Corvallis gazette., December 23, 1902, Image 1

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GAZETTE
RVA
SEMI-WEEKL.Y.
UWIOJf Kstab. July, 1897.
GAZETTE Estab. lec. 1862.
Consolidated Feb., 1899;
CORTALLIS, BEKTOK COUNTr, OBEGON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1902.
VOL. III. NO. 35.
CO
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CHAPTER XV.
Indian Telegraphy A Captive.
When the sun was a little less than
two hours high the smoke began to
curl from the rimrocks at the point
where the raiders' outlook had stood
at noon. The Warm Springs war
riors, headed by their chief and Dan
Follett, had .made a detour to the
south of the main trail and hoped to
avoid the band of warriors from the
southwest by hiding among the sand
dunes until they had passed. But
when they discovered the smoke ris
ing from the rimrocks they fearea
that they were discovered and that
the Snakes were already signaling
their whereabouts to the two ap
proaching bands. The war party from
the southeast, which had been joined
by Old Egan himself early in the
forenoon whose horse had escaped tne
vigilance of the raiders the previous
night, upon reaching the noon camp
of the Warm Springs party had sent
a scout to search the plains for the
escaping raiders. He had no sooner
reached the summit of the rimrocks
than the cloud of dust among the
sand dunes showed him that the raid
ers and their horses were there; and
the cloud of dust farther on to the
southwest gave him the further knowl
edge that the other band of Egan's
warriors had seen the early morning
signal fires and were coming to aid
In recapturing the stolen horses.
The lookout gathered several arms
full of sage brush from among the
rocks and started a fire, the Indian's
means of telegraphy, and soon signal
ed the two Piute bands of the whole
situation.
With a shout of exultation Egan's
braves hurried toward the common
center.
The only hope before the raiders
was to evade the Snakes until night
fall and then make their escape in
the darkness.
It was their intention, in case they
encountered the Piutes, to have 40
of the warriors under their chief and
Dan Follett engage the enemy while
ten of the raiders would attempt to
escape with the horses. But in case
of defeat the raiders were each to se
lect an extra horse, abandon the
others and make their way out of the
country as best they could. If night
should come upon them before the
arrival of the Piutes. then they had
great hopes of escaping. But they
were doomed to disappointment.
Shortly before sundown a band of
Piutes from the southwest was upon
them. The raiders took shelter be
hind the sand dunes and with this
advantage, heTd their enemy at bay
for some time. The men with the
horses proceeded at a rapid pace,
while the fight continued in their
rear and as the Piutes pressed the
raiders they backed from sand dune
to sand dune, disputing every inch of
the ground. While it was a warm and
determined engagement there was
but little fatality as the men of each
side sheltered themselves behind the
sand dunes. But this scene was
changed about the time of sunset.
The other band of Piutes arrived and
attacked the raiders from the other
side. Thus attacked from front and
rear the Warm Springs warriors were
compelled to retreat and as thev did
Bo a great yell arose from the Piutes
who gave them a warm chase. When
the raiders overtook the party in
charge of the stolen horses they hur
riedly took possession of an extra
horse each and abandoned the others,
hoping to escape in the darkness.
But the Piute.-? were not satisfied
with finding a portion of their hnrsps.
Flushed with victory a majority
rushed on while a few stopped to cor
ral the horses that had been aban
doned. Dan Follett was no less daring than
he was a villain. Seeing in the dusk
of night a small detachment of the
Piutes, he turned and drew his re
volvers and faced the.m, considering
that every moment's time should be
gained at this point that was possi
ble. He was a splendid marksman
and when the Indians had approached
within range of his revolvers he be
gan firing, and In his madness rushed
toward them. He repulsed and
routed them for a moment, but in his
zeal he made a fatal mistake.
