Newspaper Page Text
10
VOICES OF YOUTH
Getting Information out of Pa.
My pa, he didn’t go to town
Last evening after tea,
But got a book and settled down
As comf’y as could be.
I’ll tell you I was awful glad
To have my pa about
To answer all the things I had
Been trying to find out.
And so I asked him why the world
Is round instead of square
And why piggies’ tails are curled
And why fish don’t breath in air?
And why the moon don’t hit a star,
And just how many birds there are
And will the wind come back?
And ■why does water stay in wells
And why do June bugs hum,
And w’hat’s the roar I hear in shells,
And when will Christmas come,
And why the grass is always green,
Instead of sometimes blue,
And why a bean will grow a bean;
And not an apple, too?
And why a horse can’t learn to moo,
And why a cow can't neigh?
And do the fairies live on dew
And what makes hair grow gray—
And then my pa got up an’ gee!
The offul words he said.
I hadn’t done a thing, but he
Just sent me off to bed.
>1
With Our Correspondents.
WE WELCOME ETHEL.
Dear Editor: —I have been a reader of The Gol
den Age for some time. I have read so many nice
letters I thought I would like to write one, but could
not get up courage enough. I am a little cripple
girl. I fell when I was about two years old and
made myself a cripple for life and I have to go on
crutches all the time, but I can do the house work
and get around fine, because I don’t know any thing
else but to go on crutches. We live in the coun
try. There is a school in about a half mile of our
house. I go to school every day that I can. I
am sixteen years old, and am in the seventh grade.
My teacher is kind and good and I love her very
much. Her name is Miss Clemmie Cavender. One
of my school mates was taken suddenly sick not
long ago and died. Brother Maples preached her
funeral. We miss her very much in school. My
papa has seen you and I certainly would like to
see you, too, for I feel akin to every cripple. Wish
ing you great success I remain, yours truly
Dalton, Ga., Route 5, Box 15. ETHEL NICHOLS.
We gladly welcome our little crippled friend. The
editor knows what it means to be crippled in life’s
glad morning and then find pleasure in putting
heart and life into published letters to the great
big world. Let many write to Ethel and cheer her
heart.
FROM A SCHOOL ROOM IN THE MOUNTAINS.
Dear Brother Willie: —Our school was out two
weeks ago. I would read notes from The Golden
Age to the children. I always read “Educational
News and Progress,” and “Voices of Youth.” I
read in Our Golden Age, April 4, about the “Ed
ucational Awakening in North Georgia.” I was
pleased to see the picture of “the old” school house
and “the new” at Wolf Fork in Rabun. I have the
pleasure of knowing Mr. Andrew J. Ritchie person
ally. He is indeed a great man, and has done more
for his home people (in Rabun), than he will ever
get thanks for. My mother was a schoolmate of
Mr. Ritchie. She tells me he was unlike most boys,
although he loved fun as well as any lad. To his
teacher he was obedient and grateful. To his play
mates considerate and sympathetic; and always
ready to lend a helping hand. But when other boys
would be out on the play ground playing Andrew
was in the house studying. He finished school at
Rabun Gap. Then he went away for several years,
but at last decided that he was most needed in
Rabun, his own native county. He merits the high
est praise. I suppose some of you know what a
struggle Mr. Ritchie has had, together with the
The Golden Age for April 25, 1907.
citizens of Rabun, to get an industrial school at
Rabun Gap. At last they have a nice school. It
is a great thing for those poor boys and girls, who
are striving for an education. Children, I know
young men and young ladies, who walk three miles
to that school. What they want now is dormitories
for these young men and women. Henry Horton, I
was very much impressed with your letters. No,
none of us will laugh at you. My wish is that
you may some day become a great writer. All the
writers of today will soon pass away, and the
hopes for the writers for the next generation lie
in the young people of today. We should all have
a purpose in life and take God as our guide. Don’t
let it make any difference how many boys or girls
at school or anywhere, sneer and point their finger
at you. “Let nothing discourage you —never give
up.” Soon those boys or girls will see that there’s
something in you and those sneers will become
smiles of love and their hands will go up waving
your flag. I want to extend an invitation to our
dear editor, Mr. Upshaw, to visit our town this
summer. You will be gladly received into our
home. It shows such an unselfish spirit in “Brother
Willie” letting us share his private letters. The
letter from Nettie is very interesting. I wish I
knew her personally. We boys and girls I am sure
would all enjoy a letter in “Voices of Youth” from
“Nettie.” With a heart full of love to “Brother
Willie” and all the boys and girls. ELIZABETH.
Mount Airy, Ga.
Elizabeth, I am glad because of your words of
praise concerning that great young man, Andrew
J. Ritchie, who is doing such good work for moun
tain boys and girls at Rabun Gap, also for the as
surance that The Golden Age has helped you in
the school room. I thank you for your invitation
and hope to accept it “some sweet day.”
A PROHIBITION VICTORY.
Dear. Editor: —Whiskey w r ent out of our county
seat in the March election by one hundred and
nineteen majority, and while I am glad of the vic
tory I am sorry of one thing—that is this: Clarks
ville did not have enough men with the right kind of
heart in them to vote against whiskey without being
paid to do so. Hundreds of dollars were spent in
the election on both sides; the saloon men spent
the most, I think. Now, I am not telling on
the Anti-Saloon League because I am not for tem
perance. It is this: I don’t think any money
was meant to be fraudulent at all; but because
some people think it takes money to beat money
this day and time, and the saloon men of Clarks
ville were spending money before the election. One
saloonist bought nearly two hundred negroes to
vote for him, but he got beat at his own game
and did not get to vote a single one of them. After
the election many of the saloonists sarcastically
said that the Anti-Saloon League could have taken
what money was spent and bought every saloon
in Clarksville. That was very true, but they did
not get them from the Anti-Saloon League, and
furthermore, that buying them out did not relieve
them of the right to keep selling whiskey in Clarks
ville. You get satan in a close place and he very
weakly defends himself, yet he can apologize as
loud as any one. Now some will wonder why
Clarksville has not voted whiskey out before. Well,
because they have not had a chance to; it was by
an act of the legislature that they got to vote this
time.
Our representative that secured the recent legis
lation for us has been twice elected. During his first
time he voted against an amendment to the Adams’
law. The Adams’ law prohibits the sale of intox
icating liquors within four miles of a school house,
or in a town of 5,000 population, or less. The
amendment was to let the people of a town of
any size vote on the question “wet” or “dry.” In
the last session of the general assembly in this
state the amendment was brought up again, and
no sooner did the news reach the ears of the peo
ple of Montgomery than other counties petitioned
their representatives, demanding their influence in
passing the amendment. So you see the repre
sentatives of which Montgomery county’s was one,
began to open their eyes and they soon found out
that the chance for their being elected again was
very slim if they did not vote for what the people
demanded. Let me say a few closing words to
voters: Don’t vote for a man that tells you he will
do one thing when he has been doing another. A
servant that has to be made to do you a service
is no good. All public officials are servants of
the people.
Woodford, Tenn. HUGH NOLEN.
Our Tennessee temperance advocate brings us a
fine account of the battle in his county, and he
“argues like a lawyer” in discussing the matter.
Money ought never to be spent to buy votes on
either side, and when honest men and women do
their very best the cause of Right will win without
“ways that are dark and tricks that are vain.”
CHOOSING HIS LIFE WORK,
Dear Brother Willie:—l see that the writers to
the “Voices of Youth” have not been doing their
best. I presume that the boys and girls are so busy
with their studies and preparing for the spring ex
amination that they do not have time to write.
Friends, let us be true to our page. Let’s make
it the most interesting page in The Golden Age,
and fill it with interesting letters. Boys, let’s
arouse our ambition and make true men of our
selves when we are grown. Now, that vacation
will soon be here let’s do better and write oftener, so
that we may inspire others to write. Papa was
telling me how Mr. John Temple Graves spoke
his sentiments at the reception given in honor of
Hon. William J. Bryan about the next election for
president. So we must say what we think best,
no matter who is against us. Let’s be sure we are
right and then “go ahead.” I want to be a great
man, and I suppose we all do, so by writing, study
ing and reading we can learn to write, speak and
also be great men. When we make up our minds
what we want to be we must have the determina
tion to be that one thing, and we will be sure to
win. I know that if all the great men of our coun
try have not had as mand advantages as we have,
we ought to make greater men, because our parents
are able to buy us needed books and send us tq
school all the time and all we have to do is to
learn. I would like for the writers to the “Voices
of Youth,” and especially the boys, to say some
thing in their letters, of what they want to be.
I want to hear what others have chosen for their
life work. It is hard for me to decide what I want
to be —there are so many noble professions open
to honest boys that I cannot choose yet. I will
not make my letter so long, so I will close with
many good wishes to The Golden Age, and the boys
and girls of the American Order. I am yours sin
cerely, J. BARTLETT KELLY.
Cordele, Ga.
Bartlett, be sure in choosing your life work to
leave self out, and do that thing in which you be
lieve you can do the most good in the Master’s
name.
* *
Nelv Plembers for the Order.
Master John Glenn Strickland, of Hartwell, has been
doing some good work, not only in securing new sub
scribers for The Golden Age, and thus carrying in
spiration and blessing, we hope, into other homes,
but he has been securing new members also for the
American Order of The Golden Age. He sends the
following, who have signed the pledge, and whom
we gladly welcome into our charming circle of the
“brave and the true”: Judson Bell, Minnie Davis
Strickland, Willie Tiller, and John Glenn Strickland
all of Hartwell, Georgia. In order to encourage the
new readers of our page to do as this bright boy has
done, we publish again the pledge that all of our
boys and girls who have not read it may see what
it is, and thus be lead, we hope, to send to us for the
blanks that they may secure new members among
their school-mates everywhere.
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 opportunity
toward making the world better and happier. I will
try always to speak kindly to and of others and will
always be kind to dumb animals.
I will try to acquire all I can of useful knowledge,
and will, so far as I can, encourage my associates
to do likewise.
In all 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
Postoffice
State
Conducted by
the Editor.