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MAX.
Hich, alluvial "so Of covered the little
grven vallsy on the bank* of Clear river.
Gottlieb Itchier, a Gsrmun emigrant,
cliauced to come upon It as he was
traversing a lonely part of Ohio, in
search of work or a bit of land which
might be bought with the few pieces of
foreign gold coiu that he carried in a
small leather bag in hia bosom.
Gottlieb knew a little English. He
sought out the owner of the large tract
where the little valley lay. The man
was glad enough to sell a part of it, and
soon the young and sturdy emigrant wa*>
the owner of the emerald-turfed meadow
and the overshadowing belt of wood
land.
The very day the conveyance was
made mid the purchase money paid.
Gottlieb sent a letter across the sea, with
instructions for the young wife'to come
to his Ohio home.
It was a long while he had to wait for
her, but the time was occupied by get
ting a part of his laud under cultivation
and building a comfortable log house in
which to receive thclittle frau when she
should arrive.
In two years from the time they
were married in the gray old church on
the banks of the far away Moselle, they
were working away as happy as a pair
of blackbirds on the Ohio clearing.
When Maurice, their first baby, was
a bright eyed little fellow of ten months
a party of men with chains and survey
ing instruments and little red flags came
through the woods near Gottlieb’s resi
dence, laying out a line for anew rail
road.
By the time the twins, Francis and
Frederica, were old enough to clap their
hands at the unusual hustle, there was a
great steam-shovel clattering away in
the hillside back of the house, and a
pile-driver pouuding down long-pointed
logs for the foundation of the piers of a
bridge which was to span Clear river.
And long before the loßg-haired Jo
seph was old enough to creep about the
green turf in front of the house the rail
road trains were running regularly every
four hourtfpleasautly relieving the mo
notonous life of the Lechlers, old and
young. The passenger trains were real
panoramas, with real living people from
the great towns over the hills and plains
which the delighted children had never
seen.
was not long, before the train hands
begad to take an interest in this isolated
little log house, with its bright flowers in
the doorynrd and garden, where four
clean, fresh handsome children seldom
failed to salute them with swinging hats,
handkerchiefs and hands as they passed.
In that lonely region the train was al
most the only thing that gave any va
riety to the life of the cottagers, and its
arrival, although it never stopped, was
eagerly awaited.
Sometimes, indeed, the engineer, or
one of the passengers would throw some
thing out to the children —an apple, a
cake, a package of candy or a newspa
per —which was always received with
great delight.
And it seemed to afford the train
hands almost equal pleasure, as every
face was lighted up with smiles as the
cars went rattling past.
There was only one thing that gave
Frau Gottlieb any anxiety, and that was
the fear that the children might be run
over ; but after a year or two this ap
prehensiou almost entirely passed away,
as she saw that the children were ex
tremely careful, and the whistle gave
warning even before the train was in
sight.
One day the “ noon freight,” which
always went slowly up the grade from
the bridge moved slower than usual. I
think the engineer, John Chamberlain,
was in the secret.
When the long, heavy train was just
against the house, Kra.uk Caldwell, the
jolly “ tail brakeman,” swung off a han
dled half,bushel basket, in which was a
flit, round, black-and-white, six weeks
old Newfoundland puppy.
The basket went rolling oft down the
sandy slope, and the pup, recovering his
equilibrium, waddled, full of delight,
to the open mouthed, wondering chil
dren, who had never seen a dog before.
The train men all laughed and ges
ticulated until the great puffing locomo
rnotive had drawn them around the
curve and out of sight of the surprised
little ones.
After that the puppy, which the chil
dren had named “ Max,” was always
one of the pleasant group that greeted
the train hands.
Sometimes his shaggy, curly coat was
stuck so full of flowers that he looked
like an animated boquet. Sometimes
there would be a wreath around bis neck.
Often the children would make him
The Hartwell Hun.
By BENSON & McGill.
