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The Detroit Writers' Guild 18600 Conant Avenue Detroit, MI 48234 |
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TITLE : Drops of GoldAUTHOR: Mrs. Maggie Anderson Buckingham, revised by Jacquelyn Caffey & Gwendolyn Watley. (1995)
ISBN: 1-888587-00-8 Price: $10.00 + ($2.00 shipping & handling) DESCRIPTION: A book of essays and comments written by a Black rural Mississippi school teacher in 1912. Recently revised to include family photographs. Publisher’s COMMENT: This book is full of wisdom. I was also amazed to discover that many of the same problems that plagued Black society in 1912 are still prevalent today.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface A Tribute To Our Grandmother A Biographical Sketch of Maggie Anderson Buckingham Be Something and Do Something Make Each Day Count for Something The Great Needs of the Negro Race Poverty-A Great Blessing The Habit of Gossiping Learn to Think What will Solve the Race Problem The Habit of Idleness Have a Mind of Your Own A Better Day Coming The Ignorant Preacher -- A Back-number Be What You Would Have Others to Be Our Possibilities Why We Should Read To Wives Little Drops A Brief History Of The Buckinghams Buckingham Photo AlbumWhy the Boy Failed How to Be Happy Be Yourself All Can Give a Smile Common Sense Why People Call Her so Nice How a Girl May Become Popular Skilled Labor Geniality Making a Practice of Love The Most Popular People Helping with a Word Things to Forget How to Get to the Top An Old Man's Advice to the Young How to Become a Christian Walking With God Our Duty to Uneducated Class of Our Race Choosing An Occupation About The Publishers
EXCERPTS: Poverty / A Great BlessingThe best thing that can happen to a youth is to be thrown out on his own resources. This seems to have a tendency to draw out his best energies, prevents him from being idle and lazy, and makes him a man or a woman, as the case may be. So be very thankful if you are thrown entirely on your own resources. Many of the men who have gained the highest success in commerce, science, and art --- the most brilliant writers, and most forceful orators, have been men who commenced life without a penny in their pockets. It may seem strange, but it is, nevertheless, a simple undeniable fact that poverty is often one of the greatest blessings one can have…. Learn To Think No race has ever become great without thinking, nor has any great victory been achieved without some forethought. We as a people must begin to think more, if we would compete with other races. The man or the woman who goes through the world without thinking will never succeed. The first great thing in learning to think is to bring thought under subjection to will. This done, the power to arrange ideas and to think systematically will come with it. Concentration and system are thus seen to be the chief elements of the art of thinking. Thought is the most practical and powerful of all the forces now acting on the globe. By it, iron has been taken from the mine and turned into every implement imaginable. By it, steam --- a giant with a hundred arms ¾ makes cloth, planes, bends and cuts metal, manufactures everything we need. It drives ships over the ocean and cars over the continent. Thought builds cities. It tells the lighting to run its errand, and the lighting --- an obedient fairy --- puts a girdle around the earth in forty seconds. Thought tells the sun to paint its pictures; and the sun in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America photographs everything we wish to see. Thought weighs the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance; takes for a measuring tape the distance between the earth and sun, and with that line measures the enormous spaces which separate the sun from the stars…. What Will Solve The Race Problems Much has been said about the solution of the Race Problem. One has said, "It will never be solved until the two races go together in battle, as no nation has ever achieved anything without the shedding of blood." Another says, "The Negro must immigrate," and still another says, "When the great mass of Negroes get wealth and become educated the problem will be solved." The latter concurs very largely with my opinion-with other requisites combined. When the great mass of Negroes get self respect, race pride, and integrity, and when the mass of our men learn to respect and value our women more and stop going on the cars smoking and drinking in their presence; when they let their word be their bond ---- make a promise and comply with it, and thus, get the confidence of the white race; when the great mass of the race put aside idleness and learn trades, and become business-like, and thus, convince the white race of their thrift and energy; and when the great mass of us get up on a higher level morally, intellectually, and spiritually. Then, and not until then, will the race problem be solved…. The Ignorant Preacher / A Back Number Before beginning to discuss this all important subject, it is well to note what class of preacher is termed the ignorant class. By this term, we do not mean the old, experienced, well-read pioneers who have done so much for Christianizing the world and rearing up churches to the glory of God, nor do we mean that class who has a pretty fair education backed up by good common sense; but we mean that class who has a very meager education or none at all, with no common sense, and whose only objective is to sway the multitudes by a certain little twang or moan in his preaching; one who takes many texts, but says the same thing about all of them ---- uses the same broken language. Now, there is no demand for this class of back-number preachers. The age demands an educated ministry. The ignorant preacher does little or nothing to forward the Master's Kingdom, and his preaching is non-effective from the fact that the pew is far in advance of him. His manner of preaching is simply disgusting. He will not fail to split his verbs. Also, his gesticulations in the pulpit are incorrect, and his howls and moans are out of reason…. To Wives A wife should have no secrets from her husband. You should trust him in all things. Bring to him your troubles and perplexities when you will, but never in the querulous spirit of complaint. Tell them over candidly and calmly, and seek his advice with that gentleness of demeanor which rarely fails of insuring weakness with help from strength. Do not tell him of every little petty annoyance. If you have greased your wrapper, or lost your thimble, or broken the kitchen lamp, don't harp on it. Such themes are not interesting to men, in general. If Mr. Jones has brought his wife a seal-skin sack, do not speak of it the moment your husband comes into the house. If he is cross, try silence. It takes two to get up a lively quarrel. Wear all your pretty dresses at home. Don't save all your best looks and behavior for company. Once it would have taken you two hours to get your toilet made to receive him; now you do not care whether you look pretty or ugly. You are married ---- your market is made ---- what does it matter how you look. Not long ago, we heard a lady much renowned for her elegance and style, make this remark, "I believe I shall marry Mr. L.. I do not care particularly for him, but I am tired of fixing up and keeping myself handsome. When one is married, it does not matter how one looks!" We think it does matter. Husbands are not angels. And in these days with our slack laws of marriage ties, and Free Love looming up in the background like a black demon of moral destruction, it frequently happens that faded and slatternly wives are neglected for younger and fresher women. Society pities the erring husband, and has little sympathy for the forsaken wife. We make no excuse for men of this description. We realize fully the wickedness of their conduct. But, while we are powerless to stay the increasing evil, we would suggest a remedy which the wife has always in her power. Let her make herself and her home so beautiful and attractive that the husband cannot stray from its safe shelter. Let the wife show him that his happiness is hers --- that she respects him and values his society above that of all others. Let her cultivate her mind up to his level. Let her read the newspaper and magazines of the day, so that she may, at least, know who is president. It is a well-known fact that silly and pretty girls, without an idea in their heads, attract and marry sensible men; for men are dreadfully afraid of blue stocking women before marriage. But, after marriage, every man is ashamed of an ignorant wife. One thing more. If you are a wife, never speak of your husband's faults to a third person. Of course, he has a great many imperfections. Everybody has. But they should be sacred to you and never remarked upon. Meddling friends cause full half the domestic misery in the world, and you should avoid them as you would the leprosy…. Note: The term "Blue Stocking Women" refers to girls who attended college. A number of all girl schools during Mrs. Buckingham’s time required their students to wear blue stockings. END:
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copyright 1996 Detroit Writer's Guild |
