davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14
HINDERED IN PRAYER.
a Cat Which Insisted Upon the Sole Oc-
cupancy of a Particular Chair.

No man in the community was more
respected than Elder Goodman, saws
the Youths Companion. He was fore
most in every good word and work,
and exceedingly eloquent in exhorta-
ton. No devotional exercises were in
fused with so much life as those he led
So well was this recognized that he
was always called upon for that duty
de was once attending conference,
and had passed the night at the house
of worthy brother. At family wor-
ship the next morning the elder was
naturally called upon.to offer prayer.
This he was doing with his usual
fervor, when the door sprang slightly
ajar, and in walked "Tabby," the fam
lily cat.
Tabby was at once very large cat
and badly spoiled and self-willed
cat; she ruled the household with rod
of iron. Among her prerogatives was
certain comfortable and capacious
rocker, which she had long since pre-
empted. She would never occupy any
other chair, nor permit any one else
in her presence to occupy this one.
Unfortunately. Elder Goodman had
this chair. Tabby eyed the kneeling
figure for moment. and then with an
easy bound landed firmly in the mid
die of his back. The elder taken
wholly by surprise and not knowing
the nature of this sudden assault, hesi-
tated and stammered for a moment,
and then. deeply ashamed that any,
thing should interfere with his duties
at such a time. he went on with steady
and determined accents
Tabby. finding herself disappointed
in the hope of Immediate evacuation.
began to reconnoiter. walking slowly
and impressively up and down the
good mans back. poking her whisker-
ed nose into his neck, and shifting
with great deliberation just behind his
ears.
The two boys of the family. out of
the corners of their eyes. were watch
ing the whole tableau and biting their
tongues hard to save the family repu-
tation. But their father, with eyes
properly and tightly closed, saw moth
ing.
Elder Goodman's prayers were al
ways full and eempreheasiEe,- to hnr-
ry or abbreviate them would have
seemed sacrilege in his eyes, no matter
with what various hindrancesr he
might meet. and he was determined
not to resort to such a course now.
But when Tabby finally settled down
across his shoulders, and began vigor-
ously purring down the most suscepti-
BILE part of his neck, even the good
elder realized that crisis had been
reached: and coming to an abrupt
stop, he exclaimed to his startled
host:
Brother C., if I'm going to re-
main any longer at the throne of grace,
must have that cat removed from my
back"
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14
Quizzed by Lincoln.


Judge Glenni W. Scofield was a per-
sonal friend of Araham Lincoln. A
Warren County private having knock
ed down his captain, was tried. con-
victed and sentenced to the Dry Tor
tugas. His friends urged Scofeld to
have him released. so he went to see
the President and told his story. Lis
tening attentively, Lincoln replied:
Il tell you. judge, you go right down
to the capitol and get Congress to pass
an act authorizing private soldier to
knock down his captain. Then come
back here and will pardon your man. :"
The judge says there was such an air
of quizzical earnestness about the Pres
ident's manner that they both broke
out in an outburat of laughter. The
judge did not press the case further
Harrisburg TELEGRAPH.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14
ENGLISH couRTsH,R.

Yuan Hsing-fu. who recently record
ed in Temple Bar bis impressions of
England from Celestial standpoint.
was good deal puzzled by what he
evidently regards as our free-and-easy
methods of courtship.
Besides invitations to dinner" he
writes there are invitations to tea
parties. such as are occasionally given
by wealthy merchants or distinguished
officials. When the time comes an
equal number of men and women as
semble, and tea, sugar, milk. bread. and
the like are set out as aids to conVersa-
ton. More particularly are there in
vitations to skip and posture when the
host decides what man is to be the
partner of what woman and what wom-
an of what man.
Then. with both arms grasping
each other. they leave the table in
pairs. and leap. skip, posture. and
prance for their mutual qualification.
A man and a woman previously un-
known to one another may take part
in it. They call this skipping tanshen
[dancing]."
The reason for this curious proceed
ing on the part of our countrymen was
well explained by a recent writer IN
Chinese illustrated paper, the Hsca
Pao.
Western etiquet requires n he says.
''the man in search of wife to write
to the girls home and agree upon
some time and place for skipping
match [scilicet. dancel. The day
arrived, youth in red and maid in
green. they come in pairs to the
brilliant. spacious hall, where. to the
emulous sound of flute and drum. the
youth clasping the maiden's waist and
the maid resting upon her partners
shoulder, one pair will skip forward.
another prance backward. round and
round the room until they are forced
to stop for want of breath.
AFTER this they will become ac-
quainted"-only after this. observe
.sand then. by occasional attentions
over bottle of wine or exchange Of
condolences at the tea table. their in
tirnacy will deepen. the maiden's heart
become filed with love, and they will
mate"
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14

truth an innocent man is murdered;
therefore, so some conclude, yoa must
tell lie. But how is it that these
hasty reasoners rush so quickly to the
crooked way when so many possibili-
ties are open to them on the straight
path? In the first place. why should
you tell the questioner either the truth
or lie? Why not some third alter
native? For example, that you are
not bound to give him any answer;
that he seems to have very evil pur-
pose In his question:; that you advise
him in all kindness to give it up; that,
besides this. you will take the part of
the pursued and defend him at the risk
of your own life. which. moreover, it is
your absolute duty to do. But in that
case you urge, his rage would be turned
against you. And how, pray, does it
happen that you calculate only upon
this one result. since second one is
certainly among the possibilities. name
ly, that your adversary. struck with the
business and boldness of your resist
ance, may withdraw from the pursuit
of his enemy, allow his feelings to grow
cooler, and be willing to come to terms
with him.
But suppose he should attack you.
Why will you, at all events, avoid
thatp For it is your unquestionable
duty to protect the fugitive with your
own body, since, whenever human life
is in danger, you no longer have any
right to think of the security of your
own. Now, it plainly appears that the
immediate object of your lie was not
to save your neighbours life. but only
to come out OF the affair with q whole
skin; and, moreover. yours was not
actual danger, but only one of two
possible cases. It seems then, that you
were willing to lie. merely to avoid the
possibility of coming harm. If he at
tacks you, it does not necessarily fol-
low that you are overpowered by the
attack. and that no other alternative is
possible. In the worst case
you can only die, and death releases
you from all further obligation to the
assailed man, while at the same time it
saves you from the danger of lie.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14
He WOULDN'T MOVE.

lie was twenty or thereabouts. full
blown as TO waistcoat, fiamboyant as
to trousers, and in love with the
diminishing glories of his toothpick
patent feathers, says the N. Y. Record
er. He lounged all over a cross seat
in an elevated car, with foot set high
upon the other knee and almost
touching the seat opposite. When an
elderly woman sat down in it he did
not stir, though the dusty sole left a
mark on the black gown. If ANYTHING
he rather braced himself against her
knee. A man on the other side poked
him with a big cane and said: sit
up. young man." but was answer
ed only by a lazy look of ineffable con-
tent Then the woman herself took a
hand. Politely but firmly she said:
Please be good enough, sir, to give
me little more space" Still the
sweet youth sat unmoved
She made her request again, but in
vain. Then she got up with an amused
smile, walked out upon the platform,
and touching his arm said to the guard:
There is poor lumber-jack in here
who has got his feet out of place and
can't get them back. Won't you please
come in and fix them for himPn
The guard came, but before he had
covered half the distance the whole car
was a-roar and the stlum mber-jack" had
contracted into even less than his prop
er dimensions. There he sat, redder
than lobster. trying not to hear the
derisive chorus about him. When the
train slowed up at the next station he
ran ninbly off, his vis-a-vis the while
saying apparently to air: "a reform
school for L road manners is one of
the crying needs of the age.n
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14
The Height of ChivaIry.

