"1
vol. ii.
LINCOLNTON, N. C, FRIDAY, JAN. 25, 1889.
NO. 37
wmh
III
5) u ui w;
"IS MA KM AGE A FA I L
U I! K r
BY KATE A. UADLEY.
"You've road all thin controversy
about marriage, Tom."
Tom was H'H-'m-j ih mon !ru
paper at the 'oe kf table, aod
like mot tut'ii ui.der the circum
stances did not want to be. inter--rupted.
I it facthe was not inter
rupted. lie gave an uuconsuioufc,
little '-Iluim?" of mqmry, calculated
to gain iuoi9 tuna for the interent
iog paragraph and went on with
his reading. Edith'a pretty brows
gathered ibeiuselTes into a knot
tbat would be a frown when Tom
should look at her. Rut Tom did
not look. Totally oblivious ot the
growing colduess of both bin coffee
and his wife lie finished his para
graph and legm .mother.
"Tomi, I to w m ou wouldn't
briii; that hoi i id newspaper to the
tabl.-!" tuirat. forth at last
out of patience. "Ira dieadfully
impolite! What would you think
of me if I should !nng a book to
the tattle mid load sti night through
the mtal, never even .answering
your queMtintinf''
"What? ' eiied Torn, bewildered
by this volley of words. "Did yon
speak to me my dealt I really did
not hear you. I beg your pardon.''
The offending newspaper disap
peared under tho table.
''That is just what 1 am com,
plaiuing about that you diduot
bear me," Haid Edith, somewhat
molified by her husband's frank
apology. ''Won't you promise to
leave it in the other room atter this ?
Tom. I scarcely see you except at
meal time, and then when you read
all the time I do 't feel as it I bad
seen you at all."
"But my dear '' said Tom, cast
iug a rueful plauca under the table
"tbat is the only time I have to read
the news."
"Ob!'' Fdith's eyes were round
with overdone astonishment "Then
it ia reallv only a choice between
your wife and your newspaper, and
the newspaper wins!"
"Now, Edith"
"Stop aud think a moment, dear'
interrupted his wife. "You know
we are not very well iu fact tbore
are some uncharitable people who
would call us eveu poor, if they
could see our inakeshirta and little
proteoses. And yet haven't, I
.made your home a pretty place. '
She looked round with pardon-'
able pride at the handiwork of her
dainty fingers, visible in all corners
of the little looms. J
Litre, a gay lump mat of odd
pieces of bilk: there, a rug deftly
woveu from wooleu scraps; iu th
comer an easel made from an old
fish iole of Tom's, with the aid of
a little varnish, while on it stood
a panel delicately paiuted, aud be
ing neither mote nor less than an
old piue boatd with the edge
smoothed off to represent a bevel,
and wth a gilded rope around it to
represent a fiame.
This wan behind the scenes how
ever. To those few fashionables
who honored the poor clerk's wife
With a calling acquaintance these
things appeared as a daiuty mat, a
rag such as every body w&s having
made at exorbitant prioes aud an
jESthetic easel with a baudsome
picture iu a uuique frame. Then
they went away and wondered how
"that poor Tom Nestor's wife could
afford such extravagant things 1"
Now E iith's eyes glanced at
these and countless other trifles
and then back at Torn
"Aud much time d you think I
have for readiug? Do you kt?ow
tbat I have not been able to read
a word in that new novel that Mrs.
Brook lent me, and I must take it
back to her tomorrow? I don't re
gret it dear not a bit she said
brightly, "only if you read your pas
per at the table anymore I shall
bring my novel and read it, every
wordf'
When she bad finished the table
was no loneer between them; that
is to say, Edith was snugly en
sconced in Tom's arms while Tom's
lips pressed kisses on the top of
her early brown head. And the
newspaper nnder the table could
not so mneh as rustle a protest.
''Iiut ou have uot told me yet.
what yni que ion was about,
suid T-ra at last returning to the
orignal subject with the true thor
ough doss of the nvigen'.ine mind
that fears down the fairy structure
of his present joy to bi sire tb.it
i lie ?o ji datton in of htane.
'Sui- mioueh ! I declare I hud
forgotten all about it. I only asked
yon if you had read this nonsense
about, marriage being a failure."
"I've road what the papers Pay
why do you ask little woman!"
"Wo 1, that's what I waited to
tel! you about. Yoa remember
iWra. Simmons called here tbe ether
day and p,sked me to join the ROcie
ty they were just starting that's
the name of the society, you know
so yesterday 1 weur, and, obi Tom
you can't iuiagiue how niee it was !
Mrs. Ellsworth aid I really wight
to be elected President. What's
the matter, dear?"
Tom had set her hastily downand
risen to his feet. Ilis brows which
were not so pretty as Edith's v? ere
unmistakably drawn into a frown.
'Edith," he said sharply, "yoa
know how arers3 I am and always
have been to these reading societies
where a lot of fashionable dolls get
together to discuss matters of
which thoy hav not the faintest
comprehensions.'
"Reading societies!"
"Well debating club th?n, if that
sounds more euphonious to your
uewly cultivated ear.''
Tom was certaiuiy losing his
temper. Edith's eyei flashed at
the sneer the words conveyed,
but she tnought it wo aid not do for
them to be augry at the same time.
I shall have time enough by and
by," Then she laughed outright
as the rediculous story occurred to
her of the mau who stopped to
count a hundred when augry before
he spoke. But her laugh died.
' How oould I manage it if he
should refuse to let me go?'' she
thought.
"Oh, Tom?'' the cried, "yoa
wouldn't be so cruel a- to deprive
tae of this pleasure when I hve so
few!" Her face disappeared in this
sure refuge of womanhood her
handkerchief.
4,Yrou may do as you please,
Edith,'- replied Tom coldly, catch
ing up his overcoat as ho want to
the door. "I have never imposed
a restraint upon your action?; but I
should think if you have so much
time to spate, that you might even
manage to finish your novel. With
this .Parthian dont be disappeared.
As the door closed Edith emerged
from behind her handkerchief. Her
eves were full of tears, but her
mouth was laughing.
'How like a man? ' she sfid at
lust. "Now, why conldnot he say
to me kindly: "Edith dear, I know
it would be a pleasure to you, but
I would rather not have my wife in
such constant association with
these 'fashionable doiis;' I waut to
keep her to myself. Will you not
give this up as you have so much
else for my sake t Now why could
not he say" that? And then ninety
nine women outof a hundred would
have answered fervidly: 'Certainly
my darliug. Will you have the
heart out of my bosom, too."
Thiugs did not seem to go right
that morning down town. A curly
brown head and two tearful eye
kept gettiog between Tom and the
page of figures before htm. "I was
a brute!" he said to himself after
a loug iuward struggle. "The
child shall have her readiugclub if
she likes. I won't say another
word against it.''
After that decision he felt better,
and man-like, having decided the
question, he at once forgot all
about it, while his wife at home
thought of nothiDg else all the mom.
ing, and changed and turned the
subject, inserting a word bera and
an expression there, until by noon
she had almost lost the real facts in
the case in an ocean of possibilities.
She was surprised when noon and
Tom oame, and nothing further was
said about the morning's dispute.
Tom waa full of a new subject. On
his way home be had been stopped
by an old friend and addressed in
th following mysterions manner: dear!" he smiled, looking at the re
"Say, Tom, would you like to gofratory shirt half wistfnl'y.
into business for yourself f She smiled hark at him gladly.
Tom looked at him uncertainly, ; "I was thinking so,'' she said.
scarcely belie ing his ears. '"Tom, how much do new shirts
"I don't understand,'' he Paid. - jcost?''
"Well, I'll tell yon ahont it. Let's
walkoii;I'm golngyourway.Ybn walk
don't yoa ? S t do I it's bcabhier.'' !
