davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15
Swapping Homes.

A little brother and sister we're talk
ing about their home, and their love
for it.
~ wouldn't swap my home for any
other in the world" said the sister.
"Oh! don't feel So" was the boys
response. II think that Willy As
house is as pretty as ours. It's bigger;
and it's got more things in it. / think
I'd like to swap ours for that"
'But would you like to give up your
father and your mother for his?' asked
the sister. Aud. would you rather
have his sister than yours?"
mo, wouldn't want that" said
the boy.
"Well, to swap homes means that, :"
said the sensible sister; "for home
itself isn't a home. A home is your
father and mother and brothers and Sis
ters. and everything you have IN the
house"
Wasn't that well said? Isn't there a
truth in those words which is hid from
many Of the wise and prudent. and re-
vealed unto babesg A we'll furnished
house is not a home. A home is the
life and love which the family in the
house represents Who would swap
his home for a rich neighbor's?
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15
Mrs. Mackey's Banquet.

The beautiful hostess herself was
attired in white brocade, trimmed
with magnificent point lace, white
satin and pearls. A high ruff, en-
broidered with pearls, rose from the
back of her corsage and set off the
graceful carriage of her head. Miss
Hit wore a Worth costume OF white
satin and roile de religie~se, trim
med with point dAlencon. The
arrangement of the draperies on the
skirt was singularly graceful. Mrs.
Moves was in green satin. Mrs.
Downing's dress was in pale lilac
brocade, of a new and exquisite
shade. She wore a full set of dia-
monds, and q bandeau of pearls
and diamonds was placed in
her hair. Miss Downing was array
ed in pale blue silk, trimmed with
Valenciennes lace and crushed Grim
son roses. Miss Eva Mackey's tot
let was composed of pale blue Pekin
and pale blue silk. Miss Loster
wore white silk trimmed with lace.
Mrs. Hudston's dress was of white
crane and white silk, beautifully
embroidered In pattern of shaded
gold and garnet beads, representing
feathers, and she wore a. set of dia
mond ornaments. The Duchess dc
Bojano, was attired in pale blue sat
in elaborately embroidered with
flowers in their natural hues, and
her hair was adorned with pale blue
feathers. Miss Reynolds dress was
I of pale pink satin. trimmed with
plaitings of tulle, and her mother
wore black satin and jet, with dia
mond ornaments. The Baroness Kes
Ter was arrayed in black satin bal
dress, ornamented with many-color
ed roses. Miss Hooper's dress wa'
composed of black satin and Pekin
trimmed with lilac and purple dais-
les. Mrs. Fairmen Rogers wor
white silk, trimmed with lace, EN-
broidered with pearls. Mrs. Beeh
was in dark blue satin, with skir
front of cream-grounded Wattea'
brocade, richly trimmed with poin
lace. In all respects the entertain
ment was one of the most brillian
that has taken place this season il
the American COLONY.
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15

Before the order could be obeyed it
would be rendered useless. Then
something within me said:
aYour life is worthless. Give it
for that innocent life if it must be,
but save 1t at the peril of your own.
Had you been better man, you
might have had q little child like
that praying for you at home"
"It takes long time, sir, to tell
all this, but in reality not one sec
| ond had passed. At such times
| men think quickly. One bitter sigh
rose in my breast. would never
have q chance of proving to Mary
my manhood by some great deed in
| the future, or long years Of penance
| But it did not make my duty any
the less clear. Bill, the fireman, was
behind me. d..
"Take the engine! screamed to
nim. "Good-by, Mary" l whisper
ed low to myself.
"The next minute, hardly con-
scious of what Z was doing, / was
down upon the cow-oatcher Of the
train, clinging by one hand. the
other outstreached to grasp the
child, now paralyzed with terror.
Then we were upon it. 1t was Kill
led. crushed, mangled? No! looked
lown. 1t was safe, held within one
strong arm, it's golden head close
pressed against my shoulder. How
was it done? can not tell you, sir.
God, they say, does not let the spar
row fall.
"Then the train checked its
speed, stopped; the passengers came
crowding about us, men grasped me
by the hand, women cried over me,
aud stood dazed, bewildered. in
their midst, the child tight-held
within my arms. 1t was such a
simple thing; yet, sir, they gave me
this" throwing back his coat. and
showinga a gold medal.
Il wear it in thanksgiving for the
llUUle nte 1 SdNeu. uCN iaioS" ioi
me purse of gold to large amount
but the gift which seemed to cleanse
nv heart was the poor mothers
grateful tears.
"The papers rang, next day, with
the story. You see, sir, it seemed
more to them, looking at it, than to
me, who had no time to stop and
think; but something more was in
store for me. / was off of duty, the
next night, alone in my lonely, des,
olate room, thinking it all over,
when some one whispered my name.
In another moment some one was
sobbing in my arms-some one who
from that moment, has been the sun
shine of my home and heart.
THAT is all, sir. 1t is simple
story. l trust have not tired you"
But /, as grasped the noble fel-
lows hand, whose speech had so
unconsciously betrayed the grand
true heart within, could only echo
his Mary's words:
SIT does not take battlefield to
make a hero"
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15
A Beautiful Incident.

Not many months since / heard a
gentleman make Sunday~school talk,
in which he related beautiful little in
cident that I am inclined to repeat for
your benefit. l..
A gentleman was riding through 3
forest when he noticed bird near by
in great excitement. He stopped to
find out the cause. Looking in some
bushes he saw snake gliding from
branch to branch in the direction OF
birds nest. He watched and suddenly
saw the snake drop from bis posit ion
near the nest to the ground. But IN .
moment it regained its place and ex>
tended its fangs to poison and kill the
sweet, innocent little birds, who were
almost unconscious OF their fate. Again
it dropped. This was repeated several
times, and the gentleman grew curious
to know the cause. He approached and
killed the snake; then advanced tolearn
the cause OF the queer actions of the
snake. All around the birds nest he
saw fresh, green leaves that he knew to
be poisonous to snakes. The bird had
followed the instinct God had given il
and placed around her young true safe
guard against its natural enemy. The
snake was powerless tc injure the young
birds until it had crossed the leaves
spread around for protection. and which
it knew were death to it.
Shall tell you the meaning of this
story? The little birds are the count
less numbers of little children born in>
to world full of evil influences and
wicked people, who delight in sleading
them astray The mother. bird repre-
sents the Christian parents, Sunday.
school teachers and all good people who
are trying to shield the little ones from
danger The leaves are the leaves of
the Bible that we would place around,
and which have deadly effect upon
evil. The snake is the evil ore, who in
the days of Adam took that form to
tempt the woman. There is no surer
poison to him than the precepts and
counsels learned from Gods word.
Dear cousiDs, so long as you are con-
tent to rest behind the promises of the
Bible yon will find it strong defense
against all evil. Should the devil ap-
proach you the minute he touches leaf
from the Bible, spread so carefully
around you, he will know it to be poll
son to him and drop away as suddenly
as did the snake when 1t touched the
deadly leaves So keep close around
you the saving leaves and rest assured
no harm can come to you.
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15
The Republican Nominees.

What Mr.. Garfield swOre to: 81
state, explicitly, that no one ever
gave or offered to give me any share
Of stock in the Credit Mobilier or
Union Pacific Railroad. I have
never received or had rendered me
any dividends in cash, stock or
bonds accruing upon any stock in
either of said organizations. l never
received a dollar in bonds, stock or
dividends"
What Republican Committee
said: "He (Garfield) agreed with
Mr.. Ames to take ten shares of
Credit Mobilier stock, but did not
pay for same. Mr.. Ames received
the eighty per cent. dividends in
bonds, and sold them for ninety
seven per cent, and also received the
sixty per cent. cash dividend, which
together with the price of the stock
and interest, left a balance of three
hundred and twenty-nine dollars.
This sum was paid over to Garfield
by check on the Sergeant-at-Arms."
What President Hayes said Of
Chester Absalom Arthur: "With
my information of the facts in the
case, and with deep sense of the
responsible obligation imposed upon
me by the Constitution, to takecare
that the laws be faithfully executed,
1 regard it as my plain duty to sus-
pend the officers in question and to
make the nominations now before
the Senate, in order that this impor-
tant office may be honestly and eff
ciently administered"
What Secretary Sherman said of
the Republican nominee for Vice
President. "If it is to be held that,
to procure the removal of Mr.. Ar
thur, it is sufficient to reasonably
establish that gross abuses of ad-
ministration have continued and in
creased during his incumbency; that
many persons have been regularly
paid on his rolls who rendered little
or no service; that the expenses OF
his office have increased while col
lections have diminished; that
bribes, or gratuities in the nature Of
bribes, have been received by his
subordinates in several branches ot
the Custom House; that efforts te
correct these abuses have not met
his support, and that he has moi
given to the duties of the Office the
requisite diligence and attention
then it is submitted that the case il
made out. This form of proof the
department is prepared to submit.
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15

THE following incident is said to
have occurred at Cape Giraddesu. Miss
sour. A character noted for frequent-
ing bar rooms was sitting in his usual
place of resort, with several companions
about card table. Suddenly bis wife
entered the room, bearing a covered
dish, which she deposited on the table
with the remark, "Presuming. hus-
band, that you were too busy to come
home to dinner, have brought yours" Z"
and departed. The husband invited
his friends to share his meal. and re-
moving the lid from the dish, found
only slip of paper on which was writs
ten; 81 hope you will enjoy your dinner
1t is the same kind yonr family has at
home
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15
Hancock's Boyhood.
r E. Chain, q chum of Gen. Han
oonlr In h;a hnuhn0d saya.

r E. Chain, q chum of Gen. Han
cock in his boyhood, says:
l have known him for over forty
years, and boy and man am glad to
claim him as friend. In 1928 ne
came from Montgomery township,
near Montgomeryville. about ten
miles from here, to this town, with
his father and mother and twin
brother Hilary. He was then about
four wears old. The family went to
live in a two-story stone house, still
, standing, but very dilapidated. This
house at that time was one mile
west of town, on the old Ridge pike
1t is now in the city limits, near the
cemetery. He first went to school
to Eliphalet Roberts, In the acade-
my, which then stood where the
present market house stands. From
my earliest acquaintance with him
we boys acknowledged him as a
kind of leader. He was quiet but
firm in all he ,underteok. ] remem-
ber that his tastes, early ran In q
soldier direction. He used to get
us boys back of the academy, and,
improvising cooked hats Of paper
and guns and swords of sticks, put
us through all manner of manuvers,
that to our boyish ideas were the
acme of military perfection. At that
time Benjamin F. Hancock, his IA
ther, was in poor circumstances,
and it was a struggle for him to
gain sustenance for his family. As
business improved in his profession
as lawyer, he moved into town and
occupied three story brick house
on Swede street close to Lafayette
street, having his office in small
brick building adjoining. Winfield
and his brother. Hilary, at that time
looked so much alike that it was
hard to distinguish one from the
other across the street. His father
and mother were Baptists of the
strictest school and kept their chill
dren in their earlier years under the
most rigid moral training. The
consequence was, that up to the
time Winfield went to West Point
through the appointment of the
Hon. Joseph Torrance, he had no
vices. He was then in his seven
teenth year, was tall for his age, but
very slender He never forgot his
old friends, and after he had gIadu-
ated he would visit them at times,
never assuming any superiority, but
on the footing established in the
boyhood days. His life after leav-
ing West Point has become histori-
cal and needs no repitition from me.
With regard to his religious predi
lections, he is not connected with
any denomination. While the Gen
eral was quite young his father and
mother connected themselves with
the Baptists in this town, and the
General, then small boy, attended
the Sunday-school of that church,
his father being the superintendent
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15
lhe 1iresiA.
The Youngest People.

Who are the people who grow ole
the earliest? Not those who work
hardest, suffer most, or feel most
passionately, one would suppose
Their faces may be worn, their beau.
| ty may depart, but there is linger-
ing touch of youth in all who live,
however sadly, to the last-in all
who work with hands or brain, in
all who feed their emotions and keep
the fire Of thought alive.
Strong feeling, and much brain
work-burning the candle at both
ends-may drive men mad; but it
is the vacant life, the purposeless
existence, the absence of emotion,
that plunges them into that condi-
ton of old age known as childish
ness.
The people who, to many, repre-
sent old age, are mummies still
above ground. They care nothing
for those about them; they do not
remember their past. They regret
nothing, hope for nothing. Physi-
cal pain alone can awaken them to
interest in themselves.
But such old age as that never
comes to those who have lived ac-
tive lives, who have lived and work
ed for others, who have been inter-
ested in the great subjects of the
day, or in the humblest affairs of
humanity.
The idle rich woman who had
nothing to do in her youth, the stu
pid poor woman who toiled grudg-
ingly, who married without love,
and to whom a husband was only a
master and children a burthen,
these make the weary, wrinkled,
soulless old women of the world.
And younger people looking at
them say poor humanity. it must
come to thisw while all around them
are women who have lived many
more years, who have tolled, who.
have suffered, who should be worn
out, but who are young at heart
still, who respond to a word or
glance as quickly as in early youth,
and who will be active human be
ings while they live, because they
have nourished their souls.
Women who are prominent
in their professions do not
break down with their toll. Nay,
there are old washerwomen who,
from helping their neighbors, keep
ing up their own independence, their
religious feeling and their pride in
their work. are bright and busy in
extreme old age.
No woman need fear that feeling
or occupation will make her grow
old early. A lack of interest in life,
a want of something to do, the rust
ing of emotions will age her earlier
than any toll or suffering. And a
woman who loves-whose children
are dear to her, who has friends who
need her and whom she needs, never
falls into that condition of old age
from which we shrink with horror.
Disease will do its work of course;
but given health, any woman may
keep her heart young while she lives.
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15
The Thistles Of Scotland.

The thistle is the national badge
of Scotland. How it came to be so
is told in the following story: Once
during an invasion of Scotland by
the Danes, they arranged to sur
prise the Scottish army. 1T was
not considered fair or warlike to at
tack an enemy in the darkness Of
the night. So they resolved to
march barefcoted that their tramp
might not be heard. Silently, slow
ly, but steadily they drew nearer and
nearer to the Scottish camp. In a
few minutes the surprise would have
been complete. Suddenly loud
cry of pain rang through the air,
startling both invader and invaded.
The Scots sprang to their feet, seiz-
ed their weapons, charged upon the
foe, and defeated them with great
slaughter. The cry that saved them
came from one of the Danish sol
diers, who with his bare feet had
trod on thistle.
The Columbus Dispatch makes 9
capital suggestion, one we heartily
second. It is that Lamar, Hamp-
ton, and the "battle-scarred' Cor
don, shall canvass Pennsylvania fcl
Gen. Hancock. If these gallant
and eloquent gentlemen should con
clude to engage in canvass OF tn
old State for her peerless son, the!
will make the mountains and tn
valleys echo with such strains Q
eloquence as Pennsylvanians hav
rarely heard,
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15
the ENGINEERS STORY.

On a sunny October day, accord
ing to instructions l had received
from the officers of the railroad CON-
pany, 1 handed the engineer of En-
CINE NJ. 80 letter from his chief,
requesting that l accompany him
upon the engine, as a better post
for the observations along the rails
l had been commanded to make.
After reading it he touched his
hat, and respectfully bade me wei
come, arranging as comfortable a
seat for me as he could provide for
the long ride which lay before us.
1t was novel experience for me,
and highly exciting one, as we
seemed to 'cleave the air. the train
laundering along behind us; and l
could but look admiringly at the
man who stood so undinchingly at
his post, and in whose hand lay in
reality all our lives.
He, was tall, handsome fellow,
whose keen gray eyes never stirred
from his post, either to right or to
left, but whose cherry laugh often
rang out on the clear morning air as
we chatted together.
By noon we had become friends,
at which hour we stopped at a small
station, where there was delay OF
twenty minutes, TO take on coal and
water. AS we slowed up. / noticed
standing on the platform young
! woman, holding a neatly-covered
basket, and clinging to her skirts q
little child, some three years of age.
Papa! papar' the little one
/ screamed, in delight; and, glancing
at my companions face, / needed
not to question if he were the one
thus called. .-......
Another moment, we had stopped,
and wife and child were pressed to
his breast, while look of wonderful
tenderness crept into his eyes.
"My wife and child, sir" he said,
turning to me. II have only one
day week off with them; but Mary
always meets me here with my din
ner, and now and then ] get an hour
or two with her"
at is a hard life" l said. "You
must miss them sorely."
"No matter where / am, sir" ht
replied, "they are with me. / heal
the little ones voice above the loud
est wind, and l see my Mary's smile
lin the darkest night, although
stand alone on my engine, with my
life in my hand. It's a hard life
maybe, sir, but ! ought not to com
lplain. 1t gave me my happiness
since it won me my wife"
When we were on our way again
and had seen the tears fill tn
wife's bright blue eyes as she fond
lly kissed her husband good-by
while l had slipped into the littl
ones chubby hand golden gil
from the strange gentleman ridin
with papa, | asked my companio
what he meant.
II don't know as you'd care t
hear, sir, and there's not many Q
I'd care to tell. You read so man
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15

AN exhibition has been opened at
Vienna by the well known African trav-
eler, DIR. Holub. who has thousand of
of objects brought by him from the
South African tribes. The articles are
arranged in groups and classified as
geological. botanical, meteorological,
archaeological, ethnographical and com~
mercial, the collections being rare aud
Of great value.
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15

A WISE man will never rust ont. As
long as he can breathe he will be doing
for himself. his neighbor, or prosterity.
Who is old? Not the man of energy.
not the day-laborer in science, art or
benevolence, but he only who suffers
his energies to waste away. and the
springs Of life to become motionless, on
| whose hands the hours drag heavily.
| and t. whom all things wear the garb
of oloOm
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15

Every failure is a step toward success;
every detection of the false leads to the
true. every trial exhausts some temp
ting form of error. Scarcely any ats
tempt is entirely failure; scarcely any
theory. the result OF steady thought. is
altogether false. and no tempting form
is without some latent charm derived
from truth. Men inately love truth and
despise falsehood, and yet they practice
what they despise in their hearts.
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15

The St. Tammany Farmer men
tions report that the Chicago, st.
Louis and New Orleans railroad
contemplate building railroad from
Brookhaven to Meridian. The dis
tance is 115 miles and it would run
through good section OF country.
This is the first that we have
heard of the new road.
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15

He ate ten slices of bread, four
potatoes, three quarts of cherries,
ten cents worth of peanuts, two
cream cakes, a quarter of mince
pie, half a pound Of caramels, two
apples, cocoanut and six bananas.
He is not an ostrich. He is only a
boy, and is already asking for some
thing to eat.
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15

THERE were only two ballots in
the st. Lonis Convention In 1876.
On the first ballot. Tilden had Alta
votes; Hendricks, 1404; Hancock,
Is; William Allen, So; Bayard, S5,
and Joel Parker 38. On the second,
Tilden received 534; Hendricks, 60;
Hancock. SO; Allen, "a; Bayard, IL,
Parker lS, and Thurman, 2.
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15

Coop intentions are the seeds OF
good actions, and every man ought
to SOW them and leave to the soil
and the season the duty of growth
and perfection. Then the old prov
crb would prove untrue that "hell
lis paved with good Intentions.
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15
A Girls Diary.


March l5.-I must buy to-day:
Some cologne.
Some hair pins.
Some ruche lace.
Some satin gloss for shoes.
March l6th.-Dear me! I'm al
ways out of something! To-day I
must
Look for material for spring dress.
Pair Of.
Bottle of vaseline.
Tooth powder.
Face-powder.
New tooth brush.
In addition, / was tempted into
buying two of those beautiful new
bows and a new penknife.
March 17th.-Pve nearly decided
ON the material for one dress. It's
more expensive than I expected.
But I must have it. Bought to-day:
Four yards of ribbon.
Two pairs of four-button kids.
Pair house slippers.
Pair new corsets.
Celuloid comb for front hair.
Tortoise-shell pin for back hair.
Two pairs cuffs.
Three collars.
One paper pattern.
One paper pattern for jacket.
Leather belt and pocket.
Needles and thread.
Worsted for fancy work.
Two lace ties.
March 1Sth.-I don't think I
want anything to-day. I'm just 60
ing out, though, to look at the goods
in the shop windows. Bought, un-
expectedly,
Material for three spring dresses.
Lining for ditto.
Persian trimming for ditto.
Pair of rubber overshoes.
Pair of scissors.
New feathers for hat.
New hat.
New travelling bag.
New clasp for ulster.
Bottle of smelling salts.
Three pairs of cheap gloves.
Two lace ties.
Spring parasol.
March 19th.-It's time I ordered
another pair of shoes. My best silk
is really getting shabby. And !
must 60 out to-day, for I'm out o'
pins.
The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-15

Mrs. Elernor Sherman -Thackera
is a wise young lady. She declared
that her trousseau and her wedding
gifts were her own private property
and she wouldn't allow them to be
paraded in the newspapers.