t
4wy
VOL III.
LINCOLNTON, N. C, FRIDAY, FEB. 7, 1890.
NO. 39
"L rL l
The Heavens Declare III1
Calory.
Some tim since a clergyman
complained to his astronical friend
that so little interest seemed to be
taken in bis sermons tLat no was
ineilned to abandon his profusion.
"Did you ever sneak rf the wisdom
and power of the Almighty as seen
in the movements of the heavenly
bodies?" said the astronomer. The
preacher admitted he had not. "Try
them on that.'' A week later the
clergyman called upon hi friend
nud s tid, "I preached yesterday as
you advised, and some of the aus
dience, foigetsing they were in
God's house, actually applauded
me-" Our Dumb Animals.
Examiner -Can you give me an
instance of ;i person incitiug another
to perjury i
Candidate Yen ; when tho court
asks, ;i female wiliies how old she
ii. 'I t i is Siftinjs.
7'iieevil of bribery often begins
iu the Jiome circle and in the nur
fcer.v. Parents should never bribe
th:ir cbi!dren. Teach them to do
that which is riy;ht because it i
right, and not because of the penny
or the orauge you will give them.
Talmage.
To the 1'ublle.
We have sold out our interest iu
the Lincoln Iron Woiks and will
hereafter devote our atteution to
the Cockier and to the job office.
All those, indebted to the Lincoln
Iron Works up to the first of Janu
ary must make immediate settlement
with the undersigned.
Respectfully,
J. M. Roberts.
January 1st, 1890. tf.
L L W1THERSPOON.
ATTORNEY AT LAW,
NEWTON, N. C.
Practices in the Courts of Cataw
ba, Lincoln, ami adjoining counties.
Moxcsr to IjOax on improved farm?
iu Catavb i and Lincoln counties in
gums of S3U0 and upwards, on lonj
time and easy terms. Will meet
clients at the Alexander House, in
Lincolnton, on seeo'id and fourt
Moudaya in each month.
Aug. 2, 1839. tf.
WRITING TAUGHT BY MAIL
IDIEC5H2DI5ID
AS TAUGHT BY G. P. JOXFS.
If you wairt to learn to wnta beautifully, and stay at home, now is
j out time.
TWELVE MAMMOTH LESSONS, COVERING A PERIOD OF THREE
MONTHS FOR 83-00.
.1 BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF WPJTIXQ FOR 15 CEXJ'S.
One dozen or more ways of siguing your name for a Silver Quarter.
A sheet of elegautly combiued signatures 20 cents.
One dozen haudsome a? ds with name on 25 cents.
Sample leou m writing 35 Cents. Send me an order and be con
vinced that my work is all I claim for it-
For 50 cruta I will spnd you some of" the best writing you ever saw.
Write for CiicuUr enclosing a 2 cent stamp.
Your writing is excellent, you are destined to become a grand pen
man. H. J. Williamson, President "Pen Art Hall", Florence, Ala.
Specimens of Card writing to hand. They are models of grace and
beauty. Your writing is supeib. W. D. Showalter, Editor Pen Art
Herald, Chciago, III.
Prof. Jones is not only a beautiful writer, but an excellent, and suc
cessful teacher. D. Matt Thompson, Principal Piedmont Seminary.
ZFTbe cash must accompany en eh order.
Fiiu. Business Dep't. of Piedmont Semiuary,Lincolutou,N.C.,KoT.S,'89,ly
' Silt
HACIHE.WIS.
Wit W&Bv. is
r5k
Log,LumberVard a GitV Trucks
SJJfxl N u
Til
Teacher "Johnnie, what part of
speech is nose ?" Johnnie " 'Taint
enny." "Ah, but it must be." "Meb'
be your'n is because you talk through
it, bat tho only part o' speech that
I've got is my month."
Teacher "What was there re
markable about the battle of Look
out r Little Dick (at the foot of the
class) "It caused bangs on the
brow of a mountain."
