davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01
What She Could Do.

Susan Bolles was plain, quiet sis.
ter of beautiful, brilliant girl.
At school Lena, at the head OF the
class, ratified over French verbs or Ro.
man history which she had commit
ted to memory in all hour, while Su-
san poured over them in vain. 1t is
true that Lena forgot her lessons as
quickly as she learned them, but she
had a faculty of displaying every
scrap of knowledge in a way which
won her notice and applause.
The whole school regarded her as q
genius, and was proud of her poems
and essays. She was the coming
George Eliot or Tennyson, they boast
ed. They were not aware, what was
nevertheless the fact, that there was O
close resemblance in the ideas and
words of all that she wrote to those of
the last book which she had read.
Susan also a. first labored over
poems and stories of italian brigands,
but failed utterly, and finally acqui-
esced in the opinion of the school girls
that she was q Ounce. "Susan," said
her teacher, "is no linguist, no musi-
clan, no mathematician. 1t is diff
cult to determine in what her talent
lies."
. But Susan's keenness of observation
and her warm heart made her q help.
full child. 1t was Susan who saw that
her fathers gloves needed mending,
and who darned them so neatly; it
was Susan only who knew how to
make dry, crisp toast for her mother
when she was i'll it was Susan who
handled the baby more skillfully and
tenderly than aaybody else. No scrap
of knowledge about the ordinary af-
fairs of life was any too trifling for her
to learn.
"Susan," said Lena contemptuous-
ly, twill be an admirable, cook, seam
stress and nurse" She felt that she
herself was born for something high
er. But when one of the scholars cut
an artery, one day, it was Susan who
quietly made tourniquet and stopped
the bleeding till the doctor came.
"You have saved her life, child" he
said. "How did you learn to do it ?"
81 saw iC in a book" she said, mod
estly. She had poured over books
which taught of the care of the house,
children, or the sick. These things
she could remember. II am a Ounce,
but I may be of some little use," she
thought.
AS time passed, her quick observa-
ton, her tact and kindly sympathy
made Susan a practical, useful woman,
and gave her charm of manner that
gathered about her hosts of friends.
Lena was always snowy, superficial,
and helpless. AS she grew older, she
missed the applause which had follow
ed her in youth, and grew bitter and
ill tempered.
We give this sketch of two real char
acters for the benefit of the girl read
ers, who because they have mediocre
abilities as scholars begin to fear that
they have but low, mean part to
play in life.
The alert, tender, domestic woman
full of the homely wisdom which en-
ables her to be helpful to the body and
soul of all who come near her, is one
of the most useful Of Gods ministers
in the world.-YOuth's Companion.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01
Do It.

Know what you ve got to do first, and then
49, doit; go
What you do, do ut once-you never will rue
it; .
Let duty direct you. and never pooh-pooh It;
II your horse has loose shoe, why, lei th9
smith shoe 1t.
II your chair back is broken get the glue-pot
anu glue 1t;
What you do, do at once-you never will rue
it;
II your lesson is hard, work hard and get
through IT.;
If your seam Is iu-sewn, get pin and undo
1t.
What YOU do, do at once-you never will rue
it;
II your burden is heavy, then bend your back
to 1t;
II won't grow the lighter because you eschew
it;
What i, you do do at 0n0e-y0a Will never rue
Exchange.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01

SPEAKING TO STRANGERs.-Ho
many strangers have you spoken to in
church ? The old temple had q gate
called Beautiful. Its leaves of bur-
nished brass; its posts of precious
marbles; its adornment of resplen-
dent jewels |; its threshold of rare mo-
sale. 1t was the crown of the temple
architecture. Every church ought to
have gate Beautiful. And the gate
Beautiful for any church is the warm
and radiant welcome of its members
to the strangers. Has your church
such gate Beautiful? Can you not
do something toward rearing it? Are
You doing anything toward rearing
it?
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01

ALONE WITH GoD.-Christian life
in our day is full of activity. 1t finds
pleasure in planning, giving and work
ing for the growth Of Christ's king
dom. The spirit of cohsecratlon gives
Joy to all Christians who recognize it,
and inspires confident hopes in the ag-
gressive movements of the church.
But it conceals also great peril. All
Christian power springs from COM
munion with God, and from the in
dwelling of divine grace. One can do
good to others only as his own heart
Dulsates with love to Jesus, and has a
present experience of his love. We
can impart only what we receive;
Any spring will run dry unless fed
from unfailing springs. Any Chris
tian labor will be fruitless, and Chris
tian zeal be like sounding brass, unless
the soul waits daily upon God, and
finds new strength in prayer and in
the study of the Bible.-Selected.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01
The Sunlight Of Our Household.

