Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-02-06
noLER AVENUE.
Equal TO the Emergency.

to his overcoat for the therm ometer
was below zero, and it was past church
time His little brown-eyed sweet
heart would freeze If she waited long
on the corner. Wasn't there prime
necessity for hurry? He felt the man
" Importance Of the occasion and of
being prompt, when his ma, catching
a glimpse of his mouth, called out in
exasperating tones--"Go wash your
face you dirty boyl" He started,
then stopped. as if debating what to
do, when again that voice called out
syou needn't think that ring of dirt
will be taken for mustache; it
hasn't the right shape you know.
Go wash your face you dirty boy"
A scowl passed over the boys hand
some face, another moment of indie
cision, and then--a big red tongue
crept out and made the circuit of that
boyish mouth several times, and both
difficulty and dirt were removed at
once and in less time than it takes
to write it! Pulling his collar up
over his ears, perhaps to shut out the
cold, perhaps to exclude the peals of
irresistible laughter following him as
climax he started off on a full trot
Tall and dignifed, conscious of his
own importance, he stepped with a
lordly air that always impressed some
people, especially the girls-the bud
ding girls-of the gushing, overflow
ing type. but today as he passed
through Queen street, he attracted
more attention than ever before. Not
only the girls but everyone met MIN
with a smile, and not few with
broad grins, while some even turned
to look back at him. Though this
seeming adulation pleased him, he
wondered why today it had been SO
marked. And still he wondered, un-
til he arrived at his home where one
of the family, noticing long white
scarf like appendage swinging and
swaying with every motion of his
body, ran up to him and caught it.
A beautiful lace tidy. yard long,
was suspended from button on the
tail of his overcoat
Perhaps the recording angel didn't
hear the cruel names he gave that
tidy as he stuffed it remorselessly in
to the fire and watched with angry
satisfaction, the flames lick up its
delicate threads and gaudy crimson
bows. And as he turned from the
frelight's glow into the darkness of
starless night. we caught an emphat-
ic amation-"When I've house
of my own, I'll hammer all the tides
fast on my chairs with ten penny
nails, full assurance to all visitors
that they will never get accidentally
hung on their backs to the amuse-
meut Of all observers.
The grounding looked in vain foI
his shadow, as all day long the snow
storm lasted, which at least gives
foundation for hope that the back
bone of winter is broken.
Senator Skaters eloquence sur
prised and charmed. The crushed
rose emits the most fragrance, but as
we read we felt little amused that
the weapon used against him was the
law his own party had created. If q
wrong was done him the voters will
have chance to right it at the next
election and the butterfly wings Of his
oratorical powers shall have had time
to develop into thing of beauty i
not JOY forever.
"Ralf, art thou Matching another
love story? If so, put in real fight
A soldier and scout has plenty o
ammunition for such scene, surely.