Pike County Democrat, Volume 24, Number 39, Petersburg, Pike County, 9 February 1894 — Page 6

HE daintiest bit of a girl is she, With dusky vioeyes. That, smiling, she raises unto me, .As I toss, and dandle her, on mv knee. Or, with head on my breast, she lies. She’s a broad, white trow, unwrinkled, set In an aureole of gold; And her lips, like a red, red rose, dew wet, Or a bufflsh of fragrant mignonette, Do enchanted sweetness hold. / -Of her teeth. I’ve never a word to say, » For in sooth, she has none yet. But there will be pearls “ of the purest ray” By her fairy godmother brought some day From the sea, Inn silver net No circlet of diamonds weareth she, She’s a princess, ne’ertbelcss; No gown cf silken embroidery Hides her tiny figures’ symmetry, But a simple, snowy dress Falleth softly down to her wee, wee feet ' And down to the dimpled hand That with infantine grace, she lifts to meet The lips she knoweth so ready to greet It with kisses, as tenderly sweet As were ever in demand. O, baby Louise, you have won me quite. With your eyes, that like twin stars shine; . By your face, with winsomeness all alight J'rom its perfect chin, to Hs prow snow white, So I choose you “My Valentine.” —Sarah I* Morris, in Inter Ocean.

HERE w&s an ! unusual flutter in the‘little town ■ of Pattleton. Joseph Jennings was coining home again. Years ago, when the old red

Bcnool bouse was filled witn me uoys and girls of th^"°town, February 14tb ^^was as great a holiday as could be ffiade of it with school in session, and /'somebody had a party, or some one got J up a ride, or there was a grand pop- \ corn frolic. In fact, there was always \ something going on that day, if all other days in the year should be dry as dust, though that could never be the case with forty girls and boys to make them lively. The excuse for this extra fun on the 14th was that it was Jo Jennings’ birthday, and th‘ev must celebrate it; and when any of the .parents tried to remonstrate the ready argument was that they didn’t celebrate other birthdays, because nobody was ever born on a day they could celebrate, and with such a good reason what could be said further? All the girls sent him valentines, and all the boys wished they could change places for just that oae •day. As he grew older the custom remained the same, for he was, and had always been, a great favorite in the town. The mail bag which came in on ■the stage that night fairly bulged with "the number of missives directed to J. J. Jennings. To be sure some of the girls had married and left the town, but all who remained kept up the custom. Everybody called him Jo. and as he came back year after year seemingly unchanged in his love for the old home, and just as cordial with all the old friends, they decided that travel ccujd never make him other than the kind7Always impartial in his treatment of the young ladies of the place, he took -one to tha^picnic, another out driving behind the fat, black pony, still an--otber on the harbor excursion, and a different one up the mountain after blueberries. Everybody called his mother Aunt Judith, because she was such a lovely -old lady they simply couldn’t help it. A face sweet and beautiful in its youth -only grew more sweet as the years made wrinkles and drew lines here and there. The eyes, always sympathetic, only filled with a deeper light of love as time fled. The hair, in earlier years a rich crown for the erect figure, only laid itself in more caressing waves about the face. Truly she had grown -old gracefully. An invalid, she was cared for by her eldest daughter, .Martha, who had already sent away a lover because she would not leave her ibome just now. She did wish Jo would marry and 'bring his' wife home to live. Thai * would make all clear. Martha could be happy, and she knew for herself she could love anyone of the village girls whom he might choose for a wife. Why didn’t he care for some one? The year before something had happened! ‘They had all sent valentines according to the usual custom. There were eighteen of them. The next morning, down at the Corners, Jo was talking to Jimmie Hazen, and Jimmie asked, •carelessly: “How many this time, Jo?” “Eighteen splendid ones; but I don’t ts’pose one of the senders can make a biscuit to save her life” , Of course Jimmie mentioned it as a good joke to his sister Ruth, who had black eyes and a lively temper of her own, and she told the other girls, considering it anything but a joke, and that was what caused $11 the flutter. Now Ruth couldn’t make biscuits, and had always thought Jo just a little better than ordinary mortals, :and to have him come down to biscuits, tend then to throw out such a remark as that to her brother! He probably meant to have Jimmie tell her. Ruth told the girls at the next social, and, with her eyes flashing, declared she wished she could bake, but she cruldn’t, and she listed dough; buT if fche could make biscuits she’d make a friend he had ever been.

