The Athena press., July 23, 1909, Image 2

XiOffaxara fob. the vhxaqz.
I to tired of tl city
With it stress acd strife and nolie,
And am longing for the village
With lta almple homely Joys.
Where each face la so familiar
When I pass them on the way
As each treads his routine pathway
At a certain time each day.
i
There the chicken' take possession
Of the sidewalk and the street,
And the air of sweet contentment
Broods o'er everything you meet.
And no strangers crowd the sidewalks
Every hour by night and day.
I know them all when strolling
Almost half a mile away.
There no street cars nor steam whistles
Sound alarms by night and noon,
But at eve the lonely watchdog
Starts bis baying at the moon.
The secluded little village,
Toward Its peaceful scenes I'll stray,
Tia a green spot to Inhabit
When I chance to feel that way.
Lu Brandon's J
Conspiracy. I
"How can yon tolerate It, LuT ex
Claimed Mrs. Gorman. "If he la my
brother, I say it Is a shame!" Then,
allowing her listener no time to re
ply, the energetic little lady rattled
on i "I suppose you and Clarence must
hare an understanding, or you would
have discouraged him long ago. Here
has Sidney Lawrence been waiting and
serving for you no less patiently
than Jacob for Rachel, these seven
years and more, and yet my recreant
brother Is the favored one. Unless you
take him In band soon your HMes anfl
roses will wither, and even faithful
Sidney will come to worship at a
younger, fairer shrine. Everyone sup
poses that you and Clarence are en
gaged, and yet he has never in so
many words made you an offer of mar
riage. Now, while we know that he
considers you his betrothed, he does
not seem to realize the embarrassing
position in which this tedious court
ship places you, and should therefore
be brought to a knowledge of It or pun
ished for his delinquency."
During the earlier portion of her
friend's remarks a smile hovered
around Lulu Brandon's lips, and she
continued her task of cutting the leaves
of the last new magazine; but as the
final sentence was pronounced her face
flushed deeeply.
"My private affairs need not concern
the public, Belle," she replied, with
rignlty. "But I agree with you that
I have been too patient. I acknowl
edge myself to be considerably at fuult,
for I proved an easy conquest, and
Clarence may have grown lukewarm In
his affection, feeling so secure of mine.
Of coureo a word or two from me and
I might become a wife within the next
twenty-four hours, but all such words
must come from my lord himself."
Her bright displeasure gone, with a
merry laugh she arose and linked her
arm In that of her friend, and leading
her to a cozy settee in one corner of
the piazza, proceeded to formulate
plana by which she could bring her
lover to terms without his knowledge
of her conspiracy.
That evening, at tea, Mr. Clarence
Curtis suddenly Inquired:
"Been over to the Brandon's to-day,
Belle?"
"Yes, and, by the way, Clarence, Lu
requested me to tell you not to call this
evening, as she will be engaged."
"All right, sis; I'll go around to the
theater with Roberts."
There was a significant twinkle In
her eyes as Mrs. Gorman rejoined :
"I hope you'll enjoy the play. The
Kendals are drawing large houses."
Two hours lator Mr. Clarence Curtis
was leisurely scanning the crowded
theater, bowing to those he recognized,
when, Just previous to tho rising of the
curtain, his friend Roberts exclaimed:
"Why, as I live, there's Sid Law
rence! Who knew he had returned? I
wonder who the lady is! Can It be
possible? It's Miss Brandon 1 I never
supposed she would accept any other
eecort save yourself. What Is It, Cur
tis, a lover's quarrel?"
"Not to my knowledge. Then ho
added, somewhat Impatiently, "I am
no ogre. Lu has a right to go where
and with whom sho pleases."
In spite of the Indifferent manner
and careless tone, Roberts noted that
his theater-loving friend took far leas
Interest In the play than In the couple
who occupied one of the boxes nearly
opposite from where they were seated.
