davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-22

home, when ! heard my name men,
toned by the agent as he directed
some one to the house on the hill. 1t
was n telegram announcing the com.
pletiOn of the business and informing
me that 1t would not be necessary for
me to leave
On this tritiing incident hung my
fate, for when ! returned ! found that
the only one of the party who had not
felt equal to the long drive was-Miss
Grace.
She saw me coming up the hill, and
in her amazement as | aftcrward as
certained, thought | had purposely de-
ceived her mother and brother
oh, but her heart was beating for
some one, and when she met me
knew by her sweet eyes that all the
happiness of the days before my dis
closure had come back to her heart
1 had her all to myself that after
noon, that glorious afternoon the ra-
dance of which has sent its light
along the pathway of my whole life.
I dare not tell you what occurred,
except to say that when the party
came back / had my telegram to ex-
plain my sudden return but no word
of explanation for the JOY in my soul.
And now for the finale Yet it was
only n finale to the old lady'S ambi-
tbon, and but the beginning of my
''long sweet story"
The Christmas dinner was on! |
could tell you every detail Of it.
could tell you where Grace sat, and I
remember distinctly every howcr in
her corsage. l see in my minds eye
every laughing face. every feature of
the table and of the room. Ave, |
remember even the dainty country
maid, with her natty cooks cap. COM
ing into the room with n steaming
fowl. You must bear in mind that
this was long ago, before the days of
the country house luxury which now
prevails.
1 recall the arrival of the dainty
maid, for it was at that moment thar
Grace, contrary to all banquet foruu.
las, arose, and looked her mother
and brother full in the face her eyes
aglow with the spirit within. her face
handsomer than ever in its framing
of American pluck, and her stately
form like that of Il queen.
81 want you ALL she said Ito listen
to an American girls Christmas deter
mination. Perhaps what | am going
to say is not according 10 rule, hui |
think it is according to right. /, an
American girl, promise to become the
wife only Of an American citizen. /
promise that l will preside over an
American home or over none at all"
/ cannot picture the Consideration
of the mother. I am quite sure that
it completely spoiled her Christmas
dinner. The guests, who knew moth
ing of the mothers plans. applauded
the sentiment to the echo.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-22

superscripton "To Santa Claus 263
Goat Street" There is no Goat street
in New York. so the letter was stamp
ed "misdirected," as in the reproduc-
tion above, and sent to Washington.
where, it was supposed, Goat Street
might be found. The clerks thought
that fuller directions might be discov-
cred inside, so they opened the enyel-
ope, and found the following letter.
Dear Santa,-When l said my pray
ers last night l told God to tell YOU
to bring me n hobby horse | don't
want a hobby horse, really. A honest
ly lively horse is what I want. Mamma
told me not TO ask for him, because
probably would make you very mad,
so you wouldn't give me anything at
all. and if / got him I wouldn't lave
any place to keep him. A man l
know will keep him, he says, if you
get him for me. thought you might
like to know. Please don't be mad
Affectionately, John.
2. S.-A Shetland pony would be
enough.
i. SID rather have n hobby horse
than nothing at all.
Another letter, written by a girl of
seven, who is sometimes ''norty," was
sent off some time ago, in order that
Santa might have a good opportunity
to get the dolls baby carriage and
the squeak cat for the baby"
My Dear Santa Claus.
l hope you are quite well. l have
got a great big stocking reddy to hang
up at Xmas. There is only one big
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-22

AS for Eugene! Why, he is a sensi.
bic fellow, and he rather prides' him
self on his brother-in-law even to this
day. Mrs. Kerr never fully forgavc
me, and even to her dying day occas-
ionally referred in the saddest of ac-
cents to that dear broken-hearted
Lord Deerland"
And Grace! Why, she's dressing
for the Christmas dinner even as /
write.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-22

tons Of big machinery. The men
are working early and late now.
and if the whole acreage is planted
by January and a sufficient guam
tity of rain falls there will be such
a crop OF wheat as has never been
heard off, for the land is good land
and the seed is good seed. Then
will the bread eaters of the world
give thanks for the existence of the
largest field in California.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-22

Connections at Rupert with Philadelphla
Reading Railroad Tor Tamanend, Tamaaua
North cumberland with p. & +. Div. p. g. X. FOR
Harrisburg, Lock 9aven, Emporium Wnrrer =
Cory and Erie. , 49, -.
scranton, Pa.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-22
Philadelphia &
Reading Railway
Engines Burn Hard Coal-No Smo%e
In effect July l, 1898,
TRAINS LEAVE BLOOMSBURCj


