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but only the other day a man you all know
sa>s to me. ’lf I only knew what you do
about scoutin', I wouldn't be wanting for
information as I do. I ain't going to say
who it was. or break any confidence be
tween gentlemen by saying how many stars
he had on his shoulder strap, but he was a
man who knew what he was saying. And
I say agin, gentlemen, that the curse of the
north- rn army is the want of proper scou -
in*. What was it caused Bull Kun?—want
o' scoutin’. What was it rolled un I'oiw.
Want o' scoutin’. What caused the slaugh
ter at the Wilderness.’ Want o' scout in-
Injin scoutin’! Why. only the other nay.
gentlemen. 1 was approached to know * '
I'd take to orgamz • a scoutin' force. -
what did I say? ’No. general, it a.n t -
cause I represent one of the larges -
beef contracts in this country. s - ■ ■
•it ain't because I belong, so to •!» a »'
the ’sinews of war.’ but be a u*e .
about ten thousand i. o i n .
reservation!' And the regular I o-nt.
hmh-tcned. scientific ink? bus that weighs
so heavily on o-ir army don t see it tin
won't have it! Then Sherman, he sez to
here a roar of laughter interrupted
him and in a cross-fire of sarcastic inter
‘ ... | M <• m Brant saw with relief
rotations that Deran. *
a chan, *of escape. For m the voice, man
ner and. above all. the characteristic tern
perament of the stranger he had recogniz
*_! h's old playmate and husband of Susy—
the rodubtable J-n> Hock, r! There was no
m.stak'nc that g'oomjr audacity—that mys
terlcus significance—that magnificent lying.
But* even a? that moment Clarence Brant’s
h-art had gone out —with al! his old loyalty
nf feeling toward his old companion. He
kn’ w that a public recognition of him then
an-1 there would plunge Hooker into confus
ion: h'- felt keenly the ironical plaudits and
laughter of his officers over the manifest
'weakness and vanity of the ,x-trnm«ter. ex
rancher, ex-actor and husband of his girl
sweetheart, and would have rpared him the
knowlelge that he had overnea l it. Turning
hastily to th- orderly he bade him bring the
st:anger to his headquarters, and rode away
unpc revived.
He had heard enough, however, to ac
count for his presence thr*. and th., sin
gular chance that had brought them again
together. He was evidently one of those
large civil contractors of supplies whom ’he
government wa« oblie.M to employ, who vis
ited the enmp half officially, and whom the
arrnv ilt.-rntlelv depended upon and abus
ed Brant had -leal: with his underlings in
the commissariat, and even new r member
ed that he had heard he was coming. but
had overlooked the significance of his name
But hew he camo to tear- the theatrical
t.cfe-lnn, how he had attained a p sition
which implied a command of considerable
c; pit al for many ..f the contractors had
already amassed large fortunes-and what
had become of Busy an! h r ambitions in
this radical change of
v ere thinrs to l<e learned. In his
own chanced conditions he had seldom
thought of her: it wf’h a strange feel
ing as IrritaHon and ha'f responsibility that
tP now recalled his last interview with her
and the emotion to which he had suc-
He had not long to wait. He had scarce!.-’
regained hl-» quarters at his own private
oWe. before he heard the step of the or
derlv upon the veranda and the trailing
clank of Hooker's salier. He did not know,
however, that Ho ger. without recognising
his name, had received the message as a
p.r«<n.il tribute and had left his sarcastic
companions triumphantly, with the air ot
a man going to a confidential interview to
which his well known military connection
had entitled him. It was with a bearing of
gl.omy importance, and his characteristic
sullen sidelong glance that he enter- I the
.partm-n. „,.d h- did not !' »k up until
Hrant hnd slcnalnl ttiw orderly to wHh
rtraw anti rlotM-l tti* dor.r him. Atul
thwn r*c<xnlic,| >»is» oIA t»oyl-ti compaa
tnvv - the fnvnrlls of fortun*'
tn'nt. For a mom- it gimsty Incredulity,
suspicion. <! lig’.it. pride, admiration. ev* n
affection, stnigyrl-d for mastery In his sit*-
l*n staring eyes and open, twitching m u'li.
For here was Clarence Brant, handsomer
than ever, more superior than ever tn the
majesty of uniform and authority—which
fitted him. the younger man—through his
four years of active service with the care,
less ease and hearing of a veteran! Here
was the h*ro whose name was already so
famous that the mere coincidence of it with
that of the modest civilian he had known
would have struck him as prej«»steroiis.
Yet here he was, supreme and dazzling,
surrounded by the f»»mp and cireunistaiiv •
of war. into whose reserved presence he.
Jim Hooker, had been ushered with the f. r
reality of challenge, saluting*, and present
ed bayonets!
Luckily Brant had taken advantage of his
first gratified eja ‘ulati-.n to shake him
warmly by th* hand, and then with both
han Is laid (amUiarlv on his shoulder force
him down Into a chair. Luckily, for by
that time Jim Hooker had. with character
istic gl oniiness. fentid time to taste the
pangs ot envy—at envy the more keen since
in spite ol his success a« a peaceful cow
tractor. he hit always s-« retly longed for
military display and distinction. H lookfl
Kt the man who had achieved it. as he slim-
Ty believed, by sheer luck and accident, an I
his eyes daikon- I. Then, with character..<-
tic weakness and vanity, he began to resist
bis fir.-* impressions of Clarence’s superi
ority and to air his own importance. H-»
leaned heavily back in the chair into which
h* had be a thus genially forced, drew off
his gauntlet, and attempted to thrust it
through his b--lt. ns he h id seen Brant do.
but failed on account f his pistols alrvalv
occupying that position, dropi»*d it. got his
sword between his legs in atompting io
pi- k it up. .ird then leaned back again,
with half-dosed • y-s. .<• rei.Hv r. !;ff. : ~t
to his old c.unpani. p's smiling face.
"I reckon.'* he began slowly*, with a
slightly patronizing air. "that we'd have
nut. sooner or later, at Washington or at
• for Ho k- Me ■ h
am Ar Co. go everywhere, and are about as
well known may r generals. •
in'.” he w-nt on. with a sidelong glance at
Hrant's shoulder straps, "of brigadiers, and
It’s rath.-r strange—only, of course, you're
kind of fresh in the service—that you ain't
heard of me afore.’*
"But Pm Viry, very glad ’o hear
of you now, Jim. - ' said Brant, smiling, "and
from your own lips, which I am also de
lighted to find.’* he added mischievously,
•'are still as frankly communicative on that
topic as of old. But I congratulat- you, old
fellow, on your good fortune. When did you
leave the stag-'T’
Mr. Hooker frowned slightly. "I never was
really r.n the :tag«-. you know." he said
waving his hand w ith assumed negligence—
"only went on to please my wife. Mis.
Ho- k«-r wouldn't act with vulgar profession
als. don't y«.u see? | w.,s really manager
m st of the time, and lessee of the theater.
Went east when the war broke out to offer
Sk* po val rs Yaffil*)
’ Made from the most
highly refined and ex- %
C i pensive ingredients,
» and eaves neither acid 4
r nor alkali in the food. p|
IIOVAL BAKINS POWDER CO., 106 WALL ST., NEW-YORK.
THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION: ATLANTA. GA.. MONDAY, DECEMBER 24. 1894.
mv sword and knowledge of injin lightfn’
to Uncle Sam. Drifted into a big jiork con
tract at St. Louis with Fremont. Been at
it ever since. Offered a commission in the
reg'iar service lots o' times. Refused.”
••Why?" asked Brant, demurely.
"Too’ much West Point starch around to
suit me.” returned Hooker, darkly. "And
too many spies.”
"Spies?" echoed Brant, abstractedly, with
a momentary reminiscence of Miss Faulk
ner.
"Yes, allies,” <x>nUini|S'l Hooker, with
dogged mystery, "tine half of Washington is
watching t'other half, and from the presi
dent’s wife down, most of the women is se
cesh!"
Brant suddenly fixed his keen eyes on his
guest. But the next moment he reflected
that it was only Jim Hooker's usual speech,
and possessed to ulterior significance. He
smiled again and said more gently:
"Ami how is Mrs. Hooker?”
