The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, December 29, 1899, Image 2
Call them n
All the <
, Darkly thro
jj Toward
j I oward the
/ And the
* SURG CU^S.
nw yulr'S (STORY ll\ C. E. Ctt/.M, u. d.
ICurcrliflit, lSi>?. 1} C. K. Crnm.l
V. O II G 1: nml
"".y ';lv,;r".r;
supper aiul stay
ip tit*- ni^ld. It was a .lolly party
?li. Including Mr. nml Mrs. ZachaHatch.
that encircled the table at
tip* taut supper of the dying year.
married brother, ISdward
pMh. and his young wife liad promhp#
he be home for the holiday, inHmMm
I* come up from Rochester on
flfce vramlug train. Their nonnppcurWM
won the only cloud that hung
ever U* Hatch homestead that night.
Mm ia every reunion of old friends, it
\rapU bo easier to tell what they didn't
fibM what they did talk about, hut it
when music was the subject
aShtHtpg attention that Myrtle re*%hM#
yeu went away I've lost my
t#aa 1 eauuot sing for any length of
tfeM lyltbout hecomiug hoarse.''
here," added John.
"fIaa bhwuld try our i'rofessor DeWfMi'a
proscription," advised George.
''WW<k ii' iu
*#?aiaaHor result*
jUAAtirefy from n person's breathJtow
through his moutli, especially when
*lM he suggest a remedy?"
"la*. Ue says llint the host remedy
to take a wide strip of isinglass
jgkistsr aud to fasten the lips together
with It and leave it on nil night. If
j?u hay' * yard of the plaster and use
ht *v*ry uight. before It's gone your
mlxi i* ull right. It's sure death to
iwwclajt toe."
*t*4h yen ever try It?" was John's
*'M0-0," admitted George, "but sevAMl
*? the boys at college thought It
oarwa their hoarseness, and sore
threats, too. at times, and one thing is
aorta ta?it will keep a person front
aaarlag."
I'Vn ,.1. ~ 1 --? - ? -
y*cuDaiil t'Tt'UiUK fUJU)'eU U)' Ultf
UatWriug has nothing to do with our
titer?. Suffice It to say that an hour
?r so after the part}' rose from the
tapper table the young men excused
Nicmselves and left May and Myrtle
te a* exchange of confidences while
flhti? sat out for a stroll. Hardly had
tea daer closed upon their ueimrliutf
term* when Myrtle exclaimed: "May,
J U*v? promised to slug at an enter*
talumeat next week au<l have been
?r?u*21ug It for days. Suppose we buy
aanaa af that plaster and use It to*
at?ht"
May Lad been thinking' of just the
(tea* thing.
** ^reed, but we mustn't let the boys
tuw anything about it," was the roMfMUM.
ad, with considerable laughter at
tea >>k*. as they conceived it, of testSag
Professor Debeau's remedy with
"a yard of pi. aster, jm.kakk."
Ml the knowledge of their brothers,
wraps were hurried ou. and the girls
were soon on tbelr way to the nearest
drug store.
Having secured their treasure. Myrtle
and May hurried back and wero
aood In tlffc privacy of Myrtle's room.
An hour or so later they decided, us
May expressed it. to "muzzle theinaaItss"
and retire Tor the night. May
bad felt a tickling in Iter throat that
was doubtless of an Imaginary or symJMKMa
? aqra and had deckled to
of so fondly back.
lead, lost days that r
the Glass of Time.
the Setting of the Su
Shadow of the Valle
Summer that is don
try the cure herself. So oaeu .?;? -.
generous strip of the plaster, moisten
o<l and applied It and sat down, hands
pressed tightly over uiouth, waiting
for the plaster to dry.
Jvaturally when the drying process
was completed they found It Impossible
to speak. Ho they had recourse to
paper and pencil to describe their llrst
sensations us mutes and were soon
ready to pay their respects ait the
shrine of Soniuos.
While the young folks had been enjojlug
themselves in the parlor Mr.
and Mrs. Hatch had been In the sitting
room, lie with his paper and she
with her knitting. It was flic wife
who looked up and said:
"Zaoharinh. don't you think it would
lie a pot id plan to get some ol' that
piaster and see if it wouldn't help you
swear oiT snoring for the New Year?
It's dreadful! If you eotsld only hear
yourself snore, you wouldn't stop at
trouble or expense."
"Perhaps?some time," replied Mr.
Hatch. manlike, without taking his
?-yes ofT his paper.
"Hilt don't you think you had better
iry it tonight and start the New Year
right?" persisted his wife. "You don't
want Mr. and Miss Loveroy to go home
and say that they couldn't sleep because
von snored so loud."
