University of South Carolina Libraries
VOL. XXV. BARNWELL SOUTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY, JANUARY 2. l9 o2. The Qhoet That He Saw BY JOHN SWINTON. At I have never been a reader of gboet stories, I cannot say whether any experience like (that of which I am about to tell has ever fallen to the lot of any other mortal. Shortly before the American Civil War broke ont, forty yeais ago, I was living in the Sooth, at the picturesque capital of the '‘Palmetto State.” What kind of a place the city cf Columbia may now be I cannot say, for the ora city of the name that 1 once knew was burned during the period of hostilities. But, when I lived there, the Carolin ians always extolled their capital and were proud of its fame as the most beautiful city in the South. .1 boarded at the Mansion House, a large and rather stately domicile near the head of Main street, not far from the broad avenue on which stood the residences of the plantation aristo- fcracy, who were the owners of herds of negro slaves. It was a typical Southern domicile of the kind that used to be raised by the planters a hundred years ago. In front of it, and on both of its sides, grew stately old trees, which embowered and shade led it; the pillars at its entrance were festoon ed with evergreens', the balcony was like a flower garden. From my win dow I saw the palmettos and magnolias which grew in the court; I saw also a flg tree, the ripe green fruit of which was a dainty that 1 sometimes plucked at suntise, ere yet George, a watchful young slave of the house, had got out of his cabin, and while yet his owner was dreaming. The master of the Mansion Honse was a grim qW “ Colonel ” of Irish birth, who had formerly served in the foreign wars of the British army, and whom, after these fenny years, 1 re member only as a choleric veteran at once iron binded toward the slaves of the establishment sod indulgent to ward the members of his family. There was a social commotion in the Colonel’s household one sutumn day. Word had been unexpectedly received that tome friends of lbs family were coming up from their plantation on one of the 8ea Islands, where the long staple cotton grows, to spend a week with the Colonel's people at Columbia. end the thought had suddenly entered 4 the head of the Colonel's wife that there wee not room to spars for ail of them at that Urns in the Mansion Hooss. There was something like e domestic panic, and It came suddenly, without warning; for the visitors from the coeat were to arrive by the evening train. They had to be made welcome whatever happened. No apology for lack of accommodations wee to he thought of. For “ Southern hospita lity " in the ante-bellum days was al ways ready for any emergency; it sur mounted every circa ms laece. One of the Co'ooel’s daughters, who seemed to be in much dletreee, sent word to me that there was something of an nnpleneant kind which I, ns n friend of the family ought to know. M We are In a state of perplexity,” she said. Kbe then told me of the sitoa- Uon in which the boueebold wee pieced, end how the emharraesment had arisen. Her father had talked of going quietly to a hotel for a week, but the visitors would surely hear of It, and be nnsasy. Hs bad also spoken of staying for some nights in an old haunted house, long deserted, which stood beyond a clump of woods within sight; but he, IhO in so alarmed last he might see the white ghost always there it midnight that he yielded to the remonstrances of his wife. All tbs other notions that came into his head had to be abandoned for one reason ot another. The visitors mast not know that the Colonel’s fami ly had been put to any trouble on their account As I had previously heard of the haunted house, tho I had never seen it, I told the Colonel's daughter that 1 myself would like to offer relief by staying there fora few nights, as I was not afraid of ghosts, and did not be lieve in them. My offer was promptly and gladly accepted by the Colonel, and my quarters in his mansion were made ready for the visitors in time for their reception that evening. The perplexi ty was ended. In the afternoon of the day of per plexity the Colouel told Black George to carry u cot, a small table, a chair, and a candle to the haunted house,' for my use. As the ghost was never seen there in daylight, the slave was not afraid. About ten o’clock that night I left the mansion and set off in the direc tion which George pointed out, sayii “Right up thar,’ Massa,” as he giggle in the manner of his wooly-beaded race. - ^ I took with me a lantern, a pistol, and a novel. So, with a stout heart, a Arm tread, and a disdainful air, I made my way along a time-worn path, Ihrongh the clump of woods,, beyond which I now saw a lighted candle in the abandoned bouse, which was said to be haunted. It was a rickety old two story wooden rookery which,** I had- learned, was . once the home of a slave-trader, bat which had not been occupied