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BY JOHN BLATS.
Terms— sl.oo per annum 50 cent* for »ii
months; 25 cents forthree month*.
Partial away from Bellton aie requested
to send their name* with such amount* of
money a. they can pare, '»om 2co. 'o $1
HAPPINESS.
BY N. W.
The true happiness of this life con
sists, in a great measure, in the enjoy
ment of the present moment, if we will
appreciate it, with all of its pleasures
and surroundings; but how prone we
are to let it hastily and carelessly pass
by, just partially sipping its sweets and
pleasures, reserving the fullest and
greatest- enjoyment for to-morrow;
which seldom comes. And this is why
our anticipations so frequently so far
exceed our realizations in richness of
pleasure and happiness in this life. It is
always with us, to-morrow, we intend to
do so-and-so, and then we shall be so
happy; but when that expected hour
has arrived, perhaps bitter disappoint
ment meets us instead of the looked-for
pleasure. How often it is so. We are ex
pecting to greet dear and much-loved
friends to-morrow, that perhaps we have
not seen for years; the heart is exultant
with joy and untold happiness. The
time is passing so heavily or slowly to
day, and we are so eagerly washing and
longing for to-morrow, when we shall
see those happy faces and dear forms of
fondly cherished friends. Alas! To
morrow arrives, and with it what sad
words fall upon the ears. Another hor
rible accident. Our friends are wounded
or dying; perhaps dead. Crushed are
all of those dear hopes, which we have
so lovingly cherished. Such is this life;
its sorrows and disappointments far out
balance its pleasures, many times. The
pleasures of life are fleeting, but its sor
rows are lasting, not easily banished—
they leave an impression on the heart,
as if they were photographed there.
Happiness, like the will-o’-the-wisp,
seems ever to be in the misty future, lur
ingus on, and the heart is al ways yearning
for something just beyond its reach ; a
craving that seems to refuse to lie satis
fied with the present. To bring our
minds to feel that to-day is all and even
more than we have an assurance of
should be our aim, and with that to en
deavor to do a in our power to improve
it, by wishing to make all around us
happy in every respect, and in so doing
we shall not fail to be happy ourselves,
xliis will constitute present happiness.
How many things are constantly oc
curring to take people from this world to
another, in a very short space of time,
without even the slightest warning. We
know this, for we see and hear it every
day. Our time may come when we
least expect it, like a thief in the night.
Are we making proper preparations for
this great event, by improving the pres
ent moment to the best of our ability ?
Life is full of bitter sorrows and keen
disappointments. To-morrow so often
fails to bring with it iis rich freight of
treasures, and gilded happiness. The
lofty castles that have been so magnifi
cently reared, and so luxuriously ap
pointed, by hope and fond expectation
for to-morrow, are but mere hovels,
bleak and barren, drear and desolate ;
or they are shorn of more than half their
expected brilliancy to-day. Life is but
a dream of to-morrow, but when it is to
day we have to awake from our slumber,
and, lo ! the vision of life is a reality,
thorn of many of its looked-for beauties
and pleasures. We are dissatisfied with
the bringings of to-day, and again we
cast our mind’s eye to the unseen and
unknown future of this world. Far bet
ter will it be for ns if our future antici
pations are placed on a heavenly home,
where there are no more heart-sorrows,
no tears to be wiped from our eyes, no
more bickerings, nor more backbitings
and slanderous tongues, no bitter frowns,
no cruel, taunting words, no unkind
acts, no false friends; all shall be pure,
holy love there, with a free communion
of kindred spirits, happy forever more.
It is but a short distance from us all ;
soon we shall arrive at that last great
station, when the journey of life shall
have been terminated with us, and we
shall be called upon to give an account
of the time that has been given us here,
as well as the talents, and also the dis
posal that we have made of them. Each
one of us must pass through that trying
ordeal for themselves. It is in vain for
ns to think of a substitute. As we are
born, so we must die, and after that
comes the judgment. This is very
plain language that is taught to us.
Let us each day strive to do some lit
tle act of kindness, some deed of charity.
