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About North Georgia times. (Spring Place, Ga.) 1879-1891 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 1890)
cc uTj ) r Tyi ~ I C m 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.
