Nebraska Newspapers

    C HHI KK XI.
AFTEH THK STORM.
.'"cxt morning the day broke b "ight
am: calm, as if the teniea: hud leen
but an evil dre im of the night, and
now paft forever. The birds nans loud:
the har Is pme fort h from their holes
in the walls and backed, green and
eo'd. in the warm, dry sunshine. Hut
though the sky overhead was blue and
the air cleiur, a usually happen after
tliffe alarming trupictol eye. ones and
raiiisiorms. the memorial of the treat
wind that had ruged all night long;
fmorig t' e forests of the Island were
neither few or far between. Every
where the ground ws strewn with
leaves, and branches, and huge stems
of cocoa palms All nature was drag
gled. Mirny of the trees were strioied
cleunof their loliago. as completely a
oaks in an English winter on others
till! stran 1 of twisted filters marked
the sears an 1 ointti where mighty
fioughfi had tiecn torn away by main
force: while, elsewhere, hare stuins
alone renin neti to mark thu former
presence of some noble dracoena or
home gigantic twnyan. Bread-fruits
and cocoa null) 'ay tc.ed in the wild
est confusion on the ground; the ba
nanna and plantain patches wero
lieaten level with the soil or buried
deep in the mud: ninny of the huts had
given way entirety: abundant wreck
age strewed every corner of the island.
It was an awful sight. Muriel shud
dered to herelf to see how much the
two that night had passed through.
What the outer fringing reef had
suffered from the storm they hardly
knew a yet. but from the door of the
hut irlix could see himself how even
the calm waters of the inner lagoon
had been lashed into wild fuiy by the
fierce swoop of the tempest, jjound
the entire atoll the solid conglomerate
coral t'oor wax scooped under, broken
up, chewed tine by the waves, or
thrown in vai-t fragments on the boach
ol the inland. Hy the caster shore, in
particular, just opposite their hut, Fe
lix olmerve I a regular wall of many
feet high, piled up bv the waves litre
the familiar Chest! Reach near his old
home in Dorsetshire. It was the shel
ter of that temiiorary barrier alone, no
doubt that had preserved their huts
lust niifht from the full fury of the
gale, and that had allowed the natives
to congregate in such numbers prone
on their faocs in the mud and rain,
upon thu unconsecrated ground outside
their tahoo lino.
Hut now not an islander was to be
seen within ear-shot. All had gone
away to look after their ruined but or
their lieaten down plantain patches,
leaving the cruel gods, who, an they
thought, bad wrought all the mischief
out of pure wanlonesu, to repent at
leisure tiie harm done during; the night
to their oliedient votaries.
I'eli wan ;ut about to cron.s the
tuboo-iine and walk down to the shore
to examine the barrier when Toko, his
iShadnw, laying his hand on his
shoulder with more genuine interest
and affection than he had ever yet
shown, exclaimed, with some horror,
"Oh no! Not that! Don't dare logo
outside! It would be very dangerous
for you. If my people were to catch
you on profane soil just now there's no
saying whut harm they might do to
you."
"Why soy" Felix exclaimed in sur
prise. "Last night, surely, they were
all 1 M ayers and promit-.es and vows and
entreaties."
The young man nodded his hoad
in acquiescence. "Ah. yes: last night,"
he answered. "That was very well
then. ows were sore needed. The
storm was raging, and you wero within
vour taboo. How could they dare
touch you. a mighty god of the tem
pest, at the very moment when you
were rending their banyan-trees and
napping their cocoanut stoma with
your mighty arms like so many little
chicKen-bones? Kven Tu-Kila-KiUi
hirnseli, i expect, the very high god,
lay frightened in his temple, cowering
by his trees, annoyed at your wrath; ;
he gent Fire and Water among the
worshipers no doubt, to odor up vows
and to appease your anger."'
Then Felix remembered, as his
Shadow spoke, that, as a matter of
fact, he had observed the men who
Usually wore the rod and whitefeather
cloaks among the motley crowd of
groveling natives who lay llut on their
fares in the mud of the cleared space
the night before and prayed hard for
mercy. Only they were not wearing
their robes of office at the moment, in
accordanc e with a well-known savage
custom; they had coma uaked and in
disgrace, as IkiIIU all suppliants. They
hail left behind them the insignia of
their rank in their own shaken huts,
and tiowed down their bare backs to
the rain and the lightning.
