Newspapers / The Orphans’ Friend (Oxford, … / March 28, 1877, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Orphans’ Friend (Oxford, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
wassssss^sm VOL. III. OXFORD, N. C., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1877. NO. 13. THE FOEU CALE!«. The Spirit came in childhood, And pleaded, “Let Me in But ah, the door was bolted And barred by childisli sin. The child said, “I’m too little ; Tliere’s time enough to-day ; I cannot opensadly The Spirit went His way. Again He came and pleaded In youth’s bright, happy hour. He called, but heard no answer; For, fettered in sin’s power, The youth lay dreaming idly. And crying: “hiot to-day : For I milk have some pleasure.” Again He turned away. Again He came in mercy. In manhood’s idg’rous prime; But still could find no welcome— The merchant had “ no time” To spare for true repentance, No time to praise and praj'; And thus, repulsed and saddened. The Spirit turned away. Once more he called, and waited. The man was old and sad; He scarcely heard the whisper, His heart was seared and bad. “(lO, leave me. When I need Thee I’ll call for Thee,” he cried; Then, sinking on his pillow, Without a Hod he died! POWER OF DISCKlllllIVATIOfV. Mind starts from di.sorimina- tion. Tlie conciousness of differ ence is tlie beginning of every intellectual ‘exercise. Toencoun tor a new impression is to be aware of change ; if the heat of a room increases ten degrees, we are awaken to the circumstance by a change of feeling; if we have no change of feeling, ns altered consciousness, the outward fact is lost upon us ; we take no notice of it, we are said not to know it. Our intelligence is, therefore, absolutely limited by our power of discrimination, Tlie otlim- fiinkions of intellect, the reten live power, for example, .are not called into play, until we have first discriminated a number of things. If we did not originally feel the difference between light and dark, black and white, red and 3'ellow, there would be no visible scenes for us to remember; with the amplest endowment ol retentiveness, tlie outer world could not enter into our recollec tion ; the blank of sensation is a blank of memory'. Yet further. The minuteness or delicacy of the feeling of differ ence is the measure of the varie ty and multitude of our primary impressions, and therefore of stirred-up recollections. He that hears only twelve discriminated notes on the musical scale has his remembrances of sounds bounded by these : he that feels a hundred sensible differences has his ideas or recollections of sounds mutiplied in the same proportion. The retentive pow er works up to the height of the discriminative power ; it can do no more. Things are remember ed if they have not first been discriminated. We have by nature a certain power of discrimination in each department of our sensibility. We can from the outset discriminate, more or less delicately, sights, sounds, smells, tastes; and, in each sense, some persons much more than others. This is the deepest foundation of disparity of intellect ual character, as well as of variety in liking." and pursuits. If, from the beginning one man can inter polate shades of discrimination of color where another can feel but one transition, the careers of the two men are foreshadowed, and will be widely apart. To observe this native inequal ity is important in predestinating the child to this or that line of special training. For the actual work of teaching, it is of more consequence to note the way s and means of quickening and increas ing the discriminating aptitude. Bearing in mind the fact that un til a difference is felt between two things intelligence has not yet made the first step, the teacher is bound to consider the conditions favorable and unfavorable to the exercise. It is not peculiar to discrimina tion but is common to every men tal function, to lay down, as a first condition, mental vigor, freshness, and wakefulness. In a low state of the mental forces, in languor, or drowsiness, differences cannot be felt. That the mind should be alive, awake, in full force and exercise, is necessary for every kind of mental work. The teach er needs to quicken the mental alertness by' artificial means when there is a dormancy of mere in dolence. He has to waken the pupil from the state significantly' named indifference, the state where differing impressions fail to be recognized as distinct.—Alexander Bain, in Popular Science Monthly. THE inAUlE EANTERN. Cliililreii are especially fond of pic tures, and this fondness may be most e isily gratified by means of the magic hinterii. Three contnries ago this in strument was used by wizards and necromancers to raise iihantoms for tlie ignorant and gullible, and induce a belief in the supernatural-powers of its user. Now it is presented as a means of rational ainnsement and in struction to old and young. Familiar lectures, Natural History, Physical Geography, Natural Philosophy, and Geology become vividly fixed in the pupil’s mind, when accompanied by enlarged illustrations from the lantern, and will call forth the most lively emotions of interest and delight. The British Government, taking this view of the case, has provided its garrisons and ship’s crews with lanterns, and slides, and the soldiers and sailors are keeidj' alive to these resources of rec reation and instruction. Hr. Living stone always took a magic lantern with him to “ astonish the natives ” in the heart of Africa—and while Sir Samuel Baker was campaigning in Soudan he also startled the dusky denizens of the wilderness “ with the wonders of light and shadow.” The Professors in our colleges can find no better means of conveying scientific instruction; in every class room in the School of Mines, of Col umbia College, is a comirletely equip ped lantern that may be used at a moment’s notice. Though we have few teachers who may not pretend to some scientific knowledge, yet it can not be that many are accurately in formed as to the value of the magic lantern as an educator, or as to the facility with which it may be employed. In the writer’s school-room there us ually stands a wahiut-wood cabinet, about three feet and a half high, with compartments below, into which snug ly fits the lantern, lamp apparatus, and neatly-folded muslin screen. At the top is a drawer with divisions for the slides. On a Wednesday or Sat urday aftei’noon, when the wheels of discipline do not perhaps run as smoothly as usual, preparations are made for an extempore lecture. The screen is smoothly hung on hooks al ready prepared, the lantern is taken out of the cabinet and fixed on its top, ready for action. Half a dozen ready hands bar the shutters, a brilliant cir cle of light appears on the screen, and hey, presto! we are among the ruins of India, the pyramids of Egyiit, the mysteries of Pompeii, or among the seven hills of Borne. Sometimes the slides is taken out and a glass tank is inserted. A little fish placed in this will be magnified to linge proportions on the screen. A fish or an insect thus exhibited is so transparent that its internal structure may be plainly shown. By means of the tank chemical reactions of the greatest beauty are exhibited. Dia grams draivn by hand on mica, glass and gelatine, may also be reproduced on the screen. An hour has passed away, the shut ters are opened, and the sunlight re veals rows of happy faces. The rapid change of form and color has charmed away' monotony ; juvenile brains have been freshened and put in order for hard study, and the anticipation of an other exhibition will gild another week’s hard work. The only draw back to the use of a magic lantern is the costly nature of a good instrument; it is worth no one’s while to buy a poor one. Thirty-five dollars is the lowest price of a lantern, which, with an argand lamp, will produce a picture large and brilliant enough to be seen from every part of the school-room. And then there are the slides, for a lantern without slides is like a theatre without actors. These are of two kinds, paintings on glass, and photographs plain and colored, and they cost from two to three dollars each. Twenty- five or thirty slides are necessary for even a short exhibition ; and there is doubt that the expense of an iustru- ent and several sets of illustrations is beyond the means of the majority of the teachers. A great necessity, there fore, arises for an instrument so cheap as to be within the reach of every school, that will not require the ex pensive transparent slides, but by which card potograiihs, chromo-liths, ivoodcuts, and any opaque pictures may be magnified and cast ujion a screen with a pleasant and surprising effect. Any one who may devise such an instrument (effecting the same results as the magic lantern, and sensibly di minishing the expense it curtails) will be deservedly entitled to the thanks of the educational community.—Am. JEd- umtmial Monthly. CAHPHOK WOOD. The Camphor-wood boxes brought from China and the East are well known for their strong preservative odor, and are found useful in keeping away moths from woolens and furs. The China and Japan Camphor tree belongs to the Laurel family', and that of Sumatra and Borneo is the Dryobalanops Camphor. Even the leaves and fruit smell of camphor. In Sumatra this tree is abundantly met with on the west coast, chiefly in the extensive bush,but seldom in places more than 1,000 feet above the level of the sea. The tree is straight, extraordinarily tall, and has a gi gantic crown which often over tops the other woody giants by 100 feet or so. The stem is sometimes 20 feet thick. The Barus camphor of this island is the most esteemed of any, and it is for this drug, obtained in but small quantities—seldom more than half a pound to a tree—that it is ruthlessly destroyed. The tree, when felled, is divided into small pieces, and these are afterwards split; upon which the camphor, whicli is found in hollows or crevices in the body of the tree, and above all, in knots or swel lings of branches from the trunks, becomes visible in the form of granules or grains. An essential oil also exudes from the tree in cutting, which is sometimes collected, but is scarcely remun erative. On the west coast of Formosa there are forests of Cam phor-wood, and a great deal of crude camphor is shipped thence to Amoy and other Chinese ports. Large quantities of the wood are sawn into planks. Tables and cabinets are then made of it, and it is also turned into platters and washing basins. Only a small portion of the vast camphor for est of Formosa has been reclaimed from its wild inhabitants, and this consists of fine tall trees, the growth of ages. When a tree is felled, the finest part of the wood is sawn into planks,the rest chop ped small and boiled down for the camphor. birds’ FASGINATIOIlf FOR EIGHT. Professor Spencer F. Baird, in letter from Cape Hatteras, published^in the American Sports man, say's : ‘^n the night of October 17, 1876, I was on the top of Cape Hatteras light-house. It was a very dark night and ‘misting.’ The wind was blowing thirty-five miles per hour from the north east. As soon as it was fairly dark I could see tliousands of spiall birds flying around the leeward of the tower. It was a grand sight, as the lens of the light would perform its steady revolution, throwing its dazzling rays upon them while seeking shelter by hovering close up under the lee of the tower. As soon as the light would fall upon them they would fly from it and come in contact with the lantern with such force that they were instantly killed. At one time the whole element was ablaze with tliem shining in the rays of the light like myriads of little stars or meteors. The moon arose by 10 o’clock, which afforded them light to go on their way south (for they were coming from the north and going down the coast south). I do not think one bird stopped or went into the woods at all, as not one was seen, for I particularly noticed. After the moon was up, one of the birds came striking the lantern glass. I went out and gathered from the balcony of the watch-room and lantern three hundred and fifty dead birds, beside one hun dred and forty more that were picked up next morning oflf the ground at the foot of the tower, which had been blown oflf the balconies. They were a species known here as ‘myrtle bird,’ or ‘winter yellow’ bird. They are about the size of the sparrow, with gray back and head and y'ellow breast. They are excel lent food.” DAVENPORT FEIVAEE COE. EEGE JHEST BE BEBEIET. As a Board of Tnistees, charged with the duty of fostering and perilet- uating a great institution of learning, we declare our solemn intention to leave nothing undone that lies within the range of reasonable possibility to rebuild and reopen, at the earliest pos sible day, DAVJSXPORT FEMALE COLLEGEj as capacious, as beautiful, as inviting as she has ever been in her palmiest days, and far more secure and conven ient. AVe must leave to our children at least the axlvautages which we have enjoyed. Davenport, though in ashes to-day, has more than paid for herself, and will do it again. We cannot do without her. The sacrifice is too great. There is too much energ}', enterprise and liberality in North Carolina to tolerate such a thought. She has too many friends that wilt give the last dollar to save her life. Her friends at home have done all they can. Already they have raised more than three thousand dollars, be sides the relinquishment of a large amount of debts. They will go to four thousand before they are done. This is the utmost that they can do. They must have help from abroad. This we expect to obtain without embarrassing any one on the following easy and reasonable concert and PLAN: In order to secure promptness, we appeal I^To every minister in North Car olina— CyTo every person that has ever been a patron of this institution— ty To every person that has ever been a pupil— EyTo every kindly disposed per son to whom this circular may come. And we earnestly ask each one to serve us one month, as occasion may offer, ill soliciting five-dollar contribu tions. Ask no one for any more—ask no one for any less; and at the end of the time send us the result by regis tered letter, check, or post-office order. tyAnd as a guarantee that every dollar is properly accounted for, each remittance shall be acknowledged in the public iirints of Lenoir, and a copy forwarded to you. ty We further appeal to any weal thy benefactor to whom this circular may come, who is inclined to bestow upon a worthy cause without personal solicitation. AVe are prepared to give the most satisfactorj- references in re gard to the merits of the case, and the perfect integrity of all concerned. Address all remittances and letters to Eev. W. M. EoBey, Davenport Female College, Lenoir, N. O. And now, dear reader, remember that many, many hearts wait in sorrow to leap with joy at your early response. O disappoint us not, and a thousand grateful hearts shall breathe their prayers to heaven for blessings on your generous hands! J. 0. Habpbe, W. P. Williams, L 8 Bubkhbad, Maequis L Wood, P L Herman, Geo H Eotind, J C Newland, J 8 Ervin, P G Moore, Trustees. All papers in this State friendly to us, will confer a fav'or on the many friends of Davenport by copying this appeali M O Sherrill, J H Gilkby, W M Bobby, J B Connelly, N H Gwyn, Azor Shell,
The Orphans’ Friend (Oxford, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 28, 1877, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75