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&|)e Atlanta Banner auft Baptist^ j OLUMN. MAiUOS’S TEMPTATION, “ Mamma," said Marion Leslie one day, jo you know how.soon I shall be thir teen years old ? ’ “Yes; in about three weeks,” Mrs. Les lie answered. “Exactly three weeks, mamma, count ing from to-morrow. My birthday comes on the thirteenth of October, you know. “ And what of it?” asked Mrs. Leslie, looking down with a smile into the eager face upturned to hers. “ Why, mamma ! I should like to have a birthday party so much. May J, mamma?” The flushed cheek and pleading eyes were more eloquent than words, as Marion wait ed breathlessly for the answer, which her mother was somewhat slow in giving. She considered it thoughtfully for a minute or more; but presently she said: “ I had not thought of it before, Marion, but since you would like it so much, 1 think you may. On one condition, however,” as the little girl broke out with an exclama tion of delight; “a hard condition, too, — nothing less than that you shall keep your temper for the whole time between now and your birthday, and not get into a single fit of passion during all the three weeks time. Do you think you can undertake it?” The little girl blushed deeply, and her eyes dropped before her mother’s question ing look. She knew very well that this hasty temper was her besetting sin, which had made trouble for herself and unhappi ness for her parents very many times in the course of her life. She was perfectly a ware that it was a sin, and she really wish ed that she could conquer it; she had even made some efforts to do so, but because she could not succeed all at once, she grew im patient and discouraged, and declared that it was no use trying; she never could do any better. The excuse for all her pas sionate outbreaks and unreasonable anger, was: “I can’t help it, I’m sure. I have tried till it’s no use trying any longer.”— And so she had grown worse and worse, more and more irritable and passionate, until it had become a matter of very great concern to her mother, who dreaded to see the child growing up with a fault which must entail so much unhappiness for her self and others. She waited anxiously for Marion’s answer, for she thought that this eager wish of hers might be made an in centive to a real effort for the acquirement of self-control. But Marion was in no haste to reply. She looked up at and said, hesitatingly, • “ Mamma, oughtn’t one to lie ashamed to do a thing just for the sake of a reward ’ “ And not because it was right? Certain ly, if that were the only motive, we ought to be ashamed,” Mrs. Leslie answered. — “ But I hope it would not be the only mo tive with you. Your desire for a party, by being often in your thoughts’, may help you to be careful, but I hope that at the bottom of your heart you would rather break your self of the fault than to have a dozen par ties.” “ So I would, mamma,” Marion exclaim ed earnestly ; “and indeed 1 will try; not for the sake of the party—thorn h I warn that very much, too,” she added, with a smile. “And l shall be most happy to give it to you,” her mother said_ affectionately, “ if the condition is fulfilled.' !am sure it can be if you try the right way.” “If you will only help me, mamma,” Marion began. “ Ood will help you, if you ask Him; and that will be a great deal better than any help /could give you,” was her mother’s answer, so impress’vely spoken that Mari on thought of it all the evening ; and w hen sho knelt down at night to say her prayers, she prayed more earnestly than she had ev er done before for strength to resist her be setting sin. She remembered it next morning, too, when she prayed, “ Lead us not into temp tation, but deliver us from evil;” aud throughout the long day at school, whenev er she was in danger of losing her temper, she remembered her mother’s words, and asked in her heart for the help that is “ev er present in our time of need.” She felt very happy when she lay down to sleep that night. It was the first day in a great many days that had passed bv with out any outbreaks of anger or impatience, and she felt very glad and thankful, and al so very much encouraged to hope that she might really go safely through the whole three weeks. And if she did that, w hy, then, indeed she might hope to overcome the fault altogether in time, to say nothing of the party, which was by no means a small consideration in the little lady’s mind. She had it all planned in most de lightful style, and had already decided what dress she meant to wear, and which of he r Xll MAMEMM AMB BA&VMW. schoolmates should be invited, and how th§|q should certainly be ice-cream and any quantity of peaches by way of refresh ment. And she fell asleep in the midst of her plans and anticipations, only to live them all oyer again in pleasant dreams. This was ouiy one day, however —a very small part of her probation—and she did not find every day as easy or as satisfacto ry by any means. The old temptation came back very strongly many times, and she did not always fight against the wicked feeling as well as the outward expression of it. She did not always, as at first, seek help from the only true source, and more than once she was only saved from some hasty speech or act, which would have spoiled everything, by a warning look or word from her mother. The time passed by, however, and she managed to get thro’ week after week in a tolerably creditable manner, without any actual violation of the condition imposed. The birthday was close at hand, and Mrs. Leslie, who began to hope that Marion would really deserve her party, was making various preparations for it, in which Marion of course took a very lively interest. She went to, school in high spirits ope morning, after trying on the pretty tucked muslin which she intended to wear, to see if it needed any alteration before being “done up” for the grand occasion. She had not ventured to speak of the party to her schoolmates before, for fear of some unlucky accident; but now it seemed so sure a thing, that she could not help telling it to two or three of her most intimate friends, and it was not long before half the school knew it, and were crowding round to congratulate her, or to put in a merry claim for an invitation. All this did not tend to make Marion watchful or careful. She felt very proud and self-satisfied, and every one knows that such a frame of mind is not the best for resistance to temptationff There were but two days before the thir teenth ; the next day the invitations were to be given, and since she had got on so far, surely there could be no danger any longer! But—was it because she felt so sure, or because she had hot asked that morning to be kept “ this day without sin ? ” —the dan ger came just when Marion was least watchful and least prepared. It was at recess, and she had run in from the playground to find her handkerchief, which she had left in her desk. One of the little girls had been getting an inkstand fill ed, and was carrying it carefully to her own desk, as Marion rushed in heedless and ex cited with play. The child’s eyes were bent down, so that she did not see her schoolmate’S%pproaeh in time to avoid her, and the consequence was a collision, in which half the contents of the inkstand were spilled over Marion’s neat gingham dress. It was fully as much her fault as little Hetty’s, if she was not even more to blame, being so much older. But without think ing of her own share in the accident,.she grew angry instantly with the child, and broke out into passionate expressions of vexation. “ I couldn’t help it, Marion ; it was your fault any way ; you ran against me ! ” ex claimed Hetty indignantly. “ No such thing ! ” Marion answered hot ly, forgetting everything but the irritation of the moment. “It was all your careless ness, and now you want to put it on me, you little story-telling thing. Take that, now ! I’ll teach you how to say such things to me! ” and in the sudden passionate im pulse, she raised her hand and slapped Ilet ty violently on the cheek. The child burst into tears, and Marion’s: hand fell, and her face, flushed with anger, grew pale suddenly, as the recollection of what she had forfeited flashed upon her. — What would she not have given now to have recalled the last few moments! But that was impossible; she had openly vfola- ted her mother’s condition, and there was nothing to be done now but to give up the party —after she had told the girls about it, too! Oh! how could she bear such mortification as that! It was a miserable afternoon at school, and a miserable, evening at home. She could not bear to tell her mother what had happened, although she saw her going on with various preparations for the day, and knew that they ought to be stopped.— Whenever her conscience urged her to the ; confession, it was put off with a ** By and ! by.” or “I’ll wait till to-morrow ; ” and all ;the time was giving ear to a subtle ternp- Uation that whispered, “ What’s the use of i telling her, after all ? It was such a little | thing, and anybody else would have done just the same in your place ; and when you got on so well all of this time, it would be a shame to have to lose your reward at last for such a trifle as that. After you have told the girls, too—and they will all laugh at you so! Your mother need never find it out. and it would be the best thing for all to keep quiet about it. Of course it will be a lesson to you always, just the same, and Jhatis all yourmother cares for.” It was like an actual voice, the evil sug gestions were so plain and clear; and if Marion had not been so willing to listen, she would have known that they were veri ly temptations of Satan, and have prayed with all her might to be delivered from them. But she only thought of her own disappointment and mortification, and not of the sin; and the end of it was, that she went to bed that night without telling her mother, satisfying her conscience by a half promise to do it in the morning. It was harder than ever, of course. Her mother was busy, and there was no opportunity to speak to her before she went to school. At least she was willing to think so, and she did not take pains to make an opportunity, but went oft’ to school with the fault still unconfessed. When she came in the after noon, her mother showed her a pile of neat ly folded papers, each one directed to some friend or companion of Marion’s. “ You may carry them to school and dis tribute them to-morrow,” she said; “ and I am very happy indeed, Marion, to think that you have fully deserved this pleasure.” Her words were so kind, her look so lov inxr—how could Marion bear to tell her then that she was so unworthy of it all ? She despised herself in her heart, but still said nothing, and the next day she distrib uted the invitations amongst her school mates. Aftt r that, of course, it was too late to speak. The party must go on now, at any rate, and she might as well make the best of it. But she bad no pleasure in it, and every thing her mother did, and every kind word she said, added to the shame and misery she felt. She longed as much now to have the party ove r and done with as she had once longed for its time to come; and not even her pretty dress, with the broad sash and rosetted slippers, or the gay look of the parlors, all decorated with the green boughs and bright fall flowers, could take away the wretched feeling or make her for get for an instant how wicked she had been. She forced herself to look happy, howev-' er, as her guests began to come; and as one after another arrived, and the parlors grew full of laughing, merry children, she was obliged to go amongst them, and laugh and talk, and seem as gay as the rest, until at last she began to enjoy the mirth and the games herself, and for a while her trou ble was put out of her mind. But it was not long. One of the girls had left her fan up-stairs, and Marion went up to get it for her. But she wished she had not when she saw that Cornelia Green, little Hetty’s sis ter, was there, without Hetty. She had just arrived, and was talking of her hood and cloak, and Marion of course had to stop to assist her, and to ask her why Hetty did not come too, although it was very easy to guess the reason. Hetty never had spoken to her since the affair of the ink, or forgiv en for the blow, and nothing could have in duced her to come to Marion’s party. But still Marion asked, “ why did not Hetty come?” and Cornelia answered with a toss of her head: * “ Oh! it’s no use asking that, Marion Leslie ; you know as well as I do that Het ty wouldn’t come to your party if she nev er went to one. She’s been mad with you ever since you slapped her so hard the oth er day—all for nothing, too, if l must say so, for it was your fault more than Hetty’s that the ink was spilled.” It was not a very polite speech to make to one’s hostess in her own house, but Cor nelia Green was not celebrated for polite | ness, and she was glad of the opportunity |to revenge Hetty. So she flirted out of the room, and as she went out at one door, Mrs. Leslie came in at another, and Mari on knew that she had heard it all, and the whole story would have to be told now. I am not sure that she was not glad to be obliged to tell it, for certainly she had been miserable enough in her deceit and false hood; and when Mrs. Leslie knew all, she saw that the punishment of her own con science was quite sufficient. Marion never had a birthday party again, but she learned two lessons from this that she never forgot —never to trust in her own