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'jiivnnnnh tribune.
Published by the Tamura Publishtex Oo.)
J. H. DKVEAUX. Mjlmaom* >
VOL. 111.
Uncle Seth and Emerson.
A man named Em'son, so they say,
Got off a party phrase one day,
About a chap—l don’t know who—
Who “builded better than he knew.”
In spite of Em’scn, now, I swan
He was built on a cur’us plan,
Accordin’ to a strange idee
That don’t at all resemble me:
In spite of all that I can do
I’ve builded worser than I knew.
I was a young and lazy lout,
But had my palace all planned out;
Its beauties never can be told—
Rosewood, mahogany and gold;
I tell you ’twas a sight to see,
With all its gilt an’ filagree;
But my real house scarce stops the rain,
An’ has an old hat in the pane;
I did the best that I could do,
But builded worser than I knew.
•
I used to build my stately ships
An’ launch ’em grandly from the slips,
An’ in my dreams did oft behold
Their freight of ivory an' gold,
Oh, they swep’ gran’ly roun’ the Horn,
An’ rode the ivhun like a swan;
But the real skip I set afloat
Was nothin’ but a leaky boat,
Without the scan test thread er sail—
I bale it with an old tin pail;
But for a fishin’ smack twill do—
I builded worser than I knew.
Yes, Mr. Em'son, very few,
Have builded better than they knew;
’Tis ten to one, how e’er we watch,
We’ll make a bungle an’ a botch.
It ain’t because I don’t know how,
But my han’ trembles so, I swow,
An my eye squints so bad, I vum,
I cannot set the timbers plumb;
An’ so it is my life all thro’—
I’ve builded worser than I knew.
[S. W. Foss in Tid-Bits.
An Inventor’s Romance.
My father was the master machinist
in the railroad shop at Summerville.
Our home was unpretentious, though
comfortable. My brother and I were
impressed with the idea that the height
of man’s ambition was attained when he
became a master mechanic.
Having been graduated from school
at 14, I was ambitious to enter the
Summerville Academy, where the higher
branches were taught and young men
were prepared for college. My father
could not afford it, as he had six mouths
to fill, and very capacious mouths they
were, to judge by the rapidity with
which they emptied the flour barrel. I
was quite a favorite with the principal
of the village school, and he recommend
ed me to Mr. Kemble, principal of the
academy, who wanted a boy around the
place to make himself generally useful,
for which he got tuition free. I was
soon installed as general utility at the
academy.
Charley Rawson and I formed the
primary Latin class, and we quickly
became fast friends. Charley and his
sister had been left orphans at a tender
age, and were adopted by a childless
uncle, whose wealth was to revert to
them. I envied his advantage in having
Judge Rawson to assist him when he
got stuck in his translations. Night
after night I plodded along unaided—
“ Romulus (Romulus) primus (first) do
coit (taught) Italos (the Italians) agri
culturam (agriculture).” And my
solicitous ma often threatened to ap
prentice me to an agriculturist if 1
didn’t go to bed. But I managed to
keep pace with my chum.
My holidays I spent with Charley,
making raids on his uncle’s potato bin
after tig tubers to roast on the river
bank, or in fi-hing. berrying or nutting.
In these latter excursions there was fre
quently a third party, my little friend's
sister Jennie, a joyous tomboy of 15.
who could run a race or jump a fence
with cither of ui. After a year of my
academic experience, I was rapidly
coming to understand the breach that
divided us socially, and raved more or
less at a fate that* ha I thrust me upon
the world without a silver spoon in my
mouth.
At the end of two years in the acad
emy, 1 concluded it was time for me to
go to work. Before the close of the
summer vacation I applied to the fore
man of the machine shop for a situation,
and surprised my father one day when I
informed him that I should be off to the
ship with him next morning. Well, I
put iu five years »t the trade, and at 21
had a good knowledge of it. Mean
while death had been reaping a harvest
in the old home, and it was now broken
up. I came to New York City, and se
cured a foremanship in Munzel’s shop.
I now turned my attention to invent
ing an improvement on the system of
packing boxes on the axles of car
wheels. With that problem solved, I
knew that a cool SIOO,OOO awaited me
from a syndicate of leading railroads of
the country. For five years I devoted
all my spare time to studying and ex
perimenting. If possible, I determined
to find a device that would supplant the
oil and cotton waste, and that would
overcome what engineers fear in the
‘•hot box.”
IL /
While at the academy I had been a
welcome guest at Charley Rawson’s. His
uncle and aunt were indulgent, and
Jennie and he and I might turn the
house upside down for all they cared.
Constantly thrown in Jennie’s company,
the result was that I fell head over cars
in first love, and after I had gone to
work I hung around the place evenings
like a spectre, in the hope of encounter
ing her. We were good friends, and
with my first week’s wages I bought her
a box of perfumery—three little bottles
of different flavors nestling in the blue
silk lining.
Some months after I had left school
Charley informed me that his uncle had
decided to send him to Princeton, from
which mstitqiion, by the way, he was
graduated in time. He then entered the
law office of Pearson A Co., in Phila
delphia, became a successful lawyer got
married, and was recently selected
county judge at Summerville.
The week following Charley’s de
parture Jennie was bundled off to a
young ladies’ seminary near the Quaker
City,, to get polished in French, music,
and painting. Before her departure we
had a long interview on the river bank,
where we had so often romped and
played. Jennie promised that she
would write me a long letter every fort
night. For a whole year she wrote
regularly, and as the time rolled by, her
letters seemed to grow in affectionate
assurances. At the end of that time
Jennie came home to spend vacation. I
called on her, and was received with
the same artless, unaffected greeting of
a year before.
It is unnecessary to remark that Jennie
had other admirers in her own set, and
some of them treated the young fellow
from the machine shop in a rather dis
dainful manner. I was over sensitive, I
suppose, but I swallowed my chagrin
like a soldier. Jennie’s young lady
friends who had big brothers ambit' jus
to bask in her smiles, were not slow to
express their surprise at my temerity.
The aunt became alarmed and con
cluded it was about time to step in and
prevent a mesalliance. Instead of Jen
nie, the aristocratic old dame received
me in the parlor one evening, and in a
mild but firm tone intimated that my
absence in the future from the Rawson
mansion would be highly appreciated.
I took the hint, but I met Jennie before
she returned to school. Between her
sobs she told me that both her uncle
and aunt had reminded her that she
was a young lady now; that she should
look among her own circle for young
gentlemen acquaintances, and, further,
that unless she cut all communication
with me th *y would cut her off with a
dollar. As a dutiful ward she had
promised to obey. IV) exchanged little
mementoes at parting and I returned to
the lathe.
One year ago I perf' cted my device,
which has been tested on several roads.
Competent critics pronounced it a suc
cess, and six months ago, in a compli
mentary letter signed by several rail
road presidents, 1 was informed that
1 would find a certified check payable
to my order in the trust company’s
office, as they ha 1 decided to adopt my
improvement.
HI.
In the past seven or eight years J have
met many charming and agreeable girls,
any one of whom would no doubt have
made an excellent wife; bid the ihiuiow
of the joyous, coquettish Jennie always
SAVANNAH, GA., SATURDAY, APRIL 21,1888.
intervened and seemed to whisper
through the mist, “Wait for me, Tom.”
Having made a profitable investment
of my suddenly-acquired fortune I de
termined to visit Summerville. I put
up at the best hostelry, which was not
a very pretentious establishment. I
called on my old friends at the machine
shop and one of them, who always
knew about the movements of every
body in the village, I invited to come
to my hotel as I wanted to see him par
ticularly. After hearing all the gossip
about the folks we knew I ventured the
query whether he ever saw Miss Raw
son.
I was delighted to hear that she was
still unmarried ; not surprised that she
was the belle of the town; not very
sorry to hear that her uncle and aunt
were dead. He assured me also that
Jennie jived in the old mansion accom
panied only by a couple of servants, and
that she devoted much of her time to
caring for the half-dozen poor families
of the place. Os course all the beaus
had consigned her to the shelf among
the old maids.
I had determined to see her, and now
I should discover whether memory of
me had au’ht to do with her celibacy,
I would not buy her love by telling her
of my good fortune, and if she accepted
me it must be as Tom Harrington, the
poor mechanic. The next evening found
me on the familiar doorstep. A strange
servant ushered me into the parlor and
took my card to Miss Rawson. I had
not long to wait when there swept into
the parlor my little Jennie, who had, in
deed, developed into a peerless woman.
I was embarrassed only for a second,
for with both hands held out she greeted
me in her old simple style: “Whyy
Mr. Harrington, I’m delighted to see
you.”
I could only seize her plump little
hands in mine and kiss them. After
some commonplace chat Jennie demurely
remarked that she hardly expected the
honor of a visit from me.
