CHARLOTTE MESSENG
VOL. I. NO. 36.
TODAY.
4 Oh. heart, tired out with pain to'day,
A thoumnd years to come
V>y pain will all have passed aw nj,
Thy crying shall be dumb:
A* g *yly bird-wings o’er the river
Shall gleam with life that once was thine,
As if this pulse, with pain a-quirer,
Still leaped, with gladness half-divine:
To thee, to all, it is as one
When once thy restless years are done.”
Oh, vain to turn npon your heart
And think to still it so!
It cries oack onto all yonr art.
With pleading, “ Ah, no, no!
tor gladness dies as well as sorrow;
Then let me live, since I must die.
Ah, quick, for death will come to-morrow—
Quick, ere my years in vain go by 1
Because to-morrow I am clay,
Give me my happiness to-day !**
—Miiicent Washburn Shinn , in the Century*
DAISY.
A clear and ringing whistle rose and
fell and ruse again, a pleasant sound to
hear, upon the evening air; bat the
girl who stood knee-deep ia clover be
side the meadow fence looked som
berly down as the joyous notes struck
upon her ear.
“ Poor fellow ! dear fellow !” she
said to herself. *“ It is so hard to go
against him when he is as light
hearted as that.”
A moment more and Ralph Arm
strong. her lover, vaulted lightly over
the intervening liars and stood beside
her.
Straight, sturdy, brown, something
of the contrast between himself, with
his superabundant life, and the wee
woman waiting there, seemed to strike
him.
“ Why, my little Daisy,” be said, with
a playful touch turning up her chin
until he could look into the soft eyes,
that straightway filled with tears.
“ Why, l)a sv !" he repeated, in an al
tered, vexed voice, “ I thought when I
saw you out here that you were glad to
have me come. Never mind; you will
lie when I tell you the news. I
have paid off the last installment on
the farm, and there’s to be an end of
your drudgingyour life away. No more
cooking for lodgers, or sitting up half
the night to look out for Hick. Is he
up to his old tricks again? Is that
what has taken the color all out of
your face?”
“He was away all night,” said Daisy,
in a low voice. “He never got borne
until noon to-day. He is asleep, and,
oh, Ralph ! 1 ain afraid to have him
wake. It is so much worse now that
Miss Winter is here.
“ Didn’t 1 tell you how that would
be?’’ reminded Ralph, not very kindly.
“ Hut, luckily, it don’t matter; you can
get rid of her as soon as you please,
and we will have the wedding—when?
1 won’t be put off very long, my dear.”
Daisy turned her lace away to the
gathering dusk.
" Oh, Ralph 1” she cried, piteously.
“ Be contented to wait.”
“To wait! What for? For Rick
to drink himself to death? Foryouto
grow old before your time with the
hard work of taking care of yourself
and hirn? Daisy, once and for all,
you’ll have to choose between yyur sot
of a brother and me. If you are bound
to put him first, now and forever—”
Thu unfinished threat fell upon
other ears besides those it was intended
to reach. A dogcart rolled almost
noiselessly [iast on the thick green turf
of the lane upon which the meadow
bars gave, and Dr. Lloyd, lifting his
hat to Daisy, shot a keen glance at the
young fellow standing sulkily at her
side, lie was gone in a moment, but
somehow Ralph Armstrong experi
enced a feeling of shame which kept
him for the time from pressing what
he had tieen about to urge. He turned
and walked toward the house with
Daisy.
It was a shaekly, tumble-down cot
tage, with mom and lichen breaking
out in patchesover the decayed weath
er hoarding, and a creaking porch
from which the rustic benches had
long ago rotted away. The picturesque
aspect of the old place had taken Miss
Winter's fancy, and so llttla, fair-faced
Daisy had found the weekly addition
to the sum which she earned with her
dressmaking was all that now weat
into her slia. by purse.
There was a rnuflbd *Ty of “Daisy!
Daisy!” as those two approached to
gether; thenceonee, twice, the report
<ifa pistol, together with the sound
of shattered glass, was boru. to their
ears.
