davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
THE LAND OF PLUCK.
Famous Holland and It's Thousands of
Queer and Industrious People

Ear over the sea is famous little eoun-
cry generally known as Holland; but that
name, even if it mean Hollow land or How
land, does not describe it half so well as
thls-The Funny Land Of Pluck.
Verify, queerer bit of earth was never
shone upon by the sun nor washed by the
Nde. 1t Is the oldest, funniest country
that ever raised its head from the waves
(and, between ourselves, it does not quite
DO thatl, tn" most topsy-turvy landscape,
the most a'uphlblous spot in the universe
as the Ma.l in the Moon can't deny-the
chosen butt OF the elements and good
naturedly, the laughing stock of mankind
Its people are the Queerest and drOllest of
All the nations, and yet so plucky, SO wise
and resnlute and strong that beating the
Dutch has become a byWOrd for express
ing the limit, OF mortal performances
AS TOR the country. for centuries it was
not exactly anywhere; at least it objected
60 staying long just the same i'll any one
place. 1t may be said to have lain around
loose on The. waters of = certain portion Of
Europe. playing pecka-bOO with its inhah-
sLAu1s; now coming TO the 5uriHce here and
thcre to attend matters. then taking d dive
Cor change of scguc--and a most disastrous
dive it often proved.
Rip Van Wrinkle himself changed less
between his great sleeping and waking
ihan Holland has altered many Il time be
tween sunset and dawn. All its perIlla-
hence and rc>ulutenc,s seems to haye been
soaked out of it, or rather to have filtered
from the land into the people Every field
tCSItatrS " i.Gt nrr 10 turn into a uDnd or
not, and the pond, are always trying to
leave the country by the shortest cut One
would suppose that under this condition
Of things the only untrOublel creatures
would be turtles and ducks; but no,
stranGcst and most mysterious of all, every
living thing, in Holland appears to be thor
1ughly placid and content
The Dutch mind, 50 to speak, is at once
anti-irv and waterproof Little children
run aNnUt in fields where once their grand
fathers sailed over the pillows, and Youths
and maiIenS row their pleasure boats
where their ancestors played tag among
the haystaclS. When the tide sweeps un-
tremendously over Mynheer's garden he
lights his pipe, takes his fishing rod, and
sits down on his back porch to try his
luck. If his pet pond breaks loose and
slips away he whistles, puts up dam SO
that it cannot come back, and decides what
crop shall be raised in its vacant place
None but the Dutch could live so tran
gully in Holland, though, for that mat
ter, il it had not been for the Dutch we
may be sure there would have been by
this time no Holland at all
An yet this very Holland, besides hold
ing its own place, has managed to gain a
toothold in almost every quarter of the
globe. An account of its colonies is a his
tory in itself. In the East Indies alone it
commands $4,000, 900 persons Mary Mapes
Dodge in St Nicholas.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
~ 'pe9eIdmoo ssA e1n9oId eqa ueqA puv

eQ 'ps4sIdmoo ssA e1n4o!d eqa ueqA puv
'Ass 1sAe eq p[!qo InJHnseq 9som eq3 ssA
hung it up IN his studio, where he might
gaze upon it as often as he pleased.
Many years afterward-l know not how
long-this artist met one of the most de-
graded and disgusting men who ever lived.
He was low, vulgar. profane, filthy, and
indecent in every respect. His clothes
were so tattered that they scarcely covered
his back, and all in all. he was revolving
object to look upon The artist thought
of his picture of the charming boy in his
studio, and he said within himself, Can
it be that such a wretch was once loving
little child?' He resolved to paint the
portrait of the man, and hang the picture
beside that of his angel-child.
SO. Obtaining the consent of the vaga-
bond to sit for his picture he painted the
portrait, and suspended it beside that of the
beautiful boy. What was his surprise,
however, to learn that the hardened
prohigate was once that lovely child He
had painted the portrait of the boy at two
periods of his life, thirty or forty wears
apart Intemperance with it's long train
of vices. had corrupted his youth and
early manhood. and he had gone from bad
to worse, until the human was almost lost
in the brute"
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30

