davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
Christmas Decorations.

The use of holly and mistletoe, the
plants sacred to Christmas, is now
very general, and as they are abundant
in our markets, as we'll as cheap, every
household may be made bright with
them. In parlors and sitting rooms,
wreaths, crowns and festoons can be
arranged over mantels and windows, as
we'll as hung from lamps and over pic
lures.
For the Christmas dinner-table, a
large bowl of holly leaves with the
scarlet and white berries, makes a
beautiful center piece; while tiny
punches of holly laid at each plate
brighten the table wonderfully. Cakes
may be ornamented with candy
designs Of holly, while ices may be
nodded and colored in the same style.
II in remote localities it is not possible
to obtain holly and mistletoe, green
of some other variety should be pro-
cured. All-over greens, such as pine
and cedar, can be utilized, and bitter.
sweet and Indian arrow berries ar
ranged with these can be made into
beautiful decorations. When chrysan'
themums are yet blooming, they ado
greatly to the beauty Of the table; the
bright yellow and dark crimson are
particularly appropriate for the Christ
mas dinner table.
In arranging the table, the cakes
bonbons nuts and fruits may be placed
on it at the beginning, and will Civ
1t a festive appearance, rendering yer!
little additional decoration necessary
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
rHE FEAST TIME OF the YEAR.

D.. 4 % p e.
This Is the feast-time of tho year,
When hearts grow warm and home
more dear; &
When Autumn's crimson torch expires
To flash again in winter fires;
And they who tracked October's flight
Through woods with gorgeous hues be-
digit,
In charmed circle sit and praise
The goodly logs triumphant blaze.
This is the feast time of the year
When Plenty pours her wine of cheer,
And even humble boards may spare
To poorer poor kindly share.
While bursting barns and granaries
know
A richer, fuller overflow,
And they who dwell in golden ease
Bless without toll. yet toll to please.
This Is the feast-time OF the year:
The blessed Advent draweth near.
Let rich and poor together break
The bread Of love, for christ's sweet
sake,
Against the time when rich and poor
Must ope for Him a common door.
Who comes a Guest, yet makes feast,
And bids the greatest and the least.
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
A Oueen'a Chrlatmaa Gifts.

1T is quite impossible to form any
idea as to the value Of the presents
made by the queen or given to her."
writes Lady Jeune in an article on
What Christmas Means to Queen VIC
toria." in the Ladies' Home Journal.
In some cases, when her gifts consist
of India shawls, jewelry and the like,
they are very valuable because they
are unique, but the presents she gives
to her family, or in turn receives from
them, are not expensive. The royal
nurse is not an inexhaustible one. and
the claims on it are enormous, so
that the presents given by royal peo-
ple must always be regarded in the
light of souvenirs and not as costly
gifts. The Queens children are not
rich, and as they are not able to afford
expensive presents so we may consid-
er the value Of all royal gifts from the
sentimental, not the commercial, point
of view, and it is its pleasantest as
we'll as most touching aspect, for 1t
shows that simplicity and depth OF
the family affection, which is neither
nourished nor fostered by any feeling
OF greed or expectation, but which is
as simple and genuine as that OF the
poorest subject Of our great Queen"
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
Ivory Billiard Balls.

The total yearly consumption Of
ivory billiard balls, when trade is gen.
orally good, is estimated to be about
10000 to $4,000 balls, of which Am
erica and Africa absorb half, the re-
mainder being used by England. GerI
many and the other countries. Bad
times reduce the number of balls rs-t
ouired to about $4,000 to $4,000 per
year. :
Ivory billiard balls. freshly turned.
have to be treated very carefully, as a
sudden change Of temperature may
cause them to crack. TO prevent this
they require to be placed for at least.
three months in a warm room. in
der to shrink gradually and dry true'
before they are finished and polished.
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
Use Of the Left Hand

Some discussion has of late been 60
ing on upon the subject of whether the
ability to use both hands with equal
facility indicates anything. 1t has
been argued whether ambidextrous
people are more intelligent than others
or whether they are better balanced
than their fellows. 1t would seem that
the proper solution Of this problem
might be that either accident or In
clination had led these people to use
the left hand equally with the right.
Children are taught mainly to use the
right hand, and are consequently very
awkward with the left-indeed some
times almost helpless, so far as any
delicate operation is concerned. Prac-
tice, however, will make one almost
equally handy with both hands. A lady
received severe injury to her right
hand, and found herself obliged TO
use the other. 1t took but a short
time, when she set her mind to it, to
acquire the ability to do many things
very we'll indeed. She wrote credit
able hand, singularly enough, howev-
er, as unlike her usual chirography as
one could imagine. Indeed, no one
would ever have suspected that the
two were the work of the same per-
son, although both were distinct and
readable. 1t is extremely convenient
to be able to use the left hand, aud
every person ought to take a little
pains to cultivate the habit of doing
SO. Aside from the fact Of it's con-
venience, no one can tell when some
accident may make such dexterity of
the greatest value. Children should
be taught this, and never allowed to
depend altogether on the right hand.
Equal use of both sides of the body
gives a moro symmetrical develop
ment, and much more steadiness ana
confidence in action of all sorts. The
fact that many articles in daily use are
made exclusively for right-handed peo-
pie no doubt has something to do with
this habit. but all the same, inclina-
ton and early training have strength
ened the tendency until we have be-
come a race of right-handed people.
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24

The reconcentrados, who are often
mentioned in dispatches from Cuba,
are non-combatants from the outlying
country districts, who were compelled
by General Weyler's edicts to take re-
fuge in the towns, on peril of being
treated as rebels. They have been hud-
died together in large numbers in Ha-
ivana, and other cities, and being cut
of from their usual means of support,
they have suffered great privations.
General Blanco has so far modified the
policy of his predecessor in the treat
nent of these people as to extend some
what the area around the towns which
they are allowed to cultivate. Commit
tees for their relief have been formed
IN the several provinces under direc-
ton Of the government.
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24

for tho punishment OF naughty chill
dren. On st. Nicholas Eve, December
s, the family with which he was stay
ing was visited by gentleman wear
ing mask. fur robe, and long, ia
pering cap" and carrying q sack, a
bunch Of rods and broom" He
threw the contents of the sack upon
the table, and, while the recipients
were devouring the nuts and candles,
gave them many sharp raps over the
fingers" He remarks further that
some Of the children had been taught
to say, II thank you, Herr Nicholas"
In Germany, in days gone by, all
presents were put in charge OF Herr
Nicholas. called. In Northern Germany,
Knecht Rupert, who talked with each
child about his conduct for the past
year. II he had been naughty, he left
a rod, recommending to the parents
its frequent use. AS the custom Is still
followed in some Of the German vii
lagos, we rejoice to know that the
might before Christmas" a beautiful
lady generally appears, who pardons
IA0 ldulLS VI luc CulpAlIs ~ SVSAy
thing ends happily after all.
In America, the descendants OF the
old German and Dutch settlers have
some underlined notions of the Pels-
nichol floating through their brains.
In the old days, they are told, Pels-
nichol (Nicholas Of the furs), dressed
in a buffalo robe, and with horns and
tail, would pass from house to house,
talked gruffly to the children, who
would flee for refuge to their mother
and cluster round her skirts.
In some such families the children
still hang up their stockings in the be-
lief that they will be filled with rods
by Pels-nichol, the furnishing spirit, or
with goodies by Kriss-Kringle Christ
kindlen) the Christ-child.
It is, then, a two-fold role that our
hero has been called upon to fill at
Christmas-that of Pels-nichol, the
avenger, and that of St. Nicholas, the
beneficent giver. The former phase Of
his Office, now fast passing into OBJ
scurity, was but subordinate one.
even in the days gone by. It but gave
a little variety and added zest to the
Christmas merriment. Christmas then,
as now, was, above all, joyous sea-
son. Then, as now, 1t was in the REIN
deer steeds that the children delighted,
and their
Little old driver, so lively and quick,
knew In a moment it must be st.
Nick.
He was chubby and plump; a right
jolly old elf;
And I laughed when I saw him in
spite of myself"
In the days of Peter Stuyvesant-
most obstinate and best beloved OF the
Dutch governors-all the holidays, in
Guiding St. Nicholas Eve, were cele-
orated with especial glee, while early
n the history Of New Amsterdam St. |
Nicholas, who once used to ride gayly !
along the tree-tops, dropping presents |
Town the chimney at any time Of year,
hanged his habits in that regard, and |
here was instituted that pious cere-
nony, still religiously observed in all |
,ur ancient families of the right breed, !
# hanging up stocking in the Chin
icy on St. Nicholas Eve, which stock
ng is always found in the morning
filled; for the good St.
Nicholas has ever been a great giver
Il gifts, particularly to children"
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
Praise for American Scientists,

A leading British scientific journal in
abiding to the last report of the Smith
sonian institution, says: Marrow, in
deed, in intellectual range and SYM
pathy must be the mind that can find
nothing Of interest between the sober
covers of Smithsonian report. From
every branch of modern science and
from not few departments of syste-
matized research not generally recog-
nized as strictly scientific, articles by
the ablest pens are reproduced, and
We have thus in convenient form a
compendium of the very latest results
of specialized work. The word Gin
dispensable," which so often occurs in
the cant of modern criticism, is par
ticularly applicable to these volumes,
for it is rarely that work on scien-
tific subject issues from the press
whether it deals with ant communities,
deep sea surroundings or the latest ex-
PLANTATION of the Marian canals-which
does not bristle with asterisks referring
the reader to the Smithsonian reports.
Chemistry and physiology are espe-
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24

=. Regarding the embarrassment Of the
finances of Spain, the London Statist
saws: 1.-THE financial endorsements
n Spain are naturally weighing heav-
ilv upon the Paris Bourse. It Is COM
monty estimated that French investors
hold together about s160,000,00o
worth Of Spanish securities. If, there
fore. there were to be an utter break
down in Spain the losses to France
would be very heavy. 1t is to be recol-
ascted that France has suffered much
during the past two years from the
collapse of the African boom. from
tho crash in the East at the time Of
Aha Armenian massacres from the fall
IN Spanish that has been going on so
long. and II there were to be another
breakdown the losses would be enor-
NOUS. The condition Of Spain ex-
mains much Of the extreme quietness
~ present in the European stock mar
'kets, and especially OF the stagnation
IN Paris and the unwillingness to en-
aer into new enterprise"
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
OLD TIME CUSTOMS.
BY Winona Butler.


There Is no brighter fact in history
than Christmas. The golden thread o.
its influence can be traced through
nearly nineteen centuries. On the nrs'
Christmas morning the angels sang
peace on earth, good Will to men.
The glad refrain has been repeated
each Christmas season in every CHRIS
tian land, though the character OF the
music varies greatly.
Our ancestors were In the habit OF
forming companies which went from
house to house, singing Christmas
carols in the streets. These beautiful
carols would break the stiffness OF the
winter night or early Christmas morn
ing, making a most delightful begin
ming to the merry day.
But these holy jubilees had as rivals
the mingling instruments of those
wandering spirits of harmony-the
Waits" One author writes: MANY
and many a time have we been
awakened by the melody of the Waits,
and have lain and listened to their
wild music, its solemn swells and 'dy-
ing falls kept musical by the distance
and made holy by the time, till we
could have fancied that the morning
stars were again singing as Of old they
Sang together for joy and that the
sounds of their far anthem came float
ing to the earth"
The German children probably be-
lieve more firmly In Kriss Kringle, or
Santa Claus. than do the children Of
any other nation. Germany Is the birth
place of Kriss Kringle, and the Won
derland of fable and poetry. German
children are taught to love the
Christ-child. In many parts of the
country it is the custom, on the morn
ing before Christmas, to let figure
representing the Christ-child wave
past the window of the room where the
little ones sleep. Half awake only, In
the gray Of the morning they see this
little child-fgure fit dimly past, and
they go to sleep again in the blissful
consciousness that the Christ-child has
not forgotten them, and that they will
have an abundance Of presents around
the tree in the evening.
A beautiful custom in Norway and
Sweden is the Christmas feeding of
birds. Bunches of oats are placed on
the roofs Of houses. on fences and
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
n. ,omnany sang a carol suited to tho

