davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28
THEY ARE TOO CLEVER.
Boston Women Know Altogether Too
Much for Comfort.

The cleverness of the really modern
wQman Is getting to be something too
stupendous to contemplate without
blinking. Here is an amusing account
reported in the N. 7. AdVertiser, of the
experience of a woman not particularly
progressive. who attended a whist
party in Boston: 1.-THE whist was of
that kind that makes your blood run
cold, turns your back hair gray, and
keeps you awake nights for a month
afterwards trying to think what
you did that was awful. 1t makes me
shudder now to think of the plays thatI
made; and my partner sat there no mat
ter which hand payed with, and took it
without a culver of the eyelid to show
that she knew how badly Twas doing
it. 1t was a lesson that would last q
young girl a lifetime to see how those
gentlewomen-and there was not one
OF them that did not pay a superb
game-allowed me to lose points for
them, and carried it all off as if it were
merely the luck of the cards. It was
day of anguish for me, though, /
assure you!
"Then at luncheon they sat and
talked and they passed in review the
growth of recent Spanish literature.
and from that they went on to church
history and famous heresies that /
never heard of before and never ex-
pect to hear of again. They had a
good-natured little tilt over the moral
influence of Tess of the d'I rbervilles,'
which one lady thought evil in its ten
denotes, as likely to lead men to the
feeling that a social transgression in
woman was as slight thing as it has
always been looked upon in man.
Then casually they had trifing dash
of social news; come out through pro-
found discussion of mind-cure to a
consideration of the character and con-
duct of Nine. Blavatsky; went on to
dissect Laurence Oilphant, and in
some way got around in the end to the
new Theater of Arts aud Letters in
New York. 1t was enough to make
ones head swim to hear them, and the
beauty of it was they really knew
what they were talking about and
were interested in it. They were not
in the least doing it for effect"
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28
The Opening of the Piano.

In the little southern parlor of the house you
With the gambrel roof and the gable looking
westward to the green;
AT the side toward the sunset, with the win
dow on its right,
Stood the London-made piano I am dreaming
of tonight.
All, me! how l remember, the evening when
it came;
What cry. of eager voices, what a group of
cheeks in flame,
When the wondrous box was opened that had
come from over seas,
With its smell of mastic-varnish and it's flash
of ivory keys.
Then the children all grew fretful in the rest
For the boy would push his sister, and the SIS
ter crowd the boy,
Till the father asked for quiet in his grave,
paternal way;
But the mother hushed the tumult with the
words, Now, Mary, play"
For the dear soul knew the music was a very
sovereign balm;
She had sprlnkled it over Sorrow and seen it's
brow grow calm,
In the days of slender harpsichords with tap
ping tinkling quills,
Or caroling to her spinet with its thin metallic
thrills.
So Mary. the household minstrel, who always
loved to please,
Sat down to the new Clement" and struck
the glittering keys.
flushed were the children's voices, and every
eye grew dim,
As floating from lip and finger arose the YES
per hymn.
Catherine child of a neighbor, curly and rosy
red,
Wedded since and a widow-something like
ten years dead;
Hearing gush of music such as none had
heard before,
Steals from her mothers chamber and peeps
through the open door.
Just as the "Jubilate' in threaded whispers
dies
open It'll open it, LADY, the little maiden
cries
Ror she thought it was a singing creature
in box she hearC),
"Open itl open it, ladyl and let me see the
Oliver Wendell Homes.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28
DID NOT DRINK OR SMOKE.
So He Gave His Wife the ssVice" None
and They Soon Got Rich.

