davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1914-07-25

her young hopes. aspirations and
dreams. 1t was her dover chest.
She knelt down before it and raised
the lid very gently. Her small, plain
scent of dried rose leaves breathed
out upon her like an escaping
memory. She put her hand in and
lifted a sheet Of white tissue paper
Each year she saved the downfall
from a certain rose bush she had for
this most sacred embalming. The
roses which the bush yielded were
pink. 1t was a pink rose which he
had carried away with him that day
to work. II she had known then she
was never to see him again:
Kneeling there. Nancy began to re-
member, just as she had known she
would. She had not been through it
each year for how many years?
thirty-five. yes; thirty-five, And yet
it was not SO very much easier than
it had been that first time of all.
Her sorrow was not so fresh, but the
memory of it was undying.
She had been twenty when it hap
pened. The exquisite epidermal beauty
of youth was hers. Why. she had
looked. he said, like one of her pink
roses. she who now was as yellow and
withered as one of these petals! For
a year she had lived in an entrance
ment Of JOY. sewing. planning, dream
ing for the swift wedding day. On the
day he died she had been putting the
last stitches into her wedding dress
He had run across from his house to
see her moment and she had held
up the gown and showed him how
nearly done it was. Then he had
snatched her a kiss and the rose from
her hair and ran away laughing. She
paused in her work to watch him go
climbing toward the great gray quarry
on tho hill. An hour later came the
shock OF blast that set the very
earth to quaking and echoed for mo-
ments after. 1t was his death signal.
So there was no occasion to wear
the wedding dress after all. She had
packed it away with the other things
she had made and taken up a new
way in life. Her parents had died
and she had come away from the farm
to this little house on one of West
mores back streets which was the
nearest to the country she could get:
She lived alone with her sewing and
the many ghosts OF her dreams ana
the memories which her dover chest
contained.
She cried softly as one by one with
heavy fingers she lifted out pieces
OF table and bed linen. undergarments
exqulsitely embroidered in intricate
and. lastly. the beautiful dress OF
satin. whose whiteness had become
q clear ivory with time. their bedtime.
that Pattie might talk to Lewellyn
alone IN the living room. NOW she h
Kept some treasures of her youth and
brought out rich purple satin dress.
trimmed with some beautiful old lace.
How strange the room looked with
all these things lying upon the chairs
the tables. the couch. Nancy stood
looking at them wistfully. It came to
her that they were symbolic OF her
own spoiled, wastful life. Poor. pit
iful things called into being, yet never
used or wanted. What would become
| of them after she had passed on?
] This thought Of her going and leav-
Evening star., 1914-07-25

tions and then when himself a father
had his son trained almost from the
cradle to become a tennis champion. only
to be again disappointed through an ac-
cident. and finally awaits with hope the
development of the third generation. In
THE Back Seat Mr.. Morris draws a pic
ture of life in Washington. in which the
wife of a Secretary of State proves the
real power in a great international crisis
HENRY OF NAVARRO, OHIO. BY Hol-
worthy Hall. New York: The Cen
tury Company.
The young man who signs this book
as author "Holworthy Hall" is. in fact.
Harold E. Porter. who has taken for
his nom de plume the name of the
senior dormitory at Harvard. This is
the story of young Ohioan who goes
to college, falls in love several times
of course. once with young woman
considerably his senior-and finally
finds the right girl and returns to his
native town in triumph. Not much of a
story, perhaps, as far as such an out
line indicates, but in truth remarkably
Evening star., 1914-07-25

manity is forever seeking anything
that seems like an adventure.
People began to say:
Just think what fun all this will be.
Think of listing your name with q H.
brary director whom you have never
seen and having him introduce to you
a criminal whom neither you nor he
has ever seen. The possibilities are
endless"
When Dr. Stokes got the members Of
the league into this line of thought he
smiled quietly. for he knew that he had
won his hard fight.
Right here it is worth while to note
one Of the facts which has prevented
the commission of errors Of judgment
either by DIR. Stokes or the members
of his league. 1t is impossible for any
man to write a long letter describing
his crime and himself without, in the
course of his missive. revealing exactly
what sort of. a man he is If he could
talk he might get away with bluff. "
But on the cold black and white of
paper he is shown in his proper light.
The whine of the sniveler, the lie
of the plausible green goods man"
who is seeking pardon at the price
of personal integrity. and the ven-
omous ring of the fellow who wants
Evening star., 1914-07-25
knowledge of South America.
From the Boston Transcript

Unfortunately for both political and
trade relations. there are millions of peo-
Pile in the United States who have no
more knowledge of South America than
they have OF South Africa. The picture
of South America that rises to the mind S
eye of these people is that of collec-
ton Of crude countries much given to
revolutions and lacking the great pro-
noting agencies Of civic progress. How
false is the picture is evidenced by one
fact alone which the telegraph has just
brought US. \ census of Buenos Aires
gives its population as 1850, 1tSs. Buenos
Aires is booming and it is not booming
without plan. 1t is a handsome city. in
sections even luxurious. but modern i'm
provements have kept pace with growth
and the Argentine metropolis testifies to
intelligent administration and high civic
spirit. Rio de Janeiro. the second city in
South America. does not lag SO very far
behind Buenos Aires. 1t must have at
least 1.20O.UOO inhabitants and in its de-
velopment the opportunities for embellish-
ment have not been neglected. There are
many considerable cities scattered through
out South America, some Of which are
worthy the attention of North American
"planners.'
Evening star., 1914-07-25

ing what she had to leave behind her
was not a new one to Nancy. but it
seemed to hold strangely unusual
vitality of meaning for her this morn
ing. Out there was the freshening
spring, her rosebush struggling tow
ard leaf. all that suggested youth, or
at least renewal. and here was she,
sere, faded amid the needless work
of her own hands. Yet the linens. the
satin gown would last long after her
body had dissolved back into the ele-
ments of dust.
How could she bear to have these
precious mementos of her one bright
year of happiness go into uncaring
hands? For the hands Of the very
distant cousin to whom. according to
right of kinship. they must descend
would be uncaring. She would wash
the linen and bleach it and use it
until it dropped to pieces on the wash
board. And the dress she would prob
ably cut up into squares for a satin
quilt or else use a covering for
sofa pillows. Nancy shuddered, and her
lips trembled. Suppose she should die
Evening star., 1914-07-25

suddenly. She was f1fty-five; her own
mother had been no older when she
died. She could. of course. leave a
written request that the dover chest
be burned unopened. But requests Of
the dead are so often looked upon as
mere vagaries of the spirit hesitating
to depart. There was one way In which
she could rest assured of their safety.
She could burn them herself
What better time to dispose of them
than this morning of all mornings? 7?
She could make a little fire in the back
yard and carry them out and burn
them till the last shred was ash. Heart
breaking business this, but not nearly
so heartbreaking as to picture them
grown to dissolution on Ellen Nc
Curdy's washboard.
Nancy was quickly resolved. She got
some papers and kindling and matches
and went out and made her fire. Sure
Evening star., 1914-07-25

that her son was enamored of plebeian
young woman. This annoyed her great
ly. but Immediately came a greater shock
when her lawyer informed her that the
railroad company in which her fortune
was mainly invested had passed its divi-
dend and that funds upon which she was
dependent for the expenses OF her annual
European tour would not be forthcoming.
1t would never do to omit the trip. for
her social rival would Immediately profit.
So she decided to send over a substitute
travelling as herself. while she, with the
connivance of her faithful housekeeper.
undertook to remain incognto in her
town house. No. 13 Washington square.
Complications arose Immediately. Riding
out in the evening she was Mortified when
her coachman made love to her. Then
more complications arose which the read
er of this briskly moving. diverting mar
rative will find absorbingly interesting
at every fresh turn. No. 13 Washington
Square becomes the scene of some amaZ-
ing adventures, the chief actor in which
is young forger who on several oc-
casions saves Mrs. De Peyster from ex-
posure and is himself finally received
back into the arms of society Love,
Evening star., 1914-07-25

of her altar she went to bring forth
the sacrifice. But when she stood In
the little room and saw all these in
| nocent white things summing them
selves and taking the air like so many
doves her heart nearly failed her Here
was fresh agony for her She went
from article to article. Not the table,
eheats eto.n no. no. nor the monogrammed
not the petticoat. too full now. or the
nightgown. with its dear, dear butter-
hies. Some little trifling piece But
which? All, this would do. She snatch
ed lace, and fairly ran from the room
with it, 'A I'll. 'ooiii
AS she stepped over the threshold of
Der back door intent upon her errand
wan wanes tsa%;n' saw; with start that somebody
! wonderingly upon it-a slender, very
young girl. whose thin. scant skjrt
blew back from her round ankles
whose hair had been quickly RULED
into a glossy braid. She smiled at
Nancy with shy blue eyes and sweet
lips. anu s"eee
asked. W." S"o
,oS Nancy .;In put p,t; her hand holding the pill
replied uncertainty. And then she dis.
covered that the girl, too. was hold
ing something and evidently feeling
embarrassed about it. What do YOU
Ihe girl took a deep breath, and the
EIenections OF many roses seemed to
chase across the delicate surface of
Ser heIa eheek. enc. It's this she said, and
Her movement loosened the naner
which fell away, disclosing some thin
cheap. white material II couldn.t afs
ed e9rd It mueh to he she Mbi,r hseathed but want
going to be my wedding dress,
"Oh" gasped Nancy, and tirbtensd
her grip upon the concealed pillow
o,dtn me girl cir was was looking tenderly at the
going to he married next week and Il 7
thought maybe you would make NV
dress for me. 1 can sew some things
out this-l want it to be as nice as /
can have it," she said. GO
(THE END.)
Evening star., 1914-07-25

ing. proving and all that sort of thing.
The man shows the determination of
a bulldog" said the expert accountant
after he had wrestled with his pupil
United States mails. Il have never
known man who has progressed
faster than he has"
And No. 4159-or whatever his mum
ber may be-is living from day to day
in his little cell, dreaming hopefully
of the time when he will be free and
when his unseen friend in the far
distant state will enable him to wipe
out the stigma of crime and imprison-
ment
In this manner DR.. Stokes is awaken
ing among people who never before
took the slightest interest in prison
matters lively sense of the reforms
which are necessary at the present
time. One woman said to him:
This is the first time that 1 have
ever had the chance to look at the
world through the eyes of other people.
l nave seen people in my own stand
ing: l have met the people of my own
world. but l have never yet considered
the ideas. and the philosophy of the
man who was suffering society's PEN
committed. 1t Is an entirely new
thought to me. And l believe that I
am doing a greater work in aiding the
man who hopes to reform than l could
by aiding a thousand young geniuses
who are confronted with nothing more
than their own limitations"
This from a woman who aids two
men whom the law has pronounced
felons. She is using her social influ-
ence as others are using their political
influence to accomplish the ideal of
prison reform-to give the prisoner his
chance after he has left Jail.
Aside from the benefit done men In
prison it is obvious that this COM
munication with the outside world is
of inestimable value when the long
term comes to an end. for then the
| convict has friend in far-off spot
No one else knows he is a convict
help him ts establish himself The
| bleak gray world of yesterday has
| turned to world of promise.
One of the most remarkable members
| of Mr. Stokes league is Louis V. Eytinge
who is serving life term in Oklahoma
Though he has no hope of pardon
Eytinge has started to make a career
for himself as an advertising expert. A
book was written on advertising by him
| not long ago. OF it. DR.. Stokes says:
Il have learned that it was selected
by the library committee of the Asso-
ciated Ad Clubs of the World as one OF
the fifteen best books to go on a busi-
ness mans shelf Eytinge is now pre-
pairing a 300-page book on the same sub
ject. and is. in addition, writing letters
of advice to business men all over the
country
Dr. Stokes is anxious that a law shall
be passed by Congress providing that in
all federal penitentiaries the length of
time between letters shall be shortened.
Convlcts are now allowed to write one
or two letters a month.
On the wall of the big reception room
downstairs in DR.. Stokes library at 1907
Q street northwest is a large cardboard
advising the visitor to read a work en-
titled THE Faith of Ancient Egypt" and
beneath the placard is this phrase:
Egypt. though dead. yet speaAeth -
Somehow those words seem to suggest
the men who are dead but who. at the
sound of voice a thousand miles away,
are brought back to life again.
Evening star., 1914-07-25

Treasure House." etc. With portrait
and illustrations. New York: Harper
& Bros.
The Casa Napoleon was little
Franco Spanish hotel and restaurant in
downtown New York. more Franco than
Spanish. in truth. for it was Madame
who was French, and she was actually
the institution. though Senior. her hus-
band, who supplied the Spanish part OF
the combination. was in evidence. and
performed certain social functions
upon the establishment In the pinches
1t was always Madame who proved to
be the god in the machine. Here many
interesting things happened. and the
transient and permanent guests of the
Casa Napoleon became involved in va
rious affairs which Mr.. Janvier describ-
es with his most delicate appreciation
of shades and subtleties. This is vir-
tuallv a farewell volume Mr. Janvier
died little more than a year ago. and
brief predatory note. sketchily bio
graphical. by Ripley Hitchcock, appears
as an introduction.
Evening star., 1914-07-25

standpoints from which these viewed the
stage. their different approaches to it. and
the particular method by which each fit
ted theme and play to stage representa-
ton itself. He estimates. critically.
moreover. what each of these has up to
the present contributed to the modern
theater. To certain extent this is a
comparative study of the outlook and
method of this group. Included here are
studies of Arthur Pinero Henry Arthur
Jones. Oscar Wilde. j. NJ. Barrie. Ber-
nard Shaw, Hankin. Granville Barker.
Hubert Henry Davies and John Gals
worthy. a good bibliography offers an
opportunity to make a book study of the
plays of these writer's. in addition to this
special consideration of the plays from
the point of view of the stage itself.
NO. Ii WASHINGTON SQUARE. BY
Leroy Scott. author of Counsel for
the Defense" etc. With illustrations
by Irma Deremeaux. Boston: Hough-
ton Miff1in Company.
The great Mrs. De Peyster was trem-
bling on her social throne under the at
tacks of a rival when she discovered
Evening star., 1914-07-25

had been sentenced to siXty-five years
for murder particularly brutal mur-
der at that There did not seem to be
much hope for him. There never is for
man who commits a deliberate muir
der in Texas.
But in the gloomy confines of his cell
an idea occurred to the convict. lie
would study law. not with the hope of
accomplishing anything in the outside
world but merely that he might have
something to occupy his mind during the
long gray days which intervened between
life and death.
=
Way off in South Dakota, quite a dis
tance from the place where the Texas
man was serving his siNty-five years.
was lawyer with a big heart. He was
a states attorney, a man whose nominal
! function was to prosecute and convict
and not to save. DR.. Stokes sent to him
the unornamental letter of the Texas
| murderer and asked him whether he
would care to act as the instructor to
this remarkable pupil. Immediately the
attorney replied that he would gladly
take this task to himself. DR.. Stokes
furnished the books.
At first the attorney was Skeptlcal. To
him this was mild experiment in So
ciology. by which he might learn more
of the criminal genus. But. neverthe-
sent a series of letters to the convict.
and the convict. eagerly anxious that he
might talk to some one. replied with all
the earneStneSS of a man who has done
| wrong, but who hopes to do better
The result? One must always ask Tor
results. No movement. however good
will be approved by humanity until II
has shown results. That seems to be
human nature since the time when Ro-
man emperors pointed their thumbs
r. ord xx-hi iIl ha
ator. breathlessly awaiting the death
stroke, lay beneath the foot of his op-
| ponent
The result? Simply this. The South
| in the case that he has made personal
appeal for the pardon of the man and
| has announced to DR.. Stokes his lnten'
tion of fighting for the mans freedom.
IF he can learn law like this the
attorney from South Dakota has said OF
| the prisoner from Texas. then he has
the makings of good citizen in him
What he needs is a fresh start
X
! Two years from now there will b'
found in the state of Utah a man who
! is an expert accountant. He will be q
mild hammered. quiet citizen. interested
| in the rights of the community and un-
desirous of breaking the law. At the
present time he is finishing out his
term for counterfeiting. He wrote te
| DR.. Stokes a plain, Straightforward let
ter.
II don't think T. am any better than
the average man." he said, "and don't
believe that 1 am much worse than
most of them I have hope In you
That was enough for the big hearted
doctor. The prisoner was serving his
time in the Eastern State penitentiary
of Pennsylvania, which is located at
Philadelphia. After a long search over
his books DIR. Stokes discovered that
the expert accountant whom he was
seeking lived in a small Utah town
He wrote to this man. who gladly be-
gan the difficult task of instructing a
man who knew little about it in the
mysteries of double entry bookkeep-
Evening star., 1914-07-25
Fumes From Strawberries.

7
1t comes rather as a shock to learn
that Strawberries. now coming plenti-
fully to our markets, are classed among
dangerous cargoes. The vessels convey
ing the berries from Brittany to Ply
mouth refuse to carry passengers. and
orders are issued toAthe crews to keep
as much as possible on deck. The rea-
son is that fumes from the straw
berries cause dizziness and a kind of
intoxication. AS the berries, even tons
Of them. give no very strong smell,
theory has it that the Intoxicating ef-
fects Of cargo Of them are due to the
fermentation Of the sugar in the ber-
ries.
Evening star., 1914-07-25
THE EVENING STORY.
The Dover Chest.
,capyrigh,. 1914, by W. Werner }

Copyright. 1914, by W. Werner)
She had been putting it off for days.
but this morning, as she looked out OF
the window and saw the sunshine and
smelled the freshness of the breeze.
she knew that the time had come
when she must put it off no longer
Never was such a morning for airing
garments of any kind. especially those
that had been confined for whole
year in the darkness Of a thick cedar
chest.
The thought of what she must go
through between morning and night
was a sad one to Nancy Ware. After
she had choked down mouthful of
breakfast and washed her dishes and
made things tidy in the kitchen she
went into the front room. where she
sometimes 'sewed. Her old sewing
machine stood between the two win
Evening star., 1914-07-25
crime and intrigue are factors in this
tale. which is absorbing from first to last.

crime and intrigue are factors in this
tale. which is absorbing from first to last.
THE INCANDESCENT LILY; And
Other Stories. By Gouverneur Morris,
author of The Penalty" etc. New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
Washington: Woodward & Lothrop.
These ten stories include some of Mr..
Morris best work. THE Incandescent
Lily" the title story and the longest, re-
lates the experiences of young Amer
lean who. firing of his idle and profitless
existence. undertakes a botanical research
in China and comes upon a veritably
enchanted garden where there is prin-
cess of great celestial beauty with
tremendous capacity for affection. who
wants him to stay. But finally for the
sake of the girl back home she sends
him away with a great treasure. the bulb
of the incandescent lily, marvel of the
plant world, Tennis players will be great
ly delighted with The Championship"
which deals with the successive disap-
po:ntments of a man who as a lad almost
reached the highest point of his ambi-
Evening star., 1914-07-25
Avalanches to Order.
! the Electrical World

From the Electrical World
BY mems of electric mines placed deep
in the CONCEALED neves mantling the
crests of the Swiss Alps, avalanches are
being manufactured to order for the bene-
fit of moving picture photographers and
others who find the sport attractive
enough to pay the prices charged. The
mines ;.-'e connected by cable with q
magnetic in the valley and when all is
ready a push of the control lever fulmi-
mates a large quantity of gunpowder up
on the side of the mountain and down
comes the artificial avalanche with all
the terrifying rush and roar OF natural
landslide.
Evening star., 1914-07-25

we'll told, packed full of vivid human
nature and bubbling with humor. A
realistic view of university life is af-
forded in these pages.
THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL.
By May Sinclair. author of The
Divine Fire" etc. New York: The
Macmillan Company
In these eight stories Miss Sinclair
reveals the same exquisite literary
touch that was instantly recognized
upon the appearance of her Divine
Fire" several years ago. There is a
wide range of subject here. but in all
the stories note of sadness is evident.
Few of them lend happily" though
Miss Sinclair tells her tales as life it
self appears and develops. Some are
mere sketches. as appearances.
others are little less than novelettes.
as THE Cosmopolitan" All are in
tensely interesting.
AT THE CASA NAPOLEON. BY Thomas
y. Janvier, author of THE Aztec