THE NEBRASKA ADVERTISER
W. W. HANDERA, PablUhar.
NEMAHA,
NEBRASKA,
MUSIC IN THE HEIR.
In rhythmic runt- n singer said: "There's
music In tho nJr,"
And It In true or any cllmo In winter foul
or fnlr;
They llnu It fnct who fnr away mid for-
rlKti landscapes routn,
And what co well Ills other tnnds Is no
tnlnllt ut home!
"Wo hnve the trtuth exemplified until the
neighbors Htiirc,
And hearing baby enrol suy: "There'll muplc
In the heir."
Jle RiirRles, wisps and mumbles, rnnRhiK
from clear Krlt to groan,
JIo intirdcrH various notes In ways pe
culiarly IiIh own;
Sometime ho crown nnd cackles till tho
very hills rejoice,
SometlmcH put frills and ruhucIr, tucks
und tattles In Ills voice,
Or thunders like a bass drum after cooing
like a dove,
Or warbles n a troubadour docs to Ills
lndy lovp.
JIo sandwiches queer chuckles between
shrillest hue and cry,
JIo climbs a dozen octaves Into mURlc harsh
nnd high;
IIo prattles like a parrot or chirps like n
chickadee,
Then sends his bark afloat upon the peril
ous high C;
Ills tones cut double shuttles with tho raKs
of tattered sound,
And soar to tho Empyrean or dlvo deeply
underground.
Ills wisest tunes have wobbles In their
Jublllstlc Joints,
You never know Just how his music weather-marker
points;
You hear his gamut ranging from the
shriek of life to drum,
And wonder o much sound from such a
little mite could come;
A tribe of Kejco warriors combined with
Hound's bund
Could not produce so many tones from
blare to accentM bland.
But yet we could not spare him, though
the little singer hlngs
Until one's ears and temper feel like
promptly taking wings;
Perhaps tho little cackler Is but nature's
phonograph
To Illustrate her voices from her loudest
to a laugh!
Ho may udd to our worries and the cuuses-
hatehlng care,
Yet are wo glad and thankful that there's
music lu tho heir.
I. KDOAU JONES.
A DECOROUS DEATH 1
By Emllo Zoln.
COUNT DE VEUTEU1L Is 50 years
of age. Blue blood runs in the
fount's veins. His family is one of the
most ancient in France. Yellow gold
lies Jn the count's cotl'erH. Ills for
tune Is one of the largest In Franco.
Honors are heaped upon the count's
head. IIo Is n member of the Acad
emy, n deputy, n patron of the nrts.
Countess Mathllde de Verteull Is 30.
Blond is Countess Mathllde blond
and beautiful. Ago docs not wither
lier. Her rounded shoulders, her sat
iny skin, her golden hair, her starry
eyes all theso make the matronly
beauty of the countess the envy of
younger rivals.
The Verteull household Is a thor
oughly respectable one. Dame Hu
mor's tongue never wags concerning
it. Their marrlago had been one of
eminent good taste, said tho world
both wealthy, both of good family.
And then they had lived as husband
nnd wife for nearly six years. And
their two children Ferdinand, in the
army, and Blanche had been so well
brought up. And they had married
Blanche very well. It Is true, they
no longer affect the sentimental hus
band and Wife. But what of that?
If each has a separate suite In the
Verteull abode, do they not treat each
other with the utmost courtesy? They
are perfect models of deportment, nnd
nothing can be said against either.
One night madniuo the countess re
turns from a ball at two o'clock. She
Ib fatigued, Is Mine. Mathllde. As her
maid disrobes her, hho says:
"The count, inadanie, Is somewhat
unwell tills evening."
The countess yawns. "Ah," she
murmurs. Then, as she extends her
form beneath the luxurious coverlet:
"Wake tnu at ten to-morrow, Julie.
The modiste Is eomnlg."
At breakfast the next morning the
count doos not appear. Madame is
concerned. She sends to Inquire after
liis health. The count Is desolated;
lie presents his excuses to madame,
but he cannot quit his chamber.
