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About The Nebraska advertiser. (Nemaha City, Neb.) 18??-1909 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 19, 1904)
IN ANY GARB. In ofdtra times, when a girl grew up, They tied hor "with ropes of gems, They shackled her aukles and wrlBt.8 with ore, And they crowned her with diadems. They soaked her tresses In perfumed oil, They rubhcd her with pastes and things, . Then brought her forth, as a queen, befit To rivet the gazes of kings. But now a dip In the tumbling waves, With a rest on the sands between, A linen skirt, and a sailor hat And she's just as much Madeline Bridges, lu Life. Romance of K were all sitting on the piaz za, except those of uh that were swinging In the ham mocks among the trees; the sea wind was blowing over us, the birds were darting low hero and there, and the bantams and the spring chlckoiiH and the big black Cochins were clucking and picking in the grass, watched over by the old King Charles, who redeem ed uh from vulgarity, and It was a Bcene of domestic comfort, us Aunt Helen said. Aunt Helen, by the way, became a very pleasant addition to the comfortable appearance of the scene, as she said it. She was Just as plump as a woman ought to be when her next birthday may be her fortieth. She had a soft Hush on hor cheek, where the dimple was yet as fresh as when she was a girl, and the Hush deepened sometimes Into a real damask; her teeth were like rows of seed corn for -whiteness, and her eyes wore just as brown as brook water; only her hair that was quite white. Lovely hair, though, for all that; she parted It even ly over her low, level forehead and above the yet black eyebrows; and we all declared, every day of our lives, that Aunt Helen was a beauty. "I used to be," she had replied; "but that's all gone now. 1 havo put my youth behind me." Perhaps she had. Rut we young folks used to think differently whon we saw Mr. Thornton coining up the road, and Aunt Helen's eyes resolutely bent on her work, but her color mounting and mounting, till the reddest rose that ever burned In the sunshine was not so rich. Mr. Thornton saw It, too, no doubt, for he always looked and looked intently all the way by. Hut the truth was I shall have to tell you all about It if I tell you any that when Aunt Helen was 20 yearB young er, she and Mr. Thornton had been lovers ever since they could remem ber. They had built their house at last, and her wedding dress was made. If she was a beauty,, he was every Lich her mate I know he was, be cause he is to-day one of the men it doe you good to see, who look as If they could hold up the world if need oe, and inspire you with confidence In jclr powers. Now, what In the world do you sup pose that, with their house furulBhed, and the cake baked, and a dozen years of Intimate affection to bind them, Aunt Helen and Mr. Thornton found to quarrel about? She declared she wouldn't keep hens! And he declared that he wouldn't keep houso! That was the whole of it, to condenso the statement; one word led to more, and finally, In a towering passion himself, he told Aunt Helen that she had bet ter learn to control her temper If she did not want to ho a vixen entirely, and Aunt Helen took tho ring off her finger and laid it on tho table without a word and sailed out of the room, and refused to see him whon he called in the morning, and sent back his let tor unopened, and cut the wedding cake and put some of it on the tea table and sent the rest to tho fair. Perhaps, on the whole, Mr. Thornton might have been right. Exactly one week from that night Mr. Thornton was married to Mary Ma hew, an in offensive little body who would have married anybody that asked her, and she went Into the house that had been furnished according to Aunt Helen's taste; and Immediately afterward a hen-house of the most fanciful de scription of architecture rose on the hill behind his house, full of fancy fowl, and the little lawn was all alive with Its overflow, and you couldn't go I by the place without meeting a Hock of cropple-crown, or patrldge Cochin, or white Leghorn, or black Spanish, flying up on each separate piece of fonco to crow out Mr. Thornton's tri umph reversing the oiu tradition of he crower, and crying, "No women rule hero!" They say Mr. Thornton grow very old lu a few years. His inoffensive little thing of