Lu had surely never looked so ex
quisitely dainty and beautiful as to
night Shu seemed the embodiment of
health, all aglow with happiness. Yet
the lovely face and graceful figure ir
ritated him by the very beauty of
which he had always been proud. This
radiant piece of flesh and blood did not
seem so exactly his property as for
merly. Was It because Sidney Law
renae was so attentive? They had been
children together, Sid and Lu, and he
knew she had always regarded the stu
dious, dignified boy and man as an
elder brother, while she gave the 1ot
of her young heart to his comrade and
chum. How well he recalled the days,
years ago, when Sid had told him with
sad eyes and tremulous voice that Lulu
had rejected hlru! He comforted him
as best he could, selfishly exulting In
the thought that he jiossessed her love
umuked, unsought. Strange that his
possession never seemed quite so val
uable as to-night! lie wondered what
Sidney was saying to make her smile
and blush so deeply. Well, the act
would soon "be over, and then he and
Roberts would go and see them, and
so give the public to understand that
matters were as usual between him
and Miss Brandon.
With this thought he resolutely
turned his attention to the stage, and
perseveringly held It there until the
curtain fell. Then, turning to Roberts,
he proposed that they should go over
to the opposite box.
As they entered It Sidney greeted
them in his usual sincere and hearty
manner, while Lulu, with a smile, gave
her hand first to Clarence and then to
Roberts, at the same time motioning
her lover to a seat by her side. As
Roberts for a few minutes engaged Sid
ney In conversation, Curtis managed
to ask Miss Brandon why she had not
informed him of her desire to come to
the theater. She frankly replied that
she had felt no special wish to do so
until Sidney unexpectedly called and
asked her to accompany him. This she
told him with a manner so devoid of
coquetry that he felt reassured, and
left her with a complacent feeling that
he was quite sure of her affection. .
He called to see her the next even
ing as usual, and nothing was said of
tho recent Incident. Clarence's brief
Jealousy was forgotten, and he calmly
acceptrnl the old condition of things.
Why should he be In haste to marry
even the most charming girl In the
world?
Ho hesitated to give up the freedom
and luxury of bachelorhood for the re
straints which marriage must lnevlta
bly bring. Lulu was such a delightful
companion and sweetheart! Would she
be equally charming as a wife? Wheth
er or not she wished to marry, he
never conjectured. He had always
lived for his own comfort, and self was
his first consideration. So when he
left her that evening the words were
still unspoken which would bind her
to him. and he was yet a free man.
A fortnight passed as usual, with
no change In the relations of the two.
Lulu was a proud girl, and Mrs. Gor
man's look of Inquiry every time they
now met was hard to bear. Matters
reached a climax on the day when
Belle Incautiously said:
"I have been scolding Clarence about
TEAKS HAVE PASSED SINCE THEN.
you, Lulu. I tell him he will rue his
Indifference when It Is too late."
"Indeed!" Lulu's laugh was rather
forced. "And what did my lord say?"
"Oh, that he was sure of you, or
something of the sort He Is abom
inably conceited, though he is my
brother."
"Are not not all men so?" asked Lu
lu, lightly; but her eyes were like
sparks.
When, at 8 o'clock next evening,
Clarence called to see Miss Brandon,
the maid Informed him that she had
Just "went out with Mr. Lawrence."
Again the green-eyed demon seized the
tardy wooer, and this time It wonder
fully quickened his latent love. He re
solved to ask the important question at
once. Early the next morning he went
to the home of his sweetheart, only
to und that she had gone out for the
day. Clarence was seriously disturbed.
He felt that something was wrong. If
he could only see Lulu for a few min
utes, matters would be settled to his
satisfaction, he assured himself. But
alas! that little word "if has often
proved a barrier stronger than prison
walls or iron bands.
He was baffled In every attempt to
see Miss Brandon alone, until he was
forced to admit that she purposely
sought to evade a meeting with him.
This only made him more eager and
determined to bring one about, but
more than two months elapsed before
he succeeded In securing the long and
much desired Interview. At last he
wrote her a note, requesting some
what Imperatively to be allowed to see
her privately. The reply was brief,
simply stating that she would receive
him that evening at S o'clock.
Fromptly at the time designated
Clarence entered the familiar parlor
and was greeted cordially by Lu, who
yet evaded the accustomed lover-like
caress.
