davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12
Kicked Down steps.
Brides Sold mt Auction.

VIENNA. April 11.-Reports IRON
state the annual marriage auctions are
now being held In the towns of Csc
hatsk and Lystcheifka The first named
town Is The more oi Important place ana
More than $50 would-be brides have
arrived tere from tho surround
ing country on sle!ghs. Most of them
are accompanied by their parents and
bride. blid' Show" is held in front FONT Of the
cathedral The girls are drawn up in
line extending from that building to
the, City Hall. All are dressed up spe-
| best clothes. picturesque hair-dresses,
necklaces. earrings and other jewels
and ornaments which 1t is the great
| est desire of the Russian girls to pos
| sess. They have all taken hot bath
| in preparation for this occasion. and
| consequently they look much prettier
and more attractive than at ordinary
| times.
| The men pass along the line, examin-
ing the human goods with interest and
varying degrees of emotion. The mid
dle-aged and well-to do. customers i
| and business-like attention. while some
of the young fellows exhibit consid-
cradle bashfulness.
! The careful customer looks all along
the line before he begins to pay any
/ attention TO individuals. Then he stops
before the girl that strikes his fancy
and examines her points thoroughly
4 to see II It is her own, OF good quality
and we'll kept. He opens her mouth
and looks at her teeth. He taps her
He looks carefully at her limbs to
and capable Of doing the extremely
| hard work he will require OF her on
Having satisfied himself regarding
4 all these points, he mentions to the
/ girl the price he is willing to pay.
This VIII vary from MY I'VE r @ora up 70 e
lscarcely necessary to say that one
does not get very snowy bride for
/ five roubles. If the price is not high
enough the girl shakes her head, and
the man may offer more or pass on to
something cheaper.
I If the price Is satisfactory she con-
suits with her brother, who Is her par
\ ticular guardian. or with some other
J, paid goes to the family. but the mem;
. bers thereof are Eood-natured. and
/ they give it to the bride to start house
, keeping. .
Sometimes there is lively competi-
ton between two or more men who
are seeking an attractive bride. II
then becomes an out and out auction
The marriage market is likely to las.
one whole week aoo D ~ msrr inns ti
often degenerating into debauches, IN
the course of which the prospective
brides sustain more or less damage
Those who are left at the end of the
marriage fair are mostly unattractive
and bring next to nothing When the
. Russian countryman has secured wife
he carries her away to his lonely home
in the thinly populated country 1t Is
a mere hut, If he is a peasant.
There she has to labor as hard as {
man, or even harder. rising at dawn
milking The COWS. carrying wood t,
} the house, and doing all kinds of hare
work II Ter husband is too poor t.
afford horse, she may be harnesse'
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12
SANTA LUCIA. BY Mary Austin
Harper G. Brothers. publishers
s1.bO


Harper G. Brothers. publishers.
sl.50.
II Santa Lucia Mary Austins new
novel is not sane and satisfying
commentary on modern marriage, then
love-stories are written in vain. Do
mestic happiness, like all other kinds
of happiness. is relative. There is n
type of man who when he gets his
wife gets his desire. and writes finished
! on his romance; and there is a type Of
woman, married or unmarried. III
whom romance, for better or worse
will not die. In the case of both for
every dream foregone there is conf
pensation, and for every violation q
penalty. In Santa Lucia, pretentious
new town near San Francisco, with u
narrow society and an aspiring coli
lege Serena and Evan Llndley We're
married and SO were Julia and Antrim
Stairs Serena married Lindey when
she was Just out of college, with only
a pleasant affection in her love. and so
the story finds them; Lindley. the aver
age. satisfied man, faithful and prosaic.
with no ina gination and no conception
of Serena's; Serena, with her girl-na-
ture ripe for the poetry of ideal first
love, which has not come-and does not
come even In the end OF the story.
This is Serena's little tragedy, which
is, of course, no tragedy at all. ex-
cept In the world of dreams. Julia
Stairs is different; beautiful, shallow.
with no intellectual resources. she mar
rles the young professor of biology,
flattered by his preference and believ-
ing in his advancing success as her
social stopping stone. Julia Stairs, too
has missed romantic marriage, but
lacking Serena's stamina. she drifts
into renewed intimacy with an old
lover. With beautiful art each woman S
destiny is worked out; devotion to hus-
band and babies-a rose kissed and
flung to the night. as symbol of the
girlish dreams--that is Serena's; the
action of the story's close is concerned
with Julia's She tries to find courage
to tell her husband she Is weary Of
Inn, and so to free herself and marry
the other man; then. frustrated 10y
Antrim and Serena. takes the shortest
way out.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12
THE SOURCE. BY Washington Daw.

