VOL. III.
OXFORD, N. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1877.
NO. 18.
T!IE «OS.I>EiV SJ»E.
There is many a rest on tlio road oi'
life,
tf we would only stop to take it;
And many a tone from the better land,
If the querulous heart would wake it,
To the sunny soil that is full of lio]>e,
And whose beautiful trust ne’er faileth,
The grass is green and the dowers are
bright,
Though the wint’ry storm prevaileth.
Better to hope, though the clouds
hang low,
And to keep the eyes still lifted:
For the sweet blue sky will soon peep
through,
AVhen the ominous clouds are rifted;
There was never a niglit without a day,
Nor an evening without a morning ;
And the darkest hour, the pro\erb
goes,
Is the hour before the dawning.
There is many a gem in the path of
life,
Which we pass in our idle jileasurc,
That is richer far than the jeweled
crown.
Or the miser’s hoarded treasure.
It may be the loi'C of a little chilli,
Or a mother’s prayer to heaven.
Or only a beggar’s grateful thanks,
Far a cup of water givbn.
Better to weave in tlie web of life
A bright and golden tilling,
And todo God’s will with a ready heart.
And hands that are swift and willing,
Thau to snap the delicate silver threads
Of cui'ious lives asunder;
And then blame heaven for the tang
led ends
I And sit, and grieve, and wonder.
tVJi
-/Selected.
.tT ttr«««EES>UE IS OF
KJOS-r WOEtT'Sl t
This is the question with which
we set out—What knowledge is
of most worth I—*tlie uniform re
ply is—Science. This is tlie ver
dict on all the counts. For direct
self-perservation, or the maintaiii-
ance ot hte and health, the aii-
important knowledge is—Science.
I’ or tliat indirect sell preserva
tion which we call gaining a live
lihood, the knowledge of greateit
value is—Science, i'or the due
discharge of parental functions,
the proper guidance is to be
found only in—Science. 1’ or the
iiitcrprotauon of national life,,
past and present, without which
the citizen cannot rightly regu
late his conduct, the iudispensible
kev is—Science. Alike for the
most perfect production and high
est enjovment of art in all its
fonnS) the needlul preparation is
Still-Science. And for purposes
of discipline—intellectual, moral,
religious—the most efficient study
is, once more — Science. Ihe
question which at first seemed so
perplexing, has become, in the
course of our inquiry, compara
tively simple. We have not to
estimate the degrees of inipoia-
anco of different orders of human
activity, and dilTereiit studies as
severally fitting us for theui;
since that the study of Science,
in its most comprehensive mean
ing, is the best preparation tor all
these orders of activity. We have
not to decide between the claims
of knowledge of great though
conventional value, and knowl
edge of less though intrinsic
value ; seeing that the knowledge
which we find to be of most value
in all other respects, js intrinsic
ally most valuable: its worth is
not dependent upon opinion, but
is as tixed as is the relation of
man to the surrounding world.
Necessary and eternal as are the
truths, all Science concerns all
mankind for all time. Equally
at present, and in the remotest
future, must it be of incalculable
im] ortance for the regulation of
their conduct, that men should
understand tlie science of life,
physical, mental, and social; and
that they should understand all
other science as a key to the
science of life. .
And yet the knowledge which
is of such transcendent value is
that which, in our age of boa.-ted
education, receives the least at
tention. While this which we
call civilization could never have
arisen iiad it not been for science ;
science forms scarcely an appre
ciable element in what men con
sider civilized training. Though
to the progress of science we owe
it, that millions find support
where once there was food only
for thousands ; yet of these mil
lions but a few thousands pay
any respect to that which has
made their existence possible.
Though this increasing knowledge
of the propel ties and relations of
tilings has not only enabled wan-
dfci'ing tribes to grow into popu
lous nations, but has given to the
countless meiubers of those pop
ulous nations comforts and pleas
ures which their few naked an
cestors never even conceived or
could lull e believed, yet is this
kind of knowledge only now re
ceiving a grudging recognition in
our highest educational institu-
growiiig
uniform
of
ISOIV IT1A!%Y I5ECITATIOAS 1
liiifliest educational
tions. To the slowly
acquaint.ince with the
co-existences and sequences
plieuoiiieiui—to the establishment
of inviiiiable laws, we owe our
eiiiaiicipation from the grossest
superstitions. But for science we
should -be still worshipping
fetiches; or, witli hecatombs of
victims, propitiating diabolical
deities. And yet tliis science,
whicli, ill place of the most de
grading conceptions of things,
has given us some insight into
tne grandeurs of creation, is
written against in our theologies
and frowned upon from our pul
pits.
raraphrasing an Eastern fable,
we may say that in the family of
knowledges, Science is the house
hold drudge, who, in obscurity,
hides unrecognized perfections.
