davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1900-03-03

IIRRE MISSIBLE.
PAR ED. MARTIN-vIDEAU.

lance divine on Sc pesent nos ac-
tions bonnes ct mauvaises. passait
dams Ia sienne pour acccmplir une
nuvre de supreme equite. II en-
etait Ia voix ellie s'epanchait de
ses levres en- termes de formulaire,
81 froids en- apparence ct qui en-
pruntaient Ia Circumstance une
grandeur solennelle. Sous 81 die
tee native, ie clerc ecrivait !: le
grincement de Ia plume sur le pa
pier timbre s'arretait a peine. Lui,
tont en- depouillant les actes con-
stituant l'origine de propriete des
biens ct quill analysait en- quelques
lignes. portrait. tour d tour, son re-
gard sur le pere ct sur les fills. ct
ces dissensions familia'es rame-'
naient d songer parallelement aux
tourments qui dechiraient son pro-
pre- c@ur.
Qui done oserait Sc glorifier d'a
voir saisi ct de pouvoir garder Ia
justice pleine. entiere. absolue !?
Quelle conscience etait assez inte-
gre pour n 'offrir aucune fissure
par on s'introduirait le NAL !? Ceux-
ci etaient Ia proie de -bas interets.
ceux-la d'ambitions viles. Et lui,
lui qui en ce moment faisait mnvre
de justice. n'avait-il pas aassi sa
plaie rongeiae. cette passion semee
en- % chair par l'imprevoyance dune
jeunesse irrefechie ct que les cir
constancss changeaient aujourdhui
en- IN crime odieux? Etrange des-
tin que le sien. Pour arracher Ia
Roussotte de son souvenir, etre
oblige d'y penser sans cesse! Com
battre sans relache pour remonter
| la pents dun amour inavouable ct
Sc sentir retenu 4 cette honte par
| les mile liens dun inoubliable pas
lsel O justice. ideal trop haut. inac-
cessibls l nos elansl Notre corps
etait-iI assez fortement cuirasse
pour n'avoir ! redouter aucune
souillure9 : Notre pensse asses 70
busts pour % rsserver al'unique
vertu
Pendant plusieurs heures. ilasait
dicte. Designant Pune apres Tan
ire Les pieces de terre qui formaient
lie fonda da partage. developpan'
ensuite l'origine de propriets, il sc
hatait don 6nir. pressentant Tim.
minencs du denouement. Recueilli
sur son oreiller, le pere Simonnei
ecoutait Pas un mot ne lui echap.
pait l chaqne article nouvean 81
Itste s'inclinait on avant pour mar
quer son appreciation. Sela sor
j dssir, Jean await relu aax deux fre.
res. avant dc les trAnscrire sur sor
acte. renumsration dss deux lot
|qu'iIs avaient Pavance afr6t6s q
| approuves. Ainsi assure de leu
consentemsut, il les avail ecrits
puis Il tirsgs await 90 lien. Tou
semblait done termine. quand sou
dain l'ain6 await quite sa ehaise 81
s'ecriant 3 Nous somnes solesl
Et Is femme aussi s'stsit levee. sp
puJant par ces mots Proclamation
de son mari Nous serons ton
!. Ijours dupesl En- msms tsmps
] lies des frsres s'staien. avsncss l'ul
vers Pautre, + menace dams le
/ lyeux. Dapss9 I En- quot pouvaien,
! ills stre dupes I Tout ! fheurt
svant Il tirage ~ sort. ne 90 decls
raientrils pas sstisfaits de i CON
} POSITION des lots !?
On les considerait avec an etor
nement nsls d;spouvante. On de
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Found a Mare,. Nest.

A brigadier general or major general
is entitled to the keep of three horses
at Uncle Sans expense; colonel. lieu
tenant colonel. major or captain to two
only.
The forage allowance is often com
muted by turning over the same to the
quartermaster, and this practice once
betrayed a suspicious new member of
the house into curious blunder. He
announced that he had discovered that
Officers of the army are selling the
forage allowed to them, and one such
case | am prepared to cite from the
records of the war department, a case
in which the oats and hay were trans
ferred, doubtless for a consideration,
to person named @. NJ. Corral
There was an exchange of looks and
winks among his astonished hearers,
and then an old member kindly rose
and said, 81 presume, Mr.. Speaker,
that the memorandum referred to by
my distinguished friend refers to a
transfer of forage. in the ordinary
course of business, to the quartermas-
ter's corral" Buffalo Commercial.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
A Discoverv by Chance.

Finiguerra. the master of early en-
craving. delighted in doing deeds of
kindness. One day a washerwoman
in washing piece of clothing in which
a needle had been carelessly left had
the misfortune to run it into her hand.
The needle broke. and more than half
of it vas left imbedded in the flesh. 1t
could she went to Finiguerra's studio.
put down the bundle of damp clothes
that she was carrying to their owner
ard asked the artist to help her. After
much patient, careful manipulation
with his fine tools he succeeded in ex-
tracing the broken needle.
The woman thanked him, and as she
lifted her damp bundle to leave the
studio Finiguerra noticed that it had
rested upon one of his engravings and
had received an excellent impression
from it. The engraving. like all others
of that time, was a metal plate COM
plete in itself and was regarded as a
single picture. The impression made
upon the damp cloth suggested to the
alert mind of Finiguerra the possibility
of producing an indefinite number of
pictures from single original By ex-
perimenting he perfected his discovery
and eventually made it possible for all
homes to have beautiful engravings,
for previous to his discovery only the
wealthy could afford them.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
His Moment. of Lnx.

Did you ever hear of the strange
man who went out to a summer hote!
once for holiday? He impressed OF
the clsrk' the first day he was there
that il was of vital Importance that he
he called at o'clock next morning
Il was called. He didn't come down
stairs till 2 in the afternoon. The in.
unction to the clerk was repeated ev.
5ry day, and every day the mysterious
,l'est staid in his room till late in the
ftGinoon. When he had been at the
i,i;lce week and was about to leave,
Ike clerk said to him:
Il beg your pardon. sir; it's none OF
my business. but why have you left or.
deis to be called at o'clock every
morning and never got out of bed till
several hours later?'
p Well he replied. "Iu tell you
Back in the city I've got a job that
compels me to get up every morning
summer and winter at o'clock This
is my first vacation for five years. Ev.
cry day when your bellboy has come
up stairs and banged at the door I've
started up to dress and get down to the
Office and then suddenly let the convic-
tion steal blissfully over my brain that
| didn't have to. Then I've gone back
10 bed. hugged the pillow and dreamed
that was in the Elysian fields. That
moment of joy that has followed the
banging on my door every morning has
been worth three times the price of the
bill. ll."-Chicago Times Herald.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Origin of Cake Walk

The cake walk proper had its origin
among the French negroes of Louisi-
nna more than century ago. says the
New Orleans Times-Democrat. There
Is little doubt that it is an offshoot of
some of the old French country dances.
It resembles several of them in form
From New Orleans it spread over the
entire south and thence north. 1t was
found of convenience to the plantation
Tcgroes. They were not welded by H.
r"nse. and it was seldom that the serv-
! rs of preacher were called in. At a
lake walk man might legitimately
Ihow his preference for a woman and
thus publicly claim her for wife.
In effect the cake walk was not diff
ferent from the old Scotch marriage
which required only public acknowl-
tdgment from the contracting parties.
So this festival became in some sense
a wooing. an acceptance or rejection
ard a ceremony. This explains its pop
ularity with the blacks outside of its
beauties, with the accompaniment Of
nl.aic. which is competent at all times
f. command negro support.
Cake walking has improved, as do
most things that are constantly prac-
ticed. 1t has lost its old significance
in the south, Negroes now get married
wien they marry at all in the white
folks fashion. 1t has become. howev-
cr. a pantomime dance. Properly per
formed. it is beautiful one. The cake
is not much of a prize, though the ne
gro has sweet tooth n.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Polite. hrt Embnrrnss,nr.

pretty little miss of about II sum.
mers nearly broke up a wedding party
at Linwood a short while ago. 1t was
about the first wedding that she had
ever attended. and she felt the iInpor-
tance of the occasion very much. After
the ceremony she noticed that the rco-
pie went up to the bride and groom and
made remarks to them. She supposed
that they were words of congratula
tion or coincidence or something Of that
sort. but her ideas of the proper thing
to say under the circumstances were a
little vague. Finally she whispered to
nm old friend of the family who was
near by:
What shall l say when | go up
there?" she faltered
''Oh. just anything to show them that
you are glad they are married Just
something complimentary. you know
In few minutes the little miss had
made her way to where the happy cou-
pie were receiving the congratulations
There was quite a crowd around. bui
she didn't mind them one bit She
marched straight up to the bride aud
extending her hand, said:
81 wish you many happy returns of
the day"
The remark convulsed every one in
hearing, but the little miss left the
church with the consciousness that she
had observed the proprieties.-Cinc
natl Enquirer
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
How the Carving Wa. Done.

