Tho Progressive) Farmor, April 29 f 1002.
Ths Home Circle.
THE BAINY
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary ;
It rains, and the wind is never weary ;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
And at every gust the dead leaves fall.
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is oold, and dark, and dreary ;
It rains and the wind is never weary ;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thiok in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary-
Be still, sad heart ! and cease repining ;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining ;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into eaoh life some rain must fall,
Borne days be dark and dreary.
Henry W. Longfellow.
THE CA8TLE
A gentle boy, with soft and silken looks,
A dreamy boy with brown and tender eyes,
A castle builder with his wooden blooks,
And towers tjh&t touoh imaginary skies.
A fearless rider on his father's knee, .
An eager listener unto stories told
At the Round Table of the nursery.
Of heroes and adventures manifold.
There will be other towers' for thee to build ;
There will be other steeds for thee to ride ;
There will be other legends, and all filled N
With greater marvels and more glorified.
Build on, and make thy castles high and fair,
Rising and reaohing upward to the skies ;
Listen to voices in the upper air,
Nor lose thy simple faith in mysteries.
Henry W. Longfellow.
FOOTSTEPS OF
When the hours of day are num.
erefl,
And the voices of the night
Wake the better soul, that slum
bered, To a holy, calm deiight ;
Ere the evening lamps are lighted,
And, like phantoms grim and tall,
Shadows trom the fitful firelight
Dance upon the parlor wall,
Then the forms of the departed
Enter at the open door :
The beloved, the true hearted,
Come to visit me once more. -
He, the young and strong, who cher
ished Noble longings for the strife,
By the roadside fell and perished,
Weary with the march of life.
They, the holy ones and weakly,
Who the cross of suffering bore,
Folded their pale hands so meekly,
Spake with us on earth no more.
INTELLECTUAL PROGRESS OR
It is a curious fancy that educa
tion is a thing to acquire in a lump
and have done with as soon as pos
sible, as if it were measles. In nine
cases in ten the child leaves scholas
tic associations on leaving school.
When the graduates, in white dresses
or their best coats, are reading es
says on the art of government and
the relation of the passages in the
Pyramids to the astronomic theories
of the Chaldeans, it would seem to
a sympathetic observer as if the work
of the school has but just begun.
It is too bad that in many cases it
not only ceases but that the scholar
goes backward. This does not mean
simply that he forgets what has
been taught, for muoh that we go
through in sohools is for training,
not remembrance, but he forgets the
influences that have surrounded him,
forgets the lessons of history he has
learned, forgets to follow those sub
jects which have been to him sources
of pure pleasure and profitable re
search.
One does not so when he enters
the business with a fixed purpose.
He knows that his preparation is
never complete ; that he must always
study, examine and inquire ; that he
could not know all that is to be
known of a subjeot If his lifetime
were doubled . That man may well
be alarmed who discovers that he
has ceased to grow ; that he no
longer profits by new experiences ;
that he can no longer address him
self with energy and interest to new
subjects ; for such a man haB come
to the end of his life, even though
- vjhe day of his death may be far dis
tant. J After falling Into business habits
not one person in a thousand tries to
fall'out of them. The easy way is
? the usual way, though it is not ai
rways the way of the higher profits.
If one were to take but half an hour
out of the twenty four though a
whole hour would be little enough
for profitable reading he would be
fore long be master of a theme, and
would be a man of note In his
specialty. He could command a
Nos. 40, 4 1 and 42 of our series of the World's
Best Poems, arrmged especially for The Pro
jbessivk Farmer by the editor. In tMa
ertea selections from the following: authors
fcave already appeared: Burns, Bryant, Mr. and
Mrs Browning, Lord Byron, Campbell, Eugene
Field. Goldsmith, Leigh Hunt, Holmes, Omar
Khayyam, Kipling, Lampm&n, Lanier
DAY.
BUILD EE.
AH GELS.
And with them the being beaute
ous, Who unto my youth was given
More than all things else to love me,
And is now a saint in heaven.
With a slow and noiseless footstep
Comes that messenger divine,
Takes the vacant chair beside me,
Lays her gentle hand in mine.
And she sits and gazes at me
With those deep and tender eyes,
Like the stars, so still and saint
like,
Looking downward from the skies.
Uttered not, yet comprehended,
Is the spirit's voiceless prayer ;
Soft rebukes, in blessings ended,
Breathing from her lips of air. 1
Oh ! though oft depressed and
lonely,
All my fears are laid aside
If I but remember only
Suoh as these have lived and died.
Henry W. Longfellow.
INTELLECTUAL DRY ROT?
language, or a science, or an art,
and double his usefulness and happi
ness. And that is the main thing :
to increase content. There is a mean
satisfaction in stagnation, but there
is a high satisfaction in the knowl
edge that we are of use to our fel
lows, and that onr lives are not in
vain.
We can then associate with our
seniors when we are young, and with
our juniors as our hair grows gray ;
for as we age our minds will broaden
instead of harden, our views and
sympaties will grow warmer and
mellower, and our place in the world
will be higher than if we had merely
dropped our books at the end of
sohool.
Michael Angelo carried his books
with him so long as he could read,
and spoke of himself as a schoolboy.
Newton said that his great discov
ery was but as a single pebble on
the shore of the ocean of truth. We
who are not Angelos or Newtons can
bt least copy their example, and at
the end we may, through our hum
ble, unwatohed studies, give to the
world some fact, some thought,
some facoy that will fix itself in the
memories of a generation to come,
and will make us the happier that
we have shown this result of living.
Saturday Evening Post.
IT SILENCED HIM.
Miohael J. Fleming, a prominent
lawyer of Pottsville and formerly
principal of the Donalson High
School, related the following aneo
dote :
"One day at school I gave a very
bright boy a sum in algebra, and,
although the problem was compara
tively easy, he couldn't do it. I re
marked :
" 'You should be ashamed of your
self. At your age George Washing
ton was a surveyer.'
"The boy looked me straight in
the eyes and replied :
' 'Yes, sir, and at your age he was
President of the United States.' "
Philadelphia Times.
Brown Oh yes, the world moves I
Jones Yes, and it has to hustle to
keep np with the United States.
Pnok.
- "' - i
TWO EINDS OP BEADING.
A young man found that he oould
read with interest nothing but sen
sational stories, The best books
were plaoed in his hands, but they
were not interesting. One day as he
was reading a foolish story, he over
heard some say, "That boy is a great
reader; does he read anything that
is worth reading?"
"No," was the reply, "his mind
will run out if he keeps on reading
after his present fashion. He used
to be a sensible boy till he took to
reading nonsense and nothing else."
The boy sat still for a time, then
rose, threw the book into the ditch,
went up to tbe man who said his
mind would run out, and asked him
if he would let him have a good book
to read.
"Will you read a good book if I
will let you have one?" .
"Yes, sir."
"It will he hard work for you."
"I will do it."
"Well, come home with me, and I
will lend you a good book."
He went with him and reoeived
the volume that the man selected.
"There," said the man, "read that
and come and tell me what you have
read."
The lad kept his promise. He
found it hard work to read simple
and wise sentences, but he perse
vered. The more he read, and the
more he talked with his friend about
what he read, the more interested
he beoame. Ere long he felt no de
sire to read the feeble and foolish
books in whioh he had formerly de
lifted. He derived a great deal
more pleasure from reading good
books than he ever derived from
reading poor ones. Besides, his mind
began to grow. He began to ha spoken
of as an intelligent, promising young
man, and his prospects are bright for
a successful career. He owes every
thing to the reading of good books,
and to the kind gentleman who in
fluenced him to read them. Ex
change. 807T HEADED.
A gay young spark, of a flippant
turn, traveling in a stage-coach,
forced his sentiment upon the com
pany by attempting to ridloule the
Scriptures, and among other topios,
made himself merry with the story
of David and Goliath, strongly ur
ging the impossibility of a youth like
David being able to throw a stone
with sufficient f oroe to sink it in a
giant's forehead. On this he ap
pealed to the company, and particu
larly to a grave old gentleman, who
sat silent in one corner of the car
riage. "Indeed, friend," replied he,
"I do not think it at all improbable
if the Philistine's head was as soft
as thine " Exohange.
MAZE THE HOST OF YOUR PLEASUBES.
There is a story told of an old gen
tleman who never ate cherries with
out putting on his speotaoles, so that
eaoh cherry should look as large and
tempting as possible. If we are going
to wear magnifying glasses at all, it
is oertainly sensible to use them on
our pleasures, and make all we can
of eaoh one.
