fMnP^cnmsTMAs REMINISCENCE ZW™* lumr.nwl Through the glistening glory of moonlit air When frost through the night was steal ing, I rode to the rush of a glorious pair One night long ago, with my beautiful Claire, As the Christmas bells were pealing. The night was sparkling, sharp and still, The snow held the earth In its keeping, While under its mantle o'er vale and hill, By the banks of each river and ice-bound rill The unblossomed flowers were sleeping. Roy Griffith was out with his dappled grays, And Fanny Cremorne in his cutter, And wild Willie Ford with his blooded bays, And that dashing beauty, Miss Kate l3u- Pays, A trifle too utterly utter. Now a gray grows white and a bay horse fades, But mine showed beauty and breeding, For Ronald was black as the queen of spades. And I.als still blacker by several shades, And bred with a view to speeding. And the face by my side was the loveliest far, Like a dream, through its fur wraps show ing. Ah. never shone sun, nor moon, nor star. And never broke wave over efystaHine bar With the light In those dark eyes glowing. And never sang seraph a sweeter strain Than the song of her rippling laughter; And never a field of golden grain Followed the breeze like a soft refrain As her echoing smile followed after; And never breathed spirit of light and air With a grace so winning and tender; • •••••• •• Hi, Ronald! Come down from that dance in the air! Hey, Lais! Have done with your frolicking there! Come! show us your best for the Lady Claire! Gently, there! gently! Now steady ! So, so! Ah, grandly, my beauties! We'll let the boys know YY hat it means to come up with a pair that can go. Ha! Ha! Lady Claire! the bays are in air! They never could trot with the blacks, fair and square; And there go the grays off their fteet, over there. Great Scott! but they're both coming up on the run! Hold tight, little Claire, this thing's just begun; 1 hey shall have all the running they wish ere they're done. Go, Ronald!—Go! Go, Lais!—Away! Great heavens! Just see Willie Ford's cutter sway. Get on, my black beauties ! Get on there, I say ! Hi, Lais! Look out! Look out or you'll slip! As I live, Lady Claire, it's a two-minute-clip; And see! do you see? Roy's using the whip! Ah, steady there, Ronald! Cling close, little one, We're making a beautiful, beautiful run, And the blacks' blood will tell before we are done. I told you ! I told you ! Will's out of the race; My soul! little one ! that was a bad place ; Those bays cannot run when the blacks set the pace. Now carefully, Claire; mind, child, how you sit, I'm going to touch up the blacks just a bit. Not afraid, my brave girl? Not a whit?—not a whit? Hi! you black phantoms! Get away!— Get away! My life! how they go! This has passed beyond play. I hope—l—yes, Claire—that this cutter—will stay! See ! little one—see ! Look back at that gray! He's done, and hurrah ! we've carried the day. Hurrah, you wild beauties! Hurrah, there, I say! • •••••• »• We had won, we had wonfwUh my brain all arwlrl, But my heart most blissfully singing; For through all the desperate rush and whirl 1 knew that that dear little, sweet little girl Was close to me, close to me clinging. Of course, I was tired after the race, And my heart in a terrible flutter. So I pulled down the blacks to a moderate pace And sat, while my right hand held them In place, With my left on the back of the cutter. And then, as the heavens were not quite clear, And the chains of love were clanking, My arm crept along on the seat, by the rear, And slyly, with doubting and many a fear, Strove to capture my captor, by flanking. But Claire was awake with her videttes out And soon had the enemy routed. •Twas merely a whisper, 1 have no doubt, But it seemed as if earth and air about With a thousand voices shouted. "Do you think It quite safe" (in a tone very grand), "Single handed to drive with a lady? I'm sure, sir, you'd better take two—and— and I think that perhaps—l could—lend you a hand, As I see you have only one ready." As that last low whisper flew off into space And my dariinggrew scared into coldness, And never dwelt soul so white and fair, With the sweetness to love and the courag* to dare, In a form so fragile and slender. I had loved little Claire Elnce long ago But never a word had spoken; The dear, winsome creature, she frightened me so, For I feared that, perhaps, she might an swer me, No, And the charm of my life b® broken. I