davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24
ST. NICK'S DILEMMA.

A sky full of snow fakes all fluffy and white
down
fight,
town.
He picked out the moment when every one
slept;
United big bundle and busted about
Down chimneys, up fire escapes softly he crept;
When he came, how he went, not soul could
find out.
In the wee baby hose he put rattles and rings,
A pipe and a pouch in the big wooden sock,
He left in the grey one score of nice things,
Then fine silk embroidered one gave him a.
shock.
He fumbled locket of just the right size
To hold the yignette of handsome young
Then toyed with brilliant that dazzled his
eyes,
Then down in his bundle to rummage began.
A ring and a bracelet, a locket and chain
For the girl Jim de steele too prosy he thought,
And he fingered the dainty silk stockings again
And feared, that for this not thing had he
brought.
Then all of a sudden his little red face
Lit up with smile like the jolly full moons,
AS he noticed photograph close to the place
And he dropped in a couple of souvenir
spoons.
JAMES CLARENCE HARVEY.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24
BLIND MRS. VAN VAGEuEU
A CHRISTMAS STORY OF OLD NEW YORK

The Van Wagenen home, nearly hundred
years ago, was in lower Broadway, and but
short walk from Bowling Green and the Bat
terry. It was broad brick mansion, with
arched white doorway, and thin iron ratings,
and three big domer windows bullying forth
just below the roof. People would point to
them as they passed, and say to one another,
The Van Wagenens live there, you know"
1t was termed in those provincial days, a great
thing to be a Van Wagenen. Till the begin
ming of the century the head of the family had
held open house here. He had been Colonel
in the Revolution, and an intimate friend OF
Washington, and devoted adherent of Hamil-
ton, and fierce abominator of Burr. Though
an aristocrat by nature, he often tortured his
wife through the indiscriminate character of
his entertainments. She did not believe in al
lowing any guest to cross the threshold of their
plain and simple abode who could not boast the
clearest Knickerbocker birth. She had been
Swartwout before her marriage, and her
mother had been a Livingston, and some of the
Van Rensselaers were her near cousins. She
bore herself with an immense pride, and yet
certain air of graciousness toward those whom
she esteemed her interiors, and lavish charity
toward the poor, somehow kept her from max
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24

Father Christmas. Santa Claus has come out
of Holland and here's a great log roaring up
t. library chimney in token of English cheer
There's no fun. We've been proper long
enough. Here some of you youngsters, who's
for blind mans buff
1t was really extraordinary the way Van
Geldt-the old gentleman, not the young one
tore about among those squealing children
Oh, he caught them fast enough, but he couldn't
tell one from the other. It's wise grandfather
that knows his own grandchildren. After all
it was Barbara he captured.
Il wouldn't have known that girl" Mr.
Stuyvesant Van Geldt remarked really re-
markable the way she comes out, you know
He didn't know that Miss Barbara too was
out of a physico-mental shower-bath: that
Christmas is every whit as clever as the fairy
godmother and can change the princess into
Cinderella.
Ell, thought she went in for music and
books" he added vaguely, "an that sort of
thing. Don't like bookish girls. Always
thought she was named after those propositions
in Logic, don't you know, Barbara Celarunt,
Darii and the rest of Them
For the first time in his life he was captured
by mnemonic form and Miss Barbara led him
out and bandaged his eyes and he became the
bllndest of Samssns and sport for the wild
young Phiistines. Then a small boy-he will
grow up to be a sad boy-suggested the post
mans knock" There were letters for all the
small girls; terrible noise the small postmen
made; wonderful giggling from the small girls,
when they found the letters were kisses. The
double knock was for Miss Barbara. She went
into the hall
Oh, no, Stuyvesant, we're not children"
To-day we are Barbara"
Were geese, I think-you mustn't hold my
hand"
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24

1t was the ringing of the bells in the church
steeples that woke Mr.. Stuyvesant Van Geldt.
As he had touch of dyspepsia he woke with
the notion that he had swallowed Refractory
for the jangle seemed to go through him from
head to foot. He called feebly for Brown and
Brown came with soda-cocktail Now when
ones man comes in with a soda-cocktaiI there
should be an expression of subdued and sympa-
thetic grief on his face. But Brown was abso-
lutely smiling.
Brown" said Mr.. Van Geldt, Don't let
that occur again.
"No, Sir, said Brown, ''but bein' as 'ow ii
was Christmas Sir, thort'-
An, SO it is, Brown" Mr.. Van Geldt added,
as he drank the soda cocktail, ct forgot. Merry
Christmas, Brown!"
''Thank' y, Sir. Merry Christmas, Sir"
MIR. Van Geldt lay on his back and looked
at the ceiling and decided that he was rather
glad of it after all. There is pleasure in being
well-groomed and solemn-looling, in toddling
up and down Fifth avenue, which only the fash
ionable know. But it lacks variety. The ball
and the opera and the club are all very well in
their way. The trouble is it is always the
same way. One meets the same people. One
hears the same things and says the same things
rather monotonous. It's the poor devil who
gets lively contrasts out of life. He has the
fun of being kicked by the world and coddled
by the loving folk at home; he knows the
pleasure of successful work and unsuccessful
work.
81 daresay this Christmas Will be like last
Christmas said Mr.. Van Geldt-he was smok-
ing Russian cigarette by this time, "a but it's
better than the usual thing
The 11Sual THING Of c0IIrep 10 brandy, o,d
soda and the bank at Baccarat, billiards,
brandy and soda again and toddle in Fifth
Avenue. Mr.. Van Geldt dressed himself with
Browns assistance and went down stairs. Oh,
they were all there; everyone of them sisters
and cousins and aunts children-it was really
remarkable how many children there were.
There was his father, a dry, matter of stocks
old gentleman who had fished up holiday
suit. There was his mother, whose stateliness
was all pretense bless her There was his mar
ried sisters who were responsible for twothirds
of the hilarious yougsters-how those children
squealed land there were cousins who were
responsible for the rest of them.
The eye-glass dropped out of Mr.. Stuyvesant
Van Geldt's eye and was seen no more for the
rest of the evening. He laughed and kissed a
youngster or two and felt, upon my word, as
though he had come out clean and fresh from
physico-mental shower-bath.
Remarkable thing you know" he observed
to Miss Barbara, makes you feel as human as
schoolboy."
AS we can't all wear ragged jackets it's lucky
we have not lost the trick of being happy in
frock coats. There may be just as much love
in the gift of diamonds and brick houses as in
f<of. 40 IL
And if we can't be poor we can have a Christ
mas tree, where the candles snap and sputter,
good will to men and gentle love for women
and kiss for the children.
Trundle the tables out Of the way, Jeames.
and push the chairs back, John. the butler.
We have dined and drunk the last health to
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24

vanced she even went out-of-doors, arm-in-arm
with Kate. They walked certain distance up
and down Broadway, which was then a quiet
street, with little danger, at the crossings. from
any headlong vehicle that might break upon
them. There goes blind Mrs. Van Wagenen,'
the neighbors would say, with her devoted
grand-child. She actually wept her sight away
because her other grandchild eioped with an
actor"
Meanwhile Kate heard from her sister two or
three times every month, but never dared to
whisper in Mrs. Van Wagenen' s hearing sylla-
BILE concerning her. Margaret had promptly be-
come the wife of Ross Erskine, and had then
gone with him upon the stage She had not
succeeded well. nor. for that NATTER had he.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24
A PLACE FOR THEN.
LILLIAN RUSSELL.

MR.. LovELL.-Did you mean these silver hair
brushes for me?
MRS LovELL.-Yes; they're for your Christ
mas, dear.
MIR. LovELL.-Thank you, Puss. That's just
what l wanted: but they're SO elaborate and
beautiful that shall hardly dare use them.
MRS LovELL.-Oh, never mindi thought
we could put them in the guest room.-Puck.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24

was done. The frown 'deepened on Miss Bar
bara's face and she yawned. And her last
thought before she fell asleep was, I daresay
it had to be someone-but he's such fool
For merry Christmas was over.
VANCE THOMPSON.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24


"Not until you We had your letter. There are
three due on it-one, two, three'''
"Oh, Stuyvesant, you"
1t was onesof the Van Geldts who manipu-
lated the magic lantern, but Miss Barbara had
painted every one of the pictures and it was
she who told the story of the pantomime. The
lights wereout in the library when the Princess
Goldilocks appeared on the screen. It's terrible
to be lost in the woods when one is a small
Princess and there are lions and giants about
If you fancy that the Princess Goldilock1 did
not have an awful time of it, you are very much
mistaken.
And just as the giant Gruffanuff was about
to seize the poor little Princess-Oh, well, you We
got the wrong picture-the fairy opened the
box and out there jumped a fairy knight
There, see his swordl And he rushed bravely
on the wicked giant.
"'Hol' said Gruffanuff, whats that little
sword for!
"'To kill you with said the brave fairy
knight.
"EHo!' said Grufanuff you can't reach my
ankles
And that was true, but"
But you may be sure it all came right in the
end. Things always come right-in pantomime.
The light went out of the magic lantern and so
ofcourse no more trouble could come to Princess
Goldilocks. The sleepy children were tumbled
into sleepy beds and reindeers and fairy knights
danced in their Dreams
Miss Barbara held her ten white toes to the fire
they were pink in the fire-light-and her maid
brushed her hair. There was little frown on
Miss Barbara's face and her thoughts were
these:
"Yes, suppose it's the best thing-mamma
always said it was. And he is handsome. 1
never knew he had such frank good nature. He
is not selfish at all-how the children love him
and II Yes, suppose love him. The dear,
good fellow"
And somewhere or other clock struck the
hour. 1t was twelve o'clock and Christmas day
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24

round with the loving cup. You cannever quite
rub out those pastels. For three-hundred and
sixty-four days in the year, society is orchida-
cious. Then it throws away orchids and blue
chrysanthemums and its, heigh! for the holly
and mistletoe. Family gatherings, roasted tur-
keys, snap dragon, bobbing for apples the post
mans knock, and the maddest sort of blind
man's-buff are all in fashion. And Christmas
is the only wise day of the year, because it is
the only merry one.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24
MINCE MEAT.

MIME MEAL
Two pounds chopped apples.
Two pounds lean beef, boiled and chopped.
On pound chopped suet.
Or pint raisins seeded and chopped.
Half pint currants, carefully cleaned.
Half pound shred citron.
One pound sugar.
Half pint molasses.
One heaping tablespoonful mace.
Sc cinnamon.
One tablespoonful allspice.
One heaping tablespoonful salt.
Two tablespoonful ground cloves.
Two nutmegs, grated.
Juice and rind of two small lemons,
one large orange.
One ounce each Of candied lemon and orange
peel.
HALF pint sherry.
One pint brandy.
This should be made week or two before
Christmas that it may have time to ripen.
PLUM PUDDING.
Half pound suet.
Half pound sugar.
Quarter pound butter.
Five cups flour.
One pound raisins, seeded.
One pound currants.
Two tablespoonful shred citron.
Six eggs.
One cupful milk.
Half cupful brandy.
Half teacupful each mace and ground cloves.
One nutmeg.
Rub the butter and sugar together, add the
beaten yolks, the milk, the -four, the beaten
whites, the spices, the liquor and the fruit, well
dredged with -four. Boil five hours in well
creased moulds. After it is turned out, stick a
bit of holly into the top, pour glassful of
brandy over it, and touch this with match
just before the pudding is carried into the din
ing room.
CHRISTMAS CAKE,
Two cups flour.
One and half cups powdered sugar,
One cup butter.
Six eggs.
Half pound each currants and raisins.
Quarter pound citron.
One teacupful each nutmeg and cinnamon.
Half teacupful ground cloves.
One glass brandy.
Be sure to dredge the fruit well with -four,
and put this and the brandy in last. This viii
be large cake and will require two hours bak-
ing in steady oven.
CHRISTINE TERHUNE HERRICK.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24

Come, I'm going in
"Not until you We had your letter. There ar
three due on it-one, two, three'''
"Oh, Stuyvesant, YOU
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24
DREAMED SPINACH

Wash half peck of spinach in two waters
and strip the leaves from the stems. Cook for
twenty minutes in boiling water, slightly
sailed, take the spinach out, drain it and chop
it until it can be made no finer. Put the spin
ach back in the saucepan, with two table
spoonfuls of butter, salt and pepper to taste
and a dash of nutmeg. Stir these in well and
with an egg-beater whip in two tablespoonful
of cream. Serve very hot and lay small tri-
angles of toast around it.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24
Y know, Barbara -
No, I don't know Barbara"

"I do. She's the jolliest girl. If only had a
wife like you wouldn't be the fellow, y know
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24
OYSTER BIsQUE.
One quart oysters.
Four cups milk.
Juice of one lemon.


One quart oysters.
Four cups milk.
Juice of one lemon.
Two eggs, the yolks only.
Two tablespoonful flour.
Two tablespoonful butter.
Salt, pepper, mace.
After draining the liquor from the oysters,
add to the former enough water to make a
quart of liquid. Set aside twenty medium sized
oysters and put the rest, chopped fine, and
the diluted oyster liquor On the stove, and cook
quarter of an hour. During this time, rub the
butter and flour together, put them in clean
saucepan over the fire and stir them until they
begin to bubble; then pour upon them the milk,
which should be already, hot, stir constantly,
and when this is smooth and thick, stir the
oyster liquor into it. Now put in the whole
oysters and cook three minutes. Season with
SALT white pepper and tiny pinch of mace
Pour cupful of the hot soup upon the heated
yolks of the eggs, mix well and turn into the
soup. Take this from the fire Immediately,
add the lemon juice and serve.
CHICKEN PIE.
Two fowls of medium size.
One onion, sliced.
Two stalks celery.
One bay leaf.
Three sprigs parsley.
Pepper and salt.
Cut the fowls into neat joints and put them
In the pot with enough cold water to cover
them. Let them stew very gently until they are
tender, then take out the meat with skinner
and add the herbs, vegetables and seasoning to
the gravy. Simmer for an hour and set aside.
Arrange the chicken in large deep pudding
dish, piling it up towards the middle of the
dish, pour over it the, gravy, which should be
highly seasoned, cover with pastry and bake to
a delicate brown
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24
PASTRY,
One and half pounds good butter.
Two pounds sifted flour.

One and a half pounds good butter.
Two pounds sifted flour.
Enough water to make stiff paste,
The ingredients and the utensils should be
very cold before work is begun. Chop the
butter into the flour until the bits of butter are
no larger them peas. Into a hollow in the CEN
tire of the flour pour the ice-water and mix all
to paste with chopping knife. Turn this
out on board, roll it out quickly into sheet
about half an inch thick, -four lightly, fold into
three and roll out again, turning the rough
edges toward you. Do this three times, hand
ling the paste with the tips Of the fingers and
as little as possible. Make it the day before it
is to be used and keep it ON the ice. The
quantity given above is enough for four large
pies and may be used for the mince and pump
kin as well as for the chicken pie.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24

There in the half-ighted entrance, the walls
daubed with notices the naked stage behind
her. the old woman sang the legend of Serpo-
lette. There was CHASTITY comedy in it-comedy
in the cracked voice and the little steps she
took holding her skirts and curtesying.
"Look at me here look at me there.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24
WHITE POTATO PUFF

Four cups mashed potatoes.
One cup milk.
Two eggs.
Two tablespoonful butter.
Salt to taste.
Whip the potatoe light with the butter and
salt, add the milk and the two too beaten eggs,
turn into a creased pudding-dish and bake
about twenty minutes. It should be eaten soon
after cooling as it falls quickly,
The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-07-07
THE WORD ZERO.

The word Zero" is from the Span
ish and means nothing. Here is one
story about its first use for ther-
mometer in 1895 by Prussian mer-
chant named Fahrenheit. From a
boy Fahrenheit was close observer
Of nature, and when only ten years
old, in the remarkably cold winter of
1909, he experimental by putting
snow and salt together and noticed
that it produced a degree of cold
equal to the coolest day of the year
And that day being the coolest day
that the oldest inhabitant could re.
member, Fahrenheit was the most
struck with the coincidence of his
little scientific discovery and hastily
concluded that he had found the
lowest degree Of temperature known
in the world, either natural or artifl.
cial.
He called the degree zero and con-
structed a thermometer, rude wealth
er glass, with q scale graduating uT
IRON zero to boiling point, which ht
numbered PIP, and freezing point 32
because, as he thought, mercury con
tracted the 32d of its volume on being
cooled down from the temperature
Of freezing water to zero and expand
ed the lOSth on being heated from tn,
freezing to the boiling point.
The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-07-07
PROVINCE OF the PRESS.