Did you ever see her
The little fairy sprite,
Who came glancing through our household
Like ray OF golden light?
Whose little feet kept dancing
Never weary until eve
Threw its purple shadows DER us
And her goodnight kiss she gave.
Did you ever see her
With her flowing curls OF brown
AS she gladly ran to meet US
Coming from the distant town?
AS she greeted US with kisses
Twas the sweetest welcome home
TO hear her bird voice lisping
20! I'm so glad you've come"
Did you ever see her
With her eyes Of tender gray,
They were sometimes filled with tear-drops
Like the early flowers Of May?
Oftener they were laughing, glancing,
Shining, twinkling. bright with JOY
AS she told some pretty story
or her kittens or her toy.
And you did not see ner
When those pattering feet were still,
When the little hands were folded
Not by their sweet owners will.
When the eyes were closed SO gently
And the curls of soft brown hair,
BY the hands of friends were parted
From her forehead pure and fair.
And you did not see her
When they shut the coffin lid,
And our little fairy darling
From our sight forever hid.
With her going west our sunlight
From our house tits ever gone,
May we say with truth and calmness
Not my will, but thine be done.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01
We 'Uns.

A mountaineer and his wife had
come down out of the mountains ol
Kentucky to 60 to some new location
in Tennessee. They had little jag OF
household goods, and both were dress
ed poorly. After he had paid the
freight on his goods he lacked few
shillings of having enough to pay
their fare. I heard them talking it
over as they sat on baggage truck on
""e platform.
ave 'uns will hev to 60 back, I
reckon" said the man.
"But we 'uns can't 60 back" she re-
piled. 1--WE 'uns has sold out and hev
no place to 60 to-"
"But what kin we 'uns dom
"Haven't we 'uns got money 'nuff"'
"No.n
And they 'uns won't take us?"
"And we 'uns is in fix?"
"Sartin."
"But the Lord is down yere as well
as up'n the hills, amt he ?" she asked.
"He mought be, but the chances
seem agin it,"
"But I'll 90 out among the cotton
bales and find spot to pray. The
Lerd never did desert His own"
"You mought try it" he said doubt
ingly.
| had told three or four of the boys,
and we Clipped in SIS and handed it to
the man, and he had the money in
hand when the woman returned.
Did you pray?" he asked.
"Yes."
Eur how much ?l'
IA dollar"
."And the Lord has dun sent lis
five"
"Then we 'uns is no longer in a
tix?"
"Yere it is, and our troubles are
over. Tillle, we 'uns orter hev cum
down yere twenty years ago. Up thar
when we 'uns aXed the Lord for o dol
lar we 'uns sometimes got two bits out
of it. Down yere when we 'uns ak
fur the same He piles it on ten times
over, and doan' even want to know
whar we cum from or which church
we belong to r'-New York Sun.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01

ONE MEANING OF TEMPTATION
Jeddie was fond of the Sunday-school
song, "Yield not to temptation )" he
sang it very prettily.
"What is it to yield to temptation ?"
grandma asked.
Jeddie thought moment, and then
said:
"Lillie builds her block-house all up
high. 1 want to push it down, and I
hold up my foot. Lille says. NO, no,
Jeddien Then put my foot out, and
the blocks tumble over.n
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01

RAPID GRowTH.-"Uncle John,"
said little Emily, "do you know that
baby who was fed on elephants milk
gained twenty pounds in weekw
Nonsense ~ exclaimed Uncle John,
and then asked: Whose baby was
it?"
ut was the elephants baby" re-
piled little Emily.-New Jersey Mirror.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01

THE SUPREME TEsT.-"He referred
me to you as to his honesty"
"And I certainly can indorse him
thoroughly. Why, my dear sir, I'd
trust That man with-with-why,
with an umbrella" Philadelphia
Times.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01
Now.

If you have kind word, say IT,;
Throbblng hearts soon sink to rest.
If you owe q kindness, pay 1t;
Life's sun hurries to the west.
Can you do kind deed? Do IL,
From despair q soul TO save;
Bless each day as you pass through II,
Marching onward to the grave.
If some grand thing for tomorrow
You are dreaming, do 1t now;
For the future do not borrow;
Frost soon gathers on the brow.
Speak thy word, perform thy duty;
Night Is coming deep with rest;
Stars will gleam In fadeless beauty,
Grasses whisper DER thy breast.
Days for deeds are few my brother,
Then to-day fulfil thy vow.
If you mean 10 help another,
DO not dream lido 1t now.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01

Little Ethel went to church with
her grandmother, and for the first
time put 10 cents in the contribution
plate. Leaning over she whispered
very audibly, "That's all right, grand
ma, paid for two"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01
A Great Mans Greatest Thought.

At a dinner at the Astor House,
when Daniel Webster was Secretary OF
State under President Fillmore, after a
period Of silence which fell upon the
company of some twenty gentlemen
who were present, one of the guests
said:
"Mr. Webster, will you tell US what
was the most important thought that
ever occupied your mind ?"
Mr.. Webster slowly passed his hand
over his forehead, and in low tone
inquired of one near him:
"Is there any one here that does not
know me-"
"None, all are your friends"
";Ihe most important thought that
ever occupied my mind" said Mr..
Webster, twas that of my individual!
responsibility to Cod" And after
speaking of this subject in the most
solemn strain for twenty minutes, he
silently rose from the table and retired
to his room.
This incident related by Harvey in
his "reminiscences" served to illus
trate the attitude of great minds to-
wards eternal Things. Great men are
not scoffers. The men of flippant
jeers and goddess jests are men of small
caliber and shallow intellect. 1t is not
the wise man who has "said in his
heart, there is no God" ."-EX.
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-11
An Old Incubator.

The art of Matching eggs by artificial
means is popularity supposed to be of recent
or, at least, modern invention. \ COM
mon expression often applied to it is ''rais-
ing chickens by steam" But it is older
than the present civilization. The practice
was in vogue in Egypt when Solomon built
the temple at Jerusalem, and chickens by
the million have been brought into being
annually by this artificial means.
The United States consul general at
Cairo, Egypt, John Caldwell. made a per-
sonal inspection of the methods of incuba-
ton practiced in Egypt, and in one of his
reports gives full details of his investiga-
tons. He writes: With the purpose of
seeing the ancient industry for myself 1
went into the district of Abae Abbasseeyeh.
tune TO find a very respectable establish
ment in full operation.
Though / had never seen one before, !
recognized the incubatory in the distance
by the six heat escapes, which extended a
short distance above the structure. l di-
rected the hickman toward the building,
but on reaching 1t not a sign of life was
visible about the premises. There was a
door in one corner of the structure and a
window near it, but both were shut up
with heavy wooden shutters, and the door
was locked from the inside.
A mystical rap on the window by my
guide brought to the door one of the at
PENDANTS. In a few moments l was in dark
passages, peering into huge brick ovens or
chambers, in which were tens of thousands
of eggs and in two of which were thou
sands of little chickens just from the
shells. and not able to look after food. In
a recess there was the remnant of the last
hatch of a few days before, four or five
hundred active. healthy, vigorous chicks,
not yet marketed. Journal
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-11
An Unpleasant Disagreement.

james 81. Kerr was fined IS and costs
in Magistrate Wivill's court on Thursday
for assault and battery committed on
Matthew Bachman, and in return Kerr
swore out a warrant charging Bachman
with the same offense and his trial
came up this afternoon at 2 o'clock. The
case grows out of peculiar circumstances.
Someone has been driving over the side
walk in front of Kerr's residence on
Thirty eighth street and Fifteenth sve-
nue., and short time ago he tackled a
notice on post applying an opprobrious
epithet to the offender and setting forth
in very strong terms that unless the
offender ceased to trespass he must abide
by the consequences. A few days ago
Bachman, who drives milk wagon,
asked Kerr what that notice meant.
Whereupon Kerr reiterated the statemen,
on the notice in very strong terms, an6
the result was the above mentioned cases
The remainder of the story is being heard
this afternoon.
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-11
Cultivate Enemies!

