Newspapers / The Orphans’ Friend (Oxford, … / April 26, 1876, edition 1 / Page 4
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; ■ ^ ^1' ^ ^ ..tio i.. .uea the other day to spend ii little ■while with some l^ys and girls in Atlieiis, and some others in Eonie, about eigli- teen hundred years ago. Eather late, you think, perhaps, to get the invit t on, and you know how very sorry it makes one feel not to get the invitation to a party till after the party is over. But, in this case, you will bo surprised to learn that I contrived to make the visit. It w'ould take me too long to explain just how it was managed for me, but if ■\vhat I tell you makes you want to go too, you just ■write to me and I will explain it to you. Some things about the chil dren there, 1 found very queer, but what was most curious to me was to see them doing so many things just as our boys and girls do them now ; and how did they ever find out how to do them ! The baby was a very funny- looking thing—not half so pretty and sw eet as our babies, for theirs were all wrapped up in cloth in the oddest tashion. Only one long, narrow piece rvound round and round, leaving nothing but the face uncovered, instead of the jiretty dresses and skirts and sacks and sashes, ■with all their dainty trimmings which w'e see now. But then the mothers did not have so much sewing to do. Then tlie cradles. Tiiey were very unlike the curtained bassi nets or the carved rosewood cra dles of now-a-daj’s. One was like a large shoe, not to hold all the children of a family, like tlie old woman’s j’ou all laiow about, but just large enough for one lit tle baby. Another ■was like a boat, or trough. Some had rock ers and some liandles through which ropes were passed, and thus the babies hung and were swung. Noise is the first thing to at- ti-act a baby’s uUentioii; so all babies, 1 th.uk, have liad a rattle to play with, 1 simuld like to attles from dif- world. Some md some very recian babies 'all cymbals, to strike to ad little gold ig in a circle, , hicli to hold here was no ■ose days, but clay puppets, ■n beings and :i small stones a rattling noise, as a favorite ■3 Greeks. They iier, largo and ith air, stuffed w-n or other soft pactly filled with ake them hard and ■were elaborately y devices. There it variety of games persons engaged, had large rooms ,16 sport, teachers 1 to instruct pla}'- were kept to wait i_ ..ian boys and girls her till tliey were -d, and then they were j.jut the Romans were hither. The girls were up very quietly at home 'eir mother. For the boay panion was chosen from g the numerous slaves of -iousehold, to accompany him iiid from school, to carry his ks, and to watch over his be- .vior. Boys were not permitted o rush pell mell through tlie streets in those days. The^v' must go quietly, with the head modest ly bent; they must be ready to stand aside to allow tlieir elders to pass ; and in every way they must show them great respect. The hooks were not sucli a.s you have. Some were made of leaves or slabs of wood coated with wax, into which the letters were scratched bv means of a pencil made of metal or ivory. Gno end of iho pencil was flat tened or bent so that in cai^e of mistake the scratches could be erased. A larger tool or bur nisher was used to smooth a^n en tire tablet at once. Sometimes there were two and sometimes more of these tablets fastened to gether, and several of these were put in a sort of case. After he got older I suppose he used books made out of papy rus, which you all know was the bark of a tree, or of parchment, whiolr was made from tlie hides of sheep or goats. The ink tvas made of several kinds of coloring substances. These books were rolled on sticks, and were some times called scrolls. You know they were not printed, for print ing had not been invented. They were written, and many slaves were employed as coprrists, for books were very plenty ; not, in deed, so common as now, hut then we read of thousands of copies of one book, and learned men had large libraries. As 1 was not invited to visit any older people I did not see any of those libraries ; but I have heard that men had them just for show, as some do now, without caring to read or stud}’ them. The Roman schoolboy wore around his neck an ornament of