davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18
HORSES.

The stable should be warm enough to
keep animals comfoi table without other
protection. If it is not, the remedy
should be directed to the building rather
than to its occupants. 1t will be great
deal better to fix up the stable than it
will to wrap horse in blanket. OF
course, this rule is not to apply to horses
which are clipped or sick.
In his wild state the horse never fire.
quents dark forests or gloomy mountain
passes; he is found on the open plain or
bright hillsides. Dark stables must
have the effect of injuring the vision of
animals, especially those who go from
dark, dismal barns into the SHOWS of
winter and make the change frequently
during the day. Cheerful light is doubt
less as pleasing to the beast as to the
man.
A horse weighing 1000 pounds will be
found heavy enough for almost any work
he may be called upon to perform about
the farm, and then he is able to draw
the wagon or the carriage to town at a
fair road gait. and not be worn out by
the trip. He will live longer and prove
more profitable than the little horse, too
light to pull his load, or the larger Ones
which are too heavy to trot.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18

he was beating his horse with pick
handle that he fell down in fit and
died in two minutes-a man with the
worst temper in the State of Illinois.
We can't sing that Mr.. Seekpeace."
The preacher melted at the sight
of the leaders appealing face. He
smiled pleasant smile that might
have have had two shades of meaning
in it. He may have been pleased to
meet man who recognized the fact
that hymn without appropriate
words is about as virile and strong as
a human body without skeleton.
Or he may have been pleased about
something else. Anyhow, he smiled
without permitting CLEAN of tri-
umph to shine across his face. He
said: Very WE'LL" and selected
hymns for morning and evening SER
vice.
There was never again the shadow
of trouble between the choir and the
pulpit of that church. Other leaders
came and went. The choir changed,
as choirs do; changing voices drove
out the boys who sang soprano or al
to-soprano-we used to call it ''treb-
le," didn't we? Marriage closed the
mouths of the girls, who, womanlike,
appeared to consider it "a solemn, re-
ligious duty to "forget their music"
after the first baby was born. Bassos
and tenors came and went But so
long as that preacher was pastor the
choir in that church sang the hymns
appointed them, and it was generally
understood, although nothing was
ever said about it, that the head of
that church was on it's shoulders, and
not on the neck of a music-rack
stand Ladies Home Journal.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18
A MOORISH VILLAGE.

The little village at Ras Doura looks
like colony of bees. Not that the peo-
pie work an atom more than just to keep
themselves from starving. In all Mo-
to say he likes to work. far less to labor,
except under tbs pressure of hunger or
of his superiors. The likeness to colo
ny of bees is purely esoteric. The huts
are circular on sort of fond de jupe''
of wickerwork with rushes. They finish
in point, just like the beehives in an
English cottage garden-I mean the
kind before the patent wooden and glass
inventions, which I feel quite sure the
bees detest, came into vogue. The doors,
for the coincidence of keeping the huts
dry, and for preventing hens, pigs, dogs
and other small mammalia from coming
in, are placed about yard above the
ground and measure but three feet in
height, so that the spectacle of fat.
muslin-swathed sheriff struggling to en-
erge from one of them is comical enough.
Round about every beehive stands
hedge of pIickly bushes, cut by the VIC
men in autumn and left to dry. The
Christian should not tie his horse to
them or touch them, any more than he
should fasten his reins to an area-railing
or knocker in England. In the center
of the village may be found little
square building matched with reeds,
resembling either boat house on Vir-
ginia Water or a crofter's cottage in Har
ris or Benbecula. This is the mosque
where travellers sleep, and whence the
call to prayer arises five times every day.
Christians may no more enter it than il
it were the Khutubieh at Marakish or
Muley Edris at Fee. 1t is as sacred in
it's way as either of them. But though
30 sacred, yet it is honelike as a church
in Iceland or in Spain. not that, as far
as | know, wayfarers ever sleep in Span
ish churches, although they do so to this
day in churches in Iceland-of course at
night, not at mathis or at even song. No
one ever saw mosque locked up so that
the faithful could not enter it, BY night
and day the doors are open lin Morocco),
and it always seems to me, after return
ing from there, that the Christian church
with its paddock and it's door seems
churlish in comparison. Surely, to the
true believer, Christian or Mohammedan
the door of the sanctuary never should
be closed. London Saturday Reuieao.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18
AG RECULTURE.

The majority does not appreciate what
vegetable matter in the soil does for us,
in the way of moisture, in the time of
drouth. Ii one or two crops of vegetable
matter are plowed under during the
summer and fall, the succeeding crops
are much surer if the year is dry one.
We know that success in growing any
plant depends much upon the amount
of moisture in the ground.
The industry of collecting and curing
the leaves of the wild sumac occupies
the summer months of hundreds of wo-
men and children in Virginia and the
Carolinas, and some of the stations have
been testing the adyisability of cultiva-
ting the plant. Sumac is used in dyeing
cloth and in tanning of fine leather.
Nearly 200 tons are yearly imported from
southern Euprope.
In growing wheat or corn, fruit or hay
consider the bulk to be shipped. 1t
costs as much to freight the product of
two acres of melons as of 100 acres of
cotton. 1t is fact worth considering
that Georgia pays more to market its
melon crop than the growers receive for
their product.
Cedar oil is not small item among
the New England industries. 1t is
proftably produced in some regions by
Oscillation from the small branches of
the trees, which is much more conven-
lent and productive method than to dis
iii from the shavings. as formerly prac-
ticed, and may be made a profitable
industry wherever cedar grows.
A Western wheat grower. noticing
that where the ground was packed by
the horses turning at the edge Of the
field there the strongest wheat grew,
determined to try the effect of turning
his cattle into his field Immediately after
seeding. OF course, this was done only
when the soil was quite dry. He liked
the plan SO we'll that he habitually fol-
lowed it thereafter.
In growing wheat the grain is rarely
used upon the farm, so that the straw
is all that is left to be returned to the
soil, and the most should be made of it,
While it's manuiial value only is not
great, it may be the means, by being
carefully used as an absorbent, of ad-
ding largely to the quantity of good fer
tilizer. A mere accidental "spurt' or
monstrosity should never be given the
dignity of premium at our annual fairs
for it is not in any way an agricultural
triumph. Let all premiums be given as
reward for earnest, intelligent effort
toward raising the standard of our pro-
ducts; there would follow greater inter
est and better results.
Merchants know that the average
man will buy more if he runs an account
than if he pays cash. There is some
thing in paying out hard earned dollars
which makes one pause and consider
whether purchase is a necessary one.
Neither will the buyer on time scrutin-
ize prices so closely. Remember, farm
ers, that single failure of crops is liable
to make such a debt very burdensome.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18
NOT ON THE SHELF.

One of the greatest mistakes in life is
that of a woman's sitting down when
size has passed the meridian of years
and quietly waiting for death. 1t may
be exceedingly pretty, and quite like the
action of some sweet old story, the pa
tient waiting with pale face and p.acid
smile and folded hands, playing in way
the part of the old lares and penates be-
side the fire; but there are much more
effective parts than that of statue in a
niche, and there seems to be no real rea-
son for going into the grave before it is
ready for us.
1t is not, however, very long since
this attitude was thought the proper
thing for the elderly. Women with
gray hair not only hid it with wig or cap,
or both, but hid and effaced themselves
as well. Age was unlovely, they said,
and SO they put it out of sight. as far as
they could, by clinging to the chimney
corner. OF course they were useful
there; the grandmother, the old aunt. is
useful everywhere; and of course they
were in the way of perfecting character
and Of becoming saints through sacrifice
and Remuneration. But they did not
have much very vivid enjoyment. What
enjoyment they did have was chiefly
vicarious-joy at seeing and knowing
the JOY of others.
1t is fortunate for women of advanc-
ing years that nowadays public opinion
has changed, and that it is expected
they shall form a part of society and of
all the pleasures of society. They be-
long now to clubs; they are engaged in
various public and semi-public work;
they are actively interested in charities;
they are not deprived of any invitation
because of their years; and the value of
their wisdom and mellowed experience
is as fully acknowledged as the value of
youth and sparkle and beauty.
1t is pleasant sight now in all the
country towns where the trolley car has
penetrated to see these rather elderly
women taking their rides; to see their
pleasure in what would have been con
sidered by their grandmothers wild
abandonment; to see them doing their
own shopping in all places, attending to
their check books and bank accounts,
when they have such articles, by no
means relinquishing their rights in
church management, their interest in
public questions, and following or adopt
ing the fashions to such extent as they
please. -Harper's Bazaar.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18
SWINE