Some young folks act on just the
opposite prinoiple from this old
philosopher. They save their mag
nifying glasses till there are dlffioul
ties In the way. Every mole-hill is
made to appear a mountain Every
burden looks as -large as if only a
giant could lift it. Troubles are big
enough without any magnifying.
Make as little as possible of them
and tbe most possible of your pleas
ures. Selected.
SHE EXPLAINED THE MEANING.
One of the easiest ways for a law
yer to confuse a witness is to make
him explain the meaning of a word.
Few people can define a word satis
factorily, even if they know its mean
ing. A Western lawyer was cross
examining a young woman who had
a very haughty temper. According
to the Los Angeles Herald, she had
testified that she had seen the defend
ant "shy" a book at the plaintiff.
The lawyer seized on the word.
' 'Shy?' 'Shy' a book? What do
you mean by that? Will you explain
to the court what the word 'shy'
means?"
The girl leaned over the desk be
neath the witness box, picked up a
law book, and threw it so accurately
and so forcibly at the lawyer that he
had hard work to dodge it.
"I think the court now under
stands the meaning of the word 'shy, "
said the judge, gravely. The girl
was allowed to finish her testimony.
i :
Our Social Chat.
EDITED BT AUNT JKNNIK, BALMOH, y. C
AS CONTRIBUTORS to this (department of
The Progressive Farmer, we have some or tne
most wide-awake and progressive young lad8
and young men and some 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 REQUESTED 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 postr
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 LETTEB.
"Why should we ever weary of this
life?
Our souls should widen ever, not
contraot ;
Grow stronger, and not harder in
the strife,
Filling eaoh moment with a noble aot.
If we live thus, of vigor all oompact,
Doing our duty to our fellow-men
And striving rather to exalt our race
Than our poor selves, with earnest
hand or pen,
We shall ereot our names a dwelling
plaoe.
Whioh not all ages shall oast down
again."
Croesus was the riohest king men
tioned in history. One day after
showing his riohes to Solon he asked
him whom he thought the happiest
man in the world, expeoting of course
that he would reply Croesus ; but net
so. "The man whom heaven smile
on to the last," was what he really
said ; and how true it is. Happy in
deed is the man who has the approval
of his Maker in his every aot. As
Cordinal Newman has wisely said:
"Whether a man be born in pagan
darkness or in some corruption of
revealed religions, whether he be
the slave of some superstition or is
in possession of some portion of
Scripture, in any case he has within
his breast a certain commanding
dictate not a mere sentiment, not
a mere opinion, or impression, or
view of things, but a law an au
thoritative voice, bidding him to do
certain things and avoid others. It
is more than a man 's self. The man
himself has not power over it, or
only with extreme difficulty ; he did
not make it ; he can not destroy it.
He may silenoe it in particular cases
or directions ; he may distort its
enunciation, but he cannot or it is
quite the exception if he can eman
cipate himself from it. He can dis
obey it, he may refuse to use it, but
it remains."
To those who use what they have
more is given. At the same time the
more a person tries to obey his con
soience the more he gets alarmed at
hinuelf for obeying it so imperfeotly.
His sense of duty will become more
keen, and his perception of trans
gression more delicate, and he will
understand more and more how
many things he has to be forgiven.
And the voice of conscience has
nothing gentle, nothing of meroy,
in its tone. It is severe and even
stern.
Ruth's letter was crowded out laBt
week, but we publish it with pleaure
this week and hope all our girls will
read and remember ita contents.
Sincere's letter Is so good that we
cannot pass it without a word of oom
mendatlon. It contains a valuable
lesson ably expressed.
Sister Kate joins us this week in a
spicy letter competing for the tuoker.
And I am delighted to give to our
readers this week the real name of
the fortunate winner of Mr. Poe's
book. Now let us hear from you
all again soon
Aunt Jennie.
THE IDEAL GIRL.
Dear Aunt Jennie : Never hav
ing written for publication, I
heslte to make the attempt, but
something In Rebecca's letter in
your columns calls to mind the
thought whether, as the American
girl has made suoh wonderful prog
ress intellectually and become man's
equal in everything except physical
strength, has she not lost something
of that finer instinct that goes to
make up the perfeot woman?
