Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 271, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 November 1918 — Page 2
Among the Lilacs
By Virginia Leila Wentz
(Copyright, IMB. by McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) It was a warm spring evening, so warm that they had ventured to sit out on the little wooden veranda. There was a suggestion of approaching summer in the breeze and the air was redolent with lilacs. By glancing toward the right it was not difficult to see where the fragrance came from. On the other side of the hedge, in the deepening twilight, was a purple forest of plumes, and beyond that, white in the gray twilight, rose the old Howard house —the oldest in the tiny village, as well as the largest. Selden Howard was the only living representative of the family. t Presently the group on Mrs. Jones veranda began to speak of Selden, leading up to the subject from the fragrance of the bushes. "Thein lilocks is sicklishly sweet,” observed Mrs. Jones herself. “Really nausearting, acquiesced the boarder, who had been spending the winter here in this little cottage among the Berkshire hills. “By the way, I saw a strange man at the post office this morning, and I overheard some one say he was Mr. Howard. Very good-looking man he was, and seemed to know a thing or two.” “That’s him.” confirmed Mrs. Jones. “But why shouldn’t he know a thing or two? He don’t do nothin’ but travel and trapse ’round the country. Hardly ever home, and won’t have a thing to do with the people in the village.” The moon was beginning to show red and low in the warm dusk, and the lilacs made superb black shadow effects on the lawn. The little tiredout city girl who sat on the lowest step of the veranda and who had just arrived that day had nothing to say. She was filling her whole soul with the beauty of the coming night. Pretty soon, carrying her lamp, she went upstairs to her bedroom. She looked at the high mound of feather bed, and at the small window, at the foot, into which was already flooding the spring moonlight. For a moment she stood irresolute. Then she lowered the shade, slipped on a cheesecloth kimono, drew the pins from her hair, letting it fall about her shoulders, blew out the lamp and followed her whim to lean from the casement. It had been a very long while since Katherine Hope had looked from a window over a garden when the moon was shining. True, from the window of their stuffy city lodgings on Eleventh avenue —her mother’s and her’s • she had leaned out at times when her head was hot and aching with too much work, and caught a breath of outside air. But that was so different From that window she could look only on clotheslines, sheds, the back windows of the boarding houses on the next street; and there, whatever restful thoughts might come to her were made havoc of by an accordion, cheap coon songs, or the caterwauling of feline creatures on the fences • below. And now—oh, the feathery, pale florescence of the lilacs over yonder! Katherine drew her breath in with de-light-as their dormant scent came up to her. If only her dear little mother could be with her to enjoy the beauty of it all 1 But that had not been possible. When the physician had shaken his head gravely over his young patient’s worn-out condition, and commanded an immediate change in the country, it had been all that mother and daughter could do to scrape together the meager savings for Katherine’s rest of a fortnight. And Katherine was not one to mew and whimper over impossibilities. She was here now—and she would mpke the best of every' moment to grow strong and well again, 'that she might go back with new life to her office work and the companionship of her sacrificing little mother. The mild ,country air and the thousand, odors of the spring played upon her face, and lifted her loosened hair, gilded by the moonlight into the likeners of an aureole. Her white kimono fell softly around her; from the. position in which she held her arms, l»ei soft elbows were plainly visible, ■ and her exquisite face leaning back a bit against the dark-painted frame of the window stood out like a cameo. The girl was little conscious of anything except the wonder of the night; nor was she aware of one who watched her a moment from the shadow of the lilacs in the garden beyond the hedge. Selden Howard was returning from his dog kennels,< whence he had gone to look after a sick collie, when his eye had chanced to fall upon the figure in the casement, and in sheer artistic appreciation, had rested there. “She’s like some young princess,” he thought to himself, pursuing his way toward the big house, “or a goddess , . . her hair’s like the silvery floss around corn. Her name ought to be Perdita, Marpessa or Ariadne. How-
ever in the world did the Jones family stumble across such a creature?” The glamor of the girl wove Itself into his dreams, and in waking intervals- he pondered on plans for an acquaintance. “Ah-ha, I have it!” at last laughed he. Early the next morning he went afishing. As luck would have it,he secured a well-filled creeL On his way home, without ceremony, he lifted the itucfa of Mrs. Jones’ low back gate and
entered. He walked right up to the .kitchen window, for there stood Mrs. Jones rotting the dough for breakfast biscuit “Good-morning, Mrs. Jones," said he. *Tve got such a jolly big creel full of fish here that I don’t know what -to do with them. There’s no one' over there” —nodding toward the big white hoqse—“but my housekeeper, and she’s sick this morning; so I’m wondering if you’ll accept these?” With the gallantry of a knight he held out to her his creeL
“Oh, Mr. Selden J" exclaimed the good woman, a bit flustered, but smiling with unmistakable appreciation. (Would the heavens fall next?- When had Mr. Selden Howard last honored her humble dwelling like this? Surely ndt since his mother died, -»poor soul.) "Acept them? Well, I just guess I will! And so Mrs. Patch is sick? Well, you’ll Just stay here to breakfast; it’ll be ;all ready in fifteen minutes." This was as much as Howard had hoped for.
