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$J.oo a Year, In Advance. " FOR GOD, FOR COUNTRY, AND f OI TRUTH." Single Copy, $ Centa.
VOL. X V. PLYMOUTH, N, C, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1904. NO. 32
f
THE HAPPIEST HEART-
The happiest heart is i'lmple,
, None dares to call it wise;
It seeg the beauty- of its life
With frank and truthful eyes;
It has a knack of loving,
It has a trustful way
Oh, what a foolish heart is this,
v. . The worldlier people eay!
By C. A.
r5fcU5J I AT was what we used to
J call it nt the old home
O I O farm "mug-bread," the
j( best bread ever made.
(, .VOW When made and baked just
right it is a delicacy. But the making
and the baking of it are not easy and
a failure with mug-bread is something
awful.
Perhaps the reader may not know
It as mug-bread, for that was a local
name, confined largely to our own
Maine homestead and vicinity. It has
been called milk-yeast bread, patent
bread, milk-emptyings bread and salt
rising bread; and it has also been
stigmatized by several opprobrious and
offensive epithets, bestowed, I am told,
by irate housewives who lacked the
skill and genius to make It.
We named it mug-bread because
grandmother started it in an old por
celain mug; a tall, white, lavender-and-gold
banded mug, that held more than
a quart, but was sadly cracked, and,
for ' safety's sake, was wound just
above the handle with fine white silk
eord.
That mug was ixty-eight years old,
and that silk cord had been on it since
3S42. Its familiar kitchen name was
"Old Hannah." I suspect that the
interstices of. this ancient silk string
were the lurking places of that delight
ful yeast microbe that gave the flavor
to the bread. For there was rarely a
failure when that mug was used.
About once in four days, generally at
night, grandmother would take two
tablespoonfuls of cornmeal, ten of
boiled milk and half a teaspoonful of
salt, mix them well in that mug, and
set it on a low mantel shelf, behind
the kitchen stove funnel, where it
would keep uniformly warm overnight.
She covered in the top of the mug with
an old tin coffee pot lid, which just
fitted it.
When we saw Old Hannah go tip
there, we knew that some mug-bread
was incubating, and, if all worked well,
would be due the following afternoon
for supper. For you cannot hurry
mug-bread.
The next morning, by breakfast time,
a peep into the mug would show
whether the little "eyes" had begun to
open and peep up out of the mixture
or not. Here was where housewifely
skill came in. Those eyes must be
opened just so wide, and there must
be just so many of them, or else it
was not safe to proceed. It might be
better to throw the setting away and
start new, or else to let it stand till
noon. Grandmother knew as soon as
slie had looked at it.
If the omens were favorable, a cup
of warm water and a variable quantity
of carefully warmed flour were added,
and a batter made of about the consist
ency for fritters. This was set behind
the funnel again, to rise till noon.
More flour was then added and the
dough carefully worked and set for a
third rising. About 3 o'clock it was
put in tins and baked in an even oven.
The favorite loaves with us were
'cart-wheels," formed by putting the
dough in large, round, shallow tin
plates, about a foot In diameter. When
baked, the yellow-brown, crackery loaf
was only an inch and a half or two
inches thick. The rule at grandmoth
er's table was a "cart-wheel" to a boy,
with all the fresh Jersey butter and
canned fruit or berries that he wanted
with it.
Sometimes, however, the mug would
disappear rather suddenly in the morn
ing, and an odor as of sulphureted hy
drogen would linger about, till the
kitchen windows were raised and the
fresh west wind admitted.
That meant that a failure had oc
curred; the wrong microbe had ob
tained possession of the mug.
The happiest heart is childlike.
It never quite grows old ;
It sees the sunset's splendor
As it sow the dawning's gold;
It has a gift for gladness,
Its dreams die not away
Oh, what a fooliah, happy heart,
The worldlier people say!
-llipley D. Saunders, in St. Louis Republican.
STEPHENS
In such cases grandmother acted
promptly and said little. She was al
ways reticent concerning mug-bread.
It had unspeakable contingencies.
Our girl cousins, Ellen and Theodora,
who lived at the old homestead with
us, shared grandmother's reticence.
Ellen, in fact, could never be persuaded
to eat it, good as it was.
- "I know too much about it," she
would say. "It isn't nice."
Beyond doubt, when mug-bread goes
astray at about the second rising the
consequences are depressing.
If its iittle eyes fail to open and the
batter takes on a greasy aspect, with a
tendency to crawl and glide about, no
time should be lost Open all the win
dows at once and send the batter
promptly to the swill-barrel. It is use
less to dally with it. You will be sorry
if you do. When it goes wrong it is
utterly depraved.
I remember an experience which
Theodora and Ellen had with mug
bread on one occasion, when grand
mother was away from home. Aunt
Nabbie and Uncle Pascal Mowbray
came on from Philadejphia, while she
and grandfather were gone.
Aunt Nabbie was grandmother's sis
ter, and she and Uncle Mowbray had
been talking all that season of coming
to visit us. But September had usually
been spoken of as the time they were
coming.
They changed their minds, however.
Uncle Pascal desired to look after some
business venture of his in Portland,
and decided to come in August.
It was a somewhat sudden change of
plan, but they sent us a letter the day
before they started, thinking that we
should get it and meet them at the rail
way station.
Now, all dear city cousins, aunts,
uncles, and the rest of you who visit
your country relatives, winter or sum
mer, hear me! Do not hold back your
letter telling them you are coming
till the day before you start.
Nine times out of ten they will not
get It. You will get there before the
letter does, and the chances are that
you will have to provide your own
transportation for the six or ten miles
from the railway station to the farm
and you will think that distance longer
than all the rest of the journey.
Most likely, too, you will find the
farmer gone to a grange meeting; and
by the time you have sat round the
door on your trunk till he gets back at
sunset, you will be homesick and may.
be hungry.
Also for there are two sides to the
matter your country brother and his
wife will be troubled about it. So send
j-our letter at least a week ahead.
The first we knew of the coming of
Uncle rascal and Aunt Nabbie, they
drove into the yard with, a livery
team from the village; and an express
wagon was coming on behind with
their trunks.
Besides uncle and aunt, there was a
smiling, dark-haired youth with them,
a grand-nephew of Uncle Mowbray,
named Olin Randall, whom we had
heard of often as a kind of third or
fourth cousin, but had never seen.
He had never beheld Maine before,
and was regarding everything with
curiosity and a little grin of conde
scension. That grin of his nearly upset us,
particularly Ellen and "Doad," who
for a hundred reasons wished to make
a very favorable impression on Uncle
and Aunt Mowbray ftnd all the family.
I nearly forgot to mention that Uncle
Mowbray was reputed very fussy and
particular about his food.
Grandfather and grandmother "had
set off that morning to attend a confer
ence meeting eighteen miles away, at
Turner, and were not coming back
till the next day at night a thing they
would no more have done had they
known Aunt Nabbie was coming thaa
they would have set sail for Australia.
That visit had been looked forward to
for five years.
Out two-story farmhouse was com
fortable and big, and we had plenty of
everything; but of course it was not al
together like one of the finest houses
in Philadelphia. For Uncle Mowbray
was a wealthy man, one of those
thrifty, prosperous Philadelphia mer
chants of the era ending with the Civil
War. He never let a dollar escape
him.
They came just at dusk. We boys
were doing the chores. The girls were
getting supper.
Theodora had resolved to try her
hand at a batch of mug-bread for the
next day, and had set Old Hannah up
for it.
The unexpected arrival upset us all
a good deal, particularly Ellen and
Dora, who had to bear the brunt of
grandmother's absence, get tea, see to
the spare , rooms, and do everything
else.
Uncle Mowbray looked a little glum.
He was tired, I suppose, and disap
pointed to find the older people away.
And then there was Olin, mildly grin
ning. His presence disturbed the girls
worse than everything else. But Aunt
Nabbie smoothed away their anxieties,
and helped to make all comfortable.
We got through the evening better
than had at first seemed likely, and in
the morning the girls rose at five and
tried vto hurry that mug-bread along,
with other things, so as to have some
of it for dinner, for they found that
they were short of bread.
Ellen, I believe, thought that they,
had better not attempt the risky experi.
nient, but should start some hop-yeast
bread.
Theodora, however, peeped Into the
old mug, saw encouraging eyes 1r it
and resolved to go on. They mixed
it up with the necessary warm water
and flour and set it carefully back for
the second rising.
Terhaps they had a little hotter fire
than usual, perhaps they had hurried
it a shade too much, or well, you
can "perhaps" anything you like with
milk-yeast bread. At all events, it
took the wrong turn and began to per
fume the kitchen.
If they had not been hard pressed
and a little hurried that morning, the
girls would probably have thrown it
out. Instead, they took it down, saw
that it was rising a little, and hoping
that it would yet pull through worked
in more flour and soda, and hurried
four loaves of it into the oven to bake.
Then it was that the unleavened
turpitude of that microbe displayed the
full measure of its malignity. A hor
rible odor presently filled the place.
Stale eggs would have been Araby the
Blest beside it.
The girls hastily shut the kitchen
doors, but doors would not hold it in.
It captured the whole house.
Aunt Nabbie, in the sitting room, per
ceived it, and came rushing out to give
motherly advice and assistance.
And it chanced that while Theodora
was confidentially explaining it to her,
the kitchen door leading to the front
piazza opened, and in walked Uncle
rascal, and Olin behind him. They
had been out in the garden, looking at
the fruit, and had come back to get
Aunt Nabbie to see the bees.
When that awful odor smote them
they stopped short. Uncle Mowbray
was a fastidious man. He sniffed and
turned up his nose.
"Is it sink spouts?" he gasped. "Are
the traps out of order?"
"No, no, Pascal!" said Aunt Nabbie,
in a low tone, trying to quiet him. "It
is only bread."
"Bread!" cried Uncle Mowbray, with
a glance of rank suspicion at the two
girls. "Bread smelling like that'"
Just then Ellen discovered something
white which appeared to be mysteri
ously increasing in size in the shadow
on the back of the kitchen stove.
After a glance she caught open the
oven door.
"It was that mug-bread dough! It
had crawled crawled out of the tins
into the oven crawled down under the
oven door to the kitchen floor, where
it made a viscous puddle,, and was
now trying, apparently, to crawl out
of sight under the woodbox. '
Aunt Nabbie burst out laughing; she
could not help it. Then she tried to
turn Uncle Mowbray out.
But no, he must stand there and
talk about it. He was one of those
men who are always peeping round the
kitchen, to see if the women are doing
things right. But Olin scudded out
after one look, and the girls saw him
under the Balm of Gilead tree, shak
nig and laughing as if he would split.
Poor Doad and Nell! That was a
dreadful forenoon for them. As youth
ful housekeepers, they felt themselver
disgraced beyond redemption. In threr
years they had not recovered from it
and would cringe when any one re
minded them of Uncle Mowbray an?
the mug-bread. Youth's Companion.
DREAM SERVED AS A WARNING.
Premonition of Danger Undoubtedly
Saved a Life.
One of the most striking instances
of a warning dream was the story nar
rated of the late Lord Dufferin, which
is, to the best of our knowledge, quite
well authenticated.
Lord Dufferin was staying at a coun
try house in Ireland ; and early one
morning he heard, or dreamed he
heard, a sound of wheels approaching
the main entrance. He naturally hur
ried to the window to see what was
afoot; and was not unnaturally sur
prised to see a hearse drawn up be
fore the door of the mansion. He
especially noted the driver's face a
very unpleasant one of a smooth pasty
complexion. He concluded that a ser
vant must have died suddenly and
that the coffin was being removed at
this unusual hour in order to cause no
shock to any of the guests in the
house.
As nothing wa3 said about the mat
ter in the morning, he made up his
mind that he had dreamed the whole
affair, as was probably the case. Lord
Dufferin naturally thought no more
of the matter until one day, during
his residence in Paris, when he had
occasion to visit a friend in one of the
large hotels, and approached the ele
vator to be conveyed to his friend's
landing.
-What was his horror on recogniz
ing in the elevator attendant the
hearse driver of his vivid dream! De
clining to use the elevator, he left the
hotel, and shortly afterwards he heard
that the same day the elevator had
broken down, and the sinister attend
ant was among the killed. ' Subse
quent inquiries revealed the fact that
there had certainly been no nocturnal
visit of a hearse to the Irish mansion.
Blew Taps at Grant's Burial.
The Fourth Cavalry Band at Fort
Riley claims the oldest enlisted man
in the United States Army. is
Sergeant Hardy, a trumpotsr, who has
been in the army thirtysix consecu
tive years. That ha is retained be
yond the age limit fixed by law is due
to a special act ct Congress permit
ting him to remain in the army. Ser
geant Hardy was the trumpeter who
blew "taps" at the burial of Presi
dent Grant. :.
The Journal is reminded of another
man who has been in Uncle Sam's,
service far beyond the limit fixed by
law. In 1900 Gov. Stanley and the
party sent to meet the 20th Kansas
at San Francisco were entertained on
the battleship Iowa one day. The
party were on the top of the turret
with Captain Goodrich when a stcop
shouldered, slouchy-looking man
moved along the deck below, appar
ently grumbling at all sailors and ma
rines who got in his way. His coat
sleeves were marked with gold braid
(service stripes) half way to the
shoulder. "Who is that?" asked one
of the party. "Why," said Captain
Goodrich, laughing, ' that is the real
commander of the ship. At any rate,
I believe that he considers me as a
more cr less superfluous figurehead."
And then the captain explained that
th old fellow was a boatswain, the
highest non-commissioned officer in
the navy. "He is a type cf th.cld
seadog now almost 'extinct," contin
ued the orrieer. "11.3 has the same
relation to a ship's cr2w that a first
sergeant has to a company In the
army. Hi was with Farragut at Mo
bile Bay. He is retained In thevnavy
by reason cf his exceptional skill-in
gun practice and his ability to train
a gun crew.H Kansas City Journal,
Many Millions of Stars.
It has been stated that, .with long
exposures 134,000,f 00 stars can be
photographed. Chaeornac has comput
ed that with a telescope of great pow
er the aggregate number visible in the
whole sky is 77,000,000. Proctor said
that in Lord Rosse's great telescope at
least 1,000,000,000 stars would be vis
ible if they conld be counted. The lat
ter estimate is probably excessive and
we may conclude that approximately
there are 100,000,000 stars in the sky.
ANTIDOTES FOR POISONS.
Knowledge That May Be Useful in
Case of Accidents.
As any member of the family may
take poison by mistake, the following
list of poisons and their antidotes
ought to be kept where it may be
Immediately referred to in case of an
accident of this kind:
Carbolic Acid: Sweet oil, melted
lard, or castor oil. Alcohol, in doses
of from one to two ounces, may be
given with good results, if given im
mediately after swallowing the acid.
Tincture of Iodine: Flour or starch
water, drink all the stomach will re
tain, if much, iodine has be'en swal
lowed. Opium or Morphine: Black eoffee,
in full doses; keeping the patient
awake if possible.
Phosphorus from Matches: Magne
sia in large amounts.
Paris Green and Arsenic: Lime
water, white of egg, milk.
In all cases administer the antidote
freely.
An emetic may be given if the pa-.
tient is seen early. A tablespoonful
or two of ground mustard in a half
pint of warm water answers well for
this purpose. In every instance of
poisoning a physician should be sum
moned; the above suggestions are of
fered to help before his arrival.
In making poisonous disinfecting
solutions some coloring matter should
be added to distinguish the solutioa
from plain water. A little indigo will
answer well for this purpose.
A 1 to 100 solution of corrosive
sublimate (bichloride of mercury) is
made hj adding a half ounce of the
chemical to four gallons of soft water.
This solution should he kept In glass
or earth containers, as metals destroy
lis disinfectant properties, and the
container will also be injured by
chemical action. .
Some of the most dangerous chronic
diseases are so insidious in their on
set as to easily reach an advanced
stage before being recognized. Any,
persistent pain, or discomfort, should
always be a sufficient cause for a
thorough physical examination by a
physician. F. W. St. John, M. D., in
Farm Journal.
The Rue-Anemone.
Under an oak tree in a woodland, where
The dreaming1 spring had dropped it from
her hair,
I found a flower, through which I
seemed to gaze
Beyond the world and see what no man
dare
Behold and live the myths of bygone
days:
Diana and Endymion and the bare
Slim beauty of the boy whom Echo
wooed,
And Hyaclnthus, whom Apollo dewed ,
With love and death, and Daphne, ever
fair.
And that reed-slender girl whom Pan
pursued.
I stood and gazed, and through it seemed
The Dryad's feet dance by the forest
tree.
Her hair wild blown; the Faum, with
listening ear,
Deep in the boscage, kneeling one
knee.
Watching the wandered Oread draw
near.
Her wild heart beating like a honey bee
Within a rose all, the myths of old.
All. all the bright shapes of the ag f
gold.
Peopling the wonder worlds of poetry.
Through it I seemed in fancy to behold.
What other flower that, fashioned like a.
star.
Draws its frail life from earth and braves,
the war
Of all the heavens, can suggest the
dreams
That this suggests, in whom no trace of
mar
Or soil exists: where stainless Inno
cence seems
Enshrined, and where, beyond our Tlsion-
f 3F
That 'inaccessible beauty which the
heart
Worships as truth and holiness and art
is symbolized; wherein embodied are
The things that make the soul's im
mortal part?
Lipplncotf b.
Reckon We'll Git Thar Yit.
He wuz always a-sayin', when troabl-.
come roun',
"I reckon we'll get thar yit!
Ain't enough rain lor a lily to drown
Reckon wo'll git thar yit!
Its; jest human natur' to growl an com-
,-' plain;
.aVhe have sunshine than oceans '
d fain:
v it spite o wiia weatner, lm teinn you
plain.
Reckon well git thar yitl"
An' we carried that counsel the rougn
way along
"Reckon we'll git thar yit!"
It lightened the burden made sorrow
song
"Reckon we'll git thar yit!"
He wuz only a toiler in bloom an In
blight.
With Hope's star a-shinin", full blaze, in
his sigh I:
Sut he locked u. ho light, friends h
looked to the Mt;ht
"Reckon we'll git thar yit!"
-Frank LJi.'.r.toa in Atlanta Constitution.
When holiness is all nonsense to a
man honesty Is apt to be all moonshine.