Progress And Achievements Of The Colored People
Joseph R. Gay
269 chapters
10 hour read
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269 chapters
FOREWORD.
FOREWORD.
“The progressive era” aims to set forth the marvelous achievements of the Negro race in the United States since its emancipation fifty years ago. Its plan is to cover the period of achievements by a series of chapters devoted to the several lines of endeavor. I want especially to commend the chapter on the Education of the Negro. Education furnishes the standard in terms of which the past progress of the race may be measured and its future progress gauged. Of the many elements which must enter i
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EXAMPLES OF SUCCESS
EXAMPLES OF SUCCESS
Rev. S. G. Atkins, President of the State Normal and Industrial College of North Carolina. Dr. E. F. Boyd, physician and surgeon, Nashville, Tenn. Hon. H. P. Cheatham, Recorder of Deeds of the District of Columbia. Dr. D. W. Culp, A. M., M. D., author of “Twentieth Century Negro Literature.” W. E. Burghardt Du Bois, editor “The Crisis, A Record of the Darker Races.” Bishop G. W. Clinton, A. M. E. Zion Church, Charlotte, N. C. Prof. J. M. Cox, President Philander Smith College, Little Rock. E. E.
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MUSIC COMPOSERS AND PIANISTS
MUSIC COMPOSERS AND PIANISTS
Harry T. Burleigh, New York, composer of “Jean,” “Perhaps.” Robert Cole and J. Rosamond Johnson, New York, musical setting to Longfellow’s “Hiawatha,” “Idyll for Orchestra,” “Dream Lovers,” (operetta). William H. Tyers, composer of “Trocha,” a Cuban dance and other noted compositions. Will Marion Cook, New York, “The Casino Girl,” “Bandana Land,” etc. De Koven Thompson, Chicago, composer of “Dear Lord, Remember Me,” “If I Forget,” etc. James Reese Europe, founder of the Clef Club Symphony Orches
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VOCAL ARTISTS AND PRIMA DONNAS
VOCAL ARTISTS AND PRIMA DONNAS
Remember the Black Swan, that wonderful prima donna whose voice had a range of three octaves and was frequently compared with Jenny Lind at the height of her fame. Madam Marie Selika, of Chicago, achieved enormous success in Europe, a marvelous singer whose voice “trilled like a feathered songster,” and whose “Echo Song” has not yet been surpassed. You have heard the “Black Patti” (Madame Sisseretta Jones) who was a success in Europe, and has her own company of which she is the head, “The Black
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PAINTERS
PAINTERS
William Edward Scott, of Chicago, should be noted for his extraordinary works in America and Europe. Born in Indianapolis in 1884, he graduated from the high school in 1903. From 1904, when he entered the Chicago Art Institute, until the present time, he has been prolific in paintings, three of which were accepted at the Salon des Beaux Arts at Toquet, and others elsewhere. His work may be seen in three mural paintings which decorate the Felsenthal School in Chicago. This field is rich in artist
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SCULPTORS
SCULPTORS
The two great sculptors of the colored people are women: Edmonia Lewis, of New York, now a resident of Rome, where she turns out noted sculptures sought for in the great art galleries of the world. Meta Vaux Warrick (Mrs. Fuller, wife of Dr. Solomon C. Fuller of South Framingham, Mass.). She first attracted attention by her exquisite modeling in clay in the Pennsylvania School of Industrial Art. Rodin, the great French sculptor, took her under his charge, and her work is the admiration of the ar
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ACTORS AND POETS
ACTORS AND POETS
Ira Frederick Aldridge, of Baltimore, was a pupil of the great artist Edmund Kean. Aldridge appeared as Othello and other characters, and received a decoration from the Emperor of Russia. Phillis Wheatley, the first woman white or black to attain literary distinction in this country. While a child she began to write verses, and received the endorsement of the most distinguished men of her time, including General Washington. Paul Laurence Dunbar, a noted poet born in Dayton, Ohio. He showed poeti
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INVENTORS
INVENTORS
The evidence is accumulating every day that the Colored citizen, under favorable environments, has performed his whole duty in the work of benefiting mankind, whether in arduous labor or advancing the world by his thought. The records of the United States Patent office show more than four hundred inventors and inventions among the Colored people. Many of these inventions are of the highest value and utility. These inventions are for devices of every conceivable use, from a rapid fire gun, invent
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GREAT DEMAND FOR WISE LEADERS
GREAT DEMAND FOR WISE LEADERS
There is a greater demand for a skilled and wise leader now than ever before, and in preparing for that leadership, let each man of the race look to himself as a possible aspirant and successor to the present leaders. The very thought of such a possibility, based upon the necessity for such leadership, is an inspiration, an incentive to action, and a motive to take advantage of the opportunities. The path has been cleared and you can not lose your course. Let us revert to the question: “Who are
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FUTURE LEADERS NOW UNKNOWN YOUTH
FUTURE LEADERS NOW UNKNOWN YOUTH
Even now in some humble home, there is a youth, a mere child with possibilities unknown to him or to you, who may develop into a leader. Many great men have sprung from such sources, and made the world ring with their exploits. What has been done can be and will be done again. It is not fate, nor is it perhaps destiny as some may think, it is opportunity. Do you suppose that the poor child who looks on at the amazing things of life, the things going on around him, does not think about them and f
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PERHAPS YOUR BOY WILL LEAD THE RACE
PERHAPS YOUR BOY WILL LEAD THE RACE
He is your boy, perhaps, your son for whom you have the highest ambitions, and your bosom swells with pride at the thought that he is your boy, and that you have opened the door to opportunity for him. Some young man just out of college, just out of the refining process, is on the high road to position and honor, and is already making a name for himself, may become the leader or some leader along the many fields open to him. Can you say that it will not be yourself? Who knows that it may not be
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THE CHURCH OFFERS HIGH INDUCEMENTS
THE CHURCH OFFERS HIGH INDUCEMENTS
The Church offers the highest inducements to a life of usefulness and honor. It is guided by men of distinguished ability and humanity. The Bishops and clergy of the various denominations have taken advantage of the new lights of the twentieth century, and are striving to bring their fellow men of the same race, up to the highest standard of right living. The heights they have attained must be maintained like a protective rampart in a great battle. Their successors are the ones to continue the w
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YOUR CHILDREN MAY BECOME DISTINGUISHED
YOUR CHILDREN MAY BECOME DISTINGUISHED
You or your children may be the fortunate ones to be offered an opportunity to become distinguished for bravery and generalship, for the way has been prepared and those now striving to uphold peace will have successors. Remember this point, that the longer the test and the greater the perseverance, the more and the higher facilities will be given you to reach the leadership. It must be plain from the mere birdseye view that has been given that many leaders will be needed in the near future. Inde
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THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES
It is evident from the signs of the times, the business situation, our interstate commerce laws, and the domination of the trusts and combines by the Federal government, that there will soon come a great change in our business methods, and practices. We are expecting that competition will be restored to the place it occupied before men were forced out of business by overpowering interests and vast aggregations of capital. It will certainly happen in the near future that any man will be able to o
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THE FLANNEL MOUTHED IRISHMAN
THE FLANNEL MOUTHED IRISHMAN
Not very long ago, an Irishman was considered a “Paddy,” and to call a man “Irish” was to provoke a fight in which blood was spilled. To call an Irishman a “Flannel mouth” meant a broken head to the speaker. It was a term of reproach. The Irishman also was caricatured on the theatrical stage and held up to derision. “O, he is only an Irishman,” was an explanation for every outburst of disorder. We find that these opprobrious epithets are now limited to certain Irishmen, and not to the entire nat
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BECAUSE HE ALWAYS APPLIES THE VULGAR EPITHET TO HIS RACE
BECAUSE HE ALWAYS APPLIES THE VULGAR EPITHET TO HIS RACE
That is what the Jew used to do when he was called a “Sheeney,” and it hurt the whole Irish race of people to call one of their number a “Flannel mouth.” The Italian did not like to be called a “Dago,” and he always felt for his dagger intending to kill for this insult to his whole people. So too, the Chinaman does not mind being called a “Chink,” because he now understands that the opprobrious word does not mean the whole race of Chinamen. When one white man calls another a “liar,” a “scoundrel
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TRAINING SCHOOLS FOR WOMEN
TRAINING SCHOOLS FOR WOMEN
There are 36 institutions for the education of Colored women, and in addition, there are 63 Training schools for nurses conducted by Colored Americans. It has been proved numberless times by actual experience, under the most trying circumstances, that our Colored women make the very tenderest of nurses. In these training schools, are to be found the most important factors in the improvement of the health of our Colored Americans. Indeed, their services are so valuable that they are not limited t
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TRADE AND MANUFACTURING PURSUITS
TRADE AND MANUFACTURING PURSUITS
The employment of Colored Americans in domestic and personal service is becoming less and less every year, under the influence of education, and is being changed into trade and transportation, mechanical and manufacturing pursuits. This means as plainly as anything, that our Colored Americans have found opportunities, and that they are taking advantage of them. And where there have been opportunities to permit such a transformation, there must be others equally as advantageous and numerous—that
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THE JEW, THE IRISHMAN AND THE ITALIAN
THE JEW, THE IRISHMAN AND THE ITALIAN
In considering the various occupations, trades, etc., in which our Colored Americans are engaged, the locality must be taken into account. The colored man, like the Jew, the Irishman, and the Italian, meets with more prejudice in one than in another locality, and he must govern his occupation in a great measure by that prejudice, until he is strong enough to overcome it, and intelligent enough to find a way to overcome it. There are many who hold that the Colored American in the South finds less
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THE SKILLED WORKMAN
THE SKILLED WORKMAN
The man who limits himself to become a skilled workman, or a successful tradesman anywhere, must drop his personal grievances, and not attempt to father the evils and troubles of the race upon himself. Who cares about the downtrodden condition of Ireland? The Irishman who is constantly calling attention to the heel of the oppressor upon his neck, makes a poor workman and remains stationary in the lower level. The Jew who talks about the sufferings of his race receives but little sympathy because
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FORTUNES TO BE MADE
FORTUNES TO BE MADE
The enormous markets of the country in our great cities, make such a heavy demand upon production, that the commonest vegetables and fruit are brought from great distances at a high cost of transportation. Within reach of every populous center, there is to be found vacant land that could be made productive with very little labor, and the result would be profitable, for the supply must keep up with the demand. But out in the vast territories of the Mississippi Valley, there are fortunes to be mad
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THE FIELD OF OPPORTUNITY
THE FIELD OF OPPORTUNITY
Ten per cent of our population is made up of Colored Americans. This number creates a demand that it would be profitable to supply, but when it is considered that the other ninety per cent, or ninety millions of people are constantly demanding something, and take everything that comes along, there is an everlasting field of opportunity into which every Colored American can fit in some capacity if he makes the slightest effort. The Federal government is a large and generous employer of men of eve
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IN THE ARMY AND NAVY
IN THE ARMY AND NAVY
In the Army and Navy, beginning with the revolutionary war, Colored Americans have taken an active part side by side with their other fellow citizens in removing the foreign shackles from the limbs of the nation. The War of 1812 also brought out Colored Americans to drive the foreigner from our shores, and in both great wars the fighting ability and courage of Colored Americans have been amply tested, weighed in the balance, so to speak, and not found wanting. The heroism displayed by thousands
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FORCE OF CHARACTER
FORCE OF CHARACTER
Along this line, the struggle of Colored Americans to acquire by force of character and education, a high station and to fit themselves for any position of honor in the government, has met with success. Not only in the army and navy, but in the halls of Congress, the Colored American has demonstrated his wisdom, sagacity, and statesmanship. It is historical that the first martyr in the Boston massacre, a resistance to British tyranny, was the Negro, Crispus Attucks. In the War of Independence so
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RECORDS OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT
RECORDS OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT
During the great Civil War, 178,975 Colored Americans took up arms and fought side by side with the men of the North to maintain the nation. The records of the War Department at Washington show that the Negro troops were engaged in many of the bloodiest battles of the war, distinguished themselves more especially at Port Hudson, Fort Wagner, Milligan’s Bend, and Petersburg. In the late war with Spain, in 1898, Colored American soldiers took a more conspicuous part than in any other war waged by
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IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE
IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE
In the Treasury Department, the Attorney General’s Department, the Auditor of the Navy, Customs Department, Internal Revenue, Land Office, and others, there is no dearth of efficient Colored Americans performing onerous duties and engaged in unraveling intricate governmental details with as much ease and intelligence as if to the manner born. In the diplomatic and consular service, the Colored American is fast making his way upward, many important posts being now filled by them with honor to the
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THE DIGNITY OF THE RACE
THE DIGNITY OF THE RACE
It is for the Colored American to help smother the remaining shadows of former prejudices by maintaining the dignity of his race, and by education, fitting himself to stand beside any race on the earth. He has done it, is doing it, and the incentives are offered for still doing it. Remember what Colored Americans are doing; the positions they are filling by their education and energy; none of them are asleep in the furrow but are busy harvesting—doing something. If they do nothing else, they are
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THE FORCE FOR GOOD
THE FORCE FOR GOOD
All these and many more have gone before and left their influence as a continuing operative force for good. Let us mention one Colored American woman who is still among us, Amanda Smith, distinguished as an evangelist of the Methodist Episcopal Church. This eminent lady taught herself to read and write by cutting out large letters from newspapers, laying them on the window sill and getting her mother to make them into words. Her evangelical labors extended to Africa, India, England and Scotland.
