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m NEBRASKA ADVERTISER I
W. W. 8ANDKK9, FuulUher.
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WEMAHA, ..... NEBRA8KA.
A BACHELOR'S REVERIE.
'Oli, a homo fa a terrlblo handicap
To a soul thnt 'ronld fain bo rreo;
It has captured many a prisoned chap,
But It never shall slmcklo me.
Instead of the careB I would lmvo to face,
in the sumo old rounds everyday,
Oh, rIvo mo u room In a lodging placo
And a lunch at a chauco euro.
Z never need hurry to catch my car,
For I haven't a plnco to go,
And early or lato no meal I mar,
For I'm dlnlnc alone, you know.
The hands of the clock I nover chase,
Kor I drift In an easy way,
Since I Bleep In n transient lodging placo
And lunch at a chunco cafe.
-A. brother of mine I loved him well!
Went wrong in his early years,
CFor ho married and bought him a placo to
dwell,
XOh, this thought of It brings mo tears!)
jVnd thcro ho tins lived what a pitiful
case
And thcro he will likely stay,
VVhllo I still sleep in a lodging placo
And lunch at u chance cafe.
C oomctlmcs think of his vlfo and child
And the vino at his cottage door,
While 1 dream of tho perfect lips that
smiled
"nut they smllo for me no more.
And I muse: "If tho saint with tho angpl
faco
trad answered mo 'yes' that day,
Would I sleep In a transient lodging place
Or lunch at a chanco cafe?"
-.Nixon Waterman. In L. A. W. Bulletin.
MJNT SERENA'S SALT.
JBY
CHARLES M. IIARG1-K.
HAT makes t li c
0U9SM trunk bo heavy?"
HiXdiP asked Paul, :
JU' lifted the
Vlrv fashioned lei
- Or. covered box
asked Paul, as he
old-
lather-
froni
tho wagon at
tho
ranch house.
"Gold and pre
cious stones, likelv. You know folk3
arc all rich down in New England," re
X'AvS' Theo.
-AmiL Serena wouldn't bring those."
'"Of. coui;so she wouldn't," put in thnt
lady herself, coining from tho dwell
ing which was to bo her homo for a
year. "1 guess 1 know better than to
bring anything like thatout here why
don't you have a board walk instead of
dirt patli to tho house?"
"This isn't Connecticut, aunt; it'a
Texas, an' mighty near the Pauhundle,"
implied Paul. "If ycu visit the Texans,
do as tho Texans do; you know the
jiroverb."
"It is not a proverb, and you did not
quote it correctly: but hurry in with
tho trunk."
So tho heavy burden was, with much
straining of muscles on the part of tho
iwo nephews, carried inside; but tho
youths' curiosity lemained uiisatisiied.
"I've brought this 20 miles in a
wagon to-day, and 1 ought-to bo told
what's in it," insisted Paul.
So they waited while Aunt Serena
unpacked.
Dresses, aprons, n few keepsakes
.out the articles came, all light of weight
.and furnishing no explanation of the
mystery. But before tho bottom wa
reached the lid slammed shut and no
.more was to be seen.
"Mighty funny she's so particular,"
.commented Paul, as Theo and himself
ut on their ponies tho following day,
.a couple of miles from the cabin, watch
ing the big cattle herd. "I'm going to
find out, an' right soon, too."
"Make a raid on the trunk?"
"Don't know; but 1 guess so. Fa
ther and mother are going to take her
over to the school director's this aftor
jioon. I'll make a hunt then."
And he did. When he came back his
face was a study.
"What d'ye iind?" asked Theo.
"Couldn't guess it in a thousand
years."
' "Gold, silver, iron, horseshoes, beans,
.bullets?"
"Your trail ain't even warm it s
:fialt."
"What for?"
"How do you suppose I know? I'm
,goin' to ask her."
But Paul did not need to ask. Aunt
Serena suspected that her belongings
had been searched, and forestalled any
.comments by remarking at tho break
fast table: "It's tho purest, ilnestsnlt
I could get a hundred pounds of it.
