davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07

What a dainty profile. What soft, saucy
brown eyes under those tangled gray-blonde
locks. tossed about rel eliionsly over her proud
little head Her hands few like downy
humming bird over the embroidery frame, and
IcouId bear the tick-iark Of her needle through
the satin. as il few from her snowy, rose-tipped
fingers Oh! bow delightful it seemed after a
campaign OF Ia months with savages in the
heart OF africa.
should probably have been standing there
still. but a. that moment the Baroness, who was
deep in her Register, rose aud cried out ia her
trumpet tones:
Did you ever hear Of such stupidity Here's
. Colonel. aud only one year IN the ranks at
that promoted to the Generalship of the Nine
teenth. mere parvenu! Nothing but par
venul PoirOt too; Gen. Poiroti Did you
ever hear Of such name? Poirot!" and she
fairly smiled in her anger at the new made
General.
The Baron awoke 'Eh, what? Is il my
turn 10 play2" WheTeupOn his neighbor
turned around. and. seeing me- cried Oh, a
visit0rl'' which announcement was followed by
the confusion incident 10 the arrival Of an un-
expected guest.
While the Baroness came forward TO meet
me (even moro than usually sour the neigh
b9r. who was losing. mixed the cards all up
together. the cure protesting meanwhile. and
the General doing Of again.
Marie Antoinctte alone had not stirred.
looked neither 10 the right nor left but walked
straight up TO her. and was about to take her
in my arms snd kiss her, when the Baron' IS
piEched Jeff arm. She had found no Other
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07
RECENT LITERATURE.

TALKS BY QUEER FOLKS. More Land and
Water FRIENDS. BY Mary e Bamford. Published
by ID. Lothrop Co, Boston, Mass. Price Sl50.
An interesting book for little folks who want
to know all about the queer birds and beast:
and fishes that they may hear about or come
across. Sea-anemones. funny beetles and moths
an unhappy old hyena, placid old COW, and
others. tell about themselves and their peculi
arities very frankly.
THE CHILD'S DAY BOOK. BY Margaret Sid
ney. Published by D. Lothrop CO., Boston, Mass
Price so cents.
Being Margaret Sidney's work, it is necessa
rily dainty book. 1t is intended to be help
full 10 the children as the day and year books
are for older folks. There are morning and
evening prayers, grace before meals, and a short
text glad little poem, and picture of flowers
or birds, for every day in the month.
Magazines and Notes.
Germania for October, with its studies oi
German literature and exercises for beginners
will be helpful to all students of the German
tongue. Published by the Germania Publish
ing Co., Manchester, N. Fl. Price So year.
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07

with his wife and daughter, in his apartments
in the Boulevard Malesherbes. He belongs 10
the Petit Club" so do /, and never do ] let
an evening pass without acceding to his request
that we play little game OF piquet. If he goes
to sleep in the middle of it / pretend not to
notice it at all, and every evening regularly we
60 through the same little dialog:
"Eh. what2 Is it my turn? l wonder if
I've been asleep?"
mo. indeed, sir not at ali it is your play"
listen to him for hours when he tells me
stories of his young days. There is one anec-
dote about some plums they stole from a farmer
when he was at the Polytechnique. that have
listened to 81 times by actual count. Thirty
two! But, then what would one not endure
for such prize as my darlingP And then,
when he thinks / am SO deeply interested as 10
lie utterly oblivious to everything else he
marks himself l6 or IL, and, naturally, invari-
ably wins.
OF course we never speak Of Antoinette.
Only every Sunday morning. after mass, |
| look for my lad y-bird at the door OF the church
"des Grands Augustins." Halfhidden by the
| long rows of charity children, watch for her.
| aud nay heart beats and beats if she happens to
/ pass near me. | wonder if she knows / am
| thereI One day, when / WAS little late, |
| saw her coming down the steps, looking this
| way and that as if she were looking for some
one.
April 9-Well. of all thiugsl Truly,
/ nothing happens but the unexpected. An
uncle Of mine. whom bad never seen or heard
| Of, has done me the great honor 10 die aud
make me his her-me. whom he has never
seen. Perhaps, tho, it is because he has never
seen me that!
April Ilth.-Have just received letter from
! the notary. The legacy is not, as | was half
/ inclined TO believe, an April-fool hoax. 1t is
really true, really authestic. ] am head now
Of the Chateau de Saint Moncella. and a small
domain in Paul de Leon. / must tell the Gen
I eral about it.
April I2-I have told him. He stopped me
| short. "a chateau and twenty thousand francs
| iucome! What's that to me2 mean, oi
course congratulate you, but liked you well
enough as yon were"
But don't you see, / want-I would like
love AntOinette."
"Antoinotte. Antoinette! My daughter sir
Is not for sale. What is the matter with you
Speak. why don't your"
And ! did speak. told him the whole
story. Then he
And SO my wife scared you of, did she
Well well; of all good jokes! She thought
was asleep probably. She always thinks I'm
asleep Well show her, my lad; we'll show
her Asleep, am II Ha. ba, ha! Shake
hands, old fellow; Antoinette is yours III
show her if am asleep"
April 6.-I don't know which carried the en-
trenchments the General or the legacy.
rather think the legacy had something TO d,
with it, for the poor old General-well--bed dit
doze of considerably. Howbeit this evenin,
at seven the Baroness gave her formal consent
and this evening ut nine lit is now eleven)
met, for the frst time, my 6ancee, my Antoin
ette, my lady-bird. | can see her yet, comm,
TO meet me; can see yet the bower-em
broidered salon, where we sat in the moon
light. and where, with her trembling hand rest
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07