The Boston Herald. in discussing
the province of the press, states it's
case in the following terse and truth.
full manner:
''There Is no tribunal more apprO-
pirate for the review of the actions
of public servants than is the tribun-
al of the press. 1t is really the tri-
bunal of the people in such instances.
Horace Greeley, one OF the ablest edi.
tors who ever lived, gave his journal
that name in recognition of the fact
that it was intended to represent the
rights and interests of the people in
the same way that the Roman officers
with whom the name "tribune" is
identified, represented the interests
OF the people of the early Roman ma
tion. If there is any analogy between
this action and the action of the
courts, it is to be found in the fact
that in cases like the case of the
Massachusetts senators, that portion
of the people who constitute the vot-
crs of the country are the jurors in
the case, while the press is the agen-
cy that presents the full facts to the
jurors, and especially is supposed to
stand in the public interest.
"Thc press always does this when
it does its ful! duty. An honest press
is the reliance of the people against
injustice and oppression. A press
which affords both parties a full hear
ing represents the most enlightened
and advanced form of journalism.
The last interest that an honest
press will neglect is the general pub
lie interest,""
The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-07-07
ped sudden like and turned as If she
had just thought of somethin'. Will
| 10 Saua cln thnra A,a.l said .,oIlr

ped sudden like and turned as If she
had just Thought of somethin'. Will
lie says she, have you said your
prayers" No, mother, / hain't says
l. You waited till you got into bed,'
says she, that's what you used to do
when you was a boy, because it was
so cold you said. Maybe It's foolish
Of me, Willie, but just to please me,
let me, who hain't had any boy with
me for twenty years-just to kind Of
humor me, let me hear you say your
prayers tonight, as you used to-
'Say my prayers? After twenty
years of back-slidin' and neglect, say
my prayers? just lay there and
shlvered. How could l tell mother |
had forgotten 'em? Say 'em after
me, Willie, as you used to, said moth
er. So mother began: NV | lay me, >
say she.
4" Now lay me, says 1.
" Down to Sleep says she.
" Down to Sleep says l.
Sand so on through it to the end.
Mother lined it out to me and re-
peated it. Damnation Bill wasn't
there at all; there wasn't any such
man as Damnation Bill any more it
was just melville. Damnaton
Bill was done forever
81 was there fortnight, and every
night mother came in and tucked me
up and said my prayers with me. 1t
done her good and it done me good.
She wasn't afeared when | told her
that | must come back west an settle
up business before l went to live with
her in the old homestead the rest of
her days. She had always had faith
in me because she an father had
been so careful about bringin' me ur
in the way should go, an she allow
ed that with him and her a-prayin
for me Tan me a-prayin' too, as she
believed why, it would have been
impossible for me to learn to lie an
gamble an swear. That's what hurt
me most, boys-what she said about
the swearin. 1t all right for you to
call me the old name-that's my pun.
ishment, and I've brought it on my.
SELF I'm not klckin'. l hain't got
religion; han't no better than any
body else. But may God forever par
alyze my tongue il ever in needless
ness, or jest, or anger, lay that ton
que of mine to any word that, il she
ever heard of it, would open mothers
eyes to the truth of my old life ant
give pain to her confidin' heart"
We fellows never called him Dam
natiJn Bill after that; no, from that
time on, it was just plain Bill out OF
respect to him and his mother.
The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-07-07

The South needs men who will pro-
duce something and who will add in
trinsic value to the land by cultivat-
ing and improving it; men who get
up early in the morning and work six
days in the week; men who will not
be contented merely to scratch the
ground and make bare living, but
who will plough deep and cultivate
thoroughly, and keep the top soil
mixed with the subsoil, and keep
gathered up all the loose capital lying
around the barnyard and cart 1t to
the field, spreading it broadcast on
the land. In few years he will have
soil u foot deep that will yield
bountiful crops. which will make cv.
eything comfortable and happy
around him, and hard times and class
legislation will vanish.