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diff --git a/old/60780-0.txt b/old/60780-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index bf51bd7..0000000 --- a/old/60780-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6577 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Silas X. Floyd's Short Stories for Colored -People Both Old and Young, by Silas X. Floyd - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Silas X. Floyd's Short Stories for Colored People Both Old and Young - -Author: Silas X. Floyd - -Release Date: November 25, 2019 [EBook #60780] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SILAS X. FLOYD'S SHORT *** - - - - -Produced by hekula03, Harry Lamé and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was -produced from images made available by the HathiTrust -Digital Library.) - - - - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - Text printed in italics has been transcribed between _underscores_. - Small capitals have been replaced with ALL CAPITALS. - - More Transcriber’s Notes may be found at the end of this text. - - - - -[Illustration: SILAS X. FLOYD, AUGUSTA, GA. - -_Corresponding Secretary National Association of Teachers in Colored -Schools._] - - - - - SILAS X. FLOYD’S - SHORT STORIES - _for_ - COLORED PEOPLE - BOTH OLD AND YOUNG - - _Entertaining_ _Uplifting_ _Interesting_ - - PROF. SILAS X. FLOYD, A. M., D. D., - Author of “The Gospel of Serv’ce and other Sermons,” “Life of - Charles T. Walker, D. D.,” “National Perils,” etc. - - ILLUSTRATED - - Published by - AUSTIN JENKINS CO., - BOOK AND BIBLE PUBLISHERS - WASHINGTON, D. C. - - AGENTS WANTED - - - COPYRIGHTED 1905 - BY - HERTEL JENKINS & CO. - - COPYRIGHTED 1920 - BY - A. N. JENKINS - - - CAUTION - - The entire contents of this book are protected by the stringent new - copyright law, and all persons are warned not to attempt to reproduce - the text, in whole or in part, or any of the specially posed - illustrations. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -Truly the boys and girls of to-day ought to be thankful that they are -alive. There never was such a golden age for childhood and youth as the -present. To say nothing of the rich opportunities for mental and -spiritual development, what a multitude of things have been provided for -the innocent pleasure, the wholesome recreation of the young people of -to-day, inventions that remind one of the magic of the “Arabian Nights”; -tools of sport so perfect that one cannot imagine how they could be -bettered; fascinating games, all unknown in the days gone by; books and -papers upon which science, art and literary skill have lavished modern -resources--all these and many other wonderful things have fallen to the -lot of the favored boys and girls of to-day. - -And now enterprising publishers of our grand country are going to put -the boys and girls of America--and especially the colored boys and girls -of America--under obligation to them, because they have decided to add -to the list of good books for children and youths already on the market. -I use the word “good” advisedly; for from the day that I was engaged to -write this book I have had in mind constantly the thought of making it -such a book as would tell for good. It is an old saying that “evil -communications corrupt good manners,” but evil reading does more than -this: for evil reading corrupts good morals. - -I have endeavored to put into this book of stories for children only -such things as might be freely admitted into the best homes of the land, -and I have written with the hope that many young minds may be elevated -by means of these stories and many hearts filled with high and holy -aspirations. Our nation has a right to expect that our boys and girls -shall turn out to be good men and good women, and this book is meant to -help in this process. - - SILAS X. FLOYD. - - - - -PUBLISHER’S NOTE. - - -The publishers of this book have spared neither pains nor expense in -trying to make it as nearly perfect as a book of this kind can be. The -typographical appearance and the illustrations will speak for -themselves. - -We consider ourselves fortunate in having been able to secure the -services of the Rev. Dr. Silas X. Floyd as the author of this volume. -Mr. Floyd’s life work, aside from his literary training, has made him -the ideal man to speak to the colored boys and girls of the South. Soon -after graduating from Atlanta University in 1891, Mr. Floyd became -Principal of a Public School at Augusta, Ga., and remained in that city -for five years consecutively as a teacher. In June, 1896, he was called -from the school-room into the Sunday-school work, having been appointed -by the International Sunday School Convention as one of its Field -Workers throughout the South. He continued in this work for three years, -retiring from it to become Pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church, Augusta, -Ga., one of the largest churches in the South. After a year and a half -in the pastorate, he returned to the Sunday-school work, becoming -Sunday-school Missionary for Georgia and Alabama under appointment of -the American Baptist Publication Society. - -Mr. Floyd’s work, as the record shows, has been conspicuously for and in -behalf of the children, and he is known far and wide as a competent -writer and speaker on topics concerning young people. He has contributed -to the Sunday School Times, the International Evangel, the New York -Independent, The World’s Work, Lippincott’s Magazine, and many other -journals and periodicals. He is the author of a volume of sermons -published by the American Baptist Publication Society, and listed in -their catalogue as among their standard works, and is also the author of -the Life of the leading colored Baptist preacher in America, published -by the National Baptist Publishing Board. From the beginning of the -Voice of the Negro, Mr. Floyd has had charge of the Wayside Department -as Editor, and his work as a humorist and writer of negro dialect is -known to many through that medium. - -In 1894, Atlanta University, his alma mater, conferred upon Mr. Floyd -the degree of Master of Arts, and in 1902, Morris Brown College -conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - THE COWARDLY HERO 17 - A SPELLING LESSON 22 - THE TRUTH ABOUT LUCK 31 - AN EVENING AT HOME 35 - THE MAKING OF A MAN 38 - FALSE PRIDE 42 - THANKSGIVING AT PINEY GROVE 46 - THE LOUD GIRL 55 - THE ROWDY BOY 60 - HONESTY 62 - UNCLE NED AND THE INSURANCE SOLICITOR 65 - THE STRENUOUS LIFE 70 - A HUMBUG 73 - HOW TO BE HANDSOME 76 - PATIENCE 78 - GOING WITH THE CROWD 81 - MARY AND HER DOLLS 85 - JAKY TOLBERT’S PLAYMATES 88 - A VALENTINE PARTY 92 - NO MONEY DOWN 95 - TOMMY’S BABY BROTHER 99 - KEEPING SCHOOL 102 - THE SCHOOL OF THE STREET 105 - THE FOX HUNT 109 - A BOLD VENTURE 114 - THE ROAD TO SUCCESS 117 - KEEPING ONES ENGAGEMENTS 120 - A MIDNIGHT MISHAP 122 - FREDERICK DOUGLASS 124 - OUR DUMB ANIMALS 127 - A PLUCKY BOY 129 - A HEART TO HEART TALK 132 - A GHOST STORY 135 - GOOD CHEER 141 - LIFE A BATTLE 144 - HUNTING AN EASY PLACE 149 - THE BIG BLACK BURGLAR 153 - PIN MONEY MADE WITH THE NEEDLE 156 - SELF-HELP 160 - AIMING AT SOMETHING 165 - THE BLACK SHEEP OF THE REYNOLDS FAMILY 167 - THE HOLY BIBLE 175 - ANDREW CARNEGIE’S ADVICE TO YOUNG MEN 178 - DIRECTIONS FOR LITTLE GENTLEMEN 179 - THE RIGHT TO PLAY 181 - A CHRISTMAS PRESENT 183 - THE NICKEL THAT BURNED IN FRANK’S POCKET 185 - MONUMENT TO A BLACK MAN 188 - THE BAD BOY--WHO HE IS 190 - THE BAD BOY--HOW TO HELP HIM 193 - THOMAS GREENE BETHUNE (“BLIND TOM”) 197 - NOT FIT TO KNOW 200 - THE RIGHT WAY 202 - KEEPING FRIENDSHIP IN REPAIR 205 - LITTLE ANNIE’S CHRISTMAS 208 - THE VELOCIPEDE RACE 211 - FAULT-FINDING 213 - RANDOM REMARKS 216 - BENJAMIN BANNEKER, THE NEGRO ASTRONOMER 220 - “A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM” 224 - DIRECTIONS FOR LITTLE LADIES 230 - THREE WORDS TO YOUNG PEOPLE 232 - “A LAMP UNTO MY FEET” 238 - THE THREE BRIGADES 241 - “HOME, SWEET HOME” 243 - EACH ONE OF US OF IMPORTANCE 247 - THE POETRY OF LIFE 248 - ON BEING IN EARNEST 250 - YOUNG PEOPLE AND LIFE INSURANCE 252 - THE LITTLE SAILOR CAT 255 - ADVICE TO LITTLE CHRISTIANS 257 - A WORD TO PARENTS 259 - THE UNSEEN CHARMER 262 - OUR COUNTRY 265 - THE “DON’T-CARE” GIRL 267 - FREDERICK DOUGLASS TO YOUNG PEOPLE 270 - A GOOD FELLOW 274 - THE FUTURE OF THE NEGRO 275 - THE TRAINING OF CHILDREN 277 - - -[Illustration: STATE, WAR AND NAVY BUILDING, WASHINGTON - -Most remarkable Office Building in the world. Right next door to the -White House. Built of solid American Granite with over 500 rooms and -over two miles of marble halls.] - -[Illustration: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, WASHINGTON - -Most wonderful Library building in the world. Erected at a cost of -$7,000,000, upon a ten acre site. $20,000 worth of pure gold used in -covering the Dome. Has room for 4,000,000 books.] - -[Illustration: THE “PRESIDENT’S SHEEP” ARE A PICTURESQUE SIGHT ON THE -SOUTH LAWN OF THE WHITE HOUSE. THE PRESIDENT “TAKING THE SUN” ON THE -SOUTH PORCH FREQUENTLY ENJOYS WATCHING THE GAMBOLS OF THE FLOCK.] - - -[Illustration: “GREAT HEAVENS, THE BRUTE IS MAD,” GASPED EVANS.] - - - - -THE COWARDLY HERO. - - -George Washington Jones was his name. Where he got it nobody -knew,--least of all himself. For two years he had sold newspapers one -block from the big St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans. Very slender, with -great big hungry eyes, this little colored waif presented a pitiful -sight to the crowds that hurried by. He was scorned by the other -newsboys, who yelled and jeered at him, causing him to shrink up even -smaller and to glance fearfully at his tormentors, for George was what -the other boys called a coward. He would not fight,--when attacked and -imposed upon by his more sturdy associates he would throw up his hands -and cower down against the ground like a whipped dog. All boys know what -this means,--for months he was the mark for all of the coarse jokes and -abuse of the rather rough lot of boys who were also engaged in the -newspaper selling business thereabouts. He had lived ever since he -remembered with an old colored man in a wretched attic over on the South -Side,--the old man was a rag peddler and permitted him to share his -miserable quarters for the payment of fifty cents every Saturday night. -Poor food and poorer sleeping quarters had their effect, and George soon -developed a hacking cough that made people turn their heads to see who -it was and then hurry on faster than ever. One cold morning in -December, while George stood shivering on his corner, scarcely able to -shout loud enough to attract the attention of the passers by, a lady -about to enter an automobile glanced at him, noted pityingly his -emaciated and half-starved appearance, and the cough that wracked his -slight frame,--she stepped up and asked him his name and address, which -he gave, gazing in spell-bound admiration at this beautiful, fairy-like -creature from a different world. - -It so happened that this young lady’s father was a very influential man, -and so in course of time the lady who had in the meantime called several -times at George’s wretched quarters, with eggs and milk and other -dainties, prevailed upon him to arrange for George to spend the spring -and summer in the country. - -So one bright day in April, George arrived at a big Louisiana plantation -where he was to have good food and clothes, and when able, to do odd -jobs and chores about the place to pay for his board. The Grahams were a -couple who had been married seven or eight years and who had a little -daughter of six who was a dainty and pretty little miss, somewhat -spoiled, but naturally kind and good-hearted. To George she was the most -beautiful thing he had ever seen, an angel, not to be thought of at the -same time with earthly things. He soon became her devoted slave, -following her about and trying to think of something he could do that -would make her happy. - -Now George did not change in the first few weeks of his stay with the -Grahams. He was afraid of the cows, of the horses, even of the geese -that ran around the yard. Little Louise, who had been raised in the -country, could not understand this feeling and did not hesitate to let -George know that she had nothing but contempt for his running wildly -away from an inoffensive cow who happened to turn her head in his -direction. - -“But, dearest,” her mother said, “he has never even seen a cow before. -To him that cow is only an awfully dangerous thing with horns, a long -tail and big mouth.” - -“Oh, but mamma, he is such an awful fraid cat,--whoever heard of getting -scared at a lot of silly geese?” - -“Yes, I fear he is a hopeless coward,” said Mrs. Graham, “but he -certainly does work well.” - -But the one thing that George feared above all other things was the dog -that lived on the Evans place next door. There was considerable excuse -for this fear, as the dog was a surly and somewhat dangerous brute, an -immense Great Dane, who had no love nor respect for any living thing -except his master. He seemed to take a savage delight in dashing to the -fence and making strenuous efforts to jump over and attack poor George -whenever he had to pass by. On such occasions, George would shriek and -dash wildly up the road, screaming in terror,--he feared the Great Dane -more than anything else on earth. - -The days and weeks slipped by until the month of August. There had been -a long dry spell; everything was hot, parched and burning up, and it -seemed as if the earth was crying out for rain. Every one was cross and -irritable and although not meaning to be unreasonable, Mr. and Mrs. -Graham took considerable of their irritation out on our little colored -friend George,--he was ordered about and shouted at to move faster and -scolded and generally made the target for the ill humor of the entire -household. - -For some days the Great Dane had been acting strangely,--no one dared to -approach him, and on one occasion he even snapped at his master. - -“Guess I’ll chain him up until the rain sets in,” said Mr. Evans. -However, the dog refused to be tied, avoiding his master and snapping -whenever he approached. Suddenly he gave a roar and sprang right at Mr. -Evans’ throat,--the man tripped and fell, which was the best thing he -could possibly have done under the circumstances, as the dog ignored -him, and, snapping right and left, dashed out of the gate and down the -road towards the Graham place. - -“Great Heavens! The brute is mad!” gasped Evans. - -If any one has seen a dog go mad, he will testify that it is not a -pretty sight. The maddened animal raced at top speed along the road, -snapping wildly at sticks and stones along the way, with froth and foam -flying from his mouth, his mammoth jaws closing and unclosing like the -teeth of an enormous trap. - -Straight down the road and straight through the gate that opened into -the Graham yard dashed the enormous Great Dane--he was a hideous sight -to the bravest; what he looked like to George no one will ever know. -Graham, sitting on the porch, realized in an instant what had happened, -and sprang to the dining-room to get his rifle,--right in the path was -little Louise, with her dolls, sitting around a little table, in the -midst of a party--she rose to her feet, the great frenzied brute but a -few yards distant, her face paling, her lips unable to utter a sound. -Graham was quick, but not quick enough,--the dog would be upon the child -before he could possibly get ready to shoot, but quicker than Graham, -quicker than the dog, was George,--what he felt, what he suffered in -those few seconds, the Lord alone can tell--with a wild scream, he threw -himself right in the path of the maddened Great Dane, right at his -throat, shrieking and striking wildly with both clenched fists at the -huge head and body of the dog. With a snarl, the dog turned and caught -the negro boy,--but it was here that Providence took a hand, for he -grabbed not George himself, but his coat, worn and shabby from much use, -and the coat came off in his jaws,--before the dog could turn and renew -the attack, Mr. Graham shot twice rapidly from the porch and the dog -fell, writhing terribly in his death agonies. - -White as a sheet, Graham ran quickly down the path and snatched Louise -up in his arms,--but Mrs. Graham, who had been an agonized eyewitness of -the near-tragedy, was almost as quick to reach George--throwing her arms -around him, she sobbed, “God bless you, George; that was the bravest -thing I ever saw.” - -And in this way, George, the despised and ignored newsboy, who had -always been called a coward, came into his own. Such is true courage. -Poor boy, he was afraid, fearfully, awfully afraid! But he did not -hesitate to risk everything to save the golden-haired little daughter of -his employer. - -George still remains on the Graham plantation, but you would scarcely -know him--he coughs no longer; he stands erect and is becoming strong -and sturdy; he has found himself, and no one will ever again have cause -to say to him, “You coward!” - - - - -THE GREAT SPELLING MATCH. - - -There was no doubt about it,--of all the little colored boys and girls -who went to the Peabody school, Margaret was the dullest. Her teacher -said so, her friends said so, her parents were of the same opinion, and -if asked herself, Margaret would undoubtedly have frankly acknowledged -that her undisputed and proper place was at the foot of the class. Her -brother Charles, who was one year younger than she, had proudly -graduated from the fifth grade and was making rapid progress in the -sixth. He did not spend one-half the time studying that Margaret did, -and yet when it came time for recitations, he would stand up and recite -in a manner that warmed his teacher’s heart and made him the envy of -most all of his schoolmates. - -[Illustration: AN EXCITING MOMENT.] - -If Margaret was backward in her studies, little Mable Green certainly -was not. Arithmetic, geography, writing, reading, she excelled in all of -them. She was a very bright little colored girl and a very good looking -one, too. Mable knew this just as well as all of the boys and girls -did,--she was not exactly foolish and vain, but she had been so praised -and petted by her school friends and teachers that she was inclined to -be a little conceited, what we all would call “stuck up.” Once a month a -prize was given for the scholar who stood highest in certain studies, -and Mable had twice been the successful pupil,--she had two highly -prized silver medals to show for her skill. - -Now one of the members of the school board was a farmer about forty -years of age, kind-hearted, but a little old-fashioned. He believed in -boys and girls knowing how to read and write and spell correctly, but he -did not care for what he called the “new-fangled” ideas of some of the -other members of the board. He was very much opposed to a course in -music and elocution that was being considered by the school board, and -did not hesitate to let every one know how he felt about it. Now he knew -Mable and liked her--he was very much interested in the way in which she -stood at the head of her classes and wanted to do something to encourage -her in sticking to the old-fashioned forms of education. He thought over -this for a long time, and finally decided to hold a spelling match. Now -you all probably know what a spelling match is. Two sides are chosen who -stand up on opposite sides of the room, and the teacher give out words, -commencing at the head of the row,--any one who misses a word has to sit -down, and the last one to stand up wins the prize for his side, also is -pronounced the best speller and gets the personal prize. - -The board all thought this a fine scheme, and so it was decided to hold -the spelling match on Thanksgiving evening at the schoolhouse. The -teacher was to pronounce the words, while the members of the board were -to give her lists of words from which to choose. - -“What are you going to give for a prize, Mr. Edwards?” asked the -teacher. - -“Well, I thought I would give twenty dollars,” replied the man. “Yes, I -rather plan to give a bright twenty-dollar gold piece.” - -The news spread like wild fire. Never had there been such excitement. -This was a small fortune, and Mable’s mother pinned a bright red bow in -her hair, and put on her prettiest frock,--Mable had already considered -the prize as won,--in fact, she had planned just how she would spend -it,--she was a good speller and felt confident that she could win. - -The night arrived, bright and crisp November weather, with a bright moon -overhead,--the little schoolhouse was packed. It was decided that all -children in the fifth, sixth and seventh grades would be allowed to -compete. Now, Margaret had been in a highly excited state ever since -hearing of the contest--strange to say, she was a good speller. It has -often been said, and quite correctly, too, that spelling is a -gift,--that some people spell correctly quite naturally, while no amount -of study or practice can make a good speller out of any one who was born -with a head that ached and throbbed at the mere thought of spelling. She -had never had fifty cents of her own in her whole life--twenty dollars -in gold--it did not seem possible that there could be that much money in -the whole world. - -Sides were chosen and Margaret was almost hidden by fat Reggie Andrews, -who stood next to her. Mable was right across the room from her, and -smiled in a somewhat scornful manner at the girl she thought was a -“dummy.” - -The teacher began to pronounce the words and you could have almost heard -a pin drop; the first few times around but few scholars dropped out, -Reggie going down the third time on “mucilage.” Margaret gave a sigh of -relief--Reggie had made her very nervous. - -Nothing happened that amounted to much until the teacher began to give -out words containing “ie” and “ei.” Now these words are very difficult -unless a speller knows the rule--“ie” is almost always used except after -the letter “c,”--following this letter “c,” it is always “ei.” Margaret -had learned this rule in the second grade, and these words had no terror -for her--she was gaining confidence now and the audience began to sit up -and take notice. Soon but five were left standing,--three on Margaret’s -side and only Mable and one little colored boy on the other. It seemed -for a time that these five would have to divide the prize,--word after -word was spelled and no one missed--the audience was hanging spellbound -on every syllable, and the dignified members of the board were trying to -act naturally, although in reality, greatly wrought up. - -“Exhaustible,” suddenly said the teacher. - -There was a moment’s hesitation, and then Ann Houston, on Margaret’s -side glibly said: - -“E-x-a-u-s-t-i-b-l-e.” - -“Wrong; be seated,” and with much sniffling and rubbing her eyes, Ann -walked sorrowfully to her seat. - -The boy on Mable’s side shuffled his feet, looked up, down and around -the room, and finally blurted out: - -“E-x-h-a-u-s-t-a-b-l-e.” - -“Wrong!” and Bobbie joined Ann in sorrowful silence. - -Rose Holcomb, the one remaining girl on Margaret’s side, had become -rattled--she rolled her eyes wildly up and down and then guessed,--she -made a very bad guess. - -“E-c-h-o-s-t-i-b-l-e!” and Rose was also counted out and took her seat, -tossing her head and looking indifferently around. - -It was now Mable’s turn, and she had sufficient intelligence to have -profited by the experience of Ann and Bobbie--had the word been -pronounced to her first, she would probably have misspelled it, but now -she spelled it out firmly and confidently, letter for letter, without a -hitch. - -Now Mable faced Margaret for the final test--both were greatly excited, -but their nervousness had passed--it was now that Margaret’s natural -ability came to her aid. Word after word she spelled, and the crowd -watched her in amazement. Here was the supposedly dull and backward -pupil, the recognized “foot of the class,” standing up gallantly to the -last against Mable, the favorite, to whom everybody had conceded the -prize as already won. - -The largest cities in America, in South America and Europe, proper -names, animals,--the words became more and more difficult. Finally, the -names of flowers were given--Mable had studied botany and was familiar -with flowers--Margaret was now relying on her natural ability and -nerve--all things come to an end, and at last the teacher pronounced the -name of the flower-- - -“F-U-C-H-S-I-A.” - -Now it is a fact that there is probably no more tricky word in the -English language than this--it all depends upon where to place the -letter “s.” Mable knew what fuchsias were,--knew all about the different -parts, the petals, the stem,--she had spelled the word correctly many -times, but, alas, she was a trifle hasty and exclaimed: - -“F-U-S-C-H-I-A.” - -“Wrong!”--Mable burst into tears,--and with loud sobs ran to her seat -and threw herself down, her face buried in her arms. - -All eyes were now on Margaret. She was strongly tempted to spell this -commencing “ph”--it seemed correct, but something told her that Mable -had been almost right. Almost, but not quite! Mable’s dramatic finish -had given her time to think for a moment, and when the word was once -more pronounced she was ready--without hesitation she spelled slowly and -distinctly: - -“F-U-C-H-S-I-A.” - -“Correct,--Margaret, you have won the prize.” - -Margaret’s knees almost gave way under her--surely she must be -dreaming--it could not possibly be herself to whom the committeeman was -advancing with a light blue plush case--every one was clapping their -hands, and the boys had so forgotten themselves as to whistle through -their fingers and noisily stamp their feet. - -[Illustration: “MARGARET, YOU HAVE WON THE PRIZE.”] - -“It gives me great pleasure,” said Mr. Edwards, “to give this -twenty-dollar gold piece to Margaret Hawkins, and to pronounce her the -best speller in the school.” - -Poor Mable cried herself to sleep that night, but it was a good lesson -for her--it taught her to be more considerate of others, and that there -were something at which she could be beaten. - -Every one treated Margaret with increased respect, and her success was -also good for her--she began to improve in her other studies, and as she -gained in confidence, gradually became, if not one of the best, at least -a very good scholar. - -Mr. Edwards says his next prize will be given for the best all-around -pupil at the close of the term--and Mable is once more looking forward -with hope. - - - - -THE TRUTH ABOUT LUCK. - - -How often we hear some one say: - -“My, but he’s lucky!” or “It’s better to be born lucky than rich.” - -Boys and girls are too often in the habit of thinking that one of their -schoolmates are “lucky” because they always stand well in their classes -and frequently have spending money in their pockets. - -It is not likely that “luck” had anything to do with it. They probably -stood well and were at the head of the class in school because they -studied and tried harder than the other scholars, and had money to spend -because they spent their time out of school hours in working to earn it -instead of at play. - -Some years ago I happened to find myself near the terminal of the great -East River Bridge in New York City. Two little boys were standing near -one of the large iron posts crying their afternoon papers. I tarried -near them because I was waiting for a particular car. One little fellow -said to the other,-- - -“How many papers have you sold today, Tommie?” - -“Nearly one hundred an’ fifty,” was Tommie’s quick reply. - -“Honor bright?” - -“Yes; honor bright.” - -“Whoopee! but ain’t you in big luck, Tommie?” - -“Luck!” exclaimed Tommie, wiping the perspiration from his brow. “There -ain’t no luck about it; I’ve just been everlastingly at it since four -o’clock this morning--that’s all!” - -And that is the _all_ of real success. Those who achieve success are -“everlastingly at” what they are trying to do. Tommie was right in -declining to have his hard and honest work cheapened by calling the -result of it luck. - -“You are the luckiest chap I ever saw,” I once heard a little boy about -sixteen years say to another boy of about the same age. - -[Illustration: “HOW MANY PAPERS HAVE YOU SOLD TODAY, TOMMY?”] - -“Why do you say that?” asked the other. - -“Because you have had your salary raised twice in the same year.” - -“Well,” was the reply, “you may call it luck; but I don’t. I have always -done my work the very best I knew how. I have never once in the whole -year been a single minute late in getting to the office, nor have I ever -left a single minute before it was time for me to leave. When I have -worked over-time, I have not made any fuss about it. My boss said when -he raised my salary last week that he had taken these things into -account. So, I don’t see where the luck comes in.” - -“All the same,” said the first boy, “some bosses wouldn’t have raised -your salary.” - -“Then I would have the satisfaction of knowing that I had done my duty.” - -Boys, I tell you that’s right. Nine out of ten employers know that it is -to their advantage to show appreciation of faithful work and they show -it. When this appreciation comes luck has had nothing to do with it. The -thing that passes for luck is in nearly all cases the just reward of -honest endeavor. - -Do not, therefore, start out in life with the expectation that some -“lucky turn” will bring you sudden honor or wealth or position without -any effort on your part. Substitute that fine old word “_work_” for that -deceitful word “_luck_,” and base your hopes of future success and -usefulness upon the honorable labor that it is a God-given privilege -for every well and strong and right-minded boy to give his heart and -hands to performing. - - - - -AN EVENING AT HOME. - - -Boys and girls between the ages of eleven and seventeen ought to spend -their evenings at home, as much as possible. In these busy, bustling -twentieth century days, there are many families--so much the worse for -them--that scarcely know what it is to spend an evening at home -together. Not only the young people but the older people are “on the -go.” The evenings are crowded with calls and invitations, which come -from far and near. It is nothing to go five or even ten miles to an -evening concert or social gathering, the trolley is so near, so cheap -and so universal. But I tell you, boys and girls, no matter what the -pleasure or amusement afforded--no matter what the instruction or -culture received--there are no social or similar opportunities good -enough to displace the home circle. The sooner young people realize this -the happier they will be. - -Boys and girls ought to plan for some evenings at home. Let other things -have a share, but do not give up all the time to other things. Once a -week the young people ought to arrange for an evening at home. Decline -everything else for that evening, the same as you would for any other -engagement. Gather the family together. Make a special place for grandma -and grandpa. Sing merry songs; play innocent and amusing games; take -time to tell the home folks about some of the things that you do and -that you have seen in the world; get acquainted with the home folks; be -delighted in their delight; by special appointment, spend one or two -cheerful hours with the folks at home each week. - -[Illustration: AN EVENING AT HOME.] - -The young folks themselves should take the lead in this matter. A home -is not merely a place with four walls where people meet to eat and drink -and sleep securely beneath a roof. Nay, boys and girls, a house is -reared to be a _home_--the center where a family may gather into one; to -be a serene retreat where the tenderest affections may find rest; where -love may have a dwelling place, and the _amenities_ of life gain ample -scope; where parents and children may press one another heart to heart; -where sorrows and joys may be freely shared in sacred confidence; in a -word, where the great work of training human beings for the duties of -the present life, and the perfection of another, may be begun and -carried on. - -There is one special reason for making much of the evenings at home that -young people are not likely to think of. _Inevitably_ the _family_ -circle will be broken up very soon. Perhaps not by death, but most -certainly by change. When Fred goes to college that is the beginning of -new ties and new associations, and the home privileges can never be -quite so complete to him again. The years of the complete unity of the -home are very few indeed. While these years are passing, young people -especially should make the most of them. My dear boys and girls, get the -benefit of these years; get their joys; store up memories of home life, -for they will be in future years the most beautiful pictures of the -heart. However some may sneer at it, the memory of home and mother is a -great power for righteousness. It has saved many a person to God and -native land and race. - - “Be it ever so humble-- - There’s no place like home.” - - - - -THE MAKING OF A MAN.[1] - - -Mr. Stamps, seated near the table, was glancing over the afternoon -paper. Mrs. Stamps, in an easy chair, was doing some fancy work. Little -Bobby, six years old, more or less, was playing with his toys on the -floor. All at once the precocious little boy stopped short in the middle -of his sport and, looking up at his mother, asked,-- - -“Mama, who made the world?” - -“God,” replied Mrs. Stamps, sweetly. - -“Who made the sea?” continued Bobby. - -Mrs. Stamps answered, “God.” - -“Well,” said Bobby, “did God make everything?” - -“Yes, my son; the Lord made everything.” - -“And did he make everybody?” - -“Yes; the Lord made everybody.” - -Bobby was silent for a moment. Presently he looked anxiously at his -father, and then, turning to his mother, he asked,-- - -“Mama, did God make papa, too?” - -“Yes; God made papa also.” - -After a lengthy pause Bobby asked,-- - -“Mama, do you think that I could make a man, if I was to try real hard?” - -“You had better run out to play now, Bobby,” said Mrs. Stamps, somewhat -non-plused by her son’s curiosity. - -[Illustration: BOBBY AND HIS “MAN.”] - -Bobby left the room almost immediately. He went straight to the beach in -front of the house, and labored long and earnestly in piling up some wet -sand. Pretty soon he was joined in his work by two other little boys. -For some time the three little fellows worked vigorously in piling up -the mud. Mrs. Stamps called her husband to the window, so that he might -see what the boys were doing. - -“Wife,” said Mr. Stamps, “I believe those little Satans are trying to -make a man.” - -Toward sunset Bobby ran into the house and exclaimed with delight,-- - -“Mama, we’ve got our man almost finished. We didn’t have but one marble, -and we used that for one of his eyes. I came in to ask you to give me a -marble, so that we might put in his other eye.” - -“It’s too late to bother now, Bobby,” said Mrs. Stamps. “Wait until -to-morrow morning; then I will give you a marble and let you finish your -man.” - -The next morning, bright and early, Bobby went out to look for his man. -Lo and behold! the sea had washed the man away during the night. But, -Bobby, of course, did not suspect that. He thought that the man had gone -away of his own accord. So the little fellow spent the entire morning -looking for his man. He looked under the house; he looked in the stable; -he went up to the garret; he walked up and down the beach; he went into -the woods--looking for his man. But his man was nowhere to be found. - -Two or three weeks later an African Methodist Episcopal Conference -assembled in Bobby’s town. Among the ministers present there happened -to be a short, chubby, tan-colored brother with only one eye. When Bobby -spied him he examined the man curiously and cautiously from head to -foot. The examination ended, Bobby concluded that that was his man. At -once the little fellow left his mother and went over and took a seat -beside the man. Bobby’s mother was somewhat embarrassed. The man was -evidently pleased, although, to be sure, he himself was not quite -certain why he should be an object of special interest to the little -boy. The man went to the secretary’s table to have his name -enrolled--Bobby went with him. He went into the vestibule to get a drink -of water--and Bobby followed him there. But all the while the man was -still in doubt as to the cause of the little boy’s apparent affection. -By this time, thoroughly exasperated, Bobby’s mother decided to go home. -She approached the pew in a very ladylike manner and said,-- - -“Bobby, dear, come; we must be going home now.” - -“All right, Mama,” said Bobby in dead earnest, “but you will please let -me take my man home with me--won’t you? I just found him to-day, and you -know I’ve been looking for him for over two weeks!” - -Then, for the first time, it suddenly dawned upon Mrs. Stamps what was -the matter with Bobby. In spite of herself she laughed heartily at the -boy’s perversity. Finding that his mother hesitated to reply, Bobby -turned to the man and said,-- - -“Come on: we’re going home now. Why did you leave before I finished -you?” - - [1] Published in the Voice of the Negro. - - - - -FALSE PRIDE. - - -Once upon a time the head clerk in a carpet store requested one of his -junior clerks to go to a patron’s home to measure a room, and suggested -that he take along a five-yard sample. The junior clerk objected to -“carting” such a big bundle, as he said, “all over town,” and asked that -one of the boys be sent with it. The proprietor of the establishment, -who happened to overhear the remark, privately told the head-clerk to -inform the proud young fellow that a boy would be sent on after him with -the roll. Shortly after the young man reached the house, the proprietor -of the establishment covered him with confusion by appearing at the -house in person with the roll of carpet under his arm. Handing the -bundle to the bewildered young man, the proprietor remarked: - -“Here is the carpet, young man. I hope I have not kept you waiting for -it. If you have any other orders, I’ll take them now.” - -[Illustration: “HERE IS THE CARPET, YOUNG MAN. I HOPE I HAVE NOT KEPT -YOU WAITING.”] - - * * * * * - -A young woman of my acquaintance refused to carry home a yeast cake, -though it was needed at once for the family baking and she was bound -directly homeward. She said that she wasn’t a delivery wagon, and so the -yeast cake had to be sent to her home. - -A great many foolish young people are so absorbingly regardful of their -trim appearance on the street that they will never under any -circumstances carry a basket or bundle, however much inconvenience they -may cause others by refusing to do so. - - * * * * * - -Now, it is not proper pride or self-respect which prompts people to act -as the young folks acted whom I have just referred to. It is silliness -which prompts them to act so. Any honest work is honorable that is -honorably done, and you will notice that young people of good social -position and strength of character are above such pettiness. Only -inferior people act that way. Superior people do not act so, because -they are well aware that they cannot be compromised by doing -straightforwardly, without fuss or apology, whatever needs to be done. -Yet, I admit, that it seems to be human nature that whatever is -distasteful or supposedly menial should be done by somebody else. When -young people, or old people for that matter, are tempted to be foolish -in such things they should remember the lesson of humility that Christ -taught his disciples, when in that warm Oriental country, where only -sandals are worn, He performed the necessary service of washing the -disciples’ feet. For us to be above our business--for us to think -ourselves too good or too dainty to soil our hands with honest toil--for -us to feel that it is a lowering of our dignity to carry a bundle -through the street, is to prove by our conduct that we are not up to the -level of our business, that we are possessed of a great amount of false -pride, and, in a higher sense, it shows that we have a foolish and -wicked distaste of true service. There is nothing low, nothing -degrading, nothing disgraceful, in honest labor, in honest work of any -kind, whether it be to boil an egg properly, to sweep a floor well, to -carry a bundle or package through the streets, or bring a pail of water. -In fact, if somebody were to say that “chores” done or undone are the -making or the unmaking of boys and girls, it would be a homely way of -putting an important truth. Bringing up coal or bringing in wood, -weeding the garden bed, running errands, washing dishes, sewing seams, -dusting furniture, doing any odd jobs where there is need, cheerfully, -faithfully--these lead to the highway of greater opportunities and are -the usual avenues to the only manhood and womanhood that is worth -having. My young friends, the castle of your noblest dream is built out -of what lies nearest at hand. It is the uncommonly good use of common -things, the everyday opportunities, that makes honored lives, and helps -us, and helps us to help others, along the sunroad. “He that is faithful -in that which is least is faithful also in much.” “Pride goeth before -destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” - - - - -THANKSGIVING AT PINEY GROVE. - - -The people of the Piney Grove settlement, both white and black, had been -free for nearly a generation. The whites had been freed from the curse -of being slave-holders, and the blacks had been freed from the curse of -being held in bondage. But never in the history of this little town, in -the very heart of the so-called “Black Belt” of Georgia, had the people -known anything about the proper observance of Thanksgiving Day until -189--. And in that year the revolution was brought about by a young -colored woman named Grace Wilkins. - -Grace Wilkins was the only daughter of Solomon and Amanda Wilkins. -Solomon and his wife were farmers--plain, simple, ordinary country folk. -Amanda was literally her husband’s helpmeet. She went along with him -every morning to the field, and, in season, chopped as much wood, picked -as much cotton, hoed as much corn, pulled as much fodder, and plowed as -much as her husband did. Up to her fourteenth year Grace had been reared -on a farm, and had learned to do all the things that any farmer’s child -has to do--such as milking cows, feeding hogs and chickens, hoeing -cotton and corn, picking cotton, pulling fodder and the like. In her -fourteenth year, acting upon the advice of an uneducated colored -preacher, her parents sent Grace away from home to attend one of the -great normal and industrial institutes for the training of the black -boys and girls of the South. - -[Illustration: GRACE BEFORE GOING TO SCHOOL.] - -At first her mother and father were filled with forebodings. It was the -first time that they had ever allowed their daughter to be away from -them, and they missed her so much and longed for her so constantly that -they thought that they had made a mistake in sending her off to -“boardin’ school.” Ignorant and superstitious neighbors, though they -knew as little about such matters as did Solomon and Amanda, were loud -in saying that “Sol” and “Mandy” would live to regret the step they had -taken in sending Grace away from home. The only rays of sunshine that -came in to brighten these periods of mental unrest and gloom on the part -of Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins were found in the letters which they received -regularly from their daughter. Grace invariably informed her parents, -whenever she wrote, that she was “well an’ doin’ well.” Thus reassured -from time to time, Solomon and Amanda managed somehow to undergo the -terrible strain of having their daughter absent from them for eight -months. But meantime they were firmly of the opinion that, once they got -their hands on her again, they would never allow Grace to return to -school. - -With glad and thankful hearts Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins joyously embraced -their daughter when she came home at the close of her first year in -school. With keen and genuine interest, they listened to her wonderful -accounts of the great school and of the great man at the head of it. -Grace dressed differently and talked differently; and her mother said, -speaking one day in confidence to her husband shortly after Grace’s -return, “Dat gal’s sho got a new walk on her!” - -Grace Wilkins brought back a toothbrush with her from school. That was -something which she had never had before. She used that toothbrush every -morning and night. That was something that she had never done before. -She was now careful to keep her hair well combed every day. That was -something that she had been accustomed to do on Sundays only or on -special occasions. She washed her face two or three times a day now, as -her mother and father noticed. Before she went to school she had been in -the habit of giving her face, as the old people say, “a lick and a -promise” early each morning. Besides, Grace kept the house cleaner than -she had kept it before. She brought home with her a brand new Bible -which she read regularly at home and always carried to church and Sunday -school. She also had a song book called “Jubilee Songs and Plantation -Melodies,” and it gladdened the hearts of the good “old folks at home” -to hear their daughter sing from a book some of the very songs that they -had sung all their lifetime and which were so dear to them. - -All these things and others made a deep and abiding impression upon -Solomon and his wife. And finding that withal their daughter was just as -loving and kind as she had been before, and that she was just as -industrious and faithful as formerly, Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins were not long -in deciding that their daughter should go back to that school another -year, and that they would work hard and stint themselves in order that -they might keep her there until she had finished the normal course. - -So back to school Grace Wilkins went--that year, and the next year, and -the next. It was the proudest day in Solomon’s and Amanda’s lives when -they sat in the magnificent chapel of the school and heard their -daughter read her graduation essay on “The Gospel of Service.” Glad -tears welled up in their eyes when they heard the principal call their -daughter’s name, and then saw Grace step up to receive her certificate -of graduation. - -Coming back to Piney Grove to live, “Miss Gracie”--everybody called her -that after graduation--established a little school which she called “The -Piney Grove Academy.” It was the first public school for colored -children ever opened within the corporate limits of the little village. -Before that the schools were district schools or county schools, which -were taught about in different places for only three or four months in -the year, mainly during the summer. Miss Gracie began her school the -first day of October. By special arrangement she used the first three -months for the public term allowed by the state, and supplemented that -with a five-months term, for which the pupils were required to pay fifty -cents each per month. The plan worked well, the parents joining in -heartily in the movement, and the Piney Grove Academy soon became the -model school for the surrounding counties. - -[Illustration: GRACE’S GRADUATION.] - -Among other things Miss Gracie had learned at school what was the import -of our national Thanksgiving Day. At the opening of the second year of -the Piney Grove Academy she decided that she would inaugurate an annual -Thanksgiving service. Accordingly on the opening day of the second year -Miss Gracie informed the pupils of her plan, and told them that she -would begin the very next day to prepare a suitable program for the -exercises. Afterwards Miss Gracie secured the cooperation of the village -pastor--the same man who had been instrumental in having her parents -send her away to school. Through him she was permitted to talk to the -people at the church two or three times about the proposed celebration. -She was careful to tell them that the Thanksgiving festival was meant -specially to be a home festival in addition to being a time for the -people to come together in their accustomed places of worship to thank -God for the blessings of the year. She urged them, therefore, as far as -they were able without going to unnecessary expense, to have family -dinners and bring together at one time and in one place as many members -of the family as possible. She explained to them how this might be done -successfully and economically, and with pleasure and profit to all -concerned. She also urged them to be planning beforehand so that nothing -might prevent their attending church Thanksgiving Day morning. She was -going to hold the exercises in the church, because her little school was -not large enough to furnish an assembly hall for the people who would be -likely to be present. - -On Thanksgiving Day nearly everybody in town went to the exercises. -Many white people attended, including the county school commissioner and -the school trustees. It was the first Thanksgiving service that any of -them had ever witnessed. - -The program was made up, for the most part, of choice selections from -negro authors, composers, orators, and so forth. A selection from -Frederick Douglass on “Patriotism” was declaimed; one from Booker T. -Washington’s Atlanta Exposition speech was also delivered. Paul Laurence -Dunbar’s poem entitled “Signs of the Times” (a Thanksgiving poem) was -read by one of the pupils, and also “The Party,” another of Dunbar’s -pieces, was rendered. “The Negro National Hymn,” words by James W. -Johnson and music by his brother, Rosamond Johnson, was sung by a chorus -of fifty voices. At the opening of the service the president’s -Thanksgiving proclamation was read and appropriate remarks were made by -Miss Wilkins. The closing remarks were made by the Rev. John Jones, the -village pastor. The remarks of Mr. Jones were in the congratulatory -mood. He was naturally proud of Miss Gracie’s achievements, because he -had had something to do with putting her on the road to an education. He -spoke of the teacher as the leaven that was leavening the whole lump, -and the applause which followed the statement showed plainly the high -esteem in which the teacher was held by all the people. Everyone enjoyed -the service. None of the villagers had ever seen anything like it -before. After singing “America” all of them went away happy, many of -them, in obedience to Miss Gracie’s previous counsel, going home to eat -for the first time, well knowing what they were doing, a Thanksgiving -dinner. - -At the home of Miss Wilkins there was an excellent spread of ’possum, -potatoes, rice, chicken, pickles, macaroni, bread, a precious -Thanksgiving turkey, and the inevitable mincemeat pie. Besides Miss -Gracie, there sat at the table that day her parents, Mr. and Mrs. -Solomon Wilkins, John and Joseph Wilkins, brothers of Solomon who had -come from a distance, Mary Andrews, a sister of Mrs. Wilkins, who also -came from a distance, Grandma Wilkins, Grandma and Grandpa Andrews, the -Rev. John Jones, his wife, his daughter, and his only son, Jasper Jones. - -Jasper had gone to school at T---- one year after Gracie went, and, of -course, was one year later in finishing the course there. On this -Thanksgiving Day, nevertheless, he had been out of school long enough to -have successfully established himself in the business of poultry raising -and dairying. - -Just before the dinner party was dismissed the Rev. Mr. Jones arose and -said: - -“There is another little ceremony you’all is invited to witness befo’ -you go out to see the baseball game. I am authorized by these -credentials which I hol’ in my hands to unite in the holy bonds of -matrimony Miss Grace Wilkins and Mr. Jasper Jones. If there is no -objection, these two persons will please stan’ up, an’ I’ll tie the -knot.” - -Of course there were no objections. The knot was tied. And when the -villagers learned of the occurrence not long afterwards they had -additional reason for believing that they were right when they voted -that Piney Grove had never seen the like of such a Thanksgiving Day, and -that Miss Gracie Wilkins was one of the best women in all the world. - - - - -THE LOUD GIRL. - - -I do not know of a more sorrowful spectacle than that of a girl who is -loud in her dress, loud in her manners, and loud in her speech. It is a -great mistake for a girl to suppose that this loudness will be mistaken -by her friends and acquaintances for smartness. The desire to be -regarded as bright and witty has led many a girl into the folly of being -loud in her manners. She often cherishes the illusion that the attention -such manners attract is combined with admiration, when the truth is that -those who witness her strange conduct are simply wondering how it is -possible for her to throw to the winds that charm of all -girlhood--modesty. - -[Illustration: BLAB-MOUTHED AND NOISY.] - -One afternoon not long ago I saw a group of girls of the loud type. They -came into the street car in which I was sitting. They all wore boys’ -hats. One wore a vivid red jacket with brass buttons, and another had on -a brass belt. A third one had on a most conspicuous plaid skirt. This -third one had a box of bonbons, and when the three were seated she -opened the box and offered it to her companions, saying as she did so, -in a voice loud enough and shrill enough to be heard in every part of -the car: - -[Illustration: MODEST AND QUIET.] - -“It’s my treat; have some, chums!” - -Upon this invitation one of the girls dived down into the box like a -hungry bear, and held up a piece of the candy in triumph and then dashed -it into her mouth with a great guffaw. “O, Mame!” said one of the girls, -“if you ain’t just horrid to go and take the very piece I wanted!” - -“Mame” laughed and, taking the candy from her mouth, offered it to the -other girl, saying as she did so: - -“Well, here it is, Lulu!” - -“Lulu” struck the candy from “Mame’s” hand, and it flew across the aisle -into the lap of a lady sitting opposite the girls. This set all three of -the girls to giggling and tittering, and they seemed in danger of -convulsions when the owner of the box of candy let it fall and a part of -the candy rolled out on the floor. - -The conductor came forward and picked up the box and candy and handed -them to the owner. She giggled out her thanks, and “Lulu” said: “Why -didn’t you give him a gumdrop for his trouble?” - -This seemed to impress the other girls as a most brilliant witticism, -and they fell to tittering violently over it. - -Presently a gentleman came in and stumbled slightly over the feet of one -of the girls thrust out into the aisle. - -“I beg your pardon,” said the gentleman, as he lifted his hat, whereupon -the three girls grinned and giggled and giggled and grinned -immoderately, and one of them said: - -“Roxy, you had better ride out on the platform, where there is more room -for your feet!” - -“Roxy” then struck “Lulu” for making this speech. “Lulu” pretended to be -much offended and flung herself over to the other side of the car, where -she made a grimace at the other girls. - -The conduct of these girls during the half hour that they were on the -car was such as caused every father and mother who saw them to regard -them with pity. The loud girl, my dear readers, is always an object of -pity. She should be a sorry object for her own contemplation. An old -writer has said: “You little know what you have done when you have first -broken the bounds of modesty; you have set open the door of your fancy -to the devil, so that he can represent the same sinful pleasure to you -anew.” - -Now, the loud girl may be entirely innocent of any actual wrong-doing, -but she is regarded with dislike, distrust, and even disdain, by the -better class of people. She acquires a reputation for rudeness and -coarseness, and the people of refinement will not associate with her. -Her character suffers, no matter how innocent she may be of any -intention of doing wrong. Delicacy, modesty, is the certain sign of -sweetness, purity and gentleness of character, just as indelicacy is the -certain sign of a lack of these beautiful traits. - - - - -THE ROWDY BOY. - - -You can tell him wherever you see him. There are certain marks or -appearances which he carries about with him and which are never absent. -For one thing you will find him with a cigarette stuck in his mouth, and -a cigarette is one of the deadliest poisons in the world for boy or man. -He wears his hat on the side or cocked back on his head. Frequently he -stuffs both hands in his trousers’ pockets. He doesn’t attend school -regularly; sometimes he starts for school and ends at the bathing pond -or the baseball park. He is late at Sunday school, if he goes at all, -and he stands ’round on the outside at church while the service is going -on inside. He steals rides on trains and on trolley cars, and on passing -vehicles of all descriptions. He is saucy and impudent to older people, -and is always ready and willing to quarrel or fight with his mates. He -is what the boys call a “bully.” - -The loud girl and the rowdy boy are two things of which we have seen -enough in this world. They are things; they are hardly worth the dignity -of being called human beings. - -I saw one of these rowdy boys in his own home not a great while ago. His -mother said to him: - -“Johnnie, you must always take off your hat whenever you come into the -house.” - -“Good gracious alive,” he said, “I can’t do anything right. What is the -use of grabbing off your hat every time you come into your own house?” - -[Illustration: HE STUFFED BOTH HANDS IN HIS TROUSERS’ POCKET.] - -His mother looked sad, but said nothing. Presently she discovered that -her little boy had brought some mud into the house on his shoes. In her -sweetest tones she said: - -“Johnnie, you must go to the door and wipe your feet now. See how you -are tracking up the floor there!” - -“Well,” said the rowdy boy with a snarl, “can’t the old floor be -scoured? You must think this old house is gold.” - -Now, I am a preacher, boys, and, being a preacher, of course I am what -is called a “man of peace,” but I tell you that that was one time I came -pretty near wishing that I wasn’t a preacher so that I might have given -that boy what he deserved. I was sorry, for the time being, that he -wasn’t my son. No manly little boy will ever talk to his mother in any -such way. I suppose that boy thought it made him appear to be a very -important personage, but he was very much mistaken. Don’t be rowdy, -boys; don’t be rough; don’t be rude. You were made for better things. - - - - -HONESTY. - - -Early in the morning two little boys came to the market place. They -arranged their little stands and spread out their wares, and sat down to -wait for customers. One sold watermelons and fruit, and the other sold -fish and oysters. The hours passed on and both were doing well. -By-and-by Sammie had only one melon left on his stand. A gentleman came -along and said: - -“What a fine, large melon! I think I will buy that one. What do you ask -for it, my boy?” - -[Illustration: “HOW MUCH FOR THE MELON?”] - -“This is my last melon, sir; and though it looks fair, there is an -unsound spot on the other side,” said the boy, turning the melon over. - -“So there is,” said the man. “I don’t believe I’ll take it. But,” he -added, looking straight at the boy, “is it very good business for you -to point out the defects of your goods to customers?” - -“Perhaps not, sir,” said the boy with becoming modesty, “but it is -better than being dishonest.” - -“You are right, my boy; always speak the truth and you will find favor -with God and man. I shall not forget your little stand in the future.” - -Then turning to the other boy’s stand the man asked: - -“Are those fresh oysters?” - -“Yes, sir,” said Freddie, “these are fresh this morning--just arrived.” - -The gentleman bought them and went away. - -“Sammie,” said Freddie, “you never will learn any sense. What did you -want to show that man that spot on the melon for? He never would have -looked at it until he got home. I’ve got an eye to business, myself. You -see how I got rid of those stale oysters--sold them for just the same -price as fresh oysters.” - -“Freddie,” said the other boy, “I wouldn’t tell a lie, or act one -either, for twice the money we have both earned today. Besides I have -gained a customer and you have lost one.” - -And it turned out just as Sammie said. The next day the gentleman bought -a large supply of fruit from Sammie, but he never spent another penny at -Freddie’s stand. It continued that way through all the summer. At the -close of the season he took Sammie into his store, and, after awhile, -gave him a share in the business. - - - - -UNCLE NED AND THE INSURANCE SOLICITOR. - - -Life insurance is something that every married man should carry. In -fact, it is a fine investment for a young man to take out a ten- or -twenty-year payment policy in some good company, which can be made in -favor of his father or mother in the event of his death, or obtained in -cash ten or twenty years later by himself. - -The following story tells of an insurance agent trying to insure the -life of an old colored man--the story is amusing, but only as a story. -We do not advise any one to follow Uncle Ned’s example. - -Charles Turner, an agent of the Workingmen’s Industrial Aid Insurance -Company, called upon Edmund Grant, an elderly colored man, with a view -to getting him to insure his life. - -“Good morning, Uncle Ned,” said Mr. Turner. - -“Good morning, Mr. Turner,” said the old man, raising his hat and making -a low bow. - -“Uncle Ned, do you carry any insurance?” inquired the agent. - -“Do I carry what?” asked Uncle Ned. - -“Do you carry any insurance? Is your life insured?” asked the agent. - -“Bless the Lord, yes, indeed, sir,” replied the colored man; “long, long -ago.” - -“In what company?” asked the solicitor. - -[Illustration: “THAT’S JUST WHAT MY RELIGION DOES!”] - -“I’m a Baptist, sir,--a deepwater Baptist,” answered Uncle Ned. - -The agent realized that the old man had not understood him, but, anyhow, -he asked him: - -“How long has it been since you joined?” - -“I joined the same year the stars fell,” replied the old man. - -The solicitor knew that the old man referred to the year when the great -meteoric display of shooting stars took place, and said: - -“That’s quite a long time ago. Does your company pay any dividends?” - -“Mr. Turner,” said Uncle Ned, with a smile, “that question is out of my -reach,--just what do you mean?” - -“Why, Uncle Ned,” said Mr. Turner, “a dividend is interest paid on your -money; and if you have been paying your money into one company for more -than thirty years, surely you ought to have been receiving your -dividends long before now, especially if it’s an old-line company.” - -“Well,” said Uncle Ned, “it surely is the oldest line company that ever -was. The Lord set it up himself way back yonder on Calvary’s tree. But I -haven’t ever heard of any interest or dividends--nothing of the kind. -And you haven’t heard me talk about paying in money for thirty -years,--you know you haven’t. Salvation’s free, man,--salvation’s free! -You know that as well as I do.” - -“Oh, I see,” said Mr. Turner; “I see that I have misunderstood you. -You’re talking about your soul’s salvation.” - -“I certainly am,” answered the old man. - -“Well, I came here to talk to you about insuring your life in case of -death or your body in case of accident or sickness,” replied the agent. - -“Accidents, sickness and death come to all of us,” said Uncle Ned very -solemnly. “There’s no way of getting away from death.” - -“That’s so,” replied the agent patiently; “insurance companies cannot -prevent sickness and death any more than you can, Uncle Ned, but -insurance companies can and do help you to bear your burdens in time of -trouble.” - -“That’s just what my religion does,” said the old man, with great -satisfaction. - -“But we do it in a different way,” persisted the agent. - -“How do you do it?” asked Uncle Ned. - -Then the agent went on to explain all about insurance, the benefits, the -premiums, accident benefits, sick benefits, etc., dwelling particularly -on the fund that would be paid in the event of the old man’s death. -Uncle Ned listened with a great deal of interest, and after he had -finished, inquired: - -“Mr. Turner, who do you say the money goes to when I die?” - -“To your wife,” answered Mr. Turner, “or to your children, or any one -else you name.” - -“Well, Mr. Turner, let me ask you one question: Don’t you think that -would help the other fellow more than it would me?” - -“What other fellow?” asked the agent. - -“My wife’s second husband,” replied Ned. “You know as well as I do that -if I was to die and leave five or six hundred dollars to her that some -other colored gentleman would be trying to change her name before I got -cold in the ground.” - -The agent could not suppress a smile, and Uncle Ned went on: - -“Women are mighty curious; if I went into this thing, I wouldn’t dare -let Dinah know about it. She is a mighty fine and loving wife right now, -but if she knew there was all that money waiting for her when I died, -wouldn’t she be sort of looking forward to the time when she would get -it to spend? Why, Mr. Turner, she might even be tempted to put something -in my tea, and the first thing I knew some morning I’d wake up dead. I -don’t want anything to do with this insurance. The Baptist Church is -good enough for me.” - -When Mr. Turner gave it up and laughingly left him, he heard Uncle Ned -singing-- - - “I’m a Baptist bred and a Baptist born, - And when I die, that’s a Baptist gone.” - - - - -THE STRENUOUS LIFE. - - -They were having a rough-and-tumble time of it and Pansy was getting -some pretty hard blows. She took them all good-naturedly, nevertheless, -and tried to give as good as she received, much to the delight of her -little boy friends. A lady who was standing near, afraid for the little -girl, chided the boys and said: - -“You shouldn’t handle Pansy so roughly--you might hurt her.” - -And then Pansy looked up in sweet surprise and said with amusing -seriousness: - -“No; they won’t hurt me. I don’t break easy.” - -It was a thoroughly childlike expression, but it had more wisdom in it -than Pansy knew. She spoke out of a little girl’s experience with dolls, -some of which, as she had learned, broke very easily. Pansy knew how -delightful it was to have a doll that didn’t break so easily. Though she -was not a homely girl by any means, and though she was not a wicked -little girl, yet she wanted it understood that she was not like a piece -of china. That was why the other children liked her so much--because she -knew how to rough it without crying or complaining at every turn. Pansy -was not a cry-baby. - -[Illustration: “I DON’T BREAK EASY.”] - -There is all the time, my dear boys and girls, a great demand everywhere -all through life for people who don’t break easily--people who know how -to take hard knocks without going all to pieces. The game of life is -sometimes rough, even among those who mean to play fair. It is very -trying when we have to deal with people who break easily, and are always -getting hurt and spoiling the game with their tears and complaints. It -is so much better when we have to deal with people who, like little -Pansy, do not break easily. Some of them will laugh off the hardest -words without wincing at all. You can jostle them as you will, but they -don’t fall down every time you shove them, and they don’t cry every time -they are pushed aside. You can’t but like them, they take life so -heartily and so sensibly. You don’t have to hold yourself in with them -all the time. You can let yourself out freely without being on pins as -to the result. Young people of this class make good playmates or good -work-fellows, as the case may be. - -So, boys and girls, you must learn to rough it a little. Don’t be a -china doll, going to smash at every hard knock. If you get hard blows -take them cheerily and as easily as you can. Even if some blow comes -when you least expect it, and knocks you off your feet for a minute, -don’t let it floor you long. Everybody likes the fellow who can get up -when he is knocked down and blink the tears away and pitch in again. -Learning to get yourself accustomed to a little hard treatment will be -good for you. Hard words and hard fortune often make us--if we don’t let -them break us. Stand up to your work or play courageously, and when you -hear words that hurt, when you are hit hard with the blunders or -misdeeds of others, when life goes roughly with you, keep right on in a -happy, companionable, courageous, helpful spirit, and let the world -know that you don’t break easily. - - - - -A HUMBUG. - - -A boy or girl who is pleasant and agreeable everywhere except at home is -a humbug. I know one boy who is a good deal of a humbug, although you -would never think so if you were to see him in any place outside of his -home. He is good-looking, neat and tidy, and carries himself like a -little man. I do not know of a boy who can tip his hat more gracefully -to a lady, or who can say, “I beg your pardon,” or “excuse me, please,” -more pleasantly than he can. But, for all that, he is a humbug. - -I visited his home the other day. I heard his mother speak to him. - -“Alexander,” she said. - -“Well, what do you want?” he asked in a voice which plainly indicated -his displeasure. - -“I want you to do something for me.” - -“Oh, you are always wanting me to do something just when I want to be -doing something else,” said Alexander, and this time he was whining. - -In departing on his errand Alexander accidentally ran against his little -sister in the hall. I expected to hear him say, “I beg your pardon” in -the pleasant way that I knew he could say it, but he snapped out -instead: - -“Oh, get out of the way, can’t you?” - -[Illustration: “OH, GET OUT OF THE WAY, CAN’T YOU?”] - -When he returned from the postoffice, Alexander’s mother was out in the -yard trimming the flowers. While Alexander was reporting to her she -happened to drop her scissors. I expected to see her polite and dutiful -son pick them up, as he was close by when the scissors fell; but the boy -paid no attention to the scissors. When his mother said, “Please pick up -my scissors for me, Alexander,” he said: - -“What did you drop ’em for?” - -I spent the best part of one whole day at Alexander’s home, and never -once during all that day did I hear him speak politely to his mother or -sisters, nor did he observe the ordinary rules of courtesy and good -behavior in their presence. He was continually grumbling and complaining -and finding fault. So I think I have a right to say that this boy is a -good deal of a humbug. Any boy is a humbug who is polite and gracious to -others and in every way discourteous and disagreeable at home. Don’t you -think so, too? - - - - -HOW TO BE HANDSOME. - - -Do you want to be handsome? I’ll tell you how. - -First, look well to your health. Eat regularly and simply, and take -proper rest, in order to be healthy. Do not crowd the stomach. The -stomach can no more work all the time, night and day, than a horse; it -must have regular rest. The body must have proper rest also. Do not keep -late hours. Go to bed early. If you have work which must be done, it is -a good deal better to rise early in the morning and do it than it is to -sit up late at night and work. - -Secondly, good teeth are essential to good looks. Brush the teeth -regularly with a soft brush morning and night, especially at night. Be -sure to go to bed at night with clean teeth. - -Thirdly, look well to the ventilation of your bedrooms. No one can have -a clear skin who breathes bad air. Fresh air is a preventive of a -multitude of diseases. Bad air is the cause of a great many premature -deaths. - -Fourthly, cleanliness of the entire body is of vast importance. Some one -has said that “Cleanliness is next to godliness,” and some one else has -added, “And soap is a means of grace.” Handsome people not only eat -regularly and simply; they not only sleep regularly and look well to -proper ventilation; but handsome people will take regular baths. - -Fifthly, more than all else, in order to look well you must wake up the -mind and soul. When the mind is awake, the dull, sleepy look passes away -from the eyes. Keep thinking pleasant and noble thoughts; do not read -trashy novels or books; read books which have something good in them. -Talk with people who know something. Be often in the company of those -who know more than you do. Hear lectures and sermons and profit by them. -If we listen and understand and heed, the mind and soul are awakened. So -much the better if the spiritual nature is aroused. Sometimes a plain -face is really glorified with the love of God and of man which shines -through it. - -Lastly, keep a strong and vigorous body by taking plenty of wholesome -outdoor exercise, and do all the good you can. - -Why not begin to grow handsome today? - -[Illustration] - - - - -PATIENCE. - - -Patience is one of the marks of a high character. It might well be -called the habit of closing the mind against disagreeable and annoying -conditions. To acquire this habit so effectually as to hide even from -one’s self any sense of suffering or offense from contact with such -conditions is what the truly cultivated aim at. Life, it is true, is -full of trying things, but to let the mind dwell upon them only serves -to increase their offense to the feelings or the senses. - -[Illustration: PATIENCE.] - -There are people, of course, who are incapable of self-concentration, -and whose imagination, if left free to gad about, seems always to fix -upon and exaggerate every element of disturbance. They live in what is -called an elementary stage of moral discipline, and are perpetually -fretting about things they cannot help. They are never able to shut down -the will against any unpleasantness. They permit merely accidental -conditions to exercise a kind of tyrannical sway over them, which, if -their minds were once bent to the practice of putting up with things, -would cease to present any annoyance whatever. - -It is difficult, no doubt, to acquire this habit, but this is what -patience means in its highest sense. It is spiritual endurance, and its -chief power consists not so much in adding to the number of our joys as -in lessening the number of our sufferings. It is, therefore, a mark of -power over one’s self and a means of power over others. With patience -the outward success or failure of a man is a small thing compared with -that success which he has achieved within himself. And that kind of -success--the success which enables a man to laugh at failure and rise -superior to discouragements and difficulties--that kind of success is a -means of help and inspiration to all those about him. - -If we consider the works of nature we shall see that nature’s most -beneficent operations are the results of patience. Anything which grows -must have time, and the best things in the world are generally those -things which demand the longest time for their growth and development. -The rank and short-lived weed reaches its full development in the -shortest possible time, but the oak, which is to stand for centuries, -demands the sunshine and the storm of years before its strength is fully -developed. - -Now, boys and girls, one of the hardest demands which nature makes upon -people (especially upon young people, full of strength and energy and -ambition) is to wait for the results of growth. No man becomes instantly -strong morally; he must grow into strength. However great his ambition -and his zeal may be, no man becomes a scholar in a year. It takes time, -and lots of it. No man reaches at a single bound the full development of -his whole nature. He grows into strength. A good soldier cannot be made -without war, nor can a skillful seaman be made on land. - -So in the race of life we must fight hard for all we get and be patient. -Whatever else may be true, or may not be true, only patient and -continued efforts--not hasty efforts--lead to success. - -Before me lies a block of wood. It is full of knots. It seems to me I -can never split it. But I bravely make the attempt. The first blow makes -little impression. The axe springs back with a bound. Again and again I -strike. Then a tiny crack appears. A few more licks--and the block -yields. I have succeeded. Can you tell me which blow did the work? Was -it not the first blow and the last and all between? You have tried -something and failed. Try again. If you fail, try once more. And on and -on, keep trying until you win the victory. - - - - -BEAUTIFUL EYES. - - - Eyes like the violet--in them I see - All that is fair, that is holy to me! - Eyes that shed fragrance, so constant, so true, - Pure as a clear drop of morning dew. - - Eyes like the violet, gently along - Lead me to vespers--to prayer and to song. - Eyes like the violet, let me I pray - Live within range of thy glances all day! - - - - -GOING WITH THE CROWD. - - -“But all the girls went, mother. I didn’t like to be the only one left -out. Besides, when I said I wouldn’t go they all laughed at me and said -that I was a coward.” - -It was Wednesday morning, before school time, and Anna was dreading to -go back to school--dreading to meet her teacher. The day before a circus -had been in town. At recess, while the children were on the playground, -they heard the noise of the band, and one of the girls said: - -“Let’s go and see the parade.” - -“All right,” said Anna. “I’ll go and ask the teacher if we may.” - -“No; don’t ask her--she might say no. We can get back before the bell -rings, and she will never know that we left the grounds.” - -Anna and one or two other girls held back. They all knew that it was -against the rules to go off the playground at recess without permission. - -“Oh, come on! Come on!” insisted one of the girls. “You’re afraid; -you’re afraid! Come on! Don’t be such a coward; all the rest are going.” - -And so Anna went. - -When the girls saw the parade pass one point they wanted to see it once -more, and away they went through the cross street to get to another -corner ahead of the procession. School was forgotten; and when they did -remember, recess time was long past and it was too late to go back. - -The next morning, as Anna stood in the kitchen talking it over with her -mother, her little heart was very heavy. She knew she had done wrong; -she dreaded to go to school; and she was very unhappy. - -“Perhaps,” said her mother, “if you had been brave about not going, the -other girls would have stayed on the school grounds too. Or, if you had -asked the teacher, I think she would have let you all go. But whether -she did or not, it is never safe to do a thing just because ‘all the -rest do it.’ Going with the crowd is not a good plan unless you are sure -that the crowd is going in the right direction. The only wise thing for -you to do is to be sure you are right, and then stick to it and never -mind what the crowd does.” - -“I didn’t mean to do wrong,” said Anna, as the tears started in her -eyes. - -[Illustration: “MOTHER, I’M SO HAPPY. TEACHER FORGAVE ME!”] - -“I know that, my dear,” said her mother, “but you were more afraid of -being teased than you were of doing wrong. I hope you will remember from -this day forward that the brave girl is not the girl who dares to do -wrong, but the brave girl is the one who does what she knows to be -right, in spite of the taunts and jeers of her playmates.” - -“What shall I tell my teacher?” asked Anna in a low voice, as she -dropped her head. - -“Oh,” said her mother, kissing her, “you go right straight to your -teacher and tell her that you have done wrong, and that you are sorry -for it. Ask her to let you say so to the whole school. Be sure to beg -her pardon, and promise not to do so again.” - -Little Anna did as her mother told her. That afternoon, when she came -back from school, she ran into her mother’s arms and said: - -“Mother, I’m so happy. Teacher forgave me, and I mean to be good.” - -And the smile on Anna’s face spoke plainly of a happy heart. - - - - -MARY AND HER DOLLS. - - -Was there ever a time when the first doll was born? Was there ever a -time when little boys and girls, especially little girls, did not love -dolls and did not have something of that nature to play with? It would -appear that dolls, or playthings somewhat like unto dolls, are as old as -babies themselves--that is to say, boys and girls, that ever since there -have been little children in the world there have been little things for -them to play with. And I never saw a sane person in my life who regrets -that it is so. It is not only amusing, it is inspiring to see the little -children making merry with their dolls and their toy animals and their -little express wagons and their wooden guns and their toy steam engines -and their whistles and their balloons and their brownies and their -jumping-jacks and their hobby-horses and a hundred and one other things. - -[Illustration: MARY AND HER DOLLS.] - -Mary had put away her dolls for the night and was cleaning the doll -house when papa came in. - -“How many doll babies have you now, Mary?” he asked. - -“I have five dolls now, papa,” said Mary, “but only one is a baby--that -is little Flossie. Robbie and Nell are three years old now; Mattie is -two and Jerusha is one year old. Flossie is now the only little baby.” - -The Rev. Dr. Smithson smiled. - -“Well,” he said after a time, “five dolls make a big family, I think.” - -“I don’t,” said Mary quickly. “Rolla Mays has thirteen girls and two -boys in her doll family, and I haven’t but five in all!” - -“I shouldn’t think,” said Dr. Smithson, “that Rolla would know what to -do with so many.” - -“Why, papa, of course she does!” - -“Mary,” said Dr. Smithson, looking thoughtfully at his little daughter, -“I have a little girl in my Sunday school class who hasn’t a single -doll. I thought you might like to give her one of yours. You could spare -one--couldn’t you?” - -“Oh, papa, I couldn’t--not a one,” exclaimed Mary. - -“Not one--when this poor little girl hasn’t any?” - -“Oh, papa, I love my dolls so--how can I give them away?” - -“You’d have four left--wouldn’t that be enough?” - -Mary thought a long while before speaking. She looked distressed. - -“Papa,” she said at last, “Mrs. Grant was over here the other day, and -she said that she wished you and mamma would give me to her because she -didn’t have any little girl of her own. You’ve got five children -yourself, papa--but would you give any of ’em away just because you -would have four left?” - -Dr. Smithson took his little daughter in his arms and kissed her. - -“No, dear,” he said; “papa wouldn’t give any one of his children away. -You may keep all of your dollies, and we’ll think of some other way to -help poor little Hattie.” - -The next morning Mary said: - -“Papa, I have thought it all out for Hattie. You know I have been saving -up a little money to buy me a little iron bank--but I can wait for that. -I have saved up fifty cents--don’t you think that will be enough to buy -a nice little dolly for Hattie, and let me keep my babies?” - -Dr. Smithson knew that Mary had long been planning for the bank. So he -asked: - -“Are you quite sure that you want to spend your money in this way?” - -“Yes, papa, I’m very sure,” said Mary with a smile, though there was a -hint of sadness in her eyes. - -Dr. Smithson and Mary bought Hattie a pretty doll. Hattie was overjoyed -when she saw it. Mary went back home, glad that her papa had understood -how she loved her dolls, and glad to find that not one of her beloved -children was missing. - - - - -JAKY TOLBERT’S PLAYMATES. - - -“Well, Johnnie, where are you going this morning?” asked Mrs. Jones as -her little boy started towards the gate. - -“I’m goin’ over to Jaky’s, mamma; you know I must go over to Jaky’s -every day.” - -“What do you find at Jaky’s to make you so anxious to go over there -every day almost before you are out of bed good?” - -“Oh, mamma, Jaky has the nicest playmates over to his house you ’most -ever saw.” - -“Who else goes over to Jaky’s besides you?” asked Mrs. Jones. - -“Jaky don’t have no reg’lar visitor but me,” said Johnnie proudly. “Me -an’ Jaky is the whole thing.” - -“Well, you are saying a good deal for yourself when you say that Jaky -has the nicest playmates in the world--don’t you think so?” - -[Illustration: “I’M GOING OVER TO JAKY’S, MAMMA.”] - -“I didn’t mean me,” explained Johnnie. “Jaky’s playmates ain’t folks at -all. Jaky’s playmates is animals--just animals, but I do believe that -they have got as much sense as some folks I know.” - -“What kind of animals?” asked Mrs. Jones, becoming interested. - -Then Johnnie went on to explain. He said: - -“Jaky’s got chickens and dogs and cats and birds. He’s got names for all -of ’em, and they all know their names and they just run to Jaky when he -calls them. The chickens and birds, too, will just walk right up and eat -out of Jaky’s hand. And his trained dogs and cats are just the funniest -things I ever saw. His little dog, Trip, can carry a gun and obey the -commands, “Carry arms!” “Present arms!” “Parade rest!” just like a -little soldier. One time at a fair he saw trained dogs and horses, -elephants, and even lions. Then he decided that he would train some -animals himself. And, mamma, he has done well. Why, he’s got a cat that -can spell some words. Jaky printed some letters of the alphabet on -separate cards, and he’s got a cat that will pick out the right ones -every time. One of his little dogs can play the fiddle. It may seem -strange, but he certainly can do it. He can hold the fiddle, and draw -the bow across it just the right way, and he can play a little tune. -Jaky calls it a dog tune, and I think he ought to know. - -“You just ought to see Jaky’s chickens--he’s got six of ’em. He calls -them and they all come running. Then he holds out his arm, and calls -them by name, and they will jump up on his little arm, one after the -other, and will sit there until Jaky tells them to jump down. And Jaky -is so kind to his two birds that they won’t fly away when he lets them -out of their cages for a little while. He can take them up in his arms -and pat them gently, and then he puts them down, and they will lie still -right by Jaky until Jaky calls them by name and tells them to go into -the house--that is, I mean, into their cages. - -“By the way, mama, I forgot to tell you. Jaky is getting up an animal -show, and he says that I am to be his manager. He’s going to print the -cards to-day. He’s going to call his circus, “JAKY TOLBERT’S GREAT -ANIMAL SHOW--THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH,” and he’s going to make me the -manager of his circus. Won’t that be fine? You’ll come and see it--won’t -you? We’re going to charge only one cent for you to come in. Oh, it’s -going to be great, and I don’t want you to miss it.” - -“To be sure, I’ll come,” said Mrs. Jones. “Tell Jaky I’m glad to hear -about how much he loves the dumb animals--every manly boy ought to love -and protect them.” - -“I tell you,” said Johnnie, as he hurried out of the gate, “Jaky will -fight anybody who hallooes at one of his pets or mistreats one in the -least. He’s just as kind to them as he can be. Don’t you forget the -show. It’ll come off next week.” - - - - -A VALENTINE PARTY. - - -It was one week from St. Valentine’s Day, and the Berry children had -already provided a number of the tokens, comic and otherwise, which they -meant to send to their friends. Jack produced a grotesque and awfully -exaggerated caricature of a withered, stoop-shouldered old woman, with -some cruel lines of doggerel printed beneath it. - -“I’m going to send this to old Mrs. Gray,” said Jack, as he exhibited -the comic picture. - -Nearly all the children laughed, and said that the picture and the words -beneath it would just suit the old woman. Mrs. Gray was an old and -poverty-stricken widow woman, and many of the children of the little -village took delight in playing tricks on her on Hallowe’en and -Valentine nights. In this way, the children, especially the boys, had -made her life so miserable that the old woman often said that she hated -even the sight of a boy. In the midst of the merriment over the proposed -venture of Jack Berry, it was Lillie Berry who spoke up, saying,---- - -“Jack, I tell you what I think. I think we ought to give Mrs. Gray a -genuine surprise next week. She has had so many ups and downs in this -life, I really believe that we can give her a little pleasure if we give -her a true--true surprise. Of course, all the boys and girls will be -invited to join in, but it is not going to be like a regular party, but -something like the ‘surprise’ parties or donation parties that we -sometimes give the preacher; we’ll just put the things on the doorstep -and run, the way we do with valentines, you know. What do you say to -that, Jack? And what do the rest of you think?” - -[Illustration: OLD MRS. GRAY.] - -Very quickly the Berry children agreed with what Lillie had said, and -immediately they set about planning for the valentine party. - -The night of February fourteenth was clear, cold and moonless. Across -the fields in the darkness, a throng of merry young children, with a -wagon or two (little goat wagons) piled high with baskets and bundles -and wood, slipped silently toward the little house where old Mrs. Gray -sat shivering over her scanty fire. A sudden knock at the door aroused -Mrs. Gray from her musing. She hobbled painfully to the door. Opening -it, she saw by the light of the tallow candle a basket of rosy apples -and another of potatoes. Nothing else was in sight. - -A second knock followed almost as soon as the door had closed on the two -baskets which were hurriedly drawn inside. This time a can of kerosene -oil held a lonely vigil on the doorstep. - -“I haven’t had a drop in my lamp for two weeks,” Jack heard the old lady -say, as she peered out eagerly into the darkness before closing the -door. - -As she was busy filling her lamp, she was interrupted by a third knock, -which resulted in a basket filled with groceries in parcels in all -shapes and sizes. Great tears stood in Mrs. Gray’s eyes, and a great -lump arose in her throat. - -At last knock number four revealed the real Saint Valentine--a group of -laughing boys and girls, every one of whom carried an armful either of -pine or oak wood for the stove. - -“Where shall we put it?” asked Jack Berry, as eager now to help as he -had been the week before to tease. Mrs. Gray was rubbing her eyes, and -wondering if she could possibly be awake and in her right mind. - -“Wish you many happy returns of Valentine’s Day!” said Lillie Berry, as -she slipped into the withered hand a small purse containing the -valentine money of the boys and girls; and before the bewildered woman -could say more than a fervent “God bless you,” her guests had melted -away in the darkness, and she was left to weep tears of thankfulness -among her new possessions. - - - - -“NO MONEY DOWN.” - - -Boys and girls, I suppose you are quite familiar with what is known as -buying things on the instalment plan. You have seen people in your own -neighborhood--perhaps in your own homes--buy things that way. Chairs, -tables, bed-steads, rugs, pictures, things for the kitchen and things to -wear, and many other things are bought that way. Most people think they -are getting a great bargain when they are able to buy things by paying a -small amount in cash as the first payment--say fifty-cents or a -dollar--and then pay the balance in small weekly or monthly payments. -And especially do some of our mothers and fathers think that they are -getting a great bargain, if they are able to buy things they want for -“no money down” and so much a week. In such matters, my dear boys and -girls, your parents are making a terrible mistake and are setting you a -wrong example. They lose sight of the fact, when they fall into the -habit of buying anything and everything on the instalment plan or on the -“no money down” plan, that a day of reckoning is sure to come; that the -time comes when they must pay for everything that they have been led -into buying. Thoughtful people--wise people--prefer to pay “money down” -when they buy anything; and this habit of paying as they go helps them -in at least two ways. First, it saves money in their pockets, and, -secondly, it keeps them from running in debt. - -Children, these men who come to your homes with great packs on their -backs always charge you double for whatever they may sell you on the “no -money down” plan--no matter what it is! That is why they are willing to -make the terms so “easy,” as they say. In the end they profit by their -schemes, and nobody else does profit by their schemes except these -peddlers. You ought to avoid them as you would a wild beast. You do not -know now, boys and girls, what a terrible thing debt is. I honestly hope -that you may never know, and if you will take the advice of older and -wiser persons I am sure you will always be free from the bondage of -debt. - -Not long ago, I saw two women standing at the window of one of these “no -money down” or “hand-me-down” stores. One said to the other-- - -“I just believe I’ll get me a new cloak this winter. My cloak didn’t -cost but three dollars, and it is so old and shabby that I am ashamed to -wear it in the street. Look at that beauty over there in the corner. -Only ten dollars and ‘no money down’.” - -“Yes;” said her companion, “but I guess the money will have to come down -sometime.” - -“Oh, of course; but, you know, I won’t have to pay it all at once. I -could probably get it for fifty cents a week.” - -“Well, why don’t you just save the fifty cents a week until you have -enough to pay ‘cash down’ for the cloak, and in that way you would save, -I am sure, three or four dollars; because you can buy that same cloak -for six dollars or seven dollars in cash.” - -“Oh,” said the woman, “I’d never save it as I would if I had the cloak -and knew that I just had to pay for it.” - -“But, Delia, the cloak would not really be yours until you had paid for -it, and I would feel kind of cheap wearing a cloak that didn’t belong to -me. If I were you I would stick to the old cloak until I could pay the -money down for a new one. That’s what I would do.” - -And that is exactly what anybody should do who wants a new cloak. It is -what people should do, no matter what they want. I know a boy fifteen or -sixteen years old who had the courage and the manliness and the honesty -to wear a very shabby old overcoat all of last winter rather than buy -one on the “no money down” plan. It is his plan always to “pay as he -goes,” and be debtor to no one. - -I heard the other day of a young fellow who goes two or three blocks out -of his way to avoid passing certain stores because he owes the -proprietors of those stores money that he cannot pay. That boy, I know, -is miserable night and day. Mr. Longfellow, in his “The Village -Blacksmith,” tells us that the honest old blacksmith could look “the -whole world in the face,” because he did not owe anybody anything--he -was out of debt. And boys and girls, if you are level-headed, you will -fight shy of the “no money down” plan. By choosing the “money down” -plan, you will save your self-respect and your good name. - - - - -TOMMY’S BABY BROTHER. - - -For several months Deacon Tadpole’s little son, Tommy, had made constant -and repeated reference to the fact that he had no little baby brother or -sister to play with. One day, when he was feeling unusually sad over his -misfortune, he said to his father,---- - -“Papa, I ain’t got no little baby brother to play with--you might at -least buy me a little pony.” - -“Papa can’t buy a pony, son;” said the deacon. “A pony costs too much. I -thought you wanted a little brother or sister.” - -“I do,” said Tommy, “but if I can’t get what I want I’m willing to take -what I can get.” - -“But, you would rather have a little brother than a pony, wouldn’t you?” -asked Mr. Tadpole. - -Tommy thought awhile and then said he thought he would rather have a -little baby brother than to have a pony. - -“You see,” he said, “it costs so much to keep a pony, and we would have -to build a stable for him, wouldn’t we, papa?” - -“Yes,” answered his father, “and we haven’t got any room in the backyard -for a stable.” - -“And we’d have to buy hay, too,” said the child. - -“Yes,” said his father. - -“Well, I’d rather have the little brother.” - -[Illustration: “PAPA, WON’T YOU BUY ME A LITTLE PONY?”] - -So the matter was left in abeyance until a month ago, when little Tommy -was told one morning that a little brother had come to him. - -He was delighted. He danced around in the hall and made such a racket on -the stairs that the nurse threatened to have him sent away. When he was -permitted to see the baby, Tommy went into ecstasies. He wanted to kiss -the baby, and cried because they wouldn’t let him hold it in his arms. - -But Tommy’s enthusiasm for the new baby began to wear off in about a -week’s time. It was always, “Sh-sh! Sh-sh! You’ll wake the baby,” or -“Tommy, you must be more quiet!” or “You can’t come in this room now!” - -In fact, the little baby brother seemed to be interfering with little -Tommy’s fun to such an extent that he decided to go to his father and -see if some new arrangement could not be made. Tommy found his father in -the library. He ran to Deacon Tadpole and climbed upon his knee, and -said: - -“Papa, I don’t believe I want my little brother any more. I can’t have -any fun with him. I’ll tell you what let’s do. Let’s trade him for a -pony.” - -“Oh, we couldn’t do that,” said the deacon. - -Tommy was silent for a time. Then he said: - -“Well, I don’t suppose we could find anybody that would want to trade a -pony for him, but don’t you think you could trade him for a goat?” - - - - -KEEPING SCHOOL. - - -Every boy and girl in America ought to go to school. The public school -is one of the best institutions connected with the life of our nation. -But did you ever hear of a little girl who went to school to herself? I -have, and I want to tell you about it. - -We will call her Tootsie. - -There was no school-house, and no teachers; nothing only just little -Tootsie; not even her dolls; just simply Tootsie sitting all alone on -the couch near the window. That was all there was to this little school, -so far as anybody could see. - -But Tootsie said she had a large school, with some sixty pupils. -Sometimes she would say that her scholars had been naughty and that they -would have to stay in at recess; and then again she would say that they -had been promoted to a higher grade; she often talked to her pupils as -if they were real live people, telling them how they should stand and -how they should sit and giving them permission to be excused, and so on. -So you see it seemed in Tootsie’s mind very much more like a real school -than it could to us. - -[Illustration: TOOTSIE!] - -Every morning, when Tootsie’s sister would start for school, Tootsie -would watch her until she was out of sight, and then she would go and -sit down on the couch. Not having a true-true school book, she would -take her Christmas story books. At first she would only look at the -pictures and try to think what the story about them must be. Then she -would ask mamma or grandma, or whoever happened to be nearest, what the -words of the picture-story were. She would then say the words of the -story over to herself and look at the picture. Next day she would read -over the words of the same story as far as she could remember them, and -when she came to a word that she did not know, up she would jump and go -and ask some one what it was. When she had learned a story herself, she -would then talk to her sixty imaginary scholars about it, showing them -the picture and explaining the story to them just as though the children -were all there before her in her little school room. - -In this way Tootsie went through one after another of her story books, -picking out the stories that had pleasing pictures. - -But the nice thing of it all was that Tootsie was really learning to -read, and she did get so that she read real well; for she knew just what -she was reading about, and often, when she would find a story that was -funny, she would laugh right out even if she was at school, and then she -would find mama or grandma and read the funny part to them. - -Maybe one reason why Tootsie learned so fast was because her school was -just like play to her and not like work. Of course, it is easier to play -than it is to work. But could you think of any better thing to play than -to play keeping school? Why not try it? It helped Tootsie wonderfully, -and I believe it would help many other boys and girls. What do you think -about it? - - - - -THE SCHOOL OF THE STREET. - - -Little Joe, ten years old, had followed his business as a newsboy and -bootblack in Smutville for three or four years, and, of course, had -turned out to be a first-class little citizen of the street. He could -curse and swear, and drink and smoke, just the same as any old hardened -sinner. - -One day, after Joe had finished one of his daily fights with some other -small boy, a kind-hearted gentleman stepped up to him and said,---- - -“My little man, do you go to school?” - -“Nope,” said Joe. - -“Do you go to Sunday-school?” - -“Nope.” - -“Well,” said the gentleman, “what do you expect to do when you are -grown?” - -“I ain’t going to wait till I’m grown--I’m going to be a jockey; that’s -what I’m going to be.” - -“How would you like to be bank cashier or president of a great bank? -Wouldn’t you like that better?” - -“Yep,” said the boy, “but a poor boy can’t get no job like that--now you -know he couldn’t.” - -“Oh, yes; he could if he were to prepare himself for it. But a poor boy, -and no other boy, will ever be a great business man if he is going to -live forever in the street--cursing and swearing and fighting and, it -may be, stealing, and having no higher ambition than to be a jockey.” - -“Are you a parson?” asked the boy, becoming interested. - -[Illustration: LITTLE JOE.] - -“No, but I am interested in little boys. I am the secretary of the Young -Men’s Christian Association and we have a boys’ department. I want you -to join it. I have found out about your habits and your surroundings; I -was told of the death of your mother and father; and I made up my mind -to come and ask you to come over to the Young Men’s Christian -Association and live with us. You may continue to sell your papers and -black boots, but, you see, living with us, you can go to school at -night, and some day you will have a good education--and you might be a -bank cashier.” - -Little Joe took this good man’s advice and went to live in the Y. M. C. -A. building. He did not turn out to be a bank cashier or president, but -what was better, Joe turned out to be a General Secretary of one of the -largest Y. M. C. A.’s among the colored people of this country, and in -that way has been instrumental in saving a great many other boys from -the gutter. - -But Joe would never have amounted to anything if he had not been taken -away from the wicked influences of the street, and placed on the road to -higher things. The worst school in this world that any boy can go to is -the school of the street. The school of the street turns out the most -impure, the most dishonest and the most illiterate boys, and those boys -and girls who ever rise to be anything or anybody in the world are the -ones who leave the influences of the street in due time, as Little Joe -did. The street offers most of its work and most of its attractions at -night, as many boys can tell. The life of the street leads to no career -that is worth following. The good careers are made by those whom the -street has not had a chance to spoil, or by those who are taken out of -the streets before they become hopeless cases. - -There is no greater error than the common notion that it is a good thing -to let a boy run the streets and become “hard” and “tough” and “have his -wits sharpened” and make “a little man” of himself, as some foolish -people say. A boy learns more downright mischief in one night in the -street than he can unlearn in the home in six months. And so, what will -the teaching of the home, the public school and the Sunday-school amount -to, if we are going to give our boys in their young and tender years the -freedom of the streets? If now and then a street boy--that is to say, a -boy hardened in the ways of the street--does get a good place, in most -cases he will lose it and fall back to the old, free life of the gutter. -The boys who succeed are the boys who get away from, or who are taken -away from, the influences of the street and who are surrounded by better -and more wholesome influences. Those who remain under the influences of -the street become in the course of time members of the great army of -beggars, tramps and criminals. It is a great pity that there should be -so many stories going the rounds which tell about newsboys and messenger -boys and so on rising to be bank clerks and telegraph-operators and so -forth. On the whole, these stories are misleading, and for the reason -that they seem to give the impression to many innocent boys and to many -thoughtless parents that the surest way to give a boy a good start in -life is to send him out into the streets to “rough it” and fight his way -to the front over beer bottles, games of chance, the race-track, and the -pool room, to the accompaniment of vulgar jokes, profane swearing and -evil associates. I repeat: The school of the street is the worst school -in the world, and the sooner boys get out of it the better it will be -for them. - - - - -THE FOX HUNT. - - -Uncle Hambright used to pride himself upon his ability to invent amusing -games for the children. Sometimes he found it hard to think of anything -new, but the demands of the children were so insistent and his desire to -please them always was so intense that it often happened that Uncle -Hambright could almost make a way out of no way. - -Dinner-time was fast approaching. All the morning, the half-dozen little -children, who were spending the day with Uncle Hambright at the -Sunday-school picnic, had been playing every conceivable sort of game -and had been enjoying every imaginable kind of story told in Uncle Ham’s -inimitable way,--but still the children were not satisfied. “Just one -more story,” or “Just one more game,” or “Give us your best game now for -the last before dinner,”--the children clamored one after another. - -“Very well,” said Uncle Ham. “You all wait until I come back, and then -we’ll play fox-hunting.” - -Uncle Ham went and told his sister and her husband, the parents of the -little children, to take the dinner-baskets far into the woods to the -place which they had already agreed upon as the spot where the -dinner-table should be spread. Coming back to the children, Uncle Ham -said,---- - -“Now, we are ready. Come close and listen while I explain.” - -[Illustration: UNCLE HAMBRIGHT.] - -With anxious hearts and eager faces, and clapping their glad hands, the -children gathered around Uncle Ham. - -“Now,” said he, “I have a piece of chalk here in my hand. I am going to -make something like this wherever I go along.” While he was speaking he -made a round ring on the fence close by. He put marks for the ears and -feet and a mark for the tail. Then he continued: “This is the fox. I’m -going to make foxes along the path that I take into the woods--sometimes -these foxes may be on fences, sometimes on trees, sometimes on rocks, or -anywhere I wish to place them. Whenever you find a fox you will know -that you are on the right road, and you must be sure each time to follow -in the direction that the head of the fox points. Then you won’t lose -your way. You must give me a little start, because I must be out of -sight before you all begin the hunt. At the end of the hunt, if you -follow carefully, you will find a large present waiting for each one of -you. You may help yourself to whatever you like, and then we shall all -come back together, because, you know, I will be at the end myself -waiting for you when you come.” - -It seemed that the ten minutes start that the children had agreed to -give Uncle Hambright would never come to an end, so eager were they to -begin the hunt. By-and-by the time came, and they were off. The first -few foxes had been drawn on the board-walk, so the hunters had easy -sailing for a little while. Pretty soon, however, one of the girls -discovered a fox on a tree, and the head of the fox pointed right into -the woods. At first the children halted. The eldest girl said finally, -after studying a few minutes,---- - -“Let’s go on; Uncle Hambright wouldn’t take us where anything could hurt -us, and, besides, he said he would be waiting at the end.” - -Thus re-assured, all of them plunged into the woods. Once in the woods -the little foxes drawn on trees and stumps carried them right along by -the side of a babbling brook for a long distance. Sometimes they would -find one fox, and then they would find it very hard to locate the next -one. It was great fun for them to scurry about in the woods, examining -trees, stumps, rocks and everything, hunting for the foxes. Finally one -of the little girls found a fox on a fence. The head of the fox pointed -upwards. The little child said,---- - -“This little fox seems to be pointing to heaven; I’m sure we can’t go up -there.” - -“Oh, no;” said the oldest girl, again coming to the rescue,--“I think -that that little fox leads over the fence--that’s all.” - -So, over the fence they jumped and continued the chase. - -[Illustration: “WAIT HERE UNTIL I RETURN.”] - -The course proved to be zig-zag now for a few minutes, and the children -found the foxes more and more difficult to locate. They felt safe again, -when the foxes were found on stones or rocks leading up the side of a -hill. The woods began to thin out, and the children were no longer -timid. Up the hill they went with a merry laugh and a shout. Once on top -of the hill, they lost their course again. After a time, they found a -fox, though, and that fox pointed straight down the hill. The children -bravely followed. At the foot of the hill, they came suddenly upon an -open space, and close by there was a great big fox marked upon a piece -of black paste-board and standing right over a bubbling spring of water. - -“Uncle Hambright must have meant for us to stop here,” said one. - -“Maybe, he meant for us to stop and get some water,” said another. - -One or two of the fox-hunters stopped and drank some water. Then the -oldest one said,---- - -“Come on now, let’s look for another fox; I guess we are most through -now.” - -About twenty yards away from the spring, the children came to another -open space that was well shaded. What was their delight and surprise to -find there stretched out before them on a large white table cloth, laid -on the bare ground, a sumptuous picnic-dinner. And in the middle of the -table there was a true-true stuffed fox with a large red apple in his -mouth. For a few moments the children stood around the table in -bewilderment. But they were not to be kept in suspense a great while. -Pretty soon, Uncle Hambright and mama and papa came out of the woods -near by, and such a laugh as went around that picnic-dinner was never -heard before or since! - -At the close of the meal, the children all voted that that was the best -game that Uncle Ham had played during the day. - - - - -A BOLD VENTURE. - - -“Mr. Slocum, good morning, sir; I came around to ask you to lend me five -dollars.” - -Mr. Slocum, Manager of the Harlem Steamboat Company, looked up from his -desk in surprise when he heard this abrupt announcement. - -“What’s that?” he asked curtly. - -“Lend me five dollars,” said the little boy who had first addressed him. - -“Who are you?” demanded Mr. Slocum. - -“I’m nobody,” said the boy,--“nobody, but I want you to lend me five -dollars.” - -Mr. Slocum, who was generally said to be a hard man to deal with, was -surprised at the boy’s presumption, yet, nevertheless, he was secretly -pleased at the boy’s frank and open manner. - -“Do you know what borrowing money means?” asked Mr. Slocum, rising and -looking down upon the diminutive figure standing before him. The boy was -barefooted, held his hat in his hand, and his hair was nicely combed. -Mr. Slocum continued: “Don’t you know when a person borrows money he is -supposed to pay it back?” - -“Oh, yes,” said the boy; “I know that. You lend me the money, and I’ll -pay it back all right. I only want it for three months. I’ll pay it -back.” - -[Illustration: “LEND ME FIVE DOLLARS!”] - -There was something about the boy’s face and general deportment that won -Mr. Slocum’s favor. He ran his hand into his pocket, pulled out a -five-dollar bill and handed it to the boy. - -“Thank you, sir,” said the boy, as he turned to go,--“thank you, sir; -I’ll pay it back.” - -Three months later, the same little boy entered Mr. Slocum’s office. - -“Here’s your five dollars, Mr. Slocum,” said the little boy. “I’m much -obliged to you, sir.” - -“Who are you?” as Mr. Slocum, as he reached out and took the money. - -“I’m nobody,” said the boy. - -“Well, why do you bring me this money?” - -“Because I owe it to you,” explained the little fellow. - -The boy told Mr. Slocum of the loan made three months before, and made -Mr. Slocum recall the transaction. Mr. Slocum asked him to have a seat. - -“Well, what did you do with that money?” asked Mr. Slocum. - -“Well,” said the boy, “I was hard up when I called on you. Me and my ma -had been selling papers for a living up to that time, but somehow we had -got behind with our expenses. House rent was due, and we didn’t have -nothing to eat. I had to find a friend somewhere. So, after trying two -or three places where I was known and failing to get any help, I decided -to drop in here and see you. You know the result. Well, I paid my rent -for a week; rented a little stand for my ma to sell papers on the -corner, while I continued to hustle in the street. That five dollars you -lent me give me good luck, and I’ve been going right up ever since. Me -and ma are living in a better place now; we’ve got a plenty to eat; and -we’ve got a plenty of fine customers. I told you when I came here -before that I was nobody then, but I’m somebody now, Mr. -Slocum,--anyhow, I feel so--and I want to thank you again for the help -you gave me.” - -The boy’s story pleased Mr. Slocum very much. It is needless to say that -he took an interest in that boy, and continued to befriend him. - -This happened many years ago. Today Tommy Tolliver--that was the boy’s -name--is the Assistant General Manager of the Harlem Steamboat Company, -and a very well-to-do man. Mr. Slocum says that there is nobody in the -world like him. Tommy’s mother died some years ago, but she lived long -enough to see her little boy taken out of the streets, put to school, -and started on his career of usefulness. - - - - -THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. - - -The world is constantly looking for the man who knows the most, and it -pays little regard to those who are proficient in the usual degree in -the same things. One must excel, or, in other words, know more than his -associates in order to succeed notably. The world will bid high for you -if you know more than other men. - -[Illustration: THE ROAD TO SUCCESS.] - -So that boys and girls who are preparing themselves for the duties of -life should not aim simply at being as good as somebody else, but they -should aim at being the best that it is possible to be in any chosen -line of life or business. I have noticed in my short life-time that -there is a great tendency on the part of young people to cut short their -education. Being able to shine in the intellectual and social worlds -with the small attainments made in some college or normal school or -industrial school, the average young negro man is content to stop with a -diploma or certificate from one or another of these institutions. They -will never realize what injury they have done themselves by so doing -until it is too late. On the other hand, there is another large class of -young people that stop short even before they have finished the course -in even any one of the normal or industrial schools. They must go out to -work; they know enough to make a living; what’s the use of so much -education, anyhow? This is the way some of them talk. This is what some -of them believe. Boys and girls, no man or woman with such low ideals -will ever reach the topmost round of the ladder of fame. Such boys and -girls will always play a second-rate part in the great drama of life. -The boys and girls who are going to the front--the boys and girls who -are going to have the leading parts--are the boys and girls who are -willing to take time to prepare themselves. And preparation means hard -work; and not only hard work, but hard and long-continued work. A person -can learn a good deal in one year; a person can learn a good deal in two -years; but nobody can learn enough in one or two years, or in three or -four years, to make it at all likely that he will ever be sought by the -great world. - -Aside from the rudimentary training, it ought to take at least ten years -to make a good doctor, or a good lawyer, or a good electrician, or a -good preacher. Four of these years ought to be spent in college; and -four in the professional school; and the other two ought to be spent in -picking up a practical or working knowledge of the calling--whatever it -may be. The young doctor obtains this practical knowledge in hospitals -and in practice among the poor. The electrician obtains it by entering -some large electrical industry or manufactory, in which a thoroughly -practical knowledge of mechanical engineering and electricity can be -secured. It is true that some men have become distinguished in these -callings without this long preparation of which I have spoken; yet it -is, also, true that they would have been better off--they would have -been more likely to have become eminent--if they had taken the longer -course. College is a little world which every one, other things being -equal, ought to enter and pass through before launching in the great -world. - - - - -KEEPING ONE’S ENGAGEMENTS. - - -What would happen if everybody should begin tomorrow to keep all his -promises and fulfill all his engagements? I think it would make a new -world at once. There is great need that the attention of young people -should be called to the importance of keeping engagements. Much of the -confusion and annoyance and trouble of this world would be done away -with if people would learn to keep their promises. The oft-repeated -excuse, “I forgot,” is not reasonable. If the memory is in the habit of -playing tricks with you, then you ought to make notes of your -engagements, write them down in some way, so that you will not forget -them. Arnold of Rugby said: “Thoughtlessness is a crime,” and he was -right. The great Ruskin has also uttered strong words in condemnation -of thoughtlessness in youth. He said: “But what excuse can you find for -willfulness of thought at the very time when every crisis of future -fortune hangs on your decisions? A youth thoughtless! when the career of -all his days depends on the opportunity of a moment. A youth -thoughtless! when his every act is a foundation-stone of future conduct, -and every imagination a fountain of life or death. Be thoughtless in -any after years rather than now, though, indeed, there is only one place -where a man may be nobly thoughtless--his deathbed. No thinking should -ever be left to be done there.” - -[Illustration: KEEPING ONE’S ENGAGEMENTS.] - -And, then, boys and girls should remember that promptness should always -accompany the fulfilling of an engagement, otherwise the engagement is -not really kept. A person’s time is a valuable possession, which should -be respected by all. Who has not been exasperated by some one with -apparent indifference keeping (?) an engagement a half or three-quarters -of an hour late! And often a whole train of troubles will follow in the -wake of tardiness. The punctual boy or girl in this life is the one who -advances most rapidly. The punctual boy or girl will make a punctual man -or woman. A promise-breaker, or one who is late in keeping his -appointments, cannot in the true sense of the term be considered a -first-class person. - - - - -A MIDNIGHT MISHAP.[2] - - -Uncle Ned returned from his ’possum hunt about midnight, bringing with -him a fine, fat ’possum. He built a glowing fire, dressed the ’possum, -pared and split the sweet potatoes, and pretty soon he had the “’possum -an’ ’taters” in the oven. While the meal was cooking Uncle Ned amused -himself with his favorite old banjo. When the ’possum had been baked -brown and crisp he took it out of the oven and set it on the hearth to -give it time to cool. Mentally congratulating himself upon the glorious -repast he thought soon to enjoy, he sat silently for awhile in the old -armchair, but presently he was snugly wrapped in the arms of “tired -nature’s sweet restorer--balmy sleep.” - -[Illustration: A MIDNIGHT MISHAP.] - -It happened that two young fellows who were pretty well acquainted with -Uncle Ned’s habits had been stealthily watching about the house waiting -this particular chance. As soon as they were convinced that the old man -was safe in the arms of Morpheus, they crept into the house and -hurriedly helped themselves to Uncle Ned’s supper, including even the -coffee and bread. When they finished the hasty meal, by way of -attempting to cover up their tracks, they smeared Uncle Ned’s hands and -mouth with the ’possum gravy and then beat a retreat. - -After a time Uncle Ned aroused from his peaceful slumber. It is needless -to say that he had dreamed about his supper. At once he dived down to -inspect the viands, when, lo and behold, the hearth was empty! Uncle Ned -steadied himself and studied awhile. - -“Well,” said he finally, “I must ’a’ et dat ’possum; I must ’a’ et dat -’possum in my sleep!” - -He looked at his hands. They were greasy. He smelt his hands. As he did -so he said: - -“Dat smells like ’possum grease! I sho must ’a’ et dat ’possum.” - -He discovered grease on his lips. Out went his tongue. - -“Dat tas’es like ’possum grease,” he said. He got up. He looked about -the house. There was no sign of intruders. He rubbed his stomach. He -resumed his seat, and, giving up all for lost, he said: - -“Well, ef I did eat dat ’possum, hit sets lightah on my appertite dan -any ’possum I evah et befo’.” - - [2] Published in Lippincott’s. - - - - -FREDERICK DOUGLASS. - - -In 1893 the World’s Columbian Exposition, or World’s Fair, was held in -Chicago in commemoration of the four hundredth anniversary of the -discovery of America. A negro man, the Hon. Frederick Douglass, -attended that exposition and delivered an address on negro day. Speaking -of this great man’s visit the Advance, one of Chicago’s great religious -papers, said: - -“It was fine to see at the Congress on Africa the tall form and -magnificent head of the grand old man, Frederick Douglass, now -seventy-five years of age, perfectly erect, kindly, majestic, the -‘ancient fires of inspiration welling up through all his being yet’; -affable to all; finding it still to be as natural to be eloquent as to -speak at all; sympathetic to the core with the people of his own race, -yet none the less loyal to the common interests of all the people of his -country; neither blind to the obstacles in their path and the cruel -social injustice and meanness to which they are often exposed, nor, on -the other hand, unmindful of the friends they have in the South as also -in the North, or above all to the over-shining care and purpose of God -Himself, with the ‘far-off divine intent’ that so clearly takes in the -future of both the American and African continents. Few Americans have -had a more conspicuously providential mission than Frederick Douglass. -And hardly anything in this remarkable congress was more eloquent or -more convincing than his personal presence.” - -Frederick Douglass was born a slave, and his life as a slave was one of -peculiar hardship. Of it he himself says in his autobiography: - -“I suffered little from any punishment I received, except from hunger -and cold. I could get enough neither of food or clothing, but suffered -more from cold than hunger. In the heat of summer or the cold of winter -alike, I was kept almost in a state of nudity--no shoes, jackets, -trousers, or stockings--nothing but a coarse tow linen shirt reaching to -the knee. That I wore night and day. In the day time I could protect -myself by keeping on the sunny side of the house, and in bad weather in -the corner of the kitchen chimney. The great difficulty was to keep warm -at night. I had no bed. The pigs in the pen had leaves, and the horses -in the stable had straw, but the children had nothing. In very cold -weather I sometimes got down the bag in which corn was carried to the -mill and got into that. My feet have been so cracked by frost that the -pen with which I am writing might have been laid in the gashes.” With -regard to his food he said that he often disputed with the dogs over the -crumbs that fell from his master’s table. - -Now this man, born so lowly and surrounded by such circumstances, turned -out to be in the course of time by hard work and self-application one of -the most influential American citizens and one of the greatest orators -that this country has ever known. Among other high offices of trust and -responsibility, he was once marshal of the District of Columbia, -recorder of deeds of the District of Columbia, and United States -minister to Hayti. - -He died February 20th, 1895, at his home in Anacostia, D. C., at the age -of seventy-seven years. A monument to his memory has been erected in -Rochester, N. Y., where he once lived. - -What Frederick Douglass made of himself is possible for any American boy -with grit. Every boy and girl in America should read the life of this -pre-eminent negro and strive to emulate his virtues. His memory is -worthy to be honored to the last day of time. - - - - -OUR DUMB ANIMALS. - - -Domestic animals--like horses, cats and dogs--seem to be almost as -dependent upon kind treatment and affection as human beings. Horses and -dogs especially are the most keenly intelligent of our dumb friends, and -are alike sensitive to cruelty in any form. They are influenced to an -equal degree by kind and affectionate treatment. - -If there is any form of cruelty that is more reprehensible than another, -it is abuse of a faithful horse who has given his whole life to the -service of the owner. When a horse is pulling a heavy load with all his -might, doing the best he can to move under it, to strike him, spur him, -or swear at him is simply barbarous. To kick a dog around, to tie tin -cans to his tail, or strike him with sticks, just for the fun of -hearing him yelp or seeing him run, is equally barbarous. No high-minded -man, no high-minded boy or girl, would do such a thing. We should never -forget how helpless, in a large sense, dumb animals are--and how -absolutely dependent upon the humanity and kindness of their owners. -They are really the slaves of man, having no language by which to -express their feelings or needs. - -[Illustration: OUR DUMB ANIMALS.] - -The poet Cowper said: - - “I would not enter on my list of friends, - Though graced with polished manners and fine sense, - Yet wanting sensibility, the man - Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.” - -Every boy and girl should be willing to pledge himself to be kind to all -harmless living creatures, and every boy and girl should strive to -protect such creatures from cruel usage on the part of others. It is -noble, boys and girls, for us to speak for those that cannot speak for -themselves, and it is noble, also, for us to protect those that cannot -protect themselves. - - - - -A PLUCKY BOY. - - -The boy marched straight up to the counter. - -“Well, my little man,” said the merchant, “what can I do for you?” - -“If you please,” said the boy, “I came in to see if you wouldn’t let me -work for you.” - -The boy was not yet ten years old, and he was small for his age. But -there was something in his speech or manner that held the man’s -attention. - -“Do some work for me, eh?” said the man. “What kind of work could you -do? You can hardly look over the counter.” - -“Oh, yes; I can,” said the little fellow, as he stood on tiptoe and -peeped over the counter. - -Out of sheer curiosity the merchant came from behind the counter, so as -to get a good look at the boy. - -“Oh,” he said, “I see you’ve got copper taps on your shoes; I suppose -your mother couldn’t keep you in shoes if they didn’t have taps on -them!” - -“She can’t keep me in shoes anyway, sir,” and the little boy’s voice -hesitated. - -“How old are you?” asked the merchant. - -“I’m older than I look; folks say that I’m small for my age.” - -“Well, what is your age?” - -“I’m going on ten,” said Davie, with a look of great importance. “You -see,” he continued, “my mother hasn’t anybody but me, and this morning I -saw her crying because she could not find five cents in her pocketbook, -and she thinks she must have lost it--and it was--the--last cent--that -she had--in the world; and--I--have--not--had--any--breakfast, sir.” The -voice again hesitated, and tears came into the little boy’s eyes. - -“Oh, don’t cry, my little man; I guess I can help you to a breakfast. -Here, take this quarter!” He pulled a quarter from his vest pocket and -handed it to the boy. The boy shook his head. - -“Mother wouldn’t let me beg,” was his simple answer. - -“Humph!” said the merchant. “Where is your father?” - -“We never heard of him, sir, after he went away. He was lost in the -steamer City of New York.” - -“That’s too bad. But you’re a plucky little fellow, anyhow. Let me see,” -and he looked straight down into the boy’s eyes, and the boy looked -straight up at him. Turning to the head man, after awhile, the merchant -said: - -“Palmer, is cash boy No. 5 still sick?” - -“Dead, sir; died last night,” was the reply. - -“I’m sorry; but here’s a boy you might use. Put him down in No. 5’s -place. We’ll try him for awhile, anyhow. What’s is your name, my little -man?” he asked, turning again to the boy. - -[Illustration: THE BOY MARCHED STRAIGHT UP TO THE COUNTER!] - -“Davie Thomas.” - -“Well, Davie, we’ll give you three dollars a week to start with; you -come tomorrow morning and I’ll tell you what to do. Here’s a dollar of -your wages in advance. I’ll take it out of your first week’s pay. Do you -understand?” - -“Yes, sir; I understand, and I thank you, too. I’ll be back in the -morning.” - -Davie shot out of the store, and lost no time in getting home. The old -creaky steps in the old ram-shackle house fairly sang with delight as -the weight of the little boy hurried up them. - -“I’ve got it, mother;” exclaimed Davie. “I’m a cash boy! The man’s going -to give me three dollars a week, and he says I’ve got pluck, too; and -here’s a dollar to get some breakfast with, and don’t you cry any more, -for I’m going to be the man of this house now.” - -At first the mother was dumfounded; then she looked confused; and then -she looked--well, it passes my power to tell how she did look as she -took Davie in her arms and hugged him and kissed him, the tears -streaming down her cheeks. But they were tears of joy and thankfulness! - - - - -A HEART-TO-HEART TALK. - - -“Henry, I asked you to remain after school a few minutes because I -wanted you to help me re-arrange the desks and furniture, but I had -another reason for asking you to remain, and I think it is more -important than the one I have just stated.” - -The desks had all been arranged according to the teacher’s notion, and -Henry Holt had gathered up his books to go home. It was then that his -teacher, Miss Ada Johnson, addressed him. - -“Won’t you sit down here a minute, David?” she continued. “I wish to -speak to you a minute or two.” - -[Illustration: A HEART-TO-HEART TALK.] - -David quietly took a seat. He was one of the largest boys in school, and -had been giving an unusual amount of trouble during the day. In fact he -had been a source of annoyance ever since the new teacher had taken -charge. - -“David,” the teacher went on, “I wonder if you realize how hard you have -made it for me in school today? Is there any reason why we cannot be -friends and work together? And I wish to be a friend to you, if you will -let me. You could help me so much and you could help your schoolmates so -much if you only would. I want to ask you if you think your conduct has -been manly to-day? Has it been kind?” - -David said nothing, but hung his head. - -“I heard before I came here that you were an unruly boy. People say that -you will neither study nor work, and some people say that you are a very -mean boy. Some of these things may be true, David, I am sorry to say, -but I want to tell you that you are the only hope of a widowed mother, -and I want to say, also, that I think that you are breaking her heart.” -The teacher’s voice faltered at the last words. - -“I know that your father,” the low voice went on, “was a brave and noble -man; and when I hear people say, ‘It is a good thing that Henry Oliver -died before he knew what his son was coming to,’ I think what a pity it -is that they cannot say, ‘How sad it is that Henry Oliver died before he -could know what a fine, manly fellow his son would be, and what a stay -and comfort to his mother’.” - -The boy’s head dropped to the desk in front of him, and he began to sob. -The teacher went over to him and said gently: - -“You can be all this. It is in your power to be all that your father -would have you, all that your mother would have you. Will you not turn -over a new leaf now, not only in your behavior and work in school, but -in your whole life as well?” - -David raised his head. - -“I am with you--I’ll do it, teacher,” he replied, a new resolve shining -in his face. All that day he did some of the most serious thinking of -his life. And he kept his promise. - -The years have been many since then. The little teacher has long since -passed to her rest, but David Oliver is a living monument to the power -of a few searching words, the potency of a little personal interest and -kindliness manifested at a critical time. - - - - -A GHOST STORY. - - -Uncle Mose, an old-time colored man, once said in a company of people -who were talking about ghosts that he wasn’t afraid of any ghost that -ever walked the earth. - -“No, sah; not me,” he said; “I’se got my fuss time to be skeered uv -anyt’ing dat’s dead.” - -Whereupon Noah Johnson told Uncle Mose that he would bet him a load of -watermelons that he couldn’t spend one night in the “Widder Smith’s -house.” Now, the Widow Smith’s house was said to be haunted, or, in -other words, it was filled with ghosts. - -“Des name de night,” said Uncle Mose. “I’ll stay dar; no ha’nts won’t -bodder wid me. No, sah; no ha’nts won’t bodder wid me, an’ yo’ -watermillions is des ez good ez gone already!” - -[Illustration: “HUH! HUH! THERE DON’T SEEM TO BE BUT TWO OF US HERE -TO-NIGHT.”] - -The details were arranged; judges were appointed; and Uncle Mose was to -stay in the haunted house that very night. He got him some pine-knots to -keep a good blaze in the old-fashioned fireplace, carried along an extra -plug of tobacco, secured a large drygoods box to be used for a chair, -and then he set out for the house. - -He made a blaze and seated himself on the pine box. For a time he sung a -number of old plantation songs for his own amusement, as well as to -keep him company. About midnight, feeling somewhat drowsy, Uncle Mose -got up, took a light and went on a tour of inspection. He examined every -room in the house. His search revealed nothing unusual. He wound up his -search chuckling to himself: - -“I sho is makin’ dis load uv watermillions easy. Noah Johnsing didn’t -know who he’s foolin’ wid. I’m a man myse’f; I ain’t afeared uv -nothin’--I ain’t!” - -Down he sat on the box, and pretty soon he was dozing. It was not very -long before he suddenly awoke. He was at once seized with strange and -sudden fear. He was too frightened to move. Although he did not look -around, he was conscious that there was another presence in the room. -His hair stood on ends. He felt a cold chill run up and down his back. -By that time he knew that the object in the room, whatever it was, was -moving towards him. Still he did not move, because he could not. The -ghost (for that was what all the people said it was) stood over Uncle -Mose for a little while, and then quietly sat down on the box beside -him. Uncle Mose looked straight into the fireplace, but his heart was -beating like a runaway horse. The silence in the room at that moment was -like unto the silence of death. Everything was still and solemn. Uncle -Mose could almost hear his own heart beating. The ghost finally broke -the silence by saying, with a loud sigh: - -“Huh! Huh! There don’t seem to be but two of us here tonight!” - -It was then that Uncle Mose looked around for the first time. As he did -so he exclaimed: - -“Yas; an’ f’um dis out dah won’t be but one!” And with that he jumped -through the window, taking a part of the sash with him. - -The judges had been waiting in the open air near the house, so as to -watch the proceedings. They called to the fleeing Uncle Mose, as he -passed them, and ordered him to stop. They said that they were all there -and would protect him. But Uncle Mose, as he kept on running, hallooed -back: - -“I’ll see y’all later!” - -He ran at the top of his speed for more than a mile, for he was well -nigh scared to death. By-and-by, from sheer exhaustion, he was compelled -to stop for a little rest. He was wet with perspiration from head to -foot, and his clothes were as limp as a wet dishrag. But the poor old -man had no sooner seated himself on a stone by the roadside than up -jumps the ghost and sits down beside him once more. - -“Huh!” said the ghost. “You seem to have made pretty good time tonight.” - -“Yas,” said Uncle Mose; “but what I hase done ain’t nothin’ to what I’se -gwinter do!” And up he jumped and lit out once more. - -He had not gone far on his second trip before an old rabbit ran out of -the bushes and took out down the road ahead of him. Uncle Mose hallooed -at the rabbit and said: - -“Git out uv de way, rabbit, an’ let somebody run what kin run!” - -On and on the poor old man, almost scared to death, ran and ran. Perhaps -he would have been running until now but for a very unfortunate -accident. About five miles from the Widow Smith’s house he came in -contact with the limb of a weeping willow tree that hung across the -road. The poor old fellow, already tired out, was knocked speechless and -senseless. Toward the break of day the judges, who had followed him, -found him lying on the ground doubled up near the tree. Dim -consciousness was slowly returning when they picked him up. They rubbed -him, and walked him around for a little while, and soon he was able to -move himself. - -The first thing Uncle Mose said was: - -“Tell Noah not to min’ ’bout dem watermillions. I stayed in dat house -des ez long ez I could keep my conscience quiet. My ole mammy allus tole -me dat hit wuz a sin an’ a shame to bet, an’ now I b’lieves hit!” - -And to this day, boys and girls, if you want to see a really mad man, -you just ask Uncle Mose if he ever saw a ghost. - -[Illustration: A GROUP OF HAPPY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE SUNNY SOUTH.] - - - - -GOOD CHEER. - - -Everybody loves the cheerful boy or girl, the cheerful man or woman; and -everybody ought to love such people. I wish all the boys and girls in -America would organize one grand SUNSHINE SOCIETY, whose chief object -should be the promotion of good feeling, good cheer, peace and happiness -among all the people everywhere. But, first, a boy or girl, man or -woman, must have sunshine in their own souls before they can communicate -sunshine to others. And, boys and girls, it would greatly assist us in -securing sunshine in our souls if we looked at our mercies with both -eyes, as I might say, and at our troubles and trials with only one eye. -What we enjoy in this world is always a good deal more than that which -we do not enjoy; but we do not magnify our blessings sufficiently. We do -not make as much of them as we ought. We do not rejoice because of them -as we ought. We ought to keep daily a record of God’s goodness and -kindness and patience and love. The Lord’s mercies are new every morning -and fresh every evening; but we do not realize that they are so, because -we do not stop to count them up; we do not think about them. If we -stopped to weigh the matter I think we should find more in our lives to -be happy about than to be sorry about. Our good fortunes always -outweigh our misfortunes; and we should find it so if we only acquired -the habit of remembering God’s goodness to us as well as the -disappointments and sorrows and afflictions which are for us all. - -Then we should study contentment. We should study to be content. We must -cultivate the habit of being satisfied with what we have at present, and -we should not worry about those things which we do not possess. Worry -because of things they did not possess has made countless thousands -mourn. Let us enjoy what we have. Let us make the most of what we have. -And let us not worry about things which we do not possess. No matter how -miserable our own lot may be, there is always some one whose lot is more -miserable still. Worry kills more people than work. In fact worry unfits -a man for work. The man who has learned the philosophy of being content -in whatsoever state he is is the man who is and will be happy. One of -the things in this world that pays a hundred-fold is contentment, and -there is nothing that casts so much blight and mildew upon life’s -fairest flowers as discontent. - -Again, it would help us to keep cheerful if we kept steadily engaged in -some work of usefulness. Let us go about doing good. Let us go about -seeking opportunities of doing good. Doing good makes the heart healthy, -and heart-health makes sunshine, happiness and good cheer. - -A little thought will convince you, boys and girls, that your own -happiness in this world depends very largely on the way other people -bear themselves toward you. The looks and tones at your breakfast table, -the conduct of your playmates, the faithful or unreliable people that -you deal with, what people say to you on the street, the letters you -get, the friends or foes you meet--these things make up very much of the -pleasure or misery of your day. Turn the thought around, and remember -that just so much are you adding to the pleasure or misery of other -people’s days. And this is the half of the matter that you can control. -Whether any particular day shall bring to you more of happiness or of -suffering is largely beyond your power to determine. Whether each day of -your life shall give happiness or suffering to others rests with -yourself. And there is where the test of character comes. We must be -continually sacrificing our wills to the wills of others, bearing -without notice sights and sounds that annoy us, setting about this or -that task when we would rather be doing something else, persevering in -it often when we are very tired of it, keeping company for duty’s sake -when it would be a great joy to us to be by ourselves; and then there -are all the trifling and outward accidents of life, bodily pain and -weakness, it may be, long continued, losing what we value, missing what -we desire, deceit, ingratitude and treachery where we least expected -them; folly, rashness and willfulness in ourselves. All these little -worries which we meet each day may lie as stumbling blocks across our -way, or we may make of them, if we choose, stepping stones of grace. - -I want all the little boys and girls who read this book to be -joy-makers, to be burden-bearers, to be among those who shall assist in -filling the whole world with good cheer. It is our duty to cheer and -comfort others; it is our duty to make the world not only better but -happier--happier because better--for our having lived in it. To all the -other beatitudes might well be added this one: Blessed are the cheerful -people, for they shall inherit the earth. - - - - -LIFE A BATTLE. - - -Boys and girls, I want to repeat to you now some words which were -delivered long ago by the Hon. Schuyler Colfax, a man who was once the -vice-president of the United States. These words are wholesome, and -should be read and considered by parents and school teachers and by -children themselves all over our land: - -“Above all things, teach children what their life is. It is not -breathing, moving, playing, sleeping, simply. Life is a battle. All -thoughtful people see it so. A battle between good and evil from -childhood. Good influences, drawing us up toward the divine; bad -influences, drawing us down to the brute. Midway we stand, between the -divine and the brute. How to cultivate the good side of the nature is -the greatest lesson of life to teach. Teach children that they lead -these two lives: the life without and the life within; and that the -inside must be pure in the sight of God as well as the outside in the -sight of men. - -“There are five means of learning. These are: Observation, reading, -conversation, memory, reflection. - -“Educators sometimes, in their anxiety to secure a wide range of -studies, do not sufficiently impress upon their scholars the value of -memory. Now, our memory is one of the most valuable gifts God has -bestowed upon us, and one of the most mysterious. Take a tumbler and -pour water into it; by-and-by you can pour no more: it is full. It is -not so with the mind. You cannot fill it full of knowledge in a whole -lifetime. Pour in all you please, and it still thirsts for more. - -“Remember this: - -“Knowledge is not what you learn, but what you remember. - -“It is not what you eat, but what you digest, that makes you grow. - -“It is not the money you handle, but that you keep, that makes you rich. - -“It is not what you study, but what you remember and reflect upon, that -makes you learned. - -“One more suggestion: - -“Above all things else, strive to fit the children in your charge to be -useful men and women; men and women you may be proud of in after-life. -While they are young teach them that far above physical courage, which -will lead them to face the cannon’s mouth; above wealth, which would -give them farms and houses and bank stocks and gold; is moral -courage--that courage by which they will stand fearlessly, frankly, -firmly for the right. Every man or woman who dares to stand for the -right when evil has its legions, is the true moral victor in this life -and in the land beyond the stars.” - -These brave and true words were spoken by Mr. Colfax long years ago. -They were true then; they are no less true now. Every boy in America -should treasure them in his heart. Every girl in America should commit -them to memory and make them the rule of her life. Mothers and fathers, -school teachers and preachers, and all who have the care of the young in -any way would do well to study these wise counsels and reflect upon them -and strive to impress upon those for whom they are laboring. - -If you would win the victory in the battle of life, my young friends, -you must watch the little things. It is said that there is a barn upon -the Alleghany Mountains so built that the rain which falls upon it -separates in such a manner that that which falls upon one side of the -roof runs into a little stream that flows into the Susquehanna and -thence into Chesapeake Bay and on into the Atlantic Ocean; that which -falls upon the other side is carried into the Alleghany River, thence -into the Ohio, and onward to the Gulf of Mexico. The point where the -waters divide is very small, but how different the course of these -waters! So it is with people, young or old. A very little thing changes -the channel of their lives. Much will depend upon the kinds of tempers -you have, boys and girls. If you are sour and cross and crabbed, no one -will love you. If you are kind and cheerful, you will have friends -wherever you go. Much will depend upon the way in which you improve your -school days; upon the kind of companions you have; and upon the kind of -habits you form. If you would win a great victory in fighting the battle -of life you must look well to the little things. - -[Illustration: ON ONE OF NEW YORK’S MANY PLAYGROUNDS.] - - - - -AN IDLE BOY. - - - An idle boy one idle day - Played with a gun in an idle way:-- - And now the grasses idly wave - Above his idle little grave. - - - - -HUNTING AN EASY PLACE. - - -A nicely dressed young man, fifteen or sixteen years old, who had just -finished his course in the high school, stepped into the office of the -president of the Smutville Short Line Railroad. - -“Well,” said the president, looking up from a mass of correspondence, -“what can I do for you, sir?” - -“I have just finished my course in the high school,” the young man began -nervously, “and I thought that I might be able to secure a desirable -position with your company. I came in to talk with you about it.” - -The president asked the young man to have a seat. - -“So,” said the president, “you want a desirable place, eh?” - -“I do, sir,” said the young man, his heart beating high with hope. - -“A place,” continued the president, “that would pay you something like a -hundred dollars a month?” - -“Something like that,” said the young man eagerly. - -“I guess you would like it very well, too, if I could arrange it so that -you could report for work at nine o’clock in the mornings and get off -every afternoon at three or four o’clock. In other words, you want -something easy. I can see by looking at you that you are not accustomed -to hard work, and you could not fill a place that required you to report -at six o’clock every morning and work until six every afternoon. Do I -size you up correctly?” - -“I think so, sir,” was the reply. - -“In plain English then, you are looking for a soft place with the Short -Line?” - -“I am, sir.” - -“Well, sir,” said the president, smiling for the first time, “I regret -to inform you that there is only one such place on our railroad. I -occupy that place myself, and I am not thinking of resigning.” - -The young man’s face flushed. - -[Illustration: “I HAVE JUST FINISHED MY COURSE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.”] - -The president continued: “I hope you will not think that it is going -beyond what is right and proper for me to say, but I must tell you, -young man, that you have started out in life with the wrong notion. No -brave and strong young man is going about looking for an easy place. The -brave and true man asks only for work. And the men who are occupying -what you call the easy places in this life today are the men who have -climbed into them by hard work. You are very much mistaken if you think -that they have stepped into them from the high school. In fact, and -you’ll find it out soon enough for yourself, there are really no soft or -easy places in this world, and the man who goes about seeking such -places stamps himself at once as a failure. Nobody will ever employ such -a boy, and such a boy would be no good if he were employed. Let me, as a -friend, advise you, young man, that the next place you go to to apply -for a job, you ask for a chance to begin at the bottom. If it happens to -be a railroad, ask to be given a chance to do anything--firing an -engine, or cleaning cars, or laboring in the roundhouse. Be willing to -begin low down in the business, and, if you’re made out of the right -stuff, you will fight your way to the front. I started in with the Short -Line as a day laborer myself, and if I had not done so I would not be at -its head today. You advertise your own folly when you go and ask a -sensible business man to put you at the start at the head of something. -You must begin at the bottom and work up to the top. That is the rule -everywhere, and you will not, I am sure, prove an exception to it.” - -Let us hope, boys and girls, that this young man left the president’s -office a wiser young man. Be sure not to follow his example. Don’t go -around hunting for easy places. - - - - -AT THE ZOO. - - -Father and son, making the rounds of the Zoological gardens, paused -before a cage containing a beautiful zebra. - -“Oh, papa,” exclaimed the little boy, “see that donkey with a baseball -sweater on!” - - - - -THE BIG BLACK BURGLAR. - - -One cold winter night, about midnight, my good wife called to me, -saying: - -“Dan! Dan! Get up! Get up!” - -“What’s the matter?” I asked, with much alarm. - -“Somebody’s in the dining-room; I heard them rattling the dishes just a -minute ago.” - -“I don’t hear anything, wife,” I said slowly. - -“There’s somebody in these sure; I heard them myself. Do get up, Dan, -before they take everything we’ve got.” - -“I haven’t got a gun or any kind of weapon,” I said, still fighting for -time. - -“Well, get up and make a noise--walk around heavy--that’s frighten ’em -and make ’em leave.” - -I got up quietly, turned up the lamp, and looked about me with a sigh. - -“Be quick,” said my wife. - -“In a minute,” said I. - -I tipped around to the wall on the side of the bed, and took down an old -iron sword, which had done duty in the Mexican war, and which we had -preserved as an heirloom. - -“Hurry, hurry, Dan!” said my wife. - -“All right,” I said with meekness. - -I took the sword in one hand and the lamp in the other, and moved gently -toward the door, which opened from our bed-room into the dining-room. - -Pausing at the door, I said,---- - -“Hallo! Hallo, in there!” - -The response came from my wife in bed. - -“Open the door, Dan; open the door!” - -Humbly I placed the lamp on the floor close by the door, caught a tight -grip on my old war-piece, and then quickly shoved the door wide open. I -intended, of course, after getting my bearings, to pick up the lamp and -enter the dining-room on a tour of inspection. But, I assure you, there -was no time for any such careful procedure. As soon as the door was -opened and the light went streaming into the dining-room, something fell -to the floor with a terrible thud, and quicker than it takes to tell it -a great big black something, that looked to me like a buffalo or -elephant, came bounding toward me. It was all so sudden that it -surprised me, and I fell back trembling. Over went the lamp. It broke. -Out came the oil. It took fire, and pretty soon the Cambrequin close by -took fire. Down I snatched it. I reached for the first thing handy, and -tried to smother the fire on the floor. In doing so, I stepped on a -piece of glass and cut my foot. I burnt my hands terribly. My night -shirt caught on fire. I ran to the bed and sat down in order to quench -the blaze. This shows I still had some presence of mind left, although, -as a matter of fact, this new extinguishing process scorched my legs -awfully. - -[Illustration: HUNTING THE BURGLAR.] - -When all was quiet again, and I lit another lamp in order to take an -inventory, my bedroom was a sight to behold! I found that in the -struggle, my old army sword had been plunged amidship into the handsome -mirror of our dresser, and had also made havoc of a reproduction of -Millets’ Angelus. I discovered, also, that I had used my brand-new $50 -overcoat to extinguish the fire, and that many of the handsome photos of -our friends that stood on the mantle had been ruined. Altogether that -one night’s experience cost me in the neighborhood of $100, not to -mention my own personal injuries. It was a terrible night, I tell you. -And far off in one corner, I saw, crouching in abject fear, the cause of -all my troubles--the burly black burglar. And what do you think it was? -It was nothing in the world but an old black Tom Cat, who had been a -member of our family for many years! - - - - -PIN-MONEY MADE WITH THE NEEDLE. - - -Surely all young girls ought to know how to sew, and, not only sew, but -all girls, I think, ought to love the purely feminine occupation of -sewing. Since I am sure that many of the little girls who will read this -book know how to sew, I am going to tell you about some little sewing -that my wife did. - -In 1913 the Ladies’ Home Journal, of Philadelphia, offered a prize of -fifty dollars for the best way to make pin-money at home. You know, -girls, that pin-money means pocket change or spending money. Many -hundreds of women all over the world sent in suggestions to the Ladies’ -Home Journal, each one hoping, I am sure, that her suggestion would win -first prize. The following letter sent to my wife will tell you just how -her suggestion was received: - - “THE LADIES’ HOME JOURNAL, - - “Philadelphia. February 5, 1913. - - “Dear Madam: - - “It gives me much pleasure to tell you that among the hundreds of - letters received in response to the offer made in our January magazine - in connection with The Editor’s Want-Box, Mr. Bok has chosen your - offering as the one entitled to the first prize of fifty dollars. He - congratulates you upon your success and thanks you for the interest - you have shown. - - “Our Treasurer will send you a check within a week. - - Very truly yours, - “Wm. V. Alexander, - “Managing Editor. - - “Mrs. Ella Floyd.” - -The check came all right, girls, and my wife thought, as she said to me, -that in winning the prize she had found a new way to make -pin-money--that is, by telling others how to make pin-money at home. - -Two hundred of the little articles were afterwards published from time -to time in The Ladies’ Home Journal. The first article of the series -appeared in the magazine for January, 1914, and my wife’s little story, -which won first money, was at the head of the list. I am going to give -here the whole of the little article, as published in The Ladies’ Home -Journal. Of course, I am proud that she won the prize, and I hope other -young ladies by-and-by may be the happy winners in such contests. And -here is the article: - -“When one’s pin-money is all gone but twenty-five cents the question -comes as to the way to replenish it. One day when I found that I had -only that amount I invested it as follows: - - 1 yard of lawn .10 - 1 yard of lace .10 - 1 spool of cotton .05 - ---- - .25 - -“The same day I made three baby caps as daintily as I could with these -materials. The next day I sold them for twenty-five cents each, and then -I had seventy-five cents. I then bought - - 1 yard of lawn .15 - 2½ yards of lace .25 - 2 yards of ribbon .25 - 2 tiny buckles .05 - 1 spool of cotton .05 - ---- - .75 - -“With these materials I made two baby caps, somewhat larger than the -first ones, and trimmed more prettily. I found no trouble in selling -them for $1.50. Straightway I invested the sum in lawn, lace, ribbon, -etc., and as I had done so well with the caps I thought I would try my -hand on little bonnets. I made two. A friend offered me $5 for them -before they were finished. I accepted her offer and from that day to -this I have never been troubled about pin-money. - -[Illustration: PIN MONEY MADE WITH THE NEEDLE.] - -“In four weeks’ time I made and sold twenty caps and eleven bonnets. The -material for the caps cost me $2.50--twelve and a half cents for each. I -sold them for twenty-five cents each. The material for the bonnets cost -me $8.25, or seventy-five cents each. I sold them for $2.50 each. So I -netted $21.75 for my work. The time which I devoted to this enterprise -was that which ordinarily I would have used in calling or in running up -bills for my husband to pay. - -“Since the first four weeks of which I have spoken in detail I have made -more expensive caps and bonnets for babies from six months to about -three years old. The last one I made was of silk, beautifully trimmed, -tucked and hemstitched. I sold it for $6, making a clear profit of $3. -My husband says I’ll soon be in position to organize a trust.” - -[Illustration: A GAME OF MARBLES IN THE SHADOW OF THE WASHINGTON -MONUMENT.] - - - - -SELF-HELP. - - -If there is one idea for which more than any other the public school -system should stand, it is the idea of self-help. Self-help is the best -kind of help in the world, and one cannot learn this lesson too early in -life. Even little children--three, four, five, six and eight years -old--should be taught to work. Any little child is just as capable of -doing the little things in work as he is in play. Why should not the -little girl be taught to trim and wash the dress of her doll? Why should -not the little children be taught to sweep up the dirt that they have -scattered in play? Why should they not be taught to remove the dishes -from the table, brush up the crumbs, set back the chairs, pick up chips, -put the kindling wood in its place, bring the potatoes in from the -garden, help to pick over the berries, and so forth? We might argue this -question from now until doom’s day, and nobody, I think, would be able -to give any good reason why children should not be taught to do the -little things. Little children who are accustomed to having everything -done for them by others are very soon beset with the rust of laziness -and the canker of pride. Whereas, on the other hand, if children are -taught to help themselves as soon as and as much as they are able, it -will tend to improve their faculties, and will, at the same time, have a -good influence upon their dispositions. - -Childhood and youth are periods of life which materially influence all -of its following periods, and whether the earlier years of one’s life be -passed in idleness and indolence, or in well-directed industry, is a -point on which greatly depends the worth or the worthlessness of human -character. Where is the man who guides his affairs with discretion, or -the woman that looketh well to the ways of her household, and yet was -not in some measure imbued with industrious and provident habits in -early life? On the other hand, who that has been treated until the age -of fifteen or twenty like a helpless infant, and had every want supplied -without being put to the necessity of either mental or bodily exertion, -was ever good for anything afterwards? - -[Illustration: WASHING DOLLIES’ CLOTHES.] - -The tendency of the age is by far too much in the direction of keeping -our young boys solely for the purpose of loafing about the streets, or -standing around the soda fountains on Sunday--and our young girls for -parties, social entertainments, picnics, excursions and the like. So -that by the time our boys and girls reach manhood and womanhood, they -despise honest labor and are afraid to engage in real hard work. A young -woman may know how to read and write--may understand grammar, history, -and geography--may sing sweetly and play the piano well; but, whatever -else she may know or may not know, if she does not know how to bake a -hoe-cake of bread, make her little brother or sister a pair of pants or -a plain dress, she is only half educated. In fact, every young woman -should not only know how to perform every duty connected with a -household, but every young woman should take some part in household -work. No girl need tell me that she really loves her mother if she is -willing to leave to her mother the work of washing the dishes, sweeping -and scouring the floors, caring for the little children, doing the -Monday washings, the house cleaning, and the like, while she devotes -herself to pleasure, novel reading, social calling, butterfly parties, -or playing rag-time music or singing rag-time songs. - -The home and the public school are the two great agencies which are -jointly engaged, or which should be jointly engaged, in teaching -children to help themselves. If children are taught, as boys and girls, -to think for themselves, speak for themselves and act for themselves, -when they are old they will not forget the precious lesson, and will be -less likely to become burdens on the community. The highest ambition of -every American man and woman should be to be of some useful service to -the world; and the first step will be taken toward this noble end when -we have thoroughly learned the value and importance of the lesson of -self-help. First, learn to help yourself, and then you will be able to -see more clearly how to help others. - - - - -AIMING AT SOMETHING. - - -It is true, boys and girls, that it is what you hit, not what you aim -at, that counts; but, nevertheless, it is a very important thing to take -the right aim. The man who aims deliberately at the center of the target -stands a better chance, a hundred to one, than the man who shoots -without taking aim. So, in life, that boy or girl who has a purpose--who -is aiming at something--will be more successful than those boys and -girls who have no plans and who aim at nothing. - -[Illustration: AIMING AT SOMETHING.] - -It is not sufficient, in the moral world, to aim at something, but every -boy and girl should aim at the best things. The best and highest things -in this world are the unseen things, the eternal things, the things that -will last forever. Money is a good thing, but there is something higher -than money. A high position in the business or professional or political -world is a good thing, but there is something higher and better than -office and position. Character is the grandest, the highest and best -thing in this world. We include in this one little word “character” a -world of things. Honor, uprightness, speaking the truth, dealing fairly -with people, being willing to help the lowly and unfortunate, paying -your debts promptly, these things, and many other things like them, are -included in the one word “character.” And these are the things that are -worth while in this world. These are the things that every boy and girl -should aim at. It may not be possible for every boy and girl to become a -millionaire; it may not be possible for every boy and girl to fill high -offices in this world, or succeed in large business enterprises; but -one thing is certain: every boy can be a good and true boy, every girl -can be a noble and beautiful girl. Beautiful as to conduct, as to words -and deeds, I mean. Good boys are the fathers of good men. Pure girls are -the mothers of pure women. For, what, after all, is a boy? And what is a -girl? What is a man? What is a woman? I will tell you. A boy is a little -man--that’s all; and a man is a grown-up boy. A girl is a little -woman--that’s all; and a woman is a grown-up girl. - -It is important, then, that boys and girls should aim at the right -things, the good, the true and noble things early in life. What boys and -girls aim at, in nine cases out of ten, they will reach as men and -women. And to help you in taking the proper aim early in life, I am -going to give you something to aim at. Let every boy and girl make this -little motto his rule of life: - - Know something--know it well; - Do something--do it well;-- - And be Somebody! - - - - -“THE BLACK SHEEP” OF THE REYNOLDS FAMILY. - - -Will Reynolds was “the black sheep” of the Reynolds family. He knew it -and felt it, because he had been frequently slighted and treated with -contempt by his relatives. The only person who never lost faith in him -was his mother. She always felt that there was something good in her -wayward son, and often said that it would show itself some day. But -Will’s mother died in the early stages of his backslidings. Will’s -father married the second time, and the boy, finding it impossible to -get along with his stepmother, left home. He went from bad to worse. -Being arrested on the charge of drunkenness and vagrancy, he sent to his -two brothers, who were prosperous brokers in D. St., asking them to pay -his fine. Word came back that they would not interfere in his behalf. -His brothers sent word that he had brought the trouble upon himself and -he must get out of it the best way he could. Will was sent to the Work -House for six months. And nobody’s hand was raised to help him. - -While he was serving his time, his only sister, a young woman not yet -grown, died. He knew nothing of it until about a month after it -occurred, and then he read the account in an old newspaper which he had -borrowed from a fellow prisoner. The news of his sister’s death deeply -affected him. His sentence was shortened by one month on account of his -good behaviour. The first thing he did, on coming to the city, was to -visit the family lot in Myrtle Hill Cemetery. He carried with him some -wild flowers and green leaves, being too poor to purchase a floral -offering from the dealers in such things. With uncovered head, he knelt -and placed these tokens of respect on the graves of his mother and -sister. This done, he stood in silence for a moment, and then wept like -a little child. While riveted to the spot, he made a solemn vow that he -would quit the old life and make a man of himself. “It’s in me,” he said -to himself, “and I’m going to prove it.” - -[Illustration: HE CARRIED WITH HIM SOME NICE FLOWERS.] - -Slowly he turned away from the sacred place. He went directly to the -offices of his brothers. He had been furnished with a new suit of -clothes, according to custom, upon leaving prison, and so made quite a -decent appearance. He found his oldest brother, John B. Reynolds, seated -at a desk in the front office. He entered at once and said,-- - -“Well, John, I suppose sister is dead?” - -“How dare you,” exclaimed John, rising to his feet,--“how dare you to -speak of Annie as your sister, you jailbird, you miserable convict! Get -out of here this minute! Leave this room at once, and never set foot in -it again!” - -There was fire in the man’s eye as he spoke. Will attempted to speak, -but was not permitted. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he left the -room. He had gone to tell of his new determination and ask for another -chance, and this was the reception which he met. On his way down the -steps, he came face to face with his other brother, Thomas Reynolds. -Thomas tried to pass without speaking, but Will intercepted him. - -“Tom,” he said, “I’m your brother still. I’m not asking help now; I only -came to tell you that I’m going to do better. I thought you would be -glad to hear it.” - -“I want to hear nothing from you,” said Thomas. “You’ve disgraced us -forever, and you can go your way; we don’t want anything to do with you; -we don’t want to see you again!” - -Will went forth into the street weeping. - - * * * * * - -Thirty years have come and gone since Will was driven away from the -offices of his brothers. What changes have these years worked? - -Soon after leaving prison Will was a constant visitor at the Railroad -Men’s Branch of the Y. M. C. A. Through the Secretary of the -Association, he soon secured a place as a day laborer in the machine -shops of the Big Bend Railroad. After securing regular employment, he -went to live in the Y. M. C. A. building. At the close of his first -year’s service with the railroad, he was promoted from a common laborer -and made an apprentice. After four or five years, he had learned the -trade and was receiving the daily wages of a machinist. After twelve -years with the company, he was made the Master Machinist. At the end of -fifteen years’ service, he was made Superintendent of Construction. Five -years later he was made a Division Superintendent. At the expiration of -more than twenty-five years of faithful service, Will Reynolds was able -to write after his name, “General Manager of the Big Bend Railroad.” He -had, also, been married for several years, and was the father of five -children. - -Will’s father and brothers lost sight of him for nearly twelve years, or -until the papers announced his appointment as Master Machinist of the -Big Bend Railroad. They suddenly awoke to find that their conclusions -that he had probably long since died a drunkard’s death, or had gone off -as a tramp and had been killed, or was again serving a sentence in -prison somewhere--were wrong. - -The same week that Will was made Superintendent of Construction of the -Big Bend Railroad, the newspapers spread all over the country the news -that Col. Oliver P. Reynolds had committed suicide. According to their -way, the newspapers gave all the sickening details of the tragedy, -together with the whole family history. They said that Col. Reynolds had -been driven to suicide by his wife. They said that she was much younger -than he; that she was extravagant; that she was a leader in gay society; -they told how, on her account, Col. Reynolds had driven his son away -from home fifteen years before; they declared that the old man’s life -had been a hell to him; and that his wife had brought him almost to the -verge of bankruptcy, and, in order to escape facing open disgrace, he -had murdered himself. - -When Will heard of his father’s death, he hastened at once to the city, -but was denied admission to the family residence, and had to attend the -funeral in the little church around the corner not as a member of the -family but merely as an outsider. - -We are not concerned in this story with the fate of Will’s stepmother. -But, as to Will’s brothers,--well, the crash came eight or ten years -after the death of Col. Reynolds, or a short while before Will became -the General Manager of the Big Bend Railroad. John B. Reynolds and -Thomas Reynolds, members of the firm of John B. Reynolds & Bro., had -been arrested and placed in the Tombs, charged with misappropriating -$175,000 of trust funds. Again the family history was rehearsed in the -newspapers. The papers did not fail to recall the suicide of Col. -Reynolds, nor did they fail to tell how these two brothers had earlier -in life turned their backs on a younger brother. - -[Illustration: “WELL, JOHN, I SUPPOSE SISTER IS DEAD?”] - -Will read the papers, and, saying to his wife, “Well, Mary, perhaps -they’ll be glad to see me this trip,” he went immediately to offer his -services to his brothers. - -He had prophesied correctly. John and Thomas were very glad to see him. -They had no friends among those high in financial circles because they -had for many years conducted their business in such a way that business -men had no confidence in them. They had no credit and could get nobody -to go on their bonds. Will took in the situation at a glance. He had -been thoughtful enough to bring along with him the leading attorney of -the Big Bend Railroad, and he put matters straightway into his hands. -Bail was arranged, the brothers were released, and the lawyer then -turned his attention to the prosecutors. It was discovered that almost -half of the amount stolen was the property of Simon B. Nesmith, -President of the Big Bend Railroad. When Will Reynolds and the lawyer -found that their own superior officer had been so heavily hit by John B. -Reynolds & Bro., they came near fainting. Fortunately Nesmith when he -heard the whole story agreed not to prosecute, and not only said that he -would be satisfied with any settlement that the Railroad’s Attorney -might arrange but also volunteered to see the others concerned and use -his influence in having them do likewise. - -In a short time matters were adjusted, and John Reynolds and Thomas -Reynolds were saved from prison. But they lost all their earthly -possessions and their brother, “the black sheep” of the family, had to -secure them for the sum of $40,000 besides. - -John B. Reynolds and Thomas Reynolds came to their senses. It was their -time to cry now. Amidst great sobs they said,---- - -“We treated you wrongly, brother Will; we ought to have helped you many -years ago; we are so sorry we didn’t; and it was such a small matter, -too.” - -But Will said,---- - -“Don’t talk about the past: I’m your brother still. Go and do as I did. -Start over and make men of yourselves--you’ll have enough time. That’s -all I ask.” - - - - -THE HOLY BIBLE. - - -I heard a minister say the other day that a mother had not necessarily -done much for her boy because she had bought him a nice Bible and put it -in his trunk, when he was about to leave home to seek his fortune in the -world. I think it wrong for anybody--minister or what not--to indulge in -such loose and flippant talk. The effect is bad--always bad, and no -hair splitting, and no higher criticism, and no curiously ingenious -explanations can mend the matter. As for me, give me the old-fashioned -mother who sends her son out into the world with a Bible in his trunk, -and give me the old-fashioned boy who reads that Bible every night with -tears in his eyes, as he thinks of the old folks at home and of their -simple lives devoted to Jesus Christ. Give me the man, woman or child, -whose hands touch the Bible reverently, instead of slinging it about as -a dictionary or some common dime novel. Give me the plain old fellow who -quickly takes leave of that circle in which critics are proceeding to -ably explain away certain chapters of the Bible. - -As for me, I want no new theories about the Bible--no new versions--no -new criticisms. No man has a right to weaken the faith of others. No man -has a right to knock away the staff that supports the crippled wayfarer. -And no man has a right to tell an aged mother that it does no good to -give her boy a Bible unless he can suggest a better substitute. Destroy -the old-fashioned idea concerning the Bible, and we shall have a nation -of infidels defying God, defying the law, and repeating the -licentiousness and horrors of the French Revolution. We should make the -Bible first in all things. Make the Bible first in the family, in the -Sunday-school and church, make it first in state and society, and we -shall have a Republic that will grow brighter and brighter as the years -come and go, and then we “shall go out with joy, and be lead forth with -peace: and the mountains and the hills shall break forth before us into -singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” - -[Illustration: CARNEGIE LIBRARY, WASHINGTON, D. C. - -COLORED PEOPLE ARE WELCOME HERE.] - - Andrew Carnegie, Greatest Philanthropist of the Age, who has climbed - from the position of messenger boy and telegraph operator to become - America’s richest steel manufacturer, a Multi-Millionaire, has given - practically every large city that would accept it, a Library for the - general public, averaging in value $500,000.00. His gifts have had - enormous money value, but the value to humanity cannot be estimated. - - - - -ANDREW CARNEGIE’S ADVICE TO YOUNG MEN. - - -“Do not make riches, but usefulness, your first aim, and let your chief -pride by that your daily occupation is in the line of progress and -development; that your work, in whatever capacity it may be, is useful -work, honestly conducted, and as such ennobles your life. - -“Whatever your salary be, save a little; live within your means. The man -who saves a little from his income has given the surest indication of -the very qualities that every employer is seeking for. - -“The great successes of life are made by concentration. Do not think you -have done your full duty when you have performed the work assigned you. -You will never rise if you only do this. - -“You hear a good deal about poverty nowadays, and the cry goes up to -abolish poverty, but it will be the saddest day of civilization when -poverty is no longer with us. It is from the soil of poverty that all -the virtues spring. Without poverty, where will your inventor, your -artist, your philanthropist, come from? - -“There are three classes of young men in the world. One starts out to be -a millionaire. Another seeks reputation, perhaps at the cannon’s mouth. -A third young man, who will be successful, is he who starts out in life -with self-respect and who is true to himself and his fellow-men. He -cannot fail to win.” - - - - -DIRECTIONS FOR LITTLE GENTLEMEN. - - -1. The essential part of good breeding is the practical desire to afford -pleasure and to avoid giving pain. Any boy possessing this desire -requires only opportunity and observation to become a little gentleman. - -2. Never be guilty of what are called practical jokes; that is to say, -never place a pin in a chair so that somebody may come along and sit on -the pin’s point; never pull back a chair when a person is about to sit -down, and in that way cause such a person to fall on the floor. No -little gentleman will play such tricks. - -3. Whenever a lady enters a room, it is proper for boys to rise, if they -are seated, but you must never offer a lady a chair from which you have -just risen, if there is another chair in the room. - -4. Never engage in conversation while a person is singing. It is an -insult not only to the singer but to the company. - -5. Always take off your hat when assisting a lady to or from a carriage. - -6. If in a public place, you pass and re-pass persons of your -acquaintance, it is only necessary to salute them on the first occasion. - -7. Do not wear anything that is so conspicuous as to attract attention; -and, particularly, avoid the ruffian style. - -[Illustration: DIRECTIONS FOR LITTLE GENTLEMEN.] - -8. Do not lose your temper. Particularly if you are playing innocent -games for amusement and happen to lose; avoid the exhibition of anxiety -or vexation at lack of success. - -9. In all your associations, keep constantly in view the old adage, “too -much familiarity breeds contempt.” - - - - -THE RIGHT TO PLAY. - - -The right to play is one of the divine rights of men and women, of boys -and girls, and is just as essential to the peace, happiness and -prosperity of the world as is the right to pray. Never be afraid or -ashamed, my young friends, of honest, vigorous, healthy play. Dominoes, -lawn tennis, baseball, football, ping-pong, golf, foot-racing, leaping -and jumping, boxing and wrestling, pole-vaulting, punching the bag, -swinging dumb-bells or Indian clubs, and a hundred other things are -perfectly sane and wholesome amusements for old or young. To refrain -from all forms of amusements is just as destructive of happiness and -injurious to character as is the other extreme of indulging too freely -in pleasures and pastimes. Puritan austerity and unrestrained excess are -alike to be condemned. But a certain amount of play--play of the right -kind and within proper limits--is a divine right of young people. Young -people must have fun and relaxation, and, if they do not find it in -their own homes, it will be sought in other and perhaps dangerous -places. - -For myself, I believe that anybody is an enemy to young people who -desires to repress and crush out the naturally buoyant spirits of -childhood and youth, and he is a benefactor of humanity who makes it a -part of his business to see that proper places of amusement are provided -for the young people. Aside from the physical advantages of play, there -are moral advantages also. A man who helps to keep his body in good -condition by regular exercise is, in that way, beyond a doubt, adding to -the number of his days; that is to say, he will live longer than the man -who doesn’t play. But beyond and above that, he is a happier man while -he lives; he gets more joy and satisfaction out of life than the other -fellow. Sane and healthy play tends to blot out the remembrance of cares -and hardship; it gives our minds something else to think about. But -young people must be careful not to become absorbed in these things. I -believe in play; I believe in pleasure, in fun. But when I see young -people, or old people for that matter, devoting all their time to -wheeling, footballing, card parties, the giddy whirl of the dance, the -bacchanalian hilarity of the dram shop, and so on, I am forced to say -that things which may be right when taken in moderation, and as a relief -from the overtaxing burdens of life, are wrong when they become the -chief object for which one lives. - - - - -A CHRISTMAS PRESENT. - - -A forsaken little kitten wandered up and down the street on the day -before Christmas. It had no home; it had no name; it had no ribbon -around its neck; and it had no saucer of nice milk in one corner. - -It began to grow dark, and colder too, and the stars came peeping out, -and the first flakes of a real Christmas snowstorm began floating down -through the air. The kitten mewed a trembling little mew, which told as -plainly as it could that it was very hungry, and it fluffed out its fur -to keep itself warm. - -Now, somewhere along that street, up on top of a house (hiding behind a -chimney where he couldn’t be seen), was Santa Claus, getting everything -in shape before starting on his evening round. When old Santa saw that -lonesome little kitten strolling around he smiled--yes, old Santa Claus -smiled. He smiled because he knew that two blocks up the street a little -girl was standing with her nose pressed against the window, looking out -into the deepening night. - -He had seen her as he went by. And he had also seen the poor little -supper laid out for two on the table, and heard her say to her mother, -in a quavering voice: - -“Not even one present, mamma--not the teeniest little one!” - -“No, Susie,” her mother had answered, “I’m sorry I couldn’t get anything -for my little girl this year, but--you know there wasn’t any money, -dear.” And there was a tremble in her mother’s voice, too. - -[Illustration: “MAMMA THIS IS THE PRESENT SANTA BROUGHT.”] - -Susie wiped away the tears, and turned to look out of the window. -Perhaps she said to herself, “perhaps Santa Clause has something for me -after all!” - -Now, the sad, really dreadful part about it was that Santa Clause didn’t -have one single thing for Susie in his pack. Perhaps it was because she -had moved into that house since last Christmas, or perhaps for once old -Santa had made a mistake. Anyway, he was just saying to himself: “Why, -bless me, what shall I do about it?” when he caught sight of that -shivering little kitten. - -“The very thing!” he thought. “I’ll give them to each other!” and he -chuckled till his reindeer looked around to see what was the matter. - -And what happened next? Well, that kitten never knew really. It only -seemed as if there was a sudden rush and jingle of bells, which -frightened it so that it flew up the street as fast as its four little -legs could carry it, until it saw a small friendly face at a window, and -rushed up some steps nearby. Then a door opened, and two soft little -arms picked it up gently from the cold snow and a voice cried: - -“Oh, mamma, see the poor little kitten--it’s so cold--oh, we’ll keep it, -won’t we, mamma! The poor little thing. Do you think it would drink -milk?” - -Would it drink milk? What a question to ask about a little kitten. While -the little kitten was nearly choking itself trying to drink a saucerful -of milk and purr at the same time, there was a jingle of bells outside, -and Susie said: - -“Mamma, I hear old Santa’s bells, and, of course, this is the present he -brought.” - - - - -THE NICKEL THAT BURNED IN FRANK’S POCKET. - - -Deacon Hepworth kept a little fish market. - -“Do you want a boy to help you?” asked Frank Shaw one day. - -“Can you give good weight to my customers and take good care of my -pennies?” - -“Yes, sir,” answered Frank. - -Forthwith he took his place in the little store, weighed the fish and -kept the room in order. - -“A whole day for fun, fireworks and noise tomorrow!” exclaimed Frank, as -he buttoned his white apron about him the day before the Fourth of July. -A great trout was thrown down on the counter by Ned Tant, one of Frank’s -playmates. - -[Illustration: “YOU HAVE FORGIVENESS, FRANK.”] - -“Here’s a royal trout, Frank. I caught it myself. You may have it for -ten cents. Just hand over the money, for I’m in a hurry to buy my -firecrackers,” said Ned hurriedly. - -The deacon was out, but Frank had made purchases for him before, so the -dime spun across to Ned, who was off like a shot. Just then Mrs. -Sinclair appeared. - -“I want a nice trout for my dinner tomorrow. This one will do; how much -is it?” she asked as she carefully examined it. - -“A quarter, ma’am,” and the fish was transferred to the lady’s basket -and the silver piece to the money drawer. - -But here Frank paused. - -He thought to himself: “Ten cents was very cheap for that fish. If I -tell the deacon it cost fifteen cents he’ll be satisfied, and I shall -have five cents to invest in firecrackers.” - -The deacon was pleased with Frank’s bargain, and when the market was -closed each went his way for the night. - -But the nickel buried in Frank’s pocket burned like a coal. He could eat -no supper, and was cross and unhappy. At last he could stand it no -longer, but, walking rapidly, tapped at the door of Deacon Hepworth’s -cottage. - -The old man was seated at a table, reading the Bible. Frank’s heart -almost failed him, but he told the story and with tears of sorrow laid -the coin in the deacon’s hand. - -Turning over the leaves of the Bible, the old man read: - -“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and -forsaketh them shall have mercy.” - -“You have forgiveness, Frank,” he said. “Now go home and confess to the -Lord, and remember you must forsake as well as confess. Here, you may -keep this coin as long as you live to remind you of your first -temptation.” - - - - -[Illustration: A MONUMENT TO A BLACK MAN] - - -In the city of Columbus, Georgia, there was erected in the year 1904 a -monument to the memory of a colored man named Bragg Smith. Mr. Smith -lost his life in the autumn of 1903 in an effort to save the life of the -city engineer of Columbus, who had been buried under an excavation in -the street. A large crowd of colored men was at work digging deep -trenches in which were to be placed pipes for running water about the -city. In some way the sides of the narrow trench had not been properly -supported by planks or otherwise, and by-and-by a great stretch of dirt -caved in. Unfortunately the city engineer, a white man, was caught -underneath the falling dirt. Bragg Smith did not stop to say: “Oh, it’s -a white man; let him die!” but at once jumped down into the ditch and -tried to pull the white man from under the heavy dirt. It was while he -was engaged in this work that the dirt fell from both sides a second -time, and Bragg Smith, in his effort to save the life of the white man, -lost his own life. The Bible says: “Greater love hath no man than this, -that a man will lay down his life for a friend.” - -The city council at its first regular meeting after the accident voted -to erect a suitable monument to the memory of Mr. Smith. The monument -was dedicated in April, 1904. The monument is of Vermont and Georgia -marbles, and bears on one side this inscription: - -“Erected by the City of Columbus to mark the last resting place of Bragg -Smith, who died on September 30, 1903, in the heroic but fruitless -effort to save the life of the city engineer.” - -On the other side appears this quotation from Alexander Pope: - - “Honor and fame from no conditions rise; - Act well your part; there all the honor lies.” - - - - -THE BAD BOY--WHO HE IS. - - -My dear children, I am happy to say that all boys who are called bad -boys are not bad boys. There is quite a difference between a bad boy and -a merely mischievous boy. A boy is not necessarily bad because he makes -unearthly noises about the house, or now and then twists the cat’s tail -just to hear her mew, or muddies his clothes in an effort to catch -crawfish. He is not bad just because he likes to “play fantastic” on the -fourth day of July. So many people complain of their boys being bad when -they are only mischievous--that is to say, when they are only full of -life. Some people think that a good boy is one that has a pale face and -looks sickly; one that wears a sanctimonious look and moves along -through the world as though he were afraid to put one foot in front of -the other. That isn’t my kind of a boy. I do not think that kind of a -fellow is a boy at all--he is ’most a girl! A boy who never enjoys a -romp in the woods, who never climbs the apple tree before or after the -apples are ripe, who never plays ball, who will not shoot marbles, -etc.--this sort of a boy usually dies young, or he grows up to be a -“male woman.” I mean by that, that he grows up to be a man who acts like -a woman; and that kind of man is hardly fit for anything. - -[Illustration: “PLAY FANTASTIC” ON THE FOURTH OF JULY.] - -But there are some bad boys, I am sorry to say--really bad boys, bad in -heart and in deed. I have seen some on the chain gangs; I have seen some -hanging around the street corners--especially on Sundays, with no clean -clothes on; I have seen them smoking cigarettes--and a cigarette is -something which no manly boy will use; I have seen them in saloons, -drinking, playing pool and playing cards; I have sometimes seen them -shooting dice in the street for money. There are probably one thousand -boys in the jails, reformatories and in the penitentiaries in the single -state of Georgia. To form anything like an adequate estimate of the -total number of bad boys in the South we must add to the above number -the boys imprisoned in the other states; and, also, that much larger -number who have never been imprisoned because they happen never to have -been arrested, or who have been arrested and have had their fines paid -in money; and, finally, we must add those who have already served their -time and are again at large. So, you see, there are many thousands and -thousands of bad boys in the world, and they are very easily found. Are -you a bad boy or a good boy? Isn’t it better to be a good boy than to be -a bad boy? - - - - -THE BAD BOY--HOW TO HELP HIM. - - -[Illustration: THE BAD BOY] - -Almost anybody can make something out of a boy who is naturally good, -but it takes one of very Christlike power and patience to make anything -out of a really bad boy. Yet all boys may be reclaimed, reformed, saved; -at least so I believe. And the first step in making a good man out of a -bad boy has to do with the boy’s body. The Holy Bible tells us that our -bodies are the temples--the dwelling places--of the Holy Ghost, and -every boy, and every teacher of every boy, in the home or day school or -Sunday school, should give more time and attention to the body in order -to make it a fit place for such a holy being. It is as true now as of -old that plenty of soap and water will exert a wholesome influence in -making bad boys good. Some one has said that cleanliness is next to -godliness, and somebody has added that soap is a means of grace. A boy -who is taught to bathe regularly and who is taught to keep his clothing -neat and clean at all times will in that way learn the great lesson of -self-respect quicker than in any other way; and, in my judgment, the -shortest way to the purification of a boy’s habits, a boy’s morals, a -boy’s character, is to teach him first to keep his body pure. Keep it -pure not only by baths and clean clothes, but keep it pure and sweet by -keeping it free from whiskey and tobacco in every form. Exercise, -regular and systematic exercise, whether as work or play, will go a -great way towards keeping the body clean and healthy. Every boy is -mistaken, every parent is mistaken, who thinks that labor is unworthy, -or that any kind of honest work is degrading. The body needs to be kept -alive and vigorous by the frequent use of all its parts, and there is no -better way to keep the body vigorous than by doing some kind of -work--work that requires the use of the hands and legs and muscles, work -that stimulates the blood and makes it flow freely through the body. - -Another step in the process of making a good man out of a bad boy has to -do with the mind. The body grows not alone by exercise, but the body -grows by what we put into it: the food we eat and the water we drink, -etc. We might say, I think, that the body grows on what it feeds on. It -is the same way with the mind: the mind grows on what it feeds on. If we -feed our minds on obscene pictures, on bad books, on vulgar stories, -told by ourselves or our associates, we cannot expect to have minds that -are keenly alive and active for good. Our thoughts control us, boys and -girls, whether we understand the process by which they control or not. -Our thoughts control us. If our thoughts are pure and sweet and noble, -we will be pure and sweet and noble. If our thoughts are impure, vile -and ignoble, we will be impure, vile and ignoble. Our thoughts rule us. -So every boy should guard well his thoughts; every boy should guard well -what he puts into his mind. Every boy’s mind feeds on what he puts into -it, and every boy’s mind grows on what it feeds. It goes without saying, -then, that a boy should not read “blood and thunder” detective stories, -stories about the “James Brothers” and other outlaws and bandits; nor -should a boy read filthy so-called “love stories.” All such literature -should be shunned, as a boy would shun deadly poison. A boy who desires -to become a good man should read only those things which will give him -confidence in himself that he can and may become a good man--good for -the service of God and the service of his fellow-men. Bad company must -also be left behind if a bad boy wants to become a good boy. Those boys -who tell smutty jokes and stories should not be allowed to associate -with that boy whose eyes have been opened and who wants to feed his mind -on good and wholesome food. Character, boys, in its last analysis -depends chiefly on three things: Heredity, environment and will. Now you -cannot do much to change your inherited tendencies--the tendencies you -receive from mother and father at birth, but you can do much in -offsetting, in overcoming these tendencies. You can also do much with -the aid of a generous and enlightened public to change your surroundings -if they happen to be bad. I confess that your mothers and fathers, your -teachers and pastors ought to do much more in this regard than you; but -if they will not exert themselves to get you out of evil surroundings, -then, as you value your own life and time and possibilities, by the help -of God, try to get out yourselves. The will is very largely influenced -by your surroundings. Hence you can see the importance of having good -books and good associates. - -But whatever you do, boys, do not forget Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, -who takes away the sin of the world. The highest part of your nature is -your spiritual nature, and, while you are building up the body and -building up the mind, do not forget to build up your soul. If others -will not assist you in this greater matter you can help yourselves. The -Master said: “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid -them not.” - - - - -THOMAS GREENE BETHUNE - -(“BLIND TOM”) - - -I suppose there is not a little colored girl or boy in America who has -not heard of the wonderful “Blind Tom,” one of the greatest musicians of -the world. I wish that every boy and girl might have seen him and heard -him give one of his remarkable performances with the piano. I had that -high favor and privilege myself. During his life on the stage, or for -more than forty years, “Blind Tom” was seen probably by more people in -the world than any one living being. His stage career was closed -somewhere in 1900. Everywhere, in this country and Europe, those who -observed him most closely, and attempted to understand him, pronounced -him a living miracle, unparalleled, incomprehensible, such as had not -been seen before in the world, and probably never would be seen again. - -Thomas Greene Bethune, better known to the public as “Blind Tom,” was -born within a few miles of the city of Columbus, Georgia, on the -twenty-fifth day of May, 1849. He was of pure negro blood, and was born -blind. He was little less than four years old when a piano was brought -to the house of his master, for he was born a slave. As long as any one -was playing he was contented to stay in the yard and dance and caper to -the music. Sometimes he was permitted to indulge his curiosity by being -allowed to run his fingers over the keys. One night the parlor and piano -had been left open. Before day the young ladies of the family awoke and -were astounded to hear Blind Tom playing one of their pieces. The family -gathered around him to witness and wonder at his performance, which they -said was marvellously strange. Notwithstanding that this was his first -known effort at a tune, he played with both hands and used the black as -well as the white keys. Pretty soon he was allowed free access to the -piano, and began to play off-hand everything he heard. As young as he -was, he soon mastered all of that and began composing for himself. The -record of his public life is too long for me to give, but that Blind Tom -was known and honored around the world is known to everybody. - -But feeling that every colored boy and girl should be justly proud of -Blind Tom’s record, I will give some words from the book of Hon. James -M. Trotter, himself a colored man. His book is called “Music and Some -Highly Musical People.” He says: - -“Blind Tom is unquestionably the most wonderful musician the world has -ever known. He is an absolute master in the comprehension and retention -of all sound. You may sit down to the pianoforte and strike any note or -chord or discord, or a great number of them, and he will at once give -their proper names, and, taking your place, reproduce them. Complete -master of the pianoforte keyboard, he calls to his melodious uses, with -most consummate ease, all of its resources that are known to skillful -performers, as well as constantly discovers and applies those that are -new. Under his magnetic touch this instrument may become, at his will, a -music box, a hand organ, a harp, or a bagpipe, a “Scotch fiddle,” a -church organ, a guitar, or a banjo; it may imitate the “stump speaker” -as he delivers his glowing harangue; or, being brought back to its -legitimate tones, it may be made to sing two melodies at once, while the -performer, with his voice, delivers a third, all three in different time -and keys, all in perfect tune and time, and each one easily -distinguishable from the other! He remembers and plays fully seven -thousand pieces. Some persons, it is true, have had the temerity to say -that Blind Tom is an idiot. Out with the idea! Who ever heard of an -idiot possessing such power of memory, such fineness of musical -sensibility, such order, such method, as he displays? Let us call him -the embodiment of music, the soul of music, and there let our -investigations rest, for all else is vain speculation. No one lives, or, -so far as we know, has ever lived, that can at all be compared with -him.” - - - - -NOT FIT TO KNOW. - - -Susan and Mamie and Lillian and Marjorie were always close friends. They -usually went together and played together and it was very unusual to see -one of them without the others. At school they always made it a rule to -lunch together and play together. One day at recess they were standing -in a little group all by themselves when Frances joined them. - -[Illustration: “FRANCES.”] - -“What are you talking about, girls?” asked Frances in cheerful tones. - -“I’m telling them a secret,” said Susie, “and we will let you know, too, -Frances, if you’ll promise not to tell any one.” - -“I’ll promise you not to tell anybody but my mother,” said Frances, “for -I have made it a rule to tell my mother everything.” - -“No; you can’t even tell your mother,” answered Susie; “you must not -tell any one in the world.” - -“Well, then, I refuse to hear it,” said Frances, as she walked away, -“for what I can’t tell my mother is not fit for me to know.” - -Don’t you think Frances was right, girls? I think so. As soon as little -boys and girls begin to listen to words and stories which they would be -ashamed to repeat to their mothers they are on the road to temptation, -and nobody can tell how soon they will reach the end, which is always -disgrace and death. - -I wish all the boys and girls who will read this book would make the -reply of Frances their motto: “What I cannot tell my mother is not fit -to know.” Stick to this rule through thick and thin, and you will avoid -many of the snares and pitfalls by which many of your companions and -playmates sink into shame and sin. Don’t read a note that you would be -afraid to have your mother read. Don’t look at a picture that you would -be ashamed to have your mother see. Don’t speak any word, and don’t -allow any to be spoken to you, that you would not like to have your -mother hear. A girl’s best friend is her mother. A boy’s best friend is -his mother. And, boys and girls, be very sure that if a thing isn’t fit -for your mothers to know it isn’t fit for you to know. - - - - -THE RIGHT WAY. - - -Henry Oliphant always considered himself lucky whenever he was able to -get a ride on the street cars without paying for it, or get a glass of -soda water or be admitted to some public place, where an admission fee -was charged, without paying the price. He was bragging one day to some -of his boy friends that he had not paid anything to witness the school -exhibition the night before. Frank Sewall was brave enough to chide him -for having done so. Frank was a plain-spoken boy, and Henry didn’t like -what Frank had said. He thought what he had done was all right, while -Frank had said that it was all wrong. Anyhow, Henry decided to get his -father’s opinion on the matter. - -“Father,” he said, when night had come, “I got in the hall last night -for nothing.” - -“How was that?” - -“I just walked by the doorkeeper and he didn’t ask me for any money.” - -“Did the doorkeeper see you?” - -“Well, father, that was his business; he was put there for that purpose; -he ought to have seen me.” - -“But I asked you, Henry, whether the doorkeeper saw you. I want you to -answer that question.” - -“I don’t know, sir.” - -“Do you think he saw you?” - -“I don’t know, sir.” - -“Well, Henry, if he had seen you, don’t you think he would have asked -you for your money or a ticket?” - -[Illustration: “FATHER,” HE SAID, WHEN NIGHT HAD COME, “I GOT IN THE -HALL LAST NIGHT FOR NOTHING.”] - -“I guess so, father; but he didn’t ask me for anything.” - -“Well, now, Henry, you know that a charge of ten cents was made at the -door, and that no one had a right to enter who had not paid the ten -cents. You did go in without paying. Now, whether the doorkeeper saw you -or not, do you think that that was quite honest on your part? Was that -the right way for you to act?” - -“Well, I would have paid him if he asked me. I wasn’t the doorkeeper.” - -“I guess the man who stole our wood last week would have paid me if I -had seen him and asked him; but we called that stealing.” - -“But, father, I did not take anything from the doorkeeper.” - -“Who gave you the money with which to pay your admission?” - -“Mother.” - -“Where is that money now?” - -“I have it; but I didn’t take it from the doorkeeper.” - -“But you kept it from him, Henry. It belongs to the doorkeeper. He gave -you its value. My son, the right way is, whenever you buy anything, -whether it be a ride or a glass of soda water or permission to see a -concert, whenever you buy anything you ought to pay for it. If you don’t -you are no better than a common robber. You must go today and give Mr. -Hall that ten cents.” - -[Illustration: IS EVERYBODY HAPPY? SURE WE ARE.] - - - - -KEEPING FRIENDSHIP IN REPAIR. - - -[Illustration: THE TWO PATHS.] - -I sometimes think that boys and girls, and even old people, are often -careless in the matter of their friendships--not careless in the matter -of selecting friends, though I am sure there is room for improvement -along that line--but careless in trying to keep the good friendships we -have already formed. We ought to keep our friendships in repair. Perhaps -you think that our friendships are not things which need to be kept in -repair. How foolish it is to think so! Does a garden need to be weeded? -Does an old fence need to be kept in repair? Do we paint our houses only -once in a century? What about the musician--does he not need to keep in -practice? Supposing that you never kept your muscles in repair by -constant use or exercise--how long would you be strong or healthy? And -do you think that your friendships, because they are in a way -intangible--you cannot see them, handle them or taste them--do you think -that they grow and thrive of their own accord, and, therefore, do not -need to be kept in repair? Slights, snubs, angry words, unpleasant -conduct, long continued lack of association, long continued lack of -familiar intercourse, and coldness, even where the meetings are -periodic--these things, boys and girls, will kill the warmest -friendship and choke the tenderest love. So we ought to be careful to -keep our friendships in repair. If we had no friends in this world, no -playmates and companions, no kindred spirits into whose keenest sorrows -and highest joys we entered with deep and full sympathy, and who did not -enter into our sorrows and joys in the same way--if we had no friends in -this world, with all of its wealth and splendor, we should not desire to -live very much longer. But to have friends and to be friendly goes a -long way towards making the world a beautiful and blessed place to live -in. - -How, then, may we keep our friends? Easy enough--by cultivating them; -and we cannot keep them in any other way. We should take time to be -friendly. Little notes, little presents, little visits, little social -entertainments, little kindnesses--these things, and things like them, -go a great way in cementing our friendships, in tying people to us, as -it were, with hooks of steel. We should not neglect these means of -keeping our friendships in repair. Always give your friends a cordial -welcome in your homes, and at your little children’s parties; let them -feel, make them feel, that their coming adds to your pleasure without -increasing your burdens. Don’t be selfish and narrow; be broad-minded -and liberal. Keep your friendships in repair, and then see if you do not -find your horizon broadened, your life sweetened, and the weary weight -of this sad old world lightened. - - - - -LITTLE ANNIE’S CHRISTMAS. - - -Christmas morning came. - -Daylight was just peeping into the room. - -Poor little Annie, the cripple, awoke and turned her eyes towards the -corner where she had hung her stocking the night before. - -Surely, she thought, as she watched it, there could not be very much in -it, because it didn’t seem to be any larger than it was when she had -hung it up. After awhile she crept slowly to where it was. - -She did not take her crutches, for fear she would disturb her mother, -who slept in the same bed with her. It was hard for her to move around -without her crutches, but she persevered and finally she reached her -stocking. - -[Illustration: “SHE PUT OUT HER THIN LITTLE HAND AND FELT IT.”] - -She put out her thin little hand and felt it. Yes, there was something -in it! Then she put her hand inside and took out something which seemed -round and soft. She took it out and looked at it. It was a little cake. -Poor little Annie smiled, and put her hand back into the stocking. This -time she found something which was done up in paper. She opened the -paper and found a whole dozen of gumdrops. How brightly her little eyes -flashed! She was only six years old and she had never had so much candy -at one time in all her life. - -By-and-by her mother awoke. She raised her head and saw Annie’s happy -face. “Poor girl,” she thought, “how happy I would have been to have -bought something else for her, but I wasn’t able. I hope she will be -happy with what she has.” - -“See, mother,” cried Annie, “I have twelve gumdrops and a cake. We will -eat half of the gumdrops today and save the other half for to-morrow. -You’ll eat three and I will eat three.” - -“No, Annie,” said her mother, “you must eat every one by yourself.” - -Annie smiled, but did not say anything. - -Little Annie’s mother was a widow, and she was very, very poor; there -were many times when they had only a little dry bread and water for the -day’s food. For this bright Christmas season there were many things -besides food which she would like to have bought for her poor little -crippled child; but she did not have any money to pay for playthings or -toys. - -After breakfast on this Christmas day Johnny Ray came to see them. He -brought with him a good thick shawl for Annie’s mother and four pairs of -warm stockings which his mother had sent for Annie, and, also, a large -package of nice candy. - -Little Annie’s mother cried for joy. - -Little Annie was too happy to speak. She had never dreamed of having so -much candy at one time! - - - - -THE VELOCIPEDE RACE. - - -One bright day Archibald mounted his velocipede and rode out into the -long green lane, where he could ride for a long distance without -interruption. He had left his coat in the house because he knew that -riding would make him very warm. - -When he reached the lane the velocipede moved along so smoothly that -Archibald was very happy. By the time he had gone nearly a half mile he -was tired and stopped for a rest. - -Pretty soon he heard a noise coming from behind, and he wondered what -rider it might be on the same track that beautiful spring morning. He -looked up and saw John Smith coming, riding a large velocipede and going -as fast as he could. - -Archibald quickly mounted his wheel and started on a swift run, trying -to overtake the flying John. Before they reached the end of the road -they saw Clara Hempton, standing by the fence with her little -velocipede. Clara watched the boys as they flitted past. She thought -that she could keep up with John, but she was not sure that she could -ride as fast as Archibald. - -[Illustration: THE VELOCIPEDE RACE.] - -While she was meditating Archibald cried out: - -“Clara, you wait until we finish this race, and then we three will go -back together.” - -Archibald reached the end first, but John was not very far behind. - -When Clara reached them Archibald said: - -“Now we will all have a fair start and see who will reach the other end -first.” - -So they all started on a line. Archibald knew that he was the largest -and could go the fastest, but, as he had won the other race, he did not -ride this time as fast as he could. He thought this was the right way to -give the others a fair chance. - -Clara and John reached the other end of the lane at exactly the same -time, with Archibald a short distance behind them. - -John and Clara were greatly delighted because they had won the race from -the big boy, Archibald. Archibald was pleased because they were pleased. -This was not the only time that Archibald had proved that he was a good -and kind boy, and that he was thoughtful of little children younger than -himself. - -From this little story of the velocipede race many other little boys and -girls may learn a good lesson, I hope, that will do them good all -through life. - - - - -FAULT-FINDING. - - -[Illustration: FAULT FINDING.] - -Faults are the easiest things to find in all this world. A fault is -something that can be found without looking for it. And I guess no -little boy or girl in all the world knows anything that is easier to -find than something that he or she doesn’t have to look for. Well, -faults are things that we can find without looking for them; so faults -are the easiest things to find in all the world. Yet, boys and girls, -the habit of fault-finding, or the habit of finding fault, is one of the -worst habits that anybody could form. It stamps the person who is so -easy to find fault with everything and everybody as being a mean, low, -envious, evil-hearted person. It is better to look for something to -praise, than it is to look for something to blame. Yet there are some -people who are so constituted that they do not see any good in anything. -When it is cold, it is too cold. When it is hot, it is too hot. They -don’t like “vici kid” shoes; they want patent leathers. The singing at -church or Sunday school last Sunday was just horrid. Old Mary Jones -ought to be taken out of the choir. The preacher preaches too long, or -the deacon prays too loud. The school teacher isn’t any good. So they go -on from day to day, finding fault with everything and everybody. -Nothing pleases them; nothing delights them. If by any chance or -mischance they should get to heaven they would, I believe, find fault -with the way the Lord has arranged things up there. They are miserable -people to have around--these good-for-nothing, lazy and trifling -fault-finders. If you try real hard, boys and girls, you can find -something good in everything and in everybody. That is one reason why we -do not always see the good in people or things--we don’t look for it. We -can find out what is bad--can find out the bad things without looking -for them, but if we want to see the good things we must be on the -lookout for them. If we are on the lookout--if we make up our minds that -we are going to see the good, and only the good, we are always sure to -find it. - -There was an old woman once who was noted for being able to say -something good about everything and everybody. She was never heard to -speak evil of anything or anybody. Once upon a time a gambler died in -the city where she lived. He was a miserable sinner, and nobody liked -him and nobody had a good word to say for him, even after he was dead. -Aunt Maria, the good old lady, went to see him after he had been put -into his coffin. The people who were present wondered what good thing -Aunt Maria could possibly say about the dead sinner. Aunt Maria entered -the room and walked around on tiptoe. After awhile she raised her head -and said: - -“Friends, I tell you, he makes a mighty nice looking corpse.” - - - - -GROSS DECEPTION. - - - Wistfully down the street she strolled, - From side to side her eyes she rolled, - Till far away her eyes she cast - On the grateful form of a man at last. - - She smoothed her hair and she quickened her pace, - Hoping she’d meet him face to face; - But when she reached him she felt awful sore: - ’Twas a figure of wax in front of a store! - - - - -RANDOM REMARKS. - - -In the olden times parents used to rule their children, but in these -days and times there are many people who believe that the children rule -their parents. So many misguided parents in these days and times believe -in sparing the rod and spoiling the child. Boys don’t get many whippings -at home nowadays, and if a boy happens to get a good flogging at school -it will cause a big row, and sometimes cause the teacher to be -threatened with arrest. Whenever my teacher used to whip me I was always -afraid to mention it at home for fear of getting another. I heard a man -say the other day: “Never whip a child; raise your boy on love and -kindness and reason!” Yes; and when that boy is twelve or thirteen years -old somebody will have to go to him and talk to him and try to persuade -him not to whip his father or mother. - -[Illustration: I JUST WISH I COULD HAVE MY WAY WITH THOSE BOYS FOR ABOUT -TWO MINUTES.] - -I was at church the other day and I saw two boys about ten or eleven -years old. After service they lit their cigarettes and went marching -off as big as Trip. A man of the old school looked at them for awhile, -and then, turning away, he said: - -“I just wish I could have my way with those boys for about two minutes.” - -I didn’t say anything, but deep down in my heart I sympathized with the -old man, and felt that both of the youngsters ought to have had a good -whipping. - -Some girls are almost as bad as some boys. Girls are most too fast in -these days. As soon as they get their dresses to their shoetops they are -gone. They go crazy over their clothes, for they think that they must -keep in the fashion. They read too much trash, for they think that is -the way refined and cultured people do. Old-fashioned modesty is at a -discount. The girls don’t wait for the boys to come now--that is, many -of them don’t; they go after them. I have seen some girls running around -in these new-fashioned night gowns, and they call it a Mother Hubbard -party. If their mothers don’t allow them to go with the boys they will -slip around and meet them somewhere anyhow. And where they are allowed -to go with the boys they generally go to extremes. What business has a -little girl--ten or twelve or fourteen years old--to be locked-arms with -a little stripling of a boy, going home at night from church or some -social entertainment. It always disgusts me whenever I see it. Worse -than a mannish boy is a womanish girl. What business has a little girl, -or a larger one, to allow a man to throw his arm around her waist in -the round dance? It is immodest, to say the least, and there is not a -good mother in the land who approves it. A girl who goes to a -promiscuous ball and waltzes around with promiscuous fellows puts -herself in a promiscuous fix to be talked about by the dudes and rakes -and fast young fellows who have encircled her waist. Slander is very -common, I know, especially slander of young ladies; there are not many -young ladies who escape it; but the trouble about it is that it is not -all slander--some of it is the truth. - -In the olden times when folks got married they stayed married, but -nowadays the courts are full of divorce cases. The land is spotted with -what are called “grass widows,” and in many a household there is hidden -grief over a daughter’s shame. Why is it? What causes it? Lack of proper -training and care of the young. Habits are great things--good habits or -bad habits. If girls are reared to clean their teeth and keep their -fingernails clean they will keep them clean all their lives. If boys are -reared to chew tobacco and smoke they will never quit. The same about -loving and courting and getting married. Much depends upon training, -upon habits. Young flirts make old flirts. Young devils make old -devils! - - - - -BENJAMIN BANNEKER, THE NEGRO ASTRONOMER. - - -The little colored boys and girls of America should be proud to know, as -I suppose the little white boys and girls will be surprised to learn, -that the first clock of which every portion was made in America was made -by a colored man. - -The colored children will also be glad to know, I think, that among the -earliest almanacs prepared for general use in this country were those -which were published for several years by this same colored man. His -name was Benjamin Banneker. I have found a good and true account of this -wonderful man in The Atlantic Monthly for January, 1863. I am going to -give a good portion of that account in this book, because I believe -every colored person in America should be acquainted with that man’s -history. The account says: - -“Benjamin Banneker was born in Baltimore County, Maryland, near the -village of Ellicott’s Mills, in the year 1732. There was not a drop of -white man’s blood in his veins. His father was born in Africa, and his -mother’s parents were both natives of Africa. What genius he had, then, -must be credited to that race. When he was approaching manhood he went, -in the intervals of toil, to an obscure and remote country school. At -this school Benjamin acquired a knowledge of reading and writing, and -advanced in arithmetic as far as ‘Double position.’ Beyond these -rudiments he was his own teacher. Young Banneker had no books at all, -but in the midst of labor for a living he so improved upon what he had -gained in arithmetic that his intelligence became a matter of general -observation. He was such an acute observer of the natural world and had -so diligently observed the signs of the times in society that it is very -doubtful whether at forty years of age this African had his superior in -Maryland. - -“Perhaps the first wonder amongst his comparatively illiterate neighbors -was excited, when, about the thirtieth year of his age, Benjamin made a -clock. It is probable that this was the first clock of which every -portion was made in America; it is certain that it was purely his own -invention as if none had ever been made before. He had seen a watch, but -never a clock, such an article not being within fifty miles of him. He -used the watch as a model for his clock. He was a long time at work on -the clock,--his chief difficulty, as he used often to relate, being to -make the hour, minute, and second hands correspond in their motion. But -at last the work was completed, and raised the admiration for Banneker -to quite a high pitch among his few neighbors. - -“The making of the clock proved to be of great importance in assisting -the young man to fulfill his destiny. It attracted the attention of the -Ellicott family, who had just begun a settlement at Ellicott’s Mills. -They were well-educated men, with much mechanical knowledge, and some of -them Quakers. They sought out the ingenious negro, and he could not have -fallen into better hands. In 1787 Mr. George Ellicott gave him Mayer’s -“Tables,” Ferguson’s “Astronomy,” and Leadbetter’s “Lunar Tables.” From -this time astronomy became the great object of Banneker’s life, and in -its study he almost disappeared from the sight of his neighbors. He -slept much during the day, that he might the more devotedly observe at -night the heavenly bodies whose laws he was slowly, but surely, -mastering. - -“Very soon after the possession of the books already mentioned, Banneker -determined to compile an almanac, that being the most familiar use that -occurred to him of the information he had acquired. To make an almanac -then was a very different thing from what it would be now, when there is -an abundance of accurate tables and rules. Banneker had no aid whatever -from men or rules; and Mr. George Ellicott, who procured some tables and -took them to him, states that he had already advanced very far in the -preparation of the logarithms necessary for the purpose. - -“The first almanac prepared by Banneker for publication was for the year -1792. By this time his acquirements had become generally known, and -among those who were attracted by them was Mr. James McHenry. Mr. -McHenry wrote to Goddard and Angell, then the almanac-publishers of -Baltimore, and procured the publication of this work, which contained -from the pen of Mr. McHenry, a brief notice of Banneker. When his first -almanac was published, Banneker was fifty-nine years old, and had -received tokens of respect from all the scientific men of the country. -Among others, Thomas Jefferson, then Secretary of State under George -Washington, wrote him a most flattering and complimentary letter. In his -letter Jefferson said, ‘Nobody wishes more than I do to see such proofs -as you exhibit, that Nature has given to our black brethren talents -equal to those of other colors of men, and that the appearance of a want -of them is owing only to the degraded condition of their existence both -in Africa and America.’ - -“Banneker continued to calculate and publish almanacs until 1802. - -“Mr. Benjamin H. Ellicott, who was a true friend of Banneker, and -collected from various sources all the facts concerning him, wrote in a -letter as follows: ‘During the whole of his long life he lived -respectably and much esteemed by all who became acquainted with him, but -more especially by those who could fully appreciate his genius and the -extent of his acquirements.’ - -“Banneker’s head was covered with a thick mass of white hair, which gave -him a very dignified and venerable appearance. His dress was invariably -of superfine drab broadcloth, made in the old style of a plain coat, -with straight collar and long waistcoat, and a broad-brimmed hat. His -color was not jet black, but decidedly negro. In size and personal -appearance, the statue of Franklin at the library in Philadelphia, as -seen from the street, is a perfect likeness of him. - -“Banneker died in the year 1804, beloved and respected by all who knew -him. Though no monument marks the spot where he was born and lived a -true and high life, and was buried, yet history must record that the -most original scientific intellect which the South has yet produced was -that of the pure African, Benjamin Banneker.” - -The above is the story of that wonderful black man told in splendid -terms of high and well-deserved praise by a white man. Every little -black boy in America may well be fired with inspiration to do something -beyond the ordinary by reading the story of Banneker’s life. - - - - -“A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM.” - - -It is truly astonishing what a boy can do when once he has made up his -mind to do his best. Dr. Len. G. Broughton, the famous pastor of the -Tabernacle Baptist church, Atlanta, Ga., in a little book, which he -calls “The Modern Prodigal,” has told a very pathetic story about a -little boy. It is so true to life, and so typical of what a black or -white boy may do under similar circumstances, if he only decides for the -true and the right, that I have decided to reproduce the little story in -this book. It is well worth reading. Dr. Broughton says: - -“Not long after I entered the ministry, I went to a certain town to hold -a series of meetings. It was one of these good old Southern towns, the -inhabitants of which banked on aristocracy and fed their souls upon the -glory of departed days. They had never known what it was to be -spiritually warm. The first night I was there I preached to a great -audience. It was in my early ministry, when I made many propositions. -The first one I made that night was for any one to stand who wanted -prayers offered for their friends. As soon as I made it a little boy got -up and walked out in the aisle, where he stood looking me square in the -face. I said, ‘God bless you, little man,’ and he sat down. I then asked -any one who wanted the prayers of God’s people to rise. That boy got out -in the aisle again and looked me in the face, and again I said, ‘God -bless you.’ I asked if there was anybody present who was willing to -accept Jesus. That boy stood up again and looked me in the face, and -again I said, ‘God bless you.’ Nobody else stood up that night, and I -began to think I had struck about the hardest and coldest crowd I had -ever run up against. - -“The next night I preached as hard as I knew how to sinners, and when I -finished, I asked anybody who wanted to be prayed for to stand up. The -same little rascal popped out into the aisle, as he had done the night -before, and stood looking at me until I saw him and said, ‘God bless -you.’ I thought I’d vary the thing a little, so I asked if anybody -present was willing to come forward and give me his hand as an -indication that he would accept Jesus. That same boy came shuffling out -of his seat, straight down the aisle and gave me his hand. I saw smiles -on the faces of some in the congregation. Nobody but the boy showed any -interest, and I went off somewhat disheartened. The third night I -preached, and when I asked all who wanted prayer to rise, that boy -popped out into the aisle. The people had begun to regard it as a joke, -and they nudged each other with their elbows, while a broad smile flared -from one side of the house to the other. When I asked anybody who was -willing to accept Jesus to come and give me his hand, that boy came, and -the congregation smiled broader than before. After the meeting the -deacons came to me and told me that the boy must be stopped, as he was a -half-idiot, and was throwing a damper on the meeting. I said: ‘Stop -nothing! How are you going to throw a damper on an ice-house?’ - -“For the whole of that week that boy was the only person in the house -who showed any interest in the meeting. Then he wanted to join the -church. The pastor was absent, and I was to open the doors of the -church. The deacons came to me and said I must not receive that boy, as -he didn’t have sense enough to join the church. I said: ‘Look here, -brethren, I won’t take this responsibility on my hands. I’m going to put -that boy on you, and if you choose to reject him, his blood be upon your -hands.’ At the conclusion of the morning service, I invited all who -wanted to unite with the church to come forward. That boy came. I asked -him if he had accepted Christ for his personal Saviour. That’s all I -ever ask. He said he had. ‘Brethren,’ I said, ‘you hear what this boy -has to say. What will you do with him?’ An ominous silence fell on the -congregation. After a time, from ’way back by the door, I heard a -muffled and rather surly, ‘I move he be received.’ Another painful -silence followed, and then, from the middle of the church, I heard a -muffled, ‘I second the motion.’ When I put the motion, about a half -dozen members voted ‘aye’ in a tone so low that it seemed as if they -were scared. I gave the boy the right hand of Christian welcome awaiting -baptism, and then dismissed the congregation. - -“The next day the boy went out to see his old grandfather, a man whose -whitened head was blossoming for the grave, and whose feet were taking -hold upon the shifting sands of eternity. ‘Grandfather,’ said he, ‘won’t -you go to church with me to-night and hear that preacher?’ We always -feel kindly towards those who are afflicted, you know, and are willing -to please them; so the old man agreed to go. - -“That night I saw the boy and the old man sitting away back by the door. -When the sermon was finished, one of the members of the church arose and -said: ‘I have a request to make. We have with us tonight, Mr. Blank, one -of our oldest and most respected citizens, but he is out of Christ. I -want special prayer offered for this my special friend.’ With that he -laid his hand upon the head of the old man, down whose furrowed cheeks -the tears were streaming. The next night I saw the old man sitting about -half-way down the aisle. When all who wanted to accept Jesus were -invited to come forward and give me their hands, I saw the half-idiot -boy coming down the aisle leading the old man by the hand. - -“That little boy’s father kept a saloon. The following day the child -went there, and climbing up over the high counter, he peeped down upon -his father and said: ‘Papa, won’t you go to church with me to-night to -hear that preacher?’ ‘You get out of here, child,’ said the father; ‘go -out of here; don’t you know you mustn’t come in here?’ Strange, strange, -how fathers will keep places where their children cannot go! ‘But, -papa,’ continued the boy, ‘won’t you go to church with me to-night?’ -‘Yes; I’ll go, but you get out of here.’ - -“That night the man came with the half-idiot boy, and sat about where -the old man had sat the night before. When I asked all who would accept -Jesus to come forward, he walked down the aisle and gave me his hand. He -asked if he could make a statement, and when I said ‘Yes,’ he faced the -congregation and said: ‘My friends, you all know me, and I want to say -that so long as I live I will never sell another drop of whiskey, for I -have given my heart to God to-night, and from this day forward I propose -to serve him.’ - -“The meeting warmed up at last, the town was set on fire for God. Every -saloon keeper was converted and every saloon was closed. The feeling -spread and a saloon seven miles in the country was closed and the keeper -was converted to God. - -“At the close of the meeting I sat on the front seat and saw the pastor -lead three generations into the baptismal waters, the old man in front, -his son behind him, and last in line the little half-idiot boy. The only -mistake that was made, to my mind, was that the boy who had led the -others to Christ should not have been first in line. Where is the little -half-idiot boy now? He has grown much brighter within the last few -years, and is now going to school. He says he wants to be and will be a -missionary. - -“What a lesson for the young to-day. Persistent self-surrender, ever -doing the best we can, is a never failing way that leads to victory.” - - - - -DIRECTIONS FOR LITTLE LADIES. - - -1. A little lady always says, “I thank you” whenever anybody assists her -in any way, and always says, “If you please,” whenever she makes any -kind of request. - -2. A little lady is never loud and boisterous on the streets, in public -places, or at home. Sometimes girls are so rough that they are called -“Tom-Boys.” No Tom-Boy ever was a true little lady. - -3. A true little lady will always see that her linen is clean and -spotless--collars and cuffs, aprons and dresses, handkerchiefs, and all -articles of clothing. Every true little lady hates dirt. - -4. A little lady will not be guilty of idle gossip. She will not tattle; -will not go around hunting all the evil things that are said or known -about other little ladies. She closes her ears tight against the -slanderers of the town. - -5. A little lady will love the Sunday-school and the church. She will -love the society of good people and the society of good books. She will -have higher notions of life than that life is something to be spent in a -merry round of pleasure. - -6. A true little lady loves her mother, and she will show that she loves -her mother in various ways. She will help her about the housework. She -will be fond of going out in company with her mother often. She will not -think that anybody else’s mother is or can be better than her own -mother. - -[Illustration: DIRECTIONS FOR LITTLE GIRLS.] - -7. Every true little lady will be a Christian. She will early give -herself to Jesus. She will delight to help the poor; to visit the sick, -carrying the cheer and comfort and something good to eat and flowers and -many other things. She will love everybody. Do you? - - - - -THREE WORDS TO YOUNG PEOPLE. - - -The first word is, Be true. The second word is, Be trustworthy. The -third word is, Dare to do right. - -First: Be true! Be what you seem to be or what you pretend to be; do not -be a hypocrite; be firm and steady in adhering to friends, promises or -principles. Be a true boy; be a true girl. - -Secondly: Be trustworthy! Be worthy of trust; be reliable; make your -word your bond. Conduct yourself in such a way that people can depend on -you. - -Thirdly: Dare to do right! Whatever comes or doesn’t come, stand by what -you believe to be right, even if you have to stand alone. Be honest, -upright, faithful, sincere, abhor that which is evil, cleave to that -which is good. - -True boys and girls are scarce; they are not easily found; they do not -grow on trees. But, to tell you the truth, we need good boys and girls, -true boys and girls, much more than we do educated boys and girls. All -education without character is a dead weight! - -Let me give you one or two reasons why you should be true, trustworthy, -and brave for the right. In the first place, for the sake of your -influence. Every boy and girl in this world has some influence. Every -boy in this world, white or black, rich or poor, high or low, is helping -his friends and playmates to grow better or worse, higher or lower in -the scale of being. Every girl in this world is likewise helping or -hindering others. If we are harsh and unkind, cruel and unjust--in every -wrong, every baseness, meanness, selfishness, we are harming not -ourselves alone but the whole great family of man. On the other hand, -when we speak fearlessly a brave, true word, when we perform cheerfully -a hard and trying task, whenever we are faithful, honest, earnest, -patient, pure, trustworthy, whether we know it or not, we are -strengthening the unseen impulses which make for nobility and higher -manhood and womanhood throughout the world. In the economy of God, by -his infinite wisdom, the humblest life reaches forward to the highest -and the highest life reaches backward to the lowest. - -But perhaps you are saying that I am taking too much for granted. -Perhaps you think that it is not true that there is not one of the very -least of the great human family who is not every day exercising some -personal influence for good or evil upon the world. If you think so, -boys and girls, or older people, you are mistaken. No human being can -escape from the world’s atmosphere. Though you fly to the uttermost -parts of the sea or hide in the depths of the dense city, some life is -affected by your life. Not only some life is affected by your life, but -many lives are affected by your life. It is a thought of this kind that -Charles Dickens beautifully expresses in his story called “David -Copperfield.” He says: - -“There is nothing--no, nothing--beautiful and good that dies and is -forgotten. An infant, a prattling child, dying in his cradle, will live -again in the better thoughts of those who loved it, and plays its part, -though its body be burned to ashes or drowned in the deepest sea. There -is not an angel added to the hosts of heaven but does its blessed work -on earth in those who loved it here. Dead! Oh, if the good deeds of -human creatures could be traced to their source, how beautiful would -even death appear. For how much charity, mercy, and purified affection -would be seen to have their growth in dusty graves!” - -No, children, it is no idle dream, no fancy story that I tell when I say -that the humblest member of the human family, as well as the highest, is -exercising daily, whether he is conscious of it or not, some influence -for good or evil upon the world. Viewed in this light who can measure -the possibilities--the divine possibilities--that are wrapped up in -little boys and girls? Viewed in this light, how the slightest action, -the smallest of our little duties, takes on new importance! It was with -this thought in mind that James A. Garfield said: “I feel a profounder -reverence for a boy than a man. I never meet a ragged boy on the street -without feeling that I owe him a salute, for I know not what -possibilities may be buttoned up under his shabby coat.” Yes, boys and -girls, by every brave and cheerful effort that we put forth we are -reforming, uplifting, renewing, inspiring, hearts and souls we never -heard of, never knew, the whole world becoming stronger for every bit of -moral courage we create, sweeter for every kindly look we give, and -holier for every good deed we do. And, of course, the contrary is true. -When we fail, when we come short, when we sin, the consequences are not -ours alone--they extend to all humanity. We are all, white and black, -rich and poor, old and young, male and female, children of one family. -Just as the quivering circles from a pebble thrown into a lake stretch -on and on from shore to shore, so the silent impulse of a single life -thrills from heart to heart until the very edges of humanity are -touched. - -There is another reason still why we should be true, trustworthy, brave. -That reason is that somebody else takes us as his ideal--his standard. -Poor as we are, weak as we are, as unworthy as we are, somebody else is -looking up to us--especially those of us who have been favored with -educational advantages and opportunities. And you know that the failure -of one who is invested in another’s mind with ideal qualities is a -failure beyond the actual. That is one reason why people say that, as a -rule, a preacher’s children are the worst children in the world. As a -matter of fact, they are not the worst children in the world; but, being -the children of preachers, everybody expects more of them than of -others,--they are taken as ideals, as standards--that’s all. And what -might be excused in others will not be excused in one who is taken as an -ideal. Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of America’s greatest writers, in -speaking of this truth says in his story called “The Marble Faun:” - -“The character of an individual beloved one having invested itself with -all the attributes of right--that one friend being to us the symbol and -representative of whatever is good and true,--when he falls, the effect -is almost as if the sky fell with him, bringing down in chaotic ruin the -columns that upheld our faith. We struggle forth again, no doubt bruised -and bewildered. We stare wildly about us, and discover--or it may be we -never make the discovery--that it was not actually the sky that has -tumbled down but merely a frail structure of our own rearing, which -never rose higher than the housetops, and has fallen because we founded -it on nothing. But the crash, and the affright and trouble are as -overwhelming, for the time, as if the catastrophe involved the whole -moral world. Remembering these things, let them suggest one generous -motive for walking heedfully amid the defilement of earthly ways. Let -us reflect that the highest path is pointed out by the pure ideal of -those who look up to us, and who, if we tread less loftily, may never -look so high again.” - -Now, I have said my three words. You see they have stretched themselves -out to a great length, but I hope the boys and girls who read this book -may profit by them. Strive to be true, strive to be trustworthy, strive -to be brave. In the long run the prizes of this world, and of that which -is to come, are won by boys and girls of strong moral character, not by -those who are merely learned or rich. But, of course, I believe in -education and I believe in money. I think you ought to strive to obtain -both--both are useful, and both are necessary; but, with all your -getting, boys and girls, be sure to get those things which will reach -beyond this world and which will count for more than money or good looks -or education or any such thing when the world is on fire, when the moon -shall be turned into blood, when the trumpet sounds, and all must go to -stand before the Great King to give an account of the deeds done in the -body. - - - - -“A LAMP UNTO MY FEET.” - - -Once upon a time, so it is said, a little ragged boy was carefully -printing these words with a stick upon the ground, “Thy word is a lamp -unto my feet.” - -On looking up from his work, the little fellow was surprised to find a -kind-looking old man watching him. - -“Where did you learn that, my boy?” asked the man. - -“At Sunday-school, sir.” - -“What’s your name?” - -“Crawford.” - -“So, Crawford, you learned that text at Sunday-school. Do you know what -it means?” - -“No, sir.” - -“What is a lamp?” - -“A lamp? Why, sir, a lamp is a thing that gives light!” - -“That’s correct. Well, what is the word that the text speaks of?” - -“The Bible, sir.” - -“That’s right. Now, how can the Bible be a lamp and give light?” - -“I don’t know,” said the boy, “unless you light it and set it on fire.” - -“There’s a better way than that, my lad. Suppose you were going down -some lonely lane on a dark night with an unlighted lantern in your hand, -and a box of matches in your pocket, what would you do?” - -“Why, I’d light the lantern.” - -“Why would you light it?” - -“To show me the road, sir.” - -[Illustration: “A LAMP UNTO MY FEET.”] - -“Very well. Now, suppose you were walking behind me some day, and saw me -drop a quarter; what would you do?” - -“Pick it up and give it to you, sir.” - -“Wouldn’t you want to keep it yourself?” - -Crawford hesitated; but he saw a smile on the old gentleman’s face, -and, smiling himself, he finally said: - -“I should want to, sir; but I shouldn’t do it.” - -“Why not?” - -“Because it would be stealing.” - -“How do you know?” - -“It would be taking what wasn’t my own, and the Bible says we are not to -steal.” - -“Ah!” said the old man, “so it’s the Bible that makes you honest, is -it?” - -“Yes, sir.” - -“If you had not heard of the Bible you would steal, I suppose?” - -“Lots of boys do,” said Crawford, hanging his head. - -“The Bible, then,” continued the old man, “shows you the right and safe -path--the path of honesty, does it?” - -“Like the lamp!” exclaimed Crawford, seeing now what all the old man’s -questions meant. “Is that what the text means?” - -“Yes, my boy,” the man answered, “there is always light in the Bible to -show us where to go and what to do. Don’t you think it would be a good -thing to take the Bible, the good old lamp, and let it light you right -through life?” - -“Yes, sir.” - -“Do you think you will be safer with it?” - -“Yes, sir.” - -“Why?” - -“Because if I’m honest I will never go to prison.” - -“And what else?” asked the man. - -Crawford thought awhile. By-and-by he said,-- - -“If I mind the Bible I shall go to heaven when I die.” - -“Yes, and that’s the best reason for taking the lamp. It will light you -right into heaven.” - - - - -THREE BRIGADES. - - -There are three brigades, or three little companies, which I think ought -to be organized among the boys and girls in every Sunday-school in -America. Can’t you form them in your Sunday-school? It is a very simple -matter. It will not cost any money: only a little time and forethought, -and a will to do. One brigade is called the Rainy-Weather Brigade, and -all the little boys and girls who join this company pledge themselves to -go to Sunday-school every Sunday, when they are not sick, even if it is -raining. The second brigade is called the Front Seat Brigade, and all -the members of this company pledge themselves to occupy front seats in -the Sunday school during the opening exercises before they pass to their -classes. The third brigade is called the On-Timers’ Brigade, and the -children in this brigade pledge themselves to be present on time at the -opening hour. - -[Illustration: MEMBERS OF THE RAINY-WEATHER BRIGADE.] - -You can see at once how helpful these little brigades are in every -Sunday school (where they exist) to the officers and teachers. Some -children will not go to Sunday school when it is raining or when it -threatens to rain; some will not go forward and occupy front seats when -they do go; and there are others who are always tardy. What a blessing -it would be if all the little children would organize these brigades at -once in their schools, and try to get every scholar to join each one of -them. - - - - -“HOME, SWEET HOME.” - - -Go with me, boys and girls, to the gay streets and gilded saloons of the -great city of Paris far across the sea. Here is said to be the centre of -all the world’s follies and pleasures. It is at night. - -An American, who has left his home and native land to view the splendors -of the wicked city, is passing along the street. He has beheld with -delight its paintings, its sculpture, and the grand and graceful -proportions of its buildings. In the midst of his keenest happiness, -when he was rejoicing most over the privileges which he possessed, -temptation assailed him. Sin was presented to him in one of its most -bewitching garbs, and he yielded to the voice of the siren. He drank -wildly and deeply of the intoxicating cup, and his draught brought -madness. Reason was overthrown and he rushed out, all his scruples -overcome, careless of what he did or how deeply he became immersed in -the hitherto unknown sea of guilt. - -The cool night air settled damp and heavy upon his heated brow. Walking -on and on, not knowing or caring where he went, by-and-by strains of -music from a distance met his ear. Pretty soon, following in the -direction from which the sounds came, he was able to distinguish the -words and air of the piece. The song was well remembered. It was “Home, -Sweet Home.” Clear and sweet the voice of some singer, using his native -tongue, rose and fell on the air; and the poor wild man stopped and -listened to the soft cadences of that beloved melody. - -[Illustration: HOME, SWEET HOME.] - -Motionless he stood until the last note floated away, and he could hear -nothing but the ceaseless murmur of the great city. Then he turned away -slowly, with no feeling that his manhood was shamed by the tear which -fell as a bright evidence of the power of song, and also as an evidence -that he, the guilty sinner, was not yet absolutely lost beyond recall. - -The demon of the wine cup had fled, and reason once more asserted her -right to control. As the soft strains of “Home, Sweet Home” had floated -to his ear, memory brought up before him the picture of his own “sweet -home.” He saw his gentle mother and heard her speak, while honest pride -beamed from her eye; she seemed to speak again of her son, in whose -nobleness and honor she could always trust. His heart smote him as he -thought how little he deserved such confidence. He remembered her last -words of love and counsel, and the tearful farewell of all those dear -ones who gladdened that far-away home with their presence. The tide of -remorse swept over his soul as he thought of what the sorrow of those at -home would have been could they have seen him but an hour before. -Subdued and penitent he retraced his steps, and with his vow never to -taste of the terrible stuff that could so excite him to madness there -was mingled a deep sense of thankfulness for his escape from further -degradation. The influence of home had protected and shielded him, -although the sea rolled between. - -How strong such memories are to prevent the commission of crime! How -powerful is the spell of home! How important, then, is it to make home -pleasant and lovable! Many a time a cheerful home and smiling face will -do more to make good men and good women than all the learning and -eloquence that can be used. It has been said that the sweetest words in -our language are “Mother, Home and Heaven”; and one might almost say -that the word “Home” included the others. Who can think of home without -remembering the gentle mother who sanctified it by her presence? And is -not “Home” the dearest name for heaven? Oh, then, may our homes on earth -be as green spots in the desert, to which we can retire when weary of -the cares of life and drink the clear waters of a love which we know to -be sincere and always unfailing. - - “Mid pleasures and palaces - Though far we may roam, - Be it ever so humble - There’s no place like Home.” - -[Illustration: LITTLE SOLDIER BOYS.] - - - - -EACH ONE OF US OF IMPORTANCE - - -Never think yourself, whoever you are, of small importance. Never think -that it is of little account whether you are good or bad, or what your -example is to others. Each mere particle of dust, every tiny grain of -sand, the minutest atom, is an active agent in the whole universe. So -each one of us is of importance in our sphere, however isolated and -insignificant that sphere may appear to be. - -A few particles of dust in a watch will stop its motion; small barnacles -on a ship’s bottom will hinder its journey; and a little shifting sand -in the great river will change its current. So, little boys and girls -exercise their influence for weal or woe upon the world. Don’t you -believe for once that the world is moved only by the great forces, the -great men and the great enterprises. Little folks and little things -likewise help to move the world along. Great generals are necessary; but -what would they be without the soldiers behind them? - -Every boy has his part to do in the great work of the world, and