It is pretty extravagant man who
will spend $50 per month on cigars
and drinks, but the man who will set
aside that amount of money to his
wife instead of dispensing it will find
a solid pile accumulating very rapidly.
There died recently in Tacoma lady
who had by that means accumulated
$50, 900. She willed the money to her
five children.
The lady's husband did not drink or
smoke. He was working on a good
salary, and in four or five years after
their marriage was getting ahead very
satisfactorily. One day he said to his
wife:
81 think will give you each month
the amount of money would spend in
smoking and drinking. How much
would it beP"
They calculated tn sum. One friend
spent about $25 per month, another
spent 800, and many spent sums be-
tween these two extremes. 1t was
agreed that he would spend $50, and
this sum was regularly set aside by
him for the education of their children.
Once or twice ever year he would con-
tribute 500 to her fund instead of
getting drunk. When the fund reached
comfortable proportions it was invest
ed. Once the husband was in a close
place and borrowed the money, pay
ing interest for it. Many charita-
BILE acts were performed with the mon
e., hut still it grew. When they re-
moved to Tacoma some -fortunate real
estate investments were made with the
money. One of them netted $1,000.
When the lady died her estate. ac-
cumulated in this way during eighteen
years, was found to be worth $50, 900.
1t was willed to her five children with
provisions securing them an educa-
ton. The generous father, whose alb
stinence had made this possible, add
ed $4,000 to the fund belonging to
each child. Besides the sums of money
which were expended for charity and
in the education of the children, a
good deal was used for gifts. The
gentleman carries $500 gold watch as
memento of the fund. "The fund
had little advantage, 1 guess" said
he. Il always took pains to invest it
carefully. But compounding money
makes it grow very rapidly. The
amount placed in the sum was about
$14, 0O0-perhaps little more, and l
added to my drink money perhaps
more than 500 per year. This amount
almost any smoking and drinking
man would spend in eighteen years.
A good many men in this town smoke
| 81, 200 to $1,000 per year. 1t does not
take much high-priced wine to make
this much larger.-Tdco1eo Ledger
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28
GOOD LUCK MADE HIM MAD.
Disastrous Result of Finding Roll OF
Bills in the Street.

81 have a friend who was driven mad
by marvellous freak of good luck, /"
said Hiram Turner, of Milwaukee at
the Southern. "He was a young news
paper reporter who was Just learning
the business and who had eked out
precarious existence for year on $12
week. Walking along a street one
day he found $500 wrapped up in a
bundle with rubber string around it.
Frenzied with delight he struck bee
line for the newspaper office where he
was employed, resigned his position
without assigning any cause, and left
Milwaukee on the first train going to
Chicago. In that city he lived riot
ously for eight months, and, though he
read advertisements in the papers of
the unfortunate bank collector who had
lost the money offering one-half of it if
the finder would return it, he paid no
attention to these appeals.
"At the end of that time he blew in
all the money and then came back to
Milwaukee. But he was a different
man from what he was when ne left in
such delirious glee. His old position
at an increased salary was offered to
him, but this he refused, though he
didn't have cent. He did no work,
nor did he want any. He put in his
time walking up and down the street
on which he had found the money.
Day in and day out be tramped that
street, with his head bent forward like
man looking for a pin on the side
walk. He kept this up for nearly a
month. Continual and dogged disap-
pointment made the strain too great
for him to bear. His mind broke down
under it, and he was carried to the
asylum raving maniac. He is in the
asylum now, his lunacy is pronounced
incurable, and he is the most pitiable
abject creature l ever saw ST. Louis
Globe Democrat
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28
DoDcINc MILITARY DUTY.
How Unfortunate Europeans Who Wish
to Escape Are Trapped.

