The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-18
PICTURE OF PEACE
Painted by Bill Arp as He Sits
in His Home.
THE FLOWERS AND BIRDS
He Agrees With Bishop Heber in Saying That
"OnIy Man is vile." A Plea
for the Orphans.

Last midnight tlat same mocking bird
was singing-making sweet music to
comfort his mate who was brooding up.
on her nest. This morning he is sing
ing again, and seems Supremacy happy
as lie makes his little flights upward
and returns to his perch without a
break in his song. There is a tiny wren
not far away whose song is very short,
but just as sweet. and he. too, is coms
forting his mate.
Down in the pasture that fronts our
grove | see the milch cows grazing peace
fully. In our front yard there is IA ny
drant and the crystal water is allowed to
leak just enough to keep basin full
and it overfOws to little grass-hdden
pool where the the pigeons drink and
battle. and where the jaybirds and
thrushes and English sparrows come and
sip and go, and never contend. Some
times the peacock wants a drink and
the birds retire from his magnificent
presence and await his lordships pleas
ure. A neighbours parrot has left his
tops A neighbours chickens are scratch
ing in the leaves nearby. Fleecy clouds
are passing over head and give us alter
nate sun and shade. hear the distant
whistle of a locomotive and the trenl~
bling. rumbling sound of the train as it
crosses the river bridge. l see children
dressed in their Sunday clothes going
happily to the city hall to take their
part in commencement exercises. Along
our garden fence the variegated cannas
lift their proud heads in peaceful beau
ty, and not far away is row of flower
ing peas arrayed in rainbow colOrs and
eNhaling sweet odors to the air.
Apple, geranium and lemon verbenas
sweeten the breezes ut our window.
Looking northward from the verandah
where l sit, the distant hills are piled
upon each other in regular irregularity.
while more distant mountains give Il
back ground of cerulean blue to the
beautiful picture. Here l am ruminat-
ing--calmly and serenely happy in a big
arm chair. Half a hundred magnificent
oaks stand like Gods sentinels in the
grove before me, lifting their leafy
branches toward the sky in alteration of
their creator. The twining madeira
vines and Virginia creepers interlace
the trellis at my hand and shelter me
from the sun, while two dear little
grandchildren are merrily swinging in
the hammock not far away. There is
nothing in sight this morning but peace
and beauty. Innocence is in the air. the
sky. the fields, the trees. the birds and
flowers and .children-as the good EiSh-
op Heber wrote:
Here every prospect pleases
And only man is vile.
Only man: not women or children or
beasts or birds or fiowers-only man is
vile. What a contrast to the view be-
fore me is found in the columns of the
morning paper. which has just been
handed TO me. How shocking are the big
head lines that tell of single days
misery and disaster. When. oh. when.
will all these horrible things cease to be!
Only man is vile. If he was made in
the image of God. why should he be do
ing the deeds of the devil? The cost of
crime in money is a fearful sum. The
cost of courts and prisons and guards
and police: the cost in loss Of time and
labor; but this is nothing compared with
the cost in grief and missy. Here Is 4
letter that is but a Sam.pe of what
comes to me in my daily mail FOR the
poor creatures think that can 10 some
thing:
Lebanon, Fla.-My Dear Sir: Will
you please give the name and address of
some orphan ASYLUM i'm Georgia that
would probably take three poor little
orphan girls into their home.
-ha., l...1 ,.f
broken heart) and the father is in Jail
and has been sentenced TO be hanged.
He is much distressed about his help
less children, and begs that you get
them into some orphan horne. The fam
lily are of no kin to me. but synpathize
with the poor little orphan girls in their
very sad condition.
Please answer me very soon and let
me know if they will be shut ont he
cause they live out Of your state.
&C. c. GAINES.
Postmaster a. Lebanon"
Now. Mr.. Hemphll and Mr. Crumley,
can'tyo make room for these children!
May the good Lord have mercy upon
them
What is the world coming 20? The
oiu AsloSdlt INV WAS. L VIII WISH the
sins Of the fathers upon the Children
but the new law is: Suffer little chill
1ren to come upon me. for of such is
the Kingdom Of heaven Sometimes |
sigh like the poet. Cowper. and say, "Oh
for IL home in some vast wilder..- IS, !"
where rumor Of oppression and deceit
might never reach me. When | read of
murder and suicides and burglaries and
arson and horrible outrages it makes me
sad and then there is always something
III the same paper to make me mad
some lies and SANDER or some northern
devilment.
! Governor Northern made great
speech in Boston. and | am glad it has
been printed in pamphlet form. and if
! was the state | would order enough
of them to give IL copy to every child
in the state that could read. and would
make every negro school teacher i'm the
state read Il page aloud every day to his
pupils until he had read it all. and if
he didn't read it to them. and read it
well and tell them that it was the truth.
] would turn him Orit-dogon him. con
found hm-I am tired paying tax mon
eny to educate negroes to hate people. |
don't believe there is a negro teacher in
the state who tries to train the negro
children i'm these things Nor do | be-