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TINY LITTLE BOY AND AN. iiCIET ARiNER HOW THEY BECAME COWORK ERS IN MISERY. A Masterly Piece of Commingled Pathos and Humor by Col. James T. Bacon. Col. James T. Bacon, of Edgefield, writes as follows in the News and Courier: It is a lovely little blonde boy, not quite three years of age. He has wax-dioll hair, earnest blue eyes and an absolutely faultless complexion. His little figure is manly and beauti ful, and his little legs and arms are chubby and strong. He looks like the angels. And, what is rmore, as things go in these days, he is the im age of Buster Brown. Many millions! of people who never heard of the cher ubim and seraphim, know' and love Buster Brown. Yes, at this period it pays better to look like Buster Brown .than like "St. Mitchael and 'all angels." The little boy has lived -his brief three years entirely with four grow.n-up and fairly-cultivated people-a grandmoth er, who is elderly, and a grand uncle, 'born in the very remotest depths of an:tiquity. Consequently the little boy, although he is very -playful and frolicsome, speaks beautiful English, and pronounces like Dr. Sam John son, the great lexicographer. His mother, a very blond young woman, slen-der and fragile at best, is lying low with burning, cruel, consuming fever. The family are poor and can not afford tp hire a trained nurse in a crimped cap and a smile at $3 a 4ay. And besides a itrained nurse in a crimped cap and a smile is generally very cruel to the patien-t, and extreme ly ferocious to her kin-people, who have to do. the real work. And then, too, 'the trained nurse in the crimped cap.and the smile always expects some .man in the family 'to marry her. Of the :cwo men in this family neither is at liberty to achieve the 'hymeneal sacrifice, and the young physician in charge, although he is-ashandsome as Apollo, has a young and lovely wife,' * and is very virtuous. So the family, <being very poor, and fearing accom panying circumstances, do not seek to compas-s a strained nurse, but the eT-. derly gran'dmother, whom -The little 'boy calls "Gran," and the ancient mar iner uncle whom he-calls "Jiddy," sys tematically divide t'he labors of the dire fever warfare. "Gran" establishes herself in one wing of the Qld 'house to watch and work and wake and weep, as onily a mother can and will, over the apparen'tly dying 'daughter. The an cient mariner is :to take the little 'boy, "James," into th-e other wing, a broad hall between, to mind 'him and to do for him in al'l lin'es, and to conduct the' h'ousekeeping with 'the fragmentar.y and 'spasmodic help of "Aunt Kizzy," an elderly colored"cook, who gets the breakfas:t an:d the dinner, and milks the cow. At three o'clock p. in., Aunt Kizzy shakes t'he dust of the premises off 'her scaly feet. The Warming of the Noisome Odds and Ends. It is 6 o'clock in 'the evening, and 'sthe ancient mariner, cl'osely attended 'by the little boy, makes coffee with cold water upon a one.burner. kero sene stove. A one-burner kerosene stove is an infinite blessing from God. He then ransacks miscellaneous, side boards and closets and places upon the hearth, to warm, miscellaneous and 'horrible fragments of cold 'biscuits, beef, macaroni, egg-plant fritters, yam po'tatoes. etc. Then the young man, 'who keeps the outside business run ning, and bhuys 20 'pounds of drugs and medicine's and a hundred pounds of ice each day, comes in and says that the fragments look "filthy." God iknows they do. And the coffee woul.1 make a pig in a pen recoil with horror. And the little boy runs merrily across to the sick wing, and cries out: "Gran, tea i's ready." "Tea!" Poor "Gran" comes hastily, with 'hair apart and .gathering the little boy to her lap, gulps down her cup of swill in three 'gulps, and says: '-Thank .God, it is at least hot.'' Her tears fall 'on the lit tie boy's yellow 'hair, and she hurry skurries back to the sick room. And the young man w'ho buys the hundred pounds of ice a day says: "I wish I had a box of sArlines, even if they cost only five cents." "I Pray the Lord to Make My Mother Well." The ann rmariner ha disrobed 'r the old brass ire-d'gs, and the buckle is alreadv .burned off. The lttle boy, wiho has never slept away 1i from his mother's side, whimpers and in says: "Jiddy. my Buster Brown belt n is ruint." Then the ancient mariner bi pulls him down on his little knees- o1 he looks exactly like an angel-to say t, his prayers. He says "Our Father" A all through without stopping, and then at the ancient mariner says: "Now I lay se me down." And the child