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SEE THE HIDDEH WORD CONTEST AWARDS 8N PAGE SEVEN
VOL. XXIV—No. 1209.
A MAGNETIC
ATTRACTION.
There is no mistake about it. I am ugly, right down, indisputably
Ugly. There isn’t tf regular feature in my face. I am short, thick-set
and ill-made, my bearing is by* no means dignified—how could it be?
—and when I happen to have my hat on one side, and my clothes
begin to look a little bit shabby—well, my best friends tell me I look
for all the world a veritable rounder.
And yet I triumph in it all. I look at myself in the glass and say
to myself, “You. yes, you with the lantern jaw and the still longer
now. you have won the loveliest creature on earth, a woman who
could have had any man in her set she chose, a woman as beautiful
and as good as an angel. How you could have done it, Ted Hatha
way. nobody is so profoundly puzzled as yourself.
I first met her at a ball given by a friend of mine. Dances w’ere
not in my line for the very good reason that I couldn’t dance, but*
I went partly to please my old friend and schoolmate, Bob Leighton,
and partly to assist in the responsibility of M. C. It was there that
I was struck with her beauty and her great popularity.
Three weeks after that I proposed to her and was accepted. How-,
ever. I could have the audacity I cannot imagine, but I blurted it all
out like a big schoolboy without any reason or self-restraint, In
wardly cursing myself for my presumption all the time. Yet I won
where all the handsomest and richest men of my acquaintance, had
failed. How was it? That I could not tell, for Oiive was as profoundly
puzzled as myself.
I remember one afternoon soon after the engagement, when I
called upon her to take her for a walk. She was quite ready except
for the task of sewing a new flower in the dainty hat she wanted to
wear. I sat and watched her as she plied her needle and thread. She
appeared to he quite thoughtful, knitting her pretty brows together
as if she was engaged upon some difficult problem.
Presently she looked up and scanned my face intently. “Whatever
makes me like you so much. Ted?” she said, with sudden petulance.
The unfavorable scrutiny of my unfortunate features somewhat
hurt my feelings.
“Oh, why does a girl like any fellow?” I said evasively.
“But you must know there is a difference,” said my fiancee, per
sistently. “You must know yourself that you have very little to rec-
“I’m very sorry,” I said penitently. “I might try tonics for my
hair and dock off puddings for my figure. I’m desperately fond of
puddings, but any sacrifice I will bind myself to make for your sake.
Bay the word and I’ll get a mask and exchange our tandem for one
with the man’s seat behind.”
Don’t be absurd,” said Olive, laughing in spite of herself. “But you
know, Ted, It is funny.”
“What is funny?” I made reply. “That I should be bald, fat and
ugly?”
“No. stupid, but that I should be willing to marry and even look
forward to spending my existence with a man who has so many
personal disadvantages.”
Here was food for reflection. Evidently the penitent tack didn’t an
swer, and I determined to assume a superior air.
“H—m.” I began. “It may seem strange to you, but I dare say
many other people would be able to understand.
“What do you mean?” said Olive, sharply, staying her needle and
looking up inquiringly.
I was bent on having a little revenge.
“Well, it is rather difficult to explain,” I began. “You see, I am
a man.”
“Well?**
“And you know every girl can’t get as much as a man, I remark
ed. sagely.
The poor bonnet fell unheeded to the floor, and Miss Olive started
up with dangerously flashing eyes.
"What can you mean?” she exclaimed, angrily. Do you mean to
insinuate that ”
“I mean to insinuate nothing,” I put in. consolingly. “I only mean
to say that when a girl gets—well—well on to the twenty-fives and
looks thirty ”
Here my fiancee stopped my remarks with a tiny upraised hand,
and, controlling her temper with an effort, drew herself up haugh
tily and coldly.
ATLANTA, GA., SATURpAY, MAY 6,1899.
Price $2 Per Year.
HON. HOKE SMITH, ATLANTA.