"I suppose so. Don't bother me. Send
Myrtle after some if you like," replied
the rather gouty tempered Mr. Hatch.
"No; I believe 1 will go myself and
not let the girls know anything abort
it." And his good w ife laid down 1;<t
work and started for the drug store.
The druggist's surprise gave way to
astonishment us Mrs. Hatch demauded
i i Hi.
"RDWABP, THEY'RE AM. CRAZY?"
: of lilm a yard of isinglass plaster. lie
; concluded that homebody must be prct*
I ty badly cut up over at tho Ilutcbes'.
Jty 11 o'clock Mr. and Mrs. JJatcli
were sleeping soundly, each with lips
glued together, the wife fixing hers
like her husband's when he complained
I of the ludicrous figure he would cut
| when the plaster hud been applied.
Iu the meantime (J*uwc and John
hod made the circuit of familiar
-itreotj.', and neither had realized the
lateness of the hour until George, to ascertain
the time of night, had stepped
to the window* of a well lighted store,
noiie other than the drug store with
! which we are already acquainted. It
was 11 o'clock. The druggist was preparing
to close up for the night.
, Hefore ins could do so John pushed
j ids way into the store. "Walt till 1 get
' some plaster," he called out to his companion.
"I'm going to try your plan;"
then to the druggist, "A yard of plasI
tor, please."
| "That's the last roll I have," snM the
tradesman in bewilderment as ho
handed out the third yard of plaster
, tie had sold to the llnteh family that
.evening. He began ty think that some
one was playing n joke on him, and
after George and John had departed
lie hurriedly closed Ills store.
The hoys found the Hatch residence
in darkness when they arrived there,
except for one solitary light that shone
dimly through the slatted windows of
i mi; nii-i-|>iMK luuiii ul'cuimimi uy .nr. ana
Mrs. I Intel). A sleepy housemaid admitted
then), and they an silently as
possible ascended to their rootn.
No time wns lout in sticking their
' lips together, and a struggle with the
I lamp followed, ending only when John
turned the wick so low that the tlnmc
i flickered n few times and then died
out. Left in silence and darkness, the
boys were soon^sloeplng soundly.
All was quiet and still by midnight,
for Mrs. Iiaiel) did not believe in young
folks sitting up to watch out old years.
Then Myrtle suddenly awoke with the
terrifying thought that some one?a
man, of course?was holding his hand
j over her mouth. Then, remembering
Afro events of the evening, she realized
the cause of the peculiar sensation. But
flic shock to her nerves remained. The
assertion that her scare wns nil Imaginary.
though repeated over and
over to herself, failed to quiet them.
There! It was somebody trying to
get into the house! The front door
bell rang loudly. Then some one began
pounding on the door. Myrtle
could bear It quite plainly. She sat
upright and listened. Never before
hud she been awake at night and nut
heard her father snoring. She missed
that reassuring snore very much.
Could anything have happened to him?
Or perhaps the house was on lire! Yes;
Jt must be lire. She was sure that she
studied smoke.
Giving May a tremendous shake.
Myrtle slipped out .of bod, threw on a
dressing gown and hurried down to the
front door, where the potiudiug slijl
kept lip. In a moment she had the door
open; but, instead of a stalwart fireman,
in stepped her brother Mdward
and bis wife.
"Why, it's Myrtle!" cried Mdwnrd
"The train was late, and we thought
you weiv jijjver going ?'> ?'? >' "> "
We're nearly froze^ and hungry as
bears. And bow is inotbpj. everybody?
Why, what's the uiutterV Wliv
don't you speak V"
For obvious reasons Myrtle remained
silent. A moment later a second silent
figure crept down the hallway and
stood by Myrtle, and then Mr
Hatch himself, hastily pulling o.i n
few clothes as he came.
"Oh, here's father! lie will explain,
cried the amazed Edward us the th ru
figure came groping sJJ.ept l.v the
twilight of the long halL ''tbiud l?-uens,
Eva. farmer's dumb loo! For hi
the middle of theiial) stood the paler
nal Hatch, uttering not one word o?
welcome to Ids beloved son.
A moment later Mrs. Hatch out::<
down, visibly agitated and mutely
waving her arms. Behind her eniue the
two young men, one armed with a
baseball bat and the other with a
poker. But not one word did they
speak. Isiugiass pluuter ho? very
adhesive properties, and wheii oiie'n
mouth bns been glued shut for three
long hours one cannot he expected to
carry on on extended conversation. For
several minutes the strange group
j gazed at one another.
"Edward, they're all crazy! Lei'* go
lienic, anywhere, but do not stay In
this house!" cried Mrs. Hatch junior,
with strong signs of hysteria.
"Speak, somebody, can't you? For
heaven's sake, wish us a happy New
| Year!" <-iJcd Edward, taking his frightcuod
wife in his arms.
Hut not. a word did any duxh speak.
Tile silent group shuffled sheepishly
' about". making weird and Inexplicable
nigrs. which more and more convinced
Edward that all the family of Hatch
had suddenly departed with their several
Mid individual senses.
".Mother! Fathep! Jlas it come to
this? Will you turn yo??p o.yv.n son
away frrns". your iloor at midnight withcut
one word of welcome? Wiint Imvo
I done? What lias happened? Can no
one i?pei?tiV"
"i answer to the last epiestiou had
to be a distinct but inarticulate negative.
Eva covered her face with her
hand; and broke into sobs. "They
have turned you away, Edward, botuse?because
they think I have dishonored
the name* of Hatch. Some one
lm? told them a 1 tout?the?the?apple
pies! Tell them. Edward, it was not
my fault, not my fault! I?I?didn't
mean?I?oh, I can't go on! i can't go
on!" And again poor Eva broke inlo
sobs.
At tills point Myrtle slipped away
ana cuinc down flairs again with o
huge pair vi scissors iu her hands.
Without one word of warnioK and before
Edward could throw himself betwoen
them she savagely r.tnbbe?) his
father?at least so it seemed in the uncertain
light?in tlie face with the murderous
weapon.
"Waved! Happy New Year everybody!"
gasped Mr Hatch senior, catclij
ing his son in ids arms and shaking his
hands till they ached. "We're all glueu
tip, my hoy, every one of us, glued up
with the stickiest, most infernal sort
of sticking plaster ever created. That's
right. Myrtle. Cut your poor mother
loose. She's always best at explaining."
The welkin rang with Edward's
laughter when Ids mother diij explain,
with much gravity. Just how they
came to he found iu such a predicament.
and it took several gallons of hot
water to wash away the traces of that
Isinglass plaster. Hut there was a second
suj per in the Hatch homestead
that night, and, as every oqe coufessed,
It was the jollier of the two.
NEW YEAR'S AT
THE WI11TE HOUSE.
THE PRESIDENT'S ANN'JAL RECEPTION
TO ALL CALLERS.
Kti<inr(tc of Urti>?-pixy!ay l?y tlic
Army r.ud Knvy oniecrs? Forrlifnryi
In Tlirlr D/its of Sinto?llniiit
linliI >'. JJ IZxirnsri!!uary.
As compared to tlie brilliant court
receptions of Humpe there Is very littlu
In the social functions of o (II el til life
in this dcmoeratie country which
would be regarded r.s strikingly elaborate
or Ror;;eotis. The nearest nj>(iroach
to I !i?* European court functions
is unquestionably the New Year':! j
i IVception at the White House. In 1
paint oi brilliancy ami formal display
it oversteps all the ft tibial eveuts at
?i ,, ti ,.f.?,it..i tin infs ii-'iv tlic
c'.titf executive of the notion receives
in state the vice president, the members
of his olticin} household, tho
chief Justice and the associate Justices
of the supreme court of the t'ulted
States, the foreign legations, senators
i.i.t,I representatives lu congress, otlictirs
of fl)u prtpy ami navy, otlieinls of
lisp District of Columbia and such of
hla fellow clllxeus as clioose to pa}
their respects to thn president on that
occasion. To the president it is no
holiday task, as lie must go through
the ordeal of shaking hands with 8,000
or 10,000 people.
Although the New Yenr's reception
begins an hour before noon, custom
demands the wearing of afternoon
flross. as tnero is iu tins country n?>
officially1 prescribed court dress, there
Is uotlilng In tile upparej of tlie diplomatic
and civil officials of th'o government
to distinguish them from other
well groomed men on formal occasions.
The officers of the army and
navy, however, appear In full dress
uniforms and present a brilliant en
rnmpjtn't m'kint^y kkckivino callers.
scrnble. One of the chief attractions
of the day which the great throng
gathered in the neighborhood of the
1 : capital lias an opportunity of seeing is
1 the display made by these oflicers on
pliejr march to the White House,
'i he must plcturcsquo feature of the
1 president's New Year's receptipf} is the
appearance of the foreign diplomatic
corps in their gaudiest and best dress
of state. They assemble in the red
parlor of the White House, with the
(Jean of the corps at their head. This
distinction bft.a for a number of years
falleu to Sir Julian V'auucefote, the
British embassador, who will doubtless
continue to hold tho place ns the
OJUl'Bk 111 [JOUJl U1 C'UUlJUUUUa SUlVltT
of any of the foreign representatives.
