davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

family (she had been Won Breeks Won
Starch herself, and had married a cousin
Of the same name)--a family of great
prowess and many bags of gold in their
fatberland some century and half
ago. She was tall, stout and solid, with
a round face, big black eyes, abundant
iron-gray hair, and carriage that i'm
mediately suggested to the beholder the
last syllable OF her aristocratic name.
The fife grandmother, five years her
junior, |as directly her opposite, being
short, slim and Timber, with a sharp
cut face, extremely thin, fair hair and
faded blue eyes.
Great-gran Peeky, notwithstanding
her eighty-three years, was by far the
best looking of the three Though she
did look, ] must confess, when MUNICH
ing her raTaway biscuits, somewhat
like a. very dice medtative old rabbit.
Her snow! white tresses waved prettily
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

on the plains Of Palestine In what
ever manner 1t is kept, Christmas is
a day peculiarly belonging to home
and all that pertains to the sacred
ness of the hearth. One can not but
feel that women should hold In es-
pecial regard the day that did more to
take them out Of dishonoF and establish
them in honor than any other single
day that ever dawned over the earth.
When one sees the difference between
the savage woman and her captor, be-
tween the Greek woman, even, and her
cultured lord, between any slave and
her master, and sees, on the other hand,
the pretty nearly perfect equality now
given by man 10 woman, II not polite
ally, yet at any rate materially and in
personal consideration, one realizes
that the forces which came into play on
the first Christmas-day OF all were
forces which lifted her from o low e.
tate TO a throne.
II becomes her, then, TO burn the fire
upon her hearth In Its honor, as II It
were an altar flame fed with spices and
famed by the breath Of prayer, to hang
the ground-pine upon her door, TINT all
who enter it may enter In the name Of
the day, and the holly-stems and
laurel In her window, that all who
pass shall know the spirit that reigns
within, and to cast her wreaths upon
the mounds in the church-yards in the
name Of Him who has risen from the
dead, and that none Of all the house
hold who may have gone into the shad-
ows beyond shall fail to have their
share In lis remembrances. II becomes
them to spend thought and care and
money on their gifts and on their ia
bles, and to SEQ that their poor also are
not forgotten, and to teach their chill
dren to sing carols not altogether as
mere music, or as part Of the merry
making, but as expressive Of their rec
ognition of all that Christmas-D Day
means, which, having raised one moth
er into the reverence Of half the wor-
Shipping world, raises also all other
mothers. For only in Christendom and
among those people who have heard
and understood the message sung BY
night on the plains OF Bethlehem have
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

herself. "She will call the Others
as soon as she is sure it is l." she ex.
claimed, clasping her hands in an agony
Of fear. But great-gran came straight
on. without a word, until she stood be-
side the frightened girl.
''Here's the key, my DEAR" she said,
In a whisper and with quite a girlish
air. 'Pve got a key that fits the Gen
erals door, though she don't know 1t,
and took this from under her pillow.
Oh! if she'd caught me. But she sleeps
like a soldier of the Revolution. And
here's little gift for you" putting a
small package in Gertrude's hand.
claw, child, how much you do look
ike me the night l ran away with
Oliver Peeky! Your sweetheart's 9
good boy l know all about him.
Goodnight, and a happy New Year to
you both" And exerting all her
strength Gertrude standing motionless
in her great surprise--the old lady un.
locked the door and gently pushed the
girl out into the arms of her lover.
And when the flight was discovered
next morning, the anger thereat was
nearly equaled by the wonder ia regard
to the manner of IT,
"She never went by the front door,
for the key was under my pillow
Numbered the bassoon.
"She couldn't have opened one of the
par.or windows TO have saved her life, y
squeaked the fife. "Only John and
myself know the secret OF the fasten.
ings. And IL she could have opened
it, she certainly could not have fastened
it behind her Some Of the servants
must have helped her"
But the servants emphatically de-
clared their entire innocence.
There's no use asking ma" said
Mistress Hufiey, looking rather spite
fully at the old lady as she rocked in
her favorite rocker and munched her
favorite refreshment. "She never sees
nor hears anything. But however the
ungratetul mink got out, I'm glad she's
gone, and not penny Of my money
does she ever see"
Tue great-gran's "little gift proved
to be a bonbon box filled with fresh
0araway biscuits, Ii the midst Of which
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

