davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-21

The singing of canticles at Christmas.
now called carols, and which are intended
to remind OF the songs supposed TO have
been sung by the shepherds at the birth of
the Saviour, dates, it is thought, from the
time when the common people ceased to
understand the Latin language and the
modern Italian was beginning to take
distinctive form. The bishops of the
Church and others of the lower order of
the clergy frequently joined with the pop
ulace in singing these rude songs, whether
of religious praise or worldly glorifcation,
while they were enlivened by dancing to
the music of tambourines, guitars, haut-
boys and other instruments generally found
in the hands of the peasantry in European
countries. Fathers, mothers, sons and
daughters" says historian, "minpled
together in the dance; if in the night. each
bearing lighted wax taper in handn-
this also an out cropping of the idea from
which the Yue festival was called THE
Feast Of Lights"
Up to the present date during the last
lew days which preccde Christmas, it is
the custom Of the Calabrian Ministries to
come down from the surrounding noun
tains to Rome and Males, salutinp with
their wild, rude music the shrines of the
Virgin Mary as they pass under the poetic
and kindly notion of cheering and sustain
ing her until the birth of the expected in
FAINT on Christmas Day. The usual picto
rial representation o!Christ's nativity shows
an infant in manager, the Virgin st. Jo-
seph and the Eastern magi or kings, with
their offerings, around, and oxen and asses
in their stalls; but Raphael, the prince of
delineators Of the event, in certain pic
ture introduces shepherd playing upon
sort of bagpipe.
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-21
MI i s G eIlan @ us.
The Mysterious Stranger.
A CHRISTMAS TALE.
BY MARS.

In the year 1S- there lived, about
mile from Charleston, S. c., widow lady
and her two daughters. The lady's name
named Virginia and Ida. Mrs. Laurens
was handsome, accomplished and refined
lady, of true Southern type. Her daugh-
tiers were aged respectively eighteen and
twenty years. Virgy was the eldest and
both were beautiful young ladies, highly
educated, and as good as they were captiva,
ting and refined. The only other person
in the family was an Irish girl named
Bridget. The husband and father, John
Laurens, had been dead two years. During
his lifetime they had lived in afiluence.-
He was merchant, and was considered
rich, and took great pains in bringing up
his children. giving them each a first class
education. The whole family were men,
bers of the Protestant Episcopal church,
and devout worshippers of the Blessed Re.
deemer. But alas sad reverse awaited
them, for after Mr.. Laurens' death it ap-
peared that in an unguarded moment he
had endorsed largely for worthless firm,
who failed, and it took his whole estate to
liquidate the claims for which he had made
himself liable.
After his death the accomplished widow
and her beautiful daughters found
themselves destitute, with the wide cold
world to make living in. They did not
despair, but rented comfortable house
about mile from the city, from man
named Elnathan Hogg. They moved to
their new and humble home, and the young
ladies opened select school. The mother
and Bridget attended to the household
duties, whilst Virgie and Ida kept the
school, and thus they made an honorable
living. They were regular attendants OF
church, and put their trust in their kind
Heavenly Father and their Blessed Redeem
err, Jesus Christ.
Elnathan Hogg, their landlord, lived in
house near them. This fellow came from
New England. He had been in Charleston
several years, his business being that of a
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-21

where this money comes from, for it was
sent to you, and you will never know by
whom. And now, daughters, continue to
worship our Blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ
our Lord, and great will be your reward
Farewell"
The mysterious stranger took his depart
ure as noiselessly as he had entered. The
young ladies went to the door to look after
him, but he had disappeared.
After he had gone they examined the roll
he had given them, and found it to contain
1--we thousand dollars in genuine United
States bank notes.
About day-break an honest Hibernian
drove cart to the door, loaded with pro-
visions of the choicest kind, together with
breakfast ready cooked. Upon being
questioned, honest Pat told them that
curiously- dressed gentleman, and the hand
soonest man he had ever seen, called on him
hours agone, and ordered those articles,
and "bliss his sowl, but he paid me four
times as much as l axed him. Nav the
Vargin bliss him !"
wassall that night, drinking brandy, Ca
rousing, singing obscene songs and cursing
religious people, until midnight, when they
retired to their beds. About five o'clock
they were awakened from their drunken
sleep by Hogg, who was screaming at the
top of his voice. They arose in haste and
made rush for his room, but they met him
running at full speed. He shouted to them
to clear the road, for monstrous serpent
with eyes of fire, was after him. He ran
down stairs, and throwing open the door,
bounded out on the porch In his blind
haste he stumbled over the widows barrel
of flour, and falling head foremost down
the stone steps broke his neck and in an
instant was a corpse. There was intense
excitement among his companions. The
rich man was dead. The coroner was sent
for and the jury returned verdict that
Elnathan Hogg came to his death by acct
dent.
The widow and her daughters were per-
picked and did not know what to do with
their treasure. They sent the faithful Brid-
get Tor their worthy pastor, requesting him
to visit them without delay. He was soon
there, and they gave him faithful account
of all that had TRANSFERRED. The minister
told them to do as the stranger had hidden,
as he thought it was the mysterious work
OF Providence. The bank was closed for
Christmas, but the ladies, accompanied by
the good pastor, went to the President of
the bank and told him the whole mysteri-
Gus circumstances. The President was in
terested, and kindly took the money for
sate-keopin&, giving Mrs, L. a certificate of
deposit.
Their troubles were thus happily ended,
but the transaction remains q mystery
Not word has ever since been heard that
could throw any light on this most singu-
lar affair. Who was he? After time
the place formerly belonging to Hogg was
solo, and Mrs. L. and her Daughters bought
it. The young ladies were afterward both
happily married, and now have bright
smiling children, whom grandma delights
to instruct in the first lessons of religion.
TnGlju
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-21
p @ I'll g al.
The Star Above the Manager.

The Star Above tlIr Manager.
One night, while lowly shepherd swains
Their tleecy change attended,
A light burst DER Judca's plains,
Unutterably splendid.
Far in the dusky orient.
star unknown in story
Arose to flood the armament
with more than morning glory.
The clustering consultations, erst
80 glorlously cleaning,
Waned when its sudden splendor burst
Upon their palcr bcaming.
And heaven drew nearer earth that night
Fling wide its pearly portals
Sent forth from ali its realms of light
lis radiant immortals.
They lowered in the golden air
Their ccnsors golden swinging,
They woke the drowsy shepherds there
With their seraphic singing.
Yet earth on this her gala night
No jubilee was keeping
She lay, unconscious of the light,
In silent beauty sleeping.
No more shall brightest cherubim
And statelicst archangels,
Symphonlous sing such choral hymn
Proclaim so sweet evangels.
No more appear that star at eve,
Though glimpses Of its glory
Are seen by those who still believe
The shepherds simple story.
In faiths clear armament afar
TO unbeIef Il stranger
Forever glows the golden star
That stood above the manger.
Age after age may roll away,
But on Times rapid river
The light of its celestial ray
Shall never cease to culver.
Frail barges on the swelling tide
Arc drifting with the ages;
The skies grow dark-around each bark
bowling tempest RACES!
Pale with alright, lost helmsmen steer,
While cracking timbers SILVER;
The breakers roar-grim Death is near
Oh who may now deliver!
Light-light from the heraldic star
Breaks brightly DER the billow,
The storm, rebuked, has fled atar,
The pilgrim seeks his pillow.
Lost, lost indeed, his heart must be
His way how dark with danger,
Whose hooded eye may never see
The star above the manger.
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-21
Old Santa Claus.

Old Santa Claus sat alone in his den,
With his leg crossed over his knee,
While comical look peeped out at his eyes,
For funny old fellow was he.
His queer little cap was tumblcd and torn,
And his wig, it was all awry;
But he sat ana unused all day long,
While the hours went flying by.
He had been as busy as busy could be,
In filling his bag with toys,
He had gathered his nuts and baked his pies,
To give to the girls and boys.
There were dolls for the girls and whips for the
boys,
With wheelbarrows, horses and drays,
And bureaus and trunks for dolly's new clothes
All these in his pack he displays.
OF candies, too, both twit ted and striped,
He had furnished Il plentiful store,
While raisins, and figs, and prunes and grapes,
Hung up on peg by the door.
81 am almost ready" quoth he, quoth he,
"And Christmas is almost here;
But one thing more-l must writ them book,
And give to each one this year."
So he clapped his specs on his puffy nose,
And, selling his stump Of a pen,
He wrote more lines in one little hour
Than you ever could read in ten
He told them stories, all pretty and new,
And wrote them all out in rhyme;
Then packed them away with his box of toys
To distribute one at time.
And Christmas eve, when all were in bed,
Right down the chimney-hc flew;
And stretching the stocking leg at the top,
He clappcd in book for you.
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-21

In the absence of grain for your cattle,
change OF diet by feeding straw, or coarse
hay, is better than good hay alone.
"A new insect pest is announced 1t is
Il worm that eats the blossoms and fruit of
the cranberry. Its first appearance was on
Cape Cod.
After snow storms tramp the snow
firmly around the trunks of fruit trees to
keep away mice. A strip of tarred paper,
foot or more wide tied around the base,
will prevent both rabbits and mice from
gnawing.
Many consider that ducks are more
profitable than hens for home use, taking
into account the number and size of the
eggs laid 10y them. The solid matter and
oil in ducks egg exceeds that of hens
egg by fully one-fourth.
A slow and careless mixer, or one
whose treatment is harsh, will soon dry up
the best of cows. The animal must be ap-
preached gently, never struck or abused,
while the operation of milking should be-
yin gradually, steadily increasing in rapid
ity, until all is drawn. If the milking be
performed in the stall, it is good plan to
Iced at the same time with roots or hay.
i had three large boulders in one of
my fields. They weighed about three, four
and five tons respectively. took some old
stumps, old fence rails, several brush heaps,
and the small limbs of an old apple tree
in all | had perhaps little over half n
cord of wood. Iput it upon the boulders,
and set it on fire, and it made them as full
of cracks as if they were glass. The heav-
lest piece did not weigh over one hundred
pounds, and some of the smallest pieces did
not weigh over five pounds. Some kinds
of stones will not crack at all, while others
will crack into hundred pieces with less
than one-fourth of cord of wood burned
| around them.-Ohio Farmer.
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-21
Origin of st. Nicholas.

This person really lived 400 years ago
in Myra, Il city situated in what is now
Turkey in Asia, looking out upon the
Mediterranean, almost at the entrance of
the Archipelago. Nicholas was bishop of
Myra, and was so devout and worthy a
man that he was revered far and near. A
mythical story is told of his restoring to
life two boys, whom a landlord of Myra
had killed and salted down with pork
This miracle made him the special protec-
tor of boys and students, and afterwards
he became patron of Christmas gifts and
the particular saint of those holidays in
this wise: Nicholas came to be very rich
as archbishop of Myra, and esteeming
money for its real worth, the truest happi-
ness in brings, spent good part Of his
time in giving it away, so that no one
knew from whom it came. There was a
nobleman in Myra who had three portion
less daughters. and Nicholas enabled them
to marry by throwing purses of gold at
their feet through the open window. The
nobeman found out who the mysterious
giver was, as Nicholas was endowing the
third daughter in this singular way, and
after Nicholas died and was sainted, the
secret leaked out. The nuns in the east
ern converts initiated Nicholas secret
charity, and used to leave gifts at the doors
of their friends on certain holidays. The
door of the Abbess of the convent used to
be decorated with silk stocking labeled
with paper invoking the liberal aid of
st. Nicholas, and in the morning the stock
ing would be found full of presents. ChIl-
dren took to initiating this custom, and
hence rose the spirit of Santa Claus or St.
Nicholas and his wonderful sleigh load,
which so many stockings have been hung
up to receive. There is quite lesson for
older heads in the manner in which Mich
oas quietly bestowed his charity.
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-21
FARM FOR SALE.

NJ lNETY ACRES of good farming Land,
IN situated II miles from Bel Air. Apply
to CHARLES W. NORRIS,
my Be Air, Md
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-21
Christmas SuperStitiOns.

The superstitions connected with Christ
mas are many and full of interest. In ref
erence, almost every people, and indeed
every community, have their pet sayings
and signs. Stories in connection with
beasts and birds are abundant. Shak-
spearc, encouraging the idea of the inilu-
ence of the period over the lower order of
animals, refers to the tradition that at mid
night of Christmas Eve, at the growing of
the cock, evil spirits forsake the earth and
seek their own places. He says:
Ever 'gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning simgelh all night long;
And then they say no spirit stirs abroad;
The nights are wholesome; then no planet
strikes;
No fairy takes, nor witch has power to charm
So hallowed and SO gracious is the time.
In the western part of Devonshire, Eng
land, n notion prevails that at 10 o'clock
at night on Christmas Eve the oxen in their
stalls are always found upon their knees, as
in attitude of devotion, while what is most
remarkable in the superstition is that since
the change of style they are found in the
kneeling posture only on Christmas Day.
"An honest countryman," we find, Giving
on the edge st. Stephens Down, near
Launceston, Cornwall" says that he once
with some Others made trial of the habits
of the oxen on Christmas Eve, and watched
several in their stalls at the appointed
hour, observed the oldest two fall upon
their knees; and as lie expressed it in the
idiom of the section, they made "a cruel
moan like Christian creatures" There is
an old picture in which the oxen OF the
stable are represented in a supplicant posi-
ton, on their knees and doubtless this
picture originated the fabulous story.
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-21

Ye merry hearts that meet to laugh and dance
the hours away,
Ye gentle hearts that better love in sheltered
homes to pray,
Think on the homes whose Christmas guests are
only want and care,
Think on the hearts too sad for mirth, too sad
perchance for prayer.
OIL sad and short the wintry days; oh sad and
long the night,
When in the heart there is no hope, and in the
house no light
No fire, no food Yet goodly gifts, vet words of
Christian cheer
Can make the grave seem further oft-can make
the heavens more near.
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-21
Sewing Machines !
TOA
GOLD BASIS.
Bead These Prices :

secor,. Empire, Htna, Keystone Common
Sense, Florence, Blees, Domestic, Home, Nc.
Lean u Hooper, and other makes at equally low
prices.
All attachments, including Tucker, Binder,
extra Hemmer, &c, free
Write without delay for our new "a page L.
Illustrated PRICE LIST.
OrmOnd Manufacturing Co,
my4-1y Al N Gay Street, Baltimore.
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-21

g ALE BILLS printed at The 1Egis office
y neatly, cheaply, and at short notice
Orders by mail carefully attended to.
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-21
Small farms make near neighbor

Small farms make near neighbors
they make good roads; they make plenty
of good schools and churches; there is
more money made in proportion to the la
Dor; less labor is wanted everything is
kept neat; less wages have to be paid for
help; less time is wasted; more raised to
the acre; besides it is titled better; there
is no watching of hired help; the mind is
not kept in a worry, stew, and fret all the
time.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-07-05
Praying in the Night.Watches.

AM not surprised at David 8 praying
to GOO in the night-watches; at his rising
from his bed, and ascending to the roof
of his house. and when the mighty heart
of the city was still, and the mountains
round about Jerusalem were sleeping in
the calm brilliancy of an Eastern night,
that he should gaze with rapture on the
sky, and pour forth such psalm of
praise as "When consider the Heavens
the work of Thy fingers" etc.
The night is more suited to prayer than
the day. never wake IN the middle of
the night without feeling induced to CON-
mune with God. One feels brought more
in contact with Him. The whole world
round us, We think, is asleep. But the
great Shepherd of Israel slumbers not,
nor sleeps. He is awake, and so are we
We feel, in the solemn and silent night,
alone with God. And then there is every
pray. The past is often wildly recalled.
The voices of the dead are heard, and
their forms crowd around you. No sleep
can bind them. The night seems the
time in which they should hold spiritual
communion with man. The future, too,
throws its dark shadow over you the
night OF the grave, the certain death bed,
the night in which no man can work.
And then everything makes such an inn
preston on the mind at night, when the
brain is nervous and susceptible. The
low sough of the wind among the trees;
the roaring, or eerie schish of some neigh.
boring stream; the bark, or low howl OF
the dog; the general impressive silence,
all tend to sober and .solemnize the mind,
and to force it from the world AMI its
vanities, which then seem asleep to God,
who alone can uphold and defend it.
Norman Macleod.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-07-05
Neglect OF Pastures.

THIS is the only country in the world
where any pretensions are made to good
farming-that no attention is given to inn
proving pastures. In taking up a new
farm, the poorest portion is Invariably set
apart for the pasture After the best por
tons are planted and sown to annual
crops, as long as they will pay the cost of
cultivation, the land is seeded down to
grass. This is cut and cured for hay, till
the farmer is ashamed of the small
amount he gets from an acre, when he
concludes that he will convert the field
into pasture. He seldom seems to think
that his pasture is his great source of
wealth; that his cows get from it the ma.
terlals which furnish milk; that the grass
It produces makes most of the wool, beef
and mutton he has to sell; and that all his
young cattle obtain their living from the
pasture about seven months in evcrv wear.
He seems To forget that he aud his teams
work all summer chiefly to obtain food
which the stock consumes during the win,
ter, whilaAis pastures furnish. supply
for longer period, without any labor
being expended upon them.
Land once turned out to pasture ID
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-07-05
Religious.
'HE GIVETH HIS BELOVED SLEEPS

A LITTLE child rests on a bed of pain.
With an aching head and thrObbing brain:
feverish flu h on the soft cheek lies,
And a wistful look in the sweet blue eyes.
As the sick child means: "How the slow hours
Will the Lord not send to His little one sleeps''
fair Wv"
The clustering locks of her golden hair,
And murmured: !" My darling. we cannot tell,
But we know that the Father doth all things well
And we know that never creature in pain
Addressed prayer to His mercy in vain.
Time has no line that His hand may not smooth:
Life has no grief tina His love cannot sOothe:
And the fevered brow shall have rest ut last,
In the healing shade from the death cross cast.
Look up my precious one; why shouldst thou
The Lord giveth aye to His loved ones Sleep
And the little one gazed with glad surprise
In the loving dep bs of those patient eyes.
Then lifted her lips for one long embrace,
And turned with smile on her weary face
And the mother smiled as the early morn
Marked the deep peace on the childish form
And cried aloud in her thankfun9ss deep:
The dear Lord be praised, who hath given her
sleepi''
Aye, mother-she sleeps in that charmed repose
That shall waken no more to earth's pains and
For the Savior hath gathered His lamb to His
breast,
Where never life's storms shall her peace modest.
His dear love wiled not that time should trace
One sOrrOwful line on that innOcent face:
Others, less favored, might suffer their share
Of the midnight toll and the nOOntide glare;
Others might labor. others might weep,
But the Lord giveth aye to His loved ones
sleep" chambers Journal.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-07-05
Confessing Christ.

Now, If we are ashamed of Him, He
certainly will be ashamed of us. There
was boy got up in one of the meetings in
Boston number of years ago. There
were many aged Pilgrims there. The
boy got up and he could not talk good
English; he was a Norwegian, and four
teen years IF age. With the tears trick
ling down his cheeks, he said: If tell
the world about Jesus, Jesus will tell the
Father about me-" have never forgot
ten that speech cannot tell you a word
that those aged ren said, but that little
boys testimony burned down into my
soul. Ii we own Him in this unbelieving
world, and confess Him, He will confess
us before God and the holy angels. Dur
ing the war our Generals were very anx-
iOus to have their names mentioned in
Congress, and how proud they were when
spoken of in words OF praise. If we
think so much of being mentioned pub
licly here, how much ought we to think
of being mentioned in the Courts of
Heaven? If we confess Him down here,
He will confess us up yOndcr. ! cannot
describe the blessing 1 felt in my soul
when l confessed that had taken my
stand on the Lords side. I was a new
man, and would not give up the priv.
lege of speaking for Christ if you would
give me the whole world.-D. L. Aoody.