davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
Anachronisms in ART.

"The French artist whose picture in the
Paris Salon few years ago showed the
eccentricity of presenting cavalier of the
time OF Louis XIV armed with a modern
revolver was not alone in his an
achronism." says Henry Granville in the
Home Journal. "Some oftne early painters
were amusingiy careless about such mat
ters. Tin toretto, in picture of the chill
dren of Israel gathering mama, represents
them as having taken the precaution of
arming themselves with shotguns. When
Cigoli painted the aged Simeon at the cir.
cumcision OF the infant Savior, which
picture is now in ST. Petersburg, he re-
mem bered that aged men wear spectacles,
and SO placed these conveniences upon
Simeon's nose.
"In picture by verrio of Christ heal
ing the sick the bystanders are represen ted
with periwigs. The ludicrous effect is
eaualed in Albert Durer's picture of the
expulsion of Adam and Eve from the GAR
den OF Eden by an angel wearing q
flounced petticoat. The same artist in
his scene of Peter denying Christ, depicts
Roman soldier quietly enjoying a pipe
of tobacco.
VA dil tud dILlStS WHO nave SlnneQ
against propriety or probability, the
Dutch and Flemish have been among the
most eccentric. In the Museum of Vienna
there is picture of Christ Bearing the
Cross by Peter Brueghel the elder, which
shows Christ carrying his burden, while a
monk, crucihx in hand, exhorts the two
thieves to die repentant.
nicholas Poussin has represented the
deluge with boats at hand ready for use.
and on another canvas 'Rebecca at the
Well is seen with Greclan architecture in
the background. And in a picture repre-
senting Lobsters in the Sea, Listening to
the Preaching of ST. Anthony of Fadua,'
the Holsters are red, although as vet
1t is fair to presume unboiled. A French
artist has depicted the Lords Supper.
the table being ornamented with tumblers
filed with cigar-lighters; and the Virgin
Mary, in another work OF the same
nationality, is helping herself to cup of
coffee from chased coffee pot.
"But drollest of all blunders is that
which portrays the Garden of Eden with
Adam and Eve in all their primeval SIM
plicity, while near them, in full costume,
is seen a hunter with gun shooting
ducks"
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

road, Clapton, the keeper noticed that the
elephant would walk on the pavement,
but he little thought of the trick it was
about to play. Standing just round the
corner of the road was a police constable
sheltering from the wind, and quite un-
conscious of the approach of the elephant,
whose tread gave forth no sound. As the
animal reached the corner be put his
trunk round and just touched the con-
stables arm. The latter turned to see
what it was, and on seeing the elephant
was seized with alarm and took to his
heels along the road, closely pursued by
his tormentor.
The keeper tried to ,call the animal
back, but it was of no avail, for the re-
treating figure of the constable occupied
the sole attention of the elephant, who
kept up the pursuit until the officer darted
into garden and closed the iron gates
behind him. The elephant stood at the
other side of the ratings, but made no
attempt to get at him, and, much to his
relief, on the arrival of the keeper, turned
and went on its way.-Westminster Ga
zette.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
ThE RAYlNE At TlNTAGEL

The village consists OF few houses, the
most of them small ones, ranged along
one street. The hotel, the Wharncliffe
Arms, does such thriving business in
the summer that it has to have an annex.
1t is of the plain and comfortable sort
that is usually found in the country dis
tricts of England.
The way to the castle from the village is
along the street, down grassy lane, up
over hill and across a heathery down.
Then, perched on the very edge of a great
precipice, the tie is reached-that is to
say, half of it is reached. The visitor who
has not been told what to expect will be
surprised to find that the other half of the
castle is so situated that he will have to
take an altogether different way to get to
it, or else make short cut down to the
house where the key is kept along so
steep a grade that he will need to be care.
ful not to make the latter part of the jour-
ney headlong.
For the castle is on both sides of deep
gorge, which separates the mainland from
the peninsula TintageI Head, commonly
called "the island" because it comes so
near being one. the connecting isthmus
is narrow, rocky ridge. almost down to
the waters edge at high tide. It is fairly
well shown in one of the pictures here
given. This gorge was once narrower, 1t
is said, and there was bridge across 1t.
connecting the two parts of the castle.
The bridge was gone nobody knows how
long ago, and the terrible attacks of the sea
and the wind upon the rocks that the
castle stands upon have worn and torn
them away till the gorge itself is widened
and much of the castle must have fallen
into the pit below it.
1t was built OF the same sort of slate as
the rock on which it stands, and il the su.
per-esthetic visitor thinks that the pros
pect is injured by the slate quarry down
at the bottom of the gorge he may console
himself with the thought that at any rate
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

f, across that vast hall, and it was only by
means of the table card that we could
| trace the celebrity to his lair-to his chair,
more properly speaking. So we discovered
that Mrs. Craigie (John Oliver HobDes)
was seated between mans active black
arm aud a lady's waving fan; that the
heads seen now and then between moving
walters and a number of backs belonged
to Mr.. and Mrs. II. M. Stanley. He
looked bent and white and old, and Miss
Dorothy Tenant that was looked fresh
and charming and young. Poultney Bige-
low sat in close proximity to the con-
tingent from San Franc SEQ, and seemed
to enjoy himself even without his most
intimate friend, the En- peror William OF
Germany. Opposite him sat the writer
George Manvi.le Fem, and at the head OF
this table the delightful, inco mparable
Benjamin Franklin Stephens, secret ary OF
the society, beamed upon his particular
guests.
1t would be an interesting if somewhat
complicated task to try to discover Just
how many "really and truly Americans
there were. They had provincial air,
the greater proportion. The young men
had'a patient expression like clerks IN
fancy-goods shop-store, would say-and
the ladies' costumes appeared to nave
come with the ladies themselves from the
regions of Petaluma and Milpitas. They
were astonishingly original. One most
impressive scene was che entrance OF
bride. apparently just risen from her we'd
ding breakfast. She was feet in height,
and the happy Bridegroom was fair, fat and
5 feet 4. Long streamers OF gauze and Tin
sci foated about her, and artificial orange
blossoms were caught here and there.
have made careful inquiries about the spe-
cial character of her sleeves, and have
heard it authoritatively asserted that they
are called angel sleeves.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

sion to throw into their own faces that
they did not have much attention left to
give to the play. The audience was
quite worth while seeing as a whole
writer's, and artists, and pIaywrights, and
great ladies, and stage managers. and
journalists. Only London can gather to-
gether such heterogeneous mass OF
people.
In the stage-boxes, as the play pro-
gressed, you would catch glimpse of a
head thrust forward in absorbed attention
Henry James, reserved and melan-
choly; Comyns Carr and Pinero, indul-
gent, If little supercilious; "Hanthony
'ope 'awkins-as / heard a newsboy at a
railroad bookstall recommend to an in
quiring customer-Anthony Hope Haw-
kins, between young Justin Mccarthy and
his wife-Cissy LOTUS, that was. And
there were Will RothensteIn of yell
low Book fame and Bernard Shaw and
Clement Scott, the critics, and Ibsenian
young women with intense faces, and ever
so many more!
1t would be tempting fate to give any
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
The Befoggng Ibsen Drama and an American I

LONDON, Eng, Dec. 1.-The past week
has been an exciting one in London. We
have had black-or rather, green pea
soup-fog; we have had the first perform
Rnce of an Ibsen play in the same day
the connection is obvious; we have had a
Thanksgiving day dinner at the Ameri-
can Society. and picture exhibitions, one
for every day in the week! What with a
sprin king of concerts and teas; what
with reading the latest reports of inter-
views with the President-elect, and the
latest scandal in "hig lif" and the true
and veracious account of everything the
Prince and Princess of Wales did or did
not do at Blenheim-llfe has been a toll
some and serious affair.
The IbSen play was Little Eyolf.
Some harsh critics affirm that the fog had
Its origin in the theater-there were so
many deep meanings concealed in misty
sentences and sighs and disiointed ejacu-
lations. The unprejudiced will be able to
assert that the fog seemed TO hover chiefly
over the audience, who seemed in so much
doubt as to the proper amount of express
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

rather repulsive honesty can make them.
Courtney Thorpe did the bookish prig
with high ideals; Janet A. Church over
did the passionate and recklessly loving
wife; Miss Robyns. who gives the plays.
acted exquisitely and had the most deli
cate and charming part. and Mrs. Patrick
Campbell made of the Rat Wife figure so
weird, so grewsome and so picturesqe that
she stamped her personality upon all the
rest of the play, permeating it, although
only five minutes actually before the audi.
ence.
The critics, l verify believe. sat up all
night over their virtuous tasks. What
ever unpieasantness had escaped the null
tftude in the performance itself was
dragged to the light of day and discussed
in the most pleasing and open manner
from the highest moral standpoint. l be-
lieve William Shakespeare of Stratford-
on-Avon once asserted-is it in Hamlet
that"there is neither good nor evil, but
thinking makes it so." In this cass the
critics thought to most excellent purpose,
and the poor benighted men and women
of duller perception who had listened
without blush now blush to think they
did not blush. OF course, since then no
further places can be purchased, every
seat is sold for the remaining four per-
formances.
"This is strange vorld," as Sam W elier
would have said.
The American Thanksgiving dinner at
the Hotel Cecil was magnificent affair" 5"
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

sor to dine with the Queen on this very
DAY caused some vexation probably even
to Minister Bayard himself.
This fact is likely to be little misun.
derstood. Mr. Bayard had no option in
regard to accepting or refusing the invi-
tation; he could not consult his personal
wishes any more than young and ambi-
tious lieutenant may who is asked by the
commanding officer, General So-and-So,
to conduct his aged grandmother to
church. Mr.. Bayard would probably have
especially with turkey and pun'ki pie"
as his reward. His absence was very
much to be regretted.
1t is rather sad comment on American
oratory that the best speeches of the even
ing were delivered by Sir Frank Lockwood
and Sir Richard Webster. The contrast
between the post-prandial efforts of these
shining lights of the English bar and
those OF our own countrymen was little
painful. The comparison was unavoida.
Bile. Sir Frank Lockwood especially pro-
posed the health of the President of the
United States in speech that was so hu-
morous, SO cordial and so fine, in language
so choice and voice so perfectly modu-
lated, vigorous and clear that it was a rare
pleasure to listen to it. OF the American
speeches only one was even audible; that
was delivered, with great ability, by Mr..
R. Newton Crane, who has probably been
disciplined by his long years of practice in
London. As a rule it was possible to
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
Tilt CASTLE, ,ThE COVE ANO THE CAVE

now left of the castle, which is also the
part furthest inland. 1t is heavy piece
Of masonry, and the top of 1t is wide
enough TO make comfortable walk, if it
were not for the wind that has been men,
toned once or twice before.
1t is glorious view all up ana down the
coast from the castle. To the west and
south there are headlands after headlands
(for the whole coast of Cornwall is made
up OF them) till the most boldly iuttin z
one OF them cuts off the further view in
the direction of Lands End. To the
north and east there is Barras Head, the
one that is now to be saved from the
spoiler. and then again headland after
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

others were whispered facetiously, evi-
IDENTIFY for the delectation OF the immedi-
ate neighbors of the speaker. II it could
have been put to vote think there would
have been unanimous resolution passed
that every man or woman with aspira.
tions for the after-dinner laureIs should be
forced to spend year at an institution
where 1t would be possible to study voice
culture and the fine art OF oratory.
The dinner itself was lavish. An army
OF walters served the 300 guests; SOU
venir volume, bound in red leather, writ
ten and illustrated for the occasion, was
presented to each and every happy person,
and the great banqueting hall of the hotel,
like the hall of some medieval castle, was
superb even under the decorative infiiction
of hundreds of small cotton flags
ha'penny editions of the star-spangled
banner-and the shields and emblems of
all the States and Territories.
As whole the guests were representa-
tive OF that curious specimen, the Ameri-
can abroad, but a more unre preventative
gathering of Americans as they are at
home it has never been my pleasure to
see. The beautiful merican girl was a
rara avis. Mrs. Paul Cowles of San Fran
cisco was unquestionably the prettiest
woman IN the room.
OF other San Franciscans / saw only
Mr.. and Mrs. Denis O'Sullivan, Miss Hey
nemann and Colonel Alexander G. Hawes,
although I strained my eyes.
1t was almost as hard to see as to hear
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
Thanksgiving IN London

I It is matter of deep regret to me that
| have never cultivated the acqunint lance or
| the society reporter, whose eagle eye would
at once have ascertained whether the skirt
| was gored or-or some other thing. The
fan that she waved carelesslv to and fro
was quaint conceit. 1t would have or
namented hearse it looked like the wing
of an enormous NEUROLOGICAL bird-and
the waters circled around 1t with great
respect. The vegetable decorations OF the
bridegroomin his buttonbole were of the
same delicate proportions. They walked
across the room, the lady sailing forward
with her wing spread, the gentleman hop
ping over her train in most stately
manner. II was quite in the spirit OF
court function, especially as represented
on the stage at. the Grand Opera
house with slow music. Speaking of
music reminds me that the musical pro-
gramme added largely to the patriotic
feelings of those present. We enjoyed
first "God Save the Queen" then the
"Star-spangled Banner" in which the
chorus was sustained by 800 voices in 500
different keys "Ths Old Folks at Home"
sung by Mime. Belle Cole, with the notes
sustained to a point that made the audi
ence transfxed with the fear that she
would never catch her breath again, was
applauded, after that feat was successfully
accomplished in the most satisfactory
manner.
On the whole, however, the American
dinner if it gives an unscrupulous journal
an opportunity to poke fun, was distinctly
en- movable ard has a most admIra Bile object,
to promote good feeling and cordiality
among the exiles abroad. In spite of the
frivolous tone of this communication the
''obiect all sublime" of the dinner is
nevertheless deeply appreciated and grate-
fully acknowledged by this particular
exile. VAN DYoK Brown q
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

Over on the island, down close to the
water OF the cove. there is a little fragment
OF hattlemented wall, with door in it,
which looks as If it mignt have been con-
nected with landing-place, and you can
believe, ii you want to, that King Mark
stood at this exact spot TO welcome his
bride, the Irish Princess.
The mention of the island brings the
account of the place back to where it be-
longs. fyou want to go to the part OF
the castle on the island it will be better to
make up your mind TO that effect before
you leave the village, instead of trying to
make your way there from the mainland
part OF the castle. Then you will take the
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

path down the ravine, between the castle
and Baras Head, till you come to the
little house that is shown in the picture
the little house away down the ravine.
not the one in the foreground, which is
almost as much q ruin as the castle itself.
In the little house lives an old woman
who makes her living from her ancient
privilege OF keeping the key of the castle.
Go to the door and knock, tell her politely
that 1t would be favor to you it she
would lend you the key, and she will lend
1t TO you. Then you go along by the only
path there is, so that you cannot lose your
way across the connecting ridge and up
the steep shore of the island till you get
to the castle wall and the door with the
lock which your key fits. This bit of wall
is only few yards long, yet so steep is the
rocky side OF the island with this one little
path up its side that it would be extremely
difficult and dangerous to gain any access
to the island except through this door.
When you are once through YOU will
find easy ways over the whole of it, and
you can explore it at your leisure and un-
disturbed, except for some few other
visitors who have borrowed duplicate KEYS
from the old woman. The ruins here are
not quite so far gone as those across the
gorge, being on the. sheltered side of the
island instead of the exposed side of the
mainland. If the island has projected the
castle it has felt the fury of the sea itself.
The cave that shows its mouth in the
picture goes clear through the headIand,
and you can walk all the way through it
at low tide if you do not mind getting
your feet wet.
In toward the middle of the island is
the chapel. All that is left of it is the
foundations of the walls and the altar.
This is a slab of stone at one end of the
room. 1t was found lying on the ground,
ard it was SO clearly an old altar stone
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

island as you care for you must take the
key back to the old woman, and then you
can give her anything you like for the use
of it, or nothing, if you are that kind of
person.
There are many finer ruins than Tintagel
within a thousand miles of it. but there
are few anywhere which the sentimental
visitor can more thoroughly enjoy. He is
not bothered with the surroundings of a
dirty modern town, with the jarring and
elaborate ,conveniences of modern hotel
life. with the nuisance of officions guides
or with many visitors. 1t is the place to
rest, to breathe pure breezes-sometimes
gales-to dream of King Arthur and to
feel the full spirit of poetry and chivalry
and beauty.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
A Playful Elephant.

A most remarkable incident happened
m the early hours of Sunday morning to O
police constable on duty in the High
Road. Clapton. 1t appears that on Satur-
day night travelling circus gave a per-
formance on Mount Pleasant Fields, and,
as Is usual, struck the tent soon after the
close of the entertainment. Among the
animals was performing elephant, and
this, in the charge OF keeper, was dis
patched to the next stopping place.
All was quiet as the pair logged along,
but when nearing Goulton road, High
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20


out for himself. And so, the boy at lS
has won and invested the first half OF the
first thousand dollars that capitalists say
is harder to win than any $4,000 after
ward.
"How did 1 make it?" said the young
business man the other day. "0h, buying
and selling Enthusiastically newspapers
and books. / sell newspapers right along
every day and then when ! see chance
at something else that interests the public
1 take hold of it. sold some OF the
earliest campaign books, and when CONS
Financial School h-st came out ano
people were talking about it L wrote to
Mr.. Harvey at Chicago and got lot oi
them before they got in the bookstores
here and 1 sold them all. L put all my
money in bank until had enough TO BUY
a lot with. Yes, go to school right
along"
The young man is also very clever With
the pencil, exhibiting signs OF consider
able talent as an artist He is good IL
lustration of what even boy can do who
tries. though some people think that his
vouthfuI energies should be directed into
some more substantial channel than that
of mere money-making.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
--s=S5Sl-6Ge .-u @s

that 1t was set up at the usual height OF
an altar. so that it now clearly marks the
use OF the place. There is an Enclosure
near this which is called the castle grave
yard. A curious natural-or apparently
natural--for nation of the island is known
as King Arihur's Seat. 1t is sort of
double throne. followed out of the rock
on the side toward the land. It Is any
thing but comfortable seat and the view
from it is inconsequential compared with
the glorious prospect from the other side
Of the island. King Arthur had bad taste
if he spent any great amount of time sit
ting in it.
When you have seen as much of the
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

headland, away toward Boscastle Straight
out from the shore there is the open
sea. 1t is the open sea, that is to say, as
far as the eye can tell. Beyond the hori-
zon, if you are looking far enough to the
north, is Ireland. It is straight across
this sea that the ship is sailing when the
curtain rises on the first act of "Tristan
and IsoIde,'' and it must have been down
in the little cove under the castle, the lit
tie cove shown in the picture, that iris
trans ship came to anchor.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

around, back half mile or so from the
shore. A village that should try to staLd
ON the very edge OF the shore at this point
would have a good deal to contend
against. for though the cliffs are lofty
snd rugged, they are not too high for the
furious spray of the terrible winter seas
that beat upon Cornwall to wash over
them, and it is sometimes as much as the
inexperienced stranger cares to do to
stand against the winds that blow in from
he water even on fine days of summer.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

At the public library in Macon thereh
a barometer made simply of a thin strit
of.cedar and thin strip of white pinY
placed together and stuck perpendicuiarlJ
in a base rest of wood. When 1t is going
to rain the strips bend down, and when il
is to be dry they stand rigidly stiff and
straight. 1t is said to indicate coming
storms unfailingy.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

it is no modern inn ovation, for the quarry
must have been here or somewhere near
here before King Arthur's time. else how
could the castle have been built of the
slate for him to be born in?
The visitor will not get far in his ex-
plorati ons before he will begin TO see
what ii strong place this must have been
to resist all the possible attacks of an
cient warfare. II the wind is not blowing
so hard as to make it dangerous he will
crawl upon the highest place OF the wall
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

as the society journals would chronicle it.
1t was rather disappointing from one
standpoint and infinitely amusing from
another. That Minister Bayard. who
would have presided with so much dig.
nifty, was inconsiderately invited to Wind
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

ago, but refused. He
e arm e d the money
himself, with which
he bought the prop
erty. Not only that,
but he earned it in his
I" off hours " for he
goes to school and does
not allow his money
m a k ing propensities
to interfere with his
good standing in his
classes. In fact, Har-
old is an up to day
tw e n tie t b century
native son. He lives
with his parents, Mr..
and Mrs. John G.
Green, at 40 Fell
street. They are we'll
to-do people, but they
have put Harold upon
his m ettle-are 9
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

opinion on the play. The first act was
deeply interesting. at times thrilling, at
times touching. The second and third
acts were without dramatic force-inter-
esting, as scholarly analysis of character,
dissections of motives and sometimes