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V THE TALE OF ENOCH ARDEN REVISED EY GEORGE ADE. Illustrations by Albert Levering, i. 4 i r On of the most unsatisfactory re scltal that ever opened the floodgates- .of Parlor Sentiment Is that of Enoch ! Arden. ...' Enoch certainly got his. He -was ; Jonahed from the getaway. v ' 'First he; performed at the Aljtaf, ; then he became overstocked with " ' Children, then he boarded a ship and ' started for China to get a bank roll, o thaV on ' his return he would be elected to ' Parliament; then he was' " jhipwrecked and cast away and lived en shell .Ash and bananas for years; i tnen he succeeded in panhandling his way back to his old Stamping Ground, only to learn that; friend" wife- had booked up with Philip and was wear Jng Bells. v'V'':?!;.'..'v;v-'..';':-v . t. So the inly thing for Enoch to' do -was -to evaporate, v-,-;; t .y:v'. He faded away and kept under cov ; er Just because he did not wish to em barrass his Relations and separate them from their Soft Picking -. - If he talked to a lawyer he never would have lived in poetical Fiction . &s a self-sacrificing Hero , but he might have made a proud showing as keen young Business Fellow., He had a chance to get after Annie for Bigamy, replevin the Piano, sue for possession of the Children and de mand 150,000 Damages from Phillip for allienatlng . Affections of unnlng ' Mate.-').,- .' ' ... "y:. Instead of which he retired -to a - Boarding House and never 'came out again. Any one who has Relatives that go Broke occasionally will grasp the sub tle Humor of Tennyson's story. , Enoch was the only Prodigal who : . - ; . . .. . ......... 'V ,-y:v Vhjftflto wants fo Trained Nur ever came home Busted and did not demand Chicken, three times a day and the keys to the Wine Cellar. He overlooked a Oood Thing. Prob ably, he had lived alone on the. Trop ical Island so long that he was a bit Googly--not a clear case of the Bats, but the Sun had got to his Head and made , him what the Specialists call daffy, or bug. He had sense enough to be a Hero, but he was shy on Legal Rights. Everybody who reads Enoch Arden weeps a little, but probably a Lawyer would weep harder than anybody else. The whole story Is now drifting Into the Joke Class, because It is based on the played-out Theory that the Mar riage Contract Is binding and perpet ual. In England, when the story was written, this thing of getting married was a copper riveted, air tight, cinch Proposition, the same as taking out a 9 9 -year Lease. Nobody went in on Probation. Those who tackled it said good-bye to their Friends and settled down for a Life Sentence. Enoch stayed away a great many years, without sending home even a Souvenir Post-Card , and when he floated back into town he expected'to And Annie waiting for. him with a Hot Supper all ready. No man ever knows when he is ever going to cross the Home Plate again, but he thinks that Wlfey ought to know. is her duty to be hitch ed up and standing on her tiptoes, r . v; ' " ' ' ' .'v.t! - u 1m jjQl3'ucticn isvwKat did Enoch sea ready to Jump,' the same as a Horse In the Fire Department ' . Whether he blows in at 6:80 in the Purule Twilight or shows up it 2:80 g. m., with chalk on his hat and a breath like a Gas-leak, be thinks that when he steps across ( the Threshold the Canary should start to sing and the Missus , should begin throwing Handsprings in' his Honor, and never dare ask what kept 'him.'" -:-i -:-'y Enoch Arden had the immortal nerve to think that he could Jim around some remote corner of. the Earth for years and years and then come home , when all tho other places were closed up, and find his Smoking Jacket laid out for him and the Even ing Paper right on the Centre Table. ' When he discovered that tome one had picked the word '"Welcome", out of the Door Mat and that his old friend Phillip was now the Plot of the Piece,' he went right up in the Air like a .Toy Balloon.:ev.l.rt'V'...'fV'':f'.':' - He, looked in' through the "Window and saw that his Wife wsJ happy with No. 2 and that no one seemed to be tacking up any crape on his account. "It would be a shame to break up th Picture he said, fl am to this Joyous Family what Free Silver is to a re-united Democratic Household a sad; sweet Memory. V Me for the Sub way." ;' aiHv'-V.V '!!:., " The anestion Is,;. What did Enoch see when he crept up behind the Cur rant Bushes? . The whole story Is an Invention, specially made t6 order for Weepers, and if the Finale is to sad for the Present light hearted ability, we have a right to read proor on Tennyson and adapt the wind-up so as to make It harmonize with new-Conditions. It is probably true that Annie put her tag on Enoch in preference to Phillip. She was a true Child -of Romance. Philip had a hatful of money, but Enoch had Curly Hair. So the Marriage Bells pealed forth and the gay young Couple went di rectly from the Church to a suburban Cottage and began to throw domestic Utensils, at the Wolf. Enoch took an invoice after a few years and found that he had here and there a Child and a Boat. He figured that It wod re quire about 150 years at the rate he was going to make himself Independ ent, so he began to Investigate the get-rlch-qulck Schemes. Somebody told him he could do well in China. There you have It. The Easy Mon ey In this World is always at the other end of the Line. X ' Every man who Is patrolling Broad way on his Uppers knows that he could make $80,000 in three months if he were in Los Angeles. Oklahoma looks mighty good to the humble Far mer who owes a large store bill in Ill inois, and the main reason why so many energetic People want to get to Some City is that the ticket costs more than they can scrape together. Enoch probably read some Folders issued by the Dream Department of a Transportation Company and he could "' . V - not see anything on the' map except China. : ' , . Before eallln awav he staked An nie to a modest little Shop and assur ed her that she would have no diffi culty whatever in downing the . big Department stores and beating the Trusts at their own game, It is not recorded that Enoch hired any Private Detective Agency to watch the House or arranged to have his sis- yr-n-iaw write and let him know now Annie was behaving. 7 , . . He was the genuine oldfashioned type of Trusting HusbandA-the hind that shows up in Melodrama and nev er suspect his wife except when she is innocent. . ... v., ov-ri In fact, it was about fifteen years before he landed back at his birth place. He hardly knew the town on account or the new Carnegie Library and also because the Waiting Room at the Station had been awept during his absence. When he arrived at the Old Home stead he hesitated about butting right in. He was afraid the Joy of seeing mm again might overcome somebody. tie was undecided wheteher to slip his Card under the door or throw his Hat over the transom, and he tnade up his mind to do a little rubbering and And out the lay of the ground. So he looked In through the window and saw quite a number of Children that he had never met. Also there was Philip, his old time rival, spread out on a Morris Chair. Annie was present and looked like Ready Money. "It seems that somebody else has Jumped In and is filling my Dates," said Enoch. "I would go in and sort out my own Children, but I don't like to make any trouble for them So near Supper Time." He was about to depart when An nle, who had seen him loitering about the premises, came out and spoke to him pleasantly. "It seems to me we have met," she said. Enoch told her his name and men tioned several Mutual Acquaintances, and finally Annie got his Number. "Now I can place you," she exclaim ed. "You are the Gentleman I mar rled first of all." "Evidently I made quite an Impres sion upon you, or you would not have remembered me all these Years," said Enoch, much gratified. , "I haven't Deen nome now lor a good many yers, because I have been pretty well tied up with Business Affairs and had to attend a Meeting of the Directors and call on a customer from St. Paul and dictate some Letters, and besides the Train was late. I hope you haven't been worrying about me.' "Not at all,", replied Annie. "A real bright woman who can play Bridge and has got the Club Habit can keep house for weeks at a time without having a husband near the place. "Have you been true to the vows you made at the altar?" aBked Enoch. "Four times," was the reply. "You see, after you had been away eight weeks without dropping even a Re mittance, I was told that I could prove a case of Desertion, so I cut the Cable and made a very