davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-04-15

The weeds must be kept out at any cost, and
if they have not been removed before the crop
appears they must be destroyed. The kind
of cultivation will depend upon the local con
ditions, but the implement that stirs the soil
and leaves loose mulch, destroys the weeds,
and avoids root pruning, will give the best
result under all circumstances.
The Washington times., 1905-07-02
COAT OF-ARMS. CRAZY

America is becoming coat OF arms
crazy" remarked an heraidic expert who
derives a comfortable living from
bearings OF the ancestors OF Americans
1T matters nothing to many an Ameri-
can who wants coat of arms that
there are certain rules which are steel
clad in heraldry and that ii is not given
to everyone TO own coat armor. They
have the money to pay for 1t and, of
course, It is all easy matter for the
heraldic searcher to lind them a device
that might by some remote possibility
have belonged 20 their ancestors
80 popular is the fancy for armorial
bearings that. not content with having
shields and quarterings embiazoned on
their carriages, linen and china ware.
some wcmen are displaying hera1dic de
vices on their stockings.
often. OF course, an honest effort is
made to discover through the College of
Heralds. in England. whether or not
the customer is entitled to coat armor.
Many a time. however. the expert ap-
propriates any coat or arms that he
pleases, informs the gratifed customer
that there is no doubt the appropriation
is legitimate, the family history show
ing that the descent Is in direct line
from the original owner of the device
The newly acquired crest appears
first on the stationery. From the writ
ing paper the coat OF arms fits TO the
panels CT the carriage or the automobile
and the family of rich man without
The Washington times., 1905-07-02

Young Mr. Kellogg. grinding in his
place. ana Mr.. Donnelly, crilnching at
his-are these men content to stay as
they are. to put down their tools with
no carving that shall bear Their, names
TO end their labors without the express
sion of a single ideal? Have. they never
looked ahead to the accounting they
must have some day with themselves ?
Or, having looked ahead, are they con-
tent to lose from their lives the spirit
that makes them men, and, losing it.
like Macpherson, to harden into rat
Ting. whirring clockworks?
Many, reading this, will object. Work
alone IS not the life of men, they will
say. There are homes to make, fami-
lies to love. religion to serve. Success is
not work only. 1t is living the life so
that Kindness may spread. that hand
may touch hand in encouragement. heart
reach ouc to heart in sympathy, that we
may grow more and more creatures of
spirit and less and less creatures OF
greed. that the world may be better for
each mans life
Well, I think 1 may say have known
of that kind OF success. I have
known much OF that kind OF happiness.
The Washington times., 1905-07-02
seWas It For This 81

| But I know and no man who mas
lived what have lived will ever deny.
that this is not all. The joy of the
harvest has been nine,sand the labor In
the hot sun, but not the Yield of the
crop.
1 was given the talent Of public speak
ing. For what2 That I might lead my
fellows in paths of usefulness and right
eousness. Surely not that i might spend
my days browsing over dusty papers
and fitting the laws by the yard to stem
ciled FORMS
was given the talent OF clear think
ing. Fer what2 That 1 might choose
good goals TO fight for and good texts
to preach Surely not that r might sift
and sort. like an Intellectual ash picker.
the claims of those who have fol-
lowed the pattern from the claims OF
those who have not.
1 was given life, energy, enthusiasm.
For what2 That wherever / was and
however little or great my other en-a
dowments. might grow in usefulness
Surely not that the chief occupation Of
my faculties might become automatic,
uninspired. Indifferent.
Can anyone contend that the labor to
which a man gives the werkdays of his
life shall not employ his real strength.
his real spirit? is there anyone who has
read this story Of my struggle to em-
ploy nay strength and fuse my spirit
in the work of the departments who
will hold that such work could ever
give employment to such spirit and such
strength?
/ have made many mistakes I have
lacked courage. But neither my mistakes
nor my lack of courage have interfered
with the right performance of my every
duty in the departments. What they have
done has been to keep me from leaving
the departments. And remaining IN the
departments, far from employing my
life worthify as it might have been en-
ployed elsewhere. has starved my spirp
and lowered nay aspirations
There. truly, lies the evil OF tb>
partmeas@that they smother on,
They yFaccustom our bodies to an ex-
travagant ration They eat away our
courage. They crumble our ambition
between the mill-stones with which
they grind out, like the mills OF
God. the grist of the talents they
do not need They shuttle us about
in SO wantcn a disregard of our
merits that, sooner or later. we lose
our faith in merit Finally, having fit.
ted our lives to a costly pattern, hay
ing lost our self-reIiance, having aban.'
doned our belief in the value OF goeG
works, We find ourselves laborfng un-
productiveiy in g vineyard OF bitter ;
fruit, too weak and crippled TO with
stand the heat of the day.
The Washington times., 1905-07-02

