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Ak INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER. " .JSS!-'
"Vol. -ril. IVoav Klooiiiflolcl, Tuesday, March 11, 1873. TVo. 10.
18 punUBHEU EVERT TUESDAY MORSINO, BY
FBANK JIOETIMEE & CO.,
At New Bloomfleld, Terry Co., Ta.
Bolng provided with Btenm Power, and largo
Cylinder and Job -Presses, we are prepared
to do all kinds of Job-PrlntliiR lu
good style and at Low Prices.
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CLEANSING nr.Es.
Let thy gold be cast In the furnace,
Thy red gold, precious and bright;
Do not f oar for the hungry tire,
With Its caverns of burning light.
And thy gold shall return more precious,
Free from every spot and stain :
For gold must be tried by lire.
As a heart must be tried by pain?
In the cruel tire of sorrow i
Cast thy heart, do not faint or w all s
Lot thy hand be firm and steady,
Do not let thy spirit quail.
But wait till the trial Is over,
And take thy heart again;
For, as gold Is tried by lire,
Ho a heart must be tried by pain !
I shall know by the gleam and the glitter
Of the golden chain you wear.
By your heart's calm strength in loving,
Of the tire you have had to bear.
Beat on, true heart, forever ;
Shine bright, strong, golden chain:
And bless the cleansing tire,
And the furnace of living pain!
The Lost Dahlia.
rrWIERE was trouble at tho great white
I stuccoed Iioubo on the hill-side, with
its extensive gardens and grounds, over
looking the little village. Its mistress,
Mrs. General Harmon was very angry ; and
the gardener was in disgrace, threatened
with dismissal ; and all the servants and all
the family were more or less uncomfort
able through the vexed temper of Madame.
And yet the cause of it all was a very slight
thing in itself merely the loss of a flower
root a dahlia.
But then Mrs. Harmon would havo told
you what she had already repeated a bun
. dred times, that this dahlia was a very
unique and consequently precious species ;
that she had purchased it in France, at a
high price, one of two plants which an old
disabled soldier, with a taste for flowers,
had, he said, succeeded in producing by
means of several successive years of careful
culture and experiment ; and above all she
had been certain of this dahlia taking the
prize offered at the approaching great hor
ticultural fair, for the finest and rarest
specimen of flowers. Several other valuable
ones she had, but this particular dahlia,
" l'lmperatrice," as the old Frenchman had
called it, in honor of "la belle Eugenie
This dahlia was to be the crowning glory
of all. Never before bad been seen a dahlia
of such size, of such perfect formation, and
of a hue so gorgeously unique a vivid
tinge between richest carmine and most
glowing crimson, tipped at the edges with
imperial purple. And now the precious
root was lost ; and Mrs. Senator Rivers, the
other great and rich lady of tho neighbor
hood, and Mrs. Harmon's rival in most
things Mrs. Senator Rivers would cor-
tainly obtain tne prize and honor ol pos
sessing which the mistress of Fairview was
so anxiously, and some people said, so fool
ishly ambitious.
" It must have been Duncan's fault,"
said Mrs. Harmon, excitedly. "He was
careless with it I cannot conceive how
otherwise the root could havo been lost. I
remember perfectly that after myself tak
ing it out of the jar of sand, I placed the
bulb in somo dry moss in a corner of the
greenhouse shelf, and pointed it out to
Duncan, tolling him that it must be set out
' to-day. And now it is not to be found I
and no one but Duncan has entered the
greenhouse since I left It yesterday. He
has been making some arrangements there,
he sys clearing away rubbish ; and no
doubt he misplaced and lost the bulb. I
have several times lately observed him to
be careless aud I suspect, lazy."
'.' Oh, no, mamma 1" observed Emma, a
gontlo, kindly-looking girl of fifteen " not
lazy, only old you know, and not so brisk
as pooplo who are younger. He has been
complaining of rheumatism "
"You know nothing about it, child,"
said her mother, impatiently. " My splen
did dahlia 1" bore the tears actually came
into her eyes, and sho added, " I gave the
value of twenty-five dollars for it ; and I
would give as much again for its recovery."
