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THE YOUNG SOUTHERNER
That Was All.
Only a little shriveled seed—
It might be flower or grass or weed;
Only a box of earth on the edge
Os a narrow, dusty window ledge;
Only a few 7 scant summer showers;
Only a few’ clear, shining hours.
That .was all. Yet God could make
Out of these, for a sick child’s sake,
A blossom "wonder as fair and sweet
As ever broke at an angel’s feet.
Only a life of barren pain,
Wet with sorrowful tears for rain;
Warmed sometimes by a wandering gleam
Os joy that seemed but a happy dream;
A life as common and brown and bare
As the box of earth in the window’ there;
Yet it bore at least the precious bloom
Os a perfect soul in a narrow room—
Pure as the snowy leaves that fold
Over the flower’s heart of gold.
—Christian Observer.
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and ihe
man that getteth understanding. For the merchan
dise of it is better than the merchandise of silver,
and the gain thereof than fine gold.
Id a recent issue of the North American Review
the editor of that periodical took occasion to make
some very uncomplimentary statements regarding
i;ie American girl of today as compared with tne
American boy. Among other things he said:
“We find little that is interesting in the Ameri
can girl of today between the ages of fifteen .ml
I wciity-two. She has failed to keep pace in ary
respect with the American boy.
“Indeed, if the blunt truth be spoken, she is an
intolerable bore, self-conscious, ignorant, and con •
cerned chiefly with matrimonial aspirations.”
With this opinion one of the editors of St. Nie i
olas, in a letter to the Review, takes issue. He siy;
that in the capacity of editor of a department to
which young persons of every age up to eighteen
contribute, he has had exceptional opportunities for
comparing the intellectual capacities and accom
plishments of the American boy and girl, and his
observations have resulted in “conclusions some-
w r hat different from those set down by the editor
of the Review 7 .”
In proof of the correctness of his deductions he
quotes some very good poetry and some really ex
cellent prose written by girls. He further says:
“I think we may set it down as a fact that, so
far as general intellectual advancement and at
tainments are concerned, the girls between the ages
of fifteen and eighteen have them (the boys)
bea'en, 1 hands down.’ ”
But the editor of the Review is not convinced
and thinks that the specimens quoted by the ediiie
of St. Nicholas are “of the exceptional charac'er
which tends to indicate the rule.”
New, here we have expressed directly opposing
opinions of two men, each the editor of a high
class publictaion. One says the American girl 'in
“failed to keep pace in any respect with the Amer
ican boy.” The other claims that in intellectual
attainments the girls have the boys beaten, “hands
down.”
Which is right ? What do the readers of t T m
Yeung Southerner think about it?
From far away Nebraska I, this week, receiv ? i
a letter filled with kind expressions of apprecia
tion of the Young Southerner, and I take tins
m*ans of thanking the writer, who is a regular
reader of The Golden Age, for his kindly words aal
good wishes.
Conducted by Louilse Threete Hodges.
I trust he will continue to find pleasure and en
tertainment in the perusal of this page.
Occasionally we hear of a rich invalid expressing
the wish that he could enjoy his meals or leisure
as some poor but robust laborer enjoys his cold
lunch or hour of rest after a hard day’s work, and
we are inclined to pity the poor rich man. Bat
did you ever think what an evidence of superlative
selik-hness this wish is on the part of the rich man?
He has his wealth and his luxuries, but he envies
the poor man who has neither, even his ability :o
enjoy the few simple necessaries of life. He won'J
not, if he could, exchange conditions with th® poor
1“ borer, but he would, no doubt, take from him,
for his own added comfort, “erven the little tha,3
he hath.”
With Correspondents.
Dear Mrs. Hodges:
It has given me much pleasure from week
week to read the letters of the Young Southerne :s
who contribute to your page.
These young persons manifest intelligence anl e
thoughtful consideration of what they are to mal*
of their lives. They seem to realize the importance
of high ideals and of the steadfast endeavor t >
reach the standard which they set for themselves.
This is a hopeful sign and argues well for an irjn
ciable career for each of these bright young
V’) ‘ters.
I have been pleased to note that so many of
th-m are proud of their native states and are so
v ell informed as to the history of them. This is
pair.iotic and eminently praiseworthy.
I hope to see a growing interest among our am
In’ous young friends in the page set apart espe
cially for them, and shall continue to watch each
week for their interesting letters.
With sincerest good wishes,
(Mrs..) M. L. P. Jones.
Laar Editor:
I would like to ask the boys and girls who ait
fond of reading what books they have enjoy r 1
most. I like to read and would be glad to k i'»"v
a hat others read and enjoy.
I have recently read a book which I found very
interesting. It is called “The Texas Doctor and
the Arab Donkey,” and is a description of the
author’s travels in Europe, Asia and Africa, lie
tells of many interesting places, scenes and inci
dents, and as I read the descriptions I almost im
agined myself in the places described. I especially
eni -yed the descriptions of the Holy Land and the
pyramids in Egypt.
I think it is a great privilege to be able to travel
and see so much of the world and learn how the
people of other lands live. Some day after I have
finished my education, I hope to travel over these
same countries that the Texas Doctor describes in
hi* book.
Hoping that some of the boys will comply with
my request and tell me of some good books, I will
close, with best wishes for all.
Yours very truly,
John Roy Trotword.
Dear Editor.
I wonder if any of your numerous correspon
dents among the girls have ever been ’possun
hunting? I have been once, and it was fine spirt.
I was in the country spending some time with
seme of my cousins. One night the boys announce !
that they were going ’possum hunting, and invite I
us girls to go with them. Os course we were de-
Iglted to go as it was a new experience for us.
The boys carried torches of rich pine, whi *'i
flared and wavered in the wind and gave a weird ap
pearance to the thick, dark w’oods. I would have
L’ftn afraid if there had not been so many of us,
but as it was we were all quite merry as we stum-
The Golden Age for November 29, 1906.
bled over stones and fallen limbs while watching
out for the ’possums in the branches of the trees.
Once the dogs barked so furiously that we fe't
sure they had “treed” a ’possum, but we fount
we were mistaken (I suppose the dogs were also)
and we did not get any game after all, but we had
the fun, which was our main object, anyway.
I enjoy “our page” very much, and hope it
will continue as good as it has been.
Your true friend,
Susie Ellen Martinen.
Our Neighbors.
Somebody near you is struggling alone
Over life’s desert sand;
Faith, hope, and courage together are gone;
Reach him a helping hand:
Turn on his darkness a beam of your light;
Kindle, to guide him, a beacon fire bright;
Cheer his discouragement, soothe his affright,
Lovingly help him to stand.
—Central Star of Empire ;
A Dog With a Wooden Leg.
T r ”ce knew a little woolly poodle in the Philip
pines, which was a regimental mascot. During a
fight near Cavite, its left hind leg was shot off and
the little fellow was carried as tenderly to the rear
as if he had been a human comrade. The surgeon
dressed the stump. The dog was nursed by the
surgeon’s wife, and eventually recovered.
Being unfit for further campaigning, it then be
came her pet. She had made for it an artificial
hind leg, fitting neatly over the stump with a laced
glove top, and having a little rubber pad for a foot.
On this the dog soon walked with ease, and by de
drees learned to use it readily, as if it were an ac
tual leg, even scratching with it. One day, how
ever, as he was scratching behind his left ear, the
w’ooden leg hung in his hair and pulled off. The
poor little fellow’s perplexity was ludicrous, but
with a violent shake of his head, the wooden leg
flew off. He then took it in his mouth and hob
bled on three legs to his mistress to have it put on
again.—Southern Churchman.
There Is Still Time.
A Dream.
Once upon a time, the devil is said to have sent
out his wicked angels on an important errand.
Each one was to devise some scheme with which to
mislead and bring to ruin men and report it to their
master. “I will tell men that there is no God.”
said one. To this the devil replied, “You can
save yourself that trouble, for the earth and sea
and sky will teach them differently.”
“I will convince men,” said another angel, “that
there is no moral government in the world and that
therefore there will be no day of judgment.”
“That too is useless,” was the answer, “ for
every man has a conscience which tells him that
God will some day have a reckoning with him.”
“I will teach men,” said a third, “that men can
get to heaven through their own good works.”
“And that they will not believe,” was the reply,
“for no man is satisfied with his own good works
and how can he believe that God will be?”
“I know a better way,” said a fourth. “I will
tell men all truly: I will admit that there is a
God, that there is a heaven and a hell, that man
must repent if he would escape hell; I will tell the
whole truth and only mix one little lie with it; I
will say, ‘you must repent, but you still have time;
you can wait for a more convenient season and take
up the matter in good earnest later.’ ” “Excel
lent!” exclaimed the devil. “That is the trap in
which you can catch millions of souls. Go forth
and conquer.”—From the German.