.I've lived too long within smelling dis
tance of salt water to risk having things
fresh. Even for a visit 1 wanted to be
prepared for emergencies, and besides,
I suppose you use stock salt in lumps
.licre."
Paul admitted that she was partly
.right, and from lhat time tho ranch
.table was not without tho Jlourlikc, re
fined product of the eastern saltworks.
The sack was set inside the storeroom
.door, and was tho subject of many a
joke in the family us well as among the
Jierders.
Even tho sturdy nephews were not
.above referring to the "freshness" that
their aunt expected to see in the south
west. "But then it's just what you'd nllow
rto iind a school-teacher doin" said
Paul. His contempt for school-teachers
was, however, largely assumed, and
ilie often wished he were capable of
-teaching tho neighborhood school, as
.iiis aunt was doing. He longed for her
knowledge of books every time he saw
AM.
ii c. v ii i nn.
her crossing tho prairie to tho sod
echoolhousc, a mile or more from the
ranch, where all the settlers' children
gathered.
Hut soon something clso was of more
pressing importance. The grass on tho
range was becoming short, and tho se
vere drought had prevented tho start
ing of i new growth.
"Wo must movo tho stock down
nearer tho rnnehhousc," ordered the
chief herder; and tho men allowed tho
cattle to graze closer to tho corral.
Five thousand head of Texas cattle!
A little sea of horns, thin, nervous faces,
sharp backs and switching tails it was
a dlillcult band to manage, an army
that skill ulone could control. For man
or horse singly they had neither re
spect nor fear; but a man on a horse
could rule them, provided there were
enough men on horses.
As the hot summer days merged into
autumn no rain came to start -the grass
something unexampled in tho history
of the ranch. Two or three times tho
herders found it necessary to drive the
cattle several miles to water; but the
grass near tho ranch house was largest,
because through the earlier part of tho
season the stock had been kept at some
distance from the home headquarters.
"It seems liko being outsido of civili
zation," said Aunt Serena, coming
home from her school one day and look
ing out over tho vast level plains, on
which were feeding the excitable "long
horns." "Never mind," said Paul, who came
in just then, clnd in his herder costume;
"if we don't have any bad luck, and get
the stock to mnrket all right, it'll take
mo into civilization. JL'vo a share in the
herd, nud I'm going to college."
Paul, indeed, was growing exceeding
ly nervous over the cattle's condition.
A few weeks longer of short feed would,
he feared, make them unsnlnbleat the
high prices on which he had counted.
The next day there was another drive
to water, and a tiresome one it was.
Twice the herd broke into an awkward
trot, and it required all the herders' in
genuity and efforts to restrain it.
The crackling of a stick, tho call of a
quail, tho sudden starting of a jack
rabbit nothing seemed too trivial for
the cattle in their present condition.
"Watch 'em mighty close, boys," was
tho chief herder's order, when, nfter
much dllliculty, all were safely, returned
to tho "house range," as tho feeding
grounds near home were called.
And they were watched close. All
day an endless procession of herders
rode round and round tho restless crea
tures, turning back the stragglers.
On the second dny tho atmosphere
seemed more oppressive than in weeks.
It was "headache weather," according
to Aunt Serena, and she found the mile
walk to tho sehoolhousc u wearisome
one.
"I shall dismiss school early this aft
ernoon," she remarked, on leaving
home. "The children can't stand it to
keep such long hours. I've invited the
First reader class to come to tea with
me. There are eight of them."
Theo and Paul saw their aunt ns she
walked slowly through the close-pastured
bunch grass, far on the opposite
side of the ranch house.
"1 wish," said the latter, anxiously,
"that aunt wouldn't carry that bright
yellow parasol. I'm afraid it will make
us trouble some day."
"Nonsense I" was the reply; "we al
ways have tho herd on this side of the
range while sho goes and comes. She
can't be hurt."