satisfactory Matri monial arrangement with Philip. We got along well for two years, but when we repapered the Front Room he selected a design of pale Morning Glories, while I preferred a Hollana Effect with funny Pictures around the Border. We could not agree, ard in view of this Incompatibility of Temper there was only one thing to do. I told him to roll his Hoop, and one morning I went up to the Court House and got my second Decree." "Then, why do I find him here frol icking with the children?" "The Court has given orders that he shall be allowed to come here one day every week. We are very good friends. There was a time when a woman usually had a prejudice against her former Husbands, but nowadays a more liberal spirit seems to pervade the upper strata of Society. After I gave Philip his Walking Pa pers and nailed No. 3, he came over quite often to show the New One how to regulate the Furnace." "Where Is No. 3 now?" asked Enoch, taking a Pencil from his pock et ami checking them off. "He wearied of my cooking," ex plained Annie. "The Judge decided that Fudges andTea every Sunday ev ening constituted Cruelty on my part I did not make any fight on the split out because I got half the Property." "Being once more free, what was your next move?" "I did as ali others do went out looking for more trouble. No. 4 was what you might designate as an On- i. i , c ,. ... 1 1 V ion. He had lived at one of those1 European hotels thirty years, and I had an awful time getting him house broke. I learned than when a man past 45 gets married he isn't looking for a Wife at all. What he wants is a Trained Nurse I rescued him from the Hotel because I needed a larga Limousine Car. But even with my Long Experience and Angelic Dispos ition I could not put up with nls Grouch." "Is he still on deck?" asked Enoch. "I canned him last week." said An nie softly, "but I still have the Lim ousine Car. You can see that I have had a lot of Trouble since you went away, and also quite a wad of Exper ience." t "How about No. 5 ?" "How dare you?" she asked, . with womanly Indignation. "Do you think I have no regard for the proprieties? I always wait a -reasonable time, and besides the supply seems to be a little slack just at present. Have you any Open Time?" "I am as free as a bird," replied Enoch. "I am glad I happened along when you were not tied up, because Winter is coming on and I must get planted somewhere. I suppose there will be no objection to my going back on the Old Job?" "None whatever. If you hurry you will be able to get a License before the Clerk's Office closes. Be sure and put in the customary clause about either party having a right to give a Two Week's Notice in case of dissat isfaction." "It will cost two large Iron Dollars to get the license," suggested Enoch. Annie slipped hinvthe money. And that is how it happened that Enoch Arden, Instead of coming home to die of a broken hoart, fund awalt- Inr him the Inve of a Faithful Wife and the companionship if many bright-eyed Children. ' BUSINESS IN SOUTH LAST YEA It. Government Report Gives Movements of Cotton, Grain, luce and Tobacco. Washington, February 24. Com mercial movements in Southern ter ritory In connection with the Internal commerce of the United States are discussed In the December summary just issued by the Department of Com merce and Labor. According to this document the fig ures of which are brought down to the close of business, December 11, 1906, cotton sight receipts during December amounted to 2.283.672 bales, 711.459 in excess of corresponding arrivals In 1905, and 382,372 greater than those of 1904. For the first four months of the current season like receipts ag gregated 8.025,071 bales, against 7, 078,627 for the corresponding period in 1905, and 8,032,534 in 1904. The net overland movement for the same periods was 550,442 bales In 1906. 438,655 In 1905, and 629.008 in 1904, while exports for the season to De cember 31. which totaled 4.130,111 bales, exceeded like wlthdrawls In 1906 by more than 670,0000 bales, but fell below those for 1904 by over 170. 000 bales. Northern mills' taking during this period aggregated 1,200. 18 bales, while the mills of the South were credited with 1,002,893, a total of 2,X03,021 bales, compared with 2. 