m
VOLUME II.
OXEOED, N. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 1876.
NUMBEE 21.
XIIS3 UNCONSCIOUS OltPSIAN.
Mother, I have found a tear
In your ej e! came it there ?
More are coming—now they chase
One another down your face.
How I feel your bosom heave!
What does make you sob and grieve ?
Let me wipe your tears away,
Or I cannot go and play.
Why is father sleeping so ?
Put me down and let mo go—
Let me go where I can stand,
Near enough to reach his hand.
Why, it feels as stiff and cold
As a piece of ice to hold!
Lift me up to kiss his cheek.
Then, perhaps, he’ll wake and speak.
Mother, 0 it isn’t he,
Por he will not look at me !
Father hadn’t cheeks so white—
See, the lips are fastened tight!
Father always spoke and smiled,
Calling me his ‘-darling child
He would give and ask a kiss
When I came—hut who is this f
If ’tis father, has he done
Speaking to his darling one ?
Will he never, never more
Know and love me as before !
Could he hear what we have said?
Tell me, what is being dead i
0 he doesn’t breath a breath !
Mother ! what’s the cause of death ?
OUK BEAUTIFUL SOUTH.
give a graceful glory to the green
woods. The soft and silken
splendors of its summer skies
speak to him who is taught by
the quiet beauty of nature.
The longings of a heart that
knows thee well and loves thee
better, beautiful South, that for
these weary years have seen but
the endless succession of rows of
houses along crowded thorough
fares of filthy streets, cannot be
suppressed. Once more he leels,
amidst the cares and anxiety of
the exaction of an active city life,
the gentle influences of thy moth
erly teachings, and yearns to lay
his head upon thy loving bosom,
and rest.—South.
TIME-KEEPERS.
It will not be long before the
tourist seeking to enjoy the beau
ties of nature and the pleasures of
travel, will learn that within the
limits of the Southern States, he
can find all that the most exacting
taste can demand, or the most en-
tliusiastic devotee of beauty can
desire. All that is necessary is
that the increase of traveling fac-
ilties should continue for tlie next
few years, as they have during thi
year, and the entire country will
be converted by a complete net
work of railroad.s. Siiouid he take
pleasure in tiie grandeur of moun
tain scenery, in the western parts
of Virginia" and North Carolina
and East Tennessee he can find
it as rough and rugged as in the
romantic regions ot the old world.
Should he prefer the pleasing
pictures of woods and flowers, of
rivers and lakes, the balmy bree
zes of Florida will woo him to
their soft embrace. He can find
the jungles of India in the wilds
of Arkansas, the pampas of South
America on the plains of Texas,
the fertility of the Nile in the
fields of Alabama and Mississippi
and Lousiana, a generous hospi
tality in the homes of the genial
Georgians, the beauty of an Eng
lish meadow in the blue grass re
gions of Kentucky, the courtly
cultivation of a kingly race in
the unconquerable Carolinian, the
more mellowing influence of an
older civilization upon the quiet
farms of Maryland, the mighty
movement of modern energy in
the magnificent development of
Missouri. It embraces every va
riety of climate from the soft and
delicious atmosphere of Florida
to the cool and bracing air of
Virginia. It affords every species
of birds and beast and fish and
fowl that can tempt the skill of
the sportsmen or whet the appe
tite of the epicure. Its rivers are
running reservoirs of perennial
riclmess, upon whose broad bo
som are borne, the bread to bless
the distant nation, or carried, the
cotton to clothe the continent.
From its flowers float a fragrance
tliat fills to fulness tlie aromantic
air, while their gorgeous garbs
The word watch comes from the
Saxon wmccan, signifying to wake,
to excite, and tlie name is applied
to the numerous species of time-
markers wliicb liave sprung le
gitimately from that old stirps, or
“stock,” the “clock”—-the earliest
liistory of whicli is lost in tlie
night of the past, but whicli has
played so wondrous a part in the
civilization of the world; and
who knows but in barbarism too ?
for the meaning of tlie term orig
inally was “bell,” and is still re
tained in the French cloche. And
since it is probable that tlie first
sound, man produced by artificial
means, was the resonance of bod
ies struck togetlier by the Iiands,
somewhat as the tongue of a
bell strikes its sides, it is quite
likely tliat the “bell,” and conse
quently the “clock” in embryo,
were among the very first conceits
and mechanical accomplisliments
of primitive man.
