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Till- BAPTIST li\Wlli. BY DAYTON, ELLS & CO. VOLUME V. ®he ganntr, DEVOTED TO RELIGION AND LITERATURE, la published every Saturday, at Atlanta, Georgia, at the subscription price of five dollars per year. DAYTON, ELLS & CO., « Proprietors. A. C. DAYTON. JAS. N. ELLS! 8. D. NILES [M>r the BaptUt Banner. [ ADA MAYFIELD. BY A LADY. CHAPTER 111. i* rJ I t Mass Lewis, you sick ? Dey’s all ±1 at breakfast. 1 made shore you was out in the field, ’cause I didn’t see you in there as 1 came to make up your room. “ No, Hannah, I am not sick ; but I don’t feel very well. I will get up directly.” “ I’ll go’long den, and clean up Marscer’s room, den come back to dis one.” Lewis rose slowly and languidly, as she left the room. lie had sent his uncle word, when summoned to breakfast by Jake, that he didn’t wish any, hud begged to be ex cused. The truth was, he had slept but lit tle the preceding night, and felt depressed — no t sleeping, but not caring to rise. He found none of the family in die dining-room, I but Ada, washing up the cups. At her ur- 1 gent request he satdown and drank a cup of coffee and* ate a small piece of waffle which his sister hfll left warm for him. He re mained looking at her till all was cleared off, the cloth removed, and the table put to one side ; then, as Hannah began to flourish her broom, he arose and walked into the field.” Ned and Charles had gone early to school > I their teacher was preparing fir a famous examination and exhibition at night on the! Fourth of July. An examination at acoun-j try school is always an important affair ; , not only the teacher and pupils, i double I their efforts, but the parents become excited I from hearing it so often discussed by their , hopeful offspring. New dressing, out-and-j out, must be prepared for this especial occa xioii; and each fond mother, in fitting it up, prides herielf upon the handsome appear anee her children will make on that day. Lach parent confident!) expects his or her child to gain the applause of the spectators ; and to make it doubly sure, tha children are stimulated to increased diligence in study, and constant attendance at recitation. Many a man who lias stood high in the estimation of his countrymen can look back to the time when his boyish heart swelled with proud anticipation of the display he intend ed to make before the assembled lords and ladies of the land, on ouo of these eventful Jays. Many a lady who has graced the most refined circles of society can remem ber when it was her highesUambition to be at the head of her class in some little brown schoolhouse in the woods; and when, for weeks before an examination, the dress and adorning* her mother was preparing for her divided her attention with her lessons. How many young heartshave fluttered and throbbed on such a day, with intense ex citement! —aye, and older ones, too ; for it is imposible for parents to ba calm when their ehilden are interested, and the heart of each one almost ceases its pulsations as their offspring, from the tall, manly youth to the little white-headed a-b c d arian sue* uessively makes his debut. Mr. Mayfield had gone to the town of I B t about seven miles from his resi-l deuce, and bought Ned, and Charles each one, a new suit expressly for the occasion.! Part of it had to be made, and every even ing, during the past week they had tea zed sister Ada to know’ when she was going to commence it. She had entirely removed their anxiety this morning, while fixing their dinner basket, by telling them she was go ing t*» cut it out immediately after break fast, and with Lucy and Maria's assis tance, she would finish in two or three days. Lew is had gone to the field, according to his daily custom; but the interest which he had begun to take in agriculture seemed to have vanished (his morning. He found the hand* about finishing a piece of work, and the* required his close attention for an hour or two, as he ordered the desired change in their work ; but he gave his di rections medianiea’ly, waited till he saw them fairly started in another place, and re turned to the house, taking the pasture in his way , to see if all was right there. Here, a smexovs ah® sassim hj> found his uncle riding around, examining every thing with a scrutinizing eye. Merely say ing,“you nave preceded me, sir, ’ he was passing directly on, when, his uncle in quired —“ Have you been to the field, Siewis ?” “ Yes, sir. The hands have finished near the gin-house, and J moved them’, to the east side of the field near the creek ; they are working so well that I left them for a while.” “ Very well, As lam riding, I will go around the fence, and if necessary, have it repaired ; then, thi* evening, 1 want to go with me and take a hunt for the brindle cow ; Hannah tells me she has not been home to milking since last Saturday morn ing.” “ Yes, sir ;” and they separated. A little farther on Lewis came upon uncle Jupe, a privileged old servant, just coming out of a patch of corn—his own especial patch— with several ears in his hands. “ Ah’ Uncle Jupe, arc you going to give us corn for dinner ? You are earlier than your neighbors, are you not ?” ’ “Yes, sah. I was ’tarmined dis year, wid de blessing of de Lord, dat Mars should ' hab de earliest wegitables an’ corn ob eny 'bo Jy roun’; an’ I said dat long ’fore de cole weder was gome, Miss Ada would hab lots o’ salut for her table, an’ dis is de fust early corn eny one’s had—*kase I axed yis terday at meetin’ an’, nobody hain got none ripe yit.” “But what has the Lo-d to do with your garden and corn patch, uncD Jupe? You (don’t think He troubles .ibo ich things, I do you ?’’ “ Lor’ bless you,Marste'. on i you kn ( 1 He sends de rain an’ de sunshine jest as it pleases Him? An’ what good would ( all our work do widout dat? You know, j Mars Lewis, we might work eber so hard, I an’ if dere’s too much rain, de crop’s ruined, j an’ if dere’s too little, its de same ting.— I Now, it pleased de Lord dis year to send jest ’nuff, an’ ebery ting is grp win’ mighty putty. Don’t de Book say sonneting ’bout ! prayin’ to de Lord, an’ He will send de early ! an’ de latter rain ?” “ I believe so ; but I don’t know much ■ about it.” ; “Hi ! Massa, don’t dey larn dat Book at Je ’varsity whar you bin? I don’t know whar Miss Ady got her edication; but she ( knows all about it. It’s jest so wid ebery i ting we do, Massa—'les de Lord bless our labor it’s all in vain ; an’ sometimes I tink j dat’s de way wid heap o’ folksdat’fesses to be Christians-—dey ’pends too much on der I own work, an’ don't ax de Lord to show ’em what to do, and bless der work, an’ so 1 dey blings fort no fruit, an’ may be, arter all, de Lord will not. own ’em for His chil ,! lun. But I must git dis corn to de kitchen, or Jake will not hab time to cook it for din ner.” Here was ibis question thrust upon Lewis again. Didn’t he study that Book at col lege ? Certainly, in a measure. He bad attended worship in the college every morn ing—read the Scriptures—attended church regularly every Sabbath, where the Scrip ' tures were faithfully expounded ;.but he had merely heard the words, without trying to discover the meaning, or making any appli. cation of it. But he had resolved heuce ; forth to live a religious life—to be a Chris ' tian—to arise from 'bis death of sin, and i lead a new life. He Uul spent part of the preceding night, aim ail of the morning in arranging his plan of operations. He had finally concluded that ho would read the Bible, keep the Sabbath holy, leave <>ff his sms, and walk ns nearly as possible in con formity with the teaching of Scripture.— j Alas for poor fallen nature, he had resolv ed to do it in him own strength, not doubt ing that he do whatever he willed. He did not reflect that he could not change his heart; and it did not enter into his medita tions that this change was necessary before he could live a Christian lite. He had a con fused recollection nt some passages of Scrip ture, which he applied to his own ease, viz : Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” “ Y-e see, then, bow that by works a man i* justified.” “If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments and do them, then will I give you rain in due season," Ac. ; and he had become tol erably cheerful in the belief of the security of his method ; but these last words ut un ,de Jupe put to flight his confidence. He; ATLANTA, GA., SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1863. HIS BANNER OVER US IS LOVE. — w —__ stood for some time in the shade of the tree where the old man had left him, feeling very much like the schoolboy who has worked to the end of i long and difficult problem in mathematics to find the whole had gone wrong, just by one little miscal culation in tke beginning. “ Suppose,” thought he, “the Lord does not bless my efforts—suppose he does not receive me, after all; for, as sole Ruler of the universe, it is in His power to reject whom He pleases. Yet I know some Christians— uncle and Ada, for instance—who seem as certain of their acceptance as if they were already in Paradise. 