VOL. IV-XO. 17.
walk on his hind legs, make bows, roll
over, turn summersaults, dance and go
through a variety of antics which Gott
lieb, the father, had taken pains to teach
him.
After a while the intelligent dog, w hen
he heard a train rounding the curve, or
crossing the bridge, would rush out,
catch up a stick ami rush about the
meadow with it, dive off the bluff into
the river and swim to the opposite bank.
Or, standing upright, he would dance
and how like a performing hear, while
the engineer, fireman, conductor, train
hands, and often the passengers, bowed
and laughed in genuine enjoyment of
the whole pretty performance.
By the time Max was full grown, a
baby called Theresia had been born in
the little white cottage, which had taken
the place of the log house, and when
the warm, sunny days came again, it
was the plump, yellow-haired midget that
was rolling about on the green turf
where all the other children had rollick
ed in turn.
Little blue-eyed Tissy happened to be
a wonderful creeper. She was strong
and uimhie, and would creep on her
small hands and feet quite as fast as the
other children could walk.
One day news came from over the sea
—from the little old village on the
Moselle —that very soon the mother
Lechler would come to live with her
children in their Ohio home.
Full of joy Gottlieb drove to the
nearest station on the railroad, and told
the agent to look out for his mother
when she arrived and to send a messen
ger up the track to his house to let him
know she was there.
Graudmother was coming, and there
was great excitement in the happy
household of the honest and hard-work
ing German emigrant. The children
said:
“ Perhaps she w ill come to-day, and
we w ill go down the meadow and gather
flowers to trim Max, and to trim our
selves and the room.”
And the smiling expectant little
mother said she would do this, und that
trivial thing to make the cottage bright
er and more cheerful, for the grand
mother would be very weary when she
came.
“We will leave baby Tissy by the
door for mamma to look after while we
goto the meadow for daisies,” said Mau
rice.
But the mother was so busy she did
not heed at all the little charge her first
born had given her.
She heard the merry voices of her
children down back of the cottage, and
as soon as the whistle of the 3 o’clock
express sounded, she saw' the pretty group
scamper toward the track.
Instinctively going to the open door
way, she, as well as the children and the
engineer and the fireman, was horror
stricken to see baby Tissy between the
long, black rails sitting in the sunshiue,
scattering handful after handful of
white, glisteningsaud in her bright, yel
low hair.
Although the train had “slowed up”
as usual on approaching the bridge, it
would be impossible to stop the engine
before it reached the child ; but the en
gineer made the effort. The terrified
mother could do nothing but lift up her
pallid face to heaven, and pray for
strength to bear what must inevitably
follow.
But just then Max, with his ears
thrown back and his plump tail trailing
on the grass, shot like a dart from the
other side of the track where he had
been rambling. The intelligent crealupe
had seen the danger and comprehended
it.
In an instant of time Max had
bounded by the screaming children,
cleared the intervening space between
them and the track ; caught the baby by
the belt of her pretty pink calico dress,
lifted her from the rough hewn tie upon
which she wa? sitting, and brought her
to her mother’s side.
“Uud den,” said Mrs. Lechler, on
telling the story afterward, “dot en
chineer he sthopped dot enchine, und lie
coom down dot yard, und he shook mine
bant, und he kissed desc children all
arouut mit der baby und he pat dot tog,
und der dears all der time rolt down
hims cheeks.
“He not spik one word, hut go rigid
HARTWELL. CA„ WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 24. 1871).
back on dot enchine, und blow dot whis
tle like (hinder nnddot train got off like
blitzen.
•• Und I sit right town on dot grass
und tauk der goot Gott; uud I hug
mine children, und dey gry, trail I gry
Den somebody said in Sherman :
“ Daughter, why do you gry?”
" Und I look up, und dcre is our mut
ter Lechler, from over der groswasser,
und I dinks she be a ghost.
“She say to roe: * How dot man
know right where mine Gottlieb live?’
“He say: ‘Get off der nex dime
der drain stops.’
“ Uud der drain sthope, uud I get off,
und dere is my son’s frau und mine
cranchilJren.' ”
A RICH SERMON.
