24 The Rhyme for P.achel 1. ] £ > j Clifford Howard .•(Copyright, by Shortstdry 'Pub. Co.) Seated in a street ear. Miss Marjorie ilollia was'absorbed in the latest issue of Slie Literary Post. It contained this week a most unusual announcement, and it was this which now occupied her attention -to. the exelusiorf of .all else. The announcement read as fol lows: We. the undersigned, .executors under Ihe will of a person whose name we withhold for tlie present, desire to an nounce that, In accordance with the terms of saiil will, the sum of $250,000 will be paid to tin; first person who will submit to us a rhyme for the name Rachel. This bequest is based on the following 'condi tions, viz.; 1. The rhyme must be a le gitimate one. Dialect, foreign or invented vr-rds will not be considered. ". This of f< i' is limited to one year, dating from December 31,' 190—. In explanation of the foregoing offer ft is deemed proper to state the following facts: Among the effects of the testator above referred to is an unfinished poem mldrpssed to a lady whose full Christian name was Fedora I.ilian Grace Lorain Hildenarde Louise Racliel. The said poem was written by the testator for the purpose of bringing into rhyme eacli one of the names 'aforementioned. He suc i-efvied in writing six stanzas, lrt which the first six names were respectively in tr "lured In accordance with his afore said purpose.', but he was unable to com plete -the poem because of his failure to find a rhyme for the last name—■•Rachel. For certain personal reasons he provided In his will that an attempt be made, in the manner above set forth, to discover such a rhyme. As full conditions sihd air necessary In formation ar« v contained in the 'foregoing • nnouncement,' the undersigned must de cline to consider any inquiries for further explanation. I>t T NDT'RY & RORDEAU, Attoi neys-at-I.mv, Washington, D. C. Circumstances compelled Marjorie llollis to earn her living, and against these circumstances her aristocratic and artistic soul waged constant re bellion. Her family and her acquaint ances generally regarded her as a spoiled child, troubled with extrava gant tastes and a lack of practical sense. On her side, she felt that she was not understood nor properly ap preciated—until she met Carter Dil lington, Like herself. Mr. Dillington was poor and had literary aspirations, and Mar jorie felt that in him she had at last found a sympathetic fellow-mortal. He accepted special invitations to the house, but rarely called of his own accord, appearing content to ride home with her in the evening. He was excessively reserved—that was one of his peculiarities- so that not withstanding the increasing familiarity of the acqijaint'arieesliip, . Marjorie knew iko .more of'li'is ptM sonal affairs at the end of,nine thonths than she did during the first week. There was one other subject on • which he was equally 'reticent, and that was-.the discussion regardlng-the rhyme for "Rachel." The remarkable offer in connection with this matter was -a» subject of uh'emHng curiosity and discussion in' literary Circles; -but Cirter Dillington pointedly avoided every allusion to'it.-'To Marjorie, on th<> contrary, it one of alluring in terest. . • • She hesitated a long time before 'venturing to speak to Mi*. Dillington tibotit. it. Ilis peculiar aversion to the whole- matjer embarrassed her. The mere montjon of the'name "Rachel" ' Vlistwrbed-Jjitn, and her'dccasional ef forts to lead the donve'r&ation around, to the subject were- promptly frus^ ' tj^ted. Figally. however, she decided-to ap peal to him foY help; Only one more week remained, and she beheld her ■dreams of'wealth' fading into' the dull reality .of drudgery. So, as he was about to ta"ke v his departure after - a short call on "Christmas ewt, she said suddenly: * "If a ; -perso«u were to'ftnd a rhyme for 'Rachel- it-would make hint famous, wouldn't- it?'•'-.< I. suppose it would," he answered dryly. * ■ • "A.tj.d, it w6uld make him rich?" VOh. yes." Then in the same breath he abruptly changed the conversation. "Perhaps, Miss HoHis, it may inter est .you to ktioW that I expect in the -next week or two' try come jnto posses sion of a small' fortune, and I hope then to be niarfied;" and holding "out his.hand % he bade Marjorie good night. "Good night,"she responded me chanically; and as the door closed she staggered..'into the' parlor, and, throw ing herself upon'the sofa,, burst into a • torrent of passionate tears. Suddenly her sbbbings ceased. She sat up,. bewiidefed, startled. In the • midst .of the turmoil of her troubled spirit there had burst upon her Without-warning, without thought—a rhyme for "Rachel!" Two days later Marjorie Ilollis was ' in- Washington; and on the morning of December 27 she walked into the of fice of Dunbury & Hordeau and quietly announced to those two gentlemen that she had come to .claim the $250,- 000 for a rhyme for "Rachel." For a moment the two men stared at her without uttering a sound. Mr. Dunbury vras