for near ly a hundred years, or since the time of the mysterious and dreadful murder of Us owner’s wife, the ghost of whom, so everybody said, always appeared there at the house of midnight, robed iu white. There were plenlyof stories told by darkies who bad been scared by the apparition while hiding in the neck of woods and had heard the wail- of the .ghost. Some Of the poo* nm; bju, m h had eeen it, ears, while driving their wgous near thejiouse at night, when the clock w the chnrch steeple struck twelve. Hardly any man, tho he were yet fiercer than the old Colonel, would, even for the offer of a well-stocked plantation, have stayed where I pro posed to stay that night; and perhaps my own bones shook when I got near the place. Bnt, away with snperstitionl Bab! for ghosts. I breathed a prayer for safety. I did not believe In any spook, with the exception of the old horned enemy who roams about everywhere, especially at night. I determined, however, that if, after all, I should see a ghost, I would shoot it on the spot The moon shone aloft as l approach ed the haunted honse some time after ten o’clock. Near the place, which was all cluttered up, there were stumps of d jatl trees, weatherbeaten logs, tangled weeds, stones, boulders and rubbish. I saw, too, that there were rats and bad been told that there were bats. A black grimalkin prowled and mewed. “Silence brooded,” as the i»oet says. The old Congaree River rolled softly. There was no other house in sight. The town lay off and seemed as if a hundred miles sway. I noticed that one side of the desert ed house stood slant, that the front door of it was badly battered, that the panes of glass in the windows were broken and besmudged, that many of the old clapboards were rotted off, and thst everywhere there were wrack, spider webs, thorns and confusion. The place was musty. It looked dismal. It was forbidding. I doubt whether I would ever have Ibeugh^if buying'there, even tor a night, if 1 had known-all about-ilher. forehand. — Black George, who had gone with me so far, told me that he bad “ shook out ” the place, had tixed up every thing, and had made a shakedown for me oa the second story in a very nice’ room. About this time the darky became uneasy. Hs was shivering. He pala vered and laughed. “ Do yo’ hear dat eater-wauling, Massa 7” be arked. He looked up at the moon. Suddenly he tan off through Uiu woods and weeds toward the Mansion llooae of his anxious to get to his cabin of safety before midnight. “ lie Lewd save ya I” be cned,aa be struck ont and off. Brt no delusion for me! Away with humbug! All darkies are superstitious; they see invisible things at night. I entered the haunted house and climbed the rickety stairs to the second story. Her* I saw my loom, iu which, as I noticed, there were a front win dow and a rear window, the former on line with the shaky balcony. The place looked as if it might suit me, and be comfortable enough. The Ullow dip was lighted, and stood on a small board table, near which a chair had been set. As for the shakedown, it all right There was a log Are on the hearth, some of the smoke from which went up the big broad chimney, which was heavy with ancient soot I opened a closet, and there, in a corner, lay a few witherhd bones which looked like the relics of a loat life. 1 was not alarmed by the sight. My reason served me then, as it had done before. It was tiasto be level-headed. Foolery was out of place. Already,asl stood before,the fire, In sight of the ihakedrrdm, *tanringj about, I began to feel drowsy. I .re solved, however, In' stay" up for yet an hour, or even till midnight, thst I might find out for myself whether the house were certainly haunted, and that I might put so end to the foolish ghost stories, a bnudred years old, which had for generations scared everybody, es pecially the darkies, of whom there were many thousands in Columbia. I made up my mind that, if a ghost should appear when the clock struck twelve, 1 would send a bullet through its head. I sat down in the chair, and began to read the novel that I bed brought with me, and which lay on the table me, beside my pistol. The very first page captivated me, and I was sure that I would pass a tranquil hour in following the plot. After a while I looked at my watch. It was not far from midnight. I turned over the leaves of the novel, the opening chapter of which 1 found to be very fascinating. I soon had a strange feeling. I be came coaeeiousof the presence of some moving or fluttering thing. It did not seem to be of human kind; it was of an unnatural character. A shiver passed over me. But, as 1 had heard that there were bats about the old house, I thought that perhaps I had been stirred by the fluttering of one of them. I continued to read the novel. I saw that a few more ticks of my watch would bring me to the midnight hour. The tallow candle flickered. When I looted toward the battered window T noticed that the moonlight