davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

the value of an assured and regular in come to meet the necessities of life in a family from which the father has been removed by death, or where ill., ness or insanity has rendered him in- capable of longer being the bread- winner
 In records 10 years old one may read of instances where regular weekly allow ances were being made. to mothers to the end tht they and their children might remain together and that they might not feel the necessity of working beyond their strength for the maintenance of their homes. Yet 1t was not until 1912 that the association entered upon this pen sion policy on any large scale or attempt ed to take the full place of the death removed father.
 What are the results that are show ing in these families where that has been the working programme? In the answer are expressed the careful opinions. i'm pressions and conclusions of those who have been dealing at first hand with them visitors, who. going in and out of their homes daily have come to know inti- mately every member of the family; who. by an established companionship and friendship have won their way into the lives of their people; nurses, who have unceasingly toiled to bring back health and hope to the mothers and to give to the children disease-resisting bodies; die- titians, who have, when necessary. given home instruction in buying, caring for and preparing foods.
 Not from the reading of ease records1 but from these more vital sources an opinion may be formed as to the prog ress made, the promise and the hope res- ident in these families. And the answer of these workers is that there has been a decided trend upward in these families physical, mental ant moral-that the money invested in these families is re- turning interest in the way of lives made stronger. in the bringing into homes where the outlook was barren and hard new hope. renewed courage and ambition kindling outlook; that the adequate re- lief plus adequate personal interest and ministration Is meaning to these children portunity-opportunity to grow into healthy. honest. capabie manhood: into gentle, intelligent. healthful. home-making womanhood
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07
ECONOMICS AND REBELLION-By George E;

On the other hand it has all along seemed incredible that Ulster would re- bel Those drilling with dummy guns had provoked a tolerant amusement in lib- eral circles and the oratorical pronounce ments of Orange leaders were discounted severely. But a few weeks ago a ship load of arms made in Germany was ac- tually unloaded on the Irish coast, the police and coast guards being overpow- cred by Orangemen and the postoffices, whence telegrams might be sent, occupied by Orange committees. This was an overt act of rebellion indeed, and we have not heard the last of it, though un- der such circumstances is may well prove difficult to identify and convict the des- perandoes, masquerading as loyalists
 I have been questioned many times dur
 ing these days as to the adherence of
 home rule" by the arstocratic elements in English life .as well as among the JIl- ster Protestants. Is it politics." just hypocritical posing and the use of pre- tenses where no conviction abides? Or is 1t really an honest attempt to save insti- tutions that stand for human welfare and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

perfumed note from a love-sick rose now saluting us with a fragrant mes sage from the silent lips of a violet
 Marshaling their myriad ranks where erooning meadows sweetly gossip with the clovers breath, and deploying above the bloom of gardens old. these midget winds capture and return to us many rare, forgotten thought prisoned in gentle odors within the tender petals Of blossoms We have known and loved. Sweet with the touch of flowers which recollection links with other days. they troop about the withered face of some whlte-haired grandmother sitting in the twilight of evening. and the grayer twilight of life. and bring to her fading 2 Iancy pictures Of the past that make her flee her palsied flesh, and stand
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

other. strike him in the back with his blade, or seek for his heart or other vital organ at the front, and thus the struggle would continue each soon gory with blood.
 Thus the struggle would continue. till one or the other, faint from loss of blood, or overcome by weakness would begin to falter, of which the contestant would take due advantage, and eventually he would be able to give the fatal stab, which would leave him the victor. and the recipient of innumerable demonstra- tions of popular favor. When the victim would show signs of extinction, the band would be loosed and the victim was buried. while the victor was crowned as the hero of the occasion. The woman who was the object of the contention was equally hailed as the fortunate wife oi
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

the hurryng blood within the crimson portals of the lungs to keep Gods first compact with his dream of dust.
 Such are the seldom spoken virtues of the wind. the truest. tenderest friend of this revolving sphere. But beware the hour when he breaks his pact of peace, and fronts us in the flying gar ments of his wrath.
 The overhearing storm. cloud soaked, Brutus-browed. and fierce as Nectar in the rage of ancient battles. descends from the black palace. to browbeat the trembling earth-destroys the vast routine of the ocean that rolls it's pune tual tides. ohedent to the silver wand of the far-away moon: blows his breath
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

" VENTS in England are moving re- N sistlessly and steadfastly forward A at a pace that astonishes the op- server There is no hint of feverish ex- citement, though the presence of bitter ness is all too manifest, bitterness whose beginning is alarm. The alarm Is in the camp of the tories who regard the pro- ceedngs of the great progressive minis try as the utter destruction of those safe guards of society which belong to an aris- tocratic and caste producing organization and tradition Under these circumstances will Ulster and the tories go to war?
 Some weeks ago, when 1t appeared that the army was being tempered with, and that the officers, generally born of aris- tocratic families, were to be favored with the privilege of choice whether or no they would consent to serve against contin- gent rebellion in Ulster. an indignant roar sounded throughout ths ranks of the peo- ple. Liberals with one heart refused to believe that their great leaders would for one moment palter with a situation like that, and the event proved that they were right
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

