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NORTH GEORGIA TIMES
tl 4fBfeH.} Pr#Motor
Smiles and Tears.
to a meant to wound me? Then forgr
O friend, that when the blow fell, X
Turned luy face from you to the wall
To smile, instead of die.
Ton meant to gladden me? Dear frier
Whose praise like jewels l have kept,
Forgive me, that for very joy
I bent my happy nead and wept.
—The Century.
HER LITTLE SISTER.
“Lizzie has gone again,” said Mrs.
Crest. “Lizz’e's no sort of use to me
of late. I don’t know what’s come to
the child, but she does act to me as if
■he was bewitched.”
Frances Crest set down the blue
rimmed plate she was wiping with a
coarse homespun towel.
“Where is she, mothci?” said she.
“Out in the woods, I suppose. It’s
where sho always goes.”
“Mother, you must remember that
Lizzie is young. Don't bo hard upon
her!” plea led Frances.
Mrs. Crest was Farmer Obei Crest’s
second wife, nnd Francos, the tall, pale
girl with the sombre brown eyes and
the oval, colorless face, was the good
woman’s stepdaughter, while pretty 13
year-old Lizzie was her own aud only
child.
“But for all that,’’ said Sirs. Crest,
“I put a great deal more dependence
on Frances than I do on L’z'.ie. Fran¬
ces is all the same to me as my own
child. *’
“Hard upon her!" sho repeated
querulously. “What I’m afraid of is
that I’m too easy with her. She’s al¬
ways bad her own way in everything.
And sho takes it dreadful hard that you
• should be going to Albany nnd she left
at homo. I uevor knew such nonsense
h» my life 1”
A. disturbed expression passed over
Frances’s face.
“It’s natural sho should feel so,
mother,” she urged, gently.
Frances Cre3t ha 1 diligently taught
school for three conseetit.ve seasons to
earn the money for this coveted winter
in Albany, during which she had prom¬
ised herself to take music lessons and
add to her knowledge cf art and
literature.
For sho was engaged to Stephen
Ellsworth, and she longed, with an ex¬
ceedingly great desire, to make herself
worthy of his love.
“I’m only a country girl,” she said
to herself, “and lie lives in the city,
where ha is meeting brilliant women
svery day. And it would be dreadful,
If, after we wera married, bo should be
ashamod of mol”
Mrs. Rigney, a distant cousin of the
Crests, had offered to give Frances a
home for the winter for what use she
could render iu household matters, and
the money she had saved was to be
Spent in suitable dress, lessons and
Other expenses.
And, best of all, she would see
Stephen Ellsworth every day. Bhe
had looked forward to this for a long
time; now it was very near, and her
heart was full of happiness.
She finished her household tasks and
went quietly out to the nook in tho
woods where she knew that she should
find Lizzio.
It was a sheltered glade, where a
twisted grape-vine overhung the brown
waters of a babbling brook and tail
plumes of golden-rod noddled along
the narrow path.
Aud here, with her head leaning
listlessly against a tree-trunk, sat a
lovely girl of scarcely 18, with deep
blue eyes, full, cherry-red lips, and a
complexion like a balsam- flower. One
hand was immersed in tho cool, run¬
ning water; tho other held a crumpled
pocket-handkerchief, drenched with
tears.
“Lizzie!” exclaimed Frances, “you
have been crying!”
The blue eyes sparkled resentfully.
“Crying? Of course I’ve been cry¬
ing!” retorted Lizzie Crest, “Who
wouldn’t cry, to be left alone in this
dismal hole all winter long, while you
•re eaj lying yourself in the city? But
I won’t stay here. I’ll run away and
go on the stage, or else drown myself
in Packer’s pool."
“Lizzie 1 Lizzie! think what you are
•ay mg!’ - ’
“I don’t care!” pouted Lizzie.
‘‘What is life worth in a place like
this?’
And she burst into a fresh flood of
tears.
Frances sat down and took the gold¬
en head tenderly into her lap.
All her life long she had been ao-
SPRING PLACE. GA., THURSDAY. APRIL 3. 1890.
customed to subordinate her will to
that of this lovely, tempestuous sprite.
What signified one sacrifice more or
lees?
“Don’t cry any more, Lizzie!” she
whispered. “I've made up my wind,
i'on shall go to Aunt Josie, instead of
me.”
“I?”
“And I’ll wait another year,” added
Frances, swallowing a lump iu her
throat. “You shall have tho music
lessons and the att lectures; you shall
see what a winter in the city is like.”
Lizzio's eyes sparkled; her cheeks
were red. Sho flung her arms around
Frances’s neck with a sudden cry of
rapture.
Oh, Frances, you don’t roally mean
it?”
“Yes, I do,” bravely uttered Frances.
“But mother won’t consent.”
“I will see to that.”
Once more L'zzie showered soft,
waim kisses on her sister’s cheek.
“Oh, you darling! you sweet guar¬
dian angel! ’ she crieJ. “And I am a
sottish little beast to allow you to sacri¬
fice yourself in this outrageous fashion.
But if you knew how I have longed to
escape from this dreadful groove of
housework nnd sewing and bntter
makingl” 4
“You shall escape, Lizzio,” said
Frances.
And no one ever knew tho bitterness
of tha tears she shed when Lizzie went
to Albany.
Mrs. Crest remonstrated stoutly, but
Frances held to her own way, and Liz
zie’s entreaties wera not to be with¬
stood.
“Francos don’t care,” pleaded she;
“Frances always was a human icicle.
And I’m so much younger than she is,
nnl—and--’’
“And so much prettier," quietly
spoke tho elder sister. “Yes, Lizzie,
dear, I know it.”
Lizzie laughed and tossed hor golden
curls.
“At all events,” said she, “I think
I ought to have a fair chance.”
Lizzie’s letters from Albany were full
of life and sparkle. Sho was like a
bird let loose. Everything was couleur
do rose to her. The gay streets were
a dream of delight; tho opora was an
actual reality. Her new dresses filled
her with delight; sho was improving so
fast in music and drawing, and she
could not imagine how she had ever
lived all those dreary, dragging years
iu the old farmhouse at home.
“And, best of all, Stephen Ellsworth
had been so often to seo her, and taken
her out s eigking and to tho picture
galleries and theatres, “all ou dear old
Frances’s account, of course,” she
added, with a spice of merry mischief.
Sho could not say enough in praise of
Stephen Ellsworth. Ila was so hand -
some, so stylish; the old E Is worth
mansion on State street was so elegant;
ho sent her such exquisite cut flowers
and baskets of fruit!
Aud Frances, reading those letters at
home after her day’s work of school
teaching was over, tried to rejoice in
her young sister’s happiness.
“Mother,” she said one day, “1
should like to seo the child in her new
dresses. I think I’ll go up to Albany
and surprise licr. Lucy Lairpson will
tako the school for a week. Dear little
Lizzie! how astonished she will be.”
“Wife,” said Farmer Crest hoarsoly,
when Frauces had gone up to bed, full
of her new plan, “I don’t know’s we
ought to let her go.”
“Why not, Obod?’’
“I saw Dr. Jones’s son this morning.
He is just home from the Albany medi¬
cal college, and he says every one is
talking of our L zzle’s engagement to
Cap’n Ellsworth.”
“Obed Crest, you’re a-dreamin’l ’
“I wish I was, wife, I wish I was!
But it’s only what wo d ought to have
expected. Lizzie is as pretty as a pic
ter, and as frothy as a bowl o’ soap¬
suds, and brimful o’ mischief into the
bargain; and Ellsworth’s only a mortal
man after all. Frances ought to have
married him a year ago, when ho
wanted her to do so, only she wouldn’t
leave us until we’d paid the mortgage
ou the farm, and got even with the
world.”
“But, Obed, what arc we to do? I
can’t tell her,” sobbed the old lady.
“Nor I, neither. There’s no help
for it, wife; she’s got to find it out
herself.”
Aud he let his wrinkled forehead fall
into his hands with a groan.
Just then the door opened.
A tall, slight .figure came in like a
gliding shadow.
“I've heard it all, father,” said
Frances, and you mustn’t blame either
Stephen or Lizzie. It—it was only
natural. Ho has grown tired of wait¬
ing for me. And Lizzie is very lovely.
I can’t blame any man for wanting to
make her his wife. I shall go to Al¬
bany, all the same, and tell them not
to mind me. You know,” with rather a
forced smile, “people always said I was
cut out for an old ma d. And—and—■
we three can be very happy here at
home all our lives loug, can’t we?"
Aud here poor Frances broke down,
and cried bitterly.
“Don’t mind me,” said she. “I shall
be quite used to it after awhile.”
It was a brilliant January afternoon
—the ground covered with snow, the
suu shining with arctic splendor, and
all the streets musical with thojiyoui
chime of sleiglibells—when Fiances
Crest arrived at Mrs. Rigucy’s house in
Albany.
“Why—Frances—Cicst,” ejaculated
tho good lady, “is this yon?”
“I came to surprise Lizzie, Aunt
Josio,” said the traveler, smiting
faintly.
“Well, it will bo a surprise,” said
Mrs. Rigney. “Go right up, dear.
She’s in tho parlor with-.”
“With Cant. Ellsworth?”
“Row ou earth did you know?”
cried the comfortable elderly lady.
“Has she written to you?"
“Xo, not a word,” Frances an¬
swered. “But I know it all, neverthe¬
less.”
Sko went on, and knocked at tho
parlor door.
“Come in!” called Lizzie's sweet so¬
prano voice; and, with a sudden quick¬
ening of'the heart, she obeyod.
Was that little Lizzie standing by the
fire, one dainty, slippered foot on tho
fender, her gleaming silken gown held
by a slim, white hand, while her ex¬
quisite profile was ou! lined against the
ruby velvet of tho lambrequin?
She looked more like a princess—a
fairy queen. hi this atmosphere ot
change aud happiness she had fairly
blossomed out like arose in mid-June
And that tall figure in tho shadow
beyond-
“Frances 1 Dear, dear Frances!”
In a second Lizzio was in her arms.
“You got my letter, love—the lottor
I wrote to you yesteidny—the letter
that told you all? ’
“I have received no letter, Lizzie.
I left home early this morning, but—
where is Capt. Ellsworth? ’
“Here-—right before ycur eyes. Coma
hero, Clarence, and let me introduce
you to your new sister; tor we are en¬
gaged, Francos, Clarence ami L That
is my mysterious secret.”
The tall figure advanced with a mili¬
tary sort of salute.
It was not Stephen at all, but a taller,
younger, less impressive-looking man,
Frances bowod in a bewildered way.
“But Stephen—where is Stephen?’’
she asked.
“Gone down to Woodficld, Frances,
after you. Because he says ho means
there shall be a double wedding if
there’s to bo a single one, and he do.
c ares ho won’t wait any longer for you
to make up your mind. And how puzzled
he will be, to be sure, when ho finds
tho bird has flown 1 Are you very
much surprised, Frances? But you see,
Clarence is in the regular army—not a
mere militia captain like Stephen. lie
is stationed in Florida, and he will spend
his leave of absonco with his cousins
hero In Albany; and so, of course, I
couldn’t help getting acquainted with
him, because Stephen came hero every
day to talk about you, and Clarence
always came with h m. And—Y r es,
Clarence; go away now and get tho
flowers for the evening’s reception at
Miss Bird’s, for I’ vo got so much to say
to my sister. ” '
She dismissed her handsome lover
with the nonchalance of a queen, and
then showered caresses anew on Frances.
“Isn’t ho splendid, darling?” sho
cried. “Aud only think, I owo it all
to you; for if it hadn’t been for you
sending me here, I never should have
met him at all. And we’ll telegraph
to Stephen at once, and you will con¬
sent to be married at tho same time
with me—won’t you, dear?”
“Yes, ” said Frances, her eyes brim¬
ming over with blissful tears, “I
wilt 1”
Stanley estimates that there is room
in Africa for 80,000 miles of railroad.
American railroad conductors will never
go to Africa to secure employment at
their calling. the They might be able to
stand climate, but the names of tho
stations would paralyze them.
THE GREAT AMAZON.
Its Watershed Embraces Mill¬
ions of Square Miles.
The Commerce, Forests and
Cities on its Banks.
•fle Amazon is 100 miles wide at its
mouth. Para, the northernmost city
of Brazil, lies at the gateway of the
most wonderful river system of the
world. It is the commercial depot and
distributing point for 40,000 miles oi
navigable water. The Amazon water
shed embraces twenty-fivo degrees of
latitude and thirty-live degrees of longi¬
tude. Its western sources ara in the
Andes of Peru and Ecuador, only a
few leagues from tho Pacific. Its
northern tributaries traverse tho borders
of Guinea and Colombia, whiie midway
the head-waters of the Negro mingle
with those of the Orinoco in tho western
spurs of tho Sierra do Pacaranna.
Between most of its leading tributa¬
ries aro broad stretches of impenetrable
forests whieh have never beeu explored
by white men. It is tho Amazon alone
that renders any form of government
possiblo in the heart of South America.
Within the rango of the 40,000 miles
of navigable water settlements have
beeD empowered to conduct local ad¬
ministration. Para, lying at the south¬
ernmost out et of the Amazon, less than
100 miles from tho sea, is the metropo¬
lis of this wonderful valley. It is a
city with perhaps 50,000 inhabitants,
and with as much commercial enterprise
as is possible under tho equator.
The commerce of tho Amazon is nom
inally carried ou under tho Brazilian
flag. Foreigners aro not allowed by
law to own steamers or sailing vessels
employed in inland navigation; and
hence it is necessary for tho English
capitalists who control tho carrying
trade ot tho river to assign their inter¬
ests to Brazilians. There aro forty
steamers owned by an English lino,
which receives a large mail subsidy
from tho Brazilian Government for ply¬
ing between various ports aud villages
on the main tributaries; and in return
for this financial support it is well sat¬
isfied to fly tho national flag, Another
company has eight steamers, under
similar conditions; and thoro arc as
many as a dozen more on the rivSTaud
its tributaries which sail under tho Bra¬
zilian flag. Thoso sixty steamers are
gradually opening tho Amazon valloy
to commerce. Only the smaller vessels
are now running beyond Manaos at tho
junction of tho Negro, but next year
the largest English vessols will make
regular trips to Yquitos, 3750 mile;
from tho coast.
Some of tho tributaries aro only navi¬
gable for long distances at high water
during certain months of the year, but
the lower villages on their banks arc
visited by steamer as ofton as once or
twice a month. This river trade is al¬
most completely in the hands of tho
Portuguese merchants and tho mercan¬
tile houses represented at Para. Manaos,
with a population of 15,000, is the
most flourishing town west of Para.
The other settlements, with few ex¬
ceptions, are straggling villages inhabit¬
ed mainly by colored people, Indians
and half-breeds.
Tho forests of tho Amazon, consist¬
ing mainly of hard wood, nro not
available for commercial requirements.
The finest of rosewood and mahogany
are used there for firewood. Even if
there were a demand for the hardwood
lumber at Para, it could not be logged
and brought to market on a large scale,
owing to the density of the woods aud
the lack of roads and clearings.
The one tree which is a source of
wealth in these immense forests is the
rubber tree. It is found everywhere,
from the low-lying delta opposite Para
to the Tapojos, tho Madeira, and the
Negro, and piobably thousands of miles
beyond those great tributaries. In the
interior roads are impracticable, and
the rubber trees that are milked lie
along the rivers, where tho farms can
he approached. The milk can only be
drawn at certain levels of the river, for
the trunks of the trees are often fifteen
or twenty feet under water after tho
rainy seasons. "
When the conditions are favorable
the bark of tho trees is tapped aud tho
milk drawn off in cups to bo compacted
and rolled together layer by layer like
a snowball. It is then cooked or
smoked over a fire made of sticks—a
process that involves contraction in
Vol. X. New Series. NO. 9.
cooling and imparts elasticity to tha
substance—and then it is ready for
shipment to Para and New York. The
operation of such farms and tho open¬
ing of new veins of trees in the track¬
less swamps and forests require the
employment of native labor under the
most inclement conditions of equatorial
heat and rains. If there be any quarter
of the world where nature seems to
command inaction and indolence, it is
in these vast stretches of the Amazonian
forest. Nowhere elso can existence be
sustaine 1 with so small an expenditure
of effort.
On an aero of cleared land beans can
be raised iu sufficient quantity to keep
soul and body together with the ad¬
ventitious aids of nuts and fruit from
the woods. A torpid, somnoleht exist¬
ence seems to bo the imperious require¬
ment of the climate. Tho Indians,
ha.f-breeds and colored population in
the villages can livo, if they choose to
do so, with what may be described as
the minimum of human labor involved
in obtaining a livelihood. They iii
tinctively resist all appeals to ambition
and scif-intercst. The efforts of rubber
farmers aud agents to induce them to
share in the dangers and labor involved
in exploring the forest and striking new
veins of rubber trees arc ordinarily fu
tile; aud tho employment of even the
poorest classes of labor is carried on
under almost insuperable difficulties.—
Kan York Tribune.
St. Lonls’ Iron Pyramid.
Here is a description of tho wonder¬
ful structure that St. Louis proposes to
build a3 tho chiot attraction in case
that city secures tho World’s Fair:
It is to he a skeleton pyramid con¬
structed of iron ribs or lattice work,
coveriog 10 or 12 acres at tho base,
with floors of iron lattioe work at every
hundred foot, containing gardens,
cafes, restaurants, conversation rooms,
etc., the height of the pyramid to be
anywhere from 500 to 1000 feet, sur¬
mounted by a statue of liberty, ulso
woven in iron work, 100 feet high. On
tho sloping sides of tho structure are
pedestrian walks, tramways aud other
modes of ascent, and in tho centra nu¬
merous elevators. Innumerable orua
montal features are suggested in tha
way of electric lighting, cascades,
fountains, etc. On the vast floors, of
which there aro to be 10 or 12, spaces
are reserved for exhibits and for assem¬
bly purposes. Fireworks at a great
height are to be among the nightly at¬
tractions.
The structure is to be painted silver
while, and will bo of immense strength
aud quite indestructible, and a perma¬
nent feature and municipal attraction,
and can be seen many miles from the
city. Its illumination at night with
electric aud colored lights is provided
for on an immense scale.
The Future of the Congo State.
According to Harper's Weekly. King
Leopold’s enterprise, the Congo Free
State, is without doubt the greatest
philanthropic project of tho century;
and although many years must elapso
before its possibilities for civiiiz iti on and
commerce are fully known, the remark¬
able work of the past few years justi¬
fies the hope that the Congo State will
achieve a grand and beneficent destiny.
We are beginning to understand that a
largo part of this region is at least as
habitable as India, as soon ns white men
learn to adapt their habits of living to
its climatic conditions. The fumous
traveler Burton said of Barua that it
was one of tho most insalubrious holes
in tho world. It is now tho capital of
the Congo State. In 1888 there was
not a death among the thirty to fifty
white men who live there, and recently
three Luudred Europeans wore at one
time in the settlement, whose total
white population when Stanley first saw
it was sixteen souls. Owing to exces¬
sive rainfall, however, the past Eeason
on the Lower Congo has been very un¬
healthful.
The Last Answer the Best
The Persian author Laadi tells a story
of three sages—a Greek, au Indian and
a Persian—who, in the presence of the
Persian, monarch, debated this question:
Of all evils incident to humanity, which
is the greatest?
Tho Greciau declared: “Old age op¬
pressed with poverty ;” tho Indian an¬
swered : “Pain with impatience;" while
the Persian, bowing low. made answer;
“The greatest evil, O King, that I can
conceive is the couch of death without!
one good deed of life to light the darit
some wayl”
SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS.
The California agricultural station has
analyzed ovor 1200 sampler of soils
from different localities ar a brsis for a
classification of the lands of tha State.
California farmers are beginning to
use silos to preserve winter and spring
fodder for summer aud fall use—a
complete reversal of Eastern dairy
economy.
A Minneapolis inventor is about to
introduce to the public a slot machine
that for a nickel will present the player
a photograph of himself in jtnfc three
minutes from the time he drops in tho
five-cent piece.
The hospital of St. Spirito, iu Flor¬
ence, Italy, is said to contain a table
top of petrified human viscera, tho
work of a Florentine anatomist, who
died without explaining the process so
ghoulishly applied.
In the Cascade Mountains, Oregon,
is to be found the Great Sunken Lake,
the deepest in the world. It is said to
average 2J00 feet down to the water on
all sidos. Tho depth of tho water is
unknown. It is fifteen miles long and
four and one-half wide.
Mr. Gatschott lias just had published
by the bureau of ethnology a grammar
of the Klamath language. It is inteu l
ed to form not only a comp’cto analysis
and exposition of thnt language, but to
bo a model of all subsequent grammars
of tho Indian languages.
It is probable that tho English oak
will bo the hard wood of the future on
the Pacific coast. This species is ap¬
parently much hotter adapted to that
region than are the varieties of the oak
common to tha Eastern states, which
there make a slow aud unsatisfactory
growth.
The economics of metal tics of rail¬
roads is now being thoroughly investi¬
gate l in this country, not on nccouut
ol scarcity of suitablo timber, but be¬
cause of their lasting character and
firmness of lire track. At this time
(here are sovornl hundred miles of track
in Europe laid on metal ties.
A soluble pigment has been found in
the spines of tho South American tree
porcupine. The quills are tinged with
bright yellow and tipped with dark
brown. Tho yellow will dissolve in
ordinary water, but tho brown resists
the solvent action of alcohol aud chloro¬
form, though it yields to ammonia and
potash.
It is not a fact that new-born babies
always have blue eye3. But it is true
that in the majority of cases the eyes
of the newly-bora aro blue in color, and
as ago increases, change. This is owing
to the fact that at the time of birth the
pigmental structure of the choroid coat
of the eye is not complete, with the re¬
sult that the blue and violet rays
of light aro more fully reflected •
by the iris, But in very many
cases the oyo has its normal color from
the moment of the child’s birth, and
we find grey, brown, or hazol eyes
among newly-born infants.
102 Years Old. -
Captain Jack Haynes, the engineer in
charge of the olevutor engine at tho
Fagan building, is 102 years old/ As
he stood in front of the structure the
other morning no one would have placed
his age at over sixty-five years, and
there would even have been soma mis¬
givings ns to his being quite that vener¬
able. Nevertheless, it was in 1787 that
the old engineer came into this world,
his birthplace being iu tho then wild
and unsettled region of Tenuessee.
Like nearly all Tennesseans, tho cente¬
narian is a six-footer, chews tobacco,
and loves a good story. Ho is active,
healthy, spare in figure and on’y slight¬
ly bent with his wonderful weight of
years, and possesses tho eyesight of a
frontiersman.— St. Louis Republic.
A Boy’s Presence of Mind.
A boy living near Nassau City, Fla.,
was out fire-hunting a few uight3 ago,
when he planted his foot on something
soft aud slippery, and at once awakened
the warning notes of a rattlesnake. By
the flickering glare of his torch ho saw
that he had trod upon tho reptile, but
fortunately had planted his foot on its
neck just back of the head, and though
it folded its slimy coils around his an¬
kle and struck out with its fangs with
lightning-like rapidity it was unable to
turn its head to do mischief.* The lad
had presence of mind enough to keep
his foot firmly planted upon its neck
while with axe in hand he severed ths
head from the body. 1