davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
AGrocerywoman Poet,

An old lady in small country town has
kept tor the last twenty years, and still
Keeps. her accounts in doggerel verse, says
Chambers Journal. For example land
the specimens given are actual extracts
from her books. if Mrs. Jones has half
~ pound of tea on tick" it is entered
thus: -
Mrs. Jones doth owe to me-
For half pound Of SQUEEZING tea. Is 4d
Or, if MIR. Smith buys pound of sugar,
two pounds of rice and a Dutch cheese,
the entry will be, under Smiths name:
pound Of moist sugar,
And two Of best rice
with four pounds Of Dutch cheese,
Which | hope will be nice. Is. 1Kd.
And so OH all through the book. In some
cases the verses express doubt as to the
customers intention or ability to pay for
the goods ordered. Thus:
Lizzie Barber for her father
Had some -four today; <-@
Some apples too, and toilet-soap,
But | don't believe he'll pay. . Is. 81.
This booking work will drive me mad
When Think of folk like they.)
The lines in brackets. are very suggestive,
if not exactly grammatical.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
Couldocks's Brusuueness.

Many years ago when the late Mr.
Couldock belonged to n Cleveland stock
company, the organization went down to
Akron to perform for one consecutive
night.
Shortly before it was time for the cur
tain to rise the leading lady went to the
manager and tearfully informed him that
she had been insulted by Mr.. Couldock
Moreover, she declared that she would
never 60 on the stage with the old man
again. -
The manager wanted to know how
Couldock had insulted her, but she
sobbed that what he had said was too
horrible for her to repeat. =
Then the veteran was sent for, and
when confronted by the leading lady he
was asked to explain what he had said
or done to hurt her feelings.
Well,'' he growled, II suppose was
rather. rough. | told her hades was full
q such leading Indies as she is, but I take
it back. The place isn't quite full.
There's still room for her." S:Ss.s .}5s
His apology was not, of course, MI that
the leading lady could have asked for,
but it was Couldock's way. Sosthey for
gave him and the performance went on.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
Happiness and Wealth.

II believe there is more unhappiness in
the homes Of the rich than in the humble
cottages of the poor.''
That statement was made recently by
one of the wealthiesi women in the east
end, says the Pittsburg Dispatch. She
continued: $50 many believe that if they
We're only able to live in handsome homes
and have plenty of money to spend their
happiness would be complete.
1T saddens me to see this. T would
give much if I could make these people
understand that money never brought hap
piness to anyone.
1.-THE possession of it makes life easier,
but that does not imply happiness.
IF you study people you will note that
there are as many unhappy, discontinued,
disappointed faces among the rich as
among the poor; sometimes l think there
are mOre''
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
Letters and the Blues.

TO write letter when one is suffering
from a fit Of the blues, from temporary
or chronic depression, thus sending forth
ones melancholy to become the chilly wet
blanket which can smother anothers hap
piness, is equally short-sighted. Out
comes the bright sunshine, and your
clouds vanish; but your darkly and
wretchedly conceived letter has gone be-
yond your reach, and you cannot recall
it.: and it is busy about its baleful err
rand when you are in no frame of mind
to own that you sent it out. Years after
ward it may fall into the hands of your
heirs. and may lay at your door the
quoted in evidence of your spiritual or.
mental weakness and infelicity. Refrain
from writing letters when you are in q
low mood. s 8.
Another point, and this has to do with
the letters Of well known people. hat
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
They Traded Horses.

Abraham Lincoln was fond of good
story, and it is a well-known fact that
he often illustrated an important point in
the business at hand by resorting to his
favorite pastime. Probably one of the
best he ever told he related of himself
when he was lawyer in Illinois. One
day Lincoln and a certain judge, who
was an intimate friend of his, were BAN
tering each other about horses, favorite
topic of theirs. Finally Lincoln said:
well, look here, Judge, I'll tell you
what I'll do I'll make horse-trade
with you, only it must be upon these stip-
ulations: Neither party shall see the
others horse until it is produced here in
the courtyard of the hotel, and both par
ties must trade horses. If either party
backs out of the agreement, he does 30
under forfeiture of $25.'
agreed" cried the Judge, and both
he and Lincoln went in quest of their re-
spcctivc animals.
\ crowd gathered, anticipating some
fun, and when the Judge returned first,
the laugh was uprOarious. He led. or
rather dragged, at the end of halter the
meanest, boniest, rib-staring quadruped-
blind III both eyes-that ever pressed
turf. But presently Lincoln came along
carrying over his shoulder carpenters
horse. Then the mirth of the crowd was
furious. Lincoln solemnly set his horse
down, and silently surveyed the Judges
animal with Il comical look of infinite
disgust:
"Wcll, Judge" he finally said, 'this is
the first time / ever got the worst of it in
/; horse-trade.''
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23