And cheaper, Ton: conld have ad-'
dod.
"Well1 went on Dr. Chester, who
was a mail pleased with tbeMu:id
of his own voice, "tl ca ' ire iie
facta: Biothwell !s managing our
businea up at Ashland, and. e
wrot me today tlrn-t it he had a
smart fellow that I could trust, to
go into partnership with him and
do the Lertdwork Hrothwell never
was roncn on head bu-iin- yon
know he- thought he could- make
the business pay double what it is
doinj now. It poppsd into my
head the ri'iuute I saw yoo: 'Gere's
the man we're looking for' Come,
now, what do you say V-
Tom considered a moment, after
ha b:vd aaked enough questions to
thoroughly satisfy himself on all
point.
"I'll tell you this afternoon," he
said at length. "I wid talk it over
with my wite '
"What", exclaimed Mr. Chester.
"I said I would talk it over with
my wife", repeated Tom quietly.
"What do you want to do that
for?" grumbled his friend. "Womi
en don't know anything about basis
uess, anil she'll be sure to raise
some nonsensical objection." Torn
laughed.
"I've always found, Chester,1' he
said, "that the man who talks
things over wth his wife makes a
great many mistakes less than the
mau whose wife knows absolutely
nothing about his busings. It is a
dull woman who cannot, understand
a simple explanation lucidlv given.
As my wife once said to me: 'Oh'
you men say we can't understand
business with the business in cap
itals when if you took the oains to
tell us once or twice, you would find
we could comprehend even such
knotty questions as profit and loss.
And even supposing they don't.
Chester," he went on. unconsciously
warming to the subject, "even sup
posing they don't. It clears a man's
ideas wonderfully to have to raar
shal his arguments to convince his
wife. And if he kuows she doesn't
understand them, why, he's con
vinced himselt, or, it may be, shown
himself that be was wrong and
saved a blunder." .
"1 never should have thought of
it iu that light' remarked Mr. Cbes.
ter dryly- "It might be better if
she didn't understand. Well, don't
let me destroy any illusion, my boy.
Go your own way about it, only let
me know this afternoon.''
Tom found Edith mending his
shirt. Her lips were preseed firmly
together in her effort to get the
needle through the starched liuen,
but :hey softened quickly when he
steeped to kis her, as he had every
day through the two years they had
been married. It may be that some
of our readers do not. stop to kis
their wives when they leave and
leturn to them. They may forget
it, or they may thing that it takes
too much time for their business;
but if they coald know how much
brighter the little attention would
make the day to the tired wife toil
ing at home, how many cross words
aud unhappy thoughts it would
save, some of them, I think, would
be willing to go wifhout tbat last
muffin or pancake that they ate
ouly because it looked so inviting,
to devote the extra moments to the
weary partner of their cares.
Edith looked at him wistfully as
he sat down. Would he cay noth
ing of the morning, when they bad
promised ee.oh other never,Iiterally,
to allow the sun to rise or set upon
their displeasure ?
Ob, golden rule, following which
no lives can be broken or bruised !
If be did not speak of it, she mnst
she thought. It seemed to be the
woman's place to be the first to ac
knowledge the wrong. Perhaps she
should be satisfied if the man re
sponded to her advances when
maae.
"They're pretty old, aren't they,
j "Those that I wore in my unhap-
py bachelor days cost mo about $30
a dozen. I am willing to wear them
ready-made now.'
Edith thought of the gloves and
j libbons, and ruches and handker-
choifs tbat he went without, aud
smiled fo herself. A mm wants s
few things I tuppose it is natural
that he should be particular about
thcrn, tibe though.
Then Tom told her of Mr- Ches,
tet's proposal. She looked at him
; with bright eye and a Hushed face.
' Of course yn-j Told him that you
would, Tom," she exclaimed eagerly
"I told him I would talk it over
with you and let him know this af
ternoon," replied Tom. "It would
mean more privation tor yon for a
time, dear, ami then, I might not be
capable of filling tbe position.''
