4^’
#19
VOL. m.
OXFORD, N. C., WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1877.
NO. 39.
MABT’S MOlSTALlA’y.
Tlie following- beantitnl poem is just
ly considered a poetical gem of the
highest order. The original is found in
au Irish MS. in Trinity College, Dub
lin.—There is reason to think that the
poem w-as w-ritteu by one of those
primitive Christian bards in the reign
of King Diarmid, about the year 554.
and was sung or chanted at' the last
grand assembly of kings, chieftains,
and bards, ever held in the famous
Halls of Tara. The translation is by
the. learned Dr. O’Daunovan.—Ex.
Like the dama.sk rose you see,
Or like a blossom on a tree.
Or like tire dainty flower in M.ay,
Or like the morning to the day.
Or like the sun, or like the shade,
Or like the gourd w'hich Jonas had!
Even such is man, -whose thread is
spun.
Drawn out and out, and so is done.
The rose -fl-ithers, the blossom
blasteth,
The llow-er fades, the morning
hasteth.
The sun sots, the shadow flies,
The gourd consumes, the man—he
dies.
Like the grass that’s newly sprung,
Or like the tale that’s new begun,
Or like the bird that’s here to-day,
Or like the pearled dew in May,
Or like an hour, or like a span,
Or like the singing of a swan;
Even such is man, who lives by
breath,
Is here, now tliere, in life .and death;
The grass -B-ithers, the tale is end-
■
TliG bird is flown, the dew’s as
cended,
The hour is short, the span not
long,
Tire swan’s near death, man’s life
is done.
Like to a bubble in the brook.
Or in a glass much like a look,
Or like the slmttlo in weavers’ hand,
Or lilce the ■^vriting on the sand,
Or like a thought, or like a dream.
Or like the gliding of some .stream;
Even such a man, who lives by
breath,
Is here, now- there, in life and dea tli.
The bubble’s out, llie look forgot,
Tlie shutter’s flung, the writing’s
blot,
The thought is past, the dream is
gone,
The waters glide, man’s life is
done.
Like to an arrow from the bow-.
Or like swift course of water flow,
Or lilcctliat time ’tw-i.-ct flood and ebb.
Or like the spider’s tender web,
Or lilea a race, or like a goal,
Or like the dealing of a dole
Even snob is man, whose brittle
state,
Is always subject mito fate.
The arrow shot, the flood soon
spent.
The time no time, the web soon
rent,
The race soon run, the goal soon
won,
The dole soon dealt, man’s hfe
soon done.
Like the lightening from the sky,
Or like a post that quick doth hie,
Or like a quaver in a song,
Or like a joiu-uey three days long.
Or like snow- w-hen summer’s come,
Or like tlie iiear, or like tlie iilum;
Even such is man, who heaps up
sorrow-,
Lives hut this day, and dies to-mor
row,
The lightning’s past, the post must
go
The song is short, the journey so,
The pear doth rot, the plum doth
fall,
The snow dissolves, and so must
all,
THE CAUSE OF EDUCATIOBT
JAPAIV.
When the news came a few
months since, that a reactionary
movement in regard to education
in Japan had set in, the friends of
education in the United States
were apprehensi-ve that it was but
preliminary to the abolishment of
the comparatively liberal system
which the Jap-anese government
was induced to adopt sonio years
since at the earnest request of the
friends progress, both native and
foreign. American educators felt
especial solicitude in regard to the
matter, since they have taken a
deep interest in the remodeling
and enlarging of the educational
system of Japan, and, some of
them have been employed in the
work. The educational authori
ties of that empire have for years
made a close study of the Ameri
can system of instruction, and
have adopted many of its most
desirable features. The foreign
superintendent of educational af
fairs in Japan, Dr. David Murra-s-,
is an American, while certain
schools aro supplied with Ameri
can teachers. The result has
been so entirely satisfactory that
the cause of education in Japan
has gained a large number of
warm friends among the progres
sives of the empire. Late au
then tic advices received by the
United States Commissioner of
Education are, however, calcula
ted to cori'oct the impression made
by the intelligence of a few months
ago. It appears that in January
last, the educational appropriation
was diminished, whereupon the
department of educationd affairs
at once began to cast about for
ways in wliicli to bring its expen
ses withiir the reduced appropria
tion. There were nineteemschbols
of a higher character in the em
pire, which included the Univer-
sity of Tokio, the medical college
of Tokio, and a number of Eng
lish language and normal schools
—all of which w-ere mainl-v sup
ported by tl;e government. When
the crises came, it was determined
to uiaiutain all the schools bj- ex
ercising unusual econoihy iil-their
adminibti-atioii; to consolidate
when practicable, as in the case
of tlie J’okio female normal school
and girls’ school, and in some
cases to ti-ansfer as far as possible
to the local governments the sup
port of some of these schools.
Fewer foreign teachers will be
employed, and the appliances of
education will be less liberally
provided; but the friends of ed
ucation regard this curtailment as
much better than utter abandon-'
iiient. It has been a gratifying
circumstance tliat the local com
munities are unwilling to lose the
schools which have been opened,
and cooperate heartily with the
local governments in arrange
ments for their continuance. As
the resources of the empire are
likely to be restricted for some
time to come, it is possible that
some modification of the educa
tional scheme may be necessary,
but the friends of education, both
in Japan and in this country, are
assurred that the more important
features of the present system
will be retained. — Washington
ISvening -Star.
ABf ANCIEIUF HOOK KOEE.
Several sorts of materials were
anciently used in making books.
Plates of lead or copper, the bark
of trees, brick, stone and wood,
were originally employed to en
grave such things and documents
upon as men desired to transmit
to posterity. Dout. 27: 2, 3;
Job 19 : 23, 24. God’s laws were
written on stone tables. Inscrip
tions were also made on tiles and
bricks, which were afterwards
hardened by fire. Manv- of these
are found in the ruins of Baby
lon. Tablets of wood, box and
ivory were common among the
ancients: when they wore wood
only, the}- were oftentimes coated
over with w-ax, which received
the writing inscribed on them
with the point of a style, or iron
pen, (Jer. 17 : 13) and what was
written might be erased b}- the
broad end of a style. (Luke 1:
63.) Afterwards, the leaves of
the palm tree were used instead
of wooden tablets, and also the
finest and thinest bark of trees,
such as the lime, the ash, the
maple, the elm ;> hence the word
liber, which denotes the inner
bark of trees, signifies also a book.
As these barks were rolled up to
be more readily carried about, the
united rolls were called volumen,
a volume ; a name given likewise
to rolls of pa per or of parchment.
The ancients wrote likewise on
linen. But the ■ oldest material
commonly employed for writing
upon, appears to have been the
papyrus, a reed v-ery common in
Egypt and other places, and still
found in Sicily and Chaldea.
From this comes our word paper.
At a later period, parchment from
skins were invented in Pergamos,
and was there used for rolls or
volumes. Tlse pen for writing
on these soft materials was a
small brush, or a reed split on the
end. (Jer. 3: 23.) The ink was
prepared with lampblack, coal of
ivory, various gums, etc., and the
writing was sometimes perma
nently fixed by fire. Scribes
carried their inkhorns hanging to
their girdles. (Ezez. 9 : 2.) The
making of paper from linen, in
its modern form, was first known
in Europe about A. D. 1300.
J'he art of printing was introduc
ed about one hundred and fifty
years later.'—Our Monthly.
A KEMAKKABEE- WOMAN.
Jolui and Charles Wesley, the
founders of Methodism, derive
their greatness, like many emi
nent men, from their mother. She
was an extraordinary woman,
gifted with great intelligence and
force of character. The father
was eccentric and wayward, lia
ble to strange impulses. But the
mother was calm in temperament,
uniform in her methods, and of
inflexible purpose. She ruled in
her home, and the children learn
ed from the cradle to yield to her
unquestioning obedience.
The quiet of the house was a
mystery to her neighbors, for
nineteen children (thirteen were
living at one time) are apt to
make a riot in any household.
But visitors often said that they
would not have known there was
a child in the fauiily. She did
not allow them to cry in infancy,
or romp in the house when older.
She was their teacher, beginning
their instruction at five years of
age, by making them learn the
alphabet in a single day. Then
they were put to spelling and
reading one line, then a verse,
never leaving it till it was known
perfectly. Their progress was
very rapid under her wise guid
ance. But though the family
government was so rigid, it was
administered with love, and they
had the reputation of being the
most loving family in the county
of Lincoln.—Youth's Comimnion.
CAPE’AEN JBUKTOiN’S B2SCOVE
KIES IN 'i’ME EANI> »F MIBIAN.
A correspondent of the Times,
writing from Alexandria, informs
the public that captain Burton,
the African traveler, has made a
“find” of unusual interest. At
the request of the Khedive he has
visited the “ land of Midian,” the
desolate region on the eastern side
of the Gulf of Akabab, the eas'
termost of the two long and nar
row estuaries in which the lied
Sea ends.