“ It’s Kick,” cried ’ViUy, breathless
ly; “I looked tor h.— in his roi.u.
CHARLOTTE, MECKLENBURG CO., N. C., MARCH 10, 1883.
Do go and talk to Hi» Vinter. Ralph
till I get him quiet again.**
She was off as she spoke. Miss
Winter had come to the door, half in
alarm, and looked inquiringly at
Ralph as he approached.
“Do you think he is doing anything
reckless?” she asked.
“Nothing worse than smashing a
window or two; it's his favorite way
of calling his sister. Pity he cant put
his balls to better use.**
“I wonder that you leave her to he
the victim of his whims,” said the lady,
with a straight look at him. *
“1 ?” said Ralph, with a shrug of
his broad shoulders.
Perhaps be did not mean to disclaim
such an intention uu his part, hut it
looked like it. How could he tadl Miss
Winter that the only mason he had not
taken Daisy away months before was
because Hi it had out weighed her likiag
for him? It was a sore subject with
Ralph at the best, not one be would
choose to parade to the world at
large.
Two hours afterthat Daisy stole out
into the moonlight, utterly wearied
with the scene through which she had
passed. All her efforts had been
fruitless to entice Kick lack to his
bed. He sat on a bench in the kitchen,
limp and stupid afterthat fit of vio
lence, and Daisy stole out, as I have
said, to breathe the heavy sweetness of
dying roses, and brush' their dewy
leaves with her face. The shadows
lay thickly upon the porch, but there
was a stir there, and Miss Winter's
voice said softlv:
“ Good-night f”
“Good-night,” returned Ralph. - I'll
show you to-morrow where the maid
eu-hair fern grows,**
He came whistling down the path to
find Daisy standing by the gate.
“ Welt little one, have you made up
your mind which one of us you'll
taker’
“ Ralph, you know that I can't leave
Rick.”
“It’s he or 1.“ said Ralph, stub
bornly.
“lie has no one else.” pleaded
Daisy.
“ Have I ? There's no use arguing,
it’s got to be one thing or the other.
I want a wife in my home, and if you
won’t have me maybe there are others
that will. Sweetheart, say that you
(are too much for -me to send me
away.”
“ Oh, Ralph, you must wait.”
Ralph muttered an unpleasant word,
and fiung away without a gowhulght
An unsteady step came down the
path.
“Looking for me. RkkF* Daisy
tried to speak cheerfully.
“ No; get away!” Rick spoke wildly.
“ You've been out with Ralph; you'll
go off with him next. You're tired of
me, and I can’t do better than to make
an end of myself. I'm going the straight
road.”
Daisy threw herself before the gate;
she clung to him. pleaded With him.
Half erased as he was. Riek was in no
condition to go back to the village inn
and the rough crowd which would he
gathered there at that hour. Rut all
of a drunken man's obstinacy wa<
aroused, and while they stood thus
there came again the roll of wheels
that were checked suddenly, and Dr.
Lloyd sprang down as he took in that
scene at a glance.
“Go into the house. Richard,” he
commanded, ami Rick, without a word,
obeyed. “I’ll give him a powder,”
said the doctor to Daisy. "t ou must
sleep yourself to-night.” He stood
talking with her after he had seen
Rick safely in hia room. -So he has
had the pistol again. Well. I don't
think that need alarm you; Kick isn't
one to do himself any harm. He has
been sty enough to hide it again, or 1
would take pumeasion of it. He is
never violent toward yowF*
“ Oh, no, never.”
“Not quite brute enough for that,”
muttered the doctor, an he took his
leuve, and Daisy slept peacefully alter
*
She did not renlly believe that Ralph
meant what he said, but he seemed de
termined after that to visit his dis
pleasure upon her. Mm Winter came
back from bar walk next day with her
hands fun e< ferns.
•• So Mr. Armstrong isn’t your m
gaged lover after aUF* she re
marked to Daisy. “ I would have been
flirting with him befutethia if I hadn't
supposed he belonged to you.”
