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The Christian Index.
BY JAS. P. HARRISON & CO.
INDEX AND BAPTIST.
• Publication Rooms—27 and 29 South-Broad Street
Editorials.
TO OFR BRETHREN AND FRIENDS.
We again give a few extracts from
the many letters daily received by us in
reference to The Index, in order to
show how ardently The Index is loved,
and the sincere wishes expressed for
its prosperity.
We ask our brethren, one and all, to
read these items, and resolve to give
us their assistance to promote the in
fluence of The Index, and, by so doing,
assist the cause of our Divine Master,
and help to spread the truth, as ex
pounded by the faith and practice of
our denomination.
As an additional inducement to our
friends and patrons to assist us, we
will give four month’s credit to each sub
scriber on his own subscription, who
will send us the name of one new sub
scriber to The Index for 1876.
We earnestly hope that each sub
scriber, every reader of The Index,
will aid us to this extent at least. It
will be a great help to us. Do try to
send us the name of a brother or sister
of your acquaintance as anew sub
scriber, in addition to your own name,
which we hope you will never allow to
be taken from the books. We believe
that the writers of the extracts we have
given, express the sentiments of even
reader, and that they will prove their
good opinion and interest by •practical
aid and devoted energy in behalf of
The Index.
Personal.— We had the pleasure of
a call from that accomplished journal
ist, J. B. Gorman, Esq., of the Talbot
ton Standard. The Savannah News
takes pleasure in giving our friend the
title of “ Count,” to which he is cer
tainly entitled if the term is used as
meaning nobility of character.
We were also gratified by a call from
that Nestor of the Georgia press, Hon.
J. H. Christy, of the Athens Watchman,
a paper that well represents the char
acteristics of its editor and proprietor—
staunch, solid, frank, fearless and trust
worthy. We are glad to know that the
Watchman and its editor are enjoying
the good health that comes from a
good conscience and a healthy circula
tion.
The Great Atlantic Coast Line.
The many thousands who will visit the
North from our section this summer,
especially attracted by the Philadelphia
Centennial exhibition, will, of course,
desire to select a route combining speed,
comfortable accommodations, interest
ing scenery and economy of expenditure.
To all who have these ends in view, we
can cordially recommend the Great
Atlantic Coast Line, whose suggestive
advertisement appears in these columns.
That all the advantges cited are guar
anteed, it is sufficient to state that that
well known and accomplished railroad
manager, Col. A. Pope, is the general
passenger agent, and that no route is
under better management than the
Great Atlantic Coast Line. The agent
in Atlanta, is Mr. H. V. Tompkins,
who is a most worthy representative of
this famous line, and whose energy,
capacity and courtesy, have done much
in establishing the favor of this route
upon the traveling public in this vi
cinity.
We had the pleasure Monday
of meeting and knowing our warm
hearted and noble brother, Rev.
B. F. Ross, of Fort Valley. He
was returning from Mary Sharp
College with his daughter, who had j ust
graduated at that grand institution,
and took advantage of the short stay
between trains in this city to visit the
brethren who print the paper of his re
ligious faith. He loves The Index,
and would, were it in his power, place
it, with the precious truths it inculcates,
lu every Baptist family in the State
and South. He loves his denomination,
and would thus strengthen and estab
lish every member of it in the truth as
it is in Jesus. Choicest blessings at
tend brother R. “in all his ways.”
Extravagance in Dress at Female College Com
mencements.
The Detroit Free Press, with admir
able frankness and good reasoning,
says:
The objection to the wearing of expensive
dresses on graduation day, because it has a tend
ency to excite extravagance on the part of
parents is not the only one, nor the strongest,
which applies to the practice. The effect upon
the young ladies themselves of making the day
one in which rivalry in dress plays a prominent
part is decidedly bad. While it is difficult to
refrain from a feeling of admiration for the
graduates, arrayed, as they are, in bewitching
toilets, the natural reflection of the thoughtful
must necessarily be, is this the grand aim of the
education which these graduates have received ?
