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X ’rtlj G^eoi 4 giki), PUBLISHED EVERY THURBDA BELLTON, GA. 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.