The use of beer is found to produce a
species of degeneration of all the organs
intellectually stupor amounting
almost to paralysis arrests the reason,
changing all the higher faculties into a
mere animalism, sensual, selfish, sluggish.
varied only with paroxysms of anger that
are senseless and brutal. In appearance
the beer drinker may be the picture of
health, but in reality he is most incapable
of resisting disease. Compared with in
ebriates who use different kinds of alcohol,
he is more incurable and more generally
diseased. 1t is our observation that beer
drinking in this country produces the very
lowest kind of inebriety, closely allied to
criminal insanity. The most dangerous
class of rutfians in our large cities are beer
drinkers. Recourse 70 beer as a So stitute
for other forms of alcohol merely increases
the danger and fatality. AMER
iran,
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
The Farmers Alliance Meeting

New IBERIA. La, May 3-A grand
picnic and public speaking was given to
day at J, fer ems Island by the Farmers
Alliance. There ~ere 800 or more people
on the grounds The speakers wee W.
J. Burke and r. F. Broussard, of IBERIA.
A. D. afarge, OF Rapides, and NJ j. Eos
ter, If St. Mary. All the speeches were
Democratic and anti monopoly, especially
anti lottery, in sentiment, and the
speakers were greeted with hearty ap-
plause.
Perfect harmony prevailed, end the ad-
dresses seemed to make deep impression
upon the assembled people, who repre-
senud the parishes of Iberia, Lafay cite,
Vermllion, and good many from St.
Mary.
After the speaking the woods were
filled with many picnicking parties and
many royal feast was spread by farmers
wives and daughters for the hungry
hundreds All seemed to feel that it was
good to be there and general good time
was the order of the day. Your cores
pendent was specially cared for and Was
shown many courtesi
A large excursion party under the
auspices of the Volunteer Fireman's Be-
nevolent Association of New Orleans Wis
tied this place to-day returning this even
ing. They were received by our towns
people and entertained at the park grounds
and at the public hall.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
The Teeth for Gold.

think | may say with safety that wher-
ever at all possible gold should be used in
the six anterior teeth of both jaws. Any
thing else will either show a hideous dis
celebration or else be but a temporary It'd
ing over of difficulties.
Patients should remember one thing
about gold, and that is that to make a per-
feet gold filling it is essential that the cav
ity should be kept dry during the process.
Therefore, II for any reason this is impos-
sible, some other material should be re-
sorted to, and the patient should not insist
on having his own ideas carried out
Amalgam is the original royal succeed
aneum. There are as many different kinds
of amalgam as there are different qualities
of milk in this city. Some charlatans give
patients series Of prices, charging differ
emily for silver, platina, copper, plastic,
amalgam, cement and so on. The truth is
they take them all from one bottle. The
different names are used merely to deter
mine the highest fee that the patient will
submit to.
The best way is to intrust your case to
reliable man, and then ask nothing about
materials. There are, as l have said, many
amalgams but | may divide them into two
special classes-those that are prepared by
combining metals, then Clipped into fl
ings and rubbed into plastic mass with
mercury, and that known as copper ANAL
CANA Dentist in New York Herald
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
Tho OYSTER and the Star-Fish,

The Rev. J. G. Wood says: mo one
would have thought, on placing an oyster
and 8 FIVE finger side by side, that the star
fish is relentless foe to the oyster. Those
who can remember their first fruitless en-
desvors to open an oyster may naturally
wonder how the star fish can achieve such
feat. AS have repeatedly seen, it pro-
ceeds as follows: Clasping tbs oyster in
its rays, it brings its mouth opposite the
hinge. From the mouth it pours secre-
ton thtt paralyzes the hinge muscle and
causes the shell to open. 1t cannot, like
a dog wlelk, extract its prey and put it
into it, stomach, so it reverses the pro-
c9ss, and puts its stomach into, or rather
over, the oyster. protruding is stomach
from its mouth surrounding the oyster
with its coats, digesting it, and then with
drawing the s'omach into it's body. The
widest fancy of Oriental legends never
equalled in grotesque imagination this
perfectly true history of the oyster and the
S ar-6sh. Longn1an's Mdgazine.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
The Commercial Decalogue.

