davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21

Hard up, sang out the mate to the
man at the wheel. but the ship had not
steerageway and failed to respond to the
helm. The squall was now on us, with a
binding sheet of rain and a shrieking gust
of wind. 1t struck the ship fairly aback.
and before her head would pay off, there
was crack and swapping aloft, and away
went fore and maintop masts, like pipe
stems.
"All hands clear away wreckage," roar
ed the Captain, who had taken the deck.
Lively men. lively; cut and cut deep,
and cut ,'eep we did.
The cargo had shifted. and the ship was
nearly on her beam ends, as, waist deep
in water. we strovc TO cut clear the tam
gled mass of rigging that held the wreck
eel spars. which were pounding against
the ships sides like massive battering
rams. threatening every moment to put
Il hole in her that would send us all to the
bottom. The sea was rising each min
ute and wood and iron could not long
stand the repeated blows from the spars
as they were driven against the side with
greater force by each succeeding sea. All
of sudden n cry went up: where's Ben
and the baby"
At that moment vivid flash of tropi-
cal lightning illuminated the scene, and
by its glare, | saw, just to leeward, Ben
with one arm about n piece of wreckage
holding the child in the other, striving
vainly to make his way through the surg
ing mass of broken timbers and rigging
to the ship. He was not far away, but
impeded as he was, with the use of but
one hand, and the cruel seas sweeping
clear over them both, as the ship fell off
in the trough of the sea and dashed the
water from her side the task was n hope
less one. There stood the crew, brave
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21

were not the first by any means. The
sound of Il fiddle, tortured into Il Jumpy
kind of melody, the noise of Shuilling feet
together with the monotonous call TO
"Swing, all told us that the frOlic was
well begun. AS we drew up before a rude
cabin tucked away in nest of cedar trees
by the roadside, through the low door the
light streamed with CHEEKY welcome.
broken now and then by the tall figure Of
some gaunt mountaineer following the
mazes of the dance. The yard around the
cabin was full of furnture-beds, chairs,
tubs, spinning wheel. and even little
box cradle stood rocking in the wind
half filled with sift, white snow. The
household goods had been removed TO
make way for the dancers. The room
was literally packed with people. They
jostled and crowded. joked and danced
The spindle figure of the fiddler moved
deXteriously in and out among the dancers
as he walked up and down. playing.
prompting and sometimes dancing to
avoid the crush. Our host met Us at the
door.
Come in" he called. ''come in-Chris'-
mus don't come but onc't year"
We were soon Swinging" the noun
the boys. How the girls did dance. Their
arms were bowed, as if they meant to
fly. One shoulder was lifted and they
edged up, sidewise. to their partners, like
little bantams preparing for tussle.
They danced quietly, too, so far as the
feet were concerned. 1t was the boys
who did the kicking and jumping and
shouting. The girls were solemn little
nuns. who left 'the heft of the work" to
their pretty arms and shoulders.
Soon came supper. In the center of the
table stood the little brown jug. filled
with cider. and it was surrounded by
pumpkin. There was pumpkin stewed,
''punkin pie" ''punkin butter" "punkin
custard' and something ''our gal'' Sally
passed to me in yellow bowl which.
when asked what it might be. she told me
was "jest punkin." There was cabbage,
too. winter cabbage dug out of its grave
in the ''suller," and corn bread, stewed
beans and pound cake eaten with sass" J"
And there was dried apple pie and honey.
buttermilk. and something in a broken
nosed pitcher which the giddy Sally told
me was the 'muley cows milk" and
which / discovered to be boiled custard
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21
4 Christmas Fruit Cake.

Cream together one pound of brown
sugar and one pound of butter. writes
Frances +. Lanigan. in Il practical article
on christmas Cakes and Candies" in
the Ladies Home Journal. Beat the
yolks and white of ten eggs separately.
Add the yolks with one pound of seeded
raisins, one pound of currants. and half
pound of sliced citrOn, one-third of an
ounce each of ground cinnamon and nut
meg. and one-quarter ounce each OF
ground mace and cloves. also one pound
of flour that has been slightly Drowned
Add the whites of the eggs. Mix and
beat we'll. Turn into a mold and bake
for five hours in Il moderate oven. Be
fore using. ice and decorate with candied
fruit
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21
plentifully loaded with apple brandy.

