lofty position in the
college, seminaries, and schools
throughout this broad land ; the char
ity which urges her to wield the
lance of thought nnd sway the public
through the medium of l ooks and
periodicals ; the charily which leads
her gently across the stormy waters
to heathen lands and allows her to
labor side by side with the noble men
who are missionaries to those be
nighted souls ; the charily which docs
not exclude her from the sacred
haunts of home, but allows her to
enter even there and teach little chil
dren their duty to themselves to oth
ers and to God.
Will Esculapius kindly furnish us
with a list of the qualifications pre
requisite in '.la first class teacher in
the true sense of the term" before he
(she being out of the question) can
he considered competent to occupy
tho position ? Wo would feel greatly
indebted to him, and no doubt his
suggestions would be very beneficial
to "the third-grade teachers" who,
perhaps, aspire to rise higher on the
educational platform, who are con
scious of their "glaring wants of
qualification," but do not know what
steps to take to prevent them from
being a source of "detriment to the
rising generation." And will he he
so good as to tell us what salary we
ought to demand, and how much he
would ncccpt should he engage in
the pursuit, if he is not employed al
ready? Perhaps he is one of the
professors we heard about who com
mand three and four thousand dollars
per annum of nine months. If I
thought Ecculnpius was a member of
the Teachers' Institute, or would join
if the members petitioned him in a
body, I would send in my application
to tnc Secretary at once.
I am sorry for his sake that the
"school teacher who can't write down
in Arabic notation one million, neith
er can ho read it when written" could
I not have been represented by tho
i ?
personal pronoun of thq nominative
ease, third'person feininiuo instead of
masculine.
Mr. Editor, in tlie petition which
came to PJO from the gentlemen mpn
.tioued abovo to say a few words in
behalf of my .class, was the expres
sion, "We want you to tajio o|f the
rough edge from him. You arc sharp
enough.'' Ah, me I I am afraid the
sharp edge of my blado .(if there is
one l) will be forever blunted, dulled
hopelessly. .Some edges are so rough
that the instrument employed, though
it might possibly take them c!f, is
never lit for use afterwards?its own
edge gets turned and sometimes
great gaps appear especially if it
should happen to strike iron or rock.
School Ma km.
A Strange Story.
For some months past James Ash
burn had been paying Iiis addresses
to Miss Mary Holt, of Woodson
County, Kansas. Mis. Holt, the mo
ther of the young lad}', was opposed
to the marriage, and objected to her
daughter keeping company with
James. Unfortunately for them both
they were married, the young lady
returning to her mother's home and
remaining a few days, awaiting the
time lixed for her departure from
homo with her husband. A day or
two after their marriage Ashburn re
turned to sec her, requesting that she
go \;ith iiim to a singing school in
the neighborhood. She accepted the
invitation. Later in the day he call
ed again to accompany Iiis wife to
the school house, and the old lady
informed him that his wife was dead.
He returned to his home, told his
parents what had happened, and at
once secured a pistol, intending to
take his own life, lie discharged one
or two shots at his head, taking ef
fect, but not seriously. He is yet
alive. The fnneral of Mrs. Ashburn
took place the following day. The
parents of young Ashburn attended,
and when at the grave requested that
the coflin bo opened. Mrs.. Holt re
fused to let the corpse be seen. This
caused suspicion to be aroused, and
in a few hours after tfic remains had
been buried parties went to the grave
and dug the corpse and found that
she had been murdered by some
cruel person, her eyes being forced
out of her head, and all indications
[showed plainly that she came to her
death by being beaten over the head
and by choking. She was dressed
in nothing but a common calico
dress, the jewelry that she used to
[wear daily having been stripped from
her. Mrs. Holt was arrested on sus
picion, waived examination, and was
bound over, giving a bond of 85,000
for her appearance at the District
Court. All the jewelry Mrs. Ash
burn was in the habit of wearing was
found in the old lady's possession.
[Hales County Times.
The Power of Woman.
