davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
Origin OF Fans.

A Chinese legend gives quaint de-
scription of the origin of fans, which
useful toys are as old as China itself. At
the first Feast of Lanterns, the beautiful
daughter of one Of the mandarins found
the mask which celestial etiquette re-
quires to be worn in public by ladies
very oppressive, as the evening was warm.
Her feminine ingenuity was equal to the
occasion. She united her mask and moved
it so rapidly back and forth before her
face that it was impossible to distinguish
her features, while her beauty was en-
hanced in the eyes of all the beholders
by the tantalizing glimpses afforded by
this coquettish man9uvre. In moment
a thousand fair Celestials, appreciating
her courage and coquetry, initiated her
example, and thousand masks were put
in motion before thousand pretty faces
by thousand pretty hands. The inge-
NOUS Chinese caught the idea, and by the
next Feast of Lanterns fans were substi-
tuted for masks. American and English
women use the fan only to cool the air
around them; that accomplished, its
usefulness is ended but by the Japanese
and Chinese the fan is used not only az q
means of comfort, but for various useful
and symbolic purposes. Visitors receive
their chow-chow refreshments on their
fans. Beggars accept aims on them, and
when high-born criminal is hari karied,
the presentation of fan gives the signal
for execution. The Japanese use it as q
protector from both rain and sun; the
soldier carries sword and fan, and sal.
utations are made with the fan the same
as with hats in European countries
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14

At the state dinners in the Presiden-
tial Mansion when foreigners are invited,
their rank, time of service and official
position are taken into account, else Of
fence would be given to the gentleman
who has served three years by placing
him in a less prominent position at the
table than the gentleman who has been
an ambassador or other dignitary for only
two years and eleven months. To Mr..
Luckley, one of the Presidents secreta-
ries, is assigned the delicate duty of ar
ranging guests at the table properly, and
the amount of labor the accomplishment
Of this satisfactory result entails upon
him is by no means small. After the
guests have accepted invitations, Mr..
Luckley, by dint of much careful study
of official prejudice, selects the different
positions each is to occupy at the Presi-
Dental board. He makes diagram of
the table, and places in little slit the
name of the person who is to occupy each
particular seat. This is sent to the proper
official, who places on the respective plate
the bill with the name of the party who
is to sit near it. Mr.. Luckley then places
in small envelope the name Of each
gentleman invited, with another card,
upon which is written the name of the
lady whom he is to escort to dinner.
These envelopes are given to the gentle
men as they arrive, and each is supposed
to be perfectly delighted with the prize
he has drawn. By this means, the guests
are allotted places and partners suitable
to their rank, while no ones appetite is
lessened by being assigned an improper
place at the table.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
Children's Ways.

Gail Hamilton, writing Of children
says: II should be sorry to say anything
that might aid or abet our idle, lax, and
worthless American fathers and mothers.
But it is an indisputable fact that chill
dren do take an immense deal of spelling
without permanent injury if there is good
stock in them. Nature seems to think
more of substance than training, for she
gives children not when people are wisest,
but when they are freshest and strongest.
1t is delightful to see children always be-
having with perfect propriety and polite
ness; but if they kick and cuff and scream
and grab, all is not lost. There is GER
tain Governor whom not having seen 1
love, because he sends word to his son
that his grandson is the best little fellow
in the world if you do not thwart him,
and always obedient if you will only not
hurry him about it. The Baby in
Breeches was standing by my chair, and
/ clandestinely snatched kiss, whereupon
up few his chubby hand and gave me a
smart slap on the cheek. 1t was in my
heart to retort with thump, but / re-
Trained, and by and by, when I whispered,
Why did you strike mef' he answered,
innocently, Because you stole a kiss.
Innocent as an angel, for 1t was pure
frolic, and no malice or rudeness at all.
But we expect to take liberties with chill
dren, and then have them perfectly wise
and aware of the exact degree Of respect
to be observed toward ourselves"
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
At Work by the Day.

Snooks had occasion to call on the
Reverend Dominic Thomas Campbell
while he was at Glasgow. "Is the domi-
ME in f' he inquired of portly dame
who opened the door. "He's at hame,
but he's nae in," replied the lady. "He's
in the yaird, superintendent Sauners,
the carpenter. Ye can see him the moo
if your business is vera precise" Snooks
assented, and walked through the door
pointed out to him into the yard, where
he beheld a carpenter briskly planning
away to the tune of maggie Lauder"
and the worthy dominic standing by.
Unwilling to intrude on their conversa-
tion, Snooks stepped unseen behind a
water-cask, and heard, Sauners" No
answer from the carpenter. "Sauners, l
say! Can we no hear meT Yes, min
lister, hear we. What's your wull p'
"Can We no whistle some mair solemn
and Cody tune while ye're at your workf'
"Aweel, minister, if it be your wull, I'll
cen do it," Upon which he changed the
air to the "Dead March in SAUL" greatly
to the hindrance of what was now painful
planning. The dominic looked on for
some minutes in silence, and then said,
"Sauners, hae anither word to say till
We. Did the guide wife hire we by the
days darg or by the jobr "The days
darg was our agreeing, maister." "Then,
on the whole, Sauners, think We may
just as weel gae back to whistling bonnie
Maggie Lauder"
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
How Books are Suppressed.

A curious literary anecdote has reach
ed us of the times Of Henry VIII. Ten
stall, Bishop of London, accused at that
day for his moderation in preferring the
burning of books to that of authors,
which was then getting into practice, to
testify his adherence of TyndaPs prin-
ciples, who had printed translation of
the New Testament, sealed book for the
multitude, thought of purchasing all the
copies of TyndaPs translation, and an
initiating them in the common flame.
This occurred to him when passing
through Antwerp in 1929, then place
of refuge for the Tyndalists. He en-
ployed an English merchant there for
this business, who happened to be a
secret follower of Tyndal, and acquaint-
ed him with the bishops intention.
Tyndal was extremely glad to hear Of
the project, for he was desirous of print
ing more correct edition of his version !;
the first impression still hung on his
hands, and he was too poor to make q
new one; he gladly furnished the En-
glish mechant with all his unsold copies
which the bishop as eagerly bought, and
had them all publicly burnt in Cheap
side. The people not only declared this
was burning of the word of God,"
but it infamed the desire of reading that
volume; and the second edition was
sought after at any price. When one of
the Tyndalists, who was sent to London
to sell them, was promised by the Lord
Chancellor, in private examination,
that he should not suffer if he would re-
veal who encouraged and supported his
party at Antwerp, the Tyndalist imme-
diately accepted the offer, and assured
the Lord Chancellor that the greatest en-
couragement that they had was from
Tenstall, the Bishop of London, who had
bought up half the impression, and en-
abled them to produce second.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14

Marrying for love is not always unlucky,
or indiscreet, either. When Marshal Ba-
zaine was in Mexico, and at the height of
his fame, he fell in love with the beauti-
fnl and gentle, but penniless, Sendrita
Pena y Pena, whose only possessions were
her own charms and virtues, and a his
toric hereditament that had descended
from her grandfather, former president
of the republic. At the time of the
marriage, the young lady was deemed to
have made great catch in husband 30
wealthy and famous. But, in the general
chapter of vicissitudes, time brings ssme
curious changes, as 1t has done in this
case. Misfortune checkered the career of
the whilom condescending lover, and
penury and degradation followed affluence
and dignity. The affairs of the loving
pair were at their lowest ebb; but just
at this sjuncture-s the genius of romance
fixed 1t, TO give an orthodox denouement
to this love story in actual life--the aunt
of Madame Bazaine dies and bequeaths
TO her untold wealth; and now the ere
while detected wife Of the fallen marshal
may again lift up her head among the
proudest. Such Is life.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
Darwinism Not New.

A writer in the Je,oish Messenger shows
that the hypothesis of Darwin with re-
spect to evolution and development, were
asserted by Jewish Rabbi, Joseph Albo,
who lived at the beginning of the fif-
teenth century, in his book Ikkirim."
The writer quotes curious passage, as
follows:
"In considering the forms of material
beings, we find that they progress step by
step to completion; that is, the later forms
are more excellent than the earlier, as if
matter develops in assuming the forms
from the incomplete to the complete.
For at first they assume the lowest form,
then a higher, and in such manner they
rise up step by step from the incomplete
to the complete. At first they assume
the primitive form and rise up to stones
and the primitive forms are their in
ferior form-then they rise to the degree
Of living beings-and the plants are their
inferior form-and then they rise to the
degree of mankind-and there the living
beings form the inferior ones. With these
the creation ceased. And as with motion
every former part of activity is a requis-
ite for the following, 30 it seems to be the
case with the material world, that the
former is requisite Of the later. And,
as with motion the arrival at the point
aimed at, forms the cause of the partial
movements, the beings rise from step to
step, until they reach the highest degree
in man; and there they stop, as the end
of the material beings. That matter
moves from lower to higher, is proved by
the composition of bodies. The coral is
connecting link between inorganic be-
ings and plants; and the sea-sponges,
possessing merely the sense of feeling, are
the connecting link between the plants
and animals; and the ape is the connect
ing link between the different kinds of
living beings and mankind"
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14

Miss Ada @. Sweet, the new pension
agent in Chicago, is well worthy of her
new fortune, as will appear by the fol-
lowing sketch from the Chicago Times.
Her father, Gen. ]. B. Sweet whose
death occurred some month since, at
Washington, lost his right arm In his
country's service during the war. Miss
Ada at once became his scribe and assist
ant. When he was made pension agent
in Chicago, in 1869, she took the position
of private secretary, and soon acquainted
herself with all the details Of the Office.
She was then advanced to chief clerk,
and in reality was at the head of the es-
tablishment. At about the time of the
fire he was removed to make room for
Mr.. Blakely, and appointed superinten-
dent OF internal revenue. The daughter
remained in the pension Office. The re-
cords and papers were burned in the
great fire and Miss Sweet undertook the
task Of filling out the accounts from
memory, 80 that the sufferers might not
be deprived of their pension money dur
ing the long interval that must elapse
before the new lists could be procured
from Washington. When the lists did
come, the checks due were found to
agree with hers to within small amount,
and she was highly complimented upon
her work by the chief of the pension
bureau at Washington. Miss Sweet left
the agency when her father was appoint
ed deputy commissioner Of internal rev.
enue, and went with him to Washington
as his private secretary. In this capacity
she served till his death, after which she
returned to Chicago and the pension
Office. She was there but short time,
however, when Congressman Farwell,
and others, who were interested in her,
took measures which placed her before
President Grant as candidate for the
Office held by Blakely. She is about
twenty-five years old, intelligent, un-
assuming, and cultivated.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
Egypt Revived.

DR.. Charles Beke, writing to the Athe-
noun (Jan. 24) from Cairo, speaks Of the
striking improvement in the face OF
Egypt since his last visit, in 1866. There
are now at least five millions Of acres
under cultivation, against half that num-
ber in 1850. "Green crops of various
kinds are growing luxuriantly, and it is
pleasing to see the animals, black cattle,
asses, sheep and goats grazing in the rich
pasture without stint. Trees not only
line the road on both Sides but have been
planted 80 extensively that many parts
Of the country have the appearance of
being well wooded" Here and there,
too, the traveller sees tall factory Chin
neys rising out of the midst of the vii
lagos or from among the trees" Already
there appears to have been a change OF
climate in consequence Of the increased
tillage of the land and forest culture.
Egypt is fast losing its proverbial rain
less character" Rain has begun to be
felt as an annoyance at Alexandria, and
is markedly increasing at Cairo, where
DR.. Beke, who had probably got tired OF
the "bloody blue sky" of the Mediterra-
mean (as another English traveller once
did), enjoyed "four and twenty hours of
rain, as heavy and continuous as any in
London; in fact, a regular English wet
day." The condition Of the people,
though servile, is on the whole mending.
Cairo the Khedive is bent ON making the
Paris of the Levant. He is said to have
expended two million dollars on Sir Sam
uel Bakers expedition, and to have been
somewhat disappointed at the results
but to maintain what Baker secured, as
we'll as to extend his conquests, he has
called into his employ that remarkable
character, Col. Gordon, of the British
Engineers, better known by his sobriquet
of "Chinese Gordon" for the exploits
which won him that distinction.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
A Precious Collection.

A correspondent says: "InVienna the
Upper and Lower Belvedere, as two pal
aces are designated, divided by a spacious
and finely ornamented garden, form an
art collection and museum combined,
only second in interest and value to those
of the Ufpzi and Pitt palaces at Flor
ence, and the Louvre at Paris. There
are, perhaps, fifty or a hundred modern
paintings; but the rest, representing the
various schools, are mostly by the old
masters and their famous pupils 1t is in
the Lower Belvedere that the antiquities
are preserved, and where relics of various
characters present themselves to the GU.
rious eye in almost dazzling profusion
More than hundred warriors in brilliant
armor, many of them mounted on horse.
back, confront you with vizors down,
each representing and labeled with the
name Of some renowned warrior, king OF
emperor, exhibiting the actual battle
dress which he wore in his lifetime. Here
we saw also the tattered banner which
was carried to the crusades and returned
by the Archduke Ferdinand"
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
A Steamboat In q Tornado.

A New Orleans paper of recent date
describes disaster in the following vivid
style: con the 10Th inst as the we'll
known and splendid steamboat Natchez
was coming down the river, and while
opposite the lower end of Natchez Island,
some twenty miles this side Of the city OF
that name, she was struck by terrible
tornado from the Louisiana side, which
in second had wrenched her immense
chimneys from their sockets, broken all
the stanchions loose, cut short off the
steam pipes, and thrown them in a wreck
on the upper deck on the right side, which,
giving away with their weight, broke and
fell with terrible crash on the lower
deck, whence it was tumbled into the
river. The officers in charge, even though
the tornado struck without moments
warning, rushed to their posts, and,
clearing the wreck, the pilots stood by
the wheel and urged her on to the island.
The scene was terrible in the extreme
the river was one mass of yellow foam,
the sky was black as night, and the wind
of such terrific violence that no man
could stand against it. In this emergency
all rested on the skill and determination
of the officers and pilots. The position
of these latter was one of great danger.
Elevated in frail pilot-house hundred
feet above the river, with its supports
gone, its stanchions smashed and trem-
bling in every timber, as If it would fol-
low the chimneys, they expected every
moment 10 be hurled into eternity. The
smoke and escaping steam rushed through
the upper decks, almost smothering the
pilots, and inducing them to believe the
steamer was on fire. Not man of them
moved, but, clinging to the wheel with
all their strength for twenty minutes,
they kept her head to the wind, and run
ming under the shelter of the island, the
steamer was safe. The storm subsidized as
fast as it had risen, and, backing out, the
steamer continued on her way down the
riuor ~
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14

DISMAL FEAsTs.-The Saturday Review
says" The weak point of the dinners of
the period is that as rule there are too
many guest and too many dishes What
is wanted would seem to be simpler din
ners, attended by fewer people. Dinners
might then be given more frequently,
and hospitality might expand, and yet
the dinners would not be more expensive
than at present, and would be much
more pleasant. A round table, four
couples, and not more than half a dozen
dishes would relieve social existence of
much of its oppressiveness. With n large
party and long table, a shutting Of
partners at intervals might encourage
hope and relieve depression. If the OBJ
ject of hospitality were TO give pleasure
to those on whom IL IL bestowed Il would
certainly not be thought necessary to
convert the entertainment into q mere
exhibition Of ostentatious grandeur"
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14

In Syria the people never take off their
caps or turbans when entering house or
visiting friend, but they always leave
their shoes at the door. The reason is
that their floors are covered with clean
mats and rugs, and in the Moslem houses
the men kneel on the rugs to pray, and
press their foreheads to the floor, so that
II would not be decent or respectful to
walk in with dirty shoes to soil the SHADY
on which they kneel to pray. They have
no foot-mats or scrapers, and It is much
cheaper and simpler to leave the shoes,
dirt and all, at the door.
1t is very curious to go to the Syrian
school-houses and see the pile of shoes at
the door. There are new bright red shoes,
and tattered shoes, and kob-kobs, and
black shoes, and sometimes yellow shoes.
The kob-kobs are wooden clogs, made to
raise the feet out of the mud and water,
having little strap over the toe to keep
it on the foot. You will often see little
boys and girls running down steps and
paved streets on these dangerous kob-kobs.
Sometimes they slip, and then down they
go, on their noses, and the kob-kobs fly
off and 90 rattling over the stones, and
little Ali or Yusef, or whatever his name.
is, begins to shout, "Ya Imme! va
ImmeP' go my motherl" and cries just
like little children in other countries.
But the funniest part is to see the boys
when they come out Of school and try to
find their shoes. There will be fifty boys,
and of course hundred shoes, all mixed
together in one pile. When school is out
the boys make rush for the door. Then
comes the tug of war. A dozen boys are
standing and shutting on the pile of shoes,
looking down, kicking away the other
shoes, running their toes into their own,
stumbling over the kob-kobs, and then
making dash to get out of the crowd.
Sometimes shins will be kicked, and hair
pulled, and tarbooshes thrown of, and a
great screaming follow, which will only
cease when the teacher comes with "Asa," ;"
or a stick, and quells the riot. That pile
of shoes will have to answer for a good
many school-boy fights and bruised noses
and hard feelings in Syria. You will
wonder how they can tell their own shoes.
So do /. And the boys often wear off
each others shoes by mistake or on pur-
pose, and then you will see Selim running
with one shoe on and one of Ibrahim' in
his hand, shouting and cursing Ibrahim's
father and grandfather until he gets back
his lost property.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
Pencil and Scissors,

How to please lady--Let her do as
she pleases.
| A SURE receipt to remove stains from
character--Get rich.
WHEN are two kings like three miles
When they make league.
If 1t takes man two days to make a
pcst-hole in broken ground, how long
will 1t take him to make broken post
whole?
A PUGILlsTIC Irishman in England
being bound over to keep the peace on
all British subjects, remarked: "The
saints help the first foreigner meet"
WHAT are wages here r' asked Ia
borer of boy. II don't know" What
does your father get on Saturday night p
Get p said the boy; "why he gets
tight"
The mayor of Portuguese city once
enumerated, among the marks by which
the body of drowned man might be
identified, ga marked impediment in his
speech"
WHEN you have lost money in the
street, every one Is ready to help you
iooA ioi ~ uuI WhcH you nave lOst
your character, every one leaves you to
recover 1t as you can.
A PARIsIAN poet gets living by leav
ing a poem about the deceased at the
door. of the still mourneng relatives. He
never ascends the stairs. He has reason
for it in some houses.
A GERMAN Jew was eatiug pork
cl, IT, o<n
unusually loud clap, he laid down his
knife and fork and observed: "Vell, did
any poty efer hear such fuss apout a
little biece of bork?'
"OHp said poor sufferer to a dent
ist, "that's the second wrong tooth
you've pulled outw every sorry, sir"
said the laundering operator; "but
there were only three when l begun;
am sure to be right the next time"
A GEORGIA negro was buried so deep by
the caving of a well that it took four
hours to unearth him. When found he
was alive and we'll. He said he never
wanted to sneeze no bad in his life, but
was afraid he would jar down some more
dirt.
"WHAT would cur wives say if they
knew where we are ?' said the captain
of schooner when they were beating
about in a deep fog, fearful of going
ashore. "Humph, I shouldn't mind
that" replied the mate, if We only
knew where we were ourselves"
DOCTOR" said a sick man, "what is
the matter with me~ "Cerebro-spinal
meningitis" said the doctor, solemnly.
"Ah !" cried the patient with sigh,
and instantly fell back and expired. No
man could be expected to hold out
against such disease as that. He died
Of dictionary.
A YOUNG lady who entered Broad
way music store and asked the young
man in attendance, Have you Happy
DreamsT was astonished when he re-
piled: No, ma'am, Pm mostly troubled
with the nightmare" He didn't know
why she went out 80 hurriedly and slam
med the store door after her.