davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29
CHAPTER VII.

"THAT TWO DoLLARs"-HoPE LONG DEFERRED.
The little woman went into trade.
She sold the old newspapers for six
cents. The orange-peel speculation
resulted in failure. Nobody would buy.
Meantime, "that two dollars, you
know" was drawn from the bank per-
force, to pay the washerwoman-a poor
old woman who needed the money, on
which Mamma Mullen felt sinking of
the heart, and was obliged to do that
sum about the Idyls," etc., twice
over, before she could quite recover her
usual cheerfulness.
Also the :. dodge, . though in splendid
working order, was SO continually trip
ped up, and circumvented by the
"law, that it's young inventor might
almost as well have spared the car
horses the shame of their defeat.
"The Christmas-rose will be very
small growth" they told each other.
One-two-three-fou weeks Such
weeks The hours in them had feet of
lead, and were lame besides. Darkest
Of all, came to be that hour known as
the postman's. No such heart-shaking
hour in the year, as, if you are mul-
lein person, or like those who joined
David in the cave of A6u!lam, and you
are at the crest of the wave, and letter
will tide yon over, or dash you down in
its gulfs, you very we'll know. The
"Hour" quite overshadowed the Null
lein family. When it began, everybody
grew nervous while it endured, every
body started at each tinkle of the bell,
and watched slyly out of window. When
it ended-ohi the miserable blank
worse even than the torture of suspense!
and when the member from outside
who had been absent meanwhile, re.
turned-t.here was another trial. The
the table and into the faces of the
stayers- at home, the pathetic attempt
at indifference on the part ef every
body and the determination of every
body to show no anxiety, and to see
none!-ah! let it pass! It is easier to
write than to witness.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29
Crinoline Springs Back Again.

A Paris correspondent says The
heavy silks now fast superseding light
ones are necessitating the employment
of crinolines, which-alas, that these
letters should have to chronicle the
fact are actually coming into vogue
again. The one now coming in is
differently made from the tormenting
things got rid of a few years ago. The
front is quite fiat and plain gored at
the hips. The steel springs protrude
from the back in pairs, forming two
sets of loops, meeting at the middle or
extending in one across the back from
side TO side, according to pattern
adopted. The principal novelty of the
new skirts is that the springs are artic
ulated so that they do not bulge out, as
did their predecessors, when the wear
er sits down or has to squeeze her way
through q narrow place. They are
fright1ully dear from eighty to hum
dred or q hundred and fifty francs. OF
course, with such q piece of pointed
scaffolding sticking out behind, the SUI
perior sex is quite unable to Withstand
the temptation of spreading ont fine
trailing train over it; but it is under
stood that trains are not TO reappear IN
the streets, and that they are to be
looped up in the ballroom, some Sc
rious accidents to limb, and even TO life,
having been occasioned by the insane
custom OF waltzing in trailing draper1es
that are perpetually working themselves
round the feet Of the wearer, and
threatening to bring the lady and her
cavalier to the floor in an ignomlnlous
sprawl, . dreadful threat they have fully
carried out on more than one occasion.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29
Waiting for the Marys to Turn On.

Wilkins Micawber Jones is of a sta
tistical turn of mind. It occurred to
Jones the other day that Mary is very
common name, and, after careful study
he hit upon an original plan for ascer-
tanning the proportionate number of
women bearing it. This plan was to
station himself at an advantageous po-
sition on one of our thoroughfares, ad-
dress by name every woman who passed
in an hour, and then compare the num-
Der who answered to the name with the
whole number. Nothing could be
simpler, thought Wilkins, and accord
ingly he began his experiment the other
evening just as the theatre going tide
was flowing along the street. First came
two looking damsels, sstimid
and stepping fast. Jones then let them
get by and then called out suddenly.
g Maryl" but the young woman only
hurried little faster, and the ingenious
Wilkins put down two marks on the
right side of his tally paper. Just as he
lifted his eyes he saw a lady with an
escort just in front of him and blurted
out, "Good evening, Mary r Greatly
to Jones' astonishment the gentleman.
and not the lady, responded and these
are what Jones saw He
concluded to give up the experiment
because there were too many risks
about it-especially asterisks.- Boston
AdVerti8er.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29
American Architecture.

The resignation of Mr.. Mullett, the
Supervising architect, brings to mind the
subiect of the architecture of our pub
lie buildings, and the question natu-
ralIy arises: Why should our buildings
he formed from the Grecian models
Perhaps because no other is quite SO
beautiful and SO well adapted to the con-
ditions required. But why, with our
wealth and diversity of foliage our
abundance and variety of material,
should we not have an American order
of architecture In no country in the
world are more or finer buildings going
up. and nowhere else do architects re-
ceive more encouragement and support;
Why, with all their resources, shOnld
they not give us something outside OF
the conventional five great orders Mr..
Latrobe, q former architect OF the
national Capitol-and q great architect
he was-had the true idea when be de-
terrnined to give as much of distinctly
national character as possible. by the
introduction of such forms in the vege-
table world as would best illustrate the
peculiar productions of the soil and cli-
mate of the United States. This design
led to the ingenious idea of form OF
column so original and SO happy IN con-
ception and execution as to be deemed
worthy to be called the American order.
An example of it is to be seen in the
yestibule of the Law Library in the
basement of the Capitol. The shaft
is composed of the stalks of Indian
corn, the joints of which wind around it
srirally, while the capital consists of
| the ears with their husks sufficiently
| opened to show the grain, with the inter
| mediate spaces filled in by the tassel
bent over, and fi1let or rope at the bot
tom. The bose is 8 plain double mold
ing, the stalks rising out of a circlet
of the pointed leaves of the plant.
President Jefferson gave evidence of his
admiration of the design by placing q
| model of it upon one of the buildings
of his seat at Monticello. Mr.. Latrobe
also applied to the columns in the cir
cular vestibule of the old Senate
Chamber, now the Supreme Court
room, the leaves and flowers of the to-
bacco plant, of which the capitals are
formed, with pleasing and character
istic effect. It was Mr.. Lathrobe's mis-
fortune, distinguished alike for his vir-
/ tues and mis- genius, to live too early in
/ the history of the nation for the fullest
| display of his great gifts and varied
Accomplishments. But with So grand
au art as architecture, SO well fostered,
and with every encouragement given to
true merit, with the wealth of material
! on every haEd, there is no reason why
we should not have an American order
worthy the name. The meeting of the
tree-tops gave the Gothic arch basket
| Of acanthus leaves resulted in the Corin-
/ THAN capital; Mr.. Latrobe in Indian
corn found a shaft and it's capital. Who
will com plete his work SO nobly begun,
and give us an American architecture.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29
An Unorthodox. Rather Domestic Sort
of a Holiday Story.

Every one is narrating Christmas
stories about this time, so we take our
turn at the mill. It is all about Mr..
and Mrs. Shaw, of Biddeford, Me. It
is cold at Biddeford, with the ther-
mometer pret-y Y we'll down in the minors,
and the chamber floors OF a morning
are like ice to the unstockinged feet.
Aware of this fact, Samuel Shaw awoke
one morning from dream of peace, and
observing through the window the rosy
fingers of Aurora creeping up on the
eastern sky. he spoke sharply with his
mouth s'Susan, get up and build. tho
fire. % Get up and build it yourself,
Dickey," said Susan, drawing her night
cap down under tie cover. ss sSeeyou-
darned first," said Samuel, with touch
ing emphasis. to which Susan replied
only with an indignant snore.
Morning furrowed the sky with q
plow of pearl, then paled in silver light,
then turned all Dame to the rising sun
and still the wife and husband slept
upon their snowy pillows. The slant
ing rays of afternoon shot their golden
lances in the western window, crept
slowly over the spotless cogerlid,
and Lit as with a crown of glory
the struggling locks of the fair
but obstinate Susan. Then night threw
with star, while down through the
open shutters looked the wild face of
the wondering moon. Naught was
heard but the signing of The wind amid
the tree-tops-naugh seen but the pale
smile of the moonlight, the dark blue
of the midnight sky, and the cold gleam
of the far-of pitiless stars.
Then Susan stirred softly in her
downy nest. and whispered with gentle
acceat, Samuel, are you awake p
There was no answer but the sterto-
rous breathing of the sleeping spouse.
and the whistle of the wind among the
trees. Susan arose quickly, stepped
lightly on to the floor, and disappeared
like a ghost vanishing in the gloom.
Ten minutes later she crawled into bee
again, and lay still till morning.
AS the sunlight peeped once more
| into the eastern window, Susan shook
| Samuel's shoulder and murmured gently
! in his ear. g Aren't you hungry, Sam
mya" Hungry, 'ell." said Samuel,
"I got outside of dish of cold beans
just afore you Lit out for the cupboard
last night"
Sadly and submissively Susan crep
out of bed and kindled the fire.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29
America Lights the World.

The Titusville Herald gives the fol-
lowing statistics of interest
While the oil region is suffering from
an unusual depression, it may be some
consolation to know that the heaviest
item of American manufacture exported
IS that of our fine petroleum. 1t foots
up to the enormous figure OF $37,000,-
600 annually. No other manufactured
article even approximates this value,
the next highest being lard, which is
$40, 900, 900 Of exported value. For the
year ending June 80. 1874, the export
OF refined oils was 271, 600, 900 gallons
OF an aggregate value of $37, ,561, 513,
and the residuum and crude exported
in the same year sweIled the amount
to about $41 600, 900. It would be rea-
sonable to suppose that the home con-
sumption of SO useful an article would
be equal to if not far exceed the amount
exported. This, however, is far from
being the case. The consumption of
refined oil in this country is not nearly
what it is in Europe. Our transatlantic
consumers pay more for the article
and use four times the quantity. ALI
the best contrivances for burning kero-
sene in lamps have been invented in
this country, and the mode of procur-
ing brilliant and unsurpassed light
A4eso OCOA4 &OAuCO0 10 bA0 1AOSv RCA4CSW
economy and simplicity, and yet foreign
countries have adopted our inventions
and our oil to very much greater ex-
tent than we have ourselves. The cause
of this is simply that legislation in for
eign countries has done there what
legislation in this country has failed to
do here, and perfectly safe article has
been secured to our foreign consumers,
while We have been flooded with unsafe
oil. Over sixty different nations, in
cluding Japan, now burn our refined
oil, and the extremely small price has
given such an impetus to it's adoption
as an illuminator all over the world that
it must prove highly beneficial to the
producing interest in future years.
Germany in 1878 consumed 81. 113, 773
gallons, at cost of $11, ,46o, ISL Bel
gium. 26, ,616, $50 gallons. costing $5.-
127, 4O8; England, 50, 900, 600 worth,
and Ireland about 81, 1,341, 565 worth.
The trade in all kinds of fixtures for
burning kerosene was never more brisk
than just now, indicating a steady il
crease of consumption both here and
abroad
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29
A Desperate Encounter.

Maj. George E. Ferrend, of Virginia
City, Nevada, man well known every
where on the Pacific coast, shot himself
in the hesd last week, infiicting q
wound which soon proved fatal. In
noticing his career the Virginia City
Enterprise relates the following
Sc In Camptonville, CAL, in 1858 or
1859, he had terrible personal encoln-
ter with man of desperate character,
and in the battle received horrihle
wound with an AK. It appears that he
had had some trouble with this man,
and it was agreed that when they again
met they should meet fighting The
desperado, armed with an ak, shortly
after came into saloon, where he saw
the Major sitting in his shirt-sleeves.
As he advanced the Major arose and
drew large knife. The man with the
ak moved cautiously forward, holding
aloft his terrible weapon. The Major
stood perfectly motionless, warily
watching the eyes of his approaching
foe. The only movement he made was
to constantly turn the wrist of the hand
that held the knife, so that the weapon
was ceaselessly moving and flashing
back and forth. The man advancing
with the ak at last could no longer re-
frain from casting a glance at the
weapon thus flashed before his eyes.
and the moment he did SO the Major
sprang forward with the leap of tiger
and drove the knife, not only through
the heart of his foe, but through his
whole body, the poiut projecting at his
back. But quick as had been his move.
ment, his opponent was almost as alert
the blows of both men being struck al
most at the same instant. The handle
of the AK struck the Major on the shoul-
der, while the whole blade of it was
buried in the small of his back, pene
trating and cutting one of his kidneys.
Both men fell to the floor together, and
for time it was thought that both
were dead /; but, contrary to the expect.
ations of all, the Major recovered from
his fearful wound in due time, and was
as ready for fresh adventures, military
and otherwise, as before"
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29
CHAPTER Nv.
PARAs1rEs AND Nu1sANcEs

Hitherto I have introduced these people
as "They." That was from cowardice.
Seldom has a writer more Objectionable
personages in hand. The Mulleins were
three: mother, daughter. and son.
position of parasites - also, that "a
woman's business is to amuse and serve
man, and make his life agreeable, and.
when not SO engaged, she is nuisance. "
The mother and daughter in question
were without money, and there was no
"man," as an excuse for their exist
ence and not even the entireness of
love, in which they lived with the Boy,
and he with them, can altogether atone.
/ assure you I feel it; but then what
would you have? This is mot Christ
mas story, but story of aggravation.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29

might be spared for that and there
was 's that two dollars, you know"
After this calculation, Mamma Null
lein wrote with more spirit than ever
and the inventor of the dodge came out
in a new character, as "The Filial
Fib." He discovered that all we'll
regulated boys spent their evenings in
unceasing efforts to attain good writ
highland.
Also, that his only hope of achieving
that desirable result was, in copying
each evening, till bedtime, numerous
pages of his mothers manuscript.
Whereupon he acquired his title of
the Filial Fib, and, let us hope, the
good writing g-hand.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29
CHAPTER vi.

MARKET-woMAN-sAUL AND PAUL-sIMPLE
SUMS.
And now you are waiting to hear
Mamma Mullein's business--that is, if
you want to hear anything about it. I
trust it shall not shock you. She was a
market-woman not that she brought
eggs, and butter, and fruit, to market.
Had she done that, she might have
been rose-woman instead of mullen
woman, and this story could never have
been written. But there are SO many
sorts of markets-as market where
your nice fresh ideas viii bring fair
price. OF this order of market-w woman
was Mamma Mullen. She was liable
to ideas. There are some people who
regard such person with suspicion,
but, though desirous to please all read
ers, must give my personages as find
them. Ideas are often good for checks,
bat they more frequently stamp the
man or woman subject to them as
dangerous. The world is like Saul.
It accepts the thought, whether in writ
ine. marble, pottery painting, politics,
warfare. preaching. invitations. no mat
ter what, as the Hebrew King did
Goliath's head. But it never forgives
the David. It eyes" him !; from that
time out. look ont for javelins beg
pardon. have shunted the story of
the track; but emily to show you how
Mamma Mullen sometimes mad money,
and sometimes failures.
Two and two make four. You see,
of course. that Mamma Mullen, who
was already in the habit of conveying
IDEAS to marketssWas specially deslrcus
of brisk holiday business, and wrote
night and day to secure not two. but
3 dozen, strings to her bow. Thus
ri a THrN1sk
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29
CHAPTER III.
xULLE1Ns AND noses.

MULLEINs AND ROSES.
What has this conversation (Which
actually occurred) to do with the story /?
Wait little.
This is story of aggravation, and
not a Christmas-story, for, in fact, they
had no Christmas at all, and it was inn
possible that they should have had, and
they ought TO have known better. It is
written to be read after Christmas, when
the bills come IN, and the indigestions,
and the doctors, and you and your
wife have come TO an understanding
about the current expenses, and the
Christmas brightness and the Christmas
snow have given way TO raw, dipthe-
Eitic fog, and no end OF slush. Read it
then
And now, they ought TO have known
better, as said before, for they were
mullen people, and there lis nothing in
= MULLEN that can produce rose. As
regards manners, morals, and ideas,
they might be American velvet-plants
they were. But, as regards steraity
of resources, and the figure they cut in
> the world, and the estimation IN which
they were held, they were MULLEN
people growing on very black hill
side, too.
intention to grow roses! The ordinary
nullein accepts the situation. But
these human Mullainsi-they wonld
Oenave like roses. They were always
outWlttlng Step-motller Fate. However
sne snubbed, and twitched. and set
snem IN corners, they were ready for
ner. lake away the carpets, and they
stained the floor walnut brown. Deny
Snem bureaus, and they transformed q
pack1ng box, dollar looking GLASS.
two c1gar-boxes, and some old ci1intz.
into dressing table. Send them away
hungry from the greasy table 81 tbeir
4odging-house, and they srnurola s1icaa
of bread, buy three cents worth of b,,t-
ter, make toast over their wretcI,ad
little fire, and turn the whole ;nt|, :
Hevel, which they talk of With CIae
There is q cantankerous good-natnre a,
zbominable cheerfulness alb nj ta,esr, ~
They VIII not accept the situation. and
consider themselves disinherited. Thav
have every new painting and enoraviro
by heart. They visit the art-sales. Thee
know just where they would place the
izlaid cabinets and rugs of Shiraz. and
the prints Of Hogarth. They will not
See that they have ne finger In such
pies They are continually trying to
put by money for artistic treasures.
when the ends of tkeir income will not
Meet. Such stupidity AS said an
~attar-of-roses woman, of similar mus-
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29

unaccompanied by an extra fifty cents,
or SO, in honor of Christmas: She
thinks they have forgotten it forgot
ten it, poor souls and stands her
ground. Mamma quakes before her.
and answers her but feebly. Still she
stands! Will she never go2 An awful
silence. Convicted felons might wear
the open and cheerful countenanee OF
the Mulleins. The Nemesis OF the
wash-tub tosses her head, founces,
makes q remark. to the door-knob ap-
parently, about the poor returns of
stinginess to stingy people in the long
run-but she goes Mamma Mullen
is free to cover her face with her hands,
and the young inventor to press a soft
cheek against hers, and call her his
dear, good, lovely mamma.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29
CHAPTER V.
rHE cRR1srDrAs-EosE.

To begin: It had happened a month
or two before that they found them
selves in possession of 8 surplus two
dollar note. That is, of two-dollar
note which need not be paid over at
once to landlord or shoemaker. This
note was deposited by acclamation in
the {" "Sixpenny savings" as beginning
toward growing the Christmas-rose
Henceforth the family leaned much on
it, and it often came up in conversation
as So that two dollars, you know"
Then the three Mulleins had each
little plan for growing Chrismas-rose.
Master Mullen invented what he
called the "dodge," as this There are
certain transactions in business. eomuch
3 matter of course, that you are startled
to reflect on the number of persons who
earn living in these very departments.
Who thinks how notes, bills and mes
sages, get about? Yet they certainly
don't run on casters, as young
Mullen, with his wallet chained about
his waist, might have assured you. If
you have an eye for rosy boys, I dare
say you have seen him and if you have
observed him, arms up, hands ciinched,
running on sort of dog-trot, SO as al
ways to keep pace with the car or stage
in which you were riding, why then you
nave SOSA LAO QOuS6s 4u0T0 are
lines on which boy of determination
may keep neck-and-neck with the
horses. On such lines Mullen pocketed
the fare and ran the route. There are
lines that defy the best-breathed s. run
ners." On these, as a boy of honor,
Mullen rode. He reported himself to
the house among the earliest of the
runners, and, nevertheless averaged
| thirty cents day by the s. dodge"
There are six days in the week,
< 30-$1. 80. It lacks six weeks of
Christmas-tide 6 < 1.60-$10. 80.
But
The world is under the reign of laws.
and the Mullen household was under a
law of necessity, that, do what they
would, was sure to levy a tax of, say
thirty cents on every ffty cents amassed
by the dodge" for matches, soap,
paper, car-fare-something of the Sort
After the eleventh or eighth" collision
between the "1aw" and the "dodge, +"
it certainly occurred to Mamma Mullen
that things looked discouraging and
she sighed. But the young inventor
went sturdily on. with pluck and an
undiminished faith in the virtues of the
"dodge," quite delightful to see.
The little woman such a very little
woman She was preparing to go into
trade--in orange-peel and old news
papers-when she could find buyer.
People do buy such things somewhere,
you know.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29
CHAPTER TX.
NEMEs1s-THE FATE OF THE s'DoDaE."

NEMEsIs-THE FATE OF THE DODGE.
Enter the washerwoman. Nobody
had expected her. IF she had been
Nemesis herself the family could not
have surveyed her with more dismay.
With what was she to be paid The
young inventor looked at the dis
turbed face of his mather, and gave q
great gulp.
How much is it, mamma There
is the dodge, you know % and Mamma
Mullen felt the two dollars thrust into
her hand. les, there it was, and there
was the washerwoman. The Mulleins
looked at each other incredulously.
Their last hold on their one loved hoi-
day was slipping from them, and they
hardly knew how to believe it, after all
the toll, and the patience, and the self
sacrifice, and the planningl IF the
washerwoman had but known it, she
was being paid in dramas, in concen-
tration Of much that was precious. But
it looked to her poor enough note,
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-29
CHAPTER III.
THEIR cHR1srMAs-rEvEn.

Now that you comprehend them, you
will not be surprised to hear that these
people, who were in want, had resolved
to keep Christmas.
And you will add almost of yourself,
that these are precisely the sort of peo-
its wreaths and tapers and carols are
full of meaning and delicious charm
and you would be quite right.