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THE TICKET AGENT.
*• Western train’s gone, ma'am,” said
Farmer Brown, coming into the waiting
room of the little depot.
•• The train I was to take ?” I said,
gasping.
“ Yes, ma'am ; too bad, but can't be
helped. Harness will give out some
times, you know,” said he, sympathiz
ing^-
“ When is the next Western train
due ?”
“ Not till six o'clock ; you've got five
hours to wait. Be dreadful tiresome,
ma'am. There's a nice family that
lives in t’other part of the house;
s’pose I tote you iu there ? I know
Mrs. Holly’ll give you a bite of suthin’
to eat, and she'll be proud to let you
rest on her spare bed. Fine woman.
Mrs. Ilolly is—l know her. Won't
you go in and see her, ma’am ?”
“No thank you, sir; I dare say that
I'll be quite comfortable here.”
“ Waal, jes as you please. But now
I must be goin’. Hope 3’ou'll git to
your journey's end Safe, ma'am. Good
bye.”
And Farmer Brown left the room,
mounted his wagon, and soon disap
pear and down the dusty road.
I had been''visiting a friend who
lived in a country settlement, some five
or six miles from the solitary building
dignified by the name of depot; and
when the time came for me to return
home, she placed me in care of a neigh
boring farmer who was"going to a dis
tant village, and would pass the station.
During our ride we met with an acci
dent. Part of the harness gave way
and wc were detained such a length ol
time that, as the reader knows, I was
too late for the train.
After Fanner Brown left me I
amused by reading a newspaper
which someone had left lying on ti e
seat.
Finishing this, I studied the design
of the wall paper, counted the panes o'.
glass in the little window, and wonder
ed at the tidiness of the whole apart
ment.
“ Country depots are generally such
vile, dirty places ; wonder why this is
an exception ?” I said to myself. Then
a thought struck me, “ Oh, probably
tire place is kept clean by Mrs. llolly,
so enthusiastic. Wonder if this same
worthy female would give me a glass of
water ?”
And I tapped on the door communi
cating with the other apartments.
‘‘Come in,” said a cheery voice, and
entering, I found myself in one of the
prettiest, cosiest rooms I had ever seen.
The mo3t delicious tint of butf was
on the walls ; cool matting covered the
floor, muslin curtains, festooned with
ivy, hung at the windows ; pictures and
flowers and all the dainty belongings
that make a room look so homely and
pleasant.
And, most charming of all, there lay
in a white draped cradle a rosy baby,
fast asleep, with rings of golden hair
falling over his white brow, and a great,
red, velvet rose clasped in hi3 dimpled
hand.
Over him bent a woman of twent3’-
two or three years —a little mite of a
woman, with a bright, dark face, vivid
ly colored, big black eyes, and won
drous dark hair wound in heavy braids
about her stately head.
She arose with a smile when I en
tered.
“ Excuse me ; but may I trouble you
for a glass of water ?” I said.
“No trouble at all, ma’am. Pray be
seated. Excuse me.” And she left
the room.
Presently she returned, bearing a sal
ver covered with a snow-white napkin,
containing a glass of water, a glass of
creamy milk, a saucer of luscious
strawberries, and a plate of sponge
cake, light as yellow foam.
“ Pardon me,” she said, smiling, “if
I take too great a liberty, but 3 011 see,
Farmer Brown told me of your being
obliged to wait so long, and I thought
you might be hungry.”
“ Why, how very kind you are !” I
exclaimed in pleased surprise.
“ Not at all; it’s a pleasure to me.
If you are hot and dusty, perhaps
you'd like to bathe your face. If so,
just step in here.
And she led the way into a little
white bedroom—the very heart of clean
liness and purity.
In a little while I was a different
being from the cross, dusty, hungry
mortal who had sat in the hot waiting
room. I found Mrs. Ilolly a perfect
little gem of a woman, and, after the
manner of our sex, we soon became as
well acquainted as if we had known
each other for years. And while I was
VOL. Ill—NO. 20.
lying languidly upon her comfortable
sofa, and she seated in her low chair
stitching away at her baby's dress, site
told me the one romance of her life.
>• 1 have lived in this little depot all
my days," she began. “My father was
agent here ; and he served the company
so long and so well that when lie died
| they kindly allowed me to remain in
! Ids place with the same wages, too!
i For, you see, I was seventeen, and my
i father had long before taught me tele
graphing and all the other work. About
a year after father’s death I became ac
quainted with Jack —.lack Holly, m3’
husband,” and Mrs. Holly looked up
and smiled.
