$Ijc imc0, New Blaomftcfo, 3a.
THE OLD MAN'S WILL.
T MAY write to you, Alice.mayn'tlf"
Ji Alice shook her head. "Better
not," she said ; " much better not." Still
the denial was faint. j
" But I shall write," said the young man
warmly; "it Is all the comfort I have. I
don't ask you to write to me, but I will
write to you, and 'J
"lie would be angry," 'said Alice,
shaking hor ' head ; " no, ' you really
musn't." ' ' "
' 11 All right," said the sailor, with a warm
sunny smile : "to your sister then all
right. . I know you'll go and ask her for a
letter sometimes. Qood-by, darling one
kiss." ,
The kiss was given hurriedly and sur
reptitiously, and the sailor sprang from the
landing-stage Into a boat that was waiting
alongside, and presently the oars were
flashing in the sunshine as she made rap
idly for a bark lying in the stream. Alice
stood and watched the receding boat,
watched it till it reached the ship and was
hauled up on the davits. : Presently the
cheery song of the sailors was heard over
the water, the clink of the windlass, as
they hauled the anchor home. Then she
shook out her sails and departed. A
shore-boat, however, had put off from the
ship at the very last moment, and came
slowly against the tide towards the land.
It reached the landing-Rtage,and a wizened
elderly man landed and came up the stairs.
" Well, Alice," he said, "well, you've
waited a long time fof Dicky good girl,
good girl I Now, my birdie, we'll go home
to our little cage." " 1
1 Alice sighed and put her hand in his arm
and they went off, he with a springy
shambling gait, meant to be sprightly and
juvenile ; she with a slow lifeless step that
yet kept paoe with him. :l
Richard Toft, the ship-owner, who had
just landed, was seventy years old or more,
and be bad married Alice Graham, who
was only nineteen. But then Toft Was the
richest man in the port of Melford Regis,
and everybody said she had done well for
herself. There had been some silly love-
passsges between her and William' Black,'
the son of Widow Black, of Woodbine
Cottage, but he was only a mate in one of
Richard's ships, and could never have made
a home for - her, to say nothing of the mis
ery of marrying a sailor, and being a wid
ow, as it were, for four years out of fivej
Now it wasn't in the course of nature that
Dicky Toft should live forever) and -then
if sho played her cards well, what a happy
woman she might be I She would have to
play her cards, mind you, for she was a
poor girl when she married, and Dicky had
kept all his money ' at bis own ' disposal j
but then what fool like an old fool? and a
pretty girl, like Alice, ought to bo able to
wind him round her little finger, hi .' ' '
Certainly Sir. Toft was wonderfully
proud of his wife, and with good cause, fof
she was one of the prettiest girls hi Mel
ford. To be sure, after her marriage 'she
secnied to fade a little, whilst Dicky seem
ed to grow young aud green again, and re
sponded to all the railery of which he was
the subject as archly and wickedly as any
grizzled old monkey on a perch. ' ' "
Nothing was too good for Alice in Mr.
Toft's opinion. He bought her shawls
from the Indies, beautiful ' muslins and
silks that would stand on end ; be gave her
jewels too, and decked her out with chains
and trinkets and earrings, till she1 grew
ashamed of her splendor. '
- By and by, Willio Black came home
from a long voyage, and one of the flrnt
to welcome him and invite him to his
house was Mr. Toft, the ship-owner. ' He
had heard all. about this little love affair,
but he1 had such confidence in bis wife-
she was such a jewel, so devoted to him
he was anxious that his rival 1 should see
how completely she had forgotten. 1
"You brought him yourself," snid Alice
in her own heart, looking rather hardly
at her husband, as he tolled up the steep
hill that led to their house, panting and
shaking, bat refusing to acknowledge that
he was tired. "I had schooled myself to
be content, and ' with your own hand you
shattered all my good resolves." ' '
. " Let as stay here for a moment," said
Mr. Toft, "and admire this pleasant view.
Uh, I'm not tired no, no not at all ; but
see the ship standing out to sea. - Site's a
capital sailer, eh ? ah, yes." '
Her sails were spread out fur in the dis
tance, rosy- with the beams of the setting
sun, but a chilly mist was creeping up, and
presently the glow vanished and the white
sails were blotted out, disappearing in the
great vague world of mist aud sea and
shadow. !
