davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07
ONE OF COL. HIGGINSON'S
STORIES.

Col. Higginson told good joke on
himself in one of his lectures in which he
was drawing contrast between the pre-
sent opinion with reference to the intel
lectual endowment and abilities OF wo-
men, and that which prevailed thirty and
forty years ago. He said, "When grad
uated from Harvard my stand ng in my
class had been good and felt that I
knew great deal, and was in fact 80
conscious of my wisdom and knowledge,
[ aired it on all occasions. About that
time was spending few days with my
father at the beautiful home of one of
his friends, gentleman who had spent
some time abroad and had brought home
a good many art treasurers. His daugh-
ter had recently graduated from some
ladies' seminary, and it was said she was
extremely we'll educated for a girl. But
I had no exalted opinion of her intelli-
gence, and thought she carried herself
with proper digniied humility before
my father, and before me, as recent
Harvard graduate. Asws stood near a
section Of a frieze which her father had
brought from Athens, thought I would
be kind and understanding and, if posi-
BILE, give her little information about
Greek art. So made several statements
with reference to it, and was astoni,hed
to notice from her responses that was
only stating what she knew. when, finally,
1 remarked. pointing to the horses with
extremely short legs, in the frieze. 1T is
strange that the Athe mans, who SO ex-
celled in sculpture, should have made
such miserable work with their horsesl
just see what uncouth looking animals!'
But replied the young lady, these are
doubtless true to nature, for you know
all the Greek horses came from Thessa-
ly, and the particular characteristic of
the Thessalian horses was their short
legsP L need hardly say" added the COL
onel, "that looked around for knot.
hole. From that time my poor opinion
of the intellectual ability of women has
not troubled me, but from year to year 1
have been more and more impressed
with it."
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07

watered and fed. Then I knew the
speaker was good Mr.. Berghl My heart
went out to him and his work at once,
and lost no time in accosting him as he
came on to the strest where MY husband
and stood watching the proceedings. l
found him most kindly, affsble man,
and learned more from him in that few
minutes conversation, than had known
in years, about the operations of the Hu-
name Society. took out my red-covered
memorandum book-I never travel with
out it-and set down great many inter
ing items which Mr.. Berg hgave me.
"While standing there, crowd collect
ed, and as I never was one of those who
like to create sensation made one Of
my best curtseys to Mr.. Bergh, and
taking Mr.. Pepperel by the arm, moved
on in dignifed manner. 1 could not
help hearing some very low remarks
made by few rude fellows, but knew
l had gained prize in seeing and talk
ing with this great champion Of the abus-
ed and oppressed, both of humanity and
animals Before parting, Mr.. Bergh hand
ed me pamphlet contain ing the history
of his movement and many interesting
facts connected with it. 1 have been
studying it since came home, and have
become so enthusiastic, that I'm not sure
but shall enter the lecture field, and in
my humble way work for this great and
good cause"
Neither Aunt Comfort nor encouraged
this enterprise, assuring her that the lect-
ure field was over worked, and that she
probably could do more good in some
other direc ion. She listened serenely
and seemed to coincide with our views,
which was certainly relief. AS Aunt
Comfort remarked after her caller had
gone, SIT would really be too bad to
have Mrs. Pepperel dash into this truly
excellent cause, and do it the harm which
would follow her style of retormatory ef-
forts" As she learned there were agents
in every State and town to attend to this
work, Mrs. Pepperel decided, with an
amusing air of resignat ton, that cat pre-
sent the % might not be, as she had sup
posed, pressing need of her active SER
vices in this field of work" Expressing
her intention of devoting coming months
to the investigation of the "dress- reform
movement" she remarked, with decided
shake of her corkscrew curls, (recently
added to her personal decoration), "thst
the physical health, and possibly the san
ity of future generations depended upon
the success of this great and important
movement; yes, absolutely and entirely"
To this emphatic declaration, neither
Aunt Comfort nor offered any objection,
but will not be surprised to hear of an inn
mediate onslaught by this daring fe.
male champion, upon the modistes,-
naturally will succumb to the eloquence
Of her arguments, and the weight of her
personal influence. We shall see.
| HicO, Tea.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07
MRS. UNLOCK cRAIk.

