7
-
rt.
.,1 !
"THE "XEWNOllTH WEST, THURSDAY J)EOEMBEU JlL
com their own enrant, and It Is often a great relief to
tbem to bav aaatatano from neighbors.
Too remember our old home tinder the magnolia tree T
Th low, rambling d wl II ng-bouse, with IU broad verandaa.
U gone now; but the old cabin borne, where you and Phillip
--began, housekeeping In the lotig ago, yet remain. It U
mow a bachelor abanty, Inhabited spasmodically by hu
man being, and at other time by owl and. bat. Old
A Mammy Mlllan.an emancipated colored woman wbo knew
, our mother well, wa going over there to cook for a day or
lwMdIweaU16nglnlnIQmte
..f ...au.iMA.
When wa cam In sight of the ravin (hat dlvjde$ the
ground around th bona from th main road, I strained
my aye la tb dlirctten."pf the old. cabin, an caught a
glimpse of It ruined wafl through tb den undergrowth
IJhaV nowncrreleff lhe.euUr previlses-ihe" fhost of ,the
'Immortal Pact. , r -.- '
I cannot describe th feeling with which I ascended the
A
fcnoll and sUxid face to face with th time-worn, humble
dwelling, wherein several ventul years of toy childhood
war spent, and wbarajrou, my lster began th battle of
lif In hopeful anticipation of future fruition. It was krrt
that aome of those dream of your wer cradled which In
later year ripened and broadened and bora th fruits of
living reality.' .. - - , ' -,
Out of thl burabl abode I too went forth, a a child
upon unknown aeaa, through ground that .were full, of
quicksands. I wa not wlae, my sister, but I wa Innocent
aod simple-hearted, and I believed In th Innocence and
honesty of all God's creature. - And I went forth alas I
..with, what oumpeasatloa J
rYssj lt at twenty- v years cf for my eldt born
(whom th angel took) would be twenty-four how, and
"your. Eva God blea her I yet allttl older. I wish eh
could ae thl old house Just a I s Jt, and dream some of
my dreamt to-tlay Just a I do. t
My knee feel quit unsteady as I allgbifrpm th wagon,
ad tear blur my eyesight as 1 wander through th tangled
gras and unslghtlydog-fonnel, th latter white la It man
. U of bloom. My worn bands Involuntarily reach out, and
my heart wall la a silent agony of yearning for th recog
nition of somWAlnjr that It seems must com up out of the
Iast from th old house and tell m that It know me.
x But out of all thl ruin and allenc there eomea no living
raaponae, and I lay my band, reverently upon th worm
;atea log, aa I would caress aw old and well-tried friend,
and feel as though I am on tb outer boundaries of another
world and can almost hear Its f ot falls.
I creep Wound while my fellow-traveler are busy, with
V th team, and eagerly acan th little cramped window
that w used to drape with nowjr juu.lln curtains, tied
"backTwith bright rft
heartless vandal baa broken and defaced what wa one
our pride. " .., :
r r.Tb .batten are torn from th log that form the cabin
walla, and vandal have demolished moat of the floor In
. th spare room ; and where It window were la now an
perlurelirougtt'w thefr heads, '
covered with creamy blossom th first thing of Ufa that
great th time-changed deolxan of th departed years. '
Horn vandal has also torn out (h celling from tbtwo
-- main rooms and demolished lh back porch, and with It
the kitchen, and the llttl hed-room that once was mine t
How I "wished la th agony of my aoul that I could b
transported back ther again through tbedead decade,
with aom of tb knowledge of A.ter experience to light th
coming year I - ' r A
I think the ojd mllk-hous must hav fallen a victim to"
aom hard windstorm, for all that now remain' of It I a
tier of about half a dosen log. Inald of these, on tb very
pot wber onoe our shining milk-pan stood,. I now a
'- tangled mass of wild mustard and dogr fennel, waist deep,
- and covered with whit flower, disputing' ground -with
mammoth radish stalks wlth'ihelr burden of eed-pod-r
i rulu of run that Nature I striving In her own wild way to
' rauder beautiful. .,, v. .' j
I contrasted thl sera with- the day of long ago. when
' - . our mllk-pana atood ther on th smooth, damp earth, and
vxt'v. vv geaXlettour anxious, youthful face (you were younger
tha than your Eva now la),and would bav given anything
to hav had yon with mvp.' - - "
Mrs. March mount, who had read several pages In
-avfcwkjrroleefStoprjeJlrort
paroxysms of Wt-epIngrThe Reverend Sllar Ray
mond used his handkerchief suspiciously, and the
strange guest kept her glistening eyes upon the
glowing coal. ''; '" ' r '
"DearllaJdee !" said Mrs. Marcbmount, through
her tears ; "I wonder where you are to-night ?"
Did she Write anything further V asked the
brother In a kindly tone.
The sister read on :
X
V
1 almost expected to see RUas com riding up with Queen
andCharlland all the other horse J and I actually caught
myself listening for on w-be Us, and strained my eyea, that
wr swollen with "weeping, as I looked for Hambo and
Oufle to com running along behind rioaa and fuindje,'
riding bamboo stick. .
Th road leading to th barn-yard I all blocked up with
fallen trees and undergrowth now, and the barn, like the
old-time paternal home, wa burned ta the ground during
the war . .v.--- ".
" The al mond and apricot tree are old. and dying and cov
ered with moss, and the orange grove hav gone to decay.
I went down to the old spring and brought aom water
from It to lb cabin. But I tarried awhile by It brink, and
my feature were reflected In It waters. I think It could
not recognise m. though, for my fac wa furrowed and
amrrowfui, vary different, alas f from the laughing, girlish
as that used to be reflected from It treasured depth.
Ucben and mosses and tnalden-bair ferna cling lovingly
around It, and visitor do not often com now.
I went out to where the old barn used to be,', beyond
whtrt our father bouse stood when w were children. I
wlhd to be alone! wsy frolrt Tnarter-of-fart Mammy
MUteai, wa aoold oo mr appreciate a teeUag ilka mJaa J
thaa though ah had been a block or granite. Arter i nau
wandered about for an bour or ao, I returned to the cabin
1 and busied myself with the labor of th day.
; v I remained over Bight, but could not alep. I was too
buay with tb holy Past The tobaoeo amoka waa almost
tatolerable, and the eeaaelea eoaveraaUott of Insensate
' compaalon grated harshly on my nerve j 'but I bore It
all for tb sake of eeeing th beloved ruin of th dear old
I
af!"?4 JMl mriwj-iaf tn bi rtrrof our risen Redeemer,
nor, and we wer ail at borne again under th old mag-1 - ... " , . .. ,
nolle tree. Everything was o ial la my dream I And
dm awakening you seemed ad near that I could not rest
A.
till I obeyed the prompting of my heart, that cried out for
your continually, and wn t sat m down to wrttev " - -1
Do not seek to And me, sister. I hav beard from you oc
casion ally during the bygone year. You ar our brother
favorite, and be baa our father money. You are rlc, and
I am poor. You have a happy borne and Influential friend.
-1 hav nothing. I ask nothing at your hands or our brotb
orj but I do pray the All-merciful Redeemer In whoa
nam good gift are given unto men on every Chri,tm
. Kve,tbat aom avenue of benorable and regular em Oloy
neat may yet be opened for We, that I may be nearvmy
1IUI one whli earning mean for tblr ubltenc.
claimed the Reverend HI la Raymond in a tender,
tremulous ..voice, accompanied - by' a suspicious
courIi. -,v:ri...:rv42r z-.'-".;
"Would you?" aaked the strange guest, whose
presenco the brother and sister )iad overlooked lor
som'mlnutes, so ntent bad' they been in perus
ing the contents of the letter.
J'Yes, I would. ' A woman who can write like
mercantile agency than I have with a baby's
nursery.' . T , . 7 :
'What ought she to be doing, Bilas?" asked
Mrs. March mount,, wonder! ngly. j .. r
"i u say sue ougnt to be an editor, an author, a
novelist. Kl'ie writes like an oracle." "
- "Could you get her a position, 81 las?"
"I could; and if I could find her I would. I've
money enough to set her up, and I'd do It."
"But I dare say she'll offend your fastidious
tastes,' said the stranger. "She's been' used to
poverty and hardship; andjjer associations have
not been aristocratic, and her education is limited,
you know," '. -
"Bother the education I Hhe's a born1 genius.
I wish she was here to-nlgtrt !" "
her feet and throwing aside the tattered shawl,
she.ezclalmed: - '
"Behold your sister Haldee !'
""Mrs. Msrchmount fell upon her sister's neck and
wept hysterically. The Reverend Silas Raymond
paced ..the floor, shedding convulsive tears. The
returned prodigal alone was calm. '
"I came to the city to-day in search of employ-
inentLsli saJdjjiadlyiJJJpawned everything I
4 and Webster's Unabridged, and Mature will dp the
rest."
New? Year's pay stU 'found the Knickerman
family Installed as welopme guests in Reverend
Silas lUyjiilqnd's city home. But the Intervening
holidays had brought much prom i we. of future
triumph to the erewhile homeless sister of the
gifted clergyman. Eva Marchmbunt had learned
ere this that Lieutenant Knickerbocker was in
law, though not by blood, her cousin; that his
father and thef scapegrace Dieilrich Knickerman
(who had changed his patronymic before marrisge
4 to evade; certai n-iegal-penaities-forthepetty
crimes of his boyhood) were full brothers. , And
theyoung Lieutenant was anxious to speedily con
summate their union, for, h said, it would redeem
the family from the bad odor of the first Knicker
bocker relationship. " J . ' " .
had but these tattered garments to get a place for
nay children to sleep. I didn't Intend to make
myself "known"! "went to the general delivery
post office to-night, and while waiting for letters
I don't know why I did It, but I said I had come
lor your letterayand when they-wcre gtvenrto me
I recognized this one that had been to the dead
letter department. Alter I bad learned your ad
dress, I returned your otBerietters and gave this
-one to a post-boy, "parting with theT&sVshilling I
had in the world to get him to promise to delTvcr
itootHirpereoTrton1ght
see you. I could not help coming, Indeed I could
not. I do not know why I stayed -and revealed
myself. I didn'ljnean to, but couldn't help that,'
either." . . 7
"It" was the Lord's doing wasn't Jt', Fliis?"
said Mrs. Marchmount, as she toyed lovingly, with
her sister's silver and golden hair.
' Vlt must liave been," said the brother, solemnly,
as he bade them good-night, .and, turning sud
denly on his heel, left the sisters alone together
In the seclusion of hls-own room the clergyman
prayed that night as he had never prayed before ;
and when morning Came a new resolve was firmly
rooted In his mind tTresol ve in keeping with his
own high calling as a servant of the great Giver
whofreely gajre himself for men. ;. 1
Mrs. March mount had so, thoroughly metamor
phosed her sister by the time the family were up
and In the breakfast-room, that the resemblance
iJteiwwjUhfLlwo
ihe.Augln-Sazpn.owes toLdress in enhancing and
maintaining his civilization will never be com
puted In this land of cheap apparel.
-The stormy night had cried Itself Into a dead
calm-before morning, and featheryakes of snow
came dancing and dallying through the air, cloth
ing the earth with a coat of down and arraying
trees .and fences In robes of white, till they re
sembled sheeted ghosts.
I must make myself known to your children
and then hurry away to mine," said the long-lost
sister.' r - .r:z
, "No, sister," exclaimed the Reverend Silas Ray
mond; "I Willi go for your children. Give me
their address. I'll order the sleigh." ' '
"May I not go with you, brother?" .'..:.:....L.'L
"No, Ilaldee.-You must let me do as I like."
Great was the surprise of the poverty-stricken I
children when a fur-lined sleigh haltedJn front of
the humble tenement where their mother had left
them on Christmas Eve, and 'the occupant, pro
claiming himself their uncle, of whom his sister
had told them, spirited them away to a near-by
clothier's and had them thoroughly fitted up in
comfortable attire. Still greater was the surprise of
Eva Msrchmount and all the llttll Marchmounts
when a bevy of well-dressed but shy and awk
ward cousins were ushered Into the spacious room
-taa late breakfast"and"introluced to everybKly7
their own mamma Included, as relatives from the
sunny South. . . ' -" :
"Sell all that Ihou hast "and give to the poor,
and follow me," were the stirring words of the
Christmas text that rippled through the perfumed
atmosphere of Reverend Silas Raymond's church
on the eighteen hundred and seventy-ninth anni-
trlerreTTTnot altrneTand Ihe PomI fiiark is
''iV 1 brieve you arelnapl mLAQg.
my sister, or I would write to her to-night I" ex-
The pastor had given away his pride and selfish
ness, and his face was as the face ofjlie glorified
as hejtowed his headn th preselicf of the great
congregation and listened to the swelling tones
of the organ while the choir sang
. "ills power. Increasing atlll, shall spread,
HI reign no end shall know;
Justice shall guard III thron above,
And peace abound below.
"Our pastor Is Inspired to-day," whispered Lieu
tenant Knickerbocker, as he leaned over the back
of the pew and gated admiringly into Eva March-
mount's blushing faoei
'I Gaveno means of knowing where to reach' j be added, as the" light reflected from her diamond
necklace flashed In bis face, and he turned away,
proudly couacloW that he was attracting attention.--
' "' . - '
"Here( sister," said the ReverenjL,Sllas Rsy
mond, after the bountiful Christinas dinnerjiad
been despatched, "is a cH k for a handsome sumi
your rightful part of our father's estate. Establish
yourself . somewhere In a literary profession, and
never let ine hear again of that meandering met1
cantilo ageney. I l It introduce you 4at once to
Messrs. Ilslght A Co publishers, and after my"
recommendation they will not hesitate to give you
employment.. . Study Shakspeare and . Dickens,
Another year went by on the invisible wings of
flying months. It had been, a year of trials and
triumphs to Mrs. Ilaidee KnlckerbockeT,-!rkuick-erman-now7no4o"nger4-a4'earjlhat
had brought
her health, fame, happiness and. prosperity ; and
few would have recognized In the blooming ma
tron who Joined in the family merry-making iu
Reverend Silas Raymond's parlor, as they gath
ered around the gift-laden tree on the mernorable
Christmas Eve of the year one thousand eight
hundred and eighty, the least resemblance to the
, haggard, homeless woman who had thrust herself
into their presence unbidden a twelvemonth be-
TllTg-a-liug-ling I weuiTTie well-known tlijor
bell. - '.''--,-t'-.71-
, '.'Eva Is ready," whispered Mrs. Msrchmount,
nervously. ' , -
'A weddin' ott'Tlsmas Eve Is Jolly !" exclaimeil
Fairy Belle. . i,
, Ting-ft-ling-ling! A.; : A
- "The Lieutenant's in a hurry, and I don't won
der," said Reverend. Silas Raymond, as the bell
boy, who ,co14jiot be excused on this occasion,
usherel the expectant bridegroom i 6 to a reception
room, where Eva March mount awaited him in
snowy bridal robes. ' -
.-Ruth and George andTohnny and J'alry Belle
werptaiioned --with Mary and Susan and Bessie
and Margaret In the sightliest corner of tite room,
wtyere the Christmas tree could not obscure them
from the bride as she looked lovingly into the'
bridegroom's fade and spoke the fitting vows that
sealed her lovTf' while her diamond necklace,
gleamed upon him as-hef whilelosom rose and
fell with every breath and pulse-beat; "
"It is more blessed to give than to receive," said
Reverend Silas Raymond, an hour latef, when
his sisters had expostulated with him for Indulg
ing In greater munificence than they thought he
could well afford.
