THE DECORATING MANIA.
011 r he rag c ''
A fashionable air.
•You needn't purchase things," says she,
With a superior smile,
•I'll use your common household goods,
For thom tffo all the stylo."
And with n mtle gilt and such,
She fixed us up bo fine,
That when I looked about the house
I hardly knew 'twas mine.
Well 1 pa and me, at first, wore pleased,
But pa soon cried in wrath,
•Where is tho old snow-shovel gone?
I want to make a path."
And there it was a' painted up
With mauy a bud and rose,
And hanging on the parlor wall
By sky-blue ribbon bows.
And soon it was my turn to fret
When ironing day came round;
I had two favorite tlatirons,
But ouly one I found.
• I went into the sitting-room
And there I found the mate
All gilded up to look like gold.
And made a paper-weight.
And when pa bought a steak, 1 found
Of broiler 1 had lack: -4
The gridiron was fixed to bo
A fine newspaper rack.
And all tho tins for jelly-cake
Had been woll washed from grease,
And painted up liko plaques, to stand
Upon the mantel-piece.
But when pa found his old arm-chair
That hugged tho kitchen fire,
A' painted white, and hung with bows,
Tho way some folks admire,
And standing in tho sitting-room,
Too nice and fine to use,
Ho said that fashionable styles
He henceforth should refuse.
Bo pa and me wo both agreed
Tnat fashion hadn't paid,
And that we'd use our common tilings
For what they most seemed made.
Bo down came shovels, down camopans,
And off came every bow.
And things are now more comfortablo,
IX not so much lor show.
ADVENTURES OF A SPY.
A STOItY THAT RE AOS LIKE A
PAGE FROM A WORK OF FICTION.
Tho Remnrkabio Career of Major W. C.
Gorman, a Spy in tho Service of the Con
federates During tho War—Thrilling
Adventures, and Halr-IJreadth Escapes.
NE of the most re
mark able eontrlbu
((tions to war history
in recent years
' 8 t,mt f urn ' Bk°d 8 k°d to
I th o pes Moines lieg-
BI later by Major W. C'.
=jr. Gorman, an ox-Con
tfjfl '/ federate spy and at
1 present a resident of
Birmingham, Ala.
obL The story of bis peril
ous adventures and hair-breadth escapes
reads liko a page from a work of fiction,
and would scarcely bo credited had the
narrator omittod to give dates, localities,
and tho names of tho actors in tho exciting
life drama in which ho was an active par
ticipator.
After the retreat at Perryville, in 1862, be
gins Major Gorman. I received orders to I*o
- to Gen. Forrest for picket duty on tlio
Cumberland lliver. between bpnrtaand Gal
latin. I tfioro received orders to report to
Gen, Forrest at Murfreeshoro. which I did.
Gen. Forrest wished mo to undertake a com
mission entirely foreign to the duties of a
soldior, being a trip to St. Louis on private
business for ray commander. I went to St.
Louis and returned just prior to the battio
of Stone ltivor, in which I participated i
with my battalion.
Six days later I was ordered to report to
Senator Sims at Richmond, Vu., for duty
on behalf of the Confederate Government.
I mot Senator Sims. President Davis, Vice
President Stephens and Winder in confer
ence, and they unfolded the plans. Gon
eral Forrest was to make a raid through
West Tennessee, aud General Murmaduke
through Northern Arkansas, tho two forces
meeting at Springflold. Mo. Scattered
through Northern Missouri woro 12.000 true
Confederates, as yet unorganized, and it
was their desire that I should organize
those men and march them to Springfield
at the appointed time, as a contingent to
Forrest and Marmadukc.
This plan was carried out so far as cir
cumstances would permit. I went to North
ern Missouri and organized the l'aw Paw
militia; Gonoriu Forrest started through
West Tennesooo and Goneral Marmaduko
through Northern Arkansas. I hud organ
ized 6.000 men at Blackfeet Hills, roady for
marching orders, when I learned of For
rest's dofo.io nt Jackson, Tona., and Mar
maduko's dofoat fliteon miles from Spring
flold, which drove tho men back to bush
whacking.
There woro a number of Incidents on my
trip, I returned to General Forrest's com
mand and asked him for a pass. In his
gruff way ho said: "Go to h—l for a pass;
if you can't steal through the Confederate
linos, you can't steal through the Yankoe
lines.
