The ledger. [volume] (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1896-1907, January 20, 1898, Image 3
THE LEDGER: GAFFNEY, 8. C., JANUARY 20, 18981
FIND A WIFE.
[of vast learuiog and the
lly vast ignorance, the man
sterling integrity uini the man who
^utterly lacking in that most essential
)ality, the man who is worth a mil-
?n and the man who couldn’t raise 3
jts liefore sundown if his life depend-
|on it—all these, together witli tin ir
ives and children, are alike in one
Significant particular.
Each individual has a hobby or, if
pou please, some pet idea, which, in
S he case of many people, is brought
orth by the slightest possible provoca-
ion.
Alexander Dolldenuing belongs to
this class, and the happiest moments of
pis life are when he is given an unchal
lenged opportunity to talk in public or
private on his favorite theme.
^pown in Cage county, several wiu-
lers ago, the young people of four neigh-1
poring districts combined in conducting
|r debating society. There was consid
erable talent in each district, with a
^groe of pride by no means small back
pit, and then rivalry between the dis
tricts was sufficiently sharp to fill the
arge schoolhouse in which the meet-
Egs were held to its utmost capacity
svery Friday evening. In fact, it had
wcome a matter of general regret that
10 building of still greater seating ca-
jacity could be obtained for the use of
he society.
The programme for the first meeting
fei December was of unusual interest,
nd the house was packed uutil there
Las not standing room for another per-
Ki. Each district was represented by
tsbest man in the debate which cou-
tituted the main feature of the* entor-
ainment, and the discussion was an ex
iting one. The decision of the judges
is to the winning side product d great
norriment on the part of about half the
ludieuco, but the defeated disputants
md their supporters took defeat good
laturedly, and after a musical number
lad been rendered everybody was ready
'or the next tiling on the programme,
top. so| locking desk, attended to the
errand,which included the writing of
a lette; closed his desk, took the letter
to the.) <atoffice and started to an euter-
tainmut, where he was to meet bis
wife.
“Gaucing to put his hand into his
pocke, he noticed with a feeling slight
ly aku to horror that his keys were not
in tbir accustomed place. The loss of
a buck of keys is sometimes a serious
mattr to a business man and may re
sult u great inconvenience, if nothing
wore. Mr. Brown bad been very care
ful or years always to put his keys in
to ne same pocket and to keep them
thee whenever they were out of his
hurls.
‘Finding them gone, he hurriedly
M in the other pockets of his trousers
am in those of his coat and overcoat,
bu to no avail. He then retraced his
stos to the postoffice, and from there to
hi place of business, looking coustaut-
lyin front of him and on either side,
bping against hope for the appearance
ci his keys. Reaching his office, he
vvnt back several times over the steps
b remembered having taken there and
vas especially careful to look every
where under and around his desk.
“It was now evident to Mr. Brown
iat he had only repeated a former piece
l abseiitmindedness by dropping the
eys in bis desk and closing the top
own, thus locking them up, and so, as
n the former occasion, he borrowed a
crewdriver and proceeded to take the
esk apart. An hour was consumed in
his way, for the desk was not made to
ie taken to pieces every few months,
md the task was a difficult one, leaving
he man engaged in it very red in the
r aee when it was finished. But the keys
lad not been dropped there this time,
md ho was now' at his wits’ ends.
“After pacing up and down the room
i little while to quiet his nerves and
biuk of some means by which the lost
reasure could possibly be found Mr.
3rown searched through the same pock-
•ts again, made another trip to the post-
ifiice, and thence to the place where be
had discovered his loss, then went to
|the office of a morning newspaper and
an advertise-
return
which, according to custom, would bo
Li extemporaneous speech by some one paid for the insertion of
% cted at the time by the society on a went offering a reward for the
Lject given by the chairman. of his keys.
