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gage for passing through the world without
one loving, tender, sympathizing feeling to
mankind.”
“ Your soul—bah ! What is it worth
now 1”
<£ I’ll take it all back. I’ll have my
daughter and her husband home. I’ll
pay ”
“Too late!” said the dark creature.
“ Too late. Hiram Gormley, too late!”
But the old man, stretching out his
hands, screamed aloud in terror, and fell
backwards in unconsciousness.
* * % *
When Mrs. Gormley- returned from the
dinner-party, she found her husband stretch
ed upon the hearth rug, with a blue lump
upon his forehead as large as a hen’s egg.
When he related his adventure, she con
sidered it a dream, and laid the blame upon
the old port in the decanter upon the side-1
board! But dream or reality, it had a'
strange effect upon old Hiram, for in a
week he was reconciled to his daughter;
performed various unwonted acts of charity,
and was, in fact, an utterly changed and al
tered man; while, singular to say, no
earthly power has ever since been able to
induce Hiram Gormley to speculate in;
breadstuff's.
Tfie Family Altar Fallen,
It was a great fall, and a sad fall; and
the falling of my own tears, as I gazed, I
could scarcely prevent. And when I state
that it was a fallen family altar , not a few
of my readers v/ill sympathize with me.
I had seen the altar before it fell. Its
remembered beauty and value all the more
troubled me, now that 1 saw it had fallen.
I knew the day when it was set up. It was
a day of gladness to me—to many. We
little thought it would ever fall, it seemed
so strong. But it had fallen”!
I was so it, that I could not
but mako inquiry how it should have come
to pass. I saw near the ruin, and appa
rently musing upon it, two grave and se
date looking persons, both of whom I knew.
“ Reason,” said I, “ you were a bosom
companion of the author of this ruin. Did
you have any hand in it, or in any way
countenance it?” The prompt and earnest
reply was : “ I helped set that altar up.—
I helped keep it. 1 laid hold of it when it
tottered, and if f could, have helped it, it
would never have t fallen.” And I believed
him, he was so honest and earnest.
“Conscience!/’ who was near, “ did you
have any handjn AhcTall of this altar? ”
“ Did I not help Reason set it up ?
There was no such altar till we put forth
our power. \ made that father happy while
the altar stood. 1 gave him a warning that
made him tremble when I saw him likely
to let it fall. And my sharpest arrows
went into his soul when the altar fell.—
Could 1 have prevented it, it never would
have fallen.”
“Wife, mother!” said 1, for sho was
musing near the ruin, “ had you any thing
to do with the falling of this altar?” A
flood of tears was the only answer. Her
sorrow and sadness told me she w r as the
deepest of mourners over that fallen altar.
“ Children,” said I, for they were near,
“ you see this ruin ; did you have anything
to do in bringing it to pass? ” They look
ed at me and wondered, and t then at their
mother; and seeing her tears, they weptj
themselves. And so I knew they had no.
thing to do with the fall of the altar.
Some things may fall and do no harm.—
But when this family altar fell i.t harmed,
1. The man that overthrew it. It was!
wrong done to his reason; and it was aj
wicked resistance of his conscience, ft
weakened his spiritual strength. It gave
temptation greater power over him. ft
made other kinds of prayers less pleasant,
and all other duties less inviting and more
burdensome. So it harmed the man.
2. And the fall of that altar harmed the
household. The wife was sad ; she needed
just such consolation and support. The
ejpld ren wondered ; they needed just such
a constant recognition of God and eternal
things as they had while the altar stood.—
The whole household lost many precious
influences which constant family worship
never fails to exert, A powerful barrier
against temptation fell with the falling
altar. And that alarming danger was in
curred which is pronounced against •‘ the
families that call not on His name.”
3. The community is harmed when a
family altar foils. If every house had one,
there would be produced a moral atmos
phere most favorable to the best welfare of
the whole neighborhood. Even one such
altar is a blessing ; the foil of one a loss.—
No community can be named that is not a
loser by the fall of r family altar.
Ther, such a fallen altar is a melancholy
ruin! What ought he to think who has
dene so great a wrong as to overthrow it?
