Price, $1 a year.)
OXFORD, N. a. NOVEMBER 9,1883.
(VOL. IX. NO
To the Business Public.
The Friend visits about FOUR
RUNDREJ) Fost-Offices in North
Carolina, thus giving advertisers the
advantage oj a general circulation.
ORGANIZATION OP THE OR
PHAN ASTEEM.
J. H. Mills—Superintendent.
Miss E . M. Mack—Teacher of Third
Form, Boys.
Miss Lli^a Martin—Teacher Ihu-d
Form, Uirls.
Miss M. F. Jordan-Second Form,
Boys.
Miss Caroline I’ettigrew—Second
Form, Girls.
Mi«. Jordan—First Form, Boys.
Mbs. Walker—Fir t Form, Girls.
Miss V. V. Walton—Vocal Music and
Drawing.
Mrs. Rives—Hospital.
hlRS. Hutchinson—Boys’ Sewing
Room,
Mbs. Fowler—Girls’ Sewing Room.
SPECIAE DETIES.
GIRLS;
Chapel—Coshy, Broadway and Mattie
L'ilancl.
Chapel I.amps—E. Kelly.
Chapel Stove—Douglass and A
Keith.
Office—H. Eiwin.
Library and Bell-L. Hudgins.
Halls—Boyd, M. Gabriel, Young.
T D R.—ilood, Johnson, E. Wright,
C. D. R.—Beddingfield, Bivins, Hill,
J. Hatch, Powers, Watson.
Cush—Lee.
Boiler—TufFord, S. Barfield.
Water Shed—Haywood, Woodhouse
Pigs—Grady, Holmes.
Milkers—Mason, L. Hatch.
Girls’ Sewing Room—Knox.
Boys’ Sewing Room—M. Hutchinson.
boys.
Cook Room—Tate, Chambers.
T. D. R —D. Ratliffe.
C. D. R.—Prichard, McLeod, P. White,
Lem Lyncii, Haywood, E. Woody.
Boiler—W. Lynch, Haywood.
LAMP-LiGHTEB--Gibson.
Cow Boys—G. Poteat, Grady, W. Mc
Guire. . ,
Mule Boys—^Parker, Austin, Wilson,
Jackson. Butler.
Hog Boys—Presson, C. Poteat.
Pig Boys—Cosby, Fowler.
Mail Boy-'R. Poteat.
A DISAPPOINTMENT.
Rob stood by the window
in the moonlight. ‘I hope
that it will not rain to mor
row/ he cried,
'Does it look like rain ? Are
there clouds in the West"?*
asked Harry.
‘0, I hope not!’ exclaimed
Alice. ‘I would cry my eyes
out if it should rain.'
‘And go without eyes the
rest of your lifel’ asked nurse.
‘Why, Miss Alice, who sends
the rain ? ’
‘But ju-t think bow rain
would spoil our picnic,’’ mut
tered Rob. ‘I' wish that I
could hold the clouds in my
hands.^
He turned quickly Irom
the window just then, and
saw hi;^ mother standing in
the door-way There was
such a look ot' surprise on her
face, that Rob was sure she
heard bis speech.
*I came to say good night
to my darlings,’ she said,
‘and-
‘To tell us a story,’ inter
rupted Alice.
‘Yes, a little story that I
read in poetry. I will put it
into prone for you:
‘A long while ago, far Irom
here, in a beautiful home_ by
the seaside, lived four little
sisters. They were as merry
as the day was long, and as
happy as any i)ther little
girls in the land, perhaps.
‘One sweet morning, in
June, they sat together under
the trees, and made plans to
spend a day in the woods.
They were to fill their bas
kets with all kinds of nice
things, and they were to car
ry games, and books, and
whatever else they liked for
enteitainment. Father and
mother, and Uncle George
would go with them; “Uncle
George who had his head just
brimful of funny stories,'
Laura said.
‘ If ! rother Maurice could
only be here to go V exclaim
ed Cecelia.
‘But Maurice was a young
midshipman, away at sea;
they could not hope to have
him at their piciuc. Huw
long it seemed before the day
would come! Many were
the anxious thoughts about
the weather! It did not seem
possible that it could rain,
when they wanted to go so
very much!
‘The baskets were filled tlie
night before Ring«toss and
lawn-tennis were in the hall
waiting to be carried to the
mountain. Five o’clock came.
Minnie was up to catch the
first glimpse of sunrise I
There were thick clouds in
the east, though, and no i ros-
p( ct of clear sunrise.
“Maybe it will be brigh
by ten o^cIock,’ said Cecelia,
hopefully.
‘Laura shook her head, de
claring; ‘Father thinks that-it
is alaiost suie to rain.’
‘They counted the hours
to breakfast time. ‘We will
know then/ Cecelia said.
Minnie fell asleep, meanwhile
She dreamed that the clouds
had all passed away, and that
the merry party was far up
the mountain, with baskets
and games. Siie woke up
soon, to hear tJ.o great drops
of rain pattering against the
window panes !
‘There were four sorrow
ful faces at breakfast-table,
that morning, or rather, six
sorr owful fac’8, for, of course
the kind mother and father
wore tronbled by their ch I
dren’s disappointment, though
they were sure that it was for
the best. I am sorry to say
that the children fretted about
tb 3 rain all day, so that no
one fell asleep that night feel
ing very happy.
‘Aweekpased. The rainy
day was forgotten, when, one
evening just before tea, there
was a knock at the hall door
and then a cry of delight!
Elsie peeped over the balus
ter and aw her brother Mau
rice, with his arms around
his mother’s neck, crying and
laughing at the same time!
A moment more and every
one was in the ball to wel
come him, and to heat ow
such a delightful event as this
home-scomiug had happen
ed !
‘The story was soon told
His ship had been wrecked
ten days before. He with
two or three sailors had es
caped. They were at sea
three days in a small open
boat, with no fresh water, and
with the sun pouring its hot
rays upon their uncovered
heads I
‘ ‘0, dear mother, how hard
we prayed for rain! just for
one little shower, even !’ said
Meurice.
‘ ‘Did it rain,’ asked Cece
lia^ eagerly.
‘ ‘Fes, It rained for a whole
day—Wednesday, just a week
ago. We should all have
died if it had not been for
that rainy day !'
‘The sisters looked at one
another. Their mother ex
claimed : ‘0, my dears, do
you hear that I Do } ou re
member, it was the very same
rain that made you all so un-
happy r
‘ ‘Tell me all about it,' said
Maurice. ‘How could the
rain that saved me, make
you miserable V
‘ ‘But we didn’t know that
it was going to save you,
Maurice,’ they said
‘ ‘No, that is just the point,’
saidjheir mother. ‘We do
not,* *any of us, know whrt
good things we should pre
vent, nor wliat terrible things
would hapoen, if we conld
alway's have our cwii way.
Think how it would have
been in this case/
‘They might never have
seen Maurice again,’ said Rob
solemnly, when his mother
had finished the stor}'. ‘We
have no brother to bo lost at
sea, though,’ he added.
‘But perhaps some one may
have,’ said Alice. , ‘Or the
rain may be iuteud-'d for some
other way/ said Harry.
‘You may be sure that it
is for the very best,’ said their
mother. ‘He who holds the
clouds in hk hand, knows the
right moment to lot them
come down in showers upon
tile earth.’
Rob looked ashamed. Ho
saw what a foolish speech he
had made, and how well it k
that the clouds are under the
control of the one, w'se Heav
enly Father.
FALSEHOOD.
BY REV. H. MARTIN KELLOGG.
Text.—“The mouth of them
that speak lies shall be stopped-*'
Psalm 63 :11. I heard a boy
tell a lie, the other day. IIow
I pitied him ! I knew what he
said was not true and he knew
that I knew it. He thought to
deceive his father, but he would
shortly find out the truth, and
then how the poor boy’s mouth
would he stopped with shame and
remorse! Children are often
tempted to tell what is not Irue,
perhaps oftener to do that than
to do any other sin; ofi-«n h:
order to cover up some other
Bin. One sin leads cn to anoth
er. you know.
God abominates falsehood,
and will not tolerate any form
of deceit. The text is a terri
ble threat to all liars and his
threatenings as well as his prom
ises are sure of being fulfilled.
I’m going to tell you a true
story about how little John,
who was only six years old told
a falsehood, and how his mouth
was stopped by it. One Sunday
his father was very sick, and a
council of physicians had atten
ded him. After they had loft
he called Johnnie to him, and
said: “I wish you to take that
paper on the stand, and run to
the drug store and get the med
icine written on that i-apor.
Johnnie took the paper and
w nt to the store, half a mile
away, but being Sunday, -lie
found it closed. The apotbec;i-
ry lived a quarter of a mile fur
ther 00. Instead of going on to
find him at his home, Johnnie
turned back, but felt guilty.
On going into his father's I'oo m
he saw that he was very pale
and weak, with great drops of
sweat on his forehead because
of the pain. Oh, how sorry
Johnnie was that he had not ob
tained the me licine. The fath
er said : “My son has got the
medicine, I hope, for I’m in
great pain/’ The boy hung his
head, and muttered : “No, sir;
i\lr. C. says thit he has got
none.’' The father cast a kien
glance at the trem' ling boy,and
said: “Has got none Is this
popsible ? My little boy will
see his father suft’er great pain
for want of that medicine.
Johnnie went ofl:‘by himself and
how bitterly he cried !
lie was soon called back. The
other children were standing by
the bed, and he was committing
the poor mother to their care,
and was giving his farewell
counsel. It was a sad, tearful,
mourning scene. After he bad
spoken very tenderly to each of
the six older children in turn
he called up Johnnie the young
est. How conscience stricken
the little fellow was ! How he
shook with emotion, as his dy
ing father took him by the Land,
and aflectionately said : “John,
my dear, come and see your poor
papa once more who is going to
die; in a few days you will see
them bury him in the ground,
and you will not have your papa
anymore. Never foiget that
you have a Father in Heaven.
Ask him to take care of you,
love him, obey Mm and always
do right aad speak the truth, be
cause the eye of God is always
upon you. Give your papa, one
me re kisa, John, and now fare
well.” Then he prayed for the
boy soon to be “a fatherless or
phan.’ Johnnie did not dare
to look at him, he felt so guilty
lie rushed out, sobbing as if bis
heart would break,and wished he
could die himself. Soon they
said that the father could not
speak. Oh, how Johnnie wan
ted to go in and tell him that
he had told a lie and ask his
forgiveness, but it was too late !
He did creep into the room, but
found the pastor there, praying
for the dying man. Oh, how
his heart ached with anguish !
lie snatched his bat, and ran
to the apothecary's and got the
medicine. He ran home with
all bis might, and ran to bis
father's bedside to confess the
falsehood, and cried out: “Oh,
here, father ! but his mouth
was stopped from saying anything
further. His father heard not,
he was dead. All in the room
were weeping. The dear, good
father was dead, an I the last
thing the little boy said to him
was a falsehood !
No wonder that this sad, sad
incident made a lasting impres
sion upon Johnnie, and made
him ever after cling valiantly to
the truth; and who do you sup
pose, children, tlM^t that little
boy was.^ Doubtless you have
all heard his name, for he grew
up to a great and good minister
of the gospel, and wrote very
much for children. He after
ward declared that this one lie
to his father was the turning
point of his life. He was the
Rev. Dr. John Todd, of Pitts
field, Mass.!
Ohildreri, be careful about the
truth. Never yield to tempta
tion to tell an untruth. You
will often be templed. Beware,
for verily, if you speak lies, your
mouth will be stopi ed, and you
covered with shame and re
THE WEAK POINT IN OUR
SCHOOL SYSTEM-
If there is any one thing of
which Arae’-icans are proud
above everything else it is
their educational system. The
public school buildings in
many of our cities rank
with the most imposing edifi
ces; t. e curriculum is care--
fully graded and adapted to
the intelligence of the pupils;
there are hosk of expedients
and plans for teaching the
teachers themselves; institutes
cunvenlious and normal class
es abound; an educational
bureau forms paJt of the geu'
eral government, and the
census contains carefully pre
pared statistical tables bear
ing on the whole subject.
Over six millions of childre i
every day attend the public
schools throughout thelJnited
States, and seventy nine mil
lions ' f dollars are spent an
nually for their support, which
is greater by four millions ot
dollars than the interest of
the national debt.
This outlay betokens the
deep popular interest in
the subject of education. No
subject indeed comes moie
closely home to the mass of
the people. For their chil
dren's education they uiil
make sacrifices,give their o’wn
time and money, become
teachers themselves of the
lessons which the school
teacher merely “hear.s,^’ and
willingly pay taxes whicli f r
any other purpose they would
scrutinize and resent. One
can hardly go into an Anu r
ican home without being im
pressed with the subotdiiii-
tion of the domestic life to
tlie school. All the house
hold arrangements are ada -
ted to tl 10 school hours; the
children's studies monop'I z-j
the parents’ attention; the
class room and play ground
gossip form the staple of cun-
vorsation. It needs no argu-
raer t to show that juvenile ed
ucation is the most engrossing
topic in our American social
life.