: \ Young Folks Column - 8


sciously to talk of himself and his poems.
The interviewer theHyentured cautious
appreciation Of the "Recessionar'-
sends the result to the: Daily Mail.
All, !" said kipling," that poem gave
wrote. had promised the Times poem
on the Jubilee, and when it became due
! had written nothing that satisfied me.
The Times began to want that poem bad
~, and sent letter after letter asking
for it.
II made many more attempts, but no
further progress. Finally the Times be-
gan sending kilograms. So shut myself
in my room, with a determine ton to stay
there until had written Jubilee poem.
Sitting down with all my previous at
tempts before me searched through,
those dozens of sketches till at last |
found just one line I liked. That was.
Lest we forget Round these words the
'Recessionap was written. "-London Mail
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
ROOSEVELTS AT ALBANY.
Six Youngsters will Make Lively thu
Staid Executive Mansion.

$500 ''AAA AlASely the
Staid Executive Mansion.
Little children will be a new feature
of life ut the executive mansion in ALBANY
this winter.
Never since it's first occupancy nv y
governor of New York has the handsome
old pile on lower Eagle street echoed to
the prattle of the little ones and no little
shoes have ever clattered through the
halls and corridors of the official home of
the governor.
Col. Roosevelt will take to ALBANY what
none of his predecessors from the term of
1iiden had-the laughing presence of
childhood
Little Roosevelt shoes will kick the
paint Of the wainscoting of the staid old
executive mansion and little Roosevelt
Rough Riders will mount their hobby
horses and whoop and halloo where once
servants wore felt slippers to keep from
disturbing the meditations of the sage of
Gramercy and the Buffalo man of des
tiny.
Col. Roosevelt has six children, and the
eldest, daughter, is only II years old
His second, a boy of and named Ker-
NIT after an old Morse hero, thinks that
he is a Viking, Il Rough Rider and a
bronco-bnster all at once, and he acts the
parts. The youngest of the Roosevelt
family faI is only year old.-New York
World
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
If I We're Santa Claus,

If l were only Santa Claus,
And Santa Claus was me,
Id show him just what good
Old Santa Claus I'd be.
I'd always bring the kind of toys
And stOrybooks for him:
I'd find his stocking ev'ry year,
And fill it to the brim.
This year I'd bring book or so
On how we conquered Spain,
Or how boy pursued his foe
Across the klondike plain.
And boxing gloves-and, say, l guess
A pistol would be great
To Klondike with. And then-oh, yes,
A wheel for ninety-eight.
Id bring leather suit and hat
The kind that cowboys wear.
Of bowicknives and things like that
He'd have Il lot to spare.
Id fill his stocking then with all
The candy it would hold.
And where the packages were small
I'd fill in round with gold,
And when they saw how good was,
How happy folks would be
If l were only Santa Claus
And Santa Claus was me.
New York Herald.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
Their Birthday Gifts.

III u sunny nook sat two diScOnsOlate
little boys. 1t was Aunt Esther's birth
day. Uncle George was going to give
her a pretty book of poems in memory
OF the event. Cousin Lester had saved
up his pennies and bought her nice
handkerchief; Aunt Olive had made her
an apron, and so Oh around the circle of
friends. Mollie and Sue, John and
Henry, all had some gift for Aunt Es-
Their.
But Bob and Ray had nothing. Some
way they had not the means TO buy any
thing, and their little hands were not
strong enough to make what they might
plan tor the aunt they loved so dearly.
ana 50 they were very sad and thought
full this bright morning.
IL Wlsh could give Aunt Esther some
thing, said Ray, with culver in his
voice; shes always good to me-
and me, tco,' was Bob's quick reply.
'Don't believe there's another auntie like
hcr in all the whole world. There would
things as she Does
Ray had nothing to say to this. The
two boys agreed perfectly on the point of
Aunt Esther's goodness.
But don't see what we can do Bob
kept on gloomily. IF l hadn't broken
my !umping-jack, and lost my marbles,
and left my rubber ball over to Miles,
I'd give her some of them"
And there was silence for little while.
1t looked very much as if Aunt Esther $
birthday would 60 by aforementioned by
any. token of love from these sorrowful
| nephews. BY and by Bob's eyes rested on
big pile of wood lying loosely in Aunt
Esther's backyard, just as the hired man
had left it the day before. An idea came
into his loving little heart.
Say, Ray" he said, more cheerfully,
III tell you what we can do. We can
carry that wood in and pile it all up nice
in the woodshed. l guess Aunt Esther
would be glad to have that done.''
"All right" replied Ray. IF we can't
give her anything we can do something
So at it they went. In an hours time
they had carried it all in and piled it
snugly under the roof of the shed.
Then they brought Aunt Esther out to
see what they had DONE
This is our birthday gift, Aunt Es-
ther,:'' they said. I'VE hadn't anything
Aunt Esther knelt down with an arm
around each Of the rosy-cheeked little fel-
lows, and said, with a tear in her eye:
MY darling little men! You could not
have done anything that showed me more
plainly how you love Aunt Esther Ey-
cry time l come out here 1 shall think of
your affection for me-
Then kissing each of them, she led them
away, their hearts full of Joy that after
all they had done something to make
Aunt Esther's birthday brighter.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
- JACK STRAWS. - {
Rocky music-cradle songs.

Rocky music-cradle songs.
The postman has fetching way.
It's no sign of piggishness to have sly.
A long head doesn't call for a long face.
The city's hustle is inside of its out
skirts.
An educated horse ought to know q
good bit.
On windy day an umbrella is hard to
understand.
The dentist fills many enga gements with
sharpshooters.
Sacred songs are not always sung with
good method.
You might call the marriage ceremony
a combination time lock.
The laundryman is expected to keep
tabs on his customers shirts.
1t is not difficult for the eligible heir
ess to husband her resources.
We don't suppose Il girl ever counts her
progress with beaux by laps"
4 post no bills sign could not he
strictly enforced in the postotficr.
If life is what we make it, the Oldest
people must make the most Of it,
Let the women remember that boomers
always accompany something green.
A man whose brain is teeming with IN
stabbed thoughts is not exactly in need
of a horse doctor.
Some of us enjoy ransacking in the at
tic, but many would prefer rumaging in
the cellar-Philadelphi Bulletin
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
. . 8. ? -
Lucky Girl.

This is a story heard yesterday about
dainty little woman whose husband is
one of the American members of the
Anglo-American commission now. sitting
here, says d writer in the Washington
Post. ] won't tell YOU her name; but ]
will tell you that her father has served
several terms in Congress. During his
first term here the little woman's elder
sister was born. sss She herself Joined the
family during a period Of private life
which came in between two Of her fa-
Tiers terms in Congress, and when first
she saw Washington she was or s
years old. There, weren't any .colored
people i'll her home town. and. she was
very much impressed with the multitude
of dusky faces she saw here -.''
Were alfa.these black people born
here?' she asked her mother once upon
IL day.
yes, dear" was the answer. gs,s.;,.s2 =,
The child seemed lost in thought for a
few moments. Then she looked tlp.x..sszess,-
Ny she said, ss'but wasn't it lucky
sis as born dYhite!"E@aE, -. sags.sgE .. =
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
The Woman who Lives to Dress.

