davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24
THE PRESIDENTS KINDNESS.
The Little Old Woman and the
PostoffIce.

IOslOII}Ges
The Presidents kindly, tactful manner
goes far to make the tri-weedy public
receptions at the White House something
more than mere band-shaking. But il is
the Presidents gentle Difference to age
that is most marked and brings him in
closer and more sympathetic touch with
the people. He comes down to the East
Room Some days looking tired, and often
there is "a big crowd waiting TO shake
hands with him. OF course there is Lot
much time for individual receptions, and
necessarily the line moves on more or less
quickly. But there is no sign OF haste
and old people especially are never hurried
Sometimes they t5ke advantage Of the
occasion to place little business matter"
before the President.
One DAY last week il was a little cid
woman, with snow-white hair and feeble
step, but a vigorous taIker. having Scotch
accent. She went to the White House
early in the day, and was told that the
President would receive at 8 O'Clock. So
she waited several hours, seated in an arm
chair in the East Room, where she
''rested comfortably after a long walk
with her right hand unglOved, Temarking.
1T shows more respect when you shake
hands with him.
When she hour of O'Clock came there
was great crowd but the little old woman
held her chair and looked as serene a. If
there was nothing on her mind 1t was
evident she had her "plans," and was
cont ent TO bide her time. And she did.
When the crowd had Trimmed out, one Of
the attendants came up and said.
Come, now you can see the President"
and escorted her across the room. The
President greeted her cordially, taking her
I'm gloved hand with the same graceful def
erenCe he would show t. the wife of one
of his Cabinet officers. The next moment
a smile Of surprise passed over his face
when she said she wanted -pOstoffice for
an old friend" Here an attenda gently
touched her arm to induce her TO move
along, but the President held the little
old woman's hand, while his smile of sur
prise changed to one of amusement and
interest. Il want nothing for myself, Mr.
President" she said, but, you see, I've
known this man since the sixties, and
there's not an hOnesteT man living. So
sent You a letter all about him the day after
you came in here, but didn't believe yOu
got it, SO I've come to tell you myself
believe the ayers OF the Methodists elect
ed you. But I must tell you the man is
not Methodist. He IS Baptist. though,
and know you will agree with me that he
is Just as good. You will get it all in my
letter, and this $ his name
Here she han ded eardto the President,
who assured her that the letter should be
looked up. and the little old woman went
away happy.
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24
Objections Withdrawn.

1t was evident that the gray-haired old
gentleman was put cut about something.
Yesterday he said, Il heard you refer
to me as the old man " VERY likely"
replied the young man. well, / don't like
it," returned the old gentleman. Il sup
pose you meant nothing wrong, but it Is
disrespectful ] have always tried TO be
fair and considerable with the boys in the
office, and don't like to he repaid in this
way" did you ever know of anyone
who was unpopular being called the old
MANI asked the young man. ''Eh? What's
that demanded the old gentleman. when
a man is know through an office as mister
isn't it a 10 to l bet that he is pretty
generally disliked or feared?" The old
gentleman thought it over for a minute.
Perhaps he said, 'in view of my own
reCOleCtions of an old man. and how
1 regarded him I'd better withdraw any
objections to the term. Chicago Post
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24
Quay Harrison IngersoIl.

Senator Mason 5 reported disappoI1t-
Inent in failing To receive as much FED
eral patronage as he thinks is due him
reminds me of story that Tom Atchison,
former la W associate OF Col Robert g.
Ingersoll, in New York, used to love to
tell on ex-President Harrison.
II seems that Senator Quay often called
at the White House during the Harrison
administration with an application i'll his
pocket for the appointment of some friend
and constituent Of his TO an office
Inasmuch as he had been conspicuous in
the campaign that elected Harrison, the
Pennsylvania Senator imagined that his
applications should alwa Us have precedence
and that the President should ask no ques-
tions concerning them He was 0ftener dis
appointed than pleased. Finally he grew
angered at the manner of his trea tment by
the President, and while in an irritable
mood be called at the White House His
interview with Nj Harrison was quite I'M
satisfactory In a burst OF fury he asked:
Say, Mr. President, do you know who
elected your"
"0h. yes Very well, indeed" replied
Mr Harrison. The people cast the hal
lots, but the Great Jehovah ordained it.
I owe my election to Him. not to you
Quava left in rage He had not pro-
ceeded great distance down pennsylvania
avenue before he met Col. Ingersoll. Quay
repeated the White House conversation.
We'll, We'll" replied the great agnostic.
$50 he claims that the Almighty elected
him. does he? Humph-well, I have ac-
cused the Almighty OF lot of mean things
Harrison President "-Chica go Times Her
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24
The Balkan States.

Tt might have been expected that there
would be results from the visit OF Kaiser
wnhel n to the Austrian Emperor at Vienna.
This one OF the two youthful despots'' does
not leave his capital and go 60 another some
what distant, in times like these, unless he
has mischief in his mind. He not only has
conferred with Franz Joseph. but, later,
with Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria; Austria
and Bulgaria being two or the powers anx-
Ious to pounce upon and eat up Macedonia.
There seems TO be a coincidence between
these interviews and the sudden wariike
attitude IF Bulgaria. That statcinforns the
Sultan that unless he appoints five more
Bulgarian bishops and two more Bulgarian
commercial agents in Macedonia her army
viii begin mobilization at once.
The full meaning OF this movement cannot
be seen as yet. A Greek success, such as tie
defeat 81 Edhem Pasha, ADDED TO the effect
of Col Manos' victories in Epirus, would be
likely to fire the Bulgarian people almost
Vi QuiAt Gnu NbuNAOA. We NtIt lllu bAllS
morning that Russia had notified Prince
Ferdinand to keep quiet; but this warning
may have been intended to cover rather
than to indicate the Gar 5 real wishes. The
chances are that whatever the German
Emperor may have advised was entirely in
accord with an understanding with Russia.
The Concert" composed, for all useful
purposes. Of the 1.-TWO youthful despots."
declared that neither Greece nor Turkey
should reap any advantage from the re-
suits of war between them; but this
necessarily did not mean that Russia, Aus
tria and the Balkan states might not fall
upon the Tux at a convenient moment and
gubble up Macedonia
The Bulgarian incident viii have to be
made much clearer and innocent looking
than it now appears, or the war cloud over
Europe viii rapidly take on a darker hue
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24
The Cartoon Bill.

There was a case Of something like
battle. murder and sudden death in the
New York legislature the other day.
The engagement was brief and some what
oae-sided. all the firing proceeding from
one direction. The murder, as is usual
In such cases, was followed by sudden
death. and the mutnated corpse is yet
Unburied 1t is anticipated that the
funeral will be small, and that the chief
mouruer VIII have urgent business else
where
The late lamented Ellsworth cartoon
bin was the victim, and nobody Can
honestly say that it did not deserve to
be Iynched GOV. Black was the leader
Of the attacking party. He gave it as
his opinion that the bill was vicious, and
deserved TO be wiped off the earth, and
the aSsenblymen thought 50. too, and
proceeded to dispose of it in that way.
State Chairman Hackett and Senator
Platt earnestly desired the escape Of
NtAG aANths bbN ~ W d. BDI 70 De SeHHsOr
Ellsworth did not want it to die either;
but his opinion was simply nowhere in
the volley of inyective and ridicuie that
the various assemblynen saw fit TO pour
out Mr. Green, Of New York, who seem
ed to be well seasoned and well primed
with arguments, gave it as his opinion
that honest men did not need to DE afraid
OF cartoons. AIR. Hill, OF Erie, poin ted out
tie injury that the bill would do to
newspaper PROJECTORS, who, he seemed
t. think, had some rights, even if they
were not politicians, and who cartoon
and cut each other quite as viciously as
they ever do anybody else.
Nj. Robbins, Of Albany, did not seem to
think it necessary to make any formal ar
Eurnent lie simply suggested that If the
Legislature passed that billit would make
Of itself laughingstock to the whole
civilized world; and then he sat down
That idea struck the legislature like a
rock out OF slung-Shot. 1t might be bad
enough to be cartooned by wicked news
paper men, but when 1t came to making
Cartoons OF themselves, tc posing as a
nenagcrie Of towards who cid not dare
70 have their pictures putin the paper for
Fear they would be made ridiculous, they
would forgive the newspaper men right
then and there. They seemed to realize
that If they went on record in the statute
books and the newspaper correspondence
OF the country as the freak legislature of
1897, they would be making more Of a
show of themselves than if all the funny
papers Of New York cartooned every indi-
viduaI member at every election 1t might
be advertising, but not the kind OF adver-
tisiug they wanted. So they killed the
bill, and tossed the corpse over toward the
printing office, where it viii stay until
they have adjourned. And no power on
earth viii ever take the trouble TO gal
vanize it into resurrection
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24
ROrn Hind

Surprising that you had been born blind,
and after living many years shut ont from
the beautiful things of the world, some
skilled surgeon should give to you your
sight, wouldn't you have some marvellous
experiences? An old man who had been
born blind had his sight thus restored to
him. A t first he started violently and
was afraid OF the strange Things around
him, the hugeness of his room and j Is con-
tents. One of the first things he saw
at the window was flock Of sparrows.
''What are they?" asked the physician
II think they are teacups," was the re-
ply A watch was then shown to him,
and he knew what it was, probably be-
cause he heard it tick. Later, on seeing
the flame Of a lamp, he tried to pick 1T
up, not having the slightest idea of its
nature Chicago Record.
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24
" the thoughtful study of English

ready for the thoughtful study OF English
literature.
This is all very nice-for the teacher.
The only trouble viii be that when the
child has assimilated, or rather cranmed,
all the dry facts of history, etymology ami
syntax, and the evolution of literature, and
has committed to memory a few dozen
gems OF thought that child will hate the
sight Of Shakespeare or Dickens or any
great light of English literature with a
deep and everlasting hatred. That is,
in the majority of cases this will be the
result. There are some children With
such an Unborn love of the story that they
will chase it through any number of dry
facts. Such child once said at the age
''Evangeline," that the poetry was beau
tiful, but the explanations were hard 10
understand That doesn t speak very well
for the explanations.
1t is not to he disputed that one of the
brightest spots in this life of toll. 10 many
people, is The pleasure derived from read
find IN a man or woman OF very limited
education an instructive appreciation of
the best in literature. The people who
have this appreciation do not get it from
longwinded explanations about the Eliza
bethan era. They may not know that
there was any such thing, but if they can
read play Of Shakespeare's in such
way as to grasp the thought and appreciate
the exquisite character study nd the itch
ness Of language, it does not matter much
whether they know anything about the
process by which the play was evolved or
not. 1t does not even matter whether
they can give a dictionary definition of
every word in the play; if they get the
spirit Of the author they get the best of
his work. This appreciation is not the
result OF hard study, though the trained
scholar undoubtedly adds a subtle quality
OF KNOWN gness to his pleasure. The
essential use Of literature is 10 please and
uplift, and if it does not do that the tine
spent in studying literature is worse than
wasted
Let the school library be full of the
best literature of all kinds; let the Chill
dren have free access to it; let them
think they are merely having a good
time with it instead of studying it, in
you will; and at the end Of ten years Of
such opportunity you will have set of
children with better taste and more
richly stored minds, and quicker apti-
tUde for reading in after life, than you
will If the greater masters of English
literature are always associated in their
minds with dry facts and multitudiDous
dates, in memorizing which they have
taken the time that they would other
wise give to heaIthfuI reading. Let them
read fiction if they Will read nothing
else, so it is good fiction. That is the
way the human race began to study
literature, and as the student Of today
has grown from the savage listening
with bated breath to a story of adven-
ture, so the student OF twenty-one VIII
grow from the child whose taste was
formed on good fiction.
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24
PIanked shad at Marshall Hall

The regular Sunday planked shad dinner
viii be given at Marshall Hall tomorrow
and extensive preparations have been made
for the accommodation OF large crowd
1t is generally conceded that these dinners
are far superior TO any that are served in
this part OF the country, and during the
past few Sundays, since the opening of the
season, many people have enjoyed one Of
these feats 1t may be stated here that
the celebrated Marshall Hall clam chowder
is served, which alone is a very fine dish
Ladies are especially invited, and special
attention viii be paid them.
Marshall Hall is undoubtedly the prettiest
resort on the Potomac, and those who jour-
ney to the Hall tomorrow may rest assured
that day of rest and pleasures in store for
them Tie steamer Manchester will leave
at IL a. m. and 2:30 p. m. Returning,
leaves the Hall at Ito and $50 D. M.
The price of the dinner is placed at 75c,
and the fare for the roundtrip is 25c.
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24
BILLY BrRcH,s FAITHFUL DOG.
Dead Minstrel's Pet Guarded His
Coffin and Bit a Mourner.

New York. April 24.-Birchey, Billy
Birch's pet dog, sayageiy bit a little girl
yesterday because she wanted to look
at the face of the dead minstrel The
dog was Mr.. Birch's ;nseparable COM
panion. At night Birehey would curl
up on the coveTiet OF Mr. Birch's bed,
and any noise in the house would cause
her to growL
Little Mercedes Webster, the seven
year-old daughter OF George Webster,
who is now playing in the South, thought
she would take a last look at the face
of her fathers lifelong friend, and went
alone TO the house of Mrs EiTch. who led
her to the room where the coffin was
The dog grOwied warningly, but no one
paid any attention to it, for IL had seemed
quiet enough all the morning when it had
stationed itself at the side OF It's masters
coffin
The little girl stepped forward to take
a last look at the face of the man she had
always liked in life. Suddenly, before the
girl could draw back, the dog spTang
fierceIy at her and snapped at her face.
Its jaws closed on her lower lip, and she
screamed The dog was seized, but it
struggled again to bite the girl and it was
not untilit had been beaten into submission
that il became possible to take IL from
the room.
The funeral Of the deceased was held
later in the day, being conducted by the
Elks. Arthur MoTeIand conducted the
services, although he is almost iIind, Gu
riously enough, from the result OF con tact
with a dog. Several years ago dog
that was affected with the mango sn eezed in
his face, and some of the particles en- tered
his eyes.
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24
Too Much Education.

Somebody has been agitating the question
IL is Il savant named Mr. Churton Collins.
BE says that suddenly to plunge a boy
OF girl into a play of Shakespeare or a
book Of Sponsor, is little short of criminal q"
He Lastens to propose a method Of averting
the crime His idea is that the child
should first be introduced 10 the foundation
of the historical study OF the subject; then
there should be clear idea of the evolu-
ton of English literature; the epochs
should be mastered ana the eras grasped
After that there should be a course of
rea ding 81 gems OF Thought" and tire
Child, then at the age of fifteen, will be
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24

attention. is a nuisance. 1t wastes time,
which in some places is money, and it occa-
sionally wastes money. There is no use
in it, no fun in it, and a great deal OF
trouble all around. 1t is a great deal
easier to do an GRAND in a eonInon-sense
way and then go and loaf and invite ones
soul, than it is to leaf and invite ones
soul in the process of doing the errard.
The man or woman who comes into an
office without knocking, asks at once for
the person whom he or she wishes to see,
and explains the errand in the fewest pos
siole words, and goes out again. leaving the
door opened or closed, as it happened to
be on entering. is a person whom blessings
follow thick and fast. Avoid scatterwit-
tednessl
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24
Mixed.

A clergyman of the established church
who is getting impressions OF America
has been doing the Capitol this week. DR.
Milburn, the blind chaplain Of the Senate
has had him in tow. The Vice President
gave them seats in his gallery pew, and the
visitors listened to the Cuba debate for
half an hour. Then he went with DR. Mil
burn to the Vice Presidents room to say
good-by.
at is really very interesting" he re-
marked to Mr.. Hobart, "tosee theNew York
Senate at work.
The blind chaplain was shocked. "This
is not the New York Senate he in-
terpesed, with great dignity 1T is the
Senate OF the United States
Dear Ine." exclaimed the English
man benign1y. Pray what is the dis
tinctiOn?' Journal
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24
Scatterwittedness.

There should be such a word rs scatter
wittedness, If there is not. Howells once
coined ''hen-minded" to express the Char
acter Of a certain lady, who never was
therefore, made aimIess excursions TO all
parts OF the compass, in way very trying
to anybody who happened to be travelling
in her vicinity. 1t was exactly like meeting
a hen trying TO cross a road. But scatter
wittedness is a slightly different thing.
It expresses the behavior Of those persons
who go about their business without any
clear idea how it is to be accomplished.
and without taking any pains TO choose
the shortest road 1t is a fixed idea in
the minds OF the great American public,
when 1t is doing business in tie amat
style, that the people encountered are
paid to answer questions and become guide
books. and that, therefore, they must get
the worth of their money somehow or
other, whether they pay for the privilege
OF not Real business men usually find
that it is shorter to do a little Thinking
For instance, nine out of ten people en-
tering a newspaper office viii successfully
enter the business office, the office of the
editor-in-chief. of the illustrator and of
the advertising agent, in order TO leave
a local item This propensity is so Well
known that in some offices the rooms are
arranged for it First, there is an outer
office. where a boy is kept especially To
answer questions Next, an inner office, to
which the boy may refer in case OF be-
wilderment. The room OF the editor-in-
chief is reached only after a succession Of
guards in the persons Of business manager,
local editor, dramatic man and snake ed
are always some people who. disregard
ing all attentions and all signs, viii walk
straight through TO see the e1itor-ir-chief
about some three-line local item which he
personally must assure them viii get into
the paper tits great compliment to the
edltor-in-chief, this confidence, but like
other greathonors, sometimes trifle both
ersome.
Another symptom OF scatterwittedness
is losing count of the floors. This is
especially evident in department stores.
With the most touching innocence, pros
pective buyers will get out of the ele
vator at the second floor and go search
ing for goods which they were told to
find on the fifth. On being directed to
turn to their left they will firmly choose
the right, creating suspicion that some
of the inhabitants of Nineveh still sur
vive, and that Jonah was fully justified
in refusing to guide people who did not
know their right hand from their left
or course, Simple bewilderment is ex-
eusable in some instances. Bat III the
majority of people it is not bewilderment;
il is inattention to business The anna
teUr in business meanders serenely about,
thinking of the news from Greece, or
what to have for lunch, or how this
seasons gown had better be cut, and
trusts in the good nature of the rest of
the public, which is put there to ans wer
questions, to pilot him to the right place
and do the eFrand.
Scatter wittedness. whether itresults rnm |
to get ones moneys worth,
from preoccupation, or from mere lack of |
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24
COL. MOSBY HURT.
Seriously Injured by Fall From
His Carriage.

Charlottesville, Va, April "a. Col. John
s. Mosby, who came here 20 witness the
students presentation OF the burlesque
operetta, The Flirt," which was written
by his son. John >. Mosby, tr., while stu
dent here. was seriously I'M uredlast evening
in a driving accident, and is being cared
for at the infirmary OF the University Of
Virginia.
lie was driving with Mrs. Emma DubOse
a mile west OF the university, when the
horse SHE'D at passing train. Col. MOsby
caught at the reins and fell from the buggy.
He received wound over the eye, whether
from the horses foot or otherwise is not
known.
The wound is both painful aud dangerous,
though immediate serious results =. -;:iic;t
expected The eye is seriously endangered
He was carried on a stretcher TO the in
Urinary in an unconscious condition. where
he is attended by DR.. BaTringeT and DR..
Christian. His daughters are with min.
Cod. Thomas Carter. Of Richmond, was
last night elected proctor of the University
of Virginia TO succeed Major Green peyton,
who died Saturday.
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24

Several years ago, Mr.. Joseph Jefferson.
Americas foremost comedian, in speaking
of the death of Edwin Booth said that il
was a great misfortune that there was net
some method by which Mr.. Eooth' acting
could be seen by the rising generation.
The leading actors of today. however, aTe
now able to be shown throughout the
country in their scenes without being
present themselves The views OF Mr. JEFF
ferson in scenes from RIP Van Winkie,"
now on exhibition at the Telegraph at Will
ard Hall have been most highly praised
by his many Washington admirers. OtheI
views Of equal merit nd interest are also
shown.
The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-24

There is something ominous in the state
rnent by a Spanish naval officer in New
York that Gen. Rivera never reached Ha-
vana alive. AT the time he should have
reached there it was reported in Havana
that the train had been attacked by Gu
bans, and that he had been rescued -
Perhaps this might I've desirable thing for
Judge Day to look intol