davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23

It was q bitter one, clear, starlighted and
beautiful, but with an air as keen as invis-
ible dagger points. The solitary figure Of
1 heels in his CLOAK, was skulkirg with the
step of a thief through the gateway of his
desolate home when hand was laid upon
\ his shoulder.
"What the dickens do you want!' was
his rude salutation.
! The man VINO had arrested his steps car
RED in his arms what looked like largo
| bundle
Here is poor little child that have
picked up" he sad. ''She is homeless
and destitute. Let me warm her by your
! fire.
"No-be of with your Migrants! Take
her to the alms-hoIse and warm her
there. 1 don't keep open house for pau
pers."
I" Do you remember met"
Sproule looked the other in the face, and
replied, pettishly:
=" used to know you, when knew any,
body. You are Silas West, suppose"
when you knew anybody, as you say,
1 was one of your best friends. l did you
many valued r3vors, and was always wel-
come to your home. Now, when ask shell
uOl lOT SCI. OuI lOE lLlS
waif, defy you to refuse!-y Obed, in
the name of our old friendship, l say you
dare aOti''
He was shivering with cold, but was more
affected by this blunt appeal HIS herd
face, or what could be seen of it, did not
soften; but he uttered brief ''Bring her
in" and made for the back door, followed
by the man with the burden.
Inside the house, the latter was intro.
duced into room where dust, litter and
confusion prevailed, where costly furniture,
rare books and ornaments were heaped
about in utter neglect A fire smouldered
in the wide, old-fashioned fireplace
Sproule stirred it and threw on wood from
pile that lay on the carpet, and the rudy
blaze soon cracked and famed up the
chimney.
Mr. West removed the wrappings which
enveloped the form of his charge, and re-
vealed to the ungraciOus host beautiful
little girl of perhaps six years, golden
haired, blue-eyed and red-cheeked, dressed
coarsely but very comfortably, as became
the season. Sproule looked at her and de-
manded harShly:
what mummery is this' You said the
child was picked up by you. This is nc
vagrant."
Il IOlu Jne JFuJn L plCheu ucr up tC-HiSut
at the orphan asylum and brought her
here
''You said she was homeless and desti.
tute :"
THAT is no home for any child who is en-
titled to a better one; and she will be desti-
tute so long Us the love that she should
have is denied her"
a Harsh, forbidding reply was on SPROUTS
lips. Something restrained it. His eyes
were arrested by the child's face; some
thing in it held them there. Could it be
possible that his hard face softened as he
looked. He held out one hand, and said.
gruffiy:
"Come here"
1t seemed more wonderful still that the
little one was not repealed, but she came tG
him at once.
"Humphr' he said. whats your
name!'
Bessie, sir.r
He started, and looked from her to Mr.
West. He seemed balancing between anger
and curiosity, hesitating to ask another
question, when the confidence and talkar
tiveness that nature had given to the child
decided the matter.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23

stag out thar. Wy, look at the gal, .
kissin' the fool feller. Martha, whut do all
this meanl Wy, dog my cats, whut yer
wanter kiss me furi Wall, waller haw,
haw-I never did see the like"
:" Old man." said Sim, sit won't be many
hours now till Ch-ismus, an 1 tell yur whut
] lowed wus best. Jest ez soon ez Their
first rooster crows airter Their clock strikes
twelve Pm goin' out, git jcstice Nv the
piece an git married"
Yer amt er goin' ter do no SIGH Nv er
thingr' the old man exclaimed ''No, sir
yer amt er goin' ter bulge, fur I'm goin'
airter the jestice Nv the piece myself. Oh,
ole man Eorner, when he takes a notion, is
er good one"
When the clock struck twelve Sim said:
Now lessun fur the rooster! Ding him,
will he never crow; thar he isl Git yer
nag, ole man"
Old Horner soon returned, and the
couple were married At the breakfast
table, while the neighbours guns were
firing saluteS to the Saviour'5 birthday,
old Horner said: - l still don't un'erstan'
why yer all giggled so yistidy evnin'."
Ivy, pap" laughed the girl, sit wuz
cause we had dun slipped up ON yer so!'
How'd yer slip up on me!'
"W'y, SIM he 'fessed 'igion luther day,
has fined the church an the confunce has
dun made or preacher outen him, an he
had gone to tell yer the good news when he
found yer cotch by er log"
"Wall, WALL said the old man, "Sim er
preacher, wall, er haw hawl the joke is on
him"
why so?n Sim asked.
"'Cause yer mas ter pay double price fur
the gal.'
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23

shortly before q certain Christmas not
long since, must have been reminded of
that sentiment.
Not that physical decay, or the tongue of
fire, or the heavy hand of the tornado had
visited it. No force of nature had dew
astated its fair proportions and comely
looks; and as for the tooth of Tlme-such
substantially-bu houses as this, with the
ordinary repairs such as its owner never
failed to make, Will defy the old scythe-
bearer for centuries. The change of which
l speak was in it's general aspect, in the
use that was made of it, in the face, so
to speak, that it showed to the pass
err. For men who knew its history
would tell you that time was when
its many windows and shutters were thrown
wide open to the light of day; when music,
mirth and laughter were heard at night
from its parlors; when fair and manly faces
looked out from it, and when little children
romped up and down the broad stairs, and
played on the lawn in front. but it had
long been strictly closed to all the world
save its morose, hermit-like occupant. The
shutters were closed, the doors fast-locked,
rank weeds had grown up about it, and its
whole exterior was chill and forbidding.
People who had watched said that some
times it's solitary dweller came out and in
at rear door, always boiling it upon his
entrance; and that, saving this, no living
persons were ever seen about the premises.
Even the tramps, the beggars, the peddlers
and the book-agents, who prevent life else
where from becoming monotonous, paused
at the gate, looked doubtfully at the pros
pect within, and passed on
Like house, like master. From a genial,
hearty man, Obed Sproule had almost in
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23


Looking up with start of JOY, the old
man beheld Sim Buck leisurely approach
ing.
EUR the Lawd's sake, Simmie, run here 7"
"Ain't in no purtickler hurry" the young
man replied, tearing off chew of tobacco.
''Great heavens, don't yer see how I'm
fxed!"
''Ah, hah ~ Sim replied, as he came up
and carelessly sat down on one end of the
! log.
"ConfouSd yer fool soulr' shouted the
old man, ''ain't yer got no sense!'
Pm all right; amt nothin' the matter
with me. Come ter think err bout it, thar
do peer ter be er fool in the neighborhood,
an it sOrter peers like he's dun jammed
his foot inter the crack Nv er log"
''Nevcr mind, I'll fix yer fur this"
''Peers like you've already fix ed yuse'f.n
'Sm, for Gods sake split open this log
an let me git outen here"
Don't like ter split wood, but eff yer've
got any plowin' yer want done don't mind
doin' it fur yer"
You air BRUTE" the old man raved.
"Yas, that's what they said down in the
holler, but the branch KEEP on er runnin'."
"Simmie."
That's me-"
"Please turn me er loose"
81 amt got er holt Nv YER"
"You air the blamedest fool I ever seem"
That's me, an ter-morrer will be Chris
mus, too. Lowed that I'd come over an
take dinner with yer, but hearn that yer
didn't want nobody but preachers ter come
round yer"
Turn me loose, Sim, an yer may come"
Tell yur whut FL do. Turn yer er
loose eff yer'n gin me er Chrismus pres
emit"
I'm do it; I'll gin yer er calf
"Come er gin.''
1.-TWO hogs"
mo, gin me Nan"
Iwon't do it ~ the old man Indignantly
shouted.
"An right, then; goodbye"
"Hol' on, Sim"
Wall"
This thing is er bout ter pinch my foot
of"
All, hah, but I must 60"
"Say, SIM
wall"
"rn gin yer the gal 1 CANT STAN this
no longer"
''Shall we take it down in writin'?"
"Oh, mussy, no; my words ez good ez
my bond"
IAN right"
He soon split open the log and liberated
the old man
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23

'Whats rHuntsmanp Didn't you ever
play Huntsman! Why, it wouldn't be
Christmas at all at grandpa's without
huntsman. Aunt Lizzie wanted to play
girls plays, like Come In, Come See, and
Byimble-come, Bumble-come; but Life and
Ben and Mamie and all us boys and girls
said: nTwould be real mean not to have
Huntsman.' So when the girls had cleared
the table, in the dining room, Uncle Oliver
says:
$50 ahead, boys, and get the chairs
ready
"We all played but grandpa He said
twas leetle too much for an old fellow like
him, after Christmas dinner, but he'd
help do the laughing.
1--WE put his great armchair in ore cor
ner and fixed the other chairs up and down
t middle of the room, back to back;
chairs enough for everybody that was 60
ing to play, all except one.
Uncle Oliver said he'd be the first
Huntsman. Then all the rest of US sat
down, and Uncle Oliver gave US each
a name. l was Bear, Life was Wolf,
Mamie was Fox and Aunt Lizzie was Hare,
and so on.
when we were all named Uncle Oliver
began to run round the chairs; pretty soon
he called: 'Bearr 1 jumped up and caught
hold of his coat and ran after him, then he
called Fox and Mamie grabbed my jacket
and trotted after me as fast as she could
trot So, you see, Uncle Oliver called US,
one after another, till VIC were all running
round the room, laughing and shouting and
making such racket that the hired man
told the folks in the kitchen:
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23

and the pretty young women, whose pictur-
es1ue attire adds 10 natural charms, sing
another appropriate song, the PEASANTS
wife Ills basket with fruit and cake and
jug with appls cider, thus practically re-
spending to the melodious petition of her
visitors, who leave the house chanting once
more the joyful message, ION earth peace"
From house to house they wander, filing
= heavy cart with the contributions of the
cheerful and charitable, ever repeating
their songs and their stories and their
legends, until every one able to do so has
given his or her mite. And when the work
of collecting is finished, the distribution
begins. The novels of the poor and sick
are visited, and at each door basket is
left, together with word of cheer and the
never-cea-ing Goodwill toward men,
The sleepy old night watchman of the
village toots the hour Of eleven on his me-
anchOly horn as the cheerful band of yong
people reach the last cottage whose owners
are TO be made happy through the generos-
ity of their neighbors. Their glad chant is,
however, not answered by words of vel
come. Instead of the care-worn face of the
overworked widow whose load they desire
TO Tighten, they see the benevolent face of
the village pastor. Quietly they file into
a dingy room, dimly lighted by single
tallow candle. A distracted mother, wrapt
in gloom and sorrow, stands at the head Of
a miserable bed watching every motion on
the face of little sufferer whose frail body
is buried under the weight of heavy feather
bedding Slowly the child opens her CLASSY
eyes and raises her weak body. A thought
of the present seems to fit across the
fevered brain.
Mamma" she whispers, "has the
'Christ-child' Gomez"
ayes, my darling sobs the heart-brol1-
en- mother, land it has brought you such
gay little frock.'
"Oh, acknowledgement give it to
neighbours Barbele, they're poorer than
WEI
Kneeling at the bedside, the worthy pas
tor wipes away tear, the almost par
alyzed mother suppreSses heart-rensing
sob, the subdued rOysterers weep tears of
sympathy. Silence, broken only by the
slow tick of tts old cuckoo clock on the
wall and the heavy breathing of the dying
child, is at last Interrupted by the patient
sufferer.
Mamma" she whispers, hoarsely, even
in death preaching charity, "rm going.
Give me a kiss. I'm going. Let me see
the dress. Yes, yes; give it to Barbele.
Give it to Barbele. Yes, mamma'-start-
ing up-'see the Christ-child. 1t beckons
me to come, to come. Yes, yes, Pm COM
ing-I'm coIning-Glory to God in the -"
One last gasp and the pure soul OF the
widowed mothers only treasure has joined
the ''Christ-child'' in His home on high.
The good pastor offers fervent supplica-
ton for the bereaved woman, and as the
youthful witnesses of this touching scene
silently leave the house of death, the
Waterman toots the midnight hour, the
church-ball rings the advent Of Christ's
natal day, and over hill and dale, from
every neighboring village, sung by young
voices, come the words of hope: ''Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace,
goodwill toward men"
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23

oroOllet which was trying hard to wind its
way through comparatively heavy masses
of gistaning ice. Peace, prosperity and
content, the three great blessings courted
and enjoyed by the peasant of the
Suabian lowlands, had indeed united in
producing picture pleasing to the eye and
delightful to the mind. Wherever one
might look, he became convinced that
among the simple people inhabiting these
humble homes, frugal honesty is held in
higher esteem than dishonesty attained
wealth and crafty policy.
Christmas Eve with these pious country
folk does not mean a mere exchange of
presents and compliments, but a devoted
thanllfulness for blessings received during
the year. The poor and the rich are for the
nonce made one, their object being to as
sist the <;w of their fellow-townspeople liv-
ingin squalor and want. During the evening
hours of the day preceding the Saviour's
birth quiet joy holds svpreme sway in a
goods portion of the thrifty villages of the
poetic Neclzar valley, and goodwill to all
is expressed upon tlso well-fed faces Of old
and young
The large front room of every cottage,
whose scrupulously clean floor is covered
with shining sand, is decorated with en-
blems suitable to the high holiday. The
broad sill by the quain:, old-fashioned,
small-paned window supports gay Christ
mas tree loaded down with good things to
eat and embellished by dozens of wax
candles, whose bright light dazzles the eye.
The square and heavy hour-trough in the
corner is covered with gifts for the little
ones The substantial oal1en table, which
has done duty in the family for perchance
a century, is almost breaking down under
the weight of tootfsome morsels. Busily
the parents fit hither and thither, and at
last the children who have spent many
anxious moments in the bed-chamber under
the roof are allowed to enter. Grand
mother smiles, dear old grandfather gives
vigorous pull at his pipe to conceal thu
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23

emotion winch has caused his weak eyes to
shed tear of joy, father arl mother
proudly survey the treasures of their hearts
and home as they approach the hallowed
tree-not hastily, not impatiently, but de-
murely and decorously-chanting in low,
sweet whisper the message of joy: 'tGlory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
goodwill toward men" Grandfather
whispers solemn Amen" and then rises
to read prayer from the old and we'll
worn family prayer-book, while the others,
with folded hands, surround the tree and
listen with wrapt attention to the words of
thankfulness and suppGcation uttered by
the noble old man. Then the children re-
ceive gifts brought by 'Christkindchen,"
tokens of love whose pitiful intrinsic value
would cause TOriling to smile, but which
are dearer 10 those remembered than the
most gaudy and expensive baubles can be
to those ''hIghly-ciyilized" unfortunates
who know not the value of love.
While this touching distribution is taking
place in the cottage, sweet chant is heard
on the street, and in few moments adozen
voices, lowly singing ''Glory to God in the
Highest" seek and gain admission. The
spokesman of the twelve young men and
women repeats the story of the ''Chrlst-
kinds" (Christchild's) birth, and asks in
simple verse for gift for the poor and sick
and needy for whose sake the Son of God
was born in a lowly mange-, suffered and
was crucifjed; and while the sturdy youths,
clothed in leather knee breeches and shorx
jackets with huge brass or silver buttons,
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23

was wrong. He was tall and gaunt, with
long, yellowish hair and a sickly sprinkling
Of beard, ike thin growth of wire grass,
growing where the land is poor. His wife
had been educated into meekness, and
thought that she should find her greatest
pleasure in lowering over the Sizing bacon
and watching the hoe-cake Nan, the girl,
was a beautiful blonde, full OF life. but
afraid OF her father. Sim Buck, to whom
Nan was secretly engaged to be married,
was, the neighbors said, "a rip shorten
sort Nv er teller that mout err mount ter
suthun eff he would try, but the chances
WIZ ergin him.
Mrs Horner took up the supper, and,
signing YEARLY, said:
Come. pap, an eat or snack"
The old man drew up his chair, waited,
with an air of impatience, until the other
members of the family were seated and
then asked a blessing, beginning with an
elongated gracious Lord" and ending with
an unintelligible sigh.
''Aln't yer goin' ter eat nothin', Nanw
'Ain't er haungry."
Bucks tuck yer appetite, reckon"
''Sirp
"Heard whut 1 said. Wall, never min,
I'll take his appetite the next time he
comes on the place"
"Pap," said Mrs Horner, don't torment
the child"
The old man took swallow of butter
milk, looked at his wife and replied: Let
us don't have no advice, Martha. Keep in
the straight an narrar path an don't FRET
About one month later, on the day before
Christmas, old Horner, while splitting a
''rail-cut," some distance from home, acct
dentally stepped in the opening Of the log
just as one of the ''gluts'' few out. The
two sections Of the log closed on the old
mans foot and ankle, and but for the thick
sole Of his boot, would have crushed his
foot. he uttered an exclamation of thank
fulness, muttered 4 few words in praise of
old Riggsby, the shoemaker, and then at
tempted to liberate himself. This, he soon
found, was not an easy or even a possible
task. His axe, maui and wedges were be-
yond his reach. He shouted until be could
only croa&, and then, in despair, he began
TO pray The stiff sole of mis- boot began to
yield, and the splintered sides of the log be-
gan to painfully press his foot.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23

Sure. an I'd better be afthcr brirGin'
some er them big jists in thir sthable an
putin 'em be top I'VE Their ruff
% After we'd run round so. two or three
times uncle says: 'BASer Then we all
rushed for chair; for, you see, the one
that's left sticking upon his feet has to be
Huntsman next time
''Well, when we were running and having
the greatest kind of time, the door began
to open slowly, slowly, and black nose
came poking in, and pretty soon Tige's
head after it; Tige's grandpa's big curly
Newfoundland He looked all around, but
we couldn't see any thing but his head for
a minute or two. Then he made out there
was some fun going on and he gave one
jump into the room and began running
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23

