Newspapers / The Orphans’ Friend (Oxford, … / April 4, 1877, edition 1 / Page 4
Part of The Orphans’ Friend (Oxford, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
"■p I.ll'1'ilUaANlLtTIll:: BIRD. BY S. AV D. The sun ivas setting after a (lay Gloomy and wet and ehill; And Martin Luther hurried away I'l-oin tlie garden spot where the shadows lay, And the lurid sunset under the gray, Tor his heart was darker still. But on a brancli a bird began To carol a little song ; It struck the ear of the moody man, Sorrowing under an awfid ban, And through his heart its music ran. And it made him glad and strong. Then it nestled its head beneath its wing, And quietly went to rest; And the time was passing afar from Spring, And the world had many a veiiomed thing. And none knew what the night would bring AYitli the sun gone out in the west. But Martin Luther bent his head, jVnd in his own sweet words lie blessed the giver of daily bread, AVlio compiers the dark gloom and dread; And he suffered himself to be gently led By tlie God of the little birds. THE YOEBiG PAIMTEK. It is related of the sculptor Banks, that one day he was wait ed upon by a little boy with some drawings in his hand. “What do you want with me?” said Banks. “I want to be an artist, sir,” was the reply. “But I’m a sculptor.” “I know that, sir; but I want your permission to attend the drawing-classes at the Royal Academy.” The sculptor told the lad that he had not the power to give him the permission, but he said that he would look at the drawings which the lad had brought with him. These were timidly dis played, for notwithstanding his seemingly boldness the lad was really very shy. Examining the sketches, he said, “Well done, my little man! but you must learn to do better. Go home and try your pencil again at this Apollo.” The boy did so. For upwards of a month he dilligently toiled at the sketch, on the completion of which he again presented him self before the sculptor. “Bravo !” cried Banks. “This is better, but you must study it again.” The boy was not discouraged. He did not become impatient or discontented because Banks found fault with his sketch. Nothing of the kind. He returned home, applied himself with redoubled dilligence to the correction of tlie errors which had been pointed out to him in the drawing, and in a week’s time again stood before Banks. This time the sculptor found few errors in tlie sketch, but told the young student that he would have to labor long be fore he could win a name as an artist. “Never mind,” said the boy proudly di'awing himself up, “I’ll do it.” And be did so ; with what suc- ce.ss let the fame of Mulready '■epiy- KITE-FEVIAG IK JAPAN. Of all the s)iorts at which the boys in Japan amuse themselves, kite-flying seems to afford the most fun and enjoyment. Japan ese kites are not plain coffin shap ed bits of tissue paper, such as American boys fly. They are made of tough paper stretched on light frames of bamboo, and of all shapes—square, oblong or oval. They are also made to imitate animals. I have often, in my walks in Japan, seen a whole paper menagerie in the air. There were crying babies, bo3’S witli arms spread out, hors es, fishes, bats, hawks, crows, monkeys,snakes, dragons, besides ships, carts and houses. Across and behind the top of the kite a thin strip of whale-bone is stretched, which hums ,buzzes, or sings high in tlie air like a hurdj’- gurdy or a swarm of beetles. When the boys of a whole cit\' are out kite-time, there is more music in the air than is delight ful. The real hawks and crows, and otlier birds, givethesebuzzing counterfeits of tnemselves a wide berth. In my walks, I was often deceived when looking up, unable to tell at first whether the moving black spot in the air were paper, or a real,living crea ture, with beak, claws, and feathers The Japanese boj's under stand well how to send “messen-- gers” to the top of the kite, and how to entangle each other’s kites. When they wish to, tliev can cut their rivals, string and send the proud prize fluttering to the ground. To do this, they take about ten feet of the string near the end, dip it in glue and then into bits of powdered glass, making a multitude of tiny blades as sharp as a razor, and looking, when magnified, like the top of a wall in which broken bottles have been set to keep off climb ers. When two parties of bos’s agree to have a paper war near the clouds, the\’ raise their kites and then attempt to cross the strings. The most skillful boy saws off, with his glass saw, the cord of bis antagonist. The usual size of a kite in Japan is two feet square, but often four feet; and I have seen many that were six feet high. Of course,such a kite needs veiy hea vy cord, which is carried in a basket or on a big stick. They require a man or a very strong bo3' to hold them, and woe betide the small urchin who attempts to hold one in a stiff' breeze ! The humming monster in the air will drag him off his feet pull him over the street, or into the ditch be fore he knows it. Tie such a kite to a dog’s tail, and no Ja panese canine could ever turn round to bite the string. If the Government allowed it, boys and young men would make kites as large as an elephant.—Prof. W. E. Griffis, St. ^icholasfor March. THE VIA MAEA. The Rhine ceases to be navi gable above the Lake ofConstance. The main point of interest in the upper part of the river is the Via Mala. The majestic stream is here in its infancy, so to speak. Com pressed between the rocks which inclose the bed, it is scarcely wider than a rivulet, but the chasm wliich it has cleft for itself is one of the most imposing and awe-inspiring gorges in the world. J'he valley seems to be absolute- 1\' closed up by an impenetrable barrier of rock, and it is onlv on a near approach that a narrow rift is discovered, out of which the infant river bursts. Entering this gorge, the mountains on either side rise higher and higher; the chasm becomes norrower ; far below the raging t(.)rrent roars and thunders in its rockv bed,' sometimes at a deptli so great as to be almost inaudible ; a narrow strip of sky is all that can be described overhead, and the ra vine beneath lies in impenetrable darkness. In some places the cliffs on either hand rise to a height of sixteen hundred feet. You enter this savage path from a world of beaut}’, fiom the sun lit vale of Domschleg, under the old Etruscan castle of Realt, spiked in the cliff like a war club, tour hundred feet above you, and totallv inaccessible on every side save one, and are plunged at once into a scene of such concentrated and deep sublimity, such awe inspiring grandeur, such over whelming power, that you ad vance slowly and solemnly, as if every crag were a supernatural being. The road is carried with great daring along the perpendicular face of crags, cut from the rock, where no living thing could have scaled the mountain, and some times it completel}'ovei hangs the abyss, a thousand feet above the ranging torrent. Now it pierces the rock, now it runs zig-zag, now spans the gorge on a light dizzy bridge ; now the mountains frown on each other like tropical thunder-clouds about to meet and discharge their artilleiyq and now yviu come upon higl ly insulated crags, thrown wildly together, covered will fringes of moss and shrubbery, constituting masses of verdure. Nothing can be finer than the effect where you look through the ravine, as through a might}' perspective, with the Re- alt Castle hanging to the cliff at its mouth, and the sunny air and earth expanding in such contrast with thefro wiling, gloom-invested, tremendous passage behind you. We leaned over the parapet and endeavored to guess at the depth of the chasm. It was dizzy to look at. The tall black fir-forest on the mountain shelves, and the blasted pines on the inaccessible peaks, seemed to gaze gravely at us as if we bad come unautlior- ized into a sanctuary of nature too deep and awful to be trodden by the foot of man. From some of the lofty peaks above the view must have been moat sublime, co-umanding as they did a mag- nifi -eiit range of scenery. AN EXE.tIPEAKY EIEE. Dr. Christlieb says, “The Christian is the world's Bible, and is the only Bible they will read.” Raul says, “Ye are living epistks, read and know of all men.” Both these utterances unite in declaring that the examples of professing Christians are the te.xf-books of practical Christianity. Among the cant phrases that we hear at the prayer-meetings none is more frequent or popular than the saying, “Don’t look at me, but at Christ.” To our minds this is a simple abandonment of that personal responsibility whicb belongs to a Christian profession. No disciple of Christ is justified in uttering such an apology for his inconsistencies. It is an af fection of humility, and a confes sion of conscious dereliction. And, say what we will, the world will look at Christians and gather their impressions of Chris tianity from the illustrations of its effect in the lives of those who profess to be illustrations of its transforming power. It has a right to subject the lives of Christians to this practical test, and Christ himself recognizes the propriety of thus judging of the value of his religion. He chal lenged his enemies to decide upon the genuinenessof his mission by the character of the works which he had wrought. The early disciples were enjoined to accept this issue of their respon sibility, ‘having their conversation hone.st among the Gentiles, that, whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works glorify God.” And it was no vain assumption which led Paul to beseech his brethren to be followers of him as he was of Christ. Besides, it is only by the exemplification of a godly life that Christians can evince their own sincerity. The hypocrite can simulate genuine religion in all other respects much more easily than in the details of his daily intercourse w’itli the world Here he will reveal himself in his selfishness, or lustfulness, or pretentiousness. The hardest thing to do is, not to talk religion, not to argue it, noi to counterfeit its emotional aspects, but to ‘live soberly, righteously, and godly,’ and be ‘full of good works.” The value of an exemplary life is seen not merely , in the fact that it is a practical test, but it is an argument of which every disciple may avail himself. Some, cannot talk religion, but all c.in live it. Its purit}’, truthfulness, fidelity, reverence, gentleness, and self-sacrificinsr zeal niay be evinced in every sphere of life, and in every condition of society Baptist Union. Resolutions of tiie Oi-uiid Eodg^c. Adopted Dec. 3d, 1875. Resolved, 1. That St. John’s College shall be made an asylum for the protection, training and education of indigent orphan chil dren. 2. That this Grand Lodge will appropiate S annually fon the.support of the iiistitut'on ; but will not assume any additional pecuniary resjtonsibility. 3. That this Grand Lodge elect a Superintendent wiio shall con trol tlie institution and solicit contributions for its support from all classes of our ])eoph'. 4. That orphan cliildreu in the said Asylum shall receive such .(treparatory training and ( daca- tion as will prepare them for use fill occupations and for the usual business transactions of life. Adopted Dec. 5th 1875: Resolved, That the Superinteu dent of the said Or])lian As\ luiii shall report at each Annual Cem- munication an account of his official acts, recei])ts, disburse ment, number of pupils, &c. together with such suggestions as he may see fit fo offer. '^Resolved, That the Master of each subordinate Lodge appoint a Standing Committee upon raising funds for the Orphan Asylum, and require said committee to report in writing each month, and that said reports and the funds recei ved be forwarded monthly to the Superintendent of the Asylum and that the support of the Orphan Asylum be a regular order of business in each subordinate Lodge at each communication. 4. All churches and benevolent organizations are requested to cooperate with us in the orphan work and collect and forward contributions through their own proper officers. Here are the resolutions: Resolved, That the sincere thanks of this Grand .Lodge are hereby tendered to many benev olent ladies and gentlemen, to the ministers of the gospel, to church es of various denominations, to Odd Fellows, Knights of Pvthias, Good Templars, Friends of Tem perance, and other benevolen- societies; whose hearty coopea- tion and liberal contributions have rendered timely and valua ble assistance in the work of ameliorating the cond'tion of the orphan children of the State. THE Orphans’ Friend. ALIVE AND LIVELY WEEKLY! OllGAN OF THE OBPHAN WOEK ■ ENTERTAINING AND IN^ STRUCTI7E TO THE YOUNG. A ZEALOUS FRIEND AND ADVOCATE or EDUCATION* PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY* SUBSCRIPTION AND POSTAGE ONLY OIVL DOLLAR A YEAR OFFICE IN TIIE ORPHAN BUILDING, AT OXFORD. -0- ADVERTISEMEIVTS. Ten cents ji line for oue insertion. Five cents a line etich week for more than one and li'ss tlian twelve insertions. One cohiinn, tl-.ree months,,- si.xty dollar.'*. Half cohnnil, three monthS) forty ihdlars, quarter column, three months, twenty dollars. Present cireulatioii, fourteen hundred and fifty iMipcrs each \Veek, Address ORPHANS’ FRIEND, OXFORD, s. r. {Lfde of '"Ikilhij LYON, DALBY efe CO., MA.N’ U l'’ACTL'IiEKS 01’ THE DURlI.y.M SHOE POLISH. r. B. LYON, ,in. E. I’ALHV. E. H. LYON SITSO- TOBACCO. Durham, N. C. Orders solicited—Ageuts wanted—Tobacco guaranteed March 17th—11-2m. II. A. REAMSi ^ A'O., MAXUFACTURERS OF REAMS’ DURHAM BOOT AND Warranted to excel all others, or money Refunded. The onlj! Blatliaig that will polish on oiled surface. It is guaranteed to preserve leather and make it ])liant, requiring less quantity and lime to pr»>duce a perfect gloss than any other, the brush to be applied immediately after put ting on the Blacking. A perfect gloss from tills will not soil even white clothes. We gnarantee it as represented, and as for pat ronage, strictly on its merits. H. A. REAMS CO., Manufacturers, Durham, N. €• This Blacking is recommended in the high est terms, after trial, bv Geo. F. Brown, J. Howard Warner, New York; ■‘.ho President and Prolcssors of W ake Forest College; and a large number of' gentlemen in and around Durham, whoso certificates have been fur nished the Manufacturers.' ' Orders solicited and promptly fiEed. March 3rd, J375, p-tl
The Orphans’ Friend (Oxford, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 4, 1877, edition 1
4
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75