"I gave au inheritance to thy sister last Christ
mas Eve that brought me recompense in happi
ness a thousand fold," he said, . as he contin
ued to unload the Christmas tree. "On this oc
casion I hav I? giveu my beloved niece ,to her
chosen companion ; and to-night, as I consecrate
myself anew to njy work for the Redeemer's cause;
and note how rich I am In all that makes life
worth the living, I realize more fully than ever
the force of the proverb, 'There is that scatteretb
and yet increaseth ; and there is that withholdeth
lore than is meet, and it tendeth to poverty.' " '
INDIAN MONEY. v 7
PRIMITIVE IT)IN OK TIIK ABOBIOISE8 OK OKK--OON
LIOXITK, etlKLLfl, liUNEM, ETC.;
Tlie history of money Id our country dates from
the lignite, shells, wampumetc, of the aborigines'
ifown tn the) nreaent hiirhlr artist In oolna f
yrj ' -o--- ; 7 .
Xnited States MintjTlius In money, as in cam--
merce, agriculture and the arts, the alvanceroent ,
from great rudeness to comparative perfection ex- 1
cites .our wonder. To trace the progress of any
and Scott and the Bible; and George Eliot andirt from Its'ryderlglii up to the period of Iu .
present peneciion, is an agreeaDie uisk, ana It is
peculiarly gratifying to be able to contemplate the-,
results of the Inventiveness and inge'nuity of
manklndr gradually progressing and finally trl-
umphing over all obstacles to complete suooess.
A coin, find It where we may, Is an index to the
people who originally issued it and truly Indica
tive of their state of civilization, whatever It may'
have been, and whether a shell, a bead, or a piece '
of lead, coper, silver, or gold has been the stand
ard or measure of value. ;' . -
The earliest knowledge we have ofborlginai
lntBOaooinieala derTvid from, the evi-
dences of it exhumed from the mounds that skjrt
the waters of the Columbia and 'Willamette rivers.
In these mounds have been found relics similar to
those of the Eastern world. The specimens of,,
aboriginal coins or money discovered at Oregon
City, The Dalles and Sauvie's Island are composed
of lignite, bone, shells, mica, pearl, carnelian,
chalcedony, agate, Jasper, copper, lead, and Iron, fc
which were fashioned into forms evincing a skill '
in art of which the descendants of the aborigines
now surviving are entirelylgnorant.The firstJ
medium of circulation as money among the abor-
igines is believed by antiquarians to have been
formel from the three substances first named.
! These specimens are frequently exhumed, and are
found in possession or tlie nallveinaiansTtt Ore
gon down to the present day.
The sjc1mens of shell coins or currency occur
in large quantities in every aboriginal mound.
HEALTH FOOD.
lu)UVKlPllpf rtoimsnos mi nagleot of-wieei makes
all the difference between a true wife and a con
temptlble doll. "
They are made from sheJIalnf-the unio, or -frenb
waterclarrrnTVlo the nugn sea concli. I lie pieces
m ost jrom m on are from sni a lL.spl ra I s 0 em i.J)u L
the most valuable was a species of dcntalium.-
Its price depended entirely upon Its length, forty "
to tlie outstretched arm, or three feet, being the .
standard of value. A string of three feet was for
merly worth, a. slave, and even now will bring five
dollars in money. Single shells were shown on
the Ijower Columbia for which the owner refused
a dollar apiece. This shell was the universal cur-
rency through an extensive district, v
Among the graves of the aborigines, the plow
share turns up human relics, bringing to light
large quantities of pearls, and at the same time A
disclosing" what were lheir. depositories. Tlie
pearls found are rarely perfect. las I time and
exposure to the damps of the earth-have rendered
them very fragile, and hence they are1 eahtily
peeled Into lamina sometimes, however, reaching L.
a kernel by this process which is sound and bril
liant.' I have a number in. my possession from '
which the lamlnie scaled off-UlLthey became per----fect.
Finding them, as we do, carefully deposited
in vases and mortars with the dead, In the vicinity .1
of The Dalles, we must conclude that they were
amonir the thinirs of value which were exchanged
or hoanled by the aborigines as circumstances or
choice d Icta tel. h?X-M etgmuM&r3tc:3.
xr uipn vy me liiuiaus. - . .
Specimens of stone money occur in quantities in
the mounds In the vicinity of The Dallea, Oregon
City,-and 'Sauvie's Island, especially the latter
locality, the delta of the Willamette River. Since
the constant navigation by all classes of steam
boats, the Island has been constantly' washing
away and caused an undue erosion of the banks
for many rods, thus laying bare one of the richest
localities of aboriginal specimens upon our coast.
They are composed of Jasper, quartz, agate, chal
cedony, and occasionally carnellsn.i The most
common specimens found are wrought from sand
stone and slate, iu mauy. Instances very highly
polished, attd sometimes figured over with hiero
glyphics and other designs. I have found in this
locality some very rare diminutive and highly
carved mortars and pestles, miniature scrapers,
chisels, hatchets, sinkers; and vast quantities of
darts of chalcedony, Jasper, and moss-agate, some
not a quarter of an Inch in. length, and for general
structure, accuracy of finish and polish, they will
defy the world to compete. "
The ff.y enorfwifr a foHii belonging to the family
rrinoUlca, is found in gfeat nunThers In the rocks
of the Silurian system upward, and occurs plenti
fully In many of the' aboriginal mounds. This
animal petrifaction is formed of long Jointed stems,
composed of calcareous divisions or plates closely
fitting each other. : A si ngle-r fossil of this seclea.
contains the enormous number of one hundred
and fifty thousand pieces. They are generally
found separate, and It is these divisions of the
stems which are denominated en frocMes -and
' . A health Journal says it is no economy to use In
ferior food. It Is a better saving of money, time and
health to give a high price for what we eat, if it be j
fresh and perfect, than to obtain it for less on ac
count of its beimr wilted or old or nartlallvdAoaviwI
- J - I - , ... - - I 1
Some people prefer their meatHender by keenine. "l"'. V" VrJl u!m
wuicit iueaua wiai uecuxupoBitioa IS XSaing place X
In plainer phrase, It Is rotting. Such meats re
quire less chewing and may appear very tender,
but It Is a physiological fact that they are not di
gested as easily or as quickly as solid fresh meat.
When a vegetable begins to wilt, it is no longer
tbat vegetable, because a change of particles has
taken place, and in such proportion It Is unnat
ural-It Is dead-and to eat It tends to deatluOuXlalattd I foand pec1merTirTf copperheads
of the most horrible forms of disease li caused by tlons of small ciper tubes. Rude brs
eating sausages which have been kept a long time;
more common In Germany than elsewhere.
Scarcely anyihing saddens us so much In pas!ng
through some of the by-streets and the more ob
scure avenues as the sight of the long-kept meats
and shriveled vegetables which are sold to the un
fortunate poor at the corner Dutch groceries. But
the poverty-stricken are .not the only sufferers ;
the richest men come In for their share for them
selves and for their families, in proportion aa the
luljesult of nature, theaborl cine had a coin or
currency properly fashioned and beautifully orna- r
men ted without the labor of design or workman
ship, and from the care with which it was pre
served he must have highly appreciated It. I
trocured a very rare and flue quantity at The
)slles. The India it name is tuck-aha.
Copper money Is also discovered In quantities In
similar localities, In common with the other apecl-
mens or value. At The Dalles and Sauvie's
and sec-
bracelet of
the same metal have been used as money. or cur- v
rency. Conner knives or cutlasses are not Infre
quently frnind.--- r -
The first notices of Indians of Oregon that we
have are by Vancouver, whose voyage was per-"'
formed In 1702, and others of a later date agree
with him that the universal money or currency
used by the Indians were the primltfvecolns men- .
tioned, which were worthless to the fur traders,
who In turn assumed the beaver as the unit In
values. When Oregon became still farther ad
vanced, wheat wa considered a leral tender. -
" .1 V , 7.? I'7'porwon, f" ine I have made this stutly a favorite for years, and
mjsjresses of their iplendid jnansions are 1 neom-4 have collected manrrare sttecTmeni. Thave here
lgi,ilsl..niJH . nr , money of QregoT--vn4-which ,
I be! eve to have been. Uied by the Indians as
such for measuring values and effecting ex
change.;. .- - r C. Roop.
"A,