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12
THE COURIER.
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N THE CITY ON SALT CREEK.
BV FLORA BULLOCK.
The wisdom of the weatherwise runs
thuBly: Ab Jong aa we can be pretty
sure of a soaker like that of Sunday
sight, after three days of eouth wind,
we can make out to stand the south
wind, and shout for Nebraska all the
time. Mr. Loreland, it is said, knew
there was a low barometer "loafing
around'1 within convenient distance,
and during all the preceding week he
had been offering it every inducement
known to hie profession, had been prac
ticing all the wiles of his art to get the
manager to bring the big performance
hither," and the low barometer played to
an appreciative audience. There have
been times when the menfolks sat on
way that you succumb with a gasp of
admiration. A second-hand man who
will come when you ask him, tell you in
two minutes what he can give for your
cast off furniture, go, and have the
goods carried away in half an hour is
worth his weight in gold. He would
thrive as a millionaire and be wor
shipped as a diner out.
Then it is almost fascinating to see
a gang of plasterers who drive right
through a piece of work as if getting
done was a matter of life and death,
doing a clean job while about it. There
are many common folks carrying their
messages to Garcia, after all, but some
of them oh, it would take them a
thousand years to get there.
The "message to Garcia" by the way
is useful in the school room; it arouses
a sense of opposition at first in pupils
the dried lawns nvery evening for weeks
and discussed the probabilities; when because they if they are just at the
the eouth wind never ceased and life mean age are not accustomed go
was awful. Then we prayed for a blame themselves or search their wayB
"roller" in the west, but it did not come for faults. But soon they begin to no
toll the corn stood yellow in the field in tice that, like the idiotic clerk in the
v August Some one said the other even- essay, they are asking useless questions,
e''A ng, "You remember theSCthof July, and they take pride in their task, a
JM?' Days fix themselves in the mem- message to Garcia. I found it bo with
ory as with a hot brand.
Nowadays we talk glibly of "low
barometer,' whatever that is the
weather makers admit that they do not
know how the "low" is made. It looks
very unlearned not to bring in the
barometer situation when you discuss
weather. But after all, the old-fashioned
signB are satisfactory. It Beems
easier now than formerly to read the
weather in the wind. A south-east
wind for three days then look for a
long black "roller'' coming majestically
a class of blind pupils, who need all the
stimulating and prodding possible.
THE SONG OF THE SINGER.
Day long upon the dreaming hills
One watched the idle hours fade by
And had no thought of other thing
Than waving grass and summer sky.
And all the wilding scents and sounds
The lavish hearted season brought,
He made his own and prisoned them
Within the little songs he wrought.
While he was singing, in the town
His busy brethren bought and sold,
And got them place and circumstance,
And all the pride and pomp of gold.
But when the night came with the stars,
And on the hills her silence laid,
He, homeward turning, bore with him
Naught save the careless songs he made.
"O Prodigal!' his brothers cried,
44 And have you done no better thing?
And is it thus you spend your day
To dream of sunshine and to sing ?
But he. remembering those still hours
The dream had made so eloquent
The waving grass the summer sky,
The purple hill-side smiled, content.
Arthur Ketch um,
in the August " New Lippincott."
The lawns of the city gave a vote of
thanks to the powers for not shutting
up the rain supply under a meter
system. Then it would be a dry time
for them. The city officials say the
meter system is proving a fine one for
the finances of the water office and
beneficial in thn way of increase of
pressure by its constant incentive to the
up from the west, or at any rate a ces- suppression of leaks. Hut somehow it
sation of hostilities and a cool north doesn't seem to be good for the lawns.
breeze.lDuring the last three years we Children don't play with the hose so
have enjoyed the friendship of the east much and graceful, movable whirligigs
wind so much that we ought to begin are not nearly bo numerous. People
Losing the Wheat Belt
One of the unreported speeches at
Kansas City was delivered in a hotel
lobby by a Kansas delegate with a queer
laugh that can hardly be expressed in
print, but that was irresistably infec
Uoue. He said:
"Folks in our parts ain't as hot for
Bryan as they uBter be. He made a bad
break on wheat Heugh! Ho! Heu!
He tol' us there couldn't be dollar wheat
till we got sixteen to one silver. Well,
we've had dollar wheat onct or twisct,
to know it. As for the south-west
wind let us hope it will seldom visit
us for it Is'.the messenger of drouth and
burning.
I always envy three who can light
their lamps, close the blinds to shut
out the evening storm and go on with
their books as if nothing were happen
ing. It is impossible for me to do any
thing but sit at tho window to look and
listen. The swaying of the trees, the
swirl of wind-blown spray, the uncanny
twilight all attract me. Then if I can
find a high window I will pemt myBelf
there to glory in the rush of the clouds
and note the whiteness of the rain
against the hills. Lightning flash and
the roll of thunder fascinate me
though I will candidly confess that the
thunder which says, "You're safe this
time," suits me best. But then there
ib such a solemnity about the rain and
storm that the hours at the window are
perhaps not wasted. In a grown-up
way one feels like the children of the
house. I found them prancing up and
down making an amount of noise.
iWbat's this?" I asked. "We're prais
ing," they declared. The rain is so
pretty."
who used to observe religious punctual- and we're goin' to have it agin
ity in turning the water on at six and
turning it before the last echo of the
whistle don't water their lawns at all
now. Five dollars was cheerfully given
for a chance to get all you could in a
given time, but when it comes to pay
ing for every drop, economy seizes the
soul. You will see some thirsty lawns
by September.
Another new wrinkle in the affairs of
folks who live is the ice coupon. Oh,
but it is dreadful ! Yon have to pay
for every bit of ice you get. If you are
tp have company to tea and want an
extra chunk the man calls for another
coupon. ThuB are the people oppressed.
It must be the fault of trusts. Always
before the icemen were so obliging.
TENSION.
The night was round and dark and still
And hollow as a sphere,
Belted with iron memories,
Bolted with bars of fear.
The loud hush beat upon my face,
The blackness reeled and sang,
When from an outer undreamed place
A sudden bird-note sprang.
Heugh!
Ho! Heu! but there hain't been no
change in silver 'cept it's goin' lower,
and we're chasm' sixteen to one just
the same. This kinder shakes our con
fidence in Bryan, and we're 'bout ready
to vote for somebody that don't sot up
as a prophet or don't get found out.
Heugh! Ho! Heu! You can't count
on the Bryan vote in the Wheat Belt
that we gave four years agone; we've
learned somethin' since then."
A bystander interrupted by saying
that Bryan would explain, in his speech
accepting the nomination, the phenom
enal conditions through which wheat
had risen while silver dropped.
"Big words don't Bcare me," continued
the Kansas delegate. "I've been to
school and know what 'phenomenal con
ditions' means. The biggest phenome
non I've seen yet is the man who has
the cheek to ask for a second nomina
tion after makin' the biggest blunder
of the nineteenth century 'bout wheat
and money. Heugh! Ho! Heu!" Town
Topics.
During the last few weeks I have
been watching the modus operandi of
several gangs of artisans and making
comparisons. Plasterers, carpenters,
masons, painters, plumbers, carpet
beaters, and of a mercantile claes,
second-hand men have come under my
observation. And I believe I know
more of what mortal slowness looks
like than I did before, having learned
by direct demonstration as well as by
contrast. I am ready to paraphrase
the "Give us, oh give us, the man who
sings at bis worn, to give us, on give
ub, the man who works at his work.
You may not believe it but it is true, Do you get your Courier regularly ?
that there are merchants of second- Please compare address. If incorrect,
hand goods who can fleece you in such please send right address to Courier
an energetic, masterfully business-like office. Do this this week.
Do you get your Courier regularly?
Please compare address, If incorrect,
please send right address to Courier
office. Do this this week.
All in the middle of the night,
Hollow and grim but hark 1
That blissful note unbound my throat,
Unwound the tightening dark.
A chaffinch, dreaming in her sleep
Of purple thistle balm,
Released the spell of silence fell;
The night grew wide and calm.
Florence Wilkinson,
in July "New Lippincott
The Rock Island playing cards are
the slickest you ever handled. One
pack will be sent by mail on receipt of
15 cents in stamps. A money order or
draft for 50 cents or same in stamps will
secure 4 packs. They will be sent by
express, charges prepaid. Address,
John Sebastian, G. P. A.,
Chicago, Rock Island &. Pacific R'y,
Chicago.
The COURIER
And any One Dollar
Woman's dub Magazine
n
CUQSUj
OUT
of the Iirxoolrx Harxi.--
"wre clou's entire stock of.
AT
GUARANTEED
HAfcF THE
REGULAR
PRICES.
The wise and prudent buyer will
take advantage of this wonderful
opportunity, as it will be by far the
most startling bargain sale of Bi
cycles and Sundries ever announced
in America. It is a well know fact
that the Lincoln Hardware Com
pany were among the largest west
ern wholesalers in the bicycle busi
ness, and carried a complete supply,
which was second only to our mam
moth stock, and owing to the rapidly
increasing business in other lines,
they decided to close out their en
tire bicycle busines to us at a great
sacrifice. We will positively not
mix one item of this stock with our
own, but will distribute the entire
Lincoln Hardware Company's stock
among the Lincoln people, guar
anteeing to cut their regular prices
on every item at least
50 PER CEU
and in many cases a great deal more.
All good things are bound to be
imitated, but
'I
OfflID
and in this instance we will positive
ly guarantee the lowest prices, sell,
ing for less than any other dealer
can buy the same goads for
wholesale lots.
in
lufixan
UNGOLW NEB.
1130 0St. Phone 182.
The Bicycle and Phonograph Head
quarters of the entire West.
Delinquent Subscriptions to
Tike wrier.
Received after the first of
July. 1900,
L.-O.
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