davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
Blackstone Nowadays.


How does 1t happen that Blackstone is
now deprecated. not to say moderated?
partial answer to this inquiry is found
in the statement, which is true though
paradoxical that the real Blackstone is
rarely read even by professional lawyers
The practical utility of his work, and the
reputation which it at once achieved, have
detracted from Blackstone's permanent
fame. The original book, which derives
half its charm from it's literary perfection
has of necessity become obsolete as a
statement of existing law. Hence it has
been edited and re-edited, and altered and
realtcred. till Ii has been, as work of
letters. completely spoiled, and the stu
derts who think themselves to be reading
Blackstone are in reality reading a treatise
about as like the original Commentaries
as would be an edition of Gibbons De-
cline and Fall of the Roman Empire which
should have been not only edited but to a
great extent rewritten, first by Milman and
then by Merivale, and then should have
been overloaded with an infinity of notes
added by authors of very inferior quality
We may, indeed. say that, in England at
any rate. Blackstone's Commentaries
have been transformed into Stephens
Commentaries and that this transforms
ton has been public calamity it has
spoiled tie work of two men of equal but of
very dissmilar genius. Serjeant Stephen
CID not possess the literary gifts of Black
stone; the commentator was deficient in
the lucid precision and the logical acumen
OF his editor. The literary beauty of the
commentaries vanished under the at
tempt to import into them a precise state
ment of the whole law Of England which
Blackstone never intended to provide for
the students to whom he addressed HE
lectures. while the time and power spent
by SERGEANT Stephen on the rewriting of
the celebrated Commentaries might. n
more happily employed. have supplied us
with such logical analysis Of the law of
England as could have been produced by
the author of the celebrated Treatise on
Pleading and could. In his day at least.
lave been produced by no one else. The
hrst step to be taken by any one who
wishes to appreciate Blackstone's genius
Is to read the Commentaries as Blackstone
wrote them. and, II possible. to read them
Inincumbered even by the notes Of subse-
quent editors.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
SUBSTITUTES FOR PRAYING.
Parrots and Prayer Wheels Among
the kalmuck Tartars.

Ueorge hennan In the Independent.
Finally. if you spend most of your time,
as 1 did. among the natives on the hurri-
cane deck, your attention will be attracted
by third class of worshipers namely, the
kalmuck Tartars, who live in felt tents or
kibitkas Ree-beet-kas) along the lower
Volga, and who wander, with great herds
of cattle and camels, over the steppes of
eastern Europe and western Asia. These
nat-faced. Unlocking nomads are all Bud
ohlsts; and not only 10 they pray. but they
may fairly claim the credit of having re-
duced devotion to a science. Praying five
times day, as the Mohammedans DO or
even twice day, after the custom of the
hre worshipers, seems 70 have been too
severe tax upon the energies Of the orig
inal Buddhists, and they set their inye-
nu1ty at work to devise some means of less
ening the labor. The first expsdient that
occurred to them vas teaching parrots to
pray and then claiming the credit of the
prayers thus said by proxy. This answered
the purpose very well at first; but teaching
parrots was troublesome, and besides that,
the parrots, in spite of all pracautiors.
would occasionally pick UP scraps Of pro-
fame learning, which they intermingIed
with their devotions in manner not at all
edifying.s4 So the Buldhsts finally aban-
dopett the instruction of Darrots and calling
IN the aid of applied science invented the
prayer wheel. Nobody, 1t seems 20 me- but
the LATEST of Asatics would ever have
thought of introducing lavor-saving ma
chinery into the realm Of the spiritual; but
the Buddhists not only thought Of it, but
put the idea promptly into execution. The
prayer wheel used by the Kalmuck 1artars
on the lower Voiga is small wooden GYM
der six or eight inches in length and about
two inches in diameter, turning upon a
vertical axis, the lower end of which Is ex-
tended and thickened to form a handle
This cylinder is stuffed full of short, writ
ten prayers, and every time it is turned
upon its axis all the prayers that 1t con-
tains are regarded July said Could
anything be more simple Or satisfactory?
There is no shutting of the eyes, 10 getting
down on the knees in uncomfortable posi-
tons. no facing in any particular direction.
All that the prayer has to do IS to give his
wheel twirl and II srinds out prayers
with rapidity and f1uency which leaves
nothing to be desired. But from m Occi-
dental point of view the whole performance
is, of course. an absurdity. 1 could feel
some respect for the prayers of the Moham-
medans and of the fire worshipsrs, but the
wooden wheels of the Kalmuck Tartars ex-
cited only contemptuous amusement
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
HOW TO woo SLEEP.
Various Devices to Ward Of the Ter
rOFs OF Insomnia,

rOrs OF insomnia.
From the Spectator.
As town life extends and intellect is
aroused, the problem will be more and
more that OF too little. not Of too much,
sleep. Perfect. or nearly perfect, health is.
Of course, the first condition of sound sleep
But scarcely any one Is quite healthy. ana
SO we must aid the sleepless to acquire
that which is lacking. The one great
thing to do il to fatigue the attention:
not only to tire out the body but to fatigue
the active mind. to quiet the vaso-motor
center and so drive the congested blood
from the brain. Quiet and regular habits.
a certain monotony of light evening &C.
cupation, will tend In this direction while
a great variety Of evening engagements
Is generally fatal to the victim OF in
somnia. 1t is unwise to go to bed on either
an empty or a very fun stomach: a slisnt
meal before rest is the wise course A hot
path the last thing, taken under the fol-
lowing conditions. is perhaps the very best
AID TO sleep: AS recommended by Eccles
and others. the bath should be taken in a
room with a temperature Of Is to 40 de-
grees Fahrenheit. The patient should stand
with his head over the edge of the tub
dcucning head and face with water at 100
degrees. The cooling of the body by the
air and the hot sponging of the head first
send blood to the brain, dilating its ves-
sells Then the entire body. except the
neau Is lmnt 'sed in 4 bath at 9S degrees,
rapidly raised to 105 or 10 degrees: in a
Few minutes the bath is left, and the body
wrapped in blankets. which absorb the
moisture, and with the least possible ex-
ert1on the patient gets into his night
clothes and to bed. with warm bottle to
his feet and perhaps little warm liquid
food" There is no better means than this
for meeting the untold ills of insomnia
but the writer mas also found the good old
proverb of walking a mile after the last
meal useful. 1t goes without saying that
a late London dinner party meets with alb
solute condemnation. On the other hand.
we are glad to find the author very reason
able about sending children to bed very
early and about early rising. Not n little
harm has been done 10 mankind by forcing
children to bed in broad daylight, and in
routing people out of their warm beds to
face the dank chill of an early winter
morning. There is a mean between these
applications OF old saws" and the case
OF celebrated French mathematician who
In the latter years of his life spent
Wenty hours in bed. The object of slcep
Is to restore nervous tissue: as much sleep
as Is needful for that purpose is both good
and necessary, but more is purely mis-
chievous. The problem, the difficult prob
lem of modern life is to secure enough
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
In Autumn DAYS,

Like voices In a rom where one is dying
Low with the awe that always comes with death
l hear the wind among the branches signing,
AS earth sits dreaming with abated breath.
The leaves are falling in a gorgeous shower
OF gold and crimson the hillside slopes
And, robbed all ruthlessly of summers DOVER
The trees stand grieving as DER vanished hopes.
The sky Is tender the smile n mother
Gives to child that DER its losses greyes,
ana with her kind ca-esses she would smother
The tears that fall us fall the ripened leaves.
No wonder earth is sad for sweet things dying,
AND grieves tC think Of bloom and beauty ded.
Anougn she may call. there will be no replying,
And SO she mourns today, uncontrolled.
Be patient, earth. You have your time of losses,
OF vanished brightness and Of things to miss
And SO the souls Of men bear their crosses,
forgetting what may be In that which is.
But unto You another spring returning
VIII bring new gladness; and to souls of men
VIII come that Spring for which each heart is
And that Which seemeth dead will live agnin.
EBEN E. REXFORD.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
ALL OVER IN THIRTY MINUTES.

