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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1901)
THE CO TRIER 11 OMAHA LETTER Deac Eleanor: Faith dies hard, last of all things. I believe We are horn with that grain, perhaps no larger than a mustard seed, yet withal a hardy thing. We all, se cretly, believe in a lot of things, which we would not acknowledge because it really seems rather superior to be cyn ical. When Mr. Welch ran up the black Hag a short time ago. and predicted a 30 or 40 degree drop. I actually be lieved him in spite of former experi ence, and I got my sealskin out of pawn and took a bad cold by way of demonstrating my faith, and it kept m getting warmer. Today nips a bit. and .Nature has veiled her eyes and there is a hint of snow in the air. I sing a con tinual requiem for summer. If only I might I would follow her the wide world over to whatever land she Hies, litre to dally with and smile upon new levers. The naked woods and wailing winds simply set my teeth on edge and I feel like hurling daily Jeremaids at things in general. I know this is not very bad. but it is certain to be worse, before it is any better, which you will admit is not cheering. Have you any legiti mate reason for having translated un original remark "Don't shoot the or ganist" etc., into "Don't shoot the vag rant?" Why "vagrant." I wonder, .rather than turkey buzzard, or wash woman? This is not fault finding, it is simply curiosity. What sort of a Thanksgiving did you have? Mine was a bit depressing. To begin with mother sent me to the hospital with some (low ers and jelly. Oh! my dear, my dear, why do able bodied people with a fail share of health, ever complain? As I t walked along the rows of narrow white j beds, and saw the bandaged arms and I legs, the drawn faces and nerveless hands, I felt as if I ought to spend the rest of the day singing hymns of praise for my whole condition. There were painstricken features, and eves ai- 3v -Z7 ??&' v-yPillr? vt?.K& ttf l ysMr ready shadowed by the dark of the grave. One woman, the sister told me. would hardly live the day out. She lay with her face toward a window, her eyes upon "a little tent of blue, that prisoners call the sky,' and yet I think she saw nothing. Outside the world was so alert, so buoyant in the golden light, and little birds chirped and bells called sweetly, it was so hard to be lieve that the death angel brooded near. In one ward I saw a little girl, per haps seven years old, whit interested me, and I stopped to speak with her. asking her name. "Agnes," she told me. Agnes something, such a collec tion of consonants, chieily "z's" that I concluded that it must be 1'olish or liussian. "Why are you here. Agnes?" I asked. "Cause I have tits, but I'm goin home pretty soon, 'cause the doc tor, he says I can't never get well." I was a triile taken back at the cheer fulness of her tones and the smiling light in her big, black eyes. "Have you any brothers and sisters?" "Yes, ma'am." she replied. "I got "leven." "Dear me, that is a great many; are your papa and mama at home?" "Uh! yes. they are at home now, but my mama is coming to take me away. My papa, he can't come 'cause he gets drunk. He got awful drunk one time and pushed me down stairs, and that's why I get tits, and I won't never get well." Clearly to her little mind, the fits were a great distinction, and I think she was inclined to regard a person without them a triile patronizingly. "You didn't never have tits, id you?" she asked me. I was obliged to con fess that I had never had them. As I moved on I said. "Well, good bye. Ag nes. I hope you will get better." I realized it was not the tactful thin,; to say. when she replied reproachfully. "Xo. I won't. I ain't never going to get well, the doctor said so." When the great doors of the hospital closed behind me, shutting in the pain, disease and death. I stood a moment drawing in deep breaths of the tonic ir. The .lean arch of the sky swept around the earth. Here and there the grass showed green, some hardy liow ers bloomed at the south of a house near by. and I was alive, alive. I think a little prayer crept out of my heart, it matters little whether it was one of thanksgiving or a cry of mercy. We hud with us at dinner that day about the most unsophisticated speci men of humanity- it has ever been my good or bad fortune to meet with, lie is a youth, who has come here to study at tile school of pharmacy. .Mother of fered a sort of lame explanation, as to why the family dinner was invaded in this manner. Something about papa's haing business dealings with the youth's father, a letter of introduction, necessitating attention on our part. "Hut mother." I remonstrated, "why Thanksgiving? Couldn't it have been on some wash day. when life isn't worth living, anyway?" "Penelope," mother replied, a bit sternly. "You grow more seltlsh every day; this poor boy has never been away from home before, and just imagine how forlorn and diilideut he must feel." I admit my selfishness without a struggle but the youth's diihdence ex ists entirely in mother's mind. His name is Jim Whitely. and he has never in all his 20 years of life been outside a town of 300 inhabitants before. His people are very well to do. and rather prominent in their section of Nebraska. This youth has spent his gentle exist ence where he was about the most im portant cog in the wheel. He has known everybody by name within a radius of "." miles of his home. So just fancy a product of that descrip tion being suddenly transplanted into city life with no apparent conception that conditions are changed. "How do you like Omaha?" mother began, while we were yet at soup. "Oh! I like it all right, or I will in a week or two, when I get acquainted with the folks. Who lives over across there in that big house?" "A gentleman by the name of Mr. Yates." mother replied cautiously. "Well. I saw some nice looking girls going in there. I want to get acquaint ed with them. I'll have to know some nice girls to take to dances this win ter, "cause I don't Intend to do nothing but study this winter. Oh! you Just ought to have been down to our place the night Mc.N'ally's gave their big dance. I danced every dance and didn't get home until 3 o'clock In the morn ing." So on ad Intliiltum. during the entire dinner. Mother looked as if she hail done a hard day's ironing by the time it was over. Oertrude suggested that mother ought to take the young man out to call some place in the evening, which I heartily concurred in. Although mother did not really say so, she looked as If she thought we had another guess coming. When Gertrude and I left for the theatre, the young man was still discoursing Tor mother's entire benellt as father had escaped. 1 have Just linished Cllbert Parker's "tight of Way." In fact I did not put it down Sunday except to eat my din ner, until I had devoured the last word. How people differ about the question of the right in It. Women's clubs pretty generally disapprove, and not women alone. I heard a man de nounce it quite warmly, saying It was utterly unnatural and that no man would sacritice a being he loved for the sake of two he did not care for. Far be it from me to uphold the theory that men are ever very devoted slaves at the shrine of duty, but I do not believe it altogether impossible that a man could or does exist whose apotheosis would place honor or duty, or an expiatory sacrifice, before his in clination toward the being he loved. I am painfully conscious that this Is a very poor excuse for a letter; my wits have been wool gathering half the evening. I would drag out a line or two, and then stare a space at the wall paper, and the divine atllatus is totally wanting. Oertrude below stairs Is placing Nevin's "Good Night." One al most hears the words, "the light Is go ing, good night." There is something so appealing in his music. The front door closes, and I hear on the night air the unmistakable whistle of Oertrude's young man; sure sign that the hour Is late. "To sleep perchance to dream." Oood night. PKNKIXH'K. THE PROGRESSIVE STORE SKaUL' Only 8 Buying Days and then Christmas BSP I flfo lw ion rppnllpi't. tlio frnv-ilol emulitimi nf Hw ctorix tlm F- d;iv tirippfitir t 'liristiii:!!? limf. vp.ir. anil wlmt iliiliiMilrv rliro w-m in nifiL-imr vniir vtlv7 selections. Indications point to even greater crowds this year, and we cannot urge too strongly the advisability of buying now while trading can be done leisurely, while assortments are complete, and stocks large. This great store is in holiday attire, and our Mb prices are absolutely lowest. There is positively nothing to be gained by waiting; prices will not be lower later. gin. m A Few of the Great Special Bargains f Leather Goods at Half Fancy China, Etc. A Great Xmas Opportunity One of the largest Leather Goods Manu facturers in Iloboken. Xew Jersey, dissolve partnership the 1st of January, 1902. To clean up their stock the' sold us an immense lot of regular goods made to sell at 50c and SI. 00 each. The lot con-ists of Purses, Combination Tocket Books and Card Cases. Finger Purses. Shopping Rigs, Boston Hags, Chatelaine Bags, Card Cases, Music Polls, AVrist Bags, etc., in all styles of leather, including Seal. Walrus. Morocco, Alligator. Plain and Mounted Effects. It's a great chance, and only once in a lifetime to buy your Xmas Leather Goods Presents at One-half Price. Ui tf J WORTH TO 60c V P WOKTII TO S1.00 Hi I V Elegant values in beautiful French China Plates, 50c. Toe, SI. 00, 1.2f), to S.50. Carlsbad China Bread and Putter and Dessert Plates, 10c to S1.00 each. This elegant China Tea Cup and Saucer, in line Jap ware, S1.00. 200 styles of Cups and Saucers to select from, 10c to $2.50. Fancy After Dinner Coffee Cups and Saucers, an immense variety, 25c and 35c. Beer Steins. 50c, 75c, SI. 00 to COO. I : ? " M