plentifully loaded with apple brandy.
After supper we had a game of snap"
while the fiddler rested. Snap consisted
of two couples and n good deal of kissing.
One couple took a stand in the center of
the room, facing each other, with arms ex-
tended and the hands of the young lady
securely clasped in the hands of the young
man opposite. 1t was necessary the clasp
should be firm to insure against the cy-
clonic attack of the second couple, who
were expected to perform about this pair.
The performance was simple and-territic.
A plump little mountain lass sidled up to
her "fellow" and saucily snapped her fin
gers in his face A challenge. Before
the stupid car rally from, or for, the at
tack, the girl is off, darting around the
couple in the center of the room with the
big fellow who was snapped in full chase.
If he catches her-a kiss. If he doesn't
catch her-shs never stops until he do~t>-
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21
OLD LIVERPOOL BEN.

1t was the afternoon of New Years
Day, and that morning the American
clipper ship Fayal. bound from Boston
TO IIiogo, had crossed the line" and now
lay becalmed on CLASSY sea, innocent of
SO much as eats paw" as far as eye
could see.
There were thrty-two of n crew on the
old Fayal. besides Miss Marie" the
Captains child, n dear little tot of q, the
acknowledged sovereign of every man
on board and the brightest ray of sun
shine that ever gladdened the hearts of
those hardened old salts who had cast
loose from all home ties so many years
ago. that children were to them beings
little short of mythical. But year be-
fore. Marie's mother had died on the pass
age home from Calcutta. She had mar
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21
HOLLY IN DECORATION.
Its Plump Red Berries Makc a Beanti-
full Christmas Adornment.

a picturesque shrub especially useful
at this time of the year is the holly, with
its tough and shining spinous leaves and
its pretty little full, round berries. 1t is
the only plant appropriate to this happy
period that relieves the dead green and
monotonous white of the woodworking
plants and vines supposed TO belong 10
Christmas and the days that follow
Epiphany. Like the miStletoe. most Of
the holly exposed for sale in American
marts comes from Great Britain. although
some species of the plant grow in tho
Southern States.
The commercial holly. however. is cut
in Scotland and sent here in bags. 1t is
most valuable to work up in combination
with laurel. ivy, and mistletoe. into
wroaths, anchors. stars. crowns, and other
ecclesiastical designs. while for running
decorations. that is long festoons and
great sweeps of green. Il few of the bright
red berries wound in at regular intervals
heightens the effect and relieves the eye
The favOrite manner of arranging holly
for sale is To make it up into some one
of the numerous designs appropriate to
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21
a Regular "Shiudic,v

1t was an odd fancy that possessed us.
writes VIII Allen Droomgoole, in the
Utica Globe. that of seeing Christmas in
the mountains. Accordingly Christmas
Eve found us, Joe and me. in the Cum
berlandS. with the SNOW coming down in
soft, drowsy drops. We were heartily
received by mOuntaineer who mistoOk
us for hunters and bade US welcome to
his home
Nobody here but the ole oman an me
an our gals, them two ye see milkin' the
cows ez you uns come along the big road.
Likely gals they air, an mostly stiddy,
but they hev got a tetch o Chris mus in
the'r bones right now, ter be shore. Bet
ter be thinkin' about the day Nv wrath,
the jedgmint, an the lake ez burns with
fire an birthstone. l say"
Christmas in their bones; so then it
comes the Christ-time, on the mountains
as we'll as in the valley. But how: Fire
crackers? Santa Claus? Turkey COB
blers? A revival of religion, or how?
We soon learned that the blessed myth of
babyhood was unknown in the mountains.
Santa Claus had never heard Of the little
tow-heads in the Cumberlands. There
would be dance, hOwcver-and when
Jim Walker rode over on 4 mule to invite
our gals" to the shindig that night at
Walkers Ford" our minds were quite
made up. We determined to make two of
the gals" invited.
1t was not yet i o'clock when the gals. =
Sally and Edie. climbed up into the
wagon, and Joe and | climbed after them.
and we set out to the shindig at the Ford.
We TUX up five others on the road, 10
say nothing of Columbus" the young
man in crazy little suit of store clothes
that seemed TO be as old as the mountain
itself.
We reached the Ford at sunset. We
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21