► busnel and smother him. So now! She cried at home, and thought it very unkind of Jo, and declared she wouldn’t send another valentine as long as she lived. But when the summer came and the girls, not forgetting the fling at their lack of ability, took to refusing hilii when invited to picnics or other places of amusements, Ruth was sorry, and yet glad, for she couldn’t stop liking him all at once, even if she tried her best So when the anniversary came again she decided sho would just send as always and not mind what had probably thoughtlessly been said. No one knew why the daughters of the several households were so anxious to learn to make bread, but it was a fact that every girl in town suddehly developed a desire to relieve her mother of the biscuit making. And yet not every one; for little Ruth Hazen de- j clared she couldn’t and wouldn’t, and stuck to the china painting which she sent regularly to Rockland, and which brought her more money than carloads of biscuits would have done. Valentine’s clay brought only one valentine for Jo, and he opened it wondering if bis friends had forgotten that it was his birthday, or whether they thought i>t time to drop the old custom. He wondered who had remembered him. The roses looked like some he had every year, half blown and always pink. Rath Hazen always wanted a bunch of the blush roses by the door, and he remembered so well how she buried her face in the last ones he had carrieH to her—yes, it must have been Ruth Puzzled and a little troubled at the dearth of valentines, he knew not what to make of it. ’Then Grace Games had refused to ride with him last summer, giving a good reason, of course, but one that he knew could have been laid aside After supper a rattling wagon drove to the door, and its driver, after knocking, left on the step a bundle directed to “J. J. Jennings.” “There, that’s the Conant’s wagon. I know; and this is Jennie’s valentine” T^e bundle contained a dozen of the lightest biscuit ever seen, and this rhyme: A valentine I dared not make. But biscuits by the dozen bake Another knock, and another parcel was deposited; another dozen biscuits so like the first that they might have been made “by the same hands, and this rhyme: You told the saint I didn’t know how ■To make a good biscuit; Just look at this, now. Sixteen dozen biscuits in sixteen different bundles were spread on the table •

good deal Yew she would go, and as | she pinned on he jaunty black hat j with its red ' rag. and tncked her i 'hands in a we muff, she thought to | herself there mi ht be some chan ce to explain why sh* hadn't done as well as the rest of the gisls. There had bet s little snow this year, and the ground was hard and smooth. Only a few drift s by (he roadside and in the fields, an< these were fast jfoing in the bright unlight. The black horse was in h gh spirits, the air was clear. Jo's h< dache drifted away, Ruth was so pre :y to look at, and his mother liked he so well— . “You haven’t • eard a word I said!'' “Well, when 3, get old and fcebleT I want to have a tew of my senses left, and so while I hi.u such good use for my eyes 1 thought 1 would let icy ears rest.” Ruth langhec but she would not look at him agai >, for she had seen the love in his eyes vhen she did look,, and she decided that the view toward the hills was better or her than the one so near at hand. * “Did you know I had but one valentine this year?’ with a peculiar emphasis on the “cue.” “Didn't .you h; ?e more last year?” “Yes, year before last 1 had twenty, and last year eighteen, and now this year 1 am narrowed down to one.” “Why, didn't the girls—” “Yes, sevente o of them did. Sixteen thought I had got beyond the age of romance and now ought to live on the solids of life, but the seventeenth still thought I might cling to a little of the romance I am glad theire is one who still holds to the old custom. It isn’t nice to t ak one is dropped out of the old life.” “Oh! I am suf the girls didn't mean —” she stopped, for though she might explain the mo aning of the biscuit, could she explain the one valentine;? “Cousin Albert told me I shouldn't always have sc many valentines, and he was right. But it is only the end of a lesson that I have been a long time learning. Martha says a man can haver but one valent Now that I have really come down to one, I find that I have never had out one. That I have looked for yours first, and last night when 1 thought wliat it would mean if you stop sending each year I could hardly wait to see you and ask if you would come yourself as my valentine. Ruth, I love you dearly; I think I always have.” Ruth still kept her eyes on the faraway hills. Bu; her heart was as full of joy as her eyes were full of tears. Now she could say what she had teen trying to ever since they started. “I