Accompanied by M. George
Marie, a French engineer. Cap
tain Burton landed in Midian on
the 2nd of April, and in an ex
ploration of some weeks, explored
a region full of ruined towns,
built of solid masonry, with made
roads, aqueducts five miles long,
artificial lakes and massive for
tresses, all making a wealtliy
and powerful people. Their weal th
was based on mining operations,
and Captain Burton reports the
existence of gold, silver, tin, anti
mony, and turquoise mines. The
auriferous region is extensive;
indeed, the discoverer believes he
has opened up a California, and
the Khedive proposes to have the
country worked by European
capitalists.
It will be remembered that in
the Bible, Midian is always de
scribed as a land full of metals,
especially gold, silver, and lead.
It is more than probable tliat
Solomon’s Ophir was situated
there, as the small ships in which
he imported gold, ivory, and pea
cocks were launched at the head
of the lied Sea.^ Midian is part
of the Egyptian Viceroyalty.—
London Sj)ectat,or.
GEASS AND IT'S FJIENOMENA.
“SEEAU.”
The elasticity of glass exceeds
that of almost all other bodies.
If two glass balls are made to
strike each other at a given force,
the recoil, by virtue of their elas
ticity, will be nearly equal to
their original impetus. Connected
with its brittleness aro some very
singular facts. Take a hollow
sphere, with a hole, and stop the
hole with the finger, so as to
prevent the external and internal
air from communicating, and the
sphere will fly to pieces by the
mere heat of the hand. Vessels
made of glass, that have been
suddenly cooled, possess the cu
rious property of being able to
resist hard blows given to them
from without, hut will be instant
ly shivered by .a small particle of
flint dropped into their cavities.
This property seems to depend
upon the comparative thickness
of the bottom; the thicker the
bottom is, the more certain of
breakage by this experiment.
Some of these vessels, it is stated,
have resisted the stroke of a mal
let given with sufficient force to
drive a nail into wood; and heavy
bodies, such as musket balls,
pieces of iron, bits of wood, jas
per, stone, etc., have been cast
into them from a height of two or
three feet without any effect, yet
a fragment of flint not larger than
a pea dropped from three inches
high, has made them fly.—Ex.
“ Look not thou upon the wine
when it is red, when it giveth his
color in the cup, when it movoth
itself aright.”
Tlie Bihliotheca Sacra, in refer
ring to the meaning of the Script
ural word “Selah,” says that the
Targums, and most of "the Jewish
commentators, give the word the
meaning of etsniaUy, forever.
Rabbi Kimchi regards it as a sign
to elevate the voice. The authors
of the Septuagint translation ap
pear to have regarded it as a
musical or rythmical note. Ilen-
der regarded it as indicating a
change of note; Matthewson, as
a musical note,' equivalent, per
haps, to the word repeat. Ac
cording to Luther and others, it
means silence. Gesenius explains
it to mean, “ Let the instruments
play and the singer stop.” IVooher
regards it as equivalent to the
expression—‘ Up,my soul!’ Sum
mer, after examining all the sev
enty-four passages in which the
word ocem's, recognizes in every
case “ an actual appeal or sum
mons to Jehovah.”—Baptist Fam~
ily Magazine.
A SIEK-SPINNING FISH.
There is a mollusk—pinna
of the Mediterranean—which has
the curious power of spinning a
viscid silk which is made in Sici
ly into a flexible tahrio. The op
eration of the mollusk is rather
like the work of a wire-drawer,
the substance being first c.ast in a
mould formed by a sort of slit in
the tongue, and then drawn out
as may be required. The me
chanism is exceedingly curious.
A considerable number of the
bivalves possess what is called a
hyasus, that is, a bundle of more
or less delicate filaments issuing
from the base of the foot, and by
means of which the animal fixes
itself to foreign bodies. It em
ploys the foot to guide the fila
ments to the proper place and to
glue them there; and it can re
produce them when cut away.
The extremity of the thread is
attached by means of its adhesive
quality to some stone; and this
done, the pinna, receding, draws
out the thread through the per
foration of the extensile member.
The material when gathered is
washed in soap and water, dried,
straightened, and carded—1 lb.
of coarse filament yielding about
3 ozs. of fine thread, which, when
made into a web, is of burnished
golden brown color. A large
manuiactory for this material ex
ists in Palermo.
CONSCIENCE.
When peace reigns in the con
science there is always power
over sin. Peace is like a sentinel,
which keeps guard at the door of
the heart; if the sentinel be away
from his post, either the tumult
within drowns the voice of the
Spirit—or the stillness of death
prevents His voice from being
hoard. A guilty conscience is one
of Satan’s groat weapons against
the children of God; faith can on
ly be hold as the conscience is_
clean.—Central Protestant.
A Scotchman asked an Irish
man, ‘ Wliy were half-farthings
coined in England f Pat’s an
swer WHS, ‘ To give Scotchmen
an opportunitv of subscrihiug to
charitable iustitutiona.’