so there IS sure 10 be kiss. Refreshing,
| thought. feeling secure as loOller-on in
Vienna. when suddenly something went
off directly before my nose, and as soon
as the smoke cleared away sufficiently I
discovered our gal' Sally cavorting
around the hand-locked couple, and some
one called TO me that | had been snap
ped" Snapped by Sally. L rose TO the
occaSiOn-but the occasion was beyond
me. Round and round went Sally. and
around went AWAY went Gilpin.'
Suddenly my foot slipped. and down with
Il whack 1 came upon the puncheon. while
the flying Sally passed over me like
streak of runaway lightning. There was
loud laughter. the kiss was declared for
feited, and Sally and l locked hands"
and stood our turn "in the middle" for the
other snappers to exercise themselves
UDOu.
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21

ried Capt. Gleason against the wishes Of
her family and they had cast her off
When she died, he. too proud To ask her
family To care for the child. and having
no relatives. had taken upon himself the
task of rearing the child. and her whole
life had been spent on board ship.
\ less loyable nature than hers would
have been spoiled by all the petting and
devotion shown by all about her, but she
was always the same CHEEKY. bright, hap
py little fairy, and in her presence. the
Captain. n quiet, almost morOse, man,
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21
Resolutions.

Oh, those New Year resolutions that We
made with holy awe,
How they melted like the snOwbanks In q
January thaw,
How the man who broke his meerschaum
and vowed to smoke no more.
Now smokes an old 2-cent pipe behind the
collar door
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21

the day and the season, and thus most
of the plant offered this year is fashioned
Holly is not SO expensive rs the mistletoe,
and is more hardy and lasting. 1t has no
tradition conected with II, however, and
thus loses its sentimental value. But 10
the decorator the artist. the florist. and
the dealer it is one of the best, most
ornate, and suggestive plants for use 1t
home or in public places that can be
selected at this season.
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21

whose life, the mate afterward told me,
had been darkened by the loss of his wife,
was changed being, and many a time
had some poor sailor escaped punishment
that would surely have been inflicted had
ii not been for the kindly interference of
Miss Marie. Her supreme fayorite on
board was Liverpool Ben" a rough,
weather-beaten old tar, who for forty five
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21
Equipped.

care you ready 10 meet that solemn
event in every mans existence, the new
year," asked the meditative man.
"You bet l am" replied his flippant
friend Il have more material for swear
ing off than 1 ever had before in my life"
-Washington Star
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21
\ Christmas Tree.

am
tree
Christmas tree.
ho~ merry DO
feel 10 think OF what
used 10 he. ii makes
me- fairly peal with laughter to
reflect that nave grown.
since had come from Natures
haunts beneath the sky. to bear
UP Johnny's drum; To carry candy on
my back. and popcorn balls galore.
and many another fine kniCk-knack from
Santa Claus store. With candles |
am lighted up; with presents loaded down,
and 80 Ia me ill up the cup. and toast
me through the town This is my day Of all
the days, | tremble with delight. and every
'Tis true my load is heavier than when,
gay young twig. futtered with my brother
FIR. and thought myself quite big. But
no one knows what happiness. my sisters
and my brothers, can be obtained
UnsouSht, unless you've done some
good TO others. And SO although
heavy load I'm bearing up to-
day. l feel 50 good that I'll
be bowed I'd like to float
away to some land
where there is no
past. and
where the
h lldren
will never
leave me.
Then let
Christmas
last for
ever and forever
Tom Masson. in Life.
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21
Unlike Him.

Coral was SO surprised when Mr. dc
Jinks called to pay the compliments of the
season.
Merri:t-No wonder. That's the only
thing ever knew him tS pay.-Judge.
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21
Insult to Injury.

Thistlewood-Did he say anything to
YOU when he handed you the bill?
Impacune-Yes; wished me a happy
New Year.
Semi-weekly independent., 1895-12-21
A. CHRISTMAS DANCE.
CEl .EBRATlNG The FESTIVAL IN
THE MOUNTAINS.

rhn Affair Consists of Dancing with
Pump Mountain Lassies, a Boun-
t'sous Supper, with Lots of PUN pkin,
anG a Game of Snap.
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-25
Black RearIa.

Black pearls used to be held as of
small value, comparatively speaking.
AT the present day a perfect black speci-
men commands much higher price
than the finest pink or white pearls
They were first mads fashionable By
the Empress Eugene, wife of Napoleon
Ill, who possessed a famous necklace
of them which fetched FL. coo at an auc-
ton after the overthrow of the imperial
dynasty. This did not include the
single great pearl forming the snap
which was purchased by the Marquis
OF Butte for $1,000. Mexico. Tahiti,
Fiji and the kingdom of Madura, to the
east OF Malabar, supply the markets of
the world with the best black pearls.
One OF the most curious pearls. from
many points of view, was that which
the traveller Tavernier sold to the ruler
of Persia, 200 years ago, for sl01. 600. 1t
is still IN the possession OF the Shah of
Persia and is now supposed to be worth
at least E1S5, COO The Persian monarch
has square glass case among his hi.
zarre collection of jewelry containing
vast heap of most magnificent pearls.
four ar five inches deep, into which one
can plunge the hand and spill them in
cascades and haEdfulS-Gentlema
Magazine.
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-25
MRS. CLARK AS TEE ANGEL OF DEATH.

ch1valry is all nonsense. Frenchsnen
are not as gallant to women as Ameri-
can men. l don't believe that the
women are as well treated anywhere as
in America; but like Paris. 1 should
like it better if it were nearer New
York / don't think should like ever
| to make my home anywhere else.
French women are so different from
American women, they have such big
feet, and 1 don't like big feet"
Though the typical American girl is
always known in the studios as Miss"
Minnie Clark, her real name is Mrs.
Minnie Clark. She has been widow
for the last seven years, her husband
, having died shortly after her marriage.
The typical American girl is the mother
of the dearest six-year-old boy, z regu-
lar little Lord Fauntleroy, with his
mothers blue eyes and hair rs golden
as sunbeam. This little child is as
proud of his beautiful mother as his
mother is proud of her boy. They live
together in a coy little fiat on the west
side of the city. and those who know
her well say that the typical American
GlT1 Is never seen 10 ucilcT dtNduIdSe
than when fondling the curly head Of
her beautiful boy.
Though under twenty-five years of
age, Mrs. Clark has led life Of ups
and downs. Such q beautiful woman
could not but have romantic history.
1t is her retiring disposition and alb
horrence of publicity that cause her to
lead life with no companion save her
child.
It is almost needless TO say that n
woman with such charms as Minnie
Clark is constantly surrounded with
admirers of the opposite sex The art
lists for whom She poses are continually
besiered with letters requesting that
the authors be put in communication
with the beautiful creature portrayed
in their pictures But the men for
whom Mrs. Clark has posed know her
too well and never dream OF taking
such a liberty as to grant the requests
for her acquaintance.
Though Mrs. Clark was born il this
country, her parents hail from the
north of Ireland.
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-25
CONCERNING HAPPINESS.
The Tastes of the Individual Vary the
Brnblern-

The Tastes of the Individual Vary the
Problem.
Suppose that man has strong intel
lectual tastes, love of art or science
or literature. He will require, Of
course. enough wealth to enable him
20 devote himself without anxiety to
his favorite pursuits, aad enough, more
over, to train himself in all requisite
knowledge. But, granting this, the
material conditions of happiness will
be sufficiently fulfilled. l think it was
Agassiz who observed, when he was
devoting himself to science. that he
had not time to get rich. Wealth, to
him, would have been rather an imped.
iment than an advantage.
A man like Faraday, who placed his
whole happiness IN the extension of
scientific knowledge, aud who was not
less honore1 because he lived on
modest income, would not have had
greater amount of that kind of happi-
ness had he possessed the wealth of q
Rothschild. A man whose pleasure is
in reading books or contemplating
works of arr, or listening to music, can
obtain the highest enjoyment at
very moderate price, and can get
very. little more if he has the most un-
bounded wealth at his disposal. II
we inquired what men of such tastes
had, in fact, derived from them tue
greatest happiness we should, L
fancy, find ourselves mentioning men
comparatively poor, whose enjoyments
were even comparatively keen, because
4 1 Il o. \
care and Continuance to obtain full
play for their capacities.
Charles Lamb, plotting and coDtrir-
ing to get an old volume from a book
stall, possibly got more pleasure from
his taste than the possessors of gigantic
libraries. The sociable man again, the
man whose pleasure in society is the
genuine delight in real interchange
of thought and sympathy, who does
not desire magnificent entertainment,
but the stimulus of intimate associa.
ton with congenial friends, would
probably find the highest pleasure in
comparatively simple social strata,
where the display of wealth was no
object, and men met, as Johnson met
his friends at the club, TO put mind
fairly TO mind, and to stimulate intel
lectual activity instead of consuming
the maximum of luxury.
Millions sonnet to Lawrence gives,
perhaps, a rather severe, but a very
fascinating, ideal of refined luxury:
What neat repast shall feast US, light and
choice,
OF Attic taste with wine. whence we may
rise
To hear the lutte well touched. or srtfu voice
Marble immortal notes and Tuscan air2
He who OF these delights can Judge. and spare
To interpose them oft, is not unwise-
Nor need we be accused of inordi-
nate boasting if we should say that we
would rather have made third at
such feast than have Joined dozen /
rowdy courtiers at the ta BILE of Charles |
U.-National Review.
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-25

WORK upon which Mrs. Clark's beauty
viii go down through decades is the
figure OF Death staying the hand Of the
sculptor. This was exhibited at the
sculpture exhibition at the south and
west and finally erected in the Boston
cemetery.
Mr.. French is now waiting for the re-
turn of the American girl IN order that
he may finish the face of his statue of
Erin.
One of Mrs. Clark's chief charms
lies in the fact that she knows how to
dress herself. Her gowns are always
OF the most up-to-date cut, subdued in
color and exquisite in taste. She has a
supply of evening dresses that would
equally match the gowns of any So
ciety girl She always pays particular
attention to the lines and folds which
the draperies take over her well
rounded figure, and usually chooses
soft, clinging materials, the long
straight lines of which lend to the dig
nifty of her figure. In nearly all her
portraits she appears in low-necked
sleeveless gowns. This is due to the
fact that the artist cannot resist the
temptation to paint, draw. or model her
exquisite arms and shoulders.
C. ID. Gibson has in his studio num-
Der of gowns which he has designed
purposely for Minnie Clark When she
poses for him she often changes her
gown three and four times in sitting
and is made to represent eight or ten
different women.
In the studio of r. ". Allen, the re-
nowned portrait painter. is a half fin
ished picture of Mrs. Clark, gowned in
a grayish blue empire gown. She is in
the act of descending broad fight of
stairs, and suggests the famous painting
OF Josephine.
Minnie Clark Is seldom portrayed
with hat. When she is allowed to don
headgear it is usually of the Gains
borough style and very jaunty affair.
Though the artists rejoice at her re-
turn, no one will be more glad at her
arrival On this side than the little
model. In letter which she wrote in
reply to an artists query as to when
she might be expected, Mrs. Clark re-
piled:
81 will come home just as soon as /
can get away; 1 have had a good time
in Paris, but don't like the Parisians
I think what we read about French
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-25
DO You Know

That the Santa Fe route est. Louis and
San Francisco railway is positively
the only line running TWO daily through
passenger trains from Wichita to st.
Louis, without change, leaving Wichi-
Ia at 1G:40 a. M, and 1885 p. m, arriv-
ing in st. Louis at $50 p. m, and $50 a.
m. the equipment of these trains is
first class in every particular, consist
ing of elegant reclining chair cars (seats
free and Pullman Palace Drawing
Room Sleepers.
If you are going beyond st. Louis re-
member that connections with all lines
for the east, northeast and southeast is
made in the magnificent new Grand
Union station, St. Louis, the largest and
handsomest passenger station in the
world.
For sleeping car berths and all infor-
nation relative to rates, routes, etc,
call at Santa Fe Route ticket office, i5S
North Main street, or Douglas Avenue
station. d59-tf
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-25
A MOTHERS KISS.
Influence on the Career of the Great Paint
er BENJAMIN West


Beniam West
When 1 was a child, there was a
story of the painter Benjamin West
with which my father used to enter
tain Us youngsters, and went by the
name of The True Fairy Tale More
than a hundred years ago, IN the grea,
state Of Pennsylvania. lived father
and a mother. named John and Sarah
West They had nine children. and
one day, when another little chap ar
rived, ne made ten. and because he
was the youngest Of the Hoeh they
named him benjamin.
For many years John West Kept
the inn at Newton Square. and when
not keeping the inn he kept a store. 50
that there Were always people 10 see
and things TO be done Among the
people TO De seen were members Of
tribe of Delaware Indians. who upon
one occasion. seeing small bog at the
tavern Ora wing pictures Of birds flow
ers ana fruits with colors that he had
mixed OF chalk and berry juices. into
which he dipped brush made Of hz.rs
from the family cat tied N goose
Quill. took so much interest IN ms rude
work that they showed him some Of
their OWN pictures, and. taught him how