I could only stammer out in an inco
herent sort of way: “Miss Rawson,
since the day we parted you have never
been absent from my thoughts. But I
realized the gulf that separated us, and
tried hard to forget. It was no use;
the passion grew with years, and the
longing to see you so possessed me of
late that I could not resist the impulse
to come to Summerville. Only upon
my arrival here did I learn that you
were your own mistress; that you were
still unwedded, and I hoped to learn
also that your heart was still your own.”
“It is not my own, Mr. Harrington. I
lost it years ago, and so have refused
many tempting offers of marriage. It
is locked up in a little box and 1 have
lost the key.”
“Perhaps," I hesitatingly suggested,
“I might be able to open this mysterious
box.”
"We shall see,” replied Jennie; and
leaving the room for a moment she
quickly returned with a package, which
she carefully unfolded, and presently
revealed the silk-lined perfumery box
that 1 had so proudly presented to her
on the strength of my first week’s earn
ings.
“Jennie, are you willing to risk the
critici-m of village gossips, and accept
your old lover of the machine -hop’”
‘•fam, Tom, and will gladly share
my wca.th with you.”
“I have tested you, Jennie, and your
heart has the true ring. You have ac
cepted me without a dollar. But I have
not been iHe all these years. I have a
comfortable fortune equal to your own
to share with you. the result of laborious
stu ly,aided possibly by a little genius.”
I) .ring tire Christmas holidays there
occurred at an uptown church a pretty
wedding, with a limited number of
guests, and on a cross street that leads j
to Central Park, Mr. Harrington and
wife may be found in a delightful j
homo on their return from Florida
where they are enjoying a protracted
honeymoon.- ,N w York Sun.
The reading of romances will always
be the favorite amu- meat of women;
old, they peruse them to recall what
llity have es.pt-riencc‘l, young, b> italic- 1
ipato what they wish to experience
A Rat-Catching Serpent,
Two summers ago we observed one of
these small constrictors in an unusual
situation. One-half of his body lay ex
tended on the roof of a packing house
while the other half dropped through a
hole, and on the inside its bright eyes
watched the antics of several rats which
teased it as monkeys arc said to do its
bigger brethren. The snake swayed
slowly back and forth and twisted its
body in graceful curves while the rats
scurried around on the beams and gradu
ally drew nearer. Suddenly there was
a quick swing, the long body dropped
downward till only the tail lay on the
roof—there was a squsak of agony and
the snake pulled a rat from the rafter
and its body was swinging back and
forth while the rat bit and scratched
vigorously, but vainly. Gradually fold
after fold was wrapped round the ro
dent—then there was alternately a
swelling and contraction of the black
belt, and the rat gaped and died. For
some minutes the snake lay still, as if tc
be certain that life was extinct in its
prey, and then began to crawl back
ward through the hole till part of its
body again rested on ths roof. Thon
the head and throat unwrapped itself
from the body of the rat, a critical ex
amination was made, and by twist after
twist the prey was rolled back till thero
was room lor action. Then it caught
the head of the rat in its mouth and
swallowed it far enough to take a firm
grasp, after which the rat was released
from the coils and the snake crept back
ward, holding its prey in its jaws, and
finished it at its leisure on the roof. —
[Palatka (Fla.) News.
The Contagion of Yawning.
There Iris been an amusing discussion
lately in Paris on the subject of hissing
at theatres. It is interesting to note
that an attempt made in the last cen
tury to put a stop to the practice proved
a disastrous failure. The edict had
h :rdly gone forth, under the auspices of
the chief of police, when a first per
formance came off. A gentleman who
was addicted notoriously to hostile
demonstrations was “sandwiched,” by
way of precaution, between two agents
of law, and soon the curtain arose.
Every eye was directed towards the
inveterate delinquent; but, to the
general surprise, he’ sat still without
making a sign. Ere long, however, he
began to yawn, and soon the two police
men took to yawning in sympathy.
Their neighbors unconsciously fol
lowed suit, the contagion spread, and
in a short time pit, boxes and galleries
were yawning as they never yawned
before. Even the actors, with their
gaze fixed on the public could not resist
the example set them; and the unlucky
author had the misfortune of hearing
his most telling “hits” launched forth
amid a perfect chorus of yawns.
The embargo against hissing wa®
promptly removed, it having been found
by experience that a return to th? old
system w;«s infinitely preferable to the
new one inaugurated by the irrepressible
Chevalier de la Molier, who made a
perfect specialty of his demonstrations
against new plays at the Comedic Fra”.-
caisc and had particularly distinguished
himself by the uproar he create! at the
flr-t appearance of Voltaire’s “Tan
credo.”—[St. James Gazette.
