davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20

the undergraduates who asked to meet
the prince was the son of very
wealthy cousin of Lord Rothchi1d.
When, however, the list of guests who
were to be asked to meet him was
submitted to the prince he asked that
this proposed guests name be omitted.
His refusal drew on the prince a severe
lecture from King George who told him
that he must not refuse to meet the
Jews of such social standing and rep
utation 1t is true that the first hostess
to entertain the prince at a dinner was
a Jewess. bue as already explained
Lady Neuman secured the princes pres
ence through the Influence of Mrs. Mac
kenzie and took care that the Jewish
element was entirely absent from the
entertainment.
The prince is beginning to take a
keen interest in politics, a fact that
VIII also influence him a great deal
in the choice of his friendships and in
regard to this matter he is causing his
parents some anxiety. His royal high
ness has been rather constant attend-
ant at the meetings of the union de-
batting society at oxford, and though
he was strictly forbidden ever to speak
there IL is a matter of common know
ledge that his sympathies are entirely
with the spporters of the most exclu-
SiNe tOrylsfn ana tnat ne is opposed 10
all the ideas of democratic government
which are now finding so wide an ex-
preston at oxford. The princes idea
is that Englands hope lies in the foun-
dation of a tory party composed ex-
clusively of aristocrats and free from
all commercial influence and there is a
group of young men at oxford who ap-
parently hope to make the prince the
center round which such a party will
gather.
In the present state of political
thought in England 1t would be diff
cult to imagine a more dangerous
position for the heir to the throne to
occupy and the prince has been strictly
forbidden to attend any function or
gathering of any sort that Is in a,fy
way OF a political character. So serlz,
ously does the king regard this matter
that he recently made the prince cancei<
two engagements to attend receptions
in London given at the houses of Lord
Willoughby de Broke and Lord London
derry which were obviously political
in character, for all the guests invited
belonged to one political party.
fCopyrigh. 1913, by Curtis Brown.)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20

Among the people with whom Queen
Mary has surrounded the prince. one
whom his royal highness really likes is
Lady Newton. Lady Newton is not
smart and is given to the study of
genealogy and old manuscripts: but in
spite of this she makes her house un-
commonly pleasant, and the Prince and
his brothers and the Princess Mary have
had many good larks' there.
Some little while ago the prince ex-
pressed a desire to see how the turkey
trot. which he had heard so vigorously
condemned at home. was danced. Lady
Newton agreed to show him, and she had
his royal hghness and Prince Albert
and the Princess Mary to tea one after
noon with half a cozen other young peo-
pie, and had someone in to teach them
the trot.
ITS a beastly rowdy sort of dance,
you See said Lady Newton to the
princes and princess at the end OF the
entertainment.
Its jolly good fun was the princes
reply but | see why mother won't have
it
Lady Newton subsequently told her
majesty of the princes comment as a
good joke and she is probably the only
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20
BY E. L. SCOTT

princes doings to headquarters) Queen
Mary wrote first of all a long letter to
the prince on the general improperly of
his dining with people without his par
ents consent, and dispatched an equally
long missive to Mrs. Mackenzie. telling
in the plain language of which she has
an almost unequalled command what
she thought of her conduct in taking the
prince to dine anywhere without CON
sulting his mother on the subject. Mrs.
Mackenzie did not reply to the letter,
but sent 1t to her father, who saw Queen
Mary on the matter. Lord Knollys apol-
ogized for his daughters conduct, and
as well as he could made peace for her
with the Queen, but he told her majesty
that If Eddy wanted livelier and more
amusing society than he had been ac-
customed to, trying to prevent him hay
ing it would do more harm than good
There the matter ended, but Mrs. Mack
enzie has candidly told the prince that
she will not again bring on herself all
the trouble and annoyance that assisting
him to enjoy himself apparently entails
The prince however, will find plenty of
people who will, who have less reason
to dread Queen Mary's annoyance than
Mrs. Mackenzie
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20
Thomas Nelson Page in his library Washington
and authorized this
Ewin

homes in the lays Of the cavaliers. II has
the roof balustrade and quaint dormer
windows of colonial days and its broad
are among the artistic features of the
Capital City.
Entering the house you come into a
wide hall hung with paintings, etchings
and engravlngs each of which has its
story. An easy flight of stairs leads to
the second floor. where is the library, a
room as big as the hall of colonial
church. This is walled with rare "di-
tions of the classics and of history and
fiction in beautiful bindings The cases
are of cedar and they extend from the
floor alomst 10 the ceiling. The furni-
true is old mahogany bpaafifully in
laid. There are soft diyans and easy
chairs. and all the surroundings of the
dilettante book lover and cultured,
easy going soul. As you look about you
you see no signs of work, and the aver
age caller or visitor leaves without
Imagining that such thing as work is
connected with Mr.. Pages life.
: II is different in the real workshop.
TINS is two stories higher, a little room
which is almost under the roof. Here
the books are of many kinds and most
OF them are in ordinary bineings. There
are scores of old biographies. odd vol
umes of history and historical collec-
tions, shelves filled with Americana and
volume after volume of biographies and
stories relating to the old south There
are reference books, religious works q
well thumbed Bible or so and a fun
equipment for literary labor.
The easy chairs and luxurious furni-
ture of the library below are absent
At one side is a typewriter, at which
Mr.. Pages secretary sits. and in the
center of the room is a flat-topped desk,
such as you can buy anywhere for $50
or $40, and plain office chair.
The desk is covered with proofs.
manuscripts and papers. A half dozen
pencils lie within easy reach of the
chair, and beside them are several quill
pens, made from eagles feathers The
only easy chair in the room is one
with an old-fashioned wooden frame
covered with a wide sheet of leather
so arranged that screw at the top
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20

II ONDON, July 9.-(Special )-During
the past few months. the Prince
- of Wales, now within two years of
his majority, has given evidence that he
desires and means to have more lively
associates and friends than those em-
inently well behaved but rather dull per-
sons by whom his parents, more par
ticularly his mother, have kept him sur
rounded since he could walk.
Queen Mary, much to her annoyance.
Is beginning to discover that she will
not be able to choose her eldest sons
companions much longer for, as an old
borough club the other day, with a
smile. THE prince is beginning to ex-
pand.
His royal hishrsss is forming a set
of his own that gives promise of being.
If not quite as brilliant as the famous
"Marl1orough House set of his grand
fathers time, at all events much livelier
than the company he has been aceus-
toned to. 1t must be made clear,
though that by lively one doesn't
mean fact or anything more than
healthy joy Of life
All the sn1artest hostesses are busy
laying plans to get into the princes
"set'' and are making the most strenuous
efforts to attract the favorable atten-
tion Of the heir apparent. One who will
be a woman of some Importance In the
prineo's set and who is helping him form
1t Is Lady Vivian, wife of Lord Vivian.
Lady Vivian is exceedingly clever at
tractive and ambitious. possessing pair
OF expressive grey eyes and figure
whose natural grace is always set off to
best advantage by the creations of the
most fashionable Paris nodistes
She is too smart to be regarded with
much favor by Queen Mary, but for all
that she has several friends in the royal
encourage and as a matter of fact it was
at garden party last summer at Buck
in-ham palace that the prince first
spoke to her. though he had seen her
often before. His royal highaess sat by
her for good part OF the afternoon,
r1L.si to his mothers annoyance. It was
after that that the prince Erst hogan to
realize something of the social possi5i-
tiles that are open to the heir of the
throne. A hint from him to one or two
people about the court who were friends
Of Lady Vivian secured him the oppor-
tunity OF meeting her at their houses on
several occa sions The prince made no
secret about these meetings with Lady
Vivian. When spoken to on the subject
by his mother he frau.zly told her that
he liked Lady Vivian and he saw no
reason why he should not enjoy the
Mortified as she was at this exhibition
of Independence in the price. had no good
reason to advance for forbidding him
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20

lishing,' was the reply. ut was written
during my first practice of the law at
Richmond. 1 was always writing at
something or other, and while studying
law remember l would read about
two pages of Blackstone or Coke, and
then try my hand at fiction. 1 kept
this up after l began to practice. and,
although the greater part of my income
for years came from the law. the greater
part of my work went to fiction It
was at the beginning of that time that
I conceived the plot of ''Meh Lady" 1t
seemed to me good and I decided to
bank my literary future upon it. 1
wrote and rewrote it. l cut it and
pruned it, and at last when it semed
could not in any way better it,
sent it off to Scribner's Magazine, say
ingto myself: This is the very best 1
can do. If the story is accepted. 1 shall
choose a literary career, and If not, 1
shall keep to the practice of the law :"
At this point Mr. Page stopped for
moment and / said:
Il suppose the story was accepted at
once?"
No, it was not. II was more than a
year before l could find ont what had
been done with it. | wrote again and
again. but my letters were evasively an
swered, or not answered at all. and in the
meantime Meh Lady was neither printed
nor returned. | concluded that I had
been mistaken in my ability to write, and
| put all my force ON the law In the
meantime the old Scribner Magazine
changed hands and became the Century
and one of the new editors in clearing up
The papers found among them a bulky
roll of manuscript which had been jammed
into pigeon hole so tightly that 1t would
hardly come out. He opened 1t and be-
gan to glance through. 1t interested him,
and Meh Lady was printed. 1t attracted
favorable attention, and have been writ
ing, more or less, from that time to this"
What was the origin of 'Marse Chan.
Mr.. Pager" ] asked
TT was written before 'Meh Lady.
but was not published until afterward
Ii may have been held back on account of
the feeling which still existed between
the civil war. The story dealt largely
it came from an old letter which a friend
ten to a confederate soldier by his illis-
crate sweetheart in Georgia.
1T was poorly penned and poorly
spelled, but the sentiment in it attracted
me. The girl had, it seemed. trifled with
the man, and it was only after he had left
for the war that she realized how she
loved him. In her letter she wrote
1 know have treated you mean. I
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20

Major Page, owned a plantation and
slaves. and was well to do. The war
came however. when Thomas Nelson
Page was boy of s, and at its end came
poverty with which the boy had to make
a hand-to-hand fight, working in the
fields. milking the cows and tending the
cattle. The atmosphere in which he
worked, however, was that of books. be
was surrounded By the old Nelson and
Page libraries, and some of his reading
was done by the light of pine knots.
Among the first Of his book loves was
Walter Scott. whom he read and re-read
in that way, and the same is true of Dick
ems and Thackeray. Even as a boy he
liked to imagine stories, and his little head
was filled with iattles and sieges, aud
with plumed knights and tournaments in
which love and fair ladies played Their
parts.
As the times grew better the boy was
prepared for college, and at 16 he entere i
the Washington 'uid Lee university, whers
he stood high in the literary societies and
was the editor of he college paper. After
leaving seh5ol he became the tutor of Il
private school in Kentucky and with tho
money he made there started to study aw
at the University CT Virginia. He began
the practice )f law in Richmond when he
was % and l.ept ar it for years. writing
some of his best stories in the midst Of
the preparation of dry legal documents.
He was made q doctor Of laws by Yale
college in 1901, and he has received several
degrees as doctor OF literature
| have known Mr.. Page for years. and
have had many chats with MIN about his
literary methods and literary work lie
does not like to discuss such things Tor
publication and it has been only by asking
many questions thar am able TO give you
the information contained in this letter.
There is nothing Of the literary egotist
about him, and as to his own writings
he is as backward and bashful as any girl
in his stories.
My last call upon him was just after he
had been chosen as our ambassador to
Rome. He lives YOU know, here at tine
capital. His home is reproduction of
the ideal southern mansion of the old time
plantation. II is built of the same rough
brick as was imported for the Virginia
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20

makes 1t tight or loose, enabling one
to rest his back as he sits. The Frame
work of the chair is of black walnut
and it is wonderfully comfortable 1t
was made for Henry Clay and was used
by him while he was in Washington.
After Clay died, it came into the hands
of Ainsworth r. Spoford, the libra
rian and then to Mr.. Page
As | looked at this chair | asked Mr.
Page something 'as to the other furni-
ture and found that much of 1t had
historic memories.
This camp chest" said he, as he
was carried by my father throughout
the whole civil war. and here" picking
up great steel bit, which hung at its
side, 'is the bride bit with which he
rode through all his campaigns. He got
the bit at the first battle of Bull Run.
taking it from the horse of Yankee,
and making 1t serve for the south"
Turning to the other end of the room,
I asked Mr.. Page as to the tiling which
surrounded the fireplace. 1T looks like
the electro plates of some manuscript,
said /.
And that is Just what it is was the
reply. Those plates meant a great deal
to me when the books from which they
were printed appeared. They are the
electros of my first stories. The pages
on this side are from Mars Chan
and those on top are 'Meh Lady, while
here at the left are some from In Ole
Virginia and the Two Little Confed-
erates'.'
I here asked Mr. Page when he began
TO write. and whetllersit had been easy
to get his STUFF published.
''As TO my first writing, / cannot re-
member when I did not want to write.
| made up stories in my head when |
was a boy and wrote them out upon
states when we were too poor to afford
the paper and pencils. l kept on writing
essays In the paper gave me the nick
name of the Short Article Editor [
sent some things to the Courier Journal.
Willie | was a tutor near Louisville.
KY. but they were not accepted and the
same is true of the first things | sent to
the magazines"
'"'What was your first real story?'.
Il don't know what you mean by
real, said Mr. Page but the first thing
of any merit which / can remember was
a sketch entitled "A Soldier of the En-
pire. This was written before Mars
Chan or Meh Lady, although it was
not published until after they had ap-
peared.
What is the story of 'Meh Lady?
Il don't know that it was worth pub
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20

What is the story of 'Meh Lady?
Il don't know that it was worth pub
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20

amt never done right with you all my
life, and I loved you all the time. When
you asked me to marry you L laughed
and said I wouldn't have you. 1t makes
me cry now to think you are gone away
to the war. But 1 want you to know
love you. I want you to git furlough
and come home and I'll marry you.'
1.-THE letter closed with this postscript:
Don't come home without furlough.
for unless you come home honorable
won't marry YOU
This letter was found in the breast
pocket of the soldier when he lay dying
on the battlefield of Seven Pines. The
ball which killed him had gone through
1t as 1t lay there in his breast pocket
Just over his heart. The pathos of the
incident was such that II made me write
'Marse Chan. =
During my stay in this workshop of
Thomas Nelson Page | asked many ques-
tons as to his literary methods, and in
reply was shown some of his copy in its
various stages of its preparation for the
press. I wish I could lay it before you.
Genius has been said to be the capacity
of infinite labor. If this is so, Thomas
Nelson Page has 1t. His writing is done
slowly and the manuscript Is worked over
and over and over again The first draft
is made with a pencil and in his own
hand. This Is often one mass of correc-
tions and revisions before 1t goes to the
typewriter and comes back to him. The
typewritten manuscript is revised in the
same way and second and third copy
often meets the same fate. When the
work is satisfactory it is sent to the pub
lishers
1t comes back to him again in the
gallery proof, and this is revised, not only
as to words and sentences. but often as
to whole paragraphs and sections the old
copy being cut out and new copy in
serted.
l was especially interested in the first
manuscript of The Stable of the Inn"
one of his stories of "rhe Land fof the
Spirit" which has just been published.
This Is written with a pen, but it is so
and revisions that 1t looks more like the
heroglyphics in some Egyptian tomb
than the penmanship of the ordinary
author. Nevertheless. it has well paid
for the labor, for the story is a gem, and
some of the churches have thought so
much of its moral that they have asked
the permission of DR.. Page to publish
for tract distribution editions of $4,000 and
more.
Another manuscript over which | look.
ed was that of the Life of Robert e.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20
proSnects

From the Washington Evening Star.
That's a wonderfully smart child Of
yours"
Well" replied Mr.. Bliggins modestly,
Il don't know whether he is so smart
now. But If he ever finds out the an
swers to all the questions he asks he VIII
be a world beater.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20

Thomas Nelson Page began his life as
a worker. lie comes of one of the oldest
families of virginia. His boyhood home.
Oakland. in Hanover county. was granted
TO one of his ancestors, the colonial mag
nate, Thomas Nelson and his father,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20

Another manuscript over which | look.
ed was that of the Life of Robert e.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-20

the motto Of his company and that the
same policy was being pursued on the
st. Joseph line, in which the Union Pa,
cific holds 70 per cent Of the capital
stock. He admitted that no dividends
had been paid since the road was taken
over by his company, but declared the
intrinsic valuo of the property had in
creased three-fold and that, like the
Union Pacific, after it's reorganization
nineteen years ago, it WAS destined TO
be a large dividend payer.
'sThe Union Pacific is more greatly
interested in the success of this road
than are the minority stockholders,
Mr. Loomis contcnded. cit owns 70
per cent of the stock, as against 80 per
cent owned by the plaintiffs, ,and. it
certainly has no wish 70 see the line
90 into bankruptcy. The road is ac-
fnally making $1,000 day on the bust
ness thrown to it by the Union Pacific
railroad. ms shown by the financial re-
ports, That part Of the line between
Marysville and Hastings forms link
in a new route between Kansas City
and the Pacific coast and without the
business thrown to the complainant road
hv reason of this line, on which much
money has been spent for improvement.
the road would soon be in the hands of
q receiver.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-20
LOSES commission,
ALSO HIS LIBERTY
Lieutenant Baron Won Forst-
ner Sentenced for Causing
Zabern Trouble.

STRASSBURG, Germany, Dec 49,
Lieutenant Baron Won Forstner-who
was the cause Of the recent troubles
between military and civilians at Ia
bern, Alsace-was today sentenced to
forty three days Imprisonment and de-
prived of his commission as an officer.
He was charged with ASSEMBLING lame
shoemaker.
In the course of his testimony the
lieutenant showed that he had acted
in the way he did under semi-compul
sion" He had been threatened with
impeachment before n court of honor
if he showed the slightest reluctance
against using his weapon. He testi-
fled that the officers had received re-
peated orders from the German army
headquarters and from the regimental
commander to adopt an aggressive at
titude and to stand no nonsense from
civilians and to permit no insults or
abuse.
Lieutenant von Forstner said he
acted under the prevailing German as
sumption that an officer was ire
trievably dishonored if he permitted
himself to receive q blow. He said
that the lame shoemaker might have
got loose from the men and might
have struck him before the soldiers
COulu OVerpoWel MN aSdln anu Iuen
Lieutenant Won Forstner would have
been disgraced.
Colonel Won Reuter-, the commander
Of the Ninety ninth regiment, said he
had instructed his Officers to act as
aggressively as possible. A PTussian
officer, he continued, must not permit
disrespect to be shown him. He had
threatened, he said, to bring them be-
fore court Of honor if they did not
follow his instructions and he had ad-
vised Lieutenant Forstner, who in an
other report the colonel had character
lied as inexperienced and hasty, to use
both his saber and his revolver If nee
essary.
The colonel also admitted that he had
ordered the commissioned officers
and privates Of his regiment, if at"
tackled, to use their weapons energetl-
cally and to bring down their assail-
ants.
The evidence given indicated that it
was highly doubtful whether the shoe
maker was at all culpable. One cadet
asserted he had heard the lame man
say: -,
up yet" but the court evidently did
not believe him.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-20
GREAT FUTURE FOR
.-a
GRAND ISLAND ROAD
Union Pacific Attorney Shows
That Property Has Greatly
Increased in Value.

Omaha, Dec. 19.-Thc defense had
its innings today in the arguments IN
the suit brought by the minority stock
holders of the st. Joseph & Grand
Island railroad against the Union Pa
cific Railroad company to prevent
further appropriation of the former g
earnings to betterments and improve
ments. Nelson II. Loomis, general So
Iicitor Of the Union Pacific. argued
nearly five hours before tho court, com.
posed of Judges w. H. Munger and T.
c. Munger, sitting together in the dis,
fyict court.
Mr.. Loomis opened his argument with
the declaration that fsafety first was