Newspapers / The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, … / Feb. 21, 1909, edition 1 / Page 20
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8 CHARLOT PE DAILY OBSEKVER, FEBRUARY, 21. 1909. IN THE OLD FOURTH CREEK CONGREGATION QVIMNK JIM." Tn, Savoyard. "Quinine- Jim applied his nam.' ' MrKmzn ' ami "was born with a silver spoon in hi mouth.y but her In ).l Kourth Crwk ("ongrepatlon KrHmlmcihT used to call his grandfather l'n It Andy MrKlnnle'' and I fe-ar. I great ly fear 'I'ncle Andv' at.- hi mush and milk with a jj- t r spoon from a pewter bowl. Among the nninii .4 tli- flrM elder on the Fourth i"r--K Meeting Houac record i Andre- M. Knzie, w hse wife- Is h ciauRht.-r of that William Stevenson railed UUI--Oabriel" becausv of his rloqueni-e in prayer thus (riving Uuiinn. Jim" "Little Cabrlsl'" f a great crHndsire. In the congregation aiso an Na thaniel Ewinn a revolutionary sol dier of t'apt Jam' i Houstons e tun pan); Nathani' 1 x n Adlal, and Ad la I n daughter Isabella '. Kwing, II here In 1U.: Hut the nree-. are wafting the odor of pennvnle- Ir.'ni "vrr the mountain and letters postmarked ' Hopkinisvllle-. Kentucky. March :5th. H17, 15 cents." ar. being borne east to Old Koudth i reek Congregation with such statements as these: "We all arrived In good health and with as much safety as any set of travelers that have ever traveled the road, 1 suppose. You can Ret lands plenty from William Hroadnax at three dollars per aire." "There are ad vantages here vou know nolhlnK about, and If 1 were to tell ou. you could not believe It." I shall rot tire you about the land writ, si old man Nathaniel Rwing. if v on and Hillle were here to sec the wheat and corn we have ynu w ould belie, e what you see. As I am not aide to Inform your understandings. J shall leave the subject until you do see It." "We have made a i onslderalib Iredell settlement which makvs It the more resemble our natne land Land la rlin very fast It will soon he out of the poor ninn's reach "Come over some evening and tak' coffee and pone ake. as corn is plent y. " In this Iredell settlement' liam Washington McKennle. Andy's" son. He prospers Is made Judge, marries Isat i Wll I'm b gr.-iitli , i.'lla C Ewlng. and Jame s A M. K. nzle "Quinine Jim," Is the ir son In 187fi a letter bears this record to Fourth Creek friends William Washington Mi Kenzie is a fin. spec i. men of a fine looking old Christian gentleman " Quinine Jim in writing from Washington in 17 says, "Mi father Is In his 7 fith vc.ir nd Is the handsomest man of his age In the State of Kentucky. again .! 1 s h 0 he- write. 'I wish vou would send to my father at .ek '.rove, Ky.. a copy of The Lan linark While In Congress "Quinine Jim tan down to the old c oni esatlon I" tread the paths hts fath. rs trod and sit beneath their orchard trcs." Then it s a le tter from the Secre tary of State of Kentucky about some walklng-e anes from the- .-1.1 home place to h. handsomely dressed. one foi p;e and one for myself anil a small pac kage of North Carolina tobacco for i he wing--some manufactured In Staiesvlll. 1 want to present It to pa In 189 he writes My father was US on the Sth of last June He was talking Isst night of things that occurred in North ''arollna when he wets a box.' All this is but to show from whence came "Quinine Jims beauty, bril liance and eloquence . '"nil" Andy and Judge William Washington Me -Kenzie bestowed the beauty "Little Gabriel" Stevenson the' leeuene e anei the Kwlngs an.l Of homes (Nat Kwlng's wife was Re h. ee a eibori,e. daughter of Col Alexander e isl.oi ne. of old e'entre . . ingr. gat Ion i , the brilliant wit "Quinine Jim and possil.lv but horn outside the- uilss.il om thing hi . In having 1 ic.n ..Id Fourth Cr.-ek rongregallon and that wnp a drill In Webster's old "Hlu. Mae k Spell, t. ' for oh. Savoyard. Quinine Jim.' mir brilliant one. persist. ! in -p. lllng 'uncle" with a ' k ' tis tn pity; and pitv 'tis. lis true what's In a b tt. r 'tis rue' yet .1 Fourth i. nigh to in her There s a woman lew if; Cre-ck Congre gal ion old he grav hc-ade-d. who s. "mind's eye" the m.et.hl'ss picture i-f Jamea A. Me Ke-rrl. a- h. stands I" fore her father's hearthstone r. luting with his magnet . e harm . 'o of his inimitable tbs Half the time he looks inte. the child's eves, for she alts spcllbounel thouKh too voung to grasp the stoiv s p. .int. hut when the nnalnt twinkl-s . "nu- about the eyes and the queer little wrinkle at I the rnrne-n- c.f his mouth slo- Mnlb s In sympathy, know me u i tim to mile; lor. Indeed. Ms w..riis. tnev rob the Hybla b. .- ml leave- them horteybss. " By an act of the e ;...:,-r:, A-cmMv atNew bern. Nov K.th 1 7 7 i this oath of al legian- e w a - re 'i i : re -1 ' I e A Hi. do solemnly and sin- -. d.-. Ur. and affirm that I will t . .- r trui. fldeiitv to the Independent S'ao of North c'ar.. lir.a and tot he powers an-1, a ut h-r in-s which may be established t r the good gove.rnm-nt thereof and I do renounce anv lul.li'y to the p resent King of Greit Hritain his heirs ami Buccessors. that 1 wll! disclose and make knewn to the e;.hMi"- som. m'mber of the ' 'miriril of State. .In Ige Of Superior Court of justice of the peace- all trr-asons i onsp'racic-s oi m' tempts i-ommltte.l or intended against i. the same wbnh shall come to my ,. knowledge d The order has been e nt forth that j the osth of alb-?i .n. e shi-ll admin- i 1st red to re oentant Tories, otherw ise ah, otherw ise. Klljah leldrie h their lands shall be seized and sold nd here In the north eastern part of Fourth Creek 1 "ongr-gat ion Captain Andrew Caldwell has hc-n appointed to administer this oath of allegiance. Notice having been dulv given as to time and pla e to-day we find men moving towards Koaehorough's about twelve or fifteen miles east of Fourth Creek Meeting House, where Captain Caldwell is ready to otlfrtiialster , the prescribed osth From the Hunting reek gectteTh T renerallv manv men are moving down, to Rotsetxjrouegh's to take the oh t h - at hers are rosiist through Interest In the occasion. j This young man of 2. taH, , aracefui. an.-r handsome with coloring 1 ' any maid may -envy ao much ptold In bis auburn hair and large brown -yea hi Captain Andrew Carson, a Than who has done brave and efficient "errlcee rn the cauae of liberty, "who , ejral ,t a)) timers on the alert and con sidered minute man with a gexd , horse and arms. IN. C. 8. Re. Vol. XXIL). "Moat of hi aervlce haa been in the " partisan warfare" against ffccee Hun tin Ciek Tories thouKh too haa aeryed tinder Captain David i aldwell, Col. Wade Hampton, and Gen. William Davidson. He rode six-tv-two mllea to (ien. Davidson's camp, arrived there about sunrise and was given the command of llfty-two men to march against the Tories un der Bryan at Shallow Ford. So one readily sees he hag earned his title of "Captain." He and his companions ate listen ing with Intense Interest to one of their number a slight yiung fellow with flashing ola-k eyes who Is tell ing them of his service ss aid ' to the "mighty chief" himself, for this is Captain William (Jill who (or two years served as "aid" to General Wash ington and has recentlx come t-. thi" neighborhood He N recounting his sdven'ure- at Hrandywi tie. w hero he the smoke of battle he rod. into the enemy's lino and h.ul to t. k-" a hlKh rail fence to make his escape His thr.lllng narrative Is broken t.v Captain Carson, who seeing a man coining In from above him on ll.m'lnc Creek, exclaims. "My God. vnndrr's Lige Oeldrbh or I'm not Andv Carson! I'll shoot him now to save further trouble but. a In levels his gun, his companions Interfere. saying. 'No no. we'll let the law have a Bay, So, ul re (aldwell will give him justice anc. s.-ttle him. Come on. Andy and on t h iing Klljah Oeld- rn h his last barn e-. "He-tier forsake i our few acres, llge. icto' lake to 'h. yy est where you can begin over again. No? Well, your Tat'- he on otir own head, for this man Andrew ealelweii is no inner l-'it a Just I'l-ltje1, one who fears God and regards the rights of men -a dan- t' 1 e befe.f. on se e Klijah. you were foolish ill" mh to I . r.i ; about your murders mil that e evndemns on emt of your " ii mouth, though they saw yon. ou know when you were lying armind Youngs Kurt trying to kill Thomas Young, the father-in-law of this man Andrew Carstm, whet all but hi ol you low a few mlntites ago. And von know. Llge, you have never done a day's fair lighting- a price was of fered for imr capture, dead or alive, and you were outlawed yet. he-re our are trying to take advantage of this amnesty offered to honest Tories who have fought fa. e tee face anil whom their Whig neighbors forgive in their thankfulness fur the great victory. For the sake of holding vour acr-s' vou are geting down to Hogo borough's barn to-day. but vou feel as dear lirutus .lid, dori t you'" eeli lh.it a mien might know The en.1 of this dav's l.usineMS ere It You will go' ami vet vnii wll! go eo. Prt, then if limn will f"i II siiffleetb thai ' he da v will end A nd t he- end I- k ni.uii " Here we are at Rose-borough's barn e w here e'leirks'iurg ihtirch now sfandsi- a r ,it new barn scarcely 'omplited. There are barns In the land In Ihenc davs anyway friends. Win this turn will comfortahly house a hundred head of horses and there are horses in the land, even some of Virginia's l.lo ided ones, and "cattle on a thousand hills." The barn doors are spread wide and In this Improvised court -chamber many men are gathe-rlng. At his desk, where Ink and ipilll pen aren evidence, sits 'Hiilre Cald well, a manly looking fellow with a grave dignity and a gracious courtesy that become him well - e en who never turns hie. back hut marches hreast f.irw-s. rel "' i. . , . . i i. I i ne men are signniK cue 'mui e. - (A Hi. elo solemnlv and sincerely I