1t is hardly too much to say that, by
the death Of the author Of "John Halifax,
Gentleman" orr literature has sustained
a heavy loss. Mrs. Craik was one of the
finest of our woman writer's, and though
her art had always what Keats called "a
palpable intention upon one," still its
imaginat alive qualities we're of no mean
order. There is hardly one of her books
that has not some distinction of style;
there is certainly not one of them that
does not show an ardent love of all that
is beautiful and good in life. The good
she perhaps loved somewhat more than
the beautiful, but her heart had room
for both. Her first novel appeared in 1S49,
the year of the publication of Charlotte
Bronte's "Jane Eyre" and Mrs. Gaskelrs
"Rutb," and her last work was done for
the magazine which have the honor to
edit. She was very much interested in
the scheme for the foundation of the
Womafs's World, suggested its title, and
promised to be one of its warmest sup.
porters. One article from her pen is
already in proof and will appear next
month, and in a letter I received from
her few days before she died, she told
me that she had almost finished second
to be called Between Schooldays and
Marriage" Few women have enjoyed
greater popularity than Mrs. Craik, or
have better deserved it. 1t is sometimes
said that John Halifax is not real man
but only a womsn's ideal of a man.
Well, let us be grateful for such ideals.
No one can read the story of which John
Halifax is the hero without being the
better for it. Mrs. Craik will live long
in the affectionate memory of all who
knew her, and one of her novels at any
rate will always have high and honora-
BILE place in English fiction. Indeed for
simple narrative power, some of the
chapters of "John Halifax, Gentleman"
are almost unequaled in our prose liter
ature.-Oscdr Wilde, in the Woman's
World.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07
FABULOUS ANIMALS,


OF the many fabulous animals having
their habitat in the Mongolian mind,
says the SaUiss Cross, none is more COM
pletely domesticRted and universally be-
lieved in than is the dragon represented
upon the national flag, giving name to
the throne, and having numberless i'm
ages in temples. They know each 9th
er's thoughts, plans and wishes without
INSTRUMENTATION. Like all the other
gods, they go once year to the superior
heavens to make an annual report to the
Supreme Ruler; but they go in the third
month, at which time none of the other
gods dare appear; and their stay above
is but brief. They generally remain in
the depths of the ocean, where their
courts are filed with their progeny,
their dependents and their attendants,
and where the gods and genii sometimes
visit them. Their palaces of diverse
colored transparent stones, with crystal
doors, are said to have been zen in the
early morning by peasons gazing into the
deep waters. A fine Chinese scholar of
my acquaintance, a graduate, gravely
assured me that he had seen a dragon
moving through the heavens in storm
and that he had had distinct though dis.
tant view of it's TAIL To see one indicates
good luck, and they are seldom ssen by
any but the righteous. 1t is said that
fish and serpents that live to vast age
are finally transformed into dragons. An
other animal frequently represented in
bas-relief on the walls of temples, and
supposed to appear when a sage is born,
is the Chinese unicorn. 1t has body like
a deer with the head and tail OF lion.
1t has horn on its forehead, and is
often pictured with the eight precious
writing implements under its feet. One
appeared in the time of Confucius, and
the boor who saw it killed it, saying,
at is neither tiger, OK, nor pig" Confu-
cius saw it's dead body, and bemoaned
it's being so uncommon that no one had
recognized it. The we'll. known phoenix
lives among mountains and lays cubicel
eggs. 1t is several feet high and has
long neck, long legs and long plumy
tail 1t has Respondent vsriegated plum
age, slim wings, sharp tongue and
cleaning eyes. 1t gazes at the sun and
moon, facing east by day and west by
night. Its voice is hute-like, and when it
calls, tigers fee away and all birds assem-
BILE around it to do obeisance. Its nest
has never been found though it's young
have been seen. 1t only appears when a
wise sovereign is about to be born. 1t
affiliates with the dragon and dragons
are sometimes Matched from its eggs.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07
SHALL WE PLANT NATIVE OR
FOREIGN TREES?

An editorial in the Century closes as
follows: eve feel justified in adding to
these general statements word of strong
recommendation in favor of native as
against foreign, or at best as against Eu-
ropean trees. At the best the latter are
uncertain in almost every case, while the
former have an inborD and we'll proved
title to be trusted. The most successful
ornamental planting that has ever been
done in America shows its results in the
streets of such towns as Stockbridge,
Great Darlington, Salem, and New Ha-
ven, and was the work of men who went
to the forest and not to the nursery for
their infant elms and naples. Certainly
our more recently planted parks offer
small promise of like maturity of beau
ty with the European oaks and ashes,
their Scotch and Austrian pines, in al
most as deplorable state as their Nor
way spruces. When not ornamental but
economic plantations are in question, past
experience tells very strongly against Eu-
ropean trees, while the evidence of re-
cent experiment with native trees-as IN
the plantations of indigenous conifers in
eastern Massachusetts-is of the most
encouraging kind"
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07

the actual creatures which have lived
upon the globe.
In the geological hall of the Museum
of Natural History, Central Park, there
is upon one OF the shelves an object
about five feet and half in length, ex-
tremely bulky, and weighing SO many
pounds that two men find it all they de-
sire to carry. 1t is of brown hue, and
might be taken for the trunk of fossil
tree or part of huge branch. At it's
side lies small white bone four or five
inches long, with label to the effect that
it is the corresponding bone of living
crocodile. In fact, the great brown mass,
as bulky as large man stretched at full
length, is the thigh or hip-bone of an
American giant, which in former years
roamed the great cretaceous sea of the
west. The largest crocodile of to-day is
about twenty feet in length, and it's thigh
bone four or five inches. If the thigh
bone of the Atlantossurus, of which this
is part, be six feet long-and Professor
Marsh has discovered one eight feet in
length--how long must it's possessor
have been? This is an example in pro.
portion, which will admit of widely diff
ferent answers, perhaps; but while my
readers are guessing will say that geol-
ogists believe these giants to have at
tanned length Of from eighty to one
hundred and twenty feet. While they
have been ikened to crocodiles, they diff
er entirely from them in appearance, hav-
ing long legs. an attenuated tail and
neck, and a small head; giants of wonder
ful structure, living in the shallow waters
OF the great seas of the time, floating per-
haps, or anchored by their prodigious
feet and tail.
These colossal saurians were a COM
men feature of the life in the Jurassic
days, when vast sea covered Kansas
and most of the Western States. Novema-
Der "Wide AaUoke."
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07
ghe Hott1e Bage.
For THE UNIvERsALIST.
SONNETS.
BY CORIE DAVIS.

Only grand, gnarled tree that in its prime
Some fierce, wild storm has shattered and
laid lowl
Its broken boughs trail on the earth below,
Where from the dank and choking weeds and
slime,
A bruised vine with tendris frail doth climb
To reach the light, and sunshine's warmth,
and grow
About the sapless boughs, until they show
The verdant loneliness of budding time.
And in the vine is hid a robins nest
The glad confusion of the building time,
The pleased surprise when meath the moth
er's breast
The downy nestliugs' voices family chime;
And here the zephyrs in a sweet unrest,
Make music, as they fit from cline to cline.
And so nature, blighted in its prime,
Uprooted by some fierce, wild storm of pain,
Forced rudely from the heights that it would
fain
Have held, is earthward bent, that souls may
climb
From worthlessness and shame to work sub
lime,
By aiding of its fallen pride, and gain
Sure foothold on a higher, grander plane.
Thus is renewed the Spring and Summer
time
OF barren hearts that cannot bloom again;
And Peace sits brooding on her finished nest
And sings to sleep the longing and the pain
That throb and wall within the human breast;
And angel hands upon The heartstrings lain,
Awake on earth the music of the blest.
Bdrdb0o, Wis.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07
GYPSIES.