“r urn BROUGHT HOME A YALE3TQT1

before nine o’clock, each bundle containing a scrap appropriate to the day and the nnusaal gift. . Jo' lay awake nearly all night trying to think what could hare brought this aval inche of bread upon him, and finally concluded it must have been that little speech of his about the girls not knowing how to make biscuits. But his mind kept returning to Ruth’s vale itine, and by and by he decided that a man didn’t need but one valentine. especially if he had plenty of bread. So, toward morning, he dropped asleep to dream of being shut up in a tower and not allowed anything but bisc fits to eat or sleep on, and the only thin ? he could see for miles were fields of 1 »iscuits in all shades of brown, which he was told he must eat as fast as they ripened. Then he saw Ruth, witl t her hair flying wildly about her face, and, when he looked closely, he found that what he thought hair was only hundreds of valentines, and when he 1 tied to take them off her head she sud< ienly turned into a plump biscuit, and the astonishment awoke him, to find that the sun shone, and also that his 1 lead ached. “1 wish you'd jgo oyer to the mills this morning and see about that grain,” said Martha, when he came down complaining of such a dismal headache. “The air’ll d<& you good, and you can take Ruth along. You go right by there.” Ruth’s eyes were red when she came to thegdoor, ior she had secretly shed tears ath|p she had not tried to learn breadmaking, so as to have had her dozen with, the rest which she knew must be reposing on the pantry shelves in the Jennings house. She had told herself a hundred times she didn‘t care, but it didn’t alter the feeling in the least, and she knew every time she repeated it that deep in her heart she did care a

have felt so badly that I couldn’t, send when I found yon didn’t like v.il- ; entines—” “But I do.” ‘•Well, you sait you didn’t a’pose one of the girls conic, uake bisea its, and we declared we’d like to smother you in them—” “That explains; it I couldn’t think what I had done &> bring down a flood of that kind. Wc , I was overwhelmed if not smothered. ’ “But I can’t m&ce biscuits, and— “If you could $<mj the stacks at home, sixteen dozen 01: them, yon wouldn’t wonder that I say with emphasis. I’m glad yon can’t!” Ruth turned with laughing eyes: ! “Then I needn’t aijologise?” “No, indeed. - I like valentines better than biscuits, rat 1 guess it needed just that to show rae that I did.” “Sixteen dozen; What are you going to do with them ski?” “Take you horn; with me to help eat them. You haver t answered my question yet.” “I’m too young, ’ but a bright blush was on the face vorned again to the hills. Jo laughed, liking her shy ways, jet sure that he had a ;n favor in her eyes, i He wished he eo. d surprise her int o j turning this way s - jain. “ Yes, I thin k j I am too young. Thy, I’m only thirty; 1 but we can both lie growing older sis i fast as we can, and by next June we shall be old enough He insisted tha her aid was necessary in consnmin those biscuits, so .they stopped to tel Mrs. Hazen. What she could have see: in his face I cannot tell, bnt she went ato the house with the remark that it wouldn’t be the last meal Bath would at in the Jenninjfs house.” He lifted her froi the carriage with 1 a mute caress, aw leaving the black v

