362 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



civitas diaholi of the wealthy and the civitas Dei of the poor a sharp 

 distinction is drawn. The wealthy are declared to be sickly, discon- 

 tented and unhappy, spending their nights sleeplessly guarding their 

 treasure. They are wicked and cruel, and 'get their wealth by stealing 

 from the poor.' A girl of sixteen sums up the general impression in her 

 statement that 'A rich person never feels happy, they is always sad and 

 unhappy.' 'Them that is not rich is happy Always.' The attitude of 

 the great majority is that 'God don't leek rich folks.' 

 The following replies are typical of this sentiment : 



Girl, 11. Rich people is always sickly and poor people has good health. 



Girl, 12. No, because I would not be good to my little brother. 



Boy, 15. No, I wouldn't do justice to every one. 



Girl, 15. No, I would not like to be rich because a rich person will not 

 enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I would rather be poor and be kind and gentle 

 in my manner. 



Girl, 16. I would not like to be rich for — 



I care not for riches. 

 Neither silver nor gold, 

 I would make sure of heaven, 

 I would enter the fold. 



Boy, 17. No, I would forget the Lord and put my whole heart and mind in 

 my riches. 



Boy, 20. I don't care to ever be rich. If I were rich it might come to me 

 to turn to the things of the world, and not on heavenly affairs. 



Bearing in mind that wealth in the Black Belt means merely a 

 decent standard of living, we must regard the religious ban placed 

 upon its accumulation as a positive encouragement of unthrift. 



The children's record of their expenditures for one week bears out 

 this conclusion. The average amount possessed by each of the twelve 

 hundred children, was twenty-five cents, earned by the majority in such 

 ways as gathering com and hay, sailing a boat, selling oysters, papers 

 and scrap iron, running errands and carrying packages, picking over 

 cinders and 'writing a letter for a lady.' It is difficult for the children 

 to account for the use of their money. 



'I spen it honest,' 1 spent it for things,' 'I spent it for my use' 

 indicate, not reluctance to divulge private affairs, but the fatal facility 

 with which their money escapes them. Burial society dues,* school 

 material, car rides and clothing, including such elegancies as 'a backing 

 comb' and 'two yards of second moning' are among the expenditures 

 mentioned. The largest item for expenditure is for dainties — candy, 



• The majority of negro children in the South belong to burial societies, 

 which, in consideration of small weekly payments, agree to furnish them a 

 funeral with certain desirable accessories, a hearse with plumes, a specified 

 number of carriages, etc. 



