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GGGGGGGGGGG BEKIIY TANARUS, MOSELEY, Editor. VOLUME XII. A MISER'S NEW YEAR. BT M. QUAD. [Copyright, 1P94, by American Press Associa tion.] “Miser Jones”—that was what ev erybody called him, and the title did not displease him. Indeed it rather flat tered him. To boa miser meant the possession of money, and money was his god. There were people who could re member him as a young man and a spendthrift, but they were very few. To look at him one would wonder if he j - “IT IS A GOOD DAT FOU MET” had ever been young. Ho appeared to be 60 years old when people first began to call him Miser Jones, and the passage of timo did not appear te affect him. He' was wrinkled and skinny and white haired, and men said lie would liavo been dim of sight but for the greed of (gain which burned in his eyes till they shone like a wolf’s. Miser Jones had relatives, but for fear they might want money ho cut ‘loose from them. He owned several houses, but that he might not take from the rent lie lived in a miserable room .and fared little better than a dog. He had money to lend, and he exacted usu ry. There wero no days of grace for one in his debt. Prompt payment must bo made, and last penny, and nei ther \Ards nor tears would move him. •No charity, no church, no beggar, ever extracted one cent from Miser Jones. He cared nothing for the trials and mis fortunes of others, and ho was never af fected by what mon said of him except when someone observed that lie could mot take his money beyond tha grave That idea alone upset him and detract ed from his happiness. He spent hours In wondering if it could not bo done, and sometimes he was oil the point of asking a lawyer to so nrrango matters that his money should at least be buried with him. The New Year dawned bleak and cold and dreary. There was a high wind, iand the air was full of whirling snow, laud even had it not been a holiday few people would have moved away from their firesides unless forced to. “It is a good day for me—a fino 'day!” chuckled Miser Jones as he look ed out on the deserted streets and up at the leaden sky. “No one will disturb me today, and I may sit down and count up my wealth. lam richer than a year ago today, much richer, but I Want to know the figures to a shilling— to a penny. They call me Miser Jones, but I can laugh at their sarcasm fcnd abuse. Now we will figure.” Miser Jones had bonds and mortgages and notes and a bank account. pe knew the sum total within a dollar, but it was a keen delight for him to sit down and cast up interest’again and add it to \ “SEE! I HAVE B BOUGHT THE BOOK.” itho principal. With greedy look and trembling fingers he brought dut his memoranda and pencil and soon forgot jthe storm and the outside world. “So you are figuring again, Miser Joi es, closing the account of the old year and opening with the new’?” The old man leaped from his chair with a shout of surprise. No one had knocked at the door. He was alone in the room. The voice had come from one seated on the opposite side of the table, but he looked and rubbed his eyes and saw only vacancy. “Sit down, Miser Jones. Sit down while we talk together a hh, ” contin ued the voice as the windows rattled in the storm and a sknrry of snow blew into the room under the door and reach ed almost to the old man's feet. He looked all about him in a dazed and wondering way and sat down. “The old year has ended, the new begun, Miser Jones. Human life is counted by days and weeks and months DANIELS Vli !I. .aDM 8 -I/ ' .u.V, J-M„ Srj.dis: and years. On the tombstones of the dead you may read that they who sleep beneath lived so many years, months and days. It is meant that eacli and ev ery man should sit down at the begin ning of anew year and write the record of tlic old. You are an old man. You have lived lieyond the time allotted to man. Y'our hand shakes as your lingers guide the pencil. Y on have been mak ing figures. Let me take the pencil and help yon. ” “But I want no help!” protested the old man. “Yon have upright here! Y’ou were not asked to