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THE BAINBRIDGE WEEKLY DEMOCRAT.
VOLUME I.
BAINBRIDGE, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1872
NUMBER 40
The Weekly Democrat,
hraiMBtR
EVERY THURSDAY MORSIKC.
SUBSCRIPTION TERMS:
One Copy one year - - - $3 00
One Copy months - - - 1 50
grading Matter ®n Every Page.
A MUTUAL CONFESSION.
jjl WHICH GOSSIP IS EXPOSED.
BY R. D.
It was a lovely morning In Sep
tember, ami Mr. Percy Mortimer
an«l hi.s pretty young wife were seat
ed at breakfast.
The early sun streamed into the
bright, pleasant looking room, show
ing how neat and tidy every tiling
was; the snowy white table-cloth and
pretty china breakfast set. A vase
of flowers with their colors and fresh,
green leaves, occupied the centre of
the table, contrasting with the pol
ished silver cofl'ec pot, from which,
as our story opens, Mrs. Lottie Mor
timer was helping her husband to a
•cup of fragrant coffee.
Mrs. Mortimer was a petite, very
prettj, although a rather delicate
looking lady of about twenty, and
had been married about six months.
Mr. Mortimer was a young and
haudsome man, with brown, curly
hair, blue eyes, and a heavy mus
tache. lie had commenced business
Tor himself in Sew York, a few
months before his marriage, and re
port said he was doing very well,
indeed. His house, “Rose Cottage”
by name, was situated in Myrtle
avenue, Brooklyn, and had an air of
elegance and comfort about it that
betoken the wealth *nd prosperity
of its owner.
Mr. Mortimer finished his break-
last, glanced for a few moments at
the morning papet, and looked at
his watch.
“It is time I theuglit of going to*
the office, Lottie," he said, rising
from his chair.
“So late already, Percy," replied
his wife, with a look that plainly
said that she would like him to stay
a hub; while longer with her, ir pos
sible.
“Yes, indeed, dear, I must be off.
But I'll tell you what I will do. It
promisjps to be such .a lovely day, 1
will come home early this afternoon,
aud we will go for a nice drive down
in the Park. You arc looking pale,
Lottie, ami a little fresh air will do
you ever so much good."
“Indeed, Percy, I am feeling very'
well, but I shall enjoy a drive with
you very much, if it will not interfere
too much with your business.”
Thus it was arranged, and Mr.
Percy Mortimer put on his hat, and
stotJh at the door ready to leave the
house.
As he stooped to kiss his wife, and
wish her good-bye, there Was a fond
look in his eyes, and a tender tone
in his voice, that showed plainly that
the husband was still the lover; and
Lottie stood at the door watching
the retreating form of her husband
until he turned the corner of the
street and was lost to sight.
*****
“Let me press you to take another
cup of tea and a bit more of muffin,”
said Mrs. Tabitha Quigley to one of
her guests,*3 she was dispensing
the hospitalities of the tea-table one
evening. Mrs. Tabitha Quigley re
sided in Brooklyn. She was a maiden
lady of a certain age, and one of the,
most inveterate gossips of the neigh
borhood. Her chief pleasure was
derived from a tea-party, # which she
gave regularly oucc a week, the
guests being three or tour other eld
erly spiuisters of the same turn pf
mind as herself. She would doubt
less have been very indignant at the
accusation, but it was a fact, never
theless, that many a scandalous re
port and ugly rumor, without any
foundation in fact whatever, owed
their origin to these weekly gather
ings at her house. There was not
an incident that transpired in the
neighborhood that was hot fully dis
cussed, and events, trivial %nd
harmless in themselves, took quite a
new shape after haring been handled
by these sonjewhat ancient virgins.
^Irs. Quigley was generally looked
up t<£y her companions. She was
moderately rich, lived in a house of
her own, and was very free in dis
pensing the good things of this lift: to
her guests. She evidently thought
that the best way to their hearts
(and tongues) was through' (heir
stomakhs.
Her disposition was mean, her
temper none of the best, ami she al
ways took the worst view of human
nature. Her curiosity was unbound
ed, and her talent for scandal was
(as poor “Artemu3 Ward” would
say) “ekalled by few and exceld by
none.’*
By the time the prolonged tea was
over most of the current events of
the week had been discussed, and
most of the neighbors’ characters
had been demolished.