To her has been committed all
the work; by her skill, intelli
gence, and devotion, have all the
conveniences and gratifications
been obtained ; and while cease
lessly occupied ministering to
the rest, she has been kept in the
background, that her haughty
sisters might flaunt their frippe
ries ill the eyes of the world.
The parallel holds yet further.
For wo are fast coming to the
denouement, when the positions
will be changed ; and while these
haughty sisters sink into merited
neglect, Science, proclaimed as
highest alike in worth and beauty,
will reign supreme.—on
Education.
—War in Europe will advance
the price of corn and wheat and
breadstufTs generally, and depress
cotton. Corn and Flour, in the
Northern and Western markets,
have advanced considerably with
in the past week. Farmers^ in
this section of the world might
take a hint while pitching their
crops this Spring.
—From all directions we are
please to learn that tlie Fruit crop
is but slightly injured by the cold
weather last week.
The old complaint of too much
work, too many lessons and
exercises, still comes from many
a perplexed teachei’, and especial
ly from ungraded, or as they are
often called, district scliools,
Tliere is probably no more
unsati.sfactory work done b}' any
person, than that performed by a
teacher who is compelled to frit
ter away time and strength
upon such a great number and
variet}’ of lessons and excercises,
that nothing can be done de
liberately nor well. The teach
ing power of a person, under
such cii'cumstiinces, is greath'
lessened by the hurried state of
mind in which everything must
be done. As soon as a recitation
is conmienced, the mind is put
in a state of uneasiness by the
feeling that but a very brief pe
riod of time can be allowed for it;
and even his best efforts to give
his attentioirto the work in liand
are nullified by fear that time
will be “up” before the exercise
can be finished. The result is, ot
course poor teacliing, doled out
in a hurry and little space ; and
the teacher goes home at niglit
with aching head and jaded
nerves, and begins to reflect
seriously whotjier he has not been
acting the part of a grand farce.
We can sj-mpathize with such
teachers, for we know by e.xper
ience what their feelings are. But
we advise our readers, who may
be in like predicament, to take
our advice at once, and not wait
to bo convicted of a better course,
by an unsatisfaciory experience
in the school-room. If teachers,
you are having an unreasonably
large number of clas.«es, you have
but one sensible course before
YOU,—reduce the number at once.
Have no more exercises than you
can do justice to within the pre
scribed hours of your daily ses
sions.—Selected.
The experience of the human
soul is something like this : As
soon as it gains consciousness it
finds itself assailed on all sides —
by society, by the priests and
pharisees, b}' the preachers of
lesthetics, by the preachers of
good morals, and of religion ; if
is assailed with cries of—“Go on!
go up ! progress 1 educate your
self! gain culture and refinement!
cultivate your taste, 3-our spiritu*
alitv, your morals ! keep the mind
open and attentive ! be studious
of all w'orth)’ things I go to the
root of the matter ! be independ-
dent, be manly, be conscientious!”
But when the human soul re-
spon to these exhortations it is
met on every hand by opposition.
And whence comes this opposition!
Yes. From the evil and selfish
ness of its own nature! Yes.
But also this human soul finds to
its astonishment that the very
exhorters are arrayed against it.
They hamper it, thej' cover it
with contumelj’, they persecute,
they crucify it.—Selected.
Sassafras Oil.—A number of
persons in Davidson county are
manufacturing Sassafras oil. Oil
has advanced in price, and if it
continues to sell at present fig
ures, it rnaj’ he profitable to man
ufacture it.
ABOE'F EtIlO FAISM.
It is with jov and delight that 1
look upon tlie pictures ofEcho
Farm anditssurroundings. It is
like an oasis in the desert—not be
cause there are no good farms near
Linchtield, for some of the best
farms in New England are in this
county’, but the world is no wiser
for them ; they pass from one
generation to another, but only a
small part of the world knows of
tliein or their value. Not so with
the proprietor of Echo Farm ; he
seems willing to let the world
know what he is about.
Not long since a peunx^ wise
farmer came and asked me if I
knew where he could lend a few
hundred dollars in a safe place.
I replied that I did not want it
mj-self, but thougiit I could show
nim where it could be placed to
his advantage, if he would step
into my house. I took up the
Countn/ Gentlemen and said to
bin. : “This will tell you where
you can put j'our mone\’ out for
from 15 to 20 per cent, interest.”
His ej'es began to brighten. 1
then showed him the sketch of
Echo Farm. That he said was
all ver}' well—“I like the pic
tures, but what about the 20 per
cent, interest ?”
I asked him : “How many
acres of land have you ?”
“A little over a hundred.”
“Do you use a mowing ma
chine on j-ourfarm !”
“No rny meadows are not
smooth enough ?
