davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

prettyl How beautiful as it glitters in the moonlight! But, ohl how cold and frail," when my friends answer to my question occurred to me. Then 1 said to myself again: Like that snowbank how it glittersl But oh! how cold and frail!"
 Do not call him a bad man. He was not. He was brave, sincere, good man, as such words go. But what sort of a good man? What was his standard of goodness? Whatever it was it was not Christ's.
 Nor must you call James Anthony Froude a bad man. He is not. He is a brave, sincere, conscientious. laborious, good man. Whoever reads the "studies' to which I have referred above will get inspiration to be nobler, and to be cour- ageous in nobleness. Indeed, he will find in parentheses and in careless sentences the secret springs of hidden desire and purpose to be good and just, and righteous and true. But what is his standard of these virtues? Who is his authority on goodness, on justice on righteousness, on truth? Whoever else it is, it Is not the Lord Jesus Christ
 How fatal, then! How weal-nay, how wickedly-must his virtue appear when
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

not long to wait. Within week found him in that same reading room, and fell in conversation with him. Within dozen sentences I brought him to discourse on his philosophy of fact and he travelled the same road he had trod the first time l saw him. I asked him if he had ever met Charles Dickens, and he answered that he had not asked him if he had ever read Dickens novels and with an accent of impatience he thanked God he had never read a novel in his life. l then spoke of .dard Times" and said that Dicekns made one of the characters of that novel preach the precise philosophy as to facts that he had just uttered. He looked very much surprised, and I thought l detected that he was rather pleased; but he would not promise to read the book.
 Dickens had the genius of Scott In that he could get hint from trivial clrcum- stance and turn it into a masterpiece of fiction, and I am satisfied that he saw and heard Helper when on his visit over here and overheard him deliver the sentiments he makes Gradgrind profess in Hard Times" Helper did not get them from Gradgrind therefore Gradgrind must have appropriated them from Helper.
 Fifty years ago, lacking few months. Hinton Rowan Helper was the most talked of man in the United States, all
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

the crucial test is appliedl Nor will his beautiful sentences concerning Christ and His system of morals mean anything to an intelligent Christian.
 The logic that whoever does not believe i in the claims and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ makes him either a myth, a fanatic or an impostor is crushing. Whoever is not for Him is against Him, and needs only the oncoming life with it's pressing problems and duties and the con vincing influences of the spirit of God to make him manifest it. The later strug gles of poor Carlyle, Froude's teacher, declare his moving tendencies to agnosti- cism, notwithstanding the many threads of solid Calvanism that his faithful, de- vout old mother had woven among the flores of his spiritual being. As with Carlyle, the most vigorous and noble of all teachers of a goodness, not the fruit of belief in Christ, so it will be with F'roude and all their followers, conscious and unconscious. It was so with Goethe from whom Carlyle learned it. It was so with Emerson. It will be so with Matthew Arnold. How like tinsel will such goodness be consumed in the fire of that day of burning
 Do you not recall how, in the days of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28
HINTON ROWAN HELPER-By Sayoyard

elect him by whig and konw-nothing votes from the south, five of them from Kentucky, when one morning the papers came out with a list of the republican signers of "The Helper Book" and John Sherman's name was one-of them.
 Every southern whig or know-nothing knew it was political suicide to vote for Sherman after that expose, and his case then became hopeless. The John Brown raid had occurred the October previous, and Sherman made speech bitterly de- nunciatory of Brown, as did nearly ev- cry other republican in both houses. What would happen in the Sxty-first Con- gress if Owsley Stanley, or Henry Clay ton, or Bob Henry, were to memorize a speech of any one of a score of republic ans in the Thirty-sixth Congress on John Brown, and deliver 1t on the floor? He would be hlssed on the republican side and the eloquence expunged from the Record.
 Sherman explained that he had signed the Helper Book without knowing its contents. When 1 cited that to the old fellow, who has just passed away, it made him furious. He declared that Sherman had read every word of it. heartily approved it, and that he recanted in vain hope to get the speakership You could always get Helper in passion by a mention of John Shernans name.
 The last years of Hinton Rowan Help
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

slavery. Had his advice been taken there would be no Trace problem in our coun- try today, for there would be no ne- groes to make 1t.
 If the Garrisons, the Phillipses the Beechers, the Summers and things had not intermeddles, by 1860 every border state would have been rid of slavery, but they would not emancipate on com pulslon. North Carolina and Tennessee would have followed within decade and thus the thing might have died nat ural death.
 Lncoln's idea of slavery was precisely the Helper idea, He was for emancpa- ton for the benefit of the whites of the south. Had the negro only been con cerned he would not have permitted the firing of a gun.
 The Thirty-sixth Congress has never been surpassed for parliamentary ability in our country. The republicans had a plurality that was little short of ma- jority in the House of Representatives and the old whigs and know -nothings of the north and the old whigs and know nothings of the south, who were opposed to the democratic party, held the balance of power. The House was not organ ized till after the Christmas holidays, but on many of the ballots John Sherman, the republican caucus nominee, was very nearly elected and it was all fixed to
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

youthful enthusiasm for virtue, your spirit bounded with delight at Carlyles words concerning self-renunciation? How like Christian words they appear! You worked for days In the intoxication of that meat After digestion had set in and you be- came thoughtful, and it occurred to you to ask Carlyle for whom you should re- nounce yourself how disappointing was his answer How disappointing Is Froudes! How disappointing must be any answer but this: The Lord Jesus Christ But that cannot be until one has believed in His claims and authority, in historic Christianity.
 Indeed, it is pitiful to witness colos sal power seeking to reach the highest point of virtue-self renunciation-and yet refusing to renounce itself for the only object that human being can serve entirely, or ought to serve en- tirely-the Lord Jesus Christ.
 Renounce yourself for goodnessl Re nounce yourself for justice! For right eousnessl For truth! It is impossible. You cannot renounce yourself into the air, You cannot renounce yourself for an abstraction, however virtuous. In- deed, in a man of MT. Froude's ability
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

speaks of Himself as the suffering ser want of Jehovah, 1. e. as the one who twas reckoned (eounted) among the transgressors. The quotation Is from Isaiah 53:12.
 In John 8:14 we have a reference to Numbers 21:9, the serpent in the will derness;" but expoitors are not at one on the question whether this is the language of John. or of Christ; and so I do not insist upon this passage as. available for my purpose. My own opinion is that the language is Christs.
 In John 5:s9 Jesus recognizes the body of the Old Testament scriptures and says: "They testify of Me-" and in the 46th verse of the same chap ter He says of Moses. He wrote of Me" Now. in Deuteronomy 1915. Moses says, The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee. of thy brethren. like unto me; unto Him ye shall harken." Peter, in Acts
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

well as Christian doctrine are revela- tions and living parts of one consistent scheme.
 And both an offense to the natural man. Even to men like Mir. Froude, who sincerely struggle to be virtuous. Christ's life was not in reality any more attractive than His doctrine. He ad- mires many things in Him of course; but the morals that were distinctive of Christ are an offense.
 Nor are MT. Froude and his school alone in this giult. We preach many things that Christ did not command, and forbid many things which he al- lowed We allow many things that Christ forbade, and are silent concern ing may on which He spoke often, and with heat And in differing degrees it all proceeds from the same evil heart of unbelief that leads MT. Froude astray. When this want of confidence in what Christ considered virtuous con- duet, Is accompanied by energy and desire to be virtuous, then you have the shining reformer who, when older and wiser men quote the word of God as authority not only on virtuous liv- ing, but on all reformers, retorts airi- ly: So much the worse for the Bible;" or, what is only a little less wicked: You can prove anything by the Bible"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

by the evangelists themselves. Professor Johnson's splendid work on New Testa- ment quotations hau not then been pub lished. And so there was nothing for it but to search each of the foVr gospels carefully through The better part of the working hours of two days was spent upon this task; and the result surprised both my friend and myself
 The close and organic connection be- tween the Old Testament and the New is no modern thought. It is as old as the Bible, and I had often dwelt upon it with great interest. But l did not know that Matthew's gospel credited our Lord with 40 quotations from, or allusions to. the old Testament; that I could find 19 in Mark 2s in Luke, and IS or Ii in John And yet. these are the results of my ex- animation
 It then occurred to me that in dis cussing the subject, Christ in the Old Testament" could hardly do better than to utilize the language of Christ him self-that is, to confne myselI to those
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

s:22 and stephen in Acts 7:S7, both quote this passage as from Moses" and both apply it to Christ. And both speakers are said to have been filled with the Holy Spirit"
 In John 1S.1s Jesus quotes Psalm 4f:9 and applies the language to Judas Iscariot. as the one who lifted up his head against" the Christ; and this iden- tifes Jesus as the person betrayed.
 Tn John 1925 Jesus cites Psalm 35:19 and applies it to Himself as the per son who was hated without a cause"
 In Luke 24:25-27. Christ expounds Moses and the prophets" as witnesses to Himself as the suffering Messiah {; and in the 44th verse of the same chap ter He repeats the remark. and adds the Psalms to the list of witnesses.
 It would be easy to enlarge the proofs of the statement that ''the Old Testament Is full of Christi" We need only refer to the Old Testament pas sages quoted by various apostles. and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

\ HAVE been reading James Anth ony
 Froude-Life of Carlyle, Short 4 Studies, etc. The contrast between the invigoration of certain sentences, their strong. sensible nobleness, and the supercilious complacency with which he dismisses historic Christianity makes it an interesting investigation to discover the controlling belief in his religion. His essay on Homer, and lectures on the time of Erasmus and Luther, will deceive many, even of the elect They are so loyal to the ele- mentary principles of virtue, and to depth and firmness of conviction. In the lectures especially, he shows a most keen and intelligent appreciation of the character and work of Luther. His denial of Goethe's remark, that Erasmus, instead of Luther, should have led the Reformation, is over whelming, and makes one welcome him as a friend from the fold of the enemy. But he indulges an unconcealed con- tempt for all who profess sincerity In their belief in the distinguishing doc trines of the scheme of redemption. A thoughtful man asks, Where could he, then have found the inspiration of so
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28
LOCAL OPTION IN CANADA.
Output of Alcoholic Beverages In,
 creases In Spite of 1t.

From the New York Times.
 writer in the New York Medical Jour- nal taking as a basis the report of the excise division of the department of ,n- land revenue of Canada. declares that In spite of the local option movement the production of alcoholic beverases contin- ues to grow in tho Dominion. While the consumption of spirits per capita has de- creased in 70 years, the consumption of malt liquors a head has more than doubled More tobacco Is being consumed especially in the form of cigarettes. The writer says:
 Spirits. of course, are not all consumed as beverages large quantities being used In the preparation of medicines and in some of the industrial arts, though for the latter wood spirit is to some extent taking the place of the article made from grain. The greater part of tho alcohol made from grain or molasses is intended however, for beverages.
 Tn Canada last year the new output of the distillers was at the record figure of 6,S4s,76s proof gallons, there being con- sumed in the process 7.679.Ooo pounds of malt. 72,997. 900 pounds of Indian corn. 14.- s2i 900 pounds of rye, 3,1lZOO0 pounds of wheat S95,000 pounds of oats, and 17,212.- 900 pounds of molasses. In the matter of production Ontario is the great whisky province. It has within it's bounds seven of the 13 distilleries in Canada The increased production of spirits Is small compared with the growth in the output of beer
 Many regard the increase in the con sumption of malt liquor as temperance movement, and they have some reason, as 1t is well known there is less tempta- ton to indulge to unseemly excess in drinking ales and beer than when con suming the highly intoxicating spirituous beverages. When the records are gone back to, the figures speak for themselves. In 1869 the consumption of spirits. home made and imported was 1.124 gallons a head of the population, last year 0.SS9 gal lon a head. In the same time the quan- tity of beer consumed has risen from 2.29o gallons 8 head to 5.S12 gallons"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

N T was some ten years or more ago. on
 a sultry summer afternoon, when Con- \ gross was not in session, l happened to walk into the reading room of one of the leading. hotels of this town, fronting to the north, with several windows all open to the air outside. There were some nine or ten persons lounging in the place. and over in a corner were some four or five old gentlemen In rather animated converse, the leader a man of striking personality Now and again he would rise from his chair to make more em- phatic a gesture, and I discovered very athletic man, above six feet in height, broad-shouldered as a giant, and long armed as Rob Roy MacGregor. His face wore the horid hue of an Englishman, his eyes were sky blue, and his hair was white as cotton, but a vigorous. ivory white. His beard was the same.
 He would have been a distinguished presence in any company though his physique was suggestive of the coarse He was not a fine-grained man like John C. Breckinridge, or Roscoe Conkling, and yet he was symmetrical. His features were large and heavy but there was an expression of unnistakable resolution written all over his countenance, and an air of manifest sincerity in his every ut terance. Everyone paid the closet atten-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

CTS life were spent chasing a rainbow a railroad from Bering sea to Cape Horn. It may be accomplished some day; but 1t will never transport on a single train, ton of through freight. Thousands of miles of the road are now built and are parts of different systems. But the old man was infatuated with the idea, spent all he had in the promotion of it, and then surrendered to 1t mind once power ful in its reasoning faculties. Next to the last time I saw him he argued with me to put s2500 in it and he would insure me $50OOO in five years. I told him all right, that if he could find s25O0. my prop erty, just to put her in and send me the certificate of stock
 Only the day before his death or rather the day of his oeath, for he died that night, I walked a few steps behind him full block of Pennsylvania avenue, and l could discover no loss of vigor in his tread or any less erectness of that stall wart frame.
 But the world had wrest1ed with him and thrown him. His mind was shattered and his heart was broken. Friendlesss penniless and alone, he took his own life and died at the age of S0-this man who had shaken the republic from center to circumference, and who at a critical period had held and filled the center of the stage.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

passages of the Old Testament which Christ interprets as pointing to himself christ's references to the Old Testament make in Matthew's gospel, an average of more than one to every two pages of that gospel. as printed in Westcott and Hort's Greek Testament. Christ was full of the Old Testament; and the old Testament is full of Christ
 In Matthew 11:lO and in Luke 7:27 our Lord refers to Malachi 31, and identifies John the Baptist as the messenger" sent before the Messiah to prepare the way, and thus identifies himself as the Messiah for whom John the Baptist pre- pares the way
 In Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:1O-11, and Luke 2O17, Jesus refers to Psalm 11ss22, and evidently indicates Him self as "the stone which the builders rejected" (In Acts 1:11 Peter. who was filled with the Holy Spirit" quotes the same passage from the Psalm and distinctly apples it to Christ.)
 In Matthew 22:44; Mark 12;36, and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28
LENTEN THOUGHTS-By Mrs. Samuel w. John
John

things of value without corresponding loss to the growth of soul. Perfume once exhaled can never be recalled. Our im- agination can picture the love of heaven, but only constant guarding the seed sown will ever lift the finite mind into con- ception of its loftiness.
 Of the two pictures. sin and love. we arc more cognizant of the dominating infiu- ence of the former from life lived as well, as the frequency of its portrayal
 How much more effectual for the child's salvation if the life of love be pictured. Its growing mind and heart would con- form to such teaching, and ere maturity is reached the beautiful, glowing love of heart would shine on down through com ing ages unto eternity.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

spirit of democracy is greater in the United States than in England.'
 It might be so, MT. Hardie, but It lsn L. The proof?
 In Great Britain today 1,500,0oo men are out of work. Thousands of human be- ings are on the very verge of starvation. East London is a vast hospital of misery.
 At the same time the peers of the realm. the aristocracy own one-third of the land.
 Owning the land, conditions are such that the peers really own the tenantry on the land. They exploit the tenants, voting them as cattlemen round up their steers for the branding.
 The 500 aristocrats who sit in the house of lords receive every year from the ten- ants of their landholdings s65,00o,Ooo, or a little more than s10o,0Oo per peer.
 Which may be very desirable state of affairs, from the standpoint of the peers, and conducive to the democratic spirit and the progress of the race, from the stand point of the peers.
 As we see 1t. however. the house of lords, because of its power to veto all just and equitable legislation and because of 1tS OWnerSnlp Ol lilo letuu iS thc 6'S"eSoe barrier to the industrial and intellectual freedom of the English common people.
 So long as the house Of lords has the veto power 1t can prevent the equitable taxation of its vast estates, and so long as it holds the lands 1t can control the votes necessary to maintain its veto power.
 And there you are.
 The people have the power to abolish the house of lords. But, aside from a few worldngmen's movements. they have made no serious efforts. |
 They deserted MT. Gladstone when he tried to help them.
 Which. MT. Hardie. does not strongly argue in favor of the intelligent spirit of democracy in England. f Nevertheless
 Better days are coming. The people will not always put up with that modern anomaly, that relic of feudalsm. the Eng fish house of lords.
 France has shown the way. The French
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

years ago he died, and the young man took charge.
 Today Francis Sestier has what is claimed to be the best improved truck farm west of the Mississippi.
 Among the permanent improvements made since 1891 are an SS000 residence with modern cold storage plant in the basement and a steam pumping plant that draws water from the Des Moines river, half a mile away, and lifts 1t 145 feet into an immense reservoir. He has also built eight greenhouses.
 The water may be used for irrigation if needed.
 The statement that MT. Sestier has made his farm yield a gross income of s3Oo to $400 per acre reads like the advertise regions that are alleged to flow with milk and honey, but 1t is true.
 It goes without saying that he Is an unusual manager.
 One of his favorite crops is tomatoes. He introduced the method of raising to- matoes on poles. He plants about 5000 vines to the acre and gets yield of 750 bushels of fine fruit that commands the highest market price.
 In one year MT. Sestier has made as much as S25O0 on lettuce alone.
 This young man has never attended an agricultural college or taken a course in farming, but he reads agricultural papers closely.
 Of course, he has had the advantage of near market for his produce, and during all the seven years he has paid out only 50 cents per acre for fertilizers-i. e., S16 in seven years. The soil is almost as rich now as when 1t was virgin.
 It pays to farm-If you know how.
 The Kentucky farm on which Lincoln was born Is known as "the farm that raised a man." That is distinction enough. It never raised much in the way of crops.
 Successful farming means rich soil, in- tensive methods, rotation of crops, and the raising of high-priced stuff.
 Keir Hardie, one of the leaders of the English workingmen. doubts whether 'the