" Fifty dollars, mamma, for a flower 1"
" For a flower such as that. There is
but one other like it in the world."
" Then we will find it, mamma t" shout
ed Waltor, a few years younger than his
sister, "me and Willie. You promise to
give twenty-five dollars to any one who will
find your lost dahlia-root ?"
" Yes," replied the mother, " to you or
any one else who will And and bring it to
me unhurt."
But though tho boys, as well as Emma
and the gardoner, and some of the servants
searchod all the afternoon, the missing root
was not to bo discovered.
Bo Mrs. General Harmon, never at any
time a very reasonablo woman, mourned
over her loss, and partly soothed her ag
grieved feelings by dismissing the old
Scotch gardener, Duncan, and taking in
his place one younger and more active,
though by no means as skilful as bis pred
ecessor. And Duncan smarting under a
sense of injustice, went forward and offered
his services to Mrs. Rivers, who had long
been desirous of possessing them. Thus
Mrs. Harmon " spited nobody but herself,"
as is generally the case when people act
hastily in a passion.
Now Duncan's successor at Fairview was
a young man named William Watson, who
had long been in love with the pretty
daughter of tho widow Luttrol, who occu
pied that poor little cottage at the far end
of the village street, and eked out a scanty
pittance by taking in washing, or any such
job that offered, whilst Rose went out
sewing when she could And tho work to
do. Watson had long been anxious to
supplant Duncan, and it was, in fact,
partly owing to his artful representations
that he at length succeeded ; and his hope
was now, that in view of tho comfortable
salary and the pretty gardener's cottage at
Fairview, Rose might be induced to marry
him. Great therefore was his chagrin, as
well as resentment, when lie found his
offer of marriage for a second time rejected
by the daughter of tho widow ; and his ill
feeling was increased on learning that Rose
had all along preferred his own cousin,
Robert Ward ; and that the two wore to be
married as soon as Ward could afford to
purchase or build a small cottage. But
then, the young man was, like his affianc
ed, very poor, doing a small trado in the
village as blacksmith's assistant ; and it
would probably be a long time that he aud
Rose would have to wait for their cottage,
Meantime, thought Watson, who was vin-
dictive, something might be done to break
off the match ; and he never wished this so
ardently as when he saw the young couple,
bright and happy looking, despite their
poverty, saunter slowly past his own door
on Sunday evenings on their way to and
from church, and fancied in their smiling
looks that they were triumphing over him
So the spring passed and tne summer
came blossoming into the gorgeous luxur
iousness of July and August. Un the first
of September was to be the great hortieul
tural fair at Lexington, the county town,
about twelve miles distant from our littlo
village.
Mrs. Senator Rivers wanted somo dresses
made for the little girls for this particular
occasion, and, as was frequently the case,
applied for Rose LuUrel's services. So one
morning, about a week before the first of
September, the young girl set out for a
a thrce-milo walk to Mount Joy, whose
turreted roofs and many chimneys, rising
above a magnificent grove of old trees, she
could see quite plainly from her own little
cottage. She was to pass the day at Mount
Joy, and in the evening return, bringing
the work with her for completion at homo.
Rose was used to walking, and two or
three miles along the pretty picturesque
valley road was very little to her. Never
theless she accepted from farmer Brown,
by whom she was presently ovcitaken, the
oiler of a ride in his wagon.
Little less than two miles from the vil
lage they came to what was called the Five
Corners, a point where no less than ', that
number of roads met. There was a nice
country tavern here, together with a store
and a smithy. As they passed the latter
they saw the smith come out, aud with
black aud brawny hands mill up a board In
front of his door, on which was written,
This property for salo, cheap 1"
" Hello 1" said farmer Brown, drawing
up, " Solan' out uey V"
" Wouldn't put up this'ere if I wan'n't,"
answered tho smith who was a gruff fellow.
