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READING ' When Human Nature Virgil M. He Author of "Ancient, Curi< ' * (On Dc "Reading the Will" and the "Funeral Feast" are customs which have come down to us from very early times. The historian finds a vast av mount of literature devoted to these subjects, and celebrated painters and ' poets have depicted them. What more dramatic subject can be suggested for the brush or the pen than the one, "Reading the Will'; what can bring out more strikingly the idiosyncracies elevated or debased, of individual character? What more surely dis covers the aeptns 01 anecuon or mvn perfectly unmasks abysses of jeal' ^ , ouSy, selfishness and avarice? Goethe has synically said, "There is something at the bottom of .every - / man's heart which, if we knew it, would make us hate him.' Most wills are read and probated within two or three days after the testator's burial ?sometimes, it would seem, with almost indecent haste.vLet us observe an imaginary group as it sits to hear: the will read, for it gives us room IV * ' I for thought and speculation; there is the table, cleared of its usual ornaments, except possibly an inkstand, and the man of law solemnly opens the document encased in its paper ?hroud, and reads to the silent and expectant listeners that which may govern the whole future tenor of their lives; the thoughts of some, per-1 haps one, on the lone grave or empty chair, remembering the endearing qualities of the departed and their ,oi^n-irreparable shortcomings; some present for the sake of form, who can , have no part in successipn, merely .? indifferent as to the death of the testator, or what he left behind him; others asking themselves, with terrible asxiety, if advanceemnts are can ""Celed and forgiven; some maybe speculating on the contingent possibility of the revelation of family secrets or skeletons, which to this moment have ? been sucessfully concealed^ or entertaining the hope that Mysteries whieh date far back are now, at last, to- be cleared up; how impatiently,'though with calm and -decorous exteriors^ ithey wait to le^rn the'^orsf tbr the' . ' best that has befallen'them!.Human nature has stood still while all else ' V I has been changed. ' J The ancient custom of "reading ,'the will" is still followed, but not so . ' formally or frequently as of old. The ^ ^ , "funeral feast" existed among the Romans; in fact, no country has indulged in more intricate funeral rites or displayed therein more formality -and ceremony, than perhaps the, Egyptians. In Rome it became necessary to repress by law extravagant funeral rites; a law of the XII Tay... ?. >. \ i I QUAL Is Our Fir^t Cons s?. ' k ;. v ? / . / i: : / We established our busin Vvr?in /> fftln ii7i 111 nun Aiioin xa.ii w 1 tii uui tuoiv value for the money they V - : ' ' . . \ ; " We have continued that we are pursuing it more | - . A " this era of price inflation ? lower the standard of our f 'A ' " * On this hiph plane of con ' your patronage. Prompt J % mi .1 . \ I i eiepnoi [ Miller ?S fe? :>./ ; -. ..-' ,. . : - . 0 . ,.. y ; - ; - ', . \ THE WILL . f Removes Its Mask. b irris, LL. D. ' d )us and Famous Wills." x t >cket.) \ . t .1 i .1? j u i ^ bles provided tnat mere snouia ue ^ only one funeral and one "funeral c feast." ' / * , c The feast was an essential feature e among primitive peoples, and we see t it degenerated in to the "Irish wake" ( which still survives. The "ecclesiasti- t cal wake" in Scotland and Ireland n had formerly a much wider signflic- t ance than at present and was a vigil t kept rs a church celebration; it was t an all-night service of prayer and meditation in the church in coinmem- e oration of some important event in b the affairs of the parish chureh. These a wakes are, to some extent, still kept c in many English rural parishes. f Excerpts from certain early English " wills Ye in point, and may not prove b uninteresteing: a -The will of Thoma?, Earl of War- b wick, who died in 1401, contained this ~V clause: "I will that-all my friends at- b tending my funeral shalKhave good o entertainment, viz, supper overnight and a dinner nexx aay. 0 In the will of Sir Thomas West, j] Kn? who died in 1415, we find this j; provision: "I will that not more than a xl ? be laid out in meat, drink and ta- v pers on the day of my burial; and <3 that xxiv ? be given two priests to f celebrate divine service for my soul for two years after my decease, as also for the souls of all my progenitors and all faithful deceased." tt The will of Robert Fabyan, Knt., ^ who died in 1511, provided: "I will that myn etfecutrice doo purchase ayenst my burying competent brede, ? ale and chese for all comers and at said-church competent brede, ale, v S chese, pieces of beffe and moton and rost rybbs of beffe." ? Dame Maud Say, wife of Sir Goef- r frey Say, who died in 1369 provided , ' ' L in her will: "I desire that no feast be - 11 v._x XL.X I " made on my lunerai aay, oui umu immediately after my decease, my r corpse be carried to burial covered n only with a cloth having a red cross a thereon." , ,-^v H r Annt Duchess of Exeter,-who d^d in 1457, eyWeiifcly disapproved , of * the custom? for &y her will, she " for-< 1 bade her executors "to make any e great feast or to have a solemn hearse ^ or costly lights, or largess of liveries, according to the glory and vain pomp * of the world.'- \ * The "corpse wake" or "lyke-wake' formerly held for the purpose of pre- z venting-the body from being carried ^ off by agents of the invisible world, or 1 to avoid the ravages of animals, or for-indulgence in reverential sorrow has in modern times frequently been * converted into drunken and riotous . orgies. The 'funeral feast"" incident to the "corpse wake" has. given rise c s ~ t " " I JTY ii iideraion . I ^ tess on the principle of I J mers, giving them full a leave with us. EM policy throughout, and fl t persistently than ever In B today. But we never I ? goods. I t n imerciaiity we solicit I h e Delivery ie :: 99 11 i Evans I; 'B? HHHHK ' V ' ' '' .. ' ' ' -1 o many serious yet amusing conten tenditure. Probate courts have care ully refrained from laying down i all of fare. Hon. John Marshall Gest, of Phila lelphia, a learned author on testa nentary lore, says: "It is probabl< hat the conventional collation o: old ham, bread and butter, pickle; the long, green, pimply kind)' anc offee with perhaps the addition 61 akervin accordance with the deced nts station in life, would meet witl he approval of the strictest judge )f course, where the residuary lega ees partake of the repast, it woul< lot lie in their guilty mouths, foi hey would be stopped or estopped o object to the cost of dainties whicl hey had helped to consume." Canvas-back ducks and champagm yen if: obtainable, would doubtlesi e "(lisallowed, for the reason put b3 n old writer on the subject, "as noi ongruent to the sadness and dole ulness of the action in hand.' Crackers, cheese and tobacco,'" hav <een approved by a learned judge wh< dded that a "beverage" of som< ind would have made the meal "less mwholesome and more palatable" ut this was before the unhappy day: f national prohibition. How virtue and vanity, how benev lence and miserliness can shine ou1 r a will! In wills the dead speak, am a a manner, live again. How oftei nd hpw plainly in them do we se< anity, "a ruling passion strong ir leath," and the unmistakable desir< or posthumous fame and glory. On the tomb of the poet Gay ir Westminster Abbey are his owx nocking lines: Life is a jest and all things show it thought so once and now I know.it.' w;iic h m ovicfoH frnm tViP rlnwi f- creation; possibly Adam and Job ut surely Abraham and Jacob, mad< rills, zfid not Abraham appoint hi teward his heir, and did not Jacol ;ive Joseph a portion above his?breth en? , The poet Virgil died somg year efore the Christian erk; by his will ie directed that his ^eneid be burnet 10 doubt a source of deep regret t< nany a youth since who has essayet . knowledge Latin. * Horace, the poet, wrote a'satire oj 'Legacy Hunters," which is as full o; iractical wisdom today as it was tw< hpusa^d years ago, and it can be ui d now?s an excellent gujde for thosi eeking to insinuate themselves ,int? he affections, of relatives and friend irho are financially able t^ beatov estamentary favors. The writing of a will is a seriou md 'formal matter, for the testato :nows when he pens it, that no woun< nflicted can be remedied, no neglec epaired. Arid scarcely a will of an; ength is written, which does not af ord some knowledge of the heart o he person A^ho made it. Suggestions of interest, prejudic >r revenge may induce a witness t hade the truth or swerve from it bu he testator recollecting that the doc Indent will not see the light until hi md Unknown sea which surrounds a) he world, tends to render his state nents of unquestioned veracity; tlu eal wishes of thei innermost hear ,re suffered to appear, for the write: rill be indiffereht to consequence: t'hen they are disclosed. Mr. Dooley, the humorist, has re onflv mrrij+fin n hnnlc on "Mnlrino' j Vill and Other Necessary Evils; lere, as elsewhere, he "speaks thi ruth smiling." He gives a striking il ustration of the vanities of testatori ,nd the yearning for postumous glo ification, in the attempt of the deac iand to hold on after the spirit ha: eft its temporal abode. une or tne strangest eitorts to od ain posthumous remembrance is i lonument in the "Campo Santo,' fenoa's great cemetery: A woman rhose business was that of a sausage eller, requested by her will thai here should be erected over her relains an effigy which would signifj er trade. Her executors followed hei istructions, and this statue is a faithul likeness of the woman at her chosn occupation. In her hands are trings of sausage and liver puddings nd her costume is copied from one rorn by her when actively engaged i trade. In marked contrast, is the first monlent erected to a, woman, in this ountry. It stands in Margaret Place, ot far from Canal street, in the oitv f New Orleans. The figure is that f a woman sitting in a rustic chair, ressed in a plain skirt and loose ack, with a simple shawl thrown over er shoulders, her arm encircling a hild. Prior to her death, and by her last -1 will, she gave to charitable institu tions of the city of New Orleans about i $600,000. She died in 1882. Her patents were Irish immigrants who - died of yellow fever. When quite - young, she married an Irishman of i ber own rank, who also died shortly f after the marriage, and a year therq 3 after she lost her only child. I The childless widow became a ? laundress in the St. Charles , Hotel, - and afterward entered into the bak1 ery business in which she was emi nently successful. Her whole life was * devoted to charities, Catholic, Protes1 tant and Hebrew alike. She never r learned to read or write, and could > not distinguish one figure from an1 other. Her will is signed with a mark. The fund "for the monument wa?. ; obtained by popular subscription. Her 5 funeral sermon was preached by the 7. archbishop; the business of the city t was temporarily suspended, and a ' thousand orphans, representing every asylum in the city, occupied seats of honor. Will-making is ,one of the most im ' portant privileges given by society to the individual; many persons take ' good care tQ vent their spleen, and in sarcastic terms, take a final hit at an unfriendly world, and express without reserve opinions about per^ sons and things. We have the will of * the Englishman who left to a th'ank1 less kinsman the picture of a viper 1 biting the benevolent hand which'fed 1 it, and the will of the Tennessee tes" tator who referred to his nephews and nieces as "illegitimate children;" in 1 both cases suits for damages were 1 brought by the ones1 libeled, and, strange to say, they were succesafully maintained. ' But fortunately, the disappoint1 ments of life, its ills and. strifes are ' not the most frequent remembrances 3 in wills; some of the sweetest and j purest sentiments of the human heart - are often contained in these Mgal monuments. Friendship and affection are often leferred to and rememberj ed substantially, and public charita1 ble bequests yearly exceed business j losses in the United States^and, it may be added, that only one .wHl in 600 is successfully contested. . ji ~~~?