1 wonder how they can feel so secure? They must certainly know they will be saved at last, or they could not be so happy. I wonder how it is? I see no prospect for me but to live in doubt and fear till the last momentand a deep sigh proved how heavy his hearj felt. Nearing the house, he herrd Ada’s voice sounding loud and clear above the clattering of her machine, as she sang at her work. “Ah ! how can she sing so merrily when she must see I am so miserable?” was his ungenerous thought; “ Lucy sympathizes with me, at Aeast, for she is quiet.” The truth was,l Lucy was too seriously impressed to feel like enjoyment, of any kind ; the intensity of her feelings k'ept her qu.ot. Ada was hap ■py —happy ’ n Ihe consciousness of being in I the right, and that she was impiL-ting hap- ( piness to those around her, by her la bors «f love; therefore she sang. When Lewis walked in she stopped the machine and turned from it. “ Don’t let me interrupt your work,” said Ihe throwing himself on the lounge, “ 1 just c le in to rest a moment or two.” i • It's no interruption* I have some work (here that I cannot do on the machine, and , am glad to have your company. You have , ‘ had quite a warm walk ; sit with us till you , get rested.” She talked in a cheerful strain for some f time, eliciting only short and random re plies from him, while Lucy scarcely spoke ; a word. Finally Ada ceased talking alto ' gether, thinking, perhaps, he was too tired to talk. After the lapsefof several minutes silence, Hattie want up to him and, climbing L his knee, inquired in a concerned .tone — ' “ Brother, are you sick ?” ;. “ No. honey ; why do you ask ?” r i “Because you look so—so —dark.” “Ah! I am tanning, I presume. This ; hbt sun is enough to tan an Indian. But > jump down, honey; I must go and see ’ what the hands are doing now. I fear I r shall never fill uncle Mark’s idea of a !ar- > iner.” It was quite a coming down for one of ■ the exquiaites of the junior class in B , college to be out in the woods on a hotsum- r mer evening, looking for the brindle cow, and a year ago, he would have disdained to « think of such a thing; he would scarcely - have condescended to know that she must I, come up regularly for milking. But, thanks (to his uncle’s judicious advice, he had got i ; ten over such dandified notions, and went out with as good a will as if he had been I always accustomed to such. Besides it > j formed part of his self-regenerating plan to obey his uncle ; and if it had been eVer so re pugnant to him he would have gone. He set ■ himself steadily to work out bis own salva I tion, and in pursuance of his plan, was as r rigid in the discharge of his duty, and in i j the observance bf forms, as a Pharisee. He I. read the Bible night and' morning, joined ‘(the family in worship, and oven said over I with great solemnity a form of prayer, sol-* jacing himself with the idea that he was do ing all a mortal could to save his soul. He ■ was doing mart than a mortal thould— he 1 was trusting in his own works for salva- iltion. lie read Paul’s epistles with a great i j deal of interest. The style of this l>oid and defender of the truth was particu larly attractive to one of such an iuder-en dent mind, so apt to think and judge for himself upon all subjects. Really, the Bi (ble, thought he, taken a* .