davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-05

Those old preachers, Cumberland George and Barnett Grinsley, would have stared and Rasped at the very mention of the 'quiting your meanness and joining the church." They had themselves been un- der conviction; and they knew how to tell the people about it's nature. It's necessity and its results They knew that in your altitude towards sin were to be found all the hope and all the evidence of your salvation. Reader, if you do not personally know the meaning of ''convic- ton for sim it is all important tnat you should be learning.
 The following anecdote I can vouch for. as heard it from the lips of William F. Broaddus himself: .
 'Dr Broaddus was once preaching in a meeting in which considerable interest was manifested, and number of per- sons confessed their faith in Christ In those days it was common for candidates for baptism to tell their experience. When a number of candidates had told their experience and been received for baptism. a young man in the gallery-a wild. wicked, reckless fellow-said to companion sitting near him: Pshaw! that Is all foolishness. I could go up there to that bench, and give in as good an experience as any of them. NO, you couldn't said his companion. Well, I'll bet you $5 that I'll do it. And the bet was taken. It was some little time be- fore another invitation was given; and meantime the companion had contrved note to the preacher. telling him of the bet When the invitation was given again, the young man went forward, and was at once confronted by Dr. Broaddus, who held the note in his hand Did you make that bet? Yes said the young man. and that bet was the cause of my conviction When I began to think of the horrible wlckedness of my con duct. I was overwhelmed with grief. and I am here to confess my sin, and to ac- cept Jesus Christ as my Saviour He acted all the signs of the deepest peti- hence. was received and baptized, and won the $5 Upon the whole, I think that was the most daring piece of wickedness I ever heard of. and I was not sur prised when Brother Broaddus told me that the young man had died most mis- erable death.'
 Can anybody tell us whether there were any Trishmen among King James trans lators of the Bible? My reason for sprtnginr such question may be found fin the curious fact that some sentences cf the Authorized version" read exactly like Irish bulls" For instance: The thsrd verse of the fourth chapter of that etrance book. Ecclesiastics, reads thus: ..vea better is he than both they, which hath not vet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun" The involved construction here makes the sentence somewhat obscure; but little
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-05

the landowners representatives would of- fer. Lord Rosebery and Lord Lansdowne denounced the budget as yelled social ism and appealed to the nation to sus- tain them in their defense of the constitu- tion On October 10 Lloyd George ad- dressed meeting In Newcastle-o on-Tyne. in which he undertook to reply to the at tacks made on the budget. His speech sent thrill of excitement through the British empire when he warned the House of Lorods against the consequences of their threatened opposition to the Commons. ''The House of Lords,'' said he, may desire a revolution, but the people will direct it." Since that moment the shadow of revolution has lowered over England and if looming events cast their shadows before,' the deepening and shortening shadows proclaim the almost immediate presence of their cause.
 The situation in England today is rather that of conflict between the masses and the classes than parliamentary crisis. In the general election which is almost cer tain to occur in January the question of supremacy will be the question, and both sides will put forth every effort to win. A manifesto has already been is- suel by the national liberal federation which says, "If the present action of the peers is not repudiated swiftly by the people the rights and privileges won by our forefathers in the great struggles for freedom are all surrendered. In the fight forced upon us the electors will have to decide whether they wish to govern them- selves or be governed at second hand by a few hundred hereditary peers who have thrown the constitution into the melting pot in orde rto shift the burden of taxation from wealth. land and liquor to food and the necessaries of life" :" How shall England's millions answer that appeal?
 For years and years the House of Lords
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-05

crease in the army or navy or anything that calls for an increase In expenditure. new measures must be proposed to raise the revenue to meet this increase. The German war scare has set England to building dreadnaughts, and the chancellor of the exchequer said: "Whn dread naughts are ordered a respectable people should pay for them" The estimated ad ditional expenditure for the year 1910 is about s100, ,0o0, 600, and to raise that amount the chancellor of the excheauer was obliged to seek new pastures. As it was the Tory party that stirred up all the German invasion scare and clamored for more battleships, Lloyd George concluded tht such demonstration of patriotism might be regarded as a willingness to pay at least a share of the outlay necessary for the protection of the empire. Conse- quently, the chancellor of the exchequer introduced his budget bill and in it stated that s100,00O,000 additional to last years s revenue was required to meet the esti- mated expenditure for the year 1910, and that he proposed to raise that additional amount by taxing wealth, land, and liquor This announcement was greeted with cheers in the House of Commons only to be answered by howls from the capitalists, landowners and brewers, but it was not cheers nor howls that the chancellor cared about. 1t was the money, the s1C0, 100000, to pay the bills which Tory politicians had forced the nation to meet.
 Hardly had the debates in the House of Commons began than prominent mem- bers of the House of Lords openly and publicly announced their intention of de- feating the budget when it came before them. but those threats were considered merely as intended to intinidate the chancellor and to induce the House of Commons to accept such amendments as
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-05

of Lords is ST. All legislation must be- gin by bills which may originate in either house and must have the approval of both to become law, which it does when signed by the King. Although the King has the right to exercise his power of veto he never does SO.
 There is one and only one exception to the foregoing statement and that is, that all financial bills must originate in the House of Commons. The House of Commons must provide the revenue to becomes the privilege Of the House of Commons to say how that money is to be raised. The chancellor of the exchequer Is the cabinet minister upon whose shoulders the duty of raising revenue falls, and this duty he performs by var ious means but principally by the im- position of taxes To raise a billion dol lars Is no small matter in country of the size and population of Great Britain and that's what David Lloyd George has undertaken to do and the means by which he proposed to do it was embodied in a financial statement called the budget" which he submitted to the House of Com mons and which the House of Commons adopted by vote of 379 to 199 and then forwarded to the House of Lords for their consideration and approval.
 The budget, then. is simpl va bill intro duced in the House of Commons by the chancellor of the exchequer, in which he sets forth the estimated expenditure for the coming year and the means by which he proposes to raise the money to meet that expenditure Under ordinary condi- tions there is no more difficulty in esti- mating the cost of running the British empire for year than there is in estj- mating the annual expenses of an ordi- nary household, but when something unusual arises, such as war or an in
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-05

o'clock, ito direct travellers on the way to town"
 The sweetest toned bells that I ever heard in Europe hang in the old tower of St. Mary's church. at Warwick England. in which church for centuries have been sepulchered the descendants of ''old War wick the king maker" While on all suit able religious occasions the bells chime hymns. in addition many popular melo- dies and patriotic songs are played on them during the week. On Monday they play Home, Sweet Home;'' on Saturday. "Ye Warwickshire Lads and Lassies," and many others. One night as I lay In my bed, the old clock in the far-away tower struck 12, and then in the most airy-like tones, as if angels were softly striking bells of gold in the ambient air. chimmed out the dear old melody. ''The Blue Bells of Scotland" and I fell asleep with the familiar words and tones float ing through my mind
 ''Tell me where, tell me where,
 Does my Highland laddie dwell"
 While we have no chimes in America of world wide fame, yet we have some few that reach a high degree of excellence in harmonious blending of tone. The bells of old Trinity, New York, are fine ones. l suppose the most musical bells that we have in the south are those of St. Mich aei's church. Charleston, s. c.
 Many of the bells that rang in the church towers of the old south were taken down when the tocsin of war was sounded in 1861, and moulded into can mons. General Beauregard made an ap- peal to the churches for this contribution to the cause of the ConfederAcy. Alas. that the bronze that once call<d to pray CT should be made to blech forth the ele- ments of destruction and death among men who were brothersl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-05

C ONE time ago friend of mine who
 was professor of English in a south o ern university published in one of the most notable religious papers of this country a series of highly interesting articles on the literati of America. l fol- lowed him closely from week to week and looked out with special interest for his estimate of Edgar A. Poe, whose name was sure would not be omitted ject My curiosity was gratifed. The article on Poe came in due time. The professor discussed him at considerable length and in an interesting way; and widely as his estimate differs from mine l devoured his long article with vora- cious dispatch. Upon the whole think he greatly and unduly deprecates Poe's po- etry. He holds that only some five or six of the poems reach any very high mark. and among these he does not mention those marvellous combina- tions of metre, music and melody. An nabell Lee" In my judgment this exqui- site little gem deserves to rank with Byron's magnificent opening of 'The Bride of Abydos," and in pure music it even surpasses that magnificent piece. If there Is anywhere in the range or English verse 8 more enchanting Dit -or pure music than "Annabel Lee,' it has somehow escaped my notice. That roe was deficient in pathos is perfectly true' indeed, he never aimed at it. His theory of poetry distinctly excluded 1t and ne avoided it with malice aforethougnt. His theory may have been wrong: pe- lieve 1t was, but in judging of an aptn- ~.,s ,,,<,,l, it ia not fair to ignore or to overlook the question, What was he aiming atY' Poe greatly deprecated Milton, and his works give little evil dence that he cared much for Shakes peare, but he was certainly master of the Tyre who sang;
 For the moon never beams,
 Without bringing me dreams
 Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
 And the stars never rise, But feel the bright eses
 Of the beautiful Annabel Lee"
 Seldom do we near nowadays a phrase which used to he constantly on the 50 years ago. They used it from the pull pit and in religious conversation. I al- Jude to the phrase. Under conviction" I trust that tfie thing has not gone out of fashion with the phrase. for it will be a sad day for the church, and for the world when people can ''get religion" without ever knowing what 1t is to be un- der conviction. And what did our fath- CTS mean by the phrANe? They meant a hatred of sin, as offensive to God; deep sense of personal ilIdesert on account of sin: a clear recognition. as Paul puts 1t. that sin is "exceedlng sinful. '
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-05

has played fast and loose with liberal legislation. Warned time and again they took no heed, believing in the truth of long. The liberal legislation which the House of Lords has heretofore mutiiated or rejected was such as they could con- additionally do so with, but this time. 1t being a financial bill which has been rejected, their action is unconstitutional and thereby justifes the House of Com mons in declaring that their legislation has been rendered imperative through the opposition of the lords. In short, the will of the people has been set at defiance and it must either submit or surmount. Out of this conflict, If pursued on consti- tutional lines, must come one party tri- umphant and the other defeated; but 1t sometimes happens that constitutional lines are oyerstepped and very different results follow. On which side is the constitution in this question, anyway? The House of Commons claims to have complete control of all bills affecting ways and means, that is. financial bills, and absolutely refuses to surrender right which it obtained through strife and boodshed. Replying to the declarations of various members of the House of Lords. who had charged that the budget was a violation of the constitution, Lloyd George in his speech at Newcastle, said;
 "As long as the constitution gave rank and position and power 1t was not to be interfered with. As long as the consti- tuition enforced royalties and ground rents, and fees, and premiums, and fines. and all the black retinue of exaction, as long as it issued writs, summons, and injunctions, and distresses and warrants to enforce them, the constitution was inviolate u was sacred. It was some thing put in the same category as re-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-05

\ HE House of Lords rejected the K budget by a vote of $50 to 75 and
 by so dong has precipitated the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland into the greatest parliamentary crisis known in the history of that coun- try in 300 years. Tn the present crisis many profess to see the seeds of revolu- ton and the sweeping away not only of the hereditary second chamber but even the throns itself and the establish meht of republican form of govern melt. Undoubtedly the situation is grave and nothing but the popularity of Kiig Edward VII will serve to save the mparchy from extinction. If England wee ruled today by a Louis XVI as was Fnnce in f7s0 similar result would be inIvitable, but. even as it is. the com ing conflict between the classes and tft masses, or as some see it, between tle peers and the people, must be at- teded with consequences which reach mo the realms of conjecture.
 And what is this crisis about. and what bought it about? The answer to that qestion to be intelligently given and un- drstood calle for a little explanation of tie English constitution and English par lAmentary methods. The legislative lbdy in England Is called parliament and
 pnsists of two bodies called houses, iamely the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Com mons consists of 670 members elected by Lhe people In much the same manner as members of Congress are elected in the United States. The House of Lords is composed of tho peerage of the United Kingdom and consists of the sons of the king. dukes. earlS barons and bishops of the established church, the total number of members In the House
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-05
A FACTOR FOR DEcENcY.
The Royal Northwest Mounted Police
 Force of Canada.

From the Century Magazine.
 The Royal Northwest Mounted Police force of Canada is combination of all sorts and conditions of men blown to- gether by the roundup of the winds of heaven. In the ranks we nnd western bronco-b busters, eastern log -birler, lum- berjacks. unaspired Cockneys. Cree-Scot half-breeds, time-expired men from ev- cry branch of the imperial service. side by side with the French Ca nadian born "t'ree days below Kebek" Two years the roll-calI of one troop included in it's rank and file son of a colonial govern or. a grandson of 8 major-general, . medical student from Dublin. an Oxford MT. A., two troopers of the imperial forces and half a dozen ubiquitous Scots For many years a son of Charles Dick ems did honorable service with this force, and there served beside him a runaway circus clown and the brother of a York shire baronet. Several of the full pri- yates have tucked away iil the bottom of their msss-kit medals won in South Africa Egypt and Afwhanistan. but the last legend of gentlemen-rankers predom- mates, and 1t is Rugby and Cambridge out here on the unDroken pralr1eS that set the fashion in multi and manners.
 A compelling factor making for digni- ty and decency in a border country as big as Europe Is this little band of red coated riders. scarcely a thousand In number. spurring singly across the plains with sealed orders and turning up just when most wanted.
 The beat of the mounted policeman is from Hudson bay to the Pacific and from the 18th parallel to the frozen Arctic, and he does not take tips or sleep on duty; you cannot blum him, you cannot bulldozs him. and 1t is not exactly safe to try to square" him. Of this man, as Lord Bobs, we may say, 'E don't ad- vertise;'' 1t is the boast of the service ili Canada that they seldom ''get Into print Yet 1t is strilxingly true that on the mar gin of every page of the unwritten his- tory of this great. lone land the figure ee this solitary horseman is vignsstea
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-05

study of the connection will make the meaning clear enough: '"rhe Preacher, in mourning over the evils Of this nfo, has just said that at one period of his life he had reached the conclusion that dead man was better off than living one. See second verse of the fourth chapter. In the third verse he pushes this view still further, and concludes that he who has not lived at all, l. e., one who has never been born is better off than either the living or the deadl Now, if he has never lived at all-has had no existence how Is 1t possible even in thought to compare his well-being with that of any one else? The thing sounds like the "bull' of the Irishman who, upon being taunted for running away in battle. re- piled quite seriously: And sure. isn't 1t better to be coward for half an hour than corpse for the rest of me life?"
 In the 35th verse of the 18th chapter of Second Kings, and also in the Seth verse of the Gth chapter of the prophecy of Isaiah, we find the words: And when they arose early in the morning, behold. they were all dead corpses." This Is on the face of it, still more palpable bull" The explanation, however, is sim pie enough. The first they refers to the Hebrews, and the second they to their enemies, who had been smitten by tho angel of Jehovah. If you have never Dcted 1t before. 1t may be worth while to knote now, that the y7th chapter of the prophecy of Isaiah Is a transcript of the 18th chapter of the Second Book of Kings.
 The ablest of modern skeptics, John Stuart Mill was unconsciously striking a fatal blow against his own agnostic skepticism when he said that there was not virtue enough among the Apostles to invent either the character or the teach ings of Jesus. The same famous reasoner was astonfshed at the profound orig inality and the immense value of that saying of Jesus which teaches that tho greatest men are the men who do the most service.
 Herodotus. 'the father of history" probably wrote before 'miliions'' were in- vented and In an attempt to give the popular mind some idea of the enormous numbers of the army of Xerxes he tells us the quantity of wheat which was required to supply that army for . day and then he adds: "In this do not include the women the beasts of burden and the dogs What commentary on heathenism we have in that last sem tence! Would any Christian author ever have classed women with beasts of bur den and dogs?
 The poet, Horace, enc of the most ele- gant and cultured gentlemen of the Au- gustan age, in his "Ode to Plaucus.' says ''The sum Of our life is too brief to allow the indulgence of a far-reach- ing hope" But Paul, the tentmaker. bids us look forward to a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens What contrast!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-05

The linden grove, brown hut thence peer ing,
 The moldering chapel-these not mine. The chime, the scene of linden bloom Surround me like a vaulted tomb. How from the vexing thought be safe. The bell is pealing and I chafe." With what dreary hopelessness poor Shelley associated the bell in Indian and Maddalo.'' having hung it in ''the madhouse tower!"
 Those who may cross the water
 Hear that bell Which calls the manias
 Each from his cell
 To vespers."
 And, like that black and dreary bell. the
 soul
 Hung in a heaven-illumined tower must Our thoughts and our desires to meet Round the rent heart. and pray as mad
 men do.'
 There is the suggestion of strange coincidence in this poem. Two things are to be remembered. first that Shelley was a skeptic; secondly, that he was drowned in the Gulf of Genoa The coincidence to which refer is in the lines just pre- ceding those quoted
 If you can't swim, Beware of Providence. I looked on him, But the gay smile had faded in his eye, And such,' he cried is our mortality "
 
 Hawthorne makes a bell i'll one with horror in the strange story of the Mar riage Knell" while Dickens invites us to revel with Toby Week. in the melodious flood of music pouring down from "The Chimes Poe's Bells ring out the joys and sorrows of life, as does '"The BelP' in the great poem of Schiller's. The bells rung backward in Sir Walter Scott's ''Betrothed are ominous of danger. It was the '.Fair Ophelia' who saw in the deranged mind of Hamlet
 Sweet bells. tangled out of tune. And harsh"
 The bell that furnished the sugges- ton to Schiller of his poem. "The Songs Oi tilc DcAlt diSO Wdb tilc OAOuEc lliIt from which Longfellow took his bells in the opening part of ''The Golden Legend This is an old bell in the "Allerheiigen Kirche," in Schaffhausen, on the Rhine. The bell was cast in 14sS. and is inscribed thus: "vivos voco; mortuos plango; full gura pango." For over 400 years this old bell has been ringing from it's an- cient tower, and for generations 1t has been ringing through the leaves of lit- erature. UE
 One of the most startling bells in the world of literature Is that in Barnaby Rudge. chapter 5b: 70, the horror of it's changing, crashing and booming out of a flaming sky!
 Thus do bells in the realm of letters mingle with birth and death, love and passion. time and eternity. THEIR ORIGIN. know of no one writer who has ever essayed a history of the origin of bells. am of the opinion, however, that their promise and potency lay in the pendant metal ornaments worn upon the clothing, which gave forth pleasing sound by quick contact. This was sufficient for a working basis. By the process of evolu- , ton they became shaped for the greater amount of resonance We find them, at a remote period of antiquity, in Oriental lands, worn upon the ankles of little girls and women and in the time of Moses the high priest wore golden bells attached to his official blue vestments.
 The Arabians used small tinkling bells upon their camels. These were made of silver generally, but sometimes they were wrought of gold Trey were used not only as ornaments. but to make their