Si.oo a Year, in Advance.
" FOR GOD, FOR COUNTRY, AND FOR TRUTH."
Single Copy, 5 Cents.
1
V L. X V.
PLYMOUTH, N, C, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23. 1904.
NO. 40.
SUNSET
1b it a dream? The day is done,
The long, warm, fragrant -summer day;
Afar beyond the hills, the sun
In purple splendor sinks away;
The Urefiy lights her floating spark,
While here and there the lirst large stars
Look out, impatient for the dark;
The cows stand waiting by the bars;
A croup of children saunters by
Toward home, with laugh and sportive
v.'ord,
One pausing, as she hears the InVli
roffc" prelude of an unseen bird
''Sweet sweet sweet
; Sorrowful sorrowful sorrowful!"
THE CAKE-AND-PIE ANGEL
BY CARROLL WATSON RANKIN,
fvK-jEFORE the congratulations
SK fnllnwiiH' his trinmnhnnt
I-! graduation from the high
J$ school had grown cool
yO3&K rhilip Conway was listen
ing to h business offer
from one of his father's oll friends.
'If you accept this position," the
man was saying, "you are to go from
place to place, all over the country,
wherever any unusual gathering is in
progress. You are to pitch your tent
in the most prominent spot you can
find, make tea with the apparatus we
provide, and distribute sample cups
and advertising matter to the crowd.
In each town you Avill need to hire
two ueat young women by the day to
erve tea and wash the dishes. You
need do none of the actual labor your
self, but you are to kaep things in
running order to be the business man
ager, in fact. Of course we pay all
expenses. Will you do it?"
"I must do something," replied
IMiilip. "If you think I'm equal to it
if you're willing to trust me I'll be
glad to try it."
"Professor Kendall says you have
pleuty of executive ability, and that
you, are trustworthy. Those are the
principal requirements. It's a man's
work, -but I believe yon are capable
of doing it. Come to my office to-morrow
morning if you decide to under
take it, and I'll give you detailed in
structions." The following morning rhilip went
homo jubilant. Forty dollars a month
and expenses seemed a princely sum
to the boy. He thought almost scorn
fully of his classmate, Sam refers,
who was tremendously elated over the
prospect of earning five dollars a week.
"Of course," said rhilip, grandly, "it
isn't the sort of thing a man wants to
engage in for life, but it's a good
filing while it lasts, and mother needs
every dollar I can earn. I know Mr.
Trescott is doing this solely because he
and father were such friends, but I'll
just show him that he didn't make
any mistake."
With this noble rosolve the lad start
ed out upon his new and unusual en
terprise, pitching his tent from week
to week in strange and divers places.
Ho visited towns that were undergo
ing the agonies of street fairs, lire
men's tournaments, Fourth of July and
other celebrations. lie traveled in the
wake of circuses and "Wild West"
shows wherever there was a crowd,
there was rhilip with his free samples
of tea.
He mastered the intraeacies of a
complicated gasoline-stove, solved the
problem of serving the greatest num
ber of persons in the shortest space of
lime, and learned to hire, with careful
judgment, his two white-aproned as
sistants. He discovered, too. that each town
possessed at least one small boy who
was willing, for the trifling reward of
a dime and a few sample packages of
tea, to fill his big copper boilers with
water, and to keep the freakish gaso
line stove from exploding or otherwise
misbehaving.
Of course Philip made, mistakes at
first, but' he profited, by them. Mr.
rrcseott, the tea-man. had reason' to
feet that he had made a wise choice in
selecting his, friend's sou as his ad
vertising agent.
Wherever the lad went he made
friends. He had a bright, attractive
face, he carried his handsome head
with a jaunty, self-respecting air, and
he was' all business. His small boy
assistants spake of him as "the pro
prietor" and addressed him as "sir."
Moreover his mothvr was a gentle
SONG.
Down from immeasurable heights
The clear notes drop like crystal rain
The echo of all lost delights,
All youth's high hopes, all hidden pain,
All love's soft music, heard no more
But dreamed of and remembered long
Ah, how can mortal bird outpour
Such human heartbreak in a song?
What can he know of lonely years,
t Of idols only raised to fall,
Of broken faith and secret tears?
And yet his song repeats them all :
"Sweet sweet sweet
Sorrowful sorrowful sorrowful ! "
Elizabeth Akers.
woman; therefore, her boy's speech
was refined and his manners were ir
reproachable. "A fine boy," was the
verdict wherever he went.
The latter part of September found
him in northern Michigan, where the
Carp County Agricultural Fair was in
progress. He obtained permission to
pitch his tent between what the direct
ors facetiously called "the jelly-and-jam
building" and the horticultural
department. By Monday noon his out
fit was unpacked and everything was
ready for business; but the crowd was
not ready for tea.
The fair grounds were inconveniently
far from town. Many of the exhibit
ors who had no horses and felt too
poor to patronize the railroad, even at
greatly reduced rates, carried their ex
hibits from town, over two miles of
dusty road.
The distance from the entrance gate
to the buildings was considerable; but
it seemed never to occur to the loung
ing group of men and boys just within
the gate to offer any assistance to tired
old women, who fairly staggered under
the weight of home-made pickles,
potted plants and rolls of rag carpet.
His tent up, his samples unpacked
and his helpers instructed, rhilip
found time heavy on his hands until
he discovered a weary old Irishwoman
bent almost double over a huge basket
of carrots.
"Let me help you," said rhilip,
springing to her assistance.
This was only the first of many bas
kets that the energetic lad carried from
the gate to the buildings that day. The
people amused him by their quaint
speeches, and it did not occur to him
that he was doing anything unusual.
Toward noon he went to town for his
luncheon. As he was entering the
gate of the fair grounds on his return
he noticed just ahead of him a portly
woman with two baskets filled with
plates.
"Let me carry those baskets," said
rhilip, touching his cap.
"It's easy to see you've been well
brought up," said the woman, with a
disdainful glance at the loungers
that sprawled on the benches. "I
guess you don't belong to this town."
"No," said Thilip, "my home is in
rennsylvania."
. "I'm the cake-and-pie woman," vol
unteered his companion, displaying a
badge, upon which was printed, "Su
perintendent of Class G." "It beats
all. the way folks bring their dough
nuts and cake, and goodness knows
what all else, without a sign of aplate
to put 'em on. Every year I have to
lug out a bushel or two of plates for
other people's doughnuts. Come in
when you're hungry and I'll let you
sample some of mine. Thank you for
carry in' the baskets. If I had a boy
I'd like him to be just such a boy as
you are mine went to Cuba."
rhilip knew without further words
that the boy twho had gone to Cuba
had not returned.
During the week that followed Mrs.
Bailey and the "tea-boy" exchanged
many courtesies in the way of cookies
and cups of tea, arid the long, tiresome
days were pleasanter" for both in con
sequence. The last day of the fair was the time
f-'et for an exciting ceries or horse
races. The attendance on Friday af
ternoon exceeded all previous records,
and the entire crowd was assembled
upon or near the grand stand. Upon
the platform used for the acrobatic
performances rhilip saw several men
with their heads close together over
certain small books, rhilip h?d at
tended too manv county fairs not to
recognize the men at once as profes
sional betters, who were quietly mak
ing wagers on the various races. Their
business is seldom conducted openly at
the fairs, but surreptitious ways are
not hard for them to find.
Thilip considered himself very much
of a man, and quite capable5 of taking
care of himself " under any circum
stances. To be sure, he had no inten
tion of betting," but he wanted to see
what was going on. The men on the
platform seemed to be having a lively
time; but as Thilip was climbing over
the rail to join them, one of them
stopped him.
"Bun home to your mother, sonny,"
said the man, sneeringly. "Were you
thinkin' of puttin' five cents on some
body's nag?"
Thilip colored angrily, drew a roll
of bills from his pocket, and retorted,
"I guess I'm old enough to bet if I
want to. I've seen more horse races
this fall than you've ever seen alto
gether. I know something about
horses, too. Here, just to, show you
that I'm no greenhorn, I'll put a liver
on Torchlight."
Thilip's .knowledge of the ins and
outs of betting, however, was far more
limited than he suspected; but the
men winked at one another. They
scented an easy victim.
Torchlight won the first heat, and a
surprising number of crisp bills found
their -way into the lad's hands. Elated
at sight of the money and spurred on
by the jeers and commendations of the
men, Thilip threw caution to the
winds, staked all ho had won and
more on the second heat, and lost.
In the meantime, Thilip's stout
friend, the motherly cake-and-pie wo
man, had chanced to see, from her
place on the opposite grand stand, the
group on the platform. Toward the
end of the final heat, when every other
neck was craned to see the horses
sweep down the home-stretch, Mrs.
Bailej sat with her shrewd eyes fixed
upon Thilip's face. She saw it grow
white as the horses swept pasi the
judges' stand and under the wire.
"My land" said she. "If I'd realized
sooner what he was up to I'd have
marched over there and rescued him!
But maybe he ain't worth saving.
Dear me! I don't know what this
world's comin' to."
With empty pockets and hanging
head Thilip worked his way through
the crowd and set off across the field
toward the little white tent. Mrs.
Bailey, surprised and disappointed,
watched him until he disappeared from
view. Thefi, with a long, regretful
sigh, she gave him up.
"It's a pity a pity!" she said. "But
when a mere babe like that is steeped
in vice it don't take him long to land
in the penitentiary and him the pleas
antest boy I ever laid eyes on! I don't
know when I've been so mistaken in
anybody. Well, it's too bad too bad!"
Mrs. Bailey decided that she would
have nothing further to do with the
erring Thilip, but some hours later,
when she had locked up her building
for the night, some motherly impulse
impelled her to look in upon her young
er neighbor for a farewell word. It
was the last day of the fair, and she
knew that the tea-tent would be gone
in the morning.
"After all, sayin' good-by ain't goin'
to make a gambler of me," said she,
philosophically, "and a kind word ain't
goin' to do the lad any harm, if he is
bad. When all's said and done, he's
been the politest young chap "
Mrs. Bailey opened the flap of the
tent and stepped in. rhilip was seated
on a wooden box, with his head against"
the gasoline tank, his face buried in
his hands. He had dismissed his as
sistants, and lie sat alone, as Mrs.
Bailey said afterward, "just swallowed
up in grief and unwashed teacups."
"See here,"said Mrs. Bailey, spread
ing a newspaper over an upturned
boiler and seating herself beside Thilip,
"I want to know how long this here
gamblin' business has been goin' on?
You didn't strike me, somehow, tas
comin' of gamblin' stock."
There was no response, but some
thing warm and wet splashed on the
boy's knee. Mrs. Bailey noticed it
with a sudden ray of hope.
"Cry away if you want to," said she,
laying a kindly hand on Thilip's shoul
der. "I don't know as I think any less
of yon for It. Was this, by any chance,
the first time you've done any bet
ting?" Thilip nodded his head.
"Sure pop, honor bright?"
"Honor bright!" mumbled Philip,
with a gulp. "The last, too."
"Sure pop, the.last?"
"Yes." ' . "
j "Then oti Just sit here aud tell
ixiC about it like a man. If you can
just convince me that I haven't made
a luistake in you, after all. you'll make
me a happier old lady than I've been
for some hours. I declare, it just made
me sick to see you with those men."
Touched by her sympathy, Thilip
poured forth the whole story, adding,
that the money he had so' foolishly;
risked and lost belonged to his em
ployer, from whom he had received it
only the previous day, that he had,
mailed most of his salary to his moth-;
er, who needed it to eke out a slender,
income, and that he was due in three
day at a fair in another State, with no
visible means of reaching his destina
tion. "But, O dear, Mrs. Bailey," he con
cluded, "the worst of it all is that I'm.
so horribly disappointed in myself! I
did think I had more sense. I didn't
dream that I could be such an idiot.
I'm so ashamed I "
"I don't know but that's the one re
deeming feature," said Mrs. Bailey.
"Seventy-five dollars! That's a heap
of money and nothin' to show for it!
I don't pretend to know anything about
horse racing, but they do say it's all
fixed up beforehand whose horse is to
win and whose ain't that's one of the
tricks of the trade. I guess you know
by this time that betting ain't a safe
pastime; but there there, I ain't goin'
to scold a mite. Now you just come
right home with me, and get a good
hot supper, for I don't believe you've
had a bite; you can carry two baskets
Df plates back to the car for me, if you
like. You can sleep in Sam's bed I'd
kind o' like to think there was a boy
sleepin' in that bed once more, and
soon's the bank's open in the mornin'
I'll see to it that you have enough to
pay your way to wherever you want
to go and nobody a bit the wiser."
"Except me," said Thilip, genuinely
surprised and deeply touched. "But,
Mrs. Bailey, you don't know one thing
about me except what I've told you.
How do you know I'm to be trusted?"
"I'm willin' to risk it," returned Mrs.
Bailey, beaming over her spectacles.
"I guess a woman that's bought seven
cows in her lifetime, without bein'
cheated once, ain't goin' very far
astray in her judgment when it comes
to folks cows and folks havin' a good
many traits in common. I ain't a mite
afraid of you."
'"You're just an angel! I don't know
how to thank "
"Just a cake-and-pie angel," said
Mrs. Bailej, rising cautiously from the
creaking boiler. "Come, shut up shop
as quick as you can, my lad. It's
most time for the last train."
Neither rhilip nor Mrs. Bailey said a
word about repaying the loan, but
within a month the money began to
return in instalments. Each check
was accompanied by a letter that Mrs.
Bailey considered far more precious
than the money. She read and re-read
those letters until the paper parted at
the creases.
"The politest, the plensantest and the
most satisfyin' boy!" said she. Youth's
Companion. .
Protecting Parisian Modes.
There is some news over from Taris
that is rather epoch-making, observes
the Westminster Gazette. All the im
portant Tarisian houses Taquin, Dou
cet, Collot, Doeuillet, Laferriere, Raud
nitz, Redfern, Rouff, Saer, etc., have
decided to club together to stop the
horrible piracy that has been going on
about their models. It is asserted that
the Germans and Americans have been
getting hold of all the newest Tarisian1
ideas quite early in the season and
bringing them out by means of cheap
productions at very ' low prices, thus
cheating these Tarisian artists of an
enormous amount of the profit which
is their due. as with them alone must
rest the credit of the original ideas-that
make a model of value.
This piracy has become a crying
nuisance. Why should not the sar
torial artist reserve the right of repro
duction, just as an artist or an author
or a dramatist would have? They have
made r.p their minds that they are go
ing to get proper protection for their
works of art, and so from henceforth
no models bought by Continental houses
will be delivered before a certain date.
Of course, these new regulations apply
in no sense to their firms' private cus
tomers, only to the professional buyers.
I,oYo of Music Costa Life.
So devoted was a young Milan mu
sician to practicing on the 'cello that'
the constant pressure of the instrument
on his leg led to bone disease. The
limb had to be amputated, and death
resulted, from the chock.
SOME NEW DtViCtS.
JN'otcI Invention Tbat Make Life a Bit
Easier For V. '
An umbrella is generally regarded
as an awkward thing to carry at its
best. Any one can think of a dozen
reasons why it is in the way, and a'
confusion problem to deal with under
ordinary circumstances. In a town
called Gibsland, La., a man has in
vented an umbrella that is supported
over the owner by a system of rods
and which leaves both of his hands
free to be used as occasion demands.
It is hardly necessary to attempt an,
elaboration upon the merits of this
device.
It will be gratifying to timid young
women to learn that a boat has been
invented which is said to be abso
lute proof against the fool man who
insists on rocking the craft. This is
done by the simple attachment of a
piece of metal to the keel of the boat,
which the inventor says does not in the
least interfere with the progress of the
boat through the water, but makes it
impossible to interfere with its stability
in the water. The device, which is the
patent of William M. Young, of Troy,
N. Y., consists of a piece of metal
extending the length of the boat and
fastened to the keel and extending at
right angles with the keel for a short
distance, and then curved upward
to meet the framework of the boat
at the waterline. Under ordinary cir
cumstances this is not visible and does
not alter the lines of the craft, and,
being open at 'each end, does not im
pede its progress through the water,
but any attempt being made to rock
the boat is rendered exceedingly diffi
cult because of the weight of water
held in the space between the boat's
side and the attachment.
It has been discovered that a modi
fication of the telephone can be made
use of for the purpose of improving
the hearing of persons afflicted with,
deafness. While this scheme is not
always beneficial, it has been found to
afford great relief to a large number
of persons afflicted with deafness. Of
recent years inventors have devoted
themselves to the construction of in
struments of this character in the most
convenient form and of such shape
that they can be used without attract
ing unnecessary attention. There has
been recently patented in this country,
the work of an Australian inventor,
an installation of this character which
can be stowed away in an ordinary,
Derby hat, the only portion of the
apparatus exposed, to view being two
ear tubes which depend from the sides
of the hat and repose in the ears. The
sound collecting bells are adroitly con
cealed in the sides of the hat crown.
Chicago Chronicle.
Kissin;; the Blarney Stone.
vLast year, while in the south of Ire
land, I paid a visit to Blarney Castle,
and while there, had the queer experi
ence of kissing the Blarney Stone, fa
mous in song and story.
One of our party, having gone
through the ordeal before, volunteered
to kiss the stone first and show us how
it is done. When it is understood that
you are attempting to kiss a stone set
in the outside wall, and you on the in
side, one can guess that it is no easy
task. It is best to take off jour coat
and watch and chain and empty your
pockets. There is an opening, as it
were, in the floor. You sit on the edge
of this, catch hold of two bars in the
wall and lower yourself backward
down the opening till you are able to
stretch out and reach the stone. As
you do this the rest of the party hang;
on to your legs.
The precaution of taking off the
watch and chain and removing money,
from your pockets is a very wise one,
as you have to hang head downward to
get at the stone.
"Why Kussta Retires.
The revolutionary party has its hand
upon the army, and therein lies the es
sence of success. There are soldiers
in Manchuria at this moment who are
pledged to make no Japanese widows.
It is astonishing how badly the Rus
sian naval gunner lays his gun. I
have lately seen two letters, written
by soldiers at the front, which go far
to account for the total lack of success
of the Russian arms. One speaks of
men voluntarily surrendering to tho
Japanese so that they may not be
called upon to fight for the Czar. The
othef tells a tale of sudden retreat on
the part of a company of Russian sol
diers at the moment when victory was
in their grasp, and of the officer in
command, unable to stop the stampede
of his men, blowing out bis brains.
Carl Joubert, in Nineteenth Century., j