davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-03
An 1dyl Of the Beach.

She had carried out at last all the
busy dreams and plans which.animated
her when tire first spring onions and
tadishes appeared at the hucksters'
stalls and the sprinkling mans bill of
three dollars. which made her mother
as mad as a wet hen, told her summer
had come. She had put new over
skirts on her two silk dresses. tucked a.
white one up the back until the gathers
set out like curds on a pan of whey,
besides making several cunning colored
flannel matinee /; sacks Commented
with yellow and red poppies,in her own
Kenstngton work. She had trimmed
her capote with log bumps and her big
hat with eiooseberries and a mussy bolt
Of white cambria and bought herself a.
pair Of seaside canvas shoes, such az
q country baseball nine wear, and now
she was wandering on those gl1stening
sands watching the malachite a
roll up and smash to pieces On the
shore-wanderrng aimlessly around
thinking how happy she was, having
set her line and caught her fish as .
sensible girl should do as soon as she
gets her bearings. This fish wore a.
store made suit Of white flannel with a..
Mexican agate watch seal dangling
over his right hip pocket and a tiny lit
tie straw hat with a mazarine blue
band. He seemed content only to lie
at her feet in the hot sands among the
sea-crabs and spiders and jelly-fish-
He did not talk much-not as much IS
a lover contemplating a serious step in
life would talk when the swash of the
sea made an agreeable monotone, and
confined their wise nothings to their
circumference of her own spotted par
asol. She flung a pebble in the sea
spitefully.
"What a pity it is that pleasant days.
tlssy don't, % know" He ventures,
originally, brightenin her up. ''rhink
how soon my holiday will end, and L
must go back to Bond street and the
wharves every morning"
eyes, you will be very lonely, WON'T
you?" she asks, very delicately, open
ing a peg for him if he wishes.
'Oh, fellows are never lonely" he
says, contemptuously; mot like young
ladies. l am to be married this Christ
mas, and have a lot Of things to DO to
get ready-not making a trouseau, by
Jove, but getting a heightened fiat for
the least possible money"
"Going to be married!' She thinks
she will faint at first, and then thinks
she won't.
1t is too cruel; he doesn't mean it,
OF perhaps that is his way of asking
her.
eyes, 1 thought you knew I was an
engaged man-hang it, everybody does.
At the seashore they know everything
about me, you know"
81 think we had better go in now; I
must dress for dinner, and have my
usual letter to write to Fred; he scolds
awfully at stingy letters"
Poor girl; this little fiction did not
hurt any one, and helped her over a
bad place. She had wasted her bait,
and almost two weeks valuable time
on a wretch whom she had been anus
ing, while he was thinking of some one
else. She plunged into the thickest of
the fight again, brought out the tucked
| dress with the bolt Of No. / blue ribbon,
and will not lose hope until the porter
has sat down on the lid of her trunk
and the train has borne her away from
| the seaShOre.-St. Leafs Republican,
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-03
Professional Strangers.

Thugs are known to have existed
during the seventeenth century, when
they used female decoys for the I'M
wary traveller, as they did within the
present century, though they are of 3
much older date than that period. The
fraternity is not composed OF men Of
n caste, but Of people of different
castles and religions, and living in differ
ent districts, having secret signs and q
peculiar dialect known to all those who
are initiatedintc the fraternity. Strange
to say, however, the majority of them
are nominally not Hindoos, but Moham-
nodans, and their tradition is that they
originally sprang from seven tribes, all
OF. that religion, living in the neighbor-
hood of Delhi, from which they were
dislodged in the seventeenth Century.
The Hindoos, however, say that the
caste was iR existence long before
Mohammed's time: But they all agree
l worshiping the Hindoo god Kali, OBJ
serve the Hindoo feasts in her honor.
present offerings at temples, and, es-
p~ecially after any murder, present to-
her a piece of silver and some sugar.
They may be said to be a Hindoo sect.
Those who are initiated into the body
are taught the secret signs, but only
those who apply the moose receive the
sacred wafer of Thuggee, which is be-
lieved to change a mans whole nature.
From boyhood to manhood they are
taught to look upon the strangu-
lation of unotfending victims as their
calling in life, into which they are
gradually initiated. First, the neophyte
is employed as Il scout, or sotah, only,
his duty being to give warning of the.
approach of a traveller. Sometimes,
women and children, as less apt to be,
suspe ted, are employed in this work;
then he is allowed to see the corpse,
after it has been %strangled, and to as
| sist at the interment; lastly, after a.
solemn mutation by means of the sa-
cred sugar, he is elevated to the rank.
of a bhuttote Or strangler, and allowed.
to use the moose or roomal, by which.
the victims are dispatched. The whole
gang Is governed by q iamadar, sirdar
or chief, and has attached to it a gurn
or teacher. Nothing about their unholy
calling is, however, in the Thugs eyes
unholy; on the contrary, everything is;
sacred. The lughaees or grave digggerss
constitute one Of the highest grades in
the order. The pickaxe with Whlchthe
grave is dug is solemnly forged and
consecrated. 1t is considered as q gift
from Kali and looked upon accordingly
with groas veneration. Every seventh
day it is brought out and Worshipped,
and no matter how pressing the neces-
sity, the grave a be dug by nc othez
instrument. All the Thugs, follow some
ostensiple trade, but travel aboMt from
place to place under Nasious DISCUSSES,
Struggling into villages. in o ano
threes and meeting as strangers
Secrecy is one Of the. essentials OF thell
work; never will they knowingly stran
gle a victim in the presence OF any ont
not belonging to their order.-1hs Eco
pies of the World. -...
-Gold-plated spoons are used u
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-03
QUAKER N
maiden, with dimplcd obecl

J., Quaker maiden, with dimpled check
snd cnn, Helen. mirror stood, aud viewed
her loa" ~own of sober gray, acape dcmure
and rft simple fold and hem. yet dainty,
easst and 'rin.
n , %, lace. so soft and white, shirred
Enmnnd her rosy face.
.ne. .Oh. how ] hate this haiti Ihate
H. Gown and cape!
Ne nil my clothes were not of such out
ksnli>h Shape!
nns on their hair;
o % No sirl NEXT door wears blue; oh, dear,
i whut / Should like to do!"-(The words
o whispered low,
sss,n,cb tremendous hcresy should reach
krr aunt> below.)
Irv reading in the parlor sat the good
Y,;5nis. Fsitn and Peace,
""Irraming how rebellious throbbed the
Eenrt of their Young niece.
kh"ir prudent, humble teaching wilfulIy
her mind now fully conquered by vanity
Ind pride,
|,as,ock sat her down,
lhjs little Quaker sinner seUed a tuck into
|Y' goWh.
,e Patience. art thou ready Fifth day.
lnccting tim has come,
NV Jones and Goodman Elder with his
Erifc have left their home"
rs Aunt Faiths sweet voice that called
". ,J ,bn ,,n11phtv 1jffIo v,ojl-
luy down the dark old stair-way-hoped
their notice TO evade,
ming shyiy in their shadow as they went
nut at the door,
never litt,e Quakcress Q guiltier con.
bore!
r Aunt Faith walked looking upward; all
her thoughts We're pure and holy;
Aunt Peace walked gazing downward,
with a humble mind and lOwly.
"tuck-tuca!" chirped the sparrows, at the
little maiden's side;
IN passing Farmer Watson's, where the
.arn-door opened wide,
~ sound that issued from it, every grunt
md every cluck,.
ned 10 her ahrighted fancy like "a tuck!"
II tuck" "a tuck!"
lcetirg Goodman Elder spoke of pride
md vanity,
IL all the Friends seemed looking round
hat dreadful tuck to see.
ii swelled in its proportions, tillitseemed
o FIJI the air,
The heart of little Patience grew heavier
her care.
the glad relief to her, when, prayers and
,Xhortations ended,
md her two good aunties her homeward
way She wendell!
pomps and vanities of life she'd seized
eager arms,
deeply she had tasted Of the worlds al
lring charms
to the dregs had drained them, and only
his to find:
;as vanity of spirit and vexation of the
lind.
spentant, saddened, humbled, on herhas.
ock she SAT down,
this little Quaker sinner ripped the tuck
Ut Of her gODn!
Lucy Lincoln MONTGOMERY, IN st. Nicholas
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-03
A room ROMANCE.
IN THREE scENEs-scEHE 1.