Now the danger of this is,
and it is a danger into wddeh
he have run already, that we
shall come to regard educa
tion as a panacea for all ills,
and rely too confidently upon
it to carry us through the
perils which beset our nation
al existence. ‘These are our
bulwarks I ’ we exclaim as we
contemplate our school hous
es; forgetful of the fact that
an intellectual and scholastic
education such as they imparl
adds no vigor to the frame or
skill to the band, and but lit
tie streng'h tothe character. If
our children are to become
useful, industrious and virtue
ous citizens of the republic,
souiething more than their
intellects must be tiained. It
is said of one of the two
thieves who weie sliot in tlie
liquor saloon, brawl a fort
night ago ihat ho received a
good tdueatioJi in the public
schools. That, however, did
not prevent his becoming a
burglar and a would-be—if
not an actual—murderer Too
often, indeed, education af
lords the criminally-disposed
person more ample facilities
to -follow his evil bent. Our
school system is f; tally defec
tive lu this respect, that it
makes no account of the train
ing of the heart.
It is defective also in that
it makes no uccmi t of phs’s-
ical training. Indeed it too
often directly letards tlie
child’s development. An ad'
mirable article on this sub
ject appears in the November
Harper's from the pen .J Mr.
William Blaikie, in the conrso
of which he quotes School
Commissioner Devon’s report-,
ed remark: ‘The prcseiit
course of study is so e.laiim-at i
that nothing more than a su
perficial knowlelge can lie
gained by tlie pupilo/’ aiul
comments uiion ir. as f dlows:
“Hero, tlieu. a coarse of .study
which not only crowds . ut even
one minute a day ot arieiition to
the body, wliicli compels laany
impils to keej) t heir minds on t iie
stretch, not four or tivo honr.s dai
ly, blit often inoie tliaii twice il’-it
long’, and this whou they ar\ un
der no oa^e or instruction otic of
school which begins to tit tlicir
bodies for even their pn'sent w ly
of living, much less liu* efiective
work ill the I'utine years, wi'ea
others besides themselves must
depend on them tor snj)[)ort—this
plan is found by ouc of the cotii-
missiouers himself, •ifter c.iretul
exainiaatiou, to be “so elaborate
that nothing more than a superfi
dal kntwUdge can be gained by
the piip’ls.’^
“Is nob this i).'',yit)g a pr.‘‘dy
good price for a pretty p )0r arti
cle? If all that this injudiciou-^,
and many cases dangerous.meLiiod
of edocafcioii hi-- 's to taepujiilis
but “suj)-' ficial cnowledge” after
all, wo rid it uot *6 well to stop
such a ])la.i at once, and aiibstiuite
one which will acquaint the pupil
thoroughlv, not su .eiiicialty,
with whatever ho attempts to
know, and will at the same time
ducate his bodyj as well?”—Neu 8
(jnd Observer.
DISEASES IN BLOOD.
Results of Experiments Relative to
Bacteria or Disease Spread
ing Germs.
Dr. Rollin R. Grigg., o! IMfi'd-
lo, N, Y,, who has been experi
menting relative to the eo ail
ed bacteria or germs that are
said to cause various dieoases,
furnishes the following to the
associated pres : By boiling a
quantity of healthy b'ood i c ob
tained all the forms of bacteria.
Then, with some pure fibrine,
obtained from a washed clot of
blood and boiling it, proving
that it was the threads of li-
brine broken up into pieces and
granules that gave the bacteria,
the same results were obtained.
Next, some blood wai obtained
and rotted imder warmth, and
closely watched for two mouths,
ani here again all the forms
were obtained that the fresh
boiled blood gave. From these
experiments Dr.. Gilgg concludes
that all the bacteria of disease
are forms of fibrine, and, for the
general go d, requests all inves
tigators to re]>eat the experi
mental work and report to the
public the : e. ults of such inves
tigations.
Prof. Ball says the earth is not
over 400,000,000 of years old. No
wonder so many of its mountains are
bald and that not as.nglconeofthcm
U able .to lift its foot. Hut all of
them are spry enough to slope.
The fact that good health, strong
muscles and sound nerves are attaina
ble, should encourage every invalul to
an earnest endeavor in the right direc
tion. Remember all disease owes its
orizin more or less to a lack of iron in
the blood. Iron in the blood means
health, strength and vigor. Analyze
the blood of an invalid and little or no
iron will be found. Healthy men's
blood is full of iron. Tlie best method ■
of supplying this lack of iron is by us
ing Brown’s Iron Bitters, a sure cure
for„dyspepsia, general jlebility, weak
ness and all wastlng.diseascs.