davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-04-20
PRETTY PET DUCK.

Molly Is Fond or Squatting Down on Her
Mistress' Lap.
One gentleman tells me that he kept
for some time tame gamecock. 1t
would roost on his knee as he sat in his
easy chair after dinner, and follow him
about the garden like n dog. And it had
it's likes and dislilscs about visitors.
Ono day woman tramp came begging,
and to her horror something jumped
suddenly upon her hat, and tried to tear
it off, tapping her screaming face with
its wings. This was the gamecock's
idea of getting rid of tramp.
Another gentleman has told me of a
tame duck which not only hated the
water, but which was eventually
drowned on being put into pond to
cleanse it.
Only yesterday was introduced, by
the kindness of some ladies ut Tufncl
park, to delightful duck pet, Molly
by name. She is beautiful full-grown
white duck, who has grown up from
duclSlinghood under the loving care of
her mistresscs. She was swimming
about happily in a big metal Tub, and
when she saw one of her friends
come into the garden with me, she
bowed and wagglcd her tail and gag
glcd with delight. When she was lifted
out, she waddled along very upright,
following her mistress wherever she
went.
Molly sleeps at night in box in the
house, and if the members of the house.
hold come home late, she quacks until
they go down and wish her good night.
She seemed to have an idea yesterday
that a newspaper man had come to
make copy out of her, for after
luncheon she came quac.sing to the gar
den door, and it was pretty sight to
sec her squatting down on her mistress
lap, and allowing one to stroke her neck
as If she had been cat.
Coming back to jackdaws. | have
heard from a lady who has kept one of
these bird monkeys" as she aptly
calls them. She says: II have had o
jackdaw for four years; she was not q
young bird when she came, but her love
for fun and mischief has in no way
diminished. One thing worthy of DO
The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-04-20
100000

white to the left, neither being allowed
to move backwards.
2. You can jump over only one man
ut time, as in checkers, making, Of
course, q succession of jumps If there
are vacant spaces to do SO.
8. No piece can jump over its own
color.
Here is tho key showing how it is
done; but would advise everyone to
try to do it first without looking at the
key, as there is more satisfaction
gained. For the sake of explanation
we will letter the pieces or checkers
and number the spaces, as in Fig. 8.
The black are lettercd A, Il, c, and the
white d, z, f. l. Move to 4. III.
Jump ID over into 3. III. Move Il to
5. w. Jump c over Il into O. V. Jump
b over ID into 4. VI Move A TO 2.
VII. Jump d over A to /. VIII. Jump
+ over d into 8. TX. Jump Il over G
into 3. Y. Move c to Z. XI. Jump b
over L into 6. MI. Jump A over e
into 4. XIII. Move Il to2 XIV. Jump
F over A into 8. XIV. Move A to 5, and
the game is finished Golden Days.
The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-04-20
Ono of Claz,s Parallels.

When Henry Clay was stumping Ken
lucky for reelection to congress he met
at one Of his addresses an old hunter of
wide political influence who stood up
in the meeting and said: Harry, I've
always gone for ye but since you voted
so-and-so I'm going ngin yc."
Clay paused and said: ''Thnt'sa good
rifle you've got, my friend, isn't it?"
Eyes"
"You think great deal of that rifle,
don't you?"
Eyes"
"Well, did she ever miss fire?"
Eyes"
"Why don't You throw her away
then?"
The old man thought q moment and
said:
Harry, Ill try ye agin."-Lifc's Cal
cndar.
The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-04-20
MOLLY TAKING A SWIM.

tice is the large increase in her vocabu-
larry, due to her long intercourse with
human beings. Char has ut least a
dozen infections, with distinct mean
ings attached to them, and her laugh,
when some evil decd has been success
fully pcrpetratcd, is quite contagious"
Certainly one OF the great charms of
keeping quaint pets is to notice how
quickly they accommodate themselves
to the new and wonderful life which
opens up to them by contact with hui
man beings without guns. A person
must be selfish and callous indeed who
does not feel attracted by the trustful-
ness and quaint ways of these little
wild creatures of fur and feathers, who
have got over their hereditary and rea-
sonablc dread of man as the destroyer.
Westminster Budget
The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-04-20

