davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-02-11

dow. Scattered here and there. in ar
tistic groups. were the most exquisite
picture cards. all flowers and hearts
and arrows-and a great white card
hung in the midst. containing one long
word in big letters.
spelled Laddie "V-a-l-e-n-
times. Why. of course it's going to
be Valentine day tomorrow. and
never thought Of it,
His cheeks burned with excitement,
as he looked at the gay pictures. and
thought how surprised and glad his
mamma would De, il he should send
her one,
Without stopping to remember that
he owned only three pennies in the
world. and that money was scarce at
home, he began trying TO decide which
one Of the valentines would be most
appropriate for his sweetheart-mamma.
Finally he chose one which had blue
background. with Cupid riding across
il on a rose-colored cloud The card
was framed with plush border and
would look very rich on mammals man
tel-shelf 50 in he walked. boldly,
and said ~ a clerk. near the door:
How mesh Is that blue valentine?'
give dollars" answered the clerk,
with a queer smile at the small, rather
shabby little figure before him The
smile changed to a look of pity, how
ever. as he saw Ladies' eyes ill with
tears lie put his hand on the little
fellow shoulder. and said: See here.
my boy. there are some very pretty
valentines on this shelf. for fifty cents,
and here are some nice ones for only
twenty-five"
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-02-11
-------------------
PITH AND POINT.

1t doesn't take many pints of whisky
TO make a peck of trouble. --Glcns Falls
Republican.
You can't argue with a bigot with
out agreeing with Kim in thinking that
you're n fool.-Elmira Gazette.
When a rich man gives his money
TO public charity his poor relatives
never applaud. Globe.
No one can ever tell what woman
would be sure to go and do something
else.-Somerville Journal.
There are two kinds of dogs, the
good kind which belongs TO yourself
and the worthless cur that is kept by
your neighbor.-Boston Transcript.
Mrs. Pester-"So you've been re-
furnishing your dining-room. ell, Mrs.
Mixum?" Mrs. Mixum-"To sutten
extent, yes Keepin' up 10 the time.
you know; been putin some lambkins
on the mantel-piece and druggist un-
der the dining-table.
One in Million. --Trivvet-"Bloo-
bumper is the most remarkable man l
ever knew" Dicer-''Why do You say
that?" Trivvet-"l had very heavy
cold the other day, and ! asked him
what would cure It, lie said he was
blest if he knew. IN. Y. SIM.
-Editor-''What kind of an article is
this in the news department? I've read
it through three times. and can make
neither head nor tail OF it. 1t is posi-
lively meaningless. Managing Editor
Yes, | know, that got into the news
columns by mistake. 1t was intended
for the editorial page"
-Passenger-"Look here. cabby,
can't you make your horse go faster? /
must catch the 2:s0 train" Cabby-
Eyes, sir; my boss is an old race-hoss,
boss. and the best way 20 make him go
faster is for you TO bet me dollar that
he won't catch the $50 train. Directly
he hears that III put him ON his mettle,
and he'll go like CREASED lightnin'."-
Comic.
-"She may be well educated, as you
say, but she uses very singular express
sions." ''She does?" Yes. Yester-
day, for instance, she spoke of a music
nj concerto" Wasn't that correct?"
'NeFtdlnlV not. III WASH necessary 10
say musical in speaking of concert.
A concert must be musical" Must,
eh? Well. I've been at some that were
not. IN. Y. Press.
IF you think you are going to
have the grip, Maria" observed Mr..
Billus, peevishly. ''of course you will
have it. Any doctor .will tell you that
constant dread of any disease is likely
to make you catch it." Not always,
John" replied Mrs. Billus. "You might
live for sixty years in constant dread
of a brain disease and you'd never get
it, John. Chicago Tribune.
Did have good time on my
vacation" echoed Fogg. "0f course /
did. To be sire, / nearly starved 20
death, tried to sleep in bed which it
would be flattery to call rack; but
what of that? | got my name in the
paper. won't deny that they spelled
my name wrong and gave me brand
new initials; but then, you can't expect
TO have everything perfect in this
world"
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-02-11
Abandoned Farms in the East.

There are not now so many 'aban-
doned farms in the New England
states as people who have heard OF
them, without examining the facts re-
garding them, may think there must
be- Official reports about the aban'
doned farms of Vermont, Massachu
sets and New Hampshire have recent
ly been made by the boards of agri
culture of these states There were
only four hundred and six of them in
Vermont last spring. and good many
of these have been taken up since thai
time. There were nine hundred and
six of them in Massachusetts at the
same period OF the year, not few d
which have been purchased anc
brought under cultivation since then
There were one Thousand four hundred
and forty-two of them in New Hamp
shire two years ago. but hundreds o.
buyers nave gone to the state and made
selections from them within taes'
seaxA-E- Y. Sun
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-02-11

know il he's dead or not, but mamma
always cries when she tells about him {"
The gentleman stopped suddenly.
and. looking eagerly into Ladies' up
turned face. asked one more question:
What is your nance"
Mamma calls me Laddie. but nv
real name is Lawrence Raymond: that
was papa's name"
Down went the load of bundles on
the pavement, and Laddie found him
self clasped close in the strong arms of
his new friend He didn't quite under
stand it, nor why the stranger almost
sobbed. as he said: MY babyi my
babyr' He hardly liked that, and so,
strengthening himself up as tall as he
could. he said. sturdily: I'm severn
Yes. yes, little man." laughed the
gentleman. but you used TO be my
baby, and / have come back to you
Now. let's hurry to mamma as fast as
we can"
Without the valentine?" said Lad
die. wistfully, hardly realizing the
truth, As yet.
We'll get her one tomorrow, dear,
the finest one in town: but now. show
me the way home, and tell me all ABOUT
her"
so they hurried toward the humble
house, Laddie telling about mammals
troubles as well as he knew how and
listening to bits of papa's strange sto-
~. which sounded almost as wonder
full as Robinson CrusOe. At last they
reached the door and Laddie rushed in,
crying, eNeitedly:
Mamma, it's come back-the yalen-
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-02-11
DAY-DAWN IN THE COUNTRY.
The Beauties Of Nature as Revealed q
Rural Places.

The beauties OF Nature Revealed I'm
Rural Places.
do not think that il is ever real
morning except in the country In the
city in the early part of the day there
is a mixed color that climbs down over
the roofs opposite, and through the
smoke of the chimney, that makes peo-
pie think it is time to get up and comb
their hair. But we have real morning
in the country. Morning descending
from God out of Heaven like a bride
adorned for her husband" few mo-
ments ago looked out, and the army
of night-shadows were striking
their tents. A red light on
the horizon that does not make
me think as it did Alexander
Smith, of ''the barren beach OF hell"
but more like unto the fire kindled on
the shore by Him whom the disciples
saw at daybreak stirring the blaze on
the beach of Genesareth. just now
the dew woke up in the hammock of
the tree branches, and the light kissed
it. Yonder, leaning against the sky,
two great uprights of flame. crossed
by many rundles OF fire. Some Jacob
nave DCth
those FURNISHED gates flaming chariot
rolls. Some Elijah must have been
ascending Morning! ! wish ! had
rousing bell to wake the whole world
up to see it. Every leaf a psalm. Every
flower censor Every bird a chorister.
Every sight, beauty. Every sound, music.
Trees TRANSPORTED. The skies in con-
fiagration. The air as if sweeping down
from hanging-gardens of Heaven. The
foam of celestial seas FLASHED on the
white tops of the spiraa. The honey
suclxle on one side of the porch chal-
lenges the sweet-brier on the other.
The odors of heliotrope overthrow the
urns and flood the garden. Syringas,
with bridal blossoms in their hair and
roses bleeding with very carnage of
color. Oh the glories of day dawn in
the country! My pen trembles and my
eyes moisten. Unlike the flaming sword
that drove out the first pair from Eden,
these fiery splendors seem like swords
unsheathed by angel hands to drive us
in.-Talmage in Ladies' Home Journal.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-02-11

A point to be thankful for is the re-
newed love for fair white linen, super
seding steadily the fancy color both in
substance and decoration. Embroidery.
lace insertion and edges are all favored.
Embroidered or plain. the linen must
be white. good in quality, and plentiful
in quantity. OF towels there are APP
parently unlimited varieties, from the
huge bath sheet to a dainty auadrilater-
al of damask that would put many nap
kins to shame. Apropos of napkins,
how long will it be before we give up
the habit of starching these things to
the extent that seems indispensable in
most houses? A rumor is afioat that in
some of the best French houses this
stiffness is conspicuous by its absence.
To be sure that would put an end TO the
ambitious napkin folding which is the
Joy of the unframed Suffers heart
Chicago Tribune.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-02-11
Discord in the Family.

The shrew is not always the woman
with the sarcastic tongue, but envy.
malice and discord may exist under
courteous exterior and soft and placid
manners. Tact and training teach
many a shallow woman a thousand
means by which she can wound her
husband whom she secretly hates be-
cause he is her superior, and if she does
not establish in his household tyranny
of her tongue, the tyranny of her ca
price reigns supreme, and the husband
who will not give up his aims and am
billions to satisfy his wife, who can not
elevate her to his own plane, suffers an
isolation in marriage which is the most
wretched form of unhappiness. Chi
cago Graphic.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-02-11
"oRIGINAL VALENTINES"
simple Little Rhymes and Their Impor-
taut Mission.

A queer but kind hearted and rather
sentimental elderly lady, Miss Lavinia
Stripe, writes correspondent, kept
small millinery and notion store in
the village where / lived as a boy
Her store was little box Of place,
not more than ten by twelve feet in
size, but it was always scrupulously
neat, and bright with the gay ribbons
and feathers and flowers that made
most of her stock in trade.
During the second week of Februa-
nv, Miss Lavinia's shop windows al
ways hung full of valentines, and in
each window was little card on which
was printed: Original Valentines"
for while part of her valentines were
of the usual paper-lace and cardboard
and tinsel variety, she kept also
goodly supply of fanciful and clever
creations which were the work of her
own fingers. The verses on these orig
inal valentines were also of ''her own
get up"
Miss Lavinia long ago closed up her
little shop and babe a final farewell to
earth; but there are many men and
women who remember her for her
kindness and gentleness. and for whom
each recurring fourteenth of February
calls to mind the little shop and the
original valentines"
remember how /, bashful, awlx-
ward boy of thirteen summers, slipped
slyly into Miss Lavini:. shop, one Feb
ruary evening, and laid down a SILVER
dime, saying, as did so:
II want to get valentine"
Yes" said Miss Lavinia, brightly,
land it's for little girl?"
Eyes. ma am" with renewed bushes
And you want very pretty one,
don your
Yes. ma'am." with downcast eyes
Light or dark Completed little
girl?"
Light, ma'am. With blue eyes"
Then here is the very one for you
have just finished it."
The "light-complected" little girl
has it still I saw it only yesterday.
1t is made of two pink and blue hearts
ingeniOusly woven together. while
golden spear runs through both. On
the back is this original verse by Miss
Lavinia:
''Oh, little maid, with ayes of blue,
May you love me as l love you.
May our two hearts throrl;h life entwine,
And so I send you this va lentine"
Miss Lavinia also coEf posed valentine
verses Ito order" charging but ten
cents for something like his, with an
appropriate name in the line:
"Oh, the name Of Mary is pleasant TO hear,
And the name Of Lucy is sweet TO the ear
And the name OF Grace with true luster doth
shine,
But Betty's the one for my valentine
Little Miss Stripes verses were in
demand. and caused many heart fiut-
terings and bushes of pleasure; and
simple little rhymes as they were, they
played an important part n the adjust
ment CT certain affairs whereby sun
dry of the young people of the village
were made happy for life. Youths
Companion.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-02-11
IN a STREET GAR.
A Woman Is Not at Her Best Theirs. and
She Knows 1t.

