davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08

the outcaat, AMI treated him IS man and
called him brother" although Vatican
could not understand the motive of it ALL
it had the effect, slowly but effectually.
of awakening the branded man to the
possibility of a character of life as far
from his past as the poles are asunder.
The might OF kindness touched the ma
ture that had sunk into the ferocity of
the beast and transformed it into hero
ism and moral splendor, These were the
solemn words that caused the travail
of soul, the birth pangs of man born
into a higher life-"Jean Vatican, my
brother, you belong no longer to evil,
but to good. 1t is your soul that | am
buying for you. | withdraw it from
dark thoughts and from the spirit of
perdition, and give it to God" The sad
incident of the 40-sou piece that followed
was only natural, considering the con-
vict's life and the grip of old habits
But kindness had given his character
new impulse and his path new direc-
ton.
There is many a man saved to society
by the kindness of some gentle soul who,
was not too dainty to stoop to the err
ing There is many a lost man and lost
woman 0ost because not found YETI
crouching amid the black shadows tina.
line the descending paths to the fetid
halls of hell, who might have been
saved by the exercise of a little kind
ness that would have cost only a few
tender words and a sympathetic touch -
the hand of gentleness.
So, | close as | began,
% pr he tn
'Tis only noble to be good;
Kind hearts are more than coronets,
And simple faith than Norman blood"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08

|" HE enormous influence of clothes
upon the psychological develop
4 ment of the various races, upon
their ideas of civilized society, because
| upon all the people from the most i'm
| Ipressionable years of childhood, is the
kgreatest outstanding fact in this dis
#cussion.
Clothes have produced, not modesty
|1ndeed but phases or manifestations of
|modesty. They have trained the form
|spf self feeling which we call modesty,
from it's earliest basis in physiological
and anatomical facts, to its present ap-
parent basis In the community con-
seriousness. shyness, dread of being un-
pike the others; SO that the modern
human is as full of anxiety lest a but
fton or book should be unfastened or
~ skirt unduly brief, as was the earlier
Fsman and woman lest the goat should
\ have devoured their whole wardrobes
of leaves
For there has developed outside the
,fNvearer of clothes a conscience of the
community sitting in judgment on each
Ewearer. criticising him or her. Each
Individual indeed is simply the COM
munity dressing or neglecting to dress
i7tself. Nevertheless the individual
bchoice of material and extent is left
Jas nearly free as possible, checked at
many points by the over-conscience of
the community.
Travellers have observed that through
this community usage modesty gets
educated and ada itsalf to 1oco1 oop
Nentions 1t Is only few years ago
that the people of Japan considered
Clothing an almost negligible element
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08

the sort of men who read the Bible by the
fireside and are not too proud or superior
to go down on their knees and pray
They may not profess much religion, but
they live it,
God give us men. That is the prayer Of
a cropping and waiting world We want
men who will stand for the good of the
race rather than seem to be what they
are not, that thereby they may advance
their private interests. GIVE us men that
will lead US out of the quagmire of selfish
ness up to the fair and sunlit plain of
brotherhood We are heartily sick of the
lrammonistic, II materialistic, shifty insin-
oere and false We need simple. upright,
God filled souls who dare to stand for hu-
manity and for the truth
What are the signs of the times?
Read them. o young man. with the
worlds greatest century before you.
Note the marshaling of the hosts OF
greed and THE armies of industry. Be-
hold the world filled with a new thought,
a new dream, a new Christ ideal. See
the great republic rising into a position
of leadership, while the monarchies of tho
old world look on with growing con-
cern. Observe the foundations of ancient
theories and customs being broken UP,
while the outlines of a larger faith and
purpose come gradually int oview. What
does 1t all portend? What is the focal
point toward which all the new currents
are flowing?
In the long day of history a decade is
but an hour This is the lull before the
storm. The greatest conflict the world
has ever seen is before us-a conflict be-
tween the old forces of light and dark
ness. 1t may not be contest of arms
God grant that it will not be--bpt it will
be none the less real because of that
The future contests of the world will be
between the invisible forces of thought
rather than between the palpatle forces
of material warfare
One of the ends of the struggle will be
to set the wage slave free. There is no
good in shutting our eyes to this phase Of
the situation. 1t rests on a fundamental
Principle. Any many has a right to that
which he produces or its exact equivalent
or othe equivalent of the service which
he renders If he is forced to give to an
other portion Of t..is product. In SO far
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08

