FSi
Bewarratic; atc
Bellefonte, Pa., January 9, 1914.
A Southern Christmas.
BY ELLA VAN WELCH.
It was Dec. 15. That was before rail-
roads had taken from the Mississippi
river the great carrying trade of
freight and passengers. and the steam-
ers plying back and forth between
St. Louis or Cincinnati and New Or-
ance in the southwest. One might
start from either of these cities early
in December. when the ground was
covered with snow. and reach New
1
i
that er husband could not force him-
self to tell her from the boy’s mother. '
who. frantic with grief. went to her to
entreat her to do something to save her
from being separated from her boy.
. The blow was almost as severe upon
the mistress as upon the slave. But :
she kept her head and sent Susan away
assuring her that if there was anything
| she could do to prevent the calamity
: she would do it. but, knowing her hus-
band’s financial straits, she could give
! no hope,
As soon as Sue had departed Mrs. St.
‘ Clair sent for her husband. The cus-
tom of gambling was so prevalent
{ among the planters of that day that
leans were the main means of convey- |
Orleans for Christmas to find summer |
still lingering.
On this day of Dec. 15. when the
steamer Tecumseh was passing Baton
Rouge, in the cabin sat two men play-
ing cards.
sissippi gambling went on openly,
either chips or money on the table
without any pretense of concealment,
and these two men were playing with |
In those days on the Mis- |
she did not reproach him. She could
not but recognize that he had been
weak to risk the happiness of a fam-
ily whom both he and she considered
committed to their charge by Provi-
dence, but she knew nothing was to be
gained by holding up to him his sin.
and she knew he suffered keenly for
i what he had done. She hegan at once
to confer with him upon some plan by
which a sum might be raised to buy
i back the boy. In vain they went over
everything they possessed that could
i possibly be mortgaged. All such prop-
i
the principal currency of the period—
{ New Orleans was the nearest place
the state bank bills. One of them
was a professional gambler, the other
a young sugar planter. whose home
was in Louisiana, not far from New
Orleans.
The gambler was quietly |
taking away from the planter what '
money he had with him: now permit-
ting him to win a few dollars. and
now forcing him to lose a great many.
Presently he took the last of his op-
ponent’s funds.
Arthur St. Clair could not afford to
lose this money. He owned a good
plantation and the negroes to work it.
but had no capital. Indeed. many of
the planters of that day were in a con-
tinual state of debt. usually borrowing
on a new crop before having liquidat-
ed their indebtedness for the old one.
St. Clair was one of these. Besides
working on the credit system in vogue
at the time. he was a very kind mas-
ter to his slaves and never denied them
anything they wanted. no matter what
the cost. Nevertheless, having lost
some $800 to the gambler. he yielded
to a temptation to risk separating one
of the families he owned, for the pur-
pose of making an attempt to recoup.
“I have a negro boy. ten years old.”
he said, “whom [I consider worth at
least $400. Will you fend me $200 on
him?"
© “Certainly. suh; with pleasure. suh.”
“I'll draw up a n»sts rfentaining a
lien on the boy.”
“It’s not necessary, I assure you, suh.
Your word is quite enough, suh.”
So they plaved on till the amount
loaned was lost: then $200 more was
borrowed. This also being lost, a bill
of sale for the boy was made out for
the property to be delivered ten days
from the date. signed by St. Clair and
handed to the gambler.
“I would be happy to loan you more
on other of your servants, suh,” said
the gambler.
“No,” said the other ruefully. *By
what 1 have done 1 have separated a
family. The boy I have lost at cards
is the only child of the best man and
the best woman I have on my planta-
tion. It will break both the father’s
and the mother’s hearts to part with
him. I have done very wrong and will
do no more.”
St. Clair, with lowering brow. went
out on the guard. as the deck outside
the cabin was called. and. sitting him-
self down in one of the wooden arm-
chairs he found there. gare himself up
te remorse at having yielded to temp-
tation. He was not troubled at the
money he had lost, for money in itself
was of little value in his eves. But he
had used his credit to the uttermost
farthing, and he saw no way to pre-
vent the boy he had lost, Billy, from
being torn from his parents. In ten
days a scene would be enacted that he
dreaded. Ten days! Why, in ten days
it would be Christmas.
St. Clair arose from his chair and
paced the guard feverishly. Of all the
days in the year to take a boy from
his parents and turn him over to
strangers! Why had he not made the
time twenty days—any other than on
Christmas day? It had not occurred
to him that the tenth day from the
present would be the day on which all
Christians tried to make all other
Christians happy. How could he tell
his man. Sam. that on Christmas day
instead of being made happy by gifts
his family was to be made miserable
by the loss of one of its number?
St. Clair carried his trouble home
with him. but kept it to himself till the
day before Christmas. He tried to
nerve himself to tell his wife, that she
might relieve him of the task of telling
Sam and Susan, the parents of little
Billy, that on Christmas day they must
part with their best beloved. But his
effort was a failure. Adelia St. Clair
took as much interest in the welfare of
her negroes as if they were a part of
her own family. Her hushand could
not nerve himself to confess how weal
he had been.
He knew that Sam was very fond of
him_ though he was Sam’s master. He
had often stood between Sam and
harm and bad given him everything he
wanted. He felt that he could impart
the news to Sam with less pain to
himself than to any one else and knew
that by confessing the whole story
Sam would blame him less than any
one else. So the day before Christmas
calling the slave aside where he would
not be overheard by others, he made
his confession.
“Sam,” he added, when he had told
that on Christmas the new owner of
Billy would arrive to take the boy
away, “this breaks my heart.”
“Mars Arthur,” gasped Sam, “I for-
give you, but I wouldn't forgive mo
udder marster in de worl".”
_Adelia St. Clair learned the secret .
erty had been mortgaged already. Be-
sides. there was no time to negotiate.
where such a matter could be attended |
to, and to go there. make a loan and
return weuld require several days.
Sam came in just as they had agreed
that nothing could be done to save
bis boy to him. He looked anxiously
from one to the other to see if there
was any hope. St. Clair nodded to his
wife to speak for both.
“There is no time in which to pre-
vent the separation.” she said. “Your
master has received a message that
Billy will be called for tomorrow. We
can only promise that if we can keep
a knowledge of Billy's future where-
abouts we will buy him back if it
should be possible.”
There was no comfort in this for
Sam. He knew his master's proneness
to drift financially and believed that
he would get deeper and deeper in
debt. With a moan he turned away to
impart the sad tidings to his wife.
The news that little Billy had been
sold and was to be taken away on
Christmas morning cast a gloom over
all, white and black, on the plantation.
“Dis won't be no Chris’'mas at all,”
said one.
*“Wha' mars go sell Billy fo’ to go |
way on Chris'mas? He ought to had
mo’ sense than dat.” said another.
“Yo’' shet up. nigga.” said a third.
“Mars wouldn't ’a’ done dat if he hadn't
had to done it.” :
These criticisms. though plentiful
among the negroes. were not mingled
with much blame. They all knew
their master and had perfect confi-
dence in his intentions.
As soon as St. Clair had finished his
breakfast—a cup of coffee—he left the
plantation in order to avoid being pres-
ent at Billy’s departure. About 10
o'clock a house. servant announced to
Mrs. St. Clair that a man had come
for Billy. Mrs. St. Clair went to a
jewel box. where she found the re-
mains of her jewels that had not beer
pledged. Taking a mental inventory
of them, she could not possibly make
out their total worth at over $300.
She sighed at not being able to find
anything more.
Taking the remnant of a property |
that had been in her family for many
generations, she went downstairs. She
was surprised to find a well dressed
man. not at all like one who might
have been sent for a negro boy. He
rose deferentially as she entered.
“T am surprised.” she said. *‘at see-
ing a gentleman. Are you the owner
of the boy you have come for?"
“Yes, madam.”
“May I ask who you are?” she added
curiously.
“A gambler, madam.”
“A gambler?"
“Yes. madam. 1 am the gentleman
who won the boy from your husband.”
This looked hopeful. Mrs. St. Clair
produced her jewels and was begin-
ning a speech as to their value when
the man interrupted her.
“Is your husband at home, madam?"
“No. 1 expect he went away to get
rid of seeing this poor family lose
their treasure.”
“1 did not notice. madam. when I
took a bill of sale from your husband
that the property was to be delivered
on Christmas day. I have come my-
self to see Mr. St. Clair to impress
upon him the folly of playing ecards
for money with a professional gambler.
I found him an easy prey.” Taking
out a wallet. he handed the lady a roll
of bills and paper. then added.
“There is the amount, madam. I won
from your husband. and there is the
bill of sale for the boy.” The latter he
tore into bits and threw them into a
fire burning on the hearth. *I thought
Christmas would be a proper day.
madam. to give this advice to vour
husband. 1 found him a very attrac-
tive gentleman and am glad to have
had an opportunity to show my appre-
ciation of him. I hid you good morn-
ing. madam.”
But Mrs. St. Clair would not let him
go. She sent negroes to scour the
country for her husband. and when he
was found and brought in Sam and
Sue and Billy were also sent for. The
latter were not told of what had hap-
pened and came. supposing that they
had been called for the parting.
That Christmas which opened so
gloomily turned out to be the merriest
that had ever been known on the St.
Clair plantation.
Rebuttal Testimony.
The Guest—Isn't your little boy rath-
er nervous, Mrs. Bimm?
Mrs. Bimm—No: 1 think not.
Little Boy—Yes, 1 am, ma: when p2o-
ple who come here stay too long it
makes me wriggle and kick my chair.
Significance of Little Things.
We love little things. we hate little
things, we fear little things. Our
lives are knit up with little things
from the time we are born to the day
we die.
Big things draw us up to heaven or
crush us down to hades. Little things
live beside us on the earth, eat and
sleep with us, laugh and grumble with
us. catch the early train with us or
make us miss it. irritate and appease
us— never leave us alove for a minute.
That is why they are so much more
important than the big things—the
things that come only once in a way,
at long intervals, and even then are
nearly always the result of a hundred
and one little things combined.
To be crushed by a large misadven-
ture is patural, but to fall a victim to
a series of petty misfortunes is hu-
miliating. There are many who would
prefer to break their necks once and
for all by falling off a mountain than
to bruise their whole bodies and dis-
locate their tempers Ly the daily stum-
bling over a molehill. It is the little
things that count.
climbing Mount Olympus is a poor sort
of attainment if the scores and scores
of pleasant details which wait upon
success be absent.— Atlantic.
i A Vanished Ocean.
In the tertiary period tlie geograph-
ical configuration of the globe was
steadily approaching that of the pres-
ent day. The same holds true for the
faunal aspect and the climate was
verging on the glacial period.
i
|
The satisfaction of |
|
It was
at this time the great equatorial ocean. '
“Tethys.” existed still. and there is ev-
idence that East Indian and Africa,
Australia and Asia, north Europe and
North. America were united by land
connections. In the Iatter part of the
period the ocean “Tethys” gave place
to mountainous formations, such as
the Alps. Himalayas and Carpathians.
through the folding up of the crust ot
the sea. At the same time there were
enormous outpourings of volcanic ma-
terials. Snakes and true birds ad-
vanced rapidly toward their modern
position in this period. which was
characterized also by the maximum
expansion of mammals taking the
place of the great saurians.—New York
Sun.
An Old Time Scotch Sunday.
The sixteenth century practice of the
elders in Scotland of going the rounds
‘to pick up offenders against Sunday
rules survived until the eighteenth cen-
tury. Mr. Thomsan in his “Weavers
Craft” gives details of the “bag:
; “The minister himself would make the
rounds to spy with his own eyes the
sins of the absentees. Here one man
is found romping with his bairns. an-
other detected kissing his wife, two
men were found drinking ale, and one
was found with his coat off, as if he
. were going to work, and still another
was seen eiatiug a hearty dinner. All
were pulled up before the session of
the kirk and ‘repentences’ enforced
upon each.” And now one can under-
stand the wherefore of the drawn
blind on the Sabbath which struck
, James Payn as astonishing in the
| Edinburgh of the sixties. — London
_ Chronicle.
Ji
A Medical View of Bathing.
Whether or not we believe that cold
baths have virtues which hot baths
€an never possess, it is far better to
preach the most advanced gospel of
cleanliness than none at all. The per-
son who bathes frequently is a clean-
. er person both physically and mentally
than he who does not. and if our de
sire is today to bring about a higher
morale among the people at large let
| us not cavil at a soap because forsooth
' it may be a little too strong in alkali,
or at large quantities of water, even
though applied to the body oftener
than once a day. For let no one think
for a moment that human nature is so
smitten with the idea to keep clean
that it will ever have a maddening de-
sire to use too much soap or water.—
Dr. Philip Skrainka in Interstate Med-
ica. Journal.
His Growl.
*A man ought to know when to say
no."
“You know when to say no, all
right.”
“Thank you; I think | do.”
*Yes. vou said no when you felt sure
I would ask you again. «nd you said
yes when you saw me beginning to
weaken.” —- Houston Post.
India’s Light Winds,
In over five-sixths of the territory of
India the wind forces are not strong
enough to specially encourage the use
of windmills.
Bonnets are almost unknown in Mex-
ico, even among wealthy ladies.
LIME AND LIMESTONE.
The Victoria Cross. i
England's prized Victoria Cross is
only won under circumstances of the
deadliest peril to its owner. The cross
itself is of bronze. cast trom cannon
taken at Sebastopol Inscribed with the
words, “For Valour.” It is the proudest
decoration a British subject can wegr
The Duke of Newcastle. secretary of
state for war in 1854-5. is credited with
having originated the idea of the crosa
after the Alma. being anxious to insti:
tute an English order which att ranks
might win and be proud to wear. like
the French Legion of Honor. The
cross confers on all below commis-
sloned rank an annuity of $50
|
Why He Didn’t Sleep.
Doctor (to patient, a golfer. suffering
from insomnia- Well, and how did .
you sleep last night? Did yon follow
my instructions and recall all the
strokes of your last round? Patient—
Yes. Doctor-- And then you fell asleep?
Patient—No: then it was time to
get ap! {
Thy Mother's Love.
One lamp. thy mother’s love, amid
the stars shall lift its pure flame
changeless, and before the throne of
God burn through eternity, holy, as it
was lit and lent thee here.— Willis.
Vicious.
Molly—So you are really engaged at
last? I'm awfully glad to hear it.
dear! Angeline—Yes. | was sure you
would be: you may have a chance
now!
Truth may work mightily. though in
the hand of the sorriest {nstrument.—
Behiller.
Needless.
Wife- The doctor said right away
that 1 needed a stimnlant. Then ue
asked to see my tongne. Hub Heav |
ens! | hope he didn't give you a stim- |
ulant for that!” Boston Transcript.
Woman’s Work.
Guest— Is your wife always so busy
with her fancy needlework? Host
I should say so She embroiders mon
ograms even on the Japanese paper |
napkins.- New York Post.
Cents and Sentiment.
One of the strangest things in this
world is why it is that even a stingy
man would sometimes rather give his
wife money than tel ker he loves her |
—Galveston News i
Here and there will be found a woman
who has never been troubled by the femi- |
nine disorders which vex so many of her ,
sex. She lives a happy, healthy life, and
brings healthy children into the woffd |
with hardly a pang. Every such woman !
proves what woman's health ought to be !
and what it can be. If many women
suffer it is because many women neglect
the drains, inflammations and weaknesses
which surely undermine the strength, |
make life a burden and motherhood a |
sorrow. For all such women there is |
help healing in Dr. Pierce's Favorite Pre- |
scription. The use of this remedy results |
in the perfect healing of the diseases
which effect the delicate organs. It im-
parts to them vigor and vitality, and |
makes motherhood a joy unalloyed by pain. |
Medical.
Heard in Bellefonte
HOW BAD BACKS HAVE BEEN MADE
STRONG—KIDNEY ILLS CORRECTED.
All over Bellefonte you hear it. Doan’s
Kidney Pills are keeping up the good
work. Bellefonte people are telling about
it—telling of bad backs made sound again.
You can believe the testimony of your
own townspeople. They tell it for the
benefit of you who are suffering. If your
back aches, if you feel lame, sore and
miserable, if the kidneys act too frequent-
ly, or passages are painful, scanty and off
color, use Doan’s Kidney Pills, the rem-
edy that has helped so many of your
friends and neighbors. Follow this Belle-
fonte citizen’s advice and give Doan’sa
chance to do the same for you,
William McClellan, 244 E. Lamb Street,
Bellefonte, Pa., says: “I suffered for a
long time from pain and lameness across
my back and some mornings I could hard-
ly get out of bed. My back ached con-
stantly and the kidney secretions were
irregular in passage. Hearing a great
deal about Doan’s Kidney Pills, I decided
to try them and procured a supply from
Green's Pharmacy Co. They cured me
and I am now enjoying good health. My
advice to anyone afflicted with kidney
complaint, is to take Doan’s Kidney Pills.
You are welcome to publish my endorse-
ment at any time you desire.”
The above statement must carry con.
viction to the mind of every reader. Don’t
shupy, ask for a kidney remedy—ask di.
rectly for Doan’s Kidney Pills, the same
that Mr. McClellan had—the remedy
backed by home testimony, 50c all stores.
Foster Milbum Co., Props. Buffalo,
“When Your Back is Lame—Remember
the Name.” 58-50
LIME.
Lime and Limestone for all purposes.
H-O Lime put up in 201b. paper bags
LIME.
58-28-6m
for use with drills or spreader, is the econom-
ical form most careful farmers are using.
High Calcium Central Pennsylvania Lime
AMERICAN LIME & STONE COMPANY.
Operations at Bellefonte, Tyrone, Union Furnace, Frankstown and Spring Meadows, Pa.
General Office: TYRONE, PA.
_ free on receipt of stamps to defray expense
: of mailing only. Send 21 one-cent stamps
|
Given Away
Dr. R.V. Pierces author of the People’s
Common Sense Medical Adviser, offers
| ——Subscribe for the WATCHMAN.
Hood’s Sars p-rilla.
this valuable work as a gift to those who
will pay the expense of mailing. This great : Impure Blood
medical work contains 1008 pages, and over | fg unhealthy blood—blood that is not only
700 illustrations, and is full of the com-| laden with poisonous and effete mat,
mon sense of a wide medical experience. | white corpuscles. The medicine to take
It answers the unspoken questions of i for it is HOOD’S SARSAPARILLA.
young men and maidens. It meets the
emergencies of the family with plain prac- ]
tical advice. It is a book for every man boils, and other eruptions, Sczetha and
and every woman to read and keep at {ET TIeUT BOCAS C8 es of ap.
hand for reference. Its medical infor- petite, that tired ‘feeling, and general de-
mation alone may save many a costly doc- bility; it exposes you to the danger of
tor's bill This book will be sent to you Sonracting infectious and contagion
theria, consumption.
Thousands testify that Hood’s Sarsapa-
rilla purifies, enriches and revitalizes the
Impure blood shows itself in pimples,
for paper covered book, or 31 stamps for
di-
cloth bound. Address Dr. R. V. Pierce, | cine zet Homie Sammons oad mech
663 Main street, Buffalo, N. Y. today. 58-50
Shoes. Clothing. Hats and Caps.
Overcoats Now
One-Third Off
AMN COML ADVE CO. NY
XX will not make a mistake in purchasing one of
these Overcoats now. Protection from biting
winds and bitter weather is assured in these warm
and comfortable garments. The wealth of new style
innovations and the substantial fabrics included in
this offering, will make your purchase an excellent in-
vestment. Reasonable at their original prices, they
are doubly so now.
The Pennsylvania State College.
The : Pennsylvania : State : College
EDWIN ERLE SPARKS, Ph.D., L.L. D., PRESIDENT.
Established and maintained by the joint action of the United States Government and the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
FIVE GREAT SCHOOLS—Agriculture, Engineering, Liberal Arts,
Mining, and Natural Science, offering thirty-six courses of four years
each—Also courses in Home Economics, Industrial Art and Physical
Education—TUITION FREE to both sexes; incidental charges mod-
erate.
First semester begins middle of September; second semester the first
of February; Summer Session for Teachers about the third Monday of June
of each year. For catalogue, bulletins, announcements, etc., address
57-26 THE REGISTRAR, State College, Pennsylvania.
VU Y YY UY UY UY UY UY Ww
OY YY VY TY vv Vv
. The World.
Sin 73
The Thrice-a-Week Edition of
E NEW YORK WORLD
Practically a Daily at the Price of a Weekly. No other Newspaper in the
world gives so much at so low a price.
This is a time of great events, and you will want the news accurately and
promptly. All the countries of the world steadily draw closer together, and
the telegraph wires bring the happenings of every one. No other newspaper
has a service equal to that of The World and it relates everything fully and
promptly. :
The World long since established a record for impartiality, and anybody
can afford its Thrice-a-Week edition, which comes every other day in the
week, except Sunday. It will be of particular value to you now. The
Thrice-a-Week World also abounds in other strong features, serial stories,
humor Harkets, cartoons; in fact, everything that is to be found in a first-
class daily.
The Thrice-a-Week World's regular subscription price is only $1.00 per
year, and this pays for 156 papers. We offer this unequalled newspaper and
The Democratic Watchman
together for one
papers is $2.00.
year for $1.65. The regular subscription price of the two
58-46-tf