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THE YOUNG SOUTHERNER
Announcement.
Dear Friends of the Young Southerner:
It is with sincere regret that I must tell you I
shall no longer conduct the Young Southerner de
partment.
I have been greatly interested in the work, and
particularly regret giving it up just as we begin
the organization of the Order of the Golden Age,
through which, with your co-operation, I had hoped
to accomplish much good. But unexpected circi?m
stances have arisen which render it necessary that
I should discontinue my active connection with the
Golden Age.
My interest in the paper and especially in you,
the young contributors, does not cease, however,
and I shall still read your letters with pleasure
and sympathize with your ambitions and plans for
the future.
I hope to see many names added to the Roll of
Honor, and I trust that the “pledge” will serve
as a reminder and help you to grow into good Chris
tian men and women.
Sincerely your friend,
Louise Threete Hodges.
The foregoing letter from Mrs. Hodges will
prove of interest to all our young readers and we
are sure it will elicit regret as well. In the diffi
culties incidental to the establishing of a new pub
lication. however, occasional changes in the conduct
of a department must inevitably come, and the
young readers of The Golden Age will understand
and appreciate this fact. At the same time we
want to impress upon each one that despite all the
“mechanical” changes to which the paper may be
subjected from time to time, there is one great and
supreme change which can never come to the young
people who read The Golden Age, and that is, any
change in the interest and affection felt for each
one by the editor himself. In establishing this paper
he determined that whatever else he did or did not
have, he would never resign the place where he could
himself speak freely to the young people, and where
they, in turn, could speak freely to him. During
the early days of organization, however, this was
often denied him; so often that it was necessary
for the entire department to be placed in the hands
of some one else. Now, however, as matters are
slowly adjusting themselves to* something like sys
tem and order in the overcrowded editorial rooms,
it seems possible for Mr. Upshaw himself to direct
the young people’s department, and to at
last get into close personal touch with every
girl or boy who wishes to join the circle in which
all our readers sit together and gather help, inspira
tion and pleasure each from the other.
We believe each one knows the story of our
editor’s early life; of how, as a mere boy, he was
forced by a terrible accident to resign the pleasures
of boyhood and to take up the hard lines of suffer
ing. For seven long years Pain was his constant com
panion ; he could not walk or stand, even; he could
not run and jump like other boys, and the great,
beautiful world of sport was all denied him. But,
he did not repine or rebel, for he had found the
only possible Source of Strength before he was laid
low. In this beautiful light of love for the Savior
and trust in Him, he lived and builded anew his
plans for a life of service. You all know how these
plans have been fulfilled, you all know how he
today does a great work in the world, and yon
must know, too, that this work is directed toward
the help of young people everywhere.
Thousands of boys and girls owe to him their
first impulse toward a better life, and to the young
readers of The Golden Age the thought of what
can be done in the world by those who WILL, and
rhe example before them of what 'has been done
by their editor and friend, must ever be a beacon
light leading them onward toward success in what
ever they undertake.
We feel certain that the direction of this depart
ment by Mr. Upshaw himself will be a welcome
piece of news to all, and that it will, in a large
The Golden Age for December 13, 1906.
measure, compensate for the regret that might
follow any radical change in the “Young South
erner. ’ ’
A Christmas Contest.
In announcing a Christmas contest we wish,
first, so state to our young readers that we have
to offer them a great SECRET; secrets, you know,
are all around us at Christmas time, and for us to
have one is only natural. But we aren’t going to
keep it, like our hidden gifts done up in tissue paper
and holly ribbon to be opened only on Christmas
morning; we are going to offer it right now, and
be the first one to tender to you all a real Christmas
gift—a secret that shall bring to each one of you
the rare Gift of Happiness. Does this sound like
a fairy tale, and do you think it should begin,
“Once upon a time”? Well, it is not as won
derful as most fairy tales, but it has the merit
of being so beautifully true! Really, without jok
ing, we can tell you How to be Happy! If you try
our recipe, and then tell us all about it, fully and
freely, you will, perhaps, win our Christmas prize
and at the same time win for yourself real Happi
ness!
This is our plan: We wish every young reader
of The Golden Age to look around and see how the
prize can be won. We want each one of you to do
something at Christmas for some one in real need
of cheer and help, and Christmas sunshine. This
doesn’t mean giving of presents to those who have
many—one more or less from you would mean very
little; but we mean for each one of you to seek
some person, old or young, sick or well, and take
to them ia bit of Christmas cheer. Now and then
you can help others who are interested in celebrating
Christmas for the poor, either in some great insti
tution or in some obscure neighborhood where even
the omnipresent Christmas spirit cannot penetrate.
