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JOSHUA JONES, PUBLISHER.
VOL. I.
A Prayer.
Dear Lord! Kind Lord!
Gracious Lord! I pray
Thou wiit look on all I love
Tenderly today.
Weed their hearts of weariness;
Scatter every care
Down a wake of angel wings
Winnowing the air.
Bring unto the sorrowing
All release from pain;
Let the lips of laughter
Overflow again!
And with all tho needy
Oh, diyide, I pra3 r ,
This vast measure of content
That is mine today.
—James Whitcomb Riley.
A Mountain Courtship.
BY Vi . J. LAMPTON,
Susan Stebbins was by all odds the
best looking girl on Grassy Lick,
without being remarkably beautiful,
for beauty is not a noticeable charac¬
teristic of mountain women, old or
young, and how she had ever come to
marry Lem Skaggs was a wonder to
me, for Lem was by all odds the
homeliest man on the Lick, and home¬
liness is a characteristic of mountain
men. I knew Lem quite well, and
had befriended him on many occa¬
sions, even loaning him money
enough to get married on, as his crops
were not in aud he was scant of funds,
and when they had been married
about a month I asked him how it
happened, lie was a good fellow all
over, was Lem, as guileless as a baby
and as honest as the sunlight, and
when I asked my question he blushed
and grinned.
“She was tuck by my good looks,”
he laughed.
“Of course, of course,” I laughed
back; “anybody ought to see that,
but my eyesight is weak. Tell me
what you did to win her?”
“I didn’t do nothin’, Colonel. I
jist wuz. ”
“That won’t go, LemueL You aro
not the kind that win that way; you
must have made yourself attractive in
gome other way.
“Hope to die, Colonel, ef I did,”
he insisted. “I jist wuz and she got
tuck.
“ Didn’t you court her pretty
hard?”
“Did I?” and he drew a long breath
as of relief at the thought of its being
over. “Well, I should say I did.
Why, I come mighty nigh mortgid
gin’ the farm to git her things she
didn’t seem to want when I’d give ’em
her. ”
“What did you give her?”
“Everything, Colonel. It got so
bad to’rds the last the old folks at the
store told me ef I’d lump my dealin’s
they reckoned they could let me have
’em for wholesale prices.”
“She couldn’t stand your liberality,
Lem. That’s what got her. ”
“Not a hit uv it,” he contended.
“All the time I was takin’ her all
sorts uv things, she wuz makin’ eyes
at every feller that come along and
sorter expectin’ me to keep uj> my end
uv the swingle tree, jist caze I kinder
seemed to hanker atter do-in’ it that
a-way.”
“But.you kept at it?”
‘‘I reckon not,” he laughed, “All
uv a sudden I sot in fer Mary Finnel,
and give the store folks a rest on buy
in.
Then what happened?” I inquired,
•with a hope that I would now get
some information.
He laughed a low, gurgling laugh,
such as a boy would give vent to when
caught in some of liis natural depreda¬
tions.
“Well,” he said, “she kinder
swapped eends on t’other fellows, and
swung ’round my way, but I wuzn’t
givin’ a inch, and I didn’t have no
talk with her fer mighty nigh two
weeks, and then one evenin’ as I wuz
passin’ her house on my way to Mary’s
and she knowed it, I seen her hangin’
THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE IS THE SUPREME LAW,
FORT GAINES, GA„ FRIDAY. JFLY 26. 189o.
on the gate lookin’ out into tho future
er somethin’ uv that sort that I seen
a pioter uv onc’t an agent wuz soi¬
lin’.
II < Good eveuin’,’ says I, not offerin’
to stop.
II I Good evenin’,’ says she. ’Pears
to me you’re in a powerful hurry.’
“Kinder,’ says I, slackin’ up some.
‘I'promised to bedowu to Mary’s’bout
this time.’
“She kinder looked down at the
ground when I told her that, aud
kicked a little rock out of the path
that wuz lyin’ thar, and I felt like a
sheep-stealiu’ dog for sayin’ what I
hud.
“ ‘I reckon you’d better be lairry
in’ along then, for Mary ain’t the
kind tha. likes to be kep’ waitin,’ says
she.
“ ‘I s’pose,’ says I, ‘that you don’t
keer ef I stop and talk to you fer a
miuute, do you?’
“ ‘I ain’t keering’ what you do,’
says she, kinder sullen.
