Newspaper Page Text
Fitzgerald Leader.
FITZGERALD, GEORGIA.
— PUBLISHED BT—
KNAPP db SON".
Russialias accumulated gold amount¬
ing to $561.MW.MU); the Bank of Eng¬
land has 3200,000,000; tho Bank of
Franco has $383,000,000, and the
United Statos have upward of $152,-
000 , 000 .
But four oounties in the State of
Iowa are without creameries. Tho
Iowa dairy interests have been devel¬
oped into one of tho most important
subsidiary branches of its agricultural
pursuits.
One of the accusations against
Groece is that she was bulldozing the
six Great Powers of Europe. It is as if
a herd of mouse-colored elephants
were to complain that a saucy sparrow
was teasing them.
“The live farmer in tho lower Mis¬
sissippi Valley is the one who studies
navigation as well as crops, and who
puts a rudder on his kitchen and an
anchor on his front porch,” facetious¬
ly observes the San Francisco Chron¬
icle,
An estimate has been made from
published yearly statistics showing
that of $500,000 spent in twenty of
tho leading libraries of this country,
a little over $170,000 was devoted to
books, while the other expenses con¬
sumed $358,000.
According to the Globe an Atchison
(Kan.) woman has figured it out that
“between the ages oE sixteen and
twenty-seven her heart was broken
eleven times.” Court plaster has done
wonders in such eases, facetiously ob¬
serves the Chicago Times-Herold.
There are over 300,000 French Cana¬
dians in New England, who are ooming
and going between the United States
and Canada. They have fifteen news¬
papers in New England which circu¬
late largely in Canada, and every one
of them is a Liberal in Canadian poli¬
ties.
According to a cycling journal, the
State of Missouri spent $600,000 for
supervisors in 1896 to oversee road
work, the cost of which in itself was
only $490,000; or, in other words, an
expense of more than $1,0000,000 was
involved in getting less than $500,000
worth of work done.
They say that Mr. Austin, the Eng¬
lish poet laureate, is afraid that if Ohn-
lalongkoru I., King of Siam, visits
England during the coming summer
the poet laureate will he expected to
turn out a poem in his honor. Mr.
Austin has a quick ear for rhyme, but
even he recognizes the fact that the
name Chulalongkorn does not lend
itself readily to rhyme. The lines,
Chulalongkorn,
As sure as you're born.
which at once suggest themselves, are
a little too colloquial and familiar to
be used in au ode to royalty.
The records kept at the Patent Of¬
fice show to what an enormous extent
the invention of bicycle improvements
has grown in this country. Since
1886 over 4000 patents relating to
bicycles have been granted by the
United States Patent Office, and at least
half ot these have been issued in the
last six years. It now takes the labor
of eight expert assistant examiners to
handle the applications of cycle inven¬
tors, and even with this force there is
always a big batch of applications
awaiting examination. How fast this
industry has grown may be judged
from the statement that up to 1876
only about 300 patents for cycles had
been issued. There is no country in
the world that shows a similar rate of
growth in this same line.
Consul Germain, in a report to the
State Department from Zurich in re¬
gard to a plan recently introduced in
the public schools of several European
cities, says: In Brussels the children
attending public schools were re¬
quested by their teachers to gather
up on their way to and from school
all such apparently valueless objeots
as old metallic bottle capsules, tinfoil,
tin cans, paint tubes, refuse metal,
etc., and deliver their collection dally
to their respective teachers, In the
period from January 1 to October 1,
1895, or within eight months, the fol¬
lowing amounts were collected : Tin-
foil, 1925 pounds; old paint tubes,
220 pounds; bottle capsules, 44*15
pounds; sorap3 of metal, 1221 pounds.
Total, 7781 pounds. This apparent
rubbish was disposed of, and the pro¬
ceeds applied so as to completely clothe
600 poor children and send ninety sick
ones to recuperation colonies, and
there still remained quite a balance,
which was distributed among the poor
kick of the city.
ACT TO-DAY.
Time strikes tho hour of each pnsstnpr day
With swift precision and unerring toll
Nor pauses In his journey to survey
The ruined castles of tho human soul.