. " Why, what's the matter, Alice ?" said
Mr. Toft, turning sharply round.' "Tear
Ah, well, yes, yes, we know a little hys
terical, eh? Dou't excite yourself, dearest.
My dear poppets, we will walk home very
quietly, and then we will have tea iu our
little uest."'
She: followed her lord and master slowly
up to their home on Lookout hill
it was a pleasant . little villa with & line
garden. ' " '','.'.."' .;
Things went ou quietly enough at Look
out villa for another couple of year. Mrs
Toft .had not been blessed by children, as
KSchard had hoped, and the old man was
a good dual crestfallen thereat; still be
lived in hope and seemed fonder than ever
of his young wife. By and by the tumor
went about that be had sent for Lawyer
Emlyn to make his will he bad always
been very stubborn against making wills;
and presently, when Mrs. Emlyn toiled up
Lookout hill to visit Mrs. Toft theEmlyns
had never visited before at that house
and sometime aftor invited her to spend a
quiet evening in the High street, everybody
shrewcdly surmised how the will was made
and judged that the property disposed of
was not inconsiderabio ii iir; J v-r
Meantime the Petuvla, ' the good ' ship
that had sailod away that fine summer's
evening, had been heard of more than
once." She had not been spoken, however,
later than the last of October, when she hod
left Kurachee, with the northeast monsoon
for the Red Sea, Intending to come home
by Suez and the Mediterranean. Any day
she might return, any day might witness
William Black' striding bp Lookout hill ;
any one of tlio white-winged ships that dot
ted the horizon might be the one ship that
heartsore Alice was secretly longing to see.
He had been very good; he had not written
to hor sister she had forbidden him to do
so, and he had Obeyed her ; and yet if he
knew bow she longed to hear ho was safe
after all, it was better not. '
Mr. Toft was breaking a little, people
said. ' lie was no longer as active as he had
been only a short year since. 'lie ''rarely
came down into the town how, and when
he did it was pitiable to see him toiling
back up the hill, making ' believe that the
ascent was not painful to him.' He had
been used to come each morning to 1 the
reading-room ;' but now ho had given that
np, and had the Timet sent np to him on
the noxt day after publication: ' ' 1 1
One summer evening her husband had
been poorly all day, and Alice had been
constantly ' occupied in attending to him,
but now he bad gone off to sleep she put
on her things and went down into the town
to make a few purchases, intending1 to
spend half an hour with ' Mrs. Emlyn, to
enjoy a gossip with that lively conversable
lady. ' 1 !l " "'! ' '" ''
Down the hill she went, the cool sea-
breeze fanning her parohed checks. The
evening was divine, and the sea was stretch
ed before her in long golden swathes, the
rinirmnr of it sounding ' gently In her ears.
Ships were stirring,' some outward-bound
were heaving at their anchors, ' and' the
Well-remembered sailor's song came Boftly
over the waters: some' homeward-bonnd
were making for their ' anchoring-grouhds
with full-bellied sails.' She strained her
eyes, and fancied that now this and now
that might : be the long-expected ' Poruvia.
But no, there would be no doubt then ; her
heart would tcil her at once,' " That is
William's ship!" " "" '" ' '' '
. The sun' was getting low,' und she has
tened quickly down the hilt. She met sun
dry towns-people she know by sight, and
nodded to them a good-natured greeting ;
they turned and looked at hor, and watched
her down the hill. " How rude people are
getting," she thought. '"There was a
time - when these would all have touched
their hats to the wife of the ship-owner."
At each Shop she visited she noticed
something strange about the people. Mr.
Meagre, the draper, came out of his little
box and stared at her, and Mrs. Mengre's
stony visage appeared over the glass door,
sternly i regarding her. It was the same at
the Other shops, everybody looked queer. '
"Imagination," she told herself. "I
feel altogether strange, and I And my own
feelings reflected in other people's faces.
Here comes Mrs. Emlyn." " ' .
.' Mrs. Emlyn came up to her and looked
at her with vacant unreooghizing gaze. 11
-.'."Mrs. Emlyn," she oried,' "how fortu
nate 1 1 am to meet you 1" . . ' f
- The lady gathered' togother hor skirts
and passed coldly on.
