North Carolina Newspapers

The Progressive Farmer, August 28, 1900. N 1 1 I 1 . ' I The Home Circle. OLD MAHMY'S PIPE. Did you ever see a "mammy" withlier old clay pipe? Then listen while I tell you what she used to look like : A red spotted kerchief on a kinky, woolly head ; A big, round face like a loaf of ginger bread ; A countenance as kind as her features are immense, . ; And teeth like the palings on the Big House fence ; Her sleeves to her elbows and her skirts hitched high In the Maud Muller fashion, though not a bit shy She ambles to the door and she squints at the sun r "Plum twe'v o'clock, niggah, an' de dinnah not done. After "chunking" up the firo till it's roaring red hot, And the dumplings bump the cover of the three-legged pot, . She "hunkers" on the "h'a'th" and she fishes out a coal Which she flips with her fingers on the old clay bowl Half-filled with the "heelings" of "Ole Mahster s muh-shawm, And sits by the jam where it's comfortably "wahin." She smokes in contentment while the dinner boils on "Tuhbacca is a comfo't des as sho as you is bawn" And-she chuckles when I ?hunk her with a sto'-bought sack : "De Lawd bless you, honey, you knows whut I lab." Clarence Ousley. VALUE OF THE CHURCH TO mm MEH, BY CALVIN DILL WILSON, IN LEDGER MONTHLY. The church, in the wide range of its usefulness and in the largeness of its power to help, has many gifts for young men that are priceless, and that are necessary to their well-being. In the light of all facts, in the light of experience, in the light of their future needs, it is incontrovertible that every young, man ought to at tend church services and ought to be actively engaged in its work. Many young men do not believe this in regard to themselves; they do not find the church interesting; they wish to spend Sunday in diver sions ; they do not see clearly just what help they are to obtain ; they find that many who attend church are not obviously better than them selves ; and they are not always im pressed by the earnestness and en- i 1 C T ,1 rt Apart from the justice or injus tice of these views, let us look at the actual benefits young men may ob tain from the church. We may take it for granted that all high-minded young men are thinking anxiously about their future, planning to make the most of themselves, to live hon orably, to build up character, and to be not only successful in business, but in personal attainments, in the spiritual things of manhood. CnURCH ATMOSPIIERE. The ehurch, apart from its direct teachings, makes a general impres sion upon the young. It has its own atmosphere ; it deals with matters different from the daily life. To the imaginative mind, the very church buildmg suggests the serious side of things, something of the great problems that all men and women have to deal with in one form or another. The service of the church have that quality that we call religi ousness ; they remind us of the un seen, of the soul, of divinity. Being taken out of the hurly-burly of everyday life into the church is to enter a place where we are reminded that we belong . to humanity, to so ciety indeed, after a manner to the universe. Such surroundings open up thought that we are not likly otherwise to have. One can readily see that the going to an art gallery at fixed hours every week would modify one's life somewtiat, would make impressions that would remain; or that established habits of walking in the fields, or visiting flower-gardens or factories, or at tending musical entertainments, or frequenting libraries, would inevita bly make permanent impressions on the brain, stir certain emotions, pro duce certain thoughts, and thus create that which we call an atmos phere. So the church, habitually attended, affects the spirit and tone of the mind. This is done uncon sciously, until there gradually grows up in the heart a love for the church, for its hymns, for the prayer-book and the Bible, and for the good work in which the church is engaged. When we consider what this at mosphere is, we realize that a desir able result has been brought about. It is an atmosphere charged with love of things good and true, with unselfishness, with sacrifice, with duty, with high ideals, with scorn for the base and with admiration for whatsoever is honest. ITS EDUCATING INFUENCE. The quiet and subtle influence of the church tends directly and pow erfully to give young men an aver sion to vice ; it cultivates the spiri tual nature and shows the true joys of manhood, and raises us above the brute. It alize that all vice causes degenera tion in themselves and their poster ity. Nothing is more strictly scien tific than the Bible teachings of the effect of vice upon the human mind and body. The church shows vice as it is, in its origin, growth, and in its results. Thus it opens the eyes of youth ; it stamps indelible impressions ; it leads to self-preservation, and to future happiness and well-being. This moral light and uplifting of the church cannot be exaggerated. A Japanese count has recently said that within Christen dom the gentleman always means the the man of honor, rather than the man of money, and that this man of honor is the product of Christianity and is not found outside of Chris tian lands. A SCHOOL OF LOVE AND MAGNANIMITY. The church has a strong tendency to soften and humanize the feelings of young men ; it is the builder up and strengthener of the heart. The young man who attends church has goodness presented to him in such a manner as to impress him with its desirableness and lova bleness. The young man learns through the church that goodness is strength, that it is in line with eternal and changeable laws, and that it is the only really admirable and strong thing, and that scorners are blind and foolish. THE QUALITY OF REVERENCE. The young man in the church has cultivated in him the quality that we call reverence, which is the very crown of character, and without which man is a stupid animal, walk ing among wonders and miracles unseen and upappreciated. And reverence becomes to him not only an invaluable addition to his charac ter, but leads him into an apprecia tion of the best things in life and in human achievement. He becomes a higher tope of man. When Tenny son was once standing by a bust of Dante and one of Goethe, a friend said to him, "What is in Dante's face that is no t in G oe the 's ? " Quickly Tennyson replied: "The divine." And that is as good a definition as another; reverence puts into the life and into the character ' the divine. LOVE YOUE BUSINESS. A man can no more be successful in a business he does not like than can a man be happy with a wife he does not love. Enthusiasm is the power which im pels men onward in any and every vocation. Without it men are leth argic. They will drift. But to pull against the tide they are as unable as they are unwilling. Drifting, however, does not win the race, either in business or aquatic events. There must be the long pull, the strong pull and the puil with vigor. Men in . business to-day have no easy task. There is a great deal to dis courage and very little to encourage. There are foes within and foes with out to contend against. Under such conditions it is now on der so many either fail altogether or eke out a mere "existence. The antidote for despair is enthu siasm, and the germ of enthusiasm is love for or pleasure in that busi ness or vocation in which you are embarked. Therefore, if you would succeed, get in love with your business. Se lected. A veteran who was boasting of his prowess during the Civil War was asked, "Mow many of the enemy did you kill, anyway?" "How many did I kill? How manv did I kill?" repeated the veteran, slowly. "Well, I don't know exactly how many, but I killed as many of tbem as they did of me." The Youth's Companion. 50 SUCCESS WITHOUT SERVICE. Educated young men should grasp the fact that service alone brings re sults, material, social or industrial. As to the first, nature only gives us the raw material. We must take from her the things that lie useless, and make them minister to life. The farmer does not labor only to feed himself, but to serve bread to others ; the miner does not dig up the coal and iron for himself , but to serve others ; manufacturers put things to gether, not for themselves, but to serve others; the engnineer dis covers the great forces of nature and converts them to the service of others. Service is the measure of all busi ness success and organization. It is not a question of the size of the organization. If the service and the effect are to enlarge production, economize expense, cheapen pro ducts, or build up the community, it is a good organization, and is do ing Christian service. If the organi zation seeks to take away from the pockets of others and render no re turn, it is gambling, ancT one may gamble with pork, corn and cotton as well as with dice. In this country we talk much about independence', but there is no independence. We are all depend ent, serving one another. Think how many people help to prepare our breakfast. Workers in Japan serve us tea, workers in South America serve us coffee, some near neighbor gathered the strawberries or milked the cow, some people in Chicago sent us meat, and in Colorado others raised the cattle for market. Suc cessful business men are those who are striving to render the best ser vice to the people. In the next place, service is the test of social, or political organiza tion. The question of government is not a matter of consent of the governed, nor of the rulership of the majority. The laws that govern nations must be divine laws, and the most the legislator can do is to dis cover and obey them or suffer the consequences. Manhood suffrage is right, but the manhood comes first, for manhood is a prerequisite of suffrage. The boss rules for what he can make out of the government. Spain ruled her colonies for what she could make out of them. She im poverished both herself and them. In the last place, service is the test of all