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LUCY WARD’S SECRET,
11Y HELEN I'OItUEHT (WAVES.
"I’m sure I pity him,” said Miss
Marcia McGregor.
“So do I," said Priscilla Upping.—
“But, dear mo, what’s the use of
talking? Mon always have been
drawn in by a pretty faco from tlio
vory beginning of tliowoild. anti al
ways will lx.*/’
“What a consolation it mast be to
yon, Miss Prissy/’ demurely inter
posed roguish little chcrry-cheoked
Barbara Ingalls, “lint, you never
'drew in' any of tlio men !”
‘•lt is, indeed,” said Miss Priscil
la, sharply. "But I never saw much
to admire in Lucy Ward’s olivo faco
and great black eves.’’
“She is called talonted, too,’’ ad
ded Miss McGregor; "speaks French
ami plays the guitar. I should think
it a deal more sensible if sho under
stood plain sew'ng ami knew how to
cook a meal. And I wonder Walter
Marsden’s mother and sister hadn't
warned him against so much mere
Outride show.’’
"Hu’s poor, loo,’’ struck in Mrs
Jones. "Nothing but his salary from
tiro bank, and that isn’t much.”
“And she has only live hundred
dollars of her own/’ said Miss Kp
,piug. “Well, wo ad know the old
proverb, “when poverty comes in at
tlio door, love ilius out at tiro win
dow.”
All tliis time Miss Meg Jamison
2iad sat in the corner-of the "Sewing
Society’* room, stitclbiug di igently
iiway with her lips compressed, and
a world of meaning in her iaec. Bar
bara IngalL watched her with a
sparkling, amused smile.
“Do speak oat, Mi s Meg/’ she
i=atd, at last, “or you cer ainly will
Cave spontaneous combustion or
somothing equaly terrible! What
do you know that nobody else does ?”
“I’vo got a sister that lives across
the street from the house where Lucy
Ward boards,” said Miss Jamison,
mysteriously, lowering lier voic".
"Do tiiß,’ chorused the assembled
maids and matrons.
“And there ain't no shades to the
windows, nothing but Venetian
blinds/’ went on Miss Jamison, “and
every week Lucy Ward writes long
luttcrv, interesting ones they must
ite, too, .Mary Ann says, by the way
lu r face lights up as she writes. And
Bhc’il get up and walk about tlio room,
and pr-iss her hand over her tore
head, as if slio was a-pickiu’ and a
choosin’ the sweetest words. And
these lc-tt-ra, mind you, is for a
was!”
“llow do you know?" almost
shrieked Helena Travers, who had
“hopes” of Walter Marsdcn herself,
once before pretty Lucy Ward's star
crossed the orbit of her ambitions.
“Because I once picked up a bit of
a torn envelope in her room when I
was there fitting a dress for her, and
there was ‘Esq’on it!’’
"And docs Air. Marsdon know of
this correspondence?” breathlessly
'demanded Helena.
“You may rest assured ho don’t!”
nodded Miss Meg. “All, she’s a sly
puss, that Lucy Ward, with all her
soft looks and her low voice, and
her appealing ways Gut the poor de
luded men think arc so pretty ! ’
“Didn't I always say so?” cried
Helena triumphantly. “Haven’t T
declared from the first that I mis
trusted that girl ? Keziah Lamb,
that used to be music-tench m in the
seminary before Miss Ward came,
was a mature, reliable woman, who
wore gold spectacles and walked with
a crutch, and how the trustees ever
came to appoint this lliyaway girl of
nineteen, I don’t know! ’
“I think someone ought to let
Waller Marsdon know !” announced
Miss Epping, solemnly.
“I think everybody had a great
deal better mind their own business 1”
hazzarded Barbara Ingalls, who be
ing young and pretty hciself, made
common cause with the aspersed Lu
cy Ward. But nobody paid any at
tention to this remark,
“I’ll give Mrs. Marsden a bint!"
volunteered Helena Travers, with
tlio officious malice of a disappoint
cd rival.
And Helena was as good as her
word.
11l news is proverbially rapid in its
transit, and one evening when Wal
ter Marsdon came home from the
IF. A. SINGLETON. Ed and Prop'r.
VOL />.
bank, ho found his m ther with a
grave face,
“Put those (lowers in water for mo
mother,’’ said Waiter, with tho alloo
tiouatc imperiousness of an only son,
and he tossed a delicate bouquet of
tuberoses and heliotrope fringed with
scented geranium leaves into her lap.
“I want to take thorn to Lucy after
tea.’’
“Ah, my Son,’’said tho old lady,
solemnly, settling her spectacles on
her nose, “I’m afraid you’ve been
awfu ly deceived in Lucy.”
“Mother!'
The young man’s face became bo
white and rigid all of a sudden that
Mrs. Marsdcn started.
“Don’t look at me so, Waiter, ’ she
pleaded; “you surely cannot suppose
ih .t I have aught but your interest at
licai t V
"But tell me what you mean? I
insist upan knowing.’’
Ajid theil, piece by piece, almost
frightened at her own temerity in so
speaking, did his mother impart to
him tho precious morsel of gossip
with which sho had become acquaint
ed’
“Nonsense! ’’ cried Walt r, hotly;
“I don't bi Sieve a word of it.”
But although lie spoke honestly at
the tiiine, the iron corroded into his
very soul; the green-eyed monster
began to enter into tho pa rad is 3 of
his love-life from that moment thence
forward.
Was it true that Lucy was in cor
respondence with another man ? Who
was lie, and why did she so sedulous
ly conceal the fact from him? There
was nothing he so detested as mys
tery, and lie firmly be'icved there
should bo no such thing as a secret
between plighted lovers.
He carried tho tuberoses and he
liotropes to Lucy that evening, bat
the kiss with which ho gave them
was colder than its usual wont.
“Are you well to-night, Walter ?’’
the girl inquired, wistfully.
Sho was one of tho cream-skinned,
almond-eyed creatures that seem as
if they should have been born under
tho intense blue of an Italian sky,
and her voice had a melting, flute
like softness in its ring.
“As well as usu>d,” he answc’red
calmly, with his eyes fixed on a huge
potofolio which lay on a table in tho
corner of tho room, partially covered
with loose sheets of music. “I did
not know you were so much of a let
ter writer, Lucy.”
”1 never write letters,” she an
swered; but as she detected the di
rection which his glance had taken a
deep crimson overspread her cheek,
anil the token was not lost upon him.
lie said nothing, however, but
took his leave as usual, inwardly re
sob ing to sound this mystery to its
lowest depth.
“I would rather live alone all my
life,” ha vowed to himiolf, “than
to wed a beautiful siren whom I could
not trust.”
Long after Lucy Ward deemed
that her affianced husband had re
turned to his homo, Walter Marsden
was pacing the opposite side of the
street, watching her shadow reflect
ed on the window blind as sho sat
writing. Anl, later still, 113. heard
the door open, and saw her, wrap
ped Irom head to foot in a water
proof cloak, and Bridget, the house
maid, at her side, issue from tlio
door, with a sealed packet in her
hand.
“It's awful kite, miss, nigh onto
twelve o’clock/’ pleaded the girl.
I know it, Bridget,” Lucy’s flute—
voice answered, “but the mail-box is
only at tlm corner of the street, and
I must post this to night. Air. Jef
ferson expects it, and I must not
disappoint him.”
11l an instant Walter had walked
across tho street and laid his hand
on Lucy’s arm, SJio recoiled with a
-/N IDE IVTOO JT3 -A.TIO FAMILY 3STEWSPAPJ3E,
BUENA VISTA, MARION COUNTY, GA„ AUGUST 18, 1880.
scream.
“Oh, Walter, how you frightcnc-d
tun! How—why nro you here?
What has happened ?’’
"Tell mo,” 110 hissed, in a voice oi
suppressed passion, to whom you are
writing ’ Tell me why you lied to me
to-night, in saying that you never
wrote a letter. Lucy, Lucy, I have
believed in yon as I would believo in
0110 of Heaven’s angels.”
"Believe in ms still,” she Raid soft
ly. “Look at iho contents of this
packet, if you will. I have been
writing a series of stories tor tho El -
derbrook Magazine, 0110 each week,
to furnish our house, when we wero
married, with the money I thus earn.
I wanted to surprise you, dear Wal
ter; was it wrong ? 1 knew that you
worked hard, and I longed to add
my little mite to the new house that
awaits us. That is all tho secret I
have kept Irom you, my future hus
band,”
Walter clasped her to Ids breast.
"Forgive me this once, my dar
ling,” he murmured, “and will
strive never again to prove so basely
unworthy of you.”
That was their first and last quar
rel; and .ii'iss Marcia McGregor,
Miss Priscilla Epping, Miss Meg
Jamison, and Airs. Jones were ml
disappointed in their hopes of a scan
dal. And little Barbara Ingalls tri
umphantly declared that the dear lit
t'o winged god of lovo protected his
votaries against all the old maids
and widows in creation.
A Hen’s Curious Hatch,
An exciiangc gives tlio following:
“A gentleman of Raleigh, of un
questionable veracity, relates a story
whoso truth he asserts to be above
par. For some tune past a licit of
his bail been conspicuous by hci
absence from the premises, and there
wore fears that she had been lost, —
These fears were very agreeably dis
pelled, however, on Friday, when she
made her appearance, singing in her
gayest manner, and stepping along
in her spright'iest .-tyle. Just behind
her were some diininutiue objects to
which she ever and anon gave her
undivided attention. Tho slowness
of their progress caused tho heu’
owner to rash out and see wiiat the
brood was this time. lie was aston
ished to- see tlio lien covering with
her wings twelve litila terrapins,—
soon she was reassured, and allowed
him to get a look at her treasures
The family were called out to see tho
wonder. ’The owner of the heu then
went back the way she had come and
found out bow the eggs were hatch
ed. A terrapin which had laid the
eggs, had deserted them, and the
motherly fowl concluded to sit on
them. This sli3 had done, and tHe
result was tho twelve young terra
pins.
CAST OFT FRIENDS.
There arc men and women in pub
lic life, whoso pathway is marked by
the remains of whilom friends whom
they have squeezed dry and dropped
like so many oranges. In po'itics it
is said of such a man that he has
kicked down the ladder by which lie
climbed. In literary or other walks
of life the human sponge often swells
up with the thought that, ho lias out
grown his humble friends of other
days. In private life, the self con
scious soul contentsbstjf with becom
ing more and more the centre cf its
little circumference, taking none with
its orbit who will not consent to re
volve aroud it and warmth for its en •
joy merits.
There has been many an noble
deflinitions of what a tiicnd is. Bco
pie of real individuality, strength and
sensitiveness doubtless have fewer
real friends than they are apt to think,
unless they have been cheerishing
unconsciously low ideals. But wlmt
ever friend may not bo, certainly that
sweet and noble term is unmerited
by one who, however geneiocs in
other direction, is selfish of himself.
801516 THE TOWN-
And Looking at tho Tall Folk.
Bill Arp Meanders Through the
City Observing the Sights and
Wallowing in tire Hospi
tality of his , Aomls.
Atlanta Constitution.]
Tis home where the heart is and
I’m glad my heart is hero—hero in
lhe bosom of my family, wh’ro a nu
merous and lovjely wife and offspring
cluster around me and give rua wel
come onco more to tlio dear and qui
et homestead. lam much obliged to
you and your people for their abun
dant hospitality. I greatly enjoyed
the chance, of diet which tho Mark
ham showered upon mo in all their
little dishes. I visited tho freo cat
tle show at the state-house, and for a
season enjoyed that too, but at last
I got lire.d. Tired of the noise and
confusion; tired of engines puffing
and cars a-rolling and drays a rum
bling and bands a tooting—tired of
seeing such an army of excited people
mid hearing ’em fuss and furno and
fret. Hero there is no tumult —no
troubled sea of anxious and excited
faces, but everything is calm, lovely
serene. The spreading oaks look
greener and give a more grate.ul
shade. Tho flowers are brighter and
the clouds take on more gorgeous
colors at tho setting of the snn. I
don’t think I could stand it to be pen
ned up in your high brick walls more
than a week at a time. The truth is,
I got awful tireil of walking on hard
pavements and marble floors. I can
walk ten miles a day over any farm
with more ease and comfort. But I
saw tho caldron boil. ,1 s%u* tho boys
carecling around and stretching forth
their arms in a riotous and tumultu
ous manner and breathing out fire
and fury and love and .devotion all
mixed up promiscuous. Air. Huff
and Mr. Miller saw I was timid and
said they would protect me and keep
the riots off, but one morning as I
ventured forth in tho carotin some
fellers from Paylding and Harris on
gathered mo and pulled mo around
amazin and swore by tho cntornal
that l should go. I thought at first
1 was about to be kidnapped or sent
to tlio chaingang but soon discovered
they wanted to ship 1110 off to Wash
ington as a member of congress.
