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CHRISTIAN IN SUP AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST. VOL. 47-NO. 38. A RELIGIOUS AND FAMILY PAPER, PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN ATLANTA, OA. j. J. TOON, Proprietor. FOR TERMS SEE FODBTH FACE. A Kiss, for his Mother. During the prevalence of yellow fever in New Orleans, some years ago, one of the victims of the pestilence was a young man from one of the New England States. As the pall-bearers were ready to take him to his burial, a woman advancing to the corpse said: “ Let me kiss him for his mother.” The following lines are composed on this event. > Shrouded and cold in death he lay, His home and friends all faraway. . Strangers had nursed his dying bed ; Strangers had bathed his aching head ; Strangers his lifeless limbs composed, And strangers’ hands bis eyes had closed. He was a youth, whose steps had led Him far from home, his way to tread. With generous ardor his your.g heart, Aspired to act some worthy part; With trusty arm and honest pride. To breast life’s rough, opposing tide; Its buttle manfully to wage, To earn himself a heritage; And when he died, to leave a name, To crimson not a cheek with shame. As germ, when warmed by vernal breath, Waking, as from the sleep of death, Swells and protrudes with vital power, ’Till bursting into leaf or flower; Obedient to a like behest, So swell these thoughts in that young breast. Soon they expand in the decree, “Mine, is an exile’s life to be. T yield! I feel that Heaven commands; I seek a home in other lands.” And now with many a fond embrace, From home he turns away his face. His childhood’s scenes he bids farewell; His native bill, his native dell; The grounds where he has often played ; The meadow where his feet have strayed ; Kis place at table, room, and bed ; The bed a sister’s hands have spread; The hearthstone’s sweetest memories ; The graveyard where his kindred lies. With tearful eye and drooping heart, From these loved scenes now does he part. But ere he goes, a mother’s love, Unseals, as perfume from above, The precious unguent of her heart, And pouts, like oil of Heaven’s own art, Living, to cheer, embalm, when dead, Her blessings on his bowing head. She presses to her throbbing heart, The son, with whom she now must part: With her warm lips on his, she seals, The deep love which a mother feels: And with those words of wondrous power, Heard only in that solemn hour, When all a mother’s heart does rise, To lift her fledgeling to the skies ; Those strains, which, else, unknown, unsung, Heard only from a mother’s tongue; With such charmed words of tenderness, Thus, she her son, does now address. My son ! thy mother’s words now hear, The last which e’er may claim thy ear. Whate’er my son ! shall thee betide, Be PRINCIPLE thy wealth and pride. Stand in the noble panoply Os: a sublime integrity. In Heaven, and thy own virtue Tin- d.m'e— ietf! not: —evil mm- Shun 01 my son, this deadly snare. If -,inful pleasure shall entice, Spurn from thy lips her charmed device. Hid in her sparkling chalice lies, A poison which, who drinks, he dies. Beneath the sorcery of her eye, Virtue, and Hope, and Peace, all die. Her path, charmed with Circean spell, Leads her blind captive down to hell. —My son 1 remember you must die I Bwn \n bis my child may lie 1 0! think of life’s uncertainty l Os Judgment! and Eternity! The Bible read, and ponder well, All that its sacred pages tell, Os heaven and an awful hell; And often on thy bended knee, 01 lift to God thy earnest plea, That he thy Friend and God willLe, For time, and for eternity. My son ! whom I no more may see, So often dandled on my knee; Learning with apt and loving heart, The lessons I did then impart, Receive once more, my son ! from me, Thy mother’s parting nvuistry. When thou, my son ! art far away, Remember what I now do say. Thy mother’s counsels don’t forget; But bind them as an amulet Around thy neck, and let them be, A light, a shield, a crown to thee. And 0! if Heaven shall grant me grace, Again to see thy precious face, Come back to thy fond mother’s heart, As pure and bright as now thou art. 0, God! —she cries, with deep-toned prayer— I now commit him to thy care. Hasty and sad the future verse, Which does his history rehearse. He leaves his mountain springs and rills, His rocky peaks, and snow-capped hills, His verdant vales, aud woodland bowers, His fragraut meads, and sweet wild-flowers. Blooming as they, in youth’s sweet prime, He hastens to a distant clime. He goes where flowers perennial bloom, And bathe the air with their perfume; Where all the year the vocal grove Warbles the hymns of wedded love. But o’er this land where birds e’er siDg, This land bright with perennial spring, Foul Pestilence does fling her breath, And e’er broods the dark wing of death: Suns brighest shine, flowers sweetest bloom, Over the ever-gaping tomb : And ’mid the glory of creation, Is seen her darkest desolation. This youth as fresh as morning’s breath, Hastes to this land of flowers and death. He goes with hope’s pulse beating high, But goes alas! only—to die. Soon, ah! how soon, does that young head Fallen—lie low among the dead. But was there there, no eye to shed Affection’s tear o’er the young dead ? No heart to mourn his napless doom, Thus si aid in all his primal bloom? 