An Independent Family Newspaper: For the Prothotlon of tHe Political, Social, Affricalturnl and Commercial Interests or the South.
VOL. 6.
LINCOLNTON, N. C., SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1879.
KO. 304.
She jBinfatn fwflMss.'
PUSLISHED by
DcLANE BROTHERS,
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iea than three months. No advertise
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Obituary Notices and Tributes of Res
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tices of a religious character, inserted
gratis, and solicited.
HOW GREAT IS CALOMEL, THE
GODDESS 'OF PHYSIC!
The following lines, written nearly a
cetltHFy'-ago, vhen calomel was the great
inddlcing 6f the physicians are coppied
from a phaih'phlet published about 1810.
They are peculiarly interesting now. w.
it. M.
Physicians of the' highest rank !
To pay their fees we need a bank,
Since Science, Wisdon, Art and Skill,
Seem all comprised in Calomel.
i
Since calomel's become their boast,
How many patients have they lost ;
Ho.v many thousands do they kill,
Or poison, with their Calomel ?
1 low-e'er their patients may complain,
Of head or heart, or nerve or .vein,
Of fevers hnrh, or parts that swell,
Their remedy is Calomel.
When Mr. A or B is sick,
Go fetch the Doctor, and le quick !
The Doctor comes of free goodwill
liat ne'er forgets his Calomel.
lie takes his patient by the hand, f
And compliments him as a friend ;
lie sits awhile his pulse to feel,
And then takes out his Calomel.
lie turns unto his patient's wife;
' Have you clean paper.ma'am, and knife?
I think yur husband would do well
To take a dose of Calomel."
lit" then deals out the fatal jrnuns ;
"I think these, ma'am, will ease his pains,
O u:e in three hours, at sound of bull,
Uive him a dose of Calomel."
lie leaves hi patient in her care,
And bids good-bye with graceful air;
J;i hopes bad humors to exjel,
She freely gives the Calomel.
The man reclines upon his bed.
"Ami o'er the pillow leans his head ;
lake hunted harts upon the hill,
lie pants and drills with Calomel.
His neighbors they flock in to see
The dire effects of Mercury ;
"What is it so effects the smell?
Tis the perfume of Calomel.
The man grows worse quite fast indeed,
' o call a council ! Hide with speed!"
The council comes like post of mail,
And trebles the dose of Calomel.
The man in death begins to groan ;
. The fatal job for him is done;
His soul is urged to Heaven or hell,
A sacrifice to Calomel.
Physicians of my former choice,
Receive my council, take advice ;
lie not offended though I tell
I'm not so fond of Calomel.
And when I must resign my breath,
Pray let me die a natural death,
And bid you all a long farewell
Without a dose of Calomel.
How Fiist Can a Hound Run I
This interrogation is frequently
heard, and always with varying an
swer. A practical demonstration of
speed of this species of quadruped
recently came to our notice, and being
-well authenticated by several gentle
men who were on the train we give
it as an illustration :
J. A. Ford, of ths city, owns a
heavily built mastiff hound. Business
one day called him to Ceresco, i "
village eight miles distant, T
dog accompaincd him. On b
he got abroad the train and
discover the absence of his f -the
train began moving, -,
stepped to the platform r
and there saw that the :
just started. The dog e
train, but as the speed of
constantly quickening,
t0 jump on board we .
Then the train began to
and the dag quickened hi
until within a mile or two x
kept up with the cars, whi
ng at the rate of eighteen J x
hour. He arrived a few '
after the cars, his feet sore ana
mg from contact with the split,
on the ties having, made the aistanV
4 eight miles in a half an bour, .
Uncagolnter- Ocean. I he;
ULRICA UMBRELLA.
The February twilight was closing,
dim and flecked with falling snow,
over the gray and wintry world. Not
tho gaslight, glimmering faintly
through tbo white veil, not the blaze
of the innumerable shop-windows,
could dissipate tho gathering gloom ;
and the wind, as- it rushed down the
narrow lanes, and held high carnival
in tho broad thoroughfares of the
wider street:, (Seemed, like a human
demon, to leave A sound of mocking
laughter behind it. , f
Mr. Jckyll had dismissed his artificial-flower
hands early this evening.
"No nse vrastin' gas and steam-
powetf for all you'U do to-night," said
he, sourly (Mr. Jelioram Jekyll
8omehoV seemed to consider the
wholo race of working-girls as his
natural enemies.) kBe euro you're
here in good season early to-morrow
morning, and do your best to make up
for lost time."
