- THE COLUMBIAN, BLOOMSBURG, PA. A CHRISTMAS PBESENT. VERY unhappy; maiden was Con stance Lester. Perhaps, among the thousands of miserable, who awaited the Christmas tide la the great city, there were many more hopeless and wretched, but surely none more discontented and unhappy. And her grief was the greater because It was of a secret nature that she eould confide to nobody. Alone she must meet her fate alone decide a question that, however she might cast her yerdlct, seemed fraught with uttec misery to herself and others. Constance Lester was one of those tweet and loving natures that seek happiness only in the happiness of others. Selfishness was utterly for eign to her. She had been born and reared In the lap of comfort and case. Her father had been awell-to-do mer chant In a suburban" tonn, a busy, btg-hearted man, who had taken pains to surround his family, which con sisted only of his wife and daughter, with every luxury that his purse could provide. His death, which occurred suddenly from a carriage accident, had left his family In apparent comfort, hot within a year the firm of which, be had been a member failed, and the failure swallowed up not only the por tion of the widow and orphan, but eventually deprived them of the com fortable home that had been a very, ark of refuge In their troubles. The blow y as a sad one to Mrs. Les ter. She was a seml-invalld, and years of suffering had worn her nature Into that form of shrinking and half querulous selfishness that is content ed with nothing but absolute protec tion from the chances of life. It al most killed her to give up her home, but there was no alternative Con stance had met the crisis with true heroism. A chance was opened for her to secure employment In the city In a business house that had formerly dealt largely with her father's firm, and the head of which had felt hon ored by his personal friendship. So the brave girl soon had her ailing mother established in a comfortable flat, while she spent certain hours each day over a big ledger in the fa mous wholesale house of Day & Co. All might have been well had not Constance been as pretty us she was sweet of character, and had she not had a secret. Ah, that secret! Be fore she had left Westbrldge, their country home, she had become en gaged to a young lawyer, one Harold i Cowen, who, while not quite a "brief- 1 less barrister," had yet his fortune and fame to make. She had not con- ! flded this Becret to her mother, as It I would only have added to her trou bles. She and Harold had known each other long; he had been a true friend and legal adviser in her time of trou ble; friendship and mutual sympathy had ripened Into love, and they had parted with the most sacred of all earthly pledges between them. Each believed that they had years to wait; and was resolved to wait patiently the fruition of their hopes. which she could find no excuse for de clining. Then had followed an Invi tation to the Charity Ball, one of the most fashionable events of the great city's social life, and her mother's In tercessions and fear of offending a benefactor had forced her to accept that also. And now had come the crisis. Mr. Day had visited her mother, and announced his wish to make Constance his wife, and to lay his fortune at her feet "Were It not for Harold?" she had murmured In her secret heart, when the astounding news was told her. She well realized the selfish, common sense of her mother's view of the mat ter. Mr. Day was a brilliant and eli gible match for a penniless girl of twenty, as the ways of society went She honored and almost revered him, but how could she marry him? She caught at her mother's last words. "You would not have me marry for money, mother?" "Not for money, my dear; but for your poor, sick mother and the old home!" This was the condition of things that had Induced Constance to write to her lover the most pitiful of all letters, and had blotted every ray of happiness out of her life. Harold Cowen had not answered her letter, but Instead had sent a curt telegram: "Look out for Christmas present" This enigmatical message only, added doubt and perplexity to her almost un bearable load of sorrow. GENERAL HEWS. A flnston athlete, Frank K. Godfrey, Ml iustructor in Ihe Young Men's Christian Un ion, flipped nd fell and broke his neck, on Wednesday evening of last week. Slaiulino on the shoulders of a companion, he meant to mm a somersault, liut flipping, he lost his purchase in the start, and consequently, failed to turn far enough. In physical pro portion he was a model, having served at the World's Fair as a mode! for Ihe statue representing the Ideal of the American Student." let n. "Why not, Constance?" "Oh, mother, you know I cannot.'' "I do not see why," continued Mrs. Lester, In the selfishly Insistent tone ? 3& ,MA WW mPri in. "Package, ma'am! Miss Constance Lester. No, ma'am, nothing to pay. All right!" The blue cap, brass plate, and red face of Expressman Sharkey disap peared as quickly as they had appear ed, for it was the day before Christ mas, and there was not a busier or jollier agent of Santa Claus In the whole big city. "What can It be, Constance?" ask ed Mrs. Lester, all alive with curiosity. "I do not know, mother." Constance's cheeks were pale. Her hands trembled. For a moment she felt that she would faint. She some how knew that her fate was bound up in that mysterious package. At last she summoned all her strength, and cut the strings. Inside the wrappings was a plain white pasteboard box, oblong In shape. This she opened, and drew from it a paper folded, sub scribed and sealed In legal form. She opened It, studied it a few moments in a dazed way, and then the hot blood mantled to her cheeks and fore head. "Why. mother," she cried, "this Is a deed for the old home, made out In my name. And here Is a note from Mr. Cowen pinned to It saying: 'The deed is all right The old home 1b yours again. I will call on you, Christmas and explain.' " "I knew it," was Mrs. Lester's sur prising ejaculation. "Oh, Constance, he has discovered the truth Mr. Cowen has found the fraud. I knew your father was never a bankrupt It was all a conspiracy. And that young lawyer has been too sharp for them. Oh, thank the Lord for all his goodness'" Id tho Old Borne, that had became almost a second part of her nature. "Oh, Constance, you can't realize how this dreadful city life is wearing me out There is not an hour of the day that I do not sigh for the dear old home where we were so happy, and I know I shall die un less I go back. I merely dropped the midest hint to Mr. Day, and he in stantly was full of sympathy, and he promised that one of the first things be should do after you were his wife would be to buy back the old home and fit it up as a country residence. He would expect to live there most of each year, spending only the winter in town, and It would be such a happi ness to pass my last years there. Now, what can you have against Mr. Day?" "Nothing, mother, nothing; but It is Impossible. He has been the kindest of benefactors, and I know I ought to be honored by his offer, but I cannot love him." "Nonsense, my child. What do you know about love? Any good woman could learn to love Mr. Day. He Is not so old what is three and fifty, nowadays? : It is but vigorous man hood for a man who has devoted himself to business and disregarded the dissipations of life. I am sure he is noble, high-minded, generous to a fault and very rich, my dear. Why, any girl would consider It a chance among a thousand. Surely, Constance, you would not throw away such a chance to provide for yourself and me?" Poor Constance! What could sho reply? The attentions Mr. Day had shown her had not at first excited her suspicions. They were so delicate that she accepted them merely as a con tinuance of the kindness that seemed a part of his nature. But suddenly her eyes had beer opened by an Invita tion to accompany bin to the opera, IV. "The fact of the matter Is," said Harold Cowen the next day, In the ex planation that necessarily preceded the Christmas dinner in the little flat, at which he was a most welcome guest "I suspected from the first your mother was right in thinking there was a fraud. Mr. Lester was not a man to put up the Inheritance of his wife and child as a security for business deals. But he might have kept his private papers In the company's safe at nis oraco. xnis, in raci, ne am ao. Now, I got evidence to make it pretty clear that the issuing of stock in the store business in your father's name. with the deeds and other securities as collateral, was really an outright piece of fraud. When I made this clear to the reorganized firm, we had a pretty, hot time. They denied everything, and swore they would fight it through every court In the State. But when I began to talk of the Grand Jury, they grew more reasonable. Really, it might have been a long and doubtful contest There were rather too big men honorable careers, church mem bers, and all that to be dragged through a grand Jury inquest When they proposed to settle by restoring every dollar . they had wrongfully taken, I thought it better than years of legal fight which, indeed, I did not have the means to make. The deed of the old home was in your name, Constance." "I knew It, and It was with my, consent, of course, said Mrs. Lester, "And now, mother, what Is to be Mr. Cowen s reward?" asked Con stance, suddenly. "Reward?" faintly queried the widow. "Yes; I promised him a year ago that I would marry him when the old home was once more my own. You know lawyer's fees must be paid Don't you think he has earned his re ward, and a Christmas dinner?" "Really, Constance," faltered the mother, "you were in love, then?" "Yes, mother." "And you thought of me and the old) home? "Yes, mother; you and the old home ' were part of the bargain. I really i think the promise must be kept I would be sorry for Mr. Day, did I not i know he can easily get a better and more suitable wife." "Poor Mr. Day!" murmured the widow. But there was no cloud on the Christmas dinner in the little flat- Julia Kent. Th Ascension. mg . A rural politician u-ai in tntvn fu. rlsva ifter the election and was met nn ih tri-et very portly gentleman, when the follow- ! conversation occurred i Kural Politician" Scus tti Knl vnu have the advantage of me. I I " l ortly l.entleman " You ought to lie fa ilinr with my name favage, Savage." "SavaceSav where did I hnr that name, anyway ?" Portly Gentleman" Why you old mullet head, I ran for State Senator only two weeks (J - Rural Politician "O-o.li. VM ! T")id tllM ave your name on the ticket ? " And the stone pavement failed to open and t ihe rortlv centleman Hrnn out nf Clearfield Republican." Nothing in this country or in England, it said, will approach the new dormitory luildings of the University of Pennsylvania, n magnificence. The buildinc will' cover a space of about twenty-five acres, and their entire cost will be $5,000,000. Now the Turks are mad nt us and sav American newspapers must stay out of Tur key. Its nil because some editor presumed to criticise the Armenian massacres in which no doubt the characteristic cruelties of the Turks were well portrayed. The. I'nited States can manage to worry along without catering much to Turkey. If she is able to thrive as a nation by stifling righteous criti cism through the public press, she will do better than any nation we have ever yet heard of that has been afflicted with that foolish idea. It is given as the unofficial oninion of the Attorney-General of Pennsylvania that man and wife cannot be counted as two persons in a charter. An advertiser says to the public in an en :hange, " Have you seen King's china? It simpiy oui oi signi. ' It is claimed that the oft mal marl in very bad shape at present Besides China and Tanan erave and war iiKe trouble is seuiincnown unon Guatemala. Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras and Salvador. In fact ucly war clouds are lowerine Gener ally, and the prospects of war abroad are favorable to nations at peace, since they are generally called upon to keep up the extra ordinary and extravagant requisitions of lood, clothing, ammunition, fix. Never have glasses and spectacles been so much worn. They may be seen on the tini est children. Lots of doctors in cases of continued headache and cranial troubles now send children to nn oculist Eye strain and irritability of temper are also frequently associated, it is said, and some persons with tumultuous tempers have been made as gen tle as doves by the prescription of a good pair ot spectacles. Harry Allen Locke, a New Tersev lawyer. has finally locked himself up in jail through nil uyvi iiiuuiCIlie III WCUJUCK. un W1IC No. I and No 2 appearing against him at the same time he is in a bad hx. Jev. ur. swine's earthly possessions amounting to about !ySo,ooo makes it clear that something can be earned at preaching mat is it me disposition, location and abili ty are not wanting. Rev. Pr. Buck, an Evancelical preacher wnose past recoru stands in the way ot pre sent sympathy from the piously inclined. was recently convicted in the criminal court of Baltimore for obtaining money under false pretences. Though said to be vener able looking his acts don't fully comport with his looks, inasmuch as this is said to be the third time the doctor has reached jail for the same offence. Lung Sang sang not lone in Bloomsbure His "washee" business met with too much foreign and American competition to thrive, and a recent black eye indicated that he could get all the war he wanted without hunting for victorious Japanese or leaving the land of the free. Now Russia would like to know what Japan means by refusing China's peace pro posals, and 'she thinks it incumbent upon other powers to demand explanation as to japan s Ultimate objects. The are some obstacles that even a well organized and expert foot-ball team can't well get over and live such, for instance, as a train of cars striking them unawares. They appear to be equal to almost any other emergency. Miss Stevenson, the Vice-Presidents daughter who was recently pronounced as Deyona nope ot recovery trom her ailments, is now said to be improving. In Budapesth they ore still pestered with wolves. A recent dispatch says that a wed ding party ( or at least thirteen of them ) were torn to pieces and devoured by these ravenous beasts net long ago while returning to their homes Irom the village of 1 lidos. The survivors made their way to the nearest village and a relief party was at once organ ized. Proceeding immediately to the scene of slaughter they found nothing but scattered fragments ot flesh, bones and clothing. Japan recently raid in gold, cash down 1,000,000 for the celebrated warship and cruiser jismeraiua. Mie bought her of Chili indirectly, or through Ecuador. If China pays Japan the many millions she ex acts as war ine'emnity, she can fix up a right formidable navy without exhausting ner war earnings. Japan is making money. Lee Gom Yeum is in jaillbecause of th recent sudden dcaih of Lee Hung Ouong, 1 fellow companion and countryman with whom he quarreled about the root of evil in the City of Xsrotherly Love. Yeum adn.i'.ted shooting Ouong, but as sertcd that he did it in self-defense, as (Juong had drawn a knile on him. Out in Fargo, North Dakota, Aaron Hirschfield sought divorce. But the court decreed his fastness. And he didn't get it, of course. Mr. Hirschfield has a million. and he also has an heir (in the land of Hiawatha) and she's said to be. quite fair Children Cr for Pitcher's Castorla. If saving hall your money is attraction. If buying where it's crowded is attraction. If seeing thousands of Suits is attraction. If seeing thousands of Overcoats' is attraction. You'll get your fill of it in this store at this very time. Some days thousands of buyers. Every day hundreds of them. Everybody of the one mind Good Clothes never cost so little. The like of it never known in the life time of any of us. Take advantage of it get one of these $5 or $6.75 Suits. Take advantage of it get one of these $5 or $6.50 Overcoats. It's just saving half your money, you know. They're All Wool, same as you've always got for $10 or $12. You'll see the Suits and Overcoats at these prices by the thousands. The Finest just as much lower than old prices. Prices all the way Dress Suits beginning at $12 worth $16.50 Prices for very best Dress Suits, the finest, worth $28 now $20 You'll be sorry if you don't get one'of the $5 Ulster Overcoats. You'll be sorry if you don't get one of the $5 Ulster Overcoats. Shan't describe it much. Imagine yourself just shut in from the greatest crossroads or Winter night blast warm, snug, full of warmth all for Five Dollar bill. It's the astonishment of everybody who sees the Ulster. Now's the time to clothe your boy on same terms: The Small Boy's All Wool Suit $3: the Largest Boy, $5. Beautiful Overcoats for Big Boys, $6.50: Small, $4. You're wondering why it's so. Well you've heard of Partners' Interest to be settled. Means selling a Million Dollars' Clothing. Not withstanding Low Prices we pay Railroad Fare Where reasonable amount of goods is purchased. Don't forget It Rail road expense saved. WANAKV3AKER & BROWN SIXTH i MARKET PHILADELPHIA TOWN TOPICS, I7ie Journal of SocUty, (3 PAGES.) KEW YORK. (THURSDAY.) Is universally recognised M tn most eomptet r-ekly Journal In the world. II. ''Sauntvrlim " columns are Inimitable. Its toelvtT nrw enprctallr of the doing of th. 400 of New York, Boilim, fhlladrlpbla, Chicago, and all oter th world, I. not equalled by any new. paper. in r luftueiiu vrp.rtuiriit I. auiournr WHO. all tunker and broker.. Its "Literary bnw" note, on current literature la bjr the cleverest ot re viewer. IU "Afield and Afloat" makes It the moftt Interesting paper for all lover, of sport viu'tittng, football, rowing, shooting, fishing, etc. It " On the Turf " exoel. all other racing note.. It burlesque, poems and Joke are the clerere.t. It stories are by the ht writer among them Amelia Hives, F. Marlon Crawford. Julian Hawthorne, Edgar Kawcrtt, Gilbert Parker, Mary J. Hawker ("Lauoa Knlconer"). Barry Pain. Paul Bourget. Rudyard Klpltng, Ambrose lllerce, etc etc., and are, even If a trifle rlpque, yet alway clever, bright and pretty, without cooraeneK or anything to otTend the mnt reikned and moral woman. In addition to all tills of some uiuu eminent in hi walk of life. Tales From Town Topics Ouartrlv. first da of March. J tin a. Rpnfmhir tet.'f miter; 2.6 iagei; 1'ino, Contain tu each number. In addition to short tnrli-t, pornm. tmr .ensile, etc., from the ld inue of Town Topics, a Conipletf , original prtxe story of lVO to 150 page. No one who enjoys the hits host class of fiction, ana oiud be auctmrani with all thai oertalns to un,A society, can afford to he without Town Tones every week. Therein ho much Interesting; reading In it ami In the " Tales,' that a club subscription toU.th will uly any family with abundant reading wf the most euivrl&iulug character all the year. RATESi Town Tonics per annum. &4.00. A trial aiibscrin. tlon for three months, 81.00, and a specimen copy of "Tales" Free. Tales From Town Topics, per number, SO cents. Per annum, $.'.00. lloth 4 luhlird, per annum, 05.0(1, and any two previous Kumtters of "Talea" you nitty sjec If y Frke, I rr tena iu cents ior sampio copy town jorics. KB. -Have Ton read AM KIR RIVF.K1 lateil and best novel, Tanis, The Sang -Digger? l?mo, cloth, gilt, uncut front and foot, post paid. Hemtt br check, P. O. money order, postal note ot tjeutereU letter to TOW TOPICS, SI West 33d Street. Vw York. CHATTERBOX THE KING OF JUVENILES. been mad. ior young peopl. which compare in valu, or hat had one-tenth th sale ol this gnat annual Million of copies have been old. Th new volum for i&x-k i just ready, and has over 100 large and mu-efy new picture., everal new stories, (each a book in iticll), and hundred, of short storir., anecdotes, etc. Th best Xma pre.cn t pouibl for boys and girls oi all age. Order from your bookicUev or of us, ESTES & LAUR1AT, Publlstiers. Bostoi. 1 J. 14-3. THOMAS GORREY CONTRACTOR AND BUILDER Plans and Estimates on all kinds of buildings. Repairing and carpenter work promptly attended to. hn ia Builder's ki:i Inside Hrrdwood finishes a specialty. Persons ofliinited means w' o desire to build can pay pan. and secure balance by mortgage. iry Oiteke.ter. ch niamaed Brand. Pennyroyal pills tsjT7v 4rttflr.nl aud Only Gunnlnu. A L IV tv.'-till L 0 mi l mm at, insoa r' iiski ic. laoic., ItrufgUl for fijrrr Ayst l ff LA mond Brand to Ked iud i,.AJ u'JlltV- boi, aiod with tiu riMwa. T it-La Jandd ' tWnj a J imitutHm. At lritf,;iu, or vo4 4tt lu uuu. fur irt1ettlisj, uauiuuuult ui tieLWf fur I.utl I , in Uusr. 4 rrt ra JssiL 1A.OOO TrauiuooltU. J'.i m. tTfelrhMtor 4 kulMltltU la.. ml I Mil HouMh, DR. E. GREWER, The Philadelphia Specialist, And his aasoclatid staff ot English and German i-uysicianB, are now permanently located at OLD POST-OFFICE BLDG., Scranton, Pa. The Doctor Is a graduate of the University ' of Pennsylvania, formerly demonstrator ol physiology and surgery at the Aledlco-chlrure-leal college, of 1'hlludeltihlit. Ills specialties are chronic Nervous, rkln Heart, omb and Blood discuses. DISEASES OF THE XEUVOUS SYSTEM. The symptoms of which are dizziness, lack of confidence, sex ual weakness In men aud women, ball rising- In throat, spots Homing belore the eyes, loss of memory, unable to concentrate the mind on one subject, easily startled when suddenly cpoken to, and dull, distressed mind, which unfits them for lienormlug the actuul duties of life, uiukliiff happiness Impossible; distressing the anion oi the heart, cuuslng flush of heat, depression of spirits, evil fore bodings, cow ardlce, tear, dreams, melancholy, tire easy of company, feeling as tired in the morning as when retiring, lack of energy, nervousness, trembling, confusion of thought, depression, cousttpaiiou, weakness oi the limbs etc. Those so aOected should consult um im mediately aud be restored to perfect health, LOST MANHOOD RESTORED, Weakness of Young Men Cured. If you have been given up by your physician, call upon the doctor aud be examined, lie cures the worst cases of Nervous Debility. Scrofula, Old bores. Catarrh, Hies, Ftmalo Weakness, A flections of the Ear, Eye, Nose and Throat, Asthma. Deafness, Tumors, Cancers, and Cripples of every dcci iptlou. Consultation in English and (ierman free, which shall be considered sacred and strictly confidential Consultations free aud strictly sacred and oniee hours from 9 a. m. to p m. r-uuday l Enclose five ts-oent Rtnmps for symptom blanks and my book called ".New Life." 1 will pay one thousand dollars in gold to 'KNTi-uTossVmlf curB 01 J. R. Smith &Co. LIMITED. 5-18-ly. DR.r.,GKKWKH) OLD POhTEf lCK WILDING, bcruntuu, fa. PATENTS Caveats and Trade Marks obtained, and al Patent business conducted for MuDEUATB Ol'K OFFIC E IS OPPOSITE TUB V. 8. PAT. F.NT OFFICE. We have no sub-agencies, all business direct, hence can transact patent bual ness in less time and at Less Cost than those ro mote rroiu Washington. Hend model, drawing or photo, with descrlu tlon. We advise If patentable or not, free o Charge. Our fee not due till patent is secured A book, "How to Obtain Patents," with refer ences to actual clients lu your btute.County, oi town, sent free. Address " ' C. A. SNOW 4 CO,, Washington, D. 0 (Opposite U. 8 Patent oaioe.) i""" -PILLS Cleanse the Bowels and Purify the Bloodl f re t,la"bl. pyn ery and Dyspepsia, n: give healthy action to the eutira ey.teiu. M8-II.-N. C MILTON, Pa., PIANOS. Br the following well-known makers : Ciiickcringf, Knabe, Weber, Hallet & Davis. Can also furnish any of the cheaper makes at manufact urers' prices. Do not buy piano before getting our prices. .o. Catalogue and Price Lists On application. di(owf G)s$, rhe Best Burning Oil That Can te Made From Petroleum. It gives a brillianl light. It will not smoke the chimneys. It will not char the wick. It has a high fire test. It will not explode. It is pre-eminently a family safety oil. We Challtr.ge Comparison with any other illuminating oil nude. , "We stake our Reputation, as Refiners upon the statement that it is The Best Oil IN THE WORLD. ASK YOUR DEALER FOR. Crown - Acme I:: Atlantic hhiii Si BLOOMSBURG STATION', 111 DCMSl 1 1 c, TA rnairn nmi Best In the World! Get the Genuine ! Sold Everywhere! grease
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers