davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03
By HONORE DE BALZAC

came in. He had been one of. the guests the night before, but had gone away early. Now he stepped up to Raphael and in- formed him that he had long been search ing for Raphael de Valentine and. hear ing his name mentioned the night before had investigated and found out that he was the very man he wanted. His uncle had died in Calcutta and left him the sole heir to great fortune.
 Raphael suddenly rose with a startled movement The guests began to talk in a low voice to each other of the sudden good luck of the young marquis. He laid the magic skin on the table and meas ured it with a napkin. He saw that 1t had shrunk preceptibly. What is the matter?" cried one. Support him, he ia fainting," cried another.
 A dreadful palor defined every muscle fin the haggard face of the new heir. His eyes were fixed-he saw death. This splendid banquet, surrounded by faded prostitutes, this deathbed of joy-was it the image of his life?
 He looked three times at the tslisman which lay on the napkin before him. Hs tried to doubt, but there could be no doubt. He saw that every desire would cost him days of existence: he believed in the magic skin. He listened to his own breathlng-he felt i'll. He sank Into his seat and. amid the clamor and raillery of the company, drank immoderately to forget for the time being his fatal power.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03
Three Callow Youths

As Valentine rushed from the door of the shop he ran violently against three young men who were passing along arm in arm. They proved to be young men whom he had known while he was play ing the spendthrift and the sdebauchee.
 They greeted him joyously and one of them, whom the others called Emile. shouted: Well met, Raphael; we have been searching for you this fortnight; where have you been keeping yourself? Come with Us, we are on our way to a great feast-a regular orgie-at the house or one Tailefer. the amphitryon, who promises to surpass in this banquet the narrow-minded saturnalias of the petty modern Luculuses.
 'Iie Is rich and spends royalty in gath ering about him the wits of the town, and many of the learned, and making them drunk. He is going to set up a newspaper-you are just the man for him. Come. They say he got his money by
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03
The Bitter Harvest

Some months after Raphael had come into the possession of the magic skin he sat in a large and gloomy house in the Rue de Varennes before fire reading a newspaper. He was an invalid and showed t. Thin hands and hollow temples: worn. thin face-consumptive one would say to look at him.
 And yet the pervading feebieness of his frame seemed belied by the blue eyes in which life seemed concentrated. and which shone with an extraordinary perception of everything around him. The look was painful to bahold-some would have called 1t despair; others have said remorse. It was, in fact, the deep and all embrac- ing powerlessness of a man driving all his desires back into the depths of his soul.
 On the wall before him hung the magic skin upon a white ground with a red mark around the edge of the skin SO that whenever Raphael should so far for get himself as to wish for anything he could see at once how much the skin shrunk.
 The first thing he had done upon com ing into his property was to seek out an old family servant Jonathus by name. and place the ordinary routine of life in his hands.
 The compact between them was that Jonathus should so arrange for every thing, even for his breakfast it was all ways ready at a certain hour and Jo- nathus told him, Monsieur, it is time to eati" The bill of fare was made out for a whole year; no changes allowed He had nothing to wish for. He had strawberries when there were strawber- ries. and the first mackerel which came to Paris
 If the weather was fine, Jonathus told him, You ought to go out today. mas ler'-and Raphael went.< When he en- gagged Jonathus he said: You are to take care of me like a babe in swadding clothes" and Jonathus did so. 1alen- tine dared not live like other men; he dared not desire anything.
 He had become a species of automaton: he abdicated life that he might live. And yet. before he could get really settled down into life, the magic skin had shrunle noticeably; and in spite of everything it- sometimes shrunk now. For example, an old professor of his school days came to see him asking his Influence to ob- tain a position. 'T can really do noth- ing for you," said Raphael. 'I sincerely wish you may get the position"
 NAs he spoke he suddenly sprang up like a frightened deer. He saw a slight, white line between the edge of the skin and the red mark, and uttered such dreadful cry that the professor was ter rifed "Go, go. you old fool" he shrieked, you will get the place, whatever it is, that you want"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03

