davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-03-13
al heard he was wild. F"

"He may have been, but IL lie was,
Others were to blame. He was always
good to me. They called him lazy
but he never let me chop stick of
wood or draw pail of water. never
took any extra steps when he was
round. He didn't love to work maybe,
MS the others did-he set great s, 're
by his books"
"Are you comfortable hcre?"
"Ye-es; but it's kind o. lonesome
sometimes, specially when I remem-
Der that Abner and Seth and hannah
have all got good, CHEEKY homes of
their own. If Mark had lived 1t
would all be different"
at shall he different yet, mother.
/ nm Clara Ballard, your son Marks
wife," cried the visitor, embracing
and kissing the surprised old lady.
"You shall be in n CHEEKY home of
your own before this time tomorrow.
Willie, come and kiss your grand
mother. Isn't he the image of his
father?" added Clara Ballard, proudly,
as the boy came forward Mt her bid
ding.
"AIy Mark is alive again in himl ~
"Your Mnrk-our Marks himself
alive and well, mother He wns lit
tie wild at first, he says, and unfortu-
nate in everything he undertook; but
he grew steady, and then he persevered
in one thing instead of trying first
one, then another, and, finally, got
into good practice. You knew he was
n doctor, didn't you? Mop He is one
of the leading physicians in our State.
He wrote ever 30 many letters to you,
but got no replies, SO we thought you
were dead.
81 never heard word from him
His brothers were always 80 afraid
he'd come home to be n drag on them
that one of them must have destroyed
those letters. They always got our
mail from the Office"
"He never will be drag on any
one! know he was good son,
mother, for he is the best husband
that ever lived; and when my uncle
died n year ago and left me fortune,
/ was glad to get it so that we could
have more to give away, bless him
Come, mother, help me pack your
things and I'll take you home US a
welcome present to Mark"
Someone, Clara Ballard never said
that she knew who, had inserted in the
next issue of the Clifton County pa
per (which Abner and Seth took
long article describing the remarkable
manner in which cdr. Ballard, our
former townsman, now the most able
lung specialist in the State of N,
than whom there is no more honored,
generous and useful citizen in our
country" found his mother in the Old
Ladies' Home in Fairfield. 1t also
gave an account of his handsome
house and of the warm, sunny, luxur-
ious room which his little ones now
call "grandma's room," where they
love to gather at twilight and hear
long stories of how thoughtful and
obedient their father was in his youth.
full days.
Oh, how Abner and Seth did grind
their teeth with rage to find that their
black sheep was the very reverse of
black, not even gray huel How one
of them wished he had read certain
letter or two before he burned them,
unopened; then he would have known
that, instead of begging money, the
truant had some to give away. And,
horrid thought! mayhap one of those
letters had money in it! He never
knew, nor dared to ask. k.-Demorest.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-03-13
A HERo's WIFE AND HER MARK.

II has been discovered that Mrs.
Harrison, wife of the president and
hero of the Tippecanoe, could not
write but signed her name with an X.
The discovery has come about through
the discovery of deed, executed by
William II. Harrison and his wife,
which has just been filed for record
with the circuit court of Hillsboro, III.
The deed is for forty acres of land
near Hilsboro, and was executed in
1889. The paper is regarded as n val
liable document for its historical in
terest, and not the least interesting
thing about it is that Mrs. Harrison
has signed it with an X. New Orleans
Picayune.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-03-13
pRAwpAcK TO FEMALE LAnon.

One grent drawback to making n
living by n woman who Is compelled
through necessity TO go out to work il
the competition she is forced TO meet
with in the case of the daughters Of
well-to-do people, who simply go out
to make money to dress on or TO
spend. In case of n strike for higher
wages or against n reduction, these
girls who have parents to support
them aud homes to go to, are the very
ones who will accept aud stay in, sim
ply because they do not depend upon
their wages for board or rent. Jour
nal of the knights of Labor.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-03-13