| the company sang carol su''eu W 'A-
great occasion. 49,.
The Christmas peacocks were also
gorgeous. the bird being flayed, roast
ed and then sewed up again IN all the
snlendor of its brilliant feathers, q
niece of cotton saturated with spirits
being placed within the gilded peak
to burn while the carver was at "orh.
Still more curious was the ancient
peacock pie, the bird being covered oy
the crust, save that on one side appear
ed his plumed crest, while from the
other side protruded the gorgeous
spreading tail.
Mince pies were called Christmas or
December pies, as the ola rhyme
went
'Treason's in December pie
And death within the pot
They date back to 1896.
The classical plum pudding must be
added to the list Of good things,
though, sad to relate, it was really
plum porridge, and not pudding. as
we have always believed.
An old poem says
"And those that hardly all the year
Had bread to eat or clothes to wear,
Will have both clothes and dainty fare,
And all the day be merry"
The leader of all the merry-mak1ng
was called the Lord of Misrule or Abb
bolt of Unreason. The wardrobes at
halls and manor houses were often laid
under contribution to furnish fantas-
tic DISCUSSES.
Snap Dragon was one Of the favorite
sports. Raisins were placed in a large
shallow dish and brandy poured over
the fruit and ignited. The lights In
the room were extinguished, and in
the weird glare the players attempted
to pick the raisins out of the flaming
dish:
'Here he comes with flaming bowl
Doesn't he mean to take his toll?
Snip, snap dragon.
Take care you don't take too much,
Be not greedy in your clutch.
Snip, snap dragon"
But in 1852, the question of Christ
mas was brought up in parliament.
They decided it was not in harmony
with the scriptures; pronounced it
"anti- Christmasse" and abolished It.
So the jolly Lord of Misrule became an
outlaw, and the old picturesque Christ
mas faded away with the severity Of
the Puritan atmosphere: but with the
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
=, rartloads If sheaYeS are
BY SHIRLEY WYNNE.

trees. Carloads of sheaves are
brought into town for this purpose, and
both rich and poor buy and place them
everywhere. The sentiment Is that
man must be very poor indeed IT he
cannot spare farthing to feed the lit
tie birds on Christmas day. In many OF
the valleys and mountain dales OF the
countries watch is kept during the
whole Of the night, and all are merry;
candles are kept burning at the WIN
dows, and the people flock to church at
four o'clock in the morning, each car
rying torch.
In some districts, Immediately after
the service, everyone hurries from
church, either on foot or in sleighs, for
there is an old saying that he who gets
home first will have his crop first har-
vested. At this holiday season the
neasants dance on straw, and the peas
ant girls throw straws at the timbered
| roof of the hall, and for every one that
sticks in a crack lover will come
| counting during the year.
In old English times, at the close of
the church services it was customary
for the clerk in loud and emphatic
tones to wish all the congregation a
Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year. In those good old times an Eng
lish gentleman would throw open his
hall at daybreak to all his tenants and
neighbors. Beer, blackjacks, toast and
cheese were plentiful. The great sau-
sage must be boiled by sunrise. or else
two young men must take the cook by
the arms and run her around the mar
ket place till she is ashamed Of her
laziness.
The "Yule log" is great log OF
wood, sometimes the root Of a tree,
brought into the house with great
ceremony on Christmas Eve. laid in
the fireplace and lighted with the brand
of last years log. While it lasted
there was great drinking, singing and
telling of tales. Sometimes it was &C
companied by Christmas candles, but
in the cottages the only light was from
the rudy blaze of the great wood fire.
The Yule log was to burn all night; il
it went out, it was considered sign OF
ill-luck.
The Christmas dinner was the cen.
trail feature of all the gay festivities
The table was literally loaded with
good cheer. The boar's head held the
place of honor and was lordly affair
brought in by the butler, attended by
servant on either side with large
wax light. The head was carried on 8
silver dish, the tusks piercing bright
red apples, while between them an
orange was laid, the whole graced with
an abundance Of sauce. When this
1.-The rarest4 dish in all the land" was
! placed at the head Of the table. one Of
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24

Il il truly singular that the slaughter
OF a few hundred or thousand seals on
and near the shores Of far-away Alaska
should get this and several other large
nations into what looks much like q
quarrel. while campaigns of extermi-
nation, now in progress right here at
home, and involving interests vastly
moro important, create no excitement
at all. For what is the value Of every
seal alive compared with that Of our
RAPIDLY disappearing forests? AS one
cent to q thousand dollars. perhaps,
and vet the work Of devastation is 60
&nk on at q rate
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
peace on earth.
Good will to men,"
Christmas Day.

"Christmas is pre-eminently a church
festival" writes Mrs. Lyman Abbott.
1.-THE Puritans, seeing only the super
stitions and disorderliness with which
Christmas had become encountered,
strove with all their ardor to destroy
it, but happily did not succeed. The
argument sometimes used against it,
that the birthday Of the Child Jesus
is not known, and therefore cannot be
observed, does not prevail against tho
almost universal longing to celebrate
in some way this great event. So we
are not surprised to learn that in the
first centuries of the Christian era
Christians, though generally celebrat-
ing the Nativity, were not unanimous
in the time chosen for the festival. At
least part Of the early church OBJ
served the sixth of January, not only
to commemorate the Epiphany, or
the manifestation Of Christ to the
Gentiles, but also the birth of Jesus,
and 1t was not until the end Of the
fourth century, perhaps not until the
beginning Of the fifth, that the present
date, December rs, was generally &C.
cepted. The Christmas season
is sometimes used to designate the
time between December 16 and Febru-
airy I, more often the fortnight be-
tween December "a and January 6.
During all this period there was for
merly, and still continues to be, a spir-
H of Joy and fesNvity which entities
it to be called the holidays The vigil
of the Nativity, or as we now call it,
Christmas Eve, was observed from the
first with exceptional devotion, per-
haps because the birth of our Lord &C.
Cured in the night. Unlike other Wig.
lis it continued through the night, and
made, with Christmas itself, one great
solemnity."
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
Icela nd to Have u Cable.

1t is intended next summer to lay
an ocean cable from the northern end
of Scotland to Iceland, taking in the
Farce Islands on the way. This en-
terprise arouses much interest among
men Of science, because Iceland is
filled with wonderful natural phe-
nomena, and particularly because it is
thought that meteorological stations
connected with the proposed cable
may be able to enlarge our knowledge
of the course and peculiarities of
storms crossing the ocean.
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24

When DR.. ktchison Of Illinois re-
marked, In the Methodist church con-
gress at Pttsburg, a few days ago,
that sacred song in certain branches
OF his church had degenerated into a
earicature. he spoke truth which has
unfortunately been self-evident for sew
eral years. The trouble is that this
Sunday school music is machine-made.
IT is ground out to meet a demand.
There are some exceptions. of course,
but these are few, too few. They are
cases in dreary desert of pure balder-
dash and rot.
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
Much interest has been awakened in

Much interest has been awakened In
England by the discovery of prehis-
toric lake village near Glastonbury.
The dwellings we're placed on mounds OF
clay raised above the level Of the water.
The framework of a primitive loom
was found under one mound. and the
number of broken bone needles and
bone splinters discovered in another
mound led the explorers to think that
It may have been the site Of an an
Gent needle factory. Very few human
bones have been discovered. but among
the interesting finds is blue glass
Eead, with a waving dark line running
around It. One of the mounds contains
three hundred tons of clay. all Of
which must have been dug from the
surrounding hills and carried to the
spot in boats.
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
Can It Cure Consumption.

Much interest has recently been ex-
pressed in a serum prepared by an
Italian physician, DR.. Marigliano, with
which he thinks consumption can be
cured. The London Lancet reports
the use of the serum during the past
year, with success, by number OF
reputable Italian physicians. DR.. Do
Renzi. professor of clinical medicine In
the Naples university, is quoted as re-
porting forty-four cases Of cure with
the serum in his hospital practice.
The best results are said to be obtain
ed where the disease is not yet very
far advanced.