.riff !)n:;,::lf f?v,'" fern . .. 'Si tfWfll)' . A AAA ate W IJF' AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER. IU Vol. V. TVoav Blooiiinolcl, r,., Tuesdny, j)ooombcr 12, TVo. SO. . - , f ft f;io0mfitlb iinus. Js Published Weekly, At New Bloomfleld, Tcnn'a. BY ' FRANK MORTIMER. BcnscniPTiou terms. Wl.ViG PKH YEAU!' 75 Cents ford Months 40 Cents for 3 Months, IN ADVANCE. BATHES MIXED. I've wandered through the village, Tom, Along with Anna Lee, To listen to the mocking-bird, In the cottage by the sea. Reld's bay mare can't be beat While coming through the ryoj Let me kiss him Tor his mother, Says tho spider to the fly. Tho colored girls and poor old Ned, Now swell the National song, I'd offer thee this hnnd of mine But take your time, Miss Long. I'm lonely since my mother died Susanna don't you cry; We're all nodding through the world, Then root hog, or die. Hark I I hear the angels singing, Ah I duddy, he's Btruck He; . We're coming, Father Abraham Along with Annie Lylo. Tho song my mothor U6ed to sing, Tho wearing of tho green Tho girl I left behind nie, ' To-dny is sweet sixteen. HILDA'S THANKSGIVING PARTY. IT EXDS IX A WEDDIXU. NEVER was there a, happier maiden than Hilda llowo aH sho flitted hith er and thither in their newly-furnished par lors, arranging and re-arranging the win dow draperies, newly deposing tho orna ments, changing tho position of tho Otto mans and easy chairs, brushing away each speck of dust with a feather duster, nnd carefully gathering every scrap of ravel lings and lint from tho newly-mado car pets, singing nil tho while: " Merrily every bosom bouudcth ! Merrily! O! Merrily O! in a manner that at once nssured one that her heart kept time to the music of her lips. " Hilda, love, . what is all this noise about?" queried her father, as he looked laughingly in at the door. " Oh, father, come in come In and see if parlors ever looked prettier than ours. Bee! I have put on all the finishing touches and am ready to receive callers, so be seated at once on the sofa." "Ah, I understand you, Hilda. I sup pose that thanksgiving party is tho next featuro In the programme." " Yes, father," replied Hilda, demurely, as she drew an Ottoman, directly before him; "that is tho business before the meet ing." " Well, Hilda, we might as well proceed and have it settled forwith. I suppose what is to be, will be." "Then you give your consent, fathor?" " I see no loop hole for escape and so yield." "But father, I will not urge it if you at all prefer it otherwise." ' No no, Hilda ! you havo been a good, dutiful daughter, and it gives mo pleasure to grant your reasonable request. And now hero Is a trifle to 'help defray expen ses,' for I suppose there must be some at tached to so Important a scheme as a ' thanksgiving party.' " " O, father, two fifty-dollar bills 1 It is too much please take one of them." " There theiu Hilda, no set speeches, but come and kiss me, and be as good a girl as you have been, and I shall be satis- lied." Hilda threw her aims lovingly around him, and pressed her lips upon his brow, where wrinkles were gathering, and on his brown cheek. There was a humid light in his eye, as ho returned her embrace mur muring: " Heaven bless my darling girl I" No sooner had her father left, than Hil da danced up stairs to her room, and seat ing herself at her small writing-table, she drew from it some delicately perfumed and tinted note paper, and roon her small white hand was flitting over it as rapidly as a humming-bird's motion when extracting sweets from the rose or honey-suckle. The notes at last were all penned but one, and now Hilda paused and blushed a little, just a very little, but still it wns disccrnablo, and Hilda knew it and reproved herself for tho misdemeanor by softly saying, " What a very silly girl I am!" Then slio strove to be more collected, took up her pen in a manner intonded to bo dignified, and bent over the unstained paper before her. But no she was not ready yet; a small slip of paper was taken and a uamo written which read : "Dr. Norman Wildor !" and now that the name was in black and white be fore her, sho regained courage, took the note-paper and penned tho invitation, and then with a sigh of relief, sho droppod it into the basket, saying : 