Flushed with his gain of time he had
crowded them still further when, sud
denly, he discovered that a larger de
tachment of well mounted Piutes had
encircled him and cut him off from
the main band of his friends. He
turned and attempted to ride through
the Piute lines but discovered that
his revolvers were now empty and
tEere was no time for reloading. They
surrounded his instantly and took him
a prisoner, and when the dashing!
marauding chief, for it was Old Egan
himself who led the band, laid his
hand upon Follett. he excl.i'.tned:
"You make better Piute than
Warm Springs Indian. Warm Springs
Indian coward, run away and leave
you, Piute stay with you. and now you
stay with Piute." chuckled the old
chief as he ordered his men to bind
li nuntlva crwn rilir unit n-liarrl 1 1 1 ri
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closely.
The Piutes pursued the raiders for
some distance and took several more
horses and prisoners before th?y
abandoned the trail.
It was late in the night before the
camp was established, and the Piutes
were tired and hungry, but there was
one prisoner whose security was
Icoked after and his name was Dan ;
Follett.
CHAPTER XVI.
A Big Haul.
Bertha had spent .several days with
her father and provided for his every
wish. Hammersley had rearranged i
things generally about the place, giv- i
Ing his home a better appearance. Jul-!
lan Byrd. the cowboy, had also been
busy and besides providing game and ,
other essentials a good supply of i
wood had also been stored away for
the approaching winter. It was not j
known how long it would take Al. j
Beach to ferrit out the whereabouts
cf William Lyle, or his descendants
and it was decided to wait his re
turn before action and, in the mean
time, preserve a silence as to the safe
ty of Bertha and her father as well as
to keep secret all of the matters
agreed upon.
As the episode of Bertha's arrival
and the stirring events thereafter had
pj evented the trapper from looking
after his traps for a longer period
than usual, it was decided that he
should now make the rounds that he
had started upon in which he was
thwarted by discovering Old Egan
and his party with their captive. Pre
parations were completed one night
for the trip. Julian was to accom
pany the trapper, while Bertha ro
.Trained by her father and adminis
tered to his wants. She was admon
ished by the trapper to remain close
and at no time show herself should
anyone appear. He gave the place
the usual appearance of his absence,
after Bertha had taken her quarters
in the secret chamber, and he and
the cowboy left early in the morning
to visit the traps, expecting to be
gone several days.
The first day out was spent in tak
ing coyotes from the traps near at
hand. These cunning animals had
occasionally been caught by the bait
set for them, but yielded the least
percentage of revenue, according to
numbers, of the animals that fell vic
tims to the trapper's strategem. The
plains fairly swarmed with these ani
mals, yet the number of marten and
wild cat caught by the traps was al
most as large. The trapper paid es
pecial attention to the latter class of
animals, however, as their skins were
much prized in the market and
brought large prices.
When they had reached a point
among the most cavernous rimrocks
the traps showed greater success in
the finer fur catch as this was the
abode of the marten and wild cat.
After they reached the outskirts of
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She saw a siixht that dumbfounded her.
the last natural meadow, and were at
the edge of the great barren waste
that extended to the rocky gorges sur
rounding Stein's mountain, they came
upon the big traps. Here they found
evidences of big game also.
While passing along a deep gorge
the trapper's eyes brightened and he
exclaimed: "Grizzly, sure as you
live!" He then pointed to where he
had left a huge trap and then to the
trail left behind where the bear had
dragged it, and the heavy weight at
tached to it. im the orge. The tran
per immediately looked to his rifle
and followed the trail eagerly. It
brought back the old times the occu
pation which he had followed so long
alone and the exciting events in a
trapper's life.
"Fe on the lookout!" cautioned ths
trapper to his companion, '"he may
show fight when we come upon him.
and it will not do to get too close to
him."
On Vey followed the trail losing it
occasionally among the rocks but as
soon as soil and sage brush were
found they found the evidences again.
They had entered a sub-canyon and
were passing through a point at
which a late spring seep from the
mountain side had moistened the
ground and produced a high growth
of sage brush along the banks of the
channel of the gulch and the trapper
again preserved unusual precaution.
