Newspaper Page Text
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Household Letters
CONTINUED FROM SIXTH PAGE.
A HARE-BREADTH ESCAPE.
While down in Mississippi, ;i heard a
good story told at the expense of a young
Kentuckian. It occurred during the yel
low fever scare of last summer. Our
young: friend had left his "OKI Ken-
tueky Home" two years before, and en
gaged In a little mercantile business in
The Yazoo—Mississippi delta.
H e t* 1 ® railroad and located out
near the edge of the river bottom, whxro
he could cater to the trade of both the
‘WU billies- and tho “swamp angels.”
"Cheese, crackers, soap, sardines, snuff
etc., etc., etc., -was the sign rudely
scrawled upon the gable of his shack-
the etc.’s in flaming red letters the
Xhers in conventional Mack Be it
Known to you readers, etc. is a prime
commodity, and the first essential in
that paradise of coons and cofTbn, mos-
ttu'toes and malaria, snakes and snipes.
The at (age bottomite” believes that
three fingers of prevention is worth a
jog full of cure; provided the three fin
s'"'' dose is repeated often. Etcetera Is
th. r panacea-for every 111 of soul, mind
or body. A man may bite himself with
a??**?; ( ? sIe ®P «n a cemetery at
mini right, or abuse his wife, if fortified
•witli etcetera.
O ir hero propsered financially. but the
"yellow terror’ would not down even
when confronted bv the omnipotent ete
He was panic-stricken; sold his business
for a snug little sum, sunk the prceeds
in hts pocket and struck out for the
rulway station, several miles distant
After trudging afoot, a few miles he
overtook a man in a rattle-trap buggy,
torles and railroads. Will you get your
gun and Bhoot anybody when we get
those good things? And about the last
thtrtg we will wake up to will be the
securing of our birthright, a place to
live on—free land.
How are we going to (prevent war over
™Y,’ , y education. Not bv misinfor
mation but by the truth. AA'e can prove
by Ijnited States statistics that it will
better for a land owner tyi give
up what land lie cannot use and live on
his own work by exchanging goods at
labor cost.
How is capitalism going to prevent
, . .. s ’ wars wars, so Ion® as man ex
ploits man? How fearfully does vour
war argument rest against the profit
system and its foreign market! AA'hy do
we need a foreign market when our "own
workers have not enough to eat and
wear. Because ctf the surplus. Whv a
surplus in tho midst of (poverty? Be
cause labor cannot buy back waht it pro.
duces. Why? Because of private own
ership of. and profit from the Jobs, the
places men must work to live. This is
the shame of this thing we cal! civiliza
tion. That man, of all living creatures,
must, pay his fellow man for a place to
work to live. Shame on us, the bees, the
flints, tli6 bird,*? aro wiser!
“Who would be inspired to do great
things for Tom. Hick and Harry?” AVeM
there are over seven million socialists In
the world who are inspired with an en
thuslasm the hike of which history knows
nothing of. Inspired with the will and
the hope to dare to do tlifs great deed
for you. If or our friends
slowly drawn by a "~flea-toirien““£?/~ ,<Jr V' 11 ’ IIOr ou ' r fiends and for our
horse. y tiea-Dit'ten gray . enemies. LON DARE.
The driver’s apparel and appearance In- kr “’ Texas '
helf and nt he e then pre^^er^he SCIENCE CONTRADICTS LITERAL-
school at AA’ink Out, during the week I ISM.
B 1° 11)0 rai 'road town to preach Tommy, it seems to me that In your
on Sundays.
In personal appearance, he is “grand
gloomy and peculiar;” long, lank and
tawny, dark cavenous eyes ’neath over
hanging brow, abundant hair and whis
kers. abnormally black, an elongated
jaw and a hark from the tombs voice.
He is habitually given to long fits of
mental abstraction, and will abruptly
break a prolonged silence by announcing
a startling proposition or take one’s
breath away by asking a pointed and
malapropos question.
"Lone wayfarer, come up Into my
chariot and join me in a pilgrimage to
the temple of the Lord,” was his greet
ing.
The young man was hurrying to catch
his train, hut being foot-sore and leg-
weary. accepted a seat in the creaking
an i creeping old buggy.
After exchanging a few casual re
marks. silence profond and prolonged en
sued. Tile parson was doubtless ab
sorbed in tiie sermon to lie delivered an
hour hence, and the youth, reveling in
blissful anticipation of the soon to he
Hire ting with mother, and the sweet girl
he bad left behind him, two years before,
id is hand frequently went into his pocket
to give assurance of the safety of his
roll of Uncle Sam’s promises to pay.
Old Poubin being left to his own sweet
will, was in no hurry to got there, but
leisurely meandered from side to side of
the road. Swiping in groat wisps, of the
succulent vegetation. They had come
to the most grewsomo spot on this dis
mal road. Owls were hooting in the
depths of the forest; a giant frog in the
lagoon, croaked in basso profundus; ser
pents hissed in tho caneibrake, and one
could Imagine that a liighwaman lurked
in the Jungle ready to pounce upon his
victim.
Old Dobbin stopped of his own accord.
The parson turned to his companion,
fixed Ids hypnotic eye upon him, and ex
claimed, rattier than asked, in tragic
tones: “Young man! are you prepared
to die?" running his hand into hie pocket
for ills—-handkerchief.
The young man cast one startled look
upon him and then rolled out over the
wheel into the road und with a hop,
skip and jump, plunged 'into tho wilder
ness.
Now a rabbit was startled from its [ | on
siesta in a tuft of grass on the roadside, j ^Tb
and its coicon tail, went, glimmering into I
the thicket Just In advance of tho l'lee- !
lug biped.
“Come back my brother; you can’t
catch it!” called the parson in ruffled
voice.
The fugitive did not return. The par
son clucked to old Dobbin and moved on
muttering, “all is vanity and vexation
of spirit; just to think, while I was ex
horting this young man to a better life,
he ran off after a rabbit, on the holy
Sabbath day!"
