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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 1902)
$ Love’s Second Degree $ ^ By D. H. TALMADGE % * (Copyright, 1901, by Daily Story Pub. Co.J This is a bit of plain history, and the reader whose mental a>«*jtite craves adventures flavored with Hie es sence of heroism and self-sacrifice will save himself disappointment by pos ing it by. It is, It may be said, vae plainest of plain history. John Delwin. the hero, is a man who sells groceries. Formerly he was an ordinary boy of numerous freckles, then a delivery clerk in the village store of which lie was later part owner, ills life, so far as his acquaintances ran judge, has been a psalm from the beginning. When he married Emma Minkler he wore the customary black, and the bride was attired in the customary white, and congratulations upon the happy event were many and sincere, just, as the village newspaper said. So far as is known no hearts were broken or eveu bruised in the case. John had no rivals. Nor had Emma. He wanted a good sensible wife. She wanted a good sensible husband. They were married. Everybody was satis fied. Theirs was the most commonplace of courtings. He escorted her home from church one night, and they stood for a time at the front gate while the little god of love performed htH duty. They did not realize the solemnity of the occasion, otherwise he would have talked less fluently of butter and eggs, and she would have subdued her references to the starch ing and Ironing of shirts. It was fate. John said to himself that there was a girl who was practical, a girl well calculated to comfort a man who worked for his daily bread. Emma said to herself (mark the coincidence) that here was a man who was prac tical, a man who wasted his brain tis sue with no trivial subjects o? thought. And from that moment the compact between them was virtually sealed. A year passed before lie asked her to share his fortunes. Scarcely an Instant passed before he received his answer. He kissed her then, and they were very happy. “John,” said she, as they parted that night, “engaged couples are different from unengaged ones. Come and see me often, John, for I shall be lone some without you. Come Monday. Tuesday and the other days.” ‘Til do it,” said John, trying to re member a couplet he had laboriously committed to memory; “I’ll—I'll do if “Do," said she. “O, T will,” said he. Thus it came about that whenever business was a bit slack in the store John girded up his apron, w hich bore a saleratus brand upon its bib, and went forth to call briefly upon Emma. And he never failed to find her busy with household work, her round white arms bared to the elbows, her fingers often bedecked with dabs of dough, her face flushed by the heat of the kitchen fire. And he said to himself fervently, in much the same spirit that ! characterizes the stock burst of grati tude in the more thrilling of love tales, “What a prize I've won! What a girl she is! O my?” And he walked upon air in ills leaden deliberate way straight to the wedding day. Einma was not beautiful. She was not witty. She possessed not those qualities which throughout the pages of a questionable literature have made woman at once the despair and joy of the masculine heart. John under stood this and gloried in it. He him self had not been a success at holding up one end of even a five minutes’ conversation with the more dashing of the girls who attended the church so cials. He rather feared these girls. He was never able to quite free him self from the suspicion that they were making fun of him. He pitied the "What a prise I’ve won'" ariliiant youug chaps whom they mar ried. And it was so also with Emma. The orilliant young chaps [adjective used in the purely complimentary sense) voted her dead dull without a dissent ing voice. They aaid she was a cheese, whatever that may be in the human torm. She was utterly without power ;o set the strings of the gilded male aarpa In motion. And she suifTed in fiBT aensible solid way, declaring that the hoped the Lord would have mercy ia the poor creatures that married them—with the emphasis strongly on j ibe pronoun. So she was married to John, and John was married to her, and. as has ioen stated, everybody was satisfied. Another year passed, during which f«hn builded a square dwelling with no nonsense about it, and set a row of hard maples along the front walk, and purchased a cow. Then he bought a simple wicker perambulator and opened a ledger account with the lead ing doctor. Life for the blissful couple was on in real earnest, and life in real earnest i» r pr?tty serious matter. It was then that tiie covering of the ideals began to loosen in places and fall off. By the end of one more year the process was complete. John growled at the cost of living. Kmma neglected her back hair. He discov ered with a shock that the cooking was badly done and that the hous’ was badly kept. He littered a hoarse note of complaint, and was momentarily paralyzed by the sight of Kmma shed ding great soaking tears. He had thought her superior to such petty weakness. Matters did not improve during the “What! You say that!" nest year. They unimproved. John's business affairs went wrong. It was the year of panic, and collections were difficult to make. Instinct prevented him from groaning in the market place, hence he brought his groans home and discharged them in an av alanche at his wife. Then John failed. He came home one night, and sat for a long time be neath a cobweb in a corner of the sitting room, staring with wide unsee ing eyes at the picture of Garfield upon the wall, saying nothing, heedless of the food upon the table. Emma sat in the kitchen, rocking ceaselessly, their child asleep in her arms. She knew what had happened. A glance at John had told her all she cared to be told. So the mirutes became hours, and the fir“ died out, and a chill came into the air. Tfre clock struck nine. John spoke. "Em," said he, "it s ail over." "I know it,” she returned. "What are you going to do about it?" "I don't know," he replied. “I'm clean discouraged—beat. I’m a poor stick.” “You are," she agreed promptly. tie started violently. “What!" he cried. “You say that? I reckon, mad am, I’;n as much of a success as you— you that deceived me—that lured me to marry you under false pretenses! You that made out to be helping your ma so good with the housework! You that run whenever you saw me coming aiui put cn your apron and rolled up you.' sleeves and dabbled your hands with flour c.r grabbed up a flatiron! You—O. 1 know all about it! I should think you'd have been ashamed of yourself, letting your ma do all the work while you Just lazed round! I should think you'd be ashamed of yourself this minute sitting there on that floor that hain t been swept for a week! Did you think I wouldn’t find you out? O, you deceiver you!’’ He arose to his feet, excitedly pacing from one room to the other; then paused, an expression of surprise and bewilderment in his eyes, for Emma was smiling at him through tears. “John,’’ she demanded, quietly, “who told you that?” ”1 overheard your pa telling Squire Wighain,” he said, “and they seemed to think ’twas the best Joke ever was. But It hurt me fearful and roiled me up. You’ve no idea how it roiled me up. Ern!" “Yes, I have. John," said she. “Mercy! Do you think I'm blind and deaf? But it wasn't so bad as pa made it out to be, honest, it wasn't. Just once I run and put on an apron and rolled up my sleeves to deceive you, and that time ’twas because I’d torn a big hole in the front of my dress and the sleeves were all stained up with raspberry juice. Fa was al ways teasing me about it afterwards. He thinks he's an awful rich joker, pa does. And as for my falling to keep house good for you. John, there wasn’t any trouble till baby came, and then I didn't have time noi" strength to do it. and you couldn't afford to hire help, and you wouldn't tell me why, and— and—O, John!” She placed the child In its cradle, and with deliberate Impulsiveness threw her arras about John's neck. His arm Blowly wouud itself about her waist. “Were just as foolish as—as the fools, John.” she sobbed. “Fooler,” declared he, decidedly. “1 haln’t given you a fair shake, Ein. I'm going to be different.” They were silent for an interval— an Interval of close, wordless com munion such as in the popular love tales precedes the marital state, but never accompanies It. Emma brok< the silence at last with a whisper. “John, I'ru awful sorry about th< store." “Don’t you worry about that," sail! John. “I'm bo worse off than lots ol | other*. It don’t fret me a mite—no! a mite, Em." Then he turned up the lamp and re kindled the Are and drew the curtains, and they sat. down comfortably with beaming faces to tea and muffins just as the dock struck ten. JERUSALEM S RUINS. The Itcmains <if » Mediaeval Church Discovered. The Greek Catholic monks, who are in possession of the chief portion ol the church of the Holy Sepulcher, arc now going to build a bazaar opposite it, where pilgrims may purchase sou venirs of their visit to Jerusalem. Dur ing the process of clearing the site the foundations of an old medieval church, forty meters long and thirty wide, with three apses, were discov ered. A number of fine capitals, frag ments of basalt pillars and bas-reliefs, with symbolic animals, were found, all these remains having, doubtless, be longed to tbe choir of the church. I^ast ! year a valuable silver shrine, eontain l ing a piece of the holy cross and relics of the Apostles Peter and Paul—ac cording. at least, to the Inscriptions on them—was discovered at the same place. The patriarch of Jerusalem, it is said. Is keeping other discoveries se cret. owing to his dislike of the Ro man Catholic church. Those men tioned above are all the more impor tant as it ran he ascertained to what church they belonged. According to the statement of a medieval traveler, the hospice and the monastery, which the citizens of Amalfi founded about the year HU), as a refuge for Western pilgrims, was situated due south of the ‘ Holy Sepulcher, about a stone’s throw away. The first church was built in honor of St. Mary do Latins, and the second, tlie ruins of which have now been found, in honor of St. John the Baptist. The French monk Bernard, who lived there in 870. highly praised the hospitality and the large library of l he hospice. A Mohammedan histo rian says it was destroyed by the KLalif Hakem and rebuilt shortly aft erw-ard; while, according to another account, it prospered down to the time of King Baldwin of Jerusalem, from 1100 to 1118. when the two communi ties r>f St. Mary and St. John adopted the latter as their joint protector. This was the origin of the Knights of St. John. The remains now discovered, therefore, are the ruins of the cradle of this order. It is most unfortunate that the preservation of these very in ! teresting remains seems impossible, j owing to the ill fepilng which exists between tbe Greek and Roman C’ath j oiics in Jerusalem.—London Standard. Nautical Heir Apparent. British service papers have noted that the Prince of Wales is the first heir apparent to the British crown to hold an actual commission in the navy, the senior service on their side of the water. Hitherto the heir appar ent has been put into the army, and any naval rank he may iiave held has beer, purely honorary. The same rule was followed in the case of the sons of the present king; Prince Edward was made a soldier, and died while major in a hussar regiment; Prince Georga was made a sailor, and has command ed his own ship on a regular cruise. Now, by the death of his eider brother, lie becomes Prince of Wales, the first of the line to be a sailor. Hitherto he has been promoted rapidly, but with a decent period of service in each rank, until he now holds the commission of a captain. Hereafter his promotion will bp honorary, as it will no longer be advisable for the heir to the crown to go to sea in command of a fleet or to take the risks of a naval officer.— New York Sun. Fastidious Doff. "Yes,” said the manager of the de funct I'ncie Tom's Cabin company, "it was our dog that broke up the show ” “The dog, eh? What was the matter with him?" “Too fastidious. You never saw such a hound in your life. You knr-> the play, of course. We tie a piece of meat in the folds of Eliza's frock, and that's what draws the dogs after her when she runs across the blocks of Ice. Well, what do you think this dog demanded?” “Can’t imagine." "Porterhouse beef steak, sir, and with the tenderloin left in! Yes. sir. How’s that? And you couldn't fool him. He wouldn't chase Eliza a foot unless the meat was a choice cut. No, sir. And, by gum. sir. our company had to live on liver and bacon, so that blamed dog could have his steak. Yes, sir.” The de mand was too much for you, was it?” "No, it wasn’t. That is. it wasn't un til he began to insist upon mushrooms with his steak. Then we just threw up our hands and quit."-—Cleveland Plain Dealer. (iamelceeper'ft Tip SliSo. The position of head gamekeeper to an English country gentleman who habitually has shooting parties is a most valuable one, for even the most humble of the invited guests is ex pected to leave a very substantial tip with the outdoor servant in question. In all cases where the visit extends to a week or more, the head gamekeeper expects, and generally receives, a tip of from £3 to £*>0, and it is very doubtful whether nay sum less than a sovereign would >» taknowledged with a word of thanlir A play is to he made by George Ado for the use of Ward and Yokes. ST A JVISH WAT MET ALS fot she na vy In expectation of a cpremom&l pre sentation of a part of the medals won in the late war with Spain, the Phila delphia mint is now going right ahead with work of fashioning the several thousand medals to he given to the meritorious and the valorous of our navy during the campaign in the West Indies in 1898. These medals are to commemorate participation in certain naval engagements principally on the coast of Cuba and to distinguish those officers and men whose specially meri torious service other than the battle Is particularly deserving of recognition. ! From the man behind the gun to the 1 man before tiie blazing furnace in the fireroont. every one on a ship in battle will receive a battle medal, and, if in more than one engagement, an added bar, instead of another medal, for each additional action—the bar to bear the name and date of the subsequent fight. The obverse of the battle medal will bear the head of the commander in chief of the whole campaign, encircled ! by the inscription “U. S. Naval Cam paign in the West Indies, 1898,” while | the reverse will typify the men behind and encircling the anchor will be the i campaign designation. On the plain I reverse side of the medal will be stamped the name and rank of rating of the recipient, together with a brief j statement of the service for which the medal was given. The ribbon in this case will he red or crimson and will fall straight down behind thp medal so that the color will show through the openings between the star points. The design has been made purposely simple. Hay* Npeut in Hoil. There is no better preventive of nervous exhaustion than regular, un hurried muscular exercise. If we could moderate our hurry, lessen our worry and increase our open-air exercise a large proportion of nervous diseases would be abolished. For those who cannot get a sufficient holiday the best substitute is an occa sional day in bed. a writer in the Nineteenth Century suggests. Many whose nerves are constantly strained in their daily vocation have discovered this for themselves. If wc cannot pre vent agitation, we ought, if possible, to give the nervous system time to re cover itself between the shocks. Even an hour's seclusion after a good lunch will deprive a hurried, anxious day of much of its injury. The nerves can often he overcome by stratagem when they refuse to be controlled by the strength of will. ('niching Hats. Rnts arc- very susceptible to the odor of certain drugs, and any ordinary trap set In their haunts is likely to succeed if dressed with these scents, the at traction of which, rat catchers affirm, they cannot resist. An example is: Powdered asafoetida, Pight grains; oil of rhodium, two drams; oil of antseed. one dram; oil of lavender, one-half dram. Shako together in a bottle and use a very small quantity to dress the bait. To catch rats, cover a common bar rel with stiff, stout paper, tying the ; shop has lost his situation, and this I because lie gave prompt answer to I his employer's eager question. The . employer had six lively little land tur tles, which attracted much attention as they wandered aimlessly about the window. He painted a large white let ter on the liaea of each of the shells, and put up a notice to the efTect that, whenever the turtles got into such rel ative positions that the letters spelled "oyster’ he would present halt a dozen natives to every one who was looking on. Then he became frightened lest the mystic word should occur too often, and covered reams of pappr figuring out the odds. He gave it up at last, an<l was about to remove the turtles when his most accomplished oyster opener Informed him that the odds were 720 to 1 against tlie combination. The tui lies are still in the window, but the oyster opener has gone. Such knowledge of odds, the employer thought, could have been acquired only by years of betting experience. It is not wise to be too wise. Klcctrlflty for Summon I ns I'age». The practice of clapping the bands to summon a page in the house of representatives in Washington has passed away. Electric annunciators are now in use. There is one at the back of the Republican side and an other behind the Democratic side. When a member pushes a button a small red disk appears in the annun ciator, bearing a number which shows where the page is w’anted.—Boston Herald. Talking at a I.ong Distance. Eighteen miles is said to be the long est distance on record at which a man's voice has been heard. This oc curred in the Grand canyon of the Col orado. where one man shouting the name "Bob” at one end, his voice was plainly heard at the other end, which is eighteen miles away. Dr. Young Kfveria of the Medal, Showing; the Men Behind the Bun*. ;he guns— the young officer und the 'outh ol' the blue jackets aud the ma •ines. The three figures are shown in .he fighting-top of a battle ship. The due jacket, who has jw«t moved his jody from tiie shoulder piece of his dill smoking one-pounder, is watching he result of his last few shots while he young officer, catching sight of a ■Iiance for the rifle, is pointing to an opening for the alert marine. In the distance, over the rim of the fighting top are seen the Brooklyn and the Texas—partly clouded in their own smoke, while against the extreme left I shore line lies the blazing wreck of a | Spanish craft. The sea in the middle j llstance is dawned with plungu of hos | tile shot. The "specially meritorious service" nedal will be a wreath-encircled star. The wreath will be of iamel and the star will bear in prominent relief the uadge of the service—the anchor. The bands that hind the wreath will bear the descriptive title of the decoration. Old Nltip Finally Condemned. The famous old Italian brig. Anita [which had well earned the proud distinction of being the slowest vessel afloat, will make no more of her fa mous long voyages. A cablegram from ! i'eneriffe announces her arrival there I after a prodigiously long trip from Italy and her condemnation as old un geaworthy. She will he sold for a few dollars and broken up for firewood. No ship afloat ever took longer time to make a trip than the old Italian brig did. She was 20.‘> days going from Brazil to Baltimore. Md. While she edge round the barrel. Waco a board so that the rats may li».\e easy access to the top. Sprinkle cheese parings or other food for the rats on the paper for several days, until they begin to think that they have a right to their daily rations from this source. Then place in the bottom of the barrel a piree of roc k about six or seven inches high, filling with water until only enough of it projects above the water for one rat to lodge upon. Now re place the paper, first cutting a cross in the middle, and the first rat that comes on the barrel top goes through into the water and climbs on the rock. The paper comes hack to its original position, and the second rat follows the first. Then begins a fight for the possession of the dry place on the stone, the noise of which attracts the others, who share the same fate.—Bal timore American. Knew Too Much. A young man employed in an oyster was making this voyage other ships sailed around the world. The Anita S. is a relic of the sixteenth century, and is the only square-rigged vessel afloat steered by a tiller instead of a wheel. She looked like the* Santa Maria in which Columbus crossed on his fa mous voyage to America, and she did n't sail half as well. She is known the world round as ‘‘the Sea Snail." She was well named. Thp untenderest passion is love after it has tiurnPd Itself down to the edges of indifference. records that at Gibraltar the human voice has been heard at a distance of ten miles. Vaccination of Plants. Vaccination of plants is the idea of a French botanist. Parasitic diseases —microbial or fungoid—harm through the poison they cause the tissues to ab sorb, and inoculation with suitable cul tures makes the tissues proof against absorption. Fine*! P»»rl Necklace in World. The pearl necklace of the Empress of Germany is said to be the finest in the world. The gems are all perfect in shape and coloring and the whole | is valued at $500,000. Wound* Heal Slowly in Philippine*. Medical men have noted the injuri ous elTect of the Philippine climate on wounds. The time for healing is much longer than here. In South Africa it is shorter. Two New Htefinifthlp*. The two new steamships that are be ing built for the passenger service be tween San Francisco and Oriental ports will mark the beginning of a new era in trans-paeifle navigation. They are double the size of the largest that now cross the Pacific and inferior in size to only a few of the latest At lantic liners. There are 13,000 policemen in Lon don, drawing salaries of $6,469,760, while there are 6,000 in New Y#rk, drawing salaries of $10,550,000.