was ob scured by a heavy bank of black clouds. I looked again. My eyes were riveted, for there, on the edge of the balcony, peering through one of the broken panes of glass, stood a sheeted ghost, a skeleton in white, grinning at me. Pluck is the thing at suq^ a moment. I had lots of it. In a cautious way, I laid hold of ray pistol, rose to fey-feetr, set aside my chair, and advanced toward the front window. The ghost was out of sight. As I stepped back to my chair near the table, 1 again saw the self-same gnost at the rear window, with ravaged tece pressed against one of the panes sure in a moment that it the face of a woman. Her lips moved; upei she wee gibbering; she would speak to me. She beckoned to me with her bony hand. Somehow, at that instant* she r|minded me of a certain young woman of another time, who, after I fallen in love with her, turned from me, married another suitor, and killed herself. I took some steps in the direction of the flibbertigibbet, who now sprang off and away in a flash, seemingly to ward a cloud that loomed up in the sky. But instantly I saw the ghost again at the front window, standing on the dilapidated balcony. I turned my head, and it then looked in at the rear window. It was to be seen, almost at the same instant, at both of the win dows; but it was approachable at neith er of them. . * I was bewildered. I now felt sure that the abandoned house was, indeed, haunted by the ghost of the woman who had been murdered there a hundred years be fore. Terror overmastered me. I resolved to dy from the place. 1 screamed, “ Help, Oh, God I” I tried to snatch my pistol, but I could not lay hands on it. I sprang to my feet. The chair on. which I bad been sit ting fell. The table tumbled 6ter. Crack! went the pistol, which had been cocked. “ Good mornin' Massa!" cried Black George, who had come to tell me that breakfast was ready up at the Mansion House. To my wonderment, I saw that Uie morning sunshine flushed the world. It was broad daylight. I had fallen asleep in the chair soon after I sat, down in it at ten o'clock the previous night, and hrft! slept there till morning. BEX*& AMP TALKS ▲BOUT CHRISTMAS He Gives the History of the Orest . Anaoal PestlYsl—Old Father Time’s Problem r • Atlanta Constitution, Nearly sixteen hundred years have passed since Christmas was first cele brated by Christians. Daring all these long centuries they have not failed to meet somewhere and pay reverence to the day that somehow was chosen as the birth of the Saviour. It is not at all certain that the 25th of December was His birthday, but that does not matter much, so that the Christian people observe some day and show their gratitude. Indeed, the Greeks and the Russian*) still celebrate the 5th of January and c^lL it Christmas for they have never yet adopted the new calendar established by 1’ope Gregory XIII in the year 1582. Now, it is im portant for the young people and many of the old ones u> know that for nearly sixteen centuries old Father Time has been gaining a Utile every year on the exact time that it takes the earth to go round the bud. This gain had amount ed to about twelve days, so the 'Pope, who was a great and wise man, issued his mandate that time should be set back, and it was set back. All the Roman Catholic countries conformed at once to this *ew date, but the Protestant countries were jeal ous of the Pope; and so Germany would not conform until the year 1700. Great Britain and Ireland refused to conform until the year 1752, and the Americau colonies put it off a few years later. Greece and Russia have not conformed yet, but they will. They are getting lined of having to bad not read even one of the pages) P 0 * **° 10 their letters and _ . » - « a . I # •> a aritri rtf nap of the novtl which now lav on the now lav on floor. I had Be>:n never a gboet, other than the oightmare, at the window at midqight. The log* id the fireplace were burn- ed to ashes. The tallow dip was out. The pistol lay near the novel on the floor. The mocking bird sang in the clump of woods. “ De folki is a waitin’ fo’ ye!” said Black George. “ Bacon an’ eggs, cof fee so’ corn dodgers is on de table; an’ I’ll tote yer things.” It was at Columbia, the eapitol of the old Palmetto .State, in the Tear be fore the war, that the affair of which a narrative is here given occurred. After its occurrence I made do self- atulUfying attempt to shatter the ghost stories that clustered around the aban doned here, which, 1 msy aey, has not been haunted of laie years, for It was burned by Sherman's army early in the year 18(15. 1 spoke not a, word to Jhe Colonel, or to any one else, about the terrifying experiences of that spectral night. Not a soul alive ever till this Urns heard of them from me. But you may be sure that I never slept another night in the haunted house behind the clump of woods, which had been abandoned ever since the night of the murder of s woman there a hundred years ago. PROM A BACHELOR'S VIBW. Marriages a» not always unhappy. Penitence nearly always peeks be tween the Angers which it holds to its face. Engaged people are always in other pSopTrl wey; biirnot so much as other peopia Are in their way. .7. * ^ The women who sheds the most tears in the theatre where the heroine' is pursued by wicked slander is the one who pulverizes the reputation of her nearest neighbor the next day. About the time a men has one foot in the grave from old age he begins to talk about us boys. Women like to ;go to Turkish baths because they learn so many truths there about other women’s feet. A woman’s way of being extremely nice to a caller whom she wants to like her is to let her hold the baby for a minute. A woman can always tell when a man is in love with her by the way she thinks he pictures her to himself stand ing in a great shining light. If a man is only careful to carry a woman’s picture and lock of hair in side of his watch-case he can treat her most any ways and she is sure it is a sign of his love. Being happy is mostly not being un happy. It’s the cook who can understand best why the man of the house who is dead is the happiest. Usually there is discord in the hearts of the church choir, however much harmony m their voices. Some women have got to quarrel with their husbands if the only reaspn they can find for it is that he isn’t quar relsome enough. There is charity for sin, but none for sinners. ' r _ ; . It takes nine tailors to makeji man, but one woman can break him. When you hear a girl over twenty- five say she would like to see a man who could manage her, it is generally a sign that she would. - When-* woman hara secret to keep she seems to think the only way she can do it is to get somebody right away tohelpiier.—New York Press. “ The few have no right to the lux Dries of life while the many are denied its necessities,” says Elizabeth Cadv Stanton. There is a good deal of truth and wisdom in this, but in wiew of the fact that the system has been in vogue since the beginning of time, we doo’l iuat what we >rt going H> do about it. commercial transactions with other countries. When General Young was our cousul at 8t. Petersburg all his letters that were written home had two dates that were twelve days apart. One he marked “N. 8.,” for new style, and the other “O. 8.,” jfor old style. England had to abandon another measure of time, for until about two hundred years ago the new year began on the 25th of March. Some coun tries began it on Easter day. 1 tell you, my young friends, old Fa ther Time baa bad a perplexing prob lem to keep bis calendar straight. The day uaed|lo begin at ff o’clock In it)e morning. The week began on Mon day. The Jews bad twelve lunar oomba of twenty eight days, and very third year had thirteen to make up for loet lime. For centuries there were only ten months in the year among the Greekk end Romeos, and February had thiriy-eix days just like all the other months Bat popes end emperors ruled the civilized world, and changed the measures of time to •uit their own whims. 1’ope Gregory was a scnolar, a mathematician and a romoter ot public education, and he new ( that the calendar was wrong, and was getting more so every yoer. It was a bold stroke of power, Iwt he wee backed by all the great astrono mers of Enrope, and be set the clock back, and it stands. But what about Christmas? It ha* to be written about every lime it comes round, for there is a new geoer- atlon of voung people coming on every year, and they must be taught to koow as much as those who are older. This is the tooet important event that ev« r happened in the history of the world, and eeery man ami woman snd .avary. so .universal and so ’shameful that many good Christians ceased to cele brate it. The Puritans refused to observe it and so did the people of Scotland. The Scotch do not observe it now. Well, it is a desecration even here, for it is made a day of thought- less feasting and frolic instead of a day of thankfulness. Christmas trees and gifts to the children are very proper and gifts to the poor are especially so, butall the day long oar gratitude to God for His goodness shoidd be upper most in the minds of all intelligent people. The children, of courfe, we must bnmor to their innocent faith in Santa Claus and his reindeer, for be is sup posed to be a great and good old man who loves them and is wonderfully rich. His Russian name is St. Nicho las and his Dutch name is Kriss Krin- gle, and for fifteen hundred years be has been known as the patron saint of all good children. He is no myth but was a veritable bishop in his day, and was not only devoted to little children, but took pleasure iu helping young men and maidens t» mate and marry. The mistletoe feature of Christmas came down from him, it is said, and if a young man and maiden will plight their troth, that is, become engaged on Christinas day while standing under a mistletoe bough, they will never for. sake their love nor be divorced. This is enough for me to write about Christmas. The books have many pretty stories and poems about this ever memorable day. The most beau tiful and impressive of them all is the one written by Clement C. Moore, be ginning “ ’Twas the night before Christmas.’’ The next best is by a Virginian lady, .“Kate Festetlta.” (ler maiden name was NeelfOxU she for some reason swapped it off for some outlandish jsw-breaksM name that I don’t understand. ITer poem oo Christmas is an exquisite gem. The last verse says: ** Let nens nnchrlstmaased go, Let none from any door Us warmed, nnfed. No kind word said Helpless be tnrned away For Thin* own sake we pray. That ia the beet part of Christmas— making ethers happy—and if I was a law-maker I would make ihe whole week a holiday and give a good dinner to the poor and even to the priaouere in jail. And nobody should duo anybody or write a dunning letter to disturb bis tranquility. 1 received one this morn ing. The claoe have begun to gather at the family mansion and the ma ternal ancestor is happy, sod tripe her light fantastic toes all over the noose. It does not cost anything to run Christ- mas at our bouse, for the children bring their rations with them, and one of the fsr-away boy* writes: *• Hire another servant or two at my expense. 1 don’t want daddy to have to bring in wood and coal any more, and 1 want a Sunday dinner every day in the week.” Bill Arp. A Vkry Shrkwp Flay.—It is told in Washington that Senator Welling ton of Maryland, whose party stains is quite as uncertain as Senator Mcl.au- rin’e, forced recognition from the Re publicans and could hay | secured it from the Democrats, by a very shrewd play. When tin distribution of co • mills places was under consideration, according to the story, Wellington was notified by the Republicans that oo provision would be made for him. Thereupon be asked Senator Jones, boy aofl girt who can read should be what be m arflkfeffiar with it as OfTy are wiih the spelling book. Tbe word “ mass ” does not liieraliy mean birth. It means “ dismissed,’’and came into use because, after any service in the Ro man Catholic church the priest would say the congregation is now dismissed. In IaUd, it is “ mass.” Hence, there was high mass and low mass and can dle mass and Michael mass and Christ mas—a dismission and benediction af ter worship. For two or three centuries after Christ His followers had so many upa and downs they could not establish holy days or feasts or festivals. Some emperors were kind and tolerant and some were cruel and persecuted- them. During tbe reign of the Em peror Diocletian the Christians of Rome determined to celebrate Christ mas in their own church wfiere they had been permitted to worship, but Diocletian had taken a great dislike to them, and after the church was full he sent soldiers there and locked the doors and set fire to the building and burned them all alive—men, women and children. The wretch died soon after, but it was many years before Christians dared to celebrate Christ mas again. This was'about the year 310. But the utmost efforts of kifigs and emperors to extinguish Christian ight expect from nher, and ity tailed. The more martyrs, the more Christians. They seemed to thrive on persecution, and hence it was'said that “ the blood of the mar tyrs is the seed of the church.” Just think bow mnch we have to be th&nk- fuT for in this age and in this land of religious liberty. No martyrs, no per secution, no inquisition, but every nfffb and woman can worship God accord ing to their own conscience, with none to molest or make them afraid. The turrets and spires of beautiful churches adorn our land in every city, town and village, and are a silent guarantee of good will and protection to every stranger that comes. But Christmas has had do good time In coming down to us through ihe ages. Iu some countries it was made a frolic—a bacchanalian revel. The gey and dissipated danced to the music of silly and profane carols and dese- iirated ifc> dap wiih wine end IhUMi ent song. This deaecratioa got to be that side of the chamber, and was informed that he could npt expect Democratic adop tion. . He announced to the leaders of both parties that, since, in bis situa tion, his usefulness to his Slate had practically departed, he would at once tender his resignation to the Governor of Maryland, who, he understood, would appoint as his successor former Senator Arthur Fue Gorman. This caused a great flutter. The Republi- cans have a wholesale (ear of the aa- lute Gorman, and had no stomach for hu presence in the Senate at this ses sion, llte prospect of his appearance at the next session being sufficiently dis turbing. Jones, for his part, saw his leadership of the minority—imperfect and iaipolent as it is—departing im mediately upon the appearance of Gor man, and he was in no mind for this. Both the Republican and the Demo- craiic leaders, therefore, revised their declarations to Wellington and from each side he was assured that commit tee places would be found for him. He chose the assignment of the Re publicans. - III A HUMOROUS TiTW. He: “Soyour matried la not happy? Well, you have my n.qrets.” She:“ Oh, I don’t need th em; I have enough of my own,” “I wonder why they haven’t started any yellow journals in Cuba yet?’ “ I don’t Americans Life. believe there are enough there to support one.”— “ Do you think a man has a right to open his wife’s letters?” “ Well, he may have the right; but I don’t see how he could have the coui age.—Tit Rita. Some people laugh at old jokes be cause they know they an jokes. Just so It is a wedding trip, a woman isn’t particular as to th* route. Most of the songs song on the stage by request an at the request of the elnger. Everv time two girls kiss each other to public they imagine the men an en vious. A man Would doubtless be Just as ir ritable as a setting hen wen he placed in a similar position. Fewer actors would be out of work if (hen wen not so many people on the “ Man always wants what he hasn’t and fails to appreciate what he has.” “Yes; that’s what keeps the mar riage bureaus aud the divorce courts going.”- Chicago Post. “I’ve never been able to save any thing,” complained tbe poor man. “ You have probably saved yourself a lot of worry,” replied the rich man.— Philadelphia Record. “ A public official,” exclaimed the ordinary man, heatedly, “ should be our servaot jlut ia be ?” “ Hardly,” ventured the suburba nite. “ He stays with us too long for that.” “ Don’t you miss your husband very much now that he iv away ?” “.Oh, not At breakfast I juat stand his newspaper up in front of a plate, and half the time I really forget be isn’t there.”—Exchange. “ Hligirens’ wife makes him get up sod kindle the fire every morning.” “ Well, it’s his place to do it.” “ But that ian’t why he does it. He knows she’d mske it too hot for him if he didn't”—I’hiladelphla Bulletin. “An’ denSanty Claus he come down de chimbly—" * “ Doan he git hie face all black wif soot?” “WaJ, he dean mind dat when he’s •-callin’ oo cullud chiliuo’.”—Puck. “ Do you mean to say that Erast us Plnknry sells hie vote ?” •• No,” answered Mr. Jim Colliflower: “ I wouldn't say dat 'Rastas sells his vote. But he’s willin’ to hire it out ’easiooal- I? to select parties.”—Washington Star.. NO- 17 *OnrPBD PARAGRAPHS. “Did you hear tbe thunder last eight. Emille?” “ No—did it thander?* 1 Ye*, frightfully.” Then why didn’t you wake me ? You know I can’t sleep m a thunder storm!” “ Do you expect to have any opposition to your election next time?” asked his friend. “ Yes,” answered Senator Korgknm, “ about the usual amouoU” * How much is tbet ?” “Oh, about $15,000 or 120,000 worth.” M la my hat or Polling wood, when te itu pled: -r* her ' begin lire, r husband in- “ Yea, yonr hat’s oo straight. Com* one, or we shall be late.” “ If it’s on atraight it won’t do. Wait a minute till I go back into th* house and till its llUie.”—Detriot Free Pram. into policeman him dat 1 “ Decs ain't word, an’ dal’s a fac ing Mika. “I took dat me confidence, i told all de troubles extant—dat I was jm’ a collection of sorrows.” - “ Wbat did he do?” “ He looked me over, an’ den eaid it was about time for him to take up a collection.” through to d<ff” candi- the “ And now that yon are college what are you going asked a friend of the youthful date. “ I shall study medidDe,” was grave reply of the young man. “ But iau’t that profession already over-crowded ?” asked the fnend. “Possibly it is,” answered tbe know ing. youth, “ but I propose to study medicine just tbe same, and those who are already in the profession will have to take their chances.”—Tit-Bits. During the year 1900 the coal mines of Montana produced 1,693,773 tons of bituminous coal. Tiie market for the most, if not all, of this coal was found in the 8tate. It brought to the mine owners last year the good round sum of $2,369,054, on a capitalization of $5,790,500. The amount of money invested in coal mines was considerably Increased during the year by extensive improvements on various properties. The previous annual report siiowed a production of 1,357,427 tons valued at $2,130,094. This gives an increase in the value of the output for 1900 of $238,960 An English paper notes it as a cu rious fact that although the eagle is the national bird of the United States, and, therefore, deserving of peculiar honor, yet, iu point of fact, tbe bird it nearly always ruthlessly killed when the opportunity offers. This state- ment seems to be impressive nntil it, is remembered that whenever they have e chance Englishmen ruthlessly kill the lion, which symbolizes the jgtatnpas and power of tbe British Empire. Willie had swallowed a penny and his mother was in a state of much alarm. “ Helen,” she called to her sister m tbe next room, “ send for a doctor, Willie has swallowed a penny!” The terrified boy' looked ap implor ingly. “No, mamma,” he interposed; “send for tbe minister.” “ The minister!” exclaimed the mother. “ Yea, because papa says our minis ter can get money out of anybody.”— Pittsburg Bulletin. When you see a young man sittiuj in a parlor with the ugliest 4-year-ol< boy that ever frightened himself in a mirror clambering over his knees, jerk ing his necktie out of place, ruffling his shirt front, pulling his hair, kicking his shine, feeling in ail his pockets for coppers,'TTbrfc the unresisting vlclith smiles all the time like the cover of a comic paper, yon may safely say that the howling boy has a sister who is in if a room not 20 feet away, and that the young man doesn’t come there just for tbe fun of playing with her brother.— London Tit-Bits. No wonder it is difficult to pacify the Filipino*. Under the present tariff ar rangement it is right for Hawaiian sugar to come la free, but wrong for the Philippine article to be admitted without paying the full fluty. * — stage who are not actors. An optimist says that pessimists ere hopeless fools. Reason is a man’s guard and moral principle is his safeguard. If you are not up and doing yon will soon be down and done. Women era curions about every thing; men are carious only about wo men. Some men get into office with very litUe opposiuon and get ont with none at all. The Individual who gate into the habit of giving way to depression is oo the broad road to ruin. If a man is s chronic grumbler it al ways makes him happy to find a but ton off his coat when his wife is busy. There ia no law to prevent a wo man kissing a pug dog—but just the same it’s a mean advantage to tsk+ of the dog. When a widow maka* up her mind to marry again she selects tbe man and then proceeds to find out what ho likes best to eat. Wiisrk Women Rule.—Th* Uo»- veraity of Peuusylvanteeeods its repro- fenlaiivt* throughout the world in quest of knowledge, end oo* of ihum has been telling recently of so experi ence oo the Waoamaker expedition in the Intereel of the department of ar chaeology Vo the land of the Hopi In- diaos, in Ariaooa. In describing some of the cunoos customs prsveiMf among the Hopi Indians, Curator Cuilio said th* wemeo are held m higher sets— in moat Indian tribes, and they, rather than the men, do the wooing. When a Hopi decide* which of the eligible mo of the Inhe ah* wishes to marry, she goes and sits la his House hThir industry to oJ£ After the ceremony, which Is so elaborate one, the couple go to live te the wife’s hoe—. II she tires of her bnsbeod eh* can obtain a divorce by merely throwing hie caddie ent of the bones. After maniac* boose, fields, sad all their property, except the herds, belong to the wife. The Uooi'% art Ttrr tadalf*ot nerinti The right of the children to do as they This certainly is an ideal oonat i like to have thing* who regulation* cf this vary different from all about tbs truaUnrnt of the among Indians, as they are nasally l>ack horse* and slaves of their kna- bands. Bom* of oar Waste have a reputation fog easy bat the Hopi plan of t nosing th* bead’s effects out of doors. Is both simple sod < I Joy or birth of the wodd wae sa event of nary in Ureal to tho* heaven that aa sage lie dispatched to announce it to the i herds who wore watching their flocks by night on the hillside* near Bethle hem, sad if “ suddenly there wee with the angel a multitnde of the heavenly host” saying: “ Glory to God ia the highest nod on earth peace and good will towaid men,” surely the reconing anniveraaiy of that event should be an occasion of grateful rejoicing on our earth. Mankind have a more Immediate and vital Interest in that advent (ban the angels. It is the necessary precursor lo that other event—the death on the cross—around which gather all the hopes of our fal len humanity. It was a part of the economy of grace that Christ should be ‘ bora of a woman, born uuder th* law, to redeem them that were under the law,” that he shoold be born in “ the likeness of sinful flesh,” that in the same flesh He might “ put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is that great epoch in the world’s history from which all that went before pre figure and point out. It is the world's second birth, from which its first crea- tion borrows all its significance.— Christian Advocate. John Huggins, abrakeman. who had both legs cut off in an accident near Emporia, Kan., last September, has made a rather curious settlement with the railroad company. He ia to be taught telegraphy at the company’s expense, and is to have employment far life. He is also tn he ptozided with a pair of cork legs. The German Empress has the finest peart necklace in existence. It con tains three world-famous necklaces. One of them formerly belonged to the ex-Queen ot Naples, too another adorned the image of the Virgin of Alakba. The entire noeklaoe is eatii to be worth $500,000. Says a rural editor: “ Owing to tho overcrowded eoudliiou of m a number of births and di M ■Vf