haps you've heard of the Barnum
match-works?"
ooh, yes; / have. Alb, here is the
place where leave the boat. Let me
bid you good-by, with the hope that
We may meet again some time;" and
so saying the stranger took her leave.
Early next morning this same
stranger ''might have been seen" las
G. P. r. James puts it entering the
comfortable, if lonely, little room
assigned to Mrs. hannah Ballard in
the Old Ladies' Home at Fairfield.
"You once lived in Barnum Mills,
or Clifton, as they now coll it, did
you not?" the stranger asked Mrs.
Ballard after the first greetings were
exchanged.
"Yes; l was married in Clifton,
and my husband bought farm there.
He lies sleeping there now, and my
three children live in Clifton still.
Have you come from there?" was the
answer.
'No; but I know some one who
did, and l understood him to say that
you had four children"
"Yes; 1 had four children, but my
youngest is-oh, don't know where
dead, am sure, as it is years since
heard from him. Poor Mark! He
was r,y comfort
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28
VANITY BRED IN THE BONE.
A Woman Primps Up for a Talk with the
Invisible Caller.

Once again, O woman, hast thou
proven thy name is Vanity. And here
is the evidence on which indictment
and conviction are founded:
Mrs. YOungbride was calling on one
Of her schoolday chums Conversation
flowed and flowed-with nary an ebb-
and secrets galore were being impaired
with every moment, when "ting-a-ling-
a-ling" went the telephone bell. Mad
anne Hostess answered the summons.
YES this Is Gretchen
why, how did YOU know She was
here? Wait minute and III call her. -
Thereupon Mrs. Noungbride was In
formed that Jack IIale-you remem-
Der him. don't you-was at the Priests
of Pallas ball, you know-wants to
speak 10 you.
just halfway between the divan and
the phone was mirror. 1t proved as
fatal as that apple in the garden of
Eden. Before it halted Mrs Young
bride. Then and there she fixed her
hair, with a deft touch arranged bow
or two. pulled out the big. big sleeves.
and with final switch of her gown
walked up to the telephone 20 tallk-to
a man.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28
AN ODD BANQUET.
At which "A Fashionable Londoner Buried
His Bachelorhood.

Most men experienced in dining ont
have attended what might be aptly
called "crank dinners" where some
hobby came into play or an odd eccen-
tricity was grote,Quely indicated One
of the queerest banqucts of this char
acter took place a few years ago al
fashionable restaurant in London,
where an acquaintance engaged cab
met particulier 10 celebrate what he
called the burial of his bachelor
hood.
The table was laid with black satin
cloth, the flowers in the cpcrgncs were
immOrtelles, the menu was written in a
dead language on mimic tombstones,
tbs name Of each guest was inscribed
on cardboard coffin which opened and
contained dark cigar % represent "a
corpse and the wine appeared draPed in
Grape and vas served by muteS.
When the guests arrived they came
I'm two mourning coaches drawn by huge
black horses with long tails. such as
one sees vending their way To the
cemeteries The host was dressed in
deep mourning, with sables around
eHSn arm. lie Nds tNlucHliN III SUNNI
respects morbid man who reveled in
his mortuary wit, for when the mana
pef q the Testaurant knocked at the
door ii was getting lgtel and desired
to know if the obs6ddifs wers Qgite
over the giyer of the feast was reading
the burial service with mock solemnity
over an empty claret bottle.
He addressed the manager as a
potent, grave and reverend seignior,"
requested one of his guests 20 play him
out 10 the strains of the Dead March
in saul and protested that the dinner
could not be completed until it was
half mourning" This comedy or farce,
interlude or whatever one may call it,
was kept up 20 the very end by the
eonvives departing as luCubriously and
solemply as they had entered.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28
GOOD ADVICE.
But 1t Came from One Who Did Not
Practice What lie Preached.

a writer in the Great Divide says that
some years ago. while he was oflice-boy
in a large retail store. bit of advice
was given him that he has always re-
membcred. II was sound advice, at all
events, though The giver of it preached
better than he practiced.
The establishment was large, and
enough ink was used 70 neceSsitate the
purchasing Of dozen pint bottles
every few months. These bottles had
accumulated for some time and as
there was scarcely room in the closet
for the lot which had just arrived,
was instructed 10 take the old ones to
the waste room. removed them from
the closet but put them in one of the
stock-rooms in the basement until lunch
time came; then took them TO junk
shop nearby. and sold them for two
cents apiece. which Melted me seventy
two cents. returned 20 the office in
high spirits, but a little doubtful
whether the money really belonged TO
me. All the afternoon pondered over
the question, and finally ! referred it
to the cashier, who had always been a
good friend of mine.
We'll, he said, mo doubt you could
have had the bottles had you asked for
them; but my advice would be to turn
tho money over To the firm, as little
things of this sort are liable 10 lead TO
acts of downright dishonesty"
turned the money in. therefore, but
rather reluctantly must admit But
the strange part of the story is yet 10
come. Not long ago read of the trial
and conviction of this same cashier for
embezzlement. His depredations had
extended over a number of years, and
horrible doubts now enter my head
whether the firm ever received that
seventV-twO cents
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28
THEY eN1oYEo TIE JOKE.
The Elephants Appreciated a Good Thing
Mhen Z hoy Nv IL

number Of years ago, In a book
which wa, called Leaves from the Life
of a Special Correspondents Mr.O'Shea.
the author Of the book, gave the follow
ing description of an adventure hc had
with a herd OF elephants. Said he: "A
young friend asked ne once - show
him some elephants. and took him
along with me, having first borrowed
an apron and filled IL with oranges
This nc was 90 carry whilst accompany
ing me I'm the stable, bat the moment
we reached the door the herd set up
such trunpcting- had scented
the fruit--tAat he dropped the apron
and It's contents, and scutUcd OFF like
scared rabbit. There were eight ele-
plants aud when | picked up the
oranges ! found | had twenty-five. |
walked deliberately along the line Civ
ing one 10 each. When | got to the
extremity of the narrow stable turned,
and was about 10 bcgin the distributioN
again, when | suddenly reflected that
if elephant No. in the row saw me
give two oranges in succession 20 No. 5
he might imagine nc was being cheated,
and give me a smack with his trunk
that is whore the elephant falls short
of the humqn being SO ! went to the
door and began at the beginning as
before. Thrice ! Went along the lIii.qe,
and then 7 Vas ip 9 fY,,, 7 hal onc
orange jeff, and 7 lad % Fet back 70 the
door Every elephant IN he herd had
his greedy Paze focused on thgt orange.
i vas as much as MY life was worth to
give il 10 any one of them. What was
/ 70 do? ! held it up conspicuously,
cooll9 peeled it. and ate it myself. 1t
was most amusing 10 notice the way
those elephants uudged each other and
shook their pondcrous sides. They
thoroughly entered into the humor Of
the thing"
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28
THE FUTURE OF CHINA.
John VIII Now Rapidly Fail In with the
Latest Industrial Methods.

The Chinese have a grand old litera-
ture and philosophic books by the side
of which Plato and the Memora-
bilia of Socrates seem mere bro
chures. The Chinese are essentially a
literary and aesthetic people, although
they, too, can boast Of many campaigns
and architectural monuments Their
public buildings in brick are few. but
those in mud still fill US with admira-
ton. Their traditions are wholly op-
posed % ours Their traditions are
very old. very theoretical.
Barbarous traditions, grown up in
the rough practice Of life, are more
easily displaced than those which
have their roots imbedded IN an ancient
but ever green philosophical literature
But when the public examinations. On
which success in life depends, shall
cease, no matter by what blow, TO con-
fine themselves TO Chinese classics
alone. then gentleman John win be-
come as laborious. docile and enterpris-
ing in modern war and finance and
policy, and military and industrial
methods and training. as humble coolie
John already is in shopkeeping in San
Francisco and Australia and the
Straits. Then we shall have TO look
ont
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28
. LESSON IN poLITsNess.
IN Interesting Incident OF Elevated
Travel in New York city.

The temptation 10 correct the man
ners of children who are not taught by
their parents 20 conduct themselves
properly in public places is very
strong gentleman yielded TO this
temptation on a New York elevated car
recently under circumstance which
may be pardoned 10 him, though uu-
doubtcdly nc exceeded his right
lie was sitting, as he relates ina The
New York Press. in a car in which all
the seats were taken. 4 stout woman,
Hashily dressed, sat opposite him. hold
ing small boy between her knees.
A the ear stopped, a person who sat
next the gentleman got out, and
working girl. carrying a big bundle,
came ia, and started 10 take the vacant
seat.
But the woman with the boy was too
quick for her. She pushed the boy
quickly into the seat, just before the
girl could take it, and looked compla-
Gently about her, as if She could not
see the girl at all.
The gentleman might then have risen
and given the girl his own seat, but he
did not He put his arm around the
boys waist lifted him to the floor, and
said:
Vow take of your hat, and offer
your seat to that young lady.
The bor ran to his mothers knees.
The girl hc.l,ated, bnt took The seat as
tie t,A,icnan bechQnel her to it.
And thin the mother Of The child burst
out into a violent Remuneration Of the
mans 'ungcntlemanly' conduct.
And lei me tell you, sir, She said,
finally. don't YOU ever NEEDLE with
peoples children again.
Madam" responded the gentleman,
''if mothers DO not train their son, to
grow up as gentlemen, some one else
should. How do YOU expect that boy
TO respect his mothers sex, when his
mother sets him the example of de-
spising other wOmens claims to
courtesy"
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28

The Cleveland convention was all
that we expected though It did not
come up to the expectations of many.
Il was not representative convention
in any sense. other than that Il represent
ed individual opinions. This state was
entitled 10 - delegates. but il i doubt
fu. whether eight of them were elected.
The others were delegates cX-oiiiciO, and
appointed by the executive board which
met in Hasting at the time of the Repub-
lican Press association in May last. We
doubt not that other states were a.
badly misrepresented a was this state.
4 large share of the delegates were re-
publcans first aud men afterwards, and
only in 50 far "a manhood was compat-
IDLE with republicanism. II is right
that such convention should not de-
clare anything. II it had been made
up Of delegates elected by the people,
and men hrst.and republicans only in So
far a republicanism is parallel and
compatible with manhood. it, declara-
lions when made would have had some
weight. Men who fear to express views
on great and burning questi ms simply
because they fear their party may not
indorse their action, are beings un-
worthy the name of men. They are
Punch and Judy puppets who open
their mouths only when the head ven
speaks and touches the button.
We are constrained like Diogenes to 90
out with a lantern and hunt for men.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28
IN a REAL GRAVE.
Booths Experience on stage Ia q Noun
tain side Town.

Il once produced Yorick's skull from
a real grave" remarked Chicago thea
ter man recently. 1t was years ago,
IN Virginia City. New. when that was "a
great mining camp and stock com
pany was maintained al Piper's opera
house on Il street. The thcater was
built-the whole town was on the steep
tide of Mount Davidson A street was
thirty or forty feet higher than y street,
so they had 10 blast out rock 10 make a
level for the theater. The stage rested
square on rock We got along very
well until Booth came there and Ham
let was 20 Ice produced. OF course, we
could not get along without a grave, SO
section of the stage was sawed ont
and some worltmcn with crowbars and
picks dug down about three feet
Booth knew nothing about this until
the grave diggcr's scene was on. | was
the first grave digger, and as Hamlet
approached lifted my pick and began
digging for keeps. You know we
usually lift the pick aloft and do bust
ness of digging, letting the pick fall
lightly on a box Of earth, which is on
the trap platform whore we stand. But
pitched in and picked like a good fell
low and when Booth heard the steel
ring out from my hard knocks against
the honest rock he was the most sur
prised-looSing Hamlet ever say. He
got between the grave and the foot
lights, facing pp-stage' and looked
down into in9 real grave with a puzzled
smile, and whispered:
: What have we here, grave digger?'
Were going in for ShaEespearean
realism, l whispered back, throwing
out a shovelful of rock had loosened.
Boot went on with the scene all
right, but whenever he faced up-stage
ne would look down into that real
grave and smile curiously. After the
show he examined it more carefully
and got down into the grave"
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28
BIRDS AS BAROMETERS.
A well-Kpown Writer who Holds That
They Are Not Weather Wise.

In his charming book, Recent
Rambles, Dr. Charles c. Abbott gives
some little attention TO the question
whether birds can realize the coming
of a storm SO far in advance of its
actual appearance a 70 serve observant
man as a reliable barometer. AL
though this has been popularity be-
lieved for centuries. DR.. Abbott thinks
that it has no basis in fact and voices
his opinion in these words:
1T needs but a short ramble in the
woods and fields after a summer
shower 20 see how painfully destructive
are moderate wind and rain when
they rush across the country hand-in-
hand. There i no more touching sight
In all nature than the lowly murmured
plant of nest-brds as they contemplate
after a shower. their ruined home and
drowned hedglings
ITO credit bird with weather-wis-
dom, and yet with no power 70 guard
against probable danger, is 20 assume
that it leads the terrible life of one in
constant fear-a mental condition the
birds daily life fatty contradicts.
Never does the world look brighter
than few hours before some great
change Never are the birds more
merry. mammals more full of play; yet
the impending storm means mischief
that to some extent might be avcrted
had these happy creatures but an ink
ling of what was coming.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28
HIS FATHERS BUSINESS.
Boy Gsse So Many Accounts OF IT That
Tie VA Called n Politician.

When the man who canVasses for
names for the city directory knocked
at the door on the top floor of a Har-
lem tene ment house it was opened,
says the New York World, by a
small boy, bright eyed and ragged,
with that expression Of premature
agedness on his face that makes the
children Of the criminal classes look
old enough 10 be their own fathers.
In reply TO questions the boy gave
the name OF his parents. Then came
puzzler.
What's yer peppers business9' in
quired the directory man.
"Business?"
Yes What does he do for livingp"
The boy laughed. oh, he said, he
steals lead pipe off roofs, and some-
times he breaks into houses. say, yer
amt a policeman, are YOU? Well, that's
all right. Pepper amt got no regular
business. Sometimes he lies along the
waterfront and robs drunken sailors
and sometimes he sandbags people. To-
day he's trying his hand at picking
pockets on the Bowery, but ! guess
ne "a get plnched, because ne generally
does at that game Don't put him
down as pickpocket, mister, for he's
a regular greeny at that"
The directory man scrubbed some
thing in a notebook and moved away.
The boy called after him curiously:
What did yer put pepper down as,
mister?" The directory man said moth
ing but held IN the book in which
was written:
Jones, John, politician, l9264 Ave-
nue. a" and moved off to the next fiat.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28

FoR vulgar, lying, unuustworthy
cartoonist. M, Harvey. author OF
Coins Financial school" is being ac-
60 ded good deal of dignity by the
boiled-shirted, goldbug intellectually
OF New England and New York Al
the approaching Horr-Harvey silver de-
bate in Chicago, the illu,trious Roswell
g. will be seconded by a squad of pill
grim, from the east. among whom will
be Horace White, Edward Atkinson, j.
Dewitt Warner, Nj. d. Harter, and
Joseph II. Walker. Considering the
utter contempt in which all these gen
tiemen have profes,ed to hold Mr.. Hat-
vey and his arguments, their willing
ness to travel \ thousand miles TO help
slug him logically shows that they
must be pretty badly scared lot
of ows.~-Eyening News.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28
CLIMATE AND TONGUES.
Some Curious Effects Noted In the Rugged
North and sunny south.

Gutturals predominant in Norway
and Russia, whereas, far 70 the south
ward, in sunny Italy, there is a pro-
fusion Of such euphonious names as
Palermo, Verona, Campobello and so
forth. Even in the British isles, cover
ing SO few degrees of latitude, there is
a marked difference between the
burr Of the Highlander and the soft
speech Of the native Of southern Eng
land
theory which may partly account
for these climatic effects j. based upon
the contrast of the stiffness which usu-
ally pervades southern lands with the
stormy inquietude of northern coun-
tries Cloudless skies for months at a
time characterize the climates of Italy
while a armament entirely free from
clouds is rare in Norway.
1t requires, OF course, greater effort
20 be heard in regions which are swept
by winds and storms than in still south
ern ATTITUDES. and TO be heard distinct
~ amid the noise and confusion of the
elements words must be used which
contain many consOuants.
Among the inha bitants of more trop-
zeal chimes the tendency is toward soft
and musical cadence, and travellers re-
late that in regions in South America,
such as Peru and Venezuela, where at
mospheric disturbances are rare. the
natives almost chant the phrases OF
Salutation
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28
STATE SETTINGS.

\ canning factory is being built in
Clarksvlile
A refrigerator factory has been estlb.
lished in Frankfort.
a county dairymen's association will be
organized in LIVING ton county
Two hundred students will attend the
summer school at the university
The spool factory in Alpena is shipping
large quantities both by rail ard water.
a hosiery factory 220 feet long and five
stories high. Is being built in Muskegon.
Sault Ste Marie is the first to get state
library, established in accordance with the
new law
4 peua business men propose to erect a
factory for the manufacture OF jack pine
pulp wood.
W J. Terney and T W D wilson Of
Bay City have purchased 10000, 900 feet
of pine near Duluth.
Thirty four sheep belonging to John
Clark Of Metamora were killed by Mich.
Igan Central tram the other day