Cheraw chronicle. (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, December 28, 1911, Image 1

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Ctjrrau) Cfyromck "Tig Not In Mortals to Command Success, but We'll do More, Sempronlous, We'll Deserve It" Votome 16 CHER AW, CHESTERFIELD COUNTY. S. C., DECEMBER 28, 1911 Number 9, ras Nmt Year's night. Ap age ras $tap<flng by. the winder H ^ raised bis fcyes toward th <Jeep blue sky, where the stars wer j?, floating like white lilies on the sui <$a!v,- ' face of a clear, calm lake. Then h , ?*?Jt them on the earth, where fet Mretirc: more helnloss beings than himsel m movihg toward their inevitiabl goal?the tomb. Already he had pas.' '?* sixty of the stage6 which lead t It, and he bad brought from his joui ney nothing but errors and remorse 1 ^ ' < His health was destroyed, his mib urifuralshed, his heart sorrowful, an his old age devoid of comfort. . The days of his youth rose up in vision before him, and he recalled th solemn moment when his father ha^ placed him at the entrance of tvc road8, one leading into a peaeefu sunny land, covered with a fertile hai - vest, and resounding with soft, swee ' >. - songs; while the other cqnducted th wapdnfer into a deep, dark cave whencMfcere was no issue, where pol son flowed instead of water, am where serpents hissed and crawled. He looked' toward the sky, and crle out in his angttfsh: "Oh, youth, rt " turn! O my father, place me one *><* ?t the croasway of ^t , may choose the better road!" Bu / tfle day* of his youth had passe if New Tear's oomes as lats again ThJe year aa It dUl last, 1 dont believe I'll get to see The end. when it goes past, And when the new one starts to go Across the calendar, Last time I watched until I dreame I was a New Year's star. Pa says there Isn't anything That folks can see or hear When midnight comes and Fathe Time Brings in another year. But maybe ho is fooling me. Why do the people sing And' call It watch-night meeting, am Why do the church bells ring? Fa says they got the number of The year by adding one Rath New Year's to the year before And when that year was done, By adding on another, till Optimism turns up the corners o motrtti, and incidentally the othe fcrflow's. But I won't carry it to i IkKrvmia atota f\f InanHull v Til n O'rtpli 7TN T(Uia Ul lliaWiTU/, I lie nv/l 11 *?ust move, ] know. A smile will carry me more sue essfully through the fining yea rfcan a frown. Resides, it's more be wning. My huRband i? not a hero to th< ?*her woman, She thinkB her partne ie just aa good. I will give her i chance to sound his praises. I will nor shake the o:!ier girl' dorlse hair in the roan's face.' If i is a good rnafh, he will not bollevi 41.,': u::d it il m a>. ouv*Oui? subsUiu jjl, d In darkness athwart the churchyard e "Behold an emblem of myself!" hA e exclaimed; and the sharp arrows of e 'unavailing remorse struck him to the r- heart. e Then he remembered his early enmv panions, who had entered life with If him, but who having trod the paths of e virtue and industry, were now happy 5- and honored on this New Year's o night. The clock in the high church p- tower struck, and the sound, falling i. on his ear, recalled the many tokens ft nt tho Inva nf htn nnronta fnr him! d the prayers they had offered up In hie behalf. Overwhelmed with shame a and grief, he dared no longer look toe ward that heaven where they dwelt, d His drr'-Ted eyes dropped tears, and 0 with < :c despairing effort he cried I, aloud. "C'on'e back, my early days! * Come back!" t And ln's youth did return; for all e this bad been but a dream, visiting >, his slumbers on New Year's night. I- He was still young, his errors only d were no dream. He thanked Ood fervently that time was still his own; d that he had not yet entered the deep, s- dark cavern, but he was free to tread I e the road leading to the peaceful land 1 where sunny harvests