yjV-
ORPHANS’ FRIEND.
■WLLJ!
VVc«im-sday, November 28, 1877.
tU£:8 l'IOi\8 tJOKCEUNlIVG
SCIiOOI.8.
The following questions are
propounded by the Educational
Weekly. The answers are our own.
1 “Should the teacher talk very
loud?”
Never. A big fool makes a bia:
fuss. Wise men are generally qui
et.
2. “Should a pupil be deprived
of a whole recess for a minor of
fense?”
Never. Teachers should avoid
cruelty and injury to health.
3. “Should we keep pupils after
school to learn lessons, etc. ?”
Never. They need recreation
and exercise. Students should be
required to do their work during
the hours assigned to work.
4. “How may we best secure
good order in going down stairs?”
Teach them to march out with
a light step. Some inexperienced
teachers allow children to rush
out like a drove of cattle going to
a pasture. They themselves must
first learn the meaning of “good
order.”
5. “How many pupils should
be in charge of one teacher, in
])articular, the primary depart
ment?”
Sixteen are enough. Twenty
can be managed when }mi; are
not able to employ more teachers.
Thirty is the highest number that
any teacher can watch and more
than he can properly teach. If
the school is not graded, then
one teacher for every nine stu
dents will be needed.
G. “How can we get pupils to
take better care of their books
and slates?”
Hold them to a rigid responsi
bility.
7. “How can we best secure
visits from the parents?”
Competent parents will exam
ine their children at home. The
incompetent are not needed in
the school-room.
8. “Why not keep the same
teacher in the same school, pro
moting him as you do the pupils
that he may be with the class uu-
til they leave school.”
Because every teacher should
remain where he can do the best
work and not be following classes
into studies on which he is not
thoroughl}' posted.
9. “Is it well to have a Eoll of
dishonor?”
No. The absence of honor is
dishonor enough.
10. “Is a very slow movement
in order to secure quiet to be
recommended?”
Not at all. A tardy sneak is
very annoying.
11. “Should the principal of a
school teach regularly in lower
department?”
As often as his other duties
will allow.
12. “Should pupils act as teach
ers.”
Very seldom. Better let them
start life in their own schools and
among strangers.
13. “ Is not a two-hour session
without a recess too long I”
Entirely too long for small
children.
14. “ Is it well to give a half
day holiday for excellence in
school ?”
A teacher has no right to give
holiday and receive pay for work
when he is idle.
15. “ Should examination pa
pers be preserved I”
Not to be used again.
16. “ Why do we find so much
school apparatus out of ordci',
aud ) ct not very old ?”
Because many teachers buy
apparatus for display and uot for
use, and know not how to keep
instruments in order.
17. “ Why are school libraries
so mucli neglected—even those
books on hand not used ?”
Generally they are thoroughly
read, if they are worth reading.
But most of the books sent to
schools are almost as worthless
as a vellow-back novel.
The following letters are a fair
sample of those received in an
swer to our circular. We pub-
lisli them, because some Lodges
will like to see what others have
said;
IIiRAM Lodge, No. 40,
ItALEIGir, N. (J., Nov. 21, 1877.
liro. J. K. Mills:—1 now proci'crl to
couuimiiicate to you tlie answers to
your questions contained in a circular
addressed to Hiram Lodge, No. 40.
Question 1. Do you prefer any otlier
to tlie present plan of supporting the
Orplian Work ? No.
2. Ought our oi)erations to be cur
tailed or enlarged ? Enlarged, if pos
sible.
3. How much ha.s your □ contribu
ted since the last Annual Oomnumlca-
tioii of the Grand □ ? 877.55.
Yours fraternally,
E. B. Thomas, Sec.
J. H. Mills, Esq.—Eear Sir and Bro:
—At the regular communication of
this Lodge, held in October, a com
mittee was appointed to answer the
questions propounded by you in your
circular. The rei)ort of the committee
was retul to the Lodge at the regular
comraunieaticn held on the 20th inst.,
and was unanimously adopted. The
following is the report;
Wilmington, N. 0., Nov. 20, 1877.
To the ^Y. M., Wardens and Members of
Wilmington Lodge, Ko. 319 ;
Your committee to whom was refer
red the questions asked by Bro. J. H.
Mills, Supt., in jegard to the Orphan
Asylum, make the following report:
Q.—1. “ Do you prefer any other to
the lu'esent plan of suiiporting the
Ori)luui Work f’
A.—It seems to the committe that
the present plan of voluntary subscrip
tions is very uncertain and uu.satisfac-
tory, and calculated often to very
much embarrass the Sui)erintendent in
the work upon which he is engaged,
from tlie fact that lie is utterly unable
to make any estimate or calculation of
the amounts that will be contributed
from time to time for the support of
the Orphan Work. AVe are decidedly
of the oiiinion tliat the Grand Lodge
should levy a per capita tax of, say .81
on each alliliating Mason in the State
for the support of the Asylum, and
also receive voluntary contributions
from Masons whenever they feel able
er disposed to do more for the orphans
than is required by the Grand Lodge.
The tax to be collecteil by the dill'cr-
ent Subordinate Lodges, and forwarded
to tlie Asylum in quarterly install
ments. This plan would not prevent
persons who are not Masons contribu
ting all they may be willing to give,
but would secure to the Asylum a per
manent and regular revenue, upon
which tile Superintendent could base
his operations.
Your coinniittee are confident that
this plan would bring in a larger rev
enue, and that the tax would be so
light on each Mason in tlie State that
it would be )iaid both willingly and
cheeri'ully, and together with the
aniounts received from voluntary con
tributions, would enable tlie Superin
tendent to greatly enlarge the Orphan
AVork.
Q.—2. “ Ought our operations to be
curtailed or enlarged 1”
A.—They should be enlarged by all
means if the Grand Lodge can devise
the ways and means to accomiilish
that object; but under no circumstan
ces let us allow' the work to be cur
tailed. Bather let us endeavor to ex
ert ourselves more in behalf of the
good work, and resolve that we will
not see the work lag for the want of
any assistance we can render.
Q.—3. “ How much has your Lodge
contributed since the last Annual
Gommunication of the Grand Lodge f'
A.—820.70.
Eratcrnally submitted,
AV. S. WARKACK, 1
AV. l\ OLDII.AM, j
A lady writes to us for a good,
reliable, “ moral, genteel, and
tidy boy, 14 years old, to attend
to a garden, horse, cow, and cut
ting wood for a family of eight.”
AVe have never seen a boy of
fourteen competent to fill that
bill.
NOTES ON CEJEKENT EVENTS.
—Zions Landmark is teu years old.
The last number rvas very interesting.
—The Bussians have captured Kars
and will probably have Turkey for
Christmas.
—President Hayes threatens to quit
pardoning military otBcers for druuk-
eniiess. Amen.
—That personal controversy be
tween Messrs. Gndger and Nicliols is
nnfortuiiate for both. Better drop it.
—The Methodist Protestant Confer
ence has returned Bev. T. J. Ogburn
to Granville Circuit, and we are glad
of it.
,—For several years we looked in
vain for John Smith at the Orphan
Asylum ; but he came at last, and is
here now.
—The business houses in Henderson
closed one day that all might hear
Bev. P. M. Jordan. His meeting is
still going on.
—One thousand persons have sub
scribed for Elder Hassell’s History of
Kehukee Association, and yet half of
the book is not written. This is cer
tainly a compliment to the author.
—The Mexicans are preparing for
war witli the United States by send
ing 25,0(10 men to the Bio Grande, and
Gea. Ord is telegra2)hiug for more
troops. Bivers, as boundaries, always
have been productive of wars. The
French and the Germans have, through
many ages, fought over the Bhiue.
The United States mayju.stas well
bay Chihuahua, Durango, and Coha-
liuila at once, and extend our domin
ion to the Boeky Mountains. Then
perhai)S we may let the poor Mexicans
eat their garlick in iieaee on the other
side.
—Bev. N. E. Pittman says “ the
peoi)le in Durham are the most hosjh-
table in the State.” AA’onder if he has
ever been to Currituck, where a visi
tor, to be iiolite, must eat a duck for
breakfast, a goose for dinner, aud six
herrings for supper 7 Has he been on
ni)per French Broad where he was ex
pected to oat a chicken for breakfast,
a turkey for dinner, and a ’possum for
supper, with iiickles, pies and cakes
throwu in ? But the Durham i)eoi)le
certainly feed high, and then they do
suri)ass all the State in their colossal
lireiiarations for chewing and spitting,
and iiuftiug and suufting.
—The A’irginia Conference has made
Dr. Bosser Presiding Elder of Bau-
dolph Macon District, and sent Bev.