* whole, wa* a I literary gem, and he wondered why it was not tnorf; thoroughly taught in all our in stitutions. He admired, espi.cialiy, Paul’s rigid control of himself, his carefulness to abstain from all appearance of evil, and to live in strict eonfoimity with the teachings, of the -Divine lawgiver ; but Be entirely overlooked the fact that Paul did not trust ;to any of these for salvation, but utterly j disclaimed his unworthiness, and declared his inability to do anything meritorious of himself. That though when a Pharisee, he was rigid in his observance of the Jaw, yet he was only a sinner, a chief among sinners, till, subdued by the grace of God, he fell completely humbled at the feet of Jesus, gave himself up entirely to God, and in quired what He would have him to do. His usual good sense in judging of matters and things seemed to have deserted him in this case. Had any one asked him couid a crim inal under sentence of death do any thing to merit a revocation of the sentence, he would have been offended at the implied charge of weak judgment. No; he had violatea the law ; his life was demanded as an atone ment for his crimes, and if he were par doned at all, it must be alone through the mercy of the law—a free gift from the au thority which he had offended. Now, he knew that he, as well as every sinner, was under sentence of death, that he was already condemned in the sight of God for his guilty violation of His law, yet, contrary to his own common sense, and the plain teach ing of Scripture, he was working, vainly endeavoring to do something which would bring God under obligation to revoke the sentence. Alas! he found it a laborious task, that brought no comfort. His heart grew heavier with each day’s burden. Sabbath morning there was no preaching; for the Baptists about Shady Grove thought themselves able to have preaching only two Sabbaths in the month (a common error with country churches) ; but their Sabbath school met regularly, and Mr. Mayfield and Ada always went, and took the younger children. Lewis had hitherto declined ac companying them on alternate Sabbaths, and had gone off to other.churches where the usual services and prom iscuous congre gations proved better assistants in passing off the time than the usual routine, of Sab bath school lessons and the company of a few teachers. This morning, however, after assisting his sisters, Charlie, and Philip into the carriage, he astonished them by announcing his intention to accompany them, adding as an excuse, (as if one were needed,) “ I think I had better go with you, Ada; for I perceive Ned thinks it is hard for uncle Mark to insist ou his going when he suffers me to doas I please about it.” But I the real truth was, ha thought this a very ■ meritorious act, and one which would go far 1 in the way of obtaining salvation. ■ “I am glad you have come to this deter mination, Lewis,” sard Ada. “You liave - great influence over Ned, and tor his sake, as well as your own, 1 am glad to have you with us.” f Ned dtove. his|uncle’s buggy, and Lewis rode after them, a solitary, silent outrider, his gloomy thoughts and heavy heart casting > a shadow over the beautiful scenery through which they passed. , “ I hope our services ' w ill not prove te dious to you,” said Ada to him, as they passed from the carriage to the door. The children and teachers were surprised at his appearance ; for none but those con nected with the school ever went except on church days. The superintendent, though ; momentarily surprised, advanced, shook ■ 1 hands with him, and invited him to take a J seat with the Bible class, where he could 3 easily hear the principal part of the exer ' cises. Manv truths were uttered that day ] which w ould have led him far in bi* search 4 after the right way, had not bis heart been I shielded with such a thick panoply of sulf regeneration, that they failed to make any Mfopression. Weeks after they recurred to him with such force and distinctness that he wondered how he could have been so deaf. Mr. Mayfield sat the whole afternoon with Ada, assisting her in teaching the younger ones, and reading and conversing with all of them, expecting Lewis every moment to enter and renew the subject of last Sunday evening’* conversation. But he retired to his room after dinner, and zeal- ■ ously read the Bible and religious works, I though, in his heart but ac i knvwleifoe it a wearisome task. He had j i'ito appreciation of real literary to yield all the homage of his ;n --t tellect to the beauties and excellencies of , the Bible, but his heart remained untouched. [to be contincbd ] | Terms of TIIE BAPTIST BAN NEB— ■ Five dollars per year. TERMS — Five Dollars a-year. THE COLUMN. Tsie Way the Ladies Work iu Atla«- la, Cieorgia. The Ladies of Atlanta are doing their whole duty to the gallant sick and wounded defenders of the country. Committees are appointed fur a particular daily work in the hospitals, which work is so arranged that everything goes