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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1894)
THE OMAHA DAILY BEE SUNDAY , APRIL 29 , 18M-TWENTY PAGES. of ttio miraculous water. Ills log was made over at once anil ho con hi walk without crutclica , whllo the doctor said to him : 'Your leg la like thnt of a now born child. ' Exactly. An entirely new leg. " No one ( i | > eke , hut there was an exchange of ecstatic looks. "Ami , so * , " continued M. Bahathlcr , "It Is like the story of Lotiln Bourrctte , a carrier , ono of the first mlraclps a Gourdes. Do you lnow ahout It ? Ho had licen wounded In an explosion In n mine. Ills rlsht eye was en tirely gonei and ho was threatened with the losj of the left. Well , one day his daughter Kot a hottlo of the muddy water from the xource , that hardly flowed. He then wnslind his eye with this mini and prayed ardently. lie then gave a loud cry. He saw , monsieur , he aw as well as you or I. The doctor who took care of him had written a circumstan tial account of It anil there Is not the slight est chance of doubt" "It Is wonderful , " murmured M. de Ouer- saint , delighted , "Do you care fcr another case , monsieur ? This ono Is celebrated ; It Is that of Francois Macary , the carpenter of Lavnur. For olfih- .teen years he had suffered from a deep varl- coso ulcer on thn Inside of the left leg , with conslderahlo congestion of the tissues , and hero one morning ho whuts himself up with a Ixitllo of the water from Loiirdoi. Ha took off his bandages , washed his two legri and drank the rest of the bottle. Then he went to hed and to Bleep , and when he awoke he felt , looked ; nothing there ! The varicose veins , the ulcers had all disappeared. The skin of the ku-'c , monsieur , had he * cotno as smooth , as freJh as It had been when he was 20. " This time there was an explosion of sur prise and admiration. The Invalids and pilgrims were enteritis Into the country of miracles , where the Improbable was re alized at the turn of every path , where one easily wont from prodigy to prodigy. And each had his story to tell , burning to bring his proof , to lean his faith and hops on nn example. Mine. Mn/.e , the silent one , was moved to be the first speaker : "I have a friend who know the widow nizan , that lady whose euro was so much talked of. For twenty-four years her whole left side had been paralyzed. She threw up whatever she ate , she wits llko an Inert mass that had to bo turned lit bed , and finally the sheets had rubbufl against her Hkln. Ono evening she was so low that the doctor Raid BIU ! would die during the night. An hour later she came out of liar torpor and asked In a feeble voice to have some ono fetch her a glass of the Gourdes water from a neighbor's. She could only got this water the next morning , and she cried : 'Oh , my daughter , I am drinking life. Hub my face , my arm , my leg , all my body. ' And as the child obeyed her she saw the swelling reduced , the paralyzed mid tumefied members regain their supple ness and natural aspect. That Is not all. Mine , nizan cried that she was cured , that she was hungry , that she wanted some bread and meat , she who had not eaten for twenty-four years. And she got up , dressed herself , while her daughter called out to the neighbors , who , seeing her overcome , thought her mother must be dead. 'No , no ; mamma Is not dead ; she has been resus citated. ' " Tears had come Into the eyes of Mmo. Vincent. Oh , God ! It she might see Hose thus calli-.g with an appetite and running nbout. Another case , Hint of n young girl , that had been told to her In I'arls and that had gone for a great deal In deciding her to como to Lourdes , came back to her numory. "I , t.io , know the story of a paralytic. Lucy Onion , a boarder In an orphanage , still young , who could not even kneel , Her mem bers were twisted round ; the right leg , the Hhorter , had finally turned entirely around the left , and wlirn ono of her comrades carried her one could r.eo her legs , like dead , hanging In space. Notice that she did not oven go to Loimlos. She simply went Into retreat for nine days , and her desire to be cured was so great that she passed her nights In prayer. At last , on the ninth day , she drank a little of the water from Gourdes , and felt a violent commotion In her legs. She got up , fell down , got up again nnd walked ! All her companions , aston ished , almost alarmed , cried , 'Lucy walks ! Lucy walks ! ' nnd It was true. In n few seconds her legs had again become straight , healthy and strong. She crossed the court yard , was able to go up to tiio chapel , where the entire community , transported by grati tude , sang the Magnificat. Ah ! the dear cbtld ! she must have been very , very happy. " The tears that had rolled down her cheeks fell on the palo face of her daughter , whom Hlio kissed passionately. Hut ntlll the Interest Increased , the ravish ing Joy of these splendid talcs , where heaven always triumphed over human frail ties and exalted these chltd-llko souls to that point that even the most 111 sat up nnd found speech. And behind the recital of each ono there was the preoccupation of their own III , the belief that he would bo cured because some Identical malady- had been effaced llko a bad dream by a dl- vlno breath , k "Ah ! " stammered Mmo. Votu , her mouth drawn by suffering , "there was another , An toinette Thardlvall , whoso stomach was eaten like mine ; ono would think that dogs wore devouring It , and It sometimes got as largo as the head of a child. Tumors grow there as large UH eggs , as well as that for olght months she vomited blood. She , too , was going to die , her skin sticking to the bones , dying of hunger , when she drank Homo of the water from Lourdes and made them wash the pit of her stomach , Three minutes after her doctor , who hud left her thn day before In agony , not able to breathe , found her up. sitting In the corner by the lire and regaling herself with the w'ng of n chicken. She had no moro tumors , her face looked youthful again. Ah ! to oat again whatever ono wants , to bo young once moro , to suffer no more ! " "And the curing of Sister Julienne , " said La Orlvotto , sitting up on her elbow , her eyes brilliant with fever. "She had been taken llko mo , with a bad cold , then she commenced to spit blood. Kvery six months ho would got another and then she had to take to her bed. The last time , It was plain to be Been , she would have to stay there. They had tried every remedy In vain lodlno blisters , hot Irons , She waa finally pronounced a regular consumptive- by six doctors. Well ! then she comes to Lourdes , nnd God knows In what n state of suffering , for at Toulouse they thought she was dying. The sisters hold her In tlmlr arms. At the pool the hospital ladles did not wish to bathe her. She seemed al ready dead. Well , they undressed her , nm ! plumped her In unconscious and all covered with sweat , and when they took her out she was so palo that they laid her on the ground , thinking It was all over this time. Suddenly her cheeks became red , her eyes opened , and she sighed deeply. She was cured. She dressed herself again alone , made n great meal , after having gone Into the grotto to thank the Virgin. No ono can gainsay It , for It was a genuine consump tive , and radically cured as If by hand. " Then Urother Isadora wished to speak , but ho could not , so ho was obliged to nay feebly to his slater : "Martha , relate the story of Sister Dorn- thoa that the vicar of Saint Sandons told to us. " "Sister Dorothea , " the peasant commenced awkwardly , "awoke ono morning with her leg asleep , and from that moment she lost the use of the limb , that became cold nnd as heavy as a stone. Ilesldes this , she had a fearful pain In her back. The doctors could not understand It. She saw half u dozen dlt- ft-ront ones , who ran needles Into her and burned her skin with lots of drugs , lint It reinillcd In nothing , Sister Dorothea under stood very well that only the Holy Virgin could find the remedy , and to she started for Lourdes , whore she was put In the pool. It waj so cold that ahe first thought who would din. Then the water bee.imo so soft that It nuemed almost tepid nnd delicious , llko milk. She had never known anything so nice. All her veins teemed to open nnd the water ran in. You undt'rxtand that from the moment the Holy Virgin hud touched It life * flowed through her body. She no longer felt thu least Illness , She walked nbout , ate an entire - tire plgvon that evening and Nlept happily all night , niory bo to the Holy Virgin ! Menial gratltudu to the powerful Mother and to her Dlvlno Son ! " Stater Hyaclnthn then told about 1'aul De- lannny , who wui ntaxlr , who had been can. tcrlzrd , burned , swung up ; who had been fUluon times In thn hospitals of Paris , where hU cu had hern dlagnotod by tweho u ree- I K physlclanu , who , when the holy sacra- iiitmt WHH carried past , felt o strength that lifted him to follow with healthy limbs , .Mario Loulao Delpon. H years old , whose leg * were stiffened by paralysis , her hands con- jrai-ted , her mouth drawn to one sldo , saw her members ipt stralRht. the contortion of uor mouth disappear u thoiiKh an Invisible Jmid were cutting tb horrlbla chains that held her. Marie Vachreor , for seventeen years nailed to her armchair by paraplegia , not only ran and raced upon coming out of the pool , but could not even find a trace of the sores that had been caused by her long Immobility. And Georges Hauqtict , seized with n softening of the spinal cord , who was absolutely Insensible , passed without transi tion from agony to perfect health. And Lconle Charter , another sufferer from the spine , whose vertebrae protruded consider ably , felt her hump mplt away as If by magic , while her l gs stretched out , quite now and vigorous. Then followed accounts of all sorts of Ills. First , cases of scrofula , more wasted legs made strong again. Margaret Schler , III for twenty-seven years , her hip entirely gone , anchylosis of the right knee , suddenly fallIng - Ing on her knees to thank the Holy Virgin for her mlrunulous cure. I'hllomena Llmou- mvni , the young girl from La Vendee , whose left leg was covered by three horrible sores , In which might be seen a carles of the bone , let fall her crutches , and the bone , the flesh nnd skin were made new. Then came drop- nlcal cases. Mine. Ancclln , whose feet , hands nnd entire body were reduced without having any Idea where all the water had gone. Mile. Montagnon , from whom they had taken at various times twenty-two quarts of water , nnd who , when again swollen , had emptied under the simple application of a compress soaked In the miraculous spring , without finding a trace of It In the bed or on the floor. The same way , no trouble of the stomach could resist. All disappeared at the first glass. It wan Marie Souclict who vomited black stuff , wasted to a skeleton , who was ravenous , and recovered her flesh In two days. It was Marie Jarlaml who had burned her stomach by drinking by mlstak.t a glass of sugar of lead , felt the tumor that came afterward melt away. In fact all the tumors wont the aamo way ; without leaving the , slightest trace. Hut what was still more marvelous were thu ulcers , the cancars , all the horrible vlsl- blo sorra , that were healed by u breath from above. A Jew , an actor whose hand was eaten by an ulcer , only soaked It and was cured. A young stranger , Immensely rich , whoso right wrist was aflllcted by n wen as large as n hen's egg , sav it dissolve. Hose Duval , who had a hole In her left elbow big enough to hold a nut , caused by n white tumor , could trace * the quick formation of the now flesh that covered the hole. The widow Fromond , whoso lip was half eaten away by a cancer , only had to bathe It , and not t'Von ' a red murk remained. Marie Moreau , when suffering fearfully from a cancer In her breast , went to sleep , after having ap plied a cloth wet with water from Lourdes , nnd when she nwoUe two hours later the pain had ceased , the skin was clour and fresh as a rose. Finally Sister Ilynclntho recounted the Im mediate nnd radical cures of consumption , nnd that was the great triumph ; that horrible disease that ravages humanity , and that the Incredulous defied the Holy Virgin to cure , was , however , overcome , it waa said , by n single motion of her little finger. A hundred cases , each more extraordinary than the other , cime up and were told off. Mnrgueret Coupel , for three years a con sumptive , the top of hr lungs oaten by tubercles , got up nnd walked off , radiant with health. Mine , de la Hlvlere , who spat blood , and who was covered by n continual cold sweat , whose nails were already cllnchod , nbout to draw her last breath , had only to drink a small spoonful of water that wa-i forced between her teeth ; Instantly th ? rattle ceased , she sat up , responded In the litany and asked for a cup of soup. Julia Jadot had to take four spoonfuls , but .she w.-u no longer iiblo to hold up her head ; her con stitution was so dellcato that the dlscasse seemud to have melted her away ; In n few- days she became very stout. Anna Catry , a degree further advanced , her left lung half destroyed by n cavity , plunged five times Into the cold water , contrary to all prudence , and she was cured , with a sound lung. Another , n young girl who had n weak chest , con demned by fifteen doctors , asked for nothing , but knelt simply at the grotto , by accident , nnd was subsequently most surprised to have thus been cured , as she was passing , by chance undoubtedly , at the time when the Holy Virgin mercifully let fall the miracle from her invisible hands. More miracles and yet moro miracles ! They rained down llko ( lowers In n dream from n soft and clear sky. Some were touchIng - ' Ing , others were childish. There was nn old woman with anchylosis of the hand , who had not moved It for thirty years , bathed herself nnd made the sign of the cross. Sister Sophie , who barked llko a clog , jumped Into the pool nnd came out with A pure voice , singing a. hymn. A Turk , Mustnphn , in voked the White Lady and recovered the sight of his eye after putting t. compress on It. An olllcer of Lurcos had been protected at Sedan ; n cuirassier of nelschoffen would have been killed by a ball If the ball that Btruck his note case had not stopped nt a picture of our Lady of Lourdes. Then the children , the poor , suffering lit tle ones , they also found favor. A little boy of C , who was paralyzed , upon being un dressed nnd held for five minutes under the Icy stream of the fountain stood up and walked : another , 15 years old , who could only scream llko an animal In his bed , rushed out of the pool crying he was cured ; another , 2 years old , n llttlu mite this one , who had never walked , remained In the cold water for n quarter of nn hour , then , merry and smiling , took Ms first steps llko n lit tle man. For all , big and little , while the miracle was In operation , the suffering was Intense ; for the work of reparation could only be accomplished by a violent shock to the entire human machinery. The healing bones , growing flesh and dispersed disease all passed away In a final convulsion. Hut afterward , what happiness ! Doctors could not believe their eyes , their astonishment increased at every euro to see their patients running , Jumping and eating with n ferocious appetite. All these elect ones , these healed women , walked three kilometres , sat down before n fowl , or slept soundly for twelve hours. In fact , there was no convalesence ; It was ti sudden Jump from sickness to health , to renewed members , closed sores , organs restored to their former uses , flesh regained ; nil these came llko n clap of thunder. Science was batledthoy ! ; did not oven take the simplest precaution , bathing women all during thu month , plunging consump tives Into the Icy water , leaving their sores of open putrefaction without any use of antiseptics. Then , after each miracle , what songs of praise , what cries of grati tude and love , The miraculously cured throw lierself on her knees , every ono wept , conversions were made , Jews nnd Protest ants embraced Catholicism , miracles of faith by which heaven triumphed. When the miraculously cured ono returned to her vil lage nil the Inhabitants wont to greet her In n crowd , whllu bells rang out thulr peals ; and when s\io \ was seen to Jump lightly from the carriage cries and sobs of joy. were heard , and the "Magnificat" was intoned. Glory to the Holy Virgin ! Rternal grati tude and tenderness. What Bhono forth most in nil these hopes realized , these burning actions of grace , was the gratitude of tha very poor and admirable Mother. She was the great passion of nil these souls , the almighty Virgin , the merci ful Virgin , the Mirror of Justice- , the Tlirono of Wisdom. All hands were stretched to ward her , tht ) Mystic Rose In thn shadow of the chapels , the Tower of Ivory In thn horizon of dreams , the Door of Heaven opening upon thu Infinite. From daybreak slm shone bright Star of the Morning , brilliant with young hope. U'ns she not further the Health of the Infirm , the llcfugo of Sinners , the Consolation of the Aflllcted ? Franco had always boon her best loved country , where slut was adored In nrdcnt worship , even the worship of womanhood und wlfnbood , In n burst of dlvlun tenderness , nnd , nbuvo nil , It was In France that she had been pleated to reveal herself to the little shepherds. She was so good to the llttlii ones ! busied herself con tinually about them , nnd It was easy to pray to her , becnuso every ono knew that she was the Intermediary of love between earth and heaven. Kvery night she wept tears of gold nt the feet of her Dlvlno Son to obtain mercy from Him , And these were the miracles He permitted her to perform ; this lovely blos soming Hold nf miracles , sweet smelling as the roses of paradise , GO prodigious In slzo and perfume. And the train was rolling on always rollIng - Ing on. They had Just passed through Contras - tras It was 0 o'clock , And standing up Sister Hyaclntho clapped her hands , oiico moro repeating : "Tho Angelas , my children ! " Never wer "Aves" wafted above In a morn fervent faith or mere Inflamed by a deslro to bo heard by heaven , And then , suddenly , Pierre understood , had n clear ex plication of. these pilgrimages , 'or all tlieao trains that were rolling all over th- world , of these hurrying crcwds ; of LourJn blazing In the distance llko thn salvation of both body and soul , Ah ! the pouur wretches that ho had seen ever elnco the morning , torn by suffering , dragging tholr sad carcases In Us fatigues of such a journey I They were all condemned , abandoned by science , weary of having consulted physicians , of having tried the tortures of Ineffective remedies , And one could comprehend that burning with the wish still to live , unable as yet to resign themselves to an unjust ami Indiffer ent nature , they dreamed of a superhuman ( rawer nn all powerful divinity who might , perhaps , for their sakes , overturn established laws or change the course of the stars nnd come back to n new creation. Was not God left to them , even If earth had failed ? Reality was to them too abominable ; there arose In them a great longing for some Hhi- slon , some falsity. Oh , to believe that there exists somewhere a supreme Judge , win rights the apparent wrongs of persons ami things ; to believe that there Is a redeemer. n consoler who Is master , who can make torrents return to their sources , give back youth to age , resurrect the dead. To say , when one Is covered With sores , when one's members are crooked , the stomach swollen with tumors , the lungs gone , to say that makes no matter , that all can disappear and to bo born again upon a sign from the Holy Virgin , nnd that It Is sufficient to pray , to touch her , In order to obtain from her tha favor of being chosen. And then , what a celestial fountain of hope , when all these beautiful stories of the cures begin to flow forth In a prodigious wave ; tlxMiJ adorable fairy tales , that soothe and liltuxlcate1 the feverish Imagination of the diseased and In firm. Ever since Sophie Coutcau , with her healed , white foot , hail gotten Into the rail way carriage , the Illimitable sky of the dl- vlnc ami supernatural had opened , as It they understood tha breath of resurrection thnt was passing by , raising the most hopeless little by little from their beds of misery , brightening the eyes of all , since life was possible for them , nnd perhaps they were about to begin It again. Yes , that was It. If this lamentable train was rolling along , always rolling ; If this railway carriage was full ; If the others were full ; If Franco and the whole world was grldlroncd by similar trains ; It the crowds of the 300,000 believers , carrying with them thousands of Invalids , had been put In motion from one end of the year to the other , It was because thither the grotto flamed forth In Its glory llko a beacon light of hope nnd Illusion , like the revolt nnd the triumph of the impossible over Inexorable matter. Never written to was moro passionate romance elevate souls above the rude conditions of existence. To dream this dream was In effable bliss. If the Fathers of the As sumption saw this year after year the In creasing success of their pilgrimages It was because they sold to a people famish ing for Illusions , for consolation , this delicious bread of hope , for which suffering humanity will always hunger nnd will never bo appeased. And not only did the physical Ills demand to be cured , but the whole moral and Intellectual being expressed Its misery In an Insatiable deslro for happiness. To be happy , to place the certainty of life In faith , to lean until death on that sole and solid staff such was the longing that came from every breast , that caused nil moral Ills to drop on their knees , asking for n contin uation of grace , the conversion of dear ones , the spiritual salvation of self and those wo love. This great cry was propagated , inount d , filled all space to bo happy for ever , In life and In death. And Pierre had noticed that nil , nil the sufferers nround him no longer were feeling the Jolts of the wheels , were getting stronger as each mile was covered that brought them nearer to the miracle. Mmo. Maze herself became garrulous In thu certainty that the Holy Virgin would give her back her husband. Mine. Vincent , smiling , was gently rocking little Hose , and found her much less 111 than these two children they had plunged Into the Icy water nnd who played. M. Sabathler Joked with M. de Giiersnint , and explained that In October , when he should have his legs , ho would take a trip to Home , a Journey ho had put off for fifteen years. Mine. Vein , calmed , her stomach only twitching , thought she felt hungry , and asked Mine , do Jonqulero to let her soak little pieces of bread In n glass of milk , whereas Else ! Uouquet , for- gptting her sore , was eating n bunch of grapes , with her face uncovered. And La Grlvotte , sitting on her bench , and Hrother Isidore , who had stopped complaining , re tained such a happy remembrance of all these lovely tales , that they Inquired what time It was , being Impatient for the cure. Above all the man for a moment revived. As Sister Ilynclntho once moro wiped the' cold sweat from his face lie opened his eye lids , while a smile lighted up his face for an Instant. Once moro he hoped. Marie had held Pierre's hand In her little , warm hand. It was 7 o'clock ; they were only due nt Hordeaux at 7:30 : , and as the train was late they went faster nnd faster In n mad hurry. The storm hnd passed over nnd an Infinitely pure calm fell from the great , clear sky. "Oh , Pierre , how beautiful ! how beautiful ! " once more repeated Marie , pressing his hand with all her tenderness. And , leaning toward him , In an undertone , "Pierre , Just now I saw the Holy Virgin , and I asked for and obtained your cure. " The priest , understanding her , was over whelmed by the divine light in the eyes she fixed on his. She hnd forgotten self ; she had asked for his conversion ; nnd this act of faith , coming so candidly from this suffering nnd beloved creature , gave him back his heart. Why should ho not some day believe ? Ho himself was overcome by so many extra ordinary tales. The oppressive heat of the railway carriage had dazed him and the sight of the misery crowded In there made his pitying heart bleed. And the contagion spread. Ho no longer knew where reality and possibility stopped , Incapable In this mass of stupefying deeds to make n division , to explain some- and to reject others. For a moment , ns a hymn began again , carrying him on the headstrong thread of his obses sion , ho was no longer himself ; ho fancied that ho would end by believing In the hallu cination and vertigo of this hospital that was rolling along always rolling with nil speed. ( To bo Continued Next SunJny. ) TllK WOKWH H'OKKtilWI' . Undo Sam issued 21,000 patents last year. Submarine * cables stretch 1GO.OOO miles. With the aid of platinum wire , a battery nnd an electric boll you can hear a plant grow. French railroads employ 232,000 persons. Turkish railroad conductors get $27 a month. Most of the telegraph operators In Sweden nro women. The latest figures bearing on our domestic Industry glvo the lyom power at about 9,000. The capital abrogated In the Industry reaches the vast sum of $10,000,000 , whllo 30,000 persons are employed who receive In wages yearly from the 17.1 mills employed In carpet weaving , nearly $12,000,000. The value of the product figuring at the mills for $30,000,000. A German officer has Invented a motor In which a line stream of coal dust is util ized to drive n pidtoii by explosions in the sumo manner as the gas In the gas engine. It has been estimated thnt at least one- half of the power expended In the operation of the nverugo manufacturing establishment h wasted In overcoming the friction of lubri cated surfaces of shafting nnd other ma chinery. Canadian tailors are sending agents to the United Stated , nlong the border , to tnko measures of men nnd hnvti their clothes made In the Dominion. When the suits have been finished the purchasers go to Can ada and bring the articles home free of duty as personal effects. The Treasury depart ment has decided thnt the practice Is a fraud upon the revenue , and steps will be taken to stop It , The forthcoming report of the commis sioner of labor for Michigan will ihow that out of 2.0CG factories Inspected between Sep tember 1 nnd February 1 , 1893 , 1,117 were running full time , G72 part time , whllo 377 were Idle. At the time of Inspection there were employed 60,773 males nnd 10,037 fe males , whllo. If running to full capacity , 18,71)2 moro would be employed. The decrease ( n the number of children In factorltM and other employments In Eng land lias generally been laid to factory laws , Vet , whllu outside of Now England , our atatei are deficient both In the existence ami enforcement of pruventlvo legislation ou this subject , the number of children em ployed has diminished In ( ho last ton years both absolutely and relatively. In J8SO there wera 133,607 children employed In all manu facturing nnd mining Industries ; In ISM only 121,194. In 1SSO children were 3.4 per cent of the 3,837,112 persons employed In thc'o Industriesi In 1SDO children wera 2.5 per cent of the 4.711,832 persons employed , Paris la to have a now underground elec tric rvad. DoWltt's Lltttle Early Ulscrs. Small pills , afo tills , best pi 111. HOME OF THE CANVASBACK A Glorious Morning ou Otter Island in Qoosc Lnko. ONE OF KING REX'S ' ACQUEOUS EXPLOITS llfiidy for the Might The l'lr t Vlork In AmiitiK tlio Drroys A Hlg Kill anil Mr. mill Mm. Cmiiulii. OUNTINO t h o wagon seat , as we halted on the shores of Goose lake on the morning re ferred to In my last article , Ham ilton pointed with his whip off to ward the cast sldo of the big basin , - ; r - nnd exclaimed : > * { * ' " * & "There's your ' < Cj \ ffi cnnvasback , Sandy , there they are by the hundred. " And sure enough there they were , an half-acre of them. It Is doubtful , though , whether the lawyer nnd I would ever have discovered that they wore canvasback had It not been for our host's declaration. To us they resembled simply nn Immense flock of ducks , with nothing about them to distinguish- their species. Out It was different to Hamilton's practiced eye. As far as ho can see a bird In the air , and I honestly believe he has the most penetrating vision of any man In the world , he can tell you instantly what It is canvasback , redhead , mallard , blucblll or sprig. Ho never hesitates , and , more won derful yet , never errs. When the bh-ds are a long way oft little moro than a shadowy line against the background sky It Is ap parently from their aerial position and man ner of flight he distinguishes them. When closer It Is their shape of form which ap prises him of their Identity , nnd when closer still , tholr plumage or cry. Ho has but to get a flash at a swiftly passing bird to know exactly to what class It belongs. "Canvasback ? " I Interrogated half Incredu lous , but with the one deslro of being reas sured that no mistake had -been made. "Canvasback ! certainly. Don't you see their white backs and breasts flashing In the sun ? They are feeding and nro under the water about half the time. " That was sufficient. The Intermittent /ever the lawyer and I had been affected with since leaving Omaha now returned with re newed violence , and we appealed to Ed to get us Into our blinds without further delay. Accordingly it todk us but a remarkably short time to transfer our shooting para phernalia to the Island. As we pulled out from the shore the feeding birds In the ofllng nroso In a great cloud , and after circling nbout In the air for several moments , sailed off over the low sand hills to the south. Assured that they would como straggling back shortly , Hamilton , the lawyer und I lost no tlmo In getting ready to recUvo them. Our stool of decoys numbered somewhere in the neighborhood of ono hundred. We were to shoot from holes on the east ern shore of the Island and , wad ing out some twenty yards , wo scattered the decoys carelessly all around the point , arranged our shell boxes and got Into our blinds. Hamilton and I occupied one , while the lawyer took possession of another but a few yards distant , nnd at Ed's command Rex celled himself up out of sight In the tall brown grass that stood so luxuriantly nil over the Island back of our hides. We were all ready. Squatting low In our blinds , which were surrounded by a fringe of broad-bladcd marsh grass , we waited , Slm- eral atul I imputientand feverish , Hamilton Imperturbable , confident , watchful. On either side , ac'rpss the watery expanse , was a broad jweep of barren plain and sand hills , swelling from the very shores of the luke. Here and there bunches of cactus , withered and dead , strewed their dull tints , hardly detectable nniltl the universal green ish yellow. Heavy clouds , with bright edges , had crowded Into tfft sky , and the whole scene was fitful wtlli light s and darks. Sometimes a struggling beam lighted sudden and startling on tho'Jpp of a shadowed sand hill , overflowing It ( wth ] splendor. A fresh shadow then dartedFfrom the base , peeling off the light until the whole mass frowned again In gloom. Sot. with the uneasy lake. Now It showed one sullen hue ; n gleam would break forth , widening until dazzling gems danced upon the surface , followed by n leaden tint , which closed llko an enormous lid over Its broad , sparkling face. A growl of thunder echoed around the scene * , as If the frowning hills were giving vent to anger. "I don't llko that ! " exclaimed Hamilton. "I am afraid It means all kinds of weather. Mark ! " The last sharp monosyllable sent the blood coursing through our veins and , bending still lower behind our grassy barri cade , wo peered eagerly off across and up and down the lako. "Thero they come canvasback over the hills to the south , " directed Ed , who had evidently noticed the anxious glances of the lawyer nnd I. Then wo discovered them a grny Una possibly twenty birds against the whitish clouds , yet llko meteors cleaving the air our way. "Careful now they will be onto us be fore you know It , " continued Hamilton. Then he gave three or four sharp , crow-Ilka squawks on his caller and pushed his Lefover out before him. llllly and I , of course , were there before him. The flight of the canvasback duck Is some thing to bo marveled at always. No other bird that I know of cuts the trenchcnt air with half his lightning speed. Ho Is surely the racer of the skies. On any mission ho goca through the air at a rate of nnywhero from eighty to ono hundred miles nn hour. If ho has business nnyxvhere and has got to get there ho puts at least two miles u minute behind him and does it easily , too. If you do not bollevo this Just shoot at the leader of a string of canvasbacks who are on a business errand sometime and see for your self. Shot travels pretty fast , especially out nf ono of Chamberlain's champion shells , and If you are so lucky as to bring down ono of the birds , see If It Isn't about the tenth or eleventh ono back of the drake or leader , A drake does not always lead , however , as the above remark might Induce you to believe , but generally does If there Is but ono In the bunch. If there are moro they seldom pilot , but a wlso old hen will bo found In this responsible position. If you wish to bring her to grass you must pull ahead ten or twelve feet at loast. and if she falls It will most likely bo at a long distance off , say ono hundred yards or more. Truly , as Hamilton had admonished us , the birds were onto us before wo could realize It. On the/ came , straight as a string , and looked as though they must pass high over us. Uut our decoys and the seductlvo notes Hamilton had sounded on the air , did their work effectually. When five hundred yards away the birds fairly dove down from their onward rush und came In over our decoys with n swish nt wing that Fairly took our breath , The lawyer and I were upon our feet to gether and wo gave them 'four barrels be fore Ed had tlmo for a word nf caution. Seeing what wo hail done ho shot , too , bring ing down a big drake with his last barrel its the birds , with olectflcal velocity , wore cut ting across thelake. . ' , Dllly and I , although wo were a trlllo premature , hadn't done BO bad , though , for two birds with their whlto liclllcs uppermost were floating shoreward , vhllo the third , a wlnft-tlppsd drake , was cut * ling through the wllte | caps off toward the line of rushes to till ) , northeast , "You were too ( jiHCk. Don't shoot he's too far out now. Ho'll dive In a moment then Ilex will tend to his case , " remarked Ed hurriedly , as ho saw the lawyer about tc pull on our wounded bird. The next InMnnt the drake went down , and motioning to Ilex , who hud kept hla bright , sparkling brown eyes on thu escaping duck , Hamilton exclaimed : "Go got him , Uex. " With a leap the dog was nut of his grassy perdu and with an anxious whine plunged Into the lake. Straight out , past thr float ing dead birds , and through the hobMng decoys - coys , wltth powerful strokes the royal spaniel clove his way to the spot where the drake had disappeared. Hero ho hailed , , looked about Impatiently , then began paddling In n circle , suddenly raising himself high above the waves , he dashed away again. "Thero'n your bird , " said 1-M , ns the rufous hood of the drake broke the surface again , off about forty yards to the right of the dog. "Hex will get him , and 1 want you to watch ctosu and see how he dues It. If the canvas dives , so will he. They can't fool Hex ! " The dog was now rapidly overhauling the fleeing fowl , and we wore expecting to see him nail him any second , when suddenly up shot his pointed tall nnd Into the deep ha wont llko a flash. llut you can pnrtaku of o\tt \ 'surprise when I tell you tfcat Hex did precisely the same thing went under after him , and with none the less agility at that , To prove this assertion nnd also that the wounded drake hnd miscalculated the distance , Hex's shapely head came thrustIng - Ing Itself up through the water again , al most Instantly , and the draku was In his mouth ! "Fetch him ! " yelped Ed , ns he proudly turned to the lawyer and I , who wore watch ing this marvelous work spellbound , but In deepest admiration. Again , I reiterate , as a retriever , Hex Is second to no dog In the world. I have shot over many good dogs , but have yet to see ono that could bo mentioned In the snmo day with Hamilton's matchless champion. "There ! knock that redhead down. Sandy ! he's yours ! " was the cry from Ed that brought the lawyer and I back to earth. A single bird had swung right Into us , notwithstanding our upright positions. I gave It to him , both barrels , and so did Slmcral , but ho kept going until Hamilton's gun cracked , when he fell. Just us If ho had flown plump against a stone wall. "Don't worry over that , you were not ready , you know , and I was , and that makes all the difference In the world In duck shoot ing. Still , that was a pretty good long shot I made , eh ? " and Ed looked quizzically at III | and I , who felt as if a good kicking would do us good. "You bet It was , " I replied , "but blamed If I over made a worse shot. Why , ho was right on top of me ! " "Of course ho was , " got back the lawyer , acrimoniously , "and If you had kept that old cannon of yours down I could have killed him with a bow nnd arrow ! " "Mark ! " Hamilton's quick eyes had descried another flock of birds and , like the component parts of n piece of well-oiled machinery , wo all wont down Into our blinds together. Hex had brought In the wounded bird , and Ed had crushed his stout skull with his teeth , when bn discovered the second gray line above the hills , "Now , don't be In a hurry this time yes , they are canvas they will come down like Helen Diazes , sweep past our decoys , but will circle and come back. They always do this , and If you will allow them they will light right among the decoys. Squawk ! squawk ! squawk ! " Hero they come. Just like the first flock , so many white and slate-colored racers , each ono apparently striving to get In first , but so evenly nro they matched that none are able to outstrip his fellows. It Is a blood-tingling moment , a trying ono on the nerves of the restive gunner. S-w-I-8-h-h-h ! They skim along over our decoys with dizzying speed. Then they start oft up into space again , as if bound to the clouds. Dut they are not. They have mis taken our decoys for feeding relatives and Intend to Join In the banquet. They make a sweeping circle , then come back with that same wild rush of wing nnd gleaming red of Iris. The lawyer and I hold our breath , for before we can fairly credit our senses fully two-thirds of them slide Into the water. Just' oft our decoys , llko so many feathered apparitions. The balance of the flock , as If by some strange Intuition of danger , do not come back , but keep on their way south , and are soon lost to view bsyond the hills. "Don't be In n hurry , " whispered Hamil ton , "they will not fly. Just watch nnd see what they do. " For a moment the birds -sat perfectly still , then they began to move with the almost imperceptible motion of a thistle down upon calm water , first to this side , then to that , Inspecting their wooden counterfeits curi ously , half suspiciously nil the time. Finally , as there seemed to be no occasion for alarm , the whole- flock , and there muat have been thrco dozen of them , converged slowly to gether , then timidly began approaching the decoys. Now they would halt and glide off to ono side , then back again , us If yet afraid to approach too near. Suddenly , as they bunched well together again , and looked as if they might be off at any second , Hamilton said : "We might as well raise now , boys , and glvo It to them ! " All together wo stood erect , but Instead of flying Instantly us wo expected , the birds sat still a moment on the water , craning their thick necks , until we could see the flash of tholr deep red eyes , evidently more astonished than ever. They did not dally long , however , to satisfy any useless curios ity , but with a loud splashing and a few spasmodic squeaks arose In a body , nnd we let them have It. It seemed as If there was a rain of dead and wounded canvasbacks , for no less than ten birds fell at the reports of our Lefevers. Think of that ! Ten canvasback at ono fell swoop , or six fell swoops , rather , for each man lot go both barrels. More canvasback than many a hunter has killed In this re gion , anyway , In a half-dozen seasons. This may not be a very edifying or cred- Itablu confession , but I do not believe there Is a single sportsman in the country , lot It be President Cleveland. ex-President Harri son , Gcorgo A. Uoyd of Philadelphia or oven the veteran old president of the far-famed Cuvlcr club , Cincinnati , and lifelong wild fowl hunter thnt ho Is , Len Harris , would have done ought else than wo did , under simitar circumstances. This ( sentiment about the preservation of game birds Is all right enough for discussion , but when It comes to practicing the same In the midst of a scurrying flight of such Incomparable birds , why the man Isn't there , that's all. After shooting over the "crips" which must bo done at the quickest possible mo ment on canvasback , wo nil crouched down In our blinds ngaln , for the nlr off to the south now seemed full of birds. They seemed to bo moving aimlessly In all direc tions and Hamilton said a storm was not far distant. There was no need of this warning , the damp , crlsplncss of the Increasing winds , told us that a change waa about to occur. The distant hills were looking darker and darker through the misty air , nnd gllmmc-r- Ing moro and moro Ind'atlnct , until they were entirely shaded In. Over the head of the lake ragged scuds were flitting , nnd nfar to the north wo could see that the rain was already fulling. "Mark , boys ! Geese ! " again warned our vigilant host , who had been standing to better his view of the oncoming storm. "Thero are but two of them , but they nro Canadati ; don't you BOO 'em there to right low over the water ? They are corning' straight In and you and Simoral take them ; If you fall , I'll be ready. " Hardly had Hamilton delivered these words of advlco when the geese , a pair of big Cnn- adas , came flopping nonchalantly In. The lawyer nnd I were onto our Job , nnd when the great birds were close enough for us to see the whites of their eyes , wo arose. There were two quick reports and both birds fell dead among our decoys. SANDY GHISWOLD. Sweet breath , sweet stomach , sweet tem per ? Then use DeWltt'a Little Early HUer * . EXACT SIZE - p E R FECTJJ THE MERCANTILE IS THE FAVORITE TEN CENT CIGAR. For tale by nil I'lrat Class Uoulora Mnnufiiotiirod by the F. 11. RICH AlKRUANTILF/CHJAR CO. , Factory No. 301 , St. Louis , Mo. "There ij , iu/att , no publication whih enters into strieui rivalry with it. " New York Tribune. A ? WCENTURY WAR BOOK Q. A. R. 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