Mr.. Percy Montmorency was seated
front of a looking-glass in his dress
broom at the pantheon Theater,
bited in the costume of Charles Sur
b. with the perruquier in attendance.
e name of ..Montmorency" was
Fgely a nom de theater assumed by
blry Stanley when he adopted the
Pnewhat singular resolution of ''fret-
9 and strutting his hour on the
ards OF a metropolitan theater; for
!. stanley was the only child of his
her, Colonel Stanley. and conse-
emily heir to that gallant officers
katcs in Yorkshire and elsewhere.
" the rest, he was Internationally.
dcniably good-looking, and endowed
tn considerable abilities. Having
mlpieted the arrangement of the
(wdercd wig, the perruquier Withdrew
pace and contemplated the effect with
rll-simula.ed admiration. "Mr.
larles Mathews never looked the part
ltter, Sir"
The actor seemed to coincide in the
onion of his tiattering attendant, for
rose and surveyed himself in the
lass with admiration, which he made
attempt to conceal.
"A good house, Jackson?"
capital, sir. But q little cold.
hey'll warm up when you go on, sir"
Tell the call boy L want him, Jack
bn."
Jackson withdrew, and Montmorency
lrrendered himself to a mental solilo-
ny which assumed somewhat of this
Plm: 81 wonder what my father
FISHES to see me about? The same
Nd story, l suppose-the folly and
frAedness OF the step l have
|aken. Well. of one thing l am GER
|sIn: 81 am much better off in my
present. position than welded to that
Farbadoes girl, Miss Anstruther, in
(pite of her money bags, and whom l
pave never seem"
these reflections were put an end to
!Y the entrance of the call boy.
1T u gentleman giving the name OF
[%oIoncl Stanley should call, show him
Pn here" =.
HE is outside, sir,' replied the boy.
show him IN at once" whereupon
there entered a small wlzen-faced old
Gentleman, with snow-white hair, and
Supporting himself on a stick. Mont
Pnorency advanced, shook hands with
F great show of cordially, and placed
1, chair. on which Colonel Stanley
flowly seated himself, gazing round
The small apartment with an unfeigned
Z Expression Of curiosity. ESQ this is
theatrical dressing-room. You are
pretty snug"
The room certainly deserved the en-
|e!omium Of the old Colonel. Paintings
N oil and water colors nearly covered
|eNe walls; fancy pipes and cigar boxes
and scent bottles Uttered the tables; {
ease OF champagne reposed in on
corner, while in the other was a small
que OF settler water.
HE Colonel, after indulging in
slsh, proceeded: 81 have called, Har
y before l return to Yorkshire, u
aake one more appeal to you to CIV
up Your present mode of life, settl
1own as a landed proprietor in you
na'lve country, and marry Miss An
slruther.n
1t was now the turn of the youn'
man to sigh as he replied: ''impossible
~ dear sir. l am already wedded-t
The stage
That may be; but unions can easil
y. Nv osSsoived by a divorce, especially !
III Sc days.
Not where the contracting partle
are so attached to each other as l al
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-03

repeated Mont1norency, in a tone of
some annoyance. "You mean with
her banking ao> count. Remember, you
are in the confession box"
ION my honorN. no." replied Val
lance: Gas you are ware, l could not
afford to marry a Pennies girl; but if
l We're as rich as Rothscl.sild and Miss
Anstruther a pauper 1 would marry
ner tomorrow, if she would have me.
lou 90 not seem to like the ideas"
humanity is a strange compound,
JACK. 1t CRATES upon my sense Of pro.
pretty that any n else should step
INTO my shoes and wed the woman in
tended for my wife, yet whom l have
vowed never to marry"
you are!"
81 would not so much mind if q
Stranger were to win the heiress, but
10 Know her as your wife, Jack, for the
remainder of my existence, to repent
probably of my o%bstinacy. You are
not in earnest, Jack?"
"Ah, but 1 ami" replied Valance,
lnwardly murmuringg: '.MayI be for
given the lie."
After a brief mental STRUGGLE. Mont.
morency, continued: "Well,, Success at.
ten you. You are a lucky fellow to
walk Oft with such q prize, while
shall remain an humble stage PLAYER"
Remember the peerless fonblanque,
Harry"
"Ah! YOU are right. There is beauty,
talent, wit, elegance, refinement, ali
enshrihed in the admirable LADY Tea
zle of tonight. I shall no longer hole
back: Tonight l shall know my fate.
You have applied the touchstone."
The shrill voice of the call boy now
uttered the words "Charles Surface
"There is my call. So adieu for the
present. Go in front, and call for me-
at the end Of the show, and we will
have a steak at the Albion together
and drink to the speedy nuptials Of my
bette noire, Miss Anstruther."
"With whom?"
"Any one! l care not-no offense,
Jao&-so I am Free"
Valance proceeded straight to Bo,
A, and having tapped at the door found
himself face to lace with Colonel Stan
ley. who eagerly exclaimed, "Nell
Valance, has my plan succeeded"
IL fear NOT, SIR"
"Give him a second dose the first op
p%ortunity. I never knew it to fail. /
you want to make a man fall in low,
with a particular woman, tell him sh,
is half engaged and she will Instant,
go up twenty per cent. in his estimation
That is how 1 came to marry his mother
Directly my father told me Fred Spen
Ger was mad after her, and that she wa
half inclined to marry him, I rushed t.
the attack, stormed the fortress, ant
carried off the prize! 1 wasn't going t
let that puppy Spencer march off witt
her. A fellow with not a tithe of m
personal recommendations" Here tn
! Colonel paused as he beheld the counte
nance Of bis auditor completely e1
crossed with the scene; for in the Lowell
Lady Teazle of the play Jack Vallanc
had recognized the West Indian heires:
Emily Anstruther! 49, Il,
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-03

-Gola-plated spoons are used II
fashionable New York restaurants. -
q. 7. .NHiL
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-03
SCENE II.

CCENC liz
Along one of the tortuous passages
leading to'the dressing-rooms a gertls-
mar is conducting lady, preceded by
the dresser. They have evidently come
from the audience part of the theater,
as they are both in modern evening
dress. Presently the dresser pauses at
a door, and, after tapping, enters and
returns to invite the lady to invade the
sacred precincts of the dressing-room
of Miss Fonblanque, the representative
of Lady Teazle. After a few whispered
words to her escort the lady is clasped
in the embrace of the actress. '.My
dear Julia!'
'My darling Emily!"
"Certainly, Lady Teazle fully de-
served the rapturous praises of Mont
morency. Her lovely dark eyes shone
all the brighter from the contrast of the
powdered wig, while her splendid
figure was displayed to the utmost adj
vantage bv the means OF her handsome
brocaded dress.
"And so you recognize me under
these tinsel robes, Julia?"
"Your voice is unmistakable; 1
should have known it anywhere,
Emily. When do you intend to return
to your own sphere?"
"First tell me, Julia, how you man
aged to penetrate these sacred pre-
cincts?"
..Oh, my husband, who knows every
| body, said he could at nee accomplish
it, directly I told him you were my old
schoolfellow at Barbados. Now,
answer me my question, there's a
! dear"
81 have found my proper sphere; l
am free, popular and admired. In
stead of one admirer, I have hum
dreds, and the number is increasing
nightly. What can oma wish Tor
more?"
s.l'll tell you, Emily. A nice hus-
band and domestic bliss"
The actress INDUCED in a scarcely
audible sigh. "'That might have been
nv LOT. 1 mean the domestic bliss
part of the affair, if / had not had it
dinued into my ears from morning till
NIGHT that there was only n road 10
happiness-a union with MI. Stanley,
whom I have never SEEM"
.You might have liked him very
much"
sImpossible, my dear julia The
very fact of a man being ticketed like a
prize animal at a show, and then his
being introduced to you as your certain
and future husband, would be quite
sufficient to make me detest him, No.
Julia, whcnI marry [ will myself make
the selection, and he must be one who
is ignorant that his intended is a ricE
heiress.
.That will not be a very easy matter
to accomplish, Emily"
..Listen, Julia, and I'LL tell you s
secret. There is a young man acting
in this company-a MI. Percy Mont
morency. He is all I could wish
handsome, clever. accomplished ane
vastly agreeable"
s.Then you have made your selec
tion?"
"Not so, Julia. His profession rem
ders our union impossible. He may b
heir to a peerage; he may be a lawyer:
clerk. There is the most delightful
mystery as to our antecedents, we play
actors! For instance, who would sup
nose that I was the rich West Indiar
heiress whe utilized her amateur the
atriral talents and adopted her presen
profession: And all in order to escap'
being pestered into an unwelcome am
distasteful marriage. Heiggh-ho! wisl
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-03


ave are both members of the same
profession, and SO far equal"
..Pardon me-" said Lady Teazle.
'You know nothing of my ~antecedents,
and
"And you know nothingof mine, you
would say. Charming equality! say,
Miss Fonblanque, may 1 hope?'
1t was now the turn Of the actress,
to sigh. '.lt would be cruel to raise:
hopes which can never be realized"
Montmoreney let fall the hand which
in his ardor he had seized, and drew
himself proudly up. ''Thst is your
fixed answer?"
cit is"
Montuorency once more took pos
session OF her taper fingers and raising
them to his lips uttered the word
~''Farewell!" and hastily LETT the green
room.
The dark melting eyes Of the heiress
gazed after his retreatingg figure, and
large drops Of moisture gathered in
them. II have half 3 mind to call him
back" she mentally whispered. "No!
I must remember lam an Anstruther. -
Sinking on a couch, Lady Teazle felt
her brain spinning round; then present
ly raising her eyes. she beheld-Mr'
Valance!
.Have 1 not the honor Of speakingtc
Miss Anstruther:?"
..since you recognize me it would be
afteetation to deny my identity. Mr.
Valance, may l ask you to preserve
my secret?'
From all, save one inuividual-Mr
Montmorency. Surely you know tina
in the Charles Surface OF this evening
Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-08-09
The Girls in Politics.

A pretty girl was talking politics to
her best young man the other night,
and he was rather surprised.
why Lucy" he said, "do you read
the papers for political news ?"
30 yes, and l just dote on it. Pm
getting to be thoroughly posted"
"Who's going to be the Democratic
nominee for President, do you think2"
~ couldn't say positively but I can
say that if Ohio is bound to be repre-.
sented on the ticket the Democrats
needn't think they can carry the State
by giving Cleveland first place"
"Why notH"
because Cincinnati should have it,
of course, for it is so much larger and
weather. and more influential than
Cleveland. l begin to think this
Cleveland boom is a Standard Oil
scheme, because that is their head.
quarters"
The young man looked at the girl
in amazement, and said something
about Solomon in all his glory not
being arrayed like one of these.
Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-08-09
Don't Look Like O Wreck.

"When a man is going down hill
everybody is ready to give him a kick.
Yes that is So. 1t is sad, but is natu-
raj. Why, many a man and woman,
seeking employment, would have got
it if their hair hadn't been so thin and
gray. One bottle of Parker's Hair
Balsom is then the best investment. 1t
stops falling hair, promotes new growth
and restores color. Clean, highly per-
TUNED, not a dye. A great improve
ment over any similar preparation, and
sold at the low price of SOC.
Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-08-09
NOTES OF TRAVEL.
BY v. NJ. METCALFE.

Hopkinsville, (Ky,) New Era.
After long and dusty ride, l am
in Detroit, Mich, city of beauty and
hustle. After leaving Hopkinsville
on Monday, came direct to Chicago.
Most of the way was in the night but
could see much of the country and
crops by the light of the full moon.
1t was truly beautiful sight as we
glided swiftly through the broad prai.
ries of Indiana and Illinois, among the
many corn, grass and wheat fields.
After leaving Evansville 1 saw no har.
vesting except hay. The wheat was
just beginning to turn ripe, but from
my car window all crops appeared in
fine condition, especially the wheat.
l have frequently made this trip and
do not remember to have seen so much
wheat and looking so promising.
At ten o'clock my eyes and limbs
grew weary of locking and tossing, so
to my elegant Pullman couch l went,
after paying two dollars for the priv.
lege, and you may be sure l enjoyed
it, for knew nothing until the next
morning, when the bright sun came
streaming in telling that another day
had come and as far as the eye could
reach nothing but one vast ocean plane
Of waving grass and grain. Two Eng
lishmen were aboard, they were ems
raptured with the sight, one says to
the other, Fred, look what coun-
try" Eyes," said the other, "when it
is finished it will be great country"
7:45 brings us into the greatest city of
the West, with its half million inhabi-
tants, no wonder our boys last fall
thought it must be show day, or court
in session. As l passed through the
streets making my way to the Mich.
gan Central depot it was with difficulty
that we could get along, as the whole
city appeared to be out in a big hurry
to get somewhere, possibly to their
business, but more than likely to get
out of the way of somebody who was
just behind them. Leaving Chicago
at $50 we swept across the great
State of Michigan in less than ten
hours, distance of three hundred
miles. A Western man who was seat.
ed near me notified the conductor sew.
eral times that he was not in a hurry.
and he would be glad to have the boys