strength to do any good thing, and never to think any thing worth having that must be gained by ! falsehood. Scxdav School Scholar. —“My dear child,” said a teacher to his Sunday school scholar under alarming illness, “ have you any reason to suppose that you love the Saviour!” “1 hope I can say, sir, that i do love Him,” was the reply. “And what induced you to conclude in this manner?” added the teacher; “you have, l trust, scriptural evidence for the opinion you ex press ” “ Why,” said the little girl, “ be cause l love His word, l love. Ilia house, ] love His people, aud I believe that He loves me.” If we the Saviour love, We keep His holy word ; Thus -hnl H s humble followers prove Allesrianee to their Lord. THE SOLDIERS’ COLUMN. [Origin Bl.] Tlie Soldier’s Dying Thoughts. Cold death is treading on my breast, I feel his iron feet; I toss myself about and bleed, A soldier’s doom to meet. My heavy eyes are growing dim, My pulse is beating slow, And the warm floods of precious life In purple currents flow. Strangely mingled with light and shade, My hopeful days are done; Through joy, and toil, and battle-storm, My short career is run. The bursting thunder dies away, An awful stillness reigns; And sons of glory, noble dead! Load all these gory plains. Cruel war low my aching head Hath pillow’d on this stone; And all my comrades, gone away, Have left me here alone. Oh, darkly fate—to die alone! With no dear sister by; With no sweet mother’s magic hand To wipe my glazing eye. My lips are dry, and brow on fire, My bosom torn with death— To judgment rushing, rushing on, With ev’sy panting breath ! The sun, through clouds of battle-smoke, Is sinking down the skies; For me ’twill whirl no more aloft, No more, no more will rise. Night is coming with darkness deep, But with no happy dream — Coming without a single star To shoot its cheerful beam. The world grows dark —I sink, I faint, And feel that I must die; Give back my soul to God that gave, And wing my flight on high. W. D. M. Martin's Depot, S. C. The Converted §oldier. A soldier in the East Indies, a stout, li on-looking, lion-hearted man, had been a noted prize-fighter, and a terror to those who knew him. With one blow he could level a strong man to the ground. That man sauntered in the mission chapel, heard the gospel, and was alarmed. He returned again and again, and at last light broke in upon his mind, and he became anew crea ture. The change in his character was marked and decided. The lion was chang ed into a lamb. Two months afterwards, in the mess-room, some of those who had been afraid of him before began to ridicule him. One of them said, “ I’ll put to the test whether he is a Christian or not,” and taking a basin of hot soup, he threw' it into his bosom. The whole company gazed in breathless science, expecting that the lion would start up .and murder him on the spot. But after he had torn open his waist coat and wiped his scalded breast, he calm ly turned around and said, “This is what 1 must expect; if I become a Christian, I must suffer persecution.” His comrades were filled with astonishment. This was overcoming evil with good. If the readers of this piece will follow the example of the tyrant, who by the grace of God was hum bled and became His follower, they will honor their Master. Saved by lilt* Bible. During the services of a Union prayer meeting, some years since, in Ohio, Doctor Awl showed a pocket Bible, and related an interesting incident connected w ith it. He stated that it belonged to a gentleman who was a soldier in the English army in the wars against Napoleon, who was a praying man, and was much exercised in mind re specting his situation. His mind was di rected to the verse of one of the Psalms, which reads: “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee.” This made a great impression upon him. On the morning of the battle of Waterloo, he read his Bible, as was his custom and instead of placing it in his knapsack, he placed it in his haversack. The division to which he was attached was not called into action un til three o’clock in the afternoon. He went into the battle, and during the fight the : Book was pierced with two bullets, which | saved his life. At the conclusion of his re marks, he returned the Book to the owner, who was sitting in one of the pews. He is now an old man, and still continues iti the | service of the Captain of our salvation. The Right Card. —“ I stopped at a tent,” says a chaplain, “where a set was gambling. On looking over their shoulders, I discover ed that the game was blocked. ‘ M hat shall I play ? ’ exclaimed one of the excited party, holding two or three cards in his trembling band. 1 I'll pfo> / the card for you said 1, mildly, and laid a Testament on the board ; *do you agree to it ? ’ The soldier sprang from his seat, and cried out with an oath, ‘ You may play it alone,’ and left the eompauy. The other three came to me afterwards with an apology, and said they were ‘ resolved never to play again.’” GENERAL Jfl RECTORY. Confederate Government. President —Jefferson Davis, of Miss. Vice “ —A. 11. Stephens, of Ga. The Cabinet. —Judah P. Benjamin, ol La.. Secretary of State. C. G. Memminger, of S. C., Secretary of Treasury. George W. Randolph, of Va., Secretary of War. S. R. Mallory, of Fla., Secretary of Navy. Thos. H. Watts, of Alabama, Attorney- General. John 11. Reagan, of Texas, Postmaster- General. The Senate. Alabama —Win, L. Yancey, C. C. Clay. Arkansas —Robert W. Johnson, C. B. Mitchell. Florida —J. M. Baker, A. E. Maxwell. Georgia —B. H. Hill, John W. Lewis. Kentucky —Henry C. Burnett, William E. Sims. Louisiana —Edward Sparrow, Thos. J. Semmes. Mississippi —A. G. Brown, Jas. Phelan. Missouri —J. B. Clarke, R. L. E. Peyton. North Carolina —George Davis, W. T. Dortch. South Carolina —Robert W. Barnwell, James L. Orr. Tennessee —Gustavus A. Henry, Landon C. Haynes. Texas —L. T. Wigfall, W. S. Oldham. Virginia —R. M. T. Hunter, William B. Preston. House of Reprcsentativei. Alabama: T. J. Foster, W. R. Smith, J. P. Ralls, J. L. Curry, F. S. Lyon, W. P. Chilton, David Clopton, J. S. Pugh, E. S. Dargan. Arkansas: G. A. Garland, James M. Patterson. (Incomplete.) Florida: James B. Dawkins, R. B. Hilton. Georgia: Julian Hartridge, Charles J. Munnerlyn, Ilines Holt, Aug. H. Kenan, David W. Lewis, W. W. Clark, Robert P. Trippe, Lucius J. Gartrell, Hardy Strick land, Augustus R. Wright. Kentucky : (Not yet elected.) Louisiana: Charles J. Villers, Charles M. Conrad, Duncan F. Kenner, Lueien J. Dupre, John L. Lewis, John Perkins, Jr. Mississippi: J. W. Clapp, Reuben Da vis, Israel Welch, H. C. Chambers, O. R. Singleton, E. Barksdale, John J. Mcßae. Missouri: W. M. Cook, T. C. Harris, Caspar W. Bell, Adam 11. Condon, G. G. West, L. W. Freeman, llyer. North Carolina: W. H. Smith, R. R. Bridges, O. R. Kenan, T. D. McDowell, A. 11. Airington, J. R. McLean, W. S. Ashe, William Landor, B. S. Gaither, A. T. Davidson. South Carolina: John McQueen, W. Porcher Miles, L. M. Ayer, M. L. Bonham, James Farrow, W. W. Boyce. Tennessee: Joseph B. Heiskell, W. G. Swan, W. H. Tibbs, E. F. Gardenshire, Henry S. Foote, Jr., Meredith P. Gentry, George W. Jones, Thomas Mennes, J. D. Adkins, John V. Wright, D. 'M. Currin. Texas: John A. Wilcox, C. C. Her bert, F. W. Gray, F. B. Sexton, M. D. Graham, B. H. Epperson. Virginia: M. R. 11. Garnett, John B. Chambliss, John Tyler, Roger A. Pryor, Thomas S. Bococke, John Goode, Jr., Jas. P. Holcombe, I). C. DeJarnette, W illiam Smith, A. R. Botelor, John B. Baldwin, W T alter R. Staples, Walter Preston, A. G. Jenkins, Robert Johnston, C. W. Russell. Government of Georgia. Joskph E. Brown, Governor. N. C. Barnett, Secretary b'f State. John Jones, Treasurer. Peterson Thweatt, Comptroller General. E. D. Brown, Librarian. John Billups, President of the Senate. J. M. Mobley, Secretary “ “ Warren Akin, Speaker of the House. L. Carrington, Clerk “ “ J. B. Campbell, Secr’y Executive Dep t. H. H. Waters, Private Secretary. J. S. Rowland, Sup’t State Railroad. James A. Green, Keeper Penitentiary. T. T. Windsor, Book-keeper “ Supreme Court Judges. —J. 11. Lumpkin, of Clark. Charles ,J. Jenkins, of Richmond. R. F. Lyon, of Fulton. Times and places of holding Court . —First District, composed of the Eastern, Middle and Brunswick Circuits; at Savannah on the second Mondays in January and June. Second District, composed of the Macon, Southwestern, Chattahoochee and Pataula Circuits ; at Macon on the fourth Mondays in January and June. Third District, composed of the Flint, Coweta, Blue Ridge, Cherokee and Talla poosa Circuits ; at Atlanta on the fourth Monday in March and second Monday in August. Fourth District, composed of the West ern and Northern Circuits; at Athens on the fourth Mondays in May and November. Fifth District, composed of the Oemulgee and Southern Circuits; at Milledgevjlle on the second Mondays in May and November. We shall be obliged to any one who can send us numbers of The Banner covering the time from the first number in March to the last number in May, 1862.