The ledger. [volume] (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1896-1907, January 05, 1899, Image 3
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THE LEDGER: GAFFNEY, S. C., JANUARY 5, 1899.
3
P1NGLE VALLEY.
WMp woodlniul > : u' riiiKini?
Vtilh ihw jrrpy liircl.'
. Aud Uic* str.-iVu flows Ly
A forRctinciiot’s < yp,
• ^herc iilvtr fruiwltt are nixprinylnf.
fcoft LI ules and lihmsonn mingle
la the misty vale of Finale,
Ajid the young 1. avc-i play
Thros»h rach emi ra'd day
v In many a done and dingle.
Great meihor, hear my trying,
For the yi urs are tlfs lly flying.
And a dream of npnng
p To my weary heart Lrir.g
I In the hour when I am dying.
One vision will content mo
, And none that love need lament me
If my sense but fade
On a golden green glade
When you claim the dust yon lent mo.
—Eden Philpotts in Literature.
I «
STORY OF A CHASE.
I
There were dead leaves underfoot,
but overhead the trees wore crimson
and russet There were deep lanes
under the trees, but bojond stretched
open moorland, swelling to the horizon.
The wind shook the trees with rustlings
ns of silk, v:ith clamorous whispers and
gasps, rising and falling, but never
quite still. liufc it surged over the moor
with the rush and swirl of surf, and
then there were silences in sharp con
trast, while the clouds drove overhead,
gathered and massed and trailed away,
leaving wide bine gaps. And from time
to time there came a glint of sunlight
to lie across the moors.
The day was typical of the times, for
it was the second year of the civil war
in England.
In the principal street of a small post
town, at the door of its principal hos
telry, a horse stood waiting, tossing its
head fretfully at tho rough caress of the
wind, which whisked its mane to and
fro, laying back its ears at the roar of
the gale in them, fidgeting impatiently,
sidling, starting, stamping—a brown
mare, with a coat like satin, and limbs
of satin and fitec), with a head like a
deer, and fine, full nostrils, quivering
with eagerness and impatience. It was
describing a circle round the man who
was holding it, causing a wary falling
back among a knot of spectators near
the door, w hen a step sounded on tho
stair within, and the little ears shot
forward with a" low whinny at the
sight of the lad who cleared tho hut
steps at a bound and came out into tho
wild autumn morning. A boy with a
gay, handsome face, boyishly light
hearted, but holding in tho curves of
month and chin the promise of a deter
mination and resourcefulness more than
boyish; with bright blue eyes, keen be
hind their laughter; slim and of only
just middle height, but lithe and wiry.
He swept off bis bat, nodding lightly
to the group outside. The mare began
to sidle toward him at once, and, tak
ing the reins from the man holding her,
he pulled the soft muzzle stretched out
to him up to his face and kissed it, with
a laugh. With his arm across her neck
ho turned and spoke to some one who
had followed him out to the door of the
hostelry—a tall, gray haired man.
“I’ll do my best, sir.”
The other answered him, with a
kindly look in his eyes.
“For that, my lad, I’d give ye credit
whate’er should befall.”
The color came into tho lad’s face.
“Thank ye, colonel. I vow I will.”
Tho other proceeded to give him some
final instructions.
“And have a caro of thyself, lad,”
ho concluded, with a hand on tho lad’s
shoulder, as he turned to re-enter the
house. ‘'There be just one or two we
could better spare than thee.”
“Thank ye,” said the lad again, and
he seemed about to repeat his former
promise, but checked himself, but
then, with a laugh and eyes full of mis
chief, quoted himself mockingly, “I’ll
do my best, colonel.” The other shook
his head laughingly and took his de
parture. The boy looked round at tho
group in front of him.
“Just one or two here!” he said,
nodding at them impertinently. There
was a playful unsheathing of rapiers.
“Nay, nay, in tho face of tho colonel’s
expressed command I cannot pleasure
ye, fire eaters that ye are. Tilt ye at
each other’s inconsiderable throat and
let cut some of the bile that inspires
ye.” He sprang nimbly into the saddle
and wheeled the mare. “Keep ye, gal
lants, in all humility till 1 return.
S-steady there!” us the mare went up
the street like an india rubber ball.
"Have a caro for my valuable neck. ”
“Keep her to that, Nick, ami I’ll
warrant ye safe from the Croppies’ bul
lets at e’en five yards!” shouted one
man after him.