Every shower that came over the hills
brought hurry and worry with it, for
she must take down everything hang
ing in the lean-to and set pals in half
q dozen places in the attic, and the car
pet in the end room had already been
taken up because the numerous wet
tings that it had received were spoil
ing it, and the brilliant colors were all
running together in one indistinguish-
able blur.
The paint was all OFF the house in
some places and fast coming off IN
others; in fact, the cottage was in a
state of peel" all over. The neigh
bors had begun to speak about it, and
say to Malvina how nice it would look
painted in light colors. And down at
the sewing circle one lady had heard
that she was going to have her house
painted, and another asked 'if she'd
got to hev paintin' done this fall!'
She had asked and asked John to
have it done, and for two years she
had asked in vain. First, John must
have rev barn, for "a merciful man
is merciful to his beast" and then he
must have new binder, for it would
save half the time, and he would need
but one man.
In vain she told him the house
leaked, in vain she told of the peeling
paint, in vain she bewailed the new
rag carpet ruined by the dripping
water, and said how tired she was of
setting pals, and how afraid even to
go to the nearest neighbor for fear of
a sudden shower and no one at home
to attend to it.
Now his last refusal was ringing in
her ears, and the poor woman, tired
out with tho numerous cares of n
farmers wife. Just sat down and cried.
But if you think a woman's tears end
the matter, you are much mistaken.
The tears are only the beginning.
When she wanted anything done,
John was always ready to start for the
poorhousc, and was quite sure that
anything laid out on the house, inside
or out, was only so many paving stones
on the road to the great, roomy old
farmhouse where the dozen or so poor
and crippled ones of the town were
cared for.
The first time she asked him timidly
if he didn't think the house needed
paint, he said: Yes. do, but we
should go to the poorhouse if we got
everything we fancied."
When she wondered if he couldn't
have the roof patched. he said: mo,
he couldn't lay out nothin' this year,
for that binder had jest about swamped
him, an he calclated he'd have ter go
ter the poorhouse if he KEEP on spend
in money"
She heard about the poorhouse till
she was tired of it, and one day when
she was out in the berry pasture, she
sat down and looked at the building
which could be seen in the distance
just over the hill, and, with queer
feeling at her heart, she thought if she
did have to go to the poorhouse, 1t
The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-04-20
A DEADHEAD.
An Eastern Dog That Likes to Keep
A-Travcling.

An Eastern Dog That. Likes to Keep
A-TravclinG.
Bangor, Me-, has dog worth know
ing. One day he found himself alone
in the world; but, having sociable
disposition, he set out to look for
friends. Perhaps he stole ride into
town on train, like q regular tramp.
Who knows? At any rate, he sudden
ly appeared in the Union station. AS
he did not pretend to know what to do,
he followed somebody to the street
cars. There did not seem to be seat
for him, so he got on with the driver,
who spoke kindly to him.
"Iello, Cascor' he snid.
Now this was not the dogs name.
but he was too polite to growl and
just smiled, with his honest eyes, into
the mans face.
The car stopped often, but the dog
did not get off. At last it ran into tho
railway stables and it's four-footed
passenger with it. He was glad to
take bits of food that the mon offered
him from their dinncr-pails, for he was
very hungry. His pleasant manners
made him welcome. They all talked
or whistlcd to him. Then he waggcd
his plumy tail, that looked like a great
frond of pampas-grass. Dogs-some
dogs-lovc human society better than
the company of their own kind.
When his friends car went out again,
Casco went, too. BY that time he was
quite ready TO answer to his new name.
After awhile he Nmc to ride from
morning till night, every day. Start
ing with his friend, he would watch
till he saw somebody he knew on re-
turning car, when he would jump off
and go with him. When he reached
certain place. best known to himself.
he would change again.
So Casco's whole time is spent He
has probably travelled a thousardmiles
without paying cont of farce.
Emma Cheney, in Our Little Ones.
The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-04-20
CURIOUS WEDDING CUSTOMS.
Odd Phases of Social Life in Northern
Michigan.

