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6 | THE COUNTRY HOMeI Women on the Farm Conducted By Mrs. IV. H. Felton. 4 C®rrwprna«ne« on horn* topic* or ♦ 4 *ubj*cta of **r-clal interest to wo- 4 * non to teTttod. Inquiries or letter* ♦ 4 ahould bo brief end elaarly writ toe 4 * to ink on one ride of the sheet. ♦ 4 Write direct to Mn W. H. Feb ♦ 4 bMußditor Homo Department Semi- 4 4 Weakly Journal. Cartersville. Ga. 4 T ** toqulriae answered by mall. 4 W- Th* South Carolina Senator*. Th* late dispute in the senate between th* tsro senators from South Carolina was an unfortunate proceeding. no matter from what standpoint a view may be taken of the personal dlfUculty. For it eras a personal difficulty and such af fairs should always be kept outside legis lative halls by reason of respect tor the sovereign state which they are expected to represent, especially in the upper house of congress. But this personal difficulty bodes no good to either, for one or the other must get out of the way, and the crowing cock will have so overstrained himself that South Carolina will possibly prefer a less aggressive man in personal difficulties and a more polite man in na tional legislation. It was a sweet morsel to roll under the tongues of northern and western Repub licans. and it is always a pity to afford sudh morsel to the opposition. Under the circumstances Senator Mc- T-anrin was manifestly nowise to thus spring an open fight with his late Demo cratic colleagues in the senate chamber. If he preferred to remain outside the caucus, he was at liberty to do so. but it was poor tactics to air his political and personal grievances before the senate. Having remained outside the caucus he shouldn’t have been complaining about it in public tor obvious reasons. He let the gap down to the bottom rail and there was nothing left for Chairman Jones to do but explain his position and make it undesstood that Senator McLaurin had himself declined to be a caucus member when the chairman made the personal In quiry of him. Then the ••pitchfork" had Its inning! Nothing could have happened which would have suited Senator Tillman better so far as public opinion in South Carolina is concerned for he does not care a copper cant what any other state or senator thinks of him. It has been his contention for months that his colleague was not in po litical sympathy with his constituents. He wanted signal proof that senator Mc- Laurin was not willing to enter a Dem ocratic caucus, and the proof was made ready to his hand by the mistake of his oofleague. If Senator McLaurin had been an Inde pendent Democrat his defense would have had a different sound altogether, but no state has profounder respect for party precedents and customs than the Palmet to State, and Senator McLaurin accepted a commission from the Democrats of bls state when he took the oath of office. Inere is nothing to be done now, unless he joins the Republicans, who may or may not take care of him until his pres ent term expires, for South Carolina will not commission him again to the same high office. And that refusal will not mean that Senator McLaurin la not a progressive man in his thoughts and purposes. It is possible be is tar better Equipped for leg islative work than his colleague, but he has transgressed the unwritten law which demands that a politician shall not re pudiate the authority which elevated him to office and the senator cannot make headway in South Carolina hr attempting to stem both wind and tide at present. If the president has some fat berth like a paymaster or juageship to offer he will do well to secure it. but as a rule Re publicans are the quickest politicians In the world to turn down a man who fights his own party to secure an office by so doing. If Senator McLaurin had gone before his state last summer and fought it out on the stump, he might have won his fight, but he lost the chance of a lifetime when he failed to do it. Having failed to carry the Issue before the people of his state he should have avoided rocks, quicksands and breakers like he was a ship at sea. and especially should be have played impassive and calm dignity against ‘pitchfork” rashness. If Senator Tillman had given the dare, then the result might have been different, but th* latter fared splendidly as to luck. Senator McLaurin was in no fix to be giv ing dares on the exclusive play grounds of Democratic caucuses and usages, and his headpiece may be all right on the various Issues be champions, but his Judg ment was at fault when he squared away at the caucus and provoked a fight on the known duty of Democrats to a Democratic caucus in Washington. No body say* that RepubUcan senators are a bit more Independent of party dictation than their opponents. If anything they ar* less so. therefore ft was Quixotic to ride *gain*t the political windmills adored by both parties in the senate. (What Killed the Public School Sygtem. In an interesting article, furnished by Mr. M. B. Dennis, th* following sen tence occurs: ••Only recently a prominent citizen of a middle Georgia county, in writing to a gentleman of state and national reputa tion. living in AGantsu bad occasion to refer to matters relating tb the public •ehool system. In the reply the Atlanta gentleman spoke of the system substan ttolly as dead and perhaps quite beyond resurrection.’* Mr. Dennis, with pardonable preoccupa tion of mind, decides "that the gentleman evidently referred to the shabby manner of settling with the teachers and the cir cumstantial indifference of the legislature regarding the matter.” Unless the writer of the reply here no ticed. penned considerably more to his eorresponuent about the state's indiffer ence than Mr. Dennis copied, the "dead" condition of the public school system was hot germane to the conclusion reached by Mr. Dennis. In bis published document, from which the sentence that I copy is taken. If th* public school system Is "dead be yond the power of a resurrection" I sub cult that the system itself, as conducted, did th* killing, not the legislature. It would seem to be a sad case of what might be strictly termed. Involuntary sui cide. If a brusque comparison will be par doned. It bad too much rope and hung its own poor self, because it couldn't help it. Certainly the legislature did not kill it. unless it stuffed the weakly system until It died of founder. It to the manifest disproportion between the huge amount, devoted to the payment of teachers and the miserable failure as to country schools, which has diahearten •d the tax payer* and perhaps the legis lature. "Eight-ninths ot the children of school age live in the country.” says State School Commissioner G. R. Glenn. Eight-ninths of the public schools are then but little better than nothing at all. ’ If th* system Is "dead beyond the power Suffering Women. Dr. Tucker can cure you of that awful 1 s-rl backache. smothering. pains around the hesrt. * <1 misplacement, nervous fears, short breath, leu- A corrhoea, bloating m digestion and constipa- Tucker, Broad afreet, Atlanta. Ga. of a resurrection,” it Is because eight ninths of the load was too heavy, so much so that the team stalled and the load went over In the ditch. In the year 1898 the legislature turned over a million and a half dollars In clean cash to run the public school system a single year, and while the number of teachers has Increased until there Is an average above seventy In every one of the 137 counties of Georgia, the system seems to be perishl tig from inaction. Whether the patient is In a chronic bad state of health and cannot assimilate food in great or any other quantity, or whether the doctors are simply quacks, and are dosing it with sour stump water, under the name of a tonic I do not pre sume to decide at this time. I rise to ask but one question, namely: If It to dead was It a case of inanition or of Involuntary suicide? The doctors tell us that necrosis to an incurable aliment. The system has ap parently been suffering and helpless at the extremities for a long time, but it was active and vigorous enough to ask for 33.000.000 for the coming year, around headquarters In y Atlanta. It to true a half dead tree will show signs of life In the spring of the year when the sap rises, but for a "dead” system, that to "beyond the power of a resurrection," 83.000,000 was a loud boast of sap, under the aircum s vances. The plain English of the whole business may be set down in a few words. The state has gone wild on providing teachers, a superfluity of teachers, when the state was not able to foot the bill. The state will be obliged to come back to common sense and common business methods, or quit fooling with a system that coats too much, anu amounts to such a little. Mr* .Felton on the Schley Verdict. There were several persons on trial be fore the country as well as the Naval Court of Inquiry; besides Admiral Schley. One Mr. Maclay—who was drawing pay In the Navy department, as a spittoon washer—or coal heaver, or as engaged in some other menial work, classed under the head of "laborer”—on the pay-rolls; was really employed to write a book to be used as a text-book for students In nay al schools and he deserved and has earned attention. Mr. Maclay wrote to please his employ ers, as the most of persons would do, whose bread and butter was involved, and who could willingly masquerade under the cognomen of "laborer”—when really they are engaged in questionable service with pen and paper—where the principals were afraid or unwilling to be seen or known—in print—as authors of calumny. Mr. Maclay wrote up the battle of San tiago—and Admiral Sampson endorsed the book, when he read the scurvy allusions made concerning Admiral Schley—by the "laborer” Maclay—who dubbed the brave sea-captain a "caitiff and a coward” in the aforesaid text-book. Caitiff in Webster's Unabridged means a rascal—in its strongest sense it means a victbus slave. Johnson says the word means a mixture of misery and wicked ness—otherwise a mean slave. Mr. Maclay having used this epithet along with "coward” and Admiral Samp son having approved the book and con sequently the approbious statement, Ad miral Schley called for an investigation of his Individual conduct as commander of the famous squadron which destroyed Cervera’s Spanish fleet and won the mag nificent victory for the United States over Spain. Admiral Dewey and two other admirals of the navy were selected to investigate the charges and by reason of the evidence and the ship's records, neither of Mac lay's charges could be or were sustained in the smallest particular by either of the verdicts. But Admiral Sampson, Admiral Schley's enemy Crowningshield, and to some ex tent. Secretary Long, were involved along with their historian, Maclay. All of these interested people were to be condemned as calumniators, if a verdict of courage and official capacity was returned by the court, without qualifications. As the matter now stands—connected as were these gentlement with Maclay and his so-called history—it becomes evi dent that the court was packed with two partisans who could be relied upon to be smirch the naval commander on trial even while he was necessarily cleared of the "caitiff" and "coward" parts of the Maclay indictment. But Admiral Dewey was not a man who could be molded to their liking, for his opinion