Birmingham age-herald., 1894-09-13
Social and Otherwise.
GAn items of social interest will be gladly
 noted in this column if sent to Mrs. George
 c. Ball, 2181 Highland ayenue.l ttts fis

There can be no more important subject
 for our consideration at any time, but es-
 pecially just now, when our schools are about to begin their sessions, than that of certain text books to be used in private and public schools. It is imperative that histories, just to the south, shall be adopted by all our institutions of learning and adopted immediately. Our children must not be taught that their fath CTS were rebels, nor that the magnificent struggle of the four years, from '61 to '65, was an high handed outrage against law and order. They are taught in our homes all the glory of southern valor, ell the grand eur of southern heroism, and this labor of love must not be undone by text books, written by bigots, not historians. We do not desire histories prejudiced either for or against us; partisan cannot be a fit chronicler of events unless he possesses a mind broad enough to be magnanimous to friend and foe alike. It | is the province of history to state facts, not | to impute motives, and the verdict must be | left with the student. If this is done we have nothing to fear from the judgment of | the future. We as a people have nothing to be ashamed of, no matter how white a light is turned upon us. It can beat upon
 us, but we can unfiinchingly bear the scru- | tiny of nations and peoples. The light | will only reveal new beauty and power scarcely realized by those who have fallen | into the habit of crediting what uniu- formed northern writers have said of us. l Next in importance to correct history of | the south is the instruction our children | should receive regarding the literature of the south, not only of the present, but of we'll read people at that. fail 10 appreciate what has been accomplished by south erners In literary fields in the years that are gone. have written upon this sub
 ject before, but 1t is too serious question not to be emphasized with further consid, eration. This subject was discussed by the women of the Literary Circle nearly two years ago, and much valuable information was brought out by consideration of the matter, all facts adduced sustaining the south's 8 claims in literary fields. It is gratifying to ind that text book of great value has been re- ceDtly published by a most accomplished Georgia woman, herself teacher sand the daughter of distinguished educator. The authoress is Miss Mildred Rutherford ,ot Athens, Ga., principal of the Lucy Cobb institute, famous school in that state o1 good colleges. Her father is Professor Rutherford of the state university of Ath, ems, Ga.y so It will be seen she is fully equipped for her work and is necessarily an authority s2 literary subjects. Her first work, published few years ago, 'Engltsh Literature, !gave her lnucn reputation; and now her second book, "American Authors, '' which has just been printed, must bring her greater fame. Il should also bring her the gratitude of oul people, for she tells In the most uucontro. vertible way truths and facts every child from the Potomac to the Hx Grande should know. Miss Ruth. erford defends us against charges mad by the ignorant and unjnformed. and Ta wish could give extracts from her valuG4 ble book, but lack of space forbids; bul in the name of the south, in the name oi the men and women who love thetr section with devotion not to be weighed or meas. ured, who glory in our past and have faitt in our future, we beg, we implore ou
 teachers to introduce such text books al Miss Rotherford's into our schools, to- gether with 8 reliable, just history, in or
 der that our children may know what g splendid heritage is theirs; that they may know they come from race with no apol
 ogies to make, no weaknesses to hide.
 make one short extract from Miss Ruther
 ford: "The accusation has been made, too, that the southerner is, not reader, and consequently not literary in tastes ant aspirations. Statistics furnish proofs tha
 out of 1549 subscribers to the American Museum, mopthly magazine published ID