An article in the New York Herald on
"Gypsies" gives interesting details con-
corning the modes of life and general
habits of these nomads. The following
is an extract:
"Do any of your people ever leave you
and go to live in towns and cities?"
"Not in the sense you mean, mister.
Once gypsy always gypsy But
you will find gypsies in the cities just as
often as you will in the woods. When
winter comes gypsies must live like other
folks and when they've got trile of
money together they're just as likely to
buy houses and land with it as they are
to invest it in any other way. But,
though they may go to live in the cities,
they remain gypsies to their lives end
and love the gypsies' life better than
that of city folks"
"But how about their children? Do
they remain in the cities or join their
fathers tribes?"
"There is no fixed rule. Very rich gyp-
sizes spend mint of money on their chill
dren's education, and it is only natural
that such children should not care to
live like gypsies. Still, many of them
do come back to their fathers tribes and
live and die with them. I have two
daughters in convent now, and when
their education is finished, will let them
choose between living with me here or
with an old aunt of theirs who has half a
dozen good houses in Newark. They're
gypsies to the backbone, SO I suppose
they'll spend their lives wandering like
their torefathers."
"You are Roman Catholic then?"
"No, mister, I'm not; but my wife was,
and the children take after her. come
from the New Forest in England, and
my wife from Yorkshire. There's hardly
a town or village in Great Britain that she
and / haven't tramped through. We did
our best for the children as, indeed, all
gypsies do, and when poor Mary died,
eight years ago, in Connecticut village,
1 sent the children to school and paid
handsomely for them ever since. Not
that I'm rich, for I've no home-very few
gypsies have but I've some money
saved, and am strong and healthy, and
can pitch my tent almost anywhere 1
please, so I'm perfectly happy and con-
tented and ready to go to the next world
when my time comes"
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07
For THE UNIvERSALIST.
MRS. PEPPEREL AND MR..
HENRY BERGH.
BY MRS. MARY C. BILLINGS.

1 was spending the day with dear
Aunt Comfort when Mrs. Joan of Arc
Pepperel called. bent on mission for
public good. This time it was more
sensible one than that irrepressible fe-
male usually undertook. Her theme was
the Humane Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty not only to Animals" said
Mrs. Pepperel, "but to little children;
also to the aged and infirm."
Now Aunt Comfort and had been in
terested in this organization, and paying
members of it for some time previous.
Having satisfied her of this fact she was
the more ready to interest us IN narrat-
ing her recent interview with Mr.. Bergh
"Well," began Mrs. Pepperel, settling
herself back in a rocker and looking at
us with her usual air of complacency
when having as she thought something
important to communicate, 81 thought
Mr.. Pepperel needed a little recreation,
and as fares to New York are cheap by
boat 1 took him down there to give him
a change Of scene; also for the improve
ment of his mind. This" she said ap-
pealing to Aunt Comfort, sis not as you
know of the heaviest calibre, though he
has excellent ideas sometimes, but gen.
orally he needs gentle guiding hand"
This was said with an air of sweet sat-
istaction. I glanced furtigely at Aunt
Comfort, who sat listening as serene as
an angel, while she went on with her
knitting. There was comical little half
smile on her lips, always seen there
when she WAS amused; that was all.
Mrs. Pepperel continued: ave re-
NAMED in the gay metropolis three days,
and 1 think the trip has been very bene-
fetal every way to my husband. OF
course L improved every opportunity
that could find, being determined, as 1
always am, to galr all the knowledge
possible, in the shortest gwen time.
have found this an excellent rule in trav-
cling and visiting new places.
81 may add in passing, that my mind
had not previously been exercised upon
this subject of Mr.. Bergh's great and orig.
inal enterprise. Fortunately, L was walk
ing down one of the avenues, when [
saw gentleman rush off from the pave.
ment and holding up a large stick with
some sort Of badge on it, go straight to
a brute of tesmster who was beating
his horse numerically. The villain
stopped instantly, as il recognizing that
stick for authority, and in a few mo-
ments saw the fellow taken in hand,
and the horse ordered round the corner
to a kind of stone stable.
81 hurried Mr.. Pepperel on and got
near there 10 time to see the poor drip
ping animal taken out of the drsy and
examined. L peeped in for it was a
large open space and heard the man
say, This horse is under-fed, overwork-
ed and cruelty beaten Then he handed
the teamster a paper, who took it and
looked as if he was both frightened and
ashamed"
"He went of, evidently being sent
somewhere, and I had dissatisfaction of
hearing the man with the colored wand
order the poor beast to be rubbed down,
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COCOA
AND CHOCOLATE.