An exciting story of the rescue from
drowning of a Japanese, by an Eng
lishman whose life the Japanese him
self had set out to save, is told in a
Japanese paper, the Kobe Shimbare.
The Englishman was resident of
Toxic. Being on his way to Yoko-
hama. and finding no ferry-boat owing
to the swollen state of the river, he
determined to swim across with his
clothing in bundle tied on his head.
The daring attempt attracted a
crowd of sightseers, one of whom,
observing that the stranger was ap-
parently in difficulty, plunged in and
swan to his rescue.
The Japanese was good swimmer,
but the waters ran swiftly, his strength
gave out and he was carried down
stream. Then arose cry from the
spectators, for they saw that the Jap
anese was going to sink.
By this time the Englishman had
almost reached the opposite bank, but
when he heard the cries of the crowd
he turned about. and, seeing the
drowning japanese, he again faced the
current and, coming up with the
drowning man, caught him with one
arm and swimming with the other
hand he brought him ashore amid the
cheers of the crowd.
How chivalrous was his action?'
exclaimed the japanese journalist in
conclusion. "His name we know not,
but he has our highest admiration"
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14
Clever diamond Smuggling.

Talking about smuggling reminds
me of trick saw resorted to by
passenger on one of the big steamers
couple of years ago." said loquaeious
commercial traveller. t'You know
there is a duty on diamonds, and one
of the passengers had three large
stones worth several thousand dollars.
which he had purchased in London.
The problem of how to evade paying
the duty on the stones worried him
considerably, but at last he evolved q
plan, and few day before the steamer
arrived in New York he proceeded to
execute it.,
'The chief officer had a little skye
terrier. aud the passenger after con-
siderable coaxing induced him to sell
the dog. As soon as the smuggler
gained possession of the animal he tied
him up and gave him nothing to eat
until Just before we were to go ashore.
He then procured some fat meat from
the cook, and cutting off piece lit
tie larger than walnut made q hole
in it into which he placed one of the
diamonds.
"a dog will generally bolt piece of
fat without chewing it, and of course
diamond will go down with it. The
hungry dog swallowed the meat. as his
owner expected he would, and in q
short time the three diamonds were
safely slowed away in his interior.
The diamond smuggler had no difficult
ty in evading the vigilance of the GUS
tom house officials. and was soon on
his way up town leading the dog by 8
string.
Il met him again few days after
ward and asked him how he recovered
the stones. Easily enough he re-
piled. As soon as 1 got home shot
the dog and found the diamonds after
a short search. OF course was sorry
for the dog, but dogs are cheap and the
tariff on stones is high, and l never al-
low sympathy to interfere with busi-
ness. "-Jee0eLers' Weekly.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14

mission house and acknowledged that
he made them. He explained that the
eggs were the product of some particu-
larly fine Cochin China fowls owned by
him, which are the envy of all his
neighbors. He valued the eggs at
not less than So dozen, or 25 cents
apiece, for breeding purposes. but his
nelghbors refused to pay his price.
Rather, however, than sell them for
less figures he determined to take
measures to prevent them from being
used to raise up other Cochin Chinas.
Procuring needle he deliberately
prIcked each egg. piercing the inner
skin. The admission of the air effect
ually killed the eggs for breeding pur-
poses, and. in this condition he sent
them to Philadelphia to be sold for 15
cents dozen. In this way, he said,
he had disposed of not less than 100
eggs which he had valued at 25 cents
apiece, but for which he had received
less than 81.
The members of the Water street
commission firm were amazed by the
calm recital of such depravity, but in
vestlgation among other dealers
showed that the Chester county man
was not alone in his practices. Other
farmers possessed of fine fowls were
doing the same thing. it was found,
with the object of enhancing the value
OF their chickens by limiting the breed.
These facts were laid before the Society
for the Suppression of Vice and I'M
morality, and it is understood that
they are preparing to take action
against any farmer whom they can find
given to such work.
Inquiries among the egg houses
along the Delaware river front show
that this practice of killing the eggs
has become alarmingly common. 1t
does not iniure them in any wav for
eating. Fortunately for the hens,
most of those whose eggs come to this
market are of extremely plebian ex-
traction. and chiefly residents of the
west. Iowa, where such practices as
those of the Chester county farmers
are severely frowned upon sends more
eggs to this city than any other state
Of course, after the eggs have been
pierced, those of blue-blooded fowls
have to take their chances along with
those of more lowly origin, and they
all go at the same price. So the con-
sumer profits while the red-handed
farmer loses bY his evil practices.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14
The: GERMAN RARRER,
He Explains in Detail the Qualities Ths
Make q Man Shave Well.