come! Leave me, or 1 will call for help!” “You are figuring on dollftrs and cents,” said the voice. “Thero is a long column of figures, and I will look them over with yon and help you to find the sum total. You have first recorded the sum of S3OO. That is mouey you loau ed to n hardworking nuphunio and took a mortgage PU his home. Misfortune had come to him and still pursues him. You hoped that more troublo would come to him, and it has. You figured from the first that you would got pos session of his homo for half its value, aud yesterday, when he camo to yon with trembling bps and pleaded ruisfor tmin, your heart was like stone. Today yon are figuring on your profit. ” • “But ho camo to mo to borrow and was willing to pay the interest!” protested Miser Jones. “Here is the sum of $730,” contin ued the voice. “Yon lent \ widow S3OO cn a mortgage and foreclosed it and drove lior out of her homo. Y’ou figure that you mado $l3O on that deal. Site pamo to you and wept and prayed, but you rubbed your wrinkled hands iu sat isfaction.'” “One must havo a profit when he lends money, ” replied Miser Jones fis ho looked at tho figures with satisfac tion. “Here is the sura, of SBOO. Y'ou loan ed money to tho, owner of a small facto ry to help start him again after ho had been crippled by firo, but what tho flames left you soon took possession of. Yes, you mado a clean S6OO on that transaction. I find the sum of S2OO and $273 and S3OO, a long column of fig ures hero to show tho profits of the year just tnded mid add to your fortune. Mi ser Jones, yon are a rich man.” “Yes, yes—a rich maul Ilikoto hear you say I am rich!” “But you are an old man. Yon can not hope to live a great while longer. ’’ “But I shall live for years and years, lam not so old as you think. Don’t talk to me. of death. ” “You are an old man, - ■■:! vnnr time has almost tame,” continued the voice. “You have laid up treasure cu earth. /.V SOME OXECRIEP OUT THAT MISEUjJOXES WAS ' DEAD. Let, us see what is to your credit in heaven. There is no money beyond tho grave. The spnls of the dead are judged by past deeds and not by tho amount of gold and silver left behind Take the pencil, Miser Jones. It Shall bo left to yon to make tho record. Have you had sympathy for the ragged and shivering and hungry fellow men who passed your door?” “But all of them were impostors!” “Men and women have appealed to you in sickness and misfortune as ono fellow man has the right to appeal to an other. How have you responded to those appeals?” “I can’t always be giving and giv ing!” “Withont religion earth would be a desert aud man a savage. Ail that is good aud noble and beautiful comes from our faith' in God. What have you done to aid the cause?” “It costs a great lot of money to keep up so many churches!” sighed the old man. “There aro destitute widows, father less children and grieving orphans, whom it is our duty to assist. Even a I kind word to such is placed to our rec ' ord in heaven. Write down year credit, Miser Jones.” The old man had nothing to write, no word of reply. “All around you hearts have-ached. Tears of sorrow h. ve been shed Men havo cursed their God because of the coldness of the world. Have you brought a ray of sunlight to a single one one of these?” Miser Jones had no answer. “What has your life been made up of? Avarice, selfishness, greed. You have sinned against God and man and your self. In yourgreedof gain you have throt tled every noble sentiment God placed in your heart as a child. Y’ou have sacri ficed every principle that makes a man Jrespected aud beloved. You have made juioDey, but you have been pointed out as a thing instead of a man. Asa hu man being you have lived to be hateu U - COUNTS '■']) T.lii DEMOCRATIC P\:IIT j, -jS .Dirt reviU*.. ... . —wuM?" “After death—what?” whispered Mi ser Joucs. “Tho recording ang'>l of heaven sets apart a page in her golden book for-each human being born into tho world. Seel I have brought the book that you might gaze upon it. Hero is your page—the page on which your name was inscribed as a child. What do you sec?” The