The age-herald., 1900-06-11

"A child born on this day will be very quick in temper, but generally fortunate in business"
 This is St. Barnabas day. The weather will be unsettled.
 "The late Stephen Crane never created l hero as brave as himself said a gifted Birmingham woman who takes a great
 interest in literature, and who enjoys an l extensive acquaintance with American au- 1 thors. "The author of the Red Badge of 1 Courage never imagined a love as ideal and unsellsh as that he gave one chosen woman. Never did Fate toy more cruelty with victim. Never did a mans destiny l more sadly evenuate. Mir Cranes career
 began with misfortune Standing upon hotel verandah at Asbury Park, N. J., l witnessing a working man s parade he re- ] ported it to the New York newspaper which he served, touching 1t here and l there with an adverse and satrical com ment Such a hue and cry went up that l his employers dismissed him from the rep ortorial corps. He was gladly received l upon the staff of a rival metropolitan l journal. That fateful night when he re- i ported the mechanics parade there stood l by his side a beautiful woman scarce more than a girl. She was naughty and critical. Some of her views and criticisms were embodied in his article. She was tall,
 fair beautiful. and wore that womans
 crown of glory, superb golden hair.
 "One day, preceding the parade, the in-
 habitants of the summer city had waded l into the sea. Stephen Crane swam out to
 a girl who was floating like a mermaid on l the waves and singing aria from one of | Verdi's operas, in a fine soprano voice. l The adventure was the beginning of a love
 that was enshrined in the holy of holies of | his stout heart when it ceased to beat
 There was an impeachment to a happy fru-
 iton of his hopes. The woman wore not
 a red badge of courage but golden band as badge of service and faith to another man. She was married She had never l told him. And then he proved what man ner of man he was. And this should be
 told as memorial to him wherever chival-
 rous deeds praised. He kissed her
 hand and went away. If you are ever free,
 my beloved, send for me- That was all l "Henceforth over his desk in his little l study was life size oil portrait of a beau- l tiful woman. Martyr and Saint the sole Identification. Nothing more could enquir-
 ing friend beguile him into admitting.
 "To the woman constantly came new
 books, periodicals with articles by Crane, | clippings of his escapes by sea and land, i accounts of Cuban famine and war, then of <! African war If perchance he left our l shores for new dangers, a brief adieu was 1 telegraphed or written, with a perfect l knowledge that never a word would come l from her to him.
 "Once passing down Broadway she stood 1 looking in a shop window. An adjoining | space possessed a mirror. Her image was l reflected thereon A hastenng by l suddenly halted, gazed moment, kissed | the picture on the cold glass and hurried l on with never so much By your leave.' The man was Stephen Crane, the woman l was his saint And here is the pathos of | the story! The woman is now free, and 1 Stephen Crane is dead'
 Aiabamians have almost forgotten l General Cullen A. Battle, and they will scarcely recognize him in the simple "C. | A. Battle, Newborn, N. G." as it appears in a list of surviving brigader generals of the Confederacy now going the rounds of the newspapers. Yet there was time when all the state rung with his extraor- dinary eloquence. General Battle was a very young man when the war between the states began; but he early offered his services, and was appointed an officer His promotion was rapid, owing to his own merits and to the kind consideration of his distinguished knsman John Gill Short er governor of Alabama. When the strug- gle of the white people to regain their in- dependence began, about the close of re- construction, General Battle took the stump for the democratic party, and dur ing ten years he made many speeches re- markable for their eloquence, chalancing even the splendid oratory of J. T. Morgan and Alpheus Baker, greatest of all of Ala bama's campaign orators for forty years. Later he lived in Macon county for a time, and subsequently in Pike, where he did some newspaper work. About fifteen years ago, he went to South Carolina in which state he edited a newspaper; going finally to North Carolina.
 When the Chinese Boxers see the United States warship Monocary, that gallant vessel will strike them dumb with terror said a Birmingham man who has kept informed regarding naval affairs ''The Monocacy is a little old wooden tub which
 
 has been in Chinese waters for unnum- bered years, and it is so rotten the navy department long ago decided that no at tempt should be made to sail it home No officer would be reckless as to sail the Monocacy out of sight of land It has been for dozen years the jest of Americans in the East, and of the officers and men of all foreign warships who have seen it. Yet the Associated Press gravely informs us that the navy department has sent instructions to the commander of the Monocacy, at Shanghai, to report to Ad- miral Kempf, at Taku, and that vessel is already on her way. Though an old ship, the Monocacy is admirably adapted to this kind of service, drawing only nine feet of water and carrying twelve officers and 146 men, To those who know the facts, that statement will read like a passage from | a Gilhert and Sullivan comic ODera