.F0iJ (700 FOtf COUftTRT AND FOR TRUT3."
Jl. UU a yearm advance r
VOL. VI.
PLYMOUTH, N. C, FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1895.
NO. 28.
Koanolstf Publishing Oo.
''A
it
V
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THE IITTJLE MEETING XA.SS.
When meeting bells began to toll,
And plou4 folks began to pass,
She deftly tied her bonnet on,
The little sober meeting lass,
All In her neat, whUe-ourtalned room, be
fore her tiny looking glass.
So nlooly round her lady cheeks
She smoothed her bands ot glossy hair,
nd Innocently wondered If
Her bonnet did not make her fair
then sternly chid her foolish heart for har?
boring such fanclss there.
feo gquor she tied the satin strings,
V And set. "the bows beneath her chin ;
fhen smiled to see how sweet she looked
Then thought her vanity a sin,
tnd she must put her thoughts away before
the sermon should begin, ' '
jEut, sitting 'neath the preached Word,
Demurely in her father's pew,
Che thought about her bonnet still
' Yes, all the parson's) sermon through,
.About its pretty bows and buds, wbioh bet
tor than the text she knew.
Xet sitting there, with peaceful face,
, The reflex of her simple soul,
fine looked to be a saint
nd maybe was one on the wh6?C
Only that her pretty bonnet kept away the
r aureole,
Mary E. Wilklns.
Widow Muggins's Kevolt.
R.S. MUGGINS
stood at the door
of the little two
story house i n
whioh she and hex
two brothers had
lived since Hug'
gins had been re
moved from the
responsibilities of
life through the convenient agenoj
of a railroad smash-up. His widow,
capable soul that she was, felt more
t keenly the financial smash-up than the
other one, that had forced her into
unbecoming mourning attire, and
when, after a sifting out of assets and
'liabilities, she found herself with less
- than $1000 to call her own, she de
termined to put pride in her pocket
3iTHl go back to the little home on the
hf'ot the prairie, from which she
J walked proudly forth a bride
mHt:4 twenty years before.
jrhen the letter announcing Mrs.
,3 Z. s'fins's intention of taking up her
-JLl. ' with them reached the two
' its it created a distinctly diea
i 1 sensation. Henry and James
vH.Xj "sot in their ways," as the
r4 Jhbors would have told you, and
the thought of breaking up the regu
lar routine of their existence, even for
the sake of their only sister, was a
bitter pill for the two old bachelors to
swallow.
,: "Thank goodness, she ain't got no
children," exploded Henry, as h
tipped his chair still farther back af
ter having refilled his pipe for its final
duty, just so many pipes being a part
of the regulation evening formula.
' "Yes, we couldn't abide children, no
how," echoed James, pulling off his
great boots and tossing before the
blaze a pair of decidedly ample feet in
woefully holey gray socks.
I The light of these foot coverings
evidently furnished Henry with food
, for reflection, for after a few minutes
silent puffing he remarked : T'rapsjil
wouldn't be such a bad idee after alL
Seems if we kinder need a woman to
look after us. Fhoibe Jones is all very
well as long as the cookin' goes, but
there's other things look at yer socks
fer instance. Looks as if they'd been
chawed, an mine's jest ez bad. I kin
remember we didn't hev no sich look-
" in' rags when ma wuz alive to look
arter 'em."
, "No more we didn't. P'raps now,
come to think on it, Mary's
comin' might prove a savin.
We kin do away with Phoebe
Jones's help, and she writes she's got
some little money of her own, so she
won't expect us to give her no clothes.
We'll let her come, though I s'pose
it'll sorter upset our evepin's.'
"I'm 'fraid it will," responded
Henry, "but then she's our blood re
lation, an' there may be a savin' in
' it." . .
j Thus it was that the Widow Mug
. gins received a terse, cold letter' an
nouncing that ehe could .once again
- take up .her abode in the house of her
youth, the selfish sentences winding
np with : "Ef yer had had children w
1 couldn't have stood it nohow."
Ten years had passed since the daj
the little pale faced widow arrived at
the old farm, and as she stood at th
open front door, shading her eye
with her hands, one could see thi
change that the years had brought to
her. The soft brown eyes had in
them the look that comes to those ac
customed to viewing groat plains, to
gazing out and beyond, away of? into
another world from which the gazer is
shut by the unvarying tedium of daily
toil. There was a wistful hopelessnesi
in their depths that crept there only
in those brief intervals such as now,
when she waited for the men folks to
come to meals or could dream by the
window of her little room.
"I wouldn't care," murmured Mrs.
Muggins as she entered the kitchen to
place . the last -dish on the .neatly
spread board, "if they would only say
a kind word once in a while just to
show that they appreciated what I do
for them. The only way to make them
appreciate me would just be to go ofl
and leave them in the lurch, but that
would be so mean," she added as an
afterthought, seeing through her
mind's eye the two helpless old men
stranded in theoIdaTmliouse"without
a soul to perform the hundred little
offices that she was accustomed to
shouldering.
"Pa'son High druv by the lower
medder this mornin'an' he says ab now
Phoebe Jones ia terrible bad with
lever,'? said Henry as the two sat down
to the bountifully spread table, for
though the brothers were econdmical
to the verge of miserliness in other
matters.they never stinted their stom
achs, though they never would have
forgiven Mary if . she had ever ven
tured to give so much as ' a stale bis
cuit to a tramp ot any of the poor
families living in the vicinity.
"How long has she been sick?"
queried Mrs. Muggins, as she passed
the speaker a fragrant cup of tea,
which he at onoe proceeded to turn
Into his' saucer before appearing to
notice the question.
"Nigh onto . ten days," he replied,
after the first gulp.
"I heard she was sick at meetin,"
put in James, who was a regular at
tendant at all religious servioes, but a
most reluctant giver when the plate
was passed.
"You knew she was sick last Snn
day and never told me," here put in
Mrs. Muggins, with more spirit than
she had ever shown in the whole ten
years of her service in the old house
on the edge of the prairie.
"What was the use? When folks is
sick they ain't no account, and there's
no 6ense of well folks bein' worried
about 'em. I thought as how ef you'd
knDWdl Pii 3 be wuz took down you
might er had some notion of goin'
over to see her, and knowin it wuz
soap-makin time I thought I'd better
not."
Mrs. Muggins only bit her lip at
this typical selfish explanation, but
her hand trembled as she refilled Hen
ry's cup, and into her eyes crept a
look of determination such as they had
seldom worn since Muggins died.
"I s'pose the pa'son wanted some
thin ; 'Pears as if that man ain't con
tent with a decent house and $150 a
year for preachin only twice on Sun
day. Some folks never know when
they're well off.
"A hundred and fifty dollars a year
ain't much when there's five mouths
to feed, and besides, you know he
don't get that regular," put in Mrs.
Muggins, the new spirit of resistance
making her feel inclined to argue
every question that was raised. The
brothers looked at each other in
alarm. They did not know what to
make of this outbreak from the usual
ly passive third member of the house
hold. James, who recovered first,
evidently thought it best to nip any
such argumentative tendency in the
bud, 'so, with an impressive cough and
a look indicative of the pride he felt
in thus suppressing the offender, he
said :
"Mary, wimmen folks wasn't made
to think. What Pa'son High's salary
is, or how it is paid, is no consarn of
yourn. I think your kittle has biled
over."
When Mary went to look after the
imaginary trouble on the stove he
turned to his brother and as nearly
winked as he had ever been guilty of
doing, and then took up the thread of
the interrupted discourse.
"What did the pa'son say wuz ailin'
Phoebe?"
"Fever," laconically answered
Henry; "it's uome kind of catchin'
thing, an' no one'll go near her. She
ain't go no doctor, nuther, but pa'son
knows a good bit about medicine, an
he says shell die ef some one don't go
an' nuss her pretty quick."
"Why don't his wife go ef it's so bad
as till that?" put in James.
"'Nother baby," gruffly replied
Henry.
"Goodness me," said his brother,
jumping up ; "here we've set a talkin'
and it's ten minits past our usual time
fer goin' ter bed. Good night, Mary.
Henry, don't set there starin' like an
owl," at which the other arose and the
two went above and were lost in
dreams long before poor, tired, little
Mrs. Muggins had finished tidying up
the kitchen.
The brothers would not have slept
so peacefully if they had known that
up in Mrs. Muggins's room the single
candle was spluttering along until
close on to midnight and the former
meek little sister in its feeble light
was busily engaged in putting some
of her belongings into the capacious
carpet-bag that she bad brought out
pVest ten years before. ' 'It's downright
heathenish, that's what it is," she said
f o herself as she patted down an extra
nightcap. "If they want to go before
their Maker with that girl's death on
their conscience it is more than I do,
and even though they turn me out ot
doors, I'm going to go and do my duty
by Phoebe poor girl ; many a time
she's given me a helping hand when I
was ready to drop, and she knew right
well, too, she couldn't expect any pay
for it. I've got my $1000 and its ac
cumulated interest, and if the worst
comes to the worst I'll just pack up,
and when Pheebe gets well she and I'll
go East and see if we can't make ' a
living somehow. Ljand knows I
couldi't work any harder than I have
in the last ten years if I had to go
into a factory."
Thus it was that in the morning
when the brothers came downstairs
they found a note on the table ex
plaining the absence of the household
drudge, whose loss they already keenly
felt, the cold stove and unprepared
breakfast teaching them very con
clusively that they needed a woman
around."
"Strange Mary never showed no
notion of kickiu over the traces
afore," said Henry, as he tried to'
drink a cup of very muddy coffee pre
pared by James. "Wimmen is all
queer, an' you kin never tell when
they 's goin' to break out. I must say,
however, I'm disappointed in Mary ;
it ain't decent nor nateral like to go
off nussin' a workhus' girl and leavin'
her own kith and kin to git along as
best they kin."
"It's soap makin' time, too."
groaned Henry.
"Yes, and there's all them pertaters
as need sortin', and the apples'll rot
ef some un don't can 'em of suthin' an'
the feather beds to be picked over,
an' the socks, an', an' Oh, Lor', whal
will we do 1"
"Do without her," replied Henry,
who by thjs time had plucked up a bit
f grim courage as he saw how rapidly
his brother was losing, that com
modity. ' .v:'':-'-
But as the days went on they found
khey could not do without her. The
peighbors, who had always been in
sympathy with kind-hearted little
Mrs. Muggins, now absolutely refused
to come to the aid of the helpless
despots, who saw their pretty, tidy
home assuming an uncomfortable,
slovenly appearance that had not been
there for years.
Mr3. Muggins, on her side, was in
her element She had found poor
Phoebe far on the road to the other
world when she stepped into the little
cabin in the wee sma' hours of that
morning when she had crept from her
brothers' house like a thief. Good
nursing, however, had done wonders
for the girl, who was now able to sit
up. The plan to go East became more
and more a delightful prospect as she
thought of it, until so full of it was
she that she confided in the minister,
who in turn told James all about it
when next he passed by the field
where the old man was at work. This
information was the climax of the
brothers' woe.
"James," said Henry, "Mary's
prettier than I thought ef she once
gits East she won't come back, an' you
know how bad that ud look to the
neighbors. I think we'd better drive
over to Pheebe Jones's and ask Mary
ter come back."
"Ef it wasn't for what folks ud say
wouldn't go near her for we're get-
tin on very tolerable well without
her," capitulated James, who on the
eve of surrender would not acknowl
edge how much they missed and needed
the sister who hod been given so
grudging a welcome.
The next day the lumbering old
farm wagon drew up before Phosbe's
door. MrsMuggins had seen it as it
orawled over the dusty road, and,
feeling that her one chance of eman
cipation was at hanl, prepared to
make the most of it. Pheebe was
asleep in the room that answered foi
kitchen and bedchamber as well, so
Mrs. Muggins walked out to the road
as the ramshackle wagon drew up be
fore the door.
"Pa'son s&ja yer thinkin' uv going
East," was James'n salutation, as
though no long weeks of separation
had intervened since he saw her last.
"Yes, I'm off in a day or two, as
soon as Phoebe's strong enough t
travel."
Being thus admonished, James
looked over the head of the little wo
man standing at the side of the wagon
and stammered: "Yer brothers
house is the place for you, Mary."
"I know that, James, but when
brothers don't know how to treat a
sister as though she was a human be
ing, it's time for them to quit part
nership." "Why, what do you mean?" dame in
astonished chorus from the two.
"Haven't you had your board and
lodgin free for ten years?"
"And haven't I worked hard enough
to pay for it? You haven't hired any
kitchen help since I came. You've
never had to give out any carpet rags
to be sewed or feather beds to be sort
ed, and I've served and slaved until
I'm sick. Board and lodging, indeed 1"
and the little woman, who now real
ized that she had the upper hand
sniffed scornfully.
The truth of her words apparently
struck home, for James, after sundry
telegraphio nudges from Henry, went
on: "P'haps we have been hard,
Mary, but if you'll only come baci
home and try us once more, we'll try
to do better ; indeed, we will, and a
ray of kindness flashed for a moment
in the old man's eyes as he surveyed
the small figure bristling with the
same spirit or whiefcrhe was so proud.
"Will you hire Pheebe to help me
in the kitchen?" "
"Yes."
"Will you carry out the tubs to
catch the rain water at night, instead
of letting me tote them when my
back's nigh onto broke?"
"We will," came the subdued
chorus.
"And will you let me go to meetin'
when I want to and have company to
tea, and give away cold victuals?"
went on tbo little general, making
terms once and for all.
"Anything, Mary, if you'll only
c-me back and look arter us as you
used ter."
"All right, then, I'll come."
And thus Mrs. Muggins's mutiny
ended in a blaze of glory. Philadel
phia Times.
k Baby Launches a Warships.
AtChiswick, England, tae Ardent,
torpedo boat destroyer, was launched
recently from the yard of Messrs.
Thornycroft Ss Company. The Ar
dent i3 a sister ship to the Daring,
whieh broke the record of speed al
sea in June last, and, like her, is fit'
ted with the Thornycroft water-tuba
boilers. The vessel was named by
Mrs. J. O. Cornish, eldest daughter of
J. L Thornycroft, and launched by
Miss Esther Phyllis Cornish, aged six
months. A touch of the baby's hand
on a specially-designed electrical ap
paratus started the vessel on the ways,
whence she glided into the river with
all her engines and machinery on
board. The Ardent is armed with one
twelve-pounder and three six,-pounder
quick-firing guns. Her contract speed
is twenty -seven knots. Detroit Free
res8,
A New Disease.
Mamma "What is Willie crying
about?"
Bridget "Shure, ma'am, he want
ed to go across the sthreet to Tommy
Brown's."
Mamma "Well, why didn'tyoulet
him gc ?"
"They were having charades, he
said, ma'am, and I wasn't shure as
hc'd had 'em vat. " nhinairo Tnter-
Ocean. '
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
AN EXCELLENT DRINKING TAKE.
The illustration of a drinking tank
is from M. K. Barnum, Nebraska. It
is simple, cheap and easily cleaned.
It is a tin box, about two incheB deep
and a foot square, having a detachable
cover, with the corners of the covei
cut away ' to permit the chicks to
drink. The portions cut out may bo
small, so as to prevent chicks from
getting in the water, but with such a
shallow tank they cannot drown at all
events. The cover also keeps the dirt
out, and prevents evaporation of the
water. Mr. Barnum states that there
is nctpateni'on it, and he sctnds it as a
gift to our readers. A larger and
deeper tank on the same design may
be used for fowls. The plan may also
be adapted to a tight wooden box if
desired. Farm and Fireside.
WINTER MULCHING OF STRAWBERRIES.
As plants grow until freezing weath
er Bets in, mulching must be delayed
until the ground is frozen sufficiently
to "hold up a loaded wagon. With a
wide-tired vehiple there is less danger
of injuring the crowns. Any kind of
straw may be used. That most free
from weed or grass seeds is best.
Stable manure is good where -the laud
needs enriching, but it must not be
placed directly on the plants. Marsh
hay is most desirable, but any straw
or coarse litter will answer.
The object of mulching strawberries
in autumn is to prevent rapid thaw
ing. When once frozen the frost
should come out very gradually. II
the ground is merely shaded this ob
ject will be accomplished. To con
serve moisture in the spring until
after the berries are picked, apply the
mulch thickly between the rows. Put
a littlo light chaff directly on the
plants. Bake off this chaff when
growth begins. As freezing and
thawing is not rapid or frequent in
December, mulching may often be
delayed even to the latter part of Jan
uary. Amerioan Agriculturist,
ENSILAGE NOT A COMPLETE FOOD.
Ensilage alone is not an economical
food, as it is deficient in the starchy
matter, and has so much water in it
that a cow must eat 100 pounds of it
to get, enough nutriment to live upon.
For in 100 pounds of it there are only
twenty -two pounds of dry matter, of
which one-fourth is not digestible.
The digestible matter has about two
pounds of protein, or matters that go
to make flesh ; six pounds of carbon
aceous matters, that go to support the
animal heat, and not quite half a
pound of fat, while an animal of 1000
pounds must have fully two and one
half pounds of the first, twelve and
one-half pounds of the second, and
nearly half a pound of fat. Thus the
ensilage is deficient in the heat-forming
substances, and it will need some
addition of starchy matter, such as
middlings, to complete it. But 100
pounds of food of any one kind, ex
cept it be of the best pasture grasses,
is too much, and especially of ensilage,
which is by no means desirable for the
sole nutrition of an animal. Thus ii
is better to give one-half this quantity,
or fifty pounds, or even forty of it,
and make! up the rest of dry fodder, as
clover hay, with sufficient grain footi
to make the even ration. With forty
pounds of ensilage and ten of hay,
adding four pounds of corn meal and
the same of bran, or the equivalent of
any of the oil meals or the gluten,
meals for these, will make a full ra
tion for a cow giving a pound of but
ser a day. Hew York Time3.
