davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Florida agriculturist., 1889-05-15
MAGICIANS' TRICKS.
MAKE-BELlEVE MIRACLES PERFORM
ED BY MODERN MORTALS.


The Mystifying inventions OF De KOlta.
"Oriental Occultism" Easily Explained.
The 'Black Art" Is Very Simple When
You Know How.
Magic art has undergone many remark
able transformations since Robert Hou-
din, the father of all modern magic, lived
in Paris half century ago. Perhaps no
one could compare with him in celebrity,
excepting the original Hermann, who
died at Carlsbad couple of years ago,
and from whom the Hermann who at
present perambulates America took his
name and learned what he knows. The
present Hermann was known as Neu-
man, and was an assistant to his greater
prototype. He was always remarkable
for one thing, and that is his very great
dexterity in sleight of hand tricks. To-
day there is nobody that can compare
with him in this line of work, what is
known as palming In fact anything
that can be done with the hands alone,
excepting a deaf mute who travels
through the cheaper museums, and who
is said to have even far greater ability in
this line, but without the gift of express
ing himself.
THE FLYING BIRD CAGE.
Hermann, however, has never been
an inventor He finds his tricks ready
made for him abroad and buys their Sc
cret. AS a result he is compelled to
travel around with vast paraphernalia
that the old magicians would have looked
upon with great contempt. In fact, the
tendency of modern magic has been the
elaboration of the cumbersome, and
Hermann needs whole roomful of fur
niture to carry out one of his Illusions
The brightest mind in magic at the
present day is prestidigitateur named
De Kolta. He holds forth in Paris, and,
being almost gentleman of leisure, only
appears about three nights week He
has made all the most important of mod
ern inventions in magic The one. that
brought him first into prominence in the
line of invention was the flying bird
cage, which is now SO familiar that it
can be bought in magic stores for few
dollars, but it made great sensation at
the time. Kellar was the first to buy it
from De Kolta, and took the trick to
Australia, where he made some $4,000
out of it. He only paid $780,
Two or three seasons ago in New York
the Vanishing Lady was accepted as a
very remarkable novelty. This was also
an invention of De Kolta's. During the
past year another of his inventions, the
Cocoon, has been given in New York
both by Kellar and by Hermann
But the one that is now most familiar
and surprising De Kolta first brought out
two years ago. We have seen it with
Hermann under the name of Black Art,
and with Kellar under the name of ORR
entail Occultism. The trick is precisely
the same with them both, and is merely
an illusion Of blackness. The whole
stage is draped in the blackest of black;
the magician, be it Kellar or Hermann,
is completely robed in white, so that he
stands out clearly in the gloom surround
ing him. Then he orders various objects
to appear, a cup, sword, table,
chair
MAGIC Is WANING.
These things seem to suddenly start
into being, and yet the device is of the
simplest. The objects in question are
concealed behind black cloth until the
The Florida agriculturist., 1889-05-15

on him to spit three times whenever he
saw dead cat. The origin of this will
not stop now to trace.
Not long since alady acquaintance was
walking along the street with friend,
when she suddenly felt herself pulled off
the sidewalk into the street. The occa-
sion Of this sudden maneuver was the
other lady's superstitious fear of walking
under ladder that leaned against the
wall in front of them. have learned
that this superstition is very common
and perhaps, it is not worth my while to
disturb it, For it might be decidedly
''unlucky" to walk under ladder-pro-
vided a man weighing 200 was on it and
it should slip; or. in case an unsteady
man with ''drop too much. - should in
dulge in further drop too much of
loose lying brick from his hod. Though
in the case of the colored brother, who
stood serene while the brick lay in frag-
ments at his feet, and who merely ex-
claimed, Look out, dar! Eff yo' doan't
want yo' bricks broke jes' keep 'em off O.
dis chile's he'dT it was only the brick
that was ''unlucky."
Il have an old acquaintance in Maine
who used to stick his jackknife in the
headboard on going to bed to prevent his
having the cramp. That is the sole in
stance of that sublime faith with which
am acquainted But have known Of
people who warded off the same uncom-
Portable nightly visitant by scrupulously
arranging their slippers bottom up at the
foot of their bed
lady not long since went into a
jewelry store, Being at a corner it opened
ON two streets. When she started to go
out, the salesman said, Madam! you
have forgotten. why what? said she,
thinking of purchase or purse. But you
came in at the other door," he replied.
Then it flashed over her; and though she
went on her way, she remembered that
it was ''unlucky" to enter by one door
and go out by another. However it may
be about other places, am really inclined
to think that it is unlucky for lady to
go into "a jewelry store, no matter which
door she goes out Of; unlucky for the
man who has to pay the bills
Then, again, it is unlucky, to have
bad dream three nights running. This is
one OF the signs that believe in thor
oughly "Ahar you say. "then you, too,
are superstitious as well as the rest of
us?' Yes, believe it is very unlucky to
have bad dream-even one night tits
sign that your supper didn't set well,
and also. that you will not feel nearly so
well the next morning. And if you allow
it to trouble you the next day it is another
bad sigma sign that you won't sleep so
well the next night, and also sign that
you have nos yet outgrown the fanciful
dreams of the worlds childhood.
Savage in Boston Globe.
Rachel's Intellectual Power
The Florida agriculturist., 1889-05-15
MAGIC Is WANING.