Of course, there are exceptions to
all rules ; but I fear that a certain
modes t, retiring manner, natural to
the girl of long ago, has entirely dis
appeared, not giving place to bold
ness in a well-bred girl, but just an
independent manner that to the mas
culine mind at least detraots a little
from her oharm. A man admires
an intellectual woman who combines
gentleness with knowledge. But his
ideal is a gentle, womanly, home
loving girl, one who loves flowers,
musio and ohildren.
Of course, the emancipation from
a kind of slavery to man whioh the
women of other countries have had
to endure in past ages, and in some
even to the present, gladly wel
comed by all intelligent beings. But
such loving service as Sarah gave to
Abraham, Rebecoa to Isaac, glorifies
a woman's life. A tender mother, a
devoted wife, is the noblest woman
who lives.
We know we are capable.of learn .
ing more than music and embroid
ery. A young ladies finishing
school in Philadelphia in the 50 's
mentioned only those two accom
plishments in an advertisement, to
gether with etiquette and good
manners. There were exceptions
even then;, some women of that
time became deep thinkers, brilliant
writers, and were known to the
world. But the loud girls were few
in those days.
Our girls are allowed too muoh
liberty. Too muoh confidence is re
posed in their ability to take care of
themselves. They are not capable
of proper prudence. The buoyanoy
of youth is likely to develop into
loudness, if without the restraint of
older persons. It is wisdom to
guard our girls carefully until they
arrive at the age of discretion.
Teach them that to talk loudly in
public or seek to attract attention is
a mark of ill-breeding almost always,
oertainly lack of wise training. If a
man is attraoted by the beauty of a
girl who is not refined, his infatua
tion will be transient. He may think
himself deeply in love for a time,
but something she will do or say
will shook and disgust him, and he
will decide he has made a mistake.
For no matter how imperfect a man
is, his wife must be pure and wo
manly. I have in mind an example of de
voted oonstant love to a girl who
was always gentle, refined, low
voiced, womanly in every respeot.
She won his love twelve years ago,
but was not ready or willing to
marry. Year after year passed. He
saw her often, usually every week
and grew more devoted and deter
mined that of all women she was
the only one who oould make him
happy. After an engagement of
ten years they were married and, of
course, with suoh a foundation hap
piness is assured. Now had she
been a thoughtless, self confident
miss, of whom we see so many, his
love would have stood a few months'
test perhaps ; then his visits would
have become fewer and at last ceased
altogether, because man is not espe
cially oonstant ; it takes true worth
to hold his affections.
You may say to marry is not your
goal, nor a man's heart the fortune
you would win. If not that, the
world's good opinion is worth much,
and that is given to the gentle, pru
dent woman.
I think the greatest oompliment
to a girl is to say that she would
make a noble wife and devoted
mother, for "the hand that rooks
the cradle is the hand that rules the
world." And there is no higher
oompliment to a mother than that
her girls are truly refined and wo
manly. Ruth.
Jones Co., N. C.
TWO GUESTS.
Dear Aunt Jennie : I will send
yen a parable, and its explanation
this week as my contribution to our
column.
A certain woman expeoting a very
distinguished guest, made every ar
rangement for his comfort and con
venience. The rooms he was to oc
cupy were swept and garnished,
and made very beautiful. But the
ones she did not intend for him to
see were left in dust and disorder.
"It is no use," she said, "to wear
one's life away doing things when
no one will ever know the difference
if left alone."
The guest arrived and was made
very welcome, and rejoiced to see
the beauty and order of his friend's
home and the eumptuousness of her
fare. But on ooming down one day
to the morning repast, he, by mis
take, opened a wrong door from
whioh esoaped a very disagreeable
odor. On looking in he was aston
ished to see so untidy and stifling a
room in what he had thought to be
a model home. .
He said nothing of his mistake,
however, and his hostess wondered
at his departure at so muoh earlier
date than she had expeoted. The
good man left with his heart full of
pity, somewhat tempered with dis
gust, however, for a woman who
oared only for outward appearances,
leaving the inner workings of her
household to run riot. Indeed, he
left that home a sadder but wiser
man.
