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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.
While We May.
The hands are such dear hands;
They are so full; they turn at our demands
So often; they reach out,
With trifles scarcely thought about,
So many times; they do
So many things for me, for you;
If their fond wills mistake, •
We may well bend, not break.
They are such fond, frail lips
That speak to us. Pray, if love strips
Them of discretion many times,
Or if they speak too slow or quick, such crimes
We may pass by; for we may see
Days not far off when those small words may be
Held not as slow, or quick, or out of place, but
dear,
Because the lips are no more here.
They are such dear, familiar feet that go
Along the path with ours—feet fast or slow,
And trying to keep pace; if they mistake,
Or tread upon some flower that we would take
Upon our breast, or bruise some reed,
Or crush poor Hope until it bleed,
We may be mute,
Not turning quickly to impute
Grave fault; for they and we
Have such a little way to go; can be
Together such a little while along the way,
We will be patient while we may.
So many little faults we find,
We see them; for not blind
Is Love. We see them; but if you and I
Perhaps remember them some by and by
They will not be
Faults then—grave faults—to you and me,
But just odd ways—mistakes, or even less—
Remembrances to bless.
Days change so many things—yes, hours—
We see so differently in suns and showers;
Mistaken words tonight
May be so cherished by tomorrow’s light.
We may be patient; for we know
There’s such a little way to go. —Selected.
Under the auspices of The Golden Age, I wish to
organize among the young people an association
that will bind them together and enable them to
co-operate in their endeavors for their own ad
vancement and for the good of others.
The object is to promote sociability, kindliness,
helpfulness, earnest study, honorable work, and
healthful sport and recreation.
The association will be called “The American
Order of The Golden Age.” All young persons un
der twenty everywhere who are willing to pledge
themselves to do what they can for the greatest
good to the greatest number, are eligible to mem
bership.
A form of pledge will be printed each week in
Tiie Golden Age, and any boy or girl who wishes to
do so may fill in the blank and send it to the
editor of the Young Southerner, when his or her
name will be enrolled as a member of the Order and
the name also published in a Roll of Honor in The
Golden Age. Later, if the members of the Order
desire it, a suitable badge will be provided, so that
members may recognize each other wherever they
meet. Where there are several members of the Or
der living near together, they will be advised to
organize themselves into a local branch of the Or
der, with the necessary officers, so as to co-operate
more fully in their studies, work, recreations, and
general efforts to promote good. Such branch or-
Conducted by Louilse Three te Hodges.
ganizations will be asked to send reports from time
to time to the Young Southerner for publication,
of what they are doing or trying to do, and helpful
suggestions will be given them by the editors of
The Golden Age. Correspondence among these
branch organizations, and among individual mem
bers of the general Order, will be encouraged.
Now, dear young friends, those of you who de
sire to do what you can to help make the world
better and bring about the real “Golden Age” for
which we are all hoping and waiting, read care
fully the pledge printed below, clip it out, fill in the
blank with your name and address and mail it to
me. I will then enroll your name as a member of
“The American Order of The Golden Age”—an
organization that we trust will become a great
power for good—and publish your name in the
Young Southerner Roll of Honor (what is more
worthy of honorable mention than a pledge to try
to do good?).
I shall be glad to have a letter for the Young
Southerner from each one who joins our Order, but
this is not required. You can send a letter along
with your pledge, or send your pledge alone, as you
prefer. I hope to have a large number of names to
print in the Roll of Honor next week. L. T. H.
The Pledge.
I hereby make application for membership in
“The American Order of The Golden Age,” and I
promise to do whatever I can whenever I have op
portunity toward making the world better and hap
pier. I will try always to speak kindly to and of
others, and I will always be kind to dumb ani
mals.
I will try to acquire all I can of useful knowl
edge, and will, so far as I can, encourage my asso
ciates to do likewise.
In my sports and recreations, as well as in my
work and studies, I will try always to be agreeable,
just and honorable, and will engage only in such as
tend to health of body, mind and morals.
Name
Post Office
State
With Correspondents.
Dear Young Friends:
After reading this week’s Golden Age I cannot
refrain from writing to let you know I appreciate
your letters. I enjoy reading them very much.
Many of them are fraught with encouraging words
of inspiration. If we will only try we can continue
to make our department very interesting and profit
able. I read with pleasure your letters on the
great men of your state. The study of the lives of
great men is a source of great profit. Longfellow
recognized this truth when he said:
“Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime;
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.”
Another theme some have written on is, “What
Shall I do in life?” This, I think, is one of the
most important of questions. I am sure the boy
and girl who never ask themselves this question will
not do much. Before any one can do a thing he
must decide what he wants to do.
Some have expressed a desire to be missionaries.
I bid them God-speed, and may He keep them
steadfast. Some spoke of being teachers, while
others want to be musicians. All of these are great
callings in which you can do much good. I love all
‘the dear young friends. Wish I could gather you
into one great building and tell you how vitally im
portant it is to decide early in life what you want
to do in the future. All difficulties and opposition
shrink from that boy thst girl who has one pur-
The Golden Age for November 22, 1906.
pose in view. One thing that we should have in
view is an education.
Friends, let’s make our page one of the best pos
sible. I am yours sincerely,
C. T. Rogers.
Dear Editor Young Southerner:
Will you please publish this little letter for me?
My father has been taking The Golden Age for
nearly a year and I have been reading it ever since
the first paper came. Seeing so many letters that
did me good to read, I wish to write one, too. I
think The Golden Age is so nice for young people.
My father is a farmer and has a large farm, but
we are almost through picking cotton now.
I am hoping and rather expecting to go to the
city to visit my grandmother, but I don’t know
certainly that I will go.
I could say more but will close for this time.
If you publish this I will do better next time.
Your true friend, C. L. Paschal.
Dear Mrs. Hodges:
I would like to join your band of Young South
erners. My father takes The Golden Age, and I
like to read it, especially this page.
I feel like I am acquainted with the Editor, “Ear
nest Willie.” I have read so much about him.
I have never met him, but would like to. I have al
ways wanted to see his book, but have never had
that pleasure.
My father is a Baptist preacher. I signed a
temperance pledge not long ago, and will do all I
can for the cause, and want you all to pray for us
as we are troubled greatly with whiskey in our
county.
Some of your correspondents have been writing
what they would like to be. I believe I would as
lief be a good soldier for Christ as anything I
know of, and would like to be useful in every way
I can.
I liked Great-grandmother’s piece about the old
time schools. I have seen a forked stick hung on
a nail as she says, also the benches as she decribes
them. I will close with love to all.
Julia C. Harris.
Every Day is Doomsday.
“One of the illusions,” says Emerson, “is that
the present hour is not the critical, decisive hour.
Write it on your heart that every day is the best
day in the whole year. No man has learned any
thing rightly until he knows that every day is
doomsday.” Young people, especially, are tempted
to live more in the future than the present. What
they are going to be is more attractive and excit
ing than what they are. Each young man, each
young woman, needs to realize thoroughly that to
day is the key of all the future.—Christian Ob
server.
Making Faces.
“That is ugly!” Auntie tells me
When I twist and screw my face.
“Thus,” she says, “each line of beauty
Far is banished from its place.
To be lovely gives to others
Many moments of true joy;
So, if I were you, my laddie,
I would be a pretty boy.”
Auntie’s face gets awful wrinkled
When she frowns at me that way,
And I just don’t like to see her—
So I run outdoors and play.
’Tis lots uglier to make faces
When you don’t do it for fun;
If I were somebody’s auntie,
I would be a pretty one!
—Margaret A. Richard.