M 'Great minds run In the same chan
nel, Clarence, At the moment I re
ceived your note I was writing you an
luTttatlon to call."
This little speech quickly dissipated
the suspicion which had arisen In his
muid at his reception, and he resolved
to state the object of his call without
delay.
"Dear Lulu," he said, taking her
hand In his, "I have come this even
ing to ask you to name an early date
for our marriage. I want my wife as
soon as possible."
She allowed htm to retain her hand,
but the crimson deepened upon the fair
cheeks a she replied:
"Clarence, I have something to say
which may give you pain. During the
last few years I have been dimly con
scious that we are not exactly suited
to each other, although a month ago I
should have indignantly refuted such
an implication from anyone else. 1
am now fully convimvd that if united
we should not be happy. More than
this," here she spokn very softly und
tenderly, "I have been mistaken lu
the object of my affection, and I now
know that I have never truly lovel
anyone but Sidney Lawrence."
Speechless and pale, Clarenca'J eyes
sought hers beseechingly. At last he
realized the magnitude of his !ove for
the woman his selfishness bad put 'ic
ever from his life. But he read no hope
In her face, and In silence he rose and
left her. ' ' -
Years have passed since then. Clar
ence Curtis has never married, and the
gossips say the handsome bachelor
silently worships the wife of Sidney
Lawrence. Waverley Magazine.
A GREEN OLD AGE.
Enjoyed by a Very Old Tree by tn
Mississippi. .
The most ancient living thing on
earth Is a tree. Exactly where that
tree stands Is a mooted question, for
many localities lay claim to It, but
there have been scientists curious
enough to Investigate the various
claims, and we can probably arrive at
a pretty exact result by a few com
parlsors.
Recently somebody has put forth the
claim of the so-called "Old Green Tree
of the Mississippi Valley," which
stands near the river In Le Claire, la
Its trunk Is more than 100 feet In clr
cumference and Its branches shade a
circle of more than 300 feet. It was
an ancient tree when the first white
man stood under Its branches, and
has a place In the traditions of the
Indian tribes of the Mississippi Val
ley dating back long, long before the
first white face was seen on the shores
of the Western world.
There are certain yews In England
that were 6talwart trees when Cajsar
landed on her shores. More than a
century ago a scientist named Deean
role proved to the satisfaction of bot
anists that a certain yew standing in
the churchyard of Fortlngal, Perth
shire, was more than 2,500 years old,
and he found another at Hedoor, In
Buclas, which was 8,240 years old at
that time.
Humboldt refers to a gigantic boa
bab tree lu Central Africa as the oldest
organic monument In the world. This
tree had a( trunk twenty-nine feet In
diameter, and Adanson, by a series of
careful measurements, demonstrated
conclusively that It had lived for not
less than 5,150 years and It lives to
day. But even Humboldt was wrong
In his premise. It has recently been
proved that there Is a tree in the New
World which, of a verity, has lived to
"a green old age," for It antedates the
scriptural flood about 2,000 years.
There Is a cypress tree standing In
the Province of Chepultepec, Mexico,
with a trunk 118 feet 10 Inches In cir
cumference. This has been shown to
be (as conclusively as these things can
be shown), about 0,200 years of age.
Nor is this so remarkable when one
stops to think that, given favorable
conditions for Its growth and suste
nance, the average tree will neyer die
of old age. Its death Is merely an ac
cident. Other younger and more vigor
ous trees may spring up near it and rob
Its roots of their proper nourishment;
Insects may kill It ; floods or winds may
sweep It away, or the woodman's ax
may fell It If no such accident hap
pens to It a tree moy flourish and grow
for century upon century and age upon
age. New York Times.
FASTEST WAR, VESSEL AFL0A1.
Hu Made Thirty-eight Knots an
Hoar Inder Pressure.
A series of trials on the River Clyde
proves that the Swift, the latest addi
tion to the British navy, is the fast
est warship afloat, the New York Even
ing Post says. She is the largest ves
sel of the type ever constructed, dis
placing 1,800 tons of water, or twice
as much as any destroyer built hither
to. She Is of extraordinary length
845 feet has a beam of 34 1-0 feet,
ond draws only 10 feet of water.