a wife turned out to be a smart termagant, who led him a pretty dance. PerhapB she wn dissat isfied with her piece of a heart; but then she knew that was all when she took It. He treated her always very cently perhaps feeling he had done W of a queen 1 a Barn-Yard her some wrong lu marrying her and gratified her every wish, although, hav ing cared nothing for her In the be ginning, It Is doubtful If he cared any more for her In the end. The end came after 18 years, when Mrs. Thorn ton was killed In a railroad collision, land her husband was left with four children on his hands; rudo, noisy, 111 farlug cubs, as all the neighbors said. If Mr. Thornton had over impatiently chanced to think that his punishment had lasted long enough, he thought now It was Just beginning, when he found himself alone with those chil dren. He wondered that his wife had any temper left at all. Ho grew more bent, more vexed and worried every day, and one would hardly have rec ognized, people said, the dark and splendid Stephen Thornton of his youth, In this middle-aged, gray-haired man; and yet, to our eyes, ho was still quite a remarkable looking per son perhaps more so from our asso ciating him with the poetry In Aunt Helen's life, and making him an ob ject of wonder as to whether or not they would ever come together again. Rut there was little chance of that. We had met Mr. Thornton elsewhere, but he had never come across our threshold since tho day ho went out with his bride's ring. And Aunt Helen's peculiarity was that she never forgot. Could she, then, forget the words he spoke to her In his anger? Could she ever forget his marrying another wo man In less than a week? It had been In that week and a few following that her hair had turned white. She had suffered Inexpressibly; she had not slept a night, but she kept up a gay face. Perhaps she would have suf fered If It had not been for our grow ing up about her. Her life was thus tilled, every minute of It; sho had but very little time to bo lonely, to brood or mourn. She forgot herself In us. It gave her a (pilot happiness, and kept her comely. And then she was too proud; whenever the thought thrust up Its head, she shut the lid down, as one might say, and sat on It. Rut one day after the time when the doctor had said Harry was a hope less cripple, and must lie on his back the rest of his llfo Aunt Helen brought home a little basket from the county fair, and took from the wool within It two of the cunnlngest mites of chickens you ever laid eyes on. "I hate them," said sho; "they make me crawl; but they will amuse the dear child. They're African." And so they did amuse him and de light him, as he lay on his loungo In the bay window and watched them growing up, full of business. And that was the way, by the way, that we came to have chickens round the front piazza. Ono night, a year after, when the bantams were quite grown people, somebody dropped over the fence a pair of big black Cochins, that stalked about as if the earth was too good to tread on, or as If they were afraid of crushing a bantam with the next step. Of course we know where . e Cochins came from for nobody else In town had any but no one said a word. Only it was sport tho next day to peer round the corner and see Aunt Helen, with a piece of bread In her hand, In doubt whether to have any thing to do with those fowls or not, twice extending her hand with the crumbs and snatching It back agnln, and at last making one bold effort, and throwing the whole thing at them, and hurrying into the house. Rut from that, moment the ever-hungry Cochins seemed to regard her as their patron saint. Sho never appeared but they camo stalking gingerly along to meet her, and at last one made so bold as to fly up and perch on the back of her chair, on the piazza. Of course he was shooed off with vigor with a little more vigor perhaps because Mr. Thorn ton had at that moment been passing, and had seen this woman who would never keep hens presenting the tab leau. It was two or three days after that, that Aunt Helen, coming home at twi light from one of her rambles by tho river bank, was observed to bo very nervous and flushed, and to look much as If she had been crying. "It's all right," said our Ned, com ing in shortly after hor. "I know all about It. I've been setting my eel . traps; and what do you think she met old Thornton " "Ned!" "Sho did, Indeed. And what'll you nay to that man's cheek? He up and spoke to her." "Oh, now, Nedl Before you!" "Fact! Before mo? No, Indeed; I lay low," said Ned, with a chuckle. "But bless you, they wouldn't havo Been me If I had stood high." "For shame, Ned! Oh, how could you and Aunt Helen!" "Guess you'd havo been no bettor In my place," said the uiiBcruplouB boy. "But there, that's all. If I could listen, of course you can't" "Oh,, now, Ned, please!" we all chor used together. "Well. then. He stood straight be fore her. 'Helen,' wild ho, 'have you forgotten me?' and she began to turn white, 'I have had time enough,' said she. "Oh, you ought not to have stayed, Ned!" "l'ou may Hud out the rest by your learning." said the offended narrator. "1 should like to know how I was go ing to leave. Only I'll say this, that if Aunt. Helen would marry old Thornton to-day- she wouldn't touch him with a walking stick!" To ouv amazement, on the very next afternoon who should appear at our gate, with his phaeton and pair, but Mr. Thornton; and who, bonneted, and gloved, and veiled, should Issue from the door, to be placed In that phaeton and drlvo off with him, but Aunt Helen! Ned chuckled; but the rest of us could do nothing but wonder. "Has sho gone to be married?" wo gasped. And LIU and Harry began to cry. "Well, I'll tell you," said Ned, In mercy. "He said there'd never been a day since he left her that he hadn't longed for what he threw away!" "Oh, how wicked!" "She told hltn so, very quietly and severely I tell you Aunt Helen can be severe and to be silent on that. 'For ever?' said he. 'And ever,' said she. 'It Is impossible,' said ho. And then he went over, one by one, a dozen differ ent days and scenes when they were young; and If ever a fellow felt mean, I was the one." "I should think you would," we cried with one accord. "Now look here," returned Ned. "If you want to hear the rest, you keep that sort of remark to yourself. It was too late to show myself, anyway. And I'll be blamed If I'll say another word if you don't every ono acknowledge you'd have done Just as I did." "Oh. Ned, do tell the whole. That's a good boy." "Well, she just began to cry I never saw Aunt Helen cry before. And then It seemed as If she would go dis tracted; and he begged her not to cry and she cried the more; and he begged her to mnrry him out of hand I know Just how to do It now; only it doesn't seem to lie a very successful way and she shook her head; and he Im plored her, by their old love, he said, and he wiped her eyes, and she looked at him, and gave a laugh a hateful sort of laugh. " 'Then,' said he, 'if you will not for my sake, not for your own sake, then for the sake of the motherless children, who need you more than ever children needed a mother yet, and who who are driving me crazy!' And then Aunt Helen laughed In earnest, a good, sweet, ringing peal; and the long and short of it is that she has driven up to the Thornton house to-day to look at the cubs and see what she thinks about them. Maybe she'll bring them down here she's great on missionary work, you know." "Well, I declare!" was tho final chorus. And we sat In silence a good half hour; and by the time our tongues were running again Aunt Helen had returned, and M,r. Thornton had come In with her and sat down upon the piazza step at her feet, but not at nil with the air of an accepted lover much more like a tenant of Mohamet's coflln, wo thought. And, as I began to tell you, we were all sitting and swing ing there when Aunt Helen exclaimed about Its being a scene of domestic comfort As she sat down the big black Cochin hen came to meet her. "Why, Where's your husband?" said she to the hen. "There he Is," said Ned. "He's been up alone In that corner of the grass the whole day, calling and clucking and Inviting company; but the rest haven't paid the least attention to him, and are picking and scratching down about the cannas." "Oh, but he's been down there twice, Ned," cried Harry, "and tried to whip the little bantam, but It was a drawn battle." "Well, he ought to have a HtUo va cation, and scratch for awhile," said Aunt Helen. "Ho has picked and scratched for his hen and her family all summer." "And bo'b the banty," said Ned. "Tho bantam'B tho best; he's taken as much care of the chickens as tho hon has, any way; and he never went to roost once all tho tlmo his hen was setting, Mr. Thornton, but sat right down In tho Btraw beside her every night." "A model spouse," wild Aunt Helen. "They aro almost human," said Mr. Thornton. And so we sat talking till the tea-bell rang, for Mr. Thornton was going to stay to tea, he boldly told us; and wo saw that he meant to get all the young people on his side by the way he began to talk to Ned about trout and pickerel, and about deep-sea fishing; but when he got to eel-traps, Ned's face was purple, and he blessed that tea-bell, I fancy. However, Mr. Thorn ton might havo found that It wasn't so caBy to range the young people on his side, If he had made a long-continued effort. Wo enjoyed a romance under our eyes, but we had no Bort of notion of his taking our Aunt Helen away. We were Just coming out from tea, and were patronizing the sunset a lit tle, which was uncommonly flue, and 1 thought I never Been Aunt Helen looking like Biieh a beauty, with tho rich light overlaying her like a rosy bloom, when John came hastening up. "I Juat want you all to step Inside the barn door with me If you please, inarm," said he. And Ave went after him to be greeted by the aweet smell of new-mown hay, and to be gilded by the one great broad sunbeam swim ming full of a glory of motes from door to door. "Do you see that?" said John. It was a flock of tho hens and chickens on their accustomed roosts. "And now do you see that?" ho said; and he turned about and showed us, on the top rail of the pony's manger, the big, black Cochin also gone to roost, but separately and his wife be side him? No, but little Mrs. Ban tam! "That's who he's been clucking and calling to this whole afternoon, the wretch!" cried Ned. "And now look here," said John; and we followed him Into the harness room, where the chickens had chanced to be hatched, and there, In the straw on the floor, sat the disconsolate little ban tam rooster, all alone, with his wings spread and his feathers puffed out brooding his four little chickens under his wings the four little chickens de serted by their mother. "I declare! I declare" cried Aunt Helen, as we came out Into the great niotey sunbeam again; "the times are so depraved that It has really reached the barnyard. The poor little banty and his brood! Why, It's as bad as a forsakeu merman!" "Only not so poetical," said we. "Helen," said Mr. Thornton, "It's ex actly my condition. Are you going to have pity for that bird, and none for me? Are you going to leave me to my fate?" And In a moment, right before us all, as sho stood In that great red sunbeam, Mr. Thornton put his arms round Aunt Helen, who, growing rosier and rosier, either from the sun beam or something olse, could do noth ing at last but hide her face. "Helen," he said, "you aro certainly coming home with me?" And Aunt Helen did not say no. Waverloy Magazine. STRONG LANGUAGE AND MILD. Victory ICutty with 'the Lure Man Who UhimI the kittle WordH. It was hot and It was dusty, Tho horaes had tolled hard all day and, oven though they did weigh three quarters of a ton apiece, they were tired. Tired, too, wius tiie driver so tired that when tho Irritant gong of a crowded trolley car warned htm at the 14th street curve to get off the track he was lu no hurry to obey. But the motormnn was in haste. It was his last trip of the day. So ho bumped tho lagging truck Just unco for luck. "Say, cheese It!" remonstrated the driver angrily. But the motorman bumped him again wordlessly, but with emphasis. But the driver didn't pull out. He did, however, stand up on his sent, re marking: "Say, you red-headed loafer, I'll come over dero an' poonch th' face off youso in about a tnlnuto I will so!" Then tho motorman silently bumped him again. Tho driver grew frantic the poverty of the language appeared to enrage him. But he did his best. " ! ! !!!" ho howled. Another bump from the silent mo torman. "D II . raved the driver. By this tlmo the horses, weary of the bumping, had turned out of their own accord and stopped. Tho car drew up alongside as the driver exhausted his vocabulary and his breath. Tho motorman, a IlerculeH, turned off tho power, set the brako and stepped toward the truck. Several pas sengers were already mentally prepar ing a fund for the widow of the unfor tunate driver. It certainly looked like slaughter. Grimly the huge Irishman on the platform raised his mighty hand and shook a finger about the filzo of a au sago. Thon for the first tlmo he npoke. "Naughty! naughtyl" said he. The fat policeman on the corner Is still of tho opinion that a fuse blow out on that car. Now York limes. Don't forgot that your neighbors can smell fried onions farther than roast turkey. Bather than porjuro themselves some men refuse to awoar off drinking. . I FAVORITES v i Coiutti' Thro' tho Kyc. Gin a body meet n body, Cotnlii' thro' tho rye, Gin a body kiss a body, Need a body cry? Chorus: Ilka lnsslo hns her Inddle, Ne'er n nne ha'e I; But all tho lads they lovo me wcel, And what the waur am I? Gin n body meet a body, Comln' frae tho well. Gin a body kiss a body, . Need a body tell? Chorus. Gin a body meet a body, Comlu' frno the town, Gin a body kiRs a body, Need n body frown? Chorus. Ilka Jennie hns her Jockey, No'or n nne hn'c I; But n' the bids they love me wcel, And what the waur am I? Chorus. The Little Church It omul the Corner. "Bring him not here where our BalntcJ foot Aro trending the path to glory; Bring him not here whore our Savloui sweet Repeats, for us, Ills Htory. Go, take htm where 'such thlna' an done For ho snt in the scnt.of the scornor To where they hnvo room, for wo hava none, To the little church round the corner." So spake the holy man of God Of another man, his brother,' Whose cold remains, ere they sought Uu sod, Had only asked that a Ohrlsrlnn rtto Might he rend above them by ono whosi light Was, "Brethren, lovo one another;" Had only asked that a prayer he rend Fro his llcsh went down to join the dead! Whilst his spirit looked with Htippllaul eyes, Searching for God throughout the skies But tell priest frowned "No," and hit brow wn bare Of lovo in the sight of the mourner, And they looked for Christ and found Htm where? In that little church round tho cornorl Ah, well! God grnnt, when, with nchlnf feet, Wo trend life's Inst few pnees, Thut wo may hear some accents sweet, And kiss, to the end, fond faces! God grant that this tired flesh mny rest, ('Mid many n musing mourner) While the sermon Is prenched, and the rites nrc road, In no church where the heart of lovo Is dead, And tho pastor a pious prig at bust, ' But lu some small nook where God's confessed Some little church round the cornorl A. E. Lancaster. ISrrors lu DIot, Dr. Robert Hutchinson, In a rocenj lecture at tho London Institute, called attention to some of tho errors In the national diet. His criticism and rec ommendations will apply equally wel to America. Ho says: "Wo nono oi us seem to eat .quite the right things; at any rate not for tho right reasons. Tho great mistake is that w aro led away by mere flavor. American choose, at sixpence a pound, is dietetlcally a good as Stilton at ono shilling and fourpence. The bloater yields rather m orb nutriment than the solo or th salmon. Margarine Is quite as nour ishing and as digcstlblo as butter. Comparing the values of different arti cles of diet, Dr. Hutchinson said thai vegetable foods were, on tho whole, not so easily digested as animal foods. It would be a great mistake for a town population to live entirely on tho for mer, even If town digestions wero boti ter than they are. At the samo tlma ho thought we could all with advant age eat moro of the pulses, such as peas, beans and lentils. Dietetic sal vntlon, ho said, was not to be found In brown bread. On paper brown! bread was superior to white, but thd whole. of It was not absorbed "No, be lleve mo," said tho lecturer, "the In stinct for white bread Is a sound In stlnct" As to oatmeal, It was rich! In building material, and In fact, iii Iron and In phosphates. It was non sense to say that oatmeal was the cause of appendicitis and other evils. If It were, the Scotch nation would have perished centuries ago. A Negro and English. You aro almost an octogenarian, sab," said the semi-educated, young, yellow negro, pompously. "Wha-what's dat yo' says?" snapped tho venerable but unlettered darkey. "I specified, sab, that you are almost an octogenarian." "Well, don' yo' do it ag'n, boy, or I'll done bust yo' head wld my Btlck yo' heads my prognostication?" A woman who was lately divorced Is quoted as Baying: "There aro too many men in the world to bo unhappy with ono of thorn." Ever remark how timidly aud hoel- fittingly a bald-headed man takes of bis hat?