davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19

Papita said: "He lik-a 30 much de music he
forget-a Dc mon." That musician had
played TO immense AMI admiring audiences
IN every quarter OF the world, but Tony's ST.
lenee was the most appreciative compliment
he had ever received-touehed him most
OH he was all in black from tip to toe. and
his eyes were black and his mustache was
black. and he wore tall black hat, and the
hat he took OF and held in his hand ''Never
mind, Tony" said the big man to the little
boy, Il will attend to this" Pepita and
Tony stood by him-one oneach side-on the
goods box The crowd took 10 all in, under
standing perfectly well why they had enjoyed
such a treat that night Christmas is the
children's day and that was Christmas eve.
Pepita and Tony were standing thare-nurs-
lings Of the storm but sheltered under the
haven of that halowed eve Just then they
were everybody's children
God bless them!" said every drummer
with ''his best girl at home; and they came
up, did those drummeTs-every man-and
emptied their pockets into that tall hat, and
then the stranger made Tony take the { I'll
hat, and he began with the fiddle again and
lie gave them Dixie" and they took it up
Dixie is the land ofcotton,
Cinnamon seed and sandy bottom
Look awayl look away! away down south
in Dixiel
Mistress married Willie Weaver,
Willie was gay deceiver-
Look away! look away away down south
in Dixie!
Willie threw his arms around her,
Smiled as fierce as a thirty-pounder-
Look awayl look awayl etc.
1t was maddening. Everybody came rush
ing up to that tall hat. In five minutes it
was an overfowing hat. 1t was like a con-
jurer's hat, it held so much more than any
one thought it could hold. The stranger
pressed the money down-notes, dollars and
nickels-until it was complete in the scrip
tural measure, "pressed down, and running
over" Pepita and Tony had never seen so
much money in all their lives. As for the
hat, imagine its condition.
We'll, was that a touch of nature that
made the whole world kim? hardly know
that dare to say so much. 1t seems to me
that it was touch of art, and that inclines
me to my old theory that art and nature at
their best dance and sleep in each others
arms.
Pepita's pocket, Tony's two pockets could
not begin to hold the half of all their money,
so the clerks in that office found them a
specie bag and forced into it all their sud-
denly acquired wealth.
The children now were the central attrac-
ton. Somebody said, Where is the -,
the -?'-they didn't know what to call
him-but he was gone, like the angels that
we sometimes entertain unawares. But
surely there went with him this benediction:
''Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least
of these, We have done it unto me-"
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19
VVinny.

Wlnny is not pretty, nor quicA-wit-
ted; she has none of the special beau
ties of person which schoolgirls think
so invaluable, such as curling hair or
pink-tipped fingers. She cannot sing
operatic arias, nor speak word of
French or Italian; she never says
witty, piquant things to be remem-
bered and quoted in the family.
She is, in word, thoroughly COM
monplace, stout. homely child of fif-
teen years, who, if a passing stranger
saw her in group of girls, would be
the last to attract his notice
But Winny has certain habits for
which we wish to introduce her to the
girl readers of the Companion. She
has low voice with a laugh in it; she
sings scraps of songs at her work, as if
the place given to her in the world by
the good God was the most fitting and
dearest to her.
She has habit, too, of making her.
self felt in various little unexpected
but extremely delightful ways
Bob, her brother, who finds every
penny of his scanty salary as a clerk
count in buying his plain clothes,
finds a pretty necktie made out of
scraps on his bed some morning, and
says "Winny!" to himself, with nod
and pleased smile.
Her tired mother feels the baby
drawn out of her arms after she has
carried it all day, and lies down for an
hours rest, sure that it is safe with her
careful, tender little girl
Her fathers cup of chocolate is al
ways ready when he comes in late from
the store, and his paper cut and folded
by it.
Ann, the girl of all work, coming
down to make the breakfast ready on
busy day, has more than once been as
tonished to find the pan of biscuit
ready to go in the oven, and the table
laid. She went about her work happy
and good-humored for days after these
surprises.
at wasn't just the biscuits, +" she said.
at was the bein' thought Of"
Winny is not girl to carry away
prizes at school, but she studies long
and carefully, and when her father
goes to the examination on closing day,
he looks with pride and triumph at
homely, happy little girl in the middle
of the class who is "honorably men
toned"
It does not need beauty, nor genius,
nor money, girls, to insure you honor
able, loving mention i'll the world. 1t
requires only the unselfish heart and
helpful deeds which make Winny the
center of her home.
No curling ringlets, no bright smile,
no fine dress will give you such charm
in the eyes of those about you as the
habit Of thinking of them and their hap
piness. Youths Companion.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19

pursued his inquiry.
"Ihe mistletoe. Tom. is parasitic plant.
or one which can subsist only BY clinging to
the stems and imbibing the juices of stronger
plants. 1t usually grows on oak or black
walnut trees, and about Christmas has the
most beautiful white berries, looking very
much like pearls. and growing in clusters of
ten or twelve, which contrast beautifully
with its heavy olive-green leaves. 1t is often
gathered with the holly, which, you remem-
ber, has bright, scarlet berries, for decorating
houses at Christmas. lt is not often used in
ornamenting churches, because Of a supersti-
tious feeling many people have, that it was
connected with the idolatrous rites of the
Druids."
20, auntie," said Tom, ''tell me about the
Druids, please; / am reading about the big
stones they lett at Stonehenge, someor them
twenty-five feet long, and ranged round in a
circle"
'Do you know what the circle meant,
Tom?"
"No, aunt, do not Do you?"
'It is supposed to have been emblematic OF
the Deity-you know ring was the symbol
of eternity among many ancient people, be-
cause it has neither beginning nor end.
Much of what we know of the Druids we learn
from Julius Cesar who led the Roman le-
gions into Britain little more than fifty
years before the coming of our Saviour. he
records that the Druids were not only the
priests, but had entire charge of che educa-
tion OF youth and large share OF authority
over the magistrates, for, by forbidding
them the sacrifices, they were cut off from all
association with their tellow-men. In many
regards their government seems to have
been wise one, but some of their practices
were horrible, particularly that OF offering
human sacrifices. 1t is even recorded that
on some occasions there were prepared Col
ossi of osier twigs.-that is, immense baskets
in the shape OF men-which were filed with
living men and then burned. They generally
took criminals for these sacrifices, such as
murderers or robbers, because they deemed
their sacrifice more acceptable to the gods;
but when the real criminals were lacking,
sometimes the innocent were made to suffer.
The priests are said to have dressed in very
long garments, and during their religious
services they always wore a white surplce.
They had u gold ornament fastened round
the neck, called Druid's egg; and carried q
wand in the hand and hatchet in the belt,
with which to cut mistetoe, which was valued
only when it grew on the oak. so that much
of that found in the United States, where it
grows chiefly on the black walnut, would
have been useless to them. 1t was doubted
for long time if what we now call mistletoe
was indeed the plant SO distinguished by the
Druds, for the reason that for several hun.
dred years it was not found growing on the
oak in England; but recently it has been
found in the west of England growing quite
ahundantly on the sturdy oak. Oak eavss
were also used by the ancient Britons to
make chaplets to wear during their religious
ceremonies, and the dense shade of the grand
tree they veneratedas having peculiar sanctr
tity"
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19

cinaton of many pathetic and stirring asso-
Citations.
lone day asked my landlady: "Who is
that singing below" "Oh," she answered,
that is only Pepita-Pepita and her brother
Tony" but hear only one voice." said
'To be sure" replied my landlady. "Tony
never sings; he carries around the hat. He
is such a little fellow; only five or six. Pepita
is nine" So kept a lookout, and one day l
was favored with glimpse of these wander
ing minstrels Pepita had no headdress but
handkerchief, but her frock was all clean
and untorn. In her right hand she carried
violin and it's bow. When she sang she
picked out an accompaniment on the four
strings of the instrument; but usually she
preferred to play just the half dozen airs with
which she was most familiar. Certainly, it
was not great music; but it was difficult
enough for a little girl of nine, and it was
quite good enough for a fellow altogetherun-
able to help himself in that line. That even
ing threw her over the veranda railing q
bright silver half dollar. Tony picked it up
and pepita made me an old-fashoned
courtesy. Tony was little fellow, chubby,
reasonably clean and as well dressed as his
sister. Well, after that they came by every
evening, but they got no more half dollars
from me-only nckels and dimes.
Once l passed them on Canal street. 1t
was near Christmas time. and there were
crowds on that beautiful thoroughtare shop
ping for Christmas gifts. | saw Pepita stop
from time to time before this and that bril-
liantIy lighted window, gazing wistfully at
things she wanted to buy for Tony. Having
adopted her brother, she was already a
mother | used to watch them furtively as
they went about in pursuance of their daily
labor, and after awhile got the run OF their
routine SO to speak.
They seemed to belong to nobody, Pepita
and Tony. They had acorner to themselves
away up in third story, aud after brief
prayer they would lock themselves in each
others arms and sleep the sleep of perfect
innocence In the morning a crust of bread,
and, if fortune favored. a cup of coffee such
was their life. 1t is thus that the English
sparrows begin their days work-little SOL
diers offortune from over the ocean, There
are people on Carondolet street who will grow
great deal more uneasy before nightfall,
and who never know what it is to fall asleep
in the love of Heaven. But. meanwhile
Pepitas wide eyes grew wider. There was as
yet no provision for Tony's Christmas pres
ent The little woman went home every
night with slower footsteps. carrying the
burden of heavy heart Little Tony had
no father, no mother, nobody in all this
vide world to look to for Christmas pres
ent but Pepita-and her shrill voice and
monotonous fiddle could just feed them and
no more That anybody should make Pepi-
ia a present--bahl There are people whose
business it is to take care ofother people and
not to think about themselves. That was
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19
An Old Hero.

II tell you, sab, we had some mighty
exciting times during the wah," said
the Colonel to the Major.
"Yes, indeed; it's comfort, sab, to
think of them after they are all ovah.
"To be suah. Do you know that I
don't believe I was ever really scyaht
once, sab, in the midst Of all the dan
ger, sah."
well, / can't say as much I was
scyaht once--only once"
"How was that ?"
"It was in '63. Everybody was lying
around the campfire telling stories,
when Zeb Hickey proposed game OF
pokah"
"And there was sudden attack on
you?"
"No, indeed, but Zeb raised me 5000
before the draw, and ! didn't have
anything in my hand but q pair OF
deuces. I got three kings in the draw
and took the pot, but L tell you, sab,
it gave my nerves jolt. Merchant
ITGreier.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19
THE CHRISTMAS STOCKING.

They are there in the corner,
Hanging up side by side.
-Four little dainty stockings.
Chubby and short and wide.
One for Eta and Charlie.
Aud one for shy little Nell.
And the wee little sock Of crimson
Belongs 10 the baby. Bell.
Bell. to whose infant beauty,
Every new day adds charms,
Taking no thought OF the morrow,
Sleeps in her mothers arms.
But up in their own little chamber,
Bright, eager eyes, know,
Watch for the sledge by reindeers drawn
Over the erispy snow.
Sweet, simple faith OF childhood
Why should break the spell?
Why should / tell them that only a myth
Is the "saint" they love so well?
Let them cherish alittle longer
Their simple nursery lore;
There is time to learn worldly wisdom
In the future that lies before.
But what shall put in the stockings?
For with mornings earliest light
Ishall hear on the stair the patter
OF tiny feet bnre and white,
And happy and childish voices,
Ringing childIike and clear.
Will chirIup "a merry christina
In my halfawakened ear.
Here are books for the thoughtful Eta,
And pictures for sunny-haiTed Nell,
And skates and mttens for Charlie,
And toys for the baby, Fell.
As drop them into the stockings,
My heurt goes up with prayer,
That the loving and tender Saviour
May make our darlings His care.
"Keep them, | pray Thee, ever
Safe in the narrow way,
Never in paths forbidden
Suffer their feet to stray.
Guard them and guide them. Jesus,
And if the world grows cold.
Gather them, faithful Shepherd,
Into Thy blessed fold"
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19
THE LITTLE FOLKS.
The story OF Three.

giant clock near the chimney swung
Its ponder0us pendulum TO and froi
A lickering candlelEht vaguely flung
Fantastic forms Ger the rafters low.
The ghostly shadows seemed TO haunb
Long lleacor fingers reaching gaunt
To grasp Gt an old dame, spinning alone,
Grooming in tremulous undertone,
Whose peaked chin and hooked nose,
Hiqh pointed cap, with its nodding bows
We're quantity portrayed ON the whitewashed
wall,
An awful witch face, weird and tail.
The little brown house at the forests edge,
Nestled down. like bird in the night,
Among the tree branches and tall grass sedge,
As il 70 doZe till mornings light.
No sound but wind fays rustling leaves,
Or flutter OF birds meath the cottage caves,
Disturb the nwesOme calm that broods
D 'er the depths Of the Woodland soliUudes;
For the three tall forms that stealthily walt
In the Dense dark shadows beside the gate,
Are still as the dead in their graves could be,
Bold, bad robbers are those sly three.
rough hvnd thrusts the vines apart
From the latticed window, and into the room,
Dark as the thoughts OF his evil heart
Peereth face from the nights drear gloom.
Turning her wheel mid the shadows alone,
Mumbles and murmurs the aged crone;
Bony fingers tremblingly spread
Like eagles claws DER her spinning thread.
As she yawns with her voice at an eldrich
pitch
The robber pants, ~Ye gods it's witch"
As she cries, That's onel" and noddeth queer,
He crosses himself as he flies in fear.
A second crept to the window ledge,
With muGtered oath to the comrade flown;
But while he leans on its crumbling edge
To view the face of the aged crone,
He can hear the thump of mis- beating heart,
As she loudly yawns with a horrible start,
And mods and motions till, dark and tall,
Her ghostly shadow climbs up the wall
And it seemed TO him that her wicked old face
Leered in his own from that frightful place
As she solemnly cried. That's two" But here
The second robber fed in fear.
The third stole up, full OF deadly ire,
.Cursing the comrades flying far;
With his vengeful heart in an angry fire,
Pulled Mt the crazy window bar;
But he saw, and staggered in wild alarm,
witch, with lifted, Eony arm,
Shaking it madly in fendish glee,
And wildly yawning, -Ho that's three!"
Then seemed to leap like a cat from her chair
As she chuckled the number of robbers there.
Away like the wind he flew IN fear
To the welcome depths Of the forest near.
Now the little old dame, while good and wise,
And never to arts of witchcraft we'd
When thrice she had yawned at night, would
RISE
Cease her spinning, and seek her bed
And thus she had numbered one two three!
Yawning and nodding in harmony.
Sleep on, little dame, in the wee house lone,
Unconscious of foes who are wildly flown,
Three who had meant to plunder DER
Thy little boarded spinning store.
Sleep on, while the old clock solemn and slow
Swings it's pendulum to and fro,
And angel children, gone before
Keep holy spirit vigil DER.
C. II. -4niberRtaH.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19

precisely Pepita's situation. She wanted to
see those big black eyes twinkle. aud the
slow smile move humorously over the quiet
lips Of the sturdy. patient little Tony It was
he who always handed around the cap, and
every cent was eonhded to her keeping.
Tony had never asked for anything in oil
his life. He was n sweet, stoical little cherub
Poor little Tonyl
Well, at last it was Christmas eve in New
Orleans. and there was such blowing OF
horns, such a popping Of firecracllers, such a
firing Of blank cartridges as | shall not at
tempt 10 describe. The short day had been
dark. but the night was made brilliant by
myriads Of artificial lights. Gaslights,
electric lights. eolored lights Of every hue,
Roman candles and skyrockets. made all the
murky atmosphere quiyer with the Joyous
impulse and eccentricity OF the occasion. On
Canal street there was such a throng s you
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19

70 to sleep. He kept thinking of all the
things he would like to get, and wondered
how many of them he would really find, and
how his stocking, big and stretchy as it was,
could possibly hold all the presents that, al
though he meant to be very modest in his
hopes, he felt sure Santa Claus would bring
him. And while puzzling over this, he fell
asleep; but it would be hard to say. whether
his sleeping or his waking dreams were the
more real to him. He dreamed always of
Santa Claus. Once he felt sure he heard him
whistlng to his reindeer team; but when he
got wide awake and listened he foundit was
only the whistling of the wind, as q storm
was rising. And again, as he lay partly
asleep, he heard strange scratching sound
upon the sloping roof just over his head. and
he held his breath, as he thought it must
surely be the scratching and paving of the
reindeers feet, He started up in bed and
listened with beating heart and strained his
eyes at some white object near him that
looked like moonbeam; but soon he found
that stom of hail and snow was pelting
the roof and windows, and upon the floor lay
small white drift that had sifted through
the cracks of his poor little room-fop Tony
did not live in palace.
After this Tony dozed off to sleep again;
and this time he slept SO soundly that he did
not waken until it was almost morning and
he found few faint streaks of daylight peep
of bed and began dressing; for Tony always
made it his business to kindle the fire each
morning for his grandmother. 1t took him
some time to find his clothes, as the light
was rather dim. and the thought that it was
Christmas morning made him Il little i'm
patient. 1t seemed to him that it never
took him so long to dress before. But at
last he got down stairs; and by this time it
was light enough for him to see objects about
tho Ha WnlEeH Sfpniuht toward fhn
corner where he had hung his stocking.
thought there was nothing in it,
and his heart sank. But coming
nearer he found the stocking bulging out
with something inside, and putting in his
hand he drew forth large and heavy pack
age. Only one package--that was clear, He
had hoped there might be more than one;
but this was q good solid one, and he had
made up his mind not to be disappointed.
So he eagerly united the string, and un-
wrapped. the paper, and what do you sup
pose he found?
A potato.
That was all. A single raw potato.
To be sure, it was no common potato.
Tony saw that, surprised and disappointed
as he was. 1t was so large that Tony
thought that it must have had whole hill,
II not whole garden, to itself to grow in.
And it was as fine as it was large. 1t had
smooth skin, and swelled out in one place
like Santa Claus's stomach, while one end had
q rosy color like an aldernans nose, and lit
tie pink eyes that actually seemed to twinkle
as Tony looked at them. And on what seemed
to be the back of the potato was pinned
little slip of paper, on which these words were
written
-.............,...... ....................
'Nnnv'2 IN q a IinnnP
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19
PEPITA AND TONY.

T was O wonderfully keen voice,
fife-like and clear, penetrating
the dreary December mists up
to the tops of the tallest
houses in New Orleans. In my
boarding-house, not very far
from Canal street, used to
hear it nearly every evening
OF that month. Only a few
songs, two OF three at most,
sung in foreign words; but the
voice was the voice of a child,
and it had for me the fas-
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19

American Youth Jagged 6)--Now, if the
effect of eighty volts of electricity is equal in
applied force to-
Santa Claus-Holy Grail Is this the
youngster that I've broughta yellow monkey
ON red stick for?
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19
ALWAYS THE WAY.

She-"So you won't let me have party
for the children Christmas nightT
He-'I WON'T"
She-"You might give me my way for
once.o
He-"Ah, if could only give you away r
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19

The worlds medical periodicals
number about 266, of which no less
than TIA are published in the United
States.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19
But while joys echo falls
In gay and plenteous halls,
Let the poor and lowly share

LloU Ul0 EVIUI anu IOWIy bIItI6
The warmth, the SPORTS the fare;
For the one of humble lot
Must not shiver in his cot,
But claim bounteous need from wealth and
pride
Shed kindly blessings round
Till no aching heart be found,
Then all hail to merry Christmas tide!
--EJizG Cook.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19
THE MIsTLEToE-BoUGH.

sang n elear voice.
20, auntiel VIII at
makes you sing that
doleful ditty? and what is
n mistletoe-bough any
how?" cried Tom Brown
to Aunt Elsie.
"Well," said auntie,
zone question at a time.
I sing it because | like it. "
Tom shrugged his
shoulders at his aults
old-inshiuned taste. but
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-22
REFUSED A MARRIAGE LICENSE.

How the Present Law Operates in Certain
Cases-New Jersey May Prove n Kind
Haven for n Youthful Runaway Couple.
A youthful and good-looking couple en-
tered the marriage license Office yesterday
afternoon to procure license. They were
accompanied by a well-dressed and middle
aged man, who said he was the father of the
young man. As soon as their desire was
made known Captain Heiber, who noticed
the very youthful appearance of the couple,
asked them their ages. The young man
gave his age as 19 and the girl as 16 years.
They were asked if they had the consent of the
girls parents or guardian to her marriage. but
replied that they had not. Upon being in
formed that license could not be issued un-
less such consent was granted, the father of the
prospective groom said the match was a run
away one.
The couple live near Columbus. o., and ran
away together a couple of days ago. Coming
to Ptttsburg they stopped at hotel and the
youth telegraphed 10 his father for money.
The father responded in person, and when ne
reached the city took the pair to the marriage
license Office. He was perfectly willing that
they should marry but the girls mother was
not, and this was the reason the pair fed to
Pittsburg. As marriage license had been re-
fused. he refused to give their names Upon
leaving they asked what State had no marriage
license law, and upon being told New Jersey,
left with the apparent intention of starting for
that State