To love something more than one’s self
—that is the secret of all that is great ; to
know how to live for others — that is the;
aim of all noble minds.
'£mm Asm
gamut anil papist.
“Holy Bible, —Book Divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine.”
If. C. HORNADY, Editor.
J. M. WOOD, )
J. S. BAKER, Editors.
D. P. EVERETT, )
Correspondents or the Banner.
Rider N. M. Crawford, Penfield. Ga,
“ J. 11. Campbell, State Evangelist,
“ J. B. Graves, in the Army.
“ G. C. Connor, Army Chaplain.
“ B. F. Tharp, Perry, Ga.
“ W. N. Chaudoin, Albany, Ga.
“ R. J. Mays, Florida.
“ A. E. Dickinson, Riehimmd, Va.
“ W. D. Mayfield, South Carolina.
M. W. Philips, Edwards, Miss.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA:
Saturday, Sept. 27, 1869.
Tlie Banner.
It is with great pleasure $e announce to
our readers, that we have this day associa
ted with us in busings Mr. Jas. N. Eu.s,
(late Editor of The Southern Field and
Fireside) who lias purchased one-half o*
The Banner establishment. This arrange j
ment, w r o are sure, will prove as acceptable j
to our patrons as to ourself. Mr. E. will i
speak for himself hereafter. 11.
Teaching our Colored People to
Read.—South-Western Baptht.
In May last the Cherokee Baptist Con
vention passed a resolution to memorialize
the Legislature of Georgia to repeal the
statute which makes it penal for owners of
slaves to teach them to read. The editor
of the Index reports that the Baptists of the
Central Association, who held their late [
session at Madison, Ga., indorsed the action !
of the Convention, and that a resolution to I
this effect was sustained by Dr. N. M.
Crrwford in a short speech.
This action and this speech have waked
up the South-Western Baptist. The editor
says he does not take issue with the policy
or principle embraced in the resolution.— j
He objects strongly to the speech of Dr. [
Crawford, who will no doubt answer for j
himself. What we wish to do is to call I
the attention of our brother editor to the
apparent inconsistency of what he premises
and what he says afterwards.
He does not take issue with the policy
or principle involved—no man is before
him in earnest desires to promote the mor
al, intellectual and physical development of
the African race, by all means compatible
with the security and happiness of the two
races; and has always regarded it as an
axiom that no condition of an intelligent
creature can be imagined in which it can be
right to deny him those sources of know
ledge essential to his spiritual and eternal
well being. And yet he declares that God
has ordained the ear as the medium through
which religious knowledge is to be comrau.
ideated to the head and heart. Does not
say a medium, but the medium —conveying
the idea that oral instruction is quite suffi
cient for slaves. Our brother seems to
forget that this is precisely such an argu
; ment as Rome makes: the people need
! oral instruction—the Bible is for the priests
i and bishops.
No doubt the law in question was passed
because of abolition meddling, but Geor
gians ought to dare to do right independ
ently of meddlers. To us it seems a great
outrage that our fellow-citizens can not, if
they choose, teach their own negroes to
read, so as to improve them as property
and enable them to read the Bible for
themselves. The memorialists will not ask
that negroes shall he lnight, but, to repeal a
statute which consigns them to the peniten
tiary if they fulfill what appears, to many
of them, as their highest obligations to their
own negroes. At some future time we
may present an argument in favor of the
move, as follows :
1. That the statute is wrong in principle.
2. Wrong in policy.
3. That the arguments for it would sus
tain Catholicism, which Georgia condemns.
4. The statute is a cudgel in the hands of
Abolitionism in this and other countries.
5. The chances are in favor of having
better and more faithful slaves if they could
read for themselves and see what the Bible
teaches regarding slavery. W. j
The Rehoboth Association
The late session of this body was held
with the Baptist church in Forsyth, com
mencing oh Saturday before the third Sab
bath instant. The venerated man, Jacob
King, who had been for twenty-four years
the sole Moderator, having died since the
previous meeting, Elder B. F. Tharp called
| the meeting to order. After the reading of
| the letters, Elder Tharp was elected Mod
jerator, and Elder W. C. Wilkes was re
j elected Clerk.