pony to walk leisurely into the opes dcor of the barn, he led Both into the sunny sitting-room where his mother sat in her cushioned easy-cbair, and said: “1 have brought home a valentine, mother. One I am going to keep," and while she drew the blushing face down to hers with he? thin, white hands and kissed it, Jo went out hurriedly to look after the pony and whisper in her ear that he was so happy. Meeting Martha on the way he stopped to tell her that Bath would stay to dinner, but his face* must have been a very telltale one, for he might just ns well have said that she was to stay fo r* ever, and Martha shook hands with a hearty “I’m so glad, Jo.”—Mrs. N. iu M. Boe, in Good Housekeeping. ST. VALENTINE’S DAY. Something About It* Origin and the Cm— (•monies Connected with It. Among the many names of saint) who Save been canonized by thechureli in past ages, two stand oat prominently as having received the wider canonization of the human heart: St. Nicholas, the patron of childhood, and St Valentine, the patron of lovers. Yet. in the ease of the latter it is difficult if not impossible, to trace any connec tion between the good bishop of the third century and the rites that have been so widely celebrated in his name. St Valentine was an Italian priest who suffered martyrdom at Borne in 270, or at Term m 306. Historians differ a6 to the date. Legend amplifies, by dwelling on the virtues of his life and the manner of his death, and tells how he was brought before Enape- ! ror Claudius 11. who asked why he did not cultivate his friendship by honoring his gods. As Valentine pleaded the cause of the one true God earnestly, Calphurnius. the priest, cried out that he was seducing the emperor, whereupon he was sent to Asterius to be judged. To him Valentine spoke of Christ, the Light of the World, and Asterius said: “If He be the light of the world He will restore the light to my daughter, who has been blind for two years. ” The maiden was brought, and after Valentino prayed and laid hands on her she received her sight.* Then Asterius asked that he and his household flight be baptized, whereat the emperor1, being enrqged, caused all to be imprisoned and Valentine to be beaten with clubs. Be was beheaded a year later at Borne on February 14, 27a History having little to tell concerning the man, makes amends by dwelling at length on the ceremonies observed on his day. They trace the origin of these to the Boman Lupercalia, celebrated in February, at which one practice was to put the names of women in a box to be drawn by the men, each being bound to serve and honor the woman whose name he had drawn.

The church tried to turn the existing custom to religious ends by substituting the name of saints, to whom a year’s devotion would, be paid. Possibly the change may have been instituted on the day made sacred by the martyrdom of the Roman saint, hence his connection with these observances. But changes came, and dead saints were neglected, for living sinners perhaps, and the old Roman custom somehow was transplanted to merrie Eng-, land, where lads and lasses met on the day of the Italian priest’s martyrdom to choose their valentine by lot or otherwise. An old custom was to throw open the window early in the morning, and the first person seen would be your valentine for the year. The eager swain would insure the right man being in the right place on that morning. But .it is historically and physiologically true that the man clung more to the maid he had chosen than to her who had chosen him, if the persons were not identical To meet this diffi-' culty a gift canceled the obligation of personal service. A modern legend tells that in this nineteenth century the good St. Valentine. with Peter’s leave, revisited the earth, thinking to find youth and life and love the same as in days of yore. But he found the girls too busy with music and science and philanthropy to receive him, and he came to the conclusion that they were “nothing if not pedantic,” and “anything hfit romantie” Yet the spirit of Sn Valentine will linger^ for love is never ont of date, and his fidelity marks him as the fitting patron and pattern of lovers for ail time.—Florence Wilson, in Ladies’ Home Journal. ‘ Pronunciation. Good old Deacon Thayer,, who was school trustee in the town of Mendon, Mass., onee said, when addressing the village school: “A correct pronunciation is of the utmost importance in this world and the jvorld to come. But how many people have it? We heard three words mispronounced the other day by persons of far more than ordinary culture, and the errors are all common ones. Before ’desuetude* was dragged from its own desuetude by the president, few persons pronounced it correctly. Very many persons habitually rhyme ‘squalor’ with holler, and hardly anybody pronounces *paresis’ correctly.”—Boston Gazette. Be Wanted to Find Ont. A little boy whose experience with elevators had been a very limited one was brought to the city a few days ago by his mamma, and in the course of two or three hours’ shopping the little fellow was taken up and down in different stores a good many times. c " Finally the two went to an office building, took chairs in a ‘ rather small room and waited. “ Where are we now, mamma?** asked the boy. “In Uncle Rob's office.” He glanced around the rather contracted quarters, and then asked: “When does it go up?”—Pittsburgh Chronicle. ________________ Cm. He—I wish you would let me be your valentine. She—1 wish yon were my valentine. * He—Darling! She—Because I could then send you off to some one.—Truth.

