davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
A RENDEZVOUS WITH DEATH

The following line were written by
Alan Seeger, a young American, killed
in France. Upon his graduation from
the war came he enlisted in the famous
Foreign Legion, and fell at Belloy-en-
Santerre, July, 1915. The poem, which
appears in the North American Re
view, was written in a military hos
pital in the south Of France a few
months before the young mans death.
have a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes round with rust
ling shade
And apple blossoms fill the air.
have a RENDEZVOUS with Death
When Spring brings back blue days
and fair.
1t may be he shall take my hand
And lead me into his dark land
And close my eyes and quench my
breath;
It may be I shall pass him still.
have a rendezvous with Death
On some SCARED slope of battered hill,
When Spring comes round again this
year
And the first meadow flowers appear.
God knows 'twere better to be deep
Pillowed in silk and scented down.
Where love throbs. out in blissful sleep,
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to
breath,
Where husheds awak enings are dear
But I'VE a rendezvous with Death
At midnight in some flaming town,
When Spring trips north again this
year,
And / to my pledged word and true,
shall not fail that rendezvous.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
POETS AND DOGS

OF course, there is Bishop Doanes I'M
forgettable poem beginning, Il am quite
sure he thinks that am God" and Oil
yer Wendell Holmes Questions" OF
course, the book contains ''The Shep-
herd and His Dog" by William Lisle
Bowles, and William Robert Spender's
Beth Gelert'' OF course, but why list
old favorites further? Better, perhaps
as proof that neither wars alarms nor
the rampant automobile so far have SUI
perseded the dog as a topic of popular
consideration, to quote William J. Lamp
toms lines, 1.-THE Flag and the Faithful"
written when the Secretary of War not
long since was asked to reprimand the
soldiers at the government aviation sta
ton for burying thier faithful dog, Mugg-
se in the Stars and Stripes"
All, Muggsie, good and faithful dog,
Gone to your rest!
You served your country and your flag
The very best
That lay within your humble power,
And in that far
Have been much better than some men
And women are.
AS you had lived, good dog, you died,
And 1t is meet
The flag you served your best should be
Your winding sheet.
Matthew Arnold, discussing the popu-
larity of his own dog poems, said that
while comparatively few loved poetry,
nearly every one loved dogs. And Mat
thew Arnold was right.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
LUKE N1,LuKE SAYS

She may give him her hand when she
marries him. But she often borrows 1t
back long enough to make a circle with
her thumb and forefinger and make him
jump through it.
Some men are so fond Of the sound OF
their own voices that they must deplore
the fact that they can't hear themselves
snore.
Our idea of playing. long shot is when
woman marries a man to- reform him.
Two can live as cheaply as one in some
ways If daughter is a young lady,
mother can always wear daughters hair
when daughter isn't using it.
Any man who spends his time barking
up the wrong tree is sure to lead dog S
life.
When a man wants another mans
financial rating he looks at Dun or
Bradstreet When a woman wants an
other woman's financial rating she looks
at the other woman's furs.
1t is hard to make bankrupt believe
that happiness isn't entirely matter Of
money.
A man will laugh at the ostrich that
hides it's head in the sand Yet he will
kid himself into believing that his boss
doesn't know that he is soldering on
his job.
Every successful man has to listen to a
lot Of slurs about the luck of fools.
The masculine five-eighths of almost
any family can tell you that his wife
would rather starve than cook.
The average woman Is SO we'll satisfied
with the way nature built her that she is
always trying to make her long portions
look short and her short portions look
long.
Any time man gets himself named on
a committee of 100 that sits on the plat
| form with the candidate, he gets the idea
that the crowd came there to see him.
A woman may have to wait while for
money enough to get jar of rouge and
a box of expensive face powder. Bua
when she does it she makes up for lost
time.
The trouble with giving boy two NJ
die names Is that he loses lot of
later on in life using them both.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
From the New York Globe.

FROM the New I Ork GloDe.
NN 81 HEN it became known that the
MNW 20. Henry Biography" Dou-
" bleday) was to be written, a
good many of the authors friends won~
dered if it would be honest. 1t seemed
that o. Henry, of all people, should be
written about honestly, and not as if he
were political candidate miraculously
combining (for the momenD all the vir-
tues Had not he himself said that a
good way to begin story is to say it Is
the truth-and then add that truth Is
stranger than fiction?
Although DR.. c. Alphonso Smith, a
fellow Moth Callinian" Of the story
teller and Qess famously, as many will
say now Poe professor at the Univer-
sity of Virginia, writes of o. Henry with
doubtless some. kindly and excusable
retieences and with the affection and 10y
atty he seemed to inspire in those who
knew him best, the sixth chapter in his
book, called '"I'he Swallowed Years." is
sufficient evidence of a desire to de-
scribe o. Henry in the language of his
little shopgirls-"as is
o. Henry's daughter has written ct
ter to the newspapers protesting not
against the inclusion of the already IA
nous sixth chapter" but against its
exploitation.
In this chapter one may read NOV
ing account of what was already known
in some quarters, but had not been pub
licly proclaimed. o. Henry Served SEN
tence of three years and three months
in the penitentiary at Columbus, O., on
the charge of embezzling funds $4,000 or
more) while cashier of a bank in Aus
tin, Tex. The original sentence of five
years was shortened because Of good be-
havtor.
While in prison o. Henry wrote some of
his best stories, which were mailed to
New York publishers from New Orleans.
when Gilman Hall, one of, the first of the
story writer's loyal legion of friends.
sent for him to come to New York, it was
not known that he had not been living
and writing in New Orleans. His daugh-
ter did not know Of the Swallowed years
until in brighter days he told her him
self. Most Of the letters he wrote while
in prison were addressed to his moth
er-in-law, Mrs. Roach. her he wrote:
Right here l want tc >lemnly to
you that in spite of -erdict,,
am absolutely inr sfs nAe ing,
except SO far as ssis fe ~
ton that / cou' ses ssfeAS N.
| The affairs sisx rss st I'm
to have bee >mA
| what infor NI4 aoes "a the
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
O. HENRY AS HE is

, but changed his mind when halfway, and
went to New Orleans instead, and from
there to Honduras in Central America,
where he chummed with the Jennings
brothers, train robbers, and found plots
aplenty. One Of the Jennings men has
written that when it became necessary
for them to replenish their exchequer.
and were making plans accordingly ..
Henry could not be persuaded "even to
hold the horse.''
O. Henry did not return to Texas until
he heard that his wife was dying. Then
we have the picture of this puzzling man
driving the sick wife up and down in
front of the open window of the church,
where they had both sung in the choir.
He went to Columbus in April, 1898, and
came out in July. 1901. His mother, who
died when he was three years old. and
who was educated at some female college
in the south so years before, had written
her graduating essay on "Tks Influence
Of Misfortune on the Gifted"
Doubtless to confirm the improbable
charge. DIR. Smith takes up a good deal
of space in the first part of his book
describing the ancestry of William sgd
ney Porter Zone feels it is the real name
that should be put in quotation marks,
which was the good old southern kind 1t
does not take so long to describe his own
early life and education. What education
he had seems to have been at a sort of
DANES school in Greensboro, kept by his
aunt. Miss Lima" He was IS when he
went to Texas, on ranch, and had his
experiences there
But although it was o. Henry's claim
that one town is as good as another for
stories it was not until he came to
New York that he came home. around
every corner in New York he found his
story, until, as an English newspaper has
recently said, his books are as full of
New York as Dickens of London.
And this reminds that O. Henry has
only very recently become popular in
England. This Is quite the most signifi-
cant thing that has happened to him.
One night expect even a professor OF
psychology to find the stories bully
because William James was an American.
But If English people, whose inability
to recognize American humor has been it.
self humorous and by-word, are liable
to enjoy the humo.of 0. Henry, and his
Americanism and slang and colloquialisms
and even puns, then here is proof In
deed. of this authors genius and his
place among the few story tellers who en-
dure.
One hears so much of O. Henry's imi-
tators that one may wonder why so few
of them initiate the brevity and clean
cut conciseness of his stories. Is it be-
cause SO many of o. Henrys best stories
1 werc written for newspaper, with it's
space limitations, while his imitators are
permitted and encouraged Cat SO much a
/ word to furnish next to reading mat
ter for the advertisements in the maga-
zines?
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
zine College Spirit

Never in my life have I witnessed
an occasion equal in spirit to the one
held at the University Of Alabama on
Monday night" said DR.. James 3. Ded-
man, an alumnus of the Crimson White,
ITO see the spirit which those 800 Ala
bama students are putting into the game
here on Saturday with Sewanee would
do anyone good.
1.-THE entire student body is coming to
witness the game If Sewane is defeated
Birmingham will be helpless in the hands
of the Crimson boys. The meeting was
full of excitement from start to finish.
Enthusiasm was displayed by everyone in
Morgan hall and I venture to say that
no student body in any college in the
world has more spirit than the one at
Alabama this year.
Everyone is expecting Alabama to de-
feat Sewanee. The university boys are
wild about their team. Say word against
Coach Kelley or the Crimson eleven and
you've got the whole university to fight.
I tell you, 1t did me good to see how
patriotic the boys at the university are
this year. It's. a wonderful sight
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
o. HENRY,s PRISON EXPERIENCE

o. HENRY'S PRISON EXPERIENCE.
From the New York World
That o. Henry as a short story writer
coined many of his own experiences
while a prisoner in the Columbus. Ohio,
penitentiary has just come to light. The
episode in his life, now revealed, would
have meant ruin for the ordinary man
of Imagination and sensibility. To him
it was period of inspiration that served
to launch him on a career in which he
won fame and success.
The early misadventure that eventually
led to his conviction for embezzlement
was the turning point in the life of an
obscure clerk. If he had not explored
the strange corners of South America
and not mixed with all sorts of charac-
ters, if he had not been impelIed to re-
turn for trial and not passed several
years in the company of convicts, he
could not have been the same o. Henry
over whose tales so many readers have
gratefully found relief from the dullness
of their own days. Possibly the impulse
and the opportunity to write might have
come to him if he had remained indefi-
nitely a clerk in the bank at Austin,
Texas. But the facts are stronger than
theories.
Society hesitates to admit that in such
circumstances it was cruel or unjust. 1t
consoles itself that o. Henry was of too
robust constitution and too clearly fay-
ored by fate to have been suppressed I'M
der the weight of untoward circum-
stances. But it is late in the day for it
to take any credit to itself for helping
him to develop himself. He survived
misfortune and found the direction for
which nature destined him, but it was In
spite of society's unfriendliness.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
MA ENTERS THE GAME

MA ENTERS THE GAME
What de- you want, mar
''You must go to the grocery store at
once ant get pound of butter"
But ma, we're playin' war an I'm
leadin' British army against the Ger
mans"
Never mind. Play the commissary
department has been shot to pieces and
gos after that butter
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
coRBETr LOST THE FIGHT

From THE Fighting Man, by William "A.
Brady Bobbs-Merrill Co.
If were superstitious man l might
give. undue weight to the following incl
dent as bad omen. Just before Corbett
had met Sullivan and while he was In
training he bought a collie for $1o-a
wonderfully pugnacious dog, which
would tackle anything. There was one
thing on earth that Ned loved. and only
one. and that was Corbett. And Jim
loved the dog for his bravery. Ned al
ways slept at the end Of his master
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
EASILY CHANGED

rs your portable garage satisfactory!
"Oh, yes" replied the suburban 'dweiler'
sit suits me very we'll and I'm glad for
my wife's sake that bought the port
able kind.'
why so7"
she's had it moved half a dozen times
because she didn't think 1T looked well
from the street"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
THE KIND TO LOSE

what in the world do you want with
a set of scribson's books?'
ST was thinking they might be useful
some day" saee
mot to read, surely?"
"oh. no. But when a person loves good
books and wants to keep them, it pays
to have a few volumes on hand to lend
to careless borrowers"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
ExCusING HIMSELF

ExCUSING HIMSELF
You acknowledge that you haven't do
mated a cent to the war sufferers in Eu-
rope, yet you have given 5000 to your
party's campaign fund"
That's true" replied the politician.
do you think that's right?"
why, yes. You see. I'm firm be-
lever in the old adage that charity be-
gins at home"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
Theodore Roosevele's
Political Future

E GONE of the newspapers have been
~ discussing Col. Theodore Roose-
welt as cabinet possibility, assuming
that Hughes would be elected Presi-
dent. The chances of republican VIC
tory are not bright, however; not as
bright as they may have seemed
z month ago. Yet the temptation to
speculate on a Hughes cabinet was too
great for certain editors and political
prophets to let pass.
Roosevelt has been spoken of as
The man for Secretary of State, but
such an idea is absurd. There could
be no greater misfit than would be
the colonel in charge of the state de-
partment. The New York Times dis
cussed the suggestion that Roosevelt
be selected as Hughes premier, and
pointed out how totally lacking in
diplomatic temperament he was. Ac-
!, cording to the Times, Roosevelt is a
8stronger man mentally than Hughes.
The republican nominee would, if he
were elected, feel Roosevelt's superb
Sofity and there would be friction at
once.
M As The Age Herald suggested some
time ago, Elihu Root, former Secre-
harry of State, who is ADLER than
sIughes and Roosevelt put together,
f,ould be the logical man for the same
Addition again. In spite of the fact
at no President has willingly select
Tor cabinet position a statesman
4e capable than himself, public
fnion is often so iasistent on GER
b party leader being rendered the
Il kknte portfolio that the chief execu-
81 tive-olect has to yield. Many admin
kstratfons are failures for that reason.
President Hayes always felt that
4 ~ was playing second fiddle because
4 William M. Evarts was his Secretary
So, and President Garfield felt
$shc sa}ne way, no doubt, when he
those James G. Blaine for his chief
minister. Root is generally acknowl-
"a TO be the most masterful man in
Republican party, and should
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
JUST FOR SHOW

.swhy does Mrs Grabcoin give mu-
sicale once or twice a year? She has
no taste for music"
s.That's true but Mrs. Grabcoin is the
only woman in our town who can ar
ford to pay grand opera star $1,000 for
two or three songs and she feels in
duty bound to remind her neighbors OF
that fact" PAUL cook.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
TO Age-EEarald Readers


About ago The eHerad reduced its subscription
price from So year to So year.
The Age Herald has been buying white paper for several
past the price of 81 80 per hundred pounds at the mill
The freight rate to Birmingham is Al cents
The Age Herald contract for print paper expires with
the few days and the lowest offer have been able to
for white paper 1915 per hundred pounds at the mill
The casual understand what this The
Herald.
AS consequence the subscription price of The Herald is
raised beginning this morning to $500 yearthe old price
which prevailed for twenty years past
And beginning week from today subscriber must
have paid his subscription in advance.
government law requires that every paper going through
the mails must be paid for in advance
The Ageerald finds it necessary apply this rule to local
subscribers. 1t is not that The Ageerad desires to
empory subscriber that he pay for his paper adj
but the rule has been adopted by all the best
of this country The requires it in mail subscribers
and for newspaper to require in its local subscription smp
flies it's bookkeeping department and it much expense
accounting.
The AgeHerald hopes that its readers will aid it in this
novation e. w BARRETT
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01

When soldiers clash on battlefields
And cities are ablaze,
And Mars his mighty power Yields
In scores of bloody ways, q
Though widows weep and orphans wall
And sleepless wait the dawn,
What do their tears and prayers avallf
The senseless war goes on.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
increasing Prosperity
In This District

wv HILE wages have been high
Wv for year or more in the Bir-
ttnlingham district there has not been
ssas large a measure of prosperity here
pbouts, speaking generally, as has pre-
walled in industrial centers of the
north. This fact has been due partly
to two causes-limited coal production
and the damage to crops from excess
sive rainfall and floods in July.
But there has been such marked
Improvement in trade conditions in
Birmingham within the last five or
six weeks that complaint in mercantile
circles is no longer heard. There has
bsea hi appretiable business recovery
throughout the south recently, and
here, where money is circulating free
Nv. something of solid boom has
set in.
The large iron and steel plants are
being operated at full capacity. There
is a strong demand for pig metal and
the price is steadily advancing. The
outlook for continued activity in the
iron and steel trade could not well be
brighter.
But for the car shortage the coal
business would be up to normal. The
unsatisfactory transportation situa-
ton will be relieved before winter be-
gins and then the Birmingham dis
trict will witness the greatest pros
perity it has ever known.
The year 1916 will average we'll at
s hny rate. Holiday shopping will start
off with rush Immediately after
Thanksgiving, and the last quarter of
the year will be recalled as period
Of exceptional thrift in Birmingham.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01

| BEGINNING THE DAY-Lord.
help me to be thankful today. If /
II have lost, help to be thankful
n that L had. If L have found, help nic
I'll to be thankful that 1 have STAN
4 iards which make failure possible.
p II L have sinned, help me to be
i tHhankfuI for the humility which 1
octave gained and for the forgiveness
Thou art willing to grant. in
" hChrist's name. Amen.-H. NJ. e.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01

Hughes win on the 7th of this month
something not likely to happen
there would be no question about his
appointing Root.
AS for the colonel, Notwithstanding
his love for office, he would decline
cabinet office. He certainly would not
play second fiddle to Mr.. Hughes. The
thinkable thing is that Roosevelt will
wait and run for President in 1920.
He is just fifty-eight years of age
and being of tough fibre he should be
we'll and fit, humanity considered, not
only four years hence, but eight years
and even twelve years hence. If he
should live out the Psalmist's extreme
allotment of time, even then he would
be able to run the government, or
think he was.
With Hughes defeat the colonel
would be popular candidate for the
republican nomination next time. His
argument would be: "See what you
got by not taking me in 1916"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
NO LACK OF ADVICE

There are great many people in this
world who don't know what's good for
them"
Perhaps so.'' replied the cynical man,
but they always have plenty Of neigh
bors who would gladly tell them what
Is good for them, If they would only
listen"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-01
HOTEL Hobbies


Wilson will be elected. and the race
is not so close as some people say it
is said Charles Summer of Dahlonega,
Ga. vice president and general manager
of the Findley Ridge Mining and Power
company.
Wilson will have landslide. vic
tory. He could be elected without
New York but he will carry that state
by big plurality. L talked with many
northern men who come south-demo-
Gratis and republicans. The Hughes
supporters who keep informed and see
the inside of the situation do not ex-
pect their ticket to win. Several of
my republican friends have told me as
much.
while have taken a deep interest
in politics ever since 1 was old enough
to vote. and flatter myself that have
political insight, I never bet. / have
seldom failed to name the winners in
local, state or national elections. If
were a betting man 1 would not hest
tate to place all the money I could
raise on democratic victory"