davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31
that. /" she added, "what are you
thinking?"
'I am thinking that used to know

that" she added, "what are you
thinkingl"
''I am thinking that 1 used to know
you."
''I am beginning to think that 1
never knew you or any of you until
now" Her eyes flashed and then
roved away. Look, Rufus. / can
see the tops of Mrs. Halls sparkle
berry trees. Don't you remember
how we used to climb them when we
went to play with Serena Hall Some
times" she said, "when 1 am sitting
at my window looking out at the
horses and people I can see in my
minds eye the Halls woodward and
those sparkleberry trees. The leaves
were so shining and the berries were
such big ones"
tYou had lot of fancy notions
then. I used to call you Lady Eliza
beth, said Rufus, nlorS sSnially.
"Why," she asked at once, "did
you let me stay here three weeks
without coming to see me :"
Rufus smiled as if the question
pleased him, and his square figure
settled.
"Have many of your old friends
been to see you ~
"Why, Miss Percival came-and
and one or two Others she said,
glancing away.
Miss Percival told my mother that
she thought it was her duty. The
opinions of the world and the opinions
of Little Britain don't agree about
you." Rufus leaned easily against
his stick. "You took the worldly
road when you left here. and the
world admires its own, but the people
you were born and raised with have
to disown you"
She looked from Rufus firm cheek
ed face up at the sky, around at the
trees and up and down the empty,
weed-grown street with the glance of
restless bird. Then she nodded her
head at Rufus.
tItis very easy thing to be single
minded here in Little Britain. Who
would suppose to see the COWS grazing
around that--oh, a lot of things.
Take my word, Rufus, the world is
complicated. You may be right, or I
may be right, or we may both be
wrong. At any rate" she said earn
estly, "credit me with trying to do
right, and meet me on that ground. "
Rufus did not move, though she
partly held out her hand.
That loose way" he said. "a
things right or it's wrong. There
isn't any use talking between.
''I took pleasure in the thought of
coming home, but nobody wants to
see me" said Mrs. Richie, sudden
ly. please, Rufus, let me keep one
friend. I do care.
Rufus leaned easily against his
coma onoi,1
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31
"Whose portfolio is thisl" he de-
manded, sharply. holding up the lace.

"Whose portfolio is this r. he de-
inanded, sharply, holding up the lace.
''It belongs to Miss Fairchild, " the
girl answered, readily, but, surely,
sir, you cannot think she would steal
the lace. It must be some mistake,
although" she added, as if reluctant
ly, II heard her only yesterday say
she would give anything if it belong
ed to her,"
when Miss Fairchild returns from
lunch tell her to come to the presi-
dents Office and you accompany
her." said the foorwalker, turning
away to report the case to Mr.. Har-
per. When Mary, who had not been
told of the charge against her, enter
ed Mr.. Harper's Office, in company
with her under clerk, she found the
cashier and the hoorwalker with Mr..
Harper.
Miss Fairchild," said Mr.. Har-
per, "you are accused of purloining a
valuable piece Of lace from the coun-
ter. Have you anything to say?"
Mary was stunned for a moment,
but, conscious of her innocence, soon
found voice to say, with simple dig
nifty, that "there must be some mis-
take"
"This young woman missed the
lace and called Mr.. Bray, who found
it in your magazine portfolio. How
did it get there?" asked Mr.. Harper.
81 am sure 1 do not know" re-
piled Mary, with a great sinking of
the heart. 1t seemed as if a dark
abyss yawned before her.
You do not know. Miss Fairchi1d,
but 1 do" said Mr.. Harper, rising
and confronting the cashier, and the
young lace clerk, sternly.
Even if 1 did not know that you
were innocent, l would never have be-
lieved you guilty. But, fortunately,
I walked home few nights ago, be-
hind two of my employees, and over
heard them plotting this thing to
bring disgrace upon you. Mr.. Null
len," he said, turning to the cashier,
"and you. Miss Clark" speaking to
the frightened lace clerk, "are now
dismissed from my employ p
They walked out in silence follow
ed by the foorwalker, and Mary and
Mr.. Harper were left alone.
Mary had borne herself with so
much dignity throughout the trial
that the president could not conceal
his admiration. He asked himself if
she were not the woman to install as
mistress of his handsome home, and
it did not take him long to make his
decision. Mary, for her part, sud-
denly realized that Mr.. Harper was
bachelor, good looking and still on
the sunny side of life, and blush of
embarrassment rose to her cheek.
When it was time for Miss Fairchild
to make her next semi-annual East
ern trip she went, not as the lace pur-
si----sss, is-st - ti-s --ife of Mr-HaF---
per, who accompanied her, And the
first request that Mary, w. - ~.
bear to think Of any one being unhap-l
by on her account, made of her hus-
band, was that he take back the lace
clerk and the cashier into his employ.
And it being her first request, Mr..
Harper could not refuse, and Mary's
cup of happiness was full.
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31
THE UpTURNED MUsTACHE.

Some time ago it was pointed out
in English newspapers that several
portraits of Charles 1, by Vandyke,
showed the same fierce mustache
which the kaiser is so fond of. A
German monthly now comes forward
and observes that the "upturned
mustache" was really invented at the
court of Philip w of Spain. Charles
/, being Philips brother-in-law, sub
sequently set the fashion in England,
and thenceit spread to Belgium, Ger
many, Sweden and France. Louis
XIII was practically the last mon
arch to wear this type of mustache
until its revival by William III.
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31
THE IRON pLow BOARD.

Pennsylvania has the honor of pro-
duclng the man who invented the
iron moldboard for plows. The mans
name was common enough-Joseph
Smith but his genius gave to the
agricultural world one of its greatest
improvements and made possible
farming as it is carried on in the
West today.
Even in 1900 blowing was accom-
plished in fashion almost as primi-
tive as in the days when Christ walk
ed and talked in Palestine. True, at
the beginning of the present century,
agriculturists did not scratch the soil
with stick merely; yet the plow
they used, having only a wooden
moldboard, did not accomplish the
work much better than the sharpened
l%tieks of the Biblical patriarchs. A
wooden moldboard, even when sheath
ed with iron, as was finally the
fashion, could not turn a furrow very
far removed from the deep scratch
ings IN the earth made by sticks.
Such was the state of plow and plow-
ing in The year 1900.
Then Joseph Smith, native of
Bucks county, and a genius in me-
chanics, set for himself the task of
improving the p1ow. AS a result,
after several years of experiments, he
devised an ron moldboard. The first
castings were made at the foundry of
Charles Newbold, Camden, N. j.
The test OF this first plow was made
on the farm now owned and occupied
by Heston j. Smith, near Pineville.
The iron moldboard was a pronounc-
ed success in every way. An eye
witness records that it was a proud
day for the maker of the plow."
The patent for this iron moldboard
was granted in the name of Robert
Smith, brother of the inventor.
Why this was done is not apparent,
as Joseph Smith certainly was the
original inventor, and the invention
was so we'll known and so inherently
beneficial to agriculture, and, wlthal,
so meritorious as to lead to personal
acquaintance between the inventor
and Thomas Jefferson.
1t is equally strange that no mate
rial pecuniary benefit was ever deriv-
ed from this patenting of one of the
greatest aids in agriculture. Such,
however, is the fact. AS soon as the
superiority of the iron moldboard be-
came known, plows were made all
over the country regardless of the let
ters patent, and sold everywhere, and
neither royalty was paid nor any re-
turn made to Joseph Smith, the in
ventor, or Robert Smith, the patentee,
on behalf OF their interests, except by
a few makers near home. Ex-Sheriff
Joseph S. Ely, of Newton, is grand
sSSQnJ45seIoseph Smith. = WaSAfngtom
&. \RB31
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31
JOHNNY WON HIS BET.

A certain gentleman, having son
who was i'll the habit of betting, did
all in his power to cure him.
Hearing Of night school that was
going to be opened in the village, he
thought it capital plan to get his
son to go.
One evening as Johnny and his
father were alone, the father said ::
"Now, John, 1 hear we are to have a
night school in our village, and I
should very much like you to COM
mence going. What do you say?"
"Oh," replied John, l don't
mind"
So on the following night Johnny
started off to school.
On arriving there, and seeing the
schoolmaster, John walked straight
toward him and remarked: Il say,
Mr.. Smith, I'll bet you five shillings
you have not got half crown in your
pocket"
The schoolmaster, thinking the loss
of five shilljngs would break Johnny
of the pernicious habit, took the bet /;
and turning his pockets out, he show
ed sovereign. John paid up. Moth
ing more was said until few days
after when Mr.. Smith called to see
Johns father.
Now" said the schoolmaster, II
think I have cured your son of bet
ting. The first night he came to my
school he wanted to bet me FIVE shil-
lings 1 could not show half crown. "
"You did not take his offer, did
you?"
"Of course I did, !" replied the mas
ter.
"Then l have lost a sovereign" "
groaned Johnny's father, "for he bet
me sovereign he would have look
in your pocket before he had been in
school FIVE minutes"
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31

|N The duke-of Wellington had, it is
said, blue hawks eyes cleaning with
military genius.
Audubon, as became naturalist,
had ''hawklike eyes that flashed like
a searchlight and were ever on the
alert for each movement of animated
nature.
Charles Lamb is described as hav-
ing glittering eyes, strangely dissimi-
lar in color, one being hazel, the
other having specks of gray in the
iris, as you see red spots in the blood
stone.
According to Trelawney no man
had brighter eyes than Byron they
were gray and fringed with long black
lashes. Lady Blessington, writing of
him few months before his depar
teuf to Greece, adds that one eye was
visibly larger than the other.
The most striking feature of Burns
was his large dark eye. 1t was, we
are told by one writer, "full of mind
and literally glowed when he spoke
with emotion or interest" J." Sir. w.
Scott, who knew the poet when he
lived in Edinburgh, says: II never
saw such another eye in human
head, and l have seen the most dis
tinguished men of my time"
Eyes, as we know, are apt to vary
considerably in shades of color in the
same individual from time to time-a
fact that explains why Wordsworth S
familiar description of Coleridge as a
noticeable man with large gray eyes
does not quite agree with Carlyle's
impression that his eyes were of a
light hazel, nor this again with the
writer who found them Eight gray,
prominent and of liquid brilliancy, as
though the orb itself retreated to the
innermost recesses of the brain"
Chatterton's brilliant gray eyes
were his most remarkable feature.
Under strong excitement one appear
ed brighter, and, as in the case of
Byron, larger than the other. Cal
-cott says !: "It was like the eye of a
hawk, and one could see his soul
through it." Barrett "never saw
such eyes, fire rolling at the bottom
of Them" and he confesses that he
often purposely differed in opinion
from Chatterton to see how wonder
fully his eye would strike fire, kindle
1
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31
THE FOURTEEN MISTAKES OF LIFE.

An English paper gives list of
what it terms the fourteen mistakes
of life." While there are undoubt-
edly other mistakes than those men-
toned, the list is fairly comprehen-
sive one. 1t is a great mistake to set
up our own standard of right and
wrong and judge people accordingly !;
to measure the enjoyment of others
by Our own to expect uniformity OF
opinion in this world to look for ex-
perience and judgment in youth to
look for perfection in our own actions !;
to worry ourselves and others with
what cannot be remedied; not to
yield in immaterial matters not to
alleviate all that needs alienation so
far as lies in our power not to con-
slider everything impossible that we
cannot perform to believe only what
our finite minds can grasp; to expect
to be able to understand everything.
And the last and greatest mistake of
all is to live for time alone, with no
thought for the future, when any mo-
ment may launch US into eternity.
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31
"OpposEp vour suit. did lac 2

"No, he didn't. He told her l
was a model young man, and, OF
course, she lost interest in me the mo-
ment she found 1 did not need the
ennobling influence of woman to lift
me up and spur me on to achieve sue
cess"
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31
SUMMER BORN CHILDREN.

That children tall for their ages are
generally born in the summer is a
novel theory. AS far as boys alone
are concerned, those who first see light
during autumn and winter are not SO
tall as those born in spring and sum
mer. Those born in November are the
shortest, in July the tallest. Aver
age for girls show that those born IN
winter and spring have less length OF
body than those born in summer and
autumn. The tallest girls are born
in August.
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31
you had stayed at home.

