davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
Fpe Rolling on Easter Monday.

The District OF Columbia has a manner
of celebrating Easter that is peculiar to it
self. 1t is the egg rolling celebration that
occurs annually on the White lot" as the
grounds back of the presidential mansion
are called. Here, on Easter Monday, thou
sands of the city's children assemble, rich
and poor, white and black, baskets of eggs
on their arms and Joy in their hearts, intent
on a picnic unknown elsewhere.
The usual method of cracking eggs,
''p'ints' and butts" is not neglected, but
the feature of the days amusement is
rolling eggs down bill to try and crack the
eggs of adversaries, cunningly and tempt
ingly laid to invite the fusillade. The Ma
rine band plays for the children. the presi-
dent generally gives them a reception, aad
the White House children, when there are
any, Join in the sport. Nowhere else on
Earth is there such an annual exhibition Of
genuine democracy, and probably nowhere
else such great fun.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
The Sweetest Thing In Life.

A beautiful girl stood alone in the room.
She held q bunch Of Easter lilies in her
hand. But the lilies were no whittier or sweet
err than she was. She looked into the pure
Towering cup and sighed, but she blushed
a little. too, when she sighed, and that is a
sign of great happiness. She pinned the
blossoms in her gown and thought oil a
question asked and an answer given the
evening before. Then she smiled and
blushed again. She went out. A little way
down the street a young man stood on the
steps of a church. He seemed to be waiting
for some one. When the beautiful girl
came near, he hurried eagerly to meet her,
and when he saw the lilies his face grew ra-
diant. He spoke to her, and she smiled.
Their eyes met, and together they walked
into the church.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26

could not lift himself out OF the barrel.
When he heard us about, be began shouting
and cursing and kicking, but we realized
That he was in a fix and were not at all
frightened Jim seized one of his feet and
the other, while Uncle Joe trotted around
and got a piece Of clotheslinc TO tie them
together. When we had him securely
dashed, Aunt Sally was given the candle to
hold, and the other three of us got clubs
and tipped the barrel over. The rush Of
water almost stranglcd the robber, and
while he was gasping and suffering we
drew his arms behind his back and tied
them there. He was an ugly chap and no
mistake. We got o knife and revolver off
oil him while tying his arms, and when he
finally got his breath he knew that he was
helpless. Had he professcd penitence and
begged forgiveness / think Uncle Joe would
have let him 20. Aunt Sally, with her big
heart, had already begun to find excuses for
the prisoner, when he suddenly opened on
us. / have heard some tall cussing since
then, but nothing to beat his record. He
threatened, bluffed, commanded and de-
manded, and Aunt Sally had to flee and
Uncle Joe to pretend that he didn't hear.
1t was half Il mile to the nearest neigh
boris, and Uncle Joe didn't feel like asking
us TO go or going himself. Neither dis we
want TO remain outdoors until daylight.
We solved the problem by dragging the
man into the kitchen. He continued ours
ing for some time after, but finding that he
made no impression he finally cooled off
and became quite civil. The hard boiled
egg had struck him right between the eyes
and raised a big lump. When we told him
what had hit him, he laughed heartily and
demanded that the remainder of the eggs
be turned over to him. just at daylight a
team passed by, and we sent word to a con-
stable, and an hour later the robber wa on
his way to the county Jail. When he reached
that Institution, he was identified as an es-
capped convict for whom a reward Of $500
had been offered. He had, rs he admitted,
planned to rob the house, and by his being
armed it was reasonable TO conclude that
he would not have stopped at murder had
he been interfered With. He had saddled
one of the horses and led it into the road
before mounting the roof, and his escape
would haye thus been assured.
When the case came to trial. the four OF
us were called as witnesses, of course.
Uncle Joe wouldn't bear on a bit. while
Aunt Sally tried hard to say something in
favor of the prisoner and nothing against
him. He got a sentence Of 10 years, while
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
A Bold Bluff That Did Not Work.

Three young fellows eager to get on an
up town train rushed past the ticket chop
per at Rector street like young racers on the
homestretch. They flung their tickets into
the chopper on the fly-at least two OF them
did. The third thought he was provided
with a ticket the same as were his compan-
ions. Finding he was not, he did not wish
to delay the company, and quick as a wink
dropped something suspiciously like tick
ct into the receptacle for these bits OF pink
~pasteboard.
II the alleged ticket had not come apart,
the debonair young buffer would have had
the glory Of travelling on his wit and chuc-
king over the achievement. The ticket
chopper discovered the fraud and stopped
the ~jackanapes who would impose OH a
circumspect ticket chopper by trying to
mass of two 2cent stamps lightly glued to-
cether for a genuine ticket. The offender
bought his ticket with good enough grace
considering his outs-out Of temper, out
two stamps and out OF the train.-New
York Herald.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
A Story of Disraell.

On one occasion a yourg dandy. known
70 be a waverer, had come down TO the
house in his most splendid costume. with
an impressive mustache and equally Inn
pressiye papers and bluebooks, to talk OF a
subject nobody was thinking Of. No sooner
had he opened than the house began to
empty. Disraeli himself then, hat In hand,
sauntered to the door, where his anxious
whip muttered In his ear as he passed:
100 bad. Here's a fine fellow likely to
come over to us, aud you, the leader OF ths
party, turn your back and walk out with
out waiting to hear even what he has 70
say"
The inculpsted chief put on . certain look
Of peuitence and then said quietly. "Yes, !
W it Is very wrong, but there are some
things human nature cannot stand. and ons
of them Is to sit here on IN evening liz
this TO hear q Saracen's head creaking IN the
Wtnd."-"Twsnty Years In PaSlismsnA"
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
He Was

1.-THE pessimisn Of some men Is simply
astounding" said a visitor to A reporter.
"Why, | know a fellow who actually in
suited another man for saving his life The
way It happened was this:
"A bright but knockabout sort OF q chap
named Whitaker was one day sitting on
the veranda OF a country hotel In a south
western town chatting with n number OF
her friends. Some one happened to call
him by name, and an old white whiskered
gentleman standing near by came waltzing
up to the crowd. and holding out his hand
to Whitaker said:
lis your name Whitaker
"'Yes,' was the reply.
"'Ain't you little Willie Whitaker OF
Balesville, Ark.r
Yes again.
"'Well, don't you remember the time
you fell off a fatboat into the river about
90 years ago, and how you'd'a got drowned
If ! hadn't dived in and saved your
Yes Whitaker said, i do, You old
fool. What good did it doi I've been play.
ing poker for 20 years and never won a cent.
Ive been kicked and cuffed over Ia states,
and I'm out of a job now. G~oodby.'" And
the really indignant Whitaker stumped of
down the steps, leaving his innocent bene-
factor aghast with surprise. ST. Louis Re-
nublic.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
Does the Sun Dancer

Easter Sunday excites the genuine, deep
seated reverence of the Christian. It fills
the soul with JOY and gladness, giving proof
TO the believer of the divinity Of his risen
Lord. To the Christian man, wherever
cast, on sea or land, within dungeon walls
or in the full enjoyment of liberty, Easter
comes laden with fond memories, cheerful
recollections, healthy, hopeful aspirations.
Who can forget the story learned at
mothers knee of the dance OF the sun on
Easter morn? And how many can remem-
Der the excursion TO n n~eighboring bill TO
verify the taller Somehow. the conditions
were never just right-you were just a lit
tie late, the sun rose in a mist, or you were
negligent at the precise m when all
attention should have been given-and so
far as your experience goes the question OF
the dancing sun is still an unsolyed prob
lem. You will think of 1t this Easter, and
the memories it revives will do you good.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
Two Good Stories.

"Queer enough are some OF the bottoms
held by jewellers in remote districts by the
sea in North Carolina" said a government
engineer. Some years ago | was aboard
the United States coast survey schooner
Quadrant In Pamlico sound, bound for
Charleston. The vessel could be trimmed to
five feet OF water, so rather than go outside
we tried to make our destination by way OF
the narrow, devious channel OF Core sound.
The vessel bumped along for 25 or 80 miles
and at last ground solidly. While we
backed and heaved in futile endeayor to get
the schooner afioat, an old negro In a dug
out canoe came up and looked c~uriously on.
"well. uncle. what do you think OF 81"
called.
He shook his head and looked As wise a.
Uncle RsmuA
aver can't sit "a now. boss h. ssid.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26