wsvs. ' t, who still linger on the thresh* d' doubting which path to They piled it up to here. It must have taken awful long To count Just once a year. They tell me when I go to bed ] The last December night, d I'll have to go without a meaJ Until the next year's light. Some people think they're awfui ! smart, But I know what they mean; ' r The next year has to be next day? There's nothing in between. A New Year's day's a happy time For almost every one It seems a sort of start of things, With nothing quite begun. And everybody's feeling young And spry, just like a boy. 1 I hope your happy New Year will 1 He spilling-full of joy, TOMMY. * T&Jr f tion, he will think that I am catty, r In either case I lose, a "Truth is a moon reflected in many 1 waters." says an eastern proverb. I will remember that when questioning : my erring child. r "Union and liberty, one and inseparable, now and forever," is a pretty good motto for married ones. The e trouble is that liberty drifts into inr significance, and union ends at the di i | vorce courts, i win ue wioc. Despite the fact thai love makes s j the world *o round, he cannot pay the I I fjas lii'l or the rent. I will look out a 1 for the bread and cheese and love i-1 w ill provide the kisses. if iV-kJio !' 1 D/c JpTempleMg Was there any place where she , couid be leally quiet? H her-eyes could tee . | through the pur- , ;SS\,S: The dnow Began ^ * ' ***** ' ( Ml. ^ thi? way and thfct for Mmtr place where ebe might be alone. On the | crest of a bill, far up tbe road, stood the schoolhouse where she taught It , was closed now and dark. "I will go there," Nell said to her- , elf, and just then a roles behind her sailed: "Supper is ready." ? "1 don't want - any,"* Nell saM wearily. "I'm going out for a little while, Mrs. McGregor. 1*11 be bade 1 L.? St Uf l?B. , The sno* began to fall toftly aa , the left the house, and by the time , he reached the school It was begin- , nlng to drift against the fences. ( There was no fire within, bnt Nell lighted one, and when the warmth ( began to steal into the room, she j drew the one big chair close to the bearth and in the peaceful loneliness gave herself up to her thoughts. But she was not to remain In peace . long. There was a sound of sleigh- j bells without, heavy steps on the . threshold, and she looked up to see ( the burly form of a young farmer in { the doorway. "Well, well," he said, "I saw the \ light and came in. Who would have \ dreamed that you would be here ( alone?" 1 Nell smiled wearily. "I came to be j UuiPt." i "Thed you don't want me." Deposit yo IN The Bank < Cheraov STBOXGBR TH1> ALL tTIlB BU 40 compou 0 in savin I "Oh, sit down," she said, somewhat ungraciously. Rut he stood by the fireplace and looked down at her. "What's the matter?" he asked ab- j ruptly. ' ' "Nothing," faintly. "Don't tell me that; I know better." "If I tell you," she asked, "you mustn't g.ve me any advice. I have bad so much advice I hate It" He sat down beside her. "Tell ahead," he said, "and I'll promise to, listen like the Sphinx." "You see, it Is this way," she said; "my uncle in town is rich. He is a miserly old man, -^Trn and he made me ~ rrji miserable when I riryf) lived with him. I'm not going to y4r^|raj tell you about my childhood, how lit- y tie love there H. 4 I was In It, and Crj]- I M how I was starved \ rjr I ,? spiritually and 1\ J mentally, as wellv 1 as physically. / il When I grew old I enough to under- | stand that he I could give me KgS^^KTV-V things, and had not because he ranted to save and , save. I lafthlm itaf Ijfcjgff came here to ; , and^Mjr - -Td like to break that promise," he Mitt. ?. "No; yea mustn't," she uid firmly. "You're all bete so. good to mc-hecc, and If you," ah* caught her breath, "join the other* la aching ma to stay, It will make It ' ao bhrd for me to go." "He decent deeerre much at your bands," tbeman stated. ' "I know," abe aald wearily, "bu tomorrow I begin amnryew ?? ' fldnt want to begin It wrong, yet I don't know the right." *T dofa't believe mdeh In aaylng thipgs," the young farmer remarked; "my policy la to do them.' And now, , are you going to stay here in' this lonely place much longer? It Is mowing and it la late." "I suppose 1 ought to go," she said doubtfully, "hut it la so lovely ( lie re in the silence." "Look here," he said suddenly, ( "don't you keep your tea things in that little cupboard? I hare got to { ;o to town, and when I come back I'll bring something for a little supper, and we can watch the old year >ut. Then I'll take you home in the sleigh." "How' good of you." She held out ler hand to him. "You haven't jothered me with advice, and you are ' loing something to make me com- ' ortable. That is just like you, Jack Norton." He blushed a little, this big kindly ur money ?' of Cheraw I S. Cw ( 1 I UK 8 IK TBI COCKTT COITBIXIB ' < t nded quarterly ; f igs department ' man, who looked upon the little woman from the 7"^^ city as a being ^ flu&Md/from another ^=4^ 'sphere; she was'so ATZ^y ' RjM dainty, so different 01H from the girls , in f^L his own village.; knew what J/yr l^^rl she was doing vl \l\i i I I V w^en 8^e *?ld i Imml if not t0 as^ her ^ I Ah : mm m' stay' she bad \ known for a long j^y^X'i1.'1 Hyjl time of the qqes- / I tIon that trembled 1 V ri^flr on his lips. She 1 //A - HH1 knew he waited to marry her,. aa X/y^^sir a womai1 know? who is wise In the ^ J ways of men. _8he_ thought; of r i tne lire sne migni "Ar# You Going leftd if she married Back With M?r him, a life In the big farmhouse, sum shiny in summer and secure in vim ter. Then she thought of her life, with her uncle in a dark apartmentin the streets of the city. She knew that, In a way, it was a false idea of' duty that would take her back. Yet she bad to go, some force that was in her seemed Impelling her. The wind blew in great blaati J" against the little bouse, the snow had triii. ilitisi'siigir<iritf eld SB "Are yov going beck with mer Now that she'wae faoe to faoe wttk A his meettneM. lt teemed to Nell the* she couH never go wkh- Mxa. , 1 don't know," she faltered. Jkj Here's a .grateful^gtri." the- e*4 MM men stormed, -and2, lust then ' the* sleighbctls jingled and. (a another moment Jack -Norton wee tn th* room, his erne ftdl of bonifies, Ms syes-besttring. -< ?, ?>. , "So this- ie- your uncle," he Mtf. "I thought so when I directed hlao here. Yooll stay, and hare supper with oe, wont jo*! Mrt We are gpIng to see the old year oat and ttoo pew year In." "Who are yenf* the old nan. growled. "I?" Jack's eyes Has bed from Netfa cowering figure to the grlmness of the uncle. Then suddenly he todk things in his own hands. "I'm the man your niece le gota# to marry," he said. "What!" the old man shouted. 'Tm the man your niece Is going; to marry," he said securely. He had Men the Joy In Nell's face. - ?? % lit. is "But sne IS going nome wuu me. Jack shook his head. "No, she to ?oing home with me. Yoa can come whenever you wish, sir. The old. house Is big enough for twenty; uncles, or If you i?o "vSSt like it better, there | is a cottage at the /~7/JHnk edge of the farm where you could QACSjefid stay if you wishThe old man > / / jjflC jUL flashed a crafty A glance at him. w* | fXfl\ fm* [ "Would it cost me W I UpRv-rM anything?" he ask- jjj J jW/jn 11 "Nothing," aaid nhrfwi I "Then marry her," * said the old uncle, S , 'and I'll come and tr live in the cottage Nell's faoe was in her hands, and, | is Jack bent over ?r1 ier, she whispered, "I'n* the Man 6t>e Oh, I can't let you ' Going to lo It!" Marry." "It is the ooJr way that yon cab sake my New Year happy," he tokf ier, and as she looked up into his faoe he knew that what he said was true. Mlstrees?I must say, Mary Ann, I 3nd you very hard to get along wltk. The Cook?I was about to say Um line ot you. mum.