THE MEBRASKA ADVERTISER
W. W. HANDICUs, I'uiilUlirr.
NEMAHA, - . - -
NEHRASKA.
WHEN A'NT JERUSHY DIED."
Now, A'tit Jcrunliy Illglnboom wuh inlildlln'
well tor (to,
And of all her near rolatloiiH vn bereft,
F everybody wondered, when they hoKrd
Unit hIicM pot tlirouali,
Where the money was ii-goln' that flhe
left.
Hut, mikiH alive! she hadn't moro'n been
ineaHiired fcr her sluoiiil
When relatlveH sprutiK up from fur and
wide,
On the cars and on theHteambont they kep'
t'otnln' In a crowd,
And they cot hero soon an A'nl Jerushy
died.
There wan her Kranil-ncplievv Sllim thnt had
Jest koI outer Jail,
There, wjih Huldy Ann, her niece, from
Tonnes-nee;
Then un Coimln Job, the parson, Hnd his
Mister AblKall,
And her ma's ha'f sinter'. hviHband,
Kzry It .
There was Cnp'n Inane Goober, who Uvea
nome'eres down In Maine
lie's ii coufln on lili wlfo Marla'a Hide
lie wh Roln' tor Mil ferChlny but. Inntend,
lie took the train
Fer these dlRKln'x, oon as A'nt JeruHhy
died.
Well, the fun'ral was a big: one, and thewoo
vvni deep ami Brand
When them tehitlveH was weepln' o'er tho
dead;
Hut, although they wk heart-broken, they
wan every one on hand
In tho parlor when tho will waa belli'
read.
And there they Hot and listened, like a pack
of Hhi eplsh fools,
And their team most awful suddenly was
dried.
Fcr they found, ahe'd willed her fortune tew
the ftirrlu mission schools,
So they all ol left when A n't Jorushy
died.
If yer reckon that that fixed 'em, why, yer
Jest don't know their sort
That wuh only tho beirlnnln' of tho mill,
Fer tlwy ouch one Kot a lawyer and they
mailed ilht Inter court,
And they tried their beHt at bUHtln' up the
will.
Ho they foiiRht It and appealed It, while the
yearn waa Hllppln' pimt,
And 'twaa heard and heard, and tried, and
tried, and tried.
Hut tho lawycra waa tho only onea that got
a cent at lust,
Of the money left when An't Jeruaby
died.
Jou Lincoln, In 1.. A W. Uulletln.
0
O
The "Spell" at Six-Mile
By J. L. Harbour
4t Q
CYUUS DUAKE hud come over to
our house, to see If t would go with
him to "tho spoil nt Six-Mile."
Cyrus was 10 and I was about the
mine ago.
We lived at this time, which was long
ago, in the west, in a rural, neighbor
hood. Cyrus and I walked two miles
1o school together four months of the
year. That was all of tin "schooling"
wo could get, because our fathers were
uior men, with large families to sup
port, and we. wore needed at homo.
Few boys of our ago ever attended any
but the winter term of the school.
The Drake farm adjoined my fa
ther's, and Cyrus and I were bosom
friends. Wo sat together in the little
old brick sehoolhouse in one room, in
ihieh -li or fl) boys and girls, of from
live to nineteen years of ago, were
crowded together during the winter
term of the school.
The school district, next, to ours was
called the "Six-Mile district." I hard
ly know why it was given this mime,
but it. may hne boon because it was
ubout. six miles from the. nearest town.
Our social opportunities were ex
tremely limited. Indeed, there was so
little "going on" at any time that a
spelling mutch or a singing school at
the sehoolhouse pnrtook of the nature
of a. soolal gathering, and was hailed
with delight by the entire district.
It was seldom that anything more
exciting occurred than a spelling con
test between the pupils of Six-Mile and
those of our district. There had been
n good 11111113- f these contests, and
the honors had been about equally di
vided. "They're going to have a spell ov er at
Six-Mile," said Cyrus, when ins came
over to our house. "I've just heard
about, its I guess it's for them to kind
of prnctice up so they'll hae abetter
chance of winning when when they
come over to try and spell us down
next week. Hut that's no reason why
we shouldn't go If we want to."
Nor was the fact that we lived four
miles from tho Six-Mile sehoolhouse
and the night, was stinging cold any
reason why two sturdy, conn try -bred
boys should stay away from the spell
ing school, although we would have to
walk both ways.
