davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
The ShOp.Lifter'S Muff.

The French mutf is the latest device OF
the female shop-liftcr, and by those ia
miliar with it's construction and perfect
adaptability to its business it is conceded
to be the neatcst thing known. Until
the advent of the French muff tho ladies
who lived by picking up valuable laces,
silks, I'd fancy articles in the large
stores had no particular comfort in their
calling, but with the new device they
have been able to reap harvest despite
the lynx-eyed professional counter watch
crs.
The shoplifter's muff is outwardly
above suspicion, there being nothing
about it to betray its capacity for con-
cealing plunder. It is covered with any
kind of fur, just as honest muffs are, with
the significant exception that, instead of
being padded with cotton, the fur rests
upon framework of wire. Between the
fur covering and the wire supporting
frame the space usually filled with cot
ton is left vacant, thus providing accom-
modation for quite stock of valuable
lace, articles of jewelry, gloves, or any
thing else small and valuable.
In the bottom of the muff there is a
small slide on the inside, worked by the
hand of the wearer, who, after introduce
ing the article stolen into the mutf,
presses back this slide and drops the
plunder in the cavity between the frame
and the fur. With one of these muffs
shop-lifting is so easy as to be success
fully practiccd by noyices, as not one
store walker in thousand would suspect
that his counters could be worked through
a muf worn as these are when in action.
The operator rests her hand, with the
muff on it, on the goods which she proposes
to sample, and a moment of diverted at
tention on the part of the salesman or
salcswoman is ample for her to transfer
to her ingenious warehouse such samples
as she can conveniently and quickly pick
up with one hand. The movement of
conccaling the stolen articles is istantane-
ously executed, and however we'll the
muff may be stuffed. it can not be bulged
out to attract attention, like cloak or
dress. Chmogo Netes.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
His Name was Immaterial.

New York letter to the Cincinnati
E.nquirer says: The police captain or
SERGEANT behind his desk in the station
house, is no small parsonage,
though his stronghold is perform,
ing routine work with precision III respect
to REQUIRED details that are not required:
For instance, the mans true name IS OF
very little account in most cases. An
occurrence will serve to illustrate. A
younp blood became hilarious in the
Street ut an hour when all sober
minded citizens are supposed to be IN
bed and asleep. He was taken IN by q
policeman.
whats your namc::" the sergeant
asked. -,
"IIcnrv -" the prisoner began but
he .had sobrrcd up enough to rccollect
thar his family might not be gratllled to
see his name in Il police court item IN
their paper. and he hc,t#tcd.
"What's the rest Of Your namc:' the
sergeant demanded.
"Oh, that's immatcrial," fa!tcrcd the
young blood.
Henry Immatcrial,' repeated the ser
~cant. as he wrote. How old are you,
and where do YOU reside"
The prisoner gave as his place o! resi-
dcncc Il street number that world have
located the house well out in the North
river. and the next morning he was ar
raicnc,l as ''lIcnry Immatcrial," and fined
the usual amount for being drunk and
disorlcrlv. H. considered himself IL luck
and paid up cEc":ful'y.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
a Southern Girls Gift.

81 tell you, boys" said an old South
ern army officer at st. Paul the other day,
''Southcrn girls for rich beauty and 10y
alty take the cake. You've got pretty
girls up here bat there isn't one in
hundred of them that takes cents worth
of interest in the financial condition and
political phases Of the country. Down
South it is different. Especially i'll war
times was it SO, and a soldier, whether he
was of low or high birth, so long as nc
wore the uniform of the Confcdcracy, was
at once rendered the warmcst favors OF
the Southern ladies' l remember once
we were cncampcd on the Rappahannock
and l had been invited to dine with a
widow and her daughter at neighbour
ING house. We had been on a long march
and hadn't an opportunity to wash my
shirt for four weeks. 1t was the only
shirt had, and / concluded to wash 1t
in the river before going to the dinner.
I went down and washed it, and in the
middle of the stream noticed a rock. and
| thought it would be a capital idea to
Law the shirt on the rock to dry while |
swan around and diSportea myself in tn"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27

