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BY HORNADY & ELLS.
VOL IV.
@! •Baniu’T and
DEVOTED TO RELIGION AND LITERATURE,
Is published every Saturday, at Atlanta, Georgia, at the
subscription price of three dollars per year.
HORNADY & ELLS,
Editors and Proprietors.
H. C. Hornady.] [James N. Ells.
[Original.]
Departing Summer.
As thy deep full melodies float
Through ev’ry wood and dell,
Summer, mother of living things,
I bid thee now farewell!
Thy ling’ring, setting day of gold
On wings of time hath flown,
And thy long bright march of splendor
Pales in the black unknown.
But tli’ flower lit with laughing beams,
The fields of waving green,
Thy fringed cloud of drifting snow
In sweet calm evening seen;
Thy high hard vault of bending blue,
The morning’s dewy gray,
The rocks and hills that felt thy fire—
Now where—Oh! where are they ?
To bird and beast—ten thousand things—
Joy’s been in ev’ry day,
And thy whole bright round of glory
Has sweetly pass’d away:
The mountains waved their robes of green,
In joyous grandeur swung,
While nature, all on balmy gale,
Her bursting anthems flung.
But on all the affairs of man
How did thy splendors fall ?
Didst thou have kindling light and joy
For kingdoms, empires all ?
Where thou hast flash’d thy leaping fires,
Or whirl’d thy burning train,
Hast thou left, in march of mercy,
All bosoms free from pain ?
Wliat dark wreck, what tremendous woes,
What long black rays of strife,
What storm and tumult thou hast seen
In thy short transient life! —
Freedom bound down in galling chains,
The robes of Justice torn,
A nation’s grandly rising orb
Of ev’ry glory shorn 1
Thy light has flamed along the path
Of bloody, servile war,
To burn the heavy front of steel,
To light a single star, —
Faint dim star—now a full-grown sun—
Fire of the battle stroke,
That looms along our Southern sky,
And lights our world of smoke.
The temple of light, Freedom’s home,
In dreadful ruin lies,
And Honor, like fallen angel,
Looks never to the skies;
The shrine where hopeful millions bent
Is dim with gory dust,
And only bend those trembling souls
Who feel and know they must.
Peace gives place to the shock of war,
As events thunder on,
And Want usurps the throne of wealth,
To sparling mis’ry gone;
The cannon’s harsh dread thunders roll
Whore Gospel music rang,
And battles groan aud heroes wail
Where Christum worthies sang.
Soitow has gone to ev’ry home
To bid the tearful part,
And come again with'news of death
To tear and rend the heart;
Black Desolation now treads down
Alt bright and sacred hopes,
And death, despair, the whole nation
In deeper darkness gropes.
Thou didst only live, dear Summer,
" lu thy most rapid flight,
To hang some beacon fires among
The clouds of moral night;
Thy sov’reign robes were thrown aside
Before our laud was tree —
Before the victor’s lofty shout
Arose from sea to sea.
W. D. M.
Martin's Depot, 8. C.
Indian Courtship. —Among other inter
esting anecdotes of the Choctaws, is the
following sketch of their manner of love- -
making: “Courtship is invariably begun
by the female. If she fancies a young
man, she makes what is techniallv called
the first banter. This is done by slyly
squeezing the hand, or gently touching his
foot at the camp fire. If a man should
venture upon any of these little prelimina
ries without being sure of a reciprocal par
tiality, the indignant maid would immedi
ately assail him with a stick, and this would
be a signal fo‘ a general assault by all the
squaws around on the presuming lover,
who, unless he fled, voutd be beaten with-!
out mercy. Thus, even in this rude shape,
does woman play the coquette. The young
squaw who screams the loudest, and shows
the most resentment at these unwarrantable
liberties of ardent lover, is set down as
the Diana of her tribe."
A AM© liiS®©A¥ M®WSS > .kS?®li.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, NOVEMBER 8, 1862.
Passages in the Life of an
Old Georgia Preacher.
NUMBER 111.
In 1830, and about that period, a great
controversy raged among the Baptists of
Georgia, ostensibly on the subject of doc
trine, but really on the subject of Missions.
The Atonement was the great question —
James Henderson being the leader of the
limited Atonement party, and Cyrus White
the champion of those who believed in its
universality. The former, with his adhe
rents, relapsed into Antinomianism, while
the latter drew off a small party into Armin
ianism. There was a third party, with
Jesse Mercer and the Georgia Association
as a nucleus, the really conservative party,
who were not to be drawn away from sup
porting the doctrines of grace and the cause
of religion. Some of these latter formed
the Central and Rehoboth Associations, and
with brethren of kindred spirit in the Cos
lumbus, Western and Bethel Associations,
were instrumental in bringing those bodies
to the support of benevolent objects. The
Ocmulgee Association (which followed
James Henderson,) when it withdrew from
the Georgia Baptist Convention, numbered
nearly four thousand. Now it contains
hardly as many hundred. The opposite
party, or Whiteites, as they were called,
had a brief existence, most of their church
es having resumed their connection with
the Missionary Baptists, or become extinct.
The writer took an active part in the re
ligious conflicts of those days, and he has
occasion for gratitude to God that he has
lived to witness the triumph of those prin
ciples for which he contended with youth
ful ardor and zeal. He is also thankful
that experience has taught him to look with
more charity on those who differ from him,
than he could then exercise. Even good
men, when they become arrayed in opposi
tion to each other, are apt to run into er
rors and excesses. The writer has strong
hope that Mercer, White, Henderson, and
other Christians of their times, have met in
that country where they “ see eye to eye,”
and where they shall dwell together in per
fect harmony forever.
My first pastorate was in one of the lar
gest towns in the interior of this State. It
was anew place and inhabited by a motley
multitude. The salary afforded me was a
mere pittance, and my wife must needs
toach school in order to make a support. —
Yet the field was large and inviting, and
we entered upon our labors with resolution
and hope. The congregation increased, the
church grew, and within the year a large
and comfortable house of worship was
erected and paid for, almost exclusively
through my own efforts. I rejoijed in the
belief that all things wehe going on well,
and that a bright future was before me. —
Alas! how soon the delusion dispelled !
1 had, most innocently, given mortal offence
to one of our deacons, in that I had failed
to take his advice—for which I had not ask
ed—in some unimportant matter, and did
not read my sermons every Sunday fore
noon, which he thought the better way.—
The church was accustomed to have an an
nual election of pastor (a bad plan!) and
my deacon took this occasion to show' his
opposition. Having no taste for strife,
and not knowing exactly what the trouble
was, 1 abruptly broke up the connection,
and removed to another town. It was soon
discovered that my oily-tongued deacon
was engaged in circulating wicked slanders
against me, and in other acts of dishonesty, 1
which ended in his leaving the place in dis
grace, and his exclusion from the church.—
It may have been my duty to have stood
mv ground and exposed his wickedness. —
I have never been able to decide. It could
not havlSeen done at the t i me w ithou t a risk of
rending the church. Within a few months
“ mine enemy ” w rought out his own ruin,
while the harmony of the church was pre
served. In the meantime, another inviting
field of labor had been opened up to me
through the influence of him who had been
my “good Samaritan’Laiid my second fath
er! In that field I labored successfully and
happily some fifteen years.
The pastorship is frequently the occasion
of strife and division in churches. I have
ever had a horror of being the innocent
cause of such trouble, and have found it
better for my soul, at least, to sacrifice my
self rather than risk such consequences. In
making this sacrifice, I have ever enjoyed
greater peace as well as greater prosperity, j
Harrison.
“his banner over” us is “love.”
MISCELLANY.
doing Up and Coming Down.
KT MART F. T. TUCKER.
This is a simple song, ’tis true —
My songs are never over-nice;
And yet I’ll try and scatter through
A little pinch of good advice.
Then listen, pompous friend, and learn
Never to boast of much renown ;
For fortune’s wheel is on the turn,
And some go up and some go down.
I know a vast amounlfof stocks,
A vast amount of proud insures;
But fate has picked so many locks,
I wouldn’t like to warrant yours.
Remember, then, and never spurn
The one whose hand is hard and brown;
For he is likely to go up,
And you are likely to come down.
Another thing, you will agree,
(The truth may be as well confessed,)
That “ codfish aristocracy,”
Is but a “scaly” thing at best;
And though the fishes, large and strong,
May seek the little ones to drown—
Yet fishes all, both great and small,
Are going up and coming down.
Our lives are full of chance and change,
And chance, you know, is never sure;
And ’twere a doctrine new and strange,
That places high are most secure.
And though the fickle god may smile,
And yield the sceptre and the crown,
’Tis only for a little while
That A. goes up and B. comes down.
This world for you and me, my friend,
Hath something more than pound and
pence;
Then let me humbly recommend
A little use of common sense
Thus lay all pride of place aside,
And have a care on whom you frown
For fear you’ll see him going up,
When you are only coming down.
THE LEFT EYE.
A rich old man, who-resided at the ex
tremity of the camp, quite apart from the
rest, had three daughters; the youngest,
named Kookju, was as much distinguished
for her rare beauty as for extraordinary
wisdom.
One morning, as he was about driving
his cattle for sale to the Chan’s market
place, he begged his daughters to tell him
what they wished him to bring them on his
return. The two eldest asked him for
trinkets ; but the handsome and wise Kook
ju said that she wanted no present, but that
she had a request to make, which it would
be dangerous for him to execute. Upon
which the father, who loved her more than
the two others, swore that he would do her
wish, though it was at the price of his life*
“If it be so,” replied Kookju, “I beg
you to do as follows : sell your cattle, ex
cept the short-tailed ox, and ask no Other
price for it except the Chan’s left eye.”
The old man was startled; however, re
membering his oath, and confiding in his
daughter’s wisdom, he resolved to do as she
bade him.
After having sold all his cattle, and be
ing asked the price of the short-tailed ox,
he said he would sell it for nothing else
than the Chan’s left eye. The report of
this singular and daring request soon reach
ed the ears of the Chan’s courtiers. At
first they admonishedjpm not to use such
an offensive speech against the sovereign;
but when they found that he persevered in
his strange demand, they bound him and i
carried him, as a madman, before the Chan, i
The old man threw himself at the prince’s
feet, and confessed that his demand had
been made at the request of his daughter,
whose motives he was entirely ignorant of;
and the Chan, suspecting that some secret
must be hidden under this extraordinary
request, dismissed the old man under the
condition that he would bring him that
daughter who had made it.
Kookju appeared, and the Chan asked :
“ Why dost thou instruct thy father to
demand my left eye ? ”
“ Because ! expected, my prince, that af
ter so strange a request, curiosity would
urge thee to send for me.”
** And wherefore dost thou desire to see
me f ”
M I wish to tell thee a truth, important to
thyself and thv people.”
“ Name it.”
** Prince,” replied Kookju, “ when tw’o
persons appear before thee in a cause, the
wealthy and the noble generally stand on
thy right hand, while the poor and humble
[ stand on thy left. I have heard in my soli
tude that thou most frequently favorest the
noble and rich. This is the reason why I
persuaded my father to ask for thy left eye
—it being no use to thee, since thou never
seest the poor and unprotected.”
The Chin, incensed and surprised at the
daring of this maiden, commanded his court
to try her. The court was opened, and the
president, who was the eldest Lama, pro
posed that they should try whether her
strange proceeding was the effect of malice
or wisdom.
Their first step was to send to Kookju a
log of wood, cut even on all sides, ordering
her to find out which was the root and
which the top. Kookju thre wit in the wa
ter and soon knew the answer, on seeing
the root sinking, while the top rose to the
surface.
After this they sent her two snakes in or
der to determine which was a male and
which was a female. The wise maiden laid
them on cotton, and seeing that one coiled
herself up in a ring, whilst the other crept
away, she judged the latter was a male and
the former a female.
From these trials the court was convin
ced that Kookju had not offended the Chan
from motives of malice, but the inspiration
of wisdom granted from above. But not
so with the Chan; his vanity was hurt, and
he resolved to puzzle her with questions,
in order to prove that she was not wise.—
He ordered her before him, and then asked:
“ On sending a number of maidens in the
woods to gather apples, which of them will
bring home the most'?”
“She,” replied Kookju, “who, instead of
climbing up the trees, remains below* and
and picks up those which have fallen ofl
from maturity or the shaking of the
branches.”
The Chan then led her to a fence,and ask
ed which would be the readiest way to get
over; and Kookju said “to cross it would
be farthest, going round nearest.”
The Chan felt vexed at the readiness and
propriety of her replies; and having re
flected for some time, he again inquired :
“ Which is the safest means of becoming
known to many ? ”
“ By assisting those that are unknown.”
“ Which is the surest means of leading
a virtuous life ? ”
“To begin every morning with prayer,
and conclude the evening with some good
action.”
“ Who is truly wise ? ”
“ He who does not believe himself so.”
“ Which are the requisites for a good
wife ? ”
“She should be as beautiful as a pea hen,
gentle as a lamb, prudent as a mouse, just
and faithful as a mirror, pure as the scales
of a fish; she must mourn for her deceased
husband like a she camel, and live in her
widowhood like a bird which has lost its
wings.”
The Chan was astonished at the wisdom
of the fair Kookju; yet, enraged at her
having reproached him with injustice he
still wished to destroy her.
After a few days he thought he had found
the means for attaining his object. He j
sent for her and asked her to determine the
true worth of his treasures; after which he
promised to absolve her from malice in
questioning his justice, and to admit that j
she intended, as a woman, merely to warn
him.
The maiden consented, yet under the j
condition that the Chan would promise im- j
plieit obedience to her commands for four!
days. She requested that he would eat no j
food during that time. On the last day j
she placed a dish of meat before him, and j
said :
“Confess, O, Chan, that all thy treasures !
are not worth as much as this joint of
meat! ”
The Chan was so struck with the truth j
of her remarks, that he confessed the truth !
of it, acknowledged her as wise, married!
her to his son, and permitted him constant- j
ly to remind him to use his left eye.
Idleness. —ldleness is the bane of body
and mind, the nurse of naughtiness, the
step-mother of discipline, the chief author
of all mischief, one of the seven deadly;
sins, the cushion on which the devil chiefly
reposes, and a great cause not only of mel- j
archoly, but of many other diseases; for
the mind is naturally active, and if it be not
occupied about some honest business, it
rushes into mischief, or sinks into melanj
choly. __
TERMS —Three Dollars a-year.
The Christian’s Hope.
What a blessed thing is the Christian’s
Hope. It sheds hope on every affliction,
lightens every sorrow, and adds brightness
to every joy. How many care worn wea
ry ones would have sunk into the depths
of despair, had it not been for this blessed
hope, which shone through every cloud,
and whispered of a heaven of rest and
peace beyond this vale of tears. When
assailed by the malicious tongue of slan
der, pierced to the heart by unkindness,
how soothingly does the thought come
over the mind, “ Our Saviour suffered all
this and knows how to feel for us: for He
was tempted in all points even as we are.”
O ! yes, priceless beyond human estimation
is the hope of the Christian which is found
ed on the Rock of Ages. Surely no one,
who ever tasted the joy of such a hope,
would ever desire to turn back to the pleas
ures of earth. True, darkness and doubts
will oft times obscure the light, but it is
only for a time, and such seasons of gloom
only serve to draw us more strongly to
wards our dear Heavenly Father.
How pleasant it is, when wearied with
the cares and exertions of the day, to sit at
its close and feel that each hour and day as
it passes brings us nearer death, the happy
release from all earthly trials. How sweet
to feel that soon we shall have done with
earth and its temptations, and have entered
into the paradise of God. There we shall
spend a blessed and endless eternity with
our dear Redeemer and all the saints and
holy ones in Heaven, where, freed from
weakness of the body, we shall ever be
singing praises to our God. Oh ! joyful
thought, happy reality ! Who would bar
ter such a hope as this for all that earth af
fords? Sinner, be converted. Seek an in
terest in Christ, give Him your heart, and
all the joys of Heaven shall be thine. All
things earthly are at best but fleeting shad
ows. There is nothing lasting here; and
how miserable will be your fate if you die
while out of Christ.
Then, be wise. Make the Christian’s hope
your own, and shouts of joy shall resound
through the high arches of the court above,
over your repentance.
Harmony of Scripture.
It is stated in the book of Numbers that
the Israelites slain at Baal Peor were twen
ty-four thousand; but Paul, in his First
Epistle to the Corinthians, says that the
slain were three-and-twenty thousand.—
Some have hereupon based a charge of con
tradiction. But Dr. Ilodge justly claims
that both statements are correct, for noth
ing depended on the precise number. “Any
number between the two amounts may, ac
cording to common usage, be stated round
ly as either the one or the other. The in
fallibility of the sacred wrters consists in
their saying precisely what the spirit of
God designed that they should say; and
the spirit designed that they should speak
after the manner of men, should call the
heavens solid, and the earth flat, and use
round numbers without intending to be
mathematically exact in common speech.
Moses and Paul were accustomed, like
most other men, to use round numbers, and
they used them when under the influence of
inspiration, just as they used other familiar
forms of statement. Neither intended to
speak with numerical exactness, which the
occasion did not require. What a wonder
ful book is the Bible, written at intervals
during a.period of fifteen hundred years,
when such appearances of inaccuracy as
this must be seized upon to impeach its in
fallibility ! ”
What a noisy creature would a man be,
were his voice, in proportion to his weight,
as loud as that of a locust! A locust can
be heard at the distance of one-sixteenth of
a mile. The golden wren is said to weigh
but half an ounce, so that a middling-sized
man would weigh down not short of four
thousand of them ; and it must be strange
if a golden wren would not outweigh four
of our locusts. Supposing, therefore, that
a common man weighed as much as sixteen
thousand of our locusts, and that the note
of a locust can be heard one-sixteenth of a
mile, a man of common dimensions, pretty
sound in wind and limbs, ought to be able
to make himself heard at a distance of one
thousand miles.
Our own bapp* ness is best promoted by
s eeking the welfare of others.
NO. 1.