"Capable, T:m ! W hv, what
nonaenpe you talk. You not capa
ble of of anything ! Perhaps it's
jut as well that you did not give
him au answer tbis noon;he?ll bo all
tho more determined to get jo.n if be
thinks yon are not anxious for it. j
J3nt hurry right off after dinner ami
tell him yon have decided to accept
his offer, before he gives it to eome
one else."
No wonder Tom was willing to
ask bis wife's advise !
How qui eh the morning's clouds
! cleared up before tha burst of sun
shine.
A few words n Tom's ear and be
exclaimed, "Don't speak of it, my
darling! I was cross brutally cross,
to want io deprive you of any
little enjoyment yon can have-"
But be noticed thLt she did not offer
o give up the reading chib.
The weeks sped by rapidly. It
was not close upon the first of the
year when Tom was to enter the
new era iu his business life.
Edith was, as may bo supposed,
very busy indeed: and yet Tom,
coming home unexpectedly early,
had several times foand her absent
from the little home where he had
been picturing her weary with work.
"The re-Hliug-clnb, of courso,''
Tom thought, but asked no ques
tions when she made ber appear
a nee, nor did Edith volunteer an
explanation; so the little cloud grew
as little clouds will when tho soft
sotithely breeze of confidence blows
from the North and becomes the
storm brewing wind ot doubt. One
eventful al ternoon Tom came home
saying, "Edith, I cau bave the af
ternoon if I wont it. Now is ycur
time to g through Herbert's art
store, if you like. You know you
have wanted to go for so long.''
"Ob, Tom!" cried Edith disap
a joiutedly , "I I can't. I mast go
to Mrs. Denton's. Its civ last
chance to " She stopped ab- !
ruptly.
"Very well, Edith said Tom
quietly. "I shall know better than
to think next time that I might be
of greater importance to you than a
crowd of frtvo'ous gossipping wom
en. Probably the club will t3ke me
in." With that he walked out ot
the house, but he didnot go to the
club. He went, back to his desk
aud went to work furiously trying
I to crowd out the recolectiou of two
teartul pleading eyes. The whole
of his sky was overclouded noi,
and the clouds were so thick that
it did not seem as if the sun
could ever pierce through again. It
might seem a little thing to one
who does not knowthat little tbings
are more than great things in this
queerly constructed world of ours,
to Tom it meant that his wife was
drifting away Irom him had ho far
drifted already tbat she could keen
ly hurt his feelings rather than give
up one afternoon of shallow socie
ty.
He did not go home as early as
usual; be felt almost as if he would
rather not go home at all to the
honse where discord reigned. He
let himself in quietly; the house was
dark save for a low light up stairs.
Evidently Edith had not re
tnrned yet. It was another blow
upon his aching heart. "This ia a
crisis iu our bapptness,"he thought
"I rnut be firm for her sake as well
as for my owi :"
Ho lighted a mateh and turned
up the wick of the laaip, which
caught the blaze and seit a ruddy
ilfrhr tfirnri'Trli tha fllintw tMtiur
shade. Then he looked aadfv around
udienlv hiseye c.yuglit sight of a
panel lying on a chair near the win -
dow. A large piece of paper was
lain up against it anu inaiincTiveiv i
be stepped nearer to read the woids
this in wht he read
"GOOSE!"' wrilte'i in v ry large
letters, "fhisiH rhe debating club."
He opened the bundle scarcely
understanding what it meant,
lay a dozen g!oay new shirts
marked with his name the woik for
all these past weeks of his wifeV
untiring fingers . How she bad
done it she alono knew she and
ki-ui Mrs, Denton wbo had insisted
on lending iier sewir.g machine to
labor of love. There was a little
gurgle of laughter behiod him be
turned to clasp Edith half knghing
half crying iu bis erms.
