- * *
. .
< Cbe Conservative
BILL AN' ME.
Yisterday 1 took a Jorny ter the scenes I uster
know ,
An' frum where 1 fullered fortune nigh on
forty years ago ,
Jest ter see if time hod changed 'em in its pass-
in' on ther way ,
Kot changed me an' my fortune every year
an" every clay.
Near ther skule house on the common whar I
learned to read an' write
I see'd or feller standin' like things wuzont
goin' right ,
An' ez I kom up closter ho turned an' I c'd see
'Twas my dear ol' chum an' playmate no one
else 'cept Bill Magee.
"Bill , " I sez , "don't yer know me ? " An' he
stud an' slink his hod ,
"No , " He finily answered , an' thet was all he
sed.
For a long , long time he c'dn't seem ter get me
llggered out ,
Then it kom all of a suddint , an' ho started
'ithashout !
"Be yer that ol' compnnin thet I uster know ?
An' say !
Did yer ever go to skulo right here ? An' air
yer Bob McKay ? "
I admitted then thet I waz Bob , his pard of
'fifty-three ,
An'fora minit I gazed ot Bill , an'Bill gazed
back et me.
Then we gobbled up each other in or long an'
strong embrace ,
An * ther tears they kom a streamin" from my
eyes an' down my face
Till I c'dn't see ther landscape that I uster
know so well ,
When I felt ol' Bill's emoshun az his bosom'd
heave an' swell.
Wo stud an' kep' a blubberin' like a kuplo ov
ol' maids ,
While tlief tear drops on ther grass shone like
dimunds on their blades ,
An' when we'd done a blubberin' wo set be
neath ther tree
Thet .years ago when wo wuz kids lied shel
tered Bill an' me.
Strange ther tales we both imparted ez wo set
there on ther ground ;
We resited all ther happenin's in ther Ian' for
miles eround.
Bill'd tell me ov hiz trabies an' ov corse I tol"
him mine ,
An' then wo both agreed 'twas best we'd
struck this life's decline.
Thar was beauty in ther landscape thet nn-
turo'd painted bright ,
An' ther balmy breeze ov summer seemed ter
harmonize jist right.
For a good long time wo set there till it seemed
thet I c'd see
A gen ther things thet happened tcr my ol'
chum Bill an' me.
We went eround ther village for ter see ther
sights ov old.
But I c'dn't find ther places until arter I wuz
told ;
Laws ! ther things in that ol' village wuz
changed in every way ,
An' wuz altogether diffrunt from ther things
there in my day.
Still ther visit sorter filled 'ith or thrill ov
pure delight ,
An' ther picture kums and lingers kind o'
pleasantly tornight.
It will live until ther Reaper comes an' sots
this old soul free ,
An' in ther bright hearafter thet's laid up for
Bill an' mo. L. A. EWINO.
Columbus , Nob.
INDIAN TEIUUTOKY COUUT HUSINESS.
The business transacted by the United
States courts for the Northern district
of the Indian Territory is the largest in
the United States , and more convicts are
sent to prison from this district than
from any other two federal courts in
the United States , the two judges , Hon.
William M. Springer and Hon. John K.
Thomas , holding court almost all the
timo. The district has but one marshal ,
Hon. Leo H. Bennett , and one United
States attorney , Hon. P. L. Sopor. It
costs about $ oOO,000 a year to maintain
these courts , sessions of which are hold
at Miami , Vinita , Tahlequah , Wagoner ,
and Muscogee. During the year 1898
the number of prisoners handled at the
Muscogee jail was 1,101. Correspond
ence St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
I.OOSH IN A LIlillAIlY.
Almost every lover of reading will re
member the sensation of wishing he had
the run of a library all to himself. Even
with the wisest of us , however , it is
likely that under such circumstances
should .waste much precious time in
reading trash. For every thousand
books in a library it is probable that not
over fifty , perhaps not over twenty , are
worthy to be read. And even talcing
these twenty , and considering the vast
accmmilations of books , it is certain
that no one person could read them in a
lifetime. From this standpoint there
never was a more precious work than
Charles Dudley Warner's "Library of
the World's Best Literature , " now being
published in thirty elegant volumes.
This embraces the best in prose and
poetry of the most famous authors in
every language , dead as well as living ,
during all the centuries of literary ac
tivity and progress. Even Mr. Warner ,
with his splendid attainments , could
not be expected to know where all
these treasures were , but ho was as
sisted by a largo staff of eminent living
writers , native and foreign , each of
whom took charge of the field or
the particular great author with
whom ho was most familiar. In this
way it may bo said that the libraries of
the world were ransacked to find the
best authors ; the authors were surveyed
to choose their best books , and finally
the books were studied to got the best
and most entertaining passages. Surely
this was getting at the cream of the
world's literature , so that the possessor
of these thirty volumes may bo said to
have to himself the freedom of the
world's libraries as well as safe guidance
to their treasxires. In addition to these
selections these volumes have other
features of supreme interest and value.
There is a critical and biographical es
say on each author quoted furnished by
some distinguished living writer.
These sketches are alone worth the cost
of the entire work. This constitutes
the work a genuine and complete liter
ary history , for not only are authors
discussed , but all famous books , poems ,
dramas , and phases of literature , sacred
and profane ; at the same time a living
interest is imparted to all by adapting
choice and treatment to the popular
rather than scholastic. The volumes
are adorned with over one thousand portraits
traits , illustrations , full-page and vig
nette , and there is an excellent biogra
phical dictionary of the lesser authors
who are not quoted by selection. Wo
can hardly conceive of a work that is
at once so valuable and so truly enter
taining , it being adapted to an hour's
recreation no less than to the study of
some great theme that has occupied
the foremost intellects of the world.
We would suggest that those inter
ested should send a card for full partic
ulars to the Warner Library Club , Paxton -
ton block , Omaha , as we understand
special inducements are now being of
fered.
The Affairs
of Europe
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