II I You look like you wuz expectin’
somebody yerself,’ says I, feelin’ ez ef
I’d like to choke whoever the feller
wuz.
I ( i That’s what,’ says she, and I felt
more’n ever like choking somebody.
“ ‘Who is it?’ says I, watchin’ the
streaks uv laugh ’round her mouth
and eyes.
“ ‘That’s for me to know and you to
find out,’says she, laughin’ right out.
“ ‘I reckon I’ll be goiu’ on down to
Mary’s, says I, tliinkin’ that I wuz’nt
makin’ nothin’ hangin’ ’round Busan.
II < Mebbo you wouldn’t ef you
kuowed who wuz coinin’ says she,
kinder reachiu’ over tho gate.
II I Well, tell me,’ says ‘I, ‘andsee ef
I’ll stay.’
I I ‘I reckon not,’says she. still a
naggin’ me, ‘mebbe they wouldn’t like
it!’
I I I Who’s they?’ says I.
“She give a little chuckle, and I
come up to the gate and rested iny
hands on it to one side uv her’n.
II I Pap and mother,’ says she.
‘They’ve gone down to the school
house to preachin’ and won’t be back
till 8 o’clock.’
II I Ain’t you kinder lonesome wait¬
in’ hyer by yerself Susan !’ says I, half
way tryin’ to pull the gate open, but
she held it shet.’
“ ‘I reckon I wuz,’ says she. ‘That’s
why I come out and hung on the gate.
It’s mighty still like in the house’
“You reckon you wuz?’ says I.
‘Ain’t you now?’ and I chuckled my¬
self for ketchin’ her.
“ ’P’r’aps I am and p’r’aps I ain’t,’
she sniggered, and tossed her head.
“I tried to open the gate, but she
held it shet.”
II I Ef you wnnt me to stay, why
don’t you say so?’ says I gettin’ ugly.
“ ‘I reckon you kin ef you want to,’
says she, mighty pesky.
“ ‘Susan,’ says I, ‘what’s the use uv
foolin’?’
II I Foolin’ about what?’ says she.
II I About me and you,’ says L
“ ‘I ain’t a foolin’,’ says she.
“‘You air,’ says I, ‘and you know
it.’
“Ef you don’t like me, Lem Skaggs,’
says she, brindlin’ up all over, ‘you
kin go ’long, I didn’t ax you to stop,
did 1?’
( I I But I do like you, Susan, says I,
gettiu skeert, and tryin’ to pull the
gate open so’sl could git clos’t enough
to her to coax her.
“I reckon you like Mary Fiimell a
sight better,’ says she,’ boldin’ the
gate ag’in’ me.
“‘I reckon I don’t,’says I, and I
could feel the gate give a little.
<1 I You -wouldn't talk that a-way ef
she wuz in bearin’ distance,’ says she.
t I I Wouldn’t I?’ says I, and I heaved
and sot on the gate, but it didn’t move
a peg. ‘You jist fetch her up hero
aud see ef I wouldn’t.’
\ .< < No, yon jist go down thar,’ says
| she. ‘That’s whar you started fer. ’
“ ‘I didn’t do nothin’ uv the sort,’
says I, gettin’ despriter every minute.
I * < You told mo you did,’ says she,
and I could fool tho gulo give some
and then shot up ag’in.
II I You oughter know, Susan,’ says ]
serious, ‘that I wuz jist a-foolin’, and
I could feel tho goto a-giviu’ way and
sliettiu’ and thou givin’ way ag’in.
II I An’ you ain’t lyin’now, Lem!’
says she, a heap sight softer than any
time in her life.
<< > Course I ain’t, Susan,’ says I,
and tho goto coins open about six
inches.
II ( Ef I only thought you wuzen’t,
Lem’ says she lettin’ the gate slip my
way a leetle more every minute.
It I You know I ain’t, Susan, says I,
givin’ the gate tho strongest pull yit.
‘You know it, and you know I never
give a snap uv my finger fer any other
gal in these parts and that all tho
time I’ve been a-haukcrin’after you
and wantin’ you for my wife, but you
kep’ foolin’ with mo all along, and
bustin’ my heart mighty nigh and
makin’ me want to go oft’ and chop a
tree down on myself. You know it,
Susan you know it,’ nnd she h’isted
her hands and the gate swung wide
open.