gold, containing a charm against the “evil eye.” Poorer boys wore sucli a charm enclosed in leatlier. It is to bo hoped that no boy or gill now thinks that by wearing su( li an amulet sickness and trou ble can be kept awa}’. But I am toll—I ell) nut know anv suoli— that there are bo\--s and gii'ls who are afraid to sit at the table when there are just thirteen, and wlio are afraid to see the new moon over the left shoulder, and liave some other such foolish whims. They are just as silly as the Ro man boy who put this amulet about his neck. And it is a shame for tliem not to be any’ wiser af ter all these years that Jesus has been teaching the world that no harm can come in anv such chance way. Trust in God and love for Christ is a sure charm, and the only one, to keep us safe and happy, whetiier trouble conies or not. There are other things wliicli those ancient Grecians did which I am sorry’ to see boys and sfirls do in these davs: tliev would tease and frighten one another. Perhaps they were not so much to blame in those days, for the older people used to do it also. Bugbears and hobgoblins, con sisting of ugly-looking masks or distorted representations of hu man laces and horrible animals, were used to scare the poor cliil- dren. Strange, is it not I that any one can get pleasure in giv ing another person pain. Tlie school was a very queer place. There were not so many’ studies nor so many’ interesting helps to study then as now. The Grecian boy’’s school tastes were grammar, music, and gymnastics, the latter being apparently’ con sidered the most important. The body’ was trained in every way’ for suppleness, quickness, and strength. The Romans had much the same kind of study. One thing I was glad to learn, .and I want our boy's to remember it, those old Romans, brave and strong as they were, did nottliink it silly' nor “girlish” nor “baby ish” to be careful about taking cold. After the boy's got through their gymnastic practice tliey ivere wrapped up in a groat blan ket of coarse woollen cloth, and stood before the master to receive Ills approval or reproof. The grown-up people were very- fond of games, and you may- lie sure the younger ones knew plenty- of them. Besides many kinds of sports in running, leap ing, •ball-playing, etc., they had a game with checkers very much such as we have now. Whether the children in the garden wei’e really at work or at play, I could not find out. I was told they were at work, but they looked so merry and so bright that I thought it might be a mis take and tlie^j’ might be only frol icking. But would it not be a good plan for us to do our work so clieerfiilly that people will see we are having a good time ? And we really shall have a good time if we carry’ a ha])])}’ lieart into everything we do.—The Illustrated Christian Weekly. TSSE BIO'i'SIEiiS’S EAST EESSON. ‘Will y’ou please teach me my’ verse, mamma, and then kiss me, and bid me good night I’ said lit tle Roger L , as he opened the door and peeped cautiously' into the chamber of his sick mother ; ‘I am very’ slee')y ; but no one has heard me say’ iny pray’- ers.’ Mrs. L was very ill ; in deed, her attendants believed her to be dying. She sat propped up with pillows, and struggling for breath ; her lips were wliite, her eyes were growing dull and glaz ed, and her purple blood was set tling under tlie nails of the cold atteiuiated fingers. She was a widow, and little Roger w.is her only—her dni'liiig child. Every night he had lieeii in die habit of coming into her room, and sitting in her lap, or kneeling by her side, whilst she repeated passa.gi s from the sacred Scriptures, or re lated to him stories of the wise and good men spoken of in its pages. She had been in delicate health for many y’cars, but never too ill to hear little Roger’s verse and prayers. ‘Ilush ! hush !’ said the nurse : ‘y-our dear mamma is too ill to hear von to-night!” As she said this, she laid her liand gently’ up on his arm, as if she would lead him from the room. Roger be gan to sob as if his little heart would break. ‘I cannot go to bed without say’ing my’ prayers ; indeed I can not’ The ear of the dying motlier caught the sound. Although she had been nearly’ Insensible to every-tliing around her, the sobs of her darling roused her from her stupor; and turning to a friend, she desired lier to bring her little son, and lay him in liei' bosom. Her request was granto I, and the child’s rosy’ cheek nestled beside the pale, cold face of his dying mother. Alas, poor little fellow ! he knew not then the ir reparable loss which he was so soon to sustain. ‘Roger, my- son, my darling child,’ said the dying motlier, ‘re peat this verse after, me, and never, never forget it:—‘ When my father and my mother forsake me, the Lord to ill take me tip.’” The child repeated it two or three times distinctly’, said his little ])ray’er, and then went quietly’ to bod. The next morning he sought, as usual, his mother, hut he found her a corpse. This was her last lesson.—Lx. “flow many bones have I in my whole body’, mother ?” asked Charlie one day’. Charlie was washing his hands at that moment, and as lie washed them he kept opening and shut ting tliem, and tyristing them about in all sorts of ways ; and ?ls ho did this lie couldn’t help seeing that the baud was not one single piece, but was made up of a good many’ pieces. And from that he began to feel his head and bod)-, and to look at his feet and his legs, and he saw that he was ail maJe up of little pieces. That was what led him to ask the question. ‘You would be siirprised if I should tell y’ou,”[^giiswered his mother; “will ■\’ou ry to remem ber I” “Yes’m, indeed I will,” said lie. “Just let me see if I can guess— as many as fifty’, 1 do believe.” “More than that, my’ son ; two hundred and eight.” ‘Two hundred and eight! I can hardly believe it. There’s one areat round one for my head, and—’ ‘Stop my dear. Instead of th;,t great round one, it takes thirty small bones to make a head. The n there are fifty-four in the body, thirty-two from the shoulder to the finger tips, a;id thirty from the thigh to the ends of the toes. The hand is a most wonderful little machine, and so is the foot. See how y’ou can move them about. How many tilings they will do for y’ou ! I hope you will never let y’our hand or foot, or any other part of this body which God has so wonderfully and beautifully’ made, be used to com mit sin.’—Child’s Oivn. Swift’.s maxim iii conversation was ; Take as many half minutes as you can get, but never take more than ball a minute without ])aiisiug, and giving others an opportunity to strike iu. Orphans’ Friend. ' A LIVE AND LIVELY WEEKLY! ■ OltGAN OF THE OllPKAN WOPK! EHTEaTAMIMG AMD IN- [ STSUCTF/E TO THE YOUNG, A ZEALOUS FRIEND AND ADVOCATE PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY. SOBSCRIPTIONANO POSTAGE OOiAiaAR A YEAia I OFFIGF. IN THE ORPHAN BUILDING, AT OXFORD. Tcij cents a line for one insertion. Five cents a lino each week for more than one and less than twelve insertions. One column, tliree months, sixty dollar.'^. Half column, three months, forty dollars, (juarter column, three months, twenty dollars. Present circulation, fourteen hundred and forty papers eacif week. Addi'-ss ORPHANS^ FSISJJD, OXFOIW, N. a T. 13. lA'uX, JR. E. I>ALHY. E. II. LYON (Lnie of ^^Dalhy LYON, HALBY & CO., MANUfACrCREKS OF THE DUF.HAM SMO- I KJKG TOISACC’©. Durham, N. C. Orders solicited—Aleuts wanted—ToLacco guaranteed. March 17^1i—n-2jn. :• M. A. S.EAM§ & €©., MANUFACTUEEES OF REAMS’ DURHAM BOOT AND SHOE POLISH. Warranted to excel all others, or money liefunded. The only Blacking that will polish on oiled surface. It is guaranteed to preserve leather > and make it pliant, requiring less quantity and time to produce a perfect gloss than any other, the brush to be ap2)lied immediately after put ting on the Blacking. A perfect gloss from this will not soil even u-liite cbjthes. We guarantee it as re])resented, and as for pat ronage, strictly vUi its merits. H. A. REAMS & 00., Manufacturers, Durham, N. G. This Blacking is recommend edin the high est terms, utter trial, l»y Geo. F. Brown, J» Hfjward Warner, New Yora; the i'resideiil ^ • and Protessors of Wake Forest College; and ' ' a large number of genth-men in and around Durham, wh()so certitiicates have been fur- nishoj the Manufacturers. Orders solieited and promptly filled. March 3rtL J67a. d~ti
The Orphans’ Friend (Oxford, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 26, 1876, edition 1
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