About The sunny South. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1875-1907 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1887)
1 . f k A l i THE SUNNY SOUTH, ATLANTA, GA, SATURDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 5, I8S7. A COL. JODSOOF ALABAMA; Southerner’s Experience in Hew Tori Git;. BY F. BE AW. [Copyrighted by the Author.] CHAPTER I. * WICKED ADVERTISEMENT. W AN'TKD-BY A GENTLEMAN. A LARGE, h nofcomely forlliriwl. «ell>f.ntiUtM room wtwn< people Hre rut toquiaitiva. Addreas A. H. O., Hamid Up-town Oflif*. One band held the advertising sheet of the New York Herald, that unveiled mirror of the ways, the actions, the weaknesses and the wickedness of man; the other grasped a large silver fork. On the table were the ample viands of a bountiful breakfast, and, close at hand, one of the attentive waiters of a tirst-class New York hotel. , , The stranger read the advertisement with absorbed interest twice through, then laid the sheet aside and concentrated his attention up on his breakfast with a gratified sense of re lief. He could now see his way out of his per plexity. This advertisement, which his eye bffd accidentally fallen upon while waiting for his order to be'filled, had, in one moment, en lightened him as to the customs of the cuun- try. He would put an advertisement precisely like that in the Herald himself as soon as he left the table. But, he meditated as he buttered his muffins, what a commentary it was, though, upon the inquisitiveness of the Yankees, when people here at the North were obliged to advertise like this! What a horrible state of society! What an insult the Southern people would feel implied in such language as this! Bui here at the North what else was a man with an im portant secret to do? He shrank from writing the unpleasant words; but of course the people here at the North must be used to it. As soon as his breakfast was over he rose from his chair, a giant in stature, the Herald still grasped in his hand. He was a colossus, broad-shouldered, full-chested, with a tine, open, intellectual face, a well sraped head cov ered with dark, thick, glossy hair slightly in dined to curl, and here and there besprinkled with gray—a head poised with quiet, imperial pride, while his eye and mien denoted one ac customed to power, authority and deference; and wherever he went he accepted the homage of the people around him as his heritage, for he was Colonel Judson, of Alabama. Before the war he had been in the Legi Ma ture of his State, and had always been a lead ing man in local politics. There had be, n a time when he could ride live miles on his own land; and with his gold headed cane across his saddle-bow he was everywhere referred to by whites and blacks and addressed as ‘Colonel” far and wide, though his title was derived solely from his splendid physique, his aristo cratic bearing and his magnificent possessions. Like the rest of the Southern patricians, the Judsons were rained by the war; but poverty could not abase them, privation could not hum ble them. Hiding their sorrows from the world, they lived ill seclusion, maintaining al ways their opinions, their prejudices, their self respect and their dignity; and the Colonel remained, as he had ever been, one of those Southern combinations of pride and generos ity, haughtiness and grac ousness, fire and mildness—a man versed in all the graces of so ciety, yet simple and ignorant of the affairs of life, recognizing no world beyoad the South, full of magnanimous pity for an admirable ac quaintance who hud bad the misfortune to be born elsewhere, and scarcely able to believe the moon shone over the bleak hills of the North as over the rich fields of the South. He was here n jw from necessity; and with his usual magnanimity, he looked about him with generous compassion upon the unfortu nate inhabitants among whom he felt himself a man apart, almost a foreigner, by reason, of every difference that can exist betweejr-’ man and mail—a difference emphasized yfw by his present peculiar position. Tor a KCVoration or more it had been traditional in-’ ms faiily that they possessed an unclaiiv ?•* ihter«t in the Citv of New York, in* Several entire re'tad iilin? intoIrN.—^ the Colonel at last had Cwinc NAth to establish his own and his family's prior ci.iius, and, if possible, retrieve his broken fortunes, placing his affairs in the hands of a prominent law firm. And, if he fully understood their advice, it appeared to be necessary that, for the present atjleast, he Bhould remain here strictly incognito—a course to him annoying and degrading—he was so open, so candid, and so detested everything mysterious, suspicious and equivocal. Yet he was by no means surprised, in view of what he had always heard concerning Yan kee inquisitiveness, that his counsel had laid down this disagreeable course of action— though it is greatly to be doubted if those le gal gentlemen themselves had any idea of the literal interpretation which their unsophisti cated client had put upon their advice, or any conception of the impression which it bad made. They were accustomed, when talking to their clients in their positive, absolute, dic tatorial way, to give a great many more orders than they expected would be literally obeyed. The Colonel’s case involved millions; and the lawyers had repeatedly warned him against speaking of it, or being drawn into conversation on the subject in any way unless he wanted to ruin his cause. In fact, they said, he had better remain incog, for the pres ent, if he could not avoid such indiscretions in any other way. Thus it was that the Colonel felt a perfect nightmare of secrets resting on his soul; and while considering the situation at the break fast table the next morning, his eye fell on that wicked advertisement. “That is precisely what I want,” thought the Colonel; "I will put an advertisement like that into the paper myself. If it is customary here at the North for people to advertise like this, why need I shrink from doing it, too!” And his mind was made up;and<>, how good the muffins tasted (corn muffins they were) after the matter was off his mind! (He couldn’t deny they had good cooks here at the North; though he shrewdly suspected they came from the South.) He finished the meal with absolute ]iea:e of mind; then went to his room, slavishly copied out the wicked advertisement, only substitut ing different initials, and took it himself to the Herald office. CHATTER II. THE COLONEL IN' SEARCH OF LODGINGS WHERE I'EOl'I.E ARE SOT INQUISITIVE. The next evening the Colonol called for his answers; and, to his unbounded delight, he found himself an object of earnest desire in no less than ninety-seveu Yankee households; for i. was already nearly midsummer, and every body was in the country. He had, therefore, his choice of “large rooms.” “airy rooms,” “rooms with hot and cold water,” “roomswith southern