Bwift though his flight, think not ills Jour¬
ney short;
For life, however briof it ohanco to be,
Doth oarry, as It nears the unseen port,
Hopes freighted with eternal destiny.
[tomomber, then, the field of life’s survey
Cannot be circumscribed by human creeds,
And he alone is wise who crowns each day
With lofty purpose and ennobling deeds.
—Charles Babson Soule, tu Chicago Journal.
That Tantalizing Letter.
V I4l ELL, I’m both-
I ■XiJ /=// ered if I can tell
.Aff who it’s from 1”
“It” was a
mm letter ; and,
surely, the eas¬
iest way for Mr.
Ex Sprunt to ar¬
— —-- ■ ■' rive at the de¬
sired informa-
tion was simply to open it.
No doubt; but here arose a slight
difficulty: it wasn’t his. The postman
had delivered it at the shop by mis¬
take. It was addressed to Mis3 Nancy
Vale.
All day tho sight of it lying on the
top of a ham on the counter had
literally tantalized him. When the
shutters were going to be put on for
the night, he took it up for a final
scrutiny.
“The postmark’s London,” he
ruminated. “I never heard tell of
any—my goodness! I’ve done it
now J”
And so he had. The imperfect
adhesion of tho envelope had yielded
altogether to his too insinuating
finger.
Of course, now that it was open, it
would have been a depth of folly
passing Mr. Sprunt’s comprehension
not to master the contents, and Iiib
face actually quivered with suppressed
excitement during the perusal.
“If that doesn’t beat the Dutch!”
he ejaculated on reaching the end.
“A legacy of five hundred pounds
from her grand aunt. If I had known
this was going to happen, I would
have made her Mrs. Sprunt long ago.
I’ve always been fond of Nancy, and
I'm fonder now than ever. What a
mercy this letter came my way!”
This was no time, however, for
moral reflections. The situation called
for immediate action. In order to
secure this golden windfall for his own
coffers, he must not let the grass
grow under his feet.
A moment’s cogitation showed that
the first thing to be done was to get
the fair legatee, by hook or by crook,
to promise to marry him before she
knew of her good luck.
Suppose he proposed that night,and
was accepted? In the course of a day
or two he could produce the letter, all
sealed up again, as if it hnd newly ar¬
rived. Once Nanoy had pledged her
word, he could dopand on her not
throwing him over.
With Mr. Sprunt to think was to act,
especially when five hundred pounds
were at stake.
It was a blustering March evening,
both raining and blowing at a rate
enough to quell the ardor of any ordi¬
nary suitor. Bat a deluge of old wives
and pike-staves wouldn’t have deterred
the redoubtable Sprunt from setting
out for Cherry-tree Cottage to put his
fortune (or rather Nanoy's) to the
test.
A few minutes’ battling with the
elements brought him to his destina¬
tion.
In answer to his resounding rat-tat-
tat on the knocker, Nancy appeared
at the door, accompanied by Spook, a
handsome black cat.
“Ah!” says the clever reader; “an
old maid 1”
Well, she was single, undoubtedly,
but it wasn’t from want of-
“An offer,” interposes the readers,
with a cynical smile. “It never is.”
To tell the little dressmaker’s story
to one capable of making so viie an
insinuation would be casting pearls
before swine. Enough to say that ten
years before, Nancy, then a winsome
dark-eyed maiden of eighteen, had
played out her one romance.
To bring about a reconciliation be¬
tween her lover and his tyrannical
father who had threatened to disin¬
herit him if he persisted in his atten¬
tions to her, she had given poor Tom
his conge, coldly, firmly, finally.
Instead of this having the eflect an¬
ticipated, it made life at home seem
bo intolerable to young Ford that he
ran away.
From that ill-fated day Nanoy had
never seen her lover again, though his
haggard face and that last look in his
eyes as of some dumb animal in pain
had haunted her ever since.
But this is a digression. Let us re¬
turn to the present and Mr. Sprunt.
“It’s a very wet night, my dear,”
he observed. Without waiting to be
invited, he entered and seated himself
in the armchair, and after a few
desultory remarks and preliminary
clearings of tho throat, he made the
plunge.
