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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (March 22, 1900)
JephthalTs Daughter: A Story of Patriarchal Times. By JULIA MAGRUDER... Copyrighted 1890, 1891 and 18P8 by Robert Bonner’s Sows. CHAPTER IV. But Namarah raised her hands and hid her face from sight, and Adina’s voice began to tremble as he spake to her again, and said, full tenderly: “Didst thou not know, Namarah, when I told thee I would send thee a message by thy bird, but that I lacked the courage, that that message was my love for thee? As God beholds me, maiden, my heart hath even been knit to thine since first my eyes fell on thee; and if thou love me not, my life is all over for me." Stttlwas silent the maiden Namarah, so that Adina’s heart grew cold with fear within him, and his voice brake as he spake once more: “'I go forth to battle, O maiden, to fight against the enemies of the Lord and to shield thy father. It may be that death awaits me, and if thou hast in thy heart aught of tenderness toward me, I pray thee speak, or let me go to death and silence and forgetful ness". Then did Namarah turn to him, a sudden trembling passing over her whole oody, and dropping her hands from before her face, she stretched them out toward him. Whereat Adina fell upon his knees and bowed his head, thinking it was her to be stow her blessing upon him in token of eternal farewell. But with a swift and silent motion, Namarah was at his side, and before he could lift his bend ed head, her soft arms clung around his neck. "Maiden,” he muttered in a voice deep with passion, while he reached upward his strong arms, and held her in a close and gentle clasp, though he rose not from his lowly posture, “tell me, I pray thee, what thou meanest. Is it for pity thou dost clasp me? If But Namarah bent her head above him, and made answer: “No, not pity—love.” Then did he spring to his feet, and stand erect in all the comely beauty of his goodly youth, and drawing her close against hiB breast, he bent his head and kissed her. It was to Na marah the first time she had ever felt her heart respond to any sign of love, and Adina’s heart was even as virgin as her own. It was this in the heart of each that made that moment’s rap ture. It was a long, long time that neither spake. Their arms were fold ed close about each other, and once and> Again their lips mots and clung to those sweet and sacred kisses which are the precious fruit of purity of life. Then spake the young man Adina: "Wilt thou have me tell thy father, Namarah, that we may have his bles sing on our betrothal?—for I think he will not turn him from me, seeing he hath but lately told me that he oweth unto me his life." But Namarah answered: "Nay, I would have him go forth to the fight, as hath been his wont of yore, believing himself my only object of care and love and prayer. He hath told me that he wills that I shall marry, and when thou comest back with him victorious, then will I tell him all, and ask his blessing. But, ah, Adina, my most loved one, my new-found joy and hope, how if the enemies of the Lord should slay thee, that thou returnest to me no more!” And at these words she fell to weep ing, and sobbed upon his breast. But Adina comforted her strongly, and bade her pray to God with faith, tell ing her he felt within himself that God would prosper the army of her father Jephthah, and bring them back victorious. ‘JThen will I claim thee for my bride, Namarah, thou fairest of women and maidens, and joy will be ours as long as life shall last.” ' Namarah clasped him closer yet, and turned her face upward to receive his kiss; and behold, as his lips rested upon hers, they heard the doves near by cooing and calling. “Thou shalt give me one of thy birds, Namarah,” Adina said; “and I will make for it a little cage, and carry it .with me; and when the enemies of the Lord shall have been vanquished, then will I send thee the tidings on the wings of thy bird.” And the idea pleased Namarah, and side by side they went together to where the doves slept, and Namarah opened the door and called them to her' with the little call they knew «o well; and, although the time was late and strange, they circled round her head, and one of them settled on her shoulder. Namarah took it gently in her hand, and ere she gave it over to Adina. she kissed the crest of its anow-white head. “Come back to me in peace and tri umph,” she said. And then, when Adina had taken the dove from her, she realized that the moment of parting was come, and, with a great wave of love and tender ness and longing sweeping over her, uhe gave herself into her lover’s arms to receive his last embrace. Solemn and sweet and silent it was, there in the hoiy moonlight; and when ht last she raised her head to speak, there were brave words on her lips. “Thou knowest the meaning of our city’s name,” she said. “Take it for an omen to comfort thee and rest thy heart, and I will even rest so on it, too.” “Yea, I know it,” he answered; then kissed he her once more, and murmur ing the word “Mizpeh!” between his half-parted lips, he turned and left her alone. CHAPTER V. It was many a weary day that Na marah waited for tidings which came not. It was her habit to sit at work