davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20

and is English, unless in the glorious progress of public education everybody in England is getting to be like every body else. Na
 So far as we can make out from the nineteenth century article, there is a story in Boswell about buttered muf- fins and suicide which MT. Thompson assumes to be the origin of Sam Well 1er's story of the fatal crumpets. Then that burlesque magnificence that ironic, solemn eXtravaganza which MF. Dickens may very wefl have borrowed from MT. Fielding, or which may have been part of the blank verse and oe- casional melodramic sentimental touch which he got from newspapers of the period or from his own insides, comes, according to MT. Thompsons theory. from old Dr. Johnson. "PicNwicl< IS Johnson with the sense left out" on the contrary, Johnson is Pickwick. with the sense, except of his own inn- portance, left out. But hear MT. Thompson once morel MT. Pickwick has even the~Johnsonian passion fo" big words and rhythmic sentences whict he uses on all occasions ITO Jingle or Peter Magnus, to Mir Dowle- or Job Trotter, to Bob Sawyer or Count smorltork, Pickwick Is always poly syllabic and stately" Pickwick is ir- ritable Not because he was dashing
 
 of conviviality that ever burned, but because he was an lmitator of Dr. Johnson. Then, "as a squire of danes. Johnson is almost as comic' as MT Pickwick. It is hardly worth while 10 discuss or controvert "a theory 50 in genius and so impossible. Clearly. Mr Thompson detests Dr. Johnson, and ad- mires, as all persons capable of heaven admire. Mir Pickwicls. Mir Thompson has said his paradox. He has achieved his purpose of dverting attention, If any such diversion was needed. from the mythological Dr. Johnson. person who probably never existed to Mir. Samual Pickwick and MT. Samuel Well Ter, and a few other of the only per sons whose vivid life upon this planet has been proved. Dr. Johnsons front name was Samuel. Sd was Mir. Pick wick's. So was Mir Weller's The fact that there were these three Sam uals, provided the historical existence of the first one is true. is really the sum and substance of MT. Thompson's theory. All good Pickwickians-and only Pickwickians arc goodwill be duly grateful to him.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
EASTER SUNDAY-By Frank Willis Barnett

orating the central fact of the Christian religion, the resurrection of Christ, it
 has always been regarded as the chief festival of the Christian year. According to regulation of Constantine, it was to
 be the first day of the year, and we
 know that this reckoning of the year as
 beginning at Easter Fingered in France till 15ss. when, by sln ordinance Of
 Charles TX, the first of January took it's
 place. s Now, please bear in mind that my quo- tations from the article in the Brittanica
 was not made because I happen to be member of non-liturgical church, but was done simply in trying to give proper account of the day about which I am writing. I am aware of the way in which the liturgical churches celebrate Easter. I know the manner of the Ro-
 man Catholics, the Greek, the Lutherans and the Episcopalians, and I confess that to me they make both a'powerful religious and aesthetic appeal for the beauty of their services is undenAable. I frankly admit that lin spite of the ob- lection of some good people whose re- ligious scruples I would not willingly of- fend, that I have noted with pleasure that many of the dendminations outside of those in which liturgy plays an inn portant role are beginning to decorate their churches at Easter with flowers. eThe little flowers came through tho ground
 At Easter time, at Easter time:
 They raised their heads and looked around,
 At happy Easter time.
 And every pretty bud did say, Good people bless the holy day, For Christ is risen, the angels say, I,.,ppxy ITo ctar tjy,,eb 4
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
Good Roads Movement
 Receives New Impetus

0THE Bankhead Highway com
 J mission and the United States Good Roads association, which met at Mineral Wells during the past week, were more largely attended than any good roads gathering of the past Notwithstanding the remote situation of the Texas resort more than one thousand delegates were enrolled among them many men of nationa! prominence.
 No good roads convention has evel attracted so many engineers and the discussions were along practical anc |business-ike lines.
 The movement for better highways has received fresh impetus and tho best of it is all propositions looking to road construction presupposes motor truck haulage and permanency
 
 Twenty years ago any kind of i'm provement over the mud road was
 considered a great advance; but nov the best type is demanded, and only
 the best.
 The Bankhead highway has beer llocated all the way to Fl Paso, and a! its objective is Los Angeles, automo | bile tourists, in the course of time, car
 travel from Washington, D. C., vis
 Birmingham, to California, on
 smooth road bed. The rough gaps O
 the route will be "filled in" as speedil!
 as possible. The government will ai'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
Concerning Mary Johnston
 Who s1Wrote a Book"

WK1T1Ne from 4. Atlanta a man
 w connected with the Atlanta Constitution says: T am trying to build up a corner of southern authors in Oglethorpe college. A Miss Mary 1ohnstone of your city wrote book some years ago. want to get a copy. Can you help me, and Ogle- thorpe, in the matter?"
 This display of ignorance on the part of person who presumably moves in "cultured circles" is little surprising. There was time when not to have read Prisoners of Hope" and "To Have and to Hold" was to confess oneself decidedly out of fash ion, so far as popular fiction went, for both were 'best sellers" and were devoured from one end of the country to the other, not to mention a long list of novels Miss Johnston has written, including Audrey" "Lewis Rand" and "The Long Roll," consid-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
Now the Time for Swatting F lies

e WAITING time has come and g every household should be pro- Tided with swatter. It is simple de- Eice, but few scientific inventions of recent years have proved more eff. fective.
 The fly is not only a disease car E1er, and therefore a menace to so- ciety, but it is an especially aggra- vating nuisance when it lights on the face or on the head of a bald-headed man. Clean premises will reduce rar..d breeding, but no matter how clean your back yard or stable may be, flies will come and thrive unless the fight against them goes on.
 The screen will keep flies out of the dwelling house, but even when every window and door is screened fly will find it's way in now and then; and in many cases, where the door protection Is open large part of the day flies Eairly swarm.
 But it is on the open porch where Families spend much of their time in warm weather that the fly is greatly sn evidence, unless it is sent to it's death by the sws stter.
 In one of Mrs. Humphrey Wards hovels-"He1beck of Bannisdale"- much quiet humc cr centers in Father Bowies, chaplain to the hero's spinster sister. His spiritual duties were light and if he ever had the student habit E had fallen into desuetude. Flies Pere singularly pestiferous in the manor house. There were no screens ln those days and the reverend fathe, kpent his time il, killing flies-slip- mng up on them and swatting them lsdth his naked hands.
 This character in the novel seems Do have suggested the modern swat ter. At any rate all must agree that D one person could rid a great man. slon of fines without the aid of any nechanlcal contrivance, a family with children, all provided with swatters euuld easily clea home of these pests, screens or mo screens.
 tematically and vigorously and we vii Eematica1ly and vigorous and we will h time have virtually flyless city.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20

cred by many critics to be a great epic of the Civil war.
 Mary Johnston deservedly ranks as one of the foremost American novel, ists. In recent years she has delved in feminism and socialism and has be- come pronounced suffragist, but her earlier books in the strictly romantic field, which did not exploit any pet theories. were admirable works of fic- tion and quickly made her famous, ln addition to providing her with large income.
 Miss Johnson, with her family, once resided in Birmingham, but for years she has made her home in Virginia. She is one of the south's most bril- liant writers and it is source of pride to Birmingham that her name is asso7 ciated with this city.
 If Oglethorpe college is not any more familiar with Miss Johnston's work than the Age-Herald's core spondent, who credits her with having written ca book some years ago." the nroiected "corner of southern authors must be far from complete. A trip to the nearest public library would prove enlightening.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times
 YIN THE nineteenth century Mr. h. h'
 Thompson asks, "Was pr. Samuel
 S Johnson the spiritual ancestor or MI
 Samuel Pickwick? Did Charles olchehs'
 willingly or subconsciously, model ms
 first great character on the personality
 of Boswelrs hero? AS far as hho"'
 the question has never been asked pe-
 fore Yet I think it may be quite req
 sonable to put an even answer "ith f''oie
 than a vague affirmative The questloh
 has been asked before; everything mas
 been asked before. The fact that 'r
 Johnson was willing to frisk with
 Reauclerlx and Langton had naturally
 occurred to MT. Andrew Lang where had Dickens seen any one Ike liiiS genial sage?" wrote MT. Lang. No answer is suggested, but possibly Don Qulxote and pr. Johnson when bound for frohc with Beauclerk and Langton, may nave ,ent suggestion" "The great man - naturally MT. Pickwick, greater, more ac- tual than pr. Johnson-"remlnos us no" of Socrates now of Dr. Johnson, ("ho at one time like Socrates could take ms liouor like a hero); now if any one may say sars of the late Master of Bailfoi. The parison of MT. Pickwick with the always eminent pr. Jewett. who knew so little Greek that he translated Plato with admirable improvising freedom ! tvpical Oxford snob if ever there was one. was worthy of MT. Lang gentle man very free and delightful with his theories his folklore and his theology. Whether pr. thomson ever existed or rot might we'll be question of the ut most doubt. At any rate. the London that | he went about in is much less real, much less present, than that thoroughly real ] ;zed mast which is always contemporary and always present in the London of MT. Piekwick. On the morning of May l3,
 1s7 MT. Samuel Pickwick burst like another sun from his slumbers, threw onen his chamber window, and looked out upon the world beneath him. Boswell street was at his feet. And so he began
 that famous sociological tour which got hin, into trouble that very morning with
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20

pedia Brittanica, the writer says: "There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, The sanctity of special times was an idea absent from the minds of the first Christians. The whole of time is fes- Aival unto Christians because of the ex- rellency of the good things which have been given is the comment of St. Chryso- tom on Cor. V. [, which has been erron- ,eously supposed to refer to an apostolic observance of Easter"
 
 '"The ecclesiastical historian Socrates EHist. Feel V. 22) states. with perfect truth, that neither the Lord nor His apostles enjoined the keeping of this or any other festival He says: The apos- ties had no thought of appointing festival days. but of promoting life of blameless- ness and piety And he attributes the ob- sIeryance of Easter by the church to the perpetuation of an old usage, just as many other customs have been estab- lished.
 This is doubtless the true statement of the case. The first Christians con- tinued to observe the Jewish festivals, though in a new spirit, as commemora- tion of events which these festivals had foreshadowed. Thus the Passover, with al new conception, added to it of Christ as the true Paschal Lamb and the first fruits from the dead, continued to be observed, and became the Christian Eas- ter'
 I do not think, however, that there IS any doubt that the observance of Easter was at a very early period the practice of the Christian church, for as commem
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
LUKE M'LUKE SAYS

It is very easy matter to revamp an old saying. For instance: One half of the world can't get enough to eat and the other half is suffering from indiges- tion.
 We never knew but one woman who knew how to spit, and she was Siwash squaw who chewed plug. When the av- craze woman tries to spit she bends all the way over and looks foolish.
 The reason why friend wife likes to see friend husband tip his hat and smile sweetly at pretty t7-year-old girl nigh Dor is because you can roller skate across the ocean in an hour and half.
 Any time you see a married man with fever biisters on his mouth you can bet that he didn't get them from the pas- sionate kisses his wife gives him.
 What has become of the old-fashioned farmer who used to say that he would just as leave have mule as an auto mobile because a mule didn't cost near as much as an auto and was alulSt 0S dangerous?
 You can always spot . bride and a groom because when he isn't reaching for her hand she is reaching for his If man slipped and fell down while he was busy kicking you on the seat of the pants, would you help him up again so he could give you another kick? But you will probably go right ahead and re-eaect your congressman and your senator after what they did to you in the past year. One thing we have always found to be true is that there is always a good dea to do after you want to do it. After July 1 Rud Kipling will have to revise his pome about a man having tt so somewhere east of Suez in order tc | raise thirst.
 1 The o. f. man who used to try to leav' | footprints in the sands of time now has son who is trying to cover up hi I tracks.
 Some men are like some horses. They are too deaf to hear the word: "Giddap!
 but they never fail to hear this word | ''Whoa!'
 l A husband is an animal who know, l that 50 cents won't buy a dollars wortl of cigars. but imagines that $ ought tt
 buy $lO worth of groceries. | At that girls are just as foolish as men 1 A lot of them would rather be marie,
 than happy.
 I In any divorce court action. incompati bility is merely another name for the dol
 in the manager
 l A woman shouldn't bawl when she ha- a fuss with her husband. When a woman bawls she looks like an old maid of 6
 looks like when she gets up in the morn | ing, and her appearance is more likel,
 to disgust her husband than make hin l feel repentant
 The difference between being engage
 and being married is the difference be
 twen kissing girl when you want t and when kissing her when you have to
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20

should be in perfect condition within the next two years:
 x 4 E
 A runaway motor car entered a downtown drug store and kept going for distance of about 50 feet, giving scrambling soda water clerks some idea of how the Huns felt the first time they were charged by British tank.
 x # <
 There is such a thing as carrying enterprise too far, as in the case of movie men who wanted to put up red flags and hire soldiers to tear them down so patrons would flock to see a film exposing bolshevism.
 f # #
 The imbattled brewers have launched drive with 2z per cent beer. Let's figure a bit By consuming 1s bottles a thirsty individual might get the equiva- lent in alcohol of stiff drink of whisky.
 F E
 It's curious thing. but when a ~wet' politician attacks the record of a "dry" politician. each accuses the other of being tireless tippler, the one ''brazen," the other "surreptitious." * * * Members of Congress should lose no time in laying in a stock of extra large pocket handkerchiefs with which to mop their steaming brows during the coming extra session. < * x Jap representatives at the peace con- ference are reported to have lost their urbanity. This is more serious than a string of oaths would be from less re- pressive dignitaries * x x Even the man in the street can see that collecting that war indemnity from Germany is going to call for great deal of patience and perseverance,. # * # Birmingham is a cosmopolitan town. Athletes with an international repu- tation tread our sounding pavem rents without causing a traffic blockade a. # # Joe Tumulty proved himself a man of superior courage by telling the strik- ing telephone operators of New York to go back to work. In years to come will the two White Houses' in Paris be pointed out to ,, naive tourists as shrines of liberty and enlightenment? The quantity of whisky seized in Bir- mingham every "A hours, indicates that kitchen distillers are doing their best | to ~carry on.- | Recognition of the Omsk government may be regarded as slap in the face by those torch bearers, Lenine and Trotxky.
  | As regards the predatory dog and tho wool-producing sheep. there's noth- ing to be said in favor of the predatory dog.
 | # * *
 One more tug at the family purse fo, a Victory bond and we may settle down to the slow grind of paying war taxes | E x I The worlds boss optimists are those \ light-hearted statesmen who nredict the early downfall of bolshevism.
 * ae *
 Birmingham's official "C1ean-Up week is at hand. By the way, do yo, | shave yourself?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
PASSING THE ANDREEF

From the New York Telegram.
 Andreef, famous as the creator of the Balalaika orchestra, is dead. Be- ing only musician, he was placed in the fourth food category by the Rus sian authorities, and so starved to death. In the Universal Federation of Soviets there will be no place for the musician, the poet the artist-Even- ing Sun.
 All of which is commended to the attention of the "parlor socialists.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
NExT:

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
 The Anti-Everything league is making great progress. All pool and billiard places in Texas must close on May 1. the league having compelled the legislature to pro- hibit the playing of such ungodly games as pool and billiards. Some of these days we expect to hear that George Bailey has been indicted by the grand jury for play ing dominoes. As Adam Breede says: "Very little of the ivory in Texas is or. the billiard tables. Most of it is in the state legislature.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20

FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. "A college girl writes to ask if moths will destroy overalls."
 That's strange question" "Oh, she's probably an ex-farmerette who wants to preserve her war togs as a family heirloom"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
CONSTANT JACK
.e Baltimore American

From the Baltimore American.
 Admiral Sims remarked that among the S0,O00 seamen who were abroad under his command only few brought back English brides. Here is another testimony in favor of the American Jack tar that ''his heart was true to Poll"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
HIGH COST OF LIVING

From the Houston Post.
 The Kaiser's expenses are said to be 5000 a week We shall not criticize. however It may be that he has ba- con, ham and real coffee and perhaps strawberries for breakfast If a man thousand a week is none too much.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
EXAGGERATED ECO

From the Louisville Courier-Journal
 want to write it myself" Slogan of a good many noisy statesmen who could not write a league of bush baseball.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
AN APRIL ADYENTURE

There's many a joyous thrill in life That favored mortals meet. The touch of the cool, moist earth Tn
 spring
 To the soles of boyish feet, Remembered through the weary years' Comes back to make me glad In dream of the first barefooted days When I was little lad. With a shout we pulled our stockings oft Laid by the cramping shoes And gingerly OCT gravel walked, But romped in the morning dews Where the green sward gleamed meath
 shafts of sun,
 With dazzling drops impearled. Those were the days when life was song And this was good old world.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
Practical Rotary Spirit


 T was struck with a card which received recently from William Ober- helman, chairman of the fellowship committee of the Rotary club, said Bert Jacobs. Tt was headed "A Faith full Friend Factory and said:
 "'Every Rotarian is member of the fellowship committee. It is his privi- lege to share the joys and sorrows of every other member of the club
 "The fellowship committee is just here to help.
 "'When you know of anything that has come into the life of any Rotarian that you feel would prompt hand clasp of congratulation or sympathy "Tell it to the committee.
 "'Then Rotary can share your op- portunity.'
 This shows the spirit of Rotary in most practical way"
 EvanEelfstic Services At Ruhama
 "Ruhama church is looking forward with great interest to the series of evangelistic services which are to be- gin on April 20 and run through to May g." said Dr. H. H. Hibbs, the pas tor. We decided not to get a pro- fessional evangelist but to call on a astor-evangelist, and were fortunate enough to secure Dr. James E. billiard, pastor of the Southside Baptist church The singing will be led by pr. N. O. Patterson, who is not a professional evangelistic singer, but is one of our beloved pastors, who is serving the church at Tuscumbia.''
 Fine old Trees Saved
 '1 was glad to find that after the limbs and overturned trees were cleared away Eufaula still is able to boast of it's beautiful oaks and elms, said ex-Gov. William D. Jelks. "The over er-lapping bows of many of the great oaks have for years been one of the chief attractions of the Bulf City My wife is, however grieving over the uprooting of the pine grove just in front of our home, and of the need of trimming some old cedars on the side of it''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
FoREsTALLING JOY RIDES.

Does Mrs. Gadspur trust MT. Cad spur?"
 He says she does. but I notice one suspicious circumstance"
 What is that?"
 When she goes out of town she locks their motor car in the garage and takes the key with her"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20

E..
 -Much Ado About Nothing. ye BEGINNING THE DAY-O God, I yreach out hands toward Thee; I fErope b1indly for Thy form. Yet I do not come unto Thy place; I am
 still unwarmed of Thy presence. But in the quiet I hear Thee knock ing at the door, and To, Thou art in my heart. Amen--H. M- F..
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES
QUICK DECISION.

' QUICK DECISION But, 1sobel, your father scarcely knows
 me. How can he be so strongly preju- diced against me as a prospective son in-law?"
 I'm afraid father didn't give the mat | ter much thought, Augustus. As soon
 as he saw the cut of your clothes he made up his mind" l THAT DESERTED PEACE PALACE
 The citizens of Geneva are jubilant
 because their city has been chosen capi- ] tai of the league of nations" ! q wish them we1l,'' said the gloomy
 man. q hope no one will be unkind enough
 to remind them that The Hague once
 cherished the same hopes and ambitions" ] A LIMITED VOCABULARY Susie is simple maiden, She's not hard to understands; l soldiers, hats and ice cream sodas Susie says are simply grand Should thing, perchInce, displease her. Pangs of grief or sorrow pierce, | Great or small, it doesn't matter l Susie says it's simply fierce l PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20

THE NEXT STEP. i"Down with Lady Nicotiner" Shout the bold reformers; | Now's the time, as may be seen, To speak a word to charmers.
 Since it's down with everything, What, ho, lovely misses,
 Ere ye know, they'll cry, bling. Down with hugs and kissesi'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20

ABSOLUTELY. This poem?'' said the editor 'Ts blank verse; 'I assumed as much. I can't make anything out of it-'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20

There's not one wise man among a0 that will praise himself.
 # F %
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
NO SENSE OF HUMOR

NO SENSE OF HUMOR
 How did you happen to lose your last cook?"
 She didn't iikSmy style of humor' > "No?'' Having shown symptoms of an artistic temperament on several occasions, I asked her if she thought our kitchen was way station on the road to the movies and, bless my soul, she qufti''