“What a time it seems since yon’ve
been over to the shop, Nancy! I’vo
been missing you badly.”
“Have yon, really?’ 1 returned she,
a faint tinge of color stealing into her
palo cheek.
"Yes, I’ve been missing yon, and it
set me a thinking,” continued Mr.
Sprunt, in a reflective tone. “1 says
to myself, says I, ‘ef you misses a
person when yon don’t see her, that
shows yon’ve a hankering after her.
And if you’ve a hankering after a per¬
son, that shows you’re iu love,with
her. And if you’re in love with a per¬
son, well, the next thing’s to get mar¬
ried to her,’ says I—subject to her
approval, of course,” added the man
of soap and treacle, and as an after-
thought hardly worthy of considera¬
tion.
Having thus logioally stated his ease,
he leaned hts burly figure baok in his
chair, stuck his thumbs into the arm¬
holes of his waist-ooat, and com¬
placently awaited a reply.
“I’m very sorry,” stammered Nancy,
whom the proposal had takon entirely
by surprise. "If you moan me, Mr.
Sprunt, it’s quite impossible." shouted
“What, impossible!” almost
that gentleman, starting up iu such
nndisgniBed astonishment thnt Nanoy
with difficulty repressed a smile. “You
can’t mean impossible, surely? For
my sake, take time and oonsider. Tho
shop’s a good going ooneern. I could
keep you like n lady. A silk gown
and a gold watch and’ chain would bo
nothing to me. And I’ve a snug bit
of money laid by—”
“That makes no difference,” inter¬
rupted Nanoy, a little frown pucker¬
ing her forehead.
To say that her elderly wooer was
dumbfounded, is putting it mildly. If
money made no difference, what on
earth would? He was almost at his
wits’ end, seeing his obanoe of flvo
hundred pounds visibly receding, when
a bright idea struok him. The senti¬
mental card was the one to play on a
woman.
Accordingly, with a rueful look, he
rose as if to depart.
“Weli, I cau say no more. I’ve
fered yon my all, and it doesn’t please
you. Many’s the time, Nancy, my
dear, I’ve thought of yon here so
solitary-like. Maybe, after this, you’ll
think about me sometimes sitting lone¬
some.”
“Oh, hush!” cried Nancy, smitten
with real compunction for the pain she
was inflicting. “If it was anything
else, Mr. Sprunt—”
“Ay, that’s it,” with a heavy sigh,
taking a step to the door. “If you
knew how I’ve saved up, and planned
and counted on this, you’d be sorry
for me. You see a disappointment
tells more on a man come to my time
of lifa. I’m not so young as I once
was.”
The smile with which be concluded
was more touching to Nancy than
tears. A wave of infinite pity swept
over her.
Sprunt paused half way to the door,
deteoting sigm of indecision.
“I see you’re not able to bring your
mind to it,” ho said, humbly. “I might
have known you couldn’t. You’ll not
let this make any difference between
us; it will kill me, if you did. Good
bye, my dear—God bless you 1 l’ou’ll
never want a friend as long as old John
Sprunt’s living. Good bye.”
“Stop a moment,” said Nancy hur¬
riedly. She was fairly overcome by
such disinterested affection. “If you
care so much—”
“Care !” broke in Sprunt, with gen¬
uine fervor; “yon don’t know how
much 1 care” (which was quite true).
“Oh, Nancy 1 Just change your mind
and say ‘yes. J M
Nancy said “yes.”
While this settling and sealing of
his mistress’s destiny was taking place,
it may be profitable to enquire, "What
was Spook after ?”
During the most interesting part of
the colloquy he was intent on an ex¬
amination of the visitor’s overcoat—
foreign articles (that is, those not in¬
digenous to Cherry-tree Cottage) pos¬
sessing a rare fascination, for him.
Spook had a - terrible nose for dis¬
covering secrets. The nearer he ap¬
proached one of the pockets the keener
grew the sniffing; the reason being
that therein lay the fateful letter,
whioh had acquired a very pronounced
smell of tho ham it had been in close
proximity to all day.
Now, Spook had one weakness—and
that was for bam. Ham in any shape
or form was to him irresistible. For
ham he would have stopped at no
crime, how much less at mere pocket¬
picking 1
After considerable manoeuvering, he
dexterously inserted into the pocket a
paw, and, without more ado, contrived
to fish out tho letter.
