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l*TZLh>6l*..iM
EDUCATION
Is •
The First Step
to
Being Somebody
Doing Something
Helping Someone
Getting Somewhere
AN INCIDENT OF 1862.
Lucy Walke Cujkshank.
Above Richmond, along the border
of Powhatan County, many small
creeks feed the James River as it
wends it way to. tidewater. Sixty
(years ago if one followed these
creeks five or six miles back, one
was yery apt to find a picturesque
old mill with appliances and methods
of which were crude and primitive,
but serving to grind both wheat and
corn for the farms around.
On one of our horseback rides we
followed a trail, a single track road,
though a dense body of woods.
Suddenly we came out an a clearing
and there stood the ojd mill. The
*creek had been dammed to form a
pond which lay like a placid lake in
its emerald settings.
It was grinding day, so the ponder
ous, moss-covered, wooden wheel was
slowly turning. On the opposite bank
under the shade of a giant oak stood
d wagon full of grain. The sleek
mules and two colored men shoVed
that it had come from one of the
large plantations.
Not far from us, astride of a little
gray mule, was the blackest little boy
I have ever seen. His unbleached
shirt had only one sleeve and his
trousers must have belonged to his
father, but little did he seem toi care,
as he tumbled off his steed, turned a
neat handspring and searched for his
grist which was in two bags tied to
gether and thrown over the back of
the patient little mule.
Coming out of the trail on the op
posite side of the pond was a ram
shackle buggy driven by a young
woman, who had two little children
with her. Their pink and blue calico
dresses gave a note of color to the
shabby outfit; and as the miller came
forward tot take her grain the weary
. old sorrel horse promptly went to
— sleep.
In the spring of 1862 the Federal
. forces that made a raid and burned
the mills within a radius of twenty
miles • It was a calamity indeed.
: Strange to say the only bitter speech
I remember was made by Mammy as
■ she hugged my little s-ster to her—
“1 wisht I had dem Yankees by de
scruff of dey necks, I’d learn ’em
. to come froo here and take de bread
outen little chillun’s mowves.’’ Ol
der people could eat broiled wheat
and coarse hominy, but litte children,
both black and white, would suffer
for bread. The plantation carpenters
w ere set to woirk ,at once to repair
~ the mills and the old-time implements
■were hunted up.
At the little rectory there were
father and mother, fivp children and
several servants.
The day soon came when there
- was neither flour in the barrel nor
meal in the bin. We had potatoes and
beans for dinner, so we children, did
not mind, but our parents’ hearts
were very heavy. In the aifternoton
father called us in and offered an
earnest prayer for bread. We were
much impressed, but soon turned to
cur play.
After a wb„Ue we saw a
heavily wagon stop at
the ytfoad and the driver
came np the to ask if the
RprV. Mr.. Walke l^Ved there? When
answered yes, he\drove in and
t<|ok from his wagon a baVrel of flour.
that Father could Aim out from
the\man was that Mr. B^own, who
liveo\ in Petersburg, was, sending a
load. 4>f provisions to his farm, about
ten miles above us, and had ordered
YOUTHS'
CORNER
the flour left at the rectory.
The question was, “Who is Mr.
Brown?”
While we wete enjoying the hot
biscuit and sorghum molasses at sup
per, mother asked:
“What was the name oif that gen
tleman who sent for you that bitter
night several years ago?”
“That was Mr. Brown,” said Fath
er, and they recalled that Father
went with the messenger many miles
to see a dying woman. He was gone
nearly a week, for the weather and
iaods were so- bad that he remained
until after her burial. Not long after
he received a grateful note from Mr.
Brown, telling him that he was tak
ing his little children to Petersburg
to live.
Ater prayers that evening, I said:
“Father, that flour could not have
been in answer to your prayer, for
that wagon was nearly here, when
you asked God to help us. ” His an
swer was toi open the Bible, and I
read, ’’For your Father knoweth *what
things ye have need of before ye ask
.Him ” *
—Southern Churchman.