“Have you seen that beautiful
piano Mr. Percy Mortimer has just
bought for his wife ? It came home
on Wednesday, and must have cost
a heap of money, ” and Mrs. Brown’s
eyes lingered. lovingly bn the dainties
of the tea-table, as she gently swept
the crumbs from her lap.
“You don’t say so, Mrsi Brown.
Now I really do hope everything is
all.right at that house; but - it seems
to me Mr. Mortimer, lor a young
man just started in business, is fear
fully extravagant. Their house is
furnished elegantly. Now I wonder
if it is all paid for ? There will be a
smash up there some day; mark my
wjrds.”
1 ‘They do spend a power of mon
ey, surely,” said Mrs. Quigley, who
thought it her duty as hostess to say
something, “but I suppose Mr. Mor
timer finds it rather a hard thing to
refuse his pretty young wile any
thing.”
“Pretty? Why, Mrs. Quigley,
where can your eyes be ? Pretty! a
little'bit of a chit like her, with her
turn up nose and doll’s faccl” And
here the elderly ’spinster glanced at
a mirror that hung ou the opposite
wall.
“Well,” replied Mrs. Quigley, her
taste thus called in question, “Mr.
Mortimer thinks her so, anyhow.—
Why, they say there never was such
a happy couple.”
“llappy!” exclaimed Mrs. Brown,
in a derisive tone; “well, how some
folks arc deceived! Mind you, I shy
nothing, but I know perhaps a little
more than people thinks. Poor Mr.
Mortimer, I pity him !” Here she
turned up her eyes and signed. ^
Her hearers were at once all at
tention, for it happened that Mrs.
Brown lived nearly opposite “Rose
Cottage,” and might consequently be
supposed to be well posted in the
movements of the Mortimers.
Although Mrs. Brown protested
that she would not tell for all the
world, it was not long before her
hearers were in possession of all the
facts of the case, and probably some
thing more.
. Mrs. Brown’s communication,
shorn of all the comments of that
somewhat garrulous lady, amounted
to this: For the last month, about
an hour after Mr. Mortimer was in
the habit of leaving his house in the
morning to go to the city, a buggy
would be driven up to the door of
“Rose Cottage,” from which de
scended a gentleman who would'
enter the house aud remain there
about an hour or so. The door would
then open and the said gentleman
would come out, looking as pleasant
as possible, shake hands with Mrs.
Mortimer, and drive off. This would
happen two or three times a week,
invariably in Mr. Mortimer’s ab
sence. There was complete silence
among the assembled ladies when,
Mrs. Brown finished her recital; but
although the silence was complete,
significant looks passed from one to
the other, far more eloquent than
words.
“What sort of a looking man is
he ?” at length inquired some one.
‘ ‘Is he young and handsome ?” asked
another. t _
“He is a fine, handsome man of
about forty,” replied Mrs. Brown,
gratified at the sensation she had
created, “very distinguished looking
indeed,” and she added with unmis
takable significance, “the sort of a
man any woman would fall in love
with.” .
“Well, poor Mr. Mortimer.” “I
do pity him, I am sure.” “What
tools some men are, ” and other sim
ilar exclamations fell from the lips of
the ladies, and this new scandal was
the topic of conversation until the
tea-party broke up,
“Although I could not possibly do
it myself,” wore Mrs. Brown’s part
ing words, “I really.think it a duty
of some one to ope4 Mr. Mortimer’s
eyes, ami I do hope some one will,
for I han’t bear to seef such carryings
| od/ {
It site riot long after this subject
had been ventilated at Mrs. Quigley’s
that the report reached the ears of
Mr. Mortimer. At first he paid no
attention to it, whatever, but at last,
as the rumor was continually reach
ing him in one 3bape or another, he
made up his mind to speak to his
wife on the subject.
Before doing so, however, he was
determined to be fully conrinced.-r-
The course he had adopted to con
vince himself is not to be justified by
any means, still it was one that
would be sure to suggest itself to
many men.
One morrifcig he left the house as
usual to go to the city, but in about
an hour’s time he returned. As he
neared the house he was disagreeably
surprised to find that rumqr for once
was correct, for a buggy was stand
ing at the door of “Rose Cottage,”
from whence, in a few minutes,
emerged a gentleman, who, after
shaking hands with Mrs. Mortimer,
drove off.
Percy Mortimer’s first impulse was
to confront his wife and tax her with
the deceit. On the second thought,
however, he determined to go to his
office as if nothing had happened,
and have a full explanation with his
wife when he returned home in the
evening. >
Mr. Mortimer passed a very un
comfortable day. He was full of
doub';. There was some mystery,
and he almost dreaded to learn the
truth. His wife, whom he loved so
dearly, trusted so implicitly, did she
not return his love ? He could hardly
doubt it, and yet—these visits of a
stranger in his absence. What could
they mean ? His looks of anxiety
did not escape the notice of his bus
iness friends. He satisfied them,
however, by pleading a bad head
ache; a bad hcart-ache would have
been nearer the truth.
The moie he thought of the matter
the more he became perplexed; a
hundred conjectures passed through
his mind, and were dismissed as al
together improbable. How he got
through the day lie hardly knew, but
thb time at length arrived for him to
leave tne uiucc. m » K .
to do so, when his clerk brought in
a card and said a gentleman wished
to see him. Was anything ever so
annoying ? He glanced at the card,
“Dr. Rogers,” a name he had never
heard of. He impatiently told the
clerk to admit the gentleman, and
stood, hat in hand, determined to
make the interview short as possible.
, The gentleman entered the room,
and Percy Mortimer gave a start as.
his eyes fell upon the stranger. A
stranger ?• No! The maii who en
tered was n« stranger!
The interview lasted fo. some con
siderable time, and when at last
Percy found himself ou his way home
grief and great anxiety were depict
ed on his face. How thoughtful his
look, so changed from the light
hearted, happy man of yesterday. • ,
As he neared his home, and saw
his wife standing at the gate await
ing his arrival, it was with the ut
most difficulty that he forced a
smile, determined that his face
should be no index of his aching
hearh ' , ,•
Two days afterward “Rose Cot
tage” was vacated) and the neigh
bors learned that business had called
the Mortimers away to Minnesota.
This event caused considerable
gossip'in the neighborhood, of course,
Mrs. Brown insisting that Mr. Mor
timer had not gone to Minnesota at
all, but to Indiana, and that the
reason was obvious. Mrs. Quigley
hinted a debt, and the other ladies
each had something to say; fan from
the truth, but equally as malicious.
Soon after, however, some other
subject engrossed their attention,
and the late occupants of “RosC
Cottage” were forgotten.
Twelve months elapsed, at the end
of which the Mortimers returned to
“Rose Gottage,” much improved by
their trip. Lottie w^s no longer the
pale, delicate looking lady of twelve
months ago, but the picture of per
fect health, and Percy with his old
genial smile and ringing laugh was
again a happy man.
They were now seated in the gar
den where Percy was enjoying his
evening cigar, and Mrs. Mortimer
was supposed to be reading, for she
held r book in her hand. It was
evident, however, that her thoughts
were far away from her book, and
her glance would often settle on her
husband, who lay lazily watching the
blue wreaths of smoke as they curled
upward from his half-consumed
Havana.
“Percy, do yoa recollect the time
just before business took you away
to Minnesota, how pale and sick I
was looking ?” cnqnried his wife at
length.
* ‘Yes, darling, I remember it qnite
well.”
“Well, I have a secret to tell you.
Do you know just then I was quite
alarmed about myself, and, un
known to you, consulted Dr. Rogers,
a very old friend of mine ? He doc
tored me for some time, but nothing
did me any good until we went away.
I verily believe that trip has quite
cured me. Npw, .Percy, you are not
angry with me, are you, for keeping
this a secret ? I did not wish you
to know my fears; I wished to save
you pain.”
Was he angry ? Did he remem
ber ? Further, could he forget the
time, when almost doubting his wife
he learned the truth ? How his fears
were then aroused, not for his wife’s
honor, but for her life. Could he
ever forget that interview with Dr.
Rogers, when he learned that she
was threatened with that dreaded
scourge, consumption, and that her
interviews with the doctor had been
kept a secret from him to save him
pain ?
“Why, Lottie, I have nothing to
forgive. I am so happy to see yon
well again; and besides I have a
little secret to tell you, too. Do you
know why I took you to - Minnesota
last Fall ? It was because Dr. Rog
ers told me he was sure it would do
you good.”
