' vv --.I ... y, 4 : r ... - is devoted to I7te Protection of Jlomeymj, the Interests ofihe County. Gastonu, Gaston d ' . . V Vol. II. 34, 1881. STo. 61. r . . . . - y . i " Christmas Is Near." Christinas Is neur and I am Bind, UucauM) It always brliiRB Such gladness to us little folks. And loU of pretty thing". I'd llko to hovo a doll, of course, With pretty clothes to wear; A carriiiKO, and a parasol A llttlo rockinK chair ; And lota of candy, and n book With pretty pictures through It; A little thimble then I'd sew. For I know how to do it. I guess I'll havo a spoiling book. For fear I'd bo a dunce ; I'd like to have O I can't think Of every thing at once. But then, I have a kind mamma I irucss I'll wait and see ; Papa, inaminalovo me i, 'V " They know what's best for mo, And they can tell dear Santa Cuius To bring just what they please ; I know ho don't liko little folks To ask for things, or tcaso. Kind Word. Of A CHRISTMAS STORY. It ia Christmas Eve ! The scene is the home of u wealthy fumily at Indianapolis Indiana. A bundsome dressed lady, fine appearance, in speaking to her duugh ter. 'Well, dear, what did you buy.' 'O, ever so many things moilier ! Mr Monroe's store was full of the nicest and prettiest things you ever saw.' 'I suppose the shop windows presented a very attractive appearance, as it is Christ mas Eve.' Indeed tbey did mother I Harry says he never saw them look so beautiful before. 'I hope you did not get your feet wet.' 'Both Harry and I had ou our rubbers, mother, and although the snow was quite deep, tiny kept our feet dry.' 'But where are your purchases? dear? and what makes Your brother look so sober ?'. . Harry was standing with bis bunds in bis great coat pockets, not appearing to enter into the iovousoess of bis sister's spirits. O, mother, I forgot ! To night, just as we walked up to Mr. Monroe's wii.dow, I - heard some one sigh deeplyand lookii g up "T saw auman drtaM-U so strangely, Sue had ou clothes so different from ours, and looked so wretched and forlorn. She held the band of the funniest looking little child you ever saw, and she was dressed, O so fiddly? They loiked like people from another couniry. l don t think me queer little midget ever saw a shop window before. I could'ot help saying.' 'Did your jchild ever see anything like this before? The woman turned and gazed upon me with dark sad, locking eyes, and replitd ' Hcttie never saw anything like this before but she and I too, would rather have a good piece of bread, than anything In that window.' 'Have you no bread fi r her at linnier I asked. 'Home I We ve got no home ? Your army broke op our home destroyed everything, and I had to come hire or starve 'Who ate you and where arc you from?' 'We're Confederate refu gees. The yankee army jist swept away everything. My hnshand is in the army ; and, as I had no borne, I came to Indiana to look for a brother. But I huve spent all my money and have nothing to eat and no place to sleep.' 'Ajid what did you ray tLen, dear ? asked Mrs. Abbot. 'I told her she might come and stay with os, As soon as we made our purchases, Hurry lifted the little Midget in the Cb'riage, and they came home with PS.' 'Mercy on me, child ? What do you mean? Who is the woman ?' inquired the mother excitedly. . 'Pon't be angry mother, pleose 1 J could not do otherwise, Tbey are in the carriage at tLe front door, I thought it best to let her remain there until I saw you. She is a poor woman and a stranger ; and I could not b'lp thinking of what Mr. Phelps said last Sunday about the words of the Text. 'I was hungry and yo gave roe meat, I was thirsty and ye gave roe drink I was a stranger and ye took me in.' Mother please let me bring ber in f Mrs. Abbot was a christain, and Christmas-time bad a mellow enfluence on her heart, and the text Just quoted aroused all her cbrktiap charity. The consequence wag, tbat in a fcjr minutes, the woman and child so strangely dressed, were sitting by a warm fire, gome hot ciffee and biscuits were given tbnr,nl, contisry to fill tbeir expectation, thiy 1 pi tbat night in a warm, luxurious bed. The next day the lady told ber story. Contending armies bad devastated ber country, broken up her family, destroyed btr home and left her houseless, homeless, peuuikss, wilb this little