exp,’sure,” which were universally guaranteed to be “in a first-class neighborhood,” with “all conveni ences” and “every comfort assumed.” And it was noteworthy that not one of the n mty- seven asked or offered references; but, on the contrary, he was invariably assured that his landlady would not be inquisitive, and he was variously promised “perfect independence,” “abioluie freedom,” and that “he should be perfectly at liberty to do as he pleased, so long as he did nothing to injure the reputation of the house.” • Omnia bona bonis. The Colonel, in his ma jestic simplicity, perceived no evil in any of these communications. But, after struggling through the whole pile, he selected a dozen or «o, and started forth on a tour of inspection. And at about half-past five o'cLck in the af ternoon, he finally engaged what he believed to be a very comfortably furnished room on the second floor of a neat brown-stone house occupied by one Mrs. Gipps, widow woman, and her daughter, Miss Ma tilda Gipps, spinster; and after having, as he nattered himself, thoroughly in spected the premises, tailing, however, to perceive that the hot-water faucet always ran cold and the cold-water faucet never ran atjall; that the bath-room faucet ran only after midnight and stopped before dawn, and that sewer-gas escaped from all the pipes in the room, he took his departure in a state of high satisfaction, promising to return with his bag- S^ge and enter into possession that self-same oight; and punctually at half-past seven o’clock, the Colonel arrived in a hack from the hotel. Mrs. Gipps, assisted by Miss Gipps, whom the Colonel had not yet met, welcomed the gentleman at the front door. Bnt the Colonel was a trifle distracted. He had just remembered, as the coach roll ed up before the house, that his real name ■till remained conspicuously tacked to his trank and valise? He, however, bowed so courteously to the young lady as her mother presented her, and pressed her hand with snch warm, Southern cordiality, that the lady at once both lost her own susceptible heart and believed that the gentleman had lost his. In her anxiety to learn as much as possible of one toward whom she had conceived such a tender attachment, she hastened after the Col onel with her mother, as he, in considerable alarm, hurriedly ascended the stairs behind the porter with bis baggage. Such was the ex peditiou of the whole party that they all ar- arrived at the door of the Colonel's room sim ultaneously, and so blocked up the door-way for one moment that neither one of them could get in. Mrs. Gipps being finally suc cessful in forcing her way through the jam, hurried toward the mantelpiece, exclaiming: “Here is the best plase for your trunk. Col onel;” and as the porter set bis burden down, she bent over it to read the label, saying: “I’ve forgotten already what you told me your name was. I s’pose this is il?” “My name is Flushing, madam,” hastily re plied the Colonel, but with perfect courtesy (for that was the name next to his own to which he feT, best entitled, it being his moth er’s maiden name); and stepping quickly to ward the trunk he deftly inserted the blade of his ready penknife under the card and suc ceeded in tearing it from the tacks just as Mrs. Gipps’s failing vision dimly discerned a name looking, as she after ward told her daughter, more like Hudson or Mudson than Flushing; for there certainly was no long-tailed letter at the end of the word. Then the Colonel attempted to explain the phenomenon of his peculiar action by profes sing to consider travel-stained cards nailed to trunks as neither ornamental nor useful once the journey was at an end, while Mrs. Gipps similarly endeavored to account for her own singular proceeding, by murmuring something to the effect that she was trying to see how his name was spelled. The inadequacy of their mutual explana tions then becoming manifest, they all s uod one moment in embarrassci silence, Mrs. Gipps straggling to look uninquisitive, the Colonel endeavoring to look unconcerned and indifferent, and Miss Gipps doing her best to look youthful and unsophisticated, as she sym pathetically expressed the hope that the Colo nel would like his room and that he would find everything in order. “Ma wants you to feel at home now.” she said, protectingly. “Don’t go to being afraid of giving us any trouble. If there's anything you want you must call for it.” “Yes, Colonel,” added Mrs. Gipps: “don’t you go to feeling as if you was among stran gers. Make yourself perfectly at home. Til- lie’s emptied all thehurcr drawers, I guess, ain’t you, Tillie?” “Yes, I guess I’ve taken all my things away. This was my room,” she explained to the Col onel ; “ilia never let this room before, and I wouldn’t have given it up now only to a Southern gentleman.” The Colonel gracefully bowed his thanks for the compliment, and Miss Gipps simpered. “I guess I ain’t left any of my things around.’ she continued, looking with a searching glance at all the four walls and then at the ceiling. At this moment Mrs. Gipps, who was try ing to light the gas, discovered that there were no matches in the room: and, ns she kept no servant, or, according to her explana tion to the Colonel. their servant had “just left,” she herself went to fetch some, leaving the new lodger alone with her lovely dau ihter. Miss Gipps, on perceiving her predicament, did not rash precipitately away; and the Colo nel, in order, as she believed, to remove all fer anxiety and embarrassment on her retreated to the farthest end of the room, riih his elbow on the mantelpiece, stood lady afterward enthusiastically told her mother, ol Southern chivalry ami manliness, stirring ne ther sand nor foot: while Miss Gipps remained where she had taken her stand on entering the room. And never be fore had she looked so beautiful, as she her self perceived, in the mirror of the Colonel’s dressing-case, for it was now nearly 8 o’clock and the room was wrapped in almost utter darkness, the blinds being partially closed, and very much of what little daylight there was yet left being closed out by some bogus- lace curtains. Thus it was that Miss Gipps looked never so lovely before. The freckles on her nose, cheeks and forehead were quite imperceptible, as were also the deep lines in her forehead between her eyebroys and at the angles of her eyes and at the corners of her mouth. Nor in tiiis faint, subdued light was there any visible difference between her own rather scanty blonde locks and the wealth of hair which she had bought and paid for. But, as she stood in thefading twilight, her natur ally angular form, made perfect ilogartli lines of beauty by her own skill in dressmaking, she herself even could readily perceive that she was lovelier than ever before, and during her mother’s absence she remained as motion less as the Colonel himself, not, however, transfixed with terror, but solely because