“ Flirting! Oh. Miss Winter T*
“ lie isn't a bad hand at the pud me
himself,” remarked Mt*» Winter,coolly.
She understood the situation much let
ter than she pretsadeiLand died Ralph
none the less became he a- -tie d on the
point of deserting Us little white
Daisy fur her.
Rick had avoided the lodger from
the first It was a revelation to Daisy
when she came upon him one day hold
tan crushed flower which Miss Winter
had worn. He had not been near the vil-.
lage for days. Languid and spiritless
he had crept about the house or lain
ia the long grass with a look on his
far* which went to his sister’s heart
She understood it now as she saw him
lift the fsllen flower and just touch it
with his lips.
“I have been mad enough for that,
Daisy—to fall In love with her. And
if I had not thrown away my own
manhood I need not now be in despair.
That is the bitterest thought of all,”
" It is not too late to be true to your
self yet Hick.”
She had a little hope that this new
feeling might work some good in him,
l>ut before the week was over he had
broken bounds again, as if determined
I to bury regret in oblivion.
Meanwhile the time came for Miss
| Winter to return to the city, and she
| sent for Ralph, who had promised to
; drive her to the station. He came
with his light carriage and mettled
! horse, looking neither sorry nor cast
down, Daisy observed with a throb of
the heart.
“He isn’t false, then; he’ll come
back to me again when she is gone.”
Rick had been at the village. He
was on his way home when, at some
distance away, he saw the carriage
standing at the parsonage gate.
Ralph and Miss Winter were just
taking their places in it, the minister
stood on the steps, and the curious
face of a servant looked down from a
garret window. As Ralph settled
down ia his seat his glance fell upon
that shambling figure by the roadside,
and he gave a vicious cut with his
whip. The spirited horse started with
a plunge, a buckle snapped, and then
the next instant his driver had lost all
control over him.
Rick had taken in the scene which
his eyes rested on, and a sudden still
ness went over him.
-They’ve been getting married!’’ he
said to himself, aghast,. “ Been get
ting married, and he has cheated
Daisy. But lie shan’t get away so
easy as that.”
His brain was clouded with liquor;
some blind impulse of cage and re
venge moved him, and his lingers
Hasped and brought out the weapon
which he sometimes carried. They
were close upon him now; he liftedhis
hand and fired—at the horse, there is
every re ason to believe, for there was
a dangerous emliankmcnt near, toward
which the runaway was heading. But
he missed his mars and the next in
stant the steels!iod hoofs were tramp
ling him down.
A little further on and the carriage
was wrecked. Ralph Armstrong was
[ticked up bruised and senseless; his
uewly-made bride was dead, a bullet
in her heart, and further back was a
bleeding, pulpy mass beaten down in
the dust, that groaned when’ they
touched it, but was beyond human
aid.
The horror of that time was a year
old when Ralph opened the rackety
gate and made his way again to the
old house. Daisy was sitting in the
porch, all in white, as he remembered
her so well. Then lie was holding
her band and looking into her startled
eyes.
' - My little white Daisy,” broke over
his Ups. “ I never really loved any
one 1 u* you, and 1 have come back to
ask you to be my wife, after all.”
“Oh. Ralph, don’t you know?”
“ Know what?” he asked.
“ That lam Ilr. Lloyd’s wife. I
was married a week ago.”
“ And—are you happy?”
lie wanted her to say no; he thought
his own misery would be easier to bear
if he knew she shared it. There was
a sound of wheels nearing the gate.
Site turned her face that way; a beau
tiful flush tinged it, and that look
answered him without the low-spoken
words:
“lam very happy”
A tMelea Throne.
Monarch! have stolen thrones, but
we never knew of a throne being
stolen from a ruler until the gable
reported that Kirg.Tohn.of Abyssinia,
had lost his liy tha t —not metaphori
cally. but literally. He recently
ordered this article of furniture to be
manufactured for himself in Aden, at
a not of #25,000, and directed it to be
sent to Adua by caravan. A band of
desert roldiers, who make the neighbor
hood of Aden their field of depredation,
attacked the caravan, the guards dis
persed. and the throne, together with
a large quantity of other valuable propj
rrty.was sailed and carried off.
