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VOL XXIX. NO 2.
THE ORGAN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH.
ESTABLISHED 1855
RALEIGH, N. C., WEDNESDAY, JAN. 16, 1881.
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For the Advocate.
Experience and Item iniscences of a
Teacher Xearly Fifty Years Ago.
BY REV. SOLOMON LEA.
In the remarks about the boys at
Warrenton, it was not my intention to
make the impression that all of them
were alike. Not by any means, a
large proportion of them were good,
studious and obedient pupils. I se
lected worse specimens, extreme cases.
Doubtless many a boy among my
many pupils, grew up to manhood, be
came useful citizens and exerted a
good influence in Society. Having
remained in Warrenton two years, I
resigned the position as Principal of
the Warrenton Academy at the request
of Rev. John Early, President of the
Board of Trustees of Randolph Ma
con College, afterwards elected to the
Episcopacy. This I did to take
charge of the Preparatory Department
of the College. My Predecessor was
Rev. Lorenzo Lea, my brother, who
nobly filled the place for a number of
years. He moved to Tennessee, es
tablished the Female Institute in Jack
son, Tenn., and aftewards sold out to
Dr. Amos Jones, who, I believe, is still
President of the Institution. In my
new sphere, I soon found that I had a
different set of boys to govern and
teach. Not one idle, not one refrac
tory, no use for the rod, all studious
and obedient. In Warrenton, there
were but few Latin and Greek pupils.
Here all studied the languages pre
paratory to entering College. There
were about fifty in the school from
some half dozen different States, at
tracted there mainly by the fame of
Dr. Stephen Olin, President of the
College. The boys had every motive
to study as they could not enter Col
lege unless they were well prepared.
To stimulate them still more, it was
my custom to mark every lesson and
at the end of each week, I read out
the report to them. Without mention
ing all that were distinguished for
scholarship, I now readily call to mind
some few whose names I take the lib
erty of presenting, as this will give me
an opportunity to make some remarks
about them; Clopton from, Ga. Tuck
er from Va., Smith from Tennessee,
Jones, Brame and Hunt from, N. C,
Clopton was a noble boy of fine mind
and indomitable perseverance. He
lead the contesting ranks, being slight
ly ahead of all competitors. I have
never heard from him since he left
College to return to his native State.
I have no doubt he filled and may be
still filling some high position in So
ciety. Tucker went through the
junior class, displaying extraordinary
taient for speaking. He could, at any
time without scarcely any preparation,
on almost any subject, pour forth such
a torrent of eloquence as to astonish
the audience. He left Randolph
Macon before graduating, went to
Princton, remained there, I think
about one year, and the next I heard
of him, he entered the field of politics
in Va., was a match for the ablest de
baters on the stump. In the mean
time, he formed the habit of drinking.
It grew upon him rapidly and the last
I heard of him, he rilled a drunkard's
grave. Poor Tucker ! what a brilliant
start ! what a dreadful end ! A warn
ing to youth and genius.
Smith from Tennessee, well do I
remember him, when he entered the
Preparatory Department, he remarked
that he was limited in means and
wanted to be prepared for College in
one year, (the usual time allotted be
ing from two to three years.) He
knew nothing of Latin or Greek and
was not advanced in the Engligh
studies. I replied to him, if he
would follow my advice, I thought
he might succeed. In this he readily
acquiesed. At the end of the year, he
stood his examination, and entered
the College as we sometimes say, with
flying colors. The question might be
asked what was peculiar in the advice
that was given and practiced. Why,
it was just this and nothing more. Af
ter about a week's drilling in the La
tin Grammar, he was put to translat
ing parsing in Historia Sacra, the first
book, then used, being required to go
over no more than he could learn ac
curately. Accuracy, absolute accura
cy was the point aimed at both in Lat
in and Greek. The habit once form
ed, he advanced rapidly and hence he
found no difficulty in accomplishing
the object aimed at, that of a thorough
preparation for College in one year. I
believe he graduated with the highest
distinction, returned to his native
State, became a distinguished Divine,
receiving the honorary tilleof D. D.