"Oh, what have I
matter?" : cried Alice,
dono
, She
-what is the
felt faint and
giddy ; something dreadful had happened.
The air grew heavy and thick ; all the
houses in the red, quaint High street seem
ed to blink at her; the sky was brassy and
dull above her. 'She was as if in a dream,
when the last trumpet seems to sound, and
the universe quakes around. But it was
nothing, it could be nothing ; Mrs. Emlyn
was often queer. ' i 1
But she turned round and made her way
homo. Her husband was awake and cry
ing for her like a sick child. She could do
nothing to-night, but in the morning she
would go down into the town and get to
the bottom of this mystery, If it were a
mystery, and not all a delusion. ' '
Next morning Mr. Toft was better
much better ; cheerful and chirrupy. He
had his breakfast in bed, however, and
Alice took it up to blin. ' He was quite
affectionate over bis toast, and loving over
!" Sff and by liooh he was down stairs
in the sitting-room grumbling that tho
Timet hadn't eeme.'
" It is here now, Richard," said his wife,
bringing him the great broadihect. ' She
left blm to his paper and went on her way
about household matters. By and by she
heard a strange sound in the parlor as if
somebody had fallen. Sho ran into the
room ; Mr. Toft was on the floor iu a heap
against hie easy chair. Ho had fallen into
a fit the paper was scrunched up iu his
hand..
A strange pang shot through her.
Grief, remorse, expectation, a flash of hope
that would not be repressed. In a moment
sho was horsolf again. ' She laid him gent
ly along the floor, rang the bell violently
for assistance, undid his necktie and the
front of his shirt, chafed his temples and
hands. Servants came, and she sent off
for the doctor. She moistened bis lips with
brandy. ' lie revived.
Strangely he shrank away from her
would not suffer her to touch him ; the gar
dener had coma In to . help, and, with his
assistance, the old man made his way to
bis bedroom. r, ; - - 1 ,- -. -
'Alice was wounded and amazed but She
had heard of sick people suddenly taking
fancies against thoso whom they loved best.
She wenttotheddor to see-if the doctor was
coming. Mr. Emlyn, the lawyer, was
walking quickly up the hill, a newspaper
under his arm. ' He looked sternly at her
as be approached.' "' '
'"I must see Mr. Toft," he said, as he
reached the door. I '"
"You cannot see him ; be is very ill,"
Bald Alice. ! '
''The window of' Mi Toft's room was
open, and he must have heard Mr. Emlyn's
Voice. ' ' '''' ': ' '
"Show Ml. Emlyn up," he cried, in
harsh shrieking tones. Come here, sir
come here I" . ; 1 '-' ;l ' '
Mr. Emlyn pushed his way in, and up
the staircase ; Alice was too frightened to
forbid him. The gardener presently came
in for pons and ink, took thorn up to his mas
ter, and then waited at the bottom of the
stairs.' . I ' - 1
' '' " You had better go to your work again,
1 nomas, said Alice ; "we can manage
without you now." ' 1 1 '
: " Master said I was to stay here."
She said nothing more, but when into
the sitting-Toom, and waited and watched
in dull bewildered expectation. Then she
heard Mr. Emlyn's voice : '
"Thomas,' oome np, and ' bring one of
your fellow-servants." !': ' '' ' "
There was a trampling up-stairs . and
then down ;' after that Mr. Emlyn came out
of her husband's room ; he left the house
forthwith without speaking to Alice. Then
the doctor came ; he too was shown up
stairs.' By and by he came down into tho
room where Alice was. ' no took her kind
ly by the hand.'' ,
My dear Mrs. Toft, prepare yourself
for bad news." '
' " Is he very ill ?" gasped Alice.
"Yes, very ill ; nay, he is dead.", ',
After that the days passed like a dream
till the day of the funeral., Sho wished to
to follow him to the grave for he had been
very ' good to her, she thought ; and now
that he was gone her mind misgave her
that sho had been faithless to him, not In
deed, but in heart but this was forbidden
by thoso who had the management of
' -' ' ' 1 ....... . .
UUUUB. ,
r. . ; 'f i ', '
A relation of Mr. Toft had turned up, a
nephew, a lanky rawboned youth, with a
long neck aud a tuft of 'red hair on his
chin ; and this Ephraim Toft was the chief
mourner. Mr. Emlyn also was at the fu
neral, and ' when they returned they went
into the parlor and drank wine, and after
wards sent for Mrs. Toft to hear the will
read.
He was a solemn courteous man, this
Emlyn, with a full resounding voice, and
be read out the terms of the will distinctly
and sonorously. It was difficult to repress
a feeling of elation as he rolled over the
list of ' Mr. Toft's possessions, and ended
with the clause that left his wife sole lega
tee and executrix. ; How, 1 through the
gloom of this day, bright vistas of the fa
ture gleamed and shone 1 1
" Ahem I -' there is a codicil," said Mr.
Emlyn ; and bit' by bit the codicil undid
all that the will had done. The lanky
nephew uncoiled himsolf and glowered and
blinked with amazement aud delight.
There was but one bequest to Alices a
copy of the Timet of June, of the day
previous to the old man's death. '
' They left her to herself for a while, aud
she tiied to grasp what nil this meant.
The 'lawyer had politely handed to the.
widow' her legacy, the copy of the Timet.
What could it meau? . i
Ah, yes, it was dreadful, this poverty,
after wealth had seemed within her grasp.
But stilt there was youth and hope ; and
William yes, she might think of him now,
fully and freely. ' She carried no burden of
gratitude, she was bound to no respectful
memory of the dead.' ' She was free now,
and s perhaps William was closo at haud
Well, she would read this Time. '
Presently she clasped her hands to her
forehead, and, with strained and horror
struck eyes, read this paragraph
Derelict av Bba. A pathetic incident
is narrated by the master of the steamship
euez, just arrived at .Liverpool. , it appears
that in the Indian Ocean she met with a
dismasted vessel apparently abandoned by
the crew. A boat was sent to boaid her,
when the following sight met the eyes of
the officer. The main and upiiei decks had
been swept clean by the sea, the bulwarks
were carried away aud every vestige of the
spars and rigging. No living being was
found on boaid, but iu the captain's cabin
was the body of a young man with golden
hair and beard, much decomposed. A let
ter was lying on the table,' which was
brought away by the boat's crew, and we
are requested to give it in full, rs it may
h ad to the idem ideation of the ship :
" Dearest Alice How often have I thought
of our last parting, aud lougtd onre moie
to clasp you in my arms t Love like ours
is never to he parted, let tlio sulky old
centenarian do as lio plcaso. ' I write to
you at your sister' , us you desired me,
No. 10 Bond street Melford Regis.. How
well I remember the happy hours we have
spent there i I am in command of the ship
now." The rest of the letter is illegible
except the words, "Come ta me, your
loving William Black." The body was
sunk in tho sea, the vessel left to its fate,
and the steamer continued her course.
That night, as the sun was setting,
lighting up with golden flames the broad
estuary of Melford, the tide was at its full,
and white-winged ships were floating in
upon its bosom, a young girl appeared on
the farthest extremity of the landing-stage,
and poising herself for a moment, and tak
ing a last long look at toll tho beautiful
scene around, cast herself into the waters,
which closed around her with a sullen rip
pier Once' and once again a white arm
was seen at the surface ; boats put out, and
men with ropes shouted and gesticulated
from the shore; but it was of no use, the
sea claimed its dwn, and still hoards in Its
hidden treasury tho bones of William and
Alice. '..: .,
A Wood Turtle Dog.
"If anybody has seen a black and tan
dog answering to the name of Judge, going
down the street in company with a hard
shell turtle that won't answer to anything
aud certainly won't answer to tackle, as the
dog will tell! you if you can only get him to
stop long enough, please to halt the eloping
pair, as they are the property of the editor
of this paper. We are fondly attached to
the dog on account of bis vagabondish
Bohemianish habits. He knows every dog
in town by name, and Ts on speaking terms
with nine-tenths of the dogs that come in
under tho wagons, and he knows more of
the inhabitants of this vicinity than the
tax collector does. . The turtle is a more
recent acquisition. It was placed in the
backyard yesterday, and the dog spent an
hour and a half trying to induce it come
out of its shell and be comfortable. The
old iron clad maintained his reserve how.
ever, until the dog crammed his nose
against the forward part and commenced
to sniff. The pair seemed to come to some
sort of an understanding at once, for the
dog made an impetuous remark on a very
high key and then they both started on a
trip together. , The dog, was lost seen
sauntering along like a whirlwind and the
turtle staying right by him. We Bhould
be sorry to lose the dog now as he has ac
quired another important and valuable
quality. , lie knows more about turtles
than any other dog in the country, and it's
mighty hard to find a real good turtle-dog.
tW An eminent professor in one of our
colleges, recently remarked, to tlio senior
class that, if it was necessary for them to
spit so much, he wished they would bring
spittoons to the recitation . room. ' Accord
ingly, at the next' recitation, in marched
the sedate seniors, each bearing a spittoon,
which, as they sat down, were deposited at
their feet. The professor, not in the least
disconcerted, patiently conducted them
through the lesson, and at its closo said :
"I am very glad, gentlemen, to sco that
you are so attentive to my wishes ; and, as
there 1h some danger of your spittoons being
broken or lost between recitations, you
may carry them to your rooms at such
times', bringing them with you when you
come to recite again." It is needless to
remark that tho members of tho class' saw
that the point Of their joke was most de
cidedly in favor of him of the ' spectacles
nnd lore. ' '
tSrIn Newark, last .week, Margaret
Ecrnan, aged 13, was arrested for stealing
three loaves of bread. In the Police Court
she burst into tears, and said, that she had
takes the bread. . to feed her little sisters
who were at home starving; also that her
parents were dead, and, that she and , her
brother had supported the other children,
four in number, until they were thrown
out of employment. Detective McManus
was sent to investigate, and on visiting her
home found the children not only starving
but with very littleclothing aud no fuel, the
room in which they huddled together, pre
sented a wretched appearance and altogeth
er they were iu a pitiful state of destitution.
Justice Mills discharged the prisoner, and
relief was at once afforded.
tSf Among the thousands who wear Al
paca cloth very few know what it Is made
of. The alpaca goat is a species of the
llama, whose home is In the mountains of
Peru.' It lives on the coarest fure, the
scanty herbage of the rocks, and has a
beautiful wavy coat of light chestnut brown
wool, which is nearly a foot in length,
very soft and elastic, and nearly as fine as
that of a Cashmere goat. This is sheared
off and sent to England, where it is sorted,
woven, dyed, steamed, tinged aud turned
into the market. ' 1 "
tW A colony of wasps built their nest
last summer in a church offensively near
the choir. The sexton being appealed to,
he said, "I'll fix the rascals," and proceed
ed to hum the wasps out. Tho ucxt day,
while gazing at the ruins of the church, the
sexton was heard to remark, " I knew I
could fix the rascals, but I'am sorry the
church wont along with 'cm incidentally."
t2T A sensation preacher, assuming
dramatic attitude, exclaimed, in a startling,
agonizing tone, ' What Is that I see theie V
Here a little woman in black oried out in
a khi ill treble tone, "It's nothing but my
little black dog ; he won't bito anybody."
Important Notice !
Having laid in a very heavy
stock of
W TIN T ER
AND '
; OO ODS
which must he closed out, I have
decided to offer my entire as
sortment at prices ' '
Regardless of Cost I
Persons wanting BARGAINS
will . " hit the nail on the head,"
by giving me a call.
only 10 Cents per yard and
other goods in proportion.
A splendid assortment of
Winter
BOOTS & SHOES
is included in the above offer;
F. MORTIMER,
New Bloomfield, Pa.
November ,19, 1873.
Chartered; March 11, 1870. '
XT. OB.
Mutual Aid Society
OF PENNSYLVANIA,
HOME OFFICII :
IiEMANON, , ,
. " " ' Lebanon county, Feou'a.
President,
Secretary,
Hon. J. II. Kikforts.
Geo. A. Mahk.
Gideon Liont. '
Treasurer,
Tlila Society la based oil th aiwesament plan. ' ' "
Assets subject to Assessment, $8,000,000.00.