she could invent no other way to improve the graceful pose she had so carelessly assumed. Thus they stood, the dark-eyed, dark haired, athletic Southerner, and the pale- bro wed, light-hued Northern damsel, motion less and noiseless, till Mrs. Gipps returned with two sulphnrous matches. The gas being lighted, a dim and sickly glimmer overspread things in the room, lighted up the wrinkles in the elder woman’s face, and brought out some of the lines in the younger’s, as well as no small number of the freckles. But she was lovely yet, as she herself per ceived by a side-'ong glance in the mirror. Though while she thus worshiped her own image in the glass, she was by no means in sensible to the manly graces of the lodger’s tine person. Y'et her delight did not prevent her noting, with a trinmphant heart, the dark gray threads in the Colonel’s curling locks, testifying as they did, to the perfect equality of their years. Mrs. Gipps and Miss Gipps required but very small excuse to induce them to linger in their new lodger's society. But even that lit tle was soon wanting; and they reluctantly took their departure, after overwhelming him with oilers of services and assistance of ail kinds aud numerous professions cf their anxi ety to make him as comfortable as possible; for all of which the Colonel returned his many thanks with unaffected gratitude. Though no sooner was he left alone, than he disc vered that he had neither drinking water nor bathing wa ter; there were no matches in the room and only one towel; while on his bed there were only a pair of huge, square pillows of cotton or hair, and the gas burned so dimly it was difficult to unpack his trunk. Scarcely had the Colonel begun this labor than he found himself involved in ’a strange predicament—lie had forgotten that all liis lin en, and even his niglit-sairts and white vests, were plainly marked ill his own name. How could he venture to put anything into the bu reau, or to leave anything about; and what was he to do a K out his washing ! In this dilemma he abandoned his design of unpacking his trunk for the present, content ing himself simply with digging beneath -.he upper strata and dragging forth a few outer garments, his dressing gown, and some writ ing materials, and then seated himself to write a letter home and obtain counsel ns to how he could extricate himself from his embarrass ment. There being no other conveniences in the room, he wrote with a book oil his knee, and then, unable to find any envelopes in his now disordered trunk, he placed the letter in the book dll morning, when he designed tak ing it witli him to mail as he went to break fast. The next morning he awoke by daylight with a very sore head, a laine neck, and a flighty brain, owing to the hard pillows; and, being unable to obtain any rest or ease, he rose ear ly, and hoping to be able to pass out without meeting either of his land-ladies, he went quietly down-stairs. The front door was still locked, the house quiet, and everything indicated that he was, as yet, the only person stirring. But no sooner had he closed the cuter door and descended the front steps than Mrs. Gipps and her charming daughter emerged from the base ment kitchen where they had been engaged the past half-hour, in the holiest employment of taking in the morning’s milk, and the bread for their frugal breakfast, and in making their coffee over a gas-stove. They would have come np on the instant they heard the Colonel on the stairs and es corted him to the door, but that they were both arrayed in striped seersucker petticoats (price sixty-nine cents at Macy’s); a pair of dilapidated slippers adorned their ample, stockingless feet, brown cotton sacks hung in slouchy folds upon their angular forms; and their hair, teeth and complexions were np stairs in their rooms. Thus coolly and appropriately attired for the rude labors of a sultry morning, both ladies on hearing the Colonel’s footsteps on the stairs, had maintained perfect silence till they heard the front door close upon him, when they hastened up the stairs as fast as their clackiig scuffs would allow; and after peeping through the parlor blinds, hoping to see which way he went, they both repaired to his sleep ing-room. . . ... . j “He hasn’t unpacked, tbgt s sure! cried Miss Gipps, rushing to the bureau and pulling out first one empty drawer and then another. “And his trunk is locked!” cried Mrs.Gipps, “and it’s full yet,” she added, trying to raise one end. . “There’s nothing in the pantry either only a coat snd a dressing-gown!” wai.ed Miss Gipps- . .. „„ . . , , “And where’s his night-slur ? shrieked Mrs. Gipps, staring ia dismay at the bed. "He must have locked that up, tool” scream ed Miss Gipps. “Now you sec,'it is just as I said; that wa n t his name, and he daren’t unpack, for the marks on his clo’C8!” cried Mrs. Gipps in tones of deep conviction. “Here’s a book!” cried Miss Gipps, taking up the volume which had served the Colonel for a writing-desk, when, to the great delight of both of the two ladies in the seersucker pet ticoats, what should fall out but the letter which the Colonel had written the night be fore! “If here is’nt a letter and dated here last night!” cried Miss Gipps in an ecstacy of joy. “Head it!” screamed the mother, and the daughter, obeying the parent’s commands with alacrity, read the following: Mr Dear Cornelia:—As I wrote you yes terday I advertised in the Herald lor a room where people were not inquisitive; and to-night 1 have taken possession of a very comfortable looking room in a brown-stone house (where there appear to lie no other lodgers at present) kept by two ladies named Gipps. But what under heavens am I to do about my underclothes—you know, they are all marked. I had forgotten that till I began to unpack. I gave the name of Flushing, of course. (If they find me out I’ll tell them that’s iny maiden name.) Write as soon^as possible and try to advise what to do. You are always good at plotting, you dear schemer, you! Kisses and God bless you! Good-bye. Hope L, be able to send for you soon. Yours devotedly, T. S.—I am so unci infortable, as I have ro writing-desk, I forget half of what I intended to say. 1 have too charming Y ankee landla dies, very kind and very solicitous for my com fort, if they only knew wliat comfort was! The elder is a good, kind soul; the daughter I scarcely saw, as it was nearly dark; but she apjiears to be a young lady of cold manners, and seems to possess all tbe usual Northern traits of frigid, passionless beauty; but both of them are only too evideitly endowed with an abundant supply of the Yankee curiosity we have always heard so much about. It was fortunate I added that clause to my adver isc- ment, otherwise I am certain they would have riddled me with questions. As it was. the mother came near seeing my name on my trunk, for, would you believe it! after intro ducing me a moment b -fore to her daughter as “Colonel Flushing,” she pretenced to have forgotten it, and tried to read the label on my trunk; I stripped it off right under her eyes. But don’t worry about anything. I shall be safe though they die of curiosity. Of course I shall keep out of their way as much as possi ble; and if they fail to keep the contract and ask questions, of course 1 shall leave them. But 1 have great ho|ies that all will come out well. It is possible the lawyers may be able to effect a compromise. They thought so this morning. Address me as before, to tbeir care, as I shall not venture to have any mail come here. T. S. again.