Her armament consists of four four
Inch guns of a new type, and she
burns oil fuel In conjunction with Nor
mand boilers. The Parsons turbines
have, of course, been fitted. She was
designed to steam at thirty-six knots,
aud, after Bhe had been fitted with new
wing propellers, reached this very re
markable rate of steaming, while, un
der pressure, she made two runs with
two more knots to her credit, equiva
lent to forty-three land miles an hour.
This remarkable vessel was built by
Commell, Laird & Co., at Birkenhead.
She has cost considerably over a quar
ter of a million sterling to be exact,
2304592 and she Is Intended for duty
la the North sea aa a destroyer of de
stroyers. The Mauretanla travels quick
ly, but the Swift could easily steam
around her In circles, even when going
at her best speed.
Another Theory.
"I have seen illuminations on Mars
which I am sure were efforts to com
municate with us," said the imagina
tive scientist
"Nonsense," answered the practical
person ; "what you saw was probably a
national celebration with street Illu
minations and fireworks." Washing
ton Star. -
The worst kind of a dead beat is a
ma who tries to swindle the esUU
of a deceased friend.
GARDEN OF THE GODS
Colorado Wonderland, Where
Nature Displays Her Most
Fantastic Moods.
1
One of the world's greatest natural
wonders, the famous Garden of the
Gods In Colorado, has been presented
by C. B. Perkins, who has been Its own
er for a quarter of a century, to Col
orado Springs to become a part of the
city's 3,000-acre park system. It Is a
notable acquisition, and the people of
Colorado Springs are to be congratu
lated in thus securing a feature that
has called forth the admiration of tour
ists from all over the world, who have
Invariably grown enthusiastic In their
praises when beholding the scenic beau-
K&,-',wti,,.
THE SIAMESE TWINS.
ties and quaint conceits of form with
which nature has so lavishly adorned
this Colorado museum.
The garden comprises an area of 940
acres. The titanic forces of nature con
spired to make It one of the ruggedest
yet most beautiful spots on earth. It
has attracted tourists by hundreds of
thousands from all parts of the world,
rivaling in this respect the Yellowstone
National Park itself, and its fame has
done much to build up that region as
the playground of the republic.
The Garden of the Gods is remark
able for the strange forms which the
red and white sandstone rocks here as-
borne faintly to him on the breeze.
Near to the Cathedral Spires Is Eagle
Rock. The rock itself has no resem
blance to the bird after which It Is
named, but If you look at the very sum
mit you will see a formation which Is
an exact duplicate of an eagle. This is
one of the most remarkable sights In
the whole section. ..The stone bird
perches himself at the very top of the
rock and there he sits as he has set
for ages, looking out over the other
wonderful things that were created at
the same time he was. The Flying
Dutchman Is a grotesque pile of stones
nearly 400 feet high which bear a de
cided resemblance to the Dutchman of
the stage with his funny cap on his
head. The Siamese Twins are so named
because they are close together, each
being practically a duplicate of the
other.
Balance rock Is a stone nearly 300
feet In height which stands on Its point
almost like an egg. It Is so perfectly
balanced on another stone that it some
times sways In a heavy gale, but appar
ently there Is no power on earth that
can bring It to the ground. How many
thousands of years It has stood there
connot be told; neither can any one
know how It was made to assume its
peculiar position.
It is the opinion of geologists that
the masses of rocks, In their strangely
garish colors, the sedimentary strata
that once lay horizontally upon the
mountain's breast, but that some gigan
tic convulsion of nature threw them
Into their present perpendicular atti
tude, with their roots, as It were, ex
tending hundreds of feet underground.
The erosion by water, when the region
was part of the Gulf of Mexico, is be
lieved to account for the quaint and
astonishing shapes of the various for
mations, though since that remote pe
riod there has been such a change of
levels that the celebrated Garden is now
nearly 6.000 feet above the sea.
On the first rock as one enters tho
massive portals is to be seen the perfect
outline of a stag's head, with antlers
laid back and nose high, as If startled
by the baying of the hounds. A few
yards further on Is a huge stone of 200
tons' weight perched like a spinning top
upon the shoulder of another. It .Is so
nicely balanced that every passing
breeze seems to threaten its stability,
and yet it has stood like that for cen
turies. Still further on one sees a duck,
P& w , ; V -N
V. SsX' ,;;r;"jV ! '1 "?hW
.itUw 1
GATEWAY TO THE GARDEN OF THE GODS.
suine. Besides grotesque shapes, to
which various names have been given,
there are spires, minarets, cones and
cathedral towers, and masses of a stal
actite form.
Transcontinental tourists always In
clude the Garden of the Gods in their
Itinerary and It is safe to say that sev
eral millions of visitors have been at
tracted to the spot since the railroads
made it easy of reach. Colorado, orig
inally famous for Pike's Peak, has gath
ered more fame from the Garden of the
Gods than -any other single feature.
The State has profited In large meosure
from the possession of the place, and
Colorado Springs would not to-day be
the city It Is were it not near this spot.
At the entrance of the Garden of the
Gods one begins to see marvelous things
Indeed, before entering. The so-called
Gateway is an imposing formation, be
ing two great masses of red and white
sandstone rocks rising 900 feet with a
narrow passageway between. From a
distance, the Gateway is not particular
ly Imposing but on nearer approach, It
is seen that nature has here performed
a mixacle. After passing through, the
tourist Is prepared In a measure for any
further wonders that may coufront him.
All through the Garden of the Gods,
red and white sandstone formations
abound In the most curious shape. Gro-
tesquerics are everywhere. There are
most peculiar rocks resembling birds
and animals, some of them so
closely that the visitor may doubt
the evidence or his own eyes
and expect the titanic monsters to
awaken out of their sleep and spring at
him. There are minarets and spires,
cones, towers, overhanging fret work,
filagree in rocks, beautifully colored
velnings aud strata, balancing stones.
tables, and everything conceivable and
some things that are not. Imagination
could not urn wilder riot than Is here
seen in reality.
The photographs shown with this
story give the reader a fairly good Idea
of some of the formations. Cathedral
Spires, one of the most peculiar group
of rH's in the entire Garden. Is so
caHed from its resemblance to a church.
At ncr.r view, the resemblance Is lost,
but from a distance, at certain angles,
one may readily believe. If he did not
k-v to the contrary, that be Is looking
at a lcauti;'u! cathedral and would ex
;voi to hciir tlu echoes of the chimes
complete In every outline, and as de
mure as though about to finish the
hatching of a brood of ducklings. Then
comes an alligator stretched out at full
length and so natural that one involun
tarily wonders if the gigantic saurian Is
not waiting for a meal a small one
off the duck. , Further advance into this
museum of wonders reveals new sights
to charm or Impress the beholder. Of
these there may be mentioned the red
sentinel that guards the north portals
of the Garden, flanked on either side by
cathedrals and fortresses of amazing
size, and aflame with brilliant coloring.
s V- fa .? k . l J
CATHEDRAL SPIRES.
far mug in nroiA
nellarlons Rites Required Throng; hr.
oat the Entire Season.
Agricultural practice in southern
India from start to finish requires re
ligious rites, says the Madras Mail
In the Tamil districts the agricul
tural year commences about April. On
April 23 the cultivators of a village
consult a "valluvan," who fixes for
them the kind of wood that they should
cut and take away. He is supposed to
settle the question as the result of as
trological observations made on the
commencement of the Tamil New
Year's day, which falls about April 13.
Each cultivator then takes a little cam
phor, some incense, a few plalntalna
and a cocoanut, and with others assem
bled for the purpose he proceeds to the
forests, where he worships the tree he
Is about to cut, offering the plalntalna
and the cocoanut Then he lops off
the first branch, taking good care that
It falls on the right side. In each year
the side is different Prosperity to
himself and his cattle is firmly be
lieved to depend very much upon thlB,
He then cuts away the required quan
tity of wood and takes It home. s.