Notwithstanding the enormous in
crease in the use of cocoa and chocolate"
said a manufacturer, 81 am asked every
day what the difference is between them.
There really is not much difference, for
they are both prepared from the seeds of
q tree which grows in Central and South
America and in the West Indies. Cocoa
is also the name given in commerce to
the native bean, and it is also generally
applied to the powdered forms of the ar
ticle in the market. The cocoa tree was
discovered by Humboldt in his travels.
1t is an evergreen and bears flowers and
fruit the year round. The fruit is shap-
ed like a short cucumber and contains
twenty to thirty beans in rose -colored
pulp. This pulp is sweet and is some
thing like the meat of the watermelon.
The natives use it for food. The fruit is
gathered twice year, in June and De-
cember, and the beans, after being sepa.
rated from the pulp, are dried in the sun
when they are ready for the market. In
preparing them for use they are roasted
much as coffee is, and they then pass
through several processes of crushing
grinding, etc, which removes the acrid
oils, grit and roughness. The final proc
ess is to mix the ground mass with sugar
in such proportion as may be desired for
any particular kind of sweet chocolate.
The taste for chocolate is an acquired
one, but when once formed is not easily
surfeited. 1t has grown much more rap
idly in this country than in Europe"
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07

A youngster, while warming his hands
at the fire, was demonstrated with by his
father, who said, $50 away from the fire;
the weather is not cold" 81 amt heating
the weather, I'm warming my hands,
the little fellow demurely replied.
A clergyman in Pittsburg lately mar
ried lady with whom he received the
substantial dowry of $4,000, and fair
prospect for more. Soon sfterward, while
occupying the pulpit, he gave out a hymn,
read the first four stanzas, and was read
ing the fifth,
Forever let my grateful heart
His boundless grace ADORE"
when he hesitated, and exclaimed, tAheml
The choir will omit the fifth verse;" and
sat down. The congregation, attracted by
his apparent confusion, read the remain
ing lines
(which gives ten thousand blessings now,
And bids me hope for more"
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07
THE ANCIENT cRocoDILEs

While Europe has produced some re-
markable giants, America leads in this
respect, and in the early days was peo-
pied by races SO astonishing that all the
dragons and fanciful monsters which the
vivid imaginations of the writer's of old
have pictured, fail to compare with the
actual reality. In fact, if it we're desir-
ed to-day to produce book of wonders
and marvels, describing the dragons
and other terrifying creatures, it would
be only necessary for the historian to re-
fer to the geological discoveries of the
last thirty years, and represent the ami
mails just as they were. What was the
dragon OF st. George to certain huge bat
forms, or the unicorn to the loxolopho-
don with it's many hornsP The roc of
the Arabian Nights was not more won
derful than some of the fossil birds, and
even the great cuttles, the Poulpes of the
grave Bishop Poutoppidan, seem almost
equaled by the giant squids of to-day,
some of which are fifty and sixty feet in
length. In short, the imagination of man
cannot picture wonders to compare with
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07
THE POOR MANS SHEAF.
BY EBEN e. REXFORD.

BY EBEN e. REXFORD.
He saw the wheat fields waiting
All golden in the sun,
And strong and stalwart reapers
Went by him one by one.
"Oh, could reap in harvest"
His heart made bitter cry.
az can do nothing, nothing,
So, alas, am l..
At eve fainting traveller
Sank down beside his door;
A cup of cool, sweet water
To quench his thirst he bore.
And when, refreshed and strengthened,
The traveller went his way,
Upon the poor mans threshold
A golden wheat sheaf lay.
When came the Lord of harvest,
He cried: oh, Master kind,
One sheaf have to offer,
But that did not bind.
1 gave cup of water
To one athirst, and he
Left at my door, in going,
This sheaf offer thee"
Then said the Master softly:
swell pleased with this am L.
One of my angels left it
With thee as he was passing by.
Thou mayst not join the reapers
Upon the harvest plain.
But he who helps brother
Binds sheaves of richest grain. "
1.-THE DaIUn Of the Morning.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07
BUTTONS FOE A PURPOSE.

We have buttons for ornament some
times, but generally, when not simply used
to adorn, they serve the parpose of fasten-
ing together the garment upon which
they are sewed. If you were asked what
the brass buttons on a soldiers coat
sleeve were put there for, you would
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-07

The late Albert j. Jones, of Provi-
dence, left $4,000 in trust, the income to
be available at once by it's distribution in
annual prizes for the best works produc-
ed during the year, sin whatever depart
ment OF the fine arts, by artists belong
ing to or residing in the State of Rhode
leland"