Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1901 — Page 3

DEATH. To lire, to die, To see the great unknown, T wonder if when we are dead We’ll know who’s right, who’s wrong. The end of life Is wrapped in darkest night; Will the effulgent sun arise On an eternal morn! We all must die, But shall we live again? Does death but mean eternal sleep. Or will we wake at dawn? And if we wake Will all our hopes be true? Have we beheld immortal truth With only human eyes? My ears have caught, U w'hen all was still as death, '' A song by fairest angels sung— Tt might have been a dream. —W. B. Parker, in the New Orleans Times-Democrat.

BEHIND A CURTAIN.

THE little street of “bijou residences near the park,’’ was pleasantly full of yellow sunshine and blue window boxes. Half way down a carriage Intensified the dry whiteness of the pavements and roads by its gleaming blackness. The straight-featured footman stood tear the carriage door, with black and white legs stiffiy posed, and eyes gazing forward with the regulation IWant of expression. He conversed Iwith the coachman In subdued and (Wary tones. - “Pretty looking girl at Number Bight.” Coachman rolled his eyes to the left scorner of his eyesockets, and perceived at Number Eight a bright young face, half veiled behind the draperies of the Ittrawing-room window. • “She’s Just out,” remarked the footman. “Here comes the fellow who’s most gone on her.” A gentleman walked alertly up to Number Eight pnconsclous of the scrutiny of the liveried critics, saw the lace at the window vanish suddenly, and smiled to himself as he rung the bell. He went up-stairs repeating audibly the little sentences of deftly hidden Sweetness and wooing he had prepared to say to her. She was very young, of enticing shyness and variableness, yet be was almost sure she loved him. He Sneant to ntter his carefully arranged phraseß cautiously! and, if a propitious moment or mood appeared, to make his proposal. The door was opened, he was announced and went forward eagerly to greet—her sister, and the latest novelty in five o’clock tea sets. He mumbled a disconcerted reply to the sister chaperone’s remarks, and gazed searchlngly about the room. Ob, Cor an eye of cathode ray power to see Mrhither she had flown! “What a delightful day!” said the lady. “London sunshine is the finest In the world; it Is so beautiful to see Its effect on the ordinary every day dimness and dullness. Like all fine things its value is heightened by Its Scarcity.” “Yes, fearfully hot The sun is blinding,” he observed abstractedly. Hang the sun! What has she run away Cor? Were all those blushes and shy looks merely the result of timidity and self-consciousness? He could swear be saw her pretty face and shoulders St the window as he came up the Steps “One lump, please,” he murmured. “Did you enjoy yourself at Lady Cardby’s dance?” "As much as the chaperone may,” answered the young dame, with an ancient air that sat bewltehlngly upon her coquettish fairness. “A sister lately ‘brought out’ is a great responsibility. Besides, the ‘buds’ detract from the ‘blossoms.’” “You are youthful enough to rank with the buds,” he smiled with a sudden gleam of sanity and gallantry. "Is Miss Maydey quite well?” “Very well, thank you. In fact she Is a little too brisk and lively for my nerves sometimes.” “Really? Now I thought her the quietest, demurest of little maids—if I may be permitted to express any thought about so charming a young lady.” He spoke with an affedted lightness that was more intense than the greatest earnestness. Evidently the slßter understood his case. She turned her beautifully dressed head aside for an instant, and her mouth quivered with suppressed mirth. “Ah, that Is her ‘society’ manner, and will depart when she has seen a season or two,” she affirmed. “When we are alone, I assure you, she Is the most provoking, teasing, laughing, mischievous child you could possibly find. She has no reverence for my dignity or my toilets. Yesterday she burst in upon me with the avowed Intention of ‘making me giggle!”’ He was listening with attentive ears —the ears of a lover to whom any and everything concerning his mistress Is of more Importance than the total Instantaneous disappearance of a great nation or the collapse of all the thrones of Europe. Suddenly he saw the velvet curtain—which draped one side of the flower-filled fireplace, at which he was looking—quiver strangely. Scarcely a breath of wind came In through the open windows, and the grate was blocked entirely by a sheet of painted looking glass. Moreover, the curtain on the other side hung more flatly and closely than its quivering fellow, which bulged out here and there In a manner unknown to artistic upholsterers. A suspicion flashed through his dazed brain. He sat up with renewed •nergy and said: "You tre describing a very charming character. lam half In love with

your description of a girlish life and waywardness.” He paused and saw the curtain give a quick, wavering, tremulous convulsion to Its folds, which Instantly became still again as he continued: “Do you think it worth a man's while to try to exist with half a heart?” “Really,” said the lady, "I am not a specialist In diseases of the heart.” “But,” he pleaded, “you have broken so many to heal one that your experience must be of value, and your opinion very well worth hearing—like that of a general practitioner.” “Well.” answered the young matron, cautiously, “It Is certainly better to live with a whole heart, or even half of one, than without any at all. It Is more natural to exist with a heart and consequently It Is more graceful.” “I am doomed to ungalnliness./then, though 1 will fling the rest after the first part and live a life of unnatural, Inartistic, nightmarish ugliness. Pity my fate! If only the sweet thief who i has stolen my heart would give It back i to me—with her own—l think I could i manage to make myself satisfied with | my existence.” He was looking at the curtain. The i curtain became agitated and swayed , to and fro. “Well,” said the sister champion. “I , think you are too greedy. Two hearts belonging to one person Is as unnafUr- I al as no heart.” “What shall I do? Persuade the ' thief to exchange the bobty and share 1 It?” “That would be best, I think,” she 1 said, laughing, and looking In his eyes. He flushed and stared at the now motionless curtain. Then he looked back at her questloningly. The youug dame nodded her fair head slightly, 1 and picked up a piece of needlework lying on a work basket A light flashed Into his eyes. He put the cup and saucer he had been holding In his hands down on the tray and half rose from his chair. The lady motioned him to sit down. “Well, hearts are artful things often, and all the task and discussion of them is artless.” she said. “Let os be sensible.” “Are we ever sensible?” he said stupidly. “I don’t know. J» wonder If we are most sensible when we are most senseless? They say insane people always fancy themselves sane and others Insane. How queer If all the lunatics are really sensible and all the sensible world (as we think ourselves) Insane! Isn’t It 'a gruesome Idea? See what comes of speaking of impossibilities!” “Are you sure we have been talking of Impossibilities?” he Inquired anxiously. “What Is an impossibllty—a future certainly?” "I hope,” said he. “1 am not perfectly sure. Who can be? But I think that Is a right definition.” Still he looked at the curtain (whose strange Inequalities were continually and slowly shifting over Its velvet surface) and the sister said quickly: “Dear met I have forgotten to give Davis a most Important order. Please pardon me for one moment” The agitation of the curtain amounted almost to a distinct' shuddering among its folds. Then a stiff stillness ensue<L The sister chaperone was gone.

He walked over to the curtain. "Will you take my love and give me yours?” he said softly. The curtain fluttered and instantly drew Itself tightly In a crouching human shape. “Forgive me! Love that can laugh at locks sees through a curtain. I love yon, darling. Will you take my love for yours?” The curtain did not move. “Do answer, my lovel If it is ‘yes,’ lift the curtain; if it Is ‘no,’ let It drop as It was before.” A second or two and then three white fingers lifted a corner of the velvet. He dragged the curtain aside and lifted up a little kneeling figure with its hands pressed over Its face. “My beautiful one!” he said, clasping her to him. “What made you hide there?” “I don’t know,” said a soft, muffled voice. “I saw you at the window, did I not, love?” “Yes.” "Then why ” ' The hands came down and a pretty, flushed, childish round face/ looked up, defiantly shy lu Its Impetuous boldness. “Why, Annie laughed at me for blushing when I saw you In the street and I said I wouldn’t see you. I couldn’t get out, and so 1 hid behind the curtain.” “But you love me. Say you love me.” “I never say what I am bidden to say.” And her head went down again. “How long Is a moment?” asked the sister, opening the door. "As short as Joy,” he said happily.— Waverley Magazine.

Kaffir Hanking.

The Kaffirs have a remarkably atm- j pie method of banking. Before setting i out to trade they select one of their number as their banker, and • put all their money In his bag. When an article is purchased by any of those who are In this combine the price la taken by the banker from the bag, counted several times and then paid to the seller. After which all the bank .depositors cry out to the banker. In the presence of two witnesses selected) “You owe me so much.” This Is the* repeated by the witnesses. The general accounting comes between the banker and bis several depositors when all the purchases bars been made, after which all the natives go home.—London Express.

TERRITORyAFFECTED Ry THE STEEL STRUKE.

The great strike of iron, steel and tin workers sweeps over a stretch of country from the western boundary of New Jersey to the Mississippi river sCnd beyond. It takes in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with offshoots In Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Maryland. Already the strike Is on at plants in

Aids Franco-Russo Alliance .

Princess Catherine Youriewskl, daughter of the murdered Emperor Alexander 11. of Austria by his second wife, Princess Dolgorouka, has become officially gaged to the Diike of Chaulnes, head , of one of the junior branches of that ancient ducal French house, of which the Duke of Luynesls the chief. The Duke of Chaulnes has Russian blood in his veins, for hi s mother was that famous beauty, Princess Sophie Galitzin, who, after being treated In the most abominable manner by the family of her husband, both prior to his death, but more especially afterward, died literally of starvation in one of the most poverty - s t rlcken parts of the French capital.

Innocent of anything beyond mere coquetry and Indiscretions, compromised by the attentions of a man who had no other claim to social distinction than that? he was one of her numerous train of adihirers, she was deprived by her husband’s win of the guardianship of her children, which were taken from her by a family council. She endeavored to recover them, and was in consequence thereof indicted for attempting to kidnap them. The court, however,, prejudiced against her as a foreigner, though it was, declined to convict her on the ground that she had really done nothing to Justify her children being taken from her. Lack of funds prevented her from taking any further steps to establish her rights. The social power of her stern fanatic old mother-in-law, the Duchess of Chevreuse, was too great to admit of any one risking her anger by befriending the unfortunate young Duchess. Every door waß closed against her and without a single bad act being proved against her she died of hunger Us an outcast in a Paris slum and without seeing her children. Her eldest boy, the present Duke of Chaulnes, was about five years old when she tried to abduct him from the gloomy castle of her mother-in-law In the south of France.

Short Personal Stories.

Mark Twain tells thus the story of his first great London banquet, at which, by the way, there were 800 or 900 guests. He admits that, not having been used to that kind of dinner, he felt somewhat lonesome. “The lord mayor, or Bomebody, read out a list of the chief guests before we began to eat. When he came to prominent names the other guests would applaud. I found the man next to me rather a good talkel\ Just as we got up an Interesting subject there was a tremendous clapping of hands. I had hardly ever heard such applause before. I straightened up and set 'to clhpplng with the rest, and I noticed a good many people round me fixing their attention on me, and some of them laughing in a friendly and encouraging way. I moved about in my chair and clapped louder than ever. “ ‘Who Is it?’ I asked the gentleman on my right. “ ‘Samuel Clemens, better known In England as Mark Twain, ’ he replied. “I stopped clapping. The life seemed to go out of me. I never was In such a fix In all my days.” Mrs. Edwin Gould Is one of the most ardent collectors In America and at one time she declared that If she could only get hold of the club with which Cain pommeled Abel she would be the happiest of women. On a recent visit to New Orleans she explored the French quarter of that city and was rewarded by " finding numerous relics of- days long before Andrew Jackson whipped the British there. She also

thirty-nine towns, and all of the plants of the United States Steel Corporation in these various states will, it is believed, be seriously affected before the end of the trouble. The leaders of the Amalgamated association are going slowly, but threaten to call a strike on every combination controlled by the United States Steel Corporation

PRINCESS CATHERINE YOURIEWSKI.

picked up many valuable articles dating back to the Napoleonic period, one being a solid sliver piece which once had been the property of Jerome Bonaparte. About a year ago Mrs. Alfred Schermerhorn, a society woman of Brooklyn, lost her fortune In speculation. Nearly all of her swell friends manifested sucfS strong disposition to drop her acquaintance that Mrs. Schermerhorn took the initiative by dropping theirs, and being a woman of sense began to look around for some means of self-support-She hit upon the idea of

Miss hfary Preble Anderson, who broke the customary bottle of champagne to christen the battleship Main®, launched at Philadelphia Saturday, comes of a famous naval family. She Is a great grand-daughter of Commodore Edward Preble, who having distinguished himself as a young man in the American navy during the revolution, commanded the ConstitutionOld Ironsides—during the famous expedition against the Barbary pirates. He has always been styled the father

Christened the Maine .

MISS MARY PREBLE WHO CHRISTENED THE MAIND

before they are done. The mass of the men and plants affected are In Pennsylvania and Ohio, as the number of black dots on the map will ( Indicate, The number of men out now In Pennsylvania is 21,000, in Ohio 23.000, In Indiana 10,000, and in Illinois 2,000. As.many more may be involved later In the struggle with the steel trust .

operating a laundry and opened such an establishment In Southampton, L. I-, whore the faithful among her former friends are helping to make the venture a success.

The English Liberals.

While Lord Roseberry has been free to criticise his own party and to allege that it could not exist under its present conditions he has been equally unreserved concerning the conservative party and government. Never, said he, in the remembrance of any impartial observer, has there been "any government which had crowded such a frightfu.l assemblage of error, weakness and wholesale blunders into Its administration.” The grave fault of the liberals is they can agree on no policy. They are split into fragments and yet so desirous are the leaders to keep together that at a dinner a short time since given at the Reform club, a vote of confidence was given to Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman as the leader of the party. This, said Loyd Roseberry, quoting the famous phrase of Disraeli, is "organized hypocrisy.” In fact the liberal party in Qreat Britain is very much in the plight of the democratic party in the civil war, “in favor of the war, but agin its prosecution.” It has been discovered that the Rothschilds are the holders of the missing ticket for the prize of 100,000 francs in M. Coquelin’s lottery in behalf of the Dramatic Artists' association at Paris. They have given the money to the society. General Fitzhugh Lee has decided that the business in which he has determined to engage upon retiring into private life near Richmond, Va., will be "of an Industrial character," but beyond this he has refused to make any statement for publication. According to the anthropologist, Alfredo Nlcefore, a north Italian differs less from a German than he does from a Sicilian. ,

of the American navy, because it was he who first made it famous abroad. His nephew, Admiral George H. Preble, was distinguished in the war against Mexico and in the civil war, and his grandson, Edward Deering Preble, uncle to Miss Anderson, rose to be lieutenant commander in the navy, and was navigator of the Kearsarge in its battle with the Ala'bama. Miss Anderson lives with her parents In Deering street, Portland, and is well known socially.

A WeeK IN INDIANA.

RECORD OF HAPPENINGS FOR SEVEN DAYS. I , t' StrnvKr Kthal s.rlko* a Sunken Log ou Webster Lake, and Twenty-Nine Kx< uraloulete Hnve a Narrow Eeoape (mm Drowsing—Hunt Sinks. Chiiroli Worker*’ Sreslon. The business session of the thirteenth annual convention of the Young People’s Christian Union of the United and Ascoclated Reform Presbyterian church of North America began at Winona lake. The following national officers were elected: President. Millard McMurdock of Marissa, Ill.; recording secretary, Mary J. Stew- j art. of Philadelphia: press secretary, John A. Craford of Chicago; treasurer, E. K. Marquiy of Indianapolis; junior ■chairman, J. A. Crosby of Aurora, 111. Mr. Marquis pledges to raise $50,000 for t! e work of the United Presbyterian church. W. C. Nicoll, who retired as president, will soon leave for Rawai Pindi, India, as one of the faculty of the Gordon Memorial college, the donors of which are Miss Ina Law Robertson and Miss Eleanor C. Law of Chicago. Nearly 1,000 delegates And visitors are there. General Secretary T. E. Hanna in his report showed 1,100 societies, with combined membership of 40,000 United Presbyterians, while the number of Associated Reform branch will reach 20,000, principally in the southern states. Bryan a Clilaf Attraction. On Democratic day at the Island Park assembly Colonel W. J. Bryan was the chief attraction.. A secret meeting of politicians was scheduled to be held at 1 o’clock, at which district and state politicians were ex- | petted to be present. James M. Robin- . Son, Congressman of the Twelfth In- | (liana district, presented Mr. Bryan amidst loud applause. Mr. Bryan said that for the past few years he had devoted his time to politics and a study of the government and he had decided that'if this nation was going to be a great nation the people were to bo aroused to high ideals. He would | make a Democratic speech, meaning It not In a partisan sense, but In that broadest sense, which means rule by the people. Ho lauded Thomas Jefferson and said he was the greatest Democrat that ever lived and compared him with Lincoln. He referred to the United States as a conquering nation and Bald: "If you show me a man who wants to conquer the Filipinos I will say that I believe we want to conquer the world. Not only do I believe it, but think it is possible.” Mr*. (r*M* Kill* W. IC. Or*y. William E. Gray, a stone contractor of Franklin, was shot and instantly killed at the Red Mills, near Boggstown, by Mrs. Martin Freese. The woman was visiting relatives near there and had gone to the creek to fish. She also took a bath, and Gray came upon her while she was bathing, and, it is alleged, Insulted her. She came to town, procured a revolver, and, accompanied by her husband, a former employe of Gray, returned to the place where he was working, and, without a word of warning, she shot . twice, the second bullet piercing Gray’s heart and causing instant death. Mrs. Freese Is still at large. Birth In a l*ntrnl Wtfon. If the young son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Larson of Hobart, Ind,, pursues the course which might be expected from circumstances surrounding his birth, he will eventually become a policeman. The boy first saw the light of day through - the narrow windows of a patrol wagon speeding swiftly to the Englewood Union hospital, Sixty-fourth and Ha sted streets. Chicago. They had gone from Hobart to visit the young woman’s mother, who lives on the North side. Lerson is foreman in a manufacturing plant at Hobart. I*l*nd V’ftrk Amftniblf. The annual meeting of the Island Park assembly at Rome City opened with a coneert. The assembly talent and faculty for the year Includes Gen. John J. Gordon, Rev. Marshall C. Lowe, Rev. Sam Jones, Wallace Bruce, Rev. Edmund F. Albertson, Rev. C. A, Vincent, Rev. 8. 8. Hager, Rov. Ulysses A. Foster, Rev. Aaron' Worth, Rev. N. B. C. Love, J. E. Bolless Prof. H. V. Richards, Col. Robert Cowden, John M. Wiley, Rev. W. F. Harding and Rev. J. V. Coombs. Kxnunlon lloat Sink*. The steamer Ethel, on Webster Lake, twelve miles north of Washington, struck a sunken log and In two minutes the boat sank from sight. Twen-ty-nine excursionists were rescued, some of them in an unconscious state. It is thought all were saved. The boat sank in forty feet of water. Indiana New* In Hrl*f, Sullivan.—Elder M. Wilson Yocum of the First Christian church has resigned, to take effect on Bept. 30. He came here from Brazil and has been very popular. Indianapolis will be unable to meet its August bills unless there is some immediate change in the city’s financial conditions. The treasury is empty and no loan can be negotiated without the authority of the council. The council is not in session and will not ' again convene until August 5.

People and Events

May Wed "Roseberry. The Duchess of Albany, whose engagement to Lord Roseberry is made the subject of reports and counter reports from the headquarters of court gossip in London, is one of the comeliest and most popular of the women of the British royal family. When she married Prince Leopold in 1882 she was the Princess Helen of Waldeck. Leopold, the Duke of Albany, died in ICB4, leaving his widow with two children, Princess Alice and the present duke. The future Countess of Roseberry bears a striking resemblance to the young Queen of Holland, but tbla

DUCHESS OF ALBANY.

is not surprising when It Is remembered that she is an aunt to that interesting sovereign. The duchess is very domestic in her tastos, is an excellent needlewoman. \

A Silly Mission.

Rev. Dr. George C. I<orlmer of Boston is In London. He is the sonsatlonal pastor of Tremont Temple when he is at home and his religion Is a mixture of many, with politics thrown in as a side line. Since reaching England he has found, to his dlßmay, that a considerable number of tho clergymen are not only opposed to tho Boer war but publicly avow such opposition. To the Lorlmer mind this is rebellious, un-Christian, indocent. He is so deeply offended that he is going to take the rostrum and spend the next two months denouncing tiiese clergymen in case he fails to convert them. It will be interesting to know how many converts the doctor will make among this class. Naturally they will resent tho presence of a foreigner who comes to abuse them if they do not fall Into line with his suggestions; again it will strike them as queer that the United States, which so generally has sympathized with the Boers, should furnish a clergyman to misrepresent his countrymen at the seat of British power and to traduce those who, from a sense of justice, feel impelled to take issue with their government because they believe it to be In the wrong. Mr. Lorlmer would have these men act contrary to the dictates of their consciences in considering the war—and support it blindly. He has a strange conception of English character, which is nothing if not candid and fearless of consequences, when it comes to determining public questions. Americans repudiate Lorlmer and his mission. They sympathize with the Bocrß and all the bellowing of the Boston preacher cannot change this sentiment. They respect the English clergy who have the courage to record their opposition to the unequal struggle in South Africa and feel that men of this stamp have nothing to fear at the hands of the Massachusetts ranter who represents only himself in the self-appointed, cheeky and undemocratic mission he has undertaken.

Would Stop Greating.

Thomas U. Mlnahau of Columhus, 0., who has originated a movement for the abolition of the American custom of “treating," presented his plans to the central division of the Knlghta of Columbuß at their meeting in Put* ln-Bay a few days ago. Mr. Mlnahan Is a prominent attorney of Columbua and deputy of this district of the Knights of Columbus. This movement Is endorsed by eminent divines of the Roman Catholic church and of the Protestant denomination. He says

that the obliteration of the custom of treating, so extensively practiced by Americans, is the first real step toward total abstinence. He is confident that with the active support of the churcheß the movement will become national. The initial step was taken in the ranks of the Columbus Council No. 1, Knights of Columbus, which adopted resolutions pledging Its members to refrain from the custom. When it Is considered that the national organization has a membership of 80,000, the real Importance of this crusade will be understood.