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C. X. KING. (Proprietor
S. B. CARTER, *
Lore’s Coming.
Love came to metn life so late
That Time bad closed the outer gate—
3o late it seemed the door was barred,
Bolts shot, and all the house rough scarred
That owned my habitation gave no sign
Of welcome to the Uod benign,
For Love with all his power divine
Had come so late.
It seemed that none would ever come
Irt answer to his knock, though some
Sweet thought stirred restless in my breast
Uneasy waked from its long rest,
So strange were such fair visitors that when
Love came and ealied, and called again,
It was at first in vain, for then
It seemed so late.
No chamber hail my soul prepare!
Against his coming, none had dared
Foretell his advent; it did seem
More of a sweet, unstable dream—
Before his summons, sweet aud clea», >ang
out
Waking the drowsy-lidded rout
Of fancies, passion-sweet, his shout
Seemed all too late.
No rich feast had been spread for him;
All the guest-chamber lights burned dim,
For few had come that way to claim
A resting place—e’eu fickle fame
Had tied long, long before Love eamc—
And yet the close gate opened wide
At his approach; holts shot aside;
All the bright soul lights flame t, and loud
Rang out the welcome of the crowd.
31y soul’s best minstrelsy did welcome him,
Bright grew my dimmest, darkest dream,
For after all it did not seem
Love came too late, r
THE STORT OF A DUEL.
‘Comrades! have vc heard Iho
nows? A man hath come forward.do
answer the challenge of Jacopo the
Swordsman 1”
This announcement, made in one of
the principal streets of Florence on a
fine summer morning in the latter part
of (lie sixteenth century, was quite
sufficient to gather an excited crowd
round the speaker the instant he uttered
it; for Jacopo Belloni (popularly
known as “Jacopo the Swordsman,”
from his deadly skill in fencing) was
widely renowned as the most formid¬
able prize-fighter in all Italy, although
(according to the custom of those
times) he fought, not with his fists,
but with his sword.
The redoubtable Jacopo had already
killed three or four fencers of renown
who had ventured to encounter him,
and then, finding that people seemed
to be getting rather shy of testing liis
prowess, lie had lately issued a formal
challenge to all comers, and had offered
to stake a pretty large sum of money
upon the result.
Tliis challenge, however, liad al¬
ready been thrice repeated without
any one appearing particularly anxious
to accept it; and therefore it was no
great wonder that the announcement
quoted above should have been re¬
ceived with looks and exclamations of
doubt, and even of fiat disbelief.
“It is impossible, Muso! (Tom).
No man living would be so mad!”
“It must bo a jest—and a sorry one,
too.”
“Or else Maso is lying. Confess
that thou art lying, according to thy
(
custom, brother Maso, and we will
forgive thee!”
“Laugh if yo will, my friends,”
said Maso, slightly affronted, “but I
lie not. It stands writ out in the Mar¬
ket Place, full fair to see, that there is
a man ready to meet Jacopo on the
seventh morning from today.”
“Then there is one more fool in the
town than I thought,” grunted a stout
armorer,” “and there will soon be one
less.”
“Who is the man?” IIo must be a
stranger here, or lie would know bel¬
ter.”
“I can not tell,” said Maso; “for,
although his challenge is fairly writ,
there is no name signed to it.”
“Then it must needs be a jest,”
growled a sturdy Jbutcher, beside him.
“No jest, i’failh,” cried Maso; “for
lie hatii staked one thousand live hun¬
dred pistoles on the event.”
Incred hie as Maso's news ap¬
peared, however, it was speedily and
surely confirmed,, and tlie tidings of
the expected combat flew abroad like
wildfire, kindling a universal excite¬
ment. When the day appointed for
the fight came, not only all Florence,
hut all tlie country round seemed to
have gathered to watch the sport, and
in tlie ranks of tlie spectators were to
be 6ccn young nobles from all the
greatest families in Northern Italy.
The stage upon which the two
champions wore to meet was a large
platform of smooth planking (thickly
strewn with sawdust to keep their feet
from slipping), which, being full
thirty feet in length by at least twenty
SPRING PLACE. GA.. THURSDAY. NOVEMER 20, 1890.
in breadth, gave ample space for all
their movements. At either end of
the stage was a smaller platform, on
which stood a tent of white canvas;
and upon those tents all eyes were
fixed in eager expectation, for they hid
from sight the heroes.
l’resentlv one of the tents was seen
to open, and forth stepped the famous
Jacopo Belloni himself, bowing con¬
descendingly in acknowledgment, of
the thundering cheers that greeted liis
appearance.
The renowned swordsman’s ti ll, ac¬
tive, sinewy figure was a perfect model
of well-trained agility and strength;
but his dark, lean, wolfish face, with
its hooked nose, sloping forehead,
bristly, black moustache, sharp, white
teeth, and fierce, restless, gray eye
(which was turned hungrily upon the
opposite tent) were unpleasantly sug¬
gestive of some ferocious beast of
prey.
Ami now the other tent opened in
its turn, and a long cry of astonish¬
ment broke from every lip. The man
who was about to encounter the dread¬
ed Belloni was seen to be a slim, hand¬
some youth, barely twenty years old,
so slender in frame, and so smooth
and delicate in face, that, but for liis
lofty stature and the silky moustache
on his upper lip, he might have been
mistaken for a girl.
The bravo shrugged liis broad
shoulders with a disdainful laugh, and
muttered some coarse jest about,
“whipping the. child back to its
mother;” but the young man took no
heed of him.
Then up rose a fine-looking old man
in a richly-embroidered suit of crim¬
son velvet, the Marquess di Scala,
who, as warden of the Market Place,
had charge of t!:e day’s proceedings,
lie announced that this young man
slaked one thousand five hundred pis¬
toles (nearly one thousand three hun¬
dred pounds) against one thousand
wagered by Jacopo, ad ing that, as
there was no personal enmity between
the two combatants, the first wound
received by either might fairly end
the light.
But here the young stranger inter¬
posed. “Let me entreat your wor¬
ship,” said he, with stern emphasis,
“not. to defeat the sole purpose which
could have made mo stoop to encoun¬
ter you cut-throat. It is full time
that liis murderous hand were stayed
frem shedding more bloocl; and, with
the help of Heaven, mine shall be the
arm to stay it. Ere I leave this spot,
he or I shall lie dead.”
In the dead hush of universal
amazement, those clear, stern, menac¬
ing tones rang out like the summons
of a destroying angel. The spectors
stood agast, and looked at each other
in silence; and even the savage Bel¬
loni seemed cowed, for the scornful
smile faded from his lips, and a faint
uneasiness made itself visible for the
first time through the swaggering im¬
pudence of liis look. These signs of
wavering did not pass unnoticed by
the watching crowd, some of whom
taunted him with his changed look;
oil which, stung to the quick, the bul¬
ly fiercely shook off his momentary
hesitation, and advanced upon liis foe
with uplifted sword. The latter met
him with equal readiness, and a deep
and solemn hush settled down upon
that great multitude as the shining
blades were seen to cross.
Belloni pressed furiously forward,
his sword flickering like lightning as
he dealt ihrust after thrust, with a
quickness which uo eye could follow,
lie appeared to be bent upon bearing
down his young opponent by sheer
strength; but to liis own surprise, and
that of every one else, lie seemed to
have met his match at last. Lunge
after lunge did lie make, with seem¬
ingly irresistible force, and again and
again did the bystanders draw in their
breath as they watched to see the
stranger fall; but the thirsty jioint
was always turned aside just as it
seemed about to pierce him. Nor did
he once break ground, but kept cir¬
cling round ami round his foe, watch¬
ing for a (-bailee of attacking in turn.
That chance came at last. Jacopo,
spent with his own violent exertions,
could no longer maintain this exhaust¬
ing attack. His breath began to fail
and liis hand to tremble. Then the
stranger sprang forward, and attacked
Belloni in his turn, with the light of
a sudden and terrible gladness upon
liis beautiful face, which made the
hardiest spectators shudder as they
saw it.
time an ominous stain of crimson on
his white vest showed that the parry
had conic all but too late. They closed
a third time—there was a quick tramp¬
ling of feet, a clash of a steel, a hoarse
choking curse—and the destroyer of
so many lives lay dead at the stranger’s
feet, pierced through the heart.
The momentary pause of silent
stupefaction was followed by
long-continued thunders of applause,
while the Marquess di Scala, seeming¬
ly much pleased, held out to the con¬
queror the heavy purse containing the
stakes; but the latter, to every one’s
surprise, waved it haughtily away.
“Money that is stained with blood
shall never be touched by my hands,"’
lie said, iu a tone of such commanding
dignity as to impress even the proud
old noble to whom lie spoke. “Give
it to the widows and the orphan chil¬
dren of the men whom this wretch
hath slain.” 1
“And who art thou, fair sir, I pray
thee?” asked the marquess, looking at
him Avondcringlv.
“I am from Scotland,” answered
the victorious youth, “and iny name
is—.Tamos Crichton!”
“The Admirable Crichton!” shouted
the throng, with one voice, hailing tlio
renowned Scot by the title which ho
had already made famous throughout
ail Europe.
“Ay, the Admirable Crichton, in
good sooth,” cried the Marquess di
Scala, “and never more truly admir¬
able than when he thus risks his life
to punish the guilty, and gives up his
well-won gains to relieve the dis¬
tressed.”
The Language of Animals.
Every one who lias heard a dog or a
horse welcome ils master wi|h excla¬
mations of joy, or a cat plaintively
mewing for its food, ought to beliovo
that animals can talk. Tlio dog lias
dillerent sounds to express hunger,
pain, joy, sorrow, thanks and fear.
Birds have different songs and notes to
express their feelings. Wo recognize
their songs of victory and of love, as
well as the notes of anger and fear.
It is evident tiiat these notes aro un¬
derstood, not only within the limits of
one, species, hut among other birds;
for different tribes often make a com¬
mon cause of joy and battle. Monkeys
express their passions, fears and de¬
sires by various cries and gestures.
Some of the most uncivilized
languages are but little richer than
theirs. Abbott tells us tiiat crows
have twenty-seven distinct cries or
utterances. Many scientists believe
that certain sounds made by fishes are
for the purpose of expressing their
feelings. It is clear to tlio careful ob¬
server that language is universal
wherever tliero is sensation, and ail
animal life more or less inter-com
muuicative__[Picayune.
The Mystery of Memory.
“How far back in your life can you
remember?” asked a psychologist yes.
terday, referring to great feats of
memory. “Let me see,” said His
friend, reflectively, “I can recall inci
dents in my life as far back as my
fourth year.” “That is about the
average, ’ replied the gentleman, “al¬
though many people claim to he able
to recall events in their lives as far hack
as the age of t wo. I myself can recall
one or two events that must have, hap¬
pened when 1 was not, more than two
years old. One thing that 1 recall is
that I have a vivid impression of sit¬
ting on the floor of the nursery play¬
ing with my blocks. My mother came
in the room. She wore a hat with an
ornament of a big bird. All this is
clear to me, even today.”—[Detroit
Free Press.
A New Method of Robbery.
A young lady of Paris lias invented
a new method of robbery which she
lias carried on with a good deal of
success for several weeks past. Wear¬
ing a traveling dress with a traveling
bag in her hand, she waited about the
stations, as if she were quite newito
Paris, and did not know where to {o.
It constantly happened tiiat gentlemm
took pity on her, and proposed to taie
her to a hotel. On arriving at tie
hotel, the gentleman, qf course, t e
manded (o he shown rooms. Tie
young lady invariably stopped dot n
stairs, and before lie 'returned Hid
jumped into the cab with the gent -
man’s luggage and driven away,
AN ELECTRIC TREE.
A Remarkable Old Elm in New
York City.
Invalids Touch It and Assert
That They are Cured.
Every time it rains the tall elm tree
in front of Franz Otto’s place. No. 19
Stnyvesant street, becomes electrified.
The .current is caused by four elective
light wires which come in contact with
the brandies of the tree, and in wet
weather the wood becomes a splendid
conductor. At times the current is
very mild. Then again it increases
in strength and those whose hands
corns in contact with the tree draw
back in alarm.
It is believed by many people that
Hie electricity after filtering through
the damp* wood lias great healing
qualities. Invalids of all descriptions
come to the tree for relief after all
other remedies have failed, The
school boys testify that contact with
the tree will remove warts. One boy,
who gave ins name as Charles Burton,
said that the back of his left hand was
covered with them until a week ago,
when they were all removed by hold¬
ing them against the treo for half an
hour. Several old people suffering
from rheumatism visit the tree every
morning about 6 o'clock and lean
against it for an hour or so.
Mrs. Franz Otto said to a World re¬
porter that she was frequently com¬
pelled to call a policeman in order to
disperse the crowd fiom the front of
her door.
“One old irnly,” she said, “walked
here from Cherry street, though sho
was very lame and peeled off a pint
cup full of the bark. Her son is near¬
ly dead with consumption and in some
way she had become possessed of the
idea that a dose of the powdered bark
after each meal would cure him.”
When one suffering from the tooth¬
ache wishes relief, some friend places
one hand against tho tree and a linger
of the other against the affected tooth.
It is said that the treatment works an
immediate cure.
Adolphus Johanson, seventy-two
years old, told the reporter that he had
taken a pint of buttermilk after eacli
meal lor more than five years, in liopo
of curing a serious heart trouble.
Leaning against this tree half an hour
every morning for a week, lie said
helped him more than tho whole live
years’ buttermilk treatment.
Hiram J. Colt lmd tried all the vari¬
ous remedies for catarrh until the car
tilago support of liis nose was com¬
pletely gone. He then stood patiently
with his face against the tree for ten
miiluies each day for three weeks and
is satisfied that liis nose has greatly
improved.
Miss Henrietta M. Truesdale tells a
remarkable story. She is sixty-five
years old and has been afflicted since
early womanhood with extreme nerv¬
ousness and melancholia. Life, she
said, for more than thirty years had
been one gloomy waiting for God to
take her home. About two weeks ago
she heard her little nephew talking
about the wonderful elm tree. She
dislikes a crowd and would n$t go
during the day, but, accompanied by
her bvolher, she has since visited the
tree every night at 12 o’clock. Sho
remains there about half an hour with
her head against the tree.
“The brain is the seat of electricity
in tho body,” she said, “and the cur¬
rent came so gently that it was all ap¬
propriated by the cells of the nervous
tissue. Consequently the power and
extravagance of my youth have re¬
turned and I a n a new woman.”
Miss Truesdale was for many years
an ardent Christian Scientist, hut she
now believes that the electric tree lias
greater power to heal than has the
human mind.
Ralph Spencer of East Eighteenth
street, Chas. Cook of West Fifty
second street, and Jacob Silberwick of
St. Mark’s place, all assert that tho
treo will restore hair to bald heads.
These gentlemen are not sure whether
their gratitude should bo extended to
the electrical currents or to the medi¬
cal properties of the bark. One thing
they are certain of, however, is that
after little more than a week's treat¬
ment, which consisted in rubbing the
bald spots with the fresh bark or
leaves of the tree, a new and abundant
growth of hair appeared, where before
Vol. X. New Series. NO. 42.
the skin was as white and smooth as
that of a baby.—[Ex.
A Novel Life Boat.
A London correspondent of the New
Orleans Picayune says: In a short
time there will be stationed at Har¬
wich, for work along this coast, a life
boat that will have for its motive
power neither sail, nor oars, nor
screws, nor paddle wheel, but will he
driven by what is called a turbine
wheel. A turbine is a horizontal
water wheel, and nothing in tlie way
of engines could be less complex than
those of the life boat. They have
simply to drive water through this
wheel at something like a ton a sec¬
ond. The manipulation of the valve
directs the course of this tremendous
stream, and sends the boat forward,
turns it to the right or left without as¬
sistance from the rudder, spins it
round and round like a teetotum or
stops it dead at pleasure.
It sounds Jules Verneish, but it is a
fact. She—the Duke of Northumber¬
land is the name, but all boats are sh®s
—is built of the very best, steel and is
of immense strength. Being divided
into no less than fifteen water-tight
compartments, she practically cannot
upset, and may be relied upon to live
in the wildest seas. There is another
of cruel old Neptune’s amusements—
an amusement which has lasted since
the days of Noah—destroyed, and we
may confidentially look for a time
when the sea's powers of destruction
will be nil and its terrors reduced, aud
that wholesome fear of seasickness
which keeps many a would-be traveler
from roaming overcome.
A Little Heroine.
Jeanne Victoire Snooke, 10 years of
age, the daughter of C. Snooke, of
Portsmouth, England, was, April 26,
1890, with her brother James, aged 4
years, on the landing stage of the old
sallyport at Portsmouth—a place which
is a favorite resort of children. Sud¬
denly Jeanne was startled by the fact
that her brother bad fallen into the
water, which was then 12 feet deep.
Without a moment’s thought about
self Jeanne sprang into the sea to the
rescue. The struggle was great, and
both of the little ones sank and rose
to the surface continually, but tho
brave elder child never quitted her
bold of her brother.
The tide was running strong and
carried them away from tiie stage,
and both must have been drowned had
not H. Craven of the chamberlain’s
office,Portsmouth,who was coming out
of the harbor in a boat, gone to their
rescue aud got the half-drowned,
struggling children out of the water.
For this act of bravery Jeanne was,
the 20th of May following, awarded
the honorary first-class certificate of
the Royal Humane Society.
The Great Tempest of 1703.
Apropos ot recent numerous tem¬
pests and cyclones all over Europe,
the Boston Transcript gives some in¬
teresting facts about the great tempest
of 1703, which extended over tlio
whole of Europe, and continued for
a week with unparalleled violence—
more especially in England. It
reached its culminating point on Sat¬
urday. November 27th, of that year.
The losses in London were computed
at $10,000,000; tho streets were en¬
cumbered with the ruins of houses;
tlio number of persons drowned in tho
rivers Severn and Thames and in tho
vessels which broke away from their
anchorage, and which were never
heard of afterwards, was by estima¬
tion 8,000, besides which twelve ships
of war, with 1,800 men and 524 can¬
nons, foundered within sight of land;
1,700 trees in Kent were torn up by
tlie roots, and on one estate in
Gloucestership, 600 trees, averaging
80 feet in height, were uprooted in a
space of five acres. Tlie Eddystone
lighthouse was destroyed, and a largo
.number of cattle perished.
An Expensive Hog.
Mr. W. K. Vanderbilt lias a mastiff
dog, Wallace by name, which stands
Him in $10,700. This valuable animal
cost the odd $700 originally, and in¬
creased his value by biting Charles
Myers, who had been employed by
Mr. Vanderbilt to train bird-dogs.
Mr. Vanderbilt paid the expenses in¬
curred by Myers in repairing the dam¬
age inflicted by tho dog, which
j j amounted to $5000, and has sent
j Myers a check for $5000 as compensa
tlon. He still has tlio dog, however
How Baby Wakes.
Through the drowsy dreamland hai»
Peeps two roguish orbs of bias;
Wonderment is in their gaze
As they chance to rest on you;
Cherry lips begin to work
And you catch a cherub smile,
Dimpled digits twitch and jerk
As you pause towateh awhile.
Then a troubled spirit wakes,
Tears the tender heart assail,
O'er the face a storm cloud breaks
And ensues a plaintive wail;
Then a brief, expectant look,
Struggling through the depth ot woe,
Plainly says: “t will not brook
Any more delay, you know.”
Now you raise her in your arms,
Pressing close the yielding form,
Captive to the many charms
Of the nurseling soft and warm
And you own the magic sway
< >f Hie despot small and sweet,
Casting in a reckless way
All your heart at baby’s feet.
— [Frank B. Welch, iu Detroit Press
HUMOROUS.
Tongue tied—The nuptial knot.
A fair count—A blond nobleman.
Holds his head high—The giraffe.
The man who walks a crooked street
is on the warp-path.
There is no rest for the weary, and
nobody else needs it.
An infant industry—Making papa
walk the floor nights.
All the “big guns” in Washington
are not at the navy yard.
A coming-out party—The prisoner
who is to be given bis liberty.
We all have strength enough to en¬
dure tlie misfortunes of others.
In the battle of life it is the tramp
who is always asking for quarter.
As a rule the watch and cloak maker,
even in lais busiest times, has plenty of
lime.
lie—You arc a puzzle to me. She
(coldly)—Well, you had better give
mo up.
A horse is a most sagacious animal,
and never more so than in sizing up
his driver.
“I can’t keep a friend,” remarkod
the lemonade, sadly. “I am always
getting shook.”
“1 say, Charley, that man over
there must be a millionaire.” “No, I
guess not. lie looks too happy.”
N an Ilusslei—Don’t you find that
you can write better on an empty
stomach? Scrawler—No, I can writ*
better on paper.
If you ever doubted that a man
could bo sarcastic, you doubt it no
longer when you have heard him
praising your enemy.
“Times aro getting so hard,” re¬
marked an unsuccessful business man,
“that it’s getting to be all I can do to
collect my thoughts.”
Ho (reading the sign board)—
“Lovers’ Retreat.” 1 wonder what
jt-hey retreat for? She—To get away
from the old folks, probably.
If the tree is known by its fruits,
one of the impressions of thepiesent
season is that the peach tree stands a
very poor show for identification.
“I trust,” said the love-lorn young
man, “that the poem I sent you touch¬
ed you, even if only a very little.’’
“It did, it did,” she murmured. “I
made curl papers with it.”
Mamma—“Why, Susie, you’ve offer¬
ed your candy to everybody but little
brother. Why didn’t yon hand it to
him?” Susie (with innocent candor)
“Because, mamma, little brother
always takes it.”
“New York is a great place,” said
the tourist. “It has an Italian quarter
and a Chinese quarter and a French
quarter, but where is the American
quarter?” “In the pocket of the hotel
waiter,” answered his American
cousin.
Footman (at the club): Beg pard’n,
sir. Languid Swell: Wc-ell, what is
it, James? Footman: Beg pard’n,
I’m sure, sir; but do you know, sir, is
there a gentleman waiting for you in
the reception room with one eye named
Walker? Languid Swell: Don’t know
him, sure. Say, what’s the name of
the other eye?
The Present Duty on Beans.
Miss Bleecker (of New York)—I
sco that there is a proposition to put a
duty on beans.
Miss Emerson (of Boston)—A duty
on beans already exists.
Miss B.—Indeed! What is it? '
Miss E.—To bake them to a delicious
brown.—[West Shore.