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About Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 1902)
FOOTBALL 5AND COX7NTED. T was a great cross to Mr. a n d Mrs. Crompton that Clin ton was apparently de voir ! of any worthy am bition. Their two older boys were so utterly different. Harold had been graduated at Yale with high honors , and Kric was unking remarkable progress nt the Scientific School. In fact , they were both exceptionally line students , which made the contrast all the more striking. h'or Clinlon was sadly unlike his brothers. He .seemed to labor under the impression that he had been sent to college simply and .solely for the purpose of learning to play football. Apparently nothing else had the power to kindle the slightest enthusiasm in his sluggish breastand hi.s mother argued and expostulated with him in vain. "You are frittering away your valua ble time , " she argued again and again , "and letting slip golden opportunities which , once gone , never will come back to you ; and what have you to show for it all but a broken nose and a frac tured collarbone ? " * 'Is there any prospective benefit to be derived from these hours spent in scrambling after a football ? " his fath er questioned , severely , to which Clin ton merely responded , in his usual olY- hand style : "Who knows but I may ( be elected captain of the Varsity team next year ? " * * Is lhat the height of your ambi tion ? " his parent returned , bitterly. " 1 am terribly disappointed in you , sir. Are you to go on playing football for ever and ever , or what do you propose to make of your life ? Perhaps you think that your reputation as a foot ball player will prove an 'open sesame' to nil desirable positions. Do you sup pose lhat anyone wants a fellow who has willfully wasted his best opportu nities ? I had hoped to make a pro- Mi - - : - - - -V-x HE CAN NEVER DRAG HIM BAOK IN- TIME. fesslonal man of you not a profession al athlete and had even aspired to see you some day in our leading law ofiice with my old friend , Robert Choate , but It's no use. Choate only wants young men of the highest promise , " and Mr. Orompton sighed wearily. "It does no good to talk to Clinton. " he confided to his wife afterward , "for hardly ten minutes had elapsed after I had been remonstrating with him about the evils of football before he Inquired if I wouldn't bring you down to see the game on Saturday and in formed me that he had saved two tick ets for us. " Mrs. Crompton regarded her husband helplessly. "What did you say to him ? " she queried. "I told him 'certainly notMr. . Crompton exclaimed , warmly , "and I expressed my surprise at his daring io sugyeist such a tiling. 'Show me some lasting benefit or any abiding good that is to be derived from this ridicu lous game , ' I told him , 'and then come ito me to abet you in such follj % but hot till then. ' " And so Mr. and Mrs. Crompton failed to witness that memorable game In which their youngest son gained for himself such enviable laurels. Once on the field , Clinton was like one trans formed. Keen , alert , cool , rising splen didly to every emergency , no one would have known him for the same slow. Indifferent , easy-going specimen of hu manity who grieved the ambitious souls of his parents by his small apti tude for Greek. I Not by any means that Clinton was a dunce , for his class standing was fairly good , but what pained his father and mother was the recognition of what he might have accomplished had It not been for that arch enemy , foot ball. ! The great game over , the victorious team hastened back to the gymnasium with all possible speed. They had some little distance to go. as the gym nasium was not very near the ball grounds , so that in order to reach it they were obliged to traverse the cen ter of the town and cross the railroad tracks. ' Clinton , who had been detained a moment or so longer than the others , reached the station a short time after they had crossed , and found the plat forms crowded with people who were returning from the game , mingled with those who were alighting from the incoming trains. As he stepped from the platform he became conscious that something unusual was going on , and he immediately perceived the eyes of the multitude were riveted upon a fig ure half way across the tracks , a fig ure pausing there in bewilderment "There's a train coming each way , " somebody gasped. "Why doesn't he get off the track ? " The station agent and one or two other ofiicials were shouting loudly , but the man , who was old and very deaf , appeared thoroughly dazed. As lie prepared to step upon the track nearest him he had caught sight of one train coming down upon him , and lie now staggered back and was about. to plunge in front of the other down- coming express. Suddenly something very unexpected happened. As the crowd of bystanders shrank back with horror stricken faces , con vince/1 that they were about to witness the terrible fate which must instantly overtake the old man , a figure in a much-begrimed canvas jacket sprang out among them , and , clearing the tracks at a bound , alighted beside the swaying form of the man in danger. A shudder and a wave of pitiful re gret swept over the motionless crowd. "He can never drag him back in time , " they breathed. "They will both be killed ! Oh , the pity of it ! " But the football man had not thought of dragging the unsteady figure in front of either approaching engine. In an instant he had tackled the man and thrown him flat upon the ground be tween the two tracks , for all the world as if he had been an opponent on the football field. Then he dropped light ly on top of him , and lay there mo tionless , while the two trains thun dered past on each side of them , and the crowd stood waiting , spellbound. In much less time than it takes to describe the episode was over , and what might ha\e been a tragedy had proved only a bit of melodrama after all , yet as Clinton jumped up and pulled the old man onto his feet ap plause and cheers louder than any that had greeted him on the football field rang in his ears. Abashed and overwhelmed by such an ovation , Clinton made haste to el bow his way through the crowd , and in so doing nearly overthrew his own brother Harold , who happened to b ? standing directly in his path. "For heaven's sake , was that you , Clinton ? " he cried , in astonishment. "Do let me get out of this , " his brother responded , impatiently. "They need not make such a fuss because I knocked the old duffer over , " and he bolted in the direction of the gym nasium. Saturday nights generally brought the scattered members of the Cromp ton family together , as the collegians always made a point of coming home to spend Sunday under the parental root tree. On this particular Saturday evening all were assembled before Clinton came in. Harold was all agog to de scribe the scene that he had witnessed , but he unselfishly held his tongue. "I'll not spoil his story for him , but will give him a chance to do justice to it , " he mentally ejaculated , as he watched his brother swallowing his soup with uiiruflled composure. But Clinton said nothing upon the vital subject , and Harold looked at him with increasing surprise , as he judicially set forth the respective merits of the opposing football team and called attention to their most vul nerable points. "I'll turn in early to-night , I think , " he yawned , as he withdrew from the dining room. "I put pretty solid work into the last half of that game. " and he leisurely wended his way upstairs. "I wish that Clinton would put a little solid work into something else. " his father volunteered , as he disap peared from the room. At this Harold , who had in times past repeatedly scoffed at h.'s brother'- , athletic proclivities , instantly fired up. "Father , " he burst forth , "you're making a big mistake about Clinton. He's got more genuine stuff in him than all the rest of us put together , and if it's football that's done it , the sooner we all go in for the game the better , " and then he proceeded to give a graphic account of the afternoon's experience , which caused his father to blow his nose loudly and repeatedly , while his eyes glistened with happy pride , and which sent his mother weep ing in search of the sleepy athlete , who could not understand what he had done that was worth making such a fuss about. A few days later Mr. Crompton re ceived a note from his old friend. Rob ert Choate , which ran somewhat as follows : "Dear Crompton : I hear that your Clinton is going in for law , and if so I want him. When he gets through with the law school you can hand him over to me. for he's just the material that I am on the lookout for , and you may well be proud of him. He scared me out of a year's growth the other afternoon at the station , the young ras cal , but in spite of that I wish you would tell him to come round and take dinner with me some night , for I want to talk to him. With kind regards to Mrs. Crompton , believe me ever your friend. ROBERT CHOATE. " When Clinton came home the follow ing Saturday his father handed him the note , remarking : "I'm afraid I haven't appreciated your football , old man , but I'm going to do better ic the future , and , by the way , Cl ntoii. I hear that you're to play in the game next week. Is that so ? " Clinton nodded. "Very well , then , " Mr. Crompton continued , "your mother and I would like to have you get us the best seats that can be bought , for we've set our hearts upon going up to see you make the first touchdown. " Philadelphia Ledger. Ti ckness ol' Glauicrs. A few days ago Professors Blumcke and Hess , trom Bavaria , who art well known for their studies of glaciers , sticceedeo in boring through the Hiu- teries glacier in the Htzthal Alps , at a point where the ice was found to be 153 meters deep. THE SILENT POOL. Beauty Spot in Knxlund that Is L"a t One of the loveliest spots in England the Silent Pool of Aibury seems in danger of disappearing. It is believed that the deepening of the wells in the neighborhood of the Duke of North umberland's estate , where the cele brated pool is situated , is the cause of the shrinkage of the water that has recently been noticed , says the Lou- don Mail. It is a deep , perfectly clear chalk pool. In its cool waters swim a num ber of lazy trout , quite tame , for the pool is never disturbed by anglers , and the fish are fed by the thousands of visitors that make pilgrimage to this spot every year. In his memoirs of his father , the present Lord Tennyson says : "I have often heard him describe this pool , the splendor and ripply play of light on the stream as it gushes from the cnalk over the green sand bottom , the mackerel colors wl * _ h flit about in the sunshine , and the network of the current on the surface of the pool , like crystal smoke. " The romantic legend of the pool takes one back to the days of Richard I. The story goes that within a mile of the pool there lived in a little osier- wattled hut , Hal , the woodman , whose beautiful daughter , Emma , was in i he habit of stealing away , particular ly in the summer , to bathe in the si lent pool then hidden deep in the for est. One day , while swinging lazily from the boughs by the side of Hie pond , half in the water and half out , and twining her tresses with the water lilies , Prince ( afterward king ) John suddenly made his appearance. The affrighted damsel relinquished her hold of the friendly bough , and waded quickly , screaming the while , into the deeper water. The brutal rider forced his steed into the water , and the maid en , taking another step or two , was struggling in twenty feet of water. The cowardly Prince backed out. leav ing his would-be victim to drown , when her brother , who had followed the Prince , suspecting his evil designs , rushed through the trees , and. with out divesting himself of his heavy cow- bkin tunic , dived down to where his sister was lying on the bottom of the pool. Unable to lift her. and weighed down by his tunic , he would not let go. and soon brother and sister were lying stark and still on the chalky bottom , while Prince John and his case courtiers hurried off uefore the coun tryside was roused against him. OLD-SCHOOL DISCIPLINE. Anciciit Master Was Versatile at De- vibiiiy : Plitiisnmeilt. The late Fivderick W. Guun , foumK-r of the well-known Connecticut school for boys known as "The Gunnery , " de vised nianj' ingenious punishments for the discipline of his pupils. One of the boys was William Hamilton Gibson , the artist , who wrote in his memoirs this account of the management of the school : A youth too boisterous would be dis missed for a four-mile walk , ordered to hold a chip in his mouth for an hour , or to run a dozen times around the church on the green , sounding the tin dinner-horn at each corner in rotation. Two small boys caught fighting were > ften ordered to sit. one in the other's lap , taking turns thus for an hour or two. Pounding a log with a heavy club was a favorite panacea for superfluous ener gy in the family sitting-room. At "The Gunnery" it used to be a cus tom to allow a boy to take the anniver sary of his birth as a holiday , but one too clever lad was detected by Mr. Gunn in celebrating his third "birthday" within a single year. The next genu ine anniversary of the boy's birth came on a Saturday , which the victim cele brated by hugging a tree for several hours , while his schoolmates enjoyed the regular school holiday. A resident of Washington tells how , years ago , he found at the fork of two roads , hugging a sign-post in anything but sentimental fashion , a youth , whose only reply to questions was , "I'm a poor , miserable sinner. " That * vas the formula of penance which the master had prescribed. "Winding Up the Business. Mutual consent and mutual content are two very different things. The firm of which a certain guileless Eastern man was the sen'or partner was dis solved by mutual consent , but the con tent was limited to the junior partner. A cloud of debts had been rising and settling for weeks before the partner ship was dissolved , and the senior partner's sentiments may perhaps be gathered from a notice which he caus ed to be inserted in the local newspa per : "From this day .forth there's no such a firm as Grtgg & P.iliner. Those that owe the firm may call on me as soon as they are ready , and those that the firm owes had better call on him as quick as they can. " Appreciation. "That musician is a wonderful man. " "He is , " answered Mr. Cumi ox. "Au-- body who can get me to pay $2. } so that my family can hear him yell at the top of his voice is clever. " Wash ington Star. Northern in o-t Ilailrond. The northernmost railroad in the world has its southern terminus in Lulea , a town of almost 5000 inhab itants , in northern Sweden , near the head of the gulf of Bothnia. When the story of a girl's marriage gets out , she says : "I just knew pa would go and blab It" No amount of exposure will make a jgcum an Immune in a love affair. MEN WHO DELIVER MAIL. Heart Tragedies tha * Line tlie Ronto of Letter Carriers. "Tell you a story ? Why , yes , I might fell a good many stories if that was in my line. " The gray carrier blew a pearly wreath of smoke upward and flecked the dead ash from his cigar , " says the Denver News. "Let me see. There's an old lady on iny route down in Alabama who sits knitting the live long day by the front room window. Every morning and afternoon when I whistle at the door of her next door neighbor she lays down her knitting and peers with a tired , eager face out of that window until I go by. She's got a boy somewhere out West. He doesn't write to her twice a year. Yet twice each day the whole year through she sits there with that anxious look , waiting , waiting , waiting. I feel a twitch at my own heart every time 1 pass by and see the look of expectancy fade into disappointment. Sometimes j I'd give S.'tQ to be able to stop and give her five lines from that good-for-noth ing boy of hers for whom she's eating out her heart. ' ' "That minds me. " said a younger man who heard the gray carrier's story , "of a pretty baby on my route in a Louisiana city. She's a dainty tot about or maybe . " 5 years old. She has bluo-gr.iy eyes like a woo.l violet that look a fellow straight to the heart Some little girLs can do that after rhey are older. This tot's mamma died six months airo. and for a month aft ° r ward she used to come tripping down the walk to meet me with a little white note in her hand , and look'ng me to the heart out of those big. tru. ting eyes , she would say : ' .Mr. Postman , won't you please lake this letter to my mam ma in heaven ? ' I used to rake the dainty missive from the wee pink hand I couldn't tell her how far away liei mamma was. One d.iy she came with out a letter and there was pain in the great , sweet eyes. 'Mr. Postman baby wants a letter from mamma Please , Mr. Postman , tell my mamma me wants some letters , too. ' and. boys every day for a week I had to p.uss that baby with the p-iin in the gray- blue eyes , and I wondered the angel ; did not find some way some how tc make her baby heart understand. " | FOUND A FRIEND WHEN IN NEED. A venerable man now prominent ir Western railway circles , but in hi ? youth a comparatively poor boy in s little town in central Illinois in tin thirties , told this story not long ago af > a social gathering : "I was only a boy , " he said , "but ) wanted to see a little of the world My father hadn't much money , nobodj had money , in fact , but he fitted me up as well as he could , with a suit ol his own making , for he managed tc pick up a living , even in that frontiei village , as a tailor , and sent me tc Springfield for a little visit A hattci In town made me a sort of plug hat such as nobody of this generation evoi saw ; and with all my belongings , ex cept what I had on , in a little , hair covered trunk , I went to Springfield It was then a two days' journey. "I made something of a sensation iu my spike-tailed coat and high hat , bu ) I was having a good time until a ca lamity happened to me. There was a big political meeting of Whigs it Springfield on the day I arrived there and my trunk somehow got mixed uj with the baggage of the politicians and disappeared when they did. What be came of it I don't know. I never saM It again. "There I was. without a cent of mon ey , away from home for the first timi hi my life , among strangers , and I waj about as dosolate a boy as you evei saw. When 1 discovered my loss ' wandered about the streets , forlonj arxl forsaken , till I was nearly tired t < death , and then I sat down on a door tep and cried. "Presently somebody tapped me 01 the shoulder. I looked up , and a pleas ant-faced stranger was standing befon me. " 'What's the matter , son ? ' he said "I told him my story. " 'So the Whigs have robbed you have they ? ' he said , patting me on th | head. 'Well , that's bad. But chee up , my boy ! Things might be a goo < deal worse. What Is your father * name. ? ' "I told him. " I know him , ' he said. 'I'll writ * to him. ' "He did , and this was the letter : " 'Springfield , 111. . Aug. 7 , 1S3Mr Blank : Dear Sir I found your boy 01 the street here to-day , without anj clothing except what he was wearing Please send him some more Youn truly. A. Lincoln. ' ; "That was the end of my troubles and there is no recollection of my lifl that I cherish with a deeper sense q gratitude than I do that one.- " Youth's Companion. ; ) When to U * < - "Sh-ill" anM "Will. " "At what time shall you be at lib erty ? " is the correct form when 301 "de-ire information , not consent or j promise. " "At what time will you to at liberty ? " Is equivalent to "At whal j time ore you willing to be at liberty ? ' It implies that being at liberty is do pendent on the will of the person spok en to. "At what time shall you be a 1'horty ? " is equivalent to "At wha time are you going to be at liberty- being at liberty is regarded as simplj a matter of the future , not dependen ! on the will of anybody. "Will you ? ' | expects the answer "I will ; " it denote ; willingness , consent , or determination1 "Shall you ? " expects the answer "I : shall ; " it denotes futurity and notiiku. more. Ladies' Home Journal. J SUPPOSE WE SMILE. HUMOROUS PARAGRAPHS FROM THE COMIC PAPERS. Pleasant Incidents Occurring the World Over Savings that Are Cheer ful to Old or Younjr Funny Selec tions that Everybody Will Knjoy. "Women are certainly queer crea tures. " remarked the old physician. "What is it now ? " asked the drug- gis : . "Why , " answered the old pill dis penser , "I just received a postal card from a woman patient marked 'Per sonal. ' " Had Not J > cei < led. Theatrical Manager Here's a letter from the lithographer , and he wants to know what will be the color of your ha ! this season. " Actress Tell him I'll wire him next Aeek. . Very Active. Joues Were j'ou there when they passed around the cheese ? Smith Yes ; I tool : an active part. Best Course. "Husband , " wailed the speckled hen , "I laid my eggs high up in the loft and some one took them. What s-hould I do now ? " "Lay low ! " chuckled the red rooster , as he strutted away. Ilia Confession. "To what , " asked the inquisitive per son , "do you owe your success in life ? " "To my wife , " replied the man who was in the tax-dodger class. "Woul 1 you mind giving me further details ? " asked the 1. p. "Details are scarce , " replied the cap italist. "I simply married a widow who had half a million in cold cash. " An Awful Jolt. "I say , barbah , " queried the very young man as he paused at the door of a crowded tonsorial parlor , "how long will I aw have to wait fob. a shave ? " "Oh , " replied the barber as he glanc ed at the beardless face of the speak er , "you might come back in a couple of years. " Not a ompliment. "I see Reginald has changed his mind and decided to prosecute the owner of the automobile that ran over him. " "Yes , indeed. At first he thought it was the racing machine of a Newport millionaire , but now he finds it only belonged to a common broker. " Useless. Sue Yes , it was terribly lonesome down to the beach. No one to make love. Belle But you said there was one man down there ? Sue Yes ; but he was no use to us. He was the "armless wonder" from the museum. I > ld Not Understand. "What on earth's the matter with Mrs Safte , anyhow ? " "Jealous of Safte , I guess. She's > een made ever since he tol 1 her the jth r day that he was going to buy a lew ribbon for his typewriter. " A Draw. Summer Boarder Tell me something o decide a bet. Is that horse of yours ider than the wagon ? The Farmer They're twins. Puck , Like a Hook. "Mrs. Judson says she knows her nisbaud like a book. " "Yes. and she treats him like one. " "How's that ? " "Treats him carelessly And shuts him Ready to Take Chances. First Old Maid Well , you know , narriage is a lottery , and I truly be- ieve It. Second Old Maid So do I ! But where lo you suppose I could get a ticket ? As Tn licnted. Ping That fellow Grasplt certainly nows the value of a dollar. Pong Been trying to borrow one ol iim ? Chicago News. I I'ractical Kxpcriencc. I "What we require. " said the man aging editor , "is the services of a man capable of taking full charge of our ' ' capable of an 'Query Box. Are you swering all kinds of questions ? ' "Well , I rather guess yes , " replied the applicant. "I'm the father of elev * en children. " Chicago News. Awaited. Young Man-So Miss Ella Is your oldest sister ? Who comes after her ? Small Brother-Nobody ain't come a3 yet ; but pa says the first fellow that conies can have her. Pearson's. Jn Good shape. "That young Binder who married the Mixer girl says he's going right to housekeeping. " "Indeed. Is he well fixed ? " "I guess he is. One of his friends had enough coal to told me that he I bust him through the winter. " Cleve land Plain Dealer. The Real Problem. " that will be abl "Do you expect you to make a living machine that will really fly ? " "I'm absolutely certain of it , " an swered the inventor. "It's no trouble at all to get a Hying machine to fij The difficulty is to make one that will let you have some idea of which way it is going and how it will light.- Washington Star. An Advantage. "Wealth has its embarrassments "Yes , " answered Mr. Cumrox with l I " ' to a mai sigh. "It's a great advantage to be able to say he must stay at hoint and work instead of being draggeS around from one fashionable resort ti another. " Washington Star. The Worrie 1 Housewife. Husband What have you been look * lug so blue about all day , my dear ? Wife-I'm afraid our hired girl won'J washwoman.- * approve of our new Boston Post. They Coat Money. She Certainly you have soml friends ? He Yes , but It takes every cent 1 can rake and scrape. Town Topics. Kusv to Go OfT. "So your former employer is eonsidl ered a big gun ? " interrogated tin friend. "Yes , a rapid-lire gun , " sighed th4 clerk who had been discharged without notice. Customer ( looking over the stock- ? I can't see a useful thing in all you4 stock. Jeweler Of course you can't ! Thesa are all wedding presents. Pearson's. Point of View. Duet "Who in the world wouldj want to use that stuff ? " Knjoyable. "How did you enjoy the automoblld parade ? " "Very much indeed , " answered thd timid pedestrian. "It was very gratlJ fying to see so many automobile pro * prietors going along peacefully , all La honor bound not to run over the peopld in front of them. " Washington Star. The Late Arrival. "Was old Bender sober when he came home last night ? " "Judge for yourself. He thought a lightning bug was a street lamp and tried to light his cigar by it. " Chicago The Only One. Madge What's the prize in the girls' ping-pong tournament ? Marjorie The young man who has just arrived. Puck. The Thorn and the Rose. Mrs. Ternperton I've got the dearest aid darling of a husband that ever hap pened. He has an awful temper and nbout once a month he gets mad and tears up my best hat. Miss Singleton And you call him a lear old darling after that ? How cap you ? Mrs. Temperton Well , you see , ha ilways has a fit of remorse next daj ind buys me a better one. " Fred ly's Preference , "What does Freddy like to play ? " isked the caller. "Freddy , " replied papa , "likes fcj ilay whatever games mamma ajnd J lecide are too rough for him. " Welt Watered. Stubb You complain about thea rtreets being damp. Why , I know a : ! ty where the streets are always a icld of water. Penii What city is that ? Stubb Venice. Tint Not Patisfier. The Author This is all nonsens ibout the literaiy profession being un- leal thy. The Poet Of course. Why , it Is th rreatest appetite producer in Che Impossible. Biggs They say Mrs. Gabbleton tj juihy of an attempt at blackmail Diggs I don't believe it. Biggs Why not ? Digjs Xo woman on earth woulf fclnk af accepting "husk monej. * *
