Newspapers / The Wilmington Messenger (Wilmington, … / May 11, 1897, edition 1 / Page 11
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City of Wilmington, 5TATE0I North Carolina. Miles. to kifk mUr, Smrrom r l City ml IUk wait. FROM NODDING CIH'KCII-A HOMI LE1ICAL STUDY. A. few Sundays ago while on a visit to Le Reve, I attended service at the Nodding church, and had the inestima ble privilege of hearing a discourse from that able divine, Rev. Dr. Prosy. Dr. Prosy is well known as a great and scholarly preacher; and as I do not often have an opportunity of hearing him, I took pretty full notes of his very elaborate discourse. The "preliminary services" as they are usually called, were not such as I am accustomed to. There was no choir. The preacher announced a hymn, and read it slowly and deliberately. I was particularly struck with the appropri ateness of the opening line. v "How tedious and tasteless the hours." The tune was "raised" by a brother whose style of singing was admirably fitted to the sentiment expressed in the line just quoted, and the whole tone of the "preliminaries" was in excellent keeping, and full of what the critics call "repose." . The prayer was very quiet; and I was struck with the absence of anything like the haste or hurry which too often Cnars the effect of this solemn service. Dr. Prosy arose and very deliberately orinnnn rr qo Viics ar t that rlrl on1 fo ! UllliUUllWU UC3 IliO V V, J. I. l.liUb VtU UltU J-Ui 1 miliar passage which we had all learned on our mother's lap: Little Jack Horner Sat in a corner, " Eating a Christmas pie; He put in his thumb And pulled out a plum, And, said, "'What a good boy am I." Dr. Prosy then proceeded as follows: "Before entering upon the discusssion of the very important transaction set forth in my text, it is necessary that I should notice the several recensions of the text itself; for there are, on the part of the most scholarly critics, some con siderable divergences as to the original form. ' "One school of critics are disposed to Substitute the name Johnnie (.otherwise written Johnny) ffor the name Jack, which we., find in our version. It. is -scarcely necessary for us to go into any elaborate discussion of the question as between Johnnnie and Johnny; for it is obvious to any tolerably careful stu dent that there is no essential differ ence between the two forms ; and the best philologists are agreed that they are both affectionate diminutives of the original name, John. Careful philologi cal investigation has also settled; the meaning of this name John; and it is now generally agreed among scholars that the name has, in its Hebrew form the same meaning as the Greek name Theodore, that is to say, 'Gift of. God." . "The school of critics who contend for Johnnie aaas Jonnnyj nave pointed out a few manuscripts in which the text i"i n l n "Little Johnny Horner Sitting in a corner;" and they hold, not without reason, that this recension is more euphonious and melodious. Still we must beware of be ing misled by this circumstance; for it is one of the fundamental laws of the great science of text criticism that a copyist is much more likely to lengthen than to abbreviate his text; and. espe cially is this true when he seems to see how the text may be improved, in sense or in sound, by some slight additions. Now we. have before us a case in point No 'ear, not utterly destitute of every trace of meter, music and melody, can fail to perceive that "Little Jack Horner Sat in a corner, . is. bald and harsh as compared with r "Little Johnny Horner Sitting in a corner; and though on a momentous question like this I would not dare to dogmatize still, after a principle has been firmly established under the labors of such scholars as Bentley and Mill and Lach man, and Griesbach and Tregelles and Scrivener and Tischendorf and West cott and Hort, I am constrained to de cide ifi theTfavor of the shorter recen sion. The longer is evidently an embel lishment by a later hand. "In the third line of our text, "And pulled out a plum, as it reads in the received version, there are some doubts as to the word "pulled;" as there are some few.though k not very ancient manuscripts, which read picked for pulled. Pulled, how ever, has a decided preponderance of external evidence in its favor and, therefore, it is not necessary for us to go into the question of the diplomatic that evidence, however interesting might be. "Once more: In the last line, 'And said what a good boy am I," (common .version, following textus receptus), the authorities are by no means agreed on the word good. Not a few codices, and some of no mean antiquity, have 'brave;' others