Newspapers / The Roanoke Beacon and … / June 12, 1908, edition 1 / Page 2
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11 w r , .' -'-J -.i . ajEAD. An God! how strange the rattling in the street Come to me where I lie and the hours pass. I watch a beetle crawling up the sheet That covers me. and curiously note The green and yellow back like mouldy brass, And can not even shudder at the thought How soon the loathsome thing will, reach my face. And by such things alone I measure oul The slow drip of the minutes from Time's eaves. For if I think of when I lived. I doubt It was but yesterday 1 brushed the flowers; Hut when J think of what I am, thought leaves The weak mind dizzy in a waste of hours. O God, how happy is the man that grieves? Life? It was life to look upon her face, And it was life to rage when she was gone; Hut this new horror! In the market-place A form, in all things like me us 1 moved Of old, is marked or hailed of many an one That takes it for his friend that lived and loved And 1 laugh voicelessly, a laugh of stone. For here I lie and neither move nor feel. And watch that Other pacing up and down The room, or pausing at his potter's wheel To turn out cunning vessels from the clay Vessels that be will hawk about the town And then return to work another day Frowning; but 1 I neither smile nor frown. I Fee him take his coat down from the peg And put it on, and open the M'hite door, And brush some bit of cobweb from his leg, And look about the room before he goes; And then the clock goes ticking as before, And J am with him and know all he does, And 1 am here and tell each clock-tick o'er. And men are praising him for subtle skill; And women love him God alone knows why I He can have all the world holds at his will But this, to he a living soul, and this So man hut I can give him: and 1 lie j ', And make no sign, and care not what he is, ' And hardly know if this indeed be I. Ah, if she came and bent above me here. Who lie with straight bands bound about my chinl Ah. if she came and stood beside this bier With aureoles as of old upon her hair To light the darkness of this burial bin! Should I not rise again and breathe the air And feel the veins warm that the blood beats in? Or should 1 lie with sinews fixed and shriek As dead men shriek and make no sound? Should I Fee her gray eyes look love and hear her speak And he all impotent to burst my shroud? Will the dead never rise from where they lie? Or will they never cease to tbink so loud? Or is to know and not to be, to die? Richard Ilovey. HISTERIM DNTO. HI! ml By tte It was a murky evening at the f rlose i - i'eptember, and the outlook was drab and dreary. A few splashy lrops of rain, fell occasionally, and tha muddy streets were most unpleas ant for pedestrians. Truly, an un inviting night in which to be abroad! 1 had been attending the board meeting of a society in which I was interested, and 1 was absorbed in thinking over some few points of the business transacted. I hardly noticed, therefore, that as I left Moor cate streat station a timid little voice began to assail my ear. ".Matches, sir," it said in a curious persistent whine. 1 walked steadily cn, but the voica followed, challenging my atten tion. The speaker must have been a diminutive little match seller, for the eound was near the ground. Again lie repeated earnestly: "Two a ha-' Ienny! Two hexes a ha'-penny! Buy "em, sir!" Then after a pause, he resumed: "Could give er three, but there ain't much profit! ' That curious chant wuh its quaint comment at length checked my pro gress. My thoughts were effectually broken into. 1 stopped, and at a glance took iu the scene and the speaker at once. 1 saw a sight, com juon enough, alas, in London a lit tle street vei.der, shoeless and stcck ingless, his bare feet well mudded, his trousers ragred, his jacket torn. Trousers and jacket were all he had to cover him from ..ae drizzling rain And shivering fog. A queer little old patched cap was perched on one side of his head in a knowing fashion, pathetically at variance with the sad lines of his face. The child looked to me about eight years of age; but 1 .guessed him to be nine, ior he was of stunted growth. "Sold much to-day?" I Inquired, lie shook his head. "Six boxes ain't much only free a"pence for the lot." "Who sent you out?" "Mother." "And why does mother send out a chap like you"" "She can't help it; she's werry tad." "Where is she?" "Home." "Anybody eh3 there?" "Sissy." "How old is she?" "Oh, she don't count! She's iiciler than me lots littler." "Do you make much money'.'" "Sometimes, if I'm lucky." "Are you often lucky?" "Not xactly ct'teu; 1 wor in real lock yesterday." "How's that?" "Such, a nice geniman kem along and says be: Ton are a poor little cnap; ana He gev me a bob. Oh, He vor a nice geruman, he wor.'' Jly young companion had wasted no words, and now, when such em puasis was laid upon th!s particular gentleman, 1 felt he was being held up for imitation: "Why don't you go home with your three ha pence?" I continued. "Taint no u?e." said the boy. "Taint no use going homo wiih lit tler nor a tanner, si. ! "Must vuu -mvays have a tanner? ' The little nead was nodded quick ly and emphatically. Clearly six lnce was the irreducible mimimum. "Well, now," J said "tell me where your mother lives." "Thirteen Plough Court. Banner street, St. Lu'ie s," was the proopt n3er. Late Dr. T. J. Birnado. I knew Banner street well; the place was not more than ten min utes' walk away. "Come on with me," I said, "and I will see your mother. I am a doctor, you know, and perhaps I can do her some good." "Without more ado the little chap gave himself up to the new idea, and trotted off by ray side, his tongue waging briskly the while. Here was an adventure, or at least, an event! He managed to keep up a never fail ing stream of small talk which, I could not help observing, always came round, often by very sharp an gles, to the "nice geraman!" We soon reached Banner street. A few minutes then brought us to the corner of a dingy, pestilential look ing court, lind on each side by tum ble down two story houses which looked as though they had been or iginally jerry built, and had been out of repair for many years back. They were noisome in the extreme, fetid, reeking of slime and neglect. No. 13 presented a sec or creeKy and very filthr stairs. My guide hooked his small hand firmly into mine, and without delay we began to climb up and up, until at last we reached a back room on the top floor. The boy ran in first, while I waited outside Only a minute elapsed, when the dcor was opened, and n response to a muffled "Come in, sir," I entered. The room was literally devoid of furniture. There was no chair to sit down; no table to fill up the jare floor space. Yet there was a mar velous air of peace, and even of com fort, in that empty garret! All, for instance, was wonderously clean. And one felt that there was a decent and gracious air about the place which spoke well for its human occupants. It was sometime before my eyes could take in my surroundings. But presently I saw a figure lying near the window, on the floor, on a heap of rags. It was that of a poor, decent looking woman. A few words of sym pathy and explanation, and I learned her simple story. The woman was a widow of about forty-five. She had injured her leg, and the wound, in stead of healing, apparently had fes tered. A large, unwholesome ulcer was exposed to view as I examined it. She had gone twice as an Out patient to the nearest hospital, but she could walk no longer. Her work as a char woman had had perforce to be given up; so there she lay, helpless to move hand or foot on her own behalf! By her side stood a little girl of about sic years of age "our Bess," she cakea her a bright-eyed, winsome little lassie. But Billy was the bread winner! He it was who kept the wolf from the door. It was he who had boldly gone into trade In the endeavor to supply mother, sister and himself with bread. Deeply affected. I listened to the simple, homely, heroic story. Men are inclined to the belief that heroes are made only on special occasions. Yet in truth 'the finest heroes are homespun, and often hidden in ob scurity. Billy was of the true stuff, and his modest struggle might have made an epic. Why, i asked of the woman, did she not go to a hospital? The ques tion was hardly asked when I felt re buked. "What would become of the children?" paid the poor woman. "Billy might do for a bit by himself; he is a brave lad! But our Bess ," And then the poor soul fairly broke down. Yet in a minute the tears were wiped away, and as I looked at the calm, resolute face, I discovered where Bill got his bravery from. "Well, then," said I, "why not try to get the children Into some home or refuge, while you are taken to the hospital and properly treated?" "Ah, yes, sir!" replied she eagerly, "that's what I would like; but then I don't know how to set about it." Then, to my surprise, she added, in the simplest, most matter-of-fact tone imaginable, "T have been prayin' to the Lord all the time I have been here to take care of the children, and to keep our Bess from the streets." Here in this wretched room, de prived of- everything, depending ab solutely upon a child of nine years of age for food and fuel here lay this decent, industrious creature with a firm trust in the God of prayer, and in her breast there still burned the flame of faith and hope. "Yes, indeed, God has His own in every nook of the