As it fell on the floor, a sudden
movement of Sprunt’s made Spook
think he was detected, and he precipi¬
tately fled, leaving his booty lying
half-hidden under the table, to be dis¬
covered in due time.
If anyone had told Nancy the next
morning, when she began washing her
doorstep, that she would loave it hr.tf-
done, she wonld have laughed the
crazy prediction to scorn.
But so it was decreed.
She had given tho preliminary wayh
with water,when a shadow fell athwart
the step.
Nancy looked up id surprise, and
met the steadfast gaze of a tall,
bronzed and bearded stranger.
Uttering an inarticulate ory of half
incredulous joy, she sprang to her feet
and took a step forward.
The next instant the stranger’s
strong arms were round her, and his
lips were pressed to hers in a long,
passionate kiss.
It was Tom—Tom come baok from
the grave as it were.
Who could describe the feelings of
the long-severed pair? Nancy’s glow¬
ing face, when Rbe raised it from her
lover’s broad chest, looked almost as
young and as fair as when they had
parted—and a thousand times hap¬
pier.
Tom’s story was not a long one, but,
owing to sundry mysterious interrup¬
tions, it took a good while to tell.
To begin at the beginning, he had
worked his passage out to Australia,
got u place as shepherd on a sheep
farm, and before half a dozen yeare
had elapsed was himself the owner of
a large sheep run.
“And I wouidu’t be here now,” con¬
cluded he, “if, last Christmas, I hadn’t
come across a Strathendy man: Jim
Black, the joiner’s son. We got pretty
friendly talking about old times, and
he Folks told me you were still Nancy Yale.
said it was for my sake you
would not marry. When I heard that,
the real reason for your refusing me
began to dawn on me, I made up my
mind to sell oat, ind come back and
ask you again. Sl here I am. You
won’t send moYway this time, little
Nanoy, -will you?”
Nanoy turned away her head with n
sadden shiver of anguish. Not till
that she remembered moment, since what^isd Toil’s return, transpired had
the previous eveningX 1
Oh, the horror off, t\e e thought 1
Tom had oome back, butt) o late; was
she not John Sprunt’s affianced wife?
in an agony of despair Knd shame
she hid her face in her hands. Yes,
shamo! How couid she tver confess
to faithful Tom that she had plighted
her troth to another?
But it had to be told. f J? was
0
anxiously demanding what v as \ the
matter. \
“John Sprunt was here last
she said at last, in a strange, unnatu¬
ral voice, “and he asked me to marrj
him.”
“Ha, ho, ha ! Is that all?” laughed
Tom, immensely relieved, “But I
wouldn’t look so Bolemn about i
Don’t you think it a capital joke?”
“No, I don’t,” said Nancy, bnrstin
into tears; “because I said I wonld.
A dead silence followed this declar-
ation.
Nanoy got out her little handker-
chief and slowly wiped her eyes, steal-
mg a piteous glance at Tom, who sat
wave as a judge, with a perfectly iu-
s.irutable expression,
"Aro you ancry, Tom?” she asked,
timidly, when the silence grew un¬
bearable.
"Angry?” with a short, bitter laugh.
“Oh, no. I’m delighted, of course.
At the same time, it’s an unexpected
honor. I didn’t know I was taking a
journey of thousands of miles to be
present at John Sprunt’s wedding.
But why, in the name of wonder,”
breaking off his tone of polite irony—
“why didn’tyou tell me this at first?”
“Beoause l forgot,” sobbed Nancy.
“Oh, why didn’t you come a day
sooner—just one day?”
“You don’t mean to say you would
have preferred me to the young and
handsome and generous Sprunt?”
asked Tom, with biting sarcasm.
Poor Nancy lifted her swimming
eyes in mute reproach. The sight
brought the penitent Tom to his knees
by her side.
“I’m jnst a perfect brute!” he de¬
clared, kissing away her tears. “Can
you ever forgive me for being so
cruel?”
For answer Nancy silently laid her
slender little hand in his broad palm.
Tom pressed it again and again tc his
lips.
