davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The morning call., 1892-04-24
H0UR-GLASS AND SCYTHE.
Dana Drops Cleveland to Have Som
Fun With the Chief Justice.

Dana Drops Cleveland to Have Some
Fun With the Chief Justice.
New York Sun.
Beautiful rs are tile love songs. the
threnodies and the Bacchics which the world
owes TO the genius Of the Hon. Melville w.
Fuller, the fact remains that his prose style
is disgracefuL. English as she is wrote by
the Chief Justice in his judicial opinions and
decisions is something fearfully and wonder
fully made. 1t Is muddy, inelegant and
dIffuse; and 1t Is not only where the poet
gets the upper hand Of the jurist that we
derive anything so fine as this, the con-
GLIDING paragraph of the Chief Justices re-
cent opinion Of Hammond against Hopkins:
We concur In these views In all cases where
actual lIand Is not made out, but the imputaton
rests upon conjecture, when The seal OF death
mas closed The lips OF those whose character Is
involved, and lapse of time has imraired The rec
objection OF transactions and obscureu their de-
tails, the welfare OF society requires the rigid
forcement of the rule of diligence. The hour
glass must supply The ravages OF the scythe, and
those who have slept upon their rights must he
RENTED 70 the repose from which they should
not have been aroused.
The trope is quite worthy OF the author of
Fill each glass as the moments pass"
Just how the h0ur-giass can supply" the
ravages OF the scythe Is not quite clear,
and IT does not need 10 be clear. Ii the
Chief Justice had suggested the remedial
action OF bone-dust. or phosphates, or top
dressing OF any kind, he would have de-
stroyed the imaginative beauty OF the
inquire and eliminated the idea of Chrome
with his scythe in one hand and his hours
glass In the other. These little flights Of
poetic fancy from the bench of the Supreme
Court or elsewhere are not proper subjects
Tor too close analysis.
The morning call., 1892-04-24

IL not concealed enough, chiutz curtains
are drawn to exclude any possibility Of
fresh air. 1t is as bad as climbing into
ships berth. How the sick are treated in
these elevated places of repose can only be
imagined, The furniture is Of the plainest
and the ornaments few.
On the long spit of land known as the
Garde, at the farther end of the sands of St.
Cast. famed for their even firnness and
freedom from shingle, town OF villas is
being built for the luxurious who come in
the season for bathing. The hope is that
the place may become fashionable. but that
would only spoil its charms. Monsieur the
banker from ReDnes is the only aristocrat
In the village proper. His chateau over
looks the harbor, and he has something Of
life to study as the boats come in with their
fish. Frenchmen are not fond Of salt water,
unless they can make a parade of their
podgy persons In gay company, as az TrOu-
Vile or Dlaard. The eyes OF the fair sex
fastened upon them furtively as they strut
past give them courage and tempt them into
the. execution Of athletic displays 20 which
they are not accustomed. Oar banker
friend selects hot day for his abluioas.
he goes down solemOly with his wife to the
cliff overlooking the harbor, where the boats
are rocking at anchor in the pure tapping
water Madame shades herself with gor-
geous scarlet parasoI ana falls TO reading a
novel, and monsieur diyestS himself of his
clothing by her side and dons a zebra
barred Datnlug-sult. inside OF which he
stands up and plungeS in with back somer-
sauit. lie is all the more elated if there
are other admirers of his swimming powers.
He ducks under the boats and comes up
like pOrpOise on the other side; he takes
long dives; he floats and swhns on his back
and cuts many q caper TO demonstrate
agility, and in all his feats he is happy IL
admired. So the bath does him good in
double sense. AS to madame, it is not
the fashion for ladies to Dathe. The
water is too cold or the day not
hot enough. but the probable reality
ls that no animating gay throng of
promenaders is in sight, as is the case on
the beach a. St Lunare. beyond the dis
tant headland. The shverng sacrifice Of
sea bath is too much without that enc0ur-
agement. Monsieur sc baigne quelQue
fOis, mais madame jamais!' is the servants
explanation of this difference in the be-
havior Of the sexes. But among the peas
ants women rarely take a dip in the sea.
They are at best only waders when the tide
Is low and they can net shrimps or young
crabs for supper. The men occasionally
get dip without their will, as when their
boats capSize. and few of them take
swim in company with patrouiZing visitors.
The verltable love of the sea is not in born,
as Tar as bathing goes, in the seaside nature.
Jean Francois Millet was right when be
associated the labor of the fields with sad
ness and almost painful joylessness. He
saw nothing ID 1t 20 paint but spirit of
melancholy, and he calculated that spirit
truthfully. But whatever joyoasness can
The morning call., 1892-04-24