old man looked and peered and rubbed his eyes. Blindness seeimjd to have come to him, and in his torror he groaned aloud. “flero is tho debit—avarice, selfish ness, greed, riches. , Ht£. should be your credits, but tbere-aro none. Look for them. Bend your head to bring your eyes nearer. Today brings anew year. Today you pass from earth to eternity to stand lieforo your God and bo judg ed. This is ihe record from which be . will judge you! I close the book!" ' Tho galo howled about the old house and rattled doors and windows, but Mi ser Jones paid 11b hoed. Men passed and repassed, some laughing, some cursing, but he did not look out upon them. Noon came, and ho sat there with pencil in his fiqgers and paper before him. Thp winter day drew to a close, and night came down, hut no light shone from his window. At midnight ho sat where noon found him, at daylight where the winds of midnight had blown the snow under the door and over his feet. When noon camo again, someone opened* his door and criod out that Miser Jones was dead! New Year’s Don't*. Don’t fail to receive New dear’s day with a smiling face. Don’t usher in that day by declaring you nro growing old. Don’t sent word yon are out becauso New Year’s calls are out of fashion. Don’t neglect to send a bonbon box to your best girl. Don’t receive au old friend gloomily on that day. j Don’t trust to now 181)5 and slander old 1894. Don’t fail to send Now Year’s,greet ings to thoso far away. ""’V Don't think yon may meet your fate in 1895. Perhaps it will be better to miss him. g Don’t bn unfriendly. Do all tho gJRi you can, am don’t slander anybody.! Don’t turn over too many hew lonee; for 1895. \'J Don’t be unhappy about anything.rfie a philosopher. Don’t deride tho new year. Don’t mid the day unhappy. . j Don't lose your temper. Don’t fall in love. Don’t declare yon hate men. ' ■ Don’t celebrate too much. Olil Scotch Practices. At New Year’s in Scotland children make calls upon their older friends and sing in front of tho house, after the style of Christmas carols: Got up, pude wife, anil shako your {outliers Pinna think that we arc beggars. We are children cut for play. Gie’s oor cukes an let’s away. Of a different class are tho men who, wearing disguises, call begging upon their richer neighbors and shout: Get up. gudv man; be na sweer. And deal out bread ns long ns you're hero The day will com when you will be dead. You'll neither rare for meat nor bread. To Get the lfest Husband. Avery pretty custom was that of tasting the “cream of the well,” tin first drink from spring or well on New Year’s mom. The first pail of water drawn, “the flower of the vpll,” ii sured positively the best husband in til parish to the wafer drawer. Twalf struck—two utebonr ldzzics raise An liltiu gaed a wi-1 gnt* Tiie flower o' the Well to our house goes, An I'll b.v the bonniest Li-l yet. Canadian bn.. New Year’s m<.nii4 aftrir holms taken breakfast ■ ii, father, mother, sisters and Lr. .t his way to the best looking .glfraji-. ii v.-ry wly, tq-kiss him < iu 'lc Job* do Ban” presents him n.'lf atf !u r door, thrro to bo warmly i.i. ■ I■.d”.'l ii.viturl,to cutCTi Tiikii’u iff. his snowHlioes—it’s wnimL . la mude du flimli the •' use a ‘ *lf tali',/i, * ho c-essttS the.thrcshcid iI. ■ l I’" h' |fi 1 1 US Idr.f' kitiSni'i! to ot origin in * ! • , ‘• i served. Timt’s what tho young than does. Tho young girl waits. But tho old folks do not, forget that the flay is ti e first one of tho yoar. So after tho Work of tho household is over they put on riieir best bib and tucker aud hitch up “Mouplaisir, ” and they start out and begin the rounds of mak ing calls, stopping at ench house, the old man kissing the neighbor’s old wom an, afirt vice-versa, rinsing it down with “ala votro” from the sideboard. | Conviviality raigns, good health is drunk, nml alcoholism is unknown, j From tho time tho sun first oasts its rlys on a Canadian New Year’s morn itg until a week aud sometimes two wtoks later a round of joliificution ex is(s among the Frcuoh-Canndians of gfiod standing. Every night a dinner is held at ono