Another day is then selected, soou,
after the early rains of the same
month, by the "valluvan" and then the
greatest event of the agricultural year
occurs. Each ryot takes the wood he
has selected for the plow, which Is
newly fitted up and taken to the field,
where the bullocks are tied to it, and
behind It stand other plows with teams
of oxen tied to them, while large
crowds assemble around the teams.
The principal plowman then daubs
the pair of oxen tied to the new plow
jvith aniline powder and turmeric
paste; he lights camphor and burns
Incense before it, breaks- a cocoanut
and with It he makes an offering of
a pot of Jaggery water and parched
grain and Bengal gram. Then he
drives the plow across the field, pre
ceded by the other plowmen, and after
a few rounds the oxen are unyoked
and the offerings distributed to those
present.
Legal Information
In the case of Colt vs. O'Conner et
al., 109 New York Supplement, 0S9,
recently before the Supreme Court of
New York, a woman who had married
testator in good faith, and had nursed
him through a long illness, keeping
their marriage secret at his request,
was allowed to recover damages for the '
injury caused by marrying her while
he had a wife living.
The Supreme Judicial Court of
Maine In Smart vs. Aroostook Lumber
Company, 08 Atlantic Reporter, 527,
held that, although the defendant log
ging company had monopolized the
commercial business on a navigable
stream by filling it with floating logs,
plaintiff was entitled to its use for
access to his summer cottage, and that
navigation for the purpose of mere
pleasure is as much within the protec
tion of the law hs a use for commer
cial purposes.
Plaintiffs, attorneys, were engaged
by defendant's agent and seut plead
ings by his other attorneys, but there
was no proof of authority on the part
of nny of these persons to contract for
the payment of attorney's fees, und the
New Jersey Court of Errors and Ap
peals in Bentley vs. Fidelity and De
posit Company, G9 Atlantic Reporter,
202, held that no recovery could be had
without proof of such contract, and
that no liability arose from the simple
fact of performance of services, as they
were presumed to be gratuitous.
In Farrell vs. Manhattan Market
Company, 84 Northeastern Reporter,
481, It appeared that palintlff pur
chased a chicken at a bargain counter,
and on eating a portion of it sufferci
from ptomaine poisoning. The deter
mining factor of the case was a ques
tion of evidence as to whether the deal
er was responsible for plaintiff's 'choice
of the fowl or whether she made her
choice without reliance on his skilL
The Supreme Judicial Court of Massa
chusetts held that the burden of proof
on this proposition was on plaintiff and
that she had failed to sustain it.
The son-in-law of plaintiff was Jan
itor of an apartment house, In the base
ment of which he resided. While plain
tiff was there she was seized with ery
sipelas. Defendant, the landlord,
learning this, told the Janitor that if
she were not removed by noon he would
call an officer and put them all out
Thereupon the plaintiff left In Tuck
er vs. Burt, 115 Northwestern Report
er, 722, she claimed damages for the
resulting aggravation of her malady.
The Supreme Court of Michigan held
the Janitor was merely an employe, not
a tenant ; that he had no right to en
tertain a guest obnoxious to defendant
and that defendant violated no duty If
causing her removal.
There are thin slabs of sandstone stand-!
lng on edge and lifting their heads hun
dreds of feet high, on which the gods
or witches have sculptured Images of
birds and animals ; and' many strange
shapes such as needle rocks. Several
other localities In the mountains near
the Garden of the Gods afford similar
wonders.
A Fool Anyhow.
"I don't suppose he would rock s
boat" ,
"I hope not."
"Still, be might see how far out h
could swim." -Birmingham Age-Herald.
Exempt.
"They can't drag my wife .Into any
of these new-fangled, slim-Jane style
of dressing."
"Independent eh?"
"Well, It ain't so much that She's
thirty-eight Inches round the waist"-
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Wasn't Made.
Munk That's a flossy suit vou have.
Who made it?
Punk Nobody. It was reaoy made.
Cornell Widow.
Ever notice how the other fellow hap
pens to have your umbrella when it
rains? .