Newspaper Page Text
THE BRIDE'S WELCOME.
What, did you say, was my sister Bayin’?
“No luck comes an’ when the it strayin', eyes are green.”
Tak« that folly turn color
Green is the luckiest seen.
Isn’t grass green for the eyes to rest in?
Aren’t the tre of the same sweet hue?
Mind vou thin, lien she starts her blue. jestin’,
I’d love you less if your eyes were
What was my little brother shoutin’?
“Hair that ’ud match our red cow’s tail. »
I’ll lie with him an’ stop his floutin’
With a kind little word from the tip of a flail,
You, with your hair where the sunshine ranges,
Like the autumn light on the beechen track,
Is it me would be wantin' changes? black.
I’d love you less if your hair was
What was my poor old mother croakin’?
“Never a cow and hens but few.”
Widows, 'Tis Cushlu. all is they’ve sore provokin', left do.
often that to knittin’,
She, with her lame back, there at her
Angry with pain, and sad to be old—
Mind you this, when she starts her with twittin’, gold.
I’d love you less were you hung Alice Fleming, in The Academy.
•••• «**e
n ' - ir o •
* «s
o««»ocQseeooosec 0800 estooscesaesseaesseeaoc***
tn
©
9 it
i
i
By F. HADLANI) MAVIS.
«■
m O**999999368C96**90999*9*99898Se9SeS99*9999**«) •
ra¬
ft 9 •
98*9 • 999
Hayano and Mine sat together on
a little hill on the outskirts of a
small Japanese village.
It was springtime. Cherry blos¬
soms floated above them in big white
clouds, with just a faint suggestion of
pink, as if a sunset were dreaming a
far away dream in its petals. The stars
were beginning to twinkle in the vio¬
let robed sky, and the sound of laugh
iter came and went in the gentle
breeze, mingled with the tremulous
note of a temple bell.
“How very beautiful it is,” said
Mine. I wonder why the spring
taps at my-heart and calls and beck¬
ons, and bids me sing and clap my
hands and rejoice. I think the very
gods creep across the sky to-night, a
great company looking down at the
cherry blossoms. See, the movement
of their robes almost blows out the
stars, and some of them seem to
change into roses and violets.”
Hayano laughed softly and ca¬
ressed her arm; then he let it fall
gently upon the silk flowers of her
kimono.
“I have a fancy,” said Hayano,
nolemnly, “that my little one must be
In love this springtime. Beaten San
tries so hard to make people fall in
love with each other at the coming
of spring.”
“Does she?” replied Mine, making
the dimples come and go in her
cheeks. “I wish I could fall in love
with you, Hayano; but you are so
honorably ugly, and your heart is so
full of learned books, that 1 can only
come to you as a friend.
“I have often pictured you as an
old ascetic, sitting under an Indian
sun, with birds making their nests in
your hair, while you squint and
squint In the effort to always keep in
view the end of your nose. Does it
not seem funny that Nirvana is to be
found at the very eml of our noses?”
Mine laughed merrily, and a broad,
good natured smile played round Hay
ano’s mouth.
“Did I ever tell you about Tessan?”
continued Mine. “Yes, I thought so.
He wont out to do battle with the
Russians, the shining Sun against
such a grisly, covetous Bear! A few
days ago I had a letter from Tessan
telling me he was on his way to
Japan—and, friend Hayano, he wait¬
ed ine to become his wife.”
Did lie?” replied Hayano, hiding
his feelings as he looked at the dis¬
tant sea with a pathway of moonlight
streaming away to the horizon. "I
wish you both all happiness. h
Mine looked at him for some time.
Perhaps this school teacher, this son
of a charcoal burner, this man, whose
outlook on life seemed so quiet and
cold, felt the tapping of springtime
just a little, too.
“Life, »» said Hayano softly, it re
minds me of that pine tree over there.
