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1x'clr"1v AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER. .. J"J&&!52?
yol."yiI.' ' ' ;; New Bloomlleld, Pa., Tuesday, Decomber lO, 1873. No. GO.
18 PUBLISHED KVKKT TUESDAY M0BMN0, BT. .
"l: FRANZ MORTIMER & CO., ";
A.t New Bloomlleld, rerry Co., Pa.
Being provided with Steam Tower, and large
Cylinder and Job-Presses, we are prepared
to do all kinds of Jnb-1'rlntlng In
good style and at Low Prices. .
ADVEKTI8INO RATES I
" TraiuitntH Cents per lino for one insertion
13 " " ., twoinsortlons
' . " " "three Insertions
Business Notices In Local. Column 10 Cents
per line. ' "
VForlongervearly adv'ts terms will be given
upon application. '
Fred. Eckerson's Proposal.
"lTISS BECKY NEWTON."
jjX "Well, sir."
" Will you marry me ?"
"No, 1 won't." 5 : ' . : ,
" Very well then, don't, that's all."
Mr. Fred Eckerson drew away hU chair,
and putting his feet on the pizza, unfolded
a newspaper. Miss Becky Newton bit her
lip and went' on with her sewing. ' ' She
wondered if that was' going to. be the last
of it. She had felt this proposal coming
for nearly a month but the scene she had
anticipated was not at all like this. , She
had intended to refuse him, but it was to
be done gracefully. She was ' to ' remain
Arm, notwithstanding his most eager en
treaties. She was to have told him that,
though respecting his manly worth ' and
upright character, she could never be more
than an appreciating friend, she had intend
ed to shed a few tears, perhaps, as he knelt
in an agony of supplication at ber feet. But
instead, he bad asked the simple question,
without any rhetorical embellishments, and
on being answered, plunged at once into
hia newspaper, as though he had merely
inquired the time of day. She could have
criod with vexation.
"You will never have a better chance,"
be continued, after a pause, as ha deliber
ately turned over to find the latest tele
graph reports.
"A better chance for what ?" she asked
shortly.
" A better chance to marry a young good
looking man, whose gallantry to the sex
is only exceeded by bis bravery 'in their
defence." .Fred was quoting from his
newspaper, but Miss Newton did not know
it. ;.:. ' 1 .- I
" And whose egotism is only exceeded
by his impudence," retorted the lady sar
castically. "Before long,", .continued Fred, "you
will be out of the markot. , Your chances,
you know,' are getting slimmer every day.'
"Sir!"
" It won't be a great while before you
are ineligible. You will grow old and
wrinkled, and "
" Such rudeness to a Indy, sir, it is mon
strous !" exclaimed Miss Newton rising
hastily and flushing to the temples.
" I'll give you a final opportunity. Miss
Becky. Will you mar "
" Not if you were the King of England,"
interrupted Miss Newton, throwing down
her work. "I am not accustomed to such
insults, sir." And so saying she passed
into the house and slammed the door be
hind her.
" She is never as handsome as when she
is in a rage," thought Fred to himself after
she bad gone, as he slowly folded up his
paper as he replaced it in his pocket. " I
was a fool to goad her so. I shall never
win ber In that way. But I'll have her,"
he exclaimed aloud. " By . heaven ! I'll
have her, cost what it may."
Very different was the Fred Eckerson of
the present, pacing nervously up and down
the piazza, from Fred Eckerson of a few
moments ago, receiving his dismissal from
the woman he loved with such a calm and
imperturbable exterior ; for he loved Becky
Newton with all bis heart. The real diffi
culty in the way, as ho more 'than balf
suspectcd, was not so much in himself as
in his pocket Becky Newton had as insu
perable objection to an empty wallet. The
daughter of a wealthy Louisiana planter,
reared in luxury, and a reciplentof a weekly
allowance of pin money suflicient to pay
Fred's bills for a whole month, she had no
Immediate Idea of changing her situation
for one of less comfort and independence.
Besides it bad been intimated to her that
a neighboring planter of unusually aristo
cratic lineage had looked upon her with
covetous eyes. To be sure he was old and
ugly, but be was rich ; aud in her present
mercenary state of mind, Miss Becky New
ton did not desire to allow such a chance
of becoming a wealthy widow slip by unim
proved. '":.' '
But alas for humaa nature I If Becky
was really so indifferent to Fred Eckerson,
why did she run up stairs after that inter
view, and take the starch all out of her
nice, clean pillow-shams by crying herself
into hysterics on the bed ? It was not all
wrath, not all vexation, not all pique.
There was somewhere deep down in Becky
Newton's heart, a feeling very much akin
to remorse. She was not sure that she
would not one day be sorry for what she
had done. She had no doubt she could
be very happy, as Fred Eckerson's wife,
after all. , ., , , j ,
" But then," she cried growing hot with
the recollection, " he was so rude aud so
insulting 1 I could never live with such a
man nover !" .
When Fred Eckerson ' bad . walked off
some of hit feolings on the piazza, he con
cluded to take a look at the river. The
Mississippi, which flowed within S0O yards
of the house, was at that time nearly at
the height of its regular " spring rise."
Its turbid waters rushing swiftly toward
the sea, bad nearly filled the banks, and
in many places had broken through the
levees and flooded the low lands for many
miles. A crevaBse of this description had
been made in the farther bank, nearly op
posite the house, and the windows of the
Newtou mansion commanded a view of a
vast and ' glittering inland sea, not laid
down on the map. The : current of the
stream bore upon the coffee-colored bosom
an enormous mass of floating timber, which
was dashed along in the boiling flood, ren
dering navigation wholly impossible. The
waters were still .rising, and the frequent
crashes far and near told of the undermin
ing power of the current, as sections of the
sandy banks succumbed aud disappeared,
carrying with them the trees which over
hung the stream.
Now it happened that, by a curious co
incident, Miss Newton also resolved to look
at the river. She dried her tears, and put
ting on her hat, slipped out by the back
door to avoid Fred, and soon found herself
at the foot of a huge cottonwood tree on
the bank bolow the house. ' Throwing her
self upon the grass, and lulled by the rapid
flood beneath she soon fell asleep. Had
she possessed any power of foreseeing the
future, it would have been the last thing
she would have done ; for, although it was
very pleasant dropping sleep there in the
shade, . with the soft sunlight Altering
through tho leaves overhead, the awaken
ing was not. at all to her mind. A terrible
ciash made chaos to her dreams ; the tall
cottonwood toppled and fell ; and Miss
Becky Newton found hersolf immersed in
the cold flood, with ber mouth full of
muddy water. In a moment more some
body's arms was around her and she felt
herself lifted tip and placed in the sunshine,
though precisely where, she was as yet too
bewildered to know. . Getting ber eyes
open at last, she found Fred Eckei son's
whisker's nearly touching ber face.
"Well!"
" Well 1" '
" Whore am I ?" ' asked Becky, shiver
ing and looking around her.
" You are in the middle of the Mississip
pi," replied Fred, "and you are in the fork
of a cottonwood tree, aud you are voyaging
towar ds the Qulf of Mexico just as fast as
the freshet can carry you.",
" IIow came you here ?" "
" In the same conveyance with yourself
Miss Becky. In fact, you and I and the
tree all came together, to say nothing of a
portion of your father's plantation, which
I fear is lost to blm forever."
Becky was silent. She was thinking,
not of the accident or their perilous posi
tion, but of her appearauce when she was
lying asleep ou the grass.
" How long were you there before this
happened ?" she asked.
" As long as you were. I was up in the
tree when you came I" ,
" You had no right to be up there," she
said, coloring, " a spy upon my move
ments." " Nonsense !" he replied, "You intrud
ed on my privacy, and while you slept I
watched over you like the sweet little
cherub that sits up aloft."