the slightest claim TO aristocratic de-
scent may be seen carrying the coat
slrrnor of one OF the proudest houses IN
England. a,s
An expert in heraldry recently said
that at least seventy-hve per cent OF
the heraldic devices displayed by Ameri-
cans, Were fraudulent. It seems how
ever. that there is a ray of hope for
those Americans who have, without
actually pirating q coat of arms from
some ancient family, caused TO be set
up as theirs device that is to slight
extent original. There is doubt in the
minds of the heraldEc authorities of Erg-
land whether or not the possession of a
coat of arms for d century or so does
not aentitle q family to retain lawful
possession for all time When the re-
cords were first established in the I'D
days many coats of arms were register
ed on this basis. and In 1868 the Garter
King of Arms William Dugdale wrote:
It is incumbent that man doe lools
over his own evidences for some scales
OF arms. for. perhaps. it appeares In
them, and if soc and they have used IT
from the beginning of Queen Ellzabeth,s
relSne ors-about that time. I shah then
allow thereof. for our directions are
limiting US see 10 doe and not a shorter
prescription of usage
So that il Americans who have SET
up original coats OF arms retain their
interest in such fancies for a century
or SO the reDroach that they are en-
Titled fe ne such display will cease 50
apply" =
The Washington times., 1905-07-02

of home which might be like mine
Has he no spirit TO revolt against the
sitting of ali his high purposes? All,
yes; he has. Like me. he has revolted
Like me. he has given up. Now no finds
diversion in burning away the faith of
the woman who loves him for the salt
or pretended. Illicit and ignoble affec-
ton
Mr.. Macpherson still sits In the n>St
room. He is still the chief his thin
lips still press tightly against his teeth
His mind still travels the treadmilI
course of reading. classifying, deciding.
sure as the tide. methodical as the
clock, barren as the frozen sea Does
he never think how the man in him has
been fired IN this furnace and lathed and
sandpapered until now it has become
a machine to answer in its bearings 20
the will Of others and no longer has life
OF its own?
The Washington times., 1905-07-02
Spelling For a Fight.

Yeh can't-for too reezins. It's my
Ian and the groun' is friz.'
Web kin-for too reezins wehye
been putin um in friz groun' all round
here, an this amt yore grouy1'; it's a
publiek rud"
Into town came the old man as fast
as his sleigh could bring him, his fin
gers itching with the prospect of a
damage suit. First, he went to fathers
house. and then. with father tucked in
beside him, he came to my office.
Now. Bub." he puffed as he pitched
through the door. well see what gud
yuh aire. Mebby I'm fool t'hire yuh
as a lawr- But III give yuh this chance
If yuh ain't up tit, I'll make yuh tn.
laughin' stock uh the hull county"
So got the c:tse. 1t would be inter-
esting 10 detail the fight which fol-
lowed-the old mans shrewd winks and
broad smiles over the newspaper noto-
riety he was obtaining: the courtroom.
heavy with bad air and tobacco smoke.
and crowded with lawyers and farmers.
the two stoves glowing red; the tobac-
co-chewing: the argument. and Judge
Wllloughby's fear on the one hand that
l might make a speech like that of the
campaign, and my clients fear, on the
other, that l would not "giv't Z tn
carprations."
l won easily. The court announced
Its decision the day before the Christ
mas recess. On the very next day old
sarl sold the telephone company the
right to erect poles along his Iane-lOO or
more-for s2 each. and in telling my ia
ther about 1t he said he supposed |
could get my fee out OF the same kind
of a bargain for the erection of poles
on my fathers farm caught the old
man In the square within the next ten
minutes and protested against that kind
of paymfnt
"Didn it breng yuh reputation he
asked. as though that settled every-
thing
The Washington times., 1905-07-02

have merely deepensd the groove into
which stepped unknowingly eight
years before. Two new Administrations
have come and gone, each with its
wake of head-hunters, It's drift of water
logged human beings, its foam of
frothy hope. ambition and maniiness. /
have hoated with the tide-in and out.
ebb and flow, one of 10000 drcns. When
my time comes I shall be washed ashore
and sink unnoftced into the sand. That
will be the only reward of my life's serv-
Ice.
! Eleven years-a seventh and more OF
mans allotted work period-are COW
cred by one word-stasnatfon. The work
that waited for me in neat piles of white
monotony when our little family re-
treated out of the great world to this
prison shelter in 1894 has renewed itself
every year. every month. every day. 1t
is like the water OF the sea.
The Washington times., 1905-07-02
Failed to Make Friends.