With its thousands and thousands of
needles it is weaving a great picture
from the stars. And the stars go out
sometimes, and the pine trees fall,
and so the great white pictures are
broken; but life goes on just the
same: » *»
“You are sad to-night, Hayano.
Let’s talk about soldiers, about bat¬
tlefields and brave deeds. Oh, there
Is music in the cannon's roar. I love
soldiers, Hayano!”
“Yes, yes, of course you do!" said
Hayano. And you love Tessan, do
you not?”
“I think I do," replied Mine, who
seemed more like a child than a
•woman just then, "I shall always
want you as m.v friend, You will al
ways be my friend, Hayano, will vou
not?”
“Always,” replied the man.
“And when I am in trouble,” con¬
tinued Mine, “you will come to this
same spot, here, underneath these
cherry trees ? ”
“Yes,” answered the man.
“Tell me,’’ said Mine, "is there any
love in your heart for me?”
“Little one,” replied Hayano, soft¬
ly, “does the sea always rush up upon
the shore and make the stones dance?
No, not always. Sometimes it is
silent. I am silent to-night. I love
my work. I love trying to impart to
children that which has delighted my
ofrn soul. And perhaps my greatest
joy is to see a child catch at the books
I love and love them, too. I desire
only your happiness, Mine. If you
are happy with Tessan, I shall be
happy too.”
“Yes, yes, my good friend. Ob, I
am longing to see Tessan again so,
so much! He will walk bravely with
a gun and a sword, and ever so many
brave looks will come out of his eyes.
And he will be wounded a little—
only a little, Hayano, for the honor
of Japan. Oh, there is another stand¬
ard besides the standard of battle.
It is called the standard of Love! ”
With a little cry of delight, Mine
jumped up and ran quickly down the
hill.
Hayano still sat under the cherry
trees, and, with his eyes wide open,
he dreamed his dreams. Just as the
dawn appeared he, too, descended the
hill. No gladsome shout came from
his lips. He walked slowly, and
springtime tapped at his heart, and
every time he heard her tapping, he
said: I will not let her in!
II.
And Tessan came to the little vil¬
lage where Mine lived, and thrilled
her heart with battle stories, and
frightened her a little with his de¬
scriptions of how the Russians once
fired upon a makeshift hospital, and
how a Japanese soldier, made mad
with cruel wounds, did mock battle
with the trees. Much more she loved
to sail with her lover upon the river,
where the lilies grew, and where they
drifted into peaceful backwaters,
hidden with drooping branches that
had a way of stroking the blue sky
with every breath of wind. Here all
the world seemed blotted out. She
forgot Hayano, and saw only the
handsome face of the brave Tessan.
It was so these days passed by. In
due time the little village was gay
with a happy marriage—the marriage
of Tessan and Mine.
III.
A year went by. Mine carried a
merry baby boy upon her back. But
Mine was not merry. For the last
few months Tessan had grown cold
toward her. He used to go away to
Tokio and remain there for several
days. At last Mine knew why he
went 1o Tokio, and the knowledge
went deep down into her heart, and
left it aching and sore and very lone¬
ly. Once when Tessan returned to
her, he said that, as he did not want
her any more, he had obtained a di¬
vorce—a divorce because she did not
make rice quite as he liked it!
When the trouble came she thought
of Hayano—Hayano, the good but
neglected friend of hers. Many times
she contemplated asking him to meet
her on the little hill, and just as
often she tried to banish the thought
from her mind. Why should she
trouble him now? And yet, eventual¬
ly, she did write to Hayano, and he
replied that he would meet her.
And so it came about that on a
certain spring night Mine journeyed
up the hill, where the cherry blossom
hung like a beautiful pink-white
cloud. Her baby boy laughed at the
moonlight. Mine wished that he
would not laugh quite so much now!
How steep the hill seemed to-night,
and how long the way! She rested
many times on a bowlder, and once
she thought she would retrace her
steps. Then she caught sight of a
familiar figure looking in the direc¬
tion of the sea. Once more Mine
pressed wearily forward, nearer and
nearer to that calm form so peace¬
fully waiting for her coming. It
seemed to Mine that Peace sat under
the cherry blossom, and she wanted
Peace to-night.
