Newspaper Page Text
nir fl
COLLECTION
Mr > ■ ? *,
V/o> •• ... r ’
6 'V
_ . . yp^' e.r
— " -$0ySS^N tv * ^HT
< 'Hr' '<*>*' ••
romance J'r t 'yEvys.j..; i ^-s-.
'» 1 7^" ' y
. -*» .
y H'tiSC^
VOL. VI
' S A.-
J* H- & W. Ii SEAL!?}
ATLANTA. (2A., NOVEMBER 27 1SSO.
ierms ; n Advance: {
>0. *277
so* ■, athcam ion.
h\ U. E. N ! El l>.
Thus inii<*11 we know : “There is i:«» deal »■:"
The sou! is more tlum niorlal hreath,—
A part ofliod, to Him it must
Return, as dust returns to dust.
An exile here, man s wistful cyt
N homeward fixed upon the •*ky
R> that attraction which is ni\*-n
To lure his footstep' back to Heaver..
Our planet will not lose its place
In Clod's vost wilderness of space.
For He hath tied it to t lie Sun
With cords that cannot he undone.
“Fixed stars" of truth forever shine
A ttesti.„fr all that is divine,
Despite the skeptic's puerile schreen,
Or passing clouds that intervene.
The transient fades—but heaven's blur.
Imperishable, remain in view.
Fresh as when first “Our Father" spread
The beauteous awning overhead.
In Ilia high Court the ease we'll try.
A ml all the stars shall testify;
Em pane 1 led, they forever shine
The witnesses of truth divine.
THE WHITE LILY.
A Story of the West.
BY CHARLES E. McDANIEL.
CHAPTER III.
Near the close of the afternoon. 1 oumt
upon the strangest specimen of humanity in !
this uncivilized region I had ever met with.
1 had followed down the hank of a small 1
stream for some distance, when a rnde hut,!
with the smoke curling skyward from its
ruder chimney, stood before me. Jt was hut
a few steps removed from the banks of the :
streamlet and so thickly grew the trees and
bushes about it that I would, in all probabil j
ity, have passed on without discovering the i
but, had it not been for the smoke which (irst i
attracted my attention. With the vaguest
idea as to w hat kind of a mortal 1 wound find
in this wild spot, 1 guided my horse toward
the little pole hut ■ ■, ; the strange |
a few feet of its door „ ■ t( .
O • >. ' IV ( **» ' 4l( st*H>V l **IJ
black hair that hung aUmt
the'houW^VnV dirty, tangled mass,
looked as if a coint
to il ‘ hidef 6 nmnient." when he first became
and
bad never bten known
raised to my face
>w 1 kin save yer
liet tramp you’re
l don’t mistake l
sent his hands kept time with bis tongu- in
I fixing tip a mint julep for a customer--a
’ rapt < r w h< stood waiting rhi bat 1
i woodsman had been listening to our conver
sation ami seemed to take, I thought, a
{ strange interes in our words. 1 was just in
*he act ol speaking again when he surprised
I me with:
| “1 think, stranger, a
(he trouble o’ takin
I thinkin’ ’bout; thet is.
I kin. ‘
“How is that, sir .'”
He made no immediate reply hut instead
j ran his hand into a pocket and produced a
[ small, beautifully-enameled gold watch at
tached to a mounted hair chain. I knew it.
j at °, nce l j 1 " y Will’s and the chain had been
] made ot hair iron his loving mother's head.
J is this little trick the property o’ ver
pard as got killed '” J i
I “ Yes, it belonged to him,—my friend, Will
' Robertson, and 1 opened the lid and showed
( them engraved on its inside the name Will
M. Koliertson. “How came you by it?”
| “T found it on the purrara,” replied the
j wrapper, “where yer pard went under (
I Wllr trampin’ across ttiur purrara when I
k.m on the dead body a man. I shed
j ihink the redskins hedn’s done for him a
i great while afore thet. for the coyotes hedn’t
commenced on him vit; howw.mever I
; Skeen ,i off two or three o’ the varmints’ as
! wur skulkm towards him when I arriv. [
lust thought o’ diggin' a hole with my knife
tag enough for the hod >, but I knowed the
| sneakin coyotes would scratch it out afore
night, so I lugged it to the crik. me.-, ’n a
j mile off, an’ dropped it in. Thet trick as
I you ve got in your hand I found four or five
j yards from the body, lyin’ ni the g as- I
; reckm it mought a got flung there in'his
s'CUiiie with the redskins ami they to
j 6ee it.