The Constitutions Famous Fight
With the Guerriere.
Ira n Hollis in the Atlantic.
Hull ran down before the wind to take a
look at the stranger, and found him with
his main topeail aback, waiting for the
Constitution to come up. Both ships
cleared for action, and when the Constitu-
ton was still far astern the Guerriere be-
gan firing at long range. Only two or three
shots were fred In return. and then the
American bore down upon the Engiishman
In silence Nothing Shows more forcfbly
the perfect discipline of the ship than this
hour Of waiting. with men standing al
quarters and their comrades falling around
them. Even Mr.. Morris. the first lieuten-
ant, found 1t hard to restrain his impa-
thence, ana be asked to be allowed to fire.
Not till the ships were fairly abreast and
within pistol-shot of each other was the
word finally given. The effect was almost
instantaneous as a whole broadside struck
the Guerrero, followed quickly by a second
staggering blow. Her mizzermast went
overheard, and the Constitution was able
to pass around the Guerriere's bow, where
she delivered a raking fire, which cut away
the foremost and much of the rigging. In
wearing to return across her bow, the Guer-
riere's starboard bow fouled the port quar-
ter Of the Constitution. 1t was while in
this position that both sides tried to board
and Lieutenant Bush of the Marine Corps
was killed and Lieutenant Morris was dan
SerOuSly WOUNDED. Two guns In the bow
of the Guerrero were fired point-tlank into
the cabin of the Constitution and set fire
to the ship. The danger was grave, but the
wind and sea swept them clear, and Lieu
tenant Hoffman put out the fire. As the
ships separated, the Guerrieres foremost
and mainmast went by the board, leaving
her helpless hulk in the trough of the
sea. Captain Dacres' much desired lin
terview was over. having lasted, from the
first broadside of the Constitution just
thirty minutes. EIe was wounded, seventy
nine OF his men out of crew of 272 were
killed and wounded and not a stick was
left standing on his deck. There was no
need to haul down the flag; it was gone
with the rigging, and Captain Dacres sur
rendered perforce. The Constitution had
lost fourteen men and sustained compare
lively small injury. Within a few hours
Guerriere was so cut to pieces that she
could not be taken into port and Hull
burned her The last act. after removing
the prisoners and wounded, gives one a
glimpse of the Christianity and chivalry OF
these two captains who spoke the same
tongue and in whose veins flowed the same
blood. Captain Hull asked Captain Dacres
If there was anything he would like to save
from his ship. He said. yes, his mothers
Bible, which he had carried with him for
years. An officer was sent to get it. Thus
began friendship between these enemies
which lasted till Hulrs death in 1913. Ira
dluon has 1t that In this fight the Constitu-
tlon obtained her sObriquet "Old Ironsides"
w men struck by shot from the Guerriere,
the outside planking did not YIELD and the
shouted, "Huzza! her sides are made of
ironr'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
THE CZAR's CURIOSITY.
He Destroyed His Daughters Doll to
See How the Mechanism Worked
From the Phiadelphia Times

From the Philadelphia Times
The heavy burden of autocracy has not
destroyed all the boyish instincts in Mich
olas lis disposition, as the following anec-
dote. heard at dinner party given in honor
of a gentleman of NJ. Faure's escort i'm his
late journey. proves. The president, after
having searched all the best Partisan shops
to find some toys worthy of the two little
grand duchesses' acceptance, and having
bought the everlasting golden rattle for
Miss Tatiana, was in despair for something
out of the common to give to Miss Olga.
He at last chose two wonderful dolls. one
got up as an elegant lady, the other as an
over-dressed little girl; and after much
oi11cuity, most complicated piece of ma
chinery was inserted, thanks to which
when wound up, the lady and her daughter
begin ludicrous bit of conversation which
nnishes by the little girl crying because
she is not allowed to ride a donkey on
account OF her gauze dress.
Tho baby grand duchess was delighted.
put not more SO than her father who il an
pears, spent an hour on the floor with the
child, listening to the squeaky dialogue be-
tween the dolls But the time came when
the princess mad to go to bed, which she did
very reluctantly. As for the emperor he
remained an instant in the boudolr after
her departure with the two clever artificial
LADIES who had taken his fancy, while the
-, ~ uhS' anu sumo ladleS and
gentlemen OF the court were, talking in the
next room. Suddenly a strange noise like
that OF an internal machine was heard
followed by loud cry of dismay, and ey-
erybody rushed to see what it was.
There was the emperor, safe and sound.
but with dismal face, looking at the dolls
winch he had partly undressed to find out
the secret hidden in their bosoms; while
the coils We're chattering away as if they
would never stop. The empress, unable to
restrain ner temper, snatched up the car
peted board on which were standing and
shaking the two precious ladies. and, after
having crushed her husband with a wither-
ing eye, she said to a gentleman near her
Fiease send this away; it is too bad, in
oeeo: Inc emperor spoils everything he
touches" But Nicholas looked SO penitent
ana the mishap was SO funny, that she
could not halp laughing
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
EMERSON AS A FATHER.
He Wanted His Children to Ride and
Dance.