fashion. His devout wife has returned
from early mass, and theneeforth deyotes
herself TO household duties, and be pro-
fesses to attend the second mass, but
where he sees his friends and sips
madere or liqueurs, and joins in game OF
cards. Gambling never goes beyond the
smallest stakes, but card-playing in viii
lage where books are scarce and more than
half the population are unable to read and
write is necessary device to while away
time Having absolved himself in this FASH
lon. as do few others who are aCnostic
and DO not know why, but mainly because
the church Is supposed to be grasping, the
merchant returns 10 his hosiery with
placid countenance, but says nothing about
the cures discourse. After dinner comes
another bout at cards or a wrangle over
communal politics. which are much more
important than the affairs of the Chambers
at Parls, about which rybody in this
benighted place Is supremacy ignorant AS
evening advances the bo0zing on cider has
elevated several OF the thirsty into singing
mood, and their snatches OF melody are char
acterZed by frightful liberties with the
music, which is mostly melancholy drone.
The polyglot who has served in half dozen
foreign vessels shows his proficiency as
liDguist by counting up to a score in Swed-
lsh, English and Leyantine Greek, and in
raucous voice sings stave in Spanish aud
then drops fast asleep with his back to the
wall. lie wakes 10 TOlsleTOuS lncOneTepcy
again when fiddler from Matignon enters,
followed by procession OF young bloods
bent on frolic. The kitchen is cleared for a
dance and all join with gusto in the quad
rifles and galops. The Young men who
are about to sail for the Nswfound land
fishing bring their sweetheart5 to this i'm
Dromptu ball. and the time kept by rhythmic
feet On the hard earthen floor would give
eclat to partners on a waxed floor. Verify,
these Bretons have q happy endowment
In the facility with which they find enter
tainmen AID enjoyment in little. Ali the
way back 10 Matignon the fiddler will scrape
MS bow in lively strains and his followers
VIII make the road short by tripping
mere are other occasions when the CON-
mune is merry. Harvest-home festivals are
Seioofaieu In the open air, and the dancing
In the farmyard is rough and too energatic
'Io[ people not aceg slumed 10 sahnts The
The morning call., 1892-04-24

enjoy their present rrnsrerity. As he
finishes the cd man suddenly throws off his
disguise and reveals that he is the great god
Of war himself. The chorus then chants
the praise OF all the gods, but especially
HachiTnan
The second of the set, intended to culti-
vate love OF the beautiful in nature, is
rounded on legend concerning Tsuna, n
zero OF the twelfth century, who was re-
nowned fer his musical skill. The Mikado,
with whom he was a great favorite, gave
him beautiful instrument, which he
named Azure Mountain. After Tsuna was
killed IN the wars the Emperor built a
shrine TO his memory and placed Azure
monial funeral accompanied with music to
last seven days. All this is told by priest of
tie shrine named Siyokei. The chorus sings
OF the loneliness of the spot and of
the dark and overcast night. Tsuna's
ghost appears to thank all those who
took part in his obseQuies. After
moment of absence liza reappears and
speaks OF the beloved Azure Mountain and
of the MikadO's benefcence. Then the
ghost begins to play exqGisitely yet so
softly that the unintiated might think it
the dropping rain or the gentle signing of
the wind through the trees. but Giyokei
recognizes the sweet tones of Azure Noun
tain and calls out to know If that is really
Tsuna himself. The ghost is deeply dis
tressed that carnal eyes should have beheld
suffer terrible torments when it returns to
the habitation of departed souls. The
chorus sing of the beauties of nature
The last Is called the Little Smith and Is
a legend of sword-fOrging. Afamous smith
IL commanded to make a weapon for the
Emperor. OverpOwered at receiving such
an august order and distressing his ability
to worthily fulfill it. he calls upon his
patron god for assistance. The god appears
in human shape and tells the descending
arm0rer that the fash of the weapon ordered
for the ''SOn of Heaven" has been seen and
that he need have no fear, for he will re-
celye supernatural aid.
Sometimes single set will require more
than one day to play it out as they descend
to the most minute and frequently tiresome
details and the klyogen are numerous and
to the outsider more interesting. In book
about Japan written many years ago the
author gives the plot of very clever
kiyogen, which is still frequently played
A country gentleman who has business in
town comes to the city with his confidential
servant, TarOkaja, which is the conveD-
tl0nal name for servants on the Japanese
stage. In order TO make the time pass more
agreeably the master has amused himself
by flirting with a pretty young woman of
rather shrewish temper. His business being
now finished be intends returning to his
home, and he cOnsuts Tar0kaja as to
whether. taking the laGy'S temper into con-
sideratiOD, he had better 20 and say good-by
to ner or not. TarOkaja thinks that,
taking her temper into consideration,
his master had better go and try
to smooth over affairs. So they set
out. the lover not at all reiShing the duty
before them. When they arrive the servant
remains outside and his master enters, Just
missing his fair charmer. who comes out
The morning call., 1892-04-24
LA BRETAGNE.
Characteristics Of a French Fishing
Village.
The Sunday Dinner-Celebratir a Wedding.
a Earvest-Eo ONE Dance - Life
in the Fields
written FOR THE MORNING CALI

On Saturday at shutdown, or an hour or
two later if he has halted by the way to
allay his ever acute thirst, Pierre Cochon.
the butcher, arrives from Guido with his
cart of scraggy, poor-conditioned meat
and takes possession Of Nine. Beaufoi's
kitchen at the auberge Of the Rising Sun.
1t Is his salesroom on the only day
OF the week when meat is procurable
at st. Cast. Fish there is In abund.
ance. but beef and mutton only one day in
seven. Even then the demand is limited
for salt pork Is quite as much appreciated
in cabbage soup as fresh meat and is under
stood to give delicate flavor to vegetables.
Pierre takes possession of one of the long
tables In the room, rigs up his scales, rolls
chopping block into position, trims a
lamp and is ready for business. His Gus
toners are in no hurry. They drop in one
or two at time and finger long and chatter
and chatter much before they buy.
A butcher has need of patience in suiting
the wants of customers Ike these. They
indicate with a stroke Of the finger how
they want joint cut, or the particular
pound or two from a large piece that will
suit and in the most 0biigng way the
butcher complies. 1t does not follow that
they purchase. They may change their
mind or higgle about the price. and at last
The morning call., 1892-04-24

fiddler discourses the music from the top of
a barrel, ard the walters whirl around him
in a great circle. How they can keep tie
fun Up so furiously efter days toll In tie
folks are preverbiaily Unsuitable III their en-
joyment of festyity. A few sprai2s from
heavy SabOts are not seldom inflicted at
these somewhat riotouS celebrations. A
wedding. if the parties be popular. also
calls forth the merry side of Breton ma
tnre. In short marriage is an ordeal to
all concerned. The understanding as to the
share of worldly goods to be held by the young
couple is very definite, and the parents may
do great deal of bargaining before terms
are agreed upon. When the day Of be-
trothal arrives great feast is given. The
father OF the bride slaughlers his latest
pig, AID supper Of buildings. cakes and
cider is served to the numerous friends who
congregate on the Sc occasions. Soon after
ward the wedding takes place. and. accord
ing TO the means Of the parties. couple OF
days and nights are devoted to guZZlng aud
dancing, the parents defraylng the eXTense.
The scenes at these orgies may degenerate
into bOorishness, but not quite so low as Jan
Steen has represented in Dutch kitchen ceie-
bTati0ns. The bride in the hard years
Of after life. may look back upon
the wedding feast with wonder. She
was lighlhearted then, but she has seen
little real pleasure since, and at all events
has had her share of anXietieS and miSfor-
tunes, with large family and very mOder-
ale means of livelihood. Her husband gives
up cOdfishing at Newfoundland and takes
10 fishing on the coast. and at intervals cul-
tiyateS the scattered patches Of ground which
have come into their possession by inheri-
tance or purchase. 1t is dull life, and the
gains are small, but at least it is independent
and with prudence something can be saved.
That is the ambition of every prudent
French family and many are fairly welI-tc-
do whose outer circumstances indicate the
contrary.
The house of the Breton peasant is not a
model Of comfort. 1t is often picturesque,
but close and sQua,d 1t also ls. Earthen
floors, without boards. are the rule, and if
the sleeping quarters are not in garrets,
which may be dry ana cosy. beds are
mounted high inside huge presses. the
lower part of which is utilized for clothes
drawers. 1t is feat to Chamber into these
lofty beds. A person who succeeds is be-
lieyed to sink down into billow
Of blankets and feathers, and. as
The morning call., 1892-04-24