every -girl has her part to do. Every boy and girl is of importance; how -important nobody knows, and perhaps never shall know until eternity -reveals it. There ought to be in this truth great encouragement and -great comfort to all who think that they are insignificant and have no -work to do in this busy world. Perhaps in the distant future many a man -who estimated himself great shall be found to have been insignificant, -because of unfaithfulness to his trust; and many another man who perhaps -thought himself of little worth will find himself glorified because he -did what he could. - - - - -[Illustration: THE POETRY OF LIFE] - - -Poetry is more than verse-making, more than the jingle of words, more -than the sing-song of meter. - -Sunshine and flowers, brightness and joyousness, the harmonies of the -passions and the inspiration of love-these are the poetry of life. - -Without poetry, life is a tread-mill; a veil of tears; a dreary waste. -Even religion is only a crucifixion--a death to sin--if we have not the -resurrection into the new life of joy. - -Many of us make hard work of life by bending our backs too much. We get -dirt in our eyes by keeping them too near the dust, and we get -narrow-minded and selfish by our narrow radius of vision. - -To become truly rich we must stand in the dignity of our manhood; walk -in the integrity of our calling; and run in the rhythm of a poetic -nature. Out of harmony is out of sphere. The dignity, integrity and -poetry of life are all lost by inharmony; only the ashes of -disappointment are left; but with these we can dance at our work, and -turn irksome duties into joyous privileges. Instead of moping in the -valley of the shadow of death, we may live in the sunshine, where -beautiful flowers and luscious fruits and delicious sweets grow. - -Yes; yes; we might as well live in light as in darkness; make life a -joyful song as a funeral dirge; live amid glory as shame. With a radiant -countenance, a beaming eye, and a loving hand, we can do more work and -have more to do; we can get more out of life and have more life to -enjoy; we can scatter more sunshine and have more left for ourselves. - -Christ came to bring to every toiler, heaven. Let us get into it -quickly. It is here--and here only--that we find the poetry of life. - - - - -ON BEING IN EARNEST. - - -Of ten men who fail in life, nine men fail for want of zeal, -earnestness, courage, where one man fails for want of ability. This -half-heartedness, this lack of zeal, this timidity, this shrinking from -duty and hard tasks is seen on all sides and among all classes. But I -tell you, boys and girls, that the least enviable people in all the -world are those who think that nothing is particularly worth while, that -it does not matter much how a thing is done if it is only done with; who -dwaddle along in a shabby sort of a way, considering only their own -ease, with little sense of responsibility, and with no shame in being -shirks. Every boy should make up his mind to live a round, full, -earnest, intense life. Every girl should do the same. Don’t be -satisfied, boys and girls, to be jellyfishes, with only a capacity for -drawing in nourishment and lingering on until your time comes to die. Be -vertebrates, people of backbone, purpose, aim, enthusiasm, earnestness. - -At a public dinner President Roosevelt asked Governor Odell of New York -if he knew anything worth doing that was not hard in the doing, and the -governor could think of nothing. As a rule perhaps there is nothing, and -yet things once hard in the doing become easy as skill is gained by -repetition. Be in earnest, be faithful and resolute, and it will act -like a tonic, giving light to the eyes, springiness to the step, and -buoyancy to the heart. - -[Illustration: BEING IN EARNEST.] - -Don’t be overcome by your circumstances. No matter how distracting a -man’s surroundings may be, he may yet be able to focus his powers -completely and to marshal them with certainty if he makes up his mind to -do it. If things go hard with the self-mastered man or boy, he will be -able to trample upon difficulties and to use his stumbling-blocks as -stepping-stones. If a great misfortune overtake him he will simply use -it as a starting point for a new departure, a turning point for more -determined effort. He may be weighed down with sorrow and suffering, but -he always starts anew with redoubled determination to do the thing he -has set his heart upon doing. He will not be discouraged; he will not -give up; he will fight it out to the end. Put him in prison, and he will -write the “Pilgrim’s Progress.” Deprive him of his eyesight and he will -write the “Paradise Lost.” - -It was the spirit of earnestness which fired the soul of Martin Luther -at the Diet of Worms, who, after being urged to recant, said: “Here I -stand; I can do no other; God help me!” It was this spirit which -characterized William Lloyd Garrison, the champion of the abolition of -slavery, who, when he was urged to stop fighting slavery, exclaimed: “I -will not equivocate, I will not retract, I will not be moved one inch, -and I will be heard.” So be in earnest, boys and girls, at home, at -school, at work and at play. It will help you a thousand-fold. - - - - -YOUNG PEOPLE AND LIFE INSURANCE. - - -Every little boy and girl, and, of course, every man and woman, of the -colored race in America should carry a life insurance policy of some -kind in some reliable company. In this matter the old people, as in some -other things, ought to set the example for the young, but there are some -reasons, growing chiefly out of their previous condition of slavery, why -our mothers and fathers have not, as a rule, taken very largely to the -business of having their lives insured. But because our parents have -been negligent in this matter there is no reason why the younger -generation should be. Life insurance is a good thing, boys and -girls--one of the best things in the world. American life insurance -companies alone pay to policy-holders or estates of policy-holders over -one hundred million dollars annually. Only a very small and almost -insignificant portion of this vast sum goes into the hands of colored -people, and for the reason that very few colored people carry life -insurance policies. - -[Illustration: TAKING OUT A POLICY.] - -Now use a little common sense about this matter. Whatever is good in -life insurance for other races is good for our race; whatever in life -insurance benefits other races will benefit our race. In business as in -education, whatever is good for a white man is good for a black man. I -would, therefore, urge every boy and girl to join a life insurance -company, and where your mothers and fathers are not insured I would urge -you to do your utmost to persuade them to join at once. - -For one reason, a life insurance policy is not expensive. You might as -well talk of the expense of buying bank stock, or the expense of putting -your money into a savings bank or any other safe place as to speak of -the expense of keeping up a life insurance policy. It is accumulation -and not expense. Every dollar put into life insurance is a dollar saved -to yourself or your estate. - -For another reason life insurance is a good business investment. -Carefully collected statistics on file in Washington City prove that -investments in life insurance are much safer and yield much larger -returns than money placed in a savings bank. When you are older you will -perhaps be able to make these comparisons for yourself. For the present -you can take my word for it. - -A third reason, life insurance is cheap. You can in an instant create a -capital of $1,000, though you may be ever so poor, by laying aside only -a few cents a week. Young people chew up and drink up and smoke up and -frolic up more money every week than would be sufficient to protect them -against the rainy days that must come to everybody. - -And, then, life insurance has a character value. It makes a young man a -better man; it makes a young woman a better woman; that is to say, it -makes them more economical, more business-like, happier, and, I believe, -it will make them live longer. - -It is high time that black boys and girls were learning these things and -acting upon them. When God commanded us not to serve money as a false -god He did not say that money could not serve us, and I beseech the boys -and girls, and the old people too, to exercise the same foresight and -the same good sense about life insurance that other races exercise. - - - - -THE LITTLE SAILOR CAT. - - -In September, 1893, grouped on the Fall River Line pier at the foot of -Warren Street, New York, there stood a party of twenty-three sailors -waiting for the Puritan to take them on to Boston. The central figure in -the group--a short, thickset man, with bronzed and grizzled -moustache--stood erect with arms folded over his chest. Upon the solid -foundation thus made nestled a little white kitten. The man and the -kitten were the Boston contingent of the crew of the steamship City of -Savannah, which had been wrecked the week before on Hunting Island, off -the South Carolina coast. - -[Illustration: THE LITTLE SAILOR CAT.] - -The story of the beaching of the steamship and of the taking off of her -crew by the City of Birmingham had been told in all the newspapers, but -nothing had been said about the cat, so the Boston Herald said. Before -the shipwreck the cat was nothing more than an ordinary ship’s cat, and -the captain had named him Mascot; but that was the end of his -distinction. After the disaster, nevertheless, all the sailors swore -that the kitten was as good a sailor as any of them. - -“He’s a wonder,” said the short, thickset man, surveying the cat -proudly; “nobody thought of him in the rush, but he got there just the -same. He climbed the rigging in that gale like an old tar and held on -for hours. He wasn’t a bit frightened either. Only he would ‘caterwaul’ -when he got hungry. We were on board of the boat fifty hours after she -struck before the sea was such that we could be taken off in boats. At -night the captain ordered all the crew into the rigging and made us stay -there. We each took a piece of rope and lashed ourselves on, so as to -keep from falling off when asleep. That’s what the captain said the -string was for, but I never slept at all. I don’t think many others did. -The cat got along without any rope, and she was there in the morning all -right. When we got away at last, nearly crazy with thirst and so faint -that we could hardly climb down the ‘Jacob’s ladder’ into the -Birmingham’s boats, that little fellow climbed out of his nest in the -rigging and wanted to go too. We were glad to take him.” - - - - -[Illustration: Advice to Little Christians] - - -1. Be punctual and regular at all the services of your church. - -2. Give close attention to the pastor in the public service. Good -hearers make good preachers. - -3. Whenever you are aided by a sermon tell the pastor about it. In this -way you will help him more than you think possible. - -4. Do not neglect morning and evening prayer at home. Pray daily for -God’s blessing upon the preaching and other labors of the pastor. - -5. In the world let your light so shine before others that they may be -led to glorify your Father which is in heaven. Let your light shine. - -6. Invite your friends to attend divine services. A drawing congregation -is as good as a drawing preacher. Call for your friends often. - -7. Remember day by day that you are not your own, but have been “bought -with a price,” and that you are Christ’s servant. Watch and pray. - -8. If any service is required of you in the church or in the Sunday -school, do not shirk it; always say: “I will try for Jesus’ sake.” - -9. In the prayer meeting speak briefly and to the point. If you pray, -ask only for what you want. Be short and direct. “Ask and ye shall -receive.” - -10. Never subscribe more than you are able to pay, and be sure to pay -whatever you promise. Whether much or little, give it cheerfully. “God -loveth a cheerful giver.” - -11. Having found eternal life, use all appropriate means to develop -Christian character. Prayer, reading the Bible, attending church and -Sunday school, reading good books and Christian newspapers, keeping the -best company--all these will help you. - - - - -A WORD TO PARENTS. - - -[Illustration: “THE DRUMMER BOY AND HIS DOG.”] - -Children are a gift from God. Children are a heritage from the Lord. It -depends largely on parents whether they become a heritage of honor and -delight or of sorrow and shame. It is not simply incumbent upon parents -that their children be well cared for, fed and clothed, properly -educated and so forth; but more than this, they are to be brought up “in -the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” This being true, then, the -highest aim of rearing children is not simply that they may win success -and command respect in the world. Respect and success are greatly to be -desired and sought, but beyond them and beyond everything else is the -highest and chiefest aim of parental love and care; that their children -may honor and command the righteousness of God in the life that now is -and magnify the glory of God in the life that is to be. This is the mark -and prize of their high calling. - -[Illustration] - -Admitting this, then, the early conversion of children is all-important. -But if they are to be early converted, is it not wise--nay, absolutely -essential--that mothers and fathers prepare the way by restricting their -natural impulses by which they are led to desire indulgence in the gay -vanities of life? Is it not positively wrong for parents to indulge that -pernicious and destructive delusion, which some allow, of permitting -their children to have their own evil way in the hope that in due time -they will in some way see their error and turn to the right path of -their own accord? Father, you are a Christian. Mother, you are a -Christian. Now, in your home, in the management of your children, are -you doing the best you can to show what a Christian family should be? -How is it, my friends? I leave that question with you. - - - - -THE UNSEEN CHARMER. - - -Carl Brickermann, a collection clerk in an uptown bank, in his -accustomed daily routine found it necessary, among other things, to call -by telephone the downtown brokerage firm of Hopegood & Co. One day he -missed the familiar feminine voice which had usually responded to his -calls. But the new voice seemed sweeter and much more passionately -penetrating. For two or three days Brickermann was puzzled, not only -because of the change at the other end of the ’phone, but also because -of the strange and unaccountable fascination which the new voice -possessed for him. At length one day, almost in desperation, he turned -aside from his regular business inquiries to ask: - -“Where’s the other girl?” - -“Which other girl?” asked the mellifluous voice over the articulate -wire. - -“The one who used to answer the ’phone for the Hopegoods,” explained -Brickermann. - -“Promoted,” came the response, with a merry little laugh. - -“And you have her old place?” asked Brickermann, somewhat encouraged. - -“Yes; for awhile,” said the same still, small voice at the other end, -and it sounded more and more sweetly to the would-be masher. - -“Well,” said Brickermann, laughing the while, “I used to know her quite -well, and I should like to meet you face to face, if you don’t mind, I -am so charmed with the music of your voice I am sure I should be -perfectly entranced with the magic of your face.” - -[Illustration: “IS ER-ER-MR. HOPEGOOD IN?”] - -A merry peal of laughter from the other end greeted this sally. The -young man continued: - -“I used to come down some days about four o’clock to see Margie. Will -you, my Unseen Charmer, grant me the same high favor?” - -“Why, certainly! Come any day,” answered the sweet voice which had so -strangely bewitched the young man. In ecstasy Brickermann shouted back: - -“I’ll be down this afternoon.” - -Brickermann hung up the receiver, and, chuckling with delight, he turned -to his other duties with the alacrity that a young spring chicken -displays when it suddenly discovers a big fat worm. - -By three-thirty o’clock he had arranged his toilet, and stood before the -mirror giving the finishing twirl to his budding moustache. He brushed -his clothing the second time, brushed his hat, and, figuratively -speaking, arrayed in purple and fine linen, he sallied forth. He boarded -an elevated train bound for the downtown district. On his way down he -tried to picture to himself the kind of a girl he should meet at the -Hopegoods. Would she be tall or short of stature? Blonde or brunette? -Above twenty-one years of age or only sweet sixteen? The quick arrival -of the train at Park Place put a period to Brickermann’s reverie. He -went tripping across a few blocks to the place where all of his hopes -had been centered during the past few hours--in fact, days. Arrived -there, he stepped into the front office where “Margie” had formerly -presided. It was the same snug and cosy room, but he failed to behold -there the eagerly expected young lady. Instead he ran amuck a chubby -little boy, with a ruddy face and curly hair, and perhaps not more than -fourteen or fifteen years old, sitting in “Margie’s” place. - -Brickermann was visibly embarrassed. He did not know where to begin or -what to say. He twitched nervously at the glove which he carried in his -hand, and finally he stammered: - -“Is--er--Mr. Hopegood in?” - -“No, sir,” said the boy. “Can I be of any service to you?” - -Brickermann’s face turned blood red, and great drops of perspiration -stood out upon his forehead. The accents of the little boy startled him, -for they were the same that had been wafted to him almost daily along -the wire and with which he thought he had been enamored. In the midst of -his confusion he managed to say, hoping almost against hope that his -identity had not been discovered: - -“Well, er--er--I’ll call again.” - -And, without waiting to hear the Unseen Charmer speak again, he hastily -retired with as good grace as was possible under the circumstances. - - - - -OUR COUNTRY. - - -Boys and girls, we are all American citizens, the last one of us. This -is our country, as much as it is the country of any other race, and we -should love it and fight for it as our fathers have loved, fought and -died for it on many a battlefield. We may be the descendants of -Africans, but we are citizens of the United States. This is our -home--our country. Let us believe it, in spite of what some foolish -people say. Therefore I am going to give you one or two sentiments which -you should learn early in life in order to stimulate your patriotism. - -1. May the honor of our country be without stain. - -2. May the glory of America never cease to shine. - -3. May every American manfully withstand corruption. - -4. May reverence for the laws ever predominate in the hearts of the -American people. - -5. The sons and daughters of America, may their union be cemented by -love and affection, and their offspring adorn the stations they are -destined to fill. - -6. May the growth of the American union never be prevented by party -spirit. - -7. The boys of America, may they be strong and virtuous, manly and -brave. - -8. The girls of America, may they prove to be such in heart and life as -will make them worthy mothers of a strong and noble race. - -9. Health to our president, prosperity to our people, and may Congress -direct its endeavors to the public good. - -10.-- - - May Peace o’er America spread her wing, - And Commerce fill her ports with gold; - May Arts and Science comfort bring, - And Liberty her sons enfold. - - - - -THE “DON’T-CARE” GIRL. - - -About the worst girl in all this world is the girl who doesn’t care what -people think or say about her conduct; the girl who goes to every “hop,” -to every party, who stays out late at night with the boys, who hangs -over the gate and talks to them, and who cuts a number of foolish -capers, and then when any one speaks to her, shoots her head ’way up in -the air, and turns up her nose, if she can, and says boldly: “Oh, I -don’t care; nobody has anything to do with me!” She is the worst girl in -the world, and she will never come to any good end. Every girl who is a -law unto herself in regard to all that she says or does is certain not -only to bring upon herself the condemnation of those whose good opinion -it is worth while to have, but she will most certainly incur the -punishment of a just God. And sometimes, I am sorry to say, I think that -when a girl proudly declares that she doesn’t care for the good opinion -of others she does so because she knows that she has already lost all -right to that good opinion. - -[Illustration: THE “DON’T-CARE” GIRL.] - -It is wrong, boys and girls, to undertake to run roughshod over the -so-called prejudices of the public. It is a foolish thing to take -delight in trying to shock people by your boisterous and unladylike and -unbecoming conduct. Every really wise and nice girl does care a good -deal for the good opinion of others, and particularly for the good -opinion of persons older than she is. She recognizes the fact that the -laws of conventionality and of good society are based upon what is right -and what is proper, and that no girl can with propriety set them at -naught. - -Some girls go so far as to say that they “don’t care” what their own -fathers and mothers think. The wild girl who says this is setting at -defiance not only the human parental law, but also the law of God, which -plainly commands children to obey their parents. - -Haven’t you ever seen a “don’t-care” girl? She is nearly always reckless -in manner and speech; she is bold and defiant; she is impudent beyond -mention; and she is very fond of ridiculing girls who do care a great -deal what others think about them. - -No matter whose children they are--no matter what schools they have -attended--these “don’t-care” girls are no good, and good girls ought not -to associate with them. Every day such flippant girls are treading on -dangerous ground, and some day, unless a merciful God prevents it, she -will come to open disgrace and die and go to torment. I am hoping to see -the day when all the “don’t-care” girls will have passed out of -existence, and then all our girls will be of the refined and womanly -kind who do care a great deal about their conduct, their manners and -their morals. I don’t want my daughter to associate with any other -kind. - - - - -A PRAYER. - - - As the potter moulds the clay, - Slowly, gently, day by day, - Till at length he brings to pass - Beauty from a shapeless mass; - - So, dear Lord, with patient art, - Take Thou, now, my forward heart, - And, O Lord, in love divine, - Mould and make me wholly thine. - - - - -FREDERICK DOUGLASS TO YOUNG PEOPLE. - - -Shortly before he died Frederick Douglass made a tour through the South. -Among other places he visited Atlanta University. At that place he made -an address to the young people. It is so full of hope and help that I -wanted to place it where every ambitious black boy and girl in America -can see it. It has never been published before, except in the Bulletin -of Atlanta University. Mr. Douglass said: - -[Illustration: FREDERICK DOUGLASS.] - -“My young friends: I see before me an assemblage of young people, full -of the blood of youth, just entering upon the voyage of life. It is an -interesting spectacle to me, as to us all, to meet such an assembly as I -see before me this morning in an institution of learning, of knowledge, -and of ethics and of Christian graces. I experience great pleasure in -what I see to-day. There is no language to describe my feelings. It was -no mere image that John saw and described in the apocalypse. It was a -new heaven and a new earth indeed. When I look back upon the time when I -was a fugitive slave I recollect the evils and cruelty of -slave-hunting. No mountain was so high, no valley was so deep, no glen -so secluded, no place so sacred to liberty that I could put my foot upon -it and say I was free! But now I am free! Contrasting my condition then -and now the change exceeds what John saw upon the isle of Patmos. A -change vast and wonderful, that came by the fulfilling of laws. We got -freed by laws, marvellous in our eyes. Men, brave men, good men, who had -the courage of their convictions, were arrested and subjected to -persecutions, mobs, lawlessness, violence. They had the conviction of -truth. Simple truth lasts forever! - -“Be not discouraged. There is a future for you and a future for me. The -resistance encountered now predicates hope. The negro degraded, -indolent, lazy, indifferent to progress, is not objectionable to the -average public mind. Only as we rise in the scale of proficiency do we -encounter opposition. When we see a ship that lies rotting in the -harbor, its seams yawning, its sides broken in, taking water and -sinking, it meets with no opposition; but when its sails are spread to -the breeze, its top-sails and its royals flying, then there is -resistance. The resistance is in proportion to its speed. In Memphis -three negro men were lynched, not because they were low and degraded, -but because they knew their business and other men wanted their -business. - -“I am delighted to see you all. Don’t be despondent. Don’t measure -yourselves from the white man’s standpoint; but measure yourselves by -the depths from which you have come. I measure from these depths, and I -see what Providence has done. Daniel Webster said in his speech at the -dedication of Bunker Hill monument: ‘Bunker Hill monument is completed. -There it stands, a memorial of the past, a monitor of the present, a -hope of the future. It looks, speaks, acts!’ So this assembly is a -monitor of the present, a memorial of the past, a hope of the future. I -see boys and girls around me. Boys, you will be men some day. Girls, you -will be women some day. May you become good men and women, intelligent -men and women, a credit to yourselves and your country. - -“I thank you for what I have experienced to-day and I leave you -reluctantly, and shall always carry with me the pleasantest impressions -of this occasion.” - - - - -A GOOD FELLOW. - - -He was a good fellow. - -He spent his money like a Prince. - -There was nothing too good for him to do for those with whom he kept -company. - -He lived rapidly, and had no thought of to-morrow. He burned the candle -of life at both ends. - -To-day he is dead,--and those vampires who sucked his life’s blood and -helped him to spend his money have no time to give him one thought. - -Ah, how insincere and empty is the title of “good fellow” when it is -applied to the man whose money is always on tap for those who are -desirous of having a good time! And how corrupt and undesirable are the -so-called friendships which spring from a lavish expenditure of money! -Boys, the roof over your heads covers the best friends you could -possibly have on earth. Those who slap you on the shoulder and say -hilariously, “Good boy!” are seldom ever worth their salt. They like you -for what they can get out of you--that’s all! - -Real happiness in this world comes, if at all, from living right and -doing right. If you are a good fellow in the sense of giving everybody a -“good time” with your hard-earned means, I warn you that, when your -money gives out, all your friends will desert you, and when you die -they will be the last ones to come near you, and may even laugh at what -a fool you made of yourself! - - - - -THE FUTURE OF THE NEGRO. - - -My dear boys and girls, I have written nearly one hundred stories for -this book and I have not said one word about the so-called Race Problem. -I have done this on purpose. I believe that the less you think about the -troubles of the race and the less you talk about them and the more time -you spend in hard and honest work, believing in God and trusting him for -the future, the better it will be for all concerned. I know, of course, -that the sufferings which are inflicted upon the colored people in this -country are many and grievous. I know that we are discriminated against -in many ways--on common carriers, in public resorts and even in private -life. The right to vote is being taken away from us in nearly all the -Southern states. Lynchings are on the increase. Not only our men but our -women also are being burned at the stake. What shall we do? There are -those who say that we must strike back--use fire and torch and sword and -shotgun ourselves. But I tell you plainly that we cannot afford to do -that. The white people have all the courts, all the railroads, all the -newspapers, all the telegraph wires, all the arms and ammunition and -double the men that we have. In every race riot the negro would get the -worst of it finally. But there is a higher reason than that. We cannot -afford to do wrong. We cannot afford to lose our decency, our -self-respect, our character. No man will ever be the superior of the man -he robs; no man will ever be the superior of the man he steals from. I -would rather be a victim than a victimizer. I would rather be wronged -than to do wrong. And no race is superior to the race it tramples upon, -robs, maltreats and murders. In spite of prejudice; in spite of -proscription; in spite of nameless insults and injuries, we cannot as a -race, afford to do wrong. But we can afford to be patient. God is not -dead. His chariots are not unwheeled. It is ordained of God that races, -as well as individuals, shall rise through tribulations. And during this -period of stress and strain through which we are passing in this country -I believe that there are unseen forces marshalled in the defense of our -long-suffering and much-oppressed people. “They that be with us are more -than they that be with them.” What should we care, then, though all the -lowlands be filled with threats, if the mountains of our hope and -courage and patience are filled with horses and chariots of Divine -rescue? - - - - -THE TRAINING OF CHILDREN. - - -My last words shall be to parents. Many parents neglect the training of -their children until the boys and girls have grown to be almost men and -women, and then they expect all at once to develop them into -well-rounded characters, as if by magic. Others fix upon a definite time -in life--say, ten or twelve years old--before which time they say it is -unnecessary to seek to make lasting impressions upon the minds of -children, all unconscious of the fact that the character may have been -long before that period biased for good or evil. - -I say it deliberately--it is a deep and abiding conviction with me, that -the time to begin to shape the character of children is as soon as they -begin to know their own mothers from other mothers, or as soon as they, -become awake to the events which are taking place around them. The -farmer who has the notion that his child can wait, does not dare to let -his corn and cotton wait. He has observed that there are noxious weeds -which spring up side by side with the seed he has planted, and, -marvelous to say, the weeds outgrow the plants. They must, therefore, be -cut down and kept down, or else they will ruin the crop. - -Side by side with your tender babe in arms there are growing now, dear -mothers, the poisonous tares. They are rooted already in the child’s -heart, and, unless they are stricken down pretty soon, they will -dominate the child’s life. And, of course, there is only one way to -destroy evil--that is, to plant good in its stead. If there is one -untenanted chamber in your child’s heart, inhabit it, I pray you, with -nobler and purer thoughts which before long shall bring forth fruit unto -God. Satan does not wait, I assure you; he never allows a vacancy to -remain unoccupied in anybody’s heart, old or young. He rushes into empty -hearts and idle lives and sows tares thicker than the strewn leaves of -autumn. It is an old and senseless and barbarian custom which has taught -us that the child can wait or must wait. If anybody must wait at table -to be served, it is usually the little child, who may be the hungriest -of all; if some one must remain away from church or Sunday-school, it is -often the youngest child, who perhaps needs most to go; if some one must -be kept out of the day-school, it is the smallest child, of course; and -during the year that he remains idle he may receive impressions and -learn lessons that will mar his whole future life. Let us have done with -this barbaric practice. Make room for the children; give them not only -the first place but the best place. - -In almost any city in the South any Sunday in the year you will find -more children--more boys and girls--outside of the Sunday-schools than -you will find inside. There is a loud and crying call sounding from the -past and from the future and bidding mothers and fathers to be more -diligent in the matter of having their children embrace opportunities of -growth and spiritual culture which are almost within a stone’s throw. If -mothers and fathers will not hear and obey this clarion call I believe -that they will be brought to account for it in the day of judgment. Not -only so, but in the years to come they will be compelled to wail out -their sorrow over prodigal sons and daughters who might have proven to -be ornaments to society and to the church if their parents had devoted -half the care upon them that they expended upon colts and calves, -kittens and puppies that grew up with them! - -In all earnestness I implore those to whom God has given winsome little -children to begin early, as early as thy find it possible, to train -their young lives for God and heaven. Let their little voices learn -early to lisp the precious name of Jesus and be attuned to sing His -praise. If you leave them this legacy--than which there is none -greater--there will come peace and joy to your old age, and the light of -heaven, like the golden glow of a radiant sunset, will rest on your -dying bed. - -And now, as I close these stories, there comes to me across the -intervening space of silence and of tears fond memories of a sweet and -patient mother. I cannot remember when she began to talk to me of Jesus -nor read to me the word of God. I remember well when she taught me how -to read, and the old-fashioned blue back spelling book is as plainly -before me now as in those long past days. But, long before that, I had -heard her read the Bible and raise her voice in prayer for all whom she -loved. And to-day those memories live when a thousand busy scenes of -after life lie dead. And when old age comes on--if God should spare me -to be old--the memory of my mother’s words and her reverential prayers -will be the brightest of all the joys that shall light up the evening of -my life. - - -THE END. - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - - The language of the original publication has been retained, including - unusual and inconsistent spelling, except as listed below. - - The cover image (the dust jacket of the source publication) and - possibly some of the illustrations are for a combined edition of two - different books; this e-text only contains the Short Stories for - Colored People Both Old and Young. - - Depending on the hard- and software used not all elements may display - as intended. - - Title page, The Gospel of Serv’ce and other Sermons: as printed in the - source document. - - Page 31, ... that there were something ...: as printed in the source - document. - - Page 65, Uncle Ned and the Insurance Solicitor: the source document - has a footnote marker on this page, but no footnote. Possibly the - footnote refers to an earlier, slightly different, publication of this - story in Lippincott’s Magazine. - - Page 133, Henry Holt and David Oliver appear to be the same person. - - - Changes made - - Footnotes have been moved to directly under the story in which they - occur; illustrations have been moved out of text paragraphs. - - Some obvious minor typographical errors have been corrected silently. - - Page 216, the verse Gross Deception has been treated as a separate - chapter. - - Page 263: illustration caption changed to small capitals as other - captions. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Silas X. Floyd's Short Stories for -Colored People Both Old and Young, by Silas X. Floyd - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SILAS X. 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