S. S. Lambeth to Norfolk. The ap-
I)ointmeuts on the Murfreesboro Dis
trict are as follows:
Murfreesboro Bistriot—Presiding El
der, B. F. AA’oodward; Murfreesboro,
F. C. AA’oodward; Northampton, John
Q. Bhodes; ileherrin, B. F. Tennill;
Bertie, Bo. N. Crooks, S. IL Johmson;
Hertford and Edenton, J. B. Garrett,
AV. H. Biddick; Pasquotank, B. AV.
Danghtcry ; Elizabeth City, AA’m. Me
Gee; Suffolk, J. C. Martin; Gatc.s,
Thos. H. Camiibell, J. O. Moss; Sonth-
amiffon, J.B. AVoodward; North Sontli-
ampton, Thos. L. AA’illiaius; Clmcka-
tuck, Charles E. Hobday; Camden,
W. P. Jordan; Dare, W. T. AA'hite.
President AA'esleyau Female College,
AV. G. Starr.
AA’e think tliis district ought to be a
part of the N. C. Conference; but if
Virginia will hold it, we are glad she
sends us good men.
NEW PEBEICATTONS.
Worcester’s Comprehensive
Dictionary. Revised edition.
We are indebted to Mr. Martin
V. Calvin, of Atlanta, Ga., Agent
for J. 13. Lippincott & Co., of
Philadelphia, for a copy of this
work. In six hundred compact
pages we have a very accurate,
convenient and comprehensive
dictionary. Tyne and binding
excellent. Prefatory statements
correct. Classical, Scripture and
Geographical names and other
useful information included. Truly
a “ multum-in-parvo.”
Derry’s History of the united
States. History in the form of
a catechism, beginning with the
discoveries of Columbus and end
ing with the death of Horace
Greely. Published by J. B. Lip-
pincott & Co., Philadelphia. This
book tells the truth with dignity
and courtesy Avitliout any abuse
of “Rebels and the Great Rebel
lion.” An excellent text book for
Southern boys and girls.
Dr. Grissom’s Lecture to the
Normalites.
Last August Dr. Grissom de
livered a A’ery sensible address
before the Normal School at
Chapel Hill. His subject was
Mental Hygiene, and he liandled
it with conspicuous ability. We
copy two paragraphs full of solid
sense:
“ Whererer corporal punishment is
.still adhered to, by no means should a
blow be inflicted on the head. The seal])
may not even be scratched, and yet a
concussion of the soft mass of the
brain may lay iq) future ruin for the
child. This is not idle theory, hut
very soleiim fact.
Betire early; a void a very soft bed—
see that the room is well ventilated—
do not lie in draughts of air—wear
nothing tight about the neck—avoid
tea or coffe late in the evening.
The South-Atlantic for De
cember. In mechanical execu
tion, the second number is a great
improvement on the first. The
bill of fare speaks for itself. Here
ft is:
Tlie Wonders of an Inland Sea, by
AA’m. Brockden Browne; Alendelssohn’s
Keward, by Mrs. Margaret J. Preston ;
The Spiritual Ministry of Nature, by
Prof. S. Hassell; Evelyn’s Choice, by
John Esteu Cooke; Eaphaiil Semines,
Oai)t. J. N. Maffit; A Terrible Eetri-
bution, by Mrs. V. L. AA’est; A Plea
for Poetic Beading, by T. B. Kings
bury ; December Sonnet, by Paul 11.
Hayiic; National Mortgage Banks, bj'
Samuel A. Ashe; A AA’ord of Thanks,
Art and Music in Our Intermediate
Schools, by the Editor.
Such a magazine merits suc
cess. S3 a year. Address Mrs.
C. W. Harris, Wilmington, N. C.
THE FEOOU OF 1877.
Rain fell heavily all day Thurs
day the 22d and on Friday the
23d, and the storm increased in
fury till near midnight, when the
clouds parted anil the moon
danced over the ivaters and filled
the earth with a blaze of silver
light. Tar river became a swel
ling flood and went roaring
through the fields. The high
bridge at Miner & Beasley’s mill
proved too low and the angrv
waters rushed up into the mill.
The new bridge at Cannady’s mill
also went dashing down b\' Lou-
isburg. Rocky Mount and Tar-
boro. Even little Tabb’s Creek
spread angry billows across the
Henderson road, and two orphans
with a wagan accepted Mr Cheat
ham’s lio.spitality tor the night.