"But tho critters might stampede on
us.
"What's going to make 'em? Be
sides, it ain't likely they'll go in that
direction, anyhow."
Hut Thno did not know ns much
about tho ways of cattle as did his older
brother; nor was he animated by the
same personal interest in tho herd's
welfnro.
It was three o'clock when the broth
ers met again.
"Say, Theo," were Paul's words ns
he rode closely to his companion, "I'm
awful thirsty. I wish you'd ride over
to the house and bring out a can of
water. The cattle are a little quieter
now, and I'll watch for both of us."
Without a word Theo was off, glad
of a respite, and enjoying the brisk can
ter to which ho spurred his willing
pony.
Nor did ho lessen his pace on his re
turn. Racing swiftly along he ap
proached Paul and tho herd, carrying
the can of water nnd thrilled by the
exercise of the half-mile ride.
As he drew near tho pony braced itself
for the sudden stopping; but before
the halt came there was an accident.
Into one of tho numerous gopher holes,
which dot the prairies of the west,
went ono of his horse's forefeet.
In an instant Theo was hurled head
long from the deep-seated saddle and
wont, ns did tho pony, rolling on the
sod. Tho water can broke as it fell, nnd
the clink of it smashing could bo heard
for a long way.
Paul heard it, nnd pressing the spur
to his pony's Hank, hurried toward the
victims of the mishap. But that was
not all. Before Theo and his horse
hnd regaiiied their feet, each bruised
and limping, every grazing steer had
lifted its branching-horned hend and
was staring at the unwonted spectacle.
Then, ns if moved by a common im
pulse, every animal took a few steps
away. A loud bellow from some of the
more powerful ones followed, nnd the
walk of the herd became a trot. The
alarm increased as th'ey moved the
trot was n canter tho canter a run;
and by the timo Paul had turned from
inspecting tho fallen boy and horso the
dreaded stampedo was in progress.
The young man's faco grew white,
oven through the generous coat of fuu
burn, as he fiercely urged his pony for
ward. Other herders were llkcwiso
riding fnst; but tho mass of horns nnd
hairy backs was liko an avalanche,
plunging ahead, regardless of what was
before, blind to any danger, to nil in
tents an unreasoning, insane mob.
The herd wns headed toward the
ranch house and would go near it, then
on across the path leading to the school.
It all passed through Paul's mind in an
instant, and, mingling with tho thought
of injury to the cattle, was that of dan
ger to tho school children or their
teacher. The ranch house hid his view
of tho familiar path at llrst; but as lie
pushed ahead in a frantic hope of being
ablo to turn tho leaders, on whom ho
was rapidly gaining, it was fully re
vealed. Midway between houso ond school,
directly in tho course of the now in
furiated beasts, was a group, tho very
sight of which .thrilled the hurrying
rideir. In its midst was a woman car
rying a yellow parasol, nnd around her
were some little folks not ninny; but
to Paul's ulurmed gaze it seemed a mul
titude. Aunt Serena and her tiny party of tea
guests had just becomo aware of what
wns occurring a half mile away. They
could hear and almost feel tho thou
sands of heavy hoofs beating on the dry
prairie. The shouting cowboys, the
bellowing steers, tho dust it was nil a
frightful menace. Uncertain which way
to turn, and deeming it impossible- to
(3cape from the wide sweep on which
the cattie were coining, they simply
stood silent and terrified. But as they
waited they saw ono rider leave the
group of half dozen herders whose
ponies hnd carried thorn near the lead-erf-
of the herd.
"Paul is deserting us!" passed
through Aunt Serena's mind, and her
heart sank as she spoke the words more
to herself than to the children.
It seemed so. Reining his pony aside
he was riding like mad toward the
much house, which was but a little
out of the herd's course. Theo saw it,
as he stood helpless beside his lamed
DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF
COMING HERD.
THE ON-
pony, and wondered. The other herd
ers saw it and yelled frantically to him
to return. But Paul heeded them not.