swear that I will bear true fidelity tee " .. t..., Clll.,1, OaI1pI,.Ii fimcm i ',.,.' ,,...., ,.,;,, u ..aHm. r. a gue-st nn-rl and evidently he feels It so heii be presents himself at ths de-ak. a shade of steel comes in the i b ar blue y es o of Sciulre Caldwell as he says, ii-blrie-h. you have an account to settle before you can take up the present business. Captain Car son, take this man in custody until 1 w e- have finished the business In I band" And In custody he Is taken land held while- the business of sign ing th. oath progresses. Whn I he last signature la filed and the dav's appointed duty elone. Sepilre e'e.ldwell calls for Captain Carson and his prisoner. Lig" Oe-blrleh. In plain, simple- language Sipilre i .il-lvveii state, the case "Here Is an outlawed man. a scl f -confessed mur '! rer. a thieving Tory who has never '.lone a day's fair fighting come to take adviintase of the amnesty offered honest Tone Men. Is there any one to I e rna n win- will stand si-curlty for this i (: d behavieer" Whig (.eldrlch. ti.i man is vour brother will you sei ur i' v and give him a re leei-n his past " o mine- niiidder. for he Iss rtai.el . ban. Grief her mm. eon. but Unl I lectio ho he iss no hrudder of -.III not stand for hltn u r not for v on leetlp At the siiulre's eui.stion a gleam of hope- comes in the fai t of Llge ah. at the end of an hour how many mil. s would he between him find this hnte fol place" nlv Llge and his hsv hllv know but :he gleam dies ere It is born an.l the stolid fai e shows no ther -ign of feelings, for before the seiit. nie w p t o n e i u n c e e 1 . this man knows his hour has struck. Sepure Caldwell continues His own i-ri'lher will not stand for hun ..tie hour nor am 1 willing to live un- the same- h''vernmenl w-th him. for h -l.-ath s a murderer and worthy of The Good Book saya. If a man i ome nrejiumptuousy upon his neighbor to slay him w-lth guile, thou shalt take him freem the altar, that 1 he mav die.' Klljah oel.lri.-h. we give you ten minutes in which to make your pear e w-lth your Maker At the end of that time we will hang you by the neck until you are dead and may God haves mercy on your soul. Captain Carson, procure a rope'" The captain i tread breaks the still ness nor is there a sound In the court- chamber until his return. How trtg ten 7r.tr.w-te tin be howf i long- Long ennugh f-r Klljah oe d- Inch even to repnt and make his .are with his God hut does he? He glvea no sign stock stil he has stood and still stands with white get face, waiting hi doom. He and hl God only know with what hepe he face the Hereafter. How Ion ten minutes can he when fraught with life and death and how short! The time la up! Bandage the eyea. adjust the noose, spring the traps! And Elijah eOeldrich'a aoul swlnste out into eternity ts render an account of the deeds done in the body. Silently the men ejdepart from the Judgment halt where justice aits en throned and the day has ended and the end is known. THE HANGING IN ROSIJ- liOKoCH S 1JAKN. The ntiK of the woodman's axe! The ring of the woodman's axe! Whet merry, daring, earnest music you are making! Hut. good woodman, d you know how near danger lurks? The Hrushv mountains Just a few in lien away ar. infest d with Tory i outlaws the low, mean. sneaking. thieving sort and just beyond you I in the "the Wilderness" on Hunting Creek they much do ongregate ton. jvou say vou know, that your nam : is Thomas Young, that you've owned this land for fifteen years, and now in this year of grace 177S you'v come to settle on your land? Well and good, neighbor, we of Fnurlli Creek give you a cordial welcome and from the size and strength of these log houses two of them ami you are Joining them together by stockades and ah! yeni are making port holes. 1 see you know what you are about, good sir! These mis creants need just such a neighbor, so ) on re very welcome. You must have a right sizable fam- ( . (f) )p ,,ulu,ln,. two auch substantial houses- Not large now-, you say. juot five children at home'' Three mar ried daughters with husbands In the Continental army ? Well, that'n good news and one son gone and another nearly r.-adv to go. Then you are buililiiiK for some other purpos. yes going to use one room In your coun try's service? Watch the sneaking Tories then or they'll pick you off inled. Soon the substantial 'og nouses are finished and Joined together lev an enually substantial stockade and Young's Fort" is ready f"r gue-sts and becomes the rendezvous for the Whigs of the neighborhood who have all thev can do to hold the Tories in heck, see tine a hiding-place "the Wilderness ' on Hunting Creek is lor cattle of their kind. Strange doings go on In one room of "the Fort." Various supplies are brought In and It Is noised abrvad among the Tories that Thomas Young and his assoclate-s are In league witn the devil- tire .end brimstone- circle loiind them In their secret councils, rinallv. it Is known that gunpowder Is made In the Fort" and then the Tories appoint Klljah lelclrlch. a G. -rnnn Tory, member of their eentlaw gang. In assassinate the eight as sociates who are; making the gnnpeew -. ill and otherwise Inconvenle nclng the nulla ws. inc. twee, fhree, four, five-, six. ae-v,n et the eight ale picked eeff for Llge Owldrich to lira.: about -and here vou are lying In wait for Thomns Young but you missed your man this time, Ocldilrh. Again you are- lying In am bush for "vour man " but. ah! Johnny hoy. you haven't been born very long, live or six years perhaps, do you think you have- the presence of mind to save your father'.' You've seen the assassin In his hiding-place, but d-nVt run and cry. boy just he a man and walk leisurely -leisurely. lad, and search for that blue hlrd'a nest In which you were Interested slowly, boy , for a few more steps. Now. rup. boy . run. and tell Father! Oh, Elijah eieldrleh. you've missed your man another time anei are getting un easy about yourself. You arc iy.1 worth it but I'll take time to tell you that It Is Just as well for you that you are getting uneasy You've brag ged about ynur seven rtmrderes ami saio lU V e Hd C A lo- .- 11 Old v le H.. I man iiiiiiiup I hadn't been "conjured" well, there t- lt mes a elay when w.- se'ttle our ac founts In Old Fourth Creek Co rut re gallon, r.njau i ic-iui n o. Thomas Young. Christopher Hous ton, High Andrew and the other brave Whigs of the Hunting Creek neighborhood who have hail such H trying time are rejoicing! Cornwallla has surrendered, the war Is over. Now, how about It. Tones honest and Tories dishonest'' How about it? The feeling against you is very bit ter. Those who have suffered at yeeiir hands are- urging that your lands be -otitis, ated, and. in this year of ovjr Lord 172. the legislature has pass.-el an act to seize and sell the lands of leading Tories. (t M IL OI' KINK ARTS. Itlnerlplt' or tin- Iiiftltiillon Uovojr- ulzrtl In t'ongrcse. Chicago Itecoid Jieiald The- people of the country will not be disposed tn dispute the ssseitn.n that the highest expert authority should he en gaged to pass irpon deslgis for the im provement of Washington and upon all art work that Is undertaken by the gov ernment There has been, however, a woeful lack of system, order, and proper ly eeiuipped authority In much that has been done hitherto by grace of Congress, and this winter the 1'iesident appointed a council of fine arts to supply a long felt want His relations with Congress were such I hat criticism for members of ihst body was Inevltahle and it came on sc hedule time, which Is to say as soon as the appointments were made. The law Is. nuoted to prove thst be has excelled his aiithoiity, hut the council remains In a position to act It is to te noted also that, etesplte the conflict bills have been Introduced in tw.th Senate and House for tli creation of an advisory council, to be appointed t.v the Mresldetit. suhjtx-t tej confirmation hv the Senate I'nder the legislation that is promised, the office of the supervising architect of the Treasury would be known as the bureau of arts and public build lugs, sn.l the architect would have the title of director of arts and public bulld itgs The council would aid this official In various ways It would be Its duty to advise upon the character. 0lgn. slta. is n.1 landscape treatment of all public works of architecture, painting, sculpture, monuments, parks, bridges; to assist in the selection of competitors where work Is to be carried out under competition; to rt-K.unmveeM.tJvr,, for ,h. conserv- f . monuments. - - - tlon of public runnumenls. Probably the Kxes ullve order will stand until the desired legislation is pass ed, so that there is little dancer of a re turn to chaos. The subject. It should 4ie understod has teen long and carefully considered It has been given an exhauje tive study by committee of the American Institute of Architects, which paid due attention to the practice of foreign gov ernments. We have, therefore, a fully matured scheme that should put a stop to such bickerings a there have been In the past, and be a guarantee that the government art work will compare favor ably In all respect with that of other great naliooa. A LONG DEFERRED FUNERAL By TROJAN- The preacher was sitting In his study, pondering, perhaps, on the latek of true religion and the dearth, of common sense. There was a knock on the door and in response to an In vitation to come in a solemn vlsaged rural visitor entered and took a seat. "Are you the new Methodist cir i uit rider''" he inquired. Ye s " replied the preacher; "can I ric anything for you?" The visitor went on to say that his mother-in-law was dead; that she had been a .Methodist and he wanted a minister of that denomination to of ficiate He vvaa a Baptist himself, so a.se dig wife, and everybody else in Hanging-Dog township, and he had been trying for a long- time to get a Methodist preacher to (fn out there and conduct the service. Sin h devcetion on the part of a si n-in-law was beautiful -as he sat with tears In his eyes telling of the Is e, od n ess and purity of her life, in re-spnrise to the preacher's question as to how long since the good wom an had pasaed away; he replied that she had been dead more than four y e a rs. "All right." said the preacher, "I will be at Hanging-Dog Thursday, before the second Sunday in next month, at 11 o'clock." It was a beautiful morning tn May when the minister, on his fox trotting big i lay bank, started for the ap pointed place, ten miles from th town where the parsonage was lo cated. ( n his arrival It looked as if all Hanging-Dog had turned out. The people for miles had come In good time and the venerable Haptist minis ter of the community was present and gave the young preacher a cor dial greeting. Soon the old log meet ing house vvaa Oiled to its capacity. The ijulet of the surroundings lent solemnity to the occasion The first hymn was announced, beginning with these words; "Repent! the voice celestial cries, No lunger clare delay ; The wretch that scorns the mandate d ies. And meets a fiery day." The entire hymn was then given out, two lines at a time, and the peo ple sang with the spirit and under standing. The singing was great No New York opera could have excelled It. The text of the sermon "We must all stand before the Judgment seat "f ChrlHt" The discourse was to Un living and not to the dead. The preacher was young and strong and felt fully the presence of the Spirit. He had. what In church talk. Is call ed liberty. His audience was entire ly appreciative He spoke for nicer., i h ii ii an hour. There were no critics in the crowd sitting close together be fore htm on the slab benches with no backs In conc luding his remarks he made it all right for her in whose memory the service was held. She had been a good woman, a Christian all her days, and many testified te ller unselfish life All this Justified the preacher In his statement: "She will be found standing on the right hand of the King clothed In the glori fied garments of the redeemed In that great day of the Judgment and hear the welcome words; 'Come ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the w eerld ' "Now then, all of you. who expect to meet her on that occasion and go with her through the golden gate Into the City of God, stand up." And all of them stood. "Now- let us sing; How firm a foun dation y e saints of the Lord ' " They did It all right. The son? floated out through the open doors and windows and appeared even to put new life into the trees of the Held and the mountains themselves wit nesses of God's power seemed to take on a new glory and to Join in that old song, "How firm a founda tion." Hanging-Dog was on speaking terms with the King of Glory that day. No doubt of It. Everybody was satisfied with the service, and the manner In which it had been conducted. The old Baptist pieacher stood up and endorsed all that the young Methodist preacher had said, and that made him feel mighty good. Those things are never forgotten. Dinner was taken on the ground, after which the preacher was pre sented with several dollars In silver, .i white dresa pattern for his wife, and one also for his little girl. But he had never been to a funeral like that before. As he rode homeward, through the beautiful country In the mellow glow of that bright afternoon Ir. May. he thought of each Incident connected with the trip and service and found himself quoting the words of Holy Writ: . "We have strange things to-day." How precious is the memory of that day, now 20 years gone, spent with those sincere and reverent wor shipers of God. There was abso lutely nothing artificial about the oc casion. Monte Carlo's Balance Slieet. Dundee Advertiser. The gaming tables at Monte Carlo are once again In full swing, arid the Casino Is pouring Into Its coffers something- like 4.000 ($20,000) dally, to ward the annual million or more It expects to clear before April closes. But enormoua as the Casino's profits are. Its expenditure Is proportionately great and includes some strange items. Thus it pays about 19,000 a year for clergy and schools. 16.000 for charity and f20.000 for police and courts. The maintenance of the Caalno runs Into hundreds of thou sands of pounds. And yet, in spite of these huge disbursements, the hareholders have little cause to grumble. for they pocket In dlvl denda something like 500,000 a year; and. even In a poor year, can rely on a return of over 30 per cent, on their holdings. A Dickens Portrait. Washing-ton, Star. The following "personaf" prtneeit In Th Star of Tebruary M. 18S. sketches a por trait of Charles Dickens as he appeared in publte fifty years ago. which Is doubt less a departure from the general present conception of the great novelist's person al appearance: "Charles Dickens Is reading his own works In London to immense audiences. He appears In public dressed fan a style of exaggerated fashion, with half a dosen rings on his fingers and a huge bouquet of exotics In his breast. His powers Of mimicry are said to be wonderful, and were he not the leading- novelist of the day. he might. If he chose to be,' rank aa the leading eremeiUao." HOMESPUN Bg "When you see him screwed Into corner like that." said the Optimist with hi eyea on the downcaat head of the Scribbler, though he was speak ing confidentially t Pandora, who was also watching the man In the corner. "When you see him droplng about silent, dejected, frost-bitten, you many know that he has had a check?" "A check ?" repeated Pandora. "Why I thought they revived him aa showera revive a drooping plant." "Well, but this was a sudden check. A rejection slip. I have nev er had a check of any sort, sudden or otherwise, but " "What a nice little boy you are," Pandora sail, laughing obligingly. "Perhaps he might tell us the re jected story. Was It a Valentine spe cial, do you think? Special is the word, Is It not?" The Optimist shook his head. "I don't know. I am troubled with what Mr. Junebug, in the Gentlemen's Foreign Diary, complains of as the average American's small vocabulary. It Is worse than the average" "I shall have to get you to tell me what you are talking about, if you Please. You lost me after the first word; I haven't followed at all," smiled Pandora, big-eyed and Inno cent. The Optimist shook his curly head. "I never know the way 'back," he said, gravely. ' He-sides, the Scribbler has regained consciousness, and is ready with the rejected Valentine story." "It wasn't rejected," said the Scrib bler, "It wasn't even submitted, or or finlsheed. I Inst It, somehow, and no where can I Mnd the3 " "Let us help you," broke In the Op timal. "Tell us as far as you saw your way and let us help you out with It. Won't that be a sort of composite story? It ought to be about right af ter we've all had a hand in It. Now begin. It Is never difficult to begin. Is it?" Falling into the whimsical plan, the .Scribbler drew his chair to Its place In the circle. "There were the lovers of course. A girl and a boy. She was a bonny little thing with gray eyes. A girl's eyes ought nlways to be gray, and the lashes neeJ to be long, very long, curling back to meet the straight, slender brows that match them In blackness. If the eyes and lashes are exactly right there will be little shadow stripes across the gray, and these no mortal naji is able to resist. Well, the girl's eyes were like that, and the lids were white as rose leaves. And her name? What shall we call her?" "I'll be her god-father." offered the obliging Optimist. "We'll call her Barbara Allen." "All right," agreed the Scribbler. "Just the sound of it suggests smiles and dimples and white teeth and a bit of a saucy, tiptllted chin. She was like that, this pink and white lassie of mv Valentine story. "The man In it Sweet William, you know, la barely a decent chap, tol erably well put together and no worse than others. I have triad to see him with Barbara's eyes, for she regards him with modest favor, but I can't get at It, worth anything. I've been told that the men in my stories are weak lings." "Realistic stories, eh?" questioned Pandora. The Scribbler nodded. "That's what comes of following faithfully nature's lead. "They had come down to the bridge together. Lovers always drift toward brldgea. I have never known It to fall. These two walked slowly down to the bridge, though the February wind blew fresh and chill across the fields. "The aldera were tasseled. and the shadows of the swaying clusters In the clear water were like the stripes In the girl's eyes. There were ranks of green-uniformed cedars along the hillside, and fringes of evergreen ferns trailed down to the water. "The bridge was an old one, and it had been constructed by a man j whnse sympathy with lovers waa fresh and deen. The railing was broad and of precisely the right height, and delightfully restful. No man devoid of poetic sentiment should be em ployed to construct a country bridge. Song writers, painters and lovers are all too entirely dependent upon them. "Barbara Allen and Sweet William stood on the bridge ind gazed down into the clear, softly singing water. Just as a thousand generations of lov ers have stood and gased before them. For the water la as old as the earth, and Irve Is as old as either. Just as the same earth old water slips forever under the bridges, so the same earth-old love slips along through the human hearts that beat and are still." "And the hearts, are they new? The lovers, are they really.young ?" asked Pandora. It was the Pessimist who answered from his shadowy corner, and for his answer he chose the words of the magnificent old heathen: " 'With earth's first