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' ISSUED SEMI'WEEllIi^^ ^ ^ _ __ l. il grist & sons, Publishers. 1 % ^amilii lleicspper: dfor (he promotion of the Jpolifieat, JStorial, Spirullural, and Commercial Interests of the feopte. {Terms-^oo^^e^rjn advanok. established 1855. YORKVILLE, S. C., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1899. NO. 97. THE FARM \l A TALE OF By FLORENC Copyright, 1899, by Florence Warden. CHATTER XIV. THE niDDEN PIT. He was startled by seeing the girl open her eyes suddenly and fix upon linn an expression of eager curiosity and interest. "Tell. me. sir," said she abruptly, "something about yourself and your brother. Or Is that too painful?" "It will be painful for you to hear. I am afraid." "No, no!" said she quickly. "I don't care if It Is painful, if you do not mind. I want to hear about something Interesting. very interesting, so that I can forget?other things." And again a spasm of pain and dls tress crossed her face. Although the doctor would rather have left the girl to quiet repose, lie thought it better to obey her than to let her remain a prey to the distressing thoughts wnicn were eviaeuuy uisturbing her mind. He sat down therefore In n chair at a little distance from her. from which he could see the snow falling outside and watch her face at the same time, and he talked to her j In a quiet voice, telling her such nnec- ' dotes of his own boyhood and his ( brother's as he thought might interest and divert her and marveling the while 1 at the strange series of adventures ' which had brought him to this singu- ' lar situation. * ' The girl listened until his voice and the soft crooning of the rising wind 1 sent her to sleep. Then Masson rose from his seat and 1 went quietly out of the room and down the stairs. In the kitchen he found the old woman, who vouchsafed no saluta- J tlon in answer to his. but went on 1 with her work of scrubbing down the ' table with the mechanical ease given by long practice. ' Ke wondered whether he was in the way. but was unable to make the sug- ' gestion. Not even a look or a smile 1 did she accord him. but went on with 1 her occupation as if he had been part of the furniture. When she had finished the scrubbing of the table, she took up her pail and retreated Into the washhouse at the back without the least acknowledgment of Masson's courtesy in opening the door for her. The doctor hovered between the belief that she was half wltted and the fancy that she was the incarnate spirit of evil. Left thus to himself, without even a book to occupy his time, for the whole library of the household, marshaled on the top of a cupboard In a corner, consisted of a Bible in Welsh, an old Illustrated family Bible with the Apocrypha. a Moody and Sankey hymnbook, two more hymnbooks, the "Pilgrim's Progress." Baxter's "Saints' Everlasting Rest" and an odd volume of somebody's sermons. Masson. who became more uneasy and anxious ' to get away with each succeeding honr. ( tried the front door, but without sue- < cess. He managed to open It Indeed; ' but. finding himself brought face to f face with a wall of snow which he 1 could not even look over, he had to s close it again immediately. One of the windows was completely , blocked up. and the other was only 1 partially clear. lie went into the big. 4 bare outhouse at the side, where he * hpnrd thp fnntstens of some one mov- 11 lily al?out. It proved to be Torn, who I started forward with a seared face on * being disturbed. "Hello!" said Masson. holding the door open as he looked in. for the place was lighted only by a skylight which was uow blocked with the snow. "You look as if I startled you. Can you give me a spade and let me help you? I'm dying for something to do." lustead of answering the rough lad passed his right hand across bis brow, and Masson saw. with s> prise. that he was shaking like a leaf, while the sweat stood out in glistening beads on his face. "Why," pursued the doctor, "you look warm. I declare! It's a sensation I should be very glad of. I can tell you! Let me have your spade and tell me what to do. I can handle one. I assure you." Hut the lad drew back, trembling and shaking his head. "No. no!" said he hoarsely, stepping back quickly and waving the other away with his spade. "No. no! It's not work for you. mister. Get you back in there and shut the door. Get you back. I say!" He seemed to be terror stricken, un anie to go on witn ins wont, .