scarcely could fancy It really true That there at my side she was sitting. In my gay little cutter all fresh and new With its golden striping, and built for two, Through theChrlstmasmoonlight flitting. I was driving along in a quiet way With never a thought of speeding, Trying to think of something to say, Though the horsts were fresh/ind full of play, And the blacks, as usual, leading. The lights shone out on the glittering snow With Christmas cheer and greeting. Giving a glimpse, in the fire-light's glow. Of silvery heads and heads ot tow O'er Christmas bounties meeting. We were just turning Into the Norfolk Plk« ( Where It Joins the road to Pentlever, Where it stretches away to the Cambridge' dike, Broad and level and arrow-like, And smooth as a frozen rlvtr. I was furtively watching the radiant flush Up into Claire's cheek come creeping, When the bays and the grays drew up with a rush, And the six all abreast, for a bit of a brush. Came into the wide road sweeping. I read in the beautiful, blushing face, Its story of trust and of loving grace. And my heart thrilled up into boldness. And what happened then In the soft moon light?" Well, I certainly did r.otbDrrow. Is It anyone's care IX I seized that night ihat dear little hand by my love's strong might And kept it through joy and through sor row? And never a one to-night shall know lhat those bells to my thought seem weeping, \\ ith a sobbing cry, as they sweH to and fro, Ov»r the beautiful, silent snow, \N here the souls lie sleeping Ah, me! how I long for the years by gone! Alas! that their glory is ended— When horses were horses, and knew how to run; A\ hen the girls, pure and true, were not like a nun, By a she-dragon always attended. My Willie goes out with ljis girl, goes he. And his coachman line as a liddle, And his footman arrayed most gorgeously In a sleigh that was built with a seat fcr three, And a chaperon sits in the middle. Oh, my heart and my temperboth are wrung For the ancient flays so golden, W lien life was royally sweet and young". And love was never a trio sung, With the third part cracked and olden. CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1901. PUZZLE PICTURE. WHEHE IS THE ItOl.lt GENERAL.? GERMAN ARMY AND NAVY. Itulcw mill ReKulntlona Tlmt Govern (Milci*r* iiml Men «>t Tlmt Cuun I r>. Army and navy officers in Germany are not allowed to marry unless they have a certain private income and must make a deposit of 30,000 marks cash ($7,500) with the government be fore the marriage can take place, writes William E. Curtis, in the Chi cago Record-Herald. This is depos ited to their credit in the public treas ury, and they receive three per cent, interest a year. At tlie death of the officer the principal is refunded to his family. The purpose of this rule is to protect the government from the bur den of destitute officers' families, and also to protect the officer nga'nst court-martial, for the regulations pro hibit him from incurring debts. When an officer gets into debt lie must re sign or go before a court-martial, and if he cannot show that his misfortune was unavoidable and due to circum stances over which he had no control, lie will be dismissed from the service. If the debts have been incurred for reasons which he could not prevent, they are paid out of the deposit to his credit and the amount is deduct ed from his pay in installments. The privates in the German army get 110 pay at all. By the constitution of the empire every German capable of bearing arms is enrolled in the standing army or navy for six years from the twentieth to the twenty seventh year of his age, although he is liable to be called upon at the com pletion of his seventeenth year. Of these six years, two must be spent in active service in the infantry and ar tillery, and three in the cavalry, and the remaining years in the army of the reserve. During this time the sol dier receives allowances for food and clothing and the other necessaries of life. He is also given beer and tobacco from the commissary, and if he is economical can commute his rations into cash and thus acquire a little spending money. The soldiers of the United States army, who receive sl3 a month, are the best paid in the world. Those of the British army, who receive a shilling a day, are next. The pay of the officers of the Ger man army is very small, and no one can obtain a commission unless he has a sufficient private fortune to yield him an income of at least 500 marks ($125) a year. Captains re ceive about the same compensation as second lieutenants of infantry in the United States, and officers of the low er grades even less in proportion. A second lieutenant in the German army receives less than a commissary ser geant or a hospital steward in the United States. The Germans get marks where our officers get dollars— a mark being 25 cents. Army officers in Germany, however, have privileges that civilians do not enjoy. They are HAD WATER IN HIS SYSTEM. 