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About The Christian index. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1872-1881 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1876)
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.
