davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-06-28


didst SOW idleness and dreams and
scorn of us who sweated in the fields.
Now dost thou reap hunger and beg
gary. Thou didst take thy portion, and
now thou hast spent thy portion.
Thinkest thou that now thou canst
come back and take that which is
mine?"
Jether shook his head.
"Have I said aught Of that?' he
asked.
But thou art herev" Numbered Gaal,
with new bitterness in his voice.
"Now must / plan to keep thee from
thy father and thy mother for thou art
a disgrace to us all, and thou must do
as l say If thou wouldst eat. Here
thou canst not stay-yet thou must
have shelter for the night l must
think-yes, thou shalt spend the night
in one Of the dog kennels, where thou
dost belong, for hate thee and always
have"
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-06-28

en- the man to madness. Sometimes,
too, such men have holy visions from
their Hastings. Speak soft to>him and
bid him. fear the Lord and give him
food and straw to rest on for tale
night"
uuldah. as though sensing an i'm
pending calamity, looked strangely at
Jesse and then followed Shelah toward
the dog kennels. Jesse strobe few
steps down the road only to hasten
back at hearing Il fearful cry of agony
from the direction of the sheds. The
voice was that of Huldah. and anguish
was in every note.
Through the gathering darkness
Jesse saw her aiding Shelah to half
carry. half drag Il limp and senseless
form clad only in rags He started to-
ward her eagerly. but something made
him pause. The mother dropped her
burden at his feet. and he saw that it
was the body of a man fainting from
exhaustion. He leaned over, when the
mother, facing him piteously, cried:
"Our boy. Our boy has come home!'
WHAT" cried Jesse. with cry of
pain and sorrow, stricken at the sight
of the poor, wounded body lying be-
fore him and remembering. in spite of
his former anxiety over Jether, that he
had sworn a mighty oath that never
should the boy look upon his face
again. "Our boy? Nay, l have sworn
he shall not look upon my face again.
With great, imperious gesture he
&ol,. I,
body lying there upon the ground.
With single sweep of his hand he
carried the loose mantle which draped
from his shoulders up and over his
head, completely hiding his face. He
stood there. stolid mute, firm as
rock
The mother, alternately sobbing over
her boy and pleading with the com.
handing figure Of the aged patriarch,
| sought to move him to pity. -
Look at our boy, my Jether," she
begged. See what the world hath done
to him.
And as Jesse stood there, silent she
| addressed her words to the boy upon
whom she was now shedding moth
er's tears and who lay silent and In
sensible upon the grass before her as
she kneeled beside him.
ooh, my boy" she sobbed. My poor
boy. To come back thus when thou
vert like the morning. Thy hair
so curly once. Now how thin thou art
and shrunken. Open thine eyes, thy
soft brown eyes. and look upon thy
mother. My ring
She leaned over the PROSTATE figure
and kissed the ring which Jether still
wore upon his finger.
He hungers, but my ring is still
upon his finger, when with it he could
have bought food. Oh, my boy-Shelah,
get water and battle his face. Oh, my
! boy, take my strength into thee, my
strength, Jether. o God, be gracious
unto us and spare him. Spare him
to u.s."
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-06-28
CHAPTER XIII.
Gaal, Harder Than Steel.

"HE angry Gaal almost struck
the younger brother as Jether,
with all the strength he could
command, faced him detiantly.
Il will not be treated like beggar.
I am thy brother"
Gaal laughed.
with all thy weakness had thought
thy pride was greater than to crawl
home and beg for forgiveness. With
whole world in which to hide they face
thou must needs come here. Here,
where once thou thought to play the
master in thy silly way, thou dost come
looking worse than any leper might.
Stay, thou canst not, except overnight.
And be seen here, thou canst not No,
thou must go on thy way. Yet on my
land no man-not even my brother
shall be found dead of starvation.
Therefore, if thou will but go quietly,
there be the goat shed or among the
empty kennels. I, myself, will bring
thee food. Thy sandals are but holes.
There's an old pair lying in the dog
house that they have chewed upon in
sport. They will serve thee better.
And 1 shall bring thee an old coat to
cover thy nakedness, not for love Of
thee, for do despise thee, but because
the law teaches kindness to beggar."
Thou art yet more hard than had
thought, Gaal,' replied Jether sadly.
ITO such as thee justice doth indeed
seem hard,' retorted the elder brother.
II do not have to argue with thee. l
say this to thee-quickly, before a
servant sees thee, thou shalt go into
the goat shed and there wait for me-
Thou shalt have thy food, thy sandals
and a coat and straightway so thy
road the first thing in the mofning
without word to any one.'
Jether smiled. bitterly. lose thy
fears, Gaal," he said 81 have not
come to take aught of thine from thee
neither thy food nor thy old sandals
nor such coat as thou wouldst give
me. But | would look once more upon
my mothers face, for l may not ever
again have the chance"
NO" cried Gaal, clinching his fist
angrly. THAT thou shalt not do Nor
couldst thou look upon thy fathers face
either, for should he see thee in thy
rags and misery, when for his prides
sake he has told all neighbors that
thou art greatly honored in city
many days travel from here, thou
wouldst stand smitten by the lightning
of his anger. Thou couldst not look
into his eyes"
Jether bowed his head in submits
sion. After all what Gaal had said
must be true.
II did but seek to look upon him
hidden-and see also my mother" he
said.
"she hath found comfort in forget
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-06-28
feet and faced the elder brother def

feet and faced the elder brother def
Rntly.
Thou art not my master." he cried
with his old spirit.
"So-it is thou-at last, and in ragsl'
Gaal cried contemporary.
Jether, humbly yet defantly, held out
his hand in duplication.
"Gaal, hunger" he said simply.
Gaals voice rang out in triumph as
he surveyed the poor beggar before
him.
$50 it hath all come true as 1 pre-
dicted," he cried. CAS- 1 have said,
thou wouldst yet live to hunger
"Then thou hast thy WISH" declared
Jether bitterly.
ut is always my wish that one
should reap the harvest that he sows,''
continued Gaal. sermonizing. "Thou
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-06-28


I'm the house of Jesse all was sad
ness. Only Gaal dared to speak
of Jether, and he only once, for
the remark called forth these
words from Jesse:
II have but one son now, Gaal, and
thou art he. The boy whom once we
loved is dead. Speak never of the
dead"
Yet even Jesse was not able to ban
ish entirely the thoughts of the absent
boy which came to him ever with the
fall of night, for one day he came to
Gaal in great excitment and said:
ION the way from Hebron I met a
man on the roadside, who said q
stranger in the village had passed with
tidings of our Jether."
Our Jether?" repeated Gaal scorn-
fully. what tidings?"
Il know not" replied Jesse sorrow
fully. II have sent messenger to try
and overtake the stranger and ask him
for news of Jether in Jerusalem, but
know not if my message reached him."
"Let me await the stranger, father.
Perhaps his tale is one of lies to gain
q gift from thee. Let him meet my
questioning"
Jesse gaZed at him searchingly.
as mine understanding no longer
clear? Say naught unto thy mother.
Much as l hope, have been taught to
meet calmly with disappointment.
will go within to thy mother, but If
the stranger comes send for me-"
But it happened that as Gaal stepped
one side in the gathering dusk he did
not notice a figure clad in rags and
sachcloth, with mere piece Of hemp
tied around the waist in place of CIR
die and leaning heavily upon staff,
pass along the road toward the hills
which overlooked the hospitable home
of Jesse. The newcomer appeared to
be the veriest beggar, clad in the last
garments which might possibly clothe
q human being. The sandals upon his
feet We're mere fragments of leather.
His hair was long and matted, his face
was covered with dirt and Crime. and
upon his legs were many scratches and
sores. He could scarcely stand, yet
with faltering steps he gained the emf
nence overlooking the home of Jesse
and sighed with JOY and relief; yet
there was pain in the sigh also.
Glow still it u.s. he murmured, "as
If death were about! Or is it peace?
Should father see me could not face
the fire in his eye. Or are those eyes
forever closed in sleep and is my broth
er Gaal now the master here? And
my mother-does she still live and sit
with sad eyes looking at the place
where I was wont to sit at table? And
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-06-28

turn back now / shall starve. But
i could but see my mother from afar
| only for a moment, secretly, SO that
+, she might not know. There they all
sit and eat, no doubt even the meanest
! servant, while would grasp at what
they would throw to the dogs. But I
. may not ask. will but see my mother
once and then go back to the wander
ing, to the chilling nights beneath the
| open sky and to the hungry days of
!, bitter roaming where famine rageth.
! Back to this and on only until / fall
| and let the dust blow over me. But,
o God, let me once see my mothers
| facet"
And so Rissah, coming to the well,
found the beggar, clothed in rags, bare
| ly able to stand.
Thou poor old man." exclaimed Ris-.
sab, "wouldst drink
Jether nodded. She filled cup, and
he drank it feverishly.
| And thou art beggar?"
aye, beggar."
Then it has Jared hard with thee
| CAoCNlCAS nave 4Cdlo O1lly ucdI
Hebron has there been abundant har-
vests. Elsewhere, from Dan down to
Beersheba, there is famine
AYE, famine"
"And thou, poor beggar? Even If
thou wouldst work, what wouldst thou
do, who art old and weak? Thy plight
should melt even the heart of Master
Gaal If aught could melt that heart of
flint
Master Gaal?' cried Jether piteous-
ly. "He rules here, then?"
mot while his father, Jesse, lives,'
replied Rissah resentfully.
| "Ah. then Jesse lives" sighed Jether
ioyfully. "But hast thou no mistress?'
What is that to thee?" inquired Ris-
sab suspiciously.
"A woman's heart, when kind, is
kindest.''
At this moment Naomi came from
the house to find out the reason for
Rissah's delay in bringing the water.
/
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-06-28

4 S Shelah fetched the water, and
~ Jesse still stood mutely to one
~ side, refusing to look upon the
body of his son, the mother
cried aloud her curse:
who hath done this to him? Be
they accused. o Lord God, l call thy
vengeance upon them! Cursed be the
fruit of their bodies and the fruit of
their lands! Cursed may they be when
they go in and when they come out!
y God, leave me my boy. my beauti-
full boy"' she sobbed, with one last
heartbreaking cry of anguish, as she
of her son and sobbed.
A sudden glimmer of returning con-
sciousness reused Jether. He moved,
he half attempted to rise, and then
naturally and unconsciously his sarm
went around the neck of his mother,
and he whispered, as if he were but
child again, Mother"
my boy-my beautiful boy" she Sob
bed
Gaal, attracted by the outburst, came
from the house and surveyed the scene
just as Jether embraced his mother.
$50, then" he said contemptuously
to the boy. "For all thy promises to
me, thou hast revealed myself, after
all, to thy mother"
Huldah, slowly comprehending the
fearful knowledge that Gaal all the
time had known of Jether's presence,
drew herself up Indignantly.
Thou knewest?" she cried, in pain
and sorrow.
"Aye, and for thine own sake kept
silence" replied Gaal surlily.
Thou knewest - and yet told me
not?" shrieked the mother.
He scorned to take food of me-" re-
torted Gaal CURLY. Besides, he hath
deserved naught else He went away
OF his own accord. He should have
stayed away, them
Huldah shook her head bitterly.
Thou hast hard heart, Gaal," she
said. where didst thou get it?
Shall not soon forgive thee this. Now
help me to carry Jether in"
What? Touch him? Hast seen his
sores?" demanded Gaal.
II have kissed his sores,' replied the
mother, wonderful light shining in
her eyes through her tears.
He shall not come into the house,"
declared Gaal sternly, taking heart
from the fact that the aged Jesse had
| neither spoken nor uncovered his face.
This is thy fathers house, not
thine" she said proudly.
MY fathers silence speaks" cried
Gaal angrily. mo more than 1 would
he have this disgrace thrust upon us.
We have told all that Jether is an hon.
ored man among the high ones of the
| city. and now shall this thing give us
The lie? No; he shall not enter my ia
theirs house."
Thou speakest only for myself" she
said.
my father hears, yet speaks not"
declared Gaal. "A man must judge
what best BELTS the honor of his house.
and since my father will not speak
will give orders here. But Jether must
not die here, nor need he die at all,
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-06-28
patriarch.

join thee presently, after Shelah re-
ports about the dogs that do bark so
strangely"
II, too, have noted the barking of the
dogs. But come within, Jesse. The
evening meal awaits thee"
A loud cry from Shelah interrupted
them. He came to them in great ex-
citment
Master" he cried, what shall l
do? There was man, beggar, among
the dogs, gnawing bone that they had
turned from. He lay upon the ground
in agony, for one had set upon him.
could not see his face the way he lay,
but / did beat the dogs away from him
and close the gate upon him"
"Huldah, go with Shelah," Jesse
said thoughtfully. "There are reasons
why I must remain here. Thou hast
gentle ways, and sin perhaps hath driv-
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-06-28

gentle Naomi-is she perchance now
the wife of Gaal? l dread to 60 for
ward and find out the truth. Yet if |
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-06-28
CHAPTER XIV.
The Penitent ProdigaI.

4 S Shelah fetched the water, and
"a Jesse still stood mutely to one
~ side, refusing to look upon the
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-06-28
The
Wanderer
Novelzed by William A. Page
From Maurice v. Samuels'
Great Biblical Drama of the
Prodigal Son, Presented
at the Manhattan Opera
House, New York
Copyright, 1917, by William Elliott.
F. Ray Comstock and Morris Gest.
CHAPTER XII.

S7AF Eh MI.
The Wanderer Comes Homo.
I'm the house of Jesse all was sad.
ness. Only Gaal dared to speak
of Jether, and he only once, for
the remark called forth these
The Washington times., 1917-05-15
CIRCUS FOLKS HAVE
THEIR OWN GARDENS
Bareback Riders Plant Parsley
and Flowers in Window Boxes.

Equestrian artists with the Ring
ling circus believe in home gardens
The wurth family maintain a little
plot all their own. The plot is mere
ly a window box fastened to the ledge
Of the sleeping car window occupied
by the family, but this is their home
and they have a real garden.
Mama wurth Is very fond OF prettily
decorated steaks and chops. Cooks at
the tent on the circus lot do not, as
a rule, decorate the food served
Mrs. wurth needed parsley with
about every meal. She just must nave
IL when steak and chops are served,
so the mother of the family devised
the idea OF having a home garden She
secured a couple OF window boxes
made lust to fit the windows of the
sleeper and planting the parsley seed
awaited developments.
The parsley Is growing nicely, &C
cordinE to Mr.. Wurth, and within a
few days the family will have parsley
with which to decorate their food.
The wurths are not the only circus
people who have a garden. The Lloyd
family, also bareback riders with the
same show, have a garden. The Lloyd
garden, however, 10 devoted to the
raising OF flowers. Mrs. Lloyd Is very
fond OF tulips. and her window in the
sleeper is filled with the growing
plants.
The Washington times., 1917-05-15
MAN USURPED AGAIN;
GIRLS TO TRAIL PLOW
Mrs. Rafter May Follow Burrows
to Speed Garden Work.

Mrs. Giles Scott Rsfter. vice presi-
dent of the central gardens commit
tee and leader OF the Girl Scouts
Home Garden movement, may be fol.
lowing the pillow herself within the
next few days. ...
I'VE are going to start blowing
that acre and a half at the back of
the Memorial Continental Hall Wed.
nesday," she said this morning.
"Plowing must start, and IL will be
plowed even IL l have to do II my
self.
The Boyle Robinson Construction
Company have promised to put a gang
Of men to work on the lot tomorrow
morning at 7:3O. The men will grub
and clear the plot for us. Flowing
will start the next morning"
Girl Scouts gardens will be de-
voted to the raising of a commercial
product. According to Mrs. Rafter,
onions will predominant. The acre
and a half plot back OF Continental
Memorial Hall will be planted in
onions, beans and tomatoes, and the
three acres at the Georgetown reser.
voir will be sown to potatoes, onions
and corn.
The two acre truck farm at the
Filtration plant near the National
Soldiers Home, will be given over to
Individual gardens, farmed by the
girls in troops.
The Washington times., 1917-05-15
~ IDrDTv rIDI co DnAan
LIDLNI ] UINlO NUM-
IN FINAL GAYETY WEEK
Jack Conway Heads Final Show Of
Local Burlesque Season.

The 1851 season OF the Gayety
IS being brought TO close this week
with THE Liberty Girls" as the at.
traction. Headed by Jack Conway,
one of the most popular comedians
in burlesque, the company is present
ing an entertainment up to the min
ute in every particular. "Riley's Va
cation" is the title OF the slSit, which
is in two acts and seven scenes.
As Tim Riley, a retired contractor,
Conway has a role that fits him to
a nicely. Arthur Mayer and Mark
Thompson are also fun makers of
ability, while Ed. Griffin, Jim Collins,
and Mike Puglia fill their respective
roles capably.
Eta Joerns has a pleasing voice,
which she uses to advantage in q
number of operate numbers, while
Miss Barry Melton sings popular
songs delightfully."-. Dainty Dolly is
the soubrette OF the aggregation. and
sang and danced herself into popular
favor. The chorus is one of the best
seen at the Gsyety this season. Three
Bullowa girls, tight wire performers.
and the Liberty Four in popular
songs, were features OF the oIio.
Manager Harry Jarboe has ar
ranged a wrestling bout for tonight
between Joe Turner and Orzar.
The Washington times., 1917-05-15
STOCKS AND MATRNAONY
IN NEW HENRIETTA"
Double Deals and Much Comedy IN
Production at Polls.

4 big deal in stocks was consum-
mated at Polls Theater last night
when the Popular Players presented
."The New Henrietta" And inciden-
tai to the excitement of the exchange.
a double deal in matrimony, which
caused fury OF almost equal dImen-
sions, was arranged.
An abundance OF comedy was fur
nished, chiefly by william P. Garlic
ton as Berthe, who bought a seat In
the exchange and was not allowed to
sit down, and ]. Hammond Daley as
the fashionable clergyman. who took
a turn in Henrietta" and went down
with it
Howard Long has a decidedly Mt
ting part as "Old Nick" Van Alstyne.
who gave his son a check for a
million dollars as a wedding present
and was saved from ruin when the
check boomeranged and stopped the
downward fight of Henrietta"
Florence Rittenhouse has a dainty
role as Agnes, Van Alstyne's ward,
who loved Berthe more than Old
Nick's millions, and got both, Louise
Farnum was charming as the Widow
Opdyke: Ralph Remley was good as
Mark Turner, the yiIlainous son-in-
law, and Edna Hubbard, the new
member Of the company, was well re-
ceived as his wife.
Each Of the other players fills an
important part in the rounding out
OF highly enjoyable performance.
The Washington times., 1917-05-15
Flaunts Shame As City Shivers
Miss May, Worse Than Worst Ancestor, Refuses
To Give Up Mesalliance With
North Wind.

has been 50. May, 1908, for that
same period, the coolest previous May
on record, showed an average tempera
ture OF IS.
In justice to the present Miss Mays
character, however, II should be said
that she has not been extremely cold
at any time. She has broken records
for continuous GOODNESS, but not for
extreme GOODNESS. The records show
that the lowest the present Miss May
brought to the Capital was ~ degrees
on the 18th, while back in 1905, on the
same day-the 11th-the record-break
ing low mark Of 80 degrees was regis
tered.
Why has the present Miss May be
haved so? Prof. E. H. Bowie, forecast
err at the Weather Bureau, can come
as near answering the question as any
one In Washington.
BIames II on Canada.
According to him, II is simple enough;
unusually high atmospheric pres
sure up in Canada and the North.
west and correspondingly low pres
sue off the Southeastern coasts. This
means that the air to the north IL
much heavier than that to the south,
ana, consequently Lne Ienuency - TOT
II to move southwark.
And that is just what has been hap
pening for the past two weeks. This
air has moved In the form OF chill
north and northwest winds, and has
resulted in unseasonably cold weather
throughout the entire eastern section
Of the United States. There IL ALSO
luteIy no question that the high pres
sure IL altogether responsible for the
cold, Prof. Bowie states. He did not
explain, however, what Is responsible
for the high pressure.
But there are better days ahead. and
unless Prof. Bowie Is all wrong In his
Miss May win, to q de-
gree at least, retrieve her reputation
during the remaining days. The high
pressure IL gradually passing south
ward, Prof. Bowie says, and as soon
as 1t gets past the latitude OF wash
ington the prevailing winds will be
from the South. bringing balny air
and the odor OF blossoming flowers.
The process will come about gradual
ly. II IL stated, but II ought to work
out in the next two or three days.