davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
The Romance of old Age.

Generally the process of a late blooming
love partakes OF many natures, and is as
much the outcome of circumstances as it
is the crown of a full and ripe conscious
ness OF a mans whole development at its
highest point of perfection, Still, no mat
ter how much alloy there may be in the
feeling which alone deserves the name of
love, its expression grows more beautiful
and more suggestive as the individuals
under its influence grow older.
The sorrows it brings are more sacred
and more venerable when they assaI
persons in advanced life. The intensity
of silent, dignified, unselfish grief which
a husband of fifty feels at the loss for his
life companion has tenfold the strength of
the passionate sorrow of young bride
groom bereaved Of his bride. The feelings
of father losing his grown son are ten
derer and deeper than the agony of q
young mother losing her tirstborn in its
infancy. Time itself is an element of
grandeur when connected with grief or
love; the network OF pathetic thoughts and
associations which it weaves around the
heart is ennobling and sanctifying.
Of all things that are beautiful in senti-
ment, full of tender suggestiyeness, and
alive with real poetry, none can compare
with common things. The rose-wreaths
on coffin are prosaic compared with the
forgotten thinble and needle left in the
sewing on the little stand in the accuse
toned corner. The living will not weep
when they hear the service read over their
dead, but the. sight Of the last shoes the
dead have worn, the mark left in the book
last read together, the rattle the child
used, the broom the wife handled any
thing, raean, tawdry, soiled it may be,
that has a familiar associadon-will break
the heart of the one left behind If he
chance to let his glance fall upon it.
The same magic that lends poetry to
such things dignifes and illumines other.
details Of homeliness, old age, awkward
manners, rooted customs and formalities,
and such barriers TO what is popularity
known as romance. I know nothing
more charming than real love in middle
age, with its timidities and delicacies
blooming like spring flowers OH the face
of a rock.
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
W hat the Crow Saw.

At o Canadian church sociable recently
held in Zion Protestant Methodist Church,
near NurVale, about 10 O'Clock at night.
when the amusements were at their height,
one of the ministers present took the op-
portunity 70 speak of the attack made on
such entertainments held in churches, and
recited in illustration this anecdote: Once
a dove flew over a beautiful prairie, where
all it saw appeared to it most beautiful !:
but whens crow flew over the same prairie
it saw nothing to admire, but went croak-
ing at everything until it espied an old
dead horse. So, he said, it was with re-
gard to the writer referred to. Just about
this time crow came in at window that
had been let down to admit air. and
perchcd on the wire that held up the cur
tains. There was a general disturbance
among the assembly, who really thought
that old Nick himself had come. After
flying about the room sometime the bird
was captured. There are plenty of wit
nesses to the truth Of the story.
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
Spanish Living: Oh. dying.

| The Spanish father is absolute king and
lord BY his own hearthstone, but his sway
| is so mild that it is hardly felt. A light
word between husband and wife goes un-
eXplaind, and the rife between them
widens through life. They can not be di-
vorced-they will not 1rictr the scandal of
a public separation-and as they pass
lives oflonely isolation in adjoining apart
ments, both think rather better of each
other and themselves for this devilish per-
sistence.
fmen are never henpecked except bv
learned wives, Spain would be the place of
all others for tilnid men to marry in. The
girls are bright and vivacious, but they
have never crossed, even in scheol-day ex-
cursion. the border lines of theologies.
They have IN old proverb which coarsely
conveys this idea-that "a Christian
woman in good society ought not to know
anything beyond her cookery book and her
missal.n
An ordinary Spaniard is sick bnt once in
his life, and the old traditions which repre-
sent the doctor and death as always hunt
ing in couples still survive in Spain In
all well-to-do families the house of death
is always deserted Immediately after the
funeral, and the stricken ones retire and
pass eight days in inviolable seclusion.
Children are buried in collins of gray
pink, or blue color, and carried open to the
grave.
A luxury of grief consists in shutting up
the house where death has taken place
and never suffering it to be opened again.
/ once saw q beautiful house and wide gar
den thus abandoned in one of the most
streets of Madrid. The wife
Of a certain Duke had died there many
years before. The Duke lived in Paris,
leading a rattling life, but he would never
let or sell that Madrid home. Perhaps in
his heart, that battered tIioroughfare, there
was silent spot where through the gloom
Of dead days, he could catch glimpse of
a white hand, the rustic Of a trailing robe,
and feel sweeping over him the magic of
loves dream, softening his fancy to tender
Days.
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
Anecdotes of Laura KeeRe.

/ The Baptist Weekly has published o
late some anecdotes of actors, and the fol
lowing is an extract from communica.
ton to that journal:
| A recent number of the Baptist Veeh1s
speaks Of an actor praying for success in &
new piece. [ am reminded Of another
case resembling this, which has never been
in print, and was told in confidence by the
actor himself, a few weeks before he died.
Billy Otis was, to use Laura Keene's ex-
preston, the best Lord Dundreary she
had ever had, and he repaid her good
opinion by regard which after her death
passed into reverence for her memory.
It was he who when hardly more than a
mere boy, carried the invitation to Presi-
dent Lincoln to attend the theatre on the
fatal night of the assassination.
Before his death, which occurred about
four years ago, he left the stage and gave
recltations, repeating whole plays and car
rying all the parts alone, as well as giving
shorter impersonations, reproducing even
the manners Of Laura Keene and other
actresses, without unnatural affectation
and with wonderful power. / have heard
him render ''Our American Cousin,' and
when he arrived at this point he paused
and told the story of the assassination as it
was, behind the scenes. When the shot
was fired he was in the act of buttoning
Miss keene's glove, as she was preparing
to go on the stage in bridal costume. At
first, mistaking the shot, she sent re-
guest that the carpenter should not fire
pistols during the acts and then, when the
truth became known, rushed to the wash
stand, saturated the whole front breadth of
her magnificent bridal DIRE ess with water,
which she was Wringing out in vain at
tempt to resuscitate the unconscious VIC
tim. On the stage Miss Keene's influence
was on the side of good morals if not re-
ligion, and profanity was rigidly excluded
even when in the "School for Scandal"
the whole point seems to lie in the word
'damnably." as uttered by the deceived
and undesceived husband. 1t was re-
stricken out. "They think
badly enough of us; let us give them no
1t was secret known only to
her that Otis was in the habit of offering
short prayer just before going on the stage,
such as "Oh, Lord, help me through this
act!' Sometimes he would find himself
upon the stage, and his prayer forgotten,
when he would step behind the scenes for
L moment or two, and then return, upon
which she, understanding where he had
been, would say [asidel, "God bless you,
ny boy j. Not long after he confided this
secret of his life to me, a fatal sickness
eized him and he went where he knew
his prayer had been real utter
nce of Christian faith or not.
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
Miss NIuEock.
The Hight and Dark Hm this Authors
Life.

/ She was obliged to write for her daily
bread, and, that she mightforget how mis-
cradle she was, she wrote a great deal. OF
course, with all this practice and with all
! her vast experience in gorroW-for her pen
was not actually dipped in tears-she
wrote better and better, till finally this re-
tiring, self-strieken woman aWoke. to find
/ herself famous. Her first novel, ssThe
| IOgilYies, h was very successful, and was
published in lS49, when Miss Mulock was
only tWenty-three, but her great master
piece, John Halifax. Gentleman, = did
not appear until 1857. In 1864 pension
of sixty pounds a year was awarded Miss
Mulock.
All this fame and unqualified success
doubtless assuaged her grief and helped to
make life endurable, but to such a loving
heart and such quick sympathies, bereft of
a home and without a relation, her life
was still very sad and lonely. But in 1895
| Captain George Little Carik, an officer in
the English army. who had been in the
Grimea, met Miss Malock, and although
some years herjunior, addressed her and
succeeded in Wining her hand.
| They have proved most congenial COM
Ipanions, and their married life has been all
they could wish, with but one exception.
The woman, whose love for children
amounts almost to a passion, and who
wrote Phillip my King, I has been denied
the happiness Of feeling baby fingers upon
her cheeks, or of ever hearing herself
called mother. This is d severe sorrow,
but even this pain has been partially as
suaged. Strangely enough, one dark, rainy
might, while she and her husband was
speaking OF children and how much JOY
they bring to 50 many dwellings, there
came q loud ring At the bell and then 4
furious knocking.
On opening the door, lying uEon the sill
they found 4 basket enclosed in many
Wrappings. When they were removed
they discovered a baby few hours old.
The child was wrapped II one roll after
another Of Indian muslin, anl On fts breast
was pinned q note begging sfrs. l'arikto be
kind to the littls Wait thus brought u her
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
a Hasty Temper:

The guardians Of children too often con-
found extreme scnsitivcness with q hasty
temper, which is the prevailing fault OF
sensitive children. Little by little self
control can be taught, and inffltrations OF
such ideas and motives and sentiments
made in the child's mind as will enable
him to outgrow and overcome his infirmity
Time cures great many things; chill
dren outgrow inf1rmities and faults, and If
right principles Of action and feeling are
instilled gently, constantly, wisely, the
results will ultimately appear. It is mere
cruelty to make the weak points of a child
a source of teasing and ridicule, as is often
done in schools and families. If he is born
with deformed foot, with defective sight
or hearing, how careful we are to try to
make up to him what nature has deniedi
A defect in ones mental or moral orgini-
zation should certainly be as tenderly and
judieiously atreated as a bodily deformity.
A quick temper, an irritable or timor-
GUS or teasing disposition, requires far
more tact and iudicious management than
any mere physical infirmity. When
grown to maturity, our sensitive children
become the poets, musicians, artists, writ
ers, and leaders OF their time.
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
NO.337.
Smiths Mistake.

Ina lofty edifice devoted to downtown
business, and a regular hive for lawyers
bankers, and professional and commercial
men generally, once lived two Smiths
There was Henry Smith, the younger
banker in the basement, wealthy, we'll
dressed. and in love with Il life which,
held nothing but comfort and enjoyment
for him.
/ And then there was Henry Smith, in
the attic, who in miserable, comfortless
/ office, eked out an equally miserable ex-
istence as 4 collector
| One day there came u strange note to
Henry Smith, the collector It read:
''Mr, Henry Smith: -
I Dear Sir: am an old fogy and have
my notions. am rich, and my wtlins
are therefore excusable. / have just taken
up my residence in this city, and as feel
an interest in the Smith family, and rs
your father knew ME in New York, /
would be pleased to have you call some
evening ut No.--ayenuc.
Yours truly,
PETER SMITH
Therewas nothing strange in the letter,
yet Henry could not help but believe that
it was not meant for him 1t was true
that his father had lived in New York,
but he had never heard of Peter Smith.
However, donning his best suit, Henry
repaired to the palatial residence on the
avenue, and was introduced to Mr.. Peter
Smith and his daughter.
That daughter Of all the vivacious,
captivating creatures he had ever seen,
she was the most charming. He scarcely
listened to old Peters jokes about his
early days with his father SO rapt was he
with the kindly attentions and lovliness of
the fair little spirit who played and sang
for him, and sent him away dead in love
with her.
Then there were other visits, and one
night Henry Smith did rash thing. He
proposed to Beatrice Smith.
And Beatrice did an equally rash thing
she accepted him.
And everything went along swimmingly
until one night old Peter took his guest
aside and inquired what interest he owned
in the bank
The question struck like thunderbolt
upon Henry Smiths mind, and in
confused sort of way he
that the letter had never been
for him at all, but for Henry
Smith, the banker.
And 5ummoning all his honest man
hood, he told old Peter so.
Then there was storm, and amid the
abuse and indignation of the old gentle
man he sought the front door.
just as he was leaving the house fairy
form tripped down the stairs and detained
aim.
"What is it?" she inquired, in pretty
of her indignant sire.
:'He is an imposter!n cried old Peter.
md then young Henry, with quiet dignity,
explained his mistake.
And you are going to order him away
because he is poor?'' she demanded Of
lcr father. su- ,"5=s5 49,.
''No; he is Il base mposter-a-a-''
''Then if he goes, go with him. en-
exclaimed pretty Beatrice,
'What!" thundered the old man, wild
With rage.
Il mean it,
And she did. And old Peter Smith,
ooner than lose his daughter, like du-
iful father gave her away to young
Henry Smith. And his fortune and their
owe made them peaceful and happy.
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
stonewa1I jackson as a Sleeper

This extraordinary talent of going te
sleep under the most disadvantageous cir.
cumstances followed him into the field
and became of the greatest service to him.
He could sleep Delightfully."- on horseback
during his forced marches, and I believe
tolerably well on the battlefield; and this
may have been the cause Of the remarka-
bic power of endurance for which he was
noted. That his power for sleeping under
preaching remained with him, | have
occular proof.
remember being present at Il preaching
service held at the door of his headquar-
tiers, in East Virginia, one hot July Sun
day morning, when he performed the
champion sleeping feat of the war. There
was no shade whatever, and the whole SER
vice was held in the face of the hottest sun
that ever shone in that country. The
preacher stood in front of Jackson's tent,
and Jackson sat ON a backless camp-stool
at his right hand. The men composing
the congregation stood with their caps on,
to avoid sunstroke, but Jackson's idea of
propriety would not allow him to sit in the
door of the tent or to keep his cap on The
result was that he sat in the sun, held his
cap about six inches from his head. to
shade his face, and slept sweetly in that
position throughout the entire service
Tptar Dooou
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
The Hansasae1-.

The hamster is a small rat-like animal
with apoueh Oh either side Of its mouth
which it finds very convenient for secret
ing grain. It abounds in the sandy dis.
tricts between northern Germany anG
Siberia, and \ single animal has beer
known to stow away q hundred pounds O
beans. AT Aseherleben. il became &
serious . pest hatreeently the town offered
q reward for these little animals, and ovel
sixty thousand were killed. The haElstel
is very tame and a savage lighter. Its fur
which is variegated, is marketable.
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
a Reevil Fish Heaps Aboard
a Schooner.

On the last trip Of the schooner Aranaas,
from Indianola, devil fish leaped aboard
and took passage for the city. He is a
singular-looking fellow, Of some eight OIL
ten pounds weight, of the shape of a bird
with extended wings, purplisll blue color
thickly dotted with white starry spots in
the back, with two short forked tails, SINH
lar to those of our dress coat. The tails
have each an unpleasant looking, bony
barb, and from between them runs out 3
black, slender, wiry tail, four or five feet
long-as long as that Of his old namesake
as shown in authentic likeness.
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
,rEne Word "HHorne.

It must be borne in mind that--so far as
the mere word is concerned-competition
ardent as tits, is limited to a relatively
small area. Neither the Slav nor the Latin
races take part iis in, for the excellent rea-
son that their tongues contains no term
equivalent to sshome.'' The word itself
the true word, the precise words the
exclusive property Of the British, German,
and Scandinavian nations. Elsewhere
there are but shadows of it. But though
it is solely in the northwestern corner of
Europe that we can detect the word, it is
not there alone that we can discover the
idea which the word represents. The
quarrel as to whether helm or home. =
or any other similar or dissimilar sound,
expresses best the full meaning Of the
thought, is, after all, an idle one. 1t rests
on nothing, and can lead to no good end
whatever. The. true interest Of the subject
is not there. 1t lies, not in the relative
merits of analogous syllables, but in the
comparative lntensities with which the
sentiment itself is exhibited by differen
people. -Black.eood Magazine.
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
stEssa : m IS.

q man in bis shirt sleeves was sitting
before the door Of a rookery on AtWater
street the other evening when an acqnaint-
ance came along and asked
Bill, was that your wife Z met On the
corner s,'
guess It Nassl just started ont. n
e see she bangs her hair, continued
the other.
AYes, she does, darn her q groWled Bill
ssiont I've got the advantage over her tho
While she can only bang her haiII can
bang. her whole body.
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27

y 8 4 Il z
What is known as parquet flooring is
now ingeniously produced in paper, the
latter being printed in patterns to initiate
different woods from photographs, SO that.
as it is stated, the resemblance is absolutely
perfect. The floor IL first prepared, being
made level, and the creViees filed up with
plaster of Paris; over the surface, as thus
prepared. hession is stretched, and, on this
first lining paper and then the patterned
paper il pasted, the whole being finished
with q coating Of a peculiar kind Of varlisI,
described as remarkably hard and Wear
resisting. The carpeting il very salts
factory III ppearance, and can be kept ID
a perfectly clean state with but little
tToub le.
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
Am American ON the China wall.

An American engineerin in China has been
makinga fresh examination of its "Great
Wall" The dimensions have been given
so often that we need notrepeat them; but
the structure for q distance Of 1,728 miles
is 'scarried from point to point in a perfect
ly straight line, across valleys and plains
and over hills, without the slightest re
gard to the contiguration of the ground,
sometimes plunging down into abysses a
thousand feet deep. Brooks and smaller
rivers are bridged over by the wall, while
on both banks Of larger streams strong
flanking towers are placed" Perhaps the
Emperor Nicolas had this contempt for
obstacles in mind when he solved the prob
lem Of the best railroad route between ST.
Petersburg and Moscow by drawing d
straight line by a ruler between the points
on the map and having the road construct
ed as thus indicated.
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
Her. Reasons.
[NpW York pa1lerl

| 1t is no new thing here in the east fol-
sweet sixteen femininity to espouse de-
crepit three-score and ten masculinity, but
out west it seems to be considered remark
able; so that when such match occurred
the Rocky -Nountdin Ners sent a reporter
to interview the young lady.
The reporter describes her as pretty and
piquant. ''Indeed,'' he says, ''the wealth
of delightful portraiture is made in the
statement that she is sweet sixteen and ra-
diant as a butterfly with brilliant summer
plumage."
Chow came it, y the reporter asked, s'that
you wed a man SO much older than YOUR
self?'
"Because love him. was the pert re-
ply.
s'That is reason, certainly. But should
have thought that a lady so beautiful would
have chosen younger matc.''
''Would you? Well, now, I'll tell YOU.
A young man is very hard to please, and it
is very difficult to displease an old one:
on kho" the OLD adaSe: x young man s
slave and an old mans darling I am
rather fond of being a darling
81 should think 500
"Would you, indeed? Then I don't
think there is anything in the world SO
charming as lovely young widow, and
such . thing is possible for me-
''Then you are already counting on the
old mans death 2"
''No, I'm not counting on it exactly, but
live in hopes;" and with radiant smile
the glileless thing went off to join the
dancers.
Its not necessary TO pursue the subject
further. Any one can see that there is
something very bewitching about sweet
sixteen.
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
Hints for keeping orr wrinklee.

EaaEaEs EgT &AGeplEag 4SRH SETR1ARe5s
There is 10 such thing as wiping out
wrinkles. In men they are often honora-
BILE evidence Of hard mental labor; i'll Wo-
men they are usually the evidence of COM
ing age, although care and suffering have
much to do with them
Sometimes fair foreheads are premature
II Wrinkled from nervous habit of rails
ing the eyebrows, and from d too great
and too constant pressure of the pillow on
one or both sides of the head while sleeping.
And just here comes d fact worth renen-
bering. If the forehead has escaped wrin-
kles, crows feet are prematurely Eeen
about the corners Of the eyes. We all see
the crows feet in men and women whose
brows are smooth and young looking.
They are the result Of sleeping on the
right and left sides. The pressure upon
the temple and cheeks leaves wrinkles at
the corners and underneath the ewes which
disappear in 4 few hours, but finally be-
come SO liked that neither hours nor abIn-
ton Will abate them. Ii girl chiIdren
were compelled 70 sleep on their backs and
continue the habit when they reach wonl-
anhood and afTerWart, they would arrive
at middle life without crows feet gather
ing in the neighborhood of the eyes, and
in most cases their foreheatss would be
free from ayefi# aha low fiIrraygs
The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27
Poetry.


\ King. 4 Pope. and a Kaiser,
Anla Queen most fair 20 see,
Went sailing, sailing. sailing
Over a sunny sea.
Among them sat bcggar,
\ churl of low degree,
And they al went sailing, sailing
Over sunny sea.
Then the King said to the Kaiser
And hts comrades fair TO see:
'Ictus turn adrift this beggar,
This churl nflow degree,
Tor he taints the Halny brcczes
That blow o. you and me,
Aswc travel. sailing, sailing
Oerr n sunny sea.
This ship is mine, said the beggar,
Thi-, url 0flow degree.
Audwe'rc all Of US sailing, sailing
10 the grave DER the sunny sea-"
You may not. and you cannot
Get riI Of mine and me;
No, potforyonr crown nor your sccptcr,
For am Death, = quoth he.