“Jack was one of the best engineers
on the road (and is now, too), and
everybod3’’ considers him an honest,
likely 3’oung fellow. He thought the
world of me, and we became engaged.
But you know how girls are! The
weakest of them make a strong man
tremble.”
“ A weak girl held all his heart
strings in her small, white hand ?” I
said.
“ Yes ; and I dare say I often pulled
lack’s heart-strings rather hard ; but
ie was gentle and patient when I flirted
with the conntr3’ lads, and when I was
wild and wayward he didn't remon
strate. But one day there came along
1 city chap, who engaged board for the
summer at a farm-house in the neigh
borhood.
“ This Clarence Devarges as he was
called, wa3 handsome, well dressed and
iad that polished, indescribable air that
is so fascinating to most silly girls. Jack
was kind and well mannered, but he
hedidn't have a bit of style about him>
but‘style’ was what 1 doted on in
hose da3’s. So I snubbed Jack, and
miiled on Mr. Devarges when he offer
ed liis attentions. 1 flirted most dread
£4ill lir nrifK him fill oiran rranomua Jut'l'
was displeased.
“ One morning, looking somewhat
grave and sad, he came into the ticket
office. The last passenger had gone,
and the train was moving out. Jack's
train had stopped to take freight.
“ Well, how long is this thing going
to last ?” said Jack.
“ What thing?” I snapped out.
“ Why, this alfair with Devarges ; I
see it is going beyond a mere flirtation.’
“ Pray, wffiat of it ?’
“ Only that I do not wish my future
wife's name joined in with that of a —'
Jack paused here, and added earnestly :
“Well, I warn you against this fellow.
Who knows wlmt lie is ?’
“ Mr. Devarges is a perfect gentle
man, and that is more than one can say
of some others,’ I said hotly. “And,
Mr. Holly, in regard to your future
wife, I believe I do not aspire to that
honor and—here is your ring.’ I drew
off the golden band and handed it to
him.
“ Nell, do you mean this V inquired
Jack, with white lips.
“ Yes, I do. I'm tired of your carp
ing and criticising,’ I said, pettishly.
“So be it, then. Good-by,’ said
Jack, and, without another word, he
left the room.
“To tell the truth, I hadn’t meant
half I said, and every minute expected
that Jack would kiss me and we’d make
up. A mist came over my eyes as I
watched him fast disappearing again,
and I would have indulged in a good
cry, but just then the special came puff
ing up, and the President of the road
came in. lie was a kind old gentle
man, whom I had known since I was a
wee girl.
“Good day, Miss Nellie. Every
thing prosperous, I hope. \V ill )’ou do
a favor for me ?’
“ Certainly, sir, if I can.’
“ Well, you see, when we were com
ing down I met a gentleman that owed
me some money; paid me S6OO, and
now I do not know what to do with it,
as we are going up into the woods to
see about laying out anew railroad.
We shall be gone two days. Don’t
want to take the money with me; will
you take charge of it while I am gone?’
“ If you will trust me.’
“ Bless my soul! yes, of course ; here
is the money. Must hurry away.
Good morning.’
“Scarcely had portly Mr. Sayre gone
away before Mr. Devarges came saun-
HARTWELL, GA., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, IS7J).
Curing in.
“ Got quite a little sum there, haven’t
you, Miss Nellie!’ eyeing the bills in
my hand.
“ Yes,’ I replied, laughing; ‘ Mr.
Sayre has made me his banker. Look !
Six hundred dollars ! How rich 1 would
feel if it were mine.’
“ You deserve to have much more;
and doubtless that pretty face’ll win it.’
“ Somehow this bold compliment
failed to please, and it was with cold’
ness that I said:
“ Take a chair, Mr. Devarges.’
“ No, thank you, Miss Nellie. I have
an appointment. But will you nllow
me to call on 3*oll this evening?”
“ Well, I scarcely think 1 will be at
home. You know mother and sister
Lulu are away, and a little while ago I
got word from grandmother saying per
haps I had better come and stay all
night with her.’
“ It was true that I had received such
word from grandma, but had not
thought of accepting it. I hoped that
Jack would come and make up, and, of
course, I didn't care to have Mr. De
varges call at the same time.
“ What will you do with that money,
Miss Nell?’ inquired Mr. De-
Varges.
“ Oh, I shall put it right here in this
drawer. No one knows about it and it
will be perfectly secure.’
“ Dare say ; good morning,’ and, with
a courtly bow my admirer left.
“ All during the day I busied myself
about m3' duties, and when night came
I put on the dres3 Jack liked best, and
waited his coming.
