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About McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 1884)
I'A BEYOND THESEOHIIiIiING WINDS. Beyond these chilling wlnda and gloomy sk'es Beyond death's solemn , portal , There Is a land where beautynover dies And love becomes immortal. a A land whoso light IB never dimmed by shade , Whose figlds arc over vernal , Where nothing beautiful can over fade , But blooms for aye , eternal. Wo may not know how nwcet the balmy air , How bright and fair its flowers ; We may not hear the Bongs that eoho thorc , Through those enchanted bowers. That city's shining towers wo may not BCO With our dim earthly vision , For death , the silent warden , keeps the key That opens those gates elyslan. But sometimes when adown the western The fiery sunset lingers , Its golden gates swing inward noiselessly Unlocked by silent fingers. 'And while they jstaud a moment half ajar , Gleams from the , nner glory ' Stream brightly through the azure vault afar , And half rcval tho'story. " * * t Oland unknown I ? OIand of lovodlviuot Father all wise , eternal , Guide , guide these .wandering feet of mine Into those pastures vernal 1 ' [ Nancy Amelia Priest. A GIRL'S POLLY. A small , superior cottage of bright rod-brick , sweet-scouted woodbine trailing over its rustic porch , a green lawn before it surrounded by flowers , and a charming country , landscape spreading out in the distance. Inside , in its small but pretty parlor , on the rod table-cover waited the tea-tray , with its cups and saucers. The win dow stood open to the still , warm au tumn air , and the French porcelain clock on the mantel-piece was strik ing 5. A slender girl of eome twenty years came in. She was very lovely. But her bright blue eyes bore a .sort of weary or discontented look , and her bright brown hair was somewhat ruf fled. She wore a print washing-dress of black and white , neither very smooth nor very fresh , and a lace neck collar fastened with-a bow of black"ribbon. She had made 'an appointment .to meet Reginald-Vavasour , a rich young gentleman who had made heracquaint- , ance down by the willow walk , and her lover , Thomas Watkynhad told her he would call that .evening. Just before ho left , she said : "May I 'ask you to do mo a little favor , Thomas ? " "What is it ? " ho repeated. ' "Jf yon would not very much mind going home by the hill and would leave this note at Alias , Ford's. I particu larly wish her to have it this evening. " He paused for an instant , not reply- ing. She went on huriedly : "I see that it is disagreeable to you. I have offered too much. " "Not that" ho answered , holding out his hand for the note. "But I can hardly spare the time for the long way this evening , as I have to call at Ivill- " ick's for my father. However " he said no more , but took the note. "Good-by , Thomas. " " . " "Good-by. i "I'm glad ho took the note. I shall be safe now. " Miss Alison Keeco was > a clever young lady. The direct and near way to Mr. Watkyn's homo would lead him pass the willow walk. Shp had devised - vised this impromptu note to her dress maker in the afternoon to prevent his taking that usual route. Had he seen " young Vavasour cooling his heels within in the precincts of the willow walk he would inevitably suspect ho was wait ing to keep a lover's tryst. Alison was busy m the kitchen next morning when she heard her mother open the front door and sonic one come in. "It is that chattering Mrs. Ben nett , " thought she , as- she dried the teaspoons. "Alison , come hero , called her mother , ' in a quick voice. She went to the parlor just as she was her sleeves turned back at the wrist , a large , brown Holland apron on. Very pretty she looked with it all. Bnt his it was not Mrs. Bennett who sat with her mother ; it was a venerable , white- haired gentleman Mn Watkyn the by older. "I am oome to ask about Thomas , " said he. "I believe lie came hero last night , Miss Alison ; at what time did bo leave yon ? " A provision struck her with a sort of terror that something was wrong. ' 'He left quite early , " she faltered. "Well , he has never come home. " "Not come home ! " she said , with a her whitening face. a "I sat up tilt 1 o'clock , and then I thought the mist must have kept him ; that he had stayed at some friends boose , I knew not what to think , and that he would be home the first thing this morning. But wo have not seen him , and I cannot hear of him. " Mrs. Reece was impressed with the' and frightened , guilty look that Alison could not keep out of her countenance , and began to feel uneasy. "Cannot you tell what time"it was when he left you ? " he demanded , sternly. "It-was after dusk. It was just'after He snnsetr "beforo the mist came on. It I must have been near 7 o'clock. " "Which road did ho take ? " pursued said Mrs. Reeoe. And'very ' reluctantly AH- ' he son answered , for she foresaw it would I bring on further questioning : | , . : , The long road round by the hill ? " ' "Round by the hill ? " echoed Mr. Watkyn in alarmed surprise. "Why did ho take that way ? " Alison flushed and paled alternately ; her lips were trembling. The fear creeping upon her wris that he and young Vavasour had met and quarreled. Perhaps fought and injured one another fatally. Tri these drea'd moments of suspense the mind is apt to conjure up far-fetchod and unlikely thoughts. "I asked him to go around that way , " she replied , in a timid tone. "I wanted him to leave a note for me at the dross- maker's. ' ' Old Mr. Watkyn sank into a chair , putting his hands before his troubled laco. "I see it all , " he breathed faintly. "He must have .fallen down the Scar. " Alison uttered a scream of horror. "Deceived by the mist , he must have walked too near the edge , " continued the old man. "Heaven grant that 'it may not be so , but I fear it. Was he mad , to attempt to cross the plateau on such a night ? " Catching up his hat , Mr. Watkyn went out swiftly. Mrs. Reece grabbed her daughter's hands. They were icy cold. "Alison , what passed between you and Thomas last nigbt ? " "Don't ask me , mother. Let rue fol low Mr. Watkyn. I cannot restin doors. Oh , it cannot , cannot be as ho fears ! " "Not one step until you tell me what passed , " said the mother firmly. "There's more in all this thau meets the eye. " "He asked me to give up talking to Mr. Vavasour. ' 'And you refused. Well ? " "He told me I must choose between them , " continued Alison , bursting into tears. "Oh , mother , it was all , my fol ly , all my temper ; he could not see that , ana when he went away ho said he went for good. " Mrs. Recce drew in her thin lips sternly. She was thinking. "And what does it mean about your giving him a note for the dressmaker ? I do not understand. You had nothing to write about. " The girl had got her hands free and flung them before her face to deaden the sobs. But Mrs. Reece was a reso lute mother at times , and she extorted the confession. Alison had improvised the note and sent Thomas around the long way to deliver it , and so keep him from passing by the willow walk. ' "Oh , child , child' ' moaned the dis mayed woman. "If he haslndeed fall en over the S ar it is you 'who have given him his death. " And it proved to be so. In taking the two miles round between the cottage and the farm a high and perpendicu lar precipice , called the Scar , had to be passed. The tableland , or plateau on the top was wide and a perfectly safe road by daylight , since a traveler could keep as far from the unprotected edge as he pleased , but on a dark night , erin in a thick fog it was most elangerous. Thomas Watkyn must have drawn near the edge unwittingly and fallen over it. There lie lay , on the sharp rock , when the poor father and others went to look for him , his death-like face upturuetl toward the blue sky. "Speak to me , Thomas , speak to me ? " wailed Alison quite beside her self with * remorse and grief , as she knelt by him , wringing her bauds. "Oh'Thomas , speak to me ? I loved you all the while. " But Thomas neither spoke nor moved. The voice that had nothing but tender words was silent now ; the heart she had so grieved might never beat in sorrow row or joy again. No person had seen or spoken with him after quitting her the previous night save the dressmaker , little indus of trious Miss Ford. She had answered the knock herself , she related , and he put -the note into her hands , saying , "Miss Reece had asked him to leave it passing. What a thick mist it is that has come on , " he remarked to her in his pleasant , chatty way. "Aye , it is indeed , sir , " she answered , and shut her door as he walked away. in For many weeks Allison Reece lay ill with brain fever , hovering between life and death. Some people said it was the shock.that made her ill and took of her senses away ; others thought that she must have loved the poor young man to distraction ; no cne , save her mother , 'knew it was the memory of her last interview with him , and the schem ing to send him on the route that led to i h accident that had well nigh killed | f her. But the young arc strng in their tenacity of life. And she grew better slow degrees. One warm April afternoon , when the " winter months had given place to spring , Alison , leaning on the arm of her mother , went to sit on the porch. She was very feeble yet. It was the first she had sat there since that memo rable evening with her ill-fated lover. There she remained , thinking and is dreaming. They could not persuade to come in , and so wrapped .her in warm shawl. the Sunset came on , and was almost as beautiful , curious , perhaps , that it should be so , as the one he and she had watched together nearly six mouths before fore/ The orilhant beams shone like molten gold in the glowing west , the blue sky around was flecked with pink amethyst. Allison's eyes were fixed on the lovely scene with an enraptured - of raptured gaze'her lips slightly parting with emotion. . " "Alison , what are you thinking off ? " "Of'him , mother. Of his Happiness. is living in all that glorious beauty. think there must have been an uncon scious prevision in his mind by what he not that evening as we watched it , that should soon DC there. Oh , mother , wish I was going to him t I wish I could be with him to-morrow. " m The mother paused' ; she felt inclined to say something , but she feared the agitation it might cause. "Well , well , child , you are geting better , " she presently answered. 'Yes I do better " , get , sighed the girl. "I suppose it pleased God ' that I should. " "Time smoothes all things , Alison , In"time you will be strong again and able to fulfill life's various duties with a zest. Tiials are good oh , so very good ! for the soul. But for meeting with them we might never learn the way to hoaven. " Alison did not answer. Her feeble hands were clasped in silent prayer , her face was .lifted . to the glories of the evening sky. It was at the same sunset hour , an evening or two later , that Alison , who was picking up strength daily , strolled away to the church yard. She wanted to look for u newly-niado grave in that corner where so many of the Watkms lay buried. , She could not sec it ; the same gravesm stones that were there before were there now ; there was no fresh .one. "Perhaps they opened the olel vault for him , " thought Alison , as she sat down on a bench just inside the gate ? , for she was too weak to walk back again without a rest. The sun was going down to-night without any loveliness , just as , a crim son ball , which seemed to give reel light to the atmosphere , and to light up red ly the face of a pale , tottering in an who was coming up to the gate by the help of a stick. He halted when he reached it. Alison turned sick and faint with all manner of emotions as she gazed at him , fright being uppermost. "Alison ! " * "Thomas ! " . He held out his hand ; ho came ia- ' side ; his pale , sad face wore for her its old sweet expression. "Oh , Thomas , I thought you were dead , " she burt out in a storm of sobs. "I came hero to look for your grave. I thought I had killed you. " "They thought. I was dead at first. They thought for a long time that I should die , " he answered , as he. sat down deside her , keeping her hand it ' h s. "But the' skillful'medical rnen have raised me up , .under God , I hope ! in time to be strong and well again. " "Can you over forgive me ? " she wailed , bitter , painful tears tailing down her cheeks like rain. "I shaS never forgive myself. " ' "No ! Then you must atone tome instead , Allison. Be all the more lov ing to me during our future lives. We must pass them together , my dear. " "Do you mean it still ? " she gasped "Oh , Thomas , how good and true you are. If I can only be a little bit worthy of you. " They walked home slowly , arm in arm , neither could walk fast yet. Mrs. Reece came to the porch to meet them. God is full of mercy , 'she thought. . , " 1 did not tell her , Thomas , " she'L ' I said ; "she was so dreadful low when she came out of the fever. I meant to tell her to-night. " "I have tofd her myself ; it was best so , " answered Thomas Watkyn. thi Electricity and Watches. ' sw llochoatcr Post-Express. a "If you have got a watch don't go i jt near that machine , " said Superintendent - \ it ent Redmond , of the Electric Light UU company , to a reporter of the Post- Cll Express , as he entered the company's cr building at the lower fulls a few nights ago , having safely passed the "Positive na no admittance" sign and gained an en entrance at the usually barred gates. As he spoke , he pointed to ono of the five generators which stooel on ono side ' y0 the building , anel which , like all the j to others in use , emitted constantly bright sparks of light from the rapidly revolv " ing machinery. Each of these gener gr "S ators keeps forty electric lights burn ar ing all night , and is run by the .water of power of the falls , one of the largest do rubber bands in the state being use < t in doMi * making the wheel go around. The noise lie the building , ca.used by the thous are ands of revolutions a minute , is almost ari deafening , and any conversation is im flor possible except at a lung-splitting tone on voice. the What possible connection there wli could be between such a large piece of machinery and a watch , even if it bo of the lumbersome kind carried by the re A porter , was not clear at a glance , and lias * . looked interrogatively at the super intendent. "If you go within a certain Ba distance-of that machine , " said Mr. on Redmond , "it will spoil your time- j bee keeper. " Taking advantage of the Wi "timely warning , " the reporter kept I sa within the proscribeel limits , and gained j Sh eome points of interest not generally gaj known lo the public. the One of the most peculiar things con er's nected with the electric light machine took the curious effect it has on time rid pieces. Placed within a few feet of the clii positive polo of the electric -machine , fro watch stops absolutely , if esposeel str immediately to the negative pole of the the machine , itwill resume its accustomed on ticking , and it is said very little bad reu effect is noticed. Very mkny watches the have been utterly ruined , however , by fled. careless persons going too close to the No machines , through ignorance or the neglect of the attendautw to warn them their danger. None of the men II nr employed at the works ef the lower 1 falls carry any costly watch , and Super ppon intendent Redmoncl contents himself ing The with a low-priced piece , with American works which is difficult form , to get out of order , and which , American-like , will 8UJ admit of defeat from such a small { ; 01 concern as an electric light machine. "I'm Ono of the most prominent watch makers in the city said to a reporter 1 jeaterJay : "That electricity or mag- | tario netism is ono of the worst things we haye to deal with. A magnet would create more mischief in a half hour among these watches than it ever did in Grosvonor's 'hardware shop' in pa tience , and moro than I conlu undo in months. Perhaps I never could remove move it entirely. I wouldn't have j horseshoe magnet in my place for i big sum. Yes I've known of 'several watches being seriously injured by the electric light machines. You see the difficulty is with the balance wheel and hair spring , both of which are made of steel. . The positive pole of , the magnetiy influences them and' causes the watch , te keep all sorts of unreliable time While we can replace the spring very easily , it is more difficult to remedy the balance of the evil. Principal John G Allen , of this city , had a costly watcl affected some time ago through expo sure to the machine in Power's block. 11 took it and after working at it three inonths succeeded in demagnetizing it , but the use of the negative pole of a magnet. That's -the only case I've heard in the city although there are _ i few other cases where it nas been done. Th.e finer the mechanism the more | damage is likely to be done , and it is through the most untiring patience tlwt they can be brought around to anything like theii original state. It's about one in a hundred that ever is. " Therepoiter also found a gentleman whose $150 chronometer had * been ruined in this way. The Arrangement of Flowers. Vlok's M&ntlily. Wo read a great deal about the prop er arra-gement of flowers when used in vases , some of these arrangements are good ; and some I mnst ' take excep tions to. For instance'in a late Eng lish magazine I read that roses'must never be put into vases with any other flower. Now , I have often used them with white flowers of a delicate , ' airy na ture , such as the wild clematis , or vir gin's bower , with charming effect. The clematis gives precisely the unstudi ed and graceful effect which any vase of flowers should have , because it is its nature to be graceful , and beautiful as roses are , as flowers , the habit of the plant as to branch or stem , is not one calculated to make a group of them quite satisfying by themselves when used in a vase or any dish standing up well , from the table. With the cle.matis drooping about the vase and trailing on the table , and the roses lifting their clusters above them , there is nothing finer m the line of decoration. I have often used bunches of palest apple blossoms with early roses with most satisfactory results. Roses and flower ing sumach combine exquisitely. So do roses and the great clusters of the white flowering elder. For flat bou- quets , or use in bowls , these two are especially useful in connection with each other. Sweet peas are the only flowers that woulel keep by themselves. I have never felt satisfied with the result when II put anything else in the voso with them. 1 have a vase which- call my sweet pea vase , because it seems so well adapted to show them off to the b advantage that I kept it expresslv for them. It is of clear glass tall , and flaming , like a lily at the top. I cut my sweet peas with long stems , and never attempted j to arrange them nicely , for is j a characteristic of this flower that can I never be anything but graceful under any circumstances. Do not cut too many , for they must not be crowded. You want "just enough to fill ycmrvase and let them bend about naturally , and they can not do this if crowdetl in the least. With just the as right quantity they will arrauge themselves - selves m : i way to delight an artist ; all you have to do is to thrust the stems in the water. Some will droop , others remain up right , but the generaleffeet will be airy , graceful ; , delicate. I lately read an article ! advising the use of a few sprays Mignonette with sweet peas : Do not on it.The strong fragrance of the an Mignonette overpowers the moro do- J licate odor of the Sweet Peas. They ( jj < fragrant enough of theinselvo * . The Gladiolus is a charming flower use iu tall vases. Ferns are the , qy , only green things I would use with oc them. This flower is most effective th when kept by itself. . thm po Runaway : Pair in a Load of Straw , j I C Boston Globe. . I his John W. Uines and bride , of Great go Barrington , readied Pittsfield in safety goa Sunday. The two met at a husking ity. < some time ago and agreed to elope With $200 , which the young man had saved toward buying a small farm in Sheffield , and unincumbered by bag a gage , they started off on foot toward n depot , three miles away. A farm his ' boy with a load of straw soon over le them and invited the runaways to the ride. They accepted the offer and h.St climbed up , concealing themselves StS from observation under the bundles of the straw. They reached the depot just as was milk train was going out and got Ja board. The young man's father YV reached this place this afternoon , but the : elopers heard of his presence and CO . They are said to have gone to me North Adams. usi Why She Was Fleshy. m Hnrtfonl Time * . A shabbily-dressed woman called % [ < one of our citizens for aid , claim- that she was in a starring condition. ated citizen looked upon her plethoric uary old , estimating the avoirdupois of the * of superfluous fat , and answered : "You don't look like a starving woman. " "I and know it , " she whiningly answered , ' blojited with grief. " * a f * - Peen Trains are badly delayed aU over On on by snow. coi A TOUGH STORY. Told by the Oldest Man la Amorl a. Boston Globo. "Ye wouldn't think ter , look at me that lam the oldest man In America , would ye ? " "said a curious looking rel ic in the Charlestown navy yarcj. "Well I've knowcd this , place when it [ was all woods. Mo'u the old hess is old chunm's stand-bys round-here , and about all that's left of the old crew. Come with ine and 111 show the hess to iy . " On the extreme end of a moldering wharf in the shadow of a prodigious hulk groaningand creaking at its rusty moorings on the summit of n pyramid of cannon balls stood the specter horso. His ] evil and speculative eye looked down with a questioning glare which haunted the writer for many a day. "That hess has got a. histry that jumps over anything ye ever heard , " continued the old man. "When Uncle Sum staked out this spot fora workshop the old critter was bought by the gov ernment of a mar. by Uio.imuio of Tur ner , down at Weyuiouth , Londin. Wall , that hess drawed most all the stone used in the great wall around this yard. Drawed 'era from Quincy , Watertown and Cambridge , on a drag. In 1829 a spar fell from a swinggrovo and sprung his backbone. Old Perry , that's hla > name , never seemed hisself" after that. j An order came on from Washington , { sort of puttin' the faithful critter-on the 'i retired list in 18. % . Thirty years ago. .1 the appropriation for his fodder was stopped , blithe wandered 'about eatin' j sawdust and tarred ropes. In 1846 , I when Polk was president , an order j was sent on here tor kill the beast. But ye can't destroy a sperrit. The ? government - ' ment has spent niore'n $60,000 ter heave j that old brute inter eternity , and they 1 can't do it ! " and the aged man wildly I pounded his weather-beaten tarpaulin j hat against au anchor-stock. "A squad of marines was ordereel cut one day ter j ( open fire on the poor animal , but it i 'didn't do no more gooel'n thrown' pea- beaus agin the walls of the universe. i Then they opened a cannonade on him | with heavy Iguns , but his old bide was too tough ; he snorted , ami , breaking ! from his anchorage , kicked the life out ' of the and went ' * gunner , grubbin' on au old hempen hawser. "In 1853 , under Filmore's aeluiinLs- tration , the commandant here was or dered to get rid of the old hess , if it , beggared the nation. Then a g vng of workmen pushed him overboard inter the dry dock , where he stayeel two weeks. Then he got kinder louesomo and ugly , and I'll be eternally cussed if that old ghost didn't tu n his old huffs agin the sold granite wall , and kicked out a whole section of stone , lettin1 in the tide water , which floated him up inter - , ter the yard , where he run rcmnd whin- t uerin' in devilish gleo. That hole in the wall cost rhe government $20,000. Then they took him inter the saw shop , ( and tried ter split him up , but as soon as the saw struck his hide it broke inter splinters , killin' three men-and wound- ' in' two more. Teen they took him inter one of the machine shops , and tried ter drill a hole in him so's they could git gun-powder inter him ter blow him up , but the steel drills was twisted off and the old cuss went off unhurt. When Frank Pierce was elected president the old hess business was brought up before congress again , and Zach Chandler , or Cotton Mather , or some of them old eongre-ss chaps , said they'd fix the darned hess , andthe % ship Constitution was ordered to carry the brute and sink him down off Pint Comfort. He was | histed on board and throwed overboard j ordered , but he was back ter Chur- ' lestown before the old bhip got back , . and here he is , ami here he will probably - \ ably stay as long as th world stands. " < And the old ruiiu turned v.Talhfuliy \ away arid disappeared. j . * f G * , About January. ' January derives its name from Jaiiiy , one of the divinities of the Romans , and held by them in the deepest vener ation. j He was said to preside over the Gates of Heaven , and selected by Nu- m. Ppmpilius as duly possessed of the qualifications peculiarly adopted , for presiding over the year. Not only on - ' account" the "knowledge he was thought to possess of the past , but more especially from his presumed power of foiesight , Janus woe often represented - . , 1 resented with two faces turned from each other the one old , representing ; experience with reference to bygone - gone events' ; the other young and typical - * ical of his looking forward into futur . Sometimes he was portrayed with four faces , as emblems of the four sea sons over which he was adjudged to . , have control ; frequenntly with key in his right hand and rod in his loft , to symbolize l ; ruling of the year. He was also depicted , in some instances , seated in ' . center of twelve altars , in token of Numa's divisionjof the months , with figures on his hands to the amount of number of-days to wnich the year augmented by that wise sovereign. January was called by the Saxons Wolf-Monat , or Wolf-Month , because * * ( wolves at this season failing , in consequence ! of the cold and snow , to meet with the inferior animals , their usual food , were accustomed to attack man himself. Later , when the Saxons were converted to the true faicb , they termed the month After-Yule this is , after Christmas. In the fine illumin calendars of the Middle Ages Jan was frequently represented as an man clothed hi white with a billet wood under his left arm , shiverhur blowing his fingers. . * I 0 * - A desperate fight "occurred between f Pottawattamio and Chippewu Indians - < the Wisconsin reservation , " combatants were killed.