davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Decorah-posten., 1901-04-23

Din aone bleb oel gfab, ba ou fors
rreoe benoe bet nnoelige perlebuIs6dano
paa SsSelsbagsnP"
ga, bet er iittert. gun bar iport hpgz
gslig It Bar 0aee; men nu er BUN ban
gamle isien."
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

This is a history of England, intend-
ed for school purposes and covering
the period from Julius Caesar to the
present day. 1t is contained within
reasonable limits it is fully illustrated,
it, contains three full-page maps and
two double-page, with geographical
guide in the index.
The Spy takes special interest in any
book by a Worcester author. There 10
hardly a week but some book of impor-
lance by a Worcester author is re-
viewed by The Spy. Some novelists are
living in Worcester, and many writer's
on other subjects.
In a history of this kind there is no
opportunity for great originality. 1t is
a question of skillful adaptation of the
work of other historians. 1t is the
form rather than the substance that
counts.
The textbook of history should be SO
written that the student may be aided
by the contrasts and associations of
ideas, to learn the relative Importance
and to fix the leading facts in his men,
Dry.
The illustrations in this book are a
substantial aid to this purpose; so also
are the sub-heads and side-heads ems
ployed.
No school history can pretend to be
adequate, however, and no book COW
ering a period of 1000 years can afford
more than a brief sketch of the great
episodes of history.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

The author of this book has departed
widely from the traditional methods of
Biblical Interpretation, and yet treats
the subject with reverence and withoTr
that destructive spirit which actuates
many radical critics of the present day.
He states that he has not undertaken
the work merely to tear down old insti-
tutions. But because he believes he
has substituted a new Interpretation of
the truth for every structure of SUI
perstition demolished, and logical de-
duction and convincing demonstration
for the purely emotional, he has been
encouraged to offer the results of his
personal study to- the world. Mr.. Frank
has been for many years preacher
in orthodox churches, holding RESPONSE
BILE places in different evangelical de-
nominations, but was at last led to con-
struct an Independent system of re-
ligious instruction. In these pages he
has illustrated the methods of research
which he has pursued to reach his final
conclusions.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

An insane asylum is not a pleasant
subject for contemplation. 1t contains
more woe than a graveyard. Perhaps
no insane asylum is free from the dread
of having wrongfully confined therein
sane persons who ought not to be there.
That possibility in civilized countries
is growing less and less, but the con-
finement of sane persons by designing
criminals has been a favorite theme for
story tellers since the first novels were
written.
Jonas Brand, the villain of this story,
has a woman confined in an institution,
having observed all the necessary forms
of law. 1t is an institution where a
number of other women have been dis
posed of for similar evil purposes.
Eleanor, about whom the interest Of
the story centers, is the victim of
Brand, both because he has possession
of her property and desires to retain it
for his own use, and because she has
rejected his offer of marriage. She is
a widow of considerable property. She
is finally released through the efforts
of her lover from whom she was part
ed before her marriage, and as far as
she is concerned, the story turns out
well.
1t is the purpose of the author, proba-
bly,, to emphasize the horrors of an in
sane asylum as an institution. The
story is well written; it is not as dis
agreeable as perhaps this description
would indicate.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

1.-THE Battle Invisible" is the first of
five short stories of farm and country
life grouped together in this book. The
first story which gives the book its
name, shows the authors power in
dealing with highly dramatic situa-
tions
Solomon Stone, the leading character,
Is exceedingly stubborn and reserved.
He had been allenated from his wife
and had the misfortune to be accused
of numbering a neighbor whom he
struck during a quarrel. Last but not
least, the daughter who had inherited
some of his chief characteristics
against his will, resolves to marry the
nephew of the man whose death he
was blamed for.
His life grew more than ever embit-
tered. he refused all overtures from his
wife and daughter, finally he lost his
farm, and at the time of the denoue-
ment of the story, was living in a
tent. The stubbornness that caused
the wretched mans misery through life
finally yielded, after a season of ILL.,
ness, to reason and humanity.
The title indicates the battle invisi-
BILE that Solomon Stone suffered in
arguing with his inner self, unaided by
human sympathy and advice
The remaining stories are equally
strong in pathetic and humorous situa-
tons. The scenes are laid in rura
communities. The stories are all in.
tensely interesting and they deal with
very common frailties and character.
istics Of man.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

