The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, November 09, 1909, Page SEVEN, Image 7
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS. *
*
* * . * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Crooked Man
ho hasn't heard tell of the
ked Man, the same who lived in
oked house, and went a crooked
etc.?' You all, of course, and
on haven't, you started out oa
wrong literature when you first
the long paths of life. Even
I can see the deep chintz-cover
ir with big hollyhocks scatter
1 over the high back and arms,
'ig more brilliant in the fitful
light cast by the evening fire, and,
too, I see a small, eager face bend
ing over a volume of Mother
Goose Rhymes and Melodies and
hear a high piped voice croning out
the words.
But the Crooked Man I mean si
more substantial than the one in
Mother Goose, and this one doesn't.
inhabit a crooked house, or go a
crooked mile. There's nothing crook
ed about him but his poor twisted
limbs, and to listen to his cheery
voice and look into his bright face
one would never know of the sad
misfortune 'which keeps him in his
chair all day long in helpless inactiv
ity. To watch his deft fingers as they
work wonderful patters in the dainty
baskets he is weaving, and to see the
silver head bending over his work, is
a sight that more than one person
has gone several miles to see.
And the Crooked Man is a philos
opher, -too, and his advice is full of
all the right kinds of help and com
fort. The thouse that he lived in: was
on an emerald isle, and he had for his
lawn the waving marsh lands, and
the water from the outside world
meandered along through these
marshes until it lapped up against
his fence, and a very high spring tide
would be so bold as to push his gate
open and take advantage of his help
lessness, even coming into his .iny
veranda. And the Crooked Man
would sit at the threshold and nod
his head and smile, and would tell
on the next day how a visitor from
the world beyond the horizon. nad
come- to see him. And what tales
he wouId have to relate of that won
derful visit! What jewels had. been
spread out befdre him, not only of
mineral value but gems of precious
thoughts and high aims, which one
by one, he would lay in the hands of
the tiny girl who was his almost con
stant companion. She im turn would
bring him the glad sunshine of youth
and innoneenee, and 'he awaited her
coming with a resigned patience that
was a lesson to all who knew him.
* * *I
With eyes rou'ad with wonder the
tiny girl would sit at hi's fee.t and
drink in the words of beauty and ad
vice from the Crooked Man. It was
he who first made her acquainted
with That other Crooked Man .im
Mother Goose lore, and she, in her
laughing innocence had pointed, a
baby finger at her companion and
dubbed him The Crooked Man. And
at this point had begun her lessons
with the Crooked Man.
"Cuckoo,'' he said in his low,
patient voice, "you musn 't go
through the world with the idea that
~because a fellow has ,ugly, twisted
limbs that, he is crooked all the way
through. Eve-ything in this, world
is evened up, and the fellow with the
straightest figure may be after all,
the worst bent. You let the crooked
ness of body go and look well to the
straightening out of this in here,'' as
he patted himself over his heart.
"And if you feel that you are being
cramped up in there, and that everf
thing isn't going to be right, do
just as you would when you feel your
legs growing stiff, get up and st.raigh
ten out, don't go on eramping 'em
more and more and then look on 'emI
in pity. There's a big world full of
sky and air outdoors. Go out and
lift your heart up and stretch andI
smooth all the erinkles out of it. Aye.
but sometimes the very burden of
the heart will bend the poor, frail
bod; don't mind that, keep gn lift
ing and struggling, and after awhile
the very lightness of your heart will
give you grace and patience wim
which to ignore the ugliness of your
rooked body. Then finally, in ani
instant. e'ven in the twinkling of an
eve, the loathed body will drop away
Kand there, in all its proud erectness
Swill stand the essence of the Word of
Man as though it never knew the
habitation of a crooked house. You
won't forget that, will you, Cuckoo ''
he had asked as he again resumed the
twining f the sea-grass that grew in
to shape under the touch of his a1ert
Sfingers. And the tiny person. stand
ing in awed and respectful sile:ve,
hough she did not at t 2at time. un
dertad the beauty of the v:ords
pqoken by\ her teacher. assurd? aim
with all the earnes'tneSs at t)Cecomf
-ad of abhv knowledge. that she
would not, and she b.as sbrok-n many
promises since the giving of that one,
but that one-never.
Though the Crooked Man has left
the emerald isle, and the spring tides,
still bringing gems from far beyond
the horizon. lap in unansweed en
treaty against the closely shat dOor
of the Crooked Man's housi-, he is
still in the world. Every time the
oftening e:rth in early March fore
c-sis ie coming of Sp_lo- and ti's
owers begm to bud aad the. treez
orow feathery, the Crooked Man
walks abroad, and brings with him
his i.o;de of good cheer and helpful
idvice. ALd at all timer,, even - 'he
ireariest winter time, Cuckoo, no
longer the tiny child that used to sit
at the Crooked Man's feet, can go
to him and talk things over, and be
guided in just the safest paths by her
beloved teacher. She has never mar
velled that the Crooked Man has lost
the crookedness of body, for she long
ago forgot that there vfs anything
mrooked about her Crooked Man.
Just the other day the Crooked
an talked to Cuckoo about the
things in the world of today. "It
isn't because the world is any worse
than it has ever been, no, it isn't
that,'' and he shook his head medi
tatively, and continued, "I'm not one
foi laying the blame for anything at
anybody's feet, and I'm not going to
start it now, but I will say that the
world's suffering from the selfishness
of individuals. Here's the good nat
nred old world giving out life and
health and all the good things that
See 0.
Don't put off buy
late. I have a co
---and remember
SUITS.
The house beau'iful is made,uip o
and one of the most important ol
dinning room. Your dinning ro<
needs your special care in selection
can you find so wide a range of a
price within your means as at our
you seen our dinning room set at
. $51.50
DRESSERS
WHTEXaT
Abu urfritr,-/hte
Whse a T gnaie b th
evident
c me and look them
go to make up a livable sphere, and
here is humanity snatching and tear
ing around and asking for more, more
all the time, and at the same time
never giving the world time to Catch
breaLh. It's all right to be progres
sive but don't neglect the minute de
tails that contribute the most to
life's currents. It's an unwritten
law of nature that one cannot stand
still, he must. either go backward or
forward, and I am not old and foggy
enough to want decline, but going on
isn't all. Its going on in the right
direction that counts." Here the,
Crooked Man looked for a while at
Cuckoo and then said:
* * *.
"While I think of it, you k;now
Newberry has the reputation of tak
ing such good care of her people and
animals as well, but the other day I
saw a pair of mules, poor patient
creatures, struggling along with a
wagon, the wagon was empty, but it
must have been lnded when it came
to town, and I can picture the tor
tures those poor creatures must have
endured hauling a wagon load, for
they were so poor that they actually
staggered as they walked, and the
smaller of tihe pair had great whelps
on its sides. I looked at the driver
,4ith as much pity as I did at the
brutes, to think that a strong, able
odied man would lash these dumb
animals and starve them as well, and
into my heart there burned this ques
:tion, 'who speaketh for this man?'"
* * *..
.After a long pause, in whieh the
Crooked Man looked out towards the
M. B. I
ing that Suit and Si
mplete stock of everi
that my prices are rr
This is our C
fmany parts,
tese is the
m furniture
.No where
election at a
store. Have
We have ab
ranging in pric
AY
aryv one says.
id artistic; in
1 in conveni
unsurpassed. This No. 8,
facts are self one of the larg
for only
ent of Neat and Up-to-c
wIt it a cleasure for
On Next
and Sa
TWO DA!
I will Sell I It
ROYAL LINI
and two Pacl
velopes at the
Paper alone,
25 ct
Don't miss this op
good paper at one
know what this pap
MAYE;' Bb
or Fur:
.Ad Piece of Furnitt
house from your k
BABi
g$4.00
Folding
$30.0
Here is
ever off en
3 to $15
Aretino
$50 cash ta
ieces of ware, $1.50, this
d$24.50 and packa
d upon their arrival v
d we would be glad to h
Frid&y
tu rday
(S ON Y
I. of Mayes'
,N PAPER
ages f En
cost of the
>nly
4ns
portunity to get a
half price. You
nr is.
f ORE
[nture.
ire until it is too
itchen to parlor
CARRIAGES.
10=Crts ===$7.5
TALIJNG F E
the -greatest proposition~
d. ABSOLUTELY FREE.
Talking Machine free with
~ade and a cash payment of
payment to cover express
ge charge.
/ill be glad to have you
ave you call.
Telephone No.'149.
Lower Main Street.
liwrizon, and Cuckoo wondered if he
were thinking of the tide that had
brought him his wealth of loving
kindness to even ill-treated animals,
he addressed this question to her:
"'Isn't there some person or per
oons who would take this mp.tter up
and administer unto the helpless
brutes which are man's best friend,
and at the same time, suffer more at
the han-ds of man than his worst
enemy does?"
But Cuckoo could give him no
help and they now address this ques
tion to anyone in tihe city who can
give the information.
Mirth.
STORK FILLS A BALL NINE.
New York World.
Winsted, Conn., Nov. 4.--Having
been informed that the doctor was
going to bring him another brother
or sister, Lyman Clark, the six-year
old son of Ernest S. Clark. of New
Boston, thus greeted the physician
when he entered the family home yes
terday:
"I want another brother, doctor,
so we'll have a baseball nine all of
our own."
When the doctor came downstairs
an hour after that he told Lyman
that the baseball player had arrived.
Then Stanley, five years old, who
likes football better than baseball,
asked the doctor to bring two boys
the next time, so he could have a
football eleven in the family. The
Clarks now have nine boys and one
girl.
:ove )r RangN and
Othing to furnish yo
ade to suit you.
elebrated Gold Metal Spron
:ois of tempered wire. PI
eautiful ane of Mattresses
e froi - -
0 inch oven, with forty
est and best stoves ever so
late RxkJers bought,
B ao saw our goods ai