Teacher "Johuuy, was George
Washington married?' Johnny
4Of course he was.' Teacher 'How
many children d;d he have?' John
ny 'Why, fifty million. He was
the father of his people
A New Jersey school-teacher
gave a email boy the extensive sub-,
ject "Man" for a composition, and
this is what he wrote :
"Man is a wonderful animal. He
has eyes, ears, month. His ears are
mostly lor catching cold in and
having the earache. The nose is to
get sniffles with, A ruau'a body is
split half-way up, aud he walks on
the split ends." Moral Don't give
a subject which is bigger than the
boy.
Superintendent of Graded
School "T o m in y , do you love
your teacher!" Tommy "Yes, sir,
but she ain't stuck on me."
English Spavin Liniment removes
all Hard, Soft, or Calloused Lumps
and Blemishes from horses, Elood
Spavin, Grubs, Spliuts, Sweeney,
Riug-bone, Stifles, Sprains, all
Swollen Throats, Ooughs,Etc. Save
$50 by use of 1 bottle. Warranted
the most wonderful blemish cure
ever known. Sold by J. M. Lawing,
Physcian and Pharmacist, Lin
coln ton.
D. W. ROBINSON,
ATTORNEY AT LAWT.
Lincolnton, N. C.
Practices in this and surround
ing counties.
Also in State and Federal
Courts.
JEsTNext door to the Racket.
Oo 4t., 1889. ly.
S)if BSffl
x.W f u QflStf fLL STYLES.
T Ladies' Chaise.
0 PATENXftAtS E JB RAKfi
HsraRmG9iiG-
RCLNE,WIS
From Old Homestead.
ONLY A STORY
Continued From Last If.
"Must we leave the dear old home
where we have speut so many years
of pleasure and of painf Oh, the
pain is very keen ; it cuts like a
knife, but ah, many, many tender
thoughts are connected with it, too.
A garland of sweet memories lies
twined arouud the railing of the
old carved stairs; the halls are fre
scoed with beautiful recollections ;
each tree hides within its heart a
childish hope and guards it jealous
Iy. Some unfeeling one may say a
treo has a hard heart, or even none
at all, but they are as friends to me.
When I would go and throw my
small self underneath one of the
elms which mark the avenue how it
would whisper to me to confide in
it. The limbs swayed gently to and
fro, the leaves laughed and played
hide and seek with one another;
then for a few moments would come
silence, aud they all seemed to be
looking at me and begging roe to
tell them the thoughts of my child
ish breast ; then perhaps the pret
tiest leaf on the whole tree would
loosen, begin falling, and flutter
slowly down to me, pleading for
confidence, and then I could resist
no longer, but would tell all to this
old, gDarled elm, the finest of them
all ; and when I had spoken the
leaves laughed again and seemed
to say soothingly, (We-e-e will not
tell : we-e-e will not tell I' I be
lieved all that implicitly. But the
dearest of all dear spots is this attic
the treasure palace of my child
hood. "The war is over now, at last.
Only desolation lies before us iu its
terror. No home scarcely a friend
who could aid us. It seems hard ;
so bitter for an orphan to be thrown
upon the world. Why should I
brood over my sorrown when there
are hundreds worse off than my
self? Self, self! It seems that every .
one must be for eelf alone, or else
perish. My heart would break if
'twere not already broken.
"Here is my brother's knapsack
aud cap. How bonuy and brave he
looked when he donned them and
his uniform of gray. So young he
was ; had to be taken away from
school to take instead his place in
the ranks ot the southern army.
Four years ago when this war com
menced we knew not what awaited
us.
" 'A war ! what is a war, mamma ?
asked one of the children at moths
er's knee one day. 'A quarrel and
fight between people who have not
the same ideas about some things,
little one,' she replied, trying to put
it in a simplo light so the baby
might understand. He wrinkled up
his brow for an iustant, then went
away, out in the yard to his playing,
where a group of picaninies were
dancing about an old pole adorned
with a ragged hat.
"Meauwhile the feeling between
the north and the south grew
stronger, and we all know bow it
terminatd. We children still played
and sang away down iu our lovely
southern home. "No sorrows rested
upon us, and behind the word war
we could discern no horrors. Even
after the bombardment of Fort
Sumter we, in our middle Georgia
home, were not troubled. We only
marveled at the grave faces worn
by our parents and the whispered
words of the slaves as they collec
ted in small groups on the way to
and from duties Mauy of the youn
ger oues rolled their big white ejes
about as we f layed around them,
while some of the older ones shook
their wooly heads with a prophetic
air of sadness.
"A year wore on, as years will,
bringiug sadness and sorrow to
some, but as yet none to us. One
morniug iu May father lefc home
for Montgomery, to attend to some
business lor giandfather. Mother,
with sweet eyes full of tears,watched
him depart, and gave him godspeed,
with an early return. While there
he was stricken ill and brought home
dead. A widow with eight children,
without a protector in such a sore
time of need. Oh, my darling moth,
er ! Was that dear heart to be bro
keD, doubly so, as it were? Were
you to lose that loved voice; that
kind, tender, strong love ? Lose
him who had helped you to bear all
pain by teuder sympathy ? Lose
him when there ia such need for bis
! strong arm and sound judgment?
" 'Ob, God, thy ways are wonder
ful ! Help me to bear this great
j blow for the sake of my little ones,'
wa3 the prayer L heard from the
lips of my bravo mother as she fell
upon her knees by the coffin side.
It soemed that I grew years older
during those few days; such a pall
of darkness huug over the house
hold, which heretofore had been so
full of light. Mother, with her sad,
sweet face, tried to be cheerful, but
'twas such a bitter straggle. At tho
nearest village, in the family hurys
ing ground, father's body was laid,
while the pure spirit winged its
way to the heavenly home, there to
watch and wait for loved oues who
were to follow. Such a quiet old
churchyard it was; so holy and free
from all noise and bustle. Gieat
pines and oaks shaded it, while the
wind was ever present with its soft
murmur as of angel's wiugs.
"It was then my brother was
taken from school to follow In the
steps of his countrymen. A cousin,
who, ou account of imperfect health,
was not able to keep his place iu
the ranks, came to live with us.
Such a jolly fellow, with bright
browu eyes full ot merriment. Be
hind them lay a world of good
sense. I was his favorite, and never
tired of playing pranks on 'Cousin
John.' My pet one was to put pins
under his plate, and he despised
nothing half so bad. Whenever I
'got the best of him I was happy,
for he pulled my curls and called
me Peg, a name I despised. And
then he would scare me half out of
my wits by saying that two dead
men were buried under the bouse.
"One night we came up to this
self-same attic to get some corn to
pop over a bed of glowing hiekoij'
coals down in the sitting room
Cousin John began to chant in a
sepulchral tone, 'Hark from the
tomb' I felt my curls straighten
ing and a wiry sensation enter iuto
each hair 'a doleful souud.' A
tremor passed through every nerve,
while the negro girl's eyes were
about to pop out ot her head. The
candle throwing a dim light iuto
the comers and our shadows, grtat
ly misshapen, took on weird forms
as they danced about from the flick
ering of the light.
" 'Who is that I hear' Horror.
" 'Thomas and Jones.' Pouf ! Out
went the candle flame, down went
the silver candle-stick m one direcN
tiou, matches iu another, and the
negro girl rolled to the bottom of
the stairs, whde I tilled my lungs
with a fresh supply of air and then
screamed until the hall rang with
the echoed It took much petting
from Couaiu John to restore me to
my usual serenity, but go with him
again, never.
"I was the te?se of the household.
I might go around the comer and
crook my riuger at the children and
they'd cry. If one should suddenly
cry out, 'mamma !' she'd never think
ot inquiring into it, but say, 'You,
Janie !' and she was rarely mistaken.
Mother had a governess for us. A
sentimental thing who told us love
stones by the dozen aod fell in love ;
with every handsome face she saw,
oue time most unfortunately. My
eldest sister had a sweetheart a
captain iu the army and, oh, he
was the haudsomest fellow, with
such beautifnl soft black eyes. How
mother aDd all of us loved bim ! 1
used to think he had the most won
derful eyes in the world. When he
was wounded he came to us and !
sister dressed his arm each day.
Then his eyes would look into hers
wiih such a light as was found there
for her alone.
"Miss Annie, the governess, was
a tiny thing, and, with a well-known
duck of her head, said oue day,
'Captain Carne3, what kind of eyes
have you ?'
" 'Look aud see,' was the reply.
Climbing up iuto a chair where she
could be ou a level with him, she
prepared for the look, bat he closed
his eyes tightly. She was too augry
for anything except to jump down
and ran away.
"One night I was sleepiug with
her, when I awoke to hear a most,
awful scratching among some let
ters in the bureau drawer. . 'Miss
Auuie,' I cried, 'what are you do
ing?'
" 'Looking for some paper to write
a note, and I can't find a pencil
anywhere,' still anxiously searching.
4 'Why, Miss Annie, you don't
want to writo a note,' I said.shaking
with horror.
" 'Yes, I do. 1 am going toja party
and must answer this note'right
away.' A moment or so more of
search, and she started toward the
bed, when I called, 'Miss Annie !'
"'What?' she answered in a sleepy
tone. She was just coming to her
self after walking in her sleep. Iu
the attempt to get into bed she ran
against one of the. posts. When she
awoke the following moruiuga knot
ou her head nearly as large as a
hen egg bore evidence to the night's
revel. Powder was caked on her
face, while water and face powder
strewed the bureau aud floor round
about. I felt sorry for her, hut
never slept with her again.
"While sister's sweetheart was
with us he received notice of his
promotiou. Col. Games he was and
we were prouder of him than ever.
Though his arm was far from well
he aud sister were married and
weut to live at the capital. Mother,
Cousin John, and we children were
at home then aloue. In not a great
while news flew ou the wings of the
wind of the coming of Sherman's
army. Every heart was filled with
terror, for who had not heard of its
terrible character? Mother had
most of the provisi us moved to
this attic and a heavy wardrobe
pushed against the door to conceal
it. The carriage horses were sent to
the thicket and bid, while chickens,
dogs, etc., through wonderful in
stinct, went far, far from the field
of danger. Sherman took posses
sion of the premises. When the
army came marching up through
that avenue the household was ins
stant'.y thrown into confusion. I
heard a most unusual noise out iu
the back yard, and peering through
the diuing-room blinds saw a sight
which made my heart grow angry
and fill with contempt still I had
to laugh. A great fat negro woman
stoodin the yard slapping her hands
and shouting, Tse free! I'sefree!'
emphasizing her joy now and then
by throwing an old hoop-skirt high
in the air. Ah, yes; and before the
poor thing bad been free' for long
she came crawling and begging for
food from us, a slave to a worse
tbiug than a kind generous mistress
a slave to hunger aud cold aod
poverty. And then there was her
deliverer ? Gone to delude others
as simple as herself.
"Sherman placed an officer in
command of the house. Ho was
kind to the widow aud orphans,
aud I know God will be merciful to
him when he is summoned before
his throne. Crowds of soldiers went
over the house, turning over beds,
ripping open mattresses, and break
ing trunks. They took a little baa
ket of mine which I treasured above
ail things. Oh, how I begged for it,
but the soldier only laughed. It
could do hiui no good, but it could
make a child's heart ache, and that
would please him
"When the soldiers were in the)
act of moving the wardrobe from
before the attic door the officer
called : 'Bovs, come down : there's
uothiug behind that thing.' Hej
must have known our provisions
were hid there. Just then there was
another nnusual commotion out,
and running to the door we naw
two soldiers ridiug our carriage
horses; the old negro coachman
had betrayed their hiding place.
They looked too beautiful, with the
sunlight glistening on their satiny
coats, proud necks arched, and tails
raised. Mother, with tears siream-
lng down her face, begged them to!
leave the horses, the pride ot" the
plantation, but a drunken officer,
with a leer iu his eye, rolled and
swayed in the saddle. How I wish he
would fall off aud break his neck,
and was buried a thousand feet
under the ground. If that horse
only knew a yankee rode him he
would rear, tbrowingthe detestable,
contemptible rider to the ground.
How I wished it in my fierce little
way. Tho youneer children clung
to mother's skirts and wept. I didn't.
I would not have shed a tear to
have saved their lives. Sister Ellen's
ees were flashing, and I could see
her cheeks flush and pale. One of
the soldiers asked her to sing, and,
sitting down to the piano, she sang,
in her clear, sweet voice, 'Dixie'
and 'Bonnie Blue FIik', with all
tho enthusiasm of her patriotic
young heart.
"'Ah, you'll be singing another
chuue before long,' wa his polite
comment, as he moved off. They
rausacked the premises and took all
we had to eat. For two or three
days we lived on potatoes and
water. The old cook would bring
us the potatoes under cover of her
apron, aud eav, .soothiugly : 'Yes,
houey ; yer shall hab snmphin' tcr
eat. Mammy ain't gwme tev let her
ehilluud starve. I'd share my last
mouthful with old aunt 'Calline'
now or at any other time. Blessings
be on her old black, kinky head.
'I was standing in the dining
room one morning, still grieving
over the loss of my basket, when
one of the soldiers, a young fellow,
came up to me- I felt a little teuder
toward him, because he reminded
me of my own soldier brother.
li 'Give me some sody.'
" 'What do yon want with sody V
mimicking him as nearly an I could.
" 'To make up some bread. Yiu
had better move these spoons
touching two or three silver spoons
over fifty years old which lay on
the table. 'Some of the boys'll get
'em.'
"'YonjuU want me to leave so
you can get 'em yourself,' I retor
ted, going off; but Jack did not
move them.
"'You'll have a lot of scrubbing
to do when the boys leave here,' he
ventured, looking around.
" 'I don't scrub, thank you; I have
servants to do it for me !'
" 'Do ! I am going straight on to
Richmond and roust old Jeff Davie
he continued, cheerfully, as he bit
a piece of biscuit.
"'Well, if you ever get to Rich
mond you'll go there as a prisoner !'
I exclaimed, hotly, for the flippant
tone he used in speaking of our
grand old Jeff made my bosom
heave aud heart swell.
" 'When I get there I'll write you
a letter,' he called, as he went away,
blowing a kiss at mv defiant little
face1. The letter never came. I ex
pect the poor fellow has been killed.
I have never heard from him but
once since, and then he sent me a
plain gold ring, but eister wouldn't
let me keep it.
"The army then marched on to
Milledgeville. There Sherman cap
tured brother Clarence. Sister went
to Sherman in person and begged
and pleaded for her husband. Either
her pretty faceor eloquent pleading,
or perhaps both, accomplished her
object, and be set brother Clarence
free. I have liked Sherman just a
little for that ever since, in spite of
all the mean things he has done.
Sister's husband had to be shut in
a closet then until the storm blew
over. He rebelled, but with a super
buman strength she pushed him
there and locked the door, feeding
him when she could.
"At home we bad a season of
quiet after the armies moved away.
One night we were all sitting around
the tiresid-3 when there came the
shuflle of worn-out shoes, with some
one's feet in them, down the hall.
We did not dare lock the doors.
Looking up a strange figure met
oar view. The meanest face I havp
ever seen was lit by a pair of keen
yes, shadowed by a shock of un
kempt hair which fell from under a
ragged hat. The beard, half gray,
was soiled and fell far down, con
cealing the front of a dirty ebiit. A
great overcoat, unfastened and with
torn pockets, touched the floor wh-n
he sat down. He came iu and si
lently took a seat, and underneath
the warmth and some spirits he car
ried about with bim, bis head soon
sank in slumber. On each side of
the chair his long overcoat ends
touched the floor, tilting the pock
ets a little. Pretty soon out slipped
an old pewter epoou. I looked up.
Directly it was folowed by another.
I giggled. Mother looked at me rei
proviugly. I stuffed my handker
chief in my mouth. There I It had
been followed by still another. This
awoke the tramp, and seeing his
spoons, stolen nodonbt, lying thera,
he gave a sheepish glance around
the room and got up and shuftl-d
out more quickly than he came in,
never stopping to recover hU prop
erty. One day there was a terrible ex
plosion, and rushing into one of tba
rooms we found our beloved mother
lying on tho floor, her fair Iau
blackened aud burnt by powder,
some of which lay nbout the floor.
Such agonies she suftered as only
those who have been burnt by pow
der can ever know. The pain, which
could not be alleviated, was tortur
ing, agonizing, unmerciful, burning
in, in, down, down into the tender
flesh, like thousands of minute, red
hot screws boring into the, nerves,
grinding and tearing rhem. Oh, it
was horrible I She bore it so brave
ly, with true christian fortitude,
never murmuring through all that
terrible time. It had been caused
by a spark flyiug from a haudful of
coals in the fire-place as she aat
there changiug the povder from a
bag to a flask in i;ase she should,
need it. She 1 ed for a few days,
suffering intense'y, aud wheu her
spirit passed away to rejoin her
loved husband, we ronM not rebel.
Only grief too deep f.ir words filled
our lonely little hearts Black aud
dreary the furure lay before u. Not
a rift in the thick clouds .f despon
dency and sorrow which lowered
about us ; only grief, only unuttera
ble woe, only the desolateneas known
to orphans' hearts were ours. In a
vague way I tried to pray. My
dear little brother, the flower of the
family, was only four years old. Oh,
1 can't wiite of it any longer. My
heart is breaking over again it
seems to me.
"Then there fell another f?ret
blow. News came of brother CUr-,
ence'd death. When the last call
was made for young, old, and
wounded to serve the south he went.
Just after his third promotion be
was killed, aud lies buried in Virs
giuia, we know not where. Sister
was nearly wild with grief. We
thought she would lose her mind,
for she loved as only one of her na
tnre could, with her whole soul, aud
if souls were destructible 1 think
hers would be no more. Oh, it was
such a dreary, dreary time. The
time was marked by heavy heart
throbs, sighs, and tears.
"Our soldiers were coming home.
Home, did I say ? Oh, the mockery
of it all ! Poor, brave fellows ! We
had little to give you, but you were
more than welcome to it.
"And now I must go. Tho houi
and furniture is to bn sold tho
place. Farewell, loved objects ! Mv
eyes are too dim to trace another
line. Onr Father, be merciful, be
merciful ! '
Wheu Rose looked up from the
manuscript all the clouds had blwn
away. The sun was going to rest
calmly and brightly, lighting up the
attic window panes a3 of gold red
with heat. Rose's eyes were wet
with tears, and they dropped onto
the sheets of yellow paper which
were still iu her hand, thence to
mingle with the poor girl's heart
broken ones which had fallen so
long ago.
"I trust all tbe clouds have blown
away from that young life, and that
it is now as lair and peaceful as the
beauty over yonder," she murmured,
leaning her forehead against the
pane.
Everything before her looked
beautifully fresh after the rain.
Trees, shrnb-, and grass were shin
ing with that peculiar transparent
green seen only after a summer's
rain, with a suinmet's setting sun
throwing bis brightness over it.
"I will return this Had story to its
resting place,' said Rose, as she
placed itiuthe battered knapsack
with the rap aud collar,firt impii-jt
ing a teuder kiw thereon. Sue sofily
closed the attic door, stopping there
a moment.
"Hre is where 'Cousin Johi'
lightened Janie Arlington the night
Continued to Fvurih I'aac