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THE YOUNG SOUTHERNER
All communications and contributions intended
for this department should be addressed to Mrs.
Louise T. Hodges, 83 East Avenue, Atlanta, Ga.
Yellow Jessamine.
O g’olden bells that lightly sway
In the deeps of Southern wildwood,
Where balmiest breezes gently play
Like memories of happy cildhood.
Gently, slow,
To and fro
You swing in the scented air,
And your dainty chimes softly swell,
Calling fairy folk to prayer.
The merry dances now have ceased
And the flower bells are pealing,
While fairy folk and fairy priest
Are on mossy carpets kneeling.
Tender, slow, '
Sweet and low
The mystic tones faint, remote,
Like echoes soft from cloister tower—
On evening zephyrs lightly float.
With lavish bloom and trailing vine,
The fairest of Southern flowers,
Its graceful tendrils closely twine
Making dusky, dreamy bowers.
Soft winds blow
To and fro
The fragrant, clustering bells,
And music—dumb to mortal ears—
Is heard in the elfin dells.
—L. T. H.
Value of Temperance.
The Admiralty or head of the English navy has
taken a strong step in the direction of cutting off
the liquor supply of the officers of the English
ships. This action is taken on the ground, it is
stated, “that whiskey destroys the nerve quickness
of the brain, and consequently impairs efficiency.”
No officer under the age of twenty is to be per
mitted to use liquor of any kind.
If the head of the greatest navy in the world
can take this decisive step, why, then, my boy, who
is just starting in life, should you contract the
habit ?
Why, while your lips are still pure, your body
in excellent condition, start with your first glass of
beer or whiskey? If the greatest sea-fighting force
in the world cannot endure it, how can you?
This is not a temperance lecture. It is a bit of
hard common sense from a wonderful body of men
offered to the growing American boy as worthy
his attention. The question involves not only
your soul, but your future bodily strength and bus
iness success.
Do you know that there is not a reputable busi
ness house in Chicago or New York today, if you
applied to it for work, but would ask you, among
the first questions: /
“Do you use intoxicating liquors?”
Do you know that life insurance companies re
ject thirty per cent of their applicants for insur
ance on the ground that they drink to excess?
Do you know that they prefer as a risk the man
who does not drink at all?
Think these things over before starting on the
drink habit.—The Boys’ World.
With Correspondents.
Dear Editor:
I am a constant reader of The Golden Age and
I think it is a very nice paper.
I enjoyed greatgrandmother’s letter so much.
The old time schools must have been very funny,
but I suppose the children enjoyed them as much
Conducted by Louilse Threete Hodges.
as we do ours. I don’t see how they could study,
though, with everybody studying aloud. I guess
our teacher would go crazy if we made that much
noise. She wants everything to be as still as a
mouse. If any of us should swing our feet as the
little children of the old time did, our teacher
would think it awful and give us demerits. It is
right hard sometimes to keep so still. I believe I
would like to go to school where I could move
when I wanted to and sometimes speak without
permission. But I think I like our way of coming
in and going out the best.
I hope greatgrandmother will tell us more about
old times. I do love to hear old people tell about
the way things were done long, long ago. My grand
father sometimes tells me how he used to carry corn
to mill to be ground, and how he used to plow the
fields. He went barefooted, and said sometimes in
the early mornings it would be so cold he would
walk in the freshly plowed “furrows” to keep
his feet warm.
My cousin and I and two or three friends had
a delightful walk in the woods the other day.
We took our lunches with us and met at the car
line right after school. We went some distance on
the car and then got off and walked to the wood
where we spent several hours. We gathered a great
many acorns, beautiful bright colored leaves, and
some autumn flowers which we made into lovely
wreaths.
I like to visit the woods in spring and gather
flowers, but I believe I enjoy the autumn woods the
best.
With much love to all the Young Southerners and
a double portion for greatgrandmother, I am
Your young friend,
M. A. S.
Dear Mrs. Hodges:
I read in The Golden Age last week a very inter
esting letter from greatgrandmother and I want to
tell your readers that my greatgrandmother went to
the same school. It has been so long ago that of
course, she does not remember the names of all
her schoolmates, but she remembers the name of
the school house and of the teacher, his name was
Gill.
It was to me a very interesting coincidence that
my greatgrandmother should have remembered so
many of the things mentioned in the letter. I love
to hear my greatgrandmother tell of the many
strange things people used to do when she was a
girl. She says they used to weave the cloth at home
to make the clothing for the family. They would
first card the cotton into “rolls” and then spin
it into thread after which they would weave it into
cloth. Then they had to do all the sewing by hand
as they did not have any sewing machines.
I think the people must have had a very hard
time in those days, but grandma, says they were hap
pier than people are now.
I dearly love old people, my dear old grandma
best of all, and I think it is very interesting to
hear them talk about old times, but I am rather
glad I did not live then for I think we have bet
ter times. I don’t think I would like to have to
spin and weave, and I am sure I like our schools
the best.
I forgot to tell you about the way grandma says
people used to go to church. They called the
church a “meeting house.” They would usually
ride on horseback to “meeting”—sometimes two
—a man and his wife on one horse. The men would
all sit on one side of the house and the women on
the other. During the service the young people
would often leave their seats and go out to the
spring for water. Sometimes there would be a
stream of young people going to and from the
spring all during the sermon.
I must close now as my letter is already too
long. Lovingly,
Great Granddaughter.
The Golden Age for November 15, 1906.
Bananas.
Nearly all the boys and girls like ba
nanas, and would be glad to know, per
haps, something about the way they are handled
before and after importation. The plant bears
fruit every month in the year. The bananas are
shipped while green; otherwise they would rot be
fore they reached this country. The dealers here
treat them differently in different seasons. In win
ter they are hung up in a room heated to 70 degrees
by gas. It is said that any other kind of artifi
cial ripening would make the fruit shrivel, or ripen
it too quickly. In spring, they are allowed to rip
en naturally, but in summer they are hung in cel
lars, because the outside air rots them. They
are one of the best, and most nutritious fruits we
have, but, of course, we miss the delicate flavor
that they have when taken ripe directly from the
tree.
The B’s and the P’s.
A swarm of fat, lazy 888
Set out to disturb the sweet PPP;
When IT asked them “Y?”
With a wink of the I,
They said, “0, we’re quite at our EEE!”
I said, “If you harm those dear PPP,
Or continue the sweet things to TTT,
Then the first little B
That I happen to C
Shall be banished straight over the CCC.”
Miles—My goodness! That Englishman has fall
en off a stepladder. Wonder what caused the ac
cident.
Giles—Oh, it wasn’t an accident! I told him
a joke three hours ago and he has just tumbled.
Sunday School Teacher: “What was it that the
whale swallowed ?’ ’
Tommy: ‘ 1 Why—er—er— ’ ’
Sunday School Teacher: “Come now, that’s an
easy question.”
Tommy: “Oh, it ain’t the question that bothers
me, but the answer!”
“How,” asked the inquisitive museum patron,
“did you manage to become a contortionist?”
“By trying to amuse my baby,” replied the bone
less wonder.
“I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me.”
I have several times recently had my attention
attiacied to the words lc T can,” in various con
nections, and have been impressed with the possi
bilities that follow the adoption of the phrase as
a motto.
The habit of mind which results from a belief
in one’s ability to do things is a powerful factor in
attaining success. Faith in ourselves gives us con
fidence, and confidence inspires endeavor.
A great truth is embodied in the homely, hu
morous story of “Brer Rabbit,” who, when chased
by dogs, climbed a tree because he was “ ’bleeged
to.”
So, relying o n the strength of our Lord which
is promised to us in all difficulties, we should never
hesitate to undertake any task to which duty points
however impossible it may seem of accomplishment.
At last we find that an Imperial Edict in China
has ordered the abolishment of the sale of opium,
the same to become effective as a law within the
next decade. Apart from its influence on the
trade conditions with China and foreign countries
this law should be noticeable because of its moral
influence on the natives of the great Empire.