It was an intellectual and spiritual
treat to sit under his ministry, as one
of my daughters can testify who enjoy
ed that privilege for nearly a year.
Some two years ago, our distinuish
ed pupil was translated to a better
land. John Todd Brame was a fine
specimen : of a close student. He
had a fine mind, had been well train
ed by one of the best ofTeachers,Rev.
Lorenzo Lea. As he was continually
plying me with difficult questions. I
imagined he had his doubts about the
capacity of the New Teacher, and ac
cordingly I concluded to retaliate, I
looked over each lesson carefully and
marked a number of the most difficult
words for parsing that I could find,
and some how I always hit upon John
Todd Brame to answer them. After
some eight or ten days trial, I think
both of us were satisfied, he, that I
could teach him, and I, that he was no
ordinary youth. After leaving College
he became a distinguished minister.
His career was short, but brilliant. I
presume svereral of the old ministers,
both of Va., and North Carolina Co v
ference have vivid recollections
him. Hunt was studious and ambi
tious,put forth all his energy to eclipj
Clopton, but did not succeed. A fe
months ago I met him, had a soc i
chat of some half an hour about by
gone days. Well, Mr. Hunt, said,
to him, you are married I presum
"No" he replied, and, then, with sub
dued tone, he told his story. Said he
when I was a young man I was enga
ged to a lady whom I devotedly loved
For some unknown cause, she dis,
carded me; from that moment I be
came soured, concluded never to ad
dress another lady and now I am an
old batchelor, too old to retrace my
steps. It is, said he, one of the most
painful reflections of my life that I
have lived such a life. Just here I
may remark I know of some half doz
en other cases of persons leading a
batchelor's life, falling into bad habits
and dragging out an unhappy exis
tance. The experience and confes
sion of Mr. Hunt should be a warn
ing to all batchelors. Jones was an
other one of my pupils deserving com
mendation. Why, he is now Dr.
Jones of Greensborough Female Col
lege. He is known and read of all.
Satis est.
For the Advocate.
Our If 'extern Letter,
FROM SAM FRANCISCO TO LOS ANGELOS.
Prom o;'.r special correspondent.
Having concluded our ramblings in
and around the great city of San Fran
cisco, we wended our way to the wharf
and aboard one of the magnificent
steam ferry boats that ply between the
city and Oakland, we set out for the
latter place, distance some eight miles.
It was a lovely evening and the smooth
bay shone in glassy splendor. Oak
land is to San Francisco, what Brook
lyn is to New York. Many of the
business men of San Francisco reside
in Oakland, and owing to the inter
communication between the two cities
the travel back and forth is surpris
ingly large. The western terminus of
the Central and Southern Pacific R.
Rs is at Oakland. In passing up the
bay one has a good view of Goat and
Angel Islands on which are govern
ment garrisons. The great rivers,
Sacremento and San Joaquin, empty
into the bay and steamers may he seen
almost continually going up or com
ing down in those highways of traffic.
Oakland is a city of beauty and
wealth and full of promise; its pros
perity has been most wonderful. In
i860, where the city is now located
oak groves, wild mustard and wild
oats grew in abundance and the whole
country on the bay was a wild stock
range under the rule of Spaniards.
Two brothers by the name of Patten
and a man by the name of Chase were
the first white men who established
themselves on the bay on the site of
Oakland In i860 it was a small
village, in 1870 had a population of
1200 and now has a population of 60,
000 including her suburbs and the
prosperity of the city continues in a
surprising manner. It is well laid
out, streets wide and clean, water ex
cellent and claims to be the healthiest
town in the state. The city has a
combined length of5oo miles of open
streets, being grand driveways, lined
with either business blocks or impos
ing residences,surrounded with beauti
ful lawns and evergreen trees, or beau
tiful parks, which the city takes speci
al pride in keeping in fine order. She
has $6jooo,ooo invested in manufac
tories, giving employment to four
thousand hands. The street car facil
ities of the city are excellent. Some
fifteen free high school buildings and
about the same number of private in
stitutions of learning with one of the
best universities in the Union. The
city has about 30 churchers most of
a grand appearance and of costly con
struction. The First Congregational
church has an auditorium 90 feet
square and cost $So,ooo. The Gal
indo Hotel is a line structure, cost
$100,000. The railroad depots are
all that one could desire. The Uni
versity of Cal., receives students from
the age of sixteen up, tuition free.
Male and female are granted like pri
vileges in all the departments, includ
ing that of medecine. A visit along
the shaded driveway to the fish ranch
and to Piedmont Springs gives one
pleasure and is of much interest. To
take a bath in one of those establish
ments fitted up on purpose at Ala
meda, a suburban town, is a pleasure
not soon forgotten. Mills' Seminary
in the foot hills is situated in a most
charming place and lays claim to be
ing the finest ladies' seminary in the
state. Taking all in all one visiting
Oakland at any season of the year,
seems loath to leave the place where
so much of interest, to the lover of the
beautiful, is found, and the climate is
so delightful.
. Starting out from the grand depot,
the iron horse takes the traveler rush
ing northward throi.gh fertile sections
of country and to all appearance near
Mt. Diablo which rears its summit
3,896 feet above the sea level. Wag
on roads are constructed to its top,
from whence one can have a grand
panoramic view of the surrounding
country, villages, cities, bays, livers
and the blue waters of the Pacific may
be seen afar off; with a glass one can
distinctly see into the streetsof San
Francisco, discern the moving throngs
of people, while to the north the beau
tiful valleys and streams stretch out in
one grand picture of loveliness.
Arriving at Sacramento City, the
capital of the state, nothing of special
interest attracts the attention of the
visitor other than the usual noise and
confusion of hotel runners and hack
drivers. From an elevated position
one can have a fine view of the broad
river and adjacent country. The bot
toms along the river are very produc
tive, and seem to increase in fertility
with every overflow of the Sacramen
to river. Fruits of various kinds
flourish well here, and the gardens
are green all the year. The popula
tion of the city is some 25,000 to 30,
000. There is not that same degree
hurry and bustle noticed at some oth
er places in the state, however the
city does a large amount of business
in way of distributing supplies to
many points tributary to it as a trade
centre. As in most of the cities and
towns in California, the heathen
Chinese seem to take prominence in
the line of ordinary servitude, and
from what we can discover, the
American born men and women of
the period are perfectly willing they
shall do it, while the men a goodly
number, at least lounge about the
street corners, or in places of idle re
sort, while the women spin street yarns
and patronize stalls where yellow
covered literature abounds, but then
such seems to be the inevitable des
tiny of nations, despite the yearnings
for an embargo to be placed on emi
gration, and a higher standard of civi
lization be imposed upon the Anglo
Saxon race.
Good churches abound in the city,
and schools are well patronized.
From Sacremento to go to southern
California, an angle of about sixty de
grees must be made, and away we go
over desert, plain and fertile valley.
"Lathrop, twenty minutes for din
ner." Yes, and how glad to know
there is another chance to satisfy a
hungering after food; but alas ! for hu
man expectations. The waiters seem
to be off duty, and the cooks out of
season, but the man who looks after
the pay is never out of place at an eat
ing station on a railway line.
On speeds the train; a jolly crowd
of passengers endeavor to make up in
wit what they may have lost in dis
gust. Large tracts of farming lands,
spread out miles and miles away, ever
and anon attract attention as we speed
on our way. Why so few farm houses
and such a lonely appearing country ?
Men of magnificent possessions have
grasped in their clutches these beauti
ful tracts of country. Large land hol
ders are a serious drawback to any
country. Good settlements and schools
are impossible. As we pass along we
notice in places as high as half a doz
en outfits in the same field, marshaled
out in line, putting in grain, each out
fit consisting of one man managing
eight horses hitched to a seeding
machine. Those machines plough,
sow, and put in the grain as they go.
We also noticed machines that, in
harvesting, cut, thrash and sack the
grain as they go. Truly, California is
a big state, with large proportions and
extensive variations, coupled with
grand successes and immense failures;
a combination of superlatives; up one
side and the same down the other. A
kind of go-as-you-please success or
failure, as the case may be.
Talking of big things in Cal., brings
to mind some big stories we heard
some "old timers" get off not long
since. "Speaking of big trees" said
one "puts me in mind of the time when
I was taking a drove of cattle up north
and had to cross the Calveras river,
was so flush that it was difficult to
cross, in hunting for a crossing I found
where a large hollow tree had fallne
across the river, through it I drove the
cattle to the other side; on counting I
found six missing, on going back into
the tree I found them strayed into one
of the limbs, I rode in and brought
them out all right. "Tust so" said the
other, "I have seen numbers of trees J
up in the big tree country so tall that
it takes two persons to see to the top;
one has to commence looking where
the other left off. But laying all jokes
aside, Calvares county has some won
derful big trees, of which your readers
have no doubt often read.
Passing through Fresno and Tulare
counties the region is more or less
mountainous, the grade in places
steep, tunnels frequent, and curves
short. The run across the Mojava
Desert was montoncus and uninvit
ing, being one continuous waste of
sandy, barren plain. But as is often
siid, the darkest hour is" just before
day, so here a dreary desert interven
ed into this Southern land of magnifi
cent beauty of which our next will tell
about.
J. S. F.
Los Angelos, Cal., Dec, 24th, 1883.
"IDoji't Take a Church Paper."
BY W. H. ANDERSON.
In pastoral visiting how often is
heard the above remark. We wait to
learn if thore is any regret in the tone,
but can not discover any. We look
around to see it there is such pressing
want as to preclude ability to secure
the weekly visitor, full of religious in
telligence, advice, instruction and
gratification, yet we see no signs.
On inquiry we learn the, "county pa
per" or some "weekly" from some
great commercial center is taken, but
there is no vehicle of church news, no
means of enlarging our church intel
ligence, our correct zeal, and of induc
ing greater personal effort for Christ's
kingdom, such as the church news
paper is so well adapted to effect.
' Curious thoughts will present them
seU'es. Here is a member of the
church and the head of a family. He
has love for his church, and yet shows
it by neglecting the chief means of
keeping himself in knowledge and
sympathy abreast with the purposes
and plans, the efforts and successes of
his church to glorify our common
Lord. He is supposed to be interest
ed in the spiritual welfare of his fami
ly, their religious culture, and espe
cially in their correct training in the
doctrines and usages of his church.
One of the dearest wishes of his heart
should be that his children may em
brace their father's faith, and live in
his church when he is called home.
Still he neglects to provide the cheap
est, best, most pleasant method of
training in family religion, and of in
teresting young forming minds and of
attaching young hearts to the altars of
their parents the church news-paper.
It is a very singular exhibition that
a Methodist can think he is doing his
duty to himself, his family and his
church by taking no church newspa
per, but relying on the "county paper"
ox the agricultural or the political"week
ly" to give general religious informa
tion and special denominational train
ing for self and family. These men
tioned papers certainly have many ex
cellencies, but let us examine them.
There are "prices current" from the
markets as to value of cattle, horses,
mules and various farm products, dry
goods, groceries, etc. The candidates
for different offices are announced, re
cipes for various ailments of man and
beast are given; the anecdote column
is large and attractive; some long spun
sentiment love tale is drawn out in
several numbers; groups of fires and
fatal accidents, and fearful aggregated
statements of crimes and their penal
ties, whether by law or violence; the
matrimonial doings and the advertise
ments, whether with pictorial accom
paniment or not; all these are in
abundance. In vain do we look for
any religious education or even religi
ous information, except as to the most
general and crude in its character.
