Newspapers / The Roanoke Beacon and … / March 7, 1902, edition 1 / Page 1
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$i.oo a Year, In Advance. "FOR GQf, FOR, COUNTRY, AND FOR TRUTH." Singls Copy, 5 Cents. VOL. XII. PLYMOUTH, N. C, FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1902. NO. 52. THE KNITTERS. BY CTJBTI3 MAY. ..All hail to the little brown fingers That pull the first blossoms of life, ".And hail to the strong hand that lingers To calm the hot pulses of strife! ' But where, with the light caress- ing Their thin silver tresses, they sit, Our hearts call down favor and blessing . Upon the old ladies that knit. 'Their hands have long since dropped the burden ' - That age made too heavy to bear, ..And peace and repose are the guerdon That follows long labor and care. ..Ambition has burned down to embers; jtiopes outgrow tne old. nest ana nit. .Alone with the love that remembers They all sit by the fireside and knit. ' IT was some time in June that Miss Denby began to "make a show" of herself. From the modest respon sibility ofs' neutral, tints, cotton -gowns and a sailor hat she suddenly burgeoned forth into such a splendid radiance of millinery and mode that 'all her neighbors wondered. For Miss Denby was an old maid. She had ac- cumulated a modest fortune making -dresses and, being fifty-two years old, . as she admitted with a weazen smile, ; she had retired permanently from busi ness and settled down to a routine of tea drinking and novel reading . re- w Ileved, if not illuminated, by dally strolls in the park and a Sunday visit to church. Homely? Not exactly, for she had 'bright, busy little eyes, a straight nose that had not always been so red as now, and a cute mouth that puckered tip at the corner when she smiled. Her form was of the "ironing-board" style that Is, neither plump nor an . gular, but her hands and feet were the chief pride of her romantic little - heart, for they were as small as a child's. Indeed, what most astounded 4he neighbors when they first began SCROLLED AWAY to "notice" the old maid's transforma tion was the marvelous shoes, slippers and gloves she wore. For instance, the day Mrs. Gallegher followed her over to the park Miss Denby's little tootisies were Incased in gray, un dressed kids, with oh, shocking! French heels. But that was not what finally set the venomous tongue of gos sip to wagging. Mrs. Gallegher had actually caught the old maid keeping tryst with A -MAN!, From that day the poor old dress maker's suddenly glorified, wardrobe was explained. Mrs." Gallegher had watched her foregather with a hand some, dark-haired stranger, and, lean ing on his stalwart arm, stroll away among the trees. It was evident that -Miss Denby was In lore and that her rap is umvMiwm m mmm j&m vsessmmwm Cm W x Where now is the full mending-basket, Not empty one day in the year? Speak gently and low as you ask it, Lest the dulled ear bent near you should hear. For the children have grovrn and de- parted, , The work of the daylight is gone; In the twilight of life, tender-hearted, , The knitters are waiting for dawn. Full soon shall the light break above them, That shines from the City of Rest. Full soon shall we gather who love them, To fold their frail hands on the breast. Oh, evening of life, slow descending, ' Rest gently upon each white head, Till these fingers, the last stitches ending, Shall touch the first harp-strings instead. Youth's Companion. mmm suitor was a young and dashing fellow. "After her money, I guess," said Mrs. Jenkins to Mrs. Jones over the back fence.7 "No fool like , an old fool," winked Mrs. Jones. Some said it was "disgraceful;" oth ers suspected that Miss Denby was a "little cracked," but they all became very friendly with ber, drank her tea, admired her gowns and put themselves in the way of becoming her confidants. The good women even began to take morning tramps in the park, and the queer little dressmaker, walking with her -young suitor, was mortified and puzzled at the frequency of these acci dental meetings. Finally Miss Denby decided to open her heart to Mrs. Gallegher, and she did it like this: "Have another cup of tea before you go, Mrs. Gallegher." "Sure I've had seven." "Just one more," then whispering, "I've got a secret for you." Miss Denby blushed and simpered demurely as she poured the tea, and her fat guest could hardly wait to come at the long-deferred mystery. AMONG THE TREES. "What's your secret, Sophronia? Sure yo'u ain't going to move?" "Guess again!" giggled the old maid. " "Not another new dress?" "Not that." ' "I'll give it up," admitted the other, who enjoyed the deception. "A wedding!" gurgled Miss Denby. "But, mind, now, it's a secret yet. I'm going to invite him up, hee-hee, hee hee e, and I want you to come and chaperon me " Mrs. Gallegher was staring open mouthed. "Sophronia Denby!" she gasped. "Married! You going to be married?" "To the finest, handsomest noblest, richest he's a prince " "Ah, bother!" "A Greek nobleman, Count Sarda-naralus.' "And what business Is he in?" "Business! Oh, dear, none! He's a nobleman, owns an Island and all that sort of thing.". The old maid seemed almost trans figured with enthusiasm. She said she had met her noble lover quite by accident while strolling near the beach. He had found and restored to her a novel which she had left on a bench. The casual acquaintance thus begun had flourished by reason of his won drous ardor and the fact that she walked daily in the park. The count had wooed and won her "with the fierce and swift gallantry of the Old