Iptirtod on foot from Franklin, Tenn.,
for Hickman, Kv., making tho trip in ton
days, and stealing through both linos, tho
Confederates and Federals being picketed
from Gallatin to Memphis,
At Hickman, tired, dirty and ragged from
BWiraralng streams and climbing through
and over hushes. I wont to a hotel and ate
supper. That night I heard music in the
parlor, and going up I saw two young
ladies, one playing tho piano nnd the other
singing. I Know that if they woro Confed
erates the ladios would bo tho truest
and best of friends to the soldior boys, so I
asked them to allow mo to play. They
looked surprised, but lot me have the uso
of tho piano. I sang, "Maryland, My Mary
land." which at that time was now. From
the effect tho song had on tliom I knew they
were sympathizers with my cause, and I
asked their assistance to get 1110 a pass by
steamboat to St. Louis, as the stop-son of
Judge Fitzgerald, of West Tennessee, in
whose loyally the Federal soldiers hud con
fidence. The next morning I got tho pass
and loft for St. Louis, I claimed that I was
on my way to Kansas to visit relatives, and
that I was a Union man. Tho boat was
loaded with Foderal soldiers who were
going home 011 furloughs or for tho purpose
of re-enlisting. I was well supplied with
money, and whiled away tho tune playing
poker with the men who. if they had known
who I was, would have hot mo and thrown
my body in the river. 31 v money was that
of tho Bank of West Tennessee, and was in
bills, but in those days ass bill could bo
cut in two and each end was good for $2.50;
in fact, change was scarce, and was genor
nilv made in that way. Each end of as 2
bill was good for £l.
When I reached St. Louis I had my West
Tennessee money and $1,600 in greenbacks.
I went, to Bingham, Wright & Co., with
whom 1 had transacted tho private businoss
for Gen. Forrest on my previous trip. Hero
I had all of my money changed into gold.
The quo-lion then was, how to got out of
St. Louis—a man could not loavo tho city
nor even obtain work in the city without a
certificate that he had taken tho oath of
allegiance. I was not going to take tho
oath, and finally devised a scheme. Going
down to tho levee 1 met an honestlrishman
by the name of Murphy. I got in with him.
made him drunk and bought his ceitiflcato
for SSO. Being un Irishman myself 1 was
not afraid of tho name. I wont to tho Wedge
house and bought ahorse for $650 and loft
town. When about four miles out I met
two young la lies and saluted them. Thov
returned the salute, and I saw that they
wore red and white ribbons around their
nocks. Turning my horse, wo wont to their
homo together. That acquaintance was my
starling point in Missouri. Their fathor
was Lieut Col. Kibble. Q f Price's regi
ment, and their homo was tho hot bed of
tho whole Southern organization in North
Missouri.
At midnight that night 102 determined
Confederates mot there, inside tho Yank* o
linos, and within four miles of St. Lou's,
twenty-eight 01 them being commissioned
officers.
1 left the noxt morning, going through
tho State on the s>-ulli of the river, making
my reports through tho mail at Paris, 111.
My noxt expor euoos of Interest wore in
6t. Charles County, where I mot with
CruighiU's Dutch Horn" Guards. At War
ronton. whde eating <!inner, twenty-six of
them came in to arrest ine. I showed my
certificate or oath, pleaded I nion senti
ment, cursed Jefferson Davis aud tlio whole
Hou'horn Confederacy as an honest Irish
man-. "but !t took flvG lcegs 61 Deer to finally
convince them that I was loyal. The Eng
lish-speaking people in that soction wore
' " "MABTLAMD, HI KABTL kND. "
usually friends, but those Dutch were bit
ter enemies of the South.
I learned that Colonel Kibble had a broth
er toward Black Rivor. I finally reached
there after swimming two swollen crooks
and having two battles with CralghiU's
Dutch. I learned that Colonel Kibble's
daughter had married a Sergeant in Gen
eral Price' o 30 •n ind, and that these Dutch
troops had draggod her from her bod while
in a delicate condition, and had burned the
house on the day previous. When I learn
ed this 1 made up my mind to teach the
Dutch a lesson. Taking flfty-two men I
went to Warrenton, and wo killed every
Dutchman we mot. This gave Murphy a
notorious character, and the quicker I got
out of there the better for all concerned. I
took two men with me, Cumberland Kibble
and John Andrews, and started through tho
country.
Gen. Odin Guitar was at that time com
manding the Department of North Mis
souri, with headquarters at Columbiaville.
Ho issued an order that no person should
carry firearms except those engaged in
"I HAD A SHAItr Fianx WITH THE YANKEES."
activo service for tho Fiiit.-d states Gov
ernment. The throe freebooters, armed to
tho tooth, and killing every man they met!
with a homo guard uniform on, naturally
created a sensation.
That night wo ato supper at Charles Pra
thor's in Columbia County, at tho foot of
Bluckfoet Itidgo. While eating, forty Yankee
soldiers arrived, looking lor a notorious
bushwhacker by tho name ot Conway.
Kibble and Andrews escaped, and I have
never seen them since. I pleaded loyalty,
said I was alono and on a pony, and to
show my loyalty would assist them in
hunting up Conway, who. by tho way, had
agreed to meet me at Prather's that night.