what shall dor" wrote somebody to
me not long ago. Il have a relentless and
bitter enemy; what shall do about it?''
Cultivate him, is my answer. There Is
nothing better for the development of the
Drawn of your soul than good, active.
open enemy. Do you remember, if YOU
ever lived on farm, how the hoe acted on
the cornhills and the pruning knife on the
vines? A sure way to set the green tassels
flying and the clusters ripening on the
trellis is to call in the active and agrees
i've action of the cultivator and the primer.
Wouldn't givea snap Of sore finger for
a person who never had an enemy. You
might as well be dead. 1t is sign that
you are very actively alive if somebody
hates you.
Did you ever see truant schoolboys club
bling scrub oaks for apples? No, sir; it is
the fruit trees and the nut bearing trees
that get the stones and the shakings every
time, and the ripper and sweeter the fruit
and the more plentiful the nuts the more
boys congregate and the more clubs are
thrown. Never be afraid then of an
enemy, provided he fights you according to
the tactics of white man rather than an
Indian. God pity you if your foe is lial
and shoots from an ambush. All the BRAY.
cry and pluck in the world never availed 6
man when a savage lay for him behind 9
bush.-Chicago Herald
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-11
Do You Keep Your Mouth opene

''Have you ever noticed" said physi-
clan, "how many of the people you meet
have the habit of keeping their lips parted
little2 Just observe peoples mouths in
your walks about the city, and you will be
surprised at the truth of what | am telling
you. Or perhaps you will not be surprised
now that l have put you on your guard,
but you will find the number is exceeding
ly large. l venture to say that more than
three-quarters of the men and women to
be met in the streets of this city will be
found to have their mouths habitually
partly open. To some extent this is due to
catarrh, which is almost a national. disease,
and which renders nose breathing in at
least some cases not an easy thing. Then
l think that it is largely the result of bad
habits.
The habit Of opening the lips little is
easily acquired, and like all habits not
easily broken. Then again there are some
people who have the habit of humming to
themselves as they walk, which naturally
tends to throw the mouth open. OF course
the general habit of which am speaking
is an extremely bad one. The nose is the
instrument given us to breathe with, and
only when the air passes through the nose
and is strained there, especially in cold
weather, is it in fit condition to enter the
lungs.
Much more attention should be given to
the formation of the habit of nose breath
ing than is generally the case. This is a
fact that ought 20 be forcibly impressed
on the mind of every parent and every
teacher. After violent exercise it is nat
ural and inevitable to breathe through the
mouth, just as the dog throws open his
jaws and hangs out his tongue when ex-
haUsted by some special effort. But the
dog and all other animals when in normal
condition breathe only through the nose
and men, women and children ought to dc
the same.-New York Tribune.
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-11
Statuary Given Away.

Probably that happens at
almost every wedding: and if it
doesn't, it's a good plan to
buy one or two pieces for
the mantel piece, the center
table, or the corner bracke. you
don't know just how to fill up.
l have several pieces of
FlorentiEe statuary, not at all
bad, which l am offering at
very much reduced prices; and
some larger prices, also.
q. M LOOSELY.
l60e Second Avenue.
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-11
DASHED TOGETHER.
serious Collision and Wreck on the
southwest Divisiou of the Rock
Island Road Yesterday Morning.