of tho “clique,” and so on till each has had his “blow out,” and pally all relapse into tho old rut of common, everyday life, arising at the sound of tho angelus iu the morning and burning very few candles and still less kerosene in the ovening. What the liow Year Brings. , Vacajit chairs. Good wishes without number. Chai:gc, but not always tsi 1 '-or. January—and all tlio others. Mistakes— .to dato our letters wrong. Friends growii older and a few joy slrns. Bills of every description, but every one too largo. Improvements that cause wonder and questionings. Dividends witiiout variety, all shrunk like old flannels. “Tho now -faces at ths door, tlfc new loot on tho floor. ’’ . New -.friends? Yes, and worthy ones 'on. How have wo existed without them? ,Jrla)> New Year'* Cakes. In County Antrim in Ireland among the Scotch-ivish oaten bannocks, with a hole in the middle, like our doughnuts, are specially baked for gift cakes. In other Irish counties a cuke is thrown outside -the door nil New Year’s eve “ to'keep out- hunger" the ensuing year. In the isle of Man a curious belief , and custom existed till tho middle of this century, In each homo the house wife smoothed £hc ashes over the kitch en floor, just before stepping into bed. If there were found in tho morning On tho surface of tho ashes anything re sembling the print that pointed toward tli-i door, it indicated a death in the family within the year. But if the lieol of the footprint wfcro toward tho door it was a suro proof that the family would bo increased. Fein? * (Freet dealer, ' will*#’ yoy-nu P-;;*n, “sweef.es nnd Lest oj* ee-'b”, at-the pric yoi w. ' rmr- 'or in lu'erio instrument, pedd.*-} eut#verthe country. T C Conaway, Athens, G. KEW YEAR THOUGHTS 1 WHAT THE CAY HAS BEEN AND (S - NOW. *E' -> u. . J -3L . JmZ The W—taw and <b. Catt.n, Pr.c, ta—Why the Custom if Alabin? rails t*M A bated —A Day of FrchucM and &mm m L ( ' Bf-ifiwr ”I c t H*” o^pf? nr sm \ ) wSotL • .p-iLL',’ they 1 ori'W-d-js-. ’Lk-. •. ~’> !'•■ .•<iiirion>< seldom' I- ..r fruit. 'levy ter \i.for the most part, in v.olds, iu pronjkwl themselves, in mockeries of jarform ntJco. Wbat u mini is tit 10 be is apt to remain. No amount of New Year's ro solvcs will help him who is not full of virtuous endeavor. Jjui. 1 dawns bright ly to tho mind, hut the succeeding dhys conclude* dismally ns to wehiuvenwnit. Nevertheless its recurrenco must over be pleasant. If it does liot bring accom plishment, it at least brings hope, and hope nerves us to bear our burdens, to discharge our duties. Then welcome Now Year’s Wo dourly lovo to think that the cares and troubles of the old year, which so largely spring from our temperament, will not invade tho now one. Originally New Year’s was intended not for a universal, misci ilanoous calling day, without illative or pro priety, into which it ultimately di-gen •_ , ernted. It was intended for a day wlicu men who had boon prevented during the year by business or any condition of oircumsthucPs from keeping rip their friend: Up or aarinaiinauoo iv: t h wmivn they lit'd “v eifU) med r. ■ >• 1:0 ?"■ cial dton< nr nt for apparent, no' i mu! renew th< ir. pleasant refill,tons. Tho.idea was i fee) It lit and w nnic-ndablu, m was the custom, am! ! 'ore this city grew to lie such a Babylon the calls were agreeable, ofttn delightful, to makers and receivers. But tho city be came too big, and the community that assumed to represent society in some manner, more or less remote, became too heterogeneous. The custom was grossly abused. Many men mid women thought only of the number of culls, I ignoring quality for<inantity, and some times the scones indoors and outdoors ' waxed (lisreputafik) from overiudul- I gencc. The better sort of people, repelled by the license prevalent, refused to “re , oeive" any longer. Tho smart set who bad long lielieved calling too ‘‘common ” —they declared, with their pretense of superiority, that it had grown vulgur— set thomseh jg and their influence firm ly against it. They refused to see visit# ors on that day and soon after shut up their houses