'There, I am glad to have this business of writing invitations off my mind. To be sure, there was no immediate hurry, as it will lie more than a week from now to Thanksgiving, but I like to be in season. Hut I believo I am a little weary. Let me see I have written more than throe hours. I'll take a walk to Damo Grafton's after dinner, and that will rest mo. Poor little Bess, I've not seen her for a week." In pursuance with her resolve, after din ner, i Hilda donned her street attire, and bont'Jier steps in tho direction of Dame Urafton'jl humble cottage. She paused, when within a short distance, to watch Bess, who had seated herself on the stops, apparently to enjoy tho warm sunshine, though late in November, tho aftornoon was more like early October. Tho child sat with her delicate hands clasped, and her largo mournful eyes strained upwards, as though sho was wildly striving to catch one glimpse at tho beautiful sky above lior. Her long, flaxen curls had fallen back from her singularly transparent brow revealing the exquisite contour of her features. Hilda stolo noiselessly along to whero she was sitting. Just as she reached her an expression of anguish swept over her young face, and bowing upon her bosom, sho murmured: " Yes, I am blind ), I am blind! I shall never, never see tho beauti ful blue sky, nor tho soft moon, nor tho twinkling stars, nor tho sweet flowers ! O, if I could dio !" "Bess,," said Hilda, softly, for she could not bear to witness tho child's distress longor. ' "O, HiUhv-denr Hilda, is it you? Oh, I am so glwl you hnvo come, for I was afraid my heart was breaking! It is bolter now; but Hilda, you do not know what it is to be blind. For a year I havo come out every day when I know tho sun was bright est. At first I could just seo the sun, but it has kept growing darker and darker, and to-day, Hilda, though I know it is shining as bright as over, it ia all night to me." Poor Hilda! how she longod to breatho one word of hope in the oar of the blind girl, but she saw nothing to justify her in doing thus, and so sho sat on tho step by her side, her tears falling fast and silently upon her little hand nestling in her own. At length Bess said quietly : " Did you ever think you would like to die, Hilda?" " No,Bess, dear, I do not remember that I ever did." "Well, I do very often vory often, and sometimes I ask God to tako me to live with him. You know, Hilda, I shall not lie a blind littlo girl in heaven. I was ask ing him to tako mo soon when I was look ing up into the sky. Is it wrong, Hilda? because if it is I will try to wait patiently; O, it is so dark so lonesome to be blind!" Hilda was still too much pained to at tempt to comfort tho child, so she reached her a boquet of fragrant flowers, and said she would run in and see Dame Grafton " I will stay here a littlo whilo,for grand mother will be sad when she sees my littlo sober face. I never lot her know how badly I feel, Hilda, should you?" Hilda entered the cottage, hoping to find something cheering, but to her surprise, Dame Grafton was bending over her work with toarful eye. " Why, grandmother," exclaimed Hilda, " I expected to find you all smiles, as us ual, hut you look as though you have been having a 'real good cry,' as pcoplo say." " Ah, Hilda, I'm glad to see you, dear, for if any body can speak a word to give me comfort, it is you. It is all for my poor blind littlo Bess I am troubling. The child is stone blind now, and I'd made up my mind to bear it and be patient, as I thought there was no help for it. But Just as I got sort of reconciled, something must happen to make me feol worse than ever. You see day before yesterday, the child was out on the door-steps, and I was picking up the bits of chips and dry stuff that had blown into the grass, when I saw a nice looking gent Ionian coming along. When he saw Bess ho stopped and looked at her, put his face close to her eyes, and so stood two or throe minutes. Then he beckoned to mo, and I followed him till wo wore out of Bes sie's hearing, and he went on asking mo all sorts of questions about her, finally finish ed off with saying, "I think the child might be cured, for it is a sort of cataract! (I think that was what he said.) I was so flustered like, I did not know what to