“ ‘Wliat about Mary?’ says she,
staudid’ thar before mo lookin’ sweet
er'n peaches nnd rosios.
l< I Hern Mary,’ says I clean fergit
tin’ my manners and I retch out both
hands fer Susan.
II l Oh Lem!’ says she, and well
Colouel,’ he laughed as his honest
face reddened beneath its saffron hue.
“I reckon you’re old enough to know
the balance.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised Lem,” I
replied, blushing just a shade myself
as a memory or two came slowly back
from the rosy past.
He looked up smiling.
“And say Colonel,” ho said, “I
wuzn’t any purtier that night than I
wuz before.”
“Como off, Lemuel, ” said I slap¬
ping him on the back, “it was so dark
Susan couldn’t see you.”—New York
Sun.
Sure of His Train Time,
“What timo will the train be iu, do
you think ? ” asked tho impatient
man.
I I It is purty hard to tell,” an¬
swered the agent of the little South¬
ern branch line in the presence of a
Cincinnati Tribune reporter. “Bence
Bill’s tree was cut down ho finds it n
heap ef trouble makin’ jest the right
time. ”
“Bill’s treo!”
“Yus, Bill; he is conductor, you
know. The tree I w»h speakin’ of
stood alongside the track about thirty
mile up the road from here, an’ when
the train came along and tho shadder
of the treo laid across tho middle of
the top rail of Buck Johnson’s fence,
Bill knowed he was on time, and could
gage her about to get here ou sched¬
ule time. Now they cut it down, and
all Bill has to go by is his own guess.
Company was talkiu’ some of puttin’
up a pole in tho place whar the treo
uster be, but they hain’t done it yit.”
Why He Is Popular.
Professor Horseburner of Sayville,
Conn., is exceedingly popular with
his fellow citizens. When Cleveland
was last elected the professor lost a
wager by the terms of which lie has
had to play the trombone for four
hours a day three times a week ever
since the 4th of March, 1893, and he
is to do so until March 1, 1897. Iri
order not to disturb his neighbors he
has a small balloon anchored to his
roof by 450 yards of rope and he goes
up in it when he plays. He will prob¬
ably be the next mayor of the town.—
New York Mail and Express.
Liverpool is the most densely popu¬
lated city in Great Britain, having a
population of 97.9 per acre, or 114 per
acre, excluding the docks and quay.
; A Diver’s ‘Experience.
j “I suppose there is a comic side as
well as a tragic to diving?” a New
York Tribune man asked a local
diver.
“Yes, sometimes,” ho replied, "I
remember a case whore a diver was
sent down to recover a body from a
wreck, very much against his will,
Some divers are very much afraid of
dead bodies and never handle them
when they cun possibly avoid it. He
was one of this kind, and the water
being very thick, ho went groping
gingerly around in tho cabin. Aftei
feeling around ho found a body, and
fastening a small lino around it ho
gave the signal to haul it up. When
he followed and took oil’ his helmet a
large hog lay on the deck. He had
tied the lino round it, thinking it was
the body he was looking for. After
that he was always known as the
‘pork’ diver. Sometimes, especially
in tropical waters, tho bottom of the
sea is a lovely sight. I havo seen a
forest of kelp and seaweed gontly
waving with tho tide which looked
like fairyland.* Tho dim light aud
the bright-colored lish darting about
make it look all tho more beautiful.
A bit of seaweed on land does not
amount to much, but if you soe a
regular forest of it growing it looks
very different. If you stand still for
a minute tho fish will swim all round
you and examine you just as a lot of
human beings would look at some
strange animal At the slightest
movement they whisk their tails and
not a living thing is to bo seen.”
“Aro divers superstitious as a
rule?”
“I should say they were. I suppose
they are the most superstitious Jot of
men in the world. Some will not
descend if they hear a dog howl dur¬
ing the day, others won’t go near a
drowned body, in fact all havo fancies
of some kind. I havo an impression
myself that I shall go down one of
these days without coming up again,
but a man has to live. It takes tho
life out of a man somehow, diving
does, and I never know a diver who
did much smiling. They are all rath¬
er sober-fuced men.”
Origin of Ihe Four-post Bedstead.
In mediaeval times, when life was
very insecure, it was usual for people
to sleep ou a bed which was surrounded
by sides of board, with strong posts
at the four corners. These sides con¬
tained eliding doors, which could be
fastened inside. When men retired
to rest they took a weapon with thorn.