Odd Phases of Social Life In Northern
Michigan.
Many curious customs are in vogue
among the foreign population of north
ern Michigan, especially in social mat
ters. When n French couple get mar
ried carriage or sleigh ride is in
evitable, according to the season of the
year. The couples are not packed to-
gether in one wagon or sleigh, but
each fellow and his girl have an indi-
vidual rig, the bride and groom taking
the lead and the others following like
a funeral procession; but there is moth
ing funeral about it,, especially the
pace set. After the procession has
been riding for hours, dance ends the
festivities.
The Polanders have curious we'd
ding custom that is very ingenious as
a money getter, and takes the place
of wedding presents. After the
wedding feast follows dance
that sometimes lasts twelve to four
teen hours and even longer. The
chief honor is to dance with the bride,
and this is decided in n curious man
ner. The mother of the bride takes
her place in one corner with plate in
her lap. which she takes very good
care shall be built after the plan of an
clearinghouse coffee cup. The gallant
who wants to dance with the bride,
and all are in honor bound to do so at
least once, must pull out a piece of sill
yer and endeavor to chip or break the
plate by throwing their money upon
it, and only those who succeed in chip
ping or breaking the plate are allowed
the coveted honor. Let those who
think it easy to break an ironstone
plate, try it. Few succeed in doing 1t
for less than fifty cents, and it is not
an unusual thing for the brides money
to amount up to sevcnty-five dollars or
one hundred dollars, even where the
crowd is apparently aspoor as a church
mouse, and 1t may go even higher
when the bride is pretty and popular.
All the money goes to the bride, and
In baclwoods country fifty dollars to
seventy-f five dollars will start a happy
couple nicely in housekeeping do
troit FREQ Press
The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-04-20
Thcso Anita Iiccp slaves.

1t Is now well-cstablished fact that
several species of ants keep slaves,
which arc "bondsmcn' and bonds
women in every scnsc of those terms.
Sir John Lubbock describes . species
which live in tho valley of tho Amazon
and which have cnslavcd a noighbor-
ing tribe of ants and compel them to
perform al kinds of mcninl labors,
even to cleaning and feeding their
masters. Those opulent shareholders
have become 40 hzy thnt they will
actually starvc before they will feed
themselves, even though food DO with
In easy reach.
The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-04-20

would not be such bad place to stay
In, after all.
Next day she went about her work
very quietly, and stole away in the
afternoon to Widow Smiths for a little
while. The second day she made one
more effort: Don't you think you
could have something done to the root
after you get the harvest out of the
way, John?"
IF you want to go to the poorhouse,
you can, don't" was the concise an
swer.
When John came in at night, his sup
per was ready, but his wife was not to
be seen. He thought she would be in
in moment, but after resting awhile
and seeing no sign of her, he decided
to eat, as she had probably been called
to some one of the neighbors. On his
plate lay note:
DEAR JOHN: have madc arrangements
with Widow Smith to como In three times q
week and cook the victuals and clean up the
house while am away. ('Good land, where's
she goin'?") was looking NJ the poorhouse
the other day from tho Blue Hill pasture, and
u did look so nice that thought II I'd got to
go there. Tmight as we'll go therein 1t has
Just been painted, and 1nsked Goody Blake II
it leaked, and she said no; nnd I'm going to
ask Mis- Grove to let me keep the end room
for you, for I spose Il won't be many weeks
before you'll come. too. That room looks right
down ON the medder that leads to our bag V
door, and think II It's empty she'll keep II for
you. for she's always ben real accommodatin'
tsr me-
The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-04-20
ENTERTAINING GAME.
Any hoy Can Make the Board ON which
IL Is Played.