Our young friend readied town ahead
of the preacher and just in time to catch
his train. He often regales his friends
with a recital of liis “hare-breadth es
cape" front the clutches of the brigand,
of clerical guise away down in Missis
sippi.
.Now, tills young man, was not running
away from a sermon, nor chasing a rab
bit, but how frequently do some of our
minds run away from the sermon to
chase rabbits, baseball, politics, the "dol
lar, or it may be—“Etcetera"—exalting
the tinsel above the gold; preferring the
spirituous to the spiritual!
Julia conion Tait has suggested a most
practicable and laudable plan for the
benefit of our shut-ins. I believe the
Household will unanimously give its
hearty approval.
Helvetia, I want to thank you for your
comments upon “present-day fiction.’
Pity, it’s that the “perusing” public has
the itching ear for the “rich, rare and
racy”—and tho risque and the sensual,
erotic and erotic.
■* • J. MAT CLARK.
Brownsville, Tenn.
IT HAS NOT BEEN TRIED.
You say, S. T. P.. that socialism has
been tried, and found wanting. When
ha* it been tried? Small communal col
or,ies are no tost. Nio colony can be so
cialistic; it is at best only cooperative
capitalism. A country must be large
enough to contain all the sources of pro
duction and must be highly developed in
cooperative production before it can^ be
come a cooperative commonwealth. Such
a country is tills United States.
Do vou think dividing up land is so
cialism? In the instances in history,
where land and property were divided,
it was for (private ownership, and the re
sult was concentration. Socialism is not
dividing up; it is collecting up.
Again you say, “Ethically, your theories
arc ideal, but how are you going to make
commonplace humanity live up to them .
Socialism is not ideal save as compared
wiih capitalism. It does not requlie
ideal people to desire and to obtain g-ood
conditions. Even a thief can desire to
live without stealing- All it will to*ce to
secure socialism Is working men, and
Wv have them by the millions.
Another saying of vours is this: ’ Each
generation will bring forth its set ot
drones.'' AVhat Is the cause of drones.
How many drones does a well-to-do work
ing family (produce? Are not the Xvork-
ing people where they are least exploited,
the best people In‘the world?
You blame Onia and Jurgis for not
having management enough to prosper
Have you enough “business .sejise uc
to the Jungle and prosper
Inst letter on evolution—o r rather on
everything else except evolution—you
overjumped yourself. I do not deny the
Ihumvmlty and the divinBty of Jesus
Christ, nor do T deny the Old and New
Testaments. But T do reject your
eighteenth century interpretation of the
Bible, and especially of the first chap
ters of Genesis. if you had proven,
or attempted to prove, that the first
chapters of Genesis arc literal it would
have been more to the point.
If I were disposed to deny the gen
uineness of those Egyptian discoveries
I could say that a lot of practical
Jokers or humbuggers could have chis
eled the most important of the hiero
glyphic inscriptions, from that on the
Rosetta stone up, as easily as they
could have played a similar prank with
the Calavaras skull, the petrified man
and the artificial mummy. Sec?
It seems that my cabbage on the
moon did co me tn head after all.
It caused you to (admit vour faith in
astronomy as a true science and not
an atheistic “mechanism of the mind ’’
All right; then I will give you a couple
of mental cuds to clicw on till I heir
from you again.
1. Science hats forced even you to
interpret some Biblical expressions as
figurative which people a few hundred
years ago accepted as literal. For in
stance. Joshua x. 12-13. Do you not
find t hose verses just a little harder
to get round in order to accept as
tronomy than you do the first chapters
of Genesis in order to accept geology
or evolution, either?
2. Astronomy teaches us that there
are fixed stars so far from us that their
light is hundreds of thousands of years
reaching its. Of course those stars were
created before their light started on Its
long journey. How long since their light
first reached the earth we know not.
Now, In the first verse of the first
chapter of the first hook of the Bible
we are told that “In the beginning God
created the heaven and the earth." So, |
the earth has been crea ted, or has been i
in the process of creation tit is not
finished yet; changes are still going on)!
those stars have been blazing I
great, antiquity of th" earth
by astronomy and
to the subject of
to go
AVhat was
being proven
Bible, leads i
ology.
Now, let me ask you—I appeal to your
unbiased ujdgment—who is more compe
tent to decide (whether geology (its
fundamental principles) Is a true science
or not, you who have dipped into it far
enough (as you have proved to us) to
copy off tho time scale, or a host of
truth-seek' rs with trained minds who
have spent their lives in Investigating evi
dences and who have discovered the laws
through which God works? Isn’t it pre
posterous to put against the great mass
of scientific evidences a literal rendering
of a few verses of scripture when literal
ism has already fallen down fiat tn two
instances at least, namely—in regard to
the rotundity of tho earth and in regar I
to the earth’s unstable position in the
solar system?
A confused mass of facts Is of little
worth. One must see the principle, the
underlying law, that like a golden thread
unites a million facts into a homogeneous
whole. That you have not grasped the
principbs of geology is evident from the
palpable fact that your criticisms do tun
criticise and your obejetions do not "ob
ject.” For instance, all geologists know
from tbo evidence that mountains were
formed both by the force of internal heat
pushing outward and by tiie contraction
of the earth’s crust. In the rock-ribbed
strata of the earth scientists can read
the outlines of the story of creation quite
a s intelligently as other learned men can
read hieroglyphics—twhether or not you
can do either.
Your supposition that the cartli “might
have’’ passed clear through the time
scale in a single night -while the geol
ogists were asleep!—simply caps the
climax. Let’s sec: The Archaean rocks,
the oldest known system and 19 miles
thick, in Europe, contain throughout the
fossil remains of only the lowest forms
of life. The fossils found throughout the
rock are proof that the rock was once in
a plafftle condition—sea sediment. Geol
ogists say it required millions of years
for a thickness of 19 miles to form; but,
bless you, since you suggested the idea.
T am of tho opinion that it could have
happened in a few minutes. Another naif
hour would have sufficed for the Silurian
and Devonian periods. .
Presto! One hour for the Carboni
ferous Ferns and club-moss spring up
to a height of 50 to TO feet in the
marshes. From tills vegftable debris coal
was formed in much the same manner as
peat is formed In the bogs of Ireland
and Scotland. In Nova Scotia there are
76 coal seams with as many layers of
sea sediment between, showing that there
were 76 successive coal-making forests,
and 76 periods of submergence. Presto!
The Trlassic, the Jurassic and the Cre
taceous: Great monsters, which this
earth has never seen before, nor since,
of a reptilian order, and low mentality,
spring into existence, overspread the
earth and become extinct—all within a
few minutes! AA T e arc ushered into the
Tertiary and the Quartcnary, where the
true maminal appears, and last of all-
man. You are right, Tom; the geologists
AVisdoni” has triumphed
L!j« junkie (uiu . •• , i wrong. wisdom mis inuiuimeu
most to blame for that brave lover an knowledge. Yes, the earth could
his little wife going down in P° ver \^ ! ? ava pissed clear through all those
shame? Why the private ownership of nave 1 , oglcal ana biological, fn one
>e« 6t production. enabled J changes^gem g^ ^ few , lourg to
riie real ^estate ^Vilefand the beef trust | night, and
the sources
But I tell you the^e was some-
o exploit the unhappy pair. ,,, ’ triiiiir doing on that night between the
You mention “the democrattc-republl thing oo g m anJ 2 a m
can ideal olf giovernmeiit. My trienn, nours ....
dirt you know that socialism is pure de
mocracy? it is democratic In voting, in
law-making, in owning, and in work
ing. You think socialism will cause a
war. Did anybody go on the warpath
Tommy, If you’d pluck a few gaudy
nlumes from the dazzling tall of your
imagination, and stick them into the
wings of your judgment, your flight
would be far more direct and accurate,
and you’d come nearer perching on the
truth* once In a while.
if you will familiarize yourself with
the writings of all evolutionists you will
T v “m "tifis industrial see that there Is more unity among
step in this industrial , there Js among A * he many
” —" ■ L/iu ail j uvv* ,* o'-' . ••
when the public schools and the public
lost offices were established? They are
a-9 to service a part of socialism already
here. Every labor-saving machine, every
cooperation is a step in this industrial ■
revolution. Likely the next stop will
ho public ownership of tho mines, lac-
“I Was a Nervous Wreck!”
"For y< ;rs I suffered untold tortures. The
iierred me. I had nertous twitching* and trem- regar( j to the side issues. Take this as
bliORH and suffered terribly from > n3 “ n “^ lB f*~ an answer to your ,n th “
scores of sects in regard to Christianity.
See’ Stimnge you haven't thought of this
•oerore. »ureiy you would not regard
these denominational differences as an
argument against religion, would you?
Trfuirn to grasp the principle. You can t
overthrow the principle of a thing by
nointing to a contradiction of theories in
pointing , ssue9 Take thls as
'Toad In the Stone
graphy as you are in geology and evolu
tion.
If Darwin had stolen AVallace’s theory
(which he didn’t), how would that effect
tiie truth of evolution? And AVailace
recanted—say. It would be well to sub
stantiate some of your sweeping asser
tions anil .give your authorities where
they are needed. And suppose he did re
cant—evolution tumbles does it? And
you “expect” that Darwin would do
some recanting If he had half a chance-
even gussing what a (load man would
say! AA'ell, I guess (I suppose this is a
matter about which both of us would be
allowed a guess), I guess he wouldn't do
anything of the sort. These graveyard
stories will no longer pass as argument
among thinking people. Tommy, aren’t
you “about out of soap?”
And you say that you people are litoral-
ists because of your ’’superior intelli
gence.” Well, that may be modesty, but
you didn't say that the people of Europe
a few centuries ago were more intelli
gent and moral and haippy, when one not
a liternlist had to keep his mouth shut,
than are the people today. Nor you would
not dare to say that the Scotch teach six-
dayism instead of geology In their
schools.
AVhat is the use of your superior Intel
ligence in interprteing scripture 'If the
Bilile “doesn’t appeal to the mind?”
While telling us the "general aplnon
of critics” in regard to a few exceptional
literary works of ancient times yon
might have added that it was their gen
eral opinon also that the average of
intelligence and morality was lower In
ancient tmes than now. And you might
also haveadiled that It Is the general
opinon among all intelligent people, (save
a certain class who have dogmas to de
fend), that geology is a true science.
You complain of me ridiculing you. Who
commenced that little game anyhow, you
or I? If you can’t take a joke, Tom, you
shouldn’t" indulge in such pleasantries
yourself. A'ou fired in your first epistle
with the air of one who thought that evo
lution could easily be lauglied out of
court. But 'they laugh best who laugh
last. We shall'see what we shall see.
As for me, I say “Lay on McDuff”—
my skin’s tough.
No. Tom. I don’t say that “common
’people” can't understand evolution. But
T do say that if common people—or un-
common ones ,either—would l«iy asidG
propidce and would familiarize them
selves with the prneiples of such sub
jects as geology, evolution and socialism
before they oppose them they wouldn’t
expose themselves so much to ridicule.
And I say It is the aipcx of audacity, the
very crown and summit of absurdity for
any one to intimate that be is so
‘touched with the divne afflatus" that
he is competent to decide on such mat
ters after a mere nil>ble-and-smell exami
nation of them. • ... ,..
Come on. Annie .wlth^your
TRULY A HOME OF PLENTY.
That poor little city lady—“Miserable —
has moved me to talk to her a little. I
can sympathize with her and with the
class to which she belongs. They have
no business trying to live on a farm.
They are not suited to it. But the farm
is not to blame. A little farm near a
city is a money maker.
T quit a city position that (was paying
me $125 per "month; went back to the
country cud began farming. "AA’hat a
simpleton.” T hear you say. Miserable.
AVell, let's see about that. I have thirty
acres for my individual crop, and it
promises to make at least eight bales of
cotton. 350 bushels of corn, ten tons of
hay. 50 bushels of oats, 100 bushels
sn'eet potatoes and all the watermelons
and eanteloupes that two or three fami
lies can use. Our garden gives us all the
vegetables we need all the year. At
fanning time we will nave at least IOC
half gallon iars of various gooi things
and plenty of canned and preserved fruits
end vegetables. From May 25 to Octo
ber I we have peaches, apples and plums.
AVe have over 3.000 trees all told. AVhat
made all this? AVhv T have worked very
hard of course, so have mv children, hut
we are independent, and have plenty to
eat and wear, and what money we peed.
T was Just thinking how very different
our case is from Mrs. Miserablfs. and
t’ank God we are not miserable, but
happy. My good wife works liard--too
hard.' but she does not seem miserable
from it. T have not. of course, had any
of mv mules to die. and have carefully
car’d for them—made enough to feed
tl cm a good many six months. I always
hate to see a city lady try to farm, for
they don’t fit the farm, nor the farm fit
them, so it won’t work. Good land, gool
farming and good workers will in nearly
every instance make a household of hap
piness. contentment and prosperity. The
idea of twenty-eight acres or one-fourth
of it as to that not making enough to
feed a horse six months will bring more,
misery to all who run things that way.
Twenty acres of ordinary land will easily
make 400 bushels corn and 10 tons o"
hay, which will feed four horses a year.
I am a great admirer of the Household
department, and especially Mother Meb.
I am tempted to say something about
Cousin Reddv and that socialism question,
hut T will wait a while. ZACHARIAH.
A MAN WHO IS BREAD WINNER
AND HOUSEKEEPER.
Not all men are as helpless in the do
mestic line as the ones cited by Paula.
Let me tell you of one w’ho is literally
all in all to his family. He is my
brother. I have three others, who would
be as much use in a kitchen as would
a donkey in a parlor; but with this one
necessity lias developed different accom
plishments. He is a salesman for a large
packing house in this city. His wife has
been a cripple ull her life, and can get
about at all only with the aid of braces
and crutches. They have four little
children, tiie eldest, a baby eight months
old. They keep no servants, and he gets
up in the morning, gets his and their
breakfast, cleans up. and puts nec
essary articles within her reach; then
goes to town in his buggy, returns at 12;
gets dinner, and, of course, performs
the same duties at night.
They have a lovely home, and every
comfort within; both he and his wife are
fine musicians, and have piano, mandolin,
guitar, and a large phonograph
I knew another who was—oh, so help
ful in household matters. He was my
husband, who died three long years ago.
When we were married I was quite
young, and he himself was only 22. I
knew nothing of housekeeping, and had
never made a biscuit. He knew how,
so he made our first bread, and he after
wards taught me. I am now considered
a good housekeeper, but I can say a
man taught me all I know—In that line
He could beat any woman I ever knew
baking cake; he learned these accom
plishments from his mother. My brother
had a natural talent that way, and
taught himself. AARien 1 think.of these
two, and how well they knew and per
formed things outside of a man’s sphere
of work, I am compelled to render them
praise.
I read the letters and poems of F. L.
Orten with interest and admiration. It
is too bad that the little short-comings
on the part of his woman friend should
lower his ideal of our sex. One must
not look for perfection, Brother Orton.
“There is not one perfect—no, not one.”
If we looked within and reflected cn our
own faults It would give us more charity
for others. I see around me in this
great city good men and women and bad
ones. I am glad to know the good ones,
and I am sorry for those who are under
the ban. Circumstances have had much
to do with moulding their character^
and often they need sympathy and en
couragement to help them back in the
right path. UNSELFISH.
Atlanta, Ga.
tho barks, wallings and meows of the.
aforesaid? If so, you have my sympa
thy (for this is my “portion of sorrow.”
Our home is not large and I have
thought there might he a limit to its
holding capacity, but alas, no. there is
always room for another “poor little
thing” that chances around.
When I sit down to read the news I
am almost Invariably interrmpted by the
words. “Oh, don’t rock, dear, there is a
kitten under your chair,” from this in
corrigible 'girl of mine; and If I go into
MY HUMANITARIAN WIFE.
Coming home from my work earlier
than usual today I found that I was
locked out. Inquiring of my next door
neighbors; I found that my "worser
half"—known to the Household as Julia
Coman Tait—with ’ her mother and sev
eral friends had decided to take advan
tage of the lovely afternoon to visit
beautiful Overton Park, a cool and at
tractive retreat several miles away.
Borrowing a dozen or more keys, after
my patience had become almost exliaust-
ecl I at last found one to fit the front
door and I am now inside enjoying the
(highly agreeable company of a small
dog and a half a score of ca^, tho
proteges of the fair one .whose hen
pecked husband I am. Say. you bene
dicts of the Household, do the wives of
e-sti.,0 and constipation. I was sa»ed * rom j By the way, I hardly think that that
plcto nervous prostration and finally compieioiv A ne was a “back action ’ ejectment aicts or tne nousenoia, ao tne wives a
cmv'l hy a simple preparation which any one cai I Chinese volcano, as you 6a y, from . your bosom (pride themselves on being
ferura. Write me and I will tell you the torm , i that the Hart* Mountains, in humanitarians—defenders of the weak
•nc. I ha^e nothing to sell, but publiah " | tn (where the 6tone was found), and helpless? Have you been ousted out
fe-rantude and for the good it may do nthcra wuo j Germany^ not antipodal, both be- of your rights by the claims of starved
•utter aa I did.” woftnoOOK i on the’ same side of the globe. You cate and dogs? Is home no longer th*
MRS. A. WOODCOCK j u w#u poMM! 1 peaceful quiet plaoe U wig becauae of
W AllO • •****"•
Furman L. Cooper.
the dining room for a drink of water, tha
cry, “be careful; don’t step on kitty's
tail,” follows me. It is the same ail
over the house and outdoors, too. Some
time when I have stood all that mortal
man ca.n stand, I do make a mistake (?)
and erme down on some "little dear’s”
foot or caudal appendage. There is
a loud “me-ow-ow" and in a flash a
wrathv specimen of feminity appears on
the scene anc^ then it is that I am
anathematized as “you mean, cruel
tiling.” while the "poor little dear” is
petted and made rrfuch over. If I sum
mon uip courage enough to venture the
remark that no one caresses and pets me
when I am in pain she will reply with
A’ehemence that I am “just jealous,
that's all." Maybe I am, but even with
all these pot nuisances, which I honestly
try to love, she is the ono girl in all the
world to me—and the best.
Those of you who put In your “pen"
at; pea ranees at her 'birthday letter party
I want to thank for the very great pleas
ure you gave her and for tho many good
wishes expressed for myself. There
were letters from AViseonsin to Florida
and from A'ermont to Texas. Each day
she would meet me with hands ifull and
face wreathed in smiles and I thought
how much good it would have done the
writers c uid they have seen her.
I fear her anxiety for mv health has
left the impression that I am almost a
shut-in. There is nothing really serious
the matter with me except a case of
chronic malaria, the result of several
years’ sojourn in Arkansas and which
bag caused me to lose about 45 pounds
in weight. On account of the confine
ment of office work. I resigned and
sought a position where I could be more
out of doors. The most serious part of
it ail, however, is that my salary is
considerably less than (formerly. 1 hope
to he very much improved by autumn
and ready for the rush of business if al
ways Hungs to our busy, hustling Mem
phis. I trust the talk of a Household
reunion at tho Jamestown Exposition
will materialize. It would give me great
pleasure tp meet all niy relatives-in-law
of the Household.
S. OLIVER TAIT.
JACK.
After the quick, hot skirmish, the fiight
of the Indians and the pursuit of them
by the victorious little handful of white
settlers and cowboys, the scene of the
fight was quiet enough.
It was near sunset, and Mr. Hunter,
owner of a large ranch near by, was
returning from a Rip to the railroad
station, five miles away. In the wagon
with him was his little daughter,
Claudia, his inseparable companion. He
had heard of the fight from one of his
cowboys whom he had just met. The
cowboy, who had been in the skirmish,
said that three of the white men were
wounded—neither of them seriously—but
he 'felt sure that one or two Indians
were killed. A few moments later, as
Mr. Hunter was driving past the ground
on which tho fight had taken place, he
saw a lino looking black horse standing
with drooped head at a little distance
from tiie road. As he came nearer the |
horse raised his head and looked at him,
but did not move. Mr. Hunter stopped;
and got out of the vehicle, telling
Claudia to remain in it until he returned, \
but the little glri jumped out and ran !
after him. catching hold of his hand, j
as he said:
“Oh, I must go; maybe I can lie some i
help.”
She shuddered and clutched her fath
er's hand as they approached the spot
where the horse was standing, for there
lay an Indian, tall and finely formed, j
dead, with a red hole through his head, j.
and close beside him lay a little boy—his [
son, no doubt.
There was no sign of life lu the man. !
but as Mr. Hunter bent over the boy j
and lifted his head his eyes unclosed
and he moaned feebly.
“Can’t we do something for him,
father?’’ asked the little girl.
“We'll try, Claudia,” replied her (father.
“I don’t think lie's seriously hurt. We’ll
take him home with us. and with good
nursing he may recover? then I will
give him to you."
"Oh, that’s splendid! I’ll help to nurse
him father!" cried Claudia, her eyes
sparkling with pleasure.
Her father brought up the light wagon
and carefully placed the wounded boy
in it, then slowly drove to bis home
two miles away. In that hospitable home
the orphan Indian boy was faithfully
nursed until health and strength came
back to him. Then he chose to stay
with his benefactors, and he became
devoted to them.
He Was thirteen years old, tall and
muscular. His Indian name was so long
(and difficult to pronounce that they
called him “Jack." It become his pleas,
ant duty to look after his little mis
tress, and see that no harm befell her.
He kept her small pony, Firefly, look
ing sleek and fat. He saddled and
bridled Firefly whenever she rode, lifted
her to the saddle, then followed her on
his black horse that had been brought
to tiie ranch when its dead, master was
buried.
He built her the cutest wigwam, and
sang Indian songs and danced war
dances to please her.
One morning, live years la,ter, Claudia
opened her eyes on her twelfth ^rth-
day. She heard her father calling her
outside, and dressing quickly Went out
to find him holding the bridle of a
beautiful white liorse—on whose back
was a new, pretty saddle.
“This is your birthday present,” he
said. “You have outgrown Firefly.”
He placed her in the saddle, and noth
ing would do but she must have a ride.
Jack hastened to mount his horse and
followed her as she rode away in a
brisk canter.
They had ridden several miles when
suddenly the sharp report of a gun rang
out from tfie woods and the white horse,
wounded and frightened, gave a violent
Jump, and then made a dash (for tho
woods.
Jack was beside him, and seizing hold
of Claudia, he pulled her from the sad
dle and placed hqj on hl3 own horsa
before him, then quickly wheeling, he
made all speed for home. Black Hawk
was the swiftest horse on Mr. Hunter’s
ranch and he had need of all his speed
at this crisis, for three Indians in war
paint rode out of the woods and gave
hot chase to the boy and his charge.
They fired as they rode, one of the
bullets tearing a passage through the
flesh of Jack’s left arm, another wound,
ed Black Hawk. Jack felt the strong
sHaddor pass through the horse as the
Bullet struck him, but t.he brave animal
did not slacken his speed. They were
approaching home. Loud shouts were
heard from the house ir. answer to
Jack’s shout for help, and the Ind'ans
stopped and gave up the pursuit. But
before they turned their horses' heads
they sent a volley after the fugitives—
a fatal volley it proved—for a bullet
struck Jack In the breast as be partly
turned to see what his pursuers were
doing. He made no sign; uttered no
groan, but the girl he held to his breast
felt the convulsive quiver that went
through him. and then the gush of his
warm blood.
At last they reached the house. MT.
Hunter and several of his men were at
the gate In tho act of mounting their
horses, alarmed by the cry and the
firing they had heard. Claudia sprang
into her father's outstretched arms.
“My God. you a re hurt!” he exclaimed,
at sight of her white dress and her
dark curls dabbled with blood.
“No, no; It is not my blood. Tt is
Jack's. Ho saved my life. Oh. father.
See to Jack.”
Mr. Hunter turned quickly to the hoy
and caught him as he was falling from
the reeling horse. He laid him on the
ground and hastily tried to cdmneh the
blood that gushed from the cruel wound
in his breast. But it was evident he
was dying. Claudia, bent over him in
deep distress, sobbing as she put the
hair hack from his cold forehead He
looked up and saw her. “Don’t cry. lit
tle one." he said tfeebly. “Tho good
Father knows best/’
He closed his eyes, and with a long
sigh the loyal, loving soul rasped from
the mortal frame of the Indian boy.
Almost at the same moment his hor=o.
lying a few feet from him. lifted his
head whinnied feebly, and expired. He
was buried at the foot of the grave that
held his young master.
MINNIE BEAL.
Cadis, South Carolina.
Pleasant Fields of Holy Writ
(tore for my dally range
Among the pleasant fields of Holy Writ,
1 might despair.
-TENNYSON.
Commentary on the International Sunday-School Lesson
Third Quarter. Lesson 14. Luke xviii, 1-14. August 26, 1906.
THE RICH YOUNG RULER.
WHY SOCIALISM IS NOT PRACTI
CABLE.
I have just read Lon Dare’s letter
defending socialism. I think socialism is
impracticable on the ground of property
equality if nothing else.
The socialist says: “Collective own
ership” Is to take the place of individual
ownership, and all those who now own
nothing are to he given an equal share
with those who possess property.
The estates of the rich—the million
aires and multi-millionaires—are not the
only ones to be confiscated, divided up
and handed around; but every garden
and farm, every piece of property that
represents one's labor, is to be taken
away from those who earned it or in
herited it. and there is to be a division
of everything.
Prav tell me who is competent to di
vide all property and give each man his
share? AA'ho is so well acquainted with
all the lands of our country—all public
and private property, machinery, etc.,
so as to divide it into equal shares?
Lon Dare, do you Imagine that every
one would be satisfied with his share?
Do you think that I would be satisfied
for Tom. a boy whom I have known all
my life to bp a lazy, thriftless fellow, to
take possession of a portion of my farm,
that I have worked so hard to pay for?
Do you think that I would be pleased
to give Tom half my Berkshire hogs—
the hogs that have cost me so much
time and money to make t.hem what they
now are? Do you think I would like to
give him one of my Jersey cows, when
he had the opportunity of acquiring one
(for himself, as well as hogs, land, etc.?
Do you. think that God intended that
all should lie equal in possession of
teoperty? Why, then, did He give to
men more ambition, enterprise and
energy than He bestowed on others?
Suppose we all should agree to try
socialism. Don’t you know there would
be a lot of discontent among tho people
when each man was awarded his prop
erty and position? Everyone would
have to put on uniforms and act as
policemen for awhile to keep the people
from fighting over the distribution of
property. Fifty men would be wanting
some one desirable position, and ready
to fight with eaclt other over it.
Tom AA'atson says: "The good and the
bad start even; the idle and the indus
trious share and share alike; the illit
erate and the learned, the capable and
the incompetent, the fool and the wise
man, the virgin and the troll the negro
and the white man—all come to the uni
versal brotherhood out, and ladle out
an equal porringer full of pottage. God,
what a sickening dead level! AVhat an
enforced equalizing of all men and all
women, in a world where God never
made two grains of sand, two leaves of
the forest, two birds of the air. two
fish of the sea, two beasts of the field
exactly alike!”
Take away mv property and give it to
negroes and white folk who have always
been too lazy to work, and tell me that
if I made anvthing more I would be
obliged to divide that also among the
rabble, and vou will find a boy who had
rather be (lead than live under such a
condition.
I suppose you socialists who would
equalize everything think that under
your system a refined. Intellectual girl
should‘be willing t o marry a coarse
good-for-nothing fellow, he being her
equal according to the universal broth
erhood theory. How do you like that
idea, young ladies of the Household?
I vvili say, in conclusion, that if so
cialism shall ever be our form of govern
ment I hope that I, or my children (if
1 ever have any) or my children’s chil
dren will not be living to witness It
I may not understand socialism. I am
onlv a boy 19 years old, but if T do un
derstand its teachings, it is impossible.
Tt has been tried and found wanting,
it nas u CARL L. HOAVELL.
Amerlcus, Ga.
MISS HENNRYANNA ’ S BEAR
The truthfulness of the old saying:
“Hard luck never travels single-
handed," was never more clearly illus
trated than in the case of Protessor Hod-
gin governor of the boys at the “co-ed
institution of learning known as Glldad
college. .
Gildad quartered her student body,
mainly. In three different buildings or
groups of buildings, 100 yards or more
apart, and variously dubbed. Founders
hall where the girl students and female
members of tiie faoulty roomed, was
sobriqueted “Mammy’s house.” Arch-
dale hall was known as the “Kiddery,” J
because the small boys were kept here
under the surveillance of Governor Hod-
gin. While the cottages in which the
boys' boarding club lodged were called
the “Shack Row.”
The cause of the governor’s extreme
unpopularity with tiie boys I never fully
knew—save » his rather comical appear
ance. which he could not help, and his
long-drawn-out and arduous courtship of
Miss Hennryanna, the music teacher,
something that shouldn’t have concerned
the boys in the least. Nevertheless, he
had for long been the butt of their jokes
and pranks This was particularly the
case In the “Shack Row."
One Sunday night, aTiout 11 o’clock,
“Big Shop" and “Little Nobby,” two
“Shack Row” boys, took a long plank
out into the piazza, and while “Shep"
held up one end of the plank “NyJ»by"
walked along It, then the plank was let
go. Of course. It made a thundering
racket. The plank had been dropped
about thr’e times when Governor Hod-
gin leaped out of the “Kiddery,” and
made a bee line for the “Shack Row,"
with his long, wlftte night garment
SFECIAL, though sad, in-
interest attaches to all the
incidents of Jesus’ last
jourm y to Jerusalem. He
had healed the lepers and
blessed the children, and
now, almost under shadow
of His cross, in point of
time only four weeks re
moved, comes this subtlest
of interviews with the
rich young presidfnt of
some synagogue.
The man was like one
thoroughly incased in armor. Every piece
was burnished with diligence and dis
posed for effect. He stood panoplied
cap-a-pie. But beneath nil this splendid,
impregnable, moving fortress lurked a
disquiet spirit, that felt itself not quite
secure In spite of all. else he would never
have coine to the Nazarene rabbi.
4. Relative Goodness Made to Face Ab
solute Goodness.
5. The Legalist Bidden to “Do and
live.”
Referred to the laiw.
6. Obedience Averred.
Jesus' admiration of ingenuousness.
7. The Weak Spot Touched Last.
Crucial command: "Sell and give!”
Self-revlation.
Lordship of Mammon recognized.
8. Failure in Final Test.
9. Jesus’ Caution Against Undue Love
of AVualth.
THE TEACHER’S LANTERN.
Alas! the genus of the rich young
ruler is not yet extinct. The world con
tains as many, if not more, moralists
than ever. The refrain still greets our
ears. "All these have I kept." They ara
on the best of terms with the Ten Com
mandments.
I Under bid front, however, disquiet
I vents itself in tiie query. “Wha-t lack I
Jesus just condescends to enter the lists, ! y®t?” There is conscious deficiency. If
and tilt and foil with this knight of ie ! a n iota Is wanting, all is lost; for how
gality on his own ground and by his own | shall an 1 imperfect morality effect a
perfect salvation? Cause must equal
effect.
Morality seeks to fortify itself with
added works—“Some bold stroke of
righteousness, some grand supereroga
tion." But what do these amount to
when the very source of these is evil?
They sipring from love of self, not lova
of God.
Morality (fails in the crucial test of a
him the unyielding, flinty table of the ] c <, m ple>te surrender to Gwd. All the legal
law. and orbs. “Do not live!” The legal- (doings of a lifetime did not empower
ist. thinking only of the letter, could say, j the jpirag man to lift his eyes to heaven
“I have kept It.” Yet spite of this I Qn d Vry, “Even so. Father; for thus it
vaunted literal obedience, there is a dread j seemeth good in Thy sight.’’
sense of insecurity. | —*—
The Master kn- w all the while the I Where morality fails, grace succeeds,
weak spots in bis brave and
armor. He has only been toy!
methods. First of all. He will bring him.
with all his boasted goodness, fact to
face (with tho absolute goodness of God.
He adroitly p>uts a significance upon the
hollow term of polite address which the
user of it never dreamed of. In the
blazing light of Divine p' rfeotion the
vaunted armor of self-righteousness is
sadly dimmed.
But since the inquirer will be perfect
by his own exertion. Jesus holds before
and testing His oponent so far. Now
He brings His lance to rest to make (he
deadly thrust. “Sell all. and give all!"
“If you really want the treasure of heav
en. gsV? lip the treasure of earth.”
glittering I The thing impossible to man tin a state
■in"- with '°f nature), is possible to man when God
to will and to do of his
works in him
good pleasure.
Size of a bank account, amount of
real estate, bonds, and stocks, is not the
„ | question. But attitude of the heart
Gossner quaintly say s "a man may 1 4V ,„. + „ ct if a voice should sound
| that is the test.
pledge and stake his bead a hundred
times, but if any ono were to proceed o
tak' it from him, he would feel for the
first time how it sticks to him.” In the
dread concussion of Jesus’ word, the ricn
young magistrate realized for the first
time Uow lie was wadded to his wealth.
It was as much a part of him as his head
was. He would as soon have parted
with the one as the other.
.Testis was holding up with steady hand
the first table of the law that required
a supreme love of God which would ex
pel any idiot. In tiie flashing light of
that divinely-engraven Sinaitic tablet the
ruler discovered that Mammon tilled his
whole heart. The revelation was tlior
oegh. Not a word needed to be added.
Equivocation was impossible. A h^art
was revealed to itself. It found itself
destitute of the viry essence of religion
—supreme love of God.
Crucial moment that! The compass
needle of a soul wavered between heaven
and hell. Alas! alas! when In a moment
it came to rest, it pointed steadily to- i
ward perdition AVhat a loss! ThA
dread unrest, extreme enough to bring
this man of high rank to the desplsable
Galilean; and to bring him. not like Nioo-
demus, but in the most, public place and
manner. That unrest might have been
instantly removed by the absolute assur
ance of a happy immortality. Riches
held by frailest tenure—wealth, the sport
of the natural ehments and standing
temptation to human rapacity, were then
and there deliberately preferred to treas
ure laid up where moth and rust do not
corrupt, and where thieves do not break
through and steal. One may apeak wit h tongue of men and
No wonder the Master-teacher availed angels, and havo gift ot prophecy, and
Himself of such a didactic incident. He understand mysteries and knowledge, and
auotes the proverbial description of tha 1 ha.ve mountain-removing faith. One may
impossible to indicate tiie extreme diffi- j literally do what Jesus required of the
culty of a happy outcome in this and rich young ruler, and even £U ffp r mar-
similar instances. As easily could their j tyrdom in addition; yet if all this coma
largest domestic animal pass through
from the heaven, ‘‘Sell ail and give all.”
are these material things held so light
ly that compliance with that hypothetical
voice would be possible?
Nay, have these things already been
surrendered to God? Are they held in
trust for Him? Is the principle of Chris
tian stewardship recognized and lived
up to?
Touchstone for a 11, not rich alone, is
here. Tiie poor may be as ardently at
tached to the wealth they covet as tha
rich to that they actually ipossess.
Not dollar out of pocket, but grace In
heart, is what God wants. AVhat are
our worldly tilings to the Proprietor < f
the universe? Moral qualities of the soul
are more precious to Him than rivers of
•oil or tattle on a thousand hills. A lit
eral surrender would have been nothing
apart from the spirit in which it was
made.
One Greek word for sin signifies, lite-
adly, "To miss the mark." One "S
certainly misses It by failing short of it
as by going beyopd it. Failure in su
preme love to God is as certainly sin as
actual transgression of the law.
Is It small matter that we fall short in
our love for that Being who, above all
othesg, should have the supreme affec
tion off every rational soul He has cre
ated, preserved, redeemed? Such love
for Him is the very essence of relig
ion,
the smallest orifice with which they were
familiar, as a rich man enter heaven.
He will not inter at ail except by means
of that regenerating grace which ena
bles him to break the enchanting spoil
of mammon and love God with a su
preme affection.
ANALYSIS AND KEY.
1. A Subtle Interview.
Meaning of universal application.
2. A Knight of Legality: The Young
Ruler.
Disquiet spirit leads to Jesus.
An impetuous inquirer. .
Condescension of Jesus.
Meets on his own ground.
Uses his own methods.
3.
be conceived of as being done without
a supreme loYe of God, it would be prof,
itless, and as meaningless as a clang
ing cymbal.
Think you the Savior’s test extreme in
its severity? Providence Is yet dally ap
plying it. Call to ministry, call to phil
anthropy. halt In amassing wealth to dis
perse it as an almoner of God—this t»
Jesus saying yet, “Sell and give!”
Pity the sorry plight of the rich young
ruler. Yes! But have e. care we are not
in the same plight ourselves. The natu
ral man Is so ready to exclaim. Any-
tiling but that, Lord.” Rest assured the
Searcher Of Hearts will never lav H.s
hand oil anything short of the idol, and
nothing but the new birth will enable
us to surrender it.
smothering
. nr pat DISCOVERY, t streaming out behind like a war banner
" W | *1-- 1 kl. kn 1,1
CURED with vsfitaM* iw
•dies; entirely barmteMt re
move! alt symptom* of drop
sy In Stoao dsys jo to to
days affects permanent core
Trial treatment furnishe.
free to every sufferer: nothd
log fairer. For el'iolers.teat.
tnonlals and free tiaitme(it._
write
Dr. H.H. Greer.’» Sons
faaA.Adaao.Gs
flung to the breeze, and his bald head
and bare legs glistening in the moon
light like ivory finishings—he looked a
fair goblin of the night! But when he
got to the cottage the lights were all
out, and the boys in bed. He asked the
cause of the noise. Of course, nobody
knew. He said: “I didn't expect you’d
tell me anything about it. Though I want
to know who it was so I can have them
sent to the asylum.” “Big Shep” ’was
heard to croak up back in the shed
room like a muffled megaphone: “AVe
have to take the ‘prep’ course at GiMaa
before we can enter th# asylum.” *The
viewed only from those
dent'.is. And all the understanding they
could get from the muffled response to
their inquiries was: ‘Wouldn’t go nack
to that blankety ‘Shack Row' again if
it caught on fire and cremated every
blackguard and outlaw in the whole out
fit!” , . _
By the next morning, the governor
had sufficiently recovered to give a sat
isfactory explanation of hi3 singular de
portment of the previous night. And,
Wfiile comparatively speaking, it was
soon hushed up. yet in certain Gildad
circles the governor is known even to
this day as “Miss Hennryanna’s Bear.”
PINEYAVOODS TOM.
Qualified for It.
‘•It’s so strange for them to marry, be
cause the natural thing for a saleslady
and floorwalker to do is fight and not—”
“Well?"
The Law of Gravity.
•’The thought of losing you.” sighed the
fortune-hunter who had been rejected,
“makes my heart sink.”
“Yes.” replied the heiress, unfeelingly,
“thait’s due to the gravity of the loss.”
>vernor said no moie. "7“. .,17
a-lked solemnly 'back towards the Liu
d *But bis troubles were Just beginning.
Miss Hennryanna, accompanied by a lit
tle girl, had been over to President Dob
bins, and was returning just in time to
meet the governor—whose path cut theirs
at right angles. Tiie governor was walk
ing along with his head bowed o\ er in
deep reflection, and never saw the girls
until they were right against him.
emergency was so instantaneous that
the governor couldn’t think of but °ne
amendment—to “go fast! ’ .
Now. while the governor whs investi
gating affairs over at the Shack How
some other bad boys slipped out, caught
the president’s Jersey calf, and put it
Th the governor’s room. And tv hen he
came staving in and jerked open his
door the calf dashed out, .taking the gov
ernor right between the legs and lit ting
him clear of the floor. Not knowing
wiiat else to do, he “held fast, AA 1th a
mild .bleat the frightened animal fled out
into the yard with the czar of Kiddery-
dom astride its back. Tho panic-stricken
calf took a circle 'round over the f anl PU*f
in such a way as to bring its frenzied
rider plump up with the music marm
again. The terrified girls heeled it for
“Mammy’s house,” shrieking so as to
raise the whole dormitory. Miss Hennry
anna, who had fallen exhausted on the
steps, not wanting to tell the wild-eyed
inmates, who came rushing out, what
she really had seen, said: “Saw a boar.
But the small girl blurted out the truth,
and said: ’"Twarn’t a bear. ’Twaa Gov
ernor Hodgin riding old brindie s calf in
his night gown!" .....
In such a crisis the highest authority
was instantly desired. So a runner was
sent for President Dobbin. who came
post-haste, and in a great fluster for fear
the sacred ordinances had been broken.
And when he learned the details of the
case the precise dignitary was clean be-
yond himself. For Gov. Hodgin. who had OREGON
always been a paragon of modesty and *
a stickler for order, to plunge out upon
such i career of rule smashing, could
only be due to his having become sud
denly “non compos mentis.” So calling
up Thomas Jefferson, the negro bell
boy and George AVashtngton. the hack-
driver, he sallied forth to Investigate
the governor’s unwarranted breach of the
peace.
The governor, after being peeled off of ^ HOME-SEEKERS EXCU
the calf like the skin from a banana, by
the animal running under a scrub oak,
crept back once more to his room. And
when the president and his investigating
committee arrived there they found him
buried between the feather tick and the
mattress, und ne refused to be Inter-
FOLLOW
THE
FLAG.
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