Uealli loauj ald to date, fcOO.OOO.OO.
Thin RoRlitv injniTm fnr HIT noT.T.Anfl na iu.nl
for the ttrHt year ; HVK U01.1.AUH auuuully, kt Uiou
Baud, lor the next rona. ykaiim, TWO DOIXaKH iwr
Liioutfand annually duriiur the remainder of natural
life, and pro-rata mortality aflKPHfcmciita ua eav.li death
may occur, wuich lor Uiu Fii'al Claa la aa ioUowa:
Abu.
1.70
1.82
1.94
2.04
2.16
2.2
2.4t
2.45
2.50
2.55
2.60
2.65
15
16
17
18 -
10
20
'IV
22
23 '
24
25
26
27
T For all clnnHfa of $3,(100 tx.n?ttta tho alxive rate are In
all nawn dun hie, and lor all olaMea of ifcH.OWLljenelit tripled
KiKht claHwa now lu ooeraUou. Claauea opcu to lu
aure lor $l.oue. 4'J,ouo una $:f.M0.
Miue anu I'einate from flltecm to Hlxty-riTe years or
aire, of Rood moral liuliita, iu Kond health, hale, and of
aouud mind, irrt-eiiective of ereed, or race, may be.
come membera. For other lld'orinutlun, addreaa
GKO. A. MAHK,
fcec'y U. II. Mutual Aid Society, Lkbamoh, Pa. .
On, 1. H. EAKLY, Ocn. Ag't, llarrisbufg, Pa.
L. W. CKAUMKll. Ass't. Gen. Air't. Gen.
eral Aleut's Otllce, corner ul 9th Huect. und ICall
T AGENTS WANTED I , . B18ra
Neiv Pension Law,
UNDEK an act ot Congress approved March 3,
1873. widows of otllcers who were killed, or
died ot dlHtmae contracted In the service, are now
entitled to $2.00 per luoulli for each of their chil
dren. The guardian of a minor child of a soldier who
heretofore only received $8.00 per month pension
is now entitled to (10. per moth.
Milliners who receive invanu pensions can now
have their nenslon.H Increaaed to unv sum or rata
between (8. and (18. per month.
Soldiers who have lost their discharges can now
obtain duplicates.
Fathers and mothers who lost sons In the serv
ice upon whom they were dependent for support,
can also obtain pensions. , .
'I he nndernigned having had over 10 years ex
perience In the Claim agency business will attend
promptly to claims under 1 lie above act.
ail ou or auui esa ...
LEWIS POTTElt,
Attorney for Claimants,
' "' New Blooqineld,
2otf. rerryca.Fa
l. If. OIHVJN.
1, u. Giuvm
J.
M. GIBVIX & SON,
Commisitilon Mci-cltant),
No. , SPEAR'S WHAHK,
Baltimore. Md.
trtuWe will nay strict attention to the sale of al
kinds of couuiry produce, aud remit the amount
promptly.
341y
rsCEDSC
k OUR BEAUTIFULLV ILLUSrMAI to
IcATALOGUES for 1874. of
Numbering 1 79 HAOtt, and coulaiulu
fTo our patrona they wlJIb malluJ aa """a
a ntiaiariaeninrea nuiic. nroouw
free; to all othfjra, on ruceipt or wu.u.
iwretuniinlwauaorl'iauui. wuBnnio..
jMntLrrfutKtnntottr UookM. tttltcr .
Oardeuing lur Profit. , ,
r - mut 14. fa unit tuli
Seedsman, 39 Cortland! Street, H-w York. I
50 6m
A. I AKe Am. AlfO Ami. I Ae
liO I 2 78 A , 64
61 , . 2il U . .- fi W . , M
62 ' 30 If, t:i m 6(!
6 - HI 77 44' S ' ' OT'
64 Si 7!) 45 1.00 6S
A 83 SI 46 1.116 69
66 . .34 (S3 47 1.12 . , , . 60
67 ; 1 SS 85 , , 4S l.U . (It
68 M fW 40 1.24 62
CD 37 87 M 1.30 63
70 ltd 8S M 1.40 6t
71 3 v 62 1.60 , ) v 65
72 40 . UO 63 1.60