Seven o'clock ! eight o’clock ! nine
o’clock ! The last train had come and
gone, and m3’ duties for the day were
over. I put out the light in the ticket
oflice and went into tiie sitting-room,
and watched and waited. Ten o’clock !
half oast ten! No use waitinsr any
longer—lie wouldn’t come.
“ I went to the door, opened it and
looked out. There seemed everything
weird about the whole landscape.
Even the shadows seemed alive. The
sky was beginning to lie overcast and
the moon peeped out of an inky black
cloud. The frogs down the river wore
croaking disrnaliy; the wind seemed to
whisper and moan.
“I shivered out with a nameless
dread, and closed the door ; went to bed
and cried myself to sleep.
“ I had slept an hour, perhaps, and
then awoke with a sudden start, feeling
a great difficulty in breathing. A part
of the quilt lay across my mouth, I
thought, but on reaching my hand to
remove it I found that it was a hand
kerchief saturated with —what ? Chlo
roform !
“ A thrill of terror passed over me.
Who had done this ? Was there some
one in the house ?
“ I half arose and gazed about me.
All was dark except a little ray of light
falling through the partly closed doors.
“ I silently arose, and just then
almost screamed in fear when a sudden
sound smote upon my ear. It was only
the clock striking the hour of midnight.
I placed my hand upon my heart to
soothe its fierce throbs.
“ Stepping along, carefully avoiding
all obstacles, I reached the door, opened
it, and glanced into the sitting-room.
No one was there, but someone was in
the ticket-office, for I saw a light and
heard a voice. What did they want ?
The money 7 ! —oh, the money" left in my
charge! Somebody was stealing it,
and what should I say to Mr. Say 7 re ?
My God, I might be accused of taking
it myself, and thus lose honor and po
sition.
“ Rather lose life,’ I said to myself.
‘I will defend that money unto death,’
and I looked about for some weapon.
“ Under the stove was a large iron
poker. Seizing it carefully", I started
slowly toward the office door. The
light fell upon the mirror, reflecting my
figure, and I’ve often thought since,
with a sick feeling of horror, what a
picture of desperation I was, clad in
my flowing, white night-dress, my hair
all unbound, my face white as marble,
and eyes dilated and glittering, with a
strange, steely light.
“ God aid me! I said, with white
lips; and then opening the door of the
office I stole softly in. A man with
his back toward me was at the other
end of the room. He Imd forced open
the drawer, taken out the money, and
was looking gloatingly at the crisp
green hills, when I stole behind him. 1
had just raised the poker to strike him
when lie glanced around.
"My God ! It was Clarenoe Devarges!
“ Hang it! Now I suppose I’ll have
to kill this pretty— ’ He seized me by
the throat and, muttering a faint cry, I
sank down. Just then Jack, m3’ own
Jack, rushed in. I heard oaths, blows,
fierce struggling—then all was dark.
“ For tho first time in m3’ lite I
fainted.
******
“ When l recovered Jack's face was
bending over me, and Jack’s voice ut
tered loving words. I put 1113- arm
about his neck and cried like a weak
baby.
“ Aren’t you hurt, Jack ?
** Not a bit, dearest. Devarges is
d ; abled, though, with a pistol wound
in his leg. ’Tisn’t very severe, but it
will prevent his escaj c.’
“ But how eainc you here ?’
“ Why’, 3'ou see, when we parted this
morning, Nell, I thought I'd never sec
you again, but to-night, after I came
home, I made up my mind to come
around and try and make up. It was
pretty late, between nine and ten, when
I came, and who should I sec prowling
around but Devarges. Thinks I, what
does he want ? If he's coming court
ing, why don't lie go in instead of peep
ing in at the window ?
“ I rather thought lie was a scamp,
because when I was in the city yester
day the Chief of Police told mo that
they had reason to think that a noted
gambler and blackleg had come up in
these parts. He gave a description,
and it suited Devarges perfectly, all
except a mustache. And, by the way,
I Nell, that silkv mustache you so ad
~; r ,a was false, and fell ott in om
sen tile.
“ Well, as I said, I saw Devarges
prowling about, and I thought I’d see
! what he was up to. lie looked in at
j the window at j r ou, and I heard him
I mutter : ‘ The deuce take it! She is
l at home, after all! What the deuce
made her saj r siie was going to her
| grandmother's? Now, I suppose I’ll
have to wait till my pretty bird’s
asleep.’
“So he sat down under one tree and
I sat down under the other. We both
saw you when you opened the door and
looked out. After you had been in bed
about an hour, Devarges forced open
the sitting-room window and crawled in.