Thou shalt not in any wise boast, brag,
bounce or buster, or the wise man will
hold thee in low esteem.
II.
Thou shalt not permit thy wife to live
at a rate of 92O0 year, when thy bust
ness is not Welding more than el99; nor
shalt thou withhold the business informa.
ton which, as on helpmeet, she is en-
titled to receive.
Thou shalt not mock the unsuccessful
man, for he may be richer in his poverty
than thou art in thy boosted abundance.
".
Thou shalt not carry the counting
house into the domestic circle, nor in any
wise spoil the children's hour by rscapitu-
lating the bankrup tcies of the day.
V.
Thou shalt not hob-nob with idle per-
sons nor smoke with them, nor encourage
them, nor approve their evil life.
Thou shalt not keep company with an
unpunctusl man, for he will certainly lead
thee to carelessness and ruin.
VII.
Thou shalt not forget that servant
who can tell lies for thee may one day tell
lies to thee.
VIII.
AS to the hours of slumber and sleep,
remember the good old rule:
Mature requires FIVE,
Custom gives seven,
LaZiness takes nine
And wickedness eleven"
TX,
''Neither borrower nor lender he, !"
but give where well bestowed right cheer
fully.
Y.
Be honest in copper, and in gold thy
honesty will be sure.-Dr. johnson Par
Eer, in Mich1oan Christian AdU0cate.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30

The largest quantity and baraeomest Of
the corals come from the Algerian coast.
Fhr coral grounds have oee worked since
the middle Of the sixteenth century Other
coral grounds are situated off the coast Of
Sicily, Corsica. Ssrdinis, Span. the
8alearics aud Provence More thaa 500
Italian barks and over 1900 persons aye
engaged in the coral fisheries Besides
these, French and Spanish rarkS are en-
gagged in the SAME OCCUPATION. Tht, Italian
Fl ,her11en pay Iii h royalty to toe French
government for their right of fishing for
coral on the Algerian coas: There ar4
more than sixty coral workshops Ill Ifaiy,
forty Of which are III the little to~n Of
Tore Gel Greco, at tbe fG0t Q. Nesuv;uS
These shops give employment T. shout
COCO persons, chiefly wcmea&nd children
-JeUeleys' Weekly.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30

Mrs. Arson Phelps Stokes has probably
one Of the handsomest modern ho,'aos in
the city. The immense hall is DISTINCTIVE
ly English barollai, and in the antique oak
fireplace are carved the words, "Wel be-
fall both hearth and hall"
"Blow east, blow west, haRr's best" is
on the deliberately car@ed mantelpiece in
the library of Richard Watson Glider,
while "WeIcOme, my friends ALL" meets
the eye of the caller IS he steps into the
handsome hall of Judge IIilton's home.
That oft misplaced quotation, ''The Lord
tempers the wind to the shorn lamb" is u
favorite motto among yachtsmen, and
runs along the wall in Lincrusta Walton
in the private cabin of Commodore Ell
bridge T. Gerry's yacht Electra. New
York Journal
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
An IOta.

When you use the common expression
Not an iota of it, do you stop to figure
out what the supposed quantity of an iota
is? Not having time to spare in waiting
for the readers to reply to this question,
we will play the Persian and give the an
swer without being asked for it, An iota
is the smallest letter of the Greek alpha
bet, corresponding favorably with our let
ter l. 1t was derived from the Hebrew
jod and the Syriac judi, and employed
metaphorically to express the mercst
tritic.
The expression "Not a single iota" is one
of the several metaphors which have been
used for ages, and, as above mentioned,
was derived from the alphabet, as when
alpha and omega the first and last letters
of the Greeks, are employed to express the
beginning and the end, as in Rev i, 9,
where we read, Il am Alpha and Omega,
the first and the last And again, as
core jot God) or one little point or dotl
shall in no wise pass from the law st.
Louis Republic.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30

it, and she had held him close in her arms
and thanked God for her brave boy, and
called Gods blessing upon him, did he
not feel happy and glad And the sweet
peace of God that passeth all understand,
ing was with him that night, as it is with
each one Of Us when we DO His will and
coDqu'r our own weak natures through
His strength who died to save US from sin
that we might dwell with him in the life
everlasting Mrs. John f. Vandercook
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
A Gentle Reminder.

An old man and q young man were
riding 10 stage coach. The old man was
grave but spri Chilly, short of stature,
spare, with smooth forehead, fresh
complexion and bright and piercing eye.
The young man swore great deal, until
at length, when they stopped to change
horses, the old man said to him: 81 per-
ceive by the registry books that you and |
are going to travel together long dis
lance in this coach. | have a favor to ask
you. | an getting to be an old man. and
if should So forget myself as to swear,
you will oblige me if you will caution me
about it, The young man Instantly
apologized, and there WIS no more swear
ing on that journey. The old man was
John Wesley.-&iected.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30

was in the act OF rising to leave The table
with his winnings, when his pent up a.
element brought on an attack OF spoplexy,
aud be fell dead across the gaming table.
The event cau-ed some ser alton, Dur as
soon as the body had been removed play
was resumed as though nothing had hap
pened.-IIe W75tiua, LOad0n.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
A MOTHERS LOVE.

A little bird. probably q wren, built its mes
In a rose bush by the piazza, at ~ cor"er OF on
house near the waer>pOut. It had Matched GU
it's little brood. wtIcn one night storm came or
and in the morning pitiIul sight was sceH-th
bird dead on The nest. havin- preferred to sta
and protect her young rather than ny away an
save her life.
The rose climbed up ON the house.,
Piazza ana window shading.
Twincd close to the waterproof,
Zen into It's mouth invading.
tinv wrt II, with her heart
Full Of love and domestic affection,
Aud beak full Of threats for nest
Made the rosebud her astefal selection.
And low by the conduit Of tin,
IT, midst Of incense Of roses,
Whc leaves whisper all through the night
Whz. the bird in its day song discloSes,
There the tird and her mate made the ..o.Ie
In DAYS full of May Surshiiing:
There the mother w.l.4-Dosomel the eggs
That lay in the gray thread lining.
so snug il. the pcriuncd bu:h,
With cOn>taucy uuaDating,
She sat til the life br Ike forth
From the shells and re warded her waiting.
Till three little heads We're cutatretched
Instiuctivcly. a, they were knowing
Thai somehow Their needs would be fed
From the Il Otherlv love Overlooking.
But there came up a shower one night,
A drcncning, pitiless raining,
That gurgIed adcwn the tin
rrhraated snOut on the bird uncDmDlaiuiug
What matter to her tho the storm
Was in mcrcilcS3 torrents descending?
Her love and her duty said stay"
Till her heart-Lhgob3 came 20 on ending.
In the clear summer morning we went,
Our steps She was all uuheedug-
Alas OF a nOisGlass foot
flushed breath-thcre was now no needing.
Dead M iionless on her nest,
In an attitude Of bird earninG;
Brave as the soldier who dies at his post,
Or the boy on the deck that was burning.
Could human mother We done more,
Did her little ones lie a-dying,
Than give yYarGItn from her fainting breast,
Tho herself she might save by flying?
And is there no heavenly nest?
No sweet bird soul to be Winging
Its wal'-whcn the flesh drops to earth
To the land of the spirit birds singing?
viii only the humans find life?
VIII the angel-word be so narrow?
Won't the birds have place in His love
Who noteth the fall of the sparrow?
-IsaJH Nash, in orr Dumb -4niana1s.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
A National Bank at Alexandria

A special to the Picsyune from Alex
andria of May 8, says
"W. M. Doak, of Kansas City, No,
came here this morning and rented Bertrand
Wells brick store house, on Front street,
for one year, with a privilege of two years
He, in connection with his brother, D. P.
Doak, of Boston, Mass. and other eastern
capitalists, will open bank in the house
rented, on June is next, with a capital
stock of $500 000 1t was started as a
State bank and then merged into a
national bank.
They propose to deal principally with
the planters and farmers, which will make
Alexandria business center. making
wholesale houses, which are now much
needed, natural consequence.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
How the Spider Builds.

Watch a common house spider spin its
web. 1t seems TO take pains, before begin
ming to select spot where there are
chances Of obtaining plumber and where it
wiz be secure. 1t then discharges q little
drop Of glHtinous fluid and crecps up the
wall, Joining the thread from one wall to
the other The first thread thus formed is
drawn tight and fixed at each end with
other threads. 1t is upon this outer thread
that the durability Of the whole fabric de
pends The webs foundation completed
the spider next makes Il number Of threads
parallel to the first, and then crosses them
with other threads, the sticky substance of
which they are formed serving to bind
them, when newly made, to each other
1t no" commences to double and treble
the threads that border its web, securing
the edges as it does 50. Lastly, it forms a
kind Of tunnel with webbing This is to
serve as retreat where it can conkaal it
self from its enemies, and also fEpm its
prey, and is generally placed in thr angle
of the walls. When the spiders work is
done it often happens that the approach of
some large animal or the passage of the
houseinad's broom will destroy in a min
ute the labor of days. In this case as soon
as the danger is passed away the spider pa
tlently begins to repair the web.
For this purpose the spider is provided
with. a store Of the glutinous matter Of
which the web is made. When possible
the spider prefers the mending business,
as it is only provided with Il limited guam
tity Of glutinoua matter, and when this is
exhausted it probably cannot be renewed.
London Standard.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
The Madness of Gambling.

The following paragraph, which ap-
throws lurid light on the devastating
and demoralizing Influences of the gam
in these days:
The principal room at Mvnte Carlo was
flled on Thursday night by crowd of
fashionable men and women, most of
whom were eagerly following the play of
an English doctor, who was having an
extraordinary run of luck. The DECOR
finally accumulated an enormous sum, and
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
The Twas PORTRAITS,

"There once lived an artist who painted
the portrait Of a beautiful little boy only
three or four years OF age. The painter
begged the privilege of painting the like.
ness of the child, because he thought he
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
Grunblins Is Not Sign of BAD Temper.

GrumblnS Is Not Sign of Fad Temper.
A man may be so confirmed a grumbler
that he may be universally voted bore
and a person of eXecrably bad temper.
while in reality he is no worse off in that
respect than many of his neighbors. He
grum bleS more as a matter of habit than
anything else, and plays, as it were, with
his temper. AS rule he does not lose his
self control: he has nothing of that cruel
love of wounding other peoples feelings,
which is the essence ola really bad temper;
he simply fumes and fuses about because
he likes it. Occasionally, under load of
unusual aggravations self control gives
way, and the grumble changes to veritable
storm, but as rule the croaker remains
satisfied with making himself passively
disagreeable.
How disagreeable he is he probably has
little idea 1t is his nature to find fault
and look at the seamy side OF things, and
he has never set himself to counteract the
natural bent Of his mind. Yet he may be
a very lovable kind of a man; his peevish-
ness may be tiresome, but those who live
with him know that it is mere habit, a
habit which, from long indulgence, has
come to be second nature, and they bear
with him patiently, more patiently, per-
haps, than he deserves. Nothing, indeed,
is more surprising than the fact that not
only habitually disconnected people, but
irritable, angry, bullying fellows, may,
and often do, retain the love of their fell
low creatures. -Chambers' Journal
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30

A boy under six yerrs of age was be-
moaning to his motrer the escape of one
of his white mice, which had disappeared
through hole 10 the uu .sery fo,r but a
happy though struck him, and he seemed
reconciled to the loss, as he remarked
quite cheerfully to Der, go, mamma won t
1t 60 among the black mice just like q
missionary to the black men,"
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30
The Squirrel.

The squirrel is a beautiful animal. They
are remarkable for their lively disposition,
rapid motion and symmetry of form.
They are quite harmless and can be
easily tanned, though naturally timid and
wild.
Their tail is their greatest ornament. 1t
makes an excellent covering in the coolest
weather. 1t is long and bushy, and
greatly protects them in time of storm. 1t
also helps them in clinging to trees. -
Ther3 is the common gray and black
squirrel in the Eastern States. There are
also the red and the black squirrels that
are common in the woods In the Northern
States. Some have wings, and not only
hop and run, but can fly with great rapid
ity from tree to tree.
These little animals live chiefly on nuts,
and will carefully lay up store for win
ter use. God made these beautiful little
creatures and he cares for them The
Bible tells US that not sparrow falls to
the ground without His notice. When we
see these active little animals, we should
be reminded of tie continued care of our
kind father in heaven. Linnaeus, who
was celebrated naturalist aud closely OBJ.
served the habits of animals and birds,
says that in crossing stream of water
the squirrel perches upon piece of bark,
and erecting its tail in order to catch the
wind, uses it as sail, and thus is carried
across on the waves.
He kas been an eye witness of their
thus crossing large streams, and says it is
SO curious and interesting to see their
movements that ID would be, almost in
credible to him had he not himself seen it
done, and he further adds that it exhibits
striking specimen of animal instinct, al
though mot more wonderful than many
Others which are displayed in the brute
creatton.-Pure Words. "....
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30

There are 1893, ss2, 600 acres of wood
land in the South. OF this 7,249, 152 are
property of the United States, ana 4, $685.
900 of the several States, making total
of II ,837, 752 acres If plblic wood land.