Newspaper Page Text
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VOL. XXVII.—NO. 25.
A PLANTATION CB
EMED
Copyright, 1894, by the Author.
The postoffice at Panola was not by anj*
means the most attractive place in the
little town. Its door and its two windows
opened toward the south, and the sun shone
in Its face all day long. The tavern, older
than the town itself, had advantages as a
lounging place, and then there was the
shade of the big china trees at the ti ck
store opposite, to invite those who bad
to do but to gossin gloom.lv about
the political situation, which, in i 069, v.as '
about as bad as it could be
Nevertheless there was always Mine sign
?. f * ,fe in the neighborhood of the postoffiSe.
'then animation seemed to be suspended in
other parts of the town there was rlnayo
some movement, however slow or languid
or mdiffierent. at this particu]ar ,
which was. m one sense, the point of eon- i
tae t between Panola and the outside wo-hi.
At some time during the day a large ma
jority of the male population found >ts vay
to tne postoffiee, and if it did not go in
side it stood in the street and star-.1 at
the board on which the ingenious p, -toas
ter displayed the letters to those who lomid '
it convenient to pay box rent. This v.as
M habit that even tiiose who never received
lome, generally
L j/A'/R , z s ft nourishment.
I nptive parent-
< i ihows that up
I'.' \ '—-L- _ 'ally in excess
' ‘7 i•, / -y and thirty-
7-drty-flvc and
V/Jr z \ ; ( | iss and after
e any effect
I ■'[ i) nan is well
"nan whose
7- '■ -Z - S-l---. -/,///-s Tl o'.f
oFTvC
MkS. ! IXCANNON AND MR. WOODRU FF.
a letter- had fallen into. Some of them
made it a- joint to be present v mn the
mail came, waiting until the i> .stmast’er
had called out the addresses on a l the
letters; a
r . ; hi v th
sio lines crossed r.v . - ~U l|. .s • let-
a . brass tn- k. c ';. — of c . .. Ut
ters were V . t . . . H >i. at
and ing
master a {.rci. " , 1 ~d , n >y to rtn
v ,,-.-e expecting a • . p v .„ n d
their eye «yr thi found a ielt r the e
ing question?- it ■■■_ , v -mild
they could ’ . m go
;; iu
happened. <Trocprv store next doo" to
the post >th te. and tn P |n v . Mit h |
merely th. annex. t v ... eryl hnig
(on a limped s-alo » • ( cal , ; ( , r if
v ■ . ' a hous * " ‘ lrv between the
’
grocery .t‘ y jt T he ... ><■ >•
body evf \ \ t “ en:in he want-I. >’on
a larger tram i.i ~r uiail „n .n
in . the lack , >P her, he (
■
i -T
£
Sign and thretten m heavy ,„ ie
A nd the J l Vnanm of James K. F.
too. for it bote the
Woodruff. ~t of June (the
one day in the la t - f . s ,. liU! . in his
year was IS®) - ;e r w 1 '
n t do r. noU<' • ... it - s mail
time. m • ■■ uuie more elm <-1. •
wrong. *' " ~ into half a u
■ it<v.l 1111.0 ..•■■■
crowd reso ■< and a f 1 ' ' ’ 1,1
I A’ "
R ’stranger to , ;ii that v uld h 1 i
man wore a'- ■ • • . ~t for . ■ I
hung 10-.-e V n tt .MS c..oght. and nous
b(lt with which it ' !mm u the
er« that wer< ’,’ nU ''’n? for anjthing. In l:.s
style in I’nnola went B |ih aml
b-lt a Jittle n .... thi <n i of
his hand he . r ., e stinger wouli
have attracted W n( , wIS a hand-
o f Fanola in an} I J I I’[l.irc.llJy 1 ’ [I . irc . ll Jy as lull of
some young , lel .\ *v; but his strange
u£e and s P IIIC ' )Und mm, as nign as ihen
garb brouoht « u the m, a little gioup
shvness would po
Os idle boys. not tir .barrass the
Their attention-. wvUl into tae
>-° unS , n n e lier.tir to ’ m.’
ter board care ulb, an , f (jV ,. r ,
and down m • . lbstra etioii was nm so
something, but XXtlodr ulf
deep that he; f. d before thatgeittle
bow to him as he pas^ w , d re . uru and
man’s door.
hour th. tram ar.wo.
he askea. . ... replied Mr. Wood-
old a.-
road , ~ Woodruff dryly-
••ir'so. said Mr. .osterdav, the
• I was at
"Sil wAd»i» » ,IW ,
? e “Sa ,r r”i« ;« suu .
-Twenty-two mile talking t o himselt.
Mr- Wo T od ? lf s’, s to slip out an’ try that
-Well! H 1 blv in the hams for a
trick, I’d u *, r . you don’t look it; I
sech come from about ,
7e?Hed’ the young man smiling, j
.•! come from woodrr.tr, witn *
‘‘Humph!;; mpi ; im Os a ;
iust the faint .. • ..j; (1 ston! c>d ’■ ■■ •
his face cleared k Boston, anil .4a
first wife came from, ke iy woman.
a likely ' vo!n! ‘ I ’7 l '\ vc nt into his store, dim
He turned and letter D < al d an 1
I ~tue i
so ‘ >n ““ oul 01 lus 1
mpse, unic
BY JOEL CHANDLER HAR®W3®
store again. A fa, unhed-lthful surround
woman had drivenns of bad blood, slav
which she climbetll'S short life. As soon
a good deal of -rißomparatively good en
. r-B country they develop
Make o.d Ixit h j»^ a r longevity and in
she said to the b<* The theory that is
buggy. “Make her jng ground is that a
be a-barkin’ the tit a disease itself, but
old Silas Woodruff'.pl i bl o to some particu
t-.1-in’ the 1-ist that the child of con
er.eiur’’ ° 3 not foredoomed to
She lifted up her 4 he is likely to fall a
, wit favorable to the
rust was compelled “ disease . ls the ml
“ Why, Mrs. Fine; . g et a chance to get
coming forward. “1 • to affect him more
have you been? Wh. uld affect a man not
at Herndon’s all tbi; arents. But if they
come driving in with his environment is
nr..
Will, I tell you nokeh' to make him a
I replied, “your Aunt Ct We look .at men
1 well but what she's botives very'sharply,
I been at Bushrod Hen believe that after
an’ cn, an I’m on my i>tion need be fear
ole n an’s been ailin’, ar* on tlle absolute
... , ... one remove from
S'e .incut it, but its mo .j o no t die of con
anything else. Lord! thijing beyond that
been home a week before I 1 went over all
sent for me. post haste, ftive antecedents
to carry old Kit an’ the bi** s - J will even
1 remised him faithful I’d t>
collar. Nojhin’ ’ll do but he must have a
I'-.per collar. I declare, he’s in-about pes
t< red mejo death on amount of that paper
i collar. He seed Slim Jim Simmons wi’ one
; '.lrs. Fincannon?” inquired Mt. -•
' ,n a business-like w .
, „ tlt , Il( . vcr wt.re none Jit, r
’ '
i • ger'n lus mam
‘ Ih.II. Two boxes for a p1? y ou
t ■ i if; -.u cents’. >ou heat d that
u, uh't Mr. Woodruff sajs
s th,, mule, and cry out. -A .iu<‘. ; * ta .
Fincannon looimu expected I
.•its at Mr. Woodruff, as 11 ■-• ‘ ~..,.,i|
111. . but 1... ~.J > '".a "-, ~.. voU
. h r exclaimed. 1 (icii.nv. • |
: h.SU
ruff gits his lingers on it, it st
’ Iruff affably,
! I WIS you may say, Hing it out of the
i door. I give it shelter. Yes m. 1 «>'<-
p h' a • .-mi do’’’ exclaimed Mrs.
" nl "'/'-Hl was Hdnplast-r.no mat-
!X""r mJ , was , w.mldn-t mu nothin’
■
yproud
> the- uht would lit the hoy m th<.
i .t. . i ... v i»i ;t ’’. t' . I I Ocll Ct 1.
w.-app-d the box in a neat p.oi
•• : v,. t;. neral It-rndon my best re
, . ■■ sai.i tlr. Woodruff, politely, as
r memm.m'o rm d to go, -and teii him
' mduipintornern. the next time he comeb
in town.”
1' it for?” she asked.
Tequestio, '7,
hat Mr.
V.V.Mrun v.n just a triile rtusteved.
“We!!, ma’am er-just for the sake ot ,
oi *A;ir f-i y--1
M.mt I'rissy. it's about them accounts }i u ,
want to see Bushrod Herndon; now amt
* it ?” • *4- i->«- eV 1
"Well, ma’am, yen know times am t ea.. > ,
and bm’iness is business. But the generals 1
1 a-ounts in this store ain’t worrying tm.
’ tell evt-rybodv that G-. n< ral Busnrou i- • |
don -an get anything in this store, money or '
no money.”
I -The stars above!” cried Mrs. Fincannon.
I -you tell ever’body! What call have you
ir. t to tell ever’bodj ’.”’
’ ° Mr. Woe.lruff was embarrassed. He had
' bc7u" unexpectedly run into a corner. He
nulled off ais hat, ran his fingers through
his hair, hemmed and hawed, and finally
broke out i
••IK-'; take it, ma’am! I don't tell every
body You pick up my words and stick
’em .it. me side ways. Beasley was in here
■ . I, yvMerdav talking about buying
• ms the general’s accounts, and I told him
t’n-v w'-re just as good in my hands as they
•were in his.” ,
•■■•'...niah Beasley?” Mrs. Fincannon asked
-Identically; the same man, answeied .
M -What’s that scalawag got to do wi’ Bush- ;
rod Herndon's accounts?” Mrs. Fincannon |
“MrwSarpTSsge.! hl. .houl.l.r. and J
lifted his hands. “You know jest as much ,
• ibrmt it as 1 do, ma’am— -maybe more. i
sot'™:- '■
cannon. There was a T™/ |” w a« In
indignation in her voice. but it Iw.
~>T Shoes I’d know more n you say y (
your snoeh, i , t! e boy in the buggy, ■
do. Bud! she i an to im •> and wait
‘ ,<lrive 7? y i c7 got io git mo a
i eXn kyards if it busts every
■ ba.ill m»‘ , nfter her as she
1 Mr. x.ooiuu. ' “jf j had to marry
d ■ u; , tb( . /’.'"‘he thouvht to him! elf,
a thou: and v.om . , he”." But Mr.
-I'd never inai-J om. ' j rr itation and
' Woodruff was frettei . - '. aw'.ft verdict
j not his judgment irame knew
£r.
coinj lard gold dollar.
them P.v” means equality, or at par. That
tershad th used in the Chicago platform,
too. Th"..' he two metals,” means equality
.•"•V-: "if j.rru'i ■ t and silver, not as coin
though t'.i-re is djur.'.'ton. This construction
.■ would hav ii'ii.. ne xt words, to-wit:
, ■ . ot every dollar at.
ithi friends 1 n f all debts.” 1 f
I ( a little hile t hey had beer»% mean gold
he carpetb iggors. an.iwds “the
t d< ■ tile whites had made bred litn.re then
Utter of ( infusion. 'eat—
p.eniah Beasley was as southern in 'old,
way » as any of his kinsmen and neighbo-ge-
II" w:.s hard-headed, set-willed, indepen n
er.t and bold, lie knewlthat he was right
to begin with, and scoritd to acknowledge j
that lie was wrong to <pl with. He soon
found himself the victit of public senti
ment, and eircumstancj which *he was
i either too self-willed or no weak to resist
' drove him to act with 1" carpet-bag ele
i ment. To this element, 11 furnished ammu-
I nition that was sadly lae.ng, to-wit—brains
I and audacity. He was member of the
' state convention of l s '4ind was elected
I to the legislature, havi| behind him the
■ IJ2.—
nSv—
'T < f
J FKONT OF THE POSTOFFICE. -
solid negro vote of hiity. Being a
thrifty man, with a keefor the main
chance, he could not fW-osper, but if.
him mightily to 1 u i feel that
h i S prosperity coul 1 not).. re . sp( . ■ ..
his neighbors or abol is evidences o f
( , n ..nd eontejK put mi as
bold a front, as any irMi h ive done
I u))d( ~ the circumsmnCtHn'ardly he
, v< ,p serene and iillable.,. raged in
.. . ... . his bißerne shape to a
l d t ] of legislates in the end
| com the people a I’
This was the Mr. Beat spoke a
i loud good morning to l.iruff when
1 ', u “ mi able gcufman,,.,.. re .
' over from the his con
! t?. r sation with Mrs. Fin Mr . Wood
. hesitated a momen rop i ying t 0
i t he salutation. The he; vas barely
. but Mr B as on the
; lookout f'-r.^’/S 1 ° nlinous
i little knot formed itseij his eye _
brows.
! "rm tolerable well, c e pj} ed s[ r
• I Woodruff, coming fron, t . of the
i : ' trvbrnble.
qbire- “just
The knot on Mr. Bea, head dls _
"''••Don’t get out of sot b e said.
-It don’t pay. I’v c trie. e>s noth _
ing-in it, nothing what ij eas ] ey
stroked his beard and l ard side
wise. „
“That’s so, colonel, r-. wood
ruff “But women—well p ester a
man if he can be |<now
: wbat on earth would b be (.Oun
trv it they all had & s nsue as
Aunt Crissy I’ineannom
■ She’s on her way “Adon’s. I
reckon?” said Mr. Bea s e of in .
! quiry.
i “So she says.
' “She’s been making f or
| the Herndon crowd - lderab i e
i whet.” remarked bing his
i nose. He was m e arc hing
I beneath the surfa Some
; times he went too O. ies he
bloodsucker, a vampire, something never
heard of before, and yet a thing that Wall
street ignorantly affirms has "intrinsic”
donue, but how much an international eon
rest oi a lone can decide. What a pitiable,
her mai e P eo P>e "e are that we must ask
said it w bow many grains a dollar should
dav- 'per few ' voll, s more on the lan
ing‘a few vahrn and 1 wiH clos 3
, i to the common *ense of
home ’ and * my next.
agam, least of all coina ge or of •- *
Beasley, who was a pretty- at is < tamer I
in more ways than one. But the widow I
saw more in Beasley than her kin could see.
He had taken charge of his cousin’s estate,
and he finally came to take charge of the
lamily. jjr. Beasley, who was younger than
Ims wife, reformed the native wildness of his
disposition, and was in all respects a. model
husband. His wife, who had the pride and
sp.rit of her family, did not wait for her
relations to Hout her. She limited them in
public, in private, and wherever she me!
lem. Susy still kept on good terms with J
the Herndons, but she was never tired of I
. aymg that her stepfather was one of the
best and kindest of men. She was his cham
pion on all occasions, and when her mother
died, instead of taking refuge with some
or her relations, she remained with her step
father, giving him the affection of a daugh
ter and receiving in return the indulgent
cere of a father.
No doubt Susy’s bold championship of her
stepfather saved him from a good deal of
annoyance, to use no stronger word. There
were times when political excitement ran '
very high in the neighborhood of the little i
village. One of Air. Beasley’s political col- j
leagues, a man named Potts, had been com- j '
polled to leave the county. This at least
was the theory. He had suddenly disap
peared, and the supposition was that the
pressure of public sentiment, or something
of the sort, had prompted him to leave. But
Mr. Beasley lived within the charmed circle
of Susy’s popularity. She had the gift of
unaffected candor, and carried with her that 1
rare atmosphere of friendliness that is most *
precious wiien it surrounds youth and inno- ‘
cer.ee. It happened, therefore, that when
public, sentiment in Panola, aggravated by
w'ar’s disasters, by the stings of poverty and
by a sense of political humiliation from .
which there seemed to be no escape—when r
public sentiment grew savage and showed
its teeth—Susy’s stepfather was not one of
the victims. Ho was treated with indiffer- t
cnee—with studied contempt—but public
sentiment never lifted its heavy hand ],
against him. Panola seemed to have a o
vague idea that even a scalawag who ex
erted himself to make his orphan step- p
Mr. J. A. Buxton, a prominent iue 3 miss
of Jackson, N. C., who says : *'
been troubled with sk«® wa y> sn
life. As I grew older the dise'd talking
to be stronger hold upo’ fl " l the you
many adveMised remedi's wed ns t the chi
until I was led to try Dr.
Medical Discovery. Whet a stranger to o
it my health was very poor ley in n - H biail
persons have since told me to see you k e j
I had ths consumption. Ixknow, linu . ks an ,
125 pounds. The eruption worthy postmasti
accompanied by severe itc
confined to my face, but • just now than th
over the neck and head, »• other, "t am pr
came simply unbearable. it is interestin'
dition when I began fakir ion. who thinks n
When I would rub th© -shall write and tej
of branny scale would d a new one.”
: —--.dr. Beasley. "y ou an
SICK
—i sting specimens here”
qUeer ’'’ ,
Provincial commu
|f«i IT
iimhirn' the young
' entomological collection” ding
r Zy'Z'ZZZ bUyiniKS -”
. ion,” r ili (' ■' pleasur e and recrea-
' -d to droop I
somethimr / ' f " S Side Pockef for
leiter. He *eid a dIV ' V forth ;1
•‘Truck it wi h th' b P t hand and
dosed his k-een eves and °i ,hf> , ot,ler - He
brovys together over his no'^ Ug h ' S eye ’
Peking
yojn Otis.” respon
,11 I to know y i U , Mr Oti ” m-
d ’eX ‘oX t =;;x
I
“\VII 11 . e Company?”
“Firslt ami last L ha've imi' s ' >~ns ' man
do v j fii-m.” a eood dea l to
■■t'.
ten thousand dollar mort-noe ti’ . * „ V
■" S „„
’,.7. '..TTy,..—<•-
It is recorded as a. irTrn" ot the "'ir.
is a money consideration back’ u. there
this reduces it to the plain terms o : / lld
mortgage.” Mr. Beasley felt and looked
very wise as lie spoke. His legal lore oozed
out of him so easily that it made his face
glow and his fingers tingle. “Yes, sir; in
law it is nothng but a plain, every-day
I mortgage. 'I be statute of limitations was
j suspended during the war, and didn’t be
am to run against this debt until om
commonwealth was—er—rehabilitated,
namely, last year. In six mouths more
the debt will be dead, and our Boston
friends will be out of pocket a big plan
tation—the finest in the county.”
“Why, that debt must have been con
tracted during the lifetime of—of Mr. Max
well, the founder of the house. The busi
ness was sold w hen Mr. Maxwell died, but
his name is used by the new firm.”
"Precisely so,” said Mr. Beasley, nodding
his head vigorously.
By this time the postmaster had sorted
out the letters and stood in the window,
holding them in his hand.
“Who was the other party to the con
tract?” Mr. Otis inquired.
"General Bushrod Herndon!” called out
the postmaster in the tone of an auction
eer.
“Bang!” exclaimed Mr. Beasley, throw r
ing up his hand. “He made me jump, he
called the name so pat. Bushrod Hern
don’s the man.”
"Herndon, Herndon! Why, I've heard my
—l've heard of that name before,” said
Mr. Otis.
“Oh. yes!” responded Mr. Beasley; “he’s
a mighty big man in war—a mighty poor
man in peace. No business sense, proud,
stuck up.”
“General Bushrod Herndon!” called cut
the postmaster.
"Humph!” grunted Mr. Beasley. “Two
letters in one mail! He must be carrying
on a powerful correspondence.”
“Be»iah Beasley, esquire !V called the
postmaster. His intonation of the name
in my life.” Vnnro.*-u)-< ’ aa “-- .
J xouis. -u’ so many years tV,e
their house, was no more,
l&ba. Although the firm
is respected name, his estate
est in the business. The mX
. . on in Mr - Beasley's ester-m/i
\h..'books 1 nX n m O n?t?. nX“° ?,*’ Z
'«« S"'s , \ ,h ? re « "^? a s
1...-™ '.him,’ t h “„ to" X't
fore X,i! ebt “ tui i:n »’‘H"i»i. th'.;”
>„ r
£ ,et,er
.or
n- VI JF'J
|3rr=«*si*”
lie I
.11 ' '•
: i
Wf Wm X v’
r -/ /• ■ !■■ ■'•.' V 1
1
jl|W'
iStIACK.
■ i fa n ils f to W the trm’- 0 " 1 aS the hatnnu
■ i ‘‘oh they nV y Sb;ip . at ,nv ,le "&
' other.’ ] e J w 'o U hi a J ,llS 'T s ’ replied th<
i to see the^ e h o^t^^" tt V-'
Beasley pilt it in his pocket and walk. I
rapidly up the street. A little late.-
S. B ° StolliaU bolook t l i% 9
(To Be Continued.)
Did You Ever Feel l b.it u v ?
Bid you ever feel so lonesome that vou
didn t know- what to do,
With yore heart a-throbbin’ heavy aQ «
| a iiurtin through an’ through
’z rr “"--
A ' ta S S‘,“ th ev«
I‘ld the sunshine lose its sparklin’, an 1
stead o laughin’ light,
ta XTSe ‘ u £a ‘ h " r -
An ’ *•« >■■>«
A '‘ s 's way-." 1 10”' 0 ” “~ aM «“ «•»
An’ ti.cn
hopin’ grei’dden flushin* of a covey o’
Your startled ear like .
at. your feet ~ n - almost
You seed the purtiest flowers a-sweetc.
o’ the day,
Makin’ you feel so 'shame like—did you evei
feel that way?
—EDWARD N. WOOD.
Tlie Reni Monarchs.
From The Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
The men who really rule the world are
limited in numbers. They own the gold,
and nave kings and queens and govern
ments at their call. \\ hen a new loan is
wanted, they make their conditions; the
minor details of government are left to
take care of themselves, and the people ad
just themselves to these conditions as they
can. Values go up or values go down as
suits the interests of the money bags. They
are the arbiters of peace and war, and of
J the fate of nations. The Rothschilds are
the kings of the earth, witn their raitnrui
allies and watchful coadjutors in every
land. Out of sight and almost unknown it
is they who formulate the linancial poli
cies of the world, which their aiders and
abettors ever hasten to carry into effect.
By the demonetization of silver, they doubia
their power.
Lucky ami Unlucky.
From The Philadelphia Press.
Lee surrendered on Friday.
Moscow was burned on Friday.
Washington was born on Friday.
Shakespeare was born on Friday.
America was discovered on Friday.
Richmond was evacuated on Friday.
The Bastile was destroyed on Friday.
Queen Victoria was married on Friday.
Fort Sumter was bombarded on Friday.
Napoleon Bonaparte was born on Fnidajr.
Julius Caesar was assassinated on Friday.
The Mayflower pilgrims landed on Friday.
The battle of Waterloo was /ought on
Friday.
Joan or ‘tc was burned at the stake V
Friday.