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$1,00 a Year, In "Advance. FOR GOP, FOR COUNTRY, AND FOR TRUTH." Single Copy, 5 Centa.
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VOL. XIV. PLYMOUTH, N. C., FRIDAY. MAY 20, 1903. NO. 11.
- ON A DYING INSECT.
Thmi flattering mite of gauzy green,
That by untoward flame to-night
A 1 1 rudely summoned from a scene
That for some days hath shed delight
On thy small senses what has been
Tby profit from this sunny world,
Ero into darkness and oblivion hurled?
L ,
My
The Vigilance
By W.
171
sT was a moonlight night and
the roadway shone white
and clear between the
straggling fences. A num
ber of men, a dozen, per
haps, were coming up the
pi m
hill from the village in the valley with
its twinkling lights. They were plod
ding along in a little group and busily
1 a Iking as they advanced. Presently
they paused at a gateway and crowded
a Utile closer. The house within the
yard was old and weather beaten. It
was a story and a half building. There
was a porch along the front with two
windows beneath it, one for each side
of the door. Through the window at
the left shoue a faint and flickering
light. .
The group of men at the gate lingered
Irresolutely for a few moments, talking
in eager whispers. Then a tall young
Tifaii with a smooth and kindly face
"broke from the party and led the way
up the graveled walk to the front door.
Yv'Jiea he reached the little porch he
paused and held up his hand. Then he
went to the window through which the
faint light flickered and wont In.
Thr.t Abner Moxhani was a hard man
nobody in Winterfield doubted. He
was unsociable. Ho was close in his
dealings; he lived quite alone in the
old cottage on the south hill. He was
tall and lean and yellow, and his sixty
years had touched his hair with white,
rami filled his leau cheeks with wrinkles.
He cared nothing for the matters that
interested the villagers. He took no
interest in politics nor in public im
provements, and very little in religion.
Occasionally he would stray into the
white church 'whose steeple was the
tallest in the village, and sit quite by
himself through the service. Then he
would hurry away without a word to
his fellow worshipers. The young pas
tor had called on him once, but it was
not believed that ho had repeated the
visit. In fact, he never stated clearly
what occurred while ha was there. It
was said that Abner was the possessor
of a small library of books that were
calculated to destroy all faith in ortho
dox views, and that he pored over them
a great deal of his time. Where the
old man's income came from no vil
lager knew. That it was limited every
body felt eure. His way of living was
so simple, his clothes were thrond
ba;v'f and the purchases he made in 1he
village were not of a character to sug
gest the possession of even a moderate
income. He came and went and both
ered no man, yet was a thorn in the
tlcsh of the gossipy hamlet.
And then his standing as an object of
neighborly interest was suddenly and
greatly increased by the rumor that he
had brought a boy home to live with
him. Abner had a habit of disappear
ing for a week or more at a time.
He might have been supposed to be
in. his cottage during these absences
If it hadn't been for the fact that -he
was seen to take the (rain. But where
1:'; went Winterfield didn't know.
It was reported once by Ezra Kim
ball, whose business took him to the
greai city every month,- that he ran
across Abner there one morning, but
that the old man didn't look at him
xi ml hurried along.
And what's queerer,' said E;:ra, "is
that he was talking to two swells at a
carriage door as I came up, and the
lady gave him her baud and the man
took off his hat to him.' Thou they
drove away." - -
But Winterfield pooh-poohed this pic
ture and assured Ezra that he must be
dreaming.
When the boy arrived it was early
evening and he was so muffled up that
his face could not be seen. He was a
little fellow of perhaps eight, and Ab-
, nor had hurried him away befo?e the
curious stalionmaster could get a good
look at him. It was a full mile from
the station to the old cottage ou the
hill, and in the dusk of the evening
, .Tim Perkins had met the tall old man
trudging up the hill with the lad on his
back.
When Winterfield heard of this addi
tion to the Mcxham household it
A few shorft flights 011 shimmering -wings,
JA few warm ecstasies in air,
A golden glow, a glimpse of thing.
Not understood, and everywhere
A Kreat, glad life that soars and sings:
Was it not well? - Who nsketh more
To carry to the all-forgetting shore?
John Hall Ingham, in Lippincott's.
Committer.
R. Rose.
frowned ominously andshook its sa
gacious . head. It was no place for a
boy. It couldn't be a home for any
body. The boy was to be pitied. In
fact, the village must keep a sharp
lookout for hi3 welfare.
It was a day or two later that the
child and old Abner appeared at the
postofiice, and the postmistress got a
good look at the little fellow.
She stared at him out of her little
window.
