davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02

My great, great grand-aunt, TabitEa,
stood out on the back doorstep shak-
ing the tablecloth after supper.
She wasn't-no, l mean wasn't her
great, great grand-niece then.
But l have that tablecloth now,
carefully folded away in lavender, and
laid in the big linen chest, with which
1t has descended from far-back an
cestors to me.
How much longer things do last
than folks! 1t seems strange.
But | think one reason may be be.
cause the things don't wear them.
selves out with fret and worry, as
people do.
That tablecloth was homespun and
wide and white and thick and strong
then, when Tabitha was shaking it,
Now it is somewhat thin and very yell
low with age. 1t was big and broad
enough then to cover the large table
in the great kitchen, where the meals
were spread for a family that would
astonish if not appal most fathers of
families nowadays, if they had to pro.
vide for such
But / don't suppose the real cost of
providing for all of Tabitha's seven
brothers and sisters, with Tabitha,
herself, and father and mother includ.
ed, was greater than that of many or.
binary families of a quarter of that
size.
And Tabitha's folks were called
good livers and well-to-do, for the
times, too.
They had no lack of good fare, Ger.
tainly; cold boiled sliced ham, cider
apple sauce, cooked over the back log
in the monster fireplace; and such In
dian meal and rye bread, and baked
beans and pumpkin pie, baked in the
deep brick oven; besides yellow but
ter and cream and cottage cheese!
That was the supper, spread over
the cloth, spun by herself-that Ia
bitha was shaking the crumbs from.
And such a healthy, happy lot of
brothers and sisters were seated
around that homely, home board!
We read in certain authentic good
book, And there were giants in those
days"
Certainly, these brothers and sis.
tiers, too, were descended from those
giants. And though | never had the
pleasure of meeting those great, great
grand-relations of mine | yet do well
Tecollect my grand-uncles.
can testify to their great stature
and brawny muscle; there were eight
of them, with five fair, tall and
stately sisters, my grand aunts. Truly
a goodly bakers dozen.
So, now, maybe you win find what
there is to be told about Tabitha and
her famous tablecloth easier to credit
For remember, please, that she was 6
sister to those descendants of giants;
and do not forget, either, that the
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02
WHY NOT USE PAPER?
English Teachers to Carry Bottles of
Slate Disinfectants.

English Teachers to Carry Bottles of
Slate Disinfectants.
1t has long been suspected that the
sucking of slate pencils by children,
besides being a distressing habit from
the point of view of any person of re-
fined sensibilities, is one which is ex-
tremely unhealthy.
The correlative habit of cleaning
states with the means that nature has
supplied instead of using a timely
sponge has also nothing to recon-
mend it; and in the opinion of more
than one medical authority may be
responsible for spreading epidemics in
schools.
So strongly has this view been
urged by the medical officers of health
for Derbyshire that in future the ele-
mentary school children of the county
are to be instructed on the principle of
zone child one slate; and the states
are to be cleaned not by the children
themselves, but by the teachers. who
are to be furnished with bottles of
disinfecting fluid, etc, with which to
effect their purpose.
The idea may, perhaps, raise a
smile, but it is only by the incest at
tention to such elementary hygiene
that the health of children's schools
can be Decentralization Graphic.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02
dubbed the archaeological museum of

dubbed the archaeological museum of
Europe"
AS for the student Of mythology,
was not this island the Cyclop's own
home? Here Ulysses landed with his
jolly companions. the glory of the con-
quests of Troy full upon him; Pros
erpine gathered her flowers and all
the traditions of Demeter and Perse-
phone and pagan Emo and thousands
OF others cluster around this place.
Sicily has been the battling ground
of innumerable wars, and consequent
ly 1.-THE football of emperors, popes
and kings"
Poor little Sicily! She has been in
turn ruled by Swabians. Angevins,
Aragones, Galatians, Castilians, Savoy
ards, Spaniards, Austrians and the
hated Bourbons, whose government
Gladstone described as The negation
of God erected into the form of a
government" ere Garibaldi broke the
bondage yoke in 1860 and freed Sicil-
ians to live their own lives.
The picturesque start from Naples
takes the tourist through no less
picturesque route to Palermo, and
whether the trip be made in winter or
spring, with Vesuvius in full action,
and by chance a full moon, the spec
tacle is one not often witnessed nor
easily forgotten.
The flaming volcano sends ribbon
of red light across the bay. and a
cloud of glowing steam against the
black sky through which the silver
moon trails shows up with startling
effect above the dark blue of the wa
tiers. BY earl. morning land is sight
ed. and Monte Pellegrino rises from
the sea. a gray green mass, frightened
by its rocks and cliffs.
Entering the harbor of Palermo, in
terest centers in the gay-colored boats
gliding about. Scores of bum-boats
range themselves around the steamer:
fishing smacks and coasting steamers
IRE anchored here and there, or cruise
lazily about. the whole scene suggest
'rg the dolce far niente life of the
Italy of which we read
on land it is the same The air is
ulll of the scent of sweet wild flow
ars and luscious fruits. over the vel.
1w mastered walls. lemon orchards
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02
SUffN|NN1SC,HIl!n;|
lsEE OF HISTORY 6 R9MANcE|
Especial Correspondence

lift their abundant fruits; fine old
olive trees. pinky peach trees and
plum trees stand like huge bouquets;
almonds, always lovely, lift their
branches wreathed in soft foliage;
hedges of prickly pears send out great
arms over secondary hedge rows of
scarlet geraniums. and all along the
road side are pink asphodel and beau
tiful, passion-dyed poppies a-growing.
In early March there are immense
fields of artIchokes already ripe. and
pastures, grain fields and gardens are
all intermingled with almond or
chards, terraced vineyards, fruit plan
tations and parks full of tropical
shrubs.
All types of people are. / suppose,
the outcome of environment and cir
cumstances, but with Sicilians this is
peculiarly true. In each of the sew
eral distinctive types to be found in
the island may be recognized the i'm
press which a long line OF intermar-
riages has left In their faces, char
acter and daily life we find a curious
blending of the effects of glazing sun
shine and heavy scented flowers, fire.
quent earthquakings, war and woe, so
that, as one writer has put it. There
is sunshine and beauty all over the
land, and burden of hunger and dis
tress on her children, and the beauty
OF the women and dignity of the men
are always intensified by the yelled
sorrow in their eyes"
The commercial classes are plain.
/ oftentimes coarse. and devoid even of
the grace and litheness which is their
natural heritage Their thrift is that
of patient poverty, native ingenuity
forbidding any waste.
'Idleness becomes a digniied pro
fession, and the first lesson they learn
is 10 do nothing on no income" but
for the most part they are simple, mu
sic-loving. home-loying. quick-witte-
people. whose everyday life as tn,
tourist sees it is intensely interesting
from its very simplicity and quaint
ness.
Their love of bright colors is dem
onstrated everywhere, in the streets
in their homes and in their dress
Even the carts carrying various prod
ucts are gayly decorated in red an,
yellow. Scenes from history, ancien
and modern, depicting everything Of
anything from Ulysses to Abraham
Lincoln, may be seen on the wagons
trundling piles of lemons about. OF
else they are filed with fennel, The
large white bulbs standing temptingl!
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02

Students of human nature and po-
litical economy, and travellers who are
restlessly in search of something new
to whet their appetites for life, will
undoubtedly be interested in recent
arrangements made by some of the
steamship companies whereby the
larger boats of the transatlantic lines
will make Palermo port of call for
the season.
This means that Sicily may now be
reached with as much ease as when
one lands at either Genoa or Naples,
and that the rough journey from Mes
sina or Naples to Palermo which here
tofore had barred many tourists from
entering Sicily, has become a real
pleasure trip.
To know Europe, we are told, one
must know Italy, and Goethe assures
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02

llways been true. But, Big Chief AnG
his warriors have their war paint on,
or they have been III treated by the
white men, who take from them their
.ands and gives them the fire water
that goes to their heads and makes
mem mad, because 1t takes away their
good sense, and makes them like the
Wild beasts.
But Wandoa will see to it that the
red warriors who have painted their
aces for the warpath, shall not harm
lis white brother, who is his friend,
nor any of those that belong to the
lodge of the father of the heap brave
young squaw And now, Wandoa has
spoken, and will go in peace"
But. Tabitha's big brothers sternly
refused to let Wandoa go free, de-
caring angrily that he had proved
unfaithful; and their father shook his
head doubtfully; and Capt. lobe stood
in grave and sturdy silence, with lips
firm set.
Then Tabitha who ha4 been watch
fuzzy studying all their faces, and the
4di IA COhnlCndnNG VI w duuOd dS WELL
said sturdily, yet appealingly. RE.
member he is my captive. Let me de-
eide his fate.
My father, how can you better give
to these savage red men a lesson in
Christian forgiveness, than to let
Wandoa go free, since he has given
his word that we shall not come to
harm?"
So, though unwillingly, they sci
Wandoa free, and he kept his word
One evening, just at dusk, as Tabitha
was entering the wood, following the
pathway to meet some one, there was
slight rustic among the leaves and
Wandoa stepped forth with lifted hand
in token of secrecy. THE warriors
are on the warpath. Let my white
brothers make ready for them" he
said, speaking low and then was gone
This was the greeting that Tabiths
nad for Capt. lobe. when they met
The white settlers were warned il
time and drove back their fierce as
sailants when they came.
Capt. lobe became one of my an
cestors, too. And this is the story o.
Tabitha's tablecloth, told over agar
and again in days of old.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02

out from among the green to attract
the eye of a possible purchaser.
The homes of these people are gen
orally in the easements of old palaces,
dark and dungeon-like and unhealthy
but as their inhabitants spend most of
their time squatted in the courtyards
this fact is less of an objection. Like
the Spaniard, the Sicilian wraps him
self in large shawl, loose knot at
the throat, the rest of the drapery
falling over the shoulders. The wom-
en- generally envelop their heads in
bright kerchiefs, which make a fine
setting for their dark compilations.
The fat, bronzed faces of chill
dren are tied up in close, white cotton
bonnets, and the little dusky, chubby
bits of humanity at least are happy
and light-hearted as they should be.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02

us. Italy without Sicily leaves no
image in the soul, yet Sicily with all
its picturesque scenery. its relics Of
classic times. its beautiful examples
OF architecture and its wealth of
legendary history, has attracted com
paratively few of the tourists who
annually do" Europe
Nevertheless this pearl of the Med
iterranean," as it is called, offers an
inexhaustible field of interest to who
soever enters its borders.
The archeologist might spend the
rest of his days wandering among the
caves of the cliff jewellers, Cyclopean
structures. old Byzantine edifices, Ro-
man bridges, Saracenic mosques. etc.
and yet have seen but small fraction
OF its wonders. Indeed Sicily is often
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02
A Woman.

Born into the world with a blood that
A heart that beats warm and an eye that
speaks true,
A woman'S a woman.
woman's a woman whatever her place;
In calico gown or in satin and lace.
The strength of her wOmanhood shines
from her face,
A woman's n woman.
Not hard to distinguish. we cannot but
see
What a woman, genuine woman can be,
A woman's a woman.
woman's a woman, is kindly and pure
She is noble and loyal steadfast and pure
With wisdom and strength that forever
endure,
A womans woman.
When we find her, whatever surroundings
or gown
We give her throne and extend her
crown.
A womans a woman.
A woman's a woman this whole wids
world DER:
She always has been, she will live ever.
more
A creature to reverence love and adore.
woman's a woman
Bartlett Warner, in Cleveland Plain
Dealer.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02

aTabitha fingered, gathering the
broad, long folds of the tablecIoth
evenly together"
tablecloth was then new and firm and
very strong.
should not omit to state, also, the
fact that Tabitha was the eldest
daughter and the seventh child. And
YOU know there has been much of i'm.
portance attached to being a seventh
child.
1t was a lovely evening the twi-
light slowly settling down into dusk
c-d Tabitha fingered, gathering the
broad, long folds of the tablecloth
evenly together. after the vigorous
shaking by which she had freed it
from its last crumb.
So she stood for moment. breath
ing in the fragrant summer evening
air. There may have been something
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02

of expectation in her manner. but it
could hardly be from any premonition
of danger, apparent to her then. for it
was only one of the nearest of their
neighbors that Tabitha rather hoped
to see.
She looked intently up the narrow,
flower fringed pathway that became
lost to sight in the gathering twilight
and the deep, dark woodland and.
then, with seeming disappointment,
and as though seeking solace and for
getfulness, she bent her head to in
hale the breath of the blush June
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02
Drawn into two close, hard knots.