There is no more foolish thing a wom-
an can do than lend her body as a dunn
my to the vagaries Of fashion, for by so
doing she makes herself Il mere nonell-
tity and loses all claim to individuality,
that which. to be popular, Il woman must
possess. You can tell her the moment
your eyes rest OIL her, the woman who
devotes her time and attention unreser-
vedly to dress. Her body is like tail
or's dummy; true, it displays the latest
fashion, but her head, like the dummy's
head, is wooden. She possesses no in
ttellectuality, for she never thinks of read
ing anything but of Dress ST
Contrast her with one who devotes
much Of her time to improving her intel
lectual powers, with whom the matter Of
dress is subservient. Her dress she adapts
to her figure; because red reigns supreme
~ the world Of fashion is no reason why
she, who appears to better advantage in
black, should wear red; but she wears a
gown whose outlines conceal any defect
in her figure: she devotes little time to
the fashion columns of the magazines,
knowing full we'll that modest gown,
not quite the latest style, and Il pleasant
face, sparkling with pure thoughts, COM
pared with Il gown ultra fashionable and
a, meaningless face. is as diamonds to
glasS r.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
Bows in White.

A Manila correspondent of the indie
pendent says: THE fashion of white
clothes goes with the American officers.
Gen. Merritt. Gen. Greene. Admiral
Dewey and Capt. Seabury OF the China,
lust as the ship was about to start for
Hong Kong. formed a handsome group, all
in snow-white linen. coats. trousers. caps
and shoes: few gold buttons and cords.
shoulder-straps and cuffs the only relief
on figures that seemed to be cut from mar
BILE without flaw or strain. When l called
on Gen. Aguinaldo and he came in. his
name softly announced. he was in white.
his coat buttoncd, his trousers newly
ironed. So far rs our officers are con-
cerned in the Philippines they are not boys
in blue, but boys in white"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
Tom Reed Overruled.

At last Speaker Reed has been over
ruled. At recent annual meeting of the
Daughters of the Confederacy, at Hot
Springs. Ark, Il lively dispute arose as
to whether the minutes of the previous
meeting should be read before business
could proceed or not. One daughter Ven
turcd to quote Speaker Reed on the sub
ject. but she was promptly overruled and
the reading dispensed with, on the mo
ton of another daughter. who asserted
vehemently that Tom Reed didn't
know what he was talking about"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
Tot the Articles Down.

Now is the time of year when the fur
ricd woman makes her appearance in our
midst, and her lamentations fall upon
the air like the descent of heavy rain
She forgets her gloves at one counter,
she leaves her umbrella at another, and
in many instances neglects altogether to
go away with the purchases she has been
at such pains to make. The systematic
feminine smiles sarcastically as she OBJ
serves this poor little woman losing her
head and sundry other articles all over
the place. and even the shop girls are
filled with a quiet contempt that is not
far removed from genuine pity.
The man of the family in which this
little creature lives is inclined to be very
cross when his wife or daughter de-
c.ares that she doesn't see how she could
possibly have forgotten to buy him the
socks or suspenders he needed-she Just
had them in mind all day long. but in
hunting for the pea-green silk to match
Evelyn's pianO-lamp shade she got so ex-
cited that every other thought quite es-
capped her mind. The silk was so much
more important, anyhow. What a brute
Il man is who could think of scolding Just
because a few trivial hose and a pair of
suspenders We're overlooked in the DAVIS
buying. says the Philadelphia Times.
Men do not think this any sort of ex-
cuse; therefore, we just want to give
Mrs. Flighty word Of advice that will
not only help her wonderfully in selecting
her own goods, but which will entirely do
away with any propensity to scold on the
part of her husband or father This help
to memory and to a blissful state of az
fairs, both while she is in the stores and
after she gets home, is nothing more nor
less than written memorandum of what
she is expected to buy.
In the quiet of her own domicile she
can easily jot down the several things she
really is anxious to buy, but which in all
likelihood she would forget all about if
she trusted to her memory alone. AS one
thing after another is crossed off the list
she will enjoy rare satisfaction that will
be further enhanced when she reaches
home and knows that he question did
you buy this. that or the other will not
be invested with any terror for her.
This is simple suggestion, but won
der-working one. Remember it and you
will bless the paper and pencil that have
been such dutiful aides e-camp to a some
times troublesome and treacherous memo
ry.-Pittsburg Dispatch.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
earth. For this reason it il always hung
from the ceiling and the vigilant goddess.
propitiated by the kiss, sign Of good
will. oN
w. Pope YounH's Beans and Bacon.