This is a novel with a purpose. The
author has achieved wide popularity
with Quincy Adams Sawyer, and he is
entitled to a hearing, and he has
earned the right TO challenge criti-
cism, if he chooses, by writing book
of this kind.
1t is usually pretty unsatisfactory
work for an author to attempt to de-
grade a popular hero or to excuse the
sins of a man who has been condemned
by history. All history is not correct,
but one dislikes to think, as Pidgin
does, that all men have been fooled so
utterly in believing Benedict Arnold
and Aaron Burr to be reprobates. Prob
ably some sort of injustice is done to
any man whose bad deeds have been
conspicuous No man would suppose
that either Arnold or Burr were always
and invariably treacherous. A single
act of treason may be all that a trait
or has committed, but history criticises
him, not by his good intentions during
a long life, not by his valOr in battle,
his loyalty during his lifetime. but by
the few criminal acts that have made
his name notorious.
The author is attempting in this book
to clear Aaron Burr of the load OF
Z "obloquy and calumny." To do this he
has to attack Alexander Hamilton and
he has to distort history. 1t is book
that never should have been written.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20
~ The World Of Book " e

tiers are not exactly like the characters
one meets at Buffalo, they are equally
diverting and interesting.
In this story Mr.. Bedford and MT
Cavor make a contrivance for thell
trip to the moon. The journey to the
moon is described very VlV1dly, aisC
their landing on the moon and the DIS
covery of the inhabitants. The lmagl-
nation of the author must have worked
overtime during the construction OF the
book 1t is amusing and entertaining
throughout The adventures of the tWc
visitors in the moon are very astonish-
ing and diverting. The book is clever
ly illustrated by E. Herring.
The people, as represented in the
pictures and described in the text, looR
like the bugs one sees through a mi
croscope or the man in diving sui
with horns added on his head.
Cavor was left in the moon and his
last message sent by special appara'
tus of his contrivance, indicates that
the queer inhabitants had finished his
career there.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20
A SINGULAR SINNER.
BY Charles r. Harker.
Published by The Abbey
Press, New York.

This book is much better than the
title would lead one to expect. Not that
the title is bad. It would attract GER
tain class of readers, perhaps, who
would expect something quite different
from what they get. 1t is story of
California. DR.. Quintard, the central
figure, is a man of wealth with beau
tiful wife and daughter. The daughter
has two suitors for her hand. They are
also candidates against each other for
legislative honOrs. The villain wins the
election and the girl. The other gets
the consolation prize. He marries the
pretty little school-teacher.
There is a mystery in the story in
the -'Gray Highwayman." 1t turns out
finally that this Gray Highwaymans"
who has had a long and successful
criminal history, is none other than the
doctor himself, whose motive is not the
need of money nor any blood-thirsty
desire of his own, but an inherited apti-
tude for robbery. But the sinner is
never exposed.
The real villain in the book is the
husband of his daughter, who is a
worthless renegade, and there is at
last sort of a deputy assistant viii
lain in the shape of a fake doctor, who
had once before crossed the path of
DR. Quintard and his wife, and had al
most caused their separation. This
fakir had discovered the secret of the
highwayman and had found the treas
ure. He strikes down DR.. Quintard and
leaves him for dead. He was overtaFen
by disaster in a freshet and lost his
life. The public presumes him to be
the highwayman. The doctor escapes
suspicion, although injuries received
from the adventure cause his death.
There is a real estate boom in the
story connected with the political Incl
dents.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

This is a clever story, intensely
interesting to any one who cares par
ticulafly for the weird and the myster-
ious. The time rhythm idea, the prin-
ciple of rhythmatic unconscious eXpec-
tation is absolutely original. 1t is sure
to create speculation upon practicable
ity, and once you have read it you
think about it and remember it for
many days to come. 1t is an unique
story and the telling of it so ingenious
ly convincing, that one is half inclined
to believe that it is plain recital of
actual events. And is it?
Without pretension, it is served SIM
ply and directly. The interest is
aroused, set to work at the start, and
kept busy holding the pace to the end.
1t has the intensity of Conan Doyle,
a Sherlock Holmes plot. 1t has all the
elements of authentic history and no
dulIness There is a poise, an exact
ness, "a reserved exclusion of all emo
tional phases of the situation, that
stamps this story as masterful in style
and as unparalleled in plot.
Such a story must surprise and en-
tertain the public. There is nothing in
current fiction at all to be compared to
it. 1t is like, and yet unlike, DR.. Weir
Mitchell's Autobiography of Quack. F"
The two stories bear some resemblance
in that neither have a love story; both
deal with professional or semi-profes-
sional life, and each has a tone of
scientific accuracy. "a Fearsome Rid
die" however, is far pleasanter in SUBJ
ject matter. 1t has none of those dis
agreeable parts that mar the other
book, and it has the greater confidence
of credulity.
Max Ehrman is an Indiana man, and
his home is in the heart of Indiana's
most recent literary activity-Terre
Haute. Like the best of his fellow
authors who hail from that state, Mr..
Ehrman is original. He has created
something new. Nominally a lawyer,
Mr.. Ehrman has given over most Of
his time to the study Of literature,
which it with him a matter of vital in
terest, and to his writings. AS a grad
uate of Harvard, his literary progress
will be watched with much interest, as
the successful writers of these times
have received their literary education
from two sources which claim almost
equal numbers of adherents-the col
lege and the newspaper.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

Although faith IS an essential factor
in achievement, it is powerlesS without
the element of Datience-not the pa
tience akin to apathy, which takes both
good and bad with Indifference, but a
larger patience that is content to bide
it's proper time of fulfillment. Pa
thence, in it's highest sense, is spiritual
endurance. 1t cans quiet determine
ton in the fac f Encouragement. 1t
is CHARACTERISED of this kind of pa
thence that it is hardest for the best
and strongest men, because it seems to
involve limitation of that part of
their nature which makes them best
and strongest But the achievement
which comes through trial and failure
is nobler in quality than that which
seems to come of itself.
President Hadley was delivering an
address before a graduating class when
he first spoke of the Greatness of Pa
tience" He chose his subject wisely,
for he hit upon one of the essential
factors to success. The present essay
is valuable not alone from the impor-
lance of it's subject, but from the clear
cut, logical way in which it is treated.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

Anne Scarlet is a beautiful girl, liv-
ing in Boston during the time when the
excitement about witchcraft was at it's
height. She is far too attractive to be
entirely approved of by her neighbors,
who are ready to believe evil of her
with very little proyocation.
This popular tendency is taken adj
vantage of by Lady Herford a court
beauty, who is anxious to have Anne
out of the way, as she claims prior
right to the Puritan girls lover. With
considerable evil ingenuity she works
up charge of witchcraft against the
girl, and Anne is sentenced to hang
in spite of her obvious innocence. The
turn of affairs which brings the accu-
sation back to Lady Herford and saves
Anne's life makes an unexpected and
exciting denouement. Miss Taylor's
previous success with historical novels
is an indication that she is well quail
fed to write a romance Of this kind,
and her latest book will be received
with great interest by her many adj
mirers. From her thorough knowledge
of the period, she has constructed not
only an artistic piece of work, but q
strong and absorbing story.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20
AA@AAAAAAAAAAAAAA4A4AeA@s@
e PERIODNDECORATION.
E BY Chandler r Clifford.
E Published by Clifford & Law
E ton, New York.

