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VOL. XII.
lITTSP,m() CHATHAM CO., N. C, JANUARY U, 18W.
NO. ID.
I have friend, a dear one.
Her name lull why I confcw
You very rarely hoar on
More fascinating-guess!
Her merry voice is sweeter
Than any rillct's flow;
Her laugh hits more of metre
Than any song I know.
Her lovely eyes Hint lighten
When robins softly sing
Are like the skies that brighten
At lnwn In esrly spring.
Her iheekshis brain is duller
. Than dunce's who'll not own
They've all the pinky color
Of apple buds half blown.
You will agree it's pleasant
That such a one thouhl send .
Each year a charming present
To me, "her dearest friend."
And this yenr I've a presage
II makes ray pulses start
That with a tender message
She'll give to me her heart.
JIihH Clinton in llarttr' .V",7i-nn
"A NICE OLD WOMAN."
BV PI.ORF.NCK AI.I.EM.
"Oh dear!"
It ' a pretty littlo face which was
II puckered up into such a lot of wor
ried little wriuklo; pretty in spile of
the shadow of enro in tho fair blue
eyes, ami tin tired drop nt the corner
of the girlish mouth. Too owner of
the face and tho wrinkle) and the blue
eyes and tho mouth in unction, was n
slight, rather dolicato-looking giil of
about 18 who stood, attired in ft faded
calico dress, in the doorway of a small
wood-rolotcd co'lngo (or "cabin" in
tiny moio truthfully oil mic'i edifies
in the mountain!.) looking out at the
sunny idopo of the rond bef ro her.
Two fr.-sh-faced smiling giils of hr
own age hid ju-t gone by, stopping to
sny a pleasant word or two as they
passed; nnd tho sight of their pro'.ty,
though simple, lawn dresses and float,
ing libbons ha 1 brought, as they dc
parlcl, tho-e worriid wrinkle) to the
fi.co that should hnve been ns bright &
theirs, nnd the impatient exclamation
with which our story legins to hcr
generally uncomplaining lips.
As ft general thing I'iiro-.y Miller ( die
wns E iplir.)-yii ) by rights, through the
instrumentality of lo r father, who had
found tho mime in Ins somewhat lim t" I
reading, nnd hid delighted in its long
dinwn sweetness,) was a very thrcrfu'.
and coutenlcl girl in spito cf tie
trouble? nnd haul woik that had come
into her young life, so early; hut, just
at present, th 'io was something especial
upon her min i, mid that was the p Ic
ii ic.
It was to bo in just four weeks from
today, nnd all tho girl) were going; and
she, who had stayed at horn J so much
and so patiently for tho Inst, year, felt n
. though she rcn ly mint go, too. lint
how? Tout was tin question that brought
the worried little wiinklei to tho front
so ron'p ru usly. All ti e girl wcro
going to have new lawn dresses and
fresh ribbons for tho oce.nion, and "do
up' hi i f) no miiilin as best she could
(and s lio nni something wonderful in
(he In indicss line all her neighbors
said, ) it svi u'd not look any way but
old and fa led ; and her ribbons well,
her small stock thereof had been cleaned
nnd dyed and 'dono over" so often that
they were merely a travesty upon their
kind. Of rcurso a new dress and the
rcquisito adornments would cost very
little; but, as Plirnsy said, tenely but
truly, "If diamonds could bo bought
for a nickel npirci nnd ono didn't linvc
the nic'icl, whero would be the comfort
of it?'
Mono had been very tight in tho
Miller family eversinco Mr. Miller's long
illness, ending in his dea'h, had tit
tho little household under a load of
deb' which soimcd at lint, simply over
whelming. Hen Mi'der a wild and reckless young
fellow ho had b?cn whilo his father was
well and strong and able to care for the
mother and sistor had stead iod down
wonderfully and taken the burden of ex
istence on his shoulder) patiently nnd
manfully. Mi i. Mller and I'hrosy hail
economised in every way, even to tho
extent of taking Romo of the many wood
choppers about ns hoarders, nnd they had
worked enrly and Into and tewed nnd
denied themselves until the debt was
paid, nnd the fuluro began to lookatit
tle br'ghter. Then fate frowned on them
onro again. Mrs. Miller, n Inrge, heavy
x nd somewhat unwieldy woman, ingoing
down the back-steps ono day m ido a
T'ttlisslep nd fell, receiving nn injury to
'Icr s:do which ma Jo her utterly help-iyio'-
Since then I'hrosy hod found life
I .harder than rvcr. Additional drr'or's
JJiills piled In upon them; Mrs. Ml ler
i losterl of helping as bcfoio was now as
.w- halphiss as a bnby and so nervously iiri
tablo that keeping boarders longer was
n its pos.ihil.ty even had Phrosy liccn
w ' able to ds the wor's. So it wis that
every cent that camo inlo the family ha I
to be earned by lien; and so it was that
, .the, new lawa dress, so ardently desired,
;- sernied to be among (he iuitoasibilitio
"of eji'aoe, for JJ.-n'f wage, wtro small
at b"st and thirn were a'. lost a dozen
ways for every dollar.
