davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15
HE CONCLUDED TO SING.
A Famous Singer Who TiIed to Thwart
the Wishes of a King.


the Wishes of a King.
John Abel, celebrated singer and
musician who lived in the reign of
Charles IL, had very great notion of
himself. and would not perform unless
he pleased. There is a funny story
told of how he was once made to sing
against his will.
While travelling abroad for pleasure
he came into the town of Warsaw.
News was brought to the palace of the
famous English singers arrival, and
Frederick Augustus. the king of Po-
land. Immediately sent word that he
desired Abel to appear before him.
Tell his majesty" replied John,
CURLY. that II suits me not
Back went the court messenger with
a wry face; he knew his masters tenn
per too we'll
Tell Master Abel" Numbered the
king. that will have him come. And
take you, boy. three stout fellows with
YOU"
The messenger and the three stout
fellows between them managed to car
~ out the royal wish, and presently
marched triumphantly up to the palace
with their unwilling captive.
The king was awaiting them in the
great hall. where lie had seated him
self in balcony that ran all round the
sides Above him an immense chair
hung from the roof by rope.
Now, then, into the chair and up
with him." cried Frederick Augustus,
with a chucl1le; well soon sse if your
song-bird won't sing in his cage. Up
with him. my merry men, all.'
And up in the air swung Abel. who
still refused to open his mouth. When
he gave glance downward, however,
he c'.anged his mind. Into the hall De-
meath him a number of wild bears had
been turned loose
Sing. sirrah.' the king shouted. ''or
down you go to play with my brown
babies"
One look at these brown babies, -
growing and snarling below in a very
unbabylil1e manner, was sufficient to
convince the stubborn John. Sing he
did, and he often used to declare in
after days that ne never sang SO well in
his life Is when he was hanging there,
a hundred feet high above the fiel CO
beasts-N Y. Journal
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15

For generations il has been the Gus
tom to mix the batter for buckwheat
cakes with yeast or emptyings, retain
ing portion of the batter left over
from one morning to raise the cakes
for :he following day.
Hlsept too warm, or not used prompt
", this batter becomes excessively sour
and Objectionable. Buckwheat cakes
raised by this means are more often
sour or heavy than light and sweet. If
eaten daily they distress the stomach
and cause skin eruptions and itching.
Instead of the old-fashioned way we
have been making buckwheat cakes
this winter with Royal Baking Powder,
mixing the batter fresh daily, and find
the result wonderfully satisfactory.
They are uniformly light and sweet.
more palatable and wholesome, and
can be eaten continuously without the
slightest digestive inconvenience. Be-
sides they are mixed and baked in a
moment. requiring no time to rise.
Following is the receipt used:
Two cups of pure buckwheat -four
mot prepared" or mixed); one cup of
wheat flour, two tablespoons of Royal
Baking Powder and one-half teaspoon
full of salt. all sifted well together.
Mix with milk into a thin batter and
bake at once on a hot griddle. Once
properly tested from this receipt, no
other buclxwheat will find its wav to
your table.-Domestic Cookery.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15
SQUEAkING SHOES
Annihilation Seems to be the Only Safe
and Reliable Cure.