clay they did the last man knead. And there of the last Harvest sowed the seed; And the first morning of creation wrote What the last dawn of reckoning shall read. And we. that now make merry In the Room Tl ey left, and summer dresses in new bloom Ourselves must we beneath the couch of earth Descend, to make a couch for whom?" " "Will somebody turn on another light?" pleaded the Optimist, "that old wineblbber always gives me the shivers. Can 1 have somebody's smelling salts? Think of It! Bar bara Allen standing there on the bridge apparently as fresh and fair as as alas. Is nothing young? Is there no new thing under the sun to which I may compare the apparent freshness of this earth-old maiden, this eternal 'She who must be obey ed' ?" "There Is nothing," answered th Pessimist. "The bridge and the brook, the two silly fools and the mistake that they are making are as old as creation." v "You are blocking the way," laugh ed trie Country Bride. "Are the two lovers to stand forever on the bridge, saying nothing at a, 11 ? "It seems to come to that," reason ed the Optimist. "They have always stood there. There was a. bridge la the ni"ffara'etrrJf duTte, aods---" "What did he say to her?" Pandora apes led to the .Scribbler, who seemed to be searching for his eue In the hleroglyplcs of the glowing coals. The question la Out of order. We have not been told In what year this particular February occurrer,". ob jected the Pessimist with lazy Inter est. "What has that to io with It? ask ed Pandora. - "If It's a riddle ''le me have a guess," begged the Optimise "If it was In the ag of rhlvalry " "Come down!" laughed the Prssl mlsU "It It. wmg U aa last decade. PHILOSOPHY THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH. he said nothing at . all. It was the girl who waa saying things. He was thinking of a way in which he might tell her that he should prefer being a brother to her." "Then it was before the .last de cade," laugfied the Scribbler, "because he was trying to tell her that he loved her. Before, or after!", "I don't see why he should have to try. so very hard," wondered Pandora. "She was right there evidently ex pecting some such declaration, else why had she braved the - February wind?" "Why, Indeed!" mused the Optimist. "Hasn't the one woman, the eternal feminine, so to speak, as she has ap peared In different forms through suc ceeding ages always known the deep jiurpose underlying the construction of bridges?" "Nevertheless, he was sadly put to It for well, for " the Scribbler hesi tated. "Alas for the average American's small vocabulary," groaned the Opti mist. "The word you want Is grit." "That wasn't the word that sweet William wanted," the Country Bride said with a little shake of her pretty head. "Do tell us -what he said." "I hadn't got very . far with the story," the Scribbler answered. "Per haps you can tell us what It was." "Nothing. I guess," said the Coun tray Bridge softly. "I think she Just knew, and he knew that she knew and so" "But it was cold, and she was wear ing gloves," put In the Optimist anx iously. "Do you think It could happen In a case of that eort? Now a sum mer " "1 think,' Interrupted Pandora In her slow, sweet way, "that Barbara Allen would require more than Just a tacit understanding. If she waa in the least like her namesake, the sprightly damsel of the English bal lad, she would never let Sweet Wil liam off as easy as that " I "No, I venture she made him toe the mark." agreed the Optimist with energy. "If there slyjuld be need of breach of promise " "Perhaps he brIJ: 'I feel as If I could stand .here always." ventured the Scribbler, modestly. "For a man with no experience, that does pretty well," encouraged the Opti mist. ''Beside since It has been provfn that he has always stood there al-ways-j " "And of course she would ask very Innex-ently, ' Why? "' added Pandor "and they he'd have to say, 'Because you are here,' and she would laugh perversely and say: But I am going away.' Then don't you see how easily he could manage to finish It? 'Then come with me and let's go always to gether, from now on forever!' " "I think that Is precisely what should have happened," approved the Scribbler. "But the question is, did she go?" Interjected the Optimist with energy. '"Not If she was a wise maiden," answered the Pessimist. "It Is merely a question of wisdom Presuming that she knew a thing or two, I fancy she declined with thanks the position so coolly offered, for she knew that love Is but a morning glory." "A mere Jonah's gourdvlne, to to speak." assisted the Optimist, "likely to wither and decay, a prey to the first poor worm that crawls that way. Nothing In It stable or lasting." "I think," smiled the Country Bride, "that she waited to hear It all and then held out her little hands " "Pity about the gloves," put In the Optimist, "and he understood," finish ed the Country Bride. "But you so persistently revel in silences." objected Pandora. "How should there be any story unless some body spoke to somebody else? And besides there should be a rival, and a hard-hearted father, or, an uncle might do." 