with her maidens upon the roof, or else high up in the top chamber of the house, and always she would place herself near to the window which looked toward the field of battle, and none knew why it was that she strained her eyes so wistfully Into the air, as if she looked for and expected some token in the heavens. Often her work would fall from her fingers, and she would rest a long time idle, with no sound escaping her, except the deep-drawn sighs which none knew how to interpret. The maidens that were her companions looked on at this and marveled. They knew that Namarah was ever a loving and solici tous daughter, but it was not uncom mon for her father to be away and in danger, and this was something more than her usual concern for him. She had lost heart in her work, also, and cared no longer for the amuse ments and pastimes with which it had formerly been her wont to occupy her self. But, in spite of this, her inter est was more tender than ever before in those who were sick or in trouble, and she spent much time in prayer. Her chief amusement and diversion during this time were her doves, and sometimes, after feeding them she would place herseif on the garden seat and let them climb and flutter all about her, and take their food from her mouth and fingers, and even from the meshes of her hair. She had told to no one the secret of her heart, and these silent witnesses of her meetings with Adina seemed now the nearest thing to him that there remained to her. >« . At length, one morning, when Na marah had grown paler than was her wont, with long waiting and watching, she stood at the casement of her cham ber, and her listless gaze that had been long fixed wearily upon the distant scene, became in a moment alert and animated. Far up in the blue she had seen a flying bird, and at that sight her heart within her always trembled. Perhaps it was a skylark, or even one of her own pets, wandered farther than Its custom away from home. Yes, It was a dove—a snow-white carrier— and surely, one of her own, as there was none like them in that region. She had never known one of hers to fly so high as that before, and the throb bing of her heart grew violent, as she looked up and saw it pausing and cir cling above her bead. Surely she caught sight of a tiny object, not a feather, between its wing and breast, as the bird swooped downward and flew into the pigeon house. With limbs that shook with hope and fear, Namarah stole softly through the silent halls and chambers, down the garden patlf and into the place where all her birds were together. They were cooing and muttering and gab bling as if something out of the com mon had happened to them, and when she paused in the doorway and called, they all came fluttering to her. Ono by one she touched them with her hands and felt beneath their wings. They were too exactly each like each to distinguish among them, but all of them came tamely to her call, it be ing her habit to stroke and smooth them as she would. Just as her heart began to sink with disappointment, she noticed one with broken feathers, and her fingers touched something smooth and hard, and lo, there was, indeed, the thing she sought—a tightly folded pa per, tied with a small cord under the bird's wing. Her hands trembled as she loosed it, and she hid it hurriedly in her bosom. Then she ran swiftly through the garden paths and back to her own room, where she shut her self in, and taking out the precious paper, pressed it to her lips and then fell upon her knees in prayer. She entreated God most earnestly that the tidings might be good; her heart swelled with praises to His holy name, and her faith was strong in the answer to her prayers, as she opened the pa per and read. These were tho words: “Most Dear Maiden—It hatji pleased the God of Israel to send the hosts of Jephthah, thy father, a complete and mighty victory, and we be, even now, upon our way to thee, returning in triumph and great thankfulness of heart. Thou will* greet me as thy chosen and sanctioned husband, Na ! marah, for thy father hath so com mended my bearing in the fight, where in I was able to render him good serv ice, that he hath promised mo that I shall choose my own reward, and I j have chosen even the maiden Namarah to be my wife. I have even so Bpoken to thy father, feeling sure that at that moment he would not say me nay, and he hath even given me his blessing, and avowed that I have found favor in his eyes. The white bird will bear to thee those tidings, and before set of sun we shall be with thee. God grant to me, O maiden, that thy heart may reach forth to mine with the same love wherewith I feel mine reach to thee, as I write these lines, to be held in thy dear hands beneath thy dear eyes. THY ADINA.” Now, as the maiden Namarah read these words, there rose within her so great a rapture that her very face did glow and become radiant with Joy. For until her eyes had rested on the young man Adina, she had known not what it was to feel the mighty love wherewith a tender virgin loveth, with her soul and heart at once, the youth whose nobleness and virtue command her worship and devotion, and the ex ceeding joy of this moment wrapped her soul in a great wave of ecstasy, -that make the shining of her eyes