Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1885-11-11
ORIGIS or POPULAR PHRASES.
ANGEL wrrH INVERTED TORCH.

ANGEL WITH IyyERTED TORCH.
Thanatus and Hypnua Death and
Sleep were twin brothers, children oil
Night, and grandsons Of Chaos and
Darkness, These brothers often appear
II company, the former called Mors in
the Roman tongue), usually bearing
reversed torch, and the latter o poppy
stalk or O horn, out of which he is pour.
ing some liquid, called by the poet
The dew Of sleep" Tho former EN-.
blem, to those who know how the an.
cient torch was extinguished. is very
significant. "Pntting out the light i:
the signal for the Anal repose. and the
angel with the reversed torch bears the
last message to all the children o.
Earth.
A WHEEL WITHIN A WHEEL.
This phrase undoubtedly had its or.
igin in the Bible. IN Eek. l., W.
find the expression, "a wheel in the mid
die Of a wheel" The reyisers of the
Bible have adopted the popular phrase
"a wheel within a Wheel" whether as Q
more correct transcript OF the original
or in difference to the commo phrase
is known only to themselves.
No ONE TO o
The author Of this once popular sons
Is a. present n resident OF Washington
City. He is 40 years old, and, it is as.
serted. wrote the song many years ago
under the following circumstance: liz
was in love with a beautiful girl, and
the day was fixed for Their marriage
La the interval between the engage
ment and this date the war broke out
and the young man enlisted. He was
on the field when the time approached
for his wedding. 1t was on the eve o.
a great battle, and that the first battle
IN which the young man was to take
part He wrote to his sweetheart ask
ing her to postpone the day OF the mar,
riage until after the fight. This she
refused to do, and said If he did not re.
turn and keep his part Of the agree.
ment she would consider the engage
ment of. The young man preferred tc
trust 10 lnck in regard 10 the engage
ment TO being considered q coward in
running away from his first battle, and
remained on the field. His Iady-love
however. was so piqued at the refusal
that she persisted in the rejection oil
his suit, and married another man.
Inspired with the feeling OF the deser.
tion the repealed lover wrote the SOM
which has had such a wide run. He
not only wrote the song, but he re-
manned true to the first love, and for
some time, the story goes, he has been
living with his mother in Washington.
Not long ago, however. his loves hus.
band died, and since that time he has
renewed the acquaintance of the widow,
who, though older than when he went
to the war, is still charming. The old
flame has, it is said, revived in the fair
widows breast, and there is a good
prospect of a match.
STICK A rIN THERE.
In an April 1885, issue of the court
Journal, Queen Victoria's official or.
gan, is the following item:
"The Sheriff OF Lancaster, at a pri-
vate audience which the Queen gave the
Chancellor OF the Duchy Of Lancaster,
was pricked by the Queen. The SherifIs
for England and Wales were pricked
by her Majesty of tho Council on
Thursday last, the 9th inst and not
after it, as stated in the Court Circular
FOR that date"
The explanation of the above is sim
ply this; Every wear the Judges OF
Assize make return to the Queen OF
three persons for every country in En-
gland, from whom she is to select, one
to serve rs Sheriff OF each county.
When these names, written upon a sheet
OF paper are presented to the Queen,
she takes in her finger a pin and sticks
it through n Of them. being thus sup
posed to indicate her choice--to make
her selection. The old phrase Of
"Stick q pin there" in such common
use in the United States, especially
throughout New England, must have
taken its origin in this very ancient
royal custom Of making a selection
HE HAS W HIS WILD OARS.
A common saying is, that "every
young man must SOW his wild oats"
meaning that every young man must
have his season OF gayety before set
Ting down and becoming steady. This
period, with some, however. never
ceases. The thick vapor which rises
on the earth's surface Just before the
lands in the North burst into vegeta-
ton, are called in Denmark Lok hens
hare ,Laki's wild oatsl. When the
fine weather succeeds. tho Danes a y
"Loki has sown his wild oats"
lie SHOT WIDE OF THE MARE.
He was altogether in error, The al
fusion is to shooting at the mark or
bulls eye in archery, but will now APP
ply to modern rifle practice. The say
ing is a very old one, dating back to
the early centuries.