These papers don't propose any such
thing. A moral view of the matter
comes up the question of right or
wrong in the matter. Is the profess
ed Christian, as father and head of a
family, doing his duty in failing to
provide his household with a church
newspaper? Stranger still, is he not
doing a great moral wrong in depriv
in them of so valuable an instructor in
truth and duty and privilege ? What
a large amount of pleasure in social
intercourse around the fireside or in
the family circle is lost by the absence
of their reliable weekly chart, this
most reliable source of church doc
trine, this map of the religious world
in home and in foreign fields the
church newspaper. Childhood is
cruelly kept from a most excellent
source of pleasure that profits and
elevates both the mind and heart. No-1
ui r 1 j. .4... j : i
ble views of personal duty and privi
leges remain dormant, while more sel
fish and secular and penurious views
chill forming character, and deprive
the church of its true influence over
forming minds and developing princi
ples. Who is to blame if these children
grow up ignorant of the names and
characters and lives of our great men,
our chief officers, our educational and
missionary efforts, the growth of the
church and the spread of the Mes
siah's kingdom ? With no fixed at
tachment to any church from early
impress and preference, no wonder
they float away on the first tide of re
ligious excitement and are often found
antagonistic to the church in which
they were born. Cetainly the
relisri-
ous culture of our children
ousrht to
be of prime importance with us.
Every year our church papers are
becoming more necessary and valua
ble as part of the family supply of real
wants. The centenary year 1884
whicewill soon be on us, will gather
about it unusual interest in memory of
the historic past, an hundred years of
grand experiment and glorious suc
cess; and while the source of grateful
memories and of pious offerings to
heaven, it will be a starting point for
nobler efforts and more heroic sacri
fices for truth and Jesus. No Chris
tian family ought to be without its
newspaper. No family ought to exist
that could not save in a whole year
two dollars, the price of an Advocate,
or a Method tst. The world never
saw a more interesting period since
the birth of Christ than our Methodist
Cenntenial in America the century
of our constitutional Methodism. If
it shall result m placing a church
paper in every Methodist family, we
shall have in our midst a monument
equal to the proposed Anglo-Chinese
College. Keic Orleans Advocate.
Result of Good Example.
A lawyer, bright and gifted, sent for
the writer, and on meeting him, began
to speak of his recent experience :
"I have just got faith." he said, "and
it has come to me so strangely that it
I want to tell you about it. For years
I was a skeptic,reading every thing on
the subject of Christianity, and some
times giving the weight of evidence
to the one side, sometime to the oth
er; but never quite able to hold both
in the firm grasp of my mind at once,
and balance the evidence so as to
form an abiding conclusin. And so I
drifted between doubt and probability,
like a helmless wreck in the tossing
waves of uncertainty.
"At length I married a Christian
wife. Every night she read with me
her Bible and prayed, and I tacitly
assented, more from love to her than
any real interest. But all the while I
saw in her something which I did not
possess, and which was worth more
than all my intellectual superiority.
One short year we lived together, and
then she died.More than ever in those
last sufferings did I see the reality and
value of her faith, and when I found
myself alone stunned with grief and
without one prop on earth to cling to
I found myself also, without even
thinking why, instinctively crying out
in my agony to her God for help and
comfort.
"Instantly I felt the answer. Be
fore I had time to reason whether I
believed or not my heat had cried in
its orphanage, and had heard the
answering heart of God. And that
touch of love and comfort was so
sweet and real that I just kept on
praying, and the same answer has ever
come, and I know it is God; so that
now you see I have got faith. I hard
ly know how. But I know it is faith,
and I know it is true, and that is
enough for me."
Yes, he had sought for God where
alone God, ever can meet man, "in
spirit and truth," in the simplicity of
the heart, in the attitude not of the
proud censor, but the helpless child
and the penitent sinner.
When will men cease to strain their
weary eyes toward a cold and lofty
region where the Father is not found
and simply turn to the cradle of Beth
lehem, the Cross of Calvary, the foot
stool of simple, lovely penitence, to
find Him who has said, "I dwell with
him that is humble and of a contrite
heart, and that trembleth at my word."
In Want of the Tools. The peo
ple are largely to blame for this men
tal indolence of ministers. We have
been accustomed to limit the salaries
of our preachers to the lowest possible
figure; to make them xallhmjers (sala
ries) indeed, and above the most
economical and frequently the most
parsimonious modes of living we have
given the minister little or nothing
wherewith to srrarifv any intellectual
taste that he may have. If he wishes ;
to buy a new book, it must be at the
cost of personal or family self denial.
c .. i . , , .