And I'hrosy tin light altogether too
much of hcr patient nnd kind-hrnrtrd
brother, who denied himstlf so n;:c'i
to keep her and his invalid mother from
want, to add to his buidcns by telling
him her own trouble).
"If there was oDly something that 1
could do myrelf to earn a little money,"
she said to herself, "but there doesn't
seem to b?. Mother wouldn't hear to
my running tho machino steadily, even
if I could get sewing to do, an I thero
is nothing else. It's a hope'oss rase, 1
guess." And, sighing heavily, I'hrosy
turned to enter tno hou.o in answer to a
fretful call from within, but ns she did
so hcr ryos fell upon the clothe i -line in
the side-yard.
"In ono m nute, methrr," r-ho said
rhcorily. "I'll just bring Hen' shirts
in as I come by, they're oil ready to
raw-starch and I can iron them by tin
i upper lire."
II iw whi'o nnd clean and sweot they
were! As Phrosy gathered them into a
ft Illy awkward bund o in hcr nrnu she
could not help bending hcr hc.vl to in
halo the "sine. I of outdoors" (as the
called it) that cimo from them.
4 They fmell d fferent from Chinese
washing," she thought. "Tiicre's one
thing certain, poor ai wo aro ll:n'i
shirts arc always the nicost dono up i i
town," and then as that thought passed
through hcr mind it left in insp ration
behind it.
Iliatniedit after supper, whin Hon
was resting himself from his day's labor
by "puttering" around tho ch c'icn
hou o and back -yard generally, and
Mr. Miller was chatting with n ne g'.i
bur who had opportunely dropped in,
I'hrosy, pleading nn errand at tho store
slipped away from them nil and pro
tro led to put her inspiration to tho
test of practicality.
"It might ha a goo I idea," said
kindly Mrs. Jenk ni, to whom sho hnd
gone in her imorgenry," "but there's so
many o' them p'agmy Chinese around
that it brings price) down d res I fill,
nnd most f ilks don't caic how a thing
is done so it is dono cheap."
"Hut my things don't smell of
opium and nnstinois ns tho Cliiniiuvn's
di," aveired I'hroay stoutly, "there
mud be somo one who would rather
piy a littlo higher nnd have thing!
ii t p."
" Such folks is rcarccr than dia
monds in dust heaps," was tho senten
tious reply. "I wnu'd myself, of
course, but old Ma'am (ill man has
kind of got ft mortgago on im, nnd
though sho's failing dreadful nn 1 don't
send thingi homo fit to bo seen somo
weeks, I kinder can't go ba'-k on her
all nt once."
O." conno not," assented Phrosy
unhesitatingly, "that isn't what I want
nt n I. Hut see hen; you ask Joe to
inquire around up to Loron's mill mi l
I do believe he'll find something for
me. I don't caro to say a word to I5;n
or hu'd fly all to piceci nor you
needn't toll Joe whoit is that wants
the things just let him sny omu ono
who'll do them tho best they can be
done ond needs the money.' "
"All right," said Mrs. Jenkins, "I'll
keep it as still asm ce, wlnthor it turns
out well or not. You come by tomor
row night and I'll tell you the verdict."
And so, full of hopes and fenri and
foil I imagining!, I'hrosy wont homo.
Tho next night Mrs. J-nkins met hcr
wi h hcr I rond fnco beaming. "I've
got six for you," she said, delightedly,
"and six times two biti is a dollitrand
a half! you are in luck, I'.iro'-y ! 'Tain't
ono of tho mill hands either, but n
young follow that has bought out the
old It ad bury ranch. lie's been up to
tho city for tho last week nnd more ami
come home with about a carload of
dirty things its lecn that hot up there,
Joe says, that you can't keep nothing
decent two minu'es, and old M s. ISui
gnl that cooks up there don't know
beans about doing up, so tho grit
naturally como to your mill, and I'm
glad of it for ono."
