Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index.
TUB SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST, ' TJIE CHRISTIAN HERALD
. of Alabama. or Tennessee.
VOL. 55-NO. 1.
Table or Contents.
First Page.— Alabama Department: Record of
State Events: The New Year; A Law for
Loafers ; The Christian Index— MaCon Tele
graph ; Spirit of the Religious Press ; baptist
News and Notes: General Denominational
News ; The Friend Yon Need—Poetry ; Keep
ing Christmas; etc.
Second Page. —Oar Correspondents: Rev. H.
Woodsmall's Misrepresentation of the People
of Georgia—W. J. Northern; Letter from
“Old Fogy The Palm Tree—A. A. McKee.
Stone Mountain and Prohibition—J. M. Still
well ; Among the Churches—W. N. Ohaudoiu;
Southwestern Georgia—R. W. F.; Election—
W. Lively ; To the Middle Association—R. L.
J. Grant. Mitchell County vs. Rev. H. Wood
small.
Third Page. —Our Pulpit : Dives and Lazarus
—Sermon by Rev J. O' B. Lowry, Mobile, Ala.
One by One—Poetry. Educational : Shall we
Send our Girls from Home—Aunt Edith ;
Southern Female College— 1 ‘H.”
Fobbth Page.— Editorial: Anno Domini 1776;
How The Index is Appreciated: Georgia
Bpatist News -Rev. D. E. Butler. Oar South
Carolina Letter, Rev. Dr. Skinner ; etc.
Fifth Page.— The Evangelical Alliance — R.
Fuller; The Sunny Side—M. B. Wharton.
Secular Department : Our State Exchanges ;
Law in Georgia vs. Law in Illinois : Marietta
Female College; Rev. H. Woodsmall Again :
Literary Gossip ; New Year’s Greeting—Poe
try ; Georgia News; A Leading Southern
Journal: News of the Week—Foreign and
Domestic ; etc.
Sixth Page.— Home Missions: Seventh Annual
AddresH ; Annual Report of the Secretary of
the Executive Committee of Association—
S. Boykin. The Sunday-school: Sunday-school
Institute and Protracted Meeting in Cuth
bert—J. B. Cheves ; Sunday-school Work in
the Bowen.
Seventh Page.— Select Miscellany: Maxims
fora Young Man; “Land ot the South”—
Poetry ; “At Forty ;” etc.
Biqhth Page.— Marriages. Obituaries. Tributes
of Respect. Advertisements.
INDEX AND BAPTIST.
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT.
The Legislature met on the 28th ult.
Anew church building has been completed
at Pleasant Hill, Jefferson county.
About 25 additions have recently been made
to the Tuskaloosa Methodist church.
In the Alabama Methodist conference there
are 210 preachers, and 29,025 white members.
A doll, sold in Montgomery for the benefit
of the First Baptist church, netted $114,70.
During a recent revival in Talladega, 33 per
sons joined the Presbyterian church.
It takes SI3OO hundred dollars a month to
keep up the public schools of Montgomery.
The Methodists of Talladega have provided
a parsonage for their pastor.
The Baptist supper at Tuskegee, December
10th, netted over SIOO.
Out of 8000 whites in Montgomery, only 130
have died within twelve months—less than 17
to the 1000.
T. A. Kirkland, of Greene, made 2630
pounds of seed cotton, and 8 bushels of corn,
on one acre.
The Granges of Limestone will meet in Ath
ens, January loth, to arrange fora county fair
next fall.
Alfred Johnson has opened a gold mine six
miles from Dadeville, the ore of which pans
out $35 to the ton.
The weather during the past week, says the
Eufaula Times, has been unpreedentedly warm,
and, consequently, unhealthy.
Colonel J. J.,Howell, of Camp Spring, in
Lawrence county, made t l >is year 3150 pounds
of lint cotton, 80 barrels of corn, 30 bushels of
potatoes, 300 head of fine cabbage, 10 pounds
of tobacco, and 3 bushels of goobers, all with
one horse.
