davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25
Pauperism and EXIT hgance.

The case. prinat acie, is always against
a p1hpeH The accidents of life some
times cast man or q women high and
dry uponathe sand ofxhelrless poverty {;
but usually pauperisn comes through a
lack of the prudential virtues. 1t is not
always that paupe1 estes his revenues
ins.drink or other imn elities; but some
where in his career, forty mine times in
fifty, 1t will be found that he has been
extravagant; that he has not exercised
self-6enial under temptation; that he has
lived up to or beyond his means, or has
ventured upon risks that the lowest grade
If business PRUDENCE would condemn.
Now who is toj ear the penalty of these
sins and mista How are thew to be
prevented in trtdre, if those who commit
them, regardless of consequences, are to
be coddled and taken care of by those
who have denied themselves and laid un
little Wealth. U %
Good, rugged, grand old Thomas Car
lyle! 1t is refreshing to read amid the
mawkish sentimentality Of this latter day
such healthy utterance as this from his
sturdy pen: ''Let wastefulness, idleness,
improvidence take the fate which God
has appointed them, that their opposites
may also Lave q chance for their fate.'
AS it is, our philanthropists try to make
us believe that the special business Of a
thrifty man is not in any way to enjoy
the fruit of his prudence and enterprise.
but to shield the shifttcss people around
HIM from the results of their own impu-
dence and improvid John G.. Hoz-
land; ScribRer for December.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25

up the tree nearest to him, and came out
on q small dead limb opposite me, and
composed himself to listen. sang and
whistled more than dozen tunes, and as
the music changed his eyes sparkled, and
he turned his head quickly from side to
side, but made no other response. Other
squirrels, hearing the strange sounds.
came around on all sides. chipmunks al,
80, and birds. One Of the birds, hand
some, speckle-breasted thrush, seemed
even more interested than the squirrels.
After listening for while on one Of the
lower dead sprays Of a pine, he came
swooping forward within few feet of
my face, where he remained fluttering in
the air tor half minute or so, susta ming
himself with twhirring wing beats, like q
hummilg-bird III front of a flower,
while | could look into his ewes
and see his innocent wonder.
BY this time my performance must have
lasted nearly half an hour. l sang or
whlstled Bonnie DOOM" class o. Cow.
RE" "O'er the Water to Charlie" sBon-
ME Woods o. Cragie Lee,' ETC., all of
which seemed to be Listened to with
bright interest, my first Douglass sitting
patiently through it all, with his telling
eyes fixed upon me until I ventured to
give the "Old Hundredth,n when he
screamed his Indian name, Pillillooeet,
turneo tail, and darted with ludicrous
haste up the tree out of sight, his voice
and actions in the case leaving some
what profane impression, as he had said
"l'll be hanged if you get me to hear any
thing so solemn and unpiney." This
acted as signal for the general dlsper-
sal OF the whole hairy tribe. though the
birds seemed willing to wait further de-
velopments, music being naturally more
in their line.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25
Are We to Have a New POtatoe ?