ooe dependent on her. AkioJ Ftderal ijTicer recommended ber to come to Indiana, niid bad puiil heravay onthe curs to Louis ville, Ky Somewhere in Indiana she had (c ine kinsfolk whom the hoped to find; hut nmv all her money was gone and she knew not what to do. Very lliutkful was she to(jl(jd for giving htr so much of ccnifort tlal Christ inns day. Foor women! Klie liii ked gaunt and sorrowlul. Her own c othis, rtid tin se of her poor little forlorn lui king child were ci arse and mi st unseemly in the ysf Mrs. Albot and her family Hut the spirit of -Christmas now burned brightly in their breasts. New bi d appro priate clothing was purchased ; a home and a suitable occupation wi re found ere long, for the refugees and by degrees fullness cume buck to their features, roses to their clucks, and sparkles I' joy to their eyes, Of all the Lart'infss bitujiut to the AbtM family by ibe Chrisirrm ; of J?f5, that which nrose from kind treatment'1'''!. Ibe two Southern nfiigees was the sweetest. Months and even years rolled by. Penoe smiled on our land. . Plenty and prosperity took the pluce of ruin and devastation in the Souih. Harvests and crops, year uTt T yeur brought back much of the oldtiine comfort and wen i li to the South. Gaiuens Mounted, oi chords yielded their fruit, and houst -holds were happy once mote North and South became more and more friendly, after years of strife and estrangement. The waim sunny S uth, wilb ilsgeniul sunshine and balmy air, invited many northern invalids in search of health, and they rl eked to Georgia and Florida. One cold and rainy winter day, the truin on the Ilui'road in Georgia was accidently thrown from its track, wrecked. Among the travelers wns a family from Indiana. One of tin m was a beautilul maiden, a victim ol consumption. 0,' suid the mother, 'Is there no house to which we can carry Nora? This ex posure will kill ber, I feur.' And she ap peal d to the gentlemanly conductor. 'There is a very comfortable house close by,' suid the conductor "and the people are kind and hospitable. Perhaps they will recive your famil . fur a short while under the circumbtunces. I will go and see if you desire it.' 'I will be greatly , obliged. Harry, you go wilb the conductor j your futlur and I will take care ol Nora.' Within an hour the Abbot family were safely sheltered iu a hospitable Southern msnsion. Every possible comfort was pro vided for the family, and nothing was left undone that might alleviate their distress It Feems to me that I have setn you before,' said Mrs. Abbot to the lady of the house. . 'Yes,' was the reply. ; 'You received me and Hetlie into your home on Christmas Eve of 1865. I returned home eome years ago, on finding thut my husband had not been killed in the wnr, as I heard ; and the Lord has prospered him, . a? you see. This is our home. We huve several chil dren now, besides Hellie. let tie was now benutiful and blooming maiden, nearly twenty years of age. Iluw swiftly and hsppy flew the hours and days 1 The word departure was ban ished temporarily from tiie household. Winter and spring passed, and with the fiowers of spring came back the rr se to Nora's cheeks. Kindness, happiness and genial clime wrought a great cure for her. Her cough left her ; paleness took its flight ; her foim grew strong and heulthly. The bread cast upon the waters had re turned after many days. The following Christmas another trip was made to Georgia by the Abbot family. nd a glorious timi- they bud. When they returned, a Georgia ll wer wus borne way with them ; for Harry had wedded the 'queer little midget' whom he had once tted into the carriage one Christmas eve. S. B., in Kind Words. T : It is the only heavy IcU , I hate lo the world. It niny b (mtlawid here, but I huve no child, and my old woman arid I h' pe we have made our peace with God, and wish to do so with man. I should like to pry ilr'-And heJuid his - bunk-noiea be fore my brother, requesting him to count them over. 'I cannot take this money,' said my brother. The old man became alarmed. 'I lave cast the simple interest for twelve yeits, and a little over,' suid I e. I will pty )u a compound interest, if you request i. The old debt ought to have been paid loni' ago ; but your lather, sir was very indui- ' ON THE FARM. a Poor Place 7 Children. j Dixie Farmer. to Rail iond t years ago a philosopher I, of Horace wrote a great f town and country, and he both and then summed up n by saying that the town was e fur the rich man to live in try was the best p'uee for a die to, and iuasmucb as riches tin and death was sure, a man settle down ia the country as mid and be cooteot. That is V' bills, returned them to the old mau't pocket book, telling him that although our father left no formal will, he hud recommended his children to destroy certain notes, due, bills, and other evidences of bebt, and release those who might Le legally bound to pay them. For a moment the old man appeared to be stupified. Alter ' he had collected himselfrnd wiped the teurs from his eyea, he said : 'From the time I heard of your futhet's death, I huve raked uml scraped and pinched and spared, to get the money together to pay the debt. About teo days ago, I bad made up the sum within twenty dollars. my owisw ni--tr"-"meraTpi i tosej tot, up ''SMMs get trU i-rdLT "-falth lofng to act anA nnn? nr' ut will m. rA n'.m.nJ .... ' . J web ain't say i j must get ones: to ine uupe ana . tell her this jiocd news. She'll probdbff repeat the very words shensed when she put ber hai.d oa my shoulder, as we pirted 'I have never seen the righttoua formken or his st ed begging their bread,' '(jivinu each of us a hearty shake of the bund, a blessing upon our dead father's Tery lovely to them, aud i t 1 tB i them for wnnlinrr In culw it . -.,flced that those who bave the tji nKtheir ycuth have the poorest fri!ifnge, and like Solomon are '.1 tiluim, 'Vanity of vanities, all t rt4 way is to raise children to 4-t esru their livinir and the best 4 V I f . (jiltem is io the country on a farm iei hnwuy to make money and it's all le bet-r for that. Money made slow is soney iade sure. A dollar dug out of the pound j worth five dollars made in town, nd is Liter than a hundred dollars given a yongjnaQ..JHabit8 areormed in our Well, I've got nothing against the cities or tawns. I know we are obliged to have em, but they are poor places to raise chil dren in. It's an accident if they make good citizens and grow up, healthy. J. never saw a man get rich In a city by trading and speculating that didn't hanker after a home io the country with springs and branches and a meadow and fine colts and calves, and sheep grazing around when he gets surleiled with theatres and traveling shows and Sulveny and Sal Burnhart acd all the other Sals, he longs for the solitude and innocence, and quiet of a' country, home. But then its most always too late. HiB children have got a taste lor society ith its follies and excitment aad Ihev y 'von'!. A ricb-mao'sl -Jiu u cny aie ubout as 4..jlterage young man who has got through a college and received a diploma printed in Lutiu which hecouldu't translate if he was going to be hung. Bill A bp. THISGS WORTH KNOWING. RELIGIOUS NOTES. In the last ten years the number ol churches in Chicago baa increased froa from 156 to 218. memory, he went on his way rejoicing.' DISAGREEABLE HABITS. An Affecting Incident. A Boston merchant dying, left ntnOi -g is papers a parcel of unpaid bills against poor debtors, with a writteo suggestion to bis sons that perhaps the claims might as well be destroyed, as collecting them would undoubtedly cause distress. They"ung men made a careful schedule of the claims, aud placed a large proportion of the debtor's name on the 'forgiven list,' never intend ing to collect them. One day, shortly afterward, (s iys one of he brothers) an aged man entered the (pee, saying be bad come to pay an old debt. He was frjjni Cape Cod, and bis bowed lorm. and humble dress and bard hands, indicated tbat his life bad been oi e of struggles and sorrows. My brother says the nurrutor) turned to his desk and lound the old man's name on the 'forgiven list.' 'Your note is out-law. d,' said be; 'it was dated twelve years ugo, payable in two years. No iuteresj, has tier been paid ; you ae not bound to pay this note. We can never recover the amount.' 'Sir said Ibe old mau, 'I wish to pay it. Nearly all the disagreeable habits which people take up, come at first from tnvre accident, or want of thonghl. ,Tbey rrJ easily be dropped, but they are persiwd in until they become st cond nature. Stop aud think before you allow yourself to torm them. 1 litre are di-agreeable habits of body, like scowling, winking, twisting the mouth, biting the nails, continually picking at scmethirg, twirling a key or fumbling ut a chain, drumming wilb the fingers, screwing and twisting a chair or whatever you lay your hands on. Don't do any of these things. Learn to sit quietly like a gentleman, I was going to say, but I am afruid even pirls fall into such tricks sometimes. There are much worse habits than these, to be bure ; but we are speaking only of these little things that are only annoying when they are persisted in. There are habits of speech, also, such aa .begin ning every speech with 'yoa See, or 'jou know," "oow-a, "I dou I care, "t 1 ;J what," "tell ye now"; iudklinet tUergnce, sharp, nasal tones ; avoid them all. Stop and think what you are going to say, and then let every word drop from your lips jisn4jx!rlect as a new silver coio. Have a care about your way of sitting and standing and walking. Before you know it you will 'find thut your habits bave hardened into a coat of mail that you cannot get rid of without terrible effort. GREAT THINGS. the world is The greate-t cataruct in the Falls of Niagara. Tbe largest caveriv'the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, which is suid to be 27 miles long. "' . The largest river the Mississippi 4,000 miles in extent. The largest valley, that of the Missis sippi its area 5,000,000 square miles. The greatest city park that of Phila delphia, containing 2,700 acres. The greatest gruiu port in the world Chicago. Tue biggest lake, Luke Superior. Tbe longest railroud, the l'acifio ttuil- load, over 3,000 miles in extent. The most buge mass of solid iron is Pi lot Knob of Missouri height 250 feet, circumference 2 miles. The best specimen of architecture, Uirard College, Philadelphia. The largest aqueduct, the Ceroton, of New York length, foity and oue fcalf, cost $12,500,000. Tbe longest bridge, the elevated rail road in Third Avenue New Yoik. Tbe largtst ard Lighesl I ret 8 arc in California, over 300 fett high. iney i (I ou ban Show your cclorn, but don't shot on your nose. Hum shows and frolicking around, so bad if it wasn't for tbe I', bits. He gets so after a while tbat he is uwayc hankering after shows and some ww excitement. The country to him is an Jwful dull place. He has more time to Jtudy ; but a town boy doesn't want to think. It's not his brain he wants to ex sreise, but it's his emotions and passions. A young muu ought to spend three or four years in the country, if for nothing else but his good health his constitution. It will build him up and expand him. A country boy can't dance as gracefully and skip round cat-like as a town boy, for he don' l walk on pavements all the time. A oupjr? .alks on a dirt floor. He works ull over and he dances all over. A town boy can fight a right good fight for two or three minutes, but a country boy can fight ull day. They say the town-boys made the most spirited soldiers in the war, and I reckon they did,, but the country boys had the most endurance. I mean tbe country boys who had been raised liberally. 'here were lots of poor fellows who never ad a good meal of vittles, and grew up ale and sickly, who gave out pretty soon, for they were cowed and backed before they started ; but I noticed that the sons our comfortable furmtrs held out better anybody. They had better conslitu- Hons. A town boy's liver is always getting ut of order, and a town glrl doo't eat t :' til aryiL. i tat aovjd fce-cream . cakersPd ' ' e C.;ie she had lai two or; '.fee little ! faced bl:dreni which mWato be raised oo the bottle, she is pretty well used up, and has to go to tbe spring every summer and be doctored and physicked the balance of her career. Who ever heard of country folks going to the springs for their health ? There are lots of good, strong, healthy men in tbe cities, but they were not raised there. Farming has becu sorter under the ban ever since I can remember. The mechanic ranked the furmer, and the merchant ranked the mechanic, and the lawyers and the members of Congress ranked every body; but the farmers are coming to the front, and the lawyers loosing ground. A modern lawyer can loose the papers or brifre ajwitness, or fool the jury, but a farmer can't fool the soil he works on and all his labor and toil and sweat is houest. There is do cheating the grourd out of a crop nor the Creator out of a shower. He feels bis dependence all the time, and it keeps him properly bumbled, and if Bob Ingersoll bad to make his living that way he would have been a different sort of man. Farming is the oldest business we have' any account of. Old Father Adam entailed on us the power of thorns and thistles and bull nettles, and cuckle burs, and tread saft, and Caio disgraced his occupation by not giving to tbe Lord the choice of his crop, but it is the salvation of all civilized countries and a first-class farmer comes nearer fulfilling man's manifest destiny than any other profession. But I wouldu't (arm Onjorr land nor with poor tools and poor slick J'J live in towu first I'd hire out on the railroad ; or dig io the mines at a dullar a day, or clerk iu a cross roads store, or run for the Legislature. Ten acres of good land is worth mote than a hun dred acrrs of poor land. A rich man can afford to own some poor land and improve it but a poor msu can't. That milk that is turned or changed may be sweetened and rendered fit for use again by stirring in a little soda. Tbut salt will curJle new milk ; hence in prepairing milk porridge, gravies, etc., the salt should not be added until the dish is prepared. Tbat fresh meats, after begiuiog to get r, will sweeteo if placed out of doors ier night. Tbat clear boiling water will remove tea stains and many fruit stains. Pour tbe water tbrouge tbe stain and thus prevent it spreading over tbe fabric. That ripe tomatoes-will remove ink and other stains from wbite cloths and also from the hands. ' That a tablespoooful of turpentine boil cd with your white clothes will aid. the whitening process. Tbat boiled starch is very much im proved by the addition of a little sperm, or both, or a little suit, or both, or a little gum arabic dissolved. Tbat blue ointment and kerosene mixed in equal proportions, and applied to bed steals, is an un'ailing bed-bug remedy, and tbat a coat of white-wash ia ditto for the well of a log bouse. That cool rainwater and soda will re move machine grease from washuble fabrics. THE DEACON'S NEW PREACHER. " Give me a pint of rum,'' said an old drunkard, as he set bis jug down bard on the counter in the store of Deacon Barto lette, who, in bad old times, used to keep a country grocery and sell liquor. "J can't do it. said Deacon Burtolette. "You can't do it," responded the old to per, in measured tones. "And I should like to know why?" "Why?" answered the Deacon, in a tone of mingled surprise and righteous indigna tion ".Why because the law don't allow m to sell less thuu a quart." Ugh 1 and is tbat it?" growled the toper. Then looking the deacon right in the eye, be said, with ao emphasis that fairly madj the old man tremble : "Deacon Burtolette, if you arc no better than the law makes you, you will go to hell sure." This was exactly in accordance with the deacon's own theology. He could uot deny it : but it was a ser mon from a new preacher, and quite uo looked for, and the good man bugan to think. He saw that was living by lair rather than love. He thought of the merchant spoken of by the prophet, who, in ungodly sell-gratification, said. "I am become rich. I have found me out substance, yet iu sll my la bors they shall find none iniquity iu roe that were sin." And thereupon Deacon Bartolette stopped selling rum by the quart as well as by tbe pint, least indeed as a toper had said, "the devil should get him sure." Rev. J. S. Holme. TALK TO THE CHILDREN. Children hunger perpetually for new ideas. Tbe will learn with pleasure from the lips of parents what they deem drudgery to study in books; and even if they have the misfortune to be deprived of many educational advantages, they a ill grow up iutelligent people. We someiiuits see par ents who , are the life of every company which they enter, dull, sil. nt and uninter esting at borne among their children. If they bave not mental activity an I mental stores sufficient for both, h i them first use what thiy have for thi-ir own households. A silent h"ine U a dull pluc fr young people a place from hich thiy ill es cape if liny can. How much ust-ful iu forninii"n, ai d shut urcotcious. but cx celletit mental truinii g. lively, sovial argu ment. Coltivate lo itie utiu.t the art of conversation at borne. There is a congregation of colored catl olic in Marion county, Ky., with 179 com- mmicanta. Tbe members of the Presbyterian con gregution of tbe Rev.. A. B. Mackay, Montreal, have giveo, the past year, $UJ, COO for theological education. The Episcopal diocese of Pittsburg re ports forty-eight Clergy, aeventy-fout churches and chapel, and 5,838 commu nicants. The confirmations duringjlbe year were 416. jf" It is said ibat V v!k.d 'a distant miles to attend thelelugo bapliefkfioolT""" io Iudia bave been regretfully turned away for lack of accomm datioo. Tbe Lutherans are very strong in Mis souri. They have 630 ministers, 818 con gregations and 225 " preaching stations.'' Last year 18,735 children were baptised, and 8.380 were confirmed. The Free Baptists of New Burnswick bave added 344 communicants and received $25,000 for church purposes during tbe past year. Tbe increase in communicants during tbe last Un years has been 3,500. Tbe Methodist Episcopal church South has eleven mission stations along the Bio Grande aod the Mexican border, with sixiy-oue preaching-places, 447 church members aad 373 Suoday-ecbool Bchools. The report of the American board shows ao iocreuse of seventeen mission aries, 100 preaching-places, 2,500 com mon school and 3G0 high school scholars, aod more than 2,000 additions to tbe mis sion churches. Tbe California Methodists have begun to raise a ''Haven memorial fund' of 810, 000 in memory of tbe fate Bishop Haven who died io Oregon, for perfecting i he li brary, cabinets, etc., of the University of the Pacific. The fiftieth annual Episcopal Diocesaa convention of Alabama reported twenty- seven clergy anil d.bto communicants. The confirmations of tbe past year num ber 216 and tbe baptisms 259. The total of contributions was $47,546. A Lutheran Ecumenical council is now called for. The Luthern Visitor believes that such a conference would be perhaps oue of the greatest meetings ever held, and asserts tbat, instead of a few milli n of Culvunists or Armenians, it would re present 50,000,000 Lutherans from all quarters of the globe. THE TRUE WIFE. Oftentimes I have seen a tall ship glide by against tbe tide as if drawn by some invisible bowline, with a hundred strong arn)3 nulling it. Her sails were unfurled, her streamers were drooping, she had neither side wheel nor stern wheel ; still she moved oo stately, in serene triumph, as with her own life. But I knew that oo the other side of the ship, hiddeo beneath, the great bulk tbat swung so majestically, there was a little toilsome steam tug, with a heart of fire and arms of iron, tbat was tugging it bravely on, and 1 knew if tbe little steam tug untwined her arm and left the ship it would wallow and roll about aod drift hither and thither, and go off with the refluent tide ; no man knows whither. And so I have known more than ooe genius, high-decked, full-freighted, idlc suiled, gay-pennoned, but that for the bure, tuiliog arms and brave, warm-beating heart of the faithful little wife that nestles close to him so tbat co wind or wave could part their, would huve gone down with tbe stream, ard bave been beard of no more. Oliver Wendell Holmes. PRACTICAL ANGELS. Prof. Swing says "angels are not popu lar nowadays." And it pains us to say that be is right. Benutiful specimens of femininity clad in gauze and soaring about io the upper etber oo pinions of fluff are useless in these practical days. Uive us a girl who can play an overture on the kitchen stove io the moroiog-, play tbe hard and soft pedal to a rewing machine in the afternoon, aod accompany you ia a two part song on tbe piano in ibe evening, when the lights are low, and yoo have ao article infinitely superior to an angel. And, vonn? men. the worio is D'noe; op wim v " just such girls, acd you bad belter brace np to your opportunities. New Haven Remitter. He was informed that a lady had called to see him iu his absence. 'A lady, be mused aloud; 'a lady.' Upon an accor ate description, be suddenly brightened up aod added : 'O dot vss oo lady ; dol vaa my wife. I,, .'. ' 4 ' a " i- '; ' ,' 'i'l V

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