0 ! say not so while woman lives— So long her tear sweet Pity gives. As now the ready funeral band, Around the death-robed youth all stjr.J, From out the crowd a woman came. One worthy of that sacred name, And on his lips printing a kiss, Says, “ For thy mother I do this.” 0 ! there are times when streaks from heaven, Seem to our dark world to be given: When op’ning skies flash a bright light, Across this orb of heavy night: When man emitting such a ray, We feel is something more than clay : And, like the pleasure that we feel, At sudden sparks from smitten steel, So do we look with glad surprise, As flung before our wond’ring eyes, Some streak of light, some bow we see, Radiant with heaven’s sweet majesty. O, woman ! what a secret power, As in an unknown, hidden tower, But ever seen in the right hour; Reposing as in holy sane, Dwells in thy ever-sacred name. Light of this dreary world, thou art ; Thy tears the balm of bleeding heart: And on the soul with sorrow riven, Thy mercy drops the dews of heaven. When in a weak and suffering hour, FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, SEPTE MBER 24, 1868. Forsaken by all other power, Then does the strength of woman timer. 0, shame! eternal, blasting shame, On him, who woman can defame. The lips which would her name defile, Such lips would heaven itself revile. That hiss ! what wRI his mother feel, W r hen she shall hear of this sweet seal, This sacred seal of unbought love, Perfumed with odors from above, Which a kind stranger did impress. In all a woman’s tenderness, Upon the cold lips of her boy ? If then a single ray of joy, From such a dark and dismal night, Can rise to cheer her blighted eight, That ray will shine, that only bliss, Kind woman! from thy sun*lit kiss. That kiss will, as with mystic tie, The charm of love, the ministry , Bind, as an ever-verdant wreath, Fragrant with heaven’s own sweetest breath, Around thy own, with lasting art, The of that mother’s heart. Oft as the mother’s tears shall lave That early death, and distant grave, Fond memory shall intertwine Those tears with that dear kiss of thine. Lady I I ne’er thy face did see; Thy name is all unknown to me; But I, iu this kind ministry, This deed of sweetest charity, This breath of heaven’s perfumery, The majesty of goodness see. Though distant, at thy feet I bow ; And there, as at a shrine, my vow I offer up in Mercy’s eae, Mingling that vow with thy kind tear. Like vernal flowers whose fragrant bloom, Embalms the air with their perfume, May this, thy deed of love, "long roll, A ware of perfume, o’er our soul. Be every heart where virtue breathes, A shrine in which thy memory Uves: An urn, to gather and embalm, The odors of thy fragrant name. In every path thy feet shall tread, May blessings gather on thy head: E’er fresh thy wreath of virtuous fame, And unborn mothers bless thy name: And when upon thy dying bed, Thou, too, shaft lay thy honored head, May Jesus stand by thee and say, I come to “ kiss ” thy soul away. W. H. J. Oxford, N. C. Impressions of an Alabama Association in 1835. When quite a lad I was permitted, in the fall of 1835, to accompany my father and other messengers to the Mulberry Associa tion, held with lvoy Creek church, near old Statesville, Autauga county, Ala. We wended our way down the Coosa, through an almost unbroken pine forest for two days, when we reached the site of the chnrch, near which was prepared a spacious brush arbor. The grove around was enlivened by the tramp of horses and the buzz of human voices. Our travel had been made very agreeable, listen ing to discourses on important subjects of theology, by the-ru>w very aged H‘-*v. J;>moa of wore « important wcasTWraT"presenting Ttr The finest persomnelles I ever saw, an<f genial and gifted in conversation, we lost all sense of weariness in listening to this good man. I soon found, on reaching the stand, that the Introductory Discourse was to be an oc casion of intense excitement. The venerable Isaac Sultle, appointed to that duty, was sus pected by many of a strong tendency to Ar minianism, and our early Alabama Baptists were stern Calvinists. The excitement grew directly out of the fact that several younger men, Elders Harris, Martin, Moore and oth ers, sprung up under the ministry of Elder Suttle, especially the first named, were verg ing towards an extreme hyper Calvinism, and becoming dissatisfied with their father in the ministry. It was tacitly understood that fa ther Suttle’s Introductory was to be an ex pose of his theological views Such was the case. The sermon was exceedingly compre hensive, delivered apparently under an almost overwhelming sense of responsibility, and with an unction and native ability most ex traordinary. It was a complete triumph, chaining the vast audience for more than an hour, aud satisfying the most sceptical, who did not themselves hold views leading to an tinomianism. Elder Harris soon went off into fatalism and irregularity of conduct" Rev. Juab Lawler, father of our well known brother, Gen. Levi W. Lawler, preached, in the course of the meetings, a very discrimi nating discourse on Divine Sovereignty and Human Agency, intended, 1 suppose, farther to clear away the mists gathering upon the subject. Mr. Lawler, a self-made man of great intelligence, often in the Legislature and in Congress, illustrated Christianity wherever he went. He was a fine, chaste, dignified and winning speaker, whose Roman face commanded deference and confidence in all circles. The business transacted was unimportant. A small amount of money was sent up “for minutes” and “for associational purposes,” this latter commonly voted in former days to two or three brethren, in consideration of sup posed extra labors, sometimes by direction of the previous Association. ' TKe main ob ject of an Association in those days seemedlite be a re-union of the brethren, ministers and other “delegates,” the collection of