davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1919-09-07

draft on somebody at home, you will
surely pick dark, middle aged party
to back it, IL you can find one. And
you will mediate about Dame Balbine
much on the return trip.
Hum, hum! When you ask the
more cultivated believers how they
has always been deemed the most
vulgar and fraudulent they answer
much as Balzac did in his famous
theory:
ITO imagine that the past and
future events of a mans life may be
represented by the cards which he
cuts may be absurd; but It was as
absurd that the wise of their day
condemned the steam engine, the
printing press. photography and photog-
raphy. tWhat might not Balzac add
now!1
ITO predict the future events of a
mans life from the way in which his
hand unconsciously cuts a pack of
cards is no more" continues the phi
losopher Of the Coincide Humane,
than to tell a soldier that he will
fight. lawyer that he will plead or a
SHONhAnhSi mat nc Will make SHOES.
Take a striking example. Genius
is so visible in a man that when a
great painter, composer or leader
walks the street the most ignorant
know, in some occult way, that 1t is
great parsonage who passes.
That certain persons have the
power to read. in the unconscious ges-
lures of others, the germs of future
causes. as a great inventor perceives
an industry in some natural -ect I'M
perceived by the vulgar. may be due
to some unknown faculty, in some
way, the somnambulism of the mind. 4"
All this was away before Charcot;
and Charcot' when his time came. al
though he passed for a materialist.
arrived at a lot of strange views of
this kind, which he usually kept to
himself.
About 80 years ago, the Royaiist
The sun., 1919-09-07

he once termed in, anger certain
type of graduate scholar.
And the tribute returns to him.
Two years ago a boy left college and
with it this poem:
''COpey's" Room.
A low beamed ceiling and a glowing fire /;
Old photographs that peer out of the
Pamphlets and books invading every
thing;
Chairs deep as death---the calm that
calm minds bring;
tall II the vision of the student realized
IL you like words-or call It Just room.
The current of life has passed it by, It
seems.
Two doors shut out the world and what
II says;
A murmuring fire makes "reminiscences
or waves along the beach. wind in the
trees:
And now the gloom is live with memo
ries;
An old man's>memories and young
mans dreams.
The minutes pass in clock ticks-I forget
That through these double doors young
men have come
As old as life-bowed down by fear OF
living:
That they have talked as aaye-ari
then some,
Having felt unknown worlds in your ad-
vice.
More than you meant to say-Truth
Sacrifice
Have stridden through the doors some
minutes later,
With set smile, and saying banal
things.
To die for God and kin--and dreams
much greater.
These friendships and this room are
not all; "Copey" u also an institution
The sun., 1919-09-07

newspaper offices of Paris were
plagued by singular priest. He was
strong on Nostradamus, a prophet of
the Middle Ages who predicted what
would happen to France. A great
nobleman became interested. but, all
the same. as a preliminary, he had
the party examined by Charcot--who
asked him how he came to be the
authoritative interpreter OF Nostra-
damus.
"Nostradamus predicted my coming"
he answered. HE speaks much of a
certain Denys. Now. my name IS
Dennis; and when / was in the active
ministry 1 was cure in the parish Of
ST. Denis"
Shortly after, when one of the main
predictions turned out, suddenly, all
wrong, Charcot found the Able I'M
discouraged.
The prophet had predicted my err
ror,' he said, and, turning to page
of the old Latin book, he pointed out
the line: 'Denys shall say a thing
which Is not true"
Now, can you beat it?" said the
Comte de Paris. But Charcot told
him to forget It,
Your Able is only a shrewd luna
tic" concluded Charco:. He has
nothing of the true seer"
why, do you believe in seers?"
gasped the other.
My dear friend" said Charcot, "ths
ordinary visionary is a sick person;
but there are other beings, who 1.-Two
on the borderland and whose visions
offer something quite peculiar to
themselves. beyond the Investigations
of normal science. 1t would be child
ish, at present, to deny certain phe-
nomena of divination. card reading or
second sight. or something without a
name, but similar. manifested during
magnetic sleep, and even outside of
that state"
us it some new sense?" inquired
the Count.
The sun., 1919-09-07
His Room Hollis Hall Haunt Undergraduates Each Monday Evening
and Open Other Nights Wide Circle of
spralon Thousands Including the Women

