The Golden age. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1906-1915, May 31, 1906, Page 5, Image 5

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

evety t)ody that I knew about etiquette, and went in with my 'heart thumping about one hundred and twenty-five thumps a minute. Finally I got to the table, and there I had my hardest fight. I did not know what to do with all the things they had on the table. After dinner the good woman of the house, who knew I was a green-horn, took me out to the green house. That was worse than ever. I knew nothing about flowers, so I said, “You think because I am a college boy I know all about these flowers. I do not. I know about sunflowers and cotton blossoms; that is about all. I will tell you another thing, I like to have starved to death at dinner because I didn’t know how to eat what you had.” She seemed to enjoy my frankness, and just took hold of me and gave me the best time of my life. That is the way for you to use your fine homes; that is the way for you to use your position. Use it so as to make others happy and good. Stewardship of Money. I wanted to say something about the stewardship of money, but I can not, as time prevents; let me say just this much about it, however: God holds us responsible for every dime that comes through out hands. It is in fact His money, not ours. We need to know this. The South especially needs to know it. We need to be waked up on the line of our riches. For the longest we have talked our poverty and pleaded our poverty. We ought to quit it. We are not a poor people. We have got money enough in the South to-day to do everything that the South needs to have done. We can run all our colleges and schools without a single dollar coming from the outside if we only realized our wealth. Take it right here in our church. I have recently gone over the books of our church, and have been shocked at the amount of money given by the individual members of this church. You do not begin to know to-day how much you could be doing. Why here we are crying “poverty” when we are rich. We can do anything we want to do for the cause of Christ. Let us realize our wealth and give as God requires, and we will find that we have plenty with which to do our work, and what we do will bless us more. The only money we really invest is that which we invest in His name and make subject to His draft. What of the Day. O hands of mine, What of the day? . Hast any burdens borne For aged forms and gray? Hast lent thine aid By act or deed To weary ones so frail, Who toil in want and need? 0 feet of mine, Hast sought to-day The weak and erring ones, From paths of right astray? Hast been where sin, Disease and death Cast o’er the young and old Their baleful, blighting breath ? 0 tongue of mine, With words of cheer Hast soothed sad hearts, or chased From sorrow’s eye the tear? To one lost soul Hast thou revealed The way of Truth and Life, Which Jesus’ blood has sealed? 0 soul of mine, To God hast thou For all His gifts to thee Tn holy rev’renee bowed? Thankful alike ■' For good or ill; Content ’tis best, whate’er The loving Father wills. a- * —Lillian Finnell. £he Golden Age for May 31, 1006. CHRISTIAN PATRIOTISM Fighting Private Soldier —Lieutenant and Active Chaplain. In the summer of 1861, a young man was gradu ated from the University of Georgia in the degree of A. 8., who after his war life attained most mer itoriously the further degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of Divinity. This was the soldier, lieu tenant and chaplain, Dr. Jabez Mercer Brittain. Immediately after graduation he enlisted as a pri vate in an Oglethorpe county company, named the Tom Cobb infantry, which was mustered into service September 29, 1861, with Captain J. D. Matthews, as captain. At this date young Brittain was elected first sergeant, and on the resignation of one of the lieutenants, he was promoted third lieutenant, April 22, 1862, then second lieutenant, July 23, 1862, and finally promoted chaplain of the regi ment, June 16, 1863. His company was designated as Company E, 38th Georgia Regiment, Evans’ Bri gade, Gordon’s Division in, Stonewall Jackson’s Corps. The regiment made great fame for good military conduct and hard fighting in all the great battles in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, surren dering a fragment at Appomattox. This sketch, for The Golden Age, written by one who fought by his side in battle, and participated in the religious scenes of the same brgade, is spec ially designed to illustrate the chaplain’s worth in the army. Lieutenant Brittain was summoned in June, 1563, to the higher duties of the chaplaincy after proving his soldiership in many battles, and turned over his sword as a loan to Adjutant Mat thews, who was wounded and captured in the bat tle of Gettysburg, thus becoming deprived of the sw T ord which has not been heard from since. Chaplain Brittain tells an interesting story of religious work in the army as follows: “The spirit of true Christianity permeated our army from the first. While some were thoughtless and profane, there were large numbers of choice Christian spirits, who bore the banner of Christ consistently throughout the war, returning to their homes to bear it bravely to the end of life. At first religious services were prayer meetings fre quently held and largely attended. As there were many ministers in the command who were soldiers, they were gladly heard by their comrades in arms. But in the absence of ministers, there were officers and soldiers who conducted these services. In the beginning of the war, chaplains were not provided, but this defect was soon remedied, and their duties were defined. “After the Battle of Gettysburg, when the army encamped near Orange Court House, a most re markable revival occurred, which, perhaps, had never been equalled. Many thousands of soldiers were deeply affected by these services and brought savingly to Christ, or raised to a higher plane of life. Brave men who had fought fearlessly on many battle-fields, now surrendering to conviction, were made soldiers of the Cross. The sanctuary of our command was the shady grove, our pews some times the rough-hewn logs, but oftener the natural earth; our lights at night were Heaven’s chande liers, aided here and there by flames from piles of burning logs, yet sweet, indeed, were the songs, fer vent the prayers, and amazingly earnest the preach ing. After the meeting ended at night little groups of men could be heard praying in the camps or in the woods. Chaplains and others moved from group to group to pray, exhort and counsel. These -were times of such seriousness that frequently men would cry aloud under conviction, and again the great joy of conversion. Many told their experiences, and united with the people of God, the minister baptizing them, and forwarding the certificate to the church at home. Thus the Gospel in the wil derness amidst the strife of battle was made known to men. Soldiers were received into fellowship by a very simple method. As many members as it Conducted By GENERAL CLEMENT A. EVANS was possible to assemble, met together, heard the experience of the soldiers, and it being satisfactory, he was received, welcomed and baptized, and the minister administered the ordinance of baptism. Chaplain Brittain administered this ordinance in the army for the first time in his ministry. “In this revival many officers took active part. At sunrise the first day, Gen. Gordon made an in teresting address and afterwards attended the ser vices often. Dr. Broadus, from South Carolina, preached many impressive sermons. Dr. Cooper, of Georgia, an eminent surgeon, was a magnificent preacher. The chaplains were faithful hard work ers everywhere, not only in the great revival, but in camp and march and on battle-field. Occasionally colporteurs and missionaries came to supply the soldiers with Bibles, tracts and religious papers. All in all, the soldiers were reached by Christian efforts and spiritual influences permeated the South ern armies. “No soldiers ever had truer, braver Christian officers. Lee, Jackson, Stuart, Gordon, Evans and hundreds of others in all the armies of the Confed eracy, knew how to commune with God as well as to fight bravely on the field of battle. It was noticed that these officers loved to join any body of men whom they found engaged in a meeting for prayer, and it is a fact to be now remembered with pleas ure that, to wage a good clear, honorable warfare, was the sacred intention of both the officers and the men. True religion will foster the patriotic and the humane spirit in all armies.” The Confederate Burial Ground. Here lies the dead, step soft and light, ’Tis consecrated ground. No shaft of stone, but flowers bright Bloom on each grassy mound. Can sculptor’s hand carve monuments More lasting than the flowers, That peep out from the battlements Os earth’s upheaving towers? If sculptors cannot limn their fame Nor flowery blooms prolong, Some Epic Bard will weave their name In fame’s immortal song. That song will fill the halls of fame With echoes from the field, Where valor wrote each hero’s name On Valor’s battle shield. —Clarence Cullins. Georgia’s Sacrifices in the Civil War, The simple record of the sacrifices of the State of Georgia will show resplendent by her war record. She sent to the field over 100,000 soldiers, as much as her voting population at the beginning of the war. There is no means therefore of accurately es timating the damage she suffered. Her aggregate wealth. We estimate Georgia’s heroism and suffer than in 1861, and her gain from 1865 would have been fully fifteen millions, making her war loss amount to the proportion of three-fourths of her wealth. We estimate Georgia’s heroism and suffer ing by comparing her losses with those of other Southern States, as follows: Georgia, $481,000,000, or over three-fourths of her wealth; South Carolina, $326,000,000, or two-thirds; Mississippi, $355,000,- 000, or two-thirds; Virginia, $186,000,000, or two sevenths; North Carolina, $160,000,000, or one-half; Kentucky, $104,000,000, or one-fifth; Louisiana. $185,000,000, or two-fifths; Tennessee, $69,000,000, or one-fifth; Florida, $36,000,000, or one-half: Mis souri gained $286,000,000. —From Avery’s History of the State of Georgia, from 1856 to 1881, 5