A great deal of ink and paper. and
more of the gray matter of the brain OF
the average writer, are exhausted in
paragraphing the doings of women in
street cars. Some body. whose break
fast has disagreed with him. declares
that the average woman will stare a
man out of countenance, and when he
can't endure it any longer and gives
her his seat, she drops into It like
spoonful of mush, without even so
much as a Thank you" That there
are cases of ignorance and rudeness is
very true, but that women have much
more to complain of as regards street
car manners than men is quite as true
1t is scarcely agreeable to any sensitive
woman to stand in a car. and be per-
fectly aware that all of the men are
watching her out of the corners of their
eyes, wondering and specializing as TO
which of their fellow travellers is going
to rise and offer her seat Then the
car gives lurch, and as in many cases
she can I reach the strap, she plunges,
and possibly is thrown against some of
the passengers, recovering herself with
some difficulty and no particular grace
to speak of
A woman rarely looks her best while
being bounced about by the curves and
startings and stoppings of the car, and
she is quite likely to be aware of that
fact Some men have a fashion of
burying their noses in their papers I'M
til they reach the end of their journey.
Then all of a sudden, with sort of
deprecatory start and exclamation.
they spring from their seat and beg her
to sit down. AS a matter of course,
she thinks, unless she is used to it, that
the man intends to be polite, but she
isn't made very comfortable by the tit
ter that runs through the car when.
after thanking him, she discovers that
he has reached his journeys end. and
is possibly already on the platform.
This is an old and transparent trick.
If man leaves his seat at the end OF
his journey, he has no right as gen.
tleman TO demand by his manner
Thank you" from anyone. He should
leave the car and say nothing. Having
enjoyed his ride in silence the least he
can do is TO keep that silence unbroken
until he is ont of the way.-N. Y.
Ledger.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-02-11
DOMESTIC CONCERNS.

| White Rose Cake: Sift together
one pint Of flour and two teaspoonfuls
of baking powder, a little over half a
cup of good butter, one cup of pow
dered sugar, one-half a cup of rose
water and the whites of six eggs
Detroit Free Press.
Vegetable Soup: Chop very fine
two turnips, two carrots, one parsnip,
four potatoes, one large onion, and a
few stalks of celery or a little parsley.
Put them with half cup OF rice, into
three quarts OF water. and boil the
whole for three hours Then strain
the soup through a colander, return il
to the soup kettle and put it over the
fire. add two tablespoonfuls of butter;
stir the soup until the butter is melted;
dredge in a little -four. let it boil up.
and then serve il. Home
An easily made and effective bag
for holding soiled collars and cuffs is of
the heaviest and coarsest brown crash.
This should be made of piece of crash
two yards long, doubled, and sewed to-
gether at the sides to the depth of
twenty seven inches. Turn over on the
outside the two loose ends and run a
tuck across the top in which to put a
ribbon to draw it up. Across the bot
tom of the bag and of the flaps, run. as
If darning. rows of linen floss in three
shades of any color, to the depth of
three inches, and tie in heavy fringe
made of the floss.
If you possess a large old watch
..,h al. l.
wieldly for the modern pocket. you can
make it serve as a bedroom clock. IL
is really better than none. There are
some carved stands which seem to have
been manufactured for Just the purpose
of holding a big watch. Some of the
stands are shaped like Swiss cottage,
and others are merely carved and ar
ranged so that they stand in the form
of an easel Have the cover of the
watch removed, hang it upon the stand
with the face outward, and you have a
pretty and useful ornament.-N. Y.
Times
1t is well known that dry sand is
one of the best things that can be used
for killing an incipient oil fire. and
some factories where oil is used have
been equipped with pals for this mate
rial in various departments. 1t is now
suggested that many dwelling-house
fires caused by lamp explosions might
be averted by keeping some of the or
namental vases in the rooms filed with
sand, so that it would be always at
hand and ready for use in case of need
A further incidental advantage of this
precaution is that fragile pieces of por-
celain, by being so ballasted. would be
rendered much less liable to breakage
Chicago lnter-Ocean.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-02-11
NO TRUST.
He Was a Scion of Nobility. Bu, Had to
Paw Cash.