Some necessary article must be deni
ed, for his income is adjusted to a
scale that admits of no liberty in this
direction. How many stations or
circuits among us have ever provided
their preachers wfth a library fund ?
Dr. Harrison in Xashvilic Advo
cate. The Christmas Deception,
BY JULIA H. THAYER.
Why is it that good Christians peo
ple still persist in practicing upon their
little children the old-time deception
regarding the nature and doings of
that mythical personage, Santa Claus ?
How a normal conscience can recon
cile such an absolute falsehood with
the common interpretation of veracity,
is beyond the comprehension of a
well-balanced mind.
Then, too, why should that legend
exclude, to so great an extent, the
beautiful story of Bethlehem ? Those
children who are taught to attribute
their Christmas joys to the bounty o
St. Nicholas, lose the true meaning 01
the holy festival, and scarcely remem
ber that it was instituted in commem
oration of that time when the Lord of
Heaven gave to our world its first
great Christmas Gift. Is it not time
to consign the old fairy story to its pro
per place among the popular nursery
tales ? As such, let us hereafter re
preat it to the little ones and how
they will wonder as we tell them that
the foolish fable was once believed by
the children of the olden time, when
the world was filled with people less
wise and less conscientious than those
of the present day !
It is not saying too much to assert
that the imposition in question has
taught many a child his first lesion of
distrust, for in his earliest year.- he
looks up to his parent as an infallible
guide m all things. The whole world
disappoints him, and appears to him
in an entirely different light when he
first detects frailtv and weakness where
he had supposed perfection to exist.
If his character is formed, as some
maintain, before the seventh year,
then must parents in general bear the
painful reflection that they themselves,
while seeking to inculcate principles
of honesty and integrity, have been
the first to viotate them and to coun
tenance a certain license regarding
them. The simple intellect of the
child cannot yet comprehend those
complicated exceptions to the rules of
right living by which his elders make
their fine discriminations ! To him
the Ten Commandments are absolute
in their meaning. He is still too
ignorant to take into account possible
contingencies. He has not the acu
teness to read between the lines; nor
has he the originality to make inter
polations according to his fancy.
Thank God for the slow perception,
the sterile brain, the foolishnass of
childhood, which imply ignorance of
Satan's wisdom ! Unless, we, also,
can become as such little children,
casting aside the spurious knowledge
of this world, we shall find at last that
the language of heaven is to us a foreign
tongue which we have never learned
to speak, and which we cannot even
understand. Echange.
The Christian
Jfinister as a Pas
tor. The pastor must also be spiritual.
This is first, second and third. This
characteristic of the pastor must never
be absent. The man is more than
the sermon, more than the pastor.
Christ must speak through his lips
and not through his eyes. This life
must be hid with Christ in God. He
may not always talk directly on religi
ous subjects; in our modern time
boarding-house or because of some
family reason, it may be impossible t
have prayer in the family. But a.
gentle, loving word can be spoken for
Christ. The child may be kindly re
membered; a passage of Scripture raajr
be repeated which shall ccme like the
benedication of heaven upon weary
and troubled hearts. If Christ, the
Rose of Sharon, be in the heart, the
perfume of his presence will fill all the
atmosphere in which we move.
The office which has been filled by
the laborious Peter, the majestic Paul
and the seraphic John, and by scores
of the noblest men who have ever
blessed the world with their presence;
the office which to-day is filled by
some of the best men beneath God's
stars, needs no vindication from me.
God honors us; let us be true to our
calling and to our Lord
There is no
nobler motto
than this; "Whosever
saveth his life shall lose it; and who
so ver shall lose his life for my sake
shall find it." R. L. Ma (Arthur, D.
J)., in September Pulpit Treasury.
God writes the Gospel, not in the
Bible alone, but on the trees and flow-
ers, on the clouds and stars.