Mr. Hooker fixed his eyes on the ceiling,
rose, pretended to look out of the window;
then taking his seat again by the table, as
if fronting an imaginary audience and pull
ing si wly it his gauntlets, after the usual
theatrical indication of perfect sang-froid,
said:
"There ain't any.”
"Good heavens!” said Brant with genuine
emotion. "1 b.-g your pardon—really 1—"
“Mrs. Hooker and me are divorced,” con
tinued Hooker, slightly changing his atti
tude and leaning heavily on his saber, with
his eyes still on his fanciful audience.
"There was—you understand.” lightly toss
ing his gauntlets aside—"incompatibility of
teni|»er! -and—wi —parted. Ha!" he uttered
a low, bitter, scornful laugh, which, how
ever. produced the distinct Impression in
Brant's mind that up to that moment he
had never had the slightest feeling in the
matter whatever.
"You seemed to be on such good terms
with each other,” murmured Brunt vague
ly-
"Seemed!” said Hooker bitterly, glancing
sardonically at an ideal second row in the
pit Is fore hint - "yes, seemed! There were—
other diff rences—social and political. _ You
undrstand that —you have suffered, too.” He
reached out his hand and pressed Brant's
in heavy effusiveness. "But." he continued,
haughtily, lightly tossing his glove again,
•'we are also men of the world —we let that
pass!” And it was possible that he found
the strain of his present attitude too great,
for he change'! to an easier position.
"But." said I’.rant. curiously. "I always
thought that Mrs. Hooker was intensely
union and northern.”
"Put on!” said Hooker, in his natural
Voice.
"But you r< member the incident of the
flag?" persisted Brant.
"Mrs. Hooker was always an actress.”
said Hooker significantly. "But.” he added
cheerlully, “Mrs. Hooker is now the wife
of Senator Bornpointer. one of the wealth
iest and most powerful republicans in
Washington—carries the patronage of the
whole west in his vest pocket!"
"Yet. if she is not a republican—why <lid
th'" l» m Br»n<
"For a purfsise,” responded Hooker, dark
ly. "But," he added again with greater
< h«'-rfuiiiess. "she belongs to tne very chtu
of Washington society. Goes to al! th ■ tor
eign aml'assadors’ balls, and is a power at
the white house. Ilvr pi' ture is in all tile
lirst-class illustrated papers.”
The singular but unmistakable pride of
the man in the importance of the wife from
whom he was divorced, and for whom ho
did not care, would have offended Brant's
delicacy, or at least have excited his ridi
cule, I'm ior the reason that he urns more
deeply stung by Hooker's allusion to his own
wile and his degrading similitude of their
two conditions. But he dismissed tne form
er as part of Hooker’s invincible and still
boyish and th'- latter as part
of his equally characteristic assumption.
Perhaps he was conscious, too. not w ith
standing the lapse of years and the con
donation of separation and forgetfulness,
that he deserved little delicacy from the
hands of Susy’s husband.
Nevertheless, he dreaded to hear him
speak again of her. And the fear was real
ized in a question.
“Does she know you are here?”
"Who?” said Brant curtly.
"Your wife. That is—l reckon she's your
wife still. ehT’
"I do not know that she knows,” returned
Brant quietly. Ho bad regained his self
composure.
“Susy—Mrs. Senator Bornpointer. that Is”
—he seemed to feel a certain dignity in his
late wife's new title, "allowed that sh<-'d
ul>r<Mi«i on n *e<*r»t mlMwion from t h»»
southern oonfawterH-fy to tlvm crownnd
hrivlM over tln-r.*, w.*<r at
men in. mu know. Anvlntw. Htawy afort
?"r near,, ’*’■??. ETrrr--’?:."' •—q't •«rsi>i
could. She seemed to drop out ot sight a
year ng" Some said one thing and some
said another. But you can bet your bottom
dollar that Mrs. Senator B-»ra[x>inter. who
knows how to pull all the wires in Washing
ton. will know if any one does.”
"But is Mrs. Born]»ointer really isaffeded
and a southern sympathizer?” said Brant,
"or is it only caprice or fashion'.”' While
spanking h>- had risen with a half-abstract,
ed face and had gone to the window wher?
he stood in a loitering attitude. Presently
h<- opened the window and stepped outside.