" Thank you for the service, I'm sure,"
she said, bridling.
" You snored awfully."
" Mr. Eckerson, remove your arm from
my waist." ( .
" Then put your's around my neck."
"Indeed, I shall do no such thing."
"You will full into the river if you do
not."
Becky was silent for a few moments,
while the unwieldy raft whirled along in
the current, rolling from side to side, and
threatening every instant to turn com
pletely over and tip them off. At last she
said :
"What are we to do?".
" I think, now that I am started, I shall
go on to New Orleans," he replied.
" To New Orleans ?" exclaimed Becky.
"It is a hundred miles 1"
"Yes, and a chance of a free ride for a
long distance is not to bo neglected. . You
can go ashore if you prefer."
She burst into tears.
"You arecruol,". she said, "to treat
me so."
"Cruel," exclaimed Fred, drawing her
closer to him, quickly " cruel to you?"
There was no help for it, and she again
relapsed into silence, quite content, ap
parently, ' to remain in . Fred's arms, and
evincing now no disposition to rebel. For
once in . her life she was dependent on a
man. ' '
" I want to go to New Orleans," con
tinued Fred, after a pause, " because
there is a young lady of my acquaintance
residing there, whom I have an intention
of inviting into this neighborhood." '
"Oh!"
"If we don't go to New Orleans, and if
we get safe out of this scrape, I shall write
for her to come anyway."
"Ah !" : '" ! ' "
" I shall obtain board for her in St.
Jean, which will be convenient for mo as
long as I remain your father's guest. I
can ride over after breakfast every morn
ing you see.''
"She is an intimate friend, then," said
Becky. ' ' - 1 ' '
" I expect to marry ber before long,"
he replied.1 ' ' 1
' " Marry her J Why you you proposed
to me this morning."
" Yes, but you refused me. I told you
then yon would ' never have another
chance."
Becky was silent again. It is a matter
of some doubt whether, had Fred at that
moment, sitting astride that cottonwood
log, with his feet in the water and his
arm around her waist, proposed to her a
second time, she would have accepted him
or not. To be sure a marvelous change
had come over Becky's feelings since her
tumble in the river. She felt that one
strong arm, like that which supported her,
was worth a thousand old and decrepit
planters, and she recognized the fact that
a man who could talk so coolly and uncon
cernedly in a situation of such extreme
peril,' was of no ordinary courage. But
she was not yet quite pr epared to give np
her golden dreams. The dross was not
quite washed out of ber soul, and she did
not yet know how much she loved Fred
Eckerson. Besides the did not half be
lieve him. '
Their clumsy vessel floated on, now
root first, now sideways, and now half
submerged beneath the boiling current.
Their precarious hold became more uncer
tain as their ' frames became chilled by the
cold water, and every plunge of the log
threatened to cast them once more into
the river. In vain Fred endeavored to
attract the attention of some one on the
shore. The cottonwood retained a course
nearly in the middle of the stream, too
far from either bank to render their out
cries of much avail. As it grew dark
their situation seemed more and more
hopeless, aud to Becky there apppeared to
be no escape from certain death, either
by drowning in the darkness, or by exhaus
tion before daybreak.
Yet to die in this man's arms seemed
not wholly a terror. She could hardly
think, if death must come, of any way in
which she would rather meet it. Was
It possible she loved him, aud must need
be brought within the valley of the shad
ow before she could know her own heart?
Had she loved him all along ? While she
was thinking about it, chilled by the
night air,1 she fell asleep. When she
awoke the stars were out, but she was
warns and comfortable. Raising hef
head, she found herself enveloped in Fred's
coat. . ' 1 ' i
"Fred!"
"Well!"
" You have robbed yourself to keep me
warm. You are freezing." ' '
" No, I ain't. I took It off because it
was so awful hot," aud, taking out his
handkerchief with his disengaged band
be made a pretense of wiping the perspira
tion from his brow.
"How long have I been asleep?"
"About throe hours, We are drifting
ashore now."
"Shall we be saved?"
" I don't know. Put your arms around
my neck, for I am going to take mine
away."
Becky did this timo as she was bid.
She did not only throw her arms quick
ly around his nock, but laid her bead up
on his breast without the slightest hesita
tion. In the darkness Fred did not know
that she imprinted a kiss upon his shirt
bosom,
" Hold fast, now I" bo cried. " Hold on
for dear life 1"
The log bad been gradually nearing the
shore for some time, and it now shot
suddenly under a large sycamore which
overhung the bank and trailed its branch
es in the brown flood. Quick as thought
Fred seized the limb above his head and
pulled with all his might. , The headlong
course of the cottonwood was checked,
it plunged heavily and partly turned
over Us top became entangled in the syca
more, and a terrific crackling of limbs
ensued. . With a sudden spring Fred gain
ed the projecting branch, dragging his
clinging burden after Lira. In another
instant the cottonwood had broken away
and continued its voyage down the river,
while the bent sycamore regained its shape
with such a quick bound that the two trav
elers were very nearly preoipitated into the
stream again. Fred, half supporting half
dragging Becky, worked his way to the
trunk by a series of gymnastics that would
have done no discredit to Blondin, and in
a moment more both had reached the
ground in safety.
"That is a business we are well out of,"
he said, when he had regained his breath.
"Now where are we ?"
He looked about. A light was glim
mering from a habitation behind them,
a short distance from where they stood.
Becky could not walk without great pain,
and Fred lifted her lightly in his arms and
started for the house. It proved to be
the dwelling of a small planter, who was
not lacking in hospitality. Here their
wants were quickly attended to, and under
the cheering influence of warmth and
shelter Becky was soon herself again. '
They drove home on the following day,
Fred haviug procured the loan of the
planters horse and chaise for that purpose
promising to return them . by Mr. New
ton's servants the day after. The morn
ing ' was bright and clear, and the fra
grance of the orange groves was in the
air. Becky, who had maintained almost
utter silence since their escape from the
cottonwood, was no less silent now. Fred
himself did not appear particularly com
municative, and many miles of the long
ride were ' taken without a remark from
either. It was Becky who spoke first.
"Fred," she said
"Yes!" .
" You have saved my life, have you
not?"
" Happy to do it any day," he remarked,
not knowing exactly what else to say.
" I thank you very much."
" Quito welcome, I'm sure."
There was another long silence, broken
only by the sound of the horse's hoofs
upon the road. Fred himself seemed to
have lost some of his habitual ease, for he
kept his whip in constant motion, and held
the reins nervously.
"Fred!"
" Yes !"
" Are you going to write to that young
lady in New Orleans ?"
"I s'pose so.'.'
" Hadn't you better try again before
you before you write ?"
He turned his eyes full upon hor, and
opened them wide.
" Try again j try what ?"
" I've been thinking through the night,"
said ' Becky, bending low to hide her
face, and carefully separating the fringe
of her mantilla, "that perhaps if you
asked me again the same question that
you did yesterday morning I might an
swer a little different." ' '
Becky's head went against Fred's shoul
der, 4id her face became Immediately lost
to view.
" You darling !" be exclaimed, "I never
intended to do otherwise. The young
lady in New Orleans was wholly a myth.
But when, may I ask, did you change your
mind?"
"I have never changed it," she mur
mured. " I have loved you all the time
but I never knew it until last night." '
And to this day, when Mr. Becky
Eckereon is asked whore it was that she
fell in love with her husband, she answers
"on a log."
tW Why does the ,' girl of the period'
make the best housekeeper? Because the
makes so much bustle about a little waist.
Foiling Leaves.
MANY persons think that when leaves
turn red and yellow in the Fall it is
because they have been killed by the frost. '
But a little observation will bIiow that such
is not the case, and that the Autumns
when the leaves are the mott beautiful are
those in which the frost is the latest. This
has been notably the case this year.
A severe frost kills the leaves at once,
and they soon fall, brown and withered.
To be brilliant they must ripen naturally,
and our hot September and October midday
suns have probably much to do with it. In
England where the Falls are apt to be
damp and cloudy, the leaves are not se
bright, and American artists, who strivo
to paint our maples and dog-woods as they
see them, are unjustly accused of over-coloring.
The leaves fall because thoy are ripe and
have performed the services that was al
lotted them. The leaf is the laboratory or
the plant, and in it are performed most of
the operations essential to its giowth. It.
takos the crude materials gathered by the
roots, refines them, rejecting all that is not
essential to the plant, and out of the re
mainder construct - the highly complex
bodies that are found in other parts of the-"
plant. These rejeoted parts consist mainly
of earthy matter that was in solution in the
water taken by the roots, and it is depos
ited in the cells of the loaf. This is shown
by tbo fact that the leaf contains far rnoro
ash than any other part of the plant. ' In
some plants the ash of the leaf amounts to
over 20 per cent., while that of the wood
rarely exceeds two or three. When tho
cells become completely dogged up with
this matter, the leaf can no longer perform
its functions, and so ripens and falls off.
Provision has already been made for this
separation. If the foot-stalks of most
leaves be examined, it will be found a kind
of joint exists near the body of the plant,
even whon the leaf is quite young ; as it
grows older this joint becomes marked, and
Anally when it is ripe a gentle breeze will
shake it off, and no wound is left, noth
ing but the scar ; the wound was healed .
even before it was mado. The same is
also true of fruits, which by botanists are
regarded as nothing but developed leaves ;
a joint may generally be found in the stem,
at which it separates readily. This is very
marked in the grape ; it is situated at a
little swelling that is to be found on the
stem. A slight bond will ' separate the
stem at this point, while it takes a strong
pull to sever it above or below. Even on
the evergreen trees, which apparently
never shed their leaves, the leaves exist at
most but two or three years, when they
are replaced by new ones, the old falling
away as thoy become unfit for aotive duty ;
but the leaves in this case being shed most
ly in the Spring, we do not miss them.
Freaks of a St. Paul Cow.
A ludicrous performance occurred on
Fourth street yestorday afternoon, the
scene being laid near the Metropolitan
Hotel, and the principal figure being a oow
of mild aspect, but not remarkably hand
some. Tho front door had been left open,
and the lady of tho house hearing a tremen
dous clatter of hoofs on the stairway load
ing to the upper story of her domicil,
started hurriedly to ascertain tho cause of
the phenomenon. She arrived in time to
see a cow's tail swinging aloft at the head
of the stairs, and soon the animal had
found hor way into a small closet in the
vicinity, and at once became profoundly
interested in a sack of meal, or some other
pleasant object stored therein. The lady
failing to appreciate the transformation of
her tidy apartment Into a common stable,
at once inaugurated battle against the tres
passer, and by the use of signs, movements
any) pass-words, which ouly a lady can re
oall on such an occasion, undertook to eject
the oow from the premises. Bossy failed
to see the signs and did not seem to care a
cob about the lady's wishes. The lady
shook her apron at the cow and reached out
her hand carefully for a more effective
weapon of warfare. The cow comprehend
ed the situation at last, aud hor head was '
lowered, her tail was Aung iu tho air, and
her back was curved majestically. The
lady concluded the air in her stairway was
not conducive to health and rushed out
doors calling for help. It came in aj short
time, and the cow was eventually ejected,
but not nntil some threatening demonstra
tions had been mado on the levies or rein
forcements operating against her within
the fortress. St. Paul Prttt.
tW The worst of all heresies, is a bad
heart and an uncharitable tongue.