davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25

Governor of the universe, is God That is a perfectly plain statement. 1 un- oerstand 1t. Then. I believe that the Son. Jesus Christ, is God-another per fectly plain statement. Finally, l be- lieve that the Holy Spirit. the Com forter and Sanctifier, is God-still an- other plain statement. I have not the least difficulty with any one of these statements; and taken together, they constitute my doctrine of the Trinity.
 But" says my antagonist, "how do YOU reconcile these statements? How can three persons constitute one God?" Well, I don't understand anything about the How" and l don't believe anything about it. I have no revela- tion on that point, and have no creed on it-no, not even an opinion
 But how about miracles%' Well, I believe in the But you don't un- derstand them" Yes, do I believe that Jesus plastered up the eyes of the man born blind; that he sent him to the pool to wash; that the man obeyed and was healed of his blind ness; and I understand every one of those statements; and there Is the miracle.
 But" says the unbeliever, you don't understand how that was done. Ger tainly not; and I don't believe anything
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25

about the How" If I knew how. prob ably I could do it. Why not? When I am prepared to tell how miracles arc wrought, I expect to work some.
 But
 8. It is a practical religion.
 was once reading the Westminster Review, the organ of British infidelity. A skeptic came to my seat and said, Do you read that sort of literature?"
 Yes" I replied. 'T want to see the devils latest dodge. How can hit him If I don't know here he is?''
 And then we entered upon a discussion of the evidences of Christianity. I called his attention to a man whom we both knew; who had been notorious profli- gate. had become a Christian and a most excellent and useful man. The infdel did not even try to answer that argument.
 If you ever knew very bad man who became Christian and good man, then practically this religion holds its own un- til the infdel produces real Christian who was a bad man, and who was con- verted to infdelity and became a good man. Did any one ever hear of such a man? And yet infdelity Is logically bound to produce him or else quit the field
 Now, I can produce my man. l was preaching in a protracted meeting at 8 country church in Virginia. A man pres ent was <notorious for his wickedness
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25

Where life breaks loud and unseen, a
 sonorous invisible tide; By the laundering reef and the low sea-
 wall and the channel of years, Our wild steeds press on the night
 strain hard through pleasure and
 peril.
 Labor and listen and pant not or pause
 for the peril that hears; And our spirits, too burn, as we bound,
 thine only but mine heavy-laden. AS we burn with the fire of our flight;
 ah love, shall we win at the last?' One of his greater poems I consider 'The Leper." A master painter of the passions, Swinburne in this fragment seems to know no intellectual restraint, no bounds to fancy Some years ago 1t this poem by a finished elocutionist. and to me it was a literary experience of the most vital, lasting kind. Its length for bids reprinting here, but for dramatic fer vor and passionate pleading, to my mind it surpasses any creation of it's class. Of the several tributes of genuine worth that have been made to Victor Hugo, his easily ranks well in the lead. This, if any of his poems, deserves lasting fame. The final stanzas will suffice as hint, as a key, to it's greatness:
 Yet though all this be thus
 Be those men praised of us Who have loved and wrought and sor-
 rowed and not sinned,
 For fame or fear or gold,
 Nor waxed for winter cold, Nor changed for changes of the worldly
 wind
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25

WHERE are certain forms of speech,
 which, in brief phrase, sum up
 whole systems of thought-political, philosophical, religious. If two men are discussing systems of government, and ] hear one of them say: '"The best gov ernment is that which governs least" if he is not mouthing, but knows what he is talking about, I know where to rank him as a politician. He is a straight out, old fashioned, state rights demo- crat
 If two men are discussing philosophy and I hear one of them utter solemly the words: Know theyself," if he under stands himself historically, I know where to place him. He is a disciple of the philosophical school, formed by an old Greek, more than 2O00 years ago-a schooI whose doctrines have been expounded by Reid, and adorned and glorifed by the genius and learning of Sir William Ham, ilton in his "Philosophy of Common Sense" And so, when a man is talk ing about religion, and utters reverent- 1y the words: Christ crucifed" l know that he holds the New Testament view of Christian doctrine. Christ cricified is Christianity. It Is our religiou. What sort of 8 religion is 1t
 l. It is historical religion. Christianity is no mere theory of moral sentiments" It implies and is based upon history
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25

was controlled by the suggestion severa times repeated: There Is no blood" All though the operating room was screened several flies6 were present and every time one of them lit and crawled on his face he would brush it away with his hand, Attention was called to the fact that al though he could not feel the knife or needle the flies annoyed him, but after having been given the suggestion: There are no fiies," he ceased to brush at them and lay quietly and slept peacefully All during the operation, which lasted 25 min utes his respiration was full and regular and his heart action normal.
 The doctors present were very much surprised that the hemorrhage was also controlled by suggestion, but such was the case This subject was an excellent one, and under hypnotic suggestion even his heart action could be controlled. He had been hypnotized, may say, thou sands of times, as he travelled with a professional hypnotist, Santranelli by name. Under hypnotism this mans heart could be made to jump from 40 beats per minute to 80, or miss beat. Santranelli told me (and I believe him) that he could make the subjects heart stop beating entirely if he so desired, and start again at word of command. This has been often accomplished by the Yogis in In dia, who are able to put subject in such a deep hypnotic trance that they stand every test for death. They even go so far as to bury the subject, sew quantity of wheat on the grave. and after the grain has grown and ripened, resurrect the subject and restore animation.
 The leading authorities on hypnotic phenomena tell us that every act or our lives is stored away in what they call our secondary memories (solar plex- us), and that under the hypnotic influence every incident of our past may be re- called. The writer several occasions has been able to make subjects find ar ticles they have lost or misplaced.
 Post-hypnotism, or more properly speak ing. post-hypnotic suggestion, is sug- gestion acted upon after the subject comes out of the hypnotic trance. It Is re- corded in the English courts that a. younger son, wishing to get rid of his elder brother in order to inherit the fam fly estate used a post-hypnotic sugges- tion in order to do so. He succeeded, in- herited' the property and confessed his crime upon his death bed. The family lived in an old English castle, the two wings of which were connected by mas sive wall 40 feet high. Each wing ter minated in a high tower. The younger son was an accomplished hypnotist, and frequently gave private exhibitions of his skill His elder brother suffered with periodical headaches, which the younger brother was always able to relieve by hypnotic suggestion. According to the death bed confession, the elder brother who had been playing tennis in the not sunshine, contracted a violent headache and as usual came to the hypnotist for relief. On this occasion the young brother gave the heir to the estate the post-hyp- notic suggestion that caused his death.
 These two young men. as poys' nao
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25
CHRIST CRUCIFIED-By J. C. F4iden, D. D.

and his opposition to religion. His wife had been converted but he would not all low her to be baptized. His niece-a member of the famiy-a girl of 16, had been converted and wished to be bap- tized. He told her that if she was bap- tized he would turn her out of the house.
 She was baptized and he did turn her out, and she was obliged to go to neigh bor for shelter.
 During the service that day l saw this man rise from his seat and fall upon his knees the tears streaming down his cheeks After kneeling a minute, he arose, walked down the aisle to the seats on the right of the pulpit, and began to shake hands with the deacons and other members of the church, saying:
 My friends, you know what sort of life I've lived; you know how l have hated religion. But I can't stand 1t any longer. 1 must go with you. I must be a Christian
 Just across the church sat his poor wife, her face all bedewed with tears of joy; and the next Sunday they were both baptized,
 Years afterward. I learned from the pastor of the church that this man was living a consistent Christian life. Now, if you should ask that man why he so changed his course In life, he would tell you that 1t was the religion of Christ
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25
THE KNAVES AND THE FOOLS-By Savoyard

"I'll not put that man on that committee. He would vote to bankrupt the treasury So tell him for me that l will not appoint him, and I would not promise in advance the meanest place on the meanest com mittee to be speaker for life" That was Roger Q. Mills. the noblest Roman of them all. Fool, perhaps, but magni1- cent.
 I saw the thing done-Crisp elected. A Kentuckian who had moved to Illinois was in springer's headquarters, and I went in there-it was the House clerk 8 office-to see him. We were sitting on a long table renewing our acquaintance when I saw Crisps manager come in. He took Springer aside, talked earnestly with him for five minutes. and went out. The next ballot Crisp was nominated and Springer was appointed chairman of ways and means, whereupon the town clock grinned, the woodeock e1aculated and fled.
 Incidentally the democratic party got it in the neck, and next morning there was 1oy in the heart and melody in the throat of the c. O. P. The fools had pre- vailed It was told In Gath published in the streets of Ashlkelon, the daughters of the Philistines rejoiced. the daughters of the uncircumcised triumphed Grover
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25
THE ART OF SWINBURNE-By A. B. Bealle

Praised above men of men be these,
 shall cease
 Yea, one thing more than this,
 We know that one thing is The splendour of a spirit without blame, That not the laboring years
 Blnd-born, nor any fears Nor men nor any gods can tire or tame; But purer power with fiery breath Fills, and exalts above the gulfs of death. Praised above men be thou,
 Whose laurel-laden brow, Made for the morning. droops not in the
 night
 Praised and beloved, that pone
 Of all thy great things done, Flies higher than thy most equal spir-
 it's flight
 Praised. that nor doubt nor hope can
 bend
 Earth's loftiest head, found upright to
 the end"
 Doubtless we are too close to Swim burne to judge truly what will be his ul- innate message to mankind. We certain ly know what has been his reception In contemporary times; for the most part it has been filled with blame and villiflca- tion. This naturally initiates against a wide reading of his work, and among the multitude of readers there must be preparedness, discernment, sense of beau- ty. love of art, ere he can be fully under stood or his influence reckoned. This pre- paredness does not exist today. We can come to calm judgment of such men as Whitman, Villon and Swinburne only by degrees, as we grow in consciousness.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25

cations of our emotional selves may be- thHe are periods in the lives of the young when truths of certain sort had best be glossed over. Rational young persons may with safety and indeed should be, told what we know of life from it's beginnings; but to learn of these be- ginnings--to form their concepts of sex from throbbing, musical poems-might in some instances be demoralizing, harmful. For this reason Swnburne has not en- joyed the wide reading his perfect art and workmanship deserve. For similar req sons some poems of Byron, Schiller, Vil- lon, Especially Vilon, some of whose work has been translated by Swinburne). Nhave been received with disfavor by the Nutious, conservative ones.
 Nut the music of these men must live. Even the detractors of Swinburne cannot ignore the insidious melody of all he did. as in '"The Leper," 'Hesperia, "The Garden of Prosperpine," that garden where
 "From too much love of living,
 From hope and fear set free,
 We thank with brief thanksgiving
 Whatever gods may be
 That no life lives forever
 That dead men rise up never;
 That even the weariest river
 Winds somewhere safe to sea.
 Then star nor sun shall waken,
 Nor any change of light:
 Nor sound of waters shaken,
 Nor any sound or sight:
 Nor wintry leaves nor vernal,
 Nor days nor things diurnal;
 Only the sleep eternal
 In an eternal night"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25

No tenderer. heartfuller introduction td Swinburne can be found in all his works than the exquisite "Etude Realistic" A baby's feet, like sea-shells pink,
 Might tempt should Heaven see meet, An angels lips to kiss, we think,
 A baby's feet. Like rose-hued sea flowers to the heat They stretch and spread and wink Their ten soft buds that part and meet. No flower bells that expand and shrink Clean half so heavenly sweet AS shine on lifes untrodden brink
 A baby's feet. A babys hands, like rosebuds furled.
 Whence yet no leaf expands. Ope if you touch, though close upcurleds A baby's hands. Then, even as warriors grip their brands
 When battles bolt is hurled They close, clenched hard like tightening bands No rosebuds yet by dawn impearled Match, even in loveliest lands. The sweetest flowers in all the world
 A babys hands. A baby's eyes, ere speech begins,
 Ere lips learn words or sighs, Bless all things bright enough to win
 baby's eyes. Love- while the sweet thing laughs and
 lies,
 And sleep flows out and in. Lies perfect in their Paradise. Their glance might cast out pain and sin. Their mute speech make dumb the wise, By mute glad godhead felt within
 A babys eyes" Birmingham, Ala
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25
HYPNOTISM-By H. s. w., M. D.

often played on the high. wide wall, fre- quently chasing each other across it from tower to tower, the wall being nearly two feet wide. In the death-bed confession the murderer told his confessors that he had given his brother post hypnotic sug- gestion that caused his death This Is he way he did it, for knowing so well the method used, I can almost describe the scene as well as if I had been present
 The hypnotist led his brother into the house and seated him in a comfortable chair. Looking at his watch the hypnotist noted the time. It must have been a little after two In the afternoon, as the supposed accident happened at four The suggestion was worded something like this: Now, brother, look in my eyes. You are getting sleepy, drowsy. Your eyes are slowly closing. Your head is fall ing forward and you are sound asleep-go sound asleep, go deeper asleep, (the sub jects slceps) You are sound asleep and feel no pain. Your headache is gone. When I clap my hands you will awaken and your headache will be gone" Crhe post hypnotice suggestion came In here) When l clap my hands you will awaken and feel refreshed and free from pain. You will rejoin the tennis party and take a hand in the game. When the tower clock strikes three you will suddenly feel so sleepy that 1t is with difficulty you can stay awake. You vii lexcuse yourself from the guests, pleading fatigue. and saying you will take a short nap. You will go to your room In the tower, disrobe, don your paJamas and go to bed and to sleep. When the tower clock strikes four you will open your window and walk the wall. You will walk across to the other tower and back again and go to bed again, but while on the wall. if you should hear your name called you will awake"
 Here the hypnotist claps his hands his brother awak ems, declares his head ache is gone and that he will go to the tinnis court and take hand In the game as he is feeling fine. The sub ject follows the post-hypnotic sugges- ton to the letter. Shortly after the tower clock strikes the hour of 4, the tennis party Is startled to see, on glancing upward, the doomed sonam- bulist on the wall, clad in his night dress, his hands stretched before him, the vacant staring expression in his eyes, walking slowly toward the op- posite tower. His fiancee, who is one of the guests, screams and cries out his name. The poor fellow stops, sways moment and clashes down the sheer 40 feet to smash his head on the hard paving stones below and his diabolical murderer is heir to the es- tate This Is only one of many such cases that are recorded, the great ma jority being found in the criminal records of India, where hypnotism Is largely practiced, but who can say how many such murders have occurred of which the world knows nothing? It would be hard indeed if not i'm possible, to convict person of such a crime.
 Post-hyp.otie suggestion. however.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25

THB other day, last Friday, I be-
 lieve it was, I was sitting In the
 press gallery of the House of Rep resentatves. awaiting the appearance of the Aldrich tariff, with democratic pro- lection attachment, and indulging more or less emphatic speech about the thing, when a heavy hand was laid on my shoulder, and Tom Pence said words of admonition and rebuke after this fashion: You are a pretty fellow, now on the democratic bandwagon, with the reins in your hands pretending to drive, though you failed to support Bryan every time he ran for president. You go into the Jim-crow compartment of the democratic train. That is the place for you fellows"
 Instantly 1t occurred to me the gospel of st.i John, S:7. I spake not word and being convicted l walked right out, and here make confession, and it is this: am sorry that 1 did not vote for Bryan every time he was nominated His elee- ton would have been a great calamity, but It would have been impossible for nm to put half as much devilment in the administration as we got under Me- kinley and Roosevelt and are likely to get under Taft I reckon l can drive
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25

1 on the scene, things immediately quieted | down. The teacher was still excited. ! I had her send all the children home | with the exception of the little girl l first afflicted, whom I easily placed in
 hypnotic condition and made her do | the thing all over again, opening and closing her hand as I commanded. As soon as the teacher, who was a very | intelligent young lady, but hysterically inclined, understood how the rumpus came about, she too got o. k. and after giving me the direction I wanted and thanking me profusely, continued my journey. If I had not happened along when I did I have no doubt that the
 whole school, teacher included, would have been opening and closing their left hands until some doctor could have been summoned The number of such cases on record is legion, but this was the first scene of the kind that I ever witnessed that was brought about without the aid of a hypnotist. A person who continually scratches will invariably give the suggestion to those who are observing him that they
 also itch, whereupon they will begin scratching.
 Ninety per cent of humanity are very susceptible to objective and auto sugges- ton. The reader will obseve the next time he or she, as the case may be, at tends a large public gathering that if a person should happen to cough large number of others will cough also. l have frequently seen this happen during church services and become so general that the minister would have to pause in Al l-It- ~a |. .to m 0 mi his congregation became quiet enough to
 hear him. Any public speaker will tell you that they are often annoyed by the cough habit"
 Objective and auto suggestion are the only two forms of suggestion employed in placing a person in @ hypnotic trance, but after the hypnosis is established the other three senses of the subject may be worked upon. To make this plainer. after the
 subject is in deep hypnotic trance he can be given the suggestion that he feels no pain and a surgical operation may be performed. This Is the principle reason that the science of hypnotism is today being taught in up-to-date medical col leges. Eleven years ago the writer was practicing medicine in little city ia North Louisiana. I had patient who
 was excellent hypnotic subject, and
 had been hypnotized hundreds of times
 before. He was in need of a surgical
 operation and as he had a weak heart l decided to operate under a hypnotic anaes- thesia. Knowing that this method of
 anaesthesia would be questioned. or in
 other words not believed by the public. l
 invited several doctors, newspaper men
 and ot1zsrs to witness the procedure. The subject got upon the table and was put
 into a hypnotic trance. This suggestion
 was then given, "You are in deep sleep
 and having pleasant dreams. You are
 perfectly comfortable and feel no pain,
 Te operation was begun and carried to q
 successful termination. The hemorrhage
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-25

This is one of the perfect threnodes. despite its unorthodoxy. That element of unbelief, non-conformism to current opin- ions with which his work is filled, has no doubt invited intense dispraise from those who cherish well-defined opinions of death and immortality. Through all of ''The Triumph of Time," this music thought prevails: q have hidden my soul out of sight and
 said
 Let none take pity upon thee, none Comfort thy crying for To. thou art dead, Lie still now, safe out of sight of the
 sun.
 Have I not built thee a grave and
 wrought
 Thy grave clothes on thee of grievous thought,
 With soft spun verses and tears unshed And sweet light visions of things un- done?
 have given thee garments and balm and myrrh, And gold and beautiful burial things. But thou be at peace now, make no stir Is not thy grave as royal kings? And in 'Hesperia: "Let us take to us, now that the white
 skies thrill with a moon unarisen, Swift horses of fear or of love, take
 fight and depart and not die They are swifter than dreams, they are
 stronger than death; there Is none
 that hath ridden,
 None that shall ride in the dim strange
 ways of his life as we ride; By the meadows of memory, the high
 lands of hope and the shore that Is
 hidden.