Newspaper Page Text
2
j|)nr Corresjjonbeuts.
For the Index ana Baptist.|
“ A SOREHEAD BAPTIST PREACHER.”
Editors Index.— May I say a few
words about this exceedingly inelegant
and unbrothcrly expression. It ap
pears in your editorial columns as a
quotation from the Religious Herald.
I have read that paper but little, and
thought it at least respectful and re
spectable, if not sound in other mat
ters. But when I read : “ A sorehead
Baptist preacher is a very disagreeable
thing!" lam astonished! It is not
the sorehead, but Cotprcaeher, that is
the disagreeable thing. It is bad
enough for that brother to suffer from
such a head, but far worse when he
must have it heralded to the world,
that, not his head, but himself, is a
very disagreeable thing ! The Herald
says so, (“ and the Herald is an honor
able man,”) but I should be glad to
know that “ Baptist preacher,” and to
know why he is so very disagreeable.
Does he simply disagree with the Her
ald lor the Herald with him ? Does
he disagree with the Bible? or why is
he so bitterly complained of? Of such
a one the Herald says, (“ and the Her
ald is an honorable man,”) “We
(does that mean editorially,) would be
better off if he were dead.” Pretty
bitter for brethren ! “ Well, he will
not live always.” How does this ac
cord with the “ New Commandment ?”
It would be well for the Herald to
once more repeat the Lord’s prayer, if
he knows it, especially that part which
says: “And forgive ms (take it edito
rially, my brother, if you please,) our
debts, as we forgive our debtors.” By
the way, “heralds" usually proclaim
for some one —for whom does the very
Religious Herald proclaim ? H.
For the Index and BHptiHt.l
The Remarkable Revival at Cartersvllle, Georgia.
Editors Index. —On the second
Sabbath in September we began a
meeting in our church, which lasted
one month. For along time previous to
the commencement of the meeting,
preaching, praying, and to a large ex
tent, among some of the brethren and
sisters, their conversation was all with
reference to the contemplated meeting.
One brother and one sister went
around among the brethren and sisters
privately, and got the consent of as
many as they could to set apart a cer
tain hour, each day, to pray for God’s
blessing upon the meeting. Circum
stances prevented the church from
commencing as soon as they desired,
so that when the meeting did begin
nearly all the membershipNvas revived,
and the work of conversion commenced
at once. The was intense ancf
wide sptead, and abated but little until
the close.
For a while, all the business houses
in the place were closed that the busi
ness men might attend the prayer
meeting. Even the J ews and grocery
keepers closed Their houses. Fre
quently, after every seat in the house
was filled, and thi aisles filled with
chairs and the windows crowded, and
every standing place in the church
filled, many would go a vay not being
able to get even standing room on the
outside of the windows.
There was no excitement in the least,
at all. The services were generally as
quiet as ordinary Sabbath services, but
the interest was intense.
The first conversion was a young
lawyer, who came up for prayers dur
ing the first meeting he attended,
while we were singing the last hymn
previous to dismission. He arose
from his seat and came forward with
out a word, and kneeled down at the
front seat. Immediately prayer was
offered for his conversion, and the
next evening he was converted and
went right to work warning otl.ers.
The Holy Spirit was present in
great power, and of the great number
of converts many presented them
selves only once for prayer. Scarcely
any who were converted presented
themselves for prayer more than a half
dozen times.
After the meeting had been in pro
gress for some days the pastor invited
all the sisters who bad unconverted
husbands to meet together one after
felon. Eleven of them met in con
dition with some other female mem
J .■femd held a prayer meeting < spe
'■ behalf of the>r husbands.
to pray a celt i mr
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THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
The average age of the converts is
about thirty.
Out of the seventy-five or eighty
converts there were eighteen husbands
and seventeen wives—seven husbands
and wives. In one family there was
father and mother, and two grown
daughters and a daughter-in-law.
Among the converts were two gro
cery keepers, and among the things
which are no more may be recorded
those two saloons. Some of these
coaverts had not been in the house of
God for years previous to this meeting.
The whole moral atmosphere of our
town is changed.
Brother Ryals rendered some valua
ble service during the meeting, but the
most of the labor was performed by
the pastor. One great element of the
success of the meeting was in the per
sonal effort made by the members of
the church with sinners. Up to this
time forty-one members have been re
ceived by experience, and forty of
them baptized; five we received by
letter. We hope to receive others yet.
Many of the converts joined the Pres
byterian and Methodist churches. We
were kindly assisted by the other de
nominations so far as attendance and
moral support could go.
The ciass of converts are very val
uable, many of them solid, substantial
citizens, and as soon as sorxe of them
were converted they became our most
valuable workers. We thank God and
take courage. R. B. He^ddkn.
Cartorsvillc, Ga., Octobor 18, 1877.
For the Index umlßavtlst. l
INDORSEMENT AND COMMENTS.
Editors Index— Your editorial on
“Home Instruction” meets my hearty
concurrence and warm approval. The
views you so ably present are eminent
ly correct. The Sunday-school has not
reached its measure of usefulness for
the very reason that parents neglect
this “home instruction.” This applies
specially and particularly, to mem In r
of the church. In the Sunday-school
work in this State I find two great
brawbacks.
1. Absence of a large part of the
members of the church from the Sun
day.school.
2. Absence of Sunday-school children
from divine service.
With these two impediments re
moved the efficiency of the Sunday
school for good can be doubled.
I think we crowd our services on
Sunday too lunch in cities, and have
service too infrequent in the country.
If the older members of the church—
the pillars and sleepers—complain of
long sermons, can you expect children
to spend one hour and a half in Sunday
school and then sit anotln r hour and a
half or t longer in church, without
becoming restless ? Adults and child*
ren mufct be fed, but in order that
the food be nutritious, they must prop
erly digest it. Someehange isnec ss ry.
Let parents and children all sit togeth
er during the morning service and
listen to the peached word. In the
afternoon let parents and children meet
in the Sunday-school to study the
i vritten word. It. is not the children
alone who should study the Bible.
Members of the church—old and young
—need to study the revealed will of
their Heavenly Father carefully, earn
estly and prayerfully. Then the work
of religious training and instruction at
home will become a feature in the
family which will increase the Chris
tian knowledge and culture of parents
aud children.
More frequent meetings of country
churches will greatly improve tbeir
spiritual condition. There is no reason
why they should not meetevery Sunday.
If preaching cannot be" had, a
prayer-meeting, or studying the Bible,
might be profitably substituted. Stir
up the church to its duty. Not only
should our own children have religious
instruction, but the fields white for the
harvest, in our cities and in every
county, should have laborers in them,
working diligently for the salvation of
souls, W. G. Whidby,
President State Sunday-school Convention.
For the liulex and Baptist.l
ENDORSEMENT OF “NATHAN.”
I should like very much to shake the
hand .if “Nathan.” Sure, he has spo
ken well for his people, and fully has
he answered up what Dr. S. said ; and
what “L.” used as the cause of the
great neglect which our churches had
manifested in the education and en
lightenment of the colored people in
our midst.
When i read his earnest call for help
to our brethren, 1 could not but ask
myself whether the man of Macedonia
plead so feelingly with the great apor
tle :o the Gentiles, when he called upon
huu for help. A -ts xvi: 9.
As Ibis Nathan is “a man, ” “a man
of Ethiopia,” and as he pleads thus,
may we not say, surely, ‘‘Ethiopia is
its hand unto God,
ds
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and spiritual wants. Now, they are
our poor neighbors, aDd, though we
may not have means to bestow upon
them temporal blessings, we can give
the word of counsel and sympathy,
and this, which is more valuable than
gold, will awaken pleasant trains,
which will bring fruits to eternal life.
Help! oh, help ! Let us all help Africa
now!
I have recently attended a Sunday
school meeting and two pleasant Asso
ciational meetings.
The Mississippi River Association
met on the 6th inst., at Rocky Creek
church, St. Helena parish, Louisiana,
Colonel Armaker, of Osyka, moderator,
and B. S. Spencer, clerk.
The Mississippi Baptist Association,
the oldest general body in the State, or
ganized in 1808, met with /Ton Hill
church, Amite county, Miss', pastor
W. W. Bolls moderator, and J. A.
Bolls clerk.
Pretty fair delegations, and usual
routine of business attended to at each
of these. W. H. Robert.
Woodville, Miss,, Oct' 22, 1877.
For the Index and Baptist.
CONFLICTING STATEMENTS.
In The Index of the nth cf Octo
ber, is an extract from a jrroposed
work on Baptist History, by Rev. I>.
W. Whilden, which needs some atten
tion. He says: “Georgia"" Baptist
Association for State ofi-'-Geergia
formed,” etc. It should be General,
not Georgia. The Georgia Baptist
Association was formed in 1784, and
was a constituent member in the or
ganization of the General Association
(afterwards called the Georgia Baptist
Convention) in 1822. This change of
name from General Association to
Georgia Baptist Convention, was pro
posed by resolution, at the-aession in
Washington, Wilkes county, in 1827,
and passed at the session held at
Monti ello, in 1828.
Again, brother W. says : “1823 —
Baptist State Convention and Baptist
General Association formed, in Octo
ber, at Salem church, hear Greens
boro, chiefly through the, labors of
Rev. J. A. Ronaldson."
This statement is inconsistent with
the statement that the General Asso
ciation was formed in" 1822, and
clashes with the minutes which state
that the session for 1823 was held in
Powelton.
By way of parenthesis, too, brother
Whilden says: “There is some in
congruity in. the minutes of tht.Con
vention. According to some, th& ses .
sion of IS7O was the fa+ty flight q an
niversary, and the session * the
filty-third.” ’ 1
1 beg leave to say that copies I
h:\ve, (and, 1 • a
make the sessmff fif iß7Wihe j*rty
eighth, and that of 1 the fifty
fourth anniversary of the Convention.
If there are copies of 1876 with
53 as the anniversary, how do you
printers account for it?
G. R. McCall.
[We can only say, in reply to our
brother’s question, that the Conven
tion minutes for the session of rS~6
were printed at this office, and that all
were printed from the same form. —
Fds. Index.]
For the Index and Baptist.]
The Georgia Methodist Episcopal Coufereuce.
Not South, but the unqualified thing
itself. It met in Dalton, October 11.
My purpose is not to give you a report
of all its proceedings, but to write a few
lines about some parts of the pro
gramme.
They open their annual meeting very
much litre other people, with singing,
reading Scripture and prayer. It is
not long, however, before they get to a
point we Baptists never reach. I allude
to fixing the status of their ministers.
They have three classes of ministers
who belong to the Conference: the
“efficient," the “superannuated,” aud
the “located.” The efficient class are
those who succeed with a “charge," and
get paid for their labor ; the superan
nuated class are those who might suc
ceed with the “charge” of a “society,”
but for bad health, or the want of a
paying “charge” to which the bishop
may assign them. One meaning of
superanuate is “to give a pension to
on account of old age or other in
firmity.” Auother is, “to last beyond
the year.” I do not know which of
Ihese meanings the“Coufereuee” adopts
when it superannuates a preacher, but
I suppose it is the second, for, while I
do not know positively that they do not
“give a pension” to the superannuated,
I do know that some of the super class
are not afflicted with “old age.” Aud
1 have heard it confessed in Confer
ence by the bishop, that the “other in
tinuity” in the definition was more the
want of a place thau the ailment of the
man.
The “located” class are not the
preachers on a “station,” but those who
have been charged with “inefficiency,”
and the charge has been proven in Con
ference and they have been laid aside,
as I understand it, to preach wherever
opportunity is afforded,
feNtrtv, at each annual Conference, the
list is goue over, and every
dther’s name put upon one or an-
U dd these list.. It is curious to a
4 see h 'iv tins Is doae. Tne
I Bfeit up hst, ana ..s uoc.i..'
s if there is .id bn tier
Many thing agv.ust t iu.t
’ presiding elder
gives an account of him, and he is also
allowed to speak for himself. His
speech is generally to ask to be put in
the superannuated class if he has any
“infirmity,” if not, and if there is no
charge of inefficiency preferred against
him, he is put on the efficient list by a
vote of the Conference. If he is trans
ferred to either of the other lists, it also
is done by a vote of the brethren. So
the standing of the preacher is de
termined by vote of the Conference,
and his field of labor, (if he be
among the efficient) is afterwards
determined by the decree of the
bishop. If the bishop fails to assign
all the efficients a field of labor, he is
“liable to impeachment.”
I may find time to send you some
notice of the religious exercises in
another communication, but this is al
ready too long. R. T. Hanks.
Dalton, Ga.
BAPTIST HISTORY.
[Hpacimeu Extracts from a proposed Work by the
llev. 11. W. Whilden, Pleasant Hill, Alabama.]
1843 New Testament in Karen
printed. Rev. J. G. Binney pastor of a
Baptist church in Savannah, Ga., and
Rev. E. B. Bullard pastor at Foxbo
rough, Mass., appointed missionaries to
the Karens.
1844 — At the meeting of the Trien
nial Convention this year, the subject
of slavery was agitated. Number of
Baptistchurches in Great Britain 1,675.
1845 — Rev. Dr. Judson visits Amer
ica. Southern Baptist Convention
formed at Augusta, Georgia, May Btb.
This arose from an unwillingness on the
part of one of the Boards of the TrK
ennial Convention to appoint slave
holders missionaries. The meetings
were at first triennial, afterwards bi
ennial, now they are annual. Up to this
year, for thirty years previous, the
Southern Baptists had raised for For
eign Missions $2i2,000. See 1875.
1846 Messrs. Pearcy and Clopton
sail for China, as missionaries under
Southern Baptist Convention, June 22,
and arrive October 9. Duriug this
year there were two Associations in
lowa and 900 church members.
1847 — Southern Baptist Publication
Society formed in Savannah, Georgia.
1848— Rev. Dr. Devan appointed
missionary to France. Texas Baptist
Convention formed.
1849 First church formed in Min
nesota at St. Pauls. Cramp.
1850 — American- Bible Union June
10, originated by Baptists, though,
according to the constitution of this
Society, it is not a Baptist institution.
New York Chronicle commenced.
1851— Furman University founded
in Greenville, S. C. One hundredth
anniversary of Charleston Association
celebrated in November in Charleston,
S.C.. f . ,
1852 ■*— American baptist Register
published. Yazoo Association, Missis
sippi, formed. The following Associa
tions in Georgia were formed : Arba
coochee and Oostanaula. T. P. Craw
ford and wife, missionaries Southern
Baptist Convention, arrived in China
on the 30th of March.
1853 The Christian Repository com
menced in July by Rev. Dr. Ford.
American Baptist Historical Society was
formed May 6th, Philadelphia, Penn
sylvania, headquarters. Object: The
collection and preservation of docu
ments, books, etc., on Baptist History.
1854 Death of Rev. J. L. Reynold
son. He was a very useful man, both
as an evangelist and pastor. He was at
one time pastor of the Market street
Baptist church, Petersburg, Va. He
was an Englishman by birth, and a
short time before his death was on his
way to America from a visit to the home
of his childhood, but was lost at sea,
iu the destruction of the steamer City
of Glasgow. (A. B. Hem. Sept. 1855 )
He was a brother-in-law of Rev. Dr.
Thos. Curtis, of Limestone Springs,
s. 0.