laughed nugene. q have thought of that said Raphael moodily, Out Fedora is a glorious monster who would pray for mercy, and I am no Othello. It is now no longer a question of the living Fedora, the Fedora of the Faubourg Saint Honore. but of my Fedora-of the Fedora who is there. he added, striking his forehead. What think you of opium?"
 "Bah," returned Rastignac, "horrid suf- fering." "Charcoal?" Vulgar" "Tho seine?' Those slabs at the Morgue are filthy" "A pistol shot?" If it misses you are disfgured for life. No, no; plunge into the deepest dissipation, and either you or your passion will perish. lntemperance, my dear fellow, is the king of deaths!"
 The Duke of Clarence's butt of Malmsey tastes better than the Seine mud. Each time we go under the table, isn't it the same as charcoal in little doses-slow suffocation? My kind of suicide isn't the vulgar kind of the bankrupt grocer.
 Excess, my dear fellow, throws down the challenge to life. If you want to go into this sort of duel with existence, I am with you. Happiness may come by the way" Raphael was carried off his feet But the money?" he said. They pooled all the money they could
  gamble with--he went to make cam palgn against fortune.
 Meantime Raphael put his affairs in order He paid Madam Gaudin what he owned her, said that he would not be back for six months, if ever, and had a little private talk with Pauline.
 Poor Pauline. He did not know that he loved her until he was to leave her In the course of their talk Pauline con- fessed that she loved him. But mar riage? That was out of the question they were both so poor. And besides there was his compact with Rastignac Welded poverty was disquieting to RaphaeIs imagination anyway.
 He fled from the house; went to Ras- tignac's room and awaited the return of the gambler. He was almost asleep when Eugene kicked the door open and rushed in. Victory" he shouted. and poured forth heap of gold upon the table. We can now die at our ease" he cried, and the two young men went dancing around the table like two can nibals with a prey to be eaten-howl ing, stamping, skipping. striking blows at each other. Five thousand dollarsp' said Rastignac when they had quieted down a little. For most men that would be enough to live on; for us it will be enough to kill us"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03
A CL A s SIC
 IN A P A G E

tortures which wrung him. The gos- pei was there in the calm kindness of those eyes to which the troubled soul might fly for refuge.
 The antiquary with a cold wave broke in upon the absorption of Val entine with: "I have covered that can vas with gold as its price," and tho mahogany case closed before his eyes. Suddenly recalled to himself-thrown sharply back into realization of his present condition and his resolve on valentie cried out: "The die is cast--it must be deathr'
 "Ah, I was right to suspect you" exclaimed the old man and grasped Rahpaels wrist with grip of iron. Valentine smiled sadly and said: Fear nothing; it Is my death and not yours to which I referred. Why should I not acknowledge the harmless deception I have practiced in pretending to want tc buy some of your treasures?''
 And then Valentine told the master of the shop of his intended suicide. "I will tell you once for all," said he, that am in the deepest, the keenest. the most ignoble poverty. But that is only one reason why I must die. I will spare myself the revelation of my un- told sufferings which are beyond the lower of human language to express. I ask neither succor nor consolation"
 "Eh! eh" cried the old man, making sound like the cry of hawk. with out giving you a centime I will make you richer than monarchs; more pow erful, more respected than any consti- tutional King can ever be. Turn around and behold the Magic Skin!"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03
Meets and Marries Pauline

One night Jonathus told Raphael that he ought to go to the opera-and Ra- phael went. In the box next to him sat young and beautiful lady. It was Pauline, no longer poor but rich. Her father had returned, as Madame Gaudin always said he would and had returned rich from India. Then he had soon died, leaving Pauline a large fortune
 Pauline and Raphael recognized each other and their acquaintance wesa-re- newed Love triumphed over even the fear of death-but the magic skin shrunk. Raphael, however, convinced himself that he had been all along under some hal Inclination, some morbid fancy, with re- gard to the talisman.
 He and Pauline were married Ra- phael said: "Thou art mine forever and ever. Thy presence has driven away my griefs and refreshed my soul. A new life opens to me and the cruel past, with my sad follies. seems like a dream"
 They lived in luxury and love Raph- ael threw the Magic Skin into deep well in the rear court of his house and strove to forget that it had ever existed. He dared to desire now like other men.
 One day old Jonathus brought to his master something which, he said, was curiosity, brought up from the bot tom of the well when they went to draw water. It was the Magic Skin Snfunk 10 a piece SIX incneS SQuaTo. Jonathus thought it was new marine plant
 Raphael was greatly agitated, but dis semblng his emotion. he took the pieoo of skin and carrying it to eminent scien- tific men tried to have 1t destroyed by strong force and by powerful acids. But the thing resisted all attacks. He put it in his pocket and returned home in a panic.
 He called in physicians, who told him that he had consumption and must seek rest and recuperation at some Ger man baths. He fled with only Jona- thus as an attendant. forsaking Pau line, and resolved to live again as a mere vegetble, to have no wishes, no desires. At the baths he was provoked into duel and his desire that he might kill his man--which he did-still further shrunk the Magic Skin.
 He wandered to the mountains and lived for a while in a peasants hut. Finally a great desire came over him. which he could not resist. to see home again and Pauline. He returned. Paul. inc came to him. He was the mere shadow of a man. The Magis Skin had shrunk to the size of an oak leaf.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03

The insistence of certain French novelists upon a galloping consumption as an artirtic concomitant of true love is not especially pleasing to the ordi- nary sane and healthy Anglo-Saxon mind. Yet there are. or have been, English-speaking critics-and of repu- tation at that-who see in the com bination the very acme of Art, with a capital, and deep insight into human life and the human soul Witness all written concerning "the Magic Skin" and "Camille." In actual life, however, it is safe to say that the most en- thusiastic male critic would prefer the object of his love to be afflicted with asthma rather than tuberculosis and the most analytical critic of the fe- male persuasion that her adored one have varicose veins rather than dis eased lungs Nevertheless, as we are told, officially, to admire Camille" and 'sThe Magic Skin" we must all be in a position to say in the immortal words of our venerable Secretary of Agricul- ture, .I seen my duty and I done it." "The Magic Skin" Is the story which first made Balzac famous, although in his "Chouans' he had already given promise of his coming greatness in the field of French literature. The story achieved an immediate success and to- uay it's reputation is world wide.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03
Marquis de Valentine

K FILE. MARQUIS RAPHAEL DE
 MI VALENTINE. having ventured M his last franc at gambling tabfe in the Palais Royal, wandered forth to the banks of the Seine with the inten- tion of cimmitting suicide.
 He was a good looking young fellow, rot long past his majority, the posses sor of an ancient name; an orphan left unexpectedly destitute at the death Of his parents. He had spent two years in dire poverty and literature; had then, through a friend. become pos scssed of small fortune and set out with the avowed intention of killing himself by dissipation and excesses Being baked in the laudable intention by the fact that his money gave out before his vitality, thereby preventing hin from pursuing tho primrose path to it's end, he had decided to take short cut by way of the Seine
 He looked at the river for some time and then. considering that if he jumped sn during daylight some meddlesome fellow might pull him out again, de- cided to wait until night to carry out his design.
 In the meantime he strayed aimlessly away from the river which, to a per son contemplating plunging Into it with suicidal intent, did not look so very al turing after all, and presently found himself in front of curio shop Into which he walked. He was in state of great agitation inwardly because or the doom which he had deliberately fixed for himself and which every min ute drew nearer.
 Paxis wore a sad countenance beneath leaden clouds and occasional gusts or windy rain. Nature itself seemed to conspire to plunge the young man into an agonizing ecstacy. He wanted to escape the sharp spasms of the soul which the reactions of his physical na- ture caused him and he turned into the shop of the antiquary with the idea or occupying his mind by bargaining Tor works of art, winch he had no money tc buy, until the darkness came for which he waited to close with death. It was in truth an effort to gain courage A prayer for a stimulant such as crlm- inaIs who doubt their courage on their way to the scaffold are wont to make.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03
The Plausible Rastignac

Thus did Valentine live for two years. The comedy was finished and also the great work on the Will. The comedy was a crude thing-the initial blunder of a young man just out of college; no one would look at it.
 With the great work on the Will he was preparing to starte all the learned societies Tn Europe, when he chanced to meet a man whom he had known at college, Eugene de Rastignac, who in spite of the shabby clothes he wore, put his arm in his and inquired after his condition with brotherly interest. Val entine told briefly of his life and his hopes And Eugene laughed declaring that Raphael was a man of genius and a fool. He urged him to return to the world if he ever expected to accomplish anything. He must set up friendships at clubs and in cliques with people able to help him.
 Come with me- said Rastignac, flor a beginning; I will introduce you to a house where you will meet all Paris, our Paris. the Paris of beauties, celebrities and millionaires. men who talk gold lilke 1nIysbSioll. w lltil Sutil Dtoplt duOpl d book it becomes the fashion.
 Tomorrow you shall see the beautiful Countess Fedora-a marriageable woman, who has a fabulous income, but who won't take any man, and whom, there fore. no man takes. She is female problem-half French and half Russian.
 The result of this meeting with Rastig- nae was that Raphael flew back to the joys of the world. He saw the Countess; he fell desperately in love with her. He still kept his humble lodgings. but had to nearly starve himself in order to make the money he had intended to last him a year bridge over a couple of months. He wooed the countess in a perfect fren- zy. only to find that she was wholly without heart and had simply been play ing with him. Also his money was now entirely gone. Rastignac procured him contract with a publisher to write some
 fake memoirs of the empire which tid- ed him over awhile but only for awhile. llnally he broke with Fedora in a rage
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03
The Inevitable End

When the first raptures of the meet ing were over Raphael became terrified and said: Pauline, I am doomed man." Then he told her the story of the Magic Skin, and. taking it from his pocket showed it to her, shrunk to a mere fragment--a shred.
 Pauline was terrified, but as she stood there, beautiful with terror, Raphael could command himself no longer, could not insist upon her leaving him. Pauline, Pauliner' he cried; but she fled from him into a further room and locked the door. Raphael broke in the door and found her trying to strange herself with her shawl in a fit of frenzy He darted toward her, tore the shawl away and clasped her in his arms, crying: Pauline, choose to die with thee,' Jonathus dashed in and found his master dead in the arms of his wife. They could find no trace of the Magic Skin.
 "A case of ordinary consumption" the doctors said that talk about a Magic Skin was but the delusion of a sick mans brain" But was it? Perhaps SO. And again perhaps the whole story is but an allegory
 copyright, ls12 by Irving King.)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03
The Mysterious Box

young shopkeepers assistant showed him about. It was large shop of many rooms and several stories and was filled with wonders, antiques, cur ios, gems, paintings, armor-thousands of articles from many countries and or many ages.
 The emotions caused by the near ap- rroach of his death, the surroundings of the vast array of articles which ap- pcaled to his senses and his intellect, worked this young man of shattered nerves, acute sensibilities, overwrought brain and vice-racked body into state where he seemed to move In fantastic dream, blending all things real and nn- real
 What does that box contain?' he suddenly asked of the attendant, point ing to a mahogany box which hung from the wall by silver chain. "I do not know, sir" replied the assistant, Monsieur has the key of that-if you wish to see it I will call him"
 The assistant left the gallery and the master of the shop approached
 Never had Valentine seen such a strange and weird creature, It was EclllpB udIh iipW oAN NhS 'ie'-A ,Nf 1-eared holding a lamp above his head. I .-ye men, reused from sleep, might I've trembled before this person who
 cmed to have risen from neighbor-
 ie sarcophagus. A singular eNpres- ion of youth animated the motionless yes of the seeming phantom who was in fact, a little, lean, shrunken old man, wearing a black velvet robe las- tened about his waist by silver cord.
 On his head was a black velvet skull cap, so fitted to the head as to frame the forehead and yet to allow the long, white hair to fall on either side Of his face Without the fleshless arm, which looked like a stick, upon which the velvet hung, and which the old man held high to throw the light upon Val entire, the face might have seemed suspended in midair.
 A grey beard. trimmed to point, was on the old mans chin and his lips were so thin and tight drawn that you could scarcely see the line of the mouth on the blanched visage. His small green eyes were bare of eyebrows or lashes and had look of implacable sternness. Craftiness was in the snuous lines and the circular creases of the fore head.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03
The Deyine Face

The strange old man touched spring and opened the mahongay case which had excited Valentines curiosity. It contained a head of Christ by Raphael, one of the great paintings by that mn mortal artist. When the view of that picture burst upon him Valentine for got the weird sights of the gallery and the visions which had tossed about his troubled soul. He became once more a man; he felt himself in the world Of real things.
 Thc tender solicitude, the sweet seren- ffv of the divine face at once acted upon him. Something seemed waited cram heaven that relaxed the internal
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03

yer or a notary of you. but a states man, who will, one day, become the glory of our unfortunate house..
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03
Raphael Mad In Love

To Rastignac he said: This woman is killing me; can neither despise her nor forget her. Better kill her.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03

K zLE. MARQUIS RAPHAEL DE M VALENTINE. having ventured l \ his last franc at a gambling tabfe
Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-09-04
INITIATIVE PRODUCED RESULTS.

Colonel E. Hofer advocated very earnestly the idea of
state backed publicly owned railroads two years The
people did agree with him. but the effect to bring
into Oregon railroads In ten years previously but fifty
miles or less of railroads had been built in Oregon Since
then there have been hundreds of miles built and still the
good work goes The initiative produces results without
gTating It only needs to be pointed toPortand Labor
The campaign by the editor of this paper for the
dstrctbuilt railroad but not for state ownership
On the plan that district can build irrigation or
drainage system public road or school house was proposed
to create railroad districts.
The property of the district to build and
operate railroad just they would water ditch and its lat
eras-for their own benefit.
The campaign for this purpose had not proceeded very far
when Hill and Hartman both the light and began the de-
veopment of Oregon with railroads
Over eight hundred miles under construction at present
and interurban lines by both systems besides.
The district railroad amendment placed on the ballot but
campaign was made because the railroad builders were fully
occupying the Oregon field that needed development
Two railroad lines built the Deschues into Central
Oregon.
trunk line was started and nearly completed from the
head Of the Willamette valley to Klamath Falls
The Central Oregon extension from Ontario south and west
through Harvey valley is well under way.
The line to Tlamook completed and in full operation
The Oregon Eastern trunk line from Eugene to Siusaw and
Coos Bay is well along in construction.
number of electric lines under construction, and more
The Southern Pacific has reorganzed its system and created
nterurban corporation with $26OOOOOO capital to build
network Of lines all over Western Oregon.
The contrast between Oregon and Idaho is quite marked in
the matter of railroad building.
The district built railroad plan was submitted to the Idaho
Legislature and the bill enacted and approved by Governor
Brady
An attempt made to act under the law and the
poraon interests took appeal to the supreme court and
out.
The supreme declared the dstricbui railroad act
constitutional.
Had Idaho had the initiative and recall the supreme of
that state would have hestated.
The people would have had the big stick in their hands
ard the chances Idaho would be getting railroads Oregon
is getting them-whOu using the power vested the law
One Of the state colleges to have in logging engin
eering Next will have professor Of wood choppng.
When Willamette ri bottom lands produce excellent peach
it remarkable that towns like Salem and Corvallis
shipping in carloads of this fruit
Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-09-04
CHINESE
HAVE WAR IN
VANCOUVER

Vancouver, r. c., Sept. 4.-Follow-
ing the reports received Of battle in
China yesterday, feeling ran 80 high
between different factions in China
town that riot resulted in Market
Lane.
Prior to the trouble between the
Chinese factions a white player in an
Oriental gaming house in the same
lane, who had been losing heavily
suddenly grabbed a pile Of money in
front OF the banker, and made off
with II. The banker sounded the
alarm. and as the man rushed from
the doorway, a Chinaman on the fire
escape above emptied bucket Of boil
Ing water upon him.
The noise Of the affray attracted
other Chinese, who, with those from
the chuck-a-luck table, Joined in the
defense OF their fellow countrymen.
The Chinaman on the landing held
his post and continued to lombard
tho surging crowd below, which COM