Ib it that the young lady who, by reason of the
length of her father’s purse, is able to make
the best display in dress, shall be pointed out
as the highest result of the educational system
under which she has been trained ? It is not
the most meritorious or accomplished young
lady who, at exhibitions where elegance in
dress constitutes a feature of the first import
ance, makes the most impression, but she
whose make-up is most rich and becoming,
and most in accordance with the decrees of
fashion. The young ladies themselves perceive
how much depends in this case upon dress, and
with true feminine intuition they often arrive
at the conclusion, though they would be averse
to confessing it, that it is dress which makes
the woman, as well as the man. They are
made use of to give practical illustration oi the
tyranny of fashion, at a time wlieu their minds
should be directed to the higher ami nobler
duties o( womanhood. Some of them are hu
mored by found parents with friilings, furbe
lows and dresses more expensive than prudence
would suggest, and the idea thus obtains lodg
ment in theft minds that in after life they
need only make a demand for fine clothes to
have it complied with. From this there
springs discontent in the future, if they cannot
indulge their fancy in the line of dress, and
sometimes an extravagance which results in
the bankruptcy of husband or father.
It will be a good thing for America when
the day of graduation for voting ladies shall
no longer be a day which brings with it a heavy
burden of expense for those who have to pro
vide the dresses.
We sincerely re-echo tbe concluding
wish of our contemporary, with tbe ad
dition that when that wished-for time
shall come, it will be the dawn of the
era of common sense.
We are glad to know that several of
our prominent female colleges in this
State, have publicly avowed the inten
tion of inaugurating simplicity of dress
on the part of tbe pupils during the
Commencement exercises, aud we hope
that the custom will become general and
permanent. “Commencement,” in this
sense, means the beginning of anew
life on the part of tbe fair graduate;
the dependency, tbe jollity, the delight
someness of childhood, happy in tbe
efflorescence of feeling, hugging the
sunshine and laughing at passing shad
ows, will give way to the realization of
the sterner duties of life ; the sense of
encroaching responsibilities will grow ;
the fact that “all is not gold that glit
ters," will dawn and brighten upon the
understanding, the fears, the hopes,
the felt but undeterminable realities
that crowd tbe heart of expanding
womanhood, will begin to dispel false
notions, and the character will slowly
harden into something like tbe form it
is destined to assume for use in after
years. What then can be more useful
or appropriate, than tbe signalization of
this “new departure” by the adoption
of habits of economy and simplicity ?
Especially is this incumbent upon
the young ladies of the South. Ruin
ed by the ravages of war, struggling
heroically to recover from the effects of
it; building up waste places ; rehabili
tating devastated homes ; learning tbe
lessons of necessity with brave hearts
and quickened minds, our State, our
South, is, to-day, making history as
noble, as excellent in peaci, as ever
was done in the sublime epoch that
marks, for ave, our vain struggle for
truth and independence. Will the girls,
the women of the South refuse to be
come tbe champions, the exemplars ,>f
a pure, high-minded, industrious, sim
ple and model people ? Will they re
fuse to show, even in such an appar-
trifling mat.er as that of dress,
the Spartan virtue, the Ch ristian ab
steminousnes3, that characterized them
in the days that tried men’s souls p We
do not believe they will, and that
the present Commencement season will
be tbe happy augury of an era in which
economy and prudence will go hand in
hand with public and private virtue.
Sandersville High School. —The
examinations of the Sandersville High
School, will take place June 29tb and
30th. There will be a concert each
night. An address will be delivered on
the 30th instant, by Hon. Thomas Har
deman, Jr. We tender thanks for a
cordial invitation to attend.
Literature Secular Editorials Current Notes and News.
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY", JUNE 22, 1876.
GIVING SATAN SPECIAL PRIVILEGES.
The Governor has ordered the sus
pension of the tax on “all dealers in
patent or intoxicating hitters, brandy,
fruit,or other articles of like character,”
until the next meeting of the General
Assembly, upon which tbe Sparta
Times and Planter, oi June 16th, says :
The Governor seems to have a peculiar
knack oi suspending the tax in this line. It
seems to us that the tax on luxuries, and the
dealers, in them should be the last suspended.