From the Eufaula Times, December 29th :
Mr. W. E. Cox, residing about three miles
south of Clayton, deliberately took his own life
on one day last week, by shooting himself in
the head with his rifle. He was about 35 years
of age and was well known to everybody about
Clayton and the central portion of the county.
He leaves a wile and five children to mourn
his tragic and untimely death. No cause is
assigned for the rash act, other than pecuniary
embarrassment and despondency.
The Eufaula Times, of December 2nd, allud
ing to Dr. Battle’s lecture in that city says:
We are ashamed to say that only about fifty
ladies and gentlemen attended the lecture of
Dr. Battle on Monday night last. The great
learning and moral worth of the man, and the
object tor which he delivered the lecture, should
have drawn out a much larger audience ; but
if we take into consideration the lecture and its
faultless delivery, then we say the Opera House
should have been filled to its utmost capacity.
We have heard many lecturers on various
subjects, but never heard one we enjoyed more,
or, even so much, as that of Dr. Battle. It was
brim full of interest, amusement and valuable
information, and delivered in most polished
and scholarly style. The subject, proper, was
the Sun, the great source of light and beat to
the solar system, and discussing it, the distin
guished and eloquent speaker held his audience
in alaaoet spell-bound attention, and he was
frequently greeted by hearty rounds of ap
plause. We are sorry, indeed, that it was not
heard by every thoughtful and intelligent per
son in the city, and regret that such a rich in
tellectual least should be passed, almost uno
ticed, by our people. It does not look well for
them, and it is not well.
The Eufaula Nem, Ist inst., says:
r ' About twenty negroes passed tnrough this
city yesterday, for Florida. Within tbe past
month more than two hundred negroes have
left for Mississippi and Florida.
THE SEW YEAR.
Three-quarters of the nineteenth
century have passed; a few persons now
live who saw it dawn, and have grown
with its increasing; fears. More than
two generations have lived and died,
whose for good or evil, will go
down to the futiire as warnings and in
struction ; and whatsoever we of the
present day may have done for others,
and in the cause of Christ, is but links
in the acts of Cod’s people, who in
every age carried forward the
Gospel to coming times and peoples.
For the past twenty-five years religion
has been mile J with all things, by its
powerful influence for good, perhaps
more thun , ver before. Not always for
good, as can easily be shown, but in
the main religious freedom was nearer,
more universally enjoyed, and at no
period in the history of Christianity,
nave so many prejudices audhostilepov.*
■ rs given way to an open Bible and the
liberty of conscience in its study, and
interpretation. The Bible, preachers,
books and newspapers are now found
in all parts of the world; of course
crime, evil and sin are also found every
where, but not because the Gospel is
preached—oil the contrary, the Gospel
is preached “in all the world” because
sin is in “ the whole earth,” and its in
fluences have conferred eternal bless
ings in the midst ot human suffering
and wrong doing. ToKbe Gospel, then,
more than to all else,ls due the pres
ent enlightened state fof the world ;
spread a map of the earth before you,
note the Christian nations, and then
the intermediate and outer posts where
the preachers of the Gospel are sta
tioned in other nations, and you behold
the progress made by-our Prince of
Peace toward His universal dominion.
What have we accomplished in the
South and in Georgia? How few are
the sections of our dear native South
which are without the sound of the
Gospel! How few are the regions in
Georgia, though (list en from th?
of the world, in cities, towns, and on rail
roads, that cannot hear the man of
God at least once a month ! Churches,
schools and colleges, books and news
papers, abound in our State; good men,
pious men, “Jesus Christ’s men,” are
in all ranks and conditions of our so
ciety ; the Gospel is preached, sinners
are converted and God is glorified.
In our ignorance, some do say that
many things are wrong; well it is, and
so it has always been, but take the
mind and eyes away from these, and
see and rejoice in the thousands of
things which are exactly right. “ God
reigns,” “ let the earth be glad and
all the inhabitants of the world stand
in awe of Him.” Christ is coming
and we must “ hold the fort.”
“ The morning light is breaking,
The darkness disappears,
The sons of earth are waking
To penitential tears.”
Then, brethren, if “ the Captain of
our salvation was made perfect through
suffering,” and “the servant is not
above his lord,” so we, if need be, must
in this centennial year 1876, of our
country’s history, through trials, suf
fering and poverty, bear aloft the truth,
which is to make us free, free from the
load of sin, free from the fear of death,
and free to enjoy the salvation He so
freely gives His people. Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has “ with Him also freely
given us all things; ” and we have the
assurance that “ Jesus Christ is the
same yesterday, to-day and forever.”
“ This God is our God, whose right
hand is full of righteousness.”
As every man’s life is a plan of God,
so every man is an instrument of God.
His moral uses are chiefly beyond this
world. The place for which God crea
ted a good man may be in readiness for
him. The door which opens upon it may
be ajar, already “on golden hinges turn
ing.” Bells “beyond the stars heard”
may be calling him. Combinations of
instrumental lorces in the great sys
tem of co-working with God may be
summoning him with a concentration
of converging, yet hidden reasons, of
which we can only say that they are
the mind of God. Their utterance
through the fiat of death is the voice
of God. God wants this man just
there, just now. No other mau can be
his substitute.
FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATI,ANT A, GEORGIA, JANUARY 6, 1876.
It is much easier to persuade men
that God cares for certain observances,
than that he cares for simple honesty,
and truth, and gentleness and loving
kindness. The man who would shud
der at the idea of a rough word of the
description commonly called swearing,
will not even havu a twinge of con
science after a whole morning of ill
tempered sullenjiess, capricious scold
ing, villainously unfair animadversion,
or surly cross-grained treatment gener
ally of a wife aid etiildren. Such a man
will omit neither family worship nor a
sneer at his neighbor. He will neither
milk bis cow on the first day of the
week without a Sabbath mask on his
face, nor remove it while he waters the
milk for his customers. Yet he may
not be an absolute hypocrite. What
can be done for him, however, the fu
ture may have to determine.
a law For. Loafers.
Next to an efficient “ dog law ” for
the protection of our sheep husbandry,
our coining Legislature should enact a
law to punish street-corner loafers,
creatures quite as annoying as the dogs
that harass our farmers, although less
useful and respectable. The Philadel
phia Inquirer. gives the statute in force
in Pennsylvania,' and which is vigor
ously applied in Philadelphia ; it is as
follows. I
“ Be it enacted , <&., That any person or per
sons who shall loiter or iissemble upon the
streets, upon tlfe corners of the streets, or in
the public places of any cily, village, borough
or township of this State, being under the in
fluence of intoxicating liquor, or who, not
being under such influence, shall indulge in
and utter loud and offensive or indecent lan
guage, or shall address and make audible of
fensive remark# or comments or any person
passing along sfch street or public [daces, or
shall obstruct (rf interfere with any person or
persons lawfully being in and upon such
streets or public plaees, shall be adjudged to
he disorderly; that any disorderly person, of
the description aforesaid, may be apprehended
and taken before any justice of the peace of
the county, or police justice of any oily where
such person may be apprehended, and it shall
be the duty of such justice to commit such dis
orderly person, when convicted before him, by
the confession of the offender, or by the oath
or affirmation ofnne or more witnesses, to the
CoJnty jail, there In 1# Ha:# labor Cij.
any time not exceeding thirty days, or fine
such person in a sum not exceeding §20.”
Such a law for the protection of
public decency, in the hands of a good
Mayor and an efficient police, would do
wonders in ridding our cities and towns
of a pest which is a disgrace to civili
zation, and a reproach upon the civil
government of Christian communities.
Atlanta, especially, would be benefitted
beyond computation by the enforce
ment of such a salutary law.
We tnst our coming General As
sembly will give this matter the atten
tion it deserves, pro bono publico.
The Christian Index. —We notiie that
Rev. A. J. Battle, D.D., the distinguished Presi
dent of Mercer University, has begun a eeriesef
deeply interesting nr! ide* in This Christian
Index on “The Human Will.” Dr. Battle
stands among the foremost representatives of
the Baptist denomination in the South, in
point of scholarship, worth and influence.
In addition to these valuable contributions
we take occasion to say, that The Index and
Baptist is, undoubtedly, the most prominent
and influential religious family paper published
in the South. Under the managing editorship
of Kev. David E. Butler, assisted by a corps of
first-class editorial writers, and enriched by
contributions from the ablest pens to be found
among the Baptist denomination in Georgia, its
worth and influence among Baptists cannot be
overestimated. No Baptist in the State ought
to be without this sterling and inflexible organ
and champion of his faith.
But aside from its denominational value,
The Index commends itself to every intelli
gent reader as pre-eminently worthy of patron
age on account of its value as a family and lit
erary paper. It presents whatever is worthy
of presentation in the affairs of the day, in a
pure, chaste aud condensed style. Its com
ments are terse, frank, unprejudiced, and al
ways aim to elucidate the truth, and advance
the good.
Its literary tone is high ; its ethics broad,
and thoroughly Christian. Every number con
taias something ol interest and value to the ma
tured man and woman, as well as to the child.
Church, Sunday-school, and family interests re
ceive due attention in its columns, and all its de
partments are kept up to the highest standard.
We urge upon our Baptist readers, as well
as upon those of other denominations, the pleas
ure and benefit they will realize by becoming
permanent readers of The Index. They wdl
receive a ten-fold return tor the amount ex
pended in subscription. Read The Index ad
vertiaement in this number of our paper. — Ma
con Telegraph and Messenger.
The Law ok Newspapers.—l. All sub
scribers who do not give express notice to the
contrary, are considered as wishing to continue
their subscription.
2. If subscribers order the discontinuance
of their papers, the publishers may continue to
Bend until arrearages are paid.
3. If subscribers neglect or refuse to take
their papers from the post office to which they
are sent, they are held responsible until their
hills are settled and their papers ordered to be
discontinued, by writing.
4. The Courts have deoi led that refusing to
take newspapers or periodicals from the post
office, or ordering and leaving it uncalled for,
is jjrima facie evidence of intentional fraud.
Spirit of file Peipus Press.
On the subject of public schools, the Cath
olic World says:
If some Catholics in particular localities
have supposed that thfeexclusion of the Protest
ant Bible from the public schools would remove
the objection to them as schools for Catholic
children, they have, in our opinion, fallen into
a very great mistake. The question lies deep
er than reading or not reading the Bible in the
schools, in one version or another. Of course,
our church disapproves the Protestant version
of the Bible, as a faulty translation of a muti
lated text; but its exclusion from the public
schools would by no means remove our objec
tions to them. -AYe object to them, not merely
because they teat 1 ! more or less of the Protest
ant religion, but also on the ground that we
cannot freely and fully teach our religion, and
train up our children in them to be true arid
unwavering Catholics; and we deny the right
of the State, the city, the town, or the school
district, to tax us for schools in which we are
not free to do so.
VVe, of course, deny the competency of the
State to educate, to say what shall or shall not
he taught in the public schools, as we deny its
competency to say what shall or shall not be
the religious belief and discipline of its citi
zens. We, of course, utterly repudiate the pop
ular doctrine that so-called secular education is
the function of the State.
—The Golden Rule says Heaven will not be
like a strange place, but like a home from
which we had been detained; for we shall see,
not strangers, but old familiar faces ; and faces
never by us seen before, will be known instant
ly by us, by that law of subtile, spiritual recog
liition by which spirits know each other every
where, even as they know and are known by
God; and Heaven will be, in its sights, and
sounds, and greetings, a great home-gathering
tp us who enter it.
—On the subject of “ Christian Vanity” the
Advance discourses in this wise :
Vanity is by no means as bad as it it is disa
greeable. It saves a soft and weak man, as
his shell saves a lobster. Sharp criticism nev
er seems to wound a vain soul. It suffers less
than the self disturbful. But vanity is inimi
cal to intelligience, contribution, progress. It
seeks not, because it already possesses satisfac
tion.
This quality is not wanting to professed
Christians. They are vain of their experience,
their fervor, tiheir faith. They speak boast
ingly of their minister’s smartness, the ele
gance of tlie social standing of tbe members.
They explain to every new minister what
great men have occupied that pulpit—what re
marKable intelligence, taste and education
characterize that particular congregation, how
liberal their giving- 1
We lately heard several brethren boast ol
the marvellous intellect, oratory, learning and
characterized <>*.. ministers of the
piwwvnlar city in which, they reside. Thair
conversation caused you to forget that the
praise and glory of God were the chief end in
preaching. They seemed to teach that the ex
hibition of ministerial smartness as a power to
raise money was the principal thing. Even
Paul would not “pay” in a metropolitan pul
pit of to-day, except as a relic of ancient piety.
Grumblers and growlers are marplots in the
churches, they degrade and belittle religion
but vain boasters of themselves and their sur
roundin.s are equally injurious.
—The Independent remarks:
It is a most pleasing token of true advance
that everywhere the Bible is becoming more
companionable to Christians. It is no longer
the strange book they thought it. It is becoming
the Christian’s hand-book, his daily compan
ion. Sunday-school work, Bible-'eading ser
vices. teachers’ meeting, international unifor
mity, and the almost universal weekly exposi
tion have contributed to this end.
—Tiie Presbyterian Weekly does not like the
proposition to do away with our present jury
system at all, and delivers itself pointedly
thus:
The Anglo Saxon race has not adhered to
the jury system during all these centuries,
merely because of the reverence that is felt by
it for ancient institutions. The system has
remained because, with all its great imperfec
tions, it commended itsell to the judgement ol
a race which is pre-eminently distinguished
for its good sense, and for its devotion to liber
ty and justice as, upon tiie whole, the safest
and best that could he devised Certainly
nothing of a more promising kind has yet
been proposed by those who complain of its
deficiencies, and the only suggestion worthy of
respect, that has been made respecting reform,
is that juries shall be enlarged, and that a two
third vote shall insure the verdict, instead of a
unanimous vote, as at present. It is possible
that this might remove a part of the danger
that is always imminent while one stupid, or
corrupt, juryman can defeat the desire of his
associates to give a victory to the right, and if
it lias a promise of reform in such a direction,
it is at least worthy of very serious considera
tion.
—From the Watchman and Reflector :
Our English brethren have had their atten
tion directed of late to the importance and du
ty of strengthening the churches in the rural
districts. At tbe recent niteting of the Nor
folk Association, the subject tor discussion
was, “How can we strengthen our village
churches?” Almost all look part in it, and it
was resolved to begin at once to visit the villa
ges of the country for the purpose ol encour
aging the members of tbe clmrehts there, and
to evangelize the surrounding district. They
expect to be aided in the. work by many lay
men throughout the country. Our English
brethren are on the right track. What might
not bo accomplished should the plan lie uni
versally adopted ? And what still more glo
rious results might not be accomplished by a
well-worked plan of the kind throughout our
vast territory ? It has been successfully tried
among us to a limited extent; and the Y. M.
C. Associations show what mighty possibilities
of good are wrapped up in all such Christian
enterprises. Let the leaders of the people, ev
eerywhere, counsel and combine together for
an advance along the line.
Bishop Cummins reports from Charleston
S. C., that there are in that region nine col
ored congregations in communion with the Re
formed Episcopal church, with some seven
hundred communicants," as the result of six
months of work.
BAPTIST NEATS AiYD NOTES.
The dedication of new Zion Baptist church,
at Sandyford, Fla,, took place November 28th
1875. Rev. Jno. A. Potter preached the dedica
tion sermon. Rev. E Taylor was again elected
to the pastorate. The services were very inter
esting.
—Richmond is also, in large measure, a
Baptist city. We have eight white Baptist
churches, with a total membership of 3,458,
and nine colored Baptist churches, with a total
membership of 10,529 —making 13,987 mem
bers of Baptist churches, or about one Baptist
to every four people who live in the city.
—South Carolina is not quite a “bankrupt
State” as regards the Baptist women in it.
They are taking hold of women’s work in for
eign missions in a very business and generous
way. Over fifty woman’s mission societies
have been organized in tile State. During
eight months past they have secured over
$950, and it is expected that they with their
sisters in Alabama, will raise during the year
$3,000, thus enabling the Boar,d to build a
double residence for the families of missiona
ries Graves and Williams.
—Rev. J. D. King has been appointed to
raise money to erect a suitable house for the
American Historical Society.
—Tlie South Carolina Baptist State Conven
tion recommends to the trustees of the
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary to re
tain this institution in Greenville, unless Ken
tucky shall have raised her promised $300,-
000, before another session of the Convention-
Rev. N. F. Ravi in, formerly a regular
Baptist minister, has accepted a call to become
pastor of a Free Will Baptist church in Chi
cago.
—Rev. Dr. Fulton has resigned the charge
of the Hanson Place Baptist church, in Brook
lyn N. Y. After repeated voting, the church
finally decided to accept his resignation. At
the same time letters of dismission were grant
ed to him and his family, and some sixty or
seventy other persons.
—Rev. Carson. Powell, of Columbus county,
has been appointed agent for Foreign Mis
sions for North Carolina.
—Rev. J. S. Kalloch, of San Francisco, in
addition to his pastoral work, is now the ed
itor of the Evangel, formerly the Pacific Bap
tist.
—The first Baptist church erected in San
Francisco was lately sold as a Chinese opium
factory.
—J. P. Boyce, D.D., in a speech to the
South Carolina Baptist State Convention, said ;
‘"We Baptists have had two things against us;
1. We have not advanced educationally ao we
ought to have done. We are growing out of
this, the Centennial will help in this direc
tion. 2. In our benevolent contributions, we
have reached only a small proportion of our
people. This movement is intended to reach
everybody. They get small contributions
from everybody.”
—The friends of Dr. Fulton who withdrew
from the Hanson Place Baptist church, uni
ted with some of the former members of the
late Adelphi street church, in forming anew
organization under the name of the Centen
nial Baptist church. One hundred and
eighty-three persons are reported as having
joined in the movement. Dr. Fulton has as
sumed the pastorate.
Messrs. J. B. Ford & Cos., Publishers, New
York, have given to the reading world a rare
treat in their “ Library of Famous Fiction.”
This large and beautifully illustrated volume
contains the classical gems of prose fiction in
one elegant setting. We have Vatheb, Undine,
Piccioia, Elizabeth, Paul and Virginia ; Pil
grim’s Progress, Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver’s
Travels, Arabian Nights, Vicar of Wakefield.
What more could the most enthusiastic lover
of pure prose literature desire than such a feast
of fancy’s fairest flowers?
The book’s value is enhanced by brief sketch
es of the various authors, and of the circum
stances that produced these immortal produc
tions of genius. The book has thirty-four
graphic illustrations, and is, to all intents aud
purposes, the choicest mde mecum ot classic
fiction ever given to the public.
“I once saw a lad,” says an Ameri
can writer, “on the roof of a very high
building, where several men were at
work. He was gazing about with ap
parent unconcern, when suddenly his
foot slipped, and ho fell. In falling he
caught, by a rope and hung suspended
in mid air, where ho could neither
get up nor down, and where it was ev
ident he could sustain himself but a
short time. He well knew his situation,
and expected that in a few minutes he
must drop and be dashed to pieces. At
this fearful moment a kind and power
ful man rushed out of the house, and
standing beneath him with extended
arms, called! out,, ‘Let, go the rope, and
I promise you shall escape unhurt.’
The boy hesitated for awhile, but at
length quitted his hold, and dropped
safely into the arms of his deliverer.”
Here, reader, is a simple illustration of
the way of salvation. Mediate on it.
—The liberty of the press is grad
ually being restored in France.
WHOLE NO. 2801.
General Denominational News.
—A revival of religion i s reported at Moou
te, Australia, which has resulted in the conver
sion of some 1,200 persons. I„ Adelaide the
different churches had been holding special ser
vices in the city and its suburb with great suc
cess.