World," Miss Denby said, and she had resisted him as long as her sympa thetic heart could withstand his elo quence. "He's in Chicago to float a loan for the Greek Government," she explained. "As soon as Crete is annexed the count, my count" (a smile and a blush) "is to be absolute ruler of the island. But ho is very anxious to depart, and the wedding day must be fixed to-morrow night. Turkish spies are constantly at his heels. -There is hardly a day that he does not point one out to me. I have seen them lurking behind the bushes, and every time we part I am in agony of fear lest something should befall him." Mrs. Gallegher was staring now like a big bullfrog watching a red flannel bait. "Will you come up to-morrow night and meet him?" she hears Miss Denby say. "I will," murmured the dumfounded Mrs. Gallegher, backing toward the door. It was midnight when she had finished her rounds of the flats, and at the hour appointed for the count's ar rival the population of the building was on the front steps. Sure enough, at 8 o'clock, the hand some foreigner came striding along. He paused a moment In front of Miss Denby's entrance, looked up and down the street and thea sprang nimbly up the stairway. The fluttering old maid, "assisted" by Mrs. Phelim Gallegher, received hinl. To the latter he bowed with the punctilious grace of a cavalier of France. '- - "With your permission, madame," he said, taking a parcel from his pocket, "I have brought mademoiselle a little gift. It is an heirloom in our family; my ancestors captured it from King Priam in the Trojan war." He handed the package to the blush ing Miss Denby and kissed her tiny hand as he bowed over it. "It Is one of the gold shoes from the Trojan horse," he resumed with rare dignity. "Each nail is set with a priceless diamond, and- " He was interrupted by a little scream from Sophronia, who had unwrapped the parcel and found an old, rusty horse shoe, very dirty, twisted and worn. But the next moment she had tapped his wrist with her fan and laughed: "What a wag you are, count! For ever cracking jokes." Mrs. Gallegher didn't know what to say or do. She stood there staring at Count Sardanapalus as if in doubt whether to hit him with the horse shoe or run away. Indeed she was sliding toward the door when the bell rang. She opened it in time to hear the strange guest shout: "Bar the door or we are lost!" But Mrs. Gallegher opened it. A sandy-haired, heavy set man brushed rudely in, laid a hand on the count's shoulder and said: . "Come, your grace, the ballooc 13 ready." "Aha," said the dramatic Greek, "my country first!. Forward, gentlemen! To the balloon!" With a grand bow he stalked out of the room like a monarch going to the block. Miss Denby collapsed into a chair. The sandy courier followed his master. Mrs. Gallegher followed the courier. - "Who Is he?" whispered the fat woman to the count's attendant. "He's a bug," growled the man, "went nutty on balloons. Acts all right till you mention his balloon. Then he goes home and gets into a swing. He thinks It's a war balloon, and he sails all over the world in it. Good night!" Miss Denby did move on the first of September. John H. Raftery, in the Chicago Record-Herald. High Koto of a Pritnn Donna. Mme. Nordlca has put. In a claim against Uncle Snm for $3,000,000. That seems a pretty high note, even for A soprano. New York World. Experience is usually worth all you cay for it. Milkweed. . Master Milkweed keeps a dairy By the river-side. And above project his airy Storerooms, arched and wide. t Here he 'stores his creamy cheeses Soft and smooth as silk. Thinks he'll find them when he pleases , But this magic milk Some .fine day will change to fairies Who, on gauzy wing Flying far, will start new dairies For another spring. " The Christian Register. A Neat Trick WHU Matches. Put some matches on the surface of water in a basin. So place them that they will form a star, with -their heads near each other. Into the water at the centre of this star thrust a piece of soap pointed at the end. Behold all your matches begin to move off; they depart suddenly, as if they had a hor ror of soap. Now, if you wish to coax them back offer them a piece of sugar by placing or dipping it in the water, and you will see all your matches rap idly moving toward it. Thrift of Country Boys. As a rule boys who live on a farm or In a country town are much more thrifty and economical than city reared boys. Much of this is due to the fact that, In the city, there are hundreds of devices to catch the pennies of boys. There are nickel-in-the-slot machines, fruit and candy stands, and all sorts of contrivances to induce a boy to part with his small coins, says Suc cess. These temptations do not exist to any great extent in the country. There is a great difference in the way the country boy and the city boy look at a nickel. .The country boy sees much more in the coin than the city boy; he sees greater possibilities the nickel is possessed of a charm. He carries his change in his pocket, counts It over and wonders what he will do with it when he gets his first dollar. His parents instill into him, from baby hood, the importance of saving his money and putting it in a bank. The city boy, as a rule, gets his money easier and parts with it as easily. An Infuriated Whale. ' The gray whale, a huge mammal which inhabits the North Pacific Ocean, and is most often found along the American coast, particularly in the. Gulf of California, makes so vigor ous a fight when attacked, and is so terrible an adversary that it is known among sailors as the devil-fish. Mr. Frank Bullen gives in the Cornhill Magazine a vivid picture of the. de struction wrought by one of these whales when infuriated. It is a standing order among the whalers neve'r to injure a calf when the mother is near. Neglect of this order was the cause of the catastrophe. A fleet of thirteen American whale ships was off the coast of Lower Cali fornia, and fifty-two boats, four from each ship, were out. In some way, in striking a large cow whale, a' har poon transfixed her calf, which was at her side, and killed it instantly. The mother quickly satisfied herself that the calf was dead, and then turned upon her aggressors like a veritable demon of destruction. " While carefully avoiding the expos ure of her body to attack, she spread devastation among the flotilla. When she rose to the surface it was but for a second, to emit an expiration like the hiss of a lifting safety valve, and at the same moment to destroy a boat or complete the destruction of one already hopelessly damaged. Every blow was dealt with accuracy and an appearance of premeditation. ,The speed of the monster was so great that she appeared almost simultaneously at widely separated points. Not con-' tent with dealing one tremendous blow at a boat, and reducing it to a bundle of loose boards, she attacked the wreckage again and again. Out of the fifty-two boats, only two escaped undamaged. More than fifty men were badly injured, and six, one of whom was the unfortuuate origin ator of the mischief, were killed out right. "This," said Miss Rltchenold, "is a portrait of me painted when I was a little girl.". "My!" exclaimed Miss Kostlque, "and Were you painted even thear T WAS EVER THUS. Fair Ethel is in great dismay, At least, so she avers, Because she, must decide to-day Upon her winter furs ; 1 How many dozen tails and claws? How many heads with toothful jaws? She frowns. ' "I wish I'd been alive Five hundred years ago, ' When life was not a dreadful drive, But stately, sweet and slow. The women of that day were blest: It did not matter how they dressed.' Ah! Ethel, if you could behold Those simple days of yore, You'd find this fact (that was of old And shall be evormore) : The damsels, garbed in latest style, Protesting vainly, all the while! - Like you, the prehistoric maid Who caused her rivals grief t?"S coming from her cave, arrayed Tn one more shell, or leaf Has paused on fashion's giddy brink. To wish she'd staid a Missing Link! v Anna Mathewson, in Puck. , Sillicus "No man is too Old to learn." Cynicus "And no man is too young to think he's too old to learn." Tommy (looking up from his book) "Say, what's 'above par,' anyway?" Elsie "Why, ma, of course. She's boss." Blobbs "You can say what you please about , Miss Antique, but she has a fine set of teeth." Slob os "In her comb?" "When a man reaches the4 door of adversity," says the Manayunk Philo sopher, "some kind friend is always ready to do the knocking." Rymer "I believe he said he never read verses like mine; they were 'so limpid.'" . Clymer "That's not it ex actly. He said they 'limped so.' " I wrote a poem years ago, I Its meaning is obscure. J It isn't interesting, 'so I guess it's literature. Washington Star. Nell "Maude has married an ocu list." Belle "Yes, and they went to Niagara Falls on their wedding trip in order that he might examine the cat aract" Chollie "I told her I would die for her, don't you know." Willie "What did she say, old chap?" Chollie "She said she had too many dead one3 on her string, already." Mr. Newlywed "Isn't there any ice water, dear?" Mrs. Newlywed "I know it's silly of me, George, but you know the danger there Is in germs, so I got cook to boil the Ice." "Poor Muchmore is looking sad these days." "Yes the poor old chump." "Well, no wonder he's sad. It's pretty tough to lose one's wife." "O! that isn't it; he's married another one." Behold the little busy bee; Note well and ponder on it. He's not so busy when he's free As when he's in a bonnet. Philadelphia Record. "Truthfully speaking, sir," began the poor young man, "I think your daugh ter is without a peer." "So do I," snapped the multi-millionaire, "and I shall find one for her at once. You may go, sir." The clock struck midnight. " 'Tis now the witching hour when church yards yawn," quoted Mr. Staylate. "Can you blame them?" murmured Miss Caustique behind her fan. He took the hint. Merchant "Have you had any expe rience in chinaware?" Applicant "Years of it, sir." Merchant "What do you do when you break a valuable piece?" Applicant "Well ei I usu-. ally put it together again, and place it where' some customer will knock it over." Merchant "You'll do." Methods of an English, Cartoonist. F. Carruthers Gould, the celebrated cartoonist of the Westminster Gazette, has been giving some particulars re garding his work. "As. a rule," be says, "when Parliament is sitting, get to the House of Commons at 3.30 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and take up a position either In the gallery or the lobby according to what is going on. I would go to the lobby if I wanted special details of an incident or por trait from a particular member. At about 7 o'clock I make my way out of the House with notes and rough out lines, and proceed to the National Lib eral Club, when I prepare my draw ings. An ordinary sketch takes fiia about twenty minutes,"
The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.)
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March 7, 1902, edition 1
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