If the Governor had suspended the tax on the
scant property of the widows and orphans of
the victims of these “intoxicating bitters, bran
dy,” etc., we could have seen some reason and
equity in it.
“The widows and the orphans”—
what are they compared to a few mis
erable dollars in the State Treasury!
blood-stained, hot with crime, ard le
gally (?) wrenched from the death
grip of starving women and children
by the State—a Christian State, so
called, at that. If the Governor of the
great State of Georgia were to suspend
the tax on the scant property of tbe
widows and orphans, aud so place them
on an equality, in tbe eyes of tbe law,
with drunkards and drunkard-makers,
might it not show an impolitic leaniug
on the part of the government towards
the poor, the innocent, and the afflicted,
and seriously affect the political bal
ance of power, the adjustment of which,
as our legislation now stands,
is controlled by the drunkard-makers,
and dram-shop protectors of Georgia ?
Viewed iu this light, our complaining
contemparary will at once see that,
though he is theoretically and morally
right, he is politicaly wrong, because
lie places right over expedieney, virtue
over vice, humanity over inhumanity,
and the holy teachings of God over the
devices of Satan. Until drunkards and
drunkard—makers cease to receive
special privileges and legal aid from the
State, and its administration, the wid
ows and orphans must he content with
a back seat —and the grave.
.TEJIIS J'KoJI LETTERS TO THE INDEX.
—Rev. W. Wilkes has removed from Fay
etteville, Alabama, to Syllacauga, Ala., and de
sires his correspondents to address him accord
ingly. He says: “I prize The Index very
highly, and wish every Baptist in the land was
a reader of it. Were I pecuniarily able, I
would subscribe for a number of copies for
members of my own church, and others who
would appreciate it. Hope you will pray for
our church (Euon, Jasper county,) and ask The
Index readers also, to remember us in their
prayers.”
—Rev. H. F. Smith : “The Christian In
dex has become an excellent paper, worthy
the esteem of our denomination. I wish it
upon my own table, and can cheerfully rec
ommend it to every Baptist family. No times
should be considered so hard as to keep your
paper from every Georgia Baptist household.
They will find three dollars a good invest
ment, intellectually and religiously.”
—Rev. M. B. Tuggle : “The Index is a
precious visitor to me. I am so glad that it
brings such splendid matter for the cause of
Christ. lam determined to do all I can for
it. I have been greatly benefitted from read
ing it myself, and desire others to reap some
of the good as well as myself.”
—Rev. P. H. Mell: I wish that every fami
ly in my churches wa- a subscriber. I fully
agree with you that “the general circulatioi. of
the paper in (my) congregations, would pro
mote the intelligence and increase the liberali
ty and Christian zeal of the brethren.”
Rev. J. F. Edens: “The Index is getting
better and better. * * Oh ! that ev
ery Baptist in the Slate would read The In
dex caiefully and prayerfully. ”
—Rev. R. R. Terrell: “I have used tobacco
for nearly forty years and don’t think I could
do without it, but I would try it awhile, if neces
sary, before I would do without The Index.”
—Rev. F. M, Hawkins : “I do not feel that
I can do without the good old banner—the
bold advocate of Bible Truth ; and will not
give it up as long as I can raise money enough
to pay for it.”
—Mrs. S. C. Nunn, Autaugaville, Ala.: “I
enclose price of my subscription for another
year. I read two other of our Baptist papers
but I value The Index so highly that I can
not do without it. I have been a subscriber
for twenty years, and can truly say it is the
best paper I have ever read. Wishing the
blessings of Heaven to still rest upon you,
etc.”
—Rev. Thomas Muse: “I love Thb In
dex, and hardly know how I could do without
it. I have been a constant subscriber since
1837,”
—W. P. Cumming: “lam glad you did
not stop my paper, for I don’t know how to do
without it. ”
A biography ot the late Dr, C. P.
