Newspapers / North Carolina Christian Advocate … / Sept. 26, 1877, edition 1 / Page 1
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Raleigh o . o Advocate tstian S f I I I r I I Rev. J . B. Bobbitt, D. D., Editor. 2?ublislied in the Interests of Methodism in !N"orth Carolina . R. T. Oray, Esq. Associate Editor. Vol XXII.-N0. 38: Raleigh, N. . C, Wednesday, September 2G, 1877. Whole No. 1,170. 1 i V 0 1 1 v 3 . Be.ter in the Morning. "You cant help the baby, jareon. But .till I want you to go Down mn look in npon her An' read an pray, you know. Only last week she was ckippin' 'round. A-pallin' my wnkera "n" hair, A-cUmbia up to th Ubl. Into her little biga-chair. "The first nltat that ahe took it, Whea her little cheeks crew red. When she kiased good ni-ht to papa. And went away to oe.l, Sez he. 'Tis healache, ral-a. Be better in moroln bye !' An" eometain in how eUe aaid it J net made me want to cry. An' her little hanU were hot. An the pretty red ov her little rlieeks Wrew into a crimson apot. But she laid there just a. patient Kz erer a woman could, Takin whatever we give her lWtter'n arowu woman would. -T" are TerriMe lon$; an' slow. An she's rowiu' w as in each ; Aa' now alia s jest a-slippin' Clear away out uv our rpa.-h. "ery nigUt a heu I kiss her, Tryin' hard not to cry. Siie says in a way tUal kills mo Be b tier in mornin' bye ! ' "ae can't cet thro the m;ht, parson. So 1 want you to co-.ue au 1 pray. An I alk with mothtr a Utile You U know just what to say ; Sot that the baby needs it. Nor that we make any complaint That God seema to think He's needin' The amiie ut the little saint." I walked along with the corporal To the door oi his humble home, T which the silent nieisener tte'ore me had also come ; An l, if Ue had been a titled prince, 1 would n-t have beea honored more Than I was wita his heartfelt welcome To his lowly cottage-door. Xihi falls agV.a in the eottace : Tuey move in sil noe and dread Around the room where the baby Lie panting upon her bed. "Dos baby know paj-a. darling ' And sr.e moved her little lace TCita answer that siiows she knows him : But e.arce a visible trace Of her wonderful in:antile beauty Remains ae it was before The unseen, silent messenger Had waited at their door. Tara kiss babv ! I se J" tired!" Tne man boa-s his taoe. A-.d t w swollen " .'ids are lifted Ii taby s laat e:.;tra.-e. Ac.l into her father s gnzled beard The little red lingers c-ling. WaueLer hnsky, hispered tenderness Toars iri'.n. a roci would wring. Baby is so Uk rapa Bat don't want you to cry ;" The little hands fall on the coverlet Be ?-'-r in morntn' bye '." An 1 night around baby is falling. Settling djwn dark and dense ; Does God need their darling in heaven That He mast carry her hence ? I prayed, with tears in my voice. As the corpord solemnly knelt, Wita grief such as never before H.s great xirm heart had felt . .. O frivolous men and women ! Do yon know that round you. and nigh, Alike from the humble and haughty, Goeth ap evermore the cry : Jly child, my precious, darling ! How -an I let you die ':" Oa ! hear ye the whitele-s wuisper : Be better in mornin' bye !" -LeisdmS. Coas in C-tn-.ofi Monitor. (Sommuntcatci. For the Advocate. Tha TJaivarsity and W- L- S " Messrs Editors: Your correspond ent L. S " who I take to be Hon. Waiter L. Steele, reads me, in your last issue, a very solemn and caustic lecture, for jresuming to crit icise the management of the State University. I have received a good man v I ot-tara. nnd not all of them from iletholists, thanking me for vrriting the article referred to, and expressing the opinion that my views wi 1 be endorsed by the 'great mass of the Methodists and Baptists of the State." Bight or wrong, therefore, I am not alone in views expressed. I hereby assure W. L S. that I receive his lec- . . . -i t .a myself in readiness to retract any statement that does injustice to any man, vchen convinced that I am in error. I am neither too proud to confets a fault or to retract an error . Bat the lecture of W L S. has not convinced me that I am in error. I am glad there are some points of agreement between us. 1st We agree in desiring the suc ctss of the University. In my former article I eaid: "I de Bire to see Chapel Hill really a Uni versity. To this end I am willing and anxious to labor." I now emphasize this statement. I desire to see the University of the State elevated to the highest possible plain and made in deed "the pride of the State." As all the people of the State are taxed for its support, I think it can and should be thus elevated. I also think that the edacational enterprises of the State, including the denominational colleges, can, and should be so ad justed aa to operate in perfect bar -mocy for the attainment of one grand end the intellectual and moral de velopment of all the people of the State There should be no clashing of interests and sarelj, with the whole people taxed, to build up, equip and sustain the University it may be delivered from the necessity of competing with the colleges for sup port. No man can Justly charge me with the Bin of "assailing " the University. 