In the autumn of 1830 I attended a
Methodist camp-meeting in the interior
of Georgia, and heard a sermon which
I have never been able to forget or de
scribe. At the earnest solicitation of
friends, I have attempted several times
to write it. But it cannot be put on
paper. The main force of it was in the
snuffling and spitting and groaning and
hound-after-a-fox sort of yelp and
whine, to which no pen can do justice.
It must be intoned to be appreciated.
I have preached it a thousand times for
the amusement of friends, and have
been satisfied with my effort. I have
used it as a remedial agent in exorcis
ing the demons of hypochondria, and
luivc never failed “ to scud them down
a steep place in the sea,’’ or somewhere
else, to the great relief of the sufferer.
The speaker had just been licensed,
and it was his first sermon. In person
he was small, bullet-headed, of a fair,
sandy complexion, and his countenance
was indicative of sincerity and honesty.
His remarks evinced great reverence
lor the works of God as manifested in
zoology and natural history, and “ was
taking up the Bible in regular order for
the first time Ln his life.” He had got
ten as far as the history’ of Noah, the
Ark, the Flood, etc. Besides, “just
before his conversion he had been read
ing Goldsmith’s ‘Animated Nater,’ and
the two together, by the aid and assist
ance of the Sperit, had led him into a
powerful train of thinking as he stood
at his work-bench, day in and out.”
But whatever his sermon may have
been, it was his own. The text was :
“As it was in the days of Noah, so
shall the coming of the son of man be.”
After commenting upon that portion of
Genesis descriptive of the Flood he
“ warmed up,” suddenly, and broke out
in the following strains :
“ Yes, my bretheren, the heavens of
the windows was opened-ah, and the
floods of the g-r-e-a-t deep kivered the
watera-ah ; and there was Shem, and
there Ham, and there JaphetU-ah, a-1-1
a-gwine into the Ark-ali.
“ And there was the elephant-ah,
that g-r-e-a-t animal-ah, of which Gold
smith describes in his ‘ Animated Na
ter’-ali what is as big as a house-all,
and his bones as big as a tree-ah, de
pending somewhat on the size of the
tree-ab, a-1-1 a-gwine into the Ark-ali.
And the heavens of the windows was
opened-ah, and the floods of the g-r-e-a-t
deep kivered the watera-ah ; and there
was Shem, and there was Ham, and
there was Japheth-ah, a-1-1 a-gwine into
the Ark-ah.
“ And there was the hippopoptamus
ah, that g-r-e-a-t animal-ah of which
Goldsmith describes in his ‘Animated
Nater’ ah, what has a g-r-e-a-t horn-ah a
stickin’ right straight up out of his for
ward-all six feet long, more or less-ali,
depending somewhat on the length of
it-ah, a-1-1 a-gwine into the Ark-ah.
“ And there was the giratte-ah, my
bretheren-ah, that ill-contrived reptile
of which Goldsmith describes in his
‘Animated Natcr’-ab, whose forelegs is
twent3 r -five feet long-ah, more or less-ah,
depending somewhat on the length of
’ein-ah, and a neck so long lie can eat
ha} 7 off the top of a barn-ah, depending
somewhat on the liithe of the barn-ah,
a-1-1 a-gwine into the Ark-ah. And the
heavens of the windows was opened
ali, and the floods of the great deep
kivered the waters-ah ; and there was
Ham, and there was Sliem, and there
was Japheth-ah, a-1-1 a-gwine into the
Ark-all.
•• And there was the zebra-nh. my
Devoted to Hart County.
en-ali, what is the king of beasts-ab,
aceordin’ to Scripter-ali, und who, as
St. Paul says-fth, prwwls around of a
night like u roarin' devil-all, a-seekin’
if he can’t catch somebody-ah, a-l-1 a
gwine into the Ark-ah.
“ And there was the antelope-ah, my
bretheren-ali, that frisky little critter-alt,
of which Goldsmith describes iu his
‘ Animated Nater’-ab, wlrnt can jump
seventy-live loot straight np-ah, and
twice that distance down-ah, provided
his legs will take him that ftir-ah, a-l-1
a-gwine into the Ark-ah. And the
heavens of the windows was opened-ah,
and the floods of the great deep kiver
ed the waters-ali; and there was Shorn,
ami there was Horn, and there was Ja
pheth-ali, a-l-1 a-gwine into the Ark-ah.”
Just at this point he stopped speak
ing a few moments, wiped his forehead,
turned back his wristbands, ran his
Augers through his hair, spit and rub-1
lied his boot in it, drank a little wuter, ’
commenced on a lower key, and pro
ceeded as follows :
“ But time would fail me, my breth
cren-ah, to describe all the animals that
went into the Ark-ah. Your paticnoe
and my strength would give out before
I got half through-all. We talk, my
bretheren, about the faith of Abraham
and the patience of Job-ah; but it
strikes me they didn't go much ahead
of old Noer-ah. It tuck a right smart
chance o’ both to gather up all that go
pher-wood and pitch and other truck
for to build that craft-all. lam a sort
of carpenter myself and have some
idee of the job-ah. But to hammer,
and saw, und maul, and split away on
that one thing a hundred ami twenty
year-all, an’ lookin’ for his pay in an
other world-all—l tell ye, my bretheren,
if the Lord had a-sot Job at that, it’s
my opinion he would a-tuck his wife’s
advice inside of fifty year-all. Besides,
no doubt his righteous soul was vexed
every day, hand runnin’, with the filthy
communications of the blasphcmious
set that was always a-loaferin’ and a
saunterin’ around-ah, a pickin’ up his
tools and a misplacin’ ’em, and a call
ing him an old fool or something worse
all ; and, to clap the climax, he was a
preacher, and had that ungodly ginera
tion on his hands every Sunday-ah.
But the Lord stood by him and seed
him through the job-ah; and when
everything was ready, he didn’t send
Noer out to scrimmage and scour and
hunt all over the wide world for to git
up tiie critters and varmonts that he
wanted saved-ali. They all come to
his hand of their own accord, and Noer
only had to head 'em in and fix ’em
around in their places-ah. Then he
gathered up his own family, and the
Lord shut him in, and the heavens of
the windows was opeued-ah.
“ But, my bretlieren, Noer-ah had use
for patience after tliis-ah. Think what
a time lie must a-had a-feedin’ and a
waterin’ and a-cleanin’ out after sich a
crowd-ah. Some of ’em, according to
Goldsmith’s Animated Nater-ah, was
camiverous, and wanted fresh meat-all;
and some was herbivorious and wanted
vegetable food-ah ; and some was worm
ivorius, and swallered live things whole
ah ; and he hail to feed everything ac
cordin’ to his nater-ah. Hence we
view, tnj 7 bretheren-ah, as the nater’ of
the animals wasn’t altered by goin’ in
the Ark-ah, some of ’em would rear,
and howl, and bark, and hray, and
squeal, and blate the whole indurin’
night-ah, a-drivin’ sleep from his e3 7 es
and slumber from his evclids- all; and
hretheren ah, that b-o-a-n-i-f-u-1 animal
of which Goldsmith describes in his
‘ Animated Nater’-ah, what has thro*
hundred stripes s-runnin’ right straight
around his body ah, more or less-all,
depending somewhat on the munt>er of
stripes-ah, ami nary two stripes alike
all, a-1-1 a-gwine into the Ark-ah.
“And ttiere was the anacortder-ah,
that g-r-e-a-t snrpint of which Gold
smith describes io his •Animated Nu
tor’-ali, what can swallow six oxens at
a meal-all, provided his appetite don’t
call for less-ali, a-l-1 a gwine into the
Ark-ah. And the heavens of the win-1
dows was opened-ah, and the floods of;
the great deep kivered the waters-ah ;
and there was Shein, and there was
Ham, and there wrns Japheth-ah, a-l-1
a-gwine into the Ark-ah.
“And there was the lion-ah, brether-
$1.50 Per Annum.
at the first streak o' daylight the last
hoof of ’em would set up a noise ac
! cordin’ to its natcr-ah, and the hulls of
Hnsiinir wer’n’t no whar-ah. I’ve often
wondered how their women stood it.
Scripter is silent oil this pint-ah; but
I think I know of some that would a
been vapory and uerviotis under sich
cireiiuistanees-ah, and in an ongunrdod
moment might a said somethin' besides
their prayers-ah.”
Here the speaker stopped again, spit,
took water, etc., and hastened to n con
clusion.
“ My brethereti,” said he, “one more
won! lor old Noer-ah, and I will draw
to a close-all. After the outbeatin’
time lie had, flrst and last, for so many
hundred year-ali, if he did, by accident
or otherwise, take a lectle too much
wine on one occasion-ah, i think loss
ort to o-been said about it -ah. Be
sides, 1 think he was entitled to one
spree-ali, as lie made the wine hisself,
and accordin’ to Scripter, it makes glad
the heart o’ man-all.
“ My bretheren, as it was in the days
of Noer-ah, so shall the coming of the
Son of Man be-ali. The world will
never be drowndod agin-ah. It will be
sot a-fire, and burnt up, root and
branch, with a fervient lient ah. Oh !
what will wretched undone sinners do
on that orful day-ah ? They won’t feel
! fit for to live, nor for to die-ah. They
will be put to their wit's end, and knock
and straddle around in every direction
uh. For all at onet, uiy bretheren ah,
they will behold the heavens a-darken
in’-ah, the sens a-roarin’-ah, the tombs
n-bnstin'-ah the mountains n-meltin’-
ah; and everything, i think, will be in
a confused aud onset tied state-all.
“ May the Lord add lii.s blessing.
Amen !”
What a Georgia Carpetbagger Thinks,
John E. Bryant, s,Jie most notorious
and pugnacious of the Georgia carpet
baggers, lias been interviewed on poli
tics generally, aud the plans of the
Georgia Radicals particularly. When
asked who he thought the wisest of
Southern leaders, he replied : “ Mr.
Stephens beyond question. He is the
one man that we never trip up or fool;
on the contrary, he succeeds in hood
winking our leaders, lie came very
near capturing Grant when lie was
president, and it looks as if lie had
started now witli a view of controlling
him If he is elected again. He did cap
ture and control Hayes entirely. For
a longtime he had Hayes wound around
his finger. The other southern leaders
tried to manage the president, but Mr.
Stephens is the only man that succeed
ed. Our only fear is that he will cap
ture enough of the northern people to
turn the scale in the doubtful States by
his broad utterances. Those wlio im
agine though that Mr. Stephens will
surrender one jot or tittle of his convic-
tions do not know the man. He has
been consistent and determined all his
life and never gave up a conviction.
He has moved along quietly until he
lias succeeded in bringing the Demo
cratic party to his views. When his
councils prevail, the party becomes
dangerous. I may say that, as a lead
er, he is more feared by the northern
Republicans than any man in the
South. It is a marvel to me how he
has been able to hold bits position in
the south, while he was taking such ad
vanced ground in Washington, but he
has done it.”
A certain old gentleman, very rich
and still more stingy, is in the habit of
wearing his clothes to the last thread.
One of his friends, meeting him, ex
claimed : “ They told me that you had
anew hat, and I’ll be hanged if you
haven’t!” “Oh, yes,” said the miser,
looking as if he were a trifle ashamed
of himself, “ you see rny wife kept tell
ing me that the old one was a g<xxl
deal worn out. Well, yesterday was
my wife's birthday, and I got myself a
new hat for her birthday present.”
The State of Khode Island does uot
pay half the revenue to the government
that South Carolina does, while the lie
publican States of New Hampshire,
Minnesota, Kansas and Maine do not
pay, altogether, what South Carolina
does. Kentucky, too, pays nearly three
times as much revenue as all the New
England States together.
