davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-11-18
Hannah! You're too good to hold spite

Hannah! You're too good to hold spite
longer"
NO, amt, not q bit; but told you,
didn't l, that the Lord was leading
me to see duties. amt no believer in
signs and things, Cynthy Ann" Miss
Hannah went on after little, but last
Sunday, I'm free to tell you, l was
troubled in my mind beyond anything
| remember before, even when | was
converted and | asked the Lord for n
sign; and then ! put my finger in the
Bible and opened it, and what read
was, in Deuteronomy, like this: that if
there was poor man among our
brethren, or needy, we was to open our
hand and to give to him. And now
don't dare do anything else, you see,"
and Miss Hannah really looked relieved
at this confession of faith"
THE Lord be praised!" calculated
Cynthy Ann; it seemed to be way of
hers. "lIave you invited them yet?"
NO" curly.
"Oh! wouldn't they enjoy thinking of
it, and kind of getting ready?" she
urged, timidly.
"Cynthy Ann, and Miss Hannah spoke
slowly, 81 do not think best to make
it too easy and pleasant. Sarah was a
member, and she had no right to marry
a man who wasn't. She must suffer for
her sin still. shall not invite her until
Wednesday afternoon"
If we could imagine an "avenging
angel" with thin, gray hair drawn into
tight pug, two pair of spectacles
pushed high on forehead, and lips set
close, Miss Hannah might have served
for the character at that moment. But
in spite of herself she grew gentler with
every hour until Thanksgiving. One
cannot cherish love in the heart with
out its showing, of course. 1t was like
the asters Seraph's youngest girl
brought, all the choicer for being so
late.
For they all came, of course, shabby
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-11-18

stretched for human need. The Lord
will never accept any halt or halfway
sacrifice, Go to your knees, and then
work to see what you can bring Him"
Now Miss Hannah had kept Thanks
giving" as she said, fer the 20 years
that she had been left alone on the
small, rocky, mountain farm. Every
year this had been well titled and cared
for, and brought in sufficient for her
moderate needs, and little to place in
the bank against the rainy day of old
age and infrmties. For this she had
sat down to her solitary beard, where n
stuffed rooster with cranberry sauce
and vegetables and pumpkin and apple
pie were spread, and gave thanks, She
never thought of going further than
herself. When her cousin Seraph. who
had been the only companion Of her
lonely childhood, had married, against
her express wish, that shiftless Joe
Parker" she simply "let her go her own
way"
The neighbors called her "hard," and
so she was. What was the matter to-
day? She was growing old-56 last
midsummer. Perhaps her mind was
weakening
She had never noticed before how
lonely the small, weather-stained house
looked as she turned in at her own
gate. How would it seem to have
face smiling a welcome from the win
dow-or some one watching at the
door?
She "put up" Tom, made her cup of
tea and ate her cold ham and bread,
but it did not refresh her.
THAT black roosterll weigh seven
pounds If he does an ounce" she re-
marked to herself, land / suppose I'll
have him; though what on earth, Han
nah Litchfeld, you're talking about
keeping Thanksgiving for, can't see,
You haven't got Il bit of it in your heart,
and you know you haven't. You are a
hard. lonesome old woman, and roos-
ters, nor turkeys either. can't help that.
You don't love anybody but yourself,
and may the Lord help you! Pm II
pretty halt and poor thing to offer but
] guess I'll have to give up, and let Him
lead me awhile" she whispered softly
with the fading shadows, and then
came peace.
The next morning Miss Hannah was
up betimcs, and her small washing
waved in the earliest breeze. That was
nothing unusual, but the trip that she
took with Tom, soon after, was more
so. There was n smile as she passed
the rickety house and weedy cornfeld,
but no stop until they reached the town
poorhouse, standing bare and unshut-
tered, on its bleak hillside.
81 want you to 60 home with me,
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-11-18

Cynthy Ann, and stay awhile" Miss
Hannah said to gentle, faded little
woman who came stitlly to meet her.
Are you willing?"
"The Lord be praiscd!" was the an
swcr given through tears. "He knew
twas hard trusting Him in this place,
so He's going to brighten it up for me-"
"And you are not coming back again,
not while live" Miss Hannah said, as
they wound their way among the hills.
"You can't exactly be said to be a rela-
tive, though my grandfather's wife was
your step-grandfather's sister, But it's
been given to me to see that it's nigh
enough relation for the Lord to find a
duty in it. And, Cynthy Ann, now that
Pm getting old and gray, | guess it's
about time for me to be looking up my
duties" she admitted, grimly.
That was all the confession Miss Han
nah could be expected to make. Her
nature would be one rather to do than
to talk.
And all that day and the two follow
ing the snail, tidy house witnessed
such life and activity as it had not seen
Tor many u year.
at seems too good to be true" Gym
thy Ann said that afternoon, as she sat
by the window looking down the wind.
ing, stonyroad, placidly stoning raisins'
ITO be out of sound of Marin Becker's
scolding and a getting ready for a
Thanksgiving dinner. haven't seen
one, no nor smelled one-and | think
the smells most as good as the eating
don't you, Hannah?-in 20 years"
"I've smelled them in that time" re
turned Miss Hannah shortly, "but
that's as deep as it went, l guess.
mean TO feel it this time"
"Let me pick that rooster, Hannah,
Cynthy Ann said the next morning as
the devoted bird took hot water bath
cts +ust what I'm fit for, sittin' down
job. And it makes me think of ma
more'n 50 years ago, and how she'd say
| Now. Cynthy Ann. you may look out
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-11-18
A Stubborn BnttIe.

The first important movement after
the battle of Bull Run was the cam
paign which marked the confederate
line in the west and gave the Mississip-
pi river above Vicksburg to the control
of the federal government. Gen. Grant,
who had already begun to show great
military ability, moved against Fort
Henry on the Tennessee river in CO.
operation with the gun boat feet under
Commodore Foote. Grant and Foote
captured Fort Henry January 6, 1862
On the Cumberland river, only about
70 miles from Fort Henry, was the con-
federate fort, Donelson. After stub
born battle, in which the union loss
was 1900 men, this fort was also sur
rendered and with it $4,000 confederate
troops. This broke the center of the
confederate line of defense in the west
and forced them to fall back from
Nashville and other points. - Boston
Budget.
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-11-18

hut cleun-and hungry. THE FOUR chill
dren really seemed hollow, clear to their
boots" as Miss Hannah said afterward.
But that was after she had had the
pleasure Of filing them up. Then when
they had gone out into the soft Indian
summer for play, the three elders
drew their chairs together, and talked,
at first hesitantly, then more and more
earnestly, drifting back to the days OF
their childhood and youth, when they,
too, had dreamed and hoped and
planned. And as they talked the tones
grew softer, sometimes even tremulous.
Il should have prayed to die long
ago." the sad-eyed mother said, IF it
hadn't been for the children. amt of
much use to them though. Nothing but
an old string that holds them together"
81 am not even an old string" Miss
Hannah said, "but Sereph, I'll join
myself to you after this, and
Wen tie together" and then some
way, the two wrinkled hands came
together in long clasp; and then,
presently, there was slipped from one
to the other, the same grimy envelope
Benny had brought.
II never meant to keep it," Miss Han
nah said. Get a comfortable shawl, or
shingles, or anything. And the note,
Seraph; see; it won't ever trouble you
any more" and lifting the stove lid,
Miss Hannah laid on the Goals yellow
paper, that both watched shrivel to
ashes. you see, Seraph, I'm bound to
have one real Thanksgiving while I'm
in the flesh; and ever since asked the
Lord about it, He seems to open the way
wider and wider, till l most feel as
though / should be singer yet and a
player of instruments, I'm getting so
full. Cynthy AIMS going to stay, so I'll
have face looking out of the window
for me, and that Ruth of yours must
have some doctoring; and Benny's
bright and will pay for schooling; and
Sammy, too; and as for little Katy
well-she's just as cunning as need be.
Think of her bringing me bouquet.
Out Of her own head, too. Seraph, l
guess you've seen your worst days.
When the Lord really calls on Hannah
Litchfield to help do thing, She usually
expects to hold up her end to the best of
her ability, And she's going to now"
The voices dropped into silence. The
short day was dying in the west in a
flush of golden glory, through which
the sun sent back his rosy promises Of
another perfect coming, The children
came through the gate and up the walk.
"And | shall call her Aunt Hannah"
little Katy was piping in her childish
treble, "'cause she's just the sweetest
lady l most ever see"
Sweetest" and Miss Hannah's lip
curled scornfully, then gently softened
into a smile. well, let her think so.
The Lord and a little child may make
her so yet. They have done many a
miracle in this world"
The flush in the west deepened to
purple, then faded into a somber gray.
The mountain side was lost in shadows.
The children, tired with play, dropped
down on the broad door stone and
talked softly. And within, three
women, worn and weary in many a bat
tie of life, sat close together, and each
heart sent up a voice of thanksglv-
ing for the gifts of Love the day had
brought.-Howe Benning, in Chicago
Advance.
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-11-18


who treated him with even greater con-
tempt. Nothing abashed, he picked up
the stick and trotted with the column,
which was now moving along the read
and into which the battery hauled from
the roadside with the accompaniment
of clanking trace-chains and rumbling
wheels.
StyX mSintained his position some
where between our gun carriages all
day, refusing to be allured by the dash
ing cavalry or the sober infantry, as
now and then changes occurred in the
column, and, late in the afternoon,
when we halted for the night, he re-
ported himself at my particular fire as
if he were on duty as an orderly. He
asked not for food or caresses, but put
ting down a stick at my feet declared
in his foX-terrier language that if l
would please throw that for him he
would consider all obligations dis
charged in full, and 1 threw it, He
brought it back before it had fairly
touched the ground and worried me for
more of it.
The next day we were in action. The
enemy had made gallant stand in
their retreat at narrow pass, where it
was most difficult for us to advance, and
here the genius of StyX came into great
play. The mo. 5" man, as he is called,
runs between the timber and the gun
when the battery is in action, carrying
the missile, or cartridge, from the am
munition chest to the mo. 2" man, who
places it in the gun, when the mo ~
sends it home with the hammer. StyX
had joined one of the CUR detachments,
and was acting as mo. 5" man. Re-
ceiving the cartridge from "No. g." who
took it from the chest, he rushed like
lightning to the gun and delivered his
burden to the eXpectant artilleryman,
He was in his element now. The thun-
der of the guns could hardly down his
shrieks of joy as he rushed back from
having delivered one charge to get an
other-this was something like! Why
hadn't we played that game before?
Now he saw what battery was for!
That day gave Styx a reputation
through our whole corps. The COM
handing general heard of him and re-
quested me to bring him up to head
quarters. An admiring circle of officers
sat about him one evening and dis
cussed whether or no dogs could be gen
orally used in the artillery.
Three days after came the catastro-
phe. We were drawn up in line of bat
tie to await developments, and for a
long time nothing developed. Finally
distant battery began to give us its
attention. Now and then a shell eX-
ploded in our front or over our heads
StyX was sitting with eager eyes in the
midst of his favorite detachment. Sud
denly an almost spent siX-pound solid
shot from the enemy struck in front OF
us, and it rolled, as it seemed, slowly
into the battery. More fun!" said StyX
to himself, and jumped for it, For the
first time he had miscalculated. But
then his experience with the artillery
had been of the briefest. The moving
mass of iron which seemed as harm.
less as a rubber ball, crushed the life
out of the active little volunteer.
We all mourned him, and the genera
said, when told him about it: ''Well
you know, war can't be carried on with,
out some loss" IF. w. Carruth, in In,
diannnolis News.
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-11-18
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
sTYx. A BATTERY DOG.
He Did the Work of II Man at thS
Guns.