And thus it happened that Fleda
Fairfax, in her worn water-proof
cloak, patched boots, and poor little
oft-mended gloves, was making her
laborious way home through the
snow and wind, before the shimmer
ing gray of tho February dusk had
fairly settled into bleak, black night.
The wind was tanrlingherdark-brovn
curls all about her fresh face ; the
nipping cold had painted her cheeks
brighter than any rouge ; and the
shabby broWtt Veil, which did vciy
well for ordinary weather, was twisted
by the fantastic fingers of the blast
into a cable rope, which streamed be
hind, like a signal of distress. And as
she advanced toward the street-corner
a lighted horse car glided past.
'Oh, dear!" said little Fleda, under
her breath, "I wish I had five ccttts
to ride! For that mended place in
my unbrella has given way, and "
With the same instant, n furious
gust of wind rushed around the plate
glass angles of the drug store on the
corner, and turning the unfortunate
umbrella inside out, snapped its worn
sticks in twain, and sent it flvinsover,
the head of an astonished cartmai
who happened to bo driving past just
at that unpropiiious moment.
'-Oh, dear," cried Fiedu Fairfax,
dropping fcer dinner basket in her
consternation, "what shall I do now ?"
A tall, dark young man, in a sable
trimmed cloak, and a fur cap which
covered his handsome brows a la
Russe, came out from the drug store
just then,
Ho glanced first at the :flying ma
chine," which had by this lime landed
itself securely on the wooden awrning
of an opposite hardware establishment
then at poor Fleda.
"Is that your unbrella ?" said he.
And Fleda answered, "Yes'sir!" and
straightway began to cry pitcously.
"I wouldn't do that." said Uhic May
whose heart was as soft as that of a
woman ; and he'put his own umbrel
la into the little cold hand, which was
so insufficiently sheltered by the darn
ed thread gloves. "Here, take this !"
"But but it's yours!" said Fleda.
"No matter," Mr. May answered.
"I am quite enough bundled up in this
fur cloak, without any umbrella !" ;
And he vanished into the whirling
white darkness, before Fleda Fairfax
had sufficiently recovered her presence
of mind to thank him.
''It's silk," said Fleda, to herself,
"with a carved ivory handle an
eagle's head with an ivory chain in its
mouth ! And it must be worth at least
ten dollars ! And I was such a goose
that I never thought to ask him for
I his address, so that I might return i
to him. ' "
oo much snow the night before ; the j
worn waterproof cloak had played her
rail lungs false!
There Was no artificial-flower fac
ory for Fleda Fairfax that day.
She got np and dressed herself, and
made a cup of weak tea and a thin
slice of toast j and, just as she was sil
ting down to the; enjoyment of this
poof little breakfast, there came a
sharp "rat-tat tat " at" the door.
It was Miss Berengaria Todd, on
her tract-distributing rounds amoug
the poor. '
Every one in the district entertnin-
ed a wholesome dread of Miss Beren
garia Todd. Whole tenement-bouses
became dumb and silent before her -
children scrambled under beds, gar
rulous old crones retreated behind
wash-tubs, and dealers in small wares
drew down their shop-blinds, and pre-
ended to be not at home, when the
tap of her determined knuckles sound
ed at the doors.
"Oh !" said Miss Bcrcngaria, eyeing
Fleda through a pair of uncompromis
ing spectacles, "only Just up? Upon
my word ! the indolence of the Work
ing-classes is getting to be a growing
evil,"
"I'm not very well to-day,1' faltered
Fleda, "and"
"And tear said Mjss Bcrengaria
Todd, with a near-sighted duck of the
head toward the cracked cup. "And
toast! And talk of hard times, and
strike for higher wneal Young
woman, do you know that all this is
very sinlul t
Fleda sat pale apd palpitating.
"Have you -redd the tracts 1 left
V
when 1 called here last?" demanded
Miss Bcrengaria, suddenly changing
her base.
"N no, ma'iim," confessed Fleda.
"Xor knit any stockings for. the
Omanche Indians? nor mended the
flannel wrapper for tho 'Rheumatic
Old Gentlemen's Home?'' "ent on
Miss' Tad J.
"No,- ma'am1 sfiid FltJa.
"And don't you know that you arc
a drone in the human i.ivc, yountr
woman demanded Miss Bcrengnris
i . ii i - . i-ii
urnauuiiy raisin u uer voice to a snrin
treble. '
"But," pleaded poor Fleda, "I am
so tired bv the time I rct home from
work at night "
"Tired!" squealed Miss Bcrengaria.
"The working Christian should never
bo tired!" " , I
"And then there's all my own sew
ing and mending to do."
"Vanit and '.'vexation .'of spirit!"
groaned Miss Todd, rolling up the
whites of her eyes. j'.'And bless and
save us!" with a little spasmodic start,
"what do I see?j Not a umbrel
la! With a carved ivorv handle and a
Paris trade-murk on it ! I should like
i
to know, young woman how you
came by that silk umbrella?"
But Fleda Fairfax's patience was
fairly exhausted at last. She rose up
with calm dignity.
"Miss Todd," said she, "it is none of
your business. I I dare say you
mean to be very kind, but I regard
all this as unwarrantable interference.
Please to walk out !' and she opened
the door wide, j :
Miss Berengaria Todd retired, so to
speak, "in good order," secretly ; vow
ing vengeance on this audicious young
wbrking-girl ; and FJeda Fairfax sat
down, and drank her tea and nibbled
toast with a sense of vague exultation.
"Yes," said. Miss Todd, nodding her
head -like. a newly-imported Chinese
mandarin, "you j may not believer it,
Sibyl Walton, but I saw it myself
Ulrtc May's own silk umbrella, with
tho carved eagle's beak, and the pend
t chain, in ivory, in a working-girl's
om, in a tenement-house. She's one
old Jekyll's artificial-flower hands.
forget her name, or maybe I never
w it I've so many down on my
8 in that street." ;
- is she pretty?" said Sibyl
v.n, with a sinking heart.
Well yes," 1 reluctantly admitted
-Jjerengaria load j "1 suppose
wasn't with a con
'ric May wouldn't
wwaw w m -
-r .tft rrv nrnnntr thft
o j. fc -
shions of her boudoir.
neither," said Miss Todd,
ad seen, it - with my own
post certainly did !" -.
d 1 better do ?" sobbed
Xs one of those human
ivie who found it imperatively neccj-
sary to lean upon some one.
"Write a severe note r and discard
him at once," said Miss Berengaria,
sternly. ' '
"Bat t Uit blm.H
"Sibyl,'1 said the spinster, "wbere's
your woman's pride? Are you wil
ling to share vonr dominion with
every pretty factory -girl in town?"
. S Sibyl wrote the note, blotting
itsjfair text with many tears, and
told Mr. May that, "after much con
sideration, she had corae to the con
elusion that they never could be hap
py, together, and, therefore, she re
turned him the diamond engagement
ring, and remained ever bis , true-
friend,'' etc., etc., etc.
But, just as Sibyl was sealing the
letter with a splash of pale-blue wax,
uncle Theodore came in a blustering
bald-headed old gentleman, with a
comfortable double-chin, and kindly
dimple3 in bis cheeks
"Eh?" said uncle Theodore. "How?
what? Tears, little Sibyl? What's
tho matter? and what have you been
writing in that letter ?"
L"I am sending back Ulric's engage
ment ring I" faltered the yellow-tressed
little beauty.
Uncle Theodore whistled, low and
long.
"That's a pity, Isn't it?" said he.
"Fine young fellow, TJIric May very
Une."
"But be doesn't love me !" sighed
Sibyl, with a big lump rising into her
throat.
"Rich, well connected all that sort
of thing," added uncle Theodore.
"And what's more, he has a good
heart. It was only last night I saw
him in all the storm, give his umbrel
la to a poor little bit of a girl whose
nmbrella bad just turned itself inside
outj'and flown over the housetops like
a okzy bird. The ivory-headed one,
too that he bought in Paris! Never
once stayed to be thanked."
"What!" cried Sibyl, suddenly
jumping up, and putting the yellow
ringlets out of her etes4
And uncle Theodore repeated the
story.
"Ah, you dear, darling uncle, I'm
so glad you happened to come in just
now!" said the girl, laughing and cry
ing at once, as rtf squeezed and kiss
ed her venerable relative, after a most
distracting fashion. "Give me the
letter, Miss Todd the hateful, sus
picious treacherous letter ! Let me
tear it up ! Ulric is a noble hero of
chivalry, after all, and I will never,-
ncver doubt him again V
Miss Berengaria Todd went home,
highly disgusted with the soft nd
yielding nature of Womanhood in gen
eral ; arid Mr. Mpy was agreeably
surprised by the warmth of the wel
come ho got, when he called to see
his fiancee that d3r.
And little Fleda Fairfax Carries the
sillcumbrella yet, and treasures it for
the sake of the kindby giver, although
she docs not even know his name.
Wedding Presents.
From the New York Times.
Beform is necessary in the matter
of -giving wedding presents Two
phases of S funeral pagentry have
already received that intelligent at
tention which only a New York pub
lic can give. It was once the custom
in this citjT to hire an endless train of
carriages to attend the funeral of any
poor person who might have left am
bitious relatives. We have known
of one instance when the remains of a
child five years old were carried to
the grave followed by forty -eight
hackney coaches. A poor Irish
woman once spent $450 of the $600
which her husband left her to give
him "adacent burial." It was once
fashionable . to hire empty carriages
to swell a funeral train, as a mark of
respect to the dead. When this cus
tom fell into disuse among the wealth
ier classes, poorer people took it up,
and they beggared themselves to
honor the memory of the departed
and advertise their own ostentation.
Finally, it; came to pass r that when
people saw a long cortege of alleged
mourners passing through the streets,
they said, '.'This is an Irish funeral,"
just as they would say, "A little (Ger
man band," when ; the sound of the
plaintive cornet and the blare or the
trombone reached them from the next
square. , The" priests preached against
this wicked extravagance the news-
papers having Urst moved in tho mat-
ter by referring to "the long parade
and pageantry of death" in suitably
sarcastic terms
he no wer business at funerals was
next overdone when people began to J
retrench in tho matter of carriages,
A tew flowers on the bier illuminate
the darkness of the closing scene,
sweeten the heavy air, and suggest
pleasant thoughts in the midst of
gloom. Foolish people, however,
squandered their substance in elabor-J
ate "floral designs' more or lesa ugly,
and too often given in such profusion
as to destroy the beauty and simplici-
iuc eiicct wnicu iiowera prouuee i
I. - XV . . A I I
when judiciously used. So odious did
this tdshion finally become that peo-
pie who were called by bereavement
to make ready their friends for the
grave were obliged to add "no flowers
to the funeral notice, precisely as "no
cards" was put after a marriage no-
tice when card etiquette was moio
severe than now. In a maioritv -of
instances, friends are now requested
W V 1
not to send flowers to funerals. The
tender office of placing a last tribute
of affection on the bier is left, as it
should be, to the few nearest and
dearest friends of the dead.
In the matter of
givlng presents
generally, there has grown up a gross
abuse. The original intent and mean
ing of the gift have been destroyed.
Holiday presents too often are not
the lovino-ftfTerina-a which thAvshrinld
be. They are either given as bribes
or because they; are expected. Now
and then, somebody receives a gift
which brings the River so delightfully
to the mind of the receiver that it is
a real joy. Or some company of em
ployees present to their employer or
associate a token of their respect and
attection which is so genuine that it
needs neither apology nor explana
tion. Brit the whole business of giv
ing presents is so overdone that most
of our readers will sympathize with
that courageous Boston girl. who.
beinjr about to be married to "a man
of limited income, as they sav in
Boston, requested her dear friends not
to send any wedding presents. She
was afraid that she might not be able
to reciprocate in kind. This wise girl
of Boston Struck the key-note of the
h;rlolrt0ar.t Kn ,.rl,l
be expected to keen an inventory of
gifts received, ami a list of the donors,
and when any of these had a wedding
in their family, she must n-ive some-
thing at least nearly equal in value tc
f ' "
...,.L,. ...
ose which she had. in each instance.
Lth
received. We have heard of a young
' 1
lady who was endowed on her wed
ding day with fourteen silver butter-
knives Reserving two of these she
put the rest away "in lavender," and
when her turn came to contribute to
the general joy of her friends, she
fnil hfnil V rAtiirned tho t.wnlvp. hnt.tfcr
k. . , n .,. n
nives to the twelve families from
wbicb they came, in this case we
must suppose there was nothing said
about the loss of interest on the origi
nal investment. This incident sug
gests, also, the nuisance enduf'ed by
those who receive promiscuous gifts
from promiscuous friends, so that they
are embarrassed with duplication and
reduplication of articles which often
are, at best, mere. superfluities, loung
people, who begin life in a modest
boarding house, are sometimes loaded
down with table-ware and furnishings
fit for a small hotel.
There was a time when it was more
blessed to give than to receive. But
this cannot be the case with 3Irs.
Spriggins, who says to her spouse,
"Now, there's that tiresom Mary Ann
Bhfkins going to be married, and 1
suppose wo shall have to give her
somtth.ng, because she gave our Ara-
Delia Jane that confounded old sugar-
dish." How much sweetness and
light is there in . Mrs. Spriggins'
chromo after that? Nevertheless, we
cannot doubt that the Spriggins fami-
ly view with pride the array of wed-
ding gifts spread out on the piano in
the back parlor, what time the mater-
nal Blifkins falls on the neck of her
newly married Mary Ann, and bursts
into a flood of fond and foolish tears.