Lo just at this moment a young man “Ho was just in time to accompany
Inthe rear pert of the house arose and, Mrs. Brown homo from the entertain-
peiug recognized by the chair, said: ment, and he told her that he should
‘I desire to make a motion. We are probably not be able to sleep a wink
Ignored tonight by the presence of Mr. that night, but as be entered the house,
iJexacder Dolldenuing, a gentleman of feeling in bis vest pocket for a match to
nerited distinction in an adjoining light a lamp, his finger touched the
state, who is spciding a few days in missing keys. He had always thought
his vicinity as the guest of his sister, of the bunch as being too large to fit i:i
Ilrs. Robert Clevermate. I should like his vest pocket and so didn’t look there
rery much to hear from the gentleman, for it. He had doubtless put it there un-
md I believe that I express the wish of
his audience in moving, as I now do,
hat be be re quested to make the extern
joraneous speech which conics at tlm|
dace on our programme.”
Half a dozen members were on thei
ect at once to second the motion, and i
vas carried with such a volume of voice
hat Mr^ Dolldenuing was justified i
eeling nattered.
The chairman had been quietly it
armed that the motion would be iua<‘
fcqel was requested to give what the ii
Iprmaut knew to ba the visitor’s p«
Boa as bis subject. Being assured th;
o ill feeling would follow and that tb
uciety would bear something wort
istening to, ho consented, and as M
iolldenning came forward his subjil
?as announced as “The Way to Fid
[anything Is to Quit Looking For It. ’
He had never been asked to speak e
bis favorite theme to such a largo uu<-
feuce before, and a smile of genuine ss-
Waction played upon his face as ho F
Jan.
“Five years ago,” said he, ”iy
laughter Ada, who was a schoolgirl 2
ars of age, came down to breakfct
morning without the glasses ie
it necessary to wear all the the
studying and remarked that so
evidently mislaid them, as thy
ild not bo found in her room.
I ’After breakfast she looked fop tbo
:he diuitig room, where the faink
spent the previous evening. Jy
( ife soon joined in the search, and s
o time approached for Ada to start o
chool 1, too, began looking for to
[uuch wanted glasses.
“The kitchen and tbo parlor wereuo
Lue over carefully, and eadffono of is
It different times went to the gi:’s
pom, thinking perhaps they were tire
p some obscure place, and every tno
he of us failed to find them in A«’s
Kim or anywhere else the dining rom
las given another going over. Ken
ne front porch and the Lack steps ud
me stairway were searched fur the nss-
lug article, and the girl went to scuol
irmly convinced that the house md
|)teu entered in some mysterious wa by
pieves during the night and thatht r
isses were stolen. My wife’s sier,
has a reputation for finding tb.gs,
arrive on a morning train, «d 1
si Ada as she left that her unt
Ud soon discover the biding pise of
glasses.
|“But the aunt declared positivy to
at noon that they were not i the
ling room and said she had trued
^erything upside down in tbeflrl’s
room, going so fur as to uumuu her
ped, one piece at a time, and all m ain.
, “It seemed useless to look ino;, and
ie search was abandoned, but s my
ife was putt'mg dinner on the talc the
ish of potato* tilted a littleo one
dc, and the glasses were found Ineath
ie cloth, which it then renin her -
pi had been turned ba-k the n ht be-
fore for me to write on ti». tabl
‘I believe, my friends, »be every
lerson in this house tonight oa recall
lot one, but a number—perhist m<j|y
-instances similar to the ca I have
related, in which tbo moitliligent
arch failed to locate a lost aide, and
sooner was the search giveup than
article appeared in the net uuux-
way.
I l’I know of a business us named
own who went to hi* offi in haste
e night on an «rru:ui, dbd hi*
of from the left md pock*
at his pantaloons, where' i* in the
consciously while in the act of taking a
match from his pocket just after open
ing the desk.
“This case strikes yun as something
new only becaus • you are not busines-
men with self locking desks, hut I am
persuaded that while I spoke of key*
you were reminded of small pieces oi
farm machinery and articles of house
hold use whose disappearance) was just
as mysterious, the search for which
was fully as long and disappointing,
and the finding of which occurred in
the most unlocked for fashion soon aft
er the search was abandoned. Illustra
tions of tin- truth for which I stand to
night are of common occurrence in the
life of every individual, and I rely up
on your personal experience to clinch
every point I make.
