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N )rtl| Qeorgiai],
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDA
BEIJTrON, G-A..
JOHN BLATS.
1-Ou per ananm 50 cents for six
ruouths, 25 cents forthree months.
“ wa y bom Bellton aie requested
to send their names with such emoauts o!
money a, they can pare, Yom See. ‘o $1
TWM THE night REFORE CHRIST*
. MAS”
BT EDO AR FAWCETT.
u 1 P al * volumes, by savage winds hurkd.
worid- ChriMuu * has the wild
Whrr»°,T 10 lts ,10ises th ® ll,tlc on cs hark
Whiu 1 • window looks forth on the dark.
Thoi the black w ” nk of the sk y
Thn snow “ Cloud paw hurrying by.
Fratn the cb4ldren shape form after form
n„“ { 4,0 wan va P°ry whirl of the storm;
» n ?. tbat ra’wp? mighty horses that prance;
n'i’i Allowing whales of prodigious expanse—
Ta hen’ < ,h *y dlsc m a sttange figure, whose back,
* oy the weight of a ponderous pack,
/ tre * niln « in front of him, plainer than day,
beard of Kr.s Kringle like blown ocean spray!
>h, happy voting dreamers, dream on as ve will I
merry St. Nicholas trudging to fill,
Through harsh wintry gusis, with benevolent tread,
The stockings you hang beside mantel or bed I
Hug fust your delusion, O soft dimple! arms,
Ann gain while you can its illusory charms 1
Too soon Will reality’s hand tear aside
rheswett vail of fancy whose filaments hide,
Like the blemish, deep-sunk in the rose’s red youth,
1 hat stern disappointment, life’s actual truth!—
*• n d yet, darling sealots, content in your creed,
t! ow Y**? 1 w C , ‘ e yourfate through the future, indeed,
If each disenchantment on earth left behind
Such a precious result as awakening to find
That in place of your Santa Claus, wrought from a
cloud,
V. as the love that engirds you, fond, vigilant,
proud!—
Ixire eager to bring, ere fthe morrow shall rise,
New mirth to your lauchter. new light to vour eves I
A Christmas Tableau Vivant.
BY WILLIAM H. BUSHNELL.
“Jerusalem!”
It was a favorite expletive of good
Deacon Parks when excitement got the
better of his usual placid way, and his
wife looked up iu astonishment as lie
came stamping into the house, slammed
the door after him and stirred up the fire
until the hickory blazed and roared like
an incipient volcano.
“Gracious! What is the matter now,
Job?” she exclaimed, pausing in her
baking operations, wiping the flour from
her hands upon her huge a}iron and
lowering her glasses from her forehead to
her nose to obtain a better look at her
husband and satisfy herself that he had
not suddenly lost his wits,
“Why, day after to-morrow is Christ
mas!”
■ ‘As if I didn’t know that! Haven’t I
oeen making preparations for it for
more than a week ? Catch me without
nimce-pies and fried cakes and cranberry
jelly and a great, bo’ancing turkey?” anil
she smiled complacently at the thought
cl the good things already prepared.
‘ ‘And I never thought of it until just
t:ow—been sc, busy, you know,” he
piuogized, r ,s if in reality he had been
guilty of s< jme great crime.
it don’t matter, Job; aiidb J.
wouiu’j't worry about it, for I have fallen
care o f everything for the blessed day
nl ' <4 Minerva will be home from teacliing
school. Poor- child! how she must suffer
this weather, sleeping in cold rooms
and like as not without a feather-bed
and—”
“It’s all her own fault, Hannah. The
good Lord knows we have plenty for her
and half a dozen more, and if she will
persist in wearing herself out in teaching
ttfier people’s brats, then—”
“What then?” questioned a merry
'voice, as a pretty, rosy piece of mischief
came bounding into the room, shaking
the snow from her long, golden curls,
and running up to her father, fairly
smothered him for a moment with kisses
and then darted away, laughing, to her
mother, twined her arms about her neck
and greeted her as warmly.
‘‘Jerusalem!” exclaimed the old man
ns soon as he could regain his breath,
though with his honest face flushed with
joy and his lips quivering with emotion,
for his daughter was indeed as the apple
of his eye and the one thing upon earth
altogether lovely.
“My dear, precious lamb,” whispered
the fond mother, through tears of happi
ness, as with busy fingers she removed
the jaunty little cap, furs, cloak and
gloves, “to think you have come safe
ly back to me once more and—” .
“Now,” interrupted thegirl, “I should
like to know what father was talking
about when I came iu.”
“So unexpected,” said the mother.
‘ ‘We did not look for you until to-mor
row night.”
“Oh, I had a chance to ride home,”
rgr.lied the girl, blushing, “and got per
mission to let out school. But you were
talking about me, father?”
“Well, yes,” he answered, with a mer
ry twinkle in his eyes, “and I was about
to say when you came rushing in like a
young bear—about to say, though mind,
I didn’t—that if you kept on teaching
other people's brats you wouldn’t have
strength to teach your own—when you
get them,” and he laughed loudly at the
changed expression of her face.
“For shame,” responded Minerva.
“But 11l pay you for that, father. Ite
member, 1 am a young lady now, and you
can’t joke with me with impunity, as
you once did.”
“A young lady? Whew! And I sup
pose some young gentleman put him
self to immense trouble to bring you
home through the cold and storm and
didn’t forget to collect toll at all the
bridges. Aren't your lips sore, daugh
ter?”
The girl colored still more deeply, and
bustled around to help her mother set
the table for dinner, that she might es
cape the teasing; but her father enjoyed
it too much, and asked:
“Who was it, child? Some of them
scape-grace clerks from Beaverton, 11l
be bound.”
“You know I never associate with
them,” she responded indignantly. “Mr.
Frank Emmons brought me home."
“O—h?” with a low whistle. “Yes,
he is a nice and proper young man, and
has such pretty black hair and eyes, and
teeth and moustache, and such white
hands, and sings like half a dozen angels
and walks so gently,” and the old gentle
man arose and strutted mincingly around
The North Georgian.
VOL. JIL
the room in burlesque imitation of the
attendant of his daughter.
Minerva could not but laugh, yet pre
tending to take no notice, glided about
arranging the dishes, and her mother
asked where the young man was.
“I know, ” said her father, answering
•the question for her. “Our daughter
has rolled him up in pink cotton and
sprinkled him with cologne and put him
in a bandbox for fear he will get mussed.”
“He will be here Christmas Eve,” in
terrupted Minerva, with a strong effort
at sobriety; “he and a number of others.
I knew you would not care, father, if I
invited them.”
“ Not I,” answered the old man heart
ily, and taking the curly head between
his broad palms ho drew’ her tenderly to
him and kissed the rosy and dimpled
cheeks. “ You are truly cur one lamb,
and everything will some day be yours.
Yes, you did perfectly right, and it will
be pleasant to have the house filled with
young folks and have a rousing, merry
time. That is how Christmas ought to
be kept.”
“We are going to have tableaux
vivante, and one of them will surprise
you, fattier.”
He was that already, and had about as
much conception of what was intended
as of the lucid (?) explanations of Her
bert Spencer of the Darwinian theory,
and for him to have repeated the words
with the French accent given by his
child would have been an utter impossi
bility, so he pretended knowledge, shook
his head sagely, gave a very knowing
wink, but kept silent and soon found
that pressing business required Iris ab
sence.
But the doting mother was taken into
full confidence and she and Minerva had
a long, earnest and apparently deeply
interesting conversation upon the sub
ject —one that continued for over an hour;
indeed it had not concluded when the
old man returned, for he caught the
name of the minister and asked:
“What are yon going to have Domino
Martin here for, child?”
“Oh, just because I like him, and his
wife is such a dear old lady, and they
will bo very lonely on such a day, with
their children all married and away from
home. So I thought you would like to
see them, ami if he is hero everything
will be sure to go right, and it is Christ
mas, you know, and—”
“ Hold on, for mercy’s sake!” ex
claimed her father, “or you won’t have
breath enough left to eat your dinner,
and that would be very bud.”
“ But you wantdß to know’, and—”
“You have told me sufficient to satisfy
any reasonable-mo, tai man,” h" 1 said as
he took his place at the table and began
loading her plate as if she had been in
danger of starvation for a mouth.
Dinner over—it was one of the sub
stantial, old-fashioned kind, though the
mother had added the richest of dessert
delicacies to tempt her child, ns if there
was no such thing as dyspepsia in the
land—and the Deacon took an easy chair
by the broad hearth, lighted his pipe,
and between the curling clouds of smoke
resumed the subject of the morning con
versation.
“ How many are you going to have,
daughter?” he questioned.
“ All the boys and girls.”
