davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-16

Rev. A. i. Lawrence gave some good
advice, that Is worth repeating, to the
graduating class of the Newton High
School Il hope" he said, " none OF
you belong TO that most unfortunate
class who imagine themselves lifted
above the necessity Of effort who think
that their family position, or their faith
er's wealth, or q little money of their
own, Is going to bring the world to
them, and that the oyster is quietly COM
ing to open itself for them when they
are ready to cat it. The oyster Is a
great dead more liky31 10 swallow them. y
a classmate said 10 uie. when we were
leaving college to-, tier, 4" Wei, good
by, now, good-hy We VIII meet agan
on the floor of thc Senate chamber at
Washington
We have never met there yet, and the
chances are growing mali that we ever
shall. Nor has 1t h"on altogether my
fault. The world avallowed him up
after commencement. and nothing has
ever been heard Of INN from that day to
this.
In this struggling life there is no place
for "lucky men. The prizes are for
the workers. ''Why are You in such
haste ?" said one the other day to a man
who has made his mark in the world.
"Why not wait and see what will turn
up?"
Turn up +" he replied, 81 never
knew anything to turn up for me IN this
world unless L turned it up p
He who trusts to good luck to bring
the world round to hIm just when he
gets ready for it, will find himself like
the clown in Horace, waiting on the
bank for the stream to flow 10y, that he
may pass over without wetting his feet.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-16
Ancient Mexico.

Readers who know anything OF Central
Amerlca-Yucatan, part of Mexico, and
Guatemala, and the wonderful ruins of
temples and towns built in ages long,
long ago-will hear with pleasure that
scientific archaeological expedition Is to
be sent under the authority of France
and the United States, TO make further
explorations in that mysterious country.
The chief promoter of the expedition is
Mr.. Peter Lorillard, Of New York, by
whom the greater part Of the cost Will
be borne In numbers and equipment
nothing Will be lacking; casts of the i'm
pOrtant bas-reliefs and inscriptions Will
be taken, whereby scholars in all parts
of the world viii be enabled to study
relics of civilization not less interesting
than the old monuments of Egypt and
Assyria. From what is already known,
it is supposed that the builders OF these
temples had intimate relations with Cam
bodia and Java, if they were not actually
emigrants from those countries. Inter
esting at1inities have been made out by
linguistic students, some OF whom be-
lieve that the table-land of Peru, and not
that of Asia, was the cradle of the human
race; and that the Hittites OF Scripture,
during their wanderings settled IN Peru,
ana erected Jne buildings WHICH now eA-
cite our astonishment Hence it viii be
understood that something may be dis
covered that viii throw light on primeval
history. The hill-contry of Yucatan Is
almost unknown. 1t is reported that the
inhabitants fierce tribe named Mayas
-" have reconstructed the old towns
with their forts and temples, and revived
many of the customs, laws, and idola
trous rites of their forefathers. The
explorers will visit these people, and
also endeavor to find traces of the tribes
that preceded the Aztecs s.-Chdna6erS'
Journal
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-16
Incident of the War.

Artemus Ward once said he would
love to die for his country, but, If 1t was
all the same to the country, he would
like to die of old age" An amusing an
ecdote. which shows that Artemus' phi
losophy is widely entertained, IS told by
a writer in the Philadelphia Times. 1t
was told by one of the boys who were
present at the battle of Murfreesboro',
Tenn.
When the lines of both armies
were advancing to the charge, a
rabbit, or more properly a hare,
was aroused from his quiet seclu-
sion Immediately in front of the Con-
federate line, and went bounding away
to the security of the hills, making at
each Jump large exhibit of white bunt-
ing.
In the line there was great, raw
boned North Georgian, who was cele-
brated for his indomitable courage and
reckless bravery.
He had the reputation of being will
ing to fight anything, and was supposed
not to know the meaning of fear; but
his apostrophe to the vanishing rabbit
not only put the matter In a different
light, but caused burst of laughter
from all who heard it. He said
"Go it, little cotton-taill Go 1t while
you've a chance. I'd run, too, If didn't
have any more reputation at stake than
you've got I"
The poor fellow never returned from
the charge. He had lost his chance oi
runninO
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-16
Washington Etiquette.

Questions of etiquette are sometimes
very troublesome in Washington, and all
the more because very many of the deni-
zens of that city, who come from distant
and rural homes, know and care nothing
about etiquette. How little the honor
able gentleman from Symmes' Hole
suspects, rs he is asked to take Mrs.
Senator Red Velvet to dinner, that the
chair in which he shall sit, and the lady
whom he shall hand out have been
subjects of long and anxious delibera-
ton. 1t is easy to call on Wormley, or
Welcker, or Pinard, or some other chg,
and order dinner for twenty. But who
who shall sit where, and shall hand
whom ?-these are the questions which
cause vexation and anguish. A distin-
gllished official gentleman in Washing-
ton gave noble repast IN honor of a
noted guest 1t was ordered of the
proper pul.gfsvor. e Now said the
host, when ne had Ioadef no expense be-
spared ''I don't know anything about
the business of seating people correctly.
You must attend to that, too" The
purveyor went straight to another dis
tinglished man, who had not been in
vited to the dinner because ii would not
be agreeable to some other distinguished
man who was invited, and distinguished
man number one was immensely amused
that he was called upon to seat the
guests at a dinner to which he was not
himself invited.
1t is all the more perplexing because,
although Washington is always full of
official persons who are really Indifferent
to etiquette, and who greet it with a
hearty democratic laugh, yet because
of its official population there has been
from the first especial attention paid by
experts to the subject. Washington
took grave counsel upon it, and Hamil-
ton gave him some canons of behavior
in writing, and there Is alleged to be a
more rigid system of social etiquette
among official persons in Washington
than Is to be found in any circle else
where IN the country. There are
asserted TO be due rules for the '' first
calling" of Senators wives, and the
wives of the members of the Cabinet
and of Justices OF the Supreme Court
Precedence at table Is also a knotty
point involving great trouble of soul.
to which the Secretary of State was IN
vited. When dinner was announced,
the host turned to the senior Senator,
the dean OF the Senatorial Chamber,
and asked him to take the lady of the
house to the table. The senior Senator
hesitated, saying to his colleague that
the Secretary of State was in the room.
" Pshaw we Senators make Secretaries
of State, was the answer and the host
insisted that in his house nobody should
precede the dean of his own body.
-Harper'S Magazine.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-16
TattOoing in France.

The unprogressive and the criminal
class in civilized countries have many
characteristics IN common with the saw
age. The superstitious beliefs and mag
zeal practices of Scotch and French
peasants can hardly be distinguished
from those of Thlinkeets and Namaquas.
But it rather surprises us, we confess, to
find that in France at least, the unpro-
gressive classes freely tattoo themselves.
The word tattoo is of South-Sea origin,
and denotes the practice of covering the
body with punctured designs, generally
In colors. The savages of antique times
-Britains, Germans, Africans, Asiatics
-tattooed themselves, as we learn, from
various texts in Harodotus, Tacitus,
Cesar and other authors less renowned,
quoted by NJ. Berceon, in his "Historie
Medicale de Tatouage." The study of
savage tattooing has double interest !;
it throws light on the early history of
decorative art, and it illustrates the pro-
cess by which almost all savage tribes
come to conceive of themselves as de-
scended from animals, and afterwards
worked out a rude system of heraldry,
engraving their chests and coat-armor on
their naked bodies. On these topics we
do not propose to enter to-day, but to
follow DR.. Lacassagne's account of tat
tooiLg as a practice in the French army
and by French criminals. 1t may not
be true that if you catch Russian you
find Tartar. The experiment might be
dangerous, and many think it superfiu-
Gus. But if you strip French soldier,
especially the soldier who has served IN
Africa, or who has often been under
arrest, you certainly find the tattooed
Aryan. Many pious pilgrims have them
selves tattooed with sacred devices of
Jerusalem. Dr. Lacassagne has copied
the tatouaqe of a pilgrim who assures
him that the Grand Duke Nicholas was
tattooed at the same time as himself.
There are professional tattooers IN Paris
and Lyons. who charge one-half franc
for each design. Generally the tattooer
has designs ON paper, and reproduces
these on the skin by mechanical pro-
cess. Large designs cost good deal.
A big representation of an Indian hold
ing up the flag of the United States
costs the decorated person fifteen francs.
China ink is the coloring substance pre-
ferred, touched up with vermillion. DR..
Lacassagne has collected /, 1888 designs,
tattooed on 37S members of the Second
African battalion, or on men under arrest
In military prisons. Most of the men
were of the criminal classes, who passed
a good deal of time under arrest, and
therefore had leisure to devote to dec
orative art. Many were tattooed on
on every part of the body, except the
inside of the the thighs.-PaH Mall
G01eff9
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-16
The Task of Writing.

Readers in general little know what
pains writer's and actors take and what
troubles they endure in order to give
them amusement or information Thack-
eray's troubles cropped out in his writ
ings, and no one who has read his Ballad
of Bouillabaisse, and read between its
lines, viii forget his noble self-devotion
to his suffering wife and little daughters.
How Tom Hood wrote his best things ON
his bed when almost dying, and how
Grimald, when suffering from melan-
cf4olia, was advised to go and see that
| funny rogue, Grimaldi, are few Incl
dents that have let the public behind
| the scenes somewhat, but the pains
and troubles of the majority, who are
/ denounced as stupid or mere fools when
their work had been done under ciT cum
stances which call for sympathy, viii
remain a sealed book. An instance
/ which Illustrates this patience and endur-
ance of writer's has Just been made pub
/ lie. There are few newspaper readers in
/ the United States who have not read ~ d
| laughed with aching sides at the real hu-
NOR of him who is known as the. Bur
/ hngton Hat0keye man; and the majority
have probably imagined him as round,
rosy checked disciple of Momus who
kept his humor ON tap all the time and
turned it ON for the amusement of the
| public Just as the freak seized him. A
/ letter of his declining an invitation to a
college reunion has Just found its way
into the press which will put the matter
| n adifferent light He says:
Mrs. Burdetts health-if the poor lit
tie sufferers combination of aches and
pains and helplessness may be designated
by such a sarcastic cappellation-has been
i ct Foil oil ho,
\ come down to this seagirt island to see
! if Old Ocean and its breezes may dc
/ what the doctors and mountains and
prairies have failed to do. And There we are
waiting s'Her little serene highness'
! In utter helplessness, unable to stand
alone (for years she has been unable to
walk, her helpless hands folded In her
lap; she must be dressed, carried about,
cared for like baby, suffering from
countless pains and aches day and night,
/ and cannot leave her even for few
/ days No one at Chautauqua viii feel
| the disappointment as we do, for we had
! planned to go there together. If she
could go with me, / would be glad enough
! to creep to Chautauqua on my knees.
! Her life has been fountain of strength
! to me. In ten long years 1 have never
seen the look of pain out of her eyes, and
/ for more than half so long i have
seen her sitting in patient helplessness,
and / have never heard a COM
planning murmur from her lips while she
has served as those who only stand and
wait, never questioning and never doubt
ing the wisdom and the goodness of the
Father whose hand had been laid upon
her so heavily The beautiful patience
of her life has been a constant rebuke to
my own impatience, and in her sufferings
I have seen and known and believed the
sslove that knows no fear" and the fait b
that knows no doubt.
Such letter needs no comment; it
tells its own story Philadelphia Press.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-16
Ont of His Year.

While talking with James Milton
Sherrod, the other day, the letter-carrier
pulled ont of his pocket very hand
some agate, rounded and worn smooth
by constant use as an ear ornament. 1t
had hole drilled through the top, and
by a deer's sinew this trinket had for
merly been suspended from the ear OF
some Sioux brave. The work on the
stone showed the crude and patient
efforts of the untutored red man. On
being asked how he secured the agate,
Mr.. Sherrod, whiting off some black
tobacco with butcher knife, rubbed 1t
in the palm of his hand a while. and
then, after putting it in his pipe and
trying Intellectually for long time to
light it, said
81 got it up in the Black Hills IN rs.
A lot of Sioux Indians ambuscaded me
one evening in the form of a horseshoe,
and / had to cut my way through. L
killed several of them and the rest lit
out. When L come to assess the dead, L
found big fellow wearing this here
agate and tied ON with a deer's sinner,
and l just yanked it out of his year.
There was another one in his other year
that / got, but I lostit. Itwas the exact
fact similar of this here one. Lara
nlie Boomerang.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-16
Deaf and Dumb BARRIERS.

man dressed in thin summer
voolen sllit and djlapidated straw hat
entered our sanctIf
Sir /" he said, sou see before Won
a reminder of the suifLmer's sun, SO to
sneak am not from the tropics
neither am I dressed for enjoying alf tbe
comforts of a trip in search OF the North
pole. Excuse me, no North pole for
me- and his teeth csiattered, while a
ouiyer of lev chilliness seemed to run
across his whole franaes
g Are YOU cold 2? VIC asked. eff so.
walk up by the stove and get warm
s.No. sir, no | warm as the sportive
African who swings This Juvenile upon
the equatorial line. I am needy. busted.
broke. sir. You see before yon a specu-
lator whose cart Is keeled over and
broken, with the hdFses on run so far
ahead a creased str alk of lightning can
rot overtake em. rhont1s since
started g barbetsshdsre e c@k thinks ],
I'll strike a new beat. : So I just goes
and hires four deaf and dumb tonsorial
artists and then put up notices that GUS
toners coming to my shop would have
q quiet shave by deaf and dumb BARRIERS
and no questions asked The thing took
on the start, but, when the confounded
OdlOC1S lAA4ACQ l1icI b1dICo ttA4NA tCsSttlA
writing out the usual questions, blow
me if didn't discover that was ru-
ined man. Yes, sir, BARRIERS is BARRIERS !;
and, when closed my shop, busted up
and started on a tramp, Just says to
myself it's no use. If dead men could
be learned to handle the razor over
mans face, the blamed things would
have spiritual MEDIUMS asking their VIC
Tins the same old line of questions-Ah,
thank yer, sir; ta-ta. With this dime
Ill send a counter-irritant down my
throat that1l knock the thinness out of
this summer suit and give my stomach a
. cleaner shave than any barber can. F"
And, as the shattered vase retired, the
perfume of the roses remained IN the
sanctum until an open window restored
the natural tone of the atmosphere
Whitehall Times.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-16
Advancement of the Race.

Hopeless people are continually la
menting the decay of the finer qualities
of the race-but those who stop to con-
slider the matter will see that there is
no great cause for such complaints.
There is advancement in all the ways
of life. tIhe general level is on the rise
all the Tune. A writer In the Popular
Science laonthty says: As an advanced
science implies an advanced art-the
progress OF the two being ever con-
ditioned upon each other-so the great
advances OF the sciences and arts imply
a corresponding development of human
intelligence. The principle of action
and reaction prevails in the world of
mind as IN the world of matter, and
while the human intellect, by cogent
applications of its powers, has established
mulhtudinoHs differentiations Ia things
once inextricably intermingled, a ceres
ponding tsfSsentiation an specialization
of Its own powers has inevitably resulted.
But specialization of function being the
direct evidence of its greater perfection,
il Is incontroveruble that the multipi
cation Of specifications of knowledge by
human inquiry has resulted IN improve
ments Of the power of the human mind.
The strain now put on human power to
keep pace with the advances already
made is an assurance that there viii
be in the future no lack OF occasion for
continual mental development. All de-
partments of human enterprise have
in truth been already SC marvelously
developed as to defy the cocNplete grasp
of any but specialists OF more than
ordinary capacity. Croakers may find
fault and stigmatize the advS nee of the
al ofa did
carping criticism have poorer ground
for its averments. The material adj
vance Is fully matched by the moral
advance. Proofs of it are so multi
piled as scarcely to deserve enumera-
ton. Liberty to think boldly and to
give free utterance to honest convictions
is fast becoming a sacred principle of
society. Liberty of person, and equal
justice-irrespecti of rank and wealth
are now almost everywhere recognized
as diyinest principles OF government.
The sick and unfortunate, instead of be-
ing left to die without aid or to pine
through a miserable existence, are now
everywhere provided for at the expense
of those whom fortune has subjected 10
less severe trials. Sumptuary laws are
now not only known to be useless but
their principle Is condemned. Private
war has almost ceased to be waged; and
the duty of revenge, once sanctioned by
religion, has given place to the duty
of forbearance and forgiveness. The
weIl-being of ones neighbor is now
universally felt to be the good fortune
of ones self Vast accumulations of
wealth, instead of being squandered in
the purchase of places and useless de-
corations for elevating ones self above
his fellows, are now employed in educa-
tional, industrial and eleemosynary
foundations.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-16
DIR. Holmes, Advice to Young Writer.

In GA Literary Confession" Mr.. Eu-
gene l.. Didier says: "Men rush into
print without training, study or prepa-
ration. They use too many words to
express too few ideas" Discouraged by
his failure ten years ago to dispose of
his first magazine article, which was en-
titled "The Grandeur of Human Des-
tiny he wrote to DIR. Oliver Wendell
Holmes, asking for a situation as an
amanuensis DIR. Holmes made this
characteristic reply: 81 am not (as 1
am often supposed to be- an editor, and
have no writing to do which L am not
competent to do myself, with a little oc-
casional aid from members of my own
family. Most of our writer's
are as pooI as rats themselves, and no
more able to keep an amanuensis than
they are to set up a coach and SIX. I
do not know how to advise you beyond
this simple counsel, which | have occa-
sionally given to young aspirants. If
you think you have literary talent, write
something for the best paper or maya
zine you can get into keep to one sig
nature, and you will be found out by a
public which is ready to pay the high
est price for almost any kind of literary
ability. If you do not think you can
make reputation, why not become a
reporter to newspaper? 1 do not turn
from your petition with cold indiffer-
ence, but it is utterly out of my power
to do more than to give you these few
words of friendly advice"
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-16
"oh. grandpapa. then Won dld not

"Oh. grandpapa, then you did RoS
forget me r. sobbed Kathie.
4 ring at the door at that moment
4 startled her. She looked ont and saw
/ her lover. Gathering her treasures into
the lap of her ruffled apron, she rushed
out to meet him.
"Oh, Charlie. come in quick I've goi
some wonderful news to tell you 20
The young mar followed her into the
drawing room, wondering what had hap.
pened.
," Oh! Charlie, +" she cried breathlessly,
| holding up her apron, her eyes shining,
her cheeks aglow "see here; I'm a
rich girl after ali I've found my mar
hage dover. A minute ago l was 50
poor, and had nothing to give you with
| ne. l had to give poor George all my
honey and I've only one silk and had
p trim nv old hat over, and auntie
! laughed at me so, and said you would
feel ashamed of me. L was cutting mp
'y--srscipn's old overcoat to make a ia ackef.
and [ found this. Only see two thous-
and pounds. Oh, Charlie I'm so glad
for your sake"
The young man bent down and kissed
ne sweet, tremulous mouth with full,
glowing heart as he said
lf My darling, his voice thrilling with
tenderness, I'm glad of all this because
you are glad. For my own part would
rather have these dear little hands with
out shilling In them. You need no
dowry, hathie, you are crowned with
oeauty and purity, and goodness, and
what could L wish more ? In my ewes
you are always fresh and fair and lovely.
no matter what you wear l love Won
Tor Your own sweet self, rich or poor"
hhthe left the folded bank coupons
and notes slip from her apron and fall to
the Hoor IN a rustling shower.
"Oh, CharlleP she whispered, leaning
her head against his shoulder, 81 am so
glad
"Glad of what, Kathie-grandpapa's
dowry?"
No; glad you love me for myself
He clasped her closely, and at their
feet grandpapa's marriage dowry lay
almost unheeded.
Her aunt and her cousins, though they
pretended to be pleased and to congratu-
late her, yet 1t was easy to see how
thoroughly they were chagrined
The marriage proved to be happy
one not only to the party directly con
eerned, but equally to "Mrs. Montague
of Oaklands, and her proud, stylish
daughters.
The money given to Kathie's brothers
proved to be the making of him He
recovered his lost ground, and in a few
years he had accumulated a handsome
property, repaid his sister all that he
owed though against her wishes, and
showed to her how fortunate was the
result of her hberaity so heartily con-
demned by her aunt.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-16
Preuarations for War.

Admiral CULVER Green offered the
following preamble and resolution:
whereas, Dis kentry am liable to
sass some furrin nashun any day in de
week an git a war on its hands an
"Whereas, In case Of a war wild some
European power our watermellyon
patches could easily be bombarded by
de inemy as de case now stands; dare
..Resolyed. Dati am de sentiment of
dis club dat dis kentry be tonce purvided
with a navy powerful ,nuff to afford us
security and proteckshun from wars
disasters"
ode resolution viii be laid onde stove
fur de next six months, said the Presi-
dent as he calmly arose. "In case of
war Il will be Just as cheap to buy de
enemy off as to build navy, an de plan
WON'T offer half as many chances for
stealin' de people stone blind. Dis
nasbnn has had fight huff to last it for
fiftv vars to come, an if any man in
dnlpes in sass he will find no hackers
among de people. We have got navy
'nuff to take de President to Long Branch
am back. an any increase would be q
waste of de public money"