106,209 for corresponding months In 1105, and 2,102.617 in 1904. ' Cotton rocolpts at United States ports from September 1 to December 81, 1906, totaled 5,025,096 bales, over 800,000 In excess of corresponding arrivals In 1905, but slightly smaller than those In 104. Of the total movement," Gulf report! Teceltid" 8, 70,128 bales, and Atlantlo ports 1, 964,971, while the individual cities credited with more than a million bales' were as follows: Galveston, 2, 289,174; New Orleans, 1,2 1(,1 8 1, and Savannah, On.. 1,066,834. Cotton receipts at leading Interior Southern towns from September 1 to December 28 amounted to 4,227,292 bales, exceeding like arrivals in the preceding year by approximately 600, 000 bales, and those ot 1104 by over 250,000 bales. Towns receiving over 100,000 bales were as follows: : Hous ton, Tex., 1,797,866: Memphis. Tenn., 471,662; St. Lrtuls, Mo., , 116.147; Augusta. On, 171,192; Little Rock, Ark., 164,580; Shreveport La., 145. 441; Montgomery, Ala., 128,191, and Atlanta, O., 105,411. Grain receipts at New Orleans dur ing December totaled 2.027.O0O bush els, falling below corresponding ar rivals In 1905 by over 4 million bush els, but but exceeding those of. 1904 by mora than 1 1-3 million bushels. Shipments for the same month were 1,631,209 bushels against 4.976,177 In December, 1905, and 1,451,061 In De cember, 1604. During the entire year 6,478,800 bushels of wheat 19,139, 111 com and 6,497,145 oats wart re ceived at that city, a total of 61,110, 767 bushel! In contrast with 21,770, 620, arriving during 1905, and 1,751. 14? la 1604. As compared with th , 1 : ' '' - ' . . 1905 movement, wheat showed an in crease of nearly 5 million bushels, and oats of slightly over 4 million bushels, while corn showed a loss of approxi mately 6 million bushels. Foreign shipments for the year aggregated 28,431,082 bushels in 1906 23,416,429 bushels In 1905, and 7,442,228 bush els In 1904. Receipts of rough rice at New Orleans during December amounted to 119,034 sacks, against S3, 220 In December, 1905, and 107,864 In De cember, 1904. For five months ending December 81 like arrivals aggregated 819,623 sacks in 1906, 717,916 In 1905 and 993,139 in 1904. Clean rice re ceipts during the month amounted to 63,495 pockets, and for the five months to December 31, 218.476 pockets, During the preceding year like arrivals amounted to 53,245 pockets for the month, and 212,582 for the five months and in 1904, 50, 064 for December, and 247,920 for the five months ending with December. Dirrlng 1906 tobacco receipts at Cin cinnati amounted to 55,380 hogsheads; at Louisville, 105,973; at Clarksvllle, 9,847; at-Hopklnsvllle, 5,450; at Padu sah, 5,381, and at Mayfield, 4,418, a total of 187,449 hogsheads, compared with 192,484 received at these towns In 1905, and 160,738 In 1904. UNSUNG. As sweet as the breath that roes Krom the lips of the white rose. An weird aa the dim lights That glimmer of frosty nlKhts, As wild as tho winds thnt tear The curled red leaf In the air, U tho song I have nc"r sung. In slumber, a hundred times I've said the enchanted rhymes. Hut ere I open my eyes This ghost of a poem flies; of the Intertiuent strains Not even a note remains. I know by my pulse's beat It was something wild and sweet And my heart Is strangely stirred Uy an unremombered word. I strive, but I strive In vala. To call the lost refrain. On some miraculous diiy Perhaps It will come and stay; In some unlmaglned nprtn. I may find my volco and sing The song I have never sung. -THOMA8 BAILEY ALDIUCH. f Now I can phrce you , n she 3xelaimed THE RECOIL Of THE BLOOD BT S. H. LYLE. JR. He was my father, yet I hated him hated htm with a deep, Implacable hatred that could only be satisfied with bis blood. Strango as this may seem, the explana tion was simple He was one of Chica go's great merchant princes, ha owned branch nouses in nve large cities, a so I was his only son. In these circum stances I should have had all the ad vantages of money and education. Yet I had none of these advantages. At 15 I was taken from school and placed 'In one of my father's merchant nouses a f I oor-s weeper. He said I must begin hiw and rise, but I was never placed hlKher. I was nover allowed a holiday, n'ver allowed to associate with othr boys of my own station In life. Always before mo was the low, degrading work of the floor-sweoper. So It was that I hcRim to hate him, and as the years wpnt by my hatred becamo stronger and deeper. At 20 I had decided upon my course, and that course was a course of self. And a course of self could 6nly mean death. " The evening after I had come to this decision I left the store early, In order to be at home when ho arrived. When I reached home I did not go to my own room at the rear. Instead, I went up to his library, a place ho never allowed me to enter. But now I had no fear. I hud fully made up my mind; I would de mand my rights If he granted thorn, the life of a gentleman, If he did not I would kill him and let things take their course. I had hardly seated myself when I heard a disturbance In the street below. A carriage dashed up, to the door, the bfll rani; violently, voices cried out In confusion. Then thins Quieted, there was a whlstMTKd consultation in tho hall, then the tramp, trump of heavy feet on the stair. 1 sprang to my feet, every nerve tingling, and stood breathlessly lis tening to that steady, ncarlng tread. Up, up, It came; nearer, nearer! then It paus ed before tho llhrary door. I stenried for- ward. The door opened, and In came two strange men, carrying the limp body of my tamer. "An iu-cldcnt," one of them muttered. "A carriage struck him. A doctor, quick!-' They both left the room hurriedly. Their burden lay across the table. Presently the house grew deathly quiet. The servants had rushed off In terror. spreading tho news. I was alone In tho library alono with the limp form thrown over ine papers ana boom on the table. My heart beat fiercely: Joy filled ntv boiiI. Ood In his mercy, then, had relieved me of the task. My fathor was dead and I had not killed him. I cased down on thn I white face before me and smiled. Sud rff Hi t4! .j fcM 4 i;- - a. . A It-would Ite . shame to break; denly I stared, rigid, the smile fro is en my lips. Had his eyelid quivered, or had my senses tricked me? Involuntari ly I moved a step nearer. Then the fig ure on tne taois moved, rroaneo, ana slowly came to an untight position. For . a moment my father gased about him In a dazed way, then his eye fell on me. Lla-htnlng flashed from his look. With an effort he raised his hand and pointed. " "What do you do herej he orta In a hoarse voice. "Out, hack to your ken nel!" A carved Ivory gavel lay on the sable beside him. It was small, but heavy, well- balanced. In a fury I seised it, ana truck once, twice. The blows fell with a sickening thud over his right temple. With a low groan my lamer leu dick among the papers. A quiver ran through his frame and he lay still. Horror struck I stood gaslng down upon my work. I scarcely heard the rapid beat of a horses hoofs In the street below, the slamming of the hall door.' the steps on the stair. The pnysician nurnea in ana bruskly swept me aside. Only a moment he bent over the body In examination. Then he turned to face me, and there was pity In his look. "Your father Is dead." he said. Teachers Must Be Home by . Muskogee correspondence Kansas) City Star. The school board has applied the curfew law to school teachers of Muskogee. From Tulsa and Mo Alester comes information that the school board at each place has made a similar order. The boards of education in these towns have decided that the teacher In the public schools must cut so ciety five nights out of the week at least. The boards have given it out that they do not expect to see the teachers out after 9 o'clock at night through the school week and they do not add that the teachers are at liberty the other nights. This order has created a storm In the towna mentioned. Some of the teaohers are In open rebellion and say that they will go where they please and when, and some of them have done so, but It la noticed they are waiting with some apprehension for the next meet ing of the board. Ills Definition. Atlanta Constitution. "Faith." said Brother Williams, "la de faculty what kin turn de song er a sawmill Into de hall&lula er de an gels." "An what Is hope?" "Hope is do faculty what keeps you lookln' for somethln' you never Bits.
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
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March 3, 1907, edition 1
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