When | was a young man." said a
San Francisco artist, "a friend of mine
who returned from China brought
home lot of pearl shells beautifully
etched or engraved with figures and
landscapes on the inside of the shells.
l did not marvel SO much 1T the en-
craving as | did at the cheapness of
the shells. l couldn't help thinking
that some of the engravings must have
taken a day or two to make, and yet
they sold for little or nothing. my
friend said.
"On my request he made an investi-
cation Of the subject and discovered
that the Chinese had used the follow
ing plan: Instead of craving the pic
ture into the hard shell. an operation
that would have been laborious and
slow. the Chinese drew the sketch on a
little scrap of tea lead and inserted II
into the pearl oyster shell when it was
tender. The inside of the shell in this
manner got an impression of the sketch
from the tea lead picture and as soon
as it was sufficiently well printed the
Chinese would take the lead out and
insert it in another shell, and so on
That's how the carved shells came to
be so cheap or at least that was the
explanation that was made to me by
my friend"
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Boy and WoodckucIS, x

The joy of pursuing the woodchuck
is part Of the happiness of rural life
The boy is lacking in physical develop
ment and in numerous mental ant
moral qualities growing out of the ex
perience who has not spent day pour
ing water down woodchuck hole OIL
the hillside with a view to drowning
out the occupant. This is said to re
fresh the woodchuck, and. as for the
boy, it toughens his muscles as no com
pulsory labor could do, and it cultivates
patience, hope and persistency. Giver
a good brook, an ample hole and an in
dustrious boy. full days work on the
outside and a complacent woodchucl
on the inside may be safely guaran
teed.-Hartford Courant.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
A pefender of B1nck snnke.,

The reporter was advised not to kill
a black snake under any circum.
stances. An old, honest. reliable man
explained this:
"Only few days ago saw black
racer whizzing around in a circle, his
flaming eyes distended. His attention
seemed riveted on something not far
away. l advanced, and, to my aston.
ishment, l saw large rattlesnake coil.
ed up in battle array. The black snake
continued his circuits, getting a little
nearer to its victim each time. After
10 or 10 minutes the rattlesnake drop
ped his head on the ground. Almost
instantaneously the black snake pounc-
ed upon its victim. After securely fas.
tening his teeth in the back of the rat
tlesnake's head he began his deadly
coiling. Within five minutes that rat.
tlesnake was dead. So don't kill q
black snake"
The color came in the old gentle.
mans face as he was relating the
above, and he said:
Boys, black snakes are game. but
they won't hurt you. for l had one for
a pet for years, and because my old
woman woke one night and found the
snake In bed she raised an awful fuss
and killed it."-Lebanon Kyl Enter
DriSe
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
The Has Reena.

They met again in after years by
chance at the door of a circus tent, the
judge and the middle aged woman who
had been Maud Muller.
Great scott" muttered the judge to
himself as he noted her sallow face
faded hair, stubby fingers with the
marks of the washboard upon them
and the group of slatternly children
she was angrily trying to induce the
ticket taker to pass in free. what q
lucky escape hadv'
'Merciful gracious" she mused in.
wardly, looking at his bald head, wa.
tory eyes, double chin and protuberant
stomach, land once wanted to marry
that man.
They passed in, with their respective
noses perceptibly elevated and were
listening few minutes later to the
time honored jokes of the clown.-Chi.
cago Tribune.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Chinese Porceiain.

Chinese porcelain was common in
Europe for 400 years before German
potter succeeded in finding out the
process of making it. This Chinese
pottery is scattered all over the world
and everywhere valued, but nowhere
was the distribution more curious than
in western Canada. Early in the nine
teenth century Chinese junk was cast
away ON the Pacific coast of America
just south of Vancouver island, and its
cargo of willow pattern plates fell into
the hands of the Hudson Bay compa-
ny's officers. Still in the remotest trad
ing posts of the fur traders few fine
specimens remain.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Syn,pnthy Misplaced.

One day during cold snap last win
ter | saw an old man in n grocery act.
ing rather suspiciously. and soon | saw
him steal potato from barrelful of
the tubers that stood outside the coun.
ter. The old fellow slipped out of the
house as soon as he could convenient.
ly and limped away. l followed him,
thinking to give him what change ]
could spare. for thought he must be
desperately poor if he must steal po.
tato.
When | caught up with him and Of
fered him little money, the old man
roared with laughter. When he had
got his breath again. he said:
You saw me steal the potato, didn't
you?
Yes, sir. did,
We'll, lemme tell you. my son, I've
got potatoes to sell. | raise thousands
nf bushels of them. I've got the big
s,est market garden in this county, and
I've got more money than you ever
saw. Carryin potato in your pocket
will cure the rheumatic, but for it to
do any good you've got to steal the
potato. See3
saw. And sawed wood.-Will
Visscher inS Woman's Home Compan-
ion.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
une:- ,es..s ~. .;st,ne sto.r

UncS- EGf. tE.--ABtbut- SiOlY.
"AD old countryman | used to know
when ! was living in south Georgia. ;
remarked ii college professor apropos
of sudden changes in the weather
was in ut least enc respect very re.
markable oEl; acter. To a casual lis.
tener he appeared to be fluent and
unconsc ionable lar, yet when you came
to scrutinize any of his statements
closely it was impossible to catch him
In the slightest deviation from the
RUTH"
"One day in early spring we had an
unusually severe fall of hail, and next
morning while driving down the road
with friend we happened to encoun.
er the old fellow at his gate. Well
Uncle Bob,' said, that was a pretty
bad hailstorm we had yesterday i
should say it was he replied. You
just oughter seed some of the stones
that come, down in my back yard
How big; were thegT 1 asked. bout
rs big asj small watermelons,' said he
We'll, we've caught him in whoppe1
at last chuckled my friend as we
drove on. No. we haven't l groaned
AS usual the old rascal has secured
all the advantage of fine, large lie
and at the same time has adhered rigid
ly to the truth. Lcok at that vine
AN early watermelon vine was fes.
tconing the bottom rail of a fence by
the roadside, and here and there it was
studded with minute green spheres
about the size of gooseberries. My
friend made no comment. l never tried
10 catch Uncle Bob again. New Or.
ieans Times-Democrat. ~-7r-
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
His Opinion.

Fiddleback-Are you going arount
to Miss Muffin's tomorrow night. Mrs
Won Blumer?
Mrs. Won Bluulcr Il:e gives a chat
Ing dish party. doesn't she?
Fiddleback-Yes.
Mrs. Won Blumer-We may. Are
you?
Fiddleback (smiling,-Well, hardly.
Mrs. Won Blumer-Why, l thought
you were fond of Miss Muffin.
Fiddleback-I am. but not of hel
ehafing dish parties.
Mrs. Won Blumer-You mean
Fiddleback- mean the chafing dish
part
Mrs. Won Blumer-You don't like
that?
Fiddleback-Well. can stand good
deal, but the connections Miss Muffin
gets up in that instrument of torture
are too much for me.
Mrs. Won Blumer--You are too hard
on her, am sure.
Fiddleback-Hard on her, do you
say! Well. l guess she is pretty hard
Oh the rest of her victims.
Mrs. Won Elumer- What particular
dish of hers don't you like?
Fiddleback-Well. | can't say that
| am partial 10 any of them. I've
tried them all, and there isn't much
cho;ce. Her lobster Newburg can pro
du>e about as much complex agony
AZ anything else. But | think for suf.
fcring long drawn out, for steady. un-
inter mittent. ablebodied pain, hel
Welsh rabbit takes the blue ribbon.
Have you ever tried Miss Muffin's
Welsh rabbit?
Mrs Won Blumer-Oh. yes. indeedl
Why. | have been giving her cooking
lessons for the last six months!-Har-
per's Bazar.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Ch;pcze superstitica,

When GVitlal Grant was visiting
China. Chester Uoicombc. for many
years secretary of the American lega-
tion at l'eking. secured for him privi-
lege never before that time accorded to
a foreigner. the privilege OF adm ssion
into the sacred precincts of the Temple
of Heaven in Peking.
Now, 1t is contrary to the settled be-
lief of the Chinese to admit member
of the female sex old or young, even to
the temple ground. under any circum-
stances. 1t is said that should a Chi
nese guard venture even to carry a
baby girl in his arms within the forbid
den lines he would probably be punish
ed with death. Not knowing of these
restrictions, number of ladies in Gen
eral Grants party ventured to follow
him when he visited the sacred edifice.
Realizing the seriousness of this ac-
ton, Mr.. Holcombe afterward apollo
gized to the emperor's representative
for the conduct of his countrywomen
and was Informed that the intrusion
would be overlooked, but must be kept
MS secret as possible, for should the
populace learn of it an antiforeign out
break would be likely to follow. They
wculd not forgive such pollution of
their most sacred building.-LeSlie' s
Weekly.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Bilge Water.

| am quite well aware that there are
objections 10 hospital ships in the trop.
les. When they are m43red, there Is
the burning question of bilge water.
] viii not discourse on the subject of
b.iSe water. as ineXperience thereof
m ght make the explanation weari-
some; Any one acquainted with the
bilge water question knows it is of en-.
crossing interest. Bilge is a prince
among smells, and if you have ever
Fallen under its power you will always
think that every terrific thing in smells
is Il manifestation of bilge water.
l remember on one occasion when on
board moored hulk, not a hospital
ship, smelling in the evening some.
thing that called for mention. so |
mentioned it. "Oh," said my com.
panicns. more under the sway of bilge
water than | was, from their greater
knowledge of its power, "it's only our
bilge water" In the morning we found
it was the rotting carcass of an ele.
phant that had floated down the river
and now hung iD the mooring chain.
After considerable time was spent
in getting rid of the carcass | said
For goodness sake, gentlemen, stir
up your bilge water, and let the smells
fight it out together while we &c
ashore for a SPELL" NO" said my
companions, terror stricken at the sug-
gestion. You do not know our bilge
water when its backs up. 1t would
stretch you if you were half way
across Africa. This elephant is mere
lavender water to it."
This was more dreadful bilge water
than hospital ship would have. Still,
though bad, bilge water is not neces.
sarily fatal under proper management
Chambers Journal.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
A Complication.

Mrs. De Kanter-Yo(Asaid you were
going to be detained at your office all
evening. but you weren't there. Now,
where were you?
Mr.. De Kanter-My dear, there's nc
sense in your getting excited. 1t real
ly-
Mrs. De Kanter-Why don't you an.
swer my question?
Mr.. De Kanter-My dear, would
answer your question if l was sure you
wouldn't question my answer.-Phila
delphia Press.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
To Live Long.

Virchow. the German scientist said
the way to live long is to "be born with
a good constitution. take care of it
when you are young, always have
something to do ard be resigned if you
find you cannot accomplish all you
wish" II is easier to live long with a
poor constitution than to violate the
other conditions and reach old age.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Breaking the News.

Jackson-See here. Jimson, that con-
founded dog of yours kept up a contin-
ual howl under my window till o'clock
this morningl
JimsouO Girmlv'-Tt wasn't my dog,
i,r!
Jackson-I'm glad to hear that, old
man, because hated to ask you to
~ the body To whom did you sell
: Brooklyn Life.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Rsd MHnnerA.

An old gentleman, walking up Cork
Hill, Dublin. overlook coal cart heav-
lily loaded and drawn by a wretched
quadruped with its legs bending under
it, its bones sticking through it's skin.
"How can you Ill treat your horse
so?' he cried. addressing the driver.
at is quite exhausted. Look at the
way its tongue is hanging out"
Exhausted, is it?" answered the boy.
"Why, tits the bad manners of him,
He's putting It out at youp-London
Tit-Bits.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Life SaYinn Pira

The Australian coasting steamer Ka-
meruka, while going from Eden to sgd.
ney, travelling at full speed, struck on
reef at Moruya head. There being no
rockets on the ship, the captain tied a
life line to some pigs which formed part
OF the cargo and had the animals put
overheard. The pigs swan to the shore,
taking the line with them, and by es.
tablishing communication every soul
on board was rescued.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Evidence of Genius.

My wife" said Mr. Smokers, 'is a
truly remarkable woman
I'VE all know that" we said. "But
do you wish to specify"
Eyes, sir. She wrote and sold story
the other day, and she spent only once
the money she expected to receive for
1t. t."-Harper's Bazar
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
A Kind Hearted lady.

A Mrs. Abigail Vaughan left a legacy
Df shillings per annum with which to
buy fagOts TO burn heretics. She left it
10 st. Martin Outwich, now demolish-
ed. Mrs. Vaughan's remains were
among those removed to Irford from
the Church of st. Martin Outwich. The
facts are given in history of ST. Hell
ems, Bishopsgate. by a late rector
Notes and Queries.
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Wanted His Full Share.

Little Willie, sitting down to tea
with his grandmother, who is just
about to cut the cake. Willie (hastily)
-Grannie. before you cut my piece of
rake | want to ask you a question.
Grannie-W Well. dear, what is it?
WILLIE want 10 know if your spec
tacles magnify?
Grannie-Yes; little, dear
Willie-Well. then, will you please
take them off while you cut my cake?
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Dan EerOuS.

Papa" asked a 4-year-old youngster,
"are little boys made of dustT'
"Yes, my son." was the reply.
'Well, then," continued the little fel.
.ow, Il wish you would make nurse
stop using the brush on me. I'm afraid
she'll brush me all away"
Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
The ThenrY-

$50 he regards himself as a senatori-
al possibility|' said one politician.
Undoubtedly" answered the other.
"On what theory?
81 don't know unless it's the theory
that the unexpected always happens"
washington Star.