“Oil Lordy," says I, “gentlemen
what have I been “doing, and what
will my,wife,Mrs. Arp,exclaim to the
like of this?'’ My old friend, Dr.
Newton, come up, rescued me, exam
ined mo for wounds and bruises, and
Newt. Tumlin rushed in with a shout
that rattled the window glass and
shook the old Markham to its foun
dations, and swore that before they
should sacrifice me upon my country’s
altar he would go t> Wa-hingtoii
himself. I’m grateful to him and to
all my old friends—grateful
I met my old friend George Adair,
and I know hj is a friend for he in -
vitcil me to his house to supper and
spoke so kindly of my family that I
told him 1 would bring Mrs, Hrp and
a passei of tho children down afore
long anil stay a week or so with him,
but I reoken wo will have to put it
off for a tim ', for George said they
were going off to the springs and be
sides his house was built for a small
family, but that •next year if he
had a good run of luck he was going
to buy a lot of Peachtree and put up
a house with 17 rooms just to accom
modate his friends. So I reckon we
will wait. Dr. Jim Alexander said
ho was trying to fix things so lie
could take me to his house and I reck
on ho will in the course of time, if 1
live that long, and I hope I will.
When I get used to Atlanta l think
I will iike her. Air. Miller says I
will. I'm going to send him some
green corn and potatoes right away
for I’m afraid that crowd will cat
out the city. Tim fact is they teed too
high anil give us too much. I wish
they would abolish them little hand
bil's, and just t< 11 the waiters to
bring us all a gentleman’s dinner,
and ho done with it. What do we
farmers know about alamode, and
sartor, and fricassee, and tho Jike of
that. I wunder what is tho matter
with them fellers who put towels un -
der their chins. Pitch says they
have got an nndorbit intho lower lip,
and can’t keep from.qulling their soup.
Wo have used ’em on tho children at
homo, but as we lay by l ho children,
wo lay by tho bibs too.
But I recon its just a fashion like
drinking ice tea. I remember that
ono night just after the war I took
supper at tho old Sasseen house on
Alabama strict and Fitch came in
his usual 'ively and hilarious manner,
and taking a scat by mo and John
Branson, called for some tea. When
the waiter brought it Fitch said it
waoeut according to scripture, lor it
was neither cold nor hot, and lie call
ed for another clip. That couie all
the same, and Fitch said as ho could
ent got it hot he.be doged if he did
ent make it cold, and so he sowsed
a lot of ice into it and that’s the ori
gin of ice tea, and now it seems to be
spread over the country right smart
ly. I mention this in order to do
justice to my friend, who has never
took out a patent nor made any
noise about his discovery. I saw
Fitch in your town. He looks hon
cster than he used to, for he lias
gone to farming. When I asked him
how many wives and children he had
his face brightened up as ho clapped
his hands together and exclaimed.
“Lots of ’em Bill, lots of ’em, and
my baby is a boy just four weeks
old,” and then there passed over his
countenance, as 1 thought, the shad
ows of a melancholy smile. Alas,
poor Fitch 1 Over fifty years old and
the crop in the grass. No Griffin
Star —no bank stock nor bonds nor
railroad shares. No niggers, no out
side incomo.no sineenre or sine qua
non No nothing but a wife, and
children, and laud, and its dig and
hoe and get up and go,
and toil and sweat, and worry
and fret, and day after day in the
same old way and night af'W night
—there is no respite i'dr one baby is
bawlin’ and another squallin’ and so
foi th, But, then, its all right I reck
on. Its all right, so go ahead old fel
low; I sympathize with you; my
heart goes out t > you as I see you in
assension garments in the lone hours
of the weary night pacing tho floor
with a dear little angel in your arms,
plaintively singing, “Oh, where shall
rest bo found.'’ Young men, take my
advice —get married, plant early and
lay by beforo the summer of lifo is
gone and the frost withers your cn
orgies, and when you will exclaim:
“Alas, I have no pfeasuo in them
Perambulating around this won
derin' city I looked down ono eve
ning from the balcony of the Kimbal
arcade and there I saw crowd
around Bob Tombs and an
other around Dr. Millar and
another around Joe Brown, while
little Alec was reciving Lis admir
ing friends in the spacious parlor of
tho hotel. Delegates were listening
to t’ e oracles of wisdom that flowed
from their eloquent lips. To curb’s
crowd were tumultuously pressing
him to run for governor and senator
and president and king, and after
awhile the general perched that they
were thirsty, and, like a good Sumar
it in, as he is took ’em all in for re
freshment. Joe Brown stood up
like a circus polo in the midst of a
score of worshipers and ever and
anon would whisper a few words of
consolation in a yeoman’s oar and
giving him a few gentle magnetic
pats on the right shoulder the work
was clone. Dr. miller discoursed in a
professional way about the body pol-
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION, $2 00
itic which he said was sorely afflicted
with cancers and wens and carbuncles
and ulcers and chronic sores S. S. S.
which they say means “something
sad and serious.” and ever ar.u
anon ho whetted his knife upon his
shoe ns though lie was about to ope
rate. Little Aleck seem calm, con
scious and serene. Whenever tho
the good old ship of stato is in dan
gerjlie comes with the lifeboat to save
tier pessengers from being wrecked
upon tho rocks and reefs and quick
sands, stretching forth his arms, ex
claims, “Come unto me, all yo who
are in danger —come unto me,’' If
he can’t’save the paity from destruc
tion, why I know what he can do.
He can burry it in the cave of the
prophet, nnd as lie looks upon the
coffin of the old whig party, exclaim,
“Shall these dry bones live ? Why
not.”
One day I slipped into the conven
tion and made myself as humble as
possible, I consider it a riotous
and disorderly body. Sometimes n
follow would get up and jubilate a
little, and then the laniack would j
boiler and shout and cheer lor two!
minutes, and I couldn't tell for the
life of me what they were cheering
about. Mr, Hacket, who is our so
licitor general, said that il he had the
concern at Cartersville he could get a
true bill and convict ’em put ’em all
in the ebaingang in fifteen minutes.
One man carvoted around like a kin
atie and said lie was a born dimocrat
and he was for hominy, but ho be
Uogond it he would vote for Colquitt.
Another feller said lie was for hom
iny too, but thin was nary hominy
here,and he hadn’t seen hiswife in four
days and lie moved to adjourn,
which I thought was a good motion,
that is unless the convention would
send for a feller’s wife in an emergen
cy, and bring her lo him at public
expense. Then a patriotic gentle
man got up and seemed to bo deeply
affected and almost dead for hominy,
and said lie had a list of twenty-tour
men who would make good govern
ors, and he moved that a committee
bo appointed to go out and select
one. When the list was read out I
perceived that my namcjwas left out.
I wanted to rise to a priveilege ques
tion. Jenks Jones felt just like I
did, and got up and had his name
put in. I saw about 40 men who
were mad as the dickens, and
wliiio Dr. Carlton may have
made twenty-four friend, ho made
five hundred enemies in tlie State. —
A wire grass delegate saiu lie was
nearly out of money and had quit the
hotel and gone to one-horse shebang
at fifty cents a day, where they lived
on bash, which dideni agree with him,
for it had too much hair in it for
hash and not enough for mortar, but
still lie wa3 for homffiy and was
gwine to stay here untell the leaves
dropped from tho trees and tho wild
geese flew over tho state hence in
their autumnal journey to the laud of
flowers. Another filler said ho was
a dimocrat and lie was for hominy
too, and he always went with the
majority when tho majority was
the biggest, but when the minority
was bigger than the majoiity then
he was tor the minority, as the case
may be, considerin’, that is, Mr.
President, you see the pint. Such
devotion, such patriotism, such
love of hominy I never saw, and I
will never see again.
How they finished up this busi
ness I don’t know, for I left ’em
alone in their glory and co no
home, Yours,
Bill Arp.
Tho daughter of Mr, I’roddy, of
Twelfth street, has returned to her
father’s house from a visit East, and
now the boys njoice over the Prod
dy gal’s return.
