North Georgia times. (Spring Place, Ga.) 1879-1891, March 22, 1888, Image 1
ud —J CTl 50 >,.v r‘ ■:> * * j TJa m Vol. VIH. New Series. Tho Last Kiss. I put the half-written poem. Why- £he pen idly trailed in rny hand, Writh “Had I words to complete it, , Who’d read it, or who’d understand?” But -.u& little bare feet on the stairway. And tho faint, smothered laugh in the hall, And tho eerie-low lisp on the silence, Cry up to me over it oil. So I gathored It up—where wa3 broken The tear-faded thread of my theme, Telling how, as one night I sat writing, A fairy broko in on my dream— A littlo inquisitivo fairy— My own little girl, with the gold Of the sun in her hair, and the dewy B! Je eyes of the fairies of old. ‘Twes the doar little girl that I scolde.l “For was it a moment like this,” I said, “when she knew I was busy, To eomo romping in fora kiss? Como rowdying up from her mother And clam ring there at my lmea For 'one ’ittle kiss for my dolly And one ’ittlo uzzer for mei’ God pity the heart that repelled her And the cold hand that turned her away) And take from tlio lips that denied her This nnswerless prayer of to-day! Take, Lord, from my memory forever That pitiful sob of despair, And tho patter and trip of the bare little feet And tho one piercing cry on the stairl I put by the half-written poem, AA'htle tho pen idly trailed in my hand, Writes on, “Had I words to complete ifc AVho’d road it or who’d understand!’’ But the little buro feet on the stairway, And the faint smothered laugh in the ball, Aud the ecrie-low lisp on the silence, Cry up to me over it all. —[James Whitcomb Riley. THE ROGUES OF INDIA. Many woudcrlul things have been written about tho jugglers of India, but things still moro wonderful could bo written about the thieves. I have lived in Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, and Ran goon, aud have been knowing to somo operations of these gentry which seemed incredible, Every foreigner is considered fair j j game by tho natives. While there are plenty there who will who not will rob him swindle by force, j is none not him ; if it can bo done. On threo different occasions, in different hotels, I sent out by waiters to make purchases or get money changed. In each instance they ran away, although in no case was tho sum over a dollar, and in every ease the native left lucrative employment in order to belt me. It couldn’t havo been the idea of gain so much as tlio idea of get¬ ting ahead of a foreigner. While thero is no positive security from thieves in India, there is partial security in hiring a chowkadar. This fellow is a thief from away hack. He is known to be, and lm is employed on tills account. If you pay him so that ho can afford to be honest, he will keep other thieves away, It is a point of honor with the fraternity not to steal from any one employing a chowkadar. His services are a species of blackmail, but you must cither pay him or be at tho mercy of tho slickest, slyest set pf rascals on earth. At Bombay I had a bungalow with an English artillery Captain on leave of absence. As he had with him two ser¬ vants whom he felt ho could trust, we determined not to employ a chowkadar. Several called to offer their services, and all seemed greatly surprised and annoyed when sent off. One of tho fellows was an old man with a foxy look, and he protested to the Captain. “I am a great thief, but too sharp for the officers, who have never yet laid hands o:i me. I know all tho thieves, and if I am with you no one will dare steal from you.” “And if wo do not employ you?” “You will surely be robbed.” “Well, wo shall try to get along without you, and if thieves come, somo one may get killed.” The old man wont away with a look of cunning on his face, and we liad no doubt that be would be among the first to seek to lay hands on our goods. There were but three rooms to our burgdow—a parlor, kitchen, and bed¬ room. Tho Captain aud myself occupied the parlor as a sitting room, dining room aud bedroom, while tho cook and his fellow servant occupied the other two. We kept but little money by us aud had but few goods. The Captaiu was experimenting a littlo with a new explosive, and I was making a report to the home Government on the various vegetable poisons of that peninsular. We therefore had plenty of leisure to plan for our protection aud watch all suspects. O i the second day after tlio sly old man was sent away, a lamo native woman, leading a boy about 4 years of age, sent in word by the servant that she wanted to seo the Captain on im¬ portant business. The pair wove ad mitted, and she began making inquiries about her husband, who she said was a SPRING PLACE. GEORGIA, THURSDAY. MARCH 22, 1888. member of the Captain’s command. She gave the name of a native known to tho officer, and asked so many questions that she took up fiftoen minutes’ time. I was not much interested ia her story, but was iu the actions of the child. No sooner did she let go of his hand than he began running about to inspect things. Wo saw afterward how hard she tried to draw all our attention to herself. The Captain paid no heed to the child; but presently, as I watched, I saw the little shaver grab something from a stand. He then returned to his mother and took her hand. After a moment I re¬ membered that my field glasses rested on the stand, and as I rose- up to look for them they were not to be seen. I went over to the child, and notwith standing the fact that he shrank away and began to cry, as if scared at me, I picked him up and gavo him a shako. The glasses fell to the lloor from tho folds of a cloth about his waist, and with them three spoons which he had stolen iu the kitchen. He ran away as I put him down, and the woman hurried after him. It was a put-up job to pilfer from us, and, while tho child did not look more than four years of age, wo afterward learned that he was over ten. In India everybody sleeps during the middle of the day. That is, everybody should. About a week after the occurrence related above, tho Captain ciirned into a hammock under the ve¬ randa about 11 o’clock one forenoou for a nap. I should have climbed into off that day, und 1 removed coat aud V05 ‘ aQ d sa ‘ down to a table in a corner ^ our room. Ihe window before me was but a light bamboo shade was down to keep the sua out. Tho captain had had plenty of time to go to sleep tvlieu I happened to look out through ‘bo slats of tho blind. AYliilo I saw nothing, I felt that something was wron g. and 1 softly rose up aud went t0 lho door opening out on the veranda, ^his door was, ot course, wide open, ^1? ‘ eu ‘ were in slippers, aud I mado ,lot ‘ho least uoiso us I reached the door. Ihe vorauda was about 20 feet ai, d tho Captain’s hammock was s ' lm 2 at the centre. I peered cautiously ou ‘> au d I saw tho figure of the sly old man right under the ham¬ mock. His buck was towards me, but i determined to seo what he would do, and then capturo him if I oould. As I looked he slowly rose up on the Captain’s left, cocked his ears to listen, aud then his deft black fingers began a soarcli of the sleeping man's pockets. l braced myself, took a full breath, and Was on him at a bound. I seized him iinnl y by the body, but lie sank down, wriggled two or throe times, aud noxt minute ha was goao, upsetting me by grasping my feet, aud heaving away as ho went. It did not seem that he had been at work over ten seconds when I grabbed him, and yet in that timo he had extracted the Captain’s watch and wallet, and several other articles. All were left behind, but the thief had dis¬ appeared like a shadow. Perhaps tho bc3t way would have been to give ia aud employ a chowkadar but wo were both determined not to bo bulldozed into it. All portable articles not in hourly uso were put into a strong wooden chest and kept under lock and key and both of us were on the watch for any new movemnt. A couple of weeks had passed aud we were begin¬ ning to feel safe, when tli3 fellows at¬ tempted a very bold game. A juggler camo to tlia veranda aud began to per¬ form and wo both went out. While the room was left aloue, tho thieves—there were three of them—came through the garden alongside the house and cut a hole through tho sido exactly back of the chest. The captain happened to look ia just us the box wa3 being moved and with a couple of bounds ho crossed the room and seized one of the handles. I could not realize the situa¬ tion until the thieves had pulled the chest half way out, and by the time I had got around the bungalow they had disappeared. How they could have lo¬ cated the chest so exactly was a mystery to us, as it had been moved several feet only the night before. They cut neither to the right nor the left, but exactly back of it, and tho space was only an inch widor than the chest. The next move created a sensation in Bombay. Opposite our bungalow, which was on a side street, was one be¬ longing to a nativo—a known thief. Tho fraternity had somehow got the idea that we had a'great pile of money hidden in our bnogalow, and that the Captain was making gold nuggets by tho wholesale. Ho was, as I said, ex¬ perimenting with a new explosive, and this probably started the idea. The ex¬ plosive was either dynamite or some- thing very near it One day, after the Captain had been fussing around in the front yard for half an hour, and while ho was reading on the veranda, there was a terrible explosion. It seemed as if our house was lifted a foot high, and everything inside was thrown into con¬ fusion as it settled back. It was an explosion which was felt for half a mile around, and when we got out doors wo found a liolo in our front yard into which a couple of bullocks could have been dumped. That wasn’t all, however. A big ditch had been opened straight across tho street to tho other bunga¬ low, and the bruised and battered bodies of three natives were thrown out within thirty feet of the big hole. It took us some little time to figuro out what had occurred, The sly old man and his pals had dug a tunnel from the native bungalow to within three feet of ours. It was iuteuded to pass under the house and break ground Inside, there being no floors in our place. The explosion, which took place ia an iron kettle, was almost over the tunnel, and tho force was mainly downward. The concussion followed along tho ditch and blew the roof off the native bungalow. The thieves were either creeping for¬ ward or backward in the tunnel, and death came to them so quickly that they never knew what hurt them. Next morning a native priost, accom¬ panied by a scribe, called upon us to se¬ cure our account of the affair. The Captain had explained matters to the authorities, and thero had been no in¬ quest. The priest said that the sly old maa had been one of his most devoted followers, aud as he was a person of considerable importance in Nagpoor, where ho had many relatives, au account of his death was to be published in the native language. The visit was made us at au early hour ia tho morning, while everything was lying around loose, and the two men had scaroely left the house when we missed tho field glasses, a pocket compass, a pair of shoes, and two or three other articles. A native detectiv.e assured us that tho priest and scribe were two notorious thieves, who had come in that disguise to get even with us. 1 was bittou by a poisonous snako at Bcngalore, and for several woeks was unablo to leavo my bed. While out of danger after tho first two or three days, enough of tho poison circulated through my system to keep me weak and feverish for a long timo. While lying on my bed on my right sido I could look out on an extensive back yard. Thero was a path running down to a summer house, and beyond the summer house ■was a thicket aud a ravine. Midway between tho bungalow and tho summer house, and off to the left of tho path, were the stables. One forenoon as I lay looking out on this yard, I saw an al¬ most naked nativo come out of the thicket, glide up the path and turn into the stables. I knew from his actions that ho was a thief, hut the hand bell had been accidentally removed beyond my reach, and I could not cal! loud enough in my weak state to give an alarm. There were three servants at the stables, but it turned out that they were gambling and deeply interested. The thief entered the buildings and stole two suits of clothing and some horse goods, and went back down tho with the bundle on his back. The Captain wa3 raving angry the loss, as he had been bothered a deal with thieves, aud after dinner had a consultation. Ho went to a friend and borrowed a 6teel trap which once been sent for and captured a tiger. It was larger than tho bear trap3 seen this country, requiring tho services of men and a lever to set it. The men were sent away on errands, and, assisted by a corporal from the barracks, the Captain set the trap in tho centre the path, between the summer and the stables. An excavation made to sink it out of sight, and dirt and leaves were scattered over the spot. The Captain’s family was away, and the stable men never went their quarters. If anybody fell into trap it would bo some native who no business in tho grounds. The of the stable goods had not been ported to tho police, and tho thief not alarmed. He might not another visit to tho place, but it hoped he would. There was a chaiu attached to the trap, and led to a small tree and was made with a padlock. It was nearly a week before unusual occurred. A bell bad fixed in tho housekeeper’s room, with cord running to the head of my bed, and it was arranged that when I gave certain signal slio was to run to kitchen and send a native utter Captain, providing ho was not at home. That signal would mean game in tho trap. If any one came at night, all tho people would be at home, and could do as directed by the Captain. I could not leave my room, and must certainly be a good sentinel if awake. If asleep, any noise out of routine would urou3o me. Tho Captain did not come home, after leaving in tho morning, until 1 o’clock. We had be¬ gun to despair of luck in trapping a thief, when, one morning about 10 o’clock, just after I bad opened my eyes from a nap lasting half an hour, I saw the head of a native as ho poerod from behind the summer house. It was a thief spying out tho land. I got hold of the bell cord, but waited to see what the fellow would do. In two or threo minutes he stopped out iu full sight, and I was quite sure he was the same who came before. He came boldly up tho path, as if bent on an errand, and walked directly over the trap. I was so astonished that I forgot to ring until he had turned into the stables. Tho housekeeper had gone to the kitchen aiyl was wrangling with the cook, and so my signal was unheard. The fellow was out of my sight seven or eight minutes, and whan he reappeared he had a sack of horso feed on his shoulders. He hid caught the stable men napping again. 1 rang and rang, but no one came. He went down the path bent over and seeming to glide, but as he reached tho trap tho dirt and leaves float.-in a the fellow seemed to spring into tho air, and next instant I saw that he was fast in the jaws. He pitched forward, and I could see his right ankle was held in tho vise. He quickly scrambled up, however, looked sharply around him, and thon uttered a low whistle. Inside of thirty seoonds four natives came from the thicket to assist him. The trap puizlell them. If they had ever seta one before, they did not know how to manage the springs. Tho prisoner must have been in terrible agony, for the teeth went to tho bone on each side of His log; but ho never brought a groan. While the five were consulting I rang agnin, and this time tile housokcepef^Gxmo and sent for the Captain. Long enough before lie oame the affair was ondod. AYhon the men found they could not libomte the pris¬ oner tboy dcsignod to cut his leg off above the trap. lie refused to agree, as it would doubtless have been the death of him. They had nothing with which to break' tho chaiu or lock, and, doubt¬ less fearing that tho prisoner would poach on tho gang, tho four plunged their knivo3 into him and ran away. By the time the Captain got home tho man was dead.—[New York Sun Billions oi Pins. It is stated that the present annual production of common pins in this country is eighteen billions, or eighteen thousand millions (18,000,000,000). This, however, is but a daily pin apiece, and only for 300 days ia a year, for each of our sixty million people. The old question is up again in tho press: “What becomes of all the pins?” It would bo no troublo for each person to drop out of sight his or her one pin a day, and they would bo pretty well scattered about, and hard to find, even if not “lost in a haymow.” But if all these pins of only one year’s supply were deposited in one heap, it would be quite a different matter. The averago sized pin is an inch long. Wo weighed some of those on delicate scales, and found them to run two grains each, or 3500 to the pound. So tho eiglitceu billion pins would weigh ovor five million pounds (5,142,857 lbs.), or 2571 tons; and it would take over 5000 horses or oxen to haul them in loads of a ton each.—[Prairie Farmer. A Watch Without Hands. Tho watch without hands which has recently been brought before the public is simply a watch with ordinary whoel work in which the intermediate teeth are wanting and which gear every min uto and hour only. The contrivance, though admitted to possess some incon veniencies, is on tho other hand claimed to present some genuino preferences over tho ordinary make. Tims, tho construction not only allows tho reading to be acourate, but also permits of esti¬ mating the tiaie that separates each passing minute. There is not only an optical signal given, but also an acous¬ tic one, since at every chaugo of figure the car perceives a slight sound, and consequently it becomes useless for one to examine his watch in order to meas¬ ure a given interval of time—a feature of special valuo to engineers, physi¬ cians, officers, travelers and observers. The experimenter knows exactly when a minute Bun. begins and ends. —[New York PEKIN. Vivid Pen Picture of the Great Chinese City. Its Dirty Streets, Queer Shops, and Emperor’s Palace. When Sir Honry Purkes returned to Pekin he said he had come back to “dust, dirt and disdain;” and most travelers will find tbis sentence, sweep¬ ing though it may bo, rather lacking in D’s than otherwise. However much Pekin may be described, its condition would still remain inconceivable to those who have not seen it; all the filth thrown into tho roadway-*-a mixturo of mud and abominations, in tho ruts in which the springles3 cart-wheels are forever sticking! You get along Curio street—.supposed by some people to be the most beautiful iu China—by walking along tho little bits of crumbling ground in front of each shop, and then swinging yourself around tho wooden pillar that supports the roof, so as to avoid getting soiled by tho quagmire below. The shop fronts are of wondrous carved wood; highly gilded signs hang out into the street; wonderful beams with curved ends project across the roadway, and striugs from which dangle red feathers. But I muct say that the last thing I am struck with is the magnificcnco of the scene. The shops are pleasant enough. One goes into a back parlor, set out like a miniature museum; through that a courtyard; then an inner sanctum not overcrowded with pretty things, aud with plenty of chairs. But tho prices of the curios are ex¬ orbitant; so that one can only be glad that Pelwn shopkeepers bow and smile as politely on non-buyers as on custom¬ ers. Indeed, it is customary for them to send their wares on inspection to the different bouses day after day. “Niun. ber one thing! six dollars,” say they. a and it is yours; whereupon you feel sure at once tho thing is no real curio at all aud worth nothing. This bargaining is a great amusement each day after broak fast. Pekin furs are lovely, and thor# are lovely white feather-like Thibetan sheepskins, red-backed Mongolian squir¬ rels, and, most fascinating of all, cinna¬ mon or cream-colored fox skins, so soft that they could almost l»e passed through the traditional ring. Tho great sights of Pekin aro behind closod gates at present. Sometimes somo aro opon; otliors never. Wo go to the clock tower; a wattle fence is hur¬ riedly erected across tho opening as wo approach. Wo go to the examination hall—sometimes open, but shut today. Of course you can go again, if you liked the smells last time. It ii adjoining tho observatory; where the carved bronze supports of the instruments— weird dragons chained to mountains lest they should escape, redundant foliage, etc.—deservo to bo one of the wonders of the world. I am glad to have seen them; I should like to see them again. But, oh dear 1 the smells! and the man with loatlisomo sores and the hideous voice, who wants to try gentlemen’s cigars for them and to touch ladies’ dresses, who fights with strangers for a larger tip when ho has more than enough already. That man is of a piece with Pekin. The outside of the emperor’s palace— all that any European has ever seen of it since the days of Marco Polo—is idca^ a fairy palace. High walls shut in the forbidden city; a moat surrounds them; and then there aro the glistening yellow tiles, the roofs built by the old Mongols in imitation of their tents. Then there is tho green hill with its trees, and palaco roofs climbing up it. The entrances arc of deep blue, bright green, golden dragoued, with here and there a touch of vermilion. The sky is blue above, the sun shines, and there ia the road way sits a child stark naked, its face so dirty that it is impossible to seo what it is like, its head misshapen with disease. No wonder tho present emperor never cares to dbme outside, and is supposed never to have done so. The world inside must bo fa: mere do liglitful, if it matches with thoso glitter¬ ing fairy roofs.