PA Rll AND GARDEN NOTES.
Don't forget that fall plowing
sometimes saves a great deal of labor
in the spring, when time is precious.
Let the poultry have access to the
manure pile when the ground is frozen,
so that they may scratch and not be
come over fat.
Feed the fowls whole corn at night
if you wish, but in the morning let
them have wheat, oats, bran or corn
meal, mixed with the scraps from the
table ; mix to a stiff dough with water
I or milk.
I When the real cold weather comes.
Veep the horse's bridle in the kitcheu
by the stove. This will be appreciated
by the animal, as it will overcome the
necessity of having to take a cold bit
in his mouth.
The Alabama State Farmers' Insti
tute and Agricultural Society at their
late meeting recommended that the
farmers of that Stite reduce their cot
ton acreage twenty per cent, and grow
diversified crops. .
Cottonseed meal fed to excess will
injure the flavor of butter just as linr
seed meal in excess will injure the)
grain and flavor. The wise way is to
mix the different foods sd as to secure)
the best flavor, grain and hardness.
Fowls are creatures of habit in the
strictest sense, and when once they
form a habit, such as egg-eatingj
feather-pulling, or eating to excess,!
they will continue the fault as long as
they have opportunities for so doingj
It would be well to remember, that
during the long winter evenings yon
can occupy your time profitably by
reflecting upon the mistakes of last
season, and devising some means by
which you can overcome them in the ,
future. , '
An unsightly fence lessens the value
of a farm by giving it a "run-down"
appearance. Such a fence is not only
useless, but serves as a harboring
place for insects and collects' seeds ozj
weeds to be distributed ove? the farm!
n ext season. - .
! The Kieffer is especially productive
and liable to set much more fruit than
it can bring to full size. Often they,
are quite email, almost too small for ,
market. To make it a salable and
profitable market pear, it will need'
thorough thinning.
It has been positively settled thafc
the queen can transmit bee-paralyBia
and also carry from one looality, whera'
it may do no harm, to another, where)
the mischief may be great. A1reeder
who sells queens shonld, therefore,'
ever allow a case to remain in Ha
yard a day after discovery." .
The time has fully come when the'
dairy interests of the country can bestj
be subserved by a united ' and har
monious working together of all who
are in any degree conneoted there-'
with, and in no way can the best in 1
terests of each individual dairymaa
be better promoted than by becoming
a member of his State Dairy Associa
tion. HOUSEHOLD HINTS. '
Tn nrenare an ecrar for a sick
i. Wfc
... .-1 " 1 t.l.-
son, beat tne egg umu very ugui, -add
seasoning to taste, and then
steam until thoroughly warmed
fTivnnwTi Thin -will not talca more '
than two minutes. The most delicate
stomach will be able to digest it.
To keep irons from rusting wrap
them in common brown paper and put
them away in a dry place. : If they
have become rusty they may be made '
smooth and bright by putting soma .
white sand on a smooth board and
rubbing the iron over it several times.
Silver or steel thimbles are the only
kinds ever to be used. Other compo
sitions of which cheap thimbles are.
made are very frequently of lead or .
pewter, and their use is likely to re
sult in serious inflammation and
swelling if there is even a slight
scratch on the finger. ,
To wash one's hair is a matter re-.
quiring time, or, at any rate, the dry
ing of it requires time. To have one's
too great expense. A dry shampoo
saves the time of the busy woman and
the money of the poor one. It re
moves dust and dandruff almost M
well as washing.
Lord Russell's Rose. '
The Lord Chief Justice was (oa
smart for the juryman who on Satur
day sought to be excused from serving,
"On what ground?" asked his lordship. (
The man approached with his hand to
his ear and said. "I'm deaf my lord,
and cannot hear the evidence.", "You
can go," said Lord Russell in a whis-,
per. "Thank you, my lord," replied
the juryman, taken off his guard. But
the learned judge had not finished hia
sentence, and he sternly added, "int i
the box and do your duty !" The mar
quailed and obeyed in some confusion
at the failure of his ruse. Westmin
ster Budget.
The eye of the vulture Jb,. go con
structed that it irp a high-power teles
cope, enabling the bird to Bao obj'ta
at annLncat.iAcreduloua .distance.
V