The Cumberland Echo, 1893-12-14

The 25th of March, 182 - , was marked by a thaw succeeding a severe frost of three weeks' duration. At Lenham court, a mansion situated fif fifteen - teen fifteen miles or so from London, on the west side, great inconvenience and some damage had been caused by the bursting of a water-pipe during the day. In especial, one room was ren rendered - dered rendered so damp that its usual occupant, "Spencer" - Lady Brown-Salter's lady's maid - was compelled to change her sleeping place. Instead of sharing one of the housemaid's beds she chose, with her ladyship's permission, to make up a bed for herself in the small room, or large cupboard, situated at the end of the corridor which runs through the whole breadth of Lenham court on the first story. It was a room used to store trunks and boxes in, and Spencer placed some of these as a foundation for her couch. Many of these trunks had made the voyage to India and back, for Col Sir William Brown-Sal Brown-Salter - ter Brown-Salter had distinguished himself not a lit little - tle little in John Company's service. There had been much extra work for all the servants at Lenham court that day, and late before Spencer retired to it was her cupboard. On getting into her bed she found her novel couch by no means so com comfortable - fortable comfortable as it looked. It had to be se searranged, - arranged, searranged, but on extinguishing her candle a second time she found herself as far from sleep as ever. While she twisted and turned she heard the stable clock strike two, and immediately aft afterward - erward afterward she became conscious of a sub subdued - dued subdued sound outside her door. Remem Remembering - bering Remembering the jokes at her expense at the supper table about the size of her bed chamber, it occurred to Spencer that her fellow servants might be going to play her a trick or indulge in some practical joke. So she slid from her uneasy couch, and removing the key from the lock - she had locked herself in on coming to bed - she applied her eye to the keyhole. The door, as we have said, faced directly the whole length of the corridor; about two yards from her stood a man, but not one of her fellow servants; he held a lighted candle in one hand, shading it with the other so as to cast the light now here, now there. His face was concealed by a mask of black crape and he was list listarranged, - arranged, listarranged, but from 8 mask oi oibck crape = - - 1 " , ening intently. A breathless minute or two passed, and, as if by magic, there were two or three other men in the corridor, all masked in crape, be behind - hind behind which their eyes shone in the can candle - dle candle gleams. They went and came and consulted, noiseless as so many spec specters. - ters. specters. In and out of the rooms, locking doors behind them, now ascending to the third story, now descending to the basement; now the one holding and , two passed, and, as shadowing again. now me one - B 51 | the candle was left alone | Spencer drew back from the keyhole moment, trying to think if there was & moment, trJ8 y - - anything she could do. _ Sir William's | to the corridor; he must room gave on to the corrmor, - 11111 . be murdered, thought poor Spencer, or 1 surely she would have heard some sound, for he often sat late reading and | ; round his door that the thieves clustered. He was a passionate ' powerful, beloved by his, It was were < man and powerful, beloved P 1 servants for his bounty, though feared vuuw 09* * - --* ' - . . account of his temper. Surely he on accounU OL n " -22*, 1. would have made a fight for it, if he cruel dis- | had not been taken at some advantage. What could she do? The alarm bell, even if she could muster courage to try and get to it, was quite at the other end of the house. Apply Applying - ing Applying her eye once more to the keyhole, ' she was terrified to find not only dark- | ness, but in the darkness some one breathing close to the door. Then the handle softly brushed her cheek as it was turned, and lock and hinges were strained by the silent pressure brought to bear upon them to such a degree that instinctively she drew back, ex expecting - pecting expecting the door to be forced in upon -\

LAST OF THE LOBBY QUEENS. A Story of the Times When Woman's Smiles Guided Legislation. When the democrats captured the senate in 1870, for two years Col. Dick Bright was made sergeant-at-arms, and his first general order was directed against the sovereign supremacy of that gorgeous corridor autocrat, the lobby queen. During republican rule she had grown into offensive consequence as a She passed promoter of legislation. the door keepers, owned the pages, crooked her finger at obsequious sena senators - tors senators and generally ruled the roost. She was powerful numerous, too, and the colonel declared a boycott Her occu occupation - pation occupation was soon crippled, business grew dull and hunger set in. It was only a few months after his warfare when the colonel heard the dy dying - ing dying scream of the lobby swan. He tells the story on himself. As he was pass passing - ing passing out of the senate restaurant one day he was accosted by one of the swans. She was, like all her sisters in those days of bitter persecution, dressed in the remnants of gentility, and otherwise a trifle loud. "Colonel," said she, "I believe you are an officer of the senate? Now, I want to ask you a plain question. The fact is. I'm literally hungry and I want some money to get something to eat" The foe had been reduced to the last ditch of appetite. It melted his heart He graciously led her to a seat at the table, directed the bill of fare placed at her service and passed out with a re respectful - spectful respectful salute to the vanquished enemy. She ate with consuming relish and no .unprejudiced observer1 could have doubted she was hungry. Just as she was leaving the colonel dropped in again hastily to light a cigar, when the last of the lobby queens, flushed with champagne and aromatic with terrrpin, rose majestically and fired a parting shot across the colonel's bow. Summoning him with a wave of her once potent hand, she said: "Colonel, you are an officer here and of course have a good deal of influence with these senators. Now, I have a bill before the senate which contains all I have or hope for in this world, and I want you to help me to have it passed," and she cast upon him a fair fairfat-and-forty - fat-and-forty fairfat-and-forty smile. "Why, my dear madam," said the ob obdurate - durate obdurate Bright, "you must surely see the impropriety of my mixing at all in legislation of any kind. I could not think of advocating any measure, pub publie - lie publie or private." At these chilling words the crushed queen looked the colonel saucily in the,, fake and said: 7 "'I'll bet if I was ten years younger I'd have that bill through in a week. Perhaps so, but the queen is dead. Bright froze her spangled sisterhood out. - Ban Francisco Examiner. i Just for Luck. "I tell you what," said. Mr. Watts, "I saw a remarkable exhibition of ani animal - mal animal intelligence to-day!" "What was that?" said Mr. Potts "Why, a bridal party started from the house across the street from where I live, and one of the horses threw a . - 1 . . 41:1 - 41*0% Now what do you think of that?" es. Hianapolis Journal. our eye =-: =-:Clocks - Clocks =-:Clocks day., were ancient* suitt. cription. Also Ho 11 kinds. Prices, loods must sell i

SCHOOL AND CHURCH. - A decree has been entered in the supreme court restoring to the Mormon church the property taken from the corporation. - The will of the late ex-Judge Dwight W. Pardee, of the Connecticut supreme court, leaves *25,000 to Trinity College, Hartford. - In one place in Africa one mission missionary - ary missionary and 50,000 barrels of whisky were landed at the same time. From Janu January - ary January 1, 1890, to January 1, 1891, there were 1,018,591 gallons of rum shipped from Boston to Africa. In 1891 the trade was almost doubled. - Rev. Chauncey Giles, the most emi eminent - nent eminent Swedenborgian in America, died at his home in West Philadelphia re recently. - cently. recently. in his eighty-first year. As a minister he had done great good, and as an author he gave the doctrines of the Church of the New Jerusalem their clearest and ablest presentation. - According to the Lutheran "Church Almanac" for 1894, there are now in this country 60 Lutheran synods, 5,273 ministers, 9,013 congregations and 1, 1,294,488 - 294,488 1,294,488 communicants. The Lutherans maintain 2,040 parochial schools with 139,380 pupils. The largest Lutheran branch is the Synodical conference, which reports 441,129 members. - The chapel which the German em emperor - peror emperor has built at his shooting-box at Rominten, in East Prussia, was planned by a Norwegian architect Like the i hunting-box itself, it is of wood, and its architectural style is that of the I old Norwegian churches, the most | striking feature of which is the rich decoration with carved emblems. - The Jewish priests were the civil as well as the religious functionaries of the state. Their office was one of great ' profit as well as honor. In the time of 1 Christ Caiaphas owned all the dove cotes around Jerusalem, while his fa father-in-law, - ther-in-law, father-in-law, Annas, had a monopoly of the sheepfolds, and the income from the ' temple sacrifices is estimated to have amounted to four million dollars a year. - A canal boat now on duty on the Erie canal is named the Good News. It is covered with Gospel texts. Services are held three times a day in its cabin J as it jou rneys from one town to the next on its missionary trips. A fish fishpole - pole fishpole with tracts tied on the end is used I to reach passing boats, and little floats I with cardboard sails covered with ' texts are sent away to do what good | : they may. The International Evan- ; gelistic association has control of this ' floating mission-house. - The treasurer's report of the Prot Protestant - estant Protestant Episcopal missionary council. at Chicago, showed the following ex ex.00 - .00 ex.00 e. 41 a q penditures for the year ending Septem September - ber September 1: Domestic missions, (126,540.91; Indian missions, *44,277.62; colored missions, *52,741.71; foreign missions, *172,896.19; balance on hand, *42,930. The amounts received during the year for foreign and domestic missions showed a slight decrease over the pre preceding - ceding preceding year, while the receipts for gen general - eral general missions showed a corresponding increase.

Concluding that they were from Lon London - don London and were returning thither, Sir William had saddled his hunter and had started without an instant's de delay. - lay. delay. save to arm himself with a couple of pistols from the stand of arms in the halt When he reached the head of the avenue, three-quarters of a mile from the house, he dismounted to open the heavy gates.. Then he perceived in the dawning light of the chill March morn morning - ing morning a strange dog sitting shivering in inside - side inside the gates, unable either to sur surmount - mount surmount or pass under them. He con concluded - cluded concluded at once that the cur belonged to his late visitors, and that, having staid behind, either for his supper or in search of game, his'retreat had been cut off by the closing of the gates. He resolved to follow the clew thus given him, and was confirmed in his resolu resolution - tion resolution when, the gates being opened, the animal scoured away with his nose to the ground in the direction of Lon London. - don. London. Away went the dog. and away galloped Sir William, keeping an eye upon him always. It was broad day daylight - light daylight when the three reached the out outskirts - skirts outskirts of London, and Sir William was hailed by a voice he knew well. It was that of the major of his late regiment. "Hullo, colonel, where are you off to so early?" Maj. Higgins was on his way home after a night's play at Brooks'. "Turn your horse's head and I'll tell you," returned Sir William through his set teeth. The idea of communicating his losses and the indignity he, an old soldier, had suffered sufficed to make the blood, which his swift ride had kept at fever heat, boil again. Maj. Higgins did as desired, and, putting his horse to the gallop, received in as few words as possible the news of the night's occurrence at Lenham court as he and his old colonel made their way side by side through Oxford street and the Strand, never once los losing - ing losing sight of the mongrel that was, he fancied to be. the clew to the recovery of his property. * Dodging and winding his way through market carts and hackney coaches the 'dog, never once relaxing his speed, diverged into by bystreets - streets bystreets and lanes until he disappeared up a court in Leather lane. Dismounting and giving their horses in charge to a lad, and having im impressed - pressed impressed a watchman into their service, they advanced up the court in single file. Sir William led the way, a cocked pistol in either hand; Maj. Higgins, who came next, was unarmed; the watchman brought up the rear in a leisurely way that showed him by no mann. +14 e. 41 4. 'Uli valC means thirsting for the fray.. way after doorway was exar" the cur seemed literally to , ished. in an angle of,s into which they had niche. Ham at last discove" rawor raworKeep - Keep raworKeep y in Watch every des sentsof a times. G P1. wooden staircase. . stoman.

PERSONAL AND LITERARY. 1 ' I - Senators James Z. George, of Mis Mississippi, - sissippi, Mississippi, and A. H. Colquitt, of Georgia, and ex-Senator 8. B. Maxey, of Texas, all of whom were officers in the confed confederate - erate confederate army, are on the Mexican pension roll. - Prof. Cuming, M. D., to whom Mr. Gladstone has tendered a baronetcy, in an eminent Irish physician and a pro professor - fessor professor in the queen's college at Belfast. His daughter married a son of Sir Charles Russell. - Mr. Charles Francis Adams i has written a book entitled "Massachu "Massachusetts; - setts; "Massachusetts; Its Historians and Its History." He convicts the state of a long practice of religious intolerance and historiaas of ignoring the discreditable fact. - Van Roberts, a hotelkeeper at Rush Hill, Mo., has fallen heir to $60, $60,000 - 000 $60,000 left him by John Bennett, who died at Las Vegas, N. M. Roberta saved Bennett from drowning in the Sangamon river near Decatur, HL, twenty years ago. - Clarence King, formerly director of the United States geological survey, well known as a man of science and of letters and conspicuous in the social and club life of New York and New Newport, - port, Newport, has become insane and has been sent to an asylum. - Prof. Weinhold has been elected rector of the university of Berlin to succeed Prof. Rudolf Virchow, whose term ended at the beginning of the present semester. Dr. Virchow has been appointed a member of the uni university - versity university senate by the new rector. - Charles L. Nichols, who died re recently - cently recently at Lyons Farm, N, J., was the original promoter of the elevated rail railroad - road railroad system. He was made secretary j of the New York company, but - ousted when the Gould manage me took possession of the "watered" ee poration. - Daniel Webster liked to make re marks of a character intended to puz zle simple minds. Stopping to dinner'*, one day at a country inn, on his way to Marshfield, he was asked by the hostess if he usually had a good appetite. "Madam," answered Webster, "I some sometimes - times sometimes eat more than I do at other times, but never less." - Argonaut. - No matter at what time of the day you call upon Pension Commissioner Lochren you will find him smoking, and not a cigar either. He is devoted to his pipe, and it is an elaborate affair of briarwood, and as large as a teacup. He recieves no visitors until he lights this pipe in the morning, and receives none after he puts it out at night

her. 1 Joer sraked as the pressure relaxed, and just then the stable clock struck three. As the minutes passed and silence was unbroken, Spencer gathered cour courage - age courage to look from her spying place. The watchman stood alone, candle in hand, in his former place. She became stiff and cold at her post; nothing moved that she could see or hear, except that the man trimmed his candle now and then with his fingers and turned his head watchfully from side to side, his eyes gleaming behind his mask and seeming now and again to fix them themselves - selves themselves on her lurking place. At a low whistle from the basement he and his light vanished together. Taking the precaution to stop up the keyhole, Spencer struck steel and flint till she obtained a light, then huddled on a few clothes, inserted the key, turned it, stood one minute outside in silence and darkness, then snatching up her candle made a rush for the only open door in the corridor - it was her master's. Bound hand and foot to a chair and gagged was Sir William. The room was in the wildest confusion - boxes, caskets, chests all turned upside down, and their contents scattered indiscrim indiscriminately - inately indiscriminately on the floor. Her ladyship was in bed, bound and gagged, too. With nimble fingers Spencer set to work to free her master. No sooner was this accomplished than speechless and foam foaming - ing foaming at the mouth Sir William staggered ' out of the room and, to her dismay, she heard him descend the stairs. Having released her mistress the lady's maid next hurried to the rooms of her fel fellow - low fellow servants, on all of whom the keys had been turned, after they had been threatened with instant death if they uttered a sound. They were soon re released - leased released and the men servants descended in a body to the ground floor in search of their master. Here everything was in disorder. On the dining-room table were the remains of the thieves' sup supper, - per, supper, but Sir William, as well as the depredators, had vanished. The groom returned from the stables with the news that his master's favorite hunter was missing. There was no doubt now that he had gone single-handed in pur pursuit - suit pursuit of the thieves -as was indeed the case.

HUMOROUS. - It's concentration of thought that tells in our daily endeavor. Just watch the face of rhe small boy when he is taking aim at a tramp cat. - Clara - "Don't you think he is stupid?" Maude - "They say he is aw awfully - fully awfully dissipated." Clara - "How I have misjudged him!" - N. Y. Herald. - Traveler - "Will you find out for me when the next train leaves?" The Other Man - "I find out?; Why, man, I am a police detective." - Boston Tran Transcript. - script. Transcript. - Bad Boy (gleefully) - "I had the earache this morning." Good Boy - "What good is that?" Bad Boy - "Me mother put cotton in me ears and now I don't hear 'er when she calls." - Good News. - Ada - "If you want to get her, don't be so abjectly devoted. You sim- - ply cheapen yourself in her eyes." Frank - "Then she will take me. Jen Jennie - nie Jennie never could resist a bargain." - Brooklyn Life. - U pstreete(sym pathetically) - "Poor Lushley! He is going to the bad so fast there will soon be no hope for him." Yager (who has seen the ticket) - "Yes; ' his watch is beyond redemption now." - Buffalo Courier. - "I guess the man in the next Ait must be awfully profane." "Why, Mdw do you know? He only moved in yes yesterday." - terday." yesterday." "I know, but I saw one of Jis roomers carrying in a banjo ends : flute.'! - Inter-Ocean. . - "Whatebbah you does," said Unge Eben to his eldest boy, "doan be ae castic. Er man dat keeps allus t' ter shoot Folly ez she flies ran e o' resk bb bein' hurt by de kick own gun." - Washington Star. - Half Killed. - "Do you: nice pork, sir?" said thei Irishman, who was ivand 9 half of a hog hangieading G "No whin ye o' that nar that 13 - FTDA nwsoin'me 5 edited by $ very the . LAIR. hied Novelists i Pipki'everyoze. - ' »iR THE WORLD i 'rjnsu'lisill. AON; XX u'4 1 1

- The tnnnrts American l in tha e. Missionary --4) ( -12*4 society | supports in the south 6 chartered in- ' stitutions, 29 normal and graded schools, 43 common schools, in which there are 389 instructors and 12,609 pupils. It also oversees 152 churches, with a membership of about 9,000, and a Sunday-school membership of over 15,000. Among the Indians it has 12 churches, witli 762 members; 12 schools, with 808 attendance, and 1,300 pupilsin the Sunday-school, all served by 90 teachers and ministers. Among the Chinese there are 21 schools, with 1,215 pupils and 40 teachers. - Outlook. - Gassendi, pronounced by Boyle to be "the greatest philosopher among scholars and the greatest scholar among philosophers," had, at the age of 12, so thoroughly mastereed 6,000 Latin verses as to be able to repeat them either backward or forward with perfect ease. After growing to man manhood - hood manhood he is reported to have daily exer exercised - cised exercised his mind by repeating from 600 to 1,000 verses in all modern European languages Cardinal Mezzofant, the most remarkable linguist the world has ever known, is said to have been*1 able to use every word of any consider considerable - able considerable importance in over 100 different languages, and to have been able to carry on a conversation in forty-five OS fifty others. Sport Beyond the Rockies. First Hunter - What luck? Second Hunter - Got one crack at an eastern dude. First Hunter - Hit 'im? Second Hunter - Yep. First Hunter - Git 'im? » Second Hunter - Nop - crawled in his collar. - Puck. ' The Only Thins; Like It. "You have no Burke's Peerage is this country," said Lord Bronsonberry to Miss Sallie Perkins. "Nope," said Miss Perkins "Wt have only the rogues' gallery." - Truth.