AND YE SWAIJ, KNOW THE TRUTH
CHARLOTTE, N.
THE WAY
Looking Back at Old Biddle, 1888-98
■\X ' ■ ' : ■ ’
BY UNCLE BILLIE.
(Dedicated to My Beloved Teacher, Prof.-Geo. E. Davis, Fn. D.)
CHAPTER VI.
OctAtr 1895
Onijr four of us are back to
take up our course in the minis
try: A. J. Jefferson, J. H. Clem
ent, A. P. Johnson and myBelf.
The remainer of the class went
to variolas other callings.
AH of the Professors ere back.
Bov. George Carson resigned as
principal of the Boarding De
partment Dr. David. Brown is
in charge of this Department.
Thin was somewhat of in un-.
eventful . year.Things moved
on quietly. The present garter
Hall wasbuiltjust before feChool,
Before we ooiild realise it the*
commencement was upon ' us«.
The Southern General Assembly
met in the city of Charlotte in
the Ffrst Ft&byterian church
the week Sf oift'commencement
Quite a few of the commission*
ers visited our classes* One aged
minister visited our class in
Homiletics and asked one of us
to rot the outline of an exposi
tory^ sermon: on the board. I
suppose that, was his choice of,
the three, textual, subject, ami
expository sermons.
I can not recall thename, but
ion. It was an ideal day.
weather was pleasant and
at. Prof. A. P.
link, Dr. I. D.
'over for the
Prof. Butler
judges ,and a
, one Mr. Mc
'. M. C. A. See?
te at that time,
i judges for the
Kings
23
was 80
years old when
gan to
iuite a crowd of the Commis
sioners of the Assembly was' out
that day. The Moderator him
self was out and spoke after the
serm
The
clear.
This was
Assembly
ir our General
. Saratoga, N.
Y. Some of the Commissioners
on their return South witnessed
the commencement.
Butler, and, 1 think
Davi& stopped
commencement
was one of the judges
white gentleman, one Mr.
Ninch (?), the Y
retary of Charloti
and another were
Junior Prise Contest.
Commencement Day, 1896
Gloomy day. Pouring rain.
Many .visitors here from Virgi
nia, the two Carolinas and Geor
gia. Congressman Geo. White
delivered the annual address.
I remember seeing a settled and
well composed lady sitting di
rectly in frpnt. of me on. this,
commencement day. She was
from Wilminhgton, N. C., to wit
ness her son's graduation. Just
before he made the last period
in his speech, which was a mast
erpiece for such a youth, this
lady removed her gloves from
her hands so as not to muffle her
real and sincere applause. It
was her son who was speaking
as one of the honor men of the
class. It is a strange fact, but
just twenty-one years after this
day, at. Eddie’s semi-centenniali
1917, this’same lady was at Bid
dle commencement sitting on
same aided* the chapel in
seat directly in front of
gloved hands while this
whd graduated in June,
1896, sat by her side. He is one
of the leading colored attorneys
in the city of Washington. Just
ibefore! l^gi^apdfrr Cft|r
Si
SH
twenty-one years before In
which she figured as a proudwit
ness to her son's graduation.
Some of the things came to her
as though they were the hap
penings-of yesterday, while oth
ers were among the forgotten
things.
This was a class made up of
young men full of ambition and
with the studious habit. This
class took no part as at whole
neither as individuals in college
sports, though they Were young
in rhodym . . They were wholly
.twelve':
Thiftaf^ass num
iR. J. Boulware, Fairfield conn
ty,
Charlotte;. W. ft, Carroll, from
sgine part of Eastern N. C. ; Wm;^
M. Flowers, Wadesboro, N. C.;
S, j.. Gorier, Fairfield county,' S.
C.; J. A. .Bethel, Charlotte; A.
W. Scott, Wilmington, N. C;; J.
H. Sampson, Goldsboro, %■ C.;
J. W. Watkins, Martinsville, Va.;
$hd J. Bf Westberry, Mechanics-*
hhd bnJjfc one Of thisl
number is dead.
; October, 1896.
On my return I found Prof. H.
A. llunt superintendent of the
Boarding Department, having
Dr. David Brown,
, 'allingford School and Olivet
Church. This year stole away
like a thief under the shadow of
ijightv This was my second year
in the TneqlogicaL Seminary of{
Biddle, and, of course, I Would
pitch my tent. I felt as if I
were growing from the base of'
the triangle to its vertex; each
step to my last day seemed to
diminish my opinion of myself.
I felt just about as a wasp looks
in the cells of a wasp nest; I was
bigger when I was born in- Bid
dle than I was the day' I was'
about grown. T suppose^ that is
about the feeling every man has1
when-aljout to say good-bye to
return no nuw?e, as a student to
his-almamateK
Before, those of us who were
nearing our last days as stud
ents in Biddle could realize it
the commencement was upon us.
A class of strong men graduated
—only seven—F. J. Anderson,
Jeteraville, Va.; the two Coles
bi<others, Aiken, S, C.; M. J.
Jackson, Sumter county, S. C.;
W. T. Singleton, Cheraw, S. C.;
J. E. Smith, Charlotte, N. C.; I.
D. L. Torrence, Huntersville, N.
C., I think ; and W. R. Conners,
Savannah, Ga.
The smalie&t class to graduate?
in the history-making, of the
colored faculty was the^class of
'92; and the one next to it, but
larger , by two, was .the class of
’97. The class of ’92 consisted
of but five members and the
class of ’97 numbered seven.
Since this time the graduating
classes have been }arge. Only
the clasl of ’13,1 think, has con
descended; to step back among
some of the small classes that
graduated in. the days of small
things in old Biddle, of which I
write.
October, 1897 '
This is my last year here as a
student ; and in looking back at
old Biddle I see only two stud
ents there at this time who were
there when Dr. Mattoon was
there. A. J.'Jefferson, iny class
mate, and the writer; and only
foil* who were there when the
War white, except one
the twb afore ment
Souie time in
Synod of Cata
Seventh Street
been licensed to
pel the April previous,
tanburg, by McClelland
tery, I was very to**#* «!
what a Synod looked life * W
never visited a Synod. I • n^*
ed the afternoon sesrim^1 ^
was-mucb benefitted. _ . .
The Rev. John A. S*»gV%
D., was theiretiring Monerator
and Dr. Sanders was St&t«d
Clerk. I do not remember just
now Dr. Savage’s text, but I do
remember how effectively he
read the hymn-"‘Onward, Chris
tipn Soldiers.” He was robed in
an Oxford gown.
After his sermon
Wyehe delivered
welcome and Col
responded to it in his
characteristic way of d
saying things* >
Rev. J. Tate was elected
Moderator over Rev. Geo, Car
son.
an
To ray ^udgment
excellent ‘Moderate
Satterfield was there,
actve
MmL
hjit it* '«pa'sli|he
The Popidar Meeting ’
lpw many which Itaye^
ed ijitKe Synods
The speakers did hot
haye th&jfe sub|eqta <Je
organized so as to pfes
with force and clearness;
Sabbath 'afternoon, Im
Shaw preached a strong !
Op* Sabbath evenir _
F. Murray pfd*ehed*3a'i
lege chapel on the
of love a they are mer
the 18th chapter of I
Ians.
It was this season
we lost On. Wit* 1?
m
lich
charge of the Prephrato:
partment. His demise was the
second among the members of
the colored faculty.
When you are a little, depend
efifc/^hild, thinking that your
father can do all things and
know all things, the years drag;
Christmas goes off on a visit;
Santa Claus gets lost in the
deep snow; from December to
the next December seems a cen
tury. During the second
week the first year I was in Bid
dle an old friend who had gradu
ated came to my room and asked,
me what class did I make. I
told him. He said, ‘‘You have
ten years here then.” Those ten
years lingered like the months in
which the anxious child waits
for the coming of Christmas. My
years of college life were before
me and not one was behind me.
When your years are before you
they seem to tarry by the way,
but when they are behind you in
larger number than they are be
fore you, time hurries!
Commencement is Here!
I have written and committed
my speech for the, occasion. 1;
am to graduate from the Theo
logical Seminary of Biddle. The
boys wl$p« are to graduate from,
the college are in the Library
gettihg ready, to march into the;
chapel. They are eleven in num
ber. They are playing the march.
Dr. Sanders is in the van; the
Theological class follows him
with the Senior class on our
heels. Music and orations and
presentation of diplomas, confer
ring of degrees; the benediction;
we scattered.
| Edisto Island, S. C.
NOTICE.
The Woman’s Home^&nd For
eign Missionary Society of the
Presbytery of Southern Virginia
will meet with the Central Pres
byterian church of Petersburg,
Va., April 3-5, 1923.
All bold societies are request
ed bo send a delegate, and their
contingent fund: 10c per mem
ber. .' ' •
• Mrs. M. S. Kendrick,,Pres|
Mrs. S. J. H, Diisrd. 6ecyt
£ Pofyphenfe Prose Poena.)
By Rev. Yorfce Jones, D. D.
♦Tot this thy btfother;4>was
said; -and i§
>;32. ' '■ ■ % * ■ •
The drama of life and death
w eye of faith doth see, O Lord,
Sfcy Luke—told Prodigal Son
£, Parable
T$ he, wherein, the characters
Father—-God; the younger
son— •'
natural human heart,
nged from nature to grace;
the older son, the natural
jieart,_
eh ne^'changed. ‘r ;
Foijtr v^ices-^mjr faith doth hear*
Four voicesspeak during
Thd out-going and home-com
;1 ."‘v ... ..,;;
Offhe Prodfgal Sbii i,,! v','■
voices; l^iid a sildhc^ :
Ate there m jhe Lhke told drama
Th^j'drasha o:fh$art states,
Th^dtama, of spiritual life i
idspirituSl death; ~ '
Etdw-soul, list thee to that
silence
tff. those four yoices;
tiejsilence is the father’s,
0 voices are those of ttw
The Fthird voice is
' '••''tosrfeMn'l'”"’ :
The fourth vqice is
te Voice of Death.
“Father, give me the portion of
ods that falleth to me,”
Quoth the younger son;
And the father gave
The younger-son voice—
The voice which says, “Give me"
That is the voice of death. *
There is no union of heart
Between the soul of the younger
•son
And his father.
There was a great gulf between
them:
An ocean of love was the fath
er’s heart
Toway the son;
But no ocean of love flowed
From tne son toward tne iatner.
Less the Father cared for his
goods
Than, he cared for his wson;
So “He divided unto him
His living”—his toil earned
goods.
But the selfish, separated son,
More loved his father’s goods
Than he loved the father.
No gratitude was in his heart
When the father granted his re
quest :
No sense of what he owed his
fr'-jpithttf,,' v- . .• . , !
^o^oy^in^hi^ Jather.
So, separted from his- father
fa heart, his back on his father
In soul, the ungrateful,
Selfish boy' turned his
Back on his father in body;
Left him—because he cared not
for him.
Went forth to enjoy not his
father, '
But what was his father’s,
^ev®*, never*- could his father’s
Love'inake that boy happy
Unless he should awake,
Tfra realization of it.
“Give trie the portion of goods
*b*t falleth to me—”
ig the voice of a soul
Uead to God«~dead to his love;
Dead to a sense, of need of God;
Dead to all sense-of divine good
De^L to all sehse of* dependence
is voice of a spill with its
back— • ■
Turned;;^ Gpd!
:v
I
& I
Is the voice of separation
The'vbice of death! -
Fellow soul, whftt Voice is thltiel
The' Yoke of Life
But away from the father,*' -
Wasting what was' the father's
... ■••gift, - . a
In a life the father disapproved,
In a life which ignored the fath
er,
In riotious living—this life,
This separation far' from the
father
did not, does not bring joy;
But brings want—“He began to
be in want.” /
Brings living below one’s privi
lege: ;
He went and hired himself;
Brings degradation:. -
“And he sent him into his Adds
To feed swine.”
Brings none of the blessings
Upon which the boy turned his
back.
The boy’s experience brought
him to see
How foolish he was. |
"How many hired servants
■Of iny father have bread enough
And I perish with hunger;”
The bbys dwi»ountry, swine
. feeding}®Pf ' .
Disgraceful need experience;
Brought him to see hiinsfelf—i
To See himself as an ingfate,( '
To see hiS father’s goodness; •>
To see hiS own meanness,
To see that Hofne is where
He ought to go.
His heart had been changed.