most certainly outweigh the ver dict of both the other admirals, whose verdict smells loudly of the unfortunate atmosphere which environs naval affairs in and about Washington City. The vindication of Admiral Schley was complete, from the offensive charges con tained in Mtfclay’s book, but the verdict ot Secretary Long's partisans is fatally tainted with calumny and injustice. Wherever Admiral Dewey's name 1s known there will his eulogium on the courage and capacity of Admiral Schley be accepted as the proper verdict, and wherever the carping criticisms of the other two men are read there will be In disputable evidence of the frailty of poor' human nature under stress of envy and jealousy. Nevertheless, congress owes a duty to Itself and the country to rescue the navy department of the government from In fluences which will destroy Its capacity for usefulness unless a reform is effected. The pestiferous agencies which dared to secrete a defamer of character tn the de artment that malice and envy might sting the fame of a great sea captain to his fatal Injury should have a thorough ventilation in the congress of the United States. That a defamer could be found small and low enough to appear In the disguise of a laborer in the naval service, to do this dirty work, should be exposed under the glaring light of congressional inquiry. And that flunkeys can be decorated with shoulder straps and appointed on courts of inquiry should be made so clearly known to the taxpayers of this country that no other such verdict may ever be recorded to the mortification and disgrace of the American people. It seems that Maclay is either beneath everybody’s notice or thoroughly under stood to be the tool of his masters in his omission from either verdict, but it is all the more imperative that congress should go to the root of the whole business and extirpate from the pay roll* any other "laborers” who draw pay for one service and are really employed to do other and dubious work for a laborer’s pay. Unless there is a cleaning out of such vermin the character of department service must fall under heavy suspicion (if not odium), well deserved and well located by Maclay's ap pointment In the navy department as a la borer. The very Idea that a text-book for the naval schools of the United States had emanated from the scullery floor of Sec retary Long’s principality is unpleasant to think about, and It to preposterous to have a "slander mill” engineered by poli ticians and supported from the treasury of the United States in this underhanded manner to drag down the fame of great naval commanders, whose exploits were resented by the Jealousy of hto rivals and whose reputation can be stabbed by a hired assassin, disguised as a laborer, in the army and navy building of the gov ernment. Admiral Dewey’s opinion of Admiral Schley has in It the ring of honesty and Justice, a Just tribute to a fellow worker and a great naval commander, which he was not afraid to express In the presence of influences which were manifestly «u- THE SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, MONDAY, DECEMBER'S 3, 1901. KN EE EWfiXEKS It was the day before Christmas, and Mrs. Rabbit was Just wondering how she could buy something to put In each of the stockings of all the little Rabbits and also enough things at the market to fur nish a large dinner for the family. She sat at the table with a pencil and paper, trying to count up Just how much every thing would be, and to figure how she would ever make the little money she had do for all the things she had to buy. Just then in came Mr. Rabbit wearing a new fur coat and carrying a brand new cane. "There, now! It’s just a perfect shame!” said Mrs. Rabbit. "Os course it is,” said Mr. Rabbit; "here I came home after working hard all day, expecting to find dinner all ready, and what do I see? I find you figuring out snore ways to spend money. I should say it was a shame? Mrs. Rabbit said she didn’t mean that at all. She meant that it was a perfect shame that she could not buy Christmas presents for all the children and a big Christmas dinner, too, while Mr. Rabbit could get newifur coats and canes, as If he didn’t have any family to look after. Then Mr. Rabbit said that it was just like a woman, and that he could make the money go far enough to get everything necessary. Mrs. Rabbit said that, in that case, she would just like to see him do it, that was all; so he took the money and off he went. When he reached the market Mr. Rabi bit found a lot of the other animals there buying things for Christmas dinners. They bought so much and such delicious things that he was ashamed to buy the very few things that he planned to get while they were there. Mr. Bear, Mr. Dog, Mr. Fox, Mr. Crow and the others acted as if they wanted to, so Mr. Rabbit sneaked off to the toy stores to get the playthings for his children. Just as he had bought almost as many presents as he could afford in came Mr. Bear, Mr. Fox, Mr. Dog and all the rest to buy play things for their children. They began to purchase right and left and buy the most beautiful toys, while the things Mr. Rab bit had bought looked very mean beside them. Then Mr. Dog asked Mr. Rabbit how he expected to ever make those few toys go around among all of his children. Mr. Rabbit was so ashamed that he did not know what to do, but he said he was not through buying yet, and then he went ahead and spent for toys all the money he should have saved to buy the Christ mas dinner. At last he did not have a cent left, but he had Just as many nice presents for his children as the other ani mals had for theirs. When Mrs. Rabbit found he had spent all of his money for toys and had not bought anything for the Christmas dinner she was as angry as she could possibly be, and she told Mr. Rabbit that he had to go right out and get something for the Christmas dinner somehow, and that was all there was about it. Mr. Rabbit took his hat and went out, feeling very badly, indeed, and trying to think of some way worthy but at the same time powerful, to affect the fortunes of other naval offi cers. His verdict has the respect of the country, because the country was famil iar with the facts of the Santiago en gagement and the testimony of brave men before the court of inquiry. Admiral Dewey discharged hto duty like the great man he is known to be, and it is now the duty of congress to rescue other brave men from the toils and snares of envious associates, who hide the assassins on the basement floor of our government build ings under the garb of scullions and wait ing men, for the use of conspirators up stairs. ' Nothing has been ever said or passed upon that can rob Admiral Schley of his well-earned victory at Santiago. It stands out in such bold relief that it is absolutely unassailable. It is such clear-cut renown that the weapons of the Sampson - Long - Crowninshield combine failed to make a scratch on the gratitude which the country voted him as soon as the sea-fight was finished. He and Admi ral Dewey stand out like twin-brothers, far in front of all the naval commanders, past or present in this country. Sanitago and Manila stand together on the top of the ladder unapproachable by reason of magnitude and glory. But, as before said, the great sea-cap tain who won the honor of Santiago has been set upon by gad-flies, gnats and stinging wasps who were not content with clutching the bulk of the prize money, but sjho denied to him the merit of win ning the victory for his country. Congress should apply a- remedy that will drive out the insects for the sake of theipublic peace. * What’s the Matter With the Turkeys? A good friend asks me to write about a scaly, scabby disease that is killing turkeys down in her part of Georgia. She says it settles on their legs and is evident ly catching. The turkeys get lame and disabled and some of them die from it. Will not some reader give us the name of the disease and the remedy? This turkey raising is a serious domestic problem. If you can And the nest and save the eggs from the crows, then you may take chances on the hatching. After the shy little things come out of the shell they will dart about under leaves and bushes like they were scared to death. If you turn the hen loose she and they will rove "all over creation,” and it is ten to one you will never see the full number come up again. If she races through the dew and wet grass with the little things, they will surely disap pear, and a hard storm of rain will make a finish, if their fool mother keeps gal loping about as mine do sometimes. If I had as many dollars as I have taken tramps around and about to keep up with hateful, provoking turkey hens, I could buy me a new piano, if not a pair of carriage horses, because I have been following this business in a small way for a third of a century. Every year I make new resolutions, and every spring I find myself doing exactly as those gallivanting turkey hens provoke me to do—trotting after them. I should guess, on a venture, that I could have bought two turkeys at Christmas (if my trouble and vexation with them could be estimated) for every one I raise and get to the table, but then some other people like my turkeys, and last year they carried off four nice hens just before Thanksgiving, and I only found some scattered feathers where they crossed over into the woods, and you cannot wonder that the business is vexatious, when they are stolen after raising. Four-legged dogs are plentiful and two legged ones are very sly. Tb* four tur keys went by the dog route, and I am constantly dreading another raid, for, having eaten one on Thanksgiving day, I still have seven left for Christmas and to start on tn the spring, according to cus tom. My mind tells me that I will take up as usual the vexatious business when spring opens, If I am left here to begin it. I shall certainly give up if diseases and dogs consume the stock on hand, and I guess that might be agreeable to my tired feet, if I could only see It that way. I am beginning to comprehend that tur keys and old people are not suited to each other, so far as watching, minding and keeping off rogues are concerned. They need young feet, lively stepping and somebody to watch rogues. A near neighbor had an experience a few days ago. He has some white Holland turkeys, of which he is very proud. One night while the moon was up somebody caught one and carried it off. The neighbor pur sued with a pistol, and shortly the rogue dropped the turkey, and he recovered the poor, scared fowl by a mere chance. Until a dog law is passed we must fight a fight to keep dogs from poultry. Raise your turkeys if you are young enough to do all the sort of things here mentioned. » in which he could get a dinner for hl* family. He thought of the fine things the other animals had bought, and that only made him feel worse. As he was walking bast Mr. Crow’s house Mr. Rabbit saw the little crows Skating on a small pond behind the house. Suddenly the ice broke and one of them fell into the water. The rest all shouted as loud as they could, and Mr. and Mrs. Crow ran out of the back door toward the pond just as fast as ever they could run. Mr. Rabbit opened the front door and went in the house to wait until they came back, so he could see if they wanted him to go for the doctor. He saw a big basketful of