Hooker wonderingly followel him. tine or
twootli'-ers had already step|»od out of their
rooms and were standing upon tn* vernnda;
another had halted in the path. Then one
re-entered the house, reappeared with his
cap and sword in his hand and ran lightly
toward the guardhouse. A slight crackling
noise seemed to come from beyond the
garden wall.
•What's up.” sail! Hooker, with staring
eyes.
"Picket firing.”
Tin crackling svddenly became a long
rattle. Brant re-ent< red the room and pick
ed up his hat.
"You'll excuse me for a few moments.”
A hollow sound shook the house.
"What's that?" gasped Hooker.
•’Cannon.”
(To he Continued.)
A JKII'I’I.E. wriHUNtl.
Three Brothers Were Married Tuesday In
Oconee County.
Athens, Go., I>---ember U 8) —
Three brothers marrying <>n ‘he same day Is
a scene not often erseted, but it will happen
in < h-onee county tomorrow.
Rev. 11. R. Bernard, of this city, who will
perform th* marriage cennionles. left for
Oconee county th’s afternoon.
At ! o'clock at Snow’s mill, will occur the
marriage of Miss Aycock Io Mr. Dillard.
Miss Ay<-oek is a granddaughter of Judge
A. P. Cobb, one of Ocor*e county's most
este*mv t citizens. Mr. Dillard is a prosper
ous young farmer.
After the w.-<lding cer monies are over
th* bridal party will proceed ta the home
of Mr. Ridgeway, who lives n*er Bethabara
church, where, at 2 o’clock, the marriage of
another Mr. Dillard, a brother of the first
gr< om. w ill occur. The bride will be Miss
Ridgeway, a young lady of that commu
nity.
These ceremonies being over, the two
bridal parties will set out for Carithei's
mill on the edge of Walton county, where
the third Mr. Dillard will be wedded to Miss
Shepherd, of that place.
Then the three Tiridal parties will go in a
body to the home of Mr. and Mrs. James
Dillard, the parents of the three bride
grooms, where an elegant reception w.ll be
tendered them.
All of the contracting parties are well
known and popular in their several com
munities. and these unique marriages will
tie scenes of rare enjoyment for scores of
friends.
A Corti Meddlna.
Oconee county will have another interest-
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«TIIK KISSI<’ tiAMHM WF.NT O>. TH E DANCE W IS KEPT II” AND EVER BODY WIS HAVIN’ A SIGHT O’ FIN ”
BETSY HAMILTON.
Christmas in Hillabee—The S'prise Party at
Hun Tucker’s.
(Copyrighted.)
“Cliris'mas mos’ here!” Th.\t s what
our old red roost-r is bin a erowin' tor
more'n a month.
Christmas frolicks is done sot in now, in
this seitlem ‘lit. ai.d you won’t hear nothin
but fiddlin’ and dancin’ from now on ’till
New Year's Day.
Nobody don't wait for a invite to a
Christmas frolick over on this side of the
mountain. The l»oys send word-to the
gals: “We are gwine to have a s'prise party
at your house tonight;” that’s all they've
got to do; and by sundown the crowd be
gins to gether. old and young anybody
tiiat wants to go. Bill Amos loves to tell
the news; good or bad. he always tries to
be the fust to tell you of it. He gits up
nearly all th s'prise parties. He come by
our house tother day and axed me and
Caleilony and Cousin Pink to the s'prise (
party at Hun Tucker's. Caleilony axed
Bill if he thought ther'd be much of a
crowd. He said: "Yes. thar'll be a whalin’
big crowd. I tole ever'body I seen; an' I
Ude ever’body 1 seen to tell ever’boiiy
they seen."
They'd bin a-havin' parties down about
"Tndpol • Benfl," and over on "Sa> afaek
Ridge" for two or three weeks— b' prise >fc.r
ties—but dun Tucker’K was the fust <»ip in
tliin settlement. w
1 .. f J 1 ’*
het some rocks in the fireplu'-e and p ••T’■•:.
under our feet after we got in th.- wagin;
and she wropt u.- up good in a blue ano
black cheek wool coverbd; and we went
soon so as to hep Hun and Chunk Tucker
fix tiie holly and mistletoe 'fore the crowd
gethered. Cap' Dewberry an»' Rober
son and Buddy went with in<! we
g ttiered the green truck on t and
(liked off the house fashionable ,
dipped cedar in flour and we balls
of cotton and dipped 'em in tl diet- of
a aig and stuck 'em un the ceifiif; and we
strung popcorn all around son:- of the
cedar and dressed off Hun's pictures. They
are mighty pretty pictures and she didn't
paj but 5 cents apiee • for ’ein. ■ < >n<- is
"<c orge Washington A-crossin' of the I'••la
war.” and “Th- Jaidy and Her Rose."
and one is "Tiie Deathbed of Lincoln,” and
th* “ST'nder of General Lee,” and "The
Sleepin' Beauty,” and “The Beauty of the
South. Ue swung a piece of mistletoe
from the jlce log so tiie boys could kiss any
gal who happened to walk under it. 1 tell J
you they had a sight of fun over it putty |
ing wedding on December 2iith
it will occur a: Mars lldi Baptist < hureh.
a cnurcn famous throughout nirtheast
Georgia.
The .ontracting parties Wl ]| ),e Miss
Blanche Sikes, the accomplished daught u
of Mr. John Sikes, of this city, and Mr.
D. Marali'--. a popular young farmer.
Th* wedding will l.e styled a "corn wed
ding ' and derives its name from a feature
that will be connected with the exercise-,
A birr* number of guests will, of course,
be pr sent and ea‘‘h one who comes to the
church is expected to bring a measure of j
corn, a pint, a quart, a bushel or any '
am unit they mak wish to bring.
Th*s corn will be given tn the bride and j
groom, who, after the wedding cer ’monies, i
will donate al) of it to the church to bo ,
sold and turned over t > ’ho en lowment :
fund of Mer<*r university.
Ts this custom grows nrd “corn wed
dings” bTomo rro'-c numerous Mercer uni- j
vors’tv will dmiht’ess b* r’chlv endowed,
as Ihere arc nearly i*t»O.r»OO Bapitsts in tiie
state.
A Clirlwtrnna l.yrle.
f*hr!stma« morn
And the little tin horn
We're going to ho happv
As sure as you're Iwrn!
There’s been a great harvest
Os rve and of corn!
flo fill up the glasses.
Tn sunshine or snow-
Let the little horn blow.
Let the little horn blow!
'l'lie Ven < hlncse God.
From The Buffalo Courier.
The Chinese have a god for every dis
ease. It is believed that they have recent
ly added a god of defeat to their gallery.
nigh ever gal in the house got kissed ’fore
the party broke up, except me.
'The tireplace r-dehes most across the side
of the house They flung on the biggest
i hickory back log you ever seen ami kept
up a bright pine light all the tint", so
they didn’t need no candle not* nothin .
They built pine lights in the yard, too,
so you could see to pick up a pin.
Folks, old and young, come for miles
around, and some of ’em fetched vittles to
help set off the table, long as it was a
••s’prise party,” and the boys fetched candy
and reexins.
But the Tuckers had a plenty without
it They had kilt hogs and the table was
loaded with hog-kiHin’ fixins-sparribs
backbone pies, sassages, fattybread ami
the like, and lye hominy, stewed punkins
and punkin pies, baked fates, idled taters,
•tater pies, and ’tater custards, ginger
i cakes and ’simtnon beer—and 1 wish :• ou
| could have seed Zack Wigginsoker eat.
The table was set in the loomhouse that
| jines the kitchen; a gang at a time would
i go in and eat and come out and let tothers
i go in till all of ’em et an’ had a plenty.
Then they cleared away the things for th
dance, and tothers played kissin' games in
the big house. Pap, he started ’em to
playin’ the game he played when he was
m. boy. hibi in Georgy.
••It VMITIM nn«l It hailß, »»••«! lt*M <3Ol«t.
Tn comes tiie farmer drfnkln’ of the 'lder.
I’ll be the reaper and you'll be the binder,
I I've lost my true love an dright here I’ll
i
j find her.
Pap, he got in the middle and they
i marched around him and sung, then he
1 grabbed Hun Tucker and kissed her, “jest
to show the boys how,” he said. Pap's a
sight! They kept two tiddlers playin' con
stant all night plurn till the chickens
crowed fur day. If a feller gut. tired,
playin’, he'd pass the fiddle over to some
other feller, and he'd take holt and keep
up the same tune so you wouldn't know
tother one had quit. They never stopt
'cept to “chune up” a little—“ting, tang,
tong, tung; .lanky, janky, junky.”