the first to find his voice. "Impossible!" he ejacu lated. Then noticing the sudden flush upon the girl's face he checked him self. "Pardon me, my dear young lady! I did not mean to doubt your word; but you have astonished us be yond measure. Let me explain," and he placed his chair beside hers. "The extraordinary offer to which you have responded was made in com pliance with the will of our late client, Mr. Benjamin F. Morton. lie was a trfife eccentric, and, one of his hobbies was writing poetry. He took a great fancy to a nephew of his and spared ho money to'have the boy well edu cated. The old gentleman himself had a Very limited education, and be was determined that his nephew should riot be handicapped as he had been. Well, just r about the time the boy got through college the old gentleman struck a snag in' this, poem of his about Fedora Lilian Ilildegarde et'al.,' and tie called upon his nephew to helf» hjm out with, a rhyme for 'Rachel.'. The young man informed him that there was no such rliytae,-• but' bis uncle refused to believe it. He insist ed that as the lad had had a college education he could find a rhyme if he chose. Well, the upshot of it was that the old gentleman .took it. into his head that his nephew was obstinate and ungrateful, and he cast him off. A short time before he died, however, he finally concluded that perhaps there really was no rhyme for 'Rachel,' and he decided to reinstate his nephew in his will; but with this proviso: That a rhyme should first be advertised for and that should any person produce such a rhyme within a year, then the money should goto such person, in stead of tlie nephew. "As the executors, wo, of course, fol lowed the provisions of the will, but we were definitely satisfied there was no such rhyme. And yet you say you have found one. I am free to say it seems incredible, incredible. Still, at the same time, the offer is a bona fide one and will he carried out to the let ter if your rhyme proves to be a legiti- / ——s "Impossible!" He Ejaculated. mate one. It will certainly prove a most astonishing revelation to us and the nephew, Carter Dillington." Marjorie felt that she was about to faint. "May I have just a moment to think?" she asked faintly. "Gertainly, certainly! I did not mean to hurry you. Of course,' I' un derstand, you feel a trifle agitated; but. take your time, and you'll recall the rhyme in a minute or two." Several moments passed in silence. Then Marjorie arose. She faced the two' lawyers, and with a tremor in her voice that she struggled bravely to s'uMitd; she said slowly: "I have not forgotten the rhyme; but—but I- have decided not to .submit it." It was New Year's day when Mar jorie agaih saw Carter Dillington. He called late in the afternpon. Why had he come? 4 she asked herself. Was it to torment her? To cause her wound ed heart to bleed afresh? He appeared not to heed her constrained manner, nor "the quick (lushes that reddened her Cheeks. '.'Marjorie," he said suddeply, with .an impulsiveness and a familiarity he bad never before, manifested; "you haye wished me a happy New Year. Do you know that you alone who .can mdke the year happy, for. me— supremely happy? I did not dare ex press my feelings before I was abso lutely sure that I qmld o l ff£r you the comforts and the pleasures you de serve'.' Now, I am independent—. wealthy; and you,. Marjorie, will you share my fortune wjih me?" . it'was late ere the lovers were ready tp part. "Is it any wonder," he was saying, as he lingeringly"prepared to leave, "that I.avoided the subject of my uncle's outlandish pffer? Suppos ing that by some possibility there had been a-rhyme for,'ftachel;' sup posing some one had succeeded in finditig it? . But thank fortune, dear, there is noBe!". .. ! . ■-> . •«• - " "Yes, but there Is a rhyme for 'Ra chel,'" she r answered softly, casting down her -eyes to hide her sudden emotion. "Would youj like to hear'it? Let us sit down here—on the sofa, and I will ••tell it to you." She "w&ited a moment after they were seated, and then in a half tremu lous whisper she recited the following lines: "A fitting rhyme has long been found For each and all of these— Fedora, I.ilian, Grace, Lorain And Hitdegarde, Louise; And In these names themselves we tlnd The hidden rhyme for Rachel; For, 10, the letters of these names Are F. L., G. L., H. L." Then in the quiet glow of the mid night firelight she told him her little story. CAMERON COUNTY PRESS,/THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, IQCQ. We'll drink it in strong Vjfejl i m 'VWyJSXJ and in sma', j {/JSIU J ■ \\VwV u 112 1 12; And to each bonnie lassie , Vfgjßff ■ . A v a that we dearly lo'ed v \tl 4) \\ j thC dayS ,lIC yeart,lat ' S \ J ' Ring out, wild bells, tb the wild sky, . The flying cloud, the frosty ( ¥ night; sW-V / / le ear ' s ' n '' ie n 'ght; _ yw v , Ring out wild bells and let him die. » { Ring out the old, ring in the new, JJ V- J ) Ring happy bells, across the snow; ""IkThe year is going, let him go, ry|L ]' Ring out the false, ring in the true. Cpty To thcToid Year Laughter and kisses-here's the end. v A wiser end could scarcely be. < Sfe #Vlt You were our lover and our friend, Old JSC 3 TO r.„, J r & ■/// And so the world and we, vj |- / Throw smiles and kisses as you wend " J/\~ > your way, mMmFv* i i And speed you merrily. wMpoNL; V yLy ~ A - E - GorJon - To the Ladies . your B ° ble,s h ' Bh ®" ,he air % And drink to the health of the ladies ,fe' W/' For this night won't come for another « (7 ' Yh. year ' ' May we live until then without shed- ding a tear. / if d*' —Original Toast by Mrs. Annie L. . vifSy A M. Breen, Granby, Mass. \' |B\ —National Food Magazine. Seme Historic Happening's of January The first month in the year has al ways been a fateful one in English history, but it began most specially to be recognized as such during tlie reign of Charles I. It was on January 4, 1642, that the attempt was made to arrest the five members. On the tenth of the month, three years later. Arch bishop Laud, was beheaded, and Jan uary 30, 1G49. saw the king's own head laid upon the block. There is probably no act of parlia ment which has ever been the cause of such amazing dissensions and dis cord as that which brought about the union between Great Britain and Ire land. This came into force upon Jan uary 1, 1801. It was in the same month that Richard Trevithick, the Cornish inventor, perfected the. first steam locomotive which ever moved upon an English road- The great William Pitt, the most able prime minister who ever con trolled the destinies of the kingdom, came into office at Christmas, 1783, and died in January, 1806. His great rival, Charles James Fox, born in Jan uary, 1749, only survived Pitt six months. One of the greatest boons that a na tion ever received from its govern ment was conferred upon Great Britain on January 1, 1840 —namely, penny postage. Adhesive stamps had been invented by Mr. James Chalmers of Dund.ee,. six . years previously, and these superseded Mulreadyis envelope later in the same year.-' January has .for * long time past been a very notable month in the his tery of tjie British royal .family. On January 25, 185§, the Prinriess • Royal was married, to Prince Frederick Wil liam of Prussia. .The German kaiser was born in January, 1559. Prince Henry, of Battehberg's death occurred on January.2o, 1896, and the duke of .Teck's life'came-to an ejj,d on the twenty-first of the month-, 1900. The Child of the Year - Said the Child to the youthful Year: "What hast thou in store for me, O River of beautiful gifts, what cheer, What Joy dost thou bring with thee?" "My seasons four shall bring Their treasures—the winter's snows, The autumn's store and tiie flowers of spring, And the summer's perfect rose. One year later, on January 22, 1901, came the end of the most famous reign in English or any other history. Queen Victoria died at 6:30 on the fateful evening. In northern latitudes no nation fights in winter if it can possibly be avoided, and yet January has seen some of the toughest struggles of mod ern war. January, 1871, holds the rec ord for fierce fighting. During that month there were no fewer than six terrific battles between the French and the Germans. The last was Gen. Trocliu's grand sortie from Paris, which ended in his defeat and in the extinction of the last hopes of Paris and her citizens. A Resolution i 1 for i i New Year's The noblest resolution that any citi zen could make for the new year would be the resolution to live more faithfully by the golden rule, that sub lime principle of conduct for this world and for all worlds. Failure to live by this law causes the chief sor rows and collisions among men, says Edwin Markham in Success. Let each earnest man search into his words and ways, determined to find the special manner in which he breaks the golden law—rhis special habit that works injustice or unhappi ness in his shop, his office, his home, his city. He will find, .tperhaps, that in the shop he is in the habit of mis placing tools, and this hinders the work of bis comrades; that in the of fice he is In the habit of being late in keeping appointments, and thus steals other people's time; tliat.in'the club he is in the habit of belittling worthy competitors, and thus joins. the gang of thieves who steal reputations; that in the home he is in the habit of monopolising the conversation, and thus fails to draw out the powers of others; that in the city he is in the habit of spitting on the sidewalk, and thus spoils the comfort of his towns men; that in business he is in the habit of misrepresenting his 'goods, .and thus robs under the cover of cus tom. • . T "All these and more shall be thine. Dear Child—but the last and best Thyself must earn by a strife divine. If thou wouldst be truly blest. "Wouldst know this last, best gift? 'Tis a conscience clear and bright, A peace of mind which tlie soul can lift To an lnflnitii delight. —Cella Tliaxter. SAYS 1909 TO 191Q | pSlijliipll-iii^l. jis J'v': ."•!:" , ' lllljft' *>'? ifw*», 1 J' J; ! 1,'.-.' • , •!) •!' .' ;i" : hjj ; ;, .'''J'ill", The Old Person—l wish you ail kinds of prosperity during your term of office, bub, but 1 want to warn you this year's job is a fast life. In just 12 months or in about 8,760 hours, you will be wearing a long gray beard, spectacles on your nose, a seven-dol lar black suit badly wrinkled, weigh The Old Year and the New "Seven—eight—nine! Do you hear that?" asked the old clock In the cor ner. "Here it is a full hour after your bedtime, and yet you sit there staring into the fire!" In front of the fire sat an old wom an—gray haired, wrinkled, feeble. The voice of the clock did not disturb her. but as she watched the fitful flames, one could have read her thoughts. "But it's excusable on this night," continued the clock, in soft tones. "Heigho! but it's the last night of the old year! Three hours more and we are done with 1909. You and I are going to watch the old year ou( to gether. Let's see? How many years have I seen come and go? Forty—ex actly forty with this one. That's a long time, long time." The woman rocked gently to' and fro, and by and by the clock suddenly called out: "What, tears in your'eyes! .Come, now, but that's no way to end the year. We are thinking of the same thing. Yes, he was a good and loving husband, and I'll say this for both of you, that I never heard an unpleasant word between you. It is 12 years since he died. I could only look into his face as he lay on his 'dying bed, and if ever heaven 'gent ita.Ught to lead a soul across the dark Valley it was given to him. *li remember your tears and moans and sobs, and you prayed that death ltiight come to you as well." The woman wiped her tears;- and there was a feeling of sufippttMon as she let memory.bring up the,events. "Eight—nine-,-ten!" called*the clock after a while. "How timfc tloes fly! I distinctly remefnb'er striking the last hour of 1903. Let .me see? - 'Some one then wept with you at that bedside. There was a son tmd a daughter. Ah! now I recall thpir faces—their gentle ways—their loving words. T\vo years latter there was another death-bed, more wails and sobs, and I saw the pall-bearers as they carried the daugh ter's body out of the house. It seems as if the last blow must crush you, and I well reihembeV s'aying to myself that it wouldn't be long before you were called to go."" Tho woman choked back her sobs, A Pleasant Prospect. about sixty-five pounds, and carry around one of those glass thingum bobs they have in the kitchen to time the egg boiling. And some will be sorry, others glad, that you are then ready to be succeed ed by another fat little infant labeled "1911." and her lips moved as if she were speaking the names of her dead ones. For many minutes her reverie was unbroken, and she heard not. the tick tack! tick-tack! of the steady old clock. "Nine ten eleven!" suddenly called the clock. "The son? Ah! how abs&ntminded I have become! Well do I remember the day a woman with a pale face and frightened eyes opened the door and handed you a letter, which bore the insignia of death. You opened it with trembling Angers, and next moment you were like one dead. There were days and days when you hovered between life and death, and I, for my part gave up all hopes. Died in a foreign land; buried among strangers over the sea. It was a blow aimed at a heart twice broken." The woman covered her face and moaned in anguish, and the clock con tinued: "Don't grieve so, the dead are at rest forevermore. Life's mistakes may need to be washed away with tears, but the dead reaped their reward. You are old and poor and broken, but who can tell what new friends the new year may raise up for you? I cannot tell you to forget the past, for a moth er's heart ever goes out for her dead, but the new year may have more sunshine. Come, now I am about to strike the old year out and the new year in. Let us greet the new with a smile of welcome as I count —ten — eleven—twelve —a happy New Year!" The woman did not move. "Heigho!" called the clock: "We have left the old behind!" Her hands had dropped beside her, and her head had fallen. "Dead!" clicked the clock, as the last faint echoes of his bell died away. Being and Doing. It is said, "To be good is the way to be happy," but to be good and to do good is the way to be happy. What a happy world this would be jf all would do the best thing for them selves, if all realized that the only way to get out of life is to put into it, that the way to receive is to give, and the only way to be helped is to be helpful, and the way to gain life is to lose it for others, and the way to go up is togo down, for"The uleek shall inherit the earth." "He that liumbleth himself shall be exalted." It is petty' to live for self, It js grand to live for friends, but" 'tis glorious to live for • mankind, and, as one has said, "The only way to work for God is to work for man."
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers