AnthonyFosterPhD

At the close of my first school the scholars were all required to get speeches to recite the last day of the school. I had learned very well and had not got as far as baker in my spelling book and could read a little in my First Reader. So it was decided that I should have a speech. They had some little trouble to find one to suit me and a good deal more in learning it to me. I must make a bow before I began and one when I closed and must speak out loud. Now a little fellow who will do just as you tell him is a funny thing. So I made up my mind to speak it according to directions. You can see now how I am going to get into it. After a number of scholars had spoken, I was called upon to speak. I took my place upon the floor but felt a little nervous when the people all looked at me. They all seemed perfectly composed until I made my first bow, when a little blushing smile ran over the audience and the faces before me continued to redden while I spoke which reached its height when I made...

There are almost as many ways of being useful as there are people to be useful; and almost every one may be useful in some way if he desires to be. People are not always useful according to their ability. Some people who possess every means of being useful are perfect drones, and spend a life of idleness and dissipation that makes them a burden rather than a blessing to society, while others who seem to be cut off from every means of usefulness are a perfect blessing to every one they meet. It has been well said that the rich know nothing of the pleasures of the poor and I am proud to say myself that happiness is more equally divided than prosperity. And there is no pleasure like that of doing one’s duty under trying circumstances. I have known people who have cheerfully gone down into the very dregs of poverty and hardships that they might be useful to the dear ones who were dependent upon them for support and comfort. There is a virtue in necessity, and the person who apparently sacr...

There are but few things more trying on a child than writing his first composition. It usually takes him about a week to select his subject or rather to make choices among a dozen subjects already selected. The next thing after selecting his subject is to find something to write. He will dip his pen in the ink and sit and think while big thoughts pass through his mind, none of which seems to suit him, while he again and again dips in the ink. I seldom see a fellow fishing in the ink stand for ideas but I think of the city man who came out to the country to fish; he came as usual, well equipped with fine fishing tackle; he drove up to a nice pond and with a great deal of dignity arranged himself on the bank for fishing, he unrolled his line, sent his hook to the middle of the pond and waited for a bite. When the wind stirred the waves he would lift his line suddenly to see if he actually had a bite. A farmer passed that way and asked what he was doing. Fishing, sir, was the answer. Whe...

I was a little troubled at first whether to call it dangerous or safety line; for on one side of the line is safety and on the other side is danger. So it is a matter of some importance as to which side of the line we are on. When we used to play marbles we had what we called a “dead” line; if we fell beyond that line we were all right, but if we fell behind the line we were dead for that game. Now society has a moral line that people are expected to live up to if they wish to be respected; and all the good deeds and good qualities of life are on one side of the line and all the bad deeds and bad qualities are on the other side. So that we can easily see which is the respectable side of the line and also which is the safe side. And yet it is not always easy to keep on the safe side as some may think; surrounded as we are with the evils and temptations of life. It requires a great deal of moral courage to keep to the right. And yet the love of God, the hope of happiness, and the desire ...

A few days ago I had occasion to go to Mt. Washington, so early one morning I hitched up old Prince to the buggy and started. I will first tell you where I live so you may have some idea of my route. I live on the South side of Salt river, six miles east of Shepherdsville. The river was deep and the ford difficult, so that I had to go by the bridge at Shepherdsville. If you will go with me I will write in the plural and say we, as I do not like too many I’s, especially big I’s. After passing over a little rough road near our house we came out onto the county road leading from Shepherdsville to Greenwell’s ford. One of the first places we passed was Pate Swearingen’s. He owns and occupies his father’s old place. Following the decline in the road we came to James Ash’s; he is a blacksmith and runs a shop. Going on down the creek we crossed at a place commonly called Hecker’s ford. Up the hill a short distance we came to Ed Weller’s cottage home. Looking across the valley to the east ...

Now I suppose we must begin like grown up people, with a little poetry: I love my home, my happy home Where mother rules as queen Where papa’s lord of all around And everything is clean. Possibility looks mighty big in children’s corner and I tried hard to find a smaller word that would answer my purpose, but when we know the meaning of the word we will find that it is not a bad word after all. The Dictionary defines it as “the power of being or doing” and that is what we want to talk about. Many children who may read this are capable of being and doing wonderful things; in fact the human when developed possesses capabilities almost beyond limit. When God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul he entered upon a wonderful life. Possessing that spark of Divinity that made him akin to God, himself being created in God’s own image and after His own likeness thenceforth to be a living soul. How wonderful! Someone m...

We love the pretty springtime With all its buds and flowers It’s sunny slopes and grassy meads And sweet and sunny bowers Its orchards white with flowers bright With fruitful nest in store For it matters not how much we have We always want some more. Most children are good, and many would like to be better than they really are. Children generally possess a desire to be good, useful and pleasant, and we should encourage them in such habits. We should let them know that we appreciate their good qualities and actions. It will encourage them. I am not one to put a bad meaning upon every thing that children do. Inexperience may some time lead them into error, Then should be kindly advised and pass over the error as lightly as possible. In fact a little prompting in advance might save the child from many errors which would be better than fault finding afterwards. Many little children would like to know what is right and would receive any good advice gladly and profit by it. I believe that al...

Allow your boys and girls to subscribe to good magazines and to buy a new book occasionally. Have music of some kind and consider it a duty you owe your children to give them an education. If they have a talent for music give them music lessons if for drawing give them lessons in drawing; or if any of the arts, cultivate that talent to the best of your ability. If you would have the farm become a happy rendezvous have it well lighted; oil is much cheaper than to have your children wonder off, you know not where, for they will go where it is bright and attractive. Allow them to invite their friends to their home and assist in the entertaining. Do not call your children up at 4 o’clock to feed the horses or milk the cows; it does not make the morning very attractive for them, and in time they will dislike the farm. Give them time to live, and take time yourself to see a pretty sunset, a bright flower by the wayside or listen to the happy notes of the birds. Unless the farm home can be ma...

I was the oldest in a family of seven children, and after I began to arrive at the age of six years, it was a question of some importance as to how I was to be sent to school; we lived 1 ½ miles from the school house and no children came our way, so some plan had to be devised for me to have company. Now I had a cousin Joe who was a large boy and a fine manly fellow. So my Papa proposed to board him if he would go to school from our house and he let me go with him. He gladly accepted the offer. So the time came to go. I had looked forward to the time with a great deal of pleasure until the time actually came, and I began to feel curious about leaving home. I remember my Mama had fixed us a good dinner in a little new split basket. Fried pies, eggs, lean meat, preserves, etc., which was a great inducement to me (I being a greedy little fellow). Now my papa had supplied me with a new blue back spelling book in my hand and 7 nice marbles in my pocket and dressed in a nice clean suit that...

The weather has been so cold and the little ones have been housed up so much that I thought it would be nice to write a little especially for the little ones. I used to teach school myself and I always like children and still feel a great interest in them, and it is natural that my thoughts should turn to them during these shut-in times. Most children go to school when they can, and I think it would be nice to talk about school. In the first place we will give you a few little problems that might be interesting to you, (now all this is for the little children and we hope older ones will not criticize). Now for the problem: Suppose you are eight years old and Mama is 32 years old, when you are 32 how old will Mama be? Miss Susie has 26 scholars and she wishes to treat them on oranges at 24 cents per dozen, what will it cost her to give one orange to each scholar? Now for the little boys. Suppose you buy 2 dozen lead pencils at 2 cents each and sell them 2 pencils for 5 cents; how much ...

I recently discovered a trove of articles written by my Great Great Grandfather in 1907. I have been moved and humbled by his wisdom. I truly have a lot to look up to and to live up to in this man. I am grateful to God that I have had the privilege of getting to know him better through his writings and am inspired to apply his wisdom in my own life as a husband, a father, and a leader. All entries are from a local newspaper, The Bullitt County News, which ceased publication in 1911.

You left your home in glory To be made in the image of man So that your image within us Could come to understand That by your word the world consists Your word works and wonders exist Forever to endure For your mercy is sure. For your mercy is sure. You are the Word that was made flesh Incarnate God, Creator And every creature ever made Shall bow sooner or later Every planet, every star Every nation near or far Shall obey your sovereign will For at your fountain hearts are filled. For at your fountain hearts are filled. Hearts are filled when e’re they yield To the Lord who made the earth Christ created all the universe It declares His matchless worth Behold what manner of Love is this That sick sinners should become The chosen children who are His Adopted daughters and sons Conformed to the Beloved One You are the one who wrote our lives You are the one who ever guides The One on whom we cast our cares See the tablets of our hearts laid bare And from the depths of souls unbound Sweet ...

There are footsteps none can follow Lest they take them to the pit And the pathway there is broad as it can be. There is truth that some can’t swallow Cannot make good sense of it Yet it smells and tastes like pure reality There’s another path that’s narrow Very few will walk that way And this truth cuts to the marrow And will crush those feet of clay If they are found in darkness on that day. For this way it is a sheep-path And it’s trodden down and worn By the flock that has escaped God’s wrath It has left them shaved and shorn Devastated by the shears That cuts them off from all their fears They only cling to the shepherd now They only sing to the shepherd now Who will lead them home somehow. So lead us sinners home Lead us sinners home We follow the one true shepherd He is leading sinners home. For the shepherd laid his life down So the sheep may pass this way For the shepherd took his crown That His Father gave that day Love became a living offering In a Shepherd crowned a Mighty ...