OUR THANKS FOR COURTESIES
OF THE BISHOPS AND (CON
FERENCES THROUGHOUT-THE
CHURCH EXTENDED.
By Rev. J. H. McMullen.
We owe a great debt of gratitude
to the bishops of our Zion and the
noble men, both lay and ministerial,
for the cordial reception tendered us
everywhere on our trip to many of
the conferences of the connection in
the month of Nciyember. To those
we were able to reach, the good bish
ops spoke in kindly terms of our ca
reer as one of the successful pastors
and church builders of our church,
find the conference members receiv
ed us gladly and treated us as a
brother. All of the North and South
Carolina conferences save one. the
Albemarle, we wished and found great
progress along all lines of church
activity- New churches of brick
structure are as common in these
conferences as they are in the north.
The lavmen are as interested in
great, advancement as the ministers,
sod show a willingness to help in
the management of our Onvob
her institution^ and to help in the
legislation of the same.
We regret our inability to reach
Bishops Wood, and Wallace •= in Ala
bama, Georgia a"hd Florid^ and our
own pood Bishop Glement in^he ex
treme Southwest, but we are gfateful
to them and the men of them con
ferences for expressions „of sympa
thy and words of commendation' con
cerning our cand’dacv for the office
of bishop, as dropped when this ques
tion was privately discussed among
themselves. We also thank those
who have given us this information
of the conference brethren in places
we ceu’d not reach. Being a pastor
with limited time and means we had
+o change our route, and thus was
deprived of the great privilege of ex
ploring all the conference fields re
ferred tn above. “And finally breth
ren whatsoever things are of good re
vert, if there be any merit in us: if
there be anv praise, think on these
things concerning ns.”
This is our Christmas greetings to
one and all.
Sewickley, Pa. m .
WORKING UP TROUBLE.
By Rev. J. T. McMillan.
Some of the writers to The Star
are asking the ensuing General Con
erence to increase the general claims
from $1.00 to $2.00 per member.
I think that it would be a very
unwise legislation to attempt to raise
the general claims assessment to $2
ere we can get our members trained
in our church polity, and become will
ing to pay the $1.00.
After all of the efforts and sacri
fice of the pastors there are yet
FACTS UPON FACTS.
NOT A FENCE RIDERi
By S. A. Chambers—Cannon Ball.
Many have asked me and inquired
of others “What is Cannon Ball
Chambers running for this time?
What does he want?” For the infor
mation of those who may desire to
know our true position we want to
assure you that we are not a Fence
Rider, unsettled in mind and pur
pose; sitting straddle of the fence,
grabbing at one thing with our right
hand and at another with our left
hand. We do not care to be set be
fore the Church in that light. We
never could ride the fence, and,
therefore, we are not a Fence Rid
er*
It is well known that we have al
ways had a passion for Religious
newspaper work and this passion has
grown with the years, because we
have been persuaded that we might
serve the Church to some advantage
in this capacity. It was “The Star”
then and the Star now that we would
like to edit if the Church is willing
to gratify our desire by giving us a
trial. But if the Church, through its
delegates, desires another, there
shall not be any strained relation
between us because of its decision.
We shall still be friends and go on
together to the end of our journey.
But if you think our patience and
loyalty merits your support we shall
very highly appreciate it and do our
best to measure up to your expecta
tion.
Then, too, we wish to have it un
derstood that we are not entering
the race for The Star on the platform
of seniority. We stand on nothing
but merit, and efficiency and adapta
bility. In the absence of these sen
iority could not atone. We have just
recently passed an “A grade” exam
ination for life iftsurance, and if the
younger men die before we do we
shall still be living
We wish'to thank Drs. W. H. Da
venport. W. \M. Anders c in and R.
A. Morrisey for compliments. Also
Dr. J. H. BraAner for mentioning
our name in connfeofj.anx with The
Star.