—According to the Govern; 9nt -Blue-Book,
the mission presses in India, -umbering 25
have issued during ten years 3,1.'C new works)
in thirty different languages, and circuited
1,335,503 copies of books of Script )rei 2,35},-
040 school books, and 8,750,12 u Ch ilian
books and tracts.
—Richmond has probably as good claim tv
be called a Christian city as any other on the
continent. With a population of about 60,000,
it has 50 churches, 24,828 church members,
and 15,823 in the Sunday schools. That is to
say, a church member to nearly every two peo
ple, and over one in every four in the Sunday
school.
—One might tldnk from the great stir Rome
is now making in Britain that the Papacy was
taking gigantic strides forward in that land.
However, figures fail to sustain such a supposi
tion. To be sure there are about one million
Catholics in England and Wales, of whom 179,-
000 are natives, but during the past seventy
five years the Roman Catholics have increased
at the rate of only twenty-eight per cent
of the entire population, while the Protestants
have increased at the rate of one hundred and
twenty per cent. Protestanism has advanced
nearly five times as fast as Romanism since the
opening ol the present century.
—According to a paper read before the late
church Congress at Stoke-upon-Trent, England,
there are eighteen sisterhoods in the Church of
England, having ninety-five houses, or centers
of their operations. The Sisters chiefly devote
themselves to hospital work, penitentiary work,
care of children and mission work in home or
foreign parishes. Canon Gore read a paper
on deaconesses. These are women who do not
join an order or community, but do parish
work under the immediate direction of the rec
tor, and under the general oversight of the
bishop. They have, like the Sisters, a period
of probation, and wear a distinctive dress. But
they confine themselves to the religious work
of the parish, as teaching, visiting the sick and
afflicted, assisting in poor households and gen
erally aiding thetrector in those duties and
functions best suited to women. Seven dioceses
have adopted this system.
—The Church Missionary Society has re
ceived $50,000 fft>m a single contributor, the
money to be expended upon the Society’s la
bors in Africa. This handsome gift is in re
sponse to the appeal which the African Chief-
M’tesa, made through the explorer Stanley, to
the Christian world for the Christianization of
Africa.
—A missionary society of London is about
to send out five missionaries to operate in the
interior of China.
—lt is now decided that Messrs. Moody ar.d
Sankcy begin their meetings in New York
city, at the readjusted Hippodrome on Tues
day, Feburary Ist.
the friend you need.
Children do you want a friend,
Ever faithful ever true—
One whose kindness knows no end,
One whose love can shelter you ?
Jesus is the friend you need j
J esus is a friend indeed.
None that sought His love’s embrace
Has he ever turned away :
You may see hia smiling face—
Gaze upon His charms to-day.
Ever faithful, ever true,
Jesus is the friend for you.
Loafer. —This is a thing too famil
iar in its reality, but very unexplaina
ble in its name. The learned derive
it from the Hebrew word Loph, to wan
der, to idle, to hang about. Domes
tic antiquarians think it akin to inter
loper, one who comes where he has no
business, as applied by our Dutch an
tors to their yankee visitors. Others
derive it from Loaf (like luous a nou lu
endo), because loafers are often without
a loaf of bread. Others again make it
a corruption of low-fellow, thus : Low
feller, low-feller, low-fer, loafer.
Keeping Christmas. Dr. Dix,
rector of Trinity church, New York,
contends that “when the sacred sea
sons of the church degenerate into
mere occasions of social amusement
and rejoicing, their prime object is de
feated, and their value gone.” We
are strongly of opinion that something
should be done to correct this great
evil of turning Christmas day into a
Bacchanalian feast, which ends with
tragic scenes. Anybody would suppose,
from the criminal record of the day,
that the world was celebrating the ap
parition of Moloch, instead of the ad
vent of Christ. —Augusta Constitution
alist.
—According to an old Anglo-Saxon
ballad preserved in the British Mu
seum, at London, Saturday was the
most unlucky day of all the week for
Christmas tide. It portended special
ill to woman and child, and the super
stition is still current over all Northern
nations.
