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Fate.
With Sodom apples fill thy harvest bin;
Barter heart-wealth for gold in Fashion’*
mart;
Traverse rough seas some distant port to
win
Without a chart
Fray the fine cord of Love until it break;
Launch thy pirogue before the storm
abate;
Tease the prone, sleeping Peril till it wake;
Then rail at Fate.
—[Danske Danbridge.
ALMOST PERSUADED.
A sultry evening had closed over the
jreat city. Overhead, the stars shono
faintly along the closo, narrow streets;
ho gaslights flickered; overy doorstep,
svery open casement in this densely
populated quarter of the city was
packed full of humanity, striving to get
i breath of air.
Lilly Germond had come home late
from the store. She was tired and dispir
ited; and the gentle little step-mother,
to whom she always turned for sym
pathy and tenderness, had gone to
ipend a week at her brother’s farm on
the Connecticut River.
How strange and empty the little
room looked, with the vacant rocking
chair and work-basket so unwontedly
tidy.
“I wish she was back again,” Lilly
lighed, as she dropped into a chair, and
began listlessly to eat her supper, of a
slice of baker’s bread broken into a
bowl of sky-blue city milk. “I wonder
why Uncle Mark didn’t ask mo, too! I
luppose he thought I couldn’t leave the
itore; but I could have got a few days
vacation I am sure; or perhaps thoy had
but one spare room, though I could
lurely have slept with mother, just as I
do hero.”
Lilly Germond did not know how
much good Uncle Mark Stevens dreaded
ft meeting between his son Ben and
"any feather-headed city girl,” as he
expressed it
"Ben is as good as gold,’* reasoned
Mr. Stevens, talking the matter over
With his wife; "and I don’t want any
silly coquette playing with his feelings.
If he’s to have a wife—as I s’pose it’s
In tho nature of things ho should have
some timo—let it be some sensible girl
fts will be a real companion to him that
you and me can take comfort with. But
don’t ask Mary to bring that step
daughter o’ hers here. She's no kin to
us, anyway you can fix it, and it’ll only
be exposing Ben to temptation and
folly.”
"It seems kind o’ hard though,” said
Aunt Almira, "to separate mother and
child.”
“Mary’s my own sister,” said Mr.
Stevens, “and Tm willin’ to give her
country air and change of scene. But
I don’t owe no duty to Mary’s step
daughter, as I know of.”
But when Mrs. Germond told them of
Lilly’s sweet temper and patient toil, of
her long days of work in the store, and
her cheerful evenings of sewing for her
mother, the hearts of both of these old
people softened in some degreo.
“Father,” said Mrs. Stevens to her
husband, “Mary’s step-daughter must
be different from what you and me
s’posed. I almost wish—don’t you?—
that we had asked her here, too?’’
“Bo do I,” said Uncle Mark. “Look
here, Almira 1 Ben is going to take a
load of cord-wood into town on Thurs
day. S’po=e we tell him to go around
by Bracken street and bring Mary’s
step-daughter out for a surprise to her
mother—eh 1”
Kind Mrs. Stevens brightened all
ever.
“That will he a real nice plan,” said
she. “And if Lilly is anything like
what Mary says, I guess wo shan’t have
no reason to regret it. It does seem too
bad to think of anybody cooped up in
the hot city such weather as this.”
If tired, overworked Lilly Germond
could have known all this how her
heart would havo leaped up withiC herl
But wo are not always aware how near
the angel of deliverance is to us; and she
was very rebellious in her heart this
night.
“It's all one wretched treadmill of
toil and drudgery,” she murmured to
herself, with never a prospect of change
or recreation 1 One might as well be
dead I”
Just then, Arietta Wales, a bright
young factory girl who boarded on the
floor above, knocked at the door.
“Ail alone, Lilly?” said she. “I
thought as much. Well, I’ve got such
a plan to propose to you 1 John Merton
is going to take me to the Gleeful Soci
ety’s ball tonight at Windford hall.