For New York, Philadelphia, Reading Potts
vile, Tamaqua. weekdays H. a. m.
For Nilliamsport, weekdays, 1850 a. m, $40 p
For Danvllle and Milton, weekdays, $50 a. m.
$40.
For Rupert weeKdays7s 80, sss ll.sOa M, 12. 90,
$40, 500, $50, p. M. m.,.,. ,,.. -
b. & o. X. r., through trains leave Reading Ter
minal Philadelphia, 800, 7.55, l1.26 a. M, 3.46
7.2T, p. m. SUNDAYS 800 1855 ll.26 a. M,
3.46, 1871, D. m. Additional trains from "a and
chestnut street station, weekdays, 1856, Sal
S.23 p. m. sundays, 1.35, s.23 p. m.
TRAINS FOR BLOC MsBURG
Leave New York via Philadelphia 500
M, and via Easton g.10 m,
Leave Philadelphia ll.2i a. m.
Leave Reading 2.l5 p. m.
Leave Pott Svtlle 12.3U p. m.
Leave Tamaqua 40 p, M,
Leave WilliamsI ort weekday 1000 n, 4.SO p
Leave Catawissa weekdays, 700, $40 9.1OR. m.
1.30 $40, Cos
Leave rupert, weekdays, 7.Os, s.ss. 9ls l1.lO
o. m., l.SS S.t0 $50.
ATLANTIC CITY DIVISION.
In effect Oct. 4, 1898.
Leave Philadelphia, Chestnut street whar
and South Street wharf for Atlantic City.
WEEK-DAYs-Express, 800 a. M, 200 400, 500
pm. Accom-, 500 a. M, $50 p. m. SUNDAYS
Express, 800, 1000 a. m Accom-, 500 a. m, AS
p. m.
Express 735 8 90 a. M, so, $50 p. M. Ac-
COM, sis a. M, 405 p. m. SUNDAYs--Express.
400, 7.sO p. m. Accom-, l5am, 4 Is p. m.
For Cape May, Sea Isle City and Ocean City,
weekdays-9.OOa M, additional for Cape May,
4.15 p. m, for Sea Isle City, 500 p m, for Ocean
city. I.15 800 p. m. sundays-Chestnut street,
915 a. m., South street, 800 a. m
Parlor cars on all express trains.
l. A. SWElGAED, EDSoN.J. WEEKS,
Genl supt' Genl Pass. Agt.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-22
LETTERS TO SANTA CLAUS.

Post-ofiice Authorities Find Them Free
quently at Christmas Time.
In every well-regulated post-office of
large size there Is corps of guess
ers' and directory searchers, who are
kept busy for the express purpose of
finding out where people live, when
addresses are carelessly or not fully
written out. Last year a letter came
to the post-office, New York, with the
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-22
TUMOR EXPELLED.
Unqualified Success of Lydia E..
Pinkham's Vegetable Compound.

Mrs. ELIzABETH WHEELocK, Magno-
liza, Iowa, in the following letter de-
scribes her recovery from very criti-
cal condition:
"DEAR Mrs. PINKuAM:-I have been
taking your Vegetable Compound. and
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-22

: ready to sound
is praises. 1t
has done Won
lcrs for me in
relieving me
of a tumor.
" My health
has been poor
forthree years.
Change of life
was working
n upon me. L
p was very
~ much bloated
nj ,Nnc q h,,r
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-22

A whale of so tons exerts I45
horsepower in swimming twelve
miles an hour.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-22
P ornament Positions.

For few men and women who have plenty Of
energy and business ability, to hire and super-
intend agents. $40 month and all expenses at
the start. p W. Ziegler Co., 2ls Locust ST.,
Pnlla' l1-2i-d4t
Evening star., 1898-10-29


Mr.. Parker Mann has been busy making
prepar atoms to sail for England and as
he expects to start in a short time there is
little probability of his paying even a flying
visit TO Washington. According to present
plans, he will remain in England this win
ter. renewing some old friendships and de-
voting such time as he chooses to painting
He looks forward to returning to his cot
tage in East Gloucester next summer
though it is likely he will go abroad again
in the ensuing autumn. This year the un-
favorable weather at Gloucester prevented
him from accomplishing as much work as
he had hoped to do, but In spite of the
drawbacks encountered he made number
or delightful pastels. choosing for his sub
1ects the moorland scenes of which he has
always been so fond. While II is likely he
may be represented now and then in our
local exhibitions, it is understood that there
is little probability of his returning TO
Washington to live, and the artistic frater-
nlty here sustains a severe loss in the de-
parture of member who has been so
active and energetic in forwarding art in
terests.
Evening star., 1898-10-29
NOTe-oS OF TIE ea4Oco3-
sn1e SucHsr s1ISi3Tea t.-e- osro na-
coeroGnT 1888 o. s!R.eeooserS

