davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
Puzzled.

Gilbert Stuart, the painter, was s
rare humorist. Once, while he was
travelling in a crowded stage-coach in
England, his companions, curious tc
know the business of the man who
amused them by his witty remarks
questioned him closely. In those days
gentlemen were powdered hair tied in
queues, and ladies built up on their
heads pomatumed top-knots Stuart
gravely replied to his first questioner,
II sometime dress ladies' hair and gen.
tlemen's hair.".
"You are a hair-dresser, then ?''
said one of the company.
"What! Do you take me for a bar
ber?" exclaimed Stuart in serious
tone.
II beg pardon, but I inferred as
much from what you said. May I ask
what, then you are"
"Why, l sometimes brush gentle
mans coat or hat, or adjust cravats." "
"Oh, you are valet to some noble
man."
"Indeed, am not! am not SER
want, though, to be sure, make coats
and waistcoats for gentlemen"
'Oh, you are TAILOR.
"Tailor! Do look like one? I as
sure you that I never handleda goose
that was not roasted"
"What are you, then ?" asked half
a dozed voices for by this time all
were laughing uproariously.
"I'll tell YOU" said Stuart. "What
I have said is literally true. I dress
hair. brush hats and coats, adjust a
cravat, and brush also boots and
shoes"
"Ha! ha! A boot and shoe maker,
after ALI"
"Guess again, gentlemen. I never
handled boot or shoe save for my own
feet. Yet all I have said is true" .
"We may as well give up guessing" I"
said one Of the company. "He's too
much for all of u.s."
"Now, gentlemen" said Stuart, TAX
ing a pinch of snuff, II will not play
the fool with you any longer. Upon
my word of honor, get my bread by
making faces" And he then so screw
ed his countenance that the stage
coach shook with laughter.
"There, just as thought?" exclaim-
ed one; 1.-THE gentleman is come
dian."
II never was on the stage, and l
seldom see the inside of a playhouse" !"
answered Stuart.
The mystified company looked at
each other with establishment. Just
then the stage-coach stopped at the
place where Stuart was to get off.
"Gentlemen," saidJ:he, "you will
find that all 1 have said of my various
employments is included in these few
word: I am portrait painter. If
you will call at my studio in London,
I shall be ready to brush you coat or
hat, dress your hair, supply you witha
wig of any fashion, accommodate you
with coats or SHOES, give you ruffies or
cravats, and make faces for you."-
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
The War.Principle Illustrated.

IA Mr.. Beane, school teacher in
Tennessee, attempted to punish q boy
named Hutchinson, who resisted and
left school. A day or two after, young
Hutchinson, accompanied by his
brother and man named Smith, Wis
tied Beane's house for the avoWed pur-
pose of chastising him. Beane saw
them comming, and anticipating their
errand, armed himself, as also did MI.
Moore, who happened to be at the
house. On their arrival Hutchinson
said they intended giving Beane a
thrashing. Moore demonstrated,
when Smith drew pistol, and shot him
dead. This was signal for all to pro-
duce pistols. Beane shot and instant
ly killed Cyrus Hutchinson, brother
of the school boy. He had scarcely
fired when Smith, who had instantly
killed Moore, fired another barrel Of
his repeater at Beane; the ball struck,
but failed Immediately to disable him.
Beane then turned on Smith, and
lodged three balls in his body, inf1ict-
ing wounds which resulted mortally
in few minutes. In twenty minutes
four out of the five engaged in the
affray, lay dead within few feet of
each other" o..
Here is fair specimine Of the war
principle. The parties, having got
mad at each other, resolved, without
any form of law, or any security for a
right decision, to avenge their alleged
wrong. They pretended to no rule of
right except their own will reused into
y L.
jury, they took what they called JUS
tice into their own hands. The result,
as in most wars, was suicidal to both
parties. Is it not buSping shame,
that the so-called Christian civilization
of this nineteenth century has no bet
ter system of international justice
than such indiscriminate, tiger-like
butchery?
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
War and Dueling.

What, in principles, is WARP 1t Is
the duel between nations, differing In
no respect from the duel between indi-
viduals, except that the successful
combatant is allowed to carry off as
spoil the effects of his vanquished an
tagonist. 1t Is an adjournment OF
great questions of international right
or courtesy, from the bar of temperate
discussion and peaceful arbitration be
fore peers, to the bar of chance or mere
force. 1t is an appeal from the reason
and conscience of the parties them
selves, from large views of their true
interests, and from the moral judg-
ments of mankind to the exploded
trial by combat of the middle ages
Alas alas! that, eighteen hundred
years after the coming of the Prince of
Peace, this relic of barbarism should
still be clung to by nations calling
themselves Christians, and God grant
the penalty which they are now suffer
ing, and which has been treasuring It
self up for ages, may deter us from fol-.
lowing their dazzling but dangerous
eXample.--BishOp Potter. z
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
DIR. Dix and His Critics,

The charge was made by the lenten
lecturer that men and women OF
American society-his nearest field OF
observation being the great metropolis
are becoming hardened to vulgarity
and indecency. We doubt if any
judicial mind, after examining into
the facts, could possibly arrive at any
other conclusion, if the ordinary news
(?) of the day is to be put into the wit
ness-box. The San Francisco press,
in the Sharon-Hill trial, and later in
the Mcdonald divorce case, and in 8
score of recent records of nastiness,
has given undeniable proof of the
truth that there is an alarmingly en-
larging taste for daily literature of the
kind that no pure woman can read
without humiliating shame, and nc
developing youth can absorb and not
be contaminated, and suffer more OF
less paralysis of moral sensitiveness.
There is great good in the California
metropolis; legion of workers in the
cause of humanity, pure and noble
lives, and thousands of domestic cir
cles where the atmosphere is unpol.
luted by vulgarity or grossness. But
the influence of these combined is In
a large degree negatived by such dai.
ly-press literature as that referred to.
Is the protest or DR.. Dix unreasonable
that these filth conduits shall cease to
discharge upon the public mind? He
points out the unquestioned truth that
the most striking characteristics of the
old system of paganism was the licen.
tiousness that was "exalted into a cul'
tus and called religion" and that was
the embodiment of the obscene. II
pagan notions of morality are to grow
among US, we cannot fail to discern
the ultimate result, which DIR. Dix
forecasts as the peril of an hour moi
very far distant. 1t is by no means a
nervous prediction unless history is
wholly false the society that apologies
for the gross, tolerates the lascivious
and pays court to the licen tious, must
reap harvests of humiliation and de-
gradation. -Sacramento Record I'm
ion,
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
Hot Water to Relieve Thirst.

1t is mistake to suppose that cold
drinks are necessary to relieve thirst.
Very cold drinks, as rule, increase
the feverish condition of the mouth
and stomach, and 30 create thirst.
Experience shows to be a fact that
hot drinks relieve thir stand "coOl OFF,
the body when it Is in an abnormallys
heated condition better than ice cold
drinks. It is far better and safer to,
avoid the free use of drinks below 60,
degs. in fact, higher temperature Ii
to be preferred; and those who are
much troubled with thirst will do we'll
to try the advantages to be derived
from hot drinks, instead of cold fluids,
to which they have been accustomed.
Hot drinks also have the advantage of
aiding digestion, instead of causing
debility of the stomach and bowels.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
Simple willingness.

"Simple willingness to serve q mas
ter" It was a petition in good
mans prayer, which, falling on the
ear of the writer, has long dwelt in her
memory.
In this busy, hurrying age, when SO
many are working q fever heat, in the
Church as we'll as out of it-when our
books and papers, the sermons we
hear, even our intercourse with
friends, all seem to stimulate to yet
greater activity-that prayer for sim
Die willingness falls like q soothing
balm upon the overweight.
There are some of us-just few
whose hands are not idle, but who
ohafe and fret against the bounds of
our appointed place, and look longing
ly toward what we deem q nobler,
larger work. The words Emission" "
vocation" "a higher sphere of activ-
ity," so much on the lips nowadays, too
often steal between US and simple will
lingness. :,
We are too prone, "the daily task
forgeting," to look too eagerly beyond
to some great work we should love to
perform for the Master; while we
count as common" the work he him
self has laid upon our hands. We
pant to serve him in the throng, when
he calls US to desert place.
"Do not pray for strength to bear
the tortures of the Inquisition," says
spurgeon, "when what you need may
be grace to darn the family hose un-
complainingly."
We may fendly think how well we
might serve the Master "in such and
such place." "If I were free from
such heavy, homely cares" sighs one:
"If had only my once firm health" "
means another.
But what we may need for service
anywhere is the simple willingness to
''do the next thing" whatever that
may be.
How would the Church-ay, the
world-grow in grace, if the servants
of Christ more frequently and sim
cerely lifted and practiced this beauti-
full petition.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
The Annual Meeting.

This was held in Pilgrim Hall, Bos-
ton, May %, and was more fully at
tended than for several previous years.
President Tobey presided. Rev. D. 5.
Coles, M. D., was Secretary, Rev. f.
G.. Clark of West Medford offered
prayer.
The American Peace Society cele-
brates its. sixtieth anniversary at the
close of year of unwonted activity
and prosperity. International ac-
quaiDtance and friendship have been
fostered by the visit to this country
and to Boston of William Jones, secre-
tary of the London Peace Society,
William R. Cremer, secretary of the
Workman's Peace Society of London,
Sir Lyon Playfair and ten members OF
the British Parliament and three re-
presentatives of the seven hundred
thousand men united in the Trades
Unions Congress Of Great Britain.
The presence of these, our kindred
from over the sea, cordially welcomed
by the leading citizens of Massachu-
setts and the United States, together
with their able and eloquent appeals
for an Anglo-American Treaty of Ar
bitration, mark an era in our work and
furnish an OCCASION for devout thanks
giving.
The past year has been in some re-
spects one cf the most interesting of
the sixty since the Society was organ
ized. International Arbitration has
been unusually successful and has call
ed out in England and America un-
wonted evidences of popular approval:
The Deputation alluded to consisted
of leading men of Great Britain rep
resenting 234 members of Parliament
who had signed a memorial to our
government praying for a perpetual
treaty of Arbitration between the two
counties. The story Of their visit to
the President and Congress of the
United States, their public and cordial
reception by the people of our great
cities and the warm approval of their
errand by the pulpit, the press, the
commercial and other classes, as well
as the masses of our people, need not
he repeated here in detail.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
announcement.

Hardly had the parents left, ere the
woodwork near the stove pipe was
discovered to be on fire, and out of
the children's reach but, with won
derful activity and energy, the eldest
climbed upon the table and put out
the flames.
When the father and mother re-
turned, they shuddered to see the
danger to which their dear ones had
been exposed, and with thankful
hearts praised them for their courage.
"How did you manage, Tommy, to
reach the fire ?n asked their father.
"Why," said Tommy, II pushed the
table up to the wall and got upon
that"
"And did you help brother, jim
my ?" to the next.
Eyes, sir I brought him pail of
water, and handed him the dipper."
"And what did you do?" said the
proud father to his pet, the youngest
of the group.
"Well, papa" said Artie, "you see I
was too small to help put out the fire,
so I just stood by and hollered
Amen
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
San Heritage Of the Lord"

