davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27
CHAPTER XIII
ONE BLOW FOR THAT 10 sEFl

ONE BLOW FOR THAT TO sEFFY
He took the papers home again,
and was very gentle with her afterward,
for the things which the world blamed
In her His was the only real kindness
she knew Her little canting world
had no pity for her. But to her
drunken husband, IN spite Of all, she
was loyal wife, and the old man liked
her the better for It
So it came to pass that they two,
the bent old man and the girlish wife
of the drunkard, separated more and
more from the world and came more
and more together And often they
were seen In the fields together and
walking along the roads arm In arm
With Sally's little fortune at com
mand, Sam had gone rapidly to the
bad And Sally came to know what
tears we're, and that dreadful kind of
waiting which falls to the lot Of such
women,-the waiting for the fall of
3 footstep which makes one shudder
yet rejoice
They told her to get nd of him, but
she shook her head and thought Of the
inscription IN her wedding ring
After 3 while It was the gentle old
man who helped to make these vigils
less intolersbie-gOing sway stealthily
by the back door when Sans unsteady
step was heard at the front an angel Of
light if ever thereWas one In plogman's
jacket.
ItfeH gimIy to his lot, too, to provide
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27

myself. And peoples making such
fuss-you amt treated us right-no,
you ANTI l guess 1 had better not
be mixed in They say that you
married a drunkard, and killed man
and got to be a drunkard yourself.
But l know better bout one sing,
killed him. Yit they say that you
married Sam chust to spite poor Seffy
and yet lofing Sef. Oh, Sef-Sef-
why dind't she tell you SOP
He went on heedlessly till he knew
that Sally was sobbing. He raised
her face and looked into it curiously
and saw for the first time that pathetic
wanness Of which, also, people began
to talk
Sally" he said then. "you not
"Quite WELL" said Sally.
too, Sally?"
ooh, Pappy," she pleaded breath
lessly, don't you turn away from
me, too. 1 have no one but you'll
No. I have not treated you right. But
oh, life Is so hard to mel"
NO" he said, Smoothing her hair
with his gnaTled old hand. I'fe had
my eyes turned within. But l didn't
know you had trouble. l heerd that
Sam had took to hard drinkin' and
so rackless-"
yes" she sighed, al am recklessl
And-yes-I drink sometimes. But
it is that way can forget"
I don't turn ag' in no one In trouble,
efen if they don't treat me right
drink"
Forgive mel Oh, forgive me pap
py The suffering is minep'
"Yas," he said, "yas-don't cry.
But the suffering amt all yourn"
No, she said. " Not 'all-not ALP
"But Sally, if l take the papers
back, you won't drink no more? 1t
amt nice-efen if you air the wife of
q drunkard."
No. If you will be my friend,
viii try to be what 1 would have been
as Seffy's wifeP'
cts a bargain-and I'm sorry 1
spoke SO harsh, Sally. Mebby, mebby
God knowsl-we ken comfort one
another I-Sally-I need some one,
toog
aYesl Will you let me? I viii
have no friend but your
"Yesi And / won't have no friend
but you, Sally"
''Win you let me kiss your"
do you want tor" he cried trem-
ulously.
Yes " whispered the girl
"Me? Sally, lem me kiss COUP
She put up her lips almost solemnly
and with that their compact was
sealed.
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27


relatifes- and they was all no good-git
away, l tell you'll
He roared ominously; for Seffy,
amazed at this from his gentle old
father, was looking straight up at him
out of child's round eyes, his lips
parted, his throat exposed. Slowly, as
his parent heaped contumely upon him,
his sensitive young face whitened, and
the light left it. Only, when his father
mentioned his mothers name. he said
with infinite softness:
Why, pappy!"
But he stood without fear under the
great fist-as he had often done.
You hearl 1 told you to git away
or I'll smash your face in! l don't
want you no more Go to your mammy's
relatifes out West he laughed hor-
. ridly-" and see what they'll do for
you'll You'll live on bread and water
they amt got Messing else! You'll work
all day and all highland you'll hat
no fun-they don't know no better
yes" said seffy, turning dumbly
away.
There was no doubt that he meant
his sentence raised his fathers wrath to
fury:
about it. I'm chust itching to smash
you I'll meier send for you if you rot
In the poorhouse. I'll nefer mention
you name as long as l lif-nol / disown
you'll Never let me see you dam face
again-go!"
1t was all so utterly unbelievable
that Seffy turned back. This raving
mailman his jolly old father, who had
reverenced the memory of his mother
and had taught him to do so-to men
ton her every time he prayed? The old
man had turned. but Scffy came close
and touched him gently. The caress
only maddened him. Seffy covered at
the passion on the face of his father.
He raised his fist.
Git out-dam' you'll" he shouted.
If you don" But the boy could not,
now.
The huge fist trembled on high
moment, some instinct of sanity strug
Cling to control it-then it fell on
Seffy's upturned face.
He dropped among the clods-his
pale hair mingling with the dust-his
hands inertly outlying-terror still
slowly oozed from his mouth and
nose, and hvid red mark began to
grow upon the depression In his fore
head which the blow had made.
One moment-two-the old man
looked down at this. Then he under
stood that he had done 1t and with
savage animal-cry he swept the boy
into his arms. Seffy doubled inertly
upon him, as the dead do. His father
raced frenzied1y home with him, leap
ing fences like hound. He put him
upon the pretty white bed the boy
had been wont to make with such care
for himself 1t was dainty and smooth
now. The blood dripped from Seffy's
face and from his own beard and stained
the white coverings The sight was
full of horrorl He staggered drunkenly
away He looked hastily for his gun
meaning, perhaps, to kill himself. But
then 1t seemed to him that Seffy sighed.
He fell on his knees and agonized for
the life he thought he had taken Then
he felt pulse-beat. With hoarse cry
he rushed out into the road, calling for
the doctor. Two, people were coming
toward him. It was Sam and Sally,
returning from their marriage
By what he saw on Old Baumgartner's
face and hands, Sam was sobered. Both
understood that they were approaching
some tragedy.
"Who7" asked Sally. suddenly OBJ
iyious of Sam"
SsCoffv -
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27
CHAPTER XI.
WHEN SPRING CAME

WHEN SPRING CAME
That was cold and lonely winter
for the old man. The bay mare stood
in the stable and whinnied for Seffy.
The old house was full of harsh echoes.
It's spirit seemed to have gone. Scffy's
father knew now what a rare thing Is
lOy-and what joyous creature Seffy
had been.
The ground was hard to till And
often he thought about what he had
said of Seffy's mother.
Then he would toll up the steep
stair to the garret-he had become
quite feeble-and take out of an old
German chest a daguerreotype of her
with Seffy in her arms. And sometimes
he would cry over it until his beard
was wet.
"God bless you, my little boy"
he would sometimes say, chat you
You nefer called her no names.
81 didn't know l could be so mean
to the dead-who don't deserfe it,
and can't talk back. And, Coda nigh
tyl If any ones to be called names,
it's mel-not her nor-you, Seffy,
nor you'll For expect Pm murderer
And sometimes, when his loneliness
was too hard to be borne, he would
go out and sit for hours and talk to
He fancied she quite understood, and
l do, too.
When the spring came he pIowed
alone. And this was hardest of all
To plow around and around his vast
fields with no one to meet IN the other
furrow-no one to talk, to smile, to
laugh to-then, when noon came, to
sit under the shade of some tree redolent
with memories OF the pretty little boy,
where he and Seffy had sat, from his
childhood to his manhood, and eat the
food which choked.
Oh, if he could only have laughed
at himself, at Seffy, at the mare, at
anybody or anythingl If he could
only have laughed!
And he knew that every animal on
the place wondered and hungered for
pathetic eyes, while he, at first, guilty.
kept silent-then tried to confess his
shame to them.
Vas" he told the mare, 81 done
i'll struck him-here, ri.ht herel In
the face-While his eyes was looking
IN mine pleading here was blood
and here and here-and dust In his
hair-and his eyes was closed-and
when I run home wiss him his legs
dangled like he was dead. And he
craUled away someTheres to die
I don't know why they don't come and
hang me. l hat told 'em ali that I
killed him But no one don't
arrest me-"
CHAPTER XII.
THE KISS LIKE sEFFY's
One day he went up to the vine
covered house on the Hill of Delight
with a bundle of papers IN his hand
See yere, Sally" he said senilely,
''yere's you papers. l gif up the
guardianship You ken git another
one If you not on age yit. / don't
keer a durn who. I'm tired If it
wasn't for you-Seffy would be aIife."
Sally dropped her head.
yes" she said, so humbly that he
relented little
at got to do It. 1 amt no account
no more ] ought tn hat q os1ar6een
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27

lie H1u IOuScQ ana nODeQ LOT, acre DIV
acre There was no contention be-
tween them as to this. The young
wife's wishes were his law.
He married me for that" said Sally,
the first time, "and I let him marry me
for that Just for spite. Only no one
was spIted but me-but Newell, he
shall have it-aIl-all''-he voice broke
a httle-"all but the -pasture-field-
that-no one shall have but-you-
or Seffy when die"
Only once he interfered. Sam raised
his hand to strike her and he laid the
drunkard at his feet with blow such
as he had struck but once before In his
81 am her guardeenP' he cried as he
struck "By the Lord, Pm her guar
deenP
For a moment he gloated over the
PROSTATE brute. Then he stood up
trembling before Sally.
"Forgif me-" he begged. 'sBut L
couldn't help It 1t done itself. Mebby
Coda mighty only knowsl-it was a
chance to efen up for the other one.
And yit it was a righteous blow-yas,
1t was righteous 6LolCl'
Sally put her hands into his and seb-
bed
ayes" she said. "YOu are the first
that ever saw"
1t was too late to stop. And before
1t was done he knew that this was not a
new experience TO her, and that she
suffered it-and was almost glad OF it
for penance.
''By the Lord" cried the old man,
''f he efer strike you ag'in III kill himP'
"No," said Sally softly
YasP he insisted with some of his
old violence
NO" she repeated sadly. Because
1t Is all my fault-an the shame-the
shame deserve it And
Thou shalt not kill You know ire
have tempersl And we have both used
themp'
He shuddered and thought of the
plowed field, with Seffy lying there.
: Good nightp he said with averted
face,
81 didn't mean that, pappy-I didn't
mean that you killed him He's not
dead. Pappy, kiss me-good night
And forgive me-"
But this also made her dearer to him.
And so, little by little, they drew closer
and closer, until a certain happiness
was his and q certain content hers
Occasionally they laughed. But this was
not often. They were well satisfied to
elbow on his knee, he with his rugged
hands in her hair. And after q while
she would ask him no more to kiss her
good night-he did II SIS of right, and
very beautifully, on her hair-so much
ike Seffy, that first dear kiss-that It
made her always
Gust like SefyI'' she said the first
time and cried, pushing him out Of the
door when he would have asked q
question.
But he asked his question one day.
It was whether she had loved Seffy.
Not until Seffy eomes" she cried
II won't answer"
sally" he said soIemnly, 81 killed
my little boy. He Is dead hurt him
Il made him afeared of me-he dragged
himself away to die, ike wild animals
that air hurt by men So you viii have
to tell me-"
'NO-nor' she begged. He is not
dead And some day he viii come back
to us-you-"
Sally, you said 'us'7"
YES Forgive me. meant-g0u."
did you mean mel"
-fYS-oh, yesF7
Gross your breast"
She made this adjuration with smile.
But when he had gone, she groveIed
on the floor and cried:
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27
CHAPTER XIV.
FoR sEFFT's -

And so three-near1y four-Esas
passed and Sam was dead
sPappy," she said afterward, ssyou
have been very good to meFD
iCO1tiEEed On Poas 81
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27

A son was Dorm TO R1F. and Mrs.
Gus Havemann the first Of the week
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27

night, accompanied by furry of
snow.
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27

The Methodist ladies are to have a
rummage sale in the Ohio House Fri
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27

bohydrates and used TO produce
IN milk and as such together "
protein feeds make good milk
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27

It yet opened.
,undant fruit
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27

On account of the
rop and the scarcity
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-01-27
TRUE GREATNESS.

That great men do leave their i'm
press on the path of time may be
illustrated by the following story,
which is related by a pastor of St.
Louis, where the incident occurred,
and illustrates the love for children
felt by the late Archbishop Ryan:
On one bitterly cold day poor
little Russian Jew had picked UP
along the tracks scraps of soft coal.
The boy was small and weak; the
coal was too heavy for his strength,
and he stumbled more than once. on
his homeward journey. At last turn
ing corner full tilt, and ran into a
gentleman of commanding presence.
The coal scattered and the dust rose.
The frightened boy stopped and began
to stammer al apology, but the gentle
man with genial smile broke in:
81 came too suddenly upon you. my
little man." and he looked down upon
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-01-27
PLATING

the child picking up his fallen treas
ure. THAT load is too much for your
small shoulders. | think mine are
broader" and he swung the burden
to his own shoulder. The amazed boy
leading the way, the gentleman car
ried the load to the poor tenement
house, needless of the slack" dust
that fell at every step. A few hours
later the rabbi visited the tenement
and saw that provisions and coal were
left for the half starved family. The
boy tried to tell him of the wonderful
gentleman who had carried his bur-
den for him, in this poetic way: His
hair was ruddy and he smiled in his
eyes. His voice was like silver bells,
and he was tall-and as beautiful as
Cod" The rabbi was deeply touched
ct was the Catholic Bishop he said.
Never forget to pray for him." Only
saints of the height and lowliness of
st. Francis of Assist can do such
acts.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-01-27
THE MOTHERS "No."

There are few things more condu-
Give to disobediGnce and stubborn
ness in children than the constant use
of the words mo" and Don't" The
mother should hesitate more than
once before saying them. Listen pa
tiently to a little ones request before
saying NO" no matter how trivial
it may seem to you. 1t may mean
much to him. If the request is rea-
sonable, even though it may cause
you some little inconvenience, try to
grant it. If, however, saying Eyes" to
the child is going to cause a great
deal of discomfort to someone else
if it is not for the child's good, or
if after deliberation, what is asked
seems wrong in your judgment, give
the child short but intelligent rea
son for a denial, then let no amount
of teasing change your decision. II
is not necessary to be stern in this
matter, but firm, and the child will
soon learn to accept your judgment
without fretting Satisfied in the feel
ing you know best, always think twice
before saying NO." but, once said
stick to it; do not retreat.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-01-27

breakfast, while those whose comforts
he provides, turn OH their pillows for
another nap.
Perhaps some girl says, ooh, my
father doesn't care. He'd as soon eat
his breakfast alone 1t is not neces-
sary to have the pleasure of your
fathers acquaintance to know you are
mistaken. Very likely he does not
make d fuss. He may belong to the
class of men who are silent and I'M
demonstrative. But no father can be
Indifferent to the fact that his daugh-
ter is willing to make a little sacrifice
for the sake of keeping him company.
A lonely breakfast is a poor start
for the day. The father of a house
who goes out into the conflict with
out a good-by kiss is deprived of an
aid he has a right to. And girls like
Henrietta, who take it for granted
that it is their privilege to keep faith.
er company at q meal which would
otherwise be solitary, are measuring
up to what the world has right to
expect of daughters.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-01-27
ION ACCOUNT OF FATHER"

Henrietta had happened to mention
some work she had attended to that
morning before going to school. One.
OF her friends uttered an admiring
exclamation.
Before school. It's all can do to
mouthfuls of breakfast, and then l
should never get off if mamma didn't
have my books and my wraps all
ready and waiting for me-
father" Henrietta explained. He has
to have an early breakfast, you see,
Z o'clock. And mother loses SO much
sleep with the baby now he's cutting
his teeth that she sleeps as late as she
can. | used to be rather lazy about
getting up in. the morning, but, of
course, | couldn't leave father TO eat
his breakfast alone. So I'm down
every morning at Z, and father and
have a nice little visit, and it gives
me fine start for the day besides"
Henrietta is unlike some girls, you
will notice, in her idea of a daugh
ter's responsibility. 1t does not oc
| cur to her that she could allow hel
father to eat a solitary breakfast
| morning after morning, and go to his
work uncheered by the. companionshiI
of any of his family. Many daughters
are not SO thoughtful. In many home
the breadwinner sits down to a loneI1
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-01-27
LIV ERIES

Il won't be long," the Little Boy said,
AS he saw among the trees;
His eyes all bright and his cheeks all
red,
A friend of the birds and bees;
Then through the hedges and out of
the gate,
For nought in the world goes wrong
With boy of six or seven or eight
Il won't be gone very long
81 won't be long," the Little Boy said
ooh, mother of him, don't cry:
The leaves come green again, yellow
and red,
And the years and years go by.
But sometimes he'll come as we've
seen him do.
With the bark of the dog and song
For it must be true-oh, it must be
true,
That he'll not he gone very long.
u. w. FoieD.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-01-27
CAN YOU SAY YES?

A professor in the University of
Chicago told his pupils that he should
consider them educated in the best
sense of the word when they could
say yes to every one of fourteen ques-
lions that he should put to them. 1t
may interest you to read the ques-
tions. Here they are:
Has education given you sympathy
with all good causes and made you
espouse them?
Has it made you philosophical?
Has it made you brother to the
| weak.
Have you learned how to make
friends and keep them?
Do you know what it is to be a
friend to yourself?
Can you look an honest man or a
pure woman straight in the eye?
Do you see anything to love in a
little child?
Will lonely dog follow you in the
street?
Can you be high-minded and happy
in the meaner drudgeries of life?
Do you think washing dishes and
hoeing corn just as compatible with
high thinking as piano-playing or
golf?
Are you good for anything to your
self? Can you be happy alone?
Can you look out on the world and
see anything except dollars and
cents?
Can you look into a mud puddle by
the wayside and see the clear sky?
Can you see anything i'll the puddle
but mud.
Can you look into the sky at night
and see beyond the stars? Can your
soul claim relationship with the
Creator.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-01-27
YOUR BOYS AND GIRLS.

The average mother is apt to be
table manners. When he is baby
she thinks How can baby be
taught exactly how to hold his spoon"'
Then when he grows little older
she thinks, "Oh, we'll; he's just in the
tomboy stage now. He'll learn little
later" But the trouble is, he will not
learn little later unless a beginning
is made now.
The mother who neglects her
youngsters table manners when they
are small is laying up a store OF en-
barrassment and shame for them
later on. There is nothing more NOR
tifying than to realize that your table
manners will not bear comparison
with those of really well bred per-
sons. This realization is enough to
cause any adult agonies of shame.
The mother who infiicts such pain on
her offspring usually does so quite un-
consciously, but this makes her none
the less guilty.
Early Training Counts.
Do not let your children grow UP
in such freedom that they are ig'
norant of all the rules of good breed
ing. 1t may seem troublesome and
unnecessary to try to teach them to
eat properly when they are so young
but you will save them a great deal
of embarrassment and anxiety II you
do it now, and do not procrastinate
They are never too young-and will
some day be too old-to learn.
Start today teaching Johnnie and
Kitty just how to hold their spoons
knives and forks. Teach them in
drinking soup to dip the soup spoon
| away from them and to sip it from
the side of the bowl of the spoon, moi
from the tip. Teach them how to ea1
fish, separating all the bones from the
| fish with the aid of fork and a hi
of bread, not the knife, and show
them how to remove a bone from the
mouth on the tip of the fork, not will
the fingers. Teach them that the!
must not spread a whole slice o
bread with butter, but must break OF
a little piece and butter it as the!
need it; also to hold the bread in thu
left hand to spread the butter, not t.
lay it on the table first, then sprea'
it.
Teach your youngsters all thes
rudiments of table manners now, s.
that they may become accustomed t
them. They will never learn so wei
as when they are very young, so be
gin now.