The decoration of the home is new
art in America, just as architecture is.
1t is perhaps necessary to get an ar
tistic exterior before much can be
done with the interior. This book
deals with the interior, with rugs and
pictures and furniture that make a
home attractive.
AS the author says in the introduce
ton, ut is an aphorism that one may
decorate construction, but should new
er construct decoration" The author
explains the title to the book thus:
What we are pleased to term period
decoration is the decorative form
adopted by certain people and certain
times"
The author makes much of color in
decoration. He does believe that the
forms and curves and lines are less
important than harmonious coloring.
Few would dispute this position. The
lack of taste in colorings in any home
spoils the general effect notwithstand-
ing the expense lavished on the house
furnishings and decorations.
The book is lavishly Illustrated and
it would he a useful text book for the
students in the art of home building,
both for professional and amateur.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

The same sort of contrariness that led
Ignatius Donnelly to attack Shakes
peare leads this author to defend Burr
1t seems to be a pitiful sort OF an at
tempt to prove history to be wrong
"Blennerhassett" is first Of all ro-
mantle story, narrating the events IN
the life of Aaron Burr, of his daughter
Theodosia, of her husband, of Hartman
Blennerhassett and his wife Margaret,
Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson,
Zachary Taylor, Winfield Scott, Andrew
Jackson. The narrative follows Burr
from the administration of Jefferson
down to his death. 1t describes the
duel with Hamilton, his visit down to
the Ohio to carry out his conspiracy
his visits to Blennerhassetts Island,
his flight, his arrest, his indictment
and trial, his journey to Europe after
his acquittal, and his last days While
living in humble circumstances in New
York.
Had the author not asked the reader
to take the book seriously as an argu-
ment in favor of Aaron Burr, it would
be much more commemorate, although
it seems hardly fair and just for
modern historical character to have
such a mesh of Imagination and ro-
nance woven about him.
IueT6 is possibility lHdl IllC pOSn
may become widely read and impress
sions created by it taken for facts.
The truth is difficult enough to dis
cover historically, as we have seen
even in our own day; witness, the
court of inquiry at Washington investi-
eating the events Of the Spanish War.
There are other romances of this
kind, some of which have recently APP
peared, in which Aaron Burr figures as
a villain of various degrees of wicked
ness. Perhaps, after all, it is foolish
to take the book seriously, even when
asked to do so by the author. An or
binary reader can have no political bias
and craftsmanship and the differences of
opinions over Burr, which were for
merly so intense, must have died out.
Perhaps the author should be con-
demned, not for writing the book itself,
but for writing the preface, in which,
in most vigorous language of which he
is capable, he has asserted his purpose
to "exonerate Aaron Burr, one of the
most remarkable of Americans, who
had borne a weight of obloquy and
calumny such as has been heaped upon
no other man"
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20
AAIATA

This is a short story with weird.
supernatural theme. The heroine is a
ghost, a Roman ghost, and the stage on
which the story is laid is a Christian
catacomb.
The author does not trouble himself
about verisinilitude. The reader of
the tale is not expected to imagine the
possibility of it's truth. 1t is told in
the same straightforward way that
any fairy story or miracle would be
told. and without UNNECESSARY elabora-
ton or explanation. But. knowing all
this. the reader is rather attracted to
the young girl. who appears after she
has been in her grave thousand years
or more.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

American citizenship is not priv
ilege; it is a propagandum."
This quotation from his latest book
1.-THE Affirmative Intellect" sums Ut
the working creed, religious as well as
social of the author, Charles Fergu-
son, who as by a bugle blast aroused
the thinking world a short time ago
with the profound and virile philosophy
of his Religion of Democracy.
In his present work he proclaims his
evangel in still clearer and more posi-
tive tones. He breaches that the king
dom of heaven is at hand. His philos-
ophy deals not with the dead past, but
with the pulsing present and that fu-
ture which is stirring in the womb OF
the present.
And so he studies creative forces.
The primal and spiritual impulse he
finds in faith-the faith Of the affirma-
tive intellect. It's outward manifesto
lions he sees, in embryo in three social
organisms: the church, the political
party, and the university. The positive
organization of society," he believes, will
consist in blending Of the three: the
church dedogmatized the party hui
manized by the abolition of the politi-
cal machine, and the university de-
mocratized by an infusian of the mod
ern practical spirit.
To the university as the intellectual
element of this combination of heart
body, and head, is assigned the obli-
cation of leadership. It's duty is tc
train our youths in American citizen
ship, not that they may passively en-
joy benefits conferred, but that they
may actively extend the blessings OF
liberty and civilization to all classes
and conditions, as we'll as to all peo-
pies and nations, that are in the world
Through them the church will be- con-
verified to the religion of humanity, and
the state inspired with millenial ideals
the accomplishment of which high pur-
poses shall rest, nevertheless, upon pos
| tive, rational action.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

