THE TIMES, NEW BLOOMFIELD, PA. JANUA11Y 0, 1880.
TilK MISSING HUSBAND;
OK,
Christmas at Mud Flat.
SHE HAD been lu camp four days.
Where the came from, why she
o'-ime, or who she was, no one could tell.
Jiut she was In camp, and had come to
tay there was no doubt. She was quiet,
modest and simply clad three qualities
which commended her to the residents
of Mud Flat a a change in the kind of
women who from time to time invaded
the precincts of that classic settlement.
Nor were these the only points which
had been noted by the boys. As Andy
MeCorkle had gallantly handed her
from the lower step of his mud-bespattered
coach to the portleo of the hotel
everybody saw that she clung couvul
elvely to the little child whose arms
were twined about her neck. They
observed, also, that her features weie
pale and bloodless to an extent that was
almost pitiful. By that delicate intui
tion which somtlmes exists under the
roughest exteriors, the sturdy miners of
Mud Flat understood that the strange
lady was su tiering from mental as well
as physical Illness. Their sympathy
was aroused in her behalf from that
instant, and every man in the place
immediately constituted himself her
champion and friend.
A day later, when she had rented a
cabin near the outskirts of town with
out disclosing to any one her intentions
for the future or the story of the past,
their interest was increased, and they
began to show their friendship in sub
stantial ways. A great heap of firewood
was mysteriously deposited within easy
.reach the first night. Bags of flour,
quantities of coflee and sugar a whole
ham, and a quarter of fresh venison
likewi.-e made their appearance from
some unexplained source the third
morning.
Lit lie was seen of the recipient of
these treasures, however. She had only
been on the street once, and then only
to purchase a few necessary articles.
"Upon that occasion she met the rever
ential gaze of a score of loungers, and
turned her head away, pretending not
to see, when the jovial Bill Carter smug,
gled a huge package of candy into the
.child's capacious pocket. But aside
from that she had remained hidden from
veiw, and the miners knew as little
about her on the fourth day as they had
on the first.
The 23d of December was Unusually
cold, even for that locality. As the
frozen moon came up over a distant
crag, cutting with chilly hands the
dusky gloom, one might have fancied
that he had suddenly been transplanted
into the Arctic region. The ground was
covered with a thin layer of snow,whlch
glistened like burnished silver in the
pale night. Here and there along the
sides of the gulch, giant pines, standing
like ghostly sentinels, threw spectral
shadows across the white expanse. The
roar of Potata creek, wrapped in the Icy
arms of winter, was subdued to a tiny,
inuftltid trickling. And the wlnd,gently
sighing through the passes, played Mo
Han melodies among the needles of pine
And tassels of hemlock.
In the main apartment of the Magno
lia saloon, a party of the boys were
Hitting around a table, upon which
steamed a large bowl, emitting a fragrant
and aromatic odor.
" Whoever she mought be," observed
a tall and rather angular personage
known to his companions as Long Tom
Rollins" whoever she mought be,
6he's alone, bariiu' thet kid, and unpro
tected besides. She's -sickly, to 3, and
rkor hev a doctor. This ain't no sort
of a place for a a in verlld," he conclud
ed, hesitatingly, removing his heavy
boot from the table, and helping him
self to a liberal allowance of the punch.
Then,-after a pause, be continued, "I
wonder what ails the critter, anyhow V"
"A man's at the bottom of it, gentle
men, you hear me," observed Judge
Oasli wilder from the other side of the
table, nodding couvlction at each of his
hearers in turn. "Take my word for it
there's a man in It, as ther alters is in
any deviltry as robs some poor woman's
cheek of its bloom and her eye of its
light."
The Judge was eloquent at all times.
Hut when his round pate glistened from
the efiects of good punch and his theme
was woman, he was thought by the
men of Mud Flat to have few equals.
Therefore the little party seated around
the table was considerably startled
when, just as their favorite orator had
thrust bis right hand into his breast as
areparatory gesture leading to a more
extended tribute to the sex, Long Tom
.Rollins leaned forward and exclaim
ed:
bee nere, old man. now do you
know all this V
' For a moment everybody was aghast
Whether they were astonished at the
suddenness of the interruption, or at
the half-savage1 tone of the speaker, or
whether it occurred to them that the
Jude might possibly have so for over
stepped the bounds of prudence as to
have attempted "pumping" the inter
esting stranger, may never be known.
