The true Democrat. [volume], August 28, 1897, Image 2

About The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928

Image provided by: Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge, LA

                
TIHE. TRUE -: DEMOCRAT.
PUVLISHED WEEKLY AT
ST. FRANCII8VILLE. LOUISIANA.
The people of the United States
read and support as many newspapers
as England, France and Germany
combined.
The New York Tribune thinks that
abbreviations are sometimes objection
able, as, for instance, when the Ten
nessee centennial exposition is re
ferred to as "the Tenn. Cent. Show."
"One of the greatest victories yet
ach~eved for the dairy industry is the
enactment and Governor's signatnre
of the Illinois law which prohibits the
coloring of oleomargarine," observes
Orange Judd Farmer.
Governor Tanner of Illinois vetoed
the bill to permit the use of voting
machines on the ground that such a
method of voting would not conform
to the constitutional provision that
"all votes shall be by ballot."
There has been of late such an ex
traordinary craze for balloon ascents
in Vienna, that the municipal council,
on account of the number of accidents,
has issued an order to the effect that
"every one who should wish to make
a balloon ascent must prove that he
has followed the course of aeronautic
science. Married men desiring to
take part in an aerial voyage cannot
do so without the consent of their
wives and children."
An Arkansas lawyer, who was a
native of North Carolina, not long ago
wanted to inform a juror, also a native
of North Carolina, that they both
hailed from the same state. So he
dropped some chewing gum, stepped
upon it, and pretended that his heel
had stuck to the floor. This gave him
an opportunity to say that he was a
"Tar Heel'.' and that the warmth of
the room had made the tar run. The
verdict proved that the Tar Heels
stuck together.
Ex-President Grover Cleveland has
declined an invitation to lecture next
winter in the young men's course at
Jamestown. "You nay be sure," he
writes, "that if I could bring myself
to the conclusion of delivering lec
tures anywhere, I would choose James
town as the place in which to begin
the new departure. Inasmuch, how
ever, as I have determined not to
enter the lecture field, I feel con
strained to decline your gratifying in
vitation."
Justice Dean of the supreme court
of Pennsylvania thinks the shirking
of jury duty by the average citizen is
a high crime. "I would," he says,
"take the banker from his desk, the
editor and professor from their chair s,
the preacher from his pulpit, and put
them in the jury-box. Instead of
leaving to them the sole port of criti
cising aul denouncing courts and
juries, I would make jury duty as im
perative and as certain as payment of
taxes on a house and lot."
Cyclists who from hygienic motives,
eternly deny themselve. a drink when
parched with the thirst of exertion and
the dust of the country road, will be
comforted by the views of Dr. Lncas
Chamnpionniere of Paris, an emipent
authority on the subject, who recom
mends during exercise as much drink.
as the cyclist can comfortably swal
low-and hoy much that is!-but no
solid food. It is useless to eat dur
ing violent exercise, he declares, but
it is important to drink, and if the
body is in good condition the only re.
sult of even repeated "quenchers" is
a decrease in weight. Irrench cyclists
are said to" be in want of a patron
saint. Dr. Championniere ought to
suit them to a nicety.
The morphine habit, according to a
recent French work, is most prevalent
in Germany, France and the United
States, the number of victims being
large also in Russia, Sweden, Turkey
and the remote east. Entire villages
in Germany are said to be addicted to
the use of the drug. Not less than 40
per cent. of the male victims are sup
plied by the medical profession, 15
per cent. being men of leisure, eight
per cent. merchants, and the smallest
number being found among pheasants,
clergymen and politicians. Of the
female victims, 43 per cent.are women
of leisure and 10 per cent. are wives
of medical men. Hypodermic action
of morphia, laudanum drinking and
opium smoking are the various forms
ofindulgence, the most fashionable
being probably the first named.
Nearly one million telegrams pass
through the general postoffice of Lon
don every weki.
OUR LATTER DAYS.
A cloudy morning, and a golden eve, 'Tis an old tale, beloved; we may find
Warm with the glow that never lingers Heart stories all around us just the
long- same.
Such is our life; and who would pause to Speak tothe sad, and tell them God is kind;
grieve Do they not tread the path through which
Over a tearful day that ends in song? we came?
The dawn was gray, and dim with mist and Our youth went by in rooelessness and
rain; haste,
There was no sweetness in the chilly And precious things were lost as soon as
blist; gained;
Dead leaves were strewn along the dusky Yet patiently our Father saw the waste,
lane And gathered up the fragments that re
That led to the sunset light at last. mained.
Taught by'His love, we learnt to love aright;
Led by His hand, we passed through dreary ways
And now how lovely is the mellow light
That shines so calmly on our latter days!
-Sarah Doudney, in Sunday Magazine.
000
a r THE MAGIC BRE'ASTPIN.
SBy L. E. Van Nooman.
HEN I saw that it
was likely to rain all
day I determined to
o° visit my friend Azral,
who keeps the vertu
shop on Wardour
street. I had sev
eral holidays on hand
and knew of no more delightful way
of spending an idle hour than in look
ing over old Azral's collection of vertu,
which had a great fascination for me.
The old man, who had taken quite a
fancy to me--probably because Icould.
appreciate his love for the bizarre and
antique-and who even became quite
chatty at times, was a venerable He
brew who boasted descent from David.
Contrary, to the traditional character
istics of his race, he was frank and
open-handed-I had found him even
generous.
A fine old fellow he was, tall, majes
tic, with a long white beard sweeping
his breast; statelyand slow in speech,
polite, but not cringing, with that
self-respecting courtesy which Dickens
gives us in Riah, the "Godmother." I
cannot say why, but he was my mind
picture of Aaron-he had a sort of
silent eloquence about him. Without
kith or kin, he lived in the love of his
relics, his children he called them.
And a rare and exquisite, but decided
ly diversified, family he had.
The shop, which was wedged in be
tween a jeweler's on one hand and a
second-hand book-dealer's on 'the
other, was narrow and low, but ex
tended back some distance. On
shelves in the walls, on tables, in
drawers were spread the objects of his
passion in the most enchanting disre
gard for the conventional modes of ar
rangement. Here a shelf of old
Dutch faience showed stout burgomas
ters in.ibue and' yellow. Next was a
shelf from which gleanied arms and
cutlery, swords, real Damascus blades,
of so magnificent a temper as to admit
of being bent in a circle. Here 'vas a
bureau drawer full of exquisite ivory
sarvings, crucifixes and amulets of rich
and varied workmanship side by side
with diminutive Persian narghiles and
squat Chinese josses. In the next was
agate from Japanese lapidaria, along
with wood fretwork from Geneva and
jet from Cornwall. .Here hung a paint
ing of Cimabue, here one of Guido,
there one of Benjamin West.
To examine such a curiosity shop
was my delight, and I often resorted
there. He had lately bought a stock
of Moorish jewelry, and asked me to
examine it. I eagerly complied, and
while looking it over saw a curious
breastpin that immediately attracted
my attention. A delicate little golden
heart held together two swords crossed.
The swords were each about three
inches long, one a Scotch claymore of
pure green gold, the baskethilt of the
most beautiful lace-like arabesque
tracery of gold interwoven with silver.
At the end of the handle sparkled a
tiny topaz, scintilating like an impris
oned sunbeam. The other was an
Eastern simitar, with broad, slightly
curving blade and an edge of some
white metal, possibly silver. At the
cross-piece of the handle there was a
ruby, and at each end of the cross
piece a diamond of the purest water.
The heart bore two inscriptions, one
in Arabic and one in Latin.
The Latin was "Gladii duo, cor
nnum." The whole thing had a rich
exotic look about it that stimulated
my curiosity. I asked my venerable
friend if I might buy it.
"''No," he said slowly--"no, that is
not for sale; but if you like it I will
tell you its history."
I replied that nothing would please
me better.
"That breastpin," said he, "is a
trust confided to me. Last year I was
in the Holy Land with my mother, in
Jerusalem. Once on a journey to visit
my kinsman, Javau, at Damascus, I
came upon a poor Turk half dead by
the wayside. He had been attacked
and beaten by robbers so that he was
dying. I got off my beast, and went
to him and tried to lift him up. He
attempted to speak. Bending close, I
caught the question in Arabic:
"'Art thou a Jew?'
" 'I am.'
"'I had some faint hope that thou
werta Christian, a European, per
chance an Englishman.'
"'I live in England, in London,' I
said.
"The dying man clasped his hands.
'Allah is good,' he whispered. 'Do
thou lift my head up. I have a trust.
I will confide it to thee.' Here his
breath came thick and I could scarcely
hear the words. 'My father-made
me promise--to get this-to--James
-called Thurs-by -- Lon-it--nay,
by the beard of the Prophet, I will tell
thee,' he cried, starting up 'it is--'
but the spark of life was almost out.
It flickered, and he had only strength
to pat his hand into his bosom and
ppaurly drew it forth again when death
began to glaxe his eyes. 'Allah Ak
bar!' he murmured faintly, and the
spark went out.
"He had taken from his breast that
jewel; the parchment around it said:
'James Thursby, Singleton Cross,
London, England,' and I must de
liver it to James Thursby." The old
man paused.
"My wife's father was James Thurs
by!" I exclaimed, excitedly. "He
has been dead these ten years, and
Singleton Cross is our home."
"Then if thou art really his rela
tive thou hast been blest of fortune.
Mine eyes would rejoice to behold thy
wife."
The next day I brought my wife with
me to see the venerable Hebrew.
"Daughter," said he, after we had
presented indisputable groof of our
connection to James Thursby, and
given documentary evidence of my
wife's genealogy-for the old man,
friendly as he had been, was cautious
about giving up his trust, and in that
he was, of course, justifiable-"and
so, my daughter, thy sire was James
Thursby. Then I have fulfilled my
trust," and he handed her the beauti
ful jewel.
Once at home we were all burning
with eagerness to examine it more
closely. I held it up to the light. As
I did so the handle of the simitar
pressed against my hand, and click
the swords uncrossed. They had been
set at angle of about twenty degrees,
and now they were at right angles. I
was astonished, perplexed. I tried to
get them back to their original posi
tion, but they were firm. What did
it mean? I turned the pin around in
every conceivable way, pressed every
part for secret springs, but no solution
of the puzzle offered itself. Much dis
appointed I laid it down, and my wife
took it and began to examine it.
In picking it up the point of the
claymore pressed against the table,
and her finger rested on the hilt of
the simitar. Immediately there was
a click as before, but-mirabile dictu!
-the jewel did not assume its original
form, but the simitar opened like a
box split lengthwise. That is, there
were . now two scimetars precisely
alike, each one half as thick as the
first one, joined by a most perfect but
entirely invisible hinge, and inside
was a tiny piece of very, very fine
parchment.
Trembling with eagerness I opened
the parchment. Ha!-something writ
ten but in Arabic. What a shame!
But no; I would show it to my friend
the Jew. He would interpret it for
me.
1 looked longingly at the claymore
and tried to open it. I set its point
on the table and pressed its hilt. No
result! Then I remembered that when
the simitar opened the point of the
sword touched the table and my wife
pressed the hilt of. the former weapon.
I believed I had found the secret.
Setting the points of the Saracen
weapon on the table I touched the
basket hilt of the tiny claymore.
Magic! Open flew the sword. In it
was a paper or parchment like the
other, but-triumph!-in English.
And this is what it said (I had to use
a magnifying glass to read it):
"In the Name of God. Amen!"
Then followed the regular legal for
mula of an English will, bequeathing
to James Thursby or his heirs the sum
of $90,000 sterling, to be found de
posited in the Bank of England. It
was signed "Noureddin Aga," and
witnessed with long Turkish names.
Then followed the name of a prom
inent London business house as agent
of Noureddin, and in whose naine the
deposit had been made.
To say that I was utterly dumb
founded is to put it very mildly in
deed. It read so much like a fairy
trale that I almost looked to see the pin
take wings and fly ofi. As for my
wife, she acted as though she was be
witched. We eat staring at each
other in silence. She was the first to
speak.
"Stephen," she said, "I think-"
but here there came a voice from the
door. "Where's Sue?" it said, and
my wife's elder half-brother appeared.
No sooner, however, had he glanced
at the table than he stopped short and
cried excitedly: "Where did you get
that?"
"We are just recovering from the
surprise it gave us," said I, laughing.
"Look at it."
But he had it in his hand before I
had spoken, saying as he picked it up,
"This is worth a fortune to you."
I looked at Sue in surprise.
"What is it, Arthur?" she asked
eagerly. "Tell us about it; we
don't understand."
"As I thought," he said, as he
scanned the dobtment in English.
"Arthur," said his sister. fretfully,
"how can you keep us in such saus
pense?"
"Well," replied Arthur, "it's rather
a long story, but you shall have it as I
got it from your father. The Thursbys,
you know, are a very old family. They
date back further than the Conquest.
The Jarl Malise Thursbigh, for so it
was originally spelled, is said to have
been a Norwegian, who came to Scot
land some time about the year 1000
A. D. His grandson Magnus was a
knight in the First Crusade. He
fought under Hugh of Vermandois at
the battle of Antioch. During a
desperate charge Magnus' heavy Nor
man horse stepped on a wounded
Turk and crushed his foot.
"In the heat of battle Magnus could
not stop for one man, though he did
remark the noble countenance of the
Moslem over whom he had ridden.
But after the Turks had been driven
back, and he, like a true knight, was
caring for the wounded scattered over
the plain, he came across this'same
man. Magnus cared for him, nursed
him tenderly, and they struck up quite
a friendship. Noureddin, the Turk,
was a man of affluence and nobility
of character. Before they separated
they exchanged weapons, Noureddin
taking Magnus' heavy Scotch clay
more, and Magnus the simitar of the
Moslem.
"They met again at Ascalon, this
time Magnus being a prisoner. The
chivalrous Mussulman treated him like
a prince and had two jeweled breast
pins made by a Damascene artisan,
showing a sword crossing a simitar
over a heart of gold. Each took one as
a keepsake, and solemnly swore-a
strange compact it was-that when the
male line of either failed all the earth
ly possessions of that house should go
to the laot surviving member of the
other's family. Where did you get
this?"
I explained to, ht:h sll I knew of it.
"I see," he said, "the Turk must
have been the last oi his house. I
have no doubt he had all his property
arranged in this way by bank deposit,
in accordance with the oath of his an
cestor made 800 years before."
There is nothing more to be said ex
cept that I went to' the bank, and found
everything all correct, and my wife
heiress to £90,000. My old friend the
virtuoso I did not forget, bmt made
him a present of the next stock of cur
iosities I came acrosS. As for the pin,
it is guarded with great care and vener
ation, and brought out only on state
occaslons.-Arthur's Home Magazine.
Suicide of a Dog.
The tenants of Nos. 10, 12 and 14
Forsyth street, were badly frightened
by a dog, which they thought mad.
Henry Westey, the janitor of No. 12,
saw the animal first, and he says its
eyes bulged, its mouth frothed, and
its mouth snapped as it began to circle
around him on the sidewalk. He
picked up a child that was playing
near and running into the house,
darted into a room on the ground floor
just in time to save his life and that of
the child. For the dog, a small brown
cur, came with a bump and a growl
against the door. Then the dog went
up to the roof, the people in the house
shrieking the warning to keep out of
the way.
A few minutes later the dog leaped
off the roof to a shed five stories below
and broke its legs. A man in the shed
was frightened out of it by the thud of
the fall, but his wife from the window
above shrieked to him to hurry back
'out of sight of the infuriated animal.
A policeman came and shot the dog.
Then a reporter arrived and began to
inquire among the neighbors about the
history of the dlog's niadness. It is
possible he was mad, if despair, hun
ger, thirst and ill-treatment can affect
the canine brain. For one of the
women remembered that the dog had
been seen on the roof for three days.
Sometimes it had scratched at the
doors for food or water, but it got
none. The women drove it off with
brooms and the men hurled at it the
next thing at hand. It was a pretty
clear case of animal suicide which the
janitor might have prevented with a
drink of water or a morsel of food.
New York Post.
A Sparrow's Gratitude to a Boy.
It is a rare occurrence for animals
in a wild state to select a man for a
companion and friend, yet well-authen
ticated instances when this has been
done are a matter for record The
following incident is vouched for by a
young woman who is a close and ac
curate observer:
"Last week my brother (a lad of
twelve) killed a snake which was just
in the act of robbing a song sparrow's
nest. Ever since then the male spar
row has shown his gratitude to George
in a truly wonderful manner. When
he goes into the garden the sparrow
will fly to him, sometimes alighting on
his head, at other times on his shoul
der, all the while pouring out a
tumultuous song of praise and grati
tude. It will accompany him about
the garden, never leaving him until
he reaches the garden gate. George,
as you know, is a quiet boy, who loves
animals, and this may account, in a
degree, for the sparrow's extraordinary
actions."-Louisville Courier-Journal.
For Poor Travelers.
Switzerland has always been fore
most in the cause of charity. Becently
a society has been formed which has
most commendable objects. The State
subsidizes and the policel authorities
assist the operations of this society,
whichhasbeen foundediforthe purpose
of aiding poor travelers. In the canton
of Aargua refuges are now provided on
the main thoroughfares at regular in
tervals, where bonafide travelers on
foot, who 'are seeking work or who are
passing through the ountry for a legi.
timate purpose, can obtain refresh.
ment and a night's lodging. The
Berne Consul says the beneficial re.
suits of the scheme are likely to cause
itsBextefnsion throughout 8wi1..
OUR BUDGET UOF HUMOR
LAUGHTER-PROVOKING STORIES FOR
LOVERS OF FUN.
Hot Stuff-The All-Prevailing-The Height
of Her Ambition-Before the Bargain
Sale-The Main Point-HiL Last Re
sort.-Bound to Rise, Etc., Etc.
Press me closer. an my own;
Warms my heart for thee alone,
Every nerve responsive thrills,
Each caress my being fills.
Rest and peace in vain I crave,
In ecstasy I live, thy slave.
Dower'd with hope, witl. promise blest,
Thou dost reign upon my breast.
Closer still,for I am thine,
Burns my heart, for thou art mine,
Thou the message, I the wire
I the furnace, thou the fire
I the servant, thou the master
Roaring, red-hot mustard plaster
-Green Bay Advctadte.
The Height of Her Ambition.
Bertha--"What is tAhe height of
your ambition, dear?"
Marie (blushingy)-"Oh, something
between five and a half and six feet."
-London Fun.
The Main Point.
Elocutionist (begining to recite Long
fellow's famous poem).-"Listen, my
children, and you shall hbear of the
midnight ride of Paul Revere."
Impatient Auditor-"What make of
wheel did he use?"-Puck.
Clear Reasoning.
He--' How do you know your father
will give his consent?"
She-"He has often said that you
are the last man in our set to whom he
would give me, and he has sent all the
others about their business as they
asked for me."
Before the Bargain Sale.
New Salesman-"I understand that
no purchaser is to have more than ten
yards. But suppose a lady comes back
after one purchase shall I refuse to
sell her any more?"
Floor Walker-"If you're tired of
your position. "-Puck.
The All-Prevailing.
Kind-hearted Old Lady-"When
you finally reached the barren island,
400 leagues away from the beaten
courses of ships, what was the first
thing that met your eye?"
Recently Shipwrecked Tar-" 'Bi
cycles Sold Here,' mum.' "
A Great Inventor.
"You wouldn't take that man for a
great inventor, would you?"
"No. Is he?"
"He is. He invented an excuse for
being out with the boys that satisfied
his wife, and he's been married seven
teen years!"-Cleveland Plain Dealer.
At the Athletic Games.
She-"What a wonderful jumper
that man is!-' but why do they keep
ringing the big gong while he is mak
ing his jumps?"
He-"That's Jerolamon-he's from
Brooklyn, and he can't do his best
unless he imagines he is getting oat
of the way of a trolley car."
His Last Resort.
"How did Slims happen to marry
his landlady, professor?"'
"I am not conversant with all the
facts, but from what I have gathered
incidentally I am under an impression
-I might say conviction-that a board
bill had some direct bearing upon the
unexpected union."-Detroit Free
Press.
Its Duration.
Hennypeck .(drearily)--' "I fancy my
wife's mother intends to make her
stay with us a Kathleen Mavourneen
visit."
Askins-"What do you mean by
that?"
Hennypeck-"Oh, "it may be for
years and it may be forever," you
know."-New York Journal.
Bound to Rise.
"My child, do you think he has the
force and perseverance to raise him
self to your level?"
"I am sure he has, mamma. Why,
have you forgotten the time the eleva
tor was broken, how he climbed the
whole eight stories?"
Love laughs not alone at locksmiths;
especially in our throbbing civilization
there are others.-Detroit Journal.
Explained.
"See here, young man, I'll have to
take you in. Your lantern's out."
"Hold on, officer, I'll explain. You
see I bought one of these $2-bicycle
suits this afternooii, and it burst on
me ten miles from home. Now, I'm
trying to get back as quietly as I can
in the dark. You see the necessity of
it?"
"That's all right-go ahead."
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
A Serious Case.
Mrs. Briske--"Johnny, did the doc
tor call while I was out?"
Little Johnny (stopping his play)
"Yes'm. He felt my pulse an' looked
at my tongue, and shook his head and
said it was a very serious case, and he
left this prescription and said he'd
call again before night."
Mrs. Briske-"Gracious *me! It
wasn't you I sent him to see; it was
the baby."-The Yellow Kid.
The Safest Ice Water.
An old physician considers this the
only safe ice water to be used during
the smmmer months:
"Procure some nice looking bottles
which will hold about a quart, and
fill them with water which has been
running for some time. Water which
has run through a filter attached to a
fauset is preferable. Then cork them
tightly and place them directly on the
ice for some hours before you need to
use them, turn them two or three
times, so that they will become uni
formly cold, and you will find thatyon
can drink more of this water with less
after discomforts than you can the
water which has been cooled by being
directly iced."--New York Herald.
ODDEST TO
A Deserted Of
Tramps,;
Ten miles i
the oddest tow""j
300 inhabitan
tramp. ii'
Utopia. No
works; everybd
happy, and'
be $10' in the
no reason for"
money. Thereis
and nothing to sell)
never distugbs the
munity. The b
streets are broa
deep waters of "aT
miles inland is
between Ashlandi:
railroad is handyai
the community e ''.
little tour, and th
because of the fshi
a radius of half i
enough farms to °.
with pilfered produ
These farmers.
who know. of theebi
call it Trampvil"
who have heard `
Hobohurst-by.th- -
dents however,
title-Clevedo
Back in 1880i
capitalists concei
town couldhbe'
of the Boise #'
would compete i
rion and attract :i
traffic. Where
into Lake Superio'r
and a town sit
and builders of-:
ployed with a lavi
and buildings greT*
Such quantities of :]
into the schenie thift
tracted attention,"
world, and numerbuj
the place, bought-I
homes.
In a year Clevedon
of about 1100 "
destined to beconij
syndicate had pl
was erected, streetej
the l well-built '.and
cottages gave the.
lingprosperty. '
But the tide 9f1
fused to sweep up4
kept on moving
Superior juset'a:i|t
vent of the ney cit
lation began to.'f
after cottage: was
next calamity was
fund behind the
three times ther
ditional backing`i
efforts to revive i
but 'the energy;
wasted. Cleveda
citated.
By 1890 it
could be. Ever
neat little boi
hotel took ona
grew up in the'
was as silent as
rounding it'N:
way. It is m
line of trael
all sidesi, ex
watersof the
Three yea
Willie discove
ago, he was on
his money andf
of Clevedon;.
hobos soon af
fleeting 'vilits..
at Clevedon.
natural or voi
were product
These saw- t.e...
comfortable o
and determined
there. When o
were invited toi
colony, and msnydi
Sentinel.
Trains That Ni!
A new system by
may be taken on or
out the necessity ot
recently devised by y
neer, who proposest
at the Paris Exibi
This feat isseo
of a moving stationP
ventor proposes to
a circular disk, theo
of which is to trav#
of speed as the ps5
entering the platforit
in the centre there il
since the speed atthi5
paratively low, nor
when going toward th
turning platform, for
speed is gradual andl
The inventor hs
as to calnculate thatl th
panies of Europe wa
thousands yearly b -
notices, "Wait 'ni l'
-Answers.
Food JS
France knowrs
rights of her peop
doubts the gen e
of food that.he ha
Parisian trasdesi~i
municipal labor
will cost him noth
lyzed and the fact !
it is unadulteratedo
if the lattier the' is
fender without fikt
part of the pure
is liable to be he
prisoned, andh
ously in his shop
door for a year s
the words, "Co
tion."
The leadingr
by the folloiS
Christians, 20,
olio Christia' I
Catholio c
Christians, 50,
8,000,000; heath
non-Christians,