As they were elbowing their way
throurh the tall srfe brush that over
lapped the channel, the trapper carry
ing his rifle ready for action, there
was a swish, an unearthly cry, and
a mountain lion sprang up in the
sage brush to the left and tried to
leap upon the two men. But Ham
mersley fired instantly and the
charge entered the animals heart.
They approached the dead animal
cautiously and found why it had
reared up so straight in the air and
had been unable to leap. One of
Hammersley's great traps had cut its
saw-teeth deep into the animal's left
hind leg and held it fast.
The animal had been caught sev
eral days previously, and had dragged
the trap to this point where it be
came entangled and could get no
farther. They lost no time here, how
ever. This was a big haul, but the
trapper was more desirous of over
taking the grizzly.
But thev were not kept long in sus
pense. They came to a narrow point
in the canyon where the big animal
had attempted to force the heavy
weight that was attached to the trap
between two huge boulders and had
pul.ed upon it so strongly that It i
had become fastened and the animal
could go no farther. With a surly
growl he warned them of their danger
before they even saw him. As he
tore against the chain attached to
the trap for his freedom, however,
they saw the side of his huge body
beyond the boulder.
Hammersley watched the great an
imal for a few .moments and then ap
proaching the boulders cautiously, he
placed his rifle on the boulder and
fired a ball Into the animal's brain,
killing him instantly.
Grizzlys, even in those days, were
rare catches and the trapper informed
Byrd that he was now satisfied with
fit
the trip and they proceed to skin the
animal and prepare for the return.
It was necessary to spend the night
here, which they did, but before
it was late they had the skin
of the mountain lion also beside
the grizzly's, and early the following
morning started home, gathering up
the hides of marten, wildcat and
coyotes as they proceeded; and it
is needless to say that when they ar
rived home they were loaded down,
in fact, the horse which had been left
hobbled on the way was pressed into
service and was also loaded with j.11
that could be conveniently packed up
on him.
Bertha was greatly surprised and
interested in the skins of the great
wild animals, but she had news for
them that she deemed of more im
portance to their future and the pro
jects they had in view.
While they were absent some one
had entered the fiont apartments of
the place and had spent the night.
Woman's curiosity led Bertha to
break the admonition given her by
the trapper. She had done so with
out exposing herself or the secret
chamber, however, and this mitigate!
her crime. But the discovery that
she made, she thought might be of
importance to her friends.
Upon looking through an aperture
into- the front room she had seen a
sight that dumfounded her. The
face was first like a dream to her. It
seemed darker and wore a more for
lorn look than when she had last seen
it. The man was barefooted and bare
headed and he had no coat. His feet
were a mass of wounds, freshly made,
and she knew that ha must have trav
eled .many miles over the sharp rocks
and through the sage brush, for his
pants legs at the bottom were worn
into shreds.
Again and again she watched him
as he prepared and ate his meal. She
knew that she had seen him before,
but where? But when he prepared to
leave in the morning she recognized
him. He placed a pair Of the trapper's
old moccasins on his feet, after he
had wrapped them well, placed a bun
dle of food in a bag and then took an
old hat he found hanging on the wall,
when he placed the hat on his head, the
broad brim shaded the face and cut
the profile down, making it recogniz
able. It was Dan. Follett!
(To be Continued.)
AN ARTISTIC ROMANCE.
Discovery of Pasran Bas-Rel'ef in Com
vent Where Nana Had Masked It.
A Paris convent would appear the
most unlikely of places to shelter a
masterpiece by Clodiun, but a most im
portant work by the 18th century sculp
tor, whose inspiration was so pronounc
edly pagan, has been brought to light
in a convent in the Latin quarter. Its
history is rather curious. The building
in which the Clodion has remained un
appreciated and in which indeed its
presence has been resented for over a
century, was not originally intended to
serve as a convent. It was constructed
by Brougniart for Princess Louise of
Oonde and gallantly decorated by sun
dry of the first artists of the day, Clo
dion included, who executed a has re
lief of very considerable dimensions
representing a number of fawns,
nymphs and Cupids at play. It fell
out that destiny was unkind to Mile. Ue
Conde. She lost her heart to M. de la
Gervaisais, who was several years her
junior, and of no birth to espouse a
lady of her rank. They exchanged some
very pretty love letters, which were
published not long ago by M. Paul
Viollet, but the opposition to their mar
riage being insurmountable, the prin
cess renounced the world, took the
vows, and became the Mother Superior
of a community of Benedictine nuns
who took up their quarters in the new
ly erected palace. The Clodion was en
tombed. The expression is literally ac
curate, for at a period which is not
known with precision the master's
work, condemned as a source of of
fense to pious eyes, was hidden from
view by a plaster wall specially erected
to mask it. Iconoclasm has often been
drastic in Its methods, so the nuns may
be pardoned. Still, but for au acci
dent the very existence of the Clodion !
might long bfcve remained unsuspected.
During the bombardment of Paris by
the Germans the convent was struck
by a shell, which brought down the
plaster wall and showed the has re
lief, happily without damaging it. The
work has since been allowed to see the
light of day, with the result that that '
most indefatigable of searchers. M. Le- ,
notre, the author of "Vielles Maisons
Vieux Paplers," got wind of its exist- j
ence, and called the attention of the '
Society of Lovers of Old Paris to his
find. AH risk of the Clodion coming to '
harm is now at an end, but what will (
be its ultimate fate Is uncertain, as, j
though the City of Paris is auxious to
acquire possession of it, the price de- j
manded $40,000 is a difficulty. Pall
Mall Gazette.
The Mourning Evil. -The
use of crepe for mourning veils
Is becoming less every day. and in
summer the crinkly fabric is scarcely ,
seen. Many physicians protest against
women wearing crepe veils at any sea- j
son of the year, and the nun's veiling,
grenadine, and similar materials have ;
to a large extent, replaced the crepe :
drapery that formerly was a distinctive '
badge of bereavement. I
For widows or other women wearing
crepe mourning It is the fancy at pres-,
ent to wear a short veil of fine grena-1
dine or gauze, falling in graceful folds
at the back and draped on a bonnet
frame of light weight, edged with a
narrow band of crepe. A bow of crepe
adorns the front of the bonnet.
How much should one talk in order
to be interesting, and yet do no dam- I
age? It is a pity such things cannot i
be measured in pints and quarts, so j
that every one could know when he
has had his share.
When a cross baby cries to go to its
mother, its father is perfectly willing
for once that it should have just what
It want.
O Christmas, Merry Christmas,
Is with us once again,
With memories and greetings,
With joy, and with its pain,
A minor in the carol, . .
A shadow in the light,
A spray of cypress twining
With the holly wreath to-night.
And the hush is never broken
By the laughter light and low.
As we listen in the starlight
To the bells across the snow.
O, Christmas, Merry Christmas,
'Tis not so very long
Since other voices blended
With the carol and the song!
Could we but hear them hinging
As they are singing now.
Could we but see the radiance
Of the crown on each dear brow,
There were no sigh to smother.
No hidden tear to flow.
An we listen in the starlight
To the bells across the snow.
O, Christmas, Merry Christmas,
This never more can be,
We cannot bring again the days
Of our unshadowed glee,
But Christmas, Happy Christmas,
Sweet herald of good will,
With holy songs of glory
Brings holy gladness still.
For peace and hope may -brighten
And patient love may glow.
As we listen in the starlight
To the bells across the snow.
Frances R. Havergal.
jl NELLIE'S PRESENTS. &
F. BY PAUL INQELOW. 9
NELLIE and Lucy Sherman were
cousins, and attended the same
boarding school. -Their parents
had been abroad for a year. As
Christmas approached they re
ceived letters from their mothers, and
were told they might arrange vacation
week as they liked they could go to
Warrenville and stay with Uncle and
Aunt Dallas, or they could go to Mil
ton and put in the time with Uncle and
Aunt Winston. Nellie was silent and
thoughtful over the probtfjaa. -J Lucy vas
oil excitement and impetuosity?---- --- -
"That's easy," she proclaimed. "We'll
go to Warrenville, of course." -
Nellie said nothing, and the , voluble
little miss rattled on.
"Shut up with prosy old Uncle Win
ston a whole week, and hum-drum Aunt
Jane, and sick and ailing Eliza! Why,
Nellie, Martin Dallas wrote me they had
a new automobile, and were getting 'just
swell'! Warrenville is so lively, and they
have a big house, and servants. We'll
go straight to our room and write them
we're coming."
"I want to think a bit about it first,'
demurred Nellie.
"As if there was a choice! Oh, surely,
Nellie, you are not thinking of spoiling
a nice holiday by going to those old-fashioned,
humdrum Winstons? Why, they
live like hermits. And they're poor they
must be, to make no show, and you'll get
no presents they aren't that kind."
"I'm not exactly thinking of presents,"
announced Nellie.
"What's Christmas for? What are
you thinking of, then?"
"Why, I'll tell you, Lucy; mother has
often told me how good Aunt Amanda
was to her when she was sick once, and
if we both chose Uncle Dallas, they might
feel hurt. Besides, poor Eliza is a help
less invalid so lonely, so little of glad
ness, or change in her life. I've quite
made up my mind."
"You will go to Milton?"
"Yes, Lucy." .
"You big gump!" cried her cousin, j
and flounced out of the room in high
dudgeon.
Milton, and Warrenville were only ten
miles apart. Two days before Christ
mas Nellie and Lncy boarded the cars.
The showy Dallas rig awaited Lucy,
and Nellie experienced a slight pang as
she glanced down the bright business
street and thought of the fine Dallas
mansion. She could not help but com
pare the dull little hamlet of Milton
and the humble Winston homestead. She
found but little change in the Winstons.
A rough bob met her at the depot and
blunt old Hiram Winston looked as home
ly as ever, but he tucked in real warmth
about her with the immense buffalo
robes. When she got to the house Aunt
Amanda greeted her with her usual prim
ness, ' and her invalid sister, Eliza, only
looked paler and thinner than ever.
There was no mistaking it the place
was dreary, and the set ways of its in
mates were chilling to youthful spirits.
Nellie cried a little as she pictured Lucy
in the gay gas-lit parlor of the sumptu
ous Dallas home. Then she bravely re
solved to see if she could not brighten
her surroundings, instead of inflicting ad
ditional moodiness. With earliest day
light she was down in the kitchen helping
Aunt Amanda. She arranged a dainty
ti ay for poor, invalid Eliza. She made
them all smile, telling humorous stories
about school; she fed the chickens and
bustled about, jolly, useful, happy, and
had the satisfaction of hearing her aunt
tell Eliza, "that child is a regular sun
beam." She read to Eliza, 'she sang for them
that evening, and, as her uncle expressed
it. "made the old cottage organ just
hum." In fact, it was a successful day,
and the next one was just like it, and
Nellie could see that every hour she was
winning more and more love.
There were not many preparations for
Christmas. Eliza was working on a
curious frame of stamped leather, and
Aunt Amanda was making a silk affair,
which she said mysteriously "might" be a
pincushion. Uncle Hiram went down
town Christmas eve, but to Nellie's disap
pointment brought back no Christmas
tree, no inviting parcels, nothing of the
suggestiveness of Yule-tide.
Nellie's heart rose, however, as she
kissed them all good night,
"Hang up your stocking, dear," sug
gested Aunt Amanda.
"And get np in time ha! ha!" laughed
Uncle Hiram, with puzzling heartiness.
"Hope you have a good time ho! ho!
We'll keep time to some good old tunes to
morrow ha! ha!" ;
He strangely emphasized "time," and
Aunt Amanda frowned at him as if he
were betraying some cherished secret.