The introductory sermon was preached
by Elder J. H. Clarke. After which the
body took a recess until 3 o’clock p. m.—
At the time appointed the brethren again
assembled.
The reports from the Churches showed
about one hundred and sixty baptisms; and
about one tlymsand dollars collected for
missions.
On Sabbath the missionary sermon was
preached by Elder W. C. Wilkes, after
which a collection was taken amounting to
ninety-odd dollars;' This amount was di
vided equally between missionary work
among the soldiers, and the Indian mission
under the patronage of the Association.
In the afternoon of Sabbath, at the re
quest of the association, Elder B. F. Tharp
preached the funeral of Elder Jacob King
to a large and interested audience.
On Monday night it was resolved to hold
a missionary meeting for the purpose of
collecting funds to sustain missionaries in
the army. After addresses from the writer
and Col. Peeples, followed by remarks
from Col. Z. E. Harman and others, a col
lection was taken up amounting to $1,462.
Col. Peeples had been baptized on Sabbath
morning preceding, and it was truly affect
ing to listen to his eloquent and touching
appeals in behalf of our biave and suffering
soldiers. Brother P. is an elegant speaker,
and on this occasion he delivered just such
an address as was calculated to stir the
hearts of all.
The large amount collected indicates
most clearly the advantage of Assoeiation
al missions over those conducted under the
patronage of General Boards. In the for
mer, the matter is brought right to
the hearts of the brethren, and the claims
of a guilty world are felt and acknowledged
by all.
The aggregate amount raised by this
small Association will foot up about $2,500.
This is a noble band of brethren, and ev
ery pioUs heart irffist bid them God-speed
in their glorious work. If other Associa
tions would take hold of Missions after this
fashion, we should soon see the work
spreading gloriously in every direction.
At the close of the services on .Monday
night, the Association adjourned to meet
with the Baptist church at Union, in Macon
county, one year hence.
The people of Forsyth received their
visitors and entertained them in a way to
make us almost forget the blockade, war,
and all their inconveniences.
Next year the Association expects, under
God, to enlarge its work; and in a few
years we should not be surprised to find
them raising thousands of dollars where
they now send up hundreds.
So mote it be !
Coosa Association.
This body of Baptists will hold the next
session at Cedar Town, Ga., commencing
on Saturday before the second Sabbath in
October. As the writer has been connect
ed with the missionary operations of the
Coosa for many years, he will be allowed to
remind the brethren that funds will be
needed. Three missions have been to some
extent sustained by your liberality : the
Mountain, the Coosa, and the Cherokee In
dian missions. For these it is hoped the
churches will provide liberally, not forget
ting col portage among the soldiers—a very
important field of labor at this time. —
Those who subscribed last fall for the sup
port of D. M. Foreman, will remember
that now is the time to pay and will bring
or send the funds to Cedar Town.
May the Lord grant a full delegation and
a gracious meeting!
J. M. Wood.
P. S. It is especially desirable that all
the members of the Executive Committee
should be present and hold a session on
Saturday night. J. M. W., Ch’mn.
The Good Work.
We are glad to chronicle the continuance
of the revival at the First Baptist Church
in our city, and to note the commencement
of a series of meetings in the Second Church,
the pastor (Dr. Brantly) being assisted by
Rev. J. R. Kendrick, of Charleston.
Flint River; Association.
This body will convene with* Liberty Hill
Baptist Church, in Fayette county, three
miles from Bear Creek P. 0., on the Macon
and Western Railroad, on Saturday before
the fourth Sabbath instant.
The church is half a mile east of the
Railroad.
Association meetings.
Sarepla, Van’s Creek. Saturday before
4th Sabbath in September.
Middle Cherokee , Bethesda, Gordon Cos.
Saturday before 4th Sabbath in September.
Flint River , Liberty Hill, Murray Co.—
Saturday before 4th Sabbath in September.
Georgia , Clark’s Station, Wilkes Co.—
Friday before 2d Sabbath in October.
Piedmont , Consolation, Appling Co.—
Saturday before 2d Sabbath in October.