In the countries of Europe in which
the military conscription exists many
tricks are resorted to, says London
TIt-Bits. Often men have been known
to mutilate themselves, as by cutting
off forefnger, in order to render
themselves unfit for the service. Pre-
tended inability to see is exposed by
the surgeons without great difficulty,
but pretended deafness sometimes baf-
fles the examiners.
A counter-trick on the part of the
officers was for some time effective
against this fraud. The recruiting
officer, after a conscript had pretended
to be deaf, remarked in an ordinary
tone of voice: "You are unfit for ser
vice; you are free" In many cases
the recruit showed by evident signs
of satisfaction that he heard the re-
mark. He was then recalled, told that
he had been detected in his fraud, and
sent to the barracks. After a time,
however, the conscripts became too
wary to be caught in this trap. They
had heard of the trick and were on the
lookout for this remark, and when 1t
was uttered they made no sign OF in
telligence.
Lately the French omcefs haEe III
vented new strap" the success OF
which is a curious illustration of the
ingrained courtesy, or at least the as
sumption of courtesy, on the part of
the Frenchmen of all classes. After
the "You 90 free" has failed to excite
any sign of understanding in the re-
crnit's face the command to go is
shouted at him. He starts out of the
room, the door of which is held open
by mechanical means. As he passes
through it the officer says: You
might at least shut the door" This
little unjust impeachment OF the mans
politeness is said in nine cases out OF
ten of pretended deafness to result IN
a quick turn of the mans head. He
is then called back and told that he
has been found fit for the service.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28
One of Georgia's Queer Characters.

A queer old man was the late Judge
Elam, of Rome, Ga. He once boasted
that he only spent 80 cents month on
food, saying: Il take buttermilk, pour
little sugar in it to make it sweet,
and eat my corn bread with it." In
attire he was equally plain, wearing in
the summer time long linen duster
and white canvass hat and carried a
faded cotton umbrella and palm-leaf
fan. His beard was long and white
and, with his snowy hair, gave him the
aspect of patriarch. His law office,
bedroom, dining room and all were en-
braced in little five by ten apartment
in the Masonic temple, and in the ab-
sence of bed he slept on the floor.
Elam had been confederate soldier,
a member of the Georgia legislature,
and in his later years Justice OF
the peace His notions of the law
sometimes conficted with those of su-
perior judges and he once came near
going to jail for contempt for having,
in an official paper, referred to Judge
Underwood as "rantankerous. At an
other time, in case before the su-
preme court, Judge Elan concluded
his brief with the statement: "These
are the facts in the case, and If they
don't gain it let her rip" He gained
the suiG.-N Y. World.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28
DON'T WORRY YOUR HAIR.
It ThrIves Best When You Leave 1t Hang
ing Loose.

"Don't worry your hair if you want
it to grow thick and long, was the ad-
vice of well-known dresser. @Let it
hang loosely about the head when you
are in your own room, and do not ir-
ritate it with com bings and brushings
and shampooings. If it is thin rub
little hair tonic on it, and if it comes
out treat it to dose of hair renovator.
Clip the ends when they begin to split,
and then-let it alone"
Nothing is worse for the hair than
the frequent washing which some Peo-
pie give it. Unless the hair is perfect
ly dried it becomes sour and soggy,
and there is tendency to badness.
Brushing it vigorously for two or three
hours day, as is the custom of some
people, is almost as bad, for unless the
hair is strong and the scalp tough the
little hair roots are destroyed by the
hundred.
Hair that is dry should have an ae-
casional application of some well-rec-
commended pomade. and oily hair
should be treated to a tonic which
comes for the purpose. Hairpins in
jure the hair and the daggers which
are now so fashionable scrape the scalp
and cause mischief. Drawing the hair
back tightly tends to produce bald
ness on the temples and back of the
ears. A parting is never good thing
for the hair unless the part be fire.
quently changed before it has time to
broaden.
At night the hair should lie loosely
over the top of the pillow, and in the
afternoon when a woman is in her
own room writing letters or taking q
siesta she should again give her hair
an opportunity to rest.
1t is hard to kill hair. If you do
not believe this try to get rid of that
super1uous hair on your upper lip and
see how it resists your efforts. Per-
haps if it were possible to abuse it
as many women abuse their scalps
the task would not then be such q
difficult one. Rusty hairpins, fierce
brushing, tight braids, and too many
shampoos are the cause of thin hair
which many women have.-St. Losts
Post Dispatch.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28
No Soap at the Posada.