These things seem to suddenly start
into being, and yet the device is of the
simplest The objects in question are
concealed behind black cloth until the
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10
A Song in the Night.

The Rev. M. d. Hoge, D. D., OF
Richmond, Va, recently related the
following incident:
"Once I made visit to young per-
son in this city who had long been a
sufferer from a disease which caused
her unspeakable pain. Her kind ply
sician stood by her with tears in his
eyes, but could only give her temporary
relief. After he left 1 tried to say few
soothing, comforting words to her,
and she said:
"'Yes, 1 suffer great pain, I often
lay awake all night, unable to sleep
because of it, but I have one compen.
sation.'
Zone compensation I asked, wha
is that. p
"Said she, 1T is this: Often when !
cannot close my eyes in sleep I have
such a sense of Gods loving and re-
conciling presence all about me that |
have learned what Job means when
he talks about songs in the night
"Whether it be fact in natural his
tory that the nightingale pours forth
her sweetest notes when she leans her
bosom against thorn do not know,
but do know that in the experience
of many Christian 'the anguish OF
the singer gives sweetness to the
song and that they are the best COM
forters of others who learn in suffer-
ing what they teach in song"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10
Curing Il Stingy Boy.

Jimmy was the stingiest little boy
YOU ever knew. He couldn't bear to
give away cent, nor u bite of an ap-
pie, nor y crumb of candy.
He couldn't even bear to lend his
sled, or his knife, or his hoop or skates
All of h friends were very sorry he
was so stingy, and talked to him q
great deal about it. But he couldn't
see any reason why he should give
away what he wanted himself.
eff I didn't want it," he would say,
"p'r'aps | would give it away: but
why should give it away when l
want it MYSELF" >,
Because it is nice to be generous, "
said his mother, "and to think about
the happiness of other people. 1t
makes YOU feel better and happier
yourself If you give your sled to lit
tie ragged Johnny, who never had one
in his life, YOU will feel thousand
times better watching his enjoyments
| of it than if you had kept it yourself" "
"Well," said Jimmy, ''Pll try it.
The sled was sent off, while Jimmy
looked on as if he was taking dose OF
rhubarb. GLOW soon shall I feel bet
ter":" he asked by and by. II don't
feel as well as I did when had the
sled. Are you sure shall feel bet
ter?"
"Certainly." answered his mother
but if you keep on giving something
away you will feel better all the soon
cr."
Then he gave away kite, and
thought he didn't feel quite as well as
before. He gave away a silver piece
that he had meant to spend for tafty.
Then he said, II don't like this Civ
| ing away things; it doesn't agree with
me. I don't feel any better. l like
being stingy best"
Just then ragged Johnny came W
the street, dragging his sled, looking
rs proud IA a prince, and asking all the
bows to take a slide with him. Jimmy
began to smile as he watched him, and
said, "You might give Johnny my
overcoat; he's liltler than I am, and
he doesn't seem to have one. think
| i guess-I know Pm beginning tc
feel ever so much better. Pm glad
gave Johnny the sled. I'll give away
something else"
And Jimmy has been feeling better
since that hour.-Om Little Ones.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10
Work Deliberately.

There are some things that must be
done in 4 hurry, or not at all. Catch
ING a flea is one of the best examples
n)2ropOs to this. But as a rule, it is
safe to say, the man or woman who
works deliberately accomplishes the
most. The deliberate worker is the
thoughtful worker, with whom the
habit of system has become second ma
I fture. ANY one may cultivate it who
will take the trouble to try; and the
most unsystcmatic, spasmodic worker
will realize with amaZement how easy
| it is to get through an allotted task in
half the time it formerly required, by
planning it all out before entering the
office, workshop, or kitchen.
The hurried worker is the one who
fancics he is an uncommonly busy
man. True, he is; so is the man who
tries to bale out a leaky boat with a
crownless hat. and in proportion to the
energy expended, very often, the one
accomplishes about as much as the
other. The busiest men we have
known were those who never seemed
to be in a hurry, and they accomplish
ed more in given time, and We're less
worn out when their work was done,
than many who accomplished half as
much. and almost killed themselves in
doing it.
Think about your work before begin.
ming it, then go at it deliberately. IL
will save wear and tear OF nerve and
muscle, YOU will accomplish more, and
what you do will be better done.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10

"No one can he saved by the com
mandments, but much less can he bt
saved without them"
The brotherly love does not look Sc
much ut the WOrthiness of the person
as at the need and misery.
The whole secret of good manners j:
to "do unto others as you would thai
they should do unto YOU"
There is nothing wholly good orbad
There are spots upon the sun, ant
bright CLEANS in the coal mine.
There is a transcendent power in eX
ample. We reform others uncon
sciously when we walk uprightly.
The man who thinks himself indis'
pensable to the church of which he is
a member, is the very man that church
ould best afford to lose.
%When one has learned to seek the
honor that cometh from God only, he
will take the Withholding of the hon
or that comes from man very quietly
indeed.
There are many who do not enter
the kingdom of heaven just because
they will not believe the tiny key
which is landed them fit to open its
hospitable gate.
All impatience of monotony, all
weariness of best things, even, are but
signs of the eternity of our nature, the
broken human fashions, of the divine
everlastingness.
"There is no substitute for personal
piety. 1t is the true influence against
which sin cannot stand. Herein is my
Father glorified that ye bear much
fruit, so shall We be my disciples.
This is Christ's recognition of his peo-
ple.n
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10
What Others Say.
st. Louis Advocate.

We are satisfied that one cause OF the
beeblenesS of conviction and the sur
face results in our meetings is we sing
too much. Too much singing TENDS To
destroy conviction. This Is true 10
some extent when the most solid ana
serious hymns are sung, but morS es-
pecially is it true when the singing Is
of the light, insubstantial kind that Is
so popular nowadays. President Fin
ney, whose large experience and clear
insight into spiritual operations ehtl-
ties his opinion to great weight, says
"A great deal of singing often Injuries
a prayer-meeting. The agonizlnG
spirit of prayer does not lead people tc
sing. But if l know what it is to ira
vail in birth for souls, Christians never
feel less like singing than when they
have the spirit of prayer for sinners
Singing is the natural expression OF
feelings that are joyful and cheerful
The spirit of prayer is not the spirit OF
joy. 1t is spirit of travail and agony
of soul, supplicating and pleading
with God with strong sighings anG
groanings that cannot be uttered
This is more like any thing else than
it is like singing. I have known
states of feeling where you could not
distress the people of God more than
to begin to sing-it would be SO entire
ly different from their feelings. why,
if you knew your house was on fire,
would you just stop and sing a hymn
before you put it out? How would il
look when a building was on fire, and
the fireman are all collected, for the
firemen to stop and sing a hymn? II
is just about as natural for the people
to sing when exercised with spirit OF
prayer. When people feel like pulling
men out of the fire, they do not feel
like singing. never knew a singing
revival to amount to much. Its ten
dency is to do away with all deep feel.
ing" Few things will sooner arrest
the deep work of the Spirit Oh the con-
science and heart than for company
of thoughtless, prayerless young peo'
pie to sing Justify the frivolous hymns
and tunes that so we'll accord with
their own non-spiritual case.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10