1855 Texas Baptist commenced in
Anderson, Grimes county,Texas. Death
of Rev. J. S. Mims, a Professor in the
Furman Theological Seminary, S. C.
1856 Cherokee Baptist College,
Cassville, Georgia, burnt January 4.
1857 The Southern Baptist Con
vention held the s : xth biennial session
in Louisville, Ky.
1858— Persecution of German Bap
tists iu Europe. Minnesota Baptist
Convention formed in November.
1859 Arkansas Baptist published at
Little Rock. Texas Associations as
follows: San Marcos and Union.
Georgia Associations as follows: Mt.
Yernoti and Friendship.
For the Index au t Baptist.
AITIMN MTSINGS.
There are times and seasous in this
life of urs which dispose the mind to
revive impressions of sadness. The
hour of twilight brings with it a sooth
ing melancholy—the last fading ray of
sunlight, the dim outline of surrounding
obj lets ; the gradual transition from
light to darkness softens the heart,
opening it to all sweet and tender emd
tions. Love and memory summon np
the spirit of hopes long faded ; the
shadowv forms of the absent and the
dead gather around us; familiar tones
long hushed come mingling with the
low voice of the wind to our ears.
Then, too. we dream of the future—we
sigh for immortality, and breathe for
the aspirations for the arrival of that
day which knows no night.
The season of the ‘.bear and yellow
leaf” is fitted to awaken thoughts of
sorrow. Autumu is the twilight of the
year; the rich glow of summer is mel-
lowed into the soft tint which betokens
the dissolution of nature, and her love
liest productions disappear from our
view, leaving us to grieve that objects
round which the delicate tendrils of
affection have learned to twine, must
fade and wither and pass away to be
forgotten. It is painful to be so re
minded that within the bright forms
which glide about our pathway, as well
as in the flowers that spring up beneath
our footsteps, lie concealed the elements
of decay.
We shrink instinctively from look
ing upon death, and nature, as if to
tempt us to see it without a shudder,
has ordered that all her fairest works
shall be loveliest in their dissolution.
The rays of the sun are never so rich
and varied as when it is about to leave
the world shrouded in darkness and
gloom. The forest puts off its mod*st
drapery of green, and assumes a robe
of scarlet and gold, just as the prin
ciple of life begins to decline. Its
brilliance dazzles for awhile and then
fading and falling away, it gives place
to the pale shroud of winter.
There are diseases too, which, while
they are sapping the foundations of life,
give to the cheek a richer bloom, and
to the eye a brighter luster. We watch
with fondness the increasing beauty of
the sufferer, and forget that it is nour
ished by the ministry of that tyrant
who adorns but to destroy.
Why is it that all the ties which hold
the heart a prisoner to earth are so frail
and perishable, if it be not to remind us
that this world is not our home? Why
is that we are endowed with such high
hopes and glorious aspirations after
beauty that never fades, if it be not
that a brighter sphere awaits us filled
with glories whose luster time ma never
dim, and brings to whom love may at
tach itself without one fear of separa
tion ?
“It is well for us that our best
pleasures have an immortality like our
own, that the unseen life is but a glori
fication of the sun,” that the fountains
of sympathy which are opened here
will gush forth unrestrained in eter
nity. TANARUS, J. S. C.
For the Index and Baptist.]
THE WORK OF GOD’S ELECT.
Annexed are given the contributions
of the Southern States for the spread
of the gospel in the heathen lands dur
ing the Conventional year ending May
Ist, 1876 ; also, the receipts from May
Ist to Octobei 10th, 1877; together
with the remainders, which the States
should respectively make up before
May Ist, 1878. To supply the lack of
donations in the summer, temporary
arrangements were made to meet the
drafts of our missionaries. Now, these
obligations must be met, in addition to
the current expenses ot the missions-
The Board, as the servants of the
churches, look confidently to them to
afford the means necessary for the work
undertaken by their command, and for
the discharge of indebtedness contract
ed in their name. Will not the pastors
and all earnest workers for Jesus do
what they can to realize the full sums
• spected of their several States? This
burden of preaching Jesus to the na
tions is a blessed aud perpetual one,
which the elect will rejoice to endure
for Him who gave his life for them,
and for multitudes of the race, until
the kingdoms of this world shall be
come the kingdoms of the Lord and of
His Christ:
States. I 1876. I 1877.