and fled to thir touutiy, thus setting tho seal of fashion on their last decisions which speedily met with social approval. The fact was that re spectable folk had got tired of the ex treme to which calling hud been car ried, and the coarse, objectionable class could not sustain it alone. So tho wholo thing fell to pieces here, and there is no probability of its reconstruction in the immediate future. The custom extended long ago to -oth er cities and is still followed. But os the mctropo.is makes the inode its du ration is doubtful. Now Year's is yet a holiday—he idnys ate always whole pome—nnd isire** of all kinds is sus pend,-<i. /Sol*, fiu-bands, fathom, mm stay at bon- ', instead ui racing about town, tiling and boring themselves to little purpose, and they aro gaineiH, aloijgwitli thir /amilies, by (lie change. Knur. Mi He.#.' .* , ft .vy'- ( „ Jtijt'tAftisfe K : JMSER 26;*. A "NEW YEAR-0 PRAYER. Thou art our God. I'etVi m< r and Creator ; Thou art **Ot r Father.” tWre man* of sit Great in thy vower sod vliOm, Is tuv* Therefore we, roar rot on thy com* to mB IT :.r tvO r:! r, so trr eeifee coiifaMinf ’Th*'triigt rail font, o of the bj-jtene year. Grant to. l.TKlvenm. tail with that thy V* Or r f >lfh *to• r; aetht n tuid our hearts to gwvoten for us o*o!, Wttrv rttp of duty Or stn uathr.i us tlx Ir Wttrrnoas to qoatf. Oivr us to'siss the Kins In ell his hremty And to Is liolU tho ktml which is far off. Wc tliatilt ttits' for onr Isir.i* and well hoingt Give- us ujdtft’i.a and v.ptaddltig’erswa To si ryd t?,uo hviv uiull, earth's shadow fLO> —SufLlo A'cws. . —r —7 ■ - ■ - 7* ’ - , *J~ • ’ ... rrr.'l.., . tu 0 wiii*. iLit' mi-iuben* of Uio i. msohoid. Many assert that the hogbiaen, or iiill nioii, wore the good genii versus tha trolls, or evil ou'Os, who were the Imuiga refoitrcd to; hence tho ditty; ITocmaimy, Trollolay. Gin inn o' your white brood. , I’U hoc tiHiie o’ jour gray. Tho white breud, signifying the things of life, versus tho gruy, or evil ones. Avery ponnlar rhyme, with moral, is ana freely sung in the north eastern comities of Scotland i Got tip, KUdc wife, end filnns KWelr Jlar.yJ And dual your t.n.ad to them that'a boro, . For fho time will emnu when ye'll bo “-lid. And t!im ye’ll neither mud slo uor broad. My fret’s eantd, my shousTi thin. Uiti'S tuy cukes and let mo rln. Having diinlked flic doors with thd New Year's numl.tiv:, they depart t gather coppers, cakes and fruit elae where. At the fttroko of midnight each mem ber of the family party would quaff s full bumper of “hot pint” mid wish the others a happy New Year nnjl many ol them Then it' was customary for tb cl'Ln to 6a.’'.y forth wiflt a hot kettle, bread anil u. •••*<•, eto.. und pr.y visits of gretftitig to {Jut' u-rigiibpts. The first puvty to enter n bouse were called the “fij-ail ftwl 1 nvl were warmly weloom td, ini tin ii in > in that capacity in dicutisi good Inek. Jluch kiouJy rivalry ensued, and from midnight to 1 o’clock the streets were fairly swarming with would bo “first footers.” This custom was still prevalent iu Scott's day. non*** AND JUHJtS. In 1660 thnru were in Georgia 189,791 honKH find 101,00!* males. Iu 1870 thorn were 81,777 horses and 67,478 mules. In 1680 98,520 horses and 189,788 indies. In 1880 115.629 horses and . 105,708. males. The value of the horses was |9,589,- 120. Of the mules, #15,119,204. The best compilation for 1894 shows 9 deefcase from lhl)0‘ of 10,000 horses, with an increase of 6,000 mules. ftHKKA. In 1860 we had 512,618 sheep. Iu 1870, 410,405 sheep. In 188 *. 527.380 sheep. „„ ; In 1899. 411,816 sheep. < ‘ In 189i, 411,169 sheep. FARM XcmuOK. In 1850, the average farm in Georgia contained 441 acres; in 1880, 188 acres;; and in 1899, 147 acres. It is interesting ' to compare these figures with those gf all the states for the same years, fn i 1859, the nverago farm in the United] States contained 203 acres; in 18%CL 1841 acres, and in 1890, 187 acres. That the* average farm in Georgia in !(M-! tamed 238 more acres than the 4nru| in tii United States; whereas, fc4Mi • ootuaiiio only 19 acres tpore.