say, and so said nothing. But he gave me this ere little slip of paper, and said if we want ed to seo him there's where we'd find him.. "Did you ask him how much it would cost?" said Hilda. "O, yes, I asked just that, and ho said something about fifty or a hundred dollars. Now, Hilda, child, this is what makes mo sick sick at heart. I've tried and tried to think of somo way to raise tho money, but it's all of no use, and to-day I'vo given up all hopes of ever doing it." It was evening, and Hilda was seated in her chamber. Tho basket containing the "invitation cards" stood before her, and in her hand lay tho two fifty dollar bills. It was evident that a strong, serious strugglo was going on in her mind. Sho took up one note after another, glanced at its con tents and let it fall ' into tho basket. At last sho had the one she was searching for. It was tho ono addressed to Dr. Norman Wildor!" sho looked at it long and ear nestly. "No, no," she exclaimed, " I can not give it up ! It will bo my only chance of becoming better acquainted with him, as ho leaves town next week. Then Lilian Worth will havo a party if I do not havo mine, and will stand a better chance of winning notico from him than I shall. Tho girls said they thought his attentions equally divided between Lilian and myself, but I thought there was a littlo more heart in his notico of me! But Lilian is so much more brilliant and beautiful than myself, and besides an heiress, that I think if ci ther of us win tho noblo Btranger it will bo her. No no I must not give up having my party but doar littlo Bess yes yes ! I will ! so hero go tho notes Dr. Norman Wilder, and all into tho flic, and thus ends my Thanksgiving party." Doubtless my reader has promised what was Hilda's motive in giving up her antici pated pleasure; and now that it was deci ded in her mind, there were no doubts no ropinings over her disappointment for disappointment it wns. "Father," sho said, as she followed him from tho breakfast roout tho following morning, "I wish to talk with you a mo ment." 'Well, what now, Hilda?" said Mr. Howe, smoothing her brown hair from hor forehead. " Did you find one hundred dol lars did not defray your shopping expenses yesterday ?" "Oh, no, father, nothing of that soil ; hut I just want to ask you if I may do as I please with the money you gave me?" "Of course, love. I have no wish to dic tate to you in this matter; but what put this idea into your head ?" " Do not ask mo, father ! I have a very good reason for asking, and you will know it some time, but not now." " Well, Hilda, as you please. But how about that thanksgiving party?" " Oh, I've given that up, and please, fathor ask no questions ;" and Hilda glided from the room before he had time to an swer. " Well, that is a strango freak, surely ! what can the girl mean ? I never saw her more anxious alwut a thing than sho has been about that party. Women and girls are ahko incxphcablo ;" and here Mr. Howe left tho house, no wiser for his soliloquy. When Lilian Worth heard that Hilda Howe's party was not to come oil', sho at once issued cards of invitation, as Hilda had premised. A very brilliant affair it was to be, so said the young ladies, and for a week it made busy tongues and busy hands. Hilda, though often importuned as to her reasons for giving up hor anticipa ted party, kept her own counsel. Hilda called to see the celebrated oculist, and found him quite sanguine in his belief of restoring sight to blind little Bess. He informed her that he should wish tho child in the houso with him during the operation, and for a week or so afterwards ; and added she must have a cheerful female friend with her.. The day set for Boss to go was Thanksgiving, and Hilda breathed a low sigh of disappointment, for she saw this would prevent her attending Lilian Worth's party, and thus sho should lose her last op portunity of meeting w ith Dr. Gorman Wilder. It was thanksgiving evening, and Mr. Worth's parlors wero brilliantly lighted, and gay and happy girls were gathering to enjoy tho anticipated pleasure that theso meetings ever bring. There were joyous shouts of laughter, strains of music, feet tripping lightly through tho mazes of the dance, sallies of wit, brilliant repartee, and all the many