davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28

week or two, as far as l could see, every
ID ing went on smoothly.
But idle tongues will talk, and Apa is
famous place for gossip, and conse-
quently it was not long before Mrs. Tren-
ton the first began TO hear something of
Mrs. Trent The second.
II was not present at the coniugal scene
which followed, but the captain, for the
rest of the day, looked very much
ashamed OF himself. But must say that
the white lady though she had been so
badly used, behaved like a trump over the
whole affair.
The next morning she came to me
with troubled. weary look on her hand
some face. Williams she said, for by
this time she had quite accepted me as a
friend of the family, Il want you to help
me. l am in fficult position
"'Anything l can do, l am sure re-
piled mpathetically, for l was really
sorry for the woman, ana besides, any
one could see she was real lady and
much too good for old Trenton
II believe you, Williams, she answered.
softly, LAYING her hand on my arm. DO
you know this girl Mary" and the faint
=
cheek at the mention of the name.
II knew what it must have cost her
even to speak OF, much less recognize the
position OF her rival, and l only answered
Yes, not bling able to think OF ANYTHING
better to say. l am all right when it
comes to telling a yarn straight on end to
friend like you, for instance, but when
lady gets asking me questions of this
kind my tongue loses itself somehow.
"'Tell me all about her, demanded
Mrs. Trenton.
~ told her as we'll as / could how Marv
had come of respectable, half-caste
family, and how every one thought she
was really the captains wife. and how
lucky she had been considered to r. Ike
such & good match. And when | told
her about the baby, and how fond they
both had been of it, l think her heart
softened.
"'Take me to her, was all she said.
s.'But,' | srammered, she's in native
house al Matautu. 1t isn't fit for you to 90
there: it isn't. really.
"'My hus bands house was fit for her be-
fore l came. she replied in her stately
way. Take me to her at once.'
There was nothing for it but to obey.
She was not in mood 20 be thwarted.
$50 we walked off along the beach road,
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28

You have seen them on the streets,
those men and women who sell pencils
and shoestrings and combs, shrinking, as
they have way of doing, into unused
doorways and angles of buildings, like
stray scraps of wnd-fretted paper, hud-
9.ue close to walls and in unfrequented
avs out of reach of their ruthless enemy.
AY-u have seen them in the wind and
I rain and the summer sunshine, with their
abbreviated lin bs and sightless eyes, hold
ing out an assortment of combs with a
sugges tiveness that has caused you to put
your hand up to your hair and smooth it
down; you have seen them with a hand
ful Of shoelaces maintaining a stoIid and
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28
San Francisco's Armenian Colony

that people who were born and raised In
the promised land, and who, from time
immemoria, have lived in Palestine
among scenes that are often mentioned in
Holy Scripture, should have journeyed so
far as California, which, they say, is ''iust
like home in its climate, soil and produc-
tons"
In their own land they are governed by
customs and laws which have been
handed down from generation TO genera
ton. A patriarchal system controls
both family and tribe. In the family the
eldest is the head, without whose consent
and counsel nothing can be done.
The head of the Armenians in this city
is Solomon Rahy, who was educated IN
the schools of the American missionaries
in Palestine, and is man of great inteIIi-
gerce and influence.
He speaks and writes the English, Turk
ish, Armenian, Greek and Hebrew Ian
guages. He has a wife and several chill
cren, one a daughter whose beauty and
grace are remarkable. Dressed as an
American belle this Armenian beauty
would excite admiration anywhere. The
Armenians are a very religious people
and their church is claimed to be the
oldest IN existence, founded by one of the
apostles who journeyed to their land at
the headwateIs of the river Euphrates
and converted the nation to Christianity.
The ceremonies instituted by the apostles
are still observed, though nun bers of them
have fallen away from the orthodox be-
lief and joined the Roman Cath olic and
Greek churches. St. Patrick's Church has
large mum ber of Armenians in its con-
gregation and many attend the Greek
cathedral on Powell street.
Those who are strictly orthodox are al
tendants out of the Mission Chapel of the
| Good Samaritan on Folsom street and are
very devout and attentive. The Rev. Ed
ward Morgan, the assistant priest at the
| mission, is greatly intereste in these peo-
pie and is much beloved by them.
There are people of different tribal af-
! filiations among the colony, who retain
their distinctly, customs even under
| American influences. Physically the
Armenians are strong and handsome
race and remarkably bright. Their eyes
are fine. The children, who mum ber bout
one-thiri the total colony, are all being
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28

expressionless pose, their sightless eyes
and Hieless faces set into the moving plan
of life as dumb and questionless as the
brick walls at their backs. and you have
looked again and wondered why you did
not know before that a face with blind
eyes was so dead and unfinished looking.
You have passed them at their posts
day by day until you have grown to know
the stories on the cards about their necks
as well as a chapter out of your OWE Iife's
history, but you have never looked upon
them as anything out of the ordinary,
Just a necessary, or at least unavoidable,
ad junct to the civilization of our times,
drift thrown aside by the current OF prog
ress, which moves too rapidly to know or
care of the causes OF mems misiortunes
or the depths of their distress.
But you have not questioned beyond
the stories on the placards-you have not
asked yourself, perhaps, how do they come
to this, what have they been, what hopes
what dreams what aims have they; how
do they live, how do they die, how much
of mans cold charity, how much of Gods
mercy and OF his unceasing care?
An old woman sa. on a windy corner
with a CLOAK which covered her head and
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28


MARY had hardly been gone five min
utes, and we were busy turning the house
upside down and removing all traces of
her presence, when we saw another boat
pulling through the surf TO the shore
''The captain took up his telescope.
There she comes, Williams he cried, ap.
pealingly. Don't go just yet. Stand by
and see ME through with the old woman.
"Of course L stayed, for it must be con-
fessed, l was not little curious to wit
ness what would happen.
"a tall, middle-aged lady, well dressed
and still handsome, stepped out of the
boat, followed by fine boy about IL and
two younger girls. They were all neatly
clothed and bore evidence of the careful
attention OF a well-bred mother.
" Here's your pa, cried the lady, Joy
fully, as the lit lie procession rushsd INTO
the store, and she threw her weil-devel-
oped figure into the somewhat reluctant
arms of the aptain. But he had to keep
upappearances and perhaps his heart soft
ened somewhat toward his ill-used wife,
for presently they were kissing and hug
ging like pair of lovers.
"'Dear me, Jack, she said looking
round at the disorderly parlor, what
miserable bachelors home you have GOT.
to be sure. It's quite evident you want
woman's care, you dear old stupid darling
and she kissed him again and again.
'Od Trenton seemed to regain conf
dence under this treatment. Yes, nv
dear, he said, you see we have 10 rough
it here, and these brown servants have no
idea of tidiness.'
t" 1 should think not, she said, looking
around. Why, here, great hole in the
ia blecloth and pile of old newspapers on
the sofa, and, dear me. why here's an
empty gin bottle on the writing-d desk, and
all the tumblers are dirty, and there are
sticky marks everywhere, and tobacco
ashes on the mats. and-and-' She shook
her fist al me p!ayfully, as if were the
cause of her husbands bad habits.
at had always been Door Mary's pride
to keep her home as neat as new pin.
and certainly never saw a cleaner, better
managed house than Trenton's under her
care. But in the few minutes breathing
space allowed us the captain and I had
managed TO create surprising smount OF
disorder, and the result from our point of
view was highly satisfactory.
$50 l left the skipper to settle down to
a third edition OF married life, and, for
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28

