davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

,,,r or three battalions OF bric-n-brac
No indian corner, the collection OF
fp,nosc c,,rl6s and the nutifarious cups
o,,a sn,,ocrs which picket the house IN
avc,.v monk nd Granny and seek to block
bv uncertain steps with their pestiferous
Interference III, !
III, mig since, + have accustomed smysclt
Ia l,nocktng over nude Venuscs und schht-
tly]clad nymphs who pass their poster or
paris lives pols,ad on Inc cushions OIL thelr
prent toes, Surely cloud colhpelllng JoVe,
with his ample batteries OF thunderbolls,
has not slaughtered more gods and god
desscs than +, but tho ten-cups, an
they're tho things that t',rrorlze me-. a.
ion CUP dies so hard whom It's Knocked
OVER Down, down, down It goes, WITH
4 revcrbcrating crash which brings ter
ror to the soul OF my fox terrier (Hke
rsyse]f a chronic smasher Of brc-a-brc),
tni forthwith summons the Commander
IN Chief to the scene Of destruction. And
o. how tragic (not To say vitriolc) the
GOOD woman can be over the demise OF
a poor little bit of II cul' or the untimeiy
end of. n gilt-edged saucer.
1t Ia. my firm conviction that Indian
corners we're invented by some fiend
incnrnatc POSSIBLY n ladies' tailor), with
tho idea Of keeping constantly before
the eyes Of man an awful reminder
of those ma trimoninl scnlpings which
MI married males must undergo two or
three times week. At any rate, after
have demolished II handful OF our
treasured crockery. I como up and face
our Indian corner with I'LL tho contrltlon
that old Sitting Bull ought to have felt
after one of his frontier campaigns. IN
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

So Lady Loasdale has stated that there
are ''few International marriages be-
tween English girls and American men,
simply because the English girls Will not
have the American men"
do not know how many months Lady
Ionsdale spent In neutrality-suspicious. l
should say how many weeks; but l think
we usually find that people who spend
few weeks in the States are prepared to
write a book: after they have been there
few months they hesitate, and when
they have been there year or two they
decide thatit is impossible
They realize probably that It may be
{ practicable to write something upon one
portion of the States in which they have
happened to stay, but TO write vaguely
and broadly OF America with a limited
knowledge Of the continent Is one Of the
snares into which only hasty travellers
\ arc apt to fall.
Speaking with but a superficial knowl-
edge Of what Lady Lonsdale wrote, /
should say she probably forgets that COM
4 paratively few American young men make
any heightened stay In England
American girls who travel with their
4 mothers or other women relatives have
leisure. A visit to England forms q part
OF their education. and having studied
our history and learnt our traditions, the
girls with fortunes seem to me now to
prefer as a rule to exchange their dol
lars for English titles. rather than re-
main il the New World to enrich their
own country.
The American young man as soon as
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

my moments Of romorsc lnVarlhply
think Of Sitting Bull. to. because me
petticoated Nemesis, when especially
anxious Ito emphasize my awKhessn r,e,s"
in running the porcelain gauntlet, always
nlludes to me us bull III china shop.
She has dlngcd this repronch INTO my
ears SO long nnd 80 often that some
times almost wish l were one or tho
tnurine blutes and that IN this capaclty
I could bust loose In china shop anu
revcl in the delights Of smashing Drlc-
n-brnc.
Our Indian corner, though much adj
nired and moro thrilling than the plot
OF a dime novel, would IN my opinion
be as much or d novelty to the aborlglncs
ms It IS to tho bachelors who tlmldiy
visit my house. Indeed, believe IT would
mako the average Indian take to the
high grass In tbject terror. Besides two
long pipes mado In Iloboken. N. j., we
.havo plaster OF Paris papoosen
manufactured in Germany. and several
Autograph prints from press In Phil
ndelphin. Then too. we have Il miniature
birch bark canoe bought at a Virginia
watering place, und pair OF Bonded
moccnsins worught by genial Irish lady
Of $50 pounds nvoirdupois, who sells SOU
vonirs ut niagara Falls.
In II burst Of ,inwontcd maEnanlmity
! onco offered to allow tho Commander
in-Chlef to hang my choice collection
of arrow-lieads and tomahawlis In her
sacred corner but tho relics sn1ackeu
too much OF the real nborigines to suit
her strange fancy. She scoffed at the
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

he leaves college has usually to enter
Business life. Il life which under the pres
emf conditions gives but little leisure and
allows but little time for travel or re-
creation.
A flying visit 10 London, 10 Rome or to
Paris is usually al that is possible; 1t is
not given 10 him to enter into English
society, 10 dawlle in country houses. to
linger in orr green lanes and trim flow
er gardens. o. to take leisure 10 WOO and
to win the affection of the English girl.
On the other hand, there are few Eng
lish girls who travel in the States. There
are many reasons for this, but probably
the most potent is the very great expense
which such journey entails. an expense
that ordinary IJngl.s.t=families never con-
template, unless SOME. strong reason OF
business the claims OF relatives or the
desire to seek fortune in the New
World make such an outlay desirable.
1t has often been a matter OF surprise
to me that an English mother, whose am
billions are not one whit behind those Of
the American mother, in her desire to
acquire for her daughter the best Of this
worlds goods, does not contemplate such
trips us matter OF speculation.
Perhaps she feels, however, that the
competition is too keen. that the Amerl-
can girl holds her place too firmly in her
own country to be dispossessed by the
daughter OF England.
| BE that as it may, I am fully per-
| suaded that the reason which has been
suggested to me, namely. that the Eng
| lish girl would lose caste by such a mar
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

Twenty years ago should have echoed
that sentiment with enthusiasm. There
was a much stronger tie between the
land owners and their dependents. In
many Il house r have seen women oc-
cupylng the highest social positions. care
fully filling little baskets after luncheon
or dinner with delicacics. which they
themselves were going to take to the
sick, because the people round them
formed an integral part Of their exis-
tence.
They knew them by name, they cared
for them, they were their friends. and al
though probably they would consider that
a great gulf had been fixed by an over
ruling Providence between them and
these humber folk. yet all the more.
probably. did sense OF responsibility to
them become q part OF their religion.
Much the same feeling l fancy. In n
modified degree. was felt by the best Of
the slave owners In the South before tho
war.
But time has greatly changed these
protective, feudal relations, and although
there are many who live on their own
lands and still recognize their respon-
sibilties for their dependents. the larger
proportion have lost 1t In q great meas
ure.
The rapid means Of transit in these
days is greatly answerable for the
change. What are now called week
ends In the country suffice to remind
men and women that there are such
things as quiet stretches OF green mead
ows and brilliant flowers and shady
woods; but Monday comes, and with it
a rush back to London. and then when
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

X 1t would not in the least surprise me
to learn some day thai shortly after me
creation Of IIve in the Garden OF EDEN
that estimnbi, pionoer of the feminine
gender began to harass her goodman
AZ nm with various and sundry articles
now designed as n-brnc. For Tue
older get, the more convinced | become
that these odds and ends were invented
by some higher power with the specific
rurpose Of giving woman weapon
with which to torment and irritate her
lord and master
n There's no such thing as getting used
4 10 bric-a- brac-1 MEAN mems getting used
Z 70 it-for like the wea Their, there are so
many kinds Of It. Tic stuff can AMY
DO described In a general way as arti-
Giles of vertu ostcnslbly designed to orna.
ment a house. but In reality used to make
man feel that he Is out of place In any
human habItation.
The French do not interpret the ex-
preston brlc-a-brac with tho same gray
ity that we employ In translntlnG 1t,
with them the term means exactly what
a plain, everyday man thinks II should
mean, to-wit, rubbish. For instance.
s.marchand de hric-a-brac" Is n seller
Of old nails, oil screws. old hinges and
other odds and ends of small value.
The verb "bricoler' In archaic French
means to be n Jack Of all trades. "Brnc"
is the ricochet Of brio as fiddle-faddle.
hinky-dinky and scores OF other double
words In English.
a So we downtroddcn ones In trousers
have unimpeachahle genealogical au.
khority for calling bric-a-hrac rubbish
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

