» M
OUR SEVENTH
W e d n e s d a y -S u r p r is e S a le tn
S
3
r*
,
B
3
£
!
JU]HE 26 >, WILL
DAY
BEDDING 1
«
10 PIE CENT OFF ON
1
Blankets, Comforts, Pillows, Cotton bats,
Ready-Sewed bats.
I
•
CLOVERDALE MERCANTILE (JO.
! cide upon any course, so sue kept put
ting her lovers off with one excuse aft
er another till they were worn out with
delay, while site was worn out with
their importunities.
Finally they both agreed that If she
would tell which of them In her heart
she preferred the one whom she did
By F. A . M1TCHEL
not prefer would abandon the held to
the other without laying uuv blame
upon her But It was not a matter of
Patience Goodman was a young blame from them, but a disinclination
She de
Quaker widow of Philadelphia some to give either of them pain
iMHi year« ago and but twenty-three clined to consent to this proposition,
years of age.
Patience’s conscience hut said she would pray to be shown
She prayed, but no sign
and heart were so tender that when her duty
came
to
guide
her
she found herself obliged to disappoint
One day when she was making can
or pain any one she stood stock still dles her two lovers came to her to
When she married Enoch Goodman It gether. and Benediction said:
was as a dutiful maid in obedience to
•'Mistress Goodman, by thy Indeel
her fathers mandate
She had ore slot) thee are giving both of us pain,
ferred Pardon I ’alrweather. but pnren whereas If thee would etnwise one of
We
fa I authority was all powerful in those us that one would Is* happy
d a y s , and she did not even eiicournne pray thee therefore to choose lietwi •')
ns. naming that one tins» would wed."
him
The wa¡iiw heaved a deep sigh, but
When her husband died, as soon
as It was proper for a man to ask her did not repi) for some time, evidently
to U* his wife Benedict Ion Turner did trying to «nv something and failing
so Then came I’alrweather. Just one Final!) tn uig up a candle In each
week later, and cave her the same In hand she made tin* following proposl
tlon:
vitation
“ Take each of yon one of these can
There was no parental authority now.
dies,
h hi them at the same moment
for her father was dead and she had
become her own mistress Stic found and ......... • that burns the longest
herself obliged to give pain to one of ! him will l w ed '
Thankful at the prospect of ending
her suitors
Each urged his suit and
gave ti -r lo understand that if she re the suspense under which they lived.
fused him he would seek dcutb Par each took a candle. They had been
don vowed he would seek It In battle cast In the same mold and were eon
with the Indians, who were lurking seijuentlv of equal length Each would
The
near the settlements with hostile In burn from two to three hours
widow
brought
her
st»>el
and
flint
and
tent, ami Benediction declared that he
lighting h
touched It to each
would turn pirate.
candle
at
the
same
moment
Then
Patience was horror stricken at these
threats ami almost felt It her duty to she told tier suitors that when they
marry Benediction I s s ’a n s e by turning had burned to the socket of their can
pirate he would certainly lose his soul, dlesflcks she would sen.! for them that
which was far more precious than a they might see with their own eies
man's ti e. hut she was unable to de which would -jo out fli-st ami that on**
Her Choice
she would wed.
“ W e need not fear. Patience.'' said
Benediction, "that thee will tamper
with the candles. !>ecnuse thee have
only to choose between us without
their deciding for you. Therefore we
may safely leave them in your care.”
"But." said Pardon, "w e will come
In at the end. that he who Is favored
and he who is not shall see with his
own eyes "
Benediction went to the wood and
walked back and forth with his hands
clasped behind his back, sorely disturb
ed by anxiety
During the long pe
riod of his uncertainty there was no
suspense like this. Pardon went into
hi» library there were but two books
lu It, the Bible aud a copy of Shake
speare's plays—and. taking up the 1st
ter. read a few scenes from "Othello.-
In this way each passed the time till He
should be summoned to learn bis fate
At last a messenger came from the
widow that the candles were burning
low. and eu> h suitor re pair ml tu the
ueut kitchen <>f Dame Go.slmau. who: -
they were burning
Benediction ttir i
ed wl lte at seeing that his candle was
but half an Inch long, while that o!
hi» rival was an Inch PatdoiTs ent;:t-
tenance did not change, but tie cast a
| glance aside it the widow
j "It is not meet.* groaned Benedic
tlon. “ that I should remain longer
here, since it is ertain that I have
; lost." He went out. the widow still
! keeping tier eyes fixed < n the fl >or and
1 her bands <-I us |* h I ••
or l son»
Then Pardon went
the table, look
td first at one candle, then at the oth
er. and. seeing a few tinv wL te grains I
that had been spilled on the dark |>ol
Isbed w i s h !, bent low to see what the)
wen»
Watting a finger, he put It on the
grains and touche«] it to his tongue
lie startisl. Ins face lighting up with
d look of great happiness
Then he
went to the widow, who stood still
bent, and put Ills arms about her.
while her head sank upon his breast.
The grains on the table were salt.
Placed on a wick sa t causes a candle
to burn slower
T h e r e W e r e O th ers.
"John. I want the bain named Paul."
"My dear. Paul was a wotnat. 'viter. *
"Mercy: Did you think l m*»iu; that
Paul?
Pm naming him for Faul
Jones." — Chicago* Tribune.
Superstitious Miners.
Coal strikes nave sometimes bepn
threatened in England on curious
grounds lu 1S74 a woman was em
ployed as a messenger at one of the
collieries near Oswestry. As she com
menced her day's work very early, sue
often met the miners on their way to
the pit. and as the men considered it a
bad omen to meet a woman tirst thing
in b'le morning, trouble arose. By
threats and persuasion they tried to
get the offending female to give up ner
Job. but, failing In this, they went In a
body to the manager and flatly refused
to go down until the woman tiud been
dismissed
Anrone «enrttn* a sketch and (IrawiaMcn may
ju loely B e a r ta in oar opinion tren wfcwher an
infwitjon
probably
b
W
s munirà-
tlona at rusty coaBdentiat. HAND _
Patmta
sent free. OMest ««o
aaenoy
n er Tor
for »ecu
*ecui
■ unaeaa: ente.
nn t tJk receive
i
Patema taken throcich Munn
jjv. ug a«tier, without charge. I
Scientific American.
A handaotnely Illustrated weekly. I arrest «Ir.
nilaUen o f anr anemia-- Journal. Termi. »3 a
roar : four months. I L »o ld by all newsdealer».
W N N S Co.” -» '» -" -N e w York
Wf-tK-k ''(U fa TS F S t. Washington. D- C.