davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-30
Temneranna in Arkansas

From the Arkansaw Trayeler.I
The spirit of the renowned old squat
ter still fingers in the land.
(Which road shall I take here ?"
asked traveller of man who sat on the
steps Of cross-road store.
(Which one do you want ?"
81 intended to ask which one I should
take to lead me to the river"
Sc Take your choice.
(Which one leads to the river ?"
What river?"
"Why, the Arkansas"
" You want to know which road leads
there? ?"
eyes, sir.
elbow long have you been in this
country
"That makes no difference, my
friend. I want to know something Of
the geography of this community. "
No, it makes no difference how long
you've been here, but there amt geo
ography in this neighborhood, but
there was a lot of 'em in the schoolhouse
when it burned.
Glow far is it to the river, any
way 2"
"Well, any way, it's about two hun
bred miles. -
"Oh, how far is it ?"
You can make it as far as you
please"
60 mean how near is it?"
Ihat'u sorter do. [ don't know.
p" Is this a temperance community ?"
"S0rter."
How long has it been since you had
a drink?"
" 1t amt been more than a month, but
it seems like a couple Of years. -"
"What would you give for driAk ~
A common sized mule"
give got some very fine stuff here
in a bottle; have some p
The native grasped the bottle eagerly
and drank.
What is it you want to know ?"
"The road to the river"
The native took another drink and
said:
"The rivers right over yonder, but
the ferryman will charge you like thun-
der if you amt got no whisky. Good
day."
! When the traveller arrived at the ferry
he found his friend Of the store standing
in the boat waiting for him.
HallOa, here we are again. What
will you take to row me across p
How much have you got?
L mean, what is your price %
"Three drinks and the cork.
What do you want with the cork %
s. Want to put it in the churn, to make
the milk taste natural.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-30
The Young Man Who Showed Off.

From the Detroit Free Press
The other day young man about 20
years of age, accompanied by girl two
Or three years younger, reached the city
by Bay City train, and after looking
around for few hours returned to the
depot and bought some sandwiches for
lunch. The fellow was heard Dragging
a good deal as to what he had done and
could do, and cities be had visited, and
by and by he walked up to the depot
policeman and handed him four fve-cent
cigars and said:
'That's my girl in there. y
" Yes
"She just thinks her eyes Of me-"
$50 2"
Give never had a chance to show her
how I'd die for her if necessary, and il
seems to me We might put up little
job right here"
How?'
"Well, suppose me and her walk out
to see the river. ] leave her for mo-
ment. Some chap comes along and be-
gins to chin her. [ rush back and knock
him into the middle of next week. She'd
want to marry me within week. Girls,
Of her age just dote on heroes, you
know 2"
eyes, they do"
"Well, you help me. You pick out
some chap around here and tell him
what I'm up to, and l won't mind stand
ing treat for all hands. When [ rush IN
ON him he'd better run"
Five minutes later the girl stood OF
the wharf alone. A fellow big enough
to pitch barrel of -four over a freight
car approached in careless way and Oh.
served:
Fine day, miss %
Yes, sir. y
'FNice view of the Canada shore ?'''
Yes, indeed"
g May [ offer you some peppermint
loz-?'
just then the young man came rushing
down. When he came within ten feet OF
the pair he cried out:
Villain! take your leave or I'll toss
you into the river!''
. sob, 1 guess not, careIessly replied
the other.
Base seoundrel! I am here to, res
cue this young girl from your clutches"
Don't bust any buttons of, my
young cub y
The young man made dash. He had
to or wilt. He rushed at the big chap
with arm appraised and heroism in his
eye, and the next minute he was picked
up and tossed over among lot of green
hides as carefully as If he had been glass.
Then the big man raised his cap to the
girl, smiled sweetly as he bowed and
scraped his foot, and was out of sight
before the young man recovered suffi-
GENTLY to cali out:
''Minnie, did Kill him?"
"No, Henry"
"Thank Heaven that I am not guilty
of murder Let him beware, however.
Another time I may not be able to re-
strain myself |"
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-30
greater gentleness; "when did she

greater gentleness; "when did she
die ?"
This morning."
"And you p
yes, ma'am; [ had to come OF lose
to- days sales. I couldn't afford to do it
there are the other children to be
provided for" The pale little woman
laid her thin, oil-warped hands down on
the rough boards with pathetic GEES
ture, and her Sunken eyes wandered
along the line of haring lights. "It was
a hard thing to do" she said, simply.
The poor are poor even in words.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-30
OLD CUSTOMS.
by EDMUND LYONS.


Old customsI Well, our children say
W. get alone without them;
But YOU and [, dear, in our day
Had other thoughts about them.
The dear old habits of the past r.a
cannot choose but love them,
Aud sigh to think the word at last
Has scared So far above them.
We had moi, in the years gone by,
The grace that art discovers;
Our lives were calmer; yOT1 and -. r..
We're very simple lovers.
And when, our daily duties DER,
We stTayed beside the PUSHES,
The only gemsyou ever wore
We're bright and blooming bushes.
Our rustic way was slow, but yet
Some good there was about us,
And many ills we now regret
Old habits would have routed,
l know our children still can see
The Fifth Commandments beauty
May they obey, as once did we,
from love and not from duty.
The world to-day is far too high
In wisdom to confess them, ..
Bat well we know, dear, you and I,
For what we have to bless them,
Though love was in the heart of each,
/ trembled to accOst you.
Had yourequired polished speech,
[ think l should have lost YOU
Nc doubt our minds are slow to gauge
The ways we are not needing;
But here upon our memoTy's page
Is very simple reading es
1t says the forms we stlll hold fast
We're wise as well as pleasant
The good old customs OF the past
Have leayened all the present.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-30
The MuIe-Shoe Curve,

A Denver CORES ondent describes the
famous Veta pass and its f" Shoe +"
curve, Rocky Mountains, as fellows:
We told fine conductor to drop US on
a side track. This done The train went
swinging around the curve of 80 de.
grees, and over the bridge which stands
at the toe of the shoe, doubling on it's
own length. as if bent to the course of
the track Then, with hoarse painting
and grinding of tortured wheels and
rails, the two powerful locomotives began
to force their way up the hillside right
opposite us (across tie gulch), the slant
ing line of bright windows showing how
amazingly steep grade of 217 feet TO
the mile really is. The brow of the
headlight thrust itself forward, not level,
as is It's wont, but aimed at planet that
glimmered Just above distanJ ghostly
peak. 1t was mysterious, uncanry.
Only when the stokers opened the doors
Of the laboring furnaces and volumes Of
red light suddenly illumined the over
hanging masses of smoke, and touched
into strange prominence for an instant
the rocks aud the trees beside the en-
CINE, could we perceive that the train
stood upon anything solid or was NOV
ing other than as sort Of slow meteor.
But it was a real and fine sight for the
eyes of a practical man, as well as fan
ciful woman, to watch those great ma
chimes walk up that hill, spouting two
geysers Of smoke and sparks and drag
ging the ponderous train as if another
pounds weight would stop It's course.
Now and again it would be obscured be-
hind the fringe of woods through which
the track passed, and then we would see
the rugged spruces sharply outlined
against the Illuminated volume Of
smoke"
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-30
The shadows of Real life
TFrom a Cincinnati letter.

From h Cincinnati Lette1.l
A gentleman witnessed the following
pite0Us little drama an market IN this
city last week. A lady richly dressed
stood before stall, and as she received
. package from the pale, care-worn little
woman, said kindly:
''How is. your hrtle girl to-day 2'9
"She is dead" the woman answered.
"Oh, how sorry l am, With still
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-30
A Privileged Case.

from the Detroit free Press
ST hate tothink of you as dead beat, P"
observed creditor the other day after
vainly dunning citizen WIDOWED him
small bill.
"Oh, as to thai, don't hesitate mo-
ment, sir!'' was the reply. "If you only
knew what I thought of you, you wouldn't
have the least hesitation in letting your
self loose!"
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-30
Cleanliness is Next to Goodness.
from the Springfield Republican. /

A colored brother in this city, when
questioned recently with regard to the
spiritual condition of his church, spoke
most ENTHUSIASTICALLY of its growth.
Had any conversions f.? !" continued the
interrogation. ''Better than that, better
than that, replied the brother; 50 since
our new minister began preaching for
us all the disinfected ones are coming
back"
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-30

BISMARCK thinks every American he
sees is a ham.
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-12-29
Christmas Keeping.

There is something very pleasant in
the thought that when we are celebrat-
ing our Christmas festivals the wave of
reverence and Joy that has reached lis,
sweeping round the world from east to
west. comes bringing with it the chant
of Roman masses, the carol of English
villagers, the less worshipful songs of
the students in the Quarter Latin, the
chime from the steeples of ten thou
sand churches, and the happy laughter
of children from the beginning of the
boundaries of Christendom.
How charming is that ancient and
tender custom of the Calabrian peas
ants, who in the days Just before
Christmas go down from their noun
tains to visit the shrines of the mother
of Christ. and cheer her with their wild
strains of song till such time as the
holy Babe is born! Surely the winds of
Christmas morning might bring us, if
not the echo of that music itself, yet
some whisper of its spirit-a something
sweeter spirit it may be than that of all
the revelry which goes on under mistle-
toe boughs and before the blaze Of
Yule-logs.
Many of our ancestors were fright
ened by the influences that ruled the
revelries of their and their fathers days,
when the Lord of Misrule and the Alb
bot of Unreason held sway with their
followers till Little Christmas, or
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-12-29

sanu years ago
on the plains of Palestine. In what
ever manner it 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 dishonor and establish
| them in honor than any other single
I 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 to woman, if 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 low es-
tate to a throne.
1t becomes her, then, to burn the fire
upon her Hearth in its honor, as if it
were an altar flame fed with spices and
tanned by the breath of pray er, to hang
the ground-pine upon her door, that all
who enter it may enter in tie name of
the day, and the ho!ly-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 1ail to have their
share in its remembrances. 1t becomes
them to spend thought and care and
money on their gifts and on their ia
bles, and to see 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 merrv-
making, but as expressive of their rec
ognition of all that Christmas-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 Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-12-29

family (she had been a Won Breeks Won
Starch herself, and had marrieda cousin
of the same name)-a family OF great
proves and many bags of gold in their
fatherland some century and half
ago. She was tall. stout and solid. with
2 round face. big black eyes, abundant
iron gray hair, and a carriage that inn
mediateiy suggested to the beholder the
last syllable Of her aristocratic name
The fife grandmother, five years her
Junior, was directly her opposite. being
Short, slim and timber. with sharp
cut face, extremely thin, fair hair and
faded blue eyes.
Great-gran Peeky, notwithstanding
her eiehty-three years, was by far the
best looking of the three Though she
did look, must confess, when MUNICH
ing her caraway. biscuits, somewhat
like very nice meditative old rabbit.
Her snowy white tresses waved prettily
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-12-29

above her still dark eyebrows. beneath
which beamed with mild. dreamy
light her soft brown ewes. and q. nloas,
ant winter bloom fingered on her
Wrinkled face. IN,
u was from her Gertrude had re-
celved all the picture-book and sugar
piums, almost always bestowed in per-
1ect silence, that had frightened and
s ~ her childhood, Grandma
son breeks Won Starch supplying the
lessons IN department, and Grand
mother Hnffcy qet me whisper it, the
p,u9nlshments, usually inflicted with a
supper or the back Of a hair-brush.
but IN spite of the lectures and lessons
and other disagreeable things. Gertrude
leo ,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
prusil-and-slipper period seemed by
comparison a regrettable one. And all
on account of the young man who
came to fresco the parlor ceilings. A
handsome young maa he was. bosses
sing the highly euphonious name of
etSlA AlClIIlCtG. DuU- IGIUnef his
sood looks nor his romantic name
awaited him aught with the two manag-
ing granGmothers, who saw in him only
one OF the Working-day race, with
which the Huf1eys and the Won Breeks
Won Starches had nothing in common.
And therefore, vita no more thought
about the matter than if John the man
servant had been there in his stead,
they allowed their grand daughter 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 it continually eluded her, was
about giving it up in vexation, when
some one softly Mhistled it behind her;
and turning quickly on the revolving
stool, she saw the young painter, brush
in hand, standing in the doorway.
BEG pardon, but that is what you
wanted, is it not?" he asked, as he
ceased whistling. in avoice as deep as
4 IL
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-12-29

| herself. s'She will call the others
as soon rs 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 sad,
in whisper and with quite girlish
air 'I've got a key that fits the Gen
eral door, though she don't know it,
ard took this from under her pillow
Oh! if she d caught me. But she sleeps
like soldier of the Revolution. And
here's a little gift for you''-putting a
small package in Gertrude's hand.
Claw, child, how much you do look
like me the night ran away with
Oliver Peeky! Your sweetheart's a
good boy [ know all about him.
Goodnight. and happy New Year to
you both!'' And exertng all her
strength-Gertrude standing motionless
in her great surprise--the old lady I'M
locked the door and gently pushed the
girl out into the arms of her lover.
And when the fight was discovered
next morning, the anger thereat was
nearly equaled by the wonder in 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,'
squeakcd the fife. ''Only John and
myself know the secret of the fasten-
ings. And if 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 emphatical1y de-
clared their entire innocence.
There's no use asking MAJ said
Mistress Huffey, 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
mink got out, I'm glad she's
gone, and not penny of my money
does she ever Sec"
The great-gran's little gift proved
to be a bonbon box filed with fresh
biscuits, lii the midst of which
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-12-29

/ Twelfth-Night, came-such sway, in
deed, that they grew to deserve and
wear the name of the Captains Of Mis-
chief; those revelries where the great
1ule-log was kindled, log so huge
that its slow core of heat might burn
and shoulder for all OF six weeks, or
till Candlemas-day cleared away the
last remnant of the Christmas merry
making, and where the boar's head. and
capon, and roast swan, and wassail-
bowl, were the least of the dainties, and
''lashings OF good drink there was,n
moreover. Our ti1nid ancestors re-
garded these things, in spite of sacred
carols sung by clergy and people,
fathers, mothers and little children
carrying the blessed tapers burning in
their hands, as but signs of time when
reverence lived only in the crust of
things, and the heart was hollow rotten
ness, and SO discountenanced the keep
ing OF the festival at all that their chill
dren grew up to a strange unfamiliarity
with its long-descended customs, and
where they heard of them in
any report, heard of them only
as things to be avoided They
showed, it would seem, less reverence
for the day, however great might be
their reverence for the facts and tenets
OF their stern religion, than have the
cattle who fall on their knees in stall
on the night Of the Nativity, if popular
superstition is to be listened to, inherit
ing the instructive motion from the old
OK and ass which. according to an
Gent paintings, fell on their knees
in the stable where the ancient
manager was cradle. Thus in many
portions of our country the last two
generations were the first, with the
general decline Of too severe asceti-
cism. to bring about an almost univers-
al observance of a holiday which Ger
talnly deserves honor SO long as we pre-
tend to call ourselves a Christian peo-
pie.
Yet it is odd to notice how, even in
our abbreviated observances, we have
not been able to escape some of the
former heather practices that have crept
upon us, SO that even in the hanging of
the festoons and wreaths of evergreen
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-12-29
her cloak, turned the key in her door,
and took from her bosom q note, which
oh l,.,r4;l,, .aol

her cloak, turned the key in her door,
and took from her bosom note, which
she hastily read:
in fact: know-you will have scene tonight
with Her Royal Highness Won Breeks Won
Starch and her faithful henchwoman the
dear s de He st n So sorry for you
don't be frightened at what am about to pro-
pose. Tomorrow will be New-Years Day.
with me. / have but Il humble home to offer
YOU but in it waits the blessedest of mothers
ana the best of grandmotherS fwhO will make
you #, fourth to welcome you. ] shall be wait
around the nearest corner. Our alto and
tenor will be with me, ready to act as brides
maid and groomsman. Your grandmothers
would never consent to our marriage. and un-
less you take q decisive step they will marry
you. in p.te of yourse f, to your Dutch fifth
cousin. Come. my darling, come.
EyERDELL.
"P. S.-If you find it impossible to make
your escape, why then must beard the lions
IN their den tomorrow, and fight duel with
the Won Breeks Won Starch us soon as he ar
rives in the country
Gertrude stood an instant in thought.
Then she glanced in the mirror. It re-
Elected br;de-like figure. Dress Of
some clinglng creamy white material,
daisy-decked head, a cloud of lace
clasped at the throat by tiny gold
cross. Sac smiled softly. re-read her
note, waited. impatiently until half an
hour had passed, and then unlocked her
door, opened it, and listened. All was
silent as the grave. Cautiously she
yentured out into the entry, CROPPED her
way to the stairway, and began to de-
scend the stairs. pausing on every other
step to make sure that no one was astir
and watching her. At last she reached
the street door in safety. It seemed an
age to her until she had succeeded in
unfastening the heavy chain across it
in reality it was just three minutes
and then she felt for the key. It was
gone! Her heart sank within her.
s'Poor Everdell! she said, and sadly
prepared to retrace her steps-not dar-
ing TO try the basement-way. because
the servants slept in that part of the
house when faint light appeared
above her head, and looking up. she
saw great gran, carrying lighted can
die i'll her hand, coming down the stairs
as carefully as she had come down them
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-12-29
Home for the HOLIDAYS.

No dreary sp1endors wait our coming.
When rapt ghost sits from ghost apart,
Homeward we 90 to Heavens thanksgiving,
The harvest-ga herring of the heart.
Did we have a happy Christmas? No,
we did not. Isuppose it was all wrong
we, the children Of q King, iourneying
here for day--but we spent every hour
OF that pleasant festival time in bitter
sorrow and repining;; we, who had been
so happy, and expected that on our
heads, at least, would never be placed
sorrows crown of sorrow that the
dark angel Azrael would never 'darken
our happy home!
He had written to us-our darling
that he would he home for the holidays.
written it in a little ill,,spelled letter
which his dear, boyish hand had hur-