Great wealth and content seldom
live together.
Religion is not dogma, nor an
emotion, but service.
Who hath a greater combat than he
that laboreth to overcome himself?
Never let your own inner life get
low in your search after the lives oI
others.
Conduct is the great profession: be-
havior is perpetually revealing Us
what man does tells what he is.
When Christ came into the world,
peace was sung and when lie went
out of the world, peace was bequeath-
ed.
Let the world see, by your heavenly
lives, that religion is something more
than opinions, or a task of outward
duties.
No life is so safe as to avoid all slips
and detection, but the really good one
has quick and certain power of recu'
peration.
He who has learned to commune
with God becomes able to see him ev'
STN"IeIS. pistNNS 't', "i'ii g
our surroundings, in the light of the
eternal.
If there is not enough of the Chris
tian religion in Europe and Amerlca
to stop war forever between nations
there certainly ought to be common
sense enough.
TO him who recognizes its true Char
acter and avails himself of what II
brings, isn't Sabbath welcome break
. into the toll and care and worry OF
weekday secularities?
Wit loses its respect with the good,
when seen in company with malice
and to smile at jest which plants q
thorn in another's breast, is to become
a principal in the mischief.
Faith shines most brightly in beleiv,
ing things that seem incredible-hope
shines in expecting things that seem
improbable-patience in bearing
crosses that appear intolerable.
The best remedy for our discomfort,
il TO count up our mercies. by the
time we have reckoned up part OF
these. we shall be on our knees prais-
ing the Lord for his mercy and love.
BENJAMIN Franklin said: ''The eyes
of other people are the eyes that ruin;
IF all but myself were blind 1 should
neither want fine house nor fine fur
nit ire."
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10

To PREVENT DAMAGE BY MOTHS
AS moths are not troublesome unit
the weather becomes warm or lr
houses which are we'll heated, it is no
necessary to use any precautions
against them in the Winter. A:
Spring approaches and furs are lalC
aside, they should be we'll beaten ane
thoroughly busted with fine Scotch
snuff, then folded or rolled and put in
bags of strong cotton cloth with few
leaves Of tobacco, and tied up tightly
These bags should be hung in light
place where they are frequently dis
iurbed. Larger furs are best preserved
by packing them away after dustine
,hem libcrally with snuff, in q whisky
or brandy cask and heading them ur
close. Furs which have been exposed
TO danger should be well beaten i'll the
sunshine and sprinkled with benzine
or put in a trunk in which some pa
pers saturated with benzine are laic
in a false bottom. Benzine is fatal tt
all insects.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10
BROWNE and HEMMENWAY.
APOSTLES OF "PEAcE ON EARTH, COOL
WILL TOWARD MEN"
Letter Of Rev. John Iemmenway to
Rev. Sidi II. Browne. in Tender
SoIicitude for the "Christian
NeiShbor'..-Reply of Mr.. Browne,
Who Renews His Vow to Work to
the End for the Cause of Peace.

Abou Ben Adhem (inay his tribe increaseD
Awoke one night from deep dream OF peace,
And saw within the moonlight III his room,
Making 1t rich and like n lily In bloom,
An angel writing in n book Of gold:
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the presence In the room he said,
"What wrtest thou ?"-The vision raised It's
head,
And with q look made Of all sweet accord,
Answered. "The names of those who love the
Lord"
"And is mine one?" said Abou. NAY, not
So,''
Replied the angel.-Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still and said, ~ pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow-men."
The angel wrote, and vanished. The next
night
1t came again, with great Weakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God
had blessed
And. 10! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10
A. r. Presbyterian.

Earnest workers are never grum
blers. Those who are deeply interest
ed in the work of the Church have nt
time for wrangling. They may not bt
satisfied with what they see, but they
feel that the best way to mend thing:
is by doing something rather than b.
criticising. Fault-fnders pull down
workers build up. Yet there is place
for earnest, steadfast dissent. There
comes time in the history Of almos
every congregation when some Pau
must withstand Peter to the face.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10
The Metropolitan.

Ask these tremendous Methodist
workers if religion is declining
Their ready answer is: "What do you
suppose we build an extra church fol
every day in the year? Not because
we have mania for churches, but Ge
cause they are needed in every part O
the country" Then visit the Foreign
Missionary Society; learn that they
raise million year to carry the Cos
pei to the heathen. Who give thai
amount of money?
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10
EVANGELICAL Messenger.

BITTER WoRDs.-A single bitter
word may disquiet an entire family foi
whole day. One surly glance casts Il
gloom over the household, while a
smile, like gleam of sunshine, may
light up the darkest and wearies;
hours. Like unexpected flowers
which spring up along our path, full
of freshness, fragrance and beauty, 50
kind words and gentle acts and sweet
dispositions make glad the sacred spo'
called home. No matter how humble
the abode, if it be sweetencd Will!
kindness and smiles, the heart will
turn lovingly toward it from all the tu-
mults of the world, and home, if it b'
ever so homely, will be the dearest spot
beneath the circuit of the sun.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10
Raleigh Advocate.

At Baptist meeting somewhere il
North Carolina the following question
was asked: "Has pastor the right t,
invite brother preacher to preach fol
him without consulting the church ol
its officers" Brother T. II. Speigh1
gave the following amusing answer
"ReSolved, That a pastor has right tt
ask brother preacher into the pulpit
and the church has the right to asl
him QUIZ
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10

Not WORTH THE GETTING.-A
nopular work on business has this true
statement about that enticing thing,
success
GAS rule, the men who succeed in
business have to give up their entire
life to labor in mastering and regulat-
ing the details thereof, and thereby
lose all capabilities for better life, all
relish for recreation and contempla-
ton, and all true appreciation Of the
leisure when it come at last, as the fac
ultics for enjoyment, like all others,
are apt t0-nay, must, from want OF
usc-grow atlophied with disease; and
the successful man, with much to re.
tire upon, has nothing to retire to; Tor
literature, science, domesticities, pub
lie and philanthropic interests-nature
itself, with its eXhaustless loveliness
and its perennial refreshment-have
been lost sight Of during the mad
struggle, and these are treasures the
key to which soon grows rusty; and
friends that once sighted, cannot be
whstled back at will. So we sacrifice
life to a Hring and lay the foundation
of sad and dreary old age.
TIE THING WORKED OUT.-In our
school day arithmetic, as we passed to
Il new section, we were greeted with
an example Of the new section worked
out. DR.. Franklin could not convince
the farmers that plaster enriched the
soil so he took plaster, and formed it
into Il sentence by the road side. The
wheat coming up through those letters
was about twice as rank and green as
the other wheat, and the farmers could
| read for months, in letters of living
green, this sentence, This has been
| mustered. Arguments and culture
and fine sermons cannot convince sim
ners: they want to read, in pulpit, in
pew, in our utter separation from the
world, in our contentedness OF mind
and victorious joy, that religion is true.
Let us have the thing worked out.
The defects Of true mans charac-
ter are seen only by those who know
him intimately and watch him criti-
cally in his fierce struggle for the vic
torv over the wrong. lie whose tenn
per is naturally fiery and VIOLENT is far
more worthy of credit when he pre-
serves q calmncss and serenity OF man.
ner under strong incentives to resent
mcnt than the man who is by nature
obtusc in his emotions, and IS seldom
aroused TO any show of anger or petu-
lance under the most eXasperatlng
prOvOcation.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10
New York Christian Advocate.

"Tbe worldly professor who find:
his pleasure in display, i'll business
prosperity, in giving and receiving
calls, in entertainments in his OWL
family, in literature, music or the eN
ternals of the church, who judges ser.
mons merely by their intellectual
qualities, and the services Of the sane
tuary by their power to please tn,
taste, is without true love for Christ
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10

ing soldiers, any more than the dread:
full crime of adultery can be justified
bv that sermon, and in fact the war
spirit and conduct is more fully and
pointedly condemned in that sermon
by our Saviour than adultery.
will Brother Browne be so good as
to tell the readers of the NEIGHBoF
when and how he came to have his
ewes opened so wide upon the sin OF
war. Will he give us fully his Peace
experience?
SAINT ANTHONY PARK, MINNESOTA,
January 3rd, 1889.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10

The pen is mighty engine, and 1t
sometimes runs away with the engi-
neer.-Uic0yo Times.