past all the stores and hotels, Mrs. Tren-
ton holding her head high and stepping
defiantly, as if never trace OF shame
could touch her, though it was such
m iserable business. 1t mad been the talk
of Apia since she landed, and the gossips
marveled what would come next when
they saw her on the way to Mary's new
home.
I'VE crossed The Vaisinango River, and
passed through Matautu, where the roads
are shaded with trees and there are fewer
people to meet, and at last, at the far end
of the suburb, in a wretched native house,
we found Mary.
''She was squatting on a mat, clothed
only in dirty white frock, the remnant
OF her former fnery. but the baby. |
oticed was as we'll dressed and as fine as
ever. And when the little chap saw the
fine lady enter the house he lifted up his
little arms and cooed.
81 can't tell exactly how it happened
for somehow my own eyes were rather
dim at the time, but the next moment
Mrs. Trenton was down on the mat be-
side Mary, and the two women were
hugging and kissing and weeping to-
gether over the baby. who stuck his little
fat fist in his mouth and roared in SYM
pathy.
when the storm had somewhat SUBJ
sided the two had long and confidential
conversation. | kept, of course, at a
respectful distance, but Mary told me all
about it afterward. The kind lady, as
she called Mrs. Trenton-for poor Mary
was not a bit iealous-had asked her
many questions with regard to her
married life with the captain, and had in
quired particularly about her prospec is
for the future.
MARY, completelely subdued by this
good woman's influence. opened her little
heart, and sobbing as she lay in the
other ones arms confessed the blackness
OF her despair. There was nothing before
her but death, or to come down to the ma
tive level. Her father was dead, and her
m other. as many white mems widows do,
had married Samoan. and gone back to
her orig inal habits of life. Mary did not
mind for herself, but she hated the idea OF
her son, who was such fine little fellow
with good white blood in him, growing up
a Samoan.
''And Mrs. Trenton, though she didn' t
know much of native ways, glanced round
the shabby disordsrly house at the naked
children playing in the dust outside AID
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28

shud dered herself at the idea. After all
the boy was her chidren's bro ther and her
husbands flesh and blood, and notwith-
standing the words of Scripture his
fathers sin should not be visited upon
him.
"Then it turned out that Mary had a
chance of getting married again to re-
spectacle white m an, a shipwright in the
employ of the German firm, who had
courted her with some show of success
until the captain came on the scene.
But the shpwright though he would ac-
cept discarded wife, would not accept
the baby, and Mary had absolutely re-
fused to give up her child.
"'But you would let me have him.
wouldn't your asked Mrs. Trenton.
eyes, yes, DEAR cried Mary, eagerly,
for l know he would be we'll brought up,
as a papalangi, and not as a Samoan
And some day he will grow to be a great
man, am sure he will. See how clever
he is already and the fond mother
Rugged the child to her breast. Then,
with one long parting kiss, she placed
him tenderly in the open arms of her
visitor.
so it was settled. | often think of that
woman, l can tell you, walking back
through Apia town-and the beach road
was full of gaping people-as proud and
erect as ever, carrying the little baby so
that all the world might see. And when
we reached the store she laid the child in
the surprised captains arms. Il have
brought your son back was all she said
She was grand woman, and the old
trader paused for while as if to give due
effect to his words.
land did Mary marry the ship
wright?' 1 asked.
"Of course and lived happily ever after
ward. I suppose. I never took any fur
her interest in her. Mrs Trenton made
the captain settle bit OF land and cot
tage on her, so that she had good start
in her married life But the boy was
brought up by Mrs. Trenton as one of her
own children. Never a scrap of difference
did she make, 90 far as / could see.
And when the captain died and the
family went back to the colonies she ap-
prenticed the lad to boatbuilder, so that
he might have a good trade at his fin
gers ends when he grew up. She still
writes him and sends him little presents.
for, poor soul, she is not very we'll off and
cannot afford to do more.
This is how Mildmay's boy, as we all
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28

seen a cable or electric car, though I've
been do gin 'em and just barely gettin'
missed by 'em sometimes for so long.
But I've KEEP out of the county house and
L m goin' to keep out of it unless business
gets so bad l can't make 20 cents a day
1 can live on that-and if it does, then pll
STUN bic me day and fal! down in front
of the electric cars an let 'em make a
good job of me.
you never tried starvin', did you?
Well, it's mighty tough way to die. l
went four days once when 1 was sick
without bite to eat, an guess I'd "a
died but another blind feller hunted me
up. Him and me lives together now. an
we manage to git enough to eat, such as it
is. but it amt the best. l amt tasted pie
for seven years"
A little old fellow with crafty face and
shriveled hands had a side line of com bs
and shoe iaces.
"Hoss throwed me off and hurt the
spine of nv back" he said; II amt been
able to work SINCE
No, amt got no family, cept wife
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28

words, Thomas Flynn, Belfast" painted
across the end. There was no means of
ventilation, and the smell OF onions and
cabbage and potatoes oozed down from
the floor above. the smell of decaying out
casts of the vegetable world in the cellar
went up, the two forces met and mingled
in the apartment of Thomas Flynn of
Belfast, and Thomas Flynn contributed
TO the assem- bled odors by smoking the
ends OF outcast cigars in a pipe made of
brass oil-cup, from some outcast engine,
by the hand OF Thomas Flynn.
So in these old battered human builds
ings some little thing of human interest,
some rusted link connecting them to the
world of yesterday, will be found on look
ing near. showing that however far re-
moved from the walks of usefulness they
are to-day, they have tried at some time
and failed, and the world has grown up
about them and crowded them into the
unused and forgotten crannies, and like
the old buildings, with no tenant and no
landlord interested in their welfare, no
one knows when they fall. G. w. o.
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28

draped her bent old body to the ground.
She held with hands invisible. somewhere
beneath the cloak, a string attached TO a
card bearing this:
This poor old woman was born in 1920.
Feeble in health ard sight she asks the
public to help her"
On her knees she held a cigar-box con-
tanning a few pencils as hard as her own
fate and their sphere of usefulness as linn
tied as her own.
She sold two for 5 cents and her pront
was 20 cents dozen. She said she some
times made 80 cents day
Her voice was indistinct and blurred,
like letter written with one of the hard
pencils she sold would have been, and she
said she lived down yander indicating
''yander' as some vague domain between
west and northwest-with her daughter,
who was cripple and done stitchin'."
mo; l don't sell a-many pencils" she
said. Folks amt a writin' much these
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28

call him here, speaks SUCH good English
and is altogether so white in his ways.
Stop and have some lunch.
mo. thanks; I've got a lot to think
over this afternoon"
So 1 had.
When the old trader got on the subject
of women, brown or white, he was always
garrulous, and therefore 1 was not sur
prised on my next visit few days later
to find him refer to the subject of his own
accord.
Women is women" he said senten-
tiously, ''all the world over, and whether
they be brown or white makes but little
difference. 1 told you last week about a
white woman, old Captaian Trenton's wife,
who was as good as gold"
"She was an exceptionally kind hearted
woman" interposed thoughtfully. ''Per.
haps it's the result of the tropical influ-
ence; but very few of her sex in another
country would have acted in the same
way"
THAT'S So" assented the trader. MAY
be it's the latitude, or maybe it's the
example of patience and forgiveness set
by the natives themselves, for I've
known brown-skinned Samoan women
act quite as generously, and with far less
cause.
What, l exclaimed, in surprise, for
the qualities mentioned were hardly in
keeping with the estimate which, based
on merely superficial knowledge l had
formed of the female native character.
You need not look so doubtful about
1t, it's quite true. The Samoan woman is
like every other woman, when she is bad
she is regular out and outer, but when
she is good, why there's no limit to the
extent OF her virtues. And white men in
this country are not always, as you know,
imm aculate husbands. There was one
native woman, / remember who for years
lived alone In Apia, with no one but a
little half-caste boy for company. There's
sad story about her, if you like to hear
it.''
"Of course" | assented, ego ahead"
To be continued
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28
Hard Life Led by Street Pedd1ers

mumbled and shuddered as she drew her
cloak closer around her chin.
Another woman, who was also feeble of
sight, but not OF such ancient date as the
pencil-vender, was pumping an accordion
in the doorway of an empty store building
on Market street. Her personal charms
were added to by a pair of blue spectacles.
and an odor of tobacco smoke chung
around her.
She said she was almost blind, was all
alone in the world and sang and played
on the accordion TO WOO sweet charity
from her boudoir. Her instrument was
loud, but her voice was feeble and
parohed and high pitched. like the voice
of one singing in fever; and the song
she sang was a silly one, used and worn
out by the circus clown years ago, with a
refrain about ''They all took after me-"
But they didn't.
The truth is, no one took after her; but
the wonder IS that they did not, and,
being after her, chase her to some high
place and jump her off. But she sang on
unm molested and almost unnoticed, the tin
cup at her side looking up at the public
with a great unsatisfied longing in its
empty depths.
Some days [ make four bits, some days
ten cents. It's a hard Iife-a mighty hard
life.
II live on Mission street long with an
other lady that cleans house. l pay her
four bits week for a room. My old man
was a carpenter-got killed on a pile
driver l used to do sewin' till my eyes
AL Ia1 No I inB 70
do? I'm a-goin' back to my married son
in Ellynoi as soon as l can git money
enough saved up. I've been a-tryin' the
last four years, but don't seem to git ahead
much. [ amt begun to save up yit even.
but l will some of these days when times
gifts better.
A few days later she was seen with a
bundle of red pencils.
II went into the pencil business be-
cause it amt so hard on the voice." she
explained.
l was sitting on the concrete coping on
the kearny-street side OF Portsmouth
square one day, watching the other loafers
and speculating upon the number of pairs
of pantaloons it has taken to put the
polish on that same concrete coping when
lie hed two red pencils in the hand acci-
dent had spar.d him and he sat down be-
side me and called me "pardner."
'Now, pardner, l amt a goin' to ask
you to give me nickel, but can't you help
a man to get his dinner by taking two of
em for 5 cents? Judgin' from your appear
ance, I'd say you're an actor, an as know
people OF that race is kind an
generous, think you'll help a feller out
l know of place down here on Kearny
street where ] can get plate OF stew an a
dish of beans with a cup of coffee for 5
cents, but l amt got the cents, an l
amt had bite to eat to-day as l give my
last cent for lodgin' last night"
And somebody gave you drink?'
Drink? swear l amt had no drink
to-day"
But your breath is evidence against
you"
What did you call it2''
'Your breath gives you away"
well. Pll tell you the truth; they give
me drink at the lodging house this
mornin', but l amt ct bit all day."
How much do l make? Two bits
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28
II-CoNTIYUED.

The visitor, taking no nouce of the cap
tain's state. went OF: You see when we
arrived at Auckland | met Mrs. Trenton,
and she asked me how you were getting
on. l answered her truthfully as far as l
could. I told her that you we're keeping
a small store here, but that times were
very bad, and l supposed you couldn't
afford to send for her just yet
Il did nv best to lie gracefully. but
somehow DON think she believed me,
or perhaps omebody had whispered
something which aroused her sus picions.
Anyway, she said: Il m tired OF being
grass widow, and if the captain IS poor
and struggling it's my duty to be there
helping him. | don't care what any one
saYs-pm going to MIN. I've saved up
few pounds, and there's my watch and
chain and the gold earrings he gave me
lust before he left on hat last cruise.
Then the little bit OF furniture we've got
ill fetch something; so l think L can
m anage to scrape enough money together.
And, l daresay, as a sailors wife the COM
pany Will let me nave my passage at
reduction
al did my best 10 persuade her to give
up the idea but it was no use. When we
returned to the port fortnight later she
came on board With her three children
and told me how she had managed to
raise just enough money TO pay Tor a sec
ond saloon passage for them all She's a
clever woman, there's no doubt about 1t,
added the purser, who l could see was
rather inclined TO lake the injured wife's
part.
81 felt the same way myself, and the
captain found no sympathy in my eyes
when he looked up and moaned in help
less sort of way: What in God s name
The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28
BY J. F. ROSE SOLEY.

am 10 do. Williams? Speak. Can't you
help a man?
II believe that l almost cespised him
then for his lack OF maniiness, but he was
my friend, ] had just been drinking his
grog, and l must 90 what l could to aid
him.
Are you really married TO this
woman? [ asked.
Yes he lied, I'VE were married
right enough before a clergyman in Auck-
land fifteen years ago.
" Then Marv's not your wife at all.
"'No, God help me- said :he captain,
now quite broken down. l thought a
minute. There's only one way out of 1t
as can see,' l said at last. Mary must
GO and you must be ready, decks cleared
and hammocks slowed, to welcome your
while vie to your home
Its hard lines, groaned the broken
down skipper. Poor Mary and the ba by.
d" You Should have thought of that be-
FORE L sternly replied. You've got 10
do the right thing now for once. And
you better hurry
AT last We reused him from his stupor,
and the purser went off to attend to his
business, leaving me alone to manage
things with the captain.
1--WE lold Mary as well rs we could what
had happened She cried bitterly, for she
had always believed herself to be really
married to the captain; but at last she
went off with her baby to her mothers
house st Matautu, the other end of the
town. To console her We told her that
the white lady had only come to STAY
few weeks, and when the visit was over
she might return 10 her home and her
husband. / don't know how many lies
told that day, am sure, but you see
things had got to be Strengthened up