“This is mine now,” ho said, reso¬
lutely; “and I refuse to give it up
till you can toll me somebody else has
yonr heart.
“I’ll just go over to the shop at
once, and see Sprunt myself,” re¬
marked Tom presently, getting
up. “Hello! here’s a letter, Nanoy,”
picking up the all-important docu¬
ment, which had lain undisturbed
whore it fell till now.
Nanoy looked at the lellter in puz¬
zled surprise. Together they perused
it. Their amazement at its contents
was equalled by wonder as to how it
got there.
Suddenly Nancy exclaimed:
“Ob, I tnink I cau explain it. I re¬
member jnst like a dream seeing some¬
thing white fall ont of one of the
pockets of Mr. Sprunt’s overcoat.
Spook was poking about it in his
usual way. He must have been at his
old pilfering trioks—”
“Oh, well, I would hardly call it
that. Let’s say he took it in a fit of
abstraction—just as Sprunt opened it
to begin with, wherever he got hold
of it. Do you understand the reason
of his sudden affection for you, Nancy?
The grasping old miser!”
At this moment there was a loud rap
at tho door, followed by the entrance
of the very individual in question.
His dismay on seeing a stranger may
be imagined. His first impulse was to
withdraw, but Tom’s voice arrested his
movement.
“What do you want, sir?”
Sprunt stopped, gave his q uestioner
a baleful glare out of his little ferrety
eyes, and then utterly ignoring his
presence turned to Nanoy.
“Good morning, my dear. I dare
say you’re surprised to see me so
early; but the truth is, I’m anxious
about a letter for you that the post
gave roe through carelessness yester¬
day. I had it in my poolcet for you
last night; but it’s not to be wondered
at that, in the circumstances, I forgot
it,” with a leer at Nancy. “And now,
I’m sorry to say, it’s nowhere to ha
found.”
“You don’t need to waste your sor¬
row on that-. It has just been found,”
said Tom.
“Oh, ah—I’m very glad,” stam¬
mered Sprunt.
“This letter has been opened. Per¬
haps you’ll kindly give an account of
your proceedings with regard to it,”
continued Tom, sternly eyeing the de¬
linquent, who was mopping the per¬
spiration off his honest brow.
“I am not accountable to yon, sir,”
growled Sprunt. “Nanoy, my dear, I’ll
explain it, all to you.” lady
“Just daro to call this vour
‘dear’ again 1” cried Tom, with such fe¬
rocity of aspect that “the Sbop”backed
two or three steps to the door. "As
for explaining, you may save yourself
the trouble. It’s an ill wind that
blows nobody good,” observed Tom,
with a comical glance at Nancy as the
door banged behind the baffled
schemer. "The very first thing you
uro going to do, my little Nanoy
Pretty, is to chooeo your wedding
gown.”—Boston Bouquet.
Canada’s Population.
The Canadian Department of Agri¬
culture estimates the population of the
Dominion to be 6,125,438, a gain of
rather less than 300,0110 since the cen¬
sus of 1891. In 1890 there were two
States of the Union that exceeded
Canada in population—New York, with
5,997,853 inhabitants, and Pennsyl¬
vania, with 5,258,014.
THE CHANGING STYLES.
SOME NEW DESICNS THAT ARE TASTE-
FUL AND DRESSY.
A Princess Tea Goivn Which Han an Air
of Although It i* iu
Construction—Made of 151 ue-and-White
* Challie—Basque With Fanciful Fronts,
May Manton writes that blue-and-
white French challie was the material
chosen for this model garment, the
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LADIES’ PKi !ESS TEA GOWN.
decoration being H am-white lace and
insertion. Althoul k quite simple in
construction, it ha' An air of elegance
that distinguishes itm ba<A 0 m the ordinary
house gown. The s are trimly ad-
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STYLISH FANCY BASQUE. '
justed to the figure by means of a
centre seam and curving sido hack
seams, while the fronts have double
bust-darts and a deep under-arm dart
that renders the fitting perfect. The
full front and back present the watteau
effect, that is particular pleasing in tea
gowns or wrappers, Below the waist
line the seams of the garment gradu¬
ally expand, affording the requisite
fulness to the skirt, which has a foot
decoration in the form of a narrow
ruffle of lace headed with a band of in¬
sertion. Bands of insertion are applied
to simulate a yoke, and the closing is
effected invisibly at the centre-front.