"The first night in Barcelona" says
an American artist, 81 went to sort
of posada in one of the by-streets, and
managed to get room by paying in
advance one peseta, which was rung on
the table with an evident suspicion of
its genuineness. Having two days
railroad CRIME upon me- l thought it
comparatively small favor to be al
lowed to wash my hands. On timidly
inquiring of one of the servants ! was
led to little toy tin affair containing
water, and was furnished with towel
about large enough to dry the hands
of a medium-sized clock. But when l
asked for soap l was stared at in
manner that made me very uncomfort-
able. l have not asked for soap since
in Spain, for l do not wish to lose my
life by violence. having voted for slow
death by starvation in the cause Of
American art"
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28
HARD TO COUNTERFEIT.
The Paper Money of Europe-Why It
Bothers the Counterfeiters.

"The paper money of the United
States is the least handsome in the
world" said the proprietor of money
exchange. "That is because this gov
ernment depends entirely upon the in
tricacy and elaborateness of the de-
signs on its notes and certificates for
protection against counterfeiters. In
foreign countries, on the other hand,
much effort is directed to making their
currency beautiful with pictures and
arabesques in the classical style. Not
only are the results pretty to look at,
but they serve their chief purpose bet
ter, for any engraver will tell you that
real art work on bill is far more diff
icult to initiate than any purely me-
chanical effect, no matter how comph-
Gated the latter may be made by the
geometric lathe and other devices.
@Most beautiful of all paper notes
are those issued in France and Prussia.
Here is pretty Austrian bill for 100
forms, printed in blue ink, with the
design mainly composed of two large
standing figures of cherubic children
and an oval of children's heads. That
seems queer notion from our point
of view for the ornamentation of cur
rency, but it is certainly both interest
ing and handsome. This is Russian
bill for 100 rubles. done in pink and
green. Here you have Scotch note,
issued by the British Linen Company.
which promises to pay f5 on demand.
In Great Britain the privilege of issu-
! ing paper money can be obtained by
corporations other than banks from
the government.
"You will need a magnifying glass
to examine this note with. It is Irish.
The words 'one pound are printed
across it in big letters, but this broad
stripe extending from one end to the
other of the document is a curiosity.
To the naked eye, even upon scrutiny,
it seems to have no significance, but
when magnifed you will perceive that
it is wholly made up of the words 'one
pound in microscopic letters. From
the superficial appearance of the Bank
of England notes you would suppose
that they could be readily initiated by
photography or otherwise, inasmuch
as their designs consist of very little
more than lettering in black that is al
most severely simple. But that great
financial institution depends altogether
upon the water marking of its paper,
which is wonderfully elaborate, as you
can see by looking at the light through
it. This water marking has been imi-
tated, but never with success. - Wash
i9qto7a Star.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28
Toad and Centipede.

In the courthouse yard there are
quite number of large, sleek-looking
toads. One of these toads was seen by
the loungers about the place engaged
in an earnest attempt to swallow some
thing that taxed his energies. A closer
examination revealed the fact that the
toad had seized a centipede by the rear
end and was slowly and placidly stow
ing him away within his jaws, in spite
of the victims frantic efforts to escape.
Nearly one-half of the reptile had dis
appeared, when the centipede, with the
unencum bered balance of his 100 feet,
succeeded in getting a ground hold,
and with desperate effort freed him
self from the jaws of the devourer and
was moving rapidly away when the
toad, realizing the situation, made a
jump and again caught his victim.
This time the contipede seemed to
realize the hopelessness of his situa-
tion and frantically turned to the right
and left, each time nipping his enemy
severely upon the lips and head, but
all to no purpose. The toad would
coolly brush away these attacks, first
with one foot and then with the other,
all the time taking the centipede in
until at last nothing remained but the
toad, calmly and serenely seated upon
his launches, considering the next
move.-El Raso (IeG Herald.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28
A Great Mistake,

Bunker-"I wonder what Planking-
ton sold his house for?"
HiIl-"I understand that he couldn't
stand the expense of keeping it up"
Bunker-"He gets a good income,
doesn't hep"
Hill-"Yes. But when spring came
in he started a garden. ~. Y. Her.
aid.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28

Black glass was once used for mir
rors, as well as transparent glass with
some black substance on the back. It is
related that the Spaniards found mir
rors of polished black stone, both con-
vex and concave, among the natives
of South America.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28

Over 5000 officers, high and low,
have been retired or put at disposition
(half pay) within the last four years
in the army of Germany.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28
When your Cash Purchases aggregate $40,
you will be presented with your
choice of our beautiful
Pastel Pictures Free
WHY WE DO TT.

giving away beautiful Pastel Pictures for two
FIRsTWe wish to old customers appreca
tion of their patronage.
SEcoND-We hope induce large number of
with least long enough to test the quality Of goods
Prices reliability and our Of doing business.
believe enterprise and advertising and that one in
all honorable make his trade
Please
mind make advance the of goods account
will continue be headquarters for good goods
prices by increasing trade to be able to sell
margin and offer better bargains than before
respectfully solicit patronage and will take pleasure in
presenting you pictures which your purchases will ene
you.
Risdon & TAYLOR.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28

There is never a barber who sees
Senator PETERS whiskers but would
like to give him good talking to-
PHILADELPHIA Times.
Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-09-16
A Chinese CITY of Today.

Annoy proper and its suburbs have a
living population of about 100000 and
a dead one Of four and a half times as
many. The wells are shallow and are
sunk on the edges of the graveyards,
and even among the tombs themselves.
have not seen one whose water is not
muddy and discolored by the perpetual
turning up Of the soil.
The city is a relic of the past. It is
walled the same as it was in the time of
Confucius. It has no sewers whatever.
The streets vary from two to six feet in
width; no wheeled vehicle can use
them. An equestrian would experience
great difficulty in turning a corner.
Here and there is an open space or
plaza, dug out SO as TO be a huge open
cesspool; into it the streets discharge
their fIth.-Cor. Practitioner.
Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-09-16
Better Than writing.

The other day young lady visiting
friends in Sewickley decided to prolong
her stay-a usual decision with those
visiting Sewickley. She wished to no
tify her father of her plans. She neither
wrote nor photographed, but simply went
to the Sewiekley telephone station and
talked to her father, who was at his
Office in town in the eastern end Of the
state, over 200 miles away. The miracle
OF. the talking wire is one which seems
more miraculous as the long distance
telephone reaches points hitherto at
tanned only by the telegraph or the
slower process Of the mails. -Pittsburg
Bulletin.
Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-09-16

In Madras, after the death of father,
the sons of the deceased must be shaved
from head to foot as sign of their
grief, no part of their body escaping the
cleansing blade. have been somewhat
amused to see sorrow stricken son fol-
lowed patiently about by the barber till
he has been sufficiently Gained to sub
init to the operation. No sooner is the
pyre fred and the body hidden from
sight by liberal plastering Of mud, in
which it burns, than the bereaved seeks
out pleasant, shady spot, and the tedi-
GUS shaving commences. First, the head
is cleaned, then the face, nor is the task
over till the last hair is gone.-San Fran
cisco Chronicle.
Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-09-16

During a great display of the northern
lights the wife of Rockland sea cap
tain was determined that he should see
it, though he cared but little about it.
She therefore reused him from his sleep
and persisted in her missionary work
until finally the man Of the house was
obliged to crawl out and take look out
of the window.
Don't see anything especially won
derful about them," said he as he
crawled back to bed. "Have seen 'em
finer than that thousand times"
In the morning it was discovered that
the window through which the captain
had criticised the display was her1net-
ically closed with blind.-Bangor Com
Inercial.