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says that the gleanings of the s^’ 1 be left for the stranger, for the fathei.ess, and for the widow, (Deut. xxiv. 19 21), hindering them, saying, “Leave the food for some hungry wayfarer, who, perchance, will bless the hand that supplies his wants. The dwelling of David lay near the banks of Jordan, in whose clear waters the green meadows and golden harvest-fields of his patrimony was reflected. As he led his young wife beneath his roof, he said—“ May thy life, O Berenice, be as tranquil as thy home, and thy days as peaceful as these glassy waters!” Then, having also welcomed his mother in-law and Paulina, David ordered a ban quet to be served, of that simple abundant character which distinguished the feasts of the ancient Hebrews. Large vases, filled with new milk, and others, sparkling with the juice of the grape ; baskets of bread, cakes, and fruit were min gled on the table with roasted kids, and pottage of lentils. Shortly after sunset; the whole family retired to rest; and on the morrow, to the inexpressible grief of Berenice, her young husband left her to join the warlike ranks of his people, resolving, in this time of peril, to exchange his ploughshare for a sword. Months passed on, and during many days the inhabitants of David’s farm heard no tidings from Jerusalem, when, at length, one evening, a wounded man, covered with dust and blood, was seen slowly and weari ly approaching the gate. He desired to speak with Abigail, and she immediately recognized in him Horam, the captain of Eleazar’s guard. “What woeful tidings bringst thou ?” ask ed the trembling matron. “Jerusalem is fallen,” cried Horam, tear in his beard ; the enemy has encamped in the Temple of the Lord !” “My husband —what of him ?” asked Abi gail ; while Berenice murmured the name of David, and Paulina listened with breath less anxiety. “Famine and pestilence,” replied the cap tain, “were in the Holy City, and Titus cru cified any stray captives whom he seized ; yet nothing could conquer the valor of our people, nor force them to yield. At length the Romans raised a wall against the ram parts, and set the city on fire in many pla ces. The Holy Temple was in flames, and in their midst perished my noble master. — There, too, the yonthful David and his brother Daniel found their tomb. Now the threatenings of the Most High are accom plished ; our nation has no longer a temple or a country. Fugitives and wanderers on the earth, when will their sore punishment be ended !” Horam ended speaking, and a mournful silence followed. It was broken hy the loud wailing of Abigail and her daughter, who tore their hair and scattered ashes on their heads. Paulina, pale and trembling, sought in vain to comfort them. On the following morning, Paulina rose early and presented herself in a travelling dress, with a staff in her hand. “Whither goest thou ?” asked Abigail.” “I go,” replied she, “to seek the wounded and the dying ; perchance I may be able to staunch their wounds and bring some com fort to their souls.” “We will go with thee,’ w said her friends. And together these three delicate, unpro tected females—united in affection, though n<4t, alas I in faith— set out on the perilous road that led to Jerusalem. Every where they beheld devastated fields, burnt houses, dead and dying men. In the fallen city (he scenes were yet more awful ; for there the plague—a conqueror more resistless than Titus —struck down, alike, the vanquishers and the vanquished. A few days afterwards, three women lay expiring near the city gate. Two of thenv, w ith the name of the God of Israel on their lips, cried, “Lord, look down upon thy ser vants !” The third had her eyes raised to heaven, and a smile of holy peace played on her lips. Turning to gaze .at her com panions, with an expression of unalterable tenderness, she murmured with her dying breath, ‘J esus, Master,havemepey on them !’ And thm she fell asleep. Contributor!* to The Banner. Rev. 11. C. Hoknady, Atlanta, Ga. “ J. M. Wood, Newnan, Ga. “ J. S- Baker, Thomasville, Ga. “ D. P. Everett, Orange Hill, Fla. “ N. M. Craw ford, Penfield. Ga. “ J. 11. Campbell, State Evangelist. “ J. R. Graves, in the Army. “ B. F. Tharp, Perry, Ga. “ W. N. Chaudoin, Albany, Ga. “ R. J. Mays, Florida. “ A. E. Dickinson, Richmond, Vs. “ W. D. Mayfield. South Carolina. M. W. Philips, Edwards, Miss. Agent* for The Banner. The following brethren will act as Agents for the Banner, and will receipt for money paid for the paper. Elder J. S. Mi hrow, Traveling Agent. “ F. M. Haygood, do “ .J. 11. Stockton, Thomson, Ga. “ Thos. Muse, Cuthbert, Ga. “ Robt. Cunningham, Macon, Ga. “ Thos Aldridge, Afillvjpud, Ga. “ W. W. Odom, Valdosta, Ga. G. F. Cooper, Americus, Ga. J. IT. Campbell, Griffin, Ga. “ W. J. Speairs, Peaks P. 0., Ga. Jo«* Clarke, Henderson, Ga. J'. A. Lawson, Gaijfin, Ga. ' illiam Lows, Jf(- Ponough, Ga. Dr. E. R. Carswell, Waynesboro', Ga William Roberts, Byrumville, Ga. R. H. J ackson, Franklin, Heard Co., Ga. J. H. B Shackelford, Spring Place, “ Dr. John Cheney, Columbus, Ga. * P. A. Hughes, Atlanta, Ga. All Baptist ministers and others, in the Confederate States, friendly to our paper, are requested to act as Agents. SS B if 6 AS? T m SBAHKKSU baptist.fanner. w Sfll MB I wl 'I Ik w “Holy Bible, —Book Divine, Precious treasure, thou art mine.” ATLANTA, GEO RCGIA: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13,. 