Bloomington Progress, Bloomington, Monroe County, 22 December 1899 — Page 6

A BRAVE SOLDIER.

Capt. Imna, Who Was Browned In the Philippines. Word came from the Philippines some time ago of the death by drowning of a brave soldier in the person of

Capt. Maximilian Luna, who perished with three other soldiers i n crossing a river. Capt Luna was one of that gallant b a n d of Rough Riders who stormed San Juan Hill and was one of the right-hand

capt. m. Luna. men of Col. Roosevelt in the Santiago campaign. He was of Spanish descent, his father being a full-blooded Spaniard, but that did not deter him from taking sides with this country in the war with Spain. Capt Luna enlisted in the New Mexico National Guard when little more than a youth. Never a braver officer drew a sword or led a troop. He was In all the engagements of the Rough Riders, and although always in the fore front of battle escaped without a scratch. He was mustered out of the service at Montauk Point and returned to his home in New Mexico. His soldierly spirit asserted itself when there was need of brave men in the Philippines, and he secured a commission as lieutenant in the new Thirtyfourth Infantry, a regiment recruited in the Southwest, among plainsmen and cowboys.

ON THE ROOFS OF EUROPE.

BEQUEST IN A BIBLE. fenujr Sum of Money Found in Tattered Book Bought at Auction. New Bibles are now so cheap that old ones have little or no marketable value, bnt the experience of a casual buyer, says the London Telegraph, may lead to a run on tattered copies of the scriptures in search of hidden treasure not spiritual, but material. And the fact that It cannot be discovered without examining the volumes may lead to ultimate profit, even though there may be mundane lucre between the boards. According to. the Church of England Pulpit, a young fellow named Richard Gollings, employed in Smithfleld Market, purchased at an auction a few years ago for 5s. 6d. an old leather trunk containing clothing, books and tools. Among the articles was a venerable, much used family Bible. A few Sunday .evenings ago, during the absence of Collings from home, his wife commenced reading some of the chapters to her two young daughters, and while turning over the leaves she came upon several which were pasted to

gether. She immediately set to work ;

to separate them with great care, and when success crowned her efforts the good woman was intensely surprised to find bidden between the gummed pages six 5 Bank of England notes. They were enclosed in an envelope, were frayed and dirty, and on the back of one wras written in ink the following remarkable bequest: "I have worked very, very hard for this, and, having no relatives, leave thee, dear reader, whosoever shall be the owner of this holy book, my lawful iheir."

Santa Claus (to himself) Great Scot! How am I ever going to get down these chimneys? armament congress had borne fruit!

Oh, that the Czar's dis-

WHEN DADDY LIGHTS THE TREE.

Queen Victoria's Practical Gift.; Queen Victoria is a practical woman and believes in practical gifts. One of the queerest of her presents, however, was the collection of boots and shoes presented as a wedding souvenir to her favorite daughter, the Princess Beatrice. She was also the youngest and last to get married. It was long expected that she would remain a spinster in order to continue to be a companion to her mother, but, to everybody's supprise, she married Prince Henry of Battenberg. The Queen's present shows her eminently wise and practical nature. There is no material possession so conducive to happiness and comfort as a large supply of good, well-made shoes. They make a favorable foundation for a nappy married life. The boots and shoes presented to the Princess Beatrice by her august mother were packed in boxes specially made for them. Six pairs of the same kind were packed in each box. . There were really enough of these boots to last the princess until she became an old woman: Good boots well cared for will last for an indefinite time, especially when one has enough of them to avoid wearing any one pair for a lengthy consecutive period.

A Poet's Philosophy. When a Persian is born a pet, his experience of life usually makes him a philosopher as well. Sadi, whose wise sayings are often quoted, being asked where he learned his philosophy, replied, "From the blind, because they never advance a step until they have tried the ground." Again, Sadi said, "I never complained of my condition but on a single occasion, when nay feet were bare and I had not money to buy shoes; but I saw a man without feet, and became instantly contented with my lot." Very Important Things. Master Name some of the most important thing existing to-day which were unknown 100 years ago. Tommy You and me. London Tit-

WE have our share of ups and downs, Of cares like other folk; The pocketbook is sometimes full, We're sometimes nigh dead broke; But once a year, at Christmas time, Our hearth is bright to see; The baby's hand just touches heaven When Daddy lights the tree. For weeks and weeks the little ones Have lotted on this hour; And mother, she has planned for It Since the summer's sun and shower. With here a nickel, there a dime, Put by where none could see, A loving hoard against the night When Daddy lights the tree. The tiny tapers glow like stars; They mind us of the flame That rifted once the steel-blue sky The morn the Christ-child came; The blessed angels sang to earth Above that far countree We think they sing above our hearth When Daddy lights the tree. The weest kid in mother's arms Laughs out and claps her hands. The rest of us on tiptoe wait; The grown-up brother stands Where he can reach the topmost branch, Our Santa Claus to be, In that sweet hour of breathless joy When Daddy lights the tree. Our grandpa says 'twas just as fine In days when he was young; For every Christmas ages through The happy bells have rung. And Daddy's head is growing gray, But yet a boy is he, As merry as the rest of us When Daddy lights the tree. 'TIs love that makes the world go round, 'Tis love that lightens toll.