We sorely need a tenor for the choir at
Sweetheart
So, encouraged in this fashion the dar-
ing Laurence began:
Nae priests aboot me shall be SEEN
To humble prayers bath morn and cen .
swap them II for Mary Quean,
I'll bid mass for me be sung,
Dies lilac, dies irae.
Nor cleEkirg bells for me be rung
Sic semper s0let teri,
gang my ways 10 Mary Quean,
All, !ery good, very good, truly said
the abbot, thrusting his hand into his
pouch beneath his gown. Here are two
gold mobiles for thee. sweet lad. and an
other for your brother whose countenance
Is somewhat less sweet. You have sung
we'll to the praise of our lady What did
you say your name was? OF a surety we
must have you at Sweetheart. And you
have the Latin, too, | heard in the
hymn! 1t is a thing most marvellous
Verify the very JUNCTION of grace must have
visited you in your cradler'
Laurence held down his head with all
his native modesty. but the more open
Sholto grew red in the face hearing behind
him the tttering and misunderstanding of
the priests and lay servants in the abbot's S
train, and being sure that they would in
form their master soon as he passed by
concerning the true import of Master Lau-
rence's song. He was muttering a rapid
recitatjve. 80, wait, wait Laurie Mackim
till | get you on the Carlinwark shore. A
sore back and d stiff skinful of bones shalt
thou have. and not an inch of hide on
thee that is not black and blue. Amen"
he added. stopping his maiedictions quick
ly, for at that moment the abbot came
somewhat abruptly to the end of his bene
dfCtiOn.
The great churchman rode away on his
fair white palfrey horse, with a smile and
a backward wave of his hand
Il viii speak to my nephew concerning
you this very day, my Childt'' he cried.
And the cOuntenanCe of the most gentle
youth kept its sweet innocence and angelic
grace to the last. but that of Sholto was
dark and frowning.
Evening star., 1898-10-29

you greeting in the name of your liege
iord. Charles, King of France, and also In
that Of his son, the dauphin Louis.
bring you also further token of their good
WILL in that l hail you heir to the grea,
estates and dignities of your father and
grandfather, dukes of Touraine and pre-
mter vassals of the King of France"
The young man bowed, but in spite of the
interest or his message, the marshal caught
his eyes resting upon the face of the lady
who rode beside him.
ITO this 1 add that which, save for the
message of the king my master. ought fifty
10 nave come first. / present you to this
fair lady, my niece, the Damosel Sybilla de
Thouars, late maid of honor to your high
princess, Margaret of Scotland who of late
hath expanded into a yet fairer flower un'
der the sun of our land of France"
The earl dismounted and threw the reins
of his horse to Malise, whose face wore
an expression of bitterest disappointment
ana instructive hatred. Then he went to
the side of the Lady Sybila. and taking
ner hand. he bowed his head over it, touch
ing 1t with his lips with every token of re-
spect. Still .bareheaded, he took the reins
OF her palfrey and led her to the stand re-
served for the queen of beauty
Here being arrived. the earl invited her
to dismount and occupy the central seat.
Till your arrival ii lacked an occupant
but today the gods have been good to the
house of Douglas, and for the first time
since the death of my father l see it filled.
wave of his hand the Earl William invited
the Marshal de Retz to take the place on
the other side of the Lady Sybilla.
Then turning haughuly to the herald of
the King of Scots. who had been standing
alone, he said: And now, sir, what would
you with the Earl Douglas?"
The ascetic monkish man found his
words with little loss of time, showing
however, no resentment for Earl William 5
neglect of any reverence to the banner un-
der whose protection he
Il am Sir James Irving of Drum, and
/ stand here on behalf of Sir Alexander
Livingston, tutor and guardian of the King
OF Scots, to invite your friendship and aid.
The Lord Crichton. sometime chancellor of
this realm, hath rebelled against the royal
authority and fortified him in Edinburgh
Castle. So, both Sir Alexander Livingston
and the most noble lady, the queen mother,
desire the assistance of the great power of
the Earl of Douglas to suppress this re-
volt"
Scarcely had these words been uttered
when another knight stepped forward out
of the train which had followed the Earl of
Avondale.
81 am here on behalf of the chancellor of
Scotland, who is no rebel against any right
authority, but who wishes only to bring
this distracted realm back into some as
sured peace, and to deliver the young king
out of the hands of fiatterers and letchers.
l have the honor of requesting on behalf
Of the chancellor of Scotland. Sir William
Crichton the true representative of royal
authority, the aid and alliance of my Lord
of Douglass
smile of naughty contempt passed over
the face of the earl. and he dismissed both
heralds, uttering in the hearing of all those
words which afterward became so famous
over Scotland
Let dog eat dog-what should the lion
care?''
Evening star., 1898-10-29