—[St. Jam03 Budget. Speaking from Experience. “Docs your mother wear felt slip¬ per-:?” asked an old lady of a little boy where she was visiting. ‘■Yes, ma'am, she do. I’ve felt ’em,” answered the small boy, significantly. —[Detroit Fros Press. A young lady recently presented her lover with au elaborately constructed penwiper, and was astonished tho fol¬ lowing Sunday to see him corao into ehprch wearing it as a cravat. NO. 7. Make Me a Song. Out of tho stlenoe mako me n song. Beautiful, sad and soft and low; Let the loveliest music sound along And wing each note with wail of wo% Dim and drear; As hope’s last tear Out of the silence make me a hymn AY hose sounds are shadows soft and dim. Out of the stillness in your heart— A thousand songs are sleeping there— Make me but. one, thou child of art, The song of a hope in a last despair, Dark and low, A chant of woe; Out of tho stillness, tone by tone, Soft as a snowflake, wild as a moan. Out of the dark rocosses flash me a song. Brightly dark and darkly bright; Let it sweep as a love-star sweeps along The mystical shadows of the night; Sing it sweet, AVliere nothing is drear, or dark, or dim, And earth songs molt into heaven’s hymn, —[Father Ryan. HUMOROUS. Needs aigual ability—Maa at railway crossing. AVisely improving tho present— Selb mg a dupliaate gift. It takes a great deal of pluck to gel the feathers off a live goose. 18S8 is but little over a fraction oi time, anyhow—one and three eights. “Give me a dude egg, please," said the boarder. “A dude egg? What is that?” “A fresh one.” The frequent changes in the Cabinets of Europe lead'one to believe that the Ministers aro Methodists. Ia Arkansas squirrels are so plentiful that they are sold by the bushel. They sro generally shot by the barrel. The best mechanic in tho world can’t make a pair of boots that are all right One of them is bound to be left. A physician says: “If a child does not thrive on fresh milk, boil it.” This Is too severe. Why not whip it? There aro two kinds of clubs, social and constabulary, and they are both efficacious iu knocking a man out. It lias been averred that a lady with a diamond ring will scratch her nose ia a given period four times as often os other women. Tramp (at door): I feel so very much distressed. Madam: Something you have eaten? Tramp: No, something I've not eaten. Ho (at a very late hour, with deep tenderness)—How can I leave thee? She —Really, Mr. Stayer, I can’t tell you. ) wish to heaven I could. Caller (to littlo Bobby)- -Bobby what makes your eyas so bright? Bobby, (after a little thought)--I dess it’s tause I liain’t had ’em very long. A stenographer onco said to Senator Evarts, “Mr. Evarts, your long sen¬ tences trouble me.” His quick rotort was, “Only criminals aro ofruid of long sentences.” She: “Boforowe were married you promised to fulfill every wish you read iu my eyes, but I don’t find it so at all.” He: “Yes, since that time I havo grown very near-sighted.” Two young writers were talking of their hopes, their ambitions. “If I have not mado a roputatioa by tha timo I’m thirty I shall blow my brains out,” as¬ sorted one. “My dear boy," replied the other, “you are as good as dead.” A horrible story comes from Africa. Two travelers, George and Annie Moore, were captured by cannibalistic natives and sent to the chief of the tribe as a present. The chief ate George first, and then remarked, with a sigh, “I’ve had enough; I can’t eat Annie Moore. The most novel complaint of impure milk reported is that of a London boy, boarded out under the poor-law regu¬ lation, who reported that the milk given him out of town, instead of being taken out of clean tins, had been squeezed out of a nasty cow, aud he “seoi ’em a-do lag it.” A teacher noticing that upon an ex¬ amination paper the Isthmus of Panama was every time spelled “Panamaugh,” was curious to know the name of tha au thor of such extraordinary spelling, and turning to tho head of the previous P a S a ‘, found the child’s name to be Katie Uummebaugh. Prof. Proctor, speaking of tho pos¬ sibility of human beings flying, says: “Tho great difficulty which man haa first to overcomo is that of maintaining his balance.” Doesn’t the professor kaow that tho difficulty of maintaining his balanco has caused moro than one man to fly—to Canada? Go forth in haste 1 No time to wastel Proclaim to all creation— That men are wise Who advertise In the present generation.