Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 1898)
2 THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, DECEMBER, I. 1898. The Christian Plan. feel if anything happened to him — style, and gave the preference to very w hite dress he admired above if he should die, for instance. Ri-vi»ed for the Torch of Reason. hanging. There was such a nice all her other dresses. \\ ould the sight of his face, cold place for the business in a little un- W O U LD N ’T read those journals Sally Miller was present—so was th a t Infidels put forth Fora'ifthriddV odrilV erthls lhe «»>ad«iw, finwhed chamber which adjoined Walter Clare. blessed p la n e t’s n o rth . * 1 “ coinn, wring from her a tear his cabinet of shells and mineral« — I Sally had a letter in her hand, As sure as I should read it my eyes of affection—a kiss warm with the ‘ * A large ’ hook • ■ had - - been driven into and had evidently been reading it would open he, • . j . „ , J u s t like the eyes of A dam when he ate O d ove Would she wish, when a warn, and for what purpose he to W alter,and all three were laugh- of th a t there tree— she saw him thus, that she had tak- nevtr could imagine, but now he merrily. With a thrill of fierce in- To see ju st w hat he oughtn t, w hat he . • , , should n e ’e r a know n, en more pains to w’ear blue, his fa h , dignation Alpheus saw that it was The dam ning, devilish knowledge he vorite color, and that she had fried He fixed upon Friday as the fa- his farewell note to his wifel And should a let alone. My faith in holy Jesus is firm as any rock him griddle cakes every morning? tai day. Everything was prepar- they, evidently, were making fun __ ii . So long’s T I keep __ my eyelids d i o se under Day by day he grew more mor ed. He wrote Annie a pathetic □ ft < * I « • » • x 1 j| | X * 1 - • seal am i lock ; of it! But, ah ! I know full surely should I ope bid on the subject, until be was so note, telling her that as her love for my eyes to see, W hat have you to sell, my good unhappy that he hardly cared him had decayed, he desired no My soul would roast forever in th e pit of woman?” asked Annie, at length, m is e ry : whether . he lived or died , longer to dwell in this cold vale of B u t if I keep ’eni blinded, as my te a c h It is curious how we are always tears, and he had determined to cut and Alpheus managed to stammer ers bid m e to, out a lame inventory of his wares. I 11 m ount a t last to glory and th e re sinu distressing ourselves with imagin- in twain the thread of existence, H a llilo o ! “ Walter, dear, come and see if ary woes! and it is quite certain j and to launch himself into the deep there is anything worth buying,” 4<So I ’ll not read the papers of th a t god that full half of our troubles are voids of extremity! less, w icked clan He did not mention the exact said Annie, very tenderly, and the W ho carry w ith them ever th e c h u rc h ’s imaginary ones. Those afflictions h itte r ban. which never come to us are much method by which he contemplated young man obeyed, putting his arm I want no carnal knowledge to m ake me around her waist as he did so. worse than those that do come. accomplishing the launching; he fear and d o u b t; “The deuce!” exclaimed Alpheus W hy, if my eyes are peering ones, by At last matters reached such a considered it unnecessarv. If Annie God, I ’ll pluck them o u t ! as he saw the caress. For t h a t ’s th e gospel teaching, C h ris t’s pass that Annie did not get up knew he had destroyed himself, of “ W hat did you say, m a’am?” own delighttul way, from her work to kiss Alpheus course she would search every inch To lead us all in blindness up to his asked Walter. when he came into the house, and | of ground in the town until he was glorious day. “ Nothing,” growled Alpheus, And though the skeptic laughs so and sh e did not cry when he announced I discovered. trea ts it all as fun, drawing lnt0 into 1118 his bonnet» bonnet, and and resist- resist- Prirlnv . . Iurawing To blind or pluck your eyes o u t’s the bis intention of going to New York or a couple of days on business \ . AnDle went to t h e ^ g , with great effort, the inclina- way to see the s u n .” —L iberator. She packed h i s s h i r t « « 1 i • I n°Xt tOWn shoPPing> and there was i tion he felt to smash something o a i r X t o c k ^ .1 ’ u F ? n,a nobody at home but the 8« v a „ t “Oh, by «-e way, Annie aren’t Mr. Hain’s Suicide. wet his feet she e a id ^ n d a ? ¡7 a " d Sa,ile M i|ler, Annie’s cousin; j you going to have the river drag- vowed she was heartless if she could I S w a l k to lo in T a U i’ 8 T ’th h l^ ” “ He ” ay BY CLARA AUGUSTA. think of wet feet when lie was to be 1 , 7 7 i u 7 there bave 1rowned himself, you know.” V eri? t’ h T ? Wterfer‘ ' ‘ ° Wn faUlt ' f *‘e te* R. ALPHEUS MAIN had away from her for two whole days! Z H e was wretched all the time he dons. I "d ^n n ie indifferently. ‘-No- an extremely small bump «, h , J,’ ed hlm to- And> dear of self-esteem; and doubt was gone, but tried to solace him- self to with the hope th at the warmth L Alf he“8 braced blm8elf for the " »lter, Jou know we at least ought less it is all very fine for a man of her greeting on his return would , ¿ rt He fixed the roPe ?° hi” f° r~ ” Here ehe be6- he modest, and not thrust himself confused. Wal- forward too much under the im amply’atone for everything. E a|. ar° Un< b' S 8rm and tried its j ltated and looked .strength by sundry jumps and j ter finished the sentence: ‘‘For pression that he is a person of con lacious hopel When he reached home old M iss!8prings- Oul came the hig hook, . Ieavin8 us free to love each other.” sequence, but really it is about as bad to think too little of oneself as Mills was there with her kl,itiini; Iand over went AlPh«uson his back, I Alpheus grew hot with anger, it is to think too much. and old Miss Baker with her net- BP' “ " ng h‘8 best COat completely I Here wa8 a new revelation. He had Annie only shook hands hands i ™ T , 0"8 a " d knockirig the wind o u t, a*way8 thought Mr. Clare’s visits at “ Respect yourself, or nobody will ting, ting, and and Annie only shook n n J o r fn iic I hu house were meant for Sally,and told him piivately that there I n f f h i m w wonderfuL^ respect you,” says the old adage__ and ..................... and it is qnite correct, as the world were cinders in his ears and he had “ Blast the hook!” cried he, rub here was evidence enough that the goes. better wash before coming to the bing his back. “I don’t try that wretch was in love with his wife! Alpheus labored constantly un table. Thank the Lord! ’ he thought, game again! I t ’s more than it’s j --------muug der the impression, or rather the am not dead ^ t ! I ’ll spite ’ em But Alpheus scorned to complain worth. I ’ll run away instead of It will answer Ilhat way' ” fear, that nobody cared for him. —he told his sorrows to no one,and hanging myself. He married the woman he loved, no one suspected them. He “let the same purpose. The river is so “And your husband was such a and as she chose him from a half- concealment like a worm i’ the hud” near she’ll think I drowned myself! sullen fellow!” said Walter, in a low dozen other young men who were etc. \ ou know the remainder of fortunately I did not say in my voice, but still distinctly audible to suitors for her hand, he surely the quotation too well to need that letter what method I would take to the jealous ears of the listener — ought to ha”e believed that she I should write it out. At length do the deed. And I ’ll get a dis “always doubting you! I ’ll never preferred him. Alpheus reached a determination guise, tomorrow, and call at our doubt you, darling.” But he was full of doubts on the “You won’t!” shouted Alpheus— house and see how she feels.” He would commit suicide! subject. If at any time Annie was ------------------„ u ,e out , So Alpheus made his escape from ' <;VOUWOn’t,eh? r n make you doubt He would he Uvu, happier of the less talkative than common, or if world than in it, and he felt sure j the Prelnisefl he called home as se- y° Ur ? W? jexistenceI aHve, I she did not kiss him so many times his wife would love him after he Cretly afl possible,and crawling into H 7 al° 1 drowned nor hanged! as usual on his return from busi was dead—most widows did — and the ha? in a neighbor’s stable, lav V ' 1» * W<>Inan 18 wifeI Take ness, or if she forgot that his par she would have a long obituary af- j there tin morning. Then he cut I L V? and the peddIer w°man lift- ticular passion was hot griddle ter his name in the Bangville Bui-1 acr°88 ,ots to the house of an old ed her foot ln a very unfeminine cakes, and neglected to fry him a letin, and a speaking inscription on ^r ’end of his, whom he took into his way and gave W alter a kick. steak for the morning meal — then his tombstone. He even went so I con^dence* That young gentleman quickly Alpheus’ heart grew cold at once, far as to fancy her on sunny days I Said old friend gave him the left the house, and Alpheus felt and if he had been a woman he going to strew flowers on his grave clothes of one of his female ser- quite sure th at a look of intelli would have spent the night in tears — and he was sure she would wear J vants—dirty and shabby enough, gence passed between him and An but as he was only a man he spent deepest mourning, and never, nev-1 too> they were— and set him up in nie, which was shared in by Sally. it in sulking. It was not until after Walter aud er m a r r y again. the plaster-of-paris-image business. He found a sort of delight in self And to a person of his disposi- So about the hour of noon next Sally were married th at Alpheus torture — just as some people who turn the prospect was absolutely day, behold Alpheus, clad like an knew that the lovers had been in are ill like to make themselves as g owing. It fascinated him so old woman, ringing the bell of his the cabinet adjoining the room bad as possible when they tell over where he had intended to hang completely that he resolved to die; own house. their diseases. himself, and had overheard his only he could not help wishincr that ! • , j • . he c o u ld <lip a n J k p w i’n,n8 l iat I he girl admitted him into the He used to lie awake nights long he could die and be alive too, that parlor, and there was his wife „ v whole soliloquy. And alter that after Annie was asleep, pondering he mtght see how Annie ‘‘took it”, and cheerful as he had ever’J e n Walter had watched his move over what he called the change in He thought over the C e r e n t’ ments, and all the sweetness be ’ and wonder,ng how she would I methods of self destruction most in her; her hair profusely curled, a tween him and Annie was put on, scarlet ribbon at her throat and the for the benefit of the old image I y ---------------• • ' ' • J u n j n . c n u jr » « yi n