But it is certain that they were astound
ed Into silence. Even Judge Gashwllder
was observed to lose his usual presence
of mind. For instance ids naturally
serene countenance wore an expression
which in another would have been mis
taken for guilt. If the confidence which
the others had always placed In him was
a trifle shaken at that Instant, It was
quickly restored when, after a moment'
hesitation, the old gentleman explained
his peculiar position.
" You Bee, gentlemen," he said, grad
ually resuming the attitude from which
he had been surprised by the abrupt
speech above quoted, " I was prowlin'
round her cabin last night, when all of
a sudden I heered voices inside. The
door was open a leedle bit, and by
staudlu' where I was I couldn't miss a
syllarbul. I will here explain," lie con
tinued, thrustltig his red bandana hand
kerchief Into his breast, as was his wont
when speaking publicly, " that 1 was
there for the purpose of flndln' out, if
possible, whether the gal was in need
of anything that I could help her
to."
" Which accounts," observed a by.
slander " for that chicking which was
hung up alongside the door when I
came by this mornln'."
" I heered her talkln' with the kid,"
continued Judge Gashwllder, not notic
ing the interruption, "and I couldn't
help lissenuen. As near as I could make
out, the talk was like this :
"'When shall we see papa V"
Heaven knows, my baby. We have
sought him long, and when God is
ready He will restore him to us.'
"' Is Christmas comlu' soon, mam
may '"Yes, baby, darling. But there
won't be no presents for my little one
this time. We are away from home and
poor. But when we find papa wo will
go where there are lots of pretty things
and then baby shall have plenty.' "
Here the Judge leaned forward and
whispered In a mysterious voice, telling
his companions that he had heard the
mother repeat to the child the sad story
of how her father had gone West four
years ago to seek his fortune; how for
two years his letters, containing money
for her support, had come like rays of
sunshine through the clouds : how they
had suddenly stopped, and no answers
were received to her agonized appeals;
how for two more years Bhe had suppos
ed him dead ; how, at last, the Postmas
ter in the little village where she lived
had, upon his dying-Bed, confessed to
having stolen the letters from her hus
band, so as to get the money they
contained, and suppressed her missives
to him, for fear of discovery ; and how
she had started out with her little one
to find her lost husband, who had been
last heard from in Mud Flat.
All this the Judge told to the few
friends he could trust, speaking In a
whisper, lest the precious secret should
be passed to others in the room.
" Andjnow," he added, resuming his
rhetorical attitude and voice, " I axes
you as gentlemen and representatives
of Mud Flat chivalry, shall this gal
and her kid be too poor to have a
Christmas of her own shall they go
without it, or not ? Remember, gentle
men, that kid is the first oue as ever
came into this place, and p'raps she's
our luck. Let us nurtur her, my friends,
and let us show her mother thet we
ain't bo lost in vlrtoo an' principle as
not to appreciate it when we hev a
good woman and a lnnercent kid among
us. Let us give 'em a Christmas. I
will now perceed to head the subscrip
tion." So saying the gallant old man moved
the punch bowl to one side, and emptied
the contents of his breeches pocket upon
the table. Others followed suit, and
when the last man had placed his con
tribution there the pile contained a good
ly fum.
"Now, gentlemen, some one of us
has got to take the money, ride to Den
ver, and spend It for 'em. Who shall it
beV"
" Let me be your agent," responded a
deep bass voice.
Turning, they saw a tall stranger
standing near by, who had just entered
in time to hear the judge's call for
contributions. One or two in the room
recognized him as a miner who had
come in from the diggings that after
noon, having found It too cold to work
longer in the mountains.
They were iucllued to resent the
interference of au outsider, and proba
bly would not have heeded his request
had he not spoken a second time. Draw
ing near the table, he said :
"Gentleman, I was once a married
man myself, but my wife, God bless her
is dead. For the love I bear her mem
ory, for the affection I have toward the
remembrance of my little one burled
with her, I ask you to let me aid in this
matter."
The sadness in his voice and fuce was
so sincere, and the utility of sending a
man who'had "been thar, and knowed
whatwlmmen folks would like" pre
sented Itself so favorable to the miners
that with but little hesitation they
allowed him to do as he wished.
in au hour he was gone, and the
settlement was lost in speculation as to
what he would bring back for the
strange lady and her child.
The morning of Deo. 25 dawned crisp
and cold. The fresh, biting air of the
mountains rueed among the trees right
merrily, whisking the snow Into little
wreaths, and frolicking among the
branches with real holiday gayety. It
was nearly noon when the stranger rode
into camp, loaded with bundles. At
the Magnolia he met au eager crowd of
mluers, who, headed by Judge Gashwll
der, were sooif on the road to the strange
lady's cabin. An lved there, they felt
a sudden hesitation about entering. It
was like intruding upon some sacred
ground, and they were almost tempted
to deposit their bundles upon the thresh
old and fly.
"You take the stufT," said the Judge
to the stranger, " and go In first. You've
bin familiar with wlmmen, and know
how to handle 'em. WTe'll wait out
side." But the stranger felt the same hesi
tation. Perhaps his long absence from
feminine Eoclety make him bashful.
Perhaps a thought ft the memory he
revered caused him to hold back.
Finally the Judge consented to take
the lead, and, dofllug his hat, knocked
softly. The door was opened by the
child, who bade him enter. Beside the
fire sat the mother, who rose to meet
them. All passed in but the stranger,
who stood outside.
" Marm," said the Judge, who some
how had lost his usual ease of speech
and gesture, " we that is, the citizens
of Mud Flat has come to wish you a
merry Christmas, and to offer you these
few toklugs of our respect an' esteem."
Having thus delivered himself, the
old gentleman deposited the bundles on
the table, and stood beaming sereuely on
all his companions. The strange lady,
completely overcome by this unexpected
kindness, could not find words to reply
fora moment. Then, in a broken voice
she said :
" This is a glad moment of my sorrow
ful life. You are good, kind men, and
I know God will repay your generosity
to the widow and fatherless. I"
She stopped suddenly and stood with
blanched cheeks and distended eyes,
staring toward the door. The miners
turned and beheld the stranger, who,
with a great stride forward, and a cry
expressing the wildest Joy, caught the
woman in his arms.
They stood thus, heart pressed to
heart, and lips to lips for au instant.
Then the stranger turned his eyes de
voutly toward the ceiling.
" Thank God," he murmured gently,
" the wife I had supposed to be dead is
restored to me."
The miners stole softly away, and left
the stranger standing thus, with his
arms tenderly twined about the woman
of his love, and the little child clinging
fondly to his knees.
The air was balmy outside; the sun
shone with ineffable sweetness upon the
scene; a blucjay screamed his delight
from a neighboring tree, and the wind
played a joyful tune among the roeks.
Christmas had come to Mud Flat, and
the missing husband was found.
Railways Safer than Home.
In his recently -published " Notes on
Railroad Accidents," Mr. Charles Fran
cis Adams, Jr., shows that the percent
age of loss of life and of personal injuries
on railroads is exceedingly small, when
compared with the amount of travel, and
that the risks of railroad travel are much
less than they are popularly supposed to
be. Me cites statistics to prove that it is
actually safer for a mau or his family
to travel by rail than to stay at home,
thus corroborating the saying attributed
to John Bright, that the safest place in
which a man could put himself was In
side a first-class railroad carriage of a
train in full motion. During the eight
years from 1870 to 1879 the whole num
ber of lives lost In operating the entire
railroad system of Massachusetts was
1,105, or an average of 140, a year, while
in Boston the recorded deaths from acci
dental causes during the ten years from
18(58 to 1878 was 2,687 or an annual aver
age of 259. These results show that in
the city of Boston alone the yearly num
ber of deaths caused by accident was
eighty per cent, greater than the num
ber reportedvon all the railroads of the
state. Tbls Comparison is not peculiar to
Massachusetts, but may be taken as ap
proximately accurate for other places.
Indeed statistics were published years
ago in France showing that people were
less safe at home than while on railroads.
Another fact which will serve to reas
sure the timid is, that of the whole num
ber of persons accidentally killed or in
jured on railroads, but a small proportion
are passengers. Many of those who lose
their lives or are personally injured, are
employes. But, as Adams shows, the
greatest and most regular cause of death
and Injury In the operation of railroads
is the reckless habit of walking on the
track, which Is common with too many
people, and especially with those who
are more or less druuk. More than one
third of all the railroad casualties repor
ted In Massachusetts are classified under
the general head of accidents to trespass
ers, that is, accidents to men, women
and children, especially the latter, ille
gally lylntr, walking or playing on the
tracks, or riding qn the cars. Mr.
Adams says that the best remedy for this
dungerous practice Is the system of brok
en stone ballast, covering the entire sur
face of the roadbed. Thls has been adopt
ed by the Pennsylvania railroad with
the most satisfactory results, though the
company had others objects in view than
the discomfort of pedestrians. The sharp
and uneven edges of the broken stone
from a surface which the most inveterate
railroad tramp will shun.
Advice To a Young Man.
My sou, don't be In too great a hurry
to accept "advanced opinions." It is
" the thing " to be " advanced " in this
progressive day and generation, hut
there's a heap of shallowness In it. Did
you never notice, my son, that the man
who tells you he cannot believe the Bi
ble is usually able to believe almost any
thing else? You will find men, my
son, who turn with horror and utter
disbelief of the Bible and joyfully em
brace the teachings of Buddha. Is it
quite just now, my son, for a civilized,
enlightened mau, brought up in a
Christian country and an age of wis
dom, to be a Buddhist ? And if you ask
six men who profess Buddism who Bud
da was, one of them will tell you he
was an Egyptian soothsayer, who lived
two hundred years before- Moses. An
other will tell you he brought letters
from Phoeniclaaud Introduced them into
Greece ; a third will tell you that she was
a beautiful woman of Farther India,
bound by her vows to perpetual chasti
ty ; a fourth will with a little hesitation,
say he was a Brahma of the ninth de
gree and a holy disciple of Confucius;
and of the other two, one will frankly
admit that he doesn't know, and the
other wilt say, with some indecision
that he was either a dervish of the Nile
(whatever that Is) or a felo de se, he
can't be positive which.
Before you propose to "know more
than auybody and everybody else, my
son, be very certain that you are at
least abreast of two-thirds of your fellow-men.
I don't want to suppress any
inclination you may have toward gen.
ulne free thought and careful, honest in
vestigation, my son. I only want you
to avoid the great fault of atheism in
this day and generation; Idou't want
to see you try to build a six-story house
on a one-story foundation.
Before you criticise, condemn and
finally revise the work of creation, my
son, be pretty confident you know some
thing about Has it is, aud don't, let me
Implore you, don't turn this world up
side down aud sit down on It, and flattsn
It.entlrely out, until you have made or
secured another one for the rest of us to
live in while you demolish the old one.
If ever you should develop into an " ad
vanced " atheist, my son, just do that
much for the rest of us.
The New Teacher's Stories.
The Chicago Inter-Occan of Saturday
has the following: A Sabbath School
teacher at Cincinnati (or a near suburb)
having occasion for being absent, en
gaged oue of the leading young ladies of
society to take her place and teach her
class. She was prompt In the duty, and
dressed in faultless style, made a decided
and favorable impression upon the
class, and fancied she had sown good
seed In the minds of her youthful
charge. The teacher the naxt Sunday,
upon gathering her class, said ;
" Well, girls, you had a new teacher
last Suuday ; can you tell me any of the
lessons she taught you, or have you fur
gotten V"
" Oh, no," answered the class, " we
remember everything. She taught us
all about Samson in the lion's den."
" Oh, no you mean Daniel J"'
"No, we don't, it was Samson."
The teacher wisely closed the subject,
and hurrying through the lesson, took
an early occasion to call upon the sub
stitute. Said ; , " What did you
teach my class last Sunday V
" Oh I we had a nice time, and I told
them all about Sanson in the lion's
den, and Moses in the fiery furnace,
and-"
The above is not a joke, but a fact.
Guilty of Wrong.
Some people have a fashion of con
fusing excellent remedies with the large
mass of " patent medicines," and in
this way they are guilty of a wrong.
There are some advertised remedies ful
ly worth all that is asked for them, and
one at least we know of Hop Bitters.
The writer has had occasion to use the
Bitters in just such a climate as we have
most of the year in Bay City, and has
always found them to be tlrat-class and
reliable, doing all that Is claimed for
them. Tribune. 2t 2
SELLERS'
covair
sniuri
50 Years Before the Public t
Frononnced by all to be the moot Pleasant i
and elllcaclous remedy now in nun, for the
curs of Coughs, Colds, Croup, Hoarseness,
Tickling sensation of thn Throat, Whooping
Cough, etc. Over a million bottles sold
within the last few years. It gives relief
wherever nsed, and has the power to Impart
benefit that cannot be had from the cough
mixtures now In use. Sold by all Druggists at
35 cents per bottle.
SELLERS' LIVER PILLS
are also highly recommended for curing liver
complaint, constipation, slck-hcadaches, fever
andugue, and all diseases of the stomach and
liver. Boldly all by all Druggists at 25 cents
per box. 40 ly
R. E. SELLERS & CO., Pittsburg, Pa.
J. M. GIRVIM.
J. n. Gums
J. M. GIRVIN & SON.,
FLOUR, GRAIN, SEED & PRODUCE
Commission Merchants,
No. 64 South ('ny, St.,
BALTIMORE, ID.
We will pay strict attention to the sale of all
kinds or Country Produce aud remit the amounts
promptly. 45 lvr.
J. M. GIRVIN & SON.
NT
USSER & ALLEN
CENTRAL STORE
NEWPORT, TENN'A.
Now offer the public!
A HAKE AND LHO ANT ASSORTMENT OJ
DRESS GOODS
Consisting af all shades suitable tor the season
If LACK ALPACCAS
AND
Mourning Goods
A SPECIALITY.
BLEACHED AND UNBLEACHED
MUSLINS,,
AT VARIOUH PRICE8.
A.N EXULESS SELECTION OF PRINTS!
We sell aud do keep a good quality of
SUGARS, COFFEES & SYRUPS
And everything under the head ot
GROCERIES!
Machine needles and oil for all makes . ol
Machines.
To be convinced that our goods are
CHEAP AS THE CHEAPEST,
18 TO CALL AND EXAMINE STOCK.
No trouble to show goods.
Don't forget the
CENTRAL STORE,
Newjwrt, Perry County, Pa.
DRUGS.
DRUGS.
JACOB STRICKLER,
(Successor to Dr. M. B. Strlckler)
NEW BLOOMFIELD, PENN'A.
HAVING succeeded the late Arm of Dr. M. B.
Strlckler In the Drug Business at his Store-room,
on MAIN STREET, two doors East of the Biff
Spring, I will endeavor to make it in every way
worthy the patronage of the public.
Personal and strict attention AT ALL TIMES
given to the compounding and dispensing Physi
cians' presclptions. so as to insure accuracy and
guard against accident.
II i: Alt IN 1IIM
that my stock has been recently selected and ear
taken to have everything t-f the BEST QUALI
TY. The nubile may rest assured that ALL med
icines that leave my store shall be as represented
PURE and UNADULTERATED.
I HATE constantly on hand
HAIK OIL and POMADES
HAIR, TOOTH and NAIL-BRUSHES.
SURGEONS, TOILET. and
CARRIAGE SPONGES.
TUFF BOXES. TOILET POWDERS,
CASTILE and H'ANCY SOAPS.
PERFUMERY OF ALL KINDS,
Together with Fresh and Genuine Patent Medi
cines of every description.
ALSO,
Segars, Tobacco, School Books, &c.
ORANGES, LEMONS 4 BAN AN A3,
la season.
Pure Wines and Liquors for Medicinal
Purposes.
Tcrma, Btrlctly Caah.
By strict attention to business, I hope to merit
the confidence and favor of the public.
JACOB STRICKLER, Ph.IG.
April , vn.