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10 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.