Hopeful signs for Dr- Walls for the
bishopric as his name is on every
slate that men make up from every
angle of the Church. Let him alone.
The Lord is with him. If the Lord
wants him who dare say ‘ He shall not
have him.”
The President’s message to the
Sixty-Eighth Congress of the United
States, for the most part, was a fine
document, but his paragraph on the
Negro may not be entirely satisfac
tory, because the Negroes are a part
of the body politic of the country
and do not particularly care for spe
cial mentioning, and certainly not for
special legislation. All that the
Negro asks is that the same laws
that proitect tffe white man protect
him. He asks no more and will be
satisfied with no less. It is not pri
vate protection nor public protection
' that the Negro seeks, but protection
I by law. “Private protection is the
kind of protection that the slaves
had. “Public protection” consists in
public sentiment and neither can
take the place of legal protection.
We have never favored the passage
of the Dyer Anti-Lynching bill as a
Negro measure, but as a measure
purported to protect the people as a
whole, and put ta death a hideous
system if not destroyed will destroy
all forms of organized and legally
constituted governments, and sub
stitute itself fcr the courts. Anything
other would be snecial legislation.
This we do not ask.
Knoxville, Tenn.
Take no thought saying, What
shall we eat? or, What shall we
drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be
clothed? But seek ye first the king
dom of God and his righteousness:
and all these things shall be added
unto you.
scores of members throughout the
Church, from whom they cannot col
lect the $1.00.
_ The time, is ndt yet ripe for an in
crease of general claims in the A
M. E. Zion Church; and those who
are advocating the increase are sim
ply working up trouble.
For Zion’s sake let it alone.
REVERENCE
Planted in Childhood
will
Bear Fruit in Manhood
mV"
BETTER LIVES
HAPPIER HOMES
NOBLER CITIZENS
THE PARABLE OF THE MIRROR
IN THE dORRIDOR.
I was in a certain city wherein is
a Large Inn, and I lodged there. And
I walked down a Corrihor that was
very long, and I thought it longer
than it was. For I seemed to see it
stretching far ahead, and I came as 1
it were suddenly to the end, where
there was a Great Mirror. And as I
approached the mirror and knew not
that it was a Mirror, hut thought it
was the corridor stretching on, I
saw a man approaching me, and I
was minded to turn to the Right,
thinking that he also would turn, and
it was when he turned so that he
still faced me, that I recognized my
x
self. Now there was a moment, and
it may have been the hundredth part
of a second, in which I saw myself,
as if I had not. been myself,
aijd I had opportunity, as it were, for
an Impartial and Unbiased Impres
tinoi of myself such as I might, per
adventure make of another man.
And whether I thought myself a gen
tleman or a Grouch, and whether I
thought that I should like to know
myself better or not so well, is no
part of this Parable.
Even soi, Aeneas, at Carthage, wait
ing for the coming of Queen Dido,
saw on the walls of Juno’s temple the
pictures of the Trojan war, and
among the mighty chiefs there moved
se quoque agnovit, which is in the
Latin tonque, and meaneth, being in
terpreted, that there he saw his un
known self. He had opoprtunity to see
himself as if he had been another
man.
And I have been told concerning
them that go unto Movie Shows, that
now and then in pictures of a crowd,
they recognize themselves. And I
heard a tale concerning one man.
who cm a certain day and in a crowd
had lost a ring from his finger, and
in the movies saw it droip and went
back unto that same place and re-*
covered it.
And I would that I could reel off
a Parable that should discover unto
some men where and how they lost
some of their fine and high ideals
that slip from them unnoticed as a
ring slippeth from a finger and is
gone but not missed. And I wouid
that I could place a mirror before
every man as he swingeth down Life’s
Corridor, feeling in his pocket for a
tip for the Bell-hop, that will make
him see both his present self and the
man that he might be.
For, beloved, I am presuaded that
there are a few of us >that might not
be profited by an Objective Vision ofi
our present selves and a glimpse of
our potential selves.
