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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