ma fiddle-faddlc, though this privilege IS
Tot likely to add much TO our cothlo..
G,r,io, wa ro homo Mt night to find our
,,thwnvs besct on every side by strange,
weird articles OF the most brenknha SORT,
which 70 down with n crash at every
wink OF our eyes.
+, seems to me wien / reflect on the
Tranquility Of brio a. brhc, that man woulu
make n long stride towards enumeration
from this feminine fiddle-faddlr. II ne
could even arrange to have the SUIT
n,ado OF. linda rubber But alas! the
ornamental pests usually come IN emma
o. norceiain or ivory or onyx or Eltta
percha or plaster OF Paris or terra Gotta,
md If touched by n hair Will topple
on err and smash into thousand pieces.
Now myself am rs full of art--1n a
nrbn1ic ,yay--as Is oleDmargarine OF raj,
INT don't want my works OF art sta
tened where can butt into them every
time + expand my chest or attempt 10
-e,.vate my feet want them out OF
nv reach--on the walls and ceilings or
III ,lnobtrusive cases--and not lying IN
ambush to nssail me when my st. Vitus
fance-,ike activity makes me stir around
the house.
And what Is more, protest against
those heterogeneous lssortments OIL brlc-
a brac which are the very deliriums
tremens Of decorative art They jar my
sensitive nerves. especially when have
been to banquets or lodge meetings and
come home faelingN most kindly towards
Gambrinus and Bacchus.
AS cross the threshold on such occa-
SONS, / am Invariably haunted by the
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

light OF healthy youth; and when to
these are added headache. mental wear
iness slowness Of thought, causing mud
died ideas. defective memory. mpatience
and irritabilits. and grave lowering OF
the moral tone. do not think can be
accused Of supporting grandmothcrly
Legislation when suggest that we should
initiate America and Germany and other
foreign countries In preventing any one
under sixteen from indulglng In the ha-
bitual use OF tobacco.
We are doing fairly well In recruiting
just now, although Deputy Surgeon-Gen-
eral Don, with his vast and unique eX-
perience In the Sitting Of raw material,
tels%us that so per cent. Of the youths
who crave for military career have beer
rejected for physical reasons. n I
But even those who have successfully
passed the ordeal are poor enough speci-
mems after, and We hear on all sides de-
yunclatons OF poor stamina In our young
coolers. who are simply swept out OF
existence by cholera and enterlc when
ever they. have to take the field under the
red tape regime OF tho war office author
tiles.
Tor how Is this raw material worked
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

r,aEc, is not the real one. Caste has
practically ceased to exist
Wealthy grocers and rich brewers, gin
distilers and Spectators Of all kinds are
now on the pinnacle Of English fashion,
and there is no hesitation In allying me
oldest historical names With the wealth.
OF the self-made man.
Money Is the key that will open the
door to the most exclusive English so
ciety, and the desire for money Is not con-
fined to the scions Of noble houses, who
seek rich American wives, but think
it. would equally apply to the English gir4
II she had Il chance of acquiring the
American millionaire.
Lady Lonsdale. speaking Of the "buser
and more natural life led by English wo-
men," adopts q tone Of superiority which
we English are fond Of taking in dealing
with the affairs Of other nations.
wonder in *whats'consists&" the buster
and more natural llfe,Ih when you have
made allowance for climatic conditions
which enable women to take more opens
air exercise and the fashion for athe-
letics which now obtains universally.
The buster life, as understood by what
Is generally known as "the smart sci" 4
(by which i conclude Is meant a certain
foolish and often; 3uneducated portion Of
the leisure lasses), usually consists In
hunting. during the Winter, In going to
balls and race meetings during the SUM
lner, in fishing and yachting In the 5Au-
tumn, and being in the saddle again by
the first week in November. 1t certain
ly Is a busy life, but am not sure that
it is n natural one.
Lady Lonsdale goes on to say that the
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

the rise. He even went SO far as to as
cribe the nugmental total Of deaths from
nervous disorders in later years to the
unstable equilibrium established during
those early and critical periods OF growth
and development.
One correspondent. whose name has cs-
capped me for the moment, in short but
most wcighty letter, drew forclble atten-
ton to the marked physical deterlora-
ton In the school children OF Leeds dur
ing the last few years, and the Royal
Commission on Physical Training laid
great STREET OH this food question, as well
as on the proper ventilation OF school
buildings and tho Improvement Of tho
dwellings Of tho. poor.
1t may. of course. be argued, and
with some plausiblity, that these melan-
choly experiences are party exceptional,
and arc mainly confined to our largo
towns. and il we visit rural Scotland the
bright rosy faces Of the children and
their fresh and vigorous minds show that
porridge and milk still hold the field as
not the worst things on which to cult
rate literature.
! am enough OF Socialist to hold that
II we compel children to 30 to school we
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17
whilo I am confronted On every side ~

while an, confronted on every side by
"a blood-congcallnE array Of fnntnsno
TIMBER Jared dragons, grotesque IN
sshnpc and worse looking than the dis.
ease germs recently discovered by ci"t
i ilized physicians md bnctcrlologists. VIZ
take our food from Chinese plates and
can't SO much as come In out the wet
without finding myself bcneathn canopy
or Japanese parnsols. The very umbrella
holder In tho hair purports to have been
imported from the Celestial kingdom, and
all OF our weeks laundry has Just come
from d Chinese laundry. On tho wall
there IL n Japanese sclmtnr from The
99-centl store. 1t Is made OF round coins,
fastened together BY a string, md sup
posed to represent several million dollars
!, In Toxic, though the Queen Bee landed
\ It forf0S cents. If q man were attacked
with this weapon, he would find himself
so showcrcd with wealth that he would
think somebody was hitting him with q
United States mint. But #One does not
&use this sci,ntnr ns bludgS)n 1t is
sacred, and pass 1t with reverence.
SO crazcd Is the commandments nicf
by her Monaghan brlc-n-brnc, that she
wears n kinonn during the morning
hours III order that her shnblliments may
slarmonizc with the chop-suey effect Of
herr monstrouas curlos. For my part,
SERIOUS sly contemplated the propriety of
gnhnndoning socks and shoes and pity
around the house In straw
slippers after the manner OF my SAT-
Sfron-colored nclghbor. Sam Wnh Lee.
Maybe, too will try the Monaghan
STYLE Of wearing my skirts. though that.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17
NC TO COUNTERACT DETERIORATION OF BRITISH RACE

gether and supply material for his
growth. and I hope that my friend FOL
onel Legge. who has at least twice
brought this very real grievance un|er
the notice OF the House Of commols.
will not cease pegging away until he ms y
brought the war Office clerks 70 the
senses.
1t is rather sinister commentary o
our military system that there wen
1000 assertions last year, MANI OF thrni
a. John Burns points out In excellent arr
tclcs in North Country paper, during
the first three weeks OF service. Those
three weeks or wha tever the time may
he have taken 1t out OF the young fellow
considerably. and when he slips his chain
and fees into the open he has practical
~ joined the criminal classes. and My
further descent is easy and rapid, and
liz and those who come after him-for,
like most improvident peoples he proba-
bly, joins the matrimonial ranks-noW go
to swell the ranks OF the unemployed ana
tho submerged tenth and those useless
and incapable folk who so sorely veA 5tae
minds OF social reformers.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

The question OF the hour is, or GER
tainly ought tohbe that OF physical de-
generation. Is the vital capacity OF our
race deteriorating. and must We face the
disconcerting fact that the battles Of
the future, whether on the field or In
the workshop, must be 70 ght with blunt
weapons, with dulled brains, and with
Btunted frames?
Is all this mere psychologists fad, one
B OF those periodical scares which sound 50
loud in the columns of the silly-season
press, or Is 1t n real and threatening dam
ger. which deserves the attention of our
best and most experienced minds. both
In and outside Parliament?
a detailed survey Of the evidence leads
mo to the belief that there is more in
this than meets the eye Of the superb
cial observer, and that we are actually
face to face with a grave natonl emer-
gency. which requires immediate ntten-
Il ton II we are to stave off national dis
Rstcr.
Tho first note of real warning was
struck by Sir James Crichton Browne, in
letter written to Bradford paper near
~ twenty years ago. The facts therein
detailed and conclusions deduced from
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

the season is ended a couple OF months
In tile country. unless 1t Is necessary to
60 to Homburg or some other German
waters that are to restore the months
that the locusts have eaten.
~ few months ex-hunting, and then
the east winds have to be avoided. and
tho softer air OF the sunny Riviera must
be sought. SO these few weeks prob
ably make up the sum total OF the time
spent in country homes. which used to
be Inhabited for at least nine months in
tho year.
II that old sense OF responsibility still
existed (and OF course 1t does In some
instances), should say that the iIfo OF
the English woman upon her husband $
estates might be, II rightly understood,
one OF usefulness md bencflcence. Al
though ''ncw occasions teach new du-
ties" which Lady Bountlful will do well
ia learn.
Tennyson sang long years ago:
Lady Clara We're dc We're, II,
II time be heavy on your hands;
Arc there no beggars at your gate.
Nor any poor about ouralands!
The words were true inasmuch as they
prescribed for the mental attitude OF
lady Clara; but let her not imagine that
she Is doing other than taking into the
midst of her artificial surroundings q
very little OF that wholesome tonic which
contact with the realities OF life must
bring.
I do not under-rate the self-denytns
efforts OF any who give their lives 10
make the existences OF those around them
holier. purer and moro wholesome; but
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17
Rv5IADY SOMERSET

English woman has her court duties Of
official entertainment, and her general
duties as well, and, above all. the care
of the people on her husbands estates.
which Is enough to fill her life with inter-
est and useful work."
OF course, here Lady Lonsdale IS allud-
Ing to women Of her own class; she can
not mean the5average woman, because
the average woman has no court enter
tain1nent to Undertake and probably no
tenants to whom she Is called to minis
ter and therefore Lady Lonsdale can on
ly be comparing the women OF very
small section of society with the women
Of an equally small section OF society In
America, which never can be classified us
'the English woman or 'the American
woman" sas
ButEif we go to this small section OF
whom Lady@I 4onsdale writes, am not
sure that we sha4.8flnd her court ns2
or her official entertainments are any
moro elevattng than. any other round OF
society,"
EI have never seen an ideal standard
raised by the performance Of such call
ing. SI have seen good women whose
IDEALS are high. and whose very atmos-
phere commands the respect OF oil who
frequent their houses, performing such
social functions from a strong sense OF
conscientious duty, but such characters
are to be found 6ennobling all ranks and
hallowing daily life among all sorts and
conditions OF women.
but above all,' says Lady Lonsdale
"the care of the people on her husband
estates Is enough to fill her life with use
FIJI work"
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

must see to 1t that they are not physl-
cally or mentally Injured in the process.
And IL private enterprise can furnish an
excellent meal .'nt for the glls OF
Bishop" at halfpenny a head, surely
the State can provide some machinery
BY which the poor little waits and strays
who now crowd the benches of our board
schools may get enough food not only to
keep body and soul together, but to add
the extra margin necessary to meet the
demands of their rapidly growing and
expanding minds. a
Among the principal causes OF physi-
cal deterioration, that excellent observer,
Professor Cash. Of Aberdeen. IN an ad.
dress to tho Educational Institute OF
Scotland. gives a high place to juvenile
cigarette smoking;s and the following
formidable list Of symptoms produced by
this Objectionable habit seems to prove
his case:
Among them are chronic honrseness,
lack OF appetite. dyspepsia. pallor from
impaired blood formation, rapid and IN
tcrmittent pulse and pain In the region
OF the heart. difficulty Of breathing ana
disincllnatlon tobpartake of those athletic
exercises which ought to 30 the de-
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

up into the completed soldier. who learEs
the drills at Aldershot, which enabled
handful OF Dutch peasants to beat INC
flower OF Enblish chivalry out OF the llelo
time after time during the late dlsas-
trous war?
The poor boys, dragged from the cart
tall or rescued from the ranks Of the IN :
employed or tho shelters OF the SUD
gn.arged tenth, are sent to q recruiting
station. where for weary hour after hour
their poor muddled brains and their re-
Taxed muscles are strained to learn
most complicated series OF military eyolu-
tons, which would try the patience nnd
test the endurance Of the compleleoi
warrior 'serencly full' OF the traditional
Beef and beer OF the barrack-room, But
win It be believed that these poor young
fellows struggling to master their new
business, are deliberately denied the ness
ing allowance which they will afterward
ret when the fun edged recruit has grown
Into the Muvany Of the culragh Or Wei
llngton Barracks.
Human pedantry cannot beat this oh
stinato refusal to supply the proper nour-
ishment to tho young lad which Ii np-
solutely needed to keep body and soul TO-
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

to It's dofence as his patrlotic duty II
is far more his duty to stand guard over
the sacred principles that undcrlle the
political interests OF the nation.
We are shocked every day by tho overt
acts of citizens right In our midst.
Men refuse to honor tho flag because IT
has not been unfured to protect them in
carrying out some Of their revolutionary
acts. We arc told that liberty ~ this
country Is farce because some criminal
has been prosecuted for violating the law.
OrganIza lions dare take into their own
hands the execution and construction OF
the law.
They dictate what others shall or shall
not do but defy authority when they are
arraigned for violation of all law and