read 'nice, and jone 'smart. Upon the whole, the better opinion seems to be that the textus re ceptus is right, and hence we have re tained 'good "Having now settledthe purity of the j text, I will proceed to the presentation and discussion of the great facts which it sets before us. "The text is a brief epic poem; that is to say, a poem which depicts and cele brates the thoughts, the actions, feel ings, aspirations in a word, the char xacter of a hero. Our first and main business then, is with the hero himself and ,j a He Is called 'little.' we cannot doubt that the poet really meant to apply the adjective 'lit tle' to the hero. Widely as the manu scripts differ on other matters which we have already noticed, there is a per fectly unanimous consensus of all ex tant codices on this point. No codex, ancient or modern, uncial or cursive, is without the word 'little.' And yetthe puestion of the actual and historical diminutiveness of the late Mister (or Master) Horner is by no means settled. For, in the first place, we are to re member that we are dealing with poetry; and it would be utterly unrea sonable to interpret poetry by the ca nons of prosaic history. 7 "Again; The latest modern investi gation has pretty clearly established the conclusion that he poem was writ ten by a mother; and the weight of the evidence points to an Oriental writer; that is to cay, a writer who lived at, or in the vicinity of that great Eastern city, Boston. Now, to-interpret Orien tal poetry (written too by a mother), as if it were simple history, is to vio late the very first principles of sound hermenutics, as held by all the great est critics, from Xessing to Carlyle. We know how prone mothers are to belit tle what they love. This tendencyseems to be inherent in human nature; and, indeed, it is, in one form or another, the basis of those words which we call diminutives; 'Birdie,' 'doggie, 'piggie, and even 'Johnnie,' are examples under this great law. On this point I am not speculating, but am simply stating a principle well known to all scholars. The modern, mighty, marvellous, mag nificent 'science of language,' born in the brain oj. Grimm, nursed and nur tured by the herculean labors of Bopp and Pott, adorned by the genius of Max Muller, and beautified and popularized by our own Whitney, has clearly estab lished this great law of human speech. Under such circumstances yH v iff imtmJ W AY w Win.. t$M77 V or MAP OF COUNTRY The abpve map indicates the semi-tropical area of Sou th-Eastern North Carolina. The, semi-tropic of the section is produced by the proximity of the Gulf Stream. j ; '.: The circular lines indicate the focus of the warm area at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, and is frostless. Smith's Island, 5,000 acres, at the month of the River, has a luxuriant growth of the Palmetto. The semi circle, designated as the snowless belt, includes a territory almost free from snowfall. Only three or.four snow falls have occurred within this territory in thirty years. The territory indicated by the broken, lines as a semi-tropical belt, produces many of the semi-tropical plants,. and has become the great truck gardfen section of Eastern North Carolina. It is estimated that over a million dollars worth of vegetables and fruits are annually shipped from this market to t lie North. The coast along this map has been described by Professor W. C. Kerry Geologist, as a little spot of Florida in North Carolina. - The mean temperature of Wilmington is 50 degrees ; Mobile 52 degrees ; Nicolasi, Sicily, 51 degrees. The mean humidity of Wilmington is 57, Charlotte, N. C, 78, Ne"vv Orleans 85. The mean seasonable temperature of Wilmington is, sprins: 63. summer 78, autumn, 64, winter 48. The port of Wilmington js the best port on the Atlantic coast south of Norfolk. It is nearer by a 'direct line to Chicago, Cin cinnati, Sfc. Louis and other Western Cities than any other City on the Atlantic seaboard by at least 100 to 150 miles. The nearest points across the Continent between any two ports is i between Wilmington and San Francisco. It has a depth on the bar of 24 feet, and a depth in the river from bar to city of 21 feet. . The lands surrounding. Wilmington are adaptable to the production of fruits and vegetables, strawberries, lettuce, and celery. AH vegetables and root crops are raised profitably. On one day in this season the shipments in the neighborhood of Wilmington of strawberries aggregated in value $72,000 00, being 1,200 crates. It is connected by steam and sail transportation to all parts of the world. It has five railroads running to the city, affording us railroad facilities with all interior points It is the headquarters of the Atlantic Coast Line. The Seaboard Air Line maintains offices here. - - ' The city is situated on seven hills ; the death rate is abnormally low. It suffers from no malignant diseases. It has a populaon of about 25,000, about equally divided between the races. . All denominations; Protestant, Jew and Romanist, have their churches here. l It has au admirabte system of public schools. It lies within six miles of the ocean, with delightfal ocean and suburban resorts It is an important port of import and export. Its imports consist chiefly of kainit and West India products. -Its exports are chiefly of lumber, cotton and naval stores. Its factories consist of fertilizing works, cotton mill lnmher mills, oil mills, and other manu facturing enterprises It has splendid advantages for manufacturing labor and fuel are abundant and cheap : crude supplies are advantageously obtained. It is REV. C. C. ME For Forty Years Pastor of the Fif rsJ 1 SURROUNDING WILMINGTON. THE SEMI-TROPICAL SECTION. . the cheapest port in the South. ADOW, D. D. " th Baptist Church, Washington, D. C. HAP The &efni-tropicat Jirecu soumEASTEim:mCA. Of. MA J. YOUNG, ' 'CiVIt EN6WCER. as these I would be the last to dogma tize as to the question of the real per sonal dimensions of our hero. But 2. "He sat in a corner.' "Oh this point, too, all our authori ties, ancient and modern, are at one. Upon the whole, I am inclined to regard the statement as historical, and, as the question la an Interesting one, I will proceed to give my reasons: I hold that the corner was the most natural place for a boy to sit when he was regaling himself with a pie, and especially, a Christmas - pie, because: 1. It is the snuggest place in winter. 2. It is the position from which h would toe least likely to be displaced to give his seat to older . persons coming into the room. 3. It is the place where he would be safest from the intrusion of that house hold pet (or pest) the felis domestica), vulgarly called cat, whose propensities in the direction of purloining rich "rood are too well known to require further comment.' At this point of the sermon I some how lost consciousness, and recovered only in time catch the following perora tion. "But 'my brethren, the greatest he roes are only human, and our hero evi dently had his defects. Whether he called himself 'nice or 'brave, or 'smart, or 'good' (and I am inclined to adopt the last adjective), in any case, his tendency to self praise is painfully manifest. Beware of ambition! Never indulge in too lofty an estimate of your own capacities. In the languageof the immortal Bard of Avon: :S I' charge thee fling away ambition; By that sin fell the angels, how can man then, The image of his Maker, hope to win by it? J. C. HIDEN, Richmond, Va. Cipher Messages. . (Washington Star. When by chance an official key to one of the regular cipher codes used In the government service Is purposely or accidentally divulged It is, of course, necessary to revise the code and issue new pipher books to all those intrusted with them. Three of the. executive de partments have regular secret cipher system the state, war and navy de partments. All the details concerning these codes are shrouded in the deepest secrecy. Only trusted officials .are al lowed to possess the keys. The navy department has claimed that Its code' cannot possibly be solved by any one not holding, a key. The state depart ment not long ago adopted the navy department's cipher; hence officers in the two services may understand each other In this occult language. The war department employs its own ci pher. ..Each official initiated into the mys teries of the official cryptograph is a custodian of a sacred cipher book, which Is a key, or dictionary, showing the letters of the alphabet, and ele mentary mathematical characters with their equivalents. Each cipher book is printed under the surveillance of a trusted government official, and care is taken that, no proof sheets nor loose pages shall fall Into the hands of those not entitled to , Jhem. Each book' is " numbered and registered. T1k . fflcial to whom it is intrusted must leek It in his safe when It Is not in use, It should be sealed with wax, that not even an inferior in the c- odian's of- , flee may have access to it without the latter's knowledge". Telegrams from representatives of the state, war ahd navy departments in foreign countries must be transmit ted over the great, trasoceanic cables " and Inland commercial telegraph lines. Our government, of course, maintains no official wire across the ocean. Ci pher telegrams and cablegrams, just as would ordinary dispatches, come Into - the departments after having .gone through the mill, but are not Intelli gible to any of the operators who handle them. i . On the face it seems discourteous for a government's representatives, i while enjoying the hospitality and protection of another nation, to be given a secret alphabet in which to gossip about their hosts with the home goverment." It would, however, be disastrous to our ' interests should the instruction to bur diplomatic representatives and military attaches, and the correspondence be- ' t ween them and Washington, become public property both here and abroad before being executed or cohsideredi In the war and navy departments the official cipher codes prescribed for these branches of the military service are not to be generally used except in cases of war, although our army and navy attaches abroad may use them in reporting military intelligence, if they desire. " The army cipher code is in charge of the chief signal officer, General A. W. Greely. At the school of instruction In military signaling, at Fort Riley, Kan.,, recruits who enter the signal service are instructed in all of the cipher and signal codes likely to be used In .an actual campaign. The course includes crytography, or the slence of cipher reading, and the classes are required to both devise and practice original cipher codes until they become skillful both in deciphering and- enciphering them. They must practice the Morse tele graph system until able- to transmit and receive thirty-five words per minute. According to'the army's excellent sig naling system, cipher dispatches cannot only be sent between the field .and headquarters by the new field tele graph and telephone systems, but by flags and heliographs, by day, or by searchlights, heliographs, rockets and bombs at night. FUN. "I saw a man today who had no hands play a piano." , "That's nothing! We've got a girl down in our flat who has no voice and who songs Tonkers Statesman. Mabel (studying her lesson) "Papa, what is the definition of volubility?" , Mabel's Father "My child, volubility isja distinguishing feature of yourmoth er when, on account of urgent business affairs, I don't happen to reach home until after 2 o'clock in the morning.! Baltimore News. ' Wilkins "Such idioms as 'Between the . devil and the -deep sea,' though very expressive, are not exactly up-to-date." Simpson "They're not? Well, how would you -improve on the one you quoted, for instance?" Wilkins "Well, . I think a more modern plan would be to say, 'Between the trolley car and the scorcher." Puck. Daughter "Yes, I've graduated, but now I must inform myself In psycholo gy philology, bibli ' Practical Mother "Stop right where you are. I have arranged for you a thorough course in roastology, bollogy, stitchology, darnology, patchology and general domestic hustology. Wow get on your working clothes." Detroit Free Press. "Alas!" groaned the young man: VI never thought you would treat me In nnrh n. Fitzslmmons manner." "What have I done?" she sked, anxiously. "Hit me straight over the heart," be gurgled. But In this case the one who i was knocked out got the prize. Philadel phia North American. ! "Have you any defense?" asked the Judge. , "Certainly," replied the bicyclist. "The man very foolishly tried to cross the street and I naturally ran him down." i "It's a difficult case to pass upon," said the Judge, thoughtfully. "Of course you are blameless, but I don't Know whether to call it a case of Justifiable homicide or suicide' Chicago Post. Ieft Behind During the first month of -Delia's service In her new place there was nothing but praise for her good qualities. But one evening the mistress, entering the kitchen sudden ly, discovered the traditional "cousin" hidden in one of the closets. ."How Is this, Delia a man here?" "Troth, ma'am, I don't know what to make uv It. -Shure he must have been for gotten by the cook that was here be fore." Brooklyn Life. " John-Farrow has made application for appointment rfs collector of cus toms at Norfolk, Va. The supreme court has denied the pe tition for a re-hearing in the Trans Missouri Freight Association case. . At Tallahassee, the ballot for United States senator Monday was: Chlpley 33, Stockton 33, Raney 15,. Hocker 3, scattering 2. - The democrats of the senate held a caucus Monday to consider the report of the committee which filled the va cancies in the senate committees. The report was adopted. The arrangement will go into effect tomorrow. ,.
The Wilmington Messenger (Wilmington, N.C.)
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May 11, 1897, edition 1
11
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