During the last two weeks a large
number of pilgrims have arrived at
Glcudnle, atnoDg whom arc a number
of the gentler sex, and in consequence
thereof no one can form an idea of
the change that has already taken
place. Old '49-ere that have lived in
mountains for the last thirty years on
bread and bacon and slept on the
ground, and in all that time scarce
ly laid eyes on a woman, can now be
seen on the streets harnessed in store
clothes, with biled shirts. There
ain't a man in Glendalc over twenty
years old. On Sunday evening we
saw one of these would-be young bucks
so much surprised by being asked
how be came to leave Alder Gulch in
'08 that he adjusted his wig, swallow
ed half a set of fal6? teoth, and then
swore that he was a school-boy in
Missouri at that time.?Arizona Mi
ner.
The Power of Little Things.
All the great things of life and
eternity are made up of trifles.
Kisses and kind words may seem
small, but they are the corner stones
of a true home. Did you ever chase
across word all day? What havoc
it makes ! Causing a smoking stove
'in the morning; weak coifce; over
done beefsteak and sour buckwheat
cakes for breakfast; spoils the din
ner, gets into the sewing machine
and does not always end with burnt
toast for tea ? Did you eycr chaso a
kind word, a morning kiss, and have
its influence slug in your heart'nil
day?sing in your teakcltlo and
echo from cellar to garret in all the
wheels and whirr of housekeeping?
I need not speak of tho power of
these two littles.
FAITHLESS MAN.
-o-'
i ROMANCE OF A GIFTED FAMILY?THE'
STOltY OF UNA..
In his youth, Nathaniel Hawthorne
was engaged to Mias Sophia Poabody,
but upon seeing much of her sister,
concluded he liked her best, and mar
ried her, leaving his former fiancee to
I mourn the inconstancy of man. ?y
this union Hawthorne had three liv
ing children, Julian, .Una and Boso,
and say what you w.ill qf the misan
thrope, the cynicism of this gifted
man, ho was gentle and devoted and
affectionate to ins faD$j\
While Nathaniel Hattlhorno was
consul at Liverpool there came to his
house as a frequent visitor n young
American, Lathrop by name. It was
soon plain to all lookers on that the.
subject of these visits was Haw
thorne's eldest daughter, Miss Una,
a highly accomplished girl, spirituelle
in appearance and intellectual in na
ture. An engagement was the result
of the frequent intercourse, and young
Lathrop returned to America with a
promise of marriage among the happy
years to come. After some lapse of
time the lover again nook a ship
across the 03can to meet his lady
love. In the meantime Pose had
grown to womanhood as fair as her
name, and while boupd to Una he
married Rose. Una's awakening was
something teriible. Tip shock was
I iiO great that she lay "for days at
I death's door, and for awhile reason
was deemed lost. The poor girl was
placed in an asylum temporarily, but
issued thence so wan, so shadowy, so
unlike the happy, dimpled girl that
entered, that her friends thought
hope, health and happiness had for
ever tied her path. Una had display
ed marked literary ability before this
sorrow came upon her, having con
tributed to some of the English peri
odicals very acccptablef articles, but
she felt no inclination f$r mental ex
ertion now. Still she had to do some
thfng, and she founded na orphanage
in the heart of London^ She began
-with two little pnos,? imA thctnumber
quickly increased to thirty-eight, but
lier friends soon became interested
and helped her good work along.
Her incfune being but $1,003 per an
num, she could not do very much her
self, but she wrote a most exquisite
ly touching appeal for aid to Qnc qf
the London dailies, and the charita
ble English heart responded in dona
tions of solid pounds !
Una was connected, wilh this insti
tution for years, until her health,
would no longer permit her personal
ly to superintend it. Later on, her
love for writing camp upon her, and
she wrote a charming story just be
fore her death, two years ago. The
manuscript is in the hands of her
brother Julian, who eventually in
tends giving it to the public. Those
who have read tiie manuscript declare
it superior to anything which Julian
lias yet written. Just a year before
her death, Una wan engaged to a Mr.
Webster, a New York journalist of
brilliant promise. He had loved her
for years, knew all about her early
unhappincss, but finally won her con
| sent to become his wife. The last
year of her life was a happy pue, as
her lover was in every way deserving,
and strove \o crane all the clouds
from her past by the sunshine of the
present. Why the angels of heaven
went envying those two loving moi tals
I know not, but Mr. Webster never
returned from a sea voyage ; the ship
went down with all on board, and
Una died shortly afterwntd, and lies
buried in an English graveyard !
The Difference.
Did you ever notice the broad, com
fortable, shady-looking Leghorn hats
in the milliner's window? Just buy
your wife one, and the first thing she
will do with it will be to double up
her dainty fist and punch a three-cor
nered dent on the right side ; then
she will pinch the front rim down and
the back rim up, and then stave in
three or four more big dents at odd
corners, and when it rcsombles in
shape ah old tin pan that has been a
target for a stone-throwing match,
she will remark upon tho 'elegance and
uraco' of the affair. But let Johnnie
servo his new straw hat in the same
way, and ho will be stood up in a
dark closet and forced to go without
Strawberry shortcake for supper.
Ohio is called tho pivotal State be
cause, under the present administra
tion, it is impossible to turn round in
Washington without running against
a worthy citizen and olllce-holder
from the State
.1 ho Fallacy of the Supposed Influence
of the Moon upon Weather.
I'l cm !hu Homo ami Kann.
It is astonishing to what un extent
a iinnly fixed belief .prevails that the
changes of the weather are tho result,
or are due to the changes of tho
moon. Why peoplo'will cling to ex
ploded popular superstitions is sur
prising. Tlie general answer is, that
it is reasonable, or it was the belief
of our (forefathers. Now the cariy
ing tho puu\pkhi in one end of the
bag and the jocks i.u tho othor, how
ever, it may have ser,v.qd foruier gen
erations, is not expedient hi .this ngc
of progress. And it is easy .to dem
onstrate that what is only reasonable
is false. Reason must combine with
truth to establish correct practical
conclusions.
Tbat the moon acts .upon Ujc
earth's surface by attraction is not dis*
puled ; this is manifest in the period
ical movements of the tjdes,, and that
in intensity or quantity the tides are
highest at the time of the new and
full moon, and lowest at the first and
third quarters, ami the comparative
immense extent of the Ocean waters
rendering them more succoptivc to a
moving cause. IJut because the move
ments of the tides arc the diiect ac
tion of the phases of the moon, it can
scarcely be pretended that weather is
affected similarly, simply from the
fnct that the specific gravity of the
atmosphere is so exceedingly small
tbat there is really nothing for attrac
tion to not upon, liy calculation La
place proved that the joint attraction
of the sun am) moon could not move
the earth at a greater speed than live
mjles a day. Then as the moon can
no!, act by attraction upon the air,
there is pnjy two other ways in which
it could popsihly excite an influence
upon the atmospheric conditions: by
reflection of the rays of the sun, or
by emanation.
Meterological jpycolignlions have
proven that therq is pq heat in the
light of the moon ; that this fact is
within tho^ experience p.f pveryqne.
The moon's light is but the ^borrow
ed" light of the sun. Undoubtedly
the rays of the sun, impinging PPP"
the surface of the moon, carry with
them tho heat of that luminary, but
it is exceedingly improbable to sup
pose tbat this heat radiates to any
distance fiom the surface of the
rapon. We have felt the heat rcllect
ed from a pond of water when walk
ing near it, but this beat becomes
more and more insensible ns we leave
the pond and finally ceases altogether.
So it is in the case of the moon.
Then as the light of tho moon is sim
ply a borrowed or reflected iight with
out heat, it is impossible to conceive
of an}' appreciable action that these
bor lowed or reflected rays of light
could excite upon tho circumnuibipnt
air of the earth.
Now who has ever discovered any
lunar emanation? Not a suspicion
exists that anything issues or Hows
from the moon as a source or origin.
Then the influence which the moon
is popularly supposed to excite upon
tho conditions of the weather is a i\c
lusion. And it is equally as idle to
hunt up an almanac to learu when it
is going to rain as wero the proceed
ings of the old Roman A ugurs in in-:
vestigating the entrails of animal* to
foretell the issues of future events.
D. R. Jamison.
St. Matthews, S. C, Feb. t\ 1879.
A Democratic Discovery.
The five States of Maryland, West
yirginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and
Missouri, that are universally thrown
into the ho'.ch-potcb. as part and par
cel of tho "solid South," and as thor
oughly "rebel," actually supplied the
national government with a larger
number of solders to fight for the Un
ion and to suppress the rebellion than
live New England States. Hero nre
the official figures of the War Depart
ment :
Maine.72,114
Connecticut.57,359
New Hampshire.00,029
Vermont.35.202
Rhode Island.23,099
Total.225,003
West Virginia.32,003
Alary land.50,810
Kentucky.79,025
Te n n esseo.;.31,092
Missouri I.109,114
Total.301,010
So it appears that fivo "rebel"
States actually sent 301,010 soldiers
into tho Union army to suppress llt'2
rebellion,' or 7^5.17 more than five
New England StalcK'?St. Louis Posl
Dispcitch.