PEOPLE AT HOME AND ABROAD. Servia is a promising1‘country for young men with political ambition. Mr. Vesnitch, a member of the new ministry, is hardly thirty years old. Caft. an© Mbs. Thomas Crapo, now of the schooner Oriole, from Ne w Bedford, crossed the Atlantic together in 1877 in a little dory only nineteen feet long. . * It is said that at some day in the near future Edison proposes to visit North Carolina and begin active operations in developing methods for concentrating and reducing the sulphuret gold ores of that region. Prof. I. C. Russell, who made, in 1892, the nearly ^complete ascent of Mount St. Elias and the Malaspina glacier, perhaps the highest North American peak, lectured before the Appalachian Mountain chib, in Boston, recently. ') % *' There are women who will read with breathless interest that M. Paderewski, the night before a recent recital in London, practiced all night, or at least until 3;30 a. m. The morning after the recital he went to Cheltenham, where he played the same afternoon before a densely packed audience. He exhibited no fatigue. FARMING IN FOREIGN HANDS. The cotton crop of India for 1S98 was from 13 to 18 per cent, higher in the various provinces than that of the preceding year. Cotton culture is rapidly increasing in Bnrmah, as is indicated by the amount of exports, which increased seven fold in the la~>t fiscal year over those of the preceding year?

. - A A Family luatln. Physicians are not inclined to recommend te if medication to the laity. Yet there is one need which they are almost unable to supply. We refer to the “family laxative.” The family physician is able to prescribe for the most complicated and obscure of maladies and yet is often puzzled to know just what to give when asked for a remedy which can be kept in the house for family use as a laxative, that shall be effective, free from danger, and not unpleasant to take. When absent on our summer vacation we were asked by fourdifferentnarties. representing as many families, what we thought of the “Syrupof Figs.” Notone word did we volunteer on the subject, and we were somewhat surprised to lind that there was this small token of the very general use of that preparation. These parties said they derived more benefit from it arid found it more pleasant to take than anything of the kind they had ever used. The simple question with them was, :is it a dangerous compound? We informed them that its active ingredient was a preparation of senna, and that it was entirely free from danger. With this assurance they volunteered the information that they should continue to keep it in the house. The therapeutical properties of senna are so well known that comment on this seems, unnecessary. It might he well: to notice, however, that Bartholow says it is “a verysafe and serviceable cathartic,” and that it is “highly prized as a remedy for constipation.” He also makes the important observation that its use “is not followed by intestinal torpor and constipation.” The simple truth of the matter is, we have altogether too few preparations which we can recommend to our families as effective laxatives. Bat the California Fig Syrup company has one of the most desirablecombinations for this purpose with which we are familiar. The Fig Syrup company gives to the profession the composition of this preparation, therefore there is no secret about it; the persons-who use this laxative speak in the highestterm3 about it; and we are pleased to notice that a large number of physicians are prescribing it. Viewed from the narrowest and most selfish standpoint the physician - will lose nothing by recommending stfth a preparation as Syrnp of Figs to his patients; while viewed from the highest standpoint of doing the best possible by those who place themselves in our care, we would say the profession cannot do better than give their indorsement to such a preparation.—American Analyst. Arm the Ceremony.—Groom—“I say, will you see the minister for me? I -I quite forgot the wedding fee.” Father-in-law— “Young man, yon are beginning early. I expected you back from your wedding tour before this began.” SlOO Reward, SlOO. The reader of this paper will be pleased to learn that there is at least one dreaded disease that science has been able td cure in 'all its stages, and that is Catarrh. Hall's Catarrh Cure is the only positive cure known to the medical fraternity. Catarrh being a constitutional disease, requires a constitutional treatment., Hall's Catarrh Cure is taken internally, acting directly on the blood and mucous surfaces of the system, thereby destroying the foundation of the disease, and giving the patient' strength by building np the constitution and assisting nature in doingits work. The proprietors nave so much faith in its curative powers, that they offer One Hundred Dollars for any case that it fails to cure. Send for list of testimonials. Address, F. J. Chexet & Co, Toledo, O. 52T“Sold by Druggists, 75c. Hall's Family Pills, 25 cents. —---Vs Choiat—“My man says I must be- in love.” Chappie — “Dean me!” Cholly— “Ya-as. When he gave me a black tie instead of a white one with my evening suit I didn't notice it.” Chappie—“Deah me!” Cholly—“Ya-as. I wonder who she can be?”—Town Topics. Staggers—“I surely would hate to be the moon. Takes it two weeks to get full.’ J aggers—“And that isn’t the worst of it, either. After he is full it needs two more weeks to get over it.”—Indianapolis. Journal. W mu—“There’ only one way to decide whether marriage is a failure.” Wabble— “How?” Wibble—“Match for itT— Indianapolis Journal. The borrower is a good deal like pie crust —he is very “short’’ and very sweet— Truth. ‘

HOODS’ SARSAPARILLA PURIFIES THE BLOOD

Miss Blanche Clark Salt Rheum Bnke out on our little girl’s face. Her bands jw. led and blisters formed and later broke jpe n. The itching and burning sensation wa» terrible. Hood's Sarsaparilla cured her. it Bood’s^Cures is live a miracle. Her blood has become purified »nd ier flesh soft and smooth.” Mrs. Awn a l*. r. Cla iK, 401 East 4th Street. Duluth. Minnesota. Ht Off’S Pills cure liver ills, biliousness. Bond pa tion. jaundice, sick headache. 25c. -- Increased Appetite one of the first good effects fell, by users of Scott's Emulsion of cod-liver oil with Hypophosphi es. Good appetite begets good health. Scott’s Emulsion is a fat food that provides its own tonic. Instead of a tax upon appetite and digestion it is a wonderful help to both. Scotts Emulsion arrests the progress of Consumption, Bronchitis, Scrofula, and other wasting diseases by raising a barrier of healthy desk, strength a nd nerve. Prepared by Scott & Bowna. S. Y- All druggist*

“German Syrup” Just a. bad cold, and a hacking rough. We allsufferthat way sometimes. How to get rid of them is the study. Listen—“ I am a Ranchman and Stock Raiser. My life is rough and exposed. I meet all weathers in the Colorado mountains. I sometimes take colds. Often they are severe. I have used German Syrup five years for these. A few doses will cure them at any stage. The last one I had was stopped in 24 hours. It is infallible.' ’ Tames A. Lee, Jefferson Col. CD THIS IS IT the De Long {Fty? Hoc k & Eye Richardson St MM DeLongBros. Philadelphia. See that ft a hump?o€ TradadCariLkeg., AprSlWH, DELIABLE K.-SEED INSURE SUCCESS A COMPLETE CATALOGUE »f all Standard Variet ea and the new thineaof merit mailed free to all interested in rUvcn, Vanhnliiftr Famine- Ton will nae be iti—ppointed in the parity »r Tlt«lltj efear Seed*. Oar biuibesn bar stood the lest of 49 yearn. RLi NT SEED COMPANY, SIT NartftiSrd Street. - BT. W118, SO. s RAUFS AJTTMHEUKAT16 AND INTI-NAnUDUL CNEWIR8 6UM . Cureennd Piiwatt Rtwatteti, Indigestion, v I Dyspepsia. Bcartbatp. Catarrh and Asthma. , Useful in Meterle ar i Peters. Cleanses the ( ' 1 Teeth and Pioanatew the Appetite. Sweetens the Breath. Cares the Tobacco Habit. En-( I l docsed by the Medical Faculty. Send for 10,■' ' ]5 MrfitMt package. Be conduced. i guJZmiSw or Pottal JVeii. ( f -L 14wW. 2MSt., Sw IoA^

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