above her still dark eyebrows, beneath
which beamed with 4 mild, dreamy
light her soft brown eyes, and pleas
ant winter bloom fingered on. her
wrinkled face.
II was from her Gertrude had re-
ceived all the picture-books and sugar.
plums, almost always bestowed In per-
feet silence, that had frightened and
sweetened her childhood, Grandma
Won Breeks Won Starch supplying the
lessons in department, and Grand
mother Huffey Oct me whisper it) the
punishmentS. usually inflicted with q
slipper or the back of q hair-brush.
But in spite of the lectures and lessons
and other disagreeable things. Gertrude
led a tolerably happy life with her three
grandmothers until her eighteenth
birthday. From that day dated such
strict surveillance, so much sarcasm, so
many seedlings, that even the hair
brush-and-slipper period seemed by
comparison regrettable one. And all
on account of the young man who
came to fresco the parlor ceilings. A
handsome young man he was, posses
sing the highly euphonious name Of
Everdell Tremlett. But neither his
good looks nor his romantic name
awaited him aught with the two manag-
ing grandmothers, who saw in him only
one of the working-day race, with
which the Hufieys and the Won Breeks
Won Starches had nothing in common.
And therefore, with no more thought
about the matter than if John the man.
servant had been there In his stead,
they allowed their granddaughter to
practice her music lessons in the back
parlor-the sliding-door being partly
open while he was at work in the
front
And so it happened that Gertrude,
trying to play an air from memory, and
finding 1t continually eluded her, was
about giving it up in yexation, when
some one softly whistled it behind her;
and turning quickly on the revolving
stool, she saw the young painter, brush
in hand, standing in the doorway.
"Bes pardon, but that is what you
wanted, is it notP" he asked, as he
ceased whlstling. in avoice as deep as
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

we are following en- old British custom
of the DrUids. who hung the green up
within doors when the frost came, IN
order that the sylvan sprltes might Still
find a home in the wintry weather un-
der the forest Dough, and bring q bless
ing to the house that gave It 70 them.
Although in Latin countries the day
and its preceding night are celebrated
with countless bells and masses and
candles. and with midnight banquets
to sustain the iatigues Of the celebra-
ton, yet the children there have no
such luck in school holidays proper to
the season as children do with us, their
longest holiday ending the day bat one
after the festival, while our little lads
and lassies look forward 10 Twelfth
Night as the winding up Of their joys.
Nor are our children confined TO any
one form Of the Christmas genius. As
every nationality Is represented with us,
90 every form Of Christmas sprite and
guardian is happily welcomed, from the
Santa Claus who came over with the
Knickerbockers, his pack full of toys
and swcetmeats. 70 the Petit Noel of
French settlements, who. goes about
dropping silver pieces into the chill
dren's two shoes ut the foot Of their lit
tie beds; and all up and down the land
the flowers of summer are replaced BY
the flowers that bloom in the tiny flames
upon the boughs Of the Christmas tree,
which, il II was originally exotic, has
now established its growth, and II IL
has not become almost q native Of the
soil, has certainly taken out naturaliza-
ton papers, aud become q citizen Of our
homes ii not our forests.
We may console ourselves for the
neglect that the great festival has met
with in these regions OF ours by remem-
beFiag that Christmas was not celebrated
at ali till nearly halfway into the sec
ond century Of the Christian era, and
even then it was an exceedingly nova
BILE feast, often COMPOUNDED with anOth-
err. that Of the Epiphany, and sometimes
only honored so late as the month Of
May. Nor did it become firmly fixed
till two or three hundred years after
that, when. by the best authorities Of the
old Roman archives Of that early time
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27
THE THREE GRANDMOTHER.

"And you would marry this fellow,
said Grandma Won Breeks Won Starch,
in her bassooniest Chat is the only word
can think of with which to describe
them) tones, ''if you couldp"
Eyes, ma'am," replied Gertrude,
meekly but firmly.
THE idea is simply preposterousn
declared Grandmother Hutfey's fife-like
voice.
"Preposterous indeedn' responded
the bassoon. "More than preposterous
--disgraceful! Amechan;c! common
wOrking-maa! a house-painter!"
"He's fresco-painter,' timidly cor
rected Gertrude.
(which amounts to the same thing,
groaned the bassoon.
michael Angelo" began Gertrude.
Heaven preserve us! y shrilled the
fife; "she's bringing some Irishman
into the discussion now. Be silent,
miss. Wen not hear another word
from you. And understand distinctly,
once and for all, that if that person
calls here tomorrow, which no doubt
he will have the impcrtinence and as
surance to do, you are to dismiss hini
instantly, or sCe WiH "
"And endeavor to begin the new
yea" the bassoon took mp the strain
again-''in q manner BETTING de-
scendant of the illustrious General Won
Breeks Won Starch, whose uneXampled
bravery made him and Bergen-op-Zoom
the city OF his birth famous, not only
throughout Holland, but the entire
world, at time when you were not
dreamed of. "
As for Great-gran Peeky, she had sat
softly rocking to and fro in her cushion
ed rocker, munching her caraway bis
cuits---a store of which she always car
ried in little sachel suspended at her
side--sleepily regarding the group OF
takers, and saying not word herself.
But that was nothing strange for her.
She scarcely ever spoke save in rIpnosyl-
tables, and never even in them when
Madame Won Breeks Won Starch and
Mistress Huffey were laying down the
law Ga favorite occupation Of theirs, by.
the-by), to servants, trades-people, OF
granddaughter Gertrude. And the last
thing that could have occurred to either
of the amiable law. makers would have
been the idea of appealing to the old
lady for an opinion on any subject
whatever. 1t sufliced them that she
paid without grumbling the greater part
of the expenses OF the household out OF
the income which was TO cease at hel
death, and yet allowed them to manage
all things pertaining to it in their own
way.
Gertrude-so named by Madame Won
Breeks Won Starch in honor of the pa
tron saint of Bergen-op-Zoom- had lost
both her parentsin her infancy, and hel
father having been reduced TO poverty
some time before he died by various
gentlemanly vices. she had been left
wholly dependent upon her three grand.
mothe.s.
OF these Great-gran Peeky was the
mother of Grandmother Huffey, who in
turn was the mother of Gertrude
mother, while Grandma Won Breeks
Won Starch held the same close relation
ship 10 her father.
The bassoon grandmother was at the
head of the American branch Of hel
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

to the Conservatory Ito and from
the door Of which she was always
escorted by either Madame Won Breeks
Won Starch or Mistress HuAey) she
found there a new pupil with a mag
nificent bass voice, and that new pu-
pill was the fair-haired, blue-eyed young
fresco-painter. Not one word OF this
meeting, nor of the meetings that fol-
flowed il two or three times week for
six months thereafter, did the naughty
girl breathe to either of the three grand.
mothers, and the two younger Of the
trio exulted greatly over the strict Wig
ilance with which they guarded the
future bride (according TO their long.
laid plars) of Diedrich Won Breeks, the
rich Holland merchant, due in New
York with the new year. But their ex-
ultation came to an end on New Years
Eve. On that evening the G Conservatory
of Music gave pupil concert, and the
very first duet was sung by Miss Ger
trude Won Breeks and Mr.. Everdell
Tremlett. in vain had the latter
begged to be left on. of the programme;
in vain had he summoned to his aid q
mysterious throat disease. His pro-
fessor declared that sing he must, or
lose his place in the Conservatory, and,
what was still worse, prove himself an
''ilgra-a-te!" And so the three grand
mothers, sitting in great state near the
stage, were horriied-that is, two OF
them were (great-gran munched her
caraways as placidly as every by see
ing and hearing their granddaughter
made operate love to, in a very real
love-making way, before a most fash
ionable audience, by the young man
who frescoed their parlors.
In moment the whole truth flashed
upon their minds, and how they sat out
the rest of the concert, so great was
their Indignation, they never knew.
But at last, much TO their relief, it came
to an end, and the omincus silence with
which they received the pretty culprit
prepared her for the storm (the after
claps of which have recorded at the
beginning Of my story that burst upon
her head as soon as they reached home.
When 1t was over Gertrude was allowed
to seek her room. Here she threw off
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

lay q crisp thousand.doIlar United
States Treasury-nota. But never did
Eyerdell or his wife hear from or see
her again. for very soon after their mar
rlage she passed quietly out Of life, and so
win remain an enigma to them forever.
And Madame Won Breeks Won Starch
and Mistress Huffey, having succeeded
in marrying the merchant from Bergen
op-Zoom TO a distant relative Of the Won
Starch family-sought out and lowered
for that purpose-departed with the
bridal pair for that once-renowned mill
tary town, and "the land of the free
and the home Of the brave" knew them
no more.--Aargaret EyIinge, in Har-
per's Weekly.
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

No dreary spIendors wan our coming.
When fapf ghost eltl from ghost apart,
HqsnsEara We 81 70 hee y. ne ssankagivins,
Did we have q happy ChriStnasP No.
we didnot ] supposeitwas all wrong
we, the children Of King. journeyiMg
here for q dsy-but we spent every hodF
of that pleasant festival time in bitter
sorrow and repining; we, who had been
so happy. and expected that on COR
heads, at least, would never be placed
sorrows crown Of sorrowi" that tliIt
dark angel AErael would never darkel
our happy home! -
He had written 10 us-0ur daTlip6
that he would be hons for the holid'%
written It in little ill-spelled Il
which his dear, bOyiSh hand had b
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27
TTs TzIs oF, yl:RY BAD BOZ.

-. ..tlo az vel - 49,.
OIL this e ~ M = uld ~ oe so,p poy; ,,nov
T IL nav @6ss 10 a'gk acre was found g
TIE very "a Wa q thIs very bad bOy'
On the night before Christmas. St Nick to
Two stockings were hung by the very bad
rho said said to himself. ~of the sweet Christ
To double my share, trick I'll employ;
I'll watch for St Nick-and the fun III en-
Joy
IN give him these stockings his time to EN-.
And while he's at work." said the very bad
"rn hook from his pack just the handsOmssI
toy"
But somehow the fun had bit Of alloy;
St Nick got peep at the very bad boy;
He whipped up his steeds, and he cried OUT
"Ahoyl
toy"
Then away went st. Nick, and he chuckled
And he left not thing for the very bad boy
-Hdrpers Young People.
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

riedly traced. and even while we wero
reading this mother and land
laughing over II, and l saw at the
same time something like tear glitter
on Its solled and crtlmpled page, there
was a step at the door, and the we'll
known whistle--he was always whist
ling-and then he was in our arms
the same bonnie, blue-eyed boy with
that high, fearless look; the same mis-.
chievous dimple In his chin; the Same
loving smile that seemed the most
precious love-llght in the world 10 us
that will never die or be lost in this
weary life!
Home for the holidaysl Il was his
first year at school, and be had plead.
cd so for this homecoming, that we
could not refuse, and all our plans had
included him for what would a Christ
mas dinner have been without our
boyP and we had his sled, 1.-THE May
flower,n out. for there was furry %
snow, and we tried not TO let him see
how fond and foolish we were about
him, or howw followed the sound OF
that whistling voice through. the house
and wondered II there ever was such
another dear boy, and planned out just
what sort Of man he would be-!
That was one week before Christmas.
All in a moment q hand cold as Ice was
laid on our hearts the snow that had
fallen in its white chilliness brought
death with Il, for Il fell into our sunni
mer garden and covered the one tender
flower blooming there.
"Ithink," said the Gardener, clasping
The plant with q gentle hand,
This flower Is much too tender
For the winds OF this lower land. !"
/ can tell you nothing about IL except
the vague sense Of nights that were 40
days, and Of days that were as nights;
OF sad, solacing words from people who
meant well, hut who were all uucon-
scious Of widening wound. Was il
Longfellow who said: " Before d great
grief we are dumbp'' There was
blind cropping Of the little arms u
fond, feverish caress and the last
whispered words;
Papa, m-a-ln-ma, j am going
home for the holidays" and then:
= His Lord looked down on the flower
And His h0art went out 10 fte need.
TIA Just the plant for my garden,
A plant Of celestial seed
AndintO the gates that were golden,
And DER the fadeeeB piaIn,
And @ ose by tho wonderful river OF life
He planted the Hover again.
know we werO mot alone In our sor-
row; that the first snow fell on ether
little graves that cover precious dust;
that at other tables there are vacant
chairs; that ever since the King Of Is
rael cried In his bitter anguish; "Oh,
Ahsalom, my son! my sOnI Would
God had died for theep hearts have
been broken and homes desolated, as
ours is in these sad holidays,
" And yet, dear heartf remembering thee,
Am not richer than OF oldy
Safe In thy Immortality,
What change Dan reach the wealth hOldt
What chance can mar the peace and gOldb
Thy love hathleft In trust with me2
II can not feel thnt thou art far,
Since near ut needs the angels arc,
And when the snneet gates rnhar
Shall NOT see thee waiting stand,
And white against the evening star
The welcome Of thy beckoning handT
- Detroit Free Press.
tfissta itfs
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

tcluuluAuSl INC
date was decid-
ed, whether cor
rectly or not
making really
very little mat
ter, so long rs
the fact for
which the date
is desired is thus
hallowed with
remembrance.
Nor do we now
actually Keep
that identical
date, since the
change from
Old Style 10
NewStylebr
the time round
TO quite another
day still.
With all the
celebration that
Christmas re-
celves the world
over, we doubt
il il anywhere
has such vari-
GUS and general
celebration ason
our own shores.
In the N orth,
amidst SHOWS
and hemlock
boughs, the day
has a delightful
domesticity, g
sense OF shut-in
comfort and
well-bc ng; far
ther south fire.
crackers and
pistol : shooting
give it a strange
atm osphere;
and still further
south its songs
are given to
balmy breezes
laden already
with the scents
Of roses, Of Or
ange flowers,
and Of clean
ders. that make
the day MS ge-
NAL and as
pleasant as II
must have been
nearly two thou
sand vaara arm
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

Ell wish you d happy New Yearp'
said Pingrey. "Oh, that's easy enough
TO say" replied Henderson; " but what
viii you do towards making my New
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

Undl Oh inc UdS-
soon grand d.
mother, though
much more mel
| odious.
| "Oh yes, thank
| you said Ger
trude, with a
blush; and turn
ing to the piano
again sheplayed
the whole air
skillfullv and
| gracefully.
"It's q beau
tiful thing said
the painter, still
standing in the
| doorway; "but l
! think the song
| beginnin
way and he
! pre- pare d to
WillsUio u u III,
when he encoun-
tered the frozen
frown of Mad
anne Won Breeks
Won Starch, as
she stepped into
the room from
the balcony, and
fled.
And the next
day the piano
was closed and
locked, and the
| fair performer
a prisoner in her
own room; and
Grand mother
Huffey, meeting
| Mr.. Everdell
Trcmlett as he
came TO work,
requested himin
one brief SEN
tence to +" get
through hiswork
and go about
his business as
soon as pos
sible."
Butt ve--bless
his merry little
heart! - laughs
at locks and
locksmiths, and
the very next
tim Q Gertrude
went for her
SinUinp lnaSnn
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

Christmas Is time in which the
memory Of every remediable sorrow,
wrong and trouble in the world should
DO active with It's. Dickens.
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

Year a happy oneI'' Anything can, z
said Pingrcy. "Do you mean itp's
cried Henderson, dramatically. "Do
you mean itP' "Well, well, goodbye.
farewell" whats the matter with
youp" asked the mystifed Pingrey,
"Why, you are going away forever,
aren't youp You said you would do any
thing you could to make me happy.
Farewell, old boy, farewell" And
Henderson walked briskly around the
corner, while the perplexed PingreY
stood as II rooted TO the spot for tho
space Of five minutes boston TF0n-
script.
The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27

But the star that shines In Bethlehem
Shines still and shall NOT cease.
And We listen still 70 the tidings
OF Glory and Of Peace.
Adelaide A. Proctor.
The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1883-10-18
NUMBER 260

where he arrived almost dead with
thirst. hunger aud exposure after his
four days ride. Here he sold hi outfit,
bought "a Disguise aud boarded an east
hound Texas Pacific train. Conductor
Mike Harrigan recognized him and tele-
graphcd to Col RADIO City, where the
sheriff and Capt McMurray, OF the
Texas rangers, arrested the fugitive aud
took him tor -nfc keeping to Yoletta jail,
a few miles from El Paso, fearing that
should he appear in that ci y he would
Toe lyuched The woman who saw the
shooting left town instantly, and 80 the
state had no witness. The po-
lccman's family were provided Tor
by subscrip ions, and in short
time Doughty was released upon bond
furnished by his attorney and friend.
At the time Of his release no one SUP
posed that he would ever show his face
In III pHso, but lie put in an appearance
.terday. IA stated, aud the result OF
the trial IL looked for with much inter
est. especially IA the three female wit
ncsscs have returned to town, one Of
them, named Alice, being an inmate Of
the burned house 1t IL hardly proba'
die that the state will be able to secure
u Jury Tor some days, M feeling runs
high here