And he’s got a ticket for an extra lady;
and so, why can’t you go with us? ’
“II” Lilly Germond turned red and
pale. “But—mother don’t approve of
balls I”
“Of course she don’t 1” retorted An
etta, with a toss of her yellow, much
befrizzed hair. “She’s old and pokey,
and you are young and gay. Besides,
•he’s only your step-mother, and you
can’t expect her to feel for you as she
would do if she were your own mother.”
Lilly frowned a little, but she passed
«u to the next objection.
“I’ve got nothing to wear,” said she.
“Yes, you have—that pretty white
muslin with the ueedle-work flounces.
Nothing can be prettier than that. And
John does so want you to go. He’s got
a friend coming—such a genteeL young
man! Do come, Lilly! Think how
much nicer it will be than sitting here
in this stuffy hole, with Mrs. Booker’s
baby crying next door, and old Mr.
Farren playing the flute overhead.”
"I promised mother not to go out
any whore in tho evening while she wa3
gone,” hesitated Lilly.
"What of that? Shell never know,”
urged Arietta. "She surely can't ex
pect you to mew yourself up here like a
mouse in a trap, while she is enjoying
herself. Old folks are so selfish!”
Once more Lilly frowned.
"My mother is not selfish,” said she.
"Oh, woll we won’t argue about
that,” Said Ariotta, coaxingly. "But
there’s no reason you shouldn't soe a
little life* once in a white, as long as I
and John are along to keep you com
pany!”
"It would be nice,” said Lilly. *Tve
almost a mind to go.”
"Then make haste about it!” cried
Arietta. “I’ll call lor you as I come
down stairs. The earlier wo are there,
the better chance wo have on the dan
cing-floor.”
Lilly wont into the back room after
Arietta was gone. Mrs. Booker sat’
there) rocking her baby on her knee,
and to her tho girl confided her desires.
"I wouldn’t!’ said Mrs. Booker,
shaking her head, sober’ 7.
"Why not?”
"That Gleeful Sot ty don’t bear the
best ruputation, Lilly, ’ «>.;! 1 Mrs. Book
er. "A lot of giddy girls auJ reckless
young men that are bent on earning
their living some way outsido of honest
work. I don’t think your mother
would like you to get into such com
pany as that while she is gone.”
"Thore’s always somo reason to keep
mo from enjoying myself, so far as I
can see! ’ bunt out poor Lilly. "Ari
etta Wales is going, and I mean to go,
tool”
Mrs. Booker looked pityingly after
her a 3 she flounced out of tho room.
"Poor girl, it is sort 0’ hard upon
herl” she pondered. "And she so
young and pretty, too, and worked so
steady all day! But that Gleeful So
ciety—it ain’t what I should like a
daughter of mine to get mixed up in.
However, a willful girl will have her
O wTi TtSj,"
Half an hour later there cams a soft
"tap-tap” on the panels of Mrs. Book
er’s door, and a brown, handsome face
peeped in.
"Bog pardon, ma’am,” said a cheery
voice; "but is this Miss Garmond’s
room? I’m her cousin Ban, and her
mother has sent me to bring her out to
tho country and make a little visit
there.” *
"And I'm her Uncle Stevens,” added
a second voice, "and the team’s wait
ing below, and there ain’t no time to
lose.” _ a
"Dear me, I'm so sorry!’’ crieu Mrs.
Booker, starting to her feet; "but Lilly
Germond has gone to a ball I”
"A ball!” echoed Uncle Stevens.
"Gone to a ball!’’ reiterated Ben in
amazement.
"With her mother away,” cried the
old man, "and my sister telling me how
quiet and steady she was! Come, Ban;
I don’t know as we want no ball-going
young ladies out at the old farm. I
guess perhaps we’d better be starting
for home.”
“But wait a minute; perhaps she left
some word,” said Mrs. Booker. “Her
room is the next one beyond; I’ll go
and see.”
“I guess it ain’t worthwhile,” inflex
ibly uttered Uncle Mark.
Mrs. Booker knocked at the door of
Mrs. Germond’s room, as a sort of
forlorn hope.
“Come ini” called a soft voice.
And there sat Lilly at her sewing by
the light of a shaded kerosene lamp.
“You look surprised l” cried Lilly,
laughing. “But you see I decided,
after all, to take your good advice, Mrs.
Booker.”
“And I never was so glad of any
thing in my life,” said Mrs. Booker.
“My dear, here’s your uncle and cousin
from the country, with a team, waitin’
to take you to your mother."
Lilly uttered a cry of delight as she
jumped up, and flung her sewing into
tho corner of the room.
“Really?” she cried “truly? or am I
dreaming? Where are they?”
Bho ran out into the hall, and was
kissing Uncle Mark and shaking hands
with Ben almost before they knew it.
“So you didn’t go to the ball after
all?” said the old man, his hard face
softening as much under the blue joy
ousness of her eyes as boncath the touch
of her rosy young lips.
“No,” said Lilly—although I was
sorely tempted to forget mother’s good
advice. But I never disobeyed her yet,
and Tm not going to begin now. But
it was so dull and lonesome here!”
“Poor child! I should think so,”
said Uncle Stevens, with a look into the
dismal room. “But now put on your
things —quick 1 The horses don’t like
standing there knee-deep among ragged
children.”
Lilly was not long in packing her
little bag; and when she ran to bid
Mrs. Booker good-bye, she whispered:
"It was your good advice that turned
the scale. Thank you so much for it.
How much I should have lost if I had
gone to the balll”
“She’s a nice girl,” said Uncle Mark
to his wife that night, whon Lilly was
asleep in the lavender-scented bedroom
that looked out upon the river, "and I
don’t wonder Mary’s proul of her. But
I did feel sort of queer, just for a min
ute when I thought she was a-larking
round at balls with Mary knowin’ noth
ing about it.”
"Of course she wouldn’t do nothin’
of the sort!’ said Auat Almira reso
lutely.
"She didn’t, it seems,” said Uncle
Mark.
A week -afterward, Lilly hoard,
through a letter from Mrs. Booker,
that the ball of the Gleeful Socioty had
been inexorably broken up by a detach
ment of the police, in search of some
counterfeiters who belonged to tho den,
chief among whom were Arietta Wales’
beau, John Merton, and his
friend who had been destined to escort
her, Lilly Germond, on that particular
night.
And Lilly shuddered at the thought
of tho risk she had so narrowly escaped.
Out here all was so sweet, so fragrant,
so peaceful; irf the city all was bustle,
din, perpetual jostling. And Lilly’s
cheeks took on a softer pink, and her
heart beat a pulse or two faster than its
ordinary pace, when she recalled tho
way in which Bon had looked at her
that morning when he had brought her
a long, trailing spray of white-blos
somed clematis.
"You like the country?” said ho; "and
us? —and you wouldn’t mind staying
hero always?”
"I should like it of all things,” Lilly
had eagerly responded.
And then, as hU eyos had rested a
moment upon her, she had hidden her
face among the clematis stars.
An so she was murmuring to her
self:
"Perhaps! perhaps!”
And Ben Stevens, out in the harvest
field, was saying to himself, as he
swung tho gleaming cradle to and fro: !
‘‘Perhaps!’—[Saturday Night.
Locomotite Engineers.
The engineer whose humanity is not
hardened has his feelings harrowed oc
casionally by pedestrians who risk their
lives on the track. Tramps and other
careless persons are so numerous that
the casual passenger in a locomotive
cab generally cannot ride fifty miles
without seeing what seems to him a
hair-breadth escape, but whichis never
theless treated by the engineer as a
commonplace occurrence. These heed
less wayfarors do, however, occasional
ly carry their indifference to danger too
far, and they are tossed in the air like
feathers. Doubtless there aro thoso
who, like tho fireman who talked with
tho tender-hearty! young lady, rogret
the killing of aftka chiefly "uecause it
musses up the engine so;” but, taking
the fraternity as a whole, warmth of
heart and tenderness of feeling may bo
called not only well-developed but prom
inent traits of character. The great
strike on the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy road last spring, which proved
to havo been ill-advised, would havo
been possible only in a body of men act
uated by tho most loyal friendship.
Undoubtedly a large conservative ele
ment in the Brotherhood of Engineers
belivad the movo injudicious, but they
joined in it out of au intense spirit of
fidelity to their brethren and leaders.
[Scribner.
An Escape from Cannibals.
Mr. H. H. Johnstone, English consul
at Old Calabar, Africa, took a trip up
tho Cro3s liver to try and make treaties
and settle quarrels among the natives
that were injuring trade by their war
fare. He had a most interesting time,
more interesting than he would care to
experience again. At a place called
Ededema, he was pulled from his canoe
by a mob of cannibals, slung on the
shoulders of one of them and borne on
a rapid trot to tho town. Thero he was
placed in a hut with tho door open,
while hundreds of savages continuous
ly stared at him. Looking upward he
saw arranged around the upper part of
the clay walls a horrible array of at least
« hundred skulls, while a smoked hu
man ham hung from tho begrimed raf
ters as an appropriate centre piece. His
interpreters opportunely arriving, a
friendly palaver resulted in his return
to the canoe in the same manner in
which he had been taken from it. —[New
York Witness.
Boy Bullfighters.
It will, perhaps, be hardly credited
that at San Sebastian, Spain, bullfights
are arranged between child toreadors of
13, 14 and 15 years old, and bulls of 2
years. These small Spaniards, dressed
in picturesque costumes, brave death
for the sake of furnishing the crowds
with an amusement, and actually prefer
the dangerous life and applause they
receive to working at any trade or go
ing to school. It is a sickening specta
cle witnessed by thousands of all nations,
indeed, thero are far more French and
English present at tho children’s bull
fights than there are Spaniards.
HIGHBINDERS.
A Chinese Organization for Mur
der and Blackmail.
Crimes of the Hatchet Society
in America.
The Highbinders, whose atrocious
murders and continual blackmailing
operations have puzzled the police ot
San Franeisco, St. Louis and Pittsburg,
and whose operations in New York
have so far been carried on with great
skill and secrecy are an organization
of Chinamen dating back to tho Tai
Ping or long-hairod rebellion, which
was entiroly subdued, it was thought,
some thirty years ago in tho Flowery
Kingdom. Toe Highbinders belong to
the Triad Society, which has
been compared in China to the Nihilists
in Russia. On entering it
tho Chinaman renounces all obliga
tions to his family, his gods and his
fellow-men. Thenceforth ho is the
creature of his superiors in tho Order.
Political conspiracy and tho raising of
funds to bring about a restoration of tha
Chinese dynasty in place of the Manchoo
emperor now on the throne are or were
the prime objects of the Highbinders
through their parent order, the Triad
Sckciety. Hence its close relationship
to the Nihilists.
But blackmail pure and simple, en
forced with the scourge and the long
knife, has long been the main object of
the Highbinders in tho United States.
Tho trial of six Chinamen in St. Louis
for blackmail and murder a year or two
since brought out this fact clearly. In
St. Louis every Chinaman not affiliated
with tho Triads was assessed 75 cents
blackmail a week. The assassination
%
for which the six Highbinders were
tried in St. Louis was peculiarly atro
cious.
The term Highbinder, as originally
used in San Francisco, whoro it wa3
first heard in this country, meant thugs.
Tho Triads were then supposed to be
in the land of tho Celestials what the
Thugs are or wero in India. But it was
discovered shortly that whereas religion
is the prime motive of Thuggism, pol
itics started High bindery, which speed
ily devoted itself to tho congenial task
of blackmailing. By and by the High
binders became known as the Hatchet
Society, and murder for money was
recognized as the chief object of its
existence. Chinamen were romoved by
the Hatchet Society in Sin Francisco at
|6OO a head. The oath and the ritual
of the Highbinders were demoniac in
their ferocity. The cult came east to
Denver, then moved on, murdering, to
St. Louis, then to Pittsburg and then to
New York. Iu New York its operations
have been conducted with tho utmost
secrecy and success.
The case of tho six’Highbinders tried
for tho murder of Low in St.
Loui% called the attention of the entire
country to the spread of this hideous
order.
The murder of Johnson grew out of
his assisting tho police in breaking up
the gambling business of the Chyo
Goom, or Joe Gong, tho leader of the
Chyo faction in St. Louis. Goom and
his friends agreed to pay SOOO for the
removal of Johnson. A distinguished
member of tho n itchet Society in
‘Frisco, Ah Lung by name, and a High
binder, who had served a torm in the
San Quenta Penitentiary, was sent for
to do tho removing, but, there being a
hitch in the matter, he didn’t start in
time, so that Chyo Chiagk, Quong
Seng and others not 30 eminent in tho
profession undertook the task. They
found Johnson asleep in bed, chopped
him almost to pieces and then stood the
body on its head in a bucket of rice and
locked it up in a closet. They sent
Quong Seng aWay with sls, promising
to send him more, but he was captured.
He gave the police the entire story in
tho case, and through fear at having
violated tho oath of the Hatchet Socie
ty and dread of their vengeance, he
went crazy in jail. Joe Gong and Chy
Chiagk were sentenced to death. The
Chinese element in New York and Sin
Franaisco has never since been quieted.
Tho feeling in Mott street was such that
the Highbinders were liable to be called
at any time, the presence of Ah Luag,
tho past Grand Highbinder, being an
indication that the Hatchet Society is
ready for business.
Another case of Highbinding was that
of Sing Lee, at Troy. A Chinaman at
Montreal borrowed SSOO from another
and Sing Lee was a witness. When a
Chinaman borrows money it is with tho
understanding that ho will pay it when
he can, provided the one making the
loan does not want to go home to China,
Then he asks for the money, and the
borrower must pay it back, or if he
does not bo held responsible for what
ever trouble may befall the lender
through delaying or preventing his de
pasture for hom?. The borrower in
this instance refused to pay back tho
money, and the lender entered suit for
it in Montreal. The case was called,
and Sing Lee was the most im
portant witness. When the case was
concluded Sing Lee went back home to
Troy, N. Y. The lender wont tlioro
and circulated pretty freely, giving
the namo of a Chinaman known as a
missionary, who was then in Ohio. 110
called on Sing Lee, on the day and at
the hour Sing Lee was paving his rent.
When the landlord left he attacked
Sing Lee, killed him, stole all his money
($700), and then wrote on a piece of
paper and pasted on the door outside a
placard:
“Mo go to New York. Back soon.
Sing Lee.”
As Sing Lee couldn’t write a word of
English suspicion was aroused and the
murder discovered. It was proven, in
deed, that Sing Lee’s removal had been
considered formally at a meeting of the
Montreal branch of the Hatchet So
cioty.
When a Chinaman is found murdered
the inference that he camo to his end
by Highbinders is quite as readily
drawn as that of Mafia responsibility
for the assassination of Italians. Both
the Mafia and the Highbinders are atro
cious organizations, as as foreign in
their aims and methods to American
polity and nineteenth century society as
it is possible for any bodies to be.
[New York World.
Apple Love.
. Scotland and in England tho apple
is a very popular divining medium in
love matters. Part of this popularity
is probably due to tho common notion
that the tree of knowledge of good and
evil was an apple tree. Horace men
tions the use of apple pip 9 in love affairs.
A lover would take a pip between the
finger and thumb and shoot it up to tho
ceiling, and if it struck it, his or her
wish would be accomplished. Nowa
days a maiden tests tlio fidelity of her
beloved by putting a pip in the fire, at
the same timo pronouncing bis name.
If tho pip bursts with a report, it is a
sign that he love 3 her; but should it
burn silently, she is convinced of his
want of true affection for her. This is
often performed with nuts instead of
pips. Gay’s Hobaelia experiments with
tho pips by placing one on each cheek,
one for Lubberkin, and tho other for
Boobyclod;
“But Boobyclod soon drops upon the ground,
A certain token that his love’s unsound;
While Lubberkin sticks firmly to the last.”
Gay also mentions the very common
amusement of paring an apple without
breaking the peel and then throwing
tho strip over the left shoulder, in order
to see tho initial letter of the lover’s
name formed by the shape tha paring
takes upon the ground. This is oftcu
one of the many divinations duly prac
ticed on Halloween or All-Saints’ Eva.
Another way at tho same season 19 for
the curioua maiden to stand before a
looking-glass combing her hair with
one hand and eating an apple held in
the other; the face of the future hus
band will then be seen in the glass
looking over her left shoulder. Mrs.
Latham, in her "Sussex Superstitions,”
gives another apple charm. Every per
son present fastens an apple "on a
string bung and twirled round before a
hot fire. The owner of the apple that
first falls off is declared to bo upon tho
point of marriage; and as they fall suc
cessively, the order in which the rest of
tho party will attain to matrimonial
honors is clearly indicated, single
blessedness being the lot of tho one
whose applo is tho last to drop.”—
[Chamber’s Journal.
Traveling on Ills Trunk.
Gold watches that never keep time
have long been a favorite means of se
curing transportation; but tho American
trunk is now coming into fashion as a
medium of railroad communication.
The padlock critic of tho Indianapolis
(Ind.) Journal says:
“Do you know that if a man has a
heavy trunk ho can sometimes travel a
long distance on a railroad without a
ticket or any money? * said a young
man yesterday, who had recently mad*
his way back to Texas with but a few
dollars. “Whoa I reached St. Louis I
had but five cents in my pocket, and I
did not know a man there I could ask
for a loan. I went to the ticket agent
and making known my condition,
asked him how I could get to Indian
apolis. *Havo you a trunk?’ he asked.
I told him I had, and ha said ho would
introduce me to tho conductor. When
tho conductor came up I was intro
duced, and he asked ma for my check
to iny trunk, which I gave him, and he
then gave me a smaller ticket, which
he said would get my trunk in* Indian
apolis. I asked him how much the
trunk would cost me when I went to
get it out, and he 3aid $7. Well, I got
through all right, but when I presented
tho ticket for the trunk it cost mo $9
instead of $7. I havo beea wondering
ever since who got the money; but I
didn’t care, for I was glad to get back
to Indianapolis, even on those terms.”
Sound Finance.
Bagley —“Young Wiggins asked me
to lend him a hundred thii morning,
and I said I’d see about it. What do
you think ? ’
Gigley—“l think it would be cheaper
to give it to him. You won’t have to
spend a- ything then in trying to collect
the debt.” —[Judge.
THE
PEOPLE’S PARTY.
PROTECTIVE,
PROGRESSIVE,
PROSPEROUS.
Ofiß PLATFORM:
We Pledge Ourselves io Favor of
PROTECTION
OF OUR CUSTOMERS
From Overcharge and
Misrepresentations.
FREE TRADE
FOR EVERY ONE,
With the Merchant who
does most for his
Customers.
PROHIBITION
Of Monopolistic Rings,
Inflated values and op
pressive high prices.
Buya9 you vote, intelligently. As candi
dates for your patronage, we invite
an examination of our business
record in support of our
tr\ r fair li uu* I litr
ivt vivw.-y
Wo promise for
the future
The Best in Quality,
The Most in Quantity,
And the Lowest Pricei
TO ALL CUSTOMERS, without dis
tinction of age or class, and
our promise stands our enor
mous stock of
BARGAINS,
which are being crowded upon us by our
NEW YORK BUYER.
Never Lave we been iu condition to offer
our patrons such advantages as
at this time. Our
MILLINERY DEPARTMENT
has no equal. Our Stock the Largest,
Assortment the Best, and Prices tne
Lowest. Our stock of
DRESS GOODS
Below the Lowest. Our
Fancy Goods Department
will save you a handsome profit.
STAPLE GOODS DEPARTMENT
stands at the head for a money saver to
our customers.
OUR SEWING MACHINE DEPARTMENT
includes all the
LEADING MACHINES
IN THE COUNTRY,
Starting in price at $5 and up.
In this department wc
Buy,Sell, Exchangeand
Repair
ANY AND ALL KINDS.
Remember that FOUR DAYS in each
week we give away different articles to
our customers. Some days we give to
every 10th purchaser and some days to
every sth, and some days to all.
Our patrons are well aware that we
give
BETTER VALUE FOR
THE MONEY,
Than any other house in
CHATTANOOGA!
Come along, and we will
PROVE TO YOU
That you can Save money hy making
your Purchases of us.
H. H. SOUDER.