"Ard I for two," amwered I'htosy
glii.'fully, ami then, with a light and
think ful heart sho took p sscssion of
her somewhat bulky bundle aud went
merrily homeward.
The noxt day six whito shirts fluttered
upon the Millers' clothes-line; tho next
day stiff nnd shiny aud olorousonly
of Heaven's pure bre7.'s they went to
their owner, nnd Joo brought bark to
hit mother in return ihi silver which
looked to Puros brighter and better
than silver ever looke I hefoic. llu
brought something els1, too, nn over
grown bun I lo of shirts which had evi
dently seen sorrow an I had not lived
tho lives that arlstociatic white shirts
oug'it to 1 vo.
Tliesc b.lrng to tho mill boys," he
explainel, ' they got ft tight at the
ntheis and nothing to do but they inn
sond the o down. Thf)'ro it pre t
bird lot," (menning the shirts nnd li
the mill boyt-) "i ut I gueis your ol
woman can get 'cm ck-an, mother."
And bis mother, chuckling little
sho thou ;ht of "her old woman" took
(he bundle an ) inloiiued her son that
naything of tho kind was welcome until
further orders.
Tint week, in tho neigh h rs' estima
tions, It -n M Hcr fairly blossomed with
shitts, for tin number of those useful
and ornamental garments that hung on
the Millers' lino was something abso
lu'ely un precede itcd.
"Thi.tcea shins for one poor work
ingmnn is tho worst I ever heard!" as
sevcratad tho woman n-xt door, whose
propinquity gnvo her, in hcr own esti
mation, a right to critic iso thi M Hers
with more frankness thnn "manners."
"I wouldn't slave my elf to death for
the sake of lien's vun.ty if 1 was his
S iter!"'
Hut 1'iirosy smiled fcrenely.
"I ilon't call U:;o over vain myself,''
sho answered, "and I'm suro 1 am not
slaving myvrlf to death or near it for
any one, ntnl as long ns I'm satisfied 1
don't sec wimt difference tho sir. of my
washings ought to mako to any one
else." And with this the officious
aid wou'd-bo inquisitive nc:ghbor wns
forced to retiro disci mlted.
I'hrosy went to tho picire under Mr.
.l. tikins' prolec' ing wing ( .no of Mrs.
Mdler's w hilom cronici consenting glad
ly to coma and spend tho day with her)
aud hc had on n fre-lt pink lawn and
ribbons to mitch nnd lnokod for nil the
world liko a poach- blossom.
Toe picnic wns near tho "old Ilrad
bury ranch" a id its new owner v lull,
suu-b.iriic 1, mi trr.'ul young fedlow
with a plain, sendblo face an 1 a pair of
eye) that siuine 1 to P.iroiy tho kindest
that sho had ever seen milo them wel
come to his home aid was as hospitable
as a tin i C'.ilifoini in always is; and
soin-j way P.irosy was shyly conscious,
after tho first, tint thoso kin I eyos
lookol a tiillj m re kin lly upon her
than they di 1 upon somo tf tho more
noticeable girls.
I'hrosy wns nlways ono of tho uicful
ones, an 1 when it fell to her lot to
oversee the nrrangement of tho lunch
her new ncipniiilanc;; very quietly dis
engage I hiin-elf from tho others ond
devoted himself to her nisistanee, and
Hen Miller, looking on frjiu a distance,
saw nnd uppiovud.
1 Phio.sy'it worth her weight in gol 1,"
he said to him, elf, "nn 1 Dillon is just
the kind of a fe low tint sho ought to
have. I'd givo four bits to hnvo it turn
out that way.''
That night Throsy r mo homo tired
hut radiant. J din Dillon hnd lmr
uessed up his two-hoiso team aud
brought part of tho picnickers down to
tho village himsolf, ' j is t to bo socia
blo," he ha I said; and ho hnd invited
her to sit besido hi in on tho front seat,
and he had, moreivcr, told Hen that ho
was coming down to play him a game
of checkers now and then when the
evenings got a littlo longer.