THE scoURGE. BY Washington Daw-
son. s1.2o.
The London Academy of March 21st
makes the following mention OF a
BOOK written by young American,
whose father was formerly connected
with The Times-Dispatch. and who IS
now, on his own behalf, president of
the United Press OF America, with
headquarters at Paris, France. The
London Academy says:
Mr.. Dawson belongs to that small
but distinguished band OF novelists
who deal with the great problems that
arise from distinctive social and ma
tional conditions. There is something
more than mere fiction in what he
writes. He has keen gifts Of observa-
ton and analysis. He has a thesis. He
is a prophet preaching from a text,
and he talks of what he knows. He
Is novelist with purpose, as every
novelist must in some measure be who
is a conscientious student of life; and
in The Scourge' his purpose has been
to show the effect upon life and char
actor in the Southern parts OF the
United States caused by the clash of
the old social elements with the new,
of the Invasion by the Yankee, the
German and the Jew OF that once ex-
elusive territory, which was the para
disc of the old-world planter and
slave-owner. This elder type of Amer
lean had many first-class qualities
! which are all the more noticea BILE
| when contrasted with the coarse
/ grained characteristics of certain mod
ern types. 1t is the Southerner. the
I Legendary Virginian, that the English
man still has in mind when he figures
to himself the ideal American gentle
man. The Southerner, as painted by
MIR. Dawson has pride of race and
ancestry which his own cousins OF the
same stock in England would hardly
share In like degree or would GER
tainly not express in the same way 10,
tear of making themselves ridiculous
BUT In Its native simplicity this Is
none the less an admirable trait. The
southerner was, and presumably Is
\ sun, fine speciman of manhood, ant
to his noble traditions Of living ant
high example the United States un.
uouptedly owes a not-sufficiently an
preclated debt. This Mr.. Dawson con
Vinclngly points out, but his task ha
also been to show that the South mus
modify It's outlook upon life in fac,
or the new state Of affairs, or resign
ltself 20 subordination or ruin 1t |!
the invasion of the South by the Nortl
which constitutes the scourge, Tb
author has contrasted very cleyerly TN
characters of Alfred Elklns, the push
ing, self-made tobacco manufactures
from the North, who revolutionizes tn
southern town of Paulsville, and Maio
Melviile, the Southerner, his gentle
manly, refined factotum, whom Elk1n
poth DULLES and envies. Elkins'
ADOPTED son, 'Bloke is an exceedingly
cleVer creation, even more in contras
Win ms surroundings. and. therefore
,~I,,
than Elkins himself. The story !
quite engrossing, but it is ms a stud
OF transitional national attributes tina
1t has enduring value,
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12

|, It's tragic intensity added to Its set
ting makes 1t as forceful to a degree.
The sacrifice of a womans life slow
~ day by day and year by year, the
change from youthful prettiness 20
worn-out shabbincss, the effacement OF
self In the service OF others. SO ui,-
obtrusive that only the finger Ut
death brought home the realization of
what It all meant to husbands lleGN.
these are some OF the phases that in
vest THE Judgment OF Eve" with a
sorrowful and powerful realism.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12
Americans Rob n Primn Donna.

ROME, April 11.-Signorina Panta-
leoni, the famous Italian prma donna,
has just been robbed of 100000 in
money and jewels by American adven-
turers
The singer recently received as visi-
tors at her villa near Pallanza, four
elegantlydress strangers They had
letters of introduction, describing them
as representatives of Oscar Hammer
stein, the New York theatre manager
and opera impresario. and stated they
had come to offer a profitable engage
nlent to her.
After dinner there was little mu-
sic, the prima donna singing to the ac-
compartment of the musician Of the
party and taking part in a duet with
another of them.
But during the singing two of the
Americans left the room.
Following them the signorina found
ing for him. The kind singer offeret
to drive the sick man and his friends
in her own car to the station al
pallanZa, where the party took trait
for Milan
it was not until her return thai
Signorina Pantaleoni discovered thai
the indisposition Of the American
ing the safe in her bedroom and TAX
ing all that it contained.
The letters of introduction are for
geries, anu the American party has not
vet been captured.
Priest Lncerates Himself While
Preaching.
ROME, April 11,-From Ceccano and
Froslnone come descriptions of the I'M
credible fanaticism aroused by thu
preaching Of q monk at the Lentel
services.
In the Church of st. John the Bap
ltst the other evening, the preacher
,'carried away by the fire of his clio,
lquence, drew from his pocket somt
pieces of surpened iron, and began Il
| lacerate his face With them until lt
WAS bathed in blood.
The Fearful scene only ended whe,
la courag eous person mounted the pull
pit and took from the priest his 3instrl
ments of torture. while the excitet
women rushed in the greatest disor,
!der out Of the building,
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12
THE HuNTsMAN IN THE SOUTH. By
Alexander Hunter The Neaie
Publishing Company, Of New York
and Washington. S1.50.

Publishing Company, OF New aorN
and Washington. S1.50.
Major Hunter, the author of this
book has been the teacher of some or
the great huntsmen of this country.
When President Harrison desired 10
hunt the game of Virginia, the major
was chosen by one of the prominent
clubs of that State to accompany him.
He organized The Triton Hunting and
Shooting Club of Canada, the largest
and wealthiest club of its kind In the
world the club having the exclusive
right to hunt over $50 square miles.
He also organized the Ragged Island
Club, on the Virginia coast, the finest,
most exclusive sporting club In the
South.
In this book all OF the majors rich
and varied store of experience Is avail
able, ready for instant use by young
and old, the beginner and the past
master. To the amateur sportsman, II
is the book of books.
We are told where the game is &c
be found and under what conditions Il
is to be hunted; we are informed as
to the nature of the game and its red
habits; what sort of gun to get for the
various game. what kind of dogs tc
buy, where to obtain them, how tc
train them: how to reach the different
gaming grounds, how much 1t vii
cost you to get there and to stay there
and where to stop; what you ought to
wear and take with youth short. the
how and what and where and whcr
and to what eXtent-the very alphabet
of hunting All he wants to know AM
| much more than he dreams he ough
to know is here for the boy who doe:
not know, as we'll as for the man wht
has spent long life in field and woods
| 1t is a boys book: 1t Is a huntsman':
book; 1t will inform the youths igno
rance and enrich the sportsmans ex
perience. From Virginia to the I2lt
Grande. over bog, thicket, morass
stream and field; by canoe, horse an,
cart, the major takes you with roo
and gun and horn, hunting coons
| foxes, turkeys, ducks, bear and deer
always certain, keen, alert. 1t Is thu
huntsman's own companion.
4 JUDGMENT OF EVE. BY May Sin
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12
Tried to BlnckmaIl Prince.

Tlsu W btucNulli Prince.
who recently tried to blackmail Prince
franeis Joseph, a member of the Ba
yafian royal family. and grandson
was out motoring, were at Elclrstadt
This week sentenced to two years i'm
prisonment each.
The duke was returning late in the
evening by motor car from Munich to
Bamperg, where he is serving as a
lieutenant in Bavarian Uhlan regi.
m h. when he saw a. PEASANTS cart
OF the road He stopped his car, where
upon several peasants, who led their
horses into ditch. asserted that they
iiad been run down by the motor car,
They gave alarm. and n crowd OF
peasants rushed up and dragged the
duke and his chauffeur from the car.
The peasants uttered loud threats OF
violence. whereupon the duke stated
that he was member of the royal
house, and promised the peasants SIS
II they would let him pass. The ring
leader. however. compelled the prince
to write on his visiting card. by the
light of the car lamps, that he would
send $50 more within three days for
the damage sustained by the cart.
The duke made preparations to pro-
coed. and the chauffeur had started
the car, when the peasants again sur
rounded 1t. and one of them said. III
you don't give more you can sit here
VII morning. Alter much discussion,
the duke promised a further So. but was
again stopped when he had gone few
! feet. and the crowd demanded wit
nesses' fees. AS the crowd made 1t
| impossible to proceed. nothing re-
NAMED for the duke but to take out
| his purse and distribute various sums,
amounting in all to $50. After being
delayed three hours, the duke was al
lowed to go on his way.
| When he reached Bamberg. tho
duke, very angry, at once communi-
Gated with the police authorities
They communicated with the authori-
ties of the village in which the duke
was held up, and the peasants were
| quickly arrested.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12
the restrictions and limitations that
| always hamper and bind down to earth

the TeSlTlCUOnS ana ll1TlNdtlOnS LHNt
always hamper and bind down to eartl,
the spirit of genius.
The struggle made by the delicate,
sensitive, shrinking spirit of genius TO
adapt itself to the dull round OF the
commonplace and the companionshlp
OF the MATERIAL Is strongly pictured In
the apprenticeship OF William Jordan,
.jr.. to the house of Crumpet, and his
association there with Jimmy Dodson.
That knowledge and self-securlty
result from his going forth in anguish
and bewilderment, attunes the mind of
the reader for the tragic story OF the
heros birth. and for his further
achievement of his destiny in his mis-
sion work among the poor OF London,
and in his going to the forest. ocean
and fields and there learning to read
the face OF his Mother Earth like an
open page, and dicipher all her sweet
little mysteries.
Then 1t seems quite natural that,
having gone so far he must return
again to the streets OF the great city,
to the sanctuary In which he had been
wont to kneel and to the white haired
man, his father. that he might write
his treatise upon human life, and so
finish his task.
This treatise. with the end OF which
the poets life is finished, reveals Man,
the Wayfarer.. ever STAINING after
that which he knows not how to At
tain, until, worn out with the heat and
dust and the bloody conflict of tho
battle. the unhappy Warrior
commits himself a tired, baffled war
Worn child of destiny, yet grateful in
his WEAKNESS. to the arms of the Earth,
his mother, again.
"This epic of Man, the Warrior, ever
trampling the brakes OF the Eternal
Forest cutting the path with the
Sword in lis right hand in the fruitlcss
search for that which will reconcile
him to his partial vision. with the
nobly pitiful irony of it's conclusion
that in the present stage of the War
riors development the reconciliation
must be sought by compromise--this
epic has an austere mingling of the
elements of tragedy purging mans ma
ture, with the healing and co-ordinating
properties which reconcile diverse and
conflicting factors of experience with
the primal belief of Man Himself"
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12

a VIRGINIA &c F'EUp. BY George Taylo,
Y YerL me ne T Menle Company, of New
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12

GUM, and. 1t is declared. became rec
onciled to him on the promise that she
never would drink anything stronger
than mineral water 1t was only the
matter of week before she lapsed
into her old habits and renewed her
evil mountaineering. and the climax
was capped when she was seen In the
company of German army officer,
said to be friend of Emperor VIII
helm, and who is thoroughly detested
by King Leopold.
Kicked Down steps.
peroival Halton an officer attached
to crack regiment. met with sum
mary treatment at a west-end ball the
other night. where he spoiled the plea
sure Of every one present by career
ing madly about the room In state
of Wild intoxication. The dance was one
where exnilnration that Is not often
sive Is walked at. but in this case The
behavior OF the officer was quite in
tolerable. He was promptly seized by
half dozen OF the mon present and
dragged 10 the head OF the stairs,
down which he was shot without the
slightest ceremony When he reached
the street. the door was banged upon
him. and he was left to make his way
to his quarters In very bruised and
battered condition. He has been on
sick leave since.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12
to cart or plow with a big doa

10 cart or ploW with big doa
or donkey.
But before this stage of domestcIty
is reached, there is wedding. which
is one OF the most gorgeous and pic
turesque features of Russian life. The
betrothal ceremony takes place week
and day before the marriage cere.
mony. During these days, the brds
must weep and lament and wall loud
" oyer ier coming marriage and sep
a matter of fact she desires these
events more anxtously than anything
else in the world.
girl friends devote themselves to con-
soling and cheering her during these
days of lamentation. They recite stories
to her and sing songs. and the bur-
the JOY and happiness OF matrimony.
on the day before her marriage she
nn9raids her long plat Of hair and
divides among her maiden comrades
from her loosened tresses. Then they
lead her to the bath. AS she bathes
they sing to her. They. spend hours
dressing and redressing her long hair,
and while they brush and twist they
sing TO her songs of love and happi-
ness.
on the wedding day the bridegroom
comes to the brides parents house anS
! claims her. Then comes touching bic
of ceremony. The maiden kneels before
her parents and asks them to pardon
HeF lor any oHense OF which she might
| have been guilty They lift her up
and kiss her. Then they offer her
bread and salt, which signifies that
while they live they will not sec her
/ lack the necessaries of life. When
she leaves the house its door is left
open, to signify that she may return
! when she wishes-that her girlhood's
| home Is still hers
| In many districts when the bride
! groom comes to claim his bride her
| brother places himself beside her. and
| with stout staYe or drawn sword
| prevents the mans approach.
| The guarding brother refuses TO move
aside until we'll paid BY the bride.
groom. The two often engage in
long dispute. the bride melting her
! brother to extort q goodly price for
herself. her veil and her beauty. Ir
cases whore the bridegroom has all.
ready purchased his wife at auction
! he is naturally indignant at having 10
4 pay the brother further ransom.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12
KING SPRUCE AND HIS REBELS. BY
Holman Day. Harper & Brothers,
OF New York, publishers. $3.50.


OF New York, publishers. $3.50.
1t is not too much to predict of
'sEing Spruce" the new novel by Hol-
man Day. that Its author will do for
life in Maine what other writers have
done for different sections of the coun-
try and what Mary Il. Wilkins-Free-
man has done for a radically different
phase of New England life King
Spruce" is romance of virile passion
In background which reveals modern
conditions In commercial forestry In
Maine. The hero fights king Spruce"
the brute force OF the timber barons
which controls the waterways and
iravages tie forests and is all-powerful
with the Legislature. The fact that the
woods and water are subject to tyranny
will be new to most readers, but Mr..
Day las given It very live embodi-
ment. Dwight Wade. college man and
ex-football player. in love with the
daughter OF the chief of the barons. is
made to feel their heavy hand, and.
entering the woods, pits his pluck and
love against the power of the timber
kings. Throughout the romance APP
pear quaint characters OF the woods
the old fire-warden. Prophet Eli: the
squatters of Misery Gore; Tommy Eye,
the inebriate log-driver: and the
fSrant of the camps. Pulaski ID. Britt.
The dry, delightful humor for which
Mr.. Days tales and poems are famous
fiavors the story throughout. The
1ovestory of Dwight Wade and Elva
Barrett is the romance of the strong
man who loves greatly and dares every
thing and wins. There is no writsr
with Mr. Days knowledge of the inner
life of the Maine woods. His pictures
of the woods in winter by day and
night, and the scenes which he sketches.
like the great forest fire, the vengeance
of the insane warden, woods fight
man to man. the blowing UP of dam.
and the wild race with the logs, are
full of pulsing vitality and tense in
terest which puts to shame anaemic
and analytic fiction.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12

JUDGMENT OF EVE. By May Sin
clair. Harper & Brothers, OF New
York. publishers. sl.26.
One can but feel that May Sincla.r's
last book is all the more pitiful be-
cause 1t is so true. 1t has been beau
tifully brought out by Harper. and
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12
LOVES LOGIC. BY Anthony Hope.
The Mcclure Company. Of Now
Ynrl1 MI hi i.h ora kn

IIe MCJIure Company, OF NOW
York, publishers. $3.50.
A book made up OF a number OF
short stories written with Mr.. Hopes
characteristic whimsicality Of humor
and his bright cleverness and crisp
ness of style. The leading story, MRS
Thfstleton's Princess" is specially de-
lightful in the telling. Others possess
ing special merit In entertainment are
THE Prince Consort," prudence and
the Bishop" and THE Dukes Allot-
ment."
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12

THE SISTERS. BY Mrs. Percy Dear
mer. The Mcclure Company, OF
New York. publishers. s1.so.
The scene of this story Is laid In
England, and the story deals with
titled English people and with two
girls related to each other by ties OF
blood. but widely separated by envlr-
onment and heredity.
They both love the same man. but
both give HIM up, though, for vastly
different reasons. The girl who is
fortunate stoops from her position to
do all within her power for the other
With whom life has dealt very hardly
The book is written with a certain
amount Of power. The characters are
we'll presented and described. and while
there are some things that repel the
reader, there Is much to interest and
to hold attention.