Madame iu more concerned. She will
licrself see the count. Shu enters,
Sho finds him In bed, extremely pale,
but extremely trim. He Is a perfect
ly respectable Invalid. The room
shows no vulgar signs of disorder
no vials scattered around, no furni
ture misplaced. Three physicians are
whispering in u corner, nnd two well
trained domestics movo noiselessly
about the room. This is no common
invalid It is my lord tho count of
Verteull who lies abed. This is not
your low and plebeian "sickness" It
is Illness, trim and proper, and cere
monious Illness which Is here.
"You aro unwell, I see, my dear,"
says the countess. "I hone It is noth
ing dangerous V" j
The count smiles feebly some
what strained smile.
"Not at all," he answers, with rn
effort. "All I need Iti -relit" and quiet.
I am sorry to have put you to so much
trouble."
The days pasH. The chamber re
mains, as ever, well arranged. Thu
smug nnd shaven, faces of the serv
ants are expressionless. Nothing is
changed nothing save the master.
And he is much changed. For he lies
at death's door, and he knows it.
I'hyslclans shall not dole out weak
platitudes to Count de Verteull. But
sometimes, as he lies staring grimly
at nothing, the count's fucc shows
wcnrlness.
In the world of fashion the countess
tells her friends that her husband is
" a little indisposed." She could not
say that he was more, for Mine.
Mathllde had not changed her life.
Bides, drives, balls and parties make
up the round. But nevertheless,
morning nnd evening the countess
dutifully visits her husband's cham
ber. "Better, I hope, to-day, my dear?"
"A little better, I think, my 'dear
Mathllde,"
"If you wish It, my dear, I will stay
with you."
"Thanks, but it Is unnecesfnry. It
would only fatigue you uselessly.
Thanks, very much, nevertheless."
They understand each ot. r per
fectly. They have lived apart. Tlifc
count would die npart. He enjoys a
certain bitter egotism In thus quit
ting life alone, without the comedy
of sorrow being played at his bed
side. And he will die with dignity,
will the count, as should a man of
the world.
The sick man Is growing weaker,
his breath more labored. He knows
he will not see the morning sun. So
this evening, when the countess pays
her habitual visit, he says, with a
faint smile:
"It would be better not to go
out this evening, my dear. I am
not very well."
The count is considerate even in his
weakness. He would spare her the
gossip of the world, were she seen
abroad the night he died. The
countess appreciates his courtesy. She
stnys at home.
The physicians remain in the sick
man's chnmber. The countess sends
for the children, Blanche nnd Ferdi
nand, and the three Install themselves
by the count's bedside. Now the
forms are complied with the count
can die.
But he struggles to repress himself.
He would avoid a convulsive, vulgar
'UKTTEn, 1 HOPE TO-DAY. MY DEAR."
death-scene. He stifles his rattling
breath. And, when he finds himself
going, he turns to his wife and chil
dren and kisses them. The domestics
are much moved. And then he turns
his face to the wall. When his wife
would speak to him, he motions her
from him with a feeble gesture.
Tho moments pass away. There Is
no movement In the 'silent form with
Its face against the wall. One of the
physicians leans toward it.
"All Is over," he says, as ho closes
the dead man's eyes.
Couut de Verteull has died, as he
wished, alone.
The morning of the funeral the Ver
teull mansion' Is filled with sorrow
ing friends. The son and son-in-law
of the count receive the guests with
the mute politeness of nilllction. And
tho mourners at the count's funeral
are not common mourners. The no
bility, the army, the magistracy, the
senate, the academy yes, come they
all to Verteull's funeral.
The procession sets out for the
church. The hearse is niagnillcently
somber; hluck-plumcd, black-draped,
Its hangings edged with silver; and
the pall-bearers, too, are magnificent
In their way a duke, a field-marshal,
a prime minister and an academician.
Tho black-gloved, bluck-crcvatcd and
blnck-coatcd line tiles slowly through
the streets, while the busy passers-by
stop and uncover.
And the countess? Well, she Is com
pletely broken down with grief, say
the relatives. The countess is at home.
At the church the ceremony lasts for
nearly two hours. The organ thunders
forth Its lamentations, the singers
wall theirs, while from torches held by
boys the green flames cast a sickly pai
lor over t lie gathering.
"Is not Faure, the celebrated tenor,
going to sing to-day?" asks one mourn
er of another.
"Yen," snyu mourner No. 2, an elder
ly beau, who has just been staring
through a single eyeglass at a pretty
mourner; "yes, I believe he is. Ah, that
i his. voice now. What method! What
range! Eh?"
"Yen, indeed," says mourner No. 1.
"Never heard him sing better in my
life. Ah, It's a pity poor Verteull can't
hear him, nin't it? He was very fond
of him."
It is u beautiful. funoriny. And as the
carriages roll nlong the route for tho
cemetery, the windings of the road
take the hearse out of sight from tlmo
io time, therefore it is not to be won
dered at if the mourners sometimes for
get it. The disjointed bits of conver
sation would seem to imply us much.
"Are you going to the seaside this
month, my deur?"
"No, not until August. We start to
morrow for our country place, and "
"Well, as I was saying, the letter fell
into his hands, nnd that was the cause
of the duel. But It was only a scratch
the merest scratch In the world. I
dined with him that evening nt tho
club, and he won twenty-five "
"Yes, 1 believe the meeting of stock;
holders takes place to-morrow, nnd
thej- want to mnke mo a director. I
don't know whether I'll nccept or not.
I'm very busy now, nnd "
Scrunch, scrunch 1 The cnrrlages
have quitted the rond and are on the
graveled Avalks of the cemetery. Tho
talking ceases. The tomb of the Ver
teuils is nt the extreme left a mag
nificent marble structure, where
carven angels in paroxysms of stony
woe weep over the dead nnd gone Ver
teuilH. The eoflln 1b placed before it,
and the funeral discourse begins.
The count Is pictured as a man who,
had he not been cut off in his prime,
would have regenerated the political
condition of his count ry; a man re
nowned for his private virtues; a man
who had encouraged agriculture and
the arts; n man who had made a study
of political economy and sociology; u
man whose loss was irreparable.
Such is the crowd that It is dlfllcult
for those on the outskirts to catch all
the words. An elderly gentleman, with
his hand to his ear, is listening, with
pursed-up lips, to the eulogy. lie
catches these words: ,.
" the qualities of his great and
generous heart, his bountiful "
"Yes," he mutters, "I knew him. ne
was n clever hypocrite."
The sound waves from this mingle
with those of the priest's blessing. The
mourners retire, nnd soon there are
none left but the workmen, who are
lowering the eoflln into the vault. The
cords creak, the oaken eoflln gives forth
a hollow sound as it strikes the stone
floor.
My lord Count de Verteull Is at
home. Adapted for the San Francisco
Argonaut from the French.
TO ESTABLISH AIRSHIP LINE.
Company M Tcxna Prepnrca to
I.nuneh Ita Flrat Acrlnl I'n.-
MfiiKrr Crnft.
The first airship to be built by tho
Custard Airship company at its fac
tory nt Elmott, Tex., will be com
pleted in a few days and launched on
its initial trip. This company wns or
ganized several months ago with a
capital stock of $100,000. It is com
posed of W. I). Custard, the inventor,
and a number of prominent business
men, who closely investigated tho
working model of the new aerial ve
hicle and pronounced it practicable.
The company endeavored to manu
facture machines iu time to establish
a line of them to ply between New
York nnd Pnris during the progress
of the exposition at the French cap
ital, but their construction was de
layed, and it will be several jnonUis
before regular lines of nirships "villi
be established between the principal
cities of this country, should the ono
which is to be launched next week
proic the success that is claimed for
it.
The complete mnchino weighs 250
pounds nnd it j.ns a capacity of from
three to five people. Its maximum
speed Is expected to be 100 miles per
hour. The first trip will lo from 121
mott to Waco, a distance ot 20 mllea.
Terrible H'nll.
Solemn-faced Man (with newspaper)
Well, 1 see there was a singular nccl-
uviii i one n i ne siuiigmcr nouses out
at the stock yards yesterday. A man
who vias leaning out of nn upper story
window let go and dropped 00 feet, anil
wasn't hurt a particle.
Eager Listener How did that hap
pen? "They were pigs' fest." Youth's
Companion.
Homeric.
A few years since two grntlemen,
each bearing the surname of loonier,
not an unusual one in Dorset, contested
a county division, and at a public meet
ing one of them, feeling suddenly un
well, had to retire, when a local humor
ist, on his opponent's side, remarked:
"Homer's Odd, 1 see."
"Homer's 111, I add!" promptly re
juined an adherent. Coruhill.
lltixio SnrlMKVi F.termil.
Mrs. Clubleigh Why, you are out
every night.
Clubleigh r know it; but luck is
bound to change- como time. Town
TopIcB.
MIUiMWk.v-t'
.rrl TatA la 1 11
JWW
HAMAMELIS VIRGINICA.
Iloth nark and, Leaven of Thin Plant,
Known na Witch liascl, Have
Medicinal Properties,
In the illustration, besides the
plant, arc shown a cluster of detached
flowers, near tho bottom, und at 2 a
flower enlarged. The United States
department of botany has the follow
ing to say on this plant: This is a
small tree, 15 to 25 feet high under
favorable circumstances, but more
commonly it Is a straggling bush, 10
to 15 feet high, growing In most of
the states cast of the Mississippi,
usually in damp woods or on the
banks of streams. It forms the type
of a natural order (hamamelaccae),
which includes about 15 genera In dif
ferent parts of the world. The genus
hamnmelis is represented in the Unit
ed Stntes by one species, hamnmcll;
AMERICAN WITCH HAZEL,
virginicn, another very similar one be
ing found iu Japan. The lcntcs are
short stalked, three to six inches long,
ovnl or obovate, slightly heart-shaped
at the base, with the sides unequal,
with straight conspicuous veins, tho
margins wavy or with coarse obtuse
teeth, und somewhat downy when
young. The tree or shrub is remark
able for Its late period of flowering,
which Is In September or October,
while the leaves are falling, nnd con
tinuing on until winter. The devel
opment of the ovnry or young fruit
begins in the following spring, und
the fruit is not matured until the
fall. Tho flowers grow in small clus
ters or heads, each with a three
leaved, scale-like Involucre at the base.
The calyx is thick, four parted, and
wholly on the outside. TJie petals
four, strap-shaped, nearly half to
three-quarters of an inch long, and of
a bright yellow color. There are
eight short stamens, only four of
which are perfect. The small, hairy
ovary occupies the center of the flow
er; this finally develops into a two
beaked, two-celled, thick and hard
pod. with a single black bony seed in
each cell. Both the bark and the
leaves are used medicinally in domes
tic practice, in the preparation of cer
tain proprietary remedies, and in the
practice of physicians, it is stated
that they were used as remedies by
the Indians. Farmers' Itevlew.
BENEFIT TO FARMERS.
Trolley t.inea Carrying l.lirbt Freight
Save .Mil eh of Present Coat of
Truii kp or tut I on.
The construction of trolley lines in
the suburbs of large cities and' villages
seems to be an additional benefit to
.farmers living near the routes, aside
from the mere facility afforded them
for personal transportation. Some of
the large systems of electric roads in
various parts of the country are now
experimenting with the handling of
light freight and produce, such as milk,
fruits and vegetables for the agricul
turist, and the success so far attained
seems to solve the question of enabling
the farmer to reach the best markets
nt a moderate cost for.freight.
Farmers and others interested, in
cities and villngcs, iu the subject of
cheap food supplies, should' see to It
that all the trolley lines chartered in
the future should Include In their char
ter the right to carry freight as well
as passengers. Kailway transporta
tion which shall pass the doors or hun
dreds of farmers on the way to large
markets is at once a benefit to every
farmer and gardener as well as to the
consumer at non-producing points.
-Many trolley lines could occupy the
early hours of morning, before passen
ger trnlllc commences, in carrying
light freight for farmers on the route.
The same might be accomplished dur
ing the night, especially in hot weath
er, when the depreciation in perishable
freight would be less in the hotter
hours of daylight.