The lower edge of the yoke is defined
by a full bertha of the material, which
is mitred to form three graceful points
that fall over the sleeves, with insertion
and lace daintily decorating the edges.
The sleeves are one-seamed and are
shirred along the edges, producing the
mousquetaire effect. They are arranged
on two-seamed linings, finishing at the
wrists in bell shape. A crush collar of
taffeta covers the close-fitting collar
that finishes the neck.
Dainty gowns of wool, cotton or
wash fabrics can bo attractively de¬
veloped by the model, and lace and in¬
sertion or embroidery will be suitable
for decoration.
To make this wrapper for a lady in
the medium size will require ten yards
of forty-four-inch material.
Ladles’ Fancy Basque.
In the two-column design, says hand¬ May
Manton, black moire velours and
some passementerie are stylishly
united, with the inevitable touch of red
introduced in the full vest and sleeve
decorations. The fanciful fronts are
simply arranged over smooth linings
that close in the centre, the jacket
fronts flaring apart, disclosing the vest
portion of mousseline over satin that
closes under the left front edge. The
smooth yoke bolero is included in the
right shoulder, arm’s-eye and under¬
arm seams and closes invisibly on the
left. The back is rendered glove-fit-
ing by the usual seams, the shaping be-
low tho waist lino forming a stylish
pointed effect. The sleeves, of latest
design, are prettily pointed and flaro
deeply over the hands with bands cf
passementerie and lace employed as
decoration. The tops of sleeves pres¬
ent a puff of diminished size daintily
caught through the centre with an out¬
standing ruffle composed of finely
plaited mousseline. At the neck is a
close standing band of passementerie
with the indispensable and becoming
soft finish of lace above.
With this stylish composed basque is entirely worn of a
toque from Virot
violets delightfully mingled with rib-
bon shading from the palest lavender
to a deep rich shade of violet, a hand-
some rhine stone buckle ornamenting
the front.
To make this basque for a lady in the
medium Bize will require three yards of
forty-four-inch material.
er Variation in Shirt Waist*. hB
The ever popular shirt waist JM
taken on still another variation.
here shown the material is plain .10
tired gingham in pale leaf-greej
belt, collar, cuffs and closing b V
of plaid combining the green 1 *
n TliC ,
eeru and lines of pure white.
full tinctivc features It is are fitted the yoke closely ha- f^H lflj
fronts.
figure under-arm by means piece. of shoulder Tint sean^B Itia-JH
an
that forms the plait is laid
plain goods and stitched in
Either studs or small pearl bit
be used as a means of closin
fulness in the front is drawl
ward the closing plait and in
toward the centre, The sle<
gathered at the shoulder and 4
plied with pointed overlaps I
opening at the wrist. If wd
detachable cuffs they are gathei
a straight band. Cuffs and coll
be either attached or made sepi
be kept in place by studs. (
latter method is- preferred keep! by m
men as enabling them to
fresh and dainty without consigning
the entire waist to the tub at the ex¬
piration of a single day’s wear.
The style is well suited to all ging¬
hams or organdies, silk weft zephyrs
and similar cotton materials as well as
inexpensive wash and India silks. As
illustrated tho tie matches the collar
after the style that is most popular,
but if the latter be made attachable
can be alternated with white ones
worn with a stock and so make greater
variety. The range of choice in both
ties and collars is well night limitless
and a second great advantage of the
detachable collar is the fact that it al¬
lows freedom of selection in place of
binding the wearer to one style.
To make this waist for a lady in the
medium size will require three and
i.
H\
9 if A (I
mmlmk'
lit
-U c.
wm*
tHIBT WAIST OF UNFIGUBKD GINGHAM.
one-fourth yards of thirty-six-inch ma¬
terial.
The beet sugar bounty law just en¬
acted in Michigan provides that the
State shall pay to the farmer four centa
a pound for all the beet sugar he raises, •
and one cent a pound to the man who-
manufactures the sugar. ___