“From aught but a broken neck,”
jeered anofher. Tho lad, turning in his
saddle, called back:
“From envy and malice, Dick Lacy,
tho Lord deliver thee. Fluck up heart,
man. Didst not quite fall off the lust
time thy jade coughed? Nay, on the
king's business 1 accept no cartels, but
I’ll ride a tilt with thee on my return,
and thou shalt be tied into thy saddle
an thou wilt.”
” ’Sdeatb, thou mayst be riding a tilt
with thy sponsor and namesake, Old
Nick, before then an thou chance to
full foul of his darlings, the long eared
rout, and fail to show them a clean
pair of heels. ”
“Faith, bo will bo tho better and
thou the worse of a very notable lesson
in the gentle art of equitation should it
so full. Hut I’d back the mare to show
a clean pair of heels to Old Nick him-
self. So ye would do w< 11 to set to and
practice thy horsemanship, Dick. Hey,
Dick”—ho pulled the mara almost on
to her haunches for a moment—“caust
have my sorrel while I’m away. I
would not have thee say but thou hudst
all reutoriabloadvantages. ” Dick Lacy
had recently lost a horse in a brush
with the enemy. “And if Old Nick
cannot wait longer for my company ye
cum keep it to practice on against the
Gimo we meet again. Hut tho mare and
1 go to the devil together if it so be.”
He disappeared in a cloud of du«t,
followed by the ringing laughs and
jeers of the knot by the door. He was
well known and well liked. He and bis
mare had pulled mfro than one man
out of a tight corner, and his high spirits
and good nature uu.de him a general
favorite.
And so crimson and russet and gold
came into the lane between tho steep
banks under tho trees, came with a
‘cling” of iron shod hoofs, trampling
the dead leaves underfoot and waking
little whirls and eddies among them,
with a glitter of steel and a steelliko
gleam in blue eyes, which glanced
hither and thither, under tho trees,
down the bypaths, into tho open dis
tance—gay blue eyes, with a challenge
in them, as in tho alertness of tho boy
ish figure, in the hand which never
strayed far from tho holster, in tho
shortened reins, the nico touch on the
brown mare’* mouth, ready to stop her
or let her dash into her full stride at a
moment’s notice.
He was humming a gay little tuno
under his breath, with a smile on his
lips, when suddenly the tune broke off
in a sharp indrawn breath, and in a
lightning flash the young face changed,
Haring into defiance.
There was a rush of sound and air and
motion. Dead leaves whirled in clouds
under tho iron shoos as the mare bound
ed forward under tho spur. Dead leaves
rose and scattered under other iron
shoes. The ring of hoofs had its echo
flung Lack from the other end of the
lane, and the gleam of steel met the
gleam of steel between the steep banks
under the trees. Hut tho lad on tho
maro was alone, while half a dozen
Konndhcud troopers filled tho narrow
track on tho other side.
The discovery and tho subsequent
dash toward a common goal (the path
whirh cut into tho Jane midway be
tween themjseemod almost simultaneous
on both sides, but there was a second’s
hesitation, an involuntary check, a lit
tle inevitable jostling among tho troop
ers’ horses, and on the lad’s pait not a
second b .i. Tho mare gained the outlet
first. The slope was ia her favor, her
own superior flectncss, too, and the
lightness of her rider. Hut his bullet
was only just in time as he swerved
into tho path leading on to tho moors
to intercept one from tho foremost
trooper, and a shewer of bullets sang
after him with high bnzzing drnno an
he turned. Half standing in his stir
rups, ho rode for tho open country—
rode for life and trust, with his teeth
set, catching his breath, but with a
flush on his cheek and his bluo eyes
gleaming. He was such a boy—excite
ment and danger were the salt of lifo to
him. Only tho thought of tho dis
patches he boro sobered him with a
sense of responsibility—brought a stern
curve to his lips and a line between his
brows at the sound and thrill of those
thundering hoofs behind him. Fortu
nately the path was full of sharp curves,
so that he was screened from his pursu
ers at a very short distance. He stood
up, easing the mare, and she swept
down the dip of tho path with a burst
which carried her far up tho opposite
rise on to the moor. Hu sat down in
tho saddle and steadied her thou, and,
riding slantwise up tho crest, was able
without losing ground to throw a glance
back at the mouth of the path lie had
quitted, iu a moment he saw one troop
er burst from it, closely followed by a
second, then after an interval by a
third. He was over tho crest and speed
ing down the opposite side before any
more came into sight, but looking back
as he came again on to higher ground
ho saw them all—throe first and two
behind—dotting tho slope. He was
within range of bullets, but ho trusted
to the pace to prevent them from using
their weapons, or at least to impair
their aim, and the pace was terrific. It
roused a sense of wild exhilaration in
him. The rush of tho wind made him
catch his breath, and sang in his ears
with the hum of vibrating chords.