almost any one can be barber,
can't hep"
s'Mein gollyi" said the German bar
Der, styou must dink because anybody
can be reborter dot effery peezness is
der same way. alretty. Goot BARRIERS
is like hens teeth by gale of Wind,
hard to find like der dickens"
''What makes a good barber, any
way?"
Veil" the barber replied. "der
first ding is to git a shop nit goot
acoustic properties so dot choke will
sound funny in all barts of der blace
der same time. Der negst ding is that
a goot barber must got sblendid
memory to safe up all der best dings
away quick, Judgment fine like der
dickens to find owd der minute vot a
choke begins to decompose, like Long
Island City. After dot. firsd-glass
barber must know NIT vot customer
he can make himselluf funny. Dots
der deeference bedWeen me und der
monkey barber by der negst chair,
alretty.
II can make humbugs der whole
dime. und if man vonts shafe in a
| AuLIN L C1u k6oO hIA AulCb I'LL AO
gifts hair cut und shampoo. But dot
crazy loonadicks, which is my assist
ant by der negst chair, he will more
likely git plack eye sooner as he will
sell cake Of soap"
What has he done now?"
Done now? Vot has he done since
der whole of der time he vos born,
alrettyP We haf a fine customer-a
fifdeen-cent customer NIT pay rum
which we dink is Mr.. Pradley. der boss
by Asbury Park. We won't to find owd
if it is him, so vot you dink der mon
key barber SAYS? He says to dot man
der day behind yesterday:
'''If vos Pradley,' he says. I would
catch der morals of der summer visit
ors and sbrinkle 'em NIT chlorate of
lime to keep 'em sweet Dots vot he
says. der crazy CLOWN"
What did Mr.. Bradley sayP"
II don't know if it is Pradley, tell
you. He simply reblied dot der
drubble abowd catching boobies NOR
ais vos dot nopoddy has got some
morals oxcebting himselluf.'
der reason We dink der man is
Pradley is dot ven he dakes a bath
here, by der winter time, he puts on g
bathing suit made of American tin und
stuffs NIT cotton der keyhole of del
r room. IN T. San.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14
THE LIE OR THE TRUTH.
Is Prevarication Ever Necessary or Is 1t
Excusable?

To defend the 'lie of necessity" is,
says Fichte, of all perversions, the
worst; the defender thereby exposes
the essentially depraved character of
his mental processes. That lie should
even so much as occur to you as a
possible mode of escape from certain
EN- mbarrassments, and that you should
then seriously consider whether it may
not be allowable to use it-this is the
true source of your peryerseness. We
have by nature no impulse toward ly-
ing, for nature takes the straightest
course to enjoyment. The moral con-
sciousness knows no lie. To arrive at
such conception requires something
positively evil--a deliberate search for
some crooked way and an avoidance
of the direct courses which are open to
us. To the upright man no such way
of escape ever occurs and had it de-
pended on him no thought of lie
would ever have been introduced
among human ideas.
The well-known illustration OF the
schools may make our thoughts clearer:
A man pursued by his enemy with 8
drawn dagger hides himself in your
presence. His enemy comes up and
asks you where he is. If you tell the
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14
Evidence That Cats rank.

An Androscoggin county woman will
have it that animals talk to each other.
And this is the anecdote she relates to
prove her theory.
She has two cats, Dot and Dots
youngest, named for his exploring pro-
pensities Christopher Columbus. One,
morning little bird flew in at the
open window, and falling to the floor
lay painting and dying. Christopher
Columbus Just then appeared in the
doorway. mo. you don't, Christopher
Columbus" exclaimed his mistress, and
procuring tiny box she put the still
warm body of the feathered mite into
it and made deep grave under the
apple tree. Christopher followed and
looked longingly at the box, then went
away where he was not seen for some
time. Only Christopher witnessed the
burial. yet an hour after going out to
look at the grave she found Dot had
dug up the box and Christopher was
just about to ;levour the dainty mouth
full. Now if Christopher Columbus
didn't go to Dot and say, Mother.
there is little bird buried under that
apple tree; get it for me. please" how
did Dot know there was q bird therep
-LeaoiStoas Journal.
Labrador has a waterfall with q
sheer descent of 2, 600 feet.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14
Church and State.