; So the duty I bad looked lorwaid to with
j a sad kind of pleasure was not left me to per
V ,,,r , U , :: ™ *o tmpeful, and
with such a bright future stretch:ng out be
fore lmn to be thus cut off: What a sad
I •'«** l ? r ea , < ' h tllt * ears of a loving mother
: and proud father in the far home in A - ’
i Heath—horribie death at the hand of the
red Indian-and burial in the little creek
Uiat flows through an uncivilized land—a
I is n * v ;e to remain forever unmarked bv the
| uamls ot those that loved him—a grave over
| w . hlch « sister’s fingers would never train a
i vme—a grave over which a mother would
never shed a tear.
for u
. c ,.....all and black ,
orners lurked any amomdof
On the outskirts of the settlement a stream-
et -the arrayo ot the .Spaniard-meandered
1 ‘r'Y • dh- O', ill. Leek of this a few
lays la'. ,i j iound tny self reclining
again before me-
V\i
i near the hut’s door, a lit-
, tiie work ot tali
fid. silent gn»-, w ith which 1 pmhe cracked taken possession
for a brief moment. Then again the crai Keu
See if it does not yet
„ U r beautiful yellow
and in their
tk't” n i^'left and engaged in
ing the skm from off a ^riutched bv fingers '
Waded Unite he used w-a «tcne ^ ^
that were b< ’ n> ,t “’l noticed the treacherous,
" or ! ; , ’’’ur^tcaUb lue s of his every move- j
pantile t ' noted these unpromising charac- ,
i feeling of awe and disgust
u-n-ties, a no. qj what nation was
took w as that 1 looked
hi
upon
eelem liu-! w hen l first rode up the man bad _ enough to slip into the miners
paid no attention to me whatever, i t . am j, a „d administer »lie ROtson
tin ed his work. ton or and his brave l
or mum.
Hai ba! you thought I would take your
J, did you? The eunmn? ot
i worked worn
him your g
My first impression vv as 1 , lia j r , 1 know! You'
pon a Mexican. ^ r e certainly charac- want it all—all:
nd the swarthy sko - , „ mistaken in Steel is? _No,
any harm he
anxious to escape ti
only w _
it would have been an «
h.tve sliot him down witn
Itl.l i: .IKAXS
l mvself as possibl—ha l I The shry teller was relating a . exciting ad
,f me It was not fear of veiitua with the ‘grizzlies' among “the
miglit do me that made me j K-'ckis. He only raised his keen, gray
n his presonc
upon
-to within ten
»*0(ie UP surnc - , , • ,
fifteen feet of where he stood and said.
gold,
has worked wonders.
would give me part, and l
You don’t know who Koi>-
l,ut if you ever meet An
The King of the Plains,’ ask him and
he will tell you.”
“Is your name b ,bin Steel
“Ha: yes, ltobin Steel
f " that he
7s mighUollnw mid search ! ^ tU^ek? Follow down
birds of the loveliest plumage flitted among
„ .. „ . the heavily laden boughs, making sweetest
Hock is. He only raised his keen, gray | music with their glad carolings. A zeoh-r.
eyes t fasten them for a second on my face, redolent of odors sweet as the perfumes'of
-'-.TTliw iiad was the long knife, and | and tbn went with the “yarn.’ The short, : Araby or India, now and then fanned inv
pon ue u matter for me to ! fat, jdy-lijoking proprietor, however, seem- ! cheek. 1 was not alone. Another stood bi
ne of my pistols, i ed tOJid in me an object of more interest ; my side. Her jiresence it was that had made
on me Si y na- ! CalebBrown—for such was mine host’s ■ • -
The
cherished
the years to folio
—years when are found but few
vite the foot-sore and ware le
vant the gold,” i said,
a moment or two for
ture
utter depravity
stench of the earnou
stumbled.
“It seems you don t
the desired information, and I made pull at
thi‘ reins as if f would ride immediately
away and leave him.
Wait wait:” berried, “1 will show you
V ? -e the creek' Follow dowi
)ine to another—a smalh'i
whose cunning me eiiug. a])d i streanl wh ich runs into it three or fou • miles
Good afternoon, sn • , , . 0 f the his power that he niight take thei g tc 1 ii. low here. Take up this, and yo.t «
The knife in the bony bain, ^ i leave their flesh on the pratr } J )inl | s!rike the trail that ,a-osses it a mile m t»o
ifumuted to come upon me. Myna- Calebs own-tor such was mine host’s so bright and beautiful the world-the pres
had ae utUmpieui i sight of such names declared by the unique sign which ence of Jly ra Wilmot that had made of the
ture revolted at the si b fr(iu the i wa y, the wind outside the door, and
which 1 had upon hich was printed in large, rude letters,
' Ruucloth, sugar and coffee, ,V
worltl an Elysium:
.mong the stiff lealies^'l-^^ , ^ until y„u
^ liiy ^ ami stream, w
her
niii.d
less as a child. \\ hatw
to have looked ii]
ga/td into the truthlul depths of tin
blue eyes of my darling Myra, in real ty
c».w aim uvij>- a? uaq Si 11 I Ull I ii U‘« 1 Hie OJ
bat would I not have given i when in my' fourteenth y»
n the sweet fare, to have on the still, cold face of n
thlul dei*ths of the soft [ Oh, the l.nt**i in >s of tl«
in the bony ‘ 1 leave their flesh on the prairie
its dextrous Staton the dc^, t(> ^ on! S( you yon large
•ogress-
up wai d
... feast on: See you m. fe I f.rtheron. You will hit the nan in umw
with wide spread wings: towards histafteryoureachtlieothersideofasm.il
The long forefinger was pointed tow at c iru^nrairie Take the trail to the north
1 raised mV eyes and saw ma | grass y will reach the settle
ct above the ground, a iarge vulture slow y | and kevTI , . way. ltobin
.lauove L, „ nointed pinions . ment. Yes, y<N ..
[tic Without cessation, the wor
ed and he deigned not
glance in ack«.ovvledgeme- ( antl the
-7 1 pinions | B . ^ ^ ri . He hi
“Good afternoon, sn • • tj’ jn lny ^ l(]lile ' cutting sharply against tb« bi« enl igrants’ , bee i there once—twice; but both times aft
firTuiuivtvseconds, gazing, filled «' ith ™"' camp^tli'e nett 'morning, you’d have seen j n’y'j^’^'Jif^hethe/he'had told me right,
P«Hf5lE7! ssfs sstfsafts--=,s,st-1 £*.. — f . - £Mspx
“Sir ” 1 said. “1 am lost, and win neg | flesh'” i , f..; r i v trembled in ecstatic delight,
ly obliged if you can direct n . l f e . tiistak^not i ' when the last words left the shriveled bps, j >'1,^ ,'^t words of ltobin Steel that ever
able to find Fort L— 1 ... rtv () f a feeling of horror was upon me. lhen came , t m y ears, and over which I pondeit .
is the nearest village. 1 vvms with a party n( f a lLen all oth er emotions were , tUnn J once after that, wondering wlmt
traders, en route for feantn Fi,^ f j ur friends ' sw f pt away in the flood of P 1 ^, ! couM be their meaning, were heard
horse to ride
Gold is my
uiiucia, ■.. route for ^L’uii our friends swept, away in the flood of pity. B^ ore i c „ U i ( i tie men
and myself gr»f «;P“™ * l fr Q1 ' the prairie. | was an unfortunate lieing-a .nan who^ o l^ | jnuinbling tone as I turned my
while after some im stan^ on >» I was Mammon -one that b j a . They were:
SsSSlawHS?* — --
Not a word was giveu-not even a glam be doubt, fln<1 the pitiubto , stooping form
»l. ^ *» d >‘oul,«e«s of be,1
in .!»“ V S.* , ” 'n 1 >“ U. Jornado. You »
fill your pockets with
ceed in rei
procure
back to the
sheltered
my happy, careless youth,
e crave neither wealth nor fame, the World
not “the wicked world’’ to our eyes dis
content we know not only happiness in the
days of our youth. Messed time, days of
our youth, how fondly in the heart as the
one oasis on the desert oi lif, rl re you to be
alk the burning sands in
'Ur> dark and dreary
’pots to in-
. ollege days—the glorious.' never-Vodie for-
gotten days at H (’mversitv- how n n
py were they.’ Will was with me then in-,
„ ni .... ... ,, , classmate. Then the darker da v came up I,e-
Ob, if that vision could have gone on fore me—that followed so .‘i, ..
tnrough all time!” I cried, ^ben the burning j fraught with sunshine- the «] .v * r.iti
fever had at lust spent its fury and mydelir- was laid in his grave That was i, l> i' W
turn had passed off, leaving me in m.i right j dark hour, yet the gloom “L nol s * “
though physically as weak and help | as had surrounded me once before the da v
ear 1 looked down
,,, ,, , . , my darling mother.