"Well, l don't think k-niaybe So
Just shake hands. I want to shake
hands like old friends
"That's just like you" /" said Rufus
after a pause, trying to wheedle peo-
pie into what you want"
Mrs. Richie looked at his settled
figure and important face until her
look changed from wistful to musing
and on to comical.
you've got to be an old man,
she said. There's no moving you.
The world is big and liberal, Rufus.
It's a pity you couldn't have gone
round it some"
81 don't want to go round it, said
Rufus, angrily; II don't want to go
round it." He caught her smile and
took off his hat abruptly.
"I'll say goodbye"
He did not look back at her, though
she watched him walk stifly away.
When he turned the corner she moved
forward, smiling, with tears in her
eyes.-M Y. Commercial AdSertiser.
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31

"AH simply had tub do it" said
Erastus Pinkly in an apologetic tone.
All had tuh draw ma razzer SOS to
hol up ma character"
Ibid he slander you behind your
back ?''
mo, sab twas tub ma face. He
axed me wha' BUSINESS All wuz in an
All sez, Raisin' chicken Den he
looked at me solemn an sez, sez he,
'Yo doesn't mean "raisin', " yo' mean
"1iftin' -
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31
[ Oon d Xou fead.

man?'' Presently Jimmy, skirmish-
ing the balls over the billiard table,
added:
"Pooh That's nothing, a woman
marrying a divorced man. What's
the matter with that, eh But this
towns dead slow
The youth by the window shifted
his feet, where they were propped
upon the sill.
cts to be expected of you, Jim
my, that you would pick up every
body's notions as you go travelling
about, but l expected better of Eliza
beth. "
YES" said Jimmy, pleased by
this allusion to himself, "she's SEN
sible woman, very sensible woman.
I admire people who get on in the
world. Her husband S famous man.
She married him after he got good,
legal divorce, and now she's great
big swell. And yet 1 understand, y
added Jimmy patronizingly, "the
good people around here don't hardly
want to speak to her.
Rufus turned round and dropped
his feet in their heavy heeled shoes
to the floor.
"She's not the woman I thought
she was. If she has the whole world
at her heels, she's severed herself
with me.
Jimmy grinned across the table at
the square figure in its suit of checks.
The next day, when Rufus chanced
to observe Elizabeth Ritchie coming
toward him on the opposite sidewalk,
he looked at the fence palings. Hear
ing her feet patting on the hard clay
and the swish of her skirts, he carried
his cane consciously. 1t was stout
orange wood cane, with small alli-
gator on the handle, which his uncle
had brought him from Florida. She
could see it from where she walked
and remembered it. She had a love
for odd little things and had always
admired the alligator. Suddenly the
patting and the swishing ceased. She
called his first name Familiarity, STEP
ping off the sidewalk and holding out
her hand. He went across slowly
and took it. She looked him up and
down and smiled at his face.
"Old friends are rare to meet, said
the airily dressed woman.
Rufus showed a tendency to move
on, but she held his hand until she
brought him to standstill then she
stood away from him, fitting her para
sol about. It's lace ruffles rippled be.
hind her pink and white face; her
dark blue eyes shone through her fine
veil; the ribbons on her dress and the
silk hounces of her skirt were lifted
and rustled by the breeze her French
shoes and silk stockings showed
themselves and were gone with the
movement of the hounce. The whole
costume seemed to emit with every
breath the faint scent of cedar or san
dalwood.
"Well," he said, looking her al
over with a slow laugh, so this is
you? You always were ambitious fol
such things"
She stood fitting and smiling.
"Now you've got them, I suppose
YOU'RE satisfied"
She withdrew her glance, which
was becoming a little musing, from
his face to her skirts, and it lighted up
eyes" she said fervently, "plan
ming dresses, wearing them, making
an impression in them" She brok'
off with a laugh. She twirled he
parasol. when you look at me lik'
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31

WILLIAMsoN-"It 1T was never in
tended that lazy man should reach
the top of the ladder" Henderson
"I suppose not; there's no place
there for him to sit down."
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31
AFTER CLOUDS, SUNSHINE.

''I'm clear discouraged, mother, "
said Mary Fairchild, throwing down
her agents outfit and sinking into a
chair. The books slipped out of the
shiny waterproof satchel and fell
noisily to the floor, revealing some
pages of a Life of Washington and
some pictures in another volume, en-
titled The Housekeeper's Guide.
No one wants the books. The
last woman I called on said, Wash
ington wasn't her husband ideal and
she considered herself about as good
a guide for housekeepers as the wo-
man who writ books about house
keepin' while somebody else did the
cookin' ,"
Here Mary laughed Historically
and being worn out and nervous, end.
ed by having good cry.
There, there; don't cry, DEAR"
begged old Mrs. Fairchild, soothing
ly, "canvassing may not be your vo-
cation, but you are bound to succeed
yet. You're energetic and willing,
and there will come turn in the tide,
Mary, before very long, l know"
Mary's tears had relieved the ten
sion on her nerves and her mothers
faith in he ultimate success encour-
aged her in spite of the fears she en-
tertaiss-1 = -. efs3 r; 4fcFf-asad
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31
TRANsPLANTING TREES.

How late in spring the transplant
ing Of cherries, peaches, plums and
apples may be safely practiced is
question that does not admit of defin-
ite answer but Meehan gives in his
magazine the following subject It
would be much safer to say that it
should be done as early as possibly
after the frost leaves the soil. The
earlier it can be done the longer is the
time allowed for the earth to become
settled around the roots and the trees
to recover the general shock of trans
planting before they are called upon
to actively engage in food storing and
the support of their leaves.
Good care in handling and planting
figures largely in the results. A good
pounding of the earth around the roots
corresponds with the settling which
time may bring, and a little water
given when trees are in leaf or push
ing at time of transplanting is sus-
tanning until the roots can better look
around for their own supply of mois-
ture.
But "good care" is often mistaken
injury. The pounding of the soil is
not done as it is being filled in, but
after the hole is entirely filled, max
ing hard surface through which the
needed air and water cannot readiiyl
penetrate. The surface never should
be made hard-quite the contrary.
Then again, instead of moderate
application of water, the trees are
sometimes soaked every day all sum-
mer long regardless of need and con-
dition of soil. In heavy soil it is best
to refrain entirely from watering, as
trees do not like to stand in water.
Cherries and plums object, as rule,
to being moved after commencing to
leaf. Pears and apples are less par
ticular.
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31

SAY, Jones, if the girl you loved
wouldn't have you, what would you
do to forget herr"
"Eat some lobster Newburg,
Welsh rabbit and mince pie at mid
night"
"Huh, what goods that :"
"Oh, well, if you don't forget her
for the next twenty-five hours, any
way, you are more of an ostrich than
am"
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31

PHILADELPHIA spends $4,000 a
year on municipal concerts.
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31
THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE.

The whole town of Little Britain
was talking about Mrs. Clarence
Richie on street corners, at literary
society meetings, over the billiard ia
BILE, in the long, dingy clubroom above
the grocery store, until the air was
full of her name.
The teacher of the school Elizabeth
Richie had attended in her youth
said that she had foreseen something
like this when Elizabeth took that
trip to Europe with her aunt, but
still, she must add, Elizabeth had
gone further than she had supposed
she could, and it gave her pain to see
one of her girls come back the wife of
a divorced man.
Mrs. Burdette lifted her fine, white
crowned head:
YOU'RE like me, Miss Percival. 1
suppose Elizabeth had too much char
acter to go against all the principles
she was raised by. But this is what
comes of living in big city,
In the low ceiled, carpetless club
room, where the youth of the town
gathered, Mrs. Ritchie's name flashed
to and fro like billiard ball.
James Ingrames, man of the
world, having just returned from his
yearly cotton tour through the Geor-
gia towns, observed:
"That aunt of LIS did a good
trick by her, trotting her over the
world and showing her on to the New
York market" When he had chalk
ed his cue carefully, he added: 81
didn't suppose Our little, everyday
Liz had it in her to get to be swell,
for all she used to be such a sharp
little piece. I see her name in the
New York papers. +"
A short, square youth who was
seated by the window leaned forward.
"Did you know, Jimmy, that her
husband is a divorced man 7"
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31

WHAT DOES this mean, Bridget =
exclaimed the lady of the house, re-
turning from shopping; "the tele-
phones been taken out !"
"Shure, mum. the girl over the
way came over and said her missus
would loike to use it for a little whole,
an Oi sint it over to her. But Ol
had a terrible tonne Citing it uti-
screwed from the wall, mum e
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-03-31

SOME people are never satisfied It
even they get job of nothing to DO.