Drawn INTO TWO close, nara knots.
roses, blooming on the big rose tree
at the corner of the house
Suddenly. like a flash, she darted
down the steps, quickly unfolding and
spreading out the tablecloth as she
went; and with one deft movement of
her 1.-the, strong, young arms, she
swiftly and dexterously threw it over
some dark, skulKing object, hiding
there under the spreading rose tree.
In trice Tabitha brought the ends
of the tablecloth up on the bias and
tied them tight over the head and
shoulders of the crouching prisoner,
who was so doubled up that arms and
hands and feet were all fettered with
in the folds of that stanch cloth,
which Tabitha, before her captive
could make use of his bewildered
senses, had drawn into two close
hard knots.
Then, how she did use her healthy,
young lungs, calling to her aid her
BIZ brothers, and all before the aston.
ished savage prisoner could more than
protest with very smothered
CHI"
But it was not one of Tabitha's big
brothers who first came in answer to
her cries for help, though one surely
as stalwart and ready to take up
her cause, as any one of them.
1t was that nearest neighbor, whom
but a little while before Tabitha
seemed to expect-and was so dissat-
isfied because he failed to come.
This was Capt. lobe Lent, leader
of the small band of big, brave men,
who took it upon themselves to pro.
tect, as far and as well as they could,
the scattered pioneer families, in
danger from attack by the hostile In
dams.
Though rather late in arriving, his
coming was most opportune. and vail
ant Tabitha gladly delivered to him
her prisoner.
When the captive was released
from 'durance vile, though still held
firmly fettered, he grunted out, Heap
brave squaw papoose, ugh! Heap
brave, ugh!"-looking at Tabitha with
much wonder and admiration.
Il should say sol" laughed jolly Hi;
and Good for you, Tab!" declared
Aeb, her brothers all crowding around
her in loving pride, and her father
nodded his head approvingly And
Tabitha's usually unfiinching gaze fell
before the look of mingled admiration
and love that shone forth from the
clear blue eyes of brave Capt. lobe.
Then her father turned to the cring.
ing culprit, demanding, sternly. And
you, what do you mean by skulking
around my house in this way?"
ugh! Big chief sent Wandao to
/ spy out white mans house."
What? Is it Wandoa?" reproach-
fully asked Tabitha's father.
Haven't always been friendly and
true to the red men, my brother?"
Wandoa bent his head in deer
thought, and when he looked up the
lines of bitter hatred were gone from
his dark face as he said:
my white brother is true, and has
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02
No Compromise.

"The trouble with the average Amer
ican," remarked the placid philoso-
pher, sis that he doesn't stop work
long enough to digest his food He
doesn't appreciate the Importance of
the alimentary canal"
my friend" replied Senator Sor-
ghum, as he hastily signed another
letter, there's no use in trying to
ring In any new ones. tn be either
Panama or Nicaragua, or none at ALL"
Washington Star.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02

This world IL keep a-splnnin'
As fas as II can go;
We wonders whah it's rushin' to,
But no one seems to know.
De sun he Is de headlight.
A-blazin' out so fine;
De stahs dey Is de signal lamps
A-gleamin' long de line
amt akin questions
Bout how de train is run;
rs simply gWinter stick until
Ny little journeys done
1t amt no use to worry,
Whatever may betide-
rs only jes' a passenger.
An mighty glad 10 ride.
Washington Star.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02
a New Canal.

Few enterprises which have been
started in Europe within the last quar-
ter of a century are of greater com
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02

Sin has many tools, out lie is the
handle that fits them all--o. W. Hol-
mes.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02

Married life may or may not be a
success. but there is certainly a diff
ference between burning the old
mans gas and your own.--Philadel-
phia Telegraph.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02

Not half has ever been told of Sic
ily's interest. Her sculpture districts.
her lava covered section, her fascinat-
ing brigandage. her fashionable sea
side resort life, her people and her
prospects. are all subjects each one
of which would require whole volumes
TO adequately describe.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-02
TABITHA'S TABLE-CLOTH
BY LOUISE SNOW.

