davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08
1uoll tban common tnfted rne like this

Well, then, a common tuftedrug like this
would only cost three, said my cautious bet
ter-half, who, seeing she could not carry her
first ambitious point. wisely withdrew her
guns. 49,
That's more sensible, said I. well we'll
see about it,
sAnd there's another thing I want con-
tinued my wife, putting her hand coaxingly
on my shoulder, sand it's not at all extrava.
CANT either
what is it?' I asked, softening rapidly.
Il saw such lovely silk dress pattern on
Canal street this morning, and can get it
for six dollars-only six dollars, Harry It's
the cheapest thing I ever saw
but hav'nt you got pretty green silk
dress?'
That old thing! Why, Harry I've worn
it ever since we've been married.
rs it soiled or ragged ?
mo, of course; but who wants to wear
the same green dress forever Everybody
knows it is the only silk that have
well, what then 2
That's just mans question: pouted
Kitty. 'And I suppose you have not OBJ
served how old fashioned my bonnet is get
ting?
why, thought it looked very neat and
tasteful since you put on that black velvet
winter trimming
'Of course-you men have no taste in such
matters
We were silent for moment; I'm afraid
we both felt little cross and out of humor
with one another In fact, on my journey
home, had entertained serious thoug hts of
exchanging my old silver watch for more
modern time piece Of gold, and had mental
ly appropriated the $40 bill to furthering
that purpose. Savings bank reflections had
come later.
As we sat before our fire, each wrapped in
thought, our neighbor, Mr.. Wilmot, knock
ed at the door. He was employed at the
same store as myself, and his wife was an
old family friend.
Il want you to congratulate me- he said,
taking seat. Il have purchased that little
cottage out on the Bloomington road to-day.
what that beautiful little wooden cot
tage with the piazza and lawn, and fruit gar
den behind2' exclaimed Kitty, almost en-
viously.
lis it possible p I cried. A little cottage
home of my own, just like that I had often
admired on the Bloomington road, had al
ways been the one crovning ambition Of my
life-a distant and almost hopeless point,
but no less earnestly desired.
why, Wilmot,' said I, chow did this hap
pen
You've only been in business eight or ten
years longer than 1, at salary but triae
larger than mine, yet I could as soon buy
up the mint as purchase cottage like that
well, said my neighbor, I'VE have all been
working to this end for years. My wife has
darned, patched, mended and saved-we
have lived on plain fare, and done with the
cheapest things. But the magic charm of
the whole affair was that We laid aside every
penny that was not needed by actual positive
want Yes, I have seen my wife lay by red
coppers, one by one.'
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08
From the Selma (Ala.) Sentinel.
A SERVANT OF WASHINGTON

A SERVANT OF WASHINGTON.
While in Talladega county, few weeks
ago, we spent an evening at the residence of
Major Benjamin Smoot, near Mardisville,
and there found relic of the Revolutionary
war, in the shape of an old negro man,
whose name was Jerry, and who informed
us that he was one hundred and seven years
old. We found heold negroa great talker,
relating the incidents and scenes of the Rev.
olutionary war, with great zeal and feeling.
He gave US the following account of himself,
which we were subsequently informed was
true: That he was born the property of Col.
Fanteroy, of Rappehanock county, Virginia,
in the year 1851, aud while General Wash
ington was in Philadelphia, attending the
Continental Congress, he purchased him
from his master, giving thirty pounds for
him. Soon after he became the property Of
Washington, Gen. Washington took COM
mand of the army-taking Jerry with him
as his body servant, which position Jerry
occupied until the close of the great strug-
gle for American Independence, taking an
active part in all the battles in which Wash.
ington was engaged. Jerry recounts with
great accuracy, the prominent incidents of
many of the battles, and sheds tears while
relating the hardships experienced by the
soldiers of the American forces-especially
of the hardships in the Jersey colony.
After the close of the war, Jerry was ia
ken to Mount Vernon, where he remained
until the year before the death of General
Washington, when, becoming discontented,
in consequence of his wife moving to dis.
tant neig ghborhood, he was sold to the owner
of his wife. A few years after, Jerry's wife
died. He again becoming dissatisfied with
his master, was again sold, and finally was
carried to Richmond and placed in the pub.
lie market, where he was purchased by the
father of Colonel Hugh P. Watson, now of
Montgomery, Ala. Mr.. Watson kept Jerry
until his death, when he fell into the hands
of bis young master-Col. Hugh Watson.
When the war with Mexico took place and
there was call for volunteers TO fight the
battles of the country, Col. Watson was one
of those who volunteered. As soon as Jerry
heard that his master was going to war, he
declared his master should not go unless he
TOO went with him. Jerry, true to his de-.
termination, induced by faithful attach
ment to his master, went with the Talladega
volunteers, and many are the jokes told on
Jerry by the Talladega boys. Jerry would
not only take every opportunity he could to
kill Mexican, but would, when he could
not shoot one, win their money from the
"yellow DEVILS" "a very popular phrase of
Jerry's when speaking of the Mexicans. y
Jerry declares that he and one more of the
Talladega volunteers (the name Jerry uses
freely we're the only Americans that could
beat the Mexicans at Monte and such other
games as they played, and as a proof of it,
Jerry brought home quite number of Jumps
Of gold, which he took great delight in
showing as specimens of Mexican currency.
When the service Of tho Alabama yolup.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08

from the hidden songster, We were presently
grati6ed by seeing little bird perched upon
a low limb of an oak, which grew immrdi.
ately at the boys head, open his throat, and
emit the slow, mournful notes which had
Just attracted our attention. The summer
wind played in the long grass and stirred the
leaves of the oak, and while the twilight
shaded more and more into night, the loving
little sWhippoorwill sang louder and more
loud over the little lonely boy; and we
thought as we turned homeward, we had
never heard more touching or solemn re-
quiem.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08
s6r There, nowp r cried a little niece Of

sar There, nowv cried a little niece Of
ours while rumaging drawer in a bureau,
there now! Gran'pa has gone to heaven
without his spectacles. What will he dor
And shortly afterwards, when another aged
relative was supposed to be sick unto death
in the house, she came running to his bed
side, with the glasses in her hand, and an
errand on her lips:
you goin' to dieT
They tell me so:'
Coin to heavenr
Il hope so:'
well, here are gran'pa's spectaclss.-
Won't you take them to himF
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08

HAsTY JUDaMENT.-What terrible mis-
takes in the judgment of character have a.
risen from a proverb such as this: "A lit
tie straw shows where the wind blows;' that
is to say, an individual and unimportant act
may be taken as an index of disposition;
as though, of all the thousand springs which
influence human soul, we could lay our
finger upon the particular cause that has &C.
tuated it in some transitory matter, and, far
less, as if from that action we might assume
the handspring of a nature. How often has
a mere kindly impulse been thus mistaken
for noble principle, or thoughtless deed
ascribed to the dark influence of self.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08
a@ We saw good anecdote the other da,

s@ We saw a good anecdote the other day
about long preaching. A lady took her son,
of some FIVE or six years, to church. After
the minister had been preaching about half
an hour, the little fellow grew sleepy and be-
gan to nod. The mother reused him into
attention several times by pinching. But as
it seemed hopeless case, she concluded to
let him sleep undisturbed. After the little
fellow had had his nap out, be awoke, and
saw the minister still holding forth. He
looked up in his mothers face, and innocent
ly asked-'Mother, is it this Sunday night,
or il it neat Sunday pightp
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08
teers expired in Mexico, Jerry returned with

teers expired in Mexico, Jerry returned with
his young master.
Major Smoot finally purchased Jery's
wife, and Col. Watson gave Jerry permis.
sion to 60 where and when he pleases. He
stays most of his time at Major Smoot's,
feeding pigs, working in the garden and do
ing such little work as he feels disposed to
do.
Until within the last year or two, Jerry
was quite active, very industrious, and made
money for himself; but within the last year
or so he has become quite decriped, and it is
only with the use of his crutch and stick
that he can move about.
Jerry told US that he, at one time, felt
very religious, but when he went to Mexico
and found he could beat the Mexicans so
easy playing cards, he lost all his religion.
Jerry is very popular with every member
of the company that went from Talladega to
Mexico, and will fight quick if he hears one
of them spoken of wrongfully.
ne Is certainty an e4traoralnary old negro
has most minute and distinct recollec-
tion of all the scenes of the Revolution
recollects all the prominent officers, and can
give an excellent description of their ap-
pearance-the color of the hair, eyes, COM
plexion, and everything in connection with
them. He thinks General Washington was
a supernatural man-that all his acts and
deeds were under the supervision and direct
ed by Providence. He loves Washington
and hates Arnold. Jerry says he always
hated Arnold from the first time he ever saw
him at Trenton, when dining with General
Washington.
We don't know that we ever found per.
son in whose conversation We were more in
terested in than this old negro, and to one
who is fond of hearing miraculous tales,
Jerry would prove most interesting.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08
THE JACK DAW.

Just before the death of Webster, as eve
rybody will recollect, and after his recovery
was despaired of, one of his physicians ap
preached his bedside, and asked how he
found himself. Il feel like the Jackdaw in
the church steeple,' was the strange reply
The physician withdrew sadly from the bed
side to another part of the room, where some
members Of the family were standing to-
gether, and shaking his head confessed his
apprehensions that the brain of the dying
statesman WAS affected; that the stately oak
was perishing at the top. He could see nc
method in the answer which his question
had received. One of the ladies present.
who knew Mr.. Webster better, did not be.
lieve that his mind was wandering, and qui'
etly stepping to the bedside asked him what
he meant by saying he felt like JackdaW
in the church steeple. "Why, Cowper;
don't you remember?' was the reply. She
did remember Cowper's delightful transla'
tion of one of Vincent Bourne's little poems,
entitled the Jackdaw, which We give below,
There is bird who, by his coat
And by the hoarseness Of his note,
Might be supposed crow;
great frequenter Of the church,
Where bishoplike he finds perch,
And dormitory too.
Above the steeple finds plate,
That turns and turns to indicate
From what point blows the weather.
Look up. Your brains begin to swim,
IT'S in the clouds-that pleases him,
He chooses it the rather.
Fond of the speculative height,
Thither he wings his airy flight,
And thence securely sees
The hustle and the raree show,
That occupy mankind below
Secure and at his ease.
You think no doubt, he sits and muses.
Of future broken bones and bruises
If he should chance to fall
No, not q single thought like that,
Employs his philosophic pate,
Or troubles it at oil.
He sees that this gfeatfound about,
The world, with all its motley rout,
Church, army, physic, law,
Its customs and its business,
Is no concern ut oil of his,
And says-what says he ?-caw!
Thrice happy bird too have seen
Much of the vanites of men;
And sick of having seem 'em,
Would cheerfully these limbs resign,
For such q pair of wings as thine,
And such head between 'em.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08

FLOWERS IN THE PEN1TENTIARY.-A
benevolent lady, 1--WE know she must have
heart keenly appreciative of the elevatine
and purifying inaences of the Beautiful in
nature), some time since presented Rev
Mr.. Passavant a sum sufficient to purchase q
number of plants and flowers to be placed in
the occupied cells of the Western Peniten'
tiary. The idea was a noble one-to cheer
the heart of the criminal, and lead his
thoughts from Ia contemplation Of things SEN
sual, and debasing, and wicked, to holy
communion with such pure, tender and
beautiful companions as the rose and the
geranium.
In accordance with Instructions, Mr.. Pas
savant, Gan appropriate almoner of such q
gift, } procured monthly rose and geran.
ium for each cell, and they were immediate.
ly placed within the gloomy walls. We
should like much to have record of the
conduct of the different prisoners in receiv-
ing their new companions, and their subse.
quent treatment of them.
Not long after, says Mr.. Passavant, be
visited the prison and all along the walls out
side the tiers, he found the decaying and
dead branches of his rose and geraniums.-
There was no sunshine in those gloomy dun.
geons, and the beautiful things died. They
were never made to bloom in the cell of q
prisoner. Thus law of nature seemed to
have prohibited the criminal from so blessed
a companionship, and to have seconded the
sanction of human law in consigniug the
criminal to cheerless, horrible solitude.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08
NO. ~.

ED1ToRs.-A good editor, competent
newspaper conductor, is like General or .
poet, born, not made. Exercise and exper.
ience give facility, but the qualification is
innate, or is never manifested. On the Lon.
don daily papers all the great historians, nov.
elists, poets, essayists, and writers of travel,
have been tried and nearly all have failed.
We might say all for, after display Of
brilliancy, brief but grand, they died out lit
terally. Their resources were exhausted.-
Il can,' said the late editor of Times, to
Moore, find any number Of men Of genius
to write for me, but very seldom one man Of
common sense The ahunderers' in the
Times, therefore, have, so far we know, been
men Of common sense. Nearly all success
full editors have been men of this descrip-
ton. Campbell, Carlyle, Bulwer, and DIS.
raell, failed; Barnes, Sterling and Phillips
succeeded. In England editors rarely write
for their journals. They read, select and
'cut out the work. In this country, with Q
few exceptions, editors have not only toread,
select and 'cut out work, but do the writing
too. On the whole, American editors are
the hardest working men in the world.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08

THEY SAY.'-A more sneaking, coward
ly, dendish liar than They say does not
exist. That parsonage is universal scape-
goat for personal gossip, envy and malice !;
without form of flesh and blood, in every
community. The character is myth, and
yet real; intangible, and clutching its VIC
tins with remorseless power. 1t is unseen,
and yet from an exhaustless quiver wings its
poisoned arrows from day to day. And no
mail is proof; no character, position or sex
escapes; no sanctuary is too sacred no home
is bulwarked against its assaults. When one
base heart wishes to assail some PERSONS
character or motives, They Say is always
invoked. That is the assassin who strikes
in the cloud-the Thug who haunts the
footsteps of the offender, and tortures from
careless word or deed, an excuse for the
stiletto. Men dare not always reveal their
own feelings. While smiles and pretended
friendship, these presentthe envenomed shaft
as coming from They Say Be sure reader,
when some villanous tale is told you, and
the relator cannot give an author more tan
gible than They Say for it, that the SLAM
der is the creation of the heart by your side,
and reeking with the poison of envy and ba.
tired, and earnest with a wish to have the
falsehood of They Say bud into reality,
and become current coin in the community.
They Say we repeat, is as cowardly as
it is false and feudish; the phantom crea-
ton which smiles, while letting loose a
brood Of vipers to crawl in your path, and
blast by their venom. To retail the stories
of They Say is to sneak behind an intangi-
BILE parsonage and put in circulation the
infamous inuendoes and calumnies, which
from raw material are forged nearer home.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08

@ I compare the art ofspreading rumors
to that of piu.makiug. There is usually some
truth, which I call wire as this passes from
hand to hand, one gives it polish, another q
point; others make and put on the head, and
It last the pin is eomplstsa.-Neuten.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08

The ILLINOIS ToRNADo-ToUGH STo.
R1Es.-The stories told of the freaks of the
late tornado in Illinois are quite astonishing
The Peoria Transcript is responsible for the
following:
At Kappa, two ladies were blown away
and have not since been heard from. They
probably wore hoops. At Chenos, it demol.
ished house completely, and yet left a book
case that was in it without scratch or a
broken pane of glass. 1t carried large
mirror sixty feet and laid it down unbroken.
The next morning, after the storm, man
was seen to crawl from under barn, who
after being questioned, stated that, as he
was coming across the prairie, the wind pick
ed him up and carried him half mile, set.
ting him down in a pond of water four feet
deep; be waded out and got on little rise
Of ground, when the wind took him again
and hurled him with violence against the
side of the barn, under which he crawled
and spent the night.
The most wonderful feat of all, however,
occurred at Chenos. A farm house was
blown at two jumps no less than 800 feet
from where it stood, and set down so easily
that the plastering was not cracked or the
dishes knocked off the table which was set
for supper. Asimilar occurrence took place
at Gilman, where kitchen was blown from
the side of the house into slough without
plate being broken, and when our inform
ant left, the inmates were journeying back
and forth on raft to get the cooking uten-
sils for breakfast.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08

"a The Troy Times describes blasted
hopes to be marrying woman with the hope
Of getting $4,000 With her, and when tho
union is consummated, to be pressnted with
a bill for her last years board.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08
Tboitt 4oetrg.
THE PATTER OF LITTLE FEET.

THE PATTER OF LITTLE FEET.
Up with the sun at morning,
Away to the garden he HES,
To see if the sleepy blossoms
Have begun to open their eyes.
Running race with the wind,
With step as light and feet,
Under my window | hear
The patter of little feet.
Now to the brook he wanders,
In swift and noiseless flight,
Splashipg the sparkling ripples
Like q fairy water-sprite.
No sand under fabled river
Has CLEANS like his golden hair,
No pesrly sea-shell is fairer
Than his slender ankles bare;
Nor the rosiest stem of coral
That bushes in oceans bed,
Is sweet as the flush that follows
Our darling's airy tread.
From broad window my neighbor
Looks down on our little cot,
And watches the poor mans blessing
cannot envy his lot.
He has pictures, books, and music,
Bright fountains, and noble trees,
Flowers that blossom in roses,
Birds from beyond the seas:
But never does childish laughter
His homeward footsteps greet,
His stately halls ne'er echo
To the tread of innocent feet.
This child is our speaking picture"
A birding that chatters and sings,
Sometimes sleeping cherub-
(Our other one has wings.
His heart is charmed casket,
Full of all that's cunning and sweet,
And no harp-strings hold such music
As follows his twinkling feet.
When the glory Of sunset opens
The highway by angels trod,
And seems to unbar the City
Whose Builder and Maker is God,
Close to the crystal portal,
see by the gates of pearl,
The eyes of our other angel
A twinborn little girl.
And ask to be taught and directed
To guide bis footsteps Alright,
So that be accounted worthy
To walk in sandals of light,
And hear amid songs of welcome
From messengers trust and feet,
On the starry floor of Heaven,
The patter of little feet.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08

This word, Time, is the only word in The
English laugage which can be thus arranged,
and the different transpositionS thereof are
all at the same time Latin words. These
words in English, as well as in Latin, may
read either upwards or downwards.
The English words time, item, metz, and
emit Ito send forth, are mentioned above =;
and of the Latin ones, Q) Time, signifies
fear thou; (2) Item-likewise; (3) Nett
to be measured (4) Emit-he buys.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08

~ He who can take advice b suustishss
supssios to him whs sssSss 4.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-08

QUAINT AND CURIOUS. Some ploddine
genius has discovered, while spending his
own time that the word Timeitself, when ar.
tifcially transposed or metagramatised, will
form the following words: nett, emit, item.
Aud, if the afore.named and its anagrams be
placed in the following quadratic position,
they will form what may be termed an ana
gramic palindrome:
TIME
ITEM
METZ
EMIT