Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1917-08-01
A Letter From Mt. Zion.

ltllS
of the doings Of my community
but a letter beginning Dear Ad-
vertiser," just as I would address a
friend. For. indeed, you are to me
a very old friend. your familiar face
having been among the welcome
visitors in my fathers home when I
was a child. I have learned to love
YOU and to trust you. You have
always been ready to forward every
good work, to lend a helping hand
to modest merit in it's struggles up-
ward, to stand for all that was clean
and upright, and righteous ia the
conduct of public affairs.
So now I want to write to you
familiarly and confdentially, for
there is something I want to tell
you.
Perhaps you have noticed that 1
have not written to you for some
time. There were two reasons for
this. The first was that I had
nothing to write, and the second
was that I had nothing to write.
But the silence is embarrassing; so
I shall have to make a confession.
Now most of us are so common
place that we car hold no interest
for the public except as we are con-
nected with some work or organic
elton for the good or the happiness
of our fellow. beings. The spirit of
unselfshness which prompts us to
work in such ways, is the Divine
spark in as which commands public
respect, and awakens for us public
interest. But I am grieved to say
that all such manifestations of un-
selfshness are dead i'll our COM
munity. Our missionary society is
dead, and our superintendent Sun
day schools are both dead. so
there is nothing left for US but ig-
nominy and obscurity. But"
some one may say, we should not
do our good works to be see of
men," That is true; but a COM
munity which does no good works
certainly will not be seen of men,
nor is it worthy of their notice.
As to personal items of news some
one might think there could be no
objection to publishing those. But
the fact that Susie Dwight goes to
town and spepds the night can be
of no interest to the public unless
Susie Dwight is specially good or
specially bright, or doing something
TO help the right. The world can
not be interested in a purely selfish
Susie.
So I am fguratively speaking sit
ting in sack cloth and ashes, mourn
ing over the condition of u COM
munity.
l feel like exclalming with the
Psalmist of old, They are all asleep
in Zion!" Shall we let them sleep?
Shall we slip out quietly and close
the door, and let them take a long
nap undisturbed? Perhaps they
may dream something which will do
them good, and awake after awhile
with a new purpose in life. Or per-
haps they are taking the rest cure,
and after a time new strength may
come into their depleted nerves;
their pulses will thrill for the well
fare of the untaught young in their
midst and their hearts beat strong
in sympathy for the outside world.
God grant that this change may
come!
Coming down to actual occurren-
ces, it may be said that while the
nobler instincts of the community
seem to be asleep, Cupid has not
been asleep, for Mr.. T. H. Whit.
lock has recently brought into u
midst a fair young bride. Now
"Tommie" is a good boy, always
ready to do a public service, and al
ways a regular attendant at Sunday
School. We hope that he and his
young help-meet may take hold of
our community affairs, and help to
bring them back to life.
On last fourth Sunday, Mt. Zion
church began her usual annual pro-
tracted meeting, Rev. Henry Wright
of Saluda assisting the pastor, Rev.
P. 3. Lanham. But owing to the
absence Of the latter. who was at
the bedside of his sick son, and
also owing to the very small attend
ance Mr.. White closed the meeting
on Tuesday afternoon, after preach
ing some very f~orceful sermons.
The people of this section SYM
LII, varu muoh with BROTHER