hickory nuts and popcorn, who baked the
turnovers for us, who hunted up fish lines
and let us put up windmills and scarecrows
and set the old steel trap on the roof of the
cow shed. All we knew about Easter Sun
day was that IL brought eggs which had
been dyed various colofs. That Saturday
afternoon Aunt sally came out TO the barn
where we were turning somersaults off 'the
big beam" on to the hay and said:
boys, / want you 10 look about for hens
nests. / haven't got above three eggs in
the house, and unless you find some l don't
know what were going TODD for tomorrow.
There goes n cackle nowP'
Jim and | had the luck 10 discover a full
aozen eggs, and after supper Aunt Sally
dyed them in an old kettle kept for no 9th
pr purpose. When we went up stairs 10 bed
that night, we found eight of the eggs on a
plate on the bureau. She had cautioned
us that the dye might strike in" and poi.
son them. and that we shouldn't eat them,
but the good old soul reasoned that the
sight Of them would please us when we
nwoko In the morning. Just before we
went to bed Uncle Joe came in from q visit
10 the barn and said;
sally, ! think | saw a man dodge around
The corncrib as l came past"
"La, mel But what would any one be
lodging around our corncrib fori" she re-
piled.
"Dunno."
ut was probably one Of the calves, and he
was skeart at sight of you. Did he smell
oalfyf"
~ didn't think 90 sniff"
That's what I'd nave thought OF the
frst thing. why didn't you go higher and
fnd out for %certainf'
WAL, | guess it's nuthin TO worry
about" replied Uncle Joe as he reached for
the bootjack.
"Of course it amt, unless it's a pesky
skunk sneakin around to git up another
awful smell. Come bGys-time for bedp'
The window of our bedroom, or one of its
three windows, looked out on the back
yard, and just below it was the roof of the
summer kitchen. Jim and l sat by the
window for half an hour TO watch for the
strange thing uncle had seen, but as a mat
ter of fact the night was so dark we could
hardly see the ground below us. In those
days no farmer locked q door nor fastened
a window. 1t struck us that Uncle Joe felt
certain he had seen a man, and that he
lacked the nerve to investigate in the dark
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26

with an air Of certainty. Yer mus walt
fur de foodtide. De foodtide am a liftin
tide. Yer kin float in a foot less water on
de floodtide dan yer kin on de ebb.'
whether or not the colored sage's the
ory would hold water, so to speak, 1t Is sure
that we had to wait for de liftin tide
when the vessel anne of the shoal without
difficulty.
Pursuing our way the following day
through the same sboal waters, we grad
ually came up with a small schooner, whose
patched and dingy sails were double reefed,
although the wind was very light. l hailed
her In passing with the rather presumptu-
Gus inquiry:
why don't you turn out those reefs
and make more sailY
Back came the answer in a la~ckadaisical
twang from a goat bearded, slouchy man.
who was straddling the tiller:
"'Why. yer burned fool, that amt half
wind enough fur what sail I've got setP"-
New York Sun.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
BR4VER THAN 4 SOLDIER.
How an E%ngIishman In Russia Kissed Tw'
uundrrd nirtv 1yuiiLs.

Hundred Dirty Mujihs.
An Englishman In Russia, who was SUI
p~erintendent of an iron works, tells a COM
zeal story of his experience at Easter:
"For a week beforehand, " he says, they
are busy boiling and painting eggs, which
they arc TO present to one another with a
kiss. The moment the clock strikes 12 the
privilege or penance as the case may be,
commences. Nobody then considers him
self insulted by the combined offer of a kiss
and an egg.
'In a few cases, it may be confessed, the
trouble is a pleasure, but when it comes, as
1t did to me, TO a long. line Of several hun
dred workmen-mostly engagedin charcoal
burning, in the stoking and poking of fires
and chimneys, and other deeds of darkness,
the poetical and sentimental view of the re-
ligious custom is completely shut out and
supplanted by the intolerable annoyance.
zone may talk of the Balaklava charge,
the storming of the Redang, and such ex-
PLOTS; think of the nerve that was required
to stand my ground before a bearded and
vodka loving Mujik, with cinders in his
beard and charcoal dust in the pores OF his
skin, a man who had been breaking cal
cined ore perhaps all night and looked like
the doubtful progeny Of an African negro
or n red Indian In his warpaint!
Think of my horror Of suspense while
one after another a whole regiment of such
smutty objects shufiled up to my place,
each drawing a dusty sleeve across his
sooty mouth, each diving to the bottom of
his pocket for the painted egg, each taking
off his hat and calling me down TO the pun
ishment with the p%olitest of bows, the
most respectful Of grins, and when tho
first hundred had kissed me 800 times in the
aggregate to know that another hundred
had to come after them!'
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
.snsea Rid1Ie's Voice.