Lottie’s eyes opened in astonish
ment. How she had been deceived 1
“Oh, Percy, I will never forgive
Dr. Rogers for breaking his promise
of secrecy to me. You did not go to
Minnesota on business at all, then,
but because yon knew everything
and the doctor told you it would do
me good ?” .
“Exactly so,” replied Percy, as
he bent down and kissed his wife.
Years have passed away, and the
Mortimers still live in “Rose Cot-
with the laughter of merry children.
.Although rich and prosperous, they
care not for the splendors of a ‘mar
ble mansion’ or ‘brown stone front’
in the aristocratic precincts of Fifth
avenue or Madi son square; butare
content to live in the pretty house
beneath whose roof they have passed
so many happy years in perfect har
mony and entire confidence, for Mr.
aud Mrs. Percy Mortimer have had
no more secrets from each other
since that evening in the Fall,, when
they made a ‘hnutual confession.”
The Waudei ing Sing-Singer.
The Memphis Avalanche gives us
the latest intelligence of the wander
ing Bard of Sing-Sing who recently
played upon his harp of a thousand
strings in Atlanta. The Avalanche
says: “That cheerful political pyro
technic, Sambard, has turned up
again. A few months ago he was in
Atlanta, publishing the True Geor
gian. It started as a Grant paper,
but in its last gasps advocated Hoff
man for President. The gods loved
it and it died young—very young.
Then we thought that the star of
Sambard had sunk to rise no more.
But it Vtas merely traveling in its or
bit) to return in due time, like Encke’s
comet. The other day Sambard
swooped down on Chattanooga, Ift
on a pile of types, and at once began
the Daily Herald, devoted to Grant
and the “eternal per-rinciples of the
Republican party.” We have always
felt kindly, toward Chattanooga. It
is a fine point to emigrate from. The
mountains up there first-class, and a
guest at on of the hotels can chew
longer on a given quantity oi beef*
steak than at any other hotels in the
country. There are thirty dentists
within pistol shot of each hotel, all
doing a splendid business. What has
the town done that it should be com
pelled to endure the baneful upas of
Sambard? We ask this with tears in
our eyes.”- _
An Affair of Hohor.
Yesterday our citizens down town
were on the qui vive in regard to an
affair of honor which was pending
between two lawyers ot this city. It
appears from what we can learn that
the difficulty grew out of a case in
Justice Elsinger’s Court, in which
one of them impugned the Yeracity
of the other. A written request was
made for a retraction, which was
met with a refusal, and the result
was a challenge and acceptance.
The place selected was the well-
known duelling ground at Screven’s
Ferry, and weapons chosen were
pistols—distance ten paces—and yes
terday at five o’clock the time ap
pointed for hostile meeting. As the
parties were about to be placed in
position the friends of the challeng
ed party stated that they could sub
mit a proposition which would lead
to an honorable adjustment of the
difficulty. After some parley the mat
ter was amicably arranged by a dis
claimer Qf the offensive language
which was the cause of the affair. The
parties returned to the city last even
ing about seven o’clock.—Sav New&,
Ithinst.
Agriculture.
A good farmer will never be sat
isfied with his farming until he sees
his land growing better every year.
Hog hair is recommended for
hens’ nests by a correspondent of
the World. He says hens setting in
these nests have never been infested
with jlice. Hen lice in hogs hair
won’t stay.
It is thought that ten million
acres of woodland are swept off eve-
ery year in this country. The Amer
ican Agriculturist says that the
country, for its highest productive
ness needs one-fifth of its tfhole sur
face covered with forest.
Ground bone is mentioned by ex
perienced fruit growers as the very
best fertilizer for trees. Apply it
during the winter and see that you
get that which is not too fine. Pow
dered bone is best for grain, but for
trees it should not be ground fine.
Use op Lime.—It is a good plar.
for all fruit growers to apply lime
freely in their orchards every two or
three years. A half bushel to each
tree, or one hundred bushels broad
cast, per acre, will suffice. Light
loamy land will be the best benefited
by the lime. Shell lime is better for
for fruit than the usual stone lime.
