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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1925-12-31, Page 6For --� Boys and cls THE FAGOT OF GOLD In the earlier part of last century, It happened that the Emperor Alex - about the year 1814, there lived near ander was that day on his way to the eastern frontier of France a poor Paris, and was travelling in a small widow, with her two sons, Jacques carriage -called at that time a Ber- and Pierre, lin de voyage. He was at some dis- The first,anhonest, hard-working twice from his suite, and the boy, boy, was a credit to his mother and little suspecting who the stranger in esteemed by his neighobrs; while the approaching vehicle might be, "lazy Pierre," as his brother was from some impulse of curiosity, left called, had gained this sobriquet by his unbound fagots and ran forward. his indolent, dreamy habits, Never at work unless compelled by his mother's or his own necessities, Pierre was generally to be seen lying on his back, poring over some book of fairy tales or romance, or else weav- ing in his foolish brain some :fanciful marked intelligence of the lad's coun- legend for the evening entertainment Penance. of his more actively engaged compact- "I think," said Pierre, unabashed, ions, "that this carriage belongs to the em - His powers in this line were known peror•s suite, and is going to Paris. and admired by all the juvenile por I \c ant to go, too, and see the Emperor tion of the community, and when -the Alexarxier, who, it is said, loves all day's work was over, they would Frenchmen. gather around the young narrator to The stranger, much amazed, asked hear his wonderful fancies. who be was, and gradually drew from Poor Marie, although vaguely leu him his little history, his hopes and scions of her boy's talents, was in de- repeated disappointments; then point= spair of ever turning them to prat-' ed the moral that as elves and fairies tical account, as tears and threats had no existence, honest labor. was, in alike failed to induce a change of modern days, the only road to success, habits.. ! and that the steady Jacques, by perse- "And to crown it all," she said one, vering industry, was more likely to evening to a gossip. who had called• convert his fagots of wood into gold to see her, and to whom this trouble than Pierre with all his visions.. was confided, "he leas had a wonderful As they talked on, the boy did not dream, which he says must come tot notice holy far they were leaving the pass within the year• forest behind them, until his new men- "Hedreamed that Jacques and him- tor reminded him that his mother 4 self had gone into the forest to maker would be uneasy if he went away with - up fagots for me, and that while his' cut saying a word. t ,, +d with the brother was gathering sticks, he Being much imp e c t (Pierre) saw something shining am-, child's rare intelligence and power of ong the 'eaves, Oe removing these imagination, the emperor had resolved and some 'loose mold, he discovered a to afford him opportunities for culti- half-buriedfagot of god, in which all ating his talents, and now revealed hr sticks were of equal size and his own identity, asking Pierre if he He was in the act of mounting be- hind, when the occupant of the ear ---a riage richly -dressed and handsome gentleman -turned and asked hint, not unkindly, if he knew where he was, noting, at the same time, the length, 'and bound together with, would go to Russia with hili on his strings of precious atones. ;return from Paris. "He really believes that this vision' "I will not, however, make your for - betokens some great change of for- tune in idleness," he added, with a tune so us, and :..?king at me with friendly smile. "Yon will have to work his great. searehe'g eyes, will ay \with the tools furnished you." 'Now, mother, is ee'- that better than' Pierre was overwhelmed with the s'avir.g away our lives in making up sense of his awn temerity when he fagots and minding sews?'" l found that he had talked so familiarly .turf and n,.., eecee:" replied oldl with so august a personage, and was Margot. the confident of this strange, profuse in his thenke and apologies. story; "it only ("0111eAof letting the He was sant to his astonished moth - boy fill his head with tales of fairies er under the escort of an imperial and goblins. Take away his looks, officer, and after hearing his adven- and send him to work. with nothing to tui:. she gave a tearful consent to her eat until he earns it. then see how ley': advancement. • quickly he will forget his dreams;" "Is it net like the fulfillment of my With this sage roans -1, -,l Margot dream?" asked Pierre, wistfully; hut departed, and Marie, aitheugh weakly old Margnt, who was present, answer- indelgent to her buys, resolved, for ed roughly: • Pierre's own good. to net on her "After all, it was not until you friend's advice. went to work in earnest that fortune She accordingly destroyed what she favored you and if you had not been considered the most pernicious part of in the line of your duty, the emperor his library, and removed the rest out would never have seen your of his •say: then waking him very Was not old Margot right? early one morning, bade him, with assumed harshness, betake himself to the forest, and not show his face until he had made up his part of the fagots, which she was to sell next day at market. A email piece of dry, brown bread was his provision, as the poor mother thought its insufficiency might stimu- late him to greater exertion, and has ten his return. Pierre, whose amiability equaled his Indolence, made no remonstrance, but went out to the forest, in the confident hope that some kind fairy would now - discover to him the coveted golden fagot. IIe had none of his favorite volumes' with him; but, extending himself under a tree to eat his scanty meal, he wove airy fictions, until sleep over-' came him and inspired dreams of still brighter glories. When he awoke, the sun was high in the heavens, and the pangs of hunger admonished him of his unfinished la- bors. He had seen that his mother, was thoroughly in earnest, and slowly, but determined:y, he rose and went to. work. He had cut into lengths and piled; up sufficient material for several1 fagots, and was beginning to feel the\ eatisfied glow of merited success, when the roll of wheels on the road Shakes it Out of Him. DEMONS Or THE KEYS Winners of the world typewriting contest at Aeolian Hall, New York, 011 December 13. Left to right:fle Albert Tenger, et, with 136 words a minute;; Bessie Friedman, third and also fastest: for all women, and George Iiess- field, second. THE TRAGEDY OF TALENT Writers Who Were Ne_r-ected. *Many brilliant and talented writers have passed through years of neglect, their worth and genius unrecognized by the public. Thus Robert Burns, the Scottish poet, after a brief period of popular favor in Edinburgh literary circles, went baok to the plough, After the failure of his farming ad- venture at lallieland, lie became an ex eisemau, and died at Dumfries in poverty and neglect. Thomas Chatterton, the youthful Poet, finding )tie work was unrecog- nized, committed suicide in 1770, at the early age of eighteen. Thus has genius suffered at the hands of an unfeeling public. Authors in the old days, before any copyright laws were in existence to protect' their interests, .suffered be- cause their works were exploited and pirated by unscrupulous printers. May suffered poverty and obscurity in their lifetime, while after their death publis'hess made fortunes out of their writings. Many authors and poets of bygone days would be amazed if they could come back and see the sumptuous edi- tions of their works. published and widely read long after they wore dead: Then poets and writers had to depend in "the good old days." cn the patron- age of the wealthy. Nash, the Elizabethan writer, ,.Atom Inane Disraeli describes as "a creature of genius, of famine and despair," pro- claimed himself to the world as "Pierce Pennilesse," and confessed that he sat up late and rose early, con- tended with col:) and conversed with scarcitie," while he beheld petty tradesmen awaking money and rejoic- ing in plenty. Then Stowe, the learned antiquary, after devoting all his life to the study of the monuments of antiquity in Eng- land, making a tremendous collection of valuable manuscripts during his "How on earth do you manage to get (beelly to spend money on you.•' "Oh, I take him out in my little Ford and he loosens up." A Give -Away. In a certain family is a young lady who hon a bashful beau. that is. he is bashful when the grown members of the family are around, but not bashful when Tommy, aged six years, is in the room. At the table, tate other night, tate beau and the whole family were present. By-and-by Timmy said: "Mamma. sis trowds me so close I can't breve. I'm not her beau, am I?" The lungs of the average man eon - through the forest startled him. 'twin about five quarts of air. REG'LAR FELLERS -By Gene Byrnes. r� lifetime, found himself in his old age forced to collect alms( Neglected Uy the great city in which- he lived, at the age M eighty he was granted letters patent by the King "to ask, gather, and take the alms of all bur loving subjects." One city parish contributed the magnificent sunt et seven-and-sixpenCe so we must conclude that the response was not encouraging, Poor Myles Davies, a Welsh clergy, man who turned author, tells us ;how he hawked his own books, under con- ditions that would have daunted most men. Round the houses of the mighty Ice went, not only receiving the insol- ence of porters and lackeys, but hav- ing to stand disgusting treatment from his lordship. In one case they spirted orange water over the persistent auth- or. ` The Price of Genius. Diaappointed genius is one of tho ' saddest things in human life.' Soine have accepted their disappointments with great humility, and sometimes a I great sense of lmmor. Some sadly ;disappointed anthers Have broken out lin a violent abuse of friends and foes alike. Suck a man was the orator, [Henley, whose famous "Universal I Academy" amused London in tice eighteenth century. Authors, like other. workers, suffer oftentinces front ncelaclies due to the nature of their craft, The. thinking faculty sometimes; becomes deranged through excessive etudy, and seden- tary habits affect the physical health. The result is a host of hypochondriac troubles and nervous ones as well, Henry Carey, immortalized by his famous song, "Sally in Our Alley," died by his owls hand, and was found deod with a solitary halfpenny in his pocket. Jeffries died of consumption without seeing the recognition he deserved because of his unrivalled knowledge of the English countryside, What Two Celebrated Men Think of Music. lueic, of all arts, atfers the moat direct re:Mium for spiritual stimulus in 1 national lite. Other arts -as litera- tures drama, painting -may appear to have more immediate appeal, but music presents more active pos.;•ibili-! ties of public art participation. Music affects concourses and gatherings per- haps lee-, intelleetuelly,tet role 5pon- taneoueiy and instinitivsly. ;1t ma- me.nts, (.1 public emotion crow da not join in quoting poems- the/ sing." -Leigh henry (English ('ritir). 5 5. * ,M "In the eritital years of adelesconce, when the emotional nature of the young person is in evidence, music is the moot valuable outlet for tho sin - Pilotage of emotion -a veritable safety valve, • in faet; not alone the mere pas- sive hearing of music, but more than this, the serious study.of music in its executive sense, will do more to hold to the track a youngster tingling with the flighty emotion of that period than is who neglect unyiting secs Ile , musical education of their children 'ere ignoring one of the most valuable , factors in character advancement,"- George Bernard Shaw. - - 1An understanding of one another often prevents legal entanglements. (/IM eo,t ' / oowo -'l-o , SLATZtie TO LOOl<IT THE NEW BRIGHT STRIPED GOLOR a1fl' (ssonts AUCTIQN RI GE ,..ear Series byWYNNE FERGUSON author el ` erguson ori cuctionBradgd'. Copyriskt 1925 by--t'oyle. Jr. ARTICLE No. 12 • " Score, YZ 10, A13 0, rubber game, Z (Leah: and bid three spades, A and Y passed, Tl doubler) and all passed. What should A lead? To the writer, this seems easy. Z has made an original bid of three spades and if correct, it should indicate lack of help for hearts, the other major suit. For that reason, the lead of the deuce of hearts seems to be A's best lead, The next best lead would be the ace of clubs. Hand No. 3 The test hands given in the preceding article have caused considerable com- ment and a wide difference of opinion. 1n hand,. No, 2 for example, where A's proper lead is in question, every card in his hand has been suggested as the proper lend. Needless to say, only one card should be led so that a number of correspondents will be disappointed, Don't allow the difference in my opinion,. and your own to discourage you, how- ever. Learn; to profit by your mistakes and you cannot help but improve, Hand No. 1 Hearts - 8, 5, 3 Clubs -10, 7 Diamonds -9, 3 Spades - A, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3 Y :A B: Z Hearts- K, Q, J, 9, 7 Clubs -A, IC, 4 Diamonds- K, J, 10, 8, 2 Spades - none No score, first game. Z dealt and bid one heart, A one spade and Y and 13 'passed. Z bid two diamonds, A two spades and Y and 13 passed. Z now bid three diamonds, A passed, Y bid three hearts, B and Z passed and A doubled. All passed and A opened the lying of spades. How should Z plan the play of the ,hand? Before Z plays a card he should size up the situation very care- fully. His reasoning should be some- what as follows: "A has bid two spades without any help from his partner and has doubled three hearts. The only cards that would justify his bid and double would be at least six spades to four honors, four hearts, probably to the ace ten and the ace queen of dia- monds. I can make eight tricks easily as I must win one spade trick, two club tricks, four heart tricks and one trump in dummy of club,. The question is, how can I get the extra trick, in the diamond suit?" Alter this analysis, Z should win the first trick with the ace of spades. He should then lead two rounds of clubs and trump the third round in Y's hand. If A has only two clubs, he must play the ten of hearts to win the trick. If he does, Y should discard a diamond. Assume, however, that won the fourth trick. He should now play the three of diamonds and finesse the ten spot in Z's Band. If A has the queen, he is now in a difficult position for if lie leads trumps, he will only make one trump trick and if he doesn't Z can trump the third round of diamonds in Y's hand. If A leads a spade, Z will trump and lead another diamond, forcing A into the same diffi- cult position. Played in this way YZ should make three odd against good play and with all the high cards in A's hand. The important point to note about this hand is that Z must not lead trumps at any stage of the game. 1 -le must make the most of Y's little trumps. It is an object lesson in when not to lead trumps. 'Hand No. 2 Hearts- IC, J, 8, 2 Clubs -A, J, 9, 3 Y : Diamonds -IK, J, 7, 6 : A B : Spades - 7 Z Hearts - A, 9, 6, 2 Clubs -I-(,J 8,4 Diamonds - 7 Spades- 9, 7, 5, 2 Hearts -J, 10,-5, 3 Clubs -A, 10, 7, 2 Y : Diamonds -A, 8, 4 A 13 : Spades -8, 6 Z' No score, first game. Z dealt and•bid one sppade,A and Y passed and B bid two diamonds. 2, two spades, A three diamonds, Y three species and all passed. A opened the ace of diamonds and all follow. What should A now lead to the second trick? There are two possibilities for A to consider, Fist, the lead of the deuce of clubs. Z may finesse the jack and if 13 has the queen, AB may save game then and there. The objection to this lead is the fact that Z may have a singleton club and play the king.from Y's hand, The second alternative is the lead of the trey of hearts, If'B has the king queen of hearts, AB can save game by making two heart tricks and the ace of clubs. The writer favors the lead of the trey of hearts but would not criticize the lead of eslow club. It is a very close hand. I•Iand No. 4 I-Iearts -K, 7, 5, 3 Clubs -7 Y : Diamonds -A, I{, J, 8, 3 :'A B : Spades -J, 7, 6 Z No score, rubber game. Z dealt and bid one club, A one diamond, Y'one heart and B one spade. Z now bid two hearts, A two spades, Y three hearts aid B three spades. Z now bid four hearts. What should A now bid with the fore- going hand? This is another close hand. A has the choice of doubling four hearts or of bidding four spades. It is the rub- ber game so his decision is an important one. If he doubles four hearts, he can- not figure on winning more than one heart trick, two diamond tricks and one spade trick. In other words, if he doub- les he cannot hope to defeat his op ponents more than one trick. On the other hand, if he bids four spades, he ought to make it. All ahouiti not lose more than one heart trick, one club trick and one spade trick. If that analy- sis is correct, A shouldcertainlybid four spades in preference to do,ti"ling four hearts. 1f he makes the bid, he scores game and rubber, the',slue of which is easily 400 points, If he could only win 100 points on the double, the odds are just Four to one in favor pf the bid of four spades. `LITIDE MAR TO ARCTIC SENT DEC. 1' MAY ARRIVE IN APRIL AFTER PERILOUS TRIP. Dog Trains Labor Through Miles of'. Icy Wilderness to Attain Northern Goal. "The mail .for the north country closes on December 1," so read a trite notice posted in the Edmonton post- , oflice. Merely a warning to ISdmon- tonians that if they wished to get their Christmas parcels away, to friends in the north, same must be posted before the end oC last month. But these same "Christmas" pareels were "C'dristmas" In .name only, for they will not arrive at their destine, lion, in many instances., befote,next 3iac•clror April, and then only is the dog teams and mail terriers have the very beet lick in their journey to the Min of the Arches No mood for "Do Not Open 'Grunt Christmas Day" labels on these packages. From Waterways, the first mail of the winter, is carried entirely by dog team, the return mail reaching civili- zation in a like manner. The round trip dog distance, from Waterways to )Milia -fifty miles from the Acetic Oman and 132 miles within the A•retie Circles -totals 3,332 miles. At Pint McMurray,a few m11 4l be- yond Oho end of steel, and a port of call for the big steamers of the sum- mer months, when river conditions per- mit ermit them to come so far, the winter mall is made up in specially water- proofed sacks far the -Various posts, and from then on the advent of the moil driver and his dogs Is watched for, with the utmost eagerness by resi- dents along the lake and river line of almost 1,700 miles ail the wayfrom nt McMurray bo the Aiett•c Ocean. It Is a hard life, this carrying of the winter mall to the Arctic. For the driver one day Is much like another, save thht each day brings its own pe- culiar difficulties. Piling lee, howling blizzards, deep snow -drifts -all these he faces with philosophy -camping when. the short day Is done, preparing food for himself and his dogs, and moving on again with the first hint of dawnTh. e husky dogs are specially bred and trained for the important task of carrying the mail, They are, in very truth, cairns "lords of tiio noth," loll - Ing in slothful ease through the sum- mer days, to welcome the familiar sled and harness when the first snow dies. Between Waterways and Alciavilt the average distance between fur -trading posts is about 150 miles -450 miles of bleak loneliness in which there Is no other human, and In which death to many forms lurks constantly. Days come when yesterday's camp site can be seen when to -night's came is pitch• ed and when progress is yard's where it should be miles. But -the mailman and his dogs struggle on -ever on- wardt--'ever orthward-to where the lights of litennext post shine, a we conte. Success of Woman Mayor physically, than the average Turkish Brings Suffrage Demand mlVH,en the governor of the vilayet sends Mayor Hanoum a new order, Turkey's one and only Mayor has ahs has taken it to the village teacher been found and the fact that for years Who reads it until the Mayor has she has administered her office asan memorized it. She is tmown not to illiterate has fired the courage of feint- have forgotten a single point in an or- nlsts in Oonstantinnple in their cam- der. Under her regime, Germat has paign toward the vote for Moslem wo- surpassed the entire district in its ad- vancement, in Turkey. nien. Koudi•.ee Hanoum, a woman beyond Mayor Ilanoum rides horseback with 60, for many years has been omni- vigor and handles a gun with skill. village When the village receives rumors of mouely elected Mayor of the of Germat in the vtlayet of Erdahan, aptnoaching brigands, she it is who She taxi neither read nor write, but loads the young men to the defense. she knows alt the laws; of the village The chief aim of Turkish women by heart. She is a widow and with her now is not the vote, but o(lucatfou and experience. The great work has been against the social restrictions of Turkish women. Now they are pour- ing into the law and medical schools just opened to them,, Into normal schools and business. Many gradu- ates already have proved their ability goveinment affairs. While Mayor as professional and business women. Hanoum has a masculine bearing and masculine interests, the union points Joan Inge, the English prelate, out that she rias an intelligence super[- when asked what he thought about or to that of all the men in her vicinl- omitting the word "obey" from the ty. For that Metter, the union claims t marriage service, made the somewhat rho average Turkish woman is more Delphic reply, "When two ride on 'one clever renally and more energetic horse, one rides behind." daughter-in-law and two granddaugh- ters, does all the week on the farm, which is their only source of liveli- hood. It is the first example the leaders of the "Union of Women" can cite In proving a Turkish woman's ability in a C'MON OVER TO -THE &OLD EAGLE CLOTHING S-VORE TN61 , C&OT ` WEho'`f DWFFREA �oTWO ��?HAGTY OR `N Em • (Copyright. 1925, by The Bell Sy,idteete, It l The Kid Knew What He Was Doing. StiNg i 'AINT eONNA BO'S Arae(, SO IT'S EASIER TO GO eMSERE -rHERES ONE'‘' TWO OR THRER THAT Y'CA T 0'4 TWO DOZEN!. Advising the Boy On Marriage. Boy, when you think that you want to get married, Be sure it is lova and not fancy; Make sure it's the heart, not your eye, that is carried Away with the beauty of Nancy. I am old at the game and I know the • dellgh t Of a maid when your arm is about her; • But, my boy, -ere you marry, be sura you aro right, Don't wed till you can't live without her. For marriage is something mon enter for life, For their old age as well as youth's splendor; And you want to be sure, ere you make her your wife, Yon can always remain her defend- er. Just stop and consider ell wives that yon see - The cross one, the plain one, the fat one; Could you still cherish. Nancy and icve her if she Should alter like this one or that ono? Well, Nancy or Mabel or is'lorenee or . Grace Will change in appearance, so 'a"ry; And if you can love her, whatever takes place, I'd stay It is all right to marry. --Edgar A. Guest. Eclipsed.Three J13ng1t6.lh-boys were talking of the merits of their particular fathers. Said the first, whose father svgs a famous novelist: .'My fathor just writes a few words on a bit of paper and gats paid five pounds for. it." "Oh," said the lawyer's sou, ',my daddy Just sits .10 a room and •tells pco-. pie wheat to do, and tli'ey give him fifty pounds for 11,"- "That's .nothi:ngg!' sand the parson's soil. "My clad gets up in the pulpit, preaches a few minutes, and when he's finished 10 hakes eight men to carry the imoney lute the vestry," ta,