—Morning! Slept wretchedly. My pillow-cases are embroidered and trimmed witli lace; lace and embroidered rubbish are spread over them, too; but I should say the pillows were stuffed with shucks. I shall call for feather pillows before you come North (I i> F^re*isiai??j.““‘.".oiiig out'now io breakfast. Must take this along and mail it. Good-bye again. The colloquy whicli ensued the lending of tiiis letter was both vivacious and interesting, what little of it was aud hie, for they both talked at once. “Dear Cornelia!" cried Miss Gipps, “I’d like to know who she is ” “It’s just as I thought!” cried Mrs. Gipps. “I knew wel 1 enough what that advertisement meant.” “The old reprobate!” cried the jealous young lady, indignantly. “'Veil, this is New York city,” philosoplii cally replied the other. ‘ What else can we expect?” “Well, anyhow,” pursued the daughter, “he says I posse‘all the usual Northern traits of frigid, passionless beauty;’ so ‘dear Carolina’ or no, lie had ao idea on me,” and the young lady in the seersucker petticoat tossed her head with a smirk of self-satisfaction. “To think he a ; n’t going to unpack till she wri es him wl a ti do! Even his night-shirt locked up! What a scrape!” “ ‘You dear schemer, you’,” pursued the daughter; “I wouldn’t thank any mail to call me such a name as that! I don’t think there’s very much love in the letter He has writteu more about me than he has about her. I guess he don’t care much whether she’s jealous or no.” “To think of his taking notice of me trying to see his name on his trunk!” cried the mother. “He expresses himself elegant, I’ll say that for him—‘she possesses all the usual Northern traits of frigid, passionless beauty!’ Yes, that’s just me. right out! Well, everybody says men are always attracted by their opposites; and I’m sure lie’s a perfect type of a Southern er, so dark and languishing. I judge he could love desperately.” “Well, he’s right up and down positive about not letting anybody ask questions; so what we find out we’ve got to find out without asking him, or he’ll be leaving.” “He must be rich,” murmured Miss Gipps from over the letter she was reading again. “You see he’s got lawyers.” “What does he mean by lace rubbish!” in quired Mrs. Gipps, reading the letter over her daughter’s shoulder. “Why the pillow-shams. I knew he couldn’t sleep oil those pillows.” A ring at the door-bell interrupted further discussion of the letter, which Miss Gipps hurriedly replaced in the book as she had found it; and with her old siioes loudly clack ing at her stockingless heels, the frigid, pas sionless Northern beauty in the seersucker petticoat lied to her room; while Mrs. Gipps, after discovering behind the blinds that il was, as she liai divined, none other than her lodger; hastily slipped into a dress and went to the door. It was the Colonel, who had just bought his envelopes and missed his letter. “All, good morning, madam,” hecried, shak ing her hand with cordiality. “I regret hav ing been obliged to ring the bell. I trust you will pardon my negligence in not asking you fora latchkey.” “Oh, you are very excusable indeed,” re plied Mrs. Gipps, with a great display of gra- ciousuess in excusing her lodger for her own derelictions. “I’ll get you a key as soon as ever I can. Tillie! Time!” she called up the stairs with a great affec ation of parental fond ness, “where is there a key for the Colonel? I’ll get you one by the time you come in again, Colonel. I expect Tillie ain’t up yet. You know young people sleep so late.” The Colonel thanked her elaborately and hurried up-stairs for the letter. He had great hopes that it had not been found; for MissTiliie, it appeared, was not yet up, and Mrs. Gipps had only too plainly not quite yet finished her toilet, as she was still buttoning her dress when he opened the door. He found his room exactly as he left it, so far as his masculine eyes observed, although the bed clothes had beeL turned back upou the foot of the bed, the blinds were at different angles and the chairs differently disposed. But the morn ing’s work was yet undone; and the letter, so far as he could Bee, was in the book as he had left it, and he thankfully concluded that it had not been discovered. He placed it in his pocket and again passed out without encountering any one, Mrs. Gipps being afraid he would discover their examina tion of his letter, having taken refuge in the kitchen; and Miss Tillie, conscious that her frigid, passionless Northern beauty was ill set off by her seer sucker petticoat and clacking shoes, was still in her room peeping down the I—Mge-wmy for a gUmpse of her stalwart ad mirer The Colonel departing, Miss Tillie fame forth and joined her mother in the- kitchen, where, with much animated and diverting conversation concerning the lodger and his secrets, they aw their breakfast; after which the yoong lady left her mother to finish up the work, saying: “You know it a more im portant tor me to be dresaed than you ” and went and exchanged the seersucker petticoat for a white cambric dress and blue ribbons, and seated herself by the parlor window to watch for the Colonel’s return. The bell rang about half-past one o clock, just as Miss Gipps bad gone down into the basement for her dinner, and when the reach ed the front door she was so over-heated by the haste a ith which she had flown to answer the summons, and tbe torrid heat of the day, that the Colonel nearly failed to recognize her. “Ah! I beg your pardou! I see it iB Miss Gipps-” , “Miss TillM, sir,” amended the young lady, smiling with youthful archness. f*Ah! I beg your pardon, madam. How are you this morning’ It is a very hot day,” and the Colonel grasped her tand and pressed it with all the ardor habitual to him in all his greetings with white men and wo men, but which the young lady accepted as another token of his admiration. She replied to his observation about the weather, that indeed it was an awful hot day, adding with deep solicitude: “Ma and me, Ci lonel have been worrying ourselves almost to death for fear you might get sunstruck,” “Oh, no fear of that," replied the Colonel, and tlienaimce more apologizing for ringing the bell, he ag tin begged the favor of a latch key. “Why! hasn’t ma given you a latch-key yet? Well. I declare! I’ll see you get one right away.” , „ By this time the Colonel was half-way up stairs, and Miss Gipps, foregoing her dinner in her ieaf&at he might escape while she was in the kitchen, seated herse.f in the parlor be fore the door. She had but a moment to wait, for the Colonel had only returned to put on a thinner coat. As he re-appeared, the young lady- intercepted him in the had, and having no other rebsou or excuse for addressing him said - I’ve just ast ma for a latch-key, and she’s going to order one for you right away.” “Tr anks ! thanks 1” returned the Colonel hastening to escape. “Have you long to stay out ?” anxiously pur sued Miss Gipps. “It’s so dreadful hot you hadn’t better. I’m afraid you’ll get sunstruck, indeed I am !” O neverlear ! I yvas born in a hotter cli mate than this.” ‘Oh, you-don’t know,” solemnly replied Miss Gipps. “I knew a Southern gentleman once He came North in summer time just like you have, and he was sunstruck; and all because he thought he couldn’t be.” “Ah ! indeed !” “Yes, It’s a fact! I knew that gentleman myself. You’d better put np your umbrella.” “Thank you ! thank you ! I shall. Good morning, madam.” The Colonel speedily vanished; and Miss Gipps went exhilerated and elated down into tbe kitchen to pursue her interrupted dinner. “Say!” was her flrst exclamation to her mother, “he’s ast for a latch-key; but I don’t want you to give him any. I want to let him in myself.” “Mebbc he’ll gat one made,” suggested Mrs. Gipps. _ “Let him; and then I’ll lock the door,” calmly returned the young lady. 1 I guess my head's level.” “What’ll he think!” “I’ll make him think it was an oversight. I wish he wouldn’t call me ‘madam.’ It makes me see n so old. I wonder if Southern ers always calls your lidics ‘madam.’ It’s hirrid !” “What was you talking about so long!” “Dear knows !” replied the daughter, with an ostentatious pretense of reticence “I could hardly get away from hi r. lie’s very chatty. Told me how the heat afi-cted hi n, aud talked for awhile about the climate he was born in, down South. Then next we got onto the subject of being sunstruck; aud so it went oil from one thing to another, till I thought he never would stop. I never had anybody take so much notice of me on such short acquaintance before in my life ! Good ness ! how lie did sqze> ze my hand ! And wouldn’t let go of it, either, till I knew my cheeks must ’a’ been crimson. I cautioned him to pnt u]Miis umbrella to keep the sun off, and he Keenn.^?* n ^ 1 | i -JeaRed _at me thinking of for again?” sh/added, with a troubled, far-off look. “He changed his coat, and just when lie was going pe took out a pocket-handker chief, and I thought I saw a name on it; but he saw me looking at it, aud put it buck into his pocket, quick as a flash. There ! why didn’t I think to go up to his room and see if lie left anything in the pockets of the coat he took off!” Without further dalay, Miss Gipps left the table and proceeded up 111 her exploring ex peditiou, toon to return, exclaiming excited- “Well! I’ve made one big discovery. There wasn’t anything in any of his pockets but a package of stamped envelopes, a pair of cotton gloves and yesterday’s Herald. But I found out something for all! I thought I would just stop and look over the Herald a minute. I wan ed to see the inatrimon al ad vertisements; and I found two lnatrimonials marked! See there! He must have marked ’em to answer; so now you see that ‘dear Cor nelia’ must he a sister or some relation or other.” And Miss Tillie displayed the paper (whicli was not originally the Colonel’s own) with an air of triumphant conviction. “But what would he be telling her lie was going to have her stop over here for, then?” inter(iosed the mother. “lie must be intending to ask for another room, of course,” replied Miss Tillie after a moment’s thought; “this is yesterday’s Her ald. He must have answered these advertise- ments before he came here. So I needn’t to care. I don’t believe he’ll foller ’em up now. But I don’t see what he could be going out for again iu the heat,” she added anxiously. “It don’t seem possible he could be going to see any other person after talking to me so pleas ant.” “You put too much dependence in him,” said the mother emphatically. “He’s a man, and this is New York City!” “Yes,’’ sadly responded Miss Tillie, lapsing into silence for a few moments. “Well,” she resumed at last, “I guess my chances are as good as anybody’s!” “I wonder,” murmured the mother like one thinking aloud, “if he would miss one of those envelopes; I wouldn’t like to ask him for one, and I want to write a letter. I am going to write to that Dickel that used to have a room here and ask him to drop in some evening—” “What for? Are you crazy? Don’t I owe him five dollars?” “1 was thinking Dickel would go to talk ing with the Colonel about the South—he was there so long; and mebbe the Colonel would get to talking, and we could find out more about him.” “I didn’t think of that!” cried Miss Tillie, joyfully, “Though I’m afraid he’ll be duuuing me for that V. I borrered of his soil” “Let him dun aud take it out in dunning. Was that a whole package of envelopes in the Colonel’s pocket?” “Yes, white ones.” “ ’Tisn’t likely a man like him ever stops to count his envelops, and I haven’t any, and do stamps, either.” Tien, after a short silence, the good woman exclaimed abruptly: "Tillie, how about those pillers! He told that Corne lia he should ask for feather pillers before she came North!” “Sure enough!” gasped Mist Tillie, “What an old reprobate he must be if he’s going to keep up witli her and play the agreeable to me, too! I declare I couldn’t stand it!” TO BE CONTINUED. Manual of Modes and Specialties. Tals new alliance of commerce and literature Is edited and published by a lady wboee editorial con nections with one, and favorable relations witb many of the best bouses In three cities, enable her to treat tbe subject from prominent stand-points and to cover exceptional territories on topics ol ab sorbing interest to readers and buyers remote from the great centres of trade. The work Is thoroughly Indorsed by tbe press of tbe country, and tbe public at large, and as a schedule of such facts, flgurt s and fashions as cannot fall to bo of use to buyers out of town, Itsbould Hod lodgment In every house hold in tbe land. „ , , „ Firms rrpn suited In tbe Manual of Modes are merchants of maique whose nanus iu any commu nity or country are the only guarantee of fair deal- which will be added from mcnib to montb. are first-elass, and reliable In every resoeci. Herne inventors or manufactur ers, in other cliies, who dave a wnribylngenuity oi eccentricity ol enterprise to offer, win nnd tn ■ Mannal, with Iu paUistaklng prestige and excel- tlona: circulation, well worthy tbe steel even of as- a *Corresp2uSenee solicited on all subjects and esti mates tnrnlsbed. Send eard for sample eopj 1° Mr*, g J. Batley, Editor. Oresent Publishing <*>■; M Prospect Pls«», Ntw York City. Residence 74 Kearney 8t.. Newark, N. J. 58l-2mof. tje(oiTnt^y Philosopher I am in Mississippi now—a state whose ge ography I have never before studied without a book. I have long wished to visit her or him or it or whatever the sex may be. I know that the other states are feminine but have noj forgotten that Mississippi means the father of waters, but I reckon when the old gentleman quit making rivers and got upon the land he took the sex of mother earth, and so we must say “her.” We Georgians feel very kindly towards this state, for it once was ours, and we “set her up” like a father gives off a patri mony to his child. I mentioned this with a paternal pride to my old friend Major Harper, who lives near by, and he sa d: “Y'es, yes, that is so. I am an old Georgian. I came from Lincoln half a century ago, and I fre quently mention old Georgia as our mother, even though she did try to play the ’Injuns gift’ upon us.” “How so?” said I. “Why, don’t you know,” said he, “that some of those Georgians got up that infamous Yazoo fraud and tried to sie.il a big si ce of our state, after they had given it to us. That is what we boys used to call Injun gift—that is, to give a thing away and then steal it or take it back again.” Yes, of course I know about that, but my information is that that Y azoo fraud was very much exaggerated. The truth is. (hat some of the purest and best men of the state were en gaged in it—men who would have scorned an unholy thing—but politics rail high and it was necessary to cry fraud with a loud voice, so as to kill off and bury a few men who were in somebody else’s way, and hence the great line and cry about the Yazoo fraud. The measure was defeated, of course, and although it was not “perse” an iniquitous one, it became taint ed by a distribution of some of the stock in order to secure votes and influence. I dropped down from Grand Junction to Holly Springs one morning, and have been dropping down from town to town erer since. The Illinois Central splits the Stale in two from north to south, and is a great corpora tion, but somehow I don’t like the name. It used to be the Mississippi Central and was built by Ibis people, and when they were com pelled to sell out they ought to have kept the name if nothing else. It smacks too much of foreign dominion, and is a perpetual reminder of our misfortunes. I wonder ho v those Illi nois people would like to have one of their roads named the Mississippi Central? It is contrary to the fitness of things. Holly Springs is an old fashioned town of about 3,000 inhabitants. Before the car much wealth and refinement had its abode here, but now the wealth is largely diminished, aud without it even refinement has lo struggle to maintain its prestige. The old aristoc buoitfed "“townTo “ousiness. The" background and support of this town is cotton, cotton grown chiefly by negroes. The merchants ha'idle about lf>,( H N1 bales in a season, and out of it comes a thriving trade that greases all the wheels, and sustains schools and church es. If there is no money in cotton to the farm ers, there is lots of it to the tradesmen. An old gentleman whose name is Tyler lives here; an octogenarian of splendid memories; an editor of fifty years’ experience and I felt like I was sitting at the feet of Gamaliel as lie talked to me of the old ante-bellum days and away hack to the times of Judge Sharkey and S. S. I’ren- tiss and Henry S. Foote. He told of hearing Mr. Davis speak against Prentiss on the hust ings when Whigs and Democrats were fighting for power. He said the Democrats had tried in vain to get somebody to meet Mr. Prentiss and utterly failed until they called on Mr. Da vis, who was then without any political pre-- tige. His party and his friends were greatly gratified that lie held his own aud was not ut terly demolished by tie gifted orator. This gave Mr. Davis a send upward and was the be ginning of his political career. Mr. Tylersays he heard that speech. He says that -Mrs. Da vis told him afterwards she was greatly con cerned aud trembled for the consequences: that Mr. Davis was not gallantly dressed for the great occasion, and she purchased for him a pair of pants, and when he donned them they were so much too long she took them and cut them off several inches, and they were then too short. Bu, lie appeared in them anyhow, and as lie towered up and strained his elo quence with uplifted arms the pants crawled nearly up to his knees, and she was dreadfully mortified. I met the venerable Judge Watson, another octogenarian of rare and rich memories. He was Confederate senator from this State and was the intimate friend of our Ben. Hill. He domiciled for a time in his family and loves to speak of him. Holly Springs is a town of abundant leisure for that class who love life more than they love money. They are not rich, but they are comfortable and the sweet pleasures of social life are prized more than gold. The night I was there the young people gathered at the hotel for a musical festival, and it was a delightful treat to a wayfaring man who was afar from home and family. The echoes of those sweet songs still follow me and I whisper, “llh, music! what is it, aud where does it dwell?” At Oxford I found the State University, an institution well officered and well endowed. I visited the beautiful grounds and went through the commodious buildings and saw the library and laboratories and other equipments, all oi which are well advanced with the require ments of this advanced age. There is a com manding dignity about the professors in a col lege that always commands my reverence, and I found it here. The students seemed to share in that dignity of deportment more than is usual. Indeed I have found Mississippi to be a proud old State. She has got no busi ness boom like Alabama, and she wouldn’t bend her head the smallest fraction of an inch to have one. Erect and conscious like her be loved chieftain, she looks up rather than down. She will sacrifice everything rather than principle. Our Judge Longstreet was the first president of Oxford college His kindred are there now. Secretary Lamar has his home there when he is at home, and he is the idol of the community. Jacob Thompson lived there too. His wife was occupying her beautiful home when General Logan invaded that beau tiful town and took a fancy to her residence for his headquarters. He invited himself and his staff to all the rooms but one, and wiien he chose to leave he, too, became careless about fire and left the beautiful home in ashes, and Mrs. Thompson a suitor for shelter and char ity. As Judge Little said, “Let the Lord’s will be done.” I found a genial friend at Ox ford—Dr. Little, who used to be our State geologist. He is the professor of geology in this college, but cannot find quite as many rocks to crush with his little hammer as he did in the hills of of north Georgia. Oxford has a fine back country to sustain her business, and the little city is growing and displays to the visitor ma ny beautiful homes with modest adornments. Now let me remark that I have long observed that even one great and good man can give tone and character to a whole community and his influence will mark the town for a genera tion. Take snch men as Judge Watson and General Featherstone and Mr. Tyler and Ma jor Strickland at Holly Springs. Take Mr. Lamar and Mr. Skipwith and President Wheat at Oxford. Athens in Georgia, has not yet lost the power and influence which the pres ence and example of such men as Judge Lump kin and the Cobbs and Dougherty and Dr. Church and I)r. Hoyt exerted diere nearly half a century ago. Just so can one great and goud man’s influence permeate a whole state and mould the principles of tbe people. Jef ferson Davis has done that in Mississippi. This people love him and honor him and look np to him and will be guided by him as long as he lives. Old confederates I meet every where and receive a warm grasp from their hands as they greet me with memories of marching through Georgia and fighting their retreat from Dalton to Atlanta—fighting and falling back and bleeding at every pore. One of these old confederates swung his empty sleeve around as he squeezed my hand, and said; “Bill, where is Grady? Why didn’t you bring Grady? We want to see Grady. God bless him! Didn’t he put a head on old Talmage? D-di.’t he everlastingly clean up Talmage?” Well, it is Grady, Henry Grady, all along the line. I see his speech in almost every pajier. I saw it in three papers to-day, and one of them was a negro paper published in Grenada and the colored editor was lavish in his compliments. I wonder if Grady has captured the nation? He has the whites and the negroes north and south, east and west, and 1 expect has got the Indians and the hea then Chinee. These Mississippians say they want I-ainar for the next vice president, but if they can’t get him they want Grady. But let me tell you, Eugene Field, of the Chicago News, ought to be sued for libel. These peo ple here believe eveiy word that he wrote about Grady being an Irishman and foreign boin and picked up by Bennett. Intelligent men told me they supposed it was so. Of course Grady’s beautiful tribute to his soldier father should have been a sufficient exposure of Field’s “make up,” but somehow the people didn’t note the inconsistency. An editor told me to-day that he knew that Grady was an Irishman, and he supposed that Field’s biog raphy was the truth. “But it don’t matter,” said he, “it will cer tainly capture the Irish vote.” Water Valley is a town of 400 inhabitants and considerable pretensions. It lias the right name, for a good, bold stream runs all over 1 he town and is bridged in a dozen places. The company’s shops are here with a payroll of thirty thousand dollars a month. This is enough to keep things lively, and they are lively; and then there are twelve thousand bales of cotton besides, and a cotton factory and other smaller enterprises. Just let manu factures abound in a town and you will see life and vigor and prosoerity. Here is a public graded school with 500 pupils, and here are a full complement of churches that pay the preacher. Captain Brown lives here, the ge nial editor of the Progress, the President of the State Press Association—the kind hearted gi n- tleman who so tenderly nursed poor Walter Jackson, the son of our late Chief Justice. His lip quivered and his voice trembled as he recalled to me the meeting of father and son, and he closed the sad recital by saying, “They are together now—yes, they are together in Heaven.” Grenada is a brave old town. It lias sur vived fire and pestilence and the sword. There is not a building on the public square that was there three years ago. The terrible pestilence came here in ’78, and, as they say, about c ean- ed up tiie town. Whole ‘amilies were swept out of existence. But a remnant was left, inn now here is a beautiful town of 3,000 inhabitants, with good schools and churches and abundant energy among her merchants. They boast of handling 18,000 bales of cotton and have a compress, and oi Saturdays the streets are cloudy with negroes. General Walthall, who is United States Senator, li res here and his people are as proud of him as Oxford is of La mar. He is a pure man in all the relations of life, and the first man who stepped from pri vate life to the national senate chamber. This is his first office, and well does he till it. His humble residence is in sight of me while I write—a comfortable cottage, with vines ami evergreens abounding and a long veranda that reminds me of my own, where I love to sit and smoke the pipe of peace and tranquility. I have still more respect tor him because he does not live in a palatial mansion. These are a good jieople ill Grenada, and they are all the better for havintr one great and rood man to look up to and reverence. Major Harper lives a few miles in the country and came in town to talk about Georgia, lie is nearingthe nine ties and has no idea of departing these coasts for many years. A large, tall, massive frame, lie rises promptly from liis chair when excited, and throws his big, long arms art und as lie says: “I tell you my friend George M. Troup was a great nero. lie made Wm. Wirt back ” down about those Indians, and lie moved them |in defiance ofjjie in junction of j 'jT/Humor Father—“Tommy, you should try and be a better boy. Yon are our only child and we expect you to be good.” Tommy—“It aint my fault that I am your only child. It’s tough on me to be good for a lot of brothers and sisters I haven’t got.” When Georgia ra was three she said sudden ly one day, after loag quiet, “Mamma, where do the todays go when they get to be yester days?” Dora (who has suffered a dislocation of the wrist)—“Doctor, what if I bad died before you came—would 1 have been a crippled angel?” Doctor—“Ob! you could have been doctored in Heaven.” Dora (in surprise)—“Why, do doctors go to Heaven?” “You can always tell a man who has once been a clerk in a hotel,” says an exchange. (>ur experience hag always been that you can’t tell him much. He thinks he knows it all. Grandma—“Clara, do you think your mo ther wruld approve of your sittingup so late?” Clara—“Why, grandma, it was only 10:30 o’clock when Frank left last evening.” Grandma—“Clara, ycur grandma happened to be awake just as Frank was leaving, and didn’t, she hear him say, ‘Now, Clara, just one?’ ” Spicy Enough. [Rambler.] Alonzo (at the play)—“I like these rattling French comedies, don’t you?” Imogene—“Sometimes; but this is almost too much so. < >ne good thing about it is that you will not have to go out for a clove between the acts.” Alonzo—‘ * Why ?” Imogeue—“Tbe play is spicy enough.” Biddles. “Feet have they but they walk not.” Stoves. “Eyes have they but they see not.” Pota toes. “Teeth have they but they chew not.” Saws. “Noses have they but they smell not.” Tea pots. “Mouths have they but they taste not.” Rivers. “Hands have they but they handle not.” Clocks. “Ears have they but they hear not.” Corn stalks. “Tongues have they but they talk not.” Wagons. The surest way to have a friend is to be one. Mark Twain’s Hotel. Having lately oiiencd a hashery, I send you these, my rules and regulations: This house will be considered strictly intem perate. Ni ne but the brave deserve the fare. Persons owing bills for board will be bored for bills. Boarders who do not wish to pay in advance are requested to advance and pay. Boarders are expected to wait osi the col ored ccoks—for meals. Sheets will be nightly changed, once in six months or more, if necessary. Single men and their families will not be boarded. deliance of the in junction off tbe SunremeJ Nightmares hired out at reasonable rates., ■ at »tss-..sr- u ir.fcu r-» woum-CSA, , , '—snordTT • ” - ~ • • • — boarders. ou rapidly to Crawford and Dooly and Joe Lumpkin and John Forsythe and all the nutal 1 ■ men of that historic age. lie seemed to think that I too lived away back there and would say: “Don't you remember when Toombs was but a boy, bow be led a rebellion in Franklin college, aud old Moses Wadiellexpelled him,’ etc., etc. But I did no’, remember. Said he “I was then a member of the Georgia educa tional board, and we voted money enough to educate Alexander II. Stephens. Y'es, sir. Some of my own money was invested in that great mail, and it was a good investment. Y'es, sir, it paid; it paid.” I leave < Irenada to-day for Jackson, the cap ital, where I shall make a violent assault upon the citadel of their kindness and good will, and take it if I can. A Delusion and a Snare. [Philadelphia Call.] “I am aweary with these screeds on how to keep bouse on ridiculously small sums,” faint ly murmured a houseKeeper last evening, as she threw aside a Sunday paper. “Half of the ‘authorities’ never kept house and their ideas are all theoretical. I tried to faithfully follow the directions of one article on ‘How to keep a family of six on $30 a month.’ The fourth day my husband, brother and an oldest sou vowed they’d have to eat out if the table was not more plentifully supplied. The idea of recommending a pound of beefsteak a day- tor a healthy family of six!” And there was an awfully mournfully sigh. Another article was shown by the lady in which a S-YOO-a-year clerk was to purchase two business suits and a Sunday suit each twelve months and have money besides to go to the opera and spend on other incidentals. “I’ve stopped my wife’s attendance on the cooking lectures," chimed in the husband, “they are a delusion and a snare!” Mount Pleasant, Fla., January 25, 1887. The weather lias been reasonably! good for ten days and some extensive oat-sowihg has been done here. * * * Col. W. I). Chipley’s very liberal offer has again aroused the inter est of our farmers upon the subject oi tobacco culture. The uncertainty of a market lias hitherto been the lion in the path, but as Col. Chipley’s offer eff jetua ly removes that, a large acreage of the weed is now in prospect the coming season. * * * There is but little doubt now that the death sentence of Geor-'e Walker will be commuted to a life sentence Tn the penitentiary. Public sentiment among all classes seem to favor that, and petit.ons to that effect are being actively circulated and numerously signed. This result is due in a great measure to the character of liis victim, who, to say the least, was decidedly unpopu lar even with his own race. Montgomery, Ala., Jan. 2!*.—A collision between the accommodation train and a freight occurred near Bozeman, ou the North and South Railroad, this morning. Engineer Tuck er and Fireman McDermott, on the freight train, were killed. McDermott was killed 'in stantly and Tucker died this afternoon. The trains are badly wrecked. Augusta, January 31.—The Langley, S. C., cotton mills, the dam of which was destroyed by the earthquake just five months ago, com menced running to-day, giving joy to the citi zens of Langley, most of whom are employed ja the factory. Sandersville, January 31.—Prohibition goes into effect in this couuty on the (ith inst The city council in session a few nights a«'o placed the licei se upou wine rooms at Sf>© (KX> They evidently mean to prohibit, if high license will accomplish the result. Gen. Sheridan says that a battle between two armies does not depend upon the Generals as much as it does upon a single hill, orchard valley, or the action of a brigade at a criticai moment. But it is by superior strategy that either advantage is gained. By simultaneous ly engaging each wing of the enemy, and com pelling him to draw forces from and weaken his center where liis enemy held a hill (the key to the situation)—Napoleon got pos- sessioa of the hill and gained the brilliant vic tory of Auslnlitz. Sometbing in the Bed. Judge Pitman has a habit of slipping his watch under his pillow when he goes to' bed. The other night somehow it slip]wd down, and as tiie Judge was restless, it gradually worked its way downward to the "foot of the bed. After a bit, while he was lying awake, his foot touched it, and as it felt very cold, he was sur prised and scared, and jumping from the bed exclaimed: “By gracious, Maria! there’s a toad or a snake or something, under the covers. I touched it with my foot.” Mrs. Pitman gave a scream, and was out on the floor in an instant. “Now, don’t go to hollering and waking up the neighbors,” said the Juilf e. “You go and get tiie brojni or something, and we’ll fix this thing mighty quick.” Mrs. Pi’ man jot the broom and gave it to the Judge, with the remark that she felt as if suakes were creeping up and down her le^s and back. “Oh, nonsense, Maria! Now you turn down tiie covers slowly, while I bang it. Put a bucket of water alongside the bed, too, so we can shove it in and drown it.” Mrs. Pitman fixed the bucket and gently re moved the covers. The Judge held the broom uplifted, and as soon as the black ribbon of the watch was revealed, he cracked away three or four times with the broom. Then he pushed the thing off into tLe bucket, then they took the bucket to the light to investigate the matter. YVhen the Judge saw what it was, he said: I might’ve known th it! Just like you wo men to go screecoing and making a fuss about nothing! Who’s going to pay me for that watch! It’s utterly rained!” “It was you made the fuss,” not me, said Mrs. P. “You needn’t try to put the blame on me.” ‘Oh, hush up, and go to bed! I am tired of hearing your blather ’1’ears to me you can’t keep your tongue still one minute. B ame me if I won’t get a divorce and emigrate.” And the Judge turned iu and growled at Maria until lie tell asleep. Atlanta Purchasing Agency. 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