Winter pigs are not particularly profit
able. but it is we'll to keep SOW or two
for early narrowing, and if this is done
the needed care must be given. The
pig pen is something which needs look
ing after. 1t may be banked up and
covered on top with stable manure,
if nothing better is at hand. The very
coarsest will do.
Good breeding qualities are trans
mitted from one generation to another,
and it will always pay to select animals
with good breeding ancestry, rather than
from those OF transient or uncertain
breeder, even though prodigy. See
that the dams have proved themselves
good and regular breeders.
At narrowing time separate the sows
from the other hogs, so that they will
not be worried. Make their condition
as pleasant as possible with clean pens
and fresh bedding. Feed largely on
loose slops. that costiyeness will not re-
suit, and drop the rations of corn; yet
circumstances may demand a change Of
programme. They will be feverisb, and
need much water.
When the pigs have been born the
mother needs the most care. Stir hands
full of middlings 10 water. and let her
eat when she feels like it. Soon there
after she should have all the milk pro
ducing food she wants. See that her
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18
A Dwarf Takes Second Growth.

Sir Godfrey Hudson, the celebrated
English dwarf of the seventeenth CEN
fury, was doubtless the most widely
known human curiosity of his time. He
was born of parents of the normal size
at Rutandshire in 1919. At birth he
weighed less than a pound and half.
and was only inches in length. He did
not begin to walk until after the end of
his third year, his height at that time
being less than foot. At the end of his
seventh year he was taken into the fam
lily of the Duke of Buckingham, having
between the ages of 3 and 7 years added
but four inches to his stature. With
Buckingham he lived until 30 years old,
at which time he was only Is inches in
height when equipped in fashionable
high heeled shoes.
At the age of 30, however, remarka
BILE change came over the midget, ard
for the next five years his growth was
as remarkable for it's rapidity as it had
previously been for it's backwardness.
At the age of 80 his height had been
scant ~ feet. At 80 it was feet and
inches How or why this remarkable
change was brought about was ques-
tion too deep for the Society of Royal
Surgeons. who, time and again, discuss
ed the phenomenon without arriving at
any satisfactory conclusions. Hudson
lived to be 60, which is three times the
average length of life among giants
st. Louis Republic.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18
Nr @aIP aaags944@@99aAS Tg@D@
SBHE EANlEYT[
THE PRAIRIE ROSE.
BY CHARLES F. GALE.

The poets may pirate of the lilies and roses,
And sing of the buttercups, dainty and fair;
But know of fairer, l herald its praises,
The flower l sought for my mother to wear
In the greenhouse or garden there's none that
isfairer,
50 matchless in color, SO graceful in pose;
In meadow or woodland there's none that is
rarer;
IT'S the queen of the summer, the sweet prai-
RE rose.
First fav'rite of boyhood, the hillsdes adjoining
How oft have my bare feet been washed in the
dew
As wandered afar in the blush of the morn
ing,
Through field and DER meadow in search,
love, Of you.
And now as ponder IN dreary December,
With ev'ry rude blast ore the prairie that
blows,
pause in my musing md smile to remember
The queen of the summer, the sweet prairie
rose.
It's pink-penc led petals, its fragrance and
splendoT,
With gems of The garden beyond all compare;
Twas the fiji st loyal tribute the lover could ten
der
Twas plucked for my sweetheart to twine In
her hair.
All well remember twas June when met her,
The lark and the bobolink arbled in tine
And though death should divide us. I'll never
forgeg her
As long as The roses 81 all blossom in June.
So wear your carnatioI S fair danes of tt Getty
Or any bright flower your hOms ge may share
But I'm true to my first love, the theme of my
ditty;
The sweet p a'rie rose On my bosom Ill wear
Then false not the marble ana Plant not the
wi low
To shadow the spot where my as es repose
But let each summer breeze as it signs DER my
pillow,
Strew lightly the leaves of the sweet prairie
rose.
Chicago In er-Ocean.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18
RORTFCULTURE