For Handel was forty years of age
when his soul weakened unto Mu
sick and the great master had his
introduction unto his real ielf. Be
loved, even now art thou a Son or a
Daughter of God, but it possibly hath
not yet occurred unto thee what thou
mightest be, and it will be a mistake
if thou waitest for heaven to find
out.
—Southern Churchman.
The Lord bless thee and keep
thee. The Lord make his face to
shine upon thee, and be gracious unto
thee. The Lord lift up his counte
nance upon thee, and give thee
peace.
FAMILY
ALTAR
DR. W. J. WALLS ADDRESSES
ATLANTA Y. M. C. A.
Another one of the forceful plat
form masters appeared at the Y.
M. C. A. last Sunday in the person,
of Dr. W. J. Walls, Editor of The
, Star of Zion, the official organ of
the A. M. E. Zion Church. Those
who came out went away doubly
(repaid for the message that he deliv
ered with such force and eloquence.
His subject was “The Making of
Men” and well did he tell of the
need cif how the Christian forces must
pull together to give the right direc
tion to the growing mind of the
youth, and must begin early to have
Jesus come into their lives. The
speaker showed himself conversant,
with the subject ih hand and at the
close of the address many of the
men came forward to congratulate
him on the wonderful message deliv
ered. Dr. Walls was introduced by
Mr. B. F. Cofer, Associate Editor
of the Atlanta Independent. It was
a pleasure to have Dr. Walls here,
as he and Secretary W. J. Trent
have bene close friends for a great
uumber of yeans. Both of them are
graduates of Livingstone College -
Dr. Walls is one of the active candi
dates for Episcopal honors in his
church at the next General Confer
ence, which meets in Indianapolis,
Ind., next May. He has a splendid
record as a pastor and as an organ
izer. In fact it is one of the best in
the entire history of the Church.
There are some who think that he
is too young, and that he can wait
another four years. But there are
those who feel that no man ought to’
be penalized nor his age taken advan
tage of if he meets the requirements,
especially in face of the fact that
that there are men being boosted for
the same position whose record can
not be ccsripared with his. The A.
•M. E. Zion Church has stood for
these many years for the recognition
of merit. Will she continue this rec
ord?—Atlanta Independent.
MRS. ANNIE L. ANDERSON IN
DORSED TO SUCCEED HERSELF.
In mass meeting assembled in the
West End A. M, E. Zion Church,
Pittsburgh, Pa.
We, the ministers, officers, dele
gates of the mass meeting and pre
siding elder of the Pittsburgh district
of the Allegheny conference wish to
announce the candidacy of Mrs. Anna
L. Anderson for Corresponding Sec
retary of the Woman’s Home and
Foreign Missionary Society, to suc
ceed herself at the General Confer
ence in May 1924.
We believe that the time has ar
rived that the women in the trenches
of our great church should be pro
mated into our official family. Don’t
continue to muzzle the ox that treads
out the corn.
The promotion of Mrs. Anna L.
Anderson at the next General Con
ference will fill a long needed desire
with the members of our great Zioh.
We who are dowm in the trenches
have heard the whispering of the
women folks in our great Church, and
it is well for the general church to
take notice if they wish for these
conference workers and educational
workers tq continue their drive. They
must and should be recognized. Your
wife, daughter, mother .or sister
might some day have the ambtion
to aspire to enter the official family.
“Whatsoever you sow that shall
ye reap.”
Resolve That we in mass meeting
assembled, this day, ask the delegates
of .this General Conference to vote
fof and work for the election of
Mrs. Anna L». Anderson, until she
is elected.
We are glad that Mrs. Anna L.
Anderson is a member of the Alle
gheny conference and has been in
terested in all the reforms in which
the generab church is now enioving.
The Missionary Society, the Educa
tional Movement, the Debt Paying
Rally, the Conference Worker, etc.
The Committee:
Mrs. Jennie C. Dobbins, Dist. Seo*
(Continued to page 3) \
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