“Boys first, every time with your sex,
and girls with the other,” he laughed,
“but all means how many?”
“Well (reflectively,) from fifty to sev
enty-five.”
“Gracious! the old house will scarcely
hold them, and will be certain to be torn
down with their romping. But what
does mother say?”
J i“Oh, she is perfectly satisfied, aren’t
yon mother, dear ?” and a look of under
standing passed between parent and
daughter.
“Then all I have to do is to help the
riot along, for riot it will be with so many
youngsters together. But w hat was it
yon said you were going to have?”
“A tub’lo yevang,” was answered with
the broadest possible French accent
ation.
“Ah, yes, I remember, and no doubt
it will be grand.”
“I think you will find it solemn,
father. ”
“Y’es, yes,” and fearful she should see
how much he was puzzled, he instantly
changed the subject and continued:
“Well, it will take a lot to feed so many
boys and girls. They are always hungry,
and can devour more than so many
wolves. So, Hannah, I fear you haven’t
provided one quarter enough.”
“You are right,” responded his wife;
“since our pet told me about her plans
and how many would be here I have
been calculating.”
“Well, they shan’t go away hungry
if there is enough in the land to toed
them. I’ll have Mike kindle a fire under
the big farm kettle, and kill lots of chick
ens and turkeys, and send him for Mrs.
Smith to help dress them, and when I
go over to town to-morrow I’ll bring
home some oysters and—well, any thing
else you need to have a good time.”
“Oh! how much I thank you, dear
father,’’said Minerva, impulsively spring
ing to his side and kissing him. “You
are the kindest and best father in all the
world.”
“All talk,” he laughed, though rare
pleasure was visible in his face, “and
you’ll get married some day and forget
all about me. ” .
“Married!” exclaimed the girl, sud
denly growing ashy pale. “Never! I
mean,” she continued, with her face
flushing to the deepest crimson, “I mean
that I’ll never forget you.”
“Whew,” he whistled, “I never saw
the wind chop around more suddenly.
Catch a girl saying she’ll never get
married! They would as soon think of
not being handsome and having pretty
dresses. But you needn’t blush so. It’s
all right and proper, and the natural con
dition of womankind.”
“Then,” asked she, archly an coquet-
BELLTON, BANKS COUNTY, GA., DECEMBER 16, 1880.
ishly standing before him with one little
finger thrust between herred lips in mock
modesty and bashfulness. ‘ ‘You wouldn’t
object to my getting married?”
“No, not to a good, honest, industrious
man. Why should I? A human heart,
and especially of your sex, without love’
is as good as wrecked. No, my darling;
find a good man whom you can'love with
your whole heart, and who loves you the
same, for I am old-fashioned enough to
believe in such things, and I'll not only
give my consent but my blessing, some
thing worth havingfor a start iu life, and
such a wedding as will make the old
rafters ring.”
“And suppose, father,” questioned the
blooming girl, half way between smiles
and tears, “suppose it should happen to
be Frank—Mr. Emmons, I mean?”
“Humph! I don’t know. He is—”
"Just as nice a young fellow as ever
lived.” interposed his wife.
“Yes, yes. I can’t say aught against
him, but—”*
“I know,” laughed Minerva at his con
fusion, “when you really come to think
of giving mo up it is too much. That’s
it.”
“I believe you are right, child. But I
must go and see about an extra supply of
provisions. Gracious! it will be fortu
nate if we don’t have a famine.”
He wiped away the mist from his old
eyes, brought thereby the thought his
daughter had suggested; tried to whistle
bravely down the very situation he had
with the touch of rugged eloquence de
fended, ami hastened to call his man-of
all-work and give him instructions. “Mi
nerva has come back, Mike,” ho said
“and is going to have some kind of a
blow-out on Christmas Eve. She calls ita
fabler vevaught, or something of the
kind.
“A fwhat?” questioned the Irishman,
scratching his head in the most puzzled
manner.
“That’s what sticks me, Mike, though
I did not let her know it. Anyhow there
is to bo some kind of a female circus, and
the animals will want plenty to eat.”
“Blessings on the bright eyes of her,
and its ivrything on the old farm I’ll kill
if she wants it, thedarlin’.”
“Yes, I believe you. That girl seems
to have a faculty of twisting ovory one
around her finger, and—”
“Divil a won more thin her ould fayth
er,” said Miko as he proceeded to obey
the orders he had received, “an’ muther
lashins of poultry,” well knowing that
his share of the feast would be no stinted
one.
To a lato hour the making ready was
continued, and all went to bed tired but
happy. Anri the next day Was u continual
bustle. Extra help was summoned, and
the kitchen fires roared, and the im
mense Dutch oven glowed and plenty
ruled triumphant, while the old deacon
was in his glory bringing supplies from
town and making himself useful as well
as most provokingly officious.
So the day passed and the night came
witli everything ready for the grand
time.
Early the house began to be filled with
a merry company, and were welcomed by
father, mother and daughter, the latter
respleudant in robes of fleecy white,
abundantly trimmed with soft, floating
laces and looped with artificial flowers,
while natural roses, fringed with myrtle
and sinilax, were half hidden amid her
golden hair and pulsated upon her joy
ously throbbing bosom.
For an hour there appeared to be a
ceaseless chiming of sleigh-bells, and
rosy, laughing loads deposited at the
door. Indeed, so many were the teams
that Mike was frantic to know what to
do with them. But the Deacon believed
in “the more the merrier” principle, and
kept every one busy and contented. Yet
for all the, gaily dancing and singing
company, a shade of perplexity now and
then crossed his face. He had not solved
the mystery of the tableau, and it hung
upon him as a troublesome nightmare.
For hours the house rang and trembled
upon its strong foundation. It was a
veritable bee-hive of fun and frolic, and
many a soft cheek took on deeper roses
from stolen kisses; many an innocent
heart bounded more swiftly from the en
circling arm and many a pair of ears
tingled from the slapping of white hands
in payment for saucy jest or pilfered
caress.
But good, buxom dame Hannah had
almost as much pride in her cooking as
in her one dear lamb, and when the
ancient clock made its huge, heavy,
coffin-like case throb with the ringing of
ten, she whispered to her husband, good,
prudent soul that she was, that “the
children must be getting hungry, and
she was going to see about the tables. ”
In response to her suggestion, he
sought their daughter and told her they
were going to have supper, and that the
young folks had better stop romping and
cool off, or some of them would be cer
tain to take their death.
“Yes, father,” she answered; “but we
must have the tableau first,” and she
looked up, blushing more deeply than a
damask rose iu June into the face of Mr.
Frank Emmons, upon whose arm she
happened to be leaning.
“All right,” responded the old man
with a sigh of relief, for the burden would
soon be lifted from his soul. “Doyon
want me to help you?”
“No; but tell mother, please, I want
her.” And Miss Minerva darted away
to her own private room, while the old
man told the fiddlers to adjourn to the
kitchen and make themselves eomfoktable
until wanted agfiin.
Evidently some of the girls understood
what was going on, if the Deacon did not,
for they cleared one end of the hall,
hung a great patch-work bed-quilt across
and marshalled the company into some
thing like order. Then, after a brief
pause, in which there was much whis
pering, the improvised curtain was drawn
aside and disclosed Miss Minerva stand
ing hand in hand with Mr. Frank Em.
mens, with a young Indy and gentleman
as supporters, and the old minister be
fore them.
Amazed, but silent, the Deacon looked
on. He did not comprehend the affair
at nil had no practical knowledge of
char, des, but when certain words had
been spoken and a ring passed, a sud
den light broke in upon the darkness of
•his understanding, and he exclaimed
with an earnestness that startled all:
J t“Je-ru-sa-lem 1 It looks like a mar
riage!”
The hearty laugh that followed sufficed
for a full explanation and it needed not
the assurance of the minister to convince
him that his daughter was honestly and
legally married to the man of her choice.
And yet at first he was disposed to lie an
gry. Then ho saw the foolishness of
such a proceeding, especially as he had
previously given his assent to the se
lection of his daughter, and entered
heartily into the laugh against him
self.
“That’s what you call a—Jerusalem!
I can’t speak the new fangled name—is
it? Yet it wasn’t hardly fair to fool the
old man so, Minerva., 1 did expect you
would find something in your stockings
to-night, child, but not a great, live man.