-uassuu, curious and anxious to have some eon- 1 versatiou with this, the only member t of the household with whom he had hardly cotue in contact, put a brick i against the kitchen door to keep it | open and advanced across the rough | floor of the outhouse. < Whereupon Tom. without a moment's < delay, flung down his spade, gave each < of his shoes a sharp kick against the I wall, ran across the floor past Mas- i sou and. traversing the kitchen with < rapid steps, disappeared into the wash- ] house, hanging the uoor behind him. i There was not much light in the out- i house, and Masson stumbled as he < made his way across the rough, in- | t cumbered ground. By the time the lad had begun to run Masson had all < but reached him and had to step aside in order that the spade should not fall on his toes. In doing so he stepped upon a loose I board, which shifted under his feet j and caused him to stumble and fall, i His right hand slipped between the board which had moved and one which lay alongside. He regained his feet quickly, with a i shudder and a shout, for his hand had grasped nothing but empty air. I THE HILLS. MYSTERY. IE WARDEN. As soon as he recovered his footinp he stooped down and found that the The boards rtpon which he had stepped had been laid across a hole. boards upon which lie had stepped had beeu la'.d across a hole in the floor about four feet across, the mouth. so lie supposed, of a well. But it was too lark for very close investigation. By the side of this covered hole there was a little mound of some white substance, chalk or lime, as he supposed, and in a coruer of the outhouse there was another and much larger white heap. Tom had apparently been engaged in carrying the white substance from the heap in the corner to the heap by the hole in the floor. This was the result of Masson's investigations. when he found the light irom me uuorwutv uiuvtum uul uj u Human figure and. turuiug. found that :he old woman was looking lu at him. Now. although he was in such deep shadow that to an ordinary eye he would have been unseen. Masson ei:her knew or fancied that the old woman could see him as well as if he lad been in the broad light of the sun. She stood for a few seconds without uttering a word, and when he advanced toward her, Impatient of that jgly. crooked figure silhouetted against :he dim light,. with the unblinkiDg Mack eyes fixed, as be felt, upon him. she gave forth the first sound he had ?ver heard from her lips, a harsh, faint. croaking chuckle, which was a very mockery of laughter. Masson turned colder than he was before It and. springing past her into :lie warm kitchen, drew a long breath relief. There was another ugly moment to je laid In his record of his time at the 'armhouse. Wet and cold from head :o foot, he fell into a chair. CHAPTER XV. GWYN EXACTS A PROMISE. What he suspected Masson scarcely :new. But It was not only the shock >f having found himself in a position >t unexpected danger which caused dm to be seized with a sensation of sickness and giddiness as he staggered o one of the kitchen armchairs and :at down in It, trembling all over. What was the nature of the work on vldch Tom had been engaged ? Why tad he been so much disturbed by Masion's appearance? Was there some rhastly connection between the hidden nt or well in the outhouse, the digrimr nf thp limp and the doctor hi in self? The suspicion, although It seemed o him absurd even while it crossed lis rniud. took hold of liiui iu spite of limself, and at the same time he bejau to entertain for the tirst time an dea which appeared to offer a soluion to some of the perplexing probems presented by the singular houseloid at the farmhouse. Was there some sort of secret and fvil league between the old woman and ler grandson Torn? They were the only two persons tbout the place who were entirely unsympathetic to Masson. and he acknowledged to himself that this fact irobably prejudiced him. But. all the same, the suspicion, once formed in lis mind, grew stronger every mouent. It was from the outhouse into which Pom had disappeared on the tirst evenng of the doctor's arrival that the footsteps had come of the person or persons who had searched ids pockets. And it was the old woman who had :rled to drag some one into Gwyn's oom when the doctor was supposed to >e fast asleep in the corner. Was that jnseen person the lad Tom? And had their object been robbery?and southing worse? The more he thought about this the nore likely did Ids hypothesis seem to rrow. C'och Tal was at least, though ii-n^ncmutip nntn?'nnistte to Masson. an >pen ami oven a manly foe. The farmer himself had behaved straightforwardly throughout. He had treated Ills guest with consideration and gratitude. and on the night they had passed In the same room, during which Masson had watched him with steady, sleepless eyes, he had slept a sound and peaceful slumber until morning, evidently undisturbed by plots, secret plans or coward's fears. Resides. Masson. who, like most other people, believed himself to lie something of a physiognomist, had from the first been predisposed against the lad Tom on account of Ids hangdog looks, ids sullen manner and the repellent, loweriug shyness which caused him to avert his eyes the moment the stranger looked in Ids direction. While Tregaron himself snowed his heart on his sleeve, was angry at one moment, impulsively grateful the next, his sou, on the other hand, had never changed his sulky look except when he had been discovered at tils digging in the darkness of the outhouse. As these thoughts passed quickly i through his mind Masson saw the ol.l woman after a little delay come In from the outhouse, closing the door behind her. > She cast at him one glance, In which malevolence and suspicion were easy to read, and went through the kitchen as silently as ever. Masson hoard her go up stairs, and a few minutes later Tom came down with rapid, heavy footsteps and burst into the kitchen with scared face. "Doctor, you're wanted! Gwyn ; wants you!" stammered he. "She's took ? 111 again?very ill! Be quick, be quick, or I'm afeared something will happen to her!" Masson hurried up stairs. The door of the sickroom was wide open, and the old woman, with her arms folded, was standing, passive, enigmatical as ever, in the middle of the floor. The sick girl was lying on her side, panting and gasping for breath. At the sight of the doctor she uttered a cry and beckoned him toward her. "Doctor." she said, not In the feeble voice he might have expected, but clearly and firmly. "I'm ill again. 1 think. Tell me, if you can. what's the matter with me." But this was not easy. He felt her pulse; he looked at her; he asked her some questions. How did she feel? In pain? In discomfort? Her answers puzzled him. She said she thought she was going to "have her Illness again." She felt uncomfortable. restless. She had a worse pain at her chest than ever. And her hands and head were so hot. She was feverish again, she was sure. So he took her temperature and found It normal. "It Is all nothing but fancy," said he at last, smiling at her fears. "You are going on as well as you possibly can. You have nothing to do but to keep quiet and you will be quite well in no time. If you go od as you are doing, you might get up for a little while the day after tomorrow." But she shook her head. "I am not so well as you think," said she obstinately. "Do you think I can't tell whether I'm getting better or not? I tell you I feel dreadfully id. as if I were going to die!" Again she lay back and closed her eyes. Masson was rendered rather nervous and uncomfortable by the presence or tlie oiu granuuioiuer, woo never once changed lier position during this scene, but stood on the same spot, like a malevolent witch, watching them with her beadlike eyes. In the circumstances It was difficult to speak as cheerily to the patient as he would have liked to do. "Oh. no. no. you are not going to die!" said he promptly. "I never saw any one who looked less like dying than you do. You have been worried perhaps, or you have had a fright." By the spasm which contracted her features as he made this suggestion he saw that he had probably hit upon the truth. He glanced at the old woman with a frown. "Is It your grandmother or your brother who has been frightening you?" asked he abruptly. But the girl did not answer. "I shall have to speak to your father," he said, with decision. At these words Gwyn suddenly opened her eyes again. "Yes," said she. "We will speak to my father. 