Exclusive Service the Survey Press Buream
 DoUNTRY-WIDE agitation and
 . the passage of laws by many
 0 states has shown the prevalent
 public interest in mothers pensions.
 No one questions the great desirabil- lity of providing funds adequate to keep dependent mothers and children together who would otherwise be sep arated solely by poverty. Instead of placing children in institutions and
 finding a job for the mother, everyone now agrees that 1t is much wiser to
 that a good mother may bring up her children.
 The question which the public has to decide is whether such mothers shall be pensloned throuh private relief or ganizations or by the state or city or county. In any event. the process should be one of finding out care fully how much is needed for proper shelter, food and clothing. and then provided. Any haphazard raising of money and trying to make the amount secured go round means usually heart breaking family struggles to get along on less than a decent standard of liv- Ing. If pensions are to be given to de- pendent mothers with children they should not be scrimped and uncertain put adequate and regular.
 Light upon this problem is thrown py study, just completed by the As sociatfon for Improving the Condition or the poor, into its work among 474 widows with children The association eives pensions to 43 of these and seeks 10 determine how many of the re- mainder should be pensioned On the oasis or the study the association finds that an adequate pension system would require ss2.754 per year in ad- oifion to the $71.O0O now being given Tor that purpose. Until this amount Is supplied to these families, they must of necessity deteriorate by reason of insufficiency of food. lack of clothing and improper and unfit housing.
 Whatever may be the opinion as to the merits of aid ministered through volunteer agencies as compared with that distributed through public chan nels, 1t can be safely said that public ''pensions' are not required to prove
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

was necessary was for one to offer a challenge, ana the duel was inevitable.
 When once the challenge was made the authorities were duly notified. and 1t be- came an event that would summon all classes to the scene of contest, both men and women, who found delight in the ex- hibition of a scene so shocking. On the day appointed the multitudes would gath CT from near and far in an open space sufficient to accommodate a vast throng. the combatants were present stripped for the fray, while the maiden In question was given an honorable place that she might watch the proceeding of those struggling for the possession of heart and hand.
 A block of oaken wood, dry and hard. was set on end in the open space, and the combatants. stripped and brawny, would approach the block each bear
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

a victor so brave, and thus would pass the occasion.
 In those ancient days this form of duel was called by the Scandinavians, the beltispenary. It continued as custom Tor centuries but under the sway of oivil- ization il was gradually abandoned as was all forms of duelling. In the national museum one sees the character Of rude knives used. while on the grounds outside Is preserved in bronze the contest itself.
 This represents the estimate of the ancient scandnavians of genuine courage. rude. barbarous people in the ancient past, their asperities have been noftened through the centuries, till now a moro affaole, gentle, and polite people arc not found on the continent of Europe Kind. ness and sentleness are the ruling traits especially of the swedes, who are most scholarly, refined and courteous branch of the Scandinavian people.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

On the other hand. many of the non- pension families are living in more or less congested quarters and under con ditions that smack not of cleanliness of living. Lack of better accommodations at a reasonable price in the neighborhoods where they prefer to live-because of strong local ties or the natural desire to be near their work that both time and carfare may be saved-makes improve ment along this line most difficult. Fur ther. janitress service, which means free rent, is for many of these women the surest source of income and apartments S given for that purpose are often in the basement or in the least derisarble part of the building.
 A careful study of the monthly Budgets Of the 4Sl nonpenson families made by the association's dietitians for purpose of comparison with those of the 43 pensioned families shows that the total monthly in- comes of the 43l families is $1S,611 .3s, while the amount that would be necessary for them to maintain the standard of living set for the pensioned families would be $24.674.23.
 1t Is by no means certain that all of these families should be pensioned at once. Many of them probably should. Adequacy of treatment cannot be wholly measured in figures of dollars and cents. Sufficiency of income in one family may simply mean that the mother or the children are working when they should be at home or in school. Or again. in- sufficiency of income may mean that some individuals in the family are not doing all that they should. Again. some few of these homes may be of a charac- ter that would make any effort to keep them intact unwise. Poor as institutions may be as substitutes for family life, there is no question that they are better than some homes.
 While voluntary relief agencies may be strong in the belief that every effort should first be made to handle the situa- ton through private endeavor, yet unless such private agencies can measure up to the needs of the situation. they cannot allow theories and opinions as to the merits of one form of relief over another to prevent the adoption of programme whose honest purpose 1t is to put stop to the incaluculable social loss that is plainly written in the stories of the lives of large number of women and chill dren.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

that life and beauty may not perish. harnessing it's chafing currents to the purposes of Divine utility. galloping the highroads of the sky. and paying out the beneficent hoons of heat and moisture; gathering up the profiigate waters of reckless floods and giving drink to desert places. It is the clean
 handed scavenger of planet. the watchful shepherd of green fields.
 It Is wandering minstrel and master musician it huns melodius tunes in the whining throat of the lowly bagpipe. and comes raptured with immortal trills from the enchanted lips of a Calve or Jenny Lind. It Is the voice of the martial trumpet and the soul of the grand organ. 1t Is the viewless essence of life that, each moment. waits upon
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

again in voluptuous beauty. at some far-off gate of youthful dreams
 These tell-tale zephyrs find some va cant-eyed veteran of the south. waiting. weary and deereplt. almost at his jour neys end; they gather up from the war play of mischievous boys, the pattering roll of drum, and fling it into his un- eager ears, when. from his countenance springs the glow of memory's lighted fires. Ills soul puts on the uniform his body once did wear; his spirits ear hears the clash of blades surrendered long since, to the red ranks of rust. dead legions live and charge once more. while, beneath a flag forever furled, the dim. gray ghosts of glory ride.
 All hail to the windi strange force of wondrous plan; embracing the world
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

relates to them in differentiation of other people, the present article will be devoted tc description of the duel of the ancient Scandnavians, custom long ago aban- doned, but which in the early years of that people was quite prevalent
 On the grounds of the national museum
 in Stockholm one sees in bronze the form of the old methods of duelling in this region far toward the north star. The mode, though barbarous, shows the pluck of that people of ancient times. The duel was usually the result of love affair." and the mastery of a contestant is uuel made him the idol of his community, and no less that of his lady love. Nothing short of a duel was thought of among these rude barbarians, as that forever set tied the dispute, and won the winner a distinction enjoyed by no other All that
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

Ing his own short knife, a blade rudely buried in a handle of buckhorn. The judges were present to direct the duel These judges would supervise the initial proceedings which were gone about with a coolness that was refreshing. One of the contestants knew that he must die In the coming fray. and yet each was unnerved as he would ap- proach the oaken block.
 One would raise his knife aloft and drive it as deeply possible into the upturned block. and when thus driven into the wood it would be suffered to remain till all else was ready. The other would also drive his knife as deeply as possible into the hard wood when the judges would begin to twine rawhide about so much of the blade as was not sunk into the wood, and only that part that was buried in the block
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07
MYSTERIES OF THE WIND-By DeLong Rice

tering in the restless sails of commerce and of war. It famed the fleeing ships of Cleopatra at fateful Actium, where Antony lost the world; it blew bon voy- age to the little fleet of old Columbus. when he set forth to unveil contf- nent
 It is the supple messenger of the senses It resolves itself into little zephyrs that eavesdrop the dreamy haunts of vernal nature and bring us her stories in scent and sound-the silken rustic of waving corn. the end less signs of waterfalls, and all the wildwood echoes of the mystic realm of Pan.
 Like couriers from the spirit world these ethereal envoys of the upper deep come and go-now stealing by with a
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

upon the houndless deep and builds . range of moving Alps. peaked and spurred. and capped with snows Of froth and foam. He assails the granite walls of proud cities. and summons to his instant touch the ruin and blight of a thousand years. He loots and wrecks the lofty temples of the forest, and twirls their twisted tmbers be- tween the fingers of his fury-bends and breaks the weaker things of na- ture. but falls, defeated at the noun tain's base In the frenzy of his baf- fled passion. he draws his sword of lightning from its sable scahbard. and invokes the crawling tongues of thun- der to harrangue the hills and scoid the cliffs that set their everlasting might In the pathway of his power
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07
How Nations Differ in Heads

How Nations Differ in Heads From the Strand.
 Theh study of heads reveals some inteu, | esting facts. One Is that the left side aR
 the head Is almost always larger than the right, due 1t Is said, to tho univeraal
 practice of using the right hand moro than the left. Another curious point is that nationality considerably affects the shape of the head It would surely bs an Interesting subject for a bioloRtst to explain why 1t is that the nearer the equator race lives tho rounder their heads become. No one needs reminding of the round btfllet- shaped skull of the negro, but the natter will assure us that Frenchman's head is rounder than an Englishman's, and similarly an Enxlish- mans rounder than a Scotsman's Tho average Scots head tapers considerably toward the front. narrows at the tenn pies and becomes square and prominent at the forehead. German heads, on the average, are rounder than English, and broader at the back. Irish heads, in general. are long. like the Scotch, but scarcely as narrow
 The Slavonic head is narrow in front and very broad at the back When the recent peace conference took place in London few months ago. the first thing that the delegates of the Balkan states did on arrival was to call on Messrs. Heath with demand to be immediately fitted out with top hats that their new positions necessitated; and that famous firm was well nigh nonplussed to frovide. at instant notice hats of so totally un- usual shape.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

Copyright 1914 by s. B. Parkinson.) h AVE you ever thought of the
 wonders which God has wrap A ped in the wind that blows upon the world? How tender, and yet how terriblel What a wrecker. and what a builder,
 Its missions are told upon the oldest pages of history. Satan sent it like a demon to smite the house of Job in the Land of Uz,>and Jehovah sent it like an angel. to cool the fountains of his corrupted blood. It parted the aqueous curtains of the Red Sea, and stretched a dry road for the children of Israel, across untrodden depths.
 It was the earliest motive power on river and lake and billowy main f1ut-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

he wanted to become a doctor .o +h.< he could treat the poor for ,ae. tb.. would be within their means But he himself was poor ana .. rrsd his livelihood as & bookkeeper He had not the faculty of acouirrre. money honestly for the fulfilIment of his nopes' so he stole It. He "padded'' tho pay rolls of the concern for which he worked and used the money thus acquired dishonestiy to pay tho necessary expenses of his studies at a medical college. He had completed the course when his thefts were detected, and. of course he was r- rested
 With penitence he confessed to his ey,- ployers the extent of his stealinxs and hfs motive for taking their money. The em- ployers relented and agreed to let him pay back the money in installments, Tho charge was dismissed by the court.
 Where was the harm7
 It lies in the danger to inc man op woman who resorts to such methods of achieving an end that is praiseworthy in itself Every such yielding to temp- tation means a weakening. q breaking down. of the moral fiber. The man in this case. for example, will not be better physician because he stole. ffs will no doubt be good physician. and he will live down his error but 1t will return to plague him.
 That Is the penalty he must pay TOT having succumbed to the temptation. n he were not unusually strong his suc- cess for so long fin taking his employer money would suggest to him other means of getting easy gain. Tn the end life and q charactap would be added to the fist of wrecks.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

was to be used in the coming struggle, the rest being wrapped about by the rawhide so that it was not available.
 Thus armed with their weapons re- stricted as to point, the two were buck led close together by a common Ions strap, face to face, so that their bodies were of no use, and only their upper and lower limbs were left free.
 All this was proceeded with as though 1t was a matter of common every day concern, wholly without emotion or demonstration. and when all things were ready the signal was given for the onset Then began the writhing, twisting. grappling arm with arm, meanwhile hacking, stabbing. and using the short point of the blade as best one might under such dire restrictions One would wound his arms about the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07
The Soldiers Choice
,m the National Monthly.

From the National Monthly
 Little Frederick is a fine, manly chap and so far his over indulgent mother and father have not succeeded in spoil- ing him.
 He spends much of his time marching up and down with fierce expression on his face.
 What are you going to be when you grow up. Frederick asked an admir- ing friend of him one day.
 Soldier of course,." was the briefro- ply.
 But. you might get killed.-
 Who'd kill me?"
 "The enemy. naturally"
 Then, I'll be the enemy" 011ekly ro- torted the lad
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07

sang afterward at concerts, occasionally, for charity, and in private her voice de- lighted her friends. One need not retire to emulate her.
 There is room in liie Tor the business that must be done and for the proper enjoyment of other matters The things that are added to a persons regular em- ployment are what determine his charac- ter in many cases.
 It is well to mark time occasionally, to make an inventory of life.
 If the sunset fails to color your life with it's own radiant beauty. if the full moon rising above the trees brings no sense of awe, if a flower evokes no sentiment if the laughter of a child is not divine harmony
 Stop and ask yourself why they do not convey their proper meaning to you. If 1t is because you are too much absorved in material affairs
 Think of Jenny Lind.
 We've all heard the old saying about giving a dog a bad name and hanging him" Now we're told how giving a boy a good name was the means of saving him.
 This boy was Dad city boy. Print ing 1t "bad" means that he was not really wicked, only that the citys evil influences had begun to fasten them
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07
- HE American tourist in Europe gen.

- HE American tourist in Europe gen.
 orally omits the extreme northern
 part of the continent it would seem, because it is out of the beaten track of travel. yet it is one of the most inter esting portions. rich in history, and abounding in romance, which goes back beyond the year 1000 A. D. Lying remote ly to the north is Scandinavia, which is really one of the most fascinating parts of all the European continent. The Danes, Swedes and Norwegiau us have many quaint customs to which they have clung through all the centuries. which customs to ob- serve. gives an insight into that which makes Scandinavia that which 1t is uniquely among the other parts of the European peoples.
 Not to undertake to speak in general of the people and to that which peculiarly