davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17

tates mortgaged and unmortgaged with all the improvements of Russian and for eign origin, if he could possess such d stomach as these middle class gentry own.
 As Ivanoyltch was finishing his roast pig, there came to the inn door a travel ing carriage, and from ii descended a harl, m-scarum fellow, young landed proprietor whom Ivanovitch had met al reception in town, and whose play al cards had been watched carefully by the ehief of police.
 For this scattering youth, whose name was Nazdreff, played ineessantly-an sell dom played square He was noted for his pranks and so rattle -brained that he ap- peared half insane.
 He had been to fair in distant town, where he had gambled away every thing of value he had about him-all his ready money to the last kopec and his horses and his carriage, and his borther- in-law was taking him home
 Ndzdreff greeted Pavel Ivanovitcn eff fusively, and insisted that he accompany him to his manor house, which was not far away.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
Up to Some Game

In spite of the Boisterous eecentrieities of the man. Pavel consented, thinking to himself that, perhaps. here was a chance to secure more dead souls.
 Nozdreff was by turns insulting and CT bearing to his guest.
 ? Whenf in the privacy of the. proprietor' S study Ivanovitch made his usual proposi- ton to buy all the serfs of Nczdreff who had died since the last. census, the rattle brained young man cried out:
 What do you want of them? You are up to some game. But I won't sell them until you tell me what you want them for."N
 Pevel thought q moment and then said that he wanted them to obtain weight in society; his landed estate was small, and he wanted some souls to make a showing with, at least on paper.
 You liei You liei" shrielled Nozdrcff T know you, you are a great rascal. But to prove that am your friend. I will give you the dead souls for nothing.
 Just yeu buy my stallion for 1000 ru- bles and I will throw in the dead souls. Or I Will gamble with you for them: yes, let us gamble
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
His Fairy Vision Again

He was, if possible, more popular than before and none of those from whom he had purchased were unkind enough to betray the fact that the souls they had sold the stranger were dead ones
 The governor gave a great ball to ''hring out" his. daughter, just finished from her boarding school, and Iyano- yicth, of course, attended.
 What was his surprise and delight to see in the governors daughter that fairy vision which he had beheld on the highway when his britchka became entangled with another carriage on the road to Sobakevitch's
 He made all the other single ladies, young and old, furious by entirely neglecting them and hanging about the governors daughter all the evening.
 As he gazed at her he built air castles. He had decided upon exactly the style of his manor house and even upon the childrens names when he was startled by hearing voice which he Knew only too well cry out;
 "Ah, the Khersonese land owner. the Khersonese land owner! How now have you bargained for many dead souls2"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
Asking What it Meant

Tie talk of dead souls had been ut tered in such loud tones by Nozdreff that all in the ballroom heard it and they looked at each other with a sort of wood cn, interrogative expression.
 The town talked of nothing else the next day. People began to shun Iyanovitch in the street; the governor denied his door to him: many consultations of the officials were held to consider just what and who was Ivanovitch and what he was Up to.
 That he was a dangerous person was agreed upon and the perpiexity of the town fathers was increased by the sud den arrival In the city of the old woman of the farm who had sold her dead souls to Pavel.
 She had thought the matter over after his departure. got more and more scared and perplexed the more she thought. and finally came to town to tell the authori- ties Ivanovitch had purchased dead souls of her and to ask what 1t all meant
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
A Quarrel That Cost Dearly

1vanovitch refused to gamble. but finally consented to try a game of checkers with lis host. At the first move Nozdreff began to cheat. obsery- ing which Pavel refused to play more
 A row ensued. and Nozdreff. callne in two burly serfs, ordered them to Sive Ivanovitch a good beating,
 This beating he would undoubtedly have received had not an officer of the law suddenly entered and arrested the ck-brained young landed proprietor for having beaten a man at the recent fair.
 Ivanovitch hastily called his car raige and lied from the house of the mad spendthrift. But his mistake in preaching the subject of dead souls tc Nczdreff he was destined to find out later to his cost
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
CL A s SIC
 IN A P A c B

When Gogol. who had written the first vo.ane of eDead Souls in Italy ana Switzerland. went to Russia in lSn to ar range for it's publication, the wise. grave ceusors there refused. at first, to allow of it's appearance. How" they asked ponderously, .'can immortal souls be call ed dead2"
 Gogol referred them to the story, and they read 1t over again and again. He explained and they listened solemnly to his explanations. Then they sighed in a dazed and bewildered manner and ask ed again, "How?'
 Finally they allowed him to publish the volume if he would make Dead Souls a secondary title and "Tchitohikoff' Pe- reerinations'' the principal title. Gogol gave it up and did as the wise eensors desired.
 The second volume of the story was written by Gogol when he had fallen into a state of fanatical mysticism. One Of his last acts was to burn the manu- script of the concluding portions of the story, which he considered harmful.
 Gogol was one of the greatest masters of Russian literature. and Dead Souls may be considered his greatest as 1t is certainly his best-known, work.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17

carriages went on their different ways and the vision faded away.
 But 1t remained in the mind of Pavel end all the way to Sobakevitch's house he dreamed of a great estate and a great house Ill which many children played and over which the girl of the travelling carriage presided.
 Pavel found Sobakevitch a hard man b deal with. He was not so much in terested in the question of what Pavel wanted to buy dead souls for as in what they would bring.
 He was one of those men who speak i'll of everybody, and after abusing all their mutual acquaintanees in town, offered to sell his real souls for 100 ruhles each.
 They had been most excellent serfs in their day, he declared, and were all worth the money Finally a compro- mise was effected at 8 F rubles apiece, and Sobal6evitch agreed to go to town the next day and register the deed. !
 Ivanovitcfi. hearing of q miser, a landed proprietor Who lived nearby and was said to starve his serfs to death, went ta visit him and effected another purchase
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
To Pastures New

He gave up his employment d steward. gathered together the rem nants of his fortune, drew his wage and set out to travel through the re lnoter parts of the empire and pur case dead souls at bargain prices.
 It was this business that had brough him to the town from which the dis closures of Nozdreff drove him an where he experienced probably the oni. unselfish emotion which had ever pos sessed him. his love for the governor daughter
 That his record would be looked Il by the provincial officials and that h would never be allowed to wed wiE the young beauty he was convince and, for a time, he was greatly de pressed.
 But necessity aroused him and afte a few months he made his appearanc at the estate of Andrei Tentyotnikof situated leagues and leagues ava from the scene of his late operation
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
A Sale of Dead Souls

Maniloff could only stare at his guest At length he said:
 q cannot conceive-excuse me, but the fact is I have not the brilliant edu- cation which is visible, so to speak, m ,-our every movement. do not possess the lofty art Of expressing myself as clearly as I could wish. Possibly l do .sot understand you possibly you ex- press yourself in that manner for beauty of style"
 s.No," replied Ivanovitch. q say ex- actly what I mean. Therefore you might set about the completion of ? deed of sale"
 ''Whatl deed of sale of dead souls?''
 No, we will make it as if they were still alive. l wish 1t to agree with the records of the census list
 T am great stickler for the law. although I suffered for that when in the service. I wish everything to agree with the law.
 You see. by selling the dead souls 10 me you will be relieved from paying ne taxes on them; but the treasury would still receive them, for they wouli be charged against me us proprietor.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
The Beautiful Stranger

As he sped on toward the village owned by Sohakevitch his britchka came into collision with travelling carriage going the other way
 There was mixup and before the teams were untangled Pavel caught a good look at a beautiful young lady in the other carriage, which young lady seemed to him just the being suited to be his wife.
 The girl was about 16 with her gold en hair artfully, but prettily, wound around her small head.
 Her oval face was rounded out like a fresh egg, and like that also. when fresh and newly laid, if it is held against the light in the sun- n-browned hands of the housekeeper who Is test ing if. holding it against the light so that it admits the brilliant rays of the sun and shines with certain transpar- cnt whiteness. Her delicate ears. also, transmitted a warm. rosy light.
 She had been scared by the accident and her beautiful lips remained parted and there were tears in her eyes. Everything about her was so perfect that our hero gazed at her for several minutes without needing the confusion around him.
 An elderly woman was seated by the side oi the fair creature.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
Denounced By Nozdreff

It was the detestable Nozdreff who made his way toward his victim crying out to the governor:
 Do you know, your excellency. he is a dealer in dead souls! Listen, Pavel, for You know q mspeaking. out of friend ship, and his excellency and you and l are great friends. will you believe it, your excellency. he says to me:
 Sell me your dead souls, he says. I fairly burst with laughter. Since I have come to town I have learned that he has luchased S.lo000o rubles' worth of serfs for colonization.
 Nozdreff coEld not help putting the flg- ure at S0S9,0D0 rubles- instead of the real 'um though the real sum was known to overyboly in the room. and he knew it WAS. But lying, to Nozdreff. was as nat ural as cheating at cards
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
When Men Had Appetites

X On his way, however. he stopped at an inn fin village through which his route lay, thinking to refresh himself with little meal and also give the horses a rest.
 The old woman at the farm house had given him light breakfast of much rooms, butter cakes, pancakes, griddle cakes, patties and all sorts of tarts- tarts with garlic, tarts with poppy seeds, tarts with curds, tarts with fish and what not, as well as large and delicious sweet pasty with eggs.
 But he felt hungry and ordered a roast sucking pig, of which he ate every morse 1
 Gogol, the author, declares that he en- vies not the epicures of Petersburg or Moscow. but does envy the middle class Russian gentle1len. who call for ham at one station, roast pig at the next. a slice of sturgeon or some sausages baked in dough with onions at the third. and then seat themselves at table at any time you please, just as if nothing had gone be- fore. and eat sterlet soup with eel pout and milk, followed by a roast or a big fish pasty with layers of shad so that it gives the beholder an appetite.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
The Talk of the City

Then he drove back to town, happy in the thought that he was now the nominal possessor of 400 serfs.
 His friends in town received him back with effusion, and when, by lit tie iudiciouss bribery, he had expedited the registration of his purchases, his business became the talk of the city
 Some people began to have longing to know more about ihim and tried to pick his servants, Selifan and Te- trushka. But those faithful souls" would only say that their master had been in the service of the government and was a man of wealth.
 The curious asked Pavel for what purpose he was buying serfs, and he replied that he. bought them for ex- portation-he was going to settle them upon some property of his in the Kher sonese government.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17

'Tehitchikon. by heaven!' Permit me to kiss you
 The drunken, hair brained fellow tried to embrace and kiss lvanovitch, who re- pulsed him so vigorously that Nozdreff measured his length on the floor.
 The scene had oceasioned much embar- rassment at first and then some confu- sion. under the cover of which Ivano- witch hastily withdrew from the house.
 That Nozdreff was notorious liar was we'll known and utter nonsense from him would not have been the slightest novelty.
 But mortal man--truly 1t is hard to un- derstand how mortal man is constructed mortal man, TO matter how the novelty is constructed, so that it be novelty, will instantly communicate 1t to another nor tai if only for the sake of saying: Just see what lies are disseminated
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
A Startling Pronosition

As the two sat alone in Maniloffs s rmokingroom after dinner Ivanovitch asked how long it was since the pro proprietor had handed it to the govern nlent< his list of serfs
 Why. a long while--I don't just re- collect" answered Maniloff.
 -'So that a good many have died since gthen?"
 why, yes. a good many. I will ask fhe oVerseer"
 He sent for the overseer, who also Gid not know, but said he would find cut and make list.
 When the overseer had gone Ivano- witch said: T wish to purchase some souIs-some dead ones" What, excuse me" said Manilofr startled-'I am little hard of hearing. l thought I heard you use a very singular word Y
 My intention is,' returned Ivano- witch, Ito obtain dead serfs, who, how ever are indicated as alive in the cen sus list"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
Forced to Flee the Town

A rumor spread that Pavel had come to the place with the intention of elop ing with the governor s daughter. Noz- dref heard it and at once declared that he knew the entire plot, in fact. had agreed to assist Ivanovitch in it's exc cution.
 Ivanoviteh was his dearest friend: they had been at school together and Pavel had been convicted of numerous crimes.
 In short, things became so hot for Ivan- ovitch that he resolved to flee the town and early in the morning of the third day after the ball. his britchka with himself inside and Selfan and Petrushka on the box, passed out through the city gates.
 <On the way to the barriers the car riage had to stop to allow the passage of a funeral procession. It was that of the procurator, who had worried himself to death trying to find a solution of lvanovitch's affairs.
 Then on the. carriage sped away over the level land which reached to the far horizon.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
Betrayed by an Accomplice

But he had been obliged to take one other official into his confidence and into partnership. This official and Pavel guar. relied and in his anger the official uttered words which caused an investigation.
 The official had ruined himself, but he had also ruined Ivanoyitch. The off eial fled; Ivanovitch stood his trial.
 It was a long one with many delays, fer he engaged the shrewdest and most interruptions lawyer in Russia to de- feld him.
 They could not convict him. but when the trial was at length ended Ivano- witch was ruined man.
 Casting about for some occupation. he was obliged to take a position as super iuttndent of an estate. Among other duties which fell to him as steward was the mortgaging of several hundred serfs to the Council of Guardians. | banking concern established by the Gov ernment which had charge of the in- stitutes for orphans and deaf mutes.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
Cler Case of Negligence

From Inc GfteH BaS.
 Tn an insurance case tried in an ohia te wr.' says a Cleveland lawyer, "a youthful attorney asked an old sailor during the course of his cross-exa nina ton at what time of day certain colii- sIon occurred.
 About the middle of the first dog watch,' was the reply
 Tn summing up the case the youth ful lawyer enlarged upon the informakoll thus iInparted as follows:i h,
 You can imagine. gentlemen of tho jury, the care which was exercised on this occasion, when, as appears from the testimony of ohe of the plaintiffs own witnesses. this Valuable ship and her car- go, to say nothing of the lives of ths passengers and crew. were iutrusted to what, gentl efnen ?-why, to the mere watch of aogs D
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
After. Dinner Intimacy

NIaniloff, the landed proprietor in- Nited Ivanovitch to visit him at his country estate-his village-and So- bakeivtch, another landed proprietor, did the same. In course of time-not being in too much of hurry about it --Ivanovitch set out on his promised visits.
 Maniloff received him with joy and the stranger exerted himself so to please that Mme Maniloff was charmed with her husbands friend. He ad- rnired the two small boys of the fam fly and praised everything.
 When the visit had reached the after dinner stage Maniloff felt that he had known Ivanovitch for years, was sure that he was his dearest friend and said that life for him would be perfect II his dear friend was only settled down in the neishborhood so that he might have some one with whom to discuss suitability, good breeding, or follow up any science which would stir the soul and impart to it a lofty flight, so to speak"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
At 15 Ruhles a Head

"Do you want to dig them up7 she asked
 No. merely want you to make me out a bill of sale of all the serfs of yours who have died since the last cen sus," replied Ivanovitch.
 Male and female?"
 No; female serfs are not taxed"
 How much will you give?"
 How many have died since the last eensus?"
 Eighteen"
 T will give you IS rubes for the lot"
 q don't know,' said the widow medi- tatively. "I never sold any dead people perhaps they are worth more. and she began to haggle with him.
 It was a hard struggle. but finally. by hourishing the money in her face, Ivan ovitch brought her to terms. and taking some stamped paper from his travelling case he made her sit down, then and there, and write out a list and bill of sale of her dead souls.
 She named a certain curate in the town who would act as her representative in the necessary formalites of recording .ne sales before the provincial authorities, and Ivanovitch set out again for Sobake- viteh's estate. - 4
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
Beginning Over Again

He was looking much older an rather down on his luck. Ills ear riage was in much need of repair, h said, and craved permission to mak gse of Adreis worlSmen to put 1t i shape for him to continue his Jour nty.
 As before he was travelling on hi own business.
 The young proprietor had retire from the delights and dissipation o life in Moscow and Petersburg to liv upon his ancestral estates and was al most bored to death by the monoton. Of existence there.
 He welcomed the arrival of an appar ently. well-bred and intelligent mar begged that Pavel would remain hi guest as long as he pleased (whic vas just what Iyanovfteh wanted) am placed all his serfs at the traveller disposal
 Pavel so exerted himself to pleas that his host was charmed with hin and soon took him into his confidence
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
A Good Days Work

"What!n cried Maniloff who, still be- wildered, saw at least chance of getting rid of part of his taxes, "do you suppose 1 am going to take money for souls which have, so to speak, "a q certain way. terminated their exist ence? l will give them to you for nothing and take the cost of the deed upon myself"
 When at last Maniloff and 1vanovitch parted, with many embraces and much kissing. after the Russian manner. the latter ordered hiss scoachman to drive to the estate of Sobakevitch. and sank back comfortably in his britchka with the re- fiection that already he had done a good days work in inc purchase of dead souls.
 Maniloff also thought that he had done a good days work in the selling of the same, and when he next went to town with the deed all prepared he mentioned to some friends that he had sold some serfs to Ivanovitci-but omitted to say that they were dead ones.
 Not to Be Fooled
 Selifan, Ivanovitehs coachnan, having partahen too liberally of Maniloff's liquor, was in sad state of fuddle so that he lost the road thunder storm came up, darkness fell and late at night the trav- eler was obliged to claim the shelter of a small country house which loomed up out of the darkness of an apparently otherwise uninhabited region.
 A curious old widow lived there alone with her serfs cultivating small estate. She gave Ivanovitch shelter and food; but she was gaunt, angular and sus- plcious. and when the next morning he made the same offer to her as he had to Maniloff she. took immediate alarm.
 There was something behind this strange offer: you could not fool her with any highfaluting bombast But she was an acquisitive, penurious old party and could not resist the opportunity of getting some- thing for nothing.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
Cheating All Around

For while he did try to be respect able. But as his acquaintance with the neighboring proprietors widened he fell again into his old habits and whenever he dared. he bought dead souls ts mortgage them.
 Some of his new friends urged him to buy the estate of bankrupt pro prletor which was going for a song, even agreeing to loan him half the purchase money.
 The purchase was made, but Pavel held back part of the money from tie bankrupt-in short, tricked the poor devil in one way and another out rageously. and pocketed the money which his friends had lent him
 Also, learning that the bankrupt had an aunt wealthy and old he sought her out and ingra tiated himself into her favor, taking care to increase her aversion to her spendthrift nephew.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
Forgery Discovered

She died soon after and by means O, forged will Ivanovitch became pos sessed of the greater part of her wealth
 He was rich man now and went to live in great luxury in one of the pro- vincial capitals. But>a prior will of the old lady was discovered and suspicion east upon the authenticity of the one pro- bated by Pavel.
 The forgery of the will probated by Pavel was proved, but so cleverly had he worked that there was little direct evidence against him. But things were so suspicious that he was arrested
 By means of the abduction of the prin- cipal witness against him he was saved from prison, and before he could be ar rested upon another charge he fled, aban- doning most of the property.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
Mortal Mems Weakness

'Colonization, indeed!' he went on in a voice heard through the room, ''listen. IchrtehikoT YOU are a beast. ] shall not leave you until I find out why you are buying dead souls
 How l love you. little Pavell If any one should ask me to tell them on my conscience which Is dearer to you-yom father or Tchitchikofr?' l should answer