Father said 1 might. go, and ho added:
"I have to go away over to Squirt Ha
pan's to-night on a matter of business,
and I'll try to come by tho sehoolhouse
at about the time the spell is over with,
and you can ride homo with me in the
pung."
So Cyrus and I sot out on foot in the
light of a full moon. The snow lay
smooth and white on tho almost level
stretches of prairie, and it was drifted
high in the Jong lanes through which
we passed. A wind with an edge like
a blade swept up from thu north, and
wo were glad wUimi we came to the lou-j
lit retch of wood on the other side of
which Iny the Six-Mile sehoolhouse.
Homemade candles set in tho win
dows sent forth a cheery light when
wo reached the- Hoboolhouse. A num
ber of sleds- uud sleighs stood outride
the schoolhouKO yard, the blanketed
horses emitting vapor from their nos
trils. "1 think there's a good many here,"
said Cyrus.
"I think so, too, judging from the
sleighs and sleds outside. There's .Jo
nas Keightly 's queer old cutter."
"Oil, 3011 may bo sure that old Jo
iwiR Is hero," said Cyrus; "catch him
missing a spelling bee! We'll Hurl him
inside In his old black eoat, with his
ancient bluo-bnoked spelling book In
his hand watching and listening as
if the result were a matter of life or
death."
donas Keightly was one of the "odd
sticks" of the neighborhood in which
we lled. He was an eccentric old man,
who lived entirely alone In a small
frame house on the Mnest farm in the
neighborhood. Ho was reputed to be
very wealthy, although his manner of
life would Indicate that lie was a poor
man. The four or live rooms of his
cheap little house were oarpotless, and
better furniture could be found in the
homes of some of the poorest farmers.
Queer stories were told of old Jonas
Keightly 's generosity and of his parsi
mony. He was always shabby in his
dress anil lived in such seeming poverty
and discomfort, but when Margaret
Crane was left a widow, with live little
children, and was about to have the
mortgage on her home foreclosed, Jo
nas Keightly had come forward and
paid the thousand dollars due, and
would not eon take the widow's1 note
for the money, saying briefly that she
could pay it when she "got good and
ready."
When Cyrus and I entered the school
house there sat Jonas near the teach
er's desk, with a tallow caudle in his
hand, ready to light when the spelling
should begin. Jonas never missed a
spelling bee in our district or in his
own. It was his conviction tliJt or
thography was the foundation stone
of all education.
There were others who held to this
belief, and more attention was given
to spelling than to anything else in
the rural schools of that day.
The little Six-Mile sehoolhouse was
tilled with pupils and their parents
when it came time for the spelling to
begin.
It happened that Cyrus and f were
the only persons present from our dis
trict, and I had a feeling that we were
not ery welcome, because, as Cyrus
had said, the "Six-Milers" had met to
"practice up" for n contest with our
school the following week.
However, when It came time for them
to choose sides, Cyrus and f wore
chosen along with the others, and the
spelling began. First we spoiled with
"trappers," then we "kept tally" and
"spelled across," and then the teacher,
a sweet-voiced and 'pretty young wom
an, announced that we would "spell
down."
At this juncture of the proceedings
Jonas Keightly arose to his feet and
amaed everyone by saying:
"There has been some good spelling
done here to-night, ory good, and I'm
delighted to see you improving so
much. Hut I want to see you do stil!
better, so just to encourage you and
kind of put you en your mettle, I'll tell
you what I'll do."
lie thrust, his hand down into his
pocket and drew forth a twenty-dollar
gold piece. Holding it on the palm of
Ills big, rough and toil-worn hand, he
said:
"I'll glc that to the one who stands
up longest In the spelling-down con
test we're going to have now. Yes,
1 willl I'll hand it right over to t lie one
that spells all the rest of you down."
This unexpected announcement cre
ated great excitement. Twenty-dollar
gold pieces were extremely nre in
the neighborhood, and it is certain that
not a pupil of the Six-Mile school hud
ever owned one, while Cyrus and I nev
er owned een the dollars at one time.
Jonas added before spoiling began:
"I'm doing this for the encourage
ment of the young, and 1 don't want
anyone but those of school age to come
into the contest. That will make it
fairer for the boys and girls,"
This caused a number of young men
and women and some older persons
to take their seats, rather unwillingly,
and the contest began.
Now, I was not a ery good speller,
and, to my chagrin, I missed tho first
word that came to me, and had to sit
down. Cyrus, by whose side I stood,
giving me a sharp poke with his elbow,
Indicative of his disgust at my stupid
ity, before I took my seat.