statistics, and the preaching of the gospel ts» .boat, who would rarely hear it except occasions. The Baptist denoinination, fairly represented, always command the attention and confidence of the “common people.” This has been the arena of their greatest triumphs. The simplicity and unostentatious character of their worship, and the rigid scripturalness of their views, only win their way among the wealthy and fashionable by abundance of grace. Rev. Charles Crow, of Perry county, once the distinguished pastor of the celebrated old Bush River church, Newberry District, S. C., appeared in the stand at the close of the meetings, but to the great disappointment of many declined to preach; expressing the .opinion that it was inexpedient, and the peo ple would be restless and desirous of going homq. His venerable person, hymn and prayer, however, added to the impression made on the community. This Mercer of Middle Alabama, was long a pillar in the house of God in two States. E. B. Teague. “Be Ye also Ready.” One of the most important and interesting truths taught in the Scriptures rs, that here we have no continuing no abiding place ; nothing which we can \yith any. degree of cer tainty callour own. The blessed Saviour warns us against laying up for ourselves treasures upon earth; but encourages us to “lay them up in heaven.” Our -stay on earth is so short, that it is folly to lay up treasures here; especially, when we are neglecting to lay up treasures in heaven. Life is too uncertain fur us to be so deeply immersed in its cares. Our days on earth are as the “ morning cloud or early dew.” We are compared to the grass which withereth, and the flower of the grass which fadeth away. “ Our life contains a thousand strings, Aud dies, if one be goue. ’ Such being the case, how striking the ad monition of the Saviour, “ Be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Marfcometh;” How often has it been the case that-when least expected, men have been called from time to eternity. We learn from this expression of the Sav iour, that we are not only travellers from time to eternity, but that some preparation is necessary. Mankind in their fallen state are wholly unprepared for heaven. Were it pos sible for one to be carried to heaven in an unregenerate condition, he would unquestion ably be miserable. Such an one would prefer the rocks and the mountains to fall upon him, rather than to be in the presence of God, un clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Sin is that which makes a preparation in man necessary, to fit him for the glory-world. The existence of sin within a man, makes him a rebel against God, arrays all his powers against God, as the moral governor of the universe; besides producing the most awful corruption in the heart. In consequence of sin, the whole head becomes sick, and the whole heart faint. Wounds, bruises, and putrifying sores, from the foot even to the head, are the legitimate consequence of sin. There is no disease to which the human family are sub ject, comparable to sin. “ The worst of all diseases, is light compared with sin, On ev’rv pari it seizes, but rages most within; ’Trs palsy, plague, and fever, and madness—all com bined.” The corruption of the heart being so great, renders a preparation absolutely necessary. The preparation so essentially necessary to our meeting God in peace, consists in nothing less than an entire change of heart; not merely the polishing of the old heart, but a removal of that, and the gift of anew one. The old one is too bad for any portion of it to remain. ‘.Except a mao be bom again, he can in no ints>the tsfngdorn of God.’ t TjfunpW,' *yf *»y mail bcmX’hrist b# is a passed awayY, behind, all thin gw new.” : ' ‘>A new! heafft also will 1 give you, and anew spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Thus we see that not only a new heart is given, but in addition thereunto, the man ever after lives and walks in newness of life. When such a change has taken place, the man enjoys the blessings of divine grace, and is through the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, prepared for the richer ex hibition of glory to be revealed to the heaven ly hosts. This preparation which takes place in the soul of man, is the work of the Holy Spirit. He alone is able to produce so great a change. “It is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord.” “It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.” “ Quickened by the Spirit.” This is the work assigned to Him in the covenant of T._lemp tion, and this work He will not $. I to another. The means used in the produc.ion of this mighty change, is an application of the atoning blood and the justifying right eousness of our Lod Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ alone cleanses from sin Thanks be to God, the blood of Christ clean seth from all sin. Not only does the Holy Spirit commence this work, but carries it for ward. Nor will He cease from that work, until the light within the Christian shall shine even to the perfect day. Saith Paul, “ Being confident of this very thing, that he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Christians are “ kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last times.” Happy indeed is the condition of every one, who is ready to meet his Lord. “ For now is his salvation nearer than when he first believed.” E. W. Henderson. Can We Do It J That is the question ! Can we redeem our pledges to those men whom we have employ ed through the Domestic Board, at Marion, Alabama 1 We have, through our represen tatiigj m«n in our Southern Convention, ap pointed our