H& Changed heart changed Ins
voice,
That voice is the voice of life.
It now tells the truth when il
■■ teht!)
Himseir more wortny tnan
His father.
His first voice shows he
felt that his father owed him:
“Give me mine,” he said.
Now he knows he had no por
tion
In his own merit.
A portion was given him,
But it fell to him out of his
Father’s merit, his father’s good
ness,
His father’s love; and not his
merit. ••
His going-out voice-—the voice of,
“Give me the portion of goods
that falleth to me”—that
voice
The loveless, ungrateful, selfish
voice.
That going-out voice
Is the voice of death.
But the voice of home-coming is
the voice of life—
Tlie voice
“I am not worthy!”
“I have sinned!”
“Make me a servant!”
The Great Silence—The Silence
of Grace
“But when he was yet a great
w^y off »
His father saw him;
And had compassion—
And ran and fell on his neck
And kissed him.”
Then the boy found his voice—
He said:—
“I have sinned!”
* “I am Hot worthy!”
“Make me a servant!” ?
But not a word—
Not a single word said the father
To the boy!
Not a word to the boy about his
past!
Not a word of blame ! , v
0, gracious silence of God's
grace!
What was said was to servants:
“Bring robe:”
“Bring the ring.”
“Bring shoes.” .
“Bring the fatted calf.”
Blessed silence of God's grace.
That forgives, all our past
Whe nwe see his love, ,
And cast us upon it. r< v
The rider son Voice*—Hopeless.
?iit the older son—just *s sel
- •. fish—
got the older sdn just as un
grateful,
But the elder son never saw,: '
Never saw his lo velessnesa;
Never saw his father’s goodness;
Never saw this dependence on
his father. ;
He thought himself more
Meritorious than his father and '
said so. - : ••
|
This voice is hopeless,; no salva
tion lor the soul that says.
“Lo, I serve thee.”
? f “I never transgressed.”
“Thou never gavest me.”
No hope for the soul that feels
That it deserves for serving;;
No hope for the sold that
Feels'no need of God’s pardon..
■■ f .
FeUowrSoul, art tJiou worthy
In thine own sight? .
NO hope for •thee, then!
The Fourth Voice of God's Good
ness Despite Human $ De
Serving. * * ■■;■■■■ •
His father, so large and good,
“Camfe $ut and entreated him.”
His father was kind where
The son^wasmeam.. < . .
The father continued to give
Though the older Son had no love
" No lhankf trine**!
Blessed the silence
And voice of ^raice!'
“Son, thou art ever with me.” r
Yes, thp ingrate may turn his
back on God,
May have no love, no gratitude,
May go out from his father to
hell;
But his Father’s heart yearns
over him!
tnuntn,
>n.)
By Mrs. M..
Our Sunday morning services
are very inspirational and up
lifting. There is no need of
restlessness when you sit under
the sound of our beloved pastor’s
voice. Sunday, March 11, he
brought us a wonderful mes
sage from Matt. 26:24. His
theme was, “I know not the
man.” He brought out forcibly
the four steps that Peter took
away from Christ and four steps
he took in returning to Christ.
Misses Emma Lee Williams
and Addie Hammonds were wel
come to the “Highway Gather
er’s” class.
Messrs. Pete Woolridge and
Robert Matthew worshipped
with us Sunday morning.
The Junior-Missionary Society
(Sunshine Club) held its last
meeting last Sabbath afternoon.
The program was very gobd and
i the treasurer’s report was excel
lent, " " '
Miss .Nesbit spent the week
end at heme with her parents
and friends.'- \
' Mrs. Portet has gone to her
home in Sumter, S. C., for a pe
riod of two weeks.
Mrs. Margaret Andrews of
Orangeburg, S. C., was a wel
come visitor, to her parents, Mr.
and Mrs. J. Williams, South Fant
street, last week. /
Mrs. Texas Crawford is still
ill. We continue to hope for her
recovery.
The Secretary of Literature,
of the McClelland Presbyterial
Society will certainly be glad
to knew before Presbytery con
venes the number , of Mission
Study classes or Relfiyclasses in
the local missionary societies.
If there are liny please send In
formation to <Mrs.j .M. V. M&
rion, 818 Gray Ski Ahderson,
Si C.- - • - :