like unto the light of stars. To feel that Adina loved her, he who was unto her eyes the very prince of men, and that her well-beloved father looked with favor on their union was a bliss so great, that almost she felt as if her heart within her must burst for very joy. As she sat in her chamber alone, and read again and yet again the pre cious message that the bird had brought, such visions as ever fill the minds of maidens when love is come in truth passed like pictures before her. She saw herself meeting with Adina without the need of concealment and she felt again those arms about her and those kisses on her lips, at the mere memory of which she thrilled. She saw the calm delight upon her be loved father’s face, as he blessed her union with Adina, and gazing further yet into the future, she saw. herself the happy wife and mother. CHAPTER VI. Now when the sun began to sink toward the west, Namarah called to her maidens, and arrayed herself in garments richly wrought and beauti ful, as one that keepeth a great feast. Her robe was all of white, embroid ered with gold, and the encrusted folds fell heavily about the splendid curves of her most noble figure. In her loos ened hair were twisted chains of gold that wrapped it in and out, and made a light and darkness beautiful to see. About her shoulders, which her robe left bare, she wrapped a scarf of golden tissue, through which her gleaming neck and arms shone fair as moonlight seen through sunbeams. .And when the maidens and all the household of Jephthah wondered to see her so adorned, she spake, and said unto them: "I go to meet my father Jephthah and his host returning from victory.” And when they asked her: “How knowest thou that he hath won the day, and is returning?” She made answer, as the saying was: "A little bird hath told me.” And they knew not how true indeed were the words she spake. And as the sun sank lower and lower and it began to draw toward evening, behold, there fell upon the ears of Na marah and her maidens the distant sound of tramping horses and anon the notes of a trumpet. “They be notes of victory; even as thou hast said,” spake one of the maid ens, while Namarah stood and listened, breathless and half troubled, like an image of too perfect Joy. And Nama rah said: “I will even go forth to meet them.” Whereat her maidens wondered, for it was her custom to await her father within the house, a feeling of timidity ever preventing her from appearing before the eyes of the soldiers. But now there showed in all her bearing a very noble pride, so that she looked A longer a shy and trembling maiden, but a woman and the daughter of a conqueror. There was a most rich hue of roses on her cheeks, and her great eyes blazed and sparkled, so that Namarah looked that day a being of such glorious beauty as none who looked on her had ever seen before. (To be continued.) To Keep Olanei On. “Isn’t it strange,” said Mr. Burton, while In a reminiscent mood, “how dis coveries art. made? Of course, that is a general statement, but to the case in question. I wear glasses, as you know', but I found great trouble in keeping them on. They were contin ually following the laws of gravita tion and falling to the floor. The trouble was that I did not have a bridge of size, and I spent money and tune experimenting with different kinds of springs and claps and nose pieces, but all proved failures. Now, the other night I had an idea (that’s all right, I am guilty of an idea once in a while) that if I would put some powdered rosin on my nose that would hold ’em for a while, so I accordingly hunted up my friend, the violinist, and, getting some rosin, made a test. Was it a success? Why,I can turn a hand spring backward and those glasses are still doing business at the old stand.” —Richmond Times. Parallel Case*. Mrs. Grumpps—There are thousands of occupations in which men have plac es which women should fill. Why shouldn’t women be druggists? An swer me that. Mr. Grumpps—This cot tage pudding isn’t good at all. How did you make it? Mrs. Grumpps—I I took a few handfuls of flour and some milk and a few eggs—I forget how many—and some sugar. I think, and I believe I added some salt, and maybe some baking powder—don’t know how much; I never measure. Mr. Grumpp —That’s why.—New York Weekly. Club of Gloved Handshakers. A club is now being formed in Paris the members of which swear never to shake hands with anyone unless wear ing gloves. Good and Strong Words that Republi cans Ought to Heed. RESPONSIBILITIES TO BE FACED. Ringing Word* on True Republicanism— Experiences of tna Past Should Be a Guide for the Future—Only Honest and Capable Men Should Be ' Honored With Place. ' (From the Nebraska State Journal.)1 The decision for an early convention for nominating all candidates for state and county officers, including members of the legislature, brings the republi cans of this county face to face with important responsibilities that must bo dealt with within the next thirty days(. The experiences of the last session^ of the legislature have taught the people of Lancaster county the abso lute necessity of sending some strong men and trustworthy men to represent them in the legislature. In the last legislature adequate leadership was lacking to a painful degree on the republican side of the house. A sufficient number of republicans, some of them from Lancaster county, got into the habit of bolting the deci sion of the republican caucus and join ing with the fusion minority for per sonal or political ends to prevent wholesome action by the majority party and to endanger for a time re publican success in the election of a United States senator. This sort of thing cannot be sub mitted to and it behooves the repub licans of Lancaster county to make no more mistakes in candidates. Whether the republicans of Nebraska will suc ceed in electing again a majority of the legislature, thereby securing with ordinary good faith and party allegi ance, two republicans in the United States senate in place of Senators Thurston and Allen, remains to be seen, and there will undoubtedly be a lively campaign in the senatorial and representative districts of the state. Every precaution should be taken by the republican organization to guard against accidents and failure, in case the republicans have a majority, when the votes are polled. The majority will be a slender one in any event, probably, and that makes it exceedingly desirable, first of all that there shall be strong men elected in the republican districts, and second, men concerning whose fealty to the iepublican party there shall be no shadow of doubt. No men Bhould be nominated for the legislature weak enough and person ally greedy enough to sign any sort of contract with the members of the fusion minority in case of a repub lican majority, binding themselves to act with the fusionists either in mat ters of legislation or in the matters of the selection of a senator. The republicans of this county especially cannot afford to forget for a moment the occurrences of a year ago, nor can they afford to nominate or elect any man to the legislature who has been recreant in the past to the republican party, or who has bolted a republican caucus, and made ignoble terms with our political opponents. Only by living up to this rule can the Lancaster county republicans hope to preserve their organization. It is a sine qua non this year. To retain her proper influence in the legislature it may be necessary to call upon gentlemen of Lancaster county who seek no office, legislative or otherwise, to make the sacrifice of allowing themselves to stand for a leg islative nomination. The interests of the county and state often demand such sacrifices, and the Journal most earnestly appeals to the patriotism of our leading citizens to bring about an improvement in the material of a leg islative ticket this year. Lancaster county demands for the emergency men of the highest character and of acknowledged ability and force on the republican ticket for both houses. World's Export Trade. The export business of the United States is now almost as great as that of Great Britain, the figures for 1899 being $1,253,4S6,000, or within thirty four million dollars of the total from the United Kingdom. In 1875, how ever, the figures were: United States, $497 263,737; Great Britain, $1,087, 497,000. The protective tariff has done wonders. High Figures for llonds. The outstanding 2 per cent currency option bonds of the United States are quoted at 103. The 2 per cent thirty year gold bonds, which will be issued under the new currency bill, it is ex pected will sell at 105. These high prices are complimentary, indeed, to the stability of the financial system of the country. The bonds of no other , country command such high figures.— I St. Louis Star. ; BIr Profit# In the South. Down whore Bryan is certain that I the country will vote for free trade, | some of the new mills built up under | the protective tariff are making im- J mense profits. One cotton mill built ! at Clover, S. C„ eight years ago, had on June 30, 1899, net earnings amount ing to $36,940, or 41 per cent for the year, on the capital stock of $89,000. Previous to that time the stockholders had already got out of the mill in dividends more than their total invest ment. Watteraon Deponncta the Goebel I.aw. In its issue of a few days ago the T.ouisville Courier-Journal contained the following editorial: “It may be taken for granted that the present Goebel election law will be radically amended, or replaced by one very different from it. “No party will care to go before the people as the champion of the exist ing law. It has been fully tried and the gravest fears for it have proved well founded. It is doomed, and those who hoped most from it now recog nize that it is a failure and will co operate with or lead a movement for a satisfactory substitute. "Certainly those who a few months ago were the most sanguine advocates of the law are its champions no longer. It is they who have suffered most through its failure. The democrats know that at last fall’s election they lost thousands of votes through the handicap of this law, and that since the election it has been used at almost every turn to further cripple them. They have had enough of it.” Money In the Vomit. The south is at last, getting on a self-sustaining basis, and is able to move the cotton ciop with southern capital. The general development of the industries there, on account of the protective tariff, has led to a great increase in the banking facilities so iat the southern banks are now able furnish the money needed to handle |he crop. In spite of this great improvement 'in conditions, the south will be ex pected to vote for free trade, free sil ver, anti-expansion or any other dose which the leaders of the democratic party sees fit to concoct. Repudiates Goebelisui. JofiO-A; Yates, chairman of the dem ocratic conimjttee of Metcalfe county, Kentucky, has 'FSsjgned his position. In his letter to Chairffta? Young of the democratic state committ&e Jje says: “Seeing that the democraf&\Jegis lature of Kentucky is determineiK-t^ decide the contests for governor and lieutenant governor in favor of persons who were not elected, and that said legislature (a majority of whom are democrats) has no intention of re pealing the Goebel election law, and inasmuch as my mind is made up never again to vote the so-called dem ocratic ticket while the said law is on the statute books, and while Goebel ism is in control of the party, I hereby tender my resignation as chairman of the democratic county central commit tee of Metcalfe county, and ask that the same be accepted at once.” Savings Bank Depositors. In the state of New York alone the increase in savings bank deposits have amounted to $169,303,762 since Mc Kinley’s election. There are in the state now over 2,000,000 depositors, having to their credit $887,480,650. Jones is an Octopus. Chairman Jones of the democratic party is connected with one of the greatest trusts in the country, the round bale cotton trust, and has been a director and stockholder in the American Cotton company for years. These trusts are incorporated in New Jersey, the state which Bryan recently spoke of as the “robber’s roost.” 'increased Money Circulation. The monthly statement of the comp troller of the currency for February shows that the total circulation of national bank notes at the close of business on the 28th was $249,434,878, an increase for the year of $6,532,511, and an increase for the month of $2, 447,685. Trusts in a Free Trade Country. The official report comes to the state department at Washington that’ there is a wholesale movement in Austria toward the formation of trusts. Some of the combinations noted in the report are among the hat makers, paper fac tories, sugar makers, shoe factories, knit goods and gas plants. And Austria is a free trade country, where the protective tariff could not by any possibility be the “mother of the trusts.” The only tariff there is in the nature of an internal revenue on cigars, tobaccos and a few other ar ticles. Paying the National Debt. The monthly statement of the re ceipts and expenditures of the United States shows that the total receipts for the month of February were $45, 631,265, and the expenditures $37,738, 472, leaving a surplus for the month of $7,892,793. In the last eight months the receipts have exceeded the expenditures by $37,763,000, representing a reduction of the national debt by about that same amount. When the democratic party was in full control the government failed to pay expenses, although it was a time of profound peace. It makes a great difference who is running the machine. Crocodile Tears for Puerto Rico The democrats of congress bewailed the fact that the United States was robbing Puerto Rico by the tariff. But when the proposition came up to de vote all the collections from the tariff at both ends of the line to the relief of the people of Puerto Rico, the demo crats voted solidly against it. For the sake of an additional plank in their platform they were willing to let the islanders starve. The system of evolution obtains in the politics of Nebraska. A few years ago the independents resoluted against the lawyers, decided not to nominate or vote for them, and blacklisted them so far as the organization was con cerned. Since then by a gradual pro cess the lawyers have gained full con trol of the whole organization, and none but lawyers are elected to con gress and to other important places. A Southern Kxpnnslonist. Senator McLauren of South Carolina is an out-and-out expansionist, and he voiced the sentiments of a large con stituency in the south when he said in the course of a speech a few days ago in congress: “Our southern manufacturers have already reached out to the markets of the Orient and discovered their ad vantages. The southern farmer needs such 'markets for his raw cotton to make its production remunerative. By the acquisition of the Philippines we hold the key of the eastern situation. We need not rely solely upon treaty rights to secure the ‘open door,’ but can demand equal commercial oppor tunity with other nations, and if neces sary. with the vantage ground we have assert that demand. Will the United States throw away the golden oppor tunity by giving up the Philippines? I am in favor of holding them, and I believe the southern farmers and man ufacturers will sustain me in my posi tion. I believe further that the pres ence of the United States and of its flag, the emblem of human freedom, progress and civilization, will carry to ■ the millions In the Orient ttflnumbered blessings which, in the coming years, will be for their betterment and amel ioration and will