efficient and laborious brother, M. T. Sumner, Corresponding Secretary of that Board, w\iose duty it has been, by and with the advice of the Board, to appoint mission aries to sustain the cause of Christ at sundry important points in the desolated but loved South, loved as the land of our fathers, as the cradle of our youth and home of our manhood, and now moire dearly loved for the sake of our loved watered its soil with their brave blood.' Though now overhung with clouds, there is a coming fu ture to our land if we are faithful to Christ and ourselves. In God is our hope, if we are faithful to him. It is and must be through the leavening and vitalizing influences of the gospel that we must be reconstructed, and not through politicians. Then let us be up and doing. Let us pay to the Lord our vows. We have virtually vowed to make good all reasonable pledges of our agency for missions, and yet that agency is $17,000 in debt to good and true men, who, trusting our plighted faith, have gone to these out posts with their families, that they might un- furl the flag of our Zion at the front—at places where the name of.Christ is not held sacred, trusting that we would feed them and theirs. But we have-not done it. They are hungry, and we have not fed them. Their children cry to them for bfead, and they look to us in turn for help in vain. Our brother Sumner hears their cr“y, and his haggard countenance, noticeable to a casual observer, shows the intensity of his feelings, because he has not the means, through our neglect, to feed them. You complain of the drought and mildew, the worm and the catterpillar. Are they not God’s scourges for a gainsaying people? Has he not declared in his Word that he will send them upon a people that withhold their tribute from his treasury? And has he not plainly said that if you will pay your vows, IJe will fill your storehouses and your barns? Try Him now' this once. Make a sacrifice.' Give of your poverty, and He will return of his abundant mercy and fullness. N Are out shepherds doing rightly in this matter? Do they put the case clearly to their congregations in thoughts that breathe and words that burn? Do they point out a system and method by which many littles may make much ? Or are they looking be yond for beds of downy ease? Do they not know that teachiug this, their people will learn more and supply their wants, when system and method have been established, and the fallow ground of fruitless hearts has been broken up by the power of the truth from hearts glowing with love. I write thus earn estly, because I feel deeply. I know that if every Association, which is yet to meet this Fall, would but do its duty ; if some Apollos at every convocation would devise liberal things, and say earnest words; the ten States could clear the Board of debt, and our churches would make a bold step in a heav enward direction, and our pastors would, themselves, receive joy ways. Let it be tried in Association and in church; let intelligent deacons and pious men and women everywhere, feel and act as if, in this matter, thej|Jp|lfe a charge to keep and a God to glorify ;|HHe work will be done. Let us see, and "reef and act; and all will be well. J. T. F. “Should the ObserriHM&fiiF the Lord’s Sup per be a Part of .fcssqeijatlonal Proceed ings ?” .. vl In the Index A.:b Ravi-ist, of August 6th, we find an artWe- iAderHlhis heading, over the signature ofvF,” ,-whjg*, we suppose, was intended for Union Association. W-a have that article un memlx'i’ ' I"’"': the brethV " R.t<> tvl-brut- JLurjTs -failuHfe on thi^rpftrtTll^^^PPF"vfls Toilow ing lines from a visitor.* It has been the cusfem of 'the above named Association, from itsl|irth, jto have a mission ary sermon preache# on t Sabbath of each session, and a collection made for missionary purposes. This was |hougit by many to be an injudicious course ; and kt the last meeting the matter was freely debated, and a resolu tion passed to desist from the practice. The question then arose, “ Wfiat exercises should be appointed in its stead The brethren, feeling satisfied that th«usiureh with which the next Association wfeW convene, would appreciate the exereiseSgHiplved to have a sermon on the subject and engage in the celebration of the Lord’s sup per with the church. Os course, it was un derstood that the church *was expected to make the necessary preparation for the ordi nance, and that it would be celebrated as a church rite, and not as ail associational mat ter. If the Association hsrff been disposed to take the ordinance out of the hands of the church,-and place it in thelf own, thfjr would not have decided to celebrate it on Sunday, but on Saturday or Monday, while attending to other associational business. They would, also, have appointed a committee of deacons to make the necessary preparation. Nothing of this sort being done, proves plainly that the Association was only intending to cele brate the Lord’s supper with the church on the Sabbath of its session. We think the object of the Association a good one, and we do not believe, the act, will conflict with any established custom, or ax iom, of the denomination; but we feel sat isfied it will result in good. In place of the missionary sermon and collection at the As sociation, the body resolved that each pastor should preach a sermon to his congregation, and make a collection for associational pur poses prior to the meet’ n S Associa tion. If it is wrong fit the Association to appoint its own services, it must be doubly wrong to appoint such services as those men tioned for the churches, But F. does not object to these; and we, therefore, trust