"Yes, 1 saw thorn among the other
islanders," 1- elix answered, half-smiling,
hut prudently remaining, within
the tabo -llno, as his Hhadow advised
blm.
Toko kept his hand still on his
muster' shoulder. "Oh, king," he
said. U'Hoccbingly, and with great
solemnity, "1 am doing wrong to warn
you: I am breaking a very great
Talioo. I don't know what harm may
come to me for telling you. 1'erhaps
Tu-Kila-Kila will burn me to ashe
with one glance of his eyes. He may
know this minute what I'm saying here
alone to you."
It Is hard for a white man to meet
scruple like this; but Felix was Isild
ono igh to answer outright: "Tu-Kila-Kila
knows nothing of the sort, and
can nover find out. Take my word for
it. Toko, nothing ".hat you say tome
will over roach I u-Kila-Kila. ''
The Shadow looked at him doubt
fully, anu trembled as he spoke. "I
like you, Korong," he nld, with a gen
uinely truthful ring in his voice. " Yoi
com to mo so kind and good ho dltfuc
nt from other gods,who are vorv cruel.
You novor beat me. Nobody I ever
served treated mo as well or as kindly
ri you aavs dona. And fur your salco
will even dare to break taboo- If
Tu-Kila-Kila will
neveruiseover it.
"I'm .uite sure." Felix answered,
with perfect confidence. "1 know it
for certain. I swear a great oath to
it."
"You swear by Tu-Kila-Kila him
self?" the young savage aked. anx
iously. ' I swear by Tu-Kila-Kila himself,"
Felix replied at once. "I swear, with
out doubt. He can never know it."
"That is a great Taboo, "the hhadow
went on. meditatively, stroking Folix's
arm. "A very great Taboo indeed. A
terrible medicine. And you are a god;
i cat. trust you. Well, then, you see,
the secret is this: you are a Korong,
but you are a stranger and you don't
understand the ways of Bouoari. If
for three days after the end of this
storm, which Tu-Kila-Kila lias sent
lire and Water to pray and vow
aainst, you or the (,lueen of the t 'louds
show yourself outside your own taboo
lino why. then, the people are clear
of sin whoever taken you may rend
you alive: they will tear you limb from
limb and cut you into pieces."
"Why so' ' Felix asked aghast at
this discovery. They seemed to live
on a perpetual volcano in this wonder
ful is and: and a volcano ever break
ing out in fresh places. They could
never get at the bottom of its horrible
superstitions.
"Be ause you ate the Btorrn-upplo,"
the Shmiow answered conlidoiitly
"That was very wrong. You brought
tho lemnest Ukiii us yourselves bvyour
trespass: there 'ore, by the custom of
lioupari, which wo learn in the mys
teries, you become full iorong for tiie
sacrifice at once. That makes the
term for you. The people will give
you all . our dues: then they will say,
'We are free; we have lsmglit you
with a price: we have brought your
cocoanuts. No sin attaches to us; we
are righteous, weare righteous. Ami
then they wi,l kill you, and Firo and
Water will roast you and boil you."
"Hut only if we go outside the taboo
line?" Felix asked anxiously.
'Only if you go outside the talxH
lino," the Shadow replied, nodding a
hasty assent. "Inside it, till your
term comes, even Tu-Kila-Kila iiim
self, the very high god, whoso meat we
all are, dare never hurt you."
"Till our term comes?" Felix in
quire. I, once more astonished and per
plexed. "What do you mean by that,
my Shadow.-"'
Hut the Shadow was either bound by
some superstitious fear, or elso inca
pable of putting himself Into Felix's
noint of view, "Why, till you are full
Korong," he answered, like one who
sneaks of some familiar fact, as who
would say, till you are 40 years old, or,
till your beard grows white. "Of
course, by and by, you will be full Ko
rong. 1 cannot help you then: but,
till that time comes, I would liko to
do my best by you. You have Iioon
very kind to me. I tell you much.
