davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29

| ne, and I ONT seem to catch d anywhere.
No MISTER where I'VE been since saw you j
an going to do really something 3c.sive thuy
Life now; en- going 70 end II
"Good-by. JOIN"
Dearborn read it through twice,
locked at the postnar.s, blurred by
rain beyond ell recognition, looked at
Briefly. and said:
"Ne.l, old man, who's John?"
My brother" said Briefly.
And then he began to tell his story.
and he never stopped until he had told
it all, and even then he did not say a
great deal. It was the shortest. sad
dcst history Dearborn had ever listened
to. Here it is:
MY father was a rich 4 once.
This is all that is left of his fine libra
ry. He died poor long ago and my
mother did not outlive him long.
John and ! were the only children.
John was n little chap when they
died. was twenty-onc and went to
work. ! had been through Harvard,
and l scrimped and pinchel and saved
every cent to send him through, but
he did o care anything about such
things. lie was a careless, wild sort
of fellow, and crazy to go into the
newspaper business.
IL said no, because | knew that he
would so to the devil in it. He started
in at college and did not make the
sophomore class. He spent all the
money / could rake and scrape.
when he was dropped from his
class upbraided him severely, and in
his careless. insiucere fashion he told
me that he wanted to go to work.
II told him that he should go
through and that he should not go to
work, surely not in q newspaper Office.
''IIe told me he move would go
through college.
Then ! pleaded with him not todis-
grace the family name, and he prom
ised to try again. But he did disgrace
it not long after. He got into a ter
rible scrape and was expelled.
"a couldn't stand that, and when he
came to me with his story l cursed
him. told him l was done with him
forever, and in my bitter wrath l
meant it.
'.He was frightened at first. Then
the Briefly will came to his aid, and
the replied as bitterly that he didn'
need my help. With that he left my
DON
From then until now / have never
seen him nor heard from him. God
knows l loved him better than my life,
and how deeply l have regretted send
ing him away. 1 never could track
him, and now he's dead. That's all,
Dearborn"
Dearborn went across the room, laid
his old hand on Brierly's shaggy head,
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29
with that he flung out Of the room.

With that he flung out Of the room.
The witty man WINS SO surprised
he gasped and the rest Of the men
laughed OF his discontinue when
they recovered from their own aston.
ishreat.
In Eve minutes Erierly c:ne back
aad sat dowa without L. word. No
body said anything to him. and ut
half-past eleven the editors went out
for their lunch. On the stairs they
met John Dearborn, who blessed them
all for pretty cheap editors"
They went down discussing Bricrly's
letter. Dearborn went up and sat
down at his desk in the large room,
where there were many other desks.
Opening from it We're several smaller
rooms with a few desks in each.
The Office was deserted. The night
city editor had gone home, and the all
night 'on call" 4 had gone down to
Catdcr's.
Dearborn, grumbling away to him.
self, dipped his pen into the ink and
poised it in the air while he thought of
a short, striking sentence with which
to begin his story of a night along the
wharves. Just then he heard L sound
like q mufled sob. He listened, aud
thought it was the wind.
Having at last succeeded in fishing
from the recesses of his brain 4 short,
striking sentence, he penned it quick
ly before it could escape him. and for
five minutes his facile pen slid smooth
ly over the paper.
Then he needed another idea; again
the pen was poised in the air. Again
he heard the mufied sob. This time
he launched a string of unusually pic
turesque oaths and started to investi-
gate.
Yes. there could be no installing
that sound. Some one was sobb.ng
strongly and trying to control himself.
Now, under all his rough, gruff exteri-
Dr. old John Dearborn had as warm and
kind a heart as ever beat. Guided by the
sound he softly opened the door of one
of the small rooms and stood there
looking in and thinking what a dra-
matte scene it was.
There sat Briefly in the middle of
the room, his arms stretched out on
the desk before him, his head buried,
and his hand holding the letter. He
was crying like q baby.
Dearborn stepped in and laid his
hand firmly on Brierly's shoulder.
Briefly tnrned a startled. defiant face
up to Dearborn's and growled out:
What do you want?"
Whats broken you up, old man?"
said Dearborn.
Nothing" said Briefly, catching his
breath.
You're a liar" said Dearborn, land
you have got e tell me what the mat
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29