great city! Poor Mrs. Rider,, was a Christian woman, strong in prayer, and drawing in sim ple trust upon all the powers of the Omnipotent. "Look here, sir," continued the woman. She put her hand under the pillow, and pulled out a leaf of a well known religious weekly journal. "Look here, sir, read that!" And under my very eyes she placed a short narrative of one of my own rescues, which had been reprinted in its col umns! How the page had drifted to her I know not; but the last lines of the story contained the statement of mine which has been so often re peated, and which all my readers know so well: "Never during all these years have I refused a single destitute child who has made appli cation at our doors." "There, sir," said the poor creature, not knowing in the least to whom she spoke, "I have been hopin' and prayin' that God would let Billy and our Bess get in there.' I know they'd be safe and' they'd both be together, and then I'd go in cheerful to the 'ospital." I thought for a few moments be fore I answered. At length I said slowly: "I did not tell you who I am; but now I must let you know." The poor woman looked up with something like alarm written on her face. I continued: "My name is Barnardo, and I have a great many poor girls and boys in my keeping. And really that is why I asked your little lad to bring me here to-day. Now, if I can help you by keeping the children for a while, I will." It is impossible to describe the emotions of wonder and amazement which passed over that poor suffer ir ; mother's face! The tears poured down her cheeks. "Billy," she called, and the boy ran quickly to his mother's side. "Bess, dear," she added; and then, holding the two children in her trem bling hands, she said: "This is the gentleman that has all the li;tle boys and girls. I told yer God would hear me, and now He's just sent him here to take and keep you both until I am well again." As for me, I felt at once humbled, encouraged and thankful; humbled to think that in any hour of dark ness and difficulty I had ever doubted that God heard and answered prayer; encouraged by this frash proof of our Father's guiding hand; and thankful for the opportunity thus afforded me of stretching out a helping hand to one of our Lord's own children. There and then I entered fully into the mother's story, and made notes of the various names and addresses with which she supplied me, so that we could verify the facts and assure ourselves that there was 'genuine need and friendlessnes-j in the case. I left with a promise that, if all proved right, I would admit the chil dren to the homes for a time while the mother entered the hospital. Of course, I saw to the immediate needs of the family, but not until I m:uie Billy tell me once again the story of the "nice geraman." "Now, Billy, what shall I do to be like the nice gentleman? Shall I give you a shilling now, or shall I take you both into my home, and send your mother to the hospital?" Billy hesitated; but there was no feeling of doubt in Bessie's mind. The words were hardly out when she sidled over to me, and placed her little hand trustingly in mine. Billy said more slowly: "If mother wor well, I think it would be nicer to have the shillin'; but I'll go with yu, sir, all right." Ere long one or my good woman helpers was in the room supplying the wants of the patient, bringing food and fuel and a few needed gar ments to the children, .while I ob tained an order giving admission to the hospital to this poor member of "the household of faith." And that was how Billy and Bess came to be counted among the great est family in the world, 5450 strong! Sabbath Reading. The Leech a Weather Trophet. A leech confined in a vial of watei will prove an excellent weather prophet. If the weather is to con tinue fine the leech lies motionless at the bottom of the vial and rolled to gether in a spiral form. If it is to be rain, either before or after noon, it is found to have crept up to the top of its lodging, and there it re mains until the weather is settled. If we are to have wind the poor pris oner gallops through his limpid habi tation with amazing swiftness, and seldom rests until it begins to blow hard. The Scotsman. A Word From Josh Wise. Look on th' bright side. Ef ye he come baldheaded ye kin set in th' front ro'V, TALE 5 OF- Adventure CARRIED OFF BY A TIGER. It is not often that' a person who has been in the claws of a tiger can tell later how the experience seemed to him. Mr. John Bradley, an Eng- lish sportsman, had the good luck to escape with: his life from such a pre dicament, and in his "Narrative of Travel and Sport" tells what the' sen sation was like. He was hunting tl gers in the eastern part of Burma when he met with the adventure. Two other Englishmen were with him at the time. We marched along carelessly with out observing order or caution, and were not prepared to take advantage of Akbar's warning, when he ex claimed, "Beware, sahib!" and a full grown tiger went past us at a gal lop. A straggling volley was fired after it, and although evidently not struck, the beast stopped, and rearing up on his hind legs, clawed the bark of a tree just as a cat scratches the leg of a chair or a table. Mr. Grant and I fired simultaneous ly, but without effect, and before a thought of the creature's intention had time to flash through my mind, I was down under its paws. Seizing me by the left thigh, the tiger shook me as a dog shakes a rat, and .then, grjowling horribly, dragged me at a tremendous .rate through the thick undergrowth of the forest. I heard the frightened shouts of my companions and the report of several shots, and then a dizziness came over me; but I did not lose consciousness. As I was jolted through the forest, I several times caught hold of tha trees; but the tigsr, growling fiercely, shook me free in an instant. All this time, although quite calm and collected, I felt a strong desire to preserve my existence, and never for a moment experienced that apathy With regard to the danger that some persons have described under similar circumstances. How long I was in the jaws of this brute I cannot tell. It seemed to me an age before the creature stopped. My companions afterwards declared that I had been dragged at least half a mile from the spot where I was first seized. They followed as fast as they could run, and although I was unaware of it at the time, never lost sight of the beast. To this cir cumstance I undoubtedly owe my life, for had there been any delay in rendering me assistance", it must have been fatal to me. The moment the tiger halted it released my thigh, and seemed to be attracted by the approach of my com panions, although as yet I did not see them myself. Taking advantage of this release, I tried to escape to the shelter of some tall bushes near at hand. In an instant and with a terrible roar the creature pounced upon me, seizing me this time by the shoulder, and at the same time lacerating my chest with its claws. A shot was fired, and I heard the bullet whistling overhead. Fear of hitting me caused them to aim too high. , A second and third shot were equally unsuccessful; and the tiger, again releasing me, began to lick up the blood which oozed through my jacket. I began to feel very faint, and could not suppress a groan. Sev eral times the tiger dabbed his paws, apparently in play, about my face, but did not use its claws, fortunately ior me. Presently the beast seemed to be seized with a sudden rage, and be gan to spit like an angry cat at some one approaching, whose footsteps I could hear, but whom I could not see, owing to my position, for I was lying flat on my back. There was the sharp bang of a rifle close to my head, a heavy weight fell across me, and then I comprehended that my friend was pulling me from under the dead body of the tiger. TELLS OF YAQUI RAID. Suffering from the wounds inflict ed by Yaqui Indians Mrs. W. R. Baker has arrived at Comstock, Tex as, to make her home with her brother-in-law, D. S. Baker, and fam ily. The husband of Mrs. Baker was murdered before her eyes. He was superintendent of the Nina mine in Sonora, Mex., which is owned by the Yaqui Copper Company of New York. This mine was shut down some time ago and the camp was deserted, but Baker, his wife and seven children remained pending a resumption of operations. It is a hundred miles from Minas Prietas, the nearest rail road point, and fifteen miles from the nearest neighbor. . "I had no warning of the attack," Mrs. Baker said, relating her experi ence to friends. "It was on March 17. My husband had gone the day before to SuaquI, twenty-five miles away, to get some household supplies. In the afternoon two Mexican ranch men, who were oar friends, came to the bouse and invited my two older boys, Marion and Alva, to accompany them to a high elevation on a neigh boring mountain for a view of the Yaqui River Valley. The boys' took their father's field glasses and went with the ranchmen. "My twin boys, Orin and Owen, were playing when the bacd of In dians dashed out of the forest and began firing on them. The boys ran Into the house. I barricaded the door, grabbed my husband's rifle and pistol and began firing through the window. I was shot three times through the arms. "The Indians broke down the door. My little daughter Frances was in bed sick. They carried her into the forest and I heard a shot. I sup posed they had killed her as they had threatened. My other children and I were then put under guard and the looting of the house was begun. The robbers took $250 in money and all the provisions and clothing they could load upon their horses. "Suddenly Mr. Baker appeared rid ing a horse and leading two pack mules. The outlaws fired a dozen bullets into his body and he fell dead. The Indians fell upon the packs which my husband was bringing home from. town, and I took my chil dren and fled .into the forest. We traveled all night and the next fore noon we were found by my son Alva, who had followed our trail. "My sons and the two Mexican ranchmen when they heard the shots ran toward the house. None of them was armed and the Indians fired on them, killing one of the ranchmen. My two sons and the other ranchman ran back into the forest, where they remained until the Indians had gone. My daughter Frances was found on harmed. Alva then rode to the min ing camp of Todos Santos, where he notified the five Americans at that place. These men armed themselves and returned with my son, but no trace of the Indians was found." PIRACY AND MURDER. A remarkable story of piracy, and murder in the South Seas has been brought to Victoria, British Colum bia, by the crew of the steamship Marama. The captain and mate of a Callao schoorier were attacked with a tomahawk and forced to jump over board. Joseph Mortimer, a Belgian, J. Taylor, of Manchester, and G. Jackson, of London, charged with at tacking them, stole the schooner, the Nevure Tigre, of Callao, it is alleged. and started for Australia. The vessel was wrecked in the Gil bert Islands, where it was found by Captain Marshall, of the trading schooner Laurel, who reported the affair to the authorities at Suva, where the pirates were made prison ers. Jackson, it is alleged, made a confession, in which he said: "The schooner sailed under the Italian flag, being owned by the mas ter and mate, both of whom were forced at the point of a gun to jump overboard. The schooner sailed out of Callao early in November last, hav ing on board a crew of five the cap tain and mate, the cook, Joseph Mor timer; myself as cabin boy and J. Taylor. The vessel had only got about fourteen miles off the coast the first day from Callao when the cook made aii attack on the mate and cap tain. He rushed at the mate first and struck him on the head with a tomahawk. "The mate was felled by the blow, but quickly recovered himself and took to the rigging. The captain hearing the scuffling came out of the cabin and he was immediately felled by a blow. The cook then drew a pistol and forced first the mate and then the captain to jump overboard. The mate sank, but the captain struck out for the shore, for.rte.en miles dis tant, and Jackson threw him a plank. The cook threatened Jackson, who agreed . to assist in working the schooner. "The cargo was jettisoned and we started for Australia. The vessel fin ally went ashore in the Gilbert group." The prisoners may be sent to Cal lao for trial. A DANGEROUS LOCALITY. That women as office employes are not without some slight drawbacks, to offset their many virtues, is the opinion of a well known business man who had occasion to leave his office the other day. The stenographer re mained behind to attend to business and answer the telephone. The man had been away from the office an hour, when he suddenly re membered that he had an appoint ment with a business acquaintance at 3 o'clock. Hastily glancing at his watch he saw that it lacked but a few minutes of the hour, and realizing that if his friend came to the office and found him absent trouble might ensue he hurried to a telephone. "Hello! Give me two-one-seven, ring two, pleas?." A pause. "No, I didn't get them. Ring 'em again." Anottor ;ause. "Please ring that number again. I know some one is there." , "They don't answer? Why, that's my office, and my stenographer is waiting Hello, is that you, Miss Robbins? Has Mr. Brown been in? He has! Ju:; gone? Why, I've been ringing you for ten minutes! What' What!!" He hung up the receiver. "Well," the man said, turning to a drug clerk, "that throws some new light on women in business." A "What's the matter?" asked the clerk, who had heard the talking. "My stenographer didn't answer the phone for ten minutes when I was waiting to catch a friend," exclaimed the man, "and what do you suppose was the reason? -She says there was a mouse in the waste basket near the phone, and she was afraid to go near it." Youth's Companion. Muscles of the Moth. As many as 4061 muscies have been counted in the bc'y of a moth. The greatest heat is never found on the equator, but some ten degrees to the north, while more severe cold has been registered in Northern Si beria than has been found near the Pole. A patent has recently been issued to a J Washington chemist for extract ing alcohol from natural gas, and it is announced in the consular reports that a plant for demonstrating the commercial value of the invention is soon to be erected at Bradford, in Pennsylvania. The product obtained. Is like wood, not potable alcohol. Five thousand feet of gas, at a cost of from twenty-five to fifty cents, will produce about fifty gallons of alco hol. What is claimed to be the first elec trical furnace for the production of steel in Belgium is approaching com pletion at the works of the Societe des Acieries Liegeoises, at Brussels. It is of the Kjellin-Roechlinjr type. Pear-shaped balloons are the fash Ion in Belgium. The point is upwari. the base of the balloon is spherical. It is claimed that balloons of this shape pierce the air vertically with far greater 6peed than the ordinary spherical balloon. Consequently they are steadier. Also the upper pointed end . prevents the accumulation of moisture or snow on the surface, which frequently weighs a balloon down and destroys its power to rise. The "luminous owls" that lately startled certain good Britons almost certainly owe their light, It is now agreed, to foreign matter on the feathers. This is 'probably phospho rescent bacteria from decaying wood, but it might be a phosphorescent feather fungus such as is known in geese, or an excessive section of ex uding oil from a diseased condition of the oil gland. A new wire of special advantage in electrical industries is obtained by a Parisian metallurgist through a per fected process of welding copper to steel wire. Great conductivity is combined with tensile strength and elasticity, giving a wire stronger than copper and smaller and less exposed to wind action than iron or steel of the same capacity. Professor T. D. A. Cockerell, of the University of Colorado, describes a well-preserved specimen of a wasp belonging to the genus Paratiphia. found in the shale rocks of Miocene time at Florisant, Col., which exhibits a peculiar venation of the wings, ex actly as it appears in the same genus to-day. The most striking peculiarity is a characteristic imperfect vein in the wing, which persists in the same insect at the present time. Maple Sugar Yield Per Tree. j We have it from an expert author-A. ity that the average yield of rnapie sugar per tree in a season is three pounds, and that it oftener averages only from one and one-half to two pounds. While we have the greatest respect for the judgment of our friends who are in the business and are entitled to great consideration,, we are rather skeptical as to this point and are inclined to think that they have set the figures low. We should think that the maximum yield, instead of three pounds, would be nearly three times three; what the average would be we cannot say. It makes some difference how much sap. a tree runs and as to what percentage of sugar is in the sap. Some rock, maple trees will yield barrels of sap more than others in a season, and will run much longer. We would like to hear from some of our readers in Vermont on this question. New England Grocer. Human Hair Exports From Japan. The British commercial attache at Yokohama has written a report on the subject of the Japanese export trade in human hair, which is an industry of recent growth in Japan. The total export in 1904 amounted to a little over $1000, but in 1906 the total reached $60,000. Although this rapid rate of progress was not main tained during 1907, yet the industry was well sustained. The hair export ed is all black in color and rathei coarse and consists almost entirely of the combings of women of the lower classes. A French brush manu factory at Osaka exports large quan tities to Paris, where the hair is made up into wigs and other articles, which find a ready market. Daily Consulai Reports. Honesty and Matrimony. I was astonished to observe that Diogenes passed by all the married men without subjecting them to any scrutiny whatever, and my perplexity must have appeared in my face, for it was not long until the famous phi losopher was pleased to remark: "Of course, there's no possibility of him whom I seek being married. He would make a Woman mad the very first time he went to see her." Life More Sleep. ' Do we, any of us, sleep enough now? Schoolboys are said to need more sleep than they get. Poor chil dren, certainly, could do with longer hours. Again, in the season what busy man or woman gets enough? I believe this is the cause of so mucb of the nervous exhaustion and neuras thenia we hear about. Lady Violet Greville, in the Londo Graphic. , b 1 J
The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.)
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June 12, 1908, edition 1
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