Beaman, has been prepared by Rev.
Dr. Mullally, of Georgia, and will soon
be published.
LITERARY GOSSIP.
—Douglas Jerrold was a youthful
compositor at tbe printing offices of
Mr. Bigg, in Lombard street, London,
when he commenced authorship by
dropping criticism on “Der Freischutz,”
for Arliss's Magazine, into Mr. Bigg’s
letter box; aud an anxious night he is
said to have passed, and a bright inor -
row it was when the editor handed
him his own composition to —techni-
cally speaking—compose, together with
an address to the anonymous contribu
tor, asking for further contributions.
His sisters are said to remember the
boisterous delight with which he would
occasionally afterwards bound into tbe
bouse with a little publication in bis
hand, shouting, “ It’s in! it’s in ! ”
—lt is a greet mistake to suppose
that little can be accomplished if a
man has reached the age of thirty or
forty years. Nine-tenths of our clever
men have actually exhibited more vigor
of intellect at fifty years of age than
at forty. Franklin was forty before he
began in real earnest the study of nat
ural philosophy. The principal of one
of the most flourishing colleges iu
America was a farm servant until he
was past the age when most students
have completed their collegiate educa
tion. Sir Henry Spelman did not begin
tbe study of science until he was be
tween fifty and sixty years of age.
Greek was tbe first foreign language
which Cato, the celebrated Roman cen
sor, acquired, and he did so in his old
age. Alfieri, whose writings have caused
a levolution in the dramatic literature
of Italy, was left without a father in
his infancy, and wasted his early years.
John Ogilby, the author of poetical
translations from Virgil aud Homer,
began tbe study of Latin when about
forty years of age, aud Greek iu his
forty-fourth. Boccaccio, one of the
most illustrious writers that ever ap
pealed in Italy, suffered nearly half of
his life to pass without improvement.
Handel was forty-eight before lie pub
lish'd any of his great works. Dr.
Thomas Arnold, of Rugby, learned
German at forty, in order that he might
read Niebuhr iu the original.
—Mr. George M. Curtis does the
“Editor’s Easy Chair” of Harper’s,
and for that and much other work, he
is paid. $ 10,000. Wm. A. Seavor does
the “ Editor’s Drawer" and the “ Per
sonals” for 32,500.
—The Memphis Bajdist, in reply to a
correspondent from Arkansas, who re
iterates the generally accepted state
ment that Father Ryan, not “ W. W.
W." is the author of “ The Conquered
Banner,” says : “So it is claimed, but
it has been denied, and we put the
question directly and personally to him,
(Ryan,) and he did not say it was, but
said, * they say so, sir.’ W. W. W.
are not the same with A. J. R. If it
was his he would claim it now, at least
he would put his own name to it.”
Can it be possible, after all, that “ The
Conquered Banner” is to be placed
alongside with “ Beautiful Snow,” and
“Rock me to sleep, Mother,” in the cate
gory of poems of disputed authorship ?
Will not Father Ryan settle the ques
tion definitely, so far as he is affected ?
—W. Hand Browne, Esq., editor of
the Southern Magazine, Baltimore, and
Col. Johnson, of Pen Lucy Academy,
are engaged on a life of Alexander 11.
Stephens. We understand that the
work is nearly finished, and that the
proof sheets have been carefully re
vised by the distinguished Georgian
himself.
We have no doubt that the work will
meet with the instant favor of the
public, not only in this country but in
Europe, where it will be sought by
leading men as a study of tbe most
important era in the history of the
United States, as illustrated by the
life-work of one of the most eminent
Americans of the age. The lives of
such men are indexes to national char
acter, and to be able to study the pri.
mary motives, and watch the gradual
enlargement of their opinions into the
blossom and fruit of action, is to gain
a powerful clue to the labyrinth of
cause and effect in the history of a
people.
—Mr. Trevelyan’s new biography
of Lord Macaulay, gives two wonder
ful examples of Macaulay’s almost in
credible powers of memory. Asa mere
boy, he once went with his father to
make an afternoon call; he found on
the table Scott’s “Lay ot the Last
Minstrel,” which he had never seen
before; while his elders were talking
he devoured the volume ; and on his
return home, he was able to repeat to
his mother as many cantos as she had
the patience or the strength to listen
to. Again, when thirteen years of age!
he picked up, while waiting in a Cam
bridge coffee-house for a post-chaise, a
country newspaper which contained t wo
poetical pieces, one headed “ Reflections
of an Exile,” and the other a “ Parody
on a Welsh Ballad.” “He looked
them once through,” says his biogra
pher, “ aud never gave them a thought
for forty years, at the end of which
time he repeated them both without
missing, or, as far as he knew, chang
ing a single word.” The immense ex
tent of his reading, and his wonderful
memory, account for the richness and
classic grace of his style. The most
recondite lore was at his command ; it
was as easy for him to quote for hours,
the most beautiful passages from the
rarest sources of modem aud ausieut
literature, “as for a blackbird ’tis to
whistle.” He never forgot a thing, and
he once remarked that if all copies of
“ Paradise Lost” and “ The Pilgrim’s
Progress” should be destroyed, he
would undertake to reproduce them
from memory.
THE STATE CAPITAL.
We spent a day in Atlanta last week, and,
as usual, had the pleasure of meeting many
acquaintances and friends, but did not have
much time to look around. We casually met
several of our editorial brethren, and called a
lew moments at the office of the Common -
wealth, where we had the pleasure of meet
ing the knightly editor-in-chief, Col. Styles,
who has long since made his mark as an able
and fearless journalist. We also had the
pleasure of meeting that most excellent gentle
man, Mr. Jas. P. Harrison, the able business
manager of the Franklin Steam Printing
House, whose energy, industry and ability
have built up one of the largest establishments
in tbe State.
We were pleased to see that ihe “Gate City”
is still improving. Notwithstanding the strin
gency in money matters, buildings are going
up and other improvements progressing as
though money were abundant. This is a good
time for those who have surplus cash to im
prove real estate. They are afraid to _oan it
or make other investments, but in a growing
town real estate is always a safe investment.
There is another view of the matter. It gives
employment to worthy citizens who now sore
ly need it. Cannot some of our own capital
ists put up a few more buildings this season ?
There will be demand for them. They can he
sold or rented next year.— Athens Watchman.
Winship Iron Works. —We have
received the annual catalogue issued by
Winship & Brother, of the celebrated
Winship Iron Works and Cotton Gin
Factory, Atlanta, Ga. The catalogue is
printed in handsome style, by the
Franklin Steam Printing House of this
city. The planters of the South are
deeply interested in the matters dis
cussed in this catalogue, which is pro
fusely illustrated, and should be in tbe
hands of all. These extensive works
supply cotton gins, grist-mills, saw
mills, steam engines, horse powers, and
everything pertaining to farm machin
ery at prices remarkably low. They
are unexcelled in the United Slates for
the durability, finish and general excel
lence of their their
patronage is coextensive with the
South.
We advise all our planters and
farmers to correspond with Winship &
Brother, whenever they are in need of
any articles enumerated above.
The Schofield Irou Works, of Ma
con, Georgia, is one of the most oxten -
sive and popular establishments of the
kind in tbe South. Our farmers arid
planters are requested to read the ad -
vertisement of this splendid manufac
turing firm in this issue of The Index .
They offer to sell every kind of first -
clas9 plantation machinery at remark
ably low rates.
Send to them for price list and cir
culars.
Family Bitters.— We call attention
to the advertisement of “ Family Bit
ters” prepared by Dr. M. S. James,
Brooklyn, New York. Tbe testimoni
als attached give strong evidence of the
efficiency of the medicines as a blood
purifier. For sale by E. M. Berry,
Atlanta; Dr. Young, Jonesboro; G.
Fulker & Cos., Monroe.
$3 A YEAR IN ADVANCE.
GEORGIA NEWS.