conduce to the per petuity and glory of our free institu tions and the commercial supremacy of the nation.” A table printed by Bradstreet’sshows that 3,553 New York business houses, which had on their rolls 299,957 em ployes in 1896, have increased the number to 356,278, while the increase in wages in 1899 as compared with 1896 was over $20,000,000. During the first seven months of the current fiscal year the exports of American manufactures show an in crease of $52,000,000 over the similar period in the fiscal year 1899, in spite of the fact that 1899 beat all previous records. The per capita circulation of the United States has increased from $4.99 in 1800, and $13.85 in 1860, to $25,098 in 1900. During the past five years the agri cultural exports from this country have amounted to $3,100,000,000, and of this 95 per cent was sold to Euro pean gold standard countries. able attention in this country. It discusses in detail the history of the currency in Japan, and closes with a cuapter entitled: “Effect of Coinage Reform upon the Economic Condition of Our Country.” The following is a quotation from the report: “Since the adoption of the gold standard (in 1897)our currency has been freed from constant fluctuations in its exchange rate, to which it was subject before. Owing to this latter fact, moreover, the relations between the claims of the creditor and the lia bilities of the debtor become less sub ject to sudden and unexpected changes; business transactions are made safe; an improvement in credit took place in the community at large; prices became more constant; in a word, the way was now opened for the steady and orderly growth of our commerce and industry.” The minister of finance refers to the great expansion in the commerce and industries, and especially to the large increase in number and amount of checks and bills passing through the clearing houses. He says that since the adoption of the law capital ists from the gold standard countries have been investing freely in the country, and there is a growing ten dency toward lower Interest rates, the investors being no longer afraid of the loss subsequent to the fluctua tions in the price of silver. A great increase in the commerce with gold standard countries is also noted. An other quotation from the report is as follows: “Since our coinage reform enabled us to avoid all the evil effects of fluc tuations in the price of silvor, we stand now no longer, as was formerly the case, under the necessity of mak ing plans for financial matters with the currency constantly changing in value, and sometimes suffering unex pected losses and evils in times when those evils are unusually violent. All those fears of miscalculation and losses have now become a thing of the past. Most particularly in the last few years when national expenditures for things bought abroad, such as war ships, etc., have greatly increased in amount, we have doubtless been able to avoid, on account of our coinage reform, great losses on the part of the national treasury. Besides, since our adoption of the gold standard, our government bonds have been sold in no small amount in the European market, so that their names appear regularly in the price list of the Lon don Stock Exchange. This fact at once converted our bonds into an inter national commodity, and will no doubt lead to a closer relationship between our home and the foreign money mar kets.” ‘This glowing report of the improve ment of conditions in Japan will be cold comfort to the silver men of this country who have repeatedly declared that the adoption of the gold standard by any country could bring nothing but distress and disaster. Justlfyint; tlie President. Senator Lodge: in the long process of the patient years those who now assail the president with epithet and imputation will shrink down beyond the ken of even the antiquarian’s microscope; but the name of the presi dent who took the Philippines and planted our flag at the portals of the east will stand out bright and clear upon the pages of history, where all men may read it, and he will have a monument better than any reared by hands in fair and fertile lands bloom ing after long neglect and in a race redeemed from tyranny and lifted up to broadening freedom and to larger hopes. Seven shillings a day has been adopt ed by the New South Wales govern ment as a minimum wage to railway laborers. Thomas Darragh, of Granite Moun tain, Texas, claims to be the oldest republican voter living He is 98 years old. A woman suffrage amendment re ceived 54 votes, against 48, in the Ohio house, but failed in not receiving a constitutional majority of G6. Australia raises tarantulas for the sake of their webs, the filaments of which are made into thread for bal loons. They are lighter than silk and. when woven, lighter than canvas. Each tarantula yields from twenty to forty yards of filament, of which eight twisted together form a single hread. One of the features of the drawing room at Gen. Baden-Powell’s home in London is the apiary. Two large bee hives, with glass sides, stand on orna mental pedestals close to a large organ which occupies one wall of the large room overlooking Hyde park. The bees escape through a windpipe which leads out of the window.