Oh. yer neenter fiounce around thater way
pap" said Mrs. Horner, looking up
from her work of baking corn bread on the
hearth, don't nag at the child"
Martha, ever when l want yer advice
I'll AK fur hit. Nan, air yer comen!'
''Yas, I'm er comm. KANT yer gin er
body timem
''Oh, yas, ken gin er body time, but don't
feel like givin' er body eternity
The girl slowly approached hin, and
he continued: "When wuz out ter the
sto' the yuther day l hearn the you wuz
goin' ter marry Sim Buck next Chris
mus" The girls eyelids dropped. 1.-The
feaers out Their that peered to know all
erbout it said yer loved one nuther fit ter
kill. Whut yer got ter say erbout itF'
s1Nuthin'n
''Wal, then, I'll say suthin. Eff l kitch
Buck round here I'll hurt him, an MORN
that eff yer run OF an marry him I'll foller
yer up. Wall, never mine, yer shaint mar
~ him, that's all I've been er tellin' yer
fur err long time that wanted yer ter mar
" sr prcachnr. Thar never wuz er preach
Gr in aIr family, an ii'S Row time thar wuz
one. I've sot my min on this, an yer
meenter think amt goin' ter have it thater
way. Wy lis look at Preachur Martins
VIE. one SlIS CT new cauker coat ever
when she wants it. Err new one, min yer
Er new caliker coat all spotted ez putty
ez yer please. I've dun said ernuff IF
Buck comes on this here place ergin it
wont be good fur him"
Old Horner was hillside farmer in the
northern part Of Arkansas. He lived in
the conventional double-log house OF
WHOSE stack chimney the whipporwills
es.f. their Mechanically SONGS when the surn
me- 5 twilight settled down. The old nan
was set in his ways-had become convinced
that he was right and that every one else
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23

CHE TOOK THE LITTLE ONE UPON HIS BNEEH
"Ma is dead, and so is pa,n she prattled
spa died first. He made nice pictures, but
people wouldn't buy 'em, and we had nc
fire, and nothing to eat: and after he died
ma got sick, and was thin and weak, anC
she used to take me to bed with her to l1eeI
me warm; and she would cry, and tell me
all about the nice great house she used tC
live in. One night she got cold and wouldn't
talk to me, and then some people came and
took me away from her, to the big stone
house where live now with lots of other
children. They're kind to US there, and
this gentleman comes often to sec us; but
but" and the li':le voice quavered with
the swelling thought, and the tears wet the
long lashes-"I'd rather have my maebacl
again"
But ''time softens all asperities"
levels all bars. Her cruel after-stOry haG
just been repeated to him by these limo
cent lips, and long-dOrmant conscience was
shifting him heavily. He took the little one
upon his knee, he smoothed back her hair
and looked through mist into her eyes
''Will you kiss me, Bessief'' he asked, in
voice that his other visitor remembered u
have heard long ago
She did so without hesitation.
Mr.. West thought that he might venture
to speak now.
THE directors Of the asylum had re
solved,'' he said, 4" to take legal steps tC
compel you to maintain your granGchild
Mr.. Slsoule. / was unwilling to think
that all human affection had died in the
breast of the man whom / once knew as
kind husband and father, a generous friend
and obtained their consent to first use this
little artifice. l should judge it has sue
caeded."
We should judge so too; and subsequent
events confirmed good Mr.. Vests opinion
For, short IS was the time before that Christ
mas, it was so well employed that upon is
eve large and delighted party Of the
friends of other days was gathered in thai
mansion to view the regeneration and re-
demption from moth and rust Of the house.
But they saw something better than that
the regeneration of a human heart saved
from the fiends of unnatural anger that hac
long possessed it, ard brought back te
light, 10 hope and peace in that holy Christ
mas time, by that gentle yet powerful in
fluence that prevails now as it did thou
sands Of years ago, when it was written:
g. And little child shall lead them"
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23

HE CHASTITY flicker of
a smoking oil lamp,
suspended from a
weighty chain a t.
tached 70 the old.
fashioned gables of
two rather tall build
ings, lent an air of en-
chantment to the low,
matched cottages lin
ing both sides of the
main street of an an
Gent hamlet in ro-
mantle Sua6ia,; and
this pleasant sensa-
ton was made even
more realistic by a
glance at the SilVery
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-23

around, too, at the end Of the procession.
When the huntsman said: 'BASGI' Tge
didn't know what to make Of it, and ran
around after the folks were sitting down
putting and catching their breath l tell
you fellow has to have pretty good wind
to play Huntsm"n.
I'VE played lots Of times more, and the
next time Tige ran round just as he did at
first, but after he'd got the play into his
head. when the 'BASGr came he sat right
down and pounded the floor with his tail
That's his way of laughing, 'spose.