ANEW YEAR BECEPTION Wf *r J9r TO THE BttITKM ®KH MJUSE IBS HEW ffiELEAHS I have heard my grandfather tell time and time again of the reception which Gen. Jackson gave to the British on Xew Year's day in tho year of grace 1815, and believe I can write it down exactly as he repeated it to me, for he was there, taking a very active part In the ceremonies, if the reports of his superior officers are entitled to credit —as of course they are. You must know first of the situation at New Orleans on the dawning of this New Year's day, and that can bo told In fow words. General Jackson had on Christmvj day 4,000 men, 20 pieces of artillery, and two armed schooners with which to defend the city; and the defense of New Orleans meant the defense of the state of Louisiana and the entire Mississippi valley. The whole British army consisted of 7,000 land troops, wilh a lieet numbering more than 50 vessels of all sizes and rigs, not a few of which were well armed. Two days after Christmas the enemy had succeeded in destroying one of Gen. Jackson's vessels, the schooner Caroline, thus leaving him only the schooner Louisiana, and 24 hours later a battle was fought in which the Amer-. leans gained a slight advantage. Our people had thrown up a breast work three feet, in height along the entire front of the army, and now the British built three "half moon" batter ies, at equal distances apart, about COO yards from Jackson's line, arming them with 30 heavy guns, which had been brought up from the fleet. These batteries were formed of earth, hogs heads of sugar, and, in fact, of every thing which it was supposed would offer resistance to the missiles of the Americans. Then came New Year's morning, when both armies were hidden under a dense fog which did not lift until nearly eight o'clock; but as soon as It was possible to see surrounding ob jects the British opened fire from their batteries, and it seemed much as If every gunner aimed at the house in ■ ■which was Gen. Jacksjn's headquar ters. In less than ten minutes the building had been struck by more than a hundred shot and shell, and the com mander-in-chief, with his staff, was forced to seek some other place from •which to direct the troops in the battle then just beginning. American Fire Effective. As a matter of course, the American guns had not been silent while the enemy was pouring into the city such a shower of iron. The 20 cannon, ■which had been mounted at different points along the line of breastworks, were opened on the British batteries on the levee, and those in front of our position, until the enemy began to un derstand that hogsheads of sugar of fered a poor resistance to a solid shot, for immediately one was knocked into splinters its contents ran out, thereby making big breaches in the works. When this battle of the guns had continued for an hour or more, with the American lines comparatively un harmed and the enemy's batteries showing here and there great gaps which told that they would be speed ily demolished unless there was a change in the method of fighting, the British made a determined attack on the left of Gen. Jackson's line, which extended into the swamp, and my grandfather was among those sent for ward to meet it. And now to tell the story from my grandfather's own lips, as it were; "When Coffee's Tennessee regiment, of which I was a member, gained that portion of our line which the British were threatening, they were advanc ing on the charge, most likely thinking to frighten us by that long line of glis tening steel bayonets; but we had gone there for just suchskind of work, and I venture to say that never one of us showed the white feather. "We poured into their ranks a show er of lead which cut many a wide gap, but tho Britishers only closed up the line, coming forward like a machine, and showing us that Americans were not the only ones who knew how to die at such a time. "Well, for a few moments they actu ally overran us with that line of steel points, and, having once discharged our weapons, we had no chance to re load. The only thing for us, wh« did not intend to be put out of the fight until it couldn't be helped, was to grap ple with that red coated machine, for we couldn't get near enough, owing to the bayonets, to strike a decent blow wilh our clubbed muskets. "It was as rough-and-tumble a fight, as I ever saw, even when the com batants were unarmed, and the fact that we clung to them like cats was .what knocked the Britisher's out ©J time, for they, with all their experi encein such business, had never come up against anything like it. Struggle with Big Britisher. "It was my ill luck to get hold of a big Britisher, who was 15 or 20 pounds the heavier, and stood a full head taller; but while he was trying to run me through with his bayonet, I had a chance to get the hold I wanted, and down we went. Again had fortune de serted me, for while falling he so con trived to twist his body that he fell on top, and for a few moments I had quite as much as I could do to keep pumping air into my lungs, owinj la the £TiU> he had on my throat. "Now, it stands to reason that I didn't lay still so's to give him a good chance to choke me to death, .but wig gled the best I knew how, and, thanks to some of the tricks I had learned among the mountains, it was soon pos sible to roll him over. There wasn't enough strength left in my body to keep an upper hold; but over and over we Went until we struck the swamp, and that which I thought would be the death of me proved my advantage. "We had wallowed in the soft mud and water until we must have looked like clay images when I let go my hold to grip him by the head, and, putting forth every ounce of muscle, managed to so far turn it that his face was pressed deep into the mud. That took a good bit of the fight out of him, for, of course, he couldn't breathe, and was trying to yell for quarter, when up came some of our boys. "It stands to reason that they couldn't make out which man came from England, and grabbed at the first that came handiest, which just then happened to be me. " 'Come up here, you blasted Brit isher!' the best friend I had in the regiment shouted, as he pulled me back by the collar of my coat, and I wasn't much more than a half drowned kitten in his clutch. "'Let goof me, you idjut!' I yelled as soon as it was possible to get some of the mud out of my mouth. 'Don't you know your own comrade?' "The Britisher wasn't anybody's fool, and, of course, he understood just what a mistake had been made. He came up on his feet like a steel spring, and while my comrades were crowing over having captured one of the enemy, as they supposed, he took to his heels, running like a deer, with the mud falling off of him in flakes until some one saw what kind of a uniform he wore. "In all that squad only a single man had a charge in his gun, and he fired at the fellow, but it was the wildest kind of a snap shot and the bullet went wide, of course. "By the time I had cleared my face of mud the Britisher was out of range, and perhaps I didn't talk the sweetest I knew how to the blundering fellow who had not only lost me a prisoner, but came very near finishing the chok ing which the redcoat had begun. Final Result of Battle. "Then the battle was well nigh over," my grandfather always said at this point in his story, and as to.the result of the engagement he would give me a well worn slip of printed paper, from which I could read the fol lowing: "Toward noon the fire of the British visibly slackened, while that of the Americans was unceasing. The bat teries of the foe were crushed and broken. The sugar hogsheads had been converted into splinters and their contents, mingling with the soft earth, soon lost their volume. The guns not dismounted were careened and worked with great difficulty. "The invaders fled in inglorious haste, helter-skelter, to the ditches, in search of safety, and, under cover of the ensuing night, crawled sullenly back to their camp, dragging with them over the spongy ground a part of their cannon, leaving five of them a spoil for the Americans." In tho fight that day the American loss was 11 killed and 23 wounded, while 20 of the Britishers were found dead on the field, the greater number lying near the swamp where the at tack on our lines had been made, and certain it is that no less than 30 had been disabled. Good Time. "When are you going to ask papa's consent?" "The 2d of January, when he is get ting the bills for your Christmas shop ping."—Houston Post. Some to Spare. "Made any resolutions fer de new year?" "Naw. I got some left from last i'.ear dat I &!p't agvej Judge. - CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1906. Mrs. Bluebeard. 7Ac Story of a New Year'a Resolution. BY IZOLA FORESTER. "Is it antique?" Suzanne trailed her fingers idly over .the piano keys in a little impromptu prelude of troublous chords before she answered the query. "I suppose it is," she said, crossly, "I'm sure I can't tell whether it's real antique or not. It looks old and dusty and is all covered with heavy carving, if you mean that sort of thing. Why, Bess," she turned to tho questioner with sudden energy, "I wouldn't have thought a thing about it if he had, shown it to me or even mentioned it. He told me about everything else in the house, and I'd never have known a j thing about this if I hadn't, told Nora ! to clean out that 'catch all,' as she | calls it, at the turn of the garret stairs. There is a large windowless space over ! the dining-room wing, and it was in I there." "And locked," concluded Bess, posi | tively. "Every drawer. 1 asked Nora how | long it had been there, and she said i it had come with Bob's trunks from ; home, while we were on our honey moon. I'm not a bit curious—" She paused. "Of course not," assented Bess warmly, "or suspicious." "Only interested." Bess nodded her head wisely over the interested sigh. "It is kind of mysterious, Bob's not telling you a word about it, and hiding it iu there out of sight, and then the fact of it being locked shows thtit someone didn't want it opened." As she gave her conclusive point of logic Bess arose. She was pretty and petite, with a decisive tilt to her chin, . and the confidence of 18 in her blue eyes'. "Of course, you'll do as you please, Sue. You always did. But if I had only been married a month and had It Was Bob. found a locked desk in my house that I knew nothing of, I know what I'd do." Young Mrs. Sheldon left the piano •with an impatient movement. She was tall and slender beside her sister, and the indefinable charm of a bride was visible in her dainty negligee toil ette of white crepon. "I believe absolutely in Bob," she declared. Bess raised her eyebrows and smiled mischievously. "Of course you do. It may be only some old love letters or souvenirs that he doesn't care to part with. Do you remember Adelaide Gifford?" "That was two years ago." Bess laughed. "Good-by, sis. Believe in Bob all you want to. He is a dear, and if it were I, I'd hunt a locksmith, all the same." Mrs. Sheldon stood at the window and watched the small girlish figure as it vanished down the street among the fluttering snowflakes. It was dusk. The room was unlighted as yet, and a sudden sense of loneliness stole over her in the semi-gloom, the first she had experienced sihce the joyous wedding of a month ago. If the affinity of moods and colors were true, she was in harmony with the soft velvet gray of the twilight tone that was stealing over the world. New Year's eve, and Bob away. The tears blinded her eyes. Of course, it was business, merely a flying trip to N'ew York for the firm, made all the more imperative by his neglect of busi ness during the honeymoon, but she felt a vague rebellion in her heart against even the separation of a few days. And there was the locked desk. Bess' words and arguments ran swiftly through her mind. Come to think, Bob had told her not to tire herself by rummaging while he was away. Rummaging! That meant hunt ing in the garret and running the r'.sk of discovering the desk.' And Bess had spoken of Adelaide Gifford. There had been talk of a summer engagement, she remembered. Adelaide was older than Bob. Some way she had always blamed her for the romance, and had looked upon Bob as an impressionable youngster. But if he had cherished her letters and keepsakes, then he must have loved her. Adelaide was engaged to old Mr. Thurston now—Copper Thurston, the boys caLJet} him, Perhaps, RtySf all, Bob had been jealous of the oopper made millions-, and had married her Jn a fit of piquo. She turned from the window wKh sudden determination. It lacked half an hour of dinner time. A lonely din ner for a bride, she thought, as she went upstairs, her first New Year's eve. Perhaps by the time the midnight bells rang out she might be making a few strange resolutions for the coming year. It Vas dark on the garret stairs. She stopped at the door of Bob's dress ing-room and took a candlestick from the mantel. It was a wedding gift—a Japanese bronze griffin, with outspread wings and spiral, sinuous tail. As she held it to the gas jet to light the candle something fell on the rug at her feet and she picked it up. It was a small, old-fashioned ordinary brass key. She looked at it hesitating ly. It had never been on Bob's ring, she kn,ew. The space between the wings of t£e bronze griffin Was a clever idea of concealment. She set her lips closely and went up the garret stairs with candlestick in one hand and the key in the other. Half way there was a turn at a small landing, and it was at the angle made by this that she had found the little tow door leading to the "catch all." She opened it now and entered, half closing the door after her. The desk was pushed to one side with some trunks and boxes. It was a quaint, antique affair of mahogany, severely colonial in style. The main body was crescent-shaped, supported on hand-carved legs. There were four drawers, two on each side, and a small, low cabinet of pigeon-holes on top. Suzanne stood motionless before it for several minutes, trying to make up her mind to insett the key. When she did ;;o, in tho lock of the nearest top drawer, her hand trembled slightly and she held her breath. The key turned easily and the draw was ready for inspection, but she did not open it. Thoughts whirled like the fluttering snowfiakes through her mind, and Bhe stood again irresolute. She had told Bess that she believed absolutely in Bob. Higher than her love for him had been her unfaltering belief and confidence in him. It was the very keystone of her marriage faith, and yet, at the first blow of sus picion, it gave way. Bess was a child, with the impulsive judgment of a child. She had been wrong to even tell her of the desk, wrong to discuss Bob or his motives with her at all. or to listen for an in stant to any doubt of him, even in jest. She must have faith, and wait. He had probably locked the desk against the curiosity of the servants and had forgotten it in the hurry and excitement of the wedding. She must believe in him. The mere fact that they were married did not give her a coroner's right to hold a post-mortem over his dead past. There was the sound of a footstep on the stairs, and she relocked the drawer quickly. "I'll be down in a moment, Nora," she called. "You may serve dinner." The voice that answered was famil iar and masculine. She nearly let the candle fall in her surprised recognition of it. "It's only I, Sue. What on earth are you doing in there?" She stood mute and motionless as he bent his head and entered the low door. It was Bob, and he was smiling and happy, his clear eyes seeking for the glad welcome he expected. "I only ran down for to-night," he added. "I couldn't let you face the first New Year alone, sweetheart." His arms reached for her, but she shook her head and handed him the key. "I haven't used it," she said, broken ly. "But, oh, Bob, I came so near it. You don't have to tell me what's in the old thing. I'll believe in you just the same, and I don't want to know." "Know what?" he demanded. "Don't cry. Sue." He drew her to him tender ly. "What's up, anyhow?" "That desk," she sobbed. "It's locked." "Is it?" He stared at the desk in be wilderment. "Well, the key was on my mantel, dear. You found it all right, didn't you? Couldn't you un lock it?" "I could, hut—but I don't want to know your private affairs." She tried to draw herself away. but. he took her hands and held them from her tear wet face so that lie could see her eyes. "Sue, darling," he said. "You blessed little Mrs. Bluebeard, that desk is a wedding present to you from Grand mother Hadleigh. It's been in the fam ily since the year one, I guess, and there isn't ayungle thing in those draw ers. It came the last minute the day we were married, and was so heavy and unwieldy I told father to send it along with my things and have it put away somewhere until we came home. And I laid the key in the griffin for safe-keeping. What did you think was in it?" But Suzanne silenced further ques tioning in her own effectual way. The keystone of her happiness was firm and immovable. But as they went downstairs to dinner she registered one New Year's vow in her heart. In the future she would let love laugh at locksmiths. Give Her a Diary. A good Christmas present for a young wife is a nice diary. She will write in it every day for two weeks. Then such things as these will begin to crop out on its fair white pages: Keclpe for waffles. Must get two yards ruching. Paid 12 cents to have tea kettle mended. Don't forget lining for kimono. Sold old pair John's pants to ragman for 22 cents. By and by the diary will switch oIT and become an ac count book, and it will end its career as a scrapbook for cake recipes.— Judge. yl Toast For The New Tear Henry AT. Hyde r T , O THE True Pioneers of Progress— to the men with chain and sextant, drill and shield, hoist and riveter —burrowing through mountains, spinning, spiderlike, across dizzy chasms—making the world smaller and Man larger— A Happy New Year and Many of 'Em! 'I 'O THE Gentleman Adventurers—to tho men who tempt the * vengeance of the upper air, dare the sunless dangers of deep seas, track to their secret lairs the wild beasts of disease and pestilence—risking their own Jives that the life of Man may be made safe — A Happy New Year ;.nd Many of 'Em! 'I 'O THE Poets and dreamers of the Present—to the men who * harness the tides, bridle the west wind, put a yoke about the 1 neck of the glaciers, drive the sun and moon tandem—making the § forces of nature toil that Man may enjoy— A Happy New Year and Many of 'Em! * I 'O THE Masters of the Future—to the men who know, to the * men in earnest —rejoicing in their knowledge and their strength, looking with clear eyes, unafraid, into the face of fate—crowned with the high happiness of work well done— A Happy New Year and Many of 'Em! Technical World. New Year Interesting Bits Approvriate to the, Day Gathered from Everywhere. New Year's is a Candy Day in France. Boxes of Sweets Are Favorite Gifts with all Classes in Paris. Once is used to be very popular to give New Year's presents; but now so J much more attention is paid to Christ | mas, and every one receives so many lovely things then, that our American boys and girls cannot complain if they do not get presents a week later, as did their mothers and fathers. However, if they lived in France, New Year's day would be a great occa sion, especially for girls, for there ! every man or boy gives some gift, no j matter how small, to Tils friends. No | one paying a call would think of going j empty-handed, and little French girls at school on the 2d of 'January count ! up how many presents they received, { just as our girls do after Valentine's j day. | A favorite gift is candy. Sometimes | this candy is made into temples, l churches or playhouses; or all sorts j of queer forms like bundles of carpets, j boots and shoes, musical instruments, I gridirons, saucepans, lobsters, crabs, books and hats are made of colored sugar, hollowed out and filled inside with chocolates, mints and other bon- I bons that can be eaten. Don't you think the little French children must feel pretty sick the next day, after so much sweet stuff? For, of course, they would have to sample each kind; that is, if they are like American boys and girls in their fond ness for candy. The Origin of New Year's Calls. Like Many Others of Our Customs, They Were Imported from China. The custom of making New Year's calls, which had a long run in Amer ica, and is still extant, came orig inally from China, whore such calls are one of the main features of the brilliant and lengthy New Year's cel ebration. Every Chinaman pays a visit to each of his superiors, and receives one from each of his inferiors. Im ages of gods are carried in proces sion to the beating of a deafening gong, and mandarins go by hundreds to the emperor and that apparently much-maligned sovereign, the em press dowager, with congratulatory addresses. Their robes are gorgeous ly embroidered, and are heavy with gold. The younger people call upon the elder. Children call upon their parents. Pu pils pay their respects to their teach ers. A light collation is offered every visitor, but it is to be noted, no wine is served. Tea takes the place of any stronger drink. In China gentle men never call upon the ladies, but upon each other, and the women also make social visits among thegiselves. Nor is one obliged, happily, to make all his calls in one day, for all calls made before the 15th of the month are considered correct. These calling customs have obtained in China from earliest ages. No Changes Needed in t A 2 Brown Family. Proposed Resolutions Brought Em phatic Objections from Both Sides of House. "This is the new year," said Mrs. Brown, as she and Brown sat down to dinner, "and perhaps we ought to make some little changes for 1907." "I am willing," he replied. "Yes, I have been thinking that I would make a few changes." "That is nice of you. You know that you swear and that I don't like it at all. It will be so sweet and kind and considerate to give it up for my sake." i "Give up swearing! on your itfei" I ' What, tlicn, tli .1 you mean »jy change?" "Why, I have been allowing you five dollars per week as pin money. Had 5 know that you simply fool mosfc «tf it away. One of the changes camim plated was to cut the sum in ha2f" "Samuel Brown!" exclaimed iktt wife, as she knocked on her plate her fork to emphasize her mMtUv "don't make any mistake on ymir wife, May. You will continue to swear as hard as you wish, and as often as you wish, and my five dol lars pin money comes to n»e every Saturday night, or there won't be any glass left in the front windows Its ■ last over Sunday!" \ A June New Year's on the Nile Banks. The Ancient Egyptians Started the Year with the Raise of the River. In all ages and all lands' nmch im portance has been attached to Year's day. In Egypt the new .vear fell between the 17th and the 2©tia of June, and was called the "night of the drop." The sacred Nile was thought to flow down from and at its lowest ebb—about the mid dle of June—a tear from Isis fell into the stream and caused it to. rise. Consequently at this season the priests and people kept a sleepless vigil at the river's shore, watching; for the miraculous rise which should bring such riches to the whole lend. \V hen the "night of the d'rop" easie. the priests cleared the altars of eld ashes and lighted the sacred fines for the new year. Every one of the faithful carried a coal from the altar to light the at his own hearth, and from end t». end the land was ablaze with The people put off their old garrm;tfts; and arrayed themselves in white, an ointing their heads with sacred <*V crowning themselves with lloaraest: and bearing palms in their li&tair K , while chants and songs and tasting: and processions filled the homes. Passing Humor of the New Ycezr*. Would You Blame HirnT Mina—Did your husband, at N'sw Year's, swear off? Lena —Yes, off and on —whenever e; bill came in.—Town Topics. Appropriate. Coal Dealer —We will start 1907 wfSfo a clean slate. Consumer—l think you might leaver k little coal iu it! -—Towu Tojjicft. 13
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