More than this, it would not Imj lawful
lorine to mention."
And that was the most that, bv dex
terous questioning, Felix could ever
manage to get out of his mysturious
Shadow.
"At the end of throe days we will be
safe, though?" he in jUired at lust, af
ter all other questions failed to pro
duce an answer.
"Oh. yes, at the end of three days
the suirm will have blown over," the
young man answered, eally. "All
will then be well. Yon may veutare
out once trioro. The rain will have
dried over all the islaud. rire and
Water will have no more power over
you. "
I e'ix went back to the hut to inform
Muriel of this new peril thus suddenly
sprung upon them, t'oor Muriel, now
almost worn out with endless terrors,
received it calmly. "I'm growing ac
customed to it all, Felix," she an
swered, resignedly. "If only I know
that you will keep your promise, and
never let mo fall alive Into thes
wrotchus' hands, I shall feel quite
safe. Oh, Felix, do you kuow when
you took mo in your arms like that
last night, in spite of eerythlng, I
felt Ki)itively happy.'"
Aliout II) oclock they weio fuddonly
roused by a so ind of raanv natives,
coming in quick succession, single
tile, to the huts, ana shouting aloud.
"Oh, King of the Italn, oh, tueen of
the Clo .ds, oome forth for our vows!
Keceive your prosonts!"
Felix went forth to the door to look.
"With a warning look in his eyes, his
Shadow followed him. The native
wero now coming up by dozens at a
time, bringing with them, in great '
arm-loads, fallen coooanuts and bread j
fruits, nnd branches of bananas, and
largo draggled olustors of halt-Hue i
plantains.
"Why, what are all these?" Felix ;
exclaimed in surprise, j
His Shadow lookud up at him, a If
amused at the abna-d simplicity of the ;
question. "These are yours, of course," j
he said; "yours and the Queen's; they ,
are tim wlndiulls you made. Did you
nol knock them all off the trees for !
yourselves when you were coming I
down in such sheets from the sky last
evening?"
Felix wrung his hands in positive j
despair. It was clear, Indeet, that to ;
the mimls of the natives there was no
distinguishing personally between j
himself and Muriel, and the rain or !
the cycioue. i
"Will they bring them al in?" ho
asked, gazing in alarm at the huge
pile of Iruits the natives were making !
outside the hut. 1
"Yes, all," tho Shadow answered: !
"they are vows; they are godsends; 1
but if you II no, you can give some of
them back. If you give much back, ;
of course it will make my peoulo less
angry with you,"
rulix advanced near the lino, hold- I
ing his hand up before him to com
mand silence. A be dia so, he was
absolutely appalled UlaoseJf at the nor- t
feet storm of eiearatlon and aoqie
which his appearand excite. The
foremost native bMndUblng their '
oluh and atone-tlppad spear, or soak- !
tog their flat by the Una, poured forth '
upon hi devoted head at one ail the I
most frightful curse of the Polyoealan I
you're quite sure
vocabu ary. uh, evil god," they
cried aioud with angry faces, "oh,
wicaed spirit! you have a bad hoart
See what a wrong you have puruotely
done us. If your heart were not bad,
would you treat us like this? If you
are indeed a gou, come out across the
line, and let us try issues together.
Ion't skulk like a coward in your hut
and within your taboo, but come out
and fight us. We are not afraid, who
are only men. Why are you afraid of
us?"
Felix tried to sneak once more, but
the din drowned his voice. As he
paused, the people set up their loutl
shouts again. ". Jh. you wicked god!
You eat the storm-apple! You have
wrought us much harm. You have
sjsiiled our harvest. How you came
Uown iu great sheets last night! It
was pitiful, pitiful! We would like to
kill you. You might have taken our
bread-fruits and our banauas. if you
would; we give you them freely; they
are yours; here, take them. We teed
you we.l; we make you many offerings.
Hut why did you wish to have our huts
also? Why did you boat down our
young plantations and break o ir canoes
against the beach of the island? That
shows a bad heart! Yo i are an evil
god. You dare not defend yourseb.