"Well did the club decMe the
momentous question an to whether
marriage was or wart not a failure?
asked Tom a little later. Ho could
joke about it now as cue will exam
ine the claws of a dead tiger.
"We, didn't discus it, Tom. That
was a joke to keep you from, sus
pecting until to-morrow and then
you weiv so cross yon spoiled it all,
you bad boy ! But I think," sit tint
erect, ber cheeks flushed with earn
eatness, "that no one honestly, in
h; iiin-rmoat heart, baa a doubt on
the question There are m n who
will not marry until they find a p.-r
tGt wife, oi i the one tbey many
turns out to possess a Haw they at
once declare marriage a failme
Let them look into their own
thoughts and actions and see it tbey
can find euongh petfection there to
deserve perfection in refiirn. Ob,
and women, too!" she added, not.
ing Tom's smile.
"S me of them want a leopard to
turn his spots in : week, and have
not. the patience to smooth I be rots
worn deep by the habits of years.
But let both beein with love and
foibearance, confidence and truth
lii!ne!, and happiness will be sure
to follow.''
"Then, fo sum up these convinc
ing argumenls based ou ad expe
rience.1' said 7'oni, "whether mar
riage is a failure or a gigantic, buc
eesi5 depends large'y upon who's
married."
St-VEKE CAS b S 0 I3LOOP r 0 1 SO N .
Thousands sui5-;r from blood p.iiyonjW.'io
would be cured it' they gave B. 13. B , (B.
tne? Biod llnlin) a trial. Send t th
Blood Balm Co., Atlanta, G'a., lor b.iok i:f
wonderful cures, tlmt convince the most
skeptical. It. ia sr-Ll fi
J. O Gilison, ifrritiian, Min , writ-s:
"for n nuial'er of ean I 8uft'jred unfil
agonies from blood poison, Severn! prom
inent pbyt'iciiins did mo litth if any g.'nd.
I bean to ue B. B. K. with very little
faith, but, t- my utter surprise it has rnadf
me a well aiid hearty person.
Z. T. Hsliert' n, Macon Ga., write-; ''I
contracted blood poison. 1 first tried phj'.
sicians, and then went to Hot Springs J
returned home a ruined man physically.
Nothing tefemci to do me any good. My
mother persuaded me to try B. H. B. To
my utter astonihment every ulcer quickly
healed"
Benj. Morris, Atlanta, Ga., write? : I
suffered yetrs froi. syphilitic blood poison
wbich refused to be cured byaU treatment.
j Physicians pronounced it a hopeless ch$c
l L'fid ao appetite, 1 hal pain in hip3 and
joints and my kidneys were diseased .My
throat was ulcerated and my breast a mass
of running fores. In this condition I com
menced a use of B. B. B. It healed every
ulcer and sore and cured me completely
'vi'.hin two months.''
Subscribe for the Lincoln Cou
rier, Sl.oO a year. The merchants
of Lincolnton should aid their home
paper by advertising more liberally.!
THKIK BUSINESS BOOMING
Fro' ably no one thing has caused iuch
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Drug Sfore as their giving away t their
customers of o many fre.? trial bottles of
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th-s vfry valuable artie'e from the feet
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cured. You can test it before buying by
getting h trial bottie free, large size 1.
iSverv bottle warranted.
Now is the lime to take your
county paper, the Courib, 81.50.
EPOCH
The transition from Jontr, linsrerin? and
painful s'ekre-s to robust health marks an
epoch in the life of the individual Such a
remarkable event is treasured in the
memory and the agency whereby the
good health ha been attained is jrrfttfuilv
Y.essed. Hence it is that o much is heard
in praise, of Electric Bitters. So inaiy feel
tbey owe their restoration to health, to
the use of the Great Alterative aad T nic.
If you are troubled with any disease f
Kidneys, Liver or Stomach, of Ion; or
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by use of Electric Bitters. Sold at 50 cents
and 51 per bottle at Dr. J. ii. Lawing'a
Drugstore.