He Did the Work of II Man at the
Guns.
He was a fox-terrier in the days
when foX-terriers were not so common
as now, and he made his appearance in
the battery one morning just as we
were "hitching up" at daylight TO re-
sumo the march interrupted by n
nights rest in the vicinity of a small
town in Louisiana. He attracted my
attention by running up and placing at
my feet n small stick and then backing
off a little way with every muscle Of
his body on the stretch, asking me as
pleadingly ms If he spoke to throw it
that he might have the exquisite
pleasure of catching it to be brought
back again and thrown.
The captain of a battery has at such
time something else to do than throw
sticks for dogs to fetch, and when
Styx saw me mount my horse he aban-
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-11-18


mountain road that led from the church
i'm the village by four miles OF sandy
dnclinc up to his own slab barn MISS
Hannah, alone on the seat OF her hlgh
buggy. gave an occasional flick with
ahe whip, but in a meditatiye manner
ms though out of some inner mood
They were having IAN uncommon
smell of weather" this fall so the old
smer said. 1t was the Sunday before
Thanksgiving, and yet the soft haze in
the air, the quiet through which an occa-
aional drifting of rusting leaf or over
ripe nut sounded softly, made it seem
more like October than late November
day.
There was a faint whistle through the
sere leaves of a small weedy cornfield
she was passing. The shocks were
leaning as though stacked by incom-
petcnt hands.
Hope Seraph'll get her corn in be-
fore snow flies" Miss Hannah grum-
IbIcd, hitting Tom so briskly as to sur
prise him into an effort at trotting.
Then she turned her eyes resolutely
away from the rickety house beyond,
standing half way up bare, stony
kill. and the faded sad-eyed woman in
The door looked after her longingly,
Nnd lifted the corner of her apron to her
lace.
Hannah amt ever going to forgive
me-" she said, weakly, to her oldest, a
sickly girl of IA.
"Why, what'd you do, map"
Its mostly guess what l didn't do"
was The answer. "Hannah's dreadful
smart, and she hain't no patience with
those that amt like her. Thenyour pa
was sicilly like you, and died, and she
didn't like that; though l can't for the
life of me see how he was to blame.
He couldn't helpit. But Hannah called
him lazy. And we owe her, too, you
know"
SHOULD think we did" broke in a
BOY of ~. Don't we have to most kill
ourselves every year picking berries to
pay the old interest. Wait till get to
be man and I'll pay off her 5000; see
If don't"
81 guess you will, Benny" said his
mother, admiringly. The boys ambi-
tons were never-failing wonder to his
mother and sister.
''Ala. did you know next Thursday is
Thanksgiving day?" asked younger
boy.
what difference does that make to
us?" was the mothers weary rejoinder.
Its many year since I've seen a
Thanksgiving day. 1 guess the Lords
forgotten us, or else we're too bad for
Him to care for. l don't know what
we've done, for sure. Mebbe it's like
Hannah. He hain't no patience with
folks that's down and good for nothing.
Anyway, He hain't thought of us in a
good while"
Miss Hannah, going on her way,
might have been shocked if she had
heard these sentiments from the lips OF
her cousin Seraph. She always went
to church, rain or shine, although old
Capt. Skinner said Miss Hannah could
hear the greatest amount of sermons,
and not one of them stick to her any
more than water to a ducks back
Yet he would have been mistaken this
time.
There's no use talking" had been
the sturdy words that had pricked
through her armor of selfishness, "oi
keeping Thanksgiving unless you've
got the Lords love in your hearts, and
act it run over, as He did, toward those
around you. And you never can make
a sure thing of it while you cherish ar
Uuforgiving feeling for human soul
or hold back hand that ought to b.
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-11-18
Thanksgiving.

The treasures of the harvest time
Are heaped in goodly store;
Earth lays her tribute at our feet
In righteousness once more.
The hearth Is swept, the board is spread
For friends from far and near,
And loving hearts are hasting home,
Perhaps in many year.
oh, tits the true Thanksgiving time
When round the old hearthstone
We greet the loved Of other days.
And clasp hands with our own!
Elizabeth A. Davis, In Golden Days
Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-11-12
HUMOROUS.

II We ever invent anything il viii
I've salt cellar that always has salt III
II.
She Womans mind is cleaner than
that Of man. Hc--Ccrtainly. She
changes il oitcncr,
IL hope wen have that Miss Smart
wood for teacher next year why
do Won like her So much. Bobhie?'
"'Causc she's SO sicklN,'
Mr.. Hilnnd-I see that many Klon.
dixie miners have got enough and are
returning. Mr. Halket-- Enough gold?
Mr., Hiland--No; enough, experience.
81 fear, said the tutor, THAT YOU
are not up on mathematics, - "No,"
candidly confessed the scion of the
plutocratic house. IL am down on
em.
~ woman, remarked the observer
of men and things, lis often II contra.
diction on the face of her; she can't
possibly he IA old and "a innocent ~
IA she looks. j
Hungry Higgins l wouldn't mind
goin' to klondikc, il it wasn't fer hav.
in to dig out the gold. Weary Wat
kins--That amt the worst of it;
il has to he washed after it il dug.
NELL don't suppose the girl who
married Jack Rappiddc will ever have
another idle moment as long IA she
lives. Bclle-Why, dear? Ncll-She
says she married him to reform him. :,
"And how do you like living in
tent? Find it M free and easy ~ you
thought?" "Oh, quite! The rain
comes in at the top, the wind at the
bottom, and the flies and mosquitoes
all over"
Jenny Gay-Why, Nellie! Back
from the seashore? And just covered
with trecklesl declare, you are II
perfect show. Nell Flypp exhibiting
engagement rings Yes, and three
ringed show at that.
you're not going to the Klondike
region, are youp" "No." Don't
like the climate?" at isn't the eli.
mate. It's the surface conditions,
There a"e too many mountain passes
and no railway PASSED." !
81 found out the cost Of those roses, j.
said the girl with the real blonde hair,
"but | can't say that the information
has done me any good" "No?" said
the other girl "No; not IA bit. II at
that price they were more than he
could afford, there is no use to think
of marrying him, and if they were
not more than he could afford, he does
not love me-. 2
Little Girl-Mrs. Brown, ma wants
to know il she could borrow dozen
eggs. She wants to put 'em under
hen Neighbor,-So you've got hen
setting, have youg | didn't know you
kept hens, Little Grl-No, ma am,
we don't, but Mrs. Smiths goin' 10
lend us a hen that's goin' to set, and
ma thought il you'd lend us some
eggs we'd find nest ourselves.
Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-11-12
SURGEONS IN COMMERCE.
Some of the Points OF sInguIarity About
the Fish,


A sturgeon il naturally an inhabi
tant of the large rivers and brackisl
water of the north temperate zone,
more particularly of Europe and
America, says the San Francisco
Chronicle. The Sacramento, the San
joaquin, Russian River and the Co
lumbia on the west and the Hudson
and Delaware on the east are very
favorable to its production in great
quantities.
The importance of the fishery TO
San Francisco il shown by the amount
brought into the market, in the first
three months of last year, being TO-.
76l pounds.
This interestinga and curious fish has
many points of singularity. It's armed
exterior skeleton seems to point TO its
being one OF the few descendants of
the ganoid or armor-plated fishes of
the prehistoric ages. The position of
the mouth is much the same az in the
shark family, but its form and func-
tion is rather that of the remora, or
sucker family. The flesh, too, il re-
markable as being reddish and yellow
and part white. English fshmongers
call it 'beef aud veal" In that coun-
try it is usually cooked by baking with
stuffing of fine herbs.
There are several varieties OF the
sturgeon family. the sturgeon proper
(accipenser sturio), the beluga and the
sterlet being the principal, the two lat
ter kinds belonging to the Russian
waters.
Some twenty-five years ago there
were millions Of surgeons in San
Francisco bay and tributary waters,
principally in the mouths Of the Sac
ramento and San Joaquin rivers, where
they lay on the muddy bottom feeding
on clans and bottom fishes. The
Chinese, who have an inordinate fond
ness for gelatinous substances, such as
isinglass, sea swallow nests, trepang,
etc, imported from China u very
deadly hook for capturing the stur-
geon, which they caught solely for
the marrow in it's peculiar backbone.
They stripped out the backbone and
threw away the rest Some OF the
backbones were sent 10 China, where
isinglass is made from them and also
a highly tenacious glue. The princi-
pal use, however is for making CELIA
tinous soup.