Dance.
B. ". Emersoa in the Youths Companion.
A baby's cry or its joyful little crow would
instantly bring my father from his books or
writing. Many men are rather afraid to
take little baby; the younger the better
for him. His skill in handling and amusing
them was great and it was strange to see
how this was OWNED in advance by those
somewhat shapeless beings of whom Arte-
mus Ward said: How beautiful is babes;
| So like human beings-only so SMALL" They
were pretty sure to stretch out their small
pudgy hands to him.
The boy, natural independent enterpris-
irg acting on simplest motives was ALWAYS
looked at with sympathy by him-a relief
from the caution, the sentimentality cant
or indirectness that his elders often showed
See how well that boy rides bareback,
girl, simple and fearless as Iphigenia." he
would say, as he saw the children of the
Concord farmers go by his window, and
forgot his task in the pleasure of looking
at them.
Indeed, they were pretty sure to rearnear
IN his books. When /, having no mother
and only older sisters for companions at
nome, and attending small private school,
was naturally timid and slow in finding my
place among the boys of the neighborhooi
1t troubled my father, and he called Tommy
Hazel, the naughty boy of our part of
ehS NiiidfSe, anu pTOfNlSeQ MIN quarter il
ne would work me into the ball playing of
the public school opposite the houseSthe
game was -Four Old Cats" base ball in
lis modern form being then unknown
Today athletics and amusements perhaps
get something more than their fair share
OF attention. probably because two genera
lions ago the body was neglected and the
mind and soul alone were deemed worth
training.
But life is like stool with these three
iegs-body. mind and spirit For it's perfect
poise all three Of these must be good NV
father saw how much Of real value he had
missed in his boyhood, and that games.
adventures. even fights are good schoolmas.
tiers, teach some things better than books.
and must supplement these
Because he had not learned to ride and
dance and enter a company with ease, he
wished all the more that we should He
put me under the orders Of our loyal Irish
workman. an ex-dragoon. did not worry
lest be thrown on. but charged me, il I
were, to be sure to get right on the same
horse again, and I have always been most
grateful that I was denied saddle and stir
rups until had grown rather Independent
Of such aids.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
After Long Years.

From Harper's Magazine.
Dear. whom I would not know
II passed you the street.
So long and long and long ago
Are the days when we used to meet.
You may be glad to hear
That somewhere out Of the blue
Come vague sweet dreams that briux Won near
That often think Of you:
That now and then I thrill
At rustic in the dark;
That ! start as the wind sweeps over the hill.
As see the hre-fy's spark
Somebody stepped on my grave?
Or somebody slipped otit Of yours?
l cannot tell! There are GHOSTS thai craye
bit of the love that endlfres
MARGARET E. sANGSTER.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
RANDOM VERSE.
"A Little Boys Lament.
A. T. worden in Sioux City Tribune.


T. wor1en in Sioux City Tribune.
I'm going back down to grandpa's,
won't come b4ek no more
To hear the rematks about my feet
A-muddyin' up the floor.
They's too much said about my clothes,
The scoilin's never dene-
I'm goin' back down to ,grandpa's,
Where boy kin hey some fun
I dug up hat his garden
A-gittln' worms fer bait;
He said he used to Ifkeit
When I laid abed 50 iate:
He said that pie was gbod fer boys.
An candy made s'em grow.
Ell can't 60 to grandp4's
I'll turn pirate first ysu know.
He let me take his shotgun,
An loaded 1t fer me;
The cats they hid out in the barn,
The hens few up a tree.
had a circus In the yard
With twenty other boys
Tn g0in' back to grandpa's,
Where they amt afraid Of noise.
He didn't make me comb my hair
But once or twice q week;
He wasn't watchin' out fer words
I didn't orter speak;
He told me stories bout the war
And Injuns shot out swest
Oh, I'm goin' down to grandpa's,
For he knows wot boys like best,
He even run race with me,
But had to stop an cough;
He rode my bicycle and laughed
Bec'us' he tumbled of;
He knew the early apple trees
Around within a mile.
Oh, grandpa was a dandy,
An was lin it" all the while,
bet you grandpa's lonesome,
don't care what you say;
seen him kinder cryin'
When you took me away.
When you talk to me Of heaven,
Where all the good folks go,
I guess III go to grandpa's.
An Well have good times, I know.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
Esrets for Ladies' Hats.


ThQmas Jones pushes quietly into the
edge Of the nesting ground, ties his boat
firmly within easy range of the tall snag
ne saw the day before. and takes out his
rifle. There is an egret on the tall snag.
Iaking a steady aim, he fires, and the
bird whirls down dead. One or two other
birds start on their perches in the same
tree, but settle back. One by one they
too, whirl out and lie in a white tangled
mass at the foot of the tree An egret
raises herself up above the rim of the nest
on which she sits, and the tiny bullet
pierceS her. She whirlS down. lying white
and motionless. The little ones cape and
cry, but no food comes. The father was
killed on the tree near by. One by one
out of the nests, off the limbs of the trees
here, there, anywhere-for the birds are
all about, and so stupid with the breeding
fever that they will not leave-the slender
white birds meet their doom. That tall
snag has yielded twenty victims. Jones
has not moved from his boat He has over
200 birds down. He can tell by his car
fridge boxes. for he rarely misses a shot.
1t is easy shooting. After noon he gathers
up his spells. cut of the knife and the
clump of plumes is off. Two hundred car
cases of egrets are left lying. That many
more tomorrow. Many more than that
the next day, for by that time the wailing
OF the dying young of the first days VIC
Tins will have ceased.
From then on, day by day, Increasing in
three fold ratio. the harvest of death goes
on steadily, pitilessly, on the sowing
grounds of life, out I'm the silent wilderness
where the birds have tried to hide their
homes. In less than a month it is over
The long white lines no longer cross the
country going to and from the feeding
grounds. The white forms no longer APP
pear on the naked trees. Doubly naked the
forest stands in silent desolation Soddcn
and discolored. the once white sorms below
the trees are sinking into the slime. From
beneath the trees and from the nests up in
the trees a great stencil goes I'D. Not a
bird. young or old, is left alive. The old
ones staid till death came, bound by the
their young.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
The whiteiBudadron.

William Reed Huntingtonfm ths New York Post.
F.. in the onns, sharp 1aSainsf the blue.
BIZ nrm-weboed. stately awAps they hold their
szirtins Mount Desert Of IN August day,
Cruiser and battle ship ID sseqaenee due;
Which destiny + theirs Only to play
At war; Or, hkelier. shall we say.
Yet should the guns Of the republic speak.
would they spake with Judgment Be their lipG
Mutely tndikeEcnt to the Jlngos mod.
Stern towards the cruel. potAnt for the weak
AAAme to guard the honor Of the ships,
And shotted with the arguments OF God
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
There Was One.

From It'd Bits.
rs there q man In all the audience" de-
manded the female speaker on woman 9
rights, fercely, that has ever done any,
thing to Tighten the burden resting on his
wife's shoulders? What do you know of
woman's work? Is there q man here" she
continued. folding her arms and looking over
her audience with superb scorn, that has
ever got up In the morning. leaving his
tired. WORKOUT wife to enjoy her slumbers,
gone quietly down stairs. made the fire,
cooked his own breakfast sewn the missing
buttons on the children's shoes, darned the
family stockings. secured the pots and ket-
ties. cleaned and filled the lamps. swept the
kitchen. and done all this. IL necessary, day
after day uncomplainingly? II there 10
such man in this audience. let him stand
up. should like to see him"
And far back in the hall mild-looking
man In spectacles. in obedience to the sum-
mona, umidly arose. He was the husband
OF the eloquent speaker. 1t was the first
chance he had ever had to assert himself
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30

morrow.
Only day at time, and that we can live. We
The tronLle we cannot bear is only the trouble we
borrow.
And the trials that never come are the ones that
fret
Only a step at time. 1t may be the angels bend
DER
To bear us above the stones that wound our feet
by the way.
The step that is hardest of all Is not the one lust
before us,
And the path we dread the most may be smooth
ed another day
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
From the Chicago News.

Hog money is the queer namo by which
the brass money which was coined in Ber-
muda in 1915 came to be known On the
face of 1t was a hog: on the other hide a
snip of that period. The coins are yery
rare and priced by collectors. The his
tory OF this device Ii curious and inter-
esting. A Spanish vessel. commanded by
Juan Bermudez, and on its way back TO
Cuba with cargo of hogs. was wrecked
there. This was in 1915. Later in the
same century. when the English discov-
cred this land. they found country in
habited by hogs. While the money was
certainly not artistic or beautiful. Il had
the merit OF individuality, being abso-
lutely unique In the world Of coins