“You’re awfully kind, Mrs. Jones,” he said, affecting surprise, “and—yes, I believe I’ll stay. I’ve a sick collie over in the kennels —Pll go and look after her, then Til be back to acept your hospitality." When Katherine Hope entered the dining room, Mrs. Jones, of course, presented Mr. Howard. “How do you do, Mr. Howard,” said she conventionally, with a smile a little tired in spite of the play of childish dimples. But Selden was looking down admiringly on the fine, white parting that separated the braids of purest flax. “And how d’ye like them, Mr. Selden?" asked Mrs. Jones a bit laterreferring to the biscuit. “I love them,” answered he —referring to the girl’s dimples. Of course, that was only the beginning. After that, Selden Howard managed almost /daily to meet Katherine —or, at least, to catch a glimpse of her. Her lovely, -tired eyes, and little quiet yays appealed to him in an infinitely more tender and real fashion than had those of many a pampered beauty whom he’d met in the course ol his varied travels.
One morning Katherine was reading, “The House of Mirth” out oh the veranda. At least, she was supposed to be reading it. In reality, she had closed the book, keeping the page marked with her slim forefinger. She had only two days more here in God’s green earth, and the lilacs seemed to be calling her imperatively. She had been breathing in lilacs to that extent that her thoughts seemed to be fairly scented with them. All at once an impulse of yielding came to her. Why in the world should she not step over the low hedge and go into the lilac garden? She did. Bees hung above the purple. bloom, and a little attenuated fountain tinkled in the distance. Oh! it was altogether enchanting. Just then a golden-eyed sable collie came leisurely down the curved walk to meet her. “You beauty!” cried the girl exultantly, stooping to pat the dog’s queenly head. The collie, with slowly swishing tail, gently kissed her behind the ear.
A commanding whistle from around the turn of the walk, and then: “Mollie, Mollie, old girl, where are you?” Mollie sat with one ear up, the other down, as collies will when perplexed. She loved her master —but, also, she loved her new-found friend! “Ah!” cried Selden, coming upon them unexpectedly. “But It is beautiful to find you In my garden!” he said, looking gladly upon Katherine. “Do you know, last night I dreamed you were here. You are very, very welcome, little lady.” “You see,” she explained helplessly, trying to hide her telltale blushes, “it was the lilacs. They called me.” Suddenly he took both her hands in his and drew her toward the bushes. “Dear-lilacs,” he whispered whimsically, “she Is here now—on enchanted ground—and we must keep her. You belong to my garden,” he added masterfully, turning full upon Katherine, “and I will not let you go. The house yonder is very lonely and waits for you. Will you stay?” Her answer? Well, she was a girl and very tired, and he was a man and strong—and it was spring—and they were among the lilacs!
Chimpanzee.
The chimpanzee is a large west African ape, belonging to the anthropoid, or manlike, monkeys of the family Simiadae and suborder Anthropoidea, with dark blackish-brown hair, flesh-colored hands and feet, arms reaching to the knee, and very large ears, and like the orang in having the hair on its forearm turned backward, but differing from it in having an additional dorsal vertebra and a thirteenth pair of ribs. In its organization and form it presents a close Resemblance to man. The structure of its lower extremities enabled it to walk erect better than most of the apes, although its habits are in reality arboreal, and when, on the ground it usually goes on all fours. It feeds on fruits and nuts, lives in small societies and constructs a sort of nest among the branches of trees. The height of a full-grown male chimpanzee is about four feet. This animal is most nearly related to the gorilla. •
Objectionable.
“The dog days were particularly trying to the patience this year.” “They weren’t regular dog days. They were dachshund days.”
Emotional Influence.
“Music has charms to soothe.” “Not always,” protested Mr. Cum* rox. *T always did get riled at one of those Wagner operas.”
THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, BENBBELAEB, PCD.
Trim and Graceful Business Frock
This frock Is so patently made to be generally serviceable that one might class it among those that would make excellent uniforms. The woman who goes to business, the girl at college and she who manages much of her work at home, among other affairs, will all cast more than an indifferent glance at this frock. It is typical of the times. A new order of things seems to be established In social life and It is reflected in apparel. Added to the army of women who must be busy is another that chooses to be busy, and they are adopting dresses that look the part. The industrious gentler sex is getting very sensible. But the eternal feminine demands trimness, grace and originality even in frocks that It expects to become almost unconscious,of when they are worn. These are the things that have
Small Plaids in Children’s Frocks
Among the many-plaids which have been presented this season only a few are in small patterns. All of them have been cleverly used by designers of children’s frocks ' and naturally large plaids predominate In the frocks as in materials. But few of the models excel the pretty dress shown in the picture above, in which small plaid in green, blue and a little dash of red. with crossbar of white, is made up with emplacements of plain blue. The photograph tells the story of the design so cleverly that a description seems unnecessary, but in the small’details of finishing, which mean so much to the model, there are a few original touches not emphasized in the picture. The collar of the plain material Is banded- with a darker border in green and has a border of needlework in which embroidery silk in the colors of the plaid proves effective in simple stitches. The design is inconspicuous, but new. The same thing is true of the belt, which reminds one of a quaint Swiss bodice, with its emplacement of plain material at the front Tiny buttons placed on the sirdle at each side of the front and a silk cord laced across the emplace-
enthroned the tailored suit in the hearts of American women and they are the characteristics of the frock pictured here. It .has long and graceful lines accomplished j>y six box plaits that extend to the bottom of the skirt, and rows of bone buttons to emphasize this length of line. The bodice is extended into overlapping Scallops that are stitched to the plaits on the skirt and the sleeves are managed so as to combine the maximum of convenience with good style. They are cut in the effect of a kimono and are in two pieces, set together near the top. Narrow straps and buttons embellish this joining.
A soft collar of white batiste and very narrow turrted-back cuffs to match introduce a dainty note in this businesslike affair, and thereby it acquires a final charm in the eyes of .all women.
ment and tied in a bow below it make the prettiest sprt of finish. The pockets, as in nearly all plaid dresses, are cut on the bias of the goods and are very practical as well as decorative. * This model might be made up in other than plaid materials by using silk where the plain fabric is used in it, with a plain or “Striped or checked goods.
Tricolette Embroidered.
Tricolette is especially good when it Is heavily l embroidered, and some of the frocks of this fabric show no ornamentation save Embroidery. One. a Ith a draped skirt, long tight sleeves that fit snugly about the wrists, and a bodice with scant fullness, has a very wide girdle heavily embroidered with woolen threads in a slightly darker shade of gray than that of the trlcolette. Others show embroidered panels and bits of embroidery on waist and sleeves. In many of the Japanese cities and towns women are acting as members of the fire departments.
ARKANSAS “THOMAS SCATS"
J. E. Cross says he has been efr vised to “believe only half he heaH|» but he doesn’t know tfhich half. ——> • A' South Hot Springs woman is so jealous she makes her husband leave his false teeth at home when he goes .out at night - ” **- ■ ’ .'J.. Lv'- --*-''.. -r..' The Germans are forced to wear paper, underwear and eat mullen-leaf soup.—Memphis 4 Commercial-Appeal. Well, this is their war. Notice! Anyone bringing in three paid-up subscriptions to the Thomas Cat one year will get a free ride out to the cemetery and back.
In a Ijlot Springs restaurant the other day three of the patrons knocked the coffee, but we-"don’t believe we ever heard a complaint on tea. How should one address that new woman judge the president has appointed in Washington—“your honoress,” “your honorine,” or "your honorette?” —• ' To Bessie Fluzzie: If you are a “jealous woman,” why employ a “private detective?*? You can Imagine as much in a minute as he can discover in a year. • x There are not many divorces in the homes in which mother spends more time over the cook book than she does over “The Passionate Pups” or some other best seller. Cheer up! Maybe if you had Jawn Dee Rockefeller’s millions and his stomach you would be glad to be poor again and be equipped with the old reliable hash digester you now possess. fahen a married woman congratulates a bride, she says: “I hope you will be as happy as I am.” A married woman always makes a bold front and hopes no one will suspect the real truth. In the Snagtown circuit court the other day old John RtftMy< who was up for a divorce case, was asked by the judge what he wanted. John replied that “some six months ago he embarked on the sea of ipatrlmony and now wishes he had missed the boat."
HOME-MADE PHILOSOPHY
If you are troubled with insomnia*, join a chess club. —• *• ■ • 3 Those who find youth a burden will "find old age a curse. Young birds, like hungry corporations, hold their mouths open for profit. The people have always crucified their saviors at the bidding~of their masters. To be absolutely free a man must be cut loose from all the so-called facts that cannot be proved true. If there were no heterodoxies! cranks to bust the monotony, the established theories would rust for the want of practice. The man who marries a woman because she is worth $50,000 will soon find out that it was worth more than double the amount. The thinking men and women who think independent of the thoughts 'forced upon them are the discoverers of truth and wisdom..
POINTED PARAGRAPHS
We all have our trials —and the la yer is glad of it There is no better mirror than a tried and true friend. Of all the practices of love, praise Is the most dangerous. A man gains strength every time he aamits his own weakness. 1 Occasional silence would improve some persons’ conversation. Real estate dealers wax fat at the expense of folks who want It’s a pity that we cannot drop pennies into a slot machine and get a package of joy. > SMB A woman can stand a lot until she gets into a crowded street car where all the seats are occupied hy men.
TRADE BRIEFS
Rubber goods are wanted in Switzerland. , Tubs for washing machines are wanted in Canada. Agencies for the sale of American steel and asbestos are wanted in France. "P Belting is now manufactured in Japan in quantities large enough to supply local needs. The low prices of domestically made belting will discourage all foreign competition for this trade. As a means of establishing the dye Industry on a sound basis, the British government plans to advance funds for the benefit of manufacturers. The first installment, a sum of $4,866,500, has been agreed upon. r , ,
Rest Given and Rest Found
By REV. L. W. GOSNELL
IflPtttUfeOs dlCBflO
TEXT—Come unto me, all ye that labor and we heavy ladpn. and I win give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. .and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye ahull find rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy and my Burden is light—Matthew 11:28-30. One minister remarked to another: •U get tired pf hearing people talk of
Two Type* of Weariness. The words of Jesus suggest weariness of two tyffes, which may be described as active and passive. Some are weary because they “labor.” The toil of life exhausts them or the endeavor to live righteously throws them Into despair. They cry, “For that which I do I allow not; for what I would, that do I not, but what I hate, that do I.” Pastor Hsi, a notable Chinese Christian, tells us that as a heathen he struggled to fulfill Confucius* ideal of “the princely man,” but finally gave up his efforts and solaced himself with the opium pipe. Others are weary because “heavy laden” with sorrow or guilt. Many sing wlthTenuyson: / ' And the stately ships go on To their haven under the hill: < But, O, for the touch of a vanished hand And the sound of a voice that is still. George Whitefield was Sb oppressed by a sense of guilt that he lay for hours at a time on the floor of the public house where he worked; and John Bunyan has pictured himself in the “Pilgrim” with the great bundle on his back. ' But, no matter what form of weariness may trouble us, Jesus offers rest to “all” who labor and are heavy laden.
First he says, “Come Tinto me—end I will give you rest.” This we take to refer to that rest of conscience which he bestows as a gift on all who come to him. This settles their position eternally and they are “safe in the arms of Jesus.” What a great boon this Is! John Wesley found It only after he had been an ordained minister for years. He was on his way to Georgia as a missionary to the Indians when a dreadful storm arose. He was frightened, but found some simple Moravian Christians singing through the storm. Even the women and children were not afraid to die. Wesley discovered they had learned the secret of peace by trusting In Christ alone for salvation, and he became a seeker for the same rest of soul. ' He found it at last, and as the result the Evangelical Revival was born. To come to Christ is to believe on him, to trust him (John 9:35). To all who thus come he gives rest of conscience. - , But many who have this gift are still oppressed from day to day by the cares of life. To them Jesus.speaks again, saying, “Take my yoke upon you and ye shall find rest unto your souls." This deeper rest, which ta,, found by taking his yoke, Is well our attention. It may be well to ask the Question, what Is a yoke for? The answer is found in the reference of the test to a “burden.” The yoke is to enable an animal to draw its burden. Moreover, the burden will be “light" only when the yoke is “easy." It is just as when, amongst us, the horse’s collar is rightly adjusted and well padded : the animal then finds it easy to draw its burden, but otherwise its shoulder is galled and it refuses topull the load. Herg now we are coming to the practical point. Jesus tells us the very things we need in our yokes to make them easy so that the burden of life will be light. “Take my yoke upon you,” he says, “and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” It is because we lack meekness and lowliness that the yoke galls and the burden is heavy. As we understand it, “meekness” is our attitude to men, .especially, while "lowliness" describes our attitude to God. Jesus had both graces in perfection. In the very chapter where our text is found, men call him a glutton and winebibber, but he is unruffled, saying, “Wisdom Is justified of her children.” Again, God hides his secrets from the wise and prudent but Jesus in his lowliness says: “Even so Father, for so It seemed good in thy sight" When we are thus meek and lowly, it to evident the yoke will be easy and the burden light Yokes are made for two and those who wear Christ’s yoke may assure themselves that he himself will journey besld?them, contributing his great strength to drawing the burdens that oppress them. “In the world ye shall have tribulation, but in, me ye shall have Decca.’*
as a place there." The first rep Med: “So do X but it is a pleasant thing to rest when you are weary." Multitudes will agree with him. Indeed, one-third of the people In the' । world follow ’ a religionBuddhism —which! [ promises rest, or rather extinction, as its chief boon.
