The Home Advocate. (Jefferson, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 18, Ed. 1 Friday, May 21, 1869 Page: 1 of 4
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THE HOME ADVOCATE
*
A. Weekly Journal Devoted to Christianity, X0d\ioation Home Enterprise, and General Intelligence.
G. A. KELLY. Proprietor.
F. J. PATfLLO, Editor and Publisher.
JEFFERSON, TEXAS, MAY 21, 1869.
vo4figf.£
Ml)
A KELIGIOUS CALCULATION.
'
Ministers cost yearly
Thieves "
Lawyers " "
Rum " "
$12,000,000
40,000^)09
70,000,000
200,000,000
The above curious estimate wc
clipped from an exchange and have
had it "on hook" for some time with
the view of making a few observa-
tions. It may appear an odd associ-
ation-^ministers, thieves, lawyers,
rum; but it is nevertheless a natural
one. Rum (by which is meant here
spirituous liquors of all kinds) makes
thieves; thieves not only depredate
upon their neighbors'goods.but create
the greatest necessity for lawyers ;and
the minister stands as a preventive
•of ail the evils which flow from rum,
or indeed from a depraved heart.
In a mere financial view, wo have
here suggested the importance of the
ministerial office. All the minister's
influence goes to the prevention of
crime. It cuts off the supply of rum,
depopulates the haunts of wicked-
noss; and invades the very citadels of
dishonesty and fraud. In this way
also he saves cost and lawyers' fees
for the people.
The appropriate office of the law-
yer is to secure justico by due course
of law. It implies injustice on one
sido or the other of the question in-
volved. The office of the minister is
to secure the ends of justice without
.'law. So on the principle that "an
ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure," one minister is worth a doz-
en lawyers.
Now on the assumption that the
ministry saves to the property hold-
ing community 10 per cent, on the
above estimated cost of wickedness,
its services are worth to the country
$31,000,000, less the salary—or a
clear gain of $19,000,000, a little
over one hundred and fifty per cent
on (he salary. This any business
man will say, in a strictly financial
,point of view, would be an excellent
investment.
Is it not strange then, ("wo speak
as a man" of business) that the land
should groan by reason of the burden
of the ministry? Well may the holy
prophet inquire, "Will a man rob
God?" Yea, "ye have robbed me,
saith the Lord, in tithes and offer-
ings." Every honest member of so-
ciety is a partaker of the temporal
bonefits of religious teaching, and
ought to be willing to help support
the teacher. "The workman is wor-
thy of his hire."
.ft
M >
The "Experiment," publiehed at
Ccntreville, Leon County, Texas, is a
noble effort at Journalism, by some
unknown experimenter. It is a "folio
of four pages" and twelve columns
about the size of Elija's cloud when
first discovered. May it grow big-
ger rapidly, as that same cloud did,
wd disperse a flood of blessings on
its/aitfi-ful readers. The Experiment
is worth trying, and we hope the
Ceotreviliians will lend it a helping
'hand. We comtncnd it also to the
patronage of the merchants of Jef-
ferson who may wish to extend their
busiaeas in that direction.
For the Home Advocate.
HOME EDUCATION.
Brother Patillo: There is a mat-
ter which so much interests my mind
that I am urged to express some of
my thoughts concerning it. There
are many families so reduced by
poverty that they are unable to send
their children to school, and there is
another large class who aro not ac-
tually too poor, but seem to be so
depressed by their losses, or so much
absorbed by their efforts to regain
some of their former wealth, that the
all important subject of education is
forgotten. As a people, we never
paid the personal attention to this
matter which* its importance deman-
ded.
But now the cry "we aro too poor,"
resounds from almost every house-
hold. But are they too poor? Yes
there are a great many who actually
are too poor to pay tuition bills for
their children; and it is to such that
I have a few words to suggest.
Can-not yon give them a tolerably
good English education at home?-^at
least such as will enable them to
read and write and calculate num-
bers for the ordinary business of
life? Many will exclaim, "I am not
capable of teaching. Why I can't
more than read my Bible and the
Advocate, and such like." Well, it
is not necessary that you should be
a finished scholar to teach five or
six year old children, and carry them
through the spelling book and three
or four little readers. There is
scarcely any family where there is not
some member who can do this much.
Because yon cannot do more, is no
reason why yon cannot do this much.
When the father comes home at
night from his toil and care, would it
not be a recreation to his mind to
take one of the little ones on his
knees and teach them for 10 or 15
minutes? It would really serve to
divert his thoughts from the hard
channel in which they fret all day.
And the mother will say, "Dear me!
I have moro than two women ought
to do, and never yet did that."
Well I know a woman's work is
never done. I know that a mother
with a houseful of little children
has a hard lot in this life, even if
she has help, for no one can lighten
her care much.
But, Mothers, if you will stop a
minute and think of its importance,
and if you knew how much easier
teaching your children really is than
you think, and how much less time
it takes, you would certainly try it.
Well, let us see how much time it
does require. For tho first few
weeks the whole attention must be
given to the child, until its letters
are learned and it can spell tolera-
bly well in two or three sylables.
But if attended to regularly, how
long will it take a child to go through
the spelling book? Much lesH than
you would suppose. One half hour
per day, divided into two or three
leBaons will advance one astonish-
ingly. Well, can't you mothers
steal that time some part of the day?
Tho question is, it yow work for
that half hour so important or so
urgent, that you cannot exchange it
for the good of having your child
learn to read? After it has thus ad-
vanced say once through tho speller,
or if it is large enough to keep its
place iu the column, when your mor-
ning's work is done, and y°u 8et
down to your sewing, place the child
on its low stooi a little in front so as
to look over its shoulder on the book,
and a glance will enable you to see
that it spells correctly—and thou
you lose no timo atall, only tho men-
tal effort. So in reading; by this
means you actually loao very little
time. To do this, your sewing must
be cut out and arranged so that your
mind will be free to attend the les-
ion. Make them stand or sit still
and keep the place themselves; it is
a discipline they need. So with any
other occupation which requires no
effort to think.
And then oao child six years old
can become toucher to one who is
four, only have them near you, and
watch them both. It will advanco
tho oldor as much as the younger.
I think one of the best ways for a
child to learn to read is to give out
easy words for another to spell by
heart. They learn to call the words
by looking at them—just what thoy
do when they read. There aro few
indeed who cannot find time to teach
their children to read, if they have
the matter sufficiently at heart. It
requires effort—but it is to work
through difficulties that we are set-
ting out.
Now for capacity. I hold it as
true that any one who can read can
teach another to read, and any one
who can spell baker can teach a ch'ld
to spell baker. So we see it is no
great mattec learning to read, and
when that is learned the key is pos-
sessed to all tho rest. But when
that is done, or before, as you pur-
sue your housework or sewing, when
you are in the garden or tho kitchen,
teach them orally. Teach them their
catechism; tell them Bible stories.
The story of Moses in the bulrushes,
or tho little baby in the stable, when
told in simple easy way without too
much detail will interest them as
much as Cinderella or tales of the
fairies.
EUGENIA.
(to be continued.)
For the Home Advocatc.
FROM IlOMEIl.
Mr. Editor: Having been absent
from our circuit recently, for several
weeks, by a seeming order of Provi-
dence, wo we were not aware of the
good fortune awaiting us in the ap-
pearance at our office of several cop-
ies of your (our) Advocate of Home
enterprise, Peace, and spiritual cul-
ture.
Of course wc will not return a
copy bearing the w,prds "Not wan-
ted;" or the milder, more dignified,
and chaste sentence, "Respectfully
declined." One visit of this nolilo
Advocate to our homes, is richly
worth the price of subscrition. Aud
as soon as practicable we will for-
ward it; with (as we hope) the or-
ders of several others, with requisite
amounts. Wo have scanned, pe-
rused, and reread tho suggestive,
thoughts of the fair aud friendly col-
umns uf tho Home Advocate, with
that strangely pleasing, indefinable
impulse, with which we rcceivo and
read a letter from a long absented,,
and much valuod friend. Names of
old colleagues; and of several otiior
brethren of the ministry of whom we
had lost sight, greeted our eyes with
a sense of profoundest pleasure.
With them wo once stood Bide by
side in the noblo contest of tfyir-
itual warfare. Together we havo
won many trophies; which, with hap-
py hearts and hutnblo hands, wo
wove as a cbaplct around our Redeem
er's Cross.
But alas! Tho spirit of war
stretchcd his broad, and blighting
pinions over our fair southern lands.
And as we strove for an honorabio
peace under His darkening shadow,
we were called by the voice of du-
ty to separate fields of action. At
length tho demand for the use of car-
nal weapons ceased, and we were
permitted to return with our country-
men to our cherished, sunny homes.
Iu the order of a merciful Providence,
wc visited again our "Bethels," and
worshipped around tho old congrega-
tional altars. But amid those hap-
pay privileges, how painfully did we
reflect upon tho enfeebled condition
of our ranks, which now thronged
again the walls of Zion. But, blessed
bo God, our spiritual forces are daily
receiving recruits; and the "signs of
the times" harbinger a glorious tri-
umph over the "Powers of dark-
ness." More anon.
Wm. C. COLLINS.
A letter from Mr. S. Stapp, of
Honey Grove informs us that lie had
previously sent us by letter twenty-
nine subscribers, and considerable
greenbacks. It has not come to
hand, nor do wo now look for it. It
has doubtless fallen into a "bad box,"
or found its way into the capacious
pocket of some loyal thief. Our
agents will please not send us any
more money by that line, but hold it
subject to order, or send by somo
safe private conveyance which they
aro willing to risk. Mr. S. will
please forward us a new list of the
names, and we will send the papers.
We have heard of other money being
lost on tho up country stage line.
Hope Uncle Sam will put a detective
on duty in that direction.
Read the Book and Stationery ad-
vertisement of D. S. Snodgrass. and
send in your orders. Wc aro satis-
fied you cannot do better anywhere.
Information Wanted.—Of the
whereaboutT of William Iliter, for-
merly of Madison county, Alabama,
supposed to be now residing in South-
ern or Eastern Texas. Any one
knowing of his locality will confer a
favor by addressing editor News,
Bonham, Texas. Exchanges please
copy.
Horace Greeley's paper has Jived
long enoogh to see ten Presidents
take their neat*. It will perhaps
outlive the Republic
For the Houft? Advocate.
Mb. Editor—Nothing is better cal-
culated to promote health and checi-
fulness than a hearty laugh, now and
then. To this end, I mwi, occasion-
ly, with an aneodote which seems to
mo too good to. throw away. May
I preserve somo of them in the col-
umns of your beautiful little Advo-
cate? If so, I shall begin with One,
told mo tho other day iu full view of
your sanctum.
Mr. M. had a little negro boy who
became vory anxious to go to preach-
ing at a church hardby, and applied
to his master for permission. Mr
M. consented, on condition tho bov
was to tell him what the preacher
said. So, on his return, Mr. M. called
him up and asked: "Well Sam and
what did tho preacher say? But, some>
how, Sam seemed rather crestfallen,
and looked as tho1 ho had been dis-
appointed, but answered doggedly:
"He neber said nnffen to me." "But
what did he say?" urged Mr. M.
Sam answered: "He ncber said
nuffeu, but jeB stood up dar and kep
on cussin/" This reminded mo of
another, I met aomowhero. A drunk
man staggered iuto a church in timo
of service. Tho minister happened
to bo one of tho class which use very
strong expressions, mixed up with
things, which to a careless hearer,
sound marvelousfy liko swear words.
The drunkard's entrance created
somo confusion which called forth a
rebuke from tho preacher, in such
sharp and harsh terms as aroused
tho drunk man from his stupor, who
called out in a loud and authoritative
voice: "Hut—hut! come! we'll al-
low no swearing here." Now, let me
ask: Haven't, you heard preachers
say things that sounded liko "cussin?"
I have, and thought they ought'nt to.
CUR A.
Our columns are always open tu
Cura.—Editor.
Rev, J. A. Pauly, ait-aged German,
of the Louisiana Conference, Methodist
E. Church, South, lias been spending
several days hi our city. He has been
preaching with great acceptability, both
lu English mid In German. He )g a
general missionary looking after the
religious Interests of his countrymen
scattered abroad In the land, and has
letters of recommendation from Bishop
Kavanaugh and Dr. J. C. Keener, who
appeal to every Southern friend to aid
him In his cause, with money and hos-
pitality ,
lie especially represents Crap Street
German Methodist Church, in N. O.,
which was built just before the war, but
is still in an unfinished condition. He is
thoroughly Southern, and Sh in a good
cause, in which we trust ho will be am-
ply assisted,
He will preach to-night at the Metho-
dist Church, in the German Language;
also Sunday evening at 3 o'clock, when
he will administer the sacrament of the
Lord's Supper in German.
m —
W. H. Reese returned from the
city Thursday morning on the Era
No 1. Has on tho way and in port
a largo lot of Boots and Shoes.
■ m #i C _ ■« —
The Methodist Church at Waoo
has jost been furnished with an or-
gan worth $460.
Too short by jitst one line.
9H
1
m
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Patillo, F. J. The Home Advocate. (Jefferson, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 18, Ed. 1 Friday, May 21, 1869, newspaper, May 21, 1869; Jefferson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth235543/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.