" Wal, now I and your doin' the best
blacksmith business in the hull country !"
said the old man in a tone of disappoint
ment. "Mebbel can do abettor still," an
swered he, coolly.
" You don't say ? Whereabouts, now ?"
" In California. Dick's makin' lost o'
money over thar, and he's writ to me to
come out the first minute I can, and jine
him in a business he's about to undertake."
" To be sure 1 and you'll go Boon's the
place is sold ?"
"Yes ; tho lot, and the smithy, and the
house over thar," nodding his head toward
a nice littlo white cottage with its portico
embowered in multiflora roses, which stood
a littlo apart from tho shop. "Going to
let it off cheap, as in this case time's of
more value to me than money. Five hun
dred the wholo lot !"
" Wal, now, that is ft low figure !"
" Must bo paid, though, before the first
of September, as I'm bound to be off by
that time. Wouldn't let it go off so easy
if I warn't pressed for time, and obliged to
give such short notice."
Tho smith finished nailing on tho board
as he spoko, and returned to his shop,
whilst farmer Brown drove on.
I say, Rosey, that'd be a first-rate
chanco for Bob Ward," said tho old man,
turning to her with a look of interest.
" Better speak to him about it, my girl.
IIo's a fine steady fellow, and you both de
serve to do well."
I don't think he has the money," said
tho girl, blushing, but with a wistful look
back at the smithy and the cottago, with
its garden, its field, ond "cOw-lot."
" Wal," said the farmer, thoughtfullp,
I might possibly help him along a little.
He's sure to succeed at the Five Corners,
the best place for a smithy in the country
round, and though I ain't much to spare, I
wouldn't see him at a loss for want of a few
dollars or so."
All that day Rose Luttrol's thoughts
were running loss upon her work than on
tho pretty cottage at the Five Corners; and
when Robert Ward came in, late in the
evening for the usual half-hour's talk with
her, Bhe told him of it.
"I can't do it, Rose," he said, regret
fully. " I've but 300 in the, world, and you
know bow much there is to do with that.
And yet it's such a capital place for busi
ness !"
" And such a pretty cottage already
built, you know."
"I wish I could afford to get it," he
said, looking at the bright, eager face be
fore him.
"Couldn't you try, Robert? Farmer
Brown will help you, you know."
Robert came in next evening, looking
rather excited. Farmer Brown bad prom
ised to loan him $100, " all the ready mon
ey he could scrape together." This, with
his own, would mako $400.
"Only $100 morel" exclaimed Rose,
joyously clasping hor hands.
" But there is the difficulty, Rose. Only
$1 wanting would spoil the whole, and how
on earth am I to get this $100 ? I did try
two or three people, whom I thought best
able or willing to make the loan ; but they
either haven't the money, or don't want to
part with it."
"There is your cousin, William," said
Rose, hesitatingly. "IIo has plenty."
" I spoke to him, first," said Robert,
with a shadow coming into his clear blue
eyes " offering interest on tho loan : but
ho hadn't the money, he said. I think,
Rose, he hasn't any over-good will toward
mo now, dear."'
She understood him.
"Lot him have good or ill will," she
said, with a little defiant toss of her head
" It doesn't matter. We can do without
him.
But it was with rather a sad heart that
Rose, on the last day of August, sot out
to Mouut Joy, carryiug home the comple
ted dresses that would be wanted next day
at the great fair at Lexington. She walk
ed the whole way this time, as far as the
Five Corners, and there stopped to rost in
the shade of the fruit trees iu front of the
smith's cottaco. The notice was still con
spicuously nailed iu the front of the shop.
" You haven't yet bad an offer for your
place, Mr. Simpson?" she asked of the
smith, who passed her, appearing very
busy.
" Plenty offers money aiu't paid down,
though. Except young Watsou'U take it.
Just left a littlo while ago, and promised
to got the money out o' bank to-morrow at
Lexington. Don't intend to take down
notice till bargain's made and money paid
cash. First that puts the money in my
hand's to have it."
Rose walked on. Her feeling of indiffer
ence toward William Watson was changed
into one of indignation. What could he
want of tho smithy, who was a gardener,
and had a cottage of his own ? No doubt
the proposed purchase was to spite her aud
Robert, and, as the thought occurred, she
perceived the object of her indignation
approaching on horseback round a turn of
tho road. She did not dosire to meet him.
Not only was she angry with him, but he
was not, as she well knew, the sort of
young man with whom a girl would bo
willing to be caught walking alone on a
secluded road ; and Roso, seeing that she
had not been perceived turned hastily into
the bushes, crossed a low fence, and struck
straight through the wood in the direction
of Mount Joy. There was no pathway
through this unfrequented wood, and whou
Rose had walked some distance, she lost
the "bearings," as sailors say, and bad
wandered out of hor direct course. She
paused on a slightly elevated and open
space, and looked around. The first ob
ject that arrested her attention was some
thing red gorgeously red aud vivid
gleaming out from a neighboring thicket
like a blazing jowcl. It must be a flower,
of course though not even tho superb
cardinal flower had ever seemed to the
girl's eyes half so splondid in its gorgeous
hue. And when she reached it, she stood
in almost rapturous surprise and delight at
recognizing in this jewel of the woodland a
dahlia aud such a dahlia 1
There were several buds already nearly
opened, though but one in full blossom
a blossom just opened and perfectly devel
oped. " I will got Robort to remove It to our
garden," said Roso to herself ; "and this
lovely blossom I will take to Mrs. Rivers.
She is so fond of flowers. I wonder how
it came here, away in the woods, and there
is part of a basket, half buried in tho earth
near it. Yes, it is actually growing out of
an old wicker basket."
As sho passed tho Mount Joy garden,
Duncan was throwing over the palings a
handful of rootod-up weeds. His eye was
instantly caught by tho glow of tho flower
which Rose carried in her hand, its stem
wrapped in some wet moss to keep it fresh,
And when she showed the blossom, and
told him how she had found it, the old man's
shrewd, , grey eyes kindled. He knew all
in an instant. It was Mrs Harmon's lost
dahlia.
" I'll gie you a gudo price for the plant,
Miss Rose," he replied, persuasively.
" What price ?" asked Roso, wonder
ingly; for it had not occurred to her that
any one would wish to buy tho flower.
" Aweol," said the old man, reflectively,
as he scratched his head "say $1."
Duncan was a Scotchman, shrewd and
economical, yet he folt half ashamed to im
pose on tho girl with such an offer for this
rare and splendid plant. And seeing that
she hesitated, he fancied sho know some
thing of its value.
" You think its worth mair, mayhaps?"
he suggested.
"Oh, no," said Roso, with a half-absent
Bmile: " I was only wishing it was worth
$100."
" Eh. eudo cuide us I 1100 for a woe
flower 1"
So Roso. in defending herself from the
charge of such unheard-of mercenariouness
unconsciously told her story. Duncan had
a good heart "au fond" as the French
say and his sympathies wero arousod for
the lovers, whilst at the samo time, his in
dignation rose against his succcsor at Fair
view Watson.
."I'll tellyewha' tin, Miss Rose," he
broke in at the ond of her story- Gin ye'll
gie me that flower, and hail plant root, bud
an a', I'll nae see ye put out for want o'
tlOO. I hao that, an' mair. 1' the same
bank wi' that donnie chiof yonder, and I'll
be before handed wi' him, or my name's
nae Duncan ?"
So tho bargain was agreed to on the spot;
and the old Scotchman, with spade and
basket, accompanied Roso back to the
place where grew the dahlia, and carefully,
as though ho wore digging up a buried
treasure, roruovod tho plant with the earth
undisturbed about its roots.
"Hech, sirs !" said ho, with a chucklo,
"but it's the leddy o' Mount Joy wull win
the prize this time; an I'd gie anither bin
dred dollars a'maist to see how Madame
Harmon wull open her big black eyne when
they fa' on this at the fair to-morrow.
Do'il kens how it kem here, then !"
The way in which the root had really
come there was afterwards remembered by
Mrs. Harmon herself. She had placed it,
with the dried moss in which it had been
enveloped, not on the sliolf, as she had
supposed, but in a little wicker basket on
that shelf, and this basket the children
had the same evening appropriated for
gathering gentian roots in the woods, and
thus lost, with the precious dahlia roots
still within it.
When, late the following day, William
Watson, returning from the fair, presented
himself and his $500 at the Five Corners
smithy, he was told that the place had been
sold some hours previous to Robert Ward.'
And every time he is under the necessity
of passing that way, he beholds Robert
busily at work in his shop, with plenty of
customers around ; whilst Rose, prettier
than ever in her youthful matronly bloom
is equally as busy attending to her garden,
setting roots and tying up bunches, with
frequently old Duncan to criticise, instruct
and assist. Tho old man's loau has been
paid long ago, and he and the Wards are
great friends. He still shows his splendid
dahlia at nil the flower fairs, and relates,
with a chucklo, how ho gained possession
of it; and if any one questions the strict
honorableness of the proceeding, he puts
down the objective with " Hoch, sirs 1
but it was a' providential, an' I'm nae ane
to fly i' the face o' Providence."
A XEUIIO WEDDING. '
IN tho Lakeside for January, Egbert
Pholps doscrlbes "A Southern Christ
mas in the Olden Time," when plantation
life and old-fashioned Southern hospitality
had tho luxuriant aspect on the outside
that tho war and emancipation havo
obliterated. Tho writer saw ono of those
comical negro weddings which have been
so often described. The bride and groom,
answering to tho names Andrew and Susie,
were field hands of unmistakably puro
Guinea blood, and both of thorn had passed
the first half century of life. Their dress,
howevor, showed that they had not yet en
tirely eschewed the follies of thoir youth,
for, though rudo and cheap, as beoamo
their condition, it was nevertheless not uu
embclllshed with those bits of gewgaw and
glaring finery of bright-colored ribbon and
tie in which the negro delights.
With tho most decorus gravity the
preacher began: .
" Andrew, duz you lub dis yore wo
man?" " I dux so 1" was the emphatic roply.
" Will you promise to stick close to her
from time an' 'tarnity, renouucin'all oddors
an'clcabin' ou'y to her forcber an' amen !"
II T til J.t I,,
X Will UUb i
" Will you lub, honor an' 'bey"
" Hold on, dar, Ole Jack !" herointw
ruptud the groom, with no little show of
indignation " Taint no use talkln' to dis
nigger 'boyin' do wimmin. Can't prom
ise to 'bey no wimmin folks, on'y 'copt ole
missisl "
"Silence dar! you owdumptlous nig
ger," roared tho wrathful preacher ; "what
fur you go fur spile de ceremony ? You
done spilt all do grabbity oh de 'caslon !
Dis yore's on'y matter ob form an' in'
sponsable to de 'oitsion, now don't you go
fur to open yonr black mouf till do time for
you to speak I"
" Will you promiso to lub, honor an'
'bey" Andrew still shaking his head
ominously at the obnoxious word "dis
yere nigger Susie, furnishin' hor wid all .
things needful for her comfort on happi
ness, cherishin' an' makin', smoove de
path ob all her precedin' days to come
"Is'pose I must say yes to dat," said
Andrew, meekly,
" Don I pronounce deso yore two coup
les to bo man and wife ! nil whom do Lord
hab joined togodder let no man go fur to
put dem assuuder !"
Here an uproar arose among the blacks,
betokening a dilemma entirely unforseeu
by Old Jack. For inasmuch as ho had
forgotten to require tho usual vows of Susy
they insisted that, howevor firmly Andrew
might bo bound by the bonds of matrimo
ny. Susie was still single, and tho pair
were but half married. Tho matter was at
last adjusted by the preacher commencing
the ceromony denovo, by which means the
couple were finally united to the satisfaction
of all.
tW Sickly poople, it is said, live long
er single than they would if married, aud
healthy people live longer In pairs.