Like a Hash into his mind had conic the
words of an old cattleman who had
given him advice in the art of mauag
'ng a herd.
"Yeh kin do more with a bunch of
cattle by their likes than their dislikes,"
bad been a part of his philosophy; "an
1 'spect they're a good bit liko humans
in that,"
Already Paul was near the ranch
house, nnd the anxious watchers saw
him stop his horse with a severity
which nearly brought the faithful crea
ture to its knees, dismount, dash in
through the open door, reappear with
something in his arms, leap to the sad
din and race pellmell, fast as the pony's
feet could carry him, toward the head
of the herd again.
The cattle were running no faster
than at the start, but neither had the
cowboy's efforts been ablo to check
them. Moreover, the angry eyes of
the lenders appeared to have been fasci
nated by tho yellow parasol' which
shone brightly in the sunlight, and
were taking their way, followed by the
whole frantic mass, directly towaird it.
In the air was an odor of bruised horns,
and in the track of the herd was more
than ono struggling benst which hnd
fallen in tho race and been trampled
unto death by its companions.
But Paul was well in advance of even
tho foremost, and a gap of many rods
intervened between even himself and
the school party.
"Git! Prince Git!" he. was saying,
as. he lenned low on his pony's neck and
pressed the spurs harder and harder
on the steaming flanks.
Then suddenly the watchers saw Paul
turn sharply and ride directly in front
of tliu oncoming herd, scarce a dozen
yards away.
But they saw something more. As
he rodo a fine, white stream poured
from his saddlebow, and u flour-like
trail wns left behind him, showing
clearly on the brown grnss and barren
spots of earth.
"What crazy thing" began the
chief herder, who had been far in the
rear but was now near the front.
The cowboy riding next him did not
wuit for the conclusion of the sentence.
Ills quick mind hnd solved the problem,
and above tho roar Mio chief caught tho
Elnglc word, "Rait!"
Before the llrst of the cnttlo had
reached tho white lino Paul was across
tho herd's track and was trimming to
come back further on. But it was un
necessary. As tho llrst rank reached
tho seemingly slight barrier a familiar
and appetizing odor reached tho dis
tended nostrils. Forgetting their im
patience, tho strong beeves slackened
their pace. Tho crowding hundreds
behind pushed them forward, but these,
too, caught tho scent and in a moment
the whole herd wns hooking nnd striv
ing for a tasto of tho animals' greatest
luxury. Paul, seeing what would hap
pen rode on, still doling out tho salt
until ho hnd a lino long enough to en
gage tho greater part of tho herd and
preventany being crushed in the thro:.g.
As ho looked back and saw tho lately
stampeded brutes, sinking hero awl
there to their knees to lick up tho feast
ho had spread, he laughed aloud.
I'IM... ..I.I ....I t.. ....... I... l......i
J.1IU Ulll VtltllVlllllll, 11V lllUUill,
"was right. It was their 'likes' that
caught 'em."
"Hope you won't feel sorry for tho
loss of your lino salt, Aunt Serena,"
remarked Theo, roguishly, tho follow
ing day.
"NoJ. at all," was tho reply; "but I
shall send for somu more at once, and
Paul can't pour it out as ho did tho
other. This kind of weather will set
tle that," looking from tho window at
tho driving rain which had come at
hiBt. "Perhaps it was lucky thnt wo
had n dry spell, after all so that tho
salt was not damp." N. Y. Indepen
dent. ISLAND BEINU WASHED AWAY.
Iuiimmik Summer ltvNort Oir Virginia.
Count Doomed.
Cobb's island, a famous summer re
sort and life-saving station, six miles
oil! tho Virginia coast in tho Atlantic
ocean, seems to bo doomed to annihila
tion by tho action of the sea. A tor
riilc storm swept tho island last Octo
ber, wrecking tho main hotel and flood
ing tho island, making a trench across
it center. Since then the disintegra
tion has been steady, until recently,
when the high tides submerged tho
island and washed nearly all the build
ings into tho surf. The hotel, church
and a number of cottages have been de
stroyed nnd tho life-saving station and
a few cottages are all that is left. Tho
captain of the life-saving station, from
whom this information conies, Bays
there is no longer any doubt thnt tho
island is doomed and only a phenomenal
action of tho wind and woves could pos
sibly restore it. Tho life-saving sta
tion, which was recently moved back
from tho encroaching sea, is now less
than 200 feet from the wnves.
American llrovlty.
A rich American presented himself
one day at tho studio of Sir John Mil
lais, and without preamble began ut
once to speak.
"Sir," he said, "I wish to taket a pres
ent back to my wife. Sho say she
would like to have my portrait pnbitod
by the very best artist in the country,
1 have been told that you are tk mail,
When can I have a sitting?"
"I am at present very busy," said Mil
lais.
"So am I," was tho reply.
"But I am a very expensive artist."
"How much do you charge?"
A largo price was named.
"Shall I give you a check now?"
"Not at all," said Millais, "I merely
mentioned it to prevent misunderstand
ings." "How many sittings do you require?"
"Five or six, nt tho least."
"If you can do it in fewer so much
the better, for I am a very busy iuhu and
my time is valuable."
Millais enjoyed the manner in which
his own plea of being busy hnd been
met, and agreed to pnint him.Good
Words.
A HurMt of Activity.
The Turk, as a rule, is not energetic,
but he is capable of sudden bursts of
activity. A writer gives an illustration:
Ho was going homo late one night In
Constantinople, when a man run by him
pursued by four zaptiehs. Directly they
caught the man. they belabored him
vigorously with the butt ends of their
guns. Tho Englishman interfered:
"If ho is a thief, why not take him to
prison, and let him bo tried properly?
Don't half kill the man without a trial."
"0 effendi," said the spokesman of
tho party, "we don't mind his being a
thief. We're only hitting him because
of tho trouble ho gave us to run nfter
him!" And thnt is an offense which tho
average Turk never forgives. CasueH'a
Magazine.
The 13nd or Grief.
A young woman, according to a eon
temporary, was describing to one oli her
friends a great chagrin which she had
undergone. "I was just almost killed
by it," she said; "I could lmvo cried my
self to death." "Did you cry?" asked
the other. "No; I was just getting ready
to when the dinner bell rang." Youth's
Companion.
Fur Hurxclf Alonv.
She Do you love mo for myself
alone, dearest?
He Of course I do. You don't sup
pose I want your mother about all tho
time, do you? Judy.
A West Palm Beach noto says,
soberly, thnt a Chicago man caught !&
1 803-pouud jewflsh on the ocean pier.
FINE WHITE UNDERWEAR.
Homo of tlie Pretty TIiIiiwm Anted In
the Dry Good Shopi.
The finest articles of underwear nro
mndo of batiste, nainsook, linen lawn,
dimity nnd silk, end arc so daintily
trimmed nnd tucked and hemstitched,
so elnborately ornamented witli lino
laces, embroidery and sntin ribbon an
to bo well-nigh irresistible to the fem
inine observer. Theso command ex
travagant prices, but they can be Imi
tated at home nt comparatively small
expense. The cambric and muslin gar
ments with trimmings of Hamburg em
broidery enn bo obtained at such rea
bonnblo prices as to make it hardly
worth while to fashion them ut home.
Tho latout fancy is to have a set com
posed of old pieces Instead of having
tho trimming match, but Home beauti
ful sets aro still shown.
In night robes there is almost n
much clegnnco at tho present time an
in evening dresses, with tho exception
that none of them open much below tho
neck. Tho common stylo is tho me
dieval, which is cut low nnd square
across just below tho collar, fastened
by a ulnglo fiat pearl button on the left
shoulder, and then falls to the ground.
Tho sleeves nro rather balloon and are
gathered In snugly at tho Wrist, from
which they brea:c into n fall of lace.
They aro also made high-necked, with
elbow sleeves, laco rullles, collars and
epaulets of all descriptions, handed
with laco insertion nnd edged with laco
rallies.
One design in the high-necked gown
was developed in nainsook and vnlcn
cicnncs laco. Tho shallow, round yoke
was composed entirely of tho insertion,
tho standing collar being formed of
a baud of pink satin ribbon overlaid
with tho laco. A deep flounce of rowa
of insertion and lawn edged with laco
finished tho yoke, and thcro wero el
bow sleeves ending in a laco frill. An
other design was cut with a low, round
neck, finished with tho new slashed
collar, which waa edged all about with
u deep laco frill and tied with blue satin
ribbons. An exquisitely dainty gown
in dimity was cut a l'einplre, the square
neck edged with open eyelet embroidery
nnd ruffles of embroidered dimity.
White Bkirts for evening wear nro
made of ilnc lawn In umbrella fashion,
with ono or two wido lace-trimmed,
flounces jet ono over the otherj Moro
serviceable ones arc developed in cam
bric and Hamburg embroidery, which
will survive frequent visits to tho laun
dry. Tho short nlclrt often comes in
combination witli chemises or corset
cover. Tho empire chemise a worn over
tho corset ond answers the purpose ot
both corset cover and skirt. An ex
tremely dainty affair in this stylo wua
made of tho finest nainsook and Valen
ciennes. Tho little empiro waist wus
formed of several rows of insertion and
lawn, gathered Into a band of insertion
over cloth. Instead of sleeves this
filmy affair was fastened overt lie shoul
ders and white satin ribbons tied In
a bow-knot. Tho skirt portion was
trimmed about tho bottom with a
(Jounce of lawn and laco.
Tho latest design in corset covers is
cut low and round, and trimmed ubout
the neck with points of tho lawn, edged
with lace, simplo but dainty. An elab
orately trimmed waist would ruin tho
fit of a dress. Tho drawers nro fash
ioned in umbrella style, or simply made
yery wide, and come in all grudes. N. Y.
3un.
WOMAN'S IMPULSIVENESS.
It Often Proven to Ilo Kepoiiilllo for
Her MlMtnLceN.
If a thoughtful woman wero asked:
"What is the greater curse of your
box?" sho might well answer: "Im
pulse." It is responsible for almost nil
tho mistakes made by the good-hearted
Huong us. May it not bo safely said
that a few minutes thought before
speech or action would prevent most
fatal blunders? Many of us aro in
positive bondage to our bird-like quick
ness to feel, to show our feeling, to re
fort, or to respond. If we are hurt we
must immediately "give ourselves
away," as the phrase runs, If not by bit
ter speeqh, at least by look and manner;
yet reflection frequently brings tho
keenest regret for tho lost dignity, the
bertayed secret. Many a one diaa
wrecked her own happiness for the
want of tho patient stoicism which
would have led her to stand aside for
awhile watching events until they
brought with them her opportunities.
Even when we nro happy it is not al
ways well to let the bright stream bear
U3 awuy rudderless. The impulsive
manifestations of affection, the hasty
proposal of marriage, tho hastier ac
ceptancehave they never proved tho
beginnings of misery? Or has a rash
word never sundered true lovers, true
friendB? If theso things nre true it is
likewise true that the fault in the com
mencement has been that of feminine
impulsiveness. The defect is a gen
erous one, and, therefore, commoner
with us thnn It Is with men, so that it
handicaps us unfnlrly in the struggle of
life. And tiruly it is a weary task to bo
always "with a host of pretty maxims
preaching down" one's heart. But wo
must do It; eitner we must ruie reeling
or feeling will rule un. It is a good
servant, but u bad mnstcr. Our loving
women's hearts are like the fire of tho
domestic hearth the light of the homo
when duly controlled warming tho
whole house, but If the fire be not kept
in its subordinate place what a con
flagration ensues! N. Y. Commercial
Advertiser.