Thrilling Fight If Ith a Lioness.
Peter Marvin, an animal trainer on
ployed at the winter quarters of a cir
cus in Philadelphia, recently had a
desperate encounter with a lioness
named Juno in a close room filled on
three sides with dens of beasts. The
lion had become jealous of the atten
tions shown three cnb lions in a den
directly opposite her own. After feed
ing the cubs the keeper patted them
for a while, which threw Juno into a
violent rage.
Marvin turned to qnlet her, and as
be advanced toward the cage he
stumbled and fell against the bars. In
an instant she seized his right arm
above the elbow. In order to protect
his head and body the man fell and |
with his left hand grasped the bottom !
of the cage. Juno held his right arm
with one paw and struck through the
bars at his head with the other. A
lad named Donohue grabbed an Iron
bar and tried to make Juno drop Mar
vin. The boy’s efforts only increased
the rage of the beast.
By this time every animal in the
place was wildly excited, and their
roars and cries were heard squares
away. As there is a small army of
workmen about the place the lion
house was soon surrounded with men.
In the meantime Juno had torn the
flesh from Marvin’s arm, struck him
several wicked blows on the shoulder
and then allowed him to drop to the
ground and crawl away.
Just as the rescuers reached the
doors they heard a sound of crashing
timbers, accompanied by a series of
roars. Juno had thrown her body
against the bars and broken through.
The interior of the building was dark,
and no one dared to venture in. They
heard Juno around the place and they
hesitated. They supposed that Mar
vin was dead He, however, managed
to reach the rack in whicli the heavy
iron bars used to clean the cages are
kept. Snatching one of the 'irons he
boldly advanced on J uno, who crouched
in a corner. Above the din of the
beasts within the men at the doors, to
their astonishment, heard Marvin or
dering the lioness back to her cage.
This reassured them and they started
to enter. As the doors opened Juno
sprang over Marvin’s head and took
refuge in a stall. Marvin shouted to
close the doors, and, following the now
cowed lioness, struck her twice with
the iron bar. Then he poked her out,
and with an angry roar she vaulted
hack into tier cage and the danger was
over. Marvin's injuries wore attended
to by a physician, who said ho would
not lose the use of his arm.
The Nutritive Properties of Rice.
The increase in the consumption of
rice lias lately attracted the attention
of several men of science in Germany,
and among other investigations, ac
cording to the London Lancet, an at
tempt has been made by Professor
Voit to discover the relative capacity
which various forms of nourishment
possess of being incorporated into the
system. lie has drawn up the follow
ing table of the percentage which re
mains in the body and of that which
leaves it:
Percentage
Percentage which is
incorporated. not retained
Meat 98.7 8.3
Rice 88-1 3.9
Eggs 94. S 6.2
White bread 91.4 6.8
Maize 99.3 8.7
Potatoes 90.7 9.3
Milk 88.9 11.1
, Black bread 88.6 11.5
According to these results meat and
rice leave the smallest amount of residu
um, and occasion the smallest excess
ive exertion to the indigestion, and, in
fact introduce the minimum quantity
of ballast into the human frame. Dr.
Konig, of Munster, considers that the
fact, of large masses of population fir
ing on rice is easily accounted for; and
in summing up the information col
lected upon the subject, Professor Volt
remarks that potatoes, when consumed
in excessive quantity, fail to nourish
the frame effectively, make the blood
watery, and render the muscles
weak. Apart from the subject dealt
with in the tablb drawn up by Pro*
fessor Voit, the question of the rela
tive nutritive value of rice and pota
toes has been investigated by Dr.
Kontg, who isof opinion that if similar
quantities of both articles are com
pared, the former possesses fourtimes
the value of the latter in really nu
tritive properties. It is also remarked
that the introduction of rice as a sub
stitute for potatoes is facilitated by
the fact that no such variation takes
place in its quality as U the case with
the potato, whicli is liable to be ma
terially influenced by the effects of un
favorable weather.
ER.
f. C. SMITH. PnMisber.