"These shoes will drive me crazy"
said my friend Craggs to me as he put
forward in evidence foot clad in a
brand new and decidedly neat-looking.
,orl-soled shoe.
II wouldn't mind a touch of that
same form of insanity myself, said /.
looking disparagingly at the pair
which incased my own feet.
Perhaps not, but just listen" My
friend arose from his chair and walked
briskly across the room, whereupon
there ensued tumult of squeaking
and shrieking from the soles of his
shoes that much resembled the groan-
ing of prairie wagon crossing the
plains.
Il bought these Shoes" continued
Craggs, because they had cork soles
and would keep my feet dry. When /
found them possessed of this internal
squeak was willing to try anything
to stop it that offered chance of sue
cess. One of my friends told me to
place the shoes overnight on sheet of
wet blotting paper and in the morning
the squeak would be gone. | did so.
When put them on the next morning
they were soaking wet, and had to
wear them that way all day. The re-
suit was l caught cold, and not only
lid it fail to stop the squealsing of the
shoes. but every time l drew long
breath for the next week my chest
squeaked nearly as loud as tine shoes.
Acting upon the advice of other
friends, have variously filed the soles
full of pegs till they look like anything
but hand-sewed shoes, oiled them,
soaked them, hammered them and
cursed them. The only satisfaction
nave derived is from The latter-but
The shoes bid fair to squeak on forever.
IF I'm late to church l go home
again rather than walk down the aisle.
If I'm late to theater I-ahem!- |
squeak my way shamefacedly to my
seat. When / walk along the street
.he newsboys yell at me and take a
iendish delight in my embarrassment.
Finally, when my business keeps me
out late at night. as it often does, ac-
tually have to sit down on the front
stoop and take my shoes off before
enter the house rather than wake the
occupants OF the entire fiat.
II have learned one thing, 10 my sor-
row. Total humiliation is the sole and
only cure for squeaking shoes. IN. y.
Herald
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15

N the heart of the city of London
stands an old house of worship-the
Church of St Swithin- 1t was rebuilt
upon its former foundation by Sir Chris
topher Wren, who w2s also the arehi-
tect Of St Paurs cathedral. The trav-
eler who visits it must pass through
the crowd of hucksters of fruit and
vegeta bles. and of women with baskets
OF flowers. which surround il, until the
foundation Is reached. and there,
among the BLUSH stone slabs of which
il is formed, will be found a large OBJ
long, gray stone. This is London
Stone. 1t was erected by the Romans,
fifty years before the birth of Christ, to
denote the central point of their pos
sessions in Britain. From il. we are
told. ali roads and distances We're meas
ured, all divisions of property we're
feckoned. and il has been called by
many-.'the heart of England" There
are fifty-One churches in Great Britain
which bear the name of this excellent
man-St- Swithin-whO lived in the
time of King Egbert, but it is the
church in the wonderful old city of
London which has this historic stone -
Goldthwaite's Geographical Magazine.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15
NATURES UPHEAvALS.
Mankind Meets Them with the Calm Con-
fidance In The Eufnre.

Many are half-iI clined to accuse
Providence for allo wing great loss of
human life, forgetting that we are all
lnder capital sentence, and that the
occurrence of deaths wholesale instead
IF in detail can not make much differ
,nce in the great scheme, and many
more doubt, If Providence does not
cave the world to go its own way and
provide for its own needs-a theory
which can not be strengthened by any
Individual occurrence. Our reflection
would be a different one-the wonder
tul rarity and comparative smallness of
she cataclysms which affect man. Out
side the effects of huge wars like the
barbarian invasion of Rome, or the
Mohammedan conquests, audible his
tory does not record one, not even the
burning of Rome, which has much af-
tected the course of events in the hap
piness of mankind.
Behind history, if Sir III. Howorth is
light, such catstclysms may have oc-
.urred, but within history we know of
aone. The very biggest was probably
the outbreak of the black death. which
IN l34s-51 destr 1yed third of our own
population. and certainly detected the
course of it's social history. The vol
canic outbursts have usually occurred
in thinly-populated districts; among
capitals Lisbon only has been heavily
struck. and it revived while, though
there have been numberless famines,
40 famine has ever destroyed race.
Wild tribes have passed away, there
is reason TO believe, under the attack
epidemic-the people of Fiji nearly
persisted in our own time-and locali-
ties have been desolated, but no civil
lied people has died out through dis
ease. Yet there seems no absolute
reason why an epidemic should not
gather strength for months, as it
usually does for weeks, until its raw
ages destroyed nation; why a
storm wave should not overwhelm a
country like Holland, or why city or
port, or for that matter vast reach
Of inhabited territory in harvest time,
should not perish in fire.
Think what masses of infiammable
material we gather together, and how
few are the great fires! How much
dynamite is there stored in London or
Liverpool, or, perhaps, unloading at
this very moment in Cardiff ? There
is hardly a limit to what a fire or a
flood or the cholera might do. and yet
men live on, full of a reasonable Sc
,urity born in all of long experience,
and strengthened in few by con-
fdence, not quite SO reasonable, that
Providence will not suffer a huge
calamity. Providence has probably
suffered the humiliation of worlds.
Every now and then the security is
broken by an event like the explosion
)f Krakatoa, which has never been suf-
dciently described, and which might
nave altered the face of the world
London Spectator.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15
WATER COLOR SKETCHlNG.
Directions to the Amateur How to Prepare
for Work.

The sketch for a water color should
be light and made with a hard pencil.
A soft pencil leaves black dust which
will darken the washes. To avoid this
a silver pencil is sometimes used the
soft gray mark is easily covered Any
erasures may be made with small par
ticles of bread. Do not use a rubber,
as it will either glaze or roughen the
paper and thus prevent the washes from
flowing evenly.
Flower studies will be the most i'm
teresting and the most easily managed
for the first attempts. { is a good
plan to arrange a few -pvers which
are to be sketcho in a small neclxed
bottle filled with fresh water.
A small piece of charcoal dropped
into the witter will keep the
flowers fresh for several days,
giving ample time to study them. Frail
blossoms, that are apt to drop their pc
tails if disturbed, may be made to last
for several days by applying a little
liquid glue to the base of the flower
with small, soft brush.
When n sketch of flowers has been
made, and carefully corrected until
satisfactory, give the surface of the pa
per light wash of clean water, being
careful to exactly follow the penciled
outline, for the color, when applied
will extend over the same surface as
the wash. As one can not always con-
troll the washes until after great deal
of practice it will be best not to at
tempt a background at first. For
flower studies the backgrounds are
often mere shadow suggestions, yet
they add much to the efect.-N. Y. Re-
corder
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15
INDIAN PATIENCE.
Though Improvident, He Endures Hunger
Bravely for His Children.


The Indians are a patient and clan
nish people; their love for one another
is stronger than that of any civilized
people | know. If this were not so,
believe there would have been tribes of
cannibals among them. White people
have been known to kill and eat their
companions in preference to starving;
but Indians-neverl In times of fam
inc the adults denied themselves a fair
meal in order to make the food last as
long as possible for the children, who
were not able to bear hunger as we'll
as the old. As a people they can go
without food much longer than any
other nation.
once passed through one of those
hard springs when we had nothing to
eat for several days. ] well remember
the six small birds which constituted
the breakfast for six families one
morning, and then we had no
dinner or supper to follow it.
What a relief that was to me
although l had only small
wing of small bird for my share!
Soon after this we came to a region
where buffaloes were plenty, and we
soon forgot all the suffering we had
just gone through.
Such was the Indians wild life!
When game was plenty and the sun
shone graciously upon them they for
got the bitter experiences of the win
ter before. Little preparation was
made for the future. They are chill
dren of nature. and occasionally she
whips them with the lashes of expert
ence; yet they are forgetful and care
less. Much of their suffering might
have been prevented by little calcu-
luton. During the summer, when ma
ture was at her best and provided
abundantly for the savage, it seemed
to me that no life was happier than
his! Food was free; lodging free;
everything free! All were alike rich
in the summer; and again, all were
alike poor in the winter and early
spring. Their diseases were fewer
and were not so destructive as now,
and the Indians health was generally
good. st. Nicholas.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15

Ibid you find it toyour satisfaction,
monsieur
"'It was beautifully done said. 4
really don't know how to repay you for
your kindness
shall / tell you. then?' she said,
softly. When we arrive in New York
you will call upon me soon, will you
not? shall be quite desolate. And
you must come-it is only a within. a
fancy Of mine-yes. you must come in
that coat Promise me this. monsieur
"Of course promised.
a. At what hotel shall you stop, prin-
cess?' l asked
The Russian consul, a dear old
friend of my father. is to meet me-
she said 4 am to be his guest. You
first moment have will write for you
to call upon me
when we reached the steamers
dock in New York. the princess seemed
tremendously agitated, but all my
proffers of assistance We're declined by
her.
mo. monsieur she said to me; my
dear old friend. Ivan Petravitch. will
be in waiting, ard he will attend to
everything
Il am not surprised at much, but I'll
admit / was not quite prepared for
what followed. The moment the gang
plank was thrown out two of Inspector
Byrnes detectives stepped across it,
and placed the princess and the little
man with the snaky black eyes, who
had watched me so closely during the
voyage. under arrest Almost in a
jiffy they were being driven 10 police
headquarters
What had they done? Well, in
Paris they had stolen a lot of unset
diamonds My bogus princess was only
clever French woman. and the man
her lover. They had fled the country
without detection, they thought, but
the police over there were too clever
for them The robbery had been fast
ened on them, and, when it was found
that they had sailed for America, word
was cabled over to hold them.
But the missing diamonds could not
/ be found upon them. A few days after
/ their arrest detective called upon me,
and ! told him all knew about the
woman, not forgetting to mention that
she had repaired my coat for me-
"'Will you be kind enough to let me
see the coat?' he asked.
Certainly / said, and brought it
/ out for him.
"IIe took il, and felt the shoulders,
which were pretty well padded The
next moment he had his knife out, and
was ripping open the seams. To my
great surprise. the stolen diamonds
soon lay on the table. The woman had
/ cleverly secreted them in the shoulder
I padding. and l had :. orn the coat with
/ out knowing il.
What was her object? Well, the
/ two undoubtedly We're afraid they
We're unable to smuggle the diamonds
/ through the custom house, and so they
made me an unconscious confederate.
The woman was confident of getting
them again from me. and | am positive
myself she would have, if the police
/ hadn't blocked her little game.
My part of the transaction was
{ hushed up, and the two were sent back
TO France. They are both in some
I prison over there now. And the moral?
well, the moral must be perfectly
Y clear to anyone. IL yOu don't want TO
4 get into trc uble, never have your coat
sewed up b.. = strange woman. De
troit Free Iress.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15
She Bought a Door-BelI.

Agent-Beg pardon, ma'am. but /
have been requested by number of
persons to call here and show you our
new patent Electric Wakethedead
Door-bel. It's very hard on hands to
have 20 knock, ma'am, and every body
says the only reason why you haven't
a bell is because you never thought
OF il.
neutrality-suspicious. very true.
really had forgotten that there was no
bell. Put one in.
Agent (half an hour late)-It's all
done. ma'am Here's the bill. Thank
you I'll receipt it.
Housekeeper-Woul you object to
telling me who the persons were who
complained that had no bell
Agent-They were peddlers, ma'am.
Good-day, ma'am.-N. Y. Weekly.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15
An Old-New Land.

II would be difficult to find any 9TH
err territory in the western hemisphere
which has been so long in process Of
development, with so little actually ac-
complished, as the peninsula of lower
California. Three hundred and sixty
years have passed since Cortez first
visited il, and, true to the instincts of
the early Spanish adventures, tempted
his fellow-countrymen with apocryphal
tales of the treasures that he found.
This was the beginning of the roman
tic stories about this lana. which since
then have increasingly been told, but
which have oftener been the romance
of depreciation than solid fact. No
greater misfortune can befall country
than that it should become known as a
treasure land" where adventures
who will hazard much may hope to
gain much, rather than as one where
moderate rewards will recompense
honest toll. Such reputation at
tracts reckless men who. falling in that
which they seek, having no mind for
honest and prosaic methods of life,
readily turn TO crime III order to quick
ly achieve the fortune which eluded
them. -Lippincott's.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15
Cheap ouinine in India.

The most interesting development OF
British paternalism in India is the gov
ernment's farthing packet of quinine.
The average duration of life in India is
twenty-four years, as against nearly
forty-four years in England. The main
cause of the difference is the prevalence
in India of malarial fevers. Quinine
is the specific for malaria, and the gov
eminent of India determined thirty
years ago to make it cheap and
abundant To that end it established
cinchona plantations, which passed
through many vicissitudes, and have
at length so far succeeded as to make
it possible to offer the population of
Bengal quinine put up in fve-grain
doses at one pice Ia farthing) a dose.
The quinine put up in five-grain
packets, stamped with the royal arms,
is sold at all the post offices at Bengal,
and the demand for it, increasing
month by month, in the month of Sep
TENDER reached one hundred and TWEEN.
ty thousand packets. This amount is
in addition to what is served out to
crowds of fever patients at the village
and district dispensaries, and repre-
sents, saws correspondent, only a
small proportion of the relief which
before long will be rendered available
to the population of India as a whole.
-Harper's Weekly.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15
The Arabs Rich Dress.

A rich man among the Arab dresses
richly. His shirt is fine linen. His in
side vest is buttoned, the outside one
worn loose. A long paletot often takes
the place of the latter. 1t is cut part
way down from the neck, and the loose
armholes allow the arms to be held in
or outside. The wide trousers are
bound about the waist by a rich scarf.
Over all is frequently worn the loose
tunic. cut V-shape at the neck, and
with short sleeves low down. The
swell wears European socks. and his
slippers, usually trodden down at the
heel by the common or careless, are
handsomely embroidered or of fine mo-
rocco, red or yellow. The calf is naked.
Parts of his dress are dropped ut inter-
walls. according to the weather or habit.
There are few persons more really mag
nificent than "A well-dressed Arab
sheikh or man of wealth. --Harper's
Magazine.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15
IN CASE OF INSOMNIA.
The Doctor Tells You just Why, and ia
What to Do.

What to Do.
"What is the next most common
complaint among women to melan-
cholia?" reflected the doctor. We'll,
a good many of them complain of sleep
lessness
''Of course, that is sometimes an ac-
compartment of real disease. but there
are numerous cases of it in my expert
ence where it is a separate and distinct
i'll"
''How do l treat it? OH / usually
begin by asking questions
II ask my patients whether they
have unusual worries which they lie
awake o. nights to think over. l in
quire if they make practice of going
to exciting plays or reading exciting
books before they seek their downy
touches. And you have no idea how
many women regard an evenings en-
tertainment as a miserable failure un-
less it is full of excitement.
''They go to see their Second Mrs.
Tanquerays' or they read their 'Heav-
emily Twins all evening and come to
me next morning to know Why they
don't sleep! Why, excitemens is as
much foe to slumber as guilty con-
science is.
Then / find out what kind of physi-
cal food they take before going to bed
whether il is a harmless cracker or
two or a notwithstanding welsh rabbit
or fried oysters. OF course, if they
persist in foolish evening feasts, wheth-
err material or literary, l can't do any
thing with them But if they assure
me nothing more thrilling than Maria
Edgewo, this tales and nothing more
indigestible than Graham crackers
form their bedtime banquets / am will
ing to take them in hand.
81 tell them to take very hot bath,
or at least hot foot bath, before GO
ing to bed. That VIII almost invariably
produce the most deliciously drowsy
sensations.
Then 1 bid them open wide their
windows, for fresh air is a great aid to
healthy slumber.
Then when they are safe abed l
charge them not to let their minds
think of anything connected with the
daily routine. try to make them pic
ture to themselves long, even stretches
of prairie, with the grass slightly
brown, or the calm of quiet sea.
IF only they can get firmly before
their minds some quiet, soothing image
they are saved, and will be asleep be-
fore they know il
drugs? o, / believe in mind cure
for most women's insomnia. IN. Y.
Herald.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15

"Yaas. said the old man. as the boys
pressed about him-''yaas, / has caught
Winners on a hook. an they was the
biggest MINERS We ever seed These
Winners that caught were seven foot
long"
.'HOh: cried one Of the party. They
couldn't have been minnOws, then"
"Yaas. they was MINERS. too" said
the old man. Seven foot long an
weighin' thirty pounds apiece; but that
wasn't the funny part of it The funny
part about them minners was that you
couldn't tell them from bluefish."
Then how did you know they were
minnows?" asked one of the boys
How'd ! know retorted the old
man. How'd I know? Why / lznowed
what went fshin' for. didn't l. Twas
arter MINERS. and when I'm arter min
ners I don't ketch bluefish. That's
how. Harper Young People