1 will speak to him." She addressed a few words querulously In Welsh to her grandmother, who, without making any reply, went out of the room. Then she lay with closed eyes until a few minutes later her father came into the room, looking anxious and distressed. "What's this. Gwyn. my girl? What's this I hear? That you're ill again?" He came close up to the bedside, taking one of the girl's hands in his and looking into her face with eyes full of tender, yearning affection. "Yes. father. I'm not so well today," said Gwyn. drawing a breath which snoinwl to be lnbored. The farmer glanced suspiciously at Masson. "Doctor, wlrnt's tills?"' he asked sharply. "She doesn't look so 111 nor yet talk as weak as she did. What's this that's come to her? Can't you explain it? What does It mean, sir?" "She has been worried, alarmed, by some one." said Masson. The farmer frowned, and Gwyn glanced from him to the doctor. "I want." said she in a voice which now began to tremble a little, "to speak to my father." Masson proceeded to withdraw, but reluctantly. The girl was evidently exciting herself much more than was prudent. lie gave a warning glance at Tregaron. "Don't let her talk much." said he. "And don't let her excite herself." It was only too evident, however, that the interview between father and daughter would be of a harassing nature. for the farmer had begun lo shake and quiver as he looked with curiosity and suspicion first at Gwyn and then at the doctor. Masson left them together. About 20 minutes later Tregaron came down stairs into the Kitcnen, looking sullen and gloomy. Masson met his eyes with a questioning glance. "She's ful' of fancies," said the farmer shortly; "mud fancies as ever caiue into a lass' head. You'll have to give her a quieting dose, sir, or we shall have her ill again, sure enough. And Tom mustn't go near her. he must understand that, lie bounces into the room, like the great gawk he is, and makes her jump like so she thinks all sorts of v> tilings, all sorts of wild things." And as he repeated these words Tregaron fixed upon his guest eyes which were full of conjecture and doubt and eager scrutiny. Masson wondered what the commiti ideation was winch his daughter haJ ' made to him. Was it some hint of an ugly plot which Tom in^i panic had communicated to his sister? Was it i something about the well in the out house? He was about to put a question to the farmer concerning that adventure of his. when Tregaron said simply: "She wants to see you again, sir, 1 think." And then lie took up his hat and disappeared into the washhouse. But Masson ran after him. "You are hard at work, aren't you. clearing away the snow between this and the cowhouse?" "I believe you. Merrick and me and Tom have got our work cut out We've got to get to the sheep if we can and save 'em if we can. As hard work as ever we've had In our lives." All the more singular, surely, that Tom should have been spared for that mysterious work In the outhouse! HAnnn ckA \fnoonti niilnlrlr XUIlli ifj/cuigu vjui\.?ij, "Fie was at work indoors just now by the side of an old well or something of the kind. I stepped upon the boards which cover It and nearly fell through." The farmer shook his head warningly. "Dear, dear." he said, with much concern, "you shouldn't go walklug about this crazy old place by yourself, sir! There's pitfalls and traps for careless feet all over the place. That was not a well. sir. but a way by which they used to haul up provisions and such like In the old monks' days. I'll show It to you some time. sir. It's a bit of a curiosity. Is that." "Indeed, I should like to see it And in the meantime I hope you will accept me as a volunteer to help you with your digging." "No, no. sir! That's no work for you. If you'll take care of my daughter and save her from fretting herself Into a fever, that's what I want of you." "But I could do both. I could take a hand with a spade and go and see her from time to time as well." "All right, sir. You may do that if you like." i With this arrangement concluded Masson left the farmer and, return- ; Ing once more to the sickroom. Informed the girl of the plan he had formed with her father. To his surprise she energetically forbade him to carry it ( out. "I'm much worse than you think, ( any of you," said she, "and I want to live for the sake of?my father. I'm afraid of the night, of the night. I'm afraid I shall get restless and feverish then and perhaps be light headed like and wandering in my mind. So I want you, sir, to go and rest now while ( they're all out there digging, and then you will be fresh to watch me at ] night." "But I assure you, Miss Tregaron, you no more neeo waicning ai uigut , now than I do myself. If your grandmother sleeps In the room with you, surely you will feel safe and be able to rest yourself." But the girl was obstinate, determined. "I know better than you." she said stubbornly. "My grandmother goes off "Doctor, what's this?" he asked sharply. ^ into such a sound sleep that there would be no waking her, however ill j I might be." This statement, being in direct opposition to bis own experience of the old lady, astonished Masson. The girl went on: J "And I feel certain 1 shan't be able to sleep at all tonight." "Oh. yes. you will! If you find yourself uneasy toward night. I can give |. you a sleeping draft"? But she raised both her hands in 1 energetic* protest. "No. no!" said she. "I will not have 1 it. You must promise me. sir. that whatever happens you will not give me one. Promise, promise, or if not I will refuse to take either food or medicine." Decidedly this was the most obsti- 1 nate patient he had ever had. so the \ young doctor thought, as he found himself compelled to give the required promise. ( TO BE CONTINUED. A Chnnue All Around. "There goes a party that will be ( heard from," said Smith, pointing to a young man who was going down the , street. "He has managed to keep his . head in love and financial matters, and , they are the two great tests. r "Two months ago he was a young , man with all the world before 1dm and ( with no prospects ahead of him except j a determination to tight life's battles. ? "He was in love witli a young lady . living in tlds city, but ids financial con- , dition prevented him from declaring j his passion; besides he was not sure ? that the young lady in question cared j for him. j "But by one of those curious turns of the wheel of fortune an old aunt, that he had never seen, died and left liiin a large sum of money. Without delay he called upon the young lady and asked her to marry him. saying nothing about the fortune that had been left him. He met with a point blank refusal. t "Two days later the girl heard of his unexpected windfall and wrote him a note saying, '1 have changed my mind.' t "Ills answer was just as short. It said: " 'So have I.' "?Detroit Free Press. < aftUscflliuiroujs Reading. HAD A KICK TO MAKE. AND HE MADE IT RIGHT TO THE HEAD I OF THE FIRM. The Kicker Went About Landing HI* ' Protent In n Rnther Unconventional Manner, hat the Chnncen Are He Got What He Wan After. "Yes." said the tall, loose jointed < man at the telephone, "that's the nnm- i ber I want?229." "Double two nine?" queried the voice at the central office. "Well, I don't know that donble two nine is any better than the plain, ordinary two. two. nine, bnt if yon insist on that style suppose we say dcnble two single nine and get it'exactly right Hello! Is that Spotcash & Co.'s?" "Yes." responded the voice at the other end of the wire. "Is Mr. Spotcash in?" "Is it something important? He is mnch occupied." "So am I. Yes; it's a matter of some importance, and I want to talk to Mr. Spotcash personally Yes: I'll hold the wire?that is. I'll hold the phone"? "Hello I" snapped somebody at this juncture. "Hello! Is that Mr. Spotcash?" "Yes. Who is it?" "Yon are the head of the firm of Spotcash & Co.. are you not?" "Yes." was the impatient answer "What do vou want? Who are you?" "Gwilliams, 1195 Pumpernickel I street I want to enter a complaint" I "What abont?" t "I bought an icebox at your store a ( few days ago. and"? t "Call up the household goods depart- j ment. confound you I I have no time to c Bpare to look after such things." I "You've got as much time, perhaps, i as I have. I haven't any complaint to \ make to the household goods depart- | ment The head of the 6rui is the man I want to talk to. I bought an icebox j at your store a few days ago for $16.75. t I might have got it cheaper somewhere j else, but that isn't the point. Having \ bought it and paid for it. I had a right c to expect it to be delivered within a g reasonable time and in fair condition ^ It didn't come for four days, and when a it did come"? t "Say. you. I employ men to hear j complaints of this kind"? v "I have no use for them. You're the ^ responsible man of the house. The sys- j. tern is youra If it doesn't work smooth- : ly. it is your fault. When that icebox j came four days after purchase, one of the castors was missing, the varnish t was scraped off the outside surface in more than a dozen places, and it looked j as if it had gone through a hard season j. at a cheap boarding house"? j, "If there's anything wrong with it." roared Mr Spotcash. "send it backl I t can't take up ray time"? "Stand a little farther away from ^ the phone. Mr. Spotcash. Your voice wunds as if you had your mouth full ? . i i.i it 8 or masnea potatoes ? "Who the devil are yon?'1. 1 "I think I gave you my name and v address?Gwilliams. 1195 Pumpernickel c street, next door to Lazarus J. Spill- c horn. You don't know me from a 3 stuffed alligator, but you may have ' heard of Spillhorn. Don't yon allow 8 fourself to get hot. Mr. Spotcash. over 1 an icebox. The incongruity of such a 8 thing ought to be apparent even to the ' head of an overgrown junkshop'1? "If you were here, sir. I should kick v you out of my office"? . e "You would probably need some help. c tf that icebox had simply been defaced v a little. I shouldn't have made any fnss c about it, but the stupid sss you sent to 1 leliver it"? n "Haven't you sense enough, you in- F Pernal idiot, to know that I don't look rpersonally after the little details of a 6 business amounting to millions of dol- D larsayear?" fi "If you don't grasp every detail of a lhat business, you Cheap John notion g peddler in a gilt binding, you are not ii it to be the boss of it I Don't try to n irawl out of the responsibility by v ;hrowing the blame on some boy. If t Shat icebox had simply been defaced a ittle. I repeat, I shouldn't have made t any fuss about it. but the fellow yon g jent to deliver it didn't have any more l iense than to tumble it on the side- a tvalk"? r 1- '1 ,i .Bring II UHCK, LUiiun juu , "Look here. Spotcash. that won't do. ti pou know. Yon are not allowed to talk t .n that style over the teleplione. Exer- t ;ise a little common sense. Spotcash n iTou know it isn't my place to bring n ;hat icebox back. The proper thing to h lo, yon thirty-third degree haberdasher c uid toy vendor, is to send me a new c icebox and take the damaged one p jack"? h "You blank fool, do you think you :an tell me"? "Again let me tell you. Spotcash. lot to use such language over the tele- e ihone Some remote ancestor of yours nay possibly have been a gentleman. \ Try to emulate him. Spotcash In the neantime please uccept the assurances q )f my distinguished consideration, and jj he icebox will remain in my dwelling inbject to your order If it is replaced properly and within a reasonable time, j fou will not hear from me again. If it ' sn't, I shall call you up. Spotcash, per- ^ tonally a dozen times a day through all ;he public telephones in town I have ^ lot the patience to call at your store to nake the complaint Your system of ^ naking exchanges is too complicated, a ind I believe in going to headquarters u vith all kicks anyhow Never allow rourself to think. Spotcash. that you ire too big a man to listen to a com i\ Dlaint from your meanest customer, i " ,hink that's all. Good morning. Spot:ash("?Chicago Tribune ? Good Leniion Early Learned. IS "Twenty-five cents was the founda- c Jon of my fortune." "Who gave it to you?" is "Nobody. 1 tried to borrow it and 11 ;ouldn't."?Chicago Record. s< PRIMARY LESSONS IN COMMERCE. For I lie Especial Instruction of South Carolina "Metropolitan" Dally Newspapers. Written for the Yorkville Enquirer. Throughout the Southern portion ol the United States live some thirty millions of people in the enjoyment oi life, liberty and happiness. These people entertain the kindest feelings toward each other, any are so far from having malice against any other peodIa of the worlrl lliut their oonstnnt r,w vmv "v?? "-v.. prayer is that all other cations may ;njoy the same blessings that they Jnjoy. For years and years most of the lime and attention of the thirty millions of people referred to, have been levoted to the pursujt of raising cotton. So industrious have they been ihat they have made coltou clothes for ill the people that know enough to near cotton clothes. In fact they nave made too many cotton clothes "or the number of people there are >vho know euough to wear them, and is the result their cottou is growing to cheap that they will either have to juit raising cotton or find more people ,o wear it. Out in an island of the Pacific, there ire a host of savages, who know not Sod, who regard uot man, and who or want of better employment, spend nost of their time at war with each >tber, killing and slaying men and naking slaves of the women and cbil* Iren which they do not see fit to kill ilso. Except sometimes rude coverngs for their loins, these men are ;euerally naked ; but notwithstanding be geueral brutality of there nature, be rings of metal that they wear in beir noses and ears, and the fantastic trnaments which they inuke of featbjrs, shells, bones and other material, jroves that the quality of vanity is us leeply seated in them as it is in other nen. As it is on this island, so also is * ton Konoii nrl .iolunrla uc V ULI tcu bUUUOUUU UVUWl 1QIUUU0| uu veil as on many portions of tbe mainand. Now tbe people of wbicb we have ust spoken may bave never beard of bat great surplus of cotton wbich tbe jeople of the south have developed. tYe have no idea that they bave beard fit, or that they want it very badly. Savages seldom want things about vhich they know nothing. But we ire sure that if a trader would go to his island with a yard of cottou sbeetng, he would hud some savage who vould be willing to give him for it a vhole barrel of cocoauuls. If the rader had thought to have tbe sbeetug dyed red, or, better still, colored ike Joseph's coat, the chief of the savige tribe would give in exchange for it he skins of six goats, or maybe an xen, or perhaps a herd, or maybe a ump of native gold that he or some of is tribesmen may have found years lefore. Well, there is no telling how badly bese savages might want this Joseph's mat cotton. It is possible that when bey realized that tbe only way to get uch things is not by killing other savges ; but by having something to give n exchange, they may even go to vork plowing and digging and tending attle. It is possible also that when a hief realizes that be has given for one ni-jt ni' nint h n. nippp nf cmlrt nr a nrice bat ought to have purchased a thousnd yards, he may have bis son taught o read and write so as to be better ble to keep up with the market. But hat, of course, is a long time off. Well, so long as the savages are filling to give pearls, gold, oxen or ven sheepskins for yards of red cotton loth, there will be numerous traders fho will take big slocks of cottou loth to trade with the savages. That here are plenty of savages, no one ieed fear. Against about 900,000,000 ieople who wear clothes of any kind, here are now in the world about 00,000,000, who habitually go naked, ot so much from choice, probably as rom the fact that they do not kuow ny better. And if our traders are iven full rein amoug these for a while, astead of producing a surplus as tbey ow do, our southern cottou ruisers fill be pretty hard pushed to supply he demand. And cotton cloth, of course, is not he only thing that these savuges will ct. In the natural order of things, bey will also begin to learn to reud, nd after a while they will begin to ealize what they were brought iuto he world for. They will learn somehing of religion, and gradually some* liing of arts and sciences. Some day hey will, no doubt, begin to read the ewspapers, and in the final settleaent it will be found that while they ave contributed immensely to the inreased wealth of the south, all this ontribution has been uolbiug as comared with the benefits they themselves ave derived. w. d. g. THE HUMOROUS SIDE OF IT. Idltor Appett Levels His Spyglass at the Ilider of The State's High Horse. tanning Times, November 27. The Yorkvjlle Enquirer and the lolumbia State are furnishing the pub c with some excellent specimens of ditorial learning. The editors of bese two pupers must keep their atises and encyclopedias at tbeir sides II the time, so as to be able to treat be questions arising from the nationI administration's foreign policy. The tate is disposed to treat The En uirer with a degree of haughtiness nd superiority. It perches high up nd looks down upon its weekly conjmporary to inform k "that it is not in s class ;M but The Enquirer comes ack at the The State with such an rray of magnificently written edijrials, showiug itself a close student nd well versed in foreign affairs, that ae public is becoming interested and i watching the coutest between these ditorial giants. There is no doubt about it, Gonzales i a fine writer, and when it comes lo reating European questions he does a in a learned and attractive manner; but fortunately for the future of mankind, the world possesses "others" who make a study of government and foreign policies, and who have access to atlasses and reference books. Were this not true, the passing away of Ed itor Gonzales would leave this world of ours in darkness. There is no law or reason why the editor of a- daily paper should be possessed of more learning than his brother of a weekly, and the discussion now going on between The State and The Enquirer, shows clearly that Bditor Grist, of The Enquirer, has produced a strong argument on the Eastern question, and one which will put its readers to wondering why it is that the metro-, politan dailies in this state are keeping out of their columns all matter tending to throw light upon the Eastern question. We read the correspondence between the Spartanburg mill men and Senators McLaurin and Tillman, and J regretted the shortsightedness displayed by our dailies in not giving it to their readers. It looked as if there was a hidden purpose in keeping this correspondence from the people. The people heard of these things, and it was not long before a demand came from them for. county newspupers to publish this correspondence?a correspondence which attracted all the leading newspapers of the Uuiied States, and although it was "warmed over . news," the weeklies complied with ' the demand, and the people were given a chance to get a glimpse at the other side of a question which the duilies so persistently witheld from tbem. It will not do for The State, or any other paper, to assume superiority. It must wiu superiority by making its case clear and indisputable. To say, "You are not in our class," is a sign of weakness, aud gives au adversary the advantage. It tends to confirm the leeliug that the daily newspapers in this state are not in close touch with the people; and that instead of fulfilling the functions of news purveyors, they seek to direct sentiment and to force the people to accept the dicta of their editors. One of the most brilliant editors South Carolina ever had was the lamented Dawson. His influence was most powerful. He could, at a breath from The News and Courier, make or unmake meu ; but bis was in another day. Times have changed, and with them fresh blood has been infused into the veins of the editorial tripod, and there is stronger brain on both dailies and weeklies. Gonzales was trained under Dawson, and in many respects he is just as able a man ; but with all bis ability he cannot successfully play Dawson's role?times have changed. . Dawson, if he were here today, would -, find himself without an occupation were be to attempt bis "puff and crush" . methods and to withold matters that should go to the public is nothing more uur lees muu u suucilic iu crusu uun tbose who are independent in thought and action. The weekly press is no longer confined to the limits of matters of purely local concern. Its readers have caught the progressive spirit, and they want to keep abreast of the times; hence it is necessury for the editors to devote their spare moments to study and seeking information upon all subjects, and we believe that there are a numraer of men in this state editing weekly papers, who can compare very favorably with the learned Gonzales. Among those we haveiu mind is Grist, of The Enquirer. His editorials in the controversy with The State evince a wonderful amount of research. They are logical, finely put, and would win praises for the editor of a metropolitan daily. It sounds very cheap to talk about not being iu the "same class." That does very well for a Jefferies to say of a McCoy; but it will not do for a Gonzales to say of a Grist. Come to the scratch, friend State, and if our mutual frieud, The Enquirer, opens your eyes on the Eastern question, and lets into your brain a light that has never been there before, acknowledge it, and we assure you that "us little fellows" who are forced to live on "greens and taters, kase dad's not driv up the cows yit," will not chuckle; but we will go right on shucking our corn and sing, "While the lamp holds out to burn, the vilest sinner may return." Fiddle Butt Stealers. There is a reason why the Adiron dnck foiest tires should become more destructive each succeeding year. Most of the timber there is spruce.. While spruce is used for various purposes it it valued ehieliy as material for the manufacture of sounding boards for all kinds of musical instruments. That part of the spruce tree which is free from branches, extending to from 20 to 20 feet above the ground, is known as a tiddlc butt. As there are no branches in that part of the trunk there are no knots, and when the lumber is sawed it presents a smooth surface, an essential in the making of sounding boards. The stealing of fiddle butts is carried on as a regular industry by hundreds of men who own small farms on the outer edges of the forests. These men go into the woods in winter and cut down thousands of great spruce trees. They take from each tree only the base log. which they soil at the nearest sawmill, allowing the remainder of the tree to lie where it falls. The branches become dry as tinder in time, and when a Are is started by a careless hunter or woodsman they furnish an abundance of fuel for the spread of the conflagration. \fnnv i.ffmfa linva hoon innilo to nun ish the fiddle butt stealers, but it is a fact that no Jury has ever been got together that would bring in a verdict of guilty. It is claimed, with much evidence of truth, that a jury has never been selected in that section that did not have a liddle butt stealer among its members.?Philadelphia Record.