While he was in the office lightning the
lamp, I also got in at the window and
concealed myself in the closet, and—
well, you know all the rest.
“Jack,’ said I, tearfully, ‘ you’ll for
give me for being naughty and way
ward, and you'll believe me when I say
that I loved you all the time, won’t
you ?”
“ Well, Jack said lie would, and we
have been happy ever since. And this
is iny story, ma'am—my only romance.” '
Don’t Whip.
A parent who doesn’t know how to
govern a child without whipping it ought
to surrender the care of that child to
some wiser person. Sportsmen once
thought it was necessary to lash their
dogs in training them for the field. They
know now that the whip should never
lie used. Horsemen once thought it
was necessary’ to whip colts to teach
them to start and stop at the word and
pull steadily. They now know that an
apple is hotter than the lash, and a ca
ress better than a blow. If dogs and
horses can be thus educated without
punishment, what is there in our chil
dren which makes it necessary to slap
and pound them? Have they less in
telligence? Have they cold hearts?
Are they lower in the scale of being?
Wc must have heard many old people
say", “If we were to bring up another
child we would never whip it.” They
are wise—but a little too late. Instead
of God doing so little for children that
they must he whipped into goodness, He
has done so much for them that even
whipping can’t ruin them—that is, as a
rule. But, alas! there are many ex
ceptions to this rule. Many children
are of such quality that a blow makes!
WHOLE NO. 124
them cowardly, reckless, deceitful, or
permanently ugly. Whipping makes
children lie. Whipping makes them
steal. Whipping breaks their spirit.
Whipping makes them hate their pa
rents. Whipping makes home distaste
ful—makes the Ixiys runaways, makes
tho girls seek happiness anywhere and
anyhow. Whipping is barbarous. Don’t
whip.
Neck-Twisting iu Churches.
There are practices which are toler
ated iu religions congregations which
Christians, who are jealous of the hon
or of their Master’s house, should ut
terly condemn. Decorum is the hand
male of devotional feeling, and for this
reason a church should never lie dis
turbed by the slightest approach to ir
reverence. “It is a part of my relig
ion"’ said a pious old lady, when asked
why she went early to church. “It is
a part of my religion not to interrupt
the religion of others.”
And we believe if many a congrega
tion made it a part of their religion not
to twist their necks out of joint to wit
ness the entrance of every person who
passed up the aisle of the church, it
would be bettef for their necks and
their religion. A gross abuse of relig
ious decorum sometimes needs a harsh
remedy. We give that adopted by
Henry Clay Dean, who was at one time
Chaplain of Congress. Tho anecdote
is from a paper called the Pacific Metho
dist :
Being worried one nftsrnoon by this
turning practice in his congregation,
Mr. Dean stopped in his sermon, and
I said :
“ Now. yon listen to mo, and I'll tell
you who the people are as each one o!
j them comes in.”
lie then went on with his discourse
until a gentleman entered, when he bawl
ed out, like an usher:
Dotson A , wlio L-oopn a oltop
over the waj’?”
He then went on with his sermon,
: when, prcscntl)', another man passed
! into the aisle, ami he gave his name,
residence and occupation ; so he con
i tinned for some time.
At length someone opened the door
who was unknown to Mr. Dean, when
he cried out:
“A little old man, with drab coat
and old white hat; don't know him—
|
look for yourselves.”
How General Gordon Convinced Himself
Ho Was Alive.
Atlanta ('mutilation.
At length a fifth ball struck Gordon
full in the face, and, entering his cheek,
knocked him senseless. He fell, and for
some time his prostrate form was wrap
ped in the smoke of battle. We hear
from General Gordon’s own lips a story
that, in a metaphysical point, is exceed
ingly interesting. lie says that when
ho fell he was utterly incapable of mov
ing. lie gradually began to think of
his condition, and this iithc half dream,
half soliloquy that lie carried on : “ i
have been struck in the head with asix-
pound solid shot; it has carried away
my head. On the left side there is a lit
tle piece of skull left, hut the bruin is
entirely gone. And yet lam thinking.
How can a man think with his head
shot off? And if lam thinking I can
not he dead. And yet no man can live
after his head is shot off. I may have
my' consciousness while dead hut not
motion. If I can lift my leg, then I
am alive. I will try that. Caul? Yes,
there it is ; lifted up. I am all right.”
The General says that every stage of
this soliloquy is indelibly stamped on his
mind, and that in his exhausted state
the reasoning was carried on as logically
as ever man reasoned at his desk. Doubt
succeeded argument and argument dis
placed doubtjust as logically as could be.
