sfhc PEcanczaiVD PMsrinn - septeubee c icos
THE HIGHWAYMAN.
d you ever meet at robber with a
pistol and a knife,
hose prompt end cordial greeting
was, "Your money or your life;'
ho, while you stood a trembling, with
your hands above your head,
ofc your gold, most grimly offering
to repay you in cold lead!
ell, I once met a robber; I was going
home to tea;
te way was rather lonely, though not
yet coo aars to see
jiat the sturdy rogue that stopped me
there was verv fullv armed
ht I'm honest in maintaining that I
!
aian s leeiaiarmea.
THE BOTTOMLESS JUG.
t?2
SAW IT hanging up in the kitchen
L of a thrifty, healthy, sturdy far-
w p mer in Oxford county, Maine
a bottomless jug 1 xne nost
V Baw that the curious thing
I lght my eye, and smiled.
"You are wondering wnat tnat jug
nanging up there for with its bottom
jocked out," he said. 1 'My wife, per-
Japs, can tell you the story batter taan
lean; but she is bashful andlaint,
S3 111 tell it."
4 'My father, as you are probably
vare, owned this farm before me.
3 lived to a good old age, worked
.rd all his life, never squandered
xrr a a on.titir.il trader, and a
tyd calculator ; and, as men were ac-
bnted in his day and generation, he
j.8 a temperate man. I was the
(ungest boy; and when the old man
la ready to go and he knew it the
aers agreed that since I had stayed
home and taken care of the old
folks, the farm should be mine, and to
Jne it was willed. I had been married
' hen tnree years.
44 Well, father died mother had
me three years before and left the
,rm to me, with a mortage on it for
vo thousand dollars. I'd never
hought of it before. I said to Mollie,
ay wife:
44Mollie, look here. Here father's had
his farm in in its first strength of sou,
ith it3 magnificent timber and his six
vs.as they grew up,e qua! to so max y
ien to help him ; and he worked hard,
orked early and late, and yet look at
! A mortgage of two thousand dol
9. What can I do?
OAn(J T nront. tn that 111C it had a
auuiii w o
. .. j 1 J
ii MmM it tnpn ana iuuk a kuuu
I )?l0C8(l a curious look on the face
' i'Af U wiffi iimt then, and I asked her
-
ene tnougns 01 , ior x euppuseu
was thinking of what I d been
!k about. And so she was, for Bhe
4 id:
" 'Charles, I've thought of this a
reat deal, and I've thought of a way
la which l Deueve 1 can ciear mis
ortage eff before five years are
tded.'
"Says 1: Mollie, tell me how you'll
!
o it.
She thought for awile, and then
id, with a funny twia&uug in her
ue eyes says ehe:
'Charlie, you inuat promise oae this.
,i promise me solemnly and sacredly :
"Orniae me that you will never bring
cine for the purpose of dnn&ing for
beverage, at any time, any more
irit than you can bring in that old
g the jug your father has used eve
ncs I knew mim, and which you have
sei ernes he was done with it.'
"Well, I knew father used, once in a
I bile, especially in haying time, and
vinter when we were at work in
re woods, to get an old gallon j ag
lied: so I thought that she meant
pt I should never buy more than two
aarta at a time. I thought it over,
M after a little while told her that I
culd agree to it.
'"Now mind,1 said she, 4you are
tver to bring home any more spirits
an you can bring in that identical
g.' And I gave her the promise.
"And before I went to bed that
ght I took the last pull at that jug.
I was turning cut for a sort oC nigfct
P. Mollie looked up, and says she:
Jbharlie have you got a drop left?'
"There was just about a drop left,
e d have to get it filled on the mor
w. Tnen she said, if I had no ob
ydzn, she would drink that last drop
th me. I shall never forget how
e s id it 'that la9t drop V However,
1 CP w- o '
t about a great spoonful, and Mollie
.ii snort thfl niri Tier Dotcom ud. auu
d that was enough. She took the
Gaoler and poured a few drops of
It waier into it and a bit of sugar,
d thea she tinkled her glass against
se, j i5t as she had seen us boys do,
ien we'd been drinking to good luck
' ays she 'Here's to the old brown
"3 ikes alive I I thought to myself
at poor Mollie had been drinking
r and I tell you it kind o cut me to
2 heart. I forgot all about how
a&y times she'd seen mo when my
He was pantirjg hard from running, bo,
I being still undaunted,
very boldly faced the rascal and de
manded what ha wanted ;
I was quite as big as he was, and I was
not out of breath,
80 I didn't fear his shooting me, or
stabbing me to death.