He Was a Scion of Nobility. hut Had to
Paw Cash.
A tall, young man pushed through
the swinging doors of the hotel and
walked breezily up to the desk. Ray
mond Hapsburg-W Blakslee. the
name he signed to the register in big,
flowing characters, took up all the line
allotted for name and residence, and
so he had to put London, England"
on the line below. 81 would like a nice
ROOM" he said in accents not overbur-
dened with aspirates, land not too far
up. ] am rather timid about fires; not
comfortable to jump from four stories
in ones pajamas-" If X. III. w. Blakslee
feared flames he certainly did not fear
frost, for he was guililess of AN over
coat and his cutaway and trousers were
not of the heaviest make; in fact, they
showed signs of wear.
SLOW would a two-dollar- and-a-half
room suit, Mr. Blakslee?" said Mr..
Dodge, the clerk on watch.
"Oh, very well, thanks; am not IA
miliar with American money, but
suppose it's all right"
"Oh, yes" said Dodge, tits all
right. viii you go up to your room
now? Where shall we send for your
baggage?"
"Oh, you needn't bother. I'll attend
to that tomorrow. Some sort of bother
about customs to-day. Got TO go to
dock tomorrow and get my traps"
"All right" said Dodge; two and a
half. please"
II beg pardon" said the London gem
tleman.
Two and half" And then Dodge
murmured reflectively IAN the way
from London without an overcoat. or "a
hatbox or a handbag"
Mr.. Blackslee hardly waited for the
last word. but walked out as briskly as
he entered. And then Mr.. Dodge said
to the reporter: Good old fake that.
but | have met Mr.. ID. before. N. Y.
Advertiser
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-02-11
The February Wide Awake

! Comes promptly to hand with an exceed
irgly varied and entertaining list of con-
tents. We wonder IL the parents of our
boys and girls really know what an ex-
cellent and absorbing story Mrs. Mary
Mcintosh Cox is giving us in her serial
"Jack Brereton's Three Months Serv-
ice?" While the youngpeople read it with
growing interest and imbibe lessons in
honor, manliness and devotion to duty
from its stirring incidents, not one of the
elder generation but can live aga in the
dramatic scenes of 1861 which it por-
trays, when homes were rent and anx-
ious hearts were over-strained. The
story appeals to all. So, too, though in
different way, does the Arabian story
Of pluck and endurance, THE Lance of
kanana," thrill its readers month by
month. The camel race over the desert
described in the February number is
full of force and fire that stirs the blood
Of every reader. Among the important
contributions to the February WIDE
AWAKE is the last story, THE Sign of
the Prophet JONAH" ever written by
Eliot Mccormick, one of New York's
promising newspaper men, untimely
cut off by death scarcely six months
since. Mrs. Harriet Maxwell-Converse
has another of her interesting Indian
articles with Seventy Chiefs at
Ohswekan;" Mrs. Maud Howe Ell
lott talks delightfully."- about ''Some
Horses that l have known" Mrs.
Jane G. Austin gives the charm
ing story of ''Lora Standish's
Sampler" of which all readers of
''Standish of Standish" and Betty AL
den" will be glad to know more. Lovers
Of adventure will enjoy Lieut.. Col.
Thorndike's thrilling experience "In
the Straits of Cape Horn;" Harriet
Pickney Huse's sketch of storm ''On
Florida Reef" and Henry Cleveland
Woods Kentucky pioneer story I'm
der Fire" Dorothy Holcomb's ''Writ-
ings-down" about THE Night of
the Fire. will raise the ready
smile. ''The First Steamboat" and "A
Pet Seal" are short instructive papers,
and the department "Men and Things"
is full of readable items. The poetry
of the number is excellent. The pic
lures in the number are illustrative and
characteristic, and the feeling that the
children of this generation who have
the possibilities of regularly reading SO
helpful and elevating a magazine as
WIDE AWAKE are blessed indeed, is en-
phasized again by perusal of the Feb
ruary issue.
WIDE AWAKE is published at 20 cents
per number, 81. 40 per year.
d. LoTHRoP Co., Publishers, Boston,
Mass.