—Houston county is out of debt and
has $6,000 in her treasury.
—A new postoffice has been estab
lished at Clark’s mill, iu Crawford
county.
—Miss Lilly Harrison, aged fifteen,
daughter of the Rev. W. P. Harrison,
of Atlanta, committed suicide by drown
ing herself in the Chattahoochee river.
—The Savannah News says it is
feared that there is a general overflow
of the lowlands, and considerable loss
to the crops.
—General J un M. Stroud, a well
known citizen oi Oconee county, died a
few days ago.
—Mr. F. F. Johnson, a respected
citizen of Grantville, committed suicide
by hanging himself iuone of the door
ways of his hotel.
—The Third Annual Agricultural
and Mechanical Fair, will begin in New
nan, October 24th.
—The potato crop promises to be
huge this year.
—Rev. W. P. Rivers, will deliver, at
the meeting of the Griffin District Sab-
Oath-schooi Convention, on the 26th of
July, in Griffin, an address on the
“Object of Sunday-schools.
—Rev. Dr. Mitchell, of Talbot, will
preach tbe commencement sermon of
Clayton Institute, Jonesboro, Georgia,
on tbe fourth Sunday, June the 2-sth.
—A new mineral spring has been
discovered in Athens.
—Gold, in considerable quantities, is
being shipped from Dablonega.
—The Dalton Enterprise says that
the peach crop is ripening up splen
didly.
—The Grand Lodge of the I. O. O. F.
meets in Dalton, iu August.
—The trip from Atlanta to Dalton,
is now made in three hours and twenty
minutes.
—The Darien Gazette says the rice
crops on the Altamaha are still in a
flourishing conditfon, and that the
planters are keeping well up with their
work.
—Watermelons of medium size, are
plentiful iu Savannah, at from 30 to 50
cents a piece.
—Clarence Wells, assistant in the
postoffice at Midville, on the Central
railroad, has been arrested for robbing
the mails. He has made a full confes
sion.
—The Board of Directors of the
Georgia Railroad, have declared a div
idend of 4 per cent, payable on and
after July 15th, proximo.
—The Fort Valley Mirror says that
few farmers in that section, will have
to buy flour this year.
—A colored preacher named Wm.
Everett, has been arrested in Baker
county, on the charge of bigamy.
—At a meeting of rice planters held
in Savannah, the report of the delegates
sent to Washington to oppose the
passage of the free rice feature in the
treaty with Hawaii, was heard. The
bill is still in the bands of tbe Commit
tee on Foreign Relations, and will
probably not be reported on for some
time.
—The Savannah department of the
National Cotton Exchange, make the
following report for May, of the cot
ton crop in Georgia:
There were one hundred and thirty-five re
plies from sixty-eight counties —average date
May 28. The decrease in land planted in cot
ton as compared with last year has been 10 per
cent. The weather has been remarkably sea
sonable since the plant commenced to grow,
but the spring was late and planting delayed.
The stands of cotton are generally good, better
than last year. Although the crop was put in
the ground much later than usual, it has been
able to catch up in a great measure from the
fine season, so that it is not behind more than
five to eight days. Owing to the necessities of
die times, labor is both more abundant and
more efficient. In sections where fertilizers
have been generally used the increase over the
previous season has been fully 20 per cent.
The condition of the crop is unprecedentedly
fine. The fields are free from grass, and the
plant, though small, is growing off well. Ow
ing U> the failure of the corn crop last year,
the increase of land put in grain lias been in
proportion to the decrease in the acreage of
cotton, and to make the grain Crops more effec
tive it is estimated that nearly 25 per cent, of
the commercial manures sold this sea ion have
been placed upon these crops.
fl<3~ The Index Hymn Book will bo ready this
week, when all orders on hand will be filled— aud
any new ones that wo may be favored with.
Price of this book is 15 cents per copy.
If any brethren fail to get the books ordered,
they will pleaso notify us, stating number or
dered, the amount of money enclosed us, and
give P. O. address plainly.