In answer to my questions the high
wayman raised aa arm
And pointinted it straight at me tho'
I still felt no alarm ;
He didn't ask for money, hut what he
said was this:
"You cannot pass, papa, unless you
give your boy a kiasP
American Agriculturist.
fjiit:
tongue was thicker than it ought to be,
and my legs not so steady aa good legs
ought to be; but I said nothing. I
drank the sentiment The old brown
jug' and let it go.
'Well, I went out after that, and did
my chores, and then went to bed ; and
the last thing I said before leaving the
kitchen this very room where we
now sit, wa&:
44 4 We'll have the old brown jug filled
to morrow.'
4 4 And then I went off to bed. And
I have remembered ever since that I
went to bed to bed that night as I had
done hundreds of times before, with a
buzzing in my head that a healthy
man ought not to have. I didn't think
of it then, nor had I ever thought of it
before, but I've thought of it a good
many times since, and have thought of
it with wonder and awe.
4 4 Well, I got up the next morning
and did my work at the barn, then
came in and ate my breakfast, but
not with such an appetite as a farmer
ought to have, and I could not think
then that my appetite . had begun to
fail. However, I ate my breakfast,
and fhen went out and hitched up the
old mare ; for, to tell the plain truth,
I was feeling in the need of a glass of
spirits, and I hadn't a drop in the
house. I was in a hurry to get to the
village. I hitched up and came in for
the jug. I went for it in the old cup
board and took it out. and
44Did you ever break through the
thin ice on a snapping cold day, and
find yourself in an instant, over your
head in freezing water? Because that
is the way I felt at that moment. The
jug was there, but the bottom was
gone. Mollie had taken a sharp chisel
and a hammer, and, with a skill that
might hav) done credit to a master
workman, and she had clipped the bot
tom clean out of the jug without even
cracking the edges of the sides. I look
ed at the jag, and then she burst out.
She spoke Oh, I had never heard any
thing like it I N ), nor have I heard
anything like it since. She said :
44 'Charles, that's where the mort
gage on this farm came from 1 It was
brought home within that jug two
quarts at a time ! And there's where
your white, clean skin, and your clear,
pretty eyes are going also. Oh, let it
be as is is, dear heart I And remem
ber your promise !'
Aud thea she threw her arms
arouud my neck and burst into tears.
She could speak no more.
"And thore was no need. My eyes
were opened as though by magic. In
a single minute the whole scene passed
passed before me. I saw all the mort
gages on all the farms in out neighbor
hood ; and I thought where the money
had gone. The very last mortgage
father had ever made was to pay a bill
held against him by the man who had
filled this j ig for years ! Yes, I saw it
passed before me a glittering picture
of rum I rum I rum! debt I debt!
debt ! and in the end death ! And I
returned my Mollie's kiss, and said I :
44 'Mollie, my own, I'll keep the prom
ise ! I will, bo help me heaven !
"And I have kept it. In less than
five years, as Mollie had said, the
mortgage was cleared eff; my appe
tite came back to me ; and now we've
got a few thousand dollars at interest.
There hangs the old jug juss as we
hung i; on that day ; and from that
time there hasn't been a drop of spirits
brought into the house for a beverage
which that bottomless jug wouldn't
hold:
"Dear old jug I We mean to keep ii
and hand it down to our children for
the lesson it can give them a lesson
of a life happy, peaceful, prosperous
and blessed !"
And as ho ceased speaking, his wife,
with her arm drawn tenderly around
the neck of her youngest boy, mur
murad a fervent amen. Nashville Ad
vocate. Talk not of deeds of valor, nor of fame,
Nor of thy wealth and worldly great
ness ooast.
Remember this: though feeble ba his i
fame.
And few his gifts and uneztolled his
nftmo.
The greatest man is he that loves the
most.
Geo. H. Rowles.
Our Social Chat.
EDITED BY AUNT JENNIE. R4XEIGH. N. a
Here is a column for everybody ladies, sen
tlemen, boys, trirla. fathers and mothers
Everybody Is invited to write on subjects of in
terest to thorn. Never mind if you are not
perfect aa a writer, give us your thoughts and
we will see that they are in good shape before
they are published.
The Progressive Farmer is a paper for every
member of the family, and young and old alike
are s i Ptrons and its friends. We hope to
unite these thousands of our friends "in a bond
of friendship that will be a help and an inspira
tion to each one of us." The friendship of each
2! our readers, the confidence of the old North
state's sturdy sons, and the trust of each of her
daughters, is what this paper aims to win "by
helping each one of them to do more, to be more
ana to enjoy more in this beautiful world." We
hope this scirit will animate each letter, and
breathe through every page. Address letters to
Aunt Jennie," care of Tom Pboqressiv Far
mr. Raleigh, N. C.
AUNT JENNIE'S TALK.
There are eouls in the world who
have the gift of finding joy every
where. Their influence is the inevita
ble gladdening of hearts. They give
light without maaning to shin ; they
lift burdens that they know not of.
All housekeepaers have worries, and
each of us can think of some one who
seems to see every thing on the bright
side and we long to be like them . We
know that worry kills, and we believe
that to worry over things that we can
not possibly change is a sin, still how
much difference do we And between
worry and anxiety. All of us know
that those who never feel anxious
about any thing accomplish very
little.
Contentment ia an admirable virtue
but an over supply of it will land a
man in the poor house for he sits and
lets what he believes to be well enough
alone, while the dissatisfied person gets
out and pushes things along. It is
those individuals who never feel any
anxiety to better their condition who
are stumbling blocks every where. It
ia the people who do not worry about
their children's education who fill up
the country with ignorant and illiterate
citizens.
Perfectly satisfied people are largely
in the minority in thia world and we
are glad it is so, else where would push,
pluck and progress find a habitation
their wonderful works to perform?
Of course, there is no use worrying
about our neighbor's troubles, but the
heart that feels no grief but its own,
that never aches but with its own pain
and the eye that sheds no tear of sym
pathy know only half of life. How
ever some people seem made to worry
over mere nothings, and seem to take a
peevish pleasure in it, to the utter dis
gust of all who come near them. It is
not possible for us to live without
some worry but it is our duty to God
and humanity that we always be as
pleasant as possible, whatever our
hearts feel .
Be glad and men will seek you ;
Qrieve and they turn and go;
They want full measure of all your
pleasure,
But they do not need your woe.
Be glad and your friends are many;
Be sad and you lose them all.
There are none to decline your nectared
wine,
But alone you must drink life's gall.
Feast and your halls are crowded;
Fast and the world goes by ;
Succeed and give and it helps you live ;
But no man can help you die.
There is room in the halls of pleasure;
For a large and lordly train.
But one by one we must all file on,
Through the narrow ailes of pain.
I have had several inquiries for knit
ting machines, one woman wishes one
that will knit woolen thread as well as
cotton. Would be glad to have manu
facturers of knitting machines adver
tise in The Progressive Farmer.
We make a bo wand extend the hand
of welcome to another new member
thia week. ' Wilkie," we feel that you
have really been a member of our band
for quite a whUe as your letter shows
that you have been listening to our
Chat3 if you have not let your voice
be heard until now. We are glad you
came and hope others will follow your
good example.
Madge B. is with us again this week,
to our delight. She writes such nice,
common sense letters. All will be in
terested in this one
Bachelor Jack's and Patience letters
failed to appear last week because of an
oversight at the office; however good
things never come too lte to be ap
preciatsd. They are in this week.
L3t us hear from you all Aunt
Jennie.
P. S. I hope husbands will hunt up
The Progressive Farmer of August
23 rd and read the article page 5 "about
Vacations."
Girls can find much feodfer thought
in 'A Girl's Influence" on page 5 last
week. Let the young ladies read and
ponder.
What do the Chatterer's think of the
sentiments expressed in "Those Happy
Days" on same page? Do you believe
that children are so much happier than
older people? A. J.
WHY BACHELOR JACK DIDN'T MARRY.
Dear Aunt Jennie: I think the giris
have given Careless Tom all the infor
mation necessary in regard to love and
what love is. Careless Tom also has
delivered a very good plain and prac
tical lecture to the girls.
Now Aunt Jennie I think it would
be good policy for we old bachelors and
girls to quit throwing stones at each
other. Bemember "a house divided
against itself shall not stand," and I
am afraid if we keep up this bickering
Aunt Jennie will give up in disgust
and cast us all overboard. We are all
Aunt Jennie's neices and nephews and
we should strive to be an honor to her
and her household so that she will take
a pride and delight in helping us.
I see that our sucb?am, Jennie
Acton, has a cloud of darkness at last
and she was the one whom we all
thought never saw any thing sunshine
and pleasure 1 Yes, the tattlers are
showing her up. Jennie, I dont care
how much decorum you use you may
be sure of one thing there will always
be Borne one some where to show you
up. So Jennie it all comes and goes in
a life time and if you live long enough
you will fiad such is life and get used
to it after a while. I know exactly
how it is, Jennie ; they came very near
marrying me several times and the
only oj iction that I had was their
failure to do so. I reckon they would
have succeeded if the girl had not told
me that she would not marry me. And
I decided then and there that I would
never marry that girl if she did not
4 'take that back."
Daisy Bell I am old enough to have
gray hairs on my head. So I will now
bid you all good night. Bachelor
Jack.
A NICE LETTER FROM PATIENCE.
Dear Aunt Jennie: I cannot resist
the temptation to write again and tell
you how much I like your corner. It has
so many interesting and instructive
letters in it each week. I can assure
you I derive much benefit from read
ing them. I am so glad you conceived
the idea of starting our 'Social Chat' in
The Progressive Farmer. It drawa
us all nearer together and we seem al
most like one large family. Many of
the Chatterers seem like old friends to
me, already.
Jennie Acton, I am so glad, that fel
low did not take you to Florida with
him, at the time "they" had appointed.
We would not like to lose the life and
sunshine of our corner. There may be
others who could fill your place but
they don't do it.
A Tennessee Boy" will please not
b ) discouraged because the girl's slight
ed him for being a poor country boy.
All girls are not of that type. There
are still a few true "Jefferaonian" girls,
as Careless Tom calls them, left. When
he meets the future Mrs. , he will
be glad the others refused to make him
unhappy. I want to cay to Careless
Tom, that it may be that the man,
"who powders most, perfumes most,
embroiders most and talks most non
sense," is most admired by some girls,
but there are quite a number who, if
selecting a life companion would desire
a strictly "Jeifersonian" young man.
Girls, I notice that many of you are
rather hard on the bachelors. Please
don't condemn them till you know
more about the matter. Doubtless
most of them have good reasons for
remaining single; and if a few prefer
living alone doing their own cooking,
washing, ironing and patching they
are free to do ps they like about it; so
let us talk about something more inter
esting. My letter is so lengthy I expect Aunt
Jennie will consign it to the waste
basket.
By the way tell Careless Tom that
love is the link that joins earth to
heaven. Patience.
MADGE B. SCORES FLIRTS.
Dear Aunt Jennie: I was much dis
appointed in not seeing any of the
Chatterers letters in our last issue. I'm
willing to help make it as social as I
can. I would hate to give up our col
umns. It is so nice to exchange ideas
in that way and I do hope the Chatter
ers will all continue to write. I would
have written before but I didn't want
to be too selfish.
Aunt Jen aie gave a query week be
fore last, "the flirting of young pea
pie." I think flirting one of the silliest
habits young people ever fall into. 1
don't care how well raised atid how
stylish a young man or woman may
be, nor how wealthy, if they acquire
the habit of flirting, it shows that "one
thing thou iackest." What is more
disgustiag than to see a young lady go
into a parlor to entertain company ana
commeiLce "putting on airs1,' and smil
mg eilly smiles at every word that is
spoken; or to hear her keep repeating
"O my 1 ' or some otner such unmean
ing remark?
If I were a young man and worship
ped at the feet o a girl and she were to
become a flirt I would just leave her
alone, because I should know she was
quite brainlers. I don't know of any
thing that I detest more than a flirt .
It is a base em to seek to deceive and
what is flirting but deception? Some
girls think if they put on airs and smile
it increases their beauty but it my
opinion it ia a sad mistake. The pret
tiest girl in my mind is one all uncon
scioua of her charms, sweet and inno
cent aa the lily. Our girls of today
make a grave mistake in fl rting with
there twenty five cent dudes that pat
ronize the tailor shops get "trusted" foi
what they wear, and spend their
money in clubrooms, barrooms, pool
rooms and for cigarettes. When one
sees them out they look as if they are
worth as much as Vanderbilt. Marry
one and you will find ever so many un
paid bills.
I don't tolerate flirting in the sim
pleat form for one has to pretend what
they are not. No true person will flirt,
for it is a false act. Can we be Chris
tians and act what we do not mean?
My motto is "deal square and fair in
everything" if you don't like a person,
dont, for heaven's eake run out, when
they chance to call, with a kiss and
"I'm so glad you've come." I don't be
lieve in kisses. Our Lord and Master
was betrayed with a false kiss.
I dont care how high a person is in
my estimation if I know of them flirt
ing I don't prize their friendship any
longer.
Now, as to Tennessee Boy: Why
should a young man of only twenty
nvo years give up the idea of marry
ing just because some sawdust brained
girl jthed him? If she took his pres
ents and then treated him coolly she
was to blame. My advice to that young
man is to pay his attentions to some
other girl. The girl that will slight a
man because he is poor isn't worth a
thought. There is many a noble heart
concealed under a ragged jacket. The
truth is our noblest men and women
come from the humblest homes.
Mamma says she is sure I will be an
old maid because I'm so plain and
speak my mind to any one. I think if
the young people would practice plain
speaking there would be more happy
homes in our country than there are.
I wouldn't marry any one but a far
mer. Aren't the farmer boys the great
drive wheel that turns the whole ma
chinery of the world?
Charity asked for a receipt to make
good egg bread I will give her one that
makes excellent bread : Two eggs, one
teaspoonf ul of salt. Beat eggs and salt
together. One tablespoonful each, of
fljur and sugar; one heaping table
spoonful of lard; one pins of meal
sifted. Melt lard and pour in batter.
Bake in a pan in quick oven.
Would like to hear from some one
else on the subject of flirting or de
ception.
Did Careless Tom mean he wanted
more girls like Jefferson's first love
or did he mean he wanted more girls
with the grit, grace and gumption of
Tefforson? He will find girls in
plenty like Jefferson's first love. I
have been in company and have seen a
farmer boy come to call on the young
ladies that were entertaining some silly
minded flirt and hear the remark:
"who wants that old hay seed?"
I really enjoyed "Sam Markham's
Wife" for we see so much of that in
our every day life.
Success to The Progressive Farmer
and long may its editors live.
Will some one or more tell me what
make 3 the true man or woman? Your
uiknown friend, Madge B , Moycck,
N. 0.
SOME QUERIFS,
Dear Aunt Jennie: "Chatterers" in
Lenoir county are very f carce, and we
all do not appreciate as we ought the
kindness of the editors in giving us so
much space in their good paper. I en
joy reading the letters very much.
Some of the boys aid girls have had,
some varied experiences, in the art of
love making. The question was asked
what love was? and I want to humbly
suggest, that it is the "quint essence ot
inexpressibleness. "
I certainly do not object to seeing
the ladies ride a wheel if they wish,
but do draw the line at "blcomers."
Will some one tell me why a bache
lor grows older and gets "crustier,"un
til the love of a good woman cannot
break the ice around his heart?
I am very much of the opinion of
Helen Kimball, as regards troubles of
our own. It is our duty to smile at tbe
world, for there are always plenty of
people to frown.
1 am sorry that Jennie Acton cannot
put down the tattlers, the modern pests
of every community.
The tribute Will Bstlaw pa s to the
power and beauty of woman is grand,
and must nee dis emanate from a noble
and generous nature.
Should like to correspond with some
of the couainF.
Will fcome one give me some reasons
why a Christian ehould love a worldly
person sufficiently to marry them?
Success to "Social Chat." I hope to
come again. "Wilkie
Bill Did you read, nbout that fellow
writing a poem on a $50 bill?
Jill No ; the. editor kept it, of course.
"No; he returned it."
"What I an t ditor return a $50 bill?"
"Yea; he didn'i know what it was."
Yonkera Statesman.
3
NOT RECORDED.
"Will you be kind enough, sir, to
hold this ram for me while I open thix
gate? It is fastened on the inside, and
I muBt climb over."
This modest request was made by a
man who was standing at a gate on a
lonely road, and it was addressed to a
stalwart sailor who had just come up.
The only other object visible on the
long, straight road was the large black
ram, whose '.massive crooked horns
were being held by the man as the two
stood quite sill in front of the gate.
"Why sartinly, shipmate," said the
obliging tar, as he seized the big horns
and relieved the first holder.
The latter climbed quickly over the
gate.
"I thank you very much," be said
politely, when he got to the other side.
"You will be surprised to hear that I
never saw that ram before to dav.
m -
The brute attacked me about half an
hour ago, and we have been tussling
together ever since. As long as you
stand before him holding his horns
firmly, he can't hurt you much.
Good bye. I hope you will be as lucky
in getting away from him as I have
been."
What the sailor said is not recorded
-Concord Times.
I agree with Polly and B. I. T. when
they say, "High ideals make better
men. " "Lies us require the young men
we associate with to be as pure us they
require us to be." If the young ladies
of our country would say, "We will
not associate with drunkards, gam
blers, prof ainera, those who visit dens
of iniquity or are guilty of any other
immoral conduct," it would do more to
elevate humanity and to raise tho
standard of morality and Christianity
than all the preachers and courts in
the land.
Girls, you can do that much for the
upbuilding of mankind. If it hits me
I'll take my medicine. It will do more
to solve that all important question.
'Is marriage a failure" than anything
else. We as men, should not engage
n any kind of immoral conduct that
would cause us to shrink back in hor
ror should our best girls follow suit.
Woman is the next thing to an angel
if she'll try to be, and she can almost
make a saint of man if she begins in
time. Too often she winks at his sins
till she gets him and then she raises
sand because he keeps it up. Mothers,
train your boys right from the cradle
up, and they will make suitable com
panions for your daughters. "Aye,
there's the rub." You do not begin in
time.
An unmarried man is but half a per-
feet being, and it requires the other
half to make things right. It cannot
be expected that in this imperfect
state he can keep the straight path of
rectitude any more than a boat with
one oar can keep a straight course.
The unmarried man never feels settled
or contented. His own bouse being so
uninviting the bachelor is inclined to
seek diversions outside, in suppers. .
with friends, in clubs and societies,
which often lead to intemperance and
vice, leading to speedy ruin of health
and morals. Marriage ia necessary to
the perfect man, for divinity has an
nounced that it was not good for man
to bo alone. The counsel, the affec
tions, the example and the interest of
his better half keeps him from falling
into thousands of temptations to which
he otherwise might be exposed. There
fore the friend of marriage is the friend
of society and his country. With best
wishes to all, I am,
Don Quixote.
Victoria, Texas.
A learned French doctor says that
love is caused by a microbe, and that
we "catch it" the same as we do the
measles and small pox, and like other
contagious and infectious diseases we
are much more likely to get it when
depressed or debilitated. Here we
have a physiological explanation of
"In the spring a young man's fancy
Lghtly turns to thoughts of love."
Spring debility simplyfcopens the way
for this pestiferous microbe. In spite
of all this knowledge, and knowing the
dreadful coneequences that oftentimes
follow, many will no doubt continue to
r?cklecsly expose themselves to its in
fluence, and even go out of their way
for this purpose, as children frequently
do to get the measles. Clayton.
More of Man's Cruelty. It is hard
lines to win a woman with bonbons for
a year and feed her on bread and but
ter for a lifetime. Dstroit Free Preee.
r?
mm
are a source of comfort. They are
a source of care, also If you care
for your child's health, send tor
illustrated book on the disorders
to which children are subject
and which.
FREY'S VERMIFUGE
has cured for 50 years.
Ob bottl by mail for 25 enU.
PREY,
n-i.i .a