davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31

ing, you would think they had about
enough to occupy them seriously,
wouldn't youg"
Are you going TO tell me what he
said, or are you not?" Aunt Jane re-
peated the question quite irritably.
"Oh. yes" said Mrs. Merriwid. Il
was forgetting. Well, dearie, we were
talking about hay fever, and he broke
off suddenly and looked at his watch,
ITS about time | was hitting the
feathers he observed, BY the way,
Melissa
"'sir!' says l..
How would you like to marry
me2' says he.
Mot at ALL says |.
Then there's no use Of me sticking
around says he.
mot a bit says /.
"'Ya.ha,aww!' says he. Gee! But
I'm sleepy. Well, good night, He
good And be departed"
Aunt Jane rose abruptly and floune-
ed into the house.
You're not half as mad as | vas
dearie." Mrs. Merrlwld called after
her.
Copyright. 1912. by W. @. Chapman
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31

ES. Perhaps II will be better to say
nothing that would bring the blush OF
shame to my Innocent cheek. But
auntie. IL you'd only seen the moon
Hight falling In q mellow food upon bis
pleading face! II you could have
heard the rich. musical tones OF his
exquisttely moduiated voice as he
piighted his vows!"
Stuff and nonsense!" exclaimed
Aunt Jane. Its tho mans business,
alat sort of thing"
True" Mrs, Merriwid murmured.
I've seen him making love to women
mat ! know he detested--kissing their
~nngertips with that splendidly chival-
Eie air and sinking gracefully on one
&nee before them: also ciasp4ng them
"a Q passionate embrace. Perhaps II
ne mad clasped- But no matter. And
Fou needn't look 10 shocked. because
ne didn't. Yes. he certainly knows
now to do II. He has had lots Of prac.
Rice"
-0f course he has" said Aunt Jane.
How any woman can bring herself to
marry one OF the creatures Is beyond
nne.r
'sBut they do" observed Mrs, Merr,.
@fd. Sometimes they marry several
and sometimes several marry the
name creature. not all at the same
kirne, of course
Are you going 20 tell me what ne
inquired Aunt Jane, somewhat
hmpatiently.
Every word. dearie," replied Mrs
Merriwid. "You must give me time.
] know you haven't any sympathy for
him, though, and that makes It a lit
lie hard. II ron could have seen the
spasm Of anguish that passed over his
pallid face when he saw that his fond
hope was dashed-how sternly he re.
pressed the emotion that shook his
form and bowed to the newt
ablel You know there is something
well. IT'S better not TO dwell upon 1t.
you say. these actors know just
how to produce their effects, !
and then, they tell me that they are
disslpated."
"0f course they are" said Aunt
fame. well. what"
It's remarkable, though, how they
manage to find time to dissipate,"
auEed Mrs. Merriwid. What with
their parts and rehearsing
md pasting their press notices In
heir scrap-books and performing and
travelling around and sstiDs and sleep
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
WAYS or SECURING NITROGEN
Very Costly Substance to Buy In ArtE
hcIai Fertilizer, Vet Most Soils
Need More Of II.

Thy L. n NELL
Their III q lack OF sufficient nitrogen
In the average soil to supply all OF
the demands of a grain or grass crop.
Sometimes this need Is very great, so
that a good crop cannot be harvested
without supplying nitrogen artificial.
ly. This element Is very costly in a
commercial forn. costing most farm
ers 20 cents a pound or more. SO that
a fertilizer with only 1.65 per cent of
nitrogen Ia made much moro expen-
sive by its presence. At 20 cents per
pound for the nitrogen the cost per
ton for this element would be $3.50,
II 200 pounds of this mixed fertilizer
were used to the acre, only 3.3 pounds
Of nitrogen would be applied, and this
al a cost of not less than 60 cents.
This small amount OF the element I'M
der consideration would only be
enough to start growth over the acre.
Nitrogen Ia a very costly substance
to buy in an artificial fertilizer. and
yet most soils need more OF It, For.
tunately 1t can be secured without
buying 1t, All the plants belonging
to the order commonly known as
legumes can get their nitrogen power
from the air t4-5 Of the air Ia nitro
gem. by the aid OF very small plants
or bacteria living on their roots. SO
this class of plants is independent of
the nitrogen In the soil. II there in
plenty of other plant food in the soil.
they will make q luxuriant growth
where nitrogen Is deficient. This
nitrogen that the legumes draw from
the air is stored In root, stem, leaf and
seed. II the crop Is allowed to decay
on the land OF is fed I'd stock and the
retained. the nitrogen content
the soil will be increased ana a bet
ter crop of corn, wheat or grass can
be grown. So 1t Is evident from this
that there Ia a practical war of SUP.
the corn, cotton. tobacro and
hay with nitrogen without paying 20
per pound TO 1t. And II yhouId
re mentioned that nitrogen rutnu.
ates In land In pasture or whea shad-
by some crop, or by straw or
etc. Both Of these natural
Of securing nitrogen are very
important. but II should not be
hought that the latter win W. sufi.
'ient without the former.
The legumes are the beans. peaa.
alfalfa, vetches, peanuts, beg.
the locust tree and sa,ne 9th.
IF plants not so well known. There
8 scarcely n among them hut that
8 valuable as a farm crop, 90 that
hey can be grown at a profit inde.
'endentiy Of the nitrogen they gather
or tho farm.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31