Faithful.
to an AOSEtrr FiiiKNu: "l-," of c
Her presence cheered hi>n hi his dying
hpiir.;'
Shu caught the inline ol his latest
breath;
Pale Angel-wufchcr, like a drooping
flower,
Hut constant still and faithful unto
.death!
True ,uiito him -to whom her heart wus
given,?
On whom shejlavlshod .4x.ll its wealth of
love;
She came even like a starry hope .from
heaven,
To guide his spirit to the realms above.
And when at last the silver chord was
broken
And he lay silent in the arms of rest.
She kissed his cold, dead lips?love's lat
est token?
And twined a wreath of roses for his
breast.
>'et cru they withered ho was sweetly
sleeping
Where waved i!;s wl'jo.ws ?b*!1 the si
lent sod,
Where she, her sad und lonely vigils
keening.
Lifted lie'Sr pale and pleading face to
(Jod !
Ah! Is it strange that she should often
wander
To tho still spot where her lo&t idol
Ues,
.Or look with anxious yearnings over
yonder
With wistful love and longing in her
eyes?
Aud is it Grunge that she should pause
' to listen '
To the low-murmuring willows ua they
wave,
Or that her eyes with silver tears should
glisten
When they arc resting on her lover's
grave!
O, faithful one! Oh, soul with anguish
laden !
I Lite yet for thee is beautiful and bright;
May angels cliecj; 'the lonely-hearted
niahjiitit.
And .shadow her with drooping wings
! Of light!
I For thee my heart heats warmly as a
brother,
As though thy grief and sorrow were
my own;
|Cod knows that we should all love one
another, .
It \h so'hard to bear the cross alone!
It Is so hard to feel forlorn, forsaken;
To live and kiiow vi\vc'ro better far fo
die! .
For what is fife when cruel death has
taken '
The little light that silvered oe'r its
' sky?
Hut though the skies be very dark above
us; ?
Though earthly sorrows weigh our
spirits down, " ? /"TT
Let us thank God that there is One
will lovc-us? v
The Cross at best 1a nothing .to the
Crown!
OnANGEiiuno, July 13. PJL. S.
A Word to the Boys.
In the course of time boys make
men, hence a word with them, now
and then throng!} the press, mayiiavc
a sohitavy effect. Orangoburg can
boast of some very good-looking well
behaved boys, while at the same time
she has her share of rude bad fellows.
There are p'aces of resort in our vil
lage that a good hoy will ^iot fre
quent, so soon as he does he loses his
standing and sacrifices his self-res
pect. What a boy should bp is con
tained * in a little sentence pf four
words : "Be true, be pure." No ed
ucation is worth anything that does:
[not include this. A man had better
not know how to road, he had better
never learn a letter in the alphabet,
and be true and genuine in intention
qnd action, rather than being learned
I in all languages, to be at the same
I time false in heart and counterfeit in
life, lie pure in thought and lan
guage, pure in mind and body. An
impure man, young pr pld, poisoning
the society where he moves with
smutty qtories and impure examples,
is a moral ulcer, a plague spot, q
leper who ought to be treated, as werp
tho lepers of old. He ju.-;t, in, all our
dealings with others. Be generous,
noble and manly. Be self-reliant and
self-helpful even from early childhood.
Be industrious always, and self-sup
porting at the earliest proper age.
Teach them that all honest work is
honorable, and that an idle, useless
life of dependence on others is dis
graceful. When a boy has learned
these things, when he has made these
j ideau a part of his being, howover
? young he may be, however poor, or
however rich, he has learned some of
the most important things he ought
to know when he becomes a man.
Douglas Jerrold v/as not only wit
ty but exceedingly impertinent. He
hated that overwhelming conceit
which prompt? a man to walk the
street with the air of pne who has
j just foreclosed a heavy mortgage on
the universe and bought the property
in at auction. When ho happened
across such a one he actually did
what wo would all like to do if we
dared, t. he went up to him, took
his hat off respectfully, and asked,
"Pray, sir, aro you anybody in par
ticular 1"