davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

away in the snow with a bare foot.
He had been getting hr.ver and
Drawer, now l.n was wide awake. and
he crawlcl forward and looked down
the sruttlc-hole. He knew that room
in Il minute hut he had tn look twice
before he knew that tree.
Ever so many stockings. And
they re all full. Look at those sheds ,
Oh, my"
Whichever way he looked he saw
something wonderful. and he began to
get excited.
~ ran climb down it's Just lik.
going down stairs
II was Just about rs safe and easy.
with all those branchrs; under him. and
all he had to Il" WAS to sit ON one and
get ready to sit OF tn" next one below
him. He got about halfway down.
and there was the grain bag. with its
mouth wide open. lust beyond it, on
the same bougl, hut further ont, there
hung a very small stocking. indeed.
That's mine exclaimed Bijnh Its
cram full, too. They've borrowed 1t,
after all theirs were full want il to
put Oh nov. but I can't reach II out
there.
Just then he began to hear NOISES
up stairs, unT other noises in the rooms
below shouts and stamping. and pco-
pie calling To one another and he
could not make out what they wcru
saving.
oh. dear, they're coming Santa
Claus is coming! What'll ,lo?"
Bijah WAS scared: but there wis the
wide mouth OF Grandfather Nroumull's
grain-bag Stocking" and almost be
fore Bi]all knew What he was doing he
had slipped III.
Poor Bijah. Jhc moment he Mas in
he discovered THAT he could not climb
out. He tried hard, but illcr, WITS
nothing ON the sides Of the la" for his
feet to climb on. Next moment. toe.
he wanted to crouch down as low IL, IT,.
could. for all the noise seemed TO l,.
coming nearer.
Soft was. indeed. and ut TIE II, al %! IT
were grandfather and grandmother and
the other Grown-up people. trying to
keep back the boyssnd girls until they
should all be gathered
where's Bijah?" asked grandfather,
after he had counted twice around, and
WAS sure about the rest.
"Biiah.' exclaimed Lipl. Why, ]
looked in the store-room; lie isn't
there"
Hope the little chap diln'. get
scared and run away
Dear through the snow" ex-
claimed grandmother.
"Of course not said Aunt Jane.
Hes around somewhere. Let's lei
the children in. They're all here
Steady, now" said grandfather, as
he swung open the door into tic dark
room.' Don't touch ANYTHING TIL NC
all get in. Stand around the tree
He himself stepped right in froat o
it, and he looked more like n great
tall, old Santa Claus than ever Il, he
stood there. The children's eyes wer,
opening wide and wider rs The,
/. slipped around in n sort o! very imro
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

tient circle; but grandfathcr's own eyes
shut for moment, as they had habit
of doing sometimes, and his white beard
was all Of q tremble. 1t was only for q
moment, but when he looked around
again he said:
"Now, children, wait. Which of you
can tell me what child it was that came
into the world ON tho first Christmas
morning?'
They had not been quite ready to
answer question that came SO sud-
denly, and before any Of them could
speak, clear, sweet little voice came
right out of the middle of the tree:
II know. And the shepcrls found
found Him i'll a manager, and His mother
was with Him. He sent down after my
mother last summer.
"Riiah!' exclaimed grandfather, but
grandmother was already pushing
aside the boughs, and now they could
see him. Only his curly head and his
little shoulders showed above the grain
bag, and Uncle Hiram shouted:
Father Nrooman, he is in your
stocking? Who could have put him
shere?'
Il think KNOW said grandfather,
i'll very low, husky kind of vore; but
all tho Simpsons and IIopkinscs and
Hardys broke loose at that very mo-
ment, and it took them till breakfast
time to compare with each other tho
things they found i'll their stockings,
and all tie other wonderful fruits of
that splendid Christmas tree.
Bijah WAS lifted out OF the bag, and
he got his stocking ON. after it was
empty. For some reason he couldn't
guess why all the grown-up people
kissed him, and grandfather made him
sit next to him at breakfast.
That WAS ~ great breakfast, and it
took ever 81 long to eat it. hut it WAS
hardly over before grandmother fol
lowed grandfather into the hall, and
they heard her say:
Now, husband. what are >ou wrap
ping up so for just to so the barn.
Barn! Why, my dear, lin going to
town. ! told Pat to hay. the team
ready
"'ro town? Why. husband"
Mother, thcrc'll be stores open
to-day. I can buy cords OF toys and
candy and things. When | get to the
Orphan Asylum, to tell EN- what has
become Of Biinh, and why he won't
come back there again, I'm going to
have enough to 20 around among the
rest Of 'em- am. if it takes the price
nj a COW.
Give EN- something for ne.
Uncle Hiram heard it. and he
shouted. And for me- and Uncle
John followed, and all the rest till tho
children caught it up, and there was
contribution made by every stocking
which had hung on that Christmas
tree. They all gave just as fast
As they understood what it was
for. and TIN" last ON" to full, under
stand WAS Bilah.
"lou amt going to take me?'
His lip luivcrcd little.
No. Biiah, rot unless you want to
go. Wouldn't you rather stay herc?"
Course would
That was not all, for both his hands
were ont, holding up the store of
things which had come to him that
morning, and he added. lake en-
Something was the matter again
with Grandfather Nrooman's beard,
but he tod Biiah he would get plenty
Of other things in town.
Keep en-, Bijal. G;ood-by, all of
you. III be back in time for dinner.
Children, Vol, and Bush must he kind
to Biial. He came to us on Christmas
morning. and lie has come To stay
Bush and the children did their part,
and so did all the rest, and so did
Biiah, ard so it was perfect Christ
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26
ORIGIN OF CHRISTMAS GREENS.
by ADELAIDE G. WATERS.

Good Santa Claus remarked ono day.
pray is there any reason
Why trees should dress the thinnest way
Within the coolest season?
When should certainly suppose
The maple, elm, and chestnut
Would look about for winter clothes.
Instead it seems they dress not"
And nothing covered could be seen
Until, SO blithe and merry,
Hc spicd the thrifty evergreen,
And biiGht-faccd holly berry.
"Aha." lie said, I've found them out,
Trees that have no such folly;
IIenceforth Ill wreathe myself about
With evergreen and holly"
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

The way the Simpson and Hopkins
families got mixed up, with Liph and
Sue Hardy to help them, was some
thing wonderful. Old Bush wandered
from room to room after them, wagging
his tail and whining.
Mother" exclaimed Mrs. Hardy at
last, "the bed you made on the floor in
tho store.room!"
"Just the thing for him. All the rest
go in pairs. I'll put that poor little dear
right in there"
oshe did, and not one of her own
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

THIS is the very 'witching time O.
year when literary folks stuff them
selves nigh unto bursting with holiday
fare, and then burn the midnight oil,
grooming, and writing essays on "The
American tendency to gluttouy." How
ever, if one fellow furnishes the theory,
it is only fair that some other fellow
)houll supply the practice.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

Mrs. Simpson tried to unmix her chill
dren from the Hopkinses long enough
to be sure memo of them had dropped
out of the sleigh on the road.
Then Liph SGT to work to introduce
his cousins to Bijah, and Bush came
and stood by his new friend in gray, to
see that it was properly done.
"Whered you come from?" said Joe
Simpson.
"'sylum." said Bijah. "where'd he
catch you?"
"Catch what.?' said Joe, but Liph
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