Hosea Riddle, who died not long since, a
very old man, was a famous OK driver Oh
northern Delaware. He drove
oxen and employed in the task a voice that
corld have riynled a steam foghorn. His
labors frequently took him over into the
edge OF Cecil county, in Maryland, whose
white highways are clearly visible from the
neighboring hills Of Delaware. when q
rural Delawarean heard a noise AZ OF In
cipient riot over in Maryland, and strain
ing his eyes saw q speck toiling up some
hillside, be knew II was the voice OF Hosea
Riddle urging on his OK team. The DeIief
a. tradition that Riddles voice could b
heard As far as his team could - SEEM
New York Sun,
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
THE BRANLE.
A Dance Among Easter Eggs That Won .
Bride For Philibert of Savoy.


Bride For Philibert of Savoy.
On the western slope Of the Alps a curl
ous Easter custom prevails. 1t is a dance
called the ''branle." On a level space COW
cred with sand 100 eggs are distributed,
and the young men and young women dance
among them.
1t is the unwritten law of the locality
that if they succeed in completing the
"branle'' without breaking a single egg
they become atiianced, with or without the
consent of parents or guardians.
The royal Lady Marguerite Of Flanders
was sojourning in the charming district Of
Bresse. She occupied the ancient castle OF
Brou, which was alive with the festivities
proper to the day and the occasion, for serfs
and mobiles, soldiers and priests, headed by
the fair Marguerite herself, had made them
selves ready to receive, with due pomp and
Philibert, the handsome duke OF
SAVOY, who was in the neighborhood hunt-
ing channels, and who had sent q courier
announcing his intention to visit the castle
and pay homage to the beautiful princess
of Austria.
1t was Easter Monday. All the old men
shot at butts with their crossbows for
prizes, all the young, high and low, danced
with the village maidens or the green. The
hundred eggs were scattered according to
custom, and several couples had come to
grief and retired from the laughing APP
plause of the b%ystanders to clean the broken
| eggs from their shoes, when a bugle was
| heard, and Philibert of Savoy, radiant with
youth and happiness, appeared on the scene.
Bending his knee before the noble chate-
laine, he besought her hospitality. AS the
merry making grew more enthusiastic he
proposed to his hostess to tread a measure
with him in the ~"branle'-the dance of the
eggs.
"How beautiful" says an old French
writer, ''they looked as they stepped for
ward hand in handl Savoy and Austria!
shouted the crowd. The dance was finished,
not an egg was broken, and the blushing
Marguerite allowed her hand to remain
within that of philibert as he said, Let
us adopt the custom of Bresse.'" Thus
were they anianced, and their marriage took
place soon afterward.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26


we got The S5C0 and made an equal ulv1de.
Jim and / took all the praise the public
wanted to bestow, but uncle and aunt never
felt quite right about it. Being honest, in
nocent old souls themselves, they were in
ctlned to believe in the honesty of the whole
world. They used to talk and guess and
wonder, aud sometimes they almost made
themselI rs believe they had wronged the
man. Years after, and the last time l was
ever to visit them. the motherly old lady
observed
"Charlss, s'posin that poor man wasn't
bad at all and was simply lookin for some
thin to cats I'm sometimes almost con-
science stricken to think You throwed that
egg before you asked him who he was and
what he wanted"
well, | dunno" added Uncle Joe. "He
was only a boy then, and of course he
couldn't be blamed if ne made n mistake.
If 1t had bin me, l guess I'd have throwed
the whole eight eggs to onct, but ! wouldn't
have yelled the shingles of the roof the
way him and Jim did. Gee but | kin hear
'em hollerin yit as they rolled down stairs
and busted the door open!'
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26

ness. II II was a prowler, he would find tbs
house open to him. We got into bed with
the agreement that we would keep awake
until we heard the old kitchen clock strike
midnight. We were both awake at 10, but
chat was the last | knew until l o'clock in
the morning. just as / was aroused heard
tho clock strike.
What had disturbed me' Brother jim
was snoring like a trooper, while l was all
IN a tremble. The weather had cleared up
q good deal since we went to bed, and
could discern every object in the room as l
Eat up and looked about. The wlndow |
have referred TO was on henorth side ofthe
room. while the bed was on the south All
the curtains were up. After a minute
thought | heard a movement on the Kitchen
roof. and | drew the bedclothes over my
head aud began kicking jim. He uttered a
grunt or two and turned over. After a MIN
ute | popped out my head, and now saw a
man with his face pressed against the glass
Of the lower sash of the window to survey
the room. tried to utter a yell, but could
not make a sound. / tried to kick Jim,
hut my legs were paralyzed. could not
even draw the sheet over my head again.
With my eyes wide open and my heart In
any mouth / = watched the fellow gently lilt
the sash and fasten it up with a wedge. lie
Could have entered IN door or window be-
low, but perhaps he feared that some one
might be watching. IL was three ieet rom
the window sill 10 the roof. The man drew
himself up and paused for a moment In Inc
opening.
What I did I deserve no credit for, becal lse
Il was born of terror and l was an invoiuh-
tary actor. l jumped out OF oed 10 run
down stairs. Then / remembered jim ana
would not leave him. The bureau was ciose
at hand, and by accident j touched the eggs.
Picking up one Of them, / hurled 1t Wild All
my might at the object IN the winuo",
Those eggs were boiled hard, n the onei
threw struck the maj right between ,ho
eyes. The shock and the pain caused nm
o. loosen his hold and fail on tne
root. In trying to recover himself ne ieii
OF the edge of it.
As he went out Of the window / yelled
and brought jim on end, and next instant
We were flying down stairs ana whoopins
like savages In chase. In about nve nun
otes the household was ready 10 invest,
gate. While we believed the man a
made Oh, we yet thought IL wisest TO look
outside. We had scarcely got outside the
Kitchen door when we found him. Uncle
Joe had a few days before placed a CIDER
barrel under the caves spout coming down
Ct the corner OF the shed roof. IL was an
old cider barrel and about one-third tuii OF
water. In going oil the roo the man
turned over and fell head first into the par
tel, and the first thing we caught sight OF
was his heels kicking the air.. Il
There was water enough to have W
the fellow, and 1t was really wonaeriui
bow he could have pumped into the barrei
without doing himself great injury. 10y
pushing his hapds down to the bottom he
>said kan hia mnntA .aAoys watey. but 10
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26

Mrs. Won Blumer-Oh, dear! Icant go
to church today, and it's Easter too. That
horrid milliner has sent home the wrong
bonnet. This one belongs to Mrs. Sand
store, for she was trying it on when / was
at the miiliner's one day.
Won Blumer-I don't nee but what it
looks all right on you. Why don't you
wear tn
Mrs. Won Blumer-Wear i'll Oh, dear,
no. Why. it cost IS less than mine.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26

~ often wonder what my ancestor,
Adam. said when he first met Eve" said
an impecunious Harlem mar to q friend.
"Was he an ancestor Of yoursf"
"CertAinly."
"Then guess he asked her to lend him
ec."-Texas 6iftingS
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
Lack

Irats Old Gentleman (from the country
I shall never call on those young ladies
again.
Sympathixing Frisnd-And whyi
IrAtc Old Centleman-They did not AL
ne e ysmovp my hAh1klA
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
AN EASTER INCIDENT.
NOW a BURGLAR VAS KNocKEDoUT
WITH A HARD ROLLED ECO.
Ne Wac an Ugly Chap with = Knife and q
bcvovier and Might Have Tried Muir
der-A Boy Who Was Scared.
copyright, 1891

JOSI happened
that brother Jim
and at Aunt
sally's when Eas.
ter Sunday came.
We always spoke
of it as ''goir.g to
Aunt ~Sally's," in
stead of going to
Uncle Joe's," al
though he was a
kind hearted old
man and always
gave us q warm
welcome. IL was
Aunt Sally, how
ever, who put us
on track of the
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26

Society Man-My baby had : vsfy uassSs
escape this morning.
Triend-Indssdi How sos
8 M--.Ths nurss girl thouehtienaly ~
\ -Alona n ths sese = - meeh@s-Aw
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
QUEEN OF FESTIVALS.
SUCH HAS EASTER BEEN DEsIG.
MATED FOB MANY YEARS.
The Origin Of the ~Cslsbratisn Of the Day
Early Customs and L~essnds-Do
Rabbits Lay Eggsf
copyright, lS11

~ Ao -
Queen OF Festi-
walls" and has been
80 designated even
by name for hun
dreds of years. 1t
will no doubt e
strange to some to
be told that Easter
in many countries
is o universal
ly celebrated than
Christmas itself,
but il is true As
Christmas IL the
festival which cell
ebrates the birth
day of Jesus
Christ. Easter is
tint which cele-
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26

brates bis resurrection and ascension. This
queen of festivals has lessons wrapped up
In its origin and history almost as inter
esting as those to be found in its customs
and legends.