A wide, deep ditch yawned in front
of them, and toward this he shaped his
coarse. The mare quickened her pace
and took it with an effort, the bank
crumbling under her hoofs. Behind him
presently he beard a splach and the
sound of struggling. His face broke into
an irrepressible smile of boyish elation.
He did not turn and wave his hat iron
ically, though lie would have liked to,
but ho patted the little creature under
him, exclaiming: “Hey for King
Charles! Bravo, my muidie!” His color
rose jubilantly.
Eut when at the end of a few more
moments he found time to review the
situation he wondered whether they
bad flung themselves on the pursnit of
a chance “malignant, ” or had caught
wind of his errand as the bearer of
more or less important dispatches. A
stern chase and a long one iu tho latter
case! At the next opportunity he looked
round again. They were riding iu the
same order, with u suggestion of dogged
determination about them which he
was quick to recognize. He faced round
in the saddle again with a dry littlo
laugh, squaring his shoulders with
something of their own suggestion of
obstinacy, thrusting his feet home iu
the stirrups and narrowing his eyes
against the wind which beat sharply in
them, hut they were bright and confi
dent still, and he leaned forward with
a pat to his mare and a light hearted
word of eucouragemeut as he settled
himself iu the saddle, throwing keen
glances ahead.
Tweuty minutes later, breaking from
a coppice, be saw tho clustered roofs of
a village iu the dip below him and tho
white ribbon of the highway in front
and hehiiid the sweep of the moors,
barren of figures fur the moment, and
his face expressed a resolution more
than tinged with elation.
He turned on to the road us the fore
most horseman loomed up against the
sky line u mile and a half away. Ent
before he had gone a hundred yards the
mure made a sudden stumble, and some
thing rang sharply on the hard surface.
She had cast a shoo!
Ho jumped down with an oath. Tho
smithy lay a couple of hundred yards
finther on, just above the village, and
he led her there at, a limping trot. Tho
smith ran cut with a readiness which
seemed to suggest a grasp of the situa
tion. He asked no questions, tart took
the bridle out of bis hand sad «t to
w’ork without dslay. It only remained
to the other to possess his soul in such
patience as he could command, which
in tmth was wiry little. OutwArdly ho
was calm enough, though, as he stood
beside the mare with his band on her
neck ho stroked and patted the liltls
creature as though it was she who wus
maddening at the delay, she who esuld
hardly force herself to stand still. He
who bad faced far greater odds—with
his back against a wall—undaunted,
felt overwhelmingly helpless, felt- like
a trapped animal. He could not keep
his eye* from the swelling upland*
where the figures shifted ru ami out,
but always nearer and nearer. Ev«y
minute dragged and yet flew.
It was with a rebound of spirits so
great as tosund his mood swinging back
to almost reckless confidence tlw*4 he
sprang at last into tho saddla aad felt
tho mare take the bit iu her All
would go well now, though he conid
see tho troopers* faces set and dogged,
though ho could catch tUa muffled
drumming of the hoofs on the heath
and grass, and the next moment Ihcir
matchlocks cracked sharply and!* cou
ple of bullets actually grazed Uu cheek
and the mare’s quarter, malting her
bound forward. Ho went down the
slope with a smile on his lips and a
bold defiance in his eyes. AH would go
well now!
The slope, which was abrupt, hid
him from them. Ho laughed scornfully
when two more loud*repo*ts horolded
the advent of more bullets, which flew
high above his head.
“They are lavish of their pwwflar, tho
knaves. Do they lose heart?” was his
thought. And then—even as he fl whed
into tiio littlo village street, seatiering
knots of idlers whom tho fir.iikg sweflned
to have drawn out of doors—with a sud
den misgiving inspired by or confirmed
by (both so nearly simultaneous that he
could not have told which), au impres
sion of certain figures who wu«) not
yokt Is, and tho next moment by tho
sight of a group of horses ready bridled
and saddled by a drinking trough :
“Is it a signal?”