1862. We would say to the friends of soldiers, that The Banner has been furnished in large numbers to the hospitals in this city three weeks beyond the time for which most of the subscriptions were paid. It is our intention still to gratify the requests of these suffering soldiers, by furnishing the colporteurs with copies for gratuitous circulation among them ; and, inasmuch as the actual expenses for typography and paper are unprecedentedly high, we hope to be aided: in this work by the free-will offerings of those who can appreciate the condition of the brave men alluded to. entire page, to-day, to The Soldiers.— This will be a permanent arrangement; and while special care will be bestowed upon this department of the journal, we may be indulged the expression of a modest assertion that naught will ever be found in the remaining columns of The Banner tending in any manner to harm the brave defenders of our country. Rev. Win. Huff, This brother has been appointed General ' Agent for Army Colportage in Georgia, and will spend several months in visiting the churches for- the\purpose of soliciting funds. He comes to\this State with the highest testimonials as a faithful and effi cient and we takp great pleasure in commending him to the confidence and aid of our brethren generally. * . \ Richmond, i\\ov. 24, 1862. Rev. Wm. Huff, General, Agent for Ar my Colportage, is about to visit the State of Georgia to secure funds with which Bi bles, Tracts, and other suitable reading, can •be obtained. Rev. Mr. Huff has been ac tively engaged, both in Virginia and Ten , nossee, in this good work, and has proven ' himself eminently adapted to labors of this character. lie is widely known in Virginia j as an able, pious and successful minister of ’[ the Gospel, and a true and tried friend of ( ' the defenders of the South. . 1 cordially commei d Mr. flufl’to the J kind regard and cooperation of the good people among whom he may go. During the war 1 have had the coopera , ‘ tion of many good and true ministers of t : the Gospel ; but no one has done as much ; towards this great enterprise of giving the j Word of God to the Confederate soldiers, as this gentleman. May the blessings of God continue with him in his self-denying ’ labors. A. E. Dickinson, Superintendent Army Colportage. I A New Book.— We are indebted to the author fora copy of an interesting work, ■ J just from the press of J. J. Toon & Co., in this city, entitled the ‘ Confederate Monitor and Patriot’s Friend,’containing nnmerous important and thrilling events of the pres- I ent revolution for Southern independence, together with several chapters of history I concerning Gen. Stonewall Jackson, Gen. Morgan, and other celebrities, interspersed j with patriotic gems, Ac. The compilation is by Mr. 11. W. R. Jackson, of.Aiken, S. • C., an invalid ; and his interesting ‘ Moni tor w ill be held in cherished remembrance by a devoted people. Price, sl. ‘The Soldier’s Friend.’—We have re ceived (too late for insertion in this num ber) a prospectus, issued by A. S. Worrell, tor the publication of a weekly paper to be f called 1 The Soldier’s Friend,’ the chief . object of which will be the promotion of ‘the intellectual, moral and religious inter ests of the soldiers,’ and to ‘elevate them, jif possible, to the dignity of Christian gen tlemen and soldiers.’ The paper will be furnished at five cents per copy, if sub scribed for by regiments or companies.— IWe are requested to ask those desiring further information, and all contributors, to address A. S. Worrell, Atlanta. Ga. The Educational .Journal, published at Forsyth, has secured the services of that ’ highly accomplished lady, Mrs. Mary A. McCrimmon, to preside over its Ladies’ Department. Her salutatory, in the last number, is an excellent production. We predict for this lady ‘ troops of friends.’ Msthodist Conference Appointments. —1 he follow ing are the appointments for Atlanta: Wesley Chapel, J. W. Hinton; Trinity, 11. 11. Parks; colored mission, J.; B. Payne; city mission, W. IT. Evans. ! Charity. ‘ Charity,’ says an able writer, ‘ consists not in speculative ideas of general benevo lence floating in the head, and leaving the heart, as speculations often do, untouched and cold ; neither is it confined to that in dolent good nature which makes us rest satisfied with being free from inveterate malice, or ill will to our fellow-creatures, without prompting us to be of service to any.’ True charity is an active principle. It is not properly a single virtue, but a dispo sition residing in the heart as a fountain ; whence all the virtues of benignity, candor, forbearance, generosity, compassion, and liberality flow as so many native streams. From general good will to all, it extends its influence particularly to those with whom we stand in nearest connection, and who are directly within the sphere of our good offices. From the country or com munity to which we belong, it descends to the smaller associates of neighborhood, re lations and friends, and spreads itself over : the w hole circle of social and domestic life. ; We mean not that it imparts a promiscu- ■ ous, undistinguishing affection which gives i every man an equal title to our love.— ; Charity, if we would endeavor to carry it so far, would be rendered an impracticable ; virtue, and would resolve itself into mere words, without affecting the heart.- True : charity attempts not to shut our eyes to the distinction between good and bad men, nor to warm our hearts e jually to those ■ who befriend and those who injure us.— It reserves our esteem for good men, and ! our complacency for our friends. Towards our enemies, it inspires forgiveness and ; humanity. It breathes universal candor i and liberality of sentiment. It forms gen : tleness of temper, and dictates affability of i manners. It prompts corresponding sym pathies with them who rejoice, and them who wcop. It teaches us to slight and de i spise no man. Charity is the comforter of the afflicted, the protector of the oppressed, the recon ’ ciler of differences, the intercessor for of ' fenders. It is faithfulness in the friend, public, spirit in the magistrate, equity and l patience in the judge, moderation in the i sovereign, and loyalty in the subject. In parents, it is care and attention ; in children, it is reverence and submission. In a word, it is the soul of social life. It is the sun • that enlivens and cheers the abodes of men ; : not a meteor which occasionally glares— ( but a luminary which, in its orderly and regular course, dispenses a benignant and - salutary influence. , “Wh at Time Have You ? ” —This ques- t tion is repeatedly asked in this city, and f’ answered, it may be, but very few answers f agree—and how can it be otherwise w r hen there is no generally acknowledged City I Time ? Upon this subject wish to make a suggestion, viz.: That his honor, the Mayor of Atlanta, take the matter in haiM, *' and be authorized by the City Council to employ some responsible man in the cen tral part of the city, and furnish him with f a bell, or secure the use of the bell of one 1 of the churches, and hav’e it rung every hour in the day and night. The cost to the City, compared with the advantages and i uniformity in all our movements, would be a mere trifle, and in our opinion it ought i to be carried out wizhout-delay. r Will not the Mayor of the city move in 5 the matter at once, and inaugurate a new - state of things with reference to the impor -5 tant matter of all being upon “ What time have you ? ” • j Murder at Marietta.—Thos. L. Ross, 1 of Macon, and Confederate States Marshal, 1 j was murdered at the Kenesaw Hotel in •: Marietta, last Saturday night. A party of men, under the’ influence of liquor, were disturbing the peace, and on being remon strated with by Mr. Ross, the lights were i extinguished, and some one of the party i shot him, causing instant death. The hotel ! keeper, Mr. White, was also seriously Jstabbed during the affray. p After an investigation, Joseph Harrison f was committed to jail to answer the charge of murder. The last Congress passed an Act to ex empt shoemakers, with certain restrictions ' as regards the profits on shbes. If no at - tention is to be paid to this portion of the ■ law, then it becomes the duty of the Con- I script Commissioner —if indeed we have ‘ one in the community—to conscript every shoemaker who disregards this law, and put them in the army. be see it stated that under the decision ! of the watchful and laborious Comptroller j I General of this State, the property of ~cities is subject to taxation. The Macon ■ Bridge has been levied on to be sold for the tax claimed to be on it. Change Bilu.— An act has passed, which will be very acceptable to the peo ple, authorizing the Governor to have issued one million of change bills in Treasury 1 notes. The War. The Chattanooga Rebel of the 9th instant states that there had been a general move ment of the troops towards Nashville. Gen. Kirby Smith’s corps, ’heretofore stationed at Manchester, had advanced to a short dis tance from Murfreesboro’, and is destined for Lebanon. The whole army is stated to be in motion, and skirmishing has com menced between Nashville and Murfreesbo ro’. It is the opinion of some at Chatta nooga that Nashville is to be invested on all sides. Our line of battle, says the Reb el, now extends from Franklin, in William son county, 18 miles south of Nashville, to Lebanon, the county seat of Wilson, about 30 miles north-east of that city. — These movements would seem to indicate the design of Gen. Jos. Johnston to lay siege to Nashville; but such is not the opinion of the editor of that paper. VYere the forces under Rosencrantz *to come into the level plains around Lavergne or any where between Murfreesboro’andNashville, our army, he thinks, would engage them in battle. Otherwise he concludes a gen eral engagement between the two armies is not imminent. The English Press on the Proposed Mediation.—The London Times says it cannot look upon the proposals of the Em peror of France as wholly useless, inas much as it called forth such clear opinions from the two leading nations of Europe, and gives also reason to believe that Russia, which the Republicans affect so much to admire, is equally opposed to the policy at Washington. The Morning Herald says, of all politi cal crimes since history began, this which has just been committed by the English Government is one of the most foolish and unpardonable. For cold-blood cruelty and pusillanimous betrayal of duty, Lord Rus sel and colleagues are hardly to be matched among statesmen living or dead. If rivals in guilt are to be found, they must be sought among the generals and ministers of Lin coln, and the agitated and self-styled preach ers of the Gospel, who hound them on to deeds of wickedness unparalleled in the history of civilized warfare. The Daily News shows that the proposal of France would benefit the South and in jure the North. Soldiers’ Clothing.—The Richmond pa pers publish an important announcement from the Quartermaster General’s Office, dated Richmond, November 28th. It gives notice that that Department will pay for shoes, blankets, and other articles of cloth ing which may be contributed by the peo ple of the counties in the several States to their soldiers in the field, provided that such articles are supplied under the direc tion of the county offers the following prices therefor: Caps $2, Jackets 812, Pants 89, Flannel Shirts 83, Cotton Shirts 81, Striped Cotton Shirts 81,50, Drawers 81, Shoes 86, Wool en Socks 81, overcoats with capes 825, Blankets per pair 815. ‘ The articles so furnished will be issued, as far as needed, to the particular troops for whom they are intended—but if they are already supplied, to others. Payments will be made on delivery at the nearest Quartermaster’s post. How to Have Cheap Leather. We find in the Athens Watchman a com munication from Dr. Daniel Lee, which contains hints and suggestions which every planter should know. Nature, he says, has supplied us with a great abundance of oak timber, and the best tan bark in the world. It also gives us uncommon facilities for rais ing cattle and hides ; so that no people at the North of elsewhere have advantage for the cheap production of leather over those of Georgia. We quote from the Doctors remarks : We cannot have plenty of hides and leath er unless we produce them ; and we cannot raise fine cattle without grass, nor tan leath er largely and cheaply without we husband our oak bark. In riding over Clark county I sec farmers wasting tan bark everywhere by cutting down green oaks in autumn and winter for fire wood and rails, when the bark will not separate from the wood and is lost. A large tree will yield a cord of bark in the spring, which will tan three hundred pounds of good leather worth six hundred ; dollars at present prices. Think of a com munity destroying bark enongh to make a thousand tons of leather, and then paying two dollart a pound for sole leather, which can be manufactured at twenty cents a pound and give a fair profit I I speak from i observation when I say that full three fourths lof all the oak bark suitable for tanning, ■ which God placed in this country, has been thoughtlessly wasted. It is in tha very na ture of things that such improvidence shall Ibe punished. Let the people everywhere , save and husband all this tin bark, and en-' I courage cattle raising, and shoes and boots will be as plenty as feet to wear them— VV ith cheap bark a tanner can give a farmer a pound oi leather for a pound of dry hide,' and in the end make a fortune by the ope- ■ ration, as thousands have done in the State of New York. It is alarming to witness the universal destruction of tan bark by the felling of forest trees when the bark I will not peel, and of course is noLsaved. | [For The Baptist Barnier.] My Trip to Texas. . NUMBER 11. At Vicksburg we crossed the mighty Mississippi. It is about one mile wide. Its deep waters flow as quietly onward as though no roar of cannon had ever thun dered o’er them, or abolition gunboats dis turbed their ceaseless course., . But the city tells a little different story. That four-sto ry, big brick building, is the Washington Hall. That patch of new bricks, that looks a little like a window had been closed • up, is where the Yankee balls knocked a hole in the wall. That shattered column, and those few bricks out of the corner