on smoothly and regularly without clashing, and of course proves an immense benefit to the sick and tothe’Coun try. There is a committee of daily visitors to each hospital, a committee appointed to stay at each hospital daily ; a committee ap pointed to prep:xre food for the wounded daily arriving ; and a committee to cook for the car shed-—where, we presume, convales cents and the slightly wounded are placed, in order to have more room in the regular hospitals. This shows the right spirit, and reflects the highest honor bn the noble wo men of Atlanta. “Verily they shall have their reward.” Cannot the ladies through out the South emulate their example ? We take the foregoing from the Jackson Mississippian of the 23d instant. The com pliment here bestowed upon the ladies of our city is well deserved. From the com commencement of this revolution till now, they have labored and toiled, night and day, in season and out of season, to the sacrifice of their .own comfortsand, interests, to re lieve vtii- sufferings, and further the cause of the Confederate States. Items for the Ladles. We commend the following to the se rious considerations of our fair readers. It conveys some wholesome truths in a pleas ant way : One who knows a thing or two remarks that girls are unwise when they suppose decorations make the man, and are carried away with a fine coat, a stiff collar, a forci ble smile, and a dozen polite bows. Search the heart, and if you find nothing but rub bish there, don’t fall -in love with a popinjay, or a decorated automaton. Such a fellow soon becomes a dead weight upon the poor vzife’s hands, and will not turn a finger to raise the wind to buy the child a frock. You don’t want these apologies for husbands, do you girls ? In Russia, the young ladies who are can didates for- matrimony range themselves along the sidewalks in lines, decked out in fine dresses and jewels, and their beaux pass along and make a sort of military review of them previous to choosing partners. In this country the custom does not differ ma terially. Those belles who squeeze them selves tightest, wear the lightest bustle, the richest silks, and look the sickliest, are the most taking candidates for matrimony. The poor fellow who gets one of these pretty play things soon wishes himself—-you know where! Give us the sound and plump, healthy las«, rot your butterfly of fashion, for a wife. Such girls (not the butterflies) always make the best mothers,and have the ' smartest and fattest children. j The New Fashion in England--* Wo men as Smokers. ► lhe custom of smoking by women has ’ lately been introduced la England, and ac cording to the Court Journal, is likely to “become very prevalent.” The authority says: Fashion holds such a tyrannic sway over society tha&ue need never be surprised at 1 seeing the most astounding change in man • ners, customs, and dress brought about i through its magic influence. High waists t low waists, no waists at all,chimney bonnets’ powdered hair, disheveled hair, rouge’, patches, enamel, hoops, fardingales, crino -1 line, high heeled boots,sandals, high dresses dccoltetleeis dresses, have all had their day • we have lived to see the day when duellists’ and four battle men no longer exist and when every man, high and low, rich and poor, old and young, indulge in the Ger man and Dutch luxuries of the short pipe and mild Havana. But a more startling change is likely to “come over the spirit of our dream ladies belonging to la creme de la creme of society cigar rettes. We could mention the names of many of England’s aristocratic daughters who indulge in mild Lataka. A clever eo ternporary has alluded to “fast matrons •” let us hope that unmarried ladies will be slow to follow the example of those who would introduce the noxious weed into fe male sofiety. If Bnlgrave ladies sealftheir lips such pleasant contact bv such a custom, let the outer circles hold aloof, and believe that there is augh?celestial and’god like in entering such unfragrant clouds. Kcvital liews. MILLEDGEVILLE, Gs., Nov. 2.3, 1563. Dear Banner The Lord has blessed His people here with a refreshing from His presence. Yesterday 1 baptized ► ven, which rnakt-s twenty in all—sixteen wanes and four blacks— recently baptized. And still the good work goes on, though the meetings have closed. Bless the Lord ! S. E. BROOKS. NUMBER 3.