bidding unnecessary exposure of the
person, a gendarme in Hiogo demand
ed that certain foreign lady take
her little girl home and dress her"
The 4-year-old was garbed in a frock
whlch showed her shoulders and arms,
and In socks which emphasized her
chubby legs,
Along the same line Is the astonish-
ing fact that the older Japanese were
Mortified at the "indecency' of west
ern women of the Victorian period in a
ballroom. They could not understand
why missionary should have a pic
ture of the parting of Hector and An
dromache upon his walls. Both Hector
and his beloved were classically Greek
In the draperies. And yet those Japan
ese saw nothing indecent in a common
bathing pool for both sexes!
All this goes to show that usage
counts for almost everything in the
development of what we call modesty;
as it also shows that the roots and
reality of modesty are quite independ-
ent of costume. a fact observed in our
former chapter. The weight of COM
iOViih6 ioiSSo ihtO SOHN CltlOIdl
shape the modesty- conscience OF each
individual.
Now the curious fact of the present
time is that more and more the west
ern community conscience is adapting
itself to influences that are spreading
from ancient Greece and modern, or
nearly modern, JAPAN so far as wom-
ans raiment is concerned. Along with
this, and partly causing it, is the re-
volt of woman from the tyranny of that
community or conventional conscience.
she will exercise the right
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08

Know that the dowdy and the slattern and
the rowdy and the silly and the mannish
have no permanent hold on the heads of
normal mankind They also know that
dress is of infinite value in attracting
and pleasing men,
1t is not evident that according to the
type of woman, as expressed in her
costume, will be the type of man whom
she succeeds in attracting.
On the other hand behold the women
who have determined no longer to be
the appanage of masculine conceit, They
will fight the battle for larger life. larger
freedom, economic independence and the
right to control the political life of the
land and community. They will protect
feminine creatures against themselves
and against the nature impulses of selfish
man. They will create a new commu-
nifty conscience with new righteousness.
at whose behest the men shall sit In the
ornamental places or watch their daugh-
ters and wives stay ancient, but unven-
cradle dragons.
Militant or non-militant the new suffra-
gist is certain to express her independ-
ence in her dress. and she will hasten
the reputation of things unnecessary
and merely ornamental. And yet she will
care for all that adds dignity and sanity
to dress. Her approximation to the sim
plicity and freedom of masculine costume
is already Illustrated, for instance. in her
parades and public demonstrations But
does it sacrifice attractiveness alto
gether?
Her sister, who cares less for public af-
fairs and hides among the personal at
tachments cannot unclasp hands with her.
today. Even the dome cd rn1let ~,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08

And as he ,plucked his cursed steel away.
Mark how the blood of Caesar followed
It,"
What the daggers did for Caesars body
and Caesars mantel, unkind words have
often done for mems fair fame. And
these were Caesars professed friends.
Out upon such friendsi Il had rather be
a dog, and bay the moon, than such a.
friendl
No one may question, and am quick
to admit, that there are times when it is
right to speak of the shortcomings of
men in strong terms. Justice demands
it, social order requires it. and some
times the success of a righteous cause
makes it a necessity. l am not writing
of such instances of exaction. Nor have
L written of the brave soul who, recog-
nizing wrong course that one is living.
goes to him, the apparent offender, and
charges him with the fault giving op-
portunity for explanation and promise
of reformation. But 1 refer to the as
sassin of reputation who secretly goes
about and with the dagger of unlxindness
and unkind words cuts and slashes the
reputation of the man or woman whom
his coward lips would not dare to charge
with wrong to their faces.
Kind words are usually accompanied
with low voice. Few loud, unsuppress-
ed tones are kindly. There is a wondrous
power in the subdued voice. A great
English novelist has represented one of
her characters as possessing voice like
the voice of a soul that once lived in
an aeolean harp soft low and musical.
The most impressive scene in the tragedy
OF King Lear is in the fifth act where
the aged and demented king appears with
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08

once monopolized by man, to employ
dress for the emphasis of her attrac-
tions. Again, she will insist that prac-
tical usefulness is a canon~of the art OF
dress. And SO she will go on shedding
much of the voluminousness so gently
child by the chronicler of New Amster-
dam, and emerging into a sort of mas
culinity of apparel in which she will
fight the grim battle of life side by
side or Wis a Wis with her brothers.
not neglecting her right to attract.
There is to be observed a rift in the
serried hosts of. femininity. or per-
haps 1t should rather be said many riffs
are to be observed. There are the dear
and beautiful women who refuse to
change the ideas in which their faith.
ers and mothers raised them, and who
look with alarm and agony on the vari-
Gus manifestations of the new women.
These make life sweet and keep it
whole.
Again in the unsophisticated regions
of the land there are multitudes who
know nothing of what is going forward
among their sisters. These are still the
great majority of women, in spite of
Sunday newspapers and many maga-
zines. These will not cease out of tho
land because fashions change
Among modernized women, especially
the very young. there is a probably un-
conscious differentiation taking place On
the one hand are those damsels whose
subconscious self forever revolves like
a planet around the idea of home and
husband and a settlement in life with
whatever notifications this is the grand
emprise" to win the honor and sp1endor
of homes imperial domain. Such women
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08

F" HERE are many things in life
more desirable than coronets, ac-
i cording to the concensus of the
opinion of the most thoughtful men
and women. But in the verse of Tenny-
sons poem from which the title of this.
paper Is taken, kind hearts are desig-
mated as superior to all coronal dis
tinctions. Says the great poet.
'"Trust me, Clara We're de We're,
From you blue heavens above us bent
The grand old gardener and his wife
Smile at the claims of long descent
Howe'er 1t be, 1t seems to me,
'Tis only noble to be good.
Kind hearts are more than coronets
And simple faith than Norman blood"
The words kind" and blindness" In
one form or another, are among the
Oldest words that we use. They seem
to have come to us out of the Sans<rit,
and in all the mutations of time they
have been protected from loss and OBJ
scurity. The verbal root of kind
originally meant ito beget." and thence
came to apply to those begotten and
described such relations as should exist
among those who were kin" to one
another. When kin" acquired "d'
and became kind" 1t designated a
class or family. And so we read in
the English Bible of 1911. God made
the beast of the field after his kind,
and the cattle after their kind, and
Everything that creepeth after his
kind" Thus Shakespeare employs the
word for he makes Hamlet say of Clau-
dus, "A little more than kin and less
than kind" Hamlet is kin to Claudius,
being his step-son, but Claudius is not
of his kind, since he belongs to class
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08

in social and moral well being. And
yet no land displays more love of
parade, more sense of the decorative
effect of raiment, or more sensitive
ness of propriety, down to the moment
of entering the bath tub. have seen
a dignified evangelist strip to the ire
ducible epiderm in the same room of
the hotel where the maid was prepar-
ing beds for himself and his four mas
culine companions and most suavely
and graciously bow himself past her
on his nude way to the evening bath,
at the far end of the general pas
sageway of the hotel. And there was
nothing immodest in that. because ev-
eryone else was in the habit of doing
the same thing. With a certain athletic
Englishman I have stood, girt with
a borrowed "yukata," or bathing robe,
in the bathroom of such a hotel, while
a chattering old woman, hardly so
well adjusted to the emergency, stood
discoursing on the singular fact that
foreigners preferred cold water in
buckets to exceedingly hot water in
tubs, There was little use in bowling
her out, since the privacy of the room
as most intermittent. But it was again
a case of varying susceptibility, differ
ent educational environment and of
'honi sol qui NAL y pense," as the
king said about the lady's garter
Social conscience girded the unveiled
dignitp of Japan and still girds it suf-
ficiently in out of the way places On
the other hand among the new Jap
anese. whose conscience has been mold
ed by various edicts inspired by west
ern ideals, modesty runs riot to ex-
cess. Following one such edict, for
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08
A Universal Danger Signal

From Popular Electricity.
The American Museum of safetv has
approved OF the sign shown in the ac-
eompanying illustration as one that may
De understood by all who see whether
Trey be Italian, Slav, Hungarian, Ger
man or Of any other foreign nationality.
Any person knowing the English lam
suage would understand that "elekrIka"
has to do with electricity. and 1t is doubly
familiar TO Europeans. And aside from
this, the skull and crossbones and the
handful of forked lightning should be suf-
hcient warning in themselves. The sign
Is placed over pits. doors and other places
where there is danger OF electrical con.
tract.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08

his darling Cordelia dead in his arms
cordelia, the only one of his children
who knew the grace of kindness Fancy
ing that she speaks. Lear bows his ears
to her dumb lips and exclaims,
what is't thou sayest? Her voice was
ever soft,
Gentle and low, an excellent thing in
woman
From unkind thoughts and unkind
words the transition to unknd deeds is
easy unkind deeds have excited men
to the fury of the tiger, while kindness
has subdued passion and awakened the
best qualities of heart and mind. Said
Leigh Hunt
Even power itself hath not one-half
The might of genteness"
And St Francis de Sales said, "The
human mind is so constituted that 1t re-
sists rigor and yields to softness. A
mild word quenches anger as water
quenches fire. and by bengnity any soil
may be rendered fruitful"
1t is not merely fiction that the great
Frenchman has given the world in the
career of Jean Vatican. 1t is a great
parable and with mighty power it Illus
trates the title of this paper Hounded
from place to place. not even permitted
to sleep with dogs in their kennels. treat
ed with heartless inhumanity and brutal
ly cursed by his kind, is 1t any wonder
that Valjeans soul became a throbbing
principle of hatred-that he looked upon
men as his enemies from the viewpoint
OF bitter experience in which only un-
Kindness had been extended to him.
When the good bishop by kindly words
and deeds Of affection showed interest II
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08
RT TO HEART TALKS-By lanes A. Edgeron

day of the week, but for all days. 1t
finds its temple under every roof and
In all open spaces. 1t Is not alone for
one sect or one order or one race of
men, but for all sects, all orders, all
of the one, but affirms the divinity of
the all. 1t Is a whole gospel, an equal
gospel 1t exalts the common life. 1t
Is democratic. progressive, constructive.
In a word 1t is optimistic.
The new gospel believes in the whole
someness of humor. 1t holds that a
smile is sunshine and a laugh is medi
cine. Humor laughs at the incongru-
Gus and therefore at evil and error, for
these are incongruities. There is a
philosophy here that Lincoln and
Franklin taught and that the world is
just now learning. Humor can cure
more things than we have yet dreamed,
can laugh away pretense. hypocrisy,
falsehood. posing, weakness. fallacy
and other false things that. being false
are light enough to be blown away by
gale of laughter.
An optimist is one who does not per-
NIT a personal crouch to spread itself
over the whole field of his vision
He does not see in his own disap-
pointed desire the general depravity of
mankind.
He does not mistake an inward dis
turbance of digestion for an outward
reign of evil
He knows that bile is intended to
assist in alimentary. not cerebral. pro-
cesses. In other words, he does not
think with his liver.
The optlmist is thoroughly imbued
with the American spirit. the spirit
that is constructive and that is not
frightened by trifies.
He does not see in the fly on the
nearby window monster on the dis
tant hillside, nor does he waste am
muntion shooting at a gnat In his eye
brow under the error that it Is a squir-
rel in the treetop.
He looks at life sanely and as a
whole. He Is broad enough to see both
the past and the present and to realize
therefore that the world is moving in
the right direction.
Be an optimist. Get the habit 1t
helps both the health Of the body and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08

that of the pocketbook Moreover, it
makes one possible as a companion to
his fellows.
An optimist smiles not only with his
mouth, but with his eyes. He is glad
not only in his words, but in his heart.
He likes folks not only for his own
sake, but for theirs.
An optimist helps build up his town.
word for his neighbor
He Is the salt of the earth He is tba
light upon hill. 1t Is good for anv
nation to have him as a citizen. good
for any man or woman to have him as
friend.
The need of the world today is men
men who will call wrong a wrong. who
will fling a lie in the liars face wbo
will brave all hell for conviction VIII,
will die if need be that the truth NAV
live.
We have had enough namby parrbv ex-
cnses, enough glossng over of evil, enough
hair splitting over nonessentials. We need
true souls that will stand for the n,ain
and simple truths of righteousness. we
need men of the fiber Of oak. who knou,
for what they stand and dare to proclaim
it. We need men who seem what thew
are, who are not one thing to your faco
and another to your back, who are NOT
here today and there tomorrow. We need
those who care more for being right than
they do for pleasing every one thew me..t
who are strong enough and great enou.-b
to stand for God and humanity, whatever
the effect on themselves.
These are the men and women who bova
risen above selfishness. These are tb,v
who for the sake of truth will Law down
their lives, their earthly all. These arc
the men of the stamp of the heroes. t.e
martyrs, the great captains for libertv
These are the men who will cut Off tbe
head of king. If necessary. for the han
eft of the state. These are the mon who
will go through Valley Forge rather
than give up their inherent rights. These
are the men who will march from Rul,
Run to Gettysburg that nation may he
saved and race set free.
They are not of the fiashy or dilettarta
sort. They do not pose. They do MT
shine by reflected light. They are simple
and manful. standing humbly and honest
ly for the truth as they see it. They are
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08

is he slave. Statistics prove that labor
produces much moro than it receives In
return wages. We need no further proof
of this than is offered by tn efabulous
fortunes the eXplolters of the people build
up. To this extent is labor ensaved. DO
you say this is voluntary on the work.
mans part? In form. yes; in substance,
no. For the man of toll must live. Need
and the cries of his loved ones force him
into the avenues that offer.
Why should the forces of uplift, the
lovers of humanity, the strivers for bet
ter things, be divided on any pretense +?
We may be apart on a thousand little
shades of belief. What do they matter?
Are we together on the main question of
God against mammon. of humanity
against greed? If so let us join hands for
the time is coming when We may be
Ing hosts of light.
Maintain the integrity of your own
life.
1t Is only in an atmosphere of truth
that noble souls can grow The mists
of deceit shut out the spiritual sun
light that is necessary for the inward
unfoldment. Falsehood stunts the finer
sensibilities. 1t shames all the better
nature in us until we cannot look an
other in the eye. 1t makes of a man
sneak. until he covers before his fell
lows. 1t makes of him a sham who
tries to seem what he Is not. 1t makes
of him a cheat, who cheats himself
more than anyone else.
The liar is a coward at heart The
very consciousness of his deceit takes
all the courage and manliness out of
him. He resorts to falsehood to escape
some real or imaginary ill., He seeks
to evade the consequences Of guilt by
covering 1t up. He Is too shortsighted
to realize that he only compounds the
fault and that some time, somewhere
he will have to pay the penalty for
two sins instead of one.
Lying is so petty and mean that only
a small nature Is capable of it. If a.
great soul errs 1t is in great way He
cannot stoop to the despicable and
little. II he goes amiss he has the
courage to face the results of his
wrongdoing. But the liar skulks and
evades. He cannot put on the lion front
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08

n MoNG the other traits of Alexander
~ MeGillivray was that of an insult
ferable vanity. The Indians came
TO recognize him as their chief, but this
'ne Indignantly put aside and named him.
|eeif the emperor" Designing the career
OF his son to be that of merchant,
Lachlan McGillivray had afforded him
every possible educational advantage
that the most advanced schools could
give but the young man chafed under
the restrictions of commercial life, and
left his fathers home. now in Georgia,
returned to Wetumpka, the scene of his
|plrth and childhood, and allied himself
with the Indians of that region. Most
|opportune was the time to young McGilli-
Sray, for the Creeks had become involved
IN serious disturbance with the whites
|of Georgia, and were in search of a COM
petent leader who could cope with the
Situation.
The American revolution was now In
progress. The British, here and there