Ex-Secretary of the Interior, proprietor of The Atlanta Evening Journal, and the head of the Public Schools sys
tem of this city. He was elected President of the International Sunday School Workers’ Association for a term of
three years, at the ninth annual session of that body held in Atlanta last week. In politics Mr. Smith is a Sound-Money
Democrat and a firm friend of President McKinley. He is a shrewd and successful lawyer, and by far the brainiest man
In all Georgia.
LADIES OF THE
WHITE HOUSE.
The white house ladies, from the time the white house was built,
over 100 years ago, have received each season from congress valua
ble and delightful gifts which made housekeeping in the white house
very pleasant.
Each year congress makes an appropriation for the white house
improvement outside of the regular sum allowed by the government,
and this is used in purchasing such things as may be needed. Be
fore congress' makes the appropriation the mistress of the white
house is consulted and her taste is nicely followed in the selection of
the gift.
So when Mrs. McKinley desires a handsome new set of dishes con
gress thinks nothing of appropriating a large sum for them, and
when Mrs. Cleveland asked for a conservatory the rarest and loveli
est plants were brought from all over the world. Under Mrs. Harri
son the conservatory had been enlarged and improved, but Mrs.
Cleveland made it still greater. She enlarged the private gardens,
added garden furniture and made out-door spots for the executive
by limiting the extent of the public grounds.
Martha Washington began it. When congress met she asked,
through a family friend in the senate, that a nice carriage road be
built around on the south entrance of the white house. Jt was then
new, and to reach the south entrance it was necessary to go through
a small forest. Congress willingly built the road, and when it was
completed Martha Washington took George for a walk around the
white house, that he might view it. Their conversation on this oc
casion is not recorded, but it must have been a pleasant one, for
three days later a beautiful teaxp of bays came from Virginia, and
the president’s wife was able to drive around to the south entrance
of her mansion.
In 1818 the white house wa^ new again. It had been burned down
by the British and rebpilt. and Mrs. Adams went through her house
and found that only six rooms were fttrnished. In the east ro^ -i
there was a clothesline, and the president’s linen hung Upon it *to
dry. When congress returned to Washington after its holiday Mrs.
Ada mi requested that the e|>edroon3 be furnished. This was done
et4£2& ’ 1 111 fr • ^ 1 r
But the finest appropivj f ^Bme in 1848, when Mrs. Polk asked
jfor gas.
HON. JOHN WANAriAKER, PHILADELPHIA.
Great Sunday School Worker, Elected Chairman of the International Execu
tive Committee at the Triennial Convention in This City Last Week.
“Mr. Hathaway,” she said. “I see you
are bent on insulting me, and I beg you
will leave my house this instant, for I
will not lower my dignity any longer by
suffering myself to remain in your pres
ence.”
Oh, 1 thought, I can put on the high and
mighty air, too, so I bowed with the ut
most deference and spoke with the grave
decision of the seventeenth century gal
lant.
“Madam,” I said, “your wishes by me
will always be respected, but I fail to see
in what manner I have offended you.”
“Don’t speak to me, sir, don’t ever
speak to me again,” broke in the haughty
one. almost hysterically.
“Then I am to understand that our
short engagement is severed?” 1 said,
with a lightness which I by no means felt
as I turned to go.
"At once,” said my Olive tragically.
“From this minute I never want to see
you or speak to you again.” \
In her excitement she stooped to pick
up the luckless bonnet. I was bent on the
same act. and our fingers and eyes met
simultaneously. Olive gasped, and both of
us turned away in confusion. There was
an embarrassed pause, and then the
haughty one’s silence made me bold.
“Olive,” I began, nervously.
“D—on’t,” said Olive, blushing and
averting her face.
I caught one of her hands and impris
oned it softly. “Olive, it’s no use fighting
against it. It is a case of magnetic at
traction. I love you, but I don’t knr.w
why. It is not because you are pretty,
although you are—very—but there are
thousands of pretty women in the world.
It is not because you are lovable and
sweet, since there are other girls a5
charming in this respect. It is something
we don’t understand—something which is
as irresistible as it is powerful. That is
why, dear. I do not think it is strange
that you have given your heart to me;
for you do love me, do you not, Oiive, in
spite of all?”
My fiancee looked up with the tears
standing in her pretty eyes
“Oh, yes, Ted; indeed, indeed I do,”
she murmured.
4 That is the proper sort of love,” I
said, kissing her triumphantly. “It is
wonderful, holy, inspiring ”
“If it is not absurd,” broke in Olive,
reproachfully.
I laughed heartily. “I only had a little
revenge for the naughty remarks you
made about zQy personal appearance.” I
confessed. “Although, do you think I
(Continued on Page 8.)
CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER.
Page 1.—A Magnetic Attraction—Ladies of
the White House.
Page 2.—Lost Man’s Lane, new serial.
Page 3.—Great South: News Notes—Geor
gia State Fair—Miscellany.
Page 4.—Our Household: Here and There
—Still Hour Thoughts—Two “Hanks
of Hair”—Our Letter Box.
Page 5.—The Book of the Day. a Review
of “When Knighthood Was in Flower.”
Page 6.—Editorial: A Word to American
Fathers—Ingersoll on Shakespeare—
That Nameless Charm—Japan's Poet
ess Laureate—Do Bachelors Die
Young?—Bill Arp’s Letter—John War-
amaker’s Business—A Special Coinage
—Hunt for the Bright Side—Thack
eray on Death—Do You Know?—
Thoughts on Nature.
Page 7.—Noted in War and Peace—Hid
den Word Contest.
Page 8.—Our Boys and Girls: Jack the In
ventor.
Page 9.—Youth’s Page Continued: Sunday
School Lessons—Gems in Verse—The
Puzzler—Secular and Social.
Page 10.—Confederate Vets* Page: An
swered Last Roll Call—The Charleston
Reunion—Terrible Suffering—Incidents
of the Civil War—Losses in Two Wars
—A Noble Deed.
Page 11.—With Lee in Virginia, serial—A
Theatrical Tale—An Emergency Man.
Page 12.—Woe to Drunkards, Dr. Tal-
mage’s Sermon.
This w’as placed \ V Irwhite house in that, year, and great
crystal chandeliers we^e hung in the lower rooms. These chandeliers
still ornament the white house. When the connections were all made
Mrs. Polk herself lighted the gas in the east room.
A very handsome gift for the president's wife was received by
Mrs. Andrew Jackson, although it did not come from congress. It
was a present from her husband, and consisted of enough white silk
to make a silk gown, which Mrs. Jackson was to wear to the inau
guration ceremonies. But. alas for the plans of mice and men—and
presidents’ wives! Good Mrs. Jackson caught a fatal cold and died
before inauguration day, so that the good people of Washington
never saw her in her white silk gown.
The gifts of late years have been, as the wedding accounts say,
both numerous and costly. Mrs. Garfield asked for new furniture.
Mrs. McElroy, the sister of President Arthur, and the lady of the
white house, bought a set of dishes of sixty covers for a grand state
dinner, about 600 pieces in all. And she also replaced the billiard ta
bles which Mrs. Hayes had taken away.
But it was to a white house lady that the white house owed the
billiard tables in the first place. When Grant went to the white house
there was no room for a billiard table, and it was owing to Mrs.
Grant’s ingenuity that space near the conservatory was cleared for
a billiard room. Mrs. Grant also bought an entire set of drawing
room furniture in 1870, most of the pieces of which still remain.
These were made very strong, as they were intended to be historical.
Mrs. Harrison had a fancy for plants and plates. She grew’ the for
mer and painted the latter. Congress one year kindly inclosed a
large veranda to be used for an added conservatory and also gave a
very fine set of white dishes, which she decorated with her own
hands.
Mrs. McKinley may receive an appropriation this year and next,
and it is rumored that if she gets a generous amount she will devote
it to the complete equipment of an oriental room, which shall be
perfect in detail and carefully carried out to its minutest appoint
ment.
DR. a F. JACOBS, CHICAGO.
The Sunday School Convention in Atlanta Elected Him Chairman of W« r d’s
Commission To Make a Tour of All Countries Where the Bible Is Taught.
DINT Fill Tl REID TOST MAN’S LANE,” IEENN LAST WEEK.
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