Yet in tlie very early ages there
could have been but little need of
any measurers of time save those
which nature affords ; as the day
and night, the ilsing and tlie set
ting of the sun and tlie moon, and
tlie numerous plirases of the lat
ter. Then, as human observation
became more extended and ac
curate, tlie varying constellations
marked the wider passages of
time. So our aborigines still
count time by the moon’s passa
ges—^“Ten moons have gone
and, indeed, in the field to-day
for the laborer, and wherever in
the backwoods men find it incon
venient, or are for other reasons
unable, to afford the luxury of a
supply of artificial time-keepers,
the sun is made to tell the hour ;
“sun half an hour up,” or “an
hour before sundown,” thus indi
cating the sun’s place in the sky
above the western horizon ; and,
indeed, since “one thought begets
another,” as we write we reflect
that it is no great violence to
etymology to find the root of
“horizon”" and “hour” primarily in
the same Greek word, which sig
nifies a bound, a limit; i. e., a
measure. But it is useless, per
haps, however p-atilying it may
be to the imagination, to linger
in speculation upon what were
the earliest measures of time dis
covered in “revolving nature” by
primitive man.
But one tiling is certain—that
motion, change, was a necessary
“symptom” or index to the meas
ure of time in tlie past as well as
now. Out of positive silence and
e.st nothing could liave been de-
doubtloss “Time,” by wliatever
sweet name tlie Orientals may
have blessed him, or by wliatever
uncouth or sublime sound tlie
guttural Nortlimen may have told
the sense of ids presence and
power, was among the earliest ot
the “gods” whicli man recognized.
Little could the men of those rude
early days liave conjectured of
the devotion which we, their far-
off children’s cliildren, pay to
Time, wlien in every house is
erected an altar to ids worsldp,
and in every bosom is borne a
jewelled monitor of bis existence
and “passage” along tlie course
of “ever-moving creation.”—In
dustries of the U. S.
CHINESE STUDENTS.
the College to Gen. Eaton, Uni
ted States Commissioner of Edu
cation, reports tliat a chair of nied-
ical clieinistry has been ostablisli-
ed, and tliehopeisexpressedthatit
will be possible to maintain it.
These signs of advancement on
tlie part of tlio Cldnese, and the
fact tliat tliey continually turn to
tlie United States to assist them
in learning tlie arts of civilization,
suggest tlie wisdom of such a for
eign jiolicy on the part of tlie
United States,as will cherish trade,
and unrestricted intercourse witli
tlie Great empire of the East; and
certainly ought to be fully con
sidered when any legislation
tending to discourage Chinese im
migration is proposed.
THE CATACOMBS OF ROME.
termined in tliis matter; and
It may not be generally known
that the Chinese Governments
have at present in this country one
hundred and twenty bf y.s, whom
it is causing to be educated for
positions in its army and in its
foreign service. These boys are
under tlie especial care of three
Cliinese commissioners who re
side in this country, two of whom
had tliemselves been educated in
American colleges. The policy
of sending young men from China
to be educated in this country
was determined upon, only two or
tliree years ago, and its adoption
is due to tlie exertions of two of
the commissioners who are now
here, laboring to promote its suc
cess. Of course they liad at first
to overcome very strong national
prejudices, but it is understood
that tlie arguments wliicli were
most effective with the Chinese
authorities were based on the con
viction, that in order for tlie Clii-
nese nation to avail itself of im
provements and new inventions
in military science, and to com
pete with Western nations in di
plomacy, its army officers and
foreign ministers must be educa
ted, as the officers and ministers
of other nations are.
It is intended that the 3'oung
men now in this country shall
remain fifteen years, and that
they shall be not only trained in
science and letters, but shall de
vote much of their time to teclmi-
cal study. At the same time, they
are required to retain their knowl
edge of the Chinese language,
literature, and customs, so that, on
their return, they will be able to
fill successfully the positions for
whicli they have been prepared.
In this respect the Chinese com
missioners seem to have pursued
a wiser course than the Japanese
authorities, for some of the young
Japanese women who are now
being educated in this country
seem to have forgotten to some
extent tlieir native language and
customs, and one of them, it is
said, can no longer understand
the Japanese tongue. The col
lege at Pekin, presided over by
an American, is also doing much
for the education of Chinese
yoiitli, tliougli, on account of na
tive prejudices, its managers are
unable to introduce the teaching
of any scientific subjects; with
wliich the j'ouiig who are educa
ted in this country will become fa
miliar. For instance, it has been
found impossible, thus far, to es
tablish in the Peking College a
cliair of medicine, although a re
cent letter from the President of
Tlie Catacombs are a cause of
much interesting speculation to
all who visit tlie city of Eome.
Their origin is one of tlie still
liidden tilings of history. Their
limits are not known, and the first
use to wliich they were put is al
so beyond the knowledge of the
present generation. Tliey con
sist of passages, galleries, crypts,
and oliapeis excavated in the
spongy tufa tliat underlies the
city. There are various openings
tlirougli wliich tlie carious de
scend, and from wliich they are
able with safety to make limited
explorations. But long walks
tlirougli their intricate passages
are dangerous.
Tlie Catacombs liave been the
resort of wild beasts, sorcerers,
vagabonds, robbers, and outlaws.
Of the last class, during the per
secutions of Nero, Doinitian, Val
erian, Diocletian, and other em
perors, were the Clirlstians, who
were in them provided with safe,
though uncomfortable places of
refuge, where even the imperial
bloodhounds were baffled in their
scent. The Christians appear to
have lived and died in these gloo
my retreats. Here they had places
ot worship, and apartments for
other uses, and here they buried
their dead, sealing the grave, and
placing upon it the lachrymatory,
or bottle for tears.
On the walls are many inter
esting iiisSriptious that bespeak
tlie faith of the Christians who
were there awaiting a glorious
resurrection, through their Savior.
Some are spoken of as ‘not dead,’
but living ‘bej’ond the stars.’ One
is said to have been “condemned
with all his family for the faith,”
and of a certain youth “Marius”
it is recorded that “he lived long
enough, since lie spent ids life
and blood for Christ.”
These memorials of triumpliant
suffering have a wonderful and
thrilling interest for all who can
admire devotion to the Savior,
patient suffering, and hope to
which the glories of heaven were
so real, as to illuminate these dark
places of earth, and to cause the
hunted and worried to bear all,
with patient longing, and witli no
repining.
RAPID DREAMING.
A very remarkable circum
stance, and an important point in
analogy, is said bj' Dr. Forbes ^
Winslow to be found in the ex
treme rapidity with winch tlie
material changes, on which the
ideas depend, are excil^ed in tlio
heniisplierical ganglia. It would
appear as if a wliole series of acts,
that would really occupy a long
lapse of time, pass idealiv througli
the mind in one instant. We
have in dreams no perception of
the lapse of time, a strange pro
perty of mind ; for if suoli be also
its property when entered into
the eternal disembodied state,
time will appear to us eternity.
The relations of space, as well as
of time, are also annihilated; so
that while almost an eternity is
compressed into a moment, infin-
its space is traversed moie swiftly
than by real thouglit. There are
numerous illustrations of this
principle on record. A gentleman
dreamed that he had enlisted as a
soldier, joined his regiment, de
serted, was appreliended, carried
back, condemned to be shot, and
at last led out for excution. After
the usual preparations, a gun was
fired; he then awoke witli the re
port, and found that a noise in
the adjoining room, at the same
moment, produced the dream and
awakened him. A friend of Dr.
Abercrombie dreamed tliat lie
had crossed the Atlantic and spent
a fortnight in America. In em
barking, on his return, he fell into
the sea, and awakened to find that
lie liad not been asleep ten min
utes.
IMMENSITY OF CREATION.
We pass every day through all
the changes of liuman experience.
We are children in tlie inoniiiig,
witli their fresh young bodies and
feelings; we are middle-aged at
noon, liaving seen an end of all
perfection ; we are old and weary
and worn out at iilglit.—Hugh
Macmillan.
Some astronomers have com
puted tliat there are no less tlian
75,000,000 suns in the universe.
The fixed stars are all suns, and
have, like our sun, numerous
planets revolving around them.
The solar system, or that to which
we belong, has about thirtji' plan
ets, primary and secondary, be
longing to it. The circular field
of space which it occupies is in
the diameter 3,600,000 of miles,
and that which it controls is
much greater. That sun which is
nearest neighbor to ours is called
Sirius, distant from our sun 22,-
000,000,000 of miles. Now if all
tiie fixed stars are as distant from
each otlier as Sirius is trom our
sun, and if the solar sj'stem bo
tlie average magnitude of all the
systems of the 75,000,000 of suns,
what imagination can grasp the
immensity of creation ?
Eveiy sun of the 75,000,000
controls a field of space of about
10,000,000 of miles in diameter.
Who can survey a plantation con
taining 75,000,000 circular fields,
each of them 10,000,000 miles in
diameter ? Sucli, however, is one
of the plantations of Him wlio
has measured tlie wafer in the
hollow of Ills hand, and met our
heaven with a span, and compre
hended the dust of the eartli in a
measure, weighed tlio mouiitaiiis
in scales, and the hills in a bal
ance ; Him who, sitting upon the
orbit of the eartii, stretclies out;
tlie lieavens as a curtain, and
spreadeth tlioin out as a tent to
dwell ill!