A bad wreck occurred between Vincent
ana washington on the southwest divi.
SION OF the Rock Island road yesterday
morning. 1t was front end collision.
between passenger train Is drawn by en-
g;ne 534, with Engineer Stevens at the
throttle and Conductor E. A. Stone in
charge. and freight train As with Engi-
neer Frank Norton in charge. Tee
Davenport Democrat of this morning
thus describes the accident:
10 all appearances the trains came to-
gether at full speed. The wreck was
universal and complete-or as much so as
was possible without loss of lite. Engi>
neer Frank Norton of the feight was hurt
the worst of any of the persons injured
IL is thought that he was on the side of
MS engine on the outside of the cure and
that possibly he did not see the passen-
ger train before the two trains crasht d int O
each other. AT any rate he was caught
inside of his engine and was badly
crushed. His fireman, named Wilson,
was also badly hurt. Both men were
extrlcated from the wreck and placed
sole, placed upon a car and given medi
cal treatment. The surgeons refused to
allow their removal from their car until
Lhelr condition was improved. Engineer
stevens of the passenger rolled
out or OF his cab window and es.
capped serious injury. Head Brakeman
brown OF the freight train hal walked
BACK upon the second car in the train to
set brake, and as the grade was APP
preached, and the shock of the collision
threw him clear to the front of the trsiu
ana be was scalded by water and steam
escaping from the engines. The two
mail clerks. W. II. Hope. of Birmingh ham.
and E j. Brown, of St. Joseph, Mo, had
their faces badly skinned, and Hope was
so badly bruised and hurt that he is un.
able TO walk. Brown managed to get to
the door Of the car after the first shock
and 1t closed upon him and caught him
with his head outside and his body inside.
He was nearly choked by the time he was
released from his uncomfortable and dan>
gerous predicament. Besides these at.
taches of the train, slight injuries were
received by Mrs. Ballard, of Kingsley.
kas., Charles Judkins, of Princeton.
Mimi, and R-v. Thomas, colored
clergyman, of Washington. Iowa
Engineer Norton, who received the
most serious in juries. is married man.
his home being in Eldora, Iowa The
two engines were totally wrecked, and
will probably never go on the track again.
Their boilers were telescoped and the
shock of the collision sent both engines
to one side of the track about 10 feet.
Mail car No. 81. of the passenger train,
was overturned and splintered. nothing
but the floor being left whole. The mail
matter was scattered around promiscus
ously, but was scooped up and put in the
hands of couple of experienced mail
clerks for sorting. The baggage car was
also badly smashed. the passenger coaches
escaped almost without injury The
freight train fsred even worse. The
leading cars in the train were loaded with
shelled corn. and six of these were broken
open and corn scattered here, there and
everywhere.
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-11
WILL CONTEST. ).
An Important Case in the Circuit
Court.
The Final TIES tament of tho Late Al
anson Sinneit TO be Contested
by II. -. bowman and Guy
Bowman

An important case in chancery was
filed In the circuit court Yesterday after
noon, returnable at the May term Ia it
Edward s. Bowman and Guy Bowman,
sons of E. Fl. Bowman, Jr., and grand.
children of the late Alanson Sinnett, pc.
tition to have the last will of the latter
set aside, on the ground that he wss not
of sound mind when the will was made,
and that 1t was made in accordance with
the dictation of those who Jared best bv
its provisions.
Mr.. Sinnett, it will be remembered
died in 1885, and his will was made
a month before his death. BY the terms
of his final testament his estate, valued
at about $4,000, was left to his son,
james W. Sinnett. of Carthage, Mo,
his son, F. NJ. Sinnett. and daughter,
Mrs. Laura E. Wilson, Of This city, while
the children of his deceased daughter,
Mrs. Ellen Bowman, and a grand-daugh-
| ter Minnie Sinnett, of Grandville, O.,
were cut of with little more than the law
allows. Mrs. Bowman died in 1876. and
her,four children received as their proper
ton two lots among them and 500 in
money each.
The law provides that heirs who are
minors at tie time of the death of the tes.
tator, may have three years after they be-
come of age to contest. Ed. Bowman
has attained his majority, and Guy will
become of age this summer They, there
fore, petition the court to set the will
aside, and that the estate be distributed
according to law, which would give them
their rlghtful share as legal heirs.
Jackson & Hurst are attorneys for the
complainants
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-11
The Chiidren,s Part.

As usual the children will take an i'm
portant part in the May festival given by
the ladies of tie First NJ. E. church at
the Rock Island rink this year. A par
ticularlY enjoyable feature will be the
presentation of spectacular selection,
entitled, THE Dragon Fly" in which
rs children will take part brilliantly cos,
tuned to represent different insects. l;
will be grand feature of the May festi-
val, and the Methodist ladies expect no
only in this but IN all other attractions
in connection with their festival, tc
eclipse all former efforts this season.