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jtSEMmF
For Woman s Work.
AN AUTUMN MUSING.
‘ 0, World, you are beautifully drest."
O THE summer is dead ! The golden
rod is again here. Beautiful “golden
plume that nods on the hearse ot
summer.”
Coming home to-day through the royal
bannered woods, I could but recognize that
the hosts of summer had surrendered; for
their colors were silently being lowered.
Already the ground about my feet was
bright with the “haughty banners trailed
in dust”—leaves of the poplar, sweet gum,
maple and sassafras.
The air begins to have that new, fresh
feeling, invigorating as old wine. To me,
autumn has nothing of sadness or melan
choly in it; but, rather, all the pomp and
glory of a gorgeous sunset, with the prom
ise of a fair to-morrow. As the sun went
down to-day I rested my arms on a rail
fence, and gazed on the picture that lay
before me in all the hazy beauty of autumn
It was a homely scene, perhaps, yet it
made my heart glad for the fairness of
earth.
A stretch of undulating country, covered
with a dry grass in many tones of brown,
dark in the hollows and golden on the
ridges; across this, partridges were call
ing cheerily. On the one side were the
woods, forming, with their red and yellow
signals of surrender, a bank of color; on
the other side, green, dark and sombre,
rose a belt of pines. Away in the distance
ran the tangled hedge that divided my
autumn picture from the cultivated fields
beyond; from this, at intervals, nodded a
bunch of sumac berries, catching the light
and looking like a tongue of flame. Far
away a cow-bell tinkled sleepily; the sound
mingled with the whirring ot the par
tridges, and the occasional shrill caw of a
crow, perched high on the solitary limb of a
blasted pine, which was raised like a men
acing arm heavenward.
The after-glow of the sunset grew fainter.
The golden-brown fields took on a purplish
tint, and, warned by the gathering
shadows, I reluctantly “hied me hame.”
Truly the world is a beautiful place and
full of music; very sweet, “if only the
blinded eyes could see, if only the deaf
mute heart could hear.” .
Some time ago, on a bench
in the cemelerv, I raised my eyes on
wMA,fo was < feaist 6! tag-
JSuSS, W^ownS !
a solid'■ masa h ot grdep, waist high'inid
crSWndd With the great red, :■
blossoms, which over, as
with their own sleep-giving
potion. Just beyond the poppies, and only
separated from them by the cemetery en
closure, waved a field of oats, just yellow
ing. The sun had sunk low. and his level
beams struck the grain, turning it to gold,
and throwingout the whole picture against
the vivid blue of an afternoon sky. It
made a picture with colors so gorgeous
that it looked more like a curtain of royal
Eastern tapestry, than a mere bed of
chance-sown poppies, with the sky for its
background.
It had been an oppressively warm day,
and th« scarlet and green of the poppies,
the gold of the oats, and the blue of the sky
seemed to fairly palpitate upon the sultry
air, and burn themselves on the retina of
memory.
There is, to me, no flower that so typifies
its properties in its appearance as the pop
py. I never see one but that I think of the
characteristic answer given by the poppy
when asked by the rose to show cause why
she should cumber the garden, being scent-
less ;_•<! bring,” said the poppy, yawning.
“The gift man longs to possess—
That he racks the world in seeking—
I bring him forgetfulness.
Canst thou cancel pain with thy beauty,
O Rose with the prickly thorn ?
I can, and therefore the Maker
Chose me to grow with the corn.”
Doubtless, if the Lethean waters could
fhw over the arid, scarred tracts of many
a waste place in our past, the riddle of life
would not be such a hard one to read. As it
is,the nearest approach to the coveted Lethe
is work— unremitting and incessant. Thus
have we made a blessing of what was in
tended as a curse. Or did the all-wise
Creator know so well the creatures of his
hands, that He foresaw their needs ?
Doubtless, for that he knew us in every
age and generation was clearly demon
strated when he made suicide the unpar
donable sin. And so, life still remains to
many of us like the mystery ofthe Sphinx,
“a riddle few have read.”
Life in the country is a simpler matter,
and admits of a more satisfactory solution.
By the country I mean an isolated country
home where the discordant element of
humanity has not intruded to any great
extent, and where the peace of the prime
val seems to brood over the earth.
In small country towns and villages one
has the objectionable features of the city
on an aggravatingly minute scale. The
clangor of the tongue-human is ever on
the air; and the tendency to give such
magnitude to unimportant details has a
wearing effect on the energies. But coun
try life, in its true acceptation, is a life in
which one is enabled to live nearer to God
and attain to a greater altitude spiritually
and mentally. The closer we can live to
nature’s great throbbing heart, the better
for us. Verily the earth is pure and beau
tiful and “onlv man is vile.” The habita
tion is fair enough, if only the dweller
thereon were as goodlv.