Jaky Simmons and the Baincrow boys kept
| time on the tiddies with straws, and Zaek
Wigginsok T played on his vanes, and never
kept no time at ail; they had tu make him
quit. Then he taken a cheer by the tire
and went to sleep—too much eggnog.
Iky Roberson and Buddy tuck it time
j about callin’ the dance. You can hear
; airy one of ’em spang to the Cross Roads.
ARP AT HOME.
He Goes Home Alone Without a Feminine
Voice to Welcome Him.
Toor dog—good dog—how my heart went
out to him as 1 patted his head in love
ami pity. Just where we left him 1 found
| him—sad and failnful—living at the front
j door in the leaves that the wind had bank
ed. When he saw me he did not jump
• up to meet me as he used to do. nut raised
i his head and gave a mournful howl—as
, much us to say, “What made you all leave
, me?” Then he came out with a glad bound
: and put his paws upon my breast—poor dog
—good dog. 1 patted and caressed him till
he was satisfied.
' Laddie is getting old, and, like old folks,
he loves his home and his people all the
more I know that he thinks about us ■
and longs for us and wonders if we will i
ever come again. Every morning he goes '
down to Aunt Ann’s, at the foot of the !
hili, and gets his breakfast and then goes :
back again to lie on the veranda or in the
leaves near by. What love is purer or j
more constant th.tn that of a faithful, .'
•ut 11-l<red doff? La<hiit* Dover ffot mad •
with any member of the family. Never
resented a reproof; never stole a bone; .
never complained when the children wal
lowed over him or trod upon his shaggy
tail. He loved folks more than he loved
dogs. Tn fact, be waged war upon his
kind anil drove them away. It was too
bid to leave him alone. But he will be
happy again when niy wife comes back,
and he can lie at her feet, for he knows
who is his best friend. He knows what
It means when he hears her say, "Hum
phrey, did you feed Laddie?”
And there was a lone peafowl sitting
on the veranda railing, and a eat peeped
at me from around the corner and ran
away. The house looked sad and lone,
pome The clock upon the mantel was si
lent. Spiders had made webs up in the
corners near the ceiling. The eChoi's of
my shoes upon the naked floor seemed
loud-louder than I had ever heard them,
ami the doors creaked upon their hinges’
The place seemed haunted.
"Over all th< re hung a shadow and a fear;
The spirit daunted'
And as plain as whispered in the car:
The place is haunted!”
I shall not go back there alone any more.
A house without a tenant—a woman, a
feminine voice—somebody to be glad when
I come and give me welcome, is a fit place
for spirits—evil spirits, ghosts, haunts and
witches. I inn staying with the married
children now. and their children are fly
ing up for Christmas. The older ones hide
In their room and lock the door, and their
mother sends them to town on errands
so that she may tlx something for them
while they are gone—some glad surprise. |
It doesn’t matter much whether we have I
the right day or not for Christmas. One !
day is as good as another to contmemor- |
ate the historic event when the Savior
was horn. Os course, grown up people fe- ,
fleetive people, should have solemn, grate- ;
ful thoughts while mingling with the chil- I
dren in their happy sports and frolics, ,
but man was not created to be an ascetic
“Git y» r partners for a cow-til-j
“Hands all around.” "forward and back,
"fuss couple to the right,” “swing them
cornders*,” ‘all promenade,” 'salute yer
pardners and seat th* same.” etc., etc.
All the gals from "Sassafack Ridge wore
ther white summer frocks, low neclc and
short sleeves, and they was putty nigh
froze to death when they got thar; they was
so stiff they couldn’t hardly git outen the
wagin, in pertickler Miss Jerushy Jane
Haskins, bc-kas- she is so thin and bony,
and it wasn't till after they got to dancin
that Miss Jerushy Jane got warmed up-
The old folks sot around the kitchen fire
and smoked and dipped snuff, and talked
about what good times they used to have
’ when they was young, and 'peared to be en
, joyin' it all over again, "i mind mighty
well,” says old Miss Green, "when mv old
I man drawed straws and got me Dr his
pardner to dance the old Virginy reel and
! how mad it made Peggy Crabtree. Hit was
, at Clementine Forman's infar. the day after
; she married Sam Hasher; but lawsy me,
' that's been now gvvine on-lemme see—l
disrememiber what year it was, but I know
! it was a mighty cold snap er weather, jist
I about sieh a spell as this.”
That reminded old Sister Strong of some
• thin’ that happened at a candy pullin’ wh-n
i she was a gal. Fust one and then tother
1 had somethin' to tell, and so the old fo.ks
I talked on, and on. and didn't seem to know
how late it was a-gittin'.
' The snow was cornin’ down faster and ias
i ter, and the yard and trees was plum white,
and beautiful.
, The kissin’ games went on. The dance was
' kept up, and ever’body was a havin' a sight
i o’ fun.
All at once somebody knocked on the door
and the jestis of the peac • walked in. A
fiddle string snapped. The singin' the talk
in' and the fiddles all hushed. Somebody
on .» lial.i'ood kn t and riz a bright
j looked down from the !-«■ wall outo’a nri
' couple. Folks was all amazed and a-lookip’
to see what was a-goin' to happen. Them
( two gals from “Sassafack Ridge" stept out
, in the middle of the floor and locked arms
with the two boys they come with, and
| we soon seed why they was dressed in them
I white frocks. The jestis of the peace called
' out: "The couple what contemplates niatri
' mony will please to come forward and pre-
I sent theyselves at the marriage alter, so as
i 1 can jine them in wedlock in the presence
1 of these here witnesses.” The crowd parted
I at tile door; all eyes looked, and in walked
. .Miss Hun Tuek-r a-hangin' un the arm of
, Joshua Tompkins, and stood under the
I mistletoe twix the waiters from
i Sassafack Ridge, ’ and was pronounced
■ man and wife. Ever'body 'peared
j to be a holdin' of her breath, they was so
surprised. You never seen a crowd of folks
s i tuck back In all your life. Josh and
Hun had kep it a secret from ey-r hodv in
the settlement; they never even axed’the
waiters till that 'lay. Folks didn't even
know Josh was a courtin' of Hun.
It most certainly was a "s'prise party ”
BETSY HAMILTON.
or a recluse or a hermit or to wear a
solemn countenance every day in the year.
"For 'tis said that sinners and saints may
smile
Once or twice or thrice in awhile.
And even be merry without guile.”
The observing of Christmas is a kind of
compound that has conic- down to us
through ages, and has got mixed with the
customs of many nations. In fact, almost
everything that we have inherited from
bygone centuries is a mixture. Our re
ligfon, our politics, our names of men
and of things and of the days of the
week and tin- months of the year hive
<ome down to us from different soutc.-s.
)•!'• I.aUas gave U.S our botany and mater-'-,
niediea; the Greeks our astroriomv
Phoenicians our figures the m u ’• h '.
painting and music; a. dozen nations geve
us our composite language, and the Scan
dinavians rhe best of our mythology AH
( s'lnVn ,r ° ,n natiom” we have
1 Santa Claus and St N'ichni-,« .
1 mNHetn a *' d holl >' on <l the ivy and
mistletoe and the Christmas carols th t
date away back to the thirl century I
was ruminating about the inrtuencl
t.iat bcundinavian mythoio'-y has ex
erased over the civilized world. Here are
the munes ot tiie day 3 of the week that
are upon our lips all our lives; The day ol
!p'°. sun ’ toe day or the moon, the dav of
[wtsdeg. the god of war; the day of
den, the good god of the earth; the dav of
Thor, the god of the heaves; the dav of
i'riga, ills wife, and the dav of Saturn'the
< l fodn ,jf . at;iicul ; u,v ' AU have n c
•b'vvn to us from tiros* who, like the
b.phesians, worshiped the unknown goi
I hey ha ve come changed a lit’! --anglicis.
ed-but their origin is all an imaginative
? ‘J” ap * <hlM»-en should be
told that bcandinavia once included Nor
way nweden, Lapland and Finland. That
cold bleak country was settled away back
in the ages by a hardy, industrious imagin
ative people. They were brave, hut not
aggressive. J hey were good fathers, good
mothers, good children, good subjects
and before the introduction of Christianity
they had gods and goddesses of their own
creation, and worshiped them with a faith
a , tru st that should put many of our
Christians to shame. But those are Christ
ian nations now, though the more ignor
ant ol the people still cling to the super
stiticns of their ancestors. I saw some
mistletoe today going to decorate a parlor
for Christmas and it reealted the sacred
veneration th.it Swed-s anti Norwegians
still have for this curious parasite. They
say that Thor mid his wife. Friga, had
a tei’utiful son, tiie handsomest and most
god like young man in ail the universe.
Friga loved the boj with ail her mother's
soul, and was so apprehensive that some
thing would happen to him that she got
her husband, Thor, who was the most
powerful a.id majestic of all the gods, to
<all upon everything that was In the heav
ens above or that grew In the earth be
low or that was in the waters under th*
earth to come liefore him and swear that
they would not harm Balder, which was
the mini" of her son. And they all took
the solemn o .tii. Now there was an evil
spirit named Loki, who lived in Hela or
- - *■ ’’ S.<— k-X.l. M. .Ari
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*
and” hid 1 been n o l veri<L2k"'b 1-oki got
a i irue strong branch of it and threw jt
wanted, f ooi r a f iown to Mela
grief- as.ou! we nto Hcia
Wedm's lav was named, told his mother
°o^ r TVo W r
and the earth to
11 Im rn^n'and 1 stars bear’d
nioare d and wept and all the
c-H,’- ini blrls ‘ and wild animals wept.
wept tear. weeping, and the
mTcTeark ketp comirg. ano that is why
little pear>st« t d sacred in Norway and
u" to thU dav. and that is why the
Swt-den to tni - r th . Jt comes in_tne
beauti.u! - mountains and in the
ea T y v « P D ?all<"j ' Balder's brow," and is
vallevs i.- i' l * l ' . <i,ose two countries,
the national dowt this very pretty le-
But this 1- e n »“S h j was voung a-d I
gend ' T Xie mistletoe but what 1 respect
never see the mist* that its pearly
it, and can may
berries once were te 1 to hav ,» them
PC foolish, but ’t *S lruman
—even the India s ee wou ld rather have
hear h' m , in mind than to he a
a poetical nnai.ina.il . an without
cold. calculatln6 o * x |«, l , tiin ™ nt . A nd so
dreams or r• \t * Santa Claus and
to him and address them up
TT chtmney Is <me of our little gran-
Ch The r n n here's ye a t bright and merry Christ
tg/^ t -ho e remembe o r
May The P panic disappear, and the wolf be
‘ ll ? Ve a to°Florida about the Ist
I shall return wjn be pleased to
of the new correspondents there,
hear from my co po bill ARP.
jt 7
KNOWLEDGE
Brings comfort and improvement and
tends to personal enjoyment when
rightly u~ed. The many, who live Ut
ter than others and enjoy life more, wita
less expenditure, hy inore promptly
adapting the world’s best products io
! the needs of physical being, wi!l attest
! the value to health oi the pure liquid
laxative principles embraced m tue
remedv. Syrup of Figs.
Its excellence is due to iu presenting
in tha fonn most acceptable and pleas
ant to the taste, the refreshing and truly
beneficial properties of a perfect lax
ative; effectually cleansing the system,
dispelling colds, headaches and iev«r*
and permanently curing constipation,
u K ; v »r. satisfaction to milh< c* a
met with the approval or m«
profession, becaUM it acts on the Ki i
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every objectionable substance.
Syrup of Figs is for sale by ail drug
grists in 50c and $1 bottles, but it is man
ufactared by the California Fig Syrup
Co. only, whose name is printed on every
package, also the name. Syrup of Figs,
and being well informed, you will not
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OOHSUMI’TIQM
SURELY CURED.
To the Editor —Pieaso inform your read
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3’. A. tilocum, M.C., 1831'eurlSt., New Yurt
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fi(‘SVSllßE™',?™;.'?"'
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S£ 'W UjBEmO K ".' .’-ur>it>l.. nn«
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cJstt nothing 4 to‘t^^iL 0111 tnal
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Mention The '-ouztißitloa, * '