I invited him to the door for
and outlook, and said to him:
“You see those smootli meadows,
not a stone or stump in one of
them. A veiy few . j'eurs ago,
those meadows were covered
with rocks, stone and trees much
worse than yours are. Do j'ou
see those long lines of stone wall
surrounding the fields in every
direction—1,000 rods of which
you can see ? All were built in
one 3'ear; and in these three
large barns j’oii see, every cre-
ture I keep has neat and comfort
able quarters. These barns pay
15 per cent; the mowing machine
pays 15 per cent; the stone wall
saves 20 per cent, in chasing un
ruly cattle.”
The man replied ; “If I should
lay out my money so, I should
never get it back again.”
I said to him : “I never wi.sh to
get it back. I have only a few
years longer to stay' on earth,
and then I can take it with me
just as well as you can j'our
money.”
To return to Echo Farm, 1
have sat with my wife at Mr.
Starr’s table, loaded with farm
luxuries, the product of his own
hands. Mr StaiT is not only a
liberal man, but a liberal Chris
tian, and a preacher of righteous
ness, not only occasionally in the
vilage churches, but to all he
comes in contact with, by a rvell
ordered life and conversation.
He is a man of wealth and cul
ture; plain and unassuming; rather
tall, but well proportioned ; of few
words, but they all count.—L. F
Scott, in Country Gentleman.
EEHIOSITSES OF DiAMES.
Names are divided into differ
ent classes. First, are names that
s’gnily occupation, as Mr. Tanner,
Gathercole, Gilder, Fisher, Ilon.-
blower, Hopper, Walker. Second,
are tliese that signify color, as;
Mr. Black, Brown, Greeii, Wliite,
Neman, Grey. Third, there are
na nes that suggest quality as ;
Mr. Smart, Quick, Sharp, Bliss,
True, Doolittle, Blunt, Divine.
Fourth, there are names of per
sons indicating objects, such as,
Mr. Gunn, Cliurch, Wood, Barnes,
Stone, Street, Branch, Brooks.
Fifth, there are men named after
animals though the)' generally
add another letter, for instance.
Mr. Lyon, Lamb, Bull, Kidd,
Hogg, Fish, Ball. Sixth, there
ar names indicating regard, as
Mr. Dear, Darling, Love, Sweet.
Seventh, among other names are
those derived from proper nouns,
iis, Mr. Irish, Knglisli, German,
Scott, French, Normandy. Eighth,
tliere are men named after parts
of the human bod\', tor example,
Mr. Legg, Head, Temple, Hand,
Foot, Anns. Ninth, there are
names also suggestingabihtjqlike,
Mr. Buswell, Treadwell, Stepwell,
Shotwell, Goodspeed, Twogood.
Tent]), there are names derived
fi'om descent, tints ; Mr. Peterson,
Johnston, Jackson, Wilson, Jamty
son, Dickson, Thompson, Robin
son.—Eleventh, we have names,
too, that describe men by their
statue, such as, Mr Long, Short,
Little, Tallman, Longfellow,
Longman.
A poor 3'oung man remaiks,
that the onlj’ advice he gets from
capitalists is “ live witliln your
income,” whereas the difficulty he
experiences is to live without an
Income.
BIKD-HOESES THAT ABTF BOT
CA,\ MAKE.
We are glad that a mmiber of J’oimg
people write tis about bird-houses, not
only because it .shows a love for birds
and a wish to have them about the
house, but because they are at the
same time doing good to themselve.s
and their neighbors, by increasing the
number of iu.sect-eater.s. It is a mis
take to have the bird-hou.ses too showy
and too much exposed. Lost birds
naturally choose a retired' place for
their nest, and slip into it (piietly, f,o
that no enemy can find out whore they
live. All that is needed in a bird-
house is, a hiding place, with an open
ing just large enongli for the bird, and
a water-tight roof, and there are so
many ways in which these may be
provided, that any boy can contrive to
make all the bird-houses that may be
needed. A coiTc.spondent once wrote
us that he had .seen an old hat, witli
a hole for a door, tacked by the rim
against a shed, and occupied by the
birds sooner tlian a showy liird-hoitse.
Several years ago a friend told us that
an old tin oil-feeder (such as is used in
filling lamps,) which liad been iiimg
upon a fence picket, had been occupied
by birds, who reared a brood in it.
European sparroivs and martins do
not seem to care how nuicli they are
exposed, or how many neighbors tiiey
have, hence large bird-houses upon
poles, with several tenements in them,
will answer for these, while others
prefer a more retired jilace. Gourd
shells, fruit cans, and boxes of various
kinds, may be securely fastened in the
trees and at other places near the
house, where they will soon be found
by the birds. The ueiit little kegs in
which oysters are sent to inland cities,
are capital ready made bird-houses
needing only to be -washed out, and
placed so that theopeuing in one head
will ansver for the door.—Affricidtiiral
Journal,