of that house, are from the same cause. But the signs are few, and soon lost sight of, in view of the Spartan valor that defended the place. On the western bank of the river stand a few houses, pretty well torn to pieces by our shells, shelling out the Yankees. Here we first meet with the great allevial bottom lands of the Valley. The soil is of a very dark grey ; and at this place it is probably fifty feet deep, and about eighty miles wide. We ride over this country in a large cotton wagon, with four mules attached, and at a brisk trot. — For twe®ty-five miles nothing but ruin meets the eye —elegant mansions, long rows of white negro houses, and thousands oi acres of the most fertile fields, all deserted ; the railroad washed away in a few places, and the depots burned. But the Yankee ditch, of which we have heard so much, to turn the river, is a burlesque —probably a mere pretext to get negroes to their camps, to steal. It is not more than four or five feet wide, and may be as many feet deep. After twenty-five miles in a cotton wagon, we come to the useable part of the rail road, which takes us to Monroe. Dion. . [For The Baptist Banner.'} * Broken tip Agiiin. Another raid upon the salt works at St. Andrews Bay was made by the blockaders a few days ago. For about two months past the weatfrtjt has been entirely dry, and salt in large quantities has been made by the many hundreds of persons encamp ed and encamping on the Bay and Gulf coast, from Alabama and Georgia. On the west prong of St. Andrews, a very large flat or salt marsh was discovered, where it was found that water could be obtained, by digging pits, so strong that from 60 to 100 gallons would yield a bushel of salt; and for miles around this marsh the salt camps were “thick as hail,” makiag from two to thirty bushels of salt a day, according to amount of boilerage. At fifteen and twen ty dollars per bushel, those making for sale were realizing money Tapidly, and never was the gold fever higher than the salt fe ver here amongst all classes, few knowing when Sunday came and none stopping their works at night. But last Monday the Yankees fell in up on them with five launch loads of armed soldiers, with two “ pivot guns,” and such excitement and stampede has not been known since the Bull Run panic. One man wounded and si\ mules killed. All the wagons and kettles, which could not be gotten off in time, were destroyed, with a i good deal of salt left on the ground by the panic-stricken campers. Six of the men were made prisoners, but afterwards “ pa roled.” I have seen some of these paroled men and the paper given certifying to tlje fact. It was written in pencil, somewhat in form, on two leaves of a small blank book, signed, “John E. Hart, Lieut, com., U. S. N.” These men regard this paroling of citizens as a “ Yankee trick,” and will govern themselves accordingly. Those higher up the Bay, and remote from the place where the Yankees first landed, lost nothing except perhaps some boilers too heavy to be easily removed. At night a serious panic occurred among the numer ous wagoners who had gotten out several miles from the Bay and camped, when it was reported the Yankees were in close pursuit. Notwithstanding all this destruction and i danger, there were men making salt again the next day, and many wagons have pass cd down since, and are still passing. The works on the Gulf, fifty miles west, and those on East Bay, have also been broken up, but the people still say they must have salt, and are risking it again. It would re ' quire but a small force, with a battery of a 1 few guns, at a proper place on West Bay, to prevent the Yankee boats from going up ; and no place but a salt mine will yield • salt in such abundance as the extensive salt marsh before alluded to. Six hands, with boilers sufficient, can make thirty bushels of salt per day, and if the, government ! would protect them, thousands would go and make it at $5 per bushel, and coin money at that. P. S.—l have not been to the Bay my self since the raid in September, when my works were.broken up before I had finish cd making salt. December 2, 1862. Brother Daniel left the salt works on W est Bay yesterday. No Yankees there since the great break up on the 24th. (The Ea.:t Bay works destroyed on the 27th.) — .There seems to be almost as many camp .firesnow as before, and new parties are icoming in daily. They make salt rapidly .from the wells or pits. A firm with 240 gallons boilerage made eight bushels per day —but they are in constant apprehension jof a Y ankee visit. D. P. E. ! Hereafter, those sending money letters to the paper will be particular to address them to The Baptist Banner, and not jto me individually. This is made the more ! imperative as brother Ells will have the entire control of the financial department of I the paper. We hope the brethren will i labor U> increase the number of subscribers, land that The Banner may longwave in our I Baptist Zion. 11. C. llornady.