Kneading B utter. ~*A great por
tion of the fine flavor of fresh butter
is destroyed by the unusual mbde of
ough kneeding for the removal of
the buttermilk and a subsequent
pressing in a linen cloth. Batter
thus pi epared is preeminent for its
sweetness of taste and flavor—quali
ties which are retained a long time.
,To improve manufactured butter,
we are advised to work it thorough
ly with fresh cold milk, and then to
wash it in clear water.
Speedy Growth of Radishes.—
The Acclimatization Society of Pal
ermo teaches that radishes may be
obtained at any season, and very
quickly, in the following manner:
The seed is to be first soaked for
twenty-lour hours, and then placed
in baps and exposed to the sun.
They will begin to germinate in
about twenty-four hours, and are
then to be set in a box filled with
well-manured earth, and moistened
.from time to time with lukewarm
water. In five or six days the rad
ishes will attain the size of a small
onion. To grow radishes in the
winter the box is to be placed in a
warm cellar, covered with a top, and
the earth moistened from day to day
with lukewarm water.
Dressing Mutton.-^Everybody
says that the oil which lubricates
wool is disagreeable to both taste
and smell. In slitting and taking
off the pelt) it is difficult to prevent
a contact of the wool with the flesh
along the lines where the skin is
first served, preparatory to it being
stripped off Tho accomplished
butcher cannot wholly prevent this
contact, and he therefore very thor
oughly scrubs the part exposed with
salaratus dissolved in cold water,
which wholly removes the disagree
able odor and flavor. The farmers
for a tong time, were not aware of
the necessity of such purgation,
which should be* applied at once, as
soon as the pelt, by the greatest ac
tivity can be removed. This done,
the meat is as free from the taint of
wool oil as the meat of any other an
imal. •
Deep Ploughing.—The monthly
report on the progress of scientific
farming on the Ogden Farm, near
Newport, R. I., under the direction
of Colonel George E. Waring, closes
with the following paragraph, as
printed in the American Agricul
turist:
In general farm matters .thwr is
nothing of especial interest. We
jog aloqg very much as usual, well
satisfied of the benefits of soiling,
and not especially dissatisfied with
our results in any respect, save that,
in spite of thorough cultivation and
heavy manuring, we still feel the ill
effect of the deep ploughing of about
ten acres of the farm in the autumn
of 1868. For ordinary crops it does
very well, probably much better, be
cause of the deep ploughing, but
about two acres of carrots planted
upon it wiff bring a very insignifi
cant result, because of the injurious
effect of the upturned clay on the
delicate and slow growing scedings.
. Use of Sulphur in Nests.—The
^powdered sulphur sold by druggists
is a cheap preventative of parasites
upon young chickens. After a hen
has been setting till well established,
sprinkle a small handfull upon her
eggs when she is off, and upon every
part of the nest, and for a little dis
tance all around it. Then when she
goes on, disturb her just enough to
make her bristle her feathers, and
then dust another handful down to
the skin upon her head, neck and
every part of the body not in contact
with the nest, and do not omit to.
put a pince under each wing. Then
when the chickens are hatched,
there will bo no vermin whatever to
leave the hen and gather upon the
young, as is frequently the case
when no precautions are taken One
thorough application such as we
have described will suffice.—Rural
Home.
WIT AND HUMOR.
Laps of time—old coat-tails.
What comes after cheese?—Mice.
Cash advances—attentions to a
rich widow. •
Ths tobacco cliewer’s music—spit
toon
Fee simple—Moncy # given to a
quack doctor.
The drunkard’s week is made up
of Thii’stdays.
Congressmen like corns are often
pared off.
JWWltg VT XXI ™
he only has’phtients.
• The breaking of both wings of an
army is a pretty sure way to make
it fly.
Why is a pig like a miser? Because
he is no good until he is dead.
A Doctor’s motto is supposed to
be “Patients and long suffering.”
’ The most warlike nation of mod
ern times is vaccination, because it
is always in arms.
What is the funniest ourglary on
record? When the man “bursts into
a laugh.”
You should always . keep your
horse fat, and never allow any lien
on him.
Next to busy bees, boot-blacks
fhrnish the brightest example of im
proving the “shining hour.”
A lady advertises herself as a
teacher for “persons of newly-ac
quired wealth and deficient educa
tion.”
Quadrat says he don’t mind the
nakedness the trees are putting on,
but he notices the corn is shocked.
Politeness is like an air cushion;
there may be nothing in it, but it
eases our jolts wonderfully.
A darkey says: “All men arc
made oi clay, and like meersbaurn
pipes aremore valuable when highly
colored.
If ihe seas were dried up, what
would Neptune say ? I really haven’t
an ocean (a notion).
Josh Billings says: It is a statistical
fact that the Wicked work harder tew
reach hell than the righteous do tew
get to heaven.
The minister who divides his dis
courses into two many heads will find
it difficult to procure attentive ears tor
all of them.
If you don’t look carefol’y after the
bits of your horse, you may some day
be looking after the bits of your wag
on.
“My daughter, yoa must never lis
ten to flatterers.” “Bat, pa, how can
r -ell that they are flattering unless I
listen?”
Doctor, what do von think is the
caase of this frequent rush of blood
to my head? “Oh I it is nothing but
an effort of nature. Nature, yoa know,
abhors a vacuum!”
A Wisconsin editor was called out
of bed one night to receive a subsci ip-
ticn; after that he cutup nights for
over a week, but the offense wm sot
reported.
Frightened Mormons, instead of seat-
iug any number cf new wives, are now
carefully concealing the somber of
wives they have.
A robber who was seized for steal
ing snuff out of a tobacconist’* shop,
by way of exensiag himself, said that
he was not aware of any law that for
bade a fuaii to lake snuff.
Do yon think, asked Mrs. Pepper,
that a little temper is a bad thing in
woman? Certainly not r> ma'am, re
plied a gallant philosopher; it is n
good thing, and »ho ought never' to
lose it.
A Michigan doctor who has been
arrested because his patient died, has
been acquitted on Ihe ground that he
did the best he'could, giving all the
medicines he know the names of.
An old.lady recently directed the
attention of her husband to a pair of
twins, remarking, as she d : d so,
‘‘How much these two children do
look alike, especially the one this
way!”
An old lady complaining of the bad
quality of u ham to tire provision
dealer, the latter assured her it was a
regular Westphalia. “That it is, in
deed!” exclaimed the dame, “and the
woist failure I ever had !”
A countryman in Savannah obser
ved a gang of darkies laboring on
the streets, each wearing a ball and
chain. lie asked one why that ball
was chained to his leg. “To keep
people from stealing it,” said the dar
key, “heap of thieves about here.”
The projector of a new paper at
Atlanta, Georgia, having declared
tbat-he will “condemn the wrong and
applaud the right,” the Era says the
task will keep him about as busy as a
school-boy with a hornet in his trous
ers..
Another bumble imitator of G.
Washington has appeared, A Michi
gander recently presented himself to
,the sheriff weeping, and said be could
not tell a lie—that he had cut down
ct: "¥Ho "sLVr'.lNoYd* ViiTrti' f fia
good to live much longer, and it is
probable that ho won’t.
An Englishman and Frenchman
had to fight a duel. That they might
have the better chance for missing
one another, they were to fight in a
dark room. The Englishman fired.up
the chimney, and, by Jove! he brought
down tire Frenchman! Whon I tell
this story in Paris, ooserved the poet
Rogers, I put the Englishman up the
chimney.
There is not much taste for the fine
arts among the press gang of Lonis-
ville. ’ The Courier Journal one day
intended to represent an ice gorge in
the Ohio River', by an illustration of
ihe sarno in the shape’of a wood cut.
The next day .the Ledger came out
and says the Cincinnati soup house iu
Chicago has been abolished. For par
ticulars see cut* Courier Journal tho
previous day.
BAINBRIDGE
SOUTHERN - MADE
CLOTHING.
NOEL GAINEY & GO.,
—FEELING—
That unless the Industrial Pursuits could
be sustained the country could never be truly
prosperous, have determined to manufacture
their ENTIRE STOCK in Bainbridge.
£3- they warrant their goods
CHEAPER AND BETTER THAN
THE EASTERN MAKE.
.And challenge comparison in Quality, Style
. * and Price. They also keep the
best quality of
SHIRTS AND GENTS*
FURNISHING GOODS,
Xf-A LIVE OP SHOPS AND HATS.^51
Appealing to the people of Decatur, we
say achieve your independence by building
up your own institutions. nich7 ly