davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-26

I'd been prospectin' for half a year
In the rockiest luck
\ man ever struck,
An my hope an my temper was out O gear,
IN l felt just ready to up an buck,
An to curse the day that l first saw light,
To curse the gold that was hid from sight,
To curse the fate that had led me
By the lamp O hope till all hope was gone,
An my heart grew bitter an full O hate
An | rallied at the Master who would create
a to buck
At the game O luck
An only git ripped up the back by fate.
| knelt me down by mountain stream;
From its sparklin' water l took drink.
Then lolled on the rocky bank to dream
o. the battered edges o life to think.
l recalled the days that had come an gone
Since l tore myself from the world away,
An the fact on my memory seemed to dawn
That l stared in the face O Thanksgivin
Day.
\ sncer rose up in my troubled breast,
An my soul with its Maker renewed its war
An l asked myself with spiteful zest:
What have | got to be thankful for?
What has God done for a man like me?
What the blessings thrown IN my path?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-26


Good Heavens child, said I. surely you don't
read his books?"
q have never read anything but the reviews"
That was a narrow escape, then, | replied,
but it was an escape. Miss Schuyler has not been
so fortunate. She goes to Mr.. Gibbons, l fancy,
for an education in sentiment She needs it,, [
added bitterly
She goes to-Mr. Gibbons?"
Heretofore it was to his books" l looked out
over the deserted links. Now she seems to be
improving her opportunity for personal instruction.
The girl in black gave the rock vicious little dig
with her driver " Horrid thing!" she said.
Well yes, l agreed, l rather think him that.
You see" 1 pursued, q never could bear
literary people. In the first place" [ added rising
grandly into the upper air the world has place only
for the men who dare and do; it has for those
who merely dream write Nor have |, in my
philosophy" l always liked that phrase.
She smiled prettiy. You then" she asked,
are not, | take it, dreamer?"
AT all events" l loftily responded, Il never
dream of the impossible" Which true, seeing
that, being healthy sleeper, l dream at
She let the club slide down the rock to the ground
and clasped her hands in her lap. Her big blue
eyes the distant sweep of hill and mountain.
And you really do things?" she asked Really
live in the great world of action and of practical
RESULT"
I coughed well, you see," [ explained Just
yet there remains in some small room for fur
ther accomplishment But had rather live in the
real world, lead genuine life'-Oh l regain
ing confidence" and there await the knock of
Opportunity. than idle away the precious moments
in a land of phantom. But about these literary
people" l reverted, seeking terra frtna: My first
objection to them is their uselessness. Ny second
is their absurdities of dress. Why it should be
l don't know, but their mental dawdling takes
physical expression which communicates itself even
to the members of their families. The men them
selves always disgustingly unkempt, and their
and all dowdy."
She cast self-satsfed, and thoroughly justified,
glance over her trim little figure
You are, it is easy to be seem [ concurred,
in way tainted
. hope not"
" Not at all. You belong to the brave and actual"
| sought her hand, but somehow missed it. [
don't often miss, but on this occasion, though she
got it away slowly and with apparent heedlessness,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-26
SUNDAY MAGAZINE for NOVEMBER 26, 1905

it escaped me altogether However l pursued
You are of the real world-no pale dream of
some enen1ic Preraphaeite the Preraphaelites
are some sort of authors aren't but living
breathing whole woman, with real blood
She did not reply, but there could be no doubt
of the correctness of my assertion-the blood said
YES" from her crnsoned cheeks.
You have asked me, | resumed, what did in
the world, 1 tell you now, honestly and fearessy,
that yet l have done nothing. But the day will
come when l shall accomplish. Do you know, can
you guess, what it is that will bring that
day."
The trouble with me is, and has always been,
that | get SO confoundedly in earnest. Here was
l, with just enough money for and no heart for
toll engaged to one girl with two millions in her own
right and yet the verge of proposing to one
whose very name was unknown to me and whose
face | had first seen only three hours before But
the worst of it was that | meant it Oh, wouldn't
be meaning it next morning even that even
ing when Marjorie came down radiant to dinner
But just then and there | honest Antony
glad to toss away my little world.
And my lotus of the Nile was worth it. If you
could have seen that 1impid eye-still fixed the
browsing summer panorama of lake and mountain
that tremu1ous rosebud of mouth, and those
hands twining now in the lap SO near to me-
The moment had come. | reached out boldly
and took of them, the left. | pressed it. My
touch encountered something cold and hard and
implacable that third finger l 1ooked-my
deceptive Cleopatra wedding ring.
Then her eyes met She smiled
"Is-is this | stammered
cit belongs" she said, ''to Mr.. Gibbons
"Then he's"
He put it there two weeks ago"
why, II didn't know"
She 1eaped nimby from the rock and began
patting here and there at her skirt and pompadour
Naturally" she said q guessed at the very
start that you didn't"
Il never even caught your name" gasped.
"Of course" she answered. And now here they
come down the hi-your fiancee and my husband"
But" l persisted you said you didn't read
his books
Well" said she, what wife of author does?"
l looked her steadily in the eye. And have
lost" [ began
But this time she gave her hand-her right
and the right one-coolly and frankly,
Let us say" she replied, THAT you have gained
a friend"
But l can't figure out how I did it.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-26
By James Barton Adams

BY James Barton Adams
Why should | bow a thankful knee
When He's sprnkled my trail with the fire O wrath?
l struck my pick in the gravelly sod
As if to stab at the heart O luck
An sneered at the idee there was a God
An cursed such teachin' wordy truck.
l glanced at my grub-bag layn there
An knowed when I'd swallered another meal
I'd have nothin to live on but mountain air
An in mad rebellion l ground my heel
Deep down in the unproductive earth,
An cursed at the gods slow grindin mills.
An cursed at the day that gave me birth,
An the fates that led me into the hills.
Ayel curses at everything | hurled
At the cruel earth an its strugglln' men.
An wished that the old pain-gvn' world
Would burst into n0thingness there an then!
| rolled the sleeve up my bare brown arm
| noted the muscles clustered thick,
| felt the pulsations, strong an warm,
As the life-blood flowed like rippln crick.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-26

know no other-one fence makes an acquaintance,
two fences make a friendship, and three fences,
properly attacked, ought to make an engage
ment.
But the little girl in black ahead and jumped
this one unasssted. I'm sure it must have gone
just about here" she said
Here" was about two yards ahead of where it
had gone The ball shining just behind her
literally crying out to be found. Before she could
turn | had stopped and pocketed it.
We searched for that ball for half-hour. 1t is
remarkable how long naturally liberal person will
look for ffty-cent golf ball That ball was simply
not to be found and by the time this conviction
forced in upon my companions reluctant conscious
ness had marched her round and round those hard
New-Hampshire rocks until she not 1oath to
listen to my suggestion that instead of pl' ying
fresh ball we should rest for a bit
She sat upon upper rock and l disposed
of myself at her feet.
Who" she asked presently, twas that with
whom l saw you walking up to the links?"
| had feared this coming and should have
been prepared; ! wasn't, so | spared for
time
con my hands?" | asked.
From the result she didn't seem to be very
much your hands"
Then l shall wash them of her"
q thought it Miss Schuyler
Il believe | have heard her called that"
Called what? What do you call herr"
''Oh, call her-I call her any number of things.
Just now call her an Interpolation.
Rut somebody or other told me that she-that
you were-were engaged, you know.
Not in any serious pursuit, l assure you
Nonsense! l mean to Miss Schuyler"
That would be serious pursuit"
The girl in black tapped her little foot on the rock.
Are your" she asked
my dear young lady a summer hotel is
servatory of gossip. Concerning the tastes which
1t attributes to a man there is no d1sputing.
If it isn't announced" she iciy responded, Il
beg your pardon"
1t would appear" l answered, ito have been
announced quite thoroughly But allow me to
correct the proofs. If have been engaged to that
young woman without my knowledge or consent,
I'm it couldn't hold in any court of law. As
for my opinion of her"
Il didn't ask that"
81 As for my opinion of her, you have inquired
what | called her | call her admirer of Paul
Gibbons. Invective cannot go further"
What?" she flashed at me in instant.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-26

Islapped my breast withmy strong right hand
An it stood firm a granite wall
Save when it in majesty would expand
Till it stood out round a monster ball.
l slapped thigh that knitted steel
Threw back my head its muscled base,
An in my soul | began to feel
a Gliding that gave me a shame-red face.
What should | thank Him for? For health
That of millions would envy me,
For frame of iron, an perfect wealth
OF muscle an nerve, an spirit free
As the breezes kssin' my sun-tanned cheeks
As free the sunlight that warns the land,
As free the eagle that scars an seeks
The prey provided by Masters hand
light entered my rebel soul,
An | pressed the ground with my traitor knees,
An flood O gratitude seemed to roll
From my glad lips up through the pinon-trees.
I hen [ hit the trail with the fire O hope
Blown into an hoier blaze,
An | trudged along up the rocky slope.
My heartstrings trembln with songs O praise.
1t must been Heaven that sent the luck;
For | hadn't gone more'n mile. till there
In the breast of rocky ridge | struck
a lead that'H make a millionaire.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-05
A Conee Calculation.

A variation Of the old blacksmith cal
culation by which the progressive dou-
bling of sums beginning with a cent
for the first nail brings the price Of
shoeing a horse up to stupendous
sum is used by an Arch street grocer to
advertise his coffee with striking eff
feet. The grocer displays sign read
Ing, eff one grain Of our coffee was
placed on the first square Of checker
board, two on the second, four on the
third, and SO on, doubling throughout
the whole sixty-four squares, the to-
tai number arrived at would be 1S, 446,-
IA ,O73, 551 ,615 coffee beans, or $780,
915, 1894, 5S4 sol pounds of coffee. This
would represent 331,704 1903, 1O7 car
loads, and a freight train to carry it
would be 1851, S41 AGO miles In length.
1t would reach around the earth 1885,
313 times and would extend ~ times
the distance between the earth and the
sun. The quantity would make 49,,
374, 337 ,S62, 902, $50 gallons of coffee and
would cost at % cents pound $S72,-
407, ,S06,39720. If each person in
the country drank three cups daily it
would take the entire population of the
United States 2,442,S01 years to con
sumo t."-Philadelphi Record.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-05
Burke and His Associates.

The free and easy manners Of the
political and literary friends with
whom Burke associated are exhibited
by a personal anecdote He often ask
ed his friends to sup on beefsteak or
leg Of mutton. One night the house
sat late, and Burke brought home to
supper Fox and two or three more of
the Wing politicians. Mrs. Burke's
face told of the i'll provided larder.
Surely" said the host, answering his
wifes look Of annoyance, there's beef
enough!"
Fox and another gentleman, seeing
the state of affairs, hurried off to a
tavern, where they obtained such
dishes as could be purchased. Amid
much laughter, they returned and set
the table with the food they had for
aged. Burke called them the most
skillful Of walters, and there was an
amusing, satisfactory supper.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-05
Presence of Mind.

The following is true story Of an
incident that happened in an English
Village:
A husband had gone out for the even
ing and left his wife and child at home.
The woman Was about to retire for the
night when. to her Amusement. she per-
ceived the foot of a man beneath the
bed. Instead of calling for assistance,
as some would have done, she coolly
went to the child's cot and sat and
sang till the child went to sleep. Two
hours then remained before her hus-
band came in. He was surprised to
find her waiting up, but when his wife
handed him an envelope, saying, you
might run and post this" the cause of
her waiting was revealed. Instead of
letter the following was written OIL
the envelope: "a burglar is under our
bed. Run; fetch police" The husband
returned in minute with policeman,
and the man was arrested. The bur-
glar when brought up before the mag
istrate remarked that he had come
across few brave women in his time,
but this one must have had q nerve
like iron, for she sat there for three
solid hours. He had the impression
that she didn't know he was there till
the policeman pulled him out.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-05
= 2.
The Time to Charge.

At the taking of Moscow while the
troops sat in their saddles under MUIR
derous fire Murat, Napoleon's dashing
chief of cavalry, received dispatch to
which an answer was required. Though
his mettlesome horse was trembling,
Murat laid the reins upon the horn Of
the saddle, took his notebook in one
hand and a pencil in the other and be-
gan to write response. Suddenly a
shell fell and exploded on the ground
close by. The horse leaped into the air
and swung wildly around. Murat sim
ply transferred the pencil to the hand
that held the notebook, Gained the
horse with the other hand and then
went on writing his dispatch as If
nothing had happened. A shout of ad
miration went up along the line. Murat
saw that the enthusiasm aroused by his
trifing act had created a favorable mo-
ment for charge. He gave the order,
and his men swept clear through the
enemy's line. !. s4ass u -, -.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-05
A Birds Weapon.

Birds while still in the egg have a
sharp, horny spike attached to the up
per part Of the beak, by means Of
which they are assisted In breaking
out Of the shell. This prominence be-
comes opposed to the shell at various
points in line extending all around
the egg at about one-third Of the eggs
length from the large end. 1t makes a
series Of little holes, thus weakening
the shell, and when the chick arrives
at certain stage of strength and de-
velopment it has no difficulty in break
weapon drops off day or two after it
Is Matched, but on the pigeon and birds
that are fed by their parents it some
times remains for two weeks.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-05
Friendlx Murder.

When Commodore Billings and Mr..
Main were on the river Kahima they
had for attendant young man from
Kanoga, an island between Kamchat-
ka and North America. One day Mr..
Main asked him, "What will the saw
ages do to me if fall into their pow
err"
"Sir," said the youth, you will new
er fall into their power if / remain
with you. always carry sharp
knife, and if see you pursued and
unable to escape will plunge my
knife into your heart; then the savages
can do nothing to YOU
This recalls the words of the French
knight reported by Joinville. "Sweal
to me-" said Queen Margaret, "that il
the Saracens become masters of Dami
eta you will cut off my head before
they can take me-"
Willingly" returned the knight. 81
had already thought of doing so if the
contingency arrived"
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-05
Ha1cyon Days.

The seven days preceding and the
seven days following the winter SOL
stice We're called by the ancients "hal-
cyon days. This phrase is derived
from a fable which sets forth that Hal
cyone, a princess who grieved so deep
ly for the loss at sea of her spouse, was
sent thither in pity in the form Of a
halcyon bird or llingfsher.
According to the legend, the halcyon
bird had during the time of breeding
the power of lulling the waves, and it
was believed at this time the sea was
always calm and might be navigated
in perfect security. Experience, of
course, dispelled this fable: but, like
many another old world story, it has
left behind it distorted meaning.
In this case the connection between
the old and the new significance is
clear, for the term, once expressive OF
peace and calm upon the waters, is
equally expressive of tranquility upon
the sea Of life. srs.r, .lI4,----
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-05
English Garden. and Ours.

There is a fundamental difference be-
tween the English and the American
garden. The Englishmans garden is
well nigh as essential as his house. 1t
Is like an extra room to the residence.
1t is for the family rather than for the
public. 1t therefore works itself into
the developing consciousness Of chill
dren, and garden love becomes as
much a part of the person as books
and furniture and music do The
American garden is likely to be all in
the front yard. 1t is usually of the
look-at-me kind. 1t is made for the
public to see. This may contribute to
public spirit and civic betterment, but
it loses in originality and vitality.-L.
II. Bailey in Garden Magazine.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-05
Real Self Control.

To most people self control means the
control of appearances and not the con-
troll of realities. This is a radical mis-
take and must be corrected if we are
to get clear idea of self control and if
we are to make fair start in acduir-
ing it as permanent habit.
If man is ugly to me and want to
knock him down and refrain from do
ing so simply because it wouldn't APP
pear we'll and is not the habit of the
habit of the people about me. my de-
sire to knock him down is still & part
of myself. and l have not controlled
myself until | am absolutely free from
that interior desire. So long as / am in
hatred to another l am in bondage to
my hatred: and if. for the sake of APP
pearances, l do not act or speak from it
l am none the less at its mercy, and it
will find an outlet wherever it can do
so without debasing me in the eyes of
other men more willing than l am to be
debased. My selfish desire to injure the
man l hate is counterbalanced by my
of other men. There can be no true self
control so long as either form of selfish
ness dominates my actions The control
of appearances is merely outward re-
preston, and very common instance
of this may be observed in the effort to
control a laugh.-Annie Payson Call in
Leslie's Monthly. ---;-e-
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-05
Danger of Hxpnoti.m.

Even with the best understanding Of
the subject now possible, there is dan
ger in originating anything that puts
a hypnotized person under his own
control-in other words, that originates
automatism, writes DR.. NJ. A. Veeder
in the Medical Record. So long as
the subject is under the control of the
hypnotizer absolutely there is not so
much danger, but let him go out under
his own control-and he runs without a
balance wheel. In this way auto sug-
gestion, which fortunately is more diff
f1cult and exceptional, may originate
exceedingly unpleasant experiences.
The writer has even come to the con-
clusion that there may be causes of
insanity confined to institutions that, if
the truth We're known, are really Of
this type.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-05
peculiaritie. Of Lichen..

The lichen is remarkable for the great
age to which it lives, there being good
grounds for believing that they endure
as long as hundred years. Their
growth is exceedingly slow, almost be-
yond belief, indicating that only little
nourishment is necessary to keep them
alive. In dry time they have the pow
er to suspend growth altogether, renew
ing it again at the fall of rain. This
popularity alone is enough to make the
lichen vegetable wonder, as it is a
property possessed by no other species
of plant. Another interesting fact about
lichens is that they grow only where
the air is free from dust and smoke.
They may be said to be a sure indica-
ton Of the purity of the air, as they are
never found growing in cities and
towns, where the atmosphere is impreg-
mated with dust, SCOT, smoke and other
impurities.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-05
A JOLLY PARTY

The B class we're at home to the A elias!
of the high school on Friday night an:
gave very lovely party in honor of the
senior class. lie Roy Broadus dressed il
the class colors of black and orange
greeted the guests at Mr.. Servers home
All sorts of comes were played and the
senior class entered into the sports as
though they were carefree and not really
worried to death about dresses and ora
tons. The refreshments we're provided
by Mrs. Sillito and were of course per.
feet of their kind. Carnations we're the
favors. Some very nice bon bons were
included in the menu and we understand
some of the teachers know more about
cotton than they did. Mr.. and Mrs.
SERVER aided the B class in every thing
that hospitality could suggest and we are
sure the s.As' and ''Bs" of 1905 will lone
remember the reception.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-05
Heroes and Heroes.

The man who sits in governors
chair today because it leaked out that
in his youth he shouldered the burdens
Of ne'er do we'll father is a hero in
the public eye. He never posed for a
star part in life. 10 support his de-
serted mother seemed the most natural
thing in the world to him. Not to have
supported her he would have consid-
cred dastardly. Recently young man
Of the so called better class utilized his
gentlemanly bearing and opportunities
by holding up victims on the highway
He said he didn't need the money, but
wanted to do the refined criminal act
as he had seen it depicted on the stage
and in print.
In an old song 'lady's man. who
sw1ndled and robbed the victims Of his
w1les ended up breaking stones on the
public roads like the lowest malefactor
Kid gloved Dick Turpins who seek ex-
element on the road could find it in a
road chain gang, and that should be the
finish Of the whole fraternity of gen
tleman crooks" After making exam
pies of the criminal heroes in their
striped suits, with ball and chain at
tachment, it would be we'll for the con-
servators Of society to pay little at
tention to the party higher up" The
heads Of susceptible boys-and of girls,
too-are turned from humdrum but yet
honorable paths by yellow sentimental
ity which yellow novels and yellow
journals pour out upon the community.
Fortunately the gentleman crook does
not happen along often. Whenever he
comes he is a star feature in the sen
sation columns for a matter OF nine
days-long enough to arouse envy in
bra1nless youths. But the woman crook
is always In evidence Her stunning
hats, stunning Jewels and stunning
face accompany every two line news
item connected with the case ever so
remotely. If the items do not come
often enough the editor invents one
warranting one more exposure Of the
'heroine's" portrait. The import Of
this display is Of course withheld. But
susceptible girls read it in for them
selves. 1t is, BE dashing, be daring,
be q sensation" To say that the "pic-
turesque" Magdalene and picturesque
burglar features are demoralizing ex-
presses but half the truth. They are
disgusting to the mass Of newspaper
patrons.