spring: but well drained soil, like a
metal. 10 easily and quickly heated in
the spring, hence is an early soil. The
growth and extension Of root systems
as instruments for obtaining nourIsh-
ment for the later growth OF the upper
part Of the plant must take place dur.
ing a certain definite period previous
to top development. This period and
consequent root development is short.
ened by a cold, late plant bed In the
spring. but increased by a warn early
soil, hence the removal of water by
drainage. by permitting an early rapid
heating Of the soil. insures a vigorous
root system to supply abundant nour-
ishment later for the growth OF the
top,
The development Of the root sys.
TENS IL further helped by the lower.
ing Of the water table. Roots cannot
grow below the water table. Lower,
ing the water table permits a deeper
root development and consequently
more root surface In contact with and
in position to take in the plant food.
Ii will thus appear evident that
many OF our apparently dead. worth.
less lands are SO because OF lack Of
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31

drainage. and that drainage can un.
lock the fertility of these dead soils
and make them alive. warm and
fertile.
The deeper the drains ara placed the
lower do they make the water table
with q given distance between drains
Drains do not lower the water table
to the same level al all points. Closs
% Q drains Il Is lowered TO the depth
OF the drain. whereas at the point
midway between drains II may he sew.
erai inches or even feet higher, de-
pending upon the openness and perme-
ability OF the roll to water. The water
table liz thus formed into a series Of
curves. the end OF each at the level Of
the drain and the crest approaching
tue surface OF the soil. Therefore. the
deeper the drains the farther apart
may they be placed without danger of
bringing the crest OF the water table
too near the surface.
Four feet Is considered deep drain
age. three feet medium, and two and
one,half feet shallow drainage. In
general three feet Ia a safe distance.
but on some soils containing very
thick and close hardpans. it is safer to
lay tile at two and one-half feet. II
such a depth win keep them above this
imperTious subsoiI.
In some instances the laB~ is too
wet in early spring only, while later
the water table lowers sufficiently
through natural causes IN such
cases depths Of two and two and one.
half feet are usually sufficient.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
TOBACCO IN CROP ROTATION


The ONCE Of experiment stations.
Department of Agriculture, has re-.
ceived a copy of a report from the
Virginia station OF experiments made
in cooperation with the department
In connection with tobacco gsowing.
AS a result of the r rotation
work the recommendation is made for
the following seVen-year rotation: To.
bacco, wheat, grass, corr with Grim
son clover as a cover crop, eowpea
and red clover. The rotation CT o
in the suncured tobacco district was
found necessary and profitable. In
connection with this rotation work Il
was found that seeding grass alone In
August gave better results than seed
ing with small grain.
II was also found that heavy ap-
plications OF fertilizer were more
profitable than light applications. The
use of 1000 pounds Of $50 fertilizer
per acre gave o profit OF 1929. while
300 pounds OF a home-mixed fer.
tllizer gave a profit Of stt2,IT
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
BOYS ANSWER WAS VERY APT
Particular Brand Of Whisky Mas Like
Bridge Because II Leads to
poorhouse and Cemetery,

A liquor dealer In the town of Ayr.
In Scotland, had a particular brand Of
whisky, which he wished to advertise.
One day the circus was coming to
town, and to add interest to Its per
~formances, and TO advertise his wills
ky. he offered a prize for the best an
swer to the question, "Why his par
ticular brand of whisky resembled a
certain bridge across the water OF
Ayr" Just over the bridge were
some public institutions.
The successful competitor proved TO
be a poor boy, who. perhaps, knew
from experience what he was speak,
ing OF, and his answer to the question.
Why the publican's whisky waB like
the bridge" was because 1t leads to
the %poorhouse, the lunatic asylum and
the cemetery"
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
RAISING PerjWinkIes.

In and around Nantes, France, peri
wrinkles are regarded as a dainty arti-
Gle OF food. The periwinkie is q small
shell growth. n species OF which is
familiar on the Atlantic coast of the
United States. In Nantes the peri.
Wrinkle is sold by grocers and at fish
mongers, and Is eaten with butter as
an entire" generally at breakfast, aft.
er having been previously boiled a few
minutes In salt water. The periwiukle
Is now raised by fishmongers In beds
that are 40 feet long. 35 feet wide, and
10 inches deep. To prevent the peri.
wrinkles from escaping the bed is GOV.
cred by q wire net. The catch Is easy,
AZ ebb tide when the bed Ia dry, a
nan passes between the boards that
no ut the bottom OF the bed and
scrapes them up With a wooden shoy.
81. The periwinkles OF is months,
growth are best. They live naturally
on seaWeed.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31

water. Plants require q moist soil,
but cannot grow In a saturated soil
where roots come In contact with
standing water below the water table.
Plants obtain their moisture almost
entirely from capillary water, that Ia,
the water which Is held In the small
openings between soil grains as oil In
O wick. Since capillary water IL only
available In the unsaturated soil above
the water table. drainage, by lowering
tue water table, makes room for more
capillary water. thus Increasing the
supply OF water available to plant
roots, and making possible the storage
OF large quantities Of moisture during
q wet season against, the time of
dronshts. With drainage comes also
the more favorable condition for the
formation OF mulches and consequent
prevention OF waste OF moisture by
surface evaporation.
BY the downward p~ercolation OF
water toward the drains, the plant
food, CT the fine surface soil and the
manures, is carried downward to be.
come thoroughly incorporated IN the
soil, rather than to be washed away by
surface overflow, Moreover, the deep.
ening OF the soil increases its capacity
for water. and prevents the overflow
which washes away the saturated,
muddy top soil.
vegetation a use only plant food
OF timely powdered soil easily soluble
In water. The passage of air and heat
into and through the soil, made pos
sible b. the removal Of the standing
water, and the interchan e of air
through the soil between the bodies
Of air in the tile and the air above the
soil, disintegTates the Hoti PARTICLES
hitherto unavailable to plants. and pro.
duces that fine. c%rumbling, workable
condition of the soil known as fine
texture, In which is found the maxi.
mum amount of soluble plant food and
the most favorable conditions for plant
growth. The toughest clay soils are
IN this way made friabla, res ondiug
with Increased crops. The increase
Of heat and air provides favorable con-
ditions for the increase in the num-.
and activity Of bacteria, the min
ute plants whose function 1t is to set
free plant food and change the form
the constituents of soil into a food
plants. Moreover. the constant
tassage Of surface water into soil car.
lies In chemicals which act vigorously
Q set free plant food bound in various
combinations.
Since 1t is very difficult to heat
from above, a w~ater-soaked soil
s very slow to become warm In the
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31

o OF bfchromate of sodium potash
! n boiling water. The wood soon
acquired a yellow tone, and, under the
action of light after drying, the color
darkened and took on the aspect of
very old paint. For commercial pur-
poses this was all very well. but what
happened to the purchaser was that
as soon as he began to use his in
strument exposed to the light the BIZ
chromate worked OF the gelatine
which the manufacturers employed to
color the wood and prevent the pene.
trating of the varnish, while some sic.
ment In the bichromate Of soda was
converted into stone. The violin sui.
fered p~etrifcation, which impeded its
tone and rendered 1t u~seless.--iar
per's Weekly.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
LIQUOR TRAFFIC is A CURSE
Federal Judge in West Virginia Ola
triet Makes seathins Arralan.
Hsrt Of Saleouksspers.

In a charge 10 the grand Jury Of tn,
federal court la Wheeling. Judge Ala
ton g. Dayton OF the United State,
court for the northern district OF Wsst
Virginia delivered u sasthing a~FraIGn
ment OF the liquor traffic. Among 9th.
er things he said:
Ii has been my experience. in the
seven years | have occupied this rosi
ton on the bench, that violations nj
the internal reyenue law ara ten times
as many rs all the other ofenses
against the laws Of the United States
put together, Why Because. fundn
mentally. the sale of @i1toytcattus
liquor Ia not a legitimate and homes,
business, and no man can bn an honest
TAI who engages In il. II isn't hon.
est to destroy n man. Il isht honest
to take away the bread and butter OF
helpless women and children, Gentle.
men. It isn't honest for any man to
ONE into your household and take
lead him on and on until he becomes a
disgrace to you. an ANNOYANCE Ia his
fellowmen and finally lands IN Il
druukard's grave. And yet there isn't
a single saloonkeeper'a saloon in thlR
country that does not send every year
its man to a drunkard's grave, and
more than that: and when dishonest
men once get into n business it Ia the
hardest thing In the world 10 make
them stop.
| want TO say that there is moi n
very great deal of distinction between
the man. in my deliberate
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
BENEFIT OF DRAINAGE
Has Influence That Nothing Else
Can Accomplish
satl Has Usually Been Enriched by
Deposits From Higher Lands and
VIII Therefore Become Meat
Fartiie and Valuable,
fsy G ?.

fSy G, p. S0NGOop.l
There are in general three eondi.
lions Of soil needing drainage; First,
land which is wet and marahy because
Of a lack OF surface drainage: second.
that which mas SO large an amount OF
organic matter and such heavy clay
mat water cannot well penetrate It:
third, soils with heavy, compact clay
suosotis and hardpars, Upon such
suesotls. the attack OF the air from
above and beneath flowing drainage.
and deep piowing or subsoiling, made
possible BY drainage. has q ~loesening
and m%eliowing influence that nothing
else can accomplish.
One OF the most obvious results of
drainage, from which all other bene-
nts accrue, Is the removal OF surplus
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
MELISSA COULD PROMPT A BAo
ACTOR.

NIIHHYn5L ELE##-H
Mrs. Merriwid had been out on the
front porch 80 long that her maternal
maiden Aunt Jane grew anxious and
throwing a light wrap over her head,
vent out to demonstrate. Her niece
was sitting on the swing lounge, bend.
ing forward, with her upturned face
resting on the palms OF her hands.
Her expression was pensiye-abstract.
I'd. mournfuI.
"~Excuse Aunt Jane began, and
then, seeing that Mrs Merriwid was
alone, oh. he's gone, has her"
Mrs, Merriwid started violently and
pressed her hand to her heaylng
bosom.
Who speaksg" she cried, in a
tragic voice. "Couid It have been--f
Ali No, no! Oh, It's you, is 1t, aunt.
arnsf Yes. he Is gone-gone forever,
Alas! that ! should say 80. He has
left his Melissa to tears and solitude.
Now what avaiis the splendor OF the
moon, and what the glory Of the star
lit skies!"
Are you crazys" calculated Aunt
Jane.
! suppose some people might think
was" replied her niece. In her ordi.
nary matteraoffact tones, 1--WE lust
missed a chance to get my pictsse In
she papers and be described as a 'fas.
sdnating and wealthy widow Mr.,
buskins, at the same time, escaped
being forced into the fierce. white
Hight that beats about the shrinking
xhespian. rye saved him from that
at Least"
You mean that he proposed and
Fou refused him" asked Aunt Jane.
i mean that he laid his loyal heart
at my lily feet and that l eoldly spurn.
Cd his proffered love" corrected Mrs.
Nerrtwfd. I'm other words, | laughed
aim to scorn and said him nay, cruel
that was. Hist! are we alone? All
Fight, then, ~honeysuckie. Bring a Dill.
Bow yer here and sit down and IN telI
you all about it,"
Well" said Aunt Jane, as she com.
plied with the request, I'm glad Won
didn't accept him. | may be oid-fash.
soned, but must say that from all /
near about actors and actresses. II
would have been q very unfortunate
6hing, to say the least
You interest me strangely" de.
Mrs. Merrfwid. what have
EoU heard? Meynr mind +ha,,obE 49,
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
DEPRIVED OF EDUCATION.

The following figures refer to the
state Of Massachusetts In 1910:
Total population OF all no-ii-
cities and towns. 1887 1872
Total number OF high school
pupils In all %no-license cit
les and towns ............. 1883
Number Of pupils In high
schools Of ~no-lIcense places
for each 1000 population. 2s12
Total population of all license
cities and towns ,sS3 MA
Total number Of high school
pupils In all license cities
and towns ................ s1,707
Number OF pupils In high
schools Of license Places,
for each 1000 population. 1853
Greater number OF pupils In
no license places. for each
1000 population ........, G2a
Difference In favor OF n~o.license. az
per cent.
Keep the boys and girls In school
by keeping out the saloon. In these
days Of increasing competition your
boy or girl will need the advantage
that 8 high school training gives.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31

The easiest thing In the world
II to Just sit back and growl.
When the dust Is mndly wtirIed.
When the North winds nercGly howl.
When the day In warm and fair,
When the rill ainga Rs II flows,
When fra nils the air,
When dew IL on the rosa,
When the road Ia rough aud steep.
When the way Ia smooth u Wide.
When the crops we hoped to reap
Have pFematureIy died,
When the friends we thought were TRUE
Have rutillessly betrayed,
when the things we ought to do
Are fooliRhly delayed.
When others win where we
Might have achieved success,
When rich-%cn in their glee
Forget our mirthlessRnRs,
When others rise through worth
Or by methods that are foul.
The snsiest thing on earth
tE TO Just sit bacl. and growi
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31

you seem to be greatly pleased al
something"
II am. | met BooZerleigh a little
while ago. He began by calling me
captain: then he bestowed the title
of colonel or me and finally promoted
me to be a general. Then / succeed.
ed in escaping from him before he
had q chance to ask me for money"
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
Longevity Of Dairy Cows.

Prof G. H. Eckles Of the Missouri
experiment station sums up It's inves.
LEGATIONS along the line of tho profit.
able longevity Of dairy cows ia part
as follows.
Probably the majority Of dairy cat.
lie are rejected from the herd on a C
count Of failure to breed or from nd
der trouble before the effect Of adj
vahcing years a be observed to n
marked extent. II 10 d fact often OBJ
served that 4 COW may make her best
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
Sr:vey the Lucky One.

Jackson .--Whea the Mississippi prest.
Dental electors reached the question d
selecting a messenger to carry the cleo
toral vote TO Warrington job that
pays about s4o0--it was found that nine
Of the ten electors we're sspirants for the
honor.
Accordingly, nine slips Of paper were
deposited in q hat. On one Of the alps
was written the word Messenger" This
alp was drawn by r. T.. spiyey of Madi,
son Station and accordingly be will carr
the vote TO Washington.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
HeaIns to Be Different. Thounh.

II believe the law holds that a man
ia innocent until II has been proved
that he Ia guilty. doesn't it?"
Yes, except In the cases of very
great magnates. There II holds that
they are innocent until they have been
proved guilty so often and by 80 many
courts that the public loses interest
in them" $50.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31

I'VE are the temple of the Hvtns
God; as God hath said. | viii OWEN
in them Cor, vi. i6.
God within US! Not only ever with
Nv unseen, not only watching ua in
our secret moments and reading the
very thoughts Of y hearts. NOT only
covering US with the shadow OF hts
wings and lighting us with the light
OF hts c~cuntaaancs, but within us--
MI bodies his temples. u hearts his
home. On, II We eoaId bat grasp the
thought We should live iivss sobsss
and more Observation-Disclosures W,
EagSas.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
New Slavery for China.

China, which 30 long has Suffered
from the opium curse. though free
from the legal clutches Of that mon
ster. Is fast coming under the rule OF
King Alcohol. Liquor is there char.
actertSed as new Jesus poison
German poison" ct cetera. to dis.
ttnguish 1t from the English poison.
opium. 1t ia reported, too, that mil
lions Of cigarettes dipped in opium
have been given away by Americans
10 try to create an appetite mons
the Chinese youth for the double
poisOns,
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
Water in the Cow Pasture.

II is most important that the dairy
herd have plenty Of pure water. II
water Is not abundant and pure the
profits will be cut in two or cut out
altogether. Keep the spring holes
In the pastures clean, and make the
approaches safe. Water 10 a neces-
sity in aiding the digestion and assim.
iIation OF solid food.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
Very Enjoyable.

7 met Billy Bumstead yesterday
and he told me he had Just had /
very pleasant visit of a couple 81
hours with you" 81
yes. He seemed to enjoy the visit
very much. He used the entire time
telling me about himself"
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31

TIN glad TO hear that Black Is
succeeding In business"
HE isn't, though. He failed"
"But / understood you to say he
wal an excellent business manager"
mo. merely said he had managed
his business TO a finish"
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-31
How Inhnnv Manansd n

you and that little WattIes boy
seem TO play very nicely together
said Johnny's mother. Il am glad
there Ia M boy In the ~neighborhood
that You can get along with"
YES" replied Johnny, II lick him
every morning and then he's nice to
rne all day"