Sudden and severe pruning, loppil
of the large limbs or the taking away
of undue quantities of wood in a single
season, is apt to ruin the coming fruit
crop, because it forces so much sap into
the buds which remain that they grow
coarse, sappy, and, even if the blossoms.
appear on them, the fruit will not set.
There is nothing in our gardens so
Uniformly mietreated as the currant
bushes. and then we blame them for not
bearing. Cut out the old wood and
prune the roots down thoroughly, and
then work in a liberal allowance of
manure. Put sand about the stools. to
keep the weeds down, and encourage the
growth of half dozen new canes.
There is increased attention given TO
our native plums; our cultivated rasp-
berries and blackb9rIies have been de.
veloped from the wild state almost
within generation; our wild buckle
berries are almost gone, and soon some
will be brought under cultivation. The
experiment stations might we'll take up
this matter, and see what further can be
done with our crab apples. Juneberriee,
pawpaws, persimmons, etc.
1t is easy to grow grape vince, but an
other thing to be sure of growing the
fruit. We may prevent the cold by COW
ering the vines; rot and mildew may be
warded off by spraying; by planting
upon high. warm, sandy soil, with
southern exposure, we may expect to
avoid the late and early froets. If the
vines are laid upon the ground until
they bloom they will bloom before the
insect pests destroy them much.
That obscure disease known as the
yellowe is the greatest enemy with
which the peach grower has to contend.
The best preventive known is the lib
eral feeding of potash to the tree. Hard
wood ashes, cultivated in literally, will
do. This feeds the trees, and seems to
neutralize the conditions under which
the yellows appear. In the early stage
the diseased parts can be sometimes cut
out with good effect; but if the knife has
been used upon other such trees let it be
thoroughly cleansed.
The time will come when nut growing
will have an accepted place in our agri-
culture, and become a recognized and
profitable industry. There is no reason
why we should keep on importing the
English walnut when it can be grown in
the States in similar latitude. Such a
tree in Pennsylvania has been known to
produce 40 or so bushels of nuts. A
bearing acre of them would be of great
value.
One barrel of really fine fruit is worth
more than three of poor stuff, and it
costs much less labor and expense to
harvest and market it. 1t pays best to
thin fruit when crops in general are
heaviest, for then is the greatest differ
ence in value between frsts and seconds.
In short, never allow tree to bear more
than it can properly develop and ma
ture.
There is good sense in the advice to
strawberry growers that money invested
in manure and tillage will yield better
returns than when invested in plants of
new varieties at two or three dollars a
dozen. Plants of any good variety will
give satisfactory returns if their wants
10 these directions are well attended to.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18

swill is sweet, lest scours follow the eat.
ing of it. If she is feverisb and vic;ous
satnrate her back with coal oil.
Farmers generally have settled down
TO the belief that the best profit in hog
raising is found by feeding to but one
year OF age or less, getting a weight of
from 2OO to $50 pounds. All the weight
made above this is procured at a con-
stantly increasing cost pound, so much
greater at times as to result in actual
loss.
MIX as food for pigs has a feeding
value far beyond it's actual feed ele.
ments if given in the proper combina.
ton with other rations, but it is a waste
to raise them exclusively upon it, no
matter how plentiful it may be. Mid
dllngs and green stuff should be fed with
II, so that double the number of pigs
may be kept with the same milk. In
this way only can its value be turned to
the best account.
whey is not fit food for growing
pigs. but is excellent when properly
balanced with heterogeneous foods. The
younger the pigs the more profit is there
In feeding them. for it costs twice as
much to put pound of gain on a pig
one year old as it does to make the same
increase on one six months DID, The
more rapidly forced from the start the
greater will be the profit.
Especially upon the prairie farms is
corn fed to hogs in large quantities, and
there hard wood ashes are wholly un.
known; yet upon these very farms is the
greatest need of ash materials for aiding
in building up the bone of hogs. Corn
cobs furnish a very strong ash. and
these should be burned and carefully
fed.
DO not keep breeding sows fat if you
want large filters of pigs. Mothers
which are kept thin, but in good,
healthy condition. will raise an average
OF ten pigs to the SOW. while most of the
best bred sows average but about half
that, because kept too fat. Every point
counts.
There is no longer any stated market
season for slaughtered pork, but it is in
demand all the time. When the porker
is fat enough kill him. After he has
passed $50 pounds it is doubtful if the
average farmer can put another ounce
on him with profit. 1t is the profit we
are after.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18
10 much better work without il.

do much better work without it.
my sons" says Mrs. Rorer, follow
my example in this and we all thrive
upon it,"
IF you believe in only two meals
queried listener, then you also believe
in hearty breakfast"
NO" was the reply. II should have
my dinner the only hearty meal of the
day."
For breakfast the year around l
would recommend two soft-boied egge,
French rolls, and French coffee. You
could not take boiled coffee; it would
make you nervous.
THE coffee should be percolated and
made very strong-two teaspoonfuls Of
coffee will make good cupful Then
would use half milk. little cream, and
no sugar.
Il say French rolls to you, for few
persons eat the whole-wheat bread. 1
eat that myself, always. With that. as
l told you, my breakfast would be the
same the year through.
my boy has a pint bowl of Scotch oat-
meal that has cooked twenty four hours
for his breakfast, and he is very fond of
it.
For dinner at my own house, we fol.
low regular order throughout the year;
with variety, of course. We have, fret,
soup, then meat, with two vegetables
one starchy, the other green-a salad
with cheese and crackers, toasted
wafer, or something of that sort. We
are fond of oil, and use great deal of
it, putting very little acid in salad.
mo, we never have sweets. 1 have
educated myself not to care for them.
l think they are very hard on the diges-
ton. and are apt to cause sour stom-
ach." -Neac York Times
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18
Selected Story.
THE STRIKE IN THE CHOIR.
BY Ro sERT ]. BURDETTE.

NTHEN I was boy, away back
w in the years when the days
were so short that it took fourteen or
fifteen of them to make week, | at
tended divine service with my pa
rents in an old Baptist church in
Peoria. My legs were short and the
pew was high, and while listened
to the sermon and swung my feet,
shackled by the unwonted and cruel
shoon of the Sabbath day, | often
wondered how many hundred years
it would be ere | could reach the
floor with my feet as my father did.
There were two footstools in the pew,
but it was considered wicked for a
boy to put his feet ON one of them.
They were made exclusively for
grown-up people who did not need
them. They were also used to trap
the unwary stranger who came slid
ing softly and sideways into the pew
without an invitation. He fell over
one and kicked the other. That not
flied the worshippers in the front
pews that there was a stranger within
our gates and they could turn around
and look at him. But for this auto
matte system of signalling, many a
devout woman would have gone home
without knowing the particular kind
of clothing the stranger wore.
Straight across the rear of the
choir, high above the congregation,
ran a long gallery. Here was the
melodeon, which was the pipe-organ
of our day; here sat the choir, liter
ally and unsteady "out of sight" l
remember we had an odd custom,
originating in some idea SO old that
nobody could remember it, and the
rest of us never knew it. When the
congregation rose to sing the closing
HYMN, it about-faced and looked at
the choir. Then at the end of the
hymn we faced about once more and
received the benediction. supposed
this was done to give the congrega-
ton opportunity to see who was in
the choir and what they had on, and
also to enable the singers to complete
their inventory of the congregational
adornments. 1t must have been tan
TALKING to look at the backs of heads
all through the service and guess at
the face trimming of every new bon
net in the house. Because in those
DAYS you had to walk all the way
around bonnet to take in the entire
pattern. Your mother, dear, did not
wear postage stamp with two horns
on it, and call it bonnet Men talk
about the big hat you wear in the
opera house. | wish your critic
might have stood behind your grand
mother at a baptism out in Peoria
back in the fifties. He couldn't have
seen the lake, nor very much of the
woods on the opposite shore. He
might have caught glimpse of the
sky if the day was fair and your
grandmother stood still. But when
she stood on her tip-toes to reach
''E" in Coronation" he could see
her bonnet and that was all. And
that was enough. In that day a
bonnet was built to cover the wear
er's head. And neck, Aud a section
of the shoulders. And TO oyershadow
the face. And a flower garden in full
bloom blazed and shone and clustered
around, above and beneath it. None
of your buds and grasses in those
days.
And our choir! Well, now, there