The following lists may help out some dis
tracted shoppers who are trying to think of
gifts that their friends, will really like and find
a use for woman always appreciates bit
of fine china or pottery-Donlton, Limoges. or
ROYAL Worcesters lace ehandkerchiefs fan or
tortoise. shell hair pin. , In buying tortoise shell,
experts say that the lightest in color is the
finest 1t looks VERY much like amber. But
the darker colorsiare to,women generally pref
tier especially when tire shell shows deep. clear
reddish lights d. wen eas the bright golden.
The little stick pins. so invaluable to women,
can be bought at almost any price from 81 up.
AS rule, the silver, ones are only chosen for
young girls Silk stockings are weakness
with all women. q In books she would like some
of the new short stories that are talked about
go much, volume of essays poems. If a
girl have tea table she will appreciate pretty
teaspoons-one with flower at the handle and
her first name engraved on it in the bowl or
ON the handle il favorite gift from one girl
to another; also, of course, tea cups or any
thing for her table she likes. For her writing
desk there may be one of the dainty pens or
stamp boxes or blotters.
s*x
For men there are pictures a small etching
or photograph, framed WE'LL books, one of his
favortes, handsomely bound, or copy of some
standard work; anything big for his desk-he
always likes big inkstands, and big blotters,
and big paper knives. that he can find easily
and then there are handkerchiefs, that old
standby.
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07

Ip the shadows of the gray elms, turned away
from the window, and great lump rose In my
throat.
"Baptiste mon garcon. take away the tray !;
don't care for any breakfast this morning.
Take the ponies to the Bois; | shan't ride to-
day; and, Baptiste, Baptiste. tell the Comte de
Levers not to wait for me this evening, for atn
not going cut"
And, now that am alone am going to read
my old journsl-the only journal / ever kept,
the diary Of that blessed time when j knew
thee my own little bird. sweet Antoinette. 1t
Is not a long journal. 1t Ellis some 20 pages or
SO of this little book; no more. Come, and in
this room. still warm with our recollections-
with the shutters closed and the curtains
drawn shall touch my long sleeping heart
like mandolin, and perhaps when it sings the
airs OF those far-awsy days, my lady bird will
se pleased.
Nav Is. IS72.-Here am, home from Africa,
with the silver stripes of a Lieutenant on my
sleeve and greet hole in my chest. a souvenir
Of razzia In Ouad-Sidi-chiekh-nOt great
hole now. but scar. and more than hidden by
my shining medal. brand sew. In my own
home at lsst-turped out to grass, as il were
four kilometres from Font Briaut. and at Font
Briant, only four kilometres away, lives my
old friend tand what a brave old General he is y
Baron Canard de Font Briaut. His Baroue;cy
iOf rather recent date to be sure. but he is a
tauch old soldier nevertheless. What an old
,oose his v ife is, ! can't bear her. But her
laughter is dove, a snow-white-doVe, for
Madame the Baroness Canard de Font Briaut Is
fhe mother Of my Marie AntOinette.
Yesterday evening, after dinner, started of
At cavalry caBter. and IN seventeen minutes
and half found myself at The gate Uf the
park Of Font Braut-uot the park gate, but q
narrow wooden gate, never used. and seldom
opeued-teu feet high. ! tied my horse to a
tree and climbed over the wall. One can do
that sort Of thing at y, when one has Just re-
turned from three years campaign Ia Africa.
/ iollo"ed long pleached alley, aud. the
moon helping, found myself on the terrace of
the chateau. / jumped across the porch at a
bound. pushed open the door, aud there Was.
That is the way We did things with the Quad
Sidi-chiekhs. Ii wss nine clock. They were
playing whist. / raised pOrtiere, and gazed
with all my might, holding my breath until /
was fairly crimson. At the table sat the Gem
eral. holding his cards in his LETT hand The had
lost the other in the Crimea), and doing away
as he played dummy" with one of the neigh
bors and the old cure. Near the fire sat the
Baroness, reading the Army Register, aud next
60 her my Marie with her Kensington II think
you call II kensnRion} EN- brOidery.
BY heart gave a series Of double thumps.
never saw any one so changed in my life. i
left her little hOyden, whom / often carried
"pick-a-bsck " at her commands, and now there
sat before me young lady, very tiny, to be
sure, aud frail a reed in the wind, but a
young lady, nevertheless, and not a child.
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07
TRAVELLING SPIDERS.
One Species That Build Balloons and Make
Journeys Whenever They Feel SO Dis

One Species That Build Balloons and Make
Journeys Whenever They Feel SO Dis
posed.
There is certain species Of spider which is
moved by instinct at certain seasons of the year
to travel. and to travel distances that 10 one
would suspect it desrous of covering. What
then, is the method? A spider selects the
right kind of a day. one on which there is
almost calm in the air, or rather one when
there is just the slightest breeze.
He crawls up tree flagstaff bnlrush
or anything that will give him a free position.
He then begins to emit the free end of web
from his filament bag. and this is so light and
fresh that it floats away in the air and is car
ried along by the light breeze.
He may emit 100 or 200 yards and every now
and then he tries whether there is enough out
and floating to buoy him if he lets go his grip
on the tree or other elevation. By nice sys-
TEN of calculation he ascertains just what will
buoy him, and then. letting 20 his hold, the
ilament is borne off by the wind and he himself
at the end of it. and in this way he can travel
miles and miles.
If he fluids himself coming near the water he
pays out more Of his cable, and in that way he
obtains more floating isment to bear him up
II. on the contrary. he finds himself going too
high he draws in his cable and descends by
lessening the amount Of floating filament
If you anchor a pole in body of water,
leaving the pole above the surface, and put
spider upon it. he will exhibit marvellous in
teligence by his plans to escape At first he
will spin a web several inches long and hang
TO end while he allows the other to float
off in the wind, in the hope that it will strike
some object.
Of course this plan proves a failure but the
spider is not discouraged. He waits until the
wind changes and then sends another sill en-
strand floating off in another direction. An
other failure is followed by several other simi-
lar attempts until all the points of the com pass
have been tried.
But neither the resources nor reasoning
power OF the spider have been tried. He
climbs to the top of the pole and energetically
goes to work to construct silken balloon. He
has not hot air with which TO initiate it, but he
has the power of making it buoyant.
When he gets his balloon finished he does
not go off on the mere supposition that it will
carry him as men often do, but he fastens it to
! guy rope, the other end of which he attaches
| to the island pole upon which he is prisoner.
| He then gets into his aerial vehicle while it is
made fast and tests it to whether its di-
| mensions are capable OF bearing him a&ay.
He often finds that he has made il too small,
| in which case he hauls down, takes it all apart
aud constructs 1t on a larger and better plan.
| A spider has been seen TO make three different
| balloons before he became satisfied with the
| experiment
Then he will snap guy rope and. suspended
| from flament, will sail away to land as grace
| fully and supremely independent of his sur
| roundlngs as could be imagined.
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07
"THE LITTLE BIRDS
HAVE GONE TO REST"
ii which a Lieutenant of ChaSSeurS
Carries the War from Africa
into France.
ROM TIE FRENCH OF ALAN BAUQUENNE,
BY Miss FAYARD.

a A HAT a delightful morning it
"A is! ] can't possibly remain
~ u in bed hiS morning. No,
q indeed! Not with the lark
swaking as it is now! How
beautiful it is! The chest
nut trees sway lightly in the mist which hangs
over them like the soft breath of a child.
Sweet oiors of the mornings fragrance come
from the dewy grass. where shy primroses hide.
The birds in their nests are breaking out into
Joyous piping Near me i hear an early riser 5
Ia, la, la; ira la-ia!
1t is MY pretty neighhor, and that is her
piano so softly triliing its la, la. la; ira lala
wonder what she will sing this morning 7
Why, declare, how sentimental! What do
bear?
The little birds have gone TO rest,
HaVe-gone-to-rest
1t seems to me have heard that before /
know that air. OF course / do Let me see.
I've heard it somewhere. know. How does
it begin? Oh. yes! remember
Shall we darling,
Whisper our love-song?
The little birds have gone 10 rect.
1t comes back to me; but OBJ how long ago
that time seems now. and she sings no more
Der love song, my lady bird, my little lady
bird Ten long years! And in spite of the
April sun, laughing so cheerily in the green
caves in spite of the twitter of the swallows
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07
ne in mine, my darling and whispered our

ing in mine, my darling and whispered our
iove-song."
/ have turned them over and over, the faded
yellow lelves of this little book. aud watched
them grow larger and larger in the obscuring
mist that fills my eyes. Can it be true my
lady-bird has gone to restf
Thro' the window have just opened comes
the twitter of piping birds, the rustling of
leaves. tho distant din of the city. 1t is seven
o'clock. My Flemish clock is slowly striking
the hour from the silver chimes in its little
belfry; the sun is going down slowly, and the
windows across the park look at me with glow
ing eyes.
1t was just the same 10 years ago; here are
the same trees. the same grasses; perhaps these
swallows are the same. aud the busy little
wrens. 1t is only my lady-bird that has gone
to rest-Short Stories
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07
AFTER THE WAR.
Sad Condition OF People and Things In the
Old Dominion.

Old Dominion.
At first the news of Lees surrender came
borne, so to speak, by the winds. so vague was
the whispered rumor. then taking palpable
shape, Is 1t were, as weary stragglers passed
along the country roads, stopping in at the
naked farms to get meal il there were
enough left to feed hungry man. Then little
parties passed by with details of the surrender
that no longer left any room for even the faint
est doubt.
And after weary days-it might be fewer
or more-days in which it was not known
whether loved ones might not have been capt
ured or killed in the last engagement, they
came home foot-sore and broken, dragging
themselves along the cannon-worn roads they
had marched down so bravely four years be-
fore, and fiuging themselves into the arms of
weeping mothers or wives or sisters gathered
to receive them, surrendered for the first time
to despair.
The soldiers returning from the army found
Virginia almost as war worn as they were
themselves, says Thomas Nelson Page, in Har
per's Monthly. In many sections the country
was swept clean, and the disorganzation of
labor and the depletion of teams had prevented
the proper PREPARATION of a crop. The horses
which the soldiers had brought home from
Appomattox were not infrequently the chief
dependence for new crop. and before the
huZZas over the returning armies of the Union
had died away in the North. the soldiers of
the other army which had held them at bay so
long were working in the fields, trying to build
up again the waste places of their States.
There is scarcely professional man over the
age of 40 to-day who did not work at the plow
during those FIRST years after the war.
The complete prostration of Virginia-in-
deed, of the whole South-at the close OF the
war has never been fully apprehended by the
outside world. 1t was not only that property
values had been swept away, but that every
thing from which property values can be Gre
ated had been extirpated.
The entire personal property Of the State
had been destroyed; the laboring class of a
country dependent upon its agriculture had
been suddenly changed from lsborers into
vagrants, with no property to make them con-
servative and no authority to hold them in
check. Their dependence was suddenly shift
cd from their former masters to strangers,
whose indirect If not their direct teaching was
hostility to the former owners
The country was left overwhelmed with
debt, with nothing remaining from which the
debts could be paid. 1t is difficult to conceive
of this even as applied TO a small section, but
when it embraces great territory covering
dozen great States with their entire population
of many millions the mind refuses to take it
in. Yet such was the case at the South.
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07
Bottled Tears.

The custom of bottling tears is peculiar to
the people of Persia. There it constitutes an
important part of the obsequies of the dead. AS
the mourners are sitting round and weeping,
the master of ceremonies presents each one
with piece of cotton, wool, sponge with
which to wipe away the tears. This cotton,
wool. or sponge is afterward squeezed into a
bottle, and the tears are preserved power
full and efficacious restorative for those whom
every other medicine has failed to revive. 1t
is 10 this custom that alusIon is made in
Psalms. lvi., 8: Put thou thy tears into thy
bottle"
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07
Pension Juggiery.

IShfcksItifiay pa Echo
Some weeks ago the Echo published an item
stating that notice had been received that
James w. Ewes had been dropped from the
pension-r rolls Mr.. Ewes had been dead three
or four years, and. of course. did not get pen
sion. few days before election letter ar.
rived from Commissioner Lochren saying that
Dir. Ewes had been reinstated. Don't that beat
the Dutch?
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07
Looking Out for No.

.
Mrs. Flipp-Amanda, you will have to give
Mr. Benbow up.
Miss Flypp-Why, mamma, I thought you
liked him.
Mrs. Flypp-I do. Therefore / intend to
marry him myself
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07
She Basted the Turkey.

II ttIsOUIy DUstttEf1I
The Mistress-What on earth is the matter
with the turkey, Bridget? It's full of black
threads.
The Maid-Didn't yees tell me to baste the
burd, mum2 And thim's the bastin threads.
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07
No Such Luck.

shot an arrow out into the air.
1t fell to earth, know not where;
But truly hope, as ID fell from the sky,
Il hit some backyard cat in the eye.
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07
GRATEFUL-CONFOR
EPPS'S COCOA,
RREAEFAST-SUPPER

"Bye thorough knowledge Of the natural law
which govern the operations of digestion and nutr
tlon and by careful application of the fine proper.
ties II welselected Cocoa, Mr. Epps has provided
breakfast taOleS with deiicatey favored Ueverass
which may save many heavy doctors bills II Is by
the judicOus of such articles Of diet that cOns
tuition may be gradually built up until strong enough
TO resist every tendency 70 disease Hundreds of subtle
Inalades floating around ready to attack wher-
ever there Is q weak point We may escape many
fatal shaft by keeping ourselves we'll fortified with
pure blood and a properly nOurshed frame-"-" CigB
Se1Vics g zstts."
Made simply with boiling water or milk Sold
only In halfpound tins, by GrOcers, labelled thus
JAMES EPPS Co., homeopathic Chemists,
London, England.
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07

A gown for a little
girl is of gray-blue
cashmere, tri M m e d
with bands of white
embroidered insertion.
It is to be worn over a
white guimpe. The
bertha, if so it may be
called, is slashed in
front and back. The
band of insertion fol-
lows the outline about
a half inch above the
edge. The bertha may
be put on in fine &C
cordion pleatings or
simply gathered, as
shown in the cut.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-31
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
Do the Members OF the California DebrI
Commission Forfeit Their Army Positions?

Do the Members Of the California Debris
Commission Forfeit Their Army Positions?
An interesting question has arisen ut the War
Department in connection with the so-called
California debris commission. This commits.
sion was created by special act of the last
Congress for the purpose of devils
ing some system Of removing deposits
in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers in
California, resulting from hydraulic mining
operations. The commission is composed OF
Col George 81. Mendell. Lieut.. Col W. II. H.
Benyaurd and Maj VIM. H. Heuer, all Of the
corps Of engineers. United States army.
They were recently appointed by the Presi-
dent subject to the confirmation Of the Senate.
These officers are all on duty on the
Pacific coast and are ready to enter
on the discharge of the new duties assigned to
them soon as tho question now before the
department shall have been determined.
This is whether the acceptance of the new
Offices by the engineer officers will
jeopardize their commissions in tho army.
The question was raised by Col. Mendell,
president of the commission. He called atten-
ton to the statutes prohibiting officers of the
army from accepting civilian positions and de-
claring that such acceptance will be regarded
as equivalent to the surrender Of their COM
mission. He does not hold that these statutes
apply to membership on the California COM
mission, but merely suggests that the question
be settled before the commission begins it's
work.
The Secretary Of War has asked the Attorney
General for an opinion on the subject The
impression in army circles is that the statutes
in question do not apply to this CASE The de-
cision will be awaited with interest.