says: "Now pi [ llay me down to sleep," and stops. hi The ancient -mariner says: "I pray the hi Lord-" And quickly the child, ele- a vating his little folded hands, says: d< 'I pray the Lord to make my mother th well." The ancient inariner kisses i him, leaves a tear upon his forehead p, and lifts him into another room and ar into bed. He says: "Jiddy, don't leave T me in the dark." The little fellow g: seems, sadly and resignedly, to fully realize the situation-thalt he can no .o1 onger sleep with his mother. T "Gran is Cracldng the Ice for My th Mother." The little boy has ,never called his "j Mo:ther anything but "mother." The in first watches of ithe night are over, a( and 'the little boy, withdrawing his li-t- qi tle feet out of the ancient mariner's ni tired ribs and getting hold of 'the mar- tc iner's bony finger, says: "Jiddy, Gran it is cracking the ice for my -mother's si [iead. If I was -there, I could put the qi ice in the bag for her." ' And sure tc mnough, there was that dreadful ur pounding and cracking that ever and anon through thir:ty-five dreary nights fr. announced tia't fever implacable was th >urning up ithe poor suffere;. The E aicient mariner says.:. "Ne'ver mind, T my. baby. Good. ladies are helpinj tl Gran to take care.'of yourm;gther, and 4 rou can't do anything. ' Go to sleep." pi .nd in the watch of the gray, dim ar lawn, the little boy snuggles up close in :o the ancientr mariner's side. and in ;ays: "Jiddy, Gran is cracking the.p, ice, for my mother's head. If I was Ch Lhere I could help her put it in the al ag." And, again in the early morning Ii: ~vach, the little anxious b'oy tugs att' Lhe ancient mariner's old arms, and m till cries: "Jiddy, Gran is cracking *1y he ice for my rnother's ~head. -If I li1 ras there I could 'help her put /it in h Lhe bag." 0 Tank God, it Ain't Always Gwi' Be i Dis Way." al The sun is a half 'hour high arid m rough his window , oppo~sit'e tVhe tc store room door, across' the piazza, li; :he weary ancient mariner 'hears 'these n<~ warning w'ords, uttered in tones of di leepest woe: "Tank God, it ain't al c ays gwi' 'be dis way. Tank my bi [esus, a day comin' when a poor nmg- th er can ress, too, like -white people. "3 )h my Marster in Heaben, when you ar wi' tek v ay 'dis misery outen' poor e ld nigger bones?" -The ancient mari-~ d< er knows exactly what th-is means a ad knows that "Aunt Kizzy" is not ci oing to cook a mouthful of break- b< East until she has a half tumblerful of ti X. He rises nervously with socks hi and pants on-he never pulls them -T ff-and quickly assuages "Aunt Kiz- a: eys" anguish. b His Chewing Gum-.b Then the ancient mariner 'tips b< around to an outer door of the sick bi wing, and tapping softly, whispers: ~, 'How is the poor child?" The mnnffled tt answer comes: "The poor thing has ad a perfectly -awful night, but she seems to be doing a little better." Then, with a fearful chill in his heart, a the ancient mariner 'tips back to his bed 'and finds the little boy, in his long, white nightgown, standing erect te and groping with his little fingers u amid the oak leaves and acorns that are carved on t'he .headboard of 'rhe bedstead. The ancient mariner says: e: "Child, what upon earth are you do ing?" And the little chirpy voice re- r )lies: "Hunting my chewing gum c. that Aunt Kizzy stuck up here for h me yesterday." The ancient mariner groans deeply at this additional and -T anexected blow, and says very stern- d' ly: "Who upon earth ever gave you s, chewing gum. and don't you know a that genteel ch.il'dren and genteel la- y dies and gentlemen, an-d genteel beasts ik of the field and forest never chew I gum? And don't you know that God won't love you if you chew gum, and don't you know that if you persist in hewing gum you will go where all bad boys go and be burned up?" Ath hi s t;e t 4 ins'ltl lnde feillmw snug-j lv-; 'Lilder t11V Ci~-C7 -~aiii. a:id. C(A civ IHM is Twelve Infamous and Impossible Buttons. Then the ancient mariner lifts the .:tle boy in his arms into the din g room, where he-not Aunt Kizzy >r Uncle Dan-has first kindled a g fire-with wood he has brought up it f -the cellar and laid oh the hearth e nig'ht before. At this juncture. unt Kizzy enters, measurably lively id brisk, and says: -Whar dat kari en can? I ca' mek dis plegged dry ne wood bun in de stove. I muss d lettle bit o' kariseen for pour on M." The poor ol-d mariner points to cl~set, and, standing the little boy )wn on the warm rug by his clothes. ait were left there overnight says: Nlt first?" "My mother always its on my shoes and stockings- first, id -then washes my face and hands. he ancient mariner does all this with oanings that- cannot be uttered. Vhait next?" "Then my mother pulls E my gown and pu:ts on my body." he mariner draws off thd gown, and e little thing stands in -his un-dervest. hen the old mag picks up the ody." It is a thid white strip, low ithe neck, and 'with shadowy straps ross the shoulders. It opens be nd, and has down the back, begin ng at the top, four smali pearl but ns. Then, an inch from the bDtt.om, has a large, stout horn button. the ze of a nickel; then under that, iite at the b-ottom, another horn but n; then on 'the right flank, directly der the arm, two more big buttons, Lrallel with -the others; then, in nt, right over the navel, two more; en on the left flank, two more. ight big buttons and four little ones! he ancient' mariner buttons the lit boy down- the bak and says: V.-hat next?" "Then my mother its on my drawer.s." The drawers e a fluffy, gaping rag, about six ches deep, with five button holes the so-called band. The little boy -omptly thrusts the right foot rough the left leg, or rather hole, d then quidy withdrawing it, tsthe left foot, and thrusts it rough the&right hole. The ancient ariner groans even still .more 'heavi ,and, losing patience, conks the :tle 'boy right viciously on the ad. He shrieks 'wildly, and cries itt: "Jiddy, you are mean t-o me. M other never wa-s mean to rne. She ways laughed. Tihen the 'ancient ariner begins to 'bn:tton the drawers he 'top line of big buxttons, but the te boy says: "No, Jiddy, that is t rig'ht. My mother buttons the awers to these, -and the pants 'to ose," pointing to the two rows of ittons. Then 'tle imariner gets' on e pretty wh'i'te -duck pants, and says: V:hat next?" "My mother combs d brushes 'my hair before she puts my coat, because she says she )esn't want dandruff 'to fall on the oulers of. my coat." Thlen the an nt nmariner combs and' brushes the )y, -amid :the 'resounding shrieks of e latter, and 'proceeds -to draw- on m the white duck Russian ~blouse. e warfare 'has ibeen a fearful one, i'd the ancient -mariner pants for earh, and as Aunt Kizzy -begins to ing in the' morning meal, the little y comes to the mariner weeping tterly, and says: "Jiddy, you' 'h'ave t on my garters too 'high up,and Ley are hurting me very much." The -ariner looks and sees that he has it the broad, tough, strong elastic imediately below -the child's thighs, id 'that they have there cut two deep ly red rut-s, and he says: "Kizzy, r God's sake, fix the child's gar rs. , I am worn to the bone." 1ease Give Me a Rose for My Mother." Then the little boy, says, with the pression of an angel on his face: riddy,. please give me a rose for my other." The mariner snatches the il up in his arms, kisses him, takes m to a Marechal Niel vine on the azza, and cuts him a lordly bud. hen the two tip softly to the outer or of the sick'wing. and the child vs: "Gran. may I bring nmy mother rose?" Gran, who looks twenty ears older within the last few days isses the little boy convulsively 'and ads him in, 'saying: "You mustn't an on your mother's bed. You Lust not even touch the bedstead for ar you will shak-e it." So the child. -hite, awed and trembling, stands a alf foot away from 'tke bed. The ap ar.n,ly dad mother lies with arms stretened out. and e:c a n.~' Th ja IL -L savs, ncrvousiy "Gran. I want to g." "My Tears Shall be My Meat." ( Then the tired ,nes gather around a the .breakfast table. And poor Gran a gulps down her coffee in greac nerv- 1 otis gul.ps, and does not turn tp her plate. And not one turns up his n plate. And Aunt Kizzy. putting her hand on Gran's shoulder, says: "Nev- fl er mind, honey. de Lord he gib and de Lord he tek away-and more'n dat, de Lord can raise tip dern dat peers t to be dead. And he will, 'honey: dat a what he'll do. The Young Doctor Who Brings Sun-' shine. And then comes the handsome - young doctor. He is too young to have become callous. and he brings i w:th him not only science and judg ment and vigilance, but the sunshine of a kind and gentle heart. He makes t you think of that beautiful line of 0 Tennyson's ""The bravest are the tenderesi: the loving are the daring." He has the rare and never-failing V gift -of inspiring both patient and peo- a ple with faith and hope and courage. And as often as he comes and goes, a he leaves suns!hine. "My Mother's Hair." Then the ancient mariner slips off a for an hour one day to his office. and f when he returns, the tiny li:tle boy is 0 sitting on 1the front steps. awa:tig c him. for the child has no one to play li with. He holds on 'his li-ttle lay a s white paper box, and as the ancient -r m-ariner draws near 'he holds up out r of the box a great ma-ss of r.angled t and matted yellow hair-bright. shin- a ing 'hair. At one side of the mat there c hangs down a very long silky -un tangled tress. The little hoy says J with inconceivable sweetness and in- t nocence: "Jiddy, here.is my mother's I 'hair.. A man has been -here and cut a ic off 'and shaved heA. head clean. Gran cried, 'but Aunt Kizzv said mv I mother could wear it again in Heav en." -. ' . "Blessed be Thy Name ThatThou Didst Not Forsake Her." And finally the joyful morning came w'hen Gran, with her hair dlone up s'mooth and high', and her placket hole hooked uip carefully, called the tiny little 'boy, 'and the ancient 'mani ner, and the brother who compassed t-he ice, and Aunt Kizzy and Uncle Y Dan into the sick room and 'kneeling j down with her left elbow on 'the bed 'I and her right arm around the little t boy, whose mother hold.s his hand. S signalled to t'he others to kneel thus. C Even the two old negroes leaned their elbows upon t'h'e bed. And Gran. a opening her 'prayer book, read in a 'steady arid 'thankful voice this prayer: C "0, 'great and migh'y God. 'who bring C et down to the grave and bringest Are You Plannin .Many persons are occu making plans and spci2fl( homes. It has often been said ti -building experiences before dhe ide Let Us Plan Yot will gladly call with our catalogues of modern sanitation. We would a the samples of "$tandayd" Ware di for booklet " Modern Home Plumb FOR SI C. C. DAVIS, 1' D : ain. N- be-:S Thy wonderful So:rne(d our heavi 11 : rflll 'Lt her 1rmer health. ST::- iame that Thou didst ut forsake '-r il her sickness, but idsr visit her with comforts from bove. didst support her in patience nd submission to Thy will, and at tst didst send -her seasonable relief. 'erfec-t. we besech Thee, this Thy iercy towards her and prosper the leans which shall be made use of >r her cure: that lbeing restored to ealth of body, vigor of mind and eerfulness of spirit, she may be able > go to Thine house to offer Thee n oblation with great gladness and bless Thy holy name for all Thy 0odness towards her, through Jesus brist our Saviour, to whom with hee and the Holy Spirit, be all hon r and glory. - world without end. men. And ever and anon, in the course of 1e prayer, Aunt Kizzy would cry ut: "Da't so. my Father," and "Yes, od gwi' grant it," and "blessed Jesus, e ain't forsook fher," -while Uncle )an, lifting his aged hands iigh to rards Heaven, cried out: "And he int forsook the little boy dac we all wes so much, and he dun make us I lay down in green pasterrs." "With My Mother Again." A\d tbe same day, at noon, as the ncient mariner returned from his of cc, the tiny little boy awaits him n the steps and cries out joyful, lapping his litt le white, chubby ands: "Jiddy, Gran says I am to leep with my mother again, but you lust come in the morning and button y buttons, because my mother, is ao weak to .do that yet." Then the ncien1 mariner says, in a voice of ommingled sadness and gladness: Which would you rather sleep with, iddy or your mother?" And the li<t le fellow. his face beaming with ieavenly happiness, exclaims exult ntly: "With fny mother." OR the best Salmon, Sardines, Lob ster, Shrimp and all kinds of can ed or bottled goods call on S. B. Jones. NOTICE. The Cotton Association of each chool District is requested to meet n the first Saturday ini December, to lect officers for the next ensumng ear. The officers consist of a pres lent, a secretary and(treasurer. Also ur delegates to the County Associa ion to be held at Newberry on the econd Saturday in Decemliber at nt 'clock, a. m. The trustees of any districts not 1ready organized will call a meecing nd organize by electing the active ficers and four delegates to the ounty Association. By order, R. T. C. Hunter, Ohr. a New Home? ied at this season in ations for their new *t a person must have several d home is constructed. r Plumbing? *If you wiillallow us to plantheplumb- ) ig of your home, we will make it right . the first time. We do no experimenting but execute all con tracts on the most approved sanitary lines--employ the m o st experienced and competent me chanics and use the very best fixtures mae -namely - '$tadad" Porce lain Enameled Baths and On e -p ie ce Lavatories. If you do not find it convenent to calL in person, write or phone us and we md other literature on the subject@ vise, however, that you inspect played in our showroom. Ask ing."# Free upon request. LE BY ewberry,S.C