In many of our city markets, scores
and even hundreds of farmers' and gar
deners' wagons may be seen trundling
along throuirh the streets tn ..w.ii nm.
priucival markets during the night, to J
JrKrsrl71hr Mn M
aYiak m irj ! WraTiLB M
yYvjIW q
be ready for the morning trnde of
grocers and peddlers. If such freight
can be brought in over trolley lines
it would save much of the present ex
pense of transportation by tenth.
O.ur attention has been recently
cnlled to a syndicate In Washington.
D. C, which hns come into control of
the majority of the electric lines, giv
ing the people of the Capital city im
proved service. It is now extending its
system Into adjacent Maryland towns,
and In this connection is dealing with
the freight question. Farmers can now
bring their produce, vegetables, milk,
eggs and the like, into Washington at a
minimum cost, and at the same time
offer their goods in a condition which
will bring them the highest prices.
The effect of this method Is nlrcady
shown by the Increased business of this
clnss which the Washington Traction
compnny is now receiving.
With the transportation problem
satisfactorily solved In this manner,
real estate In the country will advance
in price; the farmer will receive more
money for the same goods which he
has heretofore been compelled to bring
In some 10, 15 or 20 miles by horse and
wagon, while rural settlements will
become more thickly populated, with
a better satisfied and more contented
population.
Should this system of catering to the
patronage of the farmer meet with ns
much success in Washington during
the winter as it has already in the
short time it has been In operation, the
trolley oflleinls are authority for the
statement that their lines will be ex
tended even further into the country,
and In time to come that the suburbs
will be thickly interlaced with elec
tric roads.
To a greater or less extent this same
programme is feasible for other cities
and other localities, and it behooves
farmers and those in their inter
est to seek such legislation s
will facilitate the trollev linn
In doing a freighting business
and aitoniing increased facilities to
rural populations, both in light freight
and passenger trnlllc. Nothing will
prove a greater stimulus to values of
rural property than improved methods
of communication, especially the fa
cility for getting farm and garden
productslnto the market with dispatch
and with economy. Boston Globe.
STRENGTHENING TREES.
Excellent Device for Preventing
Working of the Tree from Side to
Side by the Wind.
Where a tree of considerable size,
with a large top, is set out, the roots '
are very liable to be prevented from
taking hold of the ground in conse
quence of the working of the tree
from side to side by the wind. This
can, in a great measure, be prevented
by staking the 'tree down. To do this,
lit a leather collar around the trunk
of the tre'e four or five feet above the
&,
&. .. y9
:"--'
SUPPOItT FOn YOUNG TREE,
ground, so that the wires which are
to be fastened to the tree will not
in any way hurt the bark. At a dis
tance of three or four feet from the
base of the tree, drive the stakes,
leaning at an angle from the tree.
There should be from four to six of
these stakes set in a circle around the
tree. From these stakes carry the
wires to the leather collar on the
stem of the tree, tightening them to
that there will bo an equal tension
on each side. A healthy tree that
makes a good growth will not require
any support nftcr the second season.
.1. L. Irwin, in Agricultural Epitomist.
tJlve IIorNt'M Time to 12nt.
Horses should have at least 75 min
utes for each meal. If they finish
eating in less time, as they probably
will, nothing will be lost by giving
them a few moments quiet rest, and
digestion will be better if it is well
under way before the animals begin
work. Fifteen or 20 minutes longer
given the horses at meals will be more
than made up by quicker and more
vigorous action in the field. The
horse that has 75 minutes for meals
can, and will, do more work- than the
horse that has only .(5 minutes.
Itural World.
Plowlutr .Strawberry Pints.
The garden plut for strawberries
should be plowed or spaded In the
fall, left rough, and well covered with
fine manure. The frost will still
further pulverise the manure, and in
the spring the ground should be
spaded again and the rake used to
get it in fine condition, the plants
being set out in April, if possible.
With tills treatment u plat of one
eighth of nn acre of ground -In straw
berries 'will produce sulllcient for a
regular supply for a lar;e fumily.
i X, X.
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