Possibly, too, we can understand why
the custom of giving wedding presents
survives under so many discourage-
ments, if we reflect that the paternal
Blifkins will send a carefully-prepared
list of Mary Ann's gifts to be publish-
ed in the newsDaDers. And what
female of spirit, we" shouki like to
know, can endure to see the humble
butter-knife which sho has given, out
of her poverty, or stinginess, placed
in contrast with the real lace shawl
presented by Mrs. Gunnvl-as ?
Often, in certain circles the wedfliiu'
gifts are ticketed and laid out as.at
fancy fair. The prond and happy
family send a catalogue to a friendly
reporter. And when this appears in
print, they are shrill in their dentin-
ciations of the impudence .with which
"the newspapers invade the privacy
of the domestic circle" Who t-hnlf
tell what heart-burnings jealousies and
meanness arc represented in the glit
. : . i. 1 I I I .. n rm
lenng array oi unuai gil : Hie
tenderness and grace, of the good old
custom have quite departed. Unless
things change for tho better, well-
bred people must print on their wed
ding invitation cards, "No presents."
A ery Aiuural Mistake.
A young man from one of the back
towns camo in to buy a present for his
1
irl last week. His wandering gazo
being fixed by tho gorgeous'' display
in a dry goods window, ho entered
the store and bashfully stopped in
lront ot a pretty young lady behind
the counter.
"How much are thoae?" he inquir-
ed, pointing at a pair of handsomely
ruckle plated garters in the window.
'Seventy-five cents,' replied the
y'unff laJy sweetly, handing out the
articles in question, and blushing
slightly.
1 think thc3' arn kinder pretty,
don't you ?' inquired the young man,
anxious for somebody's clso- opinion.
'Very,' replied tlie young Miss ;
'they arc tho latest-style.'
'Everybody wears them; don't
they ?' continued the young man.
'Almost everybody,' said the young
lad', affecting an unconcerned air.
'I was goin' to got them fur. a
tbat 1 know' Fail lho )'ounn man
somewhat nervously. 'Do you think
she would like them ?'
'I should think she might I don't
know,' returned the young . lady, "
blushing again.
'Well, I don't hardly know, myself,'
said the young man, picking iup one
of tho daintj- articles, and examining
il woscy
'xou uont suppose iucv are lOO
I 1 A- A I A. .
,arge now, do you?'
'Why I' stammered the young
aa7. U)C Uillsn growing ueeper.
1,ie' scem 80rter S cont.n-
. . ...
ueU ll,eyol,Dbf man"l observing ner
Confusion 'but of course 1 wouldn't bo
'
i .: ..;.i.ri;' i....
cerium. oue s iiiiuuim ei.v, uuu iiwu
very fat, and mebbo these would bo
a fittle too loose. I should think sh
was just about your bigness, anJ if
these would fit you, of course they'd
fit her. Now, iust suppose you try
them on, an' if-
'Sir!' exclaimed the young' lady be-
U1I1ULI1U WUII tCI , L I Jilt 111 ItU IIIU J lUHli
. . ' J
man s bttt on the end ot his hair, 'you
are insulting ;' and she swept away" to
the rear of tho store', leaving t he be
wildered young man standing in
dumb amazement, holding in., his
hands what he supposed was a beauti
ful pair of bracelets,
And when one of the men clerks-
came and explained his mistake, the
young man from the back town strruck
a direct line for his team, and in a
very brief space of time was tearing'
toward home at a rate that threaten
ed to irretrievably ruin the old family
horse. He won't buy any bracelets
now until he's married.
A class was being examined recently
in the sea-beaten town of Sussex. Tho
subject under discussion was the flood.
Among the first questions rmt was,
H0W did Noah understand that there
wa9 going to be a flood ?" . " Cause
ehouted an urchin, "be looked at his
almanac!"
A Frenchman, on being told that a
j young lady had given him the "mit-
ten," said, "Me no comprehend vat
you call him. Zo mitten is zo glovo
without ze fingaire she no geef mo
ze mitten ; but her faderho geef mo
an introduction to his shoemakairc.'
According to the Burlington Haich-
eye, a boy on West Hill started to
school on the opening day of tho term,
and before he was five blocks from
home, he lamed a dog, lost his gco-
grapby, scared a horse, broke hre
i slate, and had three fights; Times-
I are looking tip.