things from the market sitting on the table. The basket was so full of nice things, and they all looked so good that Mr. Rabbit felt worse than ever. He thought of all his large family at home with not a single thing for their Christmas dinner, and he felt so bad that he almost burst out crying. "Let me see,” he said to himself. "I think I remember something about Mr. Crow’s great-grandfather stealing a cow from my great-grandfather. Yes, I am sure he did, or if he did not, he should have, anyway. I think I will just take this basket of things and call it square.” He took the basket, ran out of doOrs, across the road, and hid it in the bushes. Then he went back and was Just going in the front door when he saw Mr. and Mrs. Crow coming in the back door bringing little Jim Crow, whom they had pulled out of the water. “How are you, Mr. Crow?” said Mr. Rabbit. “I hope, Mrs. Crow, that your sweet little boy to none the worse for hav ing fallen in the water?” “Where to my basket of things? Oh, where is all my beautiful Christmas din ner?" cried Mr. Crow, for he saw the basket was not where he had left it. “Mr. Fox took it,’*’ said Mr. Rabbit. “He ran in your front door just as you and Mrs. Crow ran out of the back door and then he came out again with the basket and ran down the road.” “Oh, the horrid thing!” exclaimed Mrs. Crow. "Whatever will we do for our Christmas dinner?” cried Mr. Crow. “Come with me, and perhaps we can get it back,” said Mr. Rabbit. "We will go to Mr. Dog's house and get him to help us.” "Just the thing!” said Mr. Crow, and so they started off. Mr. Dog was perfectly willing to help Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Crow, and he went with them to Mr. Fox's house. When Mr. Fox saw them coming he was terribly frightened, for once he had stolen a lot of Mr. Man’s chickens, and he thought that Mr. Dog had come about them; so he slipped out the back door and ran away. “There he goes! There he goes’” cried Mr. Rabbit, and Mr. Crow and Mr. Dog ran after him as hard as they could go. Mr. Rabbit went In Mr. Fox's house, and there on the dining-room table he saw the basketful of things that Mr. Fox had bought at the market. ‘lt seems to me,” said Mr. Rabbit, “that I remember something about Mr. Fox’s father-in-law’s great-uncle buying a piece of land from my stepsister’s half-broth er’s great-aunt, and never paying for it. I think I will just ! take this basket of things and call it sqpgre.” He took the basket, and, running up the road a little way, hid it in some bushes. Then he ran back to’Mr. Dog's house as fast as he could, and when in the kitchen to warm his hands at the fire and wait for Mr. Dog and Mr. Crow to come back from chasing Mr. FoX. Just as Mr. Rabbit got his hands warm he saw a very large basketful of things Mr. Dog had bought at the market on the kitchen table. The things were finer and better than those in the baskets of either Mr. Fox of Mr. Crow, and the more Mr. Rabbit looked at it the more he thought he would like to have those things. “Let me see,” he said to himself, “I believe I remember something about Mr. Dog’s father chasing my father 27 miles once and making him stay in a hole for three days with nothing to eat. That was perfectly scandalous, and Mr. Dog de serves to go without anything to eat him self, so he can see how it feels. I just believe I will take this basket of things to get square with Mr. Dog’s father.” He took the basket and ran away up the road and hid it in some bushes. Mr. Rabbit put his hands in,hto pockets and started up towards his house, swag gering as though he owned the county, for he now had more things for dinner than any one of the other animals, and he had not had to pay for any of them, either. As he passed Judge Bear’s house he saw the old judge go in with a basket that was twice as large as even that of Mr. Dog. It was full of the most expen- Christmas Time on the Reservation. By William R. Draper. Little Jimmy Red Eagle and his broth ers peeped from under their red blankets long before daybreak oh Christmas morn ing. They cast an eye about the tepee, but not for stockings filled with presents, for Jimmy and his brothers learned these many years ago that Santa Clauses never came to tepees. In the first place, there is no chimney in the tepee, and, secondly, there is'no fireplace. The teacher was re sponsible for this, of course, this tale which buzzed in their little brown ears and made them sad. But the Red Eagle boys and girls were not discouraged be cause Santa had not come to their tepee, and forthwith made arrangements to go to him. On the Indian reservations of the South west Santa comes to the little red school houses dotted here and there along the trail. The teachers have arranged for his visit there every Christmas, and that day is spent under the roof of plenty—distrib uting the presents that have been left there by unseen persons. It is a day of good cheer for these little brown people, who do not know much pleasure, anyway. The boys forget their bashfulness, and mingle with the girls in their anxiety to shovf their presents. At noon the teachers set out a danty lunch, such as is not known in tepee life, and the little fellows and their sisters gorge themselves. The afternoon is spent in en tertainment, partly by the little fellows and partly by the teachers and the older girls. A neat program is arranged, and songs, recitations and charades follow. At eventide the little ones are carted home in buggies, and there go to sleep and dream of great things that are to come into their lives. The holidays are a continuous round of pleasure to the reservation children of the southwest, Oklahoma and Indian Terri tory. They play their rough games and eat the candy and chew the gum. Their principal play is going on the warpath. That is for the boys, while the girls play at Jumping the rope, making mud pies and cooking. Indian girls of late years have been elevated above their former po sition of waiting on bucks, to lace making, painting and studying and teaching mu sic, until some of them are quite proficient in this line. The little girls are not allow ed to play with the boys on the same play ground, although the teachers advocate stve things, and Mr. Rabbit was sure that they were better than Mr. Crow’s, Mr. Fox's or Mr. Dog’s, for Judge Bear was a wealthy old gentleman. “I remember Judge Bear’s wanting to roast me in honey once just because I played a little trick on him,” said Mr. Rabbit to himself. “I believe I will try and get that basket just to get even with him.” He ran up to the door in a great hurry, knocked and went in at once without waiting for an invitation. “Oh, Judge Bear," he cried, "there is an awful racket down the road. Mr. Dog stole Mr. Crow's Christmas dinner, and then he took Mr. Fox’s, too. He is taking them home now, and he says he Is com ing up here to steal yours in a minute.” “He to, to he?” snorted Judge Bear. "Well, we’ll see about that. I never did like Mr. Dog, anyway, and since he bit one of my cubs I have a very poor opin ion of him. I will Just go right down to his house and make him give Mr. Fox and Mr. Crow back their Christmas din ners." He put on his hat and started off at once. Mr. Rabbit walked with him a little way, then he said he thought he would go home and fix a Christmas tree for the children. Judge Bear went on alone, and Mr. Rabbit started t*ack, but instead of going straight home »ie went into Judge Bear’s house and took the bas ket, which was so heavy that he could hardly carry it. He dragged it all the way to his house, and told Mrs. Rabbit that here were a few things he had Just brought from the market. "Land o’ Goshen! Mercy sakes alive! My goodness, me!” cried Mrs. Rabbit. "Children, just see what your daddy has brought us. Isn't he the sweetest, loveli est, goodest daddy-paddy in the world?” The children said that certainly he was, and Mr. Rabbit swelled so with pride that his suspenders cracked like a wagon wheel when it needs greasing. Mr. Rabbit went out and brought back the baskets he had taken from the houses of Mr. Crow, Mr. Fox and Mr. Dog. He told Mrs. Rabbit that he had been very careful to get plenty of things because he kneyv that people always ate a lot on Christmas day, and she said that he had enough almost for the whole neighbor hood. Then Mr. Rabbit lay down to take a nap, for he was very tired from carry ing those four heavy baskets such a long distance. When Judge Bear reached Mr. Dog’s house he found that there was no one there, and so he started home again. When he reached his house, of course, he found his basket gone, and then he was in a fearful state of mind. He thought of course, that Mr. Dog had stolen it while he himself was at Mr. Dog’s house, and you should have seen the way he car ried on! In the meantime Mr. Dog had come back from chasing Mr. Fox, and he found his basket gone. He smelled Mr. Bear’s scent and found his tracks going out of the front gate, and, of course, he thought Judge Bear had stolen his basket of things to get even with him for bit ing that cub. Then he was in a fearful state of mind, too. While Mr. Rabbit was sound asleep on the sofa Mrs. Rabbit put on her bonnet and shawl and slipped out to have a talk with some of the neighbors and tell them what a fine lot of things Mr. Rabbit had bought his family. She met Mrs. Crow, Mrs. Fox, Mrs. Dog and Mrs. Bear, all at different jtimes. of course, and they all told how their Christmas dinners had been stolen. After they had all told her the same story and blamed each other for it, Mrs. Rabbit did not believe one single word of it, for they had all happened to make the same kind of excuse for not being able to have any Christmas dinner. But she felt sorry for them, and, after telling them all of the good dinner she was to have the next day, she invited them, one after another, to come to din ner with all their families. Os course, they were all very glad to come, for the market was sold out, so they could not get a single thing to eat any other way. The next day, just as dinner was ready, and all of the little Rabbits were stand ing In a row, first on one foot and then on the other, looking at the table, Mr. Rabbit saw judge Bear, Mrs. Bear and the cubs coming up the hill. He was frightened very badly, but when he saw Mr. Fox, Mrs. Fox and three of the little Foxes coming too he almost flew out of his skin, and when Mr. and Mrs. Crow appeared he was almost frightened insane. But they all came up and wished him merry Christmas, and, although they looked at each other very angrily out of the corners of their eyes, their manners were too good for them to accuse each other of stealing out in company like that. So they all sat down to dinner to gether, and had a fine time, and as soon as he had got over his fright, Mr. Rabbit told such funny stories that they all laughed and Joked like the best of friends. Mrs. Bear, Mrs. Fox, Mrs. Dog and Mrs. Crow said afterward that they were very glad the Christmas dinners were stolen, for they had such a fine time at Mr. Rab bit’s home, and, besides, they were saved the trouble of cooking all the morning. Mr. Rabbit enjoyed himself as much as any of the rest, but his fright taught him a good lesson, and I have never heard of a rabbit stealing a basket from that day to this. their association in the classes and