A cheerful word to some poor downcast
one, a few words of sympathy for some
one who may be suffering with pain and
torture, a kind word for Lhe deeply af
flicted ones. Oh how it will toucn the
heart at such a time; how many times
such little kindnesses are almost like
angel’s visits, and they will bring their
reward. The precious moments of time
The North Georgian.
A OL. HL
are more to be valued than the costliest
of gems. Let us all improve them wise
ly and faithfully, that we shall not have
to regret in our last few moments a mis
spent life here.
A SHREWD STROKE.
“Way, George, how are you getting
along ?” said one young man to an
other in front of the New Orleans post
office.
“ Splendid I Never had so much fun
in all my life,” was the answer.
“ How’s that, George ?”
“Well, you see, Ned, after I lost my
situation all my friends left me, and
used to pass by without even recogniz
ing me. I was determined to get even,
so I circulated a report among them
that I was the fortunate holder of one
half of a lottery ticket that had just
drawn a big prize.”
“ Did it take ?”
“ You just bet it took ! Why, in two
days’ time I received no less than a
dozen invitations from fellows whom I
had almost forgotten. I was present
ed with two new suits of clothes, four
new hats, two dozen embroidered hand
kerchiefs, a silk umbrella, a beautiful
amethyst ring, and a handsome pair of
gold sleeve-buttons. I visited Spanish
Fort five times, took one trip to the
jetties on the Cannon, and borrowed, all
told, $l5O in United States currency.
Did it take ? Well, I should smile.”
John Bright is opposed to capital
punishment. In a speech before the
University College Debating Society re
cently, he said the infliction seemed to
him a policy as unchristian as it was un
philosophical, which, so far as he could
judge of the experience of other coun
tries, had failed so far and so long as it
had been persisted in. It seemed to
him that there could be no plan less op
posed to teaching men the sacredness of
human life than that of the ordinary and
frequent sacrifice of human life to the
law. He was glad they had resolved to
discuss this subject, so that hereafter
they might swell the public opinion
wliich would compel Parliament at last
to bring our practice up to our princi
ples, and to the practice of some dozen
other civilized nations. Mr. Bright ap
proves, it is believed, the policy so earn
estly advocated by Matthew Davenport
Hill and others, of the absolute seclu
sion of murderers from the world. He
would advocate life imprisonment and
separate confinement, making pardon
impossible except on evidence of error
in the previous trial.
There should come into the world
another Buckle to write a new history of
civilization. Ohio is improving on the
old methods of hanging criminals with
a vengeance. Not long ago, three youths,
two 17, and one 19 years of age, were
hanged at Canton with all the ceremon
ies of a most noble and Christian civiliz
ation. Before they were marched out
under military escort to the gallows, the
three were treated to an oyster break
fast, and, when they were arrayed as for
a wedding, the ministers prayed. “At
twenty minutes to 12,” runs the account,
“three youthful bodies, wearing button
hole bouquets and white neckties, were
dangling in the air. ” What a mockery
of death, what a disgrace to the age,
were the drums and flashing bayonets,
and the vast crowd of men and women
who looked upon a spectacle which
should have been seen in private by the
officials, if seen at all! Oysters, pray
ers, button-hole bouquets, white neck
ties I What next?
—• o *
The large number of inexcusable ac
cidents on pleasure steamboats in the
United States has prompted officials in
the Treasury Department at Washington
to examine the law relating to inspec
tion. As the result of this investigation
it is found that when disasters occur the
statute leaves the inquiry as to the cause
and responsibility with local inspectors,
the very persons who make the original
inspections, and who in some cases, no
doubt, are the guilty parties. Until a
different device has been adopted by
Congress it is useless to expect the offi
cials in question to overhaul themselves
very severely.
The outcry against the emigration
from Ireland is preposterous. Lord Car
lisle, a former Lord Lieutenant, hit the
mark when he said that he hoped the
emigration would continue till those left
could always command by their labor
60 cents a day; but that is just what
many landlords don’t want.
Mb. O’Flannigan, looking at a tailor’s
window —* ‘ Pants for foive dollars ? Be
gorra, that’s jest what oi pants for me
self l”‘
BELLTON, BANKS COUNTY, GA. SEPTEMBER 2. 1880.
EUBOnS OF SPEECH.
Sonui Very Common Tnotancrf.
It is so easy, from mere thoughtless
ness and unconscious imitation, to fall
into a pernicious way of talking that
continual circumspection is required to
prevent a lapse. How often people who
should know better say, “ It is a differ
ent thing to that,” instead of “from.”
How can any one “ differ to ? ” Again,
“It isn’t, I don’t think,” is constantly
heard, when the speaker means just the
opposite of what he says, as may be seen
by inverting the sentence thus : “I don’t
think it isn’t,” which must be equiva
lent to “I do think it is.” “Hadn’t
used to,” “Didn’t used to,” “Hadn’t
ought,” “Didn’t ought,” are vulgar
errors, while “It was her,” for “It
was she;” “It was me ” for “It was I;”
“Between you and I,” instead of “ Be
tween you and me ;” “Like I did," in
stead of “As I did;” “Those sort of
things,” instead of “ That sort of thing;”
“Laying down,” instead of “Lying
down,” are common violations of En
glish grammar.
For those who have never learned the
rules of syntax, or, having learned, for
gotten them, it will be useful to point
out that in cases of doubt about a sen
tence the correctness of it can often be
tested by a rearrangement of the words
of which it is composed, and by reca
pitulating those words which are not ex
pressed but understood. For example :
“ He sat near to you and I” is shown to
be wrong, thus—“He sat near to you
and [he sat near to]” —evidently the pro
noun me follows instead of Z. Another
common instance—“ Who is there?”
“ Me,” is the answer, but it should be,
of course, “I,” the words [am there]be
ing the complement of the sentence.
Os almost equal importance to gram
matical accuracy is the avoidance of all
slang words, terms and expressions. All
slang is vulgar, and displays a poverty
of language, as well as thought. And it
is a great mistake to suppose that slang
is in any way witty. Only the very
young or the uncultivated so consider it, ,
Avoid also a vague, indeterminate
manner of shaking, such as using the
word “tiling,” instead of naming the
object meant, and such expressions as
“The what do you call it,” “The what
is it,” “The thingumy.” “Take the
thing away off the what do you call it,”
is an example of what this bad habit
will produce.
Other improprieties of speeeh are
clipping off the last letter of a word,
as “speakin’," “talkin’,”, “readin’,”
“ puddin’,” and of adding an extra final
letter, as “garding,” “parding,”
“heighth;” drawling out the letter
“o,” so that dog is sounded “dawg,”
and God “Gawd;” sounding “ow”
“ er,” as “ piller ” for pillow, “ winder ”
for window, “ elber ” for elbow, etc.; of
sounding a redundant “r” in such
words as drawing, often pronounced
“ droring,” sawing “ soring," gnawing
“ noring,” with “dror” for draw, and
“nore” for gnaw, “corst” for cost,
“lorst” for lost. etc.
NOVELS.
Whether it is right or wrong to read
novels, people will do it. And, as a
rule, three-quarters of the novels are
read by people who ought to read books
which give useful information, and three
quarters of the books of solid informa
tion are read by people who might de
rive lienefit from reading a good novel
now and then. The trouble with novel
reading comes chiefly from the bad or
indifferent qualities of the novels which
are read, which are worthless, if not
worse. It comes also, in large part,
from the fact that fiction constitutes al
most the only reading of a great and in
creasing class of persons who need
actual knowledge and discipline of mind,
and the more novels they read, the less
they are inclined to read anything else.
Parents and teachers may try in vain to
prevent the reading of novels, but they
can and should cultivate a taste for read
ing other and more useful works, from
which real and lasting benefit can be
derived.
We are told that Cato, at 80 years of
age, began to study the Greek language;
Socrates, when past middle age, learned
to play on musical instruments; Plu
tarch commenced to study Latin when
nearly 80; Dr. Johnson learned the
Dutch language shortly before his death ;
and our Benjamin Franklin didn’t
amount to anything as a philosopher un
til he was past 50. But a Connecticut
boy of 13 began the language of love
last week with a girl of 12 ; they ran
away from home, were caught and
brought back, and both suffered an ig
nominious “ spanking ” from their angry
mothers—all in a single day. That
beats your classical days all hollow.
AN EDITQIVS ERROR.
Every old Californian remembers the
name of John Nugent, editor of the San
Francisco Herald, in the first gold ex
citement on the Pacific slope. He was
once famous and a power there ; but his
death a few days ago, at San Leandro,
hardly attracted any notice, so entirely
had the time gone by him. He was a
striking exemplification of the serious
consequence of misapprehension in jour
nalism. He had founded the Herald,
the original newspaper of that name,
and had conducted it in so vigorous a
manner that it rose to eminence and
prosperity, and his articles, read with
eagerness, carried great weight. It was
the leading journal of that region, and
had no formidable competitor. But, dur
ing the vigilance committee period of
1856, he, failing to catch the tone of pub
lic sentiment, earnestly opposed the
committee, then sustained by the best
and strongest people in the chaotic,
semi-anarchical community. The Her
ald! a opposition was so vehemently re
sented that all the principal merchants
and tradesmen withdrew their advertis
ing patronage in a body, and the sheet,
though emphasizing its position, and de
claring its indifference to the course of
its adversaries, could not support itself.
It was discontinued in two or three
months, and Nugent, thrown out
of his place, was so unpopular:
that he could not for the time
get a new one. He had many friends,
however, and they all so believed in his
ability that, twelve years later, they
helped him to revive his journal. The
new Herald appeared with much parade
and pretension, and its editorials, writ
ten or inspired by him, were heavy, in
flated and florid to a degree that pro
voked ridicule. They would have been
accepted and liked in 1855 or 1856, but
the public had altered meanwhile, and
refused to be content with solemn fus
tian. The paper could not secure a
hold; its monetary backers perceived
this and withdrew, forcing it into a sec
> ond and everlasting eclipse. Since then
1 Nugent has led a precarious and dis
satisfied life. His failures had, ns gen
erally happens, increased, rather than
lessened, his egotism, always abundant.
He made the mistake of thinking that
he was in advance, instead of behind, the
day, and he probably died, poor fellow,
convinced that he was a great journalist
whom the world could not properly ap
preciate. He loved show and glitter;
the Herald office was fitted up in a
costly, ostentatious way that has scarcely
been equaled since in San Francisco.
John Nugent was not very old, but he
had lived too long, for he had outlived
his generation, and was incapable of
comprehending the new order of things.
There are many John Nugents in all the
walks of the world, and they are particu
larly plenty in in this ever-slufting re
public.—New York Times.
—o m »
ABOUT THE MAGNETIC NEEDLE.
Why the magnetic needle points to
the north is thus explained by Prof. C.
T. Patterson, of the United States Coast
Survey. The earth is itself a magnet,
and attracts the needle just as ordinary
magnets do, and it is found to be affected
by the action of the sun in a manner
not yet fully understood. The magnetic
poles of the earth aie not in line with
the geographical poles, but make an
angle with them of nearly twenty-three
degrees. At the present time the north
ern magnetic pole is near the Arctic cir
cle, on the meridian of Omaha, and,
from the nature of the case, the pole
may better be described as a region
rather than a fixed point. The needle
does not everywhere point to th« true
astronomical north, but varies within
certain limits. At San Ftancisoo it
points seventeen degrees east of north,
and at Calais, Me., as much to the west.
At the northern magnetic pole a bal
anced needle points with its north end
downward in a plumb line; at San Fran
cisco it dips about sixty-three degrees,
and at the southern magnetic polo the
south end points directly down. The
action of the earth upon a magnetic
needle at its surface is of about the
same force as that of a hard steel mag
net forty inches long, strongly magnet
ized, at a distance of one foot. It is
very probable that a study of dynamo
electric machines, now so much used in
the electric illuminations, will reveal
soon some far-reaching truths regarding
magnetism in general.
- ♦-
John Halvey and Mrs. Anthony, of
Albion, Miss., made up their minds to
elope. Each had a lawful consort and
four children. They decided to take
two of the young ones along, and drew
lots, the woman winning, as to which
should make the choice. She took two
of her own, of co urse.
NO. 35.
A FREE PRESS.
The beautiful idea of getting some
thing for nothing is nowhere more read
ily traceable than in a newspaper office.
So much has been spoken, written and
sung about a “free press” that people
have come to accept the term in a sense
altogether too literal.
If a man has a scheme of any kind
germinating he just steps into the edi
torial room and details it, with the re
mark, “I’m not quite ready to adver
tise yet, but a few words will help me
along. ” He gets the few words and never
gets ready to advertise.
Two tickets admitting lady and gent
to the “G. R. X. M. T.’s grand ball,’
are expected to produce a six-line local
and a quarter of a column description of
the ladies' toilets after the ball is over.
Church fairs and the like are worse
than balls. They never leave tickets,
but demand more space, because “it’s
a matter of news, and a help to the
cause. ”
Should a boy saw off his finger, “Dr.
U. O. Plaster dressed the wound with
great skill,” would be a graceful way of
stating it, and, besides, it is “unprofes
sional ” to advertise.
The patent rat trap man brings in one
of his combinations of wire and moldy
cheese bait, sticks it under the editor’s
nose and explains how they catch ’em
every time the spring works. ‘ ‘ It’s some
thing of interest to the community, and
if you put in a piece save me a dozen
papers,” which he quietly walks off with,
as though he had bestowed a favor in
allowing editorial eyes to gaze on such a
marvel of intricacy.
An invitation “to come down and
write up our establishment ” is a great
deal more common than a two-square
“nd ” from the same firm. Newspapers
must be filled up with something or
other,, you know,
The lawyer, with strong prejudices
against advertising, is fond of seeing his
• cases repirtcd in full hi the newspapers,
with an occasional reference to’ his ex
ceedingly able manner of conducting
the same. It is cheaper than adver
tising.
In fact, everybody, from a to izzard,
who has an ax to grind, asks the news
paper to turn the crank, and forgets to
even say thank you, but will kindly take
a free copy of the paper os part pay for
furnishing news.
The press being “free,” all hands
seem bound to get aboard and ride it to
death. That is why newspapers are so
rich that they can afford to pay double
price for white ]>aper, and never ask
Congress to aid them by removing the
duty on wood pulp. New Haven
Eeoiater.
TWENTE-EIGHT TEARS ABSENT.
Mr. John R. Davison, of this place,
sailed from New York twenty-eight
years ago, with a young male compan
ion, to seek his fortune, assuring his
people he should not return until he had
attained a competence. He weathered
Cape Horn and brought up in Australia,
where both men have still labored with
varying luck; but it is evident that in
locating and selling claims they at last
struck it rich. They left Australia early
in 1880, took a tour through Europe,
sailed up theßedand Mediterranean seas,
returned to New York byway of Lon
don, and arrived in Norwich last week,
unbeknown to Mr. Davison’s parents.
In the old house where they lived when
he left he found an oyster saloon, and
the two went in and partook of sea food
in the old spot. They then wandered
over Central wharf, when they espied
the sign : “W. P. Davison, shoemaker,”
which indicated that Mr. Davison’s
father still lived. He entered the place,
bargained for a pair of boots, talked
about the old man’s son, whom he
claimed to have known in Australia.
The old gentleman was delighted to
meet a man who had seen his long-ab
sent boy, and talked vivaciously of him
as he used to be, and, when the middle
aged man declared himself to be the
son, the father was not at first ready to
believe it; but the proof was positive,
and to-day he is enjoying a vacation with
the boys, and is as happy and jolly as he
used to be a quarter of a century ago.—
Norwich (Ct.) Bulletin.
The corn beetle is proving very de
structive to this crop in Russia. Al
ready the damages are estimated this
season at from $20,000,000 to $30,000,-
000. Every effort heretofore has failed
to arrest the progress of the destroyer.
It is a calamity, but one which will be
to the advantage of the American farmer
and dealer.
Eveby dairyman should raise, at least,
one-eighth of an acre of corn fodder for
each cow to help the pasture through
the dry season.
jNiofth
Published Eveby Thursday at
BEJLLiTON. GEORGIA
RATES OF SUBSCRIPTION.