I i;ot on Prather's pony and went with tho
soldiers to a corner grocory eight miles
away, and twenty-two miles irom Colum
biaville. Here I called tor Conway, and in
sisted that I know ho was there. A man
named Steele was proprietor, and I gave
him $lO and paid for all tho whisky to make
tho soldiers drunk; then I loaded them up
with bottles of liquor and started with them
for Columbiaville. Arrived there I took
them at once to Gen. Guitar's headquar
ters. and said:
•'General, I am a loyal Irishman. Your
men took mo prisoner, and, to show my
loyalty. I have brought them back to you.
It I had not they would have all been killed
in their present drunken condition." Tho
"GENERA!,, I AM A LOYAL IRISHMAN,"
Gonoral thanked mo. became satisfied as to
my loyalty and gave 1110 a pass, with which
1 got away as qutoicly as possible, before
they reeognizod mo. I returned to Pra
ther's. whore I found my horse and Con
way with sixteen raon, who submitted at
onco to my orders. Wo then organized
the Paw Paw militia, and hod a fight near
Ht. Joe with Craighill's Dutch, in which
Conway lost an arm and I was shot through
tho shoulder; nine of tho Dutch being
killed.
I then succeeded in getting to Paris. 111.,
where Mr. and Mrs. Farrel nursed mo back
to health, and I roturnod to Missouri, then
to Richmond, where I roported to Senator
Sims.
I was thou instructed to return, and given
tho rolls of the Confederates in tho North—
-30,000 in Illinois, 12.000 in Missouri. 26.000
in Indiana, 4,00!) in Ohio, and 5,000 in Penn
sylvania.
On tho 10th of January, 1863, I went to
City Point and hired as a roustabout on tho
Unftod States flag of truce steamboat Gen.
Honaell. I was to reoolve $75 a mouth. I
staid six days, for which tho Government
still owes mo, leaving the boat at Balti
more.
Tho noxt morning I was in Washington,
where I met United Htatos Senator Powell,
of Kentucky, delivering to him a regular
commission as lieutenant goneral In tho
Confederate army, commanding all the
forces north of tho Ohio River, and with
authority to issue commissions. From him
,1 obtained a map of tho fortification*) on
the Potomac River, tlio number of men b
tweon Washington and tho mouth of the
rivor, tho condition of fortifications around
Washington, and other valuable intorma
tion.
I loft for Cincinnati over the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad, and was orrested at
Bollaire, being guarded by three Irishmen,
John Burke, of Pontine. Mich.; John Doyle,
ol 321 Sixth street. Detroit; and another
whose name I have foigotten. For $lO and
a quart of whisky 1 bought a Yankoe over
coat and got awav. I first wont to Colum
bus, Ohio, where I met Goorge Zonov. and
going twelve milos out of tho city, was in
troduced to DUO as determined men as ever
shouldered a gun. They were tho best
drilled and best equipped of any of the cop
perhead organizations, and were sworn
Confederate soldiers. I swore them info
service with Goorge Zeney as colonel.
'J'lioy afterwards did valiant so vice in the
rescue of Gen. John Morgan from the Ohio
penitentiary.
I went to Cincinnati and mot one of tho
truest friends the cause ever had, Samuel
P. Thomas, now a dry goods merohunt of
that city. II • was commissioned quarter
master general.
Returning to Washington, I stole a skiff
arid floated down the river, then stole a
horse and reached Richmond safely.
When I reported they wanted mo to re
turn. to which 1 seriously objected, as my
description was printed everywhere. Tho
rewards for my capture were largo. I had
used a dozen aliases, aud tho police and
detectives woro scouring the country
for mo.
Genorul Winder insisted on one more
trip. I started, crossing the Potomac half
way botwoen Math ins* Point and the mouth
I of the river. Hailing un oyster schooner I
paid thorn tSU to put me on the Maryland
ship. Went to ushineton und Columbus*.
arid then ClfiTSltihull, wnere uoneFal
Thomas had collected $280,000 In cash,
which ho gave me. together with maps and
plans of the Ohio diver between tho mouth
of the Big Sandy and Louisvillo. Wont to
Aurora, Ind to confer with Senator Huff
man, who had organized three regiments—
one ait Aurora and Lawrenceburg, one at
Boymour and one at Madison and North Ver
non. I gave him a commission as major
genera!in the Confederate array-
The next stopping place was at Spring
field, 111., where 1 met Judge Dixon, who
was at the head of the movement in Illinois,
with a commission as Major General. Ho
! had more influence, and afterward, in at
tempting to release prisonor-3 at Camp But
ler, accomplished more than any man in
Illinois. This attempt would have been
successful had it not been for Colonel
Shanks informing the authorities. He was
afterward killed at Cheyenne by his own
men, on account of this, us I believe.
Gcing to Carlinvillo, I stopped with John
D. White, a wealthy farmer of Macoupin
County. Hero I drilled my men openly,
until I received information that General
John M. I'almor was about to call a regi
ment of soldiors to arrest me. I called on
General Palmer, and told him that we
would fight it to the bitter end. I was not
arrested, and I have talked with General
l'almor since that time, and ho said that he
concluded that it was best to lot me go. as
it would have taken flvo thousand men at
that time in that county to arrest me, and
would have precipitated the war Into tho
heart of Illinois.
Going to Madison. Ind.. where John T.
Mooro was in command of the copper
heads, he told me thud everybody was
looking for mo, and he assisted me across
tho river, where I found a horse at John
Wells'. I rode to Cnrlstianburg, then to
Versailles, then to Lexington.
In order to understand the subsequent
ovents, wo must go back to August, 1802.
At that time my battalion was with Gen.
E. Kirby Smith, in the battle of Richmond,
Ky., and I was assistant provost marshal at
Lexington, thus making many acquaint
ances. I had also remained on the battle-
Hold to bury the dead, impressing the serv
ices of oitizens, among whom were four
Drothors by the name of Haley.
On my arrival at Lexington from the
Northern trip, I called at tho Curd House,
which was the rebel soldiers' headquarters,
and Miss Naunlo Curd was the moving spirit
among them. While eating dinner I met
Capt. Gwynn, of Gen. Morgan's staff. At
that time there wore 4,009 Federal Infantry
at Lexington; 2.UCKT cavalry af Georgetown,
3,000 cavalry at Frankfort, ail undor march
ing orders for Lexington.
I gavo Capt. Gwynn this information, and
wo parted to meet at Tate's Croek ford, four
miles from Richmond, at 11 p. ra. Provided
with a horse and Lieut. Col. Riley's uniform
of the Twenty-fifth Miohigan, with the post
countersign, through the influence of Miss
Ninnie C'urd, at 8 o'clock I started for
Tate's ford. After crossing tho rivor I was
hulted. I gave the countersign, toiling
thorn I was Col. Riley of the Twenty-fifth
Michigan.
"Getdown. Capt. Gorman; wo know you."
said one of them, and I saw that I was in
tho hands of tho Haley brothers. They
treated mo kindly, and took mo homo with
them.
While in a room disrobing, one of them
picked up my coat and heard some paper
rustle, lie ripped it open, and found somo
maps and a lot of lettors directed to Presi
dent Davis and Vice President Stevens.
Then they knew that they had a prize. Tho
letters wore all in cipher, which I could not
road myself.
They furnished me with another suit,
and laid Col. Riley's uniform, which I had
worn over my suit, it being too large lor
me. away.
I was taken back to Lexington, where I
was tried before Gon. Gilmoro, who asked
if I could road the letters. I said that I
could, and that saved my life. Instead of
having mo shot the next morning at sun
rise. ho sentenced me to bo shot on April
7, tho trial oocurring March 7. I was con
fined in a dungeon in John Morgan's old
negro jail on Limestone street, a place with
which, as Provost Marshul. I was thor
oughly familiar. In tho dungeon was
Charles Shiver, of Scott's Louisiana cav
alry. At first we wero suspicious of each
other, but through our mutual acquaintance
with Miss Nannie Curd, wo soon became
warm friends.
Our hands and feet wero shackled, and
then a chain was fastened from tho one
which bound our hands to tho one which
bound our feet. Wo wero both to be shot.
I began to figure away to get out of
there, and sent for Father I.yncn. a Catho
lic priest. Through his influence I suc
ceeded in obtaining n call from Miss Curd.
I told her to have tho girls make love to
the guards and sergeants, which they did.
She obtained bedding and clothes for me,
and in a few days I found a file starched
inside of the sleeve of a shirt, so that it
would not fall out when tho garment was
shaken. With this wo cut tho rivets on our
shackles, and with our case knives we be
gan the task of cutting out through the
floor. On the 19th of Marcli the hole was
largo enough for a man to crawl through,
and wo made our escape that night, eating
a hearty meal at Mrs. Myers', next door to
tho jail. We reached Versailles and wont
to General Ruford's house before daylight,
running nineteen miles during the night.
On our way to this place wo found a farmer'
in the road resting for tho night, Wo stam
peded his ho;ses, and binding him tc a
tree, left him, wishing him good luck.
At half past 4 o'clock the next morning
wo awakened Mrs. Bmord, who was well
acquainted with both of us, and who had
made many a prayer for the forgiveness of
my sins, expecting mo to die on April 7.
When she first saw us she was trightonod,
but soon rejoicod und welcomed us most
heartily. Will Moore, tho overseer, was
oailed, and wo went to tho far side of the
plantation, where wo took refuge undor a
straw stack.
At 6 o'clock that morning Mrs. Buford.
Miss Wiloy George, Miss Canfleld. and Miss
Harris rode out over tho plantation on
horseback, finally coming to tho straw
stack and producing from their long riding
skirts tho best broukfast I ever ate. They
had not been gone half an hour when the
section was literally swarming with Yan
kee soldiers, looking for 11s.
Wo had been traced to Versailles, where
all clue had been lost. That night it rained
very hard, and under cover of darkness we
left for Frankfort, where Shivers left me,
and I have never soon him since. I hoard
that ho was killed by Jack Goodwin's bush
whackers.
"JUMPED OFF WHILE THE TRAIN WAS IN MOTION."
I wont to Madison. Carlinvillo. Kprlng
fleld. Aurora, Cincinnati. Columbus, and
Washington returning with copies of tho
communications tbatlhe Yankee's had cap- j
turcd. I returned to Wall's, opposite Madi- !
son, and when groins across the river two
soldiers followed mo in ttie ferry-boat,
which I succeeded in capsizing, throwing
the soldiers into the river.
I reached Wall's, where I was given the
best horse that 1 ever rode, and seeing that ,
1 was pursued, 1 wont to the top of u hill, !
whero I hud a sharp light with the Yankees,
who chased me to Ohrietianburg, whore I
was far enough ahead to get a lunoh at Dr.
King's. At the corner grocery I got half a
pint of whisky, which I gave to the horse,
and another half pint, which I used myself.
The Yankees were aguln in sight, and tired
as my horso was I again distanced them,
cut the telegraph wires and went on the
dead run for Danville, thence to Lebanon.
Six miles from Lebanon I turned off the
pike and rodo up Poke's Creek in three feet
of water. I put up at the house of old man
Prowitt, having run my horse 104 miles,
six of which were In the creek.
The next morning my horse was dead, the
noblest animal I ever saw. I was takon. i
sick in this house, and while in bod I was'
captured. When 1 became a prisoner the
Bxcitomont seemed to cure mo, and on the
train, whilo being taken to Cairo, I jumped
off whilo the train was in motiou. I was
not seriously hurt by the jump, and hid out I
in the woods until night, when I stole a
horso from a man named Greer, who, by
the way, I have met since and offered pay ;
for his horse, which he declined.
The next morning I was in Glasgow,
whore I received mail and left, crossing the !
Cumberland River near Sparta, then to
Tullahoma, thence to Knoxvillo, where I
gave ray stolen horso to Miss Mattie Love,
and took the train for Kiohmond. After
making my reports I declined to return to
the North, and again assumed command or
my regimont of sharpshooters in General
Claiborne's brigade, joining them at Le
noir's station.
In October. 1863, I was taken prisoner,
and confined first on Johnson's, Island and
then at Camp Morton until the close of the
war. I was three times offered my parole, !
Governor Orth. of Indiana, coming specially ;
to see me at one time, but I refused to take I
the Iron-clad oath.
After the war was over I went North and !
settled in Detroit, whore I was elected as a
member of the Michigan Legislature, being I
defeated as a candidate for re-election in \
1888. I then came to Birmingham, where I ;
have resided over since.
Love by Wire.
Said a Maine telegraph operator to !
the writer the other day: "You j
wouldn't think that spoony lovers !
would resort to such public means of |
correspondence as the telegraph for
the transmission of their sweet little
messages of love and devotion, would
you? They do. just the same.
Very often a certain young man in
this place, if he does not regularly re- j
ceive a letter from the future source of j
his joy and happiness, rushes here
with a crestfallen countenance and files
a message like this:
" 'My dear, why did you not answer
my last letter ? Yours devotedly,
, "Perhaps you don't believe that such
I a message as this was ever sent, but I
would show some of them to you if it
wasn't against the rules.
"We fellows on the wire enjoyed
' quite an amusing incident not very long
ago, in which Sophia sort of gave away
John's brilliant scheme of popping tho
question by wire. We surmised that
this brace of folly's victims had been
conducting a correspondence for some
time, which the artful John culmi
nated with the following dispatch,
which was evidently intended to draw
forth an answer to an entirely differ
ent question:
" 'SOPHIA: Did you receive my last
letter? JOHN.'
"Sophia, \u her ecstatic delight, evi
] dently understood the query in a dif
ferent sense from that which the ordi
nary reader of tho epistle would, and,
with joy and exultation depicted in
every lineament of her countenance,
she proceeded to the telegrapher's
sanctum and left the following to be
forwarded to the flower of her affec
tions :
"'JOHN: Yes. How about next
Christmas? SOPHIA.'
"This gave the thing dead away, and
John was much chagrined when he re
ceived it. It accomplished its purpose,
nevertheless, and now the couple are
soaring in tho rapturous realms of
double bliss."— Lewis ton Journal.
In the Dark.
When I UIHB'<I her that night 111 tho hallway
! 'Twaß h dark that nothing was nlaiu ;
And not being euro but I'd miss h^r,
Why, 'twas right I should kiss hor again.
There was darkness on everything round us;
I was reaching in vain for tho door,
And whilo 1 was seeking an exit
It so happened J kissed her some more.
! And 1 wasn't quite suro that I left her
AH to whether she liked it or not;
But 1 know that I sighed to by back there j
Tho further away that I got.
And tho next timo I callod it so happened
That wo stood in tliat hallway once more,
And the gaslight fell over and round us
As I quietly moved to the door.
j But her rod cheeks so roguishly dimpled,
And her eyes shone so wickedly bright,
Tlt I guessed whero her thoughts wore a-strav
iug,
And I reached uu and turned out tho light.
The Chatelaine Fad.
The best of the new devices of belt
and chatelaine show a great deal of
antique silver and
MjjSbl plenty of pretty or
\ T naments. The cliat
/ elftino is a pretty
\jpjj device under any
circumstances, and
/l\ VF\\ w k en suspended
/ a £ a bist the right
I A \ll Wn \ \ gown adds
yj \ \vff yn\ a s ea i *° its
C l 7 appearance. One of
nf*\ these articles is of
I T7l' •JHI \ be ordinary an
f)J Wil \ tique silver, and has
\\ yjT \ chains whereby to
1 \ 1 hang a velvet or
7 1 \ /] l bag with a
I \ \ J silver snap, a note-
8 \ \ ' book, pencil, scent
—\ u . bottle, and watch,
j If desired, tho bag
for holding pursel
and handkerchief can also be hooked
separately on the belt, dispensing en
tirely with the chain and relieving the
wearer from the thumping of a well
filled pocket-book against her leg.
Most jewelers keep any quantity of
chatelaine attachments,and almost any
article of use in tho toilet or in needle
work can ho carried in them.
BEAUTY is skin deep, that's why it
doesn't show much on tho rhinoceros.
CHINESE CHILDREN. |
now BOYS AND GIRLS ARE REARED
AND EDUCATED.
Character of Chinese Village Schools—
Studies of the Young—Their Games and
Amusement* Tales Which Edify the
Embryo Mandarins—Selections from u
Popular Chinese Story-Book.
OYS are the joy of
Chinese homes, and
are never as
jfflp welcome at their
son is born the con
g rat illations heaped
upon the parents
are loud and joyful. When a girl is
born the best that the parents can say
is : "Well, girls are also of some use."
In some districts of China, especially
in time of war or famine, poor people
are sometimes guilty of destroying
their female infants. But the educated
Chinese disapprove of this custom,
and societies exist for its suppression
by aiding poor parents with money
when a girl is born to them and by
prosecuting such as are guilty of its
practice. The reason for this popular
aversion to female progeny lies chiefly
in the fact that girls in China are be
trothed while yet very young and some
times leave their own parents to live
in the homes of their prospective hus
bands long before they are married.
In a Chinese proverb girls are called
"fine bamboo shoots springing up out
side the fence"—that is, outside their
fathers' homes. The significance of
this saying will be apparent when it is
known that the bamboo tree is the most
A CHINESE HOME.
useful plant which grows in the Flow
ery Kingdom. Its young shoots, much
like great nsparagus plants, are used
for food, and out of the wood of the tree
are made kitchen and table utensils,
I chop-sticks, tables, chairs, and umbrel
j las, and masts, sails, and cordage of
boats. All the parental' love which
girls in China miss is lavished upon
j their brothers, upon whom devolves the
i family honor and the sacritieal worship
J performed at the graves of their ances
tors, and the Chinaman's ideal of per
fect bliss is "much joy, many sons, and
' great wealth," an ideal which they ex
j press by a term meaning "threefold
i happiness."
The youngsters of the Oriont are not
, lacking in names, and some of them
i are saddled with titles which an Amer
j ican would lose no time in ridding liim-
I self of by application to liis Legisla-
I ture. Among the superstitious liigh
: sounding names are supposed to
arouse the envious wrath of evil spir-
I its, and their children often bear such
appellations as "Little Dog," "Hill
| Dog," and "Old Cow." The more re
fined and intelligent of the Chinese
j choose for their little ones the finer
j titles of "Long-Lived King," "Glori
' ous Light Summer," "Beautiful Gem
1 Place," and "Beautiful Phoenix Bell,"
j etc. Besides these names the little
I ones have what are called "milk
i names," which correspond to the pet
j names of American nurseries. Matter
i of-fact Chinamen waste no energy in
inventing titles for their children, and
; they are simply known by numbers,
i the first-born, of course, being "Num
ber One." When the boys enter school
| they have a new name given them by
j their masters, such as, for instance,
j "Perfect Talent," "Dutiful Obedience,"
A CBIHESE VILLAGE SCHOOL.
etc., whieli is written on the class
books and copy-slips.
In the north of China the summers
are very hot and the winters very cold.
There, in mmmer time—especially in
July and August—the children are
scarcely clothed at all. Little cotton
garments and sometimes gauze tunics
compose their full dress. In winter
they are nearly smothered in clothes.
As the people light fires even in winter
merely for the purpose of cooking food
it becomes necessary to increase the
clothing as the cold intensifies, until
in midwinter the children of the poor
in their multiplied wadded cotton jack
ets look more like bolsters, or even
balls, tj|an like human beings.
Almost every villago has a school
which the sons of the rich and poor at
tend togethor. Kicli people have pri
vate tutors for their elder boys and
!ometimos for their daughters, who are
never allowed to attend the villago
school. The educotiou of Chinese
girls is comprised in learning to cook,
sew, embroider, and sometimes to play
the guitar, read, and write. Their
chief.occupation while young is silk
weaving and malting gold and silver
tinsel-paper for use in the worship of
gods and the spirits of their ancestors.
Reading and writing alone of the three
LAI-TS/.K AMI-SING HIS PATIENTS.
R's are taught in the Chinese village
schools. Geography, except that of
China, and arithmetic are not taught.
Arithmetical calculations are made by
the aid of the abacus or counting
board. Young pupils have a dull and
hard time of it in these schools, for
they must learn by heart the shape
and sound of the multitude of word
; characters of their language, the mean
ings of which are not unfolded to them
until they are 13 or 11 years of age.
! Every word lias its own peculiar sign
; and to "spell it" is to know the right
number and position of the strokes and
I dots which compose it.
I The children of China have their
games, the chief outdoor sport being
kite-dying (an amusement in which old
1 gentlemen as well delight), but they
know nothing of foot-ball, hockey,
| cricket, boating. Punch and Judy are
as much at home in a Chinese as m an
1 English village, and sliuttle-cocks are
1 knocked about by the children with
their feet instead of with battledores,
i Once or twice a year the women and
1 children of each village go into the
fields of the country and return laden
; with flowers to be offered at the graves
: of their dead.
! Many hooks for children are written
! by the Chinese, and they are profusely
; "PERFECTLY DUTIFUL" AND THE EMJ
PI:K< IR.
|
illustrated, but these books are sold
so cheaply that the illustrations are
: usually cheap and far inferior to tlio
1 book illustrations of England and
! America. The cuts reproduced with
! this sketch are fac-sirailos of pictures
| published in China in a toy book con
; taining one hundred and two sTories,
j and faithfully represent the condition
of celestial pictorial art. The stories
j are told to illustrate and emphasize
j the apothegms* of the Chinese moral
! ists and will remind American readers
1 of the Sunday-school books of a gen
i oration or two ago, in which the heroes
and heroines were always preternatur
allv good and always dressed in the
bulging cap or prudish pantalets of
Jacob Abbot's Polio nd his sister. A
few of these odd moral tales are here
reproduced that tlio joys of the little
Chinese may be fully appreciated.
. I.
"In the Chow dynasty there was a
man named Laon Lai-tsze. When he
j was 70 years old ho used to put on
bright, many-colored clothes to attract
the attention of his aged parents and
; plav like a child to amuse them. Rome
times he would carry water into the
hall, and pretending to stumble would
fall Hat on the ground. Then ho would
cry and run to the old people, all to
make them forgot their age and imag
ine that lie was yet u child."
n.
"There was once a boy named Woo
Mang, or 'Brave and Talkative,' who,
when only eight years old, was very
dutiful to his parents. They were very
poor and could not afford even mos
quito curtains for their hed. So the
little boy used to get into his parents'
bed early in the evening and let the
mosquitoes bite him until surfeited
with his blood. Then he would sur
render the bed to his parents that thoy
might sleep iu peace."
111.
"There was once a man named Han.
Whan a boy he misbehaved himself
very often and his mother used to beat
him with a bamboo rod. One day he
j cried ufter a beating and his mother
said: T have beateu you many a time
and you have never cried before. Why
i do you cry to-day ?'
" 'O, mother,' he replied, 'you used
| to hurt me when you hogged me and I
j did not cry, but now 1 weep because
! you are not strong enough to hurt me.'
i "It makes me weep," says the Chi
; neso moralist, with unconscious humor,
I "even to read this story,"
IV.
"About 1,300 years ago an officer was
unjustly accused of treason and con
demned to death. His son, 15 years
old, went to court boldly and heat the
drum to claim an audience with the
Emperor, and entroated that he might
be allowed to die for his father. This
so pleased the Emperor that lie set the
man free anil was about to confer the
title of 'Perfectly Dutiful' upon the
hoy, when the latter exclaimed : 'lt is
right and just for a son to die when his
father is disgraced, but what disgrace
can be compared with that of gaining
iionor at a father's expense? I respect
fully decline your Majesty's proposed
distinction.'"
LETTERS FROM THE CORNERS.
J LETTER FROM GRUNRIMOTLIER.
; KECK ott NOTBIN' HALL, )
KII UKNN'Y COBNKNA. F
I js : Wb on George
W^II/fV° atmlol ' i itt up
retched me a letter
frum the soliool
granmaw;
f ew lines to let; j
you no thet we air
all ill, an I hope these few lines will
liud you all the same.
"We hev got along fust-rate axcept
ja thet one clutch o ducks all dide •
frum the straddles, by roostiu in the
(log fennil, an the ole turky gobbler
will run off, eather to Roperses' or
J'urdy's, every whoop steetch, an the
Jast settin o cliickings most all dide o
tthe pip.
Ben vows he's a goin to hev a house
keeper of his own; sum ses it's one an
sum another, but he don't go with
narry one twict in a row. The widder ,
Van Dyke is so mad at the school
marm thet she wunt look told the
house when she goes a past.
You node Jonathan Blodgers' all
lied the whoopin coff, didn't you?
Well, they've got it party bad; cot it 1
frum Mis Peter Roperses little gal. I
Ole Zekes haint a goin to give a
house warmin till it gits cooler.
Ole Speck hed the holler horn jest
awful, but Ben an me dosed her up
with turpentide an so forth, an she is
better now.
We wus all over to the Squire's
tother day a visitin cm. We lied a
awful nice time. They hed fride -
chicking an tomattoses an cake an so
forth fur supper.
We dont git menny aigs now, an
what wo do git were a puttin down fui
winter use.
Bens craps air all a lookin fine. I
ses to my gran-dotter, "Hes a goin to
make some gal amity fine husbau sum
0 these days."
"You hot he air," ses she.
We air a makin a heap o butter
now, but taint no price at all skursely,
only a shillin. Mis Giles wus a
telfin me a week ago cum next Mundy -
thet Mis Boggs hed got a feller an wus
a goin to bo marryed. Hev you seen
ennything spicious? Laws nose she
wunted to find number 5 bud euuf.
Wo killed thet ole bob tale rooster
fur dinner the day Mis Peter Roper on
Mis Giles an Mis Purdy wus here. He
wus kindy tuf, but we ett him fur all o
1 thet.
Ben ses to tell yon ef you wunt to
lie here when he fetches on his new
I housekeeper you must huriy up.
Every buddy is a wunderin an a
wunderin who in the world it kin be.
Ef you no, I wish you'd tell me in
your next, tlio I spose you! be home in
about 3 wcaks more.
Ben sed you hed some forty grafs
look, an every buddy aroun herewunts
| one.
So good-by. Frum yure frend,
GRAN-MAW MARCH.
i Willam Henery wus jest on pins to
| git home an find out who Ben's best
gal wus. But I felt more consarned
' about mv ducks a dyin off with the
itraddles, eto. An so we cuncluded to
j cut our visit short here to tlio boys a
1 few days es thay wus all a livin in to
the same town.
Mis Boggs an lier bow set out on to
the steps a talkin an eatin penuts, tell
supper time, an then arfter supper
thay went in to tlio parlor an he stade
tell most mornin.
"He sed ho coodn't stay away no
longer," ses Sally.
"I shuden't think he eood," ses I,
kindy dry.
So no more at present frum
HESTER ANN SCOOPER.
Thanks, Eliliu.
Editor—lt's no use—l'm desperate I
There's no support in this one-horse
town for a live paper, anyhow!
Editor—(twenty minutes later, writ I
ing)— Business is booming. Our pub
licrspirited fellow-townsman, Mr. Elihu
Ba klots, has just left a gallon jug of
prine hard cider, in payment for Bix
months' subscription. Thanks, Elihu.
—hick.
Fitted by Experience.
A Massachusetts aveuuo lady wanted
a csachman, and one was recommend
ed, whom she interviewed.
"I want a very safe and careful
driver," she said.
"That's me. mum," responded the j
applicant, confidently.
(I'm nervous about horses and I I
doij't want to drive fast, and I don't a
wajt to go 'round the corners with a
whiil."
"1 know, mum, jest what you wants. . t
Tlif'ii were my orders before, mum." I
"Where were you engaged last?" 1 I
"l'rivin' a hearse, mum." j |
He got the place, and he is giving J
eieilleut satisfaction. Washington I
Stm\ ■
Ho WUH I'Mod to It. I
Chief of Montana Regulators (unty- I
ing the prisoner)—" Some of the boys'l 1
Uov just come in with the feller that 11
really did steal the mule. You're innoif *
cent, and we've give you this boss-* I
whippin' fur nothin'. I'm mighty sorrj
fur <he mistake, pard." ,
Prisoner (putting on his vest j
coati —"Don't mention it. It's nothing. I
I'm a Mormon missionary." I I