What the answer would have been
If Charlie Sldcot hud proposed in per
son Is doubtful. It A tolerably certain
that he would not have been so ejo
qiient ns he was in his letter. He
would never have had the fuce to say
what he did about Miss Dury’s counte
nance and graces of person.
The letter was tender yet digni
fied, hopeful but not self-assured, poet
ical almost hut free of anything like
mnudlin sentimentality. His course
wns justified to an extent by the let
ter that Miss Dnry wrote in reply.
She did not adopt a light and friv
olous cme at least. Here is what she
wrote:
l
My Dear Mr. Sldcot—Tour letter was a
surprise to me, for I had no Idea that the
feeling you entertained for me was of the
nature which It expresses. Will you for
give me if I say that I am sorry? I am
not Insensible to the honor you have paid
me: I prise your friendship highly and
trust that I may retain It In spite of the
fact that I cannot become your wife. You
will thank me for It some day—when you
have found some girl more worthy of you,
for I am by no means the perfect cren
ture you seem to Imagine me. Be assured,
my dear Mr. Sldcot, that I have not made
this decision without reflection and that
having made It nothing can alter It. Your
true and sincere friend.
ERNESTINE DURY.
Having concluded this epistle. Miss
Dury rend It over two or three times,
pensively chewing the end of the fate
ful pen.
She put on her hat and jacket,
walked briskly to the mall box at the
corner of the street, dropped the let
ter therein and closed the slot with a
resounding slam.
“There!” she said.
Why she said It In that vindictive
way Is Just as much of a mystery
as her bursting Into tears when she
regained her room. Her sister heard
her sobbing five minutes later and
threatened to kick In a panel of the
door and rouse the household If she
were not admitted.
"Well,” asked the sister when Er
nestine unlocked the door, “what’s all
this about?”
“Chnrlle wrote me a proposal and
I’ve just written refusing him—and
mailed the letter,” the girl gurgled be
tween sobs.
"What are yon boo-hoolng about,
then, If you didn’t want him?” In
quired the sister. “I thought ygu liked
him, though.” »
“I do-oo-oo.” I
“Then why did youjrefuse him?”
“I don’t know. Oh,' what shall I
do?” (
The sister looked at thor with con
tempt. “Stop the letter,1 silly.”
Ernestine jumped frorrf’ the bed, her
eyes shining. “Can I?” she cried.
- “Why, of course, ymt can,” replied
the sister. "Here, you Just bnthe your
eyes nnd I'll snenk down to the tele
phone and call up the post office.”
She came bock in a feyr minutes.
“It's all right,” she said. “Only you’ll
have to go down to the post office
yourself nnd sign an application. It's
in room twelve.”
Miss Dury made her record time
dressing for a downtown trip. In room
12 of the post office building she found
a nice, benevolent-looking old gentle
man. who asked her why she wanted
| to stop the letter and then, pitying
her confusion, gave her a blank to
sign nnd told her to make her mind
easy—that the letter would be
Stopped.
Miss Dury departed grently comfort
ed nnd on the way home began to out
line another letter of a different tenor.
The next morning she awaited the
arrival of the_postmnn with more than
ordinary eagerness and her heart sank
when she found that her letter was
not returned to her. Still, it might
come at noon. It did not, nor did it
i come on the four o’clock delivery. She
! was naturally worried, but after all
the great thing was that the letter
■ was stopped.
“Why, they won’t return It to you,
you big goose.” said the sister. "You
have to call for it. He told me that.”
So early In the morning Miss Dury
made another trip to the post office.
Her benevolent friend was not there.
A young and businesslike official list
ened to what she had to say, then
went away nnd returned with the In
formation that the letter had been for
wnrdod on to Its address.
“I thought It was stopped,” she
cried.
“It was stopped,” snid the young
man, crisply; “stopped, held for twen
ty-four hours, uncalled for, nnd for
wnrded. That’s the rule. You should
have cnlled for It.”
Tins time miss i»ury went nome
with dull despair at her heart. She
remained In her room all day on the
plea of a headache.
At about eight o’clock the maid
rapped at her door. "Mr. Sldcot Is
downstairs, miss,” she said.
Miss Dury got down somehow.
Somehow It happened that without
anything being said by either person
she found herself unresistingly In Mr.
Sldcot’s embrace.
A long time after thnt she snld:
"But. Charlie, 1 don’t understand yet.
You got that awful letter I wrote.”
“Yes.” answered Sldcot. "I got It
anil for four hours I was the most
miserable man on earth. If I hadn’t
accidentally picked up the envelope
and examined It I should he still.”
He took an envelope from his breast
pocket. The back of it was decorated
with large blue stamps. One rend:
STOPPED AT T11E REQUEST OF
SENDER.
The other:
UNCALLED FOR. FORWARDED
NOVEMBER-■„ 1904.
Outdoor Living Brings Health
From Babyhood to Old Age
By SAMUEL G. DIXON. M. D.
Commissioner of Health of Pennsylvania
God breathed into his nostrils the
hreatli of life and man beeuine a liv
ing soul.—Genesis.
Air is life; without it man ceases
to live. laving in impure air, his health
gradually depre
ciates and he be
comes a dyspep
tic, predisposed to
tuberculosis and
other diseases.
Often after suf
fering for years,
during which time
he is unable to
enjoy the good
things of life, he
meets an untime
ly death.
The majority of us have to work in
offices and buildings artflcially heated
during the cold season. Our pines*'
In which we spend so many hours
during the winters and early spr
n=
•lays are far from having perfect
ventilation. This therefore Is the rea
son for us all to take advantage of
mild weather conditions to get all the
fresh air possible to build our physical
bodies up so as to resist the unfavor
able conditions we must submit to
during the cold months of the year.
This should apply to all ages, es
pecially including babyhood and on up
to old age. It means outdoor living
ns much as possible both day and
night. AVhen compelled to be in build
ings keep tin* windows up; otherwise
you have dead pockets of air in your
rooms at your homes and place of oc
cupation.
Clean, well aired, homes built so as
to admit of plenty of fresh air all the
year around and outdoor living as
much as possible during the summer,
' will do much to bring health to the
home and just in proportion to your
, health your life will be worth living.
--- - ==?,
Genius Is Useless Unless Backed
by Real Energy
By DUDLEY CRAFTS WATSON
Director Milwaukee Art Institute
The only happy people in the world are the successful ones, and the
successful ones are the workers. Downright laziness on their own part
is not only the chief reason for the whimperings of those who have failed,
but is the root of their lack of judgment.
A'person may be dead wrong, may have an altogether impossible
viewpoint, but good, hard labor soon finds the many experiences which
bring sound judgment. This is especially true in the art world, the tech
nique of painting, sculpture, music, architecture and acting can be
I imparted from teacher to pupil, but the real art which is to inspire the use
of this knowledge and to bring forth a worthy result, can only be gained
through an esthetic background, or by experience.
I will bank upon a stolid plodder wdth ambitions, whether he has
much genius or not, ahead of any genius who does not have the ability
to concentrate, and a ceaseless industry. When the genius is also a worker,
he absolutely becomes a master, but no genius, lazy, e\er became anything
but an exotic fop winning the sympathy of his friends, the love of a few
more weaklings and the scorn of the rest of the world, and when he dies
in poverty and without honor, the world says: “Oh, how sad, such a beau
tiful spirit, and wonderful genius unappreciated by the world, which
should have received him with open arms.” Laziness is the major trouble.
There Are Trades That Cure
As Well as Some That Kill.
A groat <loal Is writ ton about trades
that kill—for instance load poisoning
in the potteries, “phossy jaw" In the
match factories, and so forth—but
few people are aware that there are
many trades which nre medically rec
ommended by the profession on hy
gienic grounds.
Thus, men who lay asphalt in the
streets rarely suffer from a day’s
illness, while those employed-in places
where a large amount of electricity is
generated enjoy a surprising abun
dance of vitality.
Workers in salt mines enjoy almost
complete immunity from rheumatism.
The healthiest occupation for all is
said to be that in the American pe
troleum works. Here the men never
suffer from sore throats, diphtheria,
quinsy, or kindred ailments. Indeed,
petroleum fumes are so good for the
throat that it is quite common for
sufferers from throat affections to
“take the fumes,” just as people "tnke
the waters” at Harrogate or Hath.
A well-known tenor who was in dan
ger of losing ids voice once took on a
job in one of the petroleum refining
rooms as an ordinary employee, with
the result that lie was soon able to re
sume liia work on the concert plat
form.
Which reminds us that singing Is
excellent for consumption. Sometimes
It assists as a cure, but it is nearly
always effective as a preventive.—An
swers.
Serious Obstacle.
“Mr. Duhwaite Is so anxious to go
to Mexico and fight that Mrs. Dub
walte can hardly restrain him.”
“I had no idea he was so warlike.”
“Yes. There’s only one thing that
keeps him from going.”
“What, is that?”
“He says the social inferiority of a
private is more than he could eudure.”
Wise and Otherwise.
Wise is he who has the cage ready
for the bird.
Old age commands respect— except
in Jests and poultry.
If you can get a horse at a bargain
—drive the bargain.
The worst man Is sometimes capable
of giving the best advice.
When a fool is angry he opens his
mouth and closes his eyes.
The rich are able but not liberal; the
poor are liberal but not able.
Women have never been able to
find a successful way of keeping
seer eta.
RAILROAD TIME TABLE.
St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern
LITTLE ROCK A MONRCE RY.
South North
5:59 a. m .. . Huttig 2:27 p. m
7:40 a. m.Monroe.12:25 p.m
local. *
Leaves Arrives
1 1:40 a. m. Huttig 12:16 p. m.
St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern
PARMERV1LLE * SOUTHERN RY.
North South
5:01 a. m. Huttig 2:55 p. m
i 4:15 a.m.. Farmerville 4:16 p.m
I
LOCAL, f
10:10a. m.Huttig 2:25 p.m.
tArrives Monday, Wednesday, and Fri
day from Monroe and goes to Farmer
ville.
‘Arrives Tuesday, Thursday and Satur
day from Farmerville and goes to Mon
roe.
LODGE DIRECTORY.
ROWLAND LODGE No. 594 F. & A.
M.meets every second and fourth Satur
day evenings at 7:30 o’clock. Visiting
Masons always welcome.
L. M. Despain, W. M.
C. A. Berry, Sec’y.
HOWARD CHAPTER, No. 122, R. A.
M.—meets every first and third Thurs
day evening at Masonic hall. Visiting
companions welcome.
L. G. Gibson, H. P.
C. A. Berry, Secy.
ZEDEKIAH, COUNCIL. U. D.. R. &
S. M. Meets every fourth Wednesday
night of each month. Visiting compan
ions welcome T. B. Weaver, T. 1. M.
R. N. Benson,'Recoider.
HUTTIG CHAPTER No. 320, Order of
the Eastern Star, meets every first and
third Friday evening at 7:30 o'clock.
Visiting brothers and sisters welcome.
Mrs. J. A. Brignac, W. M.
Mrs. L. G. Gibson. Sec'y.
HUTTIG LODGE No. 348 I. 0. 0. F.
meets every Tuesday evening. Visiting
brethern cordially invited to attend.
w. E. Chadwick, N. G.
Harlan Sehon, Secy.
HUTTIG REBEKAH LODGE No. 66,
meets every Monday night at 7:30 o'clock
Visitors are invited.
Mrs. Lou Milstead, N. G.
Miss Murray Pilkinton, Secy.
SWEET BAY CAMP No. 41 1 W. 0. W.
meets every first and third Saturday eve
nings. Visitors made welcome,
C. A. McCormick, C. C.
J. C. Bridges, Clerk.
Sweet Bay Circle No. 145, W. C..
meets every second and fourth Thursday
night at 7:30 o’clock. Visitors are cor
dially invited.
Mrs. W. R. Dickerson. Guardain.
Mrs, C. A. McCormick, Clerk.
s
SUGGESTIONS
I
8
I
IF YOU CANT GO TO A SUMMER RESORT
YOU CAN BRING ONE TO YOUR HOME
If you have a porch we have the equipment
to transform it into a veritable pleasure park.
And the expense-well, that’s our main
talking point.
A Hammock, a Porch Swing, Porch and Lawn
Chairs and other restful sujnmer articles are
here waiting to make your hours of leisure
real hours of pleasure.
And there’s not a home that cannot afford
one or more of them at our surprisingly low
figures.
We Also Carry a Complete Line of
THE BLUE FLAME OIL STOVES
WHICH ADD COMFORT IN THE KITCHEN
EARLY BUYING
Means More Service From Your Purchases.
#
No doubt you intend buying a new suit this
Spring or Summer, but you think you will
wait until real hot weather begins. That
plan, Mr. Man, is a mistake. You cannot pos
sibly wear out one of our suits in a season,
even if you wore it every day, and the cariler
you buy it the longer wear you will get from
it this year. Then too, an unexpected occa
sion may arise any day when you would wish
you had equipped yourself with your new
outfit. Come in at once. You have every
thing in your favor when buying early.
We Handle the Famous
HART, SCHAFFNER & MARX
LINE OF RELIABLE CLOTHES.