davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
A New Story of Hawthorne.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was kind
hearted man as we'll as a great novelist.
While he was Consul at Liverpool q
young Yankee walked into his office.
The boy had left home to seek his for
tune, but evidently hadn't found it yet,
although he had crossed the sea in the
search. Homesick, friendless, nearly
penniless, he wanted passage home.
The clerk said Mr. Hawthorne could
not be seen, and intimated that the boy
was no American, but was trying to
steal passage.
The boy stuck to his point and the
clerk at last went to the inner rOesn
and said to Mr.. Hawthorne
"Here's a boy insists upon seeing
you he says he is an American, but /
know he isn't"
Hawthore came out Of his room and
looked keenly at the eager, ruddy face
of the boy.
"You want passage to American"
'Yes, SIR"
"And you say you're an American ?''
eyes, SIR"
"From what part of America ?"
"United States, sir"
What State ?''
New Hampshire, SIR"
"Town?"
"EXeter, SIR"
Hawthorne looked at him for min
ute before asking the next qaestion.
"Who sold the best apples in your
town."
"Skim-milk Folsom, sir" said the
boy, with glistening eyes, as the old
familiar by-word brought up the dear
old scenes of home.
"It's all right" said Hawthorne to
the clerk, "give him q passage. ."-E1.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
That Which Lifts Us Up.

BY two wings a man is lifted up
from things earthly, namely, by sim.
plicity and purity. Simplicity ought
to be in our Intention; purity in our
affections. Simplicity doth tend to,
ward God; purity doth apprehend and
taste him. If thou intend and seek
nothing but the will of God and the
good Of thy neighbor, thou shalt
thoroughly enjoy inward liberty. If
thou vert inwardly good and pure,
then thou wouldst be able to see and
understand all things without impedi-
ment. A pure heart penetrateth
heaven and hell. Such as every one is
inwardly, so he judgeth outwardly.
If there be joy in the world, surely a
man of pure heart possesseth it. AS
iron put into the fire loseth its rust and
becometh clearly red-hot, 80 he that
wholly turneth himself unto GOD
putteth off all slothfulness, and is
transformed into new man.-Thonaas
O. Ken1DiS.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
The Use of the will in the Religious
Life.
Many Church member is living a
poor. shifting, religious life, groaning-

poor, shifting, religious life, groaning-
"'Tis point long to know,
Do love the Lord or not
Am I His, or am not?'
Because of bailure to bring to bear up
on his religious life the power of his
will. This may be due to the misap--
prehersion that, having submitted and
committed himself to God and the law
of love, henceforth the words of the
new realm will carry him safely into
port without his giving any attention
to the management of the sails. Per-
haps if the Devil were dead, and the
old sinful nature were utterly eXtirpat-
ed there might be some ground for
such a view. But the Devil is not
dead, nor is the "Old Adam" usually
Immediately destroyed. Therefore
the Christian must bring all the power
of his will to bear upon the busi-
ness of living the new life. The will
is the top-most, the imperial faculty of
of the spirit. 1t is not left without a
sphere of activity when one becomes q
Christian. Within it's realm it must yet
be top-most and imperial, though oW-
ing allegiance now to God, as before it
was the slave of self. Propose now to
conform the life to a set of rules and
straightway score of voices clamor
it. INCLINATION, ease, timidity, against
WEAKNESS whisper, and the Devil from
the pit joins the chorus to induce the
soul to live aslip-shod religious life. The
will must then assert itself and reign
as ofyore, The race is not to the swift
but to the steady. He that wills to do
his will shall know of His doctrine
Buffalo Christian Advocate.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
A Strong Brother.

"Run out to the shed, little one, and
bring a bit of wood for mother. I'd
go myself, only father will be here to
supper soon, and Pm in a hurry.
Only little-you're such a mite of a
thing"
Kitty was proud of being asked to
do such a big thing, and toddled out
with lively steps.
Plenty of light wood lay in the shed,
and she could have carried a few of
the small sticks very easily. But the
little girl wanted to do great things !;
80 she piled some of the sticks OF hard
wood on her arm, and struck out
bravely for the house. But poor little
girl they grew heavier every short
step, and before she was vel out OF
the shed one stick went one way and
one another, and then the whole went
down. But she picked them up again
"Don't bring so much, my darling" !"
called the mother, catchiug a sight OF
the toiling little figure-"Bring only
two sticks"
But Kitty did not like to give up.
With uncertain little steps she kept Oh
until she struck her foot against q
small stone, and then lassie and wood
all went over.
Mamma was about to 60 and help
her, when her brother Jim came
around the shed into sight. He was
ready for his supper, and would have
passed Kitty without much notice If
he had not caught glimpse of the
woe begone little face.
"Ho, little sister, what's the matter?
Hurt your foot? Such heavy load :?
Yes, too heavy for Kitty.-But broth
er's big and strong. See, nowW He
flung the wood over one arm and held
out his hand and said, "Take hold"
With warm, strong grasp he took
her hand, and suiting his steps to hers,
led her along with ,petting and encour-
aging words.
The tears came into the mothers
eyes as she watched the two. The
way is long and the burden heavy for
others than little Kitty. But an Elder
Brother stands close beside the over
burdened pilgrims, ready to lift the
loads of care and grief, and with His
strong right hand to lead and support
over rough paths-all the while. giving
words of loving sympathy and cheer
to weary, sorrow worn hearts.
The mother could not have said all
she felt to Jim; but the touch of her
hand on his head was very tender as
she whispered
"You're real help and comfort to
Kitty and me. ."-SeL.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
Ma.nanimOus.

The following has lesson not only
for politicians but for others. Itshows
Mr.. Adams to have been possessed OF
very pure and noble principles, and
strength, and courage to carry them
out, for the purest and most exalted
principles are corrupted by lack OF
courage to assert or force to execute
them
An incident which occurred during
the administration of the second
Adams, heretofore, we believe, unpub-
lished, illustrates the difference be-
tween the general principles which un-
derlay the politics of that day, and
those which control our own.
Mr.. Adams made out list of men
whom he had chosen to examine into
the condition of the United States
Bank, and submitted it for approval to
his Cabinet.
The appointment of these men would
bring each of them prominently into
public notice and stamp them with
official approval as possessing eXcep-
tionable ability and incorruptible hon
or.
Mr.. Clay, glancing over the list, OBJ
JeClSu W OiiC udlllC u upoh ~.
"Mr. Adams" said he, "that man I
know to be one of your bitterest enc
mics. He has been your opponent
throughout the whole of your political
career. He deserves no preferment at
your hands," .
Mr.. Adams color rose. He took the
list, and looked at it in silence then,
in his usual grave, measured tones, he
said:
II am sorry to hear that, for 1 am
assured that he is an able financler,
and man of the sternest integrity. 50
he does not not like me, eh? Well,
Mr.. Clay, as it is the interests of the
country, and not mine, which we must
consider in this case, we will let his
name stay"
Mr.. Clay nodded approval. "The
President" he said 'had risen to an
admirable height of self negation.
But should not have climbed there,
foorO
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
What VIII People Think /?

Many persons have been led into do
ing something foolish or wrong by the
fear of what others would think il
they should refuse to do it.
Be brave enough to do any thing
you know you ougth to do, and never
mind what people think. Only those
whose opinion is not worth caring for
will think the worse of you for doing
what you believe to be right.
And yet there is another way OF
looking at this question. It is we'll to
ask ourselves frequently, "What Will
people think ?" for we are responsible
for our influence. Our conduct is seen
by others, and may result in either
good or harm to them.
"Providing for honest things, not
only in the sight of the Lord, but also
in the sight of men," is just as good a
motto for us as it was for st. Paul.
And you remember Jesus said, "Let
your light 50 shine before men that
they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heav-
en.n
So it is right to care about what peo-
ple think when it makes us more care
full to let them see nothing wrong in
our actions.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27

"Wool Hat" in Planters Adoocate,
tells us the following plain story why
he is poor:
II am poor because I buy more than
I sell. In the first place, I buy o part
of my meat from the Northwest my
fish comes from Portland, in the TAX
ing of which the Mainlanders receive
bounty from the government. My
onion sets and all my garden seeds
come from Michigan. I sold the wool
from eighteen sheep at 373 cents per
pound to an agent of the manufactur-
ing coming at Reading, Pa. !; four
months afterwards I bought q hat from
the same company paying at the rate
of six dollars a pound for the wool.
The hide of buck I sold for five cents
per pound. 1t went to Elmira, n. Y,
was tanned, sent back and I bought it
at 35 cents pound, and it weighed
more than it did when I sold it. My
ak handles come from Connecticut,
my matches from Delaware, my pen,
ink and paper from New York. Am 1
the only fool in Georgia ?"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
Symptoms.

A story is told of the late Arch
bishop Trench, the well-known writer,
which shows how active part the
Imagination plays in determining the
state of our health. After the eminent
prelate suffered from breaking health,
he was always accompanied, whether
in his rural rambles, on the train, or
even at formal dinner parties, by his
daughter, who was constantly by his
side. The story here quoted was origi-
nally told in Dublin Society. ''''
The last course had been served at O
certain grand banquet when his grace
is stated to have said to his daughter,
with some slight agitation
"My daughter"
"Well ?"
II fear that T am threatened with
one of my bad attacks"
"Why?"
II have been pinching my knee for
the past five minutes, and 1 cannot
feel the slightest sensation"
"You can make your mind easy
your grace" rejoined a person on the
other side.
"Why SOP"
"It was my knee you were pinehing
all the time ~
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
The Mothers Lost Hour.

There is lost hour among home
keeping women, an hour which is lost
in the way certain arts are-so lost, in
deed, that there seems to be very little
likelihood that it will ever be found.
This is the "hour to herself" for which
every mother of family longs, and,
too often, longs in vain. She used to
know what it was to have little time
entirely her own, now and then, in the
days of her girlhood; but a matron's
duties have absorbed her life complete
ly, and she never knows what it is to
be secure from interruption, even for
so short time as is required for the
writing of letter. Very often this is
her own fault, for fault it is in spite of
the angelic qualities which 60 to make
many women hack-horses of patience
and long suffering in their own homes.
1t is true that the young wife and
mother is more often self-sacrificing
than otherwise. She sinks her own
individuality altogether too much in
the service of her family. 1t is the
easiest thing to do, to reverse nothing
in the way of devotion, but it is not
the wisest way. II develops selfish
HISS luSlSdu VI IllOlS illlulhCSS LII thO
beloved ones whom she serves, and it
too often happens that the wife and
mother who denies herself constantly
in waiting upon others, and demands
no consideration for herself, wakens
later in life to find that she has made
q mistake. Out of the fulness of her
heart she has given more than she
ought, for the sake other fanny aswellas
herself. The daughter whose comfort
has always been consulted before that
of her mother, the son whose hours OF
study or play must never be interrupted
for his mothers sake, the husband
who knows that his wife is saint for
unselfshness, impose, unconsciously,
upon her goodness; and they develop a
dullness Of sympathy, an unreadiness
to think of her needs, which is as hurt
full to their own moral growth as it is
heart-breaking and incomprehensible
to the woman who has uselessly laid
down her very life for them.
It is the woman who serves as a
queen serves her subjects who makes
the happiest home, the woman who,
with her high self-respect. demands the
courtesy and thoughtfulness which
are her due, who prepares for herself a
happy old age, honored by those whom
her life has blessed within and without
the four walls of her home.-Selected.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
Selfish Professors.

"They satisfy themselves, mostly,
with doing nothing that is very bad:
Having no spiritual views, they regard
the law of God chiefly as system OF
prohibitions, just to guard men from
certain sins. and not system of be.
nevolence fulfilled by love. And so, if
moral in their conduct, and toler-
ably serious and decent in their gener-
al department, and perform the re-
quired amount of religious exercises,
this satisfies them. Their conscience
harnesses them, not so much about sins
of omission as sins of commission.
They make distinction between neg
lecting to do what God positively re-
ouires, and doing what he positively
fcrbids. The most you can say of them
is, that they are not very bad. They
seem to think little or nothing of be-
ing useful to the cause of Christ, SO
long as they cannot be convicted of
any positive transgression.-C G..
Ffn7aey
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
The Hour Before Bedtime.

All hours belong to the mother, hui
the hour just before the little ones go
to bed is especially hers. Then, when
the children are tired of play, and
their daily lessons are done, she may
have confidential talks with them,
hear of their temptations and of the
naughty things they may have done,
praise them for the progress they have
made in overcoming faults, and read
the Bible with them, so that one of its
sweet verses may be a little pillow
for each sunny head. Children who
are accustomed to this sort of mother
ing will never get very far from its
blessed influence in the future.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
No doubt we have our heather at

No doubt we have our heathen at
home: who denies it And they need
the gospel; who refuses it? But the
shameful neglect of past duty is no
excuse for the cheap evasion of pres
ent one. When the three men Pc
sought st. Peter at Joppa to open the
door of faith to the Gentiles, all the
Jewish people had not received tne
word of God. The ENTHUSIASM TOR
Home Missions, which so curiousiy
manifests itself in protesting ,hotly
against Foreign Missions, is usually an
enthusiasm of words.-Ihe Bishop OF
Rochester.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
His Wife Got Even With Him.

The story is told that husband was
sitting in his store, when a letter in a
familiar handwriting was handed to
him. It was from his wife, whom he
had left at home that morning with
every assurance of affection and devo-
ton. But the very first sentence
startled him, and as he read on, the
most horrible suspicion seized him
"I am forced to do something that I
know will trouble you, but it is my
duty to do SO. I am determined you
shall know it, let the result be what it
may. I have known for a week that
this trial was coming, but kept it to
myself until to-day, when it has reach
ed a crisis and I can keep it no longer.
You must not censure me too harshly,
for you must reap the reward asa well
as myself. I do hope it wS0rush
you. The flour is out. Please send
me some this afternoon. thought
by this method you would not forget
it.n She was right. He didn't.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
Telling Jesus.

A dear little girl said to me EVERY
night L tell my papa everything that
happened in the day, because, you
know, he goes to his work in the morn
ing before I am up; and it's so far he
takes his dinner along, 80 I don't see
him till he comes home in the even
ing. Then, after we have our tea, he
holds me on his lap awhile before I go
to bed, and we have nice talk, and /
tell him everything"
I looked at the little ones smiling
face, and asked, "What do you tell
him?"
She answered: ooh, I tell him all
I did, and what I played, and about
the little troubles I got in, and-well
just everything. The he talks with
me about it all, and if I have done
anything naughty, he prays about 1t
with me; but I always try to be good,
because when I must tell him some
thing naughty about myself, he looks
so sorry it makes me cry"
While listening to this dear little
prattler, my mind was upon "Our Fa-
ther," and how he loves to have his
children tell him everything. I re-
solved to keep in mind every little oc.
currence during each day, and before
go to sleep tell my Father in heaven
all about it.
And now, my dear young friends,
will you not adopt this plan ?-S S.
Visitor.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
"Guilty, or Not Guilty -
She stood at the bar OF Justice,
A creature wan and wild,

She stood at the bar OF justice,
A creature wan and Wild,
In form too small for woman,
In features too old for child;
For look SO worn and patheic
Was stamped on her pale young lace,
It seemed long years Of suffering
Must have left that silent trace.
"Your name," said the judge, as he eyed her
With kindly look yet keen,
"Is?-"' Mary Mcguire, If you please, SIR"
"And your age2" ~ am turned fifteen."
"Well, Mary" and then from paper
He slowly and gravely read
"You are charged here-I'rn sorry to say 1t
With stealing three loaves Of bread.
"You look not like an offender,
And hope that you can show
The charge to be false. Now answer me,
Are you guilty of this or no?"
A passionate burst of weeping
Was at first her sole reply,
But she dried her tears in moment,
And look In the judges
ST will tell you just how 1t was, sir;
My father and mother are dead.
And my little brothers and sisters
Were hungry, and asked me for bread.
At first I earned 1t for them,
By working hard all day,
But somehow the times were hard, Sir,
And the work all fell away.
81 could get no more employment;
The weather was bitter cold.
The young ones cried and shivered-
Little Johnnie's but four years old
So what was to do, sir ?
lam guilty, but do not condemn!
I took-oh was 1t stealing?-
The bread to give to them"
Every man In the court room,
Gray beard and thoughtless youth,
Knew, as he looked upon her,
That the prisoner spoke the truth,
Out from their pockets came handkerchiefs,
Out from their eyes sprung tears,
Out from old, faded wallets,
Treasures boarded for years.
The judges face was study,
The strangest you ever saw,
AS he cleared his throat and murmured
Something about the law.
For one so learned in such matters,
So wise in dealing with men,
He seemed, on simple question,
Sorely puzzled just then.
But no one blamed him or wondered,
What at last these words were heard:
"The sentence Of this young prisoner
Is, for the present, deferredW
And no one blamed him or won ndered,
When he went to her and smiled,
And tsnderly led from the court room.
Himself, the guilty child.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27

SERvIcE.--The church is getting too
full of proud service. We need more
of lowly, self-denying service. The
Cb,rchn,an suggests: There are many
ways in which women can do good
work for others, and this without leav-
inp their own homes. A Christian
thoughtfulness and desire to accom-
plish some good would, for instance
suggest to persons living more or less
alone in their own homes, that they
could take into their homes some lady
Young or old, whose presence and per-
sonaI office would compensate for hel
board. but who is unable to earn hel
living in the callings that are opened
to women.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
Sayed by Grace.

When Rowland Hill was some years
ago in Scotland, he was introduced to
an age minister. somewhat resembling
himself in piety and eccentricity.
The old man looked at him for some
time very earnestly, and atlength said,
"Weel, / have been looking for some
teens at the Teens of your face" "And
what do you think of it?" said MIR:
Hill, "Why, I am thinking that If
the grace of God hadna changed your
heart, you would ha been O most tre-
mendous rogue" Mr.. Hill laughed
heartily and said, &" Well, you have
ust hit the nail on the head"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
True Love.

Love, the most precious among the
"fruits of the Spirit" is the product OF
all early blossom in some souls.
Little Philip fell down stairs one
day, and injured his face so seriously
that for q long time he could not
speak. When he did open his lips,
however. it was to no complaint of
pain. Looking up at his mother, he
whispered, trying to smile:
"I'm pretty glad 'twasn't my little
sister ~
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27

Long ago Sir Walter Scott made one
of bis characters in "Rob Roy" say in
relation to Presbyterian worship as he
heard it in Scotland, II had heard the
service of high mass in France celebra-
ted with all the eclat which the choic-
est music, the richest dresses, the most
imposing ceremonies, could confer on
it: vet it fell short in effect of the sim
plicity of the Presbyterian worship.
The devotion in which every one took
a share, seemed so superior to that
which was recited by musicians as a
lesson which they had learned by rote
that it gave the Scottish worship all
the advantage of reality over acting"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
Needed Grace.

A poor man in fife, before eating
asked blessing in these weighty
words, which were found, after the
Duchess of Gordon's death, written on
a slip of paper in her hand: "Lord
give me grace to feel my need of grace;
and give grace to ask for grace and
give me grace to receive grace and o
Lord; when grace is given, give me
grace to use it. Amen"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
There are fewer competent men in

There are fewer competent men in
the world than there are open places
for competent men. A competent
man is man who can do any one
thing good deal better than its aver
age doing. There are too many men
who can do everything-in the sense
that they can do one thing as we'll as
another-but there are not enough
men who can do one thing thoroughly
we'll. Hewho would like to fill good
place, should prepare himself for the
work of that particular place. The
place is already waiting for him; and
ne is wanted in it even more than he
wants its. S. Times.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27
Reware ofIrreyerence.

It is very easy to lover our standard
of reverence for any thing. We have
only to speak of it habitually in light
way. There is nothing like it to take
the life out of the most precious texts
of Scriptures. We may repent of such
sin with bitter weeping; but those
words can never be to us again what
they were before. We may have cut
down bridge we shall some day vain-
ly long to cross.