ter is. Perhaps / can do something for
you"
With that he stepped to the door,
snapped the key, and put it in his
pocket.
Then Briefly began to sob again.
Dearborn hummed a tune, whistled n
bit, swore under his breath and wait
ed for Briefly to grow calmer. Final
ly he looked up and said with an eff
fort:
~ have got q l~etter-from a brother
that's given me the blues. Come up
the hill with me when we get good
night and I will tell you"
When the men came in Mt midnight
from lunch Briefly was sitting at his
place as usual and looking yer a pa
per as if nothing out of the ordinary
had happened. They glanced inquir-
ingly at him, but they didn't dare to
ask for an explanation.
At $3.50 he said good night. hunted
up Dearborn, who vas waiting for
him. said Come" and they started up
the hill.
When the whole story was told long
afterward Dearborn said that during
that walk to Brierly's room neither
spoke q single word to the other.
When the gas flared up in Drierly's
room, Dearborn saw n small coy
apartment with a desk in the center
and the walls completely lined with
books. A cot stood in a little alcove.
Briefly poked up the fire, handed
Dearborn n pipe, lighted another him.
self, and reached into his pocket
All this time he had not said q word
and Dearborn, with the ready tact
born of o long newspaper experience.
said nothing. Finally Briefly handed
him the letter and said: read It"
This is what Dearborn read: SIS
..BEN-whct's TIC .ss, It's three years sire
you refused to have anythinR more to 90 with
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29
PERSONAL AND LITERARY.

Gilbert Pond, of Milford, Mass, one
Of the oldest musicians in the country,
has just celebrated his eightieth BIRTH
day anniversary. He played with the
Milford brass band at the dedication
Of the Bunker Hill monument.
Miss L. Hamilton, the woman ply
stefan. now in attendance on the Ameer
of Afghanistan, is of AYRSHIRE Scot
land) family. was trained as a nurse at
Liverpool, afterward took her medical
degree at Brussel, and then became a
practicing physician at Calcutta.
Miss Mary Patterson, the first ne.
gro woman in the United States to
take the degree of A. NJ, has just died,
after q service of twenty-five years as
a teacher. She graduated from Ober-
lin college in 1862, and was among the
first in the country to study
Greek and the higher mathematics at
college.
Two adventurous aeronauts, NJ.
Mallet and NJ. de Fonvielle, have IN
dertaken to make a sky trip around
France, keeping their balloon as lear
the earth as possible, so as to be able
to descend with ease occasionally.
They want to prove that agreeable and
economical journeys can be made by
balloons as well as by rail or water.
MIR. and Mrs. Julian Hawthorne,
with their family of seven children,
are on a three years cruise around the
world in their own yacht. The people
of the Hawthorne family are unusual
~ bright, intelligent, and capable.
They are musicians. cooks, wood
choppers, photographers, sailors, bicy-
~clists, etc, and what they do not see
and what they do not learn of the
countries they visit would be of little
interest to anyone.
Madame Casimir-Perier. the wife
Of the French president, is a very ac-
eomplished woman. She is a good En-
glish scholar, writes ~cleverly, and can
seize a political situation keenly. This
political instinct she inherited from
her fater, NJ. D. Segur. who held office
under Theirs, in 1872. As a hostess.
at her home in the Rue Nitol, she ex-
hibited admirable qualities. Bright,
entertaining, and amiable. she at
tracked the best people to her salon.
1t is said that her husband relies great
ly upon her advice.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti's letters to
his family will soon be published in
London, together with a memoir of
considerable length prepared by his
brother, William Michael Rossetti. The
letters are addressed to seven relatives,
principally his mother and his brother,
and are fully annotated so as to ex-
plain all illusions. They range from
his boyhood to the last months of his
life. There will be nine portraits
eight from paintings of Rossetti, rep
resenting himself and the persons adj
dressed, the other n portrait of his
wife, done by himself.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29