Any boy Can Make the Board ON which
II Is Played.
TO play this new game you can either
use the checker board, or, better still.
make the game board complete in itself.
l win show you how to make it before
describing how to play the game. II
you have tools of your own, so much
will be gained, II not, you will have to
get some one to make part of the game
board at least.
Get six pieces of wood turned in tho
shape OF checkers. IL you have six
spare checkers they will do, but do not
spoil one toy TO make another. You
must next have piece of wood long
enough TO allow seven holes TO be put
in, a little larger in diameter than the
checkers.
Rig. This must be tackled or glued
TO foundation one-quarter OF an inch
larger all round, and the same thick
ness as the other board, one-quarter OF
an inch.
Fig. 2.-The checkers must be colored
to distinguish them, three painted black
and three white. IL the whole Is
The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-04-20


-Don't forsit to take down the coats In the
lean-to. and set the pals as quick as you can
Tor II docs come In like sixty when IL begins Il
shall work for my keep there. and II they allow
paupers to go visitin shall come over when
1kcn Your affectionate wife,
se ''MALvINA WEEKS"
"Wal, never see the beat o. thatr'
He ate his meal in silence, trying to
digest the fact that his wife had taken
his frequent illusions to the poorhouse
in earnest, and thought If she had to
enter the house some time she might
as well take advantage of the condition
OF her own home and avail herself of
its shelter at once. who'd although
she would?" was question he asked
himself over and over as he took the
pals and went out to milk.
AS he came back, he noticed the seal
ing paint and the bare sashes, and said
TO himself: 1T looks wus'n thought
1t did" Then he remembered his last
remark to her, that she could go to tho
poorhouse if she wanted to, he didn't.
She had taken him at his word.
Just at dusk, the keeper of the poor
house. drove up, and, stopping before
the house, said to the man sitting on
the doorstep: "Hello, Weeks, met with
reverses?"
mo, not specially. Why?"
oval, Mis- Weeks she cum up an
talked with my wife alone, and asked
if she might stay and help her spell,
an my wife's real glad she's come, cos
she does think your wife knows leetle
the most about dom pickles an things
of anybody round, an she put her in
the spare room, an sent me down to
see you"
John chewed a straw vigorously
while he wondered what Mr.. Grove
thought, and what excuse he, one of
the largest tax payers in town, could
make for sending his wife to the poor
house. He tried to seem perfectly
easy as he said: "Wal, the fact is, /
told her she could go. I'm goin' ter
hev the house shingled and painted,
an thoughts longs the smell o. paint
makes her sick, I'd git her out of the
way; but l Expect she'll be some
s'prised, cossI didn't let on that was
goin' ter hev it done"
''All right, neighbor, l won't say
nothin' bout it." and turning the
horse he drove away, but he wondered,
and muttered to himself that twas
curis doin's, and he bet there was
suthin' that he warn't told"
However, the next time he passed the
Weeks place, there were men at work
on the roof, and men painting the
The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-04-20
PERSONAL AND LITERARY.

Mr.. Andree, the Swedish scientist
who proposes to seek the north pole
In balloon, 10 almost giant in
stature and his strength is extraordi-
nary. He Is in correspondence with
M. de Fonville, the French aeronaut,
and contemplates going to Paris to
have his balloon constructed there.
Gen. A. j. Pleasanton, of Philadcl-
phia left one of the largest private
libraries in that city, numbering
about $1,000 volumes. Gen. Pleasan-
ton was widely known rs lover of
books, and had many rare editions.
Among his books were fine collections
relating to Napoleon and to Shakes
pcare.
1t Is said that the late Hans Won
Bulow left directions that post-mor-
tenn examination of his brain should be
made to ascertain the cause of the ex-
cruciating headache from which he
was lifelong sufferer. The autopsy
revealed the fact that the end of the
nerves had become imbedded in q scar
OF an injury to the brain, which he had
received in childhood.
III
typical face of Russian peasant. A
short, thick nose, with large nostrils,
heavy brows, full, sensual lips, wide
mouth and high cheek bones were
among his most prominent features.
His head was almost round and showed
by its width al the ears that com
bativeness of disposition that was one
of the leading points of his character.
Mr.. Gladstone is believer in the
theory that man can do better mental
work every day to extreme old age If
he takes care of his body. He claims
that the mind grows stronger AID
clearer as the body loses vitality, and
that it is only disease of the latter that
can prevent an intellectual progress
that will go on to the end. He is GER
tainly good illustration OF his work.
ing theory.
Col. viii II, Vischer, the humorist,
enjoys his reputation for LONELINESS.
Speaking Of his warnings for comeli-
ness, the humorist said: when
married and had little daughter,
had some one who really admired me.
To her was an Apollo. One day Bill
Nyc was in my office with me, and my
little girl came in and began making
love to me, as was her way, calling
me all sorts of sweet names. Nice
papa said she; pretty papa Nye
turned around and said in his peculiar
drawl: 'Vischer, are you trying to
make a humorist out of that child?"
1T was during the Commonwealth
that John Playford printed "Ayres
and Dialogues" a book that comprises
with many pleasant pieces the first
three that ever were defined by the
word glee, term that later times
have wontedly acknowledged and
boosted as the designation Of class of
music specially English. 1t was dur
ing the Commonwealth that the same
publisher issued several editions of
1.-The Dancing Master" each being a
variation of the foregoing; and this is
the work to which we owe the preser-
walton of all the beautiful English
ballad tunes of earlier date that are,
many of them,no to be found in previ-
Gus print or manuscript. 1t was in
that very opera, 1.-The Siege of
Rhodes" that Mrs Colman, daughter
in-law of one of the composers, sus-
tanned the character of Ianthe, she be-
ing the first woman who ever took
part in public musical or dramatic
performance in England.
The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-04-20

I'VE BEEN so LONESOME, OH, JOHN"
kitchen inside, and he thought the
front room was being papered, but he
could not quite tell.
Meanwhile Vina was homesiclS, and
though she went into the end room
and looked out on the meadow that
she knew reached her home just out of
sight beyond the woods, it only made
the tears come faster, and she Won
dered if she couldn't have stood the
leaks and the pealing paint little
longer, and then, perhaps, she might
have coaxed John.
John was homesick, too. and hurried
the carpenters and painters till they
made jokes among themselves about his
impotence. The home was not home
with Vina gone, and he thought per-
haps she might get so used to living in
big house that she would never again
care for the little house she had called
home SO long.
With fear and trembling he harnessed
the horse, put on his best suit of
clothes and started for the poorhouse
''Shes awful sot, an eff she's TUX a no.
ton she's a going ter live in that big
poorhouse, nothin'll fetch Ell back.
Mebbe if l told her I'd build house
next year, she'd come" So he tried to
go over all the arguments he would
use with the woman who was more
ready to return than he could possibly
be to have her.
She sa. on the back porch knitting,
when Mrs. Grove called her to answer
the doorbell, for her hands were in the
bread. John Weeks argument fled,
for Malvina threw her arms around his
neck and sobbed:
1--WE been so lonesome, oh, joint"
And he patted her shoulder and said:
''So've /, Why, so've l."
Then when she could think she said,
Have you come to stay?"
mo. l say, Why, I'm willin'-Tll do
anything-I'll build house il you'll
only come back to live. Miss Smith
can't make bread fit to chew!'
Happy woman that went riding down
the valley by Johns side, and told him
of her stay in the poorhouse. Happy
John when they came out beyond the
the woods and the cottage with it's
new paint and bright blinds looked at
them, for then Why put her head down
on his shoulder, and cried that she
would never go away again, and that
it was all wrong for her to 20 when she
did.
And he said very gruffiy: at was all
right, and she could go again whenever
she wanted to, II she'd only come back
when he come after her."
She does not look longingly at the
big poorhouse now, and John never
mentions 1t. Malvina has had the sew
ing circle meet in the parlor, and she
took them all over the house, and
showed them the new paint and paper,
till some one declared: John Weeks
couldn't be called stingy about the
house, anyway"
vina repeated it to him, with this adj
dition: Il do like to have folks think
wal of ye, John. "-Household.