1 Socklesß Feet—Wat's <le ninttter wit Willie? Hrewser —He run so hard gittin' away from a wood pile dat he sweat reel water. It almost give him a bath. Dere's de result —a lit. entitled to half fare for themselves and their families on all the railways, like clergymen in the United States; they are given half rates at most of the hotels and restaurants, and a dis count from the regular prices at the shops, usually from 10 to 30 percent. They have half rates at the theaters and operas, but at the royal opera no officer is allowed to appear in uniform unless he occupies a box or seat in the parquet or in the (lrst row of the first balcony. The regular garrison of Berlin is 20,000 troops, which, with the general staff and the various bureaus, gives the city a large military population, and nearly every third person you meet on the street wears a uniform. During an hour's walk on the prin cipal streets the other day I met 28 generals. MILES OF JOS-LOT BOOKS. Vn*t Xnn»l»er« of Volume* In I.onilon Library Storeroom* Tlmt Are n UrnK. One of the most curious sights in London is that provided by the cellars and storerooms of the great circulat ing library firms, who have literally miles—nearly 20 miles in one case— of shelves of once more or less fash ionable books that may be bought now for a few coppers apiece, says the New York Herald. To show how uncertain is the fate of any book that may be issued, it may be sain that in a vast number of cases there are often in these cata combs hundreds of copies of one book, the latter less than three years ago having been read by thousands of peo ple, though absolutely a drug in the market now. In a great number of instances, too, the books now offered at a few cop pers—published at £ 1 12s. fid. original ly—have never been issued by the li brary or read by a single being, al though written by a supposedly noted author. The libraries throughout the coun try, from second down to twentieth rate, having been supplied from these many miles of shelves, millions of nov els issued during the last few years remain, and tons of them are periodic ally carried off to the paper makers, to reappear as bright, virgin sheets, and very likely to revisit once again the literary dead house of one of the li braries. Sometimes, however, these catacombs yield treasures. An author, hitherto unrecognized, writes a book that goes with a swing, and that brings him fame at once, and then people discover that many unread stories by him are mouldering in library cellars'. World"* I.urgent IMetnre. The largest picture in the world is "Paradise," by Tintoretto. It hangs in the Doge's palace at Venice. It is $4 feet wide and 34 feet high.—N. Y. Herald. SLOT MACHINE CHARMED HER. Ski l LLML lle«-II llittorly 0|»|IOHPII tv> (inmblinur III< 1 1 llrr II IIMIUI nd Won 11 Hollar. "One of the most decided and quickest changes from a pronounced stand that ever came to my atten tion I noted in the case of my wife •vhile we were on a vacation trip re cently,'' remarked a well-known lo cal official. "Ever sfcice we have been married Mrs. (i has been unalter ably opposed to gambling: in any form. The mere mention of the word caused her to shudder. While stroll ing about a summer resort a few weeks ago we passed one of those machines that bear a sign inviting all who pass to drop a nickel in the slot. The inducement is the possibil ity of the coin dropped striking a channel that will result in the drop per receiving an amount varying from one dollar to $2.50 in nickels as a return from the investment. But th<- dropped coin follows a winning passage about once in a lifetime. ".More for the sake of witnessing my wife experience a momentary chill than for ayy other reason I suddenly halted in front of the ma chine I spoke of and parted with a five-cent piece. Vastly to my sur prise, 20 nickels slipped from the ma chine. The event of a lifetime had actually come to pass. But more re markable was the transformation of Mrs. (i . Without a word she took possession of my winnings, deposited them, and when tiiey were gone bor rowed a dollar more in small change from me and placed all of it in the slot. She next called for more. Thereupon I protested. "But I'll surely win $2.50 if I kuep on trying," she expostulated. " 'You won't try with my money, though," I declared. Since this little occurrence, says the Washington Star. Mrs. G has not discoursed on the evils of gambling. CELTICISMS ON THE STAND. I'*IIIIII>- SnyliiK'M of IriMh WLTIIEHNP. While l ixlerKolii(c I lie C'natom nrj xllini na 11 o IIN. ' Lawyers with an appreciative sense of humor enjoy nothing so much as to get a quick-witted, ready-tongued son of the Emerald isle on th<; stand to relieve the monotony of the legal technicalities of a case. A gentle man who has been collecting samples of Irish wit and repartee for some time relates the following anecdotes, says the Baltimore Sun. Some of them are doubtless mellow with age, but in any case tiny will bear repeti tion: "Are you guilty or not guilty?" asked the court clerk of a prisoner charged with some trivial offense. "Pbat are yees there for but to foind out?" was the quick rejoinder. A henpecked husband had his bet ter half arrested for assaulting him. The plaintiff was on the stand. "And now, Mr. O'Toole," said his counsel, "will you kindly tell the jury whether your wife was in the habit of striking you with impunity?" "Wid what, sor?" "With impunity." "She wuz, sor. npw an" then; but she ginerly used th' potaty masher." A witness testifying in a murder case was asked to describe to the jury the exact location of a flight of stairs. "Explain to the jury," said the prosecuting attorney, "exactly how the steps run." "Shure, sir, if ye shtand at th' bot tom they run up, an' if ye shtand at th' top they run down." KITCHEN WALLS. Should HP Covered WITH Tile Paper to lie Kept CoiiNtuntly in Good Order. I want to speak a word for the desirability of enameled or tile paper for bathrooms and kitchen walls, says Anne Warner, in Good Housekeeping. The friend who recommended it to me is still enjoy ing her kitchen paper in its ninth year of service, and mine is in its fourth and has been washed twice every year. The secret is this: When it is first put on have a coat of good varnish laid over it. This will render it impervious to water along the edges and the line where the paper is matched and where it soon shows wear without this bit of "know how." In washing, use warm water and soap, or a little soda, if the walls are badly smoked, and a soft flannel. Clean, a spot at a time, quickly and lightly and wipe dry be fore proceeding. Do not wet a large surface and leave soaking and expect good results. The original expense, and the outlay of strength and pa tience in care, are considerably less than an oil paint finish exacts. I prefer not to have the ceiling pa pered, but calsomined when neces sary, until some one invents and ap plies to humanity the facilities en joyed by flies for keeping a com fortable working position upon it. A Helpful Hint. If your woolen dresses look dread fully creased and wrinkled after packing, try- the following plan, and don't, however, if you are tempted, try to iron the creases out. Instead dip a clean piece of stuff of the same material as the dress, if you have it, in hot water. Wring it slightly and sponge the creased places with it. Then hang the dress in the open air, but not in the sun, and the creases will disappear as it dries.—Washing ton Star. A (ieittlc Hint. lie —1 love you more thuu words can tell! She (shyly) —Well—there are other ways.—Summerville Journal. SCHOOL AND CHURCH. Statistics of Atchison county, Kun., show that of the 30,.">01 people living there 1 Xi, 14: i have never atcnded Sun day school. lie v. Samuel Scoville, the son-in-law of Henry Ward Beeclier, has become associate pastor with lJr. Ifi 11 is, of the Plymouth church in Brooklyn. 'J'he bishop of London said recent ly in talking' of the poverty of the clergy that 4,560 livings average s7.">o a year, and no fewer than I.'US benefices were worth only per annum. llev. Richard Lewis Howell, one of the best known Episcopal clergy of Washington, D. C., has a project for the erection of a magnificent edi liee in that city to serve as a meeting place for the communicants of all re ligious denominations. ■. Nearly 1,000 men and women art? employed to conduct (summer vaca tion schools and playgrounds in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. Last summer more than 100,- 000 boys and girls were in more or less constant attendance. In the future Boston's public school buildings are to contain well-appoint ed bathrooms. The impulse was given two years ago, when the Paul l'e vere school was erected, and now bathrooms are to become a regular adjunct of the public school system. Carrie Nation the other evening lec tured to a large audience in Marietta, ()., under the direction of 11. J. (.'on rath, a saloon keeper, and Joe Brunei - , a pugilist. In answer to crit icisms on her appearance under such management Mrs. Nation said: "Neither the W. C. T. U. nor the churches would bring me here, but these men did, and I am grateful to them." President Eliot, of Harvard, insists that the school-teachers spend alto gether too much time trying to teach, arithmetic to young children. In his Twentieth Century club lecture he told of a naughty boy who was tohi by his mother that he must either do as she told him or leave the room. The boy thought for a moment and then remarked: "That's fair." "I would give more for that judicial comment for its effect on the boy's later life," said President Eliot, "than for any amount of accurate figuring." A WEAPONLESS HUNTER. WOOIIHIMHII AVIKI CliiikrN ItoiirN KU<l Wll<l <*ittn to Oontli. mid limits Small Game with Stone*. Bob Brown, of Fox Hollow, is & woodsman who gets much game, yet uses neither gun nor knife, nor any other weapon except occasionally :i club or a stone, says the New York Kun. He has a record of choking bears to death, and even a wildcat is among his trophies that he bagged in that way. llis manner of hunting bears is tot rail one to its feeding grounds, get to the windward of it, creep stealthily upon it, and, when near enough, throw a horse blanket or sometimes his coat, over its head. While the bear is blinded and its forepaws entangled in it, Brown jumps in, finds the bear's windpipe with his right hand, clutches it with a grip like a vise, and actually chokes the bear to death. At least, he has succeeded in killing two in this way. One of them weighed over 200 pounds and one was a 110-pounder. The wildcat that Brown choked to death leaped at him from a hollow stump where she had kittens con cealed. Brown, who is a powerful man, seized her by the throat while she was still in the air and held her at arm's length until she was dead, with her hind legs drawn clear up to her breast. He killed a wildcat once with a sin gle blow of his fist, crushing the ani mal's skull. Buffed grouse, or partridge, as they are called by the natives, will tree when flushed if the}- hear the barking of a dog. Brown hunts partridges by imitating the bark of a whiffet, when the birds rise. When they tree he brings them down with stones, with which his aim is almost unerring. He is said to be able also to kill a running rabbit by stone throwing. Hunting; the Foit Germ. The London city council have tun neled under the Thames, reconstructed bridges, demolished many streets, provided parks and music for the masses, and are anxious to add a serv ice of free steamboats and hope to buy up all the water companies whenever parliament will grant the requisite powers. Not satisfied with these enter prises, it. is now suggested that the fog tiend should be localized, run to earth and deprived of his asphyxiating ter rors. As a commencement it is only proposed to spend .C 250 on an experi mental investigations. When prelim inaries are completed fogs may cease as soon as the Essex marshes are re claimed, the river diverted and smoky chimneys suppressed. These cannot be called trifling obstacles, but with ambitious councillors on the job there is sure to be a big effort made to over come them.—N. Y. Sun. MiiNtnelieN of ONI. Men with enormous mustaches real ly have nothing to be proud of. Bather are they to be pitied. Those of high rank among t he (iauls and Britons, ac cording to Caesar and Diodorous, shaved the chin, but wore immense forests of hair on the upper lip. The mustaches of the inhabitants of Corn wall and the Sicily isles hung down upon their breasts like wings.—N. Y. Press. Poverty Mot the Wo rut Tiling. Poverty may sidetrack a man, but it never blows hiiu up.—Chicago Daily News. 13
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers