davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23
History OF an Oak Table.

A handsome oak-table, elegantly
carved, stands in the parlor of an up
town house.
"How did 1t come into my posses
sionP" said gentleman who was writ
ing at it to a reporter of the Sun. "Oh,
oddly enough. 1t, was given TO me by
n convict Just released from the Con-
necticut State Prison at Wethersfeld."
ale made il HIMSELF" asked the
visitor.
"Made I'll Not he. But he stole the
money that bought il. o, no, am not
a receiver of stolen goods. will tell
you the story.
"About thirteen years ago i rented
house from Warden Willard Of the
Connecticut State Prison, who was
afterward murdered by the convict VIII
son. The prisoners used to be hired
out to farmers, and brought back to
their cells at night, and many Of them
worked on the roads. Among the lat
ter was a large, powerful, full-blooded
negro, who was serving ten years
term for robbery. Imade his acquaint-
ance, and often prevailed on the keep
ers TO allow him TO pass an hour in my
house, where both / and my family
grew to regard him as a quiet, inotien-
sive fellow, who had gone astray once,
but would probably lead an honest life
after his liberation. At last he
took me into his confidence in
the mos. astonishing way. He said
the money he had stolen had never
been recovered by the owners. He had
turned it all into cash and buried it. He
assured me that it amounted 10 fifteen
thousand dollars, and he offered to
share 1t qually with me If l would dig
it up and keep 1t until he came out OF
prison. Of course / refused, and
urged him TO give up the money or tell
me where Il was buried. He declined
TO do either, and thereafter he lost no OPP
portunity TO renew his proposal. At
last he was liberated, and left the prison
q few days after Warden Willard was
murdered. Three months later negro
who attracted the attention of half Weth-
ersfeld by the splendor of his dress
called at my house. 1t was my old
friend. the convict.
$50 you have dug up the plunderp
/ said.
"His face assumed vacant express
sion. What plunder yon 'lude to sahP'
he asked.
"'Why, the money you stole and
buried
"'Case of 'staken IDENTITY, sab, he
said, with dignity. Il never stole no
money. Never buried none. A lyin'
verdict, sab, sent me TO prison.
~ never saw him again; but week
later an express wagon stopped at the
door, and the driver delivered this table
and small parcel containing a hand.
some set OF iewelry for each Of my
daughters. With them was an enyel-
ope containing a sheet Of paper, on
which were the words: We'll, yes,
boss. Dug 'em all up. IN Y. Sun.
The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23
In Little Things.

A mans real character may frequent.
ly be better guessed at from his way OF
doing little things than from bis way of
doing things OF greater Importance.
Chamfort has said, cynically, that lin
great matters men show themselves as
Il is expedient for them TO appear 10 be;
but in little things they show themselves
as they are" There is certain justice
in the Frenchman's sneer, for even the
best Of men act more spontaneously,
and therefore reveal themselves more
freely, in matters which they esteem OF
little account than in other things in
which careful planning and nice discre-
ton are necessary, II is in view Of this
tendency of human nature to reveal IL
self in little things that our Lord has
said: "He that is faithful in very lit
tie is faithful also in much; and he that
is unrighteous in very little is unright-
eous also in much" II men were fully
to realize that the world around them
never lacks self-constituted judges and
juries TO weigh the meaning Of every
trivial word and act, they would be like
ly TO devote more attention than they
do to the little things which now they
count Of no Importance at all; the evil
minded would be cautious, in order
thvt they might seem to be what they
are not; the good, in order that they
might come to be what they would wish
TO appear TO be.-S. s.. Times.
The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23
Gems OF Thought.

Our grand business is, not to see
what lies dimly at distance, but to do
what lies clearly at hand.-Carlyle.
81 know men," said Napoleon at
st. Helena, "and tell you that Christ
was not man. The religion Of Christ
is mystery which subsists by its own
force and proceeds from n mind that is
not human mind"
--"As many as love / rebuke and
chasten." 1t might be difficult to dis
tinguish between wound inflicted by
an assassin and an incision made by a
surgeon; but the results would show the
worldwide difference between the two
acts. Living Epistle.
The Savior taught nothing more
pointedly than that men should prove
by their doing the correctness Of their
believing. A close study of the New
Testament will bring out for any one its
constant and urgent instruction that
men are TO be known by their fruits.
" There are no times In life when OPP
portunity, the chance TO be and do,
gathers so richly about the soul as when
Il has TO suffer. Then everything de-
pends on whether the man turns to the
lower or the higher helps. II he resorts
TO mere expedients and tricks the OPP
portunity Is lost. He comes out no
richer nor greater; nay, he comes sut
harder, poorer, smaller, for his pain.
Bnt, II he turns TO God, the hour Of suf-
fariuo, iq fba ft,rnino, bo,,r IF hir 1ifn
The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23
Be Slow to Condemn Others.

One of the easiest things is to expa>
tiate on the defects of Christians in this
age. There are people who, for hours
at a time, can tell you instances of in
consistency they know of,or have heard
of, in prominent church members. 1t
is undeniable that there are many peo-
pie in churches who extend their liberty
TO the utmost possible latitude, and
Others who so walk that they might
cause any who love our Lord Jesus in
sincerity to weep, even as did Paul in
his time, over their ungodly behavior.
Nevertheless, it is much more easy TO
censure others than to be ourselves con-
sistent, and exert a salutary influence.
Many church-members blame others
for acts which from education they
have learned TO think are unbecoming,
while education and association permit
them to do things which those whom
they condemn would recoil from. 1t is
wise for us all TO be slow in condemn
ing our neighbors. Paul, in his epistle
to the Romans, warns Christians
against judging one another, and gives
with it the eXhortation: "But Judge
rather that no man put stumbling
block or an occasion TO fall in his
brothers way" II individually we
were more concerned as to our own in
fluence, rather than quick in our per-
ceptions TO mark the delinquencies of
others, we might better serve the cause
of our Master. We are in danger Of
being conformed to the world, and
many a man who mourns over the
worldliness Of other Christians, is
thoroughly subjugated by the world in
his intense greed for success in secular
pursuits. We are all too apt to limit our
conceptions Of worldliness, so that we
fail 10 see our own course as meriting
condemnation. Let all remember that
true religion does not consist in bemoan-
ing other peoples sins-but in ourselves
possessing and manifesting the graces
of the Holy Spirit. .-Bdpttst Weekly.
The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23
PERSONAL AND LITERARY.


"A Bridgeport Conn., gentleman
will publish all the rejected poems he
can find.
Mrs. A. G. Pond. q sister of the IA
nous Sam Patch died ut Petersburg,
Va, recently.
Senator ColQuitt, of Georgia, and
Congressman Milliken, of Maine, are
sa to resemble each other as closely as
two Dromios.
David Pulsifer, who has been clerk
in the Massachusetts Secretary Of
States Office for thirty years, retired 3
few days ago. --Bosto@ lost.
-Rev. DR.. Backus, of Union College,
at Schenectady, N. Y, who has been
blind from cataracts ten years, has
fully recovered his sight as The result
of operations performed by u Balti.
more physician. Troy Times.
-Ex- President Thomas Hill, of Har.
ward College, has edited an almanac in
which the computations have been
made according to the new Eastern
standard time, the first of the kind to
be published. Boston Herald.
Mr. Bennett, the owner of the New
York Herald, is sad by persons who
have seen him In Paris lately TO have
become "prematurely old His hair is
turning gray and he is as slow and pre-
else in movement as an old man."
"A Waterloo IN. " girl was mar.
ried to young man who fell in love
with her photograph, and the courting
was done through the medium of cor.
respondence. The couple met for the
first time at their wedding.-Bu6aIo
Express.
--Senor Sotcldo, who turns up in
Washington as the Minister from Vene-
zuela, is the father of A. NJ. Soteldo,
the young gentleman who lost his life
while trying to regulate the editorial
management of the Washington Repab-
licdn from the outside.
-" What sort of a man is Uncle Re.
mus?" / asked of a Georgia friend,
writes Washington correspondent.
"Joel Chandler Harris" he replied,
smiling. "He's a little, red-headed,
freckle-faced farmers boy from Putnam
County. Just about as handsome as
a burnt shoe. He's q good fellow,
though, and bright, but indolent. Sort
of a singed eat. He has been very well
treated by the Atlanta Constitution
people, They give him a good salary
for writing an hour or two every day,
in addition to a very nice house. which
they gave him outright as a Christmas
gift, l think. So he has plenty of time
for literature and a pleasant place ia
write it in. ."-Indidnapolis Journal.
The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23
HUMOROUS.

There is danger in the electric
WIRE" remarked the criminal when
overtaken by telegram. .t
-"Young farmer: /" Are You fond OF
beasts, Miss GushertonP" Miss Gusher-
ton. "Oh, really, Mr.. Pawker, If you
mean that as a declaration, you must
speak TO mamma." ."-Detroh Post.
The newspapers often print the
last words" OF men, but never those
of women. The latter would take up
too much room and crowd out all the
advertisements s.-NorristoU Herald.
-"Cawl cawl'' screamed Britisher,
waving his umbrella at Market street
dummy the other day. "Get in, you
crow" said the conductor. The man
was raven.--Sdn Francisco Post.
Down in New Jersey the greatest
barbarities are perpetrated by those
who go out hunting snipe. A very COM
mon occurrence is for six sportsmen tc
surround n single snipe and 90 through
such ridiculous, though highly sports.
manlike, performances that the poor
bird actually dies laughing at them
LotOeH Citizen.
IL wish | was a STAR" he said,
smiling at his own poetic fancy. 81
would rather you were a comet" she
said, in dreamy tone that made his
pulse quicken with hope. "And whyP"
he asked, with suppressed anxiety.
"Oh," she replied, in freezing tone,
''if you were comet you would only
come round once in fifteen hundred
years. ."-Detroit Free Press.
-" Wasn't Mr.. Thornton mad that
you went into his woods and cut all that
birch barkP" asked a little girl whose
brothers came from a wood belonging
TO a neighbor with their arms filled with
great strips Of the birch. mo-" said
the boys; ''he saw us and never said q
word" "Well," cried the little sister,
triumphailtly, "that's just it. He was
so mad he wouldn't speak to you'll
Hdrpers Bdzar.
"A story is told Of a Wequetequock
man being brought to a Stonington
doctor in an ox-cart, having been han
died without gloves by a brother While
the doctor was dressing the wounds the
man asked: Doctor, II 1 die from the
effects of this beating will they hang
my brotherP" "Im afraid they will, "
replied the DOCTOR" Then let me die, u
said the Wequetequocker. - Nort0ich
Conn Bulletin.
-"Why, how are you, Gilpinl' ex.
claimed an erratic Austin man, trying
TO thrust his hand into the unwilling,
clammy paw OF the supposed acquaint-
ance, show you have changed Never
saw a man change so in my life." my
name is not Gilpin," said the stranger
in a thirty-six-degree- e-below-zero tone. y
Heavens" calculated the Austir
man." worse and worse! You have
not only changed wonderfully in per
sonal appearance, but have actually
changed your name. ."-Ie1ds SJtingS
The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23
Carlotta.

According to Belgian papers the
health of eX-Empress Carlotta, widow
of Maximilian has so much improved
within the last five months that her
physicians entertain hopes of her re-
covery. The ex-Empress is now in her
forty-third year, but looks much older,
her hair being very gray. She has be-
come thin and wrinkled. but her eyes
still retain their old animated express
sion. The King and Queen of the Bel
gians often visit her at the castle OF
Bouchonte, where she resides.
The eX-Empress can not afford to re-
cover. She is happy as she is, and
restoration of her memory would bring
her the Eeenest regret. She is still, in
her own eyes, the wife of the fair young
man who was shot TO death by Mexi-
cans shortly previous to the termina-
ton of our civil war, and still the EN-
press of Mexico. She went to Paris TO
beg Louis Napoleon, who was the
master of Maximillian in the effort to
convert Mexico into an Empire, to save
her husband and the Empire, so-called
but his Majesty had just received word
from Mr.. Seward TO the effect that he
must got out of Mexico, and he felt
he must leave the well-meaning and
chivalrous young Austrian to his
fate. Carlotta was refused an audi
ence, and that was the last ac-
curate intelligence that ever came
to her weary brain. She never
knew how her husband was shot
She doesssHnot know to-day that
the Mexican Empire was failure. The
paper grandeur over which she presided
has faded away, but she thinks herself
as much an Empress as she was when 1t
existed. The court which recognized
her as its Queen has been scattered TO
the four winds, and most of the men
and women who composed it are dead;
but the Queen is the Queen still, with
her King, her companions, and her
servants about her She reaches out
her hands to grasp that of her imaginary
glory which is palpable, and the fingers
fold themselves on the rose leaves with
in the palm; but she knows not the
difference and she knows neither disap-
pointment nor grief. 1t is u charmed
life, and it would be pity to awake 1t
to the bitterness which II has so happily
escaped; to the knowledge that the
King is dead, the paper house has been
in ruins quarter Of century, the
French Empire has followed the fate Of
the one that existed for few days in
Mexico, land the Emperor who wrought
the ruin has himself passed on, leaving
childless widow more forlorn than
herself.
"Poor Carlottav' exclaimed Maxi
milan as he faced the soldiers who a
second thereafter shot him. His SYM
pathy was wasted, for she has been hap
pier during all these years than perhaps
any Of the brilliant court that came up
so suddenly and so suddenly passed
away.-M Y. Graphic.
The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23
Entertaining Strangers.

ABeinot forgetfui TO entertain stran-
gers,o is an admonition that was recent
ly brought 10 the mind. of o frequent at
tendant and close observer at church
entertainments Atar sociable" given
by young people an elderly lady, plain
ly dressed, entered alone- and not rec
ognizing any. one in-the assembly. took
o seas near 3 member OF the entertain
ing committee, b whom, rs she prob
ably wished 10 speak to some one, She
presently addressed some casual re-
ma 4. At which tfha young lady turned
away In bsughty astonlshment and
soon walled away without replying at
all. One who had witnessed this direct
rudeness now approached the lady and
entered into conversation. or the time
would have proved rather dull 10 her
while awaiting the arrival Of her son, q
deacon In that same church, who pres
emily entered and said: 'fWell, moth
er, how are you enjoying yourself, SO
far"-and being himself one Of the
most delightfully sociable OF men. pro-
ceeded TO introduces her at once 10
everybody he knew. lr agr
/ Lot snother incident, also q trne one,
be cited. A lady member Of one of
our largest churches casually met and
became interested in young gentle
The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23

man employed in large wholesale
establishment in this city, and, inquir-
ing where he attended church, received
the reply: 80, | am such stranger
here--I seldom 90 anywhere" She in.
vited him to festival soon to take
place in the church which she attended,
and hoped he would become acquainted
with their young people. The appoint
ed evening came, and so did the young
gentleman, with a friend; but, as the
only person known to either one was
unavoidably absent, what could they
do but stand and talk to each otherP
This they did for some time, without
being spoken to by any one else, until
one remarked; "Well, Fred, | guess
we'd better go"
Now. the reason they were unnoticed
was that certain models of goodness
VINO cheerfully volunteer on such occa'
sions to act as u Committee of Recep-
ton and Entertainment, i. g., the dear,
delightful, genial people who constitute
'the little leaven," who try so hard to
"leaven the whole lump" the social
few, whose perennial cheerfulness will
not allow the atmosphere of their
church parlor to fall to that of refrig-
orator, were not there, and there were
none to fill the aching void.
One more incident deserves attention
because it presents delightful contrast
to those already mentioned. At re-
cent church entertainment, also given
by young people, lady known to few
went unattended, but was scarcely
seated before the President of the So
ciety, apopular young lady, approached
and welcomed her most cordially, and
thus touched fountain of good feeling
that flowed spontaneously to all she
met, and made the evening one of unal-
loyed enjoyment Christian Secretary.
The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23
Perfectly Dreadful.

"oh, say, Chawley, that was a
chawming cweechaw you dawnced with
at Mrs. Bullion's t'other eve."
mo, Hawy, she was not chawming;
she is a vulgah cweechaw."
IVY, weally you don't say So"
Chawley."
"Yaas; she asked me II / liked CO.
nundwums, and l told her that / had
tried them in Paree, but l didn't like
them as we'll as fweid fwogs. And then
she actually larfed. Just think
Of a society gyurl larfingr'
"PufTee dwedful, wasn't itp"
Eyes; and then she asked me IL |
knew why Fweddie Simpson was q
fountain Of humor, and when said no
she said it was because he was always
having boils."
"Oh, Chawley, how could youP Take
me TO q soda-fountain. / feel faint and
need stimulant." = Essen County
(MasS) Statesman
The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23
Religious Reading.
SOUR FATHER WHICH ART IN
HEAVEN"

Hallowed be Thy namel" thus, day by day,
We lift our hearts TO Thee, and pray;
Oh, help u.s. Lord, TO duly weigh
The meaning of the words we say
"Hallowed be Thy name"
"Thy Kingdom Comet" o lOnged-for Joy,
When praise shall every tongue employ
To spread abroad Thy glorious fame,
And Thy redeeming grace proclaim,
"Thy Kingdom come"
Thy holy will be done on earth,
As now by those of Heavenly birth;"
Still more in Thy mysterious way" 0
Lord,
Until we cry with one accord:
"Thy will be DONE"
Give us this day our daily bread"
The bread "from heaven pure and sweet;
Oh, precious mamma, from on high,
Who eats of thee snail never die.
Give us this bread.
"Forgive us our debts rs we forgve;"
oh, Father, help each soul to live 81
In charity with all mankind &a
Unto each others failings blind, -
Forgive our debts"
"Lead us not into temptation" but be our
guide
Through sims dark. suen, angry tide;
oh, Father, from Thy throne on hign,
List TO Thy helpless chidren's cry
Lead us Alright.
--Mdriettd Holden, IN HOrifs Crisis.
The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23

1t is proposed by some Of the
friends and admirers Of the late Will
lam Cullen Bryant TO erect statue to
his memory in Central Park, New
York. As Mr.. Bryant was President
Of the Century Club at the time Of his
death, the preliminary arrangements
for this tribute have been placed under
the direction Of that body.-M T. 1iIb-
aile.
The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-23

There is "club" for working
girls in London. Two nights in the
week are devoted to singing, needle
work and "cutting out, u and five
nights to q school, n drill aud In
struction In the Bible.
The Press., 1884-05-29
AN AscfEaT MEXICAN CALENDAR.

Of all calendars to an inquiring and cu- rious mind, the oldest and most interest ing Is probably that of the ancient people of Mexico. When disturbed by the Span iards, the Mexicans (though cruel canni- bals) were developing civilization. Their picture writing was passing into the con- dition of phonetic signs, but it had not yet reached the Egyptian stage. The Mexican calendar depended on the combi- nation of numbers with pictorial signs. A rabbit, reed, flint and a house were the chief and most frequently recurring pictures. They had cycle of fifty-two years, and MT. Taylor observes that their calendar may be illustrated with modern pack of cards, laid out ill rotation of the four suits In the ordinary calendar pe- riods of twenty days had names like our months, and each day was rabbit day, reed day, flint day, or house day. The ritual calendar was different and much more complicated, and the curious thing is that it resembled the queer calendars of Central and Eastern Asiatic peoples. Among, Mongols, Thibetans, Chinese, se- ries of signs are comblned ill much the same way to r, ckon years, months and days. The Mongols have a cycle of sixty years, recorded by 8 sort of zodiac of twelve signs-monse, bull tiger, and SO loftn Fire, eaftL, lEon, WOCQ ana water are combined in rotation with these, and instead of calling this year of grace 1884, the Mongol perhaps calls it ''male, fire, bull year" for the notions of male and fe- male come as copiously into this system as into the Verdic ritual. Humboldt and other authorities have inferred that the Mexican calendar was carried over from Asia with the Mexican civilization. But the minds of early men work so much alike when dealing with the same set of facts that even condolences as curious as these between the Mongol and Mexican calen- dars may be original and not borrowed. People may say that no two sets of minds would hit on the same extraordinary com plexities. But men do everything first in a complex way simplicity only comes slowly, in machinery, calculation, society, and everything else, ill company with high civilization. n.-London Daily NeaOs.