One year (52 numbers), $1.00; slxmoitb*
. 6 numbers) 50 cents; three month* (18
numbers), 25 cents.
Office in the Smith building, east of the
depot.
CURRENT ITEMS.
A tbade paper says glass men are
uniting. Men unite at the glass every
day.
John Bright gives the Gladstone Gov
ernment a lease of five years, or, perhaps,
six years.
Though he was never harder worked,
Gladstone says he was never in better
health than now.
Edmund Yates makes £4,000 a year
out of his weekly paper, the World,
printed in Londotx
Henby M. Stanley has been made a
doctor of philosophy by the German
Academy of Naturalists.
Adjt. Gen. Jones, of Texas, reports
that the State has 6,000 criminals at
arge, 1,000 of them murderers.
A Pennsylvania man won four oil
wells in a lottery, and immediately burst
into a fit of his derrickal laughter.
An Italian engineer has invented a
steam bicycle ; the boiler and machinery
are directly under the seat of the rider.
The young Duke- of Portland, upon
coming to his immense fortune, settled
£IOO,OOO on each of his half brothers.
There are lots of English noblemen
visiting this country at present. The
trouble is that such are not regarded as
eligible.
A letter, in Queen Elizabeth’s own
handwriting, has just been sold at Leip
sic for 300 marks. It is beautifully
clean and neat.
In the Persian gulf last year a million
and a half dollars’ worth of pearls were
found, and thirty divers were appropri
ated by sharks.
AFTER MARRIAGE.
The happiest marriages are those in
which a high type of friendship follows
love. Friendship of a sublimated sort
is what love becomes after a year or so
of marriage, and he who is friendly to
the very depths of his soul enters into
this state happily, and is ready for all
the delights that follows. But a man
who is capable of nothing but that fleet;,
ing affection which ever pursues a new
object, and cares for no woman when she
is won, hates the domestic ties and be
comes detestable in consequence. It is
the man who would die for his friend,
and for whom his friend would die, who
makes a miraculously happy wife of the
woman to whom he scarcely knew how
to make love when he courted her.
—. ♦ <
A parliamentaby return has just been
issued, giving particulars as to the in
fliction of corporal punishment in the
British navy and army during the ten
years ended Deo. 31, 1878. It appears
that in 1869 corporal punishment was
awarded to 61 men in the navy, the
total number of lashes inflicted being
2,301. In 1870, 56 men received in the
aggregate 2,122 lashes, and in 1871, 51
men received 1,810 lashes. Os late
years flogging in the navy has greatly
diminished. In 1876, 8 men received
312 lashes ; in 1877, 6 men received 20
lashes; and in 1878, 7 men received 228
lashes. During the same period there
have been 38 cases of flogging in the
army, exclusive of cases in which mili
tary prisoners have been flogged in
prison.
Miss Julia Smith, of Glastonbury,
Ot., whose cows have been annually
sold for the satisfaction of the tax
gatherer, whom she refused to pay,
has a rival, and a more-successful rival,
in an old lady at Freeport, Long Island
She has not paid her taxes for several
years. The Assessor, the Receiver of
Taxes, the school tax collector and the
census enumerator call, but are not ad
mitted. She is either absent from the
premises, or she keeps herself hidden
from the sight. The zeal and persist
ence of these public officers are said to
be a good deal mitigated by a shot-gun
which she is believed to have within
reach. She has been informed that her
property will be sold, but the shot-gun
is still lotded.
Japanese fans have been in such de
mand in England, lately, that last year
3,000,000 were exported from Hiogo
and Yokohama, whereas in former years
the whole trade never exceeded 10,000.
The cheapest and most beautiful, by the
way, are made at Tokio. In the process
of manufacture one set of workmen pre
pare the plain bamboo stick, and an
other ornament the ribs and the handle,
while the artist chooses the colors and
the decorations for the back of the fan
and gives the design to the engraver to
execute. The paper used is exclusively
Japanese, foreign papers having proved
useless.
The man that was struck by a loco
motive said he felt very much run down.