1 They form a brilliant procession as
t|?ey proceed to the president's reception
room, the embassadors being the
tlrst in line, followed hy the ministers
In order of seniority, each attended by
his suit, including secretaries, attaches
and such ladies of the legations as desire
to attend. The South American
d'l/lojnf?ts, In accordance with their
own nocnliiir custom, ntmcnr In full
evening dress, h is thp (pdoptnls who
give the picture its gayest' cojqrlpg.
The Chinese minister and his vast suit
wenr varicolored gowns of rich nod
costly fabrics, though the Japanese are
not so showy In their stato attire. The
Tpfks appear In their red fezzes and
tho Koreans fp their Howerpot hats
and are even more gqj-ge^us than the
Chinese.
After the distinguished and brilliant
assembly of officials?state, judicial,
diplomatic and legislative?has passed
i through the reception room and recelv'
ed tho president's New Year greeting
an hour J* #>pluvlvp|y devoted to citizens,
and tho chief exooucJyp receives
and shakes hands In quite democratic
fashion with as many of his fellow
countrymen as onn reach him during
the time allotted to the reception.
Hvbbau.
i
them not so fondly I
nee the stars shall nc
the Hour Glass of tht
111 shall turn within J
the Via i ears uia* r
e the New Yearns brig
TWO OFFICIAL CALLS.
The Gentlemanly Way In IVhirh IUvnl
Mnyorn Clturri nl \f:T Vrnr'e,
For yenrs there been a bitter
rivalry between the towns of Jubn
IIII1 and I)og Creek, and such a thing
as an official visit between town officials
had not been dreamed of. Sometimes
a Dog Creek man who went
over to Juba Ilill got back alive, and
Instances could be cited where a .Tuba
Hill man had got out of Dog Creek
Without being shot at. These were exr
.
i TTtET MET HAI.F WAV BETWEEN THE TOWNB.
i ceptional cases, however, aud there
was no guide to go by. When Pete
Muhoney was elected mayor of Dog
Creek, It was ou his pledge to make
It still hotter for .Tuba Hill. That
same fall Joe Drake was elected
mayor of Juba HU1 on his pledge tbnt
he would endeavor to wipe Dog Creek
off the face of tbo earth. December
was wearing Itself away aud both
towns were whooping it up when
, Mayor Mahonoy heard that Mayor
! Drake said he was uo gentleman.
I "No gentleman, eh?" he said to some
1 of his closest friends. "Well, we'll see
! about that. New Year's dav will soon
be liere, nud do you know what I'm going
to do? I'm going to mount my
mule and ride over to Jubn Ilill and
call on Mayor Drake. I'll caii uu a
geutlepmn should."
At about Ibo same time Mayor Drake
was told that Mayor Malioney did not
consider him n gentleman, nud ho eat
down and thought It over and then
. said to his friends:
j "I'll prove that Mayor Malioney Is n
j })0S3 thief and a liar. On New Year's
| day I'll ride over there as a gentleman,
' cull on him as a gentleman and let him
?e<? the difference between a scrub and
j a man."
It Is needless to add that both towns
encouraged their respective mayors lu
their plaus. When New Year's day
came, both mounted their mules at
about tbe samp hour and set out. and
as a consequence they inet half way
between the towns. Each had a following
of about a hundred. As the
two mayors came to a halt Mayor Mahoney
graciously observed:
"Will the gentleman from Juba 11111
return to Dog Creek with the other
gentleman?:.'
"The gentleman from Juba H1U was
about to ask the other gentleman to
accept of his hospitality," was the reply
of Mayor Drake.
"As a gentleman and knowing what
belongs to good manners"?
another gentleman and knowing
all about etlquetfo"?
"I must say that Dog Creek has tbe
biggest graveyard."
"But Juba H1U has the most saloons."
"And that you are a duffer and a
I liar!"
i'And thfit you are a quitter and a
sneak!"
Then the respective mayors polled
their respecure guns with a whoop.
The respective gentlemen on either
side followed suit, and for half an hour
the most cheerful Industry prevailed,
'fhe gentlemanly shooting continued
until everybody bft.4 run short of cartridges
or got tired of dodging bujleta,
and then Mayor Mahoney came out
: from behind a tree and said:
! "The mayor of Dog Creek, who la
still a gentleman and no hog, will now
bid you a polite good day and retire."
i Then Mayor Drake roee up from behind
the stump which had sheltered
him through the fray and'topMedi
"The mayor of Juba Hill, who la
also a gentleman and knowa when he's
got enough, presenta bis compliments
and best wishes and trusts that this
auspicious beginning of the New Tear
may strength?# the bond of love between
the two towns,
And then each side loaded up Its victims
and returned home In a gentlemanly
way. a. B, Lewis.
,
I
vcr .
His hand\ V
un darkly W
htest sand
H 1
1 V L I
> 1
yi
h
_ ?
i
- I
QUAINT NEW
YEAR CUSTOM*.
THE DAY AND ITS OBSERVANCES fk
MANY LANDS.
loHetlwei a Mlicllai mi ?H waa*
tloai Cmasiln ? < SaMgrilM
J*lll(r-odd PeatlTUlM Ub
China and Japan.
JBvery nation has Its particular ftefgl
days and holidays, some paying scat*
er attention to ooe and wm* W spsOther,
but nil peoples ou the tM?
the earth who reckon time at at 4*
some manner greet the New Year.
We have so shuffled our edl?Ear
that now the occurrence at tha tfeey
Year on the 1st of January has last ttp
slgnitlcauce. Among primitive i?Vms>
however, the New Year Lnvart*M|r
marked the opening of one af the ssS
nral divisions of the seasons.
.. Ond of the oldest of New Year Mtoiud
Is that practiced by the AtUl^|
Japan. For a thousand years tfcate
people have stood still la their sAvfesatlon,
following all their prUalSsa ^
customs and ceremonies. New & **
with them Is a season of merrysaaMNl
which winds up with the great has*
feast, called Omsla, In which a h*pi
bear 1r sacrificed.
Tn trl.orA niislotmne U m m?
abaerved as a general holidayno
many Presbyterians look U?bg iM
observance as a specie* of aupasagk
tion. New Year's day I* a Joyous ?*A
and a strange way of celabratlug kkp
dying of the old year has long baa*
customary there. The last atgfcfc aft
the year la called "Hogmenaya 9i0Ur
and Is celebrated by drinking, abajfc*g
and general festivities.
The Chinese are notorial* far
fondness for bolldaya, and tba Oafcjk^
tials muke the most of thl* wa?. ft
are not content with dne day; but VMft
a whole month to celebrate tha **
proacli of the New Year. Chins** Mfc
terns, firecrackers, feasting and at
paying up of old debts play tha apfl
part In the ceremonies.
A strange custom In many payip ?ftt
Europe is that of huviug a mamb*a &
the family, either the eldest or y*?Mw y
geet, open the family Bible (it CftOdflfU
and place his or her. finger at any<u?S
on the open page without glancing*#
it. The verse thus marked Is regard*!
as n sort of text for the ensuing I*
months.
A very poetical old ceremony I*
of the so called YIesse des Anlmaux, *r
animals' mass, which lukos plac# %?
New Year's eve In the French' dep*Jb?
uicnt of tho Ovenncs. a country. lj*
which tho celebration of the N?w Yagd
almost entirely supersedes that S
Christmas. This truly pastoral f?sliTg|b
Is given In behalf of the herds af ft Mi* ft
which constitute the chief wealth *?
the hnrdy mountaineers, palota
opratlinnv luurltia fiofila. a# ' saaa^*< aimm
I V -?? "? * ??W*
sheep and goats are driven to am tM
space before tho church, laald# AM
building Is gathered a crowd ?f MP
wart men and women In fesUrn iy
merit, each lioldlng a lighted <saM|
wiiile the cure celebrates mass,
pomp of fhP ?bpr}glue* pf ppf tN*
: land have New Vear customs tha?S0Jk
exceedingly interesting, notably
t of the Moqui Indians, called So-y*4^li
! na. wtilch is a singular and elshnssjlW
' mythical drama, divided Into Uftf
, parts, in wlijch offerings are mad* tf
J pttigles of the great plume beaded Mj
pent, the ehetny of the sun. This ifrjipfl
| lowed by a sun dance In which the aUM
fllct between the orb of day aad top
inferior hostile gods is portrayad.
Leonard Ktueuijhkh*
A Problem of Ctnlarlcs,
"?)|i, look liefore you leap I" he trief
'hut to hi* actna'-deiv ak*. j,'
"go, no." (he little meld replle4? '
"For tbl* 1* leap year! feet** .
' | "?Ma rrtr youNe leap?d all ri?fct, ) Mf,
And I am in a klaa, ' ' < I e .
But 4(00) into 10(00) won't ma.
I Tw'ra Icnm u? nOan ^
* /
lu; i