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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1951-12-5, Page 7Bright Sunset By Frances Rider ni,uve rte bruin in grim El liuer- fano a pale pink cloud was fluffing ' out her rose -edged ruffles, Desbah lifted her dark eyes from the blank- . et she was weaving. For a moment the brown hands were still, then they took up the wool again and the design continued to grow. She must work while there was still light upon the utile high mesa about her, for inside the hogan it was difficult to blend the grays and browns of the sheep's fleece. A breeze stirred her hair and again her glance sought the cloud. Ah! Just as she had expected, the wind from the north had brought another cloud and although at first the pretty pink cloud slipped behind El Hucrfano and pretended to hide, soon the two would touch and merge, Desbah had watched them often. "For quilted clouds are mating, high Above the plains in the summer sky—" .o Yazza the Long was silversmith. Like many Navajo nun be fashion- ed sturdy enduring jewelry from coin silver and engraved it with simple lines signifying good fortune and long life. Desbah looked down proudly at her wrist. Yazza was different from the others. It was be who hail trade the bracelet she wore. IIe had deco- rated it with thunderbird. A square turquoise was set on either side and beside then flowering cacti, sync holizing courtship. It meant that Yazza and she would like to marry and build a squat round hogan of their own. If only they had the money for a license. The winter had been long and cold; and the summer rains scanty. Her father's sheep had died off. The few left were weak because they hadn't enough gamma grass. Des - bah looked at then now, grazing at a distance among the sun -baked stones. Among them several child- ren played a game with pebbles, The blanket was nearly finished but site could not try to sell it. She would have to trade it for overalls and calico and flour. The few re- maining sheep needed salt. E! Huerfano' far lonely peak was afire with the sunset as Desbah rose and went to the door. Yazza had gone to the mission that after- noon and soon he would pass on his way back, When Desbah was twelve she had spent a few weeks at the mission school. Only orphans could stay longer. There was too little money. Remembering the ser- vices she had attended there she moved her lips in unaccustomed prayer. When she lifted her head she saw a tall figure black against the flam- ing sky. It was Yazza. Corning to- ward her he held out his hands showing her many bills and such silver. Desbah had never seen that much money all at once. "Oh, Yazzal Tell me," Yazza spoke with no excitement in his voice. "At the mission was a letter. The lady read it to me. A store in California wants all my rings, all my pins, all my bracelets. When 1 make more we will get more honey." Beneath the beaded band his eyes sparkled with the glory of the sunset and his own pride. "Yazza, Yazza, it is good. Now we can get the license," "Not yet, .my patient one. My parents have debts. I must help them." "But you said there would be more money when you make more bracelets and pins," "Yes, my patient one, but first—" Yazza drew front his pocket a' jewel-like piece of "petrified stone. "Why do you think Ipolished and polished this tiny stone?" Slily Desbah looked into Yczza's eyes. "For our wedding ring?" "For our wedding ring. Tonight I will burn the candle low while I stake the ring for you." "'Then tomorrow you will rake the things to sell?" "Tomorrow, my patient one, I will make the things to sclf," Shadows supped along the sides of EI l-Tuerfano and filled the ah- royo, From behind the tall lonely peak slipped into view one could with just a tinge of pink ruffles at one edge. m. Cape Cod Gardens There are plenty of large formal gardens 00 Cape Cod, but the true Cape Cod garden is small and sim- ple, and- bears a distinctly sympa- thetic relation to the small house, It looks its best behind a low picket fence, or tuciced in against box or privet, and it has an old- fashioned air, though the kinds of plants have changed and a great many of the early favorites have been replaced with new varieties. The old garden was for use. It had its origin in the kitchen garden of the British Isles, and most of the old favorites were either car- ried over front England or sent for later. The garden usually ex- tended front the kitchen and it was a cozy, utilitarian mixture of flow- ers, vegetables and herbs. The vege- tables were essential, the herbs were useful and pretty and many had flowers as well as taste, and some of the flowers were useful too,., Says John Josselyn in 1672 of the old gardens: they had "goode store of garden vegetables and herbs, lettuce, sorrel, parsley, mal- lows, chcvril, summer savory, win- ter savory, thyme, sage, carrots, parsnips, beets, radishes, purslain, beans, cabbidge growing exceed- ing well; pease of all sorts and the best in the world." In these practical garden patches sweet alyssum and candy -tuft, poppies, blue- eyed grass grew among currant and gooseberry hushes. There were peas and sweet peas and Johnny -jump -ups, sweet William with its "homely cottage smell," daffodils and bouncing bet, pinks, marigolds, and hollyhocks. They were all plants brought from hone. If you have a Cape Cod garden, it is pleasant to return some of the old-fashioned plants to their old homes. Some of them have per- sisted around the old house sites, and you can often tell where a house once stood, even when the foundations are hidden, by a huge lilac bush, or a bunch of flowering currants, or old-fashioned bayberry. There will be flowers too, a patch of uncared-for pinks, particularly a beautiful dark blue columbine, a clump of blue-eyed grass, yellow days lilies. roses, and a lovely old- fashioned daffodil, pure white, dou- ble and heavily scented. Tangled among trees and hushes there are likely to be wild grapes which make a delicious sharp -flavored. jelly. And you may even find a quince tree or a couple of pear trees.—Froin "Down Cape Cod," by Katherine Dos Passos and Edith Shay. Hounds of Mercy At the Hospice of St. Bernard, nestled in the snows more than '8,000 feet above the valleys of the Swiss Alps, the priests still tell the story of their patron saint, Arch -deacon Bernard de Menthon. Ten • centuries ago, when a few mountain passes were the only exits from Switzerland to Italy, weary, Route -bound pilgrims often fell prey to highwaymen, cold, and hun- ger. To help then, Bernard built a hospice at "se summit of Jupiter Mountain. There they could find , food and rest, and that rejuvena- tion of spirit which would speed them on their pilgrimage refreshed. -As word of the mountain sanctu- ary spread across Europe; more and more travellers sought its shel- ter. It was then that the great- hearted and sad -eyed, dogs for which the hospice is still renowned made their appearance. In sub- zero weather and across deep snow slides, they roamed over crags and into valleys, seeking lost and numb- ed wayfarers. Through the years, countless lives were saved by the courage, resourcefulness, .and gen- tleness of the dog that came to be known as the St. Bernard. Modern inventions have lessened the rescue work of these hounds of heaven, but thhy still patrol the Alps, ready to answer a call. • Small Gifts Are Most Expected, Well Appreciated $X EDNA MILES THE sugar plums that dance through the heads of most women hopefully awaiting Christ- mas are not, in a majority of cases, mink coats and Cadillacs. Usually dreams are more scaled to every- day reality, Nonetheless, there are few wom- en who aren't wishing that life will be just a trifle more luxurious once Santa's visit is over, who aren't longing secretly for the small niceties that they never quite get around to buying for themselves. Such gifts are abundant this year. Fine gestures needn't wreck your budget, If 'you can't afford to present a dress or suit bearing the label of a famous French de- signer, a gift of fine dusting pow- der from his salon is just as likely to bring a thrilled start of recog- nition, One firm, well-known in the fashion and beauty world, of- fers this season a large box of elegantly -scented powder, hand- somely packaged in eye-catching hound's tooth tweed. Jewelry gifts are a good idet, for putting stars in her eyes on Christmas morning, and for add- ing sparkle to her appearance the remainder of the year, Choose del- icately -wrought pieces set with brilliant rhinestones. An excellent choice for the woman who has everything Is an A fine dusting powder bearing a famous name and beautifully packaged, brings thrill tp re- cipient on Christmas Eve. evening purse, which you may select from the many exquisite materials and designs offered for holiday shoppers. Rich bemberg brocades, deep -piled velvets, gold - tooled feather -weight leathers— any of these are worthy offerings. For the woman on your list who appreciates practicality as well as beauty, a moire cosmetle case stocked with a purse-slzed brush and Bomb, is sure to please, and will serve as a daily reminder of your thoughtfulness for months to come. Evening purse of sumptuous brocade makes any woman feel treasured; gifts of dainty jewel- ry, finely -wrought, gives similar feeling of elegance. Purse comb and brushes set, en- cased in handsome moire kit, offers appeal on basis of practi- cality as well as beauty—a gift to be Jong remembered. Warnings about the dangers of fires on the farm are nothing new in this column. Still, as my Scot-' tish grandmother used to say, "The heed that ye took yesterday winna keep ye safe today." So here is some more about this vital subject, largely borrowed front an article entitled, "It's Always Farm -Fire Season," written by H L. Tinley which appeared in the October issue of Country Gentleman. * * * November through March are the months of heavy loss in dwellings. Chimneys in one way or another cause a big share of these fires. The chimney that sootier or later leads to trouble is the one built front a bracket instead of being built an a firth foundation from the ground up. Over the years brackets sag, mortar crumbles and the liner cracks. Then sparks sift out and trouble starts. * There aremany other causes of chimney fire. Take the farmer who wallpapered over a metal flue stop in a moment of thoughtlessness. Five years later, rain and moisture 4 rusted the stop and the only thing between chimney and the room was wallpaper. It was just a question of time until flame shot through the flue opening, setting the paper on fire. Fortunately it happened one night at dinner and the fancily was able to put out the fire with little damage. * * Faulty wiring causes about as many home fires as -chimneys, espe- cially now that farm families are baying more and more appliances. A new television set was the straw that broke the back of 35 -year-old wiring -in the dwelling of one fartn- er. Fifteen minutes after he plugged in the new set, smolce began drift- ing out around the nail holding up his grandfather's picture. When he lifted the picture, plaster fell and a three-foot tongue of smdke and flame shot into the room; Within five minutes the entire house was ablaze. t, * a" • Appliances had been forcing the BY • HAROLD ARNETT DRIVING A NAIL IIN�TO A PLASTER WALL WILL NOT IS STUCK TO THE WALL ANb TOP HE NAL DRIVEN TAPE THROUGH :IT single circuit of the 016 house to carry a load far beyond that con- ' tempiated when it was installed in 1916. It took heavier and heavier fuses to carry the load, until even- tually the fuses were stronger than the wiring. As a result the house became something like an electric toaster and it took the television set to burn the toast with red-hot wires. * r * Liquid petroleum gases can pre- sent another dwelling hazard. Hea- vier than air, these gases work to the lowest level in a room or base- ment. Propane and butane are diffi- cult to detect and heavy concentra- tions can be built up ready for ignition. Tubing and joints used on gas bottles leading to stoves, water heaters and other appliances should be carefully guarded and serviced. * * *' Suntans fires are more difficult to check. Lightning, the greatest hazard, is erratic and has been known to hill one man while only knocking the cigar out of the mouth of the man standing next to hint. A cow being milked by alt Iowa farther was killed by lightning without injury to the milker. To Rip Russia—Foreign Minister Edward Kardelj head of the Yugoslav delegation to the UN General Assembly meeting in Paris, is expected to accuse the Soviet Union of "political ag- gression" He will cite border, "incidents," broken political treaties, unf..dfille.t commercial contracts and the efforts of Kremlin agents to overthrow the Tito government. Properly installed .lightning rods will prevent electrical -storm dam- age in nine strilces out of ten. Metal -covered buildings and wire fences act as magnets for lightning and once they have attracted it, they can't get rid of the charge unless properly grounded. Charges travel along ungrounded fences and can kill cattle half a utile distant if they have moved to the wire while drift:ng before a storm. Spontaneous combustion in hay- mows is another cause of heavy summer 1oss.5Force drying, longer field curing and occasional temper- ature checks can help reduce these fires. If a thermometer thrust deep into hay for 15 minutes climbs to 158 degrees, keep 'careful watch. At 185 degrees stop ventilation and start moving hay outdoors. If it hits 212 degrees, call the fire de- partment, you're in trouble. WDM SCHOOL -:- LESSON By Rev. R. B. Warren, B.A. B.D. Moses' Charge to the People Deuteronomy 30:15-31:3. 33:27-29a Memory Selection: The. eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.—Deut. 33:27a, Moses is usually regarded as the 'greatest man of Old Testament history. He mediated the giving of the law and he led his people from bondage to the land of promise. There is pathos in the fact that he was denied the privilege of leading them into the good land. But Moses had failed at Meribalt. The people "angered hint also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: because they provoked his spirit, so that he spalce unadvisedly with his lips." Ps. 106:32-33. The account is found in Numbers 20:7-13. Men in high places must govern their spirit. They cannot afford to "fly off." "He that is slow to anger is better than the nighty; and he that rul- eth his spirit than he that taketh a city." Prov. 16:32. Moses reviewed the law and urged the people to take the good way. To love God and keep His Commandments°would bring bless- ing. To disobey God would bring the curse of God. Moses designated Joshua as his successor. Then he pronounced a blessing upon each of the twelve tribes. Before he closed this memorable address he made a statement that has brought comfort to millions. "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms," Then Moses went up alone to the top of Mount Pisgah in the land of Maob. There he viewed the land, Ne was one hundred and twenty years old. His eye Was not dim nor his natural force abated. lie died and God buried him. No one ever knew the place of Itis sepul- chre. Thus ended the career of God's great warrior, statesman, prophet, His influence lives on for good. Risking Tragedy Just outside Ingersoll, the other day, the editor of the weekly Tri- bune watched helplessly while a fine new home burned to the ground. Only a little distance away were the fire brigades of Ingersoll attd Woodstock but local regula- tions prevented them going outside the limits of the respective muni- cipalities, the protection of which is their primary concern. There may be sound reasons for such policy, says the Tribune editor, "but it is a hard thing to stand by and watch a man's home go up in flames." That is true and there are some other things that are hard to un- derstand about this fire protection business. If this had been a big fire, where' it would be necessary to attach hoses to local water sup- plies or for two brigades from dif- ferent towns to work together, more difficulties might have been dis- covered. In a great many cases it would be found that equipment was not interchangeable, that the fire hose from one place would not fit the hydrants in another. Very of- ten it would be useless for the reels from a neighboring municipality to conte to help, In a survey made only a few years ago it was found that there are literally hundreds of different sizes of couplings used in Canadian fire -fighting equipment. Under pres- sure there has been some improve- ment since, but nothing like a real overhaul. This sort of thing limits most equipment to strictly local use. That means heavy and un necessary fire losses its 'normal times. In a real emergency such as we would most certainly face if the country were bombed, one can imagine the tragic results.—From The Financial Post. Dropped a Book, Found Lost Sister The other day Mrs. Myrtle Mar. ler was visiting a friend in a dis- tant city and accidentally knocked a telephone directory on to the floor. The boulc sprang open, and as she stooped to pick it up Myrtle noticed the name "Ellen Day" listed. For nearly twenty years, Myrtle had been parted from a sister of that name and had in fact, given her up for dead, Now, some power beyond her understanding prompt- ed her to dial the telephone num- ber. And after all those years she heard her sister's voice again! Still stranger is the story of the McIntosh girls, Twenty-five years ago the eldest of the five sisters left her Fifeshire .home for New Zealand. One by one the others left for different parts of the world, married and lost touch with one another , .. until a sister who had settled in Australia decided to talce a holiday in New Zealand. The car she hired broke down in the heart of the mountains and the stranded Scotswoman was forc- ed to camp out through the night, awaiting the first passing motorist. It was possible that no other tra•. yeller would pass that way for days. But early next day a car came into sight. "Can I help you?" said the occu- pant . and their eyes met is mutual recognition. The two sis- ters went hone together; and when they arrived found a letter from a third sister, with whom the second had corresponded. It stated that she had heard from the other two sisters! A few weeks later the amazing tangle was straightened out when all five of the former Misses Mc- Intosh enjoyed a grand reunion is Dunedin! In Rome a black marketeer trad- ed 100.000 lire (counterfeit) for 1,800 American dollars. When he tried to pass the dollars he found they were counterfeit too. May Be Cardinal—Bishop Jo.. seph Kinwanuka, above, of Can. tral East Africa, may become the first Negro Cardinal in mo- dern 'history of the Roman Catholic Church. It was reported in Rome that Pope Pius XII will name him in about two months. 'Taint Winter Yet, But—Although official winter was weeks away, Mn and Mrs, Clarence Wiehling found the going rough as a near blizzard snow -whipped the city, By Arthur Point HOW'D 1'Uti LIKE 10 WALK TO T ii rwtitST SHOP WITH ME? r HOOKY! wllrME% ARE YOU? Ws TIME 70 60 0 HOME-! p 8 O n c w liki '...,5(4-.,•":r; ®If .C j 1 -- -`