Copyrighted 1908, by The authors Publishing Company
@m@s@a@m@@uu <Gsusnsu,
The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-07-30
WHAT SCIENCE TELLS US.
Left-Handed children Should Not b
Discouraged in Following
Dictates Of Nature.


have never seen anything but bad re-
suits from the attempt to train children
to use the right hand instead OF the left,
when there is decided tendency or
habit to be left-handed Moreover, the
attempt is never successful. The best
consequences are poor. and are only
awkward mixtures of the two forms.
which yield Commissions and indecisions
during the entire subsequent life. One
is that Of a naturally left-handed friend,
who, by arduous and continuous train-
ing during his childhood was compelled
to write with his right hand. For all
other acts he is left-handed, but he csa-
not use his left hand in writing. Al
though now past SO years, he has all
ways hated any writing, the mere act
OF doing so and he cannot doany orig
inal thinking while writing He is for
this purpose compelled to rely on 2
stenographer, and then his ideas flow
freely and rapidly. II he tries to Think,
plan or devise and to write at the same
time, there Is q positive inhibition Of
thought, and he must make sketches,
epitones. several efforts, copyings. etc,
in painful and NEST unsatisfactory
manner The attempt At amhidexter-
ity has been 4 lifelong obstacle to him
in his professional progress. The chief
centers most closely interrelated In
writing and thinking are thus demon-
strably better harmonized when in one
side Of the brain. The mechanics Of
neurology are plainly less difficult than
could be achieved BY any foolish and me
successful ambsd exteFity Dr. Gould,
In Science.
The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-07-30
IS ExTRAVAGANT IN PRAISE
one Experienced In Expositions
Talks OF the wonderful Displays
at the worlds Fair.

st. Louis, July 25.-Cols Ferdinand
w Peck, of Chicago, commissioner
general of the United States to the
Paris exposition, who has just concIud-
ed visit to The Worlds fair, is ex-
travagant in his praise Of the COM
pleteness and extent of the exposition.
Especially was he surprised at the ex-
tensive displays in the Palace of Agri-
culture.
No such presentation of agrieuItur-
al exhibits has even been made in the
world, said Col. Peck in discussing
what the Palace of Agriculture con-
tanned. Il have attended all of the
expositions of any Importance that have
been given in this country and Eu-
rope and the agricultural exhibits,
even in those where agriculture was
MAIDS specially, did not even approx
innate what may be seen in the de-
partment Of agriculture here at the
Worlds fair / recall only two or
three exhibits at the other expositions
that | have attended that have meas
ured up to the average of the exhibits
in the Palace of Agriculture. Here
there are scores above the average.
The foreign countries have con-
tributed more largely to this branch
OF exposition work than ever before,
and their exhibits are of incalculab1e
value in many ways. Whoever is in
terested in agricultural science in any
way should see the Worlds fair agrf-
cultural exhibit do not believe any
such valuable display will ever again
be gotten together.
The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-07-30
WORKINGS OF HUMAN MIND,
Experiments with the New Mays
Result in Some Amazing scien-
tific Demonstrations.

= ~.
All scientific Paris is discussing the
recent remarkable researches made by
Prof. Blondlot, and especially the ex-
traordinary results of his experiments
with the newly discovered N-rays.
With the aid of these the professor
has demonstrated that it is actually pos
sible to look into and through the skull
of human being and witness the work
ings of the mind
It is matter perfectly simply, the In
strument employed being nothing more
complicated than small rectangular
piece of pasteboard, the size of a playing
card, one end Of which Is spread with q
paste of phosphorescent sulphate of cal
cium. This substance, it appears. il
made luminous by the presence Of rays
Of the NJ description.
When such card in darkened room
is applied to mans head it does some
very remarkable things. The person
under experiment is told to talk, and
keeps on talking while heAbit Of paste
board is brought into contact with va
rious parts of his Uranium. It shows no
change until q certain area on the side
of the head is reached, when, suddenly
the luminosity of the paste becomes
greatly increased, and why? Simply be-
cause this is the area of brain service
which controls vocal speech. In work
ing it gives off food of N-rays which
cause the sulphate of calcium to shine.
But this is not all Prof. Blondlot
has found that by passing the card slow
" over the head and watching the varia-
ton of the luminosity he can outline
with perfect accuracy the speech area Of
the brain surface.
When about century ago Beichen-
bach, a scientist of high reputation
claimed that be could sometimes see q
sort Of aureole or halo about the heads
Of people in the dark. it was suggested
that he was the victim of an kallucina-
ton, but It Is possible that the I1henorn-
enon was due toan emanation Of Xrays
which may. under certain circum-
stances, become visible to the eye.