He says he never will forget with what
anxiety he made the test of lifting his
leg—with what agony he waited to see
whether or not it would move in re
sponse to his effort, and how he hesitated
before trying it for fear it might fail and
his death be thereby demonstrated.
A school-boy being asked by his teach
er how he should flog him, replied, “If
you please, sir, I should like to have it
on the Italian system of penmanship,
the heavy 7 strokes upward and the down
ward ones light.”
GENERAL BES-I-DES.
BY BILL ARP.
Detroit free Frets.
Thomps was a right good scholar and
as amiable as a pet lamb, but he had .a
weakness for blunderin’ along over
proper names apd miscallin’ ’em. Tho
l)o3’s were always on the lookout for fun
when lie recited his history lesso.i, and
had given him about as many nick
names ns he had made blunders, calling
him So-pliokels, or Skippio, or Kxer
exes, or P-tolemy or the like. One day
lie was studying aloud under the shade
of a tree and had rend nlong aliout
Pericles and Socrates and Aristides ami
Euripides and Alcibiades and all the
other dcs and les, until the jingle of it
got chronic with him. Tho next para
graph was a continuation of the history
of Demosthenes and began with, “ Be
sides. lie was not only a great orator
but a great general,” ami Thomps read
it. “ Bes-i-des,” supposing anew hero
had come to the front.
lie and Sam Harris used to hear one
another recite before they went to the
school room and when Thomps got to
Bes-i-des it tickled Harris almost to
death. The hoys soon got hold of it.
and Thomps took anew name, hut next
day Malcolm came back to school and
so says Thomps : “ Boys, yonder comes
Malcolm, lie pretends to know every,
thing and is so conceited and stuck up
lie can hardly live. Now, do 3011 all be
piiet and see if I don’t sell him.”
When Malcom came up and had
shaken hands all around, says Thomps:
“ Malcom, we were disputing about an
cient history, ami the question is
whether Bcs-i-des was a Grecian orator
or a general. You’ve just been over it
and ought to know if anybody does.”
Of course Malcolm felt compliment
ed, and so with an air of conscious
superiority*, lie closed onee3’c, andlook
ing up with the other lie said: " Bes-i
--des ! Bes-i-des ! All, yes: I remember.
Bes-i-des—well, yes—Bes-i-des was a
Grecian general. Don’t you remember,
lie led the charge at the great battle of
l’lmrsalia ?”
Thon the boys all yelled, and it was
some time before Malcom was able to
see the sharp end of the joke. Of
course the nickname was transferred,
and from that time Malcolm was less
airy and more reticent.
Two years after lie was studying law
at Clarksville, and there was a little old
dried up Italian drummer up there who
used to drum for the militia at general
musters. He claimed to be over a hun
dred years old and swore lie drummed
for Bonaparte at. the battle of Water
loo, and any other great battle you
could mention. So one big day during
the recess of court, the boys got round
him to hear him bent the long roll and
the short roll, and the charge and the
quickstep and the retreat from Moscow.
The upstairs piazza of the hotel was
crowded with ladies and big lawyers
like Ilowell Cobb, and Torn Cobb, and
Hillyer, and Hull, and Underwood, and
Dougherty, and Malcolm was down be
low, getting fun out of the old drummer
for the benefit of the ladies in general,
and his sweetheart in particular.
He asked him if he didn’t drum for
Hannibal and Seipio and Alexander
and Joshua at this battle and that bat
tle, and the little drummer declared he
did and was quite ready to tell wonder
ful incidents of the battle.
Suddenly Torn Cobb (afterward the
General of blessed memory) leaned
over the railing and in a singing voice
says : “ Malcolm, ask him if he didn't
drum for Gen. Bes-i-des at the battle
of Fharsalia.”
l’oor Malcolm—he thought the old
joke was dead, hut most everybody
there had heard it, and such a shout
you never heard. It wilted him, and it
was a long time before he forgave Cobb
for taking such an advantage, consid
ering his peculiar surroundings.
A Story of the War.
(hjlcthorpe Echo.
During tire late “ unpleasantness,”
among the other articles that were non
comeatcll: in the South were nails. To
obtain a supply the citizens of Goose
Bond, in this county, met and actually
burned down a good church, that stood
near the place now ow ned by Mr. Dock
Mattox, and after the fire carefully
searched the ashes for and divided the
spoils between them. This is an actual
fact, and illustrates the acts to which
our people were driven by dire necessity.
The case of the Georgia man who has
been married three times in the same
pair of socks is commended to the so
ciety for clothing the heathen. That
man ought to be put on a different foot
ing.