Correspondence from Washington
states that several months ago Gen. Les
Due, the commissioner OF agriculture, war
told by gentleman who had resided for
some years in Peru that a very superiod
variety of the Irish potato was produce
IN the mountainous regions lying INNER
dlately back OF Lima, some seventy cd
eighty miles from the coast. He describe
these potatoes as being Of medium sizen
round, OF bright golden color whe =
cooked, and of delicious flavor. yer f
different from that Of any variety cd
potato known in this country. He sal
he was OF the opinion that they might b
cultivated to advantage in this country
He said he was of the opinion that tn e
might be cultivated to advantage in this
country, because, although produced in
the tropics, the great elevation at which
they were grown, $500 to 10000 feet
above the level of the sea, made the eli
mate equal to that of the temperate zones.
The gentleman spoke SO highly of these
potatoes and expatiated upon their
appearance and flavor in such glow
! ing terms that Gen. LIE Due became con-
WINGED that they were of kind hitherto
unknown to American asriculturists, and
that if they could be introduced into this
country they would be a great and valu-
able acquisition. The knowledge also
that the potato is indigenous to Peru and
Chill, and that the rest of the world hao
been originally supplied from these coun-
tries, was further inducement to him to
believe that an experiment in this direc-
ton would be successful. He took steps
10 secure supply, ana with that object
addressed accommodation to the United
States conc ct CallaoA requesting that
3functb nszo Precurs fsuffchnt guam
tity and forward them to, MIN at Wash
lngton by express. The Consul promptly
complied with his request, and q few
days ago Gen. LIE Due received two
crates of the potatoes in tolerably fair
condition, and obtained from them
about two and a half bushels OF sound
seed potatoes, fairly bristling with eyes,
and enough to furnish seed for full and
fair experiments to be made He has al
ready given out few for planting In
California. The remainder Will be care
fully preserved until next spring, when
they will be distributed among careful
and competent farmers in different states.
In order to be sure that the potatoes re-
ceived were the same which the gentle
man had spoken of, Gen. LIE Due invited
him to go to the department and inspect
them. He did so, and after selecting three
of the best, had them boiled in the
laboratory. When broken open they
were found to be of the kind he had
described. They were of a deep yellow
color and delicious flavor, entirely differ
ent from that of any potato ever seen by
any Of the gentlemen present, and all
agree that if they could be grown in this
country it would undoubtedly be great
public benefit.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25
q Ma ~

And then in twinkling heard on the roof,
The prancing and paving Of each little hoof
AS drew in my head, and was turning around
bouEdi
loot,
And his clothes were all furnished with ashes
and SCOT;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like peddlel just opening his
pack;
His eyes, how they twinkled his dimples how
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like
cherry;
HIS droll little mouth was drawn up like
And the beard on his chin was as white as the
ssshe stump Of pipe he held in his teeth,
and the smoke it encircled his head like
wreath.
Hehad broad face and little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full
ofjelly.
He was chubby and iplump-a right jolly old
eli;
And l laughed when I saw him in spite of
myself.
4 wink Of his eye, and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not word, but went straight to his
work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with
ajerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving nod up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave
whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of
thistle,
But heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of
sight,
"MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND A GOOD
NIGHT"
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25
Whistling to Squirrels.

Mr.. John Muir, the naturalist, has
short paper in Scribner for December on
The Douglass Squirrel of California;
Of which little is known in the East, in
which he relates the following unique ex-
pe1ience: -e
Though I cannot of course expect all
my readers to sympathize fully in my
admiration of the little animal, few hope
will think this sketch OF his lie too long.
I cannot begin to tell here how much he
has cheered my lonely wanslerings during
all the years have been pursuing my
studies in these glorious wilds; or how
much unm1stakable humanity I have
found in him. Take this for example:
One cain, dreamy, Indian summer morn
ing, when the nuts were ripe, I was
camped in the upper pine nods Of the
south fork of the San Joaqd6 where the
squirrels seemed to be about as plentiful
as the ripe burrs. They were taking an
early breakfas: before going 10 their reg
ular harvest work. While I was busy
with my own breakfast heard the thud-
ding fall of two or three heavy Cones
from a yellow pine near me, and stole
noiselessly forward within about tWeenty
feet of the base of it to observe. In q
few moments down came the Douglass
The breakfast. burrs he had cut off had
rolled on the gently slopi1g ground into
a clumpso ceanothus bushes, but he
seemed to know exactly where they
were, for he found them at once, appar
emily without search for them. They
were more than tWid ~ 70 himself
but after turning "a Into light po-
sition for getting good hold with his
long sickle. teeth he amansged to drag
them upsto esfoot OF the tree he had
cut them from, moving backward. Then
seating himself comfortably, he held
them on end, bott d up, and demolished
them with easy rapidity. A good deal
sof nibbling had to- he done before he got
anything to eat, because the lower scales
e barren, but when he had patiently
worked his way up to the fertile ones he
1nnl two sweet nuts n tie base of each,
ShSped like trimmed hams, and purple
spotted like birds egg. And notwith-
standing these cones were dripping with
soft balsam, and covered with prickles,
and SO strongly put together that a boy
would be puzzled to cut them open with
q jack-knife, he accomplishes his meal
with easy dignity and cleanliness, maxi
ing less effort apparently than man
would in eating soft cookery from q
plate.
Breakfast done, I thought I would
whistle tune for him before he went to
work, curious to see how he would lie af-
fected by it. He had not seen me all this
while; but the instant l began he darted
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25
seven times the phantcm came back. al
WAYS with the same cYy

seven times the phantom came back. al
ways with the same cry,
At length, mastered by an almoet ire
sistible impulse, he rose, dressed himself,
and went out on the hill He walked
some distance. but coul ] see nothing ex-
cept the heather bells waving in the
moonlight: could hear nothing but dis
tant sheep-beli tinkling softly. and the
stream warbling below in the valley.
He was just going back. when suddenly
shrill cry reached him, seeming TO
come from neighboring combe. Hurry
ing in that direction, he saw at the bot
tom of the combe two figures, those of a
man and a woman, apparently struggling
with each other As he drew near. the
man ran away and the woman fell to the
ground. When he came up he found that
it was Mary. She had only tainted, and
he soon brought her to herself. Then by
degrees she confessed to him that her
lover had persuaded her to meet him that
night in the combo, bringing with her
small sum of money which she had
saved from early childhood by LAYING by
little gifts Of friends and relations. and
which, according to the custom common
among her class in that day, sh. had
kept IN an old stocking instead of the
bank. Townsend had promised to eiepe
with her, and marry her. and as she
loved him, and her father would not al
low the match, she had consented to 90.
But when he met her, had tried to rob
her OF her money. She had resisted, and
struggled with him, and just then the
clergymen had come up and the villain
had run away. After that night Mr.. N
was believer in the providential nature
of dreams
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25

files. They must meet the spirits Of Just
men made perfect.
II you take away all falsehood, all sim
you get q very good idea of heaven. It
is enough for me to know that in the 9TH.
er life every one is wiser; the best things
become common. 1t. does not follow
that the feelings will be the same in the
other life. There will be the mother
feeling. HOWE I don't know. Shall
know my friend2 Friendship Is imper-
ishable. 1t will be a thousand times bet
ter; the feeling won't die out; i6 will be
larger, grander. You can afford to let
the show 60. 1t is thought that has
given great comfort to my mind I, too,
stumbled over that thought shall I
know my father and mother? Shall
friendships formed here be left2 It don't
believe I ever formed a friendship that
died out) I am satisfied that the essen.
(tial qualities will not only exist, but be
higher; no matter how. 1t is enough to
know that you will be satisfied on every
point. Suppose you were distressed in
business, and a friend said, "Leave this
matter to me. will attend to it," You
say how? No matter how. You know
l can and will do it, and that is enough.
Would you let him do it, And so in re-
gard TO the other life. l say He that
loved me so we'll as to give His life for
me will not deceive me. I shall be sat
lstied. f&
Thele are other questions coming up,
such as, Do those gone to heaven think
OF us? Now, it will do us no harm to say,
Yes, they do. If thinking of it gives the
least bit of comfort, then think SO. It
may be poetry, but it is blessed poetry
and harmless. It was part Of the ancient
Christianity to believe that the great
Christians above held communion with
the ones below Another question is,when
we die shall we 60 Immediately to heaven,
or 60 70 sleep, or take a round about
Journey, or what is going to happen?
Some believe that VIC shall lie in a state
OF uncosciousness until we are all al orsed
to live in heaven" If a man think so, let
him; but say, not I. I believe that the
souls OF Christians, when they die, enter
Immediately into heaven ..
DO you ask me on what ground I be-
lleve thiss | say no positive ground; but
the whole tenor of the epistles implies it,
in my opinion. have one other thought,
and that is the thought Of the mode by
which we shall enter on our rest, and
whether we have right to wish it in one
way or another. If I am sick, do I in
terfere with Gods designs because l try
to get we'll? May 60 on resisting things
| don't like and at last stop? It is my
privilege to desire way it is my desire
to die suddenly-to die working up to
the last minute. I don't like the idea
of wasting and wasting, and very likely
l shall, because don't like it. I don't
wish to see myself conquered by the bat
tie of life. l don't think am wrong. I
prefer the instantaneous method; but I
shall die as God pleases, and can't help
myself -Beec7ter.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25
JOHN HOLLANDS MERRY CHRIST.
MAS. -.

TIC day before Christmas every store win
dow was wreathed in green, every rare and
beautiful thing exposed to tempt the passer-
by was labeled "Christmas gift' Even the
corner groceries and baker shops had green
boughs and a generous display of ginger
bread horses and white-sugar hearts enriched
with gilt beading, and impossible pink fowls,
popularity supposed to be doves. There were
mYriads of dolls and hundreds of sleds, with
names taking in the whole animal kingdom.
The streeta we're crowded with fur-cad smil-
ing women, who were making the last select
ions of pretty things with which to swell out
the fair proportions of many little stockings
John Holland, leaving his Office earlier than
usual, made his way slowly through these
waves Of happy womanhood, carrying his
aching head a little forward, watching with
bitterness in his heart rose high, and forced
from his lips curse on the morrow that
would bring 80 much happiness to others and
80 much misery to him. A lonely man was
John Holland, over whose dead past stood no
monumental marble with name and date
thereon q weary man by his dropping shoul-
ders a, uncertain gait an unhappy man by
the wistful look that crept now and then into
his sulen eyes. And so in weary, lonely
fashion he walked on, leaving the city far
behind, and coming at last upon country
road that wound its rough, snow-powdered
length through shrubby hollows and up the
hills between leafess gray bark I'd trees. Now
and then a thin sheet Of Of ice CRACKED beneath
his feet-be did not hear it: above his head,
close to the soft, gray clouds, fat, inky crows
sailed round and round, cawing co4nanion
ably-he did not heed them; while and
there the bare, brown fingers of soiMo shrub
or tree held out to him a bunch OF scarlet
berries, which he did not see. All the grays
and browns. touched here and there with green
and scarlet, appealed to him in vain. To-
morrow was Christmas Day. He stood alone
he made no ones happiness; therefore to
him the world could not be fair. He remem-
bered how, not many years before, he ana his
wife stole tip.toe through the house, to cram
with candies and many wonderous toys the
little wool n stockings hanging near the fire.
He remembered how the Christmas sunlight
striking through the frosted window pane,
turned into FURNISHED gold the rudy locks OF
their strudv baby boy; and now he stumbled
up the hillside, blind with rage and pain.
Now tw" mounds of chilli, cold earth
held all that made lite dear and
j precious thing to him. At the top OF
the hill he paused involuntarily to regain hia
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25
Shall we Know Our Friends7

The whole human family, without ex-
ception, has developed strong desire to
know something of the other life. From
the earliest period we trace faith IN the
continuance of existence, and, however
imperfect, there is tendency in mankind
to design I'D believe ina thereafter, and
in one respect 1t is the same1n all name
sly, that the other life is made up of the
best thoughts of men. ]. If men in lower
life described paradise, itwould be state
Of feasting and of beauty; it is theAhigh-
est they know, but as you rise the images
become elevated, and lastly, coming to
the teaching of the New Testament, men
don't believe there are cities paved with
gold; nevertheless, men feel the power of
those images; they effect them, though
they don't know why. Think Of it liter
ally, one gate made of one pearl don't
it produce feeling of unworld linass in
the other life2
The Christian methods select things
men consider best and group them ~
gether and affect the heart and reason
sthrough the imagination. If YOU ATTEMPT
ito answer the question that spring up,
you find little to answer. For instance.
every mother wants to know, .,sss
know my baby in heaven2" Wit IN
be what they are on earth, and then i y
do they do there3 Men don't find time
enough here, what shall we do there2 So
far as the, Bible concerned it looks like
praising God kind Of celestial and
unending singing school, and these ques-
tions, though not improper. we can't an
sWer. Look further. The idea of heaven
is that it will be everything that Is high
estlsnd best; but the impression ought
motto be produced that it will be sdoi6
in any particular manner. I see q per
son going out Of life full of divine traits,
all purity, and think what will such :
one find in heaven3 Nothing thatde.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25
A@Visit From st. Nicholas.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all
through the house
Not creature was stirring, not even mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be
there
The children were nestled all snug in their
While visions of sugar plums danced in their
heads; .-r ~e~.-a,.'.~.~
And Mamma in her kerchief,an in my cap
Had just settled our brains for long winters
nap
When out on the lawn there arose such a clat-
ter,
snrane from my bed to see what was the
matter;
AWAY to the window flew like flash,
Tore open the shutters ana thre" up INC
sash;
III. D,oon. ON the breast of the new-fallen
snow,
Gave alustre of mid day to objects below;
When, what to my wondering eyes should
appear,
But miniature sleigh, and eight tiny rein
deer;
With little old driver, so lively and quick,
knew in a moment it must be st. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers lhey
came, :,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called
them by name
"No v, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer
and Vixen!
On! omet, on! Dunder and Bitten,
To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall!
Now dash away, dash away, dash away, all!
AS dry leaves that before the wild hurricane
fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to
the sky.
So, I'D to the house-top the coursers they flew
With a sleigh full of toys-and st. Nicholas
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25

Hrofessor huxley has been speaking
re06ntly at Manchester or the subject Of
the decay of nations, in the natural de-
cadence Of which he did not believe
that theory, he was inclined to think,
having been invented by towards to ex-
cuse knaves. So far as the old English
stock is concerned, his belief was that it
had Is much vitality and power as two
centuries ago, and after pruning and
wedding there would be products as good
as there we're before. The weeds he rec
ognizeds were three-dishonesty, senti-
mentality and luxury.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25
The Christmas Tree.

A fash of light, merry hum, -t
And peals of ripping laughter sweet,
The pattering of tiny feet,
And, 10, the little children come.
A stately fir tree rears its head,
With stars and tapers all a.blaze;
And quivering in the fairy rays, ....
The glittering, loaded branches spread.
The childish eyes are sparkling bright,
And the childish hearts with joys o'erfow
And on the birth day long ago
They ponder with grave delight.
Then to their gifts they turn ,nce more,
And in the present sunshine lost,
They fear no future tempesttossed,
But unto fairy regions soar.
No cares, no fears, a happy time
Of laughter; tears that cannot stay;
An April dav, year of May,
Pealed in and out with Christmas chime.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25

Pretty and new toilet boxes are made
Ct delicate shades of satinand painted by
hand iii quaint designs
The Van Buren press., 1878-12-10

The mother had talked so much about
the whooping- cough, and worried so
over it, that the child was afraid to leave
her side. One night, after the little fell
low had been put to bed and to sleep, a
jackass was driven past the house, and
when just opposite set up his he-haw,
he-haw, he haw. With shrek the lit.
tie fellow was out of bed. screaming at
the top of his voice, The whooping
cough is coming, mamma; the whooping
cough is coming" He didn't catch it that
time.-Cipcinnati Commercial
A Dghton, Mass. man is cultivating
the hnckleberry, and claims that by cul-
tiyation he will show fruit as large as a
cherry and great deal more pulpy and
juicy than the native wild berry.
The Van Buren press., 1878-12-10

In accordance with the provisions of
the act of February. 1878, three com
missioncrs were appointed to an interna-
tional conference on the subject of ad-
op,ing common ratio between gold and
silver, for the purpose Of establishing
internationally the use of bimetallic mo-
ney. and securing a flxity of the relative
value between those metals. Invitations
were addressed to the various govern
ments which had expressed a willingness
to participate in its deliberations. The
conference held it's meeting in Paris in
August last, and the report OF the com
missioners herewith submitted will show
its results. No common ratio between
gold and silver could be agreed upon by
the conference.-the general conclusion
was reached that il is necessary to main
tain in the world the monetary functions
Of silver as well as of gold, leaving the
The Van Buren press., 1878-12-10
Van Buren, Grange, PHI.

WAN Bunrs GRANGE, No.3s. P. ON. Reg
Y ular meeti, gs tirst saturday o. nar,
month at o O'Clock. A. NJ. at iemIev mn =,
,a 'as standine are fraternally invited.
NC. LEMLry, v. NJ.
ia, BoATRIGur Secretary.