Somehow, this last seems best to us—but we shall
not dictate to you your methods. We just want you
to write and tell us what you have done on Christ
mas day, and to the one who seems to have brought
the most light into some darkened life, we will give
a prize. But in -the doing and the trying there will
be another and a better prize than any we can offer
—for there will lurk the Happiness we spoke of at
first—that Christmas secret which is now no secret
after all!
Our New “Pledge.”
While our Christmas Contest is directed exactly
in line with the “Pledge,” which recently appeared
in this department of The Golden Age, we wish to
say that members cf “The American Order of the
Gohlen Age” would only be living up to their agree
ment in carrying out the spirit of the “Pledge” in
their Christmas "work. We wish, also, to say that
as soon as this order warrants it we will adopt a
badge or pin for its members which we will supply
at a merely nominal cost, or in return for work
done for us. As a new paper we need that every
one of our readers will also he an earnest worker
for the good of the paper, and we feel that tach
young person who is interested in this department,
and in all it means, must also be interested in bring
ing it to the attention of as many other young peo
ple as possible. We would be glad to hear from
each one of our readers Who is interested in this
plan, for we do believe that, apart from everything
else, there is nothing that brings an editor and his
readers more closely together than a willingness to
work for the same end. In our case this end is
success for The Golden Age.
Address all communications to Young People’s
Department, Golden Age. Atlanta, Ga.
“All the little hoys and girls who want to go to
heaven,” said the Sunday school superintendent,
“will please rise.”
All rose but Tommy Twaddles.
“And doesn’t this little boy want to go to hea
ven ? ’ ’
“N-not yit!”—Cleveland Leader.
Why?
Why are we unable to see when we turn from a
bright light to a darker object?
Because when we look at a bright light the iris,
or colored protecting curtain, contracts around the
pupil (which is only a window), thus keeping too
much light from striking the retina or sensitive part
of the eye. As soon as the eye turns to a darker
object, the pupil is so small that it does not admit
a sufficient number of rays to enable us to see. We
must wait a few seconds for it to expand.
Why do clergymen habitually wear black?
Because, when Martin Luther, in 1524, laid aside
the habit of a monk and adopted the style of dress
prevailing at the time, the Elector of Saxony used
to send to him from time to time pieces of black
cloth, that color then being fashionable at the court.
Luther’s disciples thought because he wore black, it
became them to do so, and thus it came about that
the clergy generally grew to regard it as the only
proper color for them to wear.
Why is an unmarried woman called a “spins
ter”?
Because Women were prohibited from marrying
in olden days until they had spun a full set of bed
furnishings and thus, until their marriage they
spent much time at the spinning-wheel and were,
therefore, ‘‘spinsters. ’ ’
Why do the hind legs of an elephant bend for
ward ?
Because its weight being so great, when it lay
down it would rise with great difficulty were its
legs bent outward like those of other animals.
Being bent under the body their power of pushing
directly upward when the powerful muscles are ex
erted is greatly increased.
Why do we use the expression, “apple-pie
order” When we mean that things are exactly in
their light place?
Because every Saturday a certain Puritan dame,
Hepzibah Merlon, made a practice of baking two
or three dozen apple-pies which were to last her
family through the week. She placed them on
the shelves in her pantry, labeling each according
to the day of the week on which it was to be used,
and the pantry, thus arranged, was said to be in
apple-pie order.
Why is the rabbit or hare associated with Easter
and Easter eggs?
Because in European, as well as Asiatic countries,
the hare has been from ancient times the symbol
lor the moon, and the movable feast of Easter is
governed by the lunar orb. The moon is the “open
eyed watcher of the night,” and the hare is a
nocturnal! animal. The young of the hare are bom
with their eyes open and are said never to close
them. In many parts of Germany the children
firmly believe (lie myth that the hare lays the
Easter egg, and the association of the moon, Easter
rabbits, and Easter eggs is everywhere the same,
v ith its svmbolism of. spring and the awakening
of life.—The Scrap Book.
Dear Editor:
I would like to tell yon about the pleasant time
I had Thanksgiving. I spent the day with my
grandmother. and we had a fine dinner, and after
dinner we all took a long walk.
I like the letters in the Young Southerner very
much, especially the ones where the boys tell what
they want to do -when they get grown. I want to
be a doctor when I get grown, because my uncle
is a doctor, and I tnink he is a good man, and
hclns people to live longer. I go to school and
I like my teacher, and I am learning fast. I hope
you will print this letter, and not let it get into the
waste-basket. Your friend,
Augusta, Ga. Tommie Williams.