davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10

time has come for Europe to feel the ef- fects of shot and shell. There was a time. not more than a century ago, when European affairs did not seriously affect distant nations. but it is otherwise today, when every telegraph cable is nerve connecting each with all and conveying to the extremities of the earth the effects of maladies disturbing the heart. The body polite is but the physical body on larger scale and no particular part can suffer without in a greater or lesser de. gree making itself felt over the entire system Trade and commerce flow through channels which local infammations obstruet and which 1t may require mili- tary or naval operations to cure. Trade and commerce are the life blood of the world today and the nation which has the most and through whose body 1t courses most rapidly is the healthiest and strong est
 One of the most remarkable crcum- stances in connection with the general impression that exists regarding Emperor William of Germany is that he has come to be considered what he is usually styled, "a war lord.' when as a matter of fact
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10

blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many of the remission of sins. " My body which is given for you.' My blood which is shed for you" "The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" q lay down my life for the sheep
 Dr. Toy doubts whether Jesus professed to work miracles, and that in spite Of the following passages. And Jesus put forth his hand and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediate ly his 1eprosy was cleansed." And Jesus saith, I will come and heal him." 1. e.. the centurion's servant, And Jesus said, go thy way; and as thou hast be- lieved, so be 1t done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour" "But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins (thus saith he to the sick of palsy) arise, take up thy bed, and go into thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house" "The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them" Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10

Like to the yarn-cew of the drowsy Knit
 ter. Dragged by the frolic kitten through the
 cabin, While the good dame sits nodding OCT
 the f1rei Masters, attend; twill crave some skill
 to clear it''
 The second is from little sketch, writ ten by the late Bishop Dudley of Ken- lucky, after pr. Toy had left Louisville and had taken his chair at Harvard. am obliged to quote from memory: And Toy, our founder, teacher, scholar,
 sage, Who knows all learning whatsoeer it's
 age Who dreams in Arabic and smokes in
 Greek, And reads the Zendervesta once a week. As brave as Paladin, as shy as girl, As bright as diamond, pure as any pearl: Alasl he. too, has gone nor shares our
 feast. A modern Magus he went to the east. Ills learning grew too heavy for his sta-
 ton, He fell to Boston just by gravitation."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10

Hamlet was Edwin Booth. No two men could be more alike than Forrest and Booth Booth was cast in @ more deli cate mould while Forrest was an illustra- ton of perfect physical manly propor- tions; Booth an artist of classic finish. Forrest less artistic as to details and | reaching results by the dominance of his
 personality I should say therefore, that Booth was inferior to Forrest even as
 Brutus, but that Forrest was second or third to Booth as RichelieI or Mehrotte,
 parts they both played.
 Forests great acting was seen through out the United States from Boston to New
 Orleans and from the Atlantic to Califor-
 mia. He amassed a fortune, won many personal friends, had personal sorrows,
 domestic infelicity, and experienced to-
 wards the close of his career storms and
 roughness on the sea of life.
 He visited England and Scotland. On one occasion he sat in a box of the Thea Ire Royal and saw Macready play Hamlet. When the English actor introduced a
 dancing scene into Hamlet it was said that Forrest hissed. This was the be- ginning of trouble between the two men. Through the efforts of Macready, it is said Forests tour through England was | made a failure. Macready's friends as- sembled in theatres in great crowds when Forrest played, and would treat the American to cat-calls, hissesfand groans. When Macready came to this country the lex talionis was exercised and Forrest's s friends would not permit the English &C., tor to proceed Then followed another at- tempt on another night. this was at the Astor Place Opera House, in New York;
 but the crowds were determined that Macready should not play. The mob bat tered at the locked doors and windows
 and howled itself hoarse. The police being
 unable to disperse the thousands gathered
 around the opera house, the militia, the
 Seventh regiment, was called out. The
 mob was warned that if they did not re-
 tire to their homes the soldiers would
 fire. The warning was received with de- rision. The militia fired into the excited mass of men, Over 100 men were killed
 and as many more wounded, according to
 an account by Lawrence Barrett.
 It will be profitable to call attention to
 Forests treatment of certain well-known
 texts in Shakespeare. Forrest was not a mere memorizer of the lines he had to
 repeat He was a critical student of Shakespeare and owned a copy of the
 original folio edition, printed in 1923. He
 valued this work, as, Indeed, he should
 have done. But having studied the text
 he would follow his own judgment as to
 how it should be spoken and interpreted.
 I said above that Forrest visited asylums
 for the insane to perfect himself as King
 Lear. The facts that he thus learned he applied to his interpretations generally
 where there was madness. as with Ham, let or Authorizations, as with Macbeth. With his psychological knowledge Of
 mental pathology, hallucinations and the
 like, Forrest made the dagger scene"
 in Macbeth something dreadful beyond words to describe. The dagger was an
 apparition. It was in the air, or 30 1t ap-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10

