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VOL. 11.
3VC ISCELLAITEOirS.
THE BUNCH OF RAGS.
Everybody liked Tow Hall and ev
erybody was sorry for him. It was
sad to see snob a line young man a vic
tim to drunkenness, and Tom bad fal
len into the mocker’s power unwitting
ly, it seems.
Anew spirit shop bad been opened
close on the foundry at which lie work
ed, and be along with othefft was in the
habit of going in for a glass of ale. —
When the cold weather set in be took
something stronger, and he imagined
that spirits agreed with him. Time
went on. and the liking for strong drink
increased and grew stronger, until at
all hours he might be seen staggering
out of the “Rainbow,” dizzy and stu
pefied with the dregs of the intoxicat
ing cup.
Tom’s was a very sad case, for he be
longed to a very respectable family, and
had been religiously trained and until
be was drawn into the snare he was an
affect innate son and brother: and
friends counseled and ministers preach
ed and means tried to reclaim him, but
all effort seemed lost—Tom was bound
hard and fast in the invisible chains of
of the mocker, llis family mourned
him as lost, and many a silent tear his
sister let fall on his garments a< she sat
darning and patching them. •
Tom was infatuati#, all agreed; but
for all'that he was a favorite from the.
mansion to the meanest hut in Airlie,
and some good people prayed for poor
Tom-Hall.
“Ah, these rents will not darn jk
gain !” sighed Jeannie,, as she turned
over Toni’s ragged raiment.
In Tom’s better days he had pride,
and it was a sad change when he didn’t
dare who saw him “out at the elbow.’’
But somehow Jennie could not find it
In her heart to abandon the brother she
still loved, and so Tom’s tattered liabil
aments were taken up and made the
most of.
"Kindness may win him back,” said
Jeannie, and when he came hack home
at the worst he was met in peace, if in
sorrow.
Just when the trees were beginning
to bud with the promise of spring.
Tom came home looking thoughtful.—
He was sober after a long rum.
In the rays of the setting sun his sis
ter was trying to cover some old darns.
Tom sat down beside her, and silent
ly watched the patient fingers for some
time.
“That’s tiresome work. Jeannie,”
said he,
His sister held up her seam before
him.
“Why, that is a bunch of rags,”
laughed Torn.
“Yes, Tom; and a bunch of rags
would be the best signboard that a pub
lican could hang across his door,” said
Jeannie, sadly.
Tom made no reply: he looked at the
rags in silence.
Next morning Tom went back to his
work, and continued steadily for two
or three weeks. , H DVfß’so;
The Field and Fireside.
He looked into the ‘-Rainbow.” but
didn’t go.
“Hallo! what’s up with Tom Hall?”
wondered Sinclair, as he filled up a
glass of Tons’sfavorite whiskey for an
; other customer at the counter.
Sinclair was not the only one who
was astonished at tiie change.
Every day Tom went to his work:
every night he came home sober, and
after a time lie appeared at church on
the Sabbath. Then people began to be
lieve Tom was in earnest, and really
meant to reform.
“Has Tom Hall really become a tee
i totaler?” wondered Sinclair, when a
! whole month had passed without a vis
iit to the “Rainbow.” Well, it seemed
so. for nothing stronger than water had
passed his lips in the shape of drink
since that night on which his sister had
shown him the bunch of rags. "I’ll
have a talk w ith Tom and learn how he
j got off the scent, though,” Sinclair re
! solved.
An opportunity came sooner than he
| expected, in the beginning of sum
i mer a terrific thunder-storm passed
over Airlie, and among a general de
vastation, Sinclair’s signboard was
shivered to atoms.
Tom happened to be passing the
“Rainbow” next morning, ancl stop
ped to glance lip at the old mark.
I “Fine work here,” remarked Mr.
Sinclair, who was standingin his door;
| "the storm’s done for us, and i’ll have
I to get anew signboard.”
“Is it so bad as that?” said Tom.
, “Yes, the ‘Rainbow’ is in shivers,”
-i4:diMr. Sinclair.
“Then you’ll want anew signboard,”
said Tom. >
“Of course; isn’t that what I’m tell
ing you ?”
“Is it to he the ‘Rainbow* again?”
asked Tom.
"I suppose so,” answered Mr. Sin
clair, “unless you caff give anew idea,
Tom,” continued he, laughing.
“I think I can,” returned Torn ; ‘but
I must go home first.”
“Don’t forget, though,” said Mr.
J Sinclair. “You’re a stranger, nowa
days, by the bye, Toni.”
“1 won’t be-long,” cried Tom, and
I with a brisk step he walked down the
I street.
! “Hallo, Torn, what’s you j- hurry?”
! cried a friend, as Torn came slap against
i a corner.
“Oh ! Sinclair's signboard was de
stroyed last night, aojj lam going to
j him with anew orp. liu( i<e-swered Tom,
j with a.smile, which - u , i p/jyetricully
I opposed to his new J >
1 “Oho! that’s it, is u Aimed p- ,
j friend. “Butperha. !11| “ *dd be,,,,*
well for Airlie if nil attWow” \va'.]]
never-set up again v (|| i
Tom was not out of hearing.
A better-sign than the “Rainbow .”
Mr. Sinclair did not expect to get: he
was only joking with Torn Hall, and lie
raised his eyebrows v“*en Torn made
his apnea*' "'vith under' !^
ar - w:T to . look ,i‘, , jr^
MARIETTA, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 18711.
up; but step in, Tom, and let trie see
your idea.”
Tom grauely untied his bundle, and
held up a bunch of rags before the pub
lican's astonished eyes.
“What do you mean, Tom?" asked
Mr. Sinclair, feeling confident Toni
had lost his senses.
“You want anew signboard, don’t
you?” Tom said.
"Well, what has iclvanch of rags got
to do with that?” said Mr. Sinclair.
“Ask yourself, sir. it a hunch of rags
is not the best signboard that can hang
across the publican’s door,” said Tom,
and bis lips quivered.
“Was it that bunch of rags that made
you a tetotaler, Tom ?” said Mr. Sin
clair, more confused than he liked to
confess.
“It was God’s means, 1 think, sir,”
answered Tom, “and perhaps, wretch
es, seeing there the end of drink, may
bless you for the signboard.”
Tom walked away-fn his work, and
Mr. S. w ent back to his counter, hut
all that day the bunch of rags troubled
him.
He was a kind hearted man, and be
lieved himself a Christian, and he did
not like the idea of being considered
the cause of misery and rags. To a man
of his disposition it was painful in the
extreme, and he couldn't help feeling
angry when poor shivering wretches
came and laid down the payment of a
glass.
When he lifted up the money he felt
as if he was stealing their means.
It was a busy day, but every new
comer seemed more deplorably wretch
ed and worse off than the lasV served.
He was thankful when night came.
The last customer was a woman lit
erally covered with rags. A little in
fant set on her arm. It was crying with
the cold ? It lifted the rag that covered
its naked limbs, and it looked piteously
at him !
“Go home and put clothes on your
child,” sail! Mr. Sinclair, Hinging back
the money she had laid down.
“1 have nothing but rags,” said the
woman. * '•
“Torn is right,” said Mr. Sinclair, as
he locked his door; “the end of drink
is misery and rags, and the man who
lias a taste for that sort of thing may
put his name on the new signboard.”
That summer Mr. Sinclair went into
the tea trade, in which lie made a hand
some fortune. Tom llall is now a fa
■ ,ii n.„nveh *■
mm- J ” ' \
.S C ■
LINDLir
<:s. | \
cVjj ( \orlli ‘wide of SijittirVi’s
most 1a... \
stances have , • ,
frightened aw. ?f|y I
They have also W
the. rnoori and thT* -, iTOOCL^.
dashing the eart
for dogs we sC_
hvlthouroV&la-OeS 3a IT!
ask
“Well, that depends, If he's running
away from you he looks about the size
of a gallon jug, hut if lie’s coming at
von lie looks as large as ayt-ai-lino- calf- 1
“Do dogs guard the house?”
“Yes; particularly the kitchen door.
Nothing hurts a dog’s feelings so iiim-li
as to have Ids muster think he's waiting
tor bunes, instead of being there on
guard.”
**< 'an a dog take a hint?”
"Acs. As soon as one sees a farmer
coming across the fields with a gun lie
knows that killing sheep is over for that
morning, and away he goes.”
I "Are dogs strong?”
“You’d think they could pull a \v
i log to judge by the amount of howling
they will do between dusk and davhreak
but the minute a hoy wants a ride on
- his sled the family dog is troubled with
! heart disease and general weakness.”
“Can dogs find their way home from
long distances”
“It’s occording to the dog. If it’s one
i you want to get rid of he can find his
wav hack home from California. If it’s
I a good one he is apt to get lost if he goes
i round the corner.”
“Can dogs see in the dark ?”
“Some appear to, but instances are
| not rare where dogs,commanded to rush
’ out and devour the fellow hooking wood
i have rushed under the bed by mistake
—and stayed there. That’s all about
dogs.— Free. Firs*.
THE HYDRANT PUMP.
He knew ail about, farming; it was
only when in the midst of the city bus
tle that he felt a little queer. He Was
j in town yesterday*, and w as walking on
I the street, hand iri hand with his sis
ter. Something attracted his attention
a little way ahead, and all the talking
of his companion about the beautiesof
the shop windows had no effect on him,
“Iswan!” he said, and wandered like
one entranced toward a hydrant which
a man was turning on. The was
turning the screw at the top slowly, and
the water was rushing out.
“I sav, boss,” said our friend, “what
.kind ofap'impis that?”
“A hydrant pump,” said the man.
“A hydrant pump? Did Mr. Hy
drant patent that ? Say, how much did
one of them cost? I swan, if that don’t
beat all!”
“Only five dollars,” said the man and
he kept slowly moving the screw as if
that little effort produced the big stream.
“You go fight down here till you come
jto a hardware store, and they will sell
you one.”
He went with the fire of expectation
in hiseye. —Jlochcstvr Ex/irsss.
;
During a dense fog a Mississippi
steamboat took landing. A traveller
! anxious to go ahead, came to the un
: perturbed manager of the wheel and
/ JJ’hy they stopped. ‘Toomuch fog
the ~ s ver.’ ‘But you can see the
- && jL re i ,r *
Lei. y^aCOCGiil^S.
NO. g.