ion erectedt at the southern end of the
Jousting meAdow. when a gust of cheering
borne along the lfhes announced the arrival
of belated company. The young man
glanced northward with intent to discover
by their pehpons who his visitors might be.
But the distance was too great and ident:-
fication was made more difficult by the
swarming of the populace round the new
comers. So. being unable to make the mat
ter out Earl William dispatched his brother
David to bring him word of their quality.
Presently, however and before David
Douglas return. shouts Of "Avondale.
Avondale." from the men of Lanarkshire
informed the young earl of the name of
one of the least of those who had arrived.
A frown darkened his brow so quick and
aTgry that 1T showed the consideration in
which the Douglas held his granduncle,
James the Cross Earl of Avondaie
4 hope, at least" he said in a low voice
to Malise, who stood half step behind
him, that my cousins Win and James
have come with him. They are good metal
for tourney and worth breaking a lance
with
BY this time the banners of the visitors
could be seen crossing the fords of Lochar,
while high advanced above all private pen
mons two standards could be seen. the
royal banner of Scotland and close beside
the rampant lion the lilies of France.
st. Bride. cried the earl. Have they
brought the King of Scots TO visit me ?
His majesty had been better at his horn
I book or playing ball in the tennis court of
Sterling"
Then came David back riding swiftly
on his fine dark chestnut. which, being
free from the mantle in which the horses
of knights We're swathed, and having its
name and tail left long, made a gallant
show as the lad threw it almost on its
launches i'll his pride of horsemanship.
William said David Douglas. "a word
in your ear, brother. The whole tribe are
here-fat Jamie and all his CLAM.
The brothers conferred little apart for
in those troubled times men learned eau
Evening star., 1898-10-29

thou speakest to the abbot of the Founda-
ton Devorgill concerning better men than
thyself."
The priest gasped and fell back. AMI none
other was found with .aught to say against
Master Laurence, which, considering the
ten thousand paternosters and the three
hundred misereres, was not unnatural.
AS the earl passed along he was annoyed
by the iterated requests of his uncle to be
informed when they should come TO the
company of the Laird of Kelton. And the
good abbot, beiIg, like all deaf men, apt to
speak "a little loud, did not improve matters
by constantly making remarks behind his
hand upon the appearance or character tas
Known to him) of the various dependents CT
the Douglas house who had come out to
snow their loyalty and exhibit their pre-
paredness for battle.
AS thus it was. The young earl would
Come in his inspection to a company of
Solwayside mep-stiff-jointed fishers of
salmon nets, out of the parishes Of Rer-
rick or Borgre; or, it might be, rough
colts from the rock scarps of Colvendi
scrambiers after wild birds nests on per-
ilous heuchs and poachers on the deer pre-
serves of Cloak Moss as often as they had
a chance. Then the earl. having zeaiouslS
commended the particular Barnbachle or
Munches who led them. all would be peace
and concord till out of the crowd behind
would issue the growing comment Cf his
uncle. the abbot of Dulce Cor.
"A close-fisted old thief! The saints pity
him not. He will surely fry in hell! Last
SnroNetide dld he not drive on fVe or our
best mich cows, and hath steadfast!y re-
fused to restore them? Anathama maran-
atha to his vile body and condemned his
soul"
Every word of this comment and addition
was heard by the person most concerned.
Or it might be Henry Amiligan-his
mothers son-God wot And his fathers,
too, doubtless-if only one could know who
his father was. The devil dwell in his fat
belly! Exercise te-'
So it went on till the temper of the Young
Earl of Galloway was strained almost 10
Evening star., 1898-10-29
Snakes in AustraIia.

From Chambers Journal.
1here are five kinds Of venomous snakes
in Victoria; the tiger snake, the black
srake' the brown snake. the copperhead
and the death adder
Inc last-mentiored is very rare in Vic-
tcria and very venomous. 1t is abort tu.o
feet long, very thick in proportion TO its
length. of dun brown color and with a,
fiat. wide head The strangest thing ab,ut
Ii is that many people believe its sting is
contained in the tail
Leaving the death adder out of the eount
there are four spe cies which are fairl, com
mon. Inc tiger snake comes first in popu-
la estimation if not in reality If Is re-
garded as the most venomous and the most
savage IL attains in some districts a
iehsth or about six feet, but the majority
OF specimens are from three to four feet
long. Its coloring is variegated black aud
brown on the back, and pale brown on the
belly. When attacked, II sometimes raises
its head to height of a foot from the
ground; ana Its appearance then as IL
rests on its coils with its head seemingly
widened out, its neck contracted, fits fork
ed tongue fiickering out OF its mouth, and
It's eyes blazing with rage, makes the aver
age man rather chary of approaching
One good point is that the backbone of
all snakes is easily broken by a blow from
a stick, and the power of locomotion is
thus taken away. Next on the list is the
DIGch Sndhe. inls Is Talner larger than
the tiger, and the handsomest of all Vic
torian snakes. The back is jet black and
shines like a well-polished boot and the
belly is q beautiful salmon pink. 1t is less
common than the tiger snake, and is very
frequently confounded with the copperhea1.
The brown snake is brown on the back.
whitish-brown on the belly and about the
same length as the other two. The COM
monest of all, at any rate near Melbourne
is the copperhead, which is found in most
Darts of Victoria. As its name implies. IL
has a copper head, a dark back and a yell
1n. oh hell
Evening star., 1898-10-29
CHAPTER MI.

The sports of the first DAYS of the great
wappenshaw We're over. The Lord James
Douglas, second son of the Gross One. had
Won the tourneying by unhorsing all his
opponents without even breaking a lance
Shoto MacI<im wore on his cap the golden
buckle of archery and took his way hap
PLY homeward. much uplfted that the
somewhat fraudulent eyes of Mistress
Maud Lindsay had smiled upon him while
the French lady was preen:ng it there.
The knightly part of the great muster
had gone back to their tents and lodgings.
The commonalty were mostly stringing
away through the wales and hill passes to
lhelr homes, no longer in ordered COM
panies, but in bands of two or three Dis
putes and MISUNDERSTANDING arose here
and there between men of different prov
lnces The Galloway men called AMMAN
dale thieves at those border men who
came at the summons of the hereditary
Warder of the Marches. The borderers re-
piled by loud bleatings, which signified that
they held the Gallowegians of no better un-
derstanding than their native sheen.
1t was strange and varied company
which rode home to Thrieve to receive the
hospitality of the young Earl Of Douglas
ana Duke of Touraine. The castle itself
being no more than a military fortress
containing, in addition to the soldiers
quarters. only the apartments designed for
the family (and scant enough of those)
could not, of course, accommodate so great
company.
But. aa was the custom at all great
Ecuses, though more in England and
France than in pcyerty-stricken Scotland,
the Earl of Douglas had in store IN
abundant supply of tents, some Of them
woven of arras and ornamented with cloth
of gold. others of humber but equally
serviceabie material
His mother. the Countess of Douglas
who knew nothing of the occurrences of
the night of the great storm, or guessed at
the suspicious Of witchcraft and diablerie
which made a hell of the breast of Malise.
the master armorer received her sons
guests with distinguished courtesy Malise
himself had gone so soon as he set eyes
on the companion of the Marshal de Detz
to find the abbot, that they might consult
together only, however. to discover that
the gentle churchman had quilted the field
as soon as he had obtained the consent of
his nephew to the possession of the new
chcrister, to whom he had taken SO sud-
den and violent a fancy.
The hoofS of the whole caT alcade were
soon sounding hollow and dull upon the
wooden bridge which the earl's father had
erected from the left bank TO the southern-
n est corner of the Isle of Thrieve a
bridge which a single charge of powder or
even few strokes of a woodmans AK
Evening star., 1898-10-29

would have been sufficient to remove or
disable, but which nevertheless enabled
the castle dwellers to avoid the extreme in
convenience of passing the ford at all
states of the river
Sholto Mackim, with all the conscious
ness of a shining success in the stiffness
of the neck which upheld the slight addi-
tional weight of the earl's gold buckle in
his cap, found himself. not wholly by acci-
dent, in the immediate neighborhood where
his hearts beloved, Maud Lindsay, like
a valiant seneschal, had kept her place all
day close beside the maid of Galloway. as
Margaret of Douglas was already called.
And now the little girl was more than
ever eager to keep near to her fair 'gou-
vernante," for the ambassador of the King
of France had bent one look upon her. SO
strange and searching that Margaret
though not natu, ally tinaid, had cried
aloud involuntarily and clasped her friends S
hard with a grasp which she refused to
loosen till Sholto had promised to walk by
the side of her pony and allow her to net
her trembling fingers in the thick of his
clustering curis.
For the armorer's son was in those SIM
pie days an ancient ally of the little noble
damsel. and he dreamed, and not without
some excuse. that in an age when every
n ans strong arm and brave heart consti-