“The clerk whose first and constant
aim is to find favor in the eyes of his
employer fails in at least nine cases oat
of ten until he quits looking for favor
and begins with self forgetful singleness
of purpose and concentration of effort to
bring about results in dollars aud cents
to his employer. The man most out of
favor with his employer of any I ever
knew was the one who exercised the
greatest care to anticipate the every
wish and thought of his employer, al
ways endeavoring to please him, and
the man with whom this same employer
was at all times ready to intrust any in
terest, however great, rewarding him
accordingly, was the ono who was mos;
thoroughly indifferent as to the show
ing he made in the presence of his em
ployer.
“The same trnth applies even with
more emphatic force to finding happi
ness. Did it over occur to you that the
individual who makes the most direct
effort to be happy usually wears the
longest face in the community, while
the ono whose days are filled with use
fulness and nights with sound sleep
comes up smiling at every turn in the
road which leads to the valley of con
tented old age?
“The man who spends $30 a week in
an effort to find happiness is, so far as
my observation goes, exceedingly miser
able in comparison with the man who
has only 30 cent* to spend in that way.
“The most unhappy woman that 1
ever knew was a Mrs. Smith, whose en
tire energy was devoted to having a
good time. She was the child of wealthy
parents, received u finished education
and married u successful professional
man, whom she loved intensely and who
did all in his power to gratify her every
fleeting fancy. She employed a house
keeper who took all responsibility per
taining to household affair* off her
hands and hired a competent nurse who
cared us an own mothiT for her baby.
Mrs. Smith did no work. Her health
was g>iod, and she seldom found it neces
sary to deny herself any pleasure that
she craved.
“The girl friends with whom she
had been brought up considered her
very fortunate indeed, but ber heart
was filled to overflowing with hitter-
Hens, and the more she surrendered ber*
se'f to the pursuit of a good time the
grcai-r that hitterness became. Thus
matt err. went on for a year, and she
oould stuiwl it no longer.
“She saw plainly that her housekeep
er and her unr*e were getting more tiiat
was really desirable out of life than
was she, and the cause was apparent
Her feeling was so strong that she want
ed to become loth housekeeper and
Horne at ouco, and it required a deter-
busbar.d to keep her from discharging
both servants the same day and doing
all the work herself. Mr. Smith knew,
however, tiiat her new theory was the
correct one and readily consented to a
compromise plan by which his wife has
since been of great usefulness iu the
home, where she is now a tireless work
er aud the happiest of mothers.
“Care burdened wives aud mothers 1
*nd daughters here tonight whose great
est happiness is found iu contributing
to tbo comfort of those you love, your
lot is au enviable one, aud I believe you
consider it so. I urge you to be coutent-
ed with it.
“The eccentric millionaire uncle of
my college chum, Frank Benson, died
during the young man’s last year at
school, leaving him, three years hence,
provided he had married by that time,
the snug sum of $50,000. If at a given
date young Benson remained single ho
was to receive only $500, and another
heir, who would then become of age,
was to get the balance.
“Benson s worldly possessions
amounted to less than $4,000 when the
uncle died, and the sum which was
thus placed within his grasp looked
very large indeed to him. The handling
of vast amounts of money was right in
line with his ambition, too, aud he
knew it would require a monster strug
gle ou his part if it became necessary to
let this fortune pass into another’s
hand. But he had never met the girl
whom he would take as a life compan
ion, even though this financial consid
eration was multiplied by ten—not be
cause all his lady friends were inferior
creatures, far from it, but for the better
reason that no one of them hud ever
shown herself able to disturb his heart,
and marriage with him, if it occurred
at all, should be a matter of love rather
than finauce.
“The condition iu his uncle’s will
seemed unreasonable iu the extreme to
him, but, after all, as a mutter of fact,
ho did really want to get married if ho
could only find his true mate, and the
plan took definite form iu his mind dur
ing the remaining six mouths of his
school life to devote as much of the
next 2>2 years as it required exclusive
ly to hunting a wife.
“ When graduation was over and he
had received bis degree Benson lost no
time iu undertaking bis new self as
signed task. He went about it deliber
ately, however, aud communicated his
purpose to no one.