Hard as found 1t tagging along after
Judge Wiiioughby like a spool on n
string. it was harder still to bear the
condescension of these boyhood friends
who had envied me my appointment TO
Washington. So @snlI into a habit of
coming to court only when the sescio,
had begun and leaving the courthouse
Immediately 1t was over. Had I been
more wise and less proud. should have
remained to swap stories and mako
friends. AS ii was. l could not even
read the judges lawbooks. | was so
nervous and eager.
A case came after a while which was
all that any young lawyer could have
desired II arose overnight and was
settled in less than a month. While 1T
lasted. however. it drew upon every bit
OF ability [ had and turned toward me
the attention of every attorney and
nearly every farmer in the county.
In Indiana the country people often
shortcut between two roads by drty-
ing down the lane which leads to a
neighbor's house. passing through his
barnyard, and completing the cut by
means of the other lane which leads,
almost invariably. to the road on the
other side of the farm. Such a drive
was often used TO cross my fathers
farm TO {: ford through Wintergreen
Creek But across the creek the drive
tyayeysed the adjoining farm, and the
The Washington times., 1905-07-02
Disputed the Fee.

"Yes. But l didn't undertake to rep
resent you for reputation"
Didn't 1t CIV yore daddy the chanel
t elect IS fur ev'ry pole theh put up
on his groun'?''
Yes: but my father was not liti-
CANT in that suit
We'll. yuh upstart. III give yuh $50,
and not another dadblasted cent d. yuh
git, by Cufey.'
After that, no matter what my fee
was in this case, the other young
lawyers did not condescend to me so
openly.
Ny earnings up 10 this point were
SI04. At this rate-about $50 a month
could well afford to stay and I was
moved on New Year Day to send my
The Washington times., 1905-07-02
The Playthiag of Fate.

The story of the work I have done in
these eleven years would swish In the
ears with tho recurring sameness of
waves 1t has not varied. It win not
vary. The same questions of law might
rapeat themselves tomorrow or next day.
or every day. and we, packed in our
grooves. need not even discover that
Fate was toying with our brains. We
long ago gave up hope of change. and il
may easily be that long ago, through
lack of exercising our other faculties
we lost sensitiveness to everythins. save
monotone.
l look about the room where I work
and wonder il the heaviness of hone
less limitation weighs on the shollders
of my workmates as it weighs on mine
My nefghbor on my right hand Sailed
out to the grssat work OF his life with
degrees as doctor OF science and doe
tor of philosophy Like me. he has r,In
to this cover. Has he thought of tbe
great talents and rare equipment he has
wrapped SO carefully In the paper nan
kins of his cases?
On my other side Is a veteran of the
war of the rebellion-a brave soldier.
noble character, an enthusiastic stu
dent, a wearer of wounds On the an
niversary of the great battle whe,a
bullets plowed scars In his high fore
head, the Administration of a hostile
party, headed by one of his comrades
disgraced him for his opinions. Had
he no manhood left that day that he
WINGED only and did not fight?
A young man sits near him-like him.
a soldier, and like the other, a scholar
Does he look forward, as now | do
to the narrowing OF his horizon. with
every sunrise and every sunset. uutf,
at last he sees nothing but the four
walls of this room, and lives nothing
but the emr.iaess of routine?
Across the aisle is another man OF
my age-a lawyer, like me: the head
The Washington times., 1905-07-02
Built Castles of Air.

We were very happy at the old homes.
The two grandmothers coddIed us az
though we We're all babies Ike little
annie. Every morning when / went to
/ the office. those two gentle mothers
would encourage me with good wishes
called out their windows The families
often ate together and if had found
any work to do the day before thew
would discuss it and elaborate f1non II
and build futures out of 1t until we
were all deceived. In the evenings we
visited" with our neighbors. or went IN
prayer meeting, or attended the card
club, or stood about the piano and sang
Sundays took US to the old church in
its new building. where hymns we had
known from childhood and a service
with which our minds always associated
the beauty Of holiness made us feel
like sinners come to haven of rest. It
was ali as though we had not been ayvay
seven years
My first law work was a series of
deeds for a new subdivision in the west
part of town. The agent was a stall
Uart Republican of the Tom Rol,ndtree
brand. He drove a hard bargain with
me-s2 for each deed-but did not
care; there were twenty deeds. and II
was real work. Judge wiIIoughby gave
me a series OF searches to make for
him in connection with a suit testing
the validity of an Incorporation An
old lady who owned twenty houses gave
me the job OF collecting her rents: thew
amounted to about $50 a month, of
which l got s.. That was every bit of
work had to do for six weeks.
L attended the sessions of court regu-
larly- One of my first impressions was
that the courtroom and the cases tried
there Were little. The criminal actions
were sordid, the civil causes insiKnifi-
can't. From the bearing OF the attor-
neys. however, as they flung off their
overcoats near the two 'egg'' stoves,
you would have thought the Constit,1-
ton itself awaited their defense. Joe
Willoughby was now the first figure
inside the railing. and ] was introduced
to the new judge as his associate"
Grouped about him, figuratively. were
a dozen younger men, boys who had
been students with me. This double
handful held all the good briefs.
The Washington times., 1905-07-02

resignation to the department Both
fathers advised against the plan. They
argued that these were the busy months
for lawyers and that long dry sum-
mer had to be faced SO 1 did not
resign and my wife and 1 did not yet
feel free.
On the third Wednesday In Febru-
ary my leave was to expire. AS we
reached that New Year Day decision,
therefore, l knew the ensuing six weeks
would decide our fortunes. Annie and
/ were as keenly eager to be free OF
the departmental harness as ever we
were But we have both confessed
since that on the very day we decided
not to send that resignation we found
ourselves looking toward our home in
the woods and our accustomed life in
touch with great city.
The Washington times., 1905-07-02
A Losing Fight.

What things make custom no man
can tell. If time, we should have been
altogether content in the environment
TO which we were trained as children
II occupation, we We're both at daily
tasks which had long been inbred. If
the union Of those elements with pro-
gress, surely there was more. progress
In the independence of this little counr
try town than as a cog on the edge of,
a great wheel. grinding a relentless,
never-changing circle day after day,
year after year. Yet custom called US
back TO Washington and we were list
ening for the call while the period
OF our sortie was but half spent
Possibly this was the hand OF Him
who governs and understands all things.
For after my rather noteworthy sue
cess against the telephone company /
did not get q single other case. My
entire earnings between the Christmas
recess Of the court and the SATURDAY.
when we We're finally to decide were $40
my fees for collecting .my clients
rents.
In three working months had earned
slI5. And OF that sum $50 went back TO
Washington for rent and $50 went TO
town merchants for bills. Notwithstand-
ing that we Were living at the cost of
our parents my earnings had not paid
the incidental expenses of my family.
Surely there was but one thing for us
TO do. as Annie's father said at our
family council that Saturday evening
Our expenses were calculated on the
basis OF S1.4o0 year. Even at home we
could not live on less than $1.0Oe. At the
rate of Ss5 a month. we should have but
S42o. This computation. made by Mr.. Bell
with choke in his voice and announced
amid shifts from all three of the women
at the table. convinced us all. There
was no assurance even for the future:
and for the present with which we
had to deal, the difficulties We're insur-
The Washington times., 1905-07-02
Back to the Grind.

SO We gave up the fight. In spite of
all our eagerness TO enter into 1t, doubt
II either of US had honestly expected to
win it. We cried-every member of our
two fanilies-when we said good-by. We
knew-all of us-that for the future 1
was slave to the departments. We
realized, even, that going back was a
retreat from battle which dozen
other men OF my age had fought ana
The Washington times., 1905-07-02

owner of that farm was Sam Fogle-
man, the closest man in Indiana
Old Sam was startled out of his
normal seIf-sufficiency few weeks be-
fore Christmas by the sight of work
men calmly putting down telegraph
poles along this lane.
What aire yeh doin' with them
poles?" ne Shouted.
"Theh b'loI;g t'th' telephone comp'ny.' y
answered the driver IAN wfr goin' {
put m up long thus rud."
The Washington times., 1905-07-02
Experiences has taught me well what the
gentle physician poet sang long. long
ago..

Experiences has taught me well what the
gentle physician poet sang long. ionH
ago.:
If solid happiness we prize
Within our breast this Jewel lies;
ard they are fools who roam:
- The world has nothing to bestow.
From our own selves our joys must now.
And that dear hut home.
My life has been blessed with Q
maidsnly daughter. who has GROWN
to be like her mother; son, who has
developed into physical strength. intel
ligence and honor; a little boy, whose
heart breaks forth in song and whose
light laughter rings through our homes
and wife OF such noble womanhnes9
and secure purity that she has kept
me true to my responsibilities and
diIfgent in my faith. in spite OF all the,
encouragement and all the unworthf-.
ness Of my life We have come to own
our home, through her management
We have come to so sweet an interde-
pendence, we four others and Annie.
that the home which shelters us an
arouses and renews the best selves Of
US. all She has made for her children
and her husband a place OF mora than
happiness. a place of peace and love
and Inspiration And the light that
shone In her deep blue eyes that blessod
day when her frst-born first nestled On
her arm, Eervades and suffuses us an
T. have fought, and prayed for
strength to keep on fighting, that
rIght deserve this I have paid my
Iebts. I have not bedraggled my bless7
ings. I have tried to love my nesghbor.
have borne His burden as He haa
given It to me to bear. and as Annfe's
sympathy has helped me bear It.
have never silirked the duty or for
gotten the responsibility such a home
has putupon me As far as mys
strength has gone, I have lived-away
from my work-the life my Annie
would have me lead.
The Washington times., 1905-07-02

year before swallowed us this
winter without a gulp. "A. paragraph in
The Compiler announced our arrival.
and stated that I was to resume. the
practice of law. Our two fond fathers
met us at the. station Our two old
homes flung their doors open wide
Otherwise we might have been merely
"Sundaying" in Independence.
Yet my return to the law was for
tunately timed. Judge W:ilougtby was
jest retiring from the bench and re-
opening his Office, which enabled him to
offer me desk room, though he did not
renew his proposal of n partnership. I
had come back late enough not to seem
to build upon my speec hmakine sue-
cess, and yet early enough to profit by
It, Many of my friends had work for
me to do. they said. And the whole
town was busy.
Annie and the baby, now a little girl
OF three. toddnng along at her mothers
side, came to the bleak square and stood
in the cold to inspect the new sign the
first day 1t was hung. Philip SCHUYLER.
Attorney at Law" 1t read. Even a
stranger could have seen that the dear
wife was deeply pleased She looked at
1t for full two minutes (the wind blow
ing her skirts about her and coloring
her cheek brightly. Then she smiled
at me. and. STOPPING suddenly, squeezed
her nan1esake hard
The Washington times., 1905-07-02
THE END

Gas a fitting sequel Co this narrative
Of 4 wrecked ambition, The Times viii
present next Sunday in one instal1ment,
ssThe Life Story OF Department Clerk
Who Made Good
The Washington times., 1905-07-02

WASHINGTON, D c., Apr; o. 1905
To the Editor OF The Washington -
Dear twenty Washington
nleo ambition
Ice
good account of them
chance OF doing anything with abilities Is
hemmed in by the politics
ments and In
respect OF forty-four life is decided failure
written
esy have found to change
the
believe that if the of today could story
would find
ability
stlhed
it, please return to
the address
Very truly yours,
vEsEzssFI A COG IN TfE WHEEL
The Washington times., 1905-07-02

won IN that small community. Never
theless, do not believe I can say. in
honor s5iu faith, that Annie and I were
really sorry to be going back.
Custom had shaped our life to the
Washington pattern. We looked on life
through the department lens. We had
gauged our daily expectations according
to certain ineRme. And we had been
tripped In every step by the lesser
standards OF our Old home.
we were going bacE-Yes. And instead
or grieving as we had feared. our hearts
were unworthily content.
The Washington times., 1905-07-02
XXIN

Thus ended the independence of my
life WHAT was to come, what has come
has been auieseent serfdom. am now
a "trusty'' in the prison OF routine.
The eleven years that have followed
The Washington times., 1905-07-02

Wheat tells him that he has violated the
laws of the department by taking the sfump
ana oy collecting insurance among subordi-
mates. schuyler is asked to transfer his
desk 10 Mr.. Wheat's room. Overcome by
humiliation and disappointment he forms
plans to leave the service and resume nrac
tice or law in his home State