Oh, the I,lit.., ness of that hour: If ever son
.... . loved his mother 1 loved mint* y; .1
1 had in that sweet dream! j best, the kindest mother that ever livcd l do
, Gre;,t wus my surprise when told that I , n°t remember ever having spoken uokindlv
by fourteen, with a doorway that, ! kad I'eeH deli: i,,us three weeks. How ever, it 1 to her but once. The speech
fcpeet for your cranium, you found was but too true; the attack of brain fever
srv to stoop in entering! There was btougbt on by the ordeal through which 1
one ’(low—an apperture two feet and a had but lately passed, the great mental ex-
half are, hung with a shutter. The fur ! <,,teI " eut ami excessive fatigue had carried
nitui# the box co: responded admirably Jl u y. el near to Death’s door,
with ,box itself. There was a small, dir- the threshold did I pass, aim
tj'-lotg pin© bedstead spread with rough ’ h . niirsvx. back to life and reason by “the i
cloth hac did not present an appearance doctor—there s always a doctor you know—I
any tleanlj'; one chair, and a small table | mine host and his good wife,
holdi mil and pan, and above which \ cry slowly returned my strength. Day
hunjf acked looking-glass. i F “ ’ ‘ ‘bV ’ would hold out my emaciated j
Th onunodation was not the best cer- in ims and reading therefrom a tale of much j
tainlit it was not much worse than I ! suflermg, wonder how many days would I
i had 'ted to find m this western village. , e ‘ a h,se elt ‘ ^ke liluc \eins now so jilitinly
The lould not have appeared overly in j F 01 ',”' 1 tu* 1 oss^them would again be invisible
i vitiui a less weary mortal, but to one ! to l k e ®3 *;• A tew weeks later I had regained
1 that .one through what 1 had that day, I e, ‘ 0 \ , S 1 ' of “O' k-mier strength to arise from I *«;r proud words of praise.
1 now did, it was not the Kind ot I ,V!- Ie< ur . 1(i a few steps about the room. | * ou Lanll0t realize how dearly that mother
bought of, but the bed. My head i [!'?" as the days wore on I found my con- I J oves y , '“‘ ,r “ow closely your heart clings to
ed me. Fortunately 1 had a small ■ d‘tion so far improved that i was able to ! u,ltl ! tkc gentle sj.int has taken its flight
lanum in my vest pocket. 1 had I ltave the house and tak- a turn through the I to . ta y j'r'gkt. r sphere, and only thecold ciay
kepilut me for the toothache. I dropped ' na ~f ow ’ draggling streets of the little place. ' lt ’ left fuI J 0,lr sorrow-dimmed eves to gaze
thir ps of it into some water, and 1 . T,ltre was '"! e tb >ng I had decided on as I i u P;; n -
Ere many minutes pain and ' ' ay m . n,y k ,,rl< kelpless state after the I M > ‘bought*
■ - ... . fever had left my brain and reason —
, and ac
oinillation for man and horse,”—met me J
with 1 kindest smile and gentlest tone, us 1
lie til led the oft repeated speech:
*W t can 1 do for you, sir?”
“C I get lodging here?' I inquired.
“(J.»inly—yes, sir.”
Teminutes later I found myself in the
I apart lit assigned me for the night. But
s wait'.should not have said apartment ;that
| is inaYipriate—too lai-ge. It was rather a !
| box
! out
, . .. . -■— sent from a
rebellious spirit m return for a reproof that
was but just and merited. The words were
ready no worse than . ho e that greet the ear
, “ f lh ” mother from the lips of the average
oor. \ ery near to ^ <>n ddighterdaily: yet, oh, wliafcrein- >rse
almost over, and ! ", I1? 3’ Sul “ u 'hen Igaz* «l upon that shroud-
,d form and remembered the hasty speech
that had grated harshly on the ears that
could hear no more: Young friend, be
not unkind to your mother. Check the hasty
worus Uiat spring to your lips; say nothing
in those fits of impatience that may bring re
morse harrowing remorse, to your soul
when that dear mother s face is stiil and cold
m death, those lips sealed never again to ut
ter the mild reproof, the kind words of en
and
lied
still
vial
drai
-rSSis.' a 'sksr&afi -i
As - ^t'contaimng some loose coin and jin- “„ ur Peking scalps: Another enemy awaits ]
a pocket contannug r ; g i,t cord was y OUr return along the trail He, too ’s a
gled the pie • ^ he ’ rilJg (lf t |, e money had , f r i e nd to the hungry cayote—he leaves them
touched on the strange old man. ano ther feast of flesh, M hat has he fo
a wonderful effect oni^ yjotenUy that the s . loils j Goid, gold! ,, t ..
He sorted talon-like fingers and j “Y e s, Robin Steel could put you on the
long kiu 7 f ‘-‘., m „d The small black eyes trail to the fort, but you would not give him
“G° ld dtdyousaj feoia. . Lyes as he pointed to the sun, fast going
—the gnm recovered the knife from where ; ( p jW n in the west, and which was to my ba<
the ground. His long, bony j as I sat facing the east,
it had fallen on K He commenced “Yes, mv gold is yellow, 1 said, keeping
band clutched it nervous J me , Ljke the ’ fixe | 0 n his face, “and 1 mean what
a glow, stealt y (Teep a littlo nearer its j 7y'. Tell me which way to travel to rear
panther that g tu ].),i g t l,e final spring, he came j th e Fort, and you shall have what cluing
victim her > i nV( ,i un tarily my hand sought
t««"* "J. ( a revolver, protruding from its
the butt of : de The man noted the
holster at mj .. d appreciation. He
rTJ f„ bis catlikeadvance. The
stopped shoi t V, 1 *,. lu tched the knife c m-
stringy nervoU s workings, and the black
.... ,,f the greediness of their gaze,
eyes lost none otu my face . A
me before I beheld such with my own eyes,
that the world afforded this form of human
ity I could scarce have credited the state
ment. I hope that I may neither see Robin
yteel nor any other man of bis stump again
all i re forgotten and 1 slept.
h But I did see him again, as well as have
tiiose last words, the meaning of which 1 ex
pected would remain ever a mystery, eluci
dated.
Sometime after night—I think near ten
o’clock—I reached the settlement. Near the
center of the place stood a building larger
and not so unpretending in appearance as
those surrounding, lt was “the store —a
combination of drygoods store, grocery,
grogshop and hotel. As I dismounted m
front of this western establishment. 1 w as
suffering from very severe pains in my head,
An hour before my head began to trouble
me, and the pain had increased until now it
was excruciating and I was almost blind
! fponi it. It was with some difficulty 1 reach-
ed and entered the doorway of “the store.
There were the usual nocturnal visitors of
the western tavern present—rough enough
looking customers in the main, I can assure
" °The brown and bearded trappers; the
“yarn” spinner surrounded by bis little group
of interested auditors, and an old six-footer,
weather-beaten and lough, leaning by the
L
pliy
nigi
rein
ere
life.
tU “Yiye“^M k showyou: Give me the
g With his left hand extended he again start- side‘7f wTVniriy friend-thc kmg-rille-
i&wzz srs 1 *—
shook my fi' ame as 1 e,K
ed towards me.
“Stay where you are,” 1 commanded,
direct me, and if 1 think you are
shall have the money.”
The desire to get away from the hideous,
■ountered the awe- , aC cursed old man—to put as great a distance
Hfa right hand^tiU clutched j K°!
whisky straight” to “tie the nigttreap
“and
right, you
III tlJItlUU''! j ivninif, “j *• , ,
all probability a bed of grass sheltered only
by the star-lit skies. .
' My entrance attracted but little attention.
CHAPTERIV
u gl . _
ant channel, to the brighter days folk
passed on into a
more pleas
ing
Procure a guide and just sosoon as my health 1 the rain 1] ad fallen into my life.' The happy
was sufficiently recovered to admit of it, re- “ ay . which I first met Myra Wilmot
t , i t i i ,, turn to the spot where poor Will had met his m - own little blue-eyed Myra, came vividK
amJ menTaflv ’ a ' vflI \. fate - a *«d searching for his remains u l’ 'jO nienfory. Then were lived
|e rude couch how long 1 would | U,em a decvllunBrnien t L ^ ‘ e " k ' a11 s ”
iccupant—how long it would be , The first day but one after 1 was able to
leave the room in w hich I had lain in the
n awoke to the realities of this
next morning found me rolling,
toss the agonies of a burning fever.
For lays 1 was delirious, and oh! the
hor hose hours while yet my mind
con ts wild wanderings! In imagina-
tiot once again on the prairie with
my rVill, as, side by side, we fled for
life mr bloodthirsty pursuers. Again
1 si Will upon his side on the ground,
his m raised in a feeble attempt to
wa » blow of the sharp hatchet held
ile, unrelenting band of the sav-
Tlien a face painted and hid-
over me. An ugly knife was
in i the red hand. The black eyes
tla|:r diabolical fire into my face,
as raised over me! A cry for
full of the sweetest happiness, treading swift-'
1\ over the flower-strewed path. Then the
da j when I breathed into her ear the love
soul.
first momentous sickness of my life, I related ‘k’R .' unied in my soul, and received the
to Mr. Caleb Brown bow i had seen poor uelicious kiss from the sweet lips together
Mill fall under the Pawnee's hatchet, and ! *'“, h the sweet truth that 1 was lord of the
also of my intention to search for hisrtmains t “ '
that they niight be given interment.
“But, sir, you are not strong enough now
to make this trip. ’
"Oh, yes, 1 think I am,” I replied. “I don’t
think it can be more than thirty miles from
here. 1 shall go to-morrow if I can get a
guide.”
“There w ill be no trouble, sir, about get
ting a guide. Zeb Stumps, an old trapper
tnat knows every foot of the country, chap-
paral and prairie, for many miles around, as
well idr, as I know my garden out there,
will be in to-night. He’s always ready to
act in the capacity of guide whenever his
services are needed. J believe I recognize
the place from your description. Yes, yes, 1
know its the same. 1 ve hunted on the piai-
... , rie, have been there twice with parties for
tins of horror visited me, but 1 j buffalo. It is every inch of forty miles from
't no more of such. Instead, 1 here, sir. and 1 know you will be in no con
ne in which I thought myself; dition to make that trip to-morrow. And
besides, you will be running into another
danger- the Indians. Remember they are
still on the war path. It would be better,
even were you w ell enough, not to venture
too far in m the se of your own color just at
present. Dangerous, sir, dangerous?’
As Caleb Brown delivered the above dis- j
ni< o answer was a cruel stab. “Mer
cy A nother and yet another stab,
an bod gushed from the horrible
1 ran down forming a stream at
ini happiest of mortals! I was in
th'* a beautiful garden. The sun
sl» in all its glory, and the day was
crlVely. There were thousands of
Ib’Wers upon all sides—many-color-
cltiful. Here aiul there were trees
In beautiful golden fruit. Many
ittle heart that fluttered against my bosom
Oil. the happiness of that blessed hour' “But
gold, thought I bitterly, “i s to stand he-
tween us and keep my darling from my
lilUiis ■ oll M were a poor man’s daugh-
ter, then we might wed and be happv No
toil would be too great with the knowledge
that I was striving for her, and that, the
day , work done, I would be met on the
threshold of home by the sw eet face of M vi a
my darling. Home! how sweet, with Mvra
ns my wife! But the decree bad gone forth
—to gain a bride I must first gain wealth
There is one thing ertain: I shall never
cross the threshold of William W. TViimot’s
home umtil Dame Fortune sees fit to smile
upon me No, I shall never again enter his
door to be insulted as the salaried book
keeper. Some future day I will return to
A » hut it will be in such a manner that
the proud father will consider it an hono,
when 1 ask his consent to wed his daughter
And who knows how soon that may be*
Fortunes are sometimes made i,.
w nl be a long time-so long! One month >\
an age, am. to think of years' But th. i
will surely come when Iw7J t * u da >
the dear face and listen ^ the^weet voF"
(CONTINUED ON EIGHTH I'AGE.I