and said: my poor boy. understand
you now"
Then he left him and went home.
1t vas only about q week after that
q m of an anarchist meeting came
in very late n night. Rich looked
around for a reporter, but it was so
late that they had all gone home.
The ION cali" man was out on a
murder. and, with a curious desire to
see what Briefly could do. he sent him
to the meeting. The story he wrote
was long the talk of the town.
After that they took him off the
desk and put him on the staff as a
special writer. When there was q big
piece of work to be done demanding
descriptive writing, it was always
Briefly who was sent.
The day before New Years q terri
BILE storm broke. 1t strewed wrecks
along the coast. and many a vessel
pounded her life out on the rocks that
lined the shore for miles like a bar
rier between the land and sea.
"See here, Briefly" said the man
aging editor that night. 1.-The weather
bureau people say this is going to be
the worst storm we have had for years.
The wind is on shore, and it'll make
nasty work for the life-savcrs. Got
any dinner invitations tomorrow"
Briefly only shook his head dreariiy.
WELL" continued the managing cd
itor; then he stopped and hesitated
while Erierly regarded him steadily.
20, hang it. Briefly" said the man
aging editor. I'm sorry have got to
send you down the coast. and I'm sorry
you haven't a place to go home and
have a good time in. We want q bang
up story on a New Years day with the
life-sayers. We want it for Sunday,
and just lay yourself ont on it."
Then he threw his arm rel Erier-
Tvs shoulder aao said, kindly:
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29
SCHOOL AND CHURCH.
Jamaica has one hundred and forty
nine Baptist churches

Jamaica has one hundred and forty
nine Baptist churches
The Lutheran church owns educa-
tional institutions in the United States
to the value of 81, $50, $50.
The Young Women's Christian as
ISOLATION of Michigan includes nine
teen associations, with a membership
of two thousand.
During this century over 100, 600. 900
copies of the word of God have been
printed in over 800 different dialects
and languages.
DIR. Pennell says medical missions
are the picture language of the church
militant. The rudest and toughest,
the simplest and most uneducated, can
understand the language of Christian
love. kindness and charity.
There are only two women in
Great Britain who are entitled to add
Ill. D." to their names, and they are
both Belfast girls. Miss Frances Fl.
Gray is the latest to be so honored by
the Royal university of Ireland.
-Woman's work in India has made
great progress. There are now Iii
women missionaries = foreign and
Eurasian-in India. These have &C.
cess to 40,513 zenanas, and have GAIA
girl pupils in the mission schools.
Rev. Manasseh G. Papazian, who
was for a time pastor of a Congrega-
tional church at Rowley, Mass, and
married a young lady of that place.
was arrested some weeks ago at Aim
tab, Turkey, and imprisoned for po-
litical reasons. Mr.. Papazian COM
pleted his studies in Yale and Andover.
-Haverford college has received
from T. Wistar Brown a gift OF ten
thousand dollars, the income OF which
is to be used annually in securing q
course of lectures on biblical subjects.
The lecturer is to be an authority on
the subject in America or Europe. and
his lectures are to be placed in the col
lege library. He will be expected to
reside at the college for a few weeks
The course is to be known as the Hav-
erford library lectures.
Sir Henry Acland, Bart, regius
professor of medicine at Oxford, who
accompanied the prince of Wales in his
visit to America in 1860, has sent in his
resignation, to take effect at the end
of the year. when he will be eighty
and will nave served the university ff.
ty years. He was appointed reader in
anatomy in 1s45, Radcliffe's librarian
in 1851, regius professor in in 1s4s, and
created a baronet in 1890. He is the
uncle of Right Hon. Arthur Fl. Dyke
Acland, Lord Rosebery's minister Of
education.
I'm the public schools of France 24.s
per cent. of the scholars are short
sighted. in those of Germany IS per
cent and in those of the United King
dom 20 per cent. The percentage of
myopy is highest in the classes of
rhetoric and philosophy. The n.y.
gienic condition of the school does not,
seem to affect it, but in the opinion Of
DR.. Martin, a French authority, want
of physical exercise is the chief cause
of it. By modifying the work of the
classes and allowing reasonable spells
of exercise between them the proper
ton of myopy in the college of Gels
sen fell from 96.6 to II per cent. in five
years.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29
Improbable Economy.

To economic is a sensible thing, and
yet there are occasions when it brings
trouble, as in the case of q Mr.. John
son. Mr.. Johnson's lawyer, calling
ono day, found Mrs. johnson alone and
walking about in a state Of violent ex-
citcment. He asked what was the
matter. Her only answer was that her
husband was "a villain" After q time.
she added, with some hesitation: why,
have discovered all the love letters he
sent me we're the very same he sent to
his first wife"
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29
NEW DEFINITIONS
From the Proposed "American woman's
Dictionary"

From the Proposed "American Woman's
Dictionary"
| Lady-A gentleman of the new
school.
Air-castle-An aerial structure built
upon a foundation of wedding-cake.
Baby-A young child of either sex
possessing hundreds of joints. all of
which are set in motion upon being
lifted or otherwise disturbed.
Crank-The woman who agitated
something which does not interest US.
Don't-A term implying assent to the
rising generation.
Genius-Our child.
Husband-A verb s~ignifying to man.
age with frugality. Alsoa noun signi-
flying one who manages with frugality.
Ice-cream Saloon-An unlicensed
bank where funds are deposited.
Journal-A newspaper announcing
bargains.
Kiss-A renewal of hostilities.
M~oney-Said to be stamped coin used
as a medium of commerce. Seldom
found.
Nice-Everything that is not aw.
full"
Onion-A vegetable much eaten by
those who sit next to us in street cars.
Politics-A narcotic administered by
men.
Quiver-A receptacle for Cupid's
darts. A Saratoga trunk.
Vulgar-An adjective qualifying pro-
nouns of the second and third per.
sons.
White-Our biackest falsehoods.
X-mas-A merry festival for the dis
posal of duplicate or otherwise unde-
sirable possessions.
Young-What women always declare
themselves to be. What men expect
women to declare them.
Zeal-The ardor with which we man.
age u neighbours affairs.-N. Y.
World.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29
Tho Years Best GIFT.

The fire was bright The night was dIesr.
We sat and praised the parting year.
One guest gave thanks for added wealth.
And one Tor quick return to health
The aged father told. with Joy.
The coming Of his absent boy.
"a gladstone year." the brother cried.
AND SAILED upon his rosy bride
'Ah. yes!" the sister said. and pressed
Her infant closer to her breast
at was q glorious year. in truth.
gained my 'sheepskin'i" cried the youth
The patient mother gently sighed.
And breathed the name OF one who died:
Then softly said: ITO her was given
The years best gift. for she has Heaven"
Mrs. McVean-Adams. in s. y Times
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29
HUMOROUS.

-rOrce Oh EaDll-Juuge iUO owner
Of dog who is to be fined for not having
muzzled him)-''Has the dog been
punished before?"-F1iegende Batter.
-Weeks-"Well. how are things over
in Boston. Have they named any new
| pie aristotle yet?" Wentman-"No-o
But l heard a man there ask for a Plato
soup."-Exchanee.
Observation-Disclosures, 1 have found a
nickel in my hash" Mrs. Mealer-
"Oh, that's all right. 1 put it there. l
thought I'd give you a little change in
your diet. "-Philadelphia Record.
-Conductor-"Madam, how old is
that boy?. Elderly Matron with freez-
ing dignity)-"This young lady, sir,
has no wish to ride free. Here is her
ticket. Her bicycle is in the baggage
car."-Chicago Tribune.
$50" said Mr.. Donegan, They've
been printing the funeral notices av a
man that wasn't dead yit. It's a nice
fix he'd be in if he had been wan of
these people that believes Everything
in the newspapers. "-Tit-Bits.
"A little girl in the suburbs "a
overheard talking to her doll the other
evening. You naughty child" she
said, in a toni of grave reproof, you've
been saying darn When you go to
Heaven, dolly, you'll go to the other
place"
"A little girl was overheard talking
to her doll. whose arm had come off,
exposing the sawdust stuffing. You
dear, good, obedient dolly, I knew 1
had told you to chew your food fine,
but / didn't think you would chew it
as fine as that. Pilot.
-Master-"Pat, 1 have a suspicion
that either you or l was drunk last
night" Pat-''Oi've a suspicion av
that kind. meself, sir" Master
'Well. Pat, you rascal. which one was
it?" Pat-"Well, sor, Oil not be
castin' any reflections, but Oh do be
sayin' that Oh invied e."-Richmond
Despatch.
-She-"Harry. they tell me such
awful things! They say you have lost
lots of money gambling" He-'Non.
sense! l never gambled in my life.
I've dropped a few thousand on Atching,
and a few more on Readison, but that
was bona-fde investment. 1 never
touch any stock which is at ali uncer-
tain boston Transcript.
The boat had pulled away from
shore some fifteen or eighteen feet
when Ole Olson reached the bank in
great anxiety to get aboard. His
friend, Nels Nelson, stood on deck and
waved his arms frantically, bowling in
the meantime "Yump, Ole. yump, aye
thank We can max eet in a couple OF
yumps."-Clay Center (Kas.) Times.
"A young miss just struggling with
the piano was privileged to hear Sousa
band not long since. She afterward
wrote to a friend: "P. S.-Oh, 1 for
get. 1 heard Sousa Friday and it was
fine. wish I could play The Wash
ington Post and 'High-School Cadets
as they did, but then, I am not a band,
SO don't expect ton. Y. Tribune.
A Brave Girl.-"Do you think your
sister likes me, Tommy" Yes; she
stood up for you at dinner" stood up
for me! Was anybody saying anything
against me?" mo; nothing much. Fa-
Their says he thought you were rather
o donkey, but sis got up and said You
weren't, and told father he ought to
know better than judge . man by his
lookS"-Tit-B Bits.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29

There are hundreds of farmers, 1t il
safe to say, in thinly-occupied parts D.
this country who either do not wi
their land or do not know whether
they do OF not. They settled on their
holdings when young, and no claim.
for rent Or ~dispossess warrants have
been exhibited since. Unclaimed lands
have been taken up in New England
within two years, and a nan who re.
Gently built a house in Maine was
asked why he did not buy the ground
it stood on, Whats the use?" he al
swered. THE owners Of all this coun.
try are big lumber companies. Do yoI
suppose they're going to pay an agent
a hundred dollars or more to hunt
around for a fellow who is using ten
cents worth Of their real estate and
doing no harm to anything? I guess
not. You can stay in this country as
long as you like"
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29

" ry." And if they hadn't
found it out he wouldn't have had any
New Years present, and this story
would never have been written.
He had always been on the night
desk, which is of the same family of
furniture as an entertainment bureau.
That is, he sat all night at a table
with nine other men reading and edit
ing local and Geographic copy for the
morning Sun.
1t was the Suns policy to hire some
n from outside the Office when they
wanted a new man on the desk. And
was getting dark, and in a few words
told the managing editor he was out
of a job and could do desk work. He
never said a word about salary, SO
the managing editor hired him.
He went to work that night, and it
was a long time before anyone knew
anything about him except that he
lived on the hill.
He never came till just as the clock
was striking seven, and it v
stopped Wheeling and putting over the
.exertion before he walked in. He al
ways said Good evening, sir" to the
night editor. The night editor always
said Good evening, Briefly" to him.
Sometimes the lavish p%oliteness
would spread to the other desk men,
and they would wish him a good even
ing; but more than half the time they
didn't take the trouble.
And then Briefly would sit RICH:
down to the grind and turn off more
work and do it better than any other
two men put together. The men could
never fathom him.
He never went out to the 1880 lunch
they INDUCED in, and when he repeat
eddy declined to go down to Catder'sa n
have a beer they threw up the case in
despair and refused longer to take any
interest in him as q healthy human
newspaper man.
When the city edition was sent down
at $50, and Rich, the night editor,
said: Good night, gentlemen" Brier-
.ly got up, echoed Rich's sentiments,
and-vanished.
He never got any mail. In short. he
was a mystery.
1t was spring when Briefly came,
and it was October before Dearborn
stumbled on his story. When Che ten
o'clock mail came that night, Walter,
the Office boy who looked it over, ut
tered an exclamation of surprise and
tossed IN envelope across the desk to
Briefly.
He took it, cut it open, looked ut the
signature, turned white. stuffed the
letter into his pocket, and went on
editing his copy.
Every eye in the room was on him,
but he did not look up, just shut his
dips together tight and ven or.
All but one man had sense enough
to keep quiet. But he was a fellow
who had o fatal faculty of thinking
his w sayings funny, when they
were only Nat and intensely irritating.
He sang out:
"Wcll, Briefly, got q letter from her
at last, have you? Why didn't she
write before? Come, let's hear it! Why
don't you tell rs?"
Briefly changed color several times
and stood the chaff as long as he
could. Then he rose suddenly, threw
down his blue pencil and roared out t
the witty man: "Shut up your ugly
Mouth"
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29

-Harry-"But, darling, you do not
greet me with your wonted joyous
ness. / fear you love another" Har-
riette-'True; but he has no money.
You need cot fear to lose me, Harry"
Boston Transcript.