pleasant littlo things that con spire to make these social gathering so de lightful. While all this was going on Hilda Howo was keeping watch in a darkened chamber, over tho little suffering Boss. Tho operation had liccn performed, and the doctor had pronounced it successful. Did Hilda for a moment regret the sacrifice sho had made? Far from it. Ncvor had she been so deeply happy in her life. Dr. Norman Wilder was all attention to Lilian during" tho evening, nnd all joined in thinking that ho had quite forgotten un pretending Hilda Howe, now that he was thrown more In tho society of tho far more beautiful Lilian Worth, and it was even so. His mind was about mado up to prosecute his attentions in that quarter, and once or twice when left for a momont with Lilian ho had almost make confession of his deep interest in her. Towards tho later part of the evening, ho said to Lilian, "How happens it that I do not seo your friend, Miss Hilda Howe, pres ent this evening?" " O, I can hardly tell," replied Lilian, "shoissofull of strango ideas. Some thing about a blind child I do not'jUBt kuow what. Hilda is a nico girl, and I lovo her, but sho is forever looking up somo forlorn thing, and ncclcetinar her friends and hor own duties to help them. I think her tasto in such matters ratherlow. There are provisions mado for thoso who cannot tako caro of thomselvos, and I seo no necessity for our mixing ourselves up with them." Thero was a slight bitterness in tho tone of Lilian's voice, and it was evident, for tho moment, that Dr. Norman Wilder was pained ; but ho soon forgot it all In tho bewitching fascination of his fair com panion. "Father," said Norman Wilder, Jr., as ho sat in their ofllco at tho P hotel, "what was it you said yesterday abuut hav ing performed an operation upon tho eyes of a blind girl?" " Well Norman, I said I was about to do so, and I did, and it proved highly suc cessful. By-tho-by, I would like to have you visit my patient, I am about to give her a call. Sho has the sweetest young lady lor an attendant tnat l ever saw so cheerful, so self-possessed during the oper ation (for I could not prevail upon her to loave) and withal, so lady like. Last night I went to call on tho patient's grandmother to tell her that I thought hor littlo Bess would sco again, and found out the story. It seems this young lady had tho promise of having a Thanksgiving party, and her father had supplied her with funds, and sho had gone so far as to write her cards of invitation when sho heard that if moans only could be found, her blind littlo friend might have her sight restored. So what does the noblo girl do but forego her antic ipated enjoyment, that the child might havo tho lienofit of an operation. AH this tho old huly told mo, and tho young lady little dreams that I have hor secret in my my keeping. I tell you sho is a woman of a thousand, and I would lie proud to call her daughter, Norman, my boy !" Hilda was setting by Bess, reading softly fiom Mrs. Hcinaus' poems, when the door opened, and Dr. Wilder entered followed by his son. Hilda looked up, and as her eyes met those of the younger gentleman tho warm, blood mounted to her temples whilo Norman, with an air of surpriso, ex tended his hand exclaiming : " Miss Hilda Howe I is it possible that I havo tho pleasure of meeting you here?" Poor Hilda was deeply embarrassed. Must it not seem to him that she had pur posely thrown herself in his way, and if so, how unmaidonlike she must appear to him. Sho knew the momont thoy entered, that the kind doctor who had so greatly interested himself in Bess, and the young Dr. Wilder, were father and son. She had sot even hoard tho name of Dr. Wilder, the elder. She seemed quite overwhelmed with morti fication, and the doctor observing it, took pains to turn the attention of them both to his patient.' Time would fail us to tell of the joy of Dame Grafton, as, day-by-day, she receiv ed more cheering account from her dar ling Bess, and it would also fail us to tell of the many pleasant hours that Hilda Howe passed in the company of Dr. Nor man Wilder, Jr., during ber stay at the hotel. But the time passed away, as well, and Hilda found herself at homo ; Bess still improving was restored to her overjoyed giandmother. Reader, shall I stay my pen here or will you bo better satisfied with my story, if I glance over a year and give you tho con conclusion, instead of leaving you to pic ture it. Somehow I thought when I com menced this, it shouldn't be a love story, but lovo has stolen in as naturally - here oil these pages as it does into our lives and so I will tell you all I know of the affair. It is Thanksgiving evening again, aud Mr. Howe's parlors are brilliantly lighted and the guests already are assembled, among whom occupying a conspicuous po sition, are Damo Grafton, in her new glos sy silk, and little Bess no longer blind I the principal actors in the drama of the evening, are Dr. JNorman Wilder ana bis nowly mado brido now no longer Hilda Howo. Now, rentier, I have told you all about tho way it camo to pass that Hilda Howe's Thanksgiving party ended in a Thanksgiving wedding ! An Item for Boys. It is not necessary that a boy who loams atrado bo compelled to follow it all his life. Governor Palmer, of Illinois, was a coun try blacksmith onco and began his political career as a constable in Macoupin county. A circuit jiulgo in tho central part of Illi nois was onco a tailor. Thomas Iloyne, a rich and eminent lawyer of Illinois, was onco a book-binder.j Erastus Corning, of New York, too laino to do hard labor, com menced as a shop-boy in Albany. When he applied for employment first ho was ask ed : " Why, my littlo boy, what can you do?" " Can do what I am bid," was tho answer. That secured him a place Sena tor Wilson,of Massachusetts was a shoema ker. Thurlow Weed, a canal boat driver. Ex-Goveruor Stone, of Iowa, was a cabi net maker, which trade tho lato Hon. Ste phen A. Douglass also worked at in his. youth. Large numbers of prominent men now living havo arisen from humble Hfo by dint of industry, without which talent is as useless as a gold coin on a barren island. Work alono makes men bright aud it docs not alono depend on tho kind of work you havo to do whether you riso or not. It de pends on how you do it. Toolli-l'ulliug Illustrated. Before tho day of chloroform thoro was a quack who advertised tooth-drawing without pain. The patient was placed in a chair, and tho instrument applied to his tooth with a wrench followed by a roar from tho unpleasantly surprised sufferer. "Stop," cried tho dentist; "composo your self. 1 told you that I would give you no pain, but I only just gave you that twingo as a speciman, to show you Cartwright'g method of operating." Again tho instru ment was applied, another tug, a not hor roar. " Now, don't bo impatiout; that is Duniergo's way; bo seated and calm, you will now o sensible of tho superiority of my method"' Another application, anoth er tug, another roar. "Now, pray lie quiet! That is Parkinson's mode, and you don't like it; and no wonder." By this time tho tooth hung by a thread; and whipping it out, tho operator exultingly exclaimed, "Thatis my mode of tooth-drawing with out pain, nnd you are now enabled to com pare it with thn operations of Cartwright, Dumerge, anil Parkinson." tWA. woman says what sho chooses without being abused for it. She can tako a nap after dinner whilo her husband goes to work. Sho can go into tho street without being asked to stnnd treat at every saloon. She can stay at homo in time of war, and get married again if her husband gets kill ed. She can wear corsets If too thick, and other fixings if too thin. Sho can got a divorce from her husband, if she seos one sho likos better. She can get hor husband in dept all over, until he warns tho public not to trust her on his account. But all these accounts are balanced by the groat fact that sho cannot sing bass, wear a board, go sparking, or climb a tree. ' tW The Peabody (Mast.) lttt says : " Many persons who have had occasion to visit tho Essex depot in this town, have for some time past noticed a large dun colored dog, who anxiously watches tho passengers as they alight, as though sook for some particular person. This dog be longed to Mr. Ernest 8. Men-ill, one of the victims of the Revere disaster. When young Merrill left home for tho lust time bis dog left him at the depot The faithful dog still watches for his master, who will never come back."
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