X
VOLUME I.
OXFOKJ), X. WEDXESOAV, FKliHUARY 3, ISTo.
XFJIliEK S.
HI A St Y A IKK A.
Al'TECTIOXATKLY IXSCIUIIEI) TO LIT-
Tl.E SISTEU LOUISE.
BY MBS. CICEKO IV. BAKBIS,
OF WILMINGTON, N. G.
CHAUTER III.
Twiliglit. liad just commenced
to deepen on the Imidsciipe when
0111- P'arty reached llidle3- Farm.
Altliough the afternoon had been
ivarmand pleasant,the kitchen was
idread}! liglited up with the glow-
of a blazing coiintiy-fire. An
earlj' sujiper was alwa^-s served
in tiiat household, and the chil
dren were put to bed long before
the whip-poor-wills and kat_y-dids
cea.sed to sing. "When Miss Aiken,
with Eddie, Louise and Joe rode
down the lane, they saw Mr. Rid-
leji and 'Willie standing at the
large front gate awaiting them.
Miss Aiken had qui.,kened her
horse’s gait as they ajiproached
the farm, for she ivished to be the
first one to tell Mr. Ridley about
,loe. As he came forward to help
her dismount, she said to him:
“ Mr. Ridle}', I have brouglit a
new claimant to j'our generosity.
Vie found on the wayside a ])oor
and destitute or])hau. Vie ques
tioned him, and his story is a vert-
sad one. 1 propose to induce j'ou
to allow him to pat- for his board
bt- doing wliat work he can out
of school hours, and with v-our
permission I will teach him. ]
will not slight t'our children. I
tnrst I am too honorable for that.
And, if Joe is as intelligent as his
tace indicates, I think he will be
a decided accession to our little
seliool. If there was an Ast-hun
in this State, 1 would not make
this request of 3-om But 3'ou
know, sir, I .am an orjihan, and
perhajis I know better how to
feci for them. I hope I am not
asking too much t”
“ 1 will see the boj-, Miss Mary,
lie nuij- be trj’iiig to impose on
TOIL if I call manage it I will
tiy to oblige 3-011, If 3-011 can af
ford to teach him, it does seem
that I might board liim.”
“ I do not propose to have 3-011
lioard him gratis. I think he can
do enough about the farm to pay
for his board.”
“ Perhaps he might. But I
W'Oiild not allow one of 1113- race
to v.'ork as a menial with 1113- col
ored laborers. It nia3- be a fool
ish notion. Miss, but I would not
allow it, I will see my- wife
about it, and I suspect she can
give Joe something to do. Be
sides, if !■ find him a worth)- ho)-,
ho can assist Edward and iVillio.”
“ Y'es,” chimed in 'Willie, with
his cap on this time, but with his
ehiibb)- hands still tlinist into his
pockets^ “ho can help us ride
horses to water, feed chickens and
cut wood for mother. I think,
father, 3-011 had better take him.
Becky- say-s Miss Mary- knows
every thing, and ^Jie say-s take
liiiiL You better do it,” ho coii-
tiniiod n-ith aii ominous shako of
the head.
double quick, and when ho
brought his mother out of the
house, the other two horses ivith
their riders had reached the gate.
Miss ikikou laid dismounted and
stood, flushed with excitement,
beside Jlr. Ridley. Little Louise
had a pleading look in the great,
blue eyes, amt Eddie wore such
a determined expression that his
father saw Joe had already^ three
advocates. Ills tender-hearted,
honest wife was listening very at
tentively- to iVillie’s .animated re
cital as lie led Iier along the broad
jiath towards the gate. If an cx-
a.mination of Joe should bo satis
factory, the thing was settled.
And there ho stood, holding the
reins of tlie pretty- pony Eddie
had permitted him to ride, Mr.
Ridley’s first questions and Joe’s
answers were similar to those ask
ed and rejilied to, at the creek.
At last Mr. Ridley- said,
“ If 1 will take y-ou into my-
liousi as one of iny- own children,
and if this lady- will educate you,
will y-ou try- hard to improve ev
ery- oii))Ortiuuty- I”
“ I’ll work for you harder than
I ever worked before. And I’ll
do anything in the world for her”
—he answered, ])ointing his dirty-,
hard hand towards Maiy Aiken,
and turning around towards Ed
die and Louise who stood near
liim, he said, “ I will h ve y-ou as
long as I live, wliether he takes
me or not. She and yon are the
only- ones who have talked soft
and kind to me since mv mother
died.”
“ Take him, Edward,”,said Jlrs,
Ridley-, touching iier Inisband’s
arm. “lie shall not cost von
much. I'm ivilliing to do all 1 can
“ You think .-0, do you f said
the good farmer smiling. “'Will,
run into the house and ask i'-- F.i-
er to step out here. 'I'eli her
about it, and if she savs so, maybe
we nil take y-our mlvice.”
The little fellow .slai'ied oil’.at .a
for him.”
“ Yes, ivife, I’ll do it. 'Who
knows knit what our children niav
be orpInr.LS some day-? .said tlie
farmer, looking kindly at the or-
idian boy- and the delighted
group,
“ Hurrah for father !” shouted
IVIllio, forgetting about keeping
liis ca.]) on, and twirling it around
his curly head.
“ And now, Joe, let Eddie and
lYill take the horse, and yon
come into the house. We vi ill see
wliat we can do to make V'ou a
decent looking member .of the
family,” said the kind man, ojie-
uing the gate to admit Miss Ai
ken, Louise and the happy- hoy,
“ Tliaiik’eo sir, thank’ee. You
never will be soriy- for it,” ex
claimed Joe, looking up in his
benefactor’s face witli gratitude
exjirossed on every- feature.
When J oe a-ipeared at tlie sup-
])(.T table the children scarcely-
recognized him. lie was cleanly-
w-asbed and was neatly- dressed in
a suit of Edward’s clothes. His
blight grey eyes with their new
and joyous look, his broad, high
brow Avitli bis black hair nicely
brushed from it, and his still
pinehed and hungry-, but almost
smiling mouth, coiu'biued to make
liim a very diferont looking boy-
from the dirty-, sullen, slee])y
creature Louise had seen under
tlie tree in the forest. Joe eu-
joy-ed his supper and then went
into the Irout room a few minutes
ivith the o-lier children.
“Kow, Miss Mary,” said Mr.
Ridley-, as soon as they- readied
the Jiiaiio and lifted 'it, “let iis
liave some music.”
“res,” c.xclaimcd 'iVillit in an
excited tone. “ Can’t you plav
Cld Joe Ridley? Black Hick
plays it on the banjo. Play- it
for young Joe Ridley-, Miss JIary-.”
The children laughed at A\”iHie
for thinking of so delicate a wai-
to compliment tliolr new eomjiau-
1011. Mr, Ridley- said, “by- the
w-ay, .Joe, wliat is your name ? 1
forgot to ask voii.”
“ My- father’s name was Joseph
AVeltoii, sir. I will i-iin and get
the pocket hook out of my- old
clothes and show you, sir.
The boy ran Lastily from the
room and soon returned w-ith an
oid w-orn brown leather pocket
book, which he handed to the
farmer with the ivords: “ Here it
is, sir, I w-ant y-ou to licep it for
1110. Before mother died she gai-e
it to me, and told 1110 never to
lose it, or part with it. She said
it might do 1110 some good some
(lav.”
“ Miss Mary-, will y-ou exam
ine it for me?” said the farmer,
handing the hook to her. “Your
ey-es .are better than mine.”
Mary- Aiken took up a yellow--
fiided sheet of paper which the
old book contained and read :
“Joseph Welton, only-son of
Margaret and Jos. M”elton, born
May-12tli, 18.58, hi Auistin, Texas.”
“So, Joe, you are twelve y-oars old.
Can you tell us ain-thiiig aliout
V'our father and mother f” asked
JI Ail ceil.
“I remember my- father was a
soldier, ma’am. He was killed in
the buttle around Richmond, I
believe it was. My- mother had
to leave her home wlieri he was
■shot, she told me, and she came
liere to look for some of luir kiiis-
pec]ile. )She died before she
found them. Some people she
had sto))})ed with took every tliiiig
she had when they- buried her,
and told me I w'ould luive to work
tor my bread. I worked for tliein
a short while, but I w-as too little
to be of much service to them and
they- sent me off.”
“ What was the name of the
faiiiii v, Joe asked Mr. Ridley-.
“They called him Mr. Judd,
sir,” answered J00.
“ Oh, yes! I know- him. A
miserly- and stingy old cu.stomer
as ever breathed. Pm glad he
turned y-on off, even if y-ou suffer
ed for it for a short time. He
would make any- hoy- a brute.
But what next, Joe ?”
“ After I left him I worked for
diirereiit peoyile when liaiids w-ere
scarce. Sometimes white peojilo
and sometimes colored people
gave me shelter and work. If I
had been older, I could liave done
much better, Soinetimes I had
no where to sleep and nothing to
do. This was the matter when
they- found me to-day.”
“ Can y-oii read ? Hid you over
learn y-onr letters ?” iiuiuired Miss
Aiken. .
“ Yes, ma’am, I used to read
some. My- reading and spelling
book and motlior’s Bible are at
Mr. Judd’s. Some other things
of my- mothers are there also. Ho
kept them to pay expenses.”
“ AV”ell, Joe, let him keep them.
AAte could not get them from him
unless wo gave him ten times
their value. If you will try- to do
yoiu' duty and a.s you are,t’ao sou
of one of ou'r soldiers, you sh.-all
la.'o as if y-ou were one of my
own (liildi'cn until you arc better
to lake care of vouisell'.
When Miss Mary Jilay-s us a tune
we will hav e pray-ers, and you
children mu.st go to bed so as to
be aide to get up early- in the
morning,” said Mr, Hidtey, taking
a seat near the piano, and lifting
Louise on one knee and Annie on
the otlier. Sweet music filled the
room and a silent happy- group
listened.
Is it iiin'oa.sonahle to imagine
that guardian spirits and Record
ing Angels waved their bright
wings above the humble dwelling,
nestled in the quiet woods and
rocky- hills, where none of the
heartless mockery- of the great
selfish world had ever intruded I
A\ hen that one great sentiment,
“Wliatsoover y-o would that men
should do unto y-ou, do ye even
so unto them,” as first expressed
by the Jewish Rabbi Hillel, and
afterwards endorsed and repeated
by- the Savior, was the intuitive
rule of action ; where Pitt-, Mer
cy- and Charity- instead of Indif
ference, Cruelty and Hate kept
“ivalcli and ward” over human
hearts ; where a thought for oth
ers supplanted the ever-present
and almighty-—I; and in brief,
where religion summed uji in tlie
one word, J.aee, was life’s constant
mentor and guide ? There in
deed did the spirits of Peace and
i lappiiiess dwell; then the mourn
er found sympathy-; there the
widow and orphan found aid ; and
there, lowly- as the spot might he,
t’le God of a Universe was glori
fied, worshiped and acceptably-
served.
love tlu' Asylum uiid wish tt) imluro otlipvs ;(
coutribntp to it, why will tlu'y do tho sinnim
thing of (.-ultivittiiiif selfishness uml depi';; r,
rather tlnm direet henovolejien Htnl go.: q
sympathy? Men are n.f, made philanihn.
pists hy ajipeals to tlieu' eiwetoimiiess. L,
ly, sir, 1( seems that we are in a state of jo:'-
lie opinion that is nither in keeping with t
siiirit of tile gaming saloon. One no hmg.’,
nee.ls to go behind the green shade in order i ••
I'O educated in the cursed school id' gamhlin,".
One is no longin' reipiired to defy public, opi:;
ion and sneak out to a disreputtihle r;u.'-
flo'irse to hecimni a denioralj^ed turfman. Ai -
rioiiltitral Oiirs belie their mnne^ and }>rufe;-
bioiia hy giving [;ri eminence to absolute liorse
nichig J and so-called benevolent enterprise
betray their moral deformity hy {ireacliiiig a.;!
practicing iiinnorality under the sac,red garb o'
clnu'ity.
In hidialf of good morals, the Orjihan A,-
luin, juid ill short, all true interests of all ,
pcojile, I Solemnly jirotest against all fashii
of ganihling by whomsoever practiced aao
wliatsoeve end. A. W. MAXt.JU.V.
IlALEKHt, X. C., Jan. 1!>, 1875.
Mr. Editor;—'I’lio first copy (*f “ The Chil-
dkkx’k Fuiexu” is hereby ac.knowlctlged. 1
rejoice at every adiUtiow to the ludji.s and
agencies of llui Asylum, A p.aper, if sustain
ed, M’ill J)e of gj-eat advantage to tliis most
ciimtneiidiude cinirity. I know you and Jb'o.
-M. are oxperiem-ed journalists, and ina-y re
gard suggestions ratlier imperliiient, wbeii
lliey come from one not so ftimiliar with the
sanctum ; hut 1 will venture to propose that
in one of the first issue.s you repeat those sen
sible thoughts you once published about the
w icked wtiys some a.(b)pt U> fihow their henev-
oleiice. J refer to the gamhlhuj stylus that
some well'ineaning ];ersons iinfnrlimatcly
jidojit to raise funds for the orphans. To got
u]) riijjles and gift co7werts to sujiport such an
institutimi as the Asylum is really revolting to
cvi ry seus.o of ju-opriety and morality. Tlie
object is too pure and sacred to bo profaned
and degnided by the uso of such means for its
accomplisliinent. If wo believe St. Pivul, we
must confess that Gknl does not appnn'O the
conduct of those who do ovjl that good may
come. And surely the.so fasliioinible styles of
gninhliug are evil—whetlier practised by Ma
sons, Odd-FcliowS; Temperance Societies,
Churches or any other societies, or by individ
uals in any capacity. The chance fiJituro,
hovA'cyer disguised or embellished, is tlie dnn-
ge.rous spirit of tho ganihling tabic. The per
son who buys a ticket at a raille or gift show,
or any place of the kind, virtually bets hi.s
ticket against tiie larger ainounts presented in
tlie programme as lu'izos. As he expects to
get something of greater value, ho cannot
claim the virtue of true hencvolenco; for either,
ill paid, or entirely, ho is apt to be moved by
sordid selfishness. If he draws nothing, lie
has fooled a'wt.iy what was ins. If ho
secures a prize., he is to bo pitied;
for he lias swallowed a sugar-coated pill of
mortil (juackery that will produce a liuiigcriiig
for more doses of the same j i.s in possession
of something that lie never worked for, asked
for, ])aLd for, or had any moral right, to have ;
must, if intelligent, know that he has thrown
his intluence to a peculiarly dangerous degree
in favor of a demoralizing vice; while in all
his oxiiltalioii lie can oijly boast of tlio joy
tliiit Avm’ms the bosom of the successful gamb
ler.
'r'ii. hnicry ’pniclici* is calciiialed to excite
.'leri.ais prij'iiliee amiiust the 1 rphttn Asylur .
Ji'iiHTi wi.'li to give. Avhy tire they li.it eon- ;
o.-iU t'l five in •' ,(iupe;'. decent nay .’ Il Jn ••
TO TTUI OF TTI.
MOUIVTAiHS,
In obedience to the order ofUie Gram..
Lodge of Masons of North Carolina, ;
school for poor and promising orphan ,
has been opened, and is now in oiiera.-
tion, at M.ars Hill, in Madi.sou couiitv
Every child has a right to live, a right
to grow, and a right to learu WJiOii
ForiJi of AB;j[>Slcalro» for
to the Ori»ha|i AsylisiBis^v
--.-N. C„ f;v:.
This is to certify that
is an orphan, without
estate, and years of age.. II
father died in 18. ; U.-.. mot;'. ,-
I, being li
hereby make appli'.u-
tionfor li---.admission into tUeAsyla?.;.
at and I also rcli..
quish aud convey, to the officers of the
Asylum, the management and control or
the said orphan for... .years, in ordv-
tliat... .may be trained and educated
according to the regulations pr.e.sgribc
by the Grand Lodge of North CaroFnv..
Approved by.
parents die and leave helpless orplians,
the wicked should not bo allowed t.i
seize them for .slaves i but good peo[.lo
should (lelcud their rights ami give tlKin
the op[)ortunity to grow up into intclM-
geat, virtuous and useful citizens. The
Orphan Asylum, at Mars Hill, rcj cives
poor and promising orphans, betweeu
the ages of six and tAvclve, a.nd givo.s
them food, clothing and iijstriictioii un-
tilfliey can acquire a good Ihiglisli ed
ucation, ttud be prepared for the usual
business transactions of life. All frl mb;
of tlie young arc requested to inform Ike
orphans of tiie advantages so freelv of
fered and to aid them in securing n'i-
mission. AU good people am; :i!;
churches and bencyolont orgaiiizatio,
are invited to send contriimtions ui
money, food and clothing for it.s su”
port. Though tlie 'institutiou is co ’
trolled by the Grand Lodge, its beneib;.:
arc not limited to the children of dc
cc-nsfid IMasons. AU religious dcnoin.n-
ations and all political parties arc tre.d,-
ed alike. We accept the aid of all. V.'v
espouse the quarrels of none So far :l-
we have opportunity, we help the yon-,
and the old to be good and to do goo
J. H. MILLS, Sup't.
•‘AVhyu Jimmy,” sa’d one prefession,’■
beggar to another, “are you goir .' io
knock, off already? It's on'l}'twi> oh b-nl-.
“No, you mutton-liead,” replied tb,.
other, who was engaged in unluicl b
his crulcli; “I'm only going to jiut u.
tlie other knee. You don't suppose
fellow can beg all day on the saine I ■
do '’,'ou '?