to the utternost ends of it and re-
turns with It to him.
He finds that of large strike going
on within fifty miles OF Cambridge
his students know nothing. He calls
them OATS" decries their self-satis-
faction, demands of them a promise
that they will either go at once and
see the strike OF read OF It assiduously
in all the newspapers. They do not
know some classical work of literature,
or knowing well the literature of the
past they have not heard OF some
author who is trying seriously to
make literature to-day. He delivers n
TRADE, closing with the scorning Of
such Boeotian swinish ignorance"
Did Great War Work.
When the war broke out he consti-
tuted himself recruiting sergeant. He
turned his large literature course into
a recruiting meeting. addressed by one
of the leading men In college and by a
man who had been invaded home ter
ribly wounded from the Newfound-
landers in Gallipoli u was his boast
that out OF his composition course of
thirty only three remained, and they
were physically incapable of service
His proudest possessions now are
four hound volumes Of WAR letters
written to him by his youth and
friends. There are letters there from
the camps OF all the country, from all
The fronts, from soldiers serving with
all the ar1nies-French, American,
British, Italian-from tho BALKANS,
from the high seas. from the air
The Monday evenings men drift in
from curiosity, from ionesomeness, be-
cause they md there a food of real
discussion and Information they miss
elsewhere. The meeting IL always at
The sun., 1919-09-07
Mother Babine, Once the Oracle for the Midinet q
Now Sought by Rich and Great in Her Ancient
House Near Notre Dame
90 NOT FORGET TIE AEART Tuf
THINKS OF YOU
5000 NEWS WILL FILL YOU
WITH JO/

soul is mobbed. But not here, where
the empty rooms cut off the riot.
Nobody lives here but myself and
these dear orphans"
Then the idiot girl arrives. She's
one OF them.
Taking it all together. you feel
queer. outside in the silent Parvis
Notre Dame. sinister old beggars
whisper together not to start anything
II emanations count, here's emana-
tons.
This house is built on ground OF the
Parvis, where folks were burned
broken on the wheel, MANNED, dragged
apart by four horses or just quartered
with an axe century after century.
Half the French wizards of the Middle
Ages lived around here. Nicolas
Flamels house was six doors UP.
Idiot Girl Has Cards.
You come for the great gamer
whispers Mother Balbine; and when
you say yes the idiot girl hands her
the pack. (The idiot girl looks real
nice.) IAN innocent" explains the
strange dame lowly. "She makes lace.
and trains her pet blackbird to whistle
'Madelon.' She never reads, and I
don't let her gossip. So her mind is AN
unruffied pond. Throw a stick in II
and you see the circles widen"
Instead, she throws a pack of cards
on the floor. scattering them in great
disorder. A boy-the ricketiest white
faced orphan of the bunch--picks them
up diligently and hands the pack TO
the girl. (How does he come there ?
1 don't know. He is there.)
why, mother, don't you lay the
cards yourself?" you ask.
Hush, 1 used to do So" comes the
silky answer; now I have too many
interesting thoughts. This girl child
does better. Any one can learn to
read the cards. 1t has never been a
secret. But where shall you find the
docile hand moved by the empty and
exquisitely receptive mind, which,
having no thoughts, is not falsified
by the messed emanations of a riot
ing subconscious world? You are
dark and unmarried (How did she
know IT'D Your card is the jack OF
clubs. If you were married II would
be the king. Blond men take the
Jack and king OF hearts. Women,
married or single. take the queen OF
hearts or diamonds when blondes
and clubs or spades when brunettes.
Cut with your left hand" (This cut
The sun., 1919-09-07

at her home. In closing she asked
what his prices were.
"Twenty-five dollars for reading"
was the response. 'Thirty-f1ve for
reading and staying all night"
Then "Copey's' courses For long
he has given a famous course in Eng
lish composition in Harvard, which he
declares Is less a course in English
composition than it is IA course to
wake up young men to life. IT is there
that his upbraidings and ratings are
severest. II is there that scattered
jewels on English prose are inter-
larded during two hours a week with
lectures, PHILOSOPHERS, biting criticisms
on the things or the writings that are
not real.
\ similar course is given to the
young women of Radcliffe more
difficult proposition, the professor has
always explained, because young
women are so proud OF their work
that they often object to criticism.
He always opens his course there
now by urging his young women
ito take their criticisms like men" and
telling them by that they must learn.
1t was In this course and under his
guidance that Helen Keller, deaf,
dumb and blind, wrote a large part OF
The Story of My Life
Many Public Lectures, Too.
He gives also lecture courses In lit
erature at the college, in the summer
school and TO the public In the Sc
ries of public courses offered by Har-
ward teachers In and about Boston.
One of the great events of his life
is his trip each spring 20 read at the
Harvard Club Of New York. 1t Is al
ways triumphal reception TO his stu
dents of old, his friends of to-day. Re
Gently he was presented with a life
membership By that club. lie always
advises young men finishing college
either TO go>on a New York newspaper
or ship on a sailing vessel round
Cape Horn. This is his hobby of tie
world.
Where he dimes or is once known
he is treated with a half amused but
very deep respect. The walters or
the Mattresses all Nnls and watch
The sun., 1919-09-07

ting seems to be enormously, IMPORT
ing of your fortune. And she keeps
you cutting all the time.)
The idiot girl lays the cards.
Eight of spades, eight of diamonds,
ten OF diamonds" reads Mother Bal
bine. Ten OF diamonds, change of
residence or a great voyage" Zach
time the girl shuffies and lays them
after you cut.)
Blond Man q Friend.
Mine of hearts, nine of diamonds,
jack of hearts. A blond young man
who Is a good friend. One, two, three.
four, FIVE. six, seventeen of spades.
Oh, my poor monsieur! A bad card.
Tears, heart worries and sadness.
Seven and eight OF spades and queen
Of diamonds dangerous and talka-
tive woman. King of clubs, queen Of
clubs. eight Of clubs-money negotia-
tons. One. two, three. four. Ave, six.
seven, the jack Of hearts. The good
a friend there. Here he comes a-run-
fllIlB.- ITuSt nufl. lou keep cut
ting. the idiot girl shutting and Dame
Balbine reads 'em.)
'One, two, three, four, Ave, six.
seven--the king. OF hearts. Another
honest FRIEND. but older. Your friends
rush to your aid. Monsieur! One, two,
three. four, five, six, seven, the jack
of diamonds, a news bringer. One,
two. three, four, five, six. seven. the
jack of spades-a crooked, dark young
man. Beware him."
And the queer thing is. you recog-
nize them all, the laxative lady, the
good young man who is blond, the
change of residence. the news, the
crooked dark young man. And as
this Ma'am Balbine reads she hits on
happenings well known to you, weav-
ing them into predictions that seem
to be direct answers to vague ques-
tionings of your mind!
Ten OF diamonds. eight Of spades.
II will be a pleasure trip. not bust
ness. King of clubs, ten OF hearts
success will be due to a middle aged,
dark man. Jack Of diamonds ten of
spades. You will not go to prison."
And, by gosh, you don't! And after
two weeks. when you do go unex-
pectedly to New York or Naples or
elsewhere on a trip that is certainly
agreeable but so expensive that you
get all balled up and can think of
nothing better than drawing a sight
The sun., 1919-09-07
Havards Professor of English Beloved by Classes of Many

What odd space there is else is crowded
with photographs, souvenirs and
knicknacks. each with a history,
from all corners of the globe In the
midst of these under a brown painted
mantel Is an old fashioned hearth and
crate where a coal fire burns through
the winter; and by it's side Is a leather
chair which is the professors throne
Receives on Mondays.
For generations of Monday evenings
OF the college year the professor has
sat in that chair and ruled a group
OF students gathered IN the shady,
book laden corners, packed about to
listen to his words of wisdom, to con-
verso, to dispute. For generations of
evenings OF other days of the week
than Monday he has sat in that chair
and talked with those of his intImates
and disciples who have passed the
Monday evening and reached the
"any evening stage
They may be young undergraduates
who have found in him a helping hand;
they may be quaint graduate students
VIM otO WOIhiH8 IiicLuHoiVoS pdlo TOT
an education and living on nothing;
they may be men who have once
worked with him and now turn I'D for
an evening from anywhere from ST.
IBERIA to Wall Street to Timbuctoo.
He is always there, like Socrates, or
a Chinese mandarin, nodding his head
with the wisdom OF the ages, and the
ages come and nod with him in his
smoked and shady room.
The Monday evenings" are an
nounced affairs to which all tho uni
vers.ty world is invited. Sometimes
they are merely discussions. OFTEN
they are talks by n distinguished guest
who sits opposite the mentor and tells
or some work he has done or some
thing he has seen outside the college
walls. For II Is the world outside the
college walls that is the professors
passion. He rails Il at the youth, at
the student in his courses, at his
friends. He sits In his morris chair
and II comes to him in the person of
this youth who has gone out from him
The sun., 1919-09-07

mand, who read in the cards the rise
and fall of the Hohenzollerns, giving
exact dates. as early as 1s49D.
Three times last winter in the leave
area OF Nice, Nine. Delphine paid the
cards for the French Colonel; and,
mind you, all that she predicted was
that he would play roulette and win
largely, on a certain date. Your
number" she said. 'is 22 or 222."
1t is a thing, they say, that no card
layer can do; yet here is the testi-
mony in one case, all the same.
AS there Is no such, number as
222 ON the layout, the Colonel put his
money on No. 22-and lost. He went
away disguised. At exactly twenty
two kilometers from Monte Carlo by
the sign post his motor car broke
down. The indication was strong. He
returned. to the roulette. He medi-
tste6 that perhaps "222' might mean
that he ought to play No. 90 only i'm
mediately after No. 2 had either won
or lost.
He waited Cor No. to come out. He
bet on No. %.
He lost; and tried again, and lost
again.
And then he said, "By gosh! Per-
haps I've played it backwards So he
waited for No. 20 to come out, then bet
on No. 2.
He had bet 81. He won-and they
paid him thirty-five times his stake.
or $140. He won it three times, then
went to warm his feet.
offered Dinner to Officers.
He offered a dinner TO French and
American brother officers on leave
down there-this thing. you know, was
talked about a lot. He. of course.
supposed his tip was played out; but
to his great surprise he saw at the
Cafe de Paris that they had given
him table No. 90 for his dinner-big
black figures on white pasteboard
Also, that evening. as he entered the
Casino, the first words he heard n
croupier exclaiming were: Two
black, even end manque win!" So,
hurriedly he slapped SEQ on No. 90.
He won, and they paid him thirty
five OF those $50 bills.
Four times that night he won close
to the maximum. by which he copied
out something near $4,000 All the
same. 1t is not alleged. that Nine
Delphlne picks winning numbers every
day.
The sun., 1919-09-07

mo, 1t Is not absurd" said Chariot.
''that sense may exist permitting to
perceive what we call the future, al
though It cannot be admitted scientifi-
cally. But how explain scientifically
the Hebrew prophecies, those of Joan
of Arc, and even those of Nostradamus
who not only foretold Dennis but
the career OF Napoleon, whom he calls
'Po-ne-leon'!"
A French Colonel Qiaison officer
with A. f. F.) has American officers
who will back him up as to the
stunt of Nine. Delphine (alleged only
surviving disciple of Nine. Lenor-
The sun., 1919-09-07

r IP In small square room under
meath the caves OF Hollis Hall
: in the Harvard Yard there
nves a little man with q large head.
who has been known to generations OF
Harvard students. even to generations
Of Radcliffe students, to the surround
ing countryside OF those who attend
lectures and readings, to the teachers
who come from all parts Of the coun-
try to refresh themselves in summers
IT the fount OF Harvard learning and
In the shade OF Harvard elms, as
"Copey." His fun name is Charles
Townsend Copeland; he is a professor
Of English; he has lived In the room
IN Hollis Hall-"Hollis To-" since 1892.
Not 30 long ago, when the elms of
the Harvard Yard were slowly dying
Of the ravages OF the gypsy moth, ne
looked out Of his window one spring
evening at the trees Just coming into
green, and remarked sadly. mention
ing the name OF another professor
who after living for twenty years IN
another room In the Yard had just re-
tired:
Nov that old - Is gone, I'm the
oldest living thing IN the Yard--except
Che elms. and they're nearly dead"
He has been famous through all
these years. IT must have been twenty
years ago. when a poem appeared In
the Harvard LGmpoon, now framed
with the authors signature, In the
room under the eaves-anent a sponge
that has been suspended for some
tnonths from his window;
See that funny porous thing,
Hanging on = p.scs OF striIg,
Hanging there from fall to spring,
Decorating Hollis Hall.
Y
Copey. Copey. don't you remember
Where you left Il last December,
Or have You become q member
or the never-never-wash al all?
-Copey" has bean famous ever since
Tho four walls Of his room between
the window spaces and the doors are
lined with books from floor TO ceiling
The sun., 1919-09-07
PARIS, Aug. 1s, 1919.

~ A LII Paris runs after fortune
q ~ tellers, casters of horoscopes
n clairvoyant girls and jewellers
on the threshold.
= It Is q grand result OF the war.
After believing in nothing they be-
gin to believe In everything and culti-
waited people tell strange tales of in
nocent damsels and doddering crones
on whom they leaned for guidance or
hope among the blind risks and
tugubrious complications Of four years
of bloody war in a directionless
universe Of blankety- blank science.
!. Tut, tut who could stand such a
universe?
When the heart Is torn It sees
clearer and believes in direction. 1t
prefers Mother Balbine to Prof. lie
Dantoc.
Mother Balbins Il a strange old
woman who lives In q very ancient
house that leans worse than the
Tower Of Pisa, north of Notre Dame
Cathedral. Half her clients were little
working girls and cooks and chamber
maids. with their hearts straining to
the trenches, and the other half, by
gumi are now the rich and great.
All get the same treatment
You ring. The door opens Of itself
You mount one flight and find that
nobody lives there. The fat Is empty.
swept and garnished. Seven pale
faced boys take you by the hand and
lead you up another flight The door
opens Of itself. They usher you into
the smallest room you ever saw.
And not a word has been pro-
nounced. Those pale kids are horrid,
and they disappear. You wait alone.
You wait for the most celebrated
OF the straight, old fashioned card
laying fortune tellers of Europe to
send for you. Some say she is Italian,
Much of this dope Is Italian.
You ask Mother Baibine why the
house Is empty.
why House To Empty.
II have taken a lease of all the
{ hoors," she says. ito keep II empty"
she whispers. ct shut out vibrations
vapid human emanations. AL! the
/ world shrieks with them in the midst
Of SHAT you think is silence. The
The sun., 1919-09-07
Fortunate Colonel Who Gained Winning Roulette Mum
Der From Nine, Delphine and Strange Case of the
Examinations in G eek at the Sorbonne

Even in Paris University circls ,
queer case of card playing is on Al
tongues the more SO. as two
Of the boys were American soldier
students of the Sorbonne.
Having heard about Mime. Fontains
(the real Fontaine being dead these
eighty years past) they went to he,
about examinations-"an excellent
test" they agreed, ito be done entirey
in the spirit OF inquiry"
The results were too successful
For reading in Greek the card layt-
picked them Thucydides. Book ",
chapter 73, and Thucydides, Book Y.
Chapter IA, and 10 and behold The
former was exactly the chapter which
the boys found indicated on the black.
board the next morning.
Papers Had Omission,
Unluckily, however. the text OF tho
examination papers contained an
omission. These three students, hsv.
ing got the standcrd text transla.
ton practically by heart, unconsciously
supplied the omis sion-thus correct
ing the examining professors!
you Americans are really too
strong!" said the examiners, and they
called the examination off. But as
they were in doubt and perpleXity they
opened the book and gave the boys
another chapter to construe at ran
dom. What do you think they ait on
Thucydides. Book ", Chapter H.
naturally! And this time they pur-
posely left an omission. The A. L. F.
being equally strong in this chapter
thanks to Nine. Fontalne-they again
innecently supplied the omission in
their papers. II was too much. They
We're asked to explain, and the boys
themselves deemed 1t so darned queer
they gave away the whole snap in the
superior interests of inquiry
The question arose then, What about
it?
The Sorbonne ceased to credit
judicial astrology, a. u. 1911, or any
other kind Of divination. So that cat
would not fight for them. Where was
the fraud? So the A. f. +, passei
with flying colors.
Amen.
In England equally. | suppose you
know, a vast wave of this sort OF thng
is passing. since the war, involving
men like Conan Doyle, Sir olive
Lodge, II. G.. Wells and so on.
Can you beat it? you say.
Come off. replies Sir Conan.
The sun., 1919-09-07
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
RICHES ARE on YOUR ROAD

Even on this earth, there are ami
mails which enjoy senses which we
have not, and of which we cannot OBJ
tain any sure idea" said Charcot
who knows If the inhabitants OF
other planets may not have two, three,
or even ten senses more than we?
The magnetic state, or even the ner-
vous state, might give exceptional
keenness to thlt obscure sense Ly
which certain pc ople, oftenest women,
enjoy what they call premonitions, or
might awaken for q certain time
senses which are not those of human
ity in general"
But" said the Count, "how can
any one see the future when It does
not exist yet? AS yet. the future is
nothing"
"A metaphysician might answer
said Charcot, that there is nothing
absolute in the idea of time-that II
springs simply from the relations
which exist between the diversity of
phenomena and our intellect. which
cannot perceive them all together
The notion of time differs absolutely
according to the notions of different
beings.
San insect which lives only day
might imagine that It had lived as
long as a whale, which attains 100
years. A dream which has lasted ten
minutes may have covered ten years,
according to the dreamer.
what is. then. the past. the pres
ent, the future? Is IL proved meta
physically that the past no longer
exists. and that the culture does not
yet exist? In reality se~re is only one
thing which does not eXist--the pres
ent; for the hour which strikes has
already passed!