IIh was prepared when an unfriendly
hand made a snatch at his bridle. Tiio
butt end of bis pistol brought down on
tho man’s wrist freed him. The bullet
was for the assailant who charged him
with draw:: sword, and the imjxitiis of
tin* gallop rolled over a third, and then
the narrow street was left behind, and
with his teeth clinched and the uncon
scious oath still ringing between them,
with his breath coming unevenly, and
one hand dyed red from a cut, ho was
cut on the bread highway.
Behind the ring of hoofs dwindled
suddenly, then broke out with a louder,
fresher sound. A single herso followed
him on to the road. Behind it again
there came the sudden check, the re
newed full of hoofs, and again and
again. It had puzzled him at first, but
he grasped its meaning iu a moment.
They were changing their horse*, leav
ing their tired cattle behind and re
suming the chase on fresh animals. It
turned the odds against him, he realized
with a sinking heart, and then with a
sudden fieri u sense cf injury and a
freakish pity and concern, not for him
self or even tho failure of his mission,
but for the game little mare. That she
should have struggled so gallantly on
ly to be beaten in the end by a flout of
fate 1
“A scurvy trick of the jade Fortune.
But we'll fight it to tho end, my sweet
heart, ” ho told her, and even now he
conld not think of that cud us a fore
gone conclusion. t?he was going so well.
Tho short rest had refreshed her, and
the sound of too galloping hoofs behind
excited her.. His mood was illogically
compounded cf hope and defiance. Sure
ly in the end luck would befriend him,
but if not to the devil with it. He
would conquer in spite of it. None tho
less he felt a personal animus against
his pursuers which had been wanting
up to now—a souse of unfairness iu the
conditions of tho struggle. There was a
harder set about his mouth, and the
light iu his eyes was fiercely resentful
as well as determined. He remembered
with a certain savage satisfaction the
loss he had inflicted on tho troopers,
and told himself there would be i lore
bloodshed before he was taken, and in
the thought after awhile a dogged good
humor came back to him.
Half an hour later he drew rein on
the spur of a hill. The maro was breath
ing hard, and her coat was black with
sweat. Underneath it the veins stood
out like a outwork of ropes. She strained
at the reins, stretching her neck and
blowing through her nostrils. Her rider,
standing in his stirrups, threw impa
tient glances over his shoulder and anx
ious ones ahead. Some four miles off
a house stood boldly up above its clus
tered trees, and toward it his looks were
directed. He hud heard that it was oc
cupied by a small troop of royalists,
and now it held his best hope of safety,
lie shortened the reins after a moment
or two and urged the mare forward.
Tho bluo eyes were stern now, and ho
rode with clinched teeth. He band] -d
tho pistols reflectively for a moment,
looking over his shoulder, and then
slipped them back into tbe holster, hav
ing satisfied himself that they \ftcro
loaded and in working order.
Hu broke into a gallop again on the
level.
Two inileNover moorland interspersed
with low scrub ami stony ground on a
tired animal; bnt the troopers’ heavy
horses also were under the necessity of
picking their way. Tbe distance re-
ruaine l the same.
Then on a road, whire tho inure,
grateful for the change, went a trifle
more freely at first. Hut the fresher
hums, breaking from the uneven
ground, seized and held their greater ad
vantage—a mile, with the distance less
ening between them.
Then the tiny hamlet, overshadowed
by the house on tho hill. Up the steep
little street, saved from bullets by it*
windings*—tho mare bigiiming to roll
in her stride, yet still struggling en—
across the village green, and there above
the wall the old park trees were leaning,
but the massive gates denied admittance
to one who could not tarry to gk'e c o-
dentiuls. Beyond them hi»quick des
perate plauco lit < n a breach in tho
wall, showing that here, too, the war
hud come. It had been roughly repaired
to a certain height, bnt n desperate
man oo a good horse might just man
age it. He at Last must make the at
tempt.
He turned tho mere at it, and for
Hie first time in her life struck in
the spurs mercilessly. She answered
with a boo of distress, rose at it, caught
her forefeet hard and turned over.
Ho had slipped his feet out of the
stirrups and fell clear. Ho was np In a
moment, but tbe mare lay still!
He stood beside her, stunned by this
final failure, with tears of rage and de
spair in his eyes. At the gates the
troopers wore thundering, and then
Suddenly, as they began to open, tha
memory of boyish triumphs iu floethess
of foot came to bis assistance. lie must
make his feet serve him now as they
had never served him before. Turning
from her be plunged into tho labyrinth
of trees to give himself a better chance
with the horses, who would not turn
so quickly and easily as ho would. He
had thrust his pistols into his belt. Ho
held his naked sword in his hand. Ho
was conscious as be ran of two figures
dropping on to tho grass behind him
and of tho horses sweeping up the av
enue to turn him if tbe otbejs failed to
run him down or to stop him with a
bullet. Stiff at first and shaken by the
fall, he quickly wanned to tho run and
outdistanced tho troopers.
After awhile he flung away tbe scab
bard by his side. Then, ike strain on
his heart beginning to tell, ho throw
away bis sword, reserving only thu pis
tols.
Twisting among th > trunks, brui-ing
himself, tearing his face, bands, gar
ments, he went en. Once, catching his
foot in a trailing creeper, he fell. Ho
lunged on to his feet again, and stag
gered headlong for tho next few paces.
Once, reeling suddenly, ho clutched al
a trunk and, leaning against it, fought
for a little breath, while ho waited for
tho nearest man to show himself to lire.
Hi- did not wait to seo the effect of his
shot, but broke into a run again.
Ho bur.it at last into tho broad sweep
of tho avenue, just below the house,
firing wildly at any shadow in tho
trees, chiefly with tbe idea of arousing
tho attention of those within, of draw
ing them to meet him. Headlong,
blindly, wildly ho ran, staggering at
every step, reeling like a drunken man,
still keeping his feet, he went on.
Livid, with blue lines round his lips,
and his eyes—those gay bluo eyes—
misty and bloodshot. Ho saw through
all their mist and glaze a blurred vision
of figures running to meet him, with a
glint of arms iu the sunlight, and was
conscious of tho troopers’ horses flash
ing into the avenue. Still staggering,
only mindful cf (ho hoofs behind him,
of tho broad stretch iu front, of tho feet
that refused to carry him farther, he
stumbled forward and flung the roll of
dispatches as far as he could.
They fell just at the top cf tho flight
of steps. He, with his hands at his
breast, clutching at the balustrade,
sunk on his knees at tho bottom.
On his knees on tho last stop—on his
knees. Then, lower, slipping down till
he lay huddled up against it, fighting
for air iu choking sobs. Fighting no
longer for king, for loyalty, for honor—
drifting into oblivion of all these
things, of the hoofs that came slowly
and confidently up tho avenue, of tho
men who ran forward to pick up the
dispatches, and received them with be
wildered looks.
And before tho foremost trooper had
reached him he had drifted beyond 1
Tho horses stood still, with tired
strainings at the reins loose on their
necks at last, with tired shiftings of the
heavy bits in their mouths, with heav
ing flanks and nostrils distended. One
of them, stretching down to the grruud,
sniffed at tho crumbled velvet and lace
huddled so quietly there agaiust the
step; sniffed curiously round it, paused
at a root of grass upsprrng in the
ground besido it, pulled listlessly at the
green blades and moved a little farther
on.
Tbe yvind whispered through tbe trees
with rustlings as of silk, but it stirred
up the aveuuo over tho figure with
gathering sighs, over the figure all un
witting that it died in a supreme effort
to fling its master’s message at its mus
ter’s enemies’ feet.
For garrisons change from day to day
in war time, and it has chanced to
more than one to find enemies where
they looked for friends.
And so Dick Lacy kept tho sorrel.—
Cassell's Magazine.
m
m
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LUNATICS’ LEGACIES.
A Ilomnii Peace Jubilee.
Probably tho most gorgeous peaco
jubilee that tho world has ever seen
was that celebrating at Rome tho four
triumphs cf tho fir*t Ciusur. So mag
nificent were these triumphs that they
were celebrated at intervals of several
days lest tbfl populace should bo cloyed
by very splendor. They commemorated
the fiual conquest cf all Gaul, the de
feat of Ptolemau?, the subjection of
Pharnaoes and tbe victory over Juba,
Novv-r had the Eternal City, then stand
ing upon the threshold of empire, ever
seen tiio like. The Egyptian Princess
Arsiuoe and the sun of the king of Nu-
midia walked captives behind the car
of tho conqueror.
Costly figures ami portraits of tha
slain enemies of the republic, represent
ing the manner of their death, were
borne by Gallic slaves or cam <1 iu lit-
, tors by the men who had fought under
I the originals, yciuio, too, was shown
plunging into tho sea; Cutn, burying
his sword in his own bosom, and Deme
trius, wounded in the back in token of
his flight. Nor did the celebration stop
: with the processions. The most sumptu
ous banquets were served in the public
square.-, in one of which citizens re
clined before L'2,OOU tables groaning
under the accumulated weight of tho
! most luxurious delicacies.
Public games were given and gladia-
| tors recruited from tho most vourageous
prisoners fought with wild beasts from
| the ends of tho earth and the circus was
hung with huge awnings of silk brought
: from India at a time when a queen could
not afford that material for her corona-
A Suitable Text.
In the middle of July, 1H72, tbe Rev.
Dr. H. W. Dale of Birmingham, Eng
land, arranged to preach at Veutnur
and at the same time to take a few
days’ holiday iu tbe island. On the
Thursday before his engagement he
made au excursion to Carishrooke, and
while walking along one of the castle
walls lie slipped and fell, breaking an
arm and dislocating the elbow. The
pain and tbe shock kept him on the
coach for several days.
Dr. Halley took his place on the Mon
day, and when ho gave out us his text,
“lie keepetb all his bones—not one of
them is broken," the gravity of the
congregation gave way.
The good old man was uneasily con
scious that something was wrong, but
the ripple of laughter did not enlighten
him, and it was not until he hud left
the pulpit that he saw what he hud
done. He was acutely distressed, espe
cially when he found that some present
supposed tbe incongruity to Luve been
Intentional ?
TboQneei*uThat Are I’rorSLyt-
ct! by luaniir Faucieu.
Perhaps one of the saddest things ia
connection with lunacy is the tendency
of tbe iu«N« pati«nt to make his will
and his bequesds usually take a very ex
traordinary form. Needless to say, tho
documents become mere waste paper, so
far as their legality is concerned# but
Mia doctors, iu truer to humor the
afflicted eues, trial tho wills ia ques
tion with Uio greatest respect.
A patient confined at a large asylum
near London drew up an elaborate will
by which hs left :i section of his prop
erty to the mikado of Japan, on condi
tion that ho (tho mikado) visited tho
testator’s frr.vve once every year and
planted it with cliry.-mutbcmmns. The
remainder of tba estate was to be hand
ed over to au imaginary charity called
tho Hrothi rly Ivovo and Bounty society.
I!ludicroas perhaps was tho be
quest of the lunatic who had been iu a
Pari.iinn a»ylum for many years. Ho de
vised Hint the whole cf his fortune (and
he pow.v'd n con.-iderablo amount),
should bo divided between the possessors
of Roman noses residing in and near
Pari*. Hn hiinsadf possessed a rather
handtouM m-.-* of Mio shape in question,
which koso ho was constantly admir
ing, and lie, therefore, made ihe will
mentioned. Somewhat similar was tho
bequest of a patient iu the same retreat,
who left irrs properly to one of tho at
tendants beesmso ho possessed the ugliest
nasal organ which he (the testator) had
ever seen. Ono might laugh heartily at
such vagaries as these were it not that tiou robes.—Philadelphia Press.
the sad condition of mind which prompt-1 —
ed them forbids any semblance of mirth. !
In a iMFsai asylum in the Midlands ;
there was a lunatic who believed that
he had been coufiiuid iu the establish- |
ment unjustly, and lie would constantly
assert that be was as sane as tho doctors |
themselves. One day, feeling somewhat '
indisposed, he resolved to make hia ‘
will, aud after many hours’ work ho
produced an elaborate document, by
which he devised his property to Lbo
commissioners of lunacy to enable them
to engage a large staff of men for the
pnrpoae of visiting asylums with a view
to discovering whether any sane pa
ticuts were retained there.
He declared that tho staff of people
appointed for tho work of visiting in
sane establishments was not adequate
for the work, and that if a proper body
of men were engaged there would bo
less chance of sane individuals being
kept in durance vile. This legacy cer
tainly seemed reasonable enough, aud it
was indeed far more reasonable than tha
testator whoso peculiar delusion was
that he was tho pope of Koine.
When lunatics’ wills take a more
sensible shape, they are chiefly distin-
gsrinhed by their disproportionateuoss.
A certain insane patient, when making
his will, left several thousands of
pounds to his mother-in-law (a person
whom, by the way, ho had disliked
heartily when iu the land of tbe sane),
and the sum of Gd. to his brother, to
whom he had been devoted. Equally
extraordinary was tho testa meat of tho
gentleman who directed that the bulk
of his iinsginary property should bo
banded over to his attendant at tho asy
lum, while he desired that tbe doctors
at tho same place should merely receive
tbe interest on tho said amount.
Strange, very strange, aud extremely
sad.
But perhaps tbe most extraordinary
will on record in connection with mad
people was tbe document left by an in
mate of a workhouse insane ward. Ho
believed that he wus the owner of tho
whole universe, aud ho bequeathed the
same to a certain famous actor, whom,
iu days gone by, he hud often seen and
admired. The actor in question has oft
en metaphorically had tho world at hi*
feet, but probably never before has bo
received such a singular .token of appre
ciation us this mad gift of the dead
madman.—Pearson's Magazine.
Srvei-e Ilebnke.
Constable, the famous painter, once
gave a remarkable instance of the sweet
ness of his temper, which scarcely any
thing conld ruffle. The story is fold by
Julian Charles Young, whose uncle had
witnessed its incident.
Hu called on Constable one day anrl
was received by him iu bis front room.
After half an hour’s chat the artist pro
posed to repair to the backroom to show
him u large picture on which ho wat
engaged.
On walking up to his easel he found
that one of his little boys, in bis ah
sence, had dashed tbe huiidlo of the
hearth broom through the canvas and
made so large a rent iu it us to render
its restoration impossible. He called the
child up to him aud asked him gently ii
ho had done it. V hen the boy admitted
his act, Constable took him on his knee
and rebuked him iu them uuiueasured
terms:
“Oh, my dear pet! Fee what we
have done! Dear, dearl What Khali wt
do to mend it? 1 can’t think—can yoL.-”
Pretty Nenr Fleab.
“An Italian prelate who believes
himself a master of tho English lan
guage,” says a correspondent of an Eng
lish paper, “was while an honored
guest at a famons college asked to
preach at the high mass on Sunday.
His discourse was diversified by neolo
gisms that kept our attention alive, if
they sometimes disordered our gravity,
which Anally collapsed under the propo
sition:
“ ‘There are, my brethren, three ene
mies against whom, all onr long, we
are bound to fight—tbe devil, the world
and’ (for a moment he pondered came)
‘the meat.’ ”
. A
To relieve Mental Worry, cure
Despondency and give Refreshing
Sleep, use Simmons Squaw Vine
Wine or Tablets.
— - ■*#»- —
The average man is miserable be
cause about two-thirds of his time is
spent in imagination to that end.
#
Mr. S. A. Fackler, Editor of the
Micanopy (Fla.) Hustler, with his
wife and children, suffered terribly
from La Grippe. One Minute Cough
Cure was the only remedy that
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Thousands of others use this remedy
as a specific for La Grippe, and its
exhausting after effects. Cherokee
Drug Co., Gaffney. R. S. Withers <fc
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Possession is nine points of the law
—and if found in the thief’s poses-
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If Irritabii, Out of Sorts, De
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Headache, take a few doses Dr. M.
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relief.
It is rumored that a new publica
tion entitled the ‘ The Waste Ban
ket” will shortly appear. We infer
from its name that is to be a maga
zine of poetry.
—»
To insure a happy new year, keep
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by using I)e Witt’s Little Early
Risers, the famous little Pills for con
stipation and liver troubles. Chero
kee Drug Co., Gaffney. R. S. With
ers «fc Co., Blacksburg.
In New Orleans molasses is being
put up in :i-pound cans similarly to
those used for syrups.
Morning Hickness, or Nausea from
Pregnancy, is dispelled by Himraonv
Squaw Vine Wine or Tablets.
Texas is experiencing the worst
December weather it has had in many
years, and losses to stockmen are
very heavy.
t ___ ^ a
W. H. Nisbet, Cash’s Depot, 8. C.,
writes: I hud Dyspepsia; used/eilin’s
Liver Regulator, but it did no good.
I then tried Dr. M. A. Simmons
Liver Medicine; the first package did
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wus cured.
• •
Ho who gives fair words feeds you
with an empty spton.
-• • —
I'hicki.V Ahii Hittkiih cure* the kidney it.
r<‘aulNii*M ttm ll\i-r uml (iurifles the hnwclit.
A valuable ny-ttein tonic. Sold by I'hcrnkeit
lb UK Co.
niafc,-.
i
p