davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-14
A Street Romance.

A few weeks ago poor, lonely bachelor,
who had never loved or been loved, lett
his dreary home for the sake of little ex-
ercise. The morning was bright and
sunny, and as he walked up Broadway he
gazed longing at the girls as they passed
him. and thought of his wretched condi-
tion. As he saw their bright and smiling
countenances, and the happy faces OF their
male companions, he could not but con-
trast his own loneliness and single misery.
These thoughts weighed upon him, and be
became quite melancholy. As he was
standing on the sidewalk, gazing listlessiy
about, he saw beautiful young girl COM
ing toward him leading venerable blind
man. Unmindful of the danger she IN
Cured from the passing vehicles, her
whole thought was devoted TO her charge,
which she finally landed in safety on the
sidewalk. He thanked her for her kind
ness. and she left him The lonely bach
elor saw the whole transaction, and u
struck him so forcibly that all his ideas
concerning the gentler sex OF the com
munity were changed. He took goVu
| look at the young lady, that ne migIs
know her again, and went hls way. ne
subsequently described her to some Oh MS
friends. and after ascertaining VINO sne
was. procured an introduction ne iounu
she was Just as good as he thousns nea'
and now he is married man VI couIse
he told her of the incident that led 10 tneir
acquaintance. She in turn tolu u - ,het he.
IaJy friends. and the consequence Is tnat
. nsw society has been started, called ~Ine
Vanng ladies' Humanitarian Association
e. Heln;ng Blind Men Across the Street" "
bachelors, look out.-Neso York CONNER
ci& Advertiser.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-14
THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS

Twas the night afler Christmas, when all through
the house
Every soul was abed, and still as mouse;
Those stockings SO late St Nicholas care,
Were emptied OF all that was eatable there.
The Darlfngs had duly been tucked in their beds
With very full stomachs and pains in their heads.
i was doing away in my new cotton cap,
And Nancy was rather far gone in a nap,
When out in the nursery arose such q elatter,
sprang from my sleep-crying-" What is the
1 few to each bedside-stin half in doze,
Tore open the curtains, and threw of the Clothes.
The piteous plight Of those objects below;
For what TO the fond fathers eyes should appear,
But toe little pale face OF each sick little dear,
For each pet that had crammed itself full as tick.
1 knew In q moment now felt like old Nick.
Their pulses we're rapid their breathings the same,
What their stomachs rejected I'll mention by
name
Now.urkey, now stuffing, plum pudding, ofcourse,
And custards, and cru1ers, and cranberry sauce,
Before outraged nature all vent to the wall,
Like pellets which urchlns from pop-guns let fly,
Went figs. nuts and raisins, jam. Jelly and pie,
Till each error of diet was brought 20 my view,
To the shame Of mamma and Santa Claus, too.
turned from the sight, to my bedroom stepped
And brought out a vial marked "Pulv Ipecac,n
When my Nancy exclaimed-for their suferings
shocked her,
Don't You think you had better, love, run for the
j ran-and was scarcely back under my roof
When heard the sharp clatter of old Jalaps hoof,
j might say that hardly had turned myself round,
When the doctor came into the room with bound;
He was covered with mud from his head to hie
foot
And the suit he had on was his very worst suit;
He had hardly had time to put that on his back,
And he looked like Fallstaf half fuddled with
sack;
His eyes, how they twinkled Had the Doctor got
merry
His cheeks looked like port and his breath smslt Of
sherry.
he hadn't been shaved for fortnight or so,
And the beard on his chin wasn't white as the
snow.
But inspecting their tongues in despite of their
teeth,
And drawing his watch from his waistcoat be-
Meath
He felt OF each pul.e-saying. " each little belly
Must get nd here he lsughed-"o Of the rest Of
that jelly"
gazcd on each chubby, plump, sick little elf,
And groaned when he said so-in spite OF myself;
But wink of his eye when he physicked our Fred
Soon gave me to know had nothing to dread.
He didn't prescribe-but went straightway TO work
And dosed all the rest gave his trowsers jerk,
And adding directions while blowing his nose
He buttoned his coat from his chair he arose,
Then jumped in his gig-gave old Jalsp whistle,
And Jalap dashed off as If pricked by thistle,
But the Doctor exclaimed ere he drove out OF sight
They'll be well to-morow-good night. Jones
good nghtr'
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-14
Lost on the Prairie.
A TRUE STORY.

SOME years since, party Of surveyors
had Just finished their days work in the
northwestern part of Illinois, when viO-
lent snow storm came on. They started
for their camp, which was in a grove of
about eighty acres, in Q large prairie,
nearly twenty miles from any other tim
Der.
The wind was blowing very hard, and
the snow drifting 50 as to nearly blind
them When they thought they had near
ly reached their camp, they all at once
came upon tracks in the snow. These
they looked at with care, and found, to
their dIsmay, that they were their own
tracks
1t twas now plain that they were lost on
the great prairie, and that, if they had TO
pass the night there in the cold and the
snow, the chance was, that not one of
them would be alive in the morning.
While they were all shivering with fear
and with cold, the chief man Of the party
caught sight of one of their horses, gray
pony, known as Old Jack"
Then the chief said, If any one can
show us our way to camp, out of this
binding snow, Old Jack can do it. Twill
take off his bride, and let him loose, and
We Will lOlIOW uIui tAAuh AC VIII oAOW
US the way to our camp.
The horse, as soon as he found himself
free, threw his head and tail in the air, as
if proud of the trust that had been put in
him. Then he snuffed the breeze, and
gave a loud snort, which seemed to say,
"Come on, boys Follow me. I'll lead
you out Of this scrape."
He then turned in new direction, and
trotted along, but not so fast that the men
could not follow him. They had not gone
more than mile when they saw the cheer
full blaze of their camp fires. They all
gave a loud huzzah at the sight.
They felt grateful to God for their safe
ty, and threw their arms round Old Jacks
neck to thank him for what he had done
/ know that this is true story, for my
father was the chief of the party on the
occasion.-Little Nursery.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-14
Ones Mother.

AROUND the idea of ones mother the
mind of man clings with fond affection
1t is the first dear thought stamped upon
our infant heart, when yet soft and cape-
BILE of receiving the most profound i'm
pressions, and all the after feelings are
more or less light in comparison. Our
passions and our wilfulness may lead rs
far from the object of our f[lial love; we
NAV become wild, headstrong, and angry
at her counsels or opposition; but when
death has stilled her monitory voice, and
nothing but calm memory remains TO re-
capitulate her virtues and good deeds, af.
fection, like q flower beaten to the ground
by rude storm, raises up her head and
smiles amid her tears. Round that idea,
as we have said, the mind clings with fond
affections, and even when the earlier pc
riod of our loss forces memory to be silent
fancy takes the place Of remembrance, and
twines the image Of our departed with .
garland of graces, and beauties, and viz
tues, which we doubt not that she pos
sessed.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-14
A Japanese Execution.

The following description of an execu-
ton in Japan is contained in a recent let
ter dated at Yokohama:
al had an opportunity of witnessing ad
execution on shore. By the Japanese
death is regarded With an indifference as
astonishing as it is lamentable. After we
had been on the ground an hour and a
half, the executioner and his son arrived
The old fellow would have rivaled in po-
liteness q French dancing master; he
bowed, scraped, and gave US to under
stand that he was delighted TO see us and
would make the entertainment as pleas
ant as possible. His son looked nervous,
as though but il-pleased with his duty.
(The office of executioner descends from
father to SOM. The old fellow was whet-
ting his sword all the time; it was about
fourteen feet long, double handled and
curved. Three judges officiated, one of
whom appeared to be q mere boy,
The condemned, three in number,
cleanly dressed, with their hands tied be-
hind them, were led to the ground by six
officials. Each had long string of beads
around his neck. On the ground, these
were removed, and light bandape passed
around the head of each and over the
ewes. They were led, one by one, to q
hole in the earth about three feet square
and nine inches.deep. Each was pressed
on his knees, with his head over the hole
when in an instant the sword fell, and the
head was severed from the body, and fell
into the hole. A bucket of water wa.
thrown over each head, after which they
were taken out to be exhibited in a pub
lie place for three days Eacn trunk wa
seized by the feet, jerked short distanc'
away, struck three or four violent blow
upon the back, covered with mat and q
left. Death is instantaneous, and the pas
sive state of the body would imply pain
less. The offensc of these men was theft
Crucifxion and fire are resorted to in ex
treme cases. The hari-kari is allowed +
criminals who belong to the nobility, o
of wealth and influence. 1t is performe
in public, and leaves no dishonor."
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-14

with dry skin. 1 felt half Inclined to let
him 60 in peace. What could / learn by
simply dogging him back againf
:" Yet why had he come here ct all ?
Why here to Chatou In particular? In q
moment had started after him as this
question REQUIRED to me. -15
He must have walked fast; he was
out of sight. No; I caught glimpse of
him as he turned swiftly off the roadway
into the wood. Why, If he were 20
pressed, that detour through the woodf
al reached the place where he bad dis
bushes, looked for him. There he was,
walking as though he had just discovered
he had plenty of time to reach the station
before the coming train.
Had he suspected met Or had the
momentary chance had stupidity afforded
him enabled him to do what he had come
here to do? Had those two or three
minutes lost me the whole game? l
strained my eyes in the gathering dark
ness to see.
And, suddenly, I saw him swing
round, and glance sharply about him.
And then he seemed to lean against the
trunk of q tree beside him while one
might count slowly Eve. And then he
lounged on, this faneur, never looking
back. I let him 60, now. I waited still
where / was till I had heard the train
pass, and stop, and start.
"sThen in my turn walked down that
pathway, and halted by that tree, and per-
ceived its trunk was hollow. In that hol-
low, my instinct told me, lay the proof of
my little theory. Yet I paused q few
seconds before put in my hand.
"'My hand pushed aside the dead
leaves and the moss and touched it, and
drew it forth-a small tin box. In this
tin box was the red morocco portefeuille
of Monsieur Langley, bearing his initials.
In the red portefeuille were fifty -one thou
sand two hundred francs in bank-notes of
the Bank of France.
"For more than three months that tin
box had lain where l found it; for more
than three months my Falleix had baffled
us all. But the temptation to assure him
self of the safety of his butin had in the
end proved too strong even for prudence
like his. He had come down that day to
touch it-only to touch it while one might
have counted slowly five.
"' Unfortunately for him it was who
counted.
"'I put the notes back into the porte
feuille, the portfeuille into the tin box, the
tin box into the hollow trunk again. That
night made my report to the Chief Yes
terday- Falleix was brought down 10
Chatou, and reproduced tin box, porte
feuille, bank notes, to everybody's satis-
faction but his.
"Poor devil! He tainted.
"And that is the end Of the Affair of
the Red Pcrtefeuille. / trust Monsieur
Langley will consider I have made him
the amende honorable promised him?'
"Well, you know" Dick concluded, ait
wasn't for me to say he hadntP-London
Society.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-14

Our brains are seventy-year clocks. The
Angel of Life winds them up once for all,
then closes the case, and gives the key into
the hand of the Angel of the Resurrec-
ton. Tic-tac! tic-tacl 60 the wheels of
thought; our will cannot stop them; they
cannot stop themselves; sleep cannot still
them; madness only makes them 60 fas-
ter; death alone can break into the case,
and seizing the ever-swinging pendulum,
which we call the heart, silence at last the
clicking of the terrible escapement we
have carried so long beneath our wrinkled
foreheads. If we could only get at them,
as we lie on our pillows, and count the
dead beats of thought after thought and
image after image jarring through the
over-tired organ! Will nobody block
those wheels, uncouple that pinion, cut
the string that holds these weights, blow
up the Internal machine with gunpowder!
What q passion comes over us sometimes
for silence and rest-that this dreadful
mechanism, unwinding the endless tapes
try of time, embroidered with spectral
figures of life and death, could have but
one brief holiday? VINO can wonder that
men swing themselves off from beams in
hempen lassos that they jump off from
parapets into the swift and gurgling gwaters
beneath THAT they take counsel of the
grim fiend who has but to utter his one
peremp.ory monosyllable, and the rest
less machine is shivered as a case that
is dashed upon marble floor? Under
that building which we pass every day
there are strong dungeons. where neither
hook, nor bar, nor bed cord, nor drinking
vessel from which sharp fragment may
be shattered, shall by any chance be seen.
There is nothing for it, when the brain is
on fire with the whirling of its wheels,
but to spring against the stone wall and
silence them with one crash. All, they
remembered that-the kind city fathers
and the walls are nicely padded, so that
one can take such exercise as he likes
without damaging himself. If anybody
would really cOntrive some kind of lever
that one could thrust in among the works
of this horrid automaton and check them,
or alter their rate of going, what would
the world give for the discovery? Men
are very apt to try to get at the machine
by some indirect system or other. They
clap on the brakes by means of opium,
they change the raaddening monotony of
the rhythm by means of fermented
liquors 1t is because the brain is locked
up and we cannot touch its movements
directly, that we thrust these coarse tools
in through any crevice by which they
may reach the interior, alter its rate OF
going for a while, and at last spoil the
machine. Oliver Wendell Holmes.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-14
Kleptomania.

A CASE of kleptomanie, called 70 when
a person in station takes what is another's,
but which is generally denominated lar
ceny or robbery when "poor cuss is
the guilty party, has Just occurred here,
the facts of which are as follows:
On Thursday or Friday last, lady Of
genteel appearance, the better half of
prominent gentleman in the legal frater-
nifty, entered the fancy goods store Of E.
GpDavis, corner Eighth street and Market
space, for the purpose of making some
purchases. She was waited on by one OF
the lady clerks, who was surprised to see
the lady, as she was about to leave, secrete
in her muff Roman scarf valued at $17.
She was allowed to depart, and the clerk
informed her employer Of what had Oc-
Cured. A consultation was held at the
residence of the lady, when Q dialogue
somewhat in this fashion occnrred,:
Clerk-Mrs. -, forgot whether you
told me to charge that scarf you got of us
yesterday, or whether you wanted me to
bring bill for it at once.
Lady apparently surprised) = What
scarf have you reference to?
Clerk-I mean the scarf that you got
yesterday. Don't you remember It?
Lady-Why you must be crazy. did
not get any scarf
Cierk-You certainly did, madam, or l
am greatly mistaken. If you viii look
through your muff, or your under ward
robe, think you will find it.
In response to this the lady bounced
out of the room, apparently very angry,
but soon returned, bearing muff In her
hand, demanding of the clerk to search
it if you think there is . scarf there"
The sharp eyes of the female measurer
of tapes quickly detected tribe of fringe
hanging from one corner of the muff,
which she took in her hand, and In
twinkling, from beneath the lining she
drew forth the identical scarf which had
been "kleptomanized" the day before, re-
marking quickly as she did 30:
"There, thought you had forgotten it"
The kleptomaniac burst into tears, and
prayed the lady clerk not to let her hus-
band know of it. She would pay for it.
"Here," said she, "take this and pay for
it." handing the clerk $50 bill. The lady
clerk took the money and the scarf AND in
a short time thereafter the messenger of
the establishment was seen ringing the
door bell of the lady's mansion, having in
his hand a parcel containing . Roman
scarf, So in change, and q receipted bill
for Washington Republican.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-14
How Candles are Made.

WOULDN'T you like to go with me TO
that mysterious land of sweets, where all
the candies come from?
suppose you imagine it to be some ex-
auisite, fairy like place, where little elves
measure, concoct, mix, stir up and roll out
the various kinds of bon-bons which you
buy in nice boxes. No such thing; on the
contrary, it is a commonplace looking
brown building that shall take you into,
and, instead Of fairies, you will see big
men, with their sleeves rolled up, working
in huge cellars, before immense furnaces,
where the delicious sweets are melted and
mixed.
Think of seeing brawny-armed man
rolling @chunE" of soft candy into q
stick. two or three feet long, ornamenting
il with stripes of different colored candy,
and at last cutting it into lengths to sell
for penny.
II Is wonderful how much work IL ex-
peuded ON little things. Gum drops and
cordial drops of various kinds are all
formed in moulds. Perhaps you have
wondered how the delicious drop Of pear
or pineapple essence gets into the center
of q cordial drop. 1t Is thus: when the
sugar is q beautiful, clear liquid, like water,
and ready to come up, they mix with 1t
some OF the essence, and pour 1t into the
moulds. The sugar at once .crystallzes,
| becomes hard and white the essence does
not crystalize, and remains in the middle
of the sugar crystal
Flat candies, like hearts, crosses, &C,
are cut out of thin sugar dough, as you
have seen biscuit cut from -four dough.
! Some kinds are pressed into shape, while
| soff nv rollers with figures or words on
them, which figures of course, are I'm
pressed upon the candy.
1t takes many men to make the candies
that are sold in this one building, and II
takes thirty-five girls to sell them You
would fancy that good many cAoice
sweets would find their way between the
lips of these thirty-five girls; but thell
EMPLOYER is a wise mad, and ne taket
Mains to cure his clerks Of that desire, the
first thing. This is how he doesit: WheI
a new clerk comes to him, he gives he
cordial leave to eat as much as she wishes
Well, girls are all fond of sweets, and th'
new hand is sure to stuff herself to sucl
an extent as to make herself sick ant
after that day she wants no more candy
Girls sometimes remain five or six year
in the house, and never taste sugar r-plum
This result seems incredible, but 1t ha
been proved by years Of expenence.
In Paris, where the most delightful bon
bons are made, they are put into exquisit
little baskets, or boxes, lined with satlr
and tied with Q delicate ribbon, OF gai
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-14
mis- CELLANEOUS.
A California EnOch Arden.

In 1S49, Gen. W and family, now
of our city, fell in company with young
man who had left his wife and home to
seek fortune in the new Ell Dorado He
cheerfully drove his team through the day
over the weary road, and at night made
himself inter nsting about the camp-ir by
his well-stored mind and fine converse
tional powers. Upon arriving at Sacra-
mento, the company scattered, the Gen
eral located in San Francisco, where he
has ever since held high position, whilst
Others, among them the subject of this
sketch, wandered off to the mines. But
misfortune repeatedly overtaking him he
became discouraged and reckless, and
never wrote back to the beautiful wife of
whom he had so often talked on the way.
He did as many other miners permit
themselves to 'do-settled down into that
peculiar life that is SO fascinating and in
dependent-merely washing out enough
dust from day to day to pay for immediate
necessities, and forgetful of the outside
world, idling away the beautiful life which
should be spent less selfishly, and smoth-
ering the noble aspirations and ambitions
with which they set out in the world.
Twenty years of this mans life was so
thrown away, when about two months
ago, he CHANGED to pick up newspaper,
in which he read of the arrival of vessel
from the East, with mate, from whose
singular name he knew could be no other
than his own baby-boy, whom he left in
the cradle home. 1t brought rush of
memories over him; he suddenly awoke
to a reality his own wicked forgetful-
ness of his dear ones, and to knowledge
that he was growing old and stood alone.
x<,I har
face, came up before him, and, yielding to
money, determining, at least, to see his
boy; SO
.-Downward rom his mountain gorge
Slept the long hair d, long bearded solitary
Brown-lookng, hardly human, strangely clad"
And soon found himself in San Francis
co, where he learned the vessel had just
sailed. But the old home-love could not
be shaken Off
"-Enoch yearn'd to zee her face again.
IF might look on her sweet face again,
And know that she is happy So the thought
Haunted and harrassed him. anc drove him forth
At evening, when the dull November day
Was growing duller twilight"
to the Generals family, when freely con-
Tossing his disregard of duty toward those
naturally looking to him for protection,
they advised him to go and plead his case
to his wife. While they found him the
same charming companion, they remarked
his untidy, careless appearance, of which
he seemed ignorant Following their ad-
vice, he was soon on his way by railroad
for the old home. Arriving there, he
found his once-beloved wife still young
appearing, beautiful woman, who, having
long since regarded him as dead, had mar
ried good man, and as he marked them
with their happy children gathering about
the cheerful fireside, he silently slipped
away, returning to his old California cabin
with burdened heart as his punishment,
homeless and childle as old age comes
on.-San Francisco Oor Sacramento Union.