Cyrus was what some people called
a "natural-horn, speller." lie roomed
to spell by intuition, and not because
he studied harder or longer than any
of the other boys, lie could "oul-spell"
almost any boy in the school, while,
on the other hand, he was lamentably
weak in mathematics and was helpless
In the face of any problem Involving
compound fractions.
Jonas Keightly 's offer certainly put
one boy on his mettle, and that boy
was Cyrus Drake. lie spelled boldly
and confidently. Twenty dollnrs in
gold meant so much to him. Ills eyes
had sparkled and a look of determina
tion had come to Ills face when Jonas
Keightly hud held the gol.il piece out
In his palm. Cyrus hud whispered to
me:
"I'm going to try for that."
The contest went forward amid sup
pressed exclttnent. 2S'o one whispered,
and the silence was so intense that
the lowest-voiced speller could be
heard in every part of the room.
When nil but six of the contestants
had missed tho words pronounced to
them and had sat down, Cyrus was still
standing. Miss Ware, the teacher, now
began pronouncing the most diilicult
words in the book, and ten minutes
later every contestant had been spelled
down but. Cyrus and his cousin, Louis
Drake, a boy about the age of Cyrus.
This was rather a singular coinci
dence, and one with a sorrowful side
to it, for, although Cyrus and Louis
were own cousins, they were at bitter
enmity and did not speak to each
other. Their fathers, who were broth
ers, had quarreled over the division of
their father's property several years
before the time this story opens, and
the quarrel had extended to the mem
bers of both families. They held no
communication with each other, al
though each brother, in the calmer
reflection that had come after the quar
rel, had seen wherein he had been In
thu wrong. Hut they nursed their bit
terness and gave no token of regret
or of a desire for a reconciliation.
Cyrus and Louis looked defiantly into
each other's faces. They held their
heads erect, with their arms folded on
their breasts. The enmity existing be
tween the two families was known to
everyone in tho room, nnd the perfect
silence gave way to excited whispers
and a general stir as the two boys
faced each other.
In the midst of the excitement Miss
Ware pronounced the word "tessellate"
for Cyrus to spell. He spelled it while
the whispering and general murmur of
excitement were still unabated, and
Miss Ware, holding up her hand, as a
signal for silence, said:
"Silence, please!"
When perfect silence reigned she
said 10 Cyrus:
"l am not quite sure that I under
stood you when you spelled the word
'tessellate.' Did you spell it with one or
two l's?"
Cyrus was silent, for a moment. He
bit his lip and then replied:
"1 spelled it with two l's."
"That was right," said Mis Ware.
"Louis you may spell 'propy Ion.' "
Louis hesitated an instant, and then
spelled it slowly and distinctly, "p-1-0-p-i-1-o-n."
"Next." said Miss Ware, a little sadly.
Cyrusspellod the word correctly, and
Louis sat. down with a frown on his
face, and a darker frown was on the
face of his father, who was in the room.
"Well, boy; I guess you have won the
prize fairly and squarely, and here 't is.
I'm a little sorry it had to go out ol nir
own district, but I said I'd give i. to
the one that stood up longest, and I'll
keep my word."
"Thank you, sir," replied Cy rus as he
took the money, Then he turned tonic
and said:
"Come, Ted; let's go home. There's
father over by the door. I think he's
been to my Aunt Martha's, and stopped
for us to go home with him. Come on."
He pushed his way through the
crowd, and I followed him. Hut when
we had reached the open door ho
turned suddenly and walked over to
the little platform at one end of the
room. Seizing the teacher's little bell
011 her desk he stood on a chair and
rang the bell violently. All eye, wore
fixed upon him, nmf those who had
left the house hurried in again. When
all was silent, Cyrus stood up boldly
and bravely, and his voice rang our
clearly and steadily, as he said:
"I want to say something. I did not
tell the truth when 1 said 1 spelled the
word tessellate' with two l's. I spoiled
it with but one, although I knew as
soon as I had done so that 1 had made
a mistake. Hut I missed the word, and
this gold piece belongs to my cousin
Louis. I want him to come and get it,
and beg his. pardon and your's for my
unfairness."