WHOLE NO. 113
THE CHILD ON THB DOORSTEP,
-
“ Did site leave any children ?"
“ Yes, this bit or a child.”
“ And who’ll take her ?”
“ 1 don't know. \V are aff very
|MH>r around here, sir, but we must And
her a place somewhere. God help the
little girl for she's all alone now!”
The sexton had called nt an old ten
ement house on LuFayette street east
to take a body to a pauper's field—the
body of one whose life had been worn
out in the tread-mill of hunger and de
spair. No!sidy knew that the mother
wus dead hardly suspected that she
was ill, until one morning this child ap-
peared at a neighbor's door and quietly
said:
" Would you be afraid to come over
to my house, for irn is dead and I’m
keeping awful stilt, and I’m afraid to
talk to her when she won’t answer ?”
The mother land been dead for hours.
Long enough before day came the flame
of life hail burned low and died out,
and that child, hardly 7 years old, had
been with the corpse through the long
hours, clasping the cold hand, kissing
the white faoe and calling for life to re
turn. When they as led if she had any
friends she shook her head. When
they told her she was alone in the great
world she looked out of the old win
dow on the bleak November day and
answered:
“ I can make three kinds of dresses
| for doll-babies, build fires and carry in
wood, and I r ll work ever so hard if
somebody will let me live with them!”
There was no funeral. There was
no need of a sermon there. The lines
of sorrow around the dead woman's
mouth counted for more in heaven than
any eulogy man could deliver. Them
was no crape. Iu place of it three or
four honest-hearted women let their
tears fall upon the white face and whis
pered :
“ l*oor mother—poor child !”
The child's big blue eyes were full
of tears, but there was hardly a tremor
in her voice as she nestled her warm
cheek against the lips stilled forever
und said :
“ Good-bye, miv—you'll conic down
from heaven every night at dark, won't,
you, and you'll take me up there just
as soon as you can, won’t you ?”
The landlord locked up* the house,
and 4he child went home with one of
the women. When night came she
stole out of the house and away from
those who sought to comfort her, and
going hack to the old bouse she sat
down on the door step having no com
pany hut the darkness. An ollleer
passed that way, and leuning over the
gate lie peered through the darkness at
something on the step and called out:
“ is anybody there ?”
“ Nobody but a little girl!” came the
answer.
“ Who is it ?”
“ It’s a little girl whose uia was bur
ied to-day 1”
He opened the gate and went closer,
and as he made out her little bare head
and innocent face he said :
“ Why, child, aren’t you afraf<l ?”
“ 1 was afraid a little while ago,” she
said, “ but just ns soon as I asked ma
not to let anything hurt me 1 got right
over it. Would anybody dare hurt a
little girl whose ina is lead ? They
could he tixiken up, C(jj' ,I fi*t they ?”
He offered to go to the house
where she was to have a home for a
few <lays, and taking his big hand with
the utmost confidence she walked be
side him and said:
“ I ain’t going to cry much till I get
to bed, where folks can't see me !”
“ I hope every one will be good to
3'ou.” he remarked as he put his hand
over her curly head.
“If they don’t be, they’ll never go
to heaven, will they ?” she queried.
“ No.”
“ There was a long pause, and then
she said :
“ But I guess they will be. I can
make a doll out of a clothes-pin and a
piece of calico, and I guess somebody
will be glad to let me live with ’em.
If you see me over on the step some
other night you needn't be a bit afraid,
for I ain’t big enough to hurt anybody,
even if I didn't want to cry all the
time!”
North Georgian: We have heard
the mutterings about a consolidated gov
ernment and states rights all our life,
hut so long as the fanners of the coun
try remain quietly at their work, wo see
no imminent danger that must necessari
ly result from the prattle of the politi
cians. When the farmers go to beating
their plow shares into Joe Brown pikes,
it is time to make application for posi
tions in the commissary department.
A Merry Christmas to all!