"
A singular thing happened the next
morning. Christmas morning it was, of
course. Nellie was amazed when she
woke np. The old clock down stairs was
striking eight! And she had calculated
on getting np at six! The house was very
still. She glanced at the bedpost where,
she had hung her stocking. Something"
was in its toe. Eagerly she investigated,
to bring forth the "pincushion" Aunt
Amanda had so patiently made. Before
she could inspect it she saw resting on
the bureau a portrait, surrounded by
Eliza's leather frame.
It was a picture of her mother when a
girl. Often Aunt Amanda had showed
it to her treasured fondly by the sister.
Nellie shed tears of tender gratefulness.
Nothing could have pleased her more.
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and the pretty frame enhanced the gift.
She dressed hurriedly, and ran down
the stairs, to meet Eliza with a gladsome
Christmas greeting, and to learn that
early in the morning a sick neighbor had
6ent for Mr. and Mrs. Winston. Before
breakfast there was an interruption. It
was Lucy. The Dallas driver was sent
some miles up country after some young
people, and Lucy had arranged to be
dropped here, the vehicle to call for her
on its, return.
She was bubbling over with holiday
small talk. She exhibited a lace collar
Aunt Dallas had given her, "all the
style," and a ring her elder cousin, Kate,
had presented her.
"What did you get, Nellie?" she curi
ously asked "nothing, I suppose!"
"Oh, yes something beautiful," an
swered Nellie. "Come up to my room
and see."
"Humph only that!" 6hrugged Lucy,
as she inspected the portrait. "I told you
they were mean, and poor!"
"Why, Lucy," said Nellie, "I prize
poor Eliza's gift dearly."
"Well, I wouldn't! I like jewelry
gifts, and that," and Lucy twirled the
cheap ring on her finger. "What's this?"
and she pounced on Nellie's other pres
ent. "Only a pincushion."
"Only a "
With a scream of wonder and delight,
and then with an envious frown, Lucy
chanced to undo "the pincushion."
Inside, nestled the most exquisite little
gem of a watch she had ever seen.
The happy tears rushed to gentle Nel
lie's eyes. Her heart was full to over
flowing. And just then, from below
sounded the hearty, chnckling tones of
Uncle Hiram, returned:
"Where's our little sunbeam? It's time
to find out how she's enjoying her Merry
Christmas !"
Grateful Nellie was flown the stairs in
two jumps, her arms clasped about the
dear old fellow's neck, as she sobbed joy
ously into his ear:
"Oh! dear, dear Uncle Hiram! I'm the
happiest girl in all the world, this Merry,
Merry Christmas!"
Packages by Mall.
In sending Christmas packages by mail
do not write "photo," "printed matter,"
"calendar, or any other descriptive
phrase on such packages, for all phrases
make the package first class mail, and
letter postage must be paid thereon. Hol
iday packages should have no writing
whatever on the wrappers except that
which strictly pertains to the return card
and address. It will be well to recollect
this warning if yon do not desire to make
your friends pay extra postage on the
packages that yon may send them by
mail.
COMING OF THE NEW YEAR.
We Should Enter It with Courage,
Hope and Resolution.
The homely maxim about not crying
over spilt milk contains one of the best
suggestions as tfi the proper spirit with
which we may enter the New Year. We
cannot change the past, but we can bend
all our energies toward making the fu
ture better than the past. The frame
of repining and discouragement is fatal
to good achievement, but the temper of
courage, hope and resolution almost guar
antees it. We are all of us tempted to
a dismal mood when we reflect how differ
ent things would have been with us if
we had not made this or that mistake,
or met this or that misfortune. It seems
as if only a narrow margin prevented our
being to-day in much happier conditions.
But there always is an illusion about
such reasonings. The error we made was
probably the outcome of a natural tem-
TO SPEND CHRISTMAS AT GRANDMA'S.
per or of a long course of habitual ac
tion. We could not have done otherwise
without being different in personality and
character. The affliction that came to us
did not rise out of the dnst; it was a
part of the providential ordering of life.
Except as to deliberate sin, our regrets
about the past have little foundation in
reason. Many things must have been
different to have their outcome other than
it is. We have less to reproach ourselves
with than we often think for. The main
thing is not to quarrel with our condi
tions, but to keep our purposes high and
pure. Watchman.
Christmas in the Nursery.
A Month of Celebration.
Perhaps no nation or religion enjoys
New Year's day more than the Chinese.
They celebrate their feast in the early
part of February, and the festivities last
a month. "Beating of drums and firing tf
Crackers, with decoration of bunting and
flags, usher in this day, when the people
visit their joss houses, worship their
gods, and with oriental ceremony shake
hands with "A Happy New Year." In
preparation for this event a Chinaman
tries to square his accounts with all the
world, and a Chinaman who owes debts
at the beginning of the New Year for
feits his right to he called a gentleman.
FAREWELL TO THE OLD YEAR.
AREWELL, Old
lear, tarewen 10
yon;
You've been f of
many a day
A friend most trlea.
a friend most
true
And as we bid you
our adieu.
We give our heart
felt thanks to
you,
And speed you on
your way.
We've had full many
a merry time
Since first we met.
-IKi - - 1 ' "
And rung for us the Christmas chime,
And many a joy at Christmas time.
Tou brought with hearty cheer.
Ton crowned the woodland banks with
bloom
Of roses red and sweet
Tou gave the violets their perfume.
Ripened the cornfield's tasseled plume.
And filled the mill-wheel's running flume,
To grind the golden wheat.
Tou brought the yellow daffodil
To blossom in the spring
Strewed cuckoo-flowers on every hill,
And cat-tails by the rippling rill
And taught the lonely whip-poor-will
His vesper song to sing.
Ton turned the ivy's green to red.
The maple leaves to gold
Purpled the clusters overhead.
And showers of ripened nuts yon shed.
When fallen leaves lay thickly spread
unmm,. .lmniuiu. i.iiilllllllll '
lhi..w.llll"M Tint IIIU,HH"' '
Above the forest mold.
And If you gathered some fair flowers
That blossomed on your way.
You bore them to a fairer clime.
Where neither cold, nor care, nor Time
Could blight them in their golden prime,
Or touch them with decay.
And ah! you brought, Old Year! Old Year!
One tiny baby flower
To nestle on Its mother's breast,
And close Its blue eyes into rest.
When song-birds seek their crade-nest
At twilight's shadowy hour.
And now, Old Year, farewell to you!
We grieve to lose you so
You've been a friend both tried and true',
And as we bid you our adieu,
We give our heartfelt thanks to you,
And sigh that you must go.
Helen Whitney Clark.
How Mistletoe Comes to Be.
The story of how the mistletoe gets on
the trees is a most interesting one. Cov
ering the mistletoe twigs are pearly white
berries. These come in the winter sea
son, when food is comparatively scarce,
and hence some of our birds eat them
freely. Now, when a robin eats a cherry
he swallows simply the meat and flips
the stone away. The seed of the mistle
toe the bird cannot flip. It is sticky and
holds to his bill. His only resource is
to wipe it off, and he does so, leaving
it sticking to the branches of the tree on
which he is sitting at the time. This feted
sprouts after a time, and not finding earth
which indeed its ancestral habit has
made it cease wanting it sinks its roots
into the bark of the tree and hunts there
for the pipes that carry the sap. Now
the sap in the bark is the very richest
in the tree, far richer than in the wood,
and the mistletoe gets from its host the
choicest of food. With a strange fore
sight it does not throw its leaves away,
as do most parasites, but keeps them to
use in winter, when the tree is leafless.
Ladies' Home Journal.
An Afterthought.
"John," asked Mrs. Torkins, tearfully,
"do you remember the present Mrs. Page
gave me last Christmas?"
"Yes," replied her husband; "what jf
it?"
"I am almost sure I have sent it to her
this year." Brooklyn Life.