Coosa , Cedar Town, Ga. Saturday be
fore 2d Sabbath in October.
Hepzibah, Way’s Church, Jefferson Cos.
Saturday before 4th Sabbath in October.
Bethel , Pine Bluff, Dougherty County.—
Saturday before 3d Sabbath in November.
Revival at Newnnn.
We are rejoiced to learn through brother
Wood—who dropped in just as we went to
press—of a refreshing time in„the Newnan
Baptist Church. Eight converts have been
added to the followers of Christ,
f v [ Banner, Sept. 20.
This item of last week, by implication,
may have made a wrong impression.—
The church truly had a refreshing time, and
eight persons were baptized; but they
were not converts of that particular meet
ing, as might be inferred. There have been
a series of meetings in Newnan held at dif
ferent times by Presbyterians, Methodists
and Baptists, and some of the persons bap
tized dated their conversion in connection
with the exercises of the Presbyterian and
Methodist meetings.
The Lord has been truly gracious to the
people of Newnan, and we trust that the
good work still goes on and will continue
until many more shall find the Saviour
precious to them. J. M. Woon.
Who Desires a Good Teacher ?
Miss Harriet A. Baker, a native of Vir
ginia, and an experienced Teacher, desires a
situation as Teacher. She can furnish tes
timonials of the highest order as to qualifi
cations. She prefers to establish a female
school of high character, and those desirous
of obtaining such an instructress will do
well to address her at Genito P. 0., Pow
hattan county, Va.
A week well filled up with selfishness,
and the Sabbath stuffed full of religious
exercise, will make a good Pharisee, but a
poor Christian. There are many persons
who seem to think Sunday is a sponge
with which to wipe out thesins of the week.
Tlie War.
The Richmond Examiner, of the 24th, says
that, in the fight at Shepardstown, the ene
my are reported to have been almost anni
hilated, and that five thousand prisoners
were captured. It says that Gen. Lee wrote
a letter to President Davis, stating that the
shock of the battle on Wednesday was the
most tremendous ever experienced on this
continent, and the result was the most dam
aging the enemy has received in the whole
campaign. The enemy confesses a loss of
ten thousand. Our loss will not probably
exceed five thousand.
Yankee dispatches dated Saturday, say
the loss of Federal Generals and field offi
cers was so large as to be unaccountable.
McClellan says the Federals may safely
claim a victory.
A dispatch says that a body of Federals
dashed into Leesbury, but soon retired. —
The place is now in our possession.
FROM THE COAST.
The Charleston Mercury, of the 25th,
says that passengers report that they have
grounds for believing that the enemy is
sending heavy reinforcements to Ililton
Head, and along in spots on Broad River.
Pinckney Island is now occupied by a large
body of troops.
AGENTS FOR TIIE BANNER.
The following brethren will act as Agents
for the Banner, and will receipt for money
paid for the paper.
Elder J. S. Morrow, Traveling Agent.
“ F. M. Havgood, do
“ J. 11. Stockton, Thomson, Qa.
“ Taos. Muse, Cuthbert, Qa.
“ Robt. Cunningham, Macon, Qa.
“ Taos Aldridge, Millwood , Qa.
“ W. W. Odom, Valdosta, Qa.
“ G. F. Cooper, Americas, Qa.
“ J. H. Campbell, Qriffi.fi, Qa.
“ W. J. Speairs, Peaks P. 0., Qa.
“ John 11. Clarke, Henderson, Qa.
“ P. A. Lawson, Qaiffin, Qa.
41 William Lows, McDonough, Qa.
Dr. E. R. Carswell, Waynesboro ’, Qa
William Roberts, Byrumville, Qa.
R. H. Jackson, Franklin, Heard Cos., Qa.
J. H. B. Shackelford, Spring Place, “
Dr. John Cheney, Columbus, Qa.
Banner for tfae Soldiers.
The religious paper furnishes a cheap
and available means of reaching them; and
our brethren and sisters should come to
the rescue before it is too late. What say
our readers ? Shall the sick and wounded
soldiers have The Banner f
+ #
The Banner and Baptist is published ev
ery Saturday morning, at Atlanta, Ga., at
the price of three doßars per year, always
in advance.
COMMUNICATIONS.
Bear Brother Hornudy :
I send you a copyol a Resolution passed
during the session of the Western Baptist
Association, which you will please publish.
On motion of brother J. 11. Hall,
Resolved, That the clerk of the body pub
lish a notice in ‘ The Banner,’ and ‘ The
Index,’ requesting the clerks of the various
churches composing the Association, whose
delegates were not present, to send up their
letters and funds to him, to aid in making
out statistics and publishing the Minutes of
the Association. Address,
J. 11. Graham, Clerk,.
Newnan, Ga.
Millwood, Ga., Sept. 22.
Bear Brother Hornady:
The Lord has recently visited this section
of country, with Ilis Holy Spirit. I held
a week’s meeting with Union Church, Tel
fair county, a month ago, which was a very
happy session indeed. The church, few in
numbers, had not enjoyed an ingathering
since its constitution, about two years ago;
but at this time there were nine baptized
and three received by letter. Also, at
Antioch, Pulaski county, I held a six-days
meeting, embracing the first Sabbath in
this month, at which time thirteen were
added to the church by experience and
baptism—the most of them were females.
Thomas Aldridge.
Dear Brother Ilornady:
I thought it would be a little cheering to
the readers of The Banner, in these dark
and gloomy times, to hear what the Lord
has dono for us in this part of the world.—
For about nine months after this cruel war
commenced, I could think or preach about
but little else. During this time I never
heard one sinner say “Pray forme.”—
No one offered to enlist under the banner
of Jesus. There were no sweet songs sung
among the armies of the Lord. All, all
was dark and gloomy. But, bless the Lord,
O my soul, a better and brighter day came
at last. About the first of April the cloud
that had so long obscured my spiritual sky
was removed by the hand of the Lord; 1
felt that the Judge of all the Earth would
do right, and from that time I went to
preaching Jesus Christ and His Cross, and
left the war in the hand of the Lord, pray
ing Him to make our cause Ilis care and
fight our battles for us. I have found it
much more pleasant to get up before my
fellow-travellers to eternity, to point them
to the Cross of Christ as the w ay to Heaven,
than it was to talk about Lincoln’s war.—
The result has been that many have corne
and said “ Pray for me,” and for four
months past it has been my chief business
to hold up the banner of Jesus, calling for
volunteers, and I am happy to say several
have enlisted.
At Campbellton, 1 baptized two females,
and ac Bethlehem one. At Pleasant Hill,
Paulding county, we had a meeting of ten
days. The Lord was in our midst; and
while we were talking about the beauties of
Heaven and the glories of the upper world,
and about that inheritance which is incor
ruptible and fadeth not away, and of the
crown that Jesus promised the faithful, in
came our brethren Hamrick, Denton and
Burke, all of whom, during the time they
stayed, testified to these truths. On Sab
bath, the last day of our meeting, twenty
two persons (eighteen whites and four
blacks) were immersed. So you see I
have baptized, in all, twenty-five, and we
left many asking to be remembered in our
prayers.
1 must be permitted to relate one inci
dent that occurred in our meeting. On the
first day, Friday, I made one proposition
*o the church and one to the congregation.
The proposition to the congregation was
this : All in the congregation that are re
solved, the Lord being their Helper, to
seek the salvation of their souls now, to
take the front seat. Ten came forward.—
I then proposed to the church that they
make the ten who were there the subjects
of their special prayer. The result was,
each one of the ten was among the number
baptized. To God be all the glory !
11. A. W.
A Hint to Parents. —Few parents re
alize how much their children may be
taught at home by devoting a few minutes
to '.heir instruction every day. Let the
parent make the experiment with his son
of ten years old for a single week, and only
during the hours which are not sptnt in
school. Let him make a companion of his
child—conversing with him familiarly, put
to him questions, answers and inquiries,
communicate facts, the result of his reading
or observation; awaken his curiosity; ex
plain difficulties, the meaning of things, and
the reason of things, and all this in an easy,
playful manner, without seeming to impose
a task, and he will himself be astonished
at the progress which will be made.