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10 THE YOUNG SOUTHERNER All communications and contributions intended for this department should be addressed to Mrs. Louise T. Hodges, 83 East Avenue, Atlanta, Ga. I Heard a Voice. By Theodosia Garrison. I heard a voice in the darkness singing (That was a valiant soul I knew) And the joy of his song was a wild bird winging Swift to his mate through a sky of blue. Myself—l sang when the dawn was flinging Wide his guerdon of fire and dew; I heard a voice in the darkness singing (That was a valiant soul I knew). And his song was of love and all its bringing And of certain day when the night was through; I raised my eyes where the hope w r as springing, And I think in his heaven God smiled, too. I heard a voice in the darkness singing (That was a valiant soul I knew). —Metropolitan Magazine. With Correspondents. I am pleased to have so many interesting letters this week for our page. (A number of good ones had to be left over for next week.) The letters show that the writers are studying and finding out things and I am sure this gives pleasure to them as ■well as to us who read. A lady wrote me the other day that her young niece enjoyed the letters in the Young Southerner very much and had been wanting to write, but was afraid she might not write well enough. Now, dear young friends, I want you to remem ber that I do not expect your letters to be perfect. This page is meant to help you to improvement, and all I ask of you is to do the very best that you can. If you make mistakes it is my business and pleas ure to correct them, so if you enjoy the letters that others write and wish to write yourself, don’t hes itate because you fear you cannot write well enough. You will never do anything worth while if you do not try. I wish now to call your attention to the charade in this number, written, by the sweet South Carolina poet, Margaret Richards. To the first boy and girl sending me a correct answer to the charades, Miss Richards will send a copy of her booklet, u Three Bells.” This is a very sweet little story in verse of three bells and what they each had to tell. I am sure any boy or girl would be glad to have the dainty booklet. Send your answers directly to me (Miss Richards does not wish them sent to her) and I will forward the first received to her and she will send the book let. The answer to the charade will be published in a later issue. Dear Mrs. Hodges: I spent last winter in Cuba and I w’ould like to tell you and the Young Southerners about my visit. , Last winter was said to be the coldest they have had in half a century, yet it was not cold enough to freeze water, but the people went around wrap ped up in clothes so that they could not work. Havana is the cleanest city on the island. The health department does not allow any trash or gar bage thrown on the streets. Some of the streets are not twenty-five feet wide in the old part of the city, but in the new part they are broad and well laid out. The houses are generally low and built in the Spanish style. Havana is well fortified, and the Bay of Havana is considered one of the safest harbors in the world. Conducted by Louilse Threete Hodges. La Fuerza, the oldest structure in the city, was built as a defense in 1538 by Hernando de Soto. The Prado is a wide and beautiful boulevard run ning outside the old city wall. It has rows of shade trees along the middle. The governor’s palace and the cathedral, which at one time contained the bones of Columbus, are among the most interesting buildings. There are several beautiful parks with trees and palms and fountains in them. The Teatro Tacon is one of the largest theatres in the world. Os course, Havana has many cigar and tobacco factories. I could tell you much more about Cuba but I must not make my letter too long. Your friend, Almon Scott. Dear Editor: I notice that several boys have written to you about the great men for whom they were named. I will also tell you a little history of one of America’s greatest statesmen, whose name I have the honor to bear. John Caldwell Calhoun was born in Abbeville county, South Carolina, in 1782. After receiving his early education from the distinguished Dr. Moses Waddell, he entered Yale College in 1802, and grad uated with high honors in 1804. He was Secretary of War under President Mon- » roe. In 1824 he was elected vice president to serve with President Adams and was re-elected with Pres ident Jackson in 1828. He also rendered much service to his country as United States Senator. Most of his life was spent in politics and he is considered one of the greatest men of his day, though he had for his companions such men as Webster, Clay, Randolph and others whose names are famous. His home was called “Fort Hill,” which after ward became the property of his son-in-law, Thom as G. Clemson, who at his death, left it to the State and it became the site of Clemson College. I think I ought to be proud to bear the name of such a great man and it is my ambition to bear it worthily. I would like to form the acquaintances of some of the other namesakes of great men. I am sixteen years of age and when I finish my education and get established in business I expect to enter politics, and work for the betterment of my country. Yours very truly, Caldwell Calhoun Curren. Dear Editor: I thought it might be pleasing to the readers of the Young Southerner to read about my visit to Florida. I had a very nice trip. I visited St. Augustine and went through the old fort which I found very interesting. The gloomy old cells where so many prisoners have been confined and tortured are in teresting. but not attractive. To get into some of them you have to stoop down and almost crawl, the passages are so low. Some signs of the instruments of torture are still to be seen. I went into the cell from which the Indian chief, Coocoachee, escaped during the Seminole war. He climbed through a long, narrow slit in the wall and landed in the moat which surrounded the fort. There are piles of cannon balls in the court and a practice gun on the water battery, but these are no longer used. I also visited the guard room and chapel where services were held every day. The staircase which leads from the court to the ramparts used to be an inclined plane of stone used to raise and lower the artillery. After leaving the old fort I went to the light house on Anastasia Island, but the keeper would not let me in, The Golden Age for September 27, 1906. The old Protestant cemetery is another interest ing spot in St. Augustine—it is so very old. I went to the swimming pool which is not old like so many things in the old city, and went in swimming. I can’t tell you of all the interesting places as it would make my letter too long. Very truly yours, William Gomez. Dear Editor: I enjoyed myself during vacation, but I am now glad that school has opened. I have a nice teacher, who also taught me last year. Some of your correspondents have told about some of the great men of Georgia but none of them have told about the state itself. Georgia was one of the original thirteen states of the American Union, and is the largest state east of the Mississippi. It is called the Empire State of the South, be cause of its industrial importance. Agriculture is the leading industry, but there is also mining, and many manufacturing enterprises. There are many marble quarries and also gold mines, and silver and copper. The climate of Georgia is unsurpassed by that of any state in the Union, varying from temperate in the north to sub-tropical in the south. Yours truly, Ray Hirsowitz. Dear Editor: I have enoyed the letters in the Young Southerner so much and have been wanting to write one myself, but couldn’t get up the courage as I was afraid I might not write anything interesting. I could tell vou about mv vacation, but as I did not go anywhere there is not very much to tell. I helped mamma about putting up preserves, jel lies and pickles for winter use. Os course, I couldn’t do very much except to peel the fruit, but I am learning how to proportion the sugar, spices and things so that some time I can do it all. I also helped with the sewing and the housekeep ing. I can sweep very well. lam glad that school has opened again. If you will publish this letter I will try to do better next time. Your true little friend, Susie Eleanor Mayfield. Dear Mrs. Hodges: I want to tell you how very much I enjoy the letters in the Young Southerner, especially those that tell about great people, and also those that tell what the writers expect to do w'hen they grow up. I haven’t seen any letter yet that told about a great and good woman. I wish some of the writers would do that. I know there have been great wo men and I would like to hear about them. I haven’t decided yet what I want my life-work to be, but I wish to do something that will help to make the world better, and cause me not to be forgotten when I am gone. I am going to study hard and get a good educa tion the first thing, then I shall be prepared for whatever work I decide to do. Your sincere friend, Elsie Mattie Smith. Unfinished. Johnny—Mamma, I w 7 as having such a nice dream w’hen I w-oke up. Mamma—Were you? Johnny—Yes. I wish there was some way I could go ahead with that dream.—Watson’s Mag azine. “Whatever man hag done, man can do better.”