would be able to assist me. When I had
taken the skin off the bear I did not much
blame him for giving up the fight with
the two lions; indeed, I felt not a little
pity for the poor old fellow, whose
hunger had made him endure so much.
Their claws had scored him terribly. In
several places, particularly about the
shoulders, the cuts had gone quite
through the skin into the flesh. In fact,
the skin was so cut up that I preferred
to pack home with me the skin of the
lion-which was large one-and leave
that of the bear to take its chances along
with the meat until the next day.
Richards cursed his luck high and low
when returned to camp with the saddle
of the fawn and the lion skin and told
him what spirited and remarkable fight
1 had witnessed. He declared that nc
would not have missed such sight for
$500 in gold coin. Indeed, he became so
excited that he forgot all about his
spraincd ankle, and "patroled" in front
of me, when he could have heard my
story quite as we'll by remaining seated.
Dan De Qui1le, IN Cincinnati EhQut1er.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
TOMORROW.

"You'll come tomorrow, them" light words
lightly said, 80. 30 i
Gayly she waved her little hand, gayiy h0
barred his head.
"You'n come tomorrow, then," and the mag
on his errand went, - |
With tender prayer on heart and lip, yet on
his work intent. -
The woman moment fingered; "would no
turn for a parting lookq' -
Then with half smile and half sigh, her
household burden took. I
"You'l come tomorrow, ihen," and when tho
morrow broke, :
Pale lips in the crowded city, Of the railway
accident" spoke;
A strong man in strangers home, in deaths
dread quiet lay,
And a woman sobbed full heart out in .
cottage mile away.
So lightly our thoughts leap onward, 90
lightly we hope and plan, sg. {
While Fate waits grimly by and smiles, TO-
watch her plaything-man-
Discounting the dim strange future, while
his blind eyes cannot see,
What single flying hour brings; where tho
next step may be.
And love floats laughing onward, and at his
side glides sorrow,
While men and women between them walk
and say, "Well meet tomorrow"
All the Year Round.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
Hendricks and his Foot.

During Mr.. Hendricks serious illness
couple of years ago, I went into his
room one morning and found him look
ing at the afflicted foot with an amused
smile on his face and the familiar sparkle
in his eye. "What do you find so inter-
csting in that contemplation, governor?"
| asked, as | took the hand stretched ont
to me. Hc pointed to the foot wrapped
up in numberlcss bandages and elevated
on the footboard of the bed at what
seemed, as Mr.. Hendricks was a tall man,
a good distance from the head. "Docsnt t
it look like rabbit sitting on a log:" he
said, and with two ends of the bandagcs
accidentally exposed on either side like
ears, it certainly did. ''Wcll," he con-
tinued, I've been thinking, though |
haven't shot for long time, that with Il
good gun could hit it, and if | sue
cccdcd it would at least have the effect OF
changing Thcmpson's everlasting cues
ton of How is tho loot doing, to
where in the deuce has the foot gone: "
Thompson was the family physician, to
whom he WAS much attachcd.-H. Lo"ts
Republican.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
Criminals and Their Ways.

Criminals glide back to their old
haunts and their old companions with a
fatal facility. There may seem the
fairest hopes of reformation, but at the
first fire of temptation the frost-work Of
new habits mclts away at once. There is
a story that a man bought one day, in an
old curiosity shop in Rome, ring with a
secret spring, in which poison had been
imbcdded ever since the days of the
Borgias, and the ancient venom had still
sufficient strength to poison him. There
is the story of girl of Indian blood who
was thought to be fully reclaimed to
civilization. When some offense had been
given her by her mistress, she tore up her
clothes, squatted on the ground and
howlcd. Keen insight into human nature
is exhibited by Victor Hugo when he
makes Jane Vatican, even after the for
givcness and generosity of the good
bishop, rob the little Savoyard of his
two-franc piece. It was the temporary
assertion of the tyranny of dcpraved
habits. Nov, here is remarkable case
for you," said great prison authority to
me one day. 81 knew man who lay under
sentence of punishment of death. 1t was
either for murder or for burglary, for the
sentence was passed little while before
the death penalty for burglary was abol-
ished. If for murder it must have been
with extenuating circumstances, for the
extreme sentence was commutcd into
transportation for life. He went out to
Western Australia, and there behaved so
we'll that he departed for another part of
Australia with free pardon. He came
to one of the great Australian towns and
became constable, and by degrees chief
constable. Then he thought he would
come over to London for time. He did
so, and had not been in London many
weeks before he met with some Of his
old pals in the Strand, got nixed up in
some of their evil ways and sent back
again to Australia as q convict, I can
tell you, sir, we see some very queer
things, we who are Connected with the
convict system. In this very room where
we are there were two men talking one
morning. The one was the old Marquis
of Westminster and the other was re-
leased convict. The Marquis did not
know it was a convict, and the convict
did not know it was the Marquis. IL
think the convicts have not so much to
complain of, and enjoy an extremely
healthy.air at Portland" said the Mar
quis. II agree with you, sir" said the
convict, "for happen to have spent
good deal of time there myself. ."-Au the
Ieur RsUd
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
Making it Plain.

Georgian tells how colorcd parscn
in his State once made clear even to tk,e
dullcst of his flock the difficulty of tread
inc the straight and narrow path as con-
trastcd with the descent on the spacious
highway leading in the other dlrcetion'
Before he was we'll started i'll his dis.
course he ran down the pulpit stairs and
proceeded to sui, the action to the word.
my brethren" he cried, the road to
heaven is like this" and lying flat on the
banistcr he began to pull himself up, hand
over hand, as laborio,lsly as boy climbs
a creased pole. At last he reached the
top and got on his feet again, happy IN
his Christian victory. Then, having
taken breath. he exhorted his hearers ia
look at the road TO he'll, doubled one leg
under him and slid down the rail- in =
half sitting posture, with n rapidity. and
grace that betrayed y juvenile familiarity
with this route.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
FOR FEMININE READERS.
a ,JanancSc NurSc.

There is at last something new under
the sun. One of the fashionable mothers
uptown has brought home with her
from abroad a japanese nurse for her
little one, and the sight of the odd-look-
ing creature going about the streets of
New York with her infantile charge is
indeed novelty. She is clad always in
her native costume. and is as much of a
curiosity as was Mrs. Langtry's famous
Japanese "tiger' who attended her upon
the occasion of her last visit to America.
The child seems much attached to her
almond-eycd nurse, who, in her turn,
appears to be perfectly serene and happy,
as though she thought her lines had
fallen in pleasant places. 1t goes with
out saying, however, that this new i'm
portation is not regarded with high ia
vor by the others of her guild.-Ne~
York WorM
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
Youthful Army Officers.

The Bulgarian army, which, to the sur
prise of everybody, has been greatly dis
tinguishing itself against its supposedly
superior foes, is, curiously enough,
commanded by mere youths. There is no
officer in the field of higher rank than
that of major, and the senior Of these
passed his first military examination as
recently as 1874 The commanding offl,
Ger of the artillery is only a captain, and
passed into the army in 1878, and the
battalions and squadrons arc commanded
bv lieutcnants and sub-lieutcnantS. The
oldest officer in the Bulgarian army IS
only thirty-fvc. and the remainder aver
age about twcnty-scvcn. Prince Alex
andcr, who has the chief command, is but
twcnty-cight.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27

water. T did so, and when I went to get
my shirt, thinking it would be dry, I
found.that the wind had blown it off the
rock and it had disappeared down the
stream Hero wasapretty mess. Asplendid
dinner staring me in the face and no
shirt to wear. But good dinner in
those times was not to be lost, so I put on
my military coat that buttoncd high up
around the neck, and, tying a handker-
chief around my throat. I gave the i'm
preston that I had boil on my neck
and went to the dinner. A beautiful
yonng lady got opposite me at the table,
and after few moments conversation
with her I noticed that she colored up
and looked confused. I didn't under
stand what the trouble was and began to
stir myself to find out. Happening to
glance down I saw that the front of my
coat was unbuttoned. The button-holes
were we'll worn and the buttons had
slipped out. knew then the reason of
the lady's discontinue, and, without a
word buttoned the coat and went on talk
ing as though nothing had happened.
The lady soon recovered from the shock,
and I spent delightful afternoon. Just
before I took my departure the young
lady left the room, and, as I stood in the
hall bidding her mother and sisters good
bye, she came downstairs, and, handing
me package, requested me not to open
it until I reached camp. pledged my
self and went to camp. When I reached
my camp, with no little curiosity I opened
the package and found neatly-laundried
lady's night-dress. You see the girl had
taken in my condition, and, in her eager
ness to do something for me, had given
me this garment, which was the best she
could do. These are the kind of girls we
have in the South. and any man who
wouldn't honor and respect them should
be shot. y Chicago Tribune.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
Loye.MakinG in 4 Newspaper.

There lives in New York, said a recent
importation from the East, Il newspaper
man who is striking Illustration of what
lovc-making through the papers may ac.
complish. He is now grcy-bcardcd
man of leisure, but years and years ago
he was struggling young editorial
writer on Western paper. He wrote
with good deal Of earnestness on senti-
mental topics. Having conceived an
earnest, devoted, absorbing love for a
young lady, and knowing that she was
greatly interested in certain lines of work
and thought, he managed to put his heart
in his editorials for her benefit. l do not
mean that he did not write for the public,
but that he wrote for the public better
because Of the warmth in his heart to-
ward the woman he loved.
At the same time he was carrying for
ward an ideal character in series OF
sketches. lie had pictured this young
lady so plainly that many recognized her
as the heroine of his romance. But
so tenderly, so delicatcly was the charac-
ter handled that any one might have felt
flattcred at all that was said. In fact,
the lady herself was in the habit of say
ing that she was content to be regarded
as the character so finely pictured. But
in time the heroine was carried toward
the hero of the story in way to leave
open the question of her regard, and
there the sketches were broken off. At
this time the writer was the bluest man
ever saw.
He told inc that he had come to a
crisis in his affairs. lie had carried the
discussion in his editorials to point
where he was in danger Of showing to
the public his attachment to the ideal
who had inspired all of his work on that
line. lie could not take the story OF his
sketches any further without limiting at a
denouement that might be very offensive
to this lady who had been kind enough
to be pleased with his picture OF the ideal
woman. There was only one way out OF
the trouble, and that was to tell the OBJ
icct of his love how highly he regarded
her. He did this in one of the most
beautiful letters that have any rccollec-
ton Of, and in six months his ideal
woman was his wife. Chicago Inter-
Ocean,
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
MOTHERS MENDING BASKET.

Over and under. and in and out.
The swift little needle flies;
For always between her and idlcne>s
The mending basket lies:
And the patient hands, though weary,
Work lovingly on and On
At tasks that never are finish,d;
For mending is never done.
She takes up the fathers stocking:
And skillfully knits in the heel,
And smooths the seam with tender touch,
That he may no roughness feel:
And her thoughts to her merry gi,lhood
And her early wifehood go,
And she smiles at the first pair of stockings
She knit so long sgo.
Then she speaks to the little maiden
Learning to knit at her side,
And tells her about those stockings
Uneven and shapeless and wide
II had to ravel them out, my dear;
Don't be discouraged, but try,
And after awhile you'll learn to knit
As swift and even as ]"
She takes up little white apron,
And thinks of the woeful face
Of her darling when she came crying:
"Oh, mamma, I've torn my lace
So she mended the child's pet apron;
Then took up tiny shoe,
And fastened stitch that was broken,
And tied the ribbon of blue.
The maiden has wearied of working
And gone away to her play;
The sun in the west is sinking
At the close of the quiet day.
Now the mothers hands are resting
Still holding stocking of red,
And her thoughts in the twilight shadow
To the far off future have fed.
''Oh, where will the little feet wander
Before they have time to rest!
Where will the bright heads be pillowed
When the mothers loving breast
Is under the springs blue violets,
And under the summer grass,
When over her fall the autumn leaves,
And the storms of winter paSs!'
And a prayer from her heart she utters;
"God bless them, my dear ones all!
Oh, may it be many, many years
Ere sorrow to them befall..'
To her work from the mending basket
She turns with heart at rest;
For she knows that to husband and childrel
She is always the first and best.
Able Kinne, in Ledger.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
Patience at a WindOW.Panp.

"Paticnce on monument smiling at
grief" is IL poctical picture, but impa-
ticncc on a window seat. with her nose
pressed against the window-panc. and
her ear strained to catch the sound OF Il
footstcp,
Gathering her hrows like gathering storm,
Nursing her wrath to keep it warm,
rs she waits for her husband coming
home from the club at 1:15 y. NJ. IS Il
more imposing picture, and much more
familiar one in real life.-B0ston CoN1f<'
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27

The remains of the distinguished
French officer, Major LEnfant, who
planned the city of Washington at the
request of the immortal George himself,
lie buried in Il garden on the Riggs es-
tate, in Maryland, unmarked by any
monument
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
A Leaf from Baby's Diary.

To-day 1 saw papa sticking knife and
fork into a chicken, and the chicken
never moved. So took fork near me
and stuck it into the kitten, lying on my
lap; the naughty kitten sprang on the
table and upset the gravy-dish over the
cloth. Everybody jumped; some caught
the kitten, some the dish, some wiped
the CLOTH never saw so much excite
ment. never created so much excite
mcnt as that kitten did Now, if they
had fixed that kitten on chair as they
fixed me she never would have jumped
on the table. Everything was taken
away from me then; so I played with a
button on my bib; the button came off,
and I, trying to find out how it tasted,
swallowed it. From that moment every
body left the table in great hurry.
Mamma took me up. turned me on her
knees, face downward, stuck a finger in
my throat until l thought I should choke
to death. After she had half killed me she
began to cry, and screamed; Send for
the doctor!n Everybody looked at me as
they expected me to do something; but 1
was so scared that 1 couldn't do any
thing. Then the doctor came, and he
laughed, and, as 1 couldn't laugh, Icried.
MY mother asked ever so many questions
of the doctor, but he only shook his head
and smiled, saying it would be all right
in the morning. I never heard any more
about it. so I suppose it was all right in
the morning."
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
Producing BloomWithoutCo Cosmetics.

=
It takes from three to five visits to
make the "rose" permanent. The treat
ment is painless, and the girls seem rather
to enjoy it. The young lady who was
being operated upon during the repor-
ter's visit was pale checked lass from
uptown, whose face needed but the roses
to make her interesting. She was un-
dergoing the first course. Under the
impression that the visitor was student,
she made no objection to his presence.
The doctor began his operations with q
soft, dry towel, with which he rubbed
both cheeks of the patient until they
glowcd. Then he alternately patted and
rubbed the checks with his bare hands
until the blood was brought sufficiently
near the surface to make the girl look as
is she had been standing over hot fire
cooking a dinner.
After a rest of ten minutes the process
was renewed, and before that was over
there was a spot on each cheek that
glowed like burning coal. This had to
be toned down, and the toning was done
by application of an ointment rubbed
into the skin with a piece of soft sheep
skin, so that when this was done the
young lady who came in palc-chcekcd
and colorlcss left the Office with a pair of
roses that will be the admiration and
envy of her uninitiatcd companions. This
process is continued for several success
sivc days until the bloom becomes per
mancnt. .-PhIadelphia Ne.es.
The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-08-26
EXPECTATION.

Between the sunset and the sun
Night slumbers on the sleeping bars,
And through its curtain one by one,
Clean tender glances of the stars,
between the sunset and the sun.
And so between my loves lips lies
An untold message meant for me;
Whether twill bring me q sweet surprise,
Or dole or doubt or Paradise,
Is known alone to destiny
Yet, as I wait, q dream of tears
Between her eyelids and her eyes,
A mystery of mist appears,
That hints of hope and fiatters fears;
And on her lips burst of sighs,
And on her lids a red that dies
10 siumbrous shadows that fall and riae,
TIL, as seek some sign to see,
Between her eyelids and her eyes
Love lights his lamp and laughs at me-
-Francis Ho,cdrd Wfliiams, IN Boston Tran
script.