If attacked in the night they were
aroused by tho noise made by the
crashing in of their wooden de¬
fences, and were able to defend
themselves. When tho law became
strong enough to protect human
life, the sides of tho bedstead wero
gradually dispensed with,hut the four
posts remained. The boxlike bed¬
stead still survives in the rural parts
of Scotland, and is almost necessary
where the earthen floors and imper¬
fect ceilings cause much damp. Emily
Bronte iu “Wuthering Heights” de¬
scribes one of these bedsteads in the
old mansion as forming a “little clos¬
et.” Mr. Lockwood, who had to
sleep in it, says: “I slid back the
panel sides, got iu with my light,
pulled them together again, and felt
secure.”—Loudon Tidbits.
A Comic Opera Situation.
On H. M. S. Ringurooma, on tho
Australian station, ( tgo captain recent¬
ly reprimanded the surgeon for some
slight breach of duty, whereupon the
latter put the captain on the sick list.
The captain then ordered the surgeau
under arrest. Ho then reported that
the captain was suffering from mental
disease and was incapable of command¬
ing the ship, but the captain had him
court martialed and dismissed.—Chi¬
cago Times-Koruld.
PER ANNUM-
NO. 29.
Saving the Colors.
From time immemorial the armies
of every warlike people havo sot tlio
highest value upon the standard} they
boro to battle. To guard one’s own
Hag against capture is the pride, to
capture the flag of one’s enemy the
ambition, of every valiant soldier. In
consequence, in every war between peo¬
ples of good military record feats of
daring performed by color-bearers are
honorably common. The civil war
was full of such incidents. Out of
very many, two or three stand as
especially noteworthy.
One occurred at Fredericksburg on
the day when half the brigades of
Meagher and Caldwell lay on the
bloody slope leading up to the Confed¬
erate iutreuchmeuts. Among tho as¬
saulting regiments was the Fifth New
Hampshire, and it lost 186 out of 390
men who made tho charge. The sur¬
vivors fell back suddenly behind a
fence, within easy range of tho Con¬
federate rifle-pits. Just before reach¬
ing it the last of tho color-guard was
shot, and the flag fell in tho open. A
Captain Perry, instantly ran out to
rescue it, and, as lie reached it, was
shot through the heart; another Cap¬
tain, Murray, made the same attempt,
and was also killed; and so was a
third, Moore. Several private soldirs
met a like fate. They were all killed
close to tho flag, and their dead bod¬
ies fell across one another. Taking
advantage of this breast-work, Lieu¬
tenant Nettlotou crawled from behind
the fence to the colors, and boro back
the blood-won trophy. — Harper’s
Hound Tublo.
Good Joke oil a Dean.
Friends of Charley Leffort a popu¬
lar young railroad clerk, are telling a
good story at his expense, says the
Louisville Commercial. They say
tlmt one Sunday night lie took a young
lady to church. When they entered
the church a few drops of raiu had
fallen. Charley had no umbrellu.
When church was over several wags in
the neighborhood stood iu front of
the church door with their umbrellas
raisod. This gave the congregation
who were about to leave the church
the impression that it was raining.
The people in church were afraid to
venture out, although the stars were
shining brightly. Of course Charley
aud his girl were among those who
anxiously waited for the rain to cease,
but the wags hung about tho door
with their ruised umbrellas and no
one ventured out. Then to do the
proper thing Charley gave a little boy
a dime and chased him to the nearest
drug store to telephone for a coupe.
The coupe arrived iu due time and
Charley pushed his way through the
crowd. When he reached the pave¬
ment and looked up the stars shone
bright nnd beautiful, but it was too
late to dismiss the coupe.
His ride of three squares on a beau¬
tiful night cost him 31, and now soma
of the church people say Charley was
putting on style.
A Tree’s Limit of Fruition.
The amount of fruit which u single
tree can preduce year after year is a
question of interest to biologists. At
Hampton Court iu England,is a grape
vine which has been permitted to oc¬
cupy the whole glass house. This one
vine Ins been bearing grapes for
nearly a century and occupies nil area
of 2,200 square feet. It is estimated
that during the vine’s existence there
at least 120,000 pound} of grapes have
been gathered from it.—New York In
dependent.
An Alibi.
Mr. Gruffpop (angrily)—How dare
you, sir, kiss my daughter under my
very nose!
Jack Dashley—Excuse my awkward- -
warduess. I meant to kiss her under
hern.—Harper’s Bazar.