managed To choke off the chuckle he
was going into, and to shout out:
."W),y, Joe, VIC found him in the road
to-day. "" thinks grandfather's old
Santa Claus, and this house is Christ
mas
so aDl--so it u.s. said Grandfather
Nrooman. Well make him lang up
his stocking with all the rest tonight"
Bijah could not feel scared at all with
so many children around him, and lie
WAS used to being among crowd Of
them. Still, it was hard to feel ut
home after supper, and he might have
had q blue time of IL il it hadn't been
for Liph and Bush. 1t lad somehow
got into Busll's mind that the dot in
gray was under his protection, and he
followed Biiall from one corner to- an
other.
All the doors in the ",lar., room
were open, and it was the lightcst room
in the house, with its big fire OH the
hearth and all the lamps that were
taken in after supper: but there was
not one thing hanging on the Christ
mas tree until Grandfather Nrooman
. exclaimed
"Now for the stockings. It's getting
late, children. must have YOU all in
led before long"
"Stuckings?'
They all knew what that meant, and
So did Bijah, but it WAS wonderful how
many that tree had to carry Bob
Hopkins insisted on hanging two pairs
for himself, and Thad Simpson was
begging his mother for second pair,
when Liph Hardy came in from the
kitchen with Il great, long, empty grain
bag.
"Wllat i'll the world is that for?"
asked grandmother, perfectly aston
isI,cd. why, child, what do you mean
10y bringing that thing in herc?'
"One big stocking for grandfather.
Let's hang it up, buys. Maybe Santa
Clans'll fill it,
There was no end Of fun over Grand
, father Nrooman's grain-bag stocking,
| that was all leg and no foot, but Uncle
Hiram Simpson took it and fastened it
strongly to a branch in the middle of
the tree. 1t was close to the trunk,
and was almost hidden; but Lipl saw
Uncle Hiram wink at Aunt Ellen, and
he knew there was fun of some kind
that lie had not thought of.
Grandmother Vrooman had been so
busy with all those children from the
moment they came into the house that
she had almost lost her anxiety; but it
came back to her now all of sudden.
"Sakes alive! Jane" she said to Mrs.
Hardy, every last one of ems got to
| be III bed before we can doa thing will,
the stockings"
Bijah heard her, for he was Just be-
yond the dining-room door, with a
cruller in each hand, and it made him
shiver all over.
Il wish was in the 'sylum. No,
don't either, but kind O. wish l was.
Bijah was very small boy, and he
had not seen much of the world. but
his ideas were almost as clear as those
of the other children and Grandma
J Vrccman for ths next fifteen minutes
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

hearth downstairs, and Liph got hold
of Bijah after while and made him
and Bush go around with him to help
poke them up. Biial. had never seen
"a fire place before, and it was II great
wonder to him, but Bush sat down in
front of each fire and laughed at it.
1t was getting dark when they
reached the great front parlor, and the
fireplace there was wonderful,
"Woof, wool, woof." barkel Bush.
Bi..all stood still in the door while
Lipll went near enough to give that
fire Il poke, and lie could hear Grand
fathcr Nrooman away back in the SIT
ting-room:
Now, my dear, we'll stick him away
somewhere. Put him in one Of the
stockings, and hang him up"
"That's me-" groaned Bijall. "Hes
going to make u present of me to some
body. Oh. dear! I wish ] could run
away"
But lie could not, for there was Liph
and there was Bush. and it was getting
dark
Now. my dear" went on grand
father, I'll Just light up, and then LII
go and meet that train. I'll bring Pruc
and her folks, and Patti meet the
other, and bring Ellen and hers. Won't
the old house be full this timc?'
He's caught some more somewhere,
whispered Biial to himself. Il wonder
who'll get EN-? Who'll get me-"
That was an awful question. but
Liph and Bush all but ran, against him
Just then, ,pd lie heard grandmother
say:
you'll lave to stick candles on the
windowsills. can't spare any lamps
for upstairs.
But. my dear, it's got to lie lit up
every room Of it. want 'em to know
Christmas is coming"
"Tllat's what they were all saying at
the sylum this morning" Thought
Biiah, and here am, right where it's
coming to-
So he was, aud he and Lipl and Bush
watched them finish setting the supper
table. till suddenly Bush gave great
bark and sp:ang away toward the front
door. Grandfather Nrooman had hard
lv been gone from the house an hour,
and here lie WAS, back again.
Jingle, jingle, jingle. How the sleigh
bells did dance as that great load Of
Young folk came down the road, and
what racket they made at the gate,
and how Bush, and Liph, and grand
mother and the rest did help them,
Hes caught EN- ALL" said Bijah,
"but they amt scared Bit"
No one would have thought 50 if Ilo
had seen Mrs. Prue Hopkins and her
husband and her SIX children follow
Grandfather Vrooman into the house
They were hardly there, and some of
them had their things on yet, when
there came another jingle, and ever so
much talking and laughter down the
other road.
"He's caught some more. Some are
little and some are big. wonder who'll
get the baby?"
Bush was making himself hoarse, and
had to be spoken TO by Mr.. Hardy, while
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

He got up very quickly and looked
around him. It was not dark in the
stors-room, for there was great luarc
hole in the middle of the floor. and a
glow of dull rcd light came up through
it which almost made Bijah feel afraid.
There was his little gray suit OF
clothes, cap and all, close by his bed
on the floor, and le pnt them on faster
than lie ever had done it before.
"Where's my other stocking?'
He searched and searched, but it was
of no use. and lie snil. ~ emit rnn
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26
AN INDIAN DOLL.
BY FANNIE NJ. JOHNSON.

-
In her quiet chamber sitting.
Pondercd Busy Bee,
What to give to Cousin Polly.
On the Christm Tree.
And her little stores OF treasure
Simple wore. and plain,
For her home was in q cottage
In the vii 10 of Maine.
Jus. half a-tlozen volumes,-
Eoolss weli-read and old:
Little bits Of silk and ribbon,
Choicely kept as gold;
And box of beads and buglcs.
And rabbits fur.
CTwas an Indian girl, last summer,
Gave them both to her.)
Then happy fancy struck her,
"Oh, Know" cre oil Bee:
Ill make an Indian dolly
For the Christmas Tree"
Then she counseled with her mother.
Took some cloth Of dun,
Hue like cheek of Indian maiden
Tinted by the sum.
Carefully the shape she fashioned
Body, head, and feet:
Filled the rounded form with sawdust.
Scwed it firm and neat;
Drew in ink the brows and lashes.
Eyes as black as night;
And the cheeks and lips and nostrils
Touched with carminc bright.
Then tho crown of hair was added
Mother helped her there
Plated it with dark brown trcsses
Cut from Bees own hair.
Then she made some clothes Of flannel
Fitted to her needs;
Moccasins Of wool she fashioned.
Trimmed them bright with beads:
Made a pretty dress of scarlet.
Trimmed with dainty down,
From IL bit Of scarlet flannel
Left of Baby's gown.
Then she made --oh, browning triumph.
Softly lined within,
Such Il royal robe of ermine
From the rabbits skin.
Last of all the cap was added,
Just Il band of down,
With tuft of ROSTERS feathers
Waving from the crown.
Loving work of little fingersl
Happy Cousin Poll!
Every one exclaimed who saw It.
What pretty doll"
So tho Christmas gift was fashioned
Busy little Beef
And she finished 1t and hungit
On the Christmas Tree.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

mince pie in his lap, and Bush, the big
house-dog, sitting beside him.
"It's Santa Claus dog" said Bijah
to himself; "but his houae isn't as big
as the 'sylum."
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26
JANUARY FIRST.

The farmer pe,idlcth his garden sass.
The hummer tippcth his festive glass,
The careful doctor prescribcth lue mass.
The young man courtcth the gentle lass,
Consuming the old mans coal and gas,
And the editor sccketh the annual pass.
st. Louis Tiines-Jomnai.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

grand children was tucked in warmer
than was Bijali. He did not kick the
bed clothes of the next minute either,
and he was the only cl;ild in the house
of whom, that could he said. Grand
father Nroomal, paid visit OF ins,cc-
ton all around from room to- room, and
Bush went with him. II took him IL
good while. When he came to the
store-room and looked in, l;iiah's tired
eyes were already closed as tight as
were the fingers of the little hand on
the coverIct. which WIS still yrasning IL
crullcr
He was fast asleep. but Grandfather
Nroonan was not: and yet, when Bush
looked up ut him the old mans eyes
were shut ton, and there was !. stir in
his thick white beard rs ii his lips were
moving.
Things got pretty still after while,
and then there began steady process
sion in and ont of tho dark room,
which WAS not dark
Boxes went in, and bundles, and
these were opened and united. and
their contents spread out and looked
at and distributed IL WAS no wonder
Grandfather Nrooman's big sleigh had
been so full. and the on" Pat had 'lriv-
en-. when thcy brought the Hopkins
and Simpson families from The north
and soutl, railway stations.
Grandfather himself went away out
to tho barn once for something he said
lie had hidden there. and while he was
gone Aunt Ellen Simpson and Uncle
Hiram slipped a package into the grain
bag, and grandmother handed Uncle
Hiram another to slip III OH top of it.
and Uncle John Hardy and Uncle Mar
tin Hopkins each handed linn another,
and the bag was almost half full. but
You could not see it from outside: and
then they all winkcd at each other
when grandfather caillc in with Il back
load of slcds. GRANDMOTHER may have
thought she knew what they were wink
ing about, hut she didn't, for Uncle
Hiram whispered to Aunt Ellen:
I'm glad it's n big stocking. Onr'll
do for both of en-
1t was late when they all went to
bed, and there Was SO much fire in the
fireplace they were half afraid to leave
it. but Grandfather Vroornan said it
was of no use to try and cover il up,
and the room would he warm in the
morning.
When they got upstairs the children
must all have been asleep, for there
was not II sound from any room, and
the older people went to bed on tipto>,
and they had tried hard to not so much
as whisper on the stairs.
CHAPTER III
Oh, how beautiful the country was
when the gray dawn came next morn
ing white and still in the dim and
growing light.
So still! But the stilest place was
the one B;iah woke up in. He could
not guess where he was at first, but he
lay awhile and remembered
"Santa Claus house, and they're all
real good. He's going to give me to
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26
CHAPTER II.

There were fire-places in every room
on the ground floor of Grandfather
Vrooman's house, and some kind of
stove in more than half of the rooms
upstairs.
There wero blazing fires M cverv
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

EHE.srM.s cards should be arknowl-
e,|S,,; ly sending other Ch.iitmas
cag.i>
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

And smaller growctn the Sunday school clsse.
For the festival is u thing that was;
And the girl counts the callers cards she has.
And signs because they're SO few-alas!
And the man tina. sworc of says he's an ass;
And diary writing goes smooth as glass.
The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-04-17
SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS.
Grants Leg the Subject of a Resolu-
ton by the State Convention

Grants Leg the Subject Of a Resolu-
ton by the State Convention.
COLUMBUS, S. c., April lG.-'The Re-
publican State Convention selected the
following delegates from the Statc-at-
large, who were uninstructed: l.. NJ,
Brayton, Internal Revenue Collector;
w. N. Taft, Postmaster at Charleston;
congressman Robert Small and Samuel
Lee. The following delegates were Sc
lected by the District Conventions: they
also being uninstructed; First lHstrict, j..
M. Freeman and +. a. Webster; Second
District. Harry Simkins and /. Il. smith;
Third District, +. f. Blodgctt and Il. w.
Boore; Fourth District, Wilson Cook and
C. M. Wilder; Fifth District, L. {. Nc
Coy and +. II. Dibble; Sixth District, ID.
II. Carbin and +. II. Dcas Seventh Dis
trict, r. J. Johnson and Geo. ii. lhomp-
son. The Convention after passing II
resolution of coincidence with General
Grant and one indorSing the admlnistra-
ton of President Arthur as wise, econori'
ica and just, without rcproach or st'li'
adjourned.
The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-04-17
House.

After the transaction or some unim-
portant business by unanimous consent
the morning hour, on motion of Mr.. Morri-
son, was dispensed with and the House
went into committee of the whole on the
tariff bill, Mr.. Cox(of New York; in the
chair.
Mr.. Russell (of Mass. addressed the
House in opposition to the bill. lie said
there was no pressing demand from
any source and no necessity for change
in the rate of duties so lately established
The present bill is thrown in as chal-
lenge for the approaching political cam
paign, and the Republican party, as friends
oiprotection, readily accepted tand would
make the canvass on the issue. He then
went into an elaborate defense of the pro-
tectivc system, producing statistics to
sustain his argument. To show that the
tariff benefited agricuturists, he pre-.
sented a table showing the increase of
value in lands as they were located near
nan nfactnriny Centcrs.
The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-04-17

by the officer was in arresting De Rack
and Pope. De Rack lives with Pope,
and has been taking the latter's wife and
children with him in his rounds, and pass
ing them offas his own family. Pope re-
fused Officer Dudley admission to his
house when the latter called to arrest De
Rack, claiming that he was very sick.
When the officer insisted on seeing the
beggar Pope elected him, and Officer
Lawless had to be called in order to get
into the house. 1t was found that De
Rack was not sick at all, and when he
was taken out Pope was taken with him.
All the beggars were charged with va
grancy, and Pope with disorderly con-
duct and with resisting an officer. 1t is
Officer Dudley's determination to break
up this gang of mendicants.
The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-04-17
A w aterhaul.

WAsHINGToN, d. c., April lG.-In the
investigation by the House Committee on
Public Lands of the Lake Portage (NIich.
land grant, this morning Mr.. Ambrose
Campbell, of Marquette, Mich, who is.
sued the certificates under which the
Company located its grant of lands
from the Government was examined
in reference to the location of the
land. The prosecution wanted to show
by him that some Of the land was 10.
Gated beyond the limit Of fifty miles
either side Of the canal, as by the laws
granting the lands to the railroads, but
the witness could not say in the absence
Of the records that any OF the land had
been thus unlawiully located.