Neuse and Crab-tree Creek in
Wake, and even little IValnut
Creek, sent their bridges on down
to Kinston.
Now reports come in from a
distance. Engineer Smith, IG
miles from Cliarlotte, going to At
lanta, is killed by “a washout.”
Also the train from Columbia
falls into South Fork Creek and
passengers crawl through win-
doAvs and climb trees to save their
lives. Many suffer, and some are
drowned.
COMING DOWN THE EADDER.
A newly-married editor advi
sing his bachelor brother saj’s :
Eemember, if you jilease, the iviiolc-
some injunction of Benedict Avhile
drnnk in the subtle spell of Beatrician
witchery, and resolve that before an
other Autumn shall tinge the green
w'oods, turning all their leaves to gold,
yon will leave the drj- jiarehed np
ranch of a Sahara-like waste, and en
ter the fragrant oasis of a sweeter des
tiny, where babbling brooks of joy,
blooming flowers of contentment, aiid
smmy beamings of haiqiiness shall
make life flow out in the rythm of
magniiicent dreaming, or “words to
that effect.” The change is not so ter
rible after all, and if a man w'ill but
exercise a jiroper caution—liide the
tongs and broom, and then keep his
hair cut short, there will be but little
danger to appreheiul. So, come' broth
er and “jine the percesshnn,”
Hon. James G. Blaine is said to be
in a very critical condition at his home
in Maine.
THE EADDEIC ON THE CEIFF.
We can never be placed in such
straits of difficulties that the Lord
cannot help us. Years before the
emergency happens, he may have
set on foot a train of circumstan
ces that will lead to our relief at
just the moment we need it. We
should le a r n to acknowledge
thankfully the source whence the
blessing comes, just as we thought
it would if he had sent an angel
down from heaveli to give us help.
One dark and stormy night a
vessel was wrecked on a rocky is
land off the coast of Scotland.
The crew had watched with ter
ror the white waves as they dash
ed on the stately cliffs, and felt
that to be driven on these rocks
was to seal their doom. The cab
in was filled with water, and the
captain’s wjfe was drowned. The
sailors climbed into the rigging,
and praj'od, as they never had
before, that God would have com
passion on them. That he would
save them from temporal death
seemed almost incredible. But the
cruel waves drove the vessel on
and on, till the very foot of the
awful cliff was reached. Oh, if
they could only reach its top!
There ivould be safetj' and no
doubt, friendly hands to help
them. Just as they struck the
rock the}' espied on the face of
the cliff a ladder. Here was their
despair changed to joy. They
sprang from the rigging, and
climbed the ropes as rapidly as
their benumbed fingers would per
mit; and in a few minutes more the
vessel went to pieces.
The ladder seemed to them al
moat a miracle. Yet its presence
there was easily explained. It was
used by the quarrymen as they
climbed up ariddownto their work
every d a y. Though usually
drawn up when they left, the sud
denness of the storm that night
had caused the workmen to hurry
to the shelter of their humble
homes, without taking time to re
move the ladder. It was God
who had ordered this seemingly
trifling matter for the preserva
tion of all their lives.
Some Avriter lias Avell said,
“However long tlie chain of sec
ond causes may he, the first link
i.s ;dways in God’s hand.”
Learn to observe this loving
Father’s liand in ail the events of
your life, and it will save you
from many dark hours.—Preshy~
terian.
Wh.vt with one strikes, finan
cial troubles, civil service reforms,
and political revelations, many ot
our political economists are sad
ly troubled in seeking out the
cause and applying the remedy.
Some call for a stronger goA'ern-
ment, others for greenbacks and
free trade. What is the disease
and what is the remedy ? W©
are sick: this is certain. We
begin to feel it; this is encourag
ing. Now the true plan is to call
in Dr. Common Sense, submit
the whole case to the result of
his diagnosis and take the pills
he leaves. The trouble be will
doubtless say is complicated and
in the blood, affecting most of
the vital parts. He Avill order
purer air, a more simple diet, a
clear conscience, and vigorous
exercise of the vital organs,—
honesty and intellect,—so long
paralyzed for want of use. Ik
would astonish the world to
see how speedily the body poli
tic would recover if the old Doc
tor’s prescriptions should be faith
fully followed.—Church Union.
The French Cabinet has I’esigned,
anti YlacMahon has acceiiteil the res-
ig-natiou. Officers Avill hold until their
successors are aiqioiuteil.
ESaiB