Eiggam Renmah.
Fob Woman’s Work.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF
GEORGIA.
“Public school teachers are the first people in
the land.”— Hon. 8. D. Bradwell.
This is not the verdict of the world.
The world says it is highly respectable to
be a professor in a college; a thing to be
deplored, but still very respectable for a
young woman to teach art or music or
languages or the sciences in an institution
of learning; but the world is amused and
politely hides a smile when our School
Commissioner claims that public school
teachers iftr.- bhe first people in the land.
Xn view of this fact, and without attempt
ing to disfnss the cause, I want to make a
suggestion *to these “first people.”
if -Mrt.’Bttrnett, in one of her popular
Makes a little girl, Sara Crewe,
poverty, hardships, cruelty—by fancying
herself a princess in disguise.
Through many misfortunes Sara Crewe
bore herself with the dignity, grace, sim
plicity, and kindliness of a true princess
among women. The application of the
story is this:—May not public school
teachers be so convinced of the nobility of
their calling as to carry with them always
and everywhere an inner consciousness of
their exalted position that shall inspire
them with patience, courage, and a nobil
’ ity of nature; and so rise superior to such
discouragements as meager salaries and an
ungrateful public?
But Georgia is becoming proud of her
public schools. She is beginning to give
money for their support, and by a law of
our nature we prize that which costs us
something. The amount appropriated by
the state for public education this year is
$1,180,000, an increase of $50,000
over the amount appropriated in 1891.
Half a million of this money is derived
from direct taxation; the remainder is de
rived from various sources—poll tax. the
rental of the Western and Atlantic Rail-
WOMAN’S WORK.
road, liquor tax. hire of state convicts, tax
on shows, etc. This money is apportioned
to the different counties in the state upon
the basis of the aggregate of children of
school age in each county.
Educational affairs are managed by a
State Board of Education and a State
Commissioner, and, for each county, a
County Board and a County Commis
sioner.
The state appropriation allows the
schools to be in operation only five months
of the year. A larger appropriation is
needed. Our schools ought to be in
session for nine months. We want better
school houses, and teachers who are better
prepared for and more devoted to their
work. H>w could the state’s money be
better expended than by putting it into
the brains of the children ? In some parts
of our state the history of fifty years ago
is repeated in our schools—ye pedagogue
with iron sway, cudgelling the three B’s in
to the dwarfed brains of unwilling pupils.
One million one hundred and eighty
thousand dollars is the amount appropria
ted by the state for public education, but
not the amount expended in the state for
that purpose.
Forty-eight cities and towns, and eight
counties, have local systems of schools
supported by the state fund sup
plemented by a direct tax levied on the
inhabitants of the town or county bene
fited. In such localities the schools are in
session for nine months of each year, and
are better equipped and managed, in every
way, than it is possible for them to be
throughout the state at large. The schools
of Atlanta, Savannah, Macon, Augusta,
Athens, Griffin, Columbus and other places
are doing work of which the noblest Geor
gian may be justly proud.
Those not directly connected with the
teachers’ profession, and who have not had
their attention called to the recent innova
tions in teaching and theories on the sub
ject, may be both surprised and interested
in a very brief statement of some of these.
A principle now universally recognized,
that has perhaps done mere to revolution
ize educational methods than any other, is
that the mind is reached more easily
through the medium of the eye than any
other sense. Hence the modern school
house is furnished with globes, maps,
charts, pictures, rules and yard sticks,
quart and pint cups, numeration boxes, etc.
Another revolutionizing principle which
is very generally acknowledged is that a
child is a born scientist. He shows this in
the nursery when, just like the chemist at
a later date, he wants to handle every new
object, then puts it to his mouth to test it
by the sense of taste, and then, most likely
throws it into the fire to see how it burns.
Who hasn’t seen the baby exoeriment
just so? Many of us, like the river, are
so busy moving on, and our vision is
so muddied with the cares of years, that
we can’t look backward to the bubbling
spring of childhood.- If we could, we
would remember with what eager delight
we were investigating and getting ac
quainted with the world and the things in
it, the birds and the ants and the doodle
bugs and the bees and the flowers and the
garden seeds and fruits and berries.
The practical application of this princi
ple encourages the little scientists in their
investigations and questionings of nature,
instead of putting off such studies until
they are older grown and worldly
wise and have no longer care for
these things. Our model school has its
natural historv collection, its cabinet for
minerals; includes in its corps of
teachers the flower, the leaf, the
brook, the rainbow, the snowflake. Easy’
science lessons are begun in the first grade
and are continued throughout the entire
course.
Our schools are attempting to provide
suitable literature for children. The
Branson Library, containing three thou
sand carefully selected volumes, is the
property of the Athens’ Public Schools.
In our schools we endeavor to train chil
dren not only to think, but to skillful expres
sion of thought in as many ways as possible.
We would have them put their brains into
their hands. Most of the cities of Georgia
have music, drawing and clay modelling a
part of public school instruction.
We have not yet begun to teach cooking
and sewing, nor have we workshops for
boys, but these things will come in the
near future, we hope.
In the last three years, with our teach
er-governor at the head of affairs, several
agencies have been set in operation which
are working out the salvation of our state
in matters educational. Among these
agencies I would mention the Girl’s In
dustrial and Normal College, at Milledge
ville, and the Normal School, at Rock
College, in Athens. The former is liber
ally endowed by the state and closed in
June its first year—a year most useful and
prosperous.
The latter has no money from the state,
but, with a small endowment from some
other source, held a six weeks’ session this
summer. The attendance was large, and a
degree of enthusiasm was aroused in the
minds of those present which must result
in an unusual demonstration of some kind.
But the Teachers’ Institute, which the
school law provides shall be held in every
county in the state, and shall be attended
by every teacher holding a public school
license, is the agency which will reach into
the remote places and the dark corners.
In the meanwhile, until the charge of
illiteracy is removed from our door and
Georgia becomes in matters educational as
well as financial “the empire State of the
South,” there is a mighty work for these
“first people” to do.
S. N.
For Woman’s Work.
ONE DAY.
“No, there is no circleof King’s Daugh
ters here; one was started sometime ago,
but there seemed to be nothing that they
could do, and so it was given up,” said my
invalid friend, Mrs. L., in reply to an
inquiry concerning the order of King’s
Daughters.
And yet I thought as I listened, that
she and her four bright daughters were truly
doing the work of the King—but let me tell
you something of my friend’s family, and
then you may judge for yourself.
A few months since, a poor man with
his family moved to our village, and Lutie
L. was one of the first to welcome them to
the church and Sunday School. Later
when Mrs. W., who, besides the incon
venience of poverty has the greater burden
ot invalidism to bear, was becoming al
most homesick, Mrs. L’s family came to
brighten life for the stranger in a strange
land.
At one time quiet Lutie came in on her way
from school, and by her hopeful talk and
sympathetic nature, quite won the heart of
the weary woman; then came light
hearted Laura, so full of life that her
cheery influence lingers to brighten many
a lonely hour; and Ida, so sweet and happy
under affliction that she unconsciously
teaches a lesson of patient obedience to all
around her.
At last came the feeble mother to sym
pathize with her less fortunate neighbor
and invite her and her little Addie to
spend a day at her own beautiful home;
and it is an account of that day which I
wish to give you.
Soon after breakfast Laura came for
them with the carriage, and as the morn
ing was a cool one the ride was delightful.
At the end of half an hour they reached
Mrs. L’s home, where they were cordial, y
welcomed by all, Minnie taking imme
diate possession of Addie and carrying her
off to the play room, while Mrs. L. and her
three older daughters were left to enter
tain Mrs. W. A nice dinner was pre
pared, also a comfortable couch for the
guest when weary with the unusual excite
ment of the day.
Music, of which Mrs. W. is passionately
fond, formed a large part of the entertain
ment.
At five o’clock the carriage was again
brought to the door, and after another
pleasant ride, Mrs. W. and Addie were
left at home with the memory of a very
pleasant day and a warm corner in their
hearts for these true daughters of the
King.
Those who have always enjoyed good
health can scarcely realize how enjoyable
such a day may be to one, who, from sick
ness or any other cause, is confined to the
house.
Even with the comforts and luxuri >s ot
life, one will sometimes become weary ot
always looking at the same things, hear
ing the same voices, and thinking along
the same train of thoughts; and if, as is
often the case, there is a lack of every
thing except the bare necessities, how
much more urgent is the need of afriendly
hand stretched forth to give the desired
recreation. Retta.
If all our younger women realized, as
we gladly recognize that many of them do,
how much brighter and richer their lives
might be made by a generous literary diet,
they would early cultivate a taste tor
reading, since this is an appetite that
grows by feeding but is difficult to acquire
in later years. It is not best at first to
undertake heavy, exhaustive treaties of
which oneknows little and cares less, since
this method wearies and discourages at the
outset. Rather let one start with the
resolve to add daily to her stock of infor
mation something fresh and valuable upon
subjects in which she is already interested,
to master thoroughly each new fact, and
to allow the interest which increased
knowledge is sure to awaken to carry her
into broader fields.