'Tis love that lays up treasure which Nor moth nor rust can spoil; And Love is in our humble home, In largesse full and free. We all are very close to heaven When Daddy lights the tree. Woman's Home Companion.

The Christmas Guest j

lis

T is Christmas eve the night is cold and clear. The moonbeams dance fantastically upon the frozen snownear the foot of the hill adjacent to the town of Maeroom, in the county Cork, stands an old-fashioned cottage toward which an aged white-haired

man is wending his way at short intervals he stops suddenly, gazing over the hedge side, where the moon is shining through the leafless snow-covered trees advancing a few paces he stops once more before a ruined tower, fast crumbling to decay. "God bless the dear old landmarks," he mnrmured, "many and many a time have I stood beside you in my dreams when the great ocean rolled between us at last, like the load-stone that attracts the needle, you have brought the wanderer back. Oh, sweet Inisfail, the smallest blade of grass that grows in your green dells is a million times more precious to me than all the wealth and grandeur I have seen on foreign shores." Having reached the cottage, he was met at the door by a tall.well-built, venerable looking man. "Can you give me shelter for a short time?" asked the stranger. "I can, or for a long time, if you need it though not very long, now I come to remember, for in a few weeks I won't be able to call this house my own. Isn't that the truth, Mary?" he added, looking at his wife, busily plying her needle near a bright turf fire. "It is indeed the bitter truth may God in his mercy protect us," said his wile. "And how long have you lived in this cosy cottage?" asked the stranger. "Fifty years, sir. My father built it. I married the good wife you see beside me in it I reared a big family in it, but they're scattered far away from us now. Some of them, I'm afreerd, I'll never see again. Our oldest boy I've not heard from in ten years. He was sent into penal servitude for the part he took in the 'rising' of '67." "What was his name?" "Redmond O'Hara. But in troth if I go on in this way I'll be disgracing the proud owld name of our family. Here, take a whiff o this owld dhudeen; 'twill help to banish sad thoughts.

"Before I light my pipe," said the stranger, "I wish you would tell me why it is that you will be compelled to leave this cottage in a few weeks?" "The answer is simple," replied his host. "I am only a small farmer, and cannot afford to pay Lord Leech the heavy taxes that are yearly imposed on my own time and niorey without a haporth of help from his lordship. That's the whole of it in a nutshell." "And so you are to be evicted?" "That's it exactly," replied the host. "Not if I can save you," said the stranger. "Saltpeter couldn't save us." "There is something more potent than saltpeter." "Maybe ye mane dynamite," said his host. "What I have reference to is more powerful than even dynamite," replied the traveler, "although ii; is not so noisy. What I allude to is the power of gold!" During the foregoing the farmer's wife had prepared a supper which the traveler seemed to relish with a zest that hetokened a keen appetite. Having finished his meal he relit his pipe, drew his chair near the fire and became more communicative. "You seem to be a conversable man," said the host, "and I'm proud of your company; if you like to sleep under this roof to-night you are heartily welkim, and we'll spend a pleasant Christina- day together." "You are too kind, sir," said the stranger. "But I accept the invitation." "Of course," said the farmer, "you'll have to take pot luck with us; he have no dainties to offer you, but there was a time when a prince couldn't find fault with our table on Christmas day, when we could spread before you turkey, geese, ham, lamb and almost every delicacy under the blessed sun, but them times have passed away like the snow." "God bless you and your good wife, sir, for the cordial welcome you have given to the poor stranger. It reminds me of the gay old times when I was a happy boy under the roof-tree of my parents, when we loved to pass the Christinas eve by the cheerful fireside, singing the old songs of our persecuted land, and listening to the ghost stories and the fairy tales until the hour arrived to attend the midnight mass. In an evil hour I was caught with my pike while attending a moonlight drill in the mountain gap. A mock trial took place, and a packed jury found me guilty of high treason. I was loaded with chains and hurried off in a convict ship to Western Australia. I escaped, and after many perils I was received with open arms in the land of the Stars and Stripes by my expatriated countrymen. 1 soon amassed great

wealth. You would scarcely imagine me, as I appear at present in these tattered garments, to be a rich man, but, to prove the truth of my assertion, here is a bag containing a thousand sovereigns. Take it. Keep it. It is yours. I present it to you as a Christmas box." "A bag o' sovereigns," cried the farmer. "Oh, sir, you must be one o' the good fairies in disguise." "If this happened in America," said the stranger, "you would undoubtedly call me Santa Claus." "Whoever you are," cried the farmer's

wife, "you must be something not nat

ural to be tantalizing poor people with the sight of a heap o' gold like that."

"I give you my word I am neither ghost nor hobgoblin, but real flesh and

blood," said the stranger, throwing off his white wig and beard and standing erect at his full height. "Now examine my features well and tell me if they bear

any resemblance to Redmond O'Hara,

your convict son!"

"Oh! Redmond! our own gra bawn!"

exclaimed his father and mother simul

taneously. "Yes, it is," said the mother, caressing him, "he has the same auburn

hair." "And the same proud light in his

manly blue eyes," cried his father, grasp

ing his son's hands. "Oh, Redmond,

Redmond, this sudden joy is almost more

than we can bear."

"Now, spare me this hugging and kissing and hand-shaking," cried their son, "if you don't wish to kill me with too

much kindness. You can both snap your fingers at Lord Leech to-morrow. We'll

have our own home, our own land and our own cattle as well as his lordship. And to-morrow we'll fill the table with

turkey, geese, lamb, ham and every lux

ury in season and out of season that

money can purchase. In short, my dear father and mother, it won't be your own Redmond's fault if you don't say it is the merriest Christmas day you ever enjoyed."

First Celebration of Christmas. Christmas was first celebrated in the year 98, but it was forty years later before it was officially adopted as a Christian festival; nor was it until about the Fifth century that the day of its celebration because permanently fixed on the 25th of December. Up to that time it had been irregularly observed at various times of the year in December, in April and in May, but most frequently in January. Ladies' Home Journal. Easily Pleased. "Well, little Jim, what do you want for Christmas?" "I'll take anything I kin get, pa, but vou better not gimme anything I don't like."

HERE'S TO THE MISTLETOE.

When I grew in oak groves in the ages past

xne mums, in robes or wnite .. . With a knif of irnld. In the fair moonlight.

Cut me down from the bough where I clung

so fast, To aid in their mystic rite.

They have passed away, those days of Old,

But their ghosts stilt linger wnere At fhrlRt-nms-tido th mnlitpns fair

Invite while I hang o'er their locks of goli

The kiss which a lover may dare.

Oh, merry and brave is the mistletoe bong

When winter storm wtnus diow, And the clouds hane heavy with snow,

Like glittering pearls are my berries now.

xneir aark green leaves oeiow.

A FEW GIFT SUGGESTIONS.

Clever Fingers Can Devise Some Very

Attractive Presents. Hat boxes, nadded and Derfumed and-

covered with flowered cretonne, or painted silk, are made by the beauty-loving;

maiden for her airy theater bonnets, ner plumed hat and other perishable head-

An odd nenwioer has a cover of ooze

leather, with a picture of a preternaturally wise looking owl writing a letter as the pokerwork design. The leather is-

cut to silhouette the head and tail feath-:

ers of the bird, giving an amusing and

grotesque effect.

Tovs for men are not uncommon this

season. Cigars and cigarettes packed in such perfect imitation of real cigar and

cigarette boxes as to deceive even an in

veterate smoker are made of chocolate

or peppermint. Big, business-looking

pens, pencils and paperweights are made of sugar-paste and paper, and the most

artful of spectacles, opera glasses and cases are made of isinglass, tinsel and1 candy-filled wood. A medicine case of coarse brown linen, is bordered with a puffing of pink silk, ribbon. The vials are held in place by a, band of garter elastic covered with puffed' silk and divided into spaces large or small enough to accommodate the bottles. One end of the linen case turns in and ia tucked to form two pockets that are to contain court plaster, a tiny scissors, antiseptic cotton and a roll of soft linen. The little bottles are labeled with familiar names ammonia, arnica, quinine, ginger, camphor and other household stand bys. A Midnight Encounter.

Santa Claus (vigorously) Well, that's! the last house I'll go into till I find oxxtt whether they keep a dog. Harlem Life.

The Cbristmas Girl. The snow has drifted to her brow, The holly bud has dyed her cheek. Her eyes, like stars on Christmas eve, Shine out with glances coyly meek. There's Christmas radlatfce everywhere In wreaths of green and berries red; But, best of all, I gladly note There's mistletoe above her head. " Life.

One Is Enough. "Eph, I want to give you a nice fat turkey for Christmas," said Col. Hawker. "Dat's berry kin', cunnel, but I'd 'fer a $2 bill ef's all de same to you. Kris Kringle alius 'pears to leab a tnhkey at my house de night afoh Chris'mas."

Sensible Jimmle. "Jimmie," asked his mother, "why are you so persistent about going to you Uncle John's for Christmas?" ! " 'Cause he hain't got none of them smoke consumers on his chimbleys. Santa Claus kin git inter his house."

The bone of contention usually has bat

little meat on it.

i