"That a delicate appearin" child you
have there,' 'she said. ;
"Yes," Abner replied, as he readied
for his letters. If it hadn't been for his
mail the old man's visits to the village
would have been greatly decreased in
number. lie received more letters
than any man in Winterfield, a fact
that thoroughly convinced the villagers
that he must be engaged in some ne
farious pursuit where letter writing
was a part of-the swindle.
The little postmistress yielded up the
letters reluctantly.
"Needs a lot o' good care," she said
with her beady black eyes on the boy.
"Yes," Abner agreed, as he turned
away.
"Most unwholesome child I ever
saw," the little postmistress explained
to Mrs. Baxter, the wife of 'the village
Canker. "lie looks seared and abused;
and I'm just sure that old miser's
home's no place for him."
"Somebody ought to look after the
poor little vagabond," said the banker's
wife. "What have we got humane so
cieties for?"
The boy was rarely seen in the vil
lage. He was delicate in appearance
and seemed timid. He kept close to
the old man and resisted all attempts
to draw him away.
"He's thoroughly cowed," said the lit-!
tie postmistress to the young minister!
as she held that worthy with her glit
tering eye. "Looks to me like a child
Hint's been half starved and beaten and
had all the spirit taken out of it. Some-
body with authority ought 1o investi
gateand right away, too, or it may
be too late."
The young minister flushed a little
and seemed about to speak Then lie
abruptly .checked the impulse and
picked up his letter?. j
"I think," said the little postmistress,
"that it's your duty to interfere, Mr.
Browning." -.
The young minister smiled.
"It isn't always easy to see one's
duty clearly, Mrs. Twitters." he said.
"And while you are waiting for clear
er vision the worst may happen," said
the little postmistress.
The minister's face grew grave.
"I hope not," he said, and turned
away.
. The little postmistress gave a sniff
as he passed-through the door, a little
sniff that was expressive of profound
contempt for the dilatory ways of mas
culine humanity.
Then came a time when the boy was
not seen for several weeks and public
anxiety grew intense. Nor did the old
man appear. He was there in the
ancient cottage. The milkman and the
baker and the grocer saw him on their
rounds. But they saw nothing of the
boy.
"How is the little fellow?" the grocer
volunteered to ask one day.
"He's all right," the old man gruffly
replied.
"I haven't seen him out," the grocer
persisted.
"No," said the old man, and closed
the door behind him.
At the expiration of three weeks
Selectman Briscom sought out the
young minister.
"Parson," he said, "I'm here at the
request of several of our most reputa
ble citizens. They think something
should be done about Qld Man M ox ham
and thatboy."
"What do you propose?" inquired the
young man.
"We thought maybe you could sug
gest something."
The young minister was silent for a
moment.
"We must; be careful," he said.
"Of course.
"We have no, proof that anything is
wrong." - -
"It looks mighty queer."
The young minister hesitated.
"Out where I spent a year or two
after I left college," he said, "they
would have made this the subject for
a vigilance committee's attentions.
When a social duty of this sort was
under consideration a rope was usually
at hand where it could be found when
wanted."
"Of course," said the 'selectman hasti
ly, "we don't intend to go that far."
1 The young man smiled,
t "But" the -vigilance committee idea
L suits you?" '
"The idea of a committee to visit the
old man suits me."
"Good," said the young man. "There
can be no harm in that."
"And you'll join us?" -
"Yes."
"To-morrow night?"
"Yes."
"We'll meet at the church at 8
o'clock."
"Very well." -. -
The selectman paused.
"And will you lead us?"
"If you desire it," said the young
minister.
And so it happened that'the first vigi
lance committee that Winterfield had
ever known plodded determinedly, al
though at a leisurely pace, up the long
hill in the bright moonlight, and finally
entered the old man's yard and halted
before the ancient cottage. And it was
the tall young minister who advanced
and peered through the lighted win
dow. There was a brief pause.
Then the tall young minister .turned
to the others
"Come,"'he said in a whisper.
He rapped lightly on the door. Wait
ing but a moment he opened it and
passed in, with the others following
him.
The door opened immediately into the
big living room of the cottage, a com
fortable apartment with a great fire
place Avith a log burning on the huge
andirons, a log that sent out the flicker
ing light that had illuminated the win
dow. The old man was there, seated in a
low chair by the fireplace. . He looked
up as the committee entered, but
showed no surprise.
He only nodded and then held up his
hand with a slight warning gesture.
The boy was in a cushioned chair by
the old man's side. His head with its
long light hair was pillowed against
the old man's shoulder. He sat at
such an angle that the committee could
see the little white face, and the long
white hands, and the closed eyes.. The
boy was asleep.
But even as they stared at this pic
ture the child stirred uneasily.
"Daddy," he cried, "daddy"'
It was a cry of terror.
"Yes. yes, dear boy, I am here,"" said
the old man gently as he patted the
white cheek. .The big eyes opened
wider and rested on the old man's, face.
The pale lips parted in a sigh.
"I had a bad dream, daddy," he mur
mured. "Yes. dear hoy. But it was nly a
dream."
"I dreamed they were beatfng me
again, daddy."
"They will never beat you again, dear
boy."
The- child was silent for a moment.
Then he sighed again. This time it
was a sigh of contentment.
"Daddy," he softly said, ."It's like
heaven to be sick, isn't it?"
The old man stroked the white hands
tenderly.
"There's- a little pain again in my
shoulder, daddy," said the boy. "If
you'll rub it just a little it will go away
and then I can sleep."
The old man reached across and
gently stroked the ailing arm and the
tired eyelids slowly closed.
Presently the stroking ceased ant the
old man looked up. The committee
were grouped about the door, each man
with his hat in his hand and they were
all very still.
"The child has been ilt,", said the old
man softly. "He has had, a fever, the
result of his malarial surroundings and
of ill treatment. ' But he is much bet
ter, and will, please God, live to be a
strong and healthy child. I have nursed
him through this illness, because I felt
competent to do It I amu graduate of
a medical school and because in his
timid and nervous condition the sight
of a strange face would have greatly
retarded his recovery." lie paused
and gently shifted the child's head
into a more comfortable position, and
then one of the little hands crept into
the brown and rugged one and stayed
there. Ho looked up again, but before
he could speak the tall young pastor
had stepped forward.
"Mr. Moxham," he said, in his deep,
low tones, "these gentlemen are a self
appointed committee who have called
upon you in a neighborly way with the
desire of proffering such aid as you
may require. They have been worried
and even alarmed by your non-appearance
in the village and are here be
cause they felt it was high time that
they asserted their humanity. We are
not a demonstrative people in Winter
field. We act slowly, but when we do
act we are thoroughly in earnest. And
I speak for each member of this com
mittee, sir, and for all the village, "too,
when I say that if there is aught we
can do to help you in any way you can
command us to the utmost limit of our
resources."
He paused and the old man slowly
nodded.
"I thank you, Mr. Browning," he
said, "and I thank you all, gentlemen.
But at present there is nothing I need.
Should anj- occasion arise, I will be
glad to call upon you." And his head
dropped again over the child.
There was a moment's pause.
"Good night, sir," said the tall young
minister.
There was a littie murmur of good
nights bellied him.
"Good night and my thanks," said
the old man.
And the Winterfield vigilance com
mittee passed out.
It was the young pastor who broke
the silence as they strode down the
hill.
"We have misjudged this old man,"
he said. "I believe I am free to say
so. It was a dreadful domestic calam
ity that brought him to this state. It
humbled his pride, it crushed his am
bition. He crept away here to hide
his wounded soul. And .yet he has not
entirely forgotten his fellow creatures.
A gieat institution for the care of
child waifs flDurishes in the city
through la liberality. And I hold in
my hands a goodly sum for the benefit
of our village poor, a thank offering for
the recovery of his daughter's child.
Yes, that is her child. And ander Prov
idence I fervently hope to see it the
means of dra . ing him back among
his fellow men." He paused and half
turned. "Oh, my brethren,"- he said,
"never let charity lose its place in your
hearts."
They trudged on fn silence until the
parsonage was reached.
They paused at the gate.
"Gentlemen." said the selectman; as
he glanced around. "1- move that the
Winterfield vigilance committee do now
adjourn sine die."
Then- each man went his way.. Cleve
land. Plain-Dealer.
ZcsCful Franliuess.
Unexpected frankness now and' then
gives a special ::est to the humor of a
situation in Congress.. When "Gabe"
Eouck was the representative from the
Oshkosh district of Wisconsin,, a. pen
sion. UTIl came before the House; to; his
great vexation of spirit;, for;, while hi
personal convicitions were directly op
posed to it, , his political interest were
strong- enough to whip him into line.
On the- day the bill, came up for final
disposal a fellow-member met Bouek
in the- space behind the last row of
seats, walking back and. forth and. ges
ticulating excitedly,, bringing Ms
clenched right fist down into, the hol
low of his left Sand, to the n-ecompani-m?nt
of expletives which, wcarld hardly
Ionic well in print..
"What's the trouble. Gabc-?."' inquired
his friend. "Why all this excitement?.'"
"Trouble?" snorted the irate lawmak
er. "Trouble enough 1 'JHiat pensions
bill is up, and all the cowardly nincom
poops in th; IIouso are going tu vote
for- it. Its sure to pass sure to pass."
-But why don't you get, the oor and
speak agaiast it try te stop ft?.'' sug
gested the other..
" "Try to stop it?"" echoed Bouck. "Try
to stop it?. Why,. I'm oue of the cow
ardly nincompoops aiyselfj Francis
E. Lcupy,. iu thie Century. .
Mrs. James A. Creager was a young
womaa of twenty, HvJur;. in Arcadia.
Kan. Last September she announced
that she was going to die at a certain
time. She made all preparations for
her funeral, selected her pall-bearers,
the text for her sermon and the hymns
she Wanted sung. Two weeks ago, on
the day set, she went to bed and said
she was dying. Physicians were called
in, and they rendered averdict that
she was perfectly well ankl able to be
abort, hey had hardly lf t the house
when she died. New Yeij. Commercial
Advertiser. . - - - - -
THE WORLD OF CRAFT.
Same Method Used Everywhere, lint tlw
Members Are Differently Jfamed.
"Have you ever noticed," inquired
the observing- man who had just re
turned from a hurried trip to England,
"that there is little difference in street
mendicants the- world over, except in
name?"
Being assured that the auditor had
not, the observing man continued bis
exposition. "I took occasion while on
my trip to make some investigation of
the street 'beggars,'' as we call them in
Chicago, as they appear in other cities.
I never realized before just 'how gulli
ble people in general are until I made
this investigation. In every city I was
'struck' on the street by two- or more
beggars, and I found their hard luck
stories agreeing in all essential details
with those put forward by the Chicago
members of the tribe.. From the well
dressed individual who; professes ac
quaintanceship with you and asks for
the loan of a dollar or a sovereign, as
the case may be, to the plain out and
out beggar who whines: ever a three
days' fast, their methods are identical.
"The only difference T could discover
is in the names given to these gentry
by the people of the-different cities
where they operate. Here irr Chicago
we go to the root of ' the matter and
call the whole class 'street beggars."
In New York, on the other hand, peo
ple differentiate between- mendicants
who appear at the back door with a
basket and ask for assistance and those
who meet one on the street with a.-
more o less plausible tale-of distress.
These latter are known as 'grafters'
in the East. That term is unknown in
London. There they are called tap
sters.' A , 'tapster' is on- the- whole
more ambitious than a 'grafter er n
'street beggar.' The latter will never
strike you for more than a couple f
dollars under any pretext, but the Lon
don 'tapster' of the 'swell' class makes
no bones of asking for the loan of s
sovereign.
"It is somewhat flattering for a
stranger to judge by your outward ap
pearance that, you carry such sums
about with you that the matter-of at
sovereign or two makes no 'difference
to you, but otherwise it seems to me
the English members of the craft earrjr
the matter too far. Neither are 'theft
schemes so well differentiated a-s those
used by their American brethren; amT
ft Is very easy to detect them when on-
of them accosts you. No American
ought ever to be taken in by one;.
Their work is too coarse."":;-ChIcao
Chronicle.
The Villain at 'Home..
There is a redeeming trait in every
man if it can only be found. . Some or
the vilest scoundrels If have -mot" iit
New York are angels at 'florae. The
deep-dyed villain in public -often has-a
family that is pure and chaste. -..His
home is his castle, safeguarded by-hii-i-iove
and his absolute silence-regardliigr
his occupation.
There Is a certain lawbreaker iarNfew
York who has managed ts keep oat or
jail by a powerful politbiil "pulF.. Tint
entire community knowb--that Me-is at
lawbreaker. He has deiied thepolice
force for twenty years. . He comes andi
goes as publlciy as any -banker in the
city, and General Greene can lay bands
en him at any time of &&y. . In-the-or--dinary
routine of the a-ewspnper-business
I made elose acq wtntanee of flHs
nian. For ysnrs I looked upoa-him as as
heavy villain. One nigrtit I vfent tMs
home and learned that he hmV a wifw
and three of the loveliest children- yott
ever saw; jne a youag woraan of" eigh
teen, just nt of ecfiege, t3e seetinot.aL
girl of twelve and the third a Boy o?
nine. Eyery featiare of the hotiso in
dicia cd a refined; elegance- tliat waa
most amazing. Here was the law
breakers cloister:. When he ecrtered
the pwtal he put sin beliind him. The
children though him a saiut, -Victor
Smith,, in New ork Prsss..
An Airtleir Octrfist.
An eye surgeon wno hat stood hii
among his f ifows fr twenty years at
Louisville a-nd' Chicago legan to ad
vertise In the newspapers two yvars
ago. Last year he spent :?GO,O0 in
newspaper advertising. The result is.
that he has an enormous practice. Ho
ls not less skillful that he was, during
the eighteen years when he die not acK
veVtise and was not frowned ta by tb
profession. -
Small Miud.
Keep clear of personalities in conver
sation. It is only small minds that oc
cupy themselves with such trifles.
Philadelphia TeleS""?.