The dead silence that followed this
manly confession of his fault was
broken by John Drake, Cy's uncle,
stepping on to the platform and taking
Cyrus by the hand, while lie said:
"(lood for you, Cy ! I'm prouder of
you for this than I am of Louis for
winning the prize. You wouldn't be
my brother's son if y,, i,n,i kept what
didn't belong to you. We Drakes have
our faults, but we're honest people and
we toll the truth. I'm proud to have so
brave a nephew, and your father
ought to be proud to have so brave a
son."
"I am, John," said Mark Drake. Cy's
father, stepping forward and holding
out liis hand toward his brother.
For the first time in five years thoy
clasped hands, and the hands of r very
one in the room clapped approval of
this public reconciliation of the two
brothers. They rode home together,
with C, and Iiouis and I "snuggled up"
In the straw and robes in the bottom of
the sled behind them.
Old .Jonas Keightly probably told the
truth when he said afterward:
"I guess I never Invested fi.'O to bet
ter advantage." Ooldon Days.
."Writ .Soino ('iivorliiu.
Mistress- Why, P.ridget, tho chairs
are covered with dust!
Servant (coolly) Well, mem, they
want something to hide their shabbi
ness. I'uii.
ELLIPTICAL FLOWER BED.
It ForniM Unite-mi Attractive Feature
for the FiirmlioiiNC or City
O run 1110 11 (ill tiuriliMi.
A bed in the shape of this figure
would be called by some an oval, but it
is not. It is the figure known in mathe
matics as an ellipse. To describe iton
the surface of the ground plant two
stakes firmly as at A and 15. Stretch
11 double cord as tightly as possible by
a pointed stick orany convenient mnrk
er, and, keeping it at its utmost tension,
move it around the Unci AH, and it will
describe the curve of the ellipse. If
the length of tho doubled cord be
only slightly greater than the dis
tance from A to JI, the ellipse will be
long and narrow. If the cord be con
siderably longer than the line AH, the
figure will be hurdly distinguishable
from a circle.
As the outlines of the bed may be
come obliterated in course of time by
HOW TO DESCRIBE AN ELLIPSE.
wearing away from storms, or by the
encroachment, of grass and weeds, it
would be well to leave the stakes at
A and H in position permanently. Keep
ing a memorandum of tho length of the
doubled cord, the curve can be retraced
at any time, and its symmetry of shape
restored. Very good stakes for the
purpose can be made from an old broom
handle. Painted and projecting but
n few inches above the surface of the
ground, they will not disfigure the
bed.
As it may sometimes be desirable to
make a bed of known dimensions we
have added to the sketch the dotted
lines shown. Tho bed described is in
the proportion! of 8 by 12 feet. Day out
an oblong of the desired size, divide the
length and breadth into halves and
measure from center C to point D, and
with this distance describe from E the
arc of n circle to intersect the line F D
at the points' A and H. Place the stakes
at intersections A and D and take a
string around A H K, then using E as
a marker, describe the desired figure.
American Gardening.
EARLY GARDEN WORK.
Plow the S11II Deep nml Thoroughly
mill Apply Miiiiuro That In
r.tnl Hottvil.
It ii essential that the soil of the
garden be lich to have early crops' and
tender vegetables. It should be a loam
and be well drained so that it will dry
out readily , warm up early and be eas
ily prepared in good time for the re
ception of the seed.
If a quick germination of the seed is
secured the soil m u sit be in a good tilth
so that the seed will come in clo&c con
tact, as with all teods a certain amount
of heat and moisture are essential to
germination and contact with the soil
is. necessary if a good growth is to be
maintained.
IMow deep nnd thorough and thn
work into n good tilth. When manure
is. applied, have it thoroughly rotted
and tine and then incorporate well
with the soil.
Applying fresh course manure is in
advisable, because it increases the la
bor of preparing the soil in n good
tilth, it contains more or less weed and
grass seed that make the work of cul
tivation more difileult, nnd the plant
food not being in an available condi
tion, cannot be used by the growing
plants. Hat her than use coarse, fresh
manure, it will be better to purchase
and use commercial fertilizers.
Wood ashes and poultry manure can
nearly always be ued to a good ad
vantage in the garden, especially as a
top dressing, and with tome crops, like
radishes and lettuce, rotten chip
manure from the wood pile can be used
to an advantage. When either of these
is used a good plan is to prepare the
soil in a good condition for tho recep
tion of the seed and then apply thoM
asi a top dressing, working well into
the Hiirfaee with a good garden rake.
Poultry manure being a eoneoiitrated
fertilizer, should le applied carefully,
as too much will burn the plants and
prove detrimental.
Some crops, ina. onions, lettuce,
radishes, beets and the early varieties
of peas1, may 1h sown as soon iim the
soil in the garden will work readily
into a good tilth, then later plantings
can bo made on through the season.
National Rural.
Warm milk from the cow does not
absorb odors. While cooling keep it
in a pure atmosphere, Illinois Dairy
lleport.
rX C B "D
OREGON'S TIRE BILL.
A Lour Step Toward the .Securing or
;iml HoailH nnd Their 1'or-
iiiiiiienl I'renervutlon.
Though the -vvidc-tire movement
moves slowly, It is very gratifying to
know thnt it rloes move, at least, in
spots. One of these favored spots is
the enterprising state of Oregon,
which has passed the following bill:
"Hates' bill, to encourage the use
of wide tires on. wagons, which has
passed with only one negative vote,
reads as follows:
"That from and after the first day
of January, A. D. l'JOO, the county court
or county board of each county within
this state is hereby authorized to ninke
a rebate each year for four years, on
the road tax of each person within its
county who shall own nnd have in hab
itual use on the highways of this state
wagons or other vehicles for the trans
portation of freight and other heavy ir
articles the tires of which are not less 1
than three incites in width, of $1 for
M
each wheel of such vehicle; and, pro
vided, further, that the owner of each
vehicle having tires of not less than
four inches in width, upon which there
is a difference of at least eight inches
in the length of the front and rear axle,
so constructed that the front and rear
wheels will not come in contact with
the same road surface while the vehicle
is moving in a straight line, shall re
ceive, in addition to the aforesaid re
bate, 11 further rebate for four years in
his or her road tax as aforesaid, of $2
for each vehicle of this class for each
and every year during said period that,
said vehicle is habitually used upon the
highways of this state."
This bill promises to induce farmers
to do, in a voluntary way, what a com
pulsory bill would force them to do
unwillingly. It is a well-understood
fact that if a few wagons in each local
ity arc fitted with wide tires, they will
serve as a most potent object lesson.
Oregon has taken a. long step toward
the securing of good roads and in
keeping them good.
HANDY FODDER SLED.
INufiil I" Jinny I'laoes Aliiiut the.
Kui'iii, nml it Croat Saver of
I.nhor unit Truuhle.
Hauling shocked corn fodder or cane
from the fields is a hard and tedious
job where the hauling is done with a
wagon and rack the usual method.
Then, too, the tearing down of tli'e
shock, the throwing of it. upon the rack
and the unloading of it again break
oil' the leaves) and dry ws-tems. Thiyjob
is greatly simplified and much is saved
in fodder and labor if a sled is built for
the hauling. The runners of the sled
CHEAP FODDER SLED,
are made of ii by S's, 10 feet long. The
standardsi(a) at eacli end are placed far
enough from the end of the runners'
to bolt on braces (b). The cross braces
(c) are made of '2 by S's. No tongue is
required uulesM the hauling is to be
done on snow.
The sled is driven along the shock
row as near as possible to the shock,
which is tipped over onto it without
breaking the tie band. The sled will
hold from four to six lnrge shocks.
The fodder hauled in this way is in
good shape for ricking if desired, and
loses little if any in transportation.
This sled comes handy in many places
about the farm, saving much lifting on
and oft wagons. American Agricul
turist. LITTLE DAIRY POINTERS.
If the butter is too soft feed the cow
some potatoes.
If the butter is mottled work it a
little after salting.
Whitewashed stables mean fewer
flies and more milk.
Stringy milk can be cured by feed
ing the cow clean liny.
Wash all the milk vessels with cold
water before scalding.
Crosses are usually better for farm
ers than pure breeds.
Whenever possible test Uie cow's
milk before buying her.
A cow that tests below three per cent
is not worth keeping.
Many dairy men like an ounce of salt
to the pound of butter.
Cows and horses should, not be al
lowed in the same pasture.
Richer feed does not mean richer
milk; it melius more milk.
Do not wet your hand when milking;
if you do you flavor the milk.
You waste !ifl per cent, of your butter- ,
in summer by not using a separator.
Heating milk to JOO degrees Pasteur
izes it. Stir it continually while hot.
If the butter takes too long to come
add one to two fresh cows to thediiirv.
Adding hot vv.Mor to cream while,
churning is tho worst of all praeticJsT
When the butter Is poor do not blame
the cow. illume your own want of'
skill.
, I V I - . j
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