However it is all right (anything she
could have done would have been so) and
we’ll make the best of it, and your moth
er and I will have plenty to do in getting
things ready to fill the little stockings
that—
A soft white hand stopped his words,
red ..nd ripe lips were pressed upon his
own, a silken face was laid upon his
wrinkled one, a few tears of happiness
were mined down upon his broad breast,
and with faltering tongue the old man
called the young husband to his side,
gave him the hand of his darling, and
said, “Take her and may God bless you
both, my children. If I have lost a
daughter I have found a son and shall
have another arm to lean upon when my
eyes grow dim and steps unsteady
and—”
More ho would have said but a great
ringing of bells summoned them to sup
per—and such a supper. It would have
made grim Famine commit suicide in de
spair to have looked upon the tables, and
Tima throw away his hour-glass and sit
blythely down and enjoyed the feast.
The good mother had known the secret
from the first, and with her pride stimu
lated had distanced all former efforts,
even to produce a Christmas supper, and
the only complaint was of excessive full
ness, when again the violins summoned
the-jKirty to the. hall.
A few more hours of such happiness
as rarely comes to earth and the old
house became silent. The company had
departed, but not before the Deacon had
invited all to be present that day year,
whispering at the same time something
in the car of his daughter that sent the
blood bounding to her cheeks and caused
her to turn suddenly and shamefaced
away.
Was he right?
Come with mo this joyous, blessed
day. You will be welcomed right royal
ly. Come and assist in the festivities
and taste to repletion of the good cheer,
and when the bright-eyed babe is christ
ened, join with all in wishing to him, aye
even to nil upon earth, a happy, merry,
bountiful Christmas.
Christmas in Norway.
Tn the mountain districts the day is
kept with hearty hospitality. All work
is suspended for thirteen days. The en
trance of every house is decorated, and
the walls of the kitchen are roughly
adorned with gaudy pictures, fantastic
ally painted in water colors. Through
out Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
the merry-making is entirely domestic,
restricted to the members of each house
hold. Not even a friendly visit is paid.
On the following days the neighbors as
semble at each other's houses by turns,
for carousing. No regular meal is pro
vided, but open house is kept, the tables
richly spread for all comers. No stran
ger is permitted to leave the house until
he has partaken of the strong Yule ale,
which is served up in true Norwegian
fashion, cask following cask in rapid suc
cession. On these occasions the servants
sit at the same table with the host, his
wife tmd family. All are dressed in their
gala attire of rich colored cloth, trimmed
with gold and silver braid, the women
wearing caps and aprons of brilliant
hues.
The Mistletoe.
It is natural for us to sing when we
are glad, and carol singing once formed
a principal feature at all great feasts or
banquets. But in later times the carol
seems to have been devoted to Christmas
alone, and when the Yule log was blazing
brightly upon the wide hearth, and the
green mistletoe boughs hung from the
wall and decorated windows and doors,
the wassail-bowl was filled to overflowing,
and true friends pledged each other with
a joyful Christmas song; and under the
mistletoe boughs the young people joined
hands in the old-fashioned dance and
chanted a blithe carol to which their
feet kept time.
We, of modern days, have little idea
l of the rare virtues which were once ap
propriated to the mistletoe. He who
bung mistletoe around his neck believed
that the witches would have no power to
harm him, and that was truly a comfort
able thought in days when the firm be
lief in witches was almost universal.
The Druids and the Celtic nations attrib
uted the most valuable medicinal prop
erties to the mistletoe, calling it all heal.
, In Wales it was known as auidhel.
j Among the fish of the United States
the cod comes first in money value, the
salmon second, the mackerel third, and
then the menhaden. In weight the last
stands highest.
SOUTHERN NEWS.
Etowah, Ala., has over 9,000 tax-payers.
Twenty-light failures occurred in Alabama
last month.
The city tax rate at Mobile is $1.75 per
SIOO. At Memphis it is $2.
A gin for sea island cotton has been in
v. nted by a Screven county Georgian.
Capt. Henry DeTonti made the first settle
ment iu Arkansas, in the year 1-080.
Sheep raising is said to be the principal
industry of Geneva county, Ala.
Sheep-raising is s lid to be the principal
industry of Geneva county, Ala.
The forthcoming report of the Auditor will
show in North Carolina 1,530,483 hogs.
Twenty-seven artesian wells are in Fort
Worth, Texas.
A bill in Alabama proposes to forbid the
shipment of frieight on Sunday.
In Birmingham, Ala., more than 100 houses
have been built in six weeks.
Gov. Warmouth expects to make over one
million pounds of sugar this' year on bis
Magnolia, La., -plantation.
Mr. T. M. Boyd, of Va., has been called to
tbe charge of the Eufaula. Ala., Presbyterian
church.
The total loss by the fire at Durham, N.
last week is estimated at $60,000 to $65,000.
Fourteen or fifteen buildings were destroyed
The Alabama seuate has passed-a bill au
thorizing the appointment of a commissioner
of immigration.
Capt. Dwyer is cleaning out the Knoxubee
river for steamers, which can reach Macon, '
Miss., by spring.
The quantity of leaf tobacco sold at Dan- j
ville, Va., in November, was 1,911,534 (
pounds. i
The Henry county, Alabama, jail is with- 1
out an occupant for the first time since it '
. ... I
was built.
There are over 9,000 bates of cotton in (
compress in Vicksburg, awaiting transporta- j
tion to New Orleans. j
There will be 29 fanners in the next legis- <
future of Texas. A very large majority will 1
be lawyers.
In the African Methodi-l church of South
Carolina, there are 100 local preachers, and
92 exhorters.
The New Orleans Democrat says that the
Sabine river never floated so many stea m
• boats ns now.
The travel on St. John’s river, in Florida
is thought to be 50 per cent, greater than in
1879.
It is said that there is plenty of idle land
in Louisiana, which can be bougiit cheap
and will yield large crops of corn, cotton and
cane. i
Gen. Joseph E. Brown lives on Washing
ton street, Atlanta; Benj. H. Hill, on Peach- i
tree, and Gen. Gordon, at Kirkwood, a sub
urban village.
The census returns from ten counties of |
Georgia are not yet completed. It is thought .
that the result will show that Georgia has be
tween 1,530,000 and 1,140,000 population. I
The new ice factory in course of erection
at New Orleans wi 1 turn out about 25,000
tons of ice annually, and employ about 75 ,
hands. <
The Jacksonville (Fla.,) Union reports the
reception by rail in that city for shipment
to northern factories of 55 specimens of
Florida wood.
The Gazette says that German or Sweedish
servant girls are to be supplied to responsi
ble families at Little Rock. Two or three
have already arrived.
Poisoned water is said to have appeared
in the gulf. The Pensacola Gazstte hopes it
will not reach the upper banks. The fish
seem instinctively to flee from it.
The Iberville South says that five'acres of
cane ground last week on Mrs. Paulin Du
py’s plantation yielded 18% quarters hogs
heads of sugar of excellent quality.
The constitution of Florida provides that
after 1880 the legislature shall pass a law
making an education qualification for
voters.
A plan to settle the state debt of Virginia
proposes to issue three per cent, bonds for
the whois of the principal and establish a
sinking fund.
The amount of public school money avail
able in Georgia, this year is $346,273, or
about 80 cents a head on the school popula
tion.
The roll of th New Orleans Cotton Ex,
change is now larger than at the close of
any previous year. The board is about to
buy the property known as the Denham cor
ner.
An orange crop embracing 35 acres con
taining about 3,500 trees, in Sumter county
Fla has been purchased by a Columbns,
Va., man for $31,000. He sold the fruit now
on the trees for $3,000.
The annual report of Major H. 8. Thomp
son state superintendent of education of
South Carolina shows 2,973 schools and 3,171
teachers for 1879-80, against 2,901 schools and
3 166 teachers for 1878-79. In 1876-77 there
were 2,483 schools and 2,674 teachers.
Twenty-five members of the South Caroli
na legislature are in favor of holding a con
stitutional convention, 18. are in favor of reg
istration, 10 want the state and federal elect
ions separated, 9 desire a property or educa
tional qualification for suffrage.
Gov. Hagood saw in Marlborough county.
Xofth
PUBLISHKD EtEBY THURSDAY AT
BELLTON, GEORGIA.
BATES OF SUBSCRIPTION.
One year (52 numbers), $1.00; six monthe
v 6 numbers) 50 cents; three months (13
numbers), 25 cents.
O.lice m the Smith building, east of the
depot.
NO. 50.
S. C., a field of 350 acres which yielded this
year, as it did also last year, 350 bales of cot
ton weighing 500 pounds each. At 10 cents
a pound the gross value of the crop is SSO an
acre, which is ab ut as much as the land is
worth in the market.
There are six moss factories in New
Orleans and vicinity. All the moss ginned
is shipped abroad as the furniture manufact
urers do not buy it ginned, preferring to
pick and clean it themselves. The total
amount paid for the rough moss by the gin
ners, uphosltcrers and mattress makers of
he city is about $300,000 per year.
The New Orleans Times says that that city
is rapidly drifting into a deplorable condi
tion, and if the narrow illiberal ideas of the
moss-back element are allowed to prevail
much longer, instead of being a great me
tropolis, it will be a rickety, decaying old
town, with dilapidated buildings, impassable
Greets and a general air of rot and ruin.
Major Marks, a gentleman of Orange coun
ty, Florida, is said to have conceived the
, scheme of securing Henry Ward Beecher’s
summer tent, capable of seating,6,ooo peo
ple, or some other equally spacious one, and
pitching it among the beautiful lakes that
environ the town of Wilcox. Inside of this
are to be pitched a great number of smaller
tents, for lodging rooms for guests. Dining
and dancing hall,billiard room, etc., nrc all
to be within this immense tent, and the
whole tu.be fitted up and furnished equal to
the most perfectly equipped hotel. Boating,
fishing and hunting would constitute the at
tract'ons.
Christ mas Sentiment.
Says a writer in the Yonker’s Gazette :
“ There is so much about Christmas that
savors of harmony, concord, peace—a
peace that means not merely the cessa
tion of hostilities between couflicting in
terests in our social world, but that se
rener, broader, deeper peace which
unites man to man by all the ties of
friendly intercourse which proceed out of
an universal desire to make Christmas a
bright spot among the fading memories
of the year. I hke the sentiment the
more because it pervades every commu
nity and brings to view the better side of
every man’s character. Not a Scrooge
nor a Gradgrind on earth can wholly
steel himself against its humanizing in
fluence, and though theclosingof the day
may find no charity dispensed or glad
ness awakened, yet it will at least surely
find the edge of his habitual severity
blunted. If there is ever “peace on
earth,” in its fullest sense, it is on Christ
mas. Ido not believe that custom and
usage alone have nwle-the modern anni
versary day of the Saviotir’s nativity one
of rejoicing; it has ever occurred to me
that since first the glad tidings went out
from Bethlehem the event has left its im
press on each succeeding generation,
and that each recurring “happy mom”
has found the chord of human sympathy
and love responsive to the mystic glow.
If this were not so I think we should see
less hand-shaking and cordial greetings
than we do now, a more limited sphere
of action for the aims gatherer, fewer vis
its from “Santa Claus,” fewer Christmas
tree festivals,listen to poorer and loss ex
citing homely old stories >f legendary
lore, hear less caroling of “Christians
awake,” find a sparser harvest of mistle
toe, and we would have far more con
tracted views of our life-cloud’s silver
lining. And then, too I like the meth
ods we have taken as a nation to show
our appreciation of that day. They are
beautiful; they are just. They help ns
to consecrate our lives and to shape them
in the channel that is best suited tc their
moral development. Where thoughts
and motives are pure and simple, we may
look for good deeds. Where the observ
ance of Christmas is made known through
benevolent acts, kind words to the dis
tressed, family gatherings, happy chil
dren and the distribution of gifts, wheth
er the celebration be to honor the day for
the day’s sake or not, the occasion is one
that wo should be truly thankful for.
This world of ours is bettered by Christ
mas and every one of us should help to
make it memorable.
The Happy Christmas Reunion.
On Christmas it is customary for all
the members of a family to collect and
unite in merry making, feasting and
otherwise enjoying themselves. With
what mingled emotions of jov and sorrow
are these happy reunions looked back
upon in after years by participants think
ing of those dear ones now, perhaps,
separated from them forever.
Let hi make a Christmas picture: The
sleighride to the house, the welcome at
the dooi, the bounteous feast with ac
companying jokes and humor, the stor
ies games and other pastimes that follow,
the unveiling of the children’s Christmas
,ree in tin. evening, and finally the fare
well for the night.
Then there is the jollymysteryof famous
old “Kris Kringle,” who comes in his
sleigh drawn by reindeer, over the tops
of houses, pops down the chimneys, never
spoiling with soot the pretty things he
brings, to stuff full the row of stockings
that hang from the mantel. Let us im
agiue for an instant tho little, rosy,
laughing, happy faces that peep into
these stockings in the morning, and
shout gleefully as each treasure is
brought to light.
Christmas has many happy '*>
to set against the sad ones
loss of time aud friends.
A young man with ar
took an unprotected hr
in a rain-storm, and, c
lirella over her, requr
• of acting as her rai
■ claimed the young ’
“you wish met'
Two souls with
’ two forms that • •