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THE CAUSE OF RELIGION
THE CAUSE OF RELIGION
As showing their faith demonstrated by good works, the Colored Americans are supporting 34,689 schools, and contributing 1,750,000 children to the cause of religion and education. They have donated in money more than sixty million dollars to church property. The shepherds guiding this enormous flock, consist of Bishops of the highest attainments as scholars, teachers, and pious divines. The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church has seven Bishops with an able executive corps of ten members. The Afri
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YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
The Young Men’s Christian Association among Colored Americans presents an illustration of the growth of the religious spirit in addition to that exhibited by the churches, but of course, affiliated with them to a greater or less degree. From the first student association at the Howard University, organized in 1869, there are now six International Secretaries, 96 associations organized in Colored American educational institutions, with an enrollment of 15,000 male students, and forty-five city as
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THEODORE ROOSEVELT
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
We have in Theodore Roosevelt, a man of many parts, none of which is unimportant but all of them vital. When he speaks upon any subject he not only speaks with determination but with an absolute knowledge of the subjects he treats. “Col.” Roosevelt, as he delights to be called, began in the New York legislature, then became President of the New York City Police Commission, where he did some powerful work in suppressing vice and the saloon evil. Becoming too powerful a factor in American affairs
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PROF. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
PROF. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
Professor Booker T. Washington, whose aims, exertions and success tends to advance his race along the same lines as other races, is meeting with tremendous results, bringing about a more decided respect for the intelligence of Colored Americans. Mr. Washington, born in 1857, has, by grit and determination, reached the leadership of his race, and become one of the great men of the nation. After a life spent in struggles to acquire an education, he was recognized as a great teacher, and called upo
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SELF HELP FOR YOUTH
SELF HELP FOR YOUTH
“While at Hampton I resolved, if God permitted me to finish the course of study, I would enter the far South, the black belt of the Gulf States, and give my life in providing as best I could the same kind of chance or self-help for the youth of my race that I found ready for me when I went to Hampton, and, so, in 1881, I left Hampton and went to Tuskegee and started the Normal and Industrial Institute.” Mr. Washington literally worked his way through college. He helped unload a vessel to get mon
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PRESIDENT WILSON
PRESIDENT WILSON
President Wilson is an uplifter rather than a reformer. When he sees things to be done to better the people, or to better anybody, for that matter, he does them and lets the reform take care of itself. He has always been a student, and a worker at fashioning brains as a teacher, professor, college president and at the head of a great university—Princeton, New Jersey. Having a trained, enlightened mind, and not buried beneath books, he expressed his views about public matters and public men who d
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DR. W. E. BURGHARDT DUBOIS
DR. W. E. BURGHARDT DUBOIS
A noted man who is doing a great work along the line of betterment of the Colored Americans and directing their thoughts into high altitudes, is W. E. Burghardt Du Bois, known as the editor of “The Crisis,” A Record of the Darker Races. Dr. Du Bois stands on the principle that intellectual emancipation should proceed hand in hand with economic independence, and he is making himself felt by the earnest advocacy of a truth that must impress the people for whose interests he is laboring. It may not
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WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
For nearly twenty years William Jennings Bryan has fought the battle of human rights, and his name has become a household word in many ways. His versatility has no limit, and to say that he is an extraordinary man and friend of the human race, is saying one-half the truth. Rising from the humble position of an attorney in Lincoln, Nebraska, Mr. Bryan in an hour became the leader of the great masses of the American people, and he has held his ground ever since. He had aspirations and ambitions, b
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“I AM AN AMERICAN, SIR”
“I AM AN AMERICAN, SIR”
Finally, the examiner brightens up. He has found something that can not be disputed. He calls upon George Washington Adams. “Ahem, Mr. Adams, what is your nationality?” Mr. Adams responds: “I am an American, sir.” The examiner is puzzled, but revives. “Are you not a Negro?” Mr. Adams, having learned something from the Jew, the Irishman and the others, replies: “No, sir, I am not a Negro, I am an American born in the United States.” “But, your color indicates that you are a Neg—.” “My color, sir,
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BRICKLAYERS AND CARPENTERS
BRICKLAYERS AND CARPENTERS
In Atlanta, Georgia, about three-fourths of the bricklayers are Colored Americans, but the majority of the carpenters are white. Nominally, the rate of wages is the same for both races. One large employer held, that Colored American’s as bricklayers had a value exceeded by no one, and that in his own case the highest paid workmen were Colored Americans. In Baltimore, it was found that Colored Americans occupy a very important position in the working class element of the population. An overwhelmi
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THE FIELD OF ORGANIZED LABOR
THE FIELD OF ORGANIZED LABOR
In the field of organized labor, Colored Americans are also making great strides, the prejudice heretofore existing having almost disappeared. At New Orleans, Mr. T. V. O’Connor, President of the International Longshoremen’s Union, sounded the keynote when he declared, upon the admission of Colored Longshoremen to the Union: “We are going to bring about industrial equality. If Colored Americans stand ready to assist themselves, they will get the same wages and working conditions that the white m
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MAKING THE BURDEN OF LIFE MORE ENJOYABLE
MAKING THE BURDEN OF LIFE MORE ENJOYABLE
There is no going back, now, there can be nothing but advance toward progress and higher civilization, that is, in the more adequate and efficient means of making the burden of life more enjoyable and easier. In one thing only is there doubt as to our progress, and that is in human development, and racial perfection. The scientists and thinkers of the age are impressed with the fact that there is degeneracy, or at least, “recession,” as it is termed, which means a going back to some unknown evil
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THE JEWS HAVE AGES OF LEARNING
THE JEWS HAVE AGES OF LEARNING
The Jews understand this matter and they maintain their own racial standards which are the highest and best. Now, it is up to the African, the ten millions of them in the United States, to adopt the standards of excellence proper to their dignity, and to their purity as one of the original or primary divisions of mankind. The Jews have ages of learning and wisdom to fall back upon, and the African, although interrupted in his advance, by ages of repression, nevertheless has the ages of high civi
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THE POSSIBILITY OF PROGRESS
THE POSSIBILITY OF PROGRESS
The possibility of progress with regard to the Colored Americans is emphasized by Professor Charles S. Myers of England, who gives the results of his personal observations in other nations. Even viewing our Colored Americans as a primitive people with only two generations of removals from the primitive state, Professor Myers says: “The possibility of the progressive development of all primitive peoples must be conceded, if only the environment can be appropriately changed.” It is in evidence eve
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BLACK MEN ORIGINATE EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION
BLACK MEN ORIGINATE EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION
In line with the opinion of Herodotus and the German ethnologists, that the Black Men of Africa were the first race, and the originators of the Egyptian and Cretan civilization, Professor Lionel W. Lyde, of England, announces: “We are in a position to say that primitive man was dark skinned, and that he, as he made his way northward, began to bleach, thus creating a semi-primitive yellow type. This yellow man exposed to conditions of cold and moisture, might become entirely white. The human skin
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PIGMENT OF COLOR TO GUARD THE SKIN
PIGMENT OF COLOR TO GUARD THE SKIN
The racial color, it will be understood, is merely a matter of skin coloring. Nature provides pigments of color to guard the skin against the inclemencies of sun and weather. Every modern man knows and has experienced the result of strong sun and wind in his own skin. “Tan” it is called, and sometimes, within a few weeks the color of a white man’s skin is transformed into a yellow or a dark brown. If the exposure continues, the color remains. In the opinion of noted scientists, it is certain tha
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ALL NATIONS AND TRIBES ONE GREAT FAMILY
ALL NATIONS AND TRIBES ONE GREAT FAMILY
This is indeed the keynote to the elevation of the Colored Americans to the high plane sought to be reached by all the nations of the earth, and toward which they are surely drifting, in an unconscious fulfillment of the designs of God to gather all nations and tribes together into one great family. Professor N. R. d’Alfonso, of Italy, laid before the Congress the most profound thought that forms the basis of all progress and gives the key to beneficial government: “Speculative psychology teache
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WARS BETWEEN JEWS AND ETHIOPIANS
WARS BETWEEN JEWS AND ETHIOPIANS
It is only when men are opposed to one another; when they depart from the Divine intention to unify all men, that man is designated according to his racial or national designation. For instance: The wars between the Jews and the Ethiopians three thousand years before Christ; the wars of the Romans, Persians, Assyrians, English, French, and all other divergent upheavals which depart from the Divine Design. In such cases the psychological man, the man with a soul, the man into whom God breathed th
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THE RISE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
THE RISE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Nations rose and fell, leaving the earth to a few powerful ones who attacked one another until, finally, the vast and powerful Roman Empire rose upon the ruins of the others. The central point of unification was nearer, and it appeared when Christ was born, the Saviour of all the world. From that time began a movement toward another unification, but not a national movement, a human movement, an uplift into higher aims and more complete brotherhood. The conquest of Rome by barbarians did not stay
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THE JEWS
THE JEWS
The Jews considered from the biblical accounts exclusively, are the descendants and representatives of the oldest branch of the human family, but they existed as a nation contemporaneously with the Ethiopians, in whose descendants we find the Colored men of the United States. It may be said that the unification of the Semitic or Jewish race began with Moses, although Noah was in fact the father of the race. Their history is one of the wildest, most varied and romantic of that of any other race o
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ADVANCEMENT OF THE JEWS
ADVANCEMENT OF THE JEWS
Bereft of political power and national autonomy, the Jews advanced along the line of racial unification, and became leaders in the arts and sciences, and have made themselves the financial and commercial masters of the world. A power they never could have reached had they maintained their national distinction under a monarchy or other form of government. Their position in the United States is exactly that of the Colored Americans. They have all the political rights of freemen, and can rise to po
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THE JEWS THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE
THE JEWS THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE
They are all intensely interested in education, and their children possess an insatiable thirst for knowledge. As a consequence they are always ready to seize upon opportunity when it comes their way, and they always profit by experience, and gather information from every source. Many of the most distinguished scientists and statesmen in the world have been Jews, and although able to dictate financially to governments, and possessing political power, they have never yet attempted to seize upon t
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THE AMERICAN INDIAN
THE AMERICAN INDIAN
The American Indian has no ancestry of civilization to look back to. His forebears so far as is known to history were savages, and the Indians found in America by the first white settlers were also savages. Their origin as a race is shrouded in obscurity, some asserting that they are descendants of the Semitic race of Asia, others that they are Turanian and Malaysian mixed. It is certain, however, that nothing remains of any very ancient civilization, what does exist consists of “mounds” contain
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RESULTS OF EDUCATION
RESULTS OF EDUCATION
Among them, education has produced a large number of men of high grade, and influence. Most of them have turned to agriculture, but being a race that is still in embryo, so to speak, that is one of the present era, the time has not yet arrived when it can be predicted of them that they are equal to coming up to the highest rank in civilized life. They are an open, living illustration of the power of education and modern civilization. The lesson to be learned from them is, that what a race so sun
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THE JAPANESE AS AN ILLUSTRATION
THE JAPANESE AS AN ILLUSTRATION
We come to the Japanese as an illustration of unification of the races, because they have put themselves before the world as entitled to consideration as much as any other race. Inasmuch as they are rapidly becoming a world power, and have the warships and guns to back up their pretensions, the nations of the earth feel justified in considering their claims. Whence they come nobody knows, not even their own learned men. They originated somewhere in the past, but not ancient past, or they would h
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THE CHINESE
THE CHINESE
The Chinese are as near the pure Turanian stock as it is possible for a race with their environments to be. The samples that come to the United States for employment are coolies, mongrels of the race, just as we have natural born mongrels from intermixtures with degeneracy. But the real Chinaman, the Manchurian, and his similars among the pure Turanian strain, are magnificent men physically, without the slant eye, and highly educated in the Chinese fashion. Like the other grand divisions of the
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THE BLACK NATIONS A POWERFUL CIVILIZATION
THE BLACK NATIONS A POWERFUL CIVILIZATION
It appears now that Egypt took its civilization from Ethiopia, the black empire south of it. The old theories have been smashed into atoms, and it now appears that the black nations of certain regions of the continent of Africa were not races in their infancy, but the descendants of a powerful civilization gradually broken by misfortunes and disastrous wars against it. The Egyptians have always contended that their forefathers learned their arts and largely received their laws from the black emp
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THE BLACK KINGS
THE BLACK KINGS
As showing a common civilization, in fact, perhaps a common origin, the doings of the Black Kings were chronicled after the same fashion as those of the Egyptian kings. The writing of the people of the Great Black Empire, is like that of the Egyptians, and the gods they worshiped were closely related to the gods of Egypt. Inscriptions on these monuments that have been deciphered, tell us that Piankhi, the black king, conquered Egypt 750 B. C., and that he worshiped without question in Egyptian t
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THE BEAUTIFUL BLACK QUEEN
THE BEAUTIFUL BLACK QUEEN
We now come to the Queen Candace mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. The account there given is as follows (Chapter 8): “26th verse. And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, arise and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. “27th verse. And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to wors
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ETHIOPIANS FIRST LIVING MEN
ETHIOPIANS FIRST LIVING MEN
To revert to Herodotus. This ancient historian was a great traveler, the first, perhaps, to visit the region of the blacks and their empire. He says, somewhere in his history: “The Ethiopians were the first men who ever lived.” There is more astounding evidence of the civilization of the black men to be found in recent excavations. Lying north of Egypt and a little southeast of Greece, in the Mediterranean Sea, is the famous Island of Crete, or Candia, embracing 3,326 square miles, and at the pr
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THEATRES, PALACES AND TEMPLES
THEATRES, PALACES AND TEMPLES
There are actual buildings, theatres, palaces, and temples that existed in 3,000 B. C., and were mere guess work in Homer’s time. What has been unearthed shows that there was communication between Crete and Egypt 2,000 years before Christ. One of the frescoes found shows some religious ceremonial in the Egyptian style. Some of the priestesses are black, others white, and the connection between African and Cretan civilization as to dates will soon be settled. Enough appears to show that there wer
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MOSES MARRIED A COLORED WOMAN
MOSES MARRIED A COLORED WOMAN
What would Moses, the great lawgiver, say to you? Listen to the good book in Numbers 12:1. “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.” For this reviling, the Lord made Miriam leprous, and punished her, and Aaron acknowledged that he had sinned. While on this subject, it may be interesting to specify some of the doings of the Ethiopians in ancient history. First, Moses married an Ethiopian woman in B. C. 1490, qu
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GREAT ANCESTRY OF COLORED RACE
GREAT ANCESTRY OF COLORED RACE
Let the Colored American live up to the records of the past history of his race and prove himself worthy of his great ancestry. It was said in another place in this article that there appear to have been two great civilizations at a very early period of time. One flourished in the Nile country, maintained by black men, and the other in Crete. It is an astonishing fact, for it is fast developing into a historical fact, that a common race of men arose, and that in the course of centuries, they dev
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THE BIBLE AS A PROOF
THE BIBLE AS A PROOF
We read in the Bible (I Kings 10), a whole chapter concerning the visit of the Queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon, coming to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold and precious stones. And that when she departed she presented Solomon with a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones. “There came no more such abundance.” The same account of this great queen is given in 2nd Chronicles, and in Matthew 12:42 s
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BLACK MEN DISCOVER ART OF WORKING METALS
BLACK MEN DISCOVER ART OF WORKING METALS
Within the past ten years, excavations in the Upper Soudan, verify the claim that the black man was the first to discover the art of working metals, and that they gave this knowledge to Europe and Asia. Dr. Schweinfurth, the famous German ethnologist, and the University of Berlin, have adopted this theory. Lady Lugard, the authoress, gathered from old Arab books, many details of this high civilization among the black men of the Upper Nile, their customs and government until quite recent times. W
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THE QUEEN OF SHEBA AND SOLOMON
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA AND SOLOMON
It was related in another article, that the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon, but we shall give a further account of this great queen because it will lead to the reason why Ethiopia reached a high state of development. Open the Bible at 1st Kings, 10, verses 6 to 10 and read: “6. And she said to the king, it was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and thy wisdom. “7. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half has not been to
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THE ETHIOPIANS CONQUERED EGYPT
THE ETHIOPIANS CONQUERED EGYPT
To diverge a few lines: Napoleon Bonaparte was a deep student, and when attempting the conquest of Egypt, he pointed his soldiers to the great Pyramids saying: “Soldiers of France, forty centuries are looking down upon you,” he uttered a truth of history, and established an Ethiopian empire a thousand years before Solomon. The reason is this: The Ethiopians conquered Egypt, or erected it into a province, and built the great Pyramids that still exist. But to return to the Queen of Sheba. She foun
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BLACK QUEENS WHEN CHRIST WAS BORN
BLACK QUEENS WHEN CHRIST WAS BORN
The reign of the Sheban dynasty was followed by that of the queens of Candace, who were ruling Ethiopia at the date of the birth of Christ, indeed, one of them is mentioned in the New Testament, Matthew 12:42, and her story is related in another chapter of this book. Among the many evidences of high civilization in Ethiopia, are its literary productions. There are several hundred books in the various public libraries of Europe which show a remarkable condition of development. In the way of histo
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ETHIOPIAN WOMEN HELD IN HIGH ESTEEM
ETHIOPIAN WOMEN HELD IN HIGH ESTEEM
In refinement, the Ethiopians held women in a superior position in the social scale, which says Dr. Reich, the historian, “Shows a higher point of delicacy and refinement than either their Eastern or Western successors. Colossal in art, profound in philosophy and religion, and in possession of the knowledge of the arts and sciences, the Ethiopian race exhibits the astounding phenomenon of an elevated civilization at a period when the other nations of the world were almost unknown .” Referring to
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ANCIENT EGYPTIANS WERE NEGROES
ANCIENT EGYPTIANS WERE NEGROES
Featherstone in his “Social History of the Races of Mankind,” goes still further, and confidently asserts that the ancient Egyptians were of the Negro race. “This,” he adds, substantially, “is borne out on all the Egyptian paintings, sculptures, and mummies; the hair found, as well as that possessed by their descendants, the Copts, is the curly, or woolly variety, and the lips and nose the same. “The fact that the ancient Egyptians were Negroes three thousand six hundred years before the Christi
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THE JEW AND THE COLORED MAN
THE JEW AND THE COLORED MAN
A curious racial transformation is going on in the United States outside the two divisions of man, the Jew and the Colored man, which means much more to the ethnologist and lover of mankind than is apparent on the surface. The various nations, such as the English, French, German, Irish, Scotch, Spaniard, etc., are rapidly losing their identity of race or descent, and becoming American with new facial traits, as well as mental attributes. All these nations or tribes, will lose their identity and
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THE CASE OF THE JAPANESE
THE CASE OF THE JAPANESE
The marvelous rise of the Japanese is due to the seizure of the opportunity of education, and appropriating every detail that goes to make power and physical influence. Not much more than three generations ago, the Japanese empire was a mere name, an isolated country of semi-barbarians, a mere tribe without power, influence or standing as a national unit. It is now clamoring at the door of every civilized nation for recognition as a world power, and threatens to enforce its demands with an army
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A GREAT DIVISION OF THE HUMAN FAMILY
A GREAT DIVISION OF THE HUMAN FAMILY
It should be constantly borne in mind, that the Ethiopians and their descendants, the Colored Americans in the United States, represent a great division of the human family, which, with the others, are alone to be considered in the great design of unification. The Roman Empire represented no such portion of the human family. Assyria, Persia, Egypt, and the dominating historical peoples were all mixed, and when their uses had culminated, that is, when there was no more use for them, or when they
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OPPORTUNITY AND ADVANTAGES OF COLORED AMERICANS
OPPORTUNITY AND ADVANTAGES OF COLORED AMERICANS
The Colored Americans in the United States, with their advantages are accepting the inevitable in the form of opportunities presented them, and are as irresistibly impelled toward the ultimate goal of unified mankind as the others. Let us consider our Colored Americans at close range and see what they are doing in the way of seizing opportunities, and building themselves up to the accepted modern standards....
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ECONOMIC PROGRESS
ECONOMIC PROGRESS
The one essential of modern life which the Colored American has not attained to perfection, is the proposition of economy. Not saving, but business qualifications. But he is an apt pupil and is rapidly acquiring experience. The reports of 1912 give the value of property owned by the Colored people in the United States as six hundred millions of dollars . And upon this they pay taxes. A year ago, The National Negro Business League held its eleventh annual session at Little Rock, Arkansas, with ev
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INTELLECTUAL PROGRESS
INTELLECTUAL PROGRESS
When it comes to mental success and adaptability, the advance of Colored Americans is phenomenal, and shows as high an order of intelligence as any nationality in the world. Remember they are just regaining a lost heritage of renown. The schools, colleges and universities number among their brightest and most brilliant pupils numerous Colored American youths, who are an honor to the cause of education and to their race. They have won scholarship prizes at Cornell University, at Amherst College,
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AUTHORS, WRITERS, POETS AND THE FINE ARTS
AUTHORS, WRITERS, POETS AND THE FINE ARTS
An investment in brains has always been regarded as the most productive in profitable returns. It is becoming the fixed opinion, based upon ages of experience, that the uplift of the world, the advancement of people and their progress can be accomplished by brains only. War and its desolations, its ravages, rapine, and cruelties, have for a time swayed and dominated various parts of the earth, but, it must be considered that violence is the mere handmaid to an uplift by intellectual effort. War
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SUCCESS THROUGH SELF HELP
SUCCESS THROUGH SELF HELP
The opportunities afforded by the Overground Railroad, in the way of obtaining information, can not be overestimated. It is, practically, a school of instruction that may be attended by any one, and who may follow the bent of his desires afterward. There are two classes of people who may avail themselves of the educational process undertaken by the dissemination of information through the medium of the Overground Railroad: The man who is aided in his life work, and the man who must help himself.
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ETHIOPIANS NEARLY PERFECT
ETHIOPIANS NEARLY PERFECT
Among the Colored race, there are many splendid types of athletes. In the old days, the Ethiopian was considered a masterpiece of physical architecture. He entered any list where muscular power was to be exhibited and carried off the victory. In great trials of strength and wrestling he had no superior. As the Ethiopian was in the past, his descendants in our Colored Americans are today. In football, baseball, rowing and in wrestling, the Colored American has no superior in skill or prowess. Par
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THE TEACHER, DOCTOR, LAWYER, CLERGYMAN—WHICH ARE YOU FITTED FOR?
THE TEACHER, DOCTOR, LAWYER, CLERGYMAN—WHICH ARE YOU FITTED FOR?
There are four professions, callings or vocations, which are justly styled “learned professions,” because they carry with them the highest degree of intelligence, tact, and wisdom. They are so common, however, in these modern times, that many of their followers do not command the respect to which their calling is entitled, and hence, the professions themselves have greatly fallen into disrepute; particularly so when it comes to select one of them for a life work. Viewing the teacher, the doctor,
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THE ROAD TO SUCCESS OR EASY LESSONS FOR EVERY DAY LIFE
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS OR EASY LESSONS FOR EVERY DAY LIFE
The way to success in anything is always an upward climb, the down grade is always a flat failure. In considering this matter, it will be well to remember and bear constantly in mind, that it is easier to slide down hill than it is to climb up. We may say, therefore, that success is purely a question of exertion. The road to and up the slope of the hill of life is roomy enough and to spare for everybody, and there need not be any crowding. But the way is strewn with wrecks, many submerged before
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THE MAN OF HOPE; THE MAN OF DESPAIR; AND THE MAN OF “DON’T CARE” Optimism, Pessimism, Indifference
THE MAN OF HOPE; THE MAN OF DESPAIR; AND THE MAN OF “DON’T CARE” Optimism, Pessimism, Indifference
The people of the earth are made up generally of three classes: optimists, pessimists, indifferents. The radical optimist floats in a balmy spring air on a rosy cloud, stringing his banjo and singing lullabies to the gorgeously feathered songsters that surround him. The pessimist is like a fly with its wings stuck on fly paper, and bemoans his fate as that of every other fly. The indifferent is a devil-may-care sort of a person who does not care whether the sun shines, or whether it rains. The e
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THE PLEASURES OF THE FLESH, and the PLEASURES OF THE MIND
THE PLEASURES OF THE FLESH, and the PLEASURES OF THE MIND
When a hungry man is seated before an appetizing meal, his mouth waters in anticipation and he experiences the joys of anticipated satisfaction. Every mouthful lingers on his palate with a delicious sensation and when his hunger is satisfied, a feeling of intense comfort steals over him. He is at peace with the world, and forgives his enemies. Any favor you ask, if within his power to grant, will not be refused. It is the same with a thirsty man. A delicious invigorating drink—and there is none
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THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST The Laws of Nature Determine Who Shall Live, and Who Shall Die
THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST The Laws of Nature Determine Who Shall Live, and Who Shall Die
The theory of the survival of the fittest is agitating the world more than ever before. But it has changed its significant title to what is known now as “Eugenics,” which means substantially “well born,” or good birth. Briefly speaking, it is claimed that it is a law of nature that the weakest shall go to the wall, and that the strongest shall survive. In carrying out this doctrine, the ancient nations, Sparta, for example, put to death all the weak and decrepit children, permitting only the str
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THE VICTORY OF THE MAN WHO DARES
THE VICTORY OF THE MAN WHO DARES
This is the Era of the man who dares . His opportunity has blossomed out of conditions unparalleled in the history of nations. Too many have been plodding along in a furrow afraid to come out of the rut. They have lived, it is true, but they have not touched success. All animals live, but man has higher motives than mere existence. Enterprise, business, commerce, capital, government demand a man who dares. Many leaders have fallen beneath the spell of malignant influence, and have dragged down i
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The Secret of Successful Work
The Secret of Successful Work
Knowing how to work is a secret all men do not possess. When a man is born his life work is born with him, but the work he does remains after he is gone. Hence the necessity of doing good work for the evil work we do remains along with the good and hangs upon it like fetters upon a felon’s wrists. Whether a man works with his hands or his brain he exhausts, uses up a certain quantity of his physical body. His brain, muscles, and every part of his body are drawn upon to help do the work in hand.
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Start Right in Life By Avoiding Foolish and Unnecessary Extravagances
Start Right in Life By Avoiding Foolish and Unnecessary Extravagances
Economy tells us we must learn to do without many things we would like, and forego all unnecessary luxuries, recreations and pleasures which call for money. We can be happy without these things and enjoy the forgotten pleasures of home. Cut down on rent, table, clothes, etc. The burden of economy falls upon the women who do the marketing, cooking and housework. Let the men save on personal expenses. A woman can throw out more at the back door than a man can bring in through the front, but his bi
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Quick Sales and Small Profits
Quick Sales and Small Profits
Our modern system of transacting business has so materially changed from what it was a decade or so ago, that a special training is required to make a success. Theoretically, the difference between the cost price and the selling price represents profit. But it often represents loss. If goods could be delivered at your place of business at the invoice or purchase price, the selling price might cover some profit. But complications begin as soon as you have made a purchase. There is transportation,
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The Early Bird Gets the Worm
The Early Bird Gets the Worm
This is a saying that contains a large load of philosophy. There is always a worm around for an early bird to pick up for breakfast. Of course it is very foolish for the worm to come out, but that is the way things are in this world. What you have to do is to play the part of the bird by getting there first. To carry out the idea, remember that you are not the only bird after the foolish worm. This means hustle on your part, and that is what every business must show—hustle. In any event do not b
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OPEN A SAVINGS BANK ACCOUNT
OPEN A SAVINGS BANK ACCOUNT
If you ever hope to be considered a thrifty citizen, a man to be looked up to, you must exhibit some financial standing. You can do this by opening a savings bank account. A man who has a bank account is never ignored, whether his account is large or small. It means something substantial, and you feel more like holding up your head and looking at the sun without a smoked glass. Many people save their money, or think they do, by hiding it away in the bottom of a trunk, burying it, or carrying it
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SAVE YOUR MONEY AND MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU
SAVE YOUR MONEY AND MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU
There is one open opportunity that everybody can take if he wishes to do so, and with very little exertion on his part. The man who makes his money earn money for him relieves his own back of many heavy burdens. To do this is the object and aim of every go ahead person, and there are many men who walk our streets who have money making money for them, even while they sleep. All you have to do is to save your dollars instead of giving them away for somebody else to work with—work them yourself. It
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BECOME A LAND OWNER
BECOME A LAND OWNER
From the material point of view, there is nothing on this earth that leads to so much success, security, and social standing as the ownership of land. By owning land you become a landlord, and you gain that opportunity by thrift and economy. Land is the soundest investment in the world, and it has always been one of the great objects and hopes of the people of the earth to own a small slice of its surface. If you own land, you acquire a sense of responsibility to the community where it is locate
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OWN YOUR OWN HOME
OWN YOUR OWN HOME
A man without a home may as well be a man without a country. A home is bail for success in life. Not a mere place to live and sleep, or eat and get your washing done, but a home of your own, what an Englishman calls his “castle.” Yours where you are safe from intruders, and feel like a king in his own domain. It is easy to acquire a home, but you must begin at the beginning and do as all others have done and will always do. Buy the beginning of a home with what you can easily save out of your ea
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DON’T BORROW MONEY FOR NEEDLESS EXPENSES
DON’T BORROW MONEY FOR NEEDLESS EXPENSES
It is a common business transaction to borrow money when there are sufficient assets to justify it. But in such cases there is a regular rate of interest fixed by law as payment for the use of the money borrowed. You can not risk any other than the legal rate of interest, if you do you are taking unwarranted risks, and subjecting yourself to the yoke of a loan shark, out of whose clutches you can never emerge without tremendous sacrifices, often ruin. Money borrowed to speculate with is a heavy
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ESTABLISH A REPUTATION FOR YOURSELF
ESTABLISH A REPUTATION FOR YOURSELF
To get along successfully in business, or in any other occupation, for that matter, every man must establish a reputation for himself. Indeed, reputation is the basis of credit; it is his first and best capital with which to make a start in life. Of course, the reputation meant is a good reputation, and not one that is open to question. A man may have a reputation as a fighter, a shrewd man, a tricky man, a dishonest man, and so on, but these keep him back in the life struggle, and even if he sh
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IMPROVE PRESENT OPPORTUNITIES
IMPROVE PRESENT OPPORTUNITIES
If you knew that by pulling up a rope hanging down a well, you would get a rich prize, a bag of gold, or a box of diamonds, you would keep on pulling. Now, life is nothing but pulling at something at the end of which we hope and expect to find something worth while. What we pull at consists of a long string of opportunities, and if we let go, then we lose. The fact is, we must improve our present opportunities, for they lead to other and better ones. Small opportunities are not to be despised fo
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HOW TO MAKE USE OF VALUABLE SPARE TIME
HOW TO MAKE USE OF VALUABLE SPARE TIME
What do men do when their work for the day is over? We are arranging things so that a man will have eight hours’ work, eight hours’ play and eight hours’ sleep. The sleep you must have or you can neither work nor play. This division of time consumes the whole day. When we speak of eight hours’ work, we mean “work,” not dawdling. By attending to the business you have on hand you work, and the clergymen say: “A man who labors prays.” But what to do during the eight hours set apart for play; that i
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FIT YOURSELF FOR SOME TRADE OR CALLING
FIT YOURSELF FOR SOME TRADE OR CALLING
What do you intend to do for a living? Plenty of time to decide that, you say for yourself or for your boy. You deceive yourself, for there is not plenty of time. You must decide early, and educate yourself for the trade or calling you have decided to follow. You must have some definite aim in life. Nobody can fix one for you. You know best what you can do, what you would like to do, and what sort of an education you need to do it. Things move swiftly in these modern times, and you must decide q
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WORK FOR SUCCESS WHILE YOUNG
WORK FOR SUCCESS WHILE YOUNG
Youth is the time to work for success. Old age is the winter time of life and if no provision has been made to acquire a competence before that period, it will be an unhappy time, perhaps a miserable existence as the result. Success has no tomorrow, it is always today, and if the sun of today sets upon failure, it can not be hoped that it will rise tomorrow upon success, there being nothing to cause it to do so. There is no greater duty to be performed by man than to lay by provision for the fut
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Build Up Your Credit
Build Up Your Credit
By making your word as good as your bond, you are seizing an opportunity to build up your credit, and without credit you can not hope to win in the battle of life. Pay your debts and meet all your obligations as promptly as you can, and if you can not on the specified day, come out squarely and give the reasons why. Be frank and open with the man you owe, and while he expects you to meet your engagements according to the express letter of your contract, he recognizes the fact that in every busin
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Stiffen Your Backbone and Keep on Climbing
Stiffen Your Backbone and Keep on Climbing
The owner of a stiff backbone is not easily put down by adverse circumstances. No man’s troubles overwhelm him unless he gives in to them weakly. This is the experience of men since the world began: You must fight your way up and never look back to slipping places, for then you will surely stumble. Worry is one of the symptoms of a weak backbone. Everybody should know that small stumbles are not killing matters to mourn over or worry about. You may have had in your own experience, many cases whe
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Keep in the Race, Don’t Give Up
Keep in the Race, Don’t Give Up
The Holy Bible tells you, and man’s experience has always demonstrated it, that “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.” You are fearful that you will not win. Why? Is it not because you are looking backward instead of forward? You have had much to contend with, let us say; very well, are you going to lie down now that you can see daylight ahead? We are living in the present, acquiring strength for the future, the past is dead and should be buried. The man who looks back is
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Keep an Eye on the Future
Keep an Eye on the Future
It is quite true that we are living in the present but we do not stop with today or stand still. You know that the sun will rise tomorrow and that you will see it rise. That is, in all probability. The sun of tomorrow and your rising are future events. In the present you prepare for tomorrow and continue what you began on the yesterday. Otherwise you are standing still. No man can proceed if he must begin over again every tomorrow that comes to him in his life, he must have done something that c
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Produce Something and Increase Your Own Value to the World
Produce Something and Increase Your Own Value to the World
The man who is a consumer only is of little use in this world. He is out of balance with energies and activities in the business or professional world. The earth, the soil, is valuable only because it PRODUCES something that did not exist before. It creates in its way. The more it creates or produces, the more its value. When it produces nothing it is called a desert and is avoided for all useful purposes. It is the same way with men; they must produce, make something, and the more things they m
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STOP, LOOK, LISTEN!
STOP, LOOK, LISTEN!
At every cross road in the country there is a warning signal: “Look out for the Locomotive.” At every railroad crossing in every large city, there are bells rung, whistles blown, and even guards let down when a locomotive passes. Policemen stand at corners to warn people to look out, etc. Why all these precautions? Simply to prevent people from endangering their lives. Yet, there are lives lost every day from failure to heed the warning signals, and many persons are maimed and crippled for life
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BE EVERY MAN’S FRIEND
BE EVERY MAN’S FRIEND
Every man with a grain of common sense prefers a friend to an enemy. Not that a man need to have enemies, for if you make yourself a friend to every man, every man will be your friend and you will have no enemies. There is much comfort and peace of mind, besides greater opportunities for succeeding in any occupation, if you possess that charming trait known as “friendship.” Friendship is a valuable asset in character. There are always times during life when you need a friend, and you can always
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Help Your Fellow Man
Help Your Fellow Man
You are not put here on earth for your own sole benefit. There are others with the same rights and privileges to enjoy the things of life as well as yourself. This is important to remember. Now, if you help your fellow man to maintain his rights, do you not see that you are laying the foundation for help to maintain your own? If you trample on any person you must expect to be trampled upon in your turn, and then away go your rights, and trouble ensues. If you help your friends and neighbors in t
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Take Counsel of Your Best Friends
Take Counsel of Your Best Friends
It is as old as the hills that “Two heads are better than one.” It is true that every man has two feet, two hands, two eyes, two ears, and so on, but only one head. Things do not seem to balance with only one thing, so to complete the balance it is the height of policy to have two heads. Why not? But one of the two heads is that of your best friend who can advise you when your one head is apt to go astray in some important step or undertaking. You may not follow the advice of your friend, but he
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SELECT YOUR OWN COMPANY
SELECT YOUR OWN COMPANY
“A man is known by the company he keeps.” This is a proverbial saying and it is a true one. You have only one life to live, and you must be as careful of that life as a man is of his gold. Good companions help you on the upward path; evil companions drag you down. Men possess free will, but a misuse of it brings speedy punishment. Opportunity meets you and asks: “Who are your companions?” Not being able to deceive Opportunity, you tell the truth and answer: “Oh, I go around with the boys. We sta
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KEEP YOUR NERVE
KEEP YOUR NERVE
Most of our troubles are imaginary, nine-tenths of them never coming to us as we expected. They are mostly matters of nerve weakness. We start something during the day, and lay awake at night worrying for fear it may not turn out successfully. We brood over phantoms and scarecrows, for that is what most of our worries are. If you have started anything right, and your conscience is at rest, why do you worry? There is no reason for it. Or if you have used your best judgment and made your best effo
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STUDY YOUR HEALTH
STUDY YOUR HEALTH
The ancients said that there can not be a healthy mind in an unhealthy body. And they established this rule for all to follow: “Keep your body healthy and your mind will be healthy.” By a healthy mind is meant a calm, cool, clear, active brain that can act up to its full capacity without faltering, or falling down at trifles. To have that sort of brain, you must preserve your bodily health. One patent way to lose your bodily health is to acquire bad habits of any kind that you know are bad for y
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MAKING ONE HAND WASH THE OTHER
MAKING ONE HAND WASH THE OTHER
It is a good commercial and business maxim: “Make one hand wash the other.” There are little delicate attentions shown men to induce them to do you a favor. It is not exactly doing to others as you would have others do to you, but you do something for a person in the expectation that he will do something for you. This is the origin of the saying. Politeness, forbearance and social amenities are the rule in these days, and it is the best policy to assume that distinction even if you do not feel t
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GOOD AND BAD LUCK
GOOD AND BAD LUCK
Your success in life never depends upon the turn of a card or the dice. You can neither dream yourself into good luck, nor dream yourself out of bad luck. Good luck keeps company only with industrious, thrifty and honorable people who have faith in themselves, faith in their fellow men, and faith in God. Even then, luck will disappear like smoke in a wind unless you can also demonstrate that you possess wisdom, patience and courage. What you think is good luck, may keep company with you for a sh
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BE SLOW TO ANGER
BE SLOW TO ANGER
The Scripture says: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty.” We are also advised not to let the sun go down on our wrath. If we desire to succeed in any enterprise we must “possess our souls in patience.” In Luke XVI, 19, it is explained: “In your patience possess your souls.” We are nowhere advised not to be angry, but to possess our souls in our anger. That is: Never let anger get the better of our control. In Ephesians IV, 26, it is said: “Be ye angry and sin not; let not the sun
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PRACTICE LOGIC, COMMON SENSE AND TACT
PRACTICE LOGIC, COMMON SENSE AND TACT
When a man can give a good reason for what he does he practices logic. Not excuses for doing what he should not do, but REASONS why. When he gives good reasons, and follows the universal practice of other men under the same circumstances, he practices common sense. When he does things in a quiet, unobtrusive, and agreeable manner, so that other men are satisfied with his way, he practices tact. These three qualities are badges of success among every nation and in every occupation, trade, or prof
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ENCOURAGE OTHERS
ENCOURAGE OTHERS
When you encourage others to go ahead with what they are doing, with a cheery word or a pleasant smile, you are laying up treasure for yourself. For the man you encourage will encourage you, and heaven knows we all need encouragement. Many men stand on the verge of a precipice of indecision, not being able to decide whether they should draw back or fall over. It is not help these men want so much as it is encouragement. They are able to help themselves but they haven’t the nerve, and you give th
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HOW TO LEARN SELF-CONTROL
HOW TO LEARN SELF-CONTROL
To master the feelings the head and the heart should work together. All of our emotions may be said to come from the heart, and the latter is set in motion by the will power which is the head. There are times when a man feels like “boiling over” as it is called, but policy and good judgment warn him to keep within bounds. It is always our sentiments or feelings and emotions that need a curbing hand, our opinions can take care of themselves. Where our feelings and our mind go together there is no
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DON’T BE A DREAMER
DON’T BE A DREAMER
You are living in the present preparing for the future. The past is dead and you should let the past bury the past. The man who dreams of the past and forgets his future, is like a man who rises in the morning not of today but of yesterday. He is going backward when his face is put in front pointing always forward. Life is too short to be wasted in vain regrets for what has transpired in the past. Even yesterday is ancient history and best forgotten. We have work to do in the present to perfect
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DON’T BE BASHFUL
DON’T BE BASHFUL
There are many persons who stand in their own way to success by their timidity, or bashfulness. Such people are too self-conscious, and betray their lack of self-confidence which is regarded as an evidence of ignorance, or at least, inability to perform the duties they aspire to impose upon themselves. Every man is better acquainted with himself than anybody else, but when he relies upon the knowledge of others as superior to his own knowledge, he loses the respect of his fellows, and finally lo
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DON’T BE UNDECIDED
DON’T BE UNDECIDED
A man who can not make up his mind to do or not to do a thing without a great deal of wobbling first one way and then another, is as bad as an unsafe wall in a building—everybody keeps off lest it fall and do some damage. When a man has first carefully considered a project, or a certain line of action, and also taken the advice of his friends if the matter is important, he should decide one way or the other at once. A wobbly man is weak-kneed, and not to be depended upon for any purpose. If you
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DON’T BE TOO BIG FOR YOUR BUSINESS
DON’T BE TOO BIG FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Most children must creep before they can walk. The reason is because they are not sure of their small limbs and try them before venturing to depend upon them. When the child can walk he goes right ahead and walks all his life without fear or hesitation. It is the same in every line of business. The business man must know just where he stands all the time, and he must begin small in order to learn how to rely upon himself. You are looking for something big, large, something you think commensurate
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DON’T GET DISCOURAGED
DON’T GET DISCOURAGED
One of the greatest causes for failure in life is discouragement. It seems to be an element in the life of every man to be up one day and down the next. When a man gets up it is possible for him to stay up by hard work and persistence, but if he permits himself to go down below his balance he may consider himself altogether down-and-out. Failure does not mean that you will not succeed, because struggle as we may we must meet failure and look it squarely in the face. But be not afraid of it, take
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DON’T BE PREJUDICED
DON’T BE PREJUDICED
We sometimes dislike a man, or hate him, which is the same thing, because he possesses certain peculiarities of person or conduct which are different from ours, or has ideas that are different from those we favor. The man may be a perfect stranger to us, and we may know nothing about his environments or conditions under which he lives, or the reasons why he differs from us—we hate him all the same and take the other side of the street rather than meet him face to face. If we were to look into ou
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DON’T BE SMALL MINDED
DON’T BE SMALL MINDED
A broad, liberal-minded man is beloved by all, but a narrow, small minded man is an object of dislike. You do not have to squander money to be considered broad minded, or be extravagant in your life and home. A man of that sort is drawing upon his future to use up in the present, and there is no greater folly than this. In all your dealings with your fellow men, you must exhibit that trait of open mindedness that will draw men to you. If you stick at trifles and refuse to concede a point to anot
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DON’T WASTE TIME
DON’T WASTE TIME
Time is not a thing to be wasted, for it is given you for the purpose of working out your destiny. Time does not belong to you, it is a loan and sometime, perhaps before you are ready, the loan will be called in. It is said that “Time is Money.” This is not to be understood as meaning dollars and cents, but as something valuable to you. A drink of water is not cash money, but it is valuable to a thirsty man. The proverb “Waste not, want not,” is as applicable to time as it is to bread and meat,
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DON’T DECEIVE YOURSELF
DON’T DECEIVE YOURSELF
The man who shuts his eyes deliberately and walks toward a deep hole into which he falls, is a fool and does not deserve sympathy or help. But the man who deliberately deceives himself and uses false arguments to bolster up some bad habit, or shady dealing with his fellow men, is working dead against his conscience, and drifting down deep in the human scale. He is an object of contempt. You get the better of a man by some trick and say to yourself: “Oh, he would have done the same thing to me.”
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DON’T HIDE YOUR FAULTS
DON’T HIDE YOUR FAULTS
Confession is good for the soul. This does not mean that you are to go about and tell everybody what a bad man you are. If you do that, they will soon begin to believe you and keep away from you. Where there is smoke there is always some kind of a fire. When you are wrong, say so without hesitation. Nobody is perfect, and all men have their faults. In the business world every man wants to know every other man, then it will be safe to do business with him. But you can not know another without kno
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DON’T BE A PESSIMIST, BE AN OPTIMIST
DON’T BE A PESSIMIST, BE AN OPTIMIST
A pessimist is a man who has a constant grievance against somebody or something. He is forever standing in his own light, and thinks the whole world has picked him out to be the scapegoat for everything that is bad. He says: “Everybody and everything is against me and I can not succeed. It’s no use trying.” Before you give up to despair, friend, bear this in mind: You say you have not the same opportunities every other man has. You will not believe that if you stop to think a moment. The average
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DON’T BE A COWARD
DON’T BE A COWARD
It is cowardly to “dare” do a wrong thing when the right course would take real moral courage. It is cowardly to “dare” do a foolish thing to avoid being laughed at by “the other fellows.” It is cowardly, and vulgar as well, for a girl to let herself be drawn into a silly flirtation, a course that cheapens her own womanly nature and makes her the toy of the moment, just because “the other girls do it.” It is cowardly for a grocer to give short weight, put sand in his sugar or sell cheap substitu
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DO NOT SPEAK EVIL OF ANY ONE
DO NOT SPEAK EVIL OF ANY ONE
When you speak evil of another you assume the position of his judge and sentence him to punishment without a hearing. “Judge not lest ye be judged.” That is the inhibition, which is a command inasmuch as it contains a threat of punishment. When you speak evil of a man, you injure him if what you speak of him is not true and you make yourself a spreader of falsehood. You also injure his reputation which is not in your keeping but is his property. You steal something from him that is his own and t
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DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR PARENTS OR YOUR FAMILY
DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR PARENTS OR YOUR FAMILY
Every man is judged by his home life. What kind of a son are you? In answering this question which will be asked to determine your character, the only answer possible to insure favorable consideration is “a good son.” The home life of the nation and of the race is vital. If you are a home preserver or a home builder, your station in life is assured. To sum up the requirements you should stand upon the platform open to the eyes of all men as a good son, faithful brother, kind father, helpful frie
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Do Not Drink Alcohol Or Form Other Bad Habits
Do Not Drink Alcohol Or Form Other Bad Habits
Drink is the curse of the age, and it has been truly said of it “A man is a fool who will put that in his mouth which will steal his brains.” The habit of drinking intoxicating liquors is not a mere personal vice, it is public and affects every person belonging to or connected with you. Looked at from a business standpoint, it is a destroyer of opportunity, and undermines the most brilliant prospects in life. It leads to moral and physical death. If you hope to win you must not drink intoxicatin
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Do Not Be a Spendthrift
Do Not Be a Spendthrift
The man who squanders his hard earned money is an enemy to himself. By squandering money is meant expending it for something you do not need and which is of no value, use, or merit. “A penny saved is a penny earned” is a well known saying, also “Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves.” Don’t imagine it looks big when a young man is with his companions and throws his money right and left. Does he gain their respect? Never. They look upon him as a fool and while they ar
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DON’T BE A KICKER OR A KNOCKER
DON’T BE A KICKER OR A KNOCKER
If a man keeps on complaining about things in general and particular, he will soon be thrown out of decent society. Grievances and troubles come to every man in this world, and every man knows it without constantly repeating it. He has his own troubles, and does not care to be saddled with yours. This is a good old earth if you would take off your blue spectacles and look at it with your own eyes. Some men are so dissatisfied with things that there is no pleasing them, but if you attempt to take
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A GOOD WOMAN THE GLORY OF MAN
A GOOD WOMAN THE GLORY OF MAN
When God created Adam, it was found that he had no helpmeet, so woman was created to be his companion. St. Paul says: “The woman is the glory of man,” and still farther elaborating the idea of the helpmeet says: “Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.” That is as much as saying that the man and the woman must stand side by side in this world as companions and helpmeets toward the glory of the Lord. The Holy Scripture is full of allusions to good wom
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EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN
EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN
It can not be doubted that education is the father and mother of opportunity and success in life. You may know this from your own deficiencies, therefore, give those belonging to you a chance at opportunity and success by educating them. You bring helpless beings into the world; you see them growing up amid modern surroundings that demand education, and it can not be possible that you will permit them to become weeds in the human garden—useless incumbrances to be thrown out upon the garbage heap
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THE GOLDEN RULE, OR THE PRINCIPLE OF LIVE AND LET LIVE
THE GOLDEN RULE, OR THE PRINCIPLE OF LIVE AND LET LIVE
Life is a natural right in all men, and it is inalienable. “The Lord is not willing that any should perish.” Under our constitutions and laws, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are the inalienable rights of all men. No man has a right, under any sort of provocation to deprive another of his life, no more has another man any right to deprive us of life. There is an eternal balance in this right to live, and an eternal duty on our part to let our fellow man live. But there are indirect wa
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DON’T GO INTO PARTNERSHIP WITH “THE DEVIL”
DON’T GO INTO PARTNERSHIP WITH “THE DEVIL”
It may be true, as many contend, that every man has a personal devil within him that goads him on to do the wrong things at the right time. Any person who has that sort of a devil can easily get rid of him by the use of a strong will and determination. But outside of him, this “Devil” is quite an institution whose great aim seems to be to monopolize you and everybody else. The feature he displays is a willingness to go into partnership with you in your undertakings. He will make suggestions to y
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HONESTY THE BEST POLICY
HONESTY THE BEST POLICY
Honesty is a question of morals. The law demands that all men shall be honest, but the maxim says it is the “best policy” to be honest. To succeed in business or in any affairs where others are concerned, it behooves a man to be open and above board with every one. The truth is, that a dishonest man is not wanted in anything where there is responsibility, or where a loss may result through dishonesty. If a man is honest with himself, it is probable that he will be honest with others. In this res
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Do As You Would Be Done By
Do As You Would Be Done By
It is not an easy matter to do to others what you would they should do unto you, when they are not following this rule themselves. When Christ enunciated the Golden Rule in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7, 12, he announced what is the law and the prophets. “All things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” It is good morals and also contains a masterful business proposition. The reason is, because it is a moral precept, and men are inextricably mixed with mora
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Keep in Touch With God
Keep in Touch With God
The wisest man that ever lived says: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.” The basis of a moral life is the remembrance of thy Creator. With this in your memory you will be able to establish a moral character; without it you can not have a moral life. Below the nature of every man, the foundation of his nature, the everlasting rock upon which it is built, is God. He can not be ignored in any act, in any transaction. You may attempt to blot Him out, or cover Him up out of the sight
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Do Not Try to Succeed Without the Help of God
Do Not Try to Succeed Without the Help of God
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Proverbs, 3, 5. The Lord is a mighty power of strength to you, as He is to all mankind, and He invites you to make use of that strength. Human life is a poor and small thing without something to make it of great importance. That something is the Lord, and He is part of our lives, of every moment, and we can not drive Him out of it. Why? Because He created us, and will not permit one of His creations to be withou
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The More a Man Gains Wisdom the Nearer He Gets to God
The More a Man Gains Wisdom the Nearer He Gets to God
St. Paul says: “Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” There is a glory of man and a glory of God. The former is transient, but the latter is eternal, and is what all men should aim to see. “All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.” It is plain to every right thinking and reasoning man that we should seek that which is the best. We so act in all our business affairs, and why
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Do Not Violate the Laws of Nature
Do Not Violate the Laws of Nature
To violate any law is reprehensible, and in most cases is punishable. A man steals, and he is put in jail as a punishment for not letting another man’s property alone. It is his and you have no right to it, wherefore you are punished. But when you violate a law of nature, you are inflicting an injury upon yourself such as no wise man will do. All men were created for a special purpose, and every man who has reached the age of reason knows what that purpose is. It is a law of that man’s nature wh
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The Devil’s Work in the Home, in Society, in Business, in Politics, and in Every Walk of Life
The Devil’s Work in the Home, in Society, in Business, in Politics, and in Every Walk of Life
Misrepresentation, Lying, Stealing—Reputation Gone—The Soul Destroyed. Temptation, Drunkenness, Murder—The Trial in Court, the Sentence of the Prisoner, a Life Term in the Penitentiary, or WORSE. After that ETERNAL DARKNESS. Dissipation, Gambling, Speculation With Other People’s Money—ALL IS LOST. Suicide. Intimidation, Bulldozing, Brute Force, Vote Stealing, Ballot Box Stuffing, Bribery, Malfeasance in Office, Embezzlement of Public Funds—Impeachment, Political Death, Moral Debauchery, Disgrace
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INTRODUCTION.
INTRODUCTION.
Education is the highest test of a people’s capacity and the best measure of their progress. The ability of the Negro to become educated according to the highest standards of the times is one of the great marvels of the last half century. Never in the history of the world has any people met with such overwhelming opposition against acquiring such training as will fit them for the full duties of citizen, as have the Freedmen in the United States; never before has a people struggled as nobly and s
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THE EARLY TEACHING OF SLAVES.
THE EARLY TEACHING OF SLAVES.
There is striking proof of the high estimate which the more enlightened people of the country put upon the Negro’s character and capabilities in the enterprises for African colonization which were made so much of in the first half of the last century. An interesting feature of this movement was the union of benevolent people in the South with those of like mind in the North, and the harmony of spirit which long prevailed. With the teachings of the Declaration of Independence dominant everywhere,
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PRE-CIVIL-WAR PERIOD.
PRE-CIVIL-WAR PERIOD.
Although some of the early State legislatures passed laws providing for the supervision of meetings of slaves by white men, the more stringent laws prohibiting the assembling and teaching of Negroes were not passed until the period between 1830 and 1935. The immediate cause of the passage of these laws was a series of uprisings of slaves. The laws were enacted to prevent the slaves from reading the literature of the French and Haitian Revolutions and the writings of the abolitionists. While thes
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CHURCH SCHOOLS AFTER THE WAR.
CHURCH SCHOOLS AFTER THE WAR.
White church boards. —With these developments under the leadership of the bureau, the people who had maintained the previous operations began to turn their minds to schools of a higher grade; and at this point appear indications of denominational purpose. During the war, considerations of patriotism and humanity were dominant, and churches of every name united in the efforts undertaken; but, with the return of peace, missionary enterprise took into view the churches that were to grow up among th
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PUBLIC PROVISION FOR NEGRO EDUCATION.
PUBLIC PROVISION FOR NEGRO EDUCATION.
Public Elementary Schools :—The existence of the large number of private schools for colored people is largely explained by the inadequacy of the public schools. The inequality in the public schools for white and colored children is apparent to every one who visits the South. The Report on Negro Education recently published by the Bureau of Education, presents these inequalities in terms of salaries spent. The report shows that in fifteen Southern States and the District of Columbia, $42,510,703
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SCHOOLS MAINTAINED BY PRIVATE AGENCIES.
SCHOOLS MAINTAINED BY PRIVATE AGENCIES.
It is said that the deficiencies in the public expenditure for the education of colored people largely explain the active campaign for private and higher schools since the Civil War. These schools not only represent the effort of the colored people and their friends to provide higher training for their children, but also to make up for the inadequacy of the elementary public schools. According to the recent report of the Bureau of Education, there are 625 private schools for colored people in th
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INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS.
INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS.
By independent schools is meant such as are not connected with any public or denominational agency; but are under the direction and control of a general board of trustees. These trustee boards are usually composed of colored men, northern men and southern men. As a rule they are self-perpetuating—that is—the trustees themselves elect new members of the board to fill vacancies such as may occur through death or resignation. In number and income the independent schools form the most important grou
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SCHOOLS MAINTAINED BY INDEPENDENT BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
SCHOOLS MAINTAINED BY INDEPENDENT BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
Alabama: Beloit Industrial Missionary Association School, Selma; Calhoun Colored School, Calhoun; Corona Normal Industrial Institute, Corona; Centerville Industrial School, Centerville; Kowaliga Academic and Industrial Institute, Kowaliga; Montgomery Industrial School for Girls, Montgomery; Mount Meigs Colored Institute, Montgomery; Peoples’ Village School, Montgomery; Snow Hill Normal and Industrial Institute, Snow Hill; Street Manual Training School, Richmond; Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee. Flo
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WHITE CHURCH BOARDS MAINTAINING COLORED SCHOOLS.
WHITE CHURCH BOARDS MAINTAINING COLORED SCHOOLS.
The extent and character of the educational work done by the white churches are emphatic evidence that these churches have recognized the great opportunity for service in behalf of a struggling people. They have given their money to build and maintain the schools, they have sent their sons and daughters to teach in them, and they have rendered a service to humanity that is destined to receive recognition. The following table presents the more important facts concerning the schools under white de
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COLORED CHURCH BOARDS MAINTAINING SCHOOLS.
COLORED CHURCH BOARDS MAINTAINING SCHOOLS.
WALKER BAPTIST INSTITUTE, AUGUSTA, GA. Founded in 1888 by the Baptist Association. Now owned and supervised by the American Baptist Home Mission Society. It has 13 teachers, about 200 pupils, an income of $7,000, and property valued at $30,000. MAIN BUILDING, LANE COLLEGE, JACKSON, TENN. One of the best buildings in Negro schools. The institution was founded in 1879 by the Tennessee Conference of the C. M. E. Church. It has 15 teachers, about 250 pupils and property valued at $90,000. In the for
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OTHER AGENCIES INTERESTED IN NEGRO EDUCATION.
OTHER AGENCIES INTERESTED IN NEGRO EDUCATION.
In addition to the public, independent and denominational agencies maintaining colored schools, there are certain funds and associations that are deserving of consideration. There are educational funds, religious organizations and educational associations. The funds and associations interested in the education of Negroes in the United States differ widely in purpose and resources. Some are rendering a remarkable educational service not only to the Negroes; but also to the South and the whole Nat
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HOSPITALS AND NURSE TRAINING SCHOOLS.
HOSPITALS AND NURSE TRAINING SCHOOLS.
The changed conditions of modern life have occasioned a wholly new order of things for the care of the sick and disabled; and well equipped hospitals with training schools for nurses are now numerous, where they were almost unknown fifty years ago. This has led to the institution of hospitals for the colored people. These have been very necessary for the colored people, and also for the colored physicians and surgeons. There are now several thousand of these physicians and surgeons who have rece
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THE THREE IMPORTANT TYPES OF EDUCATION.
THE THREE IMPORTANT TYPES OF EDUCATION.
In the development of Negro education the various types or kinds of education have received much discussion and the conflicting claims of certain type of education have been ably presented by their advocates. Space does not admit of a full discussion of the conflict which has raged between the so-called “higher education” and the so called “industrial education.” The most notable colored men who have taken sides on this question during the past 25 years have been Dean Kelly Miller and Dr. W. E.
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CHILD’S FUTURE MOLDED BY EXAMPLE
CHILD’S FUTURE MOLDED BY EXAMPLE
Everything to a child is a model of manner, of gesture, of speech, of habit, of character. Let these models be of the highest type. If we would have fine characters we must necessarily present before children fine models. The model the child constantly has in his mind’s eye is the mother. She it is through the example she provides who sets the standard for the child’s future. The child comes into the world with its plastic mind open to all impressions and these it receives and retains by outside
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GLITTERING IMITATIONS A SERIOUS EVIL
GLITTERING IMITATIONS A SERIOUS EVIL
In the matter of dress, girls are more influenced by its grandeur than are boys, and the wise mother will do well to teach her daughter simplicity in everything. Never allow her to wear imitations of precious stones or jewelry. This is not only bad taste, but it is a bad habit to form. Many a poor girl has fallen from grace just through the love of glittering baubles. Teach her never to rouge her cheeks or use cosmetics. If Nature has not given her a perfect complexion, she can never get it by i
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GUIDANCE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
GUIDANCE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
While the imitation of dress and the lighter vanities of life are more indulged in by the girl, the boy also is a decided imitator in other weaknesses. A boy will imitate any quality which he thinks manly. Would that the points they imitate deserved this name, but most of the things they copy are those which will sooner or later, make slaves of them. How early we see the tiny tot of three or four years placing a piece of stick or anything which resembles a cigar, between his lips. Watch him puff
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GOOD MANNERS AND SOCIAL ETIQUETTE
GOOD MANNERS AND SOCIAL ETIQUETTE
The demeanor of a child is also a vast reflector of home training. You cannot always teach morals by imitation, but you can the custom of manners and social etiquette. In the primitive appetites of eating and drinking, imitation is a very strong force. How easily a little child will imitate the smacking of lips after some article of diet especially enjoyed. How easily he comes to use his knife in conveying food to his mouth, if he has seen this performance. How anxious he is to rush from the tab
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DIRECT YOUR CHILD’S ENERGY
DIRECT YOUR CHILD’S ENERGY
What are you going to do with such a child? Send him to a reform school, and ruin his life? Beat him until all the buoyancy has gone out of his nature? Keep him in after school until he becomes irritable and nervous? No, indeed! The best thing to do with a lively and unrestrained child is to set his energies in a safe and sane channel. Teach him field sports, open up for him the delights of the manual training room. Give him a hammer, a few nails, a bit of lumber, a paste pot, some cardboard. Bo
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KEEPING THE BOY BUSY
KEEPING THE BOY BUSY
Supposing the boy is not to be directed at once into the enchanting field of handcraft; supposing his mother has allowed him to run wild a little too long or has not noticed that he was evincing signs of lawlessness until the neighbors or teachers send home uncomplimentary reports, what’s to be done? Try another tactic. See if you cannot interest him in outdoor sports to a point where he reaches self-respect. Baseball will do, a bat and a ball may help him to rouse the best that is in your lad.
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ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE BOY
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE BOY
If your boy is mischievous, can you not make a merchant or a farmer or a gardener out of him? It need not be his vocation. Let it be his avocation, his hobby. Don’t shut him in, don’t keep him down; encourage him to come out along life’s highway and show the world the sort of stuff he’s made of. A very noble-minded woman of my acquaintance is suffering from the effects of having been constantly restrained when she was a child. She is in consequence, diffident, lacking in self-confidence, liable
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THE SOUL NEEDS SPACE TO DEVELOP
THE SOUL NEEDS SPACE TO DEVELOP
Instead, she accomplished not the dainty, refined model she set her unwise hands to, but an anomaly, an unwieldy statue with the helmeted head of Athene and the dancing body of Terpsichore. The mother can do much for her child, but she cannot put her soul into the other body. The child’s soul is its own. Inspirations and energies can be directed, that is all. The soul must grow; it must develop, and for this it must have a wide space. Do not bind the growth with a too compelling hand. Let cooper
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HOME THE PLACE FOR STUDY
HOME THE PLACE FOR STUDY
We know of no more appropriate place for the practical beginning of this most important duty than in the home. The influence of the parents’ character upon the children cannot be estimated. Everything that we come in contact with has a certain influence upon us. A man took a political paper only to laugh at it, but he read the same theories over and over until at length they became truths to him. As the constant dropping of water will wear away the stone, so will constant association have an eve
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IMPRESSIONS MADE BY THE EYE
IMPRESSIONS MADE BY THE EYE
The home is the true soil for the cultivation of virtue. Mere cultivation of intellect has little influence upon character. Most of the principles of character are implanted in the home and not in the school. Children are more apt to learn through the eye than through the ear. That which is seen makes a much deeper impression on the mind than that which is read or heard, and that which they see they will unconsciously imitate. Notice the little mannerisms of your children. It may be a way of wal
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THE HOME THE SOCIAL CENTER
THE HOME THE SOCIAL CENTER
The home is the center of social and national character and from that source issues the habits, principles and maxims that govern public as well as private life. Examples of conduct even in apparently trivial matters are of great importance, inasmuch as they are to become interwoven with the lives of others and contribute to the formation of the character for better or for worse. We have first certain implanted principles of involuntary action. They are the appetites which are tendencies toward
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APPETITE AS A FACTOR IN CHARACTER
APPETITE AS A FACTOR IN CHARACTER
The higher moral attainment rests in and arises out of the physical nature. The intellect and the moral structure can be no greater than the foundation will allow. The appetites are attended by an uneasy sensation which incites action. There is no moral quality in the appetites themselves, as can be seen in the brute, but in man with his higher gifts they become important factors of his moral character. They not only impel him to action, but bring him into relationship with the material world an
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STORY OF THE TWO BROTHERS
STORY OF THE TWO BROTHERS
The case is recalled of a young mother who had two sons, the younger of whom was a healthy, rosy little lad, while the elder was thin and delicate. The healthy boy ate heartily of all that was served him, while the delicate boy only ate choice bits of food and constantly indulged in sweets. The mother praised the healthy boy and showed her disappointment that the elder was not like his brother. Suddenly the family noticed the thin boy was getting stouter and they all told him how pleased they we
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APPETITE MAY BE ACQUIRED
APPETITE MAY BE ACQUIRED
We not only have the natural appetites but the acquired appetites, which are related to desires but in their action they are like original appetites. Artificial appetites may be inherited. This is especially true in the case of the children of the drunkard, opium taker and tobacco user. This is probably due to the effect upon the nervous system, and it is, as a rule, for the effect upon the nervous system that these things are taken. Or, they may be acquired by the individual’s deficiency of sel
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THE PERIOD OF “COLTISHNESS”
THE PERIOD OF “COLTISHNESS”
This disposition is always more or less present in children, and particularly so in youth. It would appear in the minds of a great many there is the necessity of a period of coltishness through which we all must pass, and during which there would seem no help for us but a free rein and copious mother-tears. As the world is growing wiser and better, and as we all are coming to recognize this improvement of conditions, these fatuous delusions are losing ground and now instead of it appearing “big”
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SUBJUGATION OF THE APPETITE
SUBJUGATION OF THE APPETITE
The appetites are not to be eradicated but to be restrained and kept in subjection to their proper ends. The desires are in many ways analogous to the appetites, hence the common expression we “hunger” and “thirst” for knowledge, or power, or any of the so-called six original desires—knowledge, society, love, power, superiority and possession. All proper desires end in their proper objects and seek nothing more. We may seek knowledge whereby we may control and elevate the natural qualities we po
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PROPER APPLICATION OF OUR DESIRES
PROPER APPLICATION OF OUR DESIRES
So on through the whole list of desires both natural and acquired, we have the benefits of their proper application and the sorrows and discomforts of their abuses. “Place even the highest-minded philosopher in the midst of daily discomfort, immorality and vileness, and he will insensibly gravitate toward brutality. How much more susceptible is the impressionable and helpless child amid such surroundings! It is not possible to rear a kindly nature, sensitive to evil, pure in mind and heart, amid
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SOWING SEEDS OF KINDLINESS
SOWING SEEDS OF KINDLINESS
Good and friendly conduct may meet with an unworthy and ungrateful return, but the absence of gratitude on the part of the receiver cannot destroy the self-approbation which compensates the giver, and we can scatter the seeds of courtesy and kindliness around us at so little expense. Some of them will inevitably fall on good ground and grow up into benevolence in the minds of others, and all of them will bear fruits of happiness in the bosom whence they sprang. Bentham says that “a man becomes r
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RESENTMENT AGAINST INJUSTICE
RESENTMENT AGAINST INJUSTICE
Then we have with the kindly affections the defensive affection—resentment, the spontaneous uprising of our natures against harm and injury. It meets impending danger in an instant—not only personal danger, but is present in our relations with others; as the mother repels harm from her child. The resentment against wrong and injustice should be taught as a righteous and noble attainment, but the abuses are equally dangerous. The mother will do well to explain to the child the different qualities
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THE JOYS OF CHEERFULNESS
THE JOYS OF CHEERFULNESS
Cheerfulness! How sweet in infancy, how lovely in youth, how saintly in age! There are a few noble natures whose very presence carries sunshine with them wherever they go; a sunshine which means pity for the poor, sympathy for the suffering, help for the unfortunate, and benignity toward all. How such a face enlivens every other face it meets, and carries into every one vivacity, joy and gladness. At the same time, life will always be to a large extent what we make it. Each mind makes its own li
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PRINCIPLE AND CONSCIENCE
PRINCIPLE AND CONSCIENCE
The true character acts rightly, whether in secret or in the sight of others. That boy was well trained who, when asked why he did not pocket some pears, for nobody was there to see, replied: “Yes, there was; I was there to see myself; and I don’t intend ever to see myself do a dishonest thing.” This is a simple but not inappropriate illustration of principle, or conscience, dominating in the character, and exercising a noble protectorate over it; not merely a passive influence, but an active po
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WILL DISTINGUISHED FROM CONSCIENCE
WILL DISTINGUISHED FROM CONSCIENCE
We have within us that controlling element or power known as the will which should be distinguished from mere impulse, and which gives us the ability of passing upon and determining suggestions made to our mind and of allowing or disapproving the thought or possible impulse which gives them use. Will is distinguished from conscience in that it marks the determination and lends the force which makes conscience potent, drawing us nearer to the perfection which self-denial and self-control create a
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DUTY BEGINS IN THE HOME
DUTY BEGINS IN THE HOME
Duty embraces our whole existence. It begins in the home where there is duty which children owe to their parents on the one hand, and duty which parents owe to their children on the other. There are in like manner, the respective duties of husband and wife, of employer and employee; while outside the home there are the duties which men and women owe to each other as friends and neighbors. May it be borne in mind that the first seven years of training, in a child’s life, is of such importance as
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EVIL EFFECTS OF BAD EXAMPLE, ETC.
EVIL EFFECTS OF BAD EXAMPLE, ETC.
To spoil another’s life is almost as grave an act as to take it from him. Each one of us in a way holds the health and happiness of others in his keeping, and by bad example, ill-treatment or injustice may make life to some one so undesirable that death would be a pleasure. Many children have been made nervous wrecks by the mockery and cruel tricks of their companions, and many parents and teachers have had their health and happiness seriously impaired by disobedience and disregard. Life is fore
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LOVE, HONOR AND REVERENCE
LOVE, HONOR AND REVERENCE
He has then learned to join to pity those activities which constitute mercy. It will then be an easy matter for him to care for the sick and infirm, to see for the blind, to hear for the deaf and to walk for the lame. Let them lift the burden from the shoulders of the aged who have “blazed the trail” and made possible our present benefits. To them all love, honor and reverence is due. It is said, “old men for counsel, young men for action.” Necessarily, the old engineer who has been going over t
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CHINESE RESPECT FOR PARENTS AND AGED
CHINESE RESPECT FOR PARENTS AND AGED
We must confess that the Chinese hold a higher regard for their parents and the aged than we do. They look upon the Western custom of the son’s coming of age and going out into the world without regard to his parents, or they for him in many cases, as behavior fit for the brute and not fit for human beings. With them, as the parents are held responsible for the conduct of the child, so the child is responsible for the credit of the parents. All children cannot be clever or highly intellectual, b
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RESPECT IN THE SCHOOL ROOM
RESPECT IN THE SCHOOL ROOM
There is no surer way to teach a child to respect himself than to respect him. Trebonius, a great schoolmaster, upon entering the school-room was wont to lift his hat and say: “I uncover to the future senators, counsellors, wise teachers, and other great men that may come forth from this school.” There is no place where the respect of children is more potent than in the school-room. The teacher who so respects them, will in return receive that reverence and love which will make labor pleasure in
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LOVE AND REVERENCE FOR ONE’S COUNTRY
LOVE AND REVERENCE FOR ONE’S COUNTRY
We cannot impress too early on the child’s mind the love and reverence he owes to his country. The superior merits of her institutions should always be present in such teachings so that the child always would recognize the best under the flag which stands for his welfare and protection. Regardless of the respective merits of different governments, let none be greater than his own so that the child will learn always to defend and maintain the honor and dignity of his country. The essential condit
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CHILDREN SHOULD SHARE IN DUTIES
CHILDREN SHOULD SHARE IN DUTIES
Let the children share in the duties of the home. Even while very young there are many steps that a child may save the mother. Let them do the little things, such as bringing mother’s work basket or having something ready for father’s comfort when he comes home from the day’s work and care. Gradually, as they grow, let the tasks gently shift over to the young shoulders. It results by so doing in the mother always finding time to be the companion of her husband and children—and that they will app
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COURTESIES DUE THE MOTHER
COURTESIES DUE THE MOTHER
In this same manner the children can be taught that mother will remain happier and younger if she is given the assurance of their love and thoughtfulness by the occasional remembrance of a desirable gift, a book, or a pretty bouquet of flowers. They may be wild flowers, gathered by your own hands. So much the better. The little gifts of labor are so much the sweeter. Then there is mother’s birthday to be remembered by little offerings of love from the family. They do not remind her of advancing
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MOTHER SHOULD BE CONFIDED IN
MOTHER SHOULD BE CONFIDED IN
There is not much that can be achieved in the world without knowing conditions and requirements. So it is with the home. The family cannot enjoy the sympathy of the mother without giving her their confidence. The husband who confides his financial affairs to the wife will seldom fail. Let her know the amount and source of his income; let her feel that she is his partner and that a portion of his income is hers, and there will be little danger of financial failure or domestic unhappiness. A mothe
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THE DUTIES OF HUSBAND AND WIFE TO EACH OTHER
THE DUTIES OF HUSBAND AND WIFE TO EACH OTHER
The mother’s rights are real and comprehensive. They are something not to be disputed. Hers are the greatest in the family. These rights her children may not in early youth be able to fully realize, but these she must teach to them simply and must insist upon. She has rights, very clearly defined, to be accorded by her husband, and if he hesitates she is most unfortunate and he is most unworthy. Her dues from him are the greatest of all. They are the greatest in the world. If she has borne him c
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AS TO FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
AS TO FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
If there be anything a wife has a right to be fiercely sensitive about it is absolutely necessary money, according to the standard of living which may have been adopted. What wonder that she should feel grief and resentment when this money is doled out to her as if it were a “gift,” and not infrequently with grudgingness and reluctance and captious words! It is no “gift.” It is no concession. Except when beyond the ordinary requirements of living, within the limit of his means, no man ever “gave
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REGARD, PROTECTION AND CONSIDERATION
REGARD, PROTECTION AND CONSIDERATION
This matter of being placed under no personal obligation, even implied, is, however, but a specific illustration of one of the rights of a good wife. Her rights are first in all directions. Her rights include the utmost limit of protection and consideration and regard from all about her, and they are granted readily in the household where affection and intelligence prevail. She should not be the one to think of her rights—the good mother rarely is—but those about her—the husband first and all th
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MOTHER THE HIGHEST TYPE OF HUMANITY
MOTHER THE HIGHEST TYPE OF HUMANITY
A broader right of the mother,—and this is one which she may with all propriety assert herself, as she is beginning to do wherever the best and highest thought prevails—is that she is looked upon by the world as being the highest type in example and in fruition of all humanity. She is the extreme of what God has made in human beings of the one who is carrying out, better and better with each age, the wonderful scheme of creation and evolution. She is no longer the mere beaten bearer of her speci
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HOME LIFE A JOYFUL OCCUPATION
HOME LIFE A JOYFUL OCCUPATION
In developing the intelligence of the children the home may be made a place of delightful occupation while they are becoming wiser. Every home should be equipped with a little working library of reference books, always accessible, including a Bible, a dictionary, an atlas and a good encyclopedia, if possible. Then there is something to do with. Nothing delights a child or a group of children more and nothing is more profitable to them, than a search for information on some doubtful or disputed p
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NEED OF CARE AND WATCHFULNESS
NEED OF CARE AND WATCHFULNESS
No, the work of rearing children as they should be reared is not so difficult, if there be care and watchfulness enough. Therein lies the need. Wishing lovingly and earnestly to do a thing is one matter; knowing how to do it is quite another. Constant, unfailing study and “thinking out” of things by a parent is a necessity. There are no two children in the world whose needs are just alike. If the question were generally asked, “What is the most important factor in the happiness of mankind?” spir
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THE HUMAN BODY AND ITS CONSTRUCTION
THE HUMAN BODY AND ITS CONSTRUCTION
Let us now look briefly at the construction of the human body and the duties which its various parts are intended to perform, after which we will take note of the methods of preserving health in general, and the diseases and injuries which must be guarded against. First, some explanations of the terms used in these connections: We divide all nature into three classes of objects, those belonging to the Animal, Vegetable and Mineral Kingdoms, and all things belong in one or another of these. They
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PROPER FOOD AND ITS IMPORTANCE
PROPER FOOD AND ITS IMPORTANCE
To keep all of these various tissues and organs in health, as has been suggested heretofore, we must be properly nourished by the most suitable food. It is of prime importance, therefore, to know the true value of foods in order that we may select wisely. To a higher degree than is commonly realized, our physical welfare depends on this matter. We are not speaking here of food for the sick, but of food for the well, not of special delicacies, but of the every-day food of the average household th
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CLOTHING AND ITS RELATION TO HEALTH
CLOTHING AND ITS RELATION TO HEALTH
Having considered thus briefly the matter of food and its relation to health, the question of clothing and personal hygiene now rises for attention. Besides serving for covering and adornment and guarding the body from injury, the use of clothing is to help in preserving the proper animal heat in spite of external changes. In health the normal temperature of the body, ninety-eight to ninety-nine degrees Fahrenheit, is invariable. In order that this temperature shall be maintained with the least
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THE BATH AND ITS IMPORTANCE
THE BATH AND ITS IMPORTANCE
The dirt of the skin and underclothing consists of the sweat and greasy matters exuded from the pores, together with the cast-off surface of the skin itself, which is continually scaling away. The importance of frequent bathing will be better appreciated when we remember what are the functions of the skin, and the amount of solid and fluid matter excreted thereby. The quantity varies greatly according to the temperature and moisture of the air, the work done, and the fluids drunk, but is probabl
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HOT WEATHER BATH SUGGESTIONS
HOT WEATHER BATH SUGGESTIONS
A good health preservative, especially in summer and in warm climates, is to sponge the body with water which contains a small amount of ammonia or other alkali. The ammonia combines with the oil or grease thrown out by the perspiration, forming a soap which is easily removed from the skin with warm water, leaving the pores open and thus promoting health and comfort....
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SLEEP AND ITS VALUE
SLEEP AND ITS VALUE
No general rule can be laid down as to the number of hours which should be passed in sleep, since the need of sleep varies with age, temperament, and the way in which the waking hours have been employed. The infant slumbers away the greater part of its time. Young children should sleep from six to seven in the evening, until morning, and for the first three or four years of their life should also rest in the middle of the day. Up to their fourteenth or fifteenth year the hour of retiring should
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VENTILATION OF BEDROOMS
VENTILATION OF BEDROOMS
Rooms which are to be slept in after having been occupied during a whole evening must be thoroughly ventilated before the occupant prepares for bed. Doors and windows must be thrown open for several minutes, the gas or lamp put out, and the air completely changed, no matter how cold it may be outside. This is the only way to obtain refreshing sleep. On going to bed the usual ventilating arrangements should then be followed, but the great point is to change the air thoroughly first....
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REGULARITY OF HABITS
REGULARITY OF HABITS
The importance of regularity and punctuality in every circumstance of daily life is not sufficiently realized. The more often and regularly any act is performed the more automatic it tends to become, and the less effort, whether mental or physical, attends its performance. This is a matter of daily experience and observation, and is true not only of mental work and manual or mechanical exercises, but of the organic functions of the body. Quite apart from the harm done by too frequent eating or t
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GUARD YOUR WATER SUPPLY
GUARD YOUR WATER SUPPLY
Water supplies differ greatly in purity and composition, and are of the utmost importance in their effect upon the general health of a household. There is nothing which requires to be guarded more carefully. Absolutely pure water is almost unknown. Rain water collected in open countries is the purest, though even it takes up matters in its passage through the air, and in towns may be strongly acid. All waters which have been in contact with the soil dissolve out of it numerous inorganic and orga
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HOW DISEASES ARE CLASSIFIED
HOW DISEASES ARE CLASSIFIED
In one sense most diseases are preventable, if all the circumstances which tend to spread them could be absolutely controlled by a single wise authority, and if all the physiological laws would be obeyed by all persons at all times. But as this happy condition is not in effect, we have to reckon with various kinds of diseases, as well as the accidents and injuries which come to us in health. The various diseases are classified into general groups. Endemic diseases are those which are constantly
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HOW TO PREVENT CONTAGION
HOW TO PREVENT CONTAGION
It is an undoubted fact that not enough attention is paid to isolation in times of sickness. There is too much visiting in the sick room, too many people share the care of the patient, the nurse mingles too freely with other members of the family, and there is not enough care to keep the soiled bedding, garments and refuse of the sick room absolutely separated from that of the rest of the house. Scarlet fever is a noteworthy instance of a disease which constantly spreads by carelessness. Just as
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CARE OF THE SICK ROOM
CARE OF THE SICK ROOM
Although it is quite possible that few may be able to follow every instruction or precaution advised to guard against the spread of diseases, we may at least outline the conditions to be aimed at and secured as nearly as possible. In spite of the additional labor that it makes, the ideal place for a sick room in a private house is as far from the ground as possible. To be of any service at all isolation must be real and complete. A room should be selected in the topmost story, the door kept clos
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DISINFECTION, ITS IMPORTANCE AND ITS METHODS
DISINFECTION, ITS IMPORTANCE AND ITS METHODS
There are few subjects on which greater ignorance exists, not only among the public but among medical men as well, than on that of disinfectants. The word is used vaguely to mean deodorants, which destroy bad odors; antiseptics, which prevent the spread of injury by putrefaction in a wound; and germicides, which actually destroy the bacteria or microbes which produce contagion in a disease. In some cases one of these may serve the function of another, but that is merely incidental. Deodorants ma
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PERIOD OF ISOLATION OR QUARANTINE
PERIOD OF ISOLATION OR QUARANTINE
A person who has had any infectious disease and has been thoroughly disinfected, with his clothes, may be allowed to mix freely with his fellows, in school, for instance, after the following periods. Scarlet fever: Not less than eight weeks from the appearance of the rash, provided peeling has completely ceased, and there be no sore throat. Six weeks is not enough, as there are cases of direct infection after seven weeks when all symptoms have entirely disappeared. Measles and German measles: In
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CARE OF THE PATIENT
CARE OF THE PATIENT
In all cases where the patient is too ill or forbidden to sit up in bed, a feeding cup with a curved spout should be used. The nurse’s hand should be passed beneath the pillow, and the head and pillow gently raised together. Where there is extreme prostration a glass tube, bent at a right angle, one end of which is placed in the cup containing the food and the other in the patient’s mouth, will enable him to take liquids with scarcely any effort. If the patient is in a state of delirium, or unco
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TEMPERATURE AND PULSE
TEMPERATURE AND PULSE
We follow Mr. Curran again in his clear statement of the importance of temperature in disease. Every household should have a clinical thermometer to use in taking the temperature of the patient in the event of sickness. The average normal temperature in adults is from 98.4 to 98.6 degrees. There is a daily variation of sometimes 1.5 degrees, the highest point being reached in the evening. Exercise, diet, climate and sleep cause deviation from the standard. Almost every disease, however, carries
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SIMPLE HOUSEHOLD REMEDIES, HERBS AND OTHERWISE
SIMPLE HOUSEHOLD REMEDIES, HERBS AND OTHERWISE
Those who live in the city, where a doctor can be summoned in a few minutes, if needed, cannot realize how important it is that the farmer’s wife should keep a supply of simple remedies on hand and know how to use them. It is a good plan to have an herb bed in one corner of the garden, where catnip, thoroughwort, camomile, hoarhound, pennyroyal, etc., can be grown. These are nature’s remedies and are often just as effective and always safer than strong drugs. Almost all kinds of herbs should be
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WHAT TO PUT IN A REMEDY CUPBOARD
WHAT TO PUT IN A REMEDY CUPBOARD
In every house there should be a remedy cupboard. We do not mean the ordinary medicine chest with innumerable bottles huddled together, but a well-stocked emergency cupboard, easy of access, and containing simple remedies for the many aches and pains of humanity. Such a medicine chest is considered by some as one of the most important pieces of furniture in the house. It should be more like a little cupboard than a chest. It may be made of a rather shallow box, fitted with shelves, and there sho
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HOW TO KEEP THE BABY WELL
HOW TO KEEP THE BABY WELL
Many young mothers are anxious to learn all they can about the physiology and hygiene of babyhood. Hours of anxiety might be spared them if they could only profit by the experience of those who have raised large families. Babies’ hands and feet frequently become cold in a room where older people are quite comfortable. This is sometimes caused by having the clothing too tight. Keep the temperature of the room as near seventy degrees as possible and have it well ventilated, but do not allow the li
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POISONS AND THEIR TREATMENT
POISONS AND THEIR TREATMENT
The treatment of poisons in general consists of the use of substances which, by combining chemically with an injurious dose, will neutralize, as acids with alkalies and vice versa; by solvents, which take up the poison, as olive oil with carbolic acid; and by emetics which produce vomiting and dislodge the poison. The stomach pump is also used, if available, to empty the stomach, and for some poisons electricity is used. If the exact poison is unknown it is best to follow a general plan of treat
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RATTLESNAKE BITES CURED BY SWEET OIL
RATTLESNAKE BITES CURED BY SWEET OIL
Few people know that sweet oil, the common olive oil of commerce, the salad oil used on our tables, is a specific for rattlesnake bites. Use both internally and externally. Give the patient a teaspoonful of oil every hour while nausea lasts. Dip pieces of cotton two inches square in the oil and lay the saturated cloth over the wound. In twenty minutes or less bubbles and froth will begin to appear on the surface of the cloth. Remove the square, burn it, and replace it with a fresh square until a
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RATTLESNAKE BITES—A FAVORITE REMEDY
RATTLESNAKE BITES—A FAVORITE REMEDY
A favorite remedy for a sufferer from rattlesnake bite, which proves very effective, is as follows: Iodide of potassium four grains, corrosive sublimate two grains, bromide five drachms. Ten drops of this compound taken in one or two tablespoonfuls of brandy or whisky make a dose, to be repeated at intervals if necessary....
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POISON IVY, OAK AND SUMAC-REMEDIES
POISON IVY, OAK AND SUMAC-REMEDIES
It is unfortunate that some of the most attractive plants that grow in woods, ivy, oak and sumac, for instance, are poisonous in their effects. They act differently, however, on different people, for some seem not to be susceptible under any circumstances, while others are poisoned by simple contact with clothing that has touched the noxious plant. The remedies likewise do not in every case affect people with the same degree of success. Various remedies are used in case of poisoning from ivy. Th
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BEE AND WASP STINGS—HOW TO SOOTHE THEM
BEE AND WASP STINGS—HOW TO SOOTHE THEM
A beekeeper advises those who are around bees should have a small bottle of tincture of myrrh. As soon as one is stung apply a little of the tincture to the sting, when the pain and swelling cease. It will also serve well for bites of spiders and poisonous reptiles. If an onion be scraped and the juicy part applied to the sting of wasps or bees the pain will be relieved quickly. Ammonia applied to a bite from a poisonous snake, or any poisonous animal, or sting of an insect, will give immediate
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BORAX FOR INSECT BITES
BORAX FOR INSECT BITES
Dissolve one ounce of borax in one pint of water and anoint the bites of insects with the solution. This is good for the irritation of mosquito bites and even for prickly heat and like summer irritations. For the stings of bees or wasps the solution should be twice as strong. Another Simple Remedy. —For bee or wasp stings bathe the part affected with a teaspoonful of salt and soda each in a little warm water. Apply the remedy at once after being stung. If this be used just after one is stung the
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HOW TO TREAT A SPRAIN
HOW TO TREAT A SPRAIN
In treating a sprain wring a folded flannel out of boiling water by laying it in a thick towel and twisting the ends in opposite directions; shake it to cool it a little, lay it on the painful part and cover it with a piece of dry flannel. Change of fomentations until six have been applied, being careful not to have them so hot as to burn the skin. Bandage the part if possible, and in six or eight hours repeat the application. As soon as it can be borne, rub well with extract of witch hazel....
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HOW TO TAKE SORENESS FROM A CUT MADE BY GLASS
HOW TO TAKE SORENESS FROM A CUT MADE BY GLASS
If one should sustain a wound by stepping on a piece of glass, as children frequently do, soreness and much pain may be avoided by smoking the wound with slow-burning old yarn or woolen rags....
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NAIL WOUNDS IN THE FOOT—HOW TO RELIEVE THE PAIN
NAIL WOUNDS IN THE FOOT—HOW TO RELIEVE THE PAIN
To relieve from the suffering produced by running a nail in the foot of a horse or a man, take peach leaves, bruise them, apply to the wound, and confine with a bandage. They give relief almost immediately and help to heal the wound. Renew the application twice a day if necessary, but one application goes far to destroy the pain....
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TURPENTINE FOR LOCKJAW
TURPENTINE FOR LOCKJAW
A simple remedy recommended for lockjaw is ordinary turpentine. Warm a small quantity of the liquid and pour it on the wound, no matter where the wound is, and relief will follow immediately. Nothing better can be applied to a severe cut or bruise than cold turpentine, which is very prompt in its action....
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BRUISES, SPLINTERS, CUTS AND BURNS—SIMPLE REMEDIES
BRUISES, SPLINTERS, CUTS AND BURNS—SIMPLE REMEDIES
The Best Treatment for a Bruise is to apply soft cloths wet with hot water, and if the contusion is very painful a little laudanum may be added to the water. To Extract a Splinter from a child’s hand, fill a wide-mouthed bottle half full of very hot water and place its mouth under the injured spot. If a little pressure is used the steam in a few moments will extract the splinter. Before Bandaging a Cut wash it thoroughly with some antiseptic solution. When it is perfectly clean bring the edges t
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BURNS AND THEIR TREATMENT
BURNS AND THEIR TREATMENT
Common cooking soda, as found in every kitchen, is a convenient remedy for burns and scalds. Moisten the injured part and then sprinkle with dry soda so as to cover it entirely and loosely wrap it with a wet linen cloth. Another convenient remedy for the same kind of injury, if you have a mucilage bottle at hand, is to brush or pour a coating of the mucilage over the entire injured part. The chief cause for pain from burns and scalds is their exposure to the air, and the mucilage coating will ke
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COLD WATER FOR ORDINARY RECENT BURNS
COLD WATER FOR ORDINARY RECENT BURNS
The best treatment for ordinary recent burns at first is cold water, which soothes and deadens the suffering. The burnt part should, therefore, be placed in cold water, or thin cloths dipped in the cool liquid should be applied and frequently renewed. In a short time, however, the cold water fails to relieve and then rags dipped in carron oil (a mixture of equal parts of linseed oil and lime water, well shaken before using) should be substituted for the water. When the treatment with carron oil
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TO RELIEVE A SCALDED MOUTH
TO RELIEVE A SCALDED MOUTH
To relieve a scald on the interior of the mouth from taking hot liquids, gargle with a solution of borax, and then hold in the mouth a mucilage of slippery elm, swallowing it slowly if the throat also has been scalded. The slippery elm may be mixed with olive oil....
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HOW TO BRING THE APPARENTLY DROWNED TO LIFE
HOW TO BRING THE APPARENTLY DROWNED TO LIFE
The bringing to life of those who are apparently drowned is something that should be understood by every person, for such emergencies may rise at any time or place when no professional relief is at hand. There are astonishing instances of revival after a considerable time has passed, and it is worth while to persist in the effort most energetically and constantly for a long time before hope is given up. The following rules for saving the life of those who are apparently drowned are made up from
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WHEN ONE FALLS INTO THE WATER
WHEN ONE FALLS INTO THE WATER
If a person who cannot swim falls into deep water, it is still possible in many instances for him to save his own life if he can keep his wits about him. Remember that one always rises to the surface at once after falling into deep water, and that the person must not raise his arms or hands above the water unless there is something to take hold of, for the weight thus raised will sink the head below the point of safety. Motions of the hands under water, however, will do no harm, for in quiet wat
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WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF SUFFOCATION
WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF SUFFOCATION
Suffocation from any cause may be treated in some details the same as apparent drowning. For suffocation from hanging, remove all the clothing from the upper part of the body and proceed to restore breathing in the way directed under the subject of drowning. Of course if the neck is broken there is no hope in this. For suffocation from gas and poisonous vapors, get the person into the open air, relieve the lungs of the gas and restore natural breathing in the same way as directed in case of drow
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HOW TO REVIVE A FAINTING PERSON
HOW TO REVIVE A FAINTING PERSON
In a case of fainting lay the patient on his back with his head slightly lower than his feet. Be sure that the room is fully ventilated with fresh air, and rub gently the palms of the hands, the wrists, the arms and the forehead. Sprinkle a little cold water upon the face and hold to the nose a napkin upon which spirits of camphor, ether, ammonia or vinegar has been sprinkled....
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SUNSTROKE AND HOW TO TREAT IT
SUNSTROKE AND HOW TO TREAT IT
In case of sunstroke get the patient into the coolest place you can, loosen the clothes about his neck and waist, lay him down with his head a little raised, and cool him off as promptly as possible. Cloths wrung out in cold water, applied to the head, wrists and soles of the feet, are the simplest applications. In severe cases of extreme prostration from sunstroke, the patient should be immersed in cold water, and even in an ice pack to get prompt results. After a little recovery is visible car
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FREEZING AND HOW TO TREAT A CASE
FREEZING AND HOW TO TREAT A CASE
In cases of severe freezing, when a person is apparently frozen to death, great caution is needed. Keep the body in a cold place, handle it carefully, and rub it with cold water or snow for fifteen or twenty minutes. When the surface is red, wipe it perfectly dry and rub with bare warm hands. The person should be then wrapped in a blanket and breathing restored if possible as already directed. It may be necessary to continue the treatment energetically for several hours. A little lukewarm water,
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THE EYES AND HOW TO CARE FOR THEM
THE EYES AND HOW TO CARE FOR THEM
Here are some simple and sound rules for care of the eyes, as formulated by a recognized authority on the subject. Avoid reading and study by poor lights. Light should come from the side of the reader, and not from the back nor from the front. Do not read or study while suffering great bodily fatigue or during recovery from illness. Do not read while lying down. Do not use the eyes too long at a time for anything that requires close application, but give them occasional periods of rest. Reading
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STYES AND THEIR TREATMENT
STYES AND THEIR TREATMENT
A stye is a small boil which projects from the edge of the eyelid, and is sometimes much inflamed and very painful. A poultice of linseed meal or bread and milk will soothe it and soften it. When the stye forms a head showing matter, pierce it with a clean, sharp needle and then apply some mild, soothing ointment....
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TO TAKE THE COLOR FROM A BLACK EYE
TO TAKE THE COLOR FROM A BLACK EYE
A black eye is usually caused by a blow and may be a very disfiguring object. If inflamed and painful wash the eye often with very warm water, in which is dissolved a little carbonate of soda. A repeated application of cloths wrung out of very hot water gives relief. A poultice of slippery elm bark mixed with milk and put on warm is also good. To remove the discoloration of the eye bind on a poultice made of the root of “Solomon’s seal.” It is often found sufficient to apply the scraped root at
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TO REMOVE BITS OF DIRT FROM THE EYE
TO REMOVE BITS OF DIRT FROM THE EYE
To remove dirt or foreign particles from the eye take a hog’s bristle and double it so as to form a loop. Lift the eyelid and gently insert the loop under it. Now close the lid down upon the bristle, which may be withdrawn gently and the dirt should come with it. Another Process. —Take hold of the upper eyelid with the forefinger and thumb of each hand, draw it gently forward and down over the lower lid, and hold it in this position for about a minute. When at the end of this time you allow the
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QUICK RELIEF FOR EARACHE
QUICK RELIEF FOR EARACHE
To relieve earache take a small piece of cotton batting, depress it in the center with the finger and fill up the cavity with ground black pepper. Gather it into a ball and tie it with thread. Dip the pepper ball into sweet oil and insert it in the ear, then putting cotton over the ear and using a bandage or cap to keep it in place. This application will give immediate relief and can do no injury. Another Remedy. —Take a common tobacco pipe, put a wad of cotton into the bowl and drop a few drops
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INSECTS IN THE EAR—TO REMOVE
INSECTS IN THE EAR—TO REMOVE
To destroy insects which fly or crawl into the ear, pour a spoonful of warm olive oil into the ear and keep it there for some hours by means of a wad of cotton batting and a bandage. Afterward it may be washed out with warm water and a small syringe....
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TOOTHACHE—A QUICK RELIEF
TOOTHACHE—A QUICK RELIEF
One of the best mixtures to relieve acute pain and toothache is made as follows: Laudanum, one drachm; gum camphor, four drachms; oil of cloves, one-half drachm; oil of lavender, one drachm; alcohol, one ounce; sulphuric ether, six drachms, and chloroform, five drachms. Apply with lint, or for toothache rub on the gums and upon the face against the tooth....
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DISAGREEABLE BREATH—HOW TO CURE
DISAGREEABLE BREATH—HOW TO CURE
Of course if the trouble comes from the teeth by decay, it is a case for the dentist, and if because the teeth are not properly and frequently cleaned, the remedy is a toothbrush and a good tooth powder. Bad breath, however, is frequently the result of low vitality or torpidity of the excretory organs, either the skin, bowels, kidneys, liver or lungs. Should one of these, the bowels, for instance, become affected, the others have more work to do. The lungs then have to throw off some of this was
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TO STOP NOSEBLEED
TO STOP NOSEBLEED
A correspondent in the Scientific American declares that the best remedy for nosebleed is in the vigorous motion of the jaws, as if in the act of chewing. A child may be given a wad of paper or a piece of gum and instructed to chew steadily and hard. It is the motion of the jaws that stops the flow of blood....
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HICCOUGHS—A SIMPLE CURE
HICCOUGHS—A SIMPLE CURE
A safe and convenient remedy for hiccoughs is to moisten a teaspoonful of granulated sugar with a few drops of vinegar. The dose is easy to take and the effect is almost immediate....
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FELONS OR WHITLOWS AND THEIR TREATMENT
FELONS OR WHITLOWS AND THEIR TREATMENT
A felon, or whitlow, although not very large, may become not only very painful but dangerous if neglected. The milder ones may be treated with hot water, cloths and poultices, and if matter forms may be relieved by a lancet. There are others, however, which, if neglected, gradually affect the bone of the finger where they form, and these need the attention of a surgeon as soon as they begin to be very troublesome. As soon as the finger begins to swell wrap the part affected with cloth soaked tho
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SIMPLE CURE FOR WARTS
SIMPLE CURE FOR WARTS
Oil of cinnamon dropped on warts three or four times a day will cause their disappearance, however hard, large, or dense they may be. The application gives no pain and causes no suppuration....
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CORNS AND CORN CURES
CORNS AND CORN CURES
Corns are always the result of continued pressure, such as wearing shoes too small or not properly fitted to the foot. At first they are merely thickenings of the outer skin, but in time they come to be connected with the true skin beneath, and even with the muscles. There are almost as many corn cures advertised and recommended as there are corns, and sometimes they all fail, but here are a few of the most approved: Soak the corn for half an hour in a solution of soda, and after paring it as cl
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BOILS AND CARBUNCLES—HOW TO TREAT THEM
BOILS AND CARBUNCLES—HOW TO TREAT THEM
Boils prove that an impurity exists in the blood, and the general health should be improved by means of careful diet and regular habits. The bowels must be kept open and regular, and the food should be simple, easily digested, and not heating. Poultice the boil from the beginning with bread and linseed meal mixed with a little glycerine or sweet oil. When fully to a head and ripened the boil should be opened and the pus drained out. Then dress the wound with some soothing ointment spread on soft
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THE PROPER WAY TO MAKE A MUSTARD PLASTER
THE PROPER WAY TO MAKE A MUSTARD PLASTER
The making of a mustard plaster may seem a very simple thing, yet there are few households in which it is properly done. Care and attention must be given the work in order to have the results satisfactory. A plaster should never be applied cold to a patient, the shock being too great. It should either be mixed with warm water or well heated after mixing. Strong ground mustard should be used, a little flour added, and the whole stirred to a smooth, thick paste with warm borax water, which soothes
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DANGER IN DAMP SHEETS
DANGER IN DAMP SHEETS
Among the dangers which beset travelers in strange hotels and elsewhere is the really great peril of sleeping in damp sheets. It is hard enough to secure the proper airing of linen and clothes at home. Unless each article is unfolded and its position changed until all the moisture has been driven out of it, it is really not fully dried. As a matter of fact heavy articles, such as sheets, are scarcely ever thoroughly dry, and when delicate persons, perhaps fatigued by a journey, seek rest in a be
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TAR AND TURPENTINE FOR DIPHTHERIA
TAR AND TURPENTINE FOR DIPHTHERIA
The vapors of tar and turpentine are of great value in the treatment of diphtheria. The process is simple. Pour equal parts of turpentine and tar into a tin pan or cup and set fire to the mixture. A dense resinous smoke arises which clouds the air of the room. The patient immediately experiences relief. The choking and rattle in the throat stop, the patient falls into a slumber, and seems to inhale the smoke with pleasure. The vapors dissolve the fibrous membrane which chokes up the throat in cr
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TO PREVENT PITTING IN SMALLPOX
TO PREVENT PITTING IN SMALLPOX
By careful treatment, pitting in smallpox may be generally prevented. One successful method is to dissolve India rubber in chloroform and then paint the skin, where exposed, with this solution, by means of a soft camel’s-hair brush. When the chloroform has evaporated, which it very soon does, a thin film of India rubber is left over the face. This relieves itching and irritation, and permits the patient to be more comfortable in addition to preventing the pitting. Another suggestion is to keep t
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MEDICAL USES OF WHITE OF EGG
MEDICAL USES OF WHITE OF EGG
It may not be generally known that there is nothing more soothing for either a burn or a scald than the white of an egg. It is contact with the air which makes a burn so painful, and the egg acts as a varnish, and excludes the air completely, and also prevents inflammation. An egg beaten up lightly, with or without a little sugar, is a good remedy in cases of dysentery and diarrhea; it tends by its emollient qualities to lessen the inflammation, and by forming a transient coating for the stomach
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LEMONS OF VALUE IN MANY USES
LEMONS OF VALUE IN MANY USES
Lemons have a very wide variety of uses. For all people, either in sickness or in health, lemonade is a safe drink. It corrects biliousness. It is a specific or positive cure for many kinds of worm and skin diseases. Lemon juice is the best remedy known to prevent and cure scurvy. If the gums are rubbed daily with lemon juice it will keep them in health. The hands and the nails are also kept clean, white and soft by the daily use of lemon instead of soap. It also removes freckles and prevents ch
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PAINTED WALLS BEST FOR SICK ROOMS
PAINTED WALLS BEST FOR SICK ROOMS
The walls of the room used for sickly members of a family should be painted so they can be easily washed. The painted wall is the only clean wall. A papered wall is an abomination where there is sickness, and a plastered wall can be made safe only by frequent whitewashing. But the painted wall may be washed with disinfectants when necessary, and when painted some dainty shade it is never a trial to sick eyes....
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VALUE OF PLANTS IN THE SICK ROOM
VALUE OF PLANTS IN THE SICK ROOM
It was once thought that it was injurious to the sick to have plants growing in the room, and science never did a kinder thing than when it proved the contrary to be true....
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TO AVOID CONTAGION IN THE SICKROOM
TO AVOID CONTAGION IN THE SICKROOM
If it is necessary to enter a sick room, particularly where there is fever, these simple rules should be observed to avoid contagion. Never enter fasting. At least take a few crackers or some such simple food before going in. Do not stand between the patient and the door where the current of air would naturally strike you. Avoid sitting on or touching the bed clothes as much as possible, and do not inhale the patient’s breath. The hands should always be washed in clean water before leaving the r
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LIME AND CHARCOAL AS DISINFECTANTS
LIME AND CHARCOAL AS DISINFECTANTS
Housekeepers are gradually being educated up to a more practical knowledge of the laws of sanitation, and are coming to understand that cleanliness consists in something more than scrubbing the floors and washing the windows. Hence the following hint: A barrel each of lime and charcoal in the cellar will tend to keep that part of the house dry and sweet. A bowl of lime in a damp closet will dry and sweeten it. A dish of charcoal in a closet or refrigerator will do much toward making these places
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CHLORIDE OF LIME AS A DISINFECTANT
CHLORIDE OF LIME AS A DISINFECTANT
Chloride of lime is a great purifier and disinfectant. One pound of it mixed with three gallons of water makes a solution which may be used for many purposes. To purify rooms, sprinkle it on the floor and even on the bed linen. Infected clothes should be dipped in it and wrung out just before they are washed. The lime without water may be sprinkled about slaughter houses, sinks, water closets and wherever there are offensive odors, and in a few days the smell will pass away. The odor of decaying
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HOW TO PURIFY FOUL WATER
HOW TO PURIFY FOUL WATER
Two ounces of permanganate of potash thrown into a cistern will purify foul water sufficiently to make it drinkable. This is the disinfectant known as “Condy’s solution.” It is used in destroying the odors in the hold of vessels, and for many other disinfectant uses....
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A WORD CONCERNING GOOD DIGESTION
A WORD CONCERNING GOOD DIGESTION
In a recent novel one of the characters—a woman, of course—is made to speak the following interesting sentiments about husbands: “The very best of them don’t properly know the difference between their souls and their stomachs, and they fancy they are wrestling with their doubts, when really it is their dinners that are wrestling with them. Now, take Mr. Bateson hisself; a kinder husband or better Methodist never drew breath, yet so sure as he touches a bit of pork he begins to worry hisself abou
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A PRACTICAL SPRING REMEDY
A PRACTICAL SPRING REMEDY
It is nourishing and helps to clear out the system, to give sulphur and molasses every night for nine days some time during the spring. Sulphur and cream of tartar may be given instead. This may be made into little pills, using a little molasses to form a paste, and each pill being rolled in sugar....
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CASTOR OIL—MAKING IT EASY TO TAKE
CASTOR OIL—MAKING IT EASY TO TAKE
Castor oil may be taken with ease if its taste be disguised. One way is to put a tablespoonful of orange juice in a glass, pour the castor oil into the center of the juice, where it will stay without mixing, and then squeeze a few drops of lemon juice upon the top of the oil, rubbing some of the same juice on the edge of the glass. The person who drinks the dose without delay will find the nauseous flavor completely covered. The French administer castor oil to children in a novel way. They pour
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CREAM OF TARTAR A MILD CATHARTIC
CREAM OF TARTAR A MILD CATHARTIC
Cream of tartar is a good laxative. Take a teaspoonful mixed with a little sugar in a cup of warm water at night. If it does not have the desired effect, repeat the dose in the morning. It will often work off colds and other maladies in their incipient stage....
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BOILED MILK FOR BOWEL DISEASES
BOILED MILK FOR BOWEL DISEASES
Boiled milk, taken while still hot, is one of the best of foods in almost all bowel complaints, and is very successful as a remedy. In India, where the climate produces many such ailments, it is in constant use for such purposes. A physician in practice there says that a pint every four hours will check the most violent diarrhea, stomach ache, incipient cholera or dysentery. It is soothing and healing to the whole digestive tract. No patient will need other food during bowel troubles, so that th
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WHEN TO EAT FRUIT AND WHY
WHEN TO EAT FRUIT AND WHY
If people ate more fruit they would take less medicine and have much better health. There is an old saying that fruit is gold in the morning and lead at night. As a matter of fact, it may be gold at both times, but it should be eaten on an empty stomach, and not as a dessert, when the appetite is satisfied and the digestion is already sufficiently taxed. Fruit taken in the morning before the fast of the night has been broken is very refreshing, and it serves as a stimulus to the digestive organs
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FOR FEVER OR SORE THROAT PATIENTS
FOR FEVER OR SORE THROAT PATIENTS
Put some ice in a towel and crush it until it is as fine as snow and of an even fineness. Then squeeze on it the juice of an orange or lemon, and sprinkle over it a little sugar. It is a very pleasant food for persons suffering with sore throat....
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WAKEFULNESS CURED BY LEMON JUICE
WAKEFULNESS CURED BY LEMON JUICE
The wakefulness that comes from drinking too strong tea or coffee can be conquered, says a household informant, by swallowing a dash of fresh lemon juice from a quartered lemon, placed in readiness on the bedside table, and taken at the time you discover that sleep will not come....
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FRUIT AS AN ANTIDOTE FOR INTEMPERANCE
FRUIT AS AN ANTIDOTE FOR INTEMPERANCE
A writer in a European temperance journal calls attention to the value of fruit as an antidote to the craving for liquor. He says: “In Germany, a nation greatly in advance of other countries in matters relative to hygiene, alcoholic disease has been successfully coped with by dieting and natural curative agencies. I have said that the use of fresh fruit is an antidote for drink craving, and this is true. “The explanation is simple. Fruit may be called nature’s medicine. Every apple, every orange
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HOME REMEDY FOR CONSUMPTION
HOME REMEDY FOR CONSUMPTION
Dr. B. J. Kendall, of Saratoga Springs, New York, urges the use of milk strippings in curing consumption. He says that milk strippings taken in large quantities immediately after milking, before the animal heat has departed, are the most potent remedy known for building up a poor, debilitated person who is suffering with consumption. “This was only a theory of mine years ago,” he says, “but now I know it to be a fact, for I have demonstrated it to be so. I wish to say it emphatically. If you wan
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STAMMERING CURED AT HOME
STAMMERING CURED AT HOME
It is said that stammering can be cured by this plan: Go into a room alone with a book and read aloud to yourself for two hours, keeping your teeth tightly shut together. Do this every two or three days, or once a week if very tiresome, always taking care to read slowly and distinctly, moving the lips, but not the teeth. Then when conversing with others try to speak as slowly as possible, keeping your mind made up not to stammer. Undoubtedly your teeth and jaws will ache while you are doing it,
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