Newspaper Page Text
Banks County Gazette.
VOL2.-XO. U.
OBITUARY.
I walked abroad one morning fair,
When odors sweetly balmed the air,
The birds their artless notes did sing
To welcome in the cheerful spring.
Surveying nature all around,
The scene with wonder did abound.
But while my ravish eyes thus were
charmed,
An inward voice my soul alarmed.
Could you all nature comprehend,
You’d better learu to know your end,
These beauties which you now survey,
Will, like yourself, soon pass away.
But death is not alone your doom,
To judgement you must shortly come,
When hills and valleys all are tied,
Where will you hide your guilty head?
Black horrows seize my frighted soul,
And billows of woe did over me roll.
I fell and almost lost my breath,
I thought I soon should siuk iu death.
The birds from spray to spray
Were hymning praises all the day,
In artless authems to their God,
While I iay withering in my blood.
Thus trembling over a gulf I lay.
But dare not move my lips to pray.
I had provoked a dreadful God,
And trampled on a Saviour’s blood.
To my amazement and surprise,
I saw a cloud ascend the skies,
And in the midst a fairer one
Than any of the sous of men.
His curly locks were snowy while,
His garments far exceeding light.
The sun grew pale before his face,
His feet were as burnished brass.
lie spake and brightness shone around,
He says he has a ransom found,
I’ve bought your pardon on the tree,
And come to sst the prisoner free.
My heart rebounded like a roe
And glory in my soul did How.
My sins were gone and I was free.
My Saviour loved and died for ine.
I leaped and shouted out aloud,
And longed for wings to reach the
clouds,
To embrace my Saviour in rav arms
And gaze forever en his charms.
The above hymn was the choice of
S. S. Reyno'ds, of Hall county, Ga
He says it suited bis convictions and
he dreamed a tune for it which lie did
sing to this hymn, and by it wc re
member him, who died June 30th,
1891. He was 89 years old when he
died, conscious of ail his surroundings
and prepared to meet death, having
lieen a consistent member of the
Baptist church for a number of years.
Mr. Reynolds was a Christian man
whose example we all might follow 7 .
J. H. Brooks.
Advice to Old and Young.
[The following communication has
been in this office for some time, but
has been unintentionally overlooked.
We hope the writer will excuse our
seeming neglect.—En.j
Parents, where are your children
on Sunday? Husbands, where are
your wives? Wives, where are your
husbands ? Children, where are your
parents on God’s day? Why are yon
not at Sunday school and preaching?
You say that ycu have no clothes to
■wear or that you have no way to go.
These things are not sufficient excuse.
God does not criticise your dress nor
the way by which you reach His
house, and he that does criticise is
of the evil one, and to him yo need
pay no attention.
Some people don’t go to church be
cause, they say, they cau’t stand the
noise of the organ —makes them nerv
ous, and the preacher talks so loud
it gives them the headache; yet, you
find these same parties at minstrel
shows and on the streets or public
highways in crowds cracking smutty
jokes or listening to boisterous and
animated discussions of week-day top
ics on Sunday. Others think that it
is more profitable to go fishing and
chew tobacco. And others say: “I
don’t feel like going to-day. I’ll stay
at home and rest, and I’ve got to go
over the way and see Mr. So and So
on a little matter of business. I wan’t
him to work with me next week, or I
want to make a trade with him. I'll
go to Sunday school and preaching
next Sunday.”
Let us go to Sunday 7 school, father,
mother, brother, sister, all, and take
part, join a class, and help in every
way possible. If we can’t help in any
other way we can lend our presence
to a noble cause.
Parents need not expect children
to go to Sunday school unless they
lead the way. Let us all work while
it is day, for the night cometh when
no man can work.
“I don’t care to go” is the cause of
so many bad men and women in the
land. If everybody would go to
Church and Sunday school there
would be less crime, fewer bad men
and women. If you would go to
church and go right up to the preach
er, and listen to what he says, there
would be one less witness to the un
godly conduct of the man who has no
love for you or anyone else.
Wake up before it is everlastingly
too late.
M. .T. Seat.
Vote As You Pray.
There is one serious disadvantage
aliout stereotyped phrases—this,
namely, that people come tc use them
in a thoughtless and unintelligent
way. So used, they are nothing bet
ter than “a sounding brass or a tink
ling cymbal.” The one that heads
this article has had much currency in
recent years. Rightly interpreted, it
can lie objected to by nobody. We
have always given it our fullest assent.
But we are sure that it is often made
to bear a meaning which is repugnant
t > sound sense.
As one of the acts that a Christian
man is called upon to perform, voting
comes under the same law as other
acts. St. Raul teaches us that, whether
we eat or drink, or whaler we do, we
should do all to the glory of
Gad. In bis controversy with
the late Cardinal Newman, Mr. Glad
stone elaborated this thought most
beautifully, as follows: “I care not to
ask if there he any dregs and tatters
of human life that can escape the
description and boundary of ‘morals.’
I submit that, duty is a power that
rises with us in the morning and goes
to rest with us at night. It is co
extensive with the action of our intel
ligence. It is the shadow which
cleaves to us, go where we will, and
which only leaves us when we leave
the light of life.”
Voting is certainly a matter for
serious and conscientious considera
lion. That we ought to vote as we
pray is axiomatic. Hut what does
this mean, except that we ought al
ways to cast our ballots in such a way
as, according to our honest judgment,
will most fully promote the welfare of
human society and advance the inter
ests of the kingdom of Christ? Here
in is ample scope for the exercise of
impartial judgment. Questions of
duty are rarely ever as simple as
in addition or subtraction. God has
purposely made them complex. That
we should be forced to think, to con
sider, to reflect at every point is a
part of our probation.
Each man must decide this ques
tion for himself, must vote as he him
self prays, and not necessarily as some
body else prays. No man can afford
to surrender his manhood and become
the willing slave of public opinion. It
is a cowardly piece of business to give
up one’s conscience into the absolute
keeping of a supposed infallible
church, and it is none the less so to
yield it into the hands of a political
clique or party. For ourself, we shall
do nothing of the sort; but, while
taking counsel of the wisest and best
men with whom we come into contact,
and humbly asking for the illumina
tion and guidance of the Holy Spirit,
we shall accept our own responsibility
and choose our own course.
To be more specific. All good men
must hate the whisky traffic. It is the
spring and source of unnumbered ills.
That it should utterly be wiped out of
existence is a consummation for which
millions of hearts are daily praying*
* * * But in regard to the ques
tion of the best methods for reaching<
it there is room for wide diversity of
opinion. Nor ought this to be
thought strange. It is so in other
important matters as well as in the
one which we are now considering.
Absolute unanimity of sentiment, if it
ever conies at all, will come through
w ise forbearance and temparate tie
HOMER, BANKS COUNTY, GEORGIA, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1891.
hate. Good ends are never accom
plished by bad means, and the cause
of temperance cannot be really and
substantially served by intemperate
and denunciatory speech.
The sum of what we have written
is this: First, men ought to vote as
they pray—that is to say, thoughtful
ly and honestly; and, secondly, they
ought to be allowed to do so without
let or hinderance from any quarter.
The attempt to constrain them, wheth
er it comes from one direction or
another, is a piece of tyranny and an
invasion of sacred rights. To instruct
them, to reason with them, to per
suade them—all tins is well enough ;
hut whatever goes beyond this, no
matter what sanctimonious claims it
may put forward, is of the devil, —
Christian Advodate.
Heaving the Water-Pot.
The conversation of Jesus with the
woman of Samaria at Jacob’s well
and the woman’s subsequent conduct
contain much instruction of the highest
value to all making inquiry concern
ing the way of life, and, indeed, to all
followers of Christ.
The words of Jesus addressed to
the woman on this occasion show his
divine insight into the human lioart
and his deep knowledge of the work
ing of the human mind. He knew all
about her past life, and knew just
how to enlighten her mind, to touch
her conscience, and excite in her soul
a desire for the water of life. She
had come to the well with no knowl
edge or sense of her spiritual neces
sities. She left it believing that the
Mesiah, the Christ, had spoken to
her and opened up the way of salva
tion to herself and her countrymen.
The immediate effect of Christ’s
words upon her was to change her
character, awaken her to anew life
and inspire her with a holy desire to
make him and his salvation known to
others. “The woman then left her
water-pot, and went her way' into the
city, and saith to the men, Come see
a man which told me all things that
ever 1 did: is not this the Christ?”
The effect produced on this woman
by the words and grace of Jesus was
not peculiar. The same effect is
produced, in a greater or less mens
lire, on every new born soul. Every
one taught of God, renewed and
sanctified by his grace, becomes a
new creature, and possesses new de
sires, affections, and purposes. She
“left her water-pot” and hastened to
the city to tell others of the Savior
she had found. Jesus bade J'eter
and Andrew follow him, ‘ and they
straightway left their nets and follow
ed him.” lie called James and John,
“and they immediately left the ship
and their father, and followed him.”
Jesus had compassion on the two
blind men, “touched their eyes, and
immediately their eyes received sight,
and they followed him.”
When one becomes so deeply in
terested in his spiritual welfare as
this woman was, when she left her
water-pot, he will regard as of sec
ondary moment worldly duties and
enjoyments. He will “seek first the
kingdom of God and his righteous
ness.” The Samaritan woman “left
her water-pot.” She, perhaps, forgot
all about it; forgot that she had
come to the well to obtain water to
satisfy her own thirst or that of others
Anew thirst had been excited in her
soul; new thoughts had taken pos
session of her mind; and new motives
to which she had formerly been an
entire stranger now impelled her in
the path she had never thought of
pursuing.
If thirst for “living water” had not
been excited in her soul, or if she
had experienced but little concern
for her own spirtual interests and
t hose of others, she would have filled
her water-pot and taken it with her:
or at least would have excused her
self front the immediate performance
of the service undertaken, by the
passing nature of the worldly duty of
carrying this needed drink to her
friends in the city.
How often does attention to “the
water-pot” keep people from the im
mediate performance of some Chris
tian duty or attendance upon some
religious service? If they could only
forget about “the water-pot,” they
could find the time and opportunity
to go, and like Andrew, find a friend
or brother to bring to Jesus. If it
were not for “the water-pot,” some
worldly service or pleasure upon
which their hearts are too much set,
they would have more time and more
desire for the private religious duties
of the Christian, for the family altar,
and weekly meetings lik6 that “by a
river side, where prayer was wont to
be made,” and where Paul spoke,
and the Lord opened the heart of
Lydia.
“Water pots are useful in their
place. Drawing water, ministering
to our own or others’ physical wants,
attending to the ordinary duties of
every-day life, properly occupy much
of our time. But, “It is not ail of
life to live;” wo must not ever he ask
ing, What shall we eat, or wlmt shall
we drink? Water-pots must be of
subordinate interest to th higher con
cerns of the soul. It is well if we can
forget them, when weightier duties
present their claims, and the Master
needs us to carry the living water to
thirsting souls.—United Presbyterian.
Loving Words.
Fitly spoken, lovingly spoken,
sympathiy.ingly spoken words are the
best of “kindlings.” The fire they
light of a morning does not need
making over again, the whole
long, lu fact, it “keeps coals over
night: a good, warm, glowing bed
all ready next morning. Whp does
not know the comfort of opening the
ashes on the hearth of a winter morn
ing, and finding a bed of red coals to
begin the day’s work with. That is
the way a kind, loving word lasts.
The pressure of duties and hurry of
things may seem to have obliterated
it, as the ashes cover the hot coals;
hut it is there, all the same, and its
irmth is there, and neither the
room nor the heart can he quite at
the mercy of the cold, or troule and
sorrow, while it is there. Why do
we not speak such words oftener?
Why do we not remember to praise
faithful, painstaking servants? to say,
“in so many words,” that we like
this or that or the other, which has
been done, for our comfort? “in so
many words” tell them that we per
ceive that they are endeavoring to do
their best? “in so many words” make
them feel that we consider them of
the same ilesli and blood with our
selves, and that we know that they
can he tired,discouraged, out of sorts,
glad or sorry or lonely, just as we are?
Such w ords make good kilndiings.
Why do we not, to our nearest and
dearest—husbands to wives, wives to
husbands, parents to children, and
children to parents—whv do vve not
oftener speak words of affection, as
surances of love? say, “in so many
words,” what to he sure they know
already, hut which no human heart
is ever tired of hearing, ever leaves
off longing to be re-assured of, that
they are dear to us, precious in our
eyes and in our deepest souls? Such
words makegood kindlings. Andi. wo
only furnish the kindlings, the fire
will come of itself; and it will warm
the whole house—this kind of fire.
One such will suffice.—Anonymous.
Mr. Ingalls oil the Situation.
The following paragraph from Ex-
Senator Ingall’s lecture delivered at
the National Prohibition park, Staten
Island, August 1, was clipped by The
Atlanta Constitution some days ago,
and commented on:
“I am not an alarmist. I do not
stand at midnight and ring the alarm
hells, says Mr. Ingalls, but in my
opinion in our second century we
shall pass through a period of violence
distress and disorder compared with
which the dangers of our civil war
were puerile. Between 1800 and
1800 wealth accumulated in this
country at the rate of $260,000 an
hour, Sundays not excepted. Every
time a man’s watch ticks the accumu
lated permanent wealth of the country
has increased more than S7O. We are
justified in saying that as a financial
enterprise this Anglo-Saxon experi
merit of government has been a howl
ing success. And yet some are not
satisfied. The weak always out
number the strong. Those who fail
are more than those who succeed.
Few men are named Eli. The great
majority are named Dennis and an
attempt is being made and a code
formulated whereby Dennis proposes
to take charge of the affairs of Eli.
It is proposed that the men who have
failed shall take charge of the things
of those who have been successful.”
Mr. Ingalls is apparently of the
opinion that the poverty of the many
necessarily accompanies the progress
of the few. “And jet some are not
satisfied,” is his comment on the tre
mendous accumulation of wealth in
this country.
It is not a difficult matter to ex
plain why some are not satisfied.
Most of this wealth that has been pil
ing up at the rate of $260,000 an hour
has been going into the pockets of the
privileged classes—classes protected
and favored by unjust laws discrimi
nating against the masses.
This is why there is such a general
uprising of the people, and such a
clamorous demand for relief and re
form. And the ex-senator consciously
recognizes the galling injustice of
these conditions when he predicts for
our second century a period of vio
lence, distress and disorder.
It is useless to attempt to smooth
over matters by telling people that
our present evils arc inevitable be
cause only a few are named Eli, while
the majority are named Dennis. The
icply w ill he that, when Eli gets there
by robber-like methods, Dennis will
sooner or later make a determined
effort to defend himself, and wi 11 he
justified in giving the instinct of self
preservation full play.
There is no reason, however, for ap
prehending an area of violence. The
masses know their numerical superi
ority, and they know that they have
the machinery for making the superi
ority of organized numbers felt in our
government, from the white house to
the remotest militia district. When
the ballot promises so much they are
not likely to pass it by for the cruder
methods of a past age.
Mr. Ingalls puts Dennis in the atti
tude of quarrelling with Eli because
he is successful. This is a mistake.
Dennis simply insists that Eli shall
get there by honest methods, or not
at all. This is about the size of it.
Courtesy.
Courtesy is one of the Christian
graces, no less than a requirement of
good society. The amenities of so
cial iife smooth the way for and ren
der more effective all kinds of Chris
tian work. Every Christian needs
them as a part of his outfit. Perfect
expression of kindly feeling in the
outward act is an attainment which
few posess, but which all should
strive for. It is a Christian duty for
everyone to add something to the
sum of happiness in the world—not
only to aim to do so, but to actually
do so. Make the world a little bright
er for your having lived in it. Thus
will you fulfill the purpose of your
being, and make true success of life.
Possess the jewel of courtesy, and
you cannot fail.—Epsworth Herald.
The Married Men.
A married man always carries his
condition with him, like a trade-mark.
Anybody of average discernment can
detect him at a glance. He does not
pinch his toes with tight boots. He
does not scent himself with violets.
He never parts his hair in the middle.
He keeps his seat in the horse-car
when the pretty girl, laden with bun
dles, comes in; lie knows that his
wife wouldn’t approve of his rising.
He does not get up flirtations with
the good-looking saleswoman where
lie buys his gloves; he remembers
that little birds are flying all around
telling tales, and he has a horror of
curtain lectures; somehow, married
men never seem to arrive at that
state of beattitude where they appre
ciate the kind of literary perform
ance known as curtain lectures.
The married man lias come to that
SINGLE CORY THREE CENTS.
stage when he is convinced that the
way his neck-tie hangs may not be
any more important than his soul’s
salvation. He knows to a certainty
that true happiness does not depend
on the amount of starch in his shirt
bosom, but he will have to have been
at least three times wedded before he
will be able to he reconciled to a col
lar-hand two sizes small or one size
large. The man who can smile at
fate when it swoops down upon him
in the shape of an ill-fitting collar
band is nearly ready for canonization.
—New York Weekly
Keep the Truth.
To “err from the truth” is ruinous.
So evidently the apostles viewed
such a course, for James tells us: “If
any of you do err from the truth, and
one convert him, let him know that
he which convertetli a sinner from the
error of his way shall save a soul
from death.” Our Lord declared
that he came to “bear witness to the
truth.” “Ye shall know the truth
and the truth shall make you free.”
lie regarded the truth as the instru
ment of sanctification. When, there
fore, a man errs from the truth his
deflection is not to be regarded as of
slight, importance. While wo recoil
from classifying any truth as “non
essential,” yet there are truths the
acceptance or nonacceptance of which
must affect the life here and our
eternal destiny. “There are vital
truths a-i there are vital parts of the
body, and just as wounds are to be
dreaded everywhere in a living or
ganism because they may work dan
gerously inward to the very secret
springs of life, nut are most of all to
he dreaded when they are in the vitirl
parts themselves, so is unbelief of
any truth to he deprecated, but moat
of all a truth which contains the es
sence of saving power.”—Christian
Inquirer.
My Darling.
These words in bright let!
out in bold relief on the dash .board ol
a huge four-horse truck in a Broadway
blockade. The driver looked as un
sentimental as possible, but ho was
not profane or. brutal toward his
horses. Patiently he waited the
loosening of thb jam, while his neigh
bors filled the air with curses. Finally,
his horses becoming restive, ho
climbed down from his box and
soothed them with gentle words and
caresses. Then a bystander asked why
hecalled his truck “My darling.”
“Why,” lie said, “because it keeps
the memory of my daughter, little
Nellie - She’s dead now, but before
-lie died she clasped her hands, around
my neck and said:—
“Papa, I’m going to ditv and I
want you to promise ms one thing
because it will make me ho, happy.
Will you promise?”
“Yes,’ 1 said; ‘l’ll promise anything.
What is it ?’
“Then fixing her eyes on mime
she said, ‘Oil, papa, don’t be angry
hut promise me you will, never swear
any more, nor whip your. Horses, hard,
and he kind to mama.’
“That’s all there is about it, mister,
hut I promised my little gi*i and I’ve
kept my word”
When the blockade'was lifted, the
big truckman resumed his seat, and
was soon iost in the tide of travel—
New York Herald.
It is stated that an immense im.
proveinent has recently been affected
in the manufacture of glass for op.
tical instruments by means of the ad
dition to tlie ordinary materials of
phosphorus and chlorine, which in
some as yet unexplained way cause
the glass to be much more transpar
ent, and enable it to receive a much
higher degree of polish than any op
tical glass hitherto manufactured.
Thus microscopes can be made which
will render objects of the diameter
of only the one-eighth-millioth of a
millimetre visible, whereas with the
best instruments now in use the di
an.eterof the smaPest object that can
be seen is oae-sixteen- thousandth of
a millimeter. This news, we fear, is
too good to bo true,