The Christmas which is the most
Pope Young Of Washington, D. c.. twas
the last one of the war. That day was
seated in the pines near Petersburg. writ
ing to my dear old mother in this city and
watching my dinner cook. The meal con-
sisted Of beans, not too multitudinouS.
and piece Of bacon about an inch square
and SO rusty that fat could not have been
tried out Of it in furnace. described
my meal to my mother, and added that /
knew every Yankee sergeant within 4
mile and half of me was having his
Christmas turkey and plum pudding. The
letter reached my mother. and she told
me afterward that after reading it she
could never partake of anything to eat
without feeling a choking sensation But.
| tell you, those beans and that morseI of
bacon tasted nightly good. Hunger, you
know. is a great relish"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23

8 y Gossip for the Ladies = s


right has the public to the intimate
knowledge, the unwilling, the revelation
caused by the publication Of letters when
the helpless dead can lift no hand for
their own defense or protection. Much
as we enjoy biography, there often comes
over us a creepy feeling, sort of shiyer,
at the thought that those who wrote these
private personal letters never Intended
them for the perusal of other eyes than
those Of the one to whom they were ad-
dressed, Famous men and women should
take precautions during their lifetime
against this invasion of their individual
rights when they are no longer here. t.
Letters are endowed with a sort of
earthly immortality, an indestructibility
which resists everything except the
tiames.-Harper's Bazaar.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
Soft Gingerbread.

"A choice. recipe for old-fashioned soft
gingerbread requires two cups best New
orleans molasses, one cup hot water,
teaspoonful Of Soda, little ginger, about
u heaping teaspoonful, and a pinch of
salt. Mix as soft as possible, adding the.
melted butter last. Bake in a quick oven
and eat at once. Another recipe calls: for
eggs and sour milk. It is made with one
cup each Of sugar and molasses, a scant
cup OF butter, two eggs, one cup of sour
milk, and three cups of -four. A full tea
spoonful of soda is dissolved in 4 little hot
water and added with 4 tenspoonful of:
ginger and a little grated nutmeg. .
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
NO STOVES IN COREA.
Instead, Flues Are Laid Under the
Floors, Which Are Thus Heated.

Floors, Which Are Thus Heated.
Stoves are not used to any extent by
the native Coreans. The Corean method
of heating is cxcelently adapted to their
resources and conditions. In building
their houses they lay down !, system of
tluts where the floor is to he. These tiues
begin Ut d fireplace. which is usually
placed in an outer shed or connecting
closed alleyway. From this fireplace the
fues extend in more or less curved ti-
rection, like the ribs of u round fam to Il
trench at the rear of the room, which is
usually placed some distance from the
house. Flat fagstones are then placed
carefully over these flues. and the whole
is cemented over and finally covered with
thick oil paper, for which the country
Is noted. This paper keeps smoke from
entering the room. and little straw or
brushwood. used in the fireplace for cook
ing the rice. serves to heat the stone floor
and gives an agreeable warmth whicl.
Taste till the time of the next meal
Two heatings daily tend to give the
people a nice warm floor. upon which they
sit in the daytime and sleep at night.
By leaving their shoes at the door. the
inmates preserve the paper floor. which
from constant polishing takes Oh a rich
brown color
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-23
What a Box Said,

"Once on Il time" library book was
overheard talking to little boy who had
just borrowed it. The words seemed
worth recording, and here they are:
"Please don't handle me with dirty
hands. | should feel ashamed to be seen
when the next little boy borrowed me.
"Or leave me out in the rain. Books
can catch cold, as well as children.
"Or make marks on me with your el-
bows when you are reading me- 1t hurts.
"Or open me and lay me face down on
the table. You wouldn't like to be treat
ed so.
"Or put in between my leaves q pencil
or anything thicker than single sheet of
thin paper. 1t would strain my back.
"Whenever you are through reading
me, if you are afraid of losing your place.
don't turn down the corner of my leaves,
but have |; neat little bookmark to put in
where you stopped, and then close me and
lay me down on my side, SO that i can
have a good, comfortable rest.
Remember that want to visit great
many other. little boys after you are
through with me. Besides, I may meet
you again some day; and you would be
sorry TO see me looking old and torn and
.soiled. Help me to keep fresh and clean,
and will help you to be happy -.