Maryland $2,252.95, $282.37 $1,970.58
District of Co-1
lmnbia i 272.80, 11 00 261.80
Virginia ; 9,263 61 1,985.79 7,277.82
Went Virginia.. 476.91, 48.85 428.06
North Carolina. 2,681 03 239.42 2,441.61
South Carolina. 6,088.86 1,222.95 4,865 91
Georgia 1 7,174.70 764 86 6,409 84
Florida 1 62.78’ 1.00 61.78
Alabama 1,371.13 263.05 1,108.08
Mississippi j 1,628 QOj 603 57 1,024 43
Louisiana 499.15 127.35 371.80
Texas 1.689 62 1 108.40 1,581.22
Tennessee : 1,548.02; 344 96 1.20806
Kentucky 5,924 87 1,238 37 4,686 50
Missouri j 710.631 435.08 275.55
Arkansas ‘ 192.00 87.90 103.10
Miss Lottie Moon started on the 18th
of this month for China. Will not
the prayers of God’s people ascend con
tinually for the safe voyage of this no
ble woman ? And, will not their aims
be offered with their supplications that
they may be heard of the Lord ?
11. A. Topper, Corresponding Secretary.
Richmond, Ya.
■
ELDER J. M. STIUVtLL.
5Y hat a shock was experienced [in out
community yesterday, when the news came
from Stone Mountain that this good
brother was dead ! For a moment I stood
still, an could only say, how sad. At first
11 ho fight the report might be untrue, hut 1
remembered an item in the last issue of the
Covington .B tar, which spoke of his serious
illness. At twelve o’clock yesterday liis
soul took its flight to a fairer world on high.
Released from worldly connections, that
soul may now expand indefinitely in the
presence of heavenly revelations.
A good matt has departed. I cannot
write his biography—the materials are net
at hand. 1 only desire to bear some testi
mony to the worth of this man of God. For
several years our fields of labor baVe been
adjacent, and occasionally we have worked
together. 1 have always noticed Ins burning
zeal tor the cause of Christ, and wjj’le did
pensing the Word to his hearers, hts soul and
body seemed all aglow with the intensity of
hts ardent nature jor die s dvatbm of those
whoiji* he addressed When other's pirtichefl
his warm heart g ithek-d iu ffitreh precious
good, arid those iu close proximity could
frequently hear, in soft accerits, Words of
praise find s adoration. Whenever be spoke,
he was in earnest. The exhortation de
livered at the First Baptist Church of this
place during the session of the Association
is still fresh in our miuds. Many were ■
moved by it, and doubtless eternity will
show its good fruits.
Ah, what a loss we have sustained 1
Society, the family circle, the church and
the Stone Mountain Association are all
bereaved. Society has lost one of its bright-*
est ornaments; his precept and example
pointed to a high-toned morality. The
family circle, O, who can compute their
losse! The tears and groans ail gathered
would fail to give us the true loss. His form
abseut from the lonely fireside, and his voice
hushed from the evening ofierings. Friends,
weep with that weeping family. The
church of which he was a member, mourn
indeed one of the most faithful expounders'
of gospel truth has been laid low. He
loved her ordinances, and the law of the
Lord was his delight. The Stone Mountain
Association has sustained great loss. Broth- --
er Stilwell was punctual in his attendance,
and was always ready to do work for the
&' or }' °f God and the good of the brethren.
'” e ®b*ll miss him, but shall meekly bow,
‘He who doeth all things well” has satd,
’Come up higher.” We wait; may we be
ready when the Father calls. We offer our
sympathy to the bereaved family.
„ J. M. Brittainx
Gonyers, Gi., Sept 28th, 1877. *
For the Index and Baptist,,
AGED JIIYISTERS’ SAVING FIND.
Having changed my residence from
Marietta to Eatonton, Georgia, all
those desiring to contribute to the
above named fund, are requested to
send tbeir contributions to brother A.
M. York, Treasurer, Marietta Georgia.
I. R. Branham.
Eatonton. Ga., October, 20, 1877-
fgisffllang.
HOW TO LIVE A UI.VDUKD YEARS.
Baron Reichenbach, who has de
voted many years of deep study in the
art of bed making, maintains that you
must not always lie in your bed as it Is
made, under penalty of abridging your
life by a great number of years. If,
says the Baron, a mere magnet exer
• ises an influence on sensitive persons,
the earth’s magnetism must certainly
make itself felt on the nervous life of
man. Hence he dilates on the salutary
effects of the inhabitants of the north
ern hemisphere lying with their heads
to the north, and those of the southern
with their heads to the south. For
travelers of short memories we may
put the rule in general terms: '’FS
whatever hemisphere you may be, al
ways sleep with your feet to the equa.
tor, and let your body lie “ true as a
needle to the pole.” In giving this
rule the Baron has simply told us how
to live a hundred years; for the polar
direction of the body is, it appears,
the utmost importance for the proper
circulation of the blood, and we have Ba*
ron Reichenbach's authority for stating
that many disturbances in the human
organism have been cured by simply
placing the bolster at a different pofnt*
of the compass from that it had ojjl
pied before. Let such as have hitllH
been in the habit of sleeping with tIRPi
heads where their feet ought to be take
to heart the example of the late Dr.
Fischweiter, Maiigeburg, who died re
cently at the age of one hundred and
nine years, and always attributed his
long life to the faithful observance of
the pole to pole position of sleeping.
The most unhealthy position, we are
told, is when the body lies due east and
west. Some observers assure us that to
sleep in such a position is taut, rmoant to
committing slow suicide, and that dis
eases are often aggravated by devia
tions from the polar posture.
LOOKING INTO TIIE FI'TIRF.
Of what can she be thinking ? fffiis
fair, young maiden, just stepping out
into life, with its joys and sorrows, its
hopes and disappointments, its pleas
ures and its pains, all yet untried, but
all as certainly awaiting her as they
have been the portion of every maiden
since the days of her, who, created a
woman, knew nothing of the sweet ex
perience of joyous childhood err of
trusting maidenhood. Which shall
predominate—the joys or the sorrows ?
Happy is it for the young maiden that
she cannot see in the future. Perhaps
a thought of the uncertainty that en
shrouds her pathway through life casts
a slight shade over the otherwise beam
ing face, and deepens the expression
of the sparkling eyes. Be it so. It
only enhances her lovliness, and invests
her with a charm peculiar to thought
ful maidenhood.
Many of our young read r are now
at the threshold ot life, just ready to
step out into this husv, worxing world.
Some are ail anxiety, all ■ ugerness,
hoping all things fearing nothing.!
Some, a very few, perhaps, are timidly j
dreading the step.* Be neither over
confident nor too fearful. Do-not
shrink back from the no vitable, nor
advance without premedita'ion. De
termine to l)e Useful as -wwl.-u-* -happy ;
form a purpose in life, a good
and never waver from it. Meet bravely
every difficulty in your path, and at
the same time enjoy, to your bean’s
content, every innocent pleasure that
may be extracted from atttendant cir
cumstances. Buoyant with hope, as
you now are, step bravely out into
your place in the world, with a firm
determination to do what is right uu
der aSlj circumstauccs, to give all you
Influence to what is good, and ad'beri
Unflinchingly to it, no matter hot
strong the temptation to do otherwise
aud when you shall have reached th
evening of life your hearts will be a
fresh and as pure and as young a
when you stood “at the threshold,
gazing eagerly, maybe timidly, into tb
open plain beyond.