essayed the difficult part of Richard 11I before large audience, and even the crit ics saw frequent flashes from the star of genius that nature had placed upon his brow. And yet Forrest was a mere boy At the age of 16 he became a member of a company of professional players and cast his fortunes with the stage in earn est, where for 50 years the world was "to look upon his face" Though still in his ''teens, Forrest had the physique of man; his form was unusually developed and his features were amazingly ex- pressive. There was the impression of re- serve force in his splendid personality.
 At 19 he was touring the country, play ing in all the large cities. At this age we find him in New Orleans, playing, what does the reader suppose? Why, King Lear" which few mature men have ever been able to portray in manner success fully to illustrate the pathos, the beauty and the power of this transcendently great work of genius. He did not play Lear with satisfaction to himself, but afterward said: "I determined to make Lear my great character"
 While in New Orleans Forrest saw Will liam A. Conway, an actor of such well known ability as to justify the manage ment in selling the seats at auction. Con- way played "Othello. Forrest was amazed at the impersonation. In his read ing "Othello," the Moor had never been quite understood, and Conway made a revelation to the young actor He be- came excited to an appreciation of the greatness of the character, its strength and power, and, as well, to it's gentler touches, and finally said: '1'll master 1t yet" and he did, for it is said that as Othello Forrest has had no equal on any stage.
 It was fortunate that Forrest heard and met the great Conway, for the vast pos abilities In certain characters remained unknown to him till then. But Forrest made another acquaintance still more val- uable to him professionally. Early in his career he met and played with the one man who, perhaps, more than any other person, influenced the style of his acting. That man was Edmund Kean, on his . Z: ond visit to America The English speak ing race was sounding the praises of this incompatible actor. Coeridge said of him: ",To see Kean act is like reading Shakespeare by flashes of lightning He was a finished artist; at times as light of tread as Romeo; at other times he was a raging storm charged with hurting forces. Forrest met him In Albany, N. r.. and there they played together Up to this time Forrest had never seen. an actor of Kean's lofty type and magnificent abili- ties, for he was far superior to Conway. Forrest played Iago, Kean Othello; Kean played Richard, Forrest Richmond. It was a schooling time for Forrest, and while his own personality was preemi- netly dominant in all the future. at that time of his career 1t was fortunate for him to have been thrown into association with the worlds master tragedian. Add
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10

where he had been so highly honored. He had died suddenly and alone. A faithful servant, upon going to his room, found his body pulseless and gave the alarm. The body was yet warm. He had just died; died while the winter mornings sun was flooding the room with its radiant light He was buried by an Episcopal clergyman. The burial was attended by great throngs of sympathetic friends among them city officials and representatives of the stage in many cities.
 Forrest had disposed of his fortune his magnificent home. library and museum by a will, but much that he left was never applied as he directed, owing to certain exactions of his last testament. And thus is recorded the passing of Ed win Forrest, whose name has become but memory. At his death he was 6s years old
 The old actors say that no man, not even excepting Salvini. could equal For rest in heroic characterizations Where Is there a Virginius? a Coriolanus? really great Othelo? or a Spartacus? Forrest is gone, these many years
 l began this sketch by referring to my old friend who was associated with For rest In the glare of the footlights. an ac- tor when I was @ child. But now I am in receipt of blaclS-bordered note from his bereaved widow announcing his death.
 Alas, poor Yorichi I knew him. Hora- to: a fellow of infinite jest and most ex- cellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times''
 There lie upon my desk as I write three pictures of him which he sent me a short while before his unlocked for exit from mimic scenes' and his entrance into the world of realities One nf thesa ,,fot,ras was taken in his youth, the second rep resents him In character costume as he appeared in his last play the third rep resents him in propria persona well ad- vaaced In life. He lived to play on tho night of the 50th anniversary of the niwft that he became an actor. The programmes of the occasion were printed on satin. It was a brilliant night He died soon there- after in the presence of loved ones and in the midst of comforts and elegsnc which hia abundant means had provided
 The letter to which I referred at the beginning of this paper also lies before me. He invites me to come to him at the Players" the aristocratic actors' club in New York, founded by Edwin Booth. The letter is full of sweetness and light Here's line from it: sT have always looked on the bright side of life and trust always shall. I see very little of seams in the world" His sunny face, a beautiful face in the picture of his youth, attests that he lived in life's sunshine. and when twilight fell he quietly passed out into the great mys- tery that awaits us all, With these words from Shakespeares King Henry ". close
 What. old acquaintance! Could not all
 this flesh
 Keep in a little life, Poor Jack. farewelL.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10
EDWIN FORREST-By Dr. W. E. Evans

peared to Macbeths 'heat oppressed brain." His mind was insanely keen for scenes and noises, and at the sight of the dagger he was mortified, for 1t led him the way he was going" The darkness, the purposed deed, the stiffness, all con spired to overwhelm him. Therefore, at the sight of the dagger Forrest would stagger backward, or suddenly throw his head back and extend his arms: his eyes would glare wildly into the vacuity of space, and with a hoarse and excited voice would exclaim:
 "Is this dagger which I see before me-
 The power of speech was well nigh gone. henqf the hoarse whisper, in quick, expulsive efforts. We all know that in- tense terror thus affects the vocal or gans, producing something of a conges- tion Two years ago that excellent ac- tor, Robert Mantell, played Macbeth" in Birmingham. I awaited the dagger scene" with much impatience. Mantell failed to inject the horror into the scene for which 1t calls. One of the best read CTS of Shakespeare that I have ever honored clergyman of the Roman Catho- lie church. He rendered the dagger scene," much after the manner of For rest and with startling effect.
 Forrest persisted in addressing the ghost of Banquo thus:
 "Hence Horrible! Shadowi
 Unreal Mockery! Hencer' Why he varied from the usual reading I never have learned "Hence horrible shadow! Unreal mockery, hencep' Just before the messenger arrives and reports,
 "As I did stand upon my watch upon the
 hill,
 I looked toward Birnam, and, anon, me-
 thought,
 The wood began to move.''
 Macbeth exclaims, as Forrest rendered the lines
 "Hang out our banners on the outward
 walls;
 The cry is still they come.''
 Theve Is good authority for that, but there is good authority also for this Hang out our banners. On the outward
 walls
 The cry is, still. they comev'
 Forests rendering of 8 part of Ham let's address to the ghost, think. was faulty. The text. spoken by nearly all the great Hamlets thus: "T'll call thee Hamlet! King. Father! Royal Dane! o answer Forrest gave thus:
 "Ill call thee Hamletl Kingl Fatherl Royal Dane. o answer
 me-"
 I find that I am near the limit of the space allotted me, and after a few sentences I shall close this paper.
 The brilliant, and in some respects the peerless career of the great tragedian, reached it's pathetic close on the morning of December 12, 1872, in his native city.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10

the distaff side of the Kentucky pioneer household. It is shame that monu- ment has not been raised in the old com monwealth to these grand old danes, but for whose love and fortitude there would have been no Kentucky.
 When Ben Hardin was boy of seven, his mother sent him on an errand to a neighbours some miles away. and on his return he got lost in dense and track less fores- Greatly bewildered he knew not what course to take, but wandered around for hours, when he heard the clap of a COW bell He instantly made way toward the sound and found one of his fathers cows. Patiently sitting down he waited the hour when the COW would lead him home at nightfall, and that she did.
 It was just such plain common sense reasoning as that, in the man, that made "Old Ben Hardin the first lawyer of the Ohio valley in an age famous for the country.
 In his youth Hardin was a pupil in the school of the grandfather of J. Procter Knott subsequently he attended the school of the famous Dr. Priestly, of Bardstown, but at the instance of Felix Grundy, he sought instructions from Dan- iel Barry, refugee 1rishman and bril- liant scholar. The giant mind of young Hardin made giant strides under his tutel- age. Here he became familiar with the classics. His reading was both varied and extensive, and the stores of learning he Iaid way in that l1nfallible memory, to be drawn on at the instant, scores of years after, were simply prodigious.
 Andrew Barnett uncle of the learned lawyer Andrew Barnett of Louisville, had married a sister of Ben Hardin. She was much older than he and he spent much of his boyhood at her house. Bar nett was also a remarkable man of im- mense Individuality of character, and one might fill page of newspaper telling of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10
JUDAISM AND CHRISTIAMTY-By j. C: Eiden D. D:-No

were done: woe unto the Chorazini Woe unto thee Bethsaidai for if the mighty works which were done in you. had been done in Tyre and sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes" And thou, Capernaum, which exalted unto Heayen shalt be brought down to hell for if the mighty works which have hean dane in tacc Ha7 been aens in Sodon, 1t would have remained until this day" "Thus Jesus answered and said: o, woman, great Is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour" Do you not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the 5000. and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the 1000. and how many baskets yet took up?' And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her: Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorifed God" And Jesus said unto him. receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee and immediately he received his sight and fol-. lowed him, glorifying God
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10

and natural order of business, the other to plunge into the enormous outlay nee essary to bulld the additional battleships. But Asquith was fully aware of the net spread for him; he saw the pit in which MT. Balfour hoped to bury him, and he played very adroit political game and landed MT. Balfour and his partners in the scheme right where they hoped to land him. With much apparent reluctance Asquith yielded to the popular demand for a greater navy and in order to raise the money to build it he introduced the pres ent budget which has set the tories al- most mad. It was the hope of Balfour that there would be an increase in the taxes on articles in daily use among the masses, that there might be a light pro-
 tective tariff imposed on foreign manu- factures, that. in short, the enormous cost of the naval increase would fall upon the working man, the backbone of liberalism in England, and that the backbone would break under the weight. But Asquith did not see things in that light. He saw that 1t was the tories, the wealthy classes, who forced this outlay upon the nation and he framed his budget accordingly. He
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10

associated in so small a community so much learning accompanied with so much eloquence, and this boy of 20 was soon to approve himself the master of the whole bunch. He joined "debating society" and got to be the bell wether of it the first bound and when he was admitted to the bar, or soon thereafter, he mar ried Elizabeth Barbour, the belle of Washington county. At this time he was rema rkable for his manly and athletic beauty and his fastidious dress; but ere he was 40 he was the. most slovenly dressed man in all America. His shoes were habitually united and always un- polished, and 1t is said that when old Ben Hardin crossed one leg over the other and shook the top foot lying wit ness that he was cross-examining might as well "fess up' and go off the stand.
 He and his wife located in Elizabeth town, where they remained but a little while, when he removed to Bardstown. What impeIled him to go there I shall try to relate next week, for one letter cannot do half justice to this giant of a man. And now this young Hercules, not yet 25, was to grapple with Rowan, Wick Tiff. Hayes, Duval, Chapese and the other giants and soon he had them all.
 In that day every lawyer was states man, and it would have been nearly as impossible for the physical Ben Hardin to live without food as for the profess sional Ben Hardin to live without politics. In 1s1o, when 26 years of age, he was elected to represent Nelson county in the state legislature. He introduced a bill. that was later incorporated into the con- stitution of 49, to suppress duelling, and his speech on it is absolutely conclusive of the subject-it is logic chaste as an icicle, reason hot as a seething furnace. Above all, 1t is humanity and Christianity.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10

This is the third book which I have read from Dr. Toy since he went to Harvard. First, we had a History of the Religion of Israeli in which the miracles were ig- nored, and everything was explained CD on perfectly natural principles. It was in this book that he held that it was not probable that David wrote any of the Psalms!
 The second venture was "Quotations in the New Testament" in which the learned author does not hesitate to take issue with Jesus Christ on the question of the in depreciation of a passage from the Old Testament! And why not? Jesus is not supposed to have been acquainted with the Copernican system of astronomy; and why should we expect Him to have any knowledge of the science of biblical criti- cism, which is much more modern than the accepted astronomical science? Still an old thinker once asked, with some point if He who formed the eye might not be trusted to see; and He who plant ed the ear to hear, and I fail to see that any modern science has dulled the sharp ness of that point. And yet Jesus may quote Psalm, and say that David wrote it, or said it, and if Biblical Criticism
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10

pronounces that the Psalm is "Exilian," or Post Exilian," then Jesus is ruled out of date, and the biblical critics carry the day.
 Judaism and Christianity is one of the most rigorous and vigorous applica- tions of the principles of evolution that 1 have ever seen made to any intellectual, moral or spiritual problem. It Is not quite so bold as Is M. Taine, who. in his English Literature" accounts for pretty much all the great masterpieces by refer ring them to climate, food, situation, cir cumstances-in short, "environment." !" Hamlet" "Macbeth"-even Midsummer Nights Dream"-grew out of the insular situation of England, and the beef-eating and beer-drinlxing habits of the people! pr. Toy is not so radical as this. He ad- mts that there are, In the religious lives of prophets and seers, some facts which we can no more explain than we can ex- plain the genius of Plato and of Shake speare. But Taine Is the only writer of my acquaintance who is bolder than Dr.. Foy in applying evolution to moral and spiritual questions. It seems hardly ex- travagant to say that if Charles Darwin
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10

the German nation has not fired hostile shot since William aseended the throne. Instead of being a war lord he is trade and commerce lord and statistics prove that Germany has developed along those lines since Williams accession to the throne at greater rate than ever be- fore in her history. This has been due to two causes, the first being the establish ment of technological schools for the teaching and training of students in the manufacture of textile fabrics and the next was the building of a subsidized merchant marine to carry the manufac- lures to foreign markets. Suppose Ger many were in the same position today as the United States is, so far as transporta- tion is concerned, and had to depend on English bottoms to carry her goods to for eign markets, is 1t to be imagined for moment that England would accommo- date her? The ill feeling which exists be-
 tween England and Germany today is largely, if not altogether, due to trade rivalry and jealousy, and the dread
 noughts and uperdreadnoughts are mere ly the police patrol which is meant to pro
 tect each nation on the high seas. A