North Carolina Newspapers

m Orphans RIEND Price, $1 a year.) OXFORD, N. C., DECEMBER 21,1883. (VOL. IX. NO 31. To the Business PuMc. The Friend visits about FOUR SUNDBFJ) Fost-Offices North Carolina^ thus giving advertisers the advantage oj a general circulation. ORGANIZATION OF THE OR PHAN ASFIiVin. J. H. Vtt.t.s—Superintendent. Hiss E . M. Hack—Teacher of Third Form, Boys. Miss Lxtla Martin—Teacher Third Forfb, Girls. Miss M. F. Jordan—Second Form, Boys. MTfia Caroline Pettigrew—Second Form, Girls. Mbs. Jordan—First Form, Boys. Mbs. Walker—Firit Form, Girls. Miss V. V. Walton—Vocal Music and Drawing. Mbs. Rives—Hospital. Mrs. Hutchinson-Boys’ Sewing Boom. Mrs. Fowler—Girls’ Sewing Boom. Mths M. E. McPheetebs-In charge of Dining Booms. SPECIAL. DVTIES. GIRLS. Chapbl—Cosby, Broadway and Mattie Piland. Chapel TiAMPs—E. Kelly. •^A-PBL Stove—Douglasa and A eith. CE—H. Erwin. 4.BY AND Bell—L. Hudgins. ,s—Boyd, M. Gabriel, Toung. R.—Hood, Johnson, E. Wright, R,—Beddingfield, Bivins, HiU, Hatch, Powers, Watson. SH—Lee. . •oiler—TufFord, S. Barfield. Water Shed—Haywood, Woodhouse Pigs—Grady, Holmes. Milkers—Mason, L. Hatch. Girls’ Sewing Boom—Knox. Boys’ Sewing Room—M. Hutchinson. BOYS. Cook Boom—Tate, Chambers. T. D. R.—D. Eatliffe. C. D. B.—Prichard, McLeod, P. White, Lera Lynch. Haywood, E. Woody. Boiler—W. Lynch, Haywned. Lamp-Lighter—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. Matt. BoY-B. Poteat. THE FIESI CHRISTMAS MOEN- IN&. BY CUTHBEBT BEDE, B. A. Not those in soft apparel Was the Savior first made known; Not to noble, or to high-born, Not to courtiers round a throne; Not to kings orroightymonarchs. Was (he King of kings revea ed, But to poor and lowly shepherds - In the lonely pasture field. It was toward the dawn of morning, Ei-e the earliest streak of light; And those holy men were watching Through the watches of the night; Warm and white the walks were ly- Guarded by the shepherd band, And the night hung like a curtain O’er that old Judean land. Blazing brightly in the darkness. As they lay upon the sward, A glory shining round them Like the glory of the Lord; And a wing’d and radiant Angel, With a halo round his head, Stood among the startled shepherds, Bowed and aw’d with holy dread. Spake the angel: “Lo ! to all men Jo^ul tidings now I bring : For to you in David,s city, This day is horn a King— The Christ, the Lord, the Saviour 1— And this sign shall meet your eyes: The babe, enwrapp’d m swaddling clothes. Within a manger, lies,” On a sudden, with the Angel Were shining spirit throngs, And they woke the sleeping echoes With their joyous carol songs “To God on high, be glory I Good will and peace on earth ? And in awe the shepherds listened To the angels’s sacred mirth. Then thej rose, nor feared, nor trem bled, And to David’s city sped; And they found the Infant Saviour, Lying as the Angel said. His palace was a stable. And a manger was his throne; And to lowly shepherd courtiers Was the Kingdom of Heaven made known. O that we, too, like the shepherds, Might trust the Angel’s word, And in that cradled infant Behold our Christ and Lord ; Then should we, too, like the shep herds. Praise God for all these things; AnH in his uncrowned manhood Behold the “King of kings. A CHEI5TMAS STOEI. BY ERNEST GILMORE. ‘Come, grandpa, tell; us a story, please, a real Christmas story,’ coaxed Charlie. ‘I gues my story’’bag is about emptied,’laughed grand pa, mischievously. ‘No, no, I know better. Tell us one, grandpa,’ added Ned. ‘Oae that r©ally|happened,’ echod Fanny. Grandpa was sittinglin a roomy, softly-cushioned arm chair, such a chair^Ias loving, cheerful old people love be cause it holds 80 many little folks—so, after lifting little Bess on one knee^and Fanny on the other, he still found room on the arm of the'chair for Charlie, while Ned found a place on a stool by the dear old knees, and grandpa^,be gan: ‘Years ago,—about twenty, I think.’ —and he looked ro guishly at his daughter_,a pret ty girl of ten who was accustom to have many delightful talks with her mother in a sunny, roomy sitting-room. The little girl was only a frolic some, round-faced child, but she was a little woman for all that, and you would have thought she was l«er mother’s sister could you have heard her talk for, young as she was hor mother made a compan ion of her, (and it would be a wise thing if more mother’s followed her example.) The day before Christmas she was out driving with her mother (they were talking about what they could consistently spare for the poor, for Mrs. E—was very generous, and many presents of clothing and food found their way to the humble abodes of the desti tute, from her hand,) and saw just before them, at a street crossing, an atom of a girl witn pinched, woe-begon face, tangled hair and tattered clothes, and a rough basket in her blue hands, ‘Oh, Mamma, do look at that poor little girll’ said ten del hearted Lina. ‘Please stop.’ ‘Same name as my Mam mals,’ mattered Bess. ‘Mamma, halted. The child said that her mamma was sick and suffering. That she had no money to procure bread for her family, that she had two brothers and a little sick sister, 'rhat Dickie swept crossings and sometimes sold papers, tliat Ned was too little to work, and that she sold pins and needles whenever any one would buy. ‘I need some, Mamma; let us buy some please;’ begged Lina. ‘Mamma smiled and asked the child where she lived. ‘No. 54 Crosby Lane,’ plied the wafo. Some people called this good Christian lady eccentric, and perhaps you would have have thought so. She was 80. For, although she was very handsomely clad, she threw back the lap robe and said: ‘Jump and we’ll Ciiry you home.’ ‘The child hesitated, and well she might, lor she had never had a ride, and not too many kind words offered from richly dressed people. either, ‘Lina called, ‘Come, little girl, have a sleigh-ride.’ There was no resisting the sweet voiced girl,:80 the child timidly entered the sleigh. Linars mamma tucked the robe about the child and "ask ed her to direct the way home. When they arrived^there they found tisat the child had^ told the truth, although her poor little words had but inade quately described the desola tion of that poverty stricken abode. The mother sketched her bistory briefly— few words, but oh, bow suggetive of the sufferings of the very poor. The listener’s sympa thy was thoroughly aroused and the pitying tears were not restricted, but they made tbeir call very brief, for they found tbatthe family were on the verge of starvation. Mrs. E drove to a grocery and ordered provisions sent, then driving quickly homewird, she sent Michael with coal for immediate use and Biddy with some boiling hot soup. ‘Shure, and its coal it’ll be before I get there I’m af- ther tbinkin.’ ‘Never mind Biddy, it will taste good to starving children if it isn’t hot’ ‘They searched that night for clothing, and a well filled basket found its way to the shivering little ones next morning, which comforted tender little forms and caus ed sad little hearts to become happy, and Lina carried all the money she bad saved for a Paris doll and gave it to the poor woman with a ‘Merry Christmas.’ The woman’s vo.ee trembled as she held lier thill hand on the giver’s flossy head murmuring, Thank you, dear, thank you. 1 can not give you any return, but God will, for ‘inasmuch as you have done it unto th(3 least of these, you have done it unto me.’ ‘She was a seet ittle diri. I wis I tould play wis her, said Bess. 'Yes, and so very generous,’ added Fanny. T wish could have known her, did you know her, grandpa?’ ‘Yes, slightly,’ laughed be ‘And did sbe livel’ ‘Live, I guess sbe did, and sbe has tour great children of her own now,bull don^t know whether they would be wil ling to give up Paris dolls or not.’ ‘Ob, Grandpa, does she live in Fairfield, and will you show her to-us when we come to visit youf ‘I can gratify you now, it you are very curious, look over there.’ Over by the drop-light sat mamma, blushing and smiling. ‘Oh, Grandpa Emerson, is it our own mamma you’ve been telling us about?"' ‘Yes,mamma's the very girl.’ Such hugs and kisses as mamma received then caused grandpa to clap his hands in glee. Just ihen, Mr. Howard entered the hall, stamping the snow from his boots. One child brought the boot-jack, another his slippers, while lit tle Bess dragged his gown along. The sunny tempered father, who usually caugbt up hh baby daughter and gave her six bites (?) for her attend tion, now-looked very sober and on Christinas eve, too Wh t could be the matter? Bess was angry and turned her back, grandpa inquired: ‘What^sthe trouble, George?’ Mr. Howard held his slip pered feet up to the warm grate an i said: ‘As I sat in ray. office, this afternoom, a man applied for a porter’s sit uation—having as ma^y al ready as I needed, I answer ed him accordingly, but as he turned to leave, he gave me such a disparing look,that it bauts me yet; as he left the ou-er door his foot slipped and his ankle and elbow were both badly sprained. As I was just about to come home, the cutter stood waiting for me, so I had Jerry heh' le li'thimand we carried u. i home—if one could call t) .) dismal, uncarpeted attic r' u. i by such a name. It wj ; ^canfly furnished Indei a . I saw w’^aa a rickety table,two forlorn chairs and a cradle that looked as if it might have de?eaded from Noah—and it was such a weary way up, up the long flights of close stairs, and so isolated from warm human life and the glo - rious sun, that it seemed a very prison house. Well, we laid our burden down on a low apology of a bed, for there was no bedstead. Just here there was a suspicious dimness in and about Mr Howards^s eyes which called Bess to relent, so she rubbed her little soft hand over his face, saying : ‘Who hurted ou, dear papa? Naughty man to make ou cry ’ ‘A woman sat there stitch ing by a flickering, waning l imp, looking so weary and hopeless, that my heart sob bed for her. A weekly child moaned in the cradle and four others bung about the room. Jerry brought a physician and he cared for the sore limbs,and I promised the poor fellow (who the doctor said was a worthy man) work when he will be able to do it,^ ‘And ni warrant that’s not all you did, eh George?’ quer- u-d grandpa ‘Well, I left a trifle of change with the haggared-faced mother, but what’s that, whe the little things are almost naked, nnd Christmas eve, too ’ ‘Mamma,’ spoke up Fanny, ‘why cant we make up a Christmas basket, just as you did . nd give the poor child ren a merry Christmas?’ ‘Ob, yes, do,’ chimed thf3 boys. ‘And I’ll div my pretty woolly dog,’ added Bess. ‘That’s just it, my generous little flock,’ said papa. ‘We camint do too much on Chriatmass for God’s poor, after His great gift (oi that day, of all-days- What was it Bess?’ ‘His only son,’ lisped Bes . T’llbe a captain,’ said Mara ma- ‘Now disband and see what trophies you can com mand.’ Fifteen minutes later and a clothes basket was brought into the hall and all met to deliverer their treas ures. ‘Yours first, Bess,’ so Bess laid in the bottom of the basket a china doll, which has lost an arm and a leg. ‘She’s dot a pity face, she comment ed. A woolly dog next, des titute of ears-.-a torn picture book and the remains of a box of buiibing blocks, Fanny and Charlie laughed, and Ned said, ‘you just take ;;those old things out, Bess Howard* But Papa, said, ‘leavethem alone,they'll please poor children who have no toy,’ and Bessindignently ex claimed. ‘You need not laugh I dess I dot somefine else--" somefia new, too,’and uncov*- ering her apron, she revealed her pretty new scarlet mittens which .she had carried to bed lor three nights, she loved them so. ‘Mammas own child,’ murmered Grandoa, while Mamma asked, ‘Why Bess, dear, what will you do for mit tens?’ ‘Let me div”em to the poor cold little dirl Mamma, dear, my hands are warm.’ Mr. and Mrs, Howard ex changed glances uiHerstand- ingly, and gave their consent. Ciiarlie put in a great package i.i Sunday School papers •They’ll be so nice for the boys to read in that lonely room,’ he said, following them by a pretty cap which bad grown too small, a slate with out a frame, a penknife, two oranges, ‘and Mother,’ he whispered, ‘Grandpa gave me fifty cents to buy what I liked may I give them that?’ His mother consented. Fanny gave a worn plaid dress, a box of dolls, a small tea set and a warm hood. Ned gave an outgrown overcoat (so much better than to leave it for moths to corrupt), a testament and a box of boubonsw Grand" pa put in oranges and grapes which he had brough from home, and Mrs. Howard put the finishing touch by addinit a comfortable, lined wrapper of her own, s; rae outgrown flannels, a hhinket, some stockings, Avd sundry other thiiiga, ‘Shure and I tliought tlie • basket would be after breaking wid ail that load,’ shouted fat rick, upon his return Better that the basket should break than the hearts,oh, Pat ? ’ an swered Mr. Howard. ‘Yes, yes,’ asserted Pat ‘much better God bless ye air ’ dSteeeSt imSsT A t ranch geographer ha» bes n coQgtracting a long table show ing diflerent rates of progression He has reduced the different rates to the number of yards per second. A i»an walking 3 miUs itour moves at the rate of IJ yards per second, A ship going at 9 knots an hour moves about 5 yards per second, and an ordi ry wind at about 6 yards, while a “fresh breeze’’ has a speed of II yards per second. A race-horse trotting makes 13 yards and galloping 16i yards per second, while an express train 60 miles an hour, doe -s about 29 —about the same rate as a tempest—and a carrier pigeon 19J yards. When you suffer from dyspepsia, heartburn, malarial affections, kidney disease, liver complaint and other wasting diseases. When you wish to enrich the blood and purify the sys tem generally. WJien you wish to move all feelings of weakness, weari ness, lack of energy, try a bottle of Brown’s Iron Bitters and see how greatly it will benefit you. It surpass es ail known remedies as an enricher of the blood and a perfect regulator of the various bodily functions. Ask your drugists. THREE CONUNDRUMS. ’Twas Harry who the silence broke : “Miss Kate, why are you like a tree?’ “Because—because I’m bo’rd, she spoke. “Oh, no; because you’re woo’d.” said I e. “Why are you like a tree? ” said she. “I have a—^heart?” he asked so low. Her answer made the young man red. “Not that—^you’re sappy, don’t you know?” “Once more, she asked, “why are ["you now A tree?” He couldn’t quite per ceive. “Trees leave sometimes, and make a bough, “And you can always bow—and leave! ” FEI&HTBNED TO DEATH. There are foolish persons who think it a joke to point a gun at people. Others look upon it as a good joke to frighten a child or a woman, 'fhey are too brainlesj to re- fleet tliat the “lun'' m vy mean committing a homicide. The London Daily News mentions a “joke"’ which had a latal ter mination, and comments upon it as follows: “A girl of eighteen named Harriet Eth erington, has just been frigh tened to death at Brockley, “She was walking on a oiiely road beside a cemete ry, when a man with some thing white round his face flew out at her.-* “Probably the neighbor hood of the graves may have disposed her to be readily alarmed. She went home, told her story, and fell down dead at her father's table. “There is a class of idiots w ho think it amusing to play on the nerves of women in this manner. “To be frightened terribly b}- a person in a hideous dis guise who leaps out suddenly in the dark, a girl need not be superstitious, or inclined to bt.-liev8 in churchyard spec tres. “Tiie suddenness of the at tack might startle a man of sironge nerve for a moment. To a girl,still more to a child, su.h an attack may mean simple murder.” APAETHIAN AESOW- . Sarcasm can he made to weigh a ton to the square itich, if its author takes time to consider and take aim be fore making the shot In this case the'provocalion was suf ficient, and the punishment well-deserved. On a Lake Shore train go ing into Detriot the other day Was a newly married couple, the bride appearing to be’ about twenty five years old and the groom being a dap per little chap a year or two younger. A lady who came aboard at Wyandotte took a seat just ahead, and, after a tew minutes, she heard the pair criticising her bonnet and general style. Without show ing the least resentment in her countenance, she turned around in her seat and said.-- “Madam, will you have your son close the window behind you?” The “son’’ closed his mouth instead, and ' the “madam^ didn^t giggle again for sixteen miles.—Free Press. Mi-s, Margaret M, Pope, Rich Square N. 0., says: “Brown’s Iron Bitters jjas restored my strengtli and given me hearty appetite.”