2d. We agree that no one of the four leading denominations of the State should have a controlling influ ence in the University. V. L. S. says: "All the christian 6ecta should, if possible, be properly repres anted in the Board of Trustees. This is not only right, but it is politic. I wish that there were a larger num ber of Methodiets in it.'' Referring to his address before "the Alumni Association of the University at the last commencement." he t-avf:: "I took occasion to say that it was tne determination ot ilae Bunrd tf Trustees that no one of the denomiua tions into which the christian church innaence and control of the institu tion, or should mako it the means of disseminating its peculiar doctrines or forms of worship;" and that "the sentiment met the universal approval of such ui tubers of theBj.nvl as were present."' I said, and I repfrtt the statement: "I do not seek or desire more Methodist influence in the Uni versity than is proper and right. This much I do desire and intend to seek after." "A fair showing in the University and elsewhere is all we ask. This much we should persistent ly demand ",I tave no doubt W. I. S. made an able 'address before the Alumni Association.' And, if I had been there, j a Iging from his repre sentation, I should have endorsed 'the sentiment' as warmly as did the Trustees who heard it. 3d. We are agreed in the opinion that the government of the institu tion should, if possible, be free from political controversies. W L S. eays: 'I should greatly regret that the government of the in -stitution shou'd become an element in political controversies. That would be an unfortunate course to the edu cational interests of our people. I 6houl i equally regret that a man's re ligion should be made a test of his fitness for oce. (ualificatiotis of head and heart, an l some genuine christianit; a liberal spirit which h taught in the Bible, are the only proper standards. Hence it pains me to see Dr. Burkhead's allusions to the sectarian tiews of the gentlemen i who composed the Democratic State ticket in the last election. I beg leave to share the 'regrets" expressed above with 'W. L. S.' T do sincerely rcret that the controlling influence of OD9 df nomination is so manifest as to fully justify, in my opinion, the allusions' referred to.' I do not. however, share in the 'pains' that are felt; for the "allusion' was made to show the patriotism, magnanimity, and he patient forbearance of the Methodists, as good and true citizens of the State, bearing, equally v;:h others, the burdens of taxation, and losing sight of themselves for the gen eral good. Is it not possible that mignanimity and patient forbearance may be overloaded ? 'The prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself.' With this explanation we agree upon this point also. I now ask 'W. L. S.' and the read ers of the Advocate to deliberately consider tha points in debate, and with as much impartiality as they can command. lt I now make the 'distinct charge' that the Protes'ant Episcopal Church has 'undue influence and control in tua management of the University of the State. W. L S.' says: 'It is also charged that the Board ia controlled by the Protes'ant Episcopal Church, which is numerically the weakest of the four leading denominations.' I said: 'The fact that they have this controlling influence will hardly be called in ?.oiwn ' T)rpsfW Ij. S.' call this lact in que8uon 7 x tmne tne of this charge in ample. There are in North Carolina about one huncred thousand Methodists, one hundred thousand Baptists, twen ty thousand Presbyterians, and four thousand five hundred Episcopalians. These estimates may not be precisely accurate; but they are sufficiently ac curate for tne purposes of this argu ment. Taese three larger denomina tions pay about forty -times as much in taxes to support the University as the Episcopalians. Now take up the Catalogue for the year 187G-7, and examine as you read Besides the Tutors, as I understand it, there are twelve man in the Faculty. Three ot these, I am told, are not coramuni cants in any church, mere is one Methodist, one Baptist, and three Presbyterians, counting the State Geologist as one of the Professors five in all The Episcopalians have four. I do not know how many Tu tors there are, nor to what denomina tions they belong; bnt I am told there is no Methodist among them. The 'Executive Committee' is com posed of seven men. There is no Methodist, Baptist or Presbyterian on this committee, unless 'His Excellent cy' may be classed with the Presby terians who is ez-ojficio President of the Board. In Orange, and the adjacent coun ties of Wake and Chatham, there are ten Trusses, which number consti tutes a quorum.' In this number who are most convenient to the Uni versity, and therefore, most likely to attend the meetings of the Board, there is no Methodist, Baptist or Presbyte -rian. The whole number of Trustees is sixty four. I am not absolutely certain; but from the best information I have been able to obtain, thirty four are Episcopalians. At any rate, they have a greater number of Trustees than the Methodists, Bap is' s and Pi e-sby terians, all put together. Ta king the three larger denominations forty times as much in taxes to tne nup-jun, or the University as the Episcopalians. Do these facte sustain the charge that the 'Episcopal Chnrch has undue influence and control in the management of the University ? If not. why ? 2d. Admitting the above charge to be true, I 'distinc ly charge that it is ntither fair nor just to the other, and larger denominations. 'W. L S." as already quoted above, clearly sustains me in this position. I now repeat 'The question which I desire to press upon the attention of the Methodists, Baptists and Presby terians of the State is, sfudl this state of things continue ? I am firmly persuaded that this unequal represen tation in the Faculty, Executive Com- mitte, and in the Board should not continue. It looks too much like special legislation' in favor of one sect too much like taxing the whole State to build up an Episcopal Insti - tution. The very fact that one church has such a 'controlling influence' is necessarily damaging to the best and highest interests of this State institu tion. 3d. I am accused of making a 'most serious charge' against the character of the gentlemen who have the 'con trolling influence the whole Board and also individual members of the Board! Allow me to assure W. L- S., in all candor, that I did not intend to attack the character of the gentlemen of the Board individually or collectively; and thar. I did not do it. I havo ebown that onn denomination has a 'controlling influence' in the State University. I have also ex pressed the honest conviction that this is unfair and unjust to the other and larger denominations. In my first article I Baid: 'Those who control the University have little or no use for Methodism. They are willing to use it as a pack horse to carry forward certain designs.' Now, while I admit that the above language is strong, and not as elegant allll 1 T orn-ips, as it snouia nave oeen, x never heiess affirm that m using it, I did not attack or intend to attack, the motives, integrity, honesty or the christian character of the whole Board of the Executive Committee or of any individual member of the Board. I did not and do not charge any body with evil designs. Now, all I ask of others is to be judged as fairly as I am trying to judge them. "That mercy I to others show, That mercy show to me-" Human nature is not perfect. I am deeply conscious of this. Hence it is not always free from party bias. Indeed, it is extremely difficult for hu man nature, even under the influence of Divine grace, to entii ely free itself from part!i or from sectarian bias, and rise to the sublime elevation of absolute impartiality. This may be a humiliating' fact; but it ic a facU nevertheless. Were the fifteen com miss'onerSjappointed by Congress and sworn to do their duty and to act fairly toward the two great political parties of the nation and the claimants " -v aa r f ibo United States, absolutely without pn.rt.y bias? Eight Republicans voted uniformly in the interests of the Bepublican party, and seven Democrats voted as urn - formly in the interests of the Demo cratic party. I could wish that one Republican had voted with the Dem ocrats and that one Democrat bad voted with the Republicans. I should have rejoiced to behold one out of eight and one out of seven, grandly rising above political bias and showing that in the minds of two men out of the fifteen, country was of more im portance than party interests. But it was '8 to 7,' and '8 tc 7' is an American proverb. Each party bad its 'designs' and doubtless believed that 'the carrying forward these de signs' would best secure the interests of the whole people. Were all these fifteen judges, senators, statesmen, corrupt ? Politicians may attack their motives, their 'characters,' but I do not. Were the '8' or the '7' cor rupt? I do not charge it nor do I believe it. I would infinitely prefer to believe that all of them were sincere and honest; and did that which they believed was right and best for the whole country. They were men. They were men, however, not above human frailty or party bias. Is it easier to rise above sectarian bias It may be, but still, it is extremely difficult. Here are two ap plicants for an office, or a position of any sort Their characters and their qualifications are exactly equal. One is a Methodist. The other is not. Their claims are placed before a com mittee composed entirely of Metho dists or in which Methodists have a 'controlling influence.' Would it require a prophet to predict the re suit? While I believe Methodists are as liberal and have a li' tie secta rian bias as the members of any church in the world, I am frank to say that I bolieve the Methodist, applicant would receive the appointment Not is my answer io the charge of mat .fif . . . a 1 1 . I. .1 - "rV" an unjuaunaoie assault on tne 'cnarttc ter of the gentlemen of the Board, who have a 'controlling influence' in the management of thb University. They are men. They are men 'sub jecc to like passions' and human frail -ties with o'hers. They are not any more free from sectarian bias lhan Methodists. Hence, I repeat, i do not attack their motives, integrity, honesty, orchris ianity. 'There are very few Methodists Trustees ' I suspected that they were not there. That they did not vote at all. That if they had been present, and had been so disposed, they could not have changed the result. I am certain that my conjecture was correct. They were not present. They did not vote. There is no Methodist on the 'execu tive committee.' I hereby assure 'W L S " that I intended no offense to any individual member of the Board by the questions to which he refers. 1 have no sort of objection to the eu logy which he is pleased to bestow upon the gentlemen who compose the Board of Trustees. I do no, charge them with 'any act of deliberate injustice or intended in sult.' Neither do I doubt that the 'Board acted as they thought best for the institution.' But after all this, and as much more of the same sort as you please, ha been said, the fact re - mains that they are but men, made of the same kind of stuff as the rest of mankind. And now, just because it is so difficult for human nature to be impartial, 1 desire the Methodists to hava o jnt onfl fair reprfimjpration in the Board of Trustees Tlrey should stand side by side with others, to maintain their own righ's, the inter est s of the University and the peace and prosperity of the Sta'e; for I am of the opinion that Me hodism is no' 'incompa ible wi'h he freedom and dignity of the S a'e;' aud thar a hun dred thousand Methodists should r.o stand before the Stute University as beggars for i heir just righ s. 4;h. Bu- 1 presumed to ask the ques ion 'Was his application reject ed simply becausoho is a member of the M. E. Churt-h. Sou'h?' In view of all he facts involved in the case, I main:am mat my question was pertinent and that it was not improp er to ask it. I had a right also to ex press my high appreciation of the char acter and qualifications of the ap plieant f r the chair of Natural His tory.' I did no desire that our man should be appointed simjrfy because he is a Methodist; but bdcioae he is, in my opinion, 'worthy and well quali fied' 'the peer of any man in the Faculty,' and as well qualified to fill the chair of 'Natural History,' as any member of the Faculty is to fill the position which he occupies. This, being, in my opinion, true, I desired another Methodist to represent th e interests of Methodism in the Univer sity. I desired this because io is just and fit, and because I had been led to be ieve the Board was in favor of it. 'W. L S.' resents, with a good deal of wa- mth, the intimation that the application waa rejected because the applicant is a Methodist. He as signs as the reason.for the rejection of the applicant, a want of proper quali fication. He thinks that the applicant himself would no' lay claim to fi ness for the chair of Na'ural History.' He expresses lha opinion, t hat. 'no man in the S a e of Norih Carolina,' coul d be found capable of filling that posi tion, and seems to be in accord with others,' hat 'no man in the South, 'could be found just suited to the place. An adept,' or as another expresses it, an 'erpert,' was necessary in that par ticular professorship; and the Board was rcluc an ly compelled to 'go ou' side' of i he Sia'e to find one. So it seems that the resources of the 'State' and of 'the South,' have been exhaus'ed! Pardon me for thinking, that if the Board had advertised, th3y might, possibly, have found one 'ex pert' in the whole South. If the po sition taken be true that; no 'expeit' could be found in the South then it is indeed 'humiliating.' May I ask another question ? Is this the only department that requires an expert 1 Are all the members of the Faculty experts ? I ask these queB -tions with due appreciation of the effi ciency of every man in the Facnlty. I certainly do not men ij give offense to any one. Now, if the Board will apply this expert 'rule to the present members of the Faculty, I shall be content to have it applied to all Methodists. , So long as the weakest of the four leading denominations in the State,' continues to have 'undue influence and control in the University,' I think Methodists and perhaps others, will continue to propound 'pregnant inter rogatories.' With their present 'undue influence and control' in the Board, the Episcopalians can do as they pleape. If they shall please to work for the advancement of their own Church, and shall honestly believe.tbat by to doing they are promoting the best interests of the University and of Stats, who cni iastlv blame For the Advocate. God and His Gospel. Whorever ess, 13 s to disprove the truths of divine revelation or doubts the force and beauty of ifcs precepts, has vaguely wandered . in the mist of error nd has ever been a stranger to -fcs foJible illumination. A life hid with Christ in God needs no outside demonstration. The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple. "Herein lies the great force and beauty of its operations, it not only converts the soul changes its normal condition, from a sensual degrading bondage unto light and liberty but gives It wisdom wisdom for daily future guidance' A system so perfect so ennobling, it seems would upon, cpjsful diligent examina tion be readily and gladly embraced by all. Having so often wandered mysel. from this great beacon light, I can testify to the truth in saying that the further my bark glided into he mist of darkness the sadder did my soul become until the voice of .Testis called me to return and warned .oe that I waa approaching the dread ma elstrom of ruin into whose d pihs, tho, Hi4 pitying eye might see,His omnipot ent arm could not reach Herein onbi is His power circn inscribed. And it strongly magnifies the extent of His condescending kindne s to reach out so often, so mercifiully to retrieve the wanderer and welcome, li im ncrain in his bosom And yet mou. doubt that God is good, when under the most solemn asseveration of His oath, he declares He wills not that any should perish bnt that all should have cterna1 life and such is my stiong fwth in the magnitude of His mercy that I verily believe that none are finally lost, save only such as wilfully reject the operations of His Holy Spirit. 'God is good,, 'God is great' 'God is love' are axioms beyond the reach of cavil or tho power of man to con trovert. 'Tis true there is a point beyond which His Goodness can not, reach, becanso not in harmony with the moral perfections of His Being, and radically -speaking would not be goodness, being directly in contra vention of His oath and the etern al preordained fitu ss and fixedness of His will. A ad tho' Hi tender mar ciea are over all His works and His boundle slove is proc laimed through out all the illimitable, vastness of His c'ominions, yet His pieordained pur poses mist be established and the rightfullnbss of B.is authority ac knowledged. And His power and authority are nevej: execised on ly in the interest, and for the moral well being of those whom He created. This axiomatic truth should ever nerve the wayworn traveller in this vale of sorrow in the performance of duties however heavy and unpleasant to plant his foofcs eps daily nearer to goodness and ti God How ennobling and comforting is every good impulse planted in our fallen natures by His divine benefi cence and kindness ! What othe r power or impulse could enaole us in our fallen estate to cause ns. ev-n to get upon our knees and ask blessings upon the heads of our enemies those who have persecuted, sland ered and in every way tried to deprive us of our well being and happiness ! It is beyond the power of our human na- ure unaided by the grace of God,and herein lies one of the strongest tri -umphs of chris ianity. Blessed be God! it is as broad in its provisions and adaptation to the wants of man boundless in its Charity as the physical universe which His hands created . It is a system so perfect in itself as to be pronounced upon careful analysis and review by the gVeat architect Himself as essentially good. Let us then, brethren, embrace in all in its entirety in its; completenes s in its fullness with thankful, joy - ful hearts, and quit running after the strange gods set up for our worship by the modern materialists, skeptics, and infidela of the 19th century. Veritas Littleton, N. C. Ang, 16th, 1877, She who docs not make her family comfortable will herself never bo hap py at home and. she who is not happy at home will never b& happy anywhere, from the Suh-riUe Christian Adrocate. LETTES FROM BISHOP MARVIN- NO. XXV. FPOM JAFFA TO JERUSALEM Sunday morning. April 1, we waked np, on the steamer Apollo, in sight of the mountains of Judea, which swell up boldly to the height of 3,000 feet. But we were yet a long way out at sea, and could Bee nothing but the outline of the ridge. As we approach ed we could see t hat a considerable ex tent of level counlry intervened be tween the shore and the mountains was the ' 'Plain" "o'i"VliinBlftP' turtift? north it was the Plain of Sharon. As we neared the shore we could discern a line of sand hills, very low, lying along the coast -line, just above the water. This sand-bank was bro ken at one and only one, point, by a hill rising somewhat boldly but to no great height. On this hill, and cover ing a considerable part of it espe cially the northern end is the town of J aha (Joppa), interesting to us for several reasons. It was to Joppa that Hiram sent the timber he had prepared in Mount Lebanon for the Temple, in floats; here it was drawn out of the water, and then, by some means, transported to Jerusalem, a distance of about thirty six miles. It was here that Dorcas lived and died the good Dorctis, who set that ex ample of active beneficence in the Church which has since been followed by so many godly women. But, above all, here it was that the gospel took its new departure for the con quest of the world. Here, on the housetop, by the side of the sea Peter was prepared for his cail to the gen tile, Cornelius, at Cesarea. Fom this moment the word of life was preached to men of all nations. At 9.30 in the morning we landed at a flight of steps in the sea wall, within a few rods of the site of the old tan-yard of Simon. This site is identified beyond any doubt It is the only place by the "sea- side" where tL'ere is water for the nse of a tannery The removal of some old stone works recen tly has laid bare the very vats in which tne tanning wb uuub. lue first thi og we did, before we went to our hotel, we visited this place. There we saw the" fountain of living water, and ascendod to the roof of the house which stands, if not on the very spot occupied by that of Simon the tanner, ai least very near it. There we stood where Peter pra ved and fell into a trance, and looked np into those very heavens from which he saw the great sheet let down. Before us was the "Great Sea," stretching away to the West, the highway by which the gos pel was to be carried to the distant nations to whom God was at that mo ment preparing to i-end it. It was worth a vovase aronodthe world to stand a moment on the flat roof of that house yet we had to py back shish to a Mussulam for the privi lege. Our hotel was in "the colony. This is a settlement of German Chris tians at Jaffa. There are two or ihree of these settlements of Germans who look for the personal coming of Christ to reign a thousand years on the earth, fixing the capital of his millennial reign in Jerusalem. They were pre ceded by a company of Americans, whose leader proved to be worthless, and whose plans were so poorly laid that they came to the very door of .starvation. Many of them got noma on charity, and their enterprise came to nothing. But these Germans, if they are actuated by a fanatical be lief, yet show the genuine German good sense and thrift. They have a good hotel which, I doubt not, they make profitable. They also run a line of hacka from Jaffa to Jerusalem, over the macadamized road which has been mode within the last five of six years Before that all travel was done onhor ses, mules, or camels, as it still is ev ery where else in Palestine; for this is the only road practicable for wheeled vehicles anywhere in the country. Near the hotel is the school-hou66 of Miss Baldwin, an American lady, a nitive of Virginia, who had a school for many years at Athens, but has been now for several years here. I think she makes her school self-supporting. She is a member of the Episcopal Church, and! does her work in a missionary spirit There i3 a clergyman of the Church of England here who has a service every Sunday afternoon in her Bchool room. By his request I preached for him. Can you doubt that the text was in the tenth chapter of the Acts of t'tie Apostles? There is another Christian lady who has a school here Miss Arnot, from England. Having some- means, she came here, bought land, and built a spacious and sabstantsal etone house, in which Bhe carries on J school for girls Miss Baldwin's b elng for boyB. Four of ns got a carriage, and pre pared for an early Btarfc on Monday morning for Jerusalem. At six o'clock we were on the road. For a mile or more we pass over the i slightly eleva ted aandy strip that fcki rta the sea. Oa each side of the road over this strip there are hedges of gigantic pickly pear, behind which are the wonderful orange-groves of Jaffa. Here are produced the largest oranges, by far, tnat I ever saw. We have one in our room now which Brother Hendrix gathered in the grove of a hospitable native, and which measures sixteen inches in circumference by the tape line. Soon we leave hedges and or ange groves, b.hind, and are fairly out upon the Plain of Sharon. Where we enter it is perfectly level, aud there are level areas here and there through its extent; but for t'ae most part it is anu'lu-.-ieuliiJoiir'SU jbjcmjnsr more mountains, until, at the valley of Aja lon, the valley ridges are themselves quite bald and rocky. There are many fields of wiieat in the valley, now just well headed The crop is a very good one, though by no means equal to that of the Nile Valley. We have seen a little Indian corn. Many fields are just now under the plow for the water-melon which, we are told, is ex ceptionally fine here, and is raised in great quantities. The first place of note which we passed was the traditional Tomb of Dorcas Well out in the plain, per haps five -niles from Jaffa, is the "Ex perimental Farm,' carried on by Jews, who here instruct, young men in the most approved modes of farming. It is hoped that this institution will greatly improve the agriculture of this country. The Plain of Sharon, like the valley of the Ganges, has been in constant cultivation for 4,000 years without manure and without rist. What wonderful resources there must be in the soil! It is extremely mellow a Missouri farmer would say, "It is like an ash L;ank" - so that the rude native plow prepares it very well. Soon we see a tower, off to our left, which marks the site of Lydda, which "was nigh to Joppa," to which Peter came when he was passing "through out all quarters" where he healed the paralytic Eneas, "which had kept his bed eight years,' and from whence he was called by 'the saints' to Joppa wheie the good Dorcas died. It is about twelve miles from Joppa, about lik. Ttamlnh. im mediately on our road. Here is a verp nice hotel, kept by one of the Germans of the 'Temple' for that is the name the German colonists have given their Association. Ramleh is a town of 3.000 inhabi ants. We rested our horses here an hour, and strolled through the city, where we saw an old church built by the tjrusaders, since turned into a mosque. The bazaar presented a lively scene. Some shops had pre ty good stocks, and, npon the whole, there was as much appearance of thrift as is usually seen in Oriental villages. Here, as in J affa, the hous ph are all of stone, arivmff the place a yery solid but somewhat gloomy ap pearaijce. There is inevitable 'tradi tion here, for they claim that this is the very Arimathea where 'Joseph of Arimathea' waB born. Some intelli gent men are disposed to regard this tradition with favor, but others affirm that it was a fabrication of the 13th century. There is a tower here which is a very prominent object, but the mosaue in connection with which it A was built has disappeared The sum' mit of it commands a lar&e and fine landscape. Pharaoh took Gezer from the Phil istines, and presented it to his daugh ter the wife of Solomon. There are extensive ruins here which are partly in sight from our road, but too far away for us to take time to visit them. Near the road on the left side is the village of Arnicas, mentioned in the Apocrypha, 1 Mace, iii. 40. The road lies very near the boun dary between the tribe of Dan and Philistia. Not very far to our right Samson played his part, at once so noble and so ignoble. Ekron is only some four or five miles from Ramleh Twenty miles out we reach the Val lev of Aialon. Up to the north east, e a little way, are Bethhoron and Gihon Here the five kings, from the southern regions about Hebrca, were in camp. when Joshua 'ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the mighty men of valor,' and 'came upon them suddenly, and went nn from Gilgal all night.' He 'slew them with a great slaughter at Gihon and chased thorn along the way that o-oeih ud to Bethhoron.' To add to o t.t.air dismay God smote them with stoneE from hevven, eo that they wra more who perished by the bail stones than by the Bword. But it was a crisis in the conquest ot the country, and it was necessary that this victory should be decisive. Up to this time they had secured only a precarious footing in the central and eastern portion of tbe country . This victory would be fruitless unless it opened the south, and the Piain of Sharon, to them. Theo 'Joshua spake to the Lord,' and Godgave him power over the planetary system, so that 'he said, in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou, moon, in the Valley of Ajalon.' Here on the spot one could see the relative positions of the san and moon. Through this long day, that seem ed as if it would never close, the peo ple pursued their enemies, and at last captured and slew the five 'kings of the Amorites.' This gave them the entire southern part of Palestine, ex cept Philistia. To all human appear ance it seema that their destiny hung upon a complete overthrow and ex termination of their enemies in tht battle. Passing up out of the Valley of Ajalon we enter a narrow mountain gorge, and continue ia it for some miles, passing the castle of Abu Gosh, a sheik, who. in the early part of J this century, exacted heavy toll of alltrave to Jerusalem. For many years he and his tribe were a terror to the country. His little stone castle is sit uated at a point where the gorge through which the road passed is so narrow that the traveler, once under the range uf his guns, could find no wap of escape. As we ascended tho mountain we saw the Palefitine oak, the terebinth, the tamaribk, and the carob tree. This latter bears a long seed pod, the seed being much like a bean. This bean is eaten by the people. We saw large qaantfties of it in the market at Jaffa. It is supposed that it was the pod of ths tree that our Lord referred to in the parable of the prodigal son as the 'husks which the swine did eat.' After a toilsome ascent we reached we reached the Bnmmit of the range, from which tho Plain of Sharon, and of Philistia, come into full view, and even the sandbed on the shore, and Jaffa, and the waters of the Mediter ranean Sea beyond. Still farther on we come to what was in the oldest times called Kir jath- Baal, and later Kirjath-Jearim. This is believed to be the Emmaus of the New Testament, and therefore has a very special interest for Christians. At about this point the Neby Sam- toil appears Moutt Samuel, as we would call it. There is a tomb on the nmmit of it, which is calld the tomb of Samuel. It is bolieved to be the side of the Ancient Mizpeh, and the principal seat of authority when Samuel judged Israel. It is said to l tlia mnat a! aval fin mm it in all this range of mountains, ana is m sight pretty much all the time from he neighborhood of Emmaus until we are within a mile of the city. Some distance farther on, in a very pretty valley, is the convent of St. John the Baptist, a mile or so to the right of the road . It is on the tra ditional birthplace of John the Bap tist, in the 'hill-country of Judea.' There is no doubt of its being in Judea, and a 'hill-country.' This lat ter is very plain to be i-een. But the tradition as to the exact birthplace of the Baptist is alcogether arbitrary. One might as well undertake to find the grave of Moses aa the birthplace of John. There is another tradition which lo cates the death of Goliath in this same little Wady, and this is probably true. At any rate, the dry brook which runs through it has millions of stones in its bed just the size for tho sling, and I myself picked up three or four smooth ones, just the sort to kill a giant witb. One that I got I imagine is theexact fellow of that one which brought down the Philistine braggart who had 'defied the armies of the living God.' (To be Continued.) Beoovery from Brain Wounds A Confederate soldier from the val ley of Virgiuia, in one of the battles of tbe late civil war, was struck on tho head by a minnie ball.Tbe ball pas sed through tie skull, and tbe sur geons, afraid to probe the wound in search of it, left tbe man to die. In tbe course of time be recovered, but had lost his reason and was sent to the insane asylum at Staunton, where he remained for eleven years. At length Dr. FaunMeroy, an eminent physician of that city, obtained permission from tha asylum authorities and friends of the insane man to make a surgical examination of tbe head with the hope of finding the ball. He was success iu', and found the ball imbedded on the inside of the skull, and pushing against the brain. 7uable to extract it with any instument at baDd, he took a chisel and mortised it out. L soon as tbe ball was removed reason rc sumed its control, and tbe deranged one was in hid right mind.He says that he is not cons, ions of any thing that -ccurred during tbe interval of eleven years, From the time he was struck on the battle field to the moment the pressure was removed from the brain, all was a blank to him. Wheel ing ( West Virginia) Register. A recent foreign letter states that the Papal officials at Rome have de lei mined to make the following dis position of the enormous 'Jubilee gifts' made to the Pope: $4,000,000 will be paid into tbe funds of the Holy Secretary, $4,000,000 will be given to tbe present and former serv ants and soldiers who have remained faithful to the Pope, and faithful and their families ; $4,000,000 will be employed in restoring monu mental churches, and in execut ing works of recognized utility; the balance, of $4,476,381, will be di. tributed to charitable institutions, and to aid the clergy and religion orders in tbe poor parishes.
North Carolina Christian Advocate (Greensboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 26, 1877, edition 1
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