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.