that he will not object to the brethren, who com pose the next Union Association, engaging in the celebration of the Lord’s supper with the Providence church during the Sabbath servi vices, provided they observe it as a church ordinance, which, we arejjure, they will do. Visitor. Want of Missionary Zeal. I do not pity ministers as I once did. They have themselves to blaaie for much of their discomfort. They arejnot leaders. They neglect to set forth a part of the counsel of God. The people know-.atjjppaftfHvely little of the claims ot the Master where the duty of extending his Church is seldom spoken of, and where there are no devised for this first and chief business of every Christian organization. A church is no church of Christ unless it is a missionary church. If a people are not taught correctly on this point, they will be interested chiefly in their own church prosperity —next to that they will learn to regard their own individual pecunia ry interests. By and by they persuade them selves that even what tliey withhold from their own sanctuary if so much advan tage to their temporal circumstances, and soon, as a matter of cou&e, the minister can not get his salary,jttnd the orgahizition grad ually declines. This is an inevitable conse quence. The minister ought to have known it, and made h.s <?wi3 accordingly. He makes his.ovp need not object to lie upon it. It is his own fault.— Rev. Goyn Talmage. £ Northern and Sonthern Baptists. According to a recent statement by Rev. Dr. Samson, “ politicians at our national centre,” are wont to say, “ Baptists did most to divide our people; to do most to unite them.” The Union which it is the province of “ politicians ” to make—or mar—lies beyond the legitimate sphere of this paper as a religious journal; and we have nothing to say about it. But we confess our anxiety that Baptists, North and South, should earn a place in the front rank of those who seek to restore Christian fellowship and courtesy between churches and individual be lievers in the two sections; and what we can do to further that end, shall be done to the best of our ability. We are happy, there fore, to have the concurrence of the Watch man and Reflector , Boston, in the main drift of our article, a month or since, on “ Conciliation.” We give its response to that article in full, and without comment—except the expression of a wish that-our contempo rary had contented itself with ascribing what it deems objectionable in the quotation from the correspondent of the Index dz Baptist to the same source with any irritating language of its own—the “ infirmity ” from which even “ the holiest” of men are not free. —Ed. irritating language. The Christian Index, in an article on “ Con ciliation,” the aim of which is to strengthen the present tendency towards Christian har mony between Northern and Southern Bap tists, and the spirit and reasoning of which are mainly in the same direction, says it seems clear that the restoration and mainte nance of harmony between the parties de mands as an indispensable condition, the disuse of irritating language. Admitting that cases may arise which shall justify Northern men in the employment of expressions con sonant to their deep convictions of the wrong of secession, it urges that the moral charac ter of secession turns on the purely political inquiry back of it, whether the Union is a league of independent sovereignties, as is affirmed even by our own Charming, or a nationality with the sovereignty and indepen dence of the States irrevocably merged in it; and he asks, therefore, that it may be removed from the range of direct religious discussion and indirect allusion. He also asks that illustrations of Christian doctrine or of Christian duty may not be drawn from the men, and measures, and inci dents of the war; for those address minds which view the events of the last few years in so different lights, and so far recall the feelings of more embittered times, that they not only furnish no help to the appreciation of the subject of discourse, but even work it damage. Dr. Hague’s sermon in Baltimore is referred to as a case in point. ‘There was no asperity in the style of these illustrations— but they gave umbrage to a very great pro portion of the audience. And “The finest orator of New England ” (as a writer in one of our Southern exchanges terms Dr. Hague) was large-hearted enough to say that he would have abstained from them, for the sake ofm harmony, if he had dreamed that they woulA prove offensive to his Southern sjlt'ukl uc»t. the desire of harmony ’pcßJ seas sufficient strength flit secure general cofl* eurrence in the policy which he avowed his willingness to adopt in that instance?’ It continues: ‘Recognizing the largest liberty of speech as the right, and even as the duty of Northern Baptists, whenever necessity de mands that the question of secession shall be treated under its ethical aspects, we submit these three inquiries with respect to the course which is expedient and proper at other times. It remains for those whom it may concern, to decide whether restored fellow ship between the brethren in the alienated sections is, or is not, of sufficient importance to warrant the disuse of irritating language in order to secure it.’ To the charge that the South would dictate ‘ a sugar-coated concili ation vocabulary ’ it replies, ‘What “dicta tion” is there in echoing the voice of common sense, that no breach of long standing can be healed without much concession to human infirmity on all sides—without granting, for the sake of peace, matiji things which cannot be extorted under a claim of right?’ For ourselves, we accept the above in full as wise in policy and Christian in spirit; and if at any time “irritating language” has es caped us, it has been only from that infirmity which is always sure to mar the holiest pur poses of imperfect men, and which, in the present case, will on both sides long continue to retard the attainment of the desired end. We quote from the same number of the Index which contains the above as the editorial leader an extract from a correspondent, that may serve to show how great a demand some utterances in Southern religious journals make on Northern charity and the spirit of Chris tian conciliation : “ Our religious denominations will have to occupy the fields given them by the great Head of the Church, without entanglement with the people who have repudiated the authority of the Divine Word. Nay, it is to the Baptists of this Southern country that the world will have to look for the propagation of the truth as it is in Jesus.” We are not troubled by such things. They are natural enough to men that never really knew us and have been still further estranged by the conflict through which we have passed, and who are lacking in breadth of view and in ability to look at a subject from the stand point of an antagonist. We refer to them now only to suggest that the exposure to irritating expressions is not all on one side. But patience, intelligence and a Christian spirit will yet heal all. “It’s only a Little While, Sir.” —“Well, Molly,” said the judge, going up to the old apple woman’s stand, “ don’t you get tired sitting here these cold, dismal days'?” “ It’s only a little while,” said she. “And the hot, dusty days?” said he. “It’s only a little whde, sir,” answered Molly. “And the rainy, drizzly days?” the judge. sjf' “It’s only a little while,” answered Molly. “And your sick, rheumatic days, Molly ?” said the judge. “ It’s only a little while, siff’ said she. “And what then, Molly ?’* asked the judge. “I shall e.nter into that rest which letnains for the people of Gbd,” answered the old woman, devoutly ; ** and the troublesomeness of the way there don’t pester or fret me. It’s only a little while, sir.” “All is well that ends well, I dare say,” said the judge; “but what makes you so surf, Molly ?” “ How can I help being sure, sir,” said she, “since Christ is the way, and I am in him? He is mine, and 1 am his. Now, I only feel along the way. I shall see him as he is, in a little while, sir.” “Ah, Molly, you’ve got more than the law ever taught me,” said the judge. “Yes, sir, because 1 went to the gospel.” “ Well, Molly, I must look into these things,” said the judge, taking an apple and walking off. “ There’s only a little while, sir,” said she. Howard College. (From a circular issued some two months since, by the Trustees of this Institution, we select the following statement and appeal— with the hope that our readers may be incited to an active interest in the promotion of its prosperity.) During, and since the war this Institution has been in a languishing condition. The large endowment of the College has been al most, if not entirely lost. Various efforts have been made by the Trustees to place it its former footing, but owing to well known causes they have not succeeded accord ing to their expectations. And they now look only Jo the individual exertions of the friends of the, College to sustain its interests. The Trustees feel* now more ever, the importance of sustaining this Institution, and are determined to make a united, vigorous, and, as they think, successful effort to in crease its usefulness and prosperity to a de gree beyond that of any former period in its history. The Alumni, too, of the College, who are dispersed throughout the South, are thoroughly aroused to the importance of up holding and sustaining their Alma Mater. Those present at the late annual meeting re solved that, as a Society, they would send forty young men to the College, the expense of whose tuition should be defrayed from funds to be raised by themselves, and, in eve ry possible way, to exert their influence to increase the patronage, and promote ths pros perity of the Institution. In order to place the advantages of a good practical and liberal education within the reach of every young man in the country, the rates of tuition have been greatly reduced, being now, in the Col lege proper, sixty dollars, and in the Prepar atory Department, connected with the Col lege, forty dollars per Session of Nine Months. These rates are believed to be lower than those of any other public or private school in the State. Still further to reduce the ac tual expenses of the student, the Board re commend the adoption of the mess system, now practiced to a large extent in the College under Gen. Lee’s superintendence, and iu the University of Mississippi, at Oxford. In the latter, the most successful school, and of the largest patronage of any institution in the Cotton States, we have information that there are eighty young men who are educa ting themselves, upon this cheap plan of liv ing, at a cost of about five dollars per month, and that these same young men are the pride and boast of the Faculty. Such go to Col lege as Students —to make men of them selves ; and the Trustees not only recom mend this cheap plan of living, but appeal to every lover of education to encourage and sustain those young men who adopt it. In this way Board may not exceed fifty dollars per Session, and when the fathers of our sons read this, let the family at once decide to spare the boy fifty dollars for at least one year’s trial at the Howard College. Board can be had in the best private families at fif teen dollars per month. Incidental expenses and room rent have been pat at the lowest possible rates. Thus a young man of limited mo-.na may, obtain-at this Q. Thornton, ' who for several years previous, as well as subsequent to the war, has filled the chairs of Natural Science and Modern Languages in Howard College. A native of Alabama, and a graduate of the State University, he was at once selected by the late Prof. Tuomey as Assistant in the Geological Survey of the State. He afterwards spent some years at the University in Paris, in the pursuit of his favorite studies. On his return he was elect ed Professor of Chemistry and Modern Lan guages in the Alabama Central Female Cal lege, which position he held until called to Marion. His native talents, his high attain ments in Science and Literature—his emi nent success as a Teacher, and his amiable and sterling qualities as a man, led to his appoint ment as Professor in his Alma Mater at the late re-organization of the State University. Add to these his administrative capacity, and the Board of of Howard College congratulate the* frienCs of the Institution that they have in their President, the continued services of one whose past re cord gives such assurance of success. * * The Preparatory Department will be un der the supervision of Prof. I. B. Vaiden, a native of Virginia, and educated in one of the most ancient and celebrated colleges in that State. For many years he has been en gaged in teaching in Alabama, and has ac quired a wide and enviable reputation as a thorough teacher and efficient disciplinarian. For the last year Prof. Vaiden has been en gaged as instructor in the Howard—and we will here add that those pupils who are too young, or too indolent and disorderly to trust to themselves for the proper and necessary application to their studies, will be required to spend their hours of study under the im mediate supervision of the Professor of this Department, in the Chapel of the College, whose duties require his constant aid and at tention to the younger classes and pupils. Those parents who do not wish their children brought under the strictest discipline, the Trustees would advise to send elsewhere. The chair of Mathematics remains to be filled. The services of a competent instruct or for this department will be secured before the opening of the Session. The Trustees appeal to the Alumni. As is proposed by them, let them constitute eve ry Alumnus in the State an aotive agent in his locality for Mater and let him send up one, t-vo, or five young men from his neighborhood. They appeal to the denomi nation to foster and nurture Howard College, which should be its pride and boast. They appeal to the Alabama Baptist Convention to make the present Condition, and the future, of the College, a specialty at its meeting in Norerfiber. "They appear to tint former pat rons of the College, and its former Fnfetwh, and the friends of education everywhere, to rally to its support. They ask no large do nations—they ask no endowment now—but yearly contributions, in Ones, Fives and Twenties, to preserve the institution and fur nish the means of educating our young men while the heel of oppression is upon us, and while the storm of poverty beats so heavily ; trusting that ’tViser counsels will eventually prevail and an era of prosperity will yet dawn upon our country. Marion is well known abroad for its health fulness of location—for its accessibility—for its High Schools and Colleges. To these Schools and Colleges it is indebted for its reputation—for the high tone of the morals of its people—for the high degree of refine ment of its society—for its prosperity in a material point of view. The Trustees appeal to Marion for its patronage, its aid and its support. Mistakes. —There are three things, which, if Christians do, they will prove mistaken : 1. If they look for that in themselves, which is to be had in another, viz.: righteousness. 2. If they look for that in the law, which is to be had only in the gospel, viz.: mercy.. 3. If they look for that on earth, which is to be had only in heaven, viz.: perfection. WHOLE HO. 2408. The Hand In the Dark. Nervous people, who journey for the first time through that tunnel cut through the sol id rock at Bergen Heights, for nearly a mile, become conscious of their susceptibility to impressions, as the locomotive goes shrieking into the darkness, and again, after about three minutes, rends the smoky air with three short, sharp, unearthly sounds, as required by the rule. But notwithstanding more than one hundred trains a day, connected with three different roads, plunge through this gloom, such safety is secured by an excellent tele graph and patrol system, that on no portion of the road need there be less apprehension qf danger. At our prayer meeting the other even ing, a little incident was mentioned which gave a very profitable turn to the exercises, and, to gether with a few thoughts suggested by it, may benefit some of the many who read this page. Two little girls, of six and four, accompa nied their father to the city. Seated just ahead of him, they seemed wholly absorbed in outside objects, giving no sign of interest in their father’s presence until the train en tered the rocky passage. Then, as it went thundering through the hill, each child reached over a little hand, placing it in the hand of the father, remaining perfectly still, and feel ing secure, until the light came, when they re sumed their playful interest in the world without. This will be recognized as an illustration of simple faith, manifesting itself in the assur ance of safety expressed by the little ones as they interlocked their father’s hands with their own. But another train of reflection is suggested, which may 4>e profitable to our travellers through dark places. That parent thought, “This illustrates my exercises toward my heavenly Father. I love him, and feel that he is near me in my travels ; yet I often be come so engaged in the outer world that, for the time, I am not vividly conscious of his immediate presence. When lam called to enter some dark ‘tunnel’ ot experience, my mind turns back to Him whom 1 know to be ever near, and a quiet happiness possesses my soul as I ‘feel the clasping of his hand.’ ” Christian, make the application. The ao tivities of the world have their proper de mands upon you, and it is not expected that you will always be absorbed in the contem plation of God ; but keep near him —so near that on any occasion you can take his hand and realize his precious presence. Life’s train will soon convey you through the last “tunnel.” In the dark you will feel the strong hand whcse pulse connects with the ever-lov ing heartland when you emerge into the light at the other end, you will see his face, and rejoice as you enter the city which needs no sunlight, for the glory of God and the Lamb is the light thereof. Until then use these words as the language of your heart: “Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine, Nor ever murmur nor repine ; Content, whatever lot I see. Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.” Cor. Ex. & Chron. Fruits of Infant Baptism. Rev. Galusha Anderson, D. D., in a letter to the Watchman & Reflector, gives a startling picture of the Reformed church—the church formed, yttars ago, by the coalition of the Lu therans. Zuingdian9 and Calvinists of South e • ern Germany: \ The Reformed church is made up, to a very great extent, of the unregenerated. Baptis mal regeneration is one of its dogmas. Its members are made Christians, in unconscious Infancy, when a few drops of water, in the name of the Trinity, fall on their heads from the fingers of the officiating clergyman. In childhood they are compelled to learn the catechism and a given amount of Scripture in the day school. Lads are often forced to commit to memory portions of the New Tes tament as a punishment for their roguishness. At the best, it is simply an intellectual exer cise. Their teachers know experimentally nothing of the Gospel, and in many cases are rationalists or skeptics. They teach the cat echism and the Scriptures because it is one of their school duties, for which they receive a certain number of guilders. When their pu pils are twelve years old they are confirmed in the church and receive the communion. In this confirmation and communion the regene ration wrought in their infant baptism is sup posed to bud and blossom. But after they have thus bloomed into piety it is noticeable that they seem to care nothing for the ohurch nor its ordinances. Jhey join the heedless, Sabbath-breaking throng, either cherishing the delusion that they are now safely ticketed for heaven, or else casting aside all faith in the Scriptures as an authoritative revelation. A family of the church with which 1 am ac quainted say that there is neither a heaven nor a hell. There is evidently, a mistake somewhere. Yet here and there among these irreligious members persons are found whose hearts God has touched. They are truly converted, but, as a pious German told me a few days since, “in the German way.” Their piety is sickly. It grows under the tangled brushwood of a State church. It is not ag gressive. It shrinks from opposition, which aggression always provokes. Yet it is genu ine, and if conflict comes, and it must come, sooner or later, it &ill range itself on the side of God and truth. But when we have said all that we can say for this church, we still see how justly applicable to it is that sharp, incisive utterance of Gasparin, in one of his lectures at Geneva—l quote from memory— “ The creeds of the Protestant State churches of Europe are so framed as to keep all error in and all truth, out." Chained Lions. “ Bunyan’s Christian pilgrim, in his approach to the Palace Beautiful, was distracted and dismayed by two lions on either side of the gate. But gathering courage and going a lit tle nearer, he found to his great relief that the lions were chained. I am often reminded of the chained lions 'ttsAjravel onward, I trust, to the Celestial city. Sometimes I propose to do something for Jesus. Difficulties spring up in the way. At first they seem unsurmeuntable, and I fear to go forward. There is I turn in the way. Gaining fresh courage through praydr and effort, I approach nearer. The seeming difficulties vanish—the terrible lions are chained. Run and speak to that young man, the Spir it says; tell him the Saviour calls to-day; tell him now is the accepted time. . Ah, but there is a lion in the way. He "will not heed my invitation. He will be offended. It is not my place. Urge that dear friend to come out from the world and its vanities, and take up the cross of Jesus. Thus conscience whispers. Oh, but she is so thoughtless, so vain, she will not heed any entreaties. She is so young, too, I will wait awhile, there are so many li ons in the way. Thus my will and my conscience often talk to each other. Is it not thus with you, my friends ? Ah, how much better it would be if, disregarding all these chained earthly lions, we would press bravely on to the celestial city, trusting only and ever to him who will strike down every foe—Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.— S. S. Timts.