~~ ?~~r " 11 i LDLCLCLCLCIJCICLCLCLCLCLCLCI )|3iam3uooiai3iJUUUL ,fc } i i; I I I 5'x l! nil I m I We have ji of the be /vino r?r ax you. Il Builder i [j! a. ; I} Abbeville, i! ' I UiifarafitJHJiiJiiJHmramran i' \ SPEECH OF ROOT r MISSTATES FACT Secretary Colby Call* New York Man?A? To Article Tea. -Washington, Oct. 23.?Secretary. Colby issued a statement tonight asserting that there was "a plain misstatement of fact" in the recent address made by Elihu Boot. Mr. Colby addressed his statement particularly to the . question of Article 10 of the covenant as pres eft ted by Mr. Boot. "Mr. Boot's statement that Article 10 is "an attempt to carfy over and continue for all time, as part of th^ organization to preserve peace and exercise of power by the conquering nations in closing the war is a plain misstatement of fact," Mr. Gol&y said. "Indeed, it is a complete inversion of the troth. "TTia -fnT+Vior rVhiAction ifit +ho onih. stitution in any event of physical or armed force for the moral" force* which is relied upon in the other provisions of the covenant indicatea a complete insensibility to the intents or lessons of the worid's recent and harrowing experience. "The idea of an international court of justice, to which Mr. Boot has ju&t contributed his enthusiastic labors, has admittedly been a lifeless' thing hopelessly beyond realization." Legal Blanks for Sale Here.? The Press and Banner Company. fSaaSSS!.-.!.... Jt A,H A N. ' 1 *f'" \ Containing 300 Acre*, on Sn beville; level, productive, vri plenty of well* and outhous< good state of cultivationFOR to a purchaser on acceptable whole, or divided into tracts c each. ' ' 1 Vv / For Price and Terms, appl Mrs. J. F. Thornto A . ' . . ^ ' V l.? irararararararararanffWflfi ====r===?=============:=2^ sS ras A ijprP jpgj^B < ggj^H MB HB wH j^W RED GEE * i '" " . '. ' . i * " * . / ; "* It! AT Ill List received a b ?j_ d^J r\. sc graac ivcu v^c id are ready to / * i s Supply Cc H. JACKSON,, Mana iBiaZBBBBflBBBBB!! . <' MAY CLOSE SCHOOLS EARLY Gaffney, Oct. 19.?Aroused over ? ... . . .. me announcement tnai rt may not oe possible to continue the present tenn of the public schools in Gaffney longer than February, on account of-la lack of funds with which to defray the school expenses, the patronr of the schools here declare that ail relative to the term being curtailed is foolish and that the patrons tack on the integrity of the banker? funds with which to carry oil the * work until the county can make some nrnviainna fnr aocnrinor tho mnnnr needed. Superintendent of education for Cherokee county, W. C. McArthur, has 'been notified by the state superintendent of education that it wilTbe necessary for the schools in ail dis~ v tricts to-be closed when such district? may have exhausted all available funds. It is said^by school department officials that the expenses incidex^ to the conduct of the local schools-' is * i _ 1 r* - AAA 1L I approximately $o,uuu per monw. -i; NEWBERRY MILLS TO N CURTAIL PRODUCTION Newberry, Oct. 23.?The cotton mills in Newberry will close tonight Thursday, and stay closed the balance of the wegk, owii^g to thq condition of the cotton and coftfti goods market. They hope1 to resum? their running next week . and from then on will depend upon the condition of affaire in their line. . TAT 10 N ake Road 6 miles from Abtb several Tenant Houiei, 'r. ?, plenty of wood, and ii* ' - c; SALE ? terms. . Will be sold' as a >f>One Hundred (100) Acre* - ^ . . ' ,-r, 7 *? ' ' / K " ' n, Abbeville, S. C, ^ * .'-J; ;SSiSSS^^ ool \/ \J )AR 1 li\ 1 jLJ || ig shipment j | i. oi_ f i dcir ohm- i supply j | impany || iser J V; JtS So. Carolina ({ 'IffilimnianjEiaranyimniM | | , : >