A Ruth* Awakening.
She ha I been rhapsodizing about
Browning for nearly an hour to young
Mr. Waldo, and as she sat there in the
flickering firelight, shading h r eyes
with one shapely hand, he thought he
had never seen a fairer picture.
She was about to go on, when her
little brother opened the door.
• Penelope," ho .-ai l, “Can t I have
some of them cold beans you put away
to cat after Mr. Waldo goes home?”
New Y rk Sun.
Just Like His.
“I see a Lutto.de-.s bhirt adveiti- 1
here, John,” said a wife looking up
fr hi the paper, “Whit kind of shirt
• > that?”
“Juit like mm•■,’ was the reply.
And the wife resumed her reading.
(•1.25 Per Annum; 75 centa for Six Months;
< 50 cents Three Month*; Single Oopiss
| 5 -In Advanoe,
PEARLS OF THOUGHT.
The courageous swim, the coward
sinks.
Judge charitably and act kindly to
each other.
A wise man is not inquisitive about
things impertinent.
In order to show your grandeur don’t
reduce your fellow-being.
Silence is a field which is sowed by
one and owned by another.
No man can bo provident of his time
who is'not prudent in the choice of his
company.
One good act done to-day is worth a
thousand in contemplation for some
future time.
Whosoever spoaketh of another’s fail
ure with pleasure, shall hear of his own
with shame.
Talents arc best matured in solitude,
character is best formed in tho stormy
billows of the world.
Let friendship gently creep to a
height ; if it rushes to it, it may soon
run itself out of breath.
Manage all your actions and thoughts
in such a manner as if you were just
going out of tho world.
Thinking mon are always critics.
There is lut a short stop to take to
make a critic a stickler.
If one tells you that the world has
hardened his heart do not believe him; ■
he was born hard-hearted.
Order is tho sanity of the mind, tho
health of the body, the peace of the
city, tho security of tho state.
Many men claim to bo firm in their
principles, when really they uro only
obstinate in their prejudices.
Light as gossamer is the circumstance
which can bring enjoyment to the con
science which is not its own accuser.
Every man has his secret sorrows which
tho world knows not; and oftentimes
we call man cold when he is only sad.
«
A Moor’s i’alace in Morocco.
It was the. palace of the Moor, Atar,
into which wo were invited. Wo
stepped from th? cramped and dirty
street, incapable, one would havo
thought, of even hiding luxury or gran
deur, through an unpretentious door
way, and found ourselves at once at tho
foot of a broad staircase, broader, in
deed, th in the street from which it led.
We here conducted to tho central patio
of the palace, its floor covered with
tiles, and its walls with tiles and carved
woodwork. Tho Moor left no space
undecorated, and, where opportunity *
was given his woodwork was painted
with endless, changing design and
Arabic letter®, so suitable to symmetri- •
cal ornamentation. The wives had been
dismissed before our entrance and wo
saw that this court opened on to their
rooms, fitted with divan and couch.
Furniture in our sense was entirely want
ing with the except! »n of the divans and
many mat-; and carpetings, and, in tho
women’s apartments, large mirrors. No ■
pictures or portrait adorned th? walls
or were found in the carving. The ,
Koran forbids. lath- maslcFs apart- j
meets there was as little, and ra tho
balcony overlooking the garden, a
divan and tea tray were all that be- ■
tokene I habitation. Hallways led from,
these apartments into die long ojxm
b thioom with incrule>ides and shallow,
running w ter, and before reaching tho ■
garden we found oth< r rooms belonging j
to the master, with ojren courts and tow
ceili-.gs. All were alike ornamented in
graceful co;, v ntio.ial carving and pitt
ing and in colored tiles, so familiar in i
the Alhambra. These Tetuanesc retain ;
the scer?t of their manufacture and can :
til re-.r-.luce tbi- prismatic mjt.dlie i
ludre < : a u Jcolorcl surface.— [New ]
York Tm.es.
Taking a Fn-di Start.
• ( :r , ” sui I th? old man from the '
h- d the stair'#, “hasYt that young I
:i) in yet f
• i >.ir daughter isn’t here, sir,”
f< - . j rc«|»ouded the young man. “She
h at st ppcJiuto tho kitchen to fill
and Him the lump." [New York sun.Jn
NO. 27.