What wonder was it that tho world
seme 1 roie-uiloro 1 to I'hrosy? and
what wonder was it that when John
D.itlon not waiting for the evenings to
lengthen perceptibly mado his appear
ance in her homn nnd, after mnking
friend i with her mother, proceeded to
ibivotc himself cop'c'nlly to that lady's
daughter, tint sho thought herself the
happiest girl in tho world. Only ono
thing shndowed hor heart. Supposing
that In! should be angry when he found
out that (ho shirts, which still came,
through Mrs. Jmkins, to that mysteri
ous "old svi m iti" wcro hcr task, and
that ho was miking lovo to his wnshor
wonian? That fear made hcr almost
cowardly after sho began to feel that
hc was growing to care for this quiet,
innnly, young feilow n) sho hnd never
curl for any ono clso before; nnd al
though sho knew tint she must tell him
someday, sho put thnt d ly off ns long
ns po sible and grew, git 1- fashion, us
nervous and feverish an 1 miserable as
possible over hcr innocint littlo secret,
until ovcu hcr mother noticed thnt
I'hrosy was "fretting" as shocillod it,
and wondered thereat.
Ono day, J din Daltou brought mat
ters to ii focus by timply and seriously
asking Piiio3y if sho could mnlto up hcr
mind to como to h in. nnd let hiua tnke
care of her ai ho ha I longod to do ever
since he first met her.
"I think that I fell in lovo with you
nt first sig it," hn sii l, in hit straight
forward way, "an I i vor sinco then I
hnvo been hoping thnt you would lot
me make thin js easier for you some
day. I) i you care for mo enough to be
my wife, Piiro-y ? '
P. or I'hrosy! ihi bluihri and hesi
tated and th"n put out her hands like a
frightened child.
'I I nm n'rni I I do,'' sho faltered,
"but first I mint tell you nb,ut about
tho shirts! '
John Dnlton wai myst.t'ml, but ccr-
i tainly there was nothin iihout s!iirt
j ilint coul I ep.ii.i'o ih'm. IIu prisoned
; ill) pleadin ban 1 1 lovin ily an t smilo 1
' I wn into her bludiing facn. "vir
nt-id the shirts," he said, "B.t mti-t
:'t somo one else to do li s u, for the
!u ure; and, as for in", you'll never
hs-iiiy lr ublo about uiioe, for there
is n nieo old woman svh" dees mine up
like now you couldn't get the job
away from hcr if you wanted to, my
dear. "
Phrosy'a faco wr.s n night to sec now,
between laugh ng and crying, embar
rassment an I half-frightened amuse
ment. "Oh, Jihn Dillon!'' she said,
pushing him away very feebly, "you'll
never wint to mnny me now, f r it
isn't Urn's shirts I i n think l ; ' at
all it's yours; and I I nes-er muml to
deceive you nt all, hut I wa ited a n:w
dress so bidly, nt tint; and then, after -waid,
it was such an emy way to earn
a littlo, and i'. helped along so. Pieaio
don't be angry, nnd plc.isi ilon't Inn ;h,
but I'm tho 'nici o d worn in,' Jjhn,
and I am very sorry!''
Phrosy Mi ler is Mn. John Dillon
now, and is in hnp;iy ni possible in her
lovely home, when) her mother has
grown slrong and well, nnd whero Hen
hns nlways a room nn 1 placj of his own.
She doesn't "do up'' shirts nt all now,
for the babies claim hcr a tent ion; but
ns her huiband's linen ii always im
maculate, it ii to bo suppoicd that somo
other "nice oi l woman" hai h?en
found who ?;ive) satisfaction in that
line. 7'm 11 iif e.n.
fun Flli Smell and Taste I
Vision nnd hem in; in Cull being tho
senses in ist imp r ant to the nnglcr in
his water sport", thoso next in value
are smo'l nnd tnite. Tho possesion of
i In o by liili 'corns to be n dispu'ud
poi it. They hnvj evidently ta. to in a
mid.flod degree, ns tiny will rejct tin
artili' ial luro if the luili cf the hik
is not immediate y inibcddcl in their
flesh; hu!, on tin other hand, they
will tnke n leather nr ru'.ib ir im tntion
of tho natural bait with ns mne'i gusto
as a livi minnow or hug honco tho
question in a see-saw oiu.
I'Ysh, no doubt, in common with
otln r niiim il, h.nwtlnin tinct of dan
ger developed almost to tho quality of
rcn -on; and it ii no bar to the truth of
this to nrguo that, because ft
fish will Ink) the bait with ii half ilZ'n
broken honks in its mouth, it follows
a brutish appetite that is blind to dan
ger; for, look y u, bo yo an angler or a
butcher, that stonch of yours i. death
to you every day of your life; that
smoking dish, bo it ard herring or
canv.vh.ick duck, i causing you to
mako i npid strides gravewnrd, and you
know it; an I yet you gorge ymrsolf
every day upon your fnvirite didi.
It ill becoim snm in to aiguo thnt,
bernusc nn annual cannot control its
appetite, it has not the lordly gift of
reason. To sum up :
( in n fUh taste? (,' m tninly ho spit)
out h s urtiticial biit.
Can n fish smell? Ave, there's tho
rub; yet why t'10 anointed lures so
ptized by old unglers nnd nrmy m od uli
ones?
Thii fact, howcvir, is sure; fish nr
susceptible to anger and j-alousy; for
wo have seen them tight, and wo all
know how tier- liko in c mhnt snltnoii
and trout nro on their spin ning bcls.
JVew York y.iei.
Spcelncl s.
Ppect iclc wearers, especin'ly elderly
people, frequently im gino thatsprc'ft
clcs with large glasses are preferable to
those with smaller glasses. There is
but one advantage in ii'ing large glasses,
which is, when tho .ipcrtnc'o framo
doe not fit the fnco so that the centro
of tho lenses do not come opposite t
the pupil of tho eyes. Three quarters
0f ono inch is plenty Inrgo enough if
tho lenses nro set in a framo thnt
enmes their centres to come opposite
to tho pupil for tha following reason :
In tho first plnce, tho glnssci bring
small, they can he much thinner, n
very decided ndvantiigi ; secondly, only
about one-quarter of an inch of ghisi
enn bo used, bemuse we cannot sredis
tinctly through a g'ns, except we look
stioight thriugh, nnd not oldiqirly,
hence all spectacles nnd eyeglasses
should be worn nt tho same nnglo thnt
we goncrnlly hold tho print or the pnpci
which we nrc reading or wiiting upon;
thirdly, n great many ray) of light pass
from behind over our tln ulder, fall on
the glass, and ate reflected in tho eye,
without having passed through tho
glass.
Thr Boys Are Attached
Tiio Liwrcuco cliurchoi have n systoTi
of interchangeable girls. When one
church gives au entertainment csch of
the other churches lo ids a girl or so to
help tho festivities along. This seriircn
the floa'.ing Irndo of a, dozen or so young
men who are attached to no church but
who are attar'ieil to the girls. Lite
rwie) (A"ii.) Joiif-nul.
He Saved Himself In Time.
Ella I know I nm uily but I lov.i
you, Erastu. 1 have 20, 000 a year.
Will you mnrry mn?
Kia'tus Yes, dnrling, I'd msrry yoc
if you were tw ce as ugly as you thipV
you are, my beautiful birdie.
(HII.IUtF.NS (OLIMN.
rnsni.F.va pet HijcmBKt,.
Ono day when Chail-y wns) walking
n tho woods near h s home he found a
ittlu gray iq ilrrel lying on tho ground
t the foot of a pi no tree. It was such
.baby Hpiirrel thnt he felt sura it hnd
trnyed away from its home in sonic
.ollow tree and lost its way back,
llmr lie's fust thou lit was to hunt for
he tree and find the nost and give tho
aby brck to its mot her, but i ho looked
in he saw a great blnc'c cl m l in tho sky
nd felt a few spattors of rain on hi1
see, so his secon I thought wis to carry
lis foundling homo.
Ho tucked tho littlo furry thing un
Inr his jacket and ran homo to lib
a'dlier. As lie held the little denture
gainst his heart nnd kept it warm
hero ho began to love it, and wdien In
; it home he atke I hii mother if In
night keep it nnd tnko rare of it nn 1
lave it for his own pet. lis mot hi!
lonsented, and told him sin hope I h'.
roul I nlwnys bo good to the little
irphnn fquirrel and never forget to
; vo it fool nnd drink and tender care.
Then she hunted up n basket mi 1 a
ioft old blan'tet that me I to bo
sinpped nr.i'.in I C'inrley himself when
ic was a baby, nnd she lai 1 tho blanket
n tho basket, so ns to mako nnici
urorm nc-t, nnd then she put the bnby
quirrcl into it.
Charley nnm-d him Dick, an I thou
is he hml a mini i an I a nest, the next
hing was to tin I him soni" suppor.
It wn9 plain thnt Dick coul 1 nt eat
ill's, for he was a In by mil halno
:reth; p-rhnpi he would lap milk I ke f
itten. Chailey bimi ;ht to no warm
nilk in a snue.r nn I put Dek'sno-e
nto it, but that on'y nude him sneer.o.
'hurley begin to look serum", nnd h s
mother thought ful, but sho smiled a
iho spoke:
"When babios lo"e the'r mitlnri
;hey hnvo to tnko their nvlk fr"m r
jottle; let us re : if Hiby 1) . k will d
dint. Here, Chnrler, t ike this money
ind goto tho il.mg storo nnd buy o
aursing 1 otll"."
(Ihnrloy inn down stieet ns fnst as h
fould, nnd noon .enme back out oi
i reath with tho nursing bottle m his
Inn I.
His mother pound the warm milk
into it, and put the soft lubber topinti
Dick's mouth, nnd v. hat do you think)
lie sucked nwny just like a little human
baby, and I don't believe he ever missel
his own bunny mother ngnin. Charley
was so pleased thnt he danced n'oun.'
the room for joy.
At Fiist Dick didn't like the feel in))
of tin bottle ngninst his fur, so Charley 'i
mother civeied it with soft flannel, mil
then D'c't was satisfiel. 1 In woule
always put. his bnby pnws around it a n
hold it close lo him at he sucked nway
nt bis breakfast or supper.
It was such ii funny thing for a baby
squirrel to uso a musing bottlo, that
people who heard of it rami from all
directions to see the sight, nnd I) c!i
was quite the wonder of the village.
I am ghid to sny thnt Chnrlcy wn
very faithful to his little pet; be iive
failed to hnve the milk warm mid tin
bottle clean nn 1 rendy, -and D ok nevi:
went hungry. I wish nil tin bal'o in
the world coul I havj as good caro a'
Hnby D ck had. He soon grew so font
; of Charley thnt he would not take la it
bottlo from nnybolyelio, and ho wouk
run ail over tho homo after his li tlj
master.
In a littlo while I) ck grow intf
n very handsomo squirrol; his fur
wns silver grny and veiy thick ant"
glossy, his eyes were ns bright a;
stars and his tail wis s br a 1 and
bushy tint when ho sat d hvii mid it
spread over him l:ko nn umbrella it
covered h;m nil up.
Hy and by his teeth rami and the?
he began to cat nuts. It w is great fun
to sec Dick sit u.ion his hin 1 legi sv'tl
his great feathery tail wavia over
him, picking up nuts with his littl
pans nnd enting them so neatly. Every
boly in tho hone petted the litlta
rogue, nnd ho led n very linpp: life.
Chnrlcy ' gi nndmothcr used ,lef fit .'
tho window knitt ng nlnnt a'.J day.
and Dick had ft trick Iif jumping int'
her bp. One dny as he was lying oi
her lap he smelic I a nut in her p cket
so he found his way in nnd ate tho nu
and made a little visit thero. Afte
that grandmother took caroto hnvj :
few nuts in her pocket cveryj i iv. ane
roguey Dick found thnt out and made
real nc9t in griiiidniotln r's pocket.
I He used to run in nn I slay there I
j long time and koep as still ns n m uso
; Indeed Dick was very fond of pockets
j After awhile he got tired of si so ping h
nis nasKer, ann iook a iauc 10 nn
pockot of papa' overcoat. Every nigh
wdien ho was ready to go to bed ha rat
t n the hat treo in the entry and climber
into his pocket nost, and slept them til
morning. That was the nearest, h
cculd come to sleeping in ft trc.
The man who objects to being dunne
j rather ljkes being fouu I ou'.
USEFUL CROWS.
Utilized in Omaha as Scavengers
and Weather Prophets.
Recognition of Their Services
by tho Authorities.
An articlo has been going the round)
nf the press regarding the great srav
;ngors of O.nahn tho crows. Tho ar
liclc is coirect, but it does not tell one
linlf of tho peculiarities of tho situa
tion. Tho home of tho crjwj, or to
put it mire corroctly, their roost, is on
"the island," a sandbar of somo thirty
or forty acres located about one mile
nrr.h of the city, ll is cut off from
Iho river by n rhnngi in the channel,
ind although on the webt sidu of tho
river, it lici within tin Iowa boundary.
This island is covero 1 with a thick un
dergrowth nnd hf willow nnd wntcr
birch trees of scveial years' growth.
Hero thn crows have been cmgregnting
for a nunilur of years pnst, D.i iug tho
(laytiino thero me but few to bo seen
ibout the island, except n scattering con
tingent seemingly left behind lo net ns
sentinels. Hut from sundown to siimiic
thero aro thousnn Is upon thon-nn.is of
thm on the island, nnd until theshad-s
of night finally chsi the commotion
ab u tho plnco is rxco-dingly gte.n'.
As soon ns daylight appears tho noise
begins again, each particular crow seem
ing to clamir his very loudest as if with
tho object of reducing his neighbor to
nlcnce. Then ns the sun tiprous his
lien.l over (lin lnwt blntTi the roost
breaks up into r.inall pnrties of about ft j
su(.re, which stnrt off in nil ilirectiona
to forage. Stnvsof the crows spent
tho dny in thn bni k yards and idleys of
tho city nnd even in tho sir'ets of tho
quieter parts and mako nw.iy with nil
kind.) of cdiblo r -fiuc. In fact, they
nra tho mo;t careful scavenger) tho city
has, nnd the local authorities have rec
ognised their service in this paitliulnr
by placing on tho stat ntr -bonks a law
making sacie 1 tho life of the crows and
upholding their caw" in lulternswcU
as in spirit.
Oilieis f thn crows visit S.uth
Omaha with the sunn intent. Tho
packing hone there, however, turnout
litllu refine, as pietty nearly eveiylhing
excepting the horm of th-! steer and tho
s q it nl of tho pig n utilized on the spot.
Other pnrties of birds invad the sur
rounding country for milei around, to
come buck again nt night to their favor
ite irosting place.
Jin Mill, an old charne'er whi live)
in a small house on the northern part of
the island, hns found a new u-o for tho
rrows. A long mill persistent stu ly of
their hnbits and instinct hai convinced
him that the crow is the most compe
tent nnd reliable weather prophet in ex
istenc. Mill told the writer a short
time ago that ho could tell what tin
weather wns going to bo twenty-four or
forty eight hours nhead ns easily ns
tin uli he had tho full Signal pcrvice
report". In fact, he says ho has surer
information man tno Mgn.nl n.-rvivu
nun, for they frequently err, whilo
hi) crows novor fail to tell tho
liu'h. "Why," sal 1 he, "cvory timo
we hnvo a cold cast storm you will
tec thoio crows ri-c up in a b-uly nnd
tnko thcmsclvoi over the hill yonder
into the sheltered I'apio valley, nnd
they will rmiain there until tho back
bono of the storm is broken nnd then
como back, telling me thnt clearing
weather is at hand. If there is a cold
sleet or snow storm coming f'oin tho
i west or northwest, they will move across
'he river and tnke up quarter.) on tho
east sido of the Iowa bluffs. The other
day, before wo had the frost, I noticed
the crows fluttering nround in a peculiar
manner, nnd just before sunset they
moved over to tin swamp along Cul-oll
lake. 1 nt once knew thnt there wis
going to bo coldtr weather, nnd thnt
tho crows were seeking a warmer placa
near tho water. They hnve plenty of
other wnys of telling mo whnt to expect
in tha way of weather, nnd really 1
hnve got so used to them thnt I would
be lost if they were to move their quar
ters." The o'd man is likely, however, to
ioso his pets, as the island, which has
never been built up, because of thn fear
that the Missouri river might some dny
take a notion to return to its old chan
nel, is soon to be occupied by railroad
yards. AT. J". Tribunn.
Ketplnif t'p With the Supply.
Freddie E. aged five, contracted tho
habit of eating his food very rapidly.
Repeated scoldings fniled to correct the
habit. K.nally his mother one day an
grily said i
"Kieddic, what makes you eat so
fasti''
With a mouthful of food, nnd with
out stopping for an instant in his mas
tic dory operations, tho youngster mum
ble!: "'Time I want to oo what's turning
next." DttrU Trilm.
Old Songs.
Over and over again,
In every time and tongue,
In every style and strain
Have the world's old songs been suns;
Since the. sigh from the soul was stirred,
Since tne heart of a man was broken,
Have the notes of despair been heard
And the rythm of pain becnsixikcu.