“Tbo first five weeks were spent as
the guest of a cousin who was promi
nent iu the legal and social circles oi
Des Moines. There he met a score or
more of highly accomplished aud thor
oughly attractive young ladies, each of
whom treated him with kindliest cour
tesy. Several of them satisfied every de
mand of his intellect, and he tried tu
place his heart in as susceptible au atti
tude as possible, but it continued to be
as inactive as ever, and he came tc
Richardson county. Neb., to visit a sis
ter and, so far as be could, subject hu
heart for a month at least to the fem
inine charms of a rural district As at
Des Moines, his intellect was in several
cases satisfied, but that was all.
“He next put iu three weeks at the
home of a boyhood friend iu Denver,
then two mouths visiting an aunt iu
fcsau Francisco, from which place he
came back to Atchison county. Mo.,
where a brother-in-law lived, went next
to Minneapolis, thence to Chicago, paid
un oft promised visit to au aged relative
in Page county, la., made a trip to Bos
ton, where ho remained several months,
spent nine weeks iu Indiana and con
tinued to go from place to place in this
way, always making a most welcome
visit to some special friend or relative
aud never forgetting the secret object of
his travels until he bad spent from two
weeks to three mouths iu 30 communi
ties aud formed the acquaintance—a
Ve*ry pleasant acquaintance, too—of 28b j
marriageable young ladies, 27 of whom
ht: hud really tried to love, but trying,
failed, and now, nine days from the
time limit set by his uncle’s will, it
was still true that he had never met the
lady whom any financial consideration,
however large, would induce him tu
wed.
“He gave up, allowed the other heir
to come into possession of the money
which might have been his, aud cheer
fully applied himself to business, firm
ly resolving that if he ever married he
should meet the woman by chance or
Providence and not by going out to find
her.
“Just 15 days after the fortune pass
ed to the other heir Benson was driving
across the country ou a matter of busi- !
ness when he was caught iu a severe :
windstorm ten miles from the town in
which he had settled aud turned into a
farmhouse for shelter. There he met a
Miss Nettie Rosebud, who strangely
stirred up a veritable windstorm iu his
heart before bu had known her au hour,
and she wasn’t dressed iu her Bapday
best either, us the other 288 girls had
been. He arranged to continue the ac
quaintance, which soon became a court
ship, aud one year from that stormy
Wednesday, with the loveliest of sun
shine outside aud the prettiest of flow
ers witi.iu, having a heart us strangely
peaceful now as it was turbulent ou
the former occasion, Frank Benson led
Nettie Rosebud to the marriage altar.
That was 11 years ago. Last mouth 1
was a guest a; their home, and a hap
pier one I never visited. Frank declares
positively tlyn he bus not regretted for
so much us one moment at any time
since he met Nettie the loss of that sum
of money, and 1 uiu sure he doesn’t
need it now.
“Young man, the way to find any
thing, even a wife, is to quit looking
for it."
Mr. Dolldi lining took bis seat amid
round after round of applause.—Hubert
Burruss iu Omaha World-Herald.
A HOME OF ONE’S OWN
THE VALUE IT POSSESSES FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL AND THE NATION.
habit of keeping it, unlock hi* roller ^ mined remonstrance ou the pa.-t of her
Smart.
Hhe—Wbi*n you post a letter, do you
•tick the stamp ou yoursutf?
He—Certainly
Bbc—I always stick it cn the en
velope.—London Judy.
Th* Pcae* and Happln*** That Are Found
Only Under One’s Oku Vino nnd FI®
Tree—Th* Foulhllity of Attainment to
Men of Sin-ill Incomes.
t *
Napoleon said that the man who had
a wife aud children had “given hostages
to fortune.” In a yet stronger sense
have the man and woman made a be
ginning toward permanent success who
have found for themselves a homo, for
the possession of which they are both
willing unwaveringly and steadfastly to
use systematic self denial. When a
young couple have ceased to roam about
from one undesirable flat to another and
need no longer talk of “when wo lived
in East street or West street,”
but can cozily speak of “our little
place,” they have risen 20 per cent iu
their own self esteem aud are at least '
100 per cent richer in the true joy of ,
living. Insensibly my illustration takes
a financial form, since money, the pow
er to obtain this blessing, lies at the
root of the mutter.
Always a strong adherent to the ad
vantages of country living, it is to me
natural to associate the very idea of
homem king with rural surroundings.
When God created our primal progeni
tors, we are told that he placed them in
a garden us the best, the happiest, envi
ronment the divine wisdom could devise
for their development. Amid things
which have grown with their growth
aud perfected under their care, men aud
women still find a peculiar peacefulness
that no one can define aud a happiness
impossible elsewhere.
That heart ownership which comes
only to the man aud wife who have
won and made their homo is ofteuest
found in suburban towns and villages,
and rarely extends to the dimensions of
an acre. The tree that shades the door,
tho vino that climbs over the porch, the
pretty little garden in the rear, are
loved not as inanimate things, but as
part aud parcel of their lives, aud the
falling of a leaf aud the fading of a bud
are a sorrow. It is quite a different
homecoming to a man who sees his chil
dren standing at his pretty gate ready
to run down the safe aud quiet street
and finds his wife at the open door than
when he is lifted by a creaking elevator
to some unknown height, where danger
threatens the young lives if the door is
but left ajar, and he has to look for a
number to tell whether he is ou his own
(rented) floor. From tho hour a man aud
wife own their individual, personal
home a thousand new interests enrich
their lives, and the dwelling and its
surroundings are so a part of themselves
that a loose shingle or a stain on the
doorstep is of serious importance.
However extreme the theories of some
of the “laud for tho people” philan
thropists may be there is a deep integral
truth in the basis of their arguments.
Men aud •women are happier, are moral
ly elevated, are better citizens, for own
ing their share of Gcd's earth. I have
long believed that tho happiest people
now living iu our country are the skill
ed mechanics cf our rural cities aud
towns, whose ambitions are limited to
the acquisition of un unincumbered
home, well built, and set iu a lot large
enough to insure privacy aud a garden.
While watching the long drawn oul
repairs of an old country house 1 came
iu contact with a notably intelligent
aud representative body at workmen.
At dinner iiour they grouped themselves
under the trees, to the fruit of which
they were made welcome, or found
pleasant places to avoid the noontide
heat. They were buoyant, heartily
cheerful, with a quick readiness ta
laugh with sincere merriment They
discussed polities, town improvements,
school taxes aud general conditions of
the country; they bad enthusiasm aud
hope.
I talked mnch with these men. An
eagerness possessed me to find a clew’ to
tho reasons for the wide difference iu
their view of life aud that of my own
circle of young friends. I was left in uu
doubt. They were v every man, either
already “freeholders” or nearing that
distinction. Their cottages sprang up
in every direction where the largo land
holders left half an acre to spare. They
slept under their own roofs, they lay
down proudly, sure that wife aud chil
dren were sheltered from the power of
removal or ejectment and that they
were, personally, increasingly of value
to the comiuuuity iu which, they lived.
The bust of these workmen earned
$1,000 a year, apart of them from $050
to $700. It seeuit d to me incredible that
they had been able to buy laud in sucb
a town and improve it; still less credi
ble that they coaid build aud furnish
such cottage! as they lived in. They
were more than ready to explain thei:
system of saving through the various
co-operative and building schemes oi
which the town had many.
It has over since remained a problem
to me, increasing in complexity and in
terest as the years go on, why young
couples, with twice the income of these
thrifty and happy mechanics, remain
homeless and live iu crumped fiats and
tiny aiMirtuieiitN which, if they have
children, are but enlarged cages, while
the same opportunities those uu-n used
are open to them for obtaining the
treasure of u home inalienably theirs,
on which they can expend the taste and
ingenuity which are inher nt iu most
young Americans. Perhaps it is want of
understanding of the ease with which
they can uttuiu the result, a lack of
comprehension of the responsibility aud
trustworthiness of associations of vari
ous sorts organized to this end.—New
York Post.
What It Lacks*.
“There is something tho matter with
my bicycle, “ remarked the artist’s wife.
Her husband pinched the tiros.
“It needs atmosphere,” he replied us
he got the pump ready for work.—Pitta*
lurg Chronicle-Telegraph. -
when asked for it Several Freuc
charges d'affaires, and even embassa
dors, got their semblance of nobility
from Rome. 8owc still exist which had
no other origin.
Thu operation was at times rendered
awkward by the too plebeian form of
the name. Ne change pa.s de nom qui
veut, but with a little smartness and
the help of the chancellor’s office tho
difficulty could be got over. If the name
began with De, which is tho particle
indicative of ncbiluy, it was au easy
matter, tho only thing necessary being
the separation of the initial syllable
from the rest of the name. For instance,
M. Delamare became M. de Lamaro, M.
Delestrade was transformed into M. de
Lestrade and M.Dervilley signed “D’Er-
villey. ” But the operation became a
little more troublesome when the name
was a very commonplace one, such ae
Durand, Regnault or Dupont. In that
case the name of a town or a political
division was added, and the gentleman
called himself Dupont de 1’Eure or de
Nemours, Regnault do Saint-Jean d’An*
gely, Durand de Romoruntin, and so
forth.
When no name of a town or village
was available, tho would bo nobleman
applied for permission to add his moth
er’s maiden name to his own, especially
if it had an aristocratic tbund In this
way a certain embassador, whoso fam
ily name was a ridiculous one, but
whoso mother’s name, though plebeian,
was easy to disguise, dropp' d by de
grees bis own name and retained only
tho maternal appellation, just prefixing
the particle “de’ aud the title of baron
conferred on him under the empire. In
tho elevated circle in which ho moves,
thanks to his intelligence and superior
education, no one suspects That his real
name, if ho went by it, would associate
him more intimately with kitchens than
with diplomatic salons.
A fair idea can bo fonned of French
society as it exists today. A tenth part,
at most, consists of old families that
have survived the revolutions aud who
live generally in retirement, far from
the busy, noisy world. Many have
placed their sous in the army, and a
number cultivate their land, sumo of
them with an energy worthy of being
imitated by professional farmers. Near
ly all their names can bo found in tho
list of tho Agricultural society of
France, mingled in equal proportion
with tho names of the men most es
teemed in scientific agriculturo. Three-
tenths at least belong to what is culled
la noblesso de la contrebande, while
another tenth are connected with the
higher liberal professions, literature,
the sciences, puro and applied, tho dif
ferent classes of tho institute aud the
uppir professorships. Tho remaining
half consists partly of politicians, many
of whom havo held office, and partly of
great financiers, a large number of whom
aru of foreign origin, some of them oc
cupying, owing to their intelligence,
their wise conduct, their generosity or
the circumspection they display iu their
delicuto position, a very high place in
public esteem.
Buch aro the elements forming French
society at tho present time. It has no
pronounced vices, little pride, enough
vanity not to care to bo caught in fault,
a sufficiently moderate thirst for pleas
ure to allow others, sprung from the
ranks, to take the lead, fairly broad
principles, measured convictions, ele
vated judgment iu matters of taste and
intellect, a love of country that has
nothing narrow about it, and, to crown
all. a charity so beneficent, so efficacious,
that slanderous tongues attribute it to
a selfish desire to satisfy oneself in help
ing others. For our i*art wo look upon
this kind of egotism as being equal to a
virtue.—Nineteenth Century.
Wasted Eloquence.
The Teacher—Aud suppose, my dear
children, that yon went up to the great
marble entrance, and you found it
closed, uud you rattled ou it and called
to them to let you in, and there was no
reply—oh, my deal children, what would
you do then?
Little .laiio—Flease, teacher, I’d take
my pail and go round to the side door
aud kucx’k three times, like papa does
•very Bunds? —Cleveland Wain Dealer.
Onnfell New*.
(CorrespoiHlenc* of Th* Ledger.)
Grindai.i., Jan. 17.—There |g no
sickness in our town at present.
Smallpox lias not reached here.
The school at the Hame’e school
house is in progress with Harrell
Jefferies us teacher.
Mrs. Eva Mooreheud ie vi|lt|ng
friends and relatives at Asbury.
Rufus Nance has moved to Aebury.
J. G. limnes and U. K. M. Kirby
have gone to Marion. N. C., on bus*
mess.
Andrew and Miss Maggie Beam, of
this place, made a lining visit to
Gaffney Thursday.
.1. S. Pridmore, of Clifton, wag
down Wednesday looking after sonig
business.
Farmers have not commenced woik
yet.
Miss Ann Hamilton is teaching thg
Lindsay achool.
Mun llarria’house is nearly com*
plated.
Davie Horn gave a pound parly
Tliurrday night which wae enjoyed
by all. lluiio.
tl
ti