davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

gone to Buck keller's singin' school two winters for nuthin'. But if I had been carryn' my Monday Tuesday and every other day sense with me, I'd have re- membered that l never said piece In school, and that I always took back seat at singin' and hid behind a book l was so alfred bashful.
 Well. it was fixed up that I was to be Santa Claus and Tidy gave me a book that had the words in. I was to be dressed up in a buffalo robe with whis- kers made of cotton, and had to sing about four or five lines and then pass around the candy and presents. That seemed easier than rollin' off log By the way I felt when Tildy was talkin about 1t, b'lieve l could hev sung book full of songs
 "I camped at home for week or more a-tryin' to learn the lines. I said them over and over, but there din't seem to be pitch enough on my brain to make them stick. 1 had them put down on a slip of paper and I carried that with me, and every time I'd forget I'd pull that paper out to look at 1t and get a fresh start.
 "A week on the front side of Christmas, Tildy sent word for me to come to re- hearse, as she called it. That meant that everybody was to sing and do Just like they'd do a-Christmas sos they get use 10 the harness.
 That cantater was in the church where the one is to be had this year. There was nobody there when we rehearsed but the ones that had parts. and plowed through 'thout htin a root. I came last and 1 had the book cause it wasn't sup posed to be the real thing that night. Besides, Tidy stood by the organ and see sawed her hand to me when to trot out and start around the ring; but l never loolxed at ope liVint sou1 a ffer | cut loose jest kept my little peppers nailed to that book. We all agreed that the cantater would be better a circus and went home feelin' important-like.
 'I took Tildy in my sleigh. and she'd talk about nuthin' but the cantater. l tried to switch her off onto matters that to my style of thinkn' had more interest for us, but she didn't seem to want to be switched that way She was soaked with that cantater. She says:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

Daniel Clark came next after foot, serving a year, when he was sueeedeo by Lafayette s. Foster, who served two years. Then came Ben Wade, the bull- dog of the Western Reserve. He was man of great force of character, full or prejudice and obstinacy and ignorance. He shouldered his way to the front, beat Chase, a far greater man, for the presi- dency in 1s60-that Is, made the nomina- ton of Chase impossible. Later Chase. presiding over the impeachment trial or Andy Johnson, was instrumental in Keep ing Wade out of the White House.
 One day James, Duke of York, after ward James II, King of England. waited on his brother. then King Charles Il, and laid before his majesty something about a plot to kill the King. Charles heard the story with incredulous ear and re- piled: James, nobody is going to kill me to make you King" And that Is what saved Andy Johnson's bacon. The senate refused to impeach Andy because 1t would have made Wade President. Had Henry Wilson or even Oliver F. Morton, been president pro tempore in 1883, Andy would have been statesman out of a job for doing thing that every other President could have done without question.
 (TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK)
 Copyright, 1907 by E. w. Newman.)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

TOHN TYLER, tenth President of the
 United States and the most vicious 0 ly underestimated man ever in that station, was President pro tesnpore Of the United States Senate during the life of the Twenty-fourth Congress. He was a very able, a very pure man and very considerable statesman; thorough patriot I know it is the fashion for the ignorant and the malignant to traduce John Tyler, but history will do him jus tice It would be a profit and pleas- ure to any perceptive and candid mind to read Seven Decades" by Henry A. Wise. There is an immense deal of very valuable American history narrated in that volume, in a style exceedingly captivating. It deals much with John Tyler.
 John Tyler was born when the constt- tuition of the United States was less than 1 year old He was educated at William and Mary, studied and practiced law. and the year he attained to his majority, In 1S11, he was returned to the Virginia house of delegates. He vas elected a member of the Fourteenth Congress to supply a vacancy, and took his seat in December, 1916, before he was N years Of age. He sat in several other Congresses,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

been defiled by the trail of the ser pent-sin. And he painted the child. and under the picture he wrote that sweet word-"Heaven."
 He then said to himself: If ever I should see human face that shows as much of hate and wickedness as this does of love and innocence, I'll paint that as a companion picture, and call 1t Hell" Long years rolled by, and one day, in looking through a prison, In a far-off foreign land, the painter saw a wretched creature whom it seemed grossest flattery to call a man. He was crouching like a wild beast in one of the darkest corners of the dungeon of condemned felons. His eye gleamed with the fires of the pit His wh ole countenance was the em- bodiment of malignity. The artist started back in horror; but recovering himself he said: 'Tll paint that face and call 1t He'll" And he did paint it. and under the picture he wrote that awful word, Hell" But what was his astonishment when he learned that this condemned felon was the identical
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22
THE PATHOS OF IGNORANCE-By Frank Mccoy Dominick

On another occasion. I entered the home of a mother in the hill country whose youngest child, some years old. lay cold and still in the only sleeping room the house possessed. There was an air of solemnity about the house. the other children moved a little less noisily in their play, and the mother went about her usual work, assisting the neighbor women with the midday meal and in the preparation for the interment of the child.
 The little body, placed in rude box of pine boards, made by men of the neigh borh ood, was carried to the grave fin a wagon. A brief service was held by the circuit rider, the grave was filled with earth. the mother stood longingly for a moment over the new heaped mound, gave one lingering sob of farewell, and then the little oota- pany gath cred there went quietly about its usual business.
 There was lacking the profundlty or grief. The mothers sorrow was akin to the instinct in the female for her
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

wickedly expressing a helpless and downtrodden people, And such con duct as this will harden any mans heart. It is a law of the divine gov ernment that wick edness shall become easier and easier as men persist in it. And this Is a merciful provision of Gods moral government. Many a boy has been saved from the penitentiary by the instruction of a wise mother who knew this law. She would say: My son, If you steal cent today, it will be easier for you to steal a dime tomorrow and a dollar the next day. It is the first step that must be re- sisted, for the path of vice becomes easier and easier to us as we continue to walk in 1t"
 Here is a boy who, only last week. swore his first oath. He heard one of "the big boys" swear, and thought it was manly. But when the horrid words first escaped his young lips, he was frightened at himself He started turned pale for a moment, and glanced anxiously about him to see if his terrible oath had fallen upon the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

great, yearning desire, to sink back into the depths of ignorance and the narrowness of his life. to follow in the steps of his fathers. marry some girl in the nelghborhood whose training was scarcely equal to his own, and con tinue his life as if there had been no faint vision, as if there had been no light.
 As the story of his childhood and young manhood was told. 1 sat mute and silent for there WAS being re- hearsed the tra gedy o1 a soul In the light of the revelation afforded by his recital. the lines upon his face lost their vagueness and plainly told of the feel ing of despair that had settled upon the man and had taken possession of his life.
 Such condition was no fault of his. By his own efforts, no one could ex- pect him to rise above his environ ment. Without the help of home, without the aid of the state, without the influence of society, the task was a hopeless one. The man was doomed. It was the pathos of ignorance.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

season of special religious interest-a protracted meeting, let us say-a de- vout Christian approaches some un- godly friend, who thus far has shown no interest in religion, and says: My friend, don't you think 1t Is time you were seeking the salvation of your soul? How Is it that you have no in trest in this all important matter?" And his friend coolly replies: Well, I don't feel. If I could feel as those people do who are asking for the pray CTS of the church and visiting the pas tor at his study, I, too. would act; but don't feel at all, and I cannot be expected to act without feeling"
 Now, here indeed, is a strange case. God charges men with the sin of hard ness of heart, and instead of being shocked and appalled, at the charge, they actually excuse themselves on the plea that their hearts are so hard that they do not feeli
 Suppose a man were charged with murder and his counsel should make a defense like this: Gentlemen of the jury my client did kill his neighbor,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

ear of any one who might perhaps tell mother" But in the course of one short week his heart has become so hard that he can, without a qualm of conscience. affront high heaven with his fearful oaths, calling down the vengeance of an angry God upon his own soul and upon the souls of his companions.
 There was once a great painter who longed to paint picture of heaven. But he had never seen heaven. One day while he was deeply meditating, little 4-year-old boy came near him. He was a lovely chi id. The light of heaven filled his laughing eye, and he looked the very picture of purity, innocence, and joy. The artist gazed with rapt- ure upon the bright young face, and said enthusiastically: "I'll paint the child and he shall be my picture of h eaven." He was not far wrong. Heaven is purity and purity Is heaven. And if there Is anywhere upon this sin cursed earth anything left to remind us of heaven, 1t is beautiful child, whose bright young life has not yet
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

offering. There was pain 1t parting. there was awe at the mysterious pres ence that had come into the midst of tho househo old. but that was all The family were ignorant and illiterate. They knew nothing of the higher things of life: their minds wore narrowed. their hearts contractel by the hope lessness of their existence. They were almost iLcapab:e of the higher forms of grief. As I stood an1 watched the mother at the grave uy leart went out. rot for the child who had never suffered. hut for the living who knew not their own suffering. I. was the pataos Of ignorance.
 Tbese are but two incidents of thou sands that illustrate the hopeless lives of IGapv of the citizens of tho great state O. Alabama, scattered through out the breadth and exteat of the state mostly in the hill counties, but found everywhere, in the city, village and rural district tn ere are thousands who are not living, even though they
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

Since l got this cantater up stacks of folks is jealous-some cause their children ain't in 1t and some cause they think I'm tryin' to put on style since I've been to school in town ain't slept much over it, and if it ain't great sue cess l don't know what I'll do-l'H feel so humilerated.'
 "I didn't want her to feel that way, so I said awful encouragin' words to her and clinched the thing by telin' her that if she couldn't make the whole business whistle nobody in seventeen counties could.
 Since she had come home l was dead sot on gittin' her to say yes to little question 1 had been winterin' for long spell. and that was the boss reason had for bein hauled into the eantater. l wanted to please her and to keep slothin' around handy while matched out good chance to pop. So on this night, when she came to the hankerin' -for-sympathy point, I told her that the cantater'd be a dandy and that it wouldn't hey an insect on it or kink in Its maine or tail. Then I figured that I'd take her Christmas night, and when we got on the road home, some place where the trees made nice comfortable shadow and she was feelin' gay and glngery, I'd chirp my little chirp.
 Christmas night everything was ready and waitln'. Tidy and the preacher zossed the job. The front of the church was fixed up like dancin' platform, with spruce all around 1t. We had sheets tackled up on each side of the platform for the cantater people to hide behind. On one side was the organ and on t'other side on the floor was big spruce trec jest plastered over with red, white and blue paper, sticks of candy, and all kinds of doll babies and candles. That tree wouldn't hev been known by it's own motner-it was a sight, I tell you.
 Some of the cantater folks would hev made you almost die of laughin'- they s dressed up so ridiculous, but Tidy said they had to be that way. As said, l was to be Santer Claus, and had myself got up regardless-jest kivered with that robe, and everything regular.
 Back of the sheets every one was hum- min the songs sos they'd not forgit, and rildy was a-prancin' here and there, tell in them how to do. Mothers that had
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

ba. baker. baby and every word in the book became as familiar as the tunes used in the little log church on Sun days
 As the months and years passed the boy caught faint echoes from the great busy outside world. There came to him faint glimmers of the light. and in his mind was anchored a desire to take part in the life of which he caught oc- casional glimpses on his trips to town. As his mind slowly awakened and ex- banded GIe study of medicine grew upon him, until the great thought of his life was to be a physician. But the training of the young man was meager, his knowledge of books was limited to simple reading, spelling and writing. There was no help from neighbors, for they knew no more than he. His father, by the hardest toll, was able barely to provide food and clothing for the large family. There would be no help there. His primary training made 1t impossible to fall back upon his own resources. There was nothing to do but give up his
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

and there is no denying it. But, then, he ought not to be hung for it, be- cause his heart was so brim full of murder that he was bound to kill, and so is not responsible" Would not any honest jury decide that the man whose heart was full of murder was the very man of all others, for whom the gal lows was made?
 But some men go further and say: God hardened Pharoah's heart and he hardened my heart so I don't feel that I can help It." But such a treatment of Pharoah's case is utterly unfair and unsound argument So far as the light of Scripture, as well as the light of our own observations and experience can teach us. we have no reason to be- lieve that God hardened Pharoah's heart in any sense other than that in which he hardens the hearts of all who disobey the plain dictates of duty.
 Pharoahs s heart was hardened under the same divine and eternal law under which the hearts of wicked men are hardened now. The first we know Pharoah is that he was a cruel tyrant,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

unsatisfied look upon his face, There was something there vague in its in- depreciation and yet distinct and ever present. The man was interesting from standpoint of psychology.
 One afternoon we were sitting on the porch, watching the glorious sunset of the Alabama hills, when the topic of conversation drifted to the days of childhood. He told me of the happy hours of the life of the child who lived in the hills; how he ran, barefooted and brown up and down the hills and through the valley; how in the rich autumn time the ehestnuts were taken from tn cir sticky burrs. and the nick orynuts gathered from amid the depths of tinted leaves; how with gun upon his shoulder he went in search of rabbit and squirrel and bird and then how, as a rowdy youngster, he took his Webster's blue-b backed spelling book and went to his first school. The master, was an ignorant. uneducated man, and knew little more than his pupils; day after day they drawled out the letters and syllables until ab,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

breathe. eat, drink and sleep. The brute does all of these things.
 Thousands cannot read. and the wealth of the ages in song and story, as for them. might well have never been created. Tens of thousands, with only the most rudimentary school training. live narrow, contracted. cheer less lives. without any of the joys of existence.
 Tens of thousands are rendered unfit for citizenship because they lack that intelligence which comes from schools and books.
 Tens of thousands of homes are cheerless and without the elevating influences of culture and refinement.
 Life Is more than eating and sleep ing. The illiterate lose the higher things of life. The unsatisfed longing, the restless yearning after better things, the faint call to the higher and truer living, the dawn of the light, and then the sinking back into darkness and despair-th erein lies the pathos of ignorance.
 Epes, Ala.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

COME years ago the writer was
 thrown in contact for several A> months with man who lived In ono of the hiu counties of Alabama. This man was hardly over 27 years old. and yet there wore lines of care upon his face far beyond his age. He had married when quite young girl of the neigh borhood, and had settled down to the cares of family life, with nothing as 8 start in the world except his own strong muscles. 40 acres of rented land, and a mortgaged mule. By dint of hard work and much saving, he had pur- chased a place of 100 acres, had erected on it a rude board house, and had ac- quired several head of farm stock. In the estimation of his neighbors he was "well-hxed," and measured by their standards his life was a success.
 As saw him day after day I could not but be attracted by the restless,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

"HE cooperation of the human6
 the divine clements in the pro- \ duction of the inspired writings and oral utterances of prophets and apostles has, in these latter days, been much discussed. It is quite common, too, to read and to hear of the action and intersection of the human and the di- vine powers in conversion, and in Christian life. But there is anoth CT aspect of the co-working of the human and the divine agencies which the Scriptures certainly do teach, and of which we seldom hear any discussion from our pu1pits.
 Wicked men are often spoken of in the Bible as hardening their hearts" and the Bible also teaches that God hardens their hearts. One of the most striking manifestations that goddess men ever make of this hardness of heart, Is found in the fact that they actually plead this charge as its own vindication. For instance: During some
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22

little boy. v 40 years before, had sat for hiss picture of heaven. He had hardened his heart Oh fathers, moth CTS in Israel, take care; take care. That little one whom you so dearly love. and dandle on your knee and press to your throbbing breast, is sitting for a pie ture of heaven, or as a model of hell. Chisle in hand stood the sculptor boy, With his marble block before him; And his face lit up with a smile of joy As an angel dream passed OCT him. He carved 1t then on the yielding
 stone
 With many a sharp incision; < tn heavens own light the sculpture
 shone;
 He had caught that angel vision. Sculptors of life we are as we stand, With our souls uncarved before us; Waiting the hour. when at Gods com
 mand,
 Our ufe-dream shall pass OCT us. If we carve it then on the yielding
 stone
 With many a sharp incision, That heavenly beauty shall be our oWn' our lives that angel vision.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22
Vet He Wished Him We'll.
.om Harper's Weekly.

From Harper's Weekly.
 Between emotionalism and formal ism in religion" says a Washington clergyman. there is a golden mean a reflection that came to me recently upon the conclusion of my remarks to a colored congregation in Richmond.
 "I had invited an aged deacon to offer prayer. o Lord prayed he. 'gib dis pore brudder de eye of de eagle. dat he spy out sin afar of. Glue his hands to de gospel plough. Tie his tongue to de line of truf. Nail his yere to de gospel pole. Bow his head way down in some lonesome. dark, and narrer valley, where prayer is much wanted to be made. 'Noint him wifi de kerosene-ile of salvation. an set him on drev"
The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1907-08-01

n. E. Milford, Dr. T. T. Winner and
S. E. Wallen were Of the delegation
that left here last night to attend
the big Republican convention at
Tulsa:
The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1907-08-01
LACK OF EVIDENCE MAY SAVE
men ACCUSED OF LYNCH|NG

Guthrie, July Sl.-Deputy Marshal
jacobson returned today from Usage
with Shorty Green and Mike White,
the two railroad men held by Commits
sioner Mellett at Pawhuska yesterday
to the grand jury without bail on a
charge of murder They were placed
in the federal jail.
Reports from Pawhuska are to the
effect that it will be very difficult for
the government TO secure testimony
to convict these men. At the hearing
before the commissioner wlii~.l lasted
three days, the prosecution had .prac-
tically no witnesses except women
and children. These were tangled
badly by John Leahy, of Pawhuska,
member of the constitutional conven-
tion, who was defending the alleged.
lynchers. AS result Of the hearing
Frank Sisk, OF Cleveland, was released
and the other two men were held on
5he murder charge. Thecommissioner
mas no authority to release persons
charged with murder on bond. But
Attorney Leaby has already made APP
olication before Judge Hainer for the
'elease Of the two prisoners.
The prosecution claims that Green
md White were leaders Of the mob
hat lynched the negro tramp, Frank |
5ailey. Frank Kelley, the Katy
who was shot by Bailey, is
ecovering.
The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1907-08-01
STILL Unidentified
Identity of Young Man Killed In
Frisco Yards Early Wednesday
Remains a Mystery.

Despite the efforts of Undertaken
Lewis Rogers and the officials to OBJ
tain some clue which would lead TO
the Identification Of the young man
who was killed near the Frisco coal
chutes early yesterday morning the
solution seems no nearer than at
first.
Mr. Rogers has communicated with
every person whose name was suggest
ed by the note book carried by the
unfortunate man - the jewelryman
who sold the watch found in his
pocket, and even the merchants who
sold the clothes he wore, but all TO no
purpose. The body has been viewed
by number of people who thought
they might have known the man dur
ing his life time but so far no one
has professed to have seen him before.
Mr.. Rogers still has hopes Of locating
the relatives OF friends Of the man,
and for that reason the remains will
not be buried before tomorrow after
noon.