IX HI NA1IE
A Stoi'y for l!ie Vow Year
One morning nt the au'timn ot 'GO ' "No use Caprain' was the aur
tbe pres fb-ot ol a renn-yivauia i2on'a reply. He' b vkd for an.
college intiodiiced to the Northern jot her world, and the. time, has come
i tmW" 3 ' '"an from South
O irolina by filename of Rodman
! I "hatch. He was a bright, handsome
I felloe, and his warm, geuia', uature
less impulsive Northern boys. Be
tween him and his room-mate,liugh
Cofer, there sprang up one of those
'ose intimacies that are nowhere
found so geuiiineas inside of collcse
walls. Though they were classmates
and rivils at that, their little de
feats and triumphs served rather to
increase than diminish their triend-
ship. So the years passed unfil j
triey numbered almost four, aod I
then through the meddling of pre
tended friends, a bltie misunder
standing between them ripened into
tho bitterest of feuds. Accusing
6ch other ot dishonest dealings,
they took rooms as far apart as
possible, and for months they
pas ed and repassed each other
without so much aa & look of recog
nition. Though Cotter receive 1 the first
honor, Rodman's masterpiece ofora
roiy ou commencment day led mauy
to believe that his successful vlval
bad used unfair moans to obtain
tho prizo. Young Church wis so
exasperated as t pubii-dy make
this assertion, and if it had occured
hi tho South it is quite prohab'e
that the trouble would have cnlmi
nated in a duel. As it was how
ever the c.ol. headed Northern stu
dent treated the challenge with si
lent contempt, and the two, who
were to have been life long friends,
teturned to their tar separated
homes the bitterest of enemies.
Pefore tii return of the anniver
sary of their graduating day, the
fall ot Fort Sumter had ushered in
Che civil war, and true to their
conviction; of right, t be rival stu
dents had enlisted on opposite sides
of the fraternal strife.
It was on th? last, day of Decern
br, 18G2 while Itoseeruu'a forces
were falling back before the enemy
at Stone River, that a Confederate
officer dismounted fr the pur303
of rendering asi -dance to a youug
Union Soldier or wbobi h came
near riding. As be raised him up
the, blood spurted from a ghastly
wound in b's side, but it ai not
ih;Miioital wound t'-af n a ie the
officer lay the d t iug iimi) down so
sudd-n;v. In t h :i'.in -r.t he had
een and recognized tbn le.uuies ot
onu who be be)iel lud wrouged
him deeply. "Hub Cotter I bate
yo i," he muttered. "You accused
me of dishonesty and tneu refused
fo make satisfaction. I vowed
then to be revenged and now you
?.r- in my power. I would not
raise a fiuger to save yoa." But
the sentence broke off here, for like
; flash these words uirted into his
mi ld: "In a much as ye did it
not to one ot the leat of these, ye
tiid it not to me."
Rodman Church was now as
earnest Christian but tbat white
unconscious face brooght back to
his recollection many bitter memo
ries. He was turning away when a
moan escaped the sufferer's lips
Ufjan I do it for Jesus' sake?' he
asked himself. "He came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister.
For Jesus' sak,vhe repeated a loud
as be knelt aud endeavored to stop
the blood; In hia name I can and
will help even Hugh Cotter," he
said as ho called an orderly to assist
in moving him to a place where he
would not be trampled upon.
When the soldier regained con
sciousness and beheld the dark face
bending over him, he trembled vio
lently, for what could he expect from
his revengeful enemy, Rodman
Church!
"Is there anything tbat I can do
for you!'' asked the officer, m a voice
tbat convinced Cotter th7Tt his cse
was desperate.
"Am I going to die?" he impaired.
'I think your wound is mortal,"
"What can I do for you?"
"Send my mother word, and tell
her I died like a true soldier."
l'll write to her,'' was all tbat the
young officer could say.
Calling a surgeon, he instructed
him to do all in hi power to sve
the lile of the wounded man.
lor chaplains iwatead ef aurge 'n to
work.''
"Then call a okpU!n, aud make
him as comfortable is possible," was
Church's com in aud as ke mounted
his hore ami galIoid away.
"In his name I did it, aad in hi
name I pray Odd to foriv and
save him," kemiUMiwrej moM.v as he
joined h'b men.
That nitfht he fulfilled tha prom
ise ha had made to his oneuiy. "For
Jesus pleased net hiiuMlf," be whia
Pred, wbeu ha fuuud Low hard it
Wls to write wcb new to tbat poor,
broken-hearted mother, away tiff in
her New KugUud hoiue.
Rat Hugh Cotter did not die
thanks to bis uaagcauiruous euemy,
aud when tba strife was over he
found himself back with friends
who tenderlv aurnsd him back to
life and health.
When the war dosed, he iuade an
effort to find his geuerous toe, but
was met with the information tbat
be bad been killed iu an engage-,
merit shortly after he bad seeu nim
at Stone lltver.
The years passed on, prosnetous
years tbey proved t Dr. Hugh Cot
ter, the promise ot whose youth Lai
iieeu more than tritilled.
On New Year's day, 1S7, just
twenty font y ars atter Lr ba t met
his ene'i.y ou tUe battle-field of
Stone River, be rrg called to
Charleston, South Carolina, on busi
ness. It was mly a fow mouths
aft. r the eat Miquake.aud the strick
en city a as still iu a desperate cou.
dition.
While gazi'ig inteatly upfcti the
ruin wrought, a baud was l;id upon
bis shou! ier and a strangely fami ar
voice cloe. to hi war said:
"Tho grave dos not yive uo t a
dead, but surely you are H.jgb 'o -ter."
"That is my nam,'' saiJ the don.
for, taking the baud outstretched to
him, '-and ii Itodm in Church were
dive, I would sy tbat voice be
longed to hi
"It seems that we have both been
laboring under i mistake, for I am
It d m an Church, hut I thought you
were with God all these years."
"I trust he is with me instead,
and has been ever since tht New
Y'eai's eve so long a;o, wbeu 'In bis
name,' you saved my life, and more
than Hint for it wa those words
you whispered tbat led me to your
Savior, and mine, too, now.'
Tho doctor whs soon in passession
of the sad story of the disappointed
man's life. What little he had ac-cumulat-d
hail been destroyed in
the earthcpiakf tti i h - wa- now nt
of employ me'if.
Though re!.i-::tm: t 'cpt eh
help, Cap! aiu Church ngred 'o a:,
campany his o!d rival to bis city
home whee teadv wo'k iu hii hon
orable position iwdfjd him.
Out of his abandonee th- doctor
insisted iu placing a neat little sum
at thedisposii o: tho unfortunate
man's needy family, affirming tbat
it was a debt be had owed ever
since that New Year's morning in
1863, wbeu he woke ou earth iuutead
of another woild, and "In bis name"
the grateful man accepter the New
Year's Gift. Belle V. Chisholm, in
Christian Inquirer.
!S C hildren and 400 Ur'iud
ehilllreii. Alphabetta, Ga., Jan. 2 An in
cident of the county election fiere
todaj was the appearance of Valen
tine A. Abernalhy at the polls to
exercise bis rtgt t of suffrage. Mr-
Abernatby wai B'2 years of age last
October, having been bom on Ocr.
8, 1793, in Liucoln County, N. C.
He walked fif een miles to town to
vote, nd then started briskly ou
bis return trip. He came to this
State in 1827. He has be.eu mar
ried twice aud has bad born to him
twenty eight children, nineteen boys
and niue girls, all of whom are liv
ing save one girl who did wbeu
one mouth old He Has fonr hun
dred yrand aud gi eat grandchildren.
The old man s ays he fels as Bpiy
as be did at (he age of tweutyfive
and has no nalns or aches-
j Ube3 a lively iuterest iu politics
and never misses a vote.