CHRISTMAS ~ "** J\/ «nr r WASN'T a very big I|| belfry, but roomy ll r be"l? ÜBh f ° r the '«-j ' v <fllk For it swung way out to the breezes when It hed any thin' ter tell. An' often tt seemed ter sing for me, when I pulled ther worn old rope, A soundin' some holy message that was full uv blessed hope, An' Its tones was sweet an" soft like as a woman's when she tries To hush the wee ones cuddltn' down, an close their sleepy eyes. Yes! Tender as some soft lullaby that mother used to sing. 'Twould make er boy uv me again, to hear the ol' bell ring. On Christmas we wuz wedded, an' 'twas then the bell was hung. ] recollect how full uv Joy tt sounded when It rung. So many things It said to us so clear an' sweet an' strong. J.lke er heavenly benediction on our path way all er-long; An' Susan whispered soft, "Amen!" cz If 'twas sayin' er grace. Smilin' so sweet up in my eyes as the snow flakes kissed her face An' "peace on earth, good will to men." the echoes seemed to bring, Just like the song ef Bethlehem, to hear the ol' bell ring. The golden cross a-shlnin' on the steeple up so high Was like a holy finger polntin' upward toward the sky: An' one by one the stars peeped out, a gleamlu' through the night, Kz though Almighty meant each man to hev er beacon light. Ther belfry tower seemed hallowed, as a place midway between The earth below an' heaven above, where angels come unseen; An' when they whispered to it the secrets that they bring 1 polled ther rope, and what they spoke I heered the ol' bell ring. An' so through all the passin' years a friend without alloy, l! shared with me my burdens, my sorrows an' my joy; Alinos' a living thing It seemed, a-swlng ln' to and fro, With rnt a-pullin' on the rope an' stand in' Jest below: An' such a heap uv comfort then it sound ed to me there. 1 hed to climb up every night the little windin' stair, Jest so that I might tech it; and, oh! It seemed to bring Me purty nigh to Heaven, to hear the ol' bell ring. Walter S. Stranahan, In Chicago News. W&s~ FTP/STMAS, srsr , K \ 01 v pa't ridge !' V huntin', be ye'.'" 1 lira in Hull asked 'i&mM r ' s ' u ' i )ourot ' four pounds of .No. 0 shot from tlic scoop of the scales into one of the conical packages that our shot used to be done up in by storekeep ers before the era of paper bags. "Well, no. not exactly hunting," I an swered with the view to the possible need of excuses for an empty bag. "I'm going over to Hradley's to spend Christ - mas. and didn't know but 1 might see u pa'tridge.' It would have been "stuck up" to call our best game bird "part ridge." and no one would have recog nized it under the name of "rutted giouse." "You hain't goin' to hoof it over th, maoiintainlie asked, with the end 1-'.' the string between his teeth as he wound the package with a frugal al lowance of packthread. 1 nodded an atlirmation while 1 silently admired his thrifty habit of putting the few spilled pellets into the box of unsold shot. "W'al, then, je'd better let nie put ye up a paouud or two o' buckshot." "No, sir," 1 said, in a tone expressive of reproof for the suggestion. "I've no use for buckshot this time of year." for the close time for deer began with the month. "Of course not, but you'd want some thing bigger'n number sixes if the wolves got after ye." said Hiram, mak ing a persuasive dip into the box of buckshot. "Wolves," said I. contemptuously; "why. there hain't been a wolf around here for ?n years." "W'al. there is. naow. a pack o' seven, anyway, an' mebhy more. Why. hain't you heard? Amos Marker seen 'em full tilt after a deer an' counted 'em, seven of 'em. His man at was helpin' of him 011 his coalin' job said there was 1 'I, but Amos reckoned he sec double or caounted some of 'em twice, an' there's lots o' folks 'at 's heard 'em. There's wolves ha'nlin' the maoiintain, you may depend. Better le' me weigh you about a couple o' paound." "No. I guess it won't pay to carry any extra weigh♦ on that chance." I said, admiring the storekeeper's cunning at tempt to sell me something I did not want "llut you may put up that small 101 land that Jack-in-the-box for me. They're light and they'll tickle Billy's two little shavers. Then put up a half •dozen crackers and a bit of cheese for lunch, fill my tobacco box, and let me have an extra pipe, and I'll be oil. 1 want to make the trip by daylight." "I hope ye w ill. I ra'lydo. I wouldn't want to have you get ketched in the dark on the maountain. So you're goln* right over to Bradley's. be ye?" he con tinued. as he shuffled about behind the counter to put up the articles for tne, I and then began rummaging in a drawer of odds and ends. "Now. I wonder if you wouldn't jest ns lives take him a pair o bullet molds at Aaron Clark left here for him. last spring. 