The president of Vassar College here
draws a strong contrast between the
practical and the ideal, showing in
what sense they are inter-related, and
the extent of their separate bearing
upon life. The practical indeed, de-
stroys itself and its own special ends,
he says, unless it realizes more than
can be touched or seen or measured;
in other words, there is really no prac-
teal that is not also ideal-nothing
ministers to life in any proper sense
unless it touches something deeper than
what we generally mean by the actual
and useful It IS along the lines of this
reasoning that the author draws some
striking truths. The essay is not long
only 2s pages-but IT is really worth
while"
The dainty volume in its green and
white and gold dress would make a
pleasing little companion for the study
table.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20
THE SPINSTER BOOK
By Myrtle Reed.
&c. P. Putnam's Sons.

Miss Reed is the author OF "Deve
Letters of a Musician" and also La
ter Love Letters of a Musician"
No brighter or more humorous works
on these subjects have ever been writ
ten. There is some wholesome truth,
much instructive philosophy and very
little cynicism. such as It is common to
find in books on this subject.
The title might lead us to think that
the book was devoted to old maids, but
not so. It is a book dealing with men
and women, their courtshtps, proposals,
love letters, marriage, widows and last,
but not least, the consultations OF
spinsterhood.
It would not be possible to describe
the book as a whole. II Is a hopeless
undertaking for one who has heard a
brilliant conversation for q few hours
to repeat It to another. So in this case
the best we can do to give the reader
an idea OF what the book is like is to
reproduce a few Of the good things in
H,
tG.scasins the daily expression Of It
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20
THE TELLER.
By Edward Noyes Westcott.
Published by D. Appleton &
Co.
Observation-Disclosures

This little book is made up of the
story, 1.-The Teller" 1t is interesting,
but included with the story are ex-
tracts from the late authors letters
edited by Margaret Westcott Muzzy,
which are even more interesting.
|. The literary world owes an obligation
to the family for publishing character
istic paragraphs taken from his letters,
Westcott will always be known as the
author of David Harum," and David
Harum" is bound to take a pretty
prominent position in American litera-
ture. There is so much homely truth
in the book, so much of it is character
istically American, that it must please
the coming generation as it has the
present.
This biography is all too brief for the
admirers of David Harum."
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

Mr.. Tor-ey describes the vacation do
ines of some enthusiastic nature lovers
in the beautiful valley andmountain
Franeonisn country. The book has to
DO with nature as these happy people
saw and enjoyed it. There is much in
it about birds and plants, edible ber-
ries. fine prospects. ana the like. One
of its chief attractions is its sunny
out-of-doors -quality.-its atmosphere.
1t is a record OF happy days, and its
hu1nor and enthusiasm are delightful
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

This is the story of voyage on a
whaler. The scarcity of whales and
the prosperity of the Standard Oil
Company have gone hand in hand. The
great whaling industries. of Massa-
chusetts have become almost a mem
DRY, so the story grows in Fascination
to the youthful readers who have had
no familiarity with the actual condi-
tons of the whaling business.
The author himself writes at pc
riod of 80 years after the events which
he describes. He admits that memory
may have played him some treachery
but he believes that this story is prac-
tically a narrative of the events he has
sought to describe.
Whoever loves adventure and stories
of adventure will enjoy this book