Come out and meet us."
CIUPIKK Xlt
a point of Tiimwwy.
At la-t, with great diltlculty, Felix
managed to secure a certain momen
tary lull oi silence. The natives, clus
tering round tne lino lib they almost
touched it. listened - with scowMng
brows, and brandished threatening
spears, tipped w.th ooints of stone or
sharks' teeth or turtle-lsme, whi.e he
made his speech to them. From time
to time, one or another interrupted
him, l eaving und wheedling him, as it
were, to cross the line; but Felix never
heeded them. He was licginning to
understand now how to tretti this
strange people. Ho took no notice of
their threats or their entreaties either.
Hy and by, j.urtly by words and part
ly by gesture-, he made them under
stand that they might take ba;k and
keep for themselves all tho cocoanuts
and bread-fruits they had brought as
windfalls. At thiB tne people seemed
a little apuea-od. "His heart is not
quVte as bad as we thought," they
murmured among themselves, "but if
he didn't want thorn, wnat did he
mean? Why did ho beat down our huts
and our plantations?"
Then FeJx tried to explain to them
a somewhat dangerous task that
neither he nor Muriei were really re
sponsible for lat night's storm: but at
that the poodle with one accord, raised
u great loud sho it of ucmixod derision.
"He is a go.l," they cried, "and yet he
is ashamed of his own acts and deeds,
a'rakl of wha: we, mere men. will do
to him. Ha! ha: Take care! These are
lies that ho tells. Listen to him! Hear
him!"
Meanwhile, more and more natives
kept coming up with wind alls of fruit,
or with objects they had vowed In
their terror to dedicate during the
night; and Felix all tne time kept ex
plaining at the top of his voice, to all
as they came, that he wanted nothing,
und that they could take all back again.
This curiously In otisistent action
seemed to piw-le the wondering m
lives str,.ngely. Had, he made the
storm, then, thev asked, and oaten the
storm-up do, for no use to himself, but
out of pure pcrverseny Ir he didn't
even wunt the windfalls and the ob
jects vowed to him. why had he beaten
down their cro s ana broken their
houses? They looked at him mean
ingly: but they dareu not cross that
great line of taboo. It was their own
superstition alone, in that moment of
danger, that ke t their hands off those
defenseless white peoplu.
At lost a happv idea seemed to strike
tho crowd. "What he wantB is a
ch'ld?" they cried, effusively. ' "lie
thirsts for blood! Iet us kill and roast
him a proi.or victim!"
Felix's horror at this appalling prop
osition knew no lounds. "if you do,"
ho cried, turning thoir own supersti
tion against them in this last hour of
need. "I will raise up a storm worse
tiian lout night s: you do it at your
peril.' 1 want no victim. The people
of my country eat not of human flesh.
It is a thing detestable, horrible, hate
ful to God and man. With us, all hu
man life alike Is sacred. vVe spill no
blood. If you dare to do as you say,
will raise such a storm over your heads
to-nlrht as will submerge and drown
the whole of your Island."
The natives listened to him with
profound Interest. "We must spill no
bhKju: they repealed, looking aghast
atone another. "Hear what tho King
says: vve must Dot cut tae victim s
throat. We must bind a child with
cords and roast Itallvo for him!"
TO Bit OONTINt'ER
The Chaplain's Cane.
The Rev. E. K Hagby, chaplain 'of
the House, has received a novel
present It is a walking stick on which
are drawn tho heads of half a do en
members of Congress in addition to
that of the reverend gentleman him
self. It was tho work of a convict In
the Montana penitentiary, who writes
thai the beads were drawn from
pictures of these gentlemen wh ch
appeared In an illustrated paper
T.,e only Implements at his command
war a broken penknife, a bit of win
dow glass and red Ink. The heads
are drawn In relief, and tho work is
highly creditable from an artistic
standpoint The faces of Mr. Caruth,
of Kentucky: Mr. Outhwa'te,of Ohio;
Mr. Mbley, Pennsylvania; Mr.
Kverett. oi Massachusetts, and Mr.
Mauulre, of California, are among
tlMe reproduced. Those of the
th ee gentlemen lirst named are es
pecially good, and would be recognized
even without the name-t which appear
in raised letter ljoneath. The cane
li surro'.ndod by a handle of horn.
A Curious Pact In Ilolanv.
It If) a remarkable fa t In botany
that no species of llownr ever em
brace, Id the colors of U eta Is. the
whole range of I he s;cctrum. Where
there are yellows ami reds there are
no blues; when blue and red occur
there are no yellows, and when wo
have blue and yellows there uro no
reds. Tullpi come nearer to cover
ing the wttole range of the spectrum
than any other spuo.es. They can lie
found ranging through reds, yellow,
and pu plea, hut a blue one has never
been found. Popular Suieore
Monthly.
PRAIRIE CHILDREN.
IM Is the Daott of l.tUabr I sad
XId uImb an lib vJty sward :
VbM Is sa Indigo Cow to i.or band,
fyvtaal enblMii of rank mod command,
j mull herald of ladjr and lord.
that U bar brotber aslasp at bar ilde
Ha Is a duke, aad iiia lull red baod
OrapplM tba ral c4d rope that te tied
Iau tiie colia - of Kotbc the guide
Hunr, the bero of Laileby iaud.
f tabes oome oat of I be water and walk:
Cblumunks play trmrb.ea In Lullabv IADd;
Rabbf't riae ui oo the p.airie and talk ;
Goellus go forward aul giggle and gawk
Everything cbattera. and all understand.
after awblls be will tail on tbe i
LltUe red duke, on the prairie asleep.
Darlug tbe shot and tbe tbell, be knull be
Admiral, fighting for you and for uie.
Flying t o dug o'er tbe dangerous deep.
Down at the Lido, where billows ire bite.
Back through tbe vineyards to Florence and
Koine.
That Is our duchess whom both of us knew;
Tl.at is bar husband, so tender aud true,
lakmg her far from ber babyhood home.
Children at plar on tbe prairies to-day
era.ely to-inorrow will en er tbe race,
Trutirjg the future whose promises any,
"Courage ami vllort will work out a way -routine
nnd ftttie ae not matters of place "
&lcClure a .tiagaJne.
C UR E I ) OF BO R RO WING
There was a meeting of the Grange.
The farmers came in one afier an
other, and soon thelittlecchoolhou.se
was tilled with an anxious, haupy as
sembly. .Jonathan Fuller, the chairman,
rapped for order and called the roll,
iwery man answered to his tame,
with the exception of Mr. ilaynes.
.Mr. Fuller announced, at the con
clusion of the preliminary business
that there was no patticulur theme
for discussion and moved that John
Hangs make remarks up' n any sub
ject he miKht choose. The whole
meeting seconded the motion with a
roar.
Mr. Hangs aro-e and looked at the
cobweb In the corner of the room as
If he thought the e was an Inspira
tion In its dusty drapery, lie then
glanced at the i.oor and said he t-e
hosed he had nothing to say. The
crowd stamped and yelled, and amid
the discord could be. heard cries of
" .o on." -'You must say some
thing." ' Hurrah for Hangs" and so
lortli, all of which quite took the
old farmer by surprise, and before he
knew it he was standing an I balanc
ing himself against the desk. The
uproar ceased and Hangs cleared his
throat
"Well, I'm not that sort o' citizen
as wants to make har.l feelin's 'uiontr
each oUier, but when I sees a screw
loose 1 wants to take a screw driver
and tighten it. The audience tit
tered aud stamped. Hangs (i,ed his
eyes on the cobweb, then glanced at
the chairman, who acted as if he had
been s ot, and turned his eyes from
the speaker to a crack In the ceiling.
Now it is a good thing to have a
Grange, it Is a Useful thiu to have
it made strong; in fact, it Is the best
screw-driver we ever had. il.oud
laughter There has been a screw
loose for a long time In our neigh
borhood, beep silence It is lime
to co iu me rice turnin' your screw
driver on it, Yi u all know what a
botheration it is to bo .ow, and w at
a still disarceabler thing it is to
lend. Loud clapping and stamping.
As I said, I don't want any hard feel
in's, but if any of you have been
bothered as much as I have, you'll
not blamejiue for saying Caleb Haynes
is the worst hinsarico we have.
He borrows everything. His wire is
getting into the same habit, and the
joungsters too. He is thescrew that's
loose. Now let's talk up some way
to cure Caleb, for we all know he is
uood at heart; besides that, I want
to get a screw-driver he borrowed of
me not long ago, for my woman is
about to take up the carpet."
This brief, extemporaneous address
was followed by wild cheering and
excltod stamping till the whole room
was one cloud of dust No one
minded it but the spider, who scamp
ered over his swinging mansion's del
icate carpetings and settled himself
down iu his Lack chamber In per.ect
disgust at the behavior of the grang
ers. The plans suggested for curing
Caleb Haynes of borrowing were
numerous, none of which i-eemcd en
tirely satisfactory but the one set
forth by Mr. Hanas. It was unani
mously agreed to begin the tightening
of the screw the next day, and that
the novel method should be started
by Mr. uungs.
The ,iecting then dissolved and the
grangers dispe Red to their homea
Caleb Haynes was feeding the pigs.
Looking toward the hill his eye
caught the wagon of John Hangs,
loaded with something.
"(iood morning. Caleb," said John.
"Good morning, John. Going to
market?"
"Oh, no. I lut merely thought I
would bring you over a few thinirs
You weren't at the Grange last
ulght?"
"No, I couldn't come. Had to go
to town last night with my old woman's-
cousin Ann, io borrow a (lut
ing machine. I knew there was no
such thing around the nelghtiorhood. "
"Wish I had one. 1 would loan it
to you. Hut I guess there is some
thing here you will like. Now, ho c
Is a new ax I will let you have till
you get ready to return it, and" j
'Oh, you are too kind " ,
"Aud acolfee grinder, and a flrst
rate grind-stone. Yes, aud her Is a
doui le-shovel plow, just what you
want for your new corn."
"John, you are a Christian. If
everybody was llko you, this would be
a happy world."
Hut lielo.e he could say anything
more, John whipped up his horse and ,
started for home.
.Mr . Ilaynes was delighted with
the cotTce-iirlnder, and declared that
she would not 'j6 in a hurry to re
turn It. While they were breakfast
ing they heard the clatter of wheels,
and soon after some one kno ked at
the door.
"Come In," said Caleb.
"Good-more nir,"sa!d Jacob Fuller.
"1 am on my way to market, and I
thought I would atop aud loan you a
few tbiDg."
"How clever y. u are," said Mrs.
Haynes.
"Here in some sugar aod nutmess
my w fe put in, and a bottle of vin
egar. "
"How thoughtful she is. Why, I
was just coming over after those
things for we want, a dumpling, and
we can't eat lettuce without vinegar,
you know."
"Of course net," observe! Mr.
Fuller. "And there Is a spool of
thread: she said she thought you
were out."
"Yes, 1 am. Now 1 can finish
Hobby's pants."
Mr. Haynes smiled and remarged
that Mrs. fuller woula have a brikht
spot in Heaeu. Mr. Fuller drove
on and wondered what sort of a nook
Mrs. Haynes would have in tbe same
place.
William Boynton was none the
slower tor his gray hairs He rushed
into the yard like an antelope.
"Why, what's the matierr" asked
Caleb
The fact is," said the old man.
"I'm in a sort of a hurry, and I
thought 1 might as well be a little
livel . Here is a string of dried ap
ples my wife thought ou would like
to try: and I thought J'd save you
tbe t ouble of coining after the
weekly pa er. There is a iood d al
of news in it. An here Is a sc.. the
to cut vour grass. Good day."
Hoytiton was off as quick as he
came, and had not got ten steps be
fore young Kobert lanvers came rid
ing down the road on a gallop and
leading another horse. Caleb handed
the string of dried apples to his wife,
and went to the gat to see what was
wanted.
"Pa sent me down with the bay
mare, Mr Ilaynes," said Dan vers.
"He said he knew you didn't like to
borrow, but he thought you needed
a horse or a while. "
Kefore Caleb could utter a word
the young man had galloped away.
Caleb led tbe animal to the barn,
and then walked slowly to the house
"Tell you what it is" said he to
his wife, "I'm growing 'spinous!"
Ot what?" she said.
";:f the neighbors. I can't tell
what's the matter with them: they're
getting too good, besides "
He was Interrupted by Hen Top
ha:n yelling at him fro n the front
gate. Caleb left his wife and asked
his friend what was up.
"I'm goln' to town to see to some
business. My wife told me to be
ure and call at your house as I came
along, for she w ,nted your woman to
try our dcw coffee gr nder. "
"We've already borrowed one this
morning," said Caleb, with a puz
zled face.
"That won't make any dlfTerence.
You can use hot lb Let me see. Oh,
yes! here is the weekly pater. I
thought, perhaps you would like to
read the news."
'Hut I've got a copy already. Hill
Poynton brought me over one not
long ago."
Oh, that doesn't matter! Y'ou
can read one while the woman is read
ing the other. I must go. Good-by!"
'iiood-by " returned Caleb.
The coffee-grinder and news
paper sat Mrs. Haynes to think
ing. Low these two articles should
have happened to have been dupli
cated the same clay was a mystery
she couldn't seem to make out.
Mr. Haynes was, thoughtful, also,
and he hitched the borrowed horse
to the borrowed doubled shoveled
plow In a manner that would lead
any bystander to th nk that Caleb
had committed some act of which he
was deeply ashamed. He worked
hard and ate but little dinner. The
ofliciousness of his neighbors troubled
him more than the probability of a
short crop of corn. When the sun
set Caleb ce ised work and wea-ly
started for home. '
"Well," said he, coming into the
backdoor, "has anyboly else been
over to loan us a paper?"
"Caleb, vou're a fo jL" 1
The farmer's hands dropped 1 1 his
lap as if they had received an ele -trie
shock, and he ga.ed at his wife
in mute astonishment.
"Y'es, Caleb, ou're a fool. 1 am
a fool, and anybody that bor ows Is
a fool! Do you hear?"
"1 hear. Hut what has come
across you so suddenly?"
"I don't think it has come so su !
denly. If we had not been fools
we'd seen It before this."
"Sav, Susan, 1 wish you'd explain
your nonsense, and stop acting so
much like a fool! I'm hungry."
The most sensitive point of Caleb's
feelings was touched, and he arose
fiom his chair and walked the room
impatiently.
"I'll give vou to understand," saiil
his wife, that you shan't have a
mouthful till I have had my say!"
"Well, hurry up," said Caleb.
"All right. In the first place,
neither you nor I were at the meet
ing last nlhht, were we?"
"No "
"Well, now, to comedown to busi
ness, I Know very weU they talked
about us and our habit of borrow
ing." "Don't believe it"
"I do. 1 know it. I've been think
ing about it ail this afternoon. How
could it happen that they'd bring us
so many things the same day? And
think of it two co.iee-grlnders and
two newspapers!"
".Susan, I begin to believe you."
"You'd better. It's just as pla n
as beads on a string. "
"What can wo do?"
"Do? Why, take everything back
as sooo as you get through siipr-o.r."
"Hut don't wo need the things?"
"What of it? Take them all back, :
and say we can buy our own things." i
"Hut, Susan, it will cost a good
deal."
"Can't help It We must act In
dependent. We'll buy our own things
rterthls." i
"Why, of coune we can; and if we
can't, we can go without," said Caiek
brighten ng.
"Thai's right. I'll louod up tbe
coffee with a hammer before I bor
row another grioder."
A new feeling came over Mr.
Haynes. His manhood seemed to
have returned, and bis heart seemed
to be lightened of a heavy load.
After supper be bitched bis old
mare to bis wagon, and started on
his journey to return everything that
was brought to b s home in the morn
ing. Harry, the oldest son, rode tbe
borrowed bay.
The neighbors were dumfo inded.
There was not one member who
thought the trick would be f und out
before a week. No one had an op
po tunity to question him. He merely
announced that he had come to re
turn the articles borrowed, and that
he hoped to never get .n the misera
ble habit again.