individual work, the test of the physician, the journalist, the teacher, the humorist who amuses us, and the pulpit to lead us. Remember this : Endowment of power is equipment for service. Lyman Abbott, in address at Trinity College Commencement, Durham, N. C, June 1900. . THE TOADY. That is the man who has no opin ion on any subject until he hears from the Colonel, the doctor or the banker. He revels in the smiles of the "big bugs," and his family quote freely from those who are considered to belong to the upper ten. These poor creatures are found everywhere in back woods country districts as well as in crowded cities, and wherever they are found they are discounted and laughed at by the very people whose favor they are selling their souls to win. They may be millionaires or they may be pau pers. Money does not make a toady, neither does the want of it. It is a condition of the mind a crawling, subservient spirit suited more to a slave than a freeman. We see it in dudes who go about the country aping English manners and customs ; it may be seen also, sometimes, in silly Southern people who attempt the broad and harsh prounciation of our brethren from the North, dis carding their own soft Southern ac cent ; it is found, occasionally, among newspaper men who are afraid to write a line until they first ascer tain what the Charlotte Observer; the Wilmingten Messenger or the News and Observer think about a public matter. We have been espe cially disgusted with the toadyism of of industrial and other journals of the North, outside the realms of poli tics, which cannot bear to be re minded that William McKinley is a human being, or that Abraham Lin coln (who was of Southern birth and humble origin) was simply flesh and blood, and had many failings. What is the use of being a foot anyhow, when the sun is so high in the heav ens? It is refreshing to see a man or a woman so truly aristocratic as never to recognize a superior and at the same time never to allow any one else to feel that he is inferior ! To go quietly along through life own ing his own soul, doing his own thinking and at the same time pay ing due regard to the opinions and feelings of others. A toady is al ways a tyrant where he has the power. He is insincere, unscrupu lous and mean. He enjovs the re spect of nobody, least of all of him self ; and no one is worthy to. be honored who dishonors his own ! character. Charity and Children. Our Social Chat. EDITED BY AgST JENNIE, RALEIGH, ST. C. AS CONTRIBUTORS to this department of The Progressive Farmer, we have some of the most wide-awake and progressive young ladies and young men and tome of the most entertain ing writers among, the older people of this and other States, the ages of the- members ranging from sixteen to more thon sixty. YOU ARE REQUE3TED to join by sending us a letter on some subject of general interest, and writing thereafter as often as possible. WHEN WRITING, give full name and post office address for Aunt Jennie's information. If you do not wish your real name to appear in print, give name by which you wish to be known as a Chatterer. TWO WEEKS OR MORE must, as a rule, elapse between the time a letter is written and the date of its publication. ADDRESS all letters to Aunt Jennie, care of The Progressive Farmer, Raleigh, N. C. AUNT JENNIE'S LETTER. Did you read the article, "Unfa miliar History of North Carolina" in last weeks issue of The Progres sive Farmer? Now I have a sugges tion which I trust will meet with your hearty approbation and co operation. Doubtless, many of you have heard of incidents which trans pired in your immediate neighbor hoods, the telling of which would be of equal interest to the reading pub lic and possibly of permanent value as State history. Will you not relate these occurrences for the benefit of our Circle? Many valuable items of this character have been lost to our State because of the diffidence of her people. It should not be thus. We have many old people who can relate interestingly many incidents, which if written for the press now while these persons still live, would not pass with them into oblivion. Can you not find such a person in your neighborhood and write for us the incidents related? By the way, the time is approach ing when all of our schools will throw their doors open for the reception of pupils. Have you thought of send ing that girl or boy this session ! Have you seriously considered what advantage an education would afford him or her? There are some few parents who do not seem to care for their children to climb any higher on life's ladder than they themselves have climbed, but such sordidly sel fish parents are not numerous ; and we rejoice that they are not. I once heard a man, the father of five healthy bright boys, say that he did not care to have them learn to read, as he needed their time on the farm, and that when children went to school they had no time to work at home. "I don't know any book learning myself and I have always managed to live, and