Tradition tells of fiery Anglo-In-
dian colonel who, getting into a hot
dispute with portly clergyman, re-
marked, pointedly, 1T is a pity that
black ants should not be useful in pro-
portion to their size" Whereon the
person at once retorted, at is a great
er pity that red ants, which are so in
significant, should yet be so offensive" :"
Another collision of this kind be-
tween church and state, in which the
church again had the best of it, is said
to have occurred at an English public
dinner, where woufd=be-witty officer
asked well-known colonial bishop,
who sat next to him, whether he could
tell the difference between bishop and
donkey. and then proceeded to ex-
plain that the one wears the cross on
his head, and the other wears it on his
back.
''Very good, Major B" said the
bishop. "But now. can you tell the
difference between an army officer and
a donkey?"
No. my lord. cannot replied the
major.
Nor can l." rejoined the bishop.
quietly.
Even this. however. was surpassed by
another passage of repartee between
the gown and the sword which is still
preserved among the society legands
of Calcutta. A certain famous English
general. the hero of two Eastern wars,
found his health beginning to give
way beneath the strain of long and
arduous service, and was ordered home
by his doctors. On the day of his en-
barkation for England he was accom-
panied by vast crowd af friends, to
whom he began to distribute various
small tokens of his regard.
''Well, general" asked the Bishop
Of Calcutta, who was one of the party,
''have you no memento to leave to an
old friend like me?'
''Oh, have not forgotten you, my
lord" cried the general. ''On the
contrary, l have bequeathed to you
my entire stock of impudence."
Ten thousand thanks, my dear
general. u replied the undaunted bish-
op. "You have given me by far the
largest and most valuable part of your
property"
And then the bishops wife turned to
her husband, and said, sweetly, my
dear, ] am glad to see that you have
come. into your legacy SO soon."-
DaUtd Rer, IN HdYpe7'S M0qazine.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14
FOUL PLAY WITH EGGS.
Shrewd Farmers Stab the Budding Fowl
WithIn-A New Wrinkle.

A new wrinkle of the farmers threat
ems the possible extinction of one of
the chief supplies of mans daily food,
says the Philadelphia Record. The
victims of these insidious attacks are
no less than those ever useful and Oft
times ornamental creatures. barn-yard
hens. and their enemies are the un-
sophisticated and guileless farmers.
The discovery of the nefarious
practices employed against the hen
was made few days ago by an egg
tester in a Water street commission
house. who, in examining before a
strong gaslight consignment of es--
pecially fine looking eggs was surprised
to see that the she'll of nearly every
one showed slight perforation. In
every other respect the eggs were un-
exceptional.
The mystery of the perforations was
explained the next day by the sender
of the eggs, who called at the COM
l
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14
An Amateur Detective.

A rather shabby looking man ap-
piled to the Chief of the New York po-
lice for position.
..Have you ever had any experience
as detectiveP"
20, yes," was the replay. Il once
arrested man who did some killing"
$50 you arrested man who COM
mitted a homicide"
Yes, he was a sort of murderer
He was not a homicide precisely. He
was a suicide. He killed himself, you
know."-Ie1Gs SiftinQs.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14
A Stout Mineral.

A new mineral has been discovered
iu Texas which is said to be seven
times stronger than any other when
made into wire.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-14

Labrador has a waterfall with .
sheer descent of 1000 feet.
Middletown transcript., 1891-04-23
General News.

A lady who has died in Glasgow has
bequeathed $1,000 to General Booth
for the Salvation Army.
A gardener named Damn, living
near Albrechstain, Germany, killed
his wife, four children, and himself
while depressed over financial troubles.
The feature of President Harrison IS
trip yesterday was the reception at
Ell Paso, Tex, in which the Governor
of Chihuahua, Mex, and representa-
tives of President Diaz took a
prominent part.
The dead body of Miss Maggie
Morrissey was found on the lawn Of
the residence of R. E. Preece, on the
line of the Baltimore & Potomac r.
R., about four miles from Baltimore.
The grand jury at New Orleans has
begun to take testimony from about
300 citizens regar ding the lynching of
the Italians on March IA. When the
report is made it will give q full
history of the Malta in New Orleans
and show why it was necessary for
the people to take the law in their own
hands.