When some politicians arc weigh
ed they ate found wanting every
office in which there is a vacancy.
The Nioaragua Canal Coujosslon
Tho intoroeean canal concession
granted by Nicaragua to tho Amor
cun Provisional Society lm been rat
ified by tbo Nicaragua Senate and
published ns a law by the Republic,
It secures to the society the exclusive
privilege of constructing a ship ca
nal across the territory of Nicaragua.
Tho canal is to bo of sufficient di
mensions to accommodate steamers
of the largesl class used between
Europe nnd America, nnd the locks
are to be not less than 500 feet long
and 28 feet deep. Tho concor.sion is
f<>r 99 years from llio date of tl.o
opening of tho canal for general traf
fic. and at. the expiration of that pe
riod the Nicaraguan Government is
to take possession of the canal in
perpetuity, with the rialrt rearvi tn
the company to lease it for another
99 years. During ihe period of tho
concession the company is to have
the privilege of constructing a railway
along the whole or any part of the
canal; also, such telegraph lines as
it deems necessary for the constmc--
tion and working of the canal; and*
theso lines shall transmit public
messages free of charge. Tho Gov
ernment of Nicaragua will declare
tho terminal ports, an Vthe canal it
self throughout its length ti* he neu
tral, and that the transit iti case of
war between other powers and’Nicc--
ragna shall be uninterrupted. In
general, the canal shall be open to
free navigation of all vissel.4, provi
d'd they pay life dues and’ observe'
the regulations of the company.—
Troops of foreign nations and vis
sch of war wi# be nl'owed to fiass
through the canal under regulations'
of existing treaties. Vessels of war
belonging to oilier nations engaged in
hostilities with Nicaragua or any oili
er republic of Central America will 1
be rigorously excluded.
This concession, with all its ad
vantages and priliges, will apper
tain to a construction company,-
and is transferable only to tho
company which is to be organized
by the jProvisional Society, and in
no case can it be transferred to a
foreign government or porwer. It
is to be organized in the usual
manner of such enterprises, witli
its pridcipal office in New York
or elsnwhere, as it may doom most
convenient. Its designation will 1
be “Tbe Nicaraguan Shipscanal
Company.”— Scientific American.
Earthquakes and Volcanic Erup
tions;
Tho month of July has been char
acterized by seismic disturbances of :
more or less severity over many and 1
widely separated regions. In tho'
fore part of tbemontli an carthquako
at the island of St. George, one of
the Azores, resulted in the formation 1
of anew island, 600 yards distant,-
and about 18,000 square yards in ex
tent.
About tin same time, Sunday, Ju
ly 4'h; an unusuallyjscvere and wide
spread earthquake was experienced
in Switzerland. Several meters of
tho summit of Scliuebclberg,
near Quartcn, fell, overwhelming a
large forest. Two persons were kill
ed by falling structures.
On the 13th seismic disturbances
began in the l’hillipino Islands, and
continued for several days. On tho
21st an earthquake unequalled in se
verity since 1824, destroyed a largo
part of the city of Manila and killed
many of the inhabitants. Ail the
volcanoes of the islands were iu full
activity.
On the 20th New Hampshire ex
perienced an earthquak shock of con
siderable severity, but noticeable
chiefly as a symtoin of the prevailing
uneasiness ol Mother Earth. The
same may be said of the slight vol
canic outbreak at Vesuvius.
Dispatches from Panama, July IT,
speak of tho exceeding activity of
the lolig silent volcano Fuego, near
the city of Antigua. The heavens
for miles around were filled with
smoke and dust. The first outbreak
occurred on the night of June 29ih.
As seen from tho dick of the Pacific
mail steamer Wilmington, at a dis
tance of nearly 50 miles, the specta
cle was magnificent. From the high
est peak ol tho Fuego great columns
of flame darted up into the air to a
height of from 400 to 500 feet. The
surrounding country to the cast and*
south was illuminated by tho tre
mendous glare of the flames, while
to the northward nnd westward
the clouds of dust and smoke ob
scured the whole country.—Scentiuo
American.
Why duos a sculptor die one of
tho most horroblo deaths? Because*
lie makes faces and busts.
NO 48