Children are a blessing or curse,
AMI it rests largely with the parents
to decide which they shall be. God
less parents can only expect to rear
goddess children but parents who
have a Father in heaven should re-
joice in those children which He gives
them as IAN inheritance of the Lord"
Psalm cXxvii :3.
A pleasant story is told about the
family of a German teacher who lived
in Strasburg, who had hard work to
care for his family. His chief JOY in life,
however, was in his nine children,
though it was no light tasked to support
them all. His brain would have reeled
and his heart sunk had he not trust
ed in his heavenly Father, when he
thought of the number of jackets,
stocking, and dresses they would need
in the course of year, and of quanti-
ties Of bread and potatoes they would
eat. His house, too, was very small
quarters for many beds and cribs, to
say nothing of the room required for
the noise and fun which the merry
nine made. But the father and moth
er managed very well, and the house
was really a pattern of neatness and
order.
One day there came guest to the
house. AS they sat at dinner the
stranger, looking at the hungry chill
dren about the table, said compassion
ately,-
to bearW
"I? A cross to bear ?" asked the
father, wonderingly. "What do you
"Nine children, and seven boys at
thatw replied the stranger, adding
bitterly, II have but two, and each OF
them is nail in my coffin"
''Mine are not,n said the teacher,
with prompt decision.
Chow does that happen? asked
the guest.
because I have taught them the
noble art of obedience. Isn't that so,
children ?"
eyes," cried the children.
"And you obey'me willingly, don't
you?"
The two girls laughed roguishly,
but the seven youngsters shouted
out
Les, uear latuei, truly.
Then the father turned to the guest
and said,-
"Sir, if death were to come in at
the door, waiting to take one of my
children, would say,"-here he pull
ed off his velvet cap and hurled it at
the door,-"Rascal, who cheated you
into thinking that I had one too
many?"
The stranger sighed ; he saw that it
was only disobedient children that
made a father unhappy.
One of the nine children of the poor
school-master afterwards became wide
ly known; he was the sanity pastor
Oberlin, whose life was benediction,
and whose name is as ointment poured
forth.-The Christian
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
The Voice OF the Departed.

l shine in the light Of God,
His likeness stamps my brow;
Through the valley Of death my feet have
trod,
But reign in glory now.
No sin, no grief, n pain,
Safe in my happy home,
My fears all fed, my doubts all slain,
My hour of truimph's come.
Oh friends Of mortal years,
The trusted and the true,
Ye are waiting still in the valley of tears
But walt to welcome you.
Lo forget? Oh no,
For memory's golden chain
Shall bind heart to the hearts below
TILL they meet to touch again.
Do you mourn when another star
Shines out in the glittering sky?
Do you weep when the ragingtvoice OF war
And the storm OF conflict die?
Then why should your tears run down;
Why your heart so sorely riven
For another gem In the SaVior's crown,
And another soul in heaven?
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
A Good Example.

"How on earth do you manage to
stand up under the tremendous physi-
cal as we'll as mental strain which you
continually endure ?" a gentleman in
our presence asked young Joe Brown,
the General Freight and Passenger
Agent of the Western & Atlantic Rail-
road. "You seem to be close at your
business all day, and I am told you
scarcely ever quit before midnight.
You look slender, and like one of fee
BILE constitution, yet you do more work
than any man In your position or any
other that I know of. How do you
stand it?"
"By never doing any work on Sun
day." was the reply. "When twelve
O'Clock Saturday night comes, I drop
any business that may have in hand,
and don't touch it again before Mon
day monday. I never open letter on
Sunday, unless the handwriting on
the envelope shows that it is from
some relative or friend whom know
to have written on social tonics. I
never open telegram OH Sunday so
if any one wires me message which
he knows will reach me on Sunday he
may just as well wait till Monday.
"I think every business man ought
to scrupulously abstain from all busi-
ness on Sunday; first, because it is re-
quired by the Bible and, secondly, be-
cause if he does his duty on weekdays
he needs the rest on Sunday The
first is my principal reason but the
other is an important one; and I al
ways find that although I close the
week very tired, yet I begin it as fresh
as q rose."
"You don't attend to any railroad
business, then ?"
"No, sir; and whenever I have to
begin to do 80 I shall quit the road.
But as Mr.. R. A. Anderson, our Su-
perintendent, is about as strong in his
belief of the sanctity of the Sabbath
as I am, I don't think there is any
likelihood of quitting the road espe-
cia1iy for this cause, until the lease is
out. I attribute very much of my
business success to the fact that I do
not violate the Sabbath by working"
The above answer is one which may
be especially commended to all busi-
ness men, and they would find it well
to "do likewise"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18

When one sells land in Chicago, the
purchaser expects an abstracts writ
ten statement of the chain Of title.
Thus, the United States sells a certain
tract to A 8, to G D, he to E F, and so
on down to the present holder. II
these conveyances are all made and ac-
knowledged according to law, and the
records of the Courts show that the
property has not been sold for taxes,
and that there are no judgments
against any of the various owners,
then the holders says: "That land is
mine; not will be, perhaps; it is
mine :" nor does he expect credit for
humility when he says, "Well, really,
do not know whether have a good
title or not" His neighbors would
think he was losing his sense-per-
haps never had any.
The case would not be changed at all
if the property passed from one to an
other by inheritance. The United
States deeds the land to A B, he be-
queathes it to G D, his eldest son, and
so on down. The last holder does not
say "Why, never bought this, new
er paid cent for it, never deserved
it," These considerations, whether
true or not, do not affect the question
of ownership particle.
And it is just the same with my IT,
tie to the heavenly inheritence. !
have clean abstract, admitting of no
doubt. The patent was given by the
Almighty God to Abraham, and to his
children after him. Am 1 one OF
them that settles the question. Gal.
iii, %, contains the answer: "If ye be
Christ's then are We Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise )"
and I become Christ's by believing
Him (Jon iii, 36.) Now I know what
I believe and when I believe, and so
does every body else. If 1 say, II do
not know whether believe it or not"
it is very clear that I do not believe it.
do not know certainly whether you
are worthy of confidence, but GER
tainly know whether trust you. It
is just as certain and just as clear
whether believe Christ or not, and If
I 90, then I am Abraham's child, and
heir of all the promises-no room for a
doubt.
But chain of title may be marred
by some judgment against some in the
line of succession; but, thanks to the
grace of God, my abstract is clean on
this point, too. "There is, therefore,
now no condemnation to them that are
in Christ Jesus" rom. viii, /. No
judgments, nothing to obscure the IT,
tie, and am I wrong to rejoice in it as a
sure and settled fact? Is it honoring
or dishonoring the grace of God to
doubt His word? Look away from
self, dear reader; look at Christ and
His perfect finished work rest your
hope upon that, and you will doubt no
more. Faiths Record.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
They Never Stop.

1t is this kind of a wife that makes
some men old and gray before theil
time.
"William," she says, after William
is curled snugly up under the blankets
for the night, "did you lock the front
door,"
EYES," says William, briefly.
"You're sure you die? ?"
eyes, sure"
"Yes."
"You know you forgot it once, and
it gave me such turn when I found
it out in the morning. I didn't gel
over it for q week. We haven't much
anybody'd want to steal, know, but
I don't want the little we nave taken,
II tell you attended to the doors.''
"Well hope so. For goodness
sake ?"
You attended to the basement
door,
"Yes, tell YOU"
because if you hadn't you or I,
one or the other, would have to get up
and attend to it now. I read to-day
Off
II don't care what you read"
ut is said that a man down on B.
street forgot toll
II don't care if he had"
"And in the middle of the night q
burglar walker right in and"-
II don't believe it.n
"I've notion to get UP and see il
you have locked that door. You're
sure ?"
"How many times have got to tell
you that did lock it?"
"Well you thought you'd lock X
that time when you left it unlocked" ;"
"Will you be quiet W
III don't care, William, you know
how careless you are, and"--
"See here, Mary Jane, this has got
to end right here"
But it doesn't end for an hour, and
William arises in the morning with
the lines on his brow little deeper,
and the hopeless, desperate look still
in his face.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
The Marked Lambs.

Mary and May were walking across
a field one day, when they saw some
sheep with red letters painted on
their f1eeces.
20 see. May!" said Mary; tthose
sheep have some marks on them. I
wonder what they are for ?n
'That's the mark the farmer knows
his lambs by. Don't you know what
teacher told US about Jesus having.
marks for his sheep?"
eyes but Jesus doesn't have marks
like that on his lambs"
"No; Jesus puts his mark in us, on
our souls, not on our bodies.n
Little Mary was right. x ,
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
Raise Flowers.

Raise flowers; if only apot of Mign-
onette in the window, we'll attended,
it will prove comfort in lonely hours
u solace in sad ones-a source of in
terest always.
Flowers, by their subtle witchery,
call one away from earth and its cares,
their fragrance seems the very breath
of the angels, and their growth speaks
Of God. The care of them is alike a
physical, a mental and a spiritual
benefit-aye, even a means of grace,
and so, I say again, "cultiyate tiow-
ers. - Nck's Magazine.