DIRGE AND ANTHEM.
Oh, the joys Ihst we pane, and grasp noil
Oh, the loves that we meet, and sleep uoft
Oh, the light that we/ail to eea!
Oh, the eyee the’, have plead, nnheeded!
Oh, the hands we have spurned, thong
needed!
Oh, the beauty that was to bel
Oh, the songs that have died in singing!
Oh, the dirges that will keep ringing!
Oh, the words that we leave nnaa'd!
Oh, the hopes that were never spoken!
Oli, the hearts that are stung and broken!
Oh, the silence of the dead!
Oh, the dear ones that we keep waiting!
Oh, the tru-t that we pay with hating!
Oh, the waarinees of years!
Oh, the leaves that are the brightest, dying!
Oh, the winds that are always sighing!
Oh, the bitterness of tears!
Oh, the future, grand and glnrions!
Oh. the life, o'er death victorious!
Oh* the bonndiessness of btisa!
Oh, the hnnds that we clasp forever!
Oh, the love that no graves can severl
Oh, why should we monrn for this?
—Thomas S. Collier.
HUMOROUS.
Good-looking men—Astronomers and
mieroscopists.
In the spring the trees wifi start •
brancii business.— New York News.
The active drummer may be regard
ed as a commercial sccnter.— Picayune.
A man’s tongue often betrays him,
but he can always count on his lingers.
The proper place for a corner in
coal—down the cellai.— New York
Commercial.
The sheriff does not always look lik«
a criminal, but he often takes after
thorn.— New York Journal.
The success of an afcliitect's plans
depends very much upon what con
struction you put upon them.— Boston
Post.
The presiding officer of a caucus is
called the chair, because everybody
likes to sit down on him.— Boston
Transcript.
“ ’Twere better we had never met,”
as the goat remarked after his unsuc
cessful attempt to knock a cast-iron
dog clear across a three-acre lawn.
Isn't that a grand fountain ovei
there?” she inquired, as they walked
through the wood—” a fountain
for lovers to linger near?” “No,” he
responded, “ I think it a very cheap
sort of fountain for lovers.” “ Will
you tell me why ?” “ Certainly ; it is
not a S'ida-water fountain.”— Puck.
King Theeliaw’s baby is rocked U
sleep in a mango-wood cradle, cased
inside and out with plates of gold, set
witli rubies, emeralds, sapphues and
diamonds, worth nearly a million dol
lars, but it takes just as muca pare
goric to put it to sleep as if it was
rocked in a section of a tlour barrel—
Siftings.
A Chicago clothing store gives s
present of a coal stove witli an over
coat. Tiiat is a great deal better than
painting a fire-place on the tail of a
coat or putting a coil of steam pipe in
the back lining.' Some of the ready
made coats neeid a furnace in them to
keep a man warm. More wool and
wadding and less coal stoves is what
the boys want.— Peck’s Sun.
The Rev. Henry Cox was secretary’
of the Young Men’s Christian associ
ation in San Francisco, pastor of amis
sion church, and a Unit'd States pen
sion agent. Thomas Hill was a blind
and paralytic pauper in the county
almshouse. Under the new law Hill
was entitled to $7,278 in back pen
sions as a veteran of the Mexican and
civil wars, and to $72 a month for the
remainder of his fife. United States
Senator Miller wrote to Cox at the sug
gestion of the commissioner of pensions
tn Washington, asking him to pay
particular attention to this award, as
the amount was unusually large, and
the helpless recipient might fall into
swindlers’ hands unless protected.
Cox’s method of getting control of the
matter was to induce Hill to sign an
irrevokable power of attorney, au
thorizing him to take possession ot all
the money; and when lie had got the
cash he used it for a personal specula
tion In mining. He prayed with his
dupe and sang hymns to. him, but this
only allayed suspicion for awhile. An
investigation has resulted in an ex
posure, but the unfortunate veteran's
fortune is probably beyond the reach
of recovery.
Hills that look as if they might fall
over have probably been tipped by tbs
;olden sunlight.—Picayune.