The khi-c that you sing today,
Sweet on the printed pages,
Whs sung in the far away,
In the youth of the worn-out ages;
The charm of your love-born tune.
The gems that your lines uncover.
Were set in some savage tune
fly the heart of some pagan lover.
The fancies that till your rhymes,
The visions that haunt your lays,
Are the Mieetres of olden time
And the ghosts of forgotten daja;
Ye phiyi rs on notes of woe,
Ye dreamers of love and sorrow.
They sang in the years Bgo
The songs you will sing t j-morrow.
Hut whnt if the rhymes arc new,
And what if the thoughts are old,
If the touch of the chord be true
And the flight of the singer bold!
I.et them come to us still again,
To-morrow nnd yet hereafter,
Kresh as a morning's rain,
Old as the sub mid the laughter.
HI MOHOl S.
A flourishing man The profossor of
penmanship.
"Are those your paternal estates!"
"Mn, they are my aunt hills."
Why not rn'l a balloon a tramp? It
has no visiblo means of support.
First Cucumber I'm in bad shape.
Second Cucumber You do look seedy.
Tho eaele is denr to tho American
heart, but the double cn ;lo is twice as
ie.nr.
The monkey goes to tho sunny side of
the trco when he wants a warmer
climb.
Fust Aspen Lnnf What' a tho mutter?
S cond Apen Inf Oil, I'm all of a
tremble.
Old Lady flo clerk in general store)
Young man, I want somo powder.
Cleik Yes, 'in, boy or gill?
The sentence "Ten dollars or thirty
days'' is another proof of tho truth of
thn ad in that lium is money.
Tho l'h'losopher nt tho Honrding
liouc "Mrs. Hrown, am I so very
Inrgo today, o'- is it tin slice of bread
th it is so sm ill ; '
Wekniw men who ins'st at every
point up iii b' liting their way through
life, but wo obsnvo that they all draw
tho line nt a en' pot.
Stanley has taugiit tin Africanssome
thing nbout exploration, but In has not
taught them how to spell. Tho names
ofsimo of thn places he bai visitod
would break a H issian's jnv.
linn the Trout Was Cmirlit,
Otis tio Idnrd of i: ist IM!, wiilke. I
into H'nkesley, Penn., the other day
to hnvo his oxen shod. Whilo wait
ing in the b'ncksm'th shop, tin brawny
young back w oodsman told this fish
story, declaring tha' Jack Iliyner,
who was with him when ho caught
the trout, would swear to cvory word
of his statement. For months Ood
dsid had triod to hind a wily o'.d
trout thnt lurkcl in on3 of the deep
pools in Tobyhnnna Creek. IIo had
nugled, he said, with flies, grasshop
pers, worms, minnows aud other kinds
of bait, but he could u't got tho big
trout to notice any of them. Ho had
seen tho cunning rpccklcd fellow time
and again and he wanted him ever so
much. O io day in July he caught a
little deer mouse iu tho pasture, and
he stuck his hook thr ugh tho loose
skin on tho mouse's neclt and threw
it into tho pool. It wai a lively
swimmor, but it hadn't swam six feet
beforo tho trout gob'ilcd it with s
dash that sent hi) snm' out of thf
wntcr. That win nn linfortunntn move
for tho trout, becnuso w thin tiv. sec
onds (ioddnrd had h m ft ppiug on
dry laod, with his hnt over tho fight
ing beauty. Tho trout weighed two
pounds and fourteen ounces, Goddard
declaied.
The TriiimpliH of Surgery.
A remnikablo intnnco of surgicsl
progress which occurred in the practice
of Prof, - von Uergmann of Lieilin th(
other day is roportcd. Tho Profcsor
had two pntionts who wcro simultane
ously brought to him for operations,
one requiring amputation of tho thigb
at the hip joint, the other needing s
portion of the humerm removed on ac
count of the bore Icing extensively
diseased. Tho tint operation to be
dono was the amputation, nnd ininio
diate'y afterwards tho Pigeon pro
ceeded to excise tho diseased portion of
tho humerus. The result of this latter
procrduro was necessarily to make I
gap in the bone, but a picco of the
thigh bone was taken from the limb
which had just been amputated and
fixod in the gap, by which the con
tinuity of the humirus was completely
rT.torcd. Perfect union took place,
and the patient recovered with useful
arm. Pull Mult QavU,