davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-15
A Wedding Race.

Among the Huzarehs "a people of
Asia-th following is the way we'd
dings are managed
The suitOrs of the maiden, nine in
number, appear in the field, all I'M
armed, but mounted ON the best horses
they can procure; while the bride her
self, on beautiful Turkoman horse,
surrounded by her relations, anxiOusly
surveys the group of lovers.
The conditions of the bridal race are
these: The maiden has a certain start
given, which she avails herself of to
gain sufficient distance from the crowd
to enable her to manage her steed with
freedom, so as to assist in his pursuit
the suitor whom she prefers.
On signal from the father, all the
horsemen gallop after the fair one, and
whichever first succeeds in encircling
her waist with his arms, no matter
whether disagreeable or to her choice,
is entitled to claim her as his wife.
After the usual delays incident upon
such interesting occasions, the maiden
quits the circle of her relations, and,
putting her steed in hard gallop, darts
into the open plain. When satisfied
with her position, she turns round to
the impatient youths, and stretches out
her arms towards them, as if to WOO
their approach. This is the moment
for giving the signal to commence the
chase, and each of the impatient youths,
dashing his pointed heels into his
courser's sides, darts like the unhooded
hawk in purs lit of the fugitive dove.
The racecourse is generally extensive
say twelve miles long and three in
width - and as the horsemen speed
across the plain, the favored lover be-
comes soon apparent by the efforts of
The maiden to avoid all others who
might approach her.
On d certain occasion, after two
hours racing, the number of pursuers
was reduced to four, who were all to
gether, aud gradually gaining on the
pursued; with them is the favorite,
Uul, sldc HIS sc ioAio IN
his speed, and as she anxiously turns
her head, she perceives with Gismay the
hapless position of her lover; each of
the more fortunate leaders, eager with
anticipated triumph, bending his head
on his horses name, shouts at the top
of his voice, 81 come, my Peril 1 am
your lover"
But she, making sudden turn, and
lashing her horse almos: to fury, darts
across their path, and makes for that
part of the plain where her lover is
vainly endeavoring to goad on his
weary steed.
The three others instantly check their
career; but, in the hurry to turn back,
two of the horses are dashed furiously
against each other, so that both steeds
and riders roll over on the plain.
The maiden laughs; for she well
knows she can easily elude the single
horseman, and that she will reach the
point where her lover Is.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-15
AMONG THE DEAD.

With stern face set against the sun stand,
A living soul amid deaths haunted land.
| wander through desert-waste OF glooms.
By winding-ways that lead to ghostly tombs.
| live, alas but death is all see,
And night is day, and day is night, to me-
Yet with unwearying heart and will press
Across this bare and desolate wilderness
No sweet note breaks the CAIN ef mute despair
That sleeps upon the plllowing breast OF air;
No love-breath trembles in the swooning breeze
That circles round the shrunken trunks of trees.
The dust lies thick upon my road tread
The annihilated gardens of the dead
All, could these myriad shadows strewn like
sands
Upon the indistinguishable lands,
Rise up, take form. and gaze with radiant eyes
Into nv lIfe. spread forth like sunlit skies
Into nv life. grown lordlier with new power,
And bright with hopes divinely blooming
flower
Into nv life, sweet fruit OF death and dream,
Triumphing and triumphant and supreme;
What strange, weird words OF yearning and
desire
Might burn upon their lips like soul-lt fire.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-15
Hearing but not Knowing.

The story is told of an intelligent
man who many years had sat under the
preaching of an eminent minister. This
mans sickness at last brought him
under the ministers personal care,
when the man was found entirely ig-
norant of the way of salvation Seek
ing the cause of this ignorance, the
minister was told, ''FOr years | have
not heard Sermon why ex-
claimed the other, Il have always re-
garded you a one of my most atten-
tive listeners But said the man,
while sat respectfully, and appeared
to listen, the fact Is, my thoughts were
far away, for my habit was to spend
the preaching time each Sunday in
planning out my next weeks work
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-15

with terror at the symptoms OF the babe,
she knows not what to do, and does
nothing but hold the suffering little one
to her breast until, an hour later, he
breathes his last; then, mad with grief
and sense of wrong done TO herself
and her child, enveloping herself in a
mantle, the young wife rushes out into
the storm to seek her husband.
Mechanically she bends her footsteps
toward the old oak tree. She has almost
reached it, when there is binding
flash, terrific report, which shakes the
earth to its very centre, and when Flor
ence RECEIVERS from the shock, she looks
| in bewilderment around, for where the
great oak stood there is nothing but a
heap of seeming rubbish. With that
last crash the storm ends, and day breaks
with streakings of many colored lights.
Still Florence hurries on. Arrived at
the oak tree, what sight meets her eye.
The gray rock, storm riven, had scat
tered its fragments about, while the
tree uprooted. has east its length upon
the ground, and under its heavy weight
lies the body of man.
Florence Albini has found her hus-
band at last.
Powerless, she sinks upon her knees,
while she shrieks and prays for aid. As
if in answer to her prayer, four men
appear, seemingly springing from the
earth, and, cutting and lifting the tree
away, they raise the body of Luigi AL
bini and turn aside. Scarce needing
what she does, Florence follows in their
footsteps.
The rift in the rock discloses flight
of roughly hewn stone steps, and down
these the sad procession wends its way.
through a short passage, to great
underground cave.
The body is scarcely deposited upon a
table in the midst of this apartment.
when a young girl, with passionate
cries filings herself upon 1t. This breaks
the spell which had sileneed Florence,
and pointing to the girl, she demands
''Who is she,"
The men answer quietly: He was
our chief. She is his wife,
Florie looks about the cavern, hung
about with weapons of almost every
description, and filled with merchandise
of every kind; upon the band of silent
men, each i'm his huntidg suit of green ;
upon the beautiful Italian girl, whose
streaming hair covers the face of the
dead. Then, for the.first time, the awful
truth bursts upon her. Luigi Albini
was the chief of this robber band.
If this fair young girl was his wife,
then what is she? With fearful dis
tinctness comes back the echo of her
fathers last words to her.
"When through him you have
brought disgrace upon the family name,
then to your misery and your shame add
the full measure of fathers curse.'
With a cry she catches up poniard
which lies on table near, and raises it
to end her miserable life; but God secs,
and pitying, sends His messenger,
death, who stays the suicidal hand,
while with his own He stills the throb-
bings of that stricken heart.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-15
Louis Blanc and Victor Hugo.

The contrast between the two men
who were thus brought together was in
the extreme. Louis Blanc was bOyish
or student-like in appearance, pale
faced, large-nOsed, erect. and small.
He seemed 10 me that evening the en-
bOdiment in spectacles of all that was
cold and classic-a dogmatie little bon
hOmme-pert and formal. Victor Hugo
thrust his hands into his pocket now
and then, and. looked like an athlete,
being little above the medium size,
with a strong and easy movement not
unlike a swagger. He stopped little,
sometimes, but rather like giant than
like an invalid. His hair was perfectly
white, likewise his beard, worn full,
but closely cropped, and making with
his uniformly flushed cheeks and fore
head very striking contrast. Every
inch of cuticle exposed to view showed
blood in it, and impressed me as man
of tremendous physical energies. His
forehead was broad, projecting, and
smaller than | had ever seen them in
any picture.
The eloquent CASTELAR,, by the way,
describes him as follows: Victor
Hugo's face is bright and animated,
like his mind; his head is large and
spherical: his forehead broad, like a
heaven destined to contain many stars ;
his eyes small, but deep As the abyss of
his thoughts; his nose is aquiline, his
beard snowy white, and his whole ex-
preston indicates the eliminating
qualities of his spirit: athletic powers,
indomitable energy, the countenance of
warrior, who retains his Olympian
serenity in the midst of the rudest
shock of battle the soul
moulded in the bronze reserved for the
greatest human intelligences.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-15

So long as the word "God" endures
In language will it direct the eyes Of
men upward. 1t is with the Eternal as
with the sun, which, If but its smallest
part can shine uneclipsed. prOloDgs the
day and gives its rounded image in the
dark chamber.-Richter.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-15

swift-coming, conscious bushes dye
face and throat, and she looks hurriedly
about as if some one, hearing. may give
the lie to the assertion, and then springs
along the fir-lined walk and enters the
house. Unheeding Aunt Eleanor's
chidings and inquiries, she locks her
self in her own chamber. Here we will
leave her, and retracing our steps, will
follow Luigi Albini to his destination.
As he hurries along many changes of
expression fit athwart that dark, hand
some face.
Sometimes the look is tender, some
times fierce, sometimes an angry frown.
At length resolve breaks from his lips !:
eyes, in spite of all, will win her J"
And we who have looked into the
heart of Florence Gerard, know that,
so far, as she is concerned, the task will
not be overheard.
We have reached the old oak again,
and pause to look out over the low banks
of the little stream TO the prairie be-
yond, whose royal robes of purple and
gold are fast deepening into the sable of
night.
A moment, and we turn once more 10
Luigi Albini. What, was he spirit or
devil? He is gone. And surely NOR
tai could not in moment have disap-
peared where naught breaks the mono
tony of the little plain save the little
stream the old oak tree and the great
rocks by its side, and none Of these con-
ceal him.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-15

One hOnOrs himself anu hIs hOuSe-
hold by the noble company who pass
his threshold and the free hospitalities
bestowed upon them.
some friendly guest,
Who le.. ing Us awhile, The rest
OF our companions look mOFcse and dun.
He was 50 good and beautiful-'
The house is unfurniShed and desolate
without woman: sOci6,t ~ .eOnversa-
ton were incomplete withouc 'er pres
enee and participation. Plain as IL
apartments may be, these are enhanced
by the presence of hostess upon whom
one looks graeiously as upon f'iir pie
ture ornamenting house and household
the presence of the host adding nobility
10 the mansion.-Alcott's To5le Tsik. J
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-15
The Oak Trees Secret.

1t is spring in California. Traversing
the undulsting wild region, we come at
length TO swift running streamlet,
upon whose low messy banks huge
rocks uplift themselves, while close be-
side, extending its leafy branches over
the rugged surface OF the boulders,
stands all old oak tree.
"why, you dear old oakl" exclaims
Florence Gerard, as she steps within its
grateful shade. II feel quite at home
with you. Now who would suppose
that one gnarled old tree could so closely
resemble household of human beings?
But, Just now, you look to me the very
moral as Maude would say, of the
Gerard family. There are your leaflets
and slender twigs dancing and singing
gleefully all the day long, and chatting
and coquetting alike with spring blasts
and spring breezes-those are Richie,
and Maude and me.
sYour great branches which sway
and murmur sometimes pleasantly,
sometimes sorrowfully, to the whisper
ings and whistling of the winds, and
the merry music of the dancing leaves
they are papa and mamma, and dear
Aunt Eleanor. While your great round
trunk, which has grown so gray and
unwieldly with age, and can only croak
and grumble at the pleasant branches,
and dismally chide the happy, thought
less little twigs-grandma Gerard for
all the world!' And with merry lit
tie laugh at her own conceit, Florence
seats herself at the foet of the tree and
busies herself in the arrangement OF
her burden OF wild flowers, and, in be-
half of her tired limbs, casts occasional
rueful glances toward the clump of tall
evergreens which hides from her view
the house of Gordon Gerard, fully a
mile away.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-15

IL II DO"- nv ON~'-
tree has become favorite resort with
Florence Gerard, and We find her this
afternoon reading within the shadow of
its wide spreading branches. The vol
ume does not prove very interesting, l
think, and she glances through 1t with
listless air, until the following words
put in the mouth of the heroine claim
her wandering attention:
'Three things there are which come
TO every woman in her turn-love, mar
riage and DEATH"
Love, marriage and DEATH" she
echoes; "why, have not even loved. "
The book slides from her grasp, while
Florie falls to dreaming Of her possible
hero, unmindful that even now he
stands at her side. A voice in pleasant
greeting brings her to herself, and with
a cry of alarm she half rises as her eye
falls upon the form beside her-the EN-
bodiment of her dream, tall, hand
some man in the dress of chieftain.
How IL came about cannot tell-for
Florie is usually a handsome miss-but
a half hour later finds her still at the
foot of the old oak tree, with the stran-
ger by her side. His eye rests upon the
fallen volume, and as he raises it from
the ground he glances at the name upon
the title page, "Florence Gerard"
"FIorence-' he repeats, "place of my
nativity, On, Italy, beautiful Italy
Must he repudiated forever by thee
Accused be the powers that keep me
forever from my birthright!''
Then as he notes the look of alright
in the eyes of his companion, which his
wild manner and passionate words have
called up, his voice sinks to a soft, sad
cadence as he relates the story OF the
wrong which banished his family from
their native land.
How much of truth and how much OF
fiction the story contains, neither you
nor 1 can tell, dear reader, since our
acquaintance with Luigi Albini began
with this summer afternoon.
Another half hour glides away-an-
other-an hour-the sun has almost hid
den its face behind the western slope,
and still we find them beneath the old
oak tree. At length Florie starts to her
feet. exclaiming at the flight of time
"Aunt Eleanor will think l have
fallen into the hands of the robbers,
who, they say, have a hiding-place
near" she said, adding with little
laugh, sand so may if l remain out
longer"
.Have no fear, lady! One so fair and
pure would not be molested by the
fiercest of that robber band"
al am not so certain of that. l fear
our California robbers do not possess
the tabled chivalry of your Italian ban
ditti. At any rate, should not like to
meet them"
"And lest you may, will accompany
you."
At the foot of the avenue, at Florie's s
request, Luigi takes his leave. Florie
watches him until his retreating figure
is lost in the gathering gloom. CHANGING
downward, her eyes rest npon the book
in her hand, and she repeats mechani-
cally, "Love, marriage, death, and l
have not even loved"
she starts with guilty look, while
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-15

A year and a season have passed away.
The winter winds moan and shrek
through the bare branches of the old
oak tree. The hard, brown plain, with
its tufts Of dried grasses, the stilled,
frozen streamlet, the gray rocks stripped
of their summer moses, and the lonely
tree, are overhung by sullen sky,
which betokens the approach of fierce
winter storm. All seem 10 speak of
death-death in its dreariest form. The
smoke which curls upwards from the
house among the fir trees shows that
there, at least, is life.
Soon after the wilful marriage of his
child, Gordon Gerard had removed his
family to the East, leaving the home
stead to Florence, although from that
autumn day he refused to see or hold
communication with her. And here
we find the two under the old oak
tree. Florence is seated by the fire
with the bundle of 'flesh, flannel and
flummery," which represents the heir
of Albini, upon her lap.
Luigi bends over mother and babe,
trying in vain TO discover in the round,
wide eyes of the latter that look Of in
telligence which the fond mother
plainly sees. Both seem happy, and yet
there is something-the shadow of a
shadow-on the brow of each which
shows the presence of serpent in this
seeming Paradise.
Rising, at length, Luigi says, as he
turns to leave the room: "Have tea by
seven, dear, as must be out tonight" "
The shadow deepens upon his wife's
brow as she says, hastily:
"Oh, not tonight, Luigi. See. it is
going to storm. Stay with me tonight"
Impossible. i must 60" And he
passes out quickly, to escape further ar
gument.
This is the skeleton in the closet" in
the home of Florence Albini. She is
happy in her home, her child, and III
the love of her husband, buta mystery
hangs over the movements of the latter.
At stated intervals, always in the
evening, he will leave her with some
flimsy excuse, returning far into the
night, though sometimes he is gone for
days. On these mysterious excursions
he invariably wears the jauDty Italian
suit of green in which he was attired at
their first meeting, and as invariably he
carries his sword and pistols along.
Poor Florie. No entreaties OF hers
win an explanation from Luigi, and no
suspicion of the dreadful truth is forced
upon her.
This night she sits up till long after
midnight, alone In the terrible storm,
awaiting his return. Wearied, she at
length throws herself upon the couch
in the library, and drawing the baby's
crib alongside, falls into troubled
sleep. A restless movement from the
child awakens her. He lies with VIDE,
staring eyes, gasping and painting for
breath, while at intervals a hoarse,
choking cry escapes him.
Luigi has not yet returned, and wild
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-15

Patience and gentIeness are power.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-15

The leaves are growing brown upon
the old oak tree. But so soft and balmy
have been the breeZes that scarcely one
has flown from its parent stem, and
they rustic and murmur as cheerily as
before. A rare picture it presents as
the autumn sunshine gilds and bur-
nishes its vari-colored leaves, which
shadow picture still more rare.
Beneath that leafy canopy we find
once more Luigi Albini and Florence
Gerard. He stands with his 1.-the fig
ure proudly erect. while his eyes rest
in loving triumph upon the form beside
him. The breezes sway the folds OF her
white dress and catch in the meshes of
the white lace mantle which Fiorie has
drawn up over her yellow hair, and fas-
tened with a single autumn rose to simu-
late bridal veil.
The keen eyes of the Italian, wander
ing for a moment, noted the approach
in the distance of a dark, moving OBJ
ject, and, whispering to the priest, who
is before them, "Make haste" he again
stands immOvable.
Even now the moving object may be
seen to be swift-riding horseman.
Fast and furious he rides, but the last
words have been spoken, the blessing
pronounced, and ere he reaches the old
oak tree, Luigi Albini and Florence
Gerard stand there man and wife.
Vain are the reproaches, the threats,
the entreaties of Gordon Gerard. To
all Florie has but one answer:
she is my husband now; | cannot
leave him. But, papa, please forgive
me. DO not curse mel"
"No," he says, 81 will not curse you
now; but when disgrace has come upon
you through this adventure; when
through him you bring disgrace upon
the name of Gerard, then, to your
misery and shame, add the full measure
of fathers curser' and without an
other word the irate old man rides off
fast and furious as he came.
Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-12-22
A SHREK FOR HELP I:
How Local OAeial Rushsd to tho Rescue
and How He Rushoil hack.

How Local OAeial Rushed to the Rescue
aud How He Rushsd Back.
A we'll known local official. whose name
II is not necessary to give ii this connec.
ticn, received . fright the other night.
which threw him into state of nervous
fear, which has continued ever slnos-fear
that the boys would find IT cut. The bet.
ter half Of the sflclal has gone esss to
spend the holidays, and during her absence
he Is boarding at a private house IN quiet
part OF the city. On the evening in ques-
tlon, after adding up his account and closing
bis store, he started for his boarding house.
piously inveighing against the devilish
weather, and ever and anon az his foot
missed the almost submerged crossings, and
the mud and water squirted up his legs.
more vehemently cursed the mud and
weather too. But he finally arrived at his
destination. and after saying his little
prayer, he lay down in his little bed, and
soen the responsibilities Of office aud the
cares Of business were bauished by "tired
natures sweet restorer. balmv sleep" But
his sleep was doomed to rude awakening.
Just as he was in the middle OF dream, in
which he imagined he was boy again, and
Santa Claus was putting into his pendant
stocking sky.blue dog witha pink tail, .
piercing shrek broke upon the night air,
and aroused him from his pleasant fancy.
He sprang upright in bed, but before he
could collect his scattered senses, the blood.
curdling cry was repeated, and in a
moment he was wide awake and his
chivalrous spirit aroused. The cry,
a. it came to his ear, was that
of female in distress. and nervine himself
to deeds of valor In defense of injured
beauty, be seized boot jack, and rushed
en- deshab2e. into the street, to knock the
cowardly assailant Of the shrieking beauty
out Of sight in the mud. There was blood
in his eye, and nervo in his arm. Upon
reaching the sidewalk he saw in the middle
of the street. where the mud aud water was
the deepest, white object, and believing
it to be the assailed female, and that the
SSN"sNiJ oSSaatouS was ClNoC a. uhlu, ue
raised his weapon and sprung knee deep in.
to the soft slush, exclsiming, Now you ir.
fernal coward -" Here the shriek was
repested, and q large white goose waddled
rapidly out Of the way of the advancing
man and boot-jack! Our hero saw the
point, and sadly returned tn the house pom.
dering upon the similarity between the
squawk of happy goose, revelipg in the
mud and water Of Third street, and The
agopizing shriek Of distressed female. A.
he scraped the mud from his shivernf
shlns there was an evil light In our hero
eyes, and as that awful cry again reache,
bis ears just as he was crawling back int
his couch. he gave audible utterapce to th
wish. that somebody would have tina
ID old goose for Christmas dinner.