'That's what I say," argued the Op timist. "Beware of the love that runs too smoothly. The best sort is not built that way. I think this is the line that introduces both the hated rival and the hard-hearted uncle. Bar bara must say: 'It can never be, my uncle to whom I owe everything, has pledged me to 'Of course the rival Is rich and old and very terrible," suggests Pan dora. "Certainly." agrees the Pessimist. "and so Barbara goes dancing off the bridge, with the glint of gold In her smiling eyes and the ring of sliver In her light laughter." VI don't half believe It," said the CoVhtry Bride, "not If Sweet William let her know that he cared a 'very great deal." "O. there waa no mlstttke about that." Pandora Insisted. "We had quite settled that. She knew that he wanted her, and she loved him." 'Then I think,'' said the Country Bride with a pretty little flush In her cheeks, "that she promised to wait forever and a day, It it took such a long time as that, to win the uncle's consent." "Exactly." growled the Pessimist. "In the event of her turning out well, the usual young woman, she'd do that. The uncle would contlnne to withhold mm m m .asr an , a ri r m .- 1 m sr till I t- tSZHN. 71Vi '"?SF5r. IP i it i. i his blessing, and the years pass on. Spring and summer and autumn and winter race riotously across the earth. But years ae not kind to the girl who waits." "She who hesitates is kt," put in the Optimist sagely. "At length comes a year that carries with it the adam antine old man. and Barbara is free!" The Pessimist w ent on, "But what is left of the Barbara who stood, on the bridge? What have the years left of the original young woman? They have stolen the light from her eyea, the lustre from her hair, the bloom and and dimples from her cheek, the grnce from her form, the sweetness from her voice, the wlnsomeness from her manner. She is not the same Barbara, not in any sense the same person. And the world is always full of fair women." The Scribbler laughed contentedly: "I don't believe in adamantine uncles, " he said. "They belonged -to the age of moated castles and Imprisoned maidens. My faith In the hated rival, even, is not what It used to be. The truth Is, friends. '"We have walked in a wilderness of sweets. Tracking Fancy's footsteps. And even as we've rambled on Among the tangledd roaming.' Many a startled thought Has tempted farther roaming.' "You see Sweet Wlllla-m found tho bridge resting. It was a well a sort Of, national holiday with bridges, and they were not doing any inspiring. Then he bethought him of the Day and the proper Place." "The confectioner's?" questioned Pandora. 'The florists." corrected the (Scrib bler. "The lively old saint was pre siding over Flora's domain that day, and so Sweet William at once turned his scant and precious dollars Into long-stemmed carnations, ptnk as the rosy flush of Aurora, and sweet ss the breath of 'Araby the blest. 'Into the box he tucked a wee bit note, and the answer Is well, the answer la waiting somewhere. If it Is a good one. shall you be clad to hear it?" and turning quickly to the door lie vanished- Those who were left gazed blankly lntc one another's eyes. It was Pan dora who asked, "And who Is Bar bara?" SOl.DIKU BAIjKS DEATH PIAT. It seemed to J. A. (none, a civil war veteran, of Kemp. Tax., that a plot ex-i-stsd between a desperate lang trouble and the grave to cause his doath. "I extracted a stubborn cold." he writes, "that developed a cough that stuck to me, tn spite of all remeerUas. for years. My weight ran down to Us pounds. Then I began to use Dr. King's New Discov ery, which restored my health complete ly. I now weight ITS pound." For severe Colds, obstinate Coughs, Hemorrhages. Asthma, and to prevent Poeumonla It's unrivaled. Stic, and tl. Trial bottle free. Guaranteed by all druggists. INDIGESTION? DYSPEPSIA? v YMSKEYM Fine Old Copper Distilled 4 FuD 8 Full Quirts, $5.00 Express Prepaid. Protnpt shipment, plain seacJcage. Writs for ecompletes price-list at all brand's. Cousins Supply Con M. I. HESS BERG & SON, Props Rklunood. Va. ) Pure Old Corn Whiskey Direct to You By 40rerKl Express" (Cmm rsiwreW Undtr th ' ' AiatfofMf Arrs rW Lmm) Tout full Quart, of the Ixest Cora Whikey jrou era lasted, in plain sesJcsd package guaranteed against breakage, for 1(3,00, or n jugs'at $2.50 per gaSod." : eSexxl tnooej' by Registered Let ter, Exprcsi or P. O. Money Otdex. ,T -f w4 i i i As 4 Si 2 par? V. X "W1 ? reel J. A. COUCH, ; Manager Shipping Dep't '. J. Am McDonough Co., 851-803 ECarySL KkWiTs. Write foe CompUta Frlee-IM. po IT NOiJf.
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 21, 1909, edition 1
20
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