It was ' o'clock before he returned
home, and by the time the chores
were finished the clock struck lo.
The next morning was a bright one,
and Caleo declared he telt better
than he bad for many months.
"it seems so much better to use
your own tilings " he remarked
You are right," assented his
wife.
By the time the month had passed
Mr. Haynes had bought another horse,
subscribed for the weekly caper, and
furnished the house and farm with
the necessary implements and con
veniences. At the next Grange meeting Mr.
and Mrs. Haynes answe ed promptly
wneii Jonathan Fuller came to their
names on the roil, and when there
was order and quiet Caleb arose and
said he would like to say a few words.
The whole audience was silent. Tbey
seemed to think they were in the
p esem e of a man whom they had In
jured. "Ladies and gentlemen," began
Caleb, his voice coming with an ei
lort, "I was not present at the last
meeting, and I am glad of it You
have done a great good. 1 don't want
anybody to leel bad because he might
have ta ked about me behind my
back. 1 am cured of the miserable,
beggarly habit of borrowing; and that
is enough. I move to speak upon
another niib ect. "
At the conclusion of this brief
speech, which was uttered with a
great deal of leeling, Mr. ioynton
btepped forward and pressed Caleb's
hands. Every one In the room fol
lowed the example it the agile old
man, and Havnes !elt that he was
honored beyond his merits.j
At the end of tne unusual perfo m
auce some one suggested that singing
should be the next thing in order.
Not an objection was offered, so Jon
athan Fuller hunted around (a wh le
for his tuning loik and started,
"There is Kest for the Weary." :n as
high a key as he could maintain
without lupturing his windpipe.
To be s ire some said "we-ar-ry"
and others let melodious sounds pass
through their no es, but their hearts
were enraptured, and their souls as
piring above the sordid earth. Even
the little black spider came out of
his dark chamber with three other
little spiders and listened intently to
the music, and did did not seem half
so disgusted as dur ng the last meet
ing, when they raised suh a dust
Waverly Magazine.
MODERN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER
it lny Have Faults, but It Is a Powerful
Influence for (iootl.
The development of the newspaper
has been something phenomenal. The
whole numter is nearly l:, uou, a out
one in ten published every day. They
have many faults, has the newspaper
which is only the history of each
day, written before its close must
have. The faults are, perhaps, some
what exaggerated with us, owing to
the wider range of news topics.
Their sensationalism, scrappiness,
and dogmatism produce something of
mental dissipation in cases of over
indulgence. Hut the major ty of
newspapers everywhere and ol everv
grade, are condu ted with honesty
and conscience by men who have
leained loth what the public wants
and in what they can hope to lead it
The influence of this history of a
day read by millions of people Is
incalculable, aud, in general, it is
good. It leads many persons further
into the study ol some questions
about which they had received a hint
or a scrap of information. Nowhere
is this great engine of modern civil!,
zation better used and appreciated
than with us. In addition to the
news it pours Into Its columns day by
day, it publishes every year thousands
of articles on the most Important and
Interesting topics. Nowhere is it
thoroughly eucyclop die. It was
once the fashion to insist upon the
truth of Pope'i line, "a little learn
ng Is a nangerous thing," but the
Held of knowledge has become so vast
that we must recognize tho llmita
tions of time and ins:st that If a lit
tle be a danger none at all Is fatal.
Our newspapers give thousands of
persons lirst a faint Idea of the exis
tence ot something berore unknown,
then a little insight, and, last of all,
the thirst that can enly be quenched
by deep draughts at the fountain of
knowledge. In brief, they draw out
the faculties of uncounted millions
who otherwise would neither learn
nor have the desiro to learn.
Defrauded.
A short story, but very much to
the po nt is one t Id ol' John Alien,
an English clergyman. He had heard
that a brother minister kept his con
gregatlon waiting, and kindly re
monstrated with him.
"it was only ten minutes," said
the offender, apologetically.
"How many people bad yoa la
church?" asked Mr. Allen.
"About :i00."
"Th:ee hundred? Well, tnen, you
wasted 3,000 minutes!"