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2 fl At iiHliiii f *£ ■ X^t x iTr' ■ r^^y-^w l SPFy>^TrfStJ?MiW^apßr'-‘ !>■' *. 24/ j * .*fifiir , '‘'''-VrnK. - »BkE sb/B? KcJa'AVJg~^! , gv?.xS *ilwl w '<«£3?awT - s 'T&tyHs ! p »%KkmTffiAiJEtPy^^ a*-; '7l *?? -*'" -»- i j F*' "jKWwar" ~ • ** / ••/S*,tf y V^'-X^>~ r^'-J?IIWfJL J T* n k - «, : 'rv_£ fT>. r - - ;•' fi • r ‘•yfiCp? tTV n * 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.