davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

Hans, save me-" She threw her arma
around the boys neck and kissed him. The
wall of water hung on the edge of the dyke
like violin string drawn tight Then II
sIrged forward and swallowed up both boy
and girl
Some folks in Rothdam say that Hans
dropped the book of black magic and kissed
Gretchen before the water swept over them.
but the villagers are not sure about this
trife, since at that moment they were
watching the rebirth of lost world
The wave of water hundred feet high
dwindled until it no wave, but only a
few tall grasses swaying gently in the dy-
ing land breeze. The clouds of fire faded
to mist, pink tinted by the setting sun.
Somewhere about were roses
The villagers rushed to the top of thu
dyke. policeman who had muddied his
uniform as if by fall rose to his feet and
followed them, rubbing his head. Far below
the dyke lay a calm sea. On the horizon
were ships.
"Rothdam and its brave citizens are
saved" said the mayor. "To-night / will
burn two hundred candles in honor Of our
patron SAINT, who has this day delivered
US and enabled us to continue happv
existence under the best municipal govern
ment Rothdam has ever known" There
were cheers.
That night Kahnale walked on the DYKE
alone Everybody else was in the cathedral.
That is everybody but one policeman, who
pleaded severe headache The magician
listened to the bells of the cathedral and
then he shook his head. at was not the
saint who saved u.s." he muttered. "There
are no miracles. Somewhere there is a
rational magical explanation for all this
But he had to shake his head again. "It
is not in the books,' he muttered.
Just then the moon came from behind a
cloud and silvered some marks in the path
of Kahnale. The magician stopped and
looked. There the top of the wave
swept dyke, drawn in loose sand. was a
large heart, and in the centre of it was
written Gretchen"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

Millions Of words stood between him and
Gretchen, and she already seventeen
and he had turned twenty. 1t rked him
that he should be forced to learn Arabic,
Chaldcan and little Phnnician to win
Dutch girl. Sometimes he imagined she
cared for him in spite of seeming dis
dain and he hoped that he might win her
without recourse to magic but then she
grew coy again. Anyway, Kahnale had told
him that only postgraduate students should
seek to read the heart of q woman.
And so Hans polished the high hats, fed
the rabbits read the prescribed pieces in
Volume One and learned little day by
day. He yearncd more 1t seemed as if
there must be short cut to the knowledge
which he wanted and this belief was
strengthened one day when he discovered
thin and ever so aged volume hidden be-
hind the books of the sixteen foot shelf
Before he had chance to open the little
book kahnale rushed into the room and
cried out to him in a great and terrible
voice to drop the volume. Carefully, the
magician returned the book to it's hiding
place and he warned Hans never to touch
it again upon the pain of the most extensive
mated that dsobedience would be dangerous
to Hans, but to his family, to the town of
Rothdam, to Holland and to the world.
Six months passed and Hans had striven
to remember so many things since the day
of the warning that he had all but for
gotten the words of Kahnalc. Lying atop
the dyke, Hans gave the magician never a
thought. The boy drew pictures in the
loose sand with the toe Of his sabot and
crushed them out after the other. At
last he completed design which struck
his fancy and he ceased work to admire it.
He had drawn large heart and exactly
in the centre he had written "Gretchcn."
It may have been a charm or coinci-
dence, but he looked up from the sand
design just in time to see her passing
along the road which ran parallel to the
dyke. He shouted after her, but 1t was q
capricious day with Gretchen, and she went
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

u do not hear the Lords Prayer. What is
it" pleaded the Mayor"
"You would not understand" explained
kahnale. "The prayer is said backward, as
in all charms. He has reached Eb Dewollah.'
and that is 'Hallowed Be!' The prayer is
the last of the charm"
"Charm? What charm?" said the Mayor
ENORMOUSLY, cinging close to Kahnale
THE master CHARM" said the magician.
This is the spell which when said aloud sum-
mons all the forces of the devil and brings
the destruction of the world"
"The world" interrupted the Mayor in
amazement. "Then Rothdam will be de-
stroyed," and he began to weep.
Kahnale paid no heed. sit can't be
stopped" he muttered. at must go on. He
has the book and there is no power strong
enough to stop the SPELL"
"lf | only had my policemen and nv
priest" moaned the Mayor.
us that all?" said Kahnale. 81 have
enough magic for that"
The magician spoke three words and
made two passes in the air before he turned
and pointed to Rothdam. Instantly the bell
In the town hall which called all VILLAGERS
to the dyke tolled wildly. The wind was
rising and shrillng louder and louder and
the sky was now of midnight blackness.
The Mayor looked up in wretched terror at
the figure on the dyke and started to rush
at him as if to pitch him into the sea-
Kahnale held him back. "Wait," he said
IF you touched the devil servant you would
die
Above the Shrek of the wind rose the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

long, patient suffering of another nation.
but somehow the thing l hoped we'd get
we seem to have missed"
"What?" said Henry.
"Well-culture. The ability to stop in
our mad, successful orgy of organizing, and
think"
"How do you know we don't think ?" said
Henry.
Which led us into long argument carried
on on my side with much metaphor and
smile, and on his with few grunts At
the end | found myself double daring him
to spend the day with tne In New York
hunting for after-the -wafseu1ttire- idea
which must have tekled him. for he shut
himself up in the library and telephoned
Gil the heads Of his plush palace OH Wall
street that he wouldn't be there. and sig.
Mined his readiness to be my escort by say
ingi
~ won't go out with you in that purple
hat" The purple hat is one ! bought in
baltimore In the happy days when / was an
actress on the road.
10 go out upon the streets and search for
culture seemed, after we had sent for
taxi, a little foolish, so / looked through
the mail thai one never reads, and found an
invitation there to the private view of an
exhibition of modern sculpture and paint
ing, which was being held that afternoon in
one of our large galleries.
1t sounded alluring. Here were people
who were putting their visions into quiet
and enduring form. SO we went, and even
Henry showed decided signs of interest. On
the way up in the taxi remember we dis
cussed the Barnard Lincoln, the Battery as
site for statue of young America"
and the relative Importance Of sculpture and
painting as an education to the young. We
arrived.
1t was very pleasant social event The
rooms were full Of people and flowers, and
also OF statuary and paintings which were
being discussed enthusiastically on all
sides.
The artists who had made the things we
were looking at revolved enthusiastically
around their own works, followed by their
friends and families, and the general at
mosphcre was one of successful accomplish
ment.
After the people had left we stayed and
looked at the work which represented the
labors Of 452 painters and seventy-two
sculptors. and we found ourselves face to
face once more with that strange phenom-
cnon peculiar, it would seem, to American
artists--remarkablc technique, but nothing
to- say.
Where was our idealistic group for the
end OF great island? Where were those
flights of fancy that should be an education
to the young? In such noble art as sculp-
turc, at least, VIC felt some note Of SINGERS
thought md emotion must have been struck
among all those scvcnty-two pieces.
But no; rows and rows Of fountains.
capped by fat babies doing things that
fat babics~-especially ut that elevation
never do; rows and rows Of naked ladies.
modern in shape, but antique In gesture.
earnestly regarding lunches Of grapes and
entitled "Bacchanal,' or trying to pty open
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

He stipulated only that the Mayor should
accompany him to the house on the dyke
whore there was more propitous atmos-
phere for black art than in the town hall.
After some little fuss and fume about the
price and the long walk and his dignity,
the Mayor consented, and the two men de-
scended the great stairway of the town hall
No sooner had they reached the street than
Kahnale looked at the sky in amazement.
The day had been the most stold and fair
of days when he entered the Mayors Office.
but now the western sky was filled with tier
upon tier of angry black clouds, and as he
looked there was fearsome flash of fire
broad as canal and roll Of thunder which
shook the ground beneath their feet.
'Quck!" cried Kahnale, and Selling the
Mayor by the arm he rushed him down the
road which led to the sea. AS they ran ris-
ing wind with salt tang smote their faces.
The clouds were growing blacker and heav-
Ter. 1t almost seemed as if they might
topple. There was another flash bright as
the light which blinded Saul. The Mayor
crossed himself and prayed Kahnale
cursed. They were within hundred feet
of the when a second flare of fire out
lined figure on the dyke. 1t swayed to
and fro and moaned above the growing roar
of the wind.
In sudden hush between the gusts the
figure turned and they could hear the voice
distinctly enough, though it seemed to be the
voice of some one a long way off. "Eb
dewolah," said the voice. and Kahnale
clapped his hands to his head in horror
at is the end," cried the wizard "There
is no hope. This is the final charm The
Lords Prayer is last of ALL"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

at the Ritz, and there, over Martini, we
decided that we had gone to the wrong
place to look for American art and that
it was probably flourishng in much
more virile form upon the stage. SO we
decided to spend the evening at the theatre.
Henry was strong for musical comedy
with plenty of jazz, but | was bent on see
ing New York at its best, so we went to
that much discussed play, "Tiger! Tiger!"
1t is the story delightfully."- told and
wonderfully staged) OF sophisticated
young man who is lonely. but who finds
1t impossible to fall In love with the So
phistieated and lonely young woman who
is In love with him. they talk IL over and
agree that II is great pity, This young
man. however, Is the more fortunate Of the
two, for he shows human CLEAN and falls
IN love with al innocent and unsophisti=
Gated little servant girl, vino returns his
love, and is therefore regarded by the All.
thor OF the play rs a tiger,
She puts him on his feet, banshes his
languor, causes him to brace up and make
a success of himself and then, womanlike,
goes through much mental agony for fear
she isn't good enough for him. All his
friends assure her she is not, and that
having helped him build up his career she
must get out at once or she will ruin it,
Our hero, on the contrary, snaps his fin
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

gers at his friends and says what is his
career to him without the only woman in
the world that he loves after which them
are fearful scenes of agony and the Cor
dian knot seems to get worse and ,yorsa
because he can't live without the girl
and she can't live without him and all his
friends tell them both how harmful This
Illicit affair is. He now finds out that her
mysterious profession, which she has never
dlvulged to him, is that of servant girl
in respectable family in the nejebbor-
moods he Is revoted at anything SO vulgar
ard begs her to stop this honest means Of
earning her livelihood and let him stow
her away In the country as his mistress,
with nothing TO do but pluck eowsips and
await bis visits, The little girl. who seems
ID he very decent sort. doesn't like this
idea upon which life becomes so hsup-
portable for our hero that he PUSHES off
to war and Is killed. thus running both
their lives.
Now, may Henry and | ask, in the name of
all that stands for common sense, why this
man did not marry this girl? They were both
single; life was insupportable to each with
out the other-at least they said so through
out three acts; yet not once did this simple
solution of the problem occur to any one on
the stage, nor apparently did it occur to
any one in the audience, as they were dis
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

solved into sympathetic tears throughout
the evening. Apparently an American au
dience cannot face anything on the stage so
simple and fundamental as marriage
They must and will have the sob stuff at
all costs. Yet what an interesting and con-
structive drama could have been made out
OF this weak play had the young politician
had the courage Of his convictions. married
ohe glri OF his choice and presented her to
MS friends like gentleman, instead of hid
ing her in the kitchen when they came as
ne IS Obliged to do in this play One would
thnk that every woman in the audience
would have Kissed at this vulgar and unnee.
essary scenes instead. they accepted IL AS
Inc way man ought to treat the girl he
leyss-ahd wept In pleasant bystesie,
henry and left this play in a state of
dejeetieh, Was this the standard of the
Theatre IN America demanded bitte,l,
henry reminded ME that you cannot iudee
.he theatre by one play, which cheered ma
pu' sun harbor an uneasy feeling that we
could nave gone the length and breadth of
"ioao"ay that night in our search for
sweetness and light without finding very
'Auc" OF either. Our playwrights do not
'ee'n 10 grasp their spiritual opportunities
aie"oueh heaven knows, they grasp every
other sort. In The Tribune only the other
morning | read this fearsome paraoranb
describing the methods of one of our snc.
cessful playwrights. He works bv what ;s
known as quantity productions
How inefficient" says his interv;ewer
ito merely produce play at time who,
the same principle is applicable to MANY
pIaVS! The hor
TEN OF the theatre needs to be- rev;sed !,
iaVor OF the progressive, factory idea. How
can we keep our forty-live theatres filled
WV" pays MI is now working out
ms idea IN tee following manner: He has
plotted out the ideas of four plays. which
ne mas turned over to four collaborators
with each collaboration he sketches out the
rise OF the action in each scene. leaving
him to clothe the skeleton with dialogue
and incident. After this has been success
fully accomplished with each collaboration
he returns to the first one for revision of
what has been done. In this way he is re-
lieved of routine work Il should saw he
wash and is enabled to make four plavs
yield royalties where only one yielded it
before Of course" says the reviewer
cheeriully, -four is small number to start
with. But there is no reason why they cam
not be produced in larger quantities."
And then we wonder why our plays are
unsatsfying
Nowhere is this lack of cultivation more
distressing than in New York attempts at
social life.
used, before | became myself New
Yorker" to be continually all.szcd at the
ease with which people here break engage
ments-telephoning at the last moment-or.
Tor that matter not telcphoning or sending
any apology at all.
An afternoon tea, in the community in
which used to live, was a gathering
where pleasant. people could meet each
other In New York tea Is n place where
you can get some tea. Then, again, the art
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

along about her business without once
looking back, under the pretence that she
had not heard the greeting.
Hans ragged and made as if to demolish'
the heart, and Gretchen, and indeed the
whole dyke, but then he thought of some
thing better. He got up and, entering the
house of Kahnale, went into the back room
without even stopping to rattle the skele-
tons. The room was empty and Hans rum
mayed behind the long row of magic books
until he found the old volume which he
felt sure would give him some of the need
full secrets which had been withheld from
him. Opening the book, he blew away
thick top soil of ancient dust and was
chagrined to find that whatever knowledge
lay before him Was concealed in some Ian
guage so ancient that he could not under
stand single word.
Perhaps" he thought to himself, "this
is charm l can set to ticking even if
can't understand it," Fearing that Kahnale
might come upon him, he hid the book
under his coat and carried it out to his re-
treat on top Of the dyke. In low voice
ne began to read the strange and fear
some sentences in the book. Although thew
meant nothing to him they possessed fine
rolling cadence which captured his fancy,
and more boldly and more loudly Hans went
on with his reading.
While Hans meddled with the book of
magic, Kahnale was in consultation with the
Mayor of Rothdam, who sought some charm
or potion which would insure him reslec-
ton. He had been thoroughly inefficient
Mayor, but the magician dealt with clients
as lmpartially as lawyer or doctor, and
he agreed to weave the necessary spells.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

voice from the dyke sNevaeh ni.~ said the
voice. "In heaven" muttered Kahnale. at
is almost done"
Down the road in the teeth of the gale
came the villagers of Rothdam. In the van
were the Mayors police in red coats They
carried clubs and bunderbusses, and one.
more hurriedly summoned than his COM
panions, held poker.
There" cried the Mayor, "shoot that man
on the dyke!" And with the first flash of
light the foremost guard ran half way up
the steep embankment and levelled his
blunderbuss. He fred. The roar of the
fang of fire darted from the centre of the
clouds and the guard rolled down the dyke
and lay still at the bottom
"Tra ohw," came the voice from the dyke.
The priest, not daunted by the fate of the
guard, hurried close to the side of the sway
ing figure and sprinkled him with holy
water, but no sooner had the water left his
hands than each drop changed to a tiny
tongue of fire, leaping and dancing on the
shoulder of the devil servant The priest
drew back in horror and the Mayor, with a
the dyke and buried his face in the long
grasses High above the booming of the
gale and the crash of the waves against the
barrier came the voice from the dyke,
"Rehtaf."
Father" said Kahnale, 81 come, master
DEVIL" he cried, with one hand raised.
The sea which had almost reached the
top of the dyke suddenly receded Back
and back it went and barred deep and
Shiny floor. On that floor were many un-
swept things of horror. The earth trem-
bled. The black clouds were banks of float
ing flame. The villagers turned to run
from the dyke, for now the sea was return
ing. 1t rushed toward the dyke in wave
a hundred feet high.
Out of the crowd one ran forward and
not back. 1t was girl with aaxen hair and
red ribbons. She ran straight to the fig
ure on the dyke
Its Gretchen" she called. "Save me.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

sea shells and entitled "Fountain." Then
OF course there are the rows of portraits
OF the artists friends-Clara b. and Henry
d. and #. l.. r. and those maddening ones
merely entitled "Portrait'-a pardonable
pastlme, these, certainly, but hardly of
absorbing interest to those not privileged
to have drunk tea with Clara B. and Co..
and last, the rows Of pet dogs. and lambs.
straining at their tether (surrounded bv
ladies saying "How sweet!"J and passionate
studies of turtles and other fauna in
strange attitudes.
These things are wrought in pieces Of
bronze and great masses Of stone, aiabastet
and marble that would have made moor
old Michael Angelo sit UP III his grave.
But they say nothing, II reminded mo
or former visit had made with u Bos=
ton friend to the group Of American seuip-
tute at the Metropolitan Museum, We
mad paused before a colossal solid ala
baster ilgure OF an exceedingly heavy lady
IN kneeling posture, 1t was made by
German and entitled
"A MOTHER"
"All right" said my friend, 81 believe her:
what of it?
Having embarked upon this cruise.
neither Henry nor l were to be put off
until we had found some Culture; how
ever Henry suggested a season of rest
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

-
recuperating from this war"
Why said Henry, who has been to
France. all through the war and back again
without saying anything.
"Because,'' said /, cts like great ocean
which surged up and over us for q moment,
ana just as we we're learning to swim
against the splendid surf-it left us. feel
ike Matthew Arnold when he stood by the
sea at Fover and heard It's long withdraw
ing roar. down the vast edges dreaf and
aHked shingles Of the world I want It
back
speaking Of shingles" said Henry, II
see that the eat J.iiith has again found
way to get on the roof, and down again to
Inc roof garden, She is now lying among
your new nasturtiums."
Henry is fat and | am thin, and I at
tribute our unusually happy marriage to
shis cause, for it makes a fundamental DIFF
ference between us which nothing can
bridge: we live on different planes, and
all that each of US is, does and says is
absurd, incomprchensible and irresistibly
funny to the other.
Thus we succeed in never boring each
other, and though we present domesticated
appearance to the world our life is really
one Of unalloyed excitement, waiting to see
what the other one will do next
took up the thread.
What feel about the war is that it was
700 much of an adventure for us--too little
u a calamity. I'm sure we've all been
touched by the glimpse we've had Of the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

instruction in the big tricks He longed to
90 in for advanced magic, such as typhoons,
volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. He
even aspired TO juggle planets and keep
three stars in tho air at once
Kahnae only smiled and spoke of the i'm
portance OF rudinents He pointed out that
as long as inexperience made mistakes posi-
bio it would be better to mar carrot or
two than the solar system.
Not all the boys projects were vast. It
seemed as il there was as much enthusiasm
in his voice when he asked about love philtres
as when he spoke OF earthquakes. His casual
inquiry as to the formula for making a rival
disappear into thin air betrayed an eager
ness not present in his planetary researches.
But to every question Kahnale replied,
"Wat." The magician intimated that q
bachelor of black arts might play pranks
with the winds, the mountains and the stars
forbidden - s freshman True love. he
declared, would be the merest trifle for one
who knew all tbs lore. Hans found sur
prisingly small comfort in these promises.
he had seen the sixteen foot shelf Of magic
in the back room where the skeletons swung
III white arcs through the violet haze.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16

/ NDER : ssa R p;sss Of 1 ne ]
Where g o | d
skinned Mex
leans loll at ease, HE
And the red half-moons of
h cir black pipped Rv Afr
melons
Dron from +b.;r ha,a. :, (Wrlcn after he
the sunset seas repeated BY p
And an incense ont &c IL. The palms of
old brown missions @ 1919 NerD
Blows through the orange trees:
wished that poet who died in Europe
F1ad found his way to this rose-red West
That Keats had walked by the wide Pacific
And Graded his head it's healing breast
And made new songs of the sunburned sca-fok
New Poems-perhaps his best
thought of him. under the ripe pomcgranatcs
At the deserts edge, where the grapevines grow,
In sun-kissed ranch between gray-green sagebrush
And amethyst mountains peaked with snow
Or watching the lights of the City Of Angels
Glitter like stars below.
Hc would walk at dawn by the lemon orchards
And breathe at in that dry bright air;
And the Spanish bells in their crumbing cloistcrs
Of brown adobe would sing to him there;
And the old Franciscans would bring him their basket
OF apple and olive and pear
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-16
The Realms
Of Gold
By Alfred Moves

(Wriltcn after hearing line of Keats
repeated BY passing stranger under
the palms of Southern California;
@ 1919 NclU Yor1 Tribune inc