depart with the rensrk that the meat is too
dear Many of the women who come for
the humble piece de resistance of the Sun
day:dinner are elaborately coifed for the
church service IN the morning. 1t con-
sumes good deal Of time to arrange the
hair for. a parade en- grande toilette, and
the headdTeSS is as indispensable as a bon
net or hat in the city. Their friends. the
hSheTmen3 grouped around another long
table: near the open DOORWAY. maintain a
buzz of conversation about the success
fui catch of the week, and break into
lolllty occasionally at some merry bit of
gossip or joke. A cloud of incense rises
from vile government tobacco, and cider at
sou the glass is potent enough TO loosen
the tongue and render Breton pronunciation
thicker than usual. Toward midnight the
oil is low in: the lamp, the last customer has
been served and the butcher wishes himself
at the end Of his long journey home. But
he only returns his scraps Of beef and nut
ton to his cart, and returns to dawdle away
q little more time over glass OF cider with
the 10vIal landlord, the only big man phySi-
calIy ID the village. The moon is well down
in the west as mis- cart rumbles away, and
there will be signs Of the dawn before he
has stabbed his WORKOUT pony.
Sunday is not entirely day of leisure in
the village. number Of the fishermen are
astlr soon after daylight, and on the way TO
their b ats call on Marie at the auberge for
une goutte of eaU-de-vie-a fiery spirit
harsh in taste, but bites the throat in the
manner beloved by tipplers. Piboche's
Holsters are often bartered for these early
drains. and the wonder is he is so good
fisherman with his head so muddled and
his temper so spoiled that he thrashes his
boat boy numerically. The little pilot and
his crew work into the harbor in the morn
ing and land couple of baskets of
prime turbot, caught in the bay beyond
Cape Frehel. They are in lubIaHt
spirits at their success, for every pound
means half franc paid on the spot by the
fsh-merchant. Turbot is dainty sent to
Paris, where. should il arrive in good con-
ditiOn, or francs per pound will be the
return TO the merchant But ii is specu-
lafion on so long journey, and in hot
weather the fish are sometimes spoiled and
prove loss. So the pilot Is content with
half a franc. and a few extra rounds Of
cider are Quaffed to celebrate the fishing.
Long Jean has also come in with a large
haul of ray, and Shiny load of this fish is
carted off to inland towns, and portion
= also forwarded TO g0rmandiZing Paris.
1t Is a days journey to Plancoet and
back, and Jean Bert. the Adonis among the
fishermen, accompanies the merchant for
the sake Of the outing and frolic with the
Breton bellies In the wayside inns. The
drive along the orchard-girt lanes is at
least better than playing cards and drin K
ing cider-the usual pastime of the Sunday
when dinner is over. II there are no fish to
be corded in the hampers for market the
merchant takes his holiday in q deceptive
The morning call., 1892-04-24
Moonshiner Jim Came Back.


Early on Monday morning timid knock
was heard at the big heavy door of the Full
ton County Jail. Jailer Miller opened the
door. and a strong. rugged man came. in.
There was a haggard look of sadness on the
poor fellows face. 1t was jim Wesson, the
moonshiner who escaped from the Fulton
County Jail week ago to 60 home and sea
his sick baby.
Ppm sorry, Mr.. Miller" the poor fellow
said. in broken voice. II hope you and
Cap'n Morrow don't care. but heard the
baby"
He brushed tear away and stopped a
moment until his lips quit quivering so, and
went on:
81 heard the baby was sick. and thought
about wife watchn' of 1t at home and /
just had TO go. was sorry, an wrote YOU
I'd come back. An | done it. They done
buried the baby an come back, an hops
you amt mad
Captain Miller could not utter word of
reproach TO the heart-broken fellow.
said he.
The morning call., 1892-04-24

men and women never play together, as it
IS supposed that would ten d to promote i'm
morality; yet the Shiba theater owes its
origin to two women. o Kuai and q Gsu,
who were celebrated for their style of act
Ing IN the sixteenth century.
AT these plebeian the aters the spectator
purchases mat" or half mat" as the
case may be, the latter costing about yen
(dollaD and being sufficient for one person.
This simply means as much space as is oc.
cupied by one of those fine rce-straw mats
upon which the Japanese sit. and which,
always being the same size-six feet-has
come TO signify certain dimensions
The theater opens about 9 o'clock In the
morning and closes about OF o'clock in
the evening. and the purchaser of mat"
stays as long or as short time as pleases
MN. Every one laughs, chats or amuses
him or herself as seems proper. If one of
the audience becomes interested in any,
thing in another part OF the house he stands
I'D TO look at il if he thinks he can see bet
ter by doing so. Family parties come and
bring their luncheon with them, or refresh
ments can be bought from men who 90
about among the audience selling sweet
meats. In spite of all this the scene is not
rough or disorderly. Each person simply
The morning call., 1892-04-24

be extracted from agricultural toll ought to
be visible in the case OF peasants who till
their own land, and that is the case in these
communes of Brittany. There is not only
petite culture, but petite propriete. Very
small are some OF the parcels of land. There
are patches owned separately not bigger
than the carpet Of a good-sized ROOM The
owner may have half dozen plats sepa-
rated by considerable distances, aud it Is
doubtless wasteful tax upon his energies
10 go from place to place with hoe or
fork over his shoulder Ali the imple
ments are primitive and tllage is not such
as to command admiration. High, thick
em6ankments, overgrown with brambles and
wild grasses, divide the fields and on these
the cowherds stand watching their charge,
or take shelter in the lee when they are
knitting and the wind is blowing hard. The
entertainments are an element of waste, but
they afford grazing ground TO a certain
extent. The peasant proprietor cuts his
own hay or wheat. and very often the only
method resorted to ia cleaning the wheat is
to toss it In the breeze and allow the grains
to fail into blanket. The few sacks OBJ
tanned by a household from their wheat
corner are in due time sent to the miller.
who takes share for grinding. and then
the flour Is given to the baker, who APP
proprates his share for bread. Ii
is not the same with buckwheat. That
may be pounded in mortar sufficiently fine
for cakes. But be his toll melancholy or
not, the Breton does not kill himself with
excess OF work. He goes about his task
leisurely. and has always five minutes avail
abs for chat with any passing FREUD. To
expedite him In his labor aud suggest other
methods would disturb any views he has on
the design of life. Ali innovation lie re-
gar1s with suspicion. But for the disap-
pearance OF power among the mobiles. Brit
tany Is very much what it was a century
ago. Ii is to-day the cherished, happy
Sketchlng-grOund of the artist who dptasfs
above all things uniformity and formality.
and knows how attractive squalor, CRIME
filth and tumble-dOwn buildings are in a
picture.
The morning call., 1892-04-24

The masks are centuries old, and belonged
TO the first company that performed these
sets. They are OF thin lacouered wood, and
each one Is kept separately in its own soft
crepe bag. AS In the Greek play and a
certain period Of the French drama, every
thing is fixed and conventional. Tradition
laid down certain strict rules. through which
no one ever attempts to break.
The language being ancient. japanese is
very difficult TO understand, and like Chau-
Ger among Engiisl-speakiDg people, much
admired and little known. The first of the
set Is called s'Hachiman of the Bow" An
old, gray-haired, misunderstanding man.
magnificentiy dressed. enters. carrying in his
nand long, narrow, brocade bag,
supposed to contain wonderful null
berry bow. He announces that he is an
old attendant upon the shrine of Hachiman
god OF war;. and that he has long been
DESTROYS of presenting this bow to the En-
peror. but that he dare not approach his
august Majesty. by this sacred bow the
divine ancestors gained for the country the
wcl-deserved title of the Lsnd of Great
Peace. He recalls TO his hearers the piety
OF the Empress JiEgu, the mother of DIN or
Hachiman, anu he declares that it is due to
her sacrifices and prayers that the people
The morning call., 1892-04-24
THE CONDUCTORS TRICK.
How He Can Tax People Who Do Not
Count Their Change.
Chicago News

How He Can Tax People Who Do Not
Count Their Change.
Chicago News
One of the smoothest little tricks In the
way of beating man out of his money that
ever saw was tried on me the other day
by a streetcar conductor, says ST. Louis
streetcar patron. 1t is simple, but I'll bet
lots of people lose quarter ON it once In
awhile and never find it out. 1t can only
be done under the condition in which it was
tried on me. / sat in the car AID held a
half dollar in my hand. The conductor
saw it before he reached me and fixed"
himself. l saw him do il, and that put
me on.
He put two dimes in one hand and con-
cealed a quarter In the other. With the
latter he took my half and handed me the
two dimes. j started to kick, but before l
got my mouth o; en- he handed me the con-
cealed quarter. The point OF the thing is
that many men who are busiy thinking or
talking will accept the two dimes and drop
into the belief that they paid a quarter. Ii
they do. Mr.. Conductor goes on. But il they
don't, he catches on in minute and hands
them the concealed quarter before they can
make trouble