Just as the little mother reached
her destination a cloud covered the
moon. She put out her hands eagerly
and touched the sileut form.
Is that you, Hayano?”
Yes,” replied the man. « I am so
Slad you have coaie. I have not seen
/
you for such a long time. You are In
trouble. I could tell that by the
touch of your hands in the dark. Tell
me all about it, little one. It eases
a heart so much to reveal a sorrow
to another, does it not?”
“Yes, Hayano, I think it does, just
a little.” And Mine squatted down by
his side, and remained silent for a
long time.
“Little one, I am waiting for you
to tell me about your trouble,” said
the man, gently.
“And J,” replied Mine, “am wait¬
ing for the words to come! My
tongue and throat are so dry to-night.
Have patience with this long silence
of mine. I cannot speak yet!”
a I will wait,” said the man. “I
know what that silence means, too! it
Mine pressed his fingers very tight¬
ly in her own for answer.
“Dear Hayano, have you heard any¬
thing about me of late?”
“No, little one. I have heard of
your marriage, that is all.”
The baby boy cooed softly to him¬
self, and then laughed because he
held in hi wee hand a cherry blos¬
som.
“What was that sound?” said Hay¬
ano, hastily.
“That was my child, my little boy.
He is very happy to-night. I don’t
think it’s very kind of him to be quite
so happy to-night!”
“I am so glad yo.: have a little
child,” said the man, eagerly. “Some
day I shall be able to teach him, glad
in the thought that he is your child.”
“Hayano! Don’t talk like that!
It hurts me.
“Listen. Have you heard of the
fisherboy, TJrashima, how he married
the beautiful daughter of the Sea
God?
“Oh, yes! But please tell me the
story again.”
tv * Tis a sad story; hut Urashima is
very much like other men. His beau¬
tiful wife gave him all her love in
that great palace under the singiug
sea, where there were wonderful jew¬
els, red and blue and green. But
presently Urashima grew restless. He
wanted to go away and see the world
again. His wife gave him a box and
told him never to open it. But when
Urashima had seen the world he
opened the box. A wonderful cloud
came out and sailed away into the
blue and vanished. And Urashima
became a very, very old man and
never went back to the palace of the
sea again.”
Mine paused, and then continued:
“Hayano, if a woman’s heart is big
with love it cannot hold a man for
long. Like Urashima, he goes away,
and never comes back again. He
opens the box of the woman he once
loved and scatters the sacred treasure
to the four winds. Tessan was like
that. And now he has put me away
But it is better so. Watching his
coldness grow, day by day, was terri¬
ble, terrible! I wish the spring had
not tapped at my heart. I think it
was the ghost of a spring long ago
that tapped!”
Hayano gave a half stifled cry, re¬
leased his hand from the grasp of
Mine, and silently took the child into
his arms, and caressed the small head
and felt with one finger the tiny wet
mouth, open a little in wonder.
“Hayano, Hayano, what is the mat¬
ter?” said Mine, in a pitiful little
voice. "Oh, I wish the clouds would
go away from the moon. I want to
see your face again so much!”
“But it is such an ugly face, Mine,”
said the man, trying to laugh with
burning tears in his eyes.
"There is so much feeling behind it,
dear man of my heart!”
Hayano started. He had never
heaid Mine speak like that before.
1-Ie went on caressing the child, and a
thrill of unspeakable joy quivered
through him when small fingers
wriggled against his chin.
“Hayano,” said Mine, very tender¬
ly, “I want to tell you something. I
want to tell you that I never loved
Tessan as I love you now. A year ago
you desired my happiness. Dear
lord, all my happiness is in your keep¬
ing now! ”
"Wait till the moon comes out be¬
hind the clouds,” -was all Hayano
said, as he rested his face against the
small head of the boy.