1 guess it was. Hiram found the moldjs after a short search, and, slipping them into my pocket with the other articles, 1 re tired to my bachelor quarters over Miss Diantlia Gridley's tailor shop, where, after transferring the shot to a spring top pouch, and tilling my flask with better powder than Hiram sold, and ex changing my leather boots for a pair of sheepskin boots tanned with the wool on, which were then the most ap proved winter footgear, with my double gun on my shoulder to lighten my steps, I set forth on the ten-mile tramp Crossing the little river that turned the mills and forge of our village, and following the road as far as it ran in my direction, 1 held across the tiekls to the woods, before entering which J set my compass for my intended course. When the backbone of the mountain was reached and my journey half ac complished. I had but one partridge, but there was a chance of more in the stretch of forest that lay before me, partial glimpses of which I now had through the stunted oaks, and pinesthat scantily clad the rocky ridge. The weather was exceedingly miid for the season, a circumstance which proved very fortunate for me. and as 1 was quile comfortable in the warmtli of the low midday sun. 1 gave my legs a good rest while 1 ate my lunch and lazily smoked and dreamed in the midst of the quietude. There was not a sound to be heard above the constant murmur of the pine.? and the occasional rustle of an unfallen leaf withered, nor was a living thing to be seen but a mite of a winter wren ex ploring the intricacies of a fallen tree top. and a few flies that were buzzing about the sunny side of a tree trunk. As I began rny way down the moun tain a glance at the sun showed me we were likely to part company before my journey was ended. Half a mile fur ther on, in an old charcoal clearing, I Hushed a partridge, at which 1 took a snapshot that knocked a cloud of feath ers out of the bird without retarding its flight; but I was sure it was hard nit. and began a diligent search where it had disappeared at ttle edge of the cl wiring. Looking the ground over carefully, step by step, i had gone much further than one who does not know how far a mortally wounded grouse can fly would think it of any use to search, when I heard, far behind me. what I took to h; the piteous howl of a lost hound. I was wishing the poor fellow rnigh* find my track and come 1171 10 me, when the long-drawn, plaintive wail was re peated at a point so distant from the first that it was evident it could not have been uttered by the same animal, and presently it was taken up at an other distant point. Still groping over the ground in search of the dead bird, T wondered at so many hounds gone astray I I THE LEADERS OK THE PACK WERE BENEATH ME. (hat day, when, just as } found my bird lying belly up, stone dead, 1 also came upon something tliut gave ine a start ]in <r enlightenment. The fallen leaves and the soil were torn and furrowed and stones atij patches of moss were overturned, in evidence of a desperate struggle, the result of which was plainly shown by the antlcred slviill and scattered bones of a deer and a mat of coarse gray hair trodden into the mold. Hiram's wolves were no harmles.- creatures of the imagination, but sav age realities, and a chill ran down my bael< as I realized the probability that the pack was now rallying on my trail 1 did not doubt that I had heard their voices. 1 took my bearingsand went forward at my best pace with far less thought of hunting than the fear of being hunt ed. Thus I went on for half an hour hearing nothing but the snapping o? twigs and swish of branches made by my own rapid progress, till a clamor of jays broke out 40 rods in my rear As it drew near it was mingled wi'h the rustle and patter of many swift feet. I was near the crest of one ofth j ledges that ridge crosswise the Ion;; westerly incline of the mountainside and, looking liackvvaril down the slope. I saw two wolves break through the undergrowth of whortleberry bushes and bad glimpses of others behind them. My nexl look was for a tree tlint could be climbed, and 1 was fortunate in discovering one clos? at hand n low branching one of more than two feet GAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1898. in diameter at the base of the trunk, which for ten feet up to the whorls of sturdy greeu boughs bristled with stubs of dead limbs that made con venient steps. My gun was of German make, rigged with a sling, which till now 1 had al ways thought a useless appurtenance, but in this emergency it proved quite otherwise, when by slinging the gun over my bock I got up, easily ai d quickly. None too quickly, for in two minutes the leaders of the pack were beneath me, and glaring up at me with cruel, hungry eyes, having evidently seen my ascent, for they were not a; fault a moment. Others came till there were seven in all, some circling about the tree, some sitting on their haunches and trending impatiently with their forefeet, like a dog waiting for a choice morsel, and licking their slavering chops; some gnawed at the trunk or made prodigi ous leaps at the lower branches. I climbed to a secure and comfortable »eat on a limb 20 feet from the ground, and, after getting my breath, and my nerves were a little settled, 1 tried the effect of a charge of No. 0 on one of the besiegers, as i got a tolerable fair aim at his uplifted muzzle through an open ing. There was a yelp of surprise and pain, followed by a general commo tion among the crew, and when th*? smoke had lifted above me 1 caught glimpses of the stung brute clawing his head with alternate forepaws. I fired several times as opportunity offered, but desisted when it became evident that instead of driving off my assailants the sting of the small sho! made them the more savagely persist ent. I tried slugging the shot in a cart ridge made of a bit of the lining of my coat, but it amounted to nothing. Be wailing the incredulity which had made me refuse the buckshot, I was &.t my w it's end how to raise the siege. Perhaps my supply of provisions would last till the enemy was starved out, if the weather did not turn coUl and freeze me on my roost, which was a prospect less agreeable than that of subsisting on raw partridge flesh. Then it occurred to me to climb to the top and see if there was any chance of making alarm shots heard down in the settlements. Slinging my gun I began the ascent. But ten feet further up the pine came to an end. for there the whole top was broken off just above a vfliorl of stout branches onto which I climbed, but could get no outlook through the tree tops. I filled and lighted my pipe, and. chancing to throw the unextinguished match onto the stub, which was broken about square across, and was at least a foot in diameter, it ignited a handful of dry pine needles that alighted there. The flame lasted but a moment, yet long enough to suggest the idea that fire enough might be built here to roast small bits of the partridge, and close upon this followed another* which gave me hope of deliverance. There was the bullet mold in my pocket, and if I could but manage to turn my paltry shot into a dozen good solid balls I would soon rid myself of the wolves. As I was refilling my pipe with a view of stimulating invention my tobacco box gave me a clew to a solution of the problem. It was an old fashioned steel box with a hinged cover and square corners that would serve as a spout to pour melted lead from. I transferred the tobacco to a pocket, made a cut of a small green limb firmly onto the open cover for a handle, and had what promised to be a serviceable smelting ladle. Th";u, reaching out, 1 gathered some dry twigs and bits of branches, and 1 soon had a small fire burning in the center of the stub. When it was well going I held the im provised ladle, with a couple ounces of shot in it. over the hottest place, and, after some patient waiting, had the satisfaction of seeing the separate pel lets become a little puddle of molten lead. I managed to pour most of it into the mold and got three good bul lets the first smelting, but lost one. which fell to the ground. Better luck attended three more suc cessive trials, which gave me 13 bullets, making 15 in all. which I thought might answer n:y purpose, and I whipped ol't the fire with ii grern branch. It was now near sundown, so there was no time to be lost if I was to get nway by daylight. The bullets were much too email fox the bore of my gun, therefore 1 put two in each barrel, with a light charge of shot, and descended to the lower branch, where I seated myself upon tb# one where I could get the clearest vi' tr of the ground. The wolves greeted my reappear ance with a chorus of savage yelps as they gathered eagerly beneath roe. snapping and snarling, each struggling for the nearest place that he might be first at the expected feast. One grizzled old fellow, the patriarch of the tribe, who had curled himself up in the fallen treetop, to bide 1113' downfall, now had his philosophical patience overcome and limped forth from his lair, sneak ing around the outskirts of the crowd with his hungry eyes constantly upon me. The largest and strongest of the pack kept the position directly under me, now springing upward more than his length, then tumbling back upon his mates that crowded beneath him, now standing upright on his hinder feet and pawing the air and snapping his fanged jaws viciously. While be was in this posture I fired one barrel straight into his mouth. The recoil almost unseated me, but I recovered myself with no greater mis hap than losing the toys out of my pocket. The big wolf made no motion but to sink in a lifeless heap with the back of his head blown out. The others scattered a little, but presently re turned, sniffing at their dead comrade and lapping his blood. I'oor Dolly got a cruel bite from one that spoiled her beauty forever. Another nosing jack in-the-box unhooked the lid, whereup on the little imp filliped his snout, and 1 could not help laughing at the fright il gave the great cowardly brute. 1 fired the second barrel at the old grandfather as he warily skulked past, beyond the others, and the charge broke his back, lie writhed about, bit ing the wound a moment, and then, dragging his paralyzed hinder parts, crawled out of sight. The others were getting somewhat shy, but plucked up courage during the cessation of hostili ties, while I reloaded, am] then came close under me again. A third shot killed one nearly out right, and the fourth broke the shouldt" of another as he ran. He retreated tt a safe distance and amused himself with his wound, while the unhurt sur vivors stood off, now regarding curious ly their dead and wounded companions, now me, with growing respect, and evi dently doubting whether it was worth their while to continue any longer in my neighborhood. When my gun was reloaded I settled the question for them with two shots. The first one bore such a hole in the belly of one that his entrails dragged ui>on the ground, and the second stung another so sharply that he stood not 011 the order of his going, but made off in all speed in company with his un scathed ccmrade, while the fellow with the broken shoulder hobbled after them, and the other ]*Sor wretch tried to follow them, turning now and again to bite his own entrails, entangling his feet and catching on st übs and stones. Evening was already deepening the forest shadows, and 1 had little time to spare in mercy to the merciless brute, but when I got to the ground I hastily loaded my gun and finished him with a shot in the head. Then, picking up the toys and taking my course by the compass and the even ing star, 1 held forward at such speed as the rough and darkening way would permit. Fortunately, the almont full rt.oon was well up in the clear sky. and I had little diflieulty in finding my way down the mountain and reached Brad ley's before their early bedtime. Little Molly Bradley prized the doll all the more for the scars which proved her hairbreadth escape, and her brother looked upon the jack-in-the-box that had scared a wolf as a hero as doughty as Jack the (iiant Killer. Their father seemed to doubt my story till I led him to the scene of my adventure the next morning, and showed him the four wolves, for we found the broken-backed patriarch af ter n feliort search. When we returned with the pelts the Christmas dinner was ready for us, no mean part of it being the partridges, much more nicely cooked by Mrs. Brad ley than I could have done it on the tree stump had I been obliged to. When I went home the next day there was a full pouch of buckshot in my pocket, but 1 found no use for it. — How land liobinson, in Chicago Inter Oceau CHRISTMAS CATECHISM. Do you see the boy? I see the boy. Do you see the boy's glad smile* I see the boy's glad smile. Why does the boy seem so happy® , The boy has just made out a Itsi ot « hat he wants Ran ta Clank to bring L.im and given it to papa. Can you pick out the boy's papa? , You bet I can. How can you pick him out? By his sad and sorrowful face.—-Ch! eago Post. 1 LIKES MARRIED LIFE Matrimony Has Not Proved a Fail ure for Mrs. Smith. UlMiiorl Woman, ThoitKh Only Fifty- Five Year* Old, HUM Had Seven II uxliaiiilH—l lulled Willi Her Venture*. Mrs. B. I). Smith, of Ilumansville, Mo., asserts that marriage is not a failure, She ought to know, as she lias been married seven times. Despite tier 55 years Mrs. Smith is still youth f 111 and handsome. She has lately mar ried again, and the newly wedded cou ple are living in a little cottage owned by Mrs. Smith's aged mother. "I have often thought," said Mrs. Smith to a Chicago Inter Ocean report er. "that I could forever set at rest that old. old problem: 'ls marriage a fail ure?' I would most, positively assert that it is not a failure. I have had seven husbands and buried five of them. One ran away with another woman, the other, Brother Smith, will be at heme in a moment; he is out attending to the cow now. "Tell you something about my life? Well, there is not much to tell, but I'll try it.l am a little confused about dales. You see, I had so many lius-. bands and so many things happened that 1 can hardly be very exact, "1 have known Brother Smith—you see, I call him brother from force of habit—all my life. Ite was and is my pastor. I low long was he engaged to me? Why, bless your soul, one day. We knew each other all our life —all my life, 1 mean. Jle came over to see me Sunday night and we talked it up. We were married on Tuesday. "My seven husbands were all en gaged but a short time, and I now have —let me see—lo or 18 stepchildren. And they all love me. Whenever they arc married I give them a wedding din ner and set them up in housekeeping. Jfhere are three sets of them, too. I They coine to see me, and whenever my husbands die they always offer me a home. "I knew my first husband, Mr. Vice, i-q year, Mr. Milligan six months. Mr. "YOU'RE FIVK MJNUTKS LATE." De Priest 1 knew 18 months, but we were engaged only three weeks. Mr. Crozier 1 knew four years and was tn gaged to him but two months. -Wr. Dougherty I knew a week. ".Neff 1 knew nine months, but we sparked only three mouths. We lived together only six months. "Yes, I have had a good many offers, but I always know what I'm doing, and when I make up my mind. I don't believe in delay. I just go ahead and get the thing over with. You see, Neff turned out bad, but it wasn't my fault. I made him a good wife." Mrs. Smith was born in Caldwell county. Miss., November 12, 1843, and raised in Harrison county. At the age of 15 years she married George 11. Vice, December 25. 1858. They lived together live years, when he was killed while on picket guard as the first sergeant of troop M, First Arkansas cavalry. They had one child, now Mrs. Sam White, also living with her second husband, and who has several children—two </f them married. In less than a year, on October 10, 1804, she married William De l'riest. They had two children, both boys, Al len and Albert, and after six years of married life De l'riest died of spinal ♦rouble. Her in t husband was Francis Mil ligan, and she married him January 13, I*7o. They had two children, a boy and a girl, both living. Milligan died of typhoid fever October 27, 1883. She became Mrs. James NefE April 3, 1886, and, as told, her husband dis appeared six months later. She se cured a divorce in 1887 at Bolivar, Mo., and the same day married Jacob Crozier. A peculiar fact about her marriage to Neff was that she was at the same time engaged to marry a man named Doyle, who lives near Ilumansville. She set the day, April 3, and made up her mind to marry whoever came first. Neff was the lucky man, and just as the min ister, her present husband.pronounced them man and wife Doyle rushed up, breathless, with the license in his hand. Neff laughed aloud, and the new Mrs. Neff smiled as she said: "You're just five minutes too late." She has been sorry ever since she didn't take Doyle. He is living in St. Clair county. Mo., now, is wealthy an 4 has got over his disappointment. Statistic* About .tndKeN. Massachusetls is th<» only state In the union in which the judges are appoint ed to'hold their office during good be hnvior. There are seven states in which ; the judges are appointed by the govern or, by and with the advice and consent of the senate or of the council, five in I which they are elected by the legisla- J ture, and 33 in which they ure elected i by the people. WISE BROOKLYN DOG. Jack Known the Time of Day and lluHtle* for III* Meal* Systematic all)' »i nil Cleverly. Jack of Cummings' mill is inscribed as a remarkable dog. Cummings' mill is in eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, ami Jack was born there while the saws vere buzzing and the big wheels were revolving. He is half mastilV, half water spaniel, and is a very handsome ani mal. His extraordinary intelligence is displayed in many ways, but iis greatest development is manifested in the procuring of three square meals per diem for Jack, except on Sunday, when he is content with two. As Jack rf; Jj)/ BREAKFAST, ' A M JACK. Ir onlj- 14 months old, great things ar* expected of him in future. lie is of no expense whatever to Mr. Cummings, the mill owner. lie hustles for him self and does it systematically and suc cessfully. The moment the mill engine begins to whistle at seven o'clock in the morning Jack gets up, gives himself a shake, emits one short yelp and trots ofF to the house of Mrs. Moss, who lives three or four doors from the mill. Ar rived there, he seats himself and gazes earnestly at th« gate as if awaiting a. coming event. lie is seldom disappoint ed, for usually in less than a minute Mrs. Moses emerges from the rear of the house with a basket of bones w hieh are soon cracking between Jack's splen did white teeth. At noon the whistle sounds once more arid this time Jack hies him to the house of Mr. Burger, an old grand army man. but he does not stop outside the gate. He enters and scratches at the back door until dtily served with his noontide meal. At six o'clock he sallies forth for the third time and descends to the cel lar of Mrs. Norton's house, three blocks away, where he finds a plate of good things prepared for him. And now comes the most extraordi rary phase of Jack's intellectual char acter. The mill whistle does not blow on Sunday, and yet at just after seven, as usual, he is in front of Mrs. Moss* gate with the usual expectancy in his tye. Only on Sunday, so it is solemnly declared, he never yelps. And, again, as it is the war veteran's custom to take only two meals on Sun day, breakfast and a six o'clock din ner, Jack never gives him a call on that clay, but is on time at Mrs. Norton's at five o'clock, when she partakes of her Sunday evening meal, her week day din ner being at six p. m. Now. as Jack does not carry a watch, the question naturally arises, how does he know the time, even to the minute? Of course lie is aware it is Sunday, see iiiig that the whistle doesn't blew, also that 011 the Sabbath Mr. Burger has no meal at noon while Mrs. Norton's din ner is at five instead of six o'clock, but how does he know that it i; five o'clock? ROSES AS WEAPONS. Flrxt llruKKi'd lilt Victim* mill Then Kolilicil Tlieni of Their Money anil Valuable*. A man and his two sisters were re cently made t lie victims of a thief whose weapons were only roses. They were seated in a railway car traveling through Germany when at one of the stops an elegautly dressed, THEPOLITE STRANGER. thickly veiled woman entered the car riage. carrying a superb bouquet of roses. When the train started the stranger dropped her roses. He picked them up for her, and, thanking him chartying ly, she asked him to keep one. Then, turning to his companions, she gra ciously offered each of them a fo v of the flowers. Naturally the courtesy was accepted, tind the next thing of which the trav elers were conscious was that the train had arrived sit Berlin; that their veiled companion had disappeaied and that nil of their money and valuables hail gone with her. Of course, the roses had been drugged. The police have discovered that tt.e "riniimil is a young man.and that he lias conducted a number of daring rob beries in similar fashion. One must admit that it is the refine ment of robbery, and, if one must tie robbed at all, the rose method is pref trable 10 sandbagging or garroting.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers