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PEOPLE’S A. B. S. MOSELEY, i . . , MBS. JUBMB P. MOSELEY, - Relate MEV. L. K. OWALTXEY, I Edlt ° rS ' Rome, Ga., Saturday, Feb. 8, 1873. We intend to introduce another de partment into our paper, ri'z.: that of Floral Culture. True the green leaves buds and blossoms are hidden away in their mother earth, but every tree and shrub and root is dreaming of the gladsome spring, and we must think of our duty to the earth, to ourselves, and to others—the duty of beautifying our homes —and begin the work. The best way to do this is to send and get Vick’s Floral Guide, James Vick, Rochester, N. Y., and buy seed as well as instruction from him. Or, quite as well, send to Briggs & Bros., Roches ter, N. Y., for their splendidly illus trated Catalogue of Howers and Vege tables. From either of the above firms you get the catalogue for twenty-five cents; SI.OO additional will bring you the worth of the money in. seed and the books free. Something for the Young Folks. Ss. Valentine’s day is approaching, and as it is both a pleasant, and beau tiful custom to celebrate it, we present to our readers the following epigra matic and varied verses, written ex pressly for the young people, and intended to suit all classes and sexes; as it may interest those unacquainted with tlie origin, and intentions of St. Valentine,” or the custom of sending love messages on that day, we copy the explanation thereof as set forth in the Ameruan Encyclopedia: “St. Valentine, according to some ecclesiastical writers, a bishop, accord ing to others, a presbyter, wasbehead e 1 at Rome in the reign of the Empe ror Claudius (A. D. 270), and was ear ly canuontzed: Wheatly says, ‘that St. Valentine was a man of most admir able parts, and so famous for his love and charity, that the custom of choos ing valentines on his festival, (which is still practiced) took its rise from thene. Others derive the custom from birds 1 eing supposed to select their mates on this day; others again from a prac ti :e pravalcnt in ancient Rosne at the f stivals of F.nperealia held during the month of F< bruary, when among oth er ceremonies, the names of young wo men were placed in ava.se, from which they were taken by the young men, as chance directed. The pAstors of the early churches finding it impossi -1 le to extirpate this pagan ceremony, changed its form. As once practiced, it was the custom on the eve oi Feb ruary 14th. St. Valentine's day, to have the names of a select number of one sex, put into some verses by an equal number of the other; ami thereupon every one drew a name, which, for the time being, was called his orhcrval eutine. The custom oi choosing val entines < xisted very early, ami was much practiced in the houses of the gentry of Englund. There are fre quent references to it in Shakespeare.” Oi the following list each vorsi is a at . ’ ,nv, an i we doubt not out of the uaru ty the most fastideous mav find :< ’ tiling "just suited to his mind.” A AT.ENTIXIX " ii ; s: y St. Vah nt ine's day's v.as set apart, ' sending otie'.> true low aim ssage; T: d then we most truly lay open our hearts; A.-r of lite's boding ills have a pres age; J . :g minus a sweetheart, then I will ch< >ose you, And vend you my hand and heart in it; ] ut none of pour vaunting I say twist us two. 1. ' ..a lien like, change in a minute 1 Oh fair little maid, If this be the day. To tel! the due arts of dread cupid, Then ope’ my heart's laid, Here see his foul play. Ami care if youthink me not stupid. You've sworn that you love me full many a time, Ret d.i .t did n t make me believe you; Yet if you speak truly here lam .!«- fai!; Y?t this 1 say. but to relieve you; For ’tw ixt us I think that this business of luring. Though pleas.mt Ls vanity’t school Siiicv wisdom is vanity let us be wise, Plav / rs/nb/i, and fotbui l.w rule! If birds choose their mates on St. Val entine’s day, Pray, why may we not be as civil ? I’ll have you my dear—if you will love me, If not —you may go the d—ll Sweet maiden if you love the birds, Why follow their example, Choose one to love from one the throng, But let me give a sample; I'll tell you that you stright may know, Whenever he kneels to you, ’Tis one who longs for pour sweet love Would humbly for it sue ! Come love and trust me, I’ll guard and cheer thee! If you will, I am thine, My sweet Valentine. You wish my hand then there’s no use, In this ado about it, Jut muster up courage and swear, You will not do without it I Love me ! I’ll love you ’ The Bible declares we must “love one another,” I know you uro the “one,” I think I’m the other.” At morn, at eve, at noon, at night, Love fraught, my thoughts to thee take flight. I’ll tell thee dear one, My heart is undone, If you’ll love me all right, If you don’t its no spite! Cherish not anger—forgive and fin get it. The heart that hath wronged, doth full soon regret it, The light ot love’ sun will shine but the clearer, If clouds have obscured it —thou'lt cherish it dearer ’Tis St. Valentine's day’ And I thought I would send You something that’s good for your keep ing; Your braying stop —pray, And your fool acts amend, For like .Midas, your ass ears are peeping. ’Twere vain to utter all I feel. To tell my dearest wish to thee, Bright tears would from thy soft eyes steal. But would they look in love on me? I dare not hope—no boon I seek 'This simple pledge of love I send. My yearning thoughts I cannot speak, While low in grief my heart doth bend! i ’Tis as on-y toconnt the stars in the heaven Or foam flecks that drift on the sea, To tell where the rose rays of light go at even, As to utter my heart’s love for thee - OUR SUNDAY MORNING. BY MAIIGIE P. MOSELEY. “In EitUi and Jlopc the world will disagree. I But all mankind's concerned in t'lu.oit;/.' says Pope. Ev< u this philosopher of all philosophers-—he who “spake tis never man spake,” has pronounced charily the gr< itest of all . i/fi>c . But what is charity? Tin word uggests the picture, to some poeple, of a man pampered and happy, h: J-grudgingly drawing his par - .rings, while before ’ him stands the guant image of poverty and misery, with outstretched hand to receive the scanty pittance! This is a miserable picture! No v. mi ler that every delicati nature shrinks from the very thought of being an “object of ■ charity." I say it is no wonder, when this is the prevalent idea of charity! 1 But it is rot the true idea. We arc I eV, to more or less extent, the “objects iof charity. " We ail have failings and : shortcomings; we all d--sire that our ' I neighbors should not view these fail- ! ings through magnifying glasses in ■ de-d, Ave prefer that they should be ; viewed through a lens which would render them more diminutive the lens of charity! And even when thus view de, they appear much larger to others than to ourselves; for we possess not . the power “To see ourselves as it hers see us,” 1 and in order to have rren ji'dire done ■ tis, (by our reckoning) we must be . come the objects of charity to others. We get down and pray that “Our Father" will "forgive us our trespasses l as we forgive those who trespass a gainst ns;" but have we forgiven them? ■Would, we confer favors upon our en emy, even as we ask God to confer ( them on us? Verily, charity is not in us! Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them, said the Seer of Gethsemine, and we who take “Faith, Hope and Charity” as our motto, swear to do this, yet wrangle at our brothers. Is this right? It is not just, to say nothing of charity. Verily we arc hypocrites, when our walk differs so , widely from our profession. We arc the pitiable objects of an unbounded ■ ! charity, if we, after’ such failings, ex- I , . ° i , pect to receive the esteem of the good ' i and earnest! But man is frail, you ! say. Perfection cannot be expected. i Too true; but we must “strive to enter , ! in at the straight gate, the gate of truth ■ and honor. Many will fail; indeed, none shall entirely succeed, but “chari ty covers a multitude of sins,” and “the drying up a single tear has more of honest fame than shedding seas of gore.” Then ere you say, I have no thing to be charitable with, pause and consider how much good a kind word can do; how a smile can cheer, and how potent is the blessed sunshine of sympathy to the sad heart resting on the shadow of sorrow. Don’t fold your hands and say, destiny did not bless me with money, therefore I am exempt from the first of all Christian virtues. Not so! God requires a part of you.r “mite.” If you can’t bestow alms, bestow the tender amenities of life, which to some hearts are far dear er—for a smile, a cheerful greeting, has a wonderful power to lighten the bur dens of life. But if God blessed you with this world's goods, woe unto you ! if you pass suffering and want unheed ed by, for “as ye mete, it shall be meas ured to you again.\ He that giveth, to him shall be given, for not a spar row falleth without His notice, and verily we are of “more value than many sparrows!” There are a thousand ways in which to do good. Go to work and find them out! First make your own heart right and it will suggest these ways. Be good, and do good! Be happy and disperse happiness! Speak the truth, inculcate a love of it in others! ; Be honest, earnest, sober, virtuous, in | dustrious and liberal, and if God docs not prosper your undertakings, then ‘ there is no truth in faith! e* ... Is the Temperance Cause Advancing, or is it Retrograding?. This question is one of most vital and serious importance. “Is it true that so many lodges are going down i and are surrnedering their charters?” 'is asked by a correspondent. With the permission of the editor of The P ioi’Lc'.; Fi.iend, we propose to answer ii, and answer it satisfactorily, cheering ti e hearts of all good and true temper ance men and women in our beloved Fouth, who are actuated to this noble work from principle and not from sel- ■ fish desire. Now, brethren, we must first pre mise that we belmvc your hearts are i in the success of the temperance move ment. That n<> cliques nor clans oc cupy your attention to such an extent ' as to hide from view the great fact that ours is a work of love, that love born of a Christian desire to do good to our fellow man, and elevate and raise him 1 from his fallen condition and once i more placing him where he feels again self-respect and self-importance. A day never passt s but what brings with it the accomplishment of just this ob ject, obtained through and by the in fluence of some Good Templar doing his duty; each day lightens the home and brings hope to it, where before all i was dejection and <lespair. Tims “by 1 the littles and little.-.' are we gaining ' ground, and are adding to our num bers such as will be save d everlasting ly. The Good Templars were neve r I in a more prosperous condition than at present. They are more in earnest : ami more determim <1 than over b< fore. It may be time some lodges fail to re port, but still their secret, silent influ ' ence abounds. Some local or unim portant measure may for the moment estrange them, yet with a returning sense and a little rc-animation, soon again they fall into line and battle for the right. New lodges and old ones i are continually being organized and re-organized, and that too, on a firmer basis, with the past experience that ; enables them to steer clear of the ' quick-sands which once drove them ; into the whirlpool of schism and chaos. . There appears to be a desire on the part of some who were once our breth- . ren to run after strange Gods, and to . rear for themselves altars “we w’ot not . ; of;” avlio seem to think the success of ■ their ideas mainly depend on the in roads and havoc they can make in the < ranks of those who are working truly 1 'in the temperance cause, by scattering > fire-brands and dissensions among them. Their purpose is too palpable and they will not succeed in doing any , j material damage to the I. O. G. T. An ( order as successful as ours has been, and is, may be expected to have ene mies. They may be looked for either from those who say they are with us, wearing our garb, and singing our songs of jubilation, yet being at best, but “whited sepulchres and dead men’s bones.” By so much as our brothers have fallen, by so much are we injured. Our duty is to save, not to criminate nor recriminate. Men may malign, may traduce, but we will not be their enemies. Let those -who dig a pit for the destruction of others, be xvarned by the distitch, lest, perhaps, they fall into it themselves. , “He digged a pit, he digged it deep, lie digged it for another ; But by his sin he did fall in The pit he digged for t'other.” No, brethren, we are all right. Tem perance is our motto, not strife.' All ; that is necessary for us to do is to work, work earnestly for the. redemp tion of our fellow-mortals, with prayers to God to bless us and our cause, suc cess will always attend us. J. H. S. For The People’s Frikm>.] A Tour in South-Western Georgia. I left Marietta on the morniag of the loth of January, and arrived the ' same night at a late hour in Spaul ding. This is a new and beautiful village, the seat of the Spaulding Sem inary for boys and girls. Here is a gallant little lodge battling against the destroyer. The lodge here is kept up mainly by President Wilkes and his noble daughters. Indeed every mem ber of the faculty is a Good Templar. Hence, it will be as safe to send boys here as anywhere in the State. I lectured also at Montezuma. This is a flourishing town on Flint river, in the heart of the cotton region. Here much bad whiskey is consumed by both races. It is absolutely fearful to think of the ravages of alcohol in this section. I addressed the lodge at this place, together with a fair audience of the ctizens; the effect of the address 1 seems to be good, as quite a number ; have joined the lodge since the meet- ' ing. The writer is indebted to mem- ; bers of the lodge, and especially to Dr. | J. L. Gibson, for favors shown. The ; lodge here seemed to be in its funeral > vestments, but now seems resurrected, ; wide-awake and at work. Had there not been good working here, the lodge I had long since gone the way of all the earth. Tiie Millwood lodge in Dooly is one ' of the largest in all that section. I 1 addressed them on a cold Sunday, but not without evidences of appreciation. Under the noble leadership of brother (’one, his sons and daughters, tin's lodge will contrive to thrive and per form its benevolent mission. > In company with President Wilkes of Spaulding Seminary, I visited Hen d< rson, Houston county. On the Sat urday night of the meeting wo had a delightful family mealing at the resi dence of one of the sisters. This was the msst pleasant little meeting I ever attended. Bro. (’. Pearce, Dr. Cole man. sisters Magechee, Hodges and others constituted the. Saturday night meeting of Magechee Lodge. On Sunday I had the pl'-.isnre of address- . ing a smitll but select audience. There is an earnestness with the members , here that augurs success. The next appointment I filled was in Vi- i enna, Dooly county. Here I was welcomed . to the hospitalities of brother Lilly and h noble wife. On being introduced to siste Lilly, she remaiked that she once knew two William Atkinsons in Greene county, and at school they were known as “Big Will” and “Little Will.” 1 told her I was “Lit tle Wil!,’’ which create! much merriment with the family. The Lodge here is neither dead nor asleep, but will live and thrive while such spirits as brother Lilly and sis-* ter Hodges live in it. I expect to visit j there again before the Ides of April. Sue- i cess to the noble band of workers. The next day I addressed the people in the neighborhood of Forest Lodge, in Doo ly. This lodge h-s had a steady and healthy growth. They work true and their work tells. Old brother Harvard and his son Whit area team in themselves. The last appoinment in this section was in Americus. Here our noble P. G. W. (I. T., brother C. W. Hancock and his lady received me with a generous hospitality.— I am sorry to say ‘•hat the cause here is in a state of coilapse for want of a room to meet in. The leading church members and especially ministers of the gospel do not support the canse as they should. 1 trust the earnest appeal of brother Han cock at the close of my address will not be in vain. Surely the thrilling remarks will not pass unheeded, especially by the minis ters. I have no doubt but that the causa will soon start forth on a new and more en couraging basis. Next week I canvass Cherokee county. Yours in F. 11. and C., W. D. Atkinson. Grand Lecturer. • e Whal a Rum-Seller Contributes to Society- We find the following in an exchange, with out any indications of its origin. It pre sents the business of the liquor dealer in striking contrast with trades which arc use ful and honorrble. Every individual in society is expected to contribute something to its advancement and interest. We remember to have read, years ago, of a company of tradesmen who had united themselves into a mutual benefit society, and each one had to relate what he could contribute to its support. First, the blacksmith came forward and said: '‘Gentlemen, I wish to become a mem ber of your association.” “Weil, what can you do?” “Oh- I can iron your carriages, shoe your horses, and make all kinds of imple ments,” “Very well, come in, Mr. Blacksmith.” The mason applied for admission into the society. “And what can you do?” “I can build your barns, houses stables and bridges.” “Very well, come in; we cannot do with out you.” Along comes the shoemaker and says: “I wish to bccomau member of your so ciety.” “Well what can you do?” “I can make hoots and shoes for you,” “Come in, Mr. Shoemaker, we must have you.” In turn, all the different trades and pro fessions applied, till lastly an individual came in who wanted to become a member. “And what ai you.” “I am a rum-seller.” “A rum-seller! and what can you do?” “I can build jails.jand prisons, and poor houses.” “And is that all?” “No; I can fill them. I can fill your jails with criminals, your prisons with con victs, and your po r-houses with paupers.” “And what else can you do?” “I can bring the gra" hairs of the aged to the grave with sorrow; I can break the heart of the wife, and blast the prospect of the friends of talent, and fill the land with more than the plagues of Eirypt. ” "Is that all you can do?” “Good be;.vein!” cries the rum-seller; “is not that enough?” Black Snow.— The Keokuk (Iowa) (nnixtituth-m of the 13th says; “On last Tuesday afternoon commenced the great snow storm of the winter, and the greatest storm of the We t for inatiy years. It con tinued until Wednesday afternoon; then set >n a furious wind, which took the snow from the hills and piled it up in the valleys. On Thursday morning the inhabitants of the northern portion of this Stare, when they awoke, were not a little surprised at seeing the earth covered with a black in stead of a white garment, as it was on the n’mht before. This strange and unnatural phenomenon is accounted for on the suppo sition that after the wind had swept the snow off the hills then the dry earth was taken up and scattered over the face of the snow, gi v ing it this peculiar coloring. This would be a satisfactory explanation if this unusual appearance had been confined to localities, but accounts say it was general.” The proud “Old Domi r.ion.” the pro ducer of Presidents aud of prime smoking tobacco, is in rather a humiliating position, but one of her own prophets suggests a good way of getting out of it. She is so weighed down with debt that she raves widely a bout repudiation, but the Richmond Dis patch tells her calmly but firmly that “half the money spent in whisky in Virginia would pay the necessary tax to relieve her honor.”