Presently the moon shone forth
and lit up the quaint figures sitting
under the cherry tree. Mine, with a
sharp cry of pain, saw her old friend
in the robe of a Buddhist priest, a
priest holding in his arms a little
child as if it were his own.
Then Hayano said, in a voice husky
with emotion: “Little one. I cannot
marry you now. I have entered, the
service of the Lord Buddha. I have
taken the vows of celibacy, and they
cannot be broken. I have always
loved you, Mine, but I did not know
until to-night, until it was too late,
that I could make you happy. And
the pine trees work with their thou
sand needles star pictures, and the
wind comes, and the pine trees fall
without having finished their weav
ing; but life goes on just the same,
doesn’t it, little boy, that I shall teach
some day?”
Once more the moon became hidden
in a cloud. There was silence under
the cherry blossom; but the far away
waves broke upon the shore, and they
seemed to murmur, "Urashima!”—
Black and White._____________ .
* ANTHOINES’ MACHINE *
■V
i m
H.
wmi mm
.•if 1
Tf
’■•V «...
m
if N*j if
y' •!<
w - ’
r’
it
ANTHO/NE’S MACHINE WORKS,
Fort Valley, Ga:
if- 111 ,,..
r
'M
ii
!; •
mu •- 31 •r- LIVERYMAN.
WKk
When in need of a good buggy or carriage
with safe horses and polite drivers, phone 95 .
CHURCH STREET, NEAR STATION.
v. - tmM£*iraxBS£n
1 t
it
Interchangeable i,ooo Mile Individual Exchange
Orders, $20.oo:=Good over entire Southern Railway
System and 33 other carriers.
Interchangeable 2,000 Mile Firm Exchange Orders,
$40,00:-Good over entire Southern Railway System
and 27 other carriers; for the separate journey of not
mere than 5 persons, members or employes of a firm
or corporation.
General Interchangeable 1,000 Mile Exchange Or¬
ders $25.oo:=WiIi be continued on sale; good over
entire Southern Railway System and many other
roads South of the Ohio and potomac and East of the
Mississippi Rivers.
Georgia, Family 500 Mile Exchange Orders, $11.25:
-Good between any points in the State on line of
Southern Railway: for use of the heads of families
and dependent members thereof.
For full particulars, ask any Southern Railway
Agent, or Write to
Trav. Pass. Agt.
Macon, Gai
Everything to Build With.
We have recently purchased the Harris Manufacturing'
Company’s lumber plant and stock and will devote our
exclusive attention to the builders supply busines in the
future.
Our very' complete stock includes
Brick, Lime, Sand, Cement, Fiber Wall Plaster, Paris
Plaster, Laths, Framing—rough or sized to order;
Weatherboarding—several grades; Sheeting, Shingles ■
Prepared Roofing, Kiln Dried Flooring and Ceiling, the
kind that don’t crack open—several grades; Doors—
plain, and fancy glass front doors; Sash and Blinds—
in usual sizes; Window Cords, Weights and Pulleys;
Mantels, Columns, Balusters, Brackets, Mouldings,
Wainscoting, Corner and Plinth Blocks; Turned and
Sawed Work Made to Order; Door and Window
Frames; Sherwin-Williams Paint, Oils and Varnishes;
1 Guaranteed Roof Paint.
j IN FACT
! Everything to Build Cilitb
!
i
j Bring us a list of the material that you want, or a plan of
the house you anticipate building, and let us convince you
that our prices are right.
Fort Vallev Lumber Company.
We have put in the latest
improved
Turning & Block Machine
and are fitted up to get out
round, square and octagon
Balusters, Porch Spindles,
Base and Corner Blocks.
We also have a first-class
Wood Lathe for all kinds of
hand turning.
We are prepared to get out all
kinds of Dressed Lumber for
buildings. Rough and Dress¬
ed Lumber, Flooring, Ceiling
and Shingles on hand at all
times.
Don’t forget that we are still in
the Repair Business of Engines,
Boilers and other Machinery.