they can do the same," he said, with a disgusting air of self-conceit. His wife was a fairly intelligent country woman, who could read and write and knew enough to solve his mathematical problems for him. With her help he made a success of his farm. Now suppose that girts father had treated his girl as her husband in after years treated her boys think you'that her help in calculating the expense and profit account would not have been missed by him? Doubtless it would ; but I wonder if he would have ac knowledged it? I expect that he secretly hoped that his boys would be as ortunate as he himself had been in marrying somebody's girl with some ' 'book learning. ' ' It pays to sacrifice in order that the chil dren may be educated. The money spent in brain-culture cannot be taken away from the child. Deposit in some bank to "that child's credit a sum sufficient to educate him, and if the bank fail his money is gone. Let him put it in his head and no earthly power can rob him of it. It is his in spite of earthly changes and mishaps . It is a safe investment and one which is sure to yield a big investment all the time and not at stated periods only. Make the in vestment and see if I am not correct. Ah, Violet Lee, a child who never plays with fire is in no danger of being burned. Hypnotism is indeed "a great and dangerous power," and if, as you say, it is what they claim for it, the less we know, or care to know of it, the betters Should you care to discuss literature there is no member of the circle who would en listening more than your old Auntie. The money received for your badge, and your name placed on file with those of others who have sent.. Aunt Jennie. FEOM EDGECOMBE. Dear Aunt Jennie : As I was for tunate enough to escape the waste basket before, I call again. I won der how the Chatterers are enjoying themselves. We are having hot, dry weather down here in Edgecombe. I certainly wish I knew the Chatterers personally. Bashful Sue, I hope I may meet you after we get our badges. I would like to know the Cousins' views on hypnotism. Is there any truth in the statements regarding it? I have never seen . a subject under hypnotic influence. If it is what is claimed for it, it is indeed a great and dangerous power, a power that should not be abused, but should be used for only good and pure motives. How many of us read trashy liter ature? I must plead guilty for one, though I know it is a bad habit. It neither feeds us mentally nor mor ally, but it dwarfs and decays. Now, what shall we do to root out this great evil? I suggest a plan by which we may form a desire to read only the pure and wholesome. Let's study some good author, biography, or history,or even science, each month and write our views on what we read discuss the author's merits and faults. Let Aunt Jennie suggest one subject for study each month. I do not mean to debar all other sub jects from the Circle, but let litera ture for in one permanent subject. , Wishing you all a pleasant good day and much success, Violet Lee. Edgecombe Co., N. C. PREFERENCES . Dear Aunt Jennie : Please allow me to peep in and introduce myself to the members of the Circle. I am and have been interested in all you have had to say from the beginning of your Chat. There are many inter esting talkers among you and I must not tell you my .favorites. I have seen persons who disclaimed the idea of favoritism in any sense, but I do not believe that anybody can truth fully say that they have no favorites. Why, I even have my favorite piece of chicken and my favorite authors, favorite pieces of music, favorite artists, favorite dresses, favorite hats, gloves, etc. I do not think that I am selfish in my favoritisms. I try not to be, but then I do prefer some things to others and I can't help it. It is natural with me and I think that a person's preference for things distinguish that person from his fellow-beings. Individuality is a wonderful fac ulty in the make-up of this old world of ours. Suppose we all liked the same things. For instance, I prefer tan-colored gloves, and if all girls wore only tan gloves what would the merchants do with their large assortment of other colors, and what would become of the vast number of people who find employ ment in the manufacture of other colors? My street hat is black, but I do not think that all girls should wear black hats. There are so many things that I could enumerate that make me believe that a preference is pre ferable to no no preference. I will send for a badge, Aunt Jennie, as I especially wish mine to wear to the State Fair. I wonder how many of the Circle will be there and if I will see any of you? Wouldn't I be glad that we have badges, if I do? A City Girl. FROM CARELESS TOM. Dear Aunt Jennie : I hope that many of the young people who read the Social Chat are preparing to at tend some high school or college this fall. The twentieth century is al most upon us. In the light of nine teenth century progress, who can ex pect to win success in the new cen tury without a good education? If education was once a luxury, it is now a necessity. It- is indispens able. In the days of your father and grandfather, before the clumsy stage-coach was superseded by our modern locomotives and palace cars, or the courier on hoseback had given place to the lightning speed of the telegrah in those days, I say, education may not have been abso lutely essential to success. That day is past ; let the ideas that be longed with it pass also. And let parents make sacrifices, if necessary, to place their children inschool this fall. Do anything short of mortgag ing the farm, or making a heavy interest-bearing debt. I wonder how many of the young men who read the Chat are menbers of the Farmers' Alliance? I am a member 'and I advise all young men and young ladies, too on the farm to join. And if there is no Sub. near enough, talk the matter over with your father and your neighbors and organize one. Joinr attend the meetings, and take part in the work. You will find it of im mense benefit. I noticed some writer saying, a short while ago, that the reason so few farmers have influence in public affairs is that so few have any experience in public meetings. The Alliance offers a remedy for this. Study subiects TOT Ai. Have debates. Cultivate tT And dies ought to join also. They ' benefitted and benefit others tending. ' v y &t What has become of Mrs Be Bilkins? I enioved h - uers mneh indeed. Cnmo - u-oaini t ' , UiU the Major are doing this hot we Speaking of education, thor another matter that I present f consideration. It is this para from a recent issue of the Seotl Neck Commonwealth : "The Commonwealth rcner inquiry, 'Are the young North Carolina making sacrifice- f' education as did many young j former years?' We fearthatv many cases the answer to this ? m. j i o j rt'usvo iio-ve tu ue u uegauve one. Ve sel. dom see young men wearing hom .e spun ciotnes at college now, while frrrmftr vfifirfi srvmp nf 1-. v. , ----- j - utjsj stlJ dents at the college wore cloth spun and woven by their mothers I shall be glad to have opinions o! members of our Circle question. upon this VXfn T OTY-l rrlcwl 1, have badges. Ten cents is a matter. Any of us can afford buy one, or buy a second one if first becomes lest or misplaced. And if, after the paper has them made for us, we do not appreciate them enough to pay ten cents as our part, we would not deserve them as a gift Careless Tom WHO IS MASTER ? He was a moody, quick tempered young man, says the Household. He resented authority, and was always talking about the time when should be independent. At last he reached his ' twenty-first birthday that period when the law recognized It i tyi a a "n r lntinror a nli i 1 I TViil. gerness he had for years looked for ward to this day of freedom from constraint and authority. No one could be more excited or -pleased than he. While he was congratu lating himself, he met a friend that morning. "At last," he said, "I am my om master. No one can order me about now. I shall do as I please." "I do congratulate you," saidhVy' friend, "but are you sure you ard not making a mistake in your accep tance of the word 'master?' " "A mistake?" repeated the young man in surprise. "There can be no mistake about it. I am of age to day, and I am absolutely my om master." Then, said Richard Miller, who tells the storv from his own expe- nence, me young man a menu blandly sugested : "In that case you will certainly never lose control of your temper." The youngman's color rose as he heard this interpretation of indepen dence. His outbursts of temper were well known. "I don't know that I have thought of it in that light," he replied. "Then, there is the matter of cigarettes," continued liis .pitiless friend. "You told me the other day that you did you did not see how yon could give" them up, but now that you are absolutely master, I suppose you will smoke them no more." The young man made no response. "As one who is absolutely master of himself," continued his friend, never led by outside temptations to do anything of which he disapproves, I suppose you will give up the some what questionable ' company have been keeping, which has proved a source of anxiety to your father and mother?" The young man did not reply. He was surprised and stirred by this view of the kind of master that should govern his conduct. tunately, he had a conscience, and 1 wa$ touched. After a few momonts of silence W looked up and said, "I thank you f your frankness, I see that I1 been an awful fool. I shall not say anything more about being my uitt care master until I am reasonably -that I am better able than lam to- J 1 f-,nnt day to restrain and overcome the have my own -hi Von nlf.no-Afhfvr tnn narrow a vie of the responsibilities involved & ing one's own 'master.' " We have make justice a luxury of civilization. Josh Billings. "If you insist upon knowing, i" - -fVf m V TCI U- n, art? are two reasons ior lVV u you." "And they are?" "Yourself and another ma Life. i 1