Now, eaoh of us may entertain a
wjm tjuooi, xt. wo UU.OOS8. n
no win auiuu wita us alwavp
nn to the end. if wa nav m '
, -.o. cum t
must clear the hallwRv 9
science and ask Him intn m , Cu-
for His aid in oleansing, and pf
insr the rooms of the soul f. i. y
innm la frill nf Inof n J 8
A uuui kj vr null OHQ qJ
liBimess, utuoiD unou Wltn a
m i XI .
or unKinu mougnts, and all fin
WltU tUD WU A lUiUlBUlUgg OI 8l y.
nn4t1 TTa Vi a a A ri trail ihaaA . ' '
LI . J t . . ' ta
ine waxp uuru ui eternal truth
kiio Bwu.ru . Bjjiris, can IT
enter in. 9
Many believe they can give Chrit
m a wv. nil nil a Wi -h SI M ili n .
aayrra tli a rtV or rnntn a fnB . i
v me em.
aao t4 or of a trrTrl 4Via A .
the devil. How vain is this hope
r.f-r nntn film T!rotQ In v, .
neart ana renew a ngui spirit withij
me : enter into my soul, and
M. 9 1 A . . .
forever."
The Lord is in his holy temple
(whioh temple ye are) ; let the earth
keep silence before him. Keep yoni
body a pure and living sacrifice
holy and acceptable unto the Lor
Weymay perchance hide the defecti
and the shortcomings of our liTei
from our friends, but we cannot
hide them from the all-seeing eye of
Jeans. Sincere,
Gaston Co., N. C.
ANOTHER NOTE FROM EEBECCA,
Dear Aunt Jennie : I will oom.
ply with your request for name and
postoffioe "that the readers of Tu
Progressive Farmer may know tin
real name of the successful compefl.
tor." I would have replied soona
but was late getting our paper. Oh,
for a rural free delivery route in
our neighborhood, that we might get
our mails regularly !
Very truly yours,
Mrs. J. E. Rhodes.
Catherine Lake, N. C.
SAD END OF A COW.
A Larimer County farmer lost a
cow in a queer manner. The animal
in rummaging through a summer
kitohen found and swallowed an old
umbrella and a cake of yeast. The
yeast, fermenting in the poor beast's
stomach, ' raised the umbrella, and
she died in great agony. Ex.
EXCERPTS FROXX CARNEGIE'S PHILOSO
PHY. A basketful of bonds is tbe heaviest
basket a young man ever had to
carry. I would almost as soon leave
a young man a curse as burden him
with the alnjighty dollar.
I attribute most of my suocess in
life to the fact that trouble runs off
my back like water from a duok.
Men who in old age strive only to
inorease their already great hoards
are usually the slaves of the habit of
hoarding formed in their youth. At
first they own the money ; later in
life the money owns them.
College graduates will usually be
found under salaries, trusted subor
dinates. It is not from tho sons of the mil
lionaire or the noble that the world
receives its teaohers, its martyrs, its
inventors, its statesmen, its poets,
or even its men of affairs. It is from
the oottage of the poor that all these
spring.
It will be a great mistake for the
community to shoot the millionaires,
for they are the bees that make the
most honey, and contribute most to
the hive after they have gorged
themselves full.
Money is left by millionaires to
publio institutions when they must
relax their grasp upon it. There is
no grace, and can be no blessing, in
giving what cannot be withheld.
From Carnegie's New Book, 'The
Empire ot Business."
MAKE YOUR LEARNING USEFUL.
Booker T. Washington believes in
the culture which makes one mere
useful in the world, and more help
ful to those about him. The follow
ing bit of advice whioh he often
gives his own students, is worth the
attention of young people every
where :
Learning is of no use to yon un
less it makes you better able to live.
The. knowledge you acquire from
books is of use only when you apply
it. Young man, use your geometry
in helping your father lay out nw
cotton rows, your chemistry in show
ing him how to raise better crop
Young woman use your chemistry
in helping your mother to cook ana
wash, your skill in embroidery w
assist her in the family mending.
Young man. when you go home
from sohool to night, put on yonr
overalls and say, ''Father, go si
the shade and rest, while I hoe tne
orop or do the milking." d
Young woman, tie on an apron &
say : "Mother, you must be tired. d
down and rest, while I
iron, or get the supper. 0UU6
People's Weekly.
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