school room, so as to wear off any bashful ten dencies that are inborn in the Indian lad. It has not been until within the last four of five years that Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, Arapahoe, Cheyenne, Wichita, Tonkawa, Ponca or Osage child knew the slightest thing of a holiday, the birth of Christ, or even that there was such a per son as Christ. But when the reservation schools opened, all of these things were taught, much against the desire of the old Indians, who did not care to have their offspring reared in the path of the pale face, whom they so despised. The mothers used to move their tepees close to the res ervation schools, and every night they would try to worm out of the child every thing the teacher had taught her during the day. Progress w’ith the red children was thus delayed, until an order against the women coming near their children du ring the school season was issued and en forced. The little girls are quick to learn, and the boys are apt and witty. William Waldorf Astor is to be invited to accept the mayoralty of Maidenhead for the coronation year. The retiring mayor is, W. H. Grenfell, M. P., whose place at TaploW court ad loin* Mr. Astor*«. If The \ (Sa/ 11 Wa.sk boa. rd ri could talk how it would urge ~~ you to use Z PEAKLINE! % - "Go easy,” it - would say: "let ffw up on tha.t rub- .A - bing. You’re _ wearing out the clothes, yourself,and’ ieven me. Get something that tDCuheJ your clothes, instead of wearing and tearing them. Soak the things in PEARL INE and water. Follow the directions on package, and you won’t need me much.”6s4 Pea.rline Selves 1 Educational Field | Conducted By /fora. .M. B. Dermis || The Addition of Physiology and Hygiene Impracticable in Common School Course, For years, at each recurring session of the Georgia legislature, have unsuccessful attempts been made to add to the present curriculum of the public schools one or two extra studies. We do not impugn the motives of the authors of such measures. We doubt not they meant well; but we would suggest that before such measures are Introduced and insisted upon the true condition of af fairs should be Investigated and the prac ticability of the step be thoroughly con sidered. An impartial investigation, pros ecuted under the light ot an intelligent acquaintance with the true state of things and leading up to even a partial knowl edge of the real needs of our common school system, would, under no circum stances, we think, fail to reveal the im practicability of making any additions to the existing course of study without first making such changes in the system as will suit the new conditions. It is at least charitable to assume that all such meas ures are usually introduced by parties who really desire to help t**e cause, but for want of information relating to the working details of the system their ef forts are nothing more than products of misdirected zeal. Such additions as have from time to time been urged, had they been enacted, would not have affected the city schools. These schools are so well supplied with instructors that no teacher has more than otie or two grades to handle. An additional study or so would require but little more time and energy. In other words, the time of the city teaeher is not so much occu pied but that an additional study can be easily introduced without upsetting the good work of the schooL Not so with the country teacher. His time is already crowded to the injury of the children as well as to hto reputation. Let’s look into this matter a little and while we investigate lend us your atten tion, and we will attempt to reveal some things that vitally concern you and your children. While, of course, the numerical size of the school plays Its part in determining the amount of work to be done by the teacher, it is not as important a factor as the number Os grades. A school with fifty pupils and only four grades can receive Just twice the amount of daily class in struction' from one teacher as a school with thirty'pupils but eight grades. Now if class instruction and class trills are worth anything, and no one can say nay then it is very important that the number of grades to be allotted each teacher be limited. In the country schools with only one teacher this thing is utterly ignored, and teachers with from six to eight grades are allowed to plod along day after day doing nothing more than simply hearing lessons recited, and yet good work is ex pected of the.m Good work, good results, are just as impossible here as would be in the case of a corn crop or a cotton crop half worked, or of a mercantile or banking business half attended to. No teacher, however learned and well prepared, can do himself or his pupils justice In such a school. And yet they are annually em ployed and placed in charge and expected to accomplish as much as if conditions were entirely different. And the worst of it is, under the present system there is no remedy. Oh, when shall the school officials of the land be brought to appreciate the damage that is being wrought by such methods and a change demanded in the system? A bill introduced during the past session and passed, perhaps, by both branches of the legislature, proposes to add physiolo gy and hygiene to the common school course, which must be taught with refer ence to the effects of alcohol and nico tine upon the human system. This is an important study and should be taught in the schools. We can understand how much good can be accomplished by allot ing it a place In the curriculum and be stowing upon it proper attention. We see, too, how much good might be accom plished in adding nature study, bookkeep ing, first principles in philosophy, manual training and such like to the course of study if they could receive th* necessary attention. • It is not a question of fitness touching the character of the subject as to wheth er it should be added to the present course of study or not, but one of prac ticability. It matters not what may be the nature of the study, how important ar.d desirable as a text book, it should never be added to the curriculum until a place is made for it, until such changes are made in the system as will make its use practicable. The present course of study consists of authography, reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, grammar, and history. These are the seven bran- Our Best Offer & TWO LOVELY PICTURES FREE I JUEL F » ■■ ■« I «•- every new subscriber who will send us $ 1 ‘ ’' / for one year’s subscription to the Semi- Weekly Journal we will send post paid one picture of our martyred President and one of Mrs. McKinley; renewals to count the same as new subscribers. The pictures are mounted on black velour mats 1 lxT4 Inches and are beauties. Now is the time to get two good pictures free. ' Send at once before the supply gives out , Address The Journal, JHlanta, Ga. ches that are required at present to be taught by law. In an ordinary stoed school these seven branches of study cover seven or eight grades, thirty-five or forty dally recltationa In answer to a number of letters sent out last year to the country teachers of Pennsylvania, by Hon. John Hamilton, secretary of agriculture of that common wealth, making inquiry as to the number of dally classes heard, 491 replie* were re ceived representing 61 counties. "Os this number,” he reported, "fifty-two teacher* heard 30 classes; nine, 81; twenty-two, 32; six, 33; eleven, 34; ten, 35; two, 36; two, 37; two, 38; two, 40; one, 45—a summarT of the figures showing that one hund***- and nineteen teachers of the 461 reporting have daily an average of 32 classes, and the general average for the whole 491 be ing 27 classes per day. The average num ber of scholars in these schools to 33.” We have been apprised of eight rural schools in a middle Georgia county—and they are, we feel sure, not below th* average—which are presided over by nine teachers. The average number ot pupils to each teacher is 27, the average number of grades is 7, and the averag* number of daily recitations heard by each teacher is nearly 36. In commenting on the condition tn th* state of Pennsylvania as above quoted, the honorable secretary of that state very pertinently remarks that "no teacher can do justice to himself or to his scholar* under such conditions. No teacher, no matter how learned or skilled, can under the present system, properly Instruct these pupils in the time at his disposal. And yet in the country districts, through- ~ out Pennsylvania teachers are compelled, year after year to attempt this impos sible task.” From this showing—and it to not exag gerated—it will be seen that the Georgia teacher has more to do than the Penn sylvania teacher by eight daily recita tions. What makes the difference we know not, unless it is the result of a dif ference in classification on in number of branches taught. The comment of Mr.. Hamilton is timely, as is knwn by all acquainted with this kind of work. Now, if it to impossible to do proper work—that sort of work that is necessary to accom plish reasonably good results—in Pennsyl vania under her conditions, how much more impossible to it in Georgia under her less favorable conditions? The conditions and results as found in the Georgia school* relate to only seven branches now taught in the public schools, as enumerated above. Add only one more branch, be it Physiology and Hygiene or whatnot, and two or three more daily recitations—if not more—must necessarily be added, and the impossible rendered more impossible. In the language of Pennsylvania’* sec retary of agriculture, “It to impossible, physically impossible. Th* system must first be changed.” • Under such conditions the results of the work done in the rural schools must, of course, be meagre. It would simply amount to a miracle were it otherwise. And yet, because of present results, which are the natural offspring of the ex isting system for which the legislature alone is responsible, the school officials of the state and the niggardly paid teachers are abused and held up to ridicule and charged with neglect and incompetency. And what hurts us more than all els* is the Inexplicable silence and meekness which has characterized said officials and teachers under these unreasonable and grave charges. It to to be hoped the gov ernor will veto the bill adding physiology and hygiene to the common school coure* of study, if for no other reason solely be cause the present number of branches as Axed by the law cannot be properly taught under the system now in force. M. B. DENNIS. Theodore Schroeder, of Salt Lake City, had until recently the finest collection ot Mormon literature in existence. This collection was pre sented recently to the Wisconsin Historical As sociation. I Want Every Weak Man to writ* m* fully about his cas*. and learn what I can do to restore hto manly vigor. I grlv* each case individual attention, and do not rely upon ready-made medicines. My